Trigger warnings this chapter for depictions of torture, murder, and emotional abuse. Enjoy the story!

I also have an author's note at the end of the chapter for those who are so inclined :)


As Shigaraki began his story, images flashed across his mind, as clear as though they only happened yesterday.

"My quirk...it's always given me a sort of edge. Makes people afraid of me. My...Sensei...he likes that. So he uses it."

Izuku's eyes widened slightly when he heard Shigaraki tell him he was being used for his quirk. Izuku wanted to ask who his Sensei was, but he had the sense that if he did he would end up in a lot of trouble, so instead he asked,

"What's your quirk?"

Shigaraki stared deadpan at Izuku before sighing. "Right, I haven't told you yet, have I?" As Izuku shook his head, Shigaraki stood up and walked over to a nearby tree. "It's easier if I show you. But...save any stress-induced screams for after the story, will you?"

A chill went down Izuku's spine as he watched a grin light up Shigaraki's face as he placed one, then two, then three, then four, then five fingers onto the tree's surface. As soon as placed all five onto the tree, the bark, branches, roots, qnd leaves procured a cracked, grey color, before withering away into dust, leaving nothing but ash where the tree once stood. Izuku's eyes widened further, and he took a sharp intake of breath as he watched the tree disintegrate.

Well. It looked like he had been right about the five-point-touch quirk. That must have been why Shigaraki had been so careful about touching him the other day, but it also made sense for why a villain would want to take advantage of that. A quirk that destructive would be a very powerful weapon if used effectively-

A finger flicked against Izuku's forehead.

"Ow! Shigaraki!" Izuku winced as his hand flew up to the place where Shigaraki had flicked him.

Shigaraki snickered as he backed away from Izuku and placed his hands in his pockets. "You back with me now?"

Izuku's face burned as he realized he must have been muttering without knowing it - again. "Sorry...I just...when I learn new things my brain just sort of goes without thinking."

"It's fine," Shigaraki waved him off as he sat down again, "I've had worse reactions."

"So...the thing from five years ago...your quirk was a part of it?"

"Yeah, a little bit. Well...more than a little bit. Sensei had me training my quirk a lot, and he would use me to "punish" his enemies. Some of these people were absolute scumbags, but others...I regret having to use my quirk then."

A grim silence settled over them as Izuku took in what Shigaraki said. He was almost afraid to hear the rest, but, well, you know what they say about curiosity and the cat.

"And...then what?" Izuku prompted Shigaraki to continue.

"Well. I guess on some level my body must have been trying to listen to me, because my quirk started to grow weaker. What used to take me a mere moment to decay someone's arm started to take me over a minute, sometimes only decaying small patches of skin. Sensei was...not happy."

‐ FIVE YEARS AGO -

Sensei had brought Shigaraki to that one windowless room he'd always brought him to when he wanted someone taken care of. Shigaraki had to admit, most of the people he was faced with were absolute lowlifes, so he had no problems with it - he enjoyed it, even. Of course, there were occasions that turned out less than savory for Shigaraki, such as today.

A young girl sat in a chair, tied up, tears streaming down her face. She couldn't have been more than five, something that disturbed even Shigaraki. Surely a five-year-old couldn't have been such a menace to society that she deserved this fate, right?

"What...? Sensei, why is there...this kid?" Shigaraki turned a questioning glance up to Sensei, to be met with a smile that made him feel sick. Normally, he would have been smiling alongside him, but his Sensei's answer didn't relieve his conscience exactly.

"This here is the daughter of a client of mine. This client has been in business with me for a good ten years or so. For the past three years however, I've noticed a failure to follow through on our arrangements to the specified degree. When I looked into the matter, I found evidence of financial fraudulence, as well as money laundering from my own resources, identity fraud, and using both for his own selfish means - using my name to get him what he wants. Such actions lead to a loss of value, as well as a lack of respect from my subordinates. So I aim to pay him back in kind.

"He often mentions his daughter as being an irreplaceable 'treasure', and as he has lost me important assets of value, I only see it fit to remove something of value from his life. Don't you agree, Tomura?"

Shigaraki didn't agree, not when it came to someone innocent like this. But he didn't dare say that - he just stared at Sensei, aghast.

"Please! Don't hurt her! She's innocent!" A man yelled from the side of the room, also tied to a chair. Shigaraki assumed this was the girl's father. "I'll get you everything back, I promise!"

But the man's words landed on deaf ears.

Sensei placed his hand on Shigaraki's shoulder, smiling that chilling smile that was unfortunately all too familiar to Shigaraki.

"You know what to do, Tomura."

Shigaraki nodded reluctantly, heading towards the girl with a pit in his stomach.

'I'll do this for Sensei.' He reasoned with himself. 'I'll do it quickly, and I won't have to think about it anymore.'

But it didn't end quickly.

Shigaraki placed his hand to the girl's shoulder, expecting her body to disintegrate quickly, but instead the decay was slow, blossoming on her shoulder and the base of her neck. The smell of rotting flesh filled the air, and the girl shrieked with pain, calling out for her father.

"Please! Aki!" Her father cried.

"Shut up...please, shut up..." Shigaraki muttered, digging his hand into the girl's skin further, but the speed of the decay did not go any faster. Shigaraki could feel the aura from Sensei growing cold with impatience.

"Tomura. You're stalling." Sensei said with a stony emphasis, rage boiling beneath the surface.

"I'm not! My quirk won't-" Shigaraki was cut off by a knife that shot past Shigaraki's shoulder and right into the girl's skull. Shigaraki didn't have to turn around to know that Sensei had been the one to throw that knife, and a sinking feeling grew in his stomach. He had let Sensei down...he had made Sensei angry. The air suddenly felt too difficult for Shigaraki to breathe as the girl's screaming halted to a stop, her body growing limp. Off to the side, Tomura vaguely heard the girl's father vomiting and sobbing uncontrollably, but he could hardly focus on that as his bloodied hands began to shake.

"Kurogiri!" Sensei shouted in a snapping tone, causing Shigaraki to flinch. Kurogiri appeared in a mist of purple smoke, turning to Sensei.

"Yes, Sensei?" Kurogiri inquired.

"Take Tomura to the breaking room. I will deal with my client's impudence myself."

Shigaraki's eyes widened, and he finally found the will to speak, driven by panic. "No, Sensei! Don't-!"

"As you wish." Kurogiri bowed to Sensei, Shigaraki's words going unheard.

A purple mist surrounded Shigaraki, and he found himself alone in a gray room. The walls and floor there made of materials that Shigaraki had previously decayed, so he couldn't decay them to get out. The breaking room. Sensei left him in here when he had done something to disappoint or anger him. There were no windows, and the door was soundproof, so Shigaraki could never tell how much time had passed or even listen to anything outside the room while he was in here.

Shigaraki hated it in here - everytime he was in here he felt two steps closer to the edge of insanity, and he couldn't help but feel like that was intentional on Sensei's part. And on days like today, when the panic and anxiety was slowly climbing its way up his spine, Shigaraki couldn't take it. He began to hyperventilate as hot tears burned the side of his face, and he began to sob.

He had failed Sensei. He had failed him, and now he was back in this room, the same place Sensei started putting him when he turned ten. But that was two years ago. He should be used to it by now, but he never was. He just felt...hurt, and that he would never be good enough. And now Shigaraki had angered Sensei again, and he wanted nothing more than to run. But he was stuck here with nowhere to go, so all he could do was wait.

"I hate this!" Shigaraki screamed between sobs. "Please, please...why...why do you...why am I not good enough?"

Shigaraki sank you the floor, emotion wracking his nerves as he sobbed quietly.

"Sensei, please..." his hoarse voice whispered as he cried himself to sleep.

Shigaraki was woken some time later by a sharp pulsation running through his brain, making his head throb. He groaned, but was met with a sharp, "GET. UP."

Realizing who it was, his eyes snapped open and he quickly sat up. Sensei looked down upon him with displeasure, and Shigaraki knew that Sensei had used his "Wake" quirk on Shigaraki to get him up. As clear as the displeasure was painted on Sensei's face, however, it was quickly replaced by a look of compassion, and Shigaraki couldn't help but feel backhanded.

"Tomura, I've noticed you've been having some trouble using your quirk. What has happened that would cause this to happen, do you think?"

"I don't know." Shigaraki frowned. "I tried to use it, but it's like it didn't want to work."

"Hmm." Sensei sniffed, watching Tomura for a moment before continuing. "I noticed that when you came into the room, you seemed to have some...reservations regarding the girl. Now, normally I would put it aside as something minor, but the truth is that this has happened for quite some time now, hasn't it, Tomura?"

Shigaraki nodded, unable to meet Sensei's eyes. He couldn't deny what Sensei was saying - it was true, after all.

Sensei continued, "The truth about quirks is as much as they are a physical manifestation, they are just as well liked to our mental state, if not more. I'm a firm believer in that. And I believe that the reason your quirk was stalling was because you wanted it to stall."

"What? No, I-" Shigaraki started, but was swiftly interrupted.

"Tomura, let me make on thing clear. If you become more of a liability than an asset, I will not hesitate to remove you."

Shigaraki's face paled momentarily, then he saw red. Sensei was threatening him?

"Sensei, I've only wanted to help you. You trained me for this! I'm your masterpiece, aren't I?"

"And do you think you are not just as easily replaced?"

Shigaraki's eyes widened. "What?"

"You have a month to improve. Make the best of it, and don't disappont me."

Shigaraki watched, speechless, as Sensei walked over to the doorway, gesturing for Shigaraki to walk through it. "You may go, Tomura."

Shigaraki left the room in a sort of shocked daze, walking out of the building and onto the streets soon after.

"What the hell do I do now?" Said Shigaraki, his mind spinning at a thousand miles a minute.


END OF CHAPTER NOTES:

Hey guys! I wanted to get the five year flashback done in one chapter, but I was losing spoons and it was getting quite long, so I guess it will be in parts.

Thanks for reading and leaving the wonderful reviews! I read them all, and I appreciate them so much. Writing has been a giant struggle for me for about a decade now, and to be honest I have a lot of anxiety even putting pen to paper while writing this, but I really want to try to write this and not give up on it. So for those of you who are joining me on this journey, I really appreciate you.

See you next time,

Lumin.