Well, where one original story arc finally ends, another ultimately returns to finish what was started. After spending so much time putting together the remainder of the Hokkaido Arc into what it now is, it felt like visiting a couple of really old and especially rowdy friends to be coming back to writing about Vukodlak and the League of Villains' misadventures in Russia in preparation for their striking the vengeful blow against Overhaul. Plus, I'm sure that with that shocking note with which I ultimately ended the Hokkaido Arc, many of you are likely chomping at the bit for an explanation, and you're all going to get that for a good number of things by the time this other original arc is ultimately finished, which I guarantee will be nowhere near as long as the Hokkaido Arc was.
Special thanks to my beta readers and consultants Jonny and Mizu; contributing fan artists Syyndev, Akane Kahomi, AliceKuroCross, and Suki-Chan2509; and most of all, to every one of you for your continued readers' patronage.
My Hero Academia is the property of Kouhei Horikoshi and Shonen Jump. I only own my original characters and the original events surrounding them.
A/N: [[]] indicates that characters are contextually speaking Russian.
Chapter 89
The Train
(Поезд)
Just outside of Alexandrov City, Vladimir Oblast, Russia
Wednesday, September 10th
The long winding forested road was often quite devoid of much life and activity compared to the major metropolitan highways; but that odd kind of natural serenity, especially at this time of year, made it all the more enticing to those whose livelihoods were dedicated to traversing the open road. Today, such was the case for the scruffy middle-aged truck driver that was driving down this very same winding way.
He'd long since taken to dedicating himself to the loneliness of silence when driving these now-less traveled countryside roads. With the extensive distances he would often have to travel for his job, it meant that there were sometimes periods where he could go more than a couple days without having spoken a word. Such isolation was easily able to lead long-distance drivers to succumb to the scourge of street hypnosis, one of the most common causes for one-in-a-million car accidents.
Hence, that was why this man often chose to occupy the silence, and better yet stimulate his mind and attentiveness, by having the radio play. However, today, the radio had decided to do away with his usual preferred music with an extensive droning news report. It had already been going with the typical political and social spiel for the last couple of hours, which was always so unbearably boring.
Now that he was just about two hours drive away from Alexandrov City, however, the radio had decided to switch its coverage to something much more attention-grabbing: [[In other news, word was recently received by authorities and government officials in Moscow, that a recent coordinated operation by local authorities and military presence in Sudogda, has resulted in the apprehension of five of the Quirked individuals that have been pinned for the recent destruction in Saransk and Mstyora; including the three surviving inmates of the latter incident. Authorities have also been given reason to believe that these criminals may have had some extensive involvement in the recent border crossing explosions that occurred across the Georgian borders a few days ago as well.
[[However, while the news of the capture of these Villains may be considered cause for celebration, we regret to inform you all that there are still two among their ranks that are yet to be accounted for. Their captured comrades will be transported to Moscow to face trial and summary punishment in the coming days; but citizens are still recommended to keep their eyes open for any other suspicious characters out on the streets, and to inform their local authorities or military installations if it is believed they could be the unaccounted Villains in question. It is believed that at least one of them could be of Asiatic origin, although no defining facial features have been ascertained as of yet.]]
With a tired grumble, the driver proceeded to start switching between radio stations, intently listening for the first sign of actual music he could listen to instead, all while muttering: [[That's typical; tell people to keep an eye out, but not give us any kind of details to actually look out for.]]
By the time he finally got a half-discernible station that had some music playing, the driver's focus returned to the long stretch of road ahead, just in time to make out the form of a single young man waving his arms on the side of the road, clearly trying to get the attention of any passing drivers. Given that this was an especially cold autumn as far as he could remember, the driver felt a strong enough twinge of sympathy for this young stranger, and thus with the turning on of a single signal, he proceeded to bring his truck to a stop, motioning from within the cab for this young hitchhiker to get inside.
As soon as he did so, breathing heavy as he brought his gloved hands to the heating vents; the driver could quickly make out that this stranger was clearly of Asian origin, with discerning brown eyes and short brown hair; but otherwise didn't look like the kind of person one should have been worried about. So with that thought put out of his mind, the driver immediately cleared his throat to prepare a welcome: [[You're quite a long ways from any kind of civilization, son. You could've likely gone a whole day without another driver finding you out here.]]
Breathing heavy into his hands and vigorously rubbing them together to build up more warmth, the young man answered: "Please forgive me, I don't speak enough Russian. Do you perhaps know English at least?"
The driver's eyes widened as he hurriedly cleared his throat in embarrassment. Upon repeating his earlier statement in decent enough English, the young stranger let out a shaky sigh from the cold. "Then I suppose I'm lucky. I've been backpacking around this country for a while. Everyone kept saying the roads in these parts are pretty remote, but I guess my daring side got the better of me."
The driver was admittedly so grateful for the surprise company, that as he b to reach for the gear shift for the vehicle, he didn't notice how his new passenger was continuously glancing past him to his window, as though he were on the lookout for something.
K-KLIK! THWIP!
Just as the driver's hand began to grasp onto the lever, the otherwise tranquil atmosphere was swiftly broken by the sound of his door being forced open, immediately followed by a thin cord wrapping itself taut around his neck, nearly wrangling him right out of his seat and onto the cold wet asphalt below.
Things proceeded to fast and urgently, the driver couldn't even get a solid look at whoever had just dragged him out of his truck. In fact, as he tried to struggle and get back on his feet, angrily cursing in Russian all the while; all he could feel as to what his assailant was doing, was wrapping that same cord around his head, midsection, arms and legs, almost as though he were being measured for a custom suit.
"Alright, I got him, now hurry up and do your thing, Compress-san!" The urgent-sounding male voice shouting in a language the driver didn't understand, sounded as though it were calling to the young man in the passenger seat. By now, he'd finally managed to get back on his feet, anxious to get a good look at whoever had just finished measuring him from out of nowhere, but before he even got the chance to spot a second person, he suddenly found the young stranger hurriedly jumping out through the open driver's side door.
In that moment as their eyes met, the stranger reached a single hand out toward the driver, and with the faintest "Thank you for your service," produced a single resonating snap of his fingers, upon which the confused and frightened old driver shrank and transformed into the single tiniest marble right where he stood, for the young man to expertly snatch in midair and tuck into his pocket.
As the young man proceeded to pull out a single black balaclava he pulled snugly over his own face, the black-and-white-clad Twice at his side was anxiously looking up and down both sides of the road, as though trying to listen for the first sign of any more vehicles. After about a minute, he hurriedly turned back to find his colleague, Mr. Compress, back in his regular dress of large brown coat, top hat and stoic-looking white face mask. "All clear! We can't stay out here all day! Take your time, please!"
"Yes, I understand. You've done all you can for me here, so go ahead and take care of yourself while I get things here in place, my friend." With that, as Mr. Compress proceeded to climb into the driver's seat of the truck, Twice continued to stand dutifully, if not a bit confusedly, in the middle of the road, before suddenly proceeding to disintegrate into a quickly evaporating puddle of black sludge, just as the magician-looking Villain began to roll the vehicle along down the road ahead, tuning the CB radio on the console to a very specific frequency all the while, which he knew he'd reached once the faintest bit of static had finally ceased.
"Vukodlak-san, my share of the plan was carried out beautifully. I'm on my way to the old depot now. How have things fared with the others?" As soon as Mr. Compress had spoken into the receiver of the radio, he was almost simultaneously met by a multitude of familiar voices, before Vukodlak himself powered through all of them in a call for order.
"Things have gone smoothly on everyone else's end as well, Compress-san. Twice-san's Copies have been doing a great job for us. Is everybody close to making it here?"
The moment Vukodlak gave the call, the chilling sound of Dabi's voice immediately answered: "Yeah, yeah, I'm on my way there. At least your little Disguising Quirk convinced the guy to stop for me at all to begin with. I got even extra lucky too, a gust of pretty good wind came by once I took care of the driver. Nobody will find those ashes anywhere on the street. You better just hope all this sidetracking shit is gonna actually amount to something, old man."
In almost complete contrast to Dabi's coldblooded boredom-induced threats, Spinner himself sounded similarly frustrated, amid the chattering of his teeth as he tried to speak: "At least you have the means to keep yourself warm whenever you want, Dabi-san! This damn cold is unbearable, and I had to have my Twice Copy be the distraction while I had to lie low in the snow for a damn hour! We can't get this plan rolling soon enough!"
"Well, then it's a good thing we found this depot as a gathering spot when we did, Spinner-san. Now everyone off the radios. Once you all get back here, we can finally get things rolling soon."
With that and Vukodlak's word, Mr. Compress hurriedly got off the frequency, focusing on finishing the rest of the journey, while likewise grateful that it wouldn't be too much farther.
And indeed it wasn't, for less than an hour later, all three Villains had finally returned to their meeting spot: a long-abandoned fuel depot with long-empty tanks and rusted girders giving the whole place a rusted industrial skeletal feel. In these parts, it was a fairly normal sight to behold if one went searching around the woods enough, and that was just good enough for what Vukodlak had in store for himself and his newly returned comrades in the League of Villains. It meant they would be able to hang around here, and no wandering eyes; as few as there would be; would ever notice anything was amiss.
Ever since having sent them out to hijack three large freight trucks on three semi-used country roads he'd made note of in the past, he and the original Twice (who was still as restless and mumbling to himself all the while as ever), he made a point of keeping watch from atop one of the taller rusted structures in the depot for a specific spot on the other side of the trees dead ahead. And by the time he'd finally heard the approach of three heavy-duty engines, followed by the trucks and their drivers' timely returns; he and Twice just as quickly descended back to the ground to meet their three comrades.
"Excellent work, everyone. This is going to make the rest of our plan go much smoother. Compress-san, for now, go ahead and compress the vehicles. We don't want to risk the running of the engines drawing any potential attention from out there." At Vukodlak's urging, Mr. Compress did exactly that, turning all three trucks into a set of three marbles he once more tucked into another of his coat pockets.
While Spinner was once more anxiously trying to build up warmth through friction on his arms, his words came out especially forced and impatient: "T-t-that's all well and good, V-Vukodlak-san…b-b-but what exactly did we have to go through getting these things for? It feels like we've been wasting p-p-precious t-time!"
Vukodlak could understand Spinner's urgency; as it was virtually the same as all the rest of the League members felt (at least, as far as he could tell when excluding Dabi, whom he was bothered to know he still couldn't get a bead on when it came to this particular mission). "I understand the confusion, Spinner-san; but fortunately we don't need to delay any longer to gather what we need. Come with me up to the top of that structure, and I'll show you all what's going to come next."
With that, and another tired groan from Twice after having only just gotten back on the ground; all the League members hurriedly ascended to the top of the same rusty structure, which provided just enough of a view over the tops of the trees in front, and thus revealing just what exactly their new target was.
On the other side of those trees was an expansive snowy clearing, lined with train rails, waiting train cars, light fixtures and a large industrial station on the other side of it all. It was a naturally imposing sight as it was, even without the advent of numerous guard towers and armed patrols, which Vukodlak was easily able to see through his Apex Predator Quirk, and thus point out for his comrades.
But this wasn't their overall objective. No, that distinction went to the most standout feature in this cordoned-off rail yard: an extensive and massive-looking olive green train, where each car looked like an elongated battle tank in and of itself in terms of the sheer heaviness of their armor, lined with wall-mounted and opposable machine gun turrets, and large anti-armor rotating cannons on every roof, supported on both sides by rooftop machine gun turrets. Even from this distance, it was easy to see that even the wheels of the train were covered by a heavily armored protective skirt of steel plates to protect them from being potentially hit by explosives tossed underneath.
"Given the circumstances we're dealing with, I'm assuming that thing's going to be what they take Toga, Shigaraki and these three friends of yours to Moscow in?" Dabi bluntly asked as soon as Vukodlak had pointed the steel behemoth out for them to observe; ignoring the clearly intimidated look on Twice's face.
Vukodlak crossed his arms as he gave a solemn nod. "Unfortunately, yes. This is where Toga-san's scent led us, and it's not even like this is the first time I've been through these parts on one of those very same monstrosities myself. This is one of the few main junctions the Russian government transports its Quirked fugitives unlucky enough to get taken alive through on the way to Moscow for trial and execution. Their routines are so sickeningly predictable; and that's what makes me as confident in this plan as I am, Dabi-san."
Unfortunately, Dabi's expression was just as cold and unreadable as ever. "That thing looks like it'd take forever to get any kind of momentum going. Who's to say we couldn't simply use those fancy Quirk-enhancing bracelets and your guns, and just lay waste to the entire place?"
To this, Vukodlak clutched his sleeves and let out an especially aggravated sigh through his teeth. "I wish it were that easy. Those trains are like mobile fortresses, and as you can see, just as heavily fortified. If we were to try something so foolhardy, not only would we get annihilated before we even got close to infiltrating the train itself, but we wouldn't be able to stop the guards inside form simply killing our people prematurely in an act of desperation; and thus this mission would be all for nothing. No, what we need is a good prolonged distraction that'll take all eyes off of us so we can get inside once the train has already left the station."
However, even for as confident as Vukodlak himself sounded, Mr. Compress sounded a touch more cautious and sensible: "Hence why we needed to go through the hassle with the trucks, correct?"
"That's right. They're going to help us even get close enough to get inside that train and actually do something at all for the others before they even get halfway to Moscow. They would most likely be keeping the ones with the far more dangerous and farther-reaching Quirks further up the length of the train where interior security will be the tightest, so someone like Toga-san or Riptide would be kept closer to the back." As Vukodlak explained all of this, Spinner shot an inquisitive glance his way.
"You just said this isn't the first time you've been through here, and you sound very confident in how they're going to have everyone arranged. Have you gotten a lot of your fellow Quirk-users taken to their deaths on those mobile fortresses before?"
However, Vukodlak was far from intimidated by the borderline accusing tone that Spinner was starting to speak with, as he didn't even give the reptilian Villain the courtesy of a sideways glance. "You can do away with the tone, Spinner-san. Yes, I've gotten a couple fugitives taken away on those things back in my days as a glorified bloodhound…and I also took a personal ride of my own on one after my first battle against Tunguska, towards death in a frigid obscure hole in that same prison we got our three fresh recruits out of. Now is that all the questions anyone has? From the looks of things, it won't be long before that train starts to move, and we'll have to act fast right along with it."
With no hesitation of his own, Dabi cast an apathetic eye Vukodlak's way; his stitched cheeks lifting in a condescending smirk. "Here's one: you said part of the reason you dragged Toga and Shigaraki out here was for that bunch of worthless rags detailing Tunguska's brat's overall lineage; since the big boss and Shigaraki are still so perplexed by that nobody, when it's All Might's little replacement they should be focusing on, on top of all the other piece of shit Heroes out there still looking for us. You got your fancy papers for the boss and the Doctor, and with all those little bonus Quirks he gave you, you could probably make for a halfway decent leader if need be. Why are you going through all this extra effort for them? Surely we could be able to do whatever it is you're thinking of doing in Moscow among just us, right? Besides, you asking us to put our skins on the line for them and a trio of total strangers we've never met? Yeah, that doesn't exactly sound like incentive to me."
To this, while Spinner was visibly nodding in agreement with the final sentiment; Twice looked positively insulted, as he took an angry step forward. "How can you be so selfish, Dabi-san?! Yeah, I don't give a rat's ass about those other three no more than the rest of you, but Shigaraki-san and Toga have both placed all their trust in all of us, in me, even after I screwed up so badly and got Magne killed! You can go ahead and sit this out if you want, but I'm not about to turn my back on our comrades, no matter what gets in the way! I'm scared shitless and I don't want to do it, you hear?!"
If anything Twice had said managed to get through to Dabi, the young man was an expert at not showing it. However, the raw emotion in the masked Villain's words inspired Vukodlak to likewise make his case: "Twice-san pretty much took the words out of my mouth. Had this all happened right around the time you'd first helped me get out of prison, I wouldn't have cared any more than you. But in the time that's passed, I've seen how strongly you all follow your own convictions and goals, and have managed to combine them all together to help make the League form a unified goal, an ideal to follow. You all have a deep and personal sense of pride that helps you envision what it is you all truly want. That's something that the world lacks so sorely, and I'm not about to turn my back on it, my own pride, or all of you, my comrades, for anything. Besides, Toga-san is my student, and a teacher doesn't abandon their student for anything. If the League of Villains is ever going to reach the level it means to, then we need to be there to fight for each other through the fires of Hell if need be."
To this, Mr. Compress proceeded to straighten his top hat and give a resounding clap of his gloved hands. "I couldn't have said it better myself, Vukodlak-san. Had there not been any true sense of comradery among us from the start, our organization would have doubtless collapsed a long time ago, like when Overhaul humiliated us like he had. Vukodlak-san doesn't want to abandon our colleagues, and I refuse to do so as well. Besides, you went out of your way to restore my arm when you easily could have left me for the Doctor's operating table. I owe you a debt, Vukodlak-san. Let our time here be my opportunity to repay it."
The genuinely grateful yet faint smile on Vukodlak's face was timed almost cosmically, as at that moment, the echo of the horn for the armored train reached the League's ears; drawing all their attention to it. The fact that Dabi wasn't straight up attacking them, or taking his leave, was about as positive a sign as Vukodlak could ask for; and none too soon, as even from this far away, they could all see that slowly but surely, the train was starting to lurch forward.
The moment Vukodlak leapt down from atop the structure to the ground, the rest of his fellow Villains followed suit. Without a moment to waste, Vukodlak was taking charge. "Alright, we have to plan as we move. Compress-san, get the three trucks back out. Twice-san, make Copies of each of the drivers you disposed of so they can drive in the directions I'm going to give. We're going to need to make use of the majority of our gun stockpile and using our Quirks in conjunction with each other in order to make this plan truly work."
As Mr. Compress hurriedly drew out the three marbles and snapped his fingers to restore them to the three docile freight trucks standing in a row facing the road, Twice was likewise focusing and conjuring up three docile Copies of three different middle-aged civilians; even though the expression on his mask was quite nervous. "But how exactly are the trucks, my Copies and the guns going to help us when we're supposed to be getting inside? I can only make so many Copies all at once, you know."
However, Vukodlak remained unperturbed as he started cracking his knuckles and the joints in his neck. "Don't sell yourself short just yet, Twice-san. So far we've seen that using your Quirk when wearing one of those enhancing bracelets has managed to make your Copies more durable…but perhaps you simply haven't been testing out your ultimate limit with one just yet. It may just provide us the edge we need for this mission."
With that, Vukodlak tossed one of the fresher bracelets from out of his pocket to Twice, who eagerly caught it in mid-air and hurriedly clasped it around his wrist. It was a long shot, he knew that already; but if there was anything it could allow him do that would help him to save their people and justify their continued faith in him, and allow him to redeem himself in the eyes of the League, then it would all be worth it.
And so, as Vukodlak, Mr. Compress, Dabi and Spinner all discussed how they were going to ultimately initiate the plan, Twice focused his Quirk and strained to put it more extensive use than he ever had before.
It had been a good several hours since Himiko had regained consciousness. It had taken a little time when the aching pains had settled in for her to remember exactly what had happened last. All she had initially been able to remember was taking a seriously heavy hit to her shoulder, so much so that it had caused her to black out from the pain.
Of course, by the time she'd realized that she'd been legitimately shot, so too had it become apparent to her that her captors had at least taken the care to put forward a half-assed medical job, patching up her wound with gauze and duct tape while she was still completely immobilized in a crude metallic body restraint device, which she'd been stuck in ever since then, even being wheeled onto this imposing-looking train in it.
Over the course of that whole heavy-handed process, Himiko had at least been given the reassuring knowledge that she was far from alone, as it hadn't been long after she'd been hooked up into place in one of the more rear-ward cars, that she saw Tomura, Bombardment, Quiller and Riptide getting wheeled in right behind her, further and further up the train in similar restraints. Of course, the only reason they weren't already running free at this very moment, was because Tomura, while likewise having regained consciousness after clearly getting his right hand blown off, was in an even more extensive restraining harness than the rest of them, with his arms extended and immobilized at just the right angle so his fingertips couldn't actually grasp onto and Decay anything.
It likewise hadn't been long after she'd seen these four familiar faces get wheeled in, that Himiko could soon feel the train start to hiss, grind and roll forward with a surely building momentum. Even despite her childlike curiosity, she didn't have to wonder for very long before naturally figuring just where these serious-looking guards were having them all taken. Given all the stories she'd heard from Vukodlak about what the Russian government did to people with Quirks these days, there was a part of her, namely her common sense, that was all but screaming that she should've been worried and trying to find a way to escape.
However, with the reminder of her mentor; with it came the realization that she hadn't seen his or Twice's faces among her fellow prisoners, which was easily the most reassuring news she could have in these circumstances. No matter how bleak her own situation looked, she couldn't possibly not have even a smidgen of hope that they would be able to find a way to get them all out of here. Even for a Villain, Vukodlak had a stoic and loyal air about him that she just couldn't help but find immeasurably cool.
And so, with her own faith in hers and the others' rescue running through her mind as the train continued on its way; Himiko's senses were focusing in on multiple different things at once, just as Vukodlak had taught her to:
First, her unsettling yellow eyes were constantly staring past the two guards intently watching her, focusing on the sight of her trusty knives and blood-sucking device resting in a pretty heavy-looking lockup instead.
Second, the more she thought about the next chance she would get to use it, and just whose blood would be lucky enough to be the next one sucked out; she found her own morbid curiosity beginning to run even wilder, as her slowly heightened sense of smell was honing in on the scent of her own blood emanating from the wound to her shoulder. What was more, as she continued to take her very own personal blood scent in; she began to wonder just what it would taste like; leaving her giving a very offsetting grin that made her two guards visibly uneasy.
And lastly, even with the continuous thunder and churning of all the train's moving parts, her ears could pick up the distinct-yet-distant sound of several voices conversing with each other further up the train. And with that, her already scatterbrained curiosity couldn't help but drive her to try and focus in on it, all the while following Vukodlak's advice to block out all other environmental sounds around her as distractions, in order to truly hear what she wanted to.
Much further up the train, Tomura was currently strapped up from the rafters above. The extent of his own injuries had left him unconscious considerably longer than Himiko or the others, but he had been just as quick on the uptake as to where he now was, and where they were undoubtedly going from here. In the time he'd been out, his captors had likewise taken the measure of wrapping up the stump of his right hand, and even tying a surgical tube around his arm in the meantime to stop the bleeding.
From there, even as he was trying to ignore the throbbing pain working up his arm, Tomura was quick to realize that his Quirk had clearly left a big impression on his captors, as he was currently being held in what almost resembled a kind of iron maiden device, with his left arm immobilized in a length-wise cage that clasped tight around his wrist so that he could not maneuver his hand to touch all five of his fingers to any of it in order to inflict it with his Decay. With no enhancing bracelet on his wrists to boot, he couldn't even try to channel his Quirk through the air like he had before. Tomura Shigaraki was at a genuine disadvantage for once.
The frustration with his current circumstances was only further compounded when he could hear the indecipherable Russian gibberish the three soldiers intently watching over him were uttering to each other. He couldn't see any sign of the soldier whose leg he had Decayed into nothing among them. With luck he'd died from the utter shock, or perhaps his comrades here had left him behind for medical treatment. It made little difference as far as Tomura was concerned. After all, the one who stood clearly the tallest among the trio, he could already recognize as the same soldier responsible for taking his right hand to begin with…and he even had the gall to have the very same satchel full of the Villain's preserved hands sitting idly in a farther corner of the car, like someone else's insignificant luggage.
Even if he couldn't speak the language, Tomura knew the soldiers before him could still understand the very emotion he was conveying through the intensity in his red eyes, as their incessant chatter had quickly gone silent, and the looks on their faces sank with an unspoken fear; no doubt helped by what they knew his Quirk could do.
For but a second, the lead soldier's right hand instinctively twitched as though to reach for the handle of his pistol, but it was only through sheer willpower that he didn't follow through, and instead proceeded to motion for his two comrades to take a step back and clearly stand on guard.
As the air in the train car continued to hang heavy and intense over all their heads, Tomura's icy cold stare burnt through the hull of the train and to the unseen horizon. While he now knew these soldiers were too terrified by his presence to actually do the sensible thing and kill him here; he similarly couldn't stop thinking back on the fact that the incessant voice in his head had told him not to fight, and instead let himself be taken.
The fact he could tell in his gut that this train was taking him where that voice needed him to go was of little reassurance, as Tomura's natural skepticism kept bringing his thoughts back to one simple fact: 'If that damned stranger's offer is no good, after all this effort and all this pain…my face is gonna be the last thing they ever see.'
The foreboding silence back in Himiko's car had failed to soften in the few minutes that had passed since the train had finally started to roll onward into the countryside. And that realization was just leaving Himiko's fanged smile all but permanently plastered on her face, and her couple of guards still visibly trembling.
But even as amusing as that sight was, it didn't make the continuous fearful silence any less boring for her, as she finally broke the silence, thinking hard on Vukodlak's Russian lessons in terms of how to actually conjugate the words she wanted: [[You two scared?]]
Both soldiers completely froze up; the looks on their faces difficult to identify as either anger or fear; but that still made no difference for her as she started giggling cheerfully in response. [[You totally are, right? It's so super duper obvious! It's like a fridge in here, but you're both so sweaty, and your hearts are beating so loud, it's like they're trying to copy the sound of the train! Ba-Bump, Ba-Bump, Ba-Bump, Ba-Bump! They're so heavy but not fast, like if someone was in love, so you gotta be scared instead!
[[But you don't gotta worry about that, you know! Those scared looks on your faces are so cute! I'm not mad or anything, either; if you let me out, I can forgive you for shooting me, too! We can all be best friends if you'd like that, I know I would! It's only right if friends bleed for each other, and you've already gotten me to do it, so we're already half-besties, right?]]
With a desperate kind of speed, the soldier to the left was already drawing his pistol from its holster, grunting through his clenched teeth: [[The hell with this, that little psychopath is mocking us! After everything she and the rest of those freaks have done, she's laughing at us?!]]
However, his partner was just as quick to put a hand over the barrel and ease his aiming arm down, refusing to even give a parting glance towards the grinning blonde schoolgirl in restraints. [[Don't listen to that little brat, man! She's just trying to get under our skin with that creepy smile and her stupid words. We can't screw this up, we gotta make sure these animals make it Moscow for the whole process. This could be the only chance for the people to see our way of dispensing justice actually works, you understand?]]
However, while the two soldiers continued whispering amongst themselves, Himiko had long since stopped listening, for something else very peculiar had grabbed her attention; the sound of heavy engines slowly but surely growing in volume, and approaching ever closer to the train, from both in front of her and behind her back on the other side of the whole vehicle. And given her circumstances, to hear such a thing coming up with such urgency had made her teasing smile turn aglow with delight, with only one possibility registering in her head as to what it could mean.
K-PREEE!
Suddenly, a high-pitched electronic alarm began echoing through all the cars of the train, causing the guards in front of Himiko, as well as the ones manning the maneuverable turrets on the walls to visibly flinch, before the guard to her right hurriedly approached what looked like an out-dated voice box on the wall, all but punching the response button: [[What the hell is it?!]]
[[Alert! We've got three 18-wheel freight trucks running down the roads parallel to the track on both sides, gaining on us quick. Good God, they're rolling like bats out of Hell!]]
The urgency in the voice of one of the rooftop gunners was undeniable, as looks of similar surprise crossed all the other soldiers' faces, with one of the wall turret guards in front of her calling back from over his shoulder: [[What the hell's going on?! I thought they'd already given word for all parallel roads to be cordoned off before we started moving! Those are the rules, aren't they?!]]
[[Yes, they are, which tells me we aren't dealing with some drunks who don't know how to read road signs.]] As soon as the guard at the voice box mentioned this, he just as quickly returned to speaking into the device itself to the gunners overhead, and across the entire train: [[Give them the mandatory warning, see if that scares them off! Give them two if you have to! If they persist after that, you have permission to fire some warning shots. If they continue, then anything after that, you have permission to open fire!]]
Before he even crossed half the distance back to his post in front of Himiko, another electronic pitch suddenly sounded from overhead, quickly followed by an amplified voice echoing from above and out to the trucks running down the parallel roads: [[ATTENTION! YOU ARE DRIVING IN CURRENTLY OFF-LIMITS TERRITORY! PUT ON YOUR BRAKES AND STOP AT ONCE! IF YOU DO NOT DO THIS, WE WILL HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO USE DEADLY FORCE!]]
At that very moment, the doors on the side of the trailers to all three trucks simultaneously slid wide open; leaving the soldiers manning all the turrets and cannons on the walls and roofs wide-eyed with disbelief, at the sight of a multitude of identical Copies of Dabi, Twice, Mr. Compress, Spinner and Vukodlak; all armed with military-grade guns, which were already aiming en masse at the sides of the train.
[[WE'RE UNDER ATTACK! ALL UNITS OPEN FIRE!]]
BRRRAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKA!
In the span of seconds, what had once been a thundering yet otherwise tranquil train ride had erupted into a mobile war zone, as every turret lining the train simultaneously opened fire just as all the Copies of the Villains did, with half the Vukodlak Copies creating Air Shields over the openings in the trucks to provide some momentary cover, while the others continued either hammering down the triggers or taking semi-accurate pot shots at the slots lining the turret mounts all along, with only the occasional bullet managing to nail a lucky hit on two or three soldiers in the process.
K-THOOM!
After a whole minute of this, a cannon atop one of the middle cars finally popped off the first shot, nailing the cabin of the single truck on the right of the train dead center, sending the entire flaming vehicles flipping and exploding into an inferno with all the Copies disintegrating inside of it.
At the same time, though, on the truck furthest to the rear on the left, one of the Spinner Copies eventually made its way to the forefront while its comrades were continuing to lay down covering fire, providing just enough for it to level a single rocket launcher over its shoulder; aiming and ultimately firing straight into the side of the rearmost car, completely destroying it, and ultimately derailing it as it broke off from the rest and went tumbling and rolling down into the lining ditch to the right in seconds.
At the same time, as both trucks to the left picked up the pace in order to proceed further up the length of the train; several of the Dabi Copies inside likewise began to lay down a barrage of their respective Fire all at once into the left sides of nearly every other car going forward, melting down every turret on the walls, as well as a few on the rooftops, as well as two of the overhead cannons in the process, with nearly every wall turret soldier getting incinerated where they stood in the process.
But even that kind of show of force couldn't go on forever, as eventually, with a few more desperate thundering rapports, a couple of the other cannons finally fired off, ultimately destroying the last two trucks, and leaving nothing but smoldering craters and flaming steel in their wake.
The soldiers knew that if they had just been hit with such a brazen attempt at an ambush by clearly Quirked terrorists, then there was no telling what else was bound to show itself, and thus they couldn't even think of bringing the half burnt rolling behemoth to a stop. If anything, all they could do was try to tend to those of them lucky enough to only be wounded, and just try to catch their breath.
However, even a heightened alertness couldn't help them now, as while their remaining vigilant eyes were scanning all along the passing countryside around them, they were still too panicked to consider looking to the sky. That was exactly what gave the League of Villains themselves the advantage, as diving down from high above, to the point of nearly being completely hidden in the clouds and the morning sunlight, came the real Mr. Compress, gliding swiftly for the roof of the now-furthest back train car, before positioning his body so that the wind current caught his coat flaps and slowed his momentum.
From there, he proceeded to dig into one of his inside pockets, and tossed a near half dozen marbles out, snapping his fingers the moment he released his grip, thus causing them all to simultaneously burst, to reveal all the rest of his fellow League members hitting the rooftop running, with Dabi immediately releasing another blue plume of Fire from his hand straight into the closest turret and the cannon right behind it, melting them both down and incinerating the soldier on the turret in the process. At the same time, Spinner made quick work of slicing a hole into the roof big enough for all of them with his twin set of swords.
Mid-sprint, Twice hurriedly sprouted off two more Copies of Dabi and Vukodlak behind himself, while the Russian Villain himself hurriedly called to his comrades: "Let the Copies take care of the outside defenses; we'll take care of the interiors and get the others out! Compress-san, you try and keep the Copies covered and take out whatever defenses out here you can!"
"With gusto, my friends!" With that and a confident tip of his top hat, Mr. Compress proceeded to open his coat in order to catch the wind and be sent gliding upward into the air again, while the Dabi and Vukodlak Copies were already soldiering their way forward across the rooftops, already laying waste to the second turret atop this specific car, before leaping right for the next one.
All the while, the real Villains themselves quickly hopped into the car through the hole Spinner had made, quickly taking in the layout of their surroundings as Vukodlak and Twice led the charge for the door to the next car in the chain. "I'll lay down Air Shields for us before each door. I can hear the men for the next several cars ahead; we've got them in a panic. That's good, because they won't be able to think clearly as to what to do for a minute or two. However, it's also bad, because it'll make them much more willing to take out our people that much sooner, so we can't afford to dilly-dally here."
"My thoughts exactly! We got all the time in the world, folks! LET'S GET OUR PEOPLE BACK!" Twice exclaimed as he was already halfway to kicking the first of the doors open; prompting Vukodlak to hurriedly build up an invisible barrier for them to proceed behind as cover into the next car.
Such precaution on his part couldn't have come at a better time, as just on the other side of the next door, they were immediately met by a duo of soldiers with automatic rifles leveled their way. The bullets began to fly the minute Twice showed his face through the doorway, and it was only through Vukodlak throwing himself in front with his Air Shield in hand, that his colleagues were able to avoid getting mowed down where they stood.
Those few seconds bought Dabi all the time he needed to step past Vukodlak's frame and throw a plume of raging blue fire forward across the floor, engulfing both soldiers and reducing them to ashes with barely a second's worth of a scream escaping from either of them; while also prompting a momentarily surprised outcry of Himiko's voice: "Hey, I'm right here, you know! Extra crispy wouldn't be a good look for me!"
As the flames already began to die down, Twice came rushing in, grabbing a nearby rifle from the floor to smash into the locks keeping Himiko's restraints intact, soon getting her free as her suspended state had her come tumbling down into Vukodlak's waiting arms. The sight of so many familiar faces, including their nostalgic newcomers, had her momentary surprise turn into yet another glowing smile as her mentor set her back down. "I just knew you guys would come back for me! You were all so amazingly cool, coming in all strong with trucks, bombs, fire and guns like that! I'm, like, the luckiest damsel in the world to get rescued like this, right? Right?"
While Twice was somehow visibly blushing through his mask and stuttering a dismissive answer of "Not a problem, rescuing you is a total burden;" Spinner was already grabbing her blood-sucking device and its attached tanks from a nearby corner, and Vukodlak had her back on her feet, and Dabi was simply trudging onward to the next door on the other end of the car.
As she eagerly donned her device and then just as quickly grabbed a couple of combat knives from the charred bodies of some of the dead turret guards; Vukodlak and the others quickly observed the heavy bandaging on her left shoulder, with the Russian Villain cracking half of an approving smirk. "Well, it's good to see they didn't hurt you enough to put you completely out of commission, Toga-san. I might not need to put Super Regeneration on you just yet after all."
With both knives at her disposal, Himiko was already squirming and giggling with delight as she hurriedly rejoined her rescuers and comrades. "Aww, were you worried about me too, Sensei? That's sooo cute, sooo sweet! You really are just a big, mean ol' softie, aren't you? C'mon, I wanna suck some blood before we leave, okay? Hey, hey, Dabi; careful, there's, like, four guys all bunched up together inside, I can hear their hearts all thumping like crazy!"
Vukodlak and Twice could both only look on at how easily and energetically she was already carrying herself after having taken a bullet to the shoulder, as she hurriedly made her way right on Dabi's tail, as he and Spinner were already getting to work on clearing out the next train car of guards.
Watching her not only easily maneuver her way past Dabi's Fire and Spinner's wall-leaping slashes in order to throw even one of her knives into a distracted guard, but to also see her already utilizing his lessons in using her strengthened senses, had honestly left Vukodlak feeling a swelling of genuine pride in the pit of his chest. It was the kind of pride that could only truly be felt by a teacher and a parent alike: the pride of knowing he was helping shape her into someone fully capable of surviving and asserting her potential strength against all odds.
With Himiko now back fighting in their ranks, the bunch of Villains was starting to make surprisingly decent headway through the next couple of cars, thanks in no small part to the support from Mr. Compress and the Dabi and Vukodlak Copies outside, as by the time they reached the second car from where she had been held; they had been met with a thick billowing and the accompanying stench of smoke, as the rooftop cannon and both turrets had been completely burnt away, with several thick laceration marks having been carved through the thick steel of the car itself, leaving a frigid chill ripping inside.
And, of course, to have witnessed some of their strongest defenses get taken out so thoroughly, had left the few soldiers foolish enough to try and stand their ground inside complete disorganized and unable to effectively conduct themselves. As such, the Villains were all able to make quick and easy work out of each one of them, all the way up to the third car from Himiko's original cell; the door of which she quickly came to a stop at, before just as hurriedly motioning for the others to stop.
However, instead of a look of caution, she had a very eager fanged smile on her face as she looked back. "Sensei, I can hear some of the others inside; that Quiller lady and Riptide-san! I think there might be five soldiers inside with them! I think their machine guns might be melted; I don't hear any of their heartbeats at the walls, other than the two of them at the right!"
Just this minute observation on its own gave Vukodlak and the others more than enough to work with, as Dabi was already maneuvering himself in the space between the two car doors, inching himself along the wall of the car towards one of the half-melted slots for the first of the wall turrets.
Chancing a peek through, he could indeed see a tight cluster of soldiers all positioned with their guns aimed at the door, and with two similar human-sized cage contraptions strapped to the wall he was just on the other side of, like the one Himiko had just been in. for the moment, it didn't seem like any of the soldiers had noticed him through the opening, and that fact brought another expectant smile to his stitched up face.
After inching his way along to the other turret slot just opposite where the people Vukodlak, Twice and Himiko had all referred to as Quiller and Riptide were supposedly restrained, Dabi now found himself just behind the five soldiers' backs, which now had him at the perfect position, as he easily slid his smoldering right hand through, and with but the slightest bit of time to aim, proceeded to unleash a merciless and precise blue flamethrower flow from his palm, devouring the whole screaming cluster before they even knew what had hit them.
The sound of the soldiers screaming as they burned to death was just about the best signal the rest of the League members could ask for, as Vukodlak hurriedly stepped through to find the pile of ashes and charred bones amid the blue flames, and finally Riptide and Quiller both wide-eyed and trying to inch as far back within their restraints as they could in response, with fear of having gotten burned themselves.
Of course, the moment they both saw the familiar faces of Vukodlak, Twice and Himiko, that fear turned into outright shock, even as Spinner and Vukodlak hurriedly busted the locks. [[Holy shit, Vukodlak; you all actually came back for us? Wait, who the hell is the lizard here? Who among you is the one doing all that freaky shit with the blue fire?]]
Before Vukodlak could even think of humoring the female quill-haired Villain's questions, the opposite door swung open hard, revealing the naturally intimidating form of Dabi as he casually returned to his comrades' sides, not even giving the two newly freed Villains a moment's attention. "Well, we got your little tag-along friends, Vukodlak. Happy now?"
"You know, you probably could've just gone ahead of us and just took care of whatever forces were keeping Shigaraki-san under lock and key, Dabi-san. We probably could've figured out a way around this lot ourselves just as easily." Vukodlak bit back with no raise in his volume to indicate any kind of real frustration with the fiery Villain's attitude; which simply left the young man smirking in realization of the kind of air he was trying to put on.
[[Um…should we perhaps introduce ourselves, and then focus on getting out of here? I mean, we're all in the same boat right now, and there's bound to be way more soldiers coming this way if we stop too long.]] "Vukodlak-san, Dabi-san, we don't have time for shitty attitudes and butting heads; Shigaraki-san still needs rescuing, too!" Riptide and Twice both simultaneously tried to interject; the former quickly realizing how futile such a suggestion was with the language barrier, and both Vukodlak and even Himiko being in no position to bother translating.
However, before Vukodlak could acquiesce either Villains' suggestion and urge them all forward, he suddenly felt Himiko's little hand urgently tapping him on the shoulder; and when he looked back, he could for once see an actual look of curious concern in her yellow eyes, currently looking to the ceiling. "Hey, Sensei, do you also hear a chopping noise behind us right now?"
At such words, Vukodlak now found himself, alongside everyone else, looking upwards as well, and just as she'd said it, the churning of the train was now being joined by a much faster, mechanical whooping sound in the air; a sound that had all their senses of alertness spike at once, just as a series of piercing hissing sounds likewise followed: "IT'S A MiG!"
With not a moment to spare, Vukodlak, Spinner and Twice urgently grabbed onto Dabi, Quiller and Himiko respectively, with Riptide already throwing himself into a high-speed forward roll right alongside them, using the razor sharp fins lining his back to slice through the steel doors of this car and the one after like butter; thus providing them the opening to let their momentum fling them right through, just before the car they were just in erupted into a furious fireball of high-flying steel and wood.
With that entire car, and a whole third of this current one blown apart by such a powerful explosion, the Villains all desperately looked back to find, just as Vukodlak had realized, that there was a fast-flying and very bulky looking military helicopter right on their asses; with all of them resting square in the pilot's sights.
[[Dammit, your guys' little assault must've prompted the soldiers to call for backup from the station we just left! Who knows how many more reinforcements could be coming with this guy?!]] Quiller spat angrily, already getting back onto her feet as the opposite door of this current car already burst open for another quartet of soldiers to come rushing in with their guns drawn.
However, with all of their adrenaline rushing at an all-time pace, Vukodlak was quick to respond by throwing both his hands up at both sides in an upward arc, projecting two tall Air Shields to take the brunt of gunfire from the soldiers and the helicopter's guns alike, while Dabi just as quickly reacted by sending two far-reaching plumes of Fire into the air, creating a burning hot veil to cut off all their enemies' lines of sight upon them, just long enough for Riptide to come leaping through the air from off of the still crouched Spinner's shoulders, and over one of Vukodlak's shields, before meeting the ground in a buzzsaw-like roll across the floorboards, carving right through it with his fins as he rolled at breakneck speed straight for the soldiers as they tried to either reload or clear the scattered jams from their guns.
With a chorus of blindsided screams, Riptide proceeded to leap up from the ground and start tearing right through them like tissue paper with his fins, webbed hands and shark-like teeth. That gut-reaction of a diversion managed to free up enough room for Vukodlak to throw up another invisible shield between themselves and the MiG behind them, just enough to take on the remainder of its machine gun fire before it would ultimately have to stop to keep from overheating.
But that didn't stop the pilot from letting loose with another pair of missiles, both headed straight for the Villains at full force. The sight of this oncoming threat sent Dabi into a split-second rush, as he all but shoulder-tackled anyone else who was in his way, and immediately threw both his hands up to send another eruption of blue fiery death through the air, melting both missiles down in a heartbeat and causing them both to explode prematurely; sending himself and nearly everyone else tumbling back further into the half-destroyed car, but fortunately also forcing the pilot to pull up in order to get some kind of distance between himself and his own exploded ordinance.
And that momentary distraction Dabi had just provided, ultimately proved to be just what the Villains all needed, as with the pilot too momentarily focused on not getting himself blown, Quiller now had the chance to act herself, as she too came sprinting down the way they had come. With a few spring-jumps off some big enough footholds provided by the torn up chassis of the train car, she gave herself enough air time to pluck two handfuls of her quills from the back of her head, line up her subsequent throws, and send the deadly spear-like projectiles of her Quirk straight through the windshield and into the rotors; skewering the pilot like a pin cushion, and jamming up the gears enough so that the helicopter quickly came crashing down onto the tracks behind the train like an exploding metal rock.
With the speed the train was going by this point, Quiller's high-jumping action had left her in a position where her momentum was going to leave her crashing down onto the rails behind the train, ultimately getting herself left behind at best. But, miraculously, the moment she realized this, she suddenly felt her waist getting wrangled by something, before just as roughly getting yanked back and downward, back into the relative safety of the now-rearmost train car with all the others.
"WOOOO! That was so super awesome, Nee-chan! You were just like a real ninja back there! Twice might have the look, but you got the actual skill!" The unmistakable excitement in Himiko's voice made it clear to Quiller, even in her confusion, that the young girl and Vukodlak together had used the tube of her blood-sucking machine to wrangle her right out of the sky and ultimately save her hide.
Looking back in that same astonishment, she likewise saw that Riptide and Spinner were both just wrapping up taking care of another small number of soldiers that had tried to get the drop on them while they'd been dealing with the previous bunch; as the whole rear end of the car was now all but coated in blood, with Spinner cleaning off his swords, and Riptide wiping off his mouth and webbed hands.
It took a moment for Quiller to realize that Vukodlak and Himiko were both trying to get her back onto her feet. Once she was, she let out a notably heavy sigh, visibly trying to figure out the words to say, before ultimately giving up and offering an embarrassed head pat to Himiko in reluctant thanks; even muttering [[Thanks, kid]], which left her squealing with excitement, while Vukodlak and Twice both looked particularly surprised the veteran Villain would do such a thing.
All the while, Dabi was simply loosening himself up as he overlooked the remnants of carnage both foreign Villains had left in order to save all of them, which ultimately prompted him to at least approach Vukodlak with the same apathetic look in his eyes. "Alright, so those two aren't entirely as useless as I thought; don't start getting all smug, old man. Now how much further do you think we have to go?"
Having been mentally counting how many cars they had already worked their way through in comparison to how long the train had looked taking off from the station, Vukodlak was quick to answer: "We should be just around two-thirds of the way through by now. As long as those Copies of ours haven't been destroyed yet, it should make traversing the rest of the way easier. It'd just be nice to know if we'll be getting to Bombardment or Shigaraki-san first."
The sound of Bombardment and Tomura's names in particular got a realized jolt out of Riptide, as he hurriedly rejoined Vukodlak and Dabi: [[Did you just say Bombardment? He and that Shigaraki guy were with Quiller and me, up until we got locked up back there. I heard some of the guards talking about taking Shigaraki to the front-most car where the security would be heaviest, with Bombardment just about the second car over from that. I think it might be because of how much more of a range their Quirks have, you know; makes them way more of a threat. I'll bet they separated him from us so he wouldn't try and turn one of us into a surprise bomb to help him escape with.]]
As soon as Vukodlak finished translating for the sake of his comrades, Twice and Dabi were already taking charge into the next car, which mercifully had been left empty after the last bunch of soldiers had tried to attack Riptide and Spinner. However, just as they reached the door for the next car over, Vukodlak and Himiko both dashed forward and grabbed the two leading Villains by the shoulder, stopping them both in their tracks.
"Don't rush, you two. There's more than just a few soldiers in there…and more. Toga-san, you hear it too, don't you?" Even just from glancing her way, Vukodlak could see the focused intensity in Himiko's eyes towards the door ahead, already instinctively pulling Twice back. "You bet I do, Sensei. There's a lot of talking in there…and I think that pointy-mustached baldy is in there with them."
Just as soon as Himiko opined that Bombardment was on the other side of that door, she and Vukodlak both picked up the distinct sound of multiple heart rates skyrocketing from within; something that instinctively drove Vukodlak to all but toss Dabi back behind himself before throwing up another two Air Shields flush to the doorway.
BKOOM!
In an instant, the entire wall and door exploded outward into their faces in a massive fireball, destroying the link between cars and sending burning hot steel debris flying everywhere. For once, there was no doubt among any of the watching Villains that, if it hadn't been for Vukodlak's quick thinking and Himiko's warning, they all easily could've been killed by such an explosion.
However, the already apparent loss of momentum in what was left of their train car drove them all to hurry and leap out the nonexistent door frame into that of the half-destroyed current car, bathed in rancid burning smoke for all of a few seconds before ultimately clearing up, revealing the familiar form of the bald-headed mustachioed Bombardment standing tall amid the destruction his Quirk had just wreaked, in the form of numerous scorched or scattered apart bodies of soldiers all over the floor, with what little was left of one still clutched in his hand and held in front of himself like a human shield.
[[Dammit, man; do you ever think things through when it comes to that Quirk of yours?! We come all this way to bust you out, and you nearly kill all of us!]] Quiller spat angrily the moment Bombardment tossed his dead shield aside, only momentarily looking similarly surprised to see Vukodlak, Twice and Himiko back in action with his fellows; before his eyes just as quickly shifted to the unfamiliar faces of Dabi and Spinner.
[[This whole train attack supposed to be your idea, Vukodlak? If so, not half bad. Takes some real guts to take on one of these damn things from the outside. Who…who're the new guys? More foreign friends of yours?]]
To no one's surprise, Dabi looked to be the one most ready to engage in a stare down with the bald Villain; both of them clearly getting a bad feeling from one another, before Vukodlak swiftly stepped in between, ignoring the rushing smoke, embers and flying scraps of paper all over the air. [[That's right; and they've been continuing to prove themselves just as capable as I said the League was from the start, Bombardment, so any reservations you have, kindly pin them down for now and let's keep moving. After that MiG, there's no telling what other kinds of backup the men at the rail yard could be sending after us, so let's hurry and get Shigaraki-san back and get out of here.]]
The urgency of time being against them thankfully spurred the rest of the Villains to get a move on towards the next door, with Bombardment continuing to stare his fellow Russian and Dabi specifically with annoyance and distrust respectfully, before finally letting out a resigned sigh that the man was ultimately right.
However, as he too began to follow on this single path towards freedom, trailing in the back, Spinner suddenly snatched up a handful of the small papers billowing out in the wind, looking them over curiously, before ultimately following the air flow carrying them all the way to a few heavily burnt duffel bags near the now open edge of the car.
"Hey, these soldiers were carrying a whole bunch of money in here. Vukodlak-san, I thought you said these trains were meant for prisoner transport." The confusion on the reptilian Villain's face was quickly matched by Vukodlak himself, as he too turned to Bombardment with an inquisitive look in his silver eyes. [[If this was the car you were being transported in, then you must know. Why would these soldiers have bags of money with them at a time like this? They never used these trains for that before.]]
Looking to the bags themselves, Bombardment sighed and shook his head. [[I doubt they would've told me even if I'd asked. Maybe the government's just getting that desperate for just a little more green for the treasury; that they've taken to multitasking. Who knows and who cares now? It's not like you guys would have any use for them after everything we've done out here already. Now come on, do you wanna get that wrinkle-faced friend of yours out of here or not?]]
Bombardment's sudden adaptation to the rest of their urgency simply didn't sit right with either Vukodlak or the rest of his comrades, but once more did their real circumstances keep them from having the luxury to dwell on it, as they all hurried on their way further up the train towards freeing Tomura at last; none of them ever having taken their time in this one mangled car to notice how the man-sized and shaped cage like Himiko, Riptide and Quiller had been locked up in before, never even looked to have been opened, let alone busted out of.
As the nearly endless thundering machine guns, cannon fire and explosions continued steadily working their way further and further up the length of the train, with more than a few deafening cacophonies of mangled steel and crashing sprinkled throughout; it hardly took any time at all for the remainder of soldiers in the preceding cars to finally come rushing en mass through the last passenger car holding Tomura in his restraints from the rafters; the white-haired Villain silently observing the utter panic on their faces, in their body language and in their desperate-sounding tones all the while.
[[Nearly all the roof turrets and cannons have been destroyed, and we've lost all the ones lining the walls! These animals are unstoppable, and they've got three of the prisoners fighting on their side now!]] Even with the language barrier, the sheer panic lining one of the soldiers' voices pretty much told Tomura everything he could have possibly guessed as to what was going on.
And yet, even in the face of that, the same grizzled soldier that had taken his right hand was maintaining an especially hardened composure, as he slapped a hand upon the shoulders of three other soldiers amid the terrified throng, reaffirming their grips on their rifles. [[The four of us will fortify our position here. The rest of you activate the electric grid and seal yourselves in the engine car. The driver has already informed us of calling for reinforcements to intercept at the bridge ahead! If anything should happen to us, you're the last line of defense before this train gets there! These bastards aren't going to get away with this!]]
The very moment after he urged for the other soldiers to flip a nearby switch and retreat to the engine car ahead, a series of thumping footsteps began to echo from overhead; the telltale sign of people traversing via the roof, quickly punctuated by the roar of fire that resulted in several agonized screams from the turrets and cannon stations above.
However, even the sound of his fellow soldiers burning to death in their turrets did nothing to break the leading soldier's resolve, as he swiftly leveled an especially powerful-looking rifle in his hands towards the roof, and proceeded to hold down the trigger; the resulting barrage of armor-piercing gunfire deafening inside the train car, as he riddled the roof into Swiss cheese in a matter of seconds. As soon as his firing stopped, Tomura could already hear the telltale hissing and melting sound of what had to be one or more of Twice's Copies disintegrating on the other side of the roof.
With their continuous progress and the systematic removal of their rooftop defenses having finally set in, Vukodlak and all his fellow Villains now found their progress up the next two cars of the train to go by at a much quicker pace, as save for the odd bullheaded and valiant fool who tried to make a final stand, nearly all the other soldiers had finally started running further and further up and away from them, like a pack of terrified livestock; ultimately slamming the door to the second to last car right in their faces.
"That's gotta be the car they're holding Shigaraki-san in! C'mon we can end this right now!" Spinner and Twice both exclaimed with utter fervor; the former all but launching himself from the wall he was affixed to, ready to slice straight through the door with his swords. But the moment before he could make impact with it, Vukodlak swiftly grabbed him by the collar of his red ninja outfit and nearly drove him into the floor.
Spinner's instinctive exclamation of confused anger fell silent when he saw the urgent look in Vukodlak and Himiko's eyes alike, answered as the Russian Villain muttered: "All of you listen to the door. They were just waiting for us to come barging in like we have been."
At his word, Himiko and Twice both approached the door, and before they could even get within a foot of it, they could both hear a pronounced electronic buzzing emanating from the other side of it. Finally, Himiko confirmed with an anxious nod: "Yeah, yeah, he's right, he's right! They got the door all electrified for us! Spinner, you could've ended up grilled lizard if it weren't for Sensei!"
While Spinner quickly got back to his feet, Dabi simply stepped through for the door, his hands already ignited into two blue fireballs. "And why are we letting that stop us? Let me just melt the damn thing and we can—"That'd take just those few seconds too long, Dabi-san. The soldiers on the other side are waiting for us to do that, and since we can't just barrel through, it'd give them just that much time to put a bullet in Shigaraki-san's head."
This thankfully seemed to convince the black-haired young Villain to diffuse his fire and take a contemplative step back, for once leaving the whole Villainous bunch to contemplate their next move, just before a rhythmic tapping at the ceiling drew all their eyes to see Mr. Compress perched patiently at the edge, watching all of them.
"All of the outdoor defenses have been taken care of, and not a moment too soon; my Copied backup have both been destroyed by however many soldiers are inside the last car before the engine. Oh, and these must be Vukodlak-san's three previously mentioned new recruits for us. If you wouldn't mind terribly, please let them know I'm a friend and that I bid them welcome, Vukodlak-san, would you?"
Even before Vukodlak could finish easing his three fellow Russian's apprehensions at the sight of yet another new face in their group, Twice was already impatiently shouting up to their magician-suited counterpart: "Oi, Compress-san, we got a problem! Those bastards got the whole car wired up with electricity so we can't get in! you think you could be able to blow a hole in as a distraction or a way for us to get in otherwise?"
The confident way with which Mr. Compress nodded at the idea set everyone else's hearts at ease, as Bombardment spied a nearby wrench and took it into his hand, focusing his Quirk into it for but a second before tossing it up to his fellow Villain. [[Vukodlak, tell him to just shout down when he throws it so I can activate my Quirk in time.]]
As soon as Vukodlak finished translating, and Mr. Compress gladly took the wrench and quickly turned it into another marble, he was already once more taking off into another glide to match the speed of the train, while the rest of the Villains took the initiative of climbing up onto the roof of their car in preparation.
As soon as he saw they were all ready, Mr. Compress proceeded to toss his new marble straight for the side of the next car, snapping his fingers mid-throw so it turned back into the same wrench. The moment Bombardment saw it return in mid-air, he too quickly snapped his fingers, and with another thunderous BKOOM, the tiny tool exploded into a large fireball, tearing through steel and wood with ease, and forcing the rest of the Villains down to the roof to avoid getting hit by any shrapnel, before looking forward with delight to see a hole now in the side just big enough for them to jump in through.
At the very same time as the explosion had gone off, the shrapnel and heat sent the small cluster of waiting soldiers sprawling to the ground in surprise, with several pieces of debris managing to miraculously smash into the supports keeping Tomura's man-cage suspended in the air, snapping them in twain and sending him smashing to the floor, but thankfully just hard enough for him to quickly realize the floor was now within grasp of his left hand.
With the area of effect detail of his Quirk in mind, the wrinkle-faced and grinning Villain immediately planted all five of his fingers to the floor; the surface already beginning to age, crack and disintegrate in a rapidly spreading area, before ultimately starting to rust and destroy the steel restraint around his left arm. The moment he could feel his arm was finally free, Tomura then immediately took his hand from the floor and put it to the head of his cage, rotting it away ever downward until his whole body was finally free again. It was only by virtue of the stinging smoke of the explosion and the persistent ringing in all the soldiers' heads, that they didn't immediately notice what their most dangerous captive had just done.
They sadly didn't even get the chance to realize just how utterly screwed they were, as before any of them could even stand up straight again, they quickly found themselves being jumped by over a half dozen more Villains leaping in through the hole in the wall and roof of their car; Quiller immediately skewering one with multiple quills to the head and chest, Vukodlak slashing another across his throat with his claws, and a third being nearly sliced in half by Riptide diving in and cutting him down with his back fins.
It was through sheer miraculous luck that the finally-terrified leading soldier had scrambled out of the way from this massive attack in time to hurriedly get back to his feet and level his rifle at the first Villain to get in his sights. And just as he was about to line the barrel on Twice and pull the trigger…
…he suddenly felt the strangest, and quickly the most agonizing kind of pain start tearing its way into his lower back and forward, as though his entire stomach was crumbling apart by the second in the wake of whatever was burrowing its way through him. And upon looking down, his whole face went white as a sheet as he saw Tomura Shigaraki's left hand protruding from out of the dried out and crumbling hole in his stomach.
With that same twisted grin of sadistic delight upon his cracked and scarred lips, Tomura proceeded to plant his fingertips onto the edge of the hole in his enemy's stomach, sending his Decay slowly further and further up the last soldier's body, and wrenching his arm further up with it, slowly but surely Decaying and tearing his way up and up before finally slicing his arm completely free through the disintegrating mass that was once the soldier's head; effectively tearing the man that had taken his right hand in half up the middle, and leaving a pair of legs and nothing but dust beside them.
As Tomura breathed deep the delectable air of freedom, he looked upon all the faces before him of his fellow League members and their three potential recruits; all of them simply looking glad that he was back with them, or at least glad to know that with his being freed, they could leave. "Thank you all. When I saw that not all of us had been taken in by these bastards after that ambush, I knew we could still come out of this on top. I assume it was Vukodlak-san that made the call to have the rest of you brought all this way?"
As Tomura asked this, he was already anxiously making his way to the farthest corner of the car, where the duffle bag containing his assortment of disembodied hands was fortunately laying, still in one piece. As he hefted it back over his left shoulder, Dabi answered bluntly: "Yeah, he did; but maybe we can save all the thanks and grandstanding for a later time."
Surprisingly, Vukodlak looked to be in complete agreement: "Dabi-san's right, I'm certain I overheard one of these soldiers saying something about reinforcements on an upcoming bridge waiting to get the drop on us, just before we'd gotten to the door. There's no further reason for us to stay here."
Taking this new emergency into consideration, Mr. Compress up above took that chance to stand upright and try to get a good look at the terrain up ahead, but it fortunately didn't take him long to realize something as he called back down to his colleagues: "I think I see the beginnings of a ravine ahead; that must mean this dubious bridge is coming. All of you please make haste up here and I can get us to safety and buy us a little extra time."
As soon as everyone had done as he'd suggested, Mr. Compress wasted no time turning Twice, Spinner, Vukodlak, Himiko and Tomura into a series of marbles he swiftly took into his pockets, and quickly realizing the apprehensive looks on the three other foreign Villains' faces at just what they were going to have to put themselves through to get out of here; their gazes continuously switching between him, and the ever-approaching ravine ahead of the soft turn in the rails.
Thankfully, in the end, reason won out, as their looks of resignation quickly inspired Mr. Compress to turn them likewise into marbles, and finally setting his attention on Dabi; who clearly understood what his colleague was about to ask of him again, but not before being presented with another single marble from under the magician's glove. "When I give the word, Dabi-san, throw this with all the strength you can in the train's trajectory, and then launch us with your flames."
As much as Dabi resented being outright told what to do, he couldn't deny being just the slightest bit curious as to what Mr. Compress had in mind. Fortunately for them both, he wouldn't have to wait long, as the moment the train stopped making its turn and the rail straightened once more, they could finally see the extensive steel bridge connecting both sides of the ravine, with a sizeable military garrison mounted up on the other side and halfway across, with several soldiers just barely visible on some of the steel girders.
"Now, Dabi-san!"
At the command, Dabi reared his strong arm back and threw the tiny marble straight ahead in front of the train with everything he could physically muster, before immediately using his momentum to swing himself into a preparatory crouch, waiting for Mr. Compress to grab onto his shoulders, and immediately shooting flames from out his downward-aiming hands the moment he felt that grip, launching them both straight up high into the air, before Compress proceeded to quickly turn Dabi into one last marble, and then spread the wings of his coat, once more gliding with the utmost grace as far away from the train and the bridge as possible…
…but not before giving a final snap of his fingers, causing that one wayward marble now sitting in the middle of the track to suddenly return back to a single large freight truck, which immediately proceeded to get plowed into by the train, derailing it and tearing through all the supports of the bridge like tissue paper, causing it and the bridge altogether to go collapsing mercilessly into the deep ravine below, sending all the waiting soldiers atop it plummeting to their doom, and leaving the remainder of their forces on the other side with no means to actively pursue the tiny speck of a man that was still now gliding through the air towards freedom.
With the high aerial boost that Dabi's launch had provided, Mr. Compress was able to glide for about a good half hour before finally touching down in a comfortably thick patch of woodlands a good number of kilometers away from that ravine and bridge; certainly far enough away that there was no feasible way any of those soldiers back there could have been able to pinpoint just where he had ultimately touched down. What was even better was that this little spot even bore the long abandoned shell of an ancient church, thus providing some decent shelter for them to really be able to regain their bearings and catch their breath in.
Once inside, he quickly took all the marbles of his fellow Villains out and summarily restored them all to normal. While all the League members looked to be completely unshaken by the experience of being turned into some of his marbles; the three new Russians all looked to be struggling to really get the feeling back in their limbs, and stop their heads from spinning, with Bombardment being the only one to actually look as though he could already see straight, currently looking at the magician Villain himself. [[That…you…w-without permission…you don't EVER do that to me again.]]
Of course, he couldn't maintain such a threatening posture long, as he suddenly became overwhelmed by the urge to vomit, sprinting out the doorway and into the nearest bushes, while Riptide and Quiller both collapsed into a nearby pew, needing to try and steady their breathing and fight their respective nausea from the experience.
While they were all doing so, the actual League members themselves all quickly gathered up together at the empty podium spot at the other end of the church, with Vukodlak quickly taking the chance to finally put his hands on Himiko and Tomura's shoulders. "It's a real relief to finally have you both back with us, Shigaraki-san, Toga-san. And all the rest of you…well done. I knew you'd all be able to help us carry this job out splendidly. I honestly feel like a fool for having ever doubted you all."
Of course, Vukodlak expressing such relief for her presence had Himiko grinning from ear to ear, but now that the adrenaline had long since worn off, she couldn't ignore the stinging pain of the bullet wound in her shoulder; the very same one Vukodlak had placed his hand upon, thus forcing her to suck in a pained breath through her teeth, even as she was still trying to convey her childish excitement and glee: "Hey, you're the one that knew what to do in the first place, Sensei. If you and Tomura were both in charge, we'd be unstoppable, you know?"
Of course, such fanciful words were wasted, as her pained reaction had finally forced her fellow Villains to take note of her poorly bandaged shoulder wound, and the fact that Tomura's right arm was devoid of a hand, and was similarly poorly wrapped up. And of course, it was Twice and Spinner that were the most vocal in their concern: "Those sadistic sons of bitches, why the hell wouldn't they even give you proper medical treatment? Even wild dogs are given better treatment than this!" "Damn right, it's inhumane, even for Villains like us! Vukodlak-san, can't you hurry and use that Super Regeneration of yours?"
Thankfully, Vukodlak was already on the move, removing the duct tape and gauze from Himiko's shoulder and placing his palm over it, focusing the healing Quirk he had been given into it; all while Tomura bitterly looked to his stump of an arm, grimacing bitterly to himself. "Those animals could've easily just left me to bleed to death after what they did…but I guess their lords and their public all need their little pounds of flesh from me all the same, don't they?"
Just as Dabi was about to suggest for Tomura to not talk in order to save his strength, Himiko drew the League's attention by suddenly reaching up to grab Vukodlak's collar; an especially anxious look in her wide yellow eyes. "Hey, hey, you guys! I didn't get a chance to say anything before…but there's something I think I overheard from back at the train I gotta tell you all, from right before we got that crappy baldy back. Sensei, maybe you might've heard it too…"
Back near the entrance of the church, Riptide and Quiller had both thankfully overcome their nausea, just the same as Bombardment had finally finished voiding the contents of his stomach after the delirious experience of being turned into a marble and back. And in the time since he had rejoined his fellow trio of wayward Villains, they had all taken to observing the closely clustered interactions of Vukodlak and his bunch of Japanese comrades, whispering quietly between each other.
However, where there had once been all around distrust and indifference; now at least Riptide and Quiller seemed to have visibly softened up in their body language towards them, especially as the aquatic Villain had wasted no time stating: [[You know, maybe we might've had that bunch figured all wrong. I mean, Vukodlak did say they were more tight knit than your average Villain gang, like they were going for bigger and grander goals. The fact they pulled a train assault like that has gotta prove they're on the level, right?]]
Similarly, Quiller had a more inquisitive look in her eyes, but was still slightly nodding in agreement nonetheless: [[You're definitely not wrong there. I mean, they easily could've gone for saving that little girl and that wrinkle-faced freak and just left the three of us to rot…but they didn't, even though all those new guys didn't know us from a hole in the ground. When was the last time any of us ever considered Villains having that kind of loyalty to each other before?]]
Of course, to neither of their surprise, it was Bombardment who looked to still be keeping his emotional and mental guard up, as he kept his shoulders hunched similarly. [[I don't know…but that doesn't change the fact we're all still free and breathing because of what they did. Vukodlak and that Shigaraki guy both said they needed all of us together for whatever this big scheme of theirs in Moscow is gonna be…and I have to admit, just the last couple of days have been a hell of a lot more exciting since we got picked up by them. I'm definitely more than a little curious to see just what it is they've got in mind…and there's never been any time like the present to find out.]]
And with that single prompt, Bombardment was already leading the trio towards the rest of the League, who had already noticed their approach, with Dabi and Spinner both instinctively starting to inch forward defensively, just in case. Seeing this, Bombardment held his hands up in a peaceful gesture. [[Hey, Vukodlak, let your friends know we aren't looking for trouble here, alright? We just wanted to know if you'd be willing to let us in on the details of this big plan of yours in Moscow that needed us to help you.]]
After hurriedly translating for the others, Vukodlak just as quickly answered: [[We'll tell you what you want to know in time, Bombardment. Right now, let me just focus on getting Shigaraki back in one piece.]]
Just as he began to reach for the stump of his right arm, though; Tomura suddenly pulled it away, leaving everyone looking visibly stunned, while he himself had an expression that only could have been described as completely focused: "Not yet, Vukodlak-san. I…I need to speak to Sensei, first. He deserves to know exactly what we have to do from here. Do you still have that radio and cellphone for reaching Kurogiri-san with you?"
With that, Mr. Compress pulled out yet another trusty marble, and with a snap of his fingers, the makeshift radio was perched comfortably between the encircled Villains, with Tomura already grabbing the attached phone once it was flipped back on.
With the dutiful timing of the most loyal of soldiers, Kurogiri had already answered before even a second ring could sound, with Tomura cutting right through the formalities the moment he heard the click of the other side being picked up: "It's me, Kurogiri-san."
"Shigaraki Tomura-san, what an immense relief it is to hear your voice again, and you don't seem to be in too terrible of shape from the sounds of it as well. Am I to take it this means you want me to Warp you and the others back to headquarters?"
Even as Tomura's expression never even flinched, his one hand gripping the phone only slightly shook as his grip tightened in impatience. "No. I need you to get in touch with The Doctor and have him signal Sensei to reach out to us. We need to speak with him as soon as possible."
Click
With that, Tomura ended the call just as quickly as he had started it, and for a few very heavy-feeling minutes, all the Villains could do was wait in asphyxiating silence, with Tomura breathing deep to steady himself once more, especially hopeful that All For One was preparing to speak to him and his comrades through their minds even at this very moment.
Of course, the reasons for this unsettling silence were completely lost on the three foreign recruits, as Riptide momentarily cleared his throat to get their attention: [[I'm sorry, Vukodlak, but what exactly are you all doing, just standing here and doing nothing?]]
Vukodlak never even took his eyes off Tomura as he answered out the corner of his mouth: [[Shigaraki is getting us in contact with the League's real leader elsewhere so we can finalize the details of our Moscow plan, so please keep your questions to yourselves until I say otherwise. You'll know just as much as us before this day is through.]]
And Vukodlak's warning words couldn't have come at a better time, as within seconds of his last syllable, all of the League members could just feel the powerful sound of All For One's voice echoing fully within their heads, almost as though he were speaking right into their ears without a single person outside of his direct attention hearing it: "Shigaraki Tomura…Vukodlak-san…everyone, it truly feels like it's already been far too long since last we spoke. What exactly has happened that would drive you all to seek me so doggedly from out of nowhere? Has there been any particular trouble on your little excursion you weren't prepared for?"
Even if Tomura's body showed no physical reaction to match; the mental voice he projected came across as tired and troubled: "There've been a great number of things we haven't been fully prepared for, Sensei; but we've faced them down together nonetheless, and have become that much stronger for it. The people in this country are bold for having no Quirks on their side, they actually managed to get the drop on us yesterday, took one of my hands and had me and Toga locked up to be taken to Moscow for execution…but Vukodlak-san was able to have Kurogiri-san send all the others here, and now we're free once more. Now it's time for us to finally bring our trip to an end and bring about our mission in Moscow at last."
The mental laugh of genuine amusement and pride that began to echo through all their heads was naturally unsettling for some of the League members to hear; making it especially easy to imagine the excited smile All For One had to be wearing right now to hear his disciple speak with such confidence: "Your faith and sense of comradery with the others has truly taken root in you already, Tomura; this is splendid. They already believe in you as a leader enough to put their lives on the line for you and work together even in your absence. I knew you would be able to impress yourself upon them as such…but surely you didn't go to all this effort to reach me for something as simple as an update on your progress. I can sense some particular unease on your mind right now. What is it?"
Tomura breathed deep in preparation as he finally answered: "Ever since we first came to this part of the world, Sensei; there's been a presence that's been following me around, prodding into my head and speaking out to me. I don't know who or what it could be, but it reaches in and speaks to me with just as much ease as you are speaking to all of us right now. It somehow knows my name, about you, and your offers and promises to help make me stronger…and it keeps promising me the very same thing. It's been telling me to come and find its source this entire time; it even told me to simply let those soldiers from yesterday take me, as it would bring us closer. That tells me it has to be somewhere in Moscow. After that, there's no way in hell I'm leaving here without finding out just who this thing is and why it's so insistent about trying to meet me."
Having been informed of this strange development in Tomura's mind from the start; it was quite a sight for Vukodlak, Himiko and Twice to see the looks of surprise on Dabi, Spinner and Mr. Compress' faces, with the former looking particularly suspicious that Tomura was going downright insane, even despite everything they'd witnessed thus far in this crazy world of theirs.
But whereas they all looked surprised, the tone of All For One's voice couldn't have been any more genuinely curious if he'd tried to actually hide it: "Hmm…very interesting, Tomura; very interesting indeed. I must admit, your story has me quite curious to meet this enigmatic visitor of yours for myself as well. It's but a shame I can't be there at your side for when you do finally manage to track them down."
To this, Tomura's one hand clutched into a shaking fist. "That's just it, Sensei; even with all the Quirks that the others have provided me through themselves so far, I honestly don't know how I can gather up all the powers I'll need in order to take this strange force for myself. That's why…why I've come to ask for your help in whatever way you can provide me. I know you've been expecting me to just keep growing while you've been gone, but with everything we've accomplished out here so far, the element of surprise will no longer be on our side, and even if it were, it would only be a matter of time before they all came raining down on us. For now, I feel as though I've reached a limit, and I need your help to break through it…please, Sensei."
For a few precious moments, there was only silence, making it impossible for any of the Villains to know just what their supreme leader was thinking in the wake of his promising heir actually admitting the need for his help. It would have been easy to think he would just automatically spit in the face of such admittance of overall weakness.
Hence why it was such a surprise that All For One ultimately replied with the same gentleness and inspiring confidence as always: "You are indeed intended to become far stronger than you once were, Tomura…and you already have become so in the time I've raised you, even in the time since we had to be separated. However, no man can reach his fullest potential all on his own. That was why I wanted you to focus on working together with others, and letting their strength become your own and visa versa. But I know that even this can only help you to improve so much. Indeed, there's no telling just what this intrusive little voice you hear has in store for you that it claims can help…but your curiosity and desire to know is just as strong as mine. Very well, I will try to assist you in only the ways I realistically can from in here. Vukodlak-san, are those new recruits of yours watching you and Tomura right now?"
Vukodlak didn't even look back in order to avoid rousing suspicion, but gave a simple "Yes" in response. And so, with a deep mental sigh, All For One proceeded: "Very well then. Vukodlak-san, Kurogiri-san, I want you to do as I say exactly. Vukodlak-san, place your hand upon Tomura's injured arm, make it look as though you're using Super Regeneration upon it. From there, Kurogiri-san, I want you to open a Warp Gate between my right hand, and Tomura's injured arm; you must have their present coordinates already, so it should prove no problem for you. Once you've both done these things…leave the rest to me."
Vukodlak immediately did as he was told, putting on an especially focused expression in order to fool his fellow Russians, while a small black vortex began to build over the stump of Tomura's right arm.
And all the while, as All For One felt the same vortex opening inside the right sleeve of his straitjacket, sticking his hand through it, so too did that very same hand slowly come out the other side, making it look as though Tomura's own hand was growing back before everyone's eyes. In their amazement, neither Bombardment, Quiller nor Riptide even thought of how odd it was that the skin tone of the new hand was just a bit more colorful compared to the rest of Tomura's body, before quickly assuming it to just be the result of whatever had left the young Villain looking so decrepit otherwise beforehand.
The moment he knew he'd gotten enough of his arm through, all For One quickly focused a number of his Quirks into it all at once: 'SEVERANCE! CELL FUSION! REMOTE CONTROL! REMOTE HEARING! REMOTE SIGHT!'
All at the same time did All For One's right forearm sever itself from the rest of his body on command, and then just as quickly fuse itself to Tomura's right arm instead, right down to the molecular level, while still being under his mental command as well as Tomura's physical. And all the while, through a piece of his own body now being completely connected to that of his heir, All For One now had complete access to see and hear everything Tomura did in real time from now on, just as he had done to the Villain Wolfram all the way back at I-Island months ago.
As he felt Kurogiri's tiny Warp Gate dissipate inside his sleeve, and subsequently activate his own Super Regeneration in order to grow his arm back, All For One was mentally smiling wide in anticipation and success at having been able to provide the greatest boon he could for his student even from within the confines of this hellish prison.
"I've provided you all that I can for now, Tomura, everyone. But know that I'll still be by your side to assist you in the trials to come, even if you can't hear me all the time. You've proven yourselves a formidable force together already…now it's time for you to take that momentum and make it yours entirely. I look forward to seeing what you accomplish next."
And just like that, the telepathic link between the League and All For One was gone, and Himiko, Twice and Spinner were all visibly trying to catch their breath from what a disorienting experience that was, while Vukodlak and Dabi breathed deep in acceptance of just what the supreme Villain was asking of them, and Tomura simply gazed upon the new arm his sensei had sacrificed for him, flexing the fingers of his own accord to make sure it was truly his to control.
[[So…what exactly did you all talk about with this boss of yours, huh? What exactly are we doing next?]] Bombardment, even when looking genuinely impressed at what he'd just seen, still couldn't communicate as anything short of an impatient louse, but neither Tomura nor Vukodlak let that visibly bother them as they motioned for all their fellow Villains to follow outside into the woods.
Taking in their surroundings for a moment, Tomura turned to Mr. Compress. "Compress-san, did you manage to spot any kind of viable roads heading west on your way here?"
The magician Villain dutifully stepped forward, cracking his knuckles in preparation. "Luckily I did, although it's a good hour's run from here. After our daring escape from the train, I believe we may want to avoid having me glide through the open air again, lest they start having helicopters actively scanning the skies for us. But once we get to that road, I could restore one of the trucks from the old depot, Twice could make a Copy of one of the drivers we grabbed, and it could provide us a quick and easy means to get to Moscow by this time tomorrow, assuming we don't run into any roadblocks before reaching the outskirts at least."
As Vukodlak hurriedly translated all of this for his fellows, Tomura turned his gaze to the direction Mr. Compress was still pointing, a look of unbreakable resolve settling into his blood red eyes. "All right then, we have a first step. Once we get rolling with a vehicle again, we start really putting the Moscow mission together piece by piece, everyone. We aren't going home without something truly worthwhile to boost our resources, our Quirk arsenal. This is our final step towards finally getting home, stronger and better supplied than ever before. The next time we meet that bastard Overhaul and the Shie Hassaikai…the League of Villains will no longer be the amusing afterthought he believed we were…but the single most dominant Villain organization in the country…and soon enough, the whole world."
And there is the chapter for this week, and I hope you all enjoyed finally rejoining our band of Villains on this journey of theirs. I certainly know I did.
I hope you all have an enjoyable week, and I will see you all with the next chapter on 08/13!