Angel: Thank fucking god, I'm finally done with this arc, it was a slog that I never wanna relive. Now we have the third movie to look forward to next week, thank you Jesus for blessing me. Speaking of that movie, I hope you guys are excited because there's gonna be more Bakuza content~!
Once again with the insistence on more romance and more OCs…you know what, it is both astounding and infuriating to me that I still get these reviews sometimes. I've talked about this like what, six times? Seriously, I can't stress enough that I stopped caring at this point about this topic. And even if the reason given is that 'the readers wanna see it'...which is not the case? I would've gotten a mass amount of people a long time ago telling me to do this if that was something that needed to happen in the story. So, don't cite the readers as a reason for anything if I even at one point asked if they wanted to see all those changes, and the answer I got was no. Once again, write the damn story yourself, you'll have much better luck there than annoying me about it when I have the final say here about what I'm writing. I will keep saying this until the story is over if I have to just to get it into this person's thick skull.
I don't need the reason why I keep getting this brought up, I just don't wanna HEAR about it is my thing.
A rainbow was over the sky the next day after the Shimura family home was destroyed. Any semblance of a family in that home was long gone. And their bodies were buried underneath all the rubble and dirt.
I killed my family...afterward, I ran away from my house.
Tenko was clutching his bloody hands close to him in the streets. There was nowhere he could wash them off...probably to continue traumatizing him for what he did.
I didn't know what was going to happen next. What was I supposed to do? Someone, I thought. Anyone...
Despite his state, no one bothered to walk up or check on him. And he continued to be alone, feeling empty.
Please tell me.
A man saw him and flinched, looking terrified at Tenko and quickly walking off.
Save me.
The man then sped walked away from him, as the boy's aura was turning many people off.
Guilt kept my voice locked away. I couldn't say anything.
He continued to walk barefoot, people staring at him. "Hi there," A woman spoke up, causing him to stop in place. "Are you okay? What's the matter, honey?" She flinched upon seeing his creepy expression and dead-shot eyes. Already, it screamed that she should not be talking to him. "I'm sure a hero or a police officer will be here soon," The woman walked past him and he stared from her response. "You'll see. I-I have to go or else I'll be late to work. Bye now!" She then ran off as fast as the man from earlier, wanting to forget the encounter.
The denser a population is...the more crime and emergencies there are.
Tenko stared after the woman with a dead-eyed stare, as he couldn't say anything, nor did he have the will to do anything about it. Because his thoughts were still fixated over last night, and the fact that he was by himself now. He didn't know where he would go from killing his entire family...no one ever would, honestly. Should he go to the police? Should he seek out a hero himself? He didn't know, and given his father's stance on heroes...he was still a bit terrified to even think about one. Despite his father being dead now...the memories of the abuse overtook the urge of seeking help from a hero.
Stuff that takes priority over a lost kid wandering the streets.
Tenko reached out his bloody hand to his neck, scratching at it.
Still. This society is overflowing with heroes.
He stared at every single person who were either too afraid to approach him, or believed that a hero would stop and help him. Even though not a single hero was in sight currently to even notice the lost little boy with blood on his hands. No one was even reporting it...
One should have helped me. I figured I was being punished for killing my family.
He couldn't stop scratching either as he waited for someone to help him. He watched all of them walking away.
But you know, if anyone had reached out...anyone at all...
He started to scratch so hard that the skin was peeling off as his allergies were acting up again. Either that, or he was just really anxious to take out his inner emotions of last night on something.
And someone did reach out his hand to Tenko...All for One.
Then maybe the itching would have stopped...
Tenko sat in his new bedroom, holding the hands of his dead loved ones...his vomit was still nearby. The trauma of killing his family was still over him, and seeing their hands...it was putting him over the edge. Because all of the emotions he felt living back at home were coming out of him in waves now that he was reminded of them. All of the abuse, mental turmoil, the passiveness of his family not helping him—or even blaming him...sometimes it was just too much to bear. So much that it physically made him sick or made him want to keep up the scratching.
"Child," All for One spoke as he and Dr. Ujiko watched him. "You've such an urge to destroy that it's impossible for you to control it or keep it below the surface. Hate is spilling out of you, overflowing from every pore, manifesting as an itch. You don't have to endure that. It's not necessarily a bad thing."
The little boy was then getting beaten while he was out one day by two men.
"This is our street, brat!" One of them growled out, as his friend was drinking some beer. "What the hell do you think you're doin' out here, huh?!"
"Think we're gonna let you off easy 'cause you're a little baby?" His drunk friend mocked Tenko. He looked up furiously at them. "Not a chance."
His hand twitched as he got the urge to get rid of them. But he closed his eyes and lowered his shaking hand. After what happened to his family...he wasn't so willing to do that all over again. Not even the strong urge of when he killed his father was back, because he knew his father. Whereas these men didn't know him, and he didn't want to feel that sickness again regardless. It was like his past was holding him back, because some part of him...still regretted what he did. And that the mistreatment only further added to the punishment of the murders.
"Ah, poor thing. What is it you fear?" All for One wondered gently as Tenko was scratching at himself, laying on the ground. He also had tears in his eyes as he felt like he was losing control again. He had informed All for One of what happened, and how it reminded him of what he went through at home. "Act as your heart desires. If you don't, then you'll suffer an agonizing life alone. Conscience, morals, ethics, these are concepts created by humanity. People who wanted the world to run smoothly." Tenko was still whimpering and crying on the ground. "Don't be held back by them. Do not be afraid. What's inside of you is more important than anything else." Tenko looked up towards the dismembered hands, unable to stop moving. "Now, tell me. What do you want to do?"
Tenko slowly got onto his knees. "Those guys who hit me..." He shuddered out to his master. "I wanna kill them. I don't know why...but there are so many bad feelings inside of me," He reached out to the hands, thinking about his father. The same urge of lashing out was coming back tenfold, because he wanted to no longer suffer any physical pain. That anyone who kept beating down on him and underestimated him should suffer just like Kotaro that fateful night. "No matter what I try, they won't go away." He touched a hand and it crumbled away instantly from his Decay. "And I can't hold back much longer...!"
All for One gave him a pleased smile after hearing his answer. "Then go and do your best."
That night, it was raining, and no one else was out. "Jeez, how many more frickin' hero agencies are gonna pop up in this neighborhood?" One of the men asked in annoyance.
"I know, it's such a pain," His friend muttered, because with the increase of hero agencies, they had to sneak around a lot. And their movement on the neighborhood was getting more limited by the day, because they just looked suspicious.
They both flinched as they saw something...Tenko was coming into view, now wearing all of the hands around his body. This included his face and neck.
"You will carry your family close to your flesh...to ensure that those feelings never fade," All for One had instructed him. He slowly came to a stop, turning to the men silently.
"What the hell do you want?" One of them demanded the little boy.
"Yeah, talk about creepy," The other one retorted as Tenko approached. "You're asking to get beat."
Tenko slowly reached out his hand...
All for One was out on the balcony, holding an umbrella. Dr. Ujiko was right next to him as they looked out to the city view. "What an odd turn of events," The doctor commented as they had witnessed what just happened. "I thought he lost his memories."
"They are merely buried deep down inside of him," All for One explained to him. "Tucked away." The rain droplets continued to hit the puddled grounds. "The hands of his family restrain him. They rebuke him. Now that his memories are buried, he's become unstable..." Blood then covered the ground, mixing in with the rain water... "Led only by his emotions. He feels uneasy. Observe. He's subconsciously keeping his Quirk in check," He then gave a small smile. "I will personally cultivate his new identity. He will be the Symbol of Fear that craves destruction!" The men's shoes and clothing and blood were scattered everywhere around Tenko... "Already he has taken the first grand step toward greatness!"
And after killing once again, he thought of his entire family... "I feel sick. I think I might throw up..." Tenko confessed as some nausea was building in his throat; he still wasn't used to the amount of blood for when he used his Quirk on a person. He then looked up to the sky. "But at the same time...I feel so calm. Like I'm allowed to do whatever I want." The boy didn't have to worry about getting beaten up, or about who would reach out to him, or why people didn't help him...even the scratching was slowly disappearing.
"Congratulations," All for One spoke up once Tenko returned, clapping for him. "You held back your tears and did what had to be done. You've been reborn. Here's a present," He then revealed that he and Dr. Ujiko had also taken the hands of the men who were beating Tenko. "Celebrate your new life with the hands of those gutter punks. "
"I'm confused," Tenko stated, as there were only 2 men, yet five hands. "Why are there five?"
"A bonus. Because you destroyed one. And to ensure you never forget this momentous day. You are like a newborn being introduced to the world. We'll leave the shell of your old life behind. Now. Stand tall. Show me who you are," All for One gestured to the boy. Tenko then had his villain attire finalized... "Tomura Shigaraki."
"Tomura...Shigaraki?" Tenko was confused by the new name, wondering where it came from.
"From tomurau. A verb that means to mourn. Tenko Shimura is no more. You are the one who will cause this world to grieve!"
"What about Shigaraki?" Shigaraki wondered curiously to him.
"My last name, of course," All for One smiled while gesturing to himself.
I remember everything now.
Shigaraki looked up at his opponent, his left arm having some blood on it. His cape was also practically destroyed.
When I was a child, I killed Father because I wanted to.
He reached out and touched her, but...just like with Mon, Hana's body turned grey...
Watching Mother and the others crumble away...made my heart lighter.
As Mrs. Shimura's body continued to crack, she ran forward with her arms open.
It wasn't a tragedy. There was beauty in their destruction.
It was because of everything they allowed Kotaro to put him through. Because of Hana blaming him for finding the photo. Because of his mother not doing enough. Because of his grandparents just watching and letting him take it. Even though that was not what he needed...he didn't regret it, either. Because to him, their death was deserved because of their actions against him.
"I don't need a future..." He took off the hand over his face, staring at the object. It then started to crack. "I just want the League to live however we want to." He grinned widely while crushing the hand to pieces. "These are no longer necessary."
Stress 100 percent! Re-Destro lunged forward, ready to attack. Shigaraki looked up and swung his hand to deflect the attack. Re-Destro flinched at his opponent's fast reaction time. How is he doing this?
A crash occurred and Gigantomachia was still tearing his way through Deika City. He wasn't affected at all by Liberation Army members attacking him.
Geten stared at the site of the crash, recognizing the area. "Re-Destro!" He created an ice platform to send himself up into the sky, and then it flung him towards where the tower collapsed.
"Tch," Dabi looked up in annoyance, ice falling in front of him.
"If I destroy your power before you finish the punch, it's harmless," Shigaraki spoke up from the smoke, Re-Destro staring at him in disbelief. He watched as Shigaraki staggered over, his left foot almost unusable. "In the end, you're just big, that's all. I understand how fun it is to destroy something you hate. But that's not happening here."
Re-Destro let out a low growl, narrowing his eyes. "My power is a means to an end," He then touched a lock that was attached to his belt. Several objects burst out of the ground around him. "I was called to liberate people! To carry out Destro's righteous will at all costs!" Shigaraki didn't say a word as he just stared. And then Re-Destro felt that something was...off. What's this? A pulse washing over me in waves. Fear? He looked down at the missiles that had been launched towards Shigaraki. No, it can't be. Some objects then clamped over his arms and legs. Fear is an emotion I can turn into power. More clamps went around his shoulders.
"Seems like something is holding you back, Re-Destro," Shigaraki smiled up at him knowingly.
Re-Destro's eyes widened as he felt like he was losing power. Why are my stress and power receding?
"Rikiya," An army member spoke up. "For many generations, we have lived in hiding. But you will carry our your ancestor's will. Bring Destro's dream to fruition." A young Rikiya adjusted his tie, determined to carry out this goal laid in front of him.
This is Detnerat's patented...Burden-Amplifying Steel Pressure Mechanism: Claustro! Re-Destro was now wearing a huge piece of armor around his body. The pieces started to press into his body. Stress...150 percent! His mask manifested around his face.
"Oh, yeah?" Shigaraki just continued to smile. "Bet that feels nice."
A bunch of thuds were felt as Gigantomachia was now running through buildings without stopping.
An army of Twice clones were carrying Jin and Himiko, watching the giant run from a safe distance. "Don't get too close! He hasn't noticed us yet!" Jin warned his clones, his wrist patched up. "It's nice that he's been drawing 'em over there, but he's still our enemy. He's way too powerful. I think it's probably time we regroup and re-plan."
Mr. Compress had gotten out, and could see the amount of damage occurring from where he was. "Great. He woke up early for once. If we try for a fight with him now, the League will be annihilated." The giant was already difficult enough for them to stop when he wasn't in his rampage mode. Trying to defeat him when he was going through buildings and plowing through the Liberation was a death sentence.
"Crappy timing," Dabi remarked, having been the one to free Mr. Compress. "I was just about to melt that ice bastard."
"Doctor," Mr. Compress pressed his hand to his ear to use the earpiece. "You're listening, yes? Get us out of here! Machia's too much. We're gonna die!"
"Are you trying to kill Johnny?" Dr. Ujiko retorted back from his lab like a protective parent. Mr. Compress flinched from the question and tone. "My poor baby gets tonsilitis every time he warps people!"
"I don't care about that!" Mr. Compress argued back to him, since he used Johnny to get them to his lab in the first place. "And you're a liar. You warped people freely before."
"It's not wise to get involved with people who've given away their location and could be tracked by an enemy," Dr. Ujiko then told him, since he already knew that the Liberation was watching them. He didn't want them to track his lab if he warped them now. "Get rid of the Liberation Army on your tail and try asking me again."
"Are you okay with Shigaraki dying, then?" Mr. Compress pointed out, as All for One would definitely not be pleased about that. "I thought he was All for One's successor!"
That's why he must be driven into a corner...
Geten had caught sight of Gigantomachia, and was right behind the giant.
"Now we must be careful of Dabi in a meta ability fight with the League," Re-Destro informed the ice villain gently, hands on his shoulders. "His flame attacks have an impressive reach. Geten...you are the cornerstone of our army."
He then bowed his head, knowing that he was failing Re-Destro for not anticipating the League's secret weapon. "I'm so sorry, Re-Destro...I can't believe I made you worry," He created an ice pillar for himself, and then sent a wave of ice towards Gigantomachia. He turned around and threw big rocks at the ice, Geten groaning and bracing himself as the ice fell apart instantly.
Hanabata looked up from the van to see the giant for himself. "We must protect our leader!"
"Giran! Pick up the pace," One of the Twice doubles was still escorting him away from the fight, looking behind him. Smoke was starting to cover the area.
"Quick!" Skeptic yelled while heading towards where the tower was. "Get to Re-Destro!"
Re-Destro pressed his foot into the ground, staring at his opponent. Shigaraki looked up as the Liberation leader hit his knuckles together and then attacked. He gasped as he saw that Shigaraki caught the fist before it could hit him. And he used his Decay to destroy it, causing Re-Destro to lose his balance. He then flew away from Shigaraki as an attempt to keep his distance.
"So, 150 percent you said?" Shigaraki remarked as he wasn't expecting this. "You going all Plus Ultra on me or what?" A crash occurred behind him, revealed to be Gigantomachia on his way.
Master's successor.
Re-Destro then floated down safely to the ground using his hover boots. "We seek freedom from suppression. We believe that using meta abilities at will is a natural human right!" He growled out to Shigaraki, glaring. "After suffering and awakening, it's as though this man has changed..." Shigaraki touched the ground with his hand, the ground crumbling in front of him. He then looked up with a smirk. "He's been liberated from everything! I see...that's what this throbbing in my chest is..." He let out a ground as Decay from the ground started to affect his armor. "Have to get outside his range!" He flew up to the sky as parts of his armor fell.
Shigaraki wasn't fazed, looking at the ground with joy at what his power was doing.
"Do not be afraid. Try thinking of it this way...people's livelihoods," All for One explained to Shigaraki. "Their dreams. Their breath. All of it rests in your powerful hands. You can crush them, or make them your playthings. Whatever you wish. If you can meld both hate and joy in your heart..." He gave an evil smile towards his student. "Then you will be free."
Rocks sprouted out of the ground, Shigaraki laughing while blood spurted from his nose. The entire city started to be affected by Decay as he continued laughing. Gigantomachia stopped and stared from the amount of power Shigaraki was giving off...power he didn't know he was capable of.
Re-Destro's suit continued to fall apart, and his legs suddenly broke.
"Destroy it all," Shigaraki declared joyfully, an explosion occurring. Soon, Re-Destro was only laying on a piece of armor, as the rest of it was completely destroyed. He looked back in shock, seeing the joy that never went away from Shigaraki's face...he flew into the sky while Deika City continued to be destroyed...
Everything was no longer standing, as the buildings were caved into the ground. Dust was everywhere, and the buildings were now unrecognizable...
Gigantomachia continued to stare as the smoke was starting to clear. Re-Destro grunted while recollecting himself, panting as he looked up. Someone stepped in from the smoke...and it was Shigaraki himself. His arms were much more worse, and he had bruising on his right side.
"Did your feet touch the ground?" The League leader wondered to him, not waiting for an answer. "Too bad. You must have cut them off to keep your body from disintegrating, huh?" A breeze flew in...revealing that the pant leg was cut off, confirming Shigaraki's theory. "Hey. Remind me," He was staggering over to Re-Destro. "Why were we fighting again?" He grinned while pointing his broken hand. "Oh, right. It's because you made us come out here..." Re-Destro breathed heavily, unable to respond back.
A can skidded to a stop, and Shigaraki looked up to see many army members having arrived at the scene. "Re-Destro!" Hanabata cried out from the van.
"The grand commander has been hurt," One of them murmured in shock.
"It can't be..." The other looked up ahead in horror. They had never seen Re-Destro get hurt, or anyone defeat him.
"Don't just stand there!" Hanabata urged the crowd, causing them to look up. "Go save our beloved leader!" They all prepared themselves, and Shigaraki looked up. Before they could act, a huge wind pressure came in to stop Incite from occurring. Incite was negated! It can't be! He furrowed his eyebrows towards his mask.
"Trumpet..." He gasped while looking towards Re-Destro. He then held up his hand. "Any more fighting..." He placed his thumb on his forehead, holding up a finger. "Would be pointless." Trumpet's face disappeared as he looked on in denial. Re-Destro then looked up. Free use of meta abilities. Not suppression, but liberation. I understand...Great Destro...the one who should be at the forefront of liberation. The one who will create the world you dreamed of. Is a person who embodies freedom. Amongst the rubble...the picture of Destro was still intact. This young man laughed off our history and bloodline, saying they were restricting me. I see it so clearly now... He stared at Shigaraki as he felt like...the man had changed his life view. That his defeat against Shigaraki was earned. The figure before me is a shining beacon. He closed his eyes, lowering his head. "This army agrees with my—no, with Destro's principles. They are prepared to become martyrs for the cause. It's as you said. I picked a fight and you prevailed. Kill me if you like. I'm ready to sacrifice myself for Destro's dying wish." Gigantomachia and Spinner stared up ahead in silence.
Re-Destro couldn't help but wonder...if it wasn't for his actions, would he have lost today? Would Shigaraki not have had his awakening? He started it...but Shigaraki damn ended it on his own terms. He got onto his knees to bow to Shigaraki, ready to die, as he grossly underestimated the man in front of him.
"The Meta Liberation Army...is now under your command." Shigaraki stared in silence, while Gigantomachia was thinking of All for One...and how proud he would be.
"The successor," He murmured while a tear fell down his face.
Shigaraki then realized something staring at Re-Destro.
"If we'd worked with the Hassaikai, then maybe we'd be enjoying a fancy platter of sushi in a nicer room," Mr. Compress complained at the state of their hideout.
He then smiled at the opportunities the Meta Liberation could give him. "So tell me. You're the CEO of Detnerat, right? Which means that you're rich," He gave him an evil grin.
One week later
Tragedy struck a peaceful city. Criminals used a fake emergency to lure heroes to a faraway location so they could attack without fear of interference.
The city was in shambles, with no hope of being back to its former glory. The damage was so bad that it was hard to even move around in.
And unfortunately, they had succeeded with flying colors for Deika City. And now, the news about what happened was growing larger each day.
Facing an unexpected threat, the residents of Deika City banded together in resistance.
Buildings were destroyed to the point that they weren't even standing anymore...
At the very least, that was the only good that came out of it.
The heroes joined the fray after realizing they'd been tricked. By that time, many residents had lost their lives.
The local Deika City heroes were going crazy over all of the damage and with how many people were in need of help.
And with the damage being city-wide, it was...horrible with how many people out there lost in the rubble. Makes people think what would've happened if all the heroes weren't gone.
Eventually, all 20 members of the criminal group were killed. The heroes closed the case.
Residents stared over the captured, dead criminals on the ground.
Despite that, though...it wouldn't repair all the damage. Deika City as people knew it...just wasn't the same anymore.
The news reported that Detnerat's president and CEO happened to be present in Deika City at the time of the attack. He managed to survive. Although he had to amputate both of his legs.
All of the newspapers reported over the terrorist attack, the amount of damage, and Curious' death. And because there was no evidence Himiko did it, the case would be left unsolved. Reports and police were outside the Central Hospital, reporting about Re-Destro's injuries.
As days went by, multiple papers reported several victims that actually worked at Detnerat. And it was honestly more terrifying as time went on. Other than the president and CEO, other people still suffered major injuries...the ones that could be found alive, that is.
Skeptic was at work, smiling from their developments.
Some said the untrained civilians did more harm than good by using their Quirks to fight against the threats. But the world at large couldn't stop talking about the heroism of the residents.
There were even press conferences about it, however...people were cheering over the events, because of their allegiance to the Liberation. They thought the army as heroes.
My guess is...it's got to do with that book that's been getting popular. The one that Hawks gave us and Endeavor during our work study.
Unfortunately, the incident left behind many mysteries.
Some of which might not ever be answered...
"Huzzah!" Mr. Compress cheered as they were having a feast. "We live to fight on. What doesn't kill us makes us stronger." He took a bite out of his sushi. Spinner was across from him, eating as well. And their headquarters had been upgraded to a much nicer room, as they were staying in a mansion now. And Mr. Compress was very happy to not be in the broken-down warehouse anymore, as their living quarters now established that they were being taken seriously.
"You didn't actually do that much to help," Dabi retorted back to him.
"Oh, come off it. Running away has its merits," Mr. Compress defended, reaching out for more sushi.
"Dabi, if you don't eat, there'll be nothing left," Spinner spoke up while enjoying his meal.
"Meh," Dabi waved it off. "Eat all you want, I hate fish."
Twice was ringing something in front of a picture of Himiko from when she was injured. "Toga, please forgive me!" He cried out as if he was at a funeral. "But if you hadn't shared your blood with Toga, then right now, other Toga would be-"
"Please stop babbling at that pic," Himiko spoke up, as he was mourning over the clone of her. She was steadily recovering, bandages over her neck, face, and an eye-patch over her right eye. Luckily for her, her injuries weren't life-threatening. Although Twice's mourning was at an all-time high. "I'm still alive and you're creeping me out."
"Yeah, let's stop doing what other people don't like!" He then kicked away the objects. "My leg's moving on its own! Don't kick without my permission!" He looked up pleadingly to the ceiling. "I was a bad boy. Don't hit me. Wait, what? What did you just say, me?"
"I thought your broken psyche got stitched back together," Dabi pointed out as the others were staring. "But you seem worse."
"Yeah, sounds like there are more of you now," Spinner agreed with him, as Twice would only seem like he's contradicting himself in two ways. But now, he was doing it multiple times. "Guess trauma doesn't just vanish."
"It's time," Skeptic stepped into their room, followed by Trumpet. "Come."
"Bite me! We're still eating our sushi in here, ya jerk!" Twice yelled at him, still angry over what happened to Giran and Himiko because of the computer genius. And that he used Jin's face to traumatize him all over again. After all, if it hadn't been for Skeptic, Giran wouldn't have lost his fingers. And even though Sad Man's Parade came out of it, that didn't change Twice's opinion of him.
"Sushi that was purchased using our funds," Skeptic reminded them as they took the elevator, looking a bit stressed out. "The medical treatment, video editing, and Toga's new coat were also benefits of our financial sponsorship."
"Yeah well, don't forget, if it weren't for us, Baldy would be in the hospital instead of in a swanky hideout," Twice retorted back to him.
"You must put a stop to this, Skeptic," Trumpet spoke up, as Skeptic was one of the people who had a hard time accepting their new...arrangement with the League. He himself had to grin and bear it for Re-Destro's sake. "These are who the grand," He then cleared his throat, stopping himself. "Re-Destro chose to lead our people into the future." They then stepped out into the lobby. "Re-Destro's words are Destro's words. That makes them absolute," A secret passageway then opened up.
"Welcome, and thank you for coming," Re-Destro spoke up to the hundreds of people in the room. "Liberation warriors!" Gigantomachia was also in the room in the middle. Because of Re-Destro losing his legs, he now had a wheelchair to move around in. "I am Re-Destro. It is a pleasure to see you!" Sitting next to him was Shigaraki, who was looking more fancy. "Today, the Metahuman Liberation Army will be reborn!"
"I thought all of Tomura's hands got busted while he was fighting," Himiko couldn't help but wonder as they were waiting for their announcement.
"Nah. One was still intact," Spinner informed the girl. "It's a miracle the thing made it off that battlefield unscathed." They already knew what he did to Deika City, so it was a wonder that one hand even managed to not be decayed into pieces.
"At least he doesn't have to come up with a new trademark," Himiko smiled while bouncing around.
"I believed without a doubt that the League was an obstacle until I faced them!" Re-Destro continued to speak to the army. "I had blinders on! But now I have seen the light! A new dawn is ahead of us. I was a prisoner of my blood," His eyes widened while giving his intense speech. "Unable to break free from what I'd been taught! But then I witnessed real liberation! This is not me surrendering, my friends! It's me doing what's best for our cause," He gestured to Shigaraki in his throne. "Tomura Shigaraki is truly free! He filled me with awe, which necessitated my abdication! From this moment, the Liberation Army recognizes Tomura Shigaraki as grand commander."
Even Dr. Ujiko was listening to his speech.
"As we move toward freedom and strive for Destro's world, the Metahuman Liberation Army and the League of Villains unite under a new name!"
Spinner tapped his foot impatiently, wanting to get this over with.
"Oooh, here we go, here we go!" Himiko exclaimed excitedly as she spun around.
"The idea came from myself and Spinner from the League!" The others followed after Himiko, just without her movements. "Now, the name please, Tomura Shigaraki!"
"The Paranormal Liberation Front!" Shigaraki announced as the other members of the League walked on stage. Skeptic and Geten had also joined. "We got rid of the term villain and expanded on the whole meta angle to be a little more inclusive. The 9 people on stage or my lieutenants." And this did include Re-Destro, since he was the one who had the army to begin with. "Teams will be assigned to them based on our needs. Anyway, the name's the same as this hand...a decoration," He removed the hand that was on his face, revealing a small smirk. He also had bandages around his face as he chuckled. "We'll do what we want."
The whole crowd erupted into cheers.
"Excellent work today, grand commander!" Re-Destro smiled widely, rubbing his hands together rapidly. "Can I interest you in something to drink?"
"Go," Shigaraki simply demanded, walking off.
"With pleasure!" Re-Destro then sped off that he was gone in seconds. "Trumpet! We're leaving!"
'How painful' Trumpet thought to himself; another reason why Skeptic hated this merger was because it meant that Re-Destro was allowing himself to be a servant. And truth be told, Trumpet wasn't a fan either. It was a true fall from grace in the eyes of both Skeptic, Trumpet, or anyone else who wasn't for the merger from the Liberation side. The only reason why he was allowing it was because it was what the former leader wanted. 'I hate seeing him like this.'
Shigaraki then tripped on his feet, falling to the ground. "Whoa," Spinner murmured at his state.
"He took so much damage, it's a miracle he's still alive," Mr. Compress commented as he approached his leader.
"The Paranormal Liberation Front," Dr. Ujiko recited from the earpieces. "That's what I call a flashy name. Well, I guess it's better than something tacky like 'the League of Villains'."
"Machia listened to me," Shigaraki grinned, though he was sweating thanks to still recovering. "I played your damn game. And I think I reached that minimum level you were talking about."
"Yes," Dr. Ujiko placed a hand on his cheek, knowing exactly what Shigaraki was getting at. "Your memory is back, and you've returned to your original self, Quirk included. So as I promised. I will grant you power. If you're sure that's what you want."
Shigaraki's lips slowly formed into a triumphant grin...
Izuka was using a floating star to reach a high spot for the mural. Toshinori was nearby to watch her as she had already finished all the body outlines and stencils for the body features. Now she was finally starting to paint in the upper left corner, looking at her blueprint for the mural.
"Careful up there! You might overwhelm yourself if you stay up there for too long," Toshinori warned, a hand in front of his forehead to see if he could get a glimpse.
She glanced back with a small smile, paint on her face in small splotches. "I will!" She was also wearing a smock that was stained with paint.
Izuku came up from behind and then looked up at how the mural was progressing. "Wow, it's really coming along, isn't it?" He gave a small smile.
"Yeah, I've never seen her so excited after a work study with Endeavor of all things," Toshinori pointed out and Izuku flinched. Judging by what he said, it was clear that Izuka hadn't directly spoken about what actually happened to him. "Did something happen?"
"Well...yes, but...I can't talk about it right now," Izuku bit his lip while looking at his sister looking excited at her progress. "She deserves to be happy."
Izuka then yawned tiredly as her star floated down safely. "Hey, little brother?" She asked while jumping off, stretching her arms. "We don't have any tests coming up, right?" God forbid that she didn't study for a big test because if she missed out on that, Momo would never let her live it down. Or Tenya on some level.
"No," Izuku shook his head while she removed her smock. "We've been just studying a lot after class. Plus you needed to continue the mural," He gave her an encouraging smile as she walked up to them. "Looking great!"
"Thanks!" She smiled while looking up towards the mural. "It's a lot, but it helps. Wish I had a cheat code for stamina. Like tonight, I think I'm calling it. Feels like I've been turned into stone for 3,700 years," She then looked up towards Toshinori gratefully. "Thanks for keeping me company, All Might."
"Anytime," He smiled while holding out a rag to her. "Wash up before you pass out, though."
"Mmhm," She nodded silently before taking the rag and walking off. She slowly wiped her face as she disappeared around the corner.
"She looks so tired nowadays," Izuku sighed a little knowingly while taking the tray Momo brought out earlier for Izuka's dinner. "She even almost slept during homeroom..." Between the mural, studying, and the work study they had already finished, it was a wonder how she could even still function. Even Katsuki was helping her by sometimes staying and quizzing her, although he was still being weird around her.
Toshinori glanced at him knowingly. Painting was always a distraction for Izuka—usually, there were some instances where she couldn't paint because of the circumstances like the Kamino Incident. But it was like a way to get away from things she didn't want to think about. And he knew that this mural wasn't something she suggested if she had just done a vigorous and exhausting work-study. "The idea to paint this...that was you, wasn't it?"
Izuku sighed in defeat, closing his eyes. He already knew Toshinori wouldn't say anything about it, and that Izuka wouldn't be angry if he knew. "...During the work study, Todoroki's sister asked us to come over for dinner. And while we were eating... Endeavor asked Izuka to be in an arranged Quirk marriage with Todoroki. Right in front of us." Toshinori gasped sharply while looking at him. He knew Enji was a bit much, but trying to force two children to marry each other...? "She hasn't talked to anyone about it since then, not even Uraraka or Yaoyorozu know. So...as her brother, I just wanted to help her feel better, you know?" He gave a weak smile. "She's done so much for me before and after she started using her Quirk. That's why the three of us went to Principal Nezu to see what we could do."
Toshinori looked up again at the mural, wondering how he couldn't see this coming. Then again, nothing told him that Enji would even ask the question. Damn...she shoulders and pushes so much when she doesn't have to. Even when we first met, all she thought about was others, not how things would affect her...she needs a break.
He then turned to Izuku. "You know...maybe if she had some extra hands, she'd be able to take it easy," The man suggested with a small smile. "I'm sure that with finals coming up, she'll be slammed."
"Uh!" Izuku flinched at what he was hinting at and smiled. "And I know exactly who to ask!"
Izuka rubbed at her eyes while walking down the steps of Heights Alliance. The sun was setting, and she was in a white smock underneath an overgrown red sweatshirt that stopped above her knees. Underneath those were some worn-out jeans that she occasionally wore for bigger projects. After classes, it was right back to working on the mural. Although she was getting very tired from all the work, and she didn't see any of her classmates or Izuku in the common room weirdly. But she would wonder about that later. All right, so what's on the agenda today? I have to paint the remaining models and then after that, the final touches, which will take—She turned the corner and then stopped in surprise to see the rest of her classmates and Izuku setting stuff up behind the building.
"Mm? Why is the whole class here?" She asked in bewilderment, getting their attention. Most of them smiled as Tenya approached her, holding two buckets of paint.
"We all talked and decided...that we would like to ask you if we could join you in finishing the mural!" He bowed his head respectfully and she blinked slowly. Before she could ask any questions, Izuku approached her side with a smile.
"I asked them to come so you could finish in time. It's a big wall, so we should be done in no time since you were half done!" He pumped his fists eagerly, his eyes shining.
"That's right, and we'd love to see you in action!" Momo smiled as Ochaco ran up to the girl, holding her shoulders from behind.
"Plus, you can get some rest!"
"It'd be really fun~" Denki looked at her teasingly, only to be knocked down from behind by Katsuki.
"Shut up before I murder you!" He snarled down at the boy, knowing that Denki would try to flirt with Izuka during painting. And he didn't want the possibility of him making her smile since he kept missing out on that.
"Even you're here, Katsuki?" Izuka asked in surprise, though deep down was touched to see him here too. Even though he couldn't care less about her painting as he conveyed to her.
"Tch," He looked away with his hands in his pockets. "I just didn't want the damn nerd nagging me if I didn't help."
"Kacchan, you helped me ask everyone-"
"Shut up, Deku!" He shouted at the boy, who gave a nervous smile.
Izuka giggled at the two and gave a bashful look, touched that all of them were doing this for her sake and health. "You guys...! Okay then! Let's finish this together as a class!" She clapped her hands together.
"YEAH!" Almost everyone cheered in unison.
And so, all of them picked different spots to paint, with Izuka having given them written instructions before they started. The instructions told them what kind of paint and brush to use for each section, and to not overdo it. Momo and Tenya had even set up a refreshment table with drinks and snacks prepared, like tea or cookies. After that, Fumikage and Koji worked with Shoto and Tenya to get the right proportions down. Then Katsuki and Eijiro were arguing over which section they were doing looked the coolest until Izuka had to break it up. Ochaco grinned while painting next to Izuku, both of them putting around a border around the body outlines as instructed. Izuka was examining the mural closely while everyone worked, giving a blank look as Denki, Hanta, and Minoru were attempting to make their portrayals more cooler. After she was not amused by that, Toru, Minoru, Mina, and Denki were all having fun with the amount of times they got paint on them. Izuku and Izuka gave each other a thumbs up from their spots as she grinned widely while wiggling a paintbrush. This got the ire of Katsuki, unfortunately...Rikido smiled while painting his own portrayal, yellow paint on his face. Ochaco, Yuga, and Tsuyu were painting together, although he was posing far too much when Tsuyu was trying to paint him. Mashirao gave them a sheepish expression. Kyoka and Momo worked together on Yoroi Musha, Tenya offering them some lemonade.
Izuka slowly stepped back after putting in the final touch, her class surrounding her proudly as they looked up at their finished work together. Izuku's eyes shined as he let out an excited gasp. In the middle of the wall was the name Hero-Work Studies done in the same style as UA's logo. Right above the letters was Endeavor himself since he was the number one hero, surrounded by the twins, Shoto, and Katsuki in half-bodies in their hero costumes. And every other student from Class 1-A were in their hero costumes as well. On the far left was Hawks and Fumikage standing side-by-side. The upper right depicted Ochaco, Tsuyu, and Ryukyu, and underneath them was Fat Gum and Eijiro. Then on the bottom left was Rikido, Mashirao, and Shishido. Right next to them on the bottom left was Momo and Majestic. The bottom was the most work done because it was the Lurker team with Hanta, Minoru, Denki. Contrasting that, the top was Yoroi Musha with Yuga, Mina, and Toru. The bottom right corner was Tenya with Manual. Above them was Mezo and Kyoka with Gang Orca. And the final section was Koji with Wash. The entire mural was done in an impressionist style for every single person.
"Wow! It turned out great!" Izuku gushed at the mural.
"It looks so real!" Toru gushed, waving her arms.
"Not too bad, considering most of us were beginners," Eijiro smiled, crossing his arms.
"With this, I'll look so much cooler," Denki chuckled, rubbing his chin confidently.
"I wish Mido would've done your dumb face, though. That perfectly sums up your look," Kyoka commented and he grunted.
"Oh, come on!" He protested at the girl, sagging his arms. "It took a lot of work..."
"It was a lot of fun too!" Ochaco grinned, taking out her phone. "I'm gonna send this to Hado and Ryukyu!"
"Thank you so much, everyone," Izuka hummed happily, looking much happier than she did before. "We should do something like this again sometime!"
"It was our pleasure," Momo smiled at the girl. "Class 1-A doesn't leave anyone behind!"
"That's right," Tenya smiled in agreement and nodded, pushing up his glasses. "Now then, time for us to get started on cleaning ourselves up before dinner!"
"Wow," A whistle was heard as Present Mic, Mr. Aizawa, Toshinori, and Principal Nezu had arrived as well. "Not too shabby!" Present Mic grinned while holding up his phone for a photo.
"All Might and Principal Nezu!" Izuka flinched in shock to see them.
"Mr. Aizawa and Present Mic too," Izuku blinked in alarm as they approached.
"This is wonderful! A true showcase of your work-studies," Principal Nezu smiled as he admired it. "And even our own hero course students gathered together to help!" Izuka gave a bashful smile, rubbing the back of her neck.
"We were just following her lead," Mina grinned while holding Izuka's shoulders, the girl looking up wide-eyed.
"I didn't realize painting could be such hard work, ribbit," Tsuyu commented, a finger on her chin.
"It is, but come on. I wouldn't have been able to finish with you guys," Izuka grinned happily and Katsuki stared at her in silence. She was smiling, but it still wasn't the one he wanted to see. He'd be fine with hers today though, since he knew she really did love doing art. And he wasn't going to take that away from her by demanding a genuine smile tonight.
"Looking pretty sweet," Toshinori smiled at the class. "And you all came together to help your classmate in need!"
"You should put it on your website. You're really good," Shoto told the green-haired artist and she flinched.
"Oh crap, you're right! I almost forgot about that," She took out her phone and then faltered, humming. "But I'll only put it on my website on one condition."
"Say Plus Ultra!" Principal Nezu smiled while holding a camera and standing on a stool. All of Class 1-A were gathered in front of the mural for a class photo.
"Plus Ultra!" They all screamed while posing for the photo, which did indeed get posted onto Izuka's website the next day.