Hello again everyone, and I would like to welcome you all to easily the darkest chapter I've written yet of this story, although I know such a statement is purely objective. I'm just really excited to know what you all think, as this has been another chapter and arc I've been planning for quite a while, with a good number of plot threads and mysteries beginning to clear up with this chapter, through acting on a narrative idea (or theory, depending on who you ask) I've always been quite fond of.

I would once more like to extend my thanks to my beta readers Jonny and Mizu, as well as fan-artists on DA Syyndev, Akane Kahomi, Suki-Chan2509 and AliceKuroCross. Be sure to check out their work and send them all some love. They really, really deserve it; and more are surely soon to be added to the thanks list, just like all of you readers that have continued to show your support over all this time. It truly is one of the major factors that has managed to keep me going through all the hardships.

I would also like to take this opportunity to inform you all that with my next college semester starting on the 22nd of this month, the certainty of my being able to keep posting chapters every Saturday will become less so, so if there's ever a situation wherein I'll have to postpone a new chapter for a week, you will be informed of it in the Author Note of the preceding chapter, so that you aren't left thinking I've just given up. I'm reaching a difficult portion of the original manga to properly adapt for this specific continuity, but I've dealt with the challenges of taking on the multi-fronted nature of MHA many times already, and I'm not about to let it stop me now. This is all just a matter of my needing to properly balance working on this story, school and work all at once.

Maybe as such, you could take the time to please extend your personal feedback for this story at some point, and let me know how you think this take on the story is holding up thus far. Any word at all from you would be vastly appreciated right now.

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 90

Annihilation

(Уничтожение)

Moscow, Russia

Timing had truly been on the side of the League of Villains and their three foreign recruits, if just barely. With the military and police ambush that had initially separated them the previous Tuesday taking place late that night; Vukodlak's Quirk together with his quick thinking in drawing the rest of their members over from Japan, allowed the resultant rescue of their comrades to take place very early that following Wednesday.

And with the rescue having been carried out in as quick and efficient a manner as it possibly could have been with their odds, it had allowed them to mobilize on the road for Moscow again and reach its outskirts by Wednesday evening…but even in the brief time between the rescue and the whole League's arrival to the capital city, word had still already managed to get out to the authorities about their escape, as nearly the entire city, out to its furthest official limits, had been hammered down with far greater police and military presence.

Even when the Villains had to disguise themselves with Vukodlak's help (although Spinner, Quiller and Riptide all needed to stay in the alleys and in the sewers), and make haste on foot to avoid getting found out; in order to find themselves even a temporary shelter away from prying eyes and intrusive ears had proven especially difficult. The further into the city they went, the greater the security on the streets visibly became. And they weren't even remotely close to the heart of the city, where the Kremlin resolutely stood.

To explore even a fraction of the city in order to get an idea just what kind of opposition they would be facing had proven risky enough to nearly get at least one of their own caught on a couple of occasions.

The whole experience of even trying to traverse Moscow and draw out the lay of the land had proven so intense and nerve-racking, that by the time Thursday afternoon had finally rolled around, and they had done as much exploration as they were going to be able to do safely before finally returning to their momentary safe house; nearly all of them had a visibly intimidated, shaken look about them; with Tomura, Vukodlak and Dabi being the only exceptions.

Since none of them had dared to separate from one another, on the off-chance of running into police trouble; they knew they had all made the same observations out on the streets, and so Tomura ultimately took the lead of this dreaded meeting and planning session by cutting straight through the pleasantries, while Vukodlak loyally repeated and translated his words in Russian for their three potential recruits: "Well, everyone, I think we all suspected we'd be faced with a situation like this eventually. Our little side quest out in these parts has caused more than a stir with every branch of authority in this country. It's clear that they're not leaving anything related to the League to chance anymore. With security on the streets looking as thick and concentrated as it is all the way out in this stretch of Moscow…then I think it's no exaggeration to say we wouldn't be able to even get within a couple kilometers of the Kremlin anymore…at least, not without getting blown away in the process."

"Which is why I know how we can get in without even having to take that kind of risk. The circular layout of Moscow is immensely unique in the world of city planning, and thanks to that, I know all the ins and outs of this city like the backs of my hands, even down to its deepest depths." Vukodlak suddenly mentioned the moment he stopped translating Tomura's introduction of their meeting.

With all questioning eyes now upon him, Vukodlak planted his finger to the extensive map of the entirety of Moscow they had been lucky enough to grab without being caught; methodically dragging one of his steel claw-tipped fingers across to every noteworthy spot he could think of, for his comrades to commit to memory. "Alright, this little spot here in the east is where we are right now, and we've already seen how heavy police presence is out here already. It's just as Shigaraki-san said, getting anywhere close to it, let alone getting inside to get what we need, is going to be impossible. Even if we were to infiltrate it from the ground up, like via the underground tunnel networks connected to the metro lines, and the sewer systems, all we'd be doing is popping our heads up in the middle of countless guns. As it stands, infiltration is out of the question.

"That's why our plan is going to revolve around forcing the concentrated security at the Kremlin and surrounding areas to expand outward, away from where we need to be, and then effectively cut them off in order to keep them from getting back and catching us red-handed and exposed. Think of it like what we did around the church in Saransk, but on a much larger scale. We may have to sacrifice the rest of our collected explosives in order to pull it off. We don't have a whole lot of guns left at our disposal, either."

To that, after Himiko finished trying to give a crude but understandable translation for the three newcomers for the sake of her own practice; Bombardment slammed a heavy hand to the table. [[Well hell, why don't you just have your magician and ninja-looking friends here turn my explosions into marbles, or just make a whole bunch of Copies of me to make the rest of your explosions if you need them all so badly, Vukodlak? How about instead of tripping on the finer details already, just give us the gist of what the plan is.]]

While Twice and Mr. Compress were both visibly irked at Bombardment's simplistic description of them; Tomura ignored the abrasive attitude and answered, once again motioning for Vukodlak to start translating: "The plan, in essence, is for us to spark so much widespread destruction, sabotage and panic so that the police and military presence at the Kremlin and all over the city won't be able to ignore it, and will have no choice but to move out to provide aid and maintain order. While they leave only a bare bone presence in the wake of that, we make our way inside through the underground.

"From there, we can split up our forces; with one moving upward to the surface and the main building itself so we can get to the source of that incessant voice…so naturally, that's where I'll go. The other half, according to Vukodlak-san's description of the layout, can proceed further underground, where they have their development labs and storehouses for their wealth. All of that will be the best way for us to obtain the capital and reinforcement we'll need to firmly cement ourselves in the underworld upon our return, and will undoubtedly still be very heavily guarded, so both halves of our forces when we split up should have some of our heaviest hitters with them."

While Bombardment and Quiller were both giving questioning glances to Vukodlak as to why he was allowing Tomura to answer the question they specifically had for him, Spinner instead piped in: "But if they're going to have so much super valuable and important stuff in such confined quarters, then obviously security is gonna be even tighter, and we all know things can get out of hand really quick. How do we go about a fight, or breaking into these places without risking destroying it with explosions or fire?"

Cracking his knuckles, Vukodlak proceeded, motioning for Himiko to get back to translating as best she could for him: "For starters, we won't have those of us with wide-area-of-effect Quirks going that way. If Shigaraki-san is going to head for the surface to find that voice, then Dabi-san should go with him for added protection. As for Bombardment and Quiller; since we'll have the majority of the Kremlin's security detail spread out and soon with no means of getting back any time fast, you both can provide cover for all of us by fighting off what numbers will still be there in the Red Square. With some Quirk enhancing bracelets of your own, you could easily be far more than they would be able to handle, at least long enough for us all to get what we came here for so we can all then leave together."

Suddenly, Riptide proceeded to nervously clear his throat and raise a webbed hand. [[So by that definition, should I assume you want me to take care of the harbor patrol boats we saw along the Moscow River earlier?]]

A solitary confirming thumb up from Vukodlak was exactly what the mostly meek Russian Villain got; slightly nodding his head in understanding of his role. Emboldened by how nobody seemed to have any real objections or questions as of yet towards the overall plan, Himiko started eagerly jumping up and down and waving both her hands in the air for attention. "Oh, oh! I have an idea for when it comes to us opening the safes with all the cash and treasures inside! Instead of us getting it all burned or blown up, if I can have another of those Quirk bracelets, why don't I just swallow a tiny bit of MiMi-chan's blood and use her Acid to melt the locks? Those dummy soldiers didn't empty my tanks when they took my blood-sucking machine off, so I still got plenty to work with!"

While she proceeded to start shaking her hips in order to make a swishing liquid sound from the tanks on her back for emphasis; Mr. Compress suddenly spoke up: "Actually, Vukodlak-san had mentioned you doing such a thing during that ambush from before. Tell me, Toga-san; while we know Twice-san's Copies can imitate the Quirks of whoever they're of, have you alwaysbeen able to replicate the Quirks of the people whose blood you ingest, as well as their appearances?"

Now that they weren't currently being shot at as they had been then, Twice could finally start expressing the very same eager curiosity over that strange phenomenon himself, only for Himiko to shake her head with a disappointed pout. "No, it was only when I was wearing one of those cool bracelets and drank a tiny drop of it. I mean, I've seen them make Vukodlak-sensei, Tomura and your Quirks all act way stronger than usual, Twice-san, but my Quirk has never been able to do that. I could only ever make it stronger before by making it more real-life like and convincing. I mean, do you think it's even possible for someone's Quirk to actually get so strong that it starts doing something like it never could before, like something totally different?"

Just as everyone else had looks that all universally said 'no' in response to Himiko's question; the crystal clear and all-powerful sound of All For One's voice suddenly spoke out from within all of their minds: "As a matter of fact, it's more than possible, Toga Himiko. It's a verified fact that tragically few people truly believe in."

Of course, their supreme leader's sudden intrusion had nearly the entire League jump with surprise, which shocked Bombardment, Quiller and Riptide even more so. Before they could instinctively react with violence, Tomura began looking frantically upwards to the ceiling, not even focusing on communicating through his thoughts: "Sensei? Were you actually listening to us? Have you been maintaining the telepathic link this entire time?"

A deep and hearty mental chuckle immediately answered: "No, Tomura; but when I grafted my hand onto your arm, I took an extra surprise measure of applying my Remote Sight and Hearing Quirks upon you, so that I can see and hear everything you do at the same time. I apologize for having done so without informing you ahead of time, but my curiosity as to the identity of this voice that's been speaking to you is simply too much for me to resist.

"But, with that being said, young Toga's question is one that has quite the answer; one I feel all of your allies deserve to know as I do, so please, have Vukodlak-san tell your three new faces there to brace themselves, and let me do the speaking through you. SPEECH! LANGUAGE BARRIER!"

Thankfully, as All For One used the connection between himself and his student in order to apply another two of his subtler Quirks unto Tomura; his instructions had likewise passed on to Vukodlak, who immediately turned to his fellow Slavs: [[Shigaraki-san's mentor is going to answer Toga-san's question through him, so don't freak out at what you're about to witness, alright?]]

As soon as the three finished catching their breath and nodded in understanding, Vukodlak nodded in confirmation to Tomura, who proceeded to loosen the tension in his body with several deep breaths.

From there, he suddenly felt an outside force take hold of his jaw, and officially begin moving and speaking through his mouth as though he himself were the one speaking, even though it was All For One's voice coming out, resonating in sound waves that even managed to penetrate into the minds of the three outsider Villains, and muddy up their language center so as to be able to understand him just as easily as everyone else: "The sensation young Toga is asking about, is what many philosophers and experts on the sensation of Quirks have taken to calling 'Quirk Evolution.' Even our good Doctor has been a proponent and theorist of it for quite some time.

"However, for the longest time since the advent of Quirks, that's all it ever was: a theory. There was even a time when I myself doubted if it was real…but several years ago, I witnessed a battle between one of my previous experiments and a young no-name Vigilante. The two of them pushed each other to their utter physical limits in the heat of that fight…and before my very eyes, I saw their Quirks reach beyond a level and truly transform in a way I hadn't thought possible. It allowed that Vigilante to channel a power he hadn't wielded before, and resulted in his coming out the victor in the end.

"Ever since that day, I've made it a personal point of mine to never underestimate those with powerful Quirks and the proper fighting spirits to wield them. That's why, for those of you that have still been wondering for all this time, I've been having such a keen interest towards those two boys, those two disciples of our enemies All Might and Tunguska, Midoriya Izuku and Nikolay Bezpalov. All Might, I know far too well, so when he went out of his way to dig up a forgotten relic like Tunguska for help, I was justifiably curious as to just what it was he saw in the man and his son, even if the latter had simply gotten involved by proxy.

"When I witnessed both those young boys battling my tool Wolfram during the incident at I-Island, I saw both their Quirks shine with a power that shouldn't have been possible at such young ages, especially for the latter whom had gone so long through life pathetically under-practiced and under-experienced with his Quirk, unlike everyone else in the world. After seeing that for myself, I realized that both those boys have the potential for an incredible Quirk evolution that could make them both veritable forces to be reckoned with; even to the League of Villains.

"But I want us all to be well ahead of the curb for just such an occasion; that's why I wanted you all to collect samples of blood from Midoriya, Bezpalov and Tunguska alike, so that we may be able to dig up a well-hidden key that connects them and All Might in some way. The connection between him and Midoriya, I've already figured out, but it's the other two we need in order to truly solve this little puzzle; hence why I gave permission to Vukodlak-san's idea for embarking on this journey of yours in the first place: to gather hidden information as to their lineage, in hopes of finding a clue that could help us destroy them just as thoroughly as all the others to come. That old fool Tunguska is strong, but can't possibly last for much longer. However, Midoriya and Bezpalov are too much of a risk factor for us to simply take head-on, let alone ignore as nothing more than a couple of flukes. Converting that Bakugo boy to our side turned out to be a wasted effort, so preparing ourselves ahead of time for these two boys' potential threats to us is the next best measure we can take."

All at once, the three Russian Villains were similarly stricken with wonder as to just what kind of Villain Tomura's mentor was that he could be able to communicate with them so universally in both word and thought from so far away, on top of being able to command the attention and clear respect of powerful Villains like him and Vukodlak.

At the same time, the entire explanation and reveal that these supposed Quirk evolutions were actually real, had Himiko and Twice both absolutely squirming with curiosity and excitement, especially when the young girl's wandering curiosity brought her to ask no one in particular: "Hey, you don't think these bracelets actually give us a temporary Quirk evolution, do you? Ooooh, if that's what my Quirk can do evolved, that's sooo cool!"

However, while the five of them were simply stricken with wonder and anticipation, Vukodlak actually had a look on his face that was much more…disappointed, above all else. This carried through unmistakably as he spoke up: "Actually, All For One-san, there's something you and the others should know now. While we did discuss the foundations for our Moscow plans on the way here all yesterday into this afternoon; I also did take the chance to finish looking through the genealogy paperwork we grabbed in Georgia, with the completed traced ancestries for young Kolya's parents.

"Since Tunguska was the primary concern, he was the one I looked over first and foremost…and while I could be wrong, I'm afraid I came to a dead end following his line." The moment Vukodlak admitted this, it was as though he could feel the piercing gaze of All For One himself directly through Tomura's red eyes, a look that silently spoke one word loud and clear: explain.

And that he did, as he resolutely cleared his throat, displaying no fear or cowardice, but actually the same kind of radiating confidence: "What I mean is that I looked over every item in Tunguska's ancestral line on both sides. Granted, these files were intended for recording all individuals in the country that had Quirks, so there was nothing available for anyone in the lines that didn't have Quirks. But of the ones that did, I looked them all over, and every single name and their Quirk, I already was familiar with from my studying Hero history back when I was in the New Bogatyrs. Step by step further back in time, their Quirks were even just a little bit less impressive than the last, and especially in comparison to Tunguska himself, so any kind of direct connection to All Might there would be impossible, especially since that entire familial chain went all the way back to the first year that Russia started birthing people with Quirks. I'm afraid that if there was any kind of surprise or advantageous loophole you were hoping to find by looking into Tunguska's side of Kolya's heritage…well, you and the Doctor are going to be very disappointed. I'm sorry."

Just as Vukodlak had expected, this news left the air among the League very still and heavy. He could just feel the building frustration from Tomura and Twice, as well as the disappointment from Himiko and Spinner; while Dabi had a noticeably cold and disinterested look in his eyes, crossing his arms in apathy. Considering he had made no secret that he thought of their whole journey this far from Japan as a complete waste of time, this reaction was hardly surprising.

Finally, though, All For One spoke up with a measured and steady tone, as though he were clearly trying to not convey any kind of loss of emotional control: "I see…thank you for being proactive in looking on the League's behalf in the midst of your struggles out here, Vukodlak-san. I've no doubt the good Doctor will be disappointed, but if this is indeed the case, what you've just described…then I suppose there's nothing else that we can do about it. But still, All Might has been someone who's tried to avoid roping others into his problems for the longest time I've known him. Why would he seek out such an obscure other Hero out of nowhere like he did, and with a kid in tow that he'd know would undoubtedly end up at risk as well by being brought out with his father? Did he really just seek out Tunguska out of a sense of nostalgia, or simply because he has a powerful physical Quirk much like his own? Could he seriously have done something like that out of sheer impulse?"

Of course, it was especially jarring for Tomura and Vukodlak, if not the entirety of the League, to actually hear All For One asking such questions out of such genuine uncertainty. But such a rare experience could only last so long before Vukodlak cleared his throat to indicate he actually wasn't finished. This was where the purposeful rigidness with which he stood finally became apparent to his fellow Villains.

"We may not be stuck empty-handed for long, though. After I realized this issue with Tunguska's lineage, I decided to be thorough and start looking through that of Kolya's mother, Gamayun; she was also a Number One Hero of her country, much like Tunguska and All Might were for theirs. For a short while, I similarly didn't notice anyone in either of her parental lines that had any outstanding Quirks or anything of the like…until I came across another dead end, this time on her father's side: her family tree on that line comes to a complete stop at her great-great-great grandfather, a Gennady Porozhinskov; and the years listed under his name are far too relatively recent in relation to us to have simply been another of the first Slavic Quirk-users like in Tunguska's family tree."

Upon realizing he'd regained the curiosity of his comrades again, he went on with building professional eagerness: "There was something else I noticed, if you'll all look at the files. There's no photograph to go with his information; it was probably lost somewhere in the process of all that time that passed. But right next to his name, there's a notable red sigil stamped right next to it."

Indeed, just as he planted his pointing finger to it, the rest of the watchful Villains could likewise see two bizarre red circular sigil-like stamps next to the name Gennady Porozhinskov, both rimmed with Cyrillic words none of them could decipher, least of all due to how old they clearly were. But Vukodlak made his discovery loud and clear: "This first one is an old inward immigration acceptance stamp, and the second one is a confirmation stamp for a legal name change. This missing link in Gamayun's family tree could likely at least provide a path to our potential key, but the person we need to look into wasn't from this country, or any former Bloc country for that matter. He undoubtedly changed his name in order to better fit in here and not stick out as much, too. Fortunately for us, I know exactly where we can go in order to find the answers we need."

Tossing the files back to Mr. Compress to turn back into a marble for safe keeping, Vukodlak proceeded to hastily start carving a crude yet accurate top-down diagram of the layout of the Red Square, before ultimately pointing his claw to a smaller rectangular structure on the left side of the whole square.

"Thankfully, I've been in Red Square enough times over the years to memorize the layout. The largest building within this square is the Kremlin, where Shigaraki-san and his team will emerge from underneath for their objective, while another team will still be in that general perimeter, simply moving downwards to allocate all the items for their objective. I know those labs and storehouses are underneath the same building, I've seen and felt my way through it more than once, don't worry. Quiller and Bombardment can emerge from the mausoleum building on the right to provide a cover and distraction for outside threats.

"Now, this building on the left is the Records Hall, where the government keeps copies and original drafts of every piece of information on citizens, organizations, historical cataloguing, the general state of the whole nation's economy on a yearly basis; virtually anything you can think of…including a department of records relating to immigration, both outwards and inwards. I'd know exactly where to look in there…but of course, this would require us to divide our numbers even more so, before having to escape to the rendezvous point so Kurogiri-san can Warp us back home. It's a great risk, I know…but it's our best course of action in order to get everything we're aiming for in as little time as possible."

Fortunately, though, nobody looked to have any objections, even despite this warning. To go home without all three objectives in their grasp would have still been considered going home empty-handed, and since nobody knew this whole city better than him, any advice or strategy he could have been able to come up with was a veritable boon in their favor.

Although, the silence in the air as Vukodlak saw that resolve, didn't last long once Himiko's excitement reached its fever pitch: "Hey, hey, I wanna know more about that whole Quirk-evolving thing, though! If Tomura's sensei says it's real, then how do we get it? These bracelets aren't gonna last forever for us, and I don't wanna go back to just disguising myself, that's boooooring!"

While Dabi and Vukodlak both gave the slightest annoyed glances at her absentmindedness, Tomura could suddenly feel All For One start speaking through him again: "Unfortunately, to reach the zenith wherein a Quirk can genuinely evolve is far too risky for you all in the situation you're in right now. The only reason I witnessed an evolution as I did before, was because both combatants had nearly killed each other, and even in the past, the Doctor had theorized that a Quirked individual had to be pushed as close as humanly possible to the brink of death, in order for their Quirk to trigger a natural evolution in itself as a means of ensuring the survival of itself and its wielder."

With that troubling bit of news, Tomura clenched his left hand into a white-knuckled fist. "After what that piece of shit Overhaul did to us, and after that damned ambush two days ago…I'm not about to start risking my comrades' lives for the sake of something that may not even happen when we need it to most. We still have far too much vital business to take care of back home to do something so reckless."

With that, Mr. Compress, Twice and Vukodlak all similarly stepped forward, as though in a subtle gesture of comradery with the white-haired Villain. And with this single gesture, the uncertain air among all the Villains seemed to settle, as soon Himiko (despite her disappointed pouting face), Spinner and Dabi all similarly stepped in to show their unified understanding of Tomura's wishes. In the end, even Bombardment, Quiller and Riptide ultimately took a step forward from the outskirts of the Villain gathering, as if showing their similar dedication to the mission despite their positions as mere recruits.

However, even with their understanding of taking greater precautions having been established, Vukodlak cleared his throat to regain control of the room. "As long as we're talking about risks, I should let you all know that the entire network underneath the Kremlin is powered by a number of heavily fortified generators that power all the automated security measures. They're covered up enough to protect them from even the most powerful airborne EMP blast. Unfortunately, since we'll need to relegate our remaining plastic explosives to our distraction efforts throughout the city, we'll need to figure out an alternative to taking care of those. It will make our traversing the whole Red Square much easier."

Suddenly, Tomura extended his right hand Vukodlak's way, before All For One's voice came out his mouth again: "Fortunately, I have just the solution for that, Vukodlak-san; the very same means by which I was able to assist you back in Tartarus, and the same way I helped Tomura and his comrades pull off your escape from there. Let him act as the conduit between us, and let me bestow unto you another gift."

Vukodlak looked to the grafted right hand before him, and with his three fellow Slavic Villains watching with utter curiosity as to just what this supreme Villain had in mind, he proceeded to take it in a handshake; his body immediately jolting with the sensation of a whole other Quirk being forcefully planted into his body.

Vukodlak took several steps back, swaying this way and that as though he were suffering the mother of all migraines, while All For One began chuckling in satisfaction. "As soon as your body finishes adjusting to it, you'll now find yourself able to channel an EMP charge far more powerful than anything mankind has been able to craft by their own hands so far. This should help remove your automated security problem with ease."

Once more did the three recruits find themselves reeling with astonishment as to just what they'd witnessed this enigmatic figure pull off before their very eyes; the idea of someone being able to remotely bestow other Quirks into people being the single biggest game-changer they had ever been able to imagine, let alone see.

While Vukodlak was already visibly starting to regain his senses, Tomura felt All For One's influence over his ability to speak finally leave him for good. Thus, he stood tall before the rest of his fellow Villains; a determined fire burning in his red irises. "Alright, it's time for us to get to work on enacting the distraction stage of the plan. With the utter size of this city, we're going to need to scatter our numbers all across so that they can start their objectives all at once. Twice-san, use a bracelet and start making as many Copies of whatever civilians you may have gotten your measurements for. Vukodlak-san can make up some disguise faces for them so nobody out there thinks anything suspicious. Twice-san; you, Dabi-san, Quiller and Bombardment work together to start stockpiling as many explosive, quill bomb and fire marbles as you can carry. Then we head underground and start moving out."

Two hours later…

The Kremlin

To describe the atmosphere in the presidential office of President Dmitri Zaitsev as oppressive and desperate would have been an outright insult to the intelligence of the average person. Even in the company of his oldest confidantes and comrades within his presidential cabinet, the man looked borderline haggard; which was hardly surprising since the leader of the entire Russian nation had gone over three whole days…ever since their colleague Konstantin Khodamchuk and his hand-selected team of soldiers had disappeared and gone radio silent after leaving for their secret mission in Hokkaido.

[[Tunguska's escape after all those years of searching, these terrorist attacks at Kamchatka and the Urals, the theft of experimental Anti-Quirk defense components, the explosions at the Georgian borders, Konstantin Alexandrovich and his people disappearing, now-identified Villain attacks at Saransk and Mstyora, and now a full-blown assault on the prison transport train, and now even more of these monsters are running loose God-only-knows where. How the hell did everything start going so wrong so fast for us?]]

Of course, nobody else in the office dared to even think of answering that final question, as they all knew by now that their president had taken to asking this of himself more often than anyone else.

And just like clockwork, President Zaitsev's eyes instinctively drifted over to the book shelf tucked into a farther corner behind his desk, where the top-secret safe resided behind…along with the inexplicably terrifying little contained pin within that. In all honesty, even though he'd never have admitted it to anyone else, Zaitsev had found himself more often than not wondering if this recent chain of terrible disasters was somehow some kind of curse being enacted by that wretched little unassuming trinket. Of course, had the people known that their president was beginning to succumb to mere superstition, than all confidence in the government's ability to protect its people would have been forever lost.

And of course, the thought of just how they were to spin all of these incidents for the increasingly demanding and frightened public, was what had drawn Zaitsev and all these other politicians into this one room together, as for the first time since he had been elected, he found himself at a genuine loss as to just what he told the people, especially what to tell them if he wanted any kind of hope of avoiding a full-blown explosion in terrified anarchy as a result.

[[You mustn't let yourself become so crestfallen so easily, Mr. President. There's no denying that we have a real situation on our hands in light of this prison train breakout, but if our forces were able to capture a handful of these Villains on their own once before, then the greater concentration of military we've established across this city can do the same thing far easier; assuming they don't just end up killing the whole lot of them the instant they show their faces again.]]

[[That's right, and we also mustn't lose hope in Comrade Khodamchuk's ability to succeed, either. It's true that his having gone silent is unusual, but he and his people have always managed to come through for us before; it may just very well be that those Hokkaido terrorists he's looking to remove are simply more dug-in than we thought. These kinds of operations simply need time to be carried out, sir. If anything, you could easily tell the people both of these points, and it may just very well be the reassurance they need.]]

These were but a number of meaningless platitudes his fellows were continuously showering him with ever since he'd even called this meeting. In any other circumstances, even as a professional, Zaitsev would have at least done the polite thing and expressed thanks for such words. But in a time like this, all he could hear was just foolish and childish naïve drivel from these men that were supposed to help him shoulder the burden of leadership and come up with genuine solutions.

So deep was the president in his countless stresses, in fact, that even as he finally began to open his mouth to chastise these men for not offering real solutions, he failed to notice how the ground beneath their feet began to rumble with surprisingly fast increases in power.

BKOO-BKOO-BKOO-BKOO-BKOO-BKOO-BKOO-BKOOOOM!

The resulting deafening sounds of colossal blasts tore through the once still air with resounding power, almost sounding like a series of artillery strikes sounding from literally all around the Red Square at numerous different distances. Once they had all ridden out the initial shock from the noises, though, Zaitsev and his colleagues all could hear the unmistakable echoing cacophony of countless people screaming from all around.

Looking back to the window, they were all met with the stomach-dropping sight of numerous blazing infernos and smoke trails billowing up into the autumn sky, emanating from several different places near and far across the Moscow landscape that this single view could give them; and with the realization that they had heard these explosions coming from every direction, then they could all only naturally assume that the same kind of destruction would be seen in a complete circle around them, across the entirety of the city.

BRRRRRING!

In no time at all, several of the phones across Zaitsev's desk began to ring at once, and with great haste did he move to answer every one of them at once: [[WHAT IN THE HELL IS GOING ON?! WHAT HAPPENED OUT THERE?! SOMEONE TALK TO ME!]]

The atmospheric noises of screams, further explosions and emergency sirens nearly drowned out many of the voices that answered from the other ends; all officers and captains from police and military alike that had been placed specifically in charge of every area in Moscow for the sake of maintaining security and a watchful eye; all well-known and decorated men and women that were willing to do whatever it took to keep the people of Moscow safe…and even despite this, Zaitsev and his colleagues couldn't mistake the utter shock and confusion in their voices, as they threw out constant answers in a blind panic:

[[We don't know, sir; everything has gone insane, the airwaves are thick with chatter, nobody knows what's going on! One second all was quiet, and the next, something or someone suddenly blew up! Reports are saying that random civilians on the streets, bridges or metro are exploding! Then others are saying that vehicles are charging into our blockades, transit centers or police stations like kamikaze drivers]]

The very moment Zaitsev and his retinue had managed to piece even this much information together through the walls of chatter, there began to be a pronounced and increasingly dominant popping sound in the background of all of them, punctuated with yet more screams and panicked shouts from the people calling; the unmistakable rapports of machine gun and shotgun fire. [[WHAT THE HELL?! MORE CIVILIANS ARE PULLING OUT GUNS AND—AND FIRING AT PEOPLE?! HEY, TAKE THEM OU-]]

KRZZT!

Like that, more than a third of the active calls fizzled out, leaving much fewer voices to try and paint a picture of the pandemonium that was erupting all over the city. [[Sir, we're getting reports of more random explosions and even bursts of blue fire erupting over more of the city! Nobody can say where they're coming from but—wait! I-I see something! It…it looks like numerous people with…top hats? Y-yes, top hats! Top hats, gliding and dropping tiny explosives from above! Get to cover, all of you! Goddammit, they look like just tiny little marbles, what the hell?! Oh, shit; look out, everyone get out of the open!]]

As soon as the president and his fellows turned their panicked eyes back to the windows, just in time to see several of these other carpet-bombing explosions and blue flaming plumes across the Moscow skyline, another call suddenly came in that nearly overpowered all others: [[Hello?! Can anybody out there hear me?! This is the harbor patrol and navy detachment on the Moscow River, we need backup, goddammit! We're getting firebombed from above, and three of our boats have already been sunken from below, they're getting carved up like paper for God's sake! There's some kind of monster in the water with us, too fast for us to get a bead on! Someone out there, get on the anti-air guns and shoot those gliding bastards down! Everyone else, make for the river ports! We're sitting ducks out here!]]

The captain of the naval forces' call was swiftly disconnected the moment that last syllable left his mouth, with soon many more of the others following suit; which only left the frigid cold feeling in all the old politicians' stomachs growing that much more foreboding. Gritting his teeth, President Zaitsev swiftly reached underneath his desk and hit a well-hidden button, causing the wall directly opposite his desk to open up; inside of which was a multitude of automatically activated CCTV screens.

Unfortunately, already more than half of them had been cut off, most likely destroyed. But the ones that were somehow still running displayed multiple different views of complete pandemonium and devastation, with civilians running for their lives like terrified animals as buildings were blowing up or being set aflame all around them, while other random civilians stood still among the fleeing crowds, only to suddenly spontaneously combust and blow up everything around them within especially large radiuses, and others were indeed marching through the flaming ruins and mowing down anyone unfortunate enough to be in their sights with heavy-duty guns. And to the shock of all the men watching, when a few of these attacking civilians ended up either getting hit by an airborne explosion, a burst of blue fire, or were even shot down by any random soldiers happening upon them; instead of going down in bloody mists like anyone else, they instead proceeded to disintegrate into quickly evaporating black sludge.

As gut-twisting as the sight of a number of clear Quirks being responsible for this destruction ultimately was, there was another agonizing realization that Zaitsev ultimately had to come to, made clear as he finally turned to his cabinet members. [[All of you, start making your way for the court with all the others, you'll all be safe there!]]

Before any of them could even finish processing just what their president was telling them to do, he just as quickly grabbed one of the phones off his desk and hit a special combination that thankfully managed to get him through to one of the commanders in charge of mobilizing and commanding their military and police forces in Moscow: [[This is Dmitri Zaitsev, and this is a direct order: send the majority of your forces within the Red Square to the explosion sites around the city! There are citizens trapped out there in need of help! You're their only hope!]]

He didn't wait for the other end of the call to even voice their acceptance or skepticism to such an outwardly reckless move on his part. He didn't even acknowledge the incredulous looks on the faces of his fellows as he folded his hands in contemplation, his twitching eyes frantically looking all over his office in preparation. Even for as terrified as he was personally, he couldn't allow that fear to make him forget just how much more in desperate need his people were. If this was indeed going to turn out to be his last day, then by God, he was going to see to it that the people would remember him for having acted in their best interests to the very end.

Far below the ground upon which the Red Square stood, the League of Villains had at last made it to their destination, after a couple painstaking hours of raw power preparation and traversal through the subterranean labyrinth that only Vukodlak could have been able to help them navigate effectively.

Over the course of those two hours, even before having to descend from their temporary safe house, there had been so many steps they'd needed to take in order to make sure their plan for the chaos playing out on the surface went off without a single hitch, as timing and overwhelming force together were the linchpin to their success.

For starters, with the assistance of his own Quirk-enhancing bracelet, Twice had been able to create a veritable army of repeated civilian Copies, while Vukodlak provided nearly half of their total number with the remainders of their stolen plastic explosives, and others with the rest of their guns; on top of randomized fake faces with his Disguising Quirk.

At the same time, finally wielding a bracelet of his own, Bombardment imbued the rest of the unarmed Copies with his powered-up Remote Explosion Quirk, as well as applying it to a number of random objects for Mr. Compress to turn into marbles; a process he also used on numerous helpings of Dabi's Fire, which were all then provided to a number of Copies of himself to provide devastating air cover.

On top of that, the magician Villain even restored a number of vehicles from the abandoned depot back near Alexandrov City yesterday in a nearby empty lot, for Bombardment to similarly put his Quirk upon, and for Twice to send more Copies into to drive to several of their major target sites around the city, while other Explosive Copies were sent either out onto the streets, or through public busses and metro trains.

From there, once they had embarked on their own, it wasn't long before they'd also had to part ways with Riptide so that he could use his provided bracelet to extend and sharpen his fins and webbed extremities, and with that, provide underwater cover and distractions against the naval forces stationed in the Moscow River just outside the Red Square. After all, that river was going to be their most direct escape route to get to their agreed upon rendezvous point, where Kurogiri was simply waiting for the word to finally take them back home.

It was an extensive and very meticulous plan that needed to be repeated multiple times in order for everyone to understand their parts in it, but in the end, they had all ultimately understood, and as they had finally reached the heavily reinforced wall that held the corridors of the subterranean labs and storehouses on the other side, and Tomura immediately got to work applying his Decay to it; they could all hear the countless explosions, and feel the rumbling to follow, which was just about the best sign they could have hoped for that the plan was unfolding perfectly.

In fact, the way things looked to be going thus far, even All For One couldn't hide his satisfaction, as his voice echoed clearly in all the waiting League members' heads: "Splendid, positively splendid, all of you! You've all managed to put your Quirks and planning together and enacted a scheme I couldn't be prouder of! You've truly managed to put together a splendid army for yourself as it is, Tomura!"

The force with which Tomura's Decay tore through the reinforced concrete and steel to ultimately open a hole into a blaring yet pristine empty hall on the other side, seemed to perfectly punctuate his mentor's mentally spoken pride; but he couldn't allow himself to slow down for expressing gratitude for such faith. Instead, he and his fellows quickly made their way through, and with no current sign of security on either side for now, they all knew it was finally time for the real risky part to begin, as he turned to address them all. "Alright, I'll follow this voice's directions up into the Kremlin proper, with Dabi-san providing cover. Does everyone else know exactly where they're going?"

The moment he asked, Quiller hurriedly raised her bracelet-clad hand with an affirming nod. [[Yeah, Bombardment and I are heading up through the mausoleum into the square itself to provide you all cover.]]

With a proud smile to see his fellow Slavic Villains finally giving their full cooperation with his comrades, Vukodlak quickly followed up: "And I'm heading across the square to the Record Hall with Toga-san and Twice-san. It may not be as heavily guarded, but I'm not leaving such a thing to chance, and I'll need all the eyes searching with me as possible."

Of course, to know she was going to be once more acting out in the field of battle to any degree with her teacher had Himiko downright giddy, while Twice urgently chimed in: "If it helps, I can use another dose from my bracelet to make Copies of any of you to provide extra cover for everywhere you need to go. Just say the word and grovel while you're at it."

And lastly, Spinner pointed his thumb down the hall opposite from where Tomura and Vukodlak signified they were going. "And I'll go with Compress-san into the labs so we can gather up all the stuff you guys need. I promise we won't fail."

With all their respective parts clearly understood, everyone quickly gave their picks of who to Copy to take along on their missions, thus putting Twice to work quickly, before the League of Villains ultimately parted ways, rushing headlong into the ultimate fray thus far.

Working off of Vukodlak's detailed diagram of how the underground lab tunnels were set up, and which direction led to which secret entrance, Bombardment and Quiller soon found themselves (after having slaughtered their way through a few rushing and unprepared soldiers) to the entrance that led through the mausoleum and out into the Red Square. With his heart already racing with anticipation; Bombardment momentarily felt at the pockets of his outfit, filled with prepared tiny scrap pieces, while also taking the time to really focus his mind on exactly what to blow up next once he snapped his waiting fingers again. [[Time to put that little detour through the tunnels around the Square to good use, and see if that Copying Ninja's instructions for those flying Copies will really work. You ready?]]

He didn't even need a verbal answer, as he could already hear Quiller pulling out two handfuls of her quill/hair, setting the razor sharp spikes firmly between her fingers, and grinning with just as much excitement and bloodlust. [[You think Vukodlak and his two friends made it out of the Kremlin and across the square already?]]

[[Does it really make a difference? They're crafty enough, I'm sure they'll manage either way.]] With that shrugging off excuse for an answer, Bombardment's grin stretched wide across his mustachioed face as he finally snapped his fingers.

BKOO-BKOO-BKOO-BKOOM!

With a thunderous shake throughout the halls, the number of little spots across the area of the Red Square he had put his hand and Quirk into while the Villains had all traversed the tunnel systems, simultaneously erupted in huge underground explosions, leaving the entire area pockmarked with massive gaping holes into the underground, catching a couple of waiting police and military vehicles unawares in the process, sending flaming debris flying everywhere, and cutting down a few others in the process.

And with a merciless swiftness like the winds of a storm, the two Villains finally proceeded to rush and work their way out from the secret entrance, through the mausoleum and out the entrance into the burning hot and smoky air now filling the entirety of the Red Square, with countless blaring emergency sirens and confused shouts amid the haze overwhelming the air.

And it was because of the cover of the smoke, that barely any of the present soldiers and police officers were able to make out the rushing forms of Bombardment and Quiller heading their way in time, before getting peppered with numerous fiery explosions in mid-air as a result of the thrown and activated small pieces of rock and metal Bombardment had been keeping imbued with his Quirk in his pockets.

And those that got blown away were ultimately the lucky ones, compared to the similarly confused and frightened ones that ended up in Quiller's path, just for her to run the quills between her fingers straight through their heads, throats and hearts, or similarly slashing them to death; since the bracelet she now wore allowed her quills to grow even longer and more durable, thus giving her that much more continuous use out of them in the midst of this tragically one-sided mop-up operation masquerading as a fight.

As for the issue of the few remaining armored vehicles that by now had finally managed to zero in on the two Villains' whereabouts; yet another contingency plan put into place on the League's part came into play, as with Bombardment's reveal out in the open, like some kind of awaited signal; with swift precision and horrifying speed, several of the gliding Copies of Mr. Compress that had been dropping explosive, quill and firebombs all around the area surrounding the Red Square, suddenly came dive bombing straight into the vehicles themselves, with Bombardment perfectly timing the snapping of his fingers with each one, as upon impact, they exploded like human missiles, destroying every single vehicle before the two, before they just as quickly found themselves the only two people still standing in the rubble that was once one of Moscow's greatest landmarks. In fact, following the lead of their fellows, several more Compress Copies nearby even proceeded to do the same dive-bombing routine on several more of the remaining naval ships barely holding out on the Moscow River.

"How the hell is anyone able to navigate a place like this, it's a damn maze! Are you sure you're taking us in the right direction?" Spinner's frustrated tone was hardly uncalled for, given the sheer measure of both human and automated security he and Mr. Compress had already had to fight their way through just to get halfway down into the underground facility Vukodlak had elaborated so much about. It was primarily through the aid of their provided Copies of Vukodlak himself, Himiko and Dabi, that they were able to make it through this, as well as the numerous sealed blast doors that had already stood in their way.

Just as to be expected, with every floor they descended, the security only seemed to become that much more dense, with more than a few near misses of bullets nailing either one of them in the head already. Fortunately, that Vukodlak Copy's sense of timing with the air shields together with their Dabi's Fire, was proving to be their ultimate saving grace. But if the flow of their luck had anything to tell them, it would be that if the presence of armed guards were to grow any larger or further dug in than they already had been, then it would only be a matter of time before all their Copies got a lethal hit from a bullet. Then it would just be down to the two of them.

"How many times do I have to tell you I've been down here multiple times? I've got this whole place mapped out with both sight and sound to help me; you just focus on keeping yourselves alive, we're almost at the section with the safes. The R&D labs will be just below!" With a spoken urgency much more befitting of Twice himself, the Vukodlak Copy was swiftly reading every directory they passed, making split second but consistent judgment calls on which direction they were to go, since all the writing down here was plain gibberish to the two League members on his tail.

Once they'd descended down to their fifth consecutive floor, both of them starting to feel the beginnings of weariness from sprinting and using their Quirks so continuously today, they could already hear the thundering of multiple heavy footsteps echoing down from numerous hallways around them, all while the Vukodlak Copy hurriedly threw up another Air Shield in front of himself, urgently swinging his arm in a motion for them all to stay close and keep running.

Of course, even with his shield covering one side of their bunched up group, it didn't help everywhere else, as the first of many soldiers soon finally emerged out into the open, barely able to line up their sights before the Dabi Copy and Mr. Compress together unleashed a few massive bursts of Fire their way, incinerating the first soldiers in line, before more began to follow up from more and more directions all around, forcing the whole group to keep moving, burning away or blowing up several more guards that foolishly poked their heads out to try and take pot shots at their backs.

This deadly cat-and-mouse game continued for another good several minutes, and when faced with another massive sealed blast door, it fell to the Dabi Copy to burn another hole right through it, while Mr. Compress, Spinner and their Himiko Copy had to keep up the fighting, blowing up, burning, stabbing and slashing away at one soldier after another.

Finally, as soon as a hole had been burned straight through to the other side, and Spinner and Mr. Compress had finally slipped through with their Vukodlak Copy, a few lucky shots from further back ultimately ended up destroying the Dabi and Himiko Copies together, forcing the magician Villain to sacrifice the rest of his personal explosive marbles in a mass throwing towards the last of the pursuing soldiers, igniting them all en masse, and nearly leveling the whole hall behind them in a colossal explosion that the Villains were only able to avoid getting caught and killed in through their Vukodlak Copy's Air Shield.

[[C'mon, there's inevitably going to be more heading down here, and the store houses are just around the next couple of corners.]] Indeed, nearly as soon as their guide had said this and they had rounded a few more halls and made their way through another security door with the help of Spinner's increased slashing speed and strength (courtesy of his own bracelet at last), they finally found themselves presented with a large cylindrical room lined with five massive vault doors. Even the constant blaring of the alarms couldn't reach their ears, as they were both filled with the accomplishment and excitement as to just what could have been waiting for them on the other side.

Thankfully, even with the destruction of their Himiko clone removing one option for getting inside; Tomura had still decided to take another precaution beforehand, by having Himiko wear another bracelet and ingesting but a single drop of the blood she still had from Mina Ashido in her tanks, thus allowing her to conjure up several handfuls of especially strong Acid in her hands for Mr. Compress to turn into another set of marbles to keep on his person, and this had proven to be just the perfect occasion for it.

With all those marbles placed securely on the locks for these vaults, with a single snap of his fingers, Mr. Compress had all of the vault locks thoroughly melted down, until finally, with a series of heavy metallic THUNKS, the vault doors all slowly proceeded to swing wide open, presenting him and Spinner with a vast sea of riches the likes of which neither of them had ever laid eyes on before.

Veritable mountains of not only printed money, but also actual bars of gold, platinum and silver, alongside numerous ancient treasures well over a few hundred years old just from a passing glance, all kept in the most pristine of condition; paintings and sculptures and all other kinds of high-class and bourgeoisie relics that any kind of collector of antiquities would pay a king's ransom for.

"Oh, exquisite, positively glorious works, all! This is the kind of haul a gentleman thief only dreams to one day get his hands on! It's only a shame that so much blood had to be shed in order to actually get it." Mr. Compress mused to himself as he already was getting to work turning everything he could lay his eyes on into yet more marbles, before just as hurriedly stuffing them into a secure-looking sack he'd been keeping hidden within his coat; all while Spinner was hurrying to carry out as much as he could from the other vaults so that they could be transformed as well.

"You shouldn't let yourself feel bad for those people back there, Compress-san; they're nothing more than grunts for a genocidal government that actively aims for people with Quirks to go extinct. You really think they'd let themselves just stop once they'd gotten the last of them in their own country put down?" as Spinner asked this bitterly, Mr. Compress simply straightened his top hat and finished compressing the last of the treasures, and stuffing them into his trusty bag, before proceeding to compress that into a marble of its own, which he quickly proceeded to slip into his mouth and under his tongue for safest-keeping.

"While such ideology might hold true for some, the statistical facts are that the majority of people like these soldiers are simply common folk trying to make ends meet, just like any random civilian you'd find on the street. While I concede that killing in the name of survival in the heat of battle is necessary; as a gentleman, I can never truly be able to find it as anything more than distasteful."

"Hey, if the two of you are finished up in there, can we hurry down to the final floor? We're so close to finally finishing up down here and getting out!" The Vukodlak Copy's warning came at the perfect time, as soon the three were hurrying down the last stairwell, nearly throwing the final door open and rushing down the last pristine corridor, before ultimately finding themselves before the last of the heaviest blast doors.

Having to sacrifice the last of his Acid and Fire marbles, Mr. Compress planted them all at the foot of the center of the door in a cluster, before producing a raging inferno with corrosive mist with but a snap of his fingers, ultimately burning and melting a perfect hole right through to the other side.

And within, he and Spinner found themselves standing before an incredible and expansive mix between a laboratory and a factory, with numerous automated machines putting together what looked like metallic exoskeleton suits for people to wear, what looked like potentially drivable single-man mechs with cannons or machine guns for hands, large and heavily armored vehicles that looked like even bigger tanks than the biggest one record, and particularly heavy duty-looking guns and corresponding ammunition that looked capable of taking down entire mountains and skyscrapers with single shots, almost like rail guns.

But the most eye-catching of all, was a number of conveyor belts lined with machines that were even now putting together what both Villains immediately recognized as their very own Quirk-enhancing bracelets, with a number of tanks filled with a luminescent red fluid going down even more tubes that were then being injected into each completed bracelet; the very same fluorescent red that had been seen in the same three windows in their own bracelets that indicated how many more times they would have the intended effects.

At long last, in the place they had least expected, the two Villains had found the source for their comrades' most powerful tools, with a whole stockpile more of them already waiting on standby for the taking.

[[ALERT! ALERT! THEY'RE HERE! RAISE THE ALARMS!]]

The echo of several scientists and engineers screaming to one another to run for any number of alarm switches on the walls, lit an immediate fire underneath the tails of the two Villains, as they both took off into the air across the factory; Mr. Compress turning one machine or person after another that he flew closest to into more and more marbles, while Spinner swiftly deflected multiple fired bullets from the armed staff with his swords in mid-air.

With the aid of his bracelet to his Adhesion Quirk, Spinner proceeded to ricochet off the floor, ceiling and walls alike, deflecting bullets, cutting down his nearest opponents, and even using his improved Quirk on his extremities to not only stick to the walls and ceilings, but to even stick his grapples onto several different guards and engineers while stabbing his blades into the floors for added leverage, using his grip and momentum to send them flying hard into the walls, pillars, and even each other like human wrecking balls.

Just as quickly as it had begun, all attempts to try and warn what little security was ultimately left down here or up on the surface in the Kremlin itself was gone, as the few scientists, engineers and guards that were still alive were swiftly disarmed and forced into a length-wise line on their knees, being closely watched over by the Vukodlak Copy and Spinner, while Mr. Compress finished gathering up all of the automated machinery, the tanks of the red Quirk-enhancing compounds, and a few armfuls-worth of the completed and filled bracelets, pouring them all into yet another preparatory bag within his coat.

"So, do we have everything we need now? Can we get a move on before more guards show up?" Spinner asked with growing unease, while Mr. Compress straightened his collar and rubbed his hands vigorously with excitement. "Not too quickly, my friends; we came here to gather just as much information as we were to gather materials and capital, after all. Vukodlak Number Two-san, I take it you remember exactly what it is we're looking for, if you may ask these gentlemen."

With a single unquestioning nod, the Vukodlak Copy approached the first of the scientists, particularly the oldest. [[You look like a reasonably well-informed man among this bunch. We want answers: what exactly is all this stuff you're building, and what is this compound you're filling these bracelets with, that's able to enhance people's Quirks, and even give boosted strength and durability to the Quirkless to boot? How is something like that remotely possible to make?]]

It was hardly surprising that such an old man would look even more terrified than his trembling younger counterparts, while the engineers themselves barely maintained any kind of stoic demeanor. It was only the soldiers who were able to remain halfway stalwart, if only for the reason of their hateful silent gazes.

And to the shock of soldiers, engineers and co-workers alike, it wasn't even the specific scientist that Vukodlak was questioning that finally broke, but rather one of the younger ones, who was all but sobbing as he let it all out: [[We don't actually know what the stuff is, or that it could actually strengthen Quirks! We were just provided it to make strengthening equipment for the Anti-Quirk Mobilization and Armament Bureau! They wouldn't officially tell us all the details of where it came from, but I couldn't help but ask a friend of mine that works there! All I know is that it was actually sold to them from an overseas provider in the black market, alongside these weird bullets with an agent they said was supposed to be able to erase Quirks altogether! That's all we know, I swear!]]

The other scientists and soldiers looked like they wanted to make their loose-lipped colleague's head explode with their minds, but the ease with which he buckled was far from the first thing on the attentive Villains' minds, as once Vukodlak had urgently translated all of this information for Spinner and Mr. Compress, they too had donned the same shocked and indignant expressions and body language as he had.

"Bullets that could erase Quirks…isn't that what Shigaraki-san said that son of a bitch Overhaul told the Copy of him you guys sent to that one-on-one meeting?" Spinner asked with his eyes wide, hoping to all hopes that this train of thought of his wasn't going to be correct.

That was why Mr. Compress' shaky answer left his stomach dropping: "I'm afraid so, Spinner-san. It would appear these bracelets that have been such a stroke of good fortune for us…may have been ultimately provided by our sworn enemy all the same. I'm not entirely sure whether to call that poetically ironic…or simply a stroke of cruel fate."

"It doesn't matter what it is, the point is that we don't do anything about this until we run it by Shigaraki-san himself. Now let's finish cleaning up down here and make for the rendezvous, agreed?" As soon as the Vukodlak Copy noted this, Mr. Compress ultimately tipped the brim of his top hat and turned his back to the line of hostages, just in time to avoid watching as Vukodlak and Spinner both proceeded to cut them all down in the blink of an eye, all while the magician himself tossed a few more fire marbles towards a stacked up line of fuel barrels providing power to the generators for this entire underground facility. Just from the sheer size of them, they would easily be powerful enough to take out the entire factory/lab once they exploded.

As they continued to run further and further up the way they had originally come, long since having ignited those marbles and engulfing the bottom two floors in their entirety in the destabilizing explosion, the Vukodlak Copy ultimately came to a stop, forcing Compress and Spinner to momentarily do the same, just to see him looking down a different hall. "I remember hearing the second major generator for the entire square running down this way. You've both seen I can imitate all the Quirks my original now has, which has to include that EMP bonus. You two go on ahead without me and I'll take care of the rest."

Given they weren't dealing with that very original, it didn't take any kind of convincing for Mr. Compress and Spinner to hurry the rest of their way for the Moscow River, while the Vukodlak Copy went rushing for the last major generator, listening for the hum every step of the way, and charging up the power for his EMP Quirk with every step, knowing this was going to be a colossal help for the rest of the Villains up above.

Inside the Kremlin

"Yes, Tomura Shigaraki, you're getting so much closer! Every step you take, soaked with blood as it may be, is another step towards strength undreamed of! Just continue to follow my voice, I can guide you to me! You've fought far too hard to let yourself be stopped here! Find me! FIND ME!"

Every step of the way since they had finally set foot in Moscow, the enigmatic yet incessant voice that had taken permanent residence inside of Tomura's head had become a veritable constant, continuously urging him ever onward, offering him no silence with which to truly think. So by this point that he and Dabi; accompanied by their own personally provided Copies of Vukodlak, Himiko, Spinner and Mr. Compress altogether; had finally emerged through the sinkholes of Decay he provided from below into the pristine and echoing halls of the Kremlin; the young white-haired Villain's drive to find the source was born of equal parts anticipation and frustration to finally gain some quiet.

And that mental and emotional combination provided him and Dabi just the extra fighting edge they ultimately needed, as with the aid of their own bracelets, Dabi's Fire had grown from a mere explosive plume, to a near pinpoint-focused superhuman blowtorch level of reach and penetrating power that nearly tore through several walls at once when used; and Tomura's Decay once more was able to rip and eat through every surface he put his hands to, and even through the air, annihilating multiple rooms and halls entirely of rushing security guards and soldiers at once. With every methodical step and turn they took, the two Villains and their added Copied security were utterly destroying the building bit by bit, by now having already worked their way up to the second floor by the time the power for the entire Red Square simultaneously went out; plunging the entire place in chilling darkness, enough to make the unfortunate civilians and guards nearby to start screaming in natural animalistic panic.

"Let's hope this little detour doesn't take us too much longer, Shigaraki. After making this much of a mess, we'll be lucky to even make it a step out of this whole place. We've probably got all the army presence in the country racing this way as we speak." Dabi finally pointed out after having projected his Blue Torch through a whole other series of small rooms lining their current hall, leaving a long gaping molten hole looking inside in its wake, with multiple ashen corpses to complete the picture.

"Don't let the current odds sew doubt in your head now, Dabi-san. As long as we pace ourselves in letting these things strengthen our Quirks, we can still make it out of this all just fine. And don't worry, we don't have much further to go. Once we're done, we still have our last contingency in place to make sure everything else goes smoothly." Tomura uttered with an eager smile stretching across his scarred lips as he came to a stop, taking in their immediate surroundings, before his eyes ultimately drifted to the ceiling, just for their Vukodlak Copy to suddenly clear his throat to grab their attention.

"I hate to interrupt, but I just thought you'd both be interested, since you bring up the backup plan, Shigaraki-san; that just down the next hall to the right, you'll eventually reach the main court, where all of the highest members of the central government gather for nation-wide legislation trials…and it also serves as an emergency panic room for them all to hide safely in for situations…almost just like this."

The mere thought of a whole bunch of trembling old politicians cowering before the face of death with nowhere to run brought a notable smile to Dabi's face, as he began purposefully making his way down that very hall. "I'll take care of the decrepit old crooks, if you've got everything else covered, Shigaraki-san."

"Don't go getting ahead of yourself, Dabi-san; we will need some of them alive, remember?" The Mr. Compress Copy called to Dabi's back, hurrying after him and ultimately leaving Tomura and his Vukodlak Copy to traverse the rest of their way in accordance to the insistent voice; ultimately drawing the League's leader to channel his Decay straight into the ceiling and through the next few floors in a row, catching several unfortunate guards and Kremlin employees in its wake.

[[How the hell could the power for the entire Red Square go out like this? How thorough are these psychopaths?! We've gotta get out of here! Gor God's sake, somebody get the emergency passage open!]] [[Everyone, please, try to remain calm! You all know how reinforced these doors, windows and walls are! It would take incredible power just to be able to put a dent in any of them! We're safe in here, I assure you!]]

Inside the major court extension of the Kremlin, every single one of the politicians that had been directed there for their safety, had fallen into a blind panic once the power had been cut; not only plunging them into complete darkness with the exception of the natural light through the windows (now reddened by the smoke of the fires of the explosions all over the city), and with their one emergency escape passage now unable to be opened, as several of them were desperately trampling over each other and trying to brute force the otherwise hidden door in order to get out, all while the few security guards and soldiers standing watch were futilely trying to maintain the idea of order.

BWOOOOOSH!

In the ultimate punctuation of mercilessly cruel irony, both the reinforced and locked doors to the court burst open in a wave of instant burning cinders, as two far-reaching white-blue jet streams of fire tore right through the doors with nonexistent difficulty, the burst of heat so intense that nearly the entire court, as well as all the security and half the people inside were immediately reduced to cinders before a single scream could escape from any of them.

As the unlucky survivors all nearly crushed each other and themselves trying to back as far away from the doors as they could; they were all beheld to the sight of the still-grinning stitched face of Dabi; his cold and sadistic blue eyes staring right through every single one of their sweat-stricken pale faces; as though trying to measure them up, every babbling old or middle-aged man, even down to the few middle-aged and young adult women among the throng.

Stepping in beside the fiery Villain, the Mr. Compress Copy similarly looked over the people begging for mercy at Dabi's feet. "Remember, Dabi-san; five of them, with at least one woman included. That's all we need."

"Then you go ahead and pick whoever you think looks best, and leave the rest to me. I'm here to enjoy myself a little bit." At Dabi's apathetic instruction, his nosy companion quickly snapped his fingers, instantly reducing four of the men and one of the young adult women amid the screaming crowd into marbles, which he swiftly and expertly snatched right out of mid-air before tucking them into one of his inner pockets.

With the deed done, he just as swiftly took his leave as he turned with a dramatic flap of his tailcoats, never once looking back as Dabi's smile only grew that much more, and the numerous panicked screams and incoherent mumblings for mercy momentarily soared into horrified damned wails before the high-pitched whine of Dabi's strengthened Fire cut them all off, reducing every single one of them, if not the entirety of the court, into nothing but embers and ashes.

After having torn his way with a shortcut up the remaining floors until reaching the top of the Kremlin, Tomura and his Vukodlak Copy were still continuing to mercilessly power their way through every pitiful form of resistance the soldiers and security guards could try to throw their way. The knowledge that the Villains were now clearly gunning straight for the president himself, had made them pull all stops as far as sending every last bit of manpower they had to the doors of his office and within in order to try and provide one final desperate wall of protection.

But the power with which the inescapable voice inside Tomura's head was encouraging and directing him every remaining step of the way, seemed to spark an even greater surge through his Quirk, as though that very encouragement was igniting a fire in his spirit, and thus making his Quirk that much stronger as a result.

"Yes, Tomura Shigaraki, you're almost here! You've almost found me! Come! Erase these meddlesome fools, and let us finally meet and commence the fulfillment of your destiny…wait. Ooh, how very interesting; I didn't expect there to be another observing your actions as I am as well. Ah, I see…I can sense him…your mentor, is it not? How wonderful, I was quite eager to meet the one responsible for having helped make you as strong as you already are. Clearly this is the one I must extend my gratitude towards, for having helped craft an individual that so thoroughly caught my attention."

This admission of the voice somehow managing to sense All For One's presence even through his Remote Sight and Hearing Quirks, brought Tomura to a complete stop out of total shock, while even his mentor himself was taken aback to such a degree he almost physically flinched within the confines of his cell. "What the hell? That voice…this is the first time I'm hearing it myself! Tomura…is that the one you've been telling me so much about over your time out here? If they're even reaching out to me through you…then they must surely be near. For them to be able to even notice my presence and speak directly to me mentally like you without my even expecting it…how very intriguing."

With All For One's own shock having quickly turned into very clear interest and anticipation to match Tomura's; the young Villain hurriedly proceeded down the next few turns, with his Vukodlak Copy maintaining a multitude of Air Shield before his path in order to catch any and all heavy gunfire just waiting for them, with undoubtedly the biggest concentration of guards they'd yet encountered, all collected just outside the only set of heavy double doors in the entire hall.

The wall of lead flying their way ultimately forced the two to double back, as Vukodlak Copy called back: "This is the place, Shigaraki-san! That's the president's office right there, the single most important place in the whole of the Kremlin for us. This must be the end of the line for this mission of ours, surely!"

"I'm right here, young one! Just one final leap through the fray, and our long-awaited meeting can finally begin."

Just like that, with his red eyes wide and his heart racing with eagerness, Tomura's hands began to shake, before finally, with a howl of pure adrenaline and rage, he nearly slammed his left palm right through the nearest wall, channeling an immense shockwave of pure Decay straight through the entire wall before him, leveling everything in its wake into rubble and dust, including the charging Vukodlak Copy and all of the guards stationed outside the doors; who all proceeded to crumble apart into dust before they could even voice their terrified confusion as to what was happening in just those few seconds.

Inside the office itself, Dmitri Zaitsev had only been lucky by the virtue of his desk being situated so far from the door, that had managed to avoid getting caught in the radius of Tomura's sudden attack, as his secured doors and reinforced walls were reduced to virtually nothing in seconds before his very eyes.

In his terrified desperation, the president of the entire nation had even gone the extra measure of donning some of the experimental protective tech that Konstantin Khodamchuk's department had provided him for just such an occasion as this; namely the reinforcing exoskeleton rig affixed to his back and limbs, one of the prototype bracelets he had been told would increase his physical strength and durability, and all with the tried-and-true reliable safety measure of a heavy-caliber in his white-knuckled hands, locked and loaded and ready to mow down the first Villain to show their face through the now nonexistent doorway.

The remaining handful of his closest guards likewise had the barrels of their weapons aimed at the opening as well, even though the ensuing darkness from the loss of power, together with the instant devastation they had just witnessed, had left their hands similarly trembling in spite of their responsibilities to the man behind them right now.

But even despite their abject terror, their eyesight proved to be far sharper than their president's, as he didn't even begin to see Tomura's head of wavy white hair start to appear through the rim of the destroyed doorway, before all guards started simultaneously hammering down their triggers, sending a hail storm of bullets his way the moment they could see his red eyes burning their way.

"AIR SHIELD!"

At All For One's command, Tomura's grafted right hand suddenly made a swift waving gesture, and just like that, every bullet flying his way collided harmlessly with yet another invisible wall, before all of the deafening gunfire was reduced to a multitude of empty clicks, with the president and all of his guards looking like they were borderline going to wet themselves when seeing the Villain still standing before them with nary a scratch on him.

Worse yet, Tomura's reflexes were still as sharp as could be, as he didn't even wait for any of the guards to start trying to reload, before he ducked down and planted his left hand to the floor, channeling another devastating instant shockwave of Decay through it, tearing through the legs and upwards of all the guards, as they fell apart and disintegrated before President Zaitsev's wide, sobbing and terrified eyes.

"Welcome, Tomura Shigaraki; you and your mentor both. Now come, open up this prison of mine and let me truly look upon you with my own eyes at last."

The voice beckoning him ever more fervently, drew Tomura's eyes to an unsuspecting book case on the wall just behind the trembling and babbling president's desk. For all intents and purposes, such a pathetic example of a man didn't even exist in his eyes, as he instead began single-mindedly making his way towards it, all while the president could only watch his every step with growing apprehension.

And it was only then that it finally occurred to Dmitri Zaitsev, just what it had to have been that was directing this Villain to have carried this entire mission of widespread destruction in the first place; and that realization somehow managed to instill him with a blood-freezing sense of terror far greater than what he had already felt when witnessing Tomura's Quirk in action.

So much so, that his terror managed to make the miraculous curve into turning back into a white-hot courage, as he leveled his gun at Tomura's passing head, and even proceeded to grab a nearby fountain pen as a single last-ditch melee weapon. [[YOU GODDAMNED MONSTER! I WON'T LET YOU FREE THAT-!]]

Tomura's physical reflexes seemed to act entirely out of motor instinct, as opposed to any kind of conscious decision, as Tomura barely shifted his eyes to look at the middle-aged politician trying to still attack him; before just as swiftly swiping his hand upward and grabbing the barrel of his gun, reducing it to rust in the blink of an eye, and then just as quickly following up by taking a single step forward and grabbing onto a portion of the exoskeleton rig lining his left arm, similarly reducing that whole articulate piece of potential military equipment into dust without even breaking a sweat.

Dmitri Zaitsev felt the most frigid sweat form on his brow as he watched two of his single greatest advantages turn to dust before his very eyes; too distraught and horrified to even think of utilizing the bracelet still affixed to his wrist, which Tomura actually did manage to take notice of, as he barely reached out to hold onto it. Finally, he muttered the first words since he'd even made his presence known to this trembling and bullet-sweating shell of a man: "You're very brave and very foolish to actually try and keep fighting even this far in…confidence bolstered by these little things right here, undoubtedly. They truly are wonderful toys…completely wasted on a Quirkless, cowardly excuse for a final boss like you."

"Nevermind that pitiful insect, Tomura Shigaraki. I'm just behind this blasted wall before you. Just a couple more steps, and all of your hardships journeying through this land will finally pay off."

"Agreed, this man is of no significance to us, Tomura. Leave him be and let's see just who it is that has such interest in us from all this way!"

Had Dmitri Zaitsev known in that moment that the enigmatic voice and All For One together were actually talking Tomura out of killing him right now, he would've been overcome with the madness of wanting to actually thank them both; one being the very entity that truly terrified him to his core otherwise. As much as Tomura simply wanted to rid himself of this nuisance of a man before him, he too was sick and tired of putting off this long-awaited meeting any longer, and thus he proceeded to take a step back and get back to his true business here…after applying only the slightest touch of his Quirk into both of the president's kneecaps and his right elbow, causing the weight and pressure-bearing joints to immediately come apart from inside his limbs, sending him crumbling in an anguished and sobbing tortured heap upon the floor, feeling as though his limbs had instantaneously gone brittle and decrepit, if not downright necrotic.

By now, Tomura could swear he was feeling the very air around him begin to ripple, as though being forcefully pushed back by an unseen force that seemed to be hidden deep within the wall before him, just behind that unassuming book case. And so, with his heart pounding with expectation, and sucking in a preparatory breath through his teeth, he finally proceeded to hold his hands before him, and start emanating the force of his Decay against this physically oppressing air before him, channeling out in expanding waves that quickly began to peel, break away and disintegrate the book case, wall, and ultimately a small but very heavily secured-looking safe deep within; all reduced to evaporating dust before Tomura's eyes, with only a single brilliant light still managing to emanate from within the vortex of pure and all-consuming death and destruction.

After holding this commanding posture to destroy the last of his obstacles for a good several seconds, Tomura finally lowered his hands and breathed deep and shakily, looking at the massive gaping hole across the top of the face of the Kremlin he had left as a result; his constricted and blood red irises slowly falling down to see the single glimmering light seemingly levitating just above the dust-covered floor before his feet.

Upon taking but only a couple cautious steps forward, the dry-faced Villain curiously knelt down to get a much clearer look, just as the voice once more spoke up within both his and All For One's heads, with an almost regal sense of professionalism and calm: "At long, long last, I can finally gaze upon the young man in possession of such strength and potential of spirit with my own eyes. You certainly don't disappoint, Tomura Shigaraki. Allow me to finally and officially bid you welcome…you and your clearly esteemed teacher…All For One, I believe is what you refer to yourself as?"

Both Tomura himself, and his master observing through his eyes and ears, could scarcely believe just what it was they were truly experiencing right now: amid this mass destruction he had wrought in order to finally reach this voice that had been dogging him for all this time; Tomura was gazing upon and being somehow spoken to by nothing more than an illuminated and floating sewing pin, one that looked especially delicate yet ornately decorated, in fact.

Now that they were finally face-to-face, in a manner of speaking, the voice emanating from within the pin was now able to audibly resonate through the air in a show of such controlled power, that even Dmitri Zaitsev could finally hear it with his own ears; the sound of which left his sweat-beaded brow growing ice cold with horrified realization of what was actually unfolding before his very eyes.

All the while, as Tomura and All For One alike were trying to wrap their heads around how this insignificant little household item was somehow speaking to them both in their minds; as far as the young Villain was concerned, it was strictly for the fact that this very pin was somehow able to withstand the power of his enhanced Decay, that he wasn't brushing this experience off as some kind of sick and elaborate joke.

But even with that kind of self-restraint, it could only go so far to make him not want to dash away all formalities or shows of politeness, as he took the first chance he could to finally speak: "So…this is it? You're the one that's been burrowing into my head all this time? There's all kinds of insane things that have been made normal in this world, but I've never imagined something like this was possible. Just who exactly are you?"

"Indeed; even in all the time I've been alive, I've never heard of inanimate objects somehow possessing a sentience and will, let alone the ability to speak to others through the mind. You have my curiosity and my attention, stranger. Who are you, and how is it you know my heir, despite him never having once set foot anywhere near this land before?"

The juxtaposition of Tomura's near-derisive tone, and All For One's strict courteousness, drew forth an especially aged and bemused-sounding chuckle from the presence inside the pin, that nearly made the air upon both men's skin resonate with sheer power; a sensation that had the imprisoned master Villain's physically indifferent demeanor momentarily shake with surprise.

"Oh, I don't need such paltry things as physical travel and time in order to learn what I need to about the people that catch my interest. I have existed since time immemorial; my very consciousness has all but become one with the very Slavic soil you all step upon right now. Any single person or massive force that has set foot upon it, everything there ever was to know of them, their convictions, goals and strengths has instantly been made known to me. That is how I've managed to maintain such awareness of the state of the world at large as I have over the ages, despite this admittedly pitiful state you find me in now. Yes, the very moment you and your comrades set foot upon it, your presence became known to me, Tomura Shigaraki.

"Your utter strength of will and spirit, as well as your raw power and the potential you carry for all the more of it, made you just the kind of individual I simply had to meet for myself. And with your teacher observing right alongside you, you've ultimately managed to serve as a bridging point for me to learn all there is to know of him and his strength as well.

"Such incredible specimens of boundless potential, for another to have managed to live; no, survive for even a fraction for as long as I have, and another to have risen up from such an early life of torment, anguish and suffering, only to arise that much stronger and focused…men like you are exactly what I have long dreamt of joining forces with for so long…to think, that they were simply lying in wait all this time across the Eastern sea all this time. Yes, yes, I know without a doubt we will all three of us, truly be able to help one another to achieve our ultimate goal in the end."

All of this over-the-top boasting and dramatic flair with which the voice in the pin spoke was already wearing thin on Tomura's patience, but the timely intervention of All For One's voice helped him to hold his tongue, especially when he could hear the deathly serious and curious tone his mentor spoke with: "Tomura…I've long since been able to identify a liar, even with the most silver of tongues…but I'm not getting any such signs from this person. He says he's been alive for eons before the advent of Quirks…and by God, he's telling the truth! And I have no doubt you can feel it as well…this raw physical power in the air. I can even feel it from here. I'm not sure how this is even possible. To think such a being existed and I didn't even know it."

Once more, another resonating chuckle emanated from within the pin, sending another astonished chill down both Villains' spines, as time all around them both felt as though it had come to a standstill. "I can understand the confusion you must both be feeling…but what would you say if I were to tell you that this current era within which you live was not the first time humanity came into possession of such otherworldly abilities like these Quirks everyone speaks of? This is merely the first time they have become so vastly widespread and exist within the majority of people.

"Do you truly believe that every recorded instance of some kind of god in even the most ancient of civilizations, of every legendary Hero in ancient mythology from every corner of the world, was simply made up from the depths of human imagination? No, these were merely the precursors of the very same Heroes with which you and yours all now contend. My very existence over all these millennia and even in this state should be proof enough for both of you that what I'm telling you is true. Isn't that the old saying, that every legend and fairy tale is born from but a single grain of truth?

"Just as you both do now, I myself have faced down a fair number of the legendary Heroes of this land in ancient times; they were the ones responsible for leaving my essence, my very soul, my one vulnerability trapped within this infernal form for all this time with no physical body with which to carry out my will; this form I had taken such extensive care to keep hidden so that none could ever threaten me. Although they could not permanently destroy my very essence, they deprived me of my physical body and every other protected vessel my soul inside this pin hid within, leaving me with only this minuscule little shape to maintain my existence, and so for well over a thousand years, I've been stuck here, watching my world transform so immensely all around me over the ages. Only a handful of times since I last truly walked the Earth, have I been able to sense even a single individual that possessed a fraction of the spirit and potential strength as I feel from you and your teacher together now, Tomura Shigaraki.

"That's why I was so insistent in reaching out to you, directing you here so we could all have this clandestine meeting. You see, as I said before, I truly believe we can be able to help each other to achieve the ultimate goal we all share for this fleeting world. At first, I believed you on your own would be enough, but ever since I could sense the similarly overwhelming sheer power in All For One's presence alongside you, I know that the three of us working together can achieve something truly glorious and unequaled in the history of humankind."

There was no denying the world-shaking amounts of conviction and passion this ancient voice possessed for the vision he had for the future he so clearly wanted to create with Tomura and All For One's help. It was the kind of power and heart that befit an honest-to-goodness king of nations…the same kind of passion that his mentor himself always spoke with whenever it was simply the two of them, for as far back as he could remember.

Hence, why it came as such a surprise when, as All For One himself was the first of them to answer such a grandiose offer, he initially started with an unmistakably wry chuckle. "Your drive to achieve this goal is unquestionable, I can deeply respect that, if not even admire it coming from one as old as you claim to be, who has experienced so much. However, I'm afraid you came across me in particular just a few years too late.

"As loathe as I am to admit it, the fact is that my life, so filled with battles, victories and defeats, has left my own body in a far more pitiful state than it once was. I know I won't be able to achieve the status of raw power I once possessed, hence why I've dedicated the strength and time I have left to help train Tomura so that he would be able to one day take my place as the ruling Villain in this world; the one who can finally truly destroy this insipid and oppressive Hero society that maintains such a stranglehold on this world as we all know it. If you truly believe that only through the three of us together, can we truly obtain our goal, then I know how sorely disappointing this must be for you, stranger."

For but a moment, all had fallen silent, leaving Tomura especially curious as to just what the voice in the pin was thinking, if anything at all, in the face of such potentially devastating news. If such a small object was able to channel such a physical power in the air in this minuscule form, then if the voice were to truly be brought to anger, even the young Villain shuddered to think what it might be capable of doing.

[Septicflesh – The Undead Keep Dreaming (Orchestral Version)]

Then, with a heavy sigh, it finally spoke again: "Your dedication towards your student and heir's growth is unmistakable, All For One; as is your resignation to your ultimate fate…but even that acceptance does nothing to hide the fact that, deep down inside, every action you have taken to increase your power and influence has been born from the most common of fears that all humanity possesses, even myself for all the ages through which I've lived: that of the end to our very individual existence.

"The only difference between us is that while you may have found the way to simply bring your own aging to a universal crawl, I have been gifted with the ability to ensure my own immortality even in the face of complete physical annihilation, as you can see. I have taken many physical bodies as vessels in my time, and no matter how many were ultimately destroyed, I still remained. Many have tried to destroy this final vessel within which I still live…and just as many have failed. That is my final failsafe for as long as I remain like this. If we work together, put our power, our…Quirks together, I just might be able to help you to remove such a fear for both yourself and Tomura, and thus secure our dreams and their successes: supreme power to reshape the world in your image, true immortality, a world well and truly free of the oppression of Heroes and all others; an empire where all are truly equal with you taking the lead. Such has always been my dream…just as much as I can feel it has ultimately always been yours, wherein you rule over such global utopia beyond question. If you can truly sense falsehood, All For One; then hear my words, my promise to help us all three to achieve this grand vision, and truly tell me that you don't believe me."

Once more did the absolute faith and conviction in such words leave both Villains' hearts racing in their chests, as Tomura's racing mind spoke out in genuine wonder to his teacher: 'Sensei? Do you think it could really be possible?'

Inside his cell, it took every ounce of willpower that All For One had to not show any kind of physical reaction to just what he and his dear student were being given the chance for right now. He couldn't even allow his heart rate to jump to any degree, lest it alerted the guards; bring them all rushing in on him and potentially breaking this sacred connection when they all needed it most.

"It's just as he says, Shigaraki Tomura…I can't sense any falsehood in what he's saying. I can scarcely believe someone could be able to offer people like us such a thing with such confidence; never have I seen anything like it in all my years. But it brings to mind again the overlying issue: with this stranger trapped within that pin and with no suitable body to inhabit, and with my own in the state it's in, it would ultimately fall to you, but the fact remains that you aren't yet ready to take in such an incredible power from both of us."

As the voice in the pin answered, both men could just envision the delighted smile on the otherwise indiscernible face the soul had, just from the tone with which it spoke: "Your teacher is indeed correct, my boy. For as much as I can sense the potential for power within you and your spirit; I'm afraid the physical vessel is still ultimately the most important for all of this to work for all three of us…and you haven't reached the threshold to wield such power on two simultaneous fronts just yet. But that's the beautiful thing about it: you're close already, and with just the right amount of tweaking, you will be ready."

Such encouragement immediately brought similarly eager smiles to both Tomura and All For One alike, as the master Villain chuckled: "That's exactly right! Oh, this truly was a meeting born from the graces of good fortune! As soon as we all return and you wipe these pitiful enemies of yours off the board, Tomura; then the final step towards your deserved evolution will finally be crossed, and our combined teachings and powers will help you, and the destiny we've both sensed within you will be within your grasp at last; to become the true ultimate ruler over the underworld…if not more!"

As Tomura felt his heart lift as his eyes fell with a laser-pointed focus on the even brighter-glowing pin at his fingertips; the enthusiasm in All For One's voice was just as much for himself as it was for his disciple and heir. After all, this stranger had cut right to the core with his summation that it was the fear of death that played a part in every one of his actions over the last three centuries; so to know that he was finally within grasping distance of the answer to this one final problem, it was impossible for him not to be just as excited in mind.

"Then I am to understand that you will both accept my offer of partnership between us? If so, simply take my vessel into your hands, and let our oath of comradery to reshape the world be sealed in spirit and blood."

With all three hearts soaring in unification and drive, Tomura finally reached out with his grafted hand and took full-hold of the pin. The instant he did, both he and All For One together felt their minds and hearts fill and race with a myriad of images the likes of which neither of them had experienced before, from the conception of the physical world as they knew it, the racing of the stars to mark the passage of time uncountable, to the dawn of ancient and modern civilization hand-in-hand, particularly the creation of a vast and powerful empire that spanned the horizons, before ultimately being brought down by a myriad of powerful figures in medieval armor that somehow managed to exude the very same all-powerful glow of righteous strength and heart as the Symbol of Peace All Might himself.

"It is done. The pact is sealed, and together, when the time is right, the three of us will guide mankind to an era of equality with power yet unheard of between us, to create a king and empire the likes of which has never and will never be again, for this shall be a reign eternal!"

With that thunderous declaration that resonated through both their souls entirely, the visions finally came to a stop, and for what felt like the first time in his entire life, Tomura's mind had gone silent, if for but a solitary moment, before all of the atmospheric noise of the chaos outside this single room came racing right back, with the terrified whimpers of the crippled president behind him continuing on as though he hadn't just witnessed this incredible exchange that had just occurred. The very thought of this left the young Villain shocked with wonder if all the time that just passed between the three of them, had really been captured within a single moment, for none but just them to know of, and now time itself was continuing ever onward as before.

However, the thought of time once more left Tomura realizing that now that he had finally met the figure that had guided him through this strange and foreign land, there was no further time left to be wasted.

As he swiftly tucked the pin in his hand into the safety of his pocket; Dmitri Zaitsev noticed the glint of ornate steel reflecting the light just before it disappeared, and all at once did the realization hit him of just what had happened. [[NO! YOU FOOL, YOU HAVE NO IDEA THE KIND OF POWER YOU'RE TOYING WITH! THAT THING WILL DOOM US ALL, INCLUDING YOU!]]

But all of his panicked screams meant less than nothing, to Tomura or anyone else, as he quickly found himself being forcefully hauled back up by the Villain's hands upon his collar, lifted just enough so that he had no choice but to look directly into Tomura's white blood red eyes; his dry and scarred mouth forming into a bone-chilling and toothy grin. "I'll bet you're starting to wish you'd kept all those people with Quirks around to protect your sorry hide now, aren't you?"

The chuckle that Tomura started letting out carried the icy chill of pure death behind it for the speechless president in his grip; looking as pale as a sheet. But just before he could follow through by disintegrating him right here and now, the sound of All For One's voice broke through: "Enough time has been wasted this far from home, Tomura. I think it's about time for you and your comrades to finally come home, wouldn't you agree? Kurogiri-san, open as many Warp Gates as you can in the area of the Red Square. It's time to begin the final stage of our exit plan."

With his teacher's word given as a signal for himself and all his allies, Tomura looked to the gaping hole in the wall overlooking the devastation of the Red Square and the surrounding Moscow landscape, and as if Kurogiri were simply awaiting the word, a multitude of swirling black portals began to pop up out of thin air one after the other. He couldn't currently see any sign of his fellow League members amid the smoke and chaos, but there was simply a sense of reassured certainty holding firm in his chest that they were all exactly where they needed to be.

And so, keeping his grip on Dmitri Zaitsev's collar firm, Tomura's gaze focused on one particular Warp Gate fortuitously situated just beneath the hole in the presidential office. Just on the other side would be their agreed upon rendezvous point, where they would finally cover the final details, and at last take the journey back to Japan.

As he steadied his racing heart and prepared to jump, his mind suddenly came to a thought, hoping that the voice within the pin was still reachable even now: 'Hey, if we really are all going to be working together from now on, why don't you do us both a favor and tell us who you really are.'

"Yes, agreed; I've never come across someone that radiated such presence and power to back it up whom I could actually consider something akin to an ally. Just who exactly are you?"

To Tomura's delight, this all-encompassing voice of pure wisdom and regality answered with a good-humored chuckle to himself: "Ah, yes, of course, do forgive me. It has been far, far too long since I'd last spoken with someone personally, I'd nearly forgotten myself. I have been known by a great many names over the ages, both as frightened whispers, reverent cries, and ultimately as little more than myth, a story for mothers to tell their children in the dark of night. But let us dispense with all the poetics and get right to the point: if I may be able to simply refer to you as you are, Tomura Shigaraki and All For One, then you may all refer to me likewise as I am…

"…I am the one known as and called…Koschei Bessmertniy (Koschei The Deathless)."

And there it is at long last, everyone; the culmination to this whole original arc, and the tying together of the plot threads that are the leader of the oppressive Anti-Quirk Russian government Dmitri Zaitsev, the enigmatic pin, and the voice guiding Tomura throughout the whole thing. I've always personally loved the idea of our most ancient legends and earliest concepts of gods or mythology being based on even a kernel of truth, hence why I decided to tie in such an established character from old Russian folklore into this take on the MHA story. I do certainly hope my Slavic readers out there will appreciate the shout-out to their folklore here. I certainly have a good number of ideas of where to take this new development on the Villains' side as we go along.

Please do leave a review letting me know what you think of this chapter, where you feel my writing or narrative could use some future improvement, all that good stuff. Any kind of reaction is better than no reaction at all.

I hope you're all having a good summer out there. Have a nice rest of the week, and I will see you all with the next chapter on 08/20, the final one before my new semester kicks off! Enjoy, and thank you all!