dryeyes | VILLAINS open post

[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.

[There was someone pulling the strings. As diligently as he was grooming his students for heroics, someone was grooming Shigaraki for villainy. The question of why resounds in his mind. It was one thing for villains to act in their own self-interest. That was to be expected. Why would a villain care about training future villains? What sort of legacy was that?]

[A person like that was a radical. It was different from the hero killer. The hero killer was one person so obsessed with their ideals that they took action. This was someone who was willing to plant the seeds and tend to them. By staying in the background, a dozen pawns could be caught with his ideals still living on. That was dangerous enough.]

[Then, though, there's that phrase, "Giving his quirk to me." It's said so casually and that makes it a dozen times scarier than any look Shigaraki could give from behind that hand. The power to take quirks.]

... who was the other hero you captured? [Only one teacher. That meant at least one of the Pussycats was taken as well.] Are they also going to get your generous employment offer? [It's sarcasm but the way he says it is very dry. Shigaraki clearly considered it generous. And he can't quite hide the unease that's starting with ideas of what the alternatives may be.]

Hmm. What's that pose they always do? [He tries to mimic the Pussycats pose. But clearly he lacks the heart and effort in which they put into their poses.] I don't know which one. One of those Pussycat heroes. Raggedy Ann? Something like that. Doesn't matter who she is because she won't be working anymore.

[The implications could mean anything and Aizawa's unease isn't unnoticed. Shigaraki is being obtuse on purpose about Ragdoll's fate.]

Why? Wanna join them instead? [He leers at Aizawa, rolling his chair so that he's directly in front of the hero. Inches away from his face.] Or is this just one of those hero things where you worry for others?

[Ragdoll. He had no reason to doubt what Shigaraki was saying. For all of his strange idiosyncrasies, Shigaraki generally didn't outright lie. He did gloat, though, so this was probably a pointed threat.]

[If quirks could be taken, it would be a waste to kill her right away. There was no telling what would happen after that, though. There was no telling what the process of having a quirk removed would entail. If it could then be passed to someone else... Ragdoll's Search quirk would be too strong in the hands of a villain.]

[He doesn't flinch as Shigaraki gets closer. There's still that underlying fear, though, and the annoying hero habit of not surrendering to that fear.]

You're trying to get me to listen, right? To understand? You've decided to treat me differently. [This room didn't look like it was designed for storing prisoners, after all. He needed to try and understand that impulse. He needed to not be a liability for as long as he could.]

I'm trying to tell what makes me different. Just because I'm hard to kill?

[He doesn't relent an inch of space between the two of them. Smiling viciously as the man before him tries to dissect his reasonings. As childish as he may be at times, Shigaraki's not completely oblivious to the questions that get thrown his way.]

Hard to kill?

[His hand reaches out to touch Aizawa's face, thumb waving cruelly in front of the other's eye as if to remind him that it only takes five fingers for Shigaraki to deal away with him. He's not actually going to erase Aizawa like this because he knows it only takes one look from the erasure hero to stop him from killing him. It's why he goes on to add;]

Need I remind you that I merely have to blindfold you and you're done for, hero. Don't give yourself so much importance. [Shigaraki doesn't move his hand and that thumb? It lingers dangerously close to Aizawa's skin.] I simply admire your- Huh? What do they call it? [He grip switches, grabbing Aizawa's chin with his pinky out.]

Tenacity?

[He survived a metaphorical bullet meant for the Symbol of Peace. Still, as easily as Shigaraki would give credit he could take it back. He got the point. He wasn't allowed to have the upper hand in asking any questions. He could have died there and he could die here.]

[So, he shouldn't nitpick how being tenacious and being hard to kill were pretty comparable.]

You wouldn't be the first person to blindfold me. [It's more demure than a threat. He proved when they first met that he was capable of working outside his niche. He's respecting how little power he has in this situation but he wasn't going to lie and say he was helpless.]

... What if my student continues to refuse you? If he fails to listen, what will you do?

[He didn't want to think about what would happen if both Bakugou and Shigaraki felt cornered in the same moment. If he couldn't talk to Bakugou, then he'd have to try and run interference from another side.]

Do you like being blindfolded?

[Shigaraki holds Aizawa's chin harder, threatening to bruise if he doesn't ease up soon. It's a simple enough question but one that he very clearly demands an answer for because he isn't kind enough to continue letting his own questions slide. With a hard squeeze, he shakes Aizawa's head forcefully- testing his patience and looking for a reaction out of his next statement;]

He's seen too much and knows too much about us. I'm not giving up on him but... I suppose I'll have to dispose of him if that becomes the case.

[It's said about as casually as one would talk about the weather. He can't help but smile like he's told a funny joke because in a way, it is funny to him. Having done all that work only to kill the brat. It'd be a shame, a recruitment process failed but Bakugou was no use to them if he didn't come over willingly. So without that cooperation- he was as good as dead.]

[Does he like it? Of course not. Any of his senses being taken away was disorienting for him. It limited his senses. It left him unable to counter quirks. He could live with it because it was a stupid weakness to have. He'd fought his way out of being blindfolded before. He didn't like it.]

Not really. [An understatement. Then, comes the casual threat.]

[He expects that answer. He can't say if Bakugou is aware of that as well. Teenagers didn't have that grasp on their own mortality, though. Even after villain attack before, they were still so reckless.]

[He swallows.]

... I'll cooperate with you to guarantee his safety.

[If his teaching career was already ruined, he may as well make sure his student survives. He can live with never working as a teacher again. He can't live with knowing a student died under his watch.]

[He keeps that information tucked in the back of his mind. For now he releases Aizawa's chin in disgust.]

Huh? I thought we were already cooperating.

[Wasn't that what their earlier conversation was about? Before Shigaraki had separated Aizawa from Bakugou? Shigaraki shakes his head disapprovingly. Everything with this man was a dangerous gamble because of his child-like nature. He could literally take any argument any which way depending on his mood.

Right now? After Aizawa had repeatedly dodged questions? He's not sure how to take Aizawa's offer.]

Don't tell me you've been lyin' to me all along, hero. [he crosses his legs, purposefully swinging his leg a little too close at Aizawa. Like he was going to side kick him.] C'mon, Aizawa. I'll give you one chance to correct what you've said.

[There's a better way to 'cooperate' Shigaraki thinks. Pledge loyalty or prove his loyalty. Something he could actually use instead of this meager cooperation nonsense. Especially since he was already under the assumption that they had mutual cooperation here.]

Edited 2018-07-11 03:34 (UTC)

[There was cooperation in the form of his compliance and then there was active participation. Still, he can tell his word choice was a bit improper. He needed to be more direct. He didn't like being direct. He liked leaving himself an out, speaking in ruses and technicalities. That was dangerous, with a childish mind.]

[He doesn't flinch when Shigaraki swings his leg, he makes eye contact (as best he can with that weird hand) and clarifies what his promise of cooperation is.]

I will do whatever it takes to keep him safe. [It's not a matter of pledging loyalty. He couldn't promise that. Instead, he could sell his soul regardless of his loyalty.] I can provide information. I can serve as bait for other heroes. So long as he is not compromised, I will not raise any hand against you or your colleagues. I will attempt to guarantee their safety in an operation as much as I would my students.

And, of course, if I failed those standards, you would know what to do with me. [He embraces the threat. Shigaraki has control here and can dictate his fate. His cooperation was as much for his own sake as Bakugou's. He could live without being a teacher. He can't imagine living without his quirk.]

[There's an eerie silence that settles between the two of them once Aizawa corrected himself to Shigaraki. The League leader thinks it over carefully. It's pretty risky to let Bakugou go if the other wasn't willing to cooperate. But then he didn't know where he was and telling the police "a bar" wouldn't be much helpful. Still, he's trying to think of the safety of his own members the worthy ones who made it back.

This is a lot to think about, a lot to weigh in on. This decision isn't exactly tough to make though, the answer is quite obvious to him.]

Alright. [Shigaraki uncrosses his leg, leaning in again.] You'll be my new toy then.

[Master had told him prior that he couldn't just recklessly use the Nomus. That there needed to be a purpose beyond just throwing them out there in a show of power.]

But I still can't let him go yet and if he joins us- you still have to keep your promise. Understood?

[Toy. He would have known that was the case whether it was said aloud or not. Still, it stings to hit his ears. It was fine. It would just be until the rescue operation. Bakugou would never join them so his actions should hopefully guarantee his safety until then. Those are the things he tells himself to avoid the haunting echoes in the back of his head.]

Understood. [He repeats.]

Use me as you see fit. [Even with that promise, it would be stupid for Shigaraki to let him move around too much. If he'd convinced him he was worth something, though, worth more than being shipped off to whoever his master was, that was enough.]

[He hums with delight, obviously happy with the outcome of his conversation with Aizawa. This was the best he could have hoped for. Now they had that same headstrong teacher to protect them from the heroes.

Shigaraki reaches his hand out, gently petting Aizawa like an animal.]

Of course, you'll be seen as equal among us. [He pauses the petting, still humming joyfully.] Once you've proven your loyalty to us with your actions that is.

[It's like a contract signed in blood.]

[He'd managed to stay relatively calm, even though Shigaraki grabbing at his face. Touching the top of his head, though, there's an immediate tensing reaction. He remembers being held up by his hair he remembers he remembers he remembers-]

-Right. [He pulls himself back together, somewhat. He can feel his heart rate accelerated, still. His pupils are contracted, making his eyes look even more haggard. Still, he managed to answer. He didn't fail to respond.]

... I'm not sure how I can do that for you with my hands bound. It's your decision on what to do, though. [It might even be relaxing, to be tied up a while longer. So long as he was bound, he had an excuse to not do whatever task Shigaraki would ask to prove his loyalty. He couldn't ask for that, though, he couldn't take that luxury. He needed to be ready for whatever was placed in front of him. Even being pet. Even being a toy.]

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