I sat on the bar counter sipping my drink while Kurogiri cleaned another glass. There was no one else in the bar besides the two of us. Soon we heard the door opening and three men walked in. They all wore torn jeans and vests of jeans and all of them had at least one piercing. One looked like he was the youngest of them, had very bright colored hair and most piercings. One was bald and had one piercing near the mouth and at the nose, and the other had black neatly short hair and one piercing at the left eyebrow.
"Is that the one?" Asked the youngest. Boy, this was going to be a pain in the butt. The way he looked at me told me all. He is impatient and is mostly showing off than having a real goal. The other two were more cautious. They looked around before stepping in and took a moment to look at me before opening their mouths.
"This chick is the master planner?" Asked the same guy again. I didn't say anything. I kept looking at them and analyzing them. The bald one looked serious yet calm. The one with black hair seemed to be the boss. Since the other one waited for his move before he did anything. The one I need to convince is him and the rest will follow.
"Hey, are you or not?" Asked the youngest again. I ignored him and twirled my drink with the straw it had.
"Why are you here?" I asked hoping that the leader would answer.
"Hey, we are here to talk with the mastermind, if it ain't you then beat it." Said the same guy.
"Wrong. You beat it if you got nothing to do here. I am not going to waste my time with wannabes." I said coldly. I was pushing it but I had to draw the line sooner than later.
"Look, we are here to talk to someone who could help us rob a bank." The same guy said.
"And why would you rob a bank?" I asked.
"Why you wanna know?"
"Because I want to know if I should even bother with you," I said coldly. No one answered back but I saw in the face of the talker that he was about to say something else.
"I want to know if you have enough conviction to do the job to the end and if you are ready to follow orders," I explained.
"Orders?" Exclaimed the same guy.
"What's the point of you asking someone to give you a hand if you aren't willing to do as said." I clarified. "Besides robbing a bank is such a cliché among villains. If you are doing it just to show-off then I am not helping. If you want big bucks fast, but want to make yourself famous like a certain hero killer then go somewhere else. If you want my help you'll follow my orders to the tee and do things as I say it when I say it."
"This is nuts, let's go guys." The same guy was already leaving but his friends were not moving.
Finally, the leader moved to sit on a bar stall next to me and looked at me with clear eyes.
"If we follow your instructions will you help us?" Asked the leader with a calm and clear voice. I resisted an urge to smile. He was the one I had to win over.
"Tell me first, why you want to do this?" I asked.
"There are several reasons. But none of them are to show-off. We need the money and fast and let's say that it involves some vengeance." He explained. I looked into his eyes. He had dark circles under his eyes, meaning he has been staying up for a while. His fingertips look worn out. He has been working through the night. Besides the jeans, his shirt under the vest is torn from the chest pocket. Fight? Or he was fired. And he needs money.
"I rather hear more about this vengeance thing, but for the fast buck thing, I'll help," I said.
"Really?"
"Yeah. And you aren't robbing a bank. You are robbing the money delivery truck of the local chain market." I said and snapped my finger cueing Kurogiri to bring out a map. Once he placed a map on the counter all three men leaned closer to see it.
"This chain market has lax security when it comes to delivery. And once it comes every three weeks it's a big buck. They hold it because they also have an ATM next to them and they are in charge of it. But it's rarely used so the money will mostly stay in the safe. Robbing the safe won't work since they have surveillance in the alley which also connects to other stores. The delivery truck however comes from another way…"
I kept explaining to them the plan. With this plan, even a quirkless kid could do it. Of course, I asked about their quirks and noted where they could use them and what to avoid. They did ask a few questions but they were quickly answered and they began to like the plan even more.
"What about you? Aren't you coming?" asked the bald one.
"No. If you follow these instructions you'll get the money on your own." I said and took a sip of my drink.
"And if we don't?" Asked the youngest.
"Then you didn't follow my instructions to the tee. I will wait for you here tomorrow." I made myself clear.
"What about your cut?" Asked the leader.
"Consider this a freebie. Once you succeed and I trust you will. I trust you'll also tell others about me, secretly of course. And for the next jobs, I take fifteen percent." I said.
They looked at each other to check if they all agreed. Once they agreed the leader offer me a hand to shake which I took and we ended our talk there. Once they left I let out a sigh which I didn't know I held in.
"Well done." I heard the voice and sounds of slow clapping.
The voice came from. the TV which only had on-screen "Audio Only". Through all this time I was monitored through that TV.
I finished my drink with one gulp before I got up from the stall. I faced the wall behind me and walked at it. Just in time, Kurogiri made a portal of dark clouds and I walked through it without stopping. My surroundings changed instantly. Instead of a small neat bar, I walked to a big, dark hall which was lit only by computer screens here and there. With that light, I saw the people present there. Tomura Shigaraki standing at the sides almost blending with the shadows if it wasn't for his pale hair. All for One sitting in his comfy chair surrounded by life-supporting machines. At the very back, I saw the doctor who has kept All for One alive all this time. He seemed busy with something else and uninterested in the following conversation. He probably only stayed for All for One, just in case he needed adjustment. Once Kurogiri manifested behind me, All for One began the talk.
"That went well. I like the plan you came up with." He said grinning at me.
"If they follow the instructions they will get away with 100 thousand, at least," I said.
"You didn't convince all of them, one of them was so close to leaving," Tomura commented. It was clear that he didn't like me. I didn't like him either. But unlike him, I stayed quiet.
"Why waste breath on the youngest and maybe the most annoying one from the group? If all it takes it's to convince the leader. Besides, I rather see them leave than recruit every show-off wannabe villain. What I need are people who listen and follow orders." I remarked which clearly made Tomura angrier.
"Then why aren't you going with them? This is your big break. Aren't you supposed to see they do as you told them?" He asked.
"I would like to hear your reason too." All for One said nonchalantly.
Once again, forget the loud one and concentrate on the leader. And now was the perfect chance to get my way. If this fails, I'll be stuck. I took a breath before I began my speech.
"Tell me, what creature causes more harm to a human being, besides another human?" I asked. I waited for someone to suggest something for an answer, but everyone remained silent. Once All for One nodded his head as a sign to continue, I talked again.
"Parasite. Why? Because no one knows of their existence until it's too late. And by the time their existence is known, they already have taken control of the organs needed to fulfill their goal. Instead of making myself known to the world, I shall remain hidden in the shadows and organize my own control over society. Which is why I rather have a small group of obedient members than a big army of show-off, blood-hungry villains."
So far so good. Tomura seems annoyed. He is probably rolling his eyes now in the shadows. Kurogiri never says anything or shows it. The doctor didn't even listen. And All for One seems to be pondering something. My suspicion rises when he motioned me to come closer. I have a bad feeling but I walk closer to him. Once I was close enough, he grabbed my arm and pulled me down so I was even lower than him.
"This better not be one of your little tricks to get away." He warned me. His grip on my arm hurt if he wanted he could break all the bones in my arm. I know this because he has done it before. I had to remain calm. He had reason to suspect me, but if I don't play my hand right I won't get away.
"If I was trying to get away, then would it not be smarter for me to go with others to finish the job?" I asked and tried to sound less scared than I was.
"True. But you might also try to not get your hands dirty because somewhere inside your head, you wish that heroes would find us, and if you don't have a criminal record, you could get away. You aren't trying to play a hero, are you my dear?" He asked.
"One, we made a deal. I will not become a hero and you will never go after my family, ANY of them. And two, the whole point of not getting my hands dirty, is so no heroes come after me." I clarified my point.
"Enlighten us." He said and let go of my arm. I rubbed my arm as I got up straight. It hurt but now I had to convince him of my way of doing things.
"I hope you recall Moriarty from classical literature." I inquired before I would continue.
"A master criminal and a genius. Yes. I have read that book. Go on." He answered.
"Well, for a criminal, he never directly committed any crimes but instructed others to do them. I'm aiming for that. He was never suspected in person because he kept his hands clean. I rather become a whisperer and maybe someone else starts to imitate me, but this way no one will find me and no heroes come after my life like dogs on a fox." I explained. He didn't look like he was displeased. Once again it was as if he was pondering what I suggested.
"You rather become a nobody than make yourself known?" Tomura asked mockingly.
"You are the successor, if you want to toot your horn and have the world after you then be my guest. I don't want that much of attention." I replied back. All for One remained silent but was listening to our conversation.
"Are you going to call yourself 'Moriarty' then? So much of not wanting the attention. Just the name is suspicious enough." Tomura kept mocking me.
"Who said that I would call myself Moriarty? I'm not that stupid." I retorted back.
"What name did you think of then?" All for One asked snapping me back to focus on him.
"M. My name is M," I answered. He seemed to be pondering something again but he didn't let show when he switched the topic.
"You didn't wear the black dress I suggested."
I thought he would be angry with that detail, but it seemed he hasn't noticed it yet.
"I am wearing it. I just tuned it for a bit." I said and held the hem of the black jacket which used to be the dress.
I had cut it to look like a frock-styled jacket with bishop sleeves. Under it, I had a white-collar shirt. I also wore black straight pants and black pumps to make it a suit. I had also simple accessories like small earnings and bracelets.
"I hope you didn't expect me to wear a dress in front of those men, were you?" I asked. He didn't seem mad. But he didn't hint any other emotion.
"It looks good on you. It gives that elegant hint expected from Moriarty from the books." He finally said.
In other words, I got my way. Surely, he will put Kurogiri to monitor me for a while. But once I get things started I'll work from there to get to my goal. I am still in his grasp but in time I'll be free again. This was just the first round, and I won it.
When I woke up again in the hospital room, I was feeling a bit better than yesterday. Of course, I got a lecture from the doctor as to how stupid it was for me to simply run out of the hospital after having a seizure. I went for a thorough checkup. And doctor and nurse confirmed that I must have gotten my memory back since I was more aware of things and knew what day it was and so on. It was a late afternoon when I was discharged from the hospital.
I got to the lobby when I met Tsukauchi coming to the hospital. Seeing that I was better and once he heard that I was discharged he wanted to ask a few questions. We went to sit at the hospital's cafeteria for his questions. He began asking my name and age. After that, he jumped straight to the point.
"How did you meet the suspect?" He asked. I sighed heavily before I commenced to tell my tale.
"I was with my friends at the park, we spent time together there after their jobs ended. He came to us and began to demand that I should come with him. I refused and he began to threaten my friends. It got nasty, but no one engaged in battle. His hands began to glow and the air around him got warmer and warmer. He kept menacing my friends and it made me angry. Instead of fighting him, I told everyone to run and spread, I tried to get to the main street. If there were more people then there would also be a hero who could help. But before I could get there I fell and… next thing I know I woke up in the hospital."
"You were found lying on the ground heading to the main street. What did the suspect..." Tsukauchi began but was cut short.
"Tsukauchi, what are you doing here?" Asked a tall skinny blonde haired guy.
A moment later, he saw me and realized that Tsukauchi was questioning me. He apologized and introduced himself as Toshinori Yagi. Apparently, he and Tsukauchi knew each other as he worked in the agency of All Might.
"I'm sorry for interrupting you two." He apologized again.
"No problem. I was asking the last questions. So, miss. What did the suspect want from you?" Tsukauchi asked.
"He wanted to take me somewhere, but I didn't want to even know where. And since he killed my friends, he lost his chances to even blackmail me. I don't know what he was after." I answered. "Can we end it here? I need to get going. I have been away for three months."
"Sure. We'll contact you if there is something else." Tsukauchi said as he got up from his chair as I did to shake his hand. "Thank you for your co-operation till now."
"Thank you for your patience with me. And it was nice to meet you, Mr. Yagi." I said to the men.
"It's shame All Might can't be here and bid you farewell as well." Mr. Yagi said. After giving them my goodbyes, I exited the hospital and left the two of them to discuss with themselves.
"What did she tell you?" Mr. Yagi asked Tsukauchi.
"The suspect approached her and tried first to get her to come quietly. When it didn't work he threatened her friends. They all ran away, and she went unconscious for some reason. We interrogated the suspect, but all he says is that his job was to catch her and bring her somewhere. So far we haven't confirmed that he worked for HIM." Tsukauchi explained.
"Well, as long she is out of harm. It was a shame that we didn't get to help her friends. Did you get their names?" Mr. Yagi asked.
"Yes. Aki and Hikari Okami, brother and sister. And Hiroshi Nakajima. All went to the same college." Tsukauchi said as he went through the notes.
"And our lady friend's name?"
"Jane Doe. She is visiting from America. You probably would have more things to talk about since you have been there yourself." Tsukauchi said.
"That is not her name." Mr. Yagi said as the truth hit him.
"What?"
"Jane Doe is the name used on unidentified female bodies in the US." Mr. Yagi explained.
"But then… oh, shoot," Tsukauchi exclaimed as he and Mr. Yagi rushed out of the hospital.
Once they got out both began to look around and search for a familiar woman from the crowd. It was hard since it had taken a while for them to realize the truth. Mr. Yagi did spot a woman with the same hair and he ran towards her but the moment he reached her and made her turn, he saw that this woman had a different face and eye color. After apologizing for the mistake and searching a bit more he met again with Tsukauchi.
"I lost her," Tsukauchi confessed.
"I thought I had her but it was a different person. Unless she can alter her appearance." Mr. Yagi said.
"Oh, that reminded me, she said… crap" Tsukauchi realized another thing.
"Let me guess, she also gave a vague answer about her quirk." Mr. Yagi guessed.
"Yes. She said she was born quirkless. But then again we all are till we get quirks at age five." Tsukauchi mumbled.
"Looks like she is gone now. Whoever she was we can't find her anymore." Mr. Yagi sighed.
"This won't look good on my report." Tsukauch lamented.
They didn't know but they almost had me. The person Mr. Yagi reached was actually me. I was glad at least some talents remained. I didn't lie when I said that I was born quirkless. I was indeed quirkless for a long time, but it all changed when All for One caught me. I didn't have a choice about getting a quirk, but I managed to negotiate with him and I got to choose my quirk. It came with a price, but I rather pay it than had a quirk that actually hurt people.
It was a complicated quirk and hard to control, but it was easy to keep in check. My quirk is called nanobodies, I have very small microscopic machines in my bloodstream. The only way to activate them is if I bleed. But I had learned to alter my face for a short moment without me bleeding. It demands a lot of control and I can only do very few alterations. If I wanted to affect something or someone else I had to cut myself. But I haven't done that except the time I first escaped All for One. I cut my fingers and gave a very simple command to destroy the lock of the door. It worked.
Besides nanobodies, I also got another quirk which is brainstorm. It came apparent that I needed an additional quirk to control nanobodies. Brainstorm was a must if I wanted to use nanobodies outside my own body. And it was a quirk that I have used most since I got out. It did give me headaches but if that kept me away from All for One then a little migraine didn't hurt that much.
I didn't like to lie to Tsukauchi and Mr. Yagi, but it was best if I disappeared for good. There was an error that I made before and things changed drastically, I'm making sure that error never happens.