Well, I made this chapter long as compensation. Enjoy.
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[LEAGUE OF VILLAINS HIDEOUT - NOON]
The television mounted on the cracked wall played the press conference on loop. Tomura Shigaraki sat on the chair, face buried in a newspaper while Kurogiri watched the news report for the third time.
"—the unidentified individual known as 'White Fang' is being investigated as an unlicensed combatant—"
Eventually, he switched it off.
"Tomura? .."
Shigaraki didn't respond, eyes fixed on the page.
'... He's all they're talking about.' The news report from last night's attack .... All that destruction, six Nomu, For this?
He hadn't expected much, but he had at least expected the League Of Villains to be in the spotlight. Instead it was a brat who hadn't even grown out his pubic hair that they were clamouring over?
"What about my Nomu?" He rasped, voice thick with irritation.
This time, it was Kurogiri's turn to be silent.
"I can't believe it. All of that work and we didn't even make the front page! Look at this! "'Hosu's Student Heroes.' 'Mysterious White Fang.' 'Endeavor's Narrow Escape.' Where's the League of Villains?"
He threw the newspaper aside.
"It is not a total loss Tomura. Endeavors image has taken a hit, as has the image of heroes in general. We demonstrated our reach and forced the hero system to ..."
"We LOST," Tomura interrupted, turning to face him. "Don't sugarcoat it. We lost. Again. We had one job. Kill Endeavor. Shake the public's faith. Show them heroes can fall. And instead, we made two new heroes famous."
His gaze turned to the blank TV screen.
'No one makes a fool out of me ..'
"Kurogiri, find him," Tomura uttered. "I don't care how long it takes. I don't care what resources it requires. Find out who White Fang is. Find out where he lives. Find out everything. Him too."
Tomura's hands returned to his neck, scratching with renewed vigor. "I want to know everything about both of them. Schedules. Weaknesses. Loved ones. Everything."
His eyes gleamed with barely restrained madness.
'.... Nobody makes a fool of Tomura Shigaraki.'
Kurogiri inclined his head. "As you wish. Though..."
Tomura's head snapped toward him. "Though what?"
"There is a development. One that might prove quite fortuitous."
"What? Don't tell me it's some empty benefit crap?"
"Quite the contrary ...."
Before Kurogiri could finish, there was a knock at the door.
"You can see for yourself. It's just arrived," Kurogiri said, moving toward the entrance and opened the door.
Standing on the other side were Four figures.
The first was one both Shigaraki and Kurogiri were familiar with.
"Hey there Tomura." Giran greeted, cigarette between his lips.
Tomura's face darkened. 'This guy? Don't tell me we're getting new recruits.' he could see more people behind him, making his already irritable mood plummet even further.
The last two were already a handful to deal with.
A battle maniac and a drunk.
If more were added, just as annoying as those two, there was no doubt he would incinerate them on day one.
"New recruits?" Shigaraki's voice dropped an octave. "Giran, I told you I wanted quality, not more bottom-tier trash to fill up the graveyard."
Giran chuckled, puffing a cloud of smoke toward the ceiling. "Easy there Tomura. These aren't your typical street thugs looking for a paycheck. These are gentlemen with a... common interest. Be happy, it seems they brought you a very expensive puzzle piece."
He stepped aside, revealing the three figures standing in the dim light of the hallway
The first was a man in a crisp white lab coat, his hair styled in clock-hand points. Beside him stood a man in a dark suit with a brimmed hat casting a shadow over a bird-like mask. And finally, a small, irritable-looking figure in a small, dark puppet like creature who looked like he wanted to be anywhere else but here.
Silence followed as neither side made a sound.
Five seconds later, Shigaraki raised his hand.
"Kurogiri, get rid of these guys. I can already tell they're the kind of trash I hate."
The third irritable figure, a puppet creature seemed to explode.
"What did you just say brat?"
Tomura's eyes narrowed. "What the hell did you just call me?" He was already in a bad mood and was on the verge of exploding.
Giran sighed immediately. 'Here we go again.'
"Honestly, what's with everything annoying me today? First last night, now right now."
He stood up from his chair.
"Oh no. Tomura ..." Kurogiri began but Tomura wasn't listening. "I'm sick of being irritated. Maybe I need to let off some steam."
His eyes gleamed with suppressed rage.
"Starting With You Three!!"
Tomura thrust his hands forward. Mimic backed away as Chronostasis shot his clock hairs forward. Nemoto pulled out his gun and fired.
BANG! The gunshot resounded in the bar! Dark mist shot out from Kurogiri's palms, blocking their attack paths and redirecting their attacks.
'Heh ... Just like before. I guess I was right how immature this one is.' Giran stood to the side unfazed.
"Please calm yourself Tomura Shigaraki. Believe me that this will certainly be worth your time."
"Exactly." Kurono uttered, withdrawing his clock hairs from the portal. "We're not here to be your recruits anyway. At least not like this."
Tomura's pulled his hands out of the mist, expression irritable behind the hand on his face.
"Fine then. Tell me what you're here for ... Then get out."
"Hmm. Quite irritable this one is." Nemoto uttered.
Tomura's eyes narrowed.
"You're testing my patience. Who the hell are you guys?"
The tall one, the leader, stepped forward without hesitation, his golden eyes locking onto Shigaraki's red ones.
"Kurono," he said offering no bow and no greeting. "Former second-in-command of the Shie Hassaikai."
"The Shie Hassaikai," Tomura hissed, his voice dripping with venom. "I thought you losers were busy crying over your boss's death. Why are you in my lobby?"
"Because we have a common plague. One that took our Master and, from what I saw on the news last night, one that just took your dignity in Hosu."
Shigaraki's hands reached for his neck. "I'm in a bad mood today clock-face. You say one more thing out of line, and I'll turn you to dust."
Kurono's expression didn't change. "We're here to discuss cooperation."
"For what?"
"Revenge on a common adversary. The white-haired vigilante. White Fang."
"Hmph. You say that like you can even find him."
None of them replied. Tomura stopped scratching.
"Don't tell me .. You know who he is?"
"We have a strong lead," Kurono replied. "One you probably already know of."
Nemoto tossed a folder over. Shigaraki caught it with narrowed eyes and opened it.
True enough, the picture was a face he was familiar with.
"The brat?" Shigaraki paused. "You think he's the one?"
"Highly likely. Currently, all our evidence points to him. And even if he isn't, we are certain he is involved, having some connection to the vigilante in some way, so yes."
Shigaraki rasped. "And here I thought you actually had something."
Nemoto frowned. "Are you calling us liars?"
"Don't make me laugh. The reports from Hosu put them in two different places. My Warp Gate doesn't lie."
The folder in his hand decayed into dust.
"What a waste of time."
"Discrepancies can be fabricated," Nemoto chimed in, his eyes narrowing behind his mask. "I used my Quirk on the boy during a train commute. I asked him if he was the one responsible for Kai Chisaki's death. He didn't answer. He physically locked his own vocal cords to prevent the truth from coming out. Innocent people don't struggle against the truth, Shigaraki. They just speak it."
"The statistical probability is low." Kurogiri voiced at this point. "Your evidence hinges on him resisting a forced compulsion quirk. Without an actual admission, it could mean a variety of interpretations. Perhaps he reflexively resisted your power. If he could survive being deconstructed, then resisting your quirk should be no challenge."
"However, the facts state that it is implausible for both to be the same as they not only look different but the child's location is easily traced in both instances the Vigilante made an appearance."
Kurogiri looked at Nemoto. "A resisted quirk is not a deciding factor here."
"Which is why we're here."
Since the failure at the Shinkansen, Kurono had pondered on Yuta's repulsion of Nemoto's ability and had come to a defining conclusion. Just as Kurogiri said, logically speaking, it was too much of a stretch to conclude on Yuta being the murderer of overhaul based solely on Nemoto's resisted Quirk.
Facts were facts and the failure to draw out a specific answer logically wasn't definite. However, it didn't matter.
It had long been decided that Yuta Akutami would die regardless of who was the killer. The opposite would just mean having a second target.
Both would die. However, it would be difficult to achieve on their own, leading to the current situation before them.
"Both are our common enemies." Kurono continued, his gaze unwavering. "Whether they are the same or simply allies, it matters not. I'm sure you want his life as well. We want a joint venture. Your resources, our intelligence. We capture him and find out everything he knows. If he is responsible for our leaders death, his life is up to us to kill. If the vigilante exists, we work together to end him as well. We dismantle them both piece by piece."
"Dismantle..." Tomura repeated the word, his fingers hovering over the raw skin of his neck.
He didn't care about the Hassaikai's pride. He didn't care about their "Master." But he cared about the stain on his own record.
"Alright. I see what you mean, but ... Something doesn't quite fit in all this ... What's worse is I don't know why." His brows furrowed in confusion as he paced.
The irritable mimic grew even more agitated. "What more is there?"
"Quiet toy. For some reason ... I just feel like I'm missing something here."
"Isn't it obvious, Tomura?" The voice came from the speaker box startling those who weren't familiar.
Shigaraki's eyes turned to the blank screen on the side. "Master?"
"Not bad. To notice that, it seems you really are learning."
"Who is that?" Kurono asked.
"Our master." Kurogiri replied simply.
"Indeed. Pardon my entry." All For One's voice came from the speaker box. "I'm just hear to make sure my disciple learns a good lesson."
"Master. I don't get it. You've been paying attention to this kid, haven't you? What do you think? Is this brat really the White Fang? Or is he just another NPC?"
"Hmm? Well, I don't know," All For One replied, his tone carrying a faint, paternal amusement. "While I believe it to be so, it is true that the physical evidence is overwhelmingly against the prospect. To be in two places at once is a feat that defies the nature of his known Quirk. Of course that could be explained in different ways but they are ultimately just wild speculations."
The speaker hummed for a moment. "However, that depends on what perspective you look at it from.
"Then why do I feel like I'm missing something?"
"Well, that's easy enough. Your confusion comes from the current situation clashing against your innate nature."
"Huh?"
"Yes. In simpler terms Tomura, you could decide to seek answers for yourself to this mystery. Track him, capture him, and extract whatever information you desire. It would certainly be interesting to see what you dig up. But..."
The voice softened.
"Let me ask you ... what does it matter whether he is the White Fang or not?"
The question hung in the air, and Tomura's hand froze mid-scratch. He stared at the blank screen, his red eyes wide and vacant as the gears in his mind ground to a halt.
'Is that ...'
"It is important to separate what matters from what doesn't," All For One continued. "I will not interfere in your judgment or your decisions. You are a king in the making, and you are free to do whatever you desire with the pieces on your board. However, you must ask yourself whether what you invest your time in is worth the investment. Sometimes, the solutions to most problems are a lot simpler than they seem."
Silence followed. Kurono and Nemoto exchanged a wary glance, confused by the shift in the room's energy. Even Giran took a long, slow drag of his cigarette, watching the boy-leader.
Tomura stood perfectly still. Then, slowly, a low, raspy chuckle escaped his throat. It grew into a jagged, enlightened grin that stretched the skin of his face.
"Oh... I see now," He relaxed his shoulders. "Now I understand why I was so confused. I was thinking about this whole thing the wrong way... like I was trying to solve a puzzle I didn't even want to finish. Now I get it."
"Hmm?" All For One's voice carried a hint of pride. "Alright then. Tell me, Tomura... what exactly do you plan to do now?"
Tomura stopped grinning. "Do now?"
His eyes gleamed frantically before turning to the warp gate.
"Kurogiri."
"Yes Tomura Shigaraki?"
"Tell me, where's this kid now?" Kurogiri's brows furrowed .... If he had any. The next moment, his figure was blurred in mist. When it cleared, he was long gone.
____
Mustafu Japan, U.A High
The silence that followed Mirio and Nejire's departure was big enough to choke on.
Unfortunately, it didn't last long as the vacuum left by Nejire's "love child" comment was slowly filled by the rhythmic clinking of cafeteria trays and the resumed whispers of the student body.
Mirio had successfully wrangled the periwinkle-haired hurricane toward the exit, but the damage was done.
It wasn't just his table; the surrounding five tables of General Studies students were staring at Yuta as if he'd just been anointed by royalty. Or given Nejire's parting words, as if they were looking for a family resemblance to the scariest teacher in school.
"Aizawa's love child," Tanaka whispered, finally finding his voice. He looked at Yuta's tired, dark-circled eyes and then at a picture of Eraserhead on his phone. "I mean... the sleep deprivation is currently a match."
"Drop it," Yuta groaned.
"I don't know," Kimura chimed in, his skin a mischievous shade of violet. "The 'grumpy' vibe is a solid 90% match. Maybe you're a clone."
"Kimura, if you don't stop talking, I'm going to 'clone' my fist onto your jaw," Yuta replied without looking up.
"Don't mind them." Hana sighed. "But hey. On the bright side, even upperclassmen recognise you now. I've seen Togata-senpai in the hallways—he's usually a lot more... well, he's usually losing his pants but if he's in the hero course, it means a lot coming over here just to talk to you."
"Yeah. Now more people are going to call you Akutami - Senpai now."
"I'd rather they didn't. In fact, I'd rather not speak to anyone else for the rest of the day."
"Too late for that, 'Senpai'," Tanaka teased, nudging Kimura. "Look. Round two."
"Huh?"
Yuta turned, and before he could even register a face, a pair of heavy, high-zoom goggles was centimeters from his nose.
"FOUND YOU!"
"What the ..!"
Hatsume's eyes gleamed. "HELLO MY SHINY NEW ADVERTISEMENT ON LEGS!!"
She was practically vibrating, a smear of grease on her cheek and a wild, predatory look in her eyes that made Yuta's fight-or-flight response scream flight.
"Hatsume," Yuta sighed, leaning back. "It's been a while."
"Too long! Way too long!" She grabbed his shoulders, ignoring the startled yelps from Tanaka and Kimura. "I saw your performance in HOSU yesterday. Hehe ... You're practically famous now..."
'Oh, so that's what this is about.'
"What do you want now Hatsume?"
"I WANT TO MAKE YOU A BABY!"
Half the Cafeteria spat out the liquids in their mouth's.
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