Hello again, everyone. Here we are, at the ending of the Villains Abroad Arc. I have to say it's been a great deal of fun writing an arc with the Villains as our overall protagonists. I hope you've all been having just as much fun as I have, watching them wreak untold havoc, and essentially force the whole of the former Bloc to remember just why they needed Heroes in the first place.
I've got a number of potentially fascinating ideas for the future of this story that will occur as a result of this arc, not the least of which is Tomura now being aided by two indescribably powerful forces of Villainy. I wish I could've known what kind of a response that little connection to old Slavic folklore that ending reveal had gotten from you faithful readers, but I guess I should take the numbers as a clear indication that what I'm doing is keeping you all coming back for more.
Speaking of which, I would like to humbly thank you all for helping get this story up to 400 followers, it really does my heart good to know that there's that many of you making the conscious choice to stick with this story, and I hope I'm managing to deliver you all the quality storytelling you're looking for.
I also hope that my subtle little mentioning of the finale events of MHA: Vigilantes in last week's chapter put a smile on the faces of you veteran franchise fans out there, too. When I heard about it, I just knew I needed to include it in here somewhere...and what a fortuitous point in this story for that to have happened, let me tell you.
I would like to sincerely thank every single one of you readers out there for helping support this story every week; just as I would like to thank my two beta readers Mizu and Jonny, as well as the current number of contributing fan-artists on DA you can check out who have contributed for that site's uploading of these chapters, as far back as they currently are: Syyndev, Akane Kahomi, Suki-Chan2509, AliceKuroCross and most recently, Effasempai. Their work has all been nothing short of fantastic, and I hope you all take the little bit of time to check them out and give them some much-deserved love and patronage.
My Hero Academia is the property of Kouhei Horikoshi and Shonen Jump. I only own my original characters and the original events surrounding them...and in this arc's case, the original events surrounding the pre-established characters.
A/N: [[]] indicates that characters are contextually speaking Russian.
Chapter 91
Awakening
(Пробуждение)
When putting the League of Villains' ultimate plan together for getting everything they needed from their time in Moscow, Vukodlak had long-since prepared himself for the kinds of hair-raising mass destruction and chaos that would be raging within the Red Square by putting Bombardment and Quiller on distraction duty, especially with the benefit of their own Quirk-enhancing bracelets making their already lethal and devastating Quirks ten times more so.
But even bracing himself and his fellows for that somehow managed to pale in comparison to the sheer level of the destruction he was greeted with when he and his volunteering partners, Himiko and Twice, had finally emerged from the front door of the Kremlin with their supporting Copies of Tomura, Mr. Compress and Spinner; all while the real Tomura and Dabi had gone their own way as per the plan.
To find themselves standing and soon enough sprinting across the rubble and smoke of the square towards the records hall, dodging the wayward bullet and flying rubble from one of many explosions from above, was both frightening and exhilarating for the three real Villains. In fact, for Vukodlak, in a way it felt utterly nostalgic. All the same, though, he knew that far too much was riding on his shoulders that would affect all of them and their plans; for him to allow himself to be too distracted, and fortunately that reminder came none too soon, as by now they had finally managed to barge their way in through the entrance to the second Soviet Union's entire record hall, which to no one's surprise, had already long since been left empty in wake of the mass panic from the Villain's widespread attack on the city.
"Alright, both of you stick close to me, and once we get to the immigration records, we spread out, but not too far from each other. Toga-san, since Russians don't organize their names by family name first, and you can at least decipher Cyrillic letters by now; then you know we're looking for given names that start with the Cyrillic form of 'G,' it looks like a capital Latin 'T' with the left half removed. The moment one of us finds it, we call the others over and start looking fast. Our Copies can provide us cover from whatever security might still be here in the meantime." With his instructions and a pair of identically eager salutes of understanding from Himiko and Twice, the motley crew began to race their way down the twists and turns of the halls and stairwells, before ultimately finding the very immigration hall they needed, which to Twice's aggravation, was far more expansive and national library-like in scale than he had hoped.
But this did nothing to discourage Himiko's particular enthusiasm, even if there were already a few large holes blown into the roof of the whole building, either from their bombing Compress Copies gliding over head, or blind fire from any kind of military artillery. Like a trio of shots, they were off, racing through and nearly knocking over entire shelves in their rush to try and find the 'G' section, and from there, the first sign of the immigrant name they had come across when looking up the lineage of Nikolay Bezpalov's mother, Gamayun: Gennady Porozhinskov.
Only a few separate times did any one of them end up nearly colliding with one of the very few soldiers standing guard trying to make their way through this part of the building…and sadly for those soldiers did their deaths come just as quickly, as with the replicated improved strength of their Quirks through the bracelets worn by their originals before their creation; the spinner and Tomura Copies laid waste to them before even a single bullet could get anywhere close to Vukodlak, Himiko or Twice.
"Sensei, Sensei, I found it! I win!" Himiko's excited cheers echoed loud and clear, and brought Vukodlak and Twice rushing, just to find her hopping up and down with cheer with a single page torn out of a tossed aside binder. "Your language lessons were SO useful, Sensei! I found the name already; I'm like a super-genius, like you!"
"So is that it then? Are we finally done sifting through all this crap?! I could do this all day, you know!" Twice spat with unmistakable urgency while Vukodlak hurriedly grabbed the paper his student was clutching, hurriedly looking it over.
His silver eyes visibly retracted with focus the moment he reached the section labeled 'Country of Origin' for the name Gennady Porozhinskov, especially when seeing the immigration date match up with the date of origin that had been in Gamayun's family tree information before. "Alright, we've got our next clue. Gamayun's great-great-great grandfather immigrated here from Japan before having his named changed to Gennady Porozhinskov. Now this whole section is for the immigrants that had their names legally changed and became registered citizens, so now we just need to head to the area listed by original nations; they have the original information of each immigrant saved on record for just such a process. That's where we can finally find out who he really is. C'mon!"
With just as much speed, the Villains nearly came sliding down the stairwells to the first basement level, with Vukodlak kicking the door to the very section they were looking for right off its hinges, only to find that the roof had caved in on nearly half the entire library, with added fire to build on the urgency of time for them. "Look for the section labeled 'Ya', the backwards Latin 'R', that's the first letter we spell 'Japan' with here!"
With this whole library categorized in Cyrillic alphabetical order, it thankfully didn't take long for them to find the section Vukodlak could identify as being for all immigrants originating from Japan; and to add further to their luck, it was an ultimately much smaller section compared to many of the other countries. What was less, fortunate, however, was that it was directly under one of the caved in portions of the roof, and therefore was just about to start catching on fire.
"All of you hurry and grab as many of the files from this part as you can!" At the word, all three of them hurriedly grabbed as many armfuls off the shelves as they could; from which Vukodlak and Himiko's heightened eyesight began hurriedly perusing through all names and associated years at exceptional speed, with Twice and their three Copies urgently watching the same doorway they had come through, just waiting for the first sign of trouble.
"These are the only ones with the right year, Sensei!" Himiko could barely get the words out before her teacher grabbed the few files in her extended hand, adding them to the pitiful number in his own that had the same year they were looking for. Thankfully, that ended up proving in their favor, as soon he was able to discern the very year and legally changed and approved name they were looking for; deliberately tossing the rest right into the fire at his back as he held their quarry triumphantly overhead.
"We've got it, everyone! Excellent work! Now come, it should be just about time all the others will be heading for the rendezvous point as well, assuming all went well. We would've heard from them otherwise by now." Once again, neither of Vukodlak's partners voiced any kind of argument or doubt once he tossed their treasured file to the Mr. Compress Copy, who just as quickly reduced it into another marble before tossing it right back to the veteran Villain.
The moment he did so; All For One's voice came registering in all of their minds with crystal clear enthusiasm ringing in his tone: "Everyone, Tomura has managed to secure his objective. I'm to assume you have all obtained your own with no trouble? Judging from the overall calm of your heartbeats I can hear, I should say that's a yes. Then with that being said, I'd say it's about time you all get back to your meeting point so Kurogiri-san can get you all back home where you belong. All of you head for the open square and the rest will be taken care of."
Already could they hear the all-too familiar whirling vortex sounds of Kurogiri's Warp Gates beginning to open up en masse from the outside. With not a moment waste, Vukodlak and his fellows came racing back up the way they had come with their protective Copies in tow, to be greeted by the sight of numerous pitch black portals just hanging out in the open across and above the Red Square, with the distant images of Tomura, Bombardment and Quiller all jumping and rushing into their own. With their already little time giving them no choice but to just assume that Dabi, Spinner and Mr. Compress had managed to slip out into the square and escape through their own Warp Gates already, this ultimately left it to just the plucky trio, with one large gate hanging just in front of them a hop, skip and a jump away.
BKOOOOOOM!
All the other atmospheric noises of chaos and their own racing hearts had (to Vukodlak's penultimate humiliation and frustration) led them to not notice the incoming high-pitched whistle of an artillery shell free-falling from the sky, before it came plowing straight into the front of the face of the Hall of Records just behind their backs; the resulting burning shockwave not only sending the trio flying face-first over two dozen feet forward into the heart of the square and destroying all of their Copied backup, but also blowing the Warp Gates nearby away, and leaving them with no quick means of escape.
As Vukodlak's ears continued to ring and he fought against the pain encapsulating most of his body from the burns and shrapnel, he could barely make out the distant but approaching sounds of heavy vehicles and boots from down the nearby street leading into the square. More prominently in his ears right now were the pained groans of Himiko and Twice several feet away. Looking up, he could see several open lacerations in the male Villain's bodysuit, while Himiko was already having half her face painted red with a couple trails of blood running down from her scalp after catching a sizable piece of shrapnel while flying.
Already, the Russian Villain was focusing his Super Regeneration Quirk on his wounds, but before he could try to reunite with his partners and heal their wounds in kind, his ears had finally stopped ringing just in time for him to hear that the rumbling vehicles had already reached the square entrance, and a voice ringing with hatred and desperation was echoing out from that direction: [[THERE'S THREE OF THEM! OPEN FIRE, MEN!]]
It was like a motorized gut instinct, what Vukodlak had reacted with, as he threw all his body weight to turn himself to face the armored blockade that now stood before him and his partners, throwing his arms with all his might with that momentum in order to throw up as strong an Air Shield as he could on such immediate notice, just in time to meet the wall of machine gun and artillery fire that met it; the barrage blasting a gaping crater in the ground just before his feet.
As Himiko and Twice had both likewise regained their senses in time to see what Vukodlak had done, they could both just as quickly see the devastation he had saved them from, and how much of a physical toll it had already taken on him, as such collected immense firepower had left him with twice as many open wounds as he'd had before. The man didn't even waste the moment to look back to ensure they were all right, before he threw his arms in another sweeping motion in front of himself again in order to meet the next wave of fire that ensued.
The explosions kept sending fire and shrapnel of stone and steel in a torrential downpour and gale force wind all at once, as Vukodlak kept trying to force one foot in front of the other, focusing his Air Shields and Super Regeneration multiple times a minute all the while. These forces were not letting up on their assault, having gotten lucky in the assumption that if they could keep hammering down punishment on his position, he wouldn't have a chance to actually try counter-attacking them…nor be able to notice their pincer maneuver play out.
As Himiko was desperately looking every direction she could to try and find a Warp Gate they could all escape through, or some other means to help, her wayward gaze caught sight of a distinct refraction of light coming from atop a nearby building behind Vukodlak's back. Even if there was a part of her that assumed she could've been guessing wrong, her survivor's instincts were what took the wheel, as she tried to race after Vukodlak from behind. "SENSEI, LOOK OUT BEHIND YOU!"
K-KRAK!
Twice had likewise spotted the glimmer a fraction of a second after the young girl had, and with his own gut twisting with panic, he'd focused all he could into creating another Copy of Vukodlak at the same time he chased after her, splitting the duplicate off behind his back as he ran. This ultimately ended up being the saving grace, as the moment it had taken form, the Vukodlak Copy threw up a massive vertical Air Shield where it stood, taking the high-powered sniper bullet that had been intended for the back of the original's head, and would have instead ended up nailing Himiko's, as she jumped and clutched onto his back; the sudden disruption managing to somehow psychologically connect with him, as he immediately turned around, pulled out the small pistol he'd been keeping hidden under his own jacket, and pinpointing the direction the shot had come from, and with the help of his enhanced eyesight, managed to squeeze off the one round he needed to put a hole straight through that sniper's head.
BKOOOM!
With another incoming whistle, the Vukodlak Copy hurriedly threw up another vertical Shield while the original hurriedly grabbed Himiko by her sleeve and literally tossed her to the rushing Twice, who barely managed to stay on his feet after catching the surprised teenager. This action of his came none too soon, as with the simultaneous impact of two more high-flying artillery rounds, they both got sent rolling and tumbling hard several dozen more feet away from both of Vukodlak versions, and the Copy ended up being obliterated just the same as the original got tossed and turned in a hail storm of razor sharp debris that tore through his midsection and right arm like they weren't even there.
"SENSEI!" "VUKODLAK-SAN!"
The echoing cries of his fellow Villains barely even registered through the immense pain Vukodlak had been feeling as the suffocating smoke cleared. Even as he tried to focus his Super Regeneration on the most agonizing parts of his body, he could feel it simply wasn't applying its effect on him fast enough, especially as his still-intact left arm was already throwing up another Air Shield to try and cut off the encroaching soldiers from rushing in and finishing off the lot of them.
"Toga-san…Twice-san…there's a Warp Gate near you! Quickly, while you have a chance, get through it and get back to the others! I'll…try to buy you some time!" Vukodlak couldn't believe he was in a position where he was actually making such final statements, but it was like the sentimentality and drive was guiding him all on its own, as he was already trying to get back up the moment he could feel the Regeneration binding his muscles and tendons back together in his legs.
"NO! DON'T GO SAYING SOMETHING SO COOL AND SAD LIKE THAT, SENSEI! YOU'VE STILL GOTTA TEACH ME SO MUCH! LET ME TRY AND KILL THESE GUYS FOR YOU! I LOVE YOU TOO MUCH TO JUST LET YOU DIE WITHOUT ME DOING IT MYSELF!" Himiko vehemently protested the moment she could see there was indeed a miraculous Gate still open behind hers and Twice's backs.
At the same time, watching as Vukodlak tried to put up one Shield after another in front of both himself and his two partners, Twice found himself mentally split between trying to conjure up as many Copies of every Villain he could at once in order to buy him some much-needed time…and his cowardly desire to just do as the Russian was saying and just run off with Himiko to safety with his tail between his legs. The pain of this indecision was so unbearable, he instinctively was clutching his bloodied hands to his head, repeatedly slamming his forehead into the rubble-strewn ground in an attempt to try and make the conflict end. "GODDAMMIT! WHY?! WHY CAN'T I EVER BE ABLE TO HELP! LOSING ONE OF US BECAUSE OF ME IS BAD ENOUGH…BUT LOSING ANOTHER OF US IS JUST TOO MUCH! I CAN HANDLE IT! NO, NOT AT ALL! STUPID, STUPID, WHY CAN'T I JUST MAKE 'EM ALL SO THEY CAN KILL THESE ASSHOLES?!"
As Twice continued lamenting his internal conflict, while in the middle of grabbing Himiko by her collar and rushing for the Gate; just as she was reaching back to grab her syringe in order to get a drink from the tank of Ochako's blood on her back in order to try and provide some help, another piercing crack of a sniper's rifle shattered the already tumultuous air from a completely different direction, right in one of the spots where Vukodlak's Air Shields weren't providing cover, thus resulting in both the veteran Villain's forearms exploding in a fine red mist of blood, meat and bone fragments.
With his weakened and blood-covered state leaving his Super Regeneration and other Quirks unable to act as quickly as normal; and listening to Himiko and Twice's mutually desperate cries for him…Vukodlak's always-focused and methodical mind actually drifted to a place he hadn't gone to for a very long time, if ever that he could recall. It was not a place of practicality, logic or reasoning…but of something far more distant, far more human…a place of a deep-seeded kind of resignation…or perhaps even…acceptance.
In all of his life, the man only known as Vukodlak never accepted the idea of defeat, having lived by the simple notion of having far too many critical goals to achieve before he could afford to simply lie down and die. Hell, even now, even when knowing he couldn't regenerate from his wounds fast enough, the idea of simply giving up made him feel sick to his heavily bleeding and busted up stomach.
And yet, despite this animalistic desire to not give up, but to instead keep fighting with every ounce of blood he still had in himself, down to the last tooth and nail he had…he couldn't push his body into doing so for the same reasons he always had before; and not just for the sake of his countless bullet and explosion wounds. And while at first he couldn't understand why this was, why his old motivators weren't able to inspire the same adrenaline and fighting spirit as before…at the same time, on a level completely detached from that of cold and calculated reason, he knew exactly why.
Even when knowing he was closer to the brink of death than he had ever come before, his pounding heart could only bring his thoughts back to Himiko and Twice. By some miracle, the Air Shield he had thrown in front of them after the last explosions had still managed to stay intact, while his were getting blasted apart as fast as he could make them. The fact was he had the army's attention the most right now. If he were to continue fighting and dying in one final blaze of eternal glory…for the first time in his life, it wasn't going to be for the sake of chasing his old personal visions and goals…but for the sake of making sure they both got out of this alive.
'I may not be able to live long enough to see my own dream within the League come true…but if this can at least help those two to get a chance to achieve theirs…then by God, believe it or not, that's fine with me. You all gave me something I never truly believed I'd have one day, you lot...and not just a bunch of comrades with the same ideology. No…in its own twisted way…you all gave me a family I could actually put some kind of trust in…and for that, I'll always be grateful. Try not to get yourself killed needlessly without me, Toga-san. Sorry I couldn't finish your training after all.'
SCHIIIING!
As his body had long since started to grow truly cold to its core from the blood loss, his heart rate steadily dropping alongside his brain waves; an unexpected surge, or perhaps more accurately an electrical jolt suddenly triggered with a power that tore through and filled the entirety of Vukodlak's body, sapping away every ounce of strength he was hanging onto in an instant.
The pain that was rippling through every single fiber of his being made even the extensive wounds that tarnished his entire body seem like barely more than paper cuts by comparison. This jolting barrage of indescribable energy felt like it transcended just the mere physical properties of his body as he knew it. This was something he couldn't possibly hope to describe, as it felt like it was a never-ending surge that consumed and reshaped absolutely everything Vukodlak comprehended about reality in all its forms.
In the strangest way imaginable, this sensation that was consuming his body felt like more than simple pain of torture or battle scars. No, it was on one hand destruction…but there was also the strangest sense of re-invigoration that came with it; a re-invigoration that could have only come from the creation of something new, on an entirely foundational level.
Soon enough, the agonizing torture eating away at Vukodlak's body and soul from deep inside, began to give way to a sensation of indescribable life and power coming into him and rewiring his body down to its most bottom-level properties. It was almost as thought the very presence and essence of his Quirk that had lived within him from the beginning, was taking an entirely different form that dwarfed what he had already perfected his body towards in the first place.
And the moment his flummoxed mind had come to that realization, just as quickly did a bolt of complete inspiration strike him with the force of the entire universe taking hold within him. This sensation of destruction and reconstruction felt as though it had extended right down to his very own genetic code, the very building blocks that made up everything Vukodlak was as a being with power.
As the power began to dissipate and interweave itself into his very being so that they could become one, it all became so profoundly clear: while Vukodlak still felt like a living organism as before, he also felt like something so much more than he ever had been before, as if his very DNA had just been rewritten.
In fact, the more his brain continued to process this, the more he realized something else: his body no longer felt weak and destroyed as before. If anything, he was already feeling stronger in every way than he ever had before. The multitude of different individual Quirks he had gotten so accustomed to feeling resting inside of him, all felt as though they had taken that opportunity to coalesce into each other and become one great powerful force dwelling within the very heart of his being. He felt rejuvenated with a concentration of life and vitality like he'd never experienced before, nor thought possible. It was almost as though Vukodlak himself had literally evolved.
'Evolved.' The moment that word crossed his mind, it felt as though all the world around Vukodlak had come to a halt, as he'd instinctively gotten back up to his feet in the process of this complete reconstruction of his sense and form of self. Looking down, he could see that every one of his wounds had not yet healed, but he didn't even feel weak anymore. These almost looked like completely superficial cosmetic injuries based on how he was physically feeling now. In a way, he couldn't help but imagine that this was what the sensation of true-blue invincibility felt like.
'Is this actually possible? I'd never been brought to that kind of a mortal limit before...and yet now, I feel like the very essence of life and strength have become one within me. I feel like something far greater than I ever could have been before. Could it really be that…that my-?'
All the way back in Japan, deep within the confines of his lab, the short, bald, goggle-bedecked and mustachioed old man who carried the distinction of being the personal Doctor and researcher for the League of Villains, had never left his work of studying the collected blood samples of All Might, Tunguska, Izuku Midoriya and Nikolay Bezpalov altogether down to the lowest and basest genetic level, keeping his inescapable eyes peeled for the first fragment of a clue to a genetic connection between all four of them. If he could find that, he knew he could have been able to provide the perfect clue for the younger, more combat-worthy Villains he was meant to serve, to be able to destroy them that much more effectively.
And yet, despite how much he'd convinced himself something was there…today, he had finally reached the very end of looking through Tunguska's genetic makeup in his blood in comparison to that of All Might, and had ultimately come up with nothing. There were no microscopic connections between the two mighty Pro Heroes that signified a kind of potential Quirk connection. And if one of these subjects provided no such hints, then that left the experienced scientist experiencing a sliver of genuine doubt for the first time he could possibly recount in all his years. And with that doubt came the conundrum of how he could possibly break such discouraging news with All For One.
However, where this day had led one of his potential hypotheses to a dead end, it would ultimately open up another, as when he had prepared to continue studying between the two young boys' blood samples, his ears had picked up a distinctive rattling emanating from the collection of his other blood samples; specifically those belonging to the members of the League themselves. And upon curiously observing, he only had a moment to process the shock that overcame him when he realized this inexplicable rattling was coming from the blood slide that contained Vukodlak's sample.
BKOOOM!
And in that next second, a field of pure energy had erupted from that slide with such power, that it had knocked the Doctor straight into the wall to his back, as if he'd just foolishly walked behind a jet intake and got thrown aside by the centrifugal force coming out of it.
As soon as his head had stopped ringing, and he observed distressingly, the devastated state of half his lab, his eyes widened behind his goggles when seeing the radiant glow that was now issuing forth from Vukodlak's miraculously still-intact blood sample. "What on Earth…?"
"Doctor, can you hear me? Something strange just happened to Vukodlak-san, I can feel it in my Quirks I gave him Copies of. I can't institute Remote Sight or Hearing on him without making physical contact, but you said his blood sample has reflected all changes my contributions have made within him. Can you tell me if anything has substantially changed?"
There were equal shares of curiosity and urgency in All For One's telepathic voice, but frankly the Doctor was too curious himself to focus enough to give his leader an answer.
When picking the slide up from what remained of all the others, he could see that his old eyes hadn't been playing tricks on him; it was indeed radiating an unnatural glow. This was the kind of phenomenon that outright demanded to be immediately looked further into. And so, after securing the thankfully still-intact blood samples of All Might, Izuku and Nikolay for later use, the Doctor placed Vukodlak's illuminated blood sample under the scopes for him to observe as closely as he possibly could.
Right out the gate, his trained and discerning eyes could identify the changes that had occurred. Where there had once been a simple DNA structure like literally that of everyone else, this one had somehow completely rewritten itself, not in its entirety, but in the one place the Doctor knew better than anyone else he could think of: the DNA block specifically connected to that of Quirks.
As per All For One's command, he had taken it upon himself to closely observe the genetic makeup of Vukodlak's blood sample every time he had been granted a new Quirk to hold onto, just to test and see if the subsequent genetic add-on reflected in a sample disconnected from the rest of his body. As according to one of his older theories in the field, the change had indeed registered and replicated to that of its host, which was a satisfying confirmation of his theory on its own.
But now, what he was looking at was unlike anything he'd actually gotten to see with his own eyes and not simply written up on paper…and the fact he was finally getting to see and confirm it, had the Doctor's aged face stretching with the most eager and ecstatic of grins under his thick mustache. And with that smile came the clarity to finally answer his long-time friend with his mind:
"All For One-san…oh my god, this is incredible! I'm looking upon Vukodlak-san's blood sample right now, it just channeled an immense output of energy like I'd never seen such a thing do before! The gene connected to his Quirk, the Quirk Factor itself has completely broken apart and rebound itself together, taking all of the separate Quirks you gave him along for the journey. They're all now bonded into one singular Quirk in and of itself! Sir…do you realize what this means must've happened?!"
Even with the heavy silence that hung over the lab, the Doctor could just feel the air of anticipation that All For One was instinctively breathing in the more he thought about what had just been described to him…and so too could he just envision the smile the supreme Villain was forming in the depths of his ever-racing mind: "Yes…I thought I would only be able to witness this kind of reality-altering change just the once…but thinking back on all your old written theories as to just what this kind of phenomenon would look like on a genetic level…you truly are a genius, Doctor, you figured it out to the letter without even having seen it! How exciting this is! Vukodlak-san…has just experienced a genuine Quirk Evolution! A genuine next-level awakening of his hidden potential!"
[[What are you all just standing there for?! It doesn't matter if he's already gotten back up, we blast him until there's literally nothing left! Keep up the fire, men!]]
Several feet away, just outside the waiting Warp Gate; Himiko and Twice were still watching Vukodlak's display as he struggled back up to his feet…but for a reason neither of them could rationally explain, the overwhelming sensation of despairing worry for their comrade was no longer there. It was as though, on a completely spiritual or instinctive level, they too could feel that something had completely changed about the man before them, regardless of the injuries all over his body.
Seeing the almost transcendent look in her teacher's silver eyes as he stared the soldiers ahead of him down, Himiko could barely utter the curious, breathless "Sensei?" as his stump arms began to more and more rapidly grow back bone, muscles and tendons by the second, with his bullet wounds closing right back up without even leaving so much as a scar, one after the other.
And as for Vukodlak himself, his gaze was focused straight past the entire blockade before him, his brain for once not even registering the multitude of bullets they soon found the courage to start firing at him again, peppering his body in multitudes, before sealing up just as quickly. It was almost as though the Super Regeneration Quirk inside himself was acting entirely of its own accord, without him even having to focus his mind towards it. In fact, the one thing his mind was focused on was but one simple thing: escape by any means necessary.
And it was that one goal in mind, and his understanding of the obstacles that stood in the way of him doing this, that triggered the activation of his original Apex Predator Quirk as it always did, but that familiar sensation this time brought about a whole new ripple of incredible power up and down his entire body in a heartbeat, and in its wake came the sensation of his bones and muscles contorting, thickening and reinforcing around each other with not a single jolt of pain…
…but a sensation of pure self realization, of acceptance of what one truly was, like pure adrenaline; even euphoria. As he could feel his body change from within and without in seconds, Vukodlak's mind was as clear as could be, thinking back to one of his farthest memories of childhood, when his parents had first regaled him with the tales of the creature known as the Vukodlak: 'It is a reflection of who we are; of what we are, deep down inside. When one s faced with the decision between life or death, humanity is just as capable of reverting to that of the wild and dangerous animal that until then is always resting within us. You will often find yourself warned of the wolf lurking in sheep's clothing…well, that is exactly what the Vukodlak itself ultimately is: the wolf that masquerades in the skin of men.'
With those memories playing over and over as he could feel his fingers begin to compact and shorten themselves from human hands to bestial paws; his bared teeth growing in both size and sharpness as his face contorted and extended, and his skin began to give way to spreading tufts of a glistening silver fur, Vukodlak himself could only come to one conclusion amid the chaos in his head: 'It's true…it really is all true, after all. My Quirk is the true reflection of what I am and always have been. Whether this is truly that Evolution they spoke of before or not makes no difference. All that's real now…is that I'm neither man, nor Hero, nor even Villain. They believe people like me, like us, to be monsters…but I'm no monster, either. I'll do whatever it takes to protect those that need me…for they are my family…my pack. I am the Vukodlak personified…I…AM THE BEAST THAT DWELLS IN MAN!'
The cacophony of terrified screams and confused shouts the soldiers and police let out at what they were now witnessing, ultimately became reduced to nothing as they were all washed away in the face of the shattering howl that emanated from the colossal silver-eyed wolf that had exploded out from Vukodlak's physical form, and now towered before them all with bared massive fangs and claws of razor sharp, glimmering steel.
As the howl echoed all across the entirety of Moscow with ear-piercing and earth-rending power, the entire blockade and every soldier in its wake was sent flying like scraps of paper before a storm. All men went smashing or being blown apart against the very buildings and vehicles that came down behind them before the sheer force of sound, before the fast-flying invisible wall that was once the Air Shield Quirk took form within the radius of Vukodlak's howl, and plowed straight through everything in his path, knocking gaping and cleaving holes through every building for the next kilometer ahead.
And even for as devastating as this new power was in its immediate range, that still didn't even account for the wide-spread EMP effect that stretched all across where Vukodlak's wolf-form now stood, knocking out what little power still remained for a solid kilometer in one large circle; sending what few military aircraft had been on their way, plummeting helplessly to the ground and river below.
With his injuries already healed, and his sight, smell and hearing now even stronger and far-reaching, Vukodlak could breathe easy, knowing that this sudden change in his entire Quirk and all others inside him had bought himself and his partners a few more minutes' time. As his heart rate slowed, he could feel his body once more start to change back into its original shape from the inside spreading out; his bones resetting themselves and his muscles reweaving, until the gigantic silver wolf that had once stood like an unholy guard at the Red Square's entrance was no more, leaving only the much smaller and heaving stocky man in tattered and bloodied clothes in its place.
"Holy crap, Sensei; that was so AWESOME!" Himiko's ecstatic voice came ringing in hard as Vukodlak heard hers and Twice's footsteps sprinting his way; barely turning to face them both in time to catch his grinning student as she leaped onto him, cackling like a child in the middle of an absolute rush, while Twice was anxiously punching against his arm.
"What in the holy hell was THAT?! Are you seriously saying you were able to do that kind of Wolf Man shit this entire time and didn't bother to tell us?! You bastard, that was amazing! We thought you were a goner, dammit!"
All the while, Himiko was refusing to let go of her teacher, even when he actually tried to pry her arms off from his shoulders. "Can you teach me how to do something like that too, Sensei? Or can you at least let me ride on your back next time? You looked so fluffy and scary, I loved it!"
But Vukodlak was hardly as outwardly excited as his partners were, as he instinctively reached for his pocket to ensure the one marble he'd just been given was still there, breathing a sigh of relief once he felt it against his fingertips. "We can't afford to talk about it out here. Let's just get to the rendezvous point and focus on getting back to headquarters. Then we can talk."
With Himiko still hanging on stubbornly, Vukodlak and Twice hurriedly rushed through the last waiting Warp Gate, immediately stepping out the other side to the massive and empty interior of a decrepit old warehouse, wherein all their fellow Villains were already gathered and waiting; and just as visibly surprised by Vukodlak's tattered and torn state alongside his two visibly injured counterparts.
"Whoa, what in the hell happened to you guys? I thought you would have probably the easiest objective out of all of us." Dabi asked with only the slightest raised inflection in his otherwise ice cold voice; the closest he could come to expressing anything like concern, while Quiller spoke up from her small gathering of Bombardment and a visibly soaking wet and exhausted Riptide: [[I'd thought that us laying waste to the soldiers left in the Square would've made it easy for you guys to keep up with us. They must've gotten the drop on you at just the right moment, huh?]]
At the same time, Riptide himself noted with much more clear concern: [[Some of us actually tried to go back for you guys when you didn't show up, but for some weird reason, Shigaraki wouldn't let us.]]
"Hey, enough of the chatter; it's only gonna be a matter of time before the army and authorities start scouring the city for us, so maybe we should focus on getting out of here first?" Spinner clearly was having no patience or comfort for just idling around after everything they had just accomplished, but he was quick to realize that he was the only one expressing such thoughts, as Tomura silently stepped forward, watching Vukodlak intently as Himiko finally thought to let the man go from her childish embrace.
"I felt a change in Sensei's mood when you all didn't show. He said something was happening to you back there. What was it?" At his asking, all eyes in the warehouse now fell upon Vukodlak himself, and since their surprise at his condition had been made immediately apparent, he let his shoulders fall and let out a truly exhausted sigh.
"They got the drop on us, indeed. I tried to protect Toga-san and Twice-san so they could get away, and I honestly thought I might actually die back there…but—"Tomura, you would've thought it was the coolest thing ever, I know you would! They kept blasting Sensei apart like Swiss cheese, and then out of nowhere, he actually starts getting back up, and even when they kept shooting him, he was acting all tough and cool like he didn't even feel it! They even blew his arms off, and they just started growing back!"
The moment Himiko cut Vukodlak's explanation off with her mile-a-minute rambling, Twice just as quickly chimed in: "That wasn't all, either! The guy literally went full werewolf on us! He turned into this big-ass freakin' silver wolf, and he just annihilated all of them with a single howl! The movies don't have shit on what we just saw Vukodlak-san do! Asshole's been hiding this powerhouse move on us this whole time like it's something so cool!"
Vukodlak was hardly surprised that Dabi was the most skeptical-looking one among them, while his instinctive translation for his two partners had left Bombardment, Quiller and Riptide looking unconvinced, confused and shocked respectively. But when he and Tomura locked eyes specifically, he immediately could tell that any kind of explanation of this Quirk change of his would have been fully believed by their active leader.
And it was with that confirming nod from Vukodlak, that Tomura's inquisitive dried out face began to form another devious grin. "So Sensei and the Doctor really were right. Quirk Evolution really can be achieved. How would you describe what you feel like now, Vukodlak-san?"
Rolling his shoulders in order to get the stiffness out of his newly repaired joints, Vukodlak answered: "The closest I can get is that it feels like all those Quirks All For One gave me have coalesced into one singular combination. The whole wolf transformation thing…God, I have to assume that must be what the natural evolution of my original Quirk has to be. I can already see, smell and hear even more than I already did before. Honestly, that's the only reason I'm not having us pack it in and leave right now. We've still got a good amount of time on our side before anyone comes snooping this far in the outskirts of the city.
"But on top of that, when I howled, it was able to create a high-speed Air Shield with it…so I guess that makes it like an Air Battering Ram now, plus that EMP Quirk activated right alongside it as well, taking out some incoming air support at the time. Alongside my Super Regeneration now working even faster than before, I think the only Quirk left that needs to be tested for any changes would be that Disguising Quirk; maybe even that Voice Changing one, too."
As Vukodlak continued explaining all of this, Tomura was beginning to pace, leaving Mr. Compress, Himiko, Spinner and Twice visibly unsettled as to just what was going through his head right now; while Dabi, Bombardment, Riptide and Quiller were keeping their eyes on the few open windows around, looking for the very first sign of incoming danger.
Finally, Tomura came to a stop, the scuffing of his shoes rendering everyone else silent as he lifted his head to meet all their curious gazes. "This is truly an amazing stat buff we've been given thanks to this side quest, everyone. You made the right call having us come all the way out here, Vukodlak-san. Our party is now even stronger than it ever was before. With your Quirk's level up, alongside the boost given by our new supply of recovered Quirk-enhancing bracelets and the very compound that actually makes them do their thing to begin with, we've got everything we could possibly need to go back and bury that piece of shit Overhaul and his damn Shie Hassaikai forever; money or no money."
To really punctuate the thrill their leader was experiencing right now when taking in everything they now had, Tomura proceeded to produce the tiny illuminated pin from out of his pocket, drawing all curious and incredulous eyes around to it. "And then there's this, the source of that voice that's been calling out to me ever since we got here! You can go ahead and just ask Sensei yourselves, he heard and saw it all himself as well! What I have here is a new addition to the League of Villains that can give us even greater power than all this stuff combined! There's someone trapped inside this thing without a physical body of his own, who says to have been alive for well over a thousand years, and has dealt with Heroes in his time similar to the very ones we've been fighting against all our lives! Vukodlak-san, maybe you and your fellows here may be familiar with him through scary stories your parents told you as kids. Someone who can't possibly die, with his soul bonded to even a single object within countless others? Someone calling himself…K-Ko…Ko—"KOSCHEI THE DEATHLESS?! ARE YOU ABSOLUTELY SERIOUS?!"
This was the first time any of the League, or the trio of fellow Russian Villains, had ever heard Vukodlak completely lose his collected demeanor altogether, as his mind had indeed been able to pick up on exactly what Tomura was suggesting was nestled firmly in his hand this very moment. His silver eyes were like dinner plates as Tomura gave him a victorious smirk and confirming nod. When Vukodlak turned to face his visibly confused fellow Slavs, he could barely put the words together, while his awe-stricken expression had them all feeling especially nervous: [[S-Shi—Shigaraki-san…is saying that…he's saying that pin in his hand…is what's been calling out to him all this time…and it…*gulp* it h-has the soul of…o-of the actual K-Koschei the Deathless inside of it.]]
Like the most basic example of a domino effect; now it was Bombardment, Quiller and Riptide's turns to look utterly flabbergasted by Vukodlak's suggestion, looking between him, Tomura's grinning face and the glowing pin between his fingers over and over again, with Bombardment especially struggling to try and form the words, sounding like a little child who'd just discovered that the literal bogeyman was indeed as real as could be. [[That…h-how is that possible? He…h-he's just supposed to be a figure from old fairytales. I-I mean, they said that Quirks have only existed for almost three-hundred years, how is a character from stories over 1,300 years old suddenly a flesh-and-blood person?]]
Vukodlak was still trying to translate for his bald-headed compatriot, although he clearly was asking the same question for his own sake as well. Tomura's satisfied grin never faltered as he twirled the pin triumphantly between his fingers before tucking it back in his pocket just as quickly. "You all may just know him for fairytales, but he might as well have just been a newly made up bunch of nonsense as far as I was concerned…but the more he spoke, the more I could just feel there was a genuine nature about him, and Sensei could feel it, too. Were it not for his opinion, I don't know if I would've actually gone for it in the end. Granted, even he says I'm not at a point yet where he can help me like he wants…but after everything we've obtained here today on top of his help, how much further could I possibly need to go before I'm finally ready? Once Overhaul is out of the way, we'll have the recruiting and organizing capital, and the hardware necessary, to make us all so, SO MUCH stronger; and we'll finally be able to come back out of the shadows, burn this entire shitty Hero society to the ground beneath our feet, and cement ourselves as the truly dominant Villain force on this planet!"
Tomura's enthusiasm was nothing short of infectious, as Himiko and Twice were squirming and nearly dancing with excitement, while Vukodlak and Dabi were much more subdued in their visible approval of their leader's drive. Even with the language barrier, the three foreign Villains themselves couldn't help but just get sucked right into the generally triumphant mood that now filled the air around them.
Unfortunately, though, this kept them from seeing the mutually concerned expressions and body language from Spinner and Mr. Compress alone; only made clear when the magician Villain cleared his throat to get their attention. "Actually, everyone…since Shigaraki-san has mentioned it numerous times by now…there's actually something Spinner-san and I discovered on our objective that you all need to know."
At his cue, he proceeded to pull out two of the marbles he had created during their mission, and upon rolling them across the floor several feet away from them, he snapped his fingers; causing them to turn back to a large tankard of luminescent red liquid, and the crate full of newly completed and filled Quirk-enhancing bracelets, with their windows aglow with the very same red hue.
As everyone else looked on curiously, Spinner hesitantly stepped forward himself: "Before we'd rescued you all from the train, Shigaraki-san; Vukodlak-san and Twice-san had informed us of what you'd learned about Overhaul's plans through that Copy of yours you'd sent to that secret meeting between you two, mainly about those weird bullets he said had something in them that could apparently destroy Quirks. We asked the scientists in those underground labs about where the stuff inside these bracelets came from or how they made it…and they didn't even know, themselves. All they'd really done with it was find a way for it to make even Quirkless people just a little stronger and more durable, obviously."
Already, Mr. Compress could see Tomura's red eyes beginning to reflect the beginnings of impatience, and hurriedly stepped in again: "The only thing of any gravity those scientists were able to tell us was that they had actually been sold this bizarre agent from a source in foreign black markets…a source that also provided them a batch of those very same Quirk-destroying bullets. I can scarcely imagine there's more than one figure in the underworld anywhere that has manufacturing capabilities to make such a thing…which I'm afraid can only really lead us to one conclusion."
"That this Quirk-strengthening shit is also made by Overhaul and his Shie Hassaikai, themselves, right?" Dabi ultimately concluded; and by now, the air of celebration had gone completely dead. Like magic, the looks of eagerness and wonder on many of the other Villains' faces had sunken into a deep and simmering disgust and crestfallen realization…all with the exception of Bombardment, Quiller and Riptide themselves; with the quill-headed female Villain being the first to speak up once Vukodlak had finished translating again:
[[Well, who cares if this stuff was made by the same guy you're all trying to wipe out? We've all seen just how much stronger these bracelets and this chemical make us all! If anything, I'd think us all rolling in and kicking this Overhaul guy's teeth in with his own toys would make it all poetic and shit, right?]]
She and her fellows foreign Villains all looked equally assured of such reasoning…but Vukodlak solemnly shook his head, meeting their gazes with a razor sharp steeliness in his silver eyes that made them all instinctively flinch, before motioning for Himiko to translate for the sake of their fellow League members: [[It's not so simple-minded as that. This isn't just about us making a comeback and killing Overhaul and his organization. He's completely set in his viewpoint on what makes a powerful Villain organization, and that's what makes him think he's inherently superior to all of us. This entire mission of ours has been about ultimately proving ourselves the truly worthy Villains to rule over everything through the merit of our own strength and convictions.]]
While Himiko's translation was naturally much cruder, it still ultimately got the point across, as Tomura immediately followed up, striding towards their three recruits with purpose in every step: "That's goddamn right. For us to just use the handicap of Overhaul's own gear would be to forfeit our very principles as a Villain organization, let alone our pride as Villains ourselves. We might as well be admitting to his face that his ideals were the truly right ones if we were to ever have any hope of getting ahead…and I will die and lie rotting in the dirt before I ever give him that satisfaction. You lot understand that?"
Tomura's eyes were almost literally burning through the trio, so much so that they didn't even need to understand his Japanese in order to really understand just what he was trying to convey, as they all soon began capitulating and nodding in understanding, to his well-disguised contentment. All the while, Vukodlak could just feel the devotion to an ideal that was radiating off the League's young leader as he stood there, and to see such an air of pure maturity come from him, had left the veteran Villain with a feeling of genuine pride and respect for such courage to oneself.
However, Vukodlak's focus on Tomura was momentarily broken by the sound of Bombardment clearing his throat; the bald Villain motioning for his fellow to start translating again. All the while, his eyes were still focused on the case of bracelets and the red liquid tank. [[I won't lie to you; you and your League here didn't really strike me as much of anything noteworthy at the start. But over these last couple of days, you've definitely proven that you're all capable of bringing on just the kind of fun I've been in such desperate need of behind bars. You're all definitely more capable and ambitious than I gave you credit for, and all those things together have made you all okay by me. If the next step is going back to Japan, then why not go with you all and have even more fun? But I'm just gonna say it: not utilizing every advantage you have at your fingertips in order to crush your enemies is just plain childish and stupid if you ask me.]]
With her pale arms crossed, Quiller just as confidently chimed in: [[Yeah, especially for something paltry like an ideology. How far do you really think that kind of thing can get you in the real world on its own? You gotta be willing to make exceptions if you really wanna have a chance at securing the kind of power role you're suggesting.]]
At the same time, Riptide could easily see that his compatriots' comments, thanks to Vukodlak's bitter-sounding translations, were getting some particularly nasty looks from the other League members; and thus he quickly threw himself in between, breathing deep in order to maintain the demeanor of the overall peacekeeper. [[All we're trying to say, Shigaraki-san, is to at least not go off the handle and destroy this stuff right off the bat. If anything, why don't we at least still take it with us and try things your way, and if that somehow doesn't prove to be enough, at least we'll know we have these tools to help us the next time to make a real comeback. That's gotta be worth something, surely. The fact is we're ultimately all on the same side: we just want to live our lives without stupid Heroes getting in our way. Are all of us really going to keep butting heads over something like this instead?]]
While Vukodlak could personally appreciate riptide trying to be the most cooperative of the foreign bunch, he could likewise see that it wasn't visibly getting through to his fellows, while at least Tomura looked to be giving it some thought…before finally breathing deep and meeting their eyes once again. "You give all this talk about observing us ever since we broke the three of you out, sizing us up like a pack of wolves just waiting to become the alpha, no doubt…but you've hardly been the only ones doing so over all this time. I likewise had believed you were all a bunch of old wash-ups that wouldn't be able to provide any kind of use to us and our goals…but for once I'm actually okay with admitting I was wrong.
"Vukodlak-san kept saying we would need you for what we did here today, and fortunately he proved to be right. The fact is that the League of Villains needs more members, especially capable and experienced ones, in order to make our vision a reality; and if the three of you are not only able to make that possible, but are also willing to do so for us…then I won't turn my nose up at accepting the offer.
"Who knows? We may just be able to help you build up ideals of your own, and you may just find for yourselves how fulfilling such a vision of your own to pursue can be. It's certainly much more fun in the long-term sense than just mindlessly going around acting on impulse with no real strategy, like overgrown children. It may just be able to push you hard enough to naturally achieve your own full potentials just like Vukodlak-san now has. Does that sound like something any one of you would be willing to consider?"
Even while translating, Vukodlak could practically feel All For One's long-time influence on Tomura making such a clear-cut and professional invitation and admittance of acceptance to the three foreign Villains; while the three themselves were having a completely silent debate between each other about what they were being offered, simply through looking in each other's eyes in thoughtfulness.
Finally, Riptide let out a sigh of what clearly sounded like relief before motioning for Vukodlak to translate for him: [[If you suddenly jumping from video game analogies to professional-sounding speeches like that is because of this super mentor of yours, whoever they are…then they really excelled when it comes to making yourself sound convincing. It was already hard enough being a Villain on my own before…so who knows, maybe being part of a team like yours could be a good change of pace.]]
With Bombardment having already pretty much voiced his intention to stick around with their Japanese hosts, Riptide looked back to see what Quiller thought of his basically accepting Tomura's invitation. He had a truly eager boyish grin on his face, especially when she finally stepped forward after rolling her eyes: [[I still don't think you're doing the smart thing by turning down such fancy tools against your enemy, Shigaraki…but you've all already made it clear that one of the targets you intend to kill the most in the process of this whole scheme of yours is the son of Gamayun herself, right? I still owe that dead bird bitch major payback for having locked me up for as long as she had, so if joining up with you guys in this grand plan of yours will give me the chance to kill the little brat with my own Quills and put an end to her hopes for the future as a result…then yeah, you can count me in, too.]]
With all three recruits having clearly expressed their acceptance of his invitation, with the aid of Vukodlak's translating, all the other League members visibly lowered their bodies' tensions, while Tomura began to smile once more, even nodding in gratitude before stepping forward. "I know it's difficult to change the way people like us think so quickly, but I'm confident you'll all find so much more fulfillment with a party like ours. Since this may very well be the last bit of time any one of us stands in this country, we might as well seal the deal your way as a show of trust."
With that, Tomura extended his waiting right hand for the three new members to shake in solidarity. While they had their natural apprehensions to this when knowing exactly what Tomura's Quirk could do; a discerning look to all the other League members behind him, and the lack of any devious grins or lingering tension, helped to put their minds at ease, especially when Riptide was naturally the first one to step forward and shake Tomura's hand in acceptance, with Quiller and ultimately Bombardment following suit.
With that, Himiko let out an instinctive excited cheer, with the League's three new foreign members just about to follow suit with cheers of anticipation of their own.
"PETRIFACTION."
At the call of All For One's voice inside all the League of Villains' members heads, including those of the newly inducted trio; all three of them simultaneously went stone-still right where they all stood, looking like genuine living still life's before all of the still-smiling League members, as they all began to circle the speechless three. Even if they couldn't speak, their eyes were able to reflect all the animalistic shock, confusion and horror their words ever could.
As Tomura once more took his place at the head of his band of Villains, the once inviting smile on his cracked lips took on a much more sinister edge; his red eyes almost looking illuminated in the shadows of this warehouse, especially when looking Bombardment in the eye. "Of course…that party invite would be genuine, if you hadn't already proven yourself an untrustworthy sack of shit, Bombardment-san. And if you had the guts to prove that so soon after we'd busted you all out of that prison, then who knows how soon it would've been for the rest of you to do the same?"
Naturally, All For One's surprise Petrifaction Quirk, enacted through his remotely-controlled hand on Tomura's arm, made it impossible for any one of them to try and speak up in defense of themselves. This didn't matter any to the rest of the League, though, as Himiko eagerly took that chance to skip her way forward so they could all look at her as she spoke up with Vukodlak already translating for her: "I thought I'd heard you talking a lot when you weren't with the rest of us at the convenience store the night of that ambush, Baldy. Yeah, I admit I was so excited about a lot else back then, so I didn't know if you were talking to a clerk or the police or something like that.
"But back on that train, even before the guys came and got us out, I was just trying to listen for something, anything interesting at all…and thanks to all of Sensei's training; I heard you way up there, talking with those soldiers guarding you like your were all buddy-buddy with each other. In fact…I think you were all talking about reward money or something like that, like what people offer for info on missing persons fliers, you know?"
Even with his body immobilized, Bombardment was starting to form a visible frigid sweat as all eyes burned into him, including those of his compatriots. Finally, Vukodlak took that chance to continue on: [[I thought it was odd that there were bags of money in that car we found you in. Believe it or not, Toga-san had told us what she'd heard before, back when we were patching ourselves up in that old church after the breakout…and as much as I didn't want to believe it; knowing Villains like you, it only made too much sense. I was stupid to think you were worth keeping around after you'd made it clear from the start you had no intention of trusting us. Of course you'd call in our location if you had one hope that you'd get money out of it, if not even a slight unofficial pardon to go with it.
[[And of course, the moment you thought there was even the slightest risk that we'd find out what you did, you probably used your Quirk on some of that money and triggered it right before we got to you, so the guards wouldn't risk telling us your role in all of it; and then put on a big shit-eating grin to make us think you were still on our side, just like the cowardly little opportunistic parasite you've always been. People like you are the biggest disgraces in this entire profession…and it would've only been a matter of time before either one of you would try the same thing if the original betrayal fell through…like it did. That's just the way it is with lone wolf wannabes altogether.]]
With that, Tomura knew it was time for him to deliver the final note to this grand reveal, as he began to approach the three paralyzed victims of him and his organization. "In all honesty, had it not been for the fact that we genuinely needed you and your Quirks to pull this off as well as we did, I would've killed all of you the moment you gave me reason to doubt your trustworthiness, and saved us a whole lot of trouble. Hell, you especially, Bombardment; if you were bold enough to try and sell us out while in a country you know for a fact you'd never be able to survive alone in; then there's no chance in hell you'd miss an opportunity to do the same thing once we were back in Japan, where you could just slip away unnoticed with ease, with or without your friends here to convince to work with you on that front.
"But I actually wanted to give Vukodlak-san the benefit of the doubt as to whether you could be useful for us, and…here we all are now, and the three of you…your usefulness as a whole has finally come to an end." With that foreboding fact now out in the open, Tomura and the rest of the League looked back to the large steel double dors of the warehouse, as well as all the windows around them.
With his hands instinctively gripping tight and loosening over and over in an attempt to not get too anxious, Tomura returned his gaze to the three; easily able to feel the sheer terror building up in them without a sound needing to be made. "It's not going to be long before they eventually find this place, but we'll all be long gone by then…at least, we will be. But even if we aren't taking you with us, there is still a couple ways you can all continue to help prove your usefulness to our cause."
With not another word, Tomura finally extended his right hand before planting it firmly atop Bombardment's head. Not a single sound could be heard by any of the other Villains as they watched, but they all knew far too well just what their leader and his mentor were ultimately doing, as when Tomura finally took his hand off of Bombardment's head, all fire and fighting spirit in his aged eyes had vanished, now replaced with a speechless and incomprehensible sense of horror and despair.
After all, such a look was only natural to be seen on a Villain who'd just experienced having his Quirk stolen without even being able to fight back.
Without even a word of thanks for it, Tomura went on to repeat the same process with Quiller; only this time the moment her Quirk was removed was immediately apparent, as the birch tree bark-like coloration of her skin immediately changed to a sickly pale alone, and her porcupine quill-like hair had transformed into a bunch of pathetic wispy hanging clumps of grey hair.
Watching this transformation and naturally putting together what it had to mean, the horror in Riptide's eyes was utterly profound as he and Tomura locked gazes; finding nothing but that frigid cold cruelty in the red of his eyes, contrasted sharply with his hanging white hair. Then, without a word spoken from his own lips, he instead proceeded to plant his right hand directly to the paralyzed Villain's face, just as the resonating voice of All For One spoke within his head: "Thank you all for your generosity."
And just like that, with the sensation as though his very soul was being sucked right out of every orifice in his head, Riptide felt the very essence of himself that was his Quirk get ripped right out, and with it, his shark-teeth, webbed appendages and razor sharp fins vanished into thin air, leaving nothing but a wide-eyed and scrawny adult man standing deathly still in his place.
Stepping back, Tomura looked down to his teacher's hand upon his arm, as All For One continued to speak within all heads present, even including the three whose Quirks he had just stolen: "Hmm…Remote Explosions, Quills and a variant on a Shark Quirk; very unique…and something I can easily see some use for in due time. I thank you three again for offering such exquisite gifts. Too bad fate was decidedly against you all. Had it not been for my listening to all your talk through Tomura's ears before, and employing this nifty little Lie Detection Quirk at the same time, I doubt even I would have been able to discern your dishonesty nearly as easily. Even the most subtle of Quirks have their uses in cases such as this."
While their ultimate leader left the now-powerless trio to wallow in the realization of just how utterly outclassed and outmaneuvered they always had been; Tomura himself turned to Mr. Compress and Vukodlak. "Did you manage to get all the people we need before we leave? If so, don't restore them all at once."
At his word, Mr. Compress happily produced the six marbles from his pocket that contained the politicians he'd managed to capture from back in the Kremlin mere minutes ago. With a true showman's flair, he proceeded to restore one back to the bewildered and terrified person inside of it with but a snap of his fingers; only for the poor victim to be rendered immobilized by Tomura just the same as their three traitorous fellows; all while Vukodlak was proceeding to conjure up the very same faces as one of his fellow League members from the Disguise-dispensing slots lining his forearms.
However, to his and everyone else's astonishment, the paper-like veils that he pulled out no longer stopped at the size for a full-head mask, but instead continued on and on before finally cutting off when it was the size of a fully grown person. "Well now…isn't this a curious little new perk?"
With an anticipatory smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, Vukodlak proceeded to approach the first of the newly paralyzed older men, before draping the entire veil over his whole body, only for it to bind itself firmly and in perfect form-fitting shape around him; before the League members all found themselves standing before a paralyzed and perfectly replicated duplicate of Vukodlak himself, even down to the very same clothes.
"OOOOOH! You can make full-body disguises now, Sensei?! Oh, getting the jump on people for a backstab is gonna be SOO MUCH EASIER NOW!" "Good God, if you can just start copying people's looks from top to bottom, you're gonna leave me out of a job, you bastard! Good on you!"
However, Himiko and Twice's mutually offbeat compliments fell on deaf ears, as Vukodlak was simply focused on making sure they had everything set up the way they needed to; with all five captured male politicians ultimately disguised as each of the male members of the League, including Spinner; complete with the one younger female adult prisoner left looking exactly like Himiko herself, much to the grinning fanged girl's excitement.
Once all was said and done, Dabi even took the extra measure of looking over the prisoner disguised as himself, looking between his replicated fingerprints and his own. Soon, he finally looked back to Vukodlak himself, his blue eyes noticeably wider with what passed for genuine impression from him. "Even the fingerprints, eyes and teeth look identical. Your Disguise Quirk certainly got one hell of an upgrade, old man."
"Now for the last piece of the puzzle minigame." Tomura uttered with a satisfied grin before striding further into the back of the warehouse, into a secluded little side office. Soon enough, the grunts and cries of fear and struggle could be heard echoing their way, before soon enough, Tomura returned with the crippled and struggling form of the Russian president himself, Dmitri Zaitsev, in tow; unceremoniously throwing him to the floor in the middle of the human circle.
The politician himself had long since cried and screamed his throat beyond hoarse, hence it clearly sounded like a struggle as he tried to speak, let alone lift himself up to look at the faces connected to the feet surrounding him. Eventually, he had no choice but to simply roll himself over onto hs back to face the ceiling…and the moment he saw all the faces looking down upon him like scientists to a lab rat, his confusion and horror froze still, and his expression turned into an agonizing realization, especially when looking Vukodlak in the eye.
[[Oh my God…so it really is you; the self-proclaimed League of Villains, after all. I'd been seeing all your faces and hearing about you all over the news after All Might had announced his retirement! What a fool I was, to think people like you would never dare to come here after all this time. I actually let myself become remotely complacent. And you, Vukodlak…when you were taken into custody as a disassociated entity, I thought our troubles with you would be over…I never once thought you would genuinely associate yourself with anyone after you'd fallen out with the New Bogatyrs. God damn me here and now for convincing myself of such things.]]
As Dmitri continued to ramble on in self-deprecating realization of his circumstances, Spinner impatiently muttered: "You seem to be familiar with this guy, Vukodlak-san. Does he always go on tangents like this?"
Vukodlak anticlimactically shook his head, just before the president at their feet began writhing in a desperate show of defiance, thanks to his crippled limbs. [[Whatever you animals decide to do with us, it'll make no difference and you all know it! The world will know what you all did here today, and even with our vastly differing views on Quirks, Russia and Japan alike will be able to set aside their differences for the sake of seeing you all rightfully punished! There won't be a corner on this planet you'll be able to flee to where you'll be safe! Your precious League and all your evil plans will die with you, starting here! That is MY promise!]]
With an uninterested roll of his silver eyes, Vukodlak proceeded to hoist the president back onto his feet, clutching onto his face just firmly enough so that he could slowly pan him around, so that Dmitri could have no choice but to dedicate the face of every one of the league members to memory; all while whispering softly directly into his ear: [[You can go ahead and keep telling yourself that; but if anything, there's a bigger reason you should be happy right now, Mr. President. As far as the rest of the world will be concerned, this day will mark the final glorious moments of the League of Villains for now, and the whole world will ultimately praise you, your leadership and your infrastructure for making that a reality. At least you won't have to go down in history as a sniveling coward like so many others here.]]
The moment Vukodlak released his hold on him, Tomura placed his hand to the back of Dmitri's head, rendering him just as immobilized as everyone else, before just as quickly getting draped all over by the final of Vukodlak's new and improved disguises: that of Tomura Shigaraki himself.
Seeing such an elaborate plan ultimately come together had Tomura, Dabi, spinner and Mr. Compress alike smiling outwardly and inwardly with satisfaction, before the magician suddenly jolted with a realization of his own: "Hang on, everyone. If these disguises have the same applications as the original form of them Vukodlak-san possessed, then once the paralysis Quirk wears off, what's to stop them from simply removing the disguises and ruining everything for us?"
"Worry not, Compress-san. I have that already considered." With All For One's telepathic assurance, Tomura proceeded to once more plant his right hand to the disguised Dmitri's back, before his teacher once more declared with complete conviction to match their leader's: "CELL FUSION!"
In a sudden flash of light that had been obscured by the inclusion of Kurogiri's mist back in the old church when fusing his hand to Tomura's arm; All For One effectively sealed the otherwise removable Tomura disguise to the shocked and horrified Dmitri Zaitsev's body down to the molecular level. With himself and Tomura bearing almost identical satisfied grins, the supreme Villain uttered: "With this, no one will ever be the wiser that these are simply all of you, having been caught utterly unawares after having given your three recruits their due punishment.
One by one, Tomura and All For One carried out the same binding routine to the rest of the helpless disguised prisoners; all while Vukodlak and the rest of the League watched on with expectation evident in their eyes and body language.
With that, and once they had all proceeded to place all their still-petrified stand-ins in their rightful positions in order to fit the very same picture All For One had just described; Vukodlak turned his attention to Twice. "Have you given the Copy you made in this spot the exact instructions I gave you earlier?"
With an almost indignant energetic display of body language, Twice anxiously pointed back to the same side office Tomura had just dragged Dmitri out of before. "Of course I did; just one of the random civvies we ran into, and I had him wait until we all got back here before calling the authorities over here to investigate, saying he might've seen us. Dumbass had been just waiting here since before we even set out on this insane mission in the first place. Even with our little delay, we should still be able to all get out of here before the reinforcements ultimately show up."
This answer thankfully pleased Vukodlak and Tomura alike, as with a signifying final nod from their Russian guide and comrade, Tomura returned to the small office in the back, before ultimately returning with the very same configured radio and cellphone device that had proven so beneficial to them for so long throughout this journey of theirs. Once he had the frequency set where it needed to be and hit the auto-dial, the phone couldn't even finish ringing the first time before he and his fellows were answered by Kurogiri's ever-patient voice: "Shigaraki Tomura-san, I was once more finding myself beginning to worry. Has your mission been met with success? Is this finally the time?"
Taking that one last chance to look over their deceptive little setup, their utterly alien surroundings and the expectant looks on his fellow Villains' faces, Tomura gave an especially faint smile this time before clutching up a handful of the dirt beneath his feet in his hand, tucking it into the safety of his hoodie pocket (whether for nostalgic reasons or something else, nobody could rightly guess), and finally answered: "That's right, Kurogiri-san. If you've got our coordinates in front of you, or for the Doctor to give you, then go ahead and open one last Warp Gate for us. It's time we finally came home."
Indeed, Kurogiri had been waiting for this very moment, as Tomura hadn't even taken his thumb off the button to end the call yet, before one large Warp Gate opened up right next to where the League of Villains were all gathered. With a joyous cheer, Himiko was already beginning to skip for it, while Spinner, Mr. Compress and Twice already made their way through to the other side; before she ultimately came to a stop, still hopping up and down as she turned back to address her mentor: "This whole trip was super duper fun, wasn't it, Sensei? We got to do so much cool stuff, meet new people, and collect all kinds of souvenirs! I'm almost sad to leave…but there's really no place like home, right? Right?!"
Vukodlak, looking around and thinking back on all the traveling they had just done over the course of these last several days, could easily feel that same sense of nostalgia in the pit of his chest. But, in the end, knowing just what it was they were ultimately aiming for, and knowing he could finally be able to go after it with all of these tried and proven Villains standing at his sides, and he by theirs; he ultimately gave his eager student a smile of genuine warmth that seemed alien on his otherwise cold and calculating face, before ultimately mussing up the top of her blonde hair with the palm of his clawed hand; earning an equally embarrassed yet playful giggle out of her. "That's right…there really is no place like it…and as long as you have family with you, home is anywhere you want it to be."
With that outlandish statement coming from him; which left Himiko aglow with blush on her widely grinning face; she, Vukodlak and Dabi finally made their way through the Gate, ultimately leaving Tomura on his own to look over the still-paralyzed and frozen hostages one final time.
Looking between them, and the case of Quirk-enhancing bracelets and the tank of the same liquid that had been left on the other side of the warehouse, an idea ultimately came to mind, as he strode towards both objects with a discerning red eye. Looking them both over, and then finally down to his mentor's right hand still upon his arm, he finally asked: "What do you think, Sensei? Want to give at least one of your new Quirks a test run?"
"As one final farewell gift before leaving this place and having to part ways once more? I'm so glad you asked, Tomura."
Leaving the decision up to All For One himself, Tomura simply reached out and placed that hand upon the case and the tank alike, waiting but a few seconds for his personal leader to make the decision. Finally, simply feeling in his chest that the deed had been done, Tomura made his way back for the Warp Gate, looking back to the petrified bunch one final time, before uttering with a blood-chilling ring to his voice: "Goodbye…and good luck."
And with that, the wrinkle-faced and white-haired young Villain stepped into the impenetrable black swirling mist, and the whole vortex just as quickly disappeared, leaving nothing but an empty floor…and with it, so too did all of the continuous explosions raining down on the entire city come to a simultaneous stop; the sign that Twice had finally deactivated all of the Copies he had made for this task, and thus bringing the attack on Moscow to a long-awaited and apathetic end.
Yet, despite this, not a one of the people trapped in this lowly warehouse could still be able to speak or even move. They were being kept in this sadistic position like a giant still-life display, even when they could hear, to simultaneous relief and horrified realization, that the reinforcements for the army and the police had finally arrived; all under the impression that the Villains responsible for all this destruction and carnage were lying completely exposed just within these four walls and a roof.
What ensued could only be described as the single cruelest irony in modern history; for just as the audibly heavily equipped forces gathered outside the main entrance and windows proceeded to simultaneously blast their way inside, so too had the case of bracelets and the liquid tank simultaneously erupted in devastating explosions that leveled a good portion of the warehouse entirely.
And to top it all off with even that much chaos already unfolding; the Paralysis Quirk that had been holding the hapless victims immobile for all this time finally decided to wear off, giving them all only a fraction of a second to even process and react to their situation, before ultimately being mowed down in an emotion and panic-driven barrage of gunfire the moment the soldiers had identified their targets before them.
As one bullet after another punched and tore through his body on his way to finally meet the ground for the last time; all Dmitri Zaitsev could think of was how proud he was of his soldiers following their training so dutifully, while at the same time lamenting the fact that he could never get the chance to finally tell anyone at all of the bitter truth.
He couldn't even feel the pain of every gunshot riddling his body; nor could he even feel how cold his body quickly became from the torrential blood loss. The only thing he could experience in these final fleeting moments of his life, was the painful and long-delayed truth that, from the moment he had achieved his position in the wake of the Siberian Flash; not only had his own emotions blindly driven him to deprive Russia of the kind of protection it truly needed over all these years from disasters just like this…but not one of his people, in the inevitable throes of anguish and suffering this day would no doubt leave behind, would ever know or believe that the Villains responsible for it all were still out there, alive and having gotten off virtually scot-free.
As far as the Russian people would know from this point forward; they had ultimately fulfilled their president's long-lasting wish to see their nation triumph over powerful Villains without the need for Heroes to help them. And it was with that embittered thought, that Dmitri Zaitsev and what little had been left of his immediate administration, had been left riddled lifeless with bullets upon an unforgiving cold earth, forever concealed within the fake skins of the very animals truly responsible; and their nation would be left with many more unfairly shortened lives to mourn over, while trying so desperately to rebuild in the wake of another great catastrophe.
Japan, early Friday, September 12th
"WHOOOOH! FINALLY! We're back, cooler and stronger than ever! Oh, I'm so excited! That was SO MUCH FUN! Thank you so much, Sensei, Tomura! You guys made it all happen, you're the coolest, the best! So when do we get to fight back against that stupid Overhaul, huh? Huh?!"
While Vukodlak had taken immediate action upon their long-awaited return to their temporary headquarters in Japan, to apply his improved Super Regeneration to Himiko and Twice's wounds, as well as Tomura's stump right arm (now that their return facilitated All For One detaching and destroying his remote right hand at last); she had wasted no time writhing about and jumping around in celebration, with Twice naturally following suit.
Once again it left them as the outliers in comparison to their much more focused and stoic fellows; especially as Tomura was currently in the middle of bottling up the small handful of Russian dirt he'd stashed in his pocket; focusing more on the emanating voice of Koschei The Deathless from the pin in his other pocket: "Very intuitive of you, Tomura Shigaraki. All I told you was that my ability to know all there is to know of those who step upon my land is connected to its very earth; and from that you manage to reason that my power itself is just as strong as it has always been if it's near as well. You're indeed a very clever young progeny. One of those accursed ancient Heroes that imprisoned me like this, Ilya Muromets, had the very same handicap to his own power. He couldn't utilize his immense strength on foreign soil, unless he had but even a handful of Russian earth in his possession. Perhaps, when the time finally comes for our powers to come together, the same effect may even then come from the earth of this eastern land as well. What a fascinating experience it'll finally be to see this new land of powers and Heroes for myself alongside such promising forces."
Tucking the bottle of foreign soil aside for now, Tomura only now became fully aware of Twice calling out to him impatiently: "Hey, Shigaraki, don't start ignoring us, dammit! We went through all that crap, got the shit kicked out of us along the way, all for the sake of putting that Overhaul in his rightful place. Well, now we're back, so when do we get to do it?! I'm tired and ready to kick some ass!"
Looking his comrades in the eye, Tomura silently swept some dangling strands of his white hair from his face, forcing them all to see how serious he was. "Luckily for you all, we won't have to wait long at all, Twice-san. As per our instructions before we'd gotten hit by that ambush, Kurogiri-san and the Doctor took care to plant some deeply-hidden trackers on the Copies of yourself, Toga-san and Vukodlak-san we had you make to spy on the Shie Hassaikai from inside…all for this very moment."
Looking to their towering misty glowing-eyed associate, Kurogiri gave a polite bow and nod of confirmation. "It is indeed true, everyone. The good Doctor has been keeping me informed of their every position within their headquarters at any given moment, so as soon as an opportunity arises wherein they're alone, without any of Overhaul's subordinates to see and suspect anything, I can swap you all in the places of your Copies, so you can carry out the crux of Shigaraki Tomura's plans inside the Shie Hassaikai without anyone knowing a single thing has changed. I need only await the order."
Naturally, the idea that they were to jump right into the belly of the beast that was their enemy so shortly after having just returned home, left Twice's whole body slumped over like he was truly exhausted, while Himiko still was moving about with an eager smile that showed she was clearly willing to keep doing whatever she wanted for days; all while Vukodlak rolled his neck about to get rid of any stiffness, just in case things were to get violent too soon once inside. They simply needed to wait for Kurogiri to receive the confirmation from the Doctor that it was safe to do so.
As the seconds stretched past them in their wait, their anxious minds were all suddenly filled with the sound of All For One's voice: "Just a second, everyone. I believe there's still just enough time for us to truly commemorate another of the most exciting things to have happened to the League as of yet: Vukodlak-san's new and improved Quirk amalgamation."
This sudden reminder had all eyes fall upon the visibly surprised foreign member, before their supreme leader continued on, sounding almost as proud as a father whose child had gotten straight A's for an entire year: "Vukodlak-san, you've truly proven yourself above and beyond to be a worthy addition to Tomura's group. I had a feeling in my core that you were the right person to introduce him to, and for you to have pushed yourself for their sake to the point that you achieved a genuine Quirk Evolution that can make the League so much stronger now already, is an achievement even I questioned was possible. As such, I feel it's appropriate that, given what you're now able to do…that you be given a new name, something much more befitting a soldier for Villainy with the kind of upgrade you've received."
The idea of him being bestowed a new name sounded exciting in a regal sense to Spinner, Mr. Compress and Twice, while the idea of no longer being able to refer to him by the name she'd gotten so used to, left Himiko visibly conflicted, if not still overly excited. As for Vukodlak, he had an uncertain look in his silver eyes that almost befitted that of a small child being forced to choose between its parents. "I…I-I'm flattered that you think so, All For One-san…but this is a lot to think about so suddenly, you realize. This is the only name I've ever truly known, and Apex Predator is all I've ever known my Quirk to be. I'd long since accepted my true role as the embodiment of the wild animal that lurks in the skin of men, hence the name. I can't say I fully like the idea of changing the very idea of who I am."
Unperturbed, All For One didn't even hesitate: "But that's just it, you see: Quirks already have given us a natural superiority over common men, and with the upgrade to all of your possessed Quirks now in your possession, you've transcended even higher. As far as the general public and the Quirkless are concerned, you're virtually like some kind of Quirked wolf god amid the ranks of Villainy today…in fact, that sounds perfect! If you must keep your original name, I won't try to talk you out of it…but the way your Quirk stands now, something like 'Apex Predator' hardly seems fitting anymore.
"Tell me, Vukodlak-san; how does the name…'Fenrir' sound to you, as far as what your newly reborn Quirk does for you? Think about it: society as we know it all but worships Heroes like literal gods on Earth. What more fitting name for your Quirk could there possibly be, than that of the giant wolf born to slay the king of the Norse gods, Odin, himself? It has a very foreboding and deathly ring to it, if I do say so myself."
As Vukodlak thought it over to himself repeatedly, his curious eyes looked around to all his fellow Villains, who of course had still been forced to listen to this entire discussion…and to his initial surprise, but growing delight, they all had their own individual looks of overwhelm at just how powerful such a name automatically sounded, with Himiko of course looking the most in support of the change.
Finally, the Russian Villain began to smile to himself the more he let it sink in. "The giant wolf made to slay the king of the gods…and our entire mission is to topple these human-made gods among men altogether. Poetically fitting…I like it."
And that was all that ultimately ever needed to be said, for All For One to know the change had officially been made permanent, and the rest of the League of Villains could just feel the intensity building in the air, as Vukodlak looked truly empowered to now possess such an intimidating title for his evolved Quirk. Where there had once been an Apex Predator, now there was nothing less but the dreaded wolf of Norse mythology to be branded upon his Quirk: Fenrir.
However, it was with that gratification swelling in his chest, that Vukodlak suddenly jolted with remembrance, digging into the pocket of his repaired pants before finally producing a single marble. "Compress-san, if you please. I think it's finally time we got this last little inquiry of ours cleared up."
With but a snap of the magician's fingers, the marble in Vukodlak's fingers changed back into the single folder he'd salvaged from the Immigration Records, which Tomura just as quickly grabbed the moment he realized what was being offered to him. While everything written inside was the same Cyrillic gibberish from where Tomura himself stood, All For One was still watching through his eyes, and had nearly no such trouble.
In fact, if anything, what he was reading through the original immigration records of the man from Japan who had been renamed Gennady Porozhinskov, had his excited realization reach a fever pitch: "So, this man…this so-called Gennady Porozhinskov is a distant forefather of Tunguska's wife; the mother of his child, you say? Vukodlak-san, when you originally found the page in that lineage report that had this man's information, you could tell right away he was an immigrant. Tell me, was there by any chance a confirmed date of death or even a certificate pertaining to him anywhere in your possession?"
With a disappointed shrug, Vukodlak answered: "Unfortunately, no. All there was in either of those reports was his date of arrival and naturalization. For all intents and purposes, it's like he simply disappeared off the face of the nation one day, for where I don't know."
However, to this, All For One could be heard laughing giddily to himself: "Oh, there's no need. I already know all too well. You saw what his original name in his arrival form was, correct?"
Thinking back, Vukodlak couldn't hide the glimmer of confusion in his silver eyes: "I admit my understanding of kanji isn't as sharp as it should be by now, but if I understand the rules right, it essentially read as something like 'Tatsukaze Sanjirou, correct?"
Speaking solely through the mind, All For One didn't even need to breathe before answering with exceptional excitement: "That's exactly right, Vukodlak-san. I admit this is quite a surprising discovery, I vaguely remember such a name from so long ago...but it's his Quirk that I remember much better: Fa Jin. The Third User. So this is where he ran off to for all that time. How foolish of me to have never considered such a possibility before; it's no wonder witnessing that Bezpalov brat in action alongside Midoriya-kun gave me such a twinge of concern, despite not being an inheritor like him; his Quirk is virtually identical to that of his ancestor. If there's even the slightest chance the tiniest ember of One For All is resting deep inside that child, then he really is worth just as much attention as All Might's heir. Oh, if only I'd had the means to track that coward back then like I do now, I could've likely saved myself so much grief to follow."
However, by this point, All For One was getting so lost in his own head, that he hadn't even taken into consideration the immense confusion he was leaving many of the other League members right now with all this talk of inheritance in relation to All Might, Izuku Midoriya, Nikolay Bezpalov and this apparent long-past grandfather of his. It was ultimately only Tomura and Kurogiri who even knew the full extent of the truth that their leader was speaking of.
In the end, though, All For One was quick to realize what he'd inadvertently thought through his telepathic connection, and quickly took up the air of command once more: "Well, this is certainly much more of a find than I had braced myself for while you were all out there. Unfortunately, there isn't time for you to go after All Might, Tunguska or either of their young progenies right now. There's still much more pressing business for you to attend to so that the challenges to come will be much easier. I think that's a good enough reason to finally break this connection with you all for now, as well as the extended time with which I've maintained it has left me more than a little drained for now."
With that utterly perfect timing, Kurogiri visibly flinched at attention; the signal Tomura had been waiting for as he signaled for their associate to start opening three more gates. "Don't do anything to make Overhaul or his men ask any questions. Simply play the part of the loaned soldiers for now, and know that we'll be constantly listening and watching for the right moment to act. I know you all can pull this off. Good luck."
With an enthusiastic smile and expression of thanks from Himiko and Twice respectively, and a promising nod from Vukodlak; the three Villains quickly stepped into their respective Gates, soon leaving the room in the League's headquarters that much more empty. With a heavy sigh of admitted concern for his comrades, Tomura returned his attention to his patiently waiting mentor in his head:
"Sensei, do you really have to leave us again already? There's so much that's bound to unfold soon, wouldn't you of all people want to witness it for yourself?"
This time, the tone All For One answered with was especially resigned-sounding: "More than you can imagine, Tomura…but you need to take the opportunity you now have to rest and regain the full extent of your strength for those very challenges soon to come. Plus, my time in confinement here has always been meant to serve as a test to see how much your skills as an independent leader have developed, and you can't truly reach that true potential as long as you know I'm here watching and listening in on everything you do. This is your chance to put together your own plans and strategies for yourself and your allies together, and act on them to the fullest; to truly prove your capabilities as the true leader of the League of Villains. I know, just as much as you do in your own comrades, that you can pull it off beautifully. I look forward to soon hearing of your exploits on your journey to destiny, my boy."
And just like that, with those encouraging words, Tomura could feel the indescribable mental connection between himself and All For One go silent; and with no time wasted, he could soon hear the voice of Koschei speaking from out of his pocket, as though he'd actually been able to sense the instinctive downhearted shift in the young Villain's spirit: "Do not fret for your mentor's silence, Tomura Shigaraki. He needs to work his own strength back up just like you do. You've already shown a great ability in being able to inspire and lead your fellow Villains in tough situations with overwhelming odds; this will ultimately prove to be a challenge no different to anything else you have encountered thus far…but the rewards it reaps will be incomparable.
"Soon, you'll finally be strong enough in every way, so that the three of us together can help make you and your organization's vision for the world a reality, and help make you into the all-powerful world ruler over an empire of true equality for all time. You need simply exercise patience, and have but a smidgeon of faith in those around you."
Tomura's left hand instinctively reached over to his right pocket as though to grab Koschei's pin snug inside, but he just as quickly stopped himself, gritting his teeth in nervous frustration within his closed mouth, before finally settling for following his mentor's advice and retiring elsewhere in their headquarters in order to try and catch up on even a little sleep, as well as to utilize some time for his real right hand to finish regenerating.
With him, and soon after Dabi, Spinner and Mr. Compress taking their leave, Kurogiri stood silent and vigilant, as though still waiting for something else that only he knew of…and soon enough it came, as now only he alone could hear All For One's voice emanating inside his head: "Tomura can still unfortunately be so stubborn. Are you alone now, Kurogiri?"
Keeping his eyes on the hall down which Tomura had left, Kurogiri thought calmly: "I am, All For One-san. Shigaraki Tomura tries not to show it, but it's clear that his experiences alongside the others in Russia has taken quite the toll on him, and not just in terms of physical wounds. Do you really believe the League will have to act so soon after having just come home?"
The black misty Villain could just envision All For One looking especially deep in thought as he answered: "I do. It's an instinct that has been well bred within me throughout my countless experiences; but I can sense there's a great paradigm shift in the power structure of the underworld coming around the bend, and all of these trials and tribulations have been molding and preparing Tomura for it all this time. He's cemented the hardness of heart and spirit he needs if he's going to be able to hold onto his place in the food chain from now on…and even if this new boon of Koschei in our ranks will prove to be a most promising advantage to us, the boy will still need all the more muscle and overwhelming power he can get in order to wipe Hero society off the face of this country and the earth as we know it. That's why I want you to do something for me that I can only trust you and the Doctor to pull off, Kurogiri."
Once more, even if nobody was around to really see it, Kurogiri's body language went particularly stiff, as he was genuinely surprised that he was actually being given his own personal assignment to carry out, and without the involvement of Tomura or any of the other League members on top of that. However, he knew full well where his loyalties forever lied, and so he showed no hesitation in his answer: "I understand and am deeply grateful, sir. Whatever it is I can do to assist Shigaraki Tomura-san in his mission, in the League's mission, it will be done."
All For One was smiling so happily in his head to hear Tomura's second-in-command speak so loyally; already just able to feel the great boost in his heir's overall power come over the horizon at this very moment. "I know it will be. You see, there's a certain on-hold previous project of mine that's been lying in wait in a nice and remote part of the country for safe keeping, and I think it's about time it was finally brought back into the fold…and you're the only one I can really trust to help push it in the right direction. The good Doctor will be ready to give you the coordinates you need in order to find it once I give him the signal.
"You may find it quite risky once you do what needs to be done upon your arrival, but there isn't a doubt in my mind it will prove an indispensable aid for Tomura in the battles to come, a means to single-handedly pave his road towards supreme power and ultimate victory over this whole damned society."
And it is here that we wrap up the Villains Abroad Arc. What will this mean for the rest of this iteration of the My Hero Academia Story, as well as Nikolay's story going forward? I hope you're all just as excited to eventually find out as I am.
I hope you all have a good rest of the week, I hope you're all enjoying the summer, and I will see you all with the next chapter on 08/27! It will be the first chapter after my new college semester has started, so I hope you'll all keep my words from the previous chapter's foreword in mind that it may put my consistent work flow at risk. If that indeed becomes the case, I will be sure to let you all know.