(AFO)
The duo now reside at the bar where Tomura insists his base be, and I think that the time is now right. Obviously I intend to take the boy's quirk for myself. Even with it being unable to heal my old scars, coming back to life hours after having been thought killed is too valuable to leave in the hands of another.
Of course, this rests on the caveat that I can take his quirk. I cannot take or give quirks from the dead, the Nomu Doctor Garaki is working on are a small technical difference which allows the transfer. Even then it is not a sustainable process yet, it is likely that it will not be for a long while yet.
But as for the boy, he has died. There is no point debating that when I completely destroyed the top half of his body in order to fully test his quirk. It certainly had nothing with him calling me Potatohead. I am above such petty trivialities, after all. Nor was I offended at their flirting in my presence. I am the most powerful man alive, should I wish for a relationship I would have one.
But that is unimportant, what is is the fact that I am currently using a quirk to ensure that the boy and girl won't wake up while I take his quirk. Given that his analytical skills would greatly benefit Tomura's growth, I'll likely grant him one of the regeneration quirks I possess.
After ensuring that the boy won't wake up when my quirk enters him, I stretch my hand through Kurogiri's portal and grip his head.
And that's where things go wrong.
I do manage to find his quirk successfully, which means that it hasn't become cemented as a part of his soul. But when I grab a hold of it, instead of me pulling it out, it somehow pulls me in. In where? I am unsure, but that is the sensation I have.
An odd feeling envelops me, though it seems more focused around where my eyes used to be, and the world briefly turns blank, the various observation quirks I use having stopped functioning for a brief moment. One in which I now find myself in another location. I turn my head, seeing nothing but darkness outside of this small circle of light-
I pause as realization hits me harder than All Might did. Slowly, I raise my hand in front of my face. And I see it! Somehow, my sight has been returned! And as I run my hands over my head, I find that they aren't the only thing that's been returned to me. My smooth silver hair is back as well! Not only that, but the scar tissue that covered the majority of my head is nowhere to be found!
I'm pulled from my astonishment by an unexpected voice across from me. "Well now, this is unexpected."
I'm startled to find a woman suddenly sitting across from me, dressed in a professional business suit. Immediately I curb my expression, adjust my posture to project my superiority, and tilt my head just enough so that, while they are aware they have my attention, they are also intimidated by the fact that I am looking down upon them. Intimidation and manipulation is an artform, one that I've worked quite diligently to cultivate over my two centuries of life.
Contrary to my expectations, she does not react to my sudden change in pressure, seemingly unaffected. Deciding to test her more, I utilize a quirk I obtained that enhances negative emotions such as fear or hate.
Or at least, that is what I intend to do.
Confused, I look down at my chest as the quirk fails to activate. I try again, obtaining the same result. 'Perhaps the woman is preventing its activation', similar to Eraserhead's quirk. But then who was the one to bring me to this place?
She coughs, drawing my attention back to her. "As I was saying, normally mortals are assigned their handlers at birth, and as such are incapable of falling under the jurisdiction of another. But it appears that the boy's quirk has managed to supersede the proper channels."
With the mention of a quirk, I realize what is happening, though I find it difficult to believe. "So then, this is the afterlife."
But she does not confirm it, instead her response is the slightest of shrugs. "While not entirely accurate, I have no interest in explaining this process once again. More to the point this is quite the rare treat that has landed on my desk."
She smiles, but it's no ordinary smile. While I honed my villainous smile to induce an optimal sense of inferiority in those who are faced with it, hers is a disturbing thing that cuts her face in half. The top half of her head swings open and a long, scaly tongue shoots out, piercing my chest before I can react.
But there is no blood. I am uninjured. It zips back into her mouth as quickly as it exited and her head swings back to normal. Now frowning, she rubs her cheeks with her hands. "That is quite an unpleasant experience. I am very glad that I rarely am assigned those who require using it. Though it seems that it was ineffective this time. Another discrepancy the boy's quirk has caused."
It takes much more effort than it usually does to keep my emotions in check. I have no clue as to what just occurred, but I am fully aware that had it succeeded, it would not have ended well for me. But I shall not allow my panic to show.
"That was quite an unusual quirk. Given how I seem unable to use my own, I am quite curious about it."
My observation is quickly rebutted, however. "That was no quirk. Simply a tool assigned to each of us handlers to deal with troublesome mortals who try to escape from what is in store for them. It is quite amusing. They do not realize that even those who we deem fit to punish have a better fate than the ones who touch the darkness."
I cast a wary glance around us, put on guard at her words. But alas, there is nothing I am able to do about it now. Instead I clear my throat. "And I am unable to use any of my quirks because…?"
"The reason for that is two-fold." She holds up a finger. "One: quirks that are not mutations are unable to be utilized here. Even if they seem to break the laws of physics, they are still things of the mortal realm. This is not the mortal realm.
A second finger joins the first. "Second: they are not your quirks. You are aware of how quirks reside in both the body and the soul." It's not a question, she seems aware of my own interest in the subject, which has led to my plan for Tomura Shigaraki should he fail to meet my expectations.
Still though, it is only polite to respond, so after I give a nod she continues. "Here, souls usually are unable to interact with any except their handler, and since quirks are connected to souls…"
"The quirks, as well as the connected soul, are with their respective handlers." I finish, a slight worry making its way into my voice. One that's easily picked up on by the strange being in front of me.
"Do not worry, each of the quirks you've collected are tethered to your own soul. So the only ones you will lose upon returning will be those who's connection has frayed. In other words, those you have not utilized for more than ten years."
While frustrating to lose any of the quirks I've collected, it is much preferable to losing all of them. I am simply satisfied to lose only that which I have not needed since before my battle with All Might.
"Still though," she continues. "I would recommend not trying to steal the boy's quirk. It appears that any who touch it will be sent here, to me rather than their proper handlers."
"I see. So I am incapable of taking the quirk for myself?"
"That is correct. Though even if you were able to take it, the boy returns here every time he dies. Eventually one of the higher ups would develop a way to counter its protection and force his stay. There is simply no benefit to doing so for a simple snack."
"A snack?" I question, confused at the sudden turn of conversation.
Frowning, she taps an hourglass on the desk. "That is correct. You see, we handlers and our supervisors require sustenance just as you mortals do. But for us, that sustenance comes in the form of a mortal's memories. Their personalities. Everything that made them, them during their lives. And once they have all been consumed, they are returned to the mortal realm to repeat the process."
"Interesting. So there is no true afterlife, eternal bliss vs eternal damnation?" I cannot help but find that amusing. I suppose I will not be meeting all those I killed in hell like they claimed.
"As I said, I will not be explaining that. Though as it appears we are running out of time, I will leave you with a word of advice. Your soul will become fractured if you continue with your plan for Tenko Shimura, or Tomura Shigaraki as you named him. This means that your handler - who absolutely hates you, by the way - will be able to force you to suffer twice before your soul is returned to the mortal realm. And they in particular have a rather large mean streak."
She looks up and I follow her gaze. Above us are what look like countless shooting stars, rapidly falling towards us. She speaks again, her words having gravitas as well as the familiar tone of a manipulator trying to get what they want.
"But given that you've somehow managed to encounter a different handler, despite that not supposed to be possible, there is an alternative." She meets my eyes and I feel a chill run down my spine. "Give up on your dreams of immortality and world domination. Care for your charges. Treat them as your children rather than pawns. Do this, and when the time comes I will be able to claim your soul and make the process for consuming your life's experiences… neutral."
I chuckle as the lights above grow brighter. "Neutral? That is a rather interesting offer."
She shrugs. "I will not make your stay unpleasant, but neither will I work to make it pleasant. I will allow you to roam free in the space where I send mortals assigned to me. You do not need to tell me your answer now, I will know based on how you live the remainder of your life."
The light is nearly blinding now, though the darkness around us has failed to be pushed back. I glance up and see a multitude of people falling towards me, all with furious expressions on their faces. 'Ah, the quirks I've stolen', I idly remark.
Before they meet me and presumably send me back to the waking world, the woman says something that manages to break my composure.
"Oh, and do not inform the boy of this event, neither of what we've spoken of nor that you attempted to steal his quirk. Should you do so, you will suffer unimaginable horrors the likes of which even your assigned handler would cower from. Goodbye, Setto Shigaraki. I hope to see you again."
The quirks slam into me and I am once again engulfed in nothingness. Once it clears I am back in my chair, my hand touching the boy's head. It appears that no time has passed at all since I've been gone.
I withdraw my shaking hand, idly dismissing Kurogiri to rest as I do so. Once he is gone I bring it up to my breathing mask, gripping hard enough that I can feel the glass fracture. Though that is a negligent detail given I can quickly repair it with a quirk. No… there is something far more important.
.
Setto Shigaraki.
Somehow, that woman knew my name. I had long cast it aside when I decided to follow the path of a demon lord as inspired by the manga I read. But more than that, after I'd taken the mantle of my quirk, All For One, I'd forgotten it.
It has been one hundred and seventy years since I have heard that name, and the memory of that time flows through my mind.
I stand atop a skyscraper, facing Yoichi Shigaraki, my brother who is dressed in a torn patchwork outfit that is meant to symbolize hope, justice, and all that those with naive ideals extol.
He glares at me with such anger, but of course he does. For this is the last building standing in what was once the most populous city in Japan. Now it lies in ruins, the battles between both our forces having left a desolate hellscape behind.
It is something that neither of us wanted. I wished to rule the city, while Yoichi wished for it to be a place of peace where people could follow their dreams. Of course, he does not approve of my own dream, so it would never welcome me.
This is what he fails to understand; no matter what lengths he goes to, there will always be villains who seek to control or kill others. Under my rule, all would know who those people are and avoid them! Or perhaps I will establish a sort of coliseum, such as the ancient Romans did where one's bloodthirst could be slackened.
But I'm pulled from my plans by my brother's words. "Are you happy now, brother? Now that you've slaughtered a city, ARE YOU HAPPY!?"
I sigh, having long accepted our fate. Neither of us will stop the pursuit of our dreams, each that opposes the other on a fundamental level. One of us will have to die, and I have no intention of being the one to do it.
"This was never my intention, brother. Had your allies not ambushed my own forces this city would have lived on under my rule. You are just as responsible for this as I am."
I see in his eyes that he does not believe me, but of course. While I admired the demon lords in stories growing up, he always admired the heroes who would bring them down. I suppose keeping him locked away to avoid getting killed in my inevitable conflict with the world only reinforced his view.
"But it matters not, for you will fall here, and I will be reclaiming the quirk I'd given you." I raise a hand, the slightest pang going through my heart knowing that he will die here, that we will never reconcile. But it is quickly banished by his laughter. It is a laugh full of mockery, one that I never expected to hear from him.
"Did you know, brother? That I had a quirk?" Shock flows through me, but he continues without waiting for a response. "You have the ability to take quirks from others. I had the ability to give my own."
"Had?" I question sharply.
He nods happily, a tension leaving his shoulders. "That's right, had. I've passed it on now. Just as they will pass it on. And it will continue to be passed on until you are defeated."
He turns away from me, stepping to the ledge in order to look out over the burning city with a sad expression before turning back with his arms spread. "There will always be a hero to defeat the demon lord, Setto. We both know this to be true. But now, I'm tired, so just promise me one thing."
My throat tightens, and an unpleasant feeling grows in my stomach. "What, Yoichi?"
He smiles. "The world will always need heroes. Even if they don't make an attempt on the final boss, the people need protection. So make sure they have them."
And he lets himself fall backwards with a smug grin on his face.
I could have stopped him.
I could have used any number of quirks to fly down while he fell and stop him.
I could have saved him.
Instead, I decided to honor his last wish. A world of heroes, ruled by a demon lord. One among them will rise to fight while the others keep his kingdom safe.
He always did do all the side-quests in his games…
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Yep, a look into AFO's past.
It's been about a week since Himi and I have joined the League, and I've been stuck on a certain question she asked me. Even now, while I'm training with one of the people AFO hired to boost my combat capabilities.
I jump back, dodging the bumper that would have launched me into the wall. I know from experience that it would have at least cracked a rib. At least I still would have been able to fight, if they'd gone for my head it would have snapped my neck and killed me. I also know this from experience.
This trainer has a quirk that's apparently often compared to pinball machines. They can transform their arms into something similar to the bumpers that the ball bounces off of. And just like those bumpers, they'll launch back whatever they hit with a sizable force which is further enhanced by the size difference.
This trainer is supposedly training me to help deal with quirks that only affect a person's body, which basically means that I have to hit them before they hit me. So dodging and quick attacks. And since they don't have to hold back in fear of killing their student (well, permanently at least) I'm told that I'm progressing at an impressive rate.
Of course, that doesn't help if I'm distracted, as shown by my now broken arm. Still though, I managed to twist it so they missed the elbow they were aiming at, so I can count that as a minor win. But instead of pressing the attack, they stop.
"Ok, what's on your mind?" They question me. "It's clear that something's bothering you, and if it gets you killed here I won't be able to enjoy my break in peace."
I sigh. The guy training me really enjoys the fact that he'll get long breaks every time he manages to kill me, but for some reason he won't be satisfied unless he 'earns' them. I guess an outside distraction means he didn't earn it.
"Well, now that my girlfriend-," I blush at calling Himi my girlfriend, it just gives me a warm fuzzy feeling inside! Or it could be internal bleeding. Either works. "-and I have joined a villain organization, she decided that I should choose a villain name. I've been having a hard time deciding."
They nod in understanding, which makes me relieved that I'm not overthinking it. "It's good not to rush it. There's a lot to be said for a name. For heroes, it's supposed to give people hope. For villains, to inspire fear. Though if you go for something too ostentatious you'll probably be turned into a joke by the internet. Especially if you don't manage to live up to it."
I nod, remembering one villain who called themselves 'Ultimate Arsenal of Unlimited Weapons'. Admittedly their quirk was good: being able to conjure any kind of weapon into their hand with a gesture. The downside was that it was just the weapon, and they could only conjure one thing for each hand. And they couldn't go farther than ten feet away from them or they disappeared.
So guns weren't really useful, and any kind of bomb would have ended up hurting them as well. Really, they were a low-tier villain who relied on intimidation and bluffs to rob banks and scare away low-ranked heroes. When a hero with the guts to actually stand up to them confronted them, they got beat super easily. Apparently they hadn't even been training to use the weapons that would have been useful in close-quarters!
Anyways, with the truth of their quirk revealed, the internet was quick to mock them. From editing videos to make fun of their quick loss to a rookie hero ,to memeing their quirk and name, nothing was forbidden. I won't go into details, but let's just say that they couldn't bear the shame of what people photoshopped them summoning and killed themselves in prison.
And that's just one example of naming gone wrong. There are plenty of times villains have been laughed into submission by civilians after saying their name. Usually they're practically begging the police to take them away in those cases.
I'm pulled away from the potential problems the wrong villain name could cause me when he continues talking. "Of course, you could always go simple. Like me; my quirk treats whatever I hit with it like a pinball, so that's what I decided to call myself. Pinball."
He chuckles. "Doesn't hurt that it's fun when heroes expect me to be the pinball only to find out that it's them. Anyways, you could always base your name off your appearance if you have a certain look you always wear. Or even whatever fighting style you use. Maybe use 'jump' or 'bounce' in your name since you're always jumping around."
"Hmm… Jumping… or maybe hopping…" Something about that tickles my brain, but what is it? As I think about why it seems familiar, my eyes are drawn to my jacket hanging by the door. Specifically on the hood, where the ears trail down…
Suddenly, I nod, startling my instructor. Which makes me realize that I've been thinking for about twenty minutes. "I know what I want my villain name to be. I just hope Himi likes it." I look at my instructor with determined eyes. I was told today's training wouldn't end until I manage to get one serious hit on him without dying, and now I'm more determined than ever to do so.
I ready my knife, taking a loose stance with my knees bent and ready to launch myself in any direction. If I'm choosing that as my villain name, then I should live up to it. "Let's get this over with. I've got a villain name to announce."
`~`
"I've decided that my villain name will be Midosagi." Himi just looks at me, her eyes a bit unfocused and her nose twitching cutely. Now that I've got rabbits on the brain, I'm really tempted to pet it.
"Eep!" She lets out a cute noise and pulls her head back, squinting her eyes at me. "What was that for!?"
I giggle as I pull my finger back. "When you smell good blood, your nose twitches and wiggles. It's adorable and I couldn't resist."
She huffs with crossed arms. "Maybe warn a girl next time! I thought you were going to pick my nose!"
I roll my eyes before returning to the start of the conversation. "I decided on my villain name. I want it to be Midosagi. The Green Rabbit."
She tilts her head at my choice. "How come? I could see you choosing something like Midoriya because 'green' describes you pretty well, or Usagi because you're like a rabbit, but combining the two?" She shakes her head. "That feels like you're too on the nose. I feel like Chusagi would be much better!"
I roll my eyes before grinning. "You're just saying that because it means Blood Rabbit. No…" I grin as my mind takes me back to my childhood, to thinking up hero names with Izumi. No matter what name either came up with for either ourselves, each other, or for our team, there would always be one thing that tied them together.
Midori means green, which is the color of both our hairs. Hers long and straight like our mother's. Mine compact and curly, which I'm told resembles my grandfather's, though he died long before I was born.
"Midori means green, but for Izumi and I it meant much more. It meant that we'd become heroes. That we'd have each other's backs." I feel an odd wetness trailing down my cheeks as I explain, my grin still present.
"Midori meant that no matter what happened, we'd always be tied together in both of us being 'green'. So now…" My hands clench into fists as my grin turns into a snarl. "Now she'll know that no matter what happens in the future, no matter what she manages to accomplish. She'll know that she is connected to a villain. One that she helped to make."
I feel Himi wrap her arms around me and I cry into her hair, sobs wracking through me. "I-I-I don't know why I'm c-crying! I hate her! I hate my parents! I hate Kachan! I hate all of the people at my school who tortured me! I hate the neighbors who would throw bottles at me! So why…"
Feeling me start to shake, Himi bites into my neck to suck my blood. But it's not enough to calm me down this time. I'm too confused, too angry. I don't know what I'm feeling. My emotions are whirling inside me like a hurricane, battering my insides as they battle to make themselves known.
The question was a whisper, but now it's ripped from my throat like a gong, filling the room and bursting into the hallway through the open door. "WHY DO I MISS HER!? IT'S STUPID! I MAKES NO SENSE! I HATE HER! BUT I MISS HER! WHY!? WHY, WHY WHY WHY!?!?!?!?"
With each word, my screams die down more and more until they're back to a whisper. The last words before I'm engulfed in the darkness of blissful unconsciousness barely a breath in her ear. "Why do I still think of her as my sister?"
`~`
Two days after my… I wouldn't say breakdown, but unloading of my emotions in a loud and dramatic fashion, I find Himi missing and training canceled for the day. It's weird since I've had training every day since we've gotten here, so the sudden change is making me nervous.
More than that, Shigaraki invited me to play video games with him, but he hasn't tried to kill me a single time! Not even when I blue-shelled him in Mario Kart! THERE IS SOMETHING GOING ON TODAY AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT!!
Thankfully the weird day is almost over, but as I sit down at the bar to eat a bowl of Katsudon I can't help but be disappointed that Himi hasn't been around. I don't think I've ever gone a full day without seeing her ever since we met. The fact that she hasn't been around at all today is making me worried that she's getting tired of me.
'Who am I kidding, she probably is. I'm me, after all. The whole reason she originally stayed with me is because she likes how my blood tastes. Did she find someone else whose blood tastes like cinnamon rolls? Is she going to replace me!? Maybe she found someone who tastes better, or she's just tired of cinnamon rolls! I know that people get tired of eating the same thing over and over again, so it's not hard to believe that she's not all that interested in cinnamon rolls anymore. Not to mention-' *Thunk*
"Ow!" I turn around with a happy smile on my face which turns into a laugh at seeing a familiar frying pan in the hand of an overly muscled white-haired man. It looks like a toy in Himi's hands already, but now it's practically lost in her palms!
They roll their eyes before their skin starts to slough off, though the oversized clothing remains meaning that she probably took them off the guy for some reason. Not that I'm complaining, the loose clothes hanging off her petite frame is quite the sight. Not that I get to enjoy it much since I'm slapped in the face with a frame holding a piece of paper.
Having achieved her purpose, Himi runs off to her room to get changed into her usual clothes, throwing a casual "Happy Birthday!" over her shoulder as she does.
"Wait." I blink. "Birthday?" Blink, blink.
Shigaraki puts a package in front of me, grumbling his own "Happy birthday, Glitch" before giving a quick explanation about how the League armored up my villain outfit so I'm less likely to die, as well as adding a couple things to help me be more rabbit-like. But I'm not really listening as I process what they both said. I blink a few times before realization hits.
I jumped in April.
Three months have passed.
My birthday is in July.
Today is July fifteenth.
My birthday is July fifteenth.
…
"I FORGOT MY BIRTHDAY AGAIN!!"
"Again?" Questions Kurogiri, causing me to sheepishly rub my head.
"Uh, yeah. See, the Yagi family never celebrated my birthday after I was diagnosed as quirkless. Which is dumb because they always made a big deal out of Izumi's birthday, who is my twin. Meaning we have the same birthday. So eventually I ended up just forgetting about it. Though occasionally one of them would leave some cake in front of my bedroom door, so that was nice."
I think he nods before pulling out a notepad and a pen with narrowed eyes. "Remind me, what is the location of your previous residence?"
Before I can tell him, we're interrupted by Himi barreling back into the room and bouncing in front of me. "Did you look at it!? Did you see it!? Do you like it!? I made sure to plan out the whole thing so nobody would notice! I didn't even kill the guy I disguised myself as and dumped a bunch of booze on him so he would just think he was drunk! So, do you like it!?"
Taken aback by how proud she seems to be, I take a proper look at what she gave me. It's just a framed document. But seeing what's on the document, I feel tears coming to my eyes.
It's a name-change document. More than that, it says that the change would be applied to my birth certificate as well! No longer am I Izuku Yagi. Now I am-
"Izuku Midoriya Usagi." I whisper, touched at the gesture. Not only do I no longer share a name with those people, but she even took into consideration my strange interest in maintaining a connection with my sister!
"Th-thank you, H-Himi. I love it." I smile at her through my tears, more grateful than ever that she found me that day.
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Whaaat? He still thinks of Izumi as his sister!? Why!? Honestly, even I don't know. He kind of took over for his rant, so... Guess we'll all find out together.
Next week, light foreshadowing and a hunt!
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