A/N: For those who have been reading this story, I must give a small apology for making some small changes to the story along the way. I slight changed the outfit and the way Shepherd attacks…but other than that, the storyline has not been altered in any way. The reason why I use the German language for my OC…is partially because his looks are modelled after a German Shepherd! It sounds cool! Sorry, but I have to make a few small changes to Siren's quirk as well.

On to reviews:

Weslyschraepen: Thanks for that! It really made me cry! The story is a little unnatural since it's my first time writing a dark OC, but I'm glad you liked it!

Guest: His parents will have a small part…in the future. They are currently divorced for reasons only I know.

Raven Mordrake: Her powers are indeed inspired by her, but her personality is completely different. Glad you asked!

Now, onwards!

.

.

Chapter 8: Mission Accomplished.

.

=[Musutafu Outskirts, Washiki District, Gekai Private Hospital]=

.

=[Gekai Private Hospital. Basement]=

The sound of feet rushing down the stairs echoed throughout the hospital, and a furious Jackal could be seen running to the deepest levels of the hospital.

That damn brat, I shouldn't have bothered killing him and bailed from the start, Jackal cursed to himself as he made his way down to where his merchandise was kept. He could have sworn he could hear the boy's footsteps coming closer and closer with every breath he took. He had watched his lackeys being mercilessly cut down by that monstrosity, their bodies blighted and poisoned or even sliced apart by sludge. Every single plan he had concocted to kill that infuriating brat went up in smoke, even Siren's sure-kill quirk was ineffective against that boy's regeneration.

Within a mere matter of hours, everything he had built up for himself had been ruined, his riches…his power…his plans to rule the underground market…everything had gone up in smoke. Up till now, he was ready to make the biggest deal of his life, until that brat from the League came along.

Useless…every single one of them. Jackal thought to himself again in anger. If only Scourge wasn't so cocky and finished him off properly. If only Mustard chose not to flap his big mouth and back-stabbed Shepherd quickly. If only Vulture never agitated him from the very start…Jackal would have thought of better measures to deal with Shepherd. And finally, if only Siren had listened to him more and used her Ultrasonic scream against Shepherd while he wasn't aware of her quirk…that girl had needed so much coaxing just to get a simple task done for goodness sake. To think that all these years he had sheltered her, she was still so ungrateful for not being handled over to the heroes. If he were to make it out here alive, he was determined to discard her; no need for disobedient puppets after all.

But even if he blamed his subordinates, he knew for a fact that Shepherd was never a normal opponent to begin with.

He wasn't a villain…no…he was a monster wearing human skin.

Jackal made his way to the basement via a different way, his goal and destination clear in sight. According to the memories he had attained from Shepherd via his [Brain Eater] quirk, the boy himself was sent here to reclaim the League of Villain's stronghold for their 'Noumu' creations. If that's the case, those kids he had ensnared in the basement of the hospital were still useful.

If he could use one of the kids he captured as a hostage, even that aberrant dog from the League would not dare harm them. He would use that opportunity to escape and get out of this place. The merchandise can be reclaimed another day; what matters most was his own survival. Once he got out, he could form another group and start another 'business venture', the plan was perfect.

"Almost there…!" he panted, jumping down the stairs and he saw his mind-broken prisoners sitting there like good little boys and girls. He grinned gleefully at this, calming his initial panicking heart, a slight chuckle escaping his lips. He hasn't lost yet.

He was about to continue moving when suddenly, giant black blade-like extensions slashed the space before him, blocking the path ahead. He yelled in fright, falling to the ground unfitting of his smart appearance. "…Back to the basement? You sure love running in circles, don't you?" the voice of Shepherd uttered a demonic growl as he emerged from the top of the stairs, gazing down on Jackal's figure like a hungry wolf eyeing its prey. "…It's about time you stop relying on your lackeys, and face me yourself, weakling."

Jackal found himself rooted on the spot. The leader of 'Scavenge' realized the tips of his fingers were shaking. No matter how many people he had played against with, no matter how often he fought with his wits, the ex con-man who had always gotten out of tight spots now trembled before this boy.

"You psychopathic beast…!" Jackal spat.

"…you have really made this whole fiasco unexpectedly difficult…!" Shepherd let out a soft grumble. "…I have to report this to Sensei fast…so I really appreciate it if you stop running…"

Something about the boy's psyche was different…he was fundamentally different from the rest. He has a thinking of a small child…but the savagery on par with a mad beast. Cold sweat dripped from his forehead with every step Shepherd took, each descent of his armored boots guaranteed Jackal's promised demise even more and more.

"I need a hostage!" Jackal looked around frantically and made a mad dash towards the patients.

A wall of sludge shot out before Jackal could even react and block his path. "…don't you dare add more unnecessary elements into this farce. I had it with people in this building trying to win with petty tools and tricks."

"I can't use a hostage anymore…!" Jackal cursed.

"…with this, you can no longer hide behind someone else anymore," Shepherd regarded Jackal with a cold glare. "…your quirk [Brain Eater], only applies to those whom you have touched with your hands. Without anyone to help you, you are nothing but a petty weakling."

"You…! You insufferable brat…! Listen…how much do you want? I can pay you twice-no, trice the amount the League of Villain is paying you! Boy, riches are just right around the corner; the money will be rolling in the morning when my client comes to collect these children tomorrow! Join me Shepherd, and I shall promise you a future where you can live in luxury and prestige!"

Shepherd stopped right in front of the begging man, purple eyes pulsing with disgust and hatred. "…I have quite enough with you. I was kind of expecting more of the leader, even for a ragtag group, but it seems reality is cruel to me."

"L-Look here. Let's not be hasty, we can talk about this." There was no way in hell he was going to compromise with this brat. Having a kid calling him a mere 'Weakling' got the man to well up with rage. The boy could belittle him for all he wanted, but not without paying with his life. Discreetly, Jackal clutched the handle of the gun he had hidden in the innermost pocket of his suit, while he expertly distracted Shepherd's attention with his other hand. "I think we can work out something which can benefit the both of us-you don't have to kill me! I can help you!"

"So noisy…Sensei's orders are to investigate the whereabouts of the owner of this hospital and kill any supposed threats to the League." Shepherd cut him off. "…you have sealed your death the moment you decided to barge in here killed the previous owner. No matter how much you beg, it will not change anything."

There's no use talking to this kid! Jackal froze and contemplated his final option. He cocked his handgun.

"But before you die…there is one thing I must ask," Shepherd suddenly said. "Is there a way to return all these patients back to normal?"

Back to normal!? What a stupid brat! There's no way he could do that; once a person's mind been broken to pieces, there was no fixing it. But this could work for him! Jackal smirked as he replied. "Yeah…there is. But could you promise that you won't hurt me? If you can let me go, I can undo the effects of my quirk on those kids over there. Promise me that first, and I'll-!"

A sludge blade slashed the air and made a cut on Jackal's arm, cutting him off mid-sentence and causing him to scream in great pain. "…letting you live?" Shepherd repeated with a glare. "…You still think you can wiggle out of the hole you dug for yourself? If you think I'm going to let you off under any circumstances, you are solely mistaken…!"

Jackal did not have time to scream as tendrils of sludge snaked towards him and wrapped around his limbs, bounding him tightly and preventing him from escaping.

"WHY!? DON'T YOU WANT TO SAVE THEM?!" Jackal screamed hysterically. In response, four sludge whips lashed out and pierced Jackal in both of his arms and legs; crucifying him and lifting the [Brain Eater] quirk user high into the air.

"…Save? Don't misunderstand…" Shepherd gave a dark laugh. "My utmost priority is to kill you."

Jackal pulled out his handgun and fired at Shepherd's face in one last-ditch attempt. However, the sludge controlled by the white-haired boy moved fast, super-compressing themselves into a shield and blocked every bullet. As he inched his way closer to the trapped Jackal, and the man ran out of bullets, an overwhelming sense of dread overcame Jackal's body.

"M-My years of effort…my ambitions…! B-By someone like you…!" Jackal gurgled, blood pouring into his lungs.

"…You're not even worth toying around with." Shepherd regarded him coldly. "So just die quickly."

"Schwarz…" Shepherd's fist glistened black. The sludge responded to his fury and morphed into a massive beast's head with snapping teeth, shooting forward and spinning like a spiraling tornado of fangs and concentrated all the sludge Shepherd had accumulated in one point. "…GEMETZEL ANSTURM! (Carnage Blitz of the Black Beast)"

Just as the giant black spear-like attack reached Jackal, the man saw his life flash before his eyes. As if his [Brain Eater] quirk was activating on its own and watching his own memories, he saw his childhood when he was bullied for having a dangerous quirk, the ostracizing he suffered in the workforce, his deeds starting out as a con-man, the screams of those he forcibly used his quirk on, the faces of the people he trampled on, and the face of Shizune as he used her after he brought her out of the slums. He couldn't recall when she started calling him her brother…but he had gotten so used to it even though it was annoying.

"Why am I even thinking about such pointless stuff?" he thought. "It's your win…you monster-!"

The sludge rotated furiously like a meat blender, mincing Jackal entirely until he was reduced to a blood puddle and a couple of bone fragments. The attack didn't stop, it reached the ceiling and tore through the building, making the entire establishment rumble.

Shepherd just gave a frown as he saw what was left of Jackal, giving an unsatisfied huff. The sludge retreated back to Shepherd's side and seeped back into his body. But his purple eyes remained their maddeningly savage state, just as they have been before.

Expending sludge of such a large amount took quite a toll on Shepherd's body, but nevertheless he trudged towards the other occupants in the basement with a tired grunt.

He sharply turned on his heel and made his way to the holding cells where the hospital patients were imprisoned. Even from here, he could smell the putrid stench of the unwashed environment and the disgusting stench of disease. Apparently, Jackal really made no effort to treat them like human beings, the now-dead villain leader thought of them as mere 'merchandise' to line his pockets. He willed the sludge to enforce his arm into a giant black claw, and slashed down the iron bars with a few swipes. He stepped inside.

The sight made him grimaced further.

The whole damn place was filled with bodies close to death. Some of them looked starve as though they have never eaten for days. Some were lying down with their eyes gazing aimlessly at the ceiling. Some had parts of their body torn off and looked like they were chewed upon – it was probably that cannibal Scourge. Some had been diseased thanks to the unhygienic environment.

This hospital had been transformed into a disgusting compound of human trafficking.

That nasty feeling returned again…just why? Shepherd gritted his teeth as he saw a small boy with black hair lying by the wall closest to him. His legs and arms were bound together, lacerations were found all over his body, and bruises sported all over his face…he must have struggled hard before falling victim to Jackal's quirk. His eyes were glazed over, the signs of death written across his face. "I'm sorry…looks like some of you are already done for huh?"

Why was he apologizing for? Some of these ill youths were destined to be transported to the League in order to be transformed into those disgusting creatures called Noumu by their creator, Daruma Ujiko. He wasn't here to save them…their fates were to be sold to the League. He was a hypocrite for saying sorry…he wasn't even a hero.

Honestly, he could not be bothered by others, but seeing them in such a state seemed to keep triggering some lost memory in Shepherd. Was I like that before…? Why do I keep feeling this way? Unanswered questions were littering his mind.

He was so lost in his murky thoughts, that he didn't notice a shadow creeping up behind him.

However, at this moment, a flying blur came rushing towards Shepherd. The [Toxic Sludge] quirk villain felt his body knocked to the ground and a bloody figure was towering over him, fists slamming over his body repeated like a rabid beast. It took some time before Shepherd could recognize his mysterious attacker.

"…you again?"

"HAAAKAAAZUUUKAAAA!"

From his bloody face to the pitch-black infections disfiguring his facial features, it was Torishima who had finally woken up from all the action happening in the entire building. But it was doubtful if he was capable of human speech anymore as he was screaming at Shepherd with his voice odd and distorted. Perhaps it was a bad idea to bite off his ear in the beginning, seeing how the toxins had changed him.

With the gun given by Jackal destroyed, he pummeled Shepherd with his fists and fury, a large amount of blood being vomited out of his mouth as he flung himself at Shepherd. He was no longer a thug, but rather a desperate lunatic at the end of his tether.

"…get off me." Shepherd knocked Torishima off him with a powerful kick and sent him crashing to the ground. As he was about to get back up, another kick mercilessly found its mark at his stomach while he was still on all-fours. Torishima could feel his ribs cracked due to the impact, and more blood dribbled down his mouth.

Shepherd gripped Torishima's neck and raised him up into the air, and the latter began to thrash about violently.

"Yuu…! Iz's Al your Falt! If iz not fo yuu…mine life would half bee perfect!"

Why was this guy so adamant on attacking him? Aside from the nasty vibes Shepherd was getting from this boy, he had no recollections of meeting him before. To be honest, he was flowing with so much grudge and hatred that its unnerving Shepherd.

"…I have no idea who you are, but right now…you are just plain pathetic."

"IZ'S AL YUR FALT! YUR SUIZIDE BUSTAZD!"

"…of all the people here I have met today, you are the most pathetic. You don't have a shred of power or authority in you, yet you flaunt like you actually do. You are weak…and yet you try to act like a bigshot. Even amongst lowly villains like us, it looks like you're the lowest of the low."

"I'LR KILL JU! DESINITELTY, I'LR KILL JU!" Torishima became further enraged and insane from Shepherd's words.

"YUR SUIZIDE BUSTARD!"

Shepherd felt something snap in him as Torishima's voice resonated within his mind. His heart was beating chaotically, feeling like it's about to explode. His hands shook uncontrollably as a familiar migraine began to boil his mind alive, making his facial features cringed painfully.

T-This guy…! W-what did he do…?!

Strange images began to writhe angrily in his mind, some flashing before his eyes, and others proceeding before him so slowly; their contents slowing agonizing him. They were all over the place, and echoing voices resounded within him.

What was happening to him?

YOU SHOULD BE SAYING 'Please stop!' LEARN SOME MANNERS YOU QUIRKLESS BASTARD!

Quirkless…I'm not quirkless…

WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU?! WHY AREN'T YOU SAYING ANYTHING, KOTARO!

Wh-who is that…Why does that name keep sounding so-

How many minutes can you hold your breath huh~?

N-No…P-please…stop it…!

If you don't shape up and get some friends, how do you think you are going to survive in society?!

It's not my fault…IT'S NOT MY FAULT!

Deku's a quirkless nobody who is stupid enough to believe in an impossible dream, and you are just a useless busybody who has a death wish.

His mind was reeling, and his head felt like it was about to explode. His teeth grinded together as he cast a death glare towards the one who started this unknown pain and lifted him high into the air. "…YOU…WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME…?!" He had to kill him…he had to make the pain stop. He wanted this pain which was forever haunting him to end.

Ignoring the boy's cursing and swearing, Shepherd raised the boy's head high and repeatedly slammed it to the ground and grinding his face to the concrete. This boy was really starting to get on Shepherd's nerves. The more he beat the [Pterodactyl] quirk boy into a bloody pulp, the more anguish he felt, like supressed emotions were finally being released in a big tsunami. He gave a feral roar as rage fuelled him to continue beating the boy down with his bare hands.

Strange…why did such a weakling instil such a huge amount of hatred in him? Why do I feel so relieved…so angry…so sad? A massive swarm of unknown emotions was making Shepherd's vision blurry as the [Toxic Sludge] user kept on punching, unable to hold back. Why was he feeling this way? He can't stop; he doesn't want to. It was the only way to break free of the pain…the only way to continue living.

"It's all your fault…!" Shepherd heard himself mutter much to his confusion. Why was he saying those words? "Because of you…because of you…BECAUSE OF YOU-!" The blood roared in his ears, and an expression full of pure hatred Shepherd didn't even know he had was displayed in full view.

So he continued to pummel the boy even though he has already fainted, an anguished roar came out of Shepherd's throat as the sight of the boy continued to give him a horrible feeling.

Kill…kill…kill…kill…!

The scariest part was that for a moment, an eerie shrilling cry of a child seemed to overlap his pained voice. "GO AWAY…AND JUST DISAPPEAR!" Shepherd screamed, his hand raised up and morphed into a sludge lance. But the moment he jabbed forward, a black portal swallowed his arm whole and diverted the attack.

"That's quite enough."

Kurogiri appeared behind his fellow League member, his arm raised to activate his [Warp Gate] quirk, and harboured a warning gaze. "Looks like you still need to work on keeping your emotions in check, Shepherd."

"…Kurogiri?" he hissed, throwing aside the unconscious Torishima in his grasp.

"Shepherd." Kurogiri addressed the boy with his eyes narrowed, and gave a stern glare.

The boy seemed surprised by his sudden appearance and his eyes shifted away from Torishima's bloodied face until they landed on the [Warp Gate] bartender of the League.

"You…how long have you been here? I thought I said I'll take care of this by myself."

"I'm here to bring you back, and I couldn't help but walk in when I heard the noise." Kurogiri told him. "Normally I would have left this to your own devices, but I'm afraid we are short on time. The noise of your fights had attracted the attention of multiple outsiders, and it's only a matter of time until the heroes make their way here to investigate. As such…I'm here to make sure you have finished your task properly."

Shepherd's eyes glowed a dangerous purple.

"…Don't get in my way…I'm almost done." He responded. "…all that's left is cleaning up the trash."

"I say you've done quite enough. You destroyed nearly every single individual I have seen upon entering here. You have reduced the mastermind to nothing. Your attack had even destabilised the structural integrity of this hospital," Kurogiri was glad he came to check, knowing that Shepherd's mental state has not stabilised fully.

Shepherd's arm turned into a blur and a massive projectile of sludge was launched straight towards Kurogiri. The misty villain just conjured a black portal and transported the attack elsewhere, nullifying the attack completely.

"…I said I'll finish this up, understand?" Shepherd told him furiously. "You think you can stop me, Kurogiri?"

"I'm not here to fight, but to help you." Kurogiri said, raising his arms to ready his [Warp Gate] quirk. "You can't just keep giving into your impulses Shepherd, you have to calm down-!"

"…Shut up." Shepherd then let loosed a torrent of sludge shards and Kurogiri countered with a portal, blocking the obsidian barrage. Seeing this, Shepherd gave a crazed giggle, "…I don't need help…in fact, I feel great. Mowing down those who opposed Sensei brings me the ultimate satisfaction…even if they're weaklings. I'm not so weak that I need your help!"

The misty bartender looked at him for a few seconds.

"I never once said you're weak." Kurogiri narrowed his yellow silted eyes. "But seeing how you are close to beating a half-dead boy to death, you are giving me quite the reason to say otherwise."

"…What are you saying Kurogiri…?" the boy said maniacally, sludge dripping down his arms in copious amounts, "Isn't our job to slaughter those who dared opposed the League? I'm doing just that!"

Sludge splashed down on the area Kurogiri once stood, while the misty villain himself collapse upon himself and materialized again in front of Shepherd, thus beginning their fight. Kurogiri narrowed his glowing eyes as he felt how violent Shepherd was, but having experienced the boy's battle-hungry tendencies, he calmly countered every single one of Shepherd's sludge attacks. He merely continued to stand his ground while being bathed in Shepherd's predatory aura.

"…you know, I've always wanted to see how I fared against you. Someone as strong as you being the League's barkeep is such a waste!" Shepherd grinned a dark dangerous smile, morphing his sludge to bladed tendrils and launched them towards Kurogiri. "…Let's find out, shall we?!"

"You think too highly of me." Kurogiri said as he continued to conjure portal after portal to deflect Shepherd's crazy onslaught; the youth displaying his superb control over his toxic sludge despite his beast-like behaviour. The boy had his sludge continuously swirling around his arms in large amounts as he winded himself for a big attack, the sludge transforming into a snarling dog's head.

"…There's a limit to how big you can make your portals Kurogiri!" Shepherd yelled. "It's useless when I do THIS! SCHWARZ…" Shepherd's fist glistened black. The sludge twisted and morphed into a hound's head with snapping teeth, shooting forward like a spiralling tornado of fangs and concentrated all the sludge Shepherd had accumulated into a hellish drill. "…GEMETZEL ANSTURM! (Carnage Blitz of the Black Beast)"

The huge sludge spear attack which minced away Jackal to nothing but a blood puddle with its huge range was about to be launched. A dark grin grew upon Shepherd's lips as his eyes grew even brighter at how Kurogiri was going to react to this but to his shock…a dark swirling mass manifested under the boy's feet.

"…from under me?" he said, shock evident in his voice.

"There's no need for me to block it," Kurogiri then created a warp gate under Shepherd's feet, causing the boy to lose his balance and unleashed his attack towards the ceiling instead, destroying yet another major portion of the hospital.

Shepherd was soon trapped with half of his body stuck within the misty bartender's portal, the same with his hands and feet, putting him in a complete lockdown. "And it's about time for you to calm down."

The portal restrains tightened around Shepherd's limbs, and began to dig into the boy's flesh. His flesh tried to regenerate but Kurogiri's hold was preventing his body from forming back to its normal state. He could feel the portal tightening even more and squeezing him, making black spots appear in Shepherd's vision.

"You once told me that unlike Shigaraki, you don't kill needlessly." Kurogiri asked softly. "Were those words merely a lie? What has happen to you, Shepherd?"

Shepherd could feel himself growing weaker as the seconds ticked by and he slumped over, his breathing becoming laboured. The pain was returning…there was nothing he could do to stop it. He didn't want this…n-no…pain is for the weak…if he's weak…he had to go through one of Sensei's 'guidance' sessions again. He was subjected to this because he couldn't control himself, wasn't he?

"Power is meaningless without reason." Kurogiri continued. "If you keep giving in to your impulses, you are nothing but a howling beast. How long do you plan to make us treat you like one?"

That dangerous feeling from before was slowly diminishing, and the madness in Shepherd's eyes softened considerably. Upon recalling how unsightly he fell from losing control, the [Toxic Sludge] user could only grit his teeth in shame.

"Kurogiri…" Shepherd whispered, "…I-I'm sorry…I'm so sorry…! I don't want to disappoint Sensei anymore…I just want to prove to him…I-I not weak…!"

"Shepherd…relax," Kurogiri loosened the hold of his warp gate prison. "Like I said…I'm here to help. Every single individual in this building has either been killed or severely incapacitated. You have completed Sensei's task magnificently; I'm merely here to collect you."

Kurogiri slowly released Shepherd and set him back to the ground.

"Have you calmed down a little?"

"…Yeah, sorry about that…" Shepherd coughed, rising to his feet unsteadily.

"It's just my duty to assist my fellow villains in the League," Kurogiri answered like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Now, would you care to explain the current situation to me?"

=[]=

And so, Shepherd summarized everything which had happened from the moment he entered the den of the villain group who occupied the hospital.

"I see," Kurogiri nodded. "A shame for Zuruichi Gekai, but it was a good thing you managed to suppressed Jackal; a person with a intel-based quirk like that would be quite a thorn to the League. I'll gather up the corpses of the villain group, but what about the patients here? I understand that some of them are meant to be transported to the League in secret for the Doctor's Noumu creation."

"No…don't bother." Shepherd growled, looking at the barely conscious boy whom he had destroyed to a half-death state earlier; Torishima. "Use those idiots who dared intrude on the League's territory whose bodies are still intact; it would be a befitting punishment for them to be used as the League's soldiers from now on."

"Understood. What about these children here then?"

"…Send them outside. They have been trapped in here for long enough," Shepherd demanded, casting one last glance at the patients whom the villains had imprisoned in this basement for weeks. "Their minds are broken…they can't even say a word anymore. Just chuck them elsewhere…I rather not have them crushed to death when this place falls apart."

"Are you sure?" Kurogiri was mildly surprised by Shepherd's action; it was the first time he decided something out of his own volition. "Just letting them go? Just like that?"

"…I've seen enough for today." Shepherd left no room for negotiation. "Having them die for nothing will leave a bad taste in my mouth."

"…Come on, transport those two already," said Shepherd as he pointed to the unmoving body of Torishima. "There's still one last thing I have to take care of before this building falls apart."

.

=[Gekai Private Hospital. Second level]=

Siren was in a bad condition. Multiple holes were made on her limbs and she no longer had any power to stand. The wounds have started to be blighted with Shepherd's toxins from the sludge, making her feverish and constantly groan in pain. Her throat was swollen, and with the continuous over usage of her [Psychosis] quirk, left her with a broken voice. But she was still conscious.

Suddenly, the air in the room seemed to warp and twist, before a black swirling matter manifested out of thin air. Before Siren could say anything to this weird phenomenon, a familiar white-haired boy in a battered black jacket stepped out of the black mass. In addition, the 'black mass' also formed two glowing yellow eyes before appearing behind Shepherd as a faceless, misty man in a bartender's uniform.

"Is this the last one?" the dark mist man asked the boy. "Another of Jackal's subordinates?"

"…Yeah, her name is Siren. But she's a special case…I have other plans for her."

She turned her head and understood quickly after seeing Shepherd walking towards her, slightly banged up but victorious.

"Kill me…" said Shizune, with repetitive bloody coughs in her chest. "Jackal is gone…I no longer have a place in this world, nor a chance to seek forgiveness for my sins. I thought Jackal might grant my wish…but at least, with my life, I can apologize to everyone I killed."

Shizune's expression was stoic, but it was easy to tell that she was trying to endure the pain of the toxins. It was easy to kill her now. Shepherd stood beside her, and looked at her with cruel eyes.

"…I'll make this quick." Shepherd grabbed hold of the girl's neck, applying enough pressure to make her winced in pain. "Ugh…!"

The black blights on Shizune's body began to squirm and move as though they were alive, compressing themselves to where Shepherd was touching her and Shizune's face distorted with pain. However, she did not possess the strength left to resist or even raise her voice. If he continued like this, she was most certain that her throat will be crushed or the poison would do its job.

"Mo…ther…" A tear fell down the side of Shizune's face. "I'm sorry, Mother…for taking everything from you that day…this monster…can finally be gone from your eyes…!"

"…stop squirming, it's hard to remove the sludge like this."

"Huh?"

Shepherd continued to work in silence. His face sweated considerably as the black spots infecting Shizune converged and oozed out of Shizune as a considerably-sized orb of black matter. It wiggled a little before being re-absorbed back into Shepherd's body.

"…It is done." Shepherd removed his hand from her neck.

"H-How…?"

"…I produce and control sludge. Something like this is nothing but a simple matter."

Shizune coughed, and watched Shepherd with a flabbergasted expression. "W-Why…? Didn't you want me dead?"

"…My job does not involve me in assisting suicides." Having said that, Shepherd promptly supported Shizune by the shoulder with surprising gentleness and started walking towards the exit with Kurogiri.

"Why are you doing this for me?" Shizune asked weakly. "My quirk is carnage-incarnated; wouldn't it be better for you to kill a potential threat? I'm a killer-"

"…I don't care," Hearing this, Shepherd merely scoffed. "Honestly…I don't know myself. Maybe it has been a crazy day for me, and I just don't feel like killing any more. If it consoles you, there's no way your quirk can kill me, so you're of no threat to me whatsoever."

"Even if you let me live now…there is nowhere else for me to go," Shizune continued, gazing towards the ground as they exited the hospital. "It would be better if you left me for dead-"

"…If I hear one more word, I'll slit your throat right on the spot." Shepherd glowered, making the stoic girl flinched slightly. "I'm sure that I don't know what you been through…but the pain of your past has nothing to do with who you are now. Make a choice: you can either die and wallow yourself in self-pity like a weakling…or prove to others that there's something else you can do other than killing. It's that simple."

"…a choice…I still have a choice?" Shizune whispered softly.

Soon enough, the three of them were completely out of the medical establishment. Shepherd took a look at the hospital, now being bathed in the warm light of the rising sun. It was only a matter of time until the police arrived from all that racket he made in the basement earlier. The last thing he needed was evidence to show that this location was one of the League's territory.

It was going to be a pain…but there's one last thing for him to do.

"…Don't move or you'll open up your wounds." Shepherd said monotonously, placing the purple-haired girl on the ground. "How much more time do we have Kurogiri?"

"The heroes will be here soon enough." The dark misty villain told him. "I've transported the corpses and those prisoners outside as per your instructions, but there's bound to be evidence left behind which the police may use to trace this location back to the League."

"…so it's easier if the building never existed right?" Shepherd took a step forward and extended his arm, letting his toxic sludge ooze down overflowingly.

Kurogiri noticed his actions and couldn't help but ask. "What are you planning to do?"

"Destroy this place once and for all." He declared as a massive amount of sludge poured out, easily ten times the amount he had fought with in all of his battles, but the mere effort of controlling it was threatening to break his body. The black mass twisted and morphed endlessly like a living abomination, like a hungry beast ready to devour anything in its sights.

Shepherd aimed his sights at the ruined hospital. "Schwarz…" he hissed, the monstrous amount of toxic black sludge swirled like a twisted tornado and morphed into a towering contruct resembling a gigantic jaw of a monster. It opened its 'mouth' and loomed over the three-storey building, making it look like some hungry beast let loose from the depths of hell. Shepherd clenched his fist. "GEFÄNGNIS KIEFER! (Black Prison Jaw of the Black Beast)"

Shizune wondered if it's possible for such a monster-like quirk to exist. She stared with her mouth slightly agape as the sludge devoured the entire building and riddled it with endless spikes like an iron maiden. The building crumbled into many pieces, and it broken down to the ground with a thunderous crash.

She could only gaze at the white-haired boy in awe, the latter tiredly making his way back to them with much difficulty.

This time…I can make Sensei proud…

Shepherd wanted to say those words…but what came out of his lips were…

"Ugh…so tired…," he muttered, and with that, he unceremoniously fell to the ground, fainted with exhaustion.

.

=[To be Continued]=

.

A/N: Write a review on what you think! Thanks for reading!