The first thing I became aware of was the bright light, forcing me to squint my eyes, although that did little to stop the light streaming in.
"So, how'd I do?" I muttered, knowing that the other occupant of the room would hear me regardless of my volume.
"Excellent, it was like you'd been doing it all your life. I only hope you have as much luck on your next assignment; this time's for real." The voice seemed to echo in your head.
"For real, like it wasn't last time. Or do you mean I'll actually be in some semblance of live-action this time?" I asked rhetorically, sitting up, but not bothering to straighten my clothes, it wouldn't matter in a few minutes, I'd be off to my next destination, my new skin my only possession.
"More like... a series instead of a movie. You'll be in for the long haul on this one... and maybe you can try and help a few others along the way." If it were possible, I'd've promised the voice sounded almost amused by the notion, which always promised such fun.
"Fine, when do I leave?" You asked, once again rhetorically, it was always the same.
"Right now." And with that, the floor, or whatever passed for the floor since everything was the same glowing white, fell out beneath you, gravity dragging you downwards as everything went black.
Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust, From Which the World can be Rebuilt
Darkness, the head swimming with images, memories of my new life, the former occupant no longer available, well that wasn't entirely accurate. Technically speaking, my soul, and memories, had merged with my new identity's, making a brand-new persona core, but you also took said persona with you, or at least the memories when the job was over so who was really to say in the end.
I heard the distant sounds of police, approaching quickly, my mind already leaping to the logical conclusion, they were coming for me.
My memories weren't straight yet, but I was capable of guessing the picture from the pieces I had available; the pieces weren't comforting, already my work would be cut out for me.
"'ello there, what's a little thing like you doing here in my alley, looking to steal something, maybe I's should steal somethin' of yours then." The wheezing voice found my ears from behind me, in the darkness, sending a unsettling chill down my spine.
I felt the hand land on my shoulder, the back of a hand softly nuzzles my cheek as bile rose in my throat; there were only a few things that voice had in mind regarding a 7-year-old boy in a dark back alley and I had no desire to figure out which one.
"Let me go, or lose that hand..." I left the threat hanging in the air already feeling more like the person whose life I had taken over.
The creep's only response was a guttural laugh, the hand on my shoulder drifting down my side as I took a breath, preparing myself for the experience I was about to embark on.
The soft sound of crackling seemed to echo in the empty alley, my left hand grabbing firmly just below the wrist as the man's flesh began to fall away in flecks, in dust... My right hand had just as quickly snapped up, grabbing the would-be pedophile by the throat as I pushed, trying to focus the brunt of my new powers into the man's vocal cords, cutting short any cries that followed.
I left the alley five minutes later, all traces of the molester gone save the memory burned into my mind as I pulled my coat tighter around me, making sure to keep my pinky away from it, the weight settling into my pockets as I tried to avoid any searching gazes.
Just my luck I would end up here, as him, but a job was a job, and I refused to back down... besides, it could be fun, watching the world crumble beneath my heel, my enemies lost as grains of dust on the wind... I shook my head, already the persona core was playing tricks in my mind. My hands may be soaked in blood, but I refused to drown my humanity so soon.
I passed a shop, the tinted window acting as a mirror as my eyes wandered my new form.
Light blue hair that seemed slightly stringy, the uneven chapped lips, although the glass didn't show color very well, I knew my eyes were a bloodshot red, and if I were to smile my teeth would look yellowed, my grin haunting. I reached up to scratch at my neck, only to pause, forcing myself to stop after a single scritch.
The face of a childish, but still identifiable Tenko Shimura... no Tomura Shigaraki looked back at me, his eyes roving my face.
My Hero Academia was my new home, and I was responsible for leading the charge against the burgeoning hero tide, the next Symbol of Fear. Just my luck that I was a diehard anime only fan... and that I hadn't seen the newest season yet, but that still left me with plenty of material to work with.
I could only assume Shigaraki's backstory had been established at some point past, he was Nana's grandson, since the memories in my head certainly helped paint an ugly picture. Or maybe it hadn't and somehow, I knew more than the creator of the manga, so who knew.
The numerous hands filling my pockets, certainly had a different weight now that I knew they were both my first trophy, and my secret shame, almost all of them belonging to my now deceased family.
I'd always assumed All-for-One had killed Shigaraki's family, given the hands seemed in mint condition, so unless I was about to be grabbed off the streets by the faceless wonder himself, Shigaraki had taken good care of the mementos... a sentiment I didn't share.
Looking both ways as I crossed a street, I already wanted little more than to dump the souvenirs of my first mass murder, or at least my father and grandparent's hands, my memories of them being either ambivalent (my grandparents) or rage-fueled (my father) but I felt a strange, and creepy, attachment to my mother and sister's hands, already a redesign of Shigaraki's, now my, debut costume.
I wandered the streets for several hours, all the while occasionally hearing police sirens in the distance. I equally knew where I needed to go, and yet had no clue how to get there.
It had been this half-formed thought at first, that surely there were other children, Quirks newly born, such as Shigaraki's, who needed to learn not to touch things with all their fingers, if no one else Uraraka's was similar in its activation, so doctors must have Quirk-resistant gloves to help them until they learn.
The alternative was that no one had ever considered the possibility of someone like... well like me now, whose Quirk could potentially kill his or her family when it activated, whose very touch could bring the world to ruin.
How was I expected to sleep, when my touch would destroy any bed, unless my Quirk deactivated when I was unconscious, but I had very little in the way of testing it, save that wherever I ended up sleeping would either be in a slowly growing pit, dry drowning in dust, or pressed against a stone wall.
But all of that was irrelevant if I could only find...
I turned the corner to see something close enough to my goal to give me pause, my eyes searching the washed walls in hopes of some lettering.
Dr. Yakajiki's Family Clinic
I realized for the first time that I couldn't remember the doctor who assisted All-for-One, if I'd ever known it to begin with. Was this how it happened, had Shigaraki wandered here, just as I had, in search of help, only to be grabbed, and added to the ranks of The League?
I'd have to risk it, looking around to see if I saw anyone before creeping across the empty parking lot, a flickering light nearby occasionally giving me improved vision.
Reaching the wall unaccosted, I gave a short sigh of relief before pressing my fingers against the wall, hoping that I didn't accidently cut a security line and bring the cops down on my head.
The corridors were dark, the faint glow of the outside filtering in did little to illuminate the way as I creeped inside, slowly turning the doorknob on the restroom I'd found myself in, making sure to lift my pinky so as not to leave more of a trail of decay behind me, better the police think someone simply pulled a rind of stone out of the wall.
My thoughts further drifted as I snuck through the empty halls, all the while listening for the sounds of investigating police. I needed a plan, if I'd arrived sooner, chronologically speaking, I may have been able to fix this mess, but maybe that's why I didn't... I had already witnessed my powers out of control, now I had to get my new life back on track and somehow help Shigaraki find redemption, although I had a feeling, he wouldn't wish it so.
Any further internal discussions were cut short as I opened a door, finding myself in an examination room, a nearby medicine cabinet alleviating my concerns about this plan.
A systematic check of various places, however, brought them back, my hopeful key items, nowhere to be found.
"Of course, I would fail the most important Investigation check!" I groused, only to pause at the strange metaphor.
"Figures that would be how my relative parts would overlay." I muttered, shrugging my shoulders, although no one could see me.
"Okay, when Investigation fails, what's the next step?" I asked myself, thinking as a small grin grew on my face.
"Right, just take everything you do find, and hope you can barter it back in town, well, everywhere is the town right now, but my point still stands!" I said happily as I looked around, finding a bag in a nearby bin with the symbol for biohazard on the side.
I had enough previous life experience to know they used special bags for these, to help ensure needles and broken glass didn't tear through. Commandeering the bag for myself, I walked over to the medicine cabinet, a quick slip of my fingers carving a perfect ring out of the glass as the lock fell to the ground, now useless.
It took another ten minutes for me to slowly pilfer everything, carefully placing all my ill-gotten goods in my loot bag as I headed back the way I came. Too many adventurers had met their end because they wanted more loot.
It was only my miraculous Dexterity save that stopped me and the soft tinkling of my bag from waltzing right around a corner and into the sudden high beams that covered the once empty hallway.
"Hey Jabar, I think I heard something over here." I heard a soft male voice say.
Or maybe not.
"Frick, cops or nocturnal heroes on patrol? Either way I'm screwed unless I can find a way out of here fast." I whispered as I looked around, only finding another door on the other side of the lit-up hallway. I contemplated going back, and tearing a hole out of the examination room, but that would just show them the way I escaped right, they'd be on me way too fast, especially with me hauling a bag full of drugs with me.
I realized later that I was also toting around my coat full of recently 'acquired' hands, which wouldn't definitely have gotten me an express trip to a psych ward.
I'd have to run for it, I didn't really have a choice, "Faerie Fire was a broken spell," and I didn't fancy trying to escape with that light on me. I got three steps back the way I came when the owner of that light came around the corner, the searing flames of the law washing over me as I abandoned all illusions of stealth, tearing down the halls in hopes of a miracle appearing before me.
My only saving grace was apparently Mr. Light didn't expect to see me there, so he was momentarily stunned as I fled, my bag in tow, all the while I had to hope I didn't accidently grab the bag with all my fingers, thus losing my only gains.
But it didn't matter in the end, I was a small child, and he was a grown man, there was no way I was going to outrun him in the end, head start or no.
Especially since he had a partner I'd forgotten about, who probably came around a corner from a different direction than I did. I couldn't have told you what he looked like; I only knew it was time to throw everything at the wall.
I grabbed at the man's knee, only a few seconds afforded to me as the man was caught off-guard, first by my appearance, and then by the overwhelming pain that bloomed from his leg as he stumbled backwards, holding himself up against the wall, a hideous red spot where his knee used to be as I didn't slow down, burning tears in my eyes as I tried not to think about how I most likely crippled a man, just so I could steal some drugs when that hadn't even been my intention.
Regardless, I escaped, Mr. Light choosing to aid his partner over catch small druggie kid.
A/N: Hello guys, it'sa me... back from the great beyond called life to entertain you with my rambling muses.
Okay, so first things first, my laptop is starting have a lot of glitches, and I didn't want to lose all the progress I've made, so I'm uploading some of the stories I've been playing with in my absence. After I get all caught up, I'll be going dark again as I'm taking some extra hours at work to try and either fix my laptop, or have to buy a brand new one. Thanks for your understanding.
