Chapter 74: Afternoon of Lessons
This is the weirdest cutscene Tenko has ever been in.
Mainly because he can usually tell what's going on. But right now, it's like the graphics of life didn't render properly. The ground below him seems solid. But all around him is black, with white specks, like snow, pelting the area.
Not to mention that most of his body is missing!! With the only parts visible being half of his face and one of his hands. The rest of his body is covered by a red and black mist.
What is going on? Was this a glitch in One for All's code? The last thing Tenko can remember is the tug of his quirk before passing out. After that, nothing but flashes. From Hado and Hana fighting, to Tsu trying to save him.
She's so cool. Tenko recalls trying to tell her he was sorry. He hopes she heard him.
"She heard ya buddy! No doubt about that!"
Tenko jumps, or at least, tries too. Whatever this mist is is keeping him rooted to the ground, unable to jump or run.
"Even if you could jump, you wouldn't get very far, kid! You should know better than anyone besides me, my quirk's the best at capturing someone!"
From the shadows emerges a large muscular man with a square jaw and no hair wearing a leather jacket with yellow shoulder pads, a bandolier, and goggles. "Two said you'd never get the hang of my quirk until we talked, but look at you! Oooh boy, I gotta tell ya. I was cheering when you pulled that slingshot move on the hero killer!"
This grown man Tenko has never met before is talking to him like they're friends, in a random location with nobody around. Clearly, there's only one way to go about this.
He needs an adult.
"Hey, I am an adult!"
An adult he can trust.
The man snickers, opening his hand. To Tenko's surprise, Blackwhip leaks from his palm, twisting around the man's arm. "How's that for trust, kid?" Alright, this cutscene has his attention now. "Name's Banjo. You can call me Lariat if you like. The fifth user of One for All." The who now? "And Blackwhip? That's my quirk you've been swinging around with. And just wanted to let you know I couldn't be happier with how ya been using it. It hopefully means you won't have that hard of a time mastering the rest of our quirks either."
Eh?!!
His face becomes the most serious Tenko has seen it. "But if you lose in a race to that punk with the tape again, you and I are going to have words, got it?"
Tenko does his best to nod. He knows from living with Gran Torino that you shouldn't judge someone from how they appear. That being said, it's probably still best he not get on the wrong side of the man who looks like he could crush him with a flex of his muscles.
Banjo groans, as it appears the darkness is trying to pull him back in. "I guess you'll be waking up soon. Just know, kid, we're trying to figure out why you can't access the One for All stockpile of power too." We? "The other users and I. The first has a theory… but I'll let him explain that to you when you two meet."
Other One for All users? As in all of them?! Banjo is pulled closer to the darkness. "I think my time is just about done here, kid. You've still got a long way to go before we can talk more. But remember, when you meet that bastard, no matter what, you have us and you're never alone." He turns his head to the side, as if listening to someone. "We'll talk more soon, promise. Some people here, someone in particular, are really anxious to meet you."
Tenko reaches out. Wait! Damn these stupid cutscenes with their annoying setups for future plot reveals! Just tell him now! He lurches forward, using all of strength to move his arm forward and-
The sound of chains rattling causes Tenko to open his eyes, gasping for air. He's no longer in the weird unrendered area, but some weird half-kitchen, half living-room space, with a movie playing on a large tv in front of him.
Was that all just a dream? Is he really awake now? Ah, whatever, he can figure all that stuff out later. All he knows for sure is he's in a chair and he can't move. Struggling, Tenko realizes the chains that woke him are keeping him bound to his chair. His hands have artist gloves on them and positioned in a way that even without them, the decay user couldn't lay all five fingers down on anything anyway.
Not that any of that matters since, despite his trying, he can't summon Blackwhip, which probably means they have him in quirk-canceling cuffs. Villains using mods are almost as bad as villains healing during the boss battle. Ugh. Maybe he can knock himself out of the chair-
"Stop struggling. I can't hear the movie."
Tenko freezes. He must still be dazed from just waking up. There's no way his passive perception is that bad!
The movie pauses and the gamer narrows his eyes as, from a few seats to his left, Hirona stands, wearing her full villain outfit and stretching. "Good. I was betting you'd wake up before I had to take you to him."
"Where are we?" Tenko decides that a more direct dialogue tree is the way to go.
Hirona shrugs. "I-Island." She snickers as his jaw drops a little, making her way to the kitchen area of the room. "What? Didn't expect an actual answer? Not like the heroes could find you here anyway." She opens the fridge. "Besides, you're not asking the right questions."
"I know I like games but I'm not in the mood, Hana."
The villain slams the fridge shut with much more force than necessary. "Despite what you might think," she responds through gritted teeth, "I'm trying to help you right now. And I know you're not dumb, so ask the right question."
"Fine." While what Tenko ultimately wants is to save his sister, being kidnapped by her villain group and put in chains does damper his mood and patience a bit. "Why does All for One want me here?"
"Still not the right question, but close enough I guess." Hirona walks back into his view, a bottle of strawberry milk in her hand. "Why do you think you're here?"
"One for All."
Hirona studies him for a few seconds, her face blank before turning to the side, gesturing to the TV. "You know what movie this is?"
Tenko looks back at her confused. He figured he'd be having a conversation with his sister once he woke up, but nothing like this. He expected a lot more… yelling and dreaded a bit of torture. Not whatever this is. "No?"
"It's called Gangs of New York. And it's about a kid infiltrating the gang of the man who murdered his father to get revenge. But along the way, he starts to care for the guy and even starts to see him as a surrogate dad. Do you wanna know how it ends?"
He has a feeling she's going to tell him either way.
"So, spoiler alert but the kid-"
"Why did you just spoiler alert me for a movie that's over two-hundred years old?"
"Because shut up. But in the end, the kid murders the guy anyway, avenging his dad. Because no matter how he portrayed himself, the man could never truly hide the monster he was."
Tenko continues to stare at his sister. "Why are you telling me all of this?"
Hirona gets in his face, tapping her temple. "Because that's what All for One is going to do once he gets you. Make himself seem like he's this caring guy who can help you. That he actually wants to see you succeed. But don't fall for it. And don't forget the monster he really is."
The hero in training looks up at Hirona in disbelief. "I know that! I was never going to give him anything!" Tenko tries to throw his hands in the air, but his restraints stop him. "And why are you acting so weird? Shouldn't you be yelling at me for caring about you? Or cursing at me for calling you Hana?" He can't help but notice her grip tightening on her milk. "No one changes their alignment that fast."
She breaks pretty easily. "Why? Because I'm trying to help you, idiot!" Hirona yells, throwing her own hands up in a similar way to Tenko. "As much as I'm supposed to hate you, I hate that potato-headed no-face-having piece of crap more! I mean, have you seen his face without the helmet? Wait, stupid question, you haven't. But you will. And you'll see! If he looked any more inbred, he'd be a sandwich-"
"Hana!"
"Stop calling me that!" It looks like it takes all of Hirona's self-control to calm herself down after that. Her body is shaking, legs trembling, and it takes his sister a good minute before she has any control over her breathing. "Point is, I'm trying to make sure he doesn't get what he wants, and if that means helping you, then so be it. But I figured I had to be nice, or you wouldn't listen. Problem is…" she sighs. "I don't really know how to do that."
The pair of siblings go silent, both taking the chance to get their breath back, or in Hirona's case, finally take a few sips of her strawberry milk. She breaks first. "Well? You're not gonna say anything?"
"…It wasn't a bad try," Tenko finally says. Hirona tilts her head at him. "But you know I like video games. You should've tried comparing what All for One is gonna do to me to one of those."
"Yeah, I thought about that, but I know barely anything about games!" Hirona sounds genuinely annoyed.
"There's not much to know! You do whatever the game tells you and practice it until you get better. You beat another player, you taunt them over the proximity mic. You mess up, some kid on your team calls you a bundle of sticks. And if you happen to find some idiots you actually like playing with, you friend them so you can play again later."
"…Yeah, I don't know anything about any of that. I just tried playing some games based on some movies I like-"
"What? You mean like licensed games? Are you crazy?!" Hirona looks surprised at how disgusted her brother is. "Those are literally some of the worst games out there! Why would you start there?!"
"I didn't know where else to go! And at least I tried your stupid games!"
"You mean you tried to play more games so you'd get a bigger bonus on your persuasion checks against me?" Tenko deduces. Hirona scoffs but doesn't deny it. "Yeah, thought so. For the record, I tried watching some movies to try and connect with you the next time we talked."
"You did? What movies?" His sister raised an eyebrow. "And how come you didn't bring that up at the space station?"
"…You weren't exactly in the mood to listen." Hirona opens her mouth to protest but stops, thinks about it for a second, and shrugs, conceding. "I watched some video game movies, but most of them sucked-"
"Of course they did!" Hirona interrupts. "What were you thinking?! Everyone knows most of those are terrible! Why would you start there?!"
"I didn't know where else to start either!"
Hirona snorts, backing off to take another swig of her milk. They sit in silence again for a few seconds, before Tenko breaks it this time. "For the record… if you wanna have a calm talk with me, our convo just now wasn't that bad." His sister hums, looking away from him to take another sip of her drink.
With her not saying anything, Tenko presses on. "You said earlier that you're supposed to hate me…" Hirona freezes, her drink halfway back down. "Does that mean you don't?"
"…Dammit," Hirona mumbles, dropping her drink back down and screwing the cap back on. She crosses her arms, leaning back on the wall across from Tenko, looking him in the eye.
It's almost surreal to him. After both of their talks before this being full of yelling and fighting, just to have a regular conversation with Hirona somehow… makes this cutscene even weirder than when he was apparently talking to the ghost voices in his head.
Gods, what he would give for a coffee energy drink right now.
"I did hate you." Hirona's words bring his focus back to her. She's a bit quieter now. "I hated you my entire second life." She shifts around, looking everywhere but at him. "Having to hear All for One constantly talk about how much better than me you'd be… or how I could never compare to you. And knowing while I suffered, you were probably living the high life with the heroes and being spoiled rotten. I figured you probably didn't even care about what happened."
"So, what changed your mind?"
"When you told me not to call you Shimura at the USJ." Tenko's eyes widen at the memory.
"You don't like being called Shimura?"
"No…" he tries to shake away the memories threatening to burst. "I don't deserve it."
Tenko looks up, expecting some fury of emotions but is surprised when instead, Shigaraki's face is subdued, almost pensive. For an attack, it's eerily silent around them, the only sound being Shigaraki's cape flapping in the wind. "You…care about what you did?"
"So, do you still hate me?"
There Hirona goes again, giving him that same pensive look like she did at the USJ. "I want to." When he furrows his brow in confusion, Hirona gets up off the wall. "I hated you for so long that it just feels like what I'm supposed to do. B-but then I find out you're nothing like I pictured! You're not some arrogant asshole who knows he's better than me! You're just an awkward kid who likes video games.
"A kid who feels just as bad as I do about what happened that day. And you have no idea how much that pisses me off. Since attacking the camp, I hoped you'd give me some reason, any reason, to hate you!" She moves closer to him. "I know I should! And I'm trying but I can't, so maybe you can tell me," she grabs him by the collar, tugging him forward, "why don't I hate you?!"
Hirona pants, and Tenko can't help but notice she's trembling a little as she breathes. She wants his answer, but she's nervous about what he'll say. Part of him tells him that's because she already knows the answer. "Because, like at the space station, you're trying to be something you're not."
His villainous sister is stunned silent momentarily, before growling in frustration and throwing him back in his chair. A ding! nearby catches her, and Hirona checks her phone at her seat. "It's time for you to see him."
She grabs her milk and heads back to the fridge, but before she can open it, Tenko says, "Hana."
Her grip tightens exponentially on the fridge handle. "I keep telling you not to-"
"You said you feel bad about what happened that day too… with our family?" Hirona doesn't look at him. She doesn't move. Tenko can feel a little spike of adrenaline, like when he solves a mystery in a game without using detective mode. He can feel the anticipation. Midoriya isn't the only one who knows analysis.
"You hate being called Hana and back at the USJ, you said you never blamed me for what happened back then?" Tenko can feel the need to scratch his neck but he can't. "Is that because you blame someone else?… Yourself?"
Hirona inhales deeply, taking her time in exhaling. "No." She opens the fridge and places her milk back inside. "I blame Hana. A rotten and selfish little girl who went behind her brother's back and got her entire family killed. And I'm glad she's dead."
She picks up her phone and sends a message while using her quirk to manifest a platform under Tenko so she can move him. "For what it's worth… I don't blame you either." Hirona turns away, not taking her eyes off her phone. "And I think I figured out the right question." She finally looks up at him. "I asked why All for One wanted me here. But why do you want me here?"
Hirona smiles as a portal opens behind her. Nagant appears. "That is the right question, little brother. Since All for One has wanted you for so long, we're gonna give you to him. And when the time is right, he's going to have to watch as his precious Tomura kills him."
The next thing Tenko knows, he's being taken out of the chair and through the portal, forced onto his knees in front of the very man Hirona wanted him to decay. All for One, with a very much healed face by the way.
"Hello, Tomura."
"Is this everyone?"
Izuku hums the affirmative at Denki's question. The blond is buzzing with excitement as he takes in their small group of Uraraka, Iida, Tsu, and Yaomomo gathering together in front of the hospital. Wait! He rubs his arm. Okay. Phew! Denki isn't literally buzzing with excitement, just figuratively. That happens sometimes.
"I wanted to keep the group small since if everything goes to plan," Denki snorts, and Izuku doesn't even bother trying to sound as if he believes his own words. There's a reason he insisted on helping his cousin with this. "We should get there right at the time my contact said Tenko would be in the building. Then we just sneak in, get Tenko, and get out."
"Did we have any sort of plan on how we're doing that?" Tsu rightfully brings up. Good call. Denki is ready to just charge in head first. Would his dad be proud of that?
"Only the basics," Yaomomo answers. "Once we reach the location, Midoriya will use his illusions to help us sneak in and through the building. Between my quirk and yours Tsu, I believe we can adapt to most situations that may arise. Kaminari can protect us from any substantial attacks." The blond beams in pride at the compliment from one of the smartest people he knows. "And for a quick escape, we have Uraraka to make us all weightless and Iida to whisk us away with his speed."
"Wow." Denki rubs the inside of his ear with his finger. Is he short circuiting from all that info? No, no no. He can still think just as much as before. Which admittedly isn't a whole lot but hey, he'd never needed more. "Is that everything or did you leave something out?" He asks sarcastically.
Yaomomo either doesn't catch his sarcasm or ignores it. "Yes. Once we have Tenko, his decay quirk will be very useful in removing obstacles in our path as well."
He was joking!! Denki didn't think she actually had more to add!
"Speaking of obstacles," Iida cups his chin, "Yaoyorozu, do you think you have enough reserves for our operation tonight?"
Izuku raises his hand. "I got that covered! There's a sweets shop on the way to the train station and I placed a big order for us to pick up. I can keep any extras in my pocket dimension."
Ochako lightly bumps his shoulder, smiling knowingly at her boyfriend. "Did you place a big order or did you buy the entire shop?"
"Hey, hey! I'm innocent here!" Izuku puts both of hands up in surrender. "I can promise I did not buy the sweets shop tonight."
"So, when did you purchase it? If not tonight?" Yaomomo does an admirable job trying to keep her composure, but even Denki can see the slight smirk on her face.
The group turns back to Izuku, who narrows his eyes dangerously. "What happened to us getting along back at the hospital?!"
"You have shown me that to gain leverage in our ongoing conflict, I have to be ruthless."
Ochako and Denki laugh together at Izuku's misfortune. The green-haired boy tries to aim a glare at them both, but that just causes them to laugh even harder. "Fiiine." He blows some of his hair out of his face. "I bought the shop a while ago."
"Why? Ribbit."
He glances at Ochako, his cheeks going a little red. "I, uh, wanted to be ready for wherever she might've wanted to go for a first date, so I bought a bunch of places she might like… just in case." He winces at how it sounds.
"You WHAT?!"
"It was before our talk at the mall!" Izuku is quick to defend himself to his girlfriend, much to their amusement. "And I haven't bought any more businesses since then!… I'm pretty sure."
"Izuku…"
"No no, I'm really pretty sure! Oh! That reminds me!" He looks back at Tsu. "After we get Tenko back, if you both wanted to go to the aquarium for a date, I own that too. You could swim the dolphins!"
"Ribbit!"
"Midoriya! I'm afraid I must agree with Uraraka!" Iida lectures. He chops his lecture arm as he does so. That's a lie. He chops both of his arms to lecture. "It is irresponsible of you to take over managing so many businesses at once! Especially when you have no experience!"
"What? No, no! I let the same people run the places! I just give them money! Plus, the aquarium is an investment. I have a brother I've never met who's apparently a really big serpent, so I was gonna see if the aquarium could help me build him a home here in Japan."
For not the first or last time, Iida looks like he has no idea how to respond to what Izuku just said. Tsu nods approvingly however.
Ochako hugs his arm. "You haven't bought any other stores since we talked at the mall?" She asks shyly. Izuku shakes his head with vigor. "Thank you for remembering what I said…" she pauses for a few seconds. "And that aquarium you have, does it have otters?" Izuku nods, a little confused. "…Okay, I'd like to go."
"Ah, screw this!" Denki whips out his phone, looking up a phone number.
"What are you doing?" Yaomomo asks, curiously.
"Keeping up with the boyfriend standards!" Denki hits call and puts the phone to his ear. "No one's told me I can't buy places yet, so I'm gonna take advantage! There's this sick arcade I think Tokage would like and I wanna take her after the Savage Land, so I'm gonna buy it!" he announces proudly.
The phone clicks. "Hello? Yes, I- oh, no thank you. Yes, could you connect me with the owner of the business? I'd like to speak to them about purchasing it." Denki shoots his friends a thumbs up as the phone rings. Any second now, he was gonna prove that Izuku isn't the only one that can-
The theme song to a really old superhero tv show starts to play. The teens look around for the source of the sound before, slowly, and sheepishly, Izuku slides his phone out of his pocket. Denki's jaw drops as his cousin clicks the answer button and puts it to his ear, an apologetic look on his face.
"I can give you a really good deal if you actually want to buy it."
It doesn't take long for the group to separate Denki and Izuku, the pair of demigods having just finished negotiations for the sale of the arcade. And totally not Denki tackling Izuku to the ground in a fit of frustration. He'd also like to brag that he got a pretty good deal on the arcade if he says so himself.
It probably helps when you choke the owner while negotiating the sale.
"Wonderful." Yaomomo comments somewhat sarcastically, brushing herself off. "That just leaves the issue of us being recognized. I have a suggestion of heading to a nearby store I'm familiar with, so that we could get disguises-"
"I can just… make all of us look like completely different people with my powers?" Izuku raises his glowing hand. "Wouldn't that be easier?"
"Oh, yes," Yaomomo replies hesitantly. She brushes her ponytail back behind her. "Logically that makes the most sense. It saves us time and the clothing store products don't limit us." Denki's not the only one who hears how sad she sounds, is he?
"You wanted to take us shopping." Leave it to Tsu to be blunt about it.
Yaomomo falters briefly at how plainly Tsu saw what she wanted, before nodding. "We still had time before our plan to rescue Tenko began, and I saw an opportunity present itself." She rubs her hands on her pants nervously. "As well, because I've never had the chance to experience such things with friends before, I thought, well…"
Tsu holds Yaomomo's hands to stop her from fidgeting. "How about, to celebrate rescuing Tenko, we all plan to meet and spend some time together after? We can even go shopping. Ribbit."
Yaomomo brightens up. "That's a wonderful idea! We can meet at my home, spend the day having fun, you all could meet my mother even, it sounds like a wonderful time!"
"And hopefully Tenko can come too! Assuming Tsu doesn't kill him for being kidnapped!" Denki jokes. "Right, Tsu?" She doesn't say anything. He chuckles nervously. "Tsu?"
"…It's a possibility." Tsu looks directly into his eyes. Her expression, like usual, doesn't change. Denki is reminded why he fears the frog.
"Well, we won't save him standing here! Let's get-" Izuku waves them over to follow him, but he comes to a stop when he turns around and sees who's blocking their way. "Aoyama?"
Denki peeks over to get a good look at the other blond. He hasn't seen his twinkling classmate much during the training camp and, now that he thought about it, at all after the attack. And peering at the other boy, it's no wonder why.
Aoyama's usual aura of twinkle, as Denki likes to call it, is gone. Replaced by wrinkled and dirty clothes, messy hair, and bags under his red-rimmed eyes.
"Dude, are you okay?" Denki knows the attack hit them all hard, but Aoyama seems to be on another level.
To his surprise, the French boy nods, wiping his eyes and looking back at all of them with determination and just a hint of his twinkle returning. "Yes," he replies in French before switching to Japanese. "Through the class' gossip chain I heard what you were all doing, and when I had my chance, I came down here to join you!"
Aoyama places a steadying hand on his support item around his waist. "I want- no, need to join you. To make up for past mistakes. One way, or another." Denki realizes he said the last two things in French, his all-speak allowing him to understand. "Would you please let me aid you?"
Denki glances at his cousin, hoping Izuku might know what Aoyama is talking about with past mistakes. But he seems just as lost as he does. Both boys also catch Yaomomo's eye, who was looking at them as well. Right, she said she's really good with languages and probably understood Aoyama too. But like them, she also seems lost on the meaning.
Nevertheless, Izuku gives Aoyama his trademark smile. "The more the merrier!"
Tenko's worst fear has come true. He realizes it as he stares at All for One grinning and his fully healed face. And no matter how many times he blinks, it doesn't go away. It happened. The final boss healed himself.
That's such bullshit.
But he'll have time later to (hopefully) complain about how unfair it was that All for One could find a way to heal himself and All Might couldn't.
Because right now, he needs to be ready. He knows All for One has wanted him for at least a decade, and he's wanted One for All for centuries past that. Which means the man has probably been planning whatever monologue he has saved up for a while.
All for One moves to a table Tenko hadn't spotted before, placing his helmet down. But now that he can see the table, Tenko easily spots what looks like various painful tools placed atop of it,
The gamer gulps, reminding himself that no matter what, if All for One wanted his quirk, the villain needed him alive. So, no matter what he said, Tenko had to-
"How are you enjoying your studies, Tomura?"
An anime fall isn't possible for Tenko because of the whole tied up in chains and on his knees thing, but he would've probably performed one of it wasn't for those factors.
Instead of answering the nonsensical question, Tenko focuses on something else. "That isn't my name."
He hears someone, and he's pretty sure he knows who, whispering behind him. "Now you know how it feels."
"Semantics, my dear boy," All for One responds cheerfully, turning around from the table to face him with a hideous grin. "You refer to Hirona as Hana to remind her of who she used to be, and I call you Tomura to remind you of what you can still be. There's barely any difference."
The villain seemingly doesn't do anything but take a step closer to him, but Tenko can feel the pressure in the room suddenly increase. "Or…" All for One looks up in wonder, his smile never wavering. "Do you call her Hana to tell her what you believe she can still become?" His grin widens. "I love how similarly we think."
"I am nothing like you!" Tenko shouts.
If what he said bothered All for One, the man doesn't show it, standing up straight and putting his arms behind his back. "Confidence is quiet, young Tomura. Insecurity is loud." He moves back to the table, checking over a few items. "But what of my first question? Are you enjoying your studies?"
"Yeah," Tenko answered sharply. "They spend a lot of time making sure our insight checks are high so we can see through persuasion rolls any villain might throw at us."
Behind him, Nagant leaned over to Hirona. "What the hell did he just say?" she whispered.
"He can see through All for One's bullshit."
"Ah."
"Listen, we both know what you want," Tenko tells the villain. "So, why don't you just say it."
"To be young again," All for One says wistfully, still keeping his back to his prisoner. "So rambunctious, arrogant, and impatient." He turns around, placing a tablet down. "No, Tomura. I thought we'd start with what I can do for you."
"If you think I'm gonna take any quirk you offer-"
"What I offer you is so much more than a mere quirk." Tenko goes quiet as All for One's voice seems to penetrate every corner of the room, infecting it with his exhilaration. "But I'm afraid you may need a brief history lesson to understand. Which is why I ask about your studies. Tell me, Tomura, where did quirks originate from?"
Tenko continues to glare down the man. "Why are you asking me? You clearly know the answer."
All for One sighs. "Tomura, please. I was hoping you and I could have a civil discussion over history. As you can see, I have shown you no animosity since our meeting began and can only hope that you would extend to me the same courtesy."
"You murdered my grandmother, and brainwashed my sister. Go to hell."
"Now Tomura, let's be reasonable." All for One takes a step forward, folding both hands in front of him. "Afterall." The air gets heavier than ever. "I'd hate to have to resort to torture so early in our conversation." Tenko says nothing, looking down and letting his hair cover his eyes. "That's better. Now, are you ready to speak to me civilly?"
"…No."
While All for One's grin stays plastered on his face, he does raise an eyebrow. "Oh?"
"No," Tenko says with more confidence, looking up to meet All for One's evil red eyes with his fiery own. "No! Your brain must be AFK if you think I'm gonna give you anything you want after what you've done!"
"So, you choose torture then?"
"Threaten me all you want, I'm not scared of you! Compared to the God Butcher and Ultron, you look like the kind of guy who'd trip over a wireless controller! You want my quirk so bad? Here!" Tenko hacks up and spits on the ground in front of him. "Go and get it Ass for One."
Tenko pants after his declaration, not even bothering to think what the villain might do to him. Not that it matters. Despite what he had done and who he had killed, All Might still trusted him enough to give him One for All. And like hell he was gonna betray that.
Over a full minute passes before All for One sighs, his grin vanishing, though he can still see a slight smirk on the man's face. "Very well, you have made your decision."
Tenko looks up at him defiantly.
"However, Tomura, there seems to have been a slight misunderstanding." A yell of surprise catches him off-guard as behind Tenko, several thick metal cords tie Nagant up, trapping her arms at her side and bringing her to the ground. Hirona cries out in shock.
"The torture…" Tenko's eyes bulge as All for One spreads his hand open. From his finger, a black and orange tendril shoots out, its surface covered in rough cracks that wrap around Hirona's arm. "Was never meant for you."
A scream tears its way out of Hirona's throat as her legs give out, the younger villain crashing to the floor. Her body spasms uncontrollably as she continues to scream in agony, her voice already starting to sound like it was tearing and hurting her.
Chains rattle as both Tenko and Nagant try to get out of their respective prisons to help her. "You son of a-!" A metal cord gags Nagant, cutting her off.
"You curse me?" Tenko shakes in anger at how genuinely confused All for One sounds. Meanwhile, his sister continues to scream. "Why? After all, this was all Tomura's decision-"
"I'll talk with you!" Tenko yells desperately over Hirona. "I'll talk, I swear! Just stop!!"
All for One's smile grows wider as Hirona goes still. Tenko can't help the sigh of relief that escapes me. But that quickly feels premature when he actually gets a look at Hirona. She's shivering from head to toe. And after a couple of attempts, the teen villain gives up on even sitting up, just letting herself drop back to the ground, gasping for air.
"Wonderful!" All for One claps a single time. "As I said, I had hoped not to resort to that. But I know just how stubborn you teenagers can be. Isn't that right, Hirona?" He laughs heartily to himself. "Hirona? Ah, that's right. Excruciating pain can make talking difficult, my mistake." He eyes Tenko. "But you have learned your lesson, my boy? I don't want your teachers to accuse me of neglecting your lessons."
Tenko bites his tongue. "Yes."
"Excellent." The gamer can't even finish exhaling before All for One continues with, "and it's not that I don't trust you, Tomura. I am just the type of educator who likes to be sure."
He doesn't have to ask what All for One means when Hirona starts screaming again. Her legs kick the air uselessly as her hands alternated from pounding the floor to ripping at her hair.
"That's unfair!! I said I already learned my lesson! So, just stop!" Tenko all but begs.
"Now the last thing I'd want is for anyone to accuse me of being unfair." All for One tilts his head. "I'll even allow your sister a chance out of her predicament. Hirona, dear." He turns to her. "If you'd like me to stop, please stop screaming." Hirona continues to shriek in pain. "Hm. Odd choice, but who am I to argue?" All for One snickers.
"Please!! Stop! I learned!"
All for One's grin becomes a bit more malicious, but he does what Tenko asked for. Hirona stops screaming but doesn't even attempt to get up this time, merely curling into a fetal position so her arms could cover her sweat and tear covered face.
If looks could kill, Nagant would've had All for One dead by now.
"Thank you for indulging me, Tomura. Now, back to my question."
Shota slips his blade back into its holder behind his back. "And we're sure about this intel?"
All Might nods, no traces of doubt in the shrunken hero. He is waiting for the last possible minute before bulking up. Around them, other heroes and police officers run around, getting ready as fast as they could to launch a two pronged attack the heroes had planned.
"We are certain," All Might replies. "Gran Torino acquired the address to a bar where, after asking Tsukauchi to check cameras, we witnessed the villain Dabi and several other League members coming and going over the last few hours. From there, we tracked Dabi entering a warehouse in another part of the city."
"Another League hideout?" Shota questions.
Both men turn to Tsukauchi, who is directing other officers to get into their tactical gear. He notices them staring. "We don't know anything for certain." The detective rubs his eyes tiredly. "But preliminary reports and drone scouting are all pointing to the warehouse being some sort of facility for holding Nomu."
Shota feels the scar under his eye itch. The USJ, Knowhere, and now here. How many of those things could the villains possibly have? Speaking of discoveries from Knowhere. "Detective, how is Aoyama?"
The officer gives him a reassuring smile. "You have nothing to worry about, Aizawa. The last time I talked to them, my guys said your student was behaving for them."
Shota exhales. At least that's one less thing for him to worry about. He notices All Might logging onto one of the station's computers quickly. "What are you doing?"
"If there is one thing I learned while teaching at UA, it is that your students can teach you lessons as well. And one thing I have learned is that I don't have to do it all, or face that man, alone anymore. So, I'm calling in backup."
…Maybe All Might isn't as hopeless as a teacher as Shota originally thought.
All for One folds his hands in front of him again. "Where did quirks originate from?"
Despite what Midoriya had told them, Tenko decided to keep his answer vague. "Evolution. The first people to have quirks were called mutants."
All for One tilts his head back and forth. "I suppose that's technically correct, even if it does ignore some of the finer details. But it's good enough for what I need for our lesson. Now, we've established that mutants were the first quirk-users, correct?" Tenko nods. "That begs the question then. Who was the first mutant?"
Tenko takes a long moment to think while All for One waits patiently. He doesn't have a clue about who the first mutant could be. But the teen will keep stalling as much as he can if it means giving the heroes more time to look for him or giving Hirona a break.
"Wolverine?" The answer is too obvious so it's probably wrong. But Tenko doesn't want to refuse to answer either.
"Logical, given he's the oldest mutant you know. But I'm afraid you're off by a thousands of years." All for One wags his finger at him. "The first mutant was a man known as En Sabah Nur."
If All for One is expecting a reaction from him, then Tenko is going to have to disappoint him again because he has no idea who that is.
"I can't say I'm surprised that you don't know who I speak of," All for One chuckles. "For he's gone by many names in his extended life." The villain sighs, enjoying the moment and the power he holds over the boy in front of him. "But before that, En Sabah Nur was just a man. A man who, while exploring the sands of Egypt, came across something very peculiar. A spaceship of alien origins."
Tenko supposes he owes an apology to all those conspiracy theorists who say humanity has been in contact with aliens for thousands of years already. Not that it helps him figure out why All for One is telling him this random story.
"Now, I don't plan to give you a test on what I tell you, so I'll gloss over some of the details for now," All for One chuckles. "The ship that En Sabah Nur had discovered belonged to a race of beings known as Celestials. The 'Gods of the Stars' as some know them. Or the 'Architects of all Creation' as others have said. So, as you can imagine, the technology aboard that ship was far ahead of anything we have today."
All for One's voice seems to almost tremble with excitement as he elaborates. "En Sabah Nur took some of that technology and assimilated it with his own body. Over the centuries, his powers would continue to evolve. He learned new ways to manipulate his own atomic structure and control matter. He found that his immortality had no limits. That he had no limits. If there was a power he did not possess, he did not have to wait for some plebeian to cross his path, he could make any power of his choosing."
Tenko gulps, starting to put together why All for One of all people would be interested in someone like that.
"His original name was En Sabah Nur. Those in Egypt knew him as the Eternal Pharaoh. Others saw him as Kali-Ma. To those he saved, he was The Savior. To his enemies, he was Annihilation. But down in history, we know him as," All for One hits a button on the tablet, displaying a holographic photo of the X-Men of old fighting a towering, blue metallic, monstrous figure, who appears to be winning. "Apocalypse."
Now Tenko wishes he paid more attention in history class growing up! Maybe then he could remember more than how that villain nearly ended the world several times.
"So, you do know him by that name." Dammit, it must've been all over the teen's face. Tenko nods, letting his head dangle forward. "Splendid. Now, any ideas on why I'm telling you all of this?"
That answer is obvious. Even after having to sit through his monologue. "You want that same upgrade? But how am I supposed to help you find that ship?
All for One hums. "That's half-correct so I'll give you half credit. It's true, I spent months, years, decades, over a century looking for that cursed ship. And what did I find? Nothing. Even with my vast resource network, there wasn't an inkling of its whereabouts. Worst yet, even after making allies with those not of this world, not even they could ultimately assist me."
It only takes another minute for Loki to find what he's looking for in the US base's terminal. "You continue to impress it seems. While I never expected you to find what I seek, you have several leads that will most certainly help." Loki looks down at his trapped conversation partner, his hand still pinned to the terminal by his dagger. "You have my sincerest thanks."
"That is, until now."
Four words should not have terrified Tenko as much as they did.
All for One begins to undo his sleeve. "One day, it was as if a switch had been flipped. Both on the ship and in our luck. After including I-Island in our efforts, it was like the ship itself began calling me. Asking- no, begging me to find it. To assimilate its power. And after finally locating my treasure, I did."
Tenko can't stop his gag as All for One pushes his sleeve up to reveal the sheen of smooth blue metallic armor over his skin underneath the suit. "Although my body is far from fully acclimated to the Celestial technology, it has already given me many wonderful gifts. It has healed old wounds, multiplied my physical prowess many times over, and protects me like no other quirk could."
Okay, now Tenko really wishes he had paid more attention in history class. Didn't all those lessons about Apocalypse end with the heroes barely winning?! Actually…that raises a question. Maybe he can't beat All for One in that armor, but maybe the teen can at least delay the villain from wearing it.
"What about the real Apocalypse?" Tenko questions. "I bet he won't be happy with you copying his build."
The giddy enthusiasm All for One had been displaying doesn't go away. "A student asking questions is always a good sign. But I'm afraid, Apocalypse will not be joining us. In order to maintain his power, he must either transfer his presence into another, something I understand, or slumber for a thousand years. We will not be hearing from him for quite some time." Somehow, the villain's grin just continues to widen. "Which brings us back around to why I wanted you here, Tomura."
"But you don't need One for All anymore?" the gamer tries. "According to you, it's a much lower level than that legendary armor you found."
"Please." All for One fixes his suit sleeve. "Do you honestly believe this new power would somehow quell my hatred for the One for All users? My need to humiliate them? My longing to remove every last shred of hope they possess until your quirk becomes nothing more but a swirling vortex of despair?"
Several voices in the back of Tenko's head cry out in defiance.
"No, of course not." All for One lifts the teen's head to look at him properly. "I'm not taking One for All because I need it. But because I can. You, on the other hand, are different. For you Tomura, I offer you something greater." It's like the old villain's eyes are piercing through Tenko's and right into his soul. "Redemption."
"What do you-"
"It will take a long time for my body to become fully attuned with my new armor. But there is a way I can speed this process along. Afterall, what good is the coming of a new apocalypse if he has no horsemen to herald in his new world order?"
Tenko's eyes nearly bulge out of his head as All for One drops his head. "You don't mean-"
"Yes, Tomura." Tenko could've sworn that All for One's eyes are practically glowing in the darkness. "Become my first horseman. I will enhance you the same as me. All for One. One for All. The battle will no longer matter. All that will remain is the world we create together. A world where your sister," he gestures to Hirona, who twitches on the ground at the sound of her name, "will no longer hurt.
"A place of peace and prosperity. Where no one will ever feel the need to abandon their families." Tenko's emotions are flooded by a tidal wave of regret. It's not his. "Or abuse them." All for One holds out his hand. "A world where every boy left abandoned on the street will be saved. Take my hand, Tomura." He feels all the chains binding him unlock and drop. "Take it, and let's create this new world."
It's literally everything Tenko could ever want. A place where his family and friends could be safe. And no longer have to fight. They can just spend their days gaming together or doing whatever they want!
He wouldn't wish what he went through on even his worst enemies. So knowing that he, Tenko, with a quirk that's only good for destroying, could be responsible for creating a world where no child would ever have to suffer like him… what more could he ask for?
But there's a saying in life. And one that easily applies to video games. Whether it's trading with a merchant, making alliances, gambling on cosmetics, or making deals with villains. If it's too good to be true, it probably is. All for One is telling him all of the positives of his new powers, and none of the negatives. And something he said had been bothering Tenko.
"If I accept your power…" Tenko says slowly. "And we rule together, then what happens when you need to sleep for a thousand years? Would you trust me to rule while you're not there?"
"You are passing today's lesson with flying colors, Tomura," All for One proudly commends him. "No. I'd like one of my four horsemen…" Tenko can't help the shiver that crawls up his back as the villain looks him up and down. "To let me have their body."
There was the cost. And though Tenko already had his answer ready, this just made it easier to say. "No."
To his surprise and dread, All for One laughs. "Exactly the answer I expected from you, my boy. I would've been disappointed if I were able to wear you down in our first meeting. Not to worry, we will have plenty more to broach the subject again." The villain moves forward, looming over him. "For now, what do you say to just giving me One for All. We'll start off simple."
"Check the chat logs. I already told you no."
All for One sighs, shaking his head. "You are so wise in many ways, but yet so… moronic in others." Every alarm goes off in Tenko's head once more when Hirona starts screaming again. His sister arches her back as she pounded the floor over and over with her fists. "The deal is simple, Tomura. Give me One for All, or watch me slowly torture the last family you have to death."
"Y-you can't!" Tenko cries, trying to block out the screaming so he can speak properly. "You w-won't! You spent years training and dumping skill points into her!! You wouldn't just kill her!!"
Thankfully, something he said gets All for One to stop again. Hirona flops to the ground. "Tomura, would you like to know a secret?" He knows it's rhetorical. "I kept Hirona here under my guard and tutelage for so many years for two primary reasons. One of those being, I knew she would be of great use in convincing you to do what's right and join me one day. So yes, I can and will kill her if I must."
It takes every fiber of Tenko's being not to attack All for One there and then. He knows it most likely wouldn't work and it'd just mean more pain for Hirona.
"Do you need help deciding? Would you like that?" All for One taunts him. "Hirona, dear, why don't you answer the question?" She lets out a raspy breath. "What would you do? Should Tomura give me One for All? Do you think your life is worth saving?"
The villain appears to wait patiently as Hirona catches her breath. Then, in obvious great pain, she picks herself up just a little, looking at Tenko. Her face is wet, and it's clear she's trying not to show how much pain she's really in.
He doesn't like what he sees in her eyes. Or her answer. Her voice is barely audible and horribly cracked, but their room is silent. "No."
Tenko sits there stunned as Hirona slowly lowers herself back onto the cold ground. Nagant had doubled her efforts to free herself behind him.
Meanwhile, All for One clapped while laughing. "My, my! The girl can't even beg for her life properly. Maybe I am not as good of a teacher as I thought I was, eh Tomura?" The villain laughs more. "Thankfully for the both of us, I don't need her to."
Hirona manages to get out a "please…no…" before she slams her head back screaming again, her body spasms even worse than before.
"It is now or never, Tomura." All for One holds out his hands again. "Make your choice."
Tenko is so confused. And not just him. He can hear conflicting voices in his head. Arguing. Turmoil. Sadness. It's not helping. What should he do? He knows the answer is no. He can't betray All Might and all of the users that came before him, that should make this easy.
But as Hirona screams over the voices, another thought comes to his head. Yeah, he had a duty to All Might and One for All, but doesn't he have a duty to his family too? Especially the only family he has left?
Hirona stops screaming, her breath coming out in quick gasps. All for One hums. "It appears she's entering circulatory shock. From here, she will experience an even more intense level of acute pain that will begin to damage her brain and organs. And from there, she will die."
The villain smiles down at him. "Choose."
He can't! He can't do it! He needs more time! Tenko needs to pause this game! The time limit to choose his dialogue option is too fast! He can't decide! He needs more time!
"Choose."
The voices in his head scream all at once. He can only pick out bits and pieces of what they're saying. Some are saying he can't damn their best chance at winning for one person. Others are saying they can always figure out another way, but you can't replace family. Another says no matter what Tenko chooses, he's staying with the boy. What does that mean-
"Choose!"
Tenko feels two hands on his shoulder and looks up to briefly see a woman smiling down at him. She doesn't say anything. But Tenko can feel how much she trusts him before she fades away. That woman… one he hadn't seen since a photograph he and his sister had discovered so long ago…
He's made his choice. Tenko looks up at All for One, opens his mouth and-
A portal opens up beneath Hirona, swallowing her and breaking the connection of All for One's quirk. Confusion quickly turns to realization as Tenko spins around and sees another portal consuming Nagant.
Kurogiri bows. "Apologies, my master." Tenko didn't know the portal user was capable of having so much emotion in his voice. Especially when Kurogiri is doing his best to keep it contained. "But your orders for me are clear. To take care of Shigaraki. No exceptions. And I will continue to do so." He vanishes without another word.
It's silent for a few seconds. Tenko has no idea how All for One will react until- the villain once again laughs, enjoying himself. "How intriguing! Not even I knew how thoroughly my creations would follow my orders, it seems! I can't help but be proud." He smirks down at Tenko. "No matter. We will have time to continue our conversation later. I so very much enjoyed it."
"If you wish to cease your senseless boasting of your new functions, the monkeys are preparing to arrive here shortly," Ultron informs them.
"Very well," All for One sighs, taking out a hand wipe to clean his hands. "Then it's time to turn our attention to a new type of entertainment. But before that." He turns on the hologram of Ultron, staring the program down. "I would hope that your contributions to our project are complete if you feel you have the time to debase yourself with such petty insults."
As Tenko expects, Ultron is not phased. "Unlike lower life forms, I am more than capable of applying my full processing power to multiple tasks at once. Your project is complete, but they are rudimentary and of an obsolete and outdated design. I will need more time to upgrade them before they are worthy of serving me."
Ultron walks past while All for One snickers. "Prideful, greedy, and snidely. Just like a human. But I suppose imitation is the most sincere form of flattery, hm?"
"You would know. Look at what you must do…" Ultron turns around, looking down at All for One's suit, and the celestial tech that lies beneath. "To mimic even a fraction of what I am capable of."
All for One chortles good-naturedly. "That's ultimately the problem with AI. No imagination." He looks back at Tenko. "If you're still not convinced of what we are capable of Tomura, then how about we give Japan a little greeting?"