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[Out Of The Bag]
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| Kamino's bar: |
...
"That brat…"
Shigaraki stared at the screen before him with wide eyes, lips trembling with anger.
In it, the footage of Taka's victory over Todoroki was still playing—him standing over the arena, looking down at his defeated opponent.
"You are still watching that, Shigaraki Tomura?" Kurogiri asked, closing the door behind him and looking at Shigaraki, who sat at the counter, watching the small television in the corner. In it, the Sports Festival played on.
"… Kurogiri, my day just keeps getting worse, so don't start."
The foggy villain let out a sigh, then walked behind the counter, picked up a glass, cleaned it with a rag, and poured a drink for both Shigaraki and himself.
"I've just finished talking with the master about our failure in recruiting the Hero Killer."
"…" Shigaraki grimaced.
Once again, he had failed at something that should have been simple, and disappointed his master's expectations.
How was it that the moment he started trying to build his name, everything began going wrong?
His eyes drifted back to the screen. To Taka.
First, it was him. An unknown variable—a sub-boss who appeared out of nowhere during his raid and happened to counter every preparation he'd stored to deal with the final boss.
Then, footage of his failure spread all over the country, making him a joke to every criminal out there—at least until he started turning some of them to dust. Their ridicule lessened after that.
But then something else had to happen, because of course it did. That vigilante. One whose name he'd heard some months ago but hadn't given much thought to.
Rockinesis.
Just when they were about to make contact with the Hero Killer, the bastard had to go and get himself captured by the vigilante.
Failure after failure after failure.
And now, his master had heard of the last one.
"What did he say about it?" He asked, his tone grim—clearly not wanting to hear the answer, but having to anyway.
There was a small pause, then Kurogiri spoke.
"He… wants to talk."
{"Indeed, Tomura."}
The familiar voice of his master echoed from the small black screen mounted on the wall near them.
After a few seconds of hesitation, Shigaraki spoke up.
"... Master, I'm sorry."
Surprisingly, however, what followed wasn't a beration—but a chuckle.
{"Don't be, Tomura. You may have failed at your most recent objective, but I may have found a reason for your recent streaks of bad luck. Something utterly unexpected—and just as interesting—and it's right there on the festival you're watching."}
A frown crossed Shigaraki's face before he glanced back at the television with a baffled look.
The only thing his master would mean by that was…
"The brat?" He asked.
Sure, he'd thwarted the raid on U.A., but how did that connect to the failure at recruiting Stain? The Hero Killer had been captured less than an hour ago, and the kid had been at the festival through all of it.
The footage of the fight had also been released by an unknown party who had been hiding in the shadows like a rat.
Did he misunderstand or something?
{"Takahashi-kun, yes."}
Apparently not.
{"After your failure at U.A., I took it upon myself to investigate him thoroughly. Such potential in such a young mind, yet unknown for so long. It was a disconcerting case… and what I found certainly didn't disappoint."}
Shigaraki tensed. So the brat was more special than he'd thought?
{"Are you familiar with the Quirk of the famous hero, Nighteye?"}
Shigaraki shook his head. The only enemy worth considering had been All Might, and the ones who might have proved an obstacle when he raided U.A.
Beyond those, he hadn't much cared about the rest of the heroes across the rankings.
All For One didn't seem surprised.
{"He possesses a very powerful and rare Quirk... The power to see the future. Although with a few limitations and weaknesses."}
"…!" Shigaraki's eyes widened at the implication. "Are you saying that brat has—?"
{"Perhaps, Tomura. It's just as possible that he has something of a similar nature, or, on the other hand, something that merely makes it appear that way. Regardless of what the answer is, it has been difficult not to arrive at such a conclusion, given our recent problems."}
"But in the records it's stated that his Quirk is telekinesis! And I don't see how he could have caused all the rest of our problems—he was only at the raid to stop Nomu." Shigaraki pressed, baffled and outraged at the possibility that, on top of unbelievable power, the brat might also have future sight.
{"And who else possesses a telekinetic Quirk, and has coincidentally interfered with our plans, Tomura?"}
A spark of recognition crossed Shigaraki's eyes.
"Rockinesis… But the brat was at the festival when Rockinesis—"
{"Time and place are not variables that disprove his identity in this case. With cloning in his arsenal, he could be anywhere, at any time… And besides, both seem to be acquainted in some way with a certain hero, quite a coincidence, don't you think?"}
"A certain hero?"
{"Super Monkey. One of the best-ranked heroes in the city of Shizuoka. The guardian of young Takahashi, and, in the case of the vigilante, the first one to contend with him properly, and from what our informants have told us, also the one Rockinesis warned about the raid to the Shie Hassaikai just minutes before it happened. Although the connections aren't very strong, the fact that they are there might mean something."}
Shigaraki went still, taking a few seconds to absorb the revelation.
If that were true… then that'd make the one responsible for all his misfortune… one single person.
As that thought dawned, rage surged within Shigaraki.
But as it did, another thing dawned on him, making the anger dwell momentarily.
"But if that were the case… how many different Quirks would it mean that brat has?"
Now that it had landed, Shigaraki recalled the bizarre range of abilities the brat had displayed during the Nomu fight, and what he'd shown today with the flaming skeleton on national TV. None of it looked very plausible from telekinesis alone.
But now, if what his master was saying was true, Rockinesis' abilities would also fall under the same kit.
Cloning, energy blasts—and the superhuman physique that both clearly shared.
Plus the future sight his master was theorizing he possessed.
It was impossible it all came from just one. So, just how many Quirks would that amount to?
As he thought of that last ability, however, something else occurred to him.
"But why do you think he can see the future, master?"
All For One sounded pleased with his question. {"There are multiple reasons. One is the rate at which he, as a vigilante, tended to appear right before or at the exact moment crimes were being committed—almost as if he knew about them in advance."}
That, Shigaraki hadn't known about.
Kurogiri, at his side, also looked faintly surprised.
{"The others are somewhat more circumstantial, but equally incriminating. When Machia returned months ago, having failed the task I sent him on after his encounter with the vigilante, he said he only retreated because he heard my voice order him to. If we assume it was the vigilante who was responsible for it, it would mean he already knew of me—despite us having erased most of our tracks over the past years."}
"Machia?"
Shigaraki sounded confused for a moment.
{"A precious subordinate of mine. He shall serve you in due time, when you are ready."}
Shigaraki nodded, looking a bit confused but accepting it regardless.
All For One continued with his explanation. {"Then there's his broader track record so far. According to our mole, he commissioned and brought a weapon to a class exercise right before your strike on U.A."}
'The blade.' Shigaraki's mind made the connection instantly to the blade Taka had used to cut Nomu apart repeatedly.
{"Beyond that, there are the multiple unfortunate events that have prevented our plans from progressing smoothly, all perpetrated by individuals of unknown identity, and the vigilante—allegedly, all the same person… As though he had known in advance of our moves, despite all of it being highly secretive, with no plausible way for a mere student or vigilante without resources to have known."}
His two listeners fell silent at the weight of it.
{"Of course, solid evidence remains lacking—much of this is still speculation and coincidence, as is the case for the claim that the vigilante and the student are one and the same. However, if I'm right, then he already has his sights on us. And on this place."}
"…!" Shigaraki's eyes widened.
He already knew where they were?!
"But then—why hasn't he attacked us? He looked eager to kill me back at U.A.!" He shouted, alarmed at the sudden feeling of danger rising through his skin.
{"Or he made it appear that way."}
Shigaraki paused, frowning.
He recalled that day.
While he couldn't say for sure the kid had been trying to kill him—he sure had taken his time in it. He could have cut or burnt the Nomu from the start, yet he first engaged in a fist fight, before slowly moving through his other abilities.
Almost like a play.
"...!"
So it had all been an act?
He had let him go on purpose?
"... Why?" Shigaraki managed to ask through the feeling of humiliation.
A sigh came from the monitor.
{"The reason, I'm afraid I can't decipher. Just like his abilities, his actions have been erratic and hard to follow—as should be expected of someone who knows the future, or a version of it, given that he has been actively interfering. We still don't know the full details, so the details of this alleged ability might turn out to be very different… But as to why he hasn't struck at us yet, I believe I do know the reason. And it's quite worrying, Tomura."}
A pause followed.
Then he dropped it.
{"That reason is power. As he is now, he cannot beat me."}
"... So he's scared. What's so worrying about that, master?"
{"He cannot beat me… yet. He is growing—growing stronger. The doctor ran an analysis of his strength output, energy release, and overall stats using footage from his first appearance to his most recent, assuming the student and the vigilante are the same. The conclusion was clear. He is growing very fast. There is also a possibility that the number of abilities he displays is tied to the progression of his strength as well. Takahashi-kun had shown no Quirk for most of his life, seemingly producing one out of nowhere a year ago—a disappointing one, to say the least. And yet, now he is on the verge of winning U.A.'s Sports Festival. Quite a remarkable rate of growth, isn't it?"}
Shigaraki looked shaken. "He cannot beat you… yet? Are you saying he will eventually be able to defeat you, master?"
{"The doctor ran a rough estimation using the speed of growth he's shown until now, and I'm afraid—yes. If his calculations are right, he'll gain enough power to contend with me in about a year or two. Because of that, and the sketch of his personality provided by our mole, I believe he knows it, and that's why he hasn't contacted the association or the top heroes yet. In an arrogant move, he intends to defeat me on his own—of course, this is all if our conjectures are right. If not, we might just be dealing with a kid with a terrifying potential."}
Shigaraki swallowed. Even if they were being a bit paranoid here, what if they weren't?
What if that brat was just waiting until he was strong enough to wipe them out for good? And one day, without warning, everything they had built collapsed like a card castle?
Which meant… they were on a ticking clock.
"Master, what should we do…?" He asked, worry creeping into his voice, his hands slowly moving up to scratch his neck.
{"First, we relocate."} Came All For One's voice. No longer alarming, but calm, like the worrying part was over, and now it was time for the action.
A second later, Kurogiri opened a portal right beside Shigaraki.
While that happened, All For One continued explaining, {If the future that he sees is fixed, and we move without his knowledge, he shouldn't know our new location. If we move and he does know—then we'll have learned something more about its scope and how it works."}
Shigaraki stared at the portal with a hard expression.
With a nod, he picked up his father's hand he had left aside to drink at the counter earlier, and put it back over his face.
Then he turned toward the portal and stepped through.
{"Second, my plans may need to change to account for this new variable…"}
Kurogiri followed after, stepping through the portal and leaving the bar empty behind him.
Yet, even without them there, All For One's voice continued from the screen.
{"I won't make the same mistake a second time. I won't allow a second All Might."}
...
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| Back to the stadium: |
...
-Step, step, step-
Bakugo walked slowly up the stairs toward the platform, his expression set with determination, his gaze so focused it could have bored holes in the concrete ahead.
He'd have liked to pull off an entrance like before, not wanting to lose to Taka even in that. But this wasn't a fight he could afford to waste any energy on.
He'd need everything he had if he wanted to achieve his goal for this fight. So he just skipped the theatrics.
"..."
Not long after, he reached his spot and settled in, ready, waiting for his opponent.
He took a deep breath, nervousness trying to get itself invited in.
But Bakugo wasn't having it. With a clench of his fist, he shrugged it off. Then glanced at the entrance Taka was supposed to step out from—eager for all this to at last begin.
And as luck would have it—he didn't have to wait long.
—Thunk!—
Suddenly, a hand appeared from the gate Taka was supposed to emerge from, moving out, and grabbed the frame of the gate.
A large hand.
And skeletal.
Then, it pushed against the frame, the way something might crawl through a gap too small for it.
And something did crawl through.
"That bastard…" Bakugo's eyes squinted, his scowl deepening as he saw what emerged from there. "He did it again."
The same skeleton from before.
—Thunk!—
—Thunk!—
—Thunk!—
It hauled itself out of the entrance like a creature making its first appearance in the world, then began dragging its enormous flaming frame all the way to the platform—its great hands cracking into the ground with every pull.
Before long, it reached its spot, then pushed itself upright and tilted its face toward the sky.
—ROAAAAAAAR!!!—
A roar tore through the stadium, shaking it to its foundations.
And then—the flaming skeleton simply went out like a flame snuffed in a closed fist.
Revealing Taka standing at its core, arms crossed, eyes already on Bakugo.
Bakugo snarl twisted into something similar to a grin.
"Damn attention whore."
Taka smirked.
"It's called showmanship. You could use some."
...
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-To Be Continued…-
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(A/N: In class, can't think of anything since I have to pay attention.)