Heroes in the Dark: Shigaraki's Dilemma (chapter 20.5)

(Author's Note: a side chapter covering a certain meeting going on behind the backs of the members of the League of Villains, and setup for the next portion of this arc. We'll get back to Tokoyami next chapter!)

Tomura Shigaraki glared at the poised figure sitting opposite of him, who looked back with casual smugness, a shoji piece in his hand. He hated that he had to come here, but his options had been stretched even thinner than before thanks to his intervention. Chisaki – "Overhaul" – had been ever so considerate to invite him into his hideout after he had so audaciously cut down his forces. It hadn't even been a significant amount of time since that happened – Magne (or what remained of her) had been given a burial and Mr. Compress was only just starting to heal, but still the wounds of that night felt fresh and raw. And yet here he sat, comfortably surrounded by gangster rejects sporting outdated masks. It had already been a hassle just to arrange this meeting, let alone coming here. Just to enter this room, his lackeys had lead him through a maze of hallways for an annoying amount of time as a "safety precaution." Granted, that was smart of them. If he ever got the chance to use any little bit of information against them, he wouldn't hesitate. Not after making a fool of him.

Regardless, his intentions in this place had already been confirmed: joining forces. Although they had gotten off on a…bad start, doesn't erase the fact that their motives still happened to align. These yakuza had sought them out for a reason, and as much as he hated to admit it they were better equipped than him. They were probably within the mind that his agreement in helping them would only be of use to their personal goals, but depending on how he could manipulate the situation that might end up changing. For now it was officially a "joint effort." They had been very open about their plans. Chisaki had even explained the strange serum that had been shot at Mr. Compress during that fateful encounter. Truly, it was all exceedingly interesting. But now he had to deal with the next part of the discussion. It was all quite tedious.

"You never played shoji before?" The young yakuza leader asked in a somewhat condescending way, as though playing these sorts of games made him in some way more dignified. Although Shigaraki might've just been reading into it too much.

"And I'm not going to, either. Forget it, I don't even know the rules," Shigaraki said back, fighting hard to keep the growl out of his voice.

"Ah, don't say that. I'd like it if you used this opportunity to appreciate the game."

"C'mon, play!" cawed one of his followers, an obnoxious little puppet inhabiting a stuffed animal body.

"You'll be able to watch over the state of the game," Chisaki continued, much to his chagrin. "What's fun about shoji is how you can use the pieces you took from your opponent…" He set the piece on the board, and Shigaraki knew what was coming next. "I'll take Bubaigawara, Toga, and Kurogiri. If they were allowed to run around as they please, that'd make me wary."

Shigaraki scoffed. How much audacity did he have to demand half his forces?! "Oh, sure, all the useful ones. You just want to chip away at our mobility. They're the lynchpin of my whole operation! Like I could just hand them over!"

Chisaki regarded him coolly. "Let's build some trust here. Right now there's some bad blood between us. We told you our whole plan, didn't we? Now it's your turn. You Alliance guys…really value your comrades, right?"

"They're convenient to reach my goals," he muttered. He broke eye contact, taking a moment to think through this predicament. He was the one who initiated this meeting, after all. He'd expected something like this would happen. "Whatever the case, I can't afford to hand you Kurogiri. He's already doing something else for me that takes priority, and I refuse to have him abandon that just for your own needs. It's already quite selfish of you to ask for my right hand on top of the other two. Twice and Toga should be more than enough for you. You're getting greedy, don't you think?"

His eyes hardened, and the gangster's dissatisfaction brought Shigaraki back fully to attention. "Did I not just finish explaining the grand scope of my plans? If you're not properly utilizing them right now, then there shouldn't be any problem with me taking temporary charge. That way we increase our chances of success, wouldn't you agree?"

Shigaraki relented. "Fine. But not Kurogiri. Someone else. And it would be cruel to have Mr. Compress here – that's the person whose arm you destroyed, in case you don't remember. He's still bitter about that. Perhaps I can convince Spinner; he's perfectly capable, although his ideals might be a bit…"

Chisaki shook his head. His eyes glinted under the fluorescent light, as though he'd been anticipating the conversation to come to this. "None of that, thank you. You were right. I shouldn't be taking so many of the pawns you're currently using. So not Kurogiri, or anyone that would further disrupt any plans you already have in motion. So how about a security deposit?"

"…What are you getting at?"

He folded his fingers together, a smile almost certainly present behind his mask. "All of the underground has heard about your most recent stunt. What you got out of it…Fumikage Tokoyami was it? You didn't list him amongst your forces, but he was present during our first meeting. Everyone is eager to know what you've been doing with him, although I'm willing to bet that you still don't know what you're going to do with him yourself."

Shigaraki stiffened. "He's not an option. He isn't prepared to be wrapped up in these sorts of ploys. That's why I've been keeping him concealed up till now."

"But you're not using him. He's become quite famous, you know, and speculation on his role in the fight with All Might has become intense, to say the least. The underground is eager to know what became of the former UA student. And if the rumors are true, then he's a marvelous character indeed, wouldn't you agree?"

"If by that you mean horribly unstable, then yes. That's why we're working to fix that under my supervision. It's rude to stick your beak in other people's business. I can't give him to you. You've already done enough."

Chisaki tapped his gloved fingers impatiently on the arm of the couch. "If all you're doing is keeping him locked up out of sight then his potential is being wasted on you."

"You listen here-!" Shigaraki began to move from his own seat, but Overhaul's masked cronies reacted swiftly. The cold tip of a gun pressed against the back of his head, and a large muscular arm that had erupted from the stuffed animal barred him from getting any closer to Overhaul. Unlike the first time that this had happened not long ago, Overhaul didn't immediately call them off.

He sat back begrudgingly, barely keeping his composure. "What do you want with Tokoyami anyway? I can't think of any situation where you might need him… But you mentioned a security deposit?"

"Yes. You don't need to worry about me throwing someone like that into the midst of battle –"

"You already did that the last time we met with that brute of yours."

"And that was not my fault, but I digress. More to the point, I'd be more comfortable having him under my wing while Bubaigawara and Toga are off playing their roles. It minimizes the risk of betrayal for me to have direct control over another participant while the others are running around in my facility. I won't be putting him in any danger or pitting him against heroes, I assure you. It's just an extension of your trust. I'll make sure nothing bad will befall him."

"Because you won't have him. He's my responsibility. I can't just pass him off to someone like you. It reflects poorly on me as a leader."

Overhaul blinked slowly, calculating his response. He let out a sigh, as though this game was making him weary. "I don't think you understand the position you're in right now. I was kind enough to let you keep Kurogiri. You're sitting here in my domain making an awful lot of fuss, and I'm just not sure how much I appreciate it. You risk nothing by bringing Tokoyami here, and I have everything to gain. Keep in mind, this is only a temporary thing, after all. It may even be a good learning experience, who knows. But what I do know is that I want him here. And I can't let you leave until we've both agreed upon this. So tell me, what is your decision?"

Shigaraki leaned back ruefully into his seat, eyes filled with contempt. "I don't appreciate your business strategies."

Chisaki let out a soft laugh. "That's fine. After all, the most important thing is that I get what I want."