Prologue
1.
Giran
"A classy lady who happens to have four arms. A gentleman with a handsome coat of fur. A squishy boy with skin like gelatin. Individuals like these fine people used to belong to the minority."
Thus began the Detnerat Company's ad for hero gear. Striding down the street past the three individuals so named was the Company CEO, long, lean and birdlike.
"But the appearance of the extraordinary continued to accelerate, bringing us into their era. While mass production and consumer culture has been expanding ever since the industrial revolution, this phenomenon suddenly pumped the brakes. By the time everyone realized, it was too late! Those with newer types of bodies spent their days just trying to find products to fit their daily needs." He threw his hands up in the air, his arms crossed over his head, and cried out,
"Many found themselves struggling in this new era for that reason alone. We've made a point of never forgetting that history, while creating products to suit each and every valued customer. WE offer customized designs, guaranteed on your doorstep in three days or less! It's the technology and the proprietary system behind this personal touch that have made us number one in the industry! And now the world of heroes too can expect big things from Detnerat!"
Thus ended the commercial. Aired on all major channels, coming soon to a store near you.
Quirks, sometimes known as Meta Abilities, entered the world many years ago. After the chaos brought about by the advent of the extraordinary, people wanted peace. They started planning ways to co-exist with metas. But among metas themselves, there was a pervasive desire. Liberation over suppression. Wielding one's abilities freely seemed like it should be a basic human right. Chikara Yotsubashi, the man who unified the liberationists to form the Meta Liberation Army. He called himself Destro - the one who would destroy the status quo. While the government trudged ahead with legislation, Yotsubashi opposed the powers that be and vied for supremacy, prompting a struggle that ended several years later with his defeat. Yotsubashi's army dissolved, and many of his followers were caught. While in prison, the man himself did some writing before taking his own life. Unbeknownst even to Yotsubashi, he had a child out in the world…
Koku Hanabata, the leader of the Hearts and Mind Party, placed his thumb to his forehead with his forefinger stuck in the air on the entrance of the CEO of Detnerat, the ancestral child of the great Yotsubashi. It was a private board meeting of the head officers of the Meta Liberation Army's secret headquarters; his fellow chiefs of staff, Geten, Skeptic, and Curious, were gathered about the table as well, and gave the same salute as their chief joined them.
"Any progress?" He asked Trumpet.
"We found someone with a potential connection to the League. If we're gonna make contact, it needs to be sooner rather than later."
"Move on that."
"Right."
"They are enemies to the Liberation army, and if the state is struggling to handle them then it's up to us. I swear on Destro's good name we will end the League of Villains!"
"On that note," asked Curious, "What's all this about you expanding into the hero industry?"
ReDestro took his seat at the head of the table. Staff entered with the full service dinner, wine and cup service provided for the excellent work of the chiefs, and they all ate as they spoke.
"Right. If it's a track record you're worried about, we have it. The country is full of those who lie in wait, hoping for liberation…The products I'm leaking into the black market are constantly monitored. If things are looking risky, I make them self-destruct, leaving no trace. All the while we're gathering a ton of valuable battle data."
"A businessman to the end."
"All to further the liberation agenda."
"Hm?" Said Skeptic. "Your guest has arrived," he said, checking a cell phone monitor.
"So soon?" Asked ReDestro, taking another bite.
"You told us to move on that immediately, and your word is a s good as Destro's. They're saying he's not in a talkative mood. The search for his client list apparently turned up nothing. He claims he destroyed any such lists."
"What a scrupulous fellow."
The door had opened, and two guards in suits appeared, escorting a man in a white suit, much ruffled, a long pink scarf hanging off his shoulders, heavily disheveled hair and broken, crooked glasses. Blood, dried, trickled from his forehead and lips. The guards walked him to a chair by the table and shoved him down. His hands were tied behind his back.
"He helps the League of Villains recruit and provides them with support items. Yes, there's no doubt that Giran the Broker has plenty of info on the League."
Giran spoke at last, giving a small chuckle. "Of all the…never thought anyone'd trace it back to me. It would have to be someone with plenty of time on their hands. And look what we have here. If it ain't President Forehead of Detnerat himself. I gotta say I resent all this. I've been making bank off this stuff since I got started. But now it's looking like your big legit company is entering my racket?"
ReDestro had stood and approached him. HIs smile had not dropped the entire time. He raised a finger. "Name your price."
Giran leaned his head back and banged it against the chair.
"Business dealings are something y'do face-to-face. And I only make deals with people I respect. Not guys who decide to kick the crap outta me first. Sure, I might know about the League. Might not. Either way, you ain't getting a thing outta me. Cuz what kinda merchant sells out his customers? Thanks, but come again when you got the guts to do this right!" He looked up and met ReDestro's eyes with a wide smile, missing a tooth.
The two black spots on the CEO's forehead had expanded in size and a dead look had come into his eyes. His smile looked much less agreeable now.
"You and I are going to be spending plenty of time together it seems."
2
Spinner
Let's take a look at our current living situation.
Some people hate chocolate. Others love cockroaches. The point is, there are all types of people in this world, with all kinds of views.
We'd found a remote house, a three story mansion in the middle of the woods just ripe for a robbery. Turned out the place wasn't deserted as we'd hoped, but occupied by a bunch of CRC members holding a secret meeting. Hard to tell their expressions beneath those skull-face half masks and cloaks, but safe bet they'd made us.
"How did you all get in here?"
"Wait - that's the League of Villains!"
Yeah. These charmers happen to be members of the Creature Rejection Clan. Basically they're modern-day fossils. AS you might've guessed from the name, they love committing hate crimes against people with heteromorphic quirks. A real bunch of scum, if I do say so myself.
Me? For starters, I'm not so. Fond of the word 'Heteromorph.' Sure, everyone tosses it around casually, but it's nicer to avoid it when you're being polite.
Guess it's better than…
"They have a Lizard with them. How disgusting."
I felt my eyes narrow. Meanwhile, Mr. Compress had taken to rifling through the drawers.
"We seek things of value. Are any of these worth anything? We're running low on funding, you see - and yes, yes, I know, common burglary is hardly in vogue. I don't relish it either."
The CRC raised up their candelabras and pitchforks. "Get out of here, you sins against nature!"
Their leader had run straight at Shigaraki, giving him ample time to reach out his hand and seize his face, beginning the activation of his decay quirk.
Morons ran right at Tomura and got his hand on their faces to decay em to nothing with a touch. What did they expect?
"We'll leave when we're done. If you don't want us overstaying our welcome, DON'T MESS WITH US."
We all moved. Twice decapitated one, Toga cut them up, Compress turned them to pieces, and my sword was more than sufficient for the job.
My name's Spinner. I'm a member of the League. And today's just another day in my life of crime.
"There's not much money in religion nowadays, huh?" Said Twice as he searched.
"In this economy?" Said Compress, taking a stroll along the balcony. "Everyone is just scraping by."
"Ah!" Cried Toga, looking at her needle.. "It broke!"
"And my prosthetic is in dire need of repair as well," added Compress. "I shall have to request a new one from Giran."
"And where're we getting the cash for that?" I demanded. No one had an answer.
We had no choice but to head back to our current hideout after a while. No sense in waiting around at that awful place. Still, it was at least a little nicer than our current hideout, a tiny shack in the middle of a desert mountain pile under construction.
"How long are we gonna keep living like this?" I demanded.
"Until we finish," Shigaraki replied, his feet up on a table.
"Had we agreed to cooperate with the Hassai group, we might be dining on fine sushi now," said Compress quietly from his corner.
"Is that a joke? Not funny," snapped Shigaraki.
"Ha ha ha. Come now. . We're the Mighty League of villains that terrorized the nation, and we live in squalor? We do a disservice to all those who idolize us and what we stand for."
In the corner, Twice and Toga were rooting through the refuse from the heist. "It's just junk."
"Ooh, this is pretty though!" Cried Toga.
"Ooh, real cute!" Said Twice, then as usual contradicting himself corrected, "For a spinster, maybe! Toss it!"
The door opened and Dabi joined us.
"You're all just kicking back?" He growled out. "I guess I'm the only one pounding the pavement looking for recruits."
"Yeah?" Said Twice. "Too bad you roast everyone you bump into. And you haven't brought in any fresh blood!"
"They were all worthless. Just trash, living day to day without any real ambitions."
Toga smiled at him. "Maybe you're just bad at judging others!"
"You, of all people, don't get to say that."
Shigaraki, currently eating a biscuit, added, "It has been about a month since they caught Kurogiri, right? He said he was getting us some new power…Oh well. He failed, so that's that. No luck finding the Doctor either."
"Kurogiri was your babysitter," Toga noted as Twice helped her fasten the necklace, "so you must miss him a lot, Tomura. What's so important about that Doctor anyway?"
"He was master's personal doctor. A real cautious guy. The only way to get in touch with him was through the computer at the hideout. Since he's the one who developed and managed the Nomu."
Compress nodded. "No matter how cautious the doctor is, you'd think he could drop us a line, and maybe give us a hand. Especially when you consider that his former employer's golden boy is reduced to squatting."
"He didn't deny missing Kurogiri," piped up Toga. "Aw, Tomura really does miss him!"
I could feel frustration boiling up in me. That was enough. I just couldn't take it anymore.
"Hey," I asked Shigaraki. "Where're we going with all this? I'm only here cuz Stain inspired me to take action! I was born in a real backwater place, stuck in the last century. Around there I was known as the Lizard freak. And I just accepted it! That whole time my heart was totally empty. That is, until I learned about Stain's final stand on the evening news! He was trying to change the world on his own! That day was the day I realized how suffocating society really is. I just couldn't take it anymore! This is the reason I joined up with you people!"
Dabi sneered as I headed over to Shigaraki, "So what you're saying is basically you're just an empty cosplayer.
"That's right! Totally hollow!" I reached down, seized Shigaraki's coat, and pulled him off his rear to look me in the eye. "Which's why I don't get why we're sitting around doing nothing! I was ready to have some new life breathed into me! To be inspired! So answer me, Shigaraki! Where're we going?"
There was silence.
"Like I said, he -" Shigaraki began - but he was interrupted by a terrible rumbling sound.
Something was approaching.
I hurried towards the door, following the others as they grabbed their equipment and headed out to face down this new threat.
"I WAS WAITING FOR THE SIGNAL," came a booming, terrible voice from far, far above us. We all looked up to see a man the size of a gigantic mountain towering over us, a muscular and powerful being that seemed to dwarf us all in size by a mile.
"ARE YOU THE ONE WHO SUCCEEDED ALL FOR ONE?"
Shigaraki tipped up the severed hand that covered his face and smiled. "Is this the power you alluded to, Kurogiri?"
Dabi tilted his head to one side. "Soooo, who's this?"
"You mean to say Kurogiri set out in search of this fellow?" Asked Compress.
"He must be the secret weapon Master left behind for me," hissed Shigaraki.
As he spoke, the giant discarded the radio which had hung from his neck. "I…DEVOTE MYSELF TO ALL FOR ONE. NOW, SUCCESSOR. PROVE THAT YOU ARE WORTHY."
The other members exchanged glances of some surprise.