Hello, everyone. Welcome to the last chapter of this story's take on the Meta Liberation Army Arc. This was by far the most fun chapter for me to write, if even just for the chance to just try and novelize the backstory you veteran fans know we're about to get. As an aspiring writer, it's fantastic practice to hone my craft by translating images to words from the heart. I can only hope you think that this chapter does any of it justice.

Thank you all for your continued patronage and readership, even despite the lengths of many of my chapters. I know that can seem intimidating to a fair number of people out there, so to see that so many people are still reading is more inspiring and affirming than you will ever know.

Also, don't forget to check out my profile in order to cast your votes for my potentially tackling any of the present-day spinoffs. The month is almost over, and therefore so is the poll. I hope once I close it, I'll actually be presented the results, if there are any. This is what happens when I use these functions for the first time ever.

Another heartfelt thanks to my beta readers, consultants and friends: Mizu, Jonny and Carlos, for all their respective support and help.

And many, many thanks to all the supporting and collaborating artists on DA that have thus far contributed to this story on that platform: Syyndev, Akane Kahomi, AliceKuroCross, Suki-Chan2509, effasempai, Eliza-Frost, Vanera-Taro and Yumake.

Chapter 124

Succession

(Последовательность)

Fukuoka City, Kyushu, December 1st

One of the best benefits of the Wing Hero Hawks' Quirk was that his wings could recover from even the most extensive injuries at a considerably fast pace. Barely more than a full day since the battle against the High-End Nomu with Endeavor, and they had already regained their brilliant red luster, and strength through which he could be able to fly again.

But as he carried on with his usual patrol from above, watching out for any signs of trouble whilst casually answering the enthusiastic greetings and cheers of his adoring public watching him from below; he was soon snapped out of it by the humming of his cellphone in his jacket pocket. It was only a matter of time; this was the instance he'd been anticipating the most.

"Hawks. It's a real shame about how we left things the last time we spoke." The natural coldness of Dabi's voice on the other end should've filled Hawks with nothing but dread, and in a sense it did. But for his own sake, and that of his true mission, he couldn't convey such a feeling with his answers; instead putting on his usual calm and laid back tone.

"I couldn't agree more, though you make it sound like it was ages ago. I'm surprised to be hearing back from you again so soon. Is your interviewing partner listening in with you? Give him my honest greetings."

Hawks knew he needed to keep his answers at just the right length. Too brief and blunt, and it could risk tipping Dabi off as to doubting his authenticity in wanting to join the League of Villains. Too long-winded, and he could suspect him of trying to stall for time for the benefit of other Heroes. It was honestly too bad for him; as Hawks typically prided himself as a man who could do small talk for hours without even trying.

"Don't even think of tracing this call. You're only talking to me unless I deem it absolutely necessary from now on."

Clearly, Dabi wasn't one for patience; as that initial warning had Hawks fighting the urge to suck in a hissing breath through his teeth, in concern he'd pushed his answering time that smidgeon too long.

But like an absolute professional, he instantly reeled it all back in. "Me? Never! You gotta gimme the benefit of the doubt here. I just need you to trust me. Your partner from last time may not; but if it's just you conducting this call, then that clearly means your opinion is the only one that matters now. And you can take me at my word: being on this side of the equation made me realize just how much better off we'd all be without Heroes and Heroics."

In his head, Hawks was split between his cautionary sensibilities continuously telling him to stop talking; while his much more objective-driven side was firmly reinstating to himself over and over, in order to cement his spirit and dedication to the endgame: 'I understand how you think, at least, Dabi. You won't cut me out of the loop that easily, because you understand the real value I bring to the table. So I'll just keep playing the happy-go-lucky idiot until you start thinking less about risk, and more about returns. You're eager to make good use of me, right? Why else would you call me back just one day after that fiasco with your formerly new Nomu?'

Finally, after a grueling few seconds of intense silence to think; Dabi's voice once again answered: "Fine. You get one more chance."

Hawks could at least allow himself to feel enough relief to smile in satisfaction to himself at the sound of this. "So what's the job?"

"You're gonna prove your loyalty, not just to the League, but to the entire Anti-Establishment cause. So, take someone out. Someone other than Number One. I'll text you the location to deliver me the proof you did it, and we'll meet there in two days. Don't be late, and don't try anything clever. You know we have our ways to get the truth out, no matter how well hidden it is…and you won't like how it ends if we find it."

Click!

With nothing more needing to be said now that his ultimatum had been given, Dabi unceremoniously ended the call; leaving Hawks at the single greatest crossroads he could've expected to be put in this early into his mission. On the outside, he had the same casual smile as always. But within, he was anxiously looking down the few options he had. To back out now would ruin the cover and repertoire he'd already established with even one member of the League; as minuscule as it was…but how in the hell was he supposed to actually deliver what Dabi was expecting from him? And even if he did try something duplicitous; there was no telling just what kind of measures Vukodlak or anyone else accompanying Dabi would have put in place, in order to make sure he was on the up-and-up?

Finding a solution on top of a good enough candidate, should he have come to the realization of there being no alternatives to pull this off; was going to be damn near impossible…and as the Number Two Hero, he was thereby expected to have the power and capability to take that and make it possible, for better and for far worse.

Tokyo, December 2nd

"Please, come in, Hawks-san. I must admit, I'm still quite surprised you decided to visit me out of the blue like this."

At the invite of his host, Hawks gladly stepped into the lavishly decorated top-floor suite of the Number Three Hero in all of Japan: the long-absent but overall healthy-looking Fabrics Hero, Best Jeanist; the tall, lanky blonde-haired man wearing a dark blue turtleneck that still managed to obscure two-thirds of his face, much like his Hero costume.

Taking in the upper scale antiques, merchandise and decorations of his fellow Hero's living quarters; Hawks kept his movements relaxed, his hands in his pockets, and his wings tucked back. As far as Best Jeanist or anyone else would be concerned, he might as well have been living it up on his only true day off. "Yeah, sorry I didn't give you much more notice ahead of time. You know how the life is; we gotta take what time off we can get…though in your case, you've been getting that in abundance these last few months since Kamino Ward. Speaking of, you're definitely looking all better. How're you feeling, though?"

Gesturing for his guest to take a seat, Best Jeanist humbly answered: "Well, thankfully it's not just in appearances. I'm certainly feeling much better…though it's certainly not to the point of how I was before that night."

"How come you didn't just ask the little old lady at Yuuei to work her magic on you?" Hawks asked; slowly scanning his gaze from one corner to the next.

"Unfortunately, her Quirk can't help recover what has already been lost altogether. Fortunately, though, a man can go on living with just one lung. I plan to step back into the public eye shortly from now, as the masses have made it very clear that they wish to see me correct injustices once more." As Best Jeanist explained all of this, he was in the process of taking a tray of tea from the kitchen to the living room table; all the while unaware how Hawks' eyes were intently focused on him alone, with his left arms slowly and subtly reaching behind his back.

"Is that so? That's too bad."

The very next thing Best Jeanist saw the moment he turned to respond to such vague words; was the sight of the Number Two Hero staring him down; his left arm now removed from behind his back, with a single razor sharp red feather clutched tight in his hand like a sword. And the entire time; Hawks' heart rate never jumped in even the slightest.

Osaka, December 3rd

Upon one of the countless skyscrapers composing one of the biggest cities in western Japan; Hawks was keeping himself much less obviously visible to the crowds on the streets below; intently checking his phone habitually for potentially missed calls and messages; feeling his very well-restrained frustration slowly but surely grow with every five minutes that passed with no communication.

'Why can't I get a hold of him? It's almost the time we agreed on, and this was the spot he picked. And there's been no word on any League sightings on the Hero Network since the Nomu attack. This doesn't fit with their patterns so far. Could something have actually gone wrong on their end? I've got a bad feeling about this.'

With that and a swelling sensation in his chest, Hawks fastened the strap over his chest that was connected to the large duffle bag hanging at his side; before flapping his large wings and taking to the air once more.

But as he flew, he couldn't help but catch a specific news report playing out on one of the larger television screens on the face of one of the buildings; this one currently displaying a photo of Best Jeanist, with the headline below reading: 'Number Three Hero, Best Jeanist, Gone Missing. Sidekicks have reported not hearing from him.'

But Hawks couldn't allow himself to look at this headline for more than a passing moment; his hand instinctively reaching down and patting at the duffle bag in response while he continued to focus on just flying forward, to the ever elusive horizon of destiny. "C'mon…don't let a man's resolve go to waste here."

Deika City

After all of the headway Tomura and the rest of the League of Villains had made in fighting through the ranks of the Meta Liberation Army; even to the point of destroying their headquarters in the dead center of the city; the last thing he ever expected to happen, was to find himself now being held powerless within the giant fingertips of the Army's now-giant Grand Commander, Re-Destro. With the majority of his left fingers having just been destroyed, and with the grip on his one whole hand keeping him from being able to touch all five fingers to him at all; there was genuinely nothing he could do to get himself out.

And this fact was the one thing to bring a bold and malicious grin to Re-Destro's face as he continued to tighten his grip on his enemy's hands with his fingers. "'Let's not judge people by their Quirks.' It's a good lesson! I, myself, was raised to think that way! However, there's a clear link between one's personality and their Meta Ability! For example: you, Shigaraki Tomura, are someone who destroys absolutely anything and anyone he touches with all five fingers on any hand! So what do you think?!"

Watching the wide-eyed expression of shock on Tomura's scarred and wrinkled, bone-dry face only seemed to further fuel the colossal man's bloodlust, as he continued to slowly and agonizingly crush his hands. "You missed my earlier questions: what burdens do you bear? What is it that you seek to build from the ruins of society? Because all I see is a hollow man who creates nothing! All you seek to do is indulge in meaningless destruction, right?! And in that case, you will NEVER measure up to me!"

What Re-Destro didn't realize, however, was that Tomura wasn't even paying attention to the pain in his hands, or anything that was being said to him. The only real reason he looked so shocked, was because he couldn't take his eyes off the destroyed disembodied hand lying on the ground several feet away; which had been knocked off his body as a result of Re-Destro's most recent attack.

And the more he looked upon it, the more he could feel the once pulsating pain that had been persistently ringing away in his head all day long, begin to intensify. 'That…was Hana's hand.'

All at once, he could recall with incredible clarity, the day he had received all of those precious disembodied hands as a much younger child; courtesy of his selfless and welcoming teacher that had essentially saved his life from starvation on the streets; All For One.

"These are your mother's hands…your grandfather's…your grandmother's…and your father's. The human heart is truly an incredible thing. If left alone, it will ultimately heal itself of rage, grief and all of those negative emotions. But I always want you to keep them close to you, so that those feelings will never fade."

With that memory accompanied by the pitiful sight of that hand having been blasted to pieces like rubbish; Tomura once more saw the same smiling black-haired, twintail-wearing little girl that had festered into his brain earlier, all over again, as she seemed to be guiding him along a pleasant neighborhood road by the hand.

But now, any drowsiness-induced confusion was nowhere to be found. Now, there was only clarity for him. 'Hana. She was my big sister. Right…that's what she was. Whenever I'd get weepy, she'd grab my hand and take me with her. Only Hana could do this with just a few innocent, childlike words.'

Now; as he couldn't take his eyes off the remnants of that very same loving, guiding hand; Tomura could feel his field of vision beginning to spin. It was as though he were plunging headlong into the world's most unforgiving sense of motion sickness. 'My head's spinning. Round and round and round and round! These memories…are all flooding back; the incomprehensible frustration…that sank deep, deep down into my heart…and the missing memories, slotting right into place! Feelings go hand-in-hand with experience!'

With the deafening crunching sound emanating from his hands as Re-Destro's fingers squeezed further and further; Tomura's eyes finally began to roll back into his head. From where the Grand Commander was standing, it could've been as a result of shock from the pain, for all he cared.

CRUMBLE!

Suddenly, an intense pain began shooting through Re-Destro's right index finger; snapping his eyes at attention, to see something he couldn't have ever expected: in Tomura's state of blind trauma and shock, the two remaining fingers on his left hand had reflexively reached and barely touched his finger…and the Decay was already starting to spread all across it, working further and further up with the same speed and devastating power.

WHAAM!

With no time to even think of how else to react, Re-Destro hurriedly flicked another giant finger straight across Tomura's face, throwing him away like a pesky insect; sending him rolling and bouncing across the ground. At the same time, Re-Destro leaped back, just to get that much more breathing room for himself; looking at the bleeding cracks all across his finger in contemplation.

'Cracking apart? How? I thought it took five fingers for Shigaraki's Ability to activate! Were we fed bad information? Or…?'

Looking back to where he had thrown Tomura; Re-Destro could feel himself instinctively swallowing in tension as he saw the young Villain was already back on his feet, looking his way…except that Tomura looked like a wild animal; his wide, frenzied eyes staring past him into nothing, with his mouth stretched into a manic smile, while he was obsessively scratching away at his forehead with his left hand, to the point it was digging into his skin and leaving blood running down his face and into his left eye. "My head…is SPLITTING APART!"

Indeed, Tomura didn't even see Re-Destro towering before him; fear on his face or not. The only thing he was seeing was the crystal clear but distant image of a young adult woman looking down upon him, with long reddish-brown hair and a motherly warmth in her eyes…which was all too fitting, as Tomura could easily remember that being exactly who she was: 'MOTHER! She was always there to tend to me…whenever I was sick!'

Re-Destro wasn't the only person observing Tomura in this intensifying moment in their battle. By now, Vukodlak had likewise finally reached the edge of their battlefield; and thanks to his superhuman senses; he too had seen just what Tomura had managed to do against the Grand Commander with only two fingers. That had also brought him to a complete halt, as he could only observe the body language between the two. The tension visible on Re-Destro's face made it abundantly clear that he hadn't made any mistake as to what he'd seen.

Both men were clearly on the same page, as Re-Destro begrudgingly had to force himself to consider: 'The right catalyst can spur Meta Abilities to evolve on the spot. It happens. It's what had to have happened with Bubaigawara's Ability earlier, as with Toga's. If I recall the reports on Vukodlak I had received a while back correctly; his Ability was originally simply an enhanced strength with highly elevated versions of our five senses…and yet it's all amalgamated into the monstrous powerhouse he now wields today! It's like when Geten-san was suddenly able to manipulate the temperature of ice, simply because I suffered a burn. Shigaraki…this young man…IS IN THE PROCESS OF AN AWAKENING!'

WOOOSH!

Suddenly and without any warning, Tomura's lackadaisical body shot like a bullet across the ground straight for Re-Destro; faster than any wind, to the point his dried mummy-like face was being blown back like someone in a wind tunnel. This was a speed neither Re-Destro nor Vukodlak ever expected to see him wield; forcing the Grand Commander onto the defensive. If his hypothesis was correct, and his enemy's Quirk was evolving to the point he no longer needed five fingers to use it; then combined with this speed; Tomura Shigaraki was all but literal death on swift wings.

'He's so fast! With little to no windup, and as lithe as a cat! With that raw physicality, he could've easily taken out two or more Heroes back at the Kamino Ward battle. His Meta Ability aside…he's also trained his body! But these moves…a transformation like that could only be achieved through brutal life-or-death training over an extended period of time!'

At the same time, Vukodlak's own enhanced eyesight could barely keep up with Tomura's speed; the same conclusion as to his lethal potential forcing a wry smirk on his face. "I came down here to help him…now I can't help but wonder if jumping in the middle of this will just land me in the crossfire of Shigaraki-san's improved Decay. Looks like he's finally making that last required jump into the top tier at last."

But as Tomura continued to spin and swirl and dash like the wind around Re-Destro, aiming to move in at the first sign of an opening in his defenses; Re-Destro's whole body began to give the rest of itself over to be consumed by the black marks; his muscles now expanding and growing his body to the point his fancy suit could no longer contain it. "I…have also honed my Stress Ability, so I understand! I was wrong to judge you as being beneath me! The fact that you haven't vanished after taking so much damage tells me that you're no Double! 80% LIBERATION! NO MORE GAMES! TIME TO END THIS PARTY!"

With only his eyes and mouth visible through a caged opening in the black mass now encapsulating his whole gargantuan body; Re-Destroy's eyes zeroed in on the near-hypnotized-looking Tomura; swinging a devastating fist that would collide with his speeding body with no effort. "STRESS OUTPUT BURDEN!"

BOOOOOOOOM!

The gigantic hand and ensuing ribbons of black energy that ended up swatting Tomura off his feet, produced a wind current of impact so powerful, it obliterated several blocks behind where the League's leader had just been standing; himself flying listlessly among all the debris.

But once more, even as he flew from such an insane blow; the only thing his eyes could focus on, was the sight of two more of his disembodied hands flying off of his shoulders; mangled and destroyed.

This time, even as his body ricocheted off the side of a destroyed building, bringing him flopping painfully to the ground; all he could see was two smaller, kindly-looking elderly adults with the same color of hair as his mother; aged wisdom and affection visible on both their faces as they smiled at him from within what looked like a comfortable family home. 'Grandpa and Grandma. Always so kind. Always there to try and make me smile again whenever I was crying, no matter what. But…no, that's not it. I've remembered…everything. Back then…I…what I needed them to tell me was…!'

As Re-Destro stood tall amid the battlefield; keeping his eyes open for the first sign amid the settling dust for Tomura to still be standing; his suddenly heard his cellphone ringing in his pocket. "My, my…Mr. Skeptic? What is it?"

The voice emanating on the other side from his trusted ally was more panic-stricken than he had ever heard from him before: "RE-DESTRO! BE ON GUARD! HE'S HEADED RIGHT FOR YOU! THE LEAGUE OF VILLAINS…THEY HAD A REAL MONSTER LYING IN WAIT! THEY DIDN'T PLAY ALL OF THEIR CARDS, NOT BY A LONG SHOT!"

BKOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMM!

From nearly across the entire city; with a deafening explosion and bellowing roar that tore through the air like a hurricane; the colossal form of the rampaging Gigantomachia came exploding through the earth below Deika City; his broad swimming-like strokes of his massive arms leveling entire neighborhoods one after the other, and obliterating all Liberation Army forces within the area before they could even figure out what was happening.

And from where he was just outside the battlefield; Vukodlak had likewise seen the giant's long-awaited arrival; his chest filled with both relief and trepidation. 'How is that beast here already?! From what Compress-san said last time about when he would next wake up; we're still a long ways away from that! Better yet…how long is it gonna be before the authorities and any non-Liberated Heroes come snooping around here? If I could feel his underground approach as soon as I did, then no doubt at least a few of THEM will have, as well! Perhaps that's why I haven't seen any of the actual Liberated ones interfere anywhere in this fight since it started. That Re-Destro probably told them to stay out and keep watch to stop any outsiders from interfering!'

However, the sudden arrival of Gigantomachia didn't even register to Re-Destro; his associate's frantic warnings on the phone all but silent to him…for he couldn't take his eyes off what he was saying right in front of him: the sight of Tomura once again standing on his own two feet; his eyes staring him head-on even from this far; the Grand Commander could feel it in the form of his blood going cold with apprehension.

'BURDEN…I extract my own stress, make it corporeal and blast it over a wide range. It's the pinnacle of my Meta Ability, which I've honed since childhood…an attack that CANNOT be evaded! But Shigaraki…he…he TOUCHED it…in that instant before he got sent flying by the resulting wind…he actually leaned INTO it…and willingly ignored the species-wide instinct to defend himself! It's just as I suspected…he truly only moves…TO DESTROY!'

The utter distance in Tomura's eyes, almost like that of a drug addict in the throes of an inescapable high; was nothing short of chilling; as the only thing he could think to do while Re-Destro stood ready to fight further, was to reach into the pocket of his coat, and produce one single disembodied hand, looking down upon it with a deep, but outwardly unreadable consideration. 'My senses are clear and sharp. It feels like only yesterday. Those vivid memories, floating to the surface.'

Then finally, that dry, cold and frightening rasp of his voice emanated back up his throat again; never taking his eyes off the hand in his grasp, as his mouth began to lift into a smile of pure acceptance. "What do I seek to build? No, you're totally right. All I can do…is DESTROY."

To this, Tomura suddenly found himself being charged upon by Re-Destro; the black marks now themselves beginning to grow in mass around him; giving him now the image of something utterly demonic; his booming voice echoing as much in response: "THEN BEGONE! A WORLD WITHOUT CREATION HAS NO FUTURE!"

As Tomura finally lifted his eyes up to look upon his incoming enemy; he could hear Koschei's voice answering from within his head once more: "But so too can nothing new, nothing better, be created without the old being destroyed, first. Such is the inherent nature of the future."

"BOTH OF YOU SHUT UP!"

Tomura's sudden exclamation, ringing with impatience; especially the idea he was speaking to more than one person; forced Re-Destro to slow himself, while Tomura continued to stare off distantly; the same inhuman and scar-pocked grin on his face.

"For too long now, all I've been hearing anybody talk about is the future; what it means, what they want it to be…and I'm so sick and tired of it. Everybody's been working themselves to the grave since the beginning of everything, just to try and make the future better, for themselves or somebody else. That's exactly what's led to society, the world, becoming what it is now. Nobody stops to look at what there is around them right now…and until everything they know and deem so damn important is destroyed forever, and they're forced to look at what there is left for them in the moment, then nothing will ever improve for anyone…nor should it."

Meeting Re-Destro's gaze specifically at last; Tomura's next statement was utterly dripping with contempt for everything he, Koschei, and everyone else he could think of in this moment, deemed so worth working toward: "The way things have been established for this long, it'd be better to just start over from scratch and destroy everything to do with society and the world as we know it. Considering the alternative…no…I don't want a future, either. I don't need one."

All within that single moment; as Re-Destro towered over him in a dumbfounded rage at such indifference on Tomura's part; and as multitudes of Liberation warriors' ravenous approach finally spurred Vukodlak into action to protect him; the lone Villain relished in the utter peaceful silence within his mind, now that his defiance had left Koschei's spirit speechless…and all of the resurfaced memories burrowing from out of the fog of his mind all finally came together for the first time in what felt like his entire life.

"Thank you for being so understanding. I'm so sorry my boy bothered you. I'll be sure to give him a talking-to."

The small black-haired boy known as Tenko Shimura had been taken back to his parents' home; the house painstakingly built by the hands of his father through a lifetime of hard work; wherein he then had to stand alongside his loving mother, while read off the details of the incident that had occurred between him and the other children in the neighborhood like a common criminal.

And like all the other times, despite everything she would say to try and appease the strangers that kept bringing him home like this, she would never turn a harsh word to her poor son. Tenko knew this well…but it still brought him no peace once the stranger had left. His mother never raised her voice or even a finger to him in the five years since he'd been born.

That was the self-appointed task of his father.

No sooner than the door had shut; did the imposing, tall adult man with short black hair and cold, authoritarian gaze known as Kotaru Shimura, swiftly grab his weeping son by the collar, carrying him down the hall by it; ignoring the cries and protestations of both his son and wife respectively; with not even a single pitiful glance his way to be shared. "Playing Hero again, Tenko?! Causing trouble?!" "NOOOO!" "STOP, KOTARO! DON'T BE SO HARD ON HIM!"

"If you don't like it, then learn your lesson this time." This was all he had to say in response to the gut-wrenching sobbing tears of hysterics that Tenko was letting out as he was forcefully carried out to the backyard once again; his distraught mother trying desperately to chase after and wrest her baby from her husband's unforgiving hand. A scenario within these walls that was far too commonplace.

'There was only one rule in our house. My father's one, absolute rule: no talk about Heroes.'

Time and time again; today included; Kotaro's punishment for Tenko's disobedience was to leave him locked out of the house in their backyard; closing the blinds on his sobbing son as he stayed sheltered under the shade of a tree. There would be no respite or comfort afforded his troublemaker of a child if he had any say about it…and he would not allow anyone else that luxury, no matter how much his wife or in-laws protested. Even just feeling his wife's presence as he closed any avenue for a sympathetic look away from Tenko; spurred him to state with all the authority he could muster: "You'd better not go apologize to him for me."

"Kotaro, please! Are you really going to forbid Tenko dinner with us? And you know his allergies are only getting worse!"

"Rules are rules. You all know that," he responded with not a single millimeter of give on the matter; taking his seat at the head of the table while keeping his head bowed down, avoiding the similarly saddened gazes of his in-laws. "Don't you think you've been a little too strict on Tenko-kun lately, though?"

Even when Kotaro lifted his head and met his family's gazes; it was as though he were looking beyond them to someplace they could never truly understand. His children certainly never would. "He's five years old now, and he still hasn't developed a Quirk. If I can't make Tenko understand soon, it'll only lead to that much more misery for him. His wanting to be a Hero will only lead to more trouble. As my in-laws, I need you both to understand that, as well. You may call me harsh, but in the end, it's all for his own good."

'As a businessman, my father made his fortune at an early age. He even built a house big enough for my grandparents to live with us.'

"Come on, Tenko; no more scratching, okay?"

"But I'm so itchy."

The next day, Tenko had finally been allowed back into the house; and just as it always did, just as his mother always dreaded; his allergies had only been made worse, as the numerous scratch marks and wrinkling around his bloodshot eyes had clearly proven. This always made her attempts to apply medication so much more painstaking and heartbreaking than it needed to be.

"It's too bad we don't know what's causing these allergies for you."

"It's the house. I only get all itchy whenever I'm here."

It was the closest thing to an answer as any of them could get. It was true; on the rare occasions when Tenko was able to leave the house, he always seemed to do so much better, from what his family could tell. It was only ever when he was here that his allergies hit all at once. And what made it even stranger, was the fact that there was nothing here; no plant or food or animal; to which any doctor had confirmed him to be allergic. It was literally as though his very own family home was the source of his physical torment. And the incomprehensibility of it was utter torture for his mother as she saw how much he suffered.

"Tenko…do you still want to be a Hero?"

The puffy-eyed boy couldn't even pretend to be surprised by his mother asking such a question. The answer seemed so obvious, and the fact he was even being granted the chance to even talk about it was too good for him to pass up. "Yup…because, like, nobody wanted to play with Mikkun and Tomo. So I said 'let's play together!' and we played Heroes, and it was super fun. And then Mikkun said: 'You should be All Might, Ten-kun.' I was nice and played with them, even though they don't have any friends."

But the more he could even talk about it, the more Tenko could feel so much of his pain come rushing to the forefront; his already painfully irritated eyes stinging and burning as the most agonizing tears began running down his face; spurring him to desperately hug his mother, who immediately hugged him in return. "Mommy, why does Father say no all the time?! Does he hate me?! Will he like me if I get my Quirk?!"

The gentle touch of his mother's hands; the warmth of her embrace, always managed to give Tenko some of the only comfort he could ever count on getting in his life; the kindhearted woman always having to fight to keep her little boy from seeing her own pained tears at times like this. "Your father doesn't hate you, Tenko. He just…he knows…he knows how hard it is for Heroes."

Of course, even if such an answer made as much sense to her as she could hope for in such a terrible situation as the one her son was in; for Tenko, it provided no perspective or relief to speak of.

'Little kids…are sneakier than you'd expect…and simpler, too. When you're little, a grown-up's words are absolute. And that's why I needed to hear it from you all. Just one thing…but the family my father created…rejected me with kindness.'

The first true sense of clarity and subsequent relief that Tenko could ever recall experiencing within the glorified prison that was his father's house, was the day his trusty older sister Hana had urged him to accompany her into Kotaro's office; the one room in the entire house they were never allowed to set foot into. But his sister had always been the brave one between them, so the first opportunity that came when their father was away; it was only to be expected, after just how downtrodden Tenko had been lately; for her to take him with her and show him something she kept insisting was incredible.

And it certainly was; the single photo within his father's desk; portraying Kotaro Shimura as a smiling little boy, barely any older than Tenko himself, playing with a beautiful, kind-looking woman with black hair like all of theirs; tied in a messy ponytail, dressed in a black bodysuit, yellow gloves and a large white cape.

"It's a secret, Tenko. So…this is Grandma. She was a Hero, I guess."

For the first time in what felt like ever; she couldn't help but smile when she saw the look of wonder fill her dear little brother's eyes as he couldn't stop staring at this picture; almost as though it contained the very secrets to the meaning of life itself for him. "Why'd you wanna show me this, Hana…?"

Smiling his way, the way she always did when she wanted to help lift Tenko's spirits; Hana declared with all the sincerity a girl her age ever could express: "Daddy said all that stuff, but I'm always gonna be on your side, Tenko. Let's become a brother-sister Hero team together! But just keep it a secret from daddy, okay?"

Even as Tenko's vision blurred from the overjoyed, hope-filled tears welling up; he couldn't stop looking at this picture as it burned itself into his head. From the deepest pits of his youthful sadness, this was like the single greatest sign he ever could've asked for. If his own grandmother had actually been a Hero, then there was no earthly reason for him to think he couldn't do the same; no matter what his father could possibly say or do.

'That day…I remember…it was sweltering.'

One of the only common places of refuge that Tenko had within his home, outside of the constant love and support of his mother and sister, was the chances he would get to play with the family dog, Mon, in the back yard. No matter how bad his allergies could possibly flare up; moments like this could thankfully make him forget the nonstop irritation.

Today was no different. If anything, it was better than ever. Since he and Hana had gone into their father's office, and she'd shown him that picture of their Hero grandmother; Tenko's heart was racing with the utmost excitement, and Mon could easily sense that within the little boy he loved to play with; while Tenko eagerly reeled a hand back to throw his favorite ball across the yard. 'So my other grandma was a Hero! There was an actual Hero in our family!' "Y'know what, Mon? I feel like I could take on the world and win right now."

TZZT!

"OUCH!" At the very last fraction of a moment before Tenko threw the ball; he suddenly felt a sensation shoot all across his hand, as though every nerve was being electrocuted all at once. As soon as the split-second of intense pain passed, he naturally looked to see if he'd perhaps been stung by a bee without noticing…but there was nothing anywhere on his palms or fingers. His hand looked completely normal.

The ball, on the other hand, had but the single spot upon it that looked like it had instantaneously started to decay by decades in a fraction of a second.

"TENKO! DID YOU SNEAK INTO MY STUDY?!"

The sound of Kotaro's voice immediately made Tenko forget all about the sensation in his hand. Now all he could feel was a terror unlike anything he'd felt before…for the man sounded far angrier than he had ever heard him sound.

And upon looking back to meet his father's gaze; Tenko felt his blood go cold, as the face looking down upon him was the very picture of wrath incarnate. This was not his father looking down upon him…this was the angel of death.

'It had just rained, and the humidity was already stinging my ragged skin. It was as if the itchiness had welled up from deep within my gut.'

"DID YOU SEE IT?!" The murderous rage filling Kotaro's tone made it impossible for Tenko to try and speak. The only source of any refuge he could hope for was that of his mother or grandparents trying to come in to talk his father down…but when he looked behind Kotaro's back, what he saw instead, was the sight of his mother tending to a hysterically crying Hana.

"WAAAAAAH! TENKO…HE…HE SAID HE WANTED TO GO IN THERE!"

'Little kids are sneakier than you'd expect…and simpler.'

SMAAAK!

Tenko didn't even have time to feel the painful sting of betrayal dig into his heart; hearing his supposedly-trustworthy sister throw him under the bus; before Kotaro sent him flying off his feet with a merciless strike across his face; his wife and in-laws all instantly crying out in protest as he towered over his sprawled-out child.

"That wasn't your grandmother in that picture. That was a monster who abandoned her own child! Do you really want to know what Heroes are?! They're people who hurt their own families…only to help complete strangers!"

The blows that proceeded to rain down upon Tenko at his father's hand, each elicited a sobbing and wailing of pain, confusion and desperation that could have torn away at the heart of even the most apathetic person. Tenko knew there was nowhere to escape to. He couldn't possibly fight back. The only thing he could hope for, was that the rest of his family would finally come and pry his vicious excuse for a father away, just make the pain and the screaming stop.

But even through his own blinding tears, Tenko couldn't mistake what he was seeing play out:

Nothing. Absolutely nothing. As his father continued to beat him while Mon could only bark to try and get him to stop hurting the boy; Tenko could see that the only thing his mother, grandparents and Hana were doing, was watching the whole thing play out.

'Help me. Don't just watch. C'mon! Help me. Help me! Somebody! ANYBODY! PLEASE HELP ME!'

This was all Tenko could even think as his senses dulled with every painful strike that followed. Sure, his family all looked sad as Kotaro continued to beat him right in front of them…but if it hurt them so much, then why weren't they doing anything to stop it? Why were they all just standing there and letting this happen? Why was nobody at all coming to stop him from getting hurt? Why was nobody coming to save him?

This was all Tenko would ever be able to ask himself for the remainder of that merciless beating…and each time he asked, he would find himself with not a single answer.

'This is the family…my father created.'

Later that same night, once he had exhausted all of his anger upon his hysterically, wailing boy, Kotaro had immediately sequestered himself to his office; unable to look any more of his family in the eye. Even now, the sound of Tenko's screams and cries were tearing away at him like no physical attack ever could.

The only thing he could think of doing…was looking upon one of the other things he'd always kept under the lock and key of his desk, away from prying eyes. Thankfully, his children hadn't thought to look at this while they'd been snooping around where they weren't allowed. This was solely meant for him, and he wanted to keep it that way…no matter how much it tormented him, every time he read it: the final letter left to him when he was just a boy, by his mother, Nana Shimura:

'I'm sorry for leaving you so suddenly, Kotaro. Your mom has to go fight a really bad man now. This bad man might try to do mean things to you, and that's why we can't be together anymore. I'm sorry I couldn't be more of a normal mom for you. You might decide to hate me, but please know that no matter what happens, I will always love you. I love you, Kotaro. I hope you can live a life full of smiles and joy…knowing that your mom is watching over you from Heaven.'

"I wish you'd never loved me." This was all Kotaro could possibly answer such a painful letter with after all these years. Had that been the case…it could've made his own internal anguish he kept taking out on his son so much less than what it was…maybe then the happy life his mother had wished so much for him could have been a reality.

The sudden sound of the door to his office opening behind his back, finally spurred Kotaro back to reality; his wife's voice wasting no time to speak, and the absolute sternness in it made it all-too clear that she was not speaking out of blind emotion, but out of absolute certainty: "That was too much."

And for her; the fact that Kotaro didn't hesitate to answer, and still couldn't bring himself to look her or her parents in the eye, was all the proof she could've needed, to know that he was just as sincere: "You're right. I went too far. How are the kids?"

But this was far too important a moment for anything to stop her from speaking from her heart right now. This wasn't just for her sake, or even that of Tenko. This was for the sake of their entire family having any hope of a future: "We're not playing by your rules anymore if you're going to get violent with our children, Kotaro. You promised us a home full of joy. What happened to that?"

As Kotaro slipped that aged letter back into the envelope he kept it safe in; he could feel his heart and soul sink lower and lower from the overwhelming shame that had been filling him since being out in that yard, acting like he had to his own child. "I didn't want it to be this way."

Outside in the darkness of the back yard, Tenko hadn't even set foot in the house since his father had finally stopped hitting him. He had cried and screamed so much throughout it all, he could barely even elicit a sound beyond a gravelly sobbing as he remained huddled away against the wall next to the tree, with only Mon having stayed by his side to this very moment. But even that one constant source of love and comfort did nothing for the weeping child.

Yes, Tenko, at this moment, was nothing but inconsolable; with only his sobbing to be heard as he held onto his beloved dog for dear life, scratching at his fur incessantly, just like he was doing to his own face with his one free hand; his itching having reached an unbearably painful level amid all of his internal suffering.

Right now, for Tenko Shimura, the very idea of existing in every conceivable way was bringing him nothing but pain. "Nooo…I…I can't…no…I hate it. *Hic* *sob* *sniffle*…I hate it all so much. I can't take it anymore. *hic* Y'hear me, Mon? *sob* *sob* I can't…take it…*hic*…I hate…EVERYONE…"

And as that final word escaped his lips, Tenko didn't feel that same jolt of pain shoot through his hand like he had before…but as his fingers continued to relentlessly scratch at Mon; the unsuspecting canine himself had; that same split-second of electrical shock that shot all the way through his entire body at once, instantly sapping away every semblance of life reflected in his eyes just like that, with Tenko never even realizing it…

…until his ears picked up the sound of the single dying whine from his dog, before a multitude of bloody cracks spread all across its body, and it crumbled apart into a pile of bloody chunks at his side. And as soon as Tenko could no longer feel Mon in his grip, he finally looked, and for a moment couldn't help but wonder if he had run off somewhere. "M-Mon?"

But then, when his eyes fell, and saw the single lifeless canine eye staring back at him within the grotesque puddle of blood and chunks on the floor, he couldn't even bring himself to scream. His throat was in too much pain from earlier for him to do so. The only thing he could emanate from his mouth was a raspy, desperate and terrified choking, wheezing gasp; all of his sadness now replaced by overwhelming fear and confusion.

"Tenkoooo!"

The sound of Hana's voice calling out to him startled the terrified little boy, as his sister was approaching him all on her own. "Um…so…I'm sorry about that earlier, Tenko. I shouldn't have done that. I was the one who said it had to be a secret between us, so…I'm sorry."

The sight of his sister, after what had just happened to Mon, had Tenko frantically pointing to the mess at his feet; his eyes burning with terrified tears as he kept wheezing and choking in his desperate attempts to try and speak. But no matter how much he tried, the words simply wouldn't come. He literally couldn't talk; his physical pain and emotional overwhelm both making it impossible, when he needed to speak the most.

It didn't take long, though, for Hana to see the utter horror and urgency on her little brother's face; and all her apologetic air instantly changed into that of the typical protective older sibling, approaching him with an urgency of her own. "Tenko? What's wrong?!"

But she immediately came to a stop; a terror falling over her own face before Tenko's eyes, when she finally saw and realized what the gory mess near her brother actually was; resulting in her letting out the single most terrified scream she'd ever given; immediately turning on her heels and running for the house as fast as she could; Tenko desperately getting to his feet as well, reaching out for her. Even as only choking rasps were the only thing that could come out his throat, he knew exactly what it was he was trying to say: "WAIT! DON'T GO, HANA! PLEASE! I CAN'T TALK! I'M ITCHY! SO ITCHY! HANA, PLEASE WAIT! I THOUGHT YOU CAME TO APOLOGIZE! DIDN'T YOU?! SO THIS TIME…YOU GOTTA PROTECT ME!"

Before his eyes, Tenko could see his outreaching hands nearing Hana as she tried to run; his desired words to speak driving him to practically fly after her, in all his confused horror at what was happening. "PLEASE HELP ME! HANA!"

And just like every other time when he was scared, Tenko finally reached and grabbed onto Hana from behind; starving for that sense of protection and kindness he always received from her before.

But this time, as his hands clutched onto her, all of Hana's movements came to a stop; her screams instantly dying within her throat as that same split-second jolt shot through her whole body, and the bloody cracks started to spread all over her, like a porcelain doll finally breaking apart…and with Tenko only able to look on in wide-eyed shellshock as he watched his beloved older sister fall apart into a hundred bloody pieces in his hands.

'I was convinced then that some really nasty Villain must've targeted our family, and had made Mon crumble to pieces. Then…I saw the same thing happen to Hana. At that moment, I still thought it was a Villain's doing.'

The shock that finally slammed into his gut had Tenko wheezing in an attempt at a wailing grief; his fingers clawing bleeding gashes over his right eye and the left side of his mouth, as all of his senses were overwhelmed with horror, finally causing the poor little boy to lurch over and vomit from the sheer stress of what was happening.

'No…maybe that's wrong.'

As Tenko remained on his hands and knees, choking, rasping and wheezing for all he could possibly do; a piercing shriek of horror snapped him to attention; his bloodshot and terrified eyes as wide as dinner plates, as he saw his mother and grandparents had finally come out at the sound of Hana's earlier screaming, and had likewise seen the bloody mess that had been left of his older sister, and the ragged, suffering Tenko kneeling right behind it; his black hair having suddenly started to lighten in shade from the absolute fear consuming him.

And as he and his mother met eyes, and she saw the horrific state her little boy was in; Tenko did the only thing he could hope to, and reached out for her on his knees; starved for some kind of comfort, some kind of reassurance that what was happening, wasn't because of what he was so scared it was. And in that desperation, as he pitifully tried to crawl for his mother, his hands ultimately landed upon the grass.

'Thinking back…maybe I already understood what was really going on.'

The shockwave of pure destruction that emanated across the ground from his hand on the grass was as fast as light, as before Tenko could even make another sound, he saw as the ground came apart; the cracks soon ultimately meeting where his mother stood…before spreading up her legs just like they had done to Mon and Hana; her face never even once reflecting the horror or pain that he could only imagine they both had done. Instead, in that moment, he could only think back to what she had said, the day he'd finally asked if his father had truly hated him: "Your father…he knows…he knows how hard it is for Heroes."

'Why…why'd they always make up excuses for him? 'Don't cry.' That's all they ever had to say to me. Then…by then…I couldn't take it anymore. All my sadness…all my pain…frustration…anger…hatred…it all built up…little by little, over time. The only thing I felt with any certainty then…was just how much…I HATE EVERYONE.'

"Tenko?"

As the whole property of the Shimura household exploded into deathly canyons all around the sobbing and hysterical Tenko; the sound of his mother's voice reflecting no fear or pain, but only that same gentle, motherly affection he'd been starving for, spurred him to finally lift his head.

And he was met with the sight of his mother, even in the midst of her legs coming apart as the bloody cracks had finally reached her head, rushing to him with her arms wide open; her face filled with the desire to take him into her arms and comfort him. Even as she was dying before his eyes, to be here for him was the only thing she wanted to do.

The love and reassurance he was in such desperate need of was coming his way…and at the same time, being cruelly taken away at the last possible moment, as her body finally came apart and fell in pieces just before she could finally bring her arms around him, as Tenko desperately reached up to try and hug her in return…only to be met with nothing but empty, uncaring air, as her pieces fell all around him.

As Tenko looked upon the devastation that even now was still spreading, alongside the suffocating despair of his mother having died, his grandparents had likewise long since succumbed to this wave of pure destruction; their own bodies having come apart and falling in gruesome piles to the floor, as the house began to come apart all around the sorrowful child.

But as Tenko was finally able to scream and cry out in despair, he barely even realized when his father had emerged from within the house; having been drawn by the sound of the chaos ensuing outside, and now looking at the destruction of the yard, and the gruesome remains of his wife, in-laws and daughter; agonizing tears of despair of his own now filling his eyes. He saw his son being the only survivor of this carnage; his face in such disastrously damaged shape; his hair now having turned an icy blue tint of white as he wept.

"WAAAAAH….F…F-FATHER…I…*hic**choke*…I'M SORRY!"

But it was as though this destruction spreading everywhere was somehow responding directly to Tenko's agony, as the destruction began spreading into the house in its entirety with an even greater intensity, like that of the world's strongest earthquake ensuing while localized to this one simple plot of land; shocking Kotaro out of his shell-shocked stupor, while Tenko desperately got back to his feet, running to him. The fact that this was the man who had beaten him didn't even matter right now. Tenko was still so confused, heartbroken and filled with sorrow and fear, he just needed someone, anyone, to come tell him that everything would be okay, even if he could just tell that such words would be nothing but a comforting lie.

Tenko's rush to his father was blind, so as he came in closer and closer with hands outstretched; his puffy and now blood and tear-filled eyes prevented him from seeing how Kotaro, in his own blind fear and desperation, found and reached for a nearby yard pole, and summarily struck his son hard across the face with it, knocking him back down to the ground.

"TENKO! STOP THIS! STOP IIIIT, TENKOOOO!"

And just like that, the sadness and animalistic need for comfort within Tenko was gone. With that single strike, and the sound of anger and confused horror in his father's voice; the only thing he could feel now, was the same anger that had been boiling up within him, that had reached its overflowing point with that same beating earlier…only now that, alongside everything else going wild within his heart and mind, caused the poor five-year-old Tenko Shimura…to finally snap.

With a swiftness and savagery that his son had never displayed once before; Kotaro couldn't even scream or say anything, as Tenko practically flew up from the ground, clutching onto his head with both hands; his monstrously scarred and allergy-stricken face contorted in a wide, animalistc gaping-mouthed shriek as tears of rage flew from his blood-red eyes; his next words coming out loud and clear, and from the very bottom of his heart with sincerity:

"AAAAAAAAAAAARRRRGGGGGGHHHH! YOU…DIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIE!"

'Yes, in that moment…while Mon, Hana, Mother, Grandma and Grandpa had been accidents…when it was finally Father's time…I knew I was brimming with an insatiable bloodlust. It was all I could feel when I finally touched him. Watching the light leave his eyes, the words and screams turn to dust in his throat, and his entire body come apart in my hands…filled me with a rush of pure, maddening ecstasy! Somewhere deep in my heart, I must've been yearning for that, all along.'

As Tenko stood over the long-disintegrated bloody mess that had once been his despised father; the rest of the Shimura household likewise collapsed and disintegrated all around him, until there was ultimately nothing left of any sign this family had ever existed, but a pile of rubble strewn with blood…with only the raggedly breathing and euphoria-filled five-year old boy with the wrinkled and scarred-up face and shaggy, icy blue white hair, laughing in a raspy, haunting sense of fulfillment and relief.

For the first time in his short life, Tenko Shimura felt well and truly…happy.

'And just like that…I didn't itch anymore.'

But even that sensation of liberation, of absolute freedom, couldn't last. With his family and home all having been completely destroyed; literally erased from existence; Tenko had no choice but to flee…and with no shelter to be found, he soon took to the closest thing he had left to a daily routine, of aimlessly wandering the streets in his emotionally drained stupor, virtually unseen and unheeded by the apathetic masses going about their regular business…outside the occasions when passersby took notice of him, even tried to reach out to help the lone wandering child incessantly scratching away at himself…all only to be driven away with fear when seeing the state of his face; the raw lifelessness in his eyes.

'I killed my family. I ran away from home after that, not sure what to do. 'What now?' I wondered. 'Somebody, anybody…just tell me. Somebody help me.' But no matter how much I wished it…that help, that rescue…never came. Guilt racked my body and lodged itself in my throat, so I couldn't speak. There's bound to be more trouble, on average, in densely populated areas. And one lost, wandering child is little more than a blip compared to real emergencies. Even so, in a society overflowing with Heroes, I thought maybe the reason no one helped me was because I was being punished for killing my family. If only…if only…I'd thought the itch was finally gone. If only…back then…someone, anyone had reached out to HELP ME.

'Then maybe…the itch would've gone away for good.'

And it was that very same suffocating loneliness, despair, and all-encompassing sense of hatred, that ultimately made the eventual arrival and open inviting hand of All For One so irresistibly enticing…even when presented with the same preserved, severed hands of the very family whose deaths ate away at him with every waking moment since.

But even when suffering from the nausea of those memories when presented with them; his Sensei, his savior, always knew exactly what to say, to break through the blinding fog of his conflicting undeveloped emotions and thoughts.

"You have within you an impulse to destroy that even you can't control. It's bursting out of you, and the itching sensation is your body letting you know of this. You don't have to endure it, though. Your impulse isn't necessarily a bad thing."

That sentiment alone was ultimately enough to quell Tenko's unbearable guilt…and ultimately helped him in learning how to direct that hatred, that destructive impulse, that had once tormented him through his skin for so long.

But even that sense of direction could only take him so far, even under All For One's tutelage. Whenever he was sent out onto the streets, it was as though his very presence just rubbed the wrong people the wrong way, and he often found himself on the receiving end of hoodlums and petty crooks on more than one occasion. Where people once recoiled in fear when seeing his face; pieces of human garbage like these would only ever laugh at him, unknowing of the deathly potential dwelling within him.

Yet no matter how much Tenko felt the desire for death to be delivered upon them all at his hand…he couldn't push himself to go beyond that point of no return like he had against his father, and the fact he never understood why back then, made it all that much more frustrating.

And despite his shame at his weakness in that moment; he couldn't hide it from his Sensei; a man with the patience of all the saints. "Ah…now what has you so scared? So meek? So pitiful? No, you should act as your heart commands. Or else the only one to suffer will be you. Conscience, morals, ethics, all mere fabrications invented by others; people who wanted the world to run smoothly as only they saw fit. Don't let those fabrications restrain you. Don't cower in fear. Because what lies within you is more important than anything else. Now, Tenko…what do you want to do?"

With his Sensei's words burrowing into his mind and heart, even as he thrashed about and scratched away at himself in frustration and rage; Tenko could only look upon the hands resting upon the table in his room, and relished in the feeling of utter calm they instinctively gave him, even though he could still feel that itching, that burning hatred within.

"Those two guys who hurt me back there today…I WANNA KILL THEM! I dunno how to explain it, but…it's like this bad feeling is filling me up…and I can't stop it! I CAN'T HOLD IT BACK!"

And it was the fact that, even as he expressed something so childish, so selfish, while destroying one of the hands he had reached out for; his Sensei could only ever answer for Tenko to do his best, that ultimately gave him the push in the direction he'd so long been in need of.

And that was exactly what he'd gone on to do; always remembering All For One's guiding words, to keep the hands of his family close, so that the feelings they made him suffer would never fade. It was the lifeline Tenko needed to finally embrace the murderous intent always within him…and to finally deliver his own sense of due punishment on all those he deemed to have even slightly wronged him…or even done nothing more than rub him the wrong way. From that day forward, he never let himself suffer the disrespect and derision of scum again, much to his Sensei's satisfaction.

And even within the dizzying nausea he would continue to feel, even from that first day of the rest of his life; Tenko knew he felt a wholeness within, through the watchful eye and guidance of All For One, that made everything in his life now make just enough sense, that he could actually act through his Quirk with some sense of purpose.

'I feel sick. Like I'm gonna hurl. But then…why…why do I also feel so calm? Like I'm allowed…to do whatever I want?'

On that first day, when he'd finally taken the lives of the same punks that had humiliated him before; he never realized how this first taking of action on his part, had actually been observed closely by All for One himself; alongside his trusted doctor, Ujiko; both men observing this shift in the young boy's ways of acting with differing senses of intrigue and anticipation. "Strange. I thought the boy had lost his memories."

"Not lost; just shut away. But they remain within him, all the same. His family's hands will restrain him…keep him in check…with his memories locked away, it's only his unstable emotions that are floating to the surface. And that unease…just look, Doctor. He's keeping his own Quirk in check subconsciously. I will cultivate him. Encourage him! He will be the Symbol of Fear who lusts for destruction! And we've just witnessed his first major step down that path!"

And encourage Tenko on his new path, was exactly what All For One did that very same day, when his disciple had finally returned from his first-ever fully-intended bloodbath; presenting him with a table of four more preserved, disembodied hands. "Congratulations, my boy. You held back your tears and gritted your teeth, and now you've been reborn. Here! Take this newest gift, from me to you! It's from those two thugs who helped you to usher in your new life. Their hands."

"But why are there five? There was only two of them then."

"Consider it a bonus, to make up for the one you destroyed earlier. Never forget these memories you've made for yourself today."

Taking his Sensei's request to heart, Tenko once more applied these five new hands to himself, along with those remaining of his family; each one filling him with a sense of anxiety and peace all in one.

'This gift soothed my battered body. I felt like a newborn, held aloft in celebration.'

"Well, turn around and show me your new self…SHIGARAKI TOMURA."

As the young boy clasped in fourteen severed hands stood reborn before him; All For One could see the confusion visible in his one red eye between the fingers upon his face. "Shigaraki…Tomura…?"

But even such childish curiosity and confusion could do nothing to dim the adult Villain's pride, his anticipation, his building excitement, as he smiled from ear to ear. "From the verb 'tomurau', meaning 'to mourn'…it's used when we grieve and must say goodbye to the dead. Shimura Tenko is no more! You're reborn now as one who beckons acts of mourning into this world of ours!"

"And…what about 'Shigaraki'?"

The utter joy that filled All for One's chest as he gave that particular answer, was a high the likes of which none could comprehend.

"That's my last name."

'I had forgotten all of these memories up to this point…but now…I've remembered it all. On that fateful day, I'd wanted to murder my father, so I did. My heart became unencumbered as I watched the rest of my family crumble away, too. No, that night was not a tragedy.'

As Tomura continued to stand defiantly before the enraged Re-Destro; having relived all of these long-suppressed memories in a heartbeat, thinking back on all of it; all of the white noise, dizziness, frustration and drowsiness in his head, in his entire body, had long since gone away.

Now, he was filled with an undeniable air of purpose, pure focus, and an unimagined strength he had never felt possible for him before, in every conceivable form. In body, mind, and heart; Tomura Shigaraki felt reborn all over again; his once icy blue white hair now having become a near fluorescent pure white upon his deathly pale head; like the white of pure erasure of all that existed.

This change that had taken place all throughout his body and mind, was no less apparent to the astonished-sounding voice of Koschei as well; his words dripping with what sounded like honest pride: "This is incredible. From the moment I'd first felt your presence; even with all of your untapped potential, I always felt there was a deeply hidden, overwhelming weight somewhere within your heart, Tomura Shigaraki…but now, I can't sense it anymore. The past, no matter how repressed, is ultimately nothing more than a crutch for even the strongest men…and you don't have it holding you back anymore. This…this is the strength within you I'd been so sure of for all this time, and you've finally unlocked it! You're on the precipice of finally attaining the powers we promised you, lad!"

But Tomura paid no heed to his spirit of a benefactor now. His seemingly lifeless eyes had now ignited with a malicious life anew; that made even Re-Destro visibly flinch as he spoke out: "The past? Unnecessary. The future? Unnecessary. Whatever lies ahead, I just want them to live however they see fit. The only thing that ever truly exists…is now."

Looking back down to the preserved hand resting within his grasp, the hand he knew to be that of his father; Tomura's apathetic grin transformed into a fully committed, heartfelt smile of murderous glee, as the relic crumbled and shattered within his hand with no hesitation. "Your Army…these sorts of things, too…ALL UNNECESSARY!"

Across Deika City, but closing in with monstrous speed; Gigantomachia continued to rip and tear his way through everything in his path like it was nothing; towering over every building by leaps and bounds as he sent countless Liberation warriors flying and howling through the air as every attack they tried to hit him with was rendered meaningless.

And amid the chaos; Twice continued trying to carry both Himiko and her clone out of the oncoming path of destruction; the unmasked Villain mockingly calling for their enemies to keep trying to fight back, before his own heart sank with the chilling realization that the behemoth was headed straight for Tomura's position.

While Spinner continued trying to fight his way through the Army's ranks towards Hanabata; while Vukodlak was barreling through every legion with his wolf form combined with his Quirks in order to keep them from getting the drop on Tomura, and while Dabi and Geten continued their own vicious fight of the elements; nearby, Mr. Compress had observed the utter devastation their long-awaited asset was leaving in his wake; and any form of optimism he'd felt had been replaced with horror; spurring him to urgently call into his earpiece to the rest of his comrades:

"EVERYONE! WE WERE NAÏVE FOOLS! THE LIBERATION ARMY ISN'T SLOWING MACHIA DOWN AT ALL! HE'S SIMPLY BEEN TOYING WITH US THIS ENTIRE TIME! HE IS TRULY UNSTOPPABLE! ALL OF YOU, FINISH YOUR CURRENT FIGHTS AND HURRY BACK TO SHIGARAKI-SAN'S POSITION! HE'S IN MORTAL DANGER RIGHT NOW!"

With that urgency now spurring him and his comrades; Vukodlak hurriedly finished flattening another large concentration of Liberation warriors with another speeding Air Shield Howl, before launching himself in the air mid-spin; bounding for the site of Tomura and Re-Destro's battle.

"STRESS: 100-PERCENT!"

The sensations rushing through Re-Destro's body as he witnessed this complete transformation from Tomura, drove him to immediately throw another, even stronger punch with his Quirk's energy; a wall of the resulting black energy flying right for him. With only the slightest bit of luck would this attack connect, and he could finally bring this fight to an end.

FWOOOOOM!

But before his eyes, wide with disbelief, that same beam of energy suddenly exploded outward like a wave colliding against an unmoving rock; instead spreading and annihilating nearly the entirety of Deika City behind Tomura's back; debris and bodies all being sent flying sky high.

This incredible sight of the unstoppable force meeting the immovable object brought the eyes of everyone still remaining within the city towards the battleground; even proving disconcerting enough to drive Geten into suddenly retreating from his battle with Dabi; his ice cold heart seized with concern for Re-Destro if his fight was still going on for this long; his attacks being made this ineffective.

And from where Re-Destro still stood; he could feel his throat instinctively swallow the lump of tension building within it, as he saw Tomura was still standing before him in the wake of scorched earth left in the wake of his attack; virtually unharmed; his black coat now tattered and torn to more resemble a warlord's cloak and cape of some kind; his terrifying face still reflecting that same smile of complete self-realization and acceptance…the face of one experiencing true Liberation of his own life. "Just gotta destroy it all before you connect. It's no big deal. You're big, but that's all you are. I get it. You want to obliterate whatever bugs you. It's fun, isn't it?"

Within the black essence covering his body; Re-Destro's eyes were wide with shock; his ears nearly deafened by how hard and fast his heart was racing, as he couldn't break eye contact with his young enemy, no matter how much he wanted to. But the only way he could think to express himself through this incomprehensible emotion that was building within him, was to once again shout out in defiance, while hurriedly putting in a sequence of button presses on the device strapped to his waist.

"MY POWER IS ONLY A STEPPING STONE! IT'S MEANT TO LIBERATE THE PEOPLE! AND TO SEE DESTRO'S WILL FULFILLED!"

Suddenly, several large capsules burst out from underneath the rubble, all flying fast toward Re-Destro himself, before exploding into multiple high-flying pieces of plate metal, that all began to slap onto his massive form and fuse together; quickly forming a gigantic suit of armor around him.

But even as he felt his Detnerat device come to him when he needed it most; he couldn't stop his heart from racing like it was. 'For the last several minutes, this pounding pulse…is it fear? No. Not fear. I convert fear into power! So then why…why am I feeling less stressed out than I should be right now?!'

But even as he watched his gigantic foe progressively turn into what looked like a bipedal battle tank; that same sadistic smile never left Tomura's face; his own heart rate as steady and calm as it had ever been. "You're in a tight spot, aren't you, Re-Destro?"

Finally, the Grand Commander of the Meta Liberation Army's transformation was complete; a fully armored behemoth that could've stricken fear into the heart of any man foolish enough to still stand before him after having pushed him to this level. With his fearful eyes zeroed in on Tomura, he could feel his Quirk building beyond its normal maximum limit; it was the only measure he could conceive being able to fight through this newfound power the Villain now wielded. "ONE-HUNDRED FIFTY PERCENT!"

"Oh, yeah? That's nice." Tomura responded with a mocking indifference; even earning a deeply amused laugh out of Koschei within his head.

All the while, Twice and his clones were still focusing primarily on getting to the site of Tomura's battle, as per Mr. Compress' desperate request on the line; all of them deeply grateful as they made their way, that they were out of Gigantomachia's direct path of destruction, as they could clearly see being paved through the city just nearby. Certainly too close for comfort; but with lack of other options, they were as safe as they could hope to be, now that the remaining Liberation warriors were so focused on the towering brute.

At the same time, Mr. Compress himself; his white mask now half broken off, and his top hat and coat in tatters, had just managed to touch down at the area where Dabi's battle with Geten had prematurely ended (the fiery Villain muttering in clear disappointment: "That icy freak…I almost managed to burn him up."); likewise unable to take his eyes off the destruction that had been wrought on the city, and the fools that stood in the way of their gigantic ace in the hole. "It's a rare day when the big fellow wakes up early! And the League is doomed if we try to take him on in this state."

With that dreaded inevitability in mind, he hurriedly put himself in touch with the Doctor through his earpiece: "Ujiko-san, you're listening still, right?! Warp us! Or else Gigantomachia will tear us all limb from limb!"

But the tone that answered his desperate call for assistance was as distant and cold as he had ever heard from anyone; even the likes of Dabi or Tomura: "Trying to kill my little Johnny, are you? He develops a dreadful case of tonsillitis whenever he Warps someone."

In a rare show of impatience unbecoming of his typical gentleman thief-like persona; Mr. Compress snapped back: "That's not really my problem! Tell him to deal with it! Besides, I don't believe you! You never had any issue with Warping any of us before!"

"I try not to get too close to those that might give away my location to unwanted third parties. Get in touch with me once you get the Liberation Army to stop tracking you."

Mr. Compress couldn't believe what was happening. The Doctor, in all his nerve, was giving the League the worst kind of ultimatum. Somehow find a way to end this battle while managing to not get annihilated by Gigantomachia once he finally reached Tomura's position…or be left here to fend for themselves and ultimately get wiped out.

Gritting his teeth, he answered incredulously: "So you're saying you'd be able to rest easy with Shigaraki-san's death on your hands; is that it? Isn't he meant to be All For One's successor?!"

"Indeed, he is; which is exactly why he needs to be pushed into this extreme corner."

As Compress couldn't help but reel his head back in disbelief at such backhanded methods on their supposedly-trusted Doctor's part; he noticed the distant but fast-flying sight of Geten flying upon another hunk of ice, flanked by multiple large tentacle of ice; all flying fast toward Gigantomachia from behind.

As the hooded Liberation warrior continued to dive bomb toward the colossus; he could feel the conviction burning within him as he recalled Re-Destro's last instructions to him that same day: "When we come up against the League of Villains' Meta Abilities, we must be especially wary of Dabi's long-range flames. Geten-san, you are instrumental to the Liberation Army's success."

"I'm sorry, Re-Destro-san…I'm sorry for worrying you!" This was the only thing Geten felt needed to be said; whether the Grand Commander could hear him or not. This was the moment of truth. He would stop this monster's approach and buy him the time needed to succeed over Tomura, no matter what; starting now.

SMAAASH!

And without even batting an eye in the incoming warrior's direction; Gigantomachia swept a single arm like one would when swatting a pesky fly; sending him flying helplessly; ending his frigid assault before it had even begun.

At the same time on the streets below; Koku Hanabata could only watch from atop his speeding campaign van, as Geten's body ricocheted off the flying corner piece of another building. After having observed the giant monster's approach up to this point; even his own sense of complete calm couldn't last. 'What on Earth is this thing?! We need to help Re-Destro-san, FAST!'

And all the while, Spinner and the several Twice clones that had managed to last this long with him in his fight; were clinging onto the back of the van for dear life; similarly as driven in protecting the leader of their own side, even when considering the devastation that would undoubtedly fall upon them once Gigantomachia would get there.

It would only be a matter of a minute or two before he would finally reach Tomura's position, and this entire battle would either end in victory, or complete annihilation.

B-B-B-B-B-BOOM!

Suddenly, with a multitude of loud explosions like that of fireworks; Spinner, Compress, Dabi, Twice, Vukodlak, the rest of the Liberation warriors and Gigantomachia all looked up and saw that the sky was suddenly becoming completely enshrouded in rapidly expanding pitch black clouds so thick, that they were actually managing to cut off the sunlight to all that stood below.

And the moment that darkness fell; everyone, with the exception of Hanabata, suddenly found themselves clutching at their heads; many screaming in abject terror, while others simply looked as though they were reliving something traumatic that was too much for even screams to properly convey. Either way, no one under those clouds could bring themselves to move. Even Gigantomachia was barely starting to tremble, before letting out a deafening howl of what sounded like sorrow, before starting to curl into the fetal position.

And it was all because of the black-cloaked, black-white-haired Tsuguharu Fukuzawa; currently standing upon a rooftop nearest where Hanabata's van was currently speeding; his arm extended so that the Detnerat device strapped to his wrist, which was lined with small holes, could shoot a multitude of these black smoke bomb pellets straight into the sky, thus creating one gigantic shadow through which upon touching his own, he could spread his Shroud Quirk into nearly everyone but those he specifically needed kept lucid.

With that plan of action having been enacted, and Gigantomachia even having been stopped in his tracks with a look of genuine fear in his eyes; Fukuzawa immediately followed up by calling down to Hanabata with his Army codename: "NOW, MR. TRUMPET! THE LEAGUE CAN'T FIGHT, THEY'RE IMMOBILIZED WITH FEAR! USE YOUR ABILITY TO AMPLIFY HE ARMY'S FEAR INTO GREATER FIGHTING FERVOR! THIS IS OUR CHANCE, WITH THAT BEHEMOTH NOT MOVING ANYMORE!"

AWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Suddenly, the echo of a chilling wolves' howl rang through the air; prompting Fukuzawa to practically jump in an about-face turn to brace himself for whatever was coming his way, only to be met with the sight of a giant invisible barrier paving down building after building in a beeline headed straight for him; flattening any petrified Liberation warrior along the way.

"SHIT!" This was all Fukuzawa could scream as he ran and leapt from this rooftop to the one across the street, just barely missing getting annihilated as the building he previously stood on was reduced to nothing; Hanabata's van; and Spinner and his accompanying clones hanging on the back of it; likewise were lucky enough to have missed it by a hair as well.

But with that howl, all the electricity in the vicinity of that Air Shield attack likewise all burned out for blocks around…which meant that Fukuzawa and Hanabata's Detnerat tools both likewise shorted out. It was only through the blessing of the campaign van being as old-fashioned as it was, that it didn't end up shorting out likewise. Either way; the politicians' means of affecting every soldier in the widest radius to their advantage was gone.

AWOOOOOOOOOOO!

As Fukuzawa came to the horrifying realization that his tool could no longer work, another all-powerful howl sounded; once again bringing his terrified gaze up, just to see the black clouds he'd created for the sake of his Quirk, get plowed away by another invisible wall, allowing the sun to shine brightly through once again, and subsequently freeing the warriors, the League members, and even Gigantomachia from the effects of his Shroud.

As the light of day reached his position as well; Fukuzawa kept looking upward, just in time to see the distant but approaching figure of the giant white wolf that was Vukodlak, soaring through the air in an inhumanly strong leap in his direction. Even by the time he realized by the next leap that he was dead center in the approaching lupine Villain's sights, his legs were like cement, unwilling or unable to move; no matter how much he tried to will them to.

WRRRRAAAM!

Without even slowing down the slightest bit; Vukodlak's giant bestial form finally came crash landing/stampeding through the face of the building Fukuzawa was atop of; practically causing the whole structure to explode from the sheer physical power of his speed and impact; sending his enemy flying listlessly through the air, and through the wall, floor, and opposite wall of the next building over.

By the time his body had finally stopped flying and had landed; Fukuzawa could feel an ungodly amount of pain in his chest, back, shoulders and legs. He couldn't list himself up to save his own life. That landing on its own had broken over a dozen of his bones. He was a sitting duck here.

A notion that became horrifyingly clear to him, once he could hear the heavy impacts of the giant wolf's nearby footsteps transition into the light and rhythmic footsteps of a man; barely able to turn his grimacing head up the road he now lay upon, to find the unmistakable human form of Vukodlak approaching him intently.

A pained wheeze escape his mouth, as he tried to fight through his broken limbs in order to either fight back or escape; undoubtedly the sign of either a pierced or collapsed lung. There was no use fighting it. His body was beyond broken.

Finally, the footsteps had come to a stop, and Fukuzawa could physically feel Vukodlak's shadow looming over his pitiful body; forcing the young Liberation warrior to finally fight through his terror and look up, to see the Villain's razor sharp silver eyes looking down upon him with neither anger nor pity. There was only…a chilling apathy, like the unfeeling gaze of a true sociopath.

Even with the pained and terrified tears running down his bruised-up face, Fukuzawa finally forced the courage up to speak: "H…how? Why? It w-worked on you the last t-two times…why didn't my Ability…do anything to y-you then?"

The swiftness with which Vukodlak squatted down so he could get as close and in his face as possible, was enough to pry another pathetic frightened squeal out of him. Vukodlak's grizzled face gave no outward expression as a reaction; but inside, he had the most satisfied grin at seeing his enemy brought down to this level.

"Because I no longer fear the things I saw when you used your Quirk then. See, you don't truly understand what fear is, when you get right down to its most fundamental level. A lot of people naturally assume that fear is simply our natural reaction to things we don't understand…but in my experience, I've come to understand that the things we fear are typically the things we feel we have no control over, nor ability to do anything about.

"But I don't fear those things anymore, because you've forced me to look them in the face, and find it in myself to make them something I can change. For that, I suppose I should thank you. I admit I have been fooling myself; thinking that I could chase after the goal of erasing Heroes the world over for the sake of those with no power of their own, without having to acknowledge the inherently Heroic nature of it. Doing something that grand on my own; what a fantasy that was, and what a fool I was for so adamantly chasing it.

"Now, I just have to accomplish that same goal for nobody's sake but the League, so thank you for helping me narrow my aspirations down a touch. I never fit in with Heroes, nor would I ever fit in with regular people…but the League is the first bunch that I've ever felt a true connection with; much stronger than this abstract ideology that you and your ilk have all united under. Ours is something far stronger: that of a family. It took me a while to admit that to myself, but to actually say so out loud is so…liberating. That's why your Shroud doesn't work on me anymore, because I'm going to do everything in my power and more to protect the only family I have, and help them attain their happiness, their freedom."

Fukuzawa's vision had long since become blinding with how much his tears of horror were welling up while he remained flat on his back. He didn't need to see in order to just know that with his mocking speech done; Vukodlak had proceeded to turn back into his giant wolf form; his shadow completely enshrouding his body as his giant maw of razor sharp steel fangs, now covered just over his face; his voice still somehow managing to emanate loud and clear from within:

"Are you experiencing it too? Is this perhaps what you always feared the most? Maybe looking it head-on will make you strong enough to get out of this! You might as well try! Surely there's nothing more exhilarating than looking upon the thing that terrifies you the most before you die!"

The deep, beastly growl emanating from the depths of his deadly maw finally spurred a terrified shriek out of Fukuzawa, a split second before Vukodlak finally let out the vicious snarl that preceded his savage mauling of the helpless Liberation warrior at last; leaving a bloodied, torn up mess in his wake before he proceeded to continue bounding the rest of the way to Tomura's position, upon hearing the deafening cacophony of Gigantomachia's continued approach.

For the gigantic monstrosity; it was only a single bounding leap over the next several city blocks before he could finally be upon his primary target's position; exploding through it all as he roared out with the force of a natural disaster: "MASTER'S SUCCESSOR IS HERE!"

But just as it seemed like he was about to bring the full momentum and mass of his hulking form down on top of whatever lay ahead, Gigantomachia's entire body froze with a deep sense of realization; his once savage eyes now wide and docile with a childlike wonder at what he was seeing before him.

It was merely the sight of Tomura continuing to stand defiantly before Re-Destro; but even the giant could sense that something was immensely different about the young Villain he had so vehemently deemed unworthy before. Whatever element there had been that had rubbed him so wrongly about Tomura was gone. It was as though…he had well and truly awakened from a slumber he didn't even know he had been in. He was well and truly on another level now.

And Re-Destro could no longer deny that the fear he was feeling within as he stared Tomura down, was nothing like the stress-born fear that empowered him all other times before. This was a fear that shook him down to his very soul, no matter how much he foolishly tried to deny just what it was he was sensing from his opponent.

'People with Meta Abilities don't seek suppression, but Liberation. Naturally, people all seek to use their Abilities freely, to live however they please. But Shigaraki…he's standing somewhere unprecedented right now. Beyond the pain…beyond this Awakening of his…it's as if he…HAS BEEN UTTERLY LIBERATED FROM EVERY SHACKLE KNOWN TO MAN! A LIBERATION LIKE WE'VE NEVER CONCEIVED OF! YES…THIS FEELING IN MY CHEST IS…'

But even as the giant before him and the giant behind him both stared upon his form with terror and reverence alike; Tomura still had the mocking, terrifying smile on his face, still deeply amused by the name of Re-Destro's previous failed attack. "One-hundred and fifty percent, huh? What, is that supposed to be you going all 'Plus Ultra' on me? Is that it?"

"It's the last act of desperation, my boy. He doesn't want to say it, but you can see it in his face, in his body language; you can hear it in his voice. He's terrified of you now…because he can now see the truth with his own eyes, just as all his ilk soon will. He knows now that the one who will ultimately bring this true liberation to the world…IS YOU."

And with his own confidence combined with the further strengthened heartfelt faith in Koschei's telepathic words; Tomura swiftly brought his hands to the ground, producing an instantaneous, cataclysmic-sized wave of his Decay in every direction around himself all at once, like the sudden detonation of an atom bomb at ground zero all within the palms of his hands.

The devastation that spread all throughout Deika City at the touch of Tomura's hand was like a wave of pure death; quick and merciless as it leveled everything in its wake; forcing Liberation warrior and League member alike to double back and retreat, lest they get caught and disintegrated in the surrounding crossfire.

It was through sheer force of will and surgical focus that Vukodlak had managed to retreat further out from the battlefield as fast as he had once he saw Tomura's hands touch down; focusing his inescapable eyes, ears and nose towards finding Himiko with Twice; hurriedly ushering them and their clones onto his back, soon afterwards doing the same for Mr. Compress and Dabi while they had been forced to fall back as well. From there, knowing Spinner was still out there, he needed to move carefully and quickly; hopping from one half-disintegrated or collapsing rooftop to another, in order to keep from getting caught in the effects of the Decay.

And as for Spinner himself, he was still hanging onto Hanabata's van for dear life, as the vehicle and its topside passenger were desperately trying to back away from the cracks of pure destruction tearing up the roads and buildings ahead of them, as quickly as they possibly could. By now, Hanabata's typical professional and collected demeanor had been reduced to pure desperate panic. "STOP THE VAN! PULL BACK! PULL BACK! FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, HURRY!"

And much, much further away across the city, the one Twice clone that had been instructed to get Giran as far away from the battlefield as possible before it was too late; couldn't help but look back at the rising plume of dust in the heart of the city, as it spread further and further out, and every building it touched proceeded to crumble apart into yet more dust; an echoing symphony of terrified screams from all those around trying to run from it, even managing to reach both their ears this far out.

And within the heart of all this ongoing destruction and chaos; Tomura could only watch it all unfold and smile like the most satisfied, enjoyment-fueled child of all, as he could hear All For One's words of irrefutable wisdom echoing within his heart as clear as day. What had seemed so abstract then; now made the most perfect kind of sense in his mind:

"Don't fear. Adopt this mindset: people's lives, their progress, their efforts; I hold all of it in the palm of my hand. Will you close your hand and destroy it all? Or roll it around in your palm according to your whims? That's entirely up to you. That melding of hatred and delight…THAT is true freedom."

At the same time, Re-Destro could feel his blood turn frigid when he looked down, and saw the same Decaying cracks easily start tearing and splitting his impenetrable armor apart. 'His Decay is spreading fast! Based on this fight, he must have a limited range within which he can counterattack! If I can just get out of that range…!'

With literally no other option on what to do, he proceeded to hurriedly spring himself high into the air away from the Decaying ground, before multiple pieces of his armor suddenly shot off, flying on rocket engines in Tomura's direction amid the maelstrom of disintegrating debris and bodies all over. If there was even a single remaining sliver of a chance in hell he could beat Tomura and put a stop to this devastation, this was it.

But amid this deathly apocalyptic storm, Re-Destro felt his entire body go awash in a frozen sweat…as he could hear an unmistakable sound coming directly his way, loud and clear:

That was the sound of Tomura Shigaraki laughing hysterically in the face of his fear and desperation. With that alone; any semblances of fighting spirit the Grand Commander hoped to still have were snuffed out with no mercy.

"ALL WILL BE…DESTROYED!"

And with that final declaration; it was as if Tomura's Quirk up until now had simply been channeling itself within him in terms of sheer power, and had chosen this moment to finally be released in its fullest glory; as the already overwhelming devastation wrought by his Decay, exploded like the shockwave of an extinction event; wiping out every remaining fragment of Deika City all around in a wave of complete erasure from all existence…all while Re-Destro could only try to ride upon one of his flying pieces of armor in order to keep from getting caught in it all, forced to watch as his beloved city's annihilation was carried out in the blink of an eye, all before he finally ended up losing his balance and getting knocked off, plummeting to the ground and the destruction awaiting him within it.

And while Deika City and its Liberated warrior citizens could only try in futility to run from this wave of pure death; Tomura Shigaraki cackled in the realization of his complete and utter victory…and most importantly, his enjoyment.

As the shockwave of Decay and destruction finally subsided; everything within it had been reduced to dust and the minutest traces of debris. Outside of it, the buildings lucky enough to still be standing now all stood on the verge of collapse, leaning against each other like a precarious set of dominos.

And amid all of that destruction; Gigantomachia, Spinner, Hanabata, Geten, Tomoyasu, the Liberation warriors that were still alive, Vukodlak and his League comrades upon his back; could all only look on into the depths of this lifeless crater in complete and utter astonishment. This made the destruction the League had laid onto Moscow look like utter child's play by comparison…and the fact that Tomura had inflicted it entirely on his own made it all that much more impressively terrifying.

But not enough so as to stop them all from ultimately setting foot further in, once they could see two figures amid the settling dust.

And within that cloud of past obliteration; Re-Destro's breathing was ragged, pained, weakened; for in those past several seconds, once his body had shrunken back to its normal size, he had taken the inhuman measure for his own self-preservation, of using a large discarded piece of his armor, to chop off both of his own legs at the knee, refusing to give a single scream the entire time through it all.

But where he now sat legless and ultimately with no further means of defending himself; he quickly felt the approaching presence of Tomura again; looking up with his exhausted eyes to find the Villain before him; his face covered in bruises and blood; the right half of his torso and his whole right arm now finally reflecting extensive battle damage; the arm especially looking as though all of the skin upon it had been viciously burnt or torn off.

And yet, Tomura's face showed no visible acknowledgment of pain, as his pure white hair hung like a mess of true negative space upon his head; his piercing red eyes looking upon what the Grand Commander had just done to himself with a smirk on his dry, cracked and scarred lips. "Your feet touched the ground, huh? Did you chop 'em off before your whole body crumbled?"

Re-Destro was simply too exhausted to answer such an obvious question; simply slouching his shoulders as he struggled to breathe. At this point, he was simply waiting for Tomura to close the rest of the distance between them, and finally deliver the coup de grace.

"Hey. Why were we fighting again?"

With the state he was in, Re-Destro couldn't even be bothered to wonder if the Villain before him truly didn't know, or if he was asking him just to mock him further. But when he looked up, he could tell it was clearly the latter, as Tomura was raising his mangled right hand, pointing at him accusingly while still having the devilish smirk and murderous intensity in his eyes under the bangs of his hair.

"Oh, right…because you picked a fight with me."

"The king that declared war on you is beaten, Tomura Shigaraki…but your expression of your true will has not gone ignored. I don't wish to steer you any one way like a puppet. Such an act of inner submission would be unbecoming for the one deserving of mine and All For One's powers. As the one to ultimately rule whatever world is left at the end of this road, it's entirely up to you what to do with him from here. Whatever you choose, I will continue to give you my support."

"RE-DESTRO!"

No sooner than Koschei's voice had humbly stepped back from his role of the constant telepathic voice of guidance and support, did Tomura hear the incoming voices of multiple people from the outskirts of this new wasteland.

From out of the smoke and dust; Hanabata's campaign van and multiple remaining Liberation warriors had finally arrived on the scene; with Vukodlak and the rest of the League, and Gigantomachia, arriving at interspersed parts of the perimeter alongside them; all of them still wide-eyed and in awe at what they had witnessed, and were even now seeing play out before them.

At least, until Hanabata saw the sorry state Re-Destro had been left in, and unable to submit to the fear building in his own chest; proceeded to use his Quirk to call out to his followers, regardless of the loss of his amplifying tool: "EVERYONE! GO! GO AND SAVE OUR GRAND COMMANDER!"

With another raucous number of responding battle cries, the Liberation warriors all began to charge ahead; spurring Vukodlak and Spinner both to get ready to fight further, down to the last of these fools if necessary…

…until the single most unexpected thing for any of them happened. No sooner than they had all begun to move in on Tomura's position to save Re-Destro; the Villain himself simply shot them all the single most terrifying evil glare and accompanying smirk of pure arrogance and threatening intent upon his deathlike face, instantly freezing them all dead in their tracks.

Even seeing it happen before his very eyes, Hanabata couldn't believe what he was seeing: 'My…My Incite Ability…it's being drowned out…by pure, fundamental FEAR; far beyond the sheer terror that even Fukuzawa-san could instill! Th-that's not possible! It can't be!'

Suddenly, Re-Destro raised a single arm high into the air, catching Hanabata and the remaining warriors' attention as he put his thumb to his forehead and point his finger to the sky; the official salute of the Meta Liberation Army. "Stop, Mr. Trumpet. Any more…would only cause more meaningless deaths."

But the look of shock on his close comrade's face didn't even register, as the Grand Commander forced himself into a begging position on his hands and knees before Tomura. "These fine people were just following my…no. They were following Destro's will. It was their willingness to die for the cause that brought us this far."

As he proceeded to practically slam his large forehead into the ground in a show of yielding; his mind was still racing with the realization of everything this outcome truly meant: 'Free use of Meta Abilities…not suppression, but Liberation. Oh, great Destro; the ideal citizen of your post-Liberation world was one who would embody freedom itself. Facing down the weight of history and our fated bloodline…this young man, with the abyss looming before him, laughed it all off. Yes, I've seen it today. I saw this young man, this Villain…this truly Liberated individual, shining bright as the sun!'

"It's just as you say: I brought this foolish fight to you and lost. My life is in your hands. I was always prepared to die in the name of Destro's will. That is why…*gasp*…THE METAHUMAN LIBERATION ARMY IS YOURS TO COMMAND, SHIGARAKI TOMURA."

All of the Liberation warriors watching could feel the sheer physical power washing over them at their now-former Grand Commanders conceding of his role to the elader of the League of Villains. At the same time; Vukodlak, having by now ushered his fellow League members off his back so he could change back into his human form; had a look of the utmost pride and admiration on his face as he had his arms crossed over his chest in a show of relief. "At long, long last…the true alpha has found himself an even greater pack."

As Tomura could just feel the eyes of everyone around looking upon him in both fear, reverence and everything in-between; he could feel the utter pride in Koschei's voice in response: "Very well done, if I may say so. While slaying those that threaten you is often times the only viable option; to subjugate them before the eyes of their people, and bring them all into your fold is even better. Your own kingdom starts here, with followers and soldiers enough to make a formidable force for your enemies to come."

Among the now subjugated ranks of the Liberation Army; Spinner likewise could feel his entire body fill with the sensation of awe and inspiration as he looked upon Tomura in this moment. At last, every trace of doubt he'd ever held onto towards the League's leader had vanished. It was now as if he too could see the elusive and abstract future that the Villain before him had strived for with his own eyes…and it looked so, so enticing…so exciting.

And amid all the crowd; Gigantomachia couldn't help but shed a single emotional tear as he saw Tomura stand so defiant, so powerful, so imbued with the very essence of power and evil that All For One himself embodied so long ago; like the perfect transition from one to the next. "A TRUE SUCCESSOR."

Only in the subtlest way did Tomura's head visibly flinch, as though a long dormant thought had picked that moment to come rushing back; and his eyes once more fell to Re-Destro, no longer filled with that hostile fire, while his victorious grin still remained. "Hey, you're a CEO, right? That means you've got money to burn."

He didn't even need to say anymore than that to convince Re-Destro to hurriedly order Hanabata and Tomoyasu to start working on accessing the funds secured by their entire organization, with a multitude of promises to do the same on his own.

With their new tasks already in action, Tomura than finally turned to address the rest of the onlookers, and even Mr. Compress. "See about gathering up all the dead. They can still be useful for us later on. Of course, we still have the issue of a place to kick our feet up to worry about, too."

Behind his back, Re-Destro's head immediately jerked up at attention. "I may actually have the perfect solution to that matter; somewhere very remote and big enough for all of us to remain hidden and comfortable, with plenty of room for further numbers to add to our ranks and then some."

Tomura smirked in satisfaction, but didn't bother to give his fallen opponent the courtesy of eye contact. "Tell me where it is, and we can take care of the rest. The police and some nosey Heroes are bound to get here soon, so we should make ourselves scarce for the moment. The rest of you; you have your orders, so get to it."

While Re-Destro proceeded to detail the location of this apparent safe haven he was offering the League in full; Tomoyasu and Hanabata quickly got to work in securing whatever money the Army had from here; and the Liberation warriors all quickly got to work on gathering whatever was left of their dead in whole and evacuating the scene; the League members themselves all still looked at the scale of the sheer destruction left in Tomura's wake, with Twice unable to help but exclaim: "YEAH! IT'S A MIRACLE! WE DID IT! I KNEW WE COULD! WHEN THAT BLACK CLOUD STARTED SPREADING AND EVEN BROUGHT MACHIA TO A HALT, I THOUGHT THAT WAS IT! I DIDN'T LOSE FAITH IN THE SLIGHTEST, NOT ME! WE OWE YOU BIG TIME FOR DEALING WITH THAT, VUKODLAK-SAN, YA DAMN SLOUCH! HOW WERE YOU NOT FROZEN UP BY IT?!"

Vukodlak had taken that chance to look with an annoyed grimace at the remaining crevasse-like scars running down his left arm that refused to vanish with his Super Regeneration, before then giving his comrade a genuine smirk. "The guy responsible for that tried using his Quirk on me a few times before, and he forced me to do a lot of reevaluating about myself. I feel a lot more centered, a lot more focused now. Nobody's gonna be able to pull that kind of fear-based crap on me again. All of you, this whole League; you're pretty much the first family I've had in decades. I'm not letting anybody threaten that like this damn Army did again…so none of you have any reason to be afraid anymore, either."

Twice couldn't help but look particularly emotional, while Spinner and Mr. Compress were both visibly pensive, and Dabi simply rolled his eyes in disgust. "Ugh, that kind of sentimentality is so lame coming from you. I can't believe I gotta take you along again for that meet-up with our big recruit later."

But before Vukodlak could even react in remembrance that he had been reached out to previously by the stitch-faced Villain regarding their next meeting with Hawks; Himiko suddenly gasped for air; spurring him and Twice hurriedly to her side, with Compress, Spinner and Dabi all looming close overhead.

She was still in terrible shape, but she already seemed to have more energy than she did before, thanks to the blood she was still receiving from her clone laying at her side. Twice's head blocking out the afternoon sun helped keep her from getting blinded once she finally opened her eyes. And once she saw all of her comrades standing over her in one piece, she formed the faintest hopeful smile. "Hey…did we win? We won, right? Those…Army guys are so annoying."

"Yeah, you bet we won, Toga, we wiped the floor with them, single-handed! They made it super tough; I wish you could've been there to help! Try not to talk, you really ran yourself ragged, fighting those dumbasses!" as Twice continued his disjointed summation of just how they'd all won, Himiko's happiness and relief became more and more apparent.

By the time he was finally done with it; she let out an exhausted but overall satisfied sigh, before finally turning her head and seeing Vukodlak kneeling beside her right alongside Twice. "I didn't know where else to go once I'd killed them all…but I knew you'd find me anywhere I went…Papa. I owe you…big, big, big time."

Vukodlak's whole body couldn't help but instinctively flinch with both annoyance and a sting of emotion, hearing Himiko call him that; ignoring the mocking glance from Dabi as a response, while he proceeded to brush a single lock of her hair from her beaten-up face. "It's Twice-san you owe the most, though. All I did was get you to him, Himiko. He's the reason you're really still alive right now."

Twice was frantically turned his head between the two, unsure who to respond to, before he suddenly felt Himiko's fingers barely reach out and touch his hand; the fanged smile she was sending him making him start trembling. "You're so awesome…Jin…my real…Villain of a Hero…hehehe…"

As Himiko weakly giggled at the sight of Twice's whole face starting to sweat and turn red; they all soon began to feel the sensation of the black fluid rushing up their throats; the sign that the Doctor was finally warping them all to wherever Re-Destro had suggested for them to call home from now on. It couldn't have come soon enough, for nearly the moment they and Gigantomachia had all been sufficiently warped away, was the same moment that the authorities and Heroes, Liberated and non-Liberated alike, finally came onto the scene proper; marveling in horror at the sheer scale of the destruction left behind, with the Liberation warriors still on the streets thankfully being able to perfectly pass themselves off as citizens caught in the crossfire of something entirely different.

In virtually no time at all, a fully fabricated story of the disaster that had stricken Deika City was given out to all the major news networks across Japan, sufficiently covering the tracks of the League entirely.

"A terrible tragedy has befallen the once peaceful Deika City in Aichi Prefecture. According to eyewitnesses, a group of twenty men and women with a particular grudge against Heroes were the culprits. To conduct this premeditated attack, the terrorists used false information to lure Heroes just outside the city before commencing their assault. In the face of this sudden threat, the citizens of Deika banded together to fight back. Heroes ultimately also joined the battle. Many of the good citizens of Deika City lost their lives that day; including Shoowaysha Publishing executive, Kizuki Chitose, and popular modern artist and performer, Fukuzawa Tsuguharu; but when the dust settled, all twenty of the conspirators were confirmed dead.

"At the time, President and CEO of the Detnerat Company, Yotsubashi Rikiya, was in Deika City. Though he suffered terrible injuries, including the loss of both his legs, the businessman survived. While some claim that rampant Quirk use by untrained civilians did more harm than good, many are lauding the citizens of Deika as Heroes who answered the inherent call of duty. With so many mysteries still surrounding this unprecedented disaster, the investigation continues, with the recently founded Nighteye Detective Agency having announced their stepping forward to assist. We will continue to report all future developments in the investigation of this disaster as they become available."

Monday, December 8th

Over the next several days, everything proceeded to fall neatly into place for the League and the Army as a whole. The safe haven Re-Destro had offered them met all of their needs and more: a lavish isolated mansion in the mountainous countryside, with the kind of subterranean area more than twice the size of the building itself; the kind of setup that dwarfed even underground nuclear bomb shelters for entire governments.

Thankfully, even in the aftermath of the Deika City battle, not much needed to be changed in regards to the Liberation Army's influences and elements spread out across Japan. Hanabata, Tomoyasu and Re-Destro all had been quick and thorough in spreading the word to their soldiers that hadn't been able to make it that day, regarding the change in leadership, and the eventual need to all reconvene at the mansion to make sure everyone got the news.

Detnerat's black market equipment that had already been sent out onto the streets for low-level criminals and those seeking to act out of their own free will, were ultimately deemed as an issue that would ultimately fix itself, so they were left to ultimately fizzle out as incidents arose and were subsequently snuffed out by Heroes; and even the Liberated Heroes were able to keep up their covers while out on their regular duties…so long as they all acknowledged who was truly in charge from now on, first.

And all the while, the League themselves could finally rest easy and recover from all their respective injuries; knowing they officially had a new roof over their heads, more than a plentiful number of soldiers to fill their ranks; and best of all, the devotion of Gigantomachia and the subsequent loyalty and services of the Doctor, Ujiko.

After some time for rest and recuperation, the long-awaited day that would change everything for them officially had arrived, and at many of their behest, they were presented with a meal of exquisite sushi to celebrate before the big hour.

"Well, we certainly had to suffer more than our fair share to make it to this point…but it's just as people like to say: 'no pain, no gain'; yes?" Mr. Compress asked wistfully as he took another bite; the League members all seated in a large Western-style dining room, looking almost like someplace akin to a period piece film.

"That's a gutsy thing for you to say, considering you didn't do squat the whole time…or even before, for that matter." Dabi pointed out as he sat with his back turned to the rest of his team.

"Nonsense! I did a splendid job, running away." Compress shot back just as quickly before then turning his attention to Vukodlak silently eating a few spots further down the table; his left arm still thoroughly wrapped in gauze to help those persistent scars inevitably heal up. "And it's not exactly like the two of you tried to help Shigaraki-san with Machia nearly as often as the rest of us did; more focused on your dirt collecting and recruiting efforts. Speaking of which, how did this little clandestine meeting with your special recruit go? You never even bothered enlightening us."

Feeling the currently balaclava-clad Villain's inquisitive eyes on him, Vukodlak answered: "About as well as we could've hoped. I was more than certain he would either back out or try to pull a fast one on us…but I suppose even my instincts need to be proven wrong every once in a while."

With a satisfied snicker, Dabi followed up: "Keep your eyes peeled, you might just spot him in that crowd out there later. I had a gut feeling he'd be a promising new addition. If The Wolf Man over there's nose and ears can't find anything suspect about him, then what reason do I have to doubt anymore?"

Eyeing Dabi's back, Vukodlak subtly jabbed his chopsticks in his direction in a warning gesture: "Don't start getting too cocky about your ability to judge, Dabi-san. We might not have a reason to question him right now, but we've still got eyes and ears on him where we need them. If something comes up he doesn't want us to know about, we'll find it in plenty of time."

Ignoring the petty bickering between the two; Spinner spoke up with his mouth still full: "You really not going to join us on this, Dabi-san? This is easily the best sushi I've ever had. These big money types definitely don't skimp out on quality here."

"Help yourselves. I can't stand fish." Dabi immediately declined; bringing the conversation to silence just long enough for the sound of Twice's sniffling sobs and a single resonating ring of a chime on a brass cup to draw their eyes.

At one end of the room, the once-more masked Villain was kneeling and weeping at a small funerary shrine, upon which stood a framed portrait draped with black ribbons, depicting a photo of Himiko's beaten-up unconscious face. "I…I-I'm so sorry…oh, poor Toga…! If she…if Toga hadn't shared her blood….Toga would've…would've…!"

But Twice's sorrow was for him alone to feel, as the others all knew he was needlessly mourning the death of the Himiko clone he had made to perform the blood transfusion that ultimately saved the real Himiko's life; as she herself was seated on some cushions in the opposite corner; still adorned with multiple bandages and an eyepatch, watching Twice's display with an amused roll of her one visible eye. "Knock it off over there, Jin. I'm right here, so stop getting all weepy over a clone. It's so creepy."

KRAAK!

Practically on her command; Twice proceeded to kick over the shrine and get back into a cross-legged, cross-armed sitting stance; all of his visible sadness magically vanished. "You're right, Toga! How about I stop being creepy?! How about that?! STUPID LEG! STOP KICKING THINGS WITHOUT PERMISSION! I've been a bad boy…please don't hit me! HUH?! WHAT THE HECK AM I EVEN SAYING?!"

Himiko couldn't help but chuckle in amusement at this sight of Twice's now-even more disjointed and inconsistent behavior, while Dabi and Spinner could only watch on with apathy and worry respectively. "What's his deal? I thought you said he'd gotten over his…whatever his deal is." "Looks like that forced remedy only made it even worse in the end."

But while Twice continued to nonsensically argue with himself; Himiko now turned her eye to Vukodlak with an even more mischievous smile. "What about you though, Papa? I haven't seen you crying over my near-miss death once since we got here! You're so cold! Here, I thought even seeing one look-alike of me die would make you go all to pieces like Jin."

Taking another bite while refusing to look in her direction, Vukodlak bluntly answered: "No matter how many clones of you Twice-san could make; the scent of the original's blood, your blood, is unmistakable, Himiko. If you were to somehow slip up and fail enough to get yourself killed, even after all the training I've given you so far, then the only thing I'd feel for you would be anger for wasting my time and effort."

But for Himiko, such outwardly cruel words meant nothing, as the smile never left her face; listening to how clearly his heart rate and blood flow increased at the sound of her calling him 'Papa' instead of 'Sensei', just like how her own face warmed up now that he was calling her by name, instead of 'Toga-san.'

At that same moment, Twice practically came rolling across the floor her way; his masked face practically glowing with desperation. "Hey, Toga, why is it Vukodlak-san gets the special treatment with the nicknames and such!? I'm the reason you're still breathing, so where's all the calls of 'Daddy' for me, huh?!"

SMACK!

And just like with the shrine, he instantly smacked himself across the face before anxiously rolling back the way he'd come. "THE HELL IS WRONG WITH ME? THAT SOUNDS SO MUCH CREEPIER! YOU DON'T HAVE TO SLAP ME SILLY FOR THAT! WHAT AM I TALKING ABOUT?! OF COURSE I DO!"

Suddenly, the double doors finally opened up; Hanabata and Tomoyasu both making their ways inside; the latter having an especially aggravated and impatient stride to his step, and edge to his tone: "It's time. Come on."

"SHADDUP! WE'RE BUSY EATING SUSHI HERE!" Twice immediately snapped, completely forgetting what he'd just been doing, even while everyone else was slowly but surely starting to get back to their feet.

As they proceeded to follow the two Army lieutenants through the halls; none of them paid attention to how the aggravated veins were visibly pulsating on Tomoyasu's face. "It was our organization's money that paid for all that fish you were gorging yourselves on, wasn't it? Not to mention your medical treatments with Vukodlak's Super Regeneration having slowed down like it has; alongside the video doctoring for the media, and Toga's new coat."

But the frustration in his tone wasn't lost on the League themselves, as Twice mockingly answered: "Oh, big deal. You've got us to thank for your big baldy of a ex-leader being here in the hideout with us, instead of being laid out in a hospital bed or the morgue, y'know?"

"Just let it go, Mr. Skeptic." Hanabata muttered out the corner of his mouth once he spied Tomoyasu's fists clenching and shaking. "The Grand Commande-*ahem*…I mean, Re-Destro-san personally chose these people. And an order from Re-Destro-san is just as good as any from Destro himself."

From there and across the massively empty main hall, they were all met by a single Liberation warrior, who proceeded to use their Quirk to move the bricks of the wall aside to reveal a secret passageway. This led them down to a single elevator, which proceeded to take them four floors below the ground. And once those doors opened for them and they stepped out; they all found themselves upon a colossal stage overlooking a vast floor filled with what looked to be over 100,000 people (with Gigantomachia standing among them, towering over all); all of them looking up at Re-Destro, addressing them from within a fancy wheelchair, while Tomura sat upon a single throne; dressed in a three piece suit and heavy-duty dark red, fur-trimmed cloak; his left hand now adorned with a prosthetic for his three missing fingers, a brace affixed to his left leg, and with one disembodied preserved hand clasped to his face.

"LIBERATION WARRIORS! I AM RE-DESTRO! YOU ALL MAY HAVE HEARD THIS IN HUSHED WHISPERS OVER THE LAST SEVERAL DAYS, BUT I AM HERE TO OFFICIALLY CONFIRM FOR YOU ALL THAT IT IS INDEED TRUE: AS OF TODAY, THE METAHUMAN LIBERATION ARMY IS REBORN!"

As Re-Destro's voice boomed across this vast echo chamber of a theater, and the League members all respectfully kept their distance from behind their leader's throne; Himiko whispered: "I thought all of Tomura's handy-hands got all busted up."

"One of them survived. It's a miracle it managed to stay intact through all that chaos." Spinner hurriedly explained so they wouldn't risk missing any important details of the announcement, while Himiko watched on with a relieved grin: "Right? That's, like, his defining gimmick. You ever miss that black stocking mask you used to wear, Papa? That was such a cool-looking gimmick for you, I think."

"If I ever find myself blinded again, I'll keep that in mind. Now hush." Vukodlak answered with a hiss through his teeth as he kept his arms crossed, watching and listening intently; not just the presentation on stage, but also every reaction among the crowd below. If anyone down there was somehow going to try causing any trouble, he would know it through the sound of an especially anxious heartbeat.

All the while, Re-Destro's impassioned speech continued unabated: "IN OUR QUEST TO ENLIGHTEN THE WORLD WITH DESTRO'S WILL, I SAW THE LEAGUE OF VILLAINS AS AN OBSTACLE TO OVERCOME! YES, UNTIL THAT DAY, THAT IS WHAT I BELIEVED, AND I NEVER DOUBTED IT! BUT PLEASE UNDERSTAND, ALL OF YOU: I WAS BLIND TO THE TRUTH! BOUND BY MY BLOOD AND TRAPPED BY PRINCIPLES; THAT IS, UNTIL THE DAY I WITNESSED TRUE LIBERATION!

"YOU MAY BE ASKING YOURSELVES THIS OF ME RIGHT NOW: HAVE I SURRENDERED?! NO! I NOW SEE THAT SHIGARAKI TOMURA IS A TRUE LIBERATOR! IT IS OUT OF DEEP REVERENCE AND NECESSITY THAT I ABDICATE MY POSITION! THE LIBERATION ARMY IS REVIVED WITH SHIGARAKI TOMURA AS ITS GRAND COMMANDER! IN LIGHT OF OUR COMMITMENT TO WALK A MORE PROFOUND PATH OF LIBERATION, OUR LIBERATION ARMY AND THE LEAGUE OF VILLAINS WILL CONDUCT A MERGER UNDER A NEW NAME!"

Recognizing this to be their agreed upon cue; the rest of the League, alongside the now hoodless Geten, Tomoyasu and Hanabata, proceeded to step forward into the spotlight at Re-Destro and Tomura's side; the weight and reverence of those countless eyes below falling upon them with a physical force.

"THE LEAGUE'S SPINNER-SAN AND I DEVISED THIS NAME TOGETHER! NOW PLEASE TELL THEM WHAT IT IS, SHIGARAKI TOMURA-SAN!"

With Mr. Compress removing his top hat to bow, Himiko cheerfully greeting the crowd, Twice performing a rockstar's power slide, Dabi and Spinner both keeping their heads low and giving no such energetic greeting, and Vukodlak sending a chilling stare through multiple crowd-members at once before striking a solitary military-style salute; Tomura finally spoke up with a cemented certainty that shook the hearts of all those that heard him:

"Uh…we removed the 'Villain' part and decided to expand on the whole concept of 'Liberation'. I give you…THE PARANORMAL LIBERATION FRONT! Furthermore, I appoint all the individuals you see up here with me as my lieutenants, who will each be forming their own teams suited to their separate needs."

With this, as he could see the gravity of his declaration sink unto the shoulders of his new public; Tomura proceeded to remove the hand from his face; revealing his cruelly grinning face underneath a multitude of bandages. "Hmph…of course, that name is just decoration. Kinda like this thing here. The fact of it all is: we're gonna do whatever we want!"

This finally drew the deafening explosion of applause from the crowd that Tomura and the others had been bracing themselves for. There was no question among any of them: these people were gladly buying everything their new Grand Commander was selling them. In the name of true Liberation, he could very well have asked them all to throw themselves into the fiery pits of Hell itself, and they would've gladly done so.

And amid their frantic cheering, stood a single individual that Dabi and Vukodlak both immediately honed in on; the sight bringing a satisfied grin to both their faces: that of the Number Two Hero himself, Hawks; watching this display and transfer of power with an intensity in his otherwise calm and collected face that few ever got to see from the likes of him. He'd passed the final test given to him, which was the only reason he'd been allowed in here.

But no matter how much he knew he should've been forcing himself to exude an air of relief or satisfaction that his mission had thus far proven this successful; to actually see what was truly unfolding here with his own eyes was something even he couldn't completely pretend to be happy about. Hawks prided himself on being able to hide his true emotions like nobody else could. Hell, that was the only reason he'd managed to get through his belated meeting and showing of proof to Dabi and Vukodlak; without the latter trying to cut him to ribbons.

But deep, deep down within, beyond the point where his feelings could control things like his blood flow, his heartbeat or even his own perspiration; he was feeling an immeasurable sensation of pure dread. 'I'm…too late. No matter how elaborate my deception with Best Jeanist's body was, I thought I'd managed to get through Dabi and Vukodlak's test too easily. This explains exactly why! If only someone had stopped the League sooner, all of those good citizens wouldn't have had to die! Now look at what they have at their fingertips: an army's worth of soldiers, united under a single commanding will; Feel Good Inc. with their total control of the Hero Network; Detnerat with its deep ties to Japanese industry; and probably at least a few more of those High-End Nomus!'

With his eyes settling on the commanding presence of Tomura alone; Hawks' heart was feeling as heavy as a stone tied to a lead weight. 'You could genuinely do whatever you want, Shigaraki Tomura! Even in this super-powered society overflowing with Heroes, …you…have amassed a power on par with even the strongest of those Heroes…if not even greater!'

From there, it wasn't long until this long-awaited meeting and official announcement of the new face of their organization had finally been finished; allowing Tomura and his close allies to finally take their leave; the official leader of the newly titled Paranormal Liberation Front keeping himself supported with a crutch/walking stick for his left arm, all while Re-Destro was anxiously wheeling after the bunch of Villains; rubbing his hands to the point of nearly burning himself, and all while wearing the biggest suck-up grin he could.

"THAT WAS SPLENDIDLY DONE, SIR! IS THERE ANYTHING AT ALL I CAN PROVIDE YOU FURTHER?! ANYTHING TO DRINK, PERHAPS?!"

"Get lost."

That was all Tomura needed to say; and Re-Destro didn't even waste a second to look taken aback by such cold indifference; instead happily proceeding to do just as he was told; racing down the opposite direction while urging the grim-looking Hanabata, Tomuyasu and Geten to follow suit with him.

Watching as the pathetic, legless company man wheeled away, Himiko looked curiously to her ever-dependable new father figure in Vukodlak. "That big-nosed baldy isn't anything like he was before, anymore. I guess Tomura really did a number on him mentally, huh? He's kinda super-pathetic now. We've already got all the access we need to his cash, and we got the Army on our side now. Why are we bothering keeping him around?"

Vukodlak knew he wasn't about to start assuming what was going through Tomura's head that convinced him to keep the mentally crippled Re-Destro alive and in their ranks, but he could at least speak from his own perspective for his young student and practically surrogate-child: "Well, speaking as someone who's always had a fascination for wolves, I can at least hazard a guess in regards to that. When a new alpha takes over a pack, he has to accept the inevitability that someone else within that pack may try to betray them and usurp their position, just like we humans do all the time.

"The only way either humans or wolves can manage to keep their position within the pack, is by keeping their enemies even closer than their friends. Then nothing they can cook up in secret can go unnoticed…and ultimately unpunished. And after suffering a defeat like he has; Re-Destro may be acting like a whipped little dog now; but if things were to start looking uncertain for us; he and his lieutenants are the perfect candidates to pull something like that when we least expect it."

"And that's exactly why…when the time comes, and we don't have need for his money or resources anymore…I want him taken care of, so we don't have to worry about him or his pals getting any clever ideas." Tomura suddenly stated with a deathly certainty; bringing an eager grin to Himiko's face, and a nod of full understanding and approval from Spinner and Vukodlak respectively.

SLAM!

But with an almost perfectly ironic timing, Tomura's once tall and steady posture fell, just as he did; falling to his knees and elbows with a pained grunt once his crutch had given out from under him. It had frankly only been a matter of time before the extent of his lingering injuries had sapped away at his façade he had put up in front of those countless other people. Sadly, with Vukodlak's Super Regeneration having been effected and slowed down as it had been by that Flesh-Eating Virus Quirk back in Deika; his role as the League's miracle healer had ultimately been sidelined until further notice; hence why Tomura had to suffer through an indignity like this.

And as he struggled to pick himself back up; he and the rest of the League soon heard their earpieces activate; the sound of Ujiko's voice speaking out from within: "'Paranormal Liberation Front!' What an overblown new name! Though it's certainly better than 'League of Villains,' which I thought always sounded so tacky, even when All For One first coined it!"

But while Himiko, Twice and Spinner all looked deeply insulted that such a now-sentimental title was being so viciously derided; Tomura was only smiling in clear anticipation. "Hey, Doctor…I finally tamed Machia. You said that's how you wanted me to prove myself, if I remember right. I think all three of us are getting equally just as sick and tired of waiting."

There was an undeniable air of resignation evident in Ujiko's voice as he answered: "Your memories returned, and you're back to your original self, Quirk included. As promised; I'll grant you power, if that's still what you truly desire. However…there's one final little task before that. You need to retrieve something for me."

To hear the Doctor suddenly having the gall to ask something further of them, after all of the insane effort they had all put in to getting Gigantomachia concede, was enough to have nearly all the League members' exclaiming out in disbelief; before Tomura's icy cold voice cut them off: "Whatever it is…consider it done. Now what is it?"

With that, the elusive Doctor proceeded to lay it all out on the table for them: "Even if you were to be granted the power to be able to wield the Quirks of both All For One and your fanciful little spirit in a needle, Shigaraki Tomura; there still remains one tremendous threat to your ascension as future ruler of the known underworld: the Quirk previously wielded by All Might, and now wielded by his chosen disciple: One For All. As long as that Quirk remains in the possession of the side of Heroes, there is no guarantee to your success.

"However, there is a means for that same Quirk to at least be snatched away, even with All For One still in confinement. You see, there's a special asset I've been cultivating for years since you were first taken in; a special…volunteer for an experiment of mine to try and replicate All For One's namesake of a Quirk, and instill it into another. The version I was able to give this volunteer doesn't hold a candle to the original, but it is still quite effective.

"Sadly, the capsule he has been kept in; while this version of All For One's Quirk ran its course to be put into him correctly; was confiscated by the authorities in the aftermath of the battle in Kamino Ward. But now that you've pushed yourself and unlocked your greatest potential yet; I feel the time has come for you and your confidantes to go and set him free to aid your cause his way.

"I've also established contact for a while with some of his closest associates. Through them, as well as through word on the police and Hero Networks, I've learned that he's going to be transported to another maximum security facility for further study and containment in just a couple days time. I can provide you the information of where he's being moved from, and the route being taken. I shall leave the rest of the planning to you and yours."

Naturally, the idea of their actually performing another convoy attack just sounded inherently exciting; especially to Himiko and Twice since they'd missed out on the last one. For Vukodlak, Compress and Spinner, there was inevitably going to be some apprehension around working to save another all-powerful Villain. No matter what the Doctor could say about how beneficial this one would be for them; the world of Villainy as a whole was just full of deception and backstabbing. That's what was to make their organization now a cut above all others.

And as for Tomura, he didn't let the frustration building in his chest discourage him. If the Doctor was truthful about this being the last step he needed to cross before finally getting the power boosts he'd been so patiently waiting for, then he would do it without hesitation. And besides, just the thought of the side of Villains taking away the Quirk of the former Symbol of Peace just sounded too irresistible to pass up.

And so, with no words of protest from anyone to be said, Dabi turned on his heels, giving a lackadaisical gesture of farewell with his hand. "Well, if there's nothing more needing to be said, I've got a special recruit of ours to meet with. You all best brace yourselves."

Considering this was essentially both their responsibility, Vukodlak likewise began to follow after Dabi, before the Doctor's voice suddenly spoke up in his specific earpiece again: "Could you stay put for a second, Vukodlak-san? There's actually something I wish to speak to you one-on-one about. Here we go now, Johnny!"

Himiko, Twice and Spinner all noticeably jumped back in surprise once that familiar black fluid started bubbling up out of the Russian Villain's mouth alone; swallowing him up and quickly warping him to the dimly lit, dark confines of Doctor Ujiko's well-hidden laboratory. Once more, the enigmatic old man was keeping himself far out of sight; his voice emanating from the speakers on the ceiling and walls instead:

"Apologies, I know it's not very common for me to actually go to this measure of speaking to any one of you that isn't Shigaraki Tomura; but there have been some…curiosities in mind that I feel even he wouldn't be able to sufficiently answer for me, that perhaps you could."

Once more carefully observing his surroundings for any sign at all of the man's physical presence, Vukodlak answered: "I don't know exactly what that would be; Shigaraki-san doesn't really confide things to me one-on-one any more than he does anyone else…but I can at least try."

As the Doctor's voice emanated again, he couldn't hide the skepticism in his aged voice: "I've been courteous in allowing him to store all of these preserved slain bodies of his enemies among the Shie Hassaikai, the Meta Liberation Army and even whichever Heroes got in his way up until now; keeping them in cold storage here. I've even held my tongue when it came to storing all of those samples of international soil he had you and Twice-san collect. But as a man always in search of answers, I can't simply be expected to sit here and not have some kind of explanation for these new nonsensical habits of his. I can only assume he's had these trains of thought put in him by the spirit residing in that sewing needle he keeps with him all the time since your Russia expedition. Since you are easily the most familiar with this character through your people's little fairy tales, perhaps you may be able to enlighten me: exactly what do it and Tomura hope to accomplish with these two things?"

There was a sigh of definite understanding emanating through Vukodlak's lips as he bowed his head. "I wish there was a concrete answer. Truth be told, a lot of the stories written about Koschei the Deathless are both very vague and inconsistent about what exactly his powers are; outside of being able to transfer his soul and power together into any number of vessels, alongside his inherent immortality. Some stories, that's as far as it goes. Others, he has the same power as one of Russia's oldest mythical…well, I guess now I could be able to say real Heroes: Ilya Muromets, in that his power in general is amplified when on the soil of his homeland, but there's a lot of potential for exploration with an ability that open-ended. I would suggest you simply ask Shigaraki-san to lend you that needle and see if the man inside would be willing to answer your questions himself…but I'm not sure Shigaraki-san would be so willing to let go of such a potentially game-changing benefactor to his dream."

For a good several seconds, there was a contemplative silence. Then, the Doctor spoke once more: "Hmm…perhaps…but the only way for scientists to truly make progress is to try and test out every possibility. The process to give Tomura the power he desires will not be short, nor easy…so that may provide me the time and opportunity I need to get the answers I seek from that little trinket. Thank you for the suggestion, Vukodlak-san."

"So is that it, then? Can you warp me back already?" Vukodlak asked, clearly bored with having been taken all this way for such a simple reason.

Then, his ears caught the sound of an automated drawer opening at the end of the lab, before the multiple glowing monitors. "Don't be in such a rush, please. There's something else of much more beneficial importance I wanted you here for…that we wanted you here for. Please, approach my desk and look inside the open drawer."

Vukodlak saw no reason not to do as asked, and when he finally approached and looked inside, he was met by the sight of an animated severed hand inside, almost as though it were patiently waiting for him. But such a sight didn't disgust or even remotely shock him, as he looked back up to the ceiling with a knowing fanged smirk. "Is that who I think it is?"

"Indeed it is. I've been keeping All For One very well informed on all the progress you've been helping Tomura to obtain, and he has been very pleased, to say the least. It took some very careful planning and timing on both our parts for him to be able to enact his Body Severance and Remote Control Quirks on his hand while I had Johnny Warp it over here, all without tripping the extensive security systems Tartarus has in place. But the important thing is that it's been done, and he wanted you here so he could give you…a reward for your thus far assistance in Tomura's growth. We both feel you'll be able to make very good use of these gifts in the future that is to come."

Looking back down, Vukodlak almost wanted to laugh when he saw that All For One's Remotely Controlled disembodied hand was actually making a handshake gesture his way, as if he could hear everything that was being said between him and the Doctor even now.

And, naturally, the sound of receiving even more Quirks from the man that had helped him to facilitate his escape and make the leaps and bounds in power and drive that he had already; was too good an offer to pass up. And so, with a smile of pure anticipation; Vukodlak proceeded to reach in and shake the waiting hand with his own. And even all the way in Tartarus, All For One could feel it, and thus acted exactly as he'd been planning to. In several ways at once, he was going to help make Vukodlak an even greater enforcer of Tomura's will than he ever could have expected before.

Among the lingering crowds of thousands that had witnessed and applauded the ascension of Tomura as the new leader of their newly branded army; Hawks had decided to linger rather than make any rush to leave. His mission couldn't allow him to bow out so; this was the opportunity it was all meant for. But he needed to hide any and all signs of apprehension or intimidation he was still feeling in the pit of his gut, before any of the League would try approaching him. Just because he'd gotten the invite, didn't mean he was in good with them by a long shot.

The best way he could think of to calm his nerves and get himself back to a state close to normal, was by engaging in idle friendly chit-chat with the other people in the crowd; all of whom immediately recognized him and were as excited to see the Number Two Hero in their ranks, as any energetic screaming fan would on a regular day.

But even a peaceful moment like this couldn't last forever, for as soon as Hawks had finished another impromptu meet-and-greet with another handful of eager fans and now fellow members; Dabi's bone-chilling voice suddenly called out from just behind his winged back: "ell, how d'you do, Mr. Number Two Hero?"

Hawks couldn't allow his grin to flinch even slightly, as his inductor into this group leaned in from over his shoulder; his icy blue eyes staring straight through him as his stitches pulled into a foreboding smirk. "You're looking pleased as punch right now. You glad you finally got invited to join the big leagues or something?"

Hawks' resilience in maintaining his casual tone was nothing short of legendary as he answered; his heart still weighing heavily as he did so. "Sure am! Now how about some intros, like promised? I held up my end of the bargain, after all."

"That you did. Vukodlak-san's a damn good lie detector if nothing else. Come on." That was all Dabi had to say before ushering with a nudge of his head for Hawks to start following him.

The Wing Hero had to continuously mentally steel himself with every step he took. This was it: the ultimate goal he'd been sent out here to achieve. But knowing now just what he and the rest of the Heroes were truly up against, made him feel anything but relieved at the thought of another job well done. 'I can't make a move just yet. There's still their backer lurking in the shadows for me to uncover! I gotta figure out the whole story here before I can call up Endeavor and the others! C'mon, Hawks! If you're not quick enough…then all of Japan is done for.'

I hope you all really enjoyed this chapter everyone. Brace yourselves, because starting next week on 05/06, we'll be starting this story's take on the second official MHA movie: Heroes: Rising! I am super excited for you all to see what all I have in store for that one!

Have a great rest of your week, and thank you once more for reading!