dryeyes | VILLAINS open post

[The plan had to succeed. There was no reason it wouldn't. Not when everything was meticulously planned out and the pieces sort of fell into line without too much effort. Sure there was some teeth pulling regarding the new recruits because Shigaraki wanted nothing to do with people obsessed with Stain. Funny how he was living up to his name by leaving this undesirable stain on Shigaraki's organization. But he couldn't complain, they had to replenish their numbers even if it wasn't ideal. Besides this plan was their chance to prove their capabilities and, for Shigaraki, flex the might of his new leadership.

Still he couldn't help but feel anxious. He stayed glued to their communicators with Kurogiri, scratching furiously as Kurogiri tried in vain to assure him that the plan would work. How could they possibly be prepared to be attacked like this? They were complacent even when being cautious. That the Vanguard Action Squad would win because the teachers (and some troublesome students) wouldn't be able to go up against unknown quirks.

It's not until they get the signal and Kurogiri warps away to bring home the squad that Shigaraki finally calms down and finds his composure. He silently counts the number of members who came back (a noticeable few are missing), watches as Mr. Compress and Kurogiri deal with Bakugou (so angry...), and then there's Dabi with a disheveled looking man (who dat?).]

Dabi. Who on Earth did you bring back? Oh. [Shigaraki crouches down next to Aizawa, using a single finger to lift up the pro hero's head. He's not particularly afraid of having his quirk erased. Not when the other had been tied up and especially not when he had a student at his mercy.] So you brought him back like I asked? Thank you.

[Bakugou might have been their primary target but he did say that other students would be bonus points for this level. One particular student would be worth extra bonus points.]

Edited (i can html i promise) 2018-07-07 00:12 (UTC)

[His head is slowly tipped up and he doesn't resist the motion. He knew from the voice exactly who it would be. It dredges up bad memories immediately. Still, one didn't become a hero without having several ways of suppressing incident-related post-traumatic stress disorder.]

[Besides, Tomura Shigaraki wasn't the worst part of those nightmares. He was just there, goading on the Nomu, treating him like a toy to be broken on a whim. He could deal with the sudden increase in heart-rate. He can heard Bakugou's swearing. He wasn't alone which immediately registered to him that he had to act like it.]

[So, he holds the eye contact as well as he can. At least, it's probably eye-contact. Maybe. It was hard to tell with the hand. He says nothing, taking in what Shigaraki was saying. He was asked for? Asked for but not immediately recognized. That made him feel like it was just a flight of fancy. He wasn't an essential piece here. He needed to take in information. The person who had ambushed him was Dabi. His quirk was either the fire or those body-doubles.]

[There was certainly more organization here. He could see villains from USJ, villains from the new operation, and Shigaraki, an immature villain, actually sounding like a bit of a leader. If he couldn't already tell that the League had become a more serious threat from the attack, this would seal it.]

[He stares at Aizawa for a good while, using that one finger to play with the other's head. By digging into the underside of his chin, he's able to lull the teacher's head from one side to the other. It's like he's looking him over like one would a prized race horse or making sure he was lucid.]

Good work, Dabi. Leave him here for now.

[As Dabi steps away- four fingers grip Aizawa's chin, forcing his head to look at the scene Bakugou's causing with two of the members. Mostly Bakugou swearing as they lock him into similar shackles used at the sports festival. The other is probably too busy trying to escape or threatening to kill every villain in this bar to notice his teacher is also there.]

You try anything and I mean anything, I won't hesitate to kill the kid. Understood? Cool guy?

[Of course he doesn't want to kill Bakugou, he has plans and he's hoping his plans work out well. But he knows how Aizawa was willing to sacrifice his body, even his own life, to protect those brats.]

Edited 2018-07-07 01:12 (UTC)

[Despite his lack of reaction, his eyes do focus even as his head is turned back and forth. One extra finger and he might have an injury to his face that he couldn't come back from. He sees Bakugou, he knows he's not been injured too badly,]

[and he knows it's up to him to keep it that way. The objective must not have been to kill Bakugou, otherwise they would have tried that at the camp itself. Still, he has to believe that Shigaraki is being real in his threat. He would risk himself, sure. He won't risk his student.]

[He nods, very slightly, just to show he did understand.]

Not harmed, either. [he adds, voice low. Sure, he wasn't necessarily in a position to negotiate. Still, his priorities needed to be stated and Shigaraki's response may give him more clues.]

[That gets a low laugh out of Shigaraki, like Aizawa was a friend who made a bad pun.]

Well that's for him to decide, isn't it? [His grip tightens on Aizawa's chin.] I'm not going to let the little brat make a mess of things either.

[It wasn't much but it was sort of a promise. If Bakugou didn't try to murder his colleagues, Shigaraki wouldn't have to lay a hand on him either. Not that he wanted to. He and Bakugou had business later once they've all had a small break from their efforts. His grip slackens little by little until he lets go of the other with a satisfied hum. Shigaraki sits back on the balls of his feet, gently scratching his face as he just stared at the pro hero. He's got a lot on his mind between wrapping up his recruitment plans and deciding what to do with the man before him. It's while he's lost in his train of thought that he notices the scar underneath Aizawa's eye.

Doesn't take long for him to reach out again, thumbing the scar with child-like curiosity.]

Ah. Did my Nomu do this?

[He sounds gleeful about it.]

[He was a little worried. Rather, the situation was hugely worrying he was just a little worried about whether or not Bakugou would keep it together. He was sure the League wouldn't be able to use Bakugou, the young hero was far too proud to ever let himself be used. He also may be too proud to not try to damage one of the villains. That uncertainty hung in the air.]

[There's a sharp click of his tongue when Shigaraki noticed the scar. So, he didn't even do follow-up on that, did he? It was hard to assess his own importance here. He certainly didn't feel like a priority.]

You should know the answer to that. [A shattered orbital floor. It was amazing he recovered with just a few scars. It was amazing he survived at all.]

And don't take credit for what that monster did.

[It's short and careful. Depending on how childishly Shigaraki reacted, that could be viewed as trying something. How verbal was he allowed to be, then?]

Why not? I'm the one who told him to do that. [Luckily for Aizawa, he's not taking it as an offense to him and is treating it like Aizawa doesn't know any better.] But ah I'm so glad to hear you survived. Isn't that cool? You were beaten by my Nomu and survived!

[His thumb digs sharply into the scar, as if to search for the damage underneath the skin. He's also testing it to see if Aizawa still has any pain. Seeking for a reaction of any sort; really he just wants more to be happy about because it shows him what his Master was trying to explain to him. That sometimes losing and retreating is ok because you get to see how you grow from the experience.]

You're lucky, you know? He was bio-engineered to kill All Might.

[At that point, he was just going wild with something that didn't belong to him. Whoever made the Nomu was ten times the threat than someone just playing around with one. How much was that figure involved in this operation? Who was really pulling the strings here?]

[There's the slightest wince, more about the proximity of Shigaraki's thumb to his eye than anything else. The pain had mostly settled only coming back as phantom pain and the increased refractory period on his quirk. The elbow still ached at times but, again, information was key in this situation. The more he kept to himself the better.]

[Still, contrary to how he seemed to his students, Aizawa did have emotions and could be riled. He didn't swear or react like Bakugou. His anger was a little more cold and contained. All he has to say in response to Shigaraki's bragging is the simple fact.]

He couldn't even do that. [It was reckless to say. That monstrosity had nearly completed its objective. If another one of the same intensity attacked, All Might might not be able to defeat it.]

[Aizawa struck a nerve finally because Shigaraki pulls his hand back like he'd just touched a hot stove. He brings the hand to his mouth, gritting his teeth as he silently seethed over the truth. Shigaraki's own scars from that day showing on his hand where he'd been shot. His Nomu didn't finish the job. Not only that but his Nomu was captured. So close. So fucking close. He'd done all that work only to have spent all his resources on a botched assassination attempt. Just thinking about that day is enough to send him into his own despair. Twitching madly, he's ready to scratch away at his rage. Try as he might the little self control he has isn't enough to contain himself.

But then his Master's words ring clearly in his mind. Information. They'd learned things that day. It's okay to fall as long as you stand back up.]

Oh. But he sure came close didn't he? Damn close.

[Shigaraki pulls his hand away from his mouth and moves to stand up, glaring down at Aizawa.]

[It was a cheap, emotional lashing out. He's still satisfied to see it work. He's satisfied to feel even briefly in control. That's all it was, though: a feeling.]

[Like it or not, Shigaraki was in control here. If someone was pulling his strings, he'd have to figure it out as he went along. He had to be careful when it came to provoking his captors. He should he grateful that, somehow, the boss was able to pull himself together.]

How about this time? Did you get all you wanted? [He never did get a solid objective out of Dabi. Even with that clear downward look, Aizawa does not wear submissiveness well.]

[He won't openly disobey. Still, defiance keeps him steady.]

Yes and more. [He snaps his fingers.] Kurogiri. Take care of our friend won't you? Before I decide he's not cool enough to be around anymore.

[Shigaraki needs time to recompose himself. Even if he was able to successfully pull himself out of the emotional tantrum, he's still reeling with anger and he's not about to fuck up his future plans by killing Aizawa out of rage.]

We'll talk again soon enough, hero.

[As he speaks, Aizawa is sinking into the black warp gate that just conveniently opened up beneath him, sending him to a dark room. It looks like someone's bedroom, or a computer room for the lack of anything related to a bed. Everything's locked- doors, computer, even the small filing cabinet near the desk. The only thing that really appears to be 'on' or working is a small tv near the desk that displays "SOUND ONLY." Ironic considering the mute symbol is bouncing across the screen like one of those old dvd screensavers. Other than that, the tv can't be changed or turned off, and occasionally flickers.

Looks like Aizawa's just going to have to wait to get his audience with the leader of the league again. He only has to wait an hour or so before the sound of a door knob is heard. At the same time the mute symbol disappears from the screen.]

[The sensation of falling while bound is never pleasant. Even if the warp gate settles him fairly well, it's just unsettling. He waits for his eyes to adjust to the dim lighting of the screen before working himself to a somewhat comfortable position.]

[So, he got everything he wanted and more? As far as he could see, that was only two targets. He could be lying. It could also be that simple. They attacked the training camp of the most valuable hero training program and took a student and teacher. That wasn't anything to scoff at. They'd proved themselves a persistent threat. That was dangerous.]

[He explores the room as best her can, finding nothing to serve as a lead, then settles back down. He had to wait. He doesn't even consider sleeping. That was too dangerous. Not only did it leave him vulnerable, he was certain that in a situation like this, the dreams would come.]

[He could probably not sleep until a rescue operation was conducted. Probably.]

[Eventually, someone's at the door. He tenses, not that there's anything he can really do about it. Still, it was a way of keeping himself alert. He needed to assess their objectives. He needed to know where Bakugou was being kept and why they were separated. He needed to be careful]

[The door opens with a force hard enough for it to bang against the wall of the room, bouncing in such a way that Shigaraki can swiftly step in and close the door in the same movement. As it closes behind him it locks with a heavy click.

Hands clenched into knuckle white fists, Shigaraki is visibly shaking. He looks even more pissed then he did earlier with red eyes on the verge of being bloodshot from the festering anger inside of him. Looks like something didn't go according to plan. Or maybe he really did let his annoyance with Aizawa's earlier jabs simmer until it reached a boiling point. It's a bit of both actually. Not that Shigaraki would ever care to admit that.

His hands go up to his neck, scratching with such a fury that one might think he's trying to claw his own neck out. Muttering incomprehensible gibberish as he tried to talk out his anger and thoughts. For a second, he's completely forgotten he has company. But when he realizes Aizawa is in this very room, he stops dead in his tracks.

Slowly he looks around the room until he spots the figure sitting in the dark. The league leader cants his head slowly.]

Ah. Yes. I forgot I had a guest. How rude of me.

[There's an eerie calmness in the way he speaks that would give one whiplash with the way he so easily shifted from anger to calm.]

Though I am not as rude as your student.

[Emotional whiplash is probably the least of his problems. Still, it belies a certain level of instability. Shigaraki was growing but his starting point was still probably behind any of Aizawa's students in emotional maturity. There's that habit, that scratching, a fixation only aggravated by his stress.]

[He'd dealt with villains before and it was always unsettling to see so many fixations. It was simultaneously so different that it emphasized the sheer otherness between them and familiar. This was a person who had made a choice.]

[There's the slightest shrug of his shoulders at the comment.]

Manners aren't part of the U.A. curriculum.

[Meanwhile, he's a little reassured by the idea he was forgotten. He's incidental to this operation. That raises all the questions of why they went to the trouble of capturing him but his lesser importance might give him more freedom.]

[It could also make him very expendable.]

That's right. That's right. If manners were part of the curriculum, he wouldn't sound so much like myself.

[The way Bakugou threatens to murder everyone, to the rage he has when things don't go perfectly. It's similar to Shigaraki in a way. But that's where their similarities end even if Shigaraki doesn't fully comprehend that himself.

Each of them envisioned different futures and had made different choices to achieve that.

Speaking of choices...]

He's extremely ungrateful! We went through all this trouble just for him and he doesn't even want to listen to us.

[Shigaraki should wish there were more similarities between Bakugou and himself. Temper aside, he was incredibly gifted.]

[Still a child, though, a kidnapped child.]

Gratitude to villains is also not part of the curriculum. [Listening to villains was certainly part of it, though. After all, the age of All Might hadn't entirely destroyed the art of careful negotiation. He'd even been involved in incidents of unintentional villains who could be talked down or made to see reason. He didn't think that would be the case here.]

[Still, he listens. The primary target was Bakugou.]

Whether you like it or not, he's a U.A. student through and through. They have a habit of not listening. [After all, one didn't make truly great heroes by just creating mindless drones. As irritating was it was for students to work around his authority that was the type of thinking they'd need as adults.]

Oh I'm not asking for gratitude.

[He muses. Shigaraki isn't a fool, he knows no one is going to be thankful that they've been forcibly kidnapped. But what choice did they have if they wanted an audience with Bakugou? The ungratefulness came from Bakugou unwilling to listen to their reasons for bringing him there. His blindness to their plights and struggles, or how the shackles of society are unjust.]

I'm just asking for an understanding. Its'- well. You wouldn't understand.

[He sits down at the chair by the desk, rolling towards Aizawa. Honestly this feels like one of those stereotypical hero movies where the villain sits in a fancy chair. He leans in close to the other like he's about to tell a secret with his fingers laced together. Thumbs jutted out. Purely by habit.]

Tell me hero. How do you think society would react if one of U.A.'s greatest was successfully recruited into my League? Be honest.

[There's a very flat expression at "you wouldn't understand." Yeah, emotional maturity of a teenager, certainly. He wouldn't be convinced and he's sure Bakugou won't be convinced. Still, the failure to even explain his ideals showed that immaturity.]

[And the flair for drama.]

Well, I'd certainly lose my job.

[He had to consider this carefully. He was sure Bakugou wouldn't be recruited. Could anyone in their ranks coerce him? No, if there were any sign of coercion then the message wouldn't get across. That was part of it, wasn't it? A student from one of the most prestigious hero schools is kidnapped and defects to the League of Villains.]

... You want to break their trust in us. [Both U.A. and heroes alike. Trust was a part of stability, as was the Symbol of Peace. All the steps the League had taken was to try and disrupt society. If they were to succeed... not here, not with himself and Bakugou, but if each mission increased in complexity and execution then they might eventually manage it.]

Unfortunate since you're so good at your job.

[He still remembers how Aizawa dove in to save the kids at USJ, how a quirk meant for stealth and surprise took on all his former colleagues without breaking much of a sweat. So it's a real compliment and not at all meant as a mockery of the teacher. He'd also heard from Dabi and Twice how valiantly Aizawa fought at the camp to protect his students once more.]

Of course. You know I've already done that? Without even finishing my goals here. The media is going wild with how U.A. has let villains attack their students twice.

[Too bad that beloved hand of his on his face is hiding that smirk. All things considered, things were still on track. Just as he'd predicted.]

Hey. If they fire you, I'll hire you. A quirk like yours can't be so easily erased, wouldn't you agree?

[Haha erased. Get it? Because he erases quirks?]

[He's got a point, unfortunately. Even with their precautions, a student was taken from them. He should have done something else, if he had just managed to make sure Bakugou escaped, then he'd be fine. His absence could be covered up. The media wouldn't scream about him being missing.]

[But Bakugou, a student directly in the spotlight after the U.A. Sports Festival, would be noticed. The students injured would be noticed. They had failed, even if they were to recover from this.]

[His eyes narrow, scowling a bit at that joke. Not just the pun but the joke that he would ever work for the League of Villains.]

No thanks. I don't mind going back to full-time hero work.

[Assuming he survives while still being fit for duty, of course.]

[Shigaraki leans back in his chair like Aizawa had said something foul. Pushing back into the chair until he's on the verge of toppling it over. But it doesn't. Instead he uses the strange behavior as a way to think clearly. It's not like he can get offended that the hero didn't just drop over willingly and if he did? Well... there'd be some serious issues. Further and further he pushes back until he lets the springs bounce him up from the abuse of the chair.]

Can't have that. [He says as a matter of fact.] What would make you reconsider?

[Nothing would make him reconsider.]

[He won't say that, though, because there are plenty of other ways Shigaraki could ensure he didn't return to hero work. Still, this was a way to learn about the changes going on within the League and within it's childish owner.]

During the USJ incident, you simply threw resource after resource at the problem. Most of the villains involved in that attack were captured by our forces. [They didn't matter to him. Nothing mattered to him, then, aside from his goal, and he was so sure that monster could complete his goal.]

From what I can see you've been more careful about the safety of your members this time...

But there's no evidence I wouldn't just be expendable to you. [Especially as a former hero. A hero student was one thing, the power dynamic were entirely different.] I prefer to think someone cares when I might be killed or captured.

That's a plus, in an employer. [See, he can make jokes, too.]

[He wasn't expecting such an honest answer and it catches him briefly off guard.]

You know what my goals were for attacking you at USJ, right? [Killing All Might namely.] Kill All Might and go home. I didn't know All Might wouldn't be there.

[He crosses his leg. Aizawa might have been right about a lot of things but Shigaraki was determined to correct him this time.]

I did care... you know I lost all my members in that attack. Everything I worked hard for ruined because I'd been lied to. About a lot of things. And I would have retreated with every last man that I could bring back. But I'd been shot by your fellow teachers who showed up. You can't continue a game if you get a game over.

[If it weren't for his immaturity, he'd sound pretty genuine. Like he actually cared for nameless thug who could shoot bullets out of his fingers or mourned the loss of sharky and the fish boys. Somedays he did kick himself over losing that many game pieces in one gamble. But it was mostly a kid crying that his toys had been broken by the other kids after he'd started playing rough with their toys.

There's a small crackle from the TV. "Shigaraki Tomura."]

Hmm, Master?

[He spins in his chair to face the TV, unnecessary since it still only reads as SOUND ONLY.]

[How can someone act as a leader when they view things like this as a game?]

[He was getting an answer, though, which was more than he expected. Whatever leak might exist at U.A., Shigaraki hadn't known the exact details of the USJ training session. He sounded extremely offended that he was shot. Really, even if Aizawa were to act as a villain, he wouldn't be surprised to be shot. It was fair, all things considered.]

[Then, though, then there's that crackle of static. The screen that had been unresponsive before now shows its purpose. Whoever was controlling Shigaraki, his "Master" was at the other end of that audio feed.]

[Anything he might have said, he swallows. He was unimportant here. If he didn't draw attention, he might be forgotten again and hear something of value.]

["Kurogiri just informed me of the success of your mission."]

Master, It's not over yet. I haven't successfully finished it yet.

[Whoever is on the other line of the audio is calm despite Shigaraki's distress in his voice. Speaking like a mentor would to their student who isn't happy with the results of their test despite an obvious growth or success.

"No, Shigaraki Tomura. Remember what we discussed? Take it a step at a time. You have done what no other person has done in recent history and you will do well to remember that." Shigaraki makes a noise like he wants to protest but the other voice doesn't give him a chance. "Katsuki Bakugou, right? Have you decided what you will do with the boy?"]

Yes. But that fucking brat doesn't want to listen. He just wants to be like All Might and it's just-

[He slams his foot down on the floor, only to be interrupted.

"Kurogiri remarked how well you handled that incident. Know that I am very proud of you. I know you'll get through to him. Sometimes these things take time. You must trust in your decisions like I trust you." It seems like they're well versed in the tantrums and mentality of Shigaraki because they don't give him an inch to protest or whine. "I heard the Vanguard Action Squad also captured two pro heroes? A teacher and someone else? Is that true?"]

Yes. The teacher... he's right here, Master. I'm trying to get him to listen.

[He looks down at Aizawa menacingly, daring him to interrupt this conversation.

"As I said before I trust you. I will support you in whatever you may need. But if the teacher becomes a liability, please consider giving his quirk to me. I need to finish up a few things here but do not hesitate to ask me for help."

Shigaraki nods at the screen, watching as the bouncing mute symbol appears again. He's quiet, listening to the sound of his own breath as he takes in everything that's been said to him. He wasn't done yet but... Master had been proud of what he'd set out to do. Slowly, he turns back to Aizawa, leaning forward again.]

So what am I going to do with you, hero? You heard my Master. You're a liability. But I believe that you're useful to us alive.

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