A/N: Thanks for the favourites and review. After this, I wonder if this story has to be switched to an M rating.
Without further ado, please enjoy the story.
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Chapter 2: Birth of the Hellhound
"O-Oh shit! What the fuck are those things?!"
"Don't falter! It's just one villain! Don't forgot your pride as Pro-heroes!"
"Continue to encircle him and fire long-range attacks! Don't get close! Whatever his quirk is, it's extremely toxic!"
Kamino ward was nothing but absolute chaos that night. There had always been speculations that this particular area of Japan housed some of the most dangerous villain organizations, and constant raids and patrols by Heroes have been common. But tonight, the heroes did not expect several corpses of their allies sprawled across the area. Some had died without having time to register what just happened. Others have their bodies bashed apart and ravaged while their faces sported expressions of absolute terror like they were attacked by a savage beast. The unlucky ones were left with their bodies sporting a diseased-black color, their faces twisted in agony while a poisonous stench wafted through the air.
As for their current fighting strength, only five of the original thirty-man group made up of Pro-heroes and their sidekicks remained, all of them displaying expressions of panic as they observed the one responsible for their current predicament. In front of them was a single boy, strolling casually towards them with not much of a scratch on his body. He had short spiky hair as white as snow, and his purple eyes glinted in the dark. He was dressed in a long black coat with a white-furred collar, long black pants with armored boots, and donned a mask covering the bottom-half of his face, which bears the design similar to the snarling mouth of a demonic dog.
But the most disturbing aspect of this boy was the thick tar-like substance oozing from his arms; continuously moving like it's alive and changing its form.
The boy's expression remained neutral as he pressed forward, raising his arms across his chest in an 'X' formation. The formless black ooze dripping down his arms drastically morphed from a dark fluid into two crudely-shaped weapons; the left arm resembled a large sledgehammer while the right transformed into a vicious-looking spiked ball.
"…heroes…just what could you be possibly looking for in these dark parts…?" The villain questioned in a chilling tone. "Or perhaps...you came here to die?"
"T-This can't possibly be happening! We can't break through his quirk!" a hero shouted. "We have to retreat or call a hero with a more suitable quirk!"
"Just retreat! We have to bring back the intel on this guy!"
"Retreat? Don't make me laugh!" another cried out, the panic in his voice growing rapidly. "There's no way I'm going back empty-handed while my sidekicks are killed by one brat! Keep firing! Don't sto-!"
The Pro-hero suddenly found himself hammered to the ground by a blunt impact. The boy loomed over the hero with the black sledgehammer-arm raised over his head. The last thing he managed to see was a close-up view of the villain staring down at him, revealing a youthful face no older than fifteen years old.
"Impossible…such a young kid-!"
Those are the hero's last words as the boy brought the weapon on his neck, effectively causing him to scream in pain and bringing his life to a grisly end. The rest of them just stood there, visibly horrified and rooted in place, their foreheads dripping with sweat. The boy just watched his own handiwork before stepping on the corpse and kicked it away. He slowly turned to the rest of the heroes, exerting a cold gaze upon them.
"…weak…"
The spiked ball returned back to it's formless fluid-like state, before morphing once more into another weapon; a black lance resembling a twisted jousting saber. Without another word, the villain reared his lance back and dashed towards the nearest hero, skewering him and lifting him high into the air like a flesh kebab.
"…Schwarz Hagel (Black Hail)…"
The sludge lance morphed once more to a cylinder-like object with a long barrel, hardening drastically and fired hundreds of sludge bullets like a machine gun. In retaliation and fear, the remaining heroes fought back in one last-ditch attempt to fend off the wide-range attack and try to retreat, not fight. However, the storm of quirk attacks, fire…bullets…super-strength…the endless onslaught of black weaponry displayed by the young villain tore through everything and the heroes found themselves mercilessly slashed apart.
They were helpless against this boy's quirk. The boy continued to tear their bodies apart in a gruesome blood show. For those who were experienced enough to sustain a few injuries, their faces were changed from relief to horror when the toxic sludge began to eat their bodies from the inside out; a deadly toxin slowly eating the cells from where the wounds have been inflicted upon. Corpses, both ripped apart and poisoned from the inside-out, quickly littered the ground, never to move again.
"…weak…you guys barely provide any satisfaction…what happened to the flair and gusto you displayed earlier…?" The boy growled. But the sound of hushed and panicked breathing aroused his attention once more. A single, wounded sidekick was trying to crawl away.
"S-Shit…! Like hell am I going to die here…! Villain? No…that's a freaking m-monster!" Tears and nasal fluid streamed down the sidekick's face, his expression and hair disheveled.
"…" The boy observed for a while with a neutral expression. A second later, he was already right behind the escapee, a hand grabbing his head and slammed him to the pavement, keeping him immobilized to the ground. A moment later, the masked boy reformed the sludge around his arm to fashioned out a lance again; pressing the cold tip of the hardened sludge against the sidekick's neck.
"…how unsightly…how weak..."
Sensing his impeding end, the sidekick begged, tears running down his eyes before he screamed in pain as the black lance pierced through his body, the body twitched for a moment, and never to move again.
All around him, the corpses of the sidekick's other co-workers were laid to waste, all mangled and beaten beyond recognition. Crushed skulls, smashed innards, bodies riddled with holes. Not only were all the bodies torn apart to the point where they lost their original forms, but the common trait about the victims was that their skin was blighted black, the toxic properties of the sludge eating their body parts and released an extremely putrid death stench.
It was literally a scene from hell as intestines and limbs were strewn all over Kamino Ward, all the heroes were slashed and bashed to death, or had the unfortunate agony of the poison eating their bodies. No one was spared.
He hadn't noticed that one of the heroes was still alive, hiding behind a broken pillar and watching this entire scene with a deathly-pale face, his mouth clamped shut and eyes closed. His heart was thumping so loudly that he dreaded it was only a matter of time before the villain could hear him. He can't risk opening his eyes, cause if he did that villain will…!
"Shepherd…report your current status." A deep voice asked from the receiver in the boy's ear.
The boy stopped and answered back respectfully. "…there are no problems Sensei. Sorry it took longer than expected for you to call me…"
"It's okay Shepherd," The voice told him. "I see that you were having a bit of fun with. How were our guests tonight? Did they enjoy your warm welcome?"
"…No…they are all weak…so weak that it irritates me…" Shepherd shook his head, while the black armaments created from his [Toxic Sludge] quirk melted together into a gooey mass and returned to the boy through his arms, but the venomous chemical stench of death remained in the air.
"I see, that is truly a shame. Well, not to worry," All for One's voice assured him. "With the next task, I can promise you that there will be more promising opponents to fight against."
Shepherd nodded and ended the transmission. As he walked away from the quiet streets of Kamino Ward, his thoughts traced back to the heroes who died, their faces full of terror and their last moments begging for mercy gave Shepherd an irksome feeling.
Those weren't the expressions he wanted to see...those pathetic expressions…the way they cry for mercy…it used to remind him of something irritating, but what exactly? Shepherd couldn't wrap his head around it.
Oh well, that wasn't important he supposed. All that matters was getting the job done and reporting back to Sensei. All he knew was that Sensei was his savior…and that his name was Shepherd. Nothing else.
He had long forgotten his past life or what his actual name was.
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=[6 months ago, in an underground lab]=
Hakazuka let out an unearthly scream as All for One grabbed his forehead, the former's arms and legs strapped tightly to the chair to prevent him from struggling too much. Since Hakazuka was a small boy as compared to the massive stature of the villain leader, All for One's hand completely covered Hakazuka's face.
"What are you planning to do with him?" The Doctor asked his reveled leader with an excited look on his face.
"I must first condition his mentality towards heroes," All for One explained as he ignored the hysterical protests from the boy to stop. "All wounds heal with time, but psychological scars will be a reminder of his pain, and his reason for revenge. The first step is to place him in a constant state of anger and madness towards his opponents. With the combination of [Memory Playback], [Emotion Enhancement] and [Mind Scar], I can forcefully extract out the most painful memories of his life and permanently set an endless loop in his mind, effectively creating a mind wired with unlimited hatred for heroes and his pathetic past self."
"Stop…St-stop this…STOP THIS!" Hakazuka gurgled out, spitting out blood and saliva, barely keeping himself together as painful past images of being bullied were replayed endlessly within his mind. He felt as though his brain was being pulled apart as the voices of Bakugo, Yatsuma, Torishima and others who belittled him bombarded his mind and placed him in an unbearable state of agony. Although Hakazuka wished for death, a part of him still wanted to live. When the pain became so unbearable that he considered to bite off his own tongue, the pain subsided just enough for him to hesitate. And when he thought he could endure this treatment; the pain rose to the point where he wished to die again. He could no longer form any normal thoughts.
Abnormalities thus started to appear in his mind.
Why do I have to suffer…? What did I do…?
How is this a second chance…? Aren't you two trying to kill me?
Why did this have to happen…? What was the cause…?
I…was quirkless…so I was easily alienated and picked on…
Bullies tormented me…
My family did not believe me…
I was looked down upon while I was alive…
Even in death…I was taken advantage of…
In the next three days, this treatment continued. Gradually Hakazuka's thoughts became darker with the increasing pain. Who was wrong? Who was the one who forced this situation upon him? Who harmed him? Pain slowly turned into rage, and grief led into killing intent. Seeing how the boy's expression morphed from endless despair to unbridled anger, All for One could only smile with satisfaction.
"He's adapting to this faster than I expected," the villain boss wondered. "Is it due to the fact that he is submissive? Or does he harbour an underlying hatred for heroes at the very start? Either way, this is progressing more smoothly than we initially planned. Shall we move on to phase two?"
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=[Current, League of Villains]=
"I'm opposed to this," Shigaraki Tomura grumbled. "I'm not bringing that battle-hungry psycho as part of my personal force."
"Shepherd was trained to be that way. And rest assured, he has enough self-restrain not to try harming you, or me for that matter." Kurogiri explained looking over the information folder that Sensei had sent to him. "He is a villain who was personally 'guided' by Sensei, very much like you. His quirk is extremely useful for wide-range suppression and working together with him will greatly increase the success rate of our future operations."
"His quirk reeks and disgusts me. And he's just a maniac who loves killing even our own men." The light-blue haired teen argued as he hunched over the bar counter. "He's going through the villains we painstakingly gathered like trash mobs in RPGs. If he loves to fight so much, he should be doing that to the heroes, not our own forces!"
"I believe that your first complain is due to a side-effect of his [Toxic Sludge] quirk," the black misty bartender deduced. "As for the second…I'm sure his tendencies are beneficial if we know how to utilize them wisely."
"He will be one of the League's cornerstones," A voice on the monitor screen behind them gained their immediate attention. "Shepherd has come a long way. From a mere quirkless nobody, to one of my grandest masterpieces. His power will help bring our plans to fruition. So…I hope you can get along with him more, Tomura."
"He used to be quirkless?" Shigaraki questioned with astonishment. "Why would Sensei take in someone like that?"
"All will be revealed in due time," All for One assured his disciple. "But for now…I expect great things from him and you, Tomura."
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=[6 months ago, underground lab]=
On the fourth day, All for One had Hakazuka strapped to a metal chair specially designed to restrain villains with strength-enhanced quirks. He had Daruma trolley in a stack of painkillers and anesthesia while he personally strapped the thick, reinforced mesh straps over the semi-conscious boy's limbs.
Daruma observed with bated breath as All for One used both of his hands to cover Hakazuka's face completely. The Doctor had seen that gesture countless time; it was when Sensei wanted to take a quirk or give one to one of his loyal followers, but that wouldn't explain the restrains. It was Sensei's next few words that surprised Daruma.
"Doctor, the moment he reacts, immediately inject the Noumu's regeneration serum into him." All for One instructed, making the bald collaborator looked at him as though he grew a second head.
"So, you are going to turn him into a Noumu with its emotions and conscious intact? I never tried that before, but it's going to be unpredictable long-term-"
"No…what I'm going to give him is going to require more than simple painkillers. We need to the Noumu's regenerative properties if he ever hopes to survive this." All for One told him, "On the other hand, if this quirk rejects him…then he's worthless to us."
Without warning, the fingers of All for One turned black with blaring red veins coursing through them, and they slowly invaded Hakazuka, making a new kind of pain wracked through his entire body and making him scream again. Erosion, that was the best word to describe the horrible sensation corroding his body and it slowly intensified over time.
"You know, this quirk belongs to a D-rank villain which I coincidentally chanced upon the same day I found you." Sensei told him, still smiling at Hakazuka's agony. "It was a powerful sludge quirk, but the user was an idiot who just wanted revenge against All-Might. I couldn't risk having it rot in prison, so I took the liberty of stealing it. It shall be the base of your new power, along with a few modifications of mine."
Hakazuka could barely talk, the excruciating pain making his throat sore from yelling so long. "In order for a human to handle multiple quirks, their bodies and minds must be modified by me and Doctor Daruma here to handle the stress; that is what we call a 'Noumu'. But what we are doing here is something different." Sensei explained, while the boy's flesh began to turn a poisonous black colour, but Doctor Daruma immediately injected a substance into Hakazuka's body, forcing it to regenerate. "The quirk I'm going to give you are quite dangerous given the serious side-effects should I utilize them. They are worthless to me, but let's see if you can handle this [Toxic Sludge] quirk. And now...[Forced Quirk Activation]" he declared, the masked man's fingers increasing their force on the boy.
Hakazuka did not even bother listening to the madman as the pain skyrocketed into impossible levels. Something was melting inside, and it was as though every single one of his organs was burned by acid. He let out a ear-piercing scream.
"I'll have Daruma continuously inject you with the Noumu's regenerative serum, while keeping you as close to a human as possible. So try your best not to die, boy."
"me…d-die…!" dark sludge spilled out of the boy's eyes, ears and mouth. "LET ME DIE!"
"What are you saying~?" The doctor snorted and injected even more regenerative serum into Hakazuka's body. "You are the one who wanted this. It's not nice to turn down Sensei's generous offer you know? By the time this is over, you will become a new man."
The venomous quirk was beginning to take its toll on Hakazuka, black toxic sludge spewing everywhere, along with blood and ripped off flesh. Hakazuka could hardly hear himself or the two villains anymore, making him wonder if he had finally gone deaf. The regeneration provided by the doctor healed his tearing body for a split second…then his body erupted in spasms again. He broke…and healed…and broke…and healed…this gory cycle of destruction and repair continued for hours.
Where were the heroes…where were those who have sworn to protect the innocent…WHERE?!
"GARGH-KWARC-GARGHAA-!" incomprehensible words were spat out between the screams, the tears flowing out of Hakazuka's eyes were slowly replaced with blood. "H-HUST LEMME DAAAAAI!"
"Good, good…" Daruma smiled wider at this. "Keep talking, that means the regeneration is working."
"J-Just…let me…die…" Hakazuka's sent a silent prayer to whoever's out there to make it stop, before he succumbed to the pain and his head slumped forward.
"Mm?" The doctor gave an irritated look as the test subject began to ebb into unconsciousness. "Come on! No sleeping! The quirk integration process hasn't even been completed!"
"Let's not rush things," All for One told Daruma. "We are making good progress after all…"
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=[2 Days after Hakazuka's disappearance, Aldera Junior High]=
Detective Naomasa Tsukauchi looked at the third-year students of Aldera Junior High. Their teacher had introduced the class to the sudden visit of the inspector briefly, making them look at the sole empty desk sitting by the window at the classroom's far end. It belonged to Hakazuka Kotaro. Age 14. Quirkless.
The blood splatters found at the back of the school, as well as the several footprints unwashed by yesterday's rain at the school's rooftop, indicates a strong possibility of attempted suicide. Another major problem was that the body was missing.
It was a type of case Tsukauchi was bad at dealing with; suicide cases may have a lot of factors which contribute to the victim's decision to end his life, if there are no eye-witnesses it would be hard to pinpoint the culprit or culprits responsible. Another theory was domestic abuse, but Hakazuka's parents have shut themselves out of the media's eyes after the apparent disappearance of their son and refused to go outside, making investigations really hard.
So that was why he came here, asking the group of people who had the most interactions with Hakazuka during the day. If the reason was not home life, then it had to be in school. He wished he could interview them one at a time to find out more about the victim's daily life with his [Lie Detector] quirk, but the amount of time he was given for this case was despairingly short. Some of the higher-ups have even urged him to close the case and returned the body to his family, and worked on more urgent cases instead. Naomasa was furious…but he could not deny their reasons.
"As you are aware, your classmate has gone missing," he told them. "it is important to come forward if you know anything regarding Hakazuka Kotaro and the circumstances of his school life which may have caused him to have suicidal tendencies.
There several snorts from the back, making Tsukauchi avert his attention to the trio of boys seating at the center of the class, with the apparent blonde ringleader. "Who's that?" the spiky-haired teen demanded rudely, making the detective's eyes twitch.
"You don't even know your own classmate?" His gaze shifted to the homeroom teacher standing by the other side of the class board. The teacher just gave a sheepish smile, which probably meant that the boy's attitude was normal in this class.
The boy rolled his eyes. "Why would I care about a quirkless dweeb? If the body is gone, then he's probably alive right? I bet he's just doing this for attention." The other two boys beside him snickered in response. At the corner was a short, green-haired boy who just glanced at the floor with a nervous expression, which was rather suspicious to the detective.
"The blood found at the scene was real," Tsukauchi retorted back politely, albeit a little steel in his tone. If it wasn't for the time constraint, he would have loved to stay back and lecture this kid about his biased view of the quirkless minority. "I need not remind you that this is no laughing matter; your friend's life is at stake here. If there is anything you know, please inform the police as soon as possible."
Silence met his request, but this was something Tsukauchi expected. "Please…your cooperation will be appreciated."
He could only hope they got the message.
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=[]=
Everyday…everyday…the only time of peace was in the holding cell in Doctor Daruma's lab.
It was my prison, yet it was my safest haven. Every day while I cowered in the cage, my entire body was shaking with fear whenever I saw those grotesque beings with their brains exposed called 'Noumu' being created by the hand of Daruma Ujiko. During the time when I wasn't feeling afraid, I would lay down on the cold floor, my entire body riddled with pain and exhaustion.
Something was happening to my body. No matter what I do, the pain just won't stop, something foreign was moving in me…burning my insides. At times, disgusting black sludge would come out from my mouth, making me vomit time after time, as my body began to emit a death-like stench.
What in the world was happening to me…? Were those things the doctor said true?! My body was being corroded by the quirk?
I don't know…all I knew was that these days...
I can feel myself falling...
ever so slowly...
into hell.
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=[Midoriya Residence]=
"This was in the midst of all the items Hakazuka Kotaro left behind before his disappearance. It has your name written on it, so we assumed that it belonged to you."
In the Midoriya household, the main entrance creaked open to reveal a tired Izuku, his hands clutching the 'Future Analysis for Heroes No.13' notebook which the police had decided to return to its rightful owner. Inko Midoriya rushed over to greet her son.
"Welcome home Izuku! Dinner's read…what's wrong? You look terrible." Inko said, ushering her crestfallen son into the house. "Did something happen in school again?"
"No…it's not me. It's about Hakazuka-kun." Izuku answered while his eyes remained on the ground, but his mother immediately understood.
Inko was worried that after the incident yesterday, Izuku may be facing bullying problems as well. She was glad that wasn't the case, but she felt extremely bad for the quiet but cheerful boy who used to visit the house to play with Izuku's All-Might action figures. "Sweetie…it's only been one day. I'm sure that Hakazuka is safe and sound somewhere. Everyone's trying their best so let's keep on hoping shall we?"
"Yeah…you're right mum."
"That's the spirit. Now quickly get changed and be ready for dinner okay?" Inko said with a warm smile. "Rest for a while."
"Sure thing mum, I'll be quick." Izuku replied.
Izuku went to his room and shut the door, sitting by the edge of the bed and gazing at the notebook in his hands; the notebook Hakazuka had risked his life to protect with his body and suffered unfairly for it. If only he was a little stronger…if only he stood up to Kacchan just a little faster…none of this would have had to happen.
"I'm so sorry Hakazuka-kun, I'm really am!" wept Izuku. "Because of me…you…your dream…your life, I'm so sorry…!" The green-haired youth broke down, tears streaming down his face as he mourned. On that fateful day, Midoriya's life forever changed. It was the day that he met All-Might and began his journey as the greatest hero, and…it was also the day that he lost his most precious friend.
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=[Underground Lab]=
Hakazuka gasped for air painfully as he felt Sensei forcefully activating the quirk added to his body, his massive hand gripping the boy's face tightly and rendered him incapable of resisting unlike the previous days. "Amazing…! The regeneration speed of the Noumu serum never fails to astound me…well All for One had a hand in that as well. But thanks to my genius, your body regenerates regardless of how badly damaged you get from the quirks' drawbacks! Just look at you!" Daruma enjoyed the spectacle, Hakazuka's skin and flesh melting off while his entire body was infected with bruises bearing a toxic black colour, only to be forcefully regenerated and repeat the cycle. "As expected of me, you heal so fast! Even though your body is holding an unbelievable level of toxins, your regeneration is still off the charts!"
"E-Enough…! St-Stop! I-I…no…longer…!" Hakazuka gurgled painfully, barely maintaining consciousness from the excruciating pain. He had no idea just how many days this torture had been going on for. He wanted to scream, he wanted to struggle, but the continuous screaming had taken the will to resist out of him and he resigned to just praying for all of this to stop.
"I must take samples…!" Daruma walked out of the room for a while, before returning with a table carrying all kinds of contraptions as well as multiple glass jars. "You are the first human that we have adapted the procedure of Noumu creation to without removing your thinking capabilities, a pseudo-Noumu if you will. If I want to explore this new-found possibility…a few live samples are required!"
Daruma then grinned like a madman, showing his teeth before grabbing a pair of pliers.
"To be honest, I ran out of anesthesia…" Daruma grinned. "But this is such a rare opportunity…so that only leaves me with one option~!"
"Wait! You can't be serious…! W-wait…S-Stop-!" Hakazuka yelled hysterically as he pieced together what the mad doctor was trying to say. With a horrible grimace, he felt the cold metal of the pliers gripping his finger.
"D-Don't you dare! Don't you fucking dare!"
"What a picky little patient, kind of reminds me of kids when their parents bring them for their first check-up." Daruma gave a disgustingly wide smile, giggling like a madman. "Not to worry, the pain will only last for a short while…but it'll hurt a lot."
Before Hakazuka had a chance to respond, Daruma removed one of Hakazuka's fingers with one swift motion.
The pain was indescribable, it was something that caused Hakazuka to give the loudest blood-curling scream yet.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!"
"It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts!It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts!It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts!It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts! It Hurts!"
"Your flesh shows obvious signs of rotting, most likely due to your new quirk, but what about the rest of your body?" The doctor asked as he tossed the removed finger into a jar of formalin, before moving to another part of Hakazuka's body with a new tool in his hands; a drill. "Let's find out shall we?"
Hakazuka could not see the deranged smile on the doctor's face as he eyed the test subject hungrily, greedily listing out the list of body parts to remove. "Mm…bone fragments, muscle tissue, skin, liver, stomach, lungs, intestines, spine tissue…"
Hakazuka let out a ear-splitting scream as the drill cruelly tore into his arm, splattering the room in a gruesome mess of blood, flesh and bone fragments. Ignoring his intensified cries of agony, the mad doctor grabbed another tool from his table, and proceeded to extract out pieces of flesh and bone in a messy manner, all while Hakazuka continued to remain awake and screaming from the absolute pain.
"I know it's painful, but you must bear with it!" Daruma laughed as he continued his sadistic work. "You know, I have met children who are afraid to have their medical procedures done. What I usually do to solve this problem is to have them sing a song to calm themselves down, music therapy as I call it. How about we sing the song 'Ring Around the Rosie', hmm? If you sing, it will distract you from the pain and ease up!"
"W-Wha…what…?"
"You know the song, don't you?" Hakazuka could not see the deranged smile on the mad doctor's face as he extracted another bone from his toe. "If you don't sing, the pain will keep coming! SING!"
The poor boy let out a ear-piercing scream.
"R-ring around…*hick* the r-rosies…!" The pliers tore into his feet, splattering bone fragments everywhere. "A-A pocket f-full of…p-posies…!"
"Keep singing~!" The doctor cheered merrily. The feeling of having his body physically torn apart was bringing a whole new level of pain for Hakazuka, and making the last bit of his sanity break, and his mind flooded with searing pain.
"Ashes…A-Ashes…!" Hakazuka silently begged for anyone to make this stop! "We a-all fall…down…!"
"There we go! It's not too hard isn't it? I'm only starting with the outer parts of your new body; don't get me started on your organs. Those parts can regenerate by the end of the day-oh just look at how much your bones are deteriorating! Is this another side effect of the toxins in your new quirk? It won't be an exaggeration to say that your body is becoming a living pollutant factory!" Daruma told him, before continuing to extract flesh sample from the boy's wound, making him scream in torment.
"Hey, don't make him squirm so much." Sensei scolded Daruma. "It's breaking my concentration."
"Haha, sorry about that." The doctor chuckled back. "Old habits die hard."
This went on for the whole day, and Hakazuka kept on screaming as he struggled against his binds. He banged his head repeatedly on the back of the restraining chair at the never-ending feeling of this hell.
Just how long were they planning on toying with me like this…?
Please…someone…
Anyone…
Sav…Sa…sa…
KILL ME!
.
=[Current, League of Villains]=
Shepherd was met with the two core members of the League of Villains, Shigaraki Tomura and Kurogiri. At the end of the room was a old television screen which constantly flickered for no reason. It was the first time he was meeting the pale and rather scrawny youth with a hand covering the majority of his face. He looked weak as hell, and it made Shepherd slightly irritated. Was it because it reminded him of something? The other guy Kurogiri looked interesting as hell, maybe he should fight him instead. "So, you're here…" Shigaraki Tomura cast a glare through the fingers of his 'hand' mask at the hound-masked villain. "…Shepherd."
"…man-child." He responded quietly and bluntly. Shepherd got the memo from Sensei, so no introductions were needed. However, the way he addressed Shigaraki made the latter narrow his eyes in ire, the atmosphere in the room growing even more tense.
"Looks like someone forgot the give the dog proper obedience training," Shigaraki hissed, before redirecting his attention to Kurogiri. "Bringing him in here was a mistake."
"Don't be impatient Tomura." Kurogiri calmed the pale-blue haired youth. "The next operation is your idea; we have the right to ensure the highest success rate of your plans. Which means we definitely need Shepherd."
"As if," His eyes slipped over to Shepherd. "…I need a dog which may bite his own master's hand." Shigaraki added almost condescendingly. But he nearly flinched when he saw a trace of blood lust flashing across the white-haired villain's mad eyes.
"Shigaraki…don't." Kurogiri warned his leader with an unnatural level of panic in his voice. He had seen what Shepherd was capable of, having seen the villain in action during his 'clean-ups' when Heroes were patrolling Kamino Ward. What made him utterly terrifying wasn't the destructive power of his sludge quirk, but the fact that he was mentally unsound. The slightest insult, the smallest intention to belittle him, well anything he sensed that was pissing him off will cause him to go on a rampage. Kurogiri had a haunting premonition that if these two were to rumble in this enclosed area…even he may not escape unscathed. This entire establishment may be brought to the ground by the end of the day.
"…you look weak, but Sensei has told me all about you…" Shepherd continued. "…Sensei has also named you his son…so we are…brothers…"
"Like hell we are siblings," Shigaraki snapped, his scowl intensifying every second the boy was being in his presence. He would have loved to crack apart Shepherd's neck and snapped his head off a long time ago, but Shigaraki knew that Shepherd's body possessed a regenerative quirk in addition to his [Toxic Sludge]. He could hold his ground in a fight, he believed, but not without getting severely poisoned, which was annoying. "You are nothing but the League's guard dog with mental issues. Your annoying lust for battle is a major pain in the ass, I got poisoned the last time because of you!" he spat out. "You are nothing but a walking chemical waste plant."
This earned him a glare from Shepherd. "…you were in the way…you were weak, so you complained." A dangerous growl escaped his lips. "…and I despise the weak..."
"This bastard-!" Shigaraki angrily rose up from his seat, his twitching hands causing cracks to appear across the table. "What did you just say?!"
"...Did I hit a sore spot? If you want to prove yourself then I'll gladly oblige. Let's see who's the closest to dying this time." Shepherd retorted; thick black sludge began to drip down from the his arms.
"That's quite enough," The screen at the end of the room flickered to life, and the deep voice of All for One resounded across the three villains. "Tomura, Shepherd…cease this. Your goals are ultimately the one and the same, it would be your best interest to get along."
The hostility almost vanished instantly, making Shigaraki sigh and sat back down. Shepherd dutifully complied as well as shunned back to a corner, while Kurogiri breathed with relief. Thank goodness for Sensei's intervention, if not this place would have turned into a bloodbath.
"Well Tomura? Let's show everyone your plan."
"We're going to invade Yuuei tomorrow," Tomura declared as he displayed a phone image with a class schedule shown in it. "This is next week's schedule for All-Might's class. Look! According to this, All-Might will be leading a class of wannabe heroes for a rescue exercise in a facility called the Unseen Simulation Joint, or USJ for short."
"…we will be killing All-Might there…right?" Shepherd asked.
A simple nod from Shigaraki. "Yeah, so before we can attack, we got to have some party members. Kurogiri has already gotten a few volunteers in prison and busted them out, but we gonna need a hella-lot more."
"…Those people will be cannon fodder at most," Shepherd told him. "…why waste time gathering so many people when we can just go straight for All-Might himself?"
"Is fighting head-on the only way you can think of? We are not going to attack the symbol of peace, but we are trying to lure him to us instead. Besides, there are other pro-heroes beside the symbol of peace as well," the [Decay] quirk user berated, trying his best to calm his patience. "Sensei told us that the All-Might himself as gotten weaker, but the other teachers and students may pose a problem. That's why we have to split them up and stall them using Kurogiri's power and the other villains. The problem now is with the number of allies we currently have…"
"…what?" Shepherd muttered as he received another hateful glare from Tomura. "…if you are so concerned about the numbers, then go out and convince those money-grubbing lowlifes to join your cause."
"And who do you think is the one responsible for killing them in the first place?!" Shigaraki snarled at him furiously. "Don't just kill friendlies just to sate your battle-urges!"
"…it's not my problem that they were weak and annoying…weak trash like them are better wiped off the face of the earth."
Shigaraki was going to argue but the voice from the television screen flashed to life once more. "Enough. Tomura, you will have to go with Kurogiri to muster up more soldiers for this operation, I will also have a specially-made Noumu to help you as well; use him as you see fit. And Shepherd…there are things you cannot just do alone in your life, so you have to work together with others if you want to be successful in the long run. Save your bloodlust…the opponents you will face tomorrow will make the wait worthwhile."
Both of Sensei's prodigies sighed and nodded. Ultimately, one word from the big boss is enough to make them obedient. The topic was quickly brought back to hand.
"Kurogiri can warp groups of people simultaneously, so we'll use him to split up the students and teachers. Send them to different areas of the USJ's disaster zones." Tomura looked at the dark, misty villain expectantly.
"I can do that. But what about All-Might?" the [Warp Gate] bartender responded with another inquiry.
"While the annoying pests are pre-occupied with our forces, You, me and the Noumu will bring down the final boss; it will be the secret weapon to counter that broken-character strength of his," Shigaraki concluded triumphantly, but an angry growl escaped Shepherd.
"…switch me with the Noumu." The hound-masked boy argued. "…I want to fight All-Might."
"You stay out of my fight," Shigaraki shot back with venom in his voice. "I don't care what you do to the other people but you better keep your ass out of the boss level. Me and the Noumu will be more than enough to take down the symbol of peace."
"…Okay then. I'll take down everyone first, then I'll kill All-Might."
"Did you even listen to what I just said?!" Just when things were about to get ugly again, the television screen turned on again. Never in Sensei's life would he imagined intervening three times today.
"A decent plan Tomura, but not everything will go according to plan everytime; the situation may change in the midst of the battle. In the possibility which All-Might may find a counter-solution to your strategy…then having Shepherd join the fray would be the best to switch things up. I trust that you know just how devastating Shepherd can be when he gets…excited, don't you?"
Shigaraki and Kurogiri paled visibly at those words. Both of them had not forgotten the horrors they have witnessed upon seeing Shepherd's first battle against the heroes.
It all started when a raid team of heroes and policemen, led by the overzealous Captain Celebrity, chose to enter Kamino Ward and attempted to erase League of Villains once and for all. It was a decision made from the pinnacle of foolishness, a death wish. Every single one of them came on the promise of fame, from destroying the biggest villain group in Japan, especially their leader. Their over-inflated egos only heightened when a single villain was sent to oppose them. Captain Celebrity only laughed and mocked openly how the largest villain group had to rely on a mere child to stop them, even telling Shepherd that he will be sent to a boy's home as an act of mercy.
That was their last and biggest mistake of their lives.
Their arrogant laughs turned into screams for mercy. The flair and gusto the heroes had displayed so flamboyantly instantly degraded into shameful attempts to escape with their bodies intact. The entire battlefield was blighted black, and the sweet symphony of screams lasted long into the night. Piles of blackened, toxified corpses littered the place, while standing in the middle of it was Shepherd, looking like the grim reaper himself. Just like how Sensei named him, he was a hellhound promising death to those who dared opposed the league.
"…fine." Shigaraki relented. "You will be our hidden card against the symbol of peace. But it's best that you remember that I am ultimately the one in charge of this operation."
.
=[]=
"Aah, you poor thing." Sensei asked the sniveling figure of Hakazuka, his eyes red from crying while strapped to the chair after a month. "Does it hurt? Your body is struggling to accept your new power, and your sanity has been stretched to the limits. But you must not give up now, you have to remember who are the ones that forced you to this state."
"N-No…Don't…Please…I beg you…No…!No…!" he sobbed. "My body hurts so much…something is burning inside me…I can feel something melting…!" His body began to shudder violently, as black sludge dribbled down his mouth again.
"You lacked power, and power defines who you are in this world," All of One said to the struggling Hakazuka. "The weak have no place in this world, and their fate has always been to be trampled on by those with a greater power. Quirkless or not, that has always been the unspoken rule of survival."
"Please…I beg you…No…!No…more!"
"The world is cruel. There are many people who live their lives trampling over others, but they blatantly say that everyone needs to live a virtuous life. A conscience? Morals? Ethics? Do those people who bullied you have those? No. Only someone who has not experienced what you went through have the gal to said that."
"Who needs those things? Those are just mere constructs that someone made up, to ensure that the world runs smoothly. I believe that everyone should be just however they want." Sensei continued. "If that's enough to break the world…"
"…then it's better off broken. Don't you think so as well?"
Disgusting black sludge just won't stop oozing out. The death stench just wouldn't go away. The disgusting corroding feeling like his body was degenerating couldn't be stopped! The pain just won't go away…make it stop! Make it stop!
Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop! Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop! Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop! Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop! Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop! Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop! Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop! Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop! Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop! Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop! Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop! Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!Make it stop!
His mind was dyed a corrosive black.
=[]=
The pain just won't stop…it won't go away…just make it stop…PLEASE STOP!
I can feel my own body changing…everything I touched was rotted into the same black stuff I was beginning to be made up of.
I can hear Sensei's voice, his words whispering deep into my brain like sweet whispers from the devil…better than the horrifying rambles of the doctor Daruma.
This is just wrong…!
What did I do to deserve this…
Someone…
Anyone…
Please…
Tell me…
"It's because you're weak! You quirkless dweeb!" a familiar loud voice said with arrogance in his tone. "You are weak! Ever since the beginning you are doomed to live your life being trampled by others!"
I flinched when I recalled that voice. It has been so long…but I could never forget the voice of the boy whose words triggered my demise. As I lifted my head, I was surrounded by a vast white space, and in front of me…was Bakugo Katsuki.
What was he doing here? Was I hallucinating? Hehe…hehehe…hehehehehe…looks like I finally cracked aren't I? hehehehehahahaha…! Hoo boy! To think I'll have to see him in my last moments…
"It doesn't matter really," Bakugo continued with a smirk. "All this time you lived with a desire to have a quirk, to be someone special. But someone like you will never amount to anything, given that you are always grovelling beneath someone else's feet. Dying should be a privilege for you." The leader of the bullied just kept on laughing. Just why is he here? Just what meaning is there for him to appear in front of me right now?
"Why am I here? You stupid twat, like I need a reason to do whatever the hell I want!" the [Explosion] quirk user said haughtily, moving forward and pulled my head back to have a better view of my bruised face. For the first time in my life, I had a burning desire to fight back…to punch his annoying face. "I am different from the rest of you guys; I was born special! I was destined to be someone great thanks to my quirk! I will become a great hero who is continuously sought after, while the rest of you scrubs can continue dreaming about what you can never hope to achieve! Just look at you now, even in death you are abused and taken advantaged of; forever a pathetic loser!"
"…shut the hell up."
"You think I'm wrong? Then how about the other people in your life?" The boy in front of me then switched to a visage of Yatsuma, one of Bakugo's lackeys with an equally condescending sneer plastered on his face. "You wanted to show everyone that someone like you mattered in this world when you jumped off the school's roof that day, but honestly no one really gives a shit about you. Do you want to know why?"
"…shut up."
"It's because you're nothing." The second lackey of Bakugo with the [Pterodactyl] quirk, Torishima now mocked. "You are nothing, even by quirkless standards. You are always just a cowering, crying loser. Nothing less, and most certainly nothing more."
"Shut up dammit!"
"And after your pathetic suicide attempt, you relied on a stranger who promises you a second chance. How stupid is that?" Bakugo came back to my view with his arrogant grin in full force, continuing his bashing maliciously. "I've seen Deku make smarter life choices than you."
"I'm warning you all…shut the fuck up!"
"But you should be happy right now, you have a quirk after all this time." Bakugo mocked with his arms akimbo, raising an eyebrow at the black sludge coming out of my hands. "But I seriously doubt that something as disgusting as you can come back to society. Do you truly think that you still have a place in this world?"
His question made my heart stop, but the bubbling anger within just continued rising.
"The only thing you can become now as a low-life villain." Bakugo laughed. "Say…when I make my grand debut as a pro-hero, is it okay for me to catch you and throw you straight into jail? A pathetic attention-grabber such as you can meet your pals there right?"
You have to remember the ones who forced you to this state.
I heard something crack as I gritted my teeth against each other, my skin threatening to tear from the chair's restrains. "After all, you were the one who chose this path. Sure, we were hard on you, but it's your own fault that you ended up like this. This is the least you could do for the world."
DAMN YOOOOOOOOOU….! YOU JUST CROSSED THE LINE…!
If you don't, you will be hurting only yourself.
With my arms and legs covered completely with viscous sludge, the metal restrains were torn off with brute force and freed me from my bindings. I jumped out of the chair and pounced on the ash-blonde haired youth, my hands wrestling against his.
"I'll kill you…!" I hissed out venomously, tightening my grip and not letting him go. Bakugo's eyes widened as his skin began to turn black, making him cry out in agony. He used his legs to kicked me off him, before gazing at his own hands in horror. They now carried a diseased-blackish looking colour, and the smell of rotting flesh permeated the air.
"You fucking dare…! You dare to touch me?! You quirkless nobody!?" Bakugo howled with rage, charging towards me with his palm peppering with explosions. But a wave of sludge erupted from my hands and blocked his assault.
Quirkless…?
Sorry…Not anymore.
What are you so afraid of?
Why didn't I give in to this feeling earlier? This sense of liberation? The pain I so adamantly endured turned into pleasure for the first time.
All you have to do is follow your heart.
"My arms…! My goddamn arms-!" Bakugo's screams brought me back to earth. "You dare infect me with your disgusting quirk?! I'll kill you! You hear me?! I'll freaking kill you!"
So...what do you want to do?
Infect…? That's right…I'll infect every single one of you. I'll dye you black…just like how you dyed my world in. I'll rot you all from the inside-out and poison everything to the ground!
"I'm going to be the greatest hero! My arms are the hero industry's valuable asset! You dare infect me…YOU PATHETIC LOSER!" Like a broken record, Bakugo's foul language continued to spew forth as he blasted a wide cone of fiery explosions. But having known the very substance which made up my body now, I turned my arms into a sludge blockade, sizzling out Bakugo's explosive power.
"…Who the hell do you think you are…!?" My voice gurgled out, massive amounts black sludge erupting out from not just my arms, but from my entire body and burst forth like a tsunami. "You want me to live under your disgusting superiority? You think you can control me at every of your whim and will? I'll show you…!"
"Y-You…!" The ash-blonde teen gnashed his teeth angrily as he pulled himself up, priming his hands for another set of explosions. His face was twisted in pure rage. "DON'T GET COCKY YOU FUCKING LOSER! You have lived your life grovelling at our feet, and you will always be!" He ignited his sweat once more and unleashed a series of long-range explosions. "I'LL KILL YOU!"
"…how repetitive." I dodged Bakugo's attacks with disinterest as I winded up my sludge-turned arm, before shooting it out like a cannon. The mass of toxic black substance missed Bakugo narrowly, and he rushed towards me with a triumphant sneer on his face. I felt the sludge being a part of my body, urging me to control it, and this time…I embraced it.
The sludge began to change, twisting and hardening to whatever construct I envisioned with my mind; the formless toxic fluid morphed into a deadly lance, numerous spikes emphasizing its hellish appearance. Wanting to see his dumbfounded expression once more, I willed my other arm to control the dark gooey mess, and it began to change. The sludge twisted and changed, forming another weapon I chose to slowly torment Bakugo; a spike sledgehammer.
I couldn't help but smile, a cruel and sadistic smile which I never knew I could have, as I watched a horrified Bakugo. "…it's my turn now."
In mere seconds, I was already right in front of a surprised Bakugo, who never expected his opponents to confront him so readily. The [Explosion] quirk boy began screaming as I began to slash and hack using the black armaments I formed, their devastating poison began to do its work. As I relentlessly assaulted the boy like a crazed rabid beast, I felt a great sense of euphoria…no, a sense of true freedom…the shackles which bind me from my weak past had finally shattered, and a new power rushed through my body like an addictive drug. It was so intoxicating, like I was going to drown in it, but…I had never felt this clear-headed in my entire life.
I was reborn.
Gritting his teeth in frustration, Bakugo distanced himself from me and leapt high into the air, blasting off his sweat as long-ranged explosions. I soon countered that, turning the lance on my left arm into a different type of weapon; a sludge construct resembling a gun barrel, with sludge hardened into sharp condensed bullets. Without warning, I shot them like gunfire. Bakugo could not dodge fast enough while mid-air and focused his explosions to deflect the black bullets, but a few escaped his guard and struck him.
"…got you...!"
They pierced through his skin and the toxins seeped into Bakugo's flesh, and he gave a cry of anguish as he fell to the ground with a painful thud.
In mere seconds, the roles of the bully and bullied were reversed, with a horribly slashed and broken Bakugo, who was horrified by this turn of events. By the time my rage was temporary sated, Bakugo was on his stomach, his body riddled with horrible wounds with black poisonous spots blighting his skin. The sight of this was so satisfying…when was the last time I actually saw someone feared me?
I laid a foot on top of him. I observed how he flinched, just how quickly his face had become so terrified…so stricken with horror. Oh…I loved it. To think that the most feared bully of the class could make such an expression…this is bad…it's so satisfying that I wanted to stop and savour this moment.
"You can't do this! Hakazuka-ku-!" I could have sworn I heard a shrill voice belonging to someone asking me to stop…but who cares. Such a weak voice can be shut off immediately.
"You asked me to die because I was weak didn't you…?" I asked him, placing both of my hands around his neck and strangled. He gave a painful choke as the black sludge began to seep into his skin, corroding his body slowly and made him twist his neck in absolute agony. "Did you? You, Yatsuma and Torishima…wait…who are those guys…? Ba…who are you? Well, it doesn't matter. I think you made me die…yes…you did made me die, you and the rest of those guys. So, you have no room to complain."
He screamed as I increased the toxicity exposure level, making the sludge poison him at a rapid pace. He let out a silent scream. Do all strong guys like him make such a face when they are like this? I want to know more…I want to see the ultimate expression a guy like him can make…I WANT TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS WHEN I DYE HIM BLACK!
"Y-You think…you can get away with this…?" The ash-blonde boy laughed weakly. "Hakazuka…there will be no turning back for you. You will go to hell for this."
Who was he talking about...? What was his name again...?
Hakazuka...?…I think I've heard that name somewhere before…was he someone important? Who was he? Was he m…me…? Whatever…I got more better things to take care of.
I'll bloody kill you! I'll bloody kill you! I'll dye you black! Tear you into pieces! I'll erode you! I'll bloody kill you! I'll bloody kill you! I'll dye you black! Tear you into pieces! I'll erode you! I'll bloody kill you! I'll bloody kill you! I'll dye you black! Tear you into pieces! I'll erode you! I'll bloody kill you! I'll bloody kill you! I'll dye you black! Tear you into pieces! I'll erode you! I'll bloody kill you! I'll bloody kill you! I'll dye you black! Tear you into pieces! I'll erode you! I'll bloody kill you! I'll bloody kill you! I'll dye you black! Tear you into pieces! I'll erode you! I'll bloody kill you! I'll bloody kill you! I'll dye you black! Tear you into pieces! I'll erode you! I'll bloody kill you! I'll bloody kill you! I'll dye you black! Tear you into pieces! I'll erode you! I'll bloody kill you! I'll bloody kill you! I'll dye you black! Tear you into pieces! I'll erode you! I'll bloody kill you! I'll bloody kill you! I'll dye you black! Tear you into pieces! I'll erode you! I'll bloody kill you! I'll bloody kill you! I'll dye you black! Tear you into pieces! I'll erode you! I'll bloody kill you! I'll bloody kill you! I'll dye you black! Tear you into pieces! I'll erode you! I'll bloody kill you! I'll bloody kill you! I'll dye you black! Tear you into pieces! I'll erode you! I'll bloody kill you! I'll bloody kill you! I'll dye you black! Tear you into pieces! I'll erode you! I'll bloody kill you! I'll bloody kill you! I'll dye you black! Tear you into pieces! I'll erode you! I'll bloody kill you! I'll bloody kill you! I'll dye you black! Tear you into pieces! I'll erode you! I'll bloody kill you! I'll bloody kill you! I'll dye you black! Tear you into pieces! I'll erode you! I'll bloody kill you! I'll bloody kill you! I'll dye you black! Tear you into pieces! I'll erode you! I'll bloody kill you! I'll bloody kill you! I'll dye you black! Tear you into pieces! I'll erode you! I'll bloody kill you! I'll bloody kill you! I'll dye you black! Tear you into pieces! I'll erode you! I'll bloody kill you! I'll bloody kill you! I'll dye you black! Tear you into pieces! I'll erode you! I'll bloody kill you! I'll bloody kill you! I'll dye you black! Tear you into pieces! I'll erode you! I'll bloody kill you! I'll bloody kill you! I'll dye you black! Tear you into pieces! I'll erode you! I'll bloody kill you! I'll bloody kill you! I'll dye you black! Tear you into pieces! I'll erode you! I'll bloody kill you! I'll bloody kill you! I'll dye you black! Tear you into pieces! I'll erode you! I'll bloody kill you! I'll bloody kill you! I'll dye you black! Tear you into pieces! I'll erode you! I'll bloody kill you! I'll bloody kill you! I'll dye you black! Tear you into pieces! I'll erode you!
The massive torrent of emotions swirling in me…I gave a blissful smile as I let it forth as a massive black wave, consuming everything. The boy I hated so much, the world I was in, myself…everything…
Everything was dyed black.
.
=[]=
All for One had seen many things in his life, but none had caused him to hesitate like this.
Daruma's lab which caged multiple types of Noumu, as well as where Hakazuka was restrained in, looked as though it was given a massive acid bath. The walls have dissolved into a gooey mess while most of the lab equipment had been corroded beyond form. The ground was littered with innards of Noumu. Brains, arms, intestines, eyeballs…everything was ripped apart while the entire floor was corroded black. And the worse part of all.
All for One nearly gagged and walked back a few steps as the smell hit him. It was literally the stench of death, a smell only he recognized from rotting corpses or dangerous pollutants. However, sitting in the center of it all was the child who he had so carefully nurtured for the past month.
Hakazuka didn't look the same anymore. His rust-colored hair had turned completely white, like freshly fallen snow. His clothes were in tattered and his shoes have been eroded to a sticky mess.
The villain leader was wondering just how to proceed with this development, but then the boy slowly looked up. His eyes were blank, without a trace of emotion. But when he saw All for One, an angel-like grin crept into his face and he greeted. "…good morning…"
No trace of ill-intention or malice towards him. That could only mean one thing; his 'guidance' had succeeded. It made All for One smile beneath the mask.
"Congratulations," Sensei slowly clapped his hands as he ruffled the boy's new white hair. "You endured hell itself, gritted your teeth, and from the ashes of your past self, you were reborned. You have not betrayed my expectations, Hakazuka-kun."
"Ha…ka…zu…ka…?" The youth spoke the name as though it was foreign to him, giving All for One a black stare. "Who…who's…that…?"
That caused All for One to pause, falling silent. He carefully examined him, before taking a good reading of his second to-be prodigy. He may not be able to see anymore, but he could sense a calm yet deadly energy surrounding the boy. All traces of the boy who was crying hysterically and broken just yesterday seemed to have disappeared completely.
All for One internally took back his previous statement; the boy had surpassed what he had originally planned. "…that is someone who is of no concern to you. Not anymore." He answered slowly. "How are you feeling right now?"
"…pretty good."
"WHAAAAAA! What have you done to my wonderful creations?! ALL THOSE CHILDREN I HAVE CREATED WITH MY OWN TIME, BLOOD, SWEAT AND TEARS!? WHAT DID YOU DO YOU DAMN BRAT!?" Daruma screeched nosily as he stared at the sad remains of the lab in horror; the floor was corroded black while bodies of Noumus were ripped into shreds and spilled body matter everywhere. The boy found his irritation rising to new levels as the mad doctor continued rambling.
"Do you even know the astronomically high expenses I had to pay for this facility?! ALL THAT EFFORT AND TIME JUST TO CREATE ONE NOUMU…! YOU DARE-!" He was about to stomp towards the boy…
…when twin torrents of black sludge shot out from his arms, and missed the shocked doctor by a narrow margin, infecting everything they touched black. But that's not all. The sludge twisted and morphed, rising to the air and formed two sludge tentacles with spikes at their ends, making the man crawl away in pure terror, before they returned back to Hakazuka's arms.
"W-What the hell?! Impossible!" The mad doctor demanded with quaking legs. "How is he so proficient with his quirk in such a short time?!"
All for One said nothing. After a brief moment, a chuckle escaped his lips. "How marvelous…how beautiful…rejoice, Daruma." He told the nervous doctor. "Looks like our efforts have finally paid off Daruma. We have finally created something far exceeding my expectations. The ultimate killing machine which I have always desired!"
All for One then turned his attention to the boy, arms spread in welcoming. "Well done, my child. You have endured so much, and now it's time to show the world the new you! But first…a name. Let us decide your name."
"…name?"
"A name represents identity; a tremendous significance to your new life, my beloved child." Sensei told him. "Today, I will grant you your new name, to commemorate the day of your rebirth." The man brought the small boy into a gentle embrace. "It's time for the world to see the new you…Shepherd."
"Shep…herd…?"
"Shepherd. The one who herds flocks or groups of animals…a favorite topic of mine when I chanced upon the Old Testament." Sensei explained. "Just like how a shepherd watches over and guides the flock, you shall be the watchdog of the League of Villains, and you shall herald the end of the heroes…and guide us to a new age!"
"You have been reborn into the League's Hellhound of Death, Shepherd!"
"…I like it. Thank you Sensei."
"There's a lot of thing we need to take care of, but for now..." Sensei commented as he led Shepherd away from the fuming Daruma. "Let us do something about those clothes of yours. Your quirk is rather...special after all."
Daruma just stared at the disappearing figures of those two and cursed internally. All for One was right; he had most certainly outdid himself today.
He may have just helped birthed something dreadful.
.
=[To be Continued]=
"I was broken to pieces…and I was so scared…so lost…all that was left was my world engulfed in black. But from that darkness…Sensei found me…and pieced me back together…But who am I…? What was my name…oh yes, it's Shepherd…but wait…wasn't it something else? It doesn't matter anyway. The one who alleviated my pain and suffering was Sensei; he's the reason for my existence…and I shall destroy everything…that stands in my way."
"Everything."
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A/N: Leave a comment about what you think! :)