A/N: I don't own MHA.
Sorry this took so long!
Omnipotent X: I know it's a little detail, but it's something I'll try to hint at down the road.
Rin watched in awe as fighter after fighter entered the caged arena and used their quirks to do as much damage as possible. The current champion, Dark Flame, towered over his most recent challenger. Pitch black flames danced up the man's arms as he shouted at his downed opponent, telling them to stand back up and fight. When the challenger failed to get off the ground, a large bouncer dragged him out of the ring in time for a new challenger to enter.
The newest fighter sharp protrusions similar to porcupine quills covering his back and arms. The two combatants stared at each other with malicious intent as the countdown drew closer to zero. When the time came, Rin watched as Dark Flame used his signature starting move; a burst of fire that emitted shadows instead of light. Razor Edge, the challenger, ran head first through the attack and unleased a barrage of swipes and jabs at his opponent.
Minutes later, Dark Flame once again stood victorious as his opponent nursed several burns covering his arms and chest. Dark Flame retired for the night, much to the audience's disappointment. Rin watched and noted potential pros and cons of every quirk he saw. In the end, the choice was obvious.
He wanted Dark Flame's quirk.
Once the event was over, Rin pushed his way through the crowds and looked for halls that could lead to the contestant waiting areas. Peeking through a door left ajar revealed several of the fighters conversing amongst themselves.
"Excuse me, who would I speak to about taking part in the fighting next time?"
All heads turned to see a silver-haired boy who had to be under sixteen looking at them expectantly. Some of the larger contestants broke down laughing while others shrugged him off as a child who thought they were tough shit.
"If you're genuinely serious, I'd talk to Akira. You can find him down the first left, then take a right. If you see DF's changing room, you went too far," a man with enlarged knuckles and three missing teeth replied.
"Thanks," Rin offered as he walked past the men and followed the instructions. Less than a minute later, he found the reigning champion's room. He knocked twice, and was rewarded with someone calling to come in from the other side.
"Hey boss, what's-" the man asked, then went silent when he saw the boy looking at him. "Can I help you?"
"Actually, I could ask you that. You've had my boss's attention for a while now, and he's interested in making a deal with you," Rin replied. He saw Flame's eyes search him for weapons or radios, but found nothing.
"What kind of deal? I've already got it pretty good here." Flame grabbed a bottle of alcohol as he spoke and popped it open with ease.
"Trust me, I think you'll find it worth your time. I can call now if you're interested. Transportation's no issue."
Flames and Rin stared at each other, both waiting for the other make a move.
"You know, I guess I'll humor you. Why should I take an offer from a kid? Why wouldn't your boss send someone more capable?"
"Exactly, though. Who would expect a child like me to be a secret messenger?" Rin retorted, and smiled as the man went to reply, then closed his mouth with a thoughtful expression. "I guess I'll bite. But I need to be back early tomorrow morning."
"Great!" Rin cheered. He quickly pulled a burner phone and sent a message. Seconds later, Kurogiri's portal opened in the room, which the two walked through and into a dark room.
"Welcome back, Rin. I take it you have found someone?"
"Yes I have, Sensei."
"Wait a minute," the new guest demanded. "I thought you said he already wanted to see me? But he clearly doesn't know me, so what the hell is going on?" Black fire erupted from the man's forearms.
"We can't have that," the large, seated man calmly whispered. With just a flick of his fingers, a powerful gust of wind grabbed the guest and threw him against a nearby wall. He was unconscious before he even realized what was happening.
The morning news played in the bar, attracting Shigaraki's and Rin's attention. Of course, most of the stories revolved around the glory of All Might and the rest of the pro heroes, a mention of Stain, and something about a recent trend in teens swallowing laundry detergent.
"And for the last story this morning, a man who is known as 'Dark Flame' in the underground has been found quirkless and seemingly memoryless. More details once we find out."
"So how's that quirk treating you?" the blue-haired man asked, not bothering to look at his bar companion.
"It's amazing. I think I already have the basics under control. I'm going to have to watch a lot of Endeavor's fights to see if I can learn to fly and copy his more powerful moves."
Rin held his left palm up, and a small fireball as black as midnight poofed into existence. The shadowy orb swirled and danced in his palm before it was extinguished, leaving behind a few wisps of smoke.
"Oh, Rin, you will have a visitor today. He should be here soon. He goes by Giran and will meet with you to discuss a costume," Kurogiri stated, suddenly right across from the two villains.
"Costume? I haven't put much thought into one...guess I better whip up some ideas," the green-haired teen muttered before dashing off to his room.
"What a nerd," Shigaraki retorted, which earned him a you-could-afford-to-learn-a-few-things-from-him look from the misty being on the other side of the bar.
A/N: I'm sorry that this chapter was short. I'm trying to get back into the stories I've left off. I hope it was enjoyable still. Leave a review if you wish, and have a good day!