"Shigaraki! LET HER GO!"
Crimson orbs stared back, impassive.
"...no."
"That's it? That's all you've got to say for yourself!? You can't imagine what she's-"
Tomura's hand shot up instinctively, clawing at his throat. "Quiet. I know exactly what Chisaki did. Tell me, Deku," He spat the name, disgusted by its texture upon his dry tongue, "Do you know what she's been through? Do you know what any of us have been through? Does it even matter to you?"
The villain's pace quickened as he went on, Izuku choosing to let him say his piece.
"That's all we are to you, Villains, to be beaten and locked away. Like your idol did to Sensei. Like your friends will do to the League. Like you'll do to me."
The scratching stopped, Shigaraki's neck severely reddened.
"You're all the same. You, accursed Heroes, you're all out for fame and glory, sacrifices be damned."
His hand twitched skyward, as though to reach for his neck again. He stopped briefly before shrugging, leaving his arms in the air, clenching and unclenching his fists.
"Game over now. I'm getting sick of this. Fight back and she dies."
Deku's eyes widened, coming to his senses just in time to avoid the snaking trails of decay worming through the air towards him. They curved to meet him once more, only to dissipate when met by a Delaware Smash.
"I just want to talk, Shigaraki! No one needs to get hurt!"
"Too bad, 'cause I don't."
Before Tomura could send more blackened thorns his way, Deku used an almighty kick to block the attempt with air pressure.
"Leave Eri out of this, she's got nothing to do with Heroes! It's me you want!"
All For One's black-hearted chuckle rang out, startling all in the room. His hand raised, his fingers morphing into Quirk activating tendrils.
"I'm afraid that's where I come in. Your foolish mentor left me with... unsightly scars. I can still see his face, even now, innards strewn across the ground as he charged..."
The mighty Symbol of Evil trailed off, memory overlapping with reality. Deku could almost see non-existent eyes stare into a vacant corner before snapping back onto the holder of One For All. A fiendish hand placed itself upon Eri's shoulder with uncharacteristic clemency. The young girl dared not move, silently shuddering under the grasp. Her scarlet eyes darted upwards, locking with veridian counterparts. Izuku could only look on in horror as she mouthed,
Please help.
He, too, began to tremble. Not of fear, but of pure, unbridled fury. Emerald lightning flitted across him for a fraction of a second, retreating with his restrained composure.
Tomura opened his mouth to speak, pausing in an apparent effort to choose his words carefully, before deciding against speaking altogether. His attacks ceased. A sigh escaped him, drawing a palm to his forehead.
"The girl is for my benefit. Eri, was it? Tomura was kind enough to bring her to me, as I'm sure you will have figured out by now, to restore myself to my former glory."
Izuku shook his head. "You can activate Quirks forcibly."
"And risk being wiped from time? Even I wouldn't dare."
His fist subconsciously clenched, procuring yet more green electricity. "Then why not steal it?"
"This child, who was born with this Quirk, cannot control it. What chance would I have? No, the method to eternal youth, my boy..."
The myth raised a slightly misshapen hand, extending a finger towards Izuku.
"...is by crushing you and all that you love, shattering all hope in her heart, and filling that void with subservience to me and only me!"
Izuku gritted his teeth with strength enough to crack them. Tomura's eye twitched, hand ghosting back towards his throat. Eri's eyes, watering before, spilled over as she wailed.
"...Sensei?"
The question cut through the mad laughter of the once legendary villain.
"Hm? Speak, Tomura."
"...nothing."
The sounds of the battles outside peaked, explosions and impacts ringing out all around. The masked devil simply shrugged, waving Shigaraki onwards. His protégé took a step forward, the young man's eyes gazing anywhere but at his enemy.
"YOU MONSTER!"
The primal scream erupting from Deku paralysed the villainous pair. Something vaguely resembling alarm caused them both to go rigid, anticipating a violent lunge.
"I won't let you! This... this power was given to me to defeat you! I've worked so hard, given up so much... If I can't save one person, what sort of Hero would I be!?"
Shigaraki's stance widened, but his eyes softened. His fingers curled in on themselves, nails digging into his palms. This pressure... It feels familiar...
"My friends had every right to leave me, but I'm not alone anymore! Eri... neither are you!" I focused so much on what I had to become that I forgot who I was. All that time training, getting ready, when I could've been with the people I love! I won't let it be taken away! I can't!
Deku blitzed forward, leaping from wall to wall in the blink of an eye, leaving a sparking green trail tracing his journey. All Might... I'm sorry. I'll set things right!
Shigaraki's enhancements allowed him to block the attack, but the sheer impact sent him reeling. Izuku Midoriya... not alone anymore, huh? Now I get it...
The successor to All Might was relentless, each blocked attack closely followed by another, the assault wearing his opponent down considerably. Shigaraki couldn't react fast enough, Deku was fighting like a man possessed. Soon enough, the maelstrom of punches and kicks halted as Tomura dropped to a knee. The two panted, desperate to recover their breath before the other.
"Heh... you're not so bad, when you stop thinking so much..."
"I don't want to fight you, Shigaraki. It doesn't have to be this way!"
Tomura began muttering under his breath, breathing laboured.
"Take the pawn, use it to set up the Checkmate... Cheap, but easy..." He started to groan, hands grasping his head, eyes bolted shut in agony. "No... that's not, how I, win..."
"Tomura, what's gotten into you? Snap out of it, boy!"
"ARGH! Pro-promote..."
Deku stood, jaw agape. What the hell? Green lightning coursed through Tomura's body, exacerbating his pain. Is One For All... reacting to him?
All For One dusted himself off.
"Hmph. Very well. Now, Compress."
Compress!?
On cue, a snap preceded the materialisation of six large metal beams, stacked one atop another, rapidly descending on top of Deku. The hero caught the girders, knees wobbling under the weight. He attempted to stand up, but the combined heft kept him pinned. What are these made of? I should be able to lift them...
"DIE!"
Silence. Then, a deafening detonation blew a hole in the ceiling, the resulting wind threatening to topple the stack of purlins. No way...
AN: I can only apologise for how long this took. Hit a bit of a slump in overall productivity. I can't thank everyone who reads these enough, I must admit it's gratifying watching the view count increase, at the risk of sounding conceited. I solemnly swear to improve update frequency, scout's honour~