A/N: A shout out to those who left the reviews!
phelipebr: Glad you loved the fight!
Betacode79: That's right, the heroes will definitely have mixed reactions to that. It will be answered in this chapter
Raven Mordrake: That is still a topic I have not thought too deeply into yet.
Donovan2771: You'll just have to see in this chapter.
CREED6: Welcome to the story! You'll just have to wait and see.
alexanderjuarez499: After this chapter, the gore is going to mellow for just a bit...I'll see how this goes.
Now, onwards!
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Chapter 5: Revelations and Aftermaths.
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=[Dreamscape]=
*Hick!* *Hick…!*
Shepherd's eyes fluttered opened. Where…where was this? It wasn't his room; it was an endless white space, not a single soul in sight. Slowly he moved forward in the blanketing darkness, his footsteps echoing loudly. He did not know where he was going, but…he can't just do nothing.
"*Hick!* I-I'm sorry…! Please forgive me…!It's my fault!"
He whirled around. Where was that crying coming from? Why was it apologising? What has it done wrong?
"I killed those heroes…I killed them…! I know it's my fault…please don't me do that!"
Stop that…stop that annoying crying…He hated dealing with people who kept crying for no reason.
"Please…don't do this! You have to stop! I'll do better next time so please stop this!"
Then, in a distance, a small figure came into view. He walked closely and stopped in shock, finding a small boy strapped to an iron chair with chains tying him to the seat. He had reddish-brown hair the colour of rust and big purple eyes brimming with tears as he continued to beg.
"I don't want this…! I'm sorry for everything…it's my fault you're doing all this…!"
"Shut up…stop apologising!" Shepherd clutched his tempers in pain, taking a few steps back to get away from the young child. The voice was soft, the boy was harmless as a fly…but why was his voice ringing loudly in Shepherd's head? It was resounding…echoing…it was making his head hurt.
Why was this brat crying? Why was he apologising for? It was beginning to piss him off.
"Midoriya is our friend! Our best friend! Those students never did anything to you! Why can't you remember!? Why are you hurting innocent people?! "
Midoriya…? Who? Was that the boy with the green hair he fought the other day…? The weakling who gave him a headache?
"No…NO I DON'T!" Shepherd choked. "I don't know any of them…they are all the enemy!"
"LIAR!" the boy snapped. "WRONG WRONG WRONG! If you don't know him, then why did you stop that time?! You have to remember; WHO YOU ARE!"
Remember…me…?
The boy's face lifted, finally revealing his identity to the young teen. Shepherd's eyes widened completely, unable to believe what he was seeing.
He was looking at his own face, it was much much younger…but he had his face!
He was looking at himself.
"Please don't do this! This isn't you!"
Shepherd could not form a response, only taking a few confused steps back while clamping his ears to block out the sound, but the latter's words bypassed and echoed in his brain pleadingly like a desperate curse.
"THIS ISN'T YOU! YOU HAVE TO STOP!"
"Shut up…!"
"Shut up…shut up…!"
"Shut up…shut up…SHUT UP!"
"PLEASE!"
"You don't know anything…! Just shut up and stay quiet…!"
Snapping his eyes shut, Shepherd let forth a scream and roared.
"PLEASE…JUST GO AWAY!"
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=[Bakugo Katsuki's residence]=
What the fuck am I doing here?
Bakugo found himself wearing his old school uniform, hands in his pockets and his foot tapping the ground impatiently. He had been called here by the teacher after that inspector came to the class to ask about the disappearance of that quirkless dweeb called…what was his name again? Whatever, he had done nothing wrong! He had specially reminded his two friends Yatsuma and Torishima to behave, and yet they managed to drive someone crazy to the point of possible suicide. He was applying to U.A for crying out loud! If they somehow convinced the teachers he actually bullied a guy he barely knew, he was personally going to make sure they faced his wraith.
"Bakugo Katsuki, you were in the same class as Haka**** Ko****. Do you have any contact with the student prior to his su-disappearance?" asked the principal, his beady eyes accessing Bakugo's unreadable expression. Bakugo thought for a moment before answering.
"I ain't familiar with that guy. But Yatsuma and Torishima always talked about him when they're with me. It was only until recently that I found out he was bullied." He answered in a neutral voice.
"And you didn't do anything to correct your friend's behavior?"
"I don't like to poke into other people's business. Besides, I don't even know anything about that guy." Bakugo answered truthfully. He could have told her what he said to him that day, but that would mean shooting himself in the foot. "I didn't expect him to be bullied by those two."
Nodding, the principal allowed him to leave, even thanking him for providing the two boy's names. Walking out of the door, he let out a long sigh. "I told her the truth. Even if what I said to the guy had some impact in his final moments, those two shitheads still are the main culprits for making his life hell. It doesn't have to do with me." That was what he swore before graduating.
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The scene than changed to the USJ, making Bakugo scowl.
Bakugo Katsuki had almost managed to forget how humiliating it was to lose. The first was during the basic hero exercise when that shitty nerd Deku managed to one up him and snagged the win for round-face and himself. To think that the scrawny stutterbox who couldn't even look him in the eye would stand up to him and even knocked him to the ground once.
The 'Deku' which you called me won't mean I can't do anything forever! It means I can do it!
The fire and determination in his eyes angered him greatly, and it reinforced his belief that the shitty nerd has been hiding his true quirk and ability from him all this time. Was all that weak personality he displayed in middle school all a façade? Was he being played by that green-haired youth the entire time? All this time…he was tricked?! The more Bakugo thought about it, the more infuriating he felt, and he was going to make sure that such a shameful defeat will never happen to him again.
Until the second time.
That villain who wore that creepy mask. There was something in his eyes that unsettled the [Explosion] quirk user. Those purple eyes looked familiar for some reason…but they were dull and blank, a tinge of madness swirling inside those empty-looking irises. There was something off about him; the way he looked at everyone like they were mere garbage by the side of the road, his attention only directed at the teachers. It was the first time someone looked at him like that, and it was a skin-crawling feeling.
"Why are you looking at me like that?!" He could have sworn the villain just dismissed him with a scoff at the very start at the USJ entrance before he was transported to a different location. "Don't you dare look at me like that! Fuck!"
He wanted to blow that villain away with those unwanted feelings, destroying them all with his [Explosion] quirk. But the most infuriating fact was that the quirk used by the masked villain…
Was sludge.
Just seeing that hideous black ooze was enough to trigger the nasty memories Bakugo had tried so hard to put it behind him.
He could never forget the incident with the sludge villain; it was the incident which that shitty nerd Deku tried to save him from, a situation where he was helpless to do anything. He was ready to obliterate that villain and prove to the world that his strength was genuine, and he was certain that he had enough firepower this time to take down a sludge-quirk user. He was caught by one before, and he was determined to never let himself be beat by such a disgusting quirk again in his life.
Oh, but just how wrong he was.
It wasn't only the extraordinary fighting ability of the sludge-morphing villain that caught Bakugo off-guard and sent chills down his spine. That strength…that speed…the way that villain was looking at him like a prey which was ready to be devoured, he would be lying if he wasn't spooked out.
The sight of the villain nonchalantly taking his attacks like a sandbag but retaining that condescending look towards him made the [Explosion] quirk teen bristled. He was losing control and wanted to end everything with another explosive strike but he was flung away from the battle and thrown aside like garbage.
His mind was racing, unable to accept what just happened. For a moment…his body instinctively switched into defence like it was trying to run away from the sludge-user. But he remembered that All-Might was fighting three villains at once, immediately heading towards where the number 1 hero was fighting to help. He didn't think much of it back then, but what he did back then made him shudder.
Of all the thing possible, for the first time, he, Bakugo Katsuki, was scared, ran away and showed his back to the enemy.
"What was that just now? Was I…afraid?!" he thought. "Shit that can't be it goddammit!" But for some reason he could not speak. As he ran away, a black blur blocked his vision. He looked up in horror, to see the beast-like villain trudging towards him with the lifeless bodies of Todoroki and the shitty nerd in his black claws. Bakugo's feet shuffled backwards, his heart hammering loudly against his ribs, and the sound of his quickened breathing roared in his ears. The sludge covering the villain's mouth opened like a monster's maw, and the next words sent a shiver down Bakugo's spine.
"…something about you just makes my skin crawl…!" A look of pure loathing and hatred was reflected in those purple eyes. "…die!"
A scream erupted from the ash-blonde boy and Bakugo bolted upright. He was back in his bedroom, chest heaving heavily while sweat drenched his tank-top. He realised that he had blown his pillow to smithereens and he had inadvertently blasted a scorch mark on the wall. His hands trembled as he grasped his hair, the visage of the sludge villain still fresh in his mind.
Why did he say that?! And why does he look so familiar?!
"FUCK!" he hunched over, covering his face with his hand. The pride he had built up over the years, swelled up to the point of bursting, was beginning to crack.
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=[Uraraka Ochako's Residence]=
Uraraka felt genuine fear for the first time.
Ever since the USJ attack, she'd had awful nightmares playing the same thing over and over again. Of screaming…of the cries from her classmates while she fell to the ground in utter despair and hopelessness. Thankfully, classes had been cancelled due to the USJ attack for one week and a huge percentage of her class were sent to the hospital for emergency treatment. She was under the impression that as long as she did her studies well enough and trained hard, the path to a hero was going to be reasonably smooth-sailing and her dream of making money for her parents would not be far off.
That was until the memories of the villain called Shepherd started to haunt her. The black tar-like substance and putrid stench of toxic metal, those purple eyes full of madness and indescribable hatred, and those chilling words that sent shivers down her spine as the incarnation of destruction loomed over her like a demon spawned from the pits of hell.
This is the result of you guys trying to fight back when you cannot even gauge the difference between your opponents…the weak perish, that's just how it works.
Those chilling words haunted her even now.
The feeling of not being able to do anything, the impending doom…it just felt so horrible. Was this what she has to face in the world of the pros? She had been too optimistic…those practical lessons in U.A now felt like a joke.
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=[League of Villain's Hideout, underground lab]=
"What's wrong with him? Why isn't he regenerating?"
All for One asked the Daruma while Shepherd was forcefully strapped to the iron chair in the mad doctor's lab, eyes shut while murmuring incoherently and in a constant delirious state.
"He's suffering the drawbacks of [Toxic Sludge]," Daruma said. "he probably produced too much sludge and overused his quirk, as you can see from the black patches of skin on his body. Right now, his body is trying its best to counteract against the venomous components of the toxic sludge, but at this rate the regeneration may not be enough. As for why he's acting like a total mental patient…I have absolutely no idea."
All for One frowned. "The backlash wasn't this serious after the fight with Muscular."
"He probably remembered some sort of trauma which causes him to activate his quirk to extremely dangerous levels," Daruma explained. "Whenever he experiences a near-death scenario, or a sudden spike in emotion, he forcefully increases the amount of sludge in his body to more than the usual amount. Right now, the toxins are dangerously close to overwhelming the regeneration given to him. He's recovering, but if he continues to experience extreme spikes of trauma or emotions in battle, it's only a matter of time until the toxic sludge consumes him."
"How long until he fully recovers?"
"It's hard to say…" Daruma grumbled. "According to Shigaraki, he broke down because he talked to one of the students, right? Maybe some sort of old memory is making him feel constant pain-"
A painful groan interrupted the doctor.
"All for One please wait," Daruma warned All for One as he approached the restrained boy. "He's still unstable-"
"Shepherd, what happened to you yesterday?" Sensei's voice was soft, but dangerous.
Shepherd shivered uncontrollably in his chair; eyes shut as the visions of those boys still plagued him in his nightmares. His eyes then snapped opened, and Shepherd found himself dripping cold sweat. Rapid breaths escaped his mouth as he tried to calm himself down struggled against his restrains.
He felt tears running down his face, and the searing headache assaulted him once more. "P-Please…!" He begged, feeling the wetness of sweat and tears. He was feeling giddy, and his entire body felt cold. The patches of black skin he had regenerated throughout the USJ attack had still not recovered fully to their original complexion; the toxic sludge trying to eat its way into his body. The regeneration was working…but it was painfully slower than before.
Shepherd's entire body ached with the memory of the small boy he saw in his dreams. Each and every single word that child screamed sliced through his mind and caused a migraine to agonize the white-haired villain. That boy…actually terrified him.
His face…his voice…That boy WAS him!
But that was the least of his concerns. He knew that he was transported back to that mad doctor's lab for Sensei's 'guidance'. He knew that he only came here when he had done something wrong, something to upset Sensei…and he shivered uncontrollably.
He feared Sensei's guidance, but he knew it was necessary to make the pain go away.
"This is the first time something like this happened to you, Shepherd." Sensei continued, and the boy flinched from the overbearing presence Sensei was exerting over him. "I may have been too optimistic about taking down All-Might during Tomura's plan yesterday, but I had actually held high hopes from you, given how you have never failed to disappoint me even once. But after what Shigaraki has told me regarding the events of yesterday, I still find it hard to believe…"
No…no…no…not that tone! Not that!
"You broke down in front of a mere student…and let one of the students distract Tomura while he almost had the symbol of peace."
D-Damn that man-child…to think that he would report every single details of his blunders.
"That's interesting, really." Sensei continued. "Because such a thing as happened, we have to make sure that something like this should never happen again. So why? You could have killed them, so why didn't you do so?" The man's voice sounded calm…gentle, but Shepherd knew better what happens when things don't go the way Sensei intended to. He only had one chance, one chance to give a satisfactory answer and placate his mentor for his mistakes.
Sensei apparent grew impatient with the boy's silence. His hand struck out, powerful fingers digging deep into Shepherd's neck and caused his dull gaze to refocus on his mentor. "I asked you a question Shepherd…how long are you going to stay silent? Or perhaps, you are displeased with me in some way I'm unaware of?"
Shepherd froze, lips trembling before they pulsed tightly, finally admitting his situation to the two men standing before him.
"…There was a green-haired boy during yesterday's operation…and a blonde kid…They gave me a headache…" Shepherd wheezed. "…The green kid called me…H-Hakazuka? W-Who…who was he…?"
"Hoh?" This time Sensei sounded amused. "A green-haired kid, was it? Now that you mentioned it, Shigaraki did tell me about a green-haired child who had speed comparable to All-Might's. But what of it…Shepherd?"
"W-Wha..?"
"So what if someone happened to know you? Mistaken identities are common." Sensei continued, finally letting go of Shepherd's neck to let him breathe. "Are you telling me the same problem will happen every time you think a person knows you? We can't have that, can we? Would you rather have the pain return?"
"N-No no no no no! Please…! No more p-pain…!" Shepherd shook his head vigorously, but Sensei's hands grabbed the boy's forehead in a powerful grip.
"But you have to remember this pain, Shepherd." Sensei's words fell on deaf ears as Shepherd felt his head splitting into two. "This is what happens when you lose. Let this sensation be your reminder to what happens when you show the enemy mercy."
He could hear the voices, the voices of those kids in the USJ, the voice of that kid in his dreams, the voice of his own screams demanding for the extreme pain to stop. They were crying out to him, asking him to stop. Why should he stop?
He remembered this sensation…it was that horrible feeling he felt before he met Sensei, his very first memory of his life. It had returned…why?! Because he was weak. Hewasweakhewasweakhewasweak! The pain assaulted him because he showed weakness to the enemy. It has returned because he was weak and nothing. He was a failure. He had disappointed Sensei. He couldn't get stronger. The pain will only continue if he does not show adequate results to the League.
That's right…I am Shepherd, the hellhound of the League. I-!
A second later, the horrible screaming stopped and Shepherd's head hung loosely like a puppet with its strings cut.
Sensei sighed in the sudden silence.
"Really now, what a troublesome boy." All for One mused. "It would be much easier for me if I had turned him into a complete Noumu from the very start."
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=[Yuuei, Recovery Girl's office]=
"So far, we have managed to identity the main ringleaders of yesterday's attack on the USJ." Detective Tsukauchi explained to his friend Toshinori Yagi, otherwise known as All-Might. They were both currently in Recovery Girl's office where the hero was being treated for his injuries sustained during the USJ attack. "Kurogiri, the villain who looked to be made out of black mist, has a warping quirk which allows him to transport groups of people to different locations, simultaneously according to testimonies."
"Having a rare quirk like that is troublesome should it fall into the wrong hands," Toshinori commented while sitting up in his bed. "They can literally be anywhere."
"As for the second, the supposed leader of the operation Tomura Shigaraki, from what I heard from the students and villains we captured, he was in charge of the League of Villains," the officer looked through his notes, "He has a decaying quirk which allows him to disintegrate whatever he touches. Currently he's classified as a S-rank villain."
"I remember the way he spoke and acted, like some kind of child who expected things to go his way." All-Might frowned. "And what about the last one?"
"The last villain excluding the monster we apprehended," Tsukauchi replied grimly. "The one who possibly did the most damage in yesterday's events; sending a total of one teacher and eight students to the Musutafu General Hospital for emergency treatment. Believe it or not, I actually wanted to meet you earlier this week and brief you about this guy, but it looks like he has already introduced himself to you and your class. The only villain to have reached S-rank in 2 weeks, Shepherd."
"Are the students alright?" Toshinori was worried his students were severely injured by the villain. "How about Thirteen?"
"They'll live…but most of them are still bedridden with symptoms of severe metal poisoning. We can only be grateful that you managed to arrive just fast enough to help them." Naomasa said. "This particular villain has a quirk which allows him to control a sludge-like substance with a high concentration of toxic metals, giving anyone black infection-like wounds should they have direct skin contact. The venom component is nothing we've seen before, a poison that destroys and consumes the human tissue and increases its own mass. If a person was left in such a state for a period of time, he or she would be reduced to a blighted corpse."
"Yeah…it was horrible." Toshinori grimaced as the horrible scene replayed in his mind. "I was almost tempted to ferry the students myself when Chiyo's healing quirk had no effect on the students."
"My quirk, [Heal], allows me to amplify and speed up the human body's natural healing process to recover against physical injuries," Chiyo Shuzenji, or known by her heroine name Recovery Girl stepped in and explained. "But it is unable to heal the body against viruses, or anything foreign which has entered the body. And if you were to touch the infected wounds, there's a chance you may be affected by the villain's quirk as well."
"That's the most dangerous aspect to this quirk," Naomasa continued. "The toxins will strengthen and devour the cells the longer it remains…Thirteen has managed to survive even though she has suffered a wound through her stomach, but she has been exposed to the toxins far longer than the students; she is still in the Intensive Care Unit where she is still drifting in and out of consciousness. Her duties as a teacher and a hero will no doubt be halted."
"Regardless, I'm still thankful for the fact that the hospital has an antidote for the poison Naomasa…the police sure worked fast."
"It's still at the testing phase, but it's nevertheless a timely countermeasure for this particular villain…thanks to the many sacrifices who have fallen under the villain's quirk. But the more serious issue which I came here to discuss with you today is regarding the countermeasures against the villain Shepherd, and what troubles me is this villain's possible age as well as his state of mind."
"I…noticed that too," All-Might looked down and crossed his bony fingers. "I didn't think much of him at first, but he's rather short for a villain and I heard him scream just right before the villains decided to pull back. I could tell at he's a kid, but as for why he was screaming I do not know." He chose to omit the fact that he actually heard young Midoriya talking to the villain himself, screaming out a name and causing the villain to go into some kind of mental breakdown. Now would not be a good time to involve his young successor into this and made others suspect that he had ties with a S-rank villain.
"Yeah, I thought so as well, but through a different source." The detective commented.
"Young villains aren't uncommon," Recovery girl stated. "But most of them are juveniles with poor upbringing, being small troublemakers at most. This is the first time I've seen one doing so much damage…"
"How tragic," A voice said while a small figure entered the room. The three looked to see the principal of U.A, a small white humanoid mouse or possibly bear named Nezu, arrived. "To see that someone so young as turned into a life of villainy."
"Principal Nezu," Detective Naomasa greeted.
"You mentioned that you were assured of his age through a different source," the small animal said as he took a seat. "Would it be possible for you to share us that 'source'? Though I do believe that you came here to share with us everything the police knows about this 'Shepherd' right, considering that our students have faced him in battle."
"…of course, that has always been my intention, but this case isn't as simple as about an above-average villain you have to look out for. I have looked into this villain as well, and I have discovered some disturbing facts. Do you remember that villain you sent flying out of the roof yesterday, All-Might?"
All-Might finally remembered the fourth villain he saw in yesterday's events. "Yes I do, what about it?"
"We captured it but it doesn't seem to be able to talk or resist capture or even struggle to free itself," The detective told him, implying that this particular villain couldn't act without specific orders, like a mindless puppet. "What bothers me is that it apparently had multiple quirks, [Shock Absorption] and [Super Regeneration]."
"Yeah, it definitely did." The number 1 hero pondered too. "But what that have to do with the villain 'Shepherd' we're talking about right now?"
"I'll be getting to that soon enough." Tsukauchi said, with his face looking rather somber and his eyes had a dark look in them. "We got footage from one of his battles, though it came at the cost of a few heroes and their sidekicks. As for both of your questions…I believe this video will provide you the answers you'll need."
Taking out a mini-projector from his briefcase, and a video was played onto the clean wall surface of Recovery Girl's office. What was shown, however, made everyone's hearts sank into despair.
What they thought was a battle…turned out to be a one-side massacre. No, it was a straight-up slaughter show.
The villain in question was truly worthy of his title as the Hellhound, a savage beast dancing across the streets of Kamino Ward and displayed his brutality with his sludge-weapons morphing. Many fell and were laid to waste by a combination of the boy's savage fighting style, and the powerful poisonous properties of his sludge quirk. All around him were the corpses and blighted bodies of the fallen villains.
Muscular was seen enjoying the fight, his blood lust and viciousness even making All-Might shudder to think about the poor victims who fell under him. "This is the strength of an A-rank villain, the psychopath who killed many heroes and civilians." Tsukauchi muttered darkly, his eyes never leaving the projection. "We lost many men trying to track him down…only to discover something more frightening."
All-Might's thought for his friend to elaborate was cut off when the [muscle] quirk villain threw a devastating punch which could rival All-Might's. It seemed like the giant villain had won…until a long black tail pierced through his chest, and revealed a rapidly regenerating Shepherd grinning like a madman. "That's the same regeneration that the guy I fought displayed!" All-Might commented with shock and mild disgust. "He has multiple quirks too?"
"Keep watching."
Nezu's expression was unreadable, but his eyes narrowed on the boy known as the Hellhound. Half of his face was blown off by Muscular's attack, revealing bare bone and raw flesh. Muscles are being reconstructed, flesh was being sewn back together, and new skin the color of obsidian patched Shepherd's outer appearance into a more demonic form. While this happened, the sludge formed Shepherd into what the viewers could only describe as a monstrous beast; bearing sharp talons and claws, a black barbed tail lashing powerfully through the air, a black muzzle of a hellhound opening in a vicious snarl. After this gut-retching transformation, Shepherd began mercilessly tearing Muscular apart, taking pleasure upon seeing the arrogant smile on the latter's face turned into one of fright and horror. Towards the end, everyone could not forget the warped screams and muffled cries of Muscular as he was slowly stabbed from the bottom up.
"He's purposely missing his vitals," Recovery Girl looked increasingly perturbed by this scene. "Is he's torturing him?"
"There was hardly anything recognizable about Muscular by the time we managed to secure the body," Naomasa grimly stated. "From what the autopsy report indicated, the guy was riddled with holes and his flesh was devoured inside-out by Shepherd's venomous sludge. The pain was reported as 'a searing sensation like something is eating away your body' by surviving heroes, and Muscular endured that for two hours straight. We do not know which is more impressive: Muscular's abominable endurance and tenacity, or Shepherd's brutality."
Toshinori had a hand clamped over his mouth, dangerously close to vomiting.
Once the bloody slaughter show was over, The U.A faculty could see the brutal executioner clearly. From head to toe, he was stained with blood. His mask was cracked and shattered in the fight, leaving his face exposed. The villain looked above a little into the camera by chance, allowing the wind to shift his bangs apart and revealed the visage of a young, but gaunt-looking boy, not much noticeable facial features except his captivating purple eyes.
"We scanned his face through the city's facial recognition system…to see if the villain was indeed a citizen from Japan, and we got a match." Naomasa stated, projecting a blown-up image of a young boy no older than 14 years old, posing nervously for a school picture with spiky reddish-brown hair. He looked so tensed and introverted…and harmless in every way. "Name, Hakazaka Kotaro. Age, 14. Quirk, none. Parents, currently divorced. Nothing really special to say about him, but the problem is…he's supposedly dead."
"Hakazaka…?" All-Might could have sworn he heard that name from somewhere before. But where? "What does a deceased quirkless boy have to do with this?"
"This boy…" Nezu muttered, remembering the small but tragic article which sparked the outrage over quirkless discrimination. "Isn't he a third-year student from Aldera Junior High? The one that was reported to have jumped off the roof of the school by suicide because of quirkless bullying. He was declared dead…"
"…but the body was never found." Naomasa finished for the principal, a sad look reflecting in his eyes. "…there have been rumors that the League of Villains has a way of cultivating mindless soldiers with multiple quirks. You know what I'm trying to say here, right?"
"That's…no…it can't be…" The number 1 hero couldn't believe what he was hearing, looking at his detective friend with horror in his eyes. "No…that man wouldn't have-! But if the boy was dead-"
"That thing they call a 'Noumu' is living proof that the League has the means to do so. What I'm about to tell you is not confirmed yet, but the DNA of that monster you fought belonged to a small-time quirkless thug who was reported to have gone missing several weeks ago. After the USJ incident, we have a hunch that the League does indeed have a way of turning people into those monsters, and giving them multiple quirks as well, " Naomasa added grimly. "…Toshinori, you said yourself that there is only one person you know who could transfer quirks, adding more to a person if he wanted to," the detective looked at his friend. "Someone you fought before?"
"B-But the thing I fought was just a monster! A puppet constructed just to take me down…while that boy is a human!" All-Might stood from his seat, unable to accept this revelation. "There's no way a normal kid like that would work for the villains willingly!"
"I know where you're coming from, but there is no other explanation for the boy to undergo such a drastic change." Naomasa stated darkly, his tone promising the ugly truth. "…we have reasons to believe that he was somehow tortured and conditioned to be the League of Villains' hunting dog. And from the looks of it, they have succeeded."
"He's still a child, but for him to display such ruthlessness…" Toshinori paled, his eyes darting between the killer known as Shepherd and the harmless-looking kid shown in the photo. "You can't even say they're the same person anymore; he's like a completely different being!"
"Take a look at that boy's eyes Toshinori," Recovery Girl said, her face grieved to see such a broken youth. "Those are not the eyes of someone full of hope…Those are the eyes of someone who has been broken, tortured and have everything taken away from them. I have seen those eyes before in my line of work; victims of extreme psychological and emotional abuse whom I have regretted not being able to help. Whatever those villains did to him…it broke him completely."
"So, this…this is what my old nemesis has been up to all this time…?" Steam smoked from All-Might's body as he trembled not with horror, but utter rage and disgust. "…THIS?! Turning…children…innocent children into mindless soldiers for his cause?!"
When everyone saw this, they instantly knew what the number 1 hero was thinking in his head. His eyes burned with fire and his muscular body rose into full height without the blonde man knowing, his fists clenched so hard that his knuckles turned white. He was feeling so angry…he had never felt this angry…ever since he fought that despicable man and delivering a mortal wound which crippled him permanently.
Pure rage which seemed to make All-Might exert his own gravity field.
"Toshinori, don't." Recovery Girl told the man sternly. "I know that look, and I feel the same way, but we don't know the full details yet-"
"What's there left to figure out?! THAT MAN ROBBED A KID OF HIS FUTURE AND TURNED HIM INTO A MINDLESS KILLING MACHINE!" All-Might snapped angrily to the Pro-Heroine whom he had known since his debut. "If it wasn't bad enough that the young boy suffered injustice throughout his entire childhood…his body was desecrated and turned into…THAT THING! That man made a child into one of them! He probably broke him and fiddled with his mind until he's nothing but an obedient dog! I have half a mind to march into Kamino Ward and turn the entire place upside-down to put down that bastard for good!"
"And how would you go about doing that? How long are you going to spend doing so?" Nezu calmly asked back. "Heroes and the police alike have been investigating Kamino Ward for years, under the suspicion that it houses some of Japan's most dangerous villains, and found nothing. You are not the man you once were Yagi, you can barely hold on to that form for 3 hours, and you will be in the villain's home turf this time. You may be the symbol of peace, the strongest hero in the world perhaps, but even you should know that the strongest can be beaten by overwhelming numbers."
"B-But…We can't just-!" The truth hurts like hell, and All-Might found his argument becoming lesser and less convincing.
"The principal is right Toshinori; you are not to tackle his problem alone. If you are at the top, you should learn to rely on others more often." Naomasa added and patted the hero's back reassuringly. "You managed to beat back the villains in the USJ yesterday, but you may not be so lucky next time. They almost made use of your wound and nearly got you the previous time. What if you have to face all of them again, along with Shepherd? Are you confident of winning when that time comes?"
The number 1 hero was silent. He knew that they had a point, they knew that due to his wound from the fight with his old nemesis, he had to be careful…but now that he knew that the S-rank villain was just a child? A power-driven child who has been conditioned to kill people in cold blood? How would he save him? Where could he possibly start?
"If all of this is true…we have to save him…!"
He reverted to his true form in resignation, flopping back to his seat with frustration evident on his face. "…he's just a child…he must be feeling so scared…we have to save him…we just have to…!"
"I know Yagi, but we have to be certain of his identity first." Nezu turned to Naomasa. "How is the police reacting to this information?"
"Well, there a bit of an uproar on that issue." The detective replied, bring the attention in the room back to him. "The case of Hakazuka Kotaro's suicide is being reopened, and several investigations are undergoing to confirm if Shepherd's identity is indeed the boy in question. It would be great if we can capture the villain alive and somehow rehabilitate him back to how he was before, but…"
"But what?" Recovery Girl frowned, not liking where this was going.
A grim look appeared on Naomasa's face. "The damage has already been too big; Shepherd has killed multiple Pro-heroes, not to mention taking part in an operation to kill you, the symbol of peace. He even attacked the class of 1-A with the intention to kill. Higher ups are pushing for the option to kill Shepherd on sight if he so much as to resist, given how dangerous he is…"
"That preposterous!" All-Might argued. "That boy may be mind-controlled for all we know! His memories might have been altered or he may be under a delusion that what he's doing is correct!"
"Indeed," Nezu agreed with All-Might. "If that's the case, then we may have to resort to force in order to subdue and restrain him. It's also optimal that we find out more of the boy's past so that we may jolt his memories, and somehow break him out of the villain's control. For starters…"
Nezu flipped through the files provided by Naomasa, "From what I know, if Shepherd was indeed the boy called Hakazuka, then he should have been in the same class as Midoriya Izuku and Bakugo Katsuki."
"Young Midoriya and young Bakugo used to be classmates with this boy?" All-Might muttered in surprise. He never knew that. "I supposed I should question them?"
"I trust that you conduct this investigation discreetly Toshinori; no need to tell the others that our students may have connections to such a dangerous criminal," Nezu told him.
"We have obtain concrete evidence before taking action." Nezu concluded to the three individuals. As heroes, they had a duty to save others...he just hoped they were not too late.
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=[Musutafu General Hospital]=
Endeavor was fuming mad when he got the news.
A large-scale attack was started by the League of Villains right in the USJ of U.A. Not that he was concerned over the reasons behind the supposed sneak attack, he was more concerned over the prized possession he had nurtured over the years to surpass All-Might which was Shoto Todoroki. The boy who was miraculously gifted with both aspects of his and Rei's; the ultimate hybrid which he had sought to create. Yet here he was right now; stuck in a hospital bed with many bandages wrapped around his wounds. He was expected to be the most powerful student in the whole of class 1-A, so what the hell happen?!
"How could you let yourself be beaten like this!? What happened to all those years of training I've beaten into your body all these years?! On top of that, this is all done by one lone villain? If you don' get your act together, you'll never be able to climb to surpass All-Might and fulfil your duty!" Endeavor bellowed.
Don't give him what he wants, don't pay attention to him, don't be provoked, Shoto repeated to himself, praying that he can last through his father's usual bloody harangue.
Shoto sat by the hospital bed, trying to block out the words of his father's ramblings while caressing the many wounds inflicted to him by the strange boy in the mask. Just when he was determined to not use the fire aspect of his [Half-cold, half-hot] quirk and prove that he could prove his worth as a hero without his father's influence, this had to happen.
"I can't ignore what he's saying now…it's a fact I lost." Shoto thought to himself in resignation.
"I've seen the footage. In the face of danger, you still won't use your left side huh?" Endeavor glowered at his son's defiant behaviour. "How immature, not willing to embrace your blood in that kind of situation. You were lucky that an antidote was already concocted to counter the poison, if not you would have been long dead and all of my efforts to raise you would be for naught! If your petty hatred towards me has led you to be become this delusional about being a hero without embracing my power, then this incident should be a life reminder to the consequences of those foolish thoughts!"
"What! Don't you dare act like you care about me after all this time…I'm just a tool for you, a weapon…the only reason why you're angry because if I had died, you will have nothing to show your superiority to All-Might, aren't you? Know this, people are not your personal tools to use or throw away based on your whims – not me, not Fuyumi, not Natsu…nor MOM!"
Shoto felt the temperature of the room rising, and a fist blazing with crimson fire flared before him in a threatening manner. The two of them glared at each other, daring the other to say something before hearing a couple of hushed whispers from the nurses outside. While Endeavor was a hothead, he was still a top hero, which meant he was perceptive of the situation he was in. He knew it would take more than a threat to get through Shoto's stubborn nature, but he could tell from his prized son's attitude that he was angry about his loss as well. He could only hope that this lesson would spur Shoto to finally wake up from his petty grudges and complete his life mission; to be a hero that surpasses All-Might.
"The U.A Sports Festival is coming up," Endeavor shot Shoto a warning look. "It would be a good opportunity to show the school and the country just why you are a recommended student. Even though I have constructed a plan for you to intern at my own agency, you should strive to show everyone your true power. Your career starts with a good public impression, and I expect no less than the best from you. Do. Not. Disappoint. Me."
With his point made clear to the frustrated Shoto, Endeavor extinguished the flames on his body as he stomped out of the hospital room, and made his way back to his own agency. While he did so, he grabbed his phone to scan through the data his sidekicks had hastily complied for him.
S-rank Villain: Shepherd. Another alias: Hellhound. A new villain who made waves in Japan after killing 4 Pro-Heroes and their sidekicks in Kamino Ward. His danger level was raised to S-rank after similar casualties in a mere two weeks. He was initially thought to operate solo until his appearance during the USJ with the League of Villains. Possessed a sludge quirk with extremely toxic metal components capable of destroying the cells when exposed directly to the skin, or even worse – directly injected into the body. The villain also demonstrated a super-regenerating quirk during the attack on USJ, making this killer even more formidable.
Never had Endeavor seen such a villain rise to the top of the danger charts this fast before. A mysterious villain just showed itself to the world with enough power kill multiple Pro-Heroes, where was such a monster hiding before then? What purpose could he have for killing Heroes? Why does he only appear in Kamino Ward? To make things worse, there have been rumours that his particular villain was only a child. A child, for goodness sake.
The last information was unconfirmed, but if it was true, the might of the heroes would surely be undermined.
No matter the amount of danger the reports were portraying this 'Shepherd' to be, Endeavor would make sure to make him pay. Shoto was the one thing he had spent his entire life to nurture; his life ambition. Whoever dared hurt his most prized possession deserved to be hurled straight into the deepest pits of Tartarus, and he was personally going to make sure that happens.
No matter what.
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=[League of Villain's Hideout, Kurogiri's Bar]=
Morning could not have come sooner for Shepherd, as the events of the previous days had taken its toll on the villain's mind. But thanks to the fine-tuning from Daruma, Shepherd's body had stabilized enough to get him back on track.
He felt more clear-headed than he was before, but the visions of the small boy in his dreams still haunted him like a curse.
Why did he feel such grieve over the boy's words?
"THIS ISN'T YOU!"
He scowled and readjusted the brand-new mask provided to him; the hellhound-invoking vizard representing his identity of the League's watchdog. He was Shepherd, and nothing in here could rebut that. The voices in his head were still there, but he was able to keep in under control. For some reason, he was unable to recall the names of the students he fought against during the USJ. He didn't wonder why, nor did it matter to him, but it still perplexed him. Perhaps they were not that important to him.
At any rate, he was ready to get back to business. After all, the failure of Shigaraki's operation proves that the League of Villains still have a long way to go.
"…So, we are gathering more members?" Shepherd asked as he and Shigaraki, accompanied by Kurogiri, walked to the dimly-lit bar via the underground passageway.
"Yeah, that's right." Shigaraki grumbled. "Thanks to your mental fits, we even lost the Noumu Sensei gave to us. We have to bolster up more members for future plans, so you better not mess this up, brat."
"…First of all, that disgusting puppet you call a Noumu was sent flying away thanks to All-Might." Shepherd frowned. "…Second, don't push every single one of your failures to me you man-child, learn to take some responsibility and grow up…!"
"As soon as you stop calling me man-child!" Shigaraki shouted back.
"Enough, Shigaraki…Shepherd." Kurogiri chided tiredly. The two masked villains reluctantly receded, but that did not stop them from glaring at each other. Once they were properly seated, static flared from the old television and the voice of Sensei spoke to address them.
"The previous operation was a failure, but there's no reason for you to be disheartened Tomura." Sensei's voice consoled the still-fuming villain from the static void. "We were simply too optimistic about All-Might's weakened condition, and never would be expect the students of U.A to have such a high battle potential. But you have to keep on going Tomura, and you as well Shepherd, for sooner or later you two will succeed as symbols of terror to the world. As long as we, the League of Villains are alive, there will be ample chances to take down the symbol of peace."
"Next time, I'll kill All-Might next time." Shigaraki kept repeating that to himself, while a chuckle escaped Sensei from the screen. "I won't let you down Sensei."
"That's the spirit Tomura, now to the main topic of why I have gathered you all for today…"
"As everyone here knows, the League is now experiencing a shortage of fighting strength and manpower. As of today, there are two agenda's we have to fulfil before the commencement of the League's next operation: The first is fighting strength. Heroes have been cracking down on Kamino Ward and the surrounding areas much more frequently these few days, and surveillance have been increasing to a rather annoying degree. While we are still hidden from the public eye, bolstering our own forces should be the first priority."
"There's lesser goons to attract now that they heard what happened to those who participated in the USJ raid, not only are they scared of arrest…" Shigaraki complained.
"…they are just in for the money." Shepherd answered the rest of his fellow villain's sentence with a low growl.
"That's correct," replied Sensei. "The heroes have taken cautious measures around U.A after our assault on the USJ, so they using their resources to make sure that the students in the school will not come under another attack. The heroes are on their guard now, especially with the annual U.A Sports Festival coming up."
Shepherd tilted his head. "U.A Sports Festival?"
"It's nothing for you to be concerned about," Kurogiri told him. "It's another one of the heroes' extravagant display of the hero student's power. It's a big annual event for both heroes and citizens alike quite similar to the Olympics."
"While the heroes are still recovering and trying to appease the public of their capability to handle villain attacks, the eyes of the government and Pro-Heroes will be averted from the League for just a moment, giving us a chance to source out potential recruits who share similar values and be soldiers for our cause in the long run."
"I think I know who might fit the bill," Shigaraki smiled darkly. "There are reports of heroes being attacked – even being killed by a villain other than the brat Shepherd. Those heroes killed are nothing much to talk about, but the killer somehow singled them out and taking them down one after the other like some sort of assassin. The media has been calling this guy the 'Hero Killer'."
"Well done Tomura, I shall look forward to how you can persuade such an individual to join the league. However, while we are on the topic on the media, there is a rather troubling matter…" Sensei intoned. "It appears that Shepherd has made himself quite famous out there."
"…what?" Shepherd frowned. "What do you mean-"
"The heroes have footage of your battle with Muscular," Sensei told the white-haired boy much to the latter's shock and dismay. "You can never be too careful when finishing off your opponents, Shepherd. The video apparently had your face after your mask was damaged in the fight. Your face has been placed in the wanted list as a S-rank villain. Besides that, you are aware that some of the students saw your face as well during the USJ raid, aren't you?"
Shepherd froze. To have his face revealed to the public just like that…he could only gnash his teeth angrily while Shigaraki snickered in the corner. His movement outside the League would no doubt be limited as well…
"Jeez, what a pain it must be." Shigaraki sneered. "Maybe you should think carefully before fighting like a lunatic next time brat."
"Don't push it man-child. Sensei, please be assured that I can find a someone-" Shepherd was silenced by a light chuckle coming from the screen.
"No, I have another assignment for you Shepherd, and it's regarding the second agenda for today; Noumu creation." Shepherd gulped a little nervously as he heard that word. Noumus are usually associated with that pot-belly doctor Daruma; Shepherd's least favorite person in the League. "…it happens to involve one of my close associates who is a major supporter of the League. His name is Zuruchi Gekai, who has been generous enough to be one of our main sponsors to fund the League's activities. He runs a small hospital on the outskirts of Musutafu to help the less fortunate, but that's just a façade to fool the public. He has been helping with the Noumu production by providing us with terminally-ill patients and corpses to be used as materials for the Noumus. The Noumu experiments would have never made it so far without his cooperation."
"…So, what's the problem?"
"He has gone silent for the past few weeks, and the human supply chain for the Noumu creation has been reduced drastically. There is a chance that he plans to insubordinate me, but I have no means to check given my current condition. If he's planning something, and if they attract the heroes' attention, the Noumu production source will be revealed, which we can't allow. You are to go to the hospital and see what is happening. If they are indeed trying to insubordinate me…you are to dispatch them."
"Understood. How much time am I given?"
"Take your time, but do not reveal your face to the public eye under any circumstances. Kurogiri will transfer you to the location directly once you are ready."
"…Understood, Sensei…"
"Sensei, why are you handling such an important task to the brat?" Shigaraki tilted his head in a mocking manner while he scratched the base of his neck. "You sure he won't go on another breakdown and cry like a gir-!"
He immediately cut himself off when Shepherd snapped his head towards him, the look in his eyes silencing him. "tch, nevermind."
"…Please rest assured…I won't let you down Sensei…"
"I have great expectations out of you, Shepherd." Sensei replied with a slightly amused tone that confused the white-haired youth. "Do not disappoint me again."
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=[Unknown Hospital]=
In a dimly lit interior of what looked to be an abandoned hospital, a malicious plan was being concocted prior to Shepherd's arrival.
"The client has been scheduled to arrive here some time tomorrow," A large man bearing the face of a hyena and metal cuffs around his muscular arms growled, stepping up to a tall figure sitting leisurely on the chair placed in the center of the room. "He demands specifically that the goods remained undamaged; he expects the bodies to be in the best condition, he says."
A wicked, amused smirk laced the lips of the one occupying the main seat. He rose to his feet, and made his way to a gravely bruised man wheezing with painful coughs by the former's feet. "You hear that boys? Looks like we did hit an unexpected goldmine this time. I have to say…thank you for being such a cooperative business partner, Mr Zuruichi."
The incredibly tall ringleader who spoke had short black hair slicked back, and thick glasses perched on his thick nose. His wicked smile was still etched on his face, and dark eyes gazed at the fallen man evilly. His neat and crisp business suit stood out against the old building as he walked right in front of his captive, with three other figures looming behind him like guards.
"F-Fuck you! Crazy bastard…you are trespassing on the League of Villain's property…!" Zuruichi Gekai spat out, blood dribbling from a split lip and a broken nose. The previous interrogation had left him barely hanging on to his life. "You brats have no idea who you're messing with…!"
"Hah! Looks like the old coot hasn't had enough! Maybe you should have Scourge handled the questioning, Jackal-sama." A young boy wearing a black school uniform, with pterodactyl wings protruding from his back guffawed loudly as he gestured to the hulking hyena-man, also known by the name Scourge. He wore a black school uniform and a mask depicting a vulture. "Or maybe that will be too much of an overkill? How about I give him a little more roughing up huh?"
"Ugh…don't you ever shut up?" Another member of the villain group, a boy wearing a black gakuran schoold uniform combined with a green gas mask which completely hid his face groaned in annoyance. "You never even do anything, so don't act like a disgusting blowhard, Torishima."
"It's Vulture now!" the winged youth Torishima snapped at his companion. "Don't you think you should respect your seniors more Mustard?! You may be in this group longer than me, but I'm still older than you!"
"There's nothing to respect about a guy who got expelled from bullying a quirkless kid." The young villain called Mustard replied condescendingly. "Pathetic."
"Why you-!"
"That won't be necessary Vulture," The man in charge chuckled back to his young underling before a fight could break out. "I believe his body can still be of use to us, since we got all the information we needed out of him. "Siren, I say its time to put the old man to sleep."
"…Yes brother."
A short petite girl stepped out of the shadow, revealing herself to be the fifth and final member of the group. She had purple, wavy hair which reached down to the base of her neck, with teal-colored eyes gazing at Doctor Zuruichi without emotion. A black cardigan was worn over a pale-violet hoodie and a short skirt. In her hands, twirled an ornately-carved wooden transverse flute.
"Do it," Wordlessly, the girl promptly placed the instrument to her lips while the rest of the villain group plugged their ears.
The bruised owner of the hospital panted heavily, and stared at the mysterious girl with sharp, questioning eyes, "Wha…what are you guys trying to pull?"
"I'm truly sorry that such a beautiful business partnership has come to an end," replied Jackal. "...but I'm afraid that there's no reason to keep you alive anymore. A shame, really."
"Psycho Flute: Slumbering Performance"
A haunting melody of a flute began to play, the chilling tune creeping into the ears of the screaming man. Quickly, the former director's eyes drooped as he felt his mind started to become dazed. He soon fell to the ground, never to move again.
"Now then…" The leader ordered the hulking hyena-man called Scourge while the girl called Siren pulled the instrument away from her lips. "Take him to the basement and throw him with the rest of the patients. Selling an old man as a human guinea pig will at least bring us a bit more cash."
The moment their captive was placed under the effects of the girl's quirk and led away by the [Hyena] quirk villain to his holding cell, the boy called Mustard spoke, "Jackal-sama, won't the heroes notice that something is wrong when an entire group of patients were to go missing from this hospital?"
"No, they won't even feel a single thing," the leader Jackal smirked. "This place is known for treating patients from low-income families with long-termed or incurable illnesses. This hospital has a suspicious high mortality rate, but I never would have guessed the director himself was transporting bodies to the League of Villains. I say it's about time we put them to better use."
"What are you planning to do with them?"
"Sell them of course. Rumors have it that the Yakuza have been experimenting with drugs that can temporary hinder or enhance an individual's quirk factor. There's no way to contact them directly, but there are subordinate groups working directly under them whom we can reach out to. The progress of such experiments is unclear, but we can assume that they are in the need of test subjects – a lot of them. And we happen to be in a place where we can sell tons of them."
"You think the League will come after us? What should we do if they decided to kill us for barging into one of their strongholds?" Mustard asked, his expression unreadable thanks to his gas mask.
"The League of Villains is nothing but a bunch of disorganized rabble now, a joke compared to the old days before All-Might destroyed most of the organization," Jackal answered simply, turning around to a bunch of security screens showing many young dazed patients sitting obediently in holding cells. "As long as we have Siren with us, there is no need to fear anyone. Be it the heroes, the villains…or even the great and mighty All-Might himself."
"Hehe~! As expected of Jackal-sama~!" The winged thug Torishima, villain named Vulture, giggled maliciously.
"The big wigs can fight for all we care up there, while the small fries like us can move unnoticed in the shadows." Jackal smirked. "In the end, we of 'Scavenge' shall be the ones who seize the benefits."
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=[To be continued]=
"I don't want the pain to return...It's painful! It hurts! I don't want this horrible sensation to come back! Pain is for weaklings! I must not be weak!
I have to become stronger...become even stronger if I do not wish for the pain to return...I have to make Sensei proud...I have to."
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Next Time: Infiltration
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A/N: Write a review on what you think! :)