CHAPTER 5: THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM

The damage wrought by the dimensional rupture continued to resonate throughout the world, unfettered. Its chaotic effects rippled through the very fabric of the universe, unseen by all, as they sunk into every atom within reach...

Even now, there were many seemingly insignificant changes taking place. Out of all of the discrepancies, one stood above most. It was a truly momentous and pivotal divergence event for humanity, all rooted within one man's desperate decision as their world began to unravel...

Was it over?

The Symbol of Peace gasped for air as he pulled back his shaky, smoking and badly mangled fist. All around him, the dangerous metal constructs previously trying to kill him crumbled apart, their malicious puppeteer bested. Beneath him, he could feel the battered I-tower shudder in protest, still reeling from the destructive power unleashed at its summit.

He glanced down to assess the damage to his body. He was a damn mess and barely holding onto his muscular form. His trademark costume laid in tatters, the skin beneath bruised and bloodied from the relentless hits he had taken. Stifling a pained hiss, he tried to straighten himself without aggravating his internal injuries or losing his balance. As a response, his body shuddered with another wave of pain that raced down his cracked rib cage and through his tender abdomen, eliciting an involuntary groan and wheeze of coppery fluids up his windpipe.

This was nothing new. He'd endure.

What mattered above all else was that Wolfram was finished.

…

...

He had to admit that for a brief moment, as he spat up blood for what felt like the umpteenth time on the ravaged rooftop, he had felt doubt gnawing at his heart. Doubt that he could take on the monstrous, twisted form Wolfram had taken as he wielded the Quirk Amplification Device.

Doubt that he was enough.

As it was the case more and more lately, young Midoriya's unyielding resolve came to the rescue, allowing him to push himself past his self-imposed limitations to go Plus Ultra, ending the fight with an unexpected surge of power that turned the tides in an instant.

Speaking of which...

He paused to observe the turbulent wisps of golden electricity arcing through his massive forearms and chest. A frown marred his sharp features as the warm twinge of raw and unbridled power that was One For All burned throughout his body at an abnormal rate.

"How's this even possible?" He whispered, unsettled at seeing and feeling the broken bones and wrecked tissue trying to knit themselves at a pace he hadn't experienced in years, the process only hindered by the toll it took upon his abysmal health. There were so many questions running through his mind.

He forced the wave of regenerative energy to recede. If it went on any further, he feared he'd pass out...or worse.

Kneeling by his old friend, he set aside those concerns for later, focusing instead on wrapping a ripped piece of clothing around the bullet wound to curb the bleeding.

Wary of surprise attacks, he glanced at Wolfram out of the corner of his eye. To his relief, the beaten Villain was hanging limp from a torn support beam, his wrinkled skin steaming and charred. In the aftermath of the battle, his musculature had collapsed, with every ounce of hypertrophied muscle burned away into nothing. He now looked downright skeletal and mummified, perhaps a devastating feedback effect from the prototype device's untimely destruction during battle.

It reminded him far too much of his own frail, pathetic state...

A hefty price to pay for great power.

Power. He ground his teeth, seething in silence as his thoughts drifted to All For One. It was clear his nemesis had entrusted Wolfram with some sort of muscle-enhancing Quirk, wielding yet another bloodthirsty pawn in his deadly games against him and everything he stood for. His conniving scheming truly knew no bounds.

He wouldn't rest until that murderous, thieving fiend was thrown in Tartarus for good!

But for now, he had more immediate concerns. After gathering his troubled thoughts, the Symbol of Peace regarded his former sidekick, his voice tired and weary. "I've heard most of what happened from Melissa." A hint of disappointment slipped through in his tone.

David's shoulders slumped as he unconsciously averted his gaze, the guilt he felt at the whole ordeal tearing at him. "It's all true. I was so scared you'd lose your light. Scared that the peace you built as a hero would fade away with you."

Toshinori scoffed softly. It was all he could do, for his friend's words resonated far too clearly within him as well, making his throat stiff and bone dry. For him, that irrational fear manifested itself through grueling nightmares that plagued him almost nightly. So many dreams orbited around his inevitable loss of One For All while he watched those in need suffer.

He'd wither away to nothing, and their cries would echo through the night as they called out his name in vain...

What haunted him above all else was the apparition of All For One looming triumphantly in the background as he unleashed eldritch monstrosities from his very flesh and onto the vulnerable world. A twisted, inky, outstretched maw-like appendage siphoning the Quirk and life force off of every hapless victim he willed towards his form, their wasted bodies then getting cast aside as if they were nothing but trash, his terrible power growing by the second...

...

David was wrong, though. Deep down, Toshinori knew peace would not fade away with such ease. He would never allow it to happen, even if it meant his untimely demise. As long as there was hope, justice would always prevail.

A hollow chuckle from the scientist brought him back to reality. "My ideas and that cursed device were nothing more than desperate attempts to maintain the status quo. To ensure that nothing would ever change..." David paused, sighing despondently as he held back the surge of emotions threatening to spill over. In the end, it had all been such a hopeless endeavor.

He tried to stand up, but a flash of pain made his legs give out.

All Might lend him a helping hand. Finding his footing, David turned his glassy eyes towards the green-haired and rather beaten young man being supported by his daughter on the rubble nearby. "I did that...even though the future was standing in front of me the whole time; I just didn't notice it. Toshi, look at those two. She wants to become my successor, you know that? And you...you have Izuku Midoriya. He'll take your place one day...won't he?"

Those last words came out as a broken, melancholic whisper. Just thinking about All Might's era fading away into history was truly depressing. Its effects through society would be widespread and unspeakably profound...and surely not for the better.

The Symbol of Peace nodded meekly, his mind a hazy mess as he gazed back at young Midoriya's wincing form thoughtfully. His successor waved at them frantically with a brilliant and infectious smile. He reciprocated it as best as he could before responding. "He still has a long road ahead. But...in him shines the greatest potential I have ever seen among those who will become great heroes."

"I knew it," David asserted with a dull, crooked smile as he turned to face Toshi, his suspicions confirmed with the indirect avowal.

It all made sense now; the weight on his shoulders and heart lessened somewhat. Perhaps the future wouldn't be so bleak in All Might's absence. Izuku did mirror a lot of Toshi's personality traits, to a fault even. His lips quirked up further. "I can see it too; hope. An unwavering light just like yours. That boy has the heart of a hero."

"That he does." Toshinori agreed, pride swelling in his chest with the remark. Moments like this made him wish he had the guts to face Nighteye one more time to tell him he had been wrong. He had made the right decision; Izuku Midoriya was the one.

And he was worthy of it all.

His brilliant smile then faltered as he faced David again, his features twisting with pain, turmoil, and indecision as he settled an arm over his tender ribs, his mind finally meandering to the subject he had been skirting all along. "Listen...I need to ask you something,"

David turned to him expectantly.

Toshinori faltered. It was as if he were standing on the ledge of a bottomless pit. He took a deep breath. Or tried to, at least, but his throat threatened to clamp shut. He grits his teeth, hellbent on pushing through his trepidation. "About that device..."

David's posture slumped once more as he ran a trembling hand over his face. He couldn't fathom a proper way to apologize or make up for this damn mess. "Yeah I know, it was such a stupid, stupid idea! I don't know what I was thinking, I'm sorry—"

His apology was hastily interrupted. "No, no. It's—David, you don't understand!" Toshinori raised his voice in frustration as he paced back and forth. The frustration wasn't directed at David but towards himself, the sickening feeling settling in his gut making it hard to gather the courage to mutter those three fateful words...and take the final step off the proverbial ledge.

His heart quickened to the point it felt like it'd burst out of his chest. After another moment of hesitation, he closed his eyes, taking the plunge at last. "I need—" He paused to correct himself, "No, we need it."

Pin drop.

"Wait...what?" The frazzled scientist did a double-take upon hearing the unexpected request, the haunted look he was being given setting off so many red flags. "What's going on, Toshi?"

All Might settled his recessed, gleaming eyes on the ocean surrounding I-Island and the imminent, breathtaking sunrise. It was going to be a beautiful morning…but if he strained his eyes and focused further beyond, he could see dark and ominous storm clouds beginning to gather.

And with that, his thoughts drifted to the unsettling events that unfolded earlier in the night...

He went ahead and told David everything.

He explained how just a few hours ago—while he had been trapped within the emergency restraining device activated by Wolfram—he had felt it. Unfathomable, wanton destruction. Death. Calamity. He witnessed the whole planet burning. The emotions imbued within the premonition lanced through the vestigial embers linking him to One For All like lightning, breathing life into it as the shadowy souls of its previous wielders beckoned to him in ways they never had before. His body had spasmed and seized up miserably as every disembodied voice desperately reached out to him with the same muddled but dire warning.

Right then, a foreboding and dreadful sensation had spilled through his spine and every limb, freezing him in place. At the peak of it all, an unholy and guttural roar had pierced through his senses. With it came a dark veil of overwhelming and malevolent energy that rattled him to the core. And as quick as it had come, it was gone.

Like standing in the eye of a hurricane, he knew this was but a taste of what was to come.

Was it All For One? Did he finally manage to find a way to enhance his wicked powers further? The answer eluded him. What he knew was that not even his great nemesis in his prime had ever made him feel this absolute sense of impotence and impending doom. Even now as the unpleasant feeling had long faded, the shiver-inducing unease and anxiety refused to let go.

Turning to face his old friend, Toshinori's eyes were filled with uncertainty as he spoke. He tried to maintain what remained of his steadfast front. "Something terrible is coming, David. I-I'm not sure if it's him. There are so many questions, and I don't have a single answer. I've never felt anything like this before."

The tenacious and impervious facade of All Might then shattered, and David saw every grim emotion flooding through. "Whatever it is, I...I don't know if I-if we can stop it on our own."

With that, the disquieting fear and uncertainty spread like a tumor to infect David's own thought processes. No. All Might did not fear anything. He...he could take on anything or anyone...right? He balled his fists. He wanted to argue and counter Toshi's statement but in the end, he held back, choosing to nod in grim understanding and ultimately, resolve.

If he was right, an unimaginable danger was looming over everyone. Really, how often had he ever heard Toshi doubt himself?

This...this was something else. If he believed this could even out the odds one bit, he'd give it his all. "I'll do everything in my power to help, Toshi."

No more words needed to be spoken. Both men stood up and straightened themselves as best as they could, facing the sunrise as they took a deep breath and steeled their nerves. The students were climbing through the rubble towards them and they couldn't risk getting them involved. Not yet, at least. They had gone through enough as it were.

There was so much to do…and it seemed like time was running out already...

What a riveting development.

It had taken some time, but eventually, the stubbornly persistent radio chatter became intriguing enough to rouse him from his iatric slumber. Life support systems receded around his body as he shifted the mobile medical bay into an upright position.

He needed to see this for himself.

Technopath was activated with a fleeting thought. Luminous, neon-tinged tendrils of electricity spread out of his fingers and into the idle consoles, the sickly glow seeping into every component like a festering disease until the devices yielded to his will. Another Quirk was then summoned; this one acquired back in the early twentieth century from a formidable typhlotic warrior in Korea. Dazzling arrays of vivid colors, depth and shapes were instantly projected into his visual cortex, rendering biological eyesight extraneous.

The cavernous tactical room reawakened, and the countless workstations and monitors mounted on its walls resumed their surveillance endeavors on I-Island, distracting him briefly from his current interest.

He probed the networks for a live feed. Dozens of error messages piled up on every system as the island's security countermeasures rejected the new intrusion. "To think it took all of you this long to regain control of your rogue systems...how embarrassing." He quipped, still reeling from the grand disappointment their abysmal digital resistance had caused.

As expected, Wolfram nor his men were responding to his hails. Pity...that meant their primary objective was forsaken and an absolute failure. They were likely already loaded up into Iron Maidens for a final trip into Tartarus. Every whisper regarding the amplification device was tantalizing, but with a petty criminal like him involved, it was bound to end in crippling failure—even with the gift he had provided.

Not all was in vain, however, for all he truly cared about was that All Might was weathered some more. In that aspect, Wolfram had served his purpose with excellence; even more so considering he was just an expendable means to an end.

Little by little, his dazzling light was fading. Soon enough One For All would not dwell within him, and the Symbol of Peace would be no more.

The time was near; he could feel it in his blood and deep in his bones...a thrill unlike any other. His final battle against Toshinori Yagi. With his defeat and inevitable demise, no hero, government, nor military entity would be able to oppose him. His unrivaled power and influence would then spread through Japan and the world at large. All would be reshaped in his image, and his kingdom would be boundless and everlasting. Finally, those following his footsteps would never need to live in the shadows ever again.

Retribution would be swift, absolute, and delightful.

He checked on his underlings and their progress. Everything was as it should be; the pawns were on the move like a well-oiled machine. In a few days, the Legion of Villains and the newly formed Vanguard Action Squad would deal another crippling blow to Hero Society, and by extension, to All Might. He only hoped Tomura's unhealthy obsession with capturing the unpredictable Katsuki Bakugo wouldn't backfire—

He shook his head, breaking away from the wandering, monologuist thoughts. On to the current subject of interest...

The monitors and hard disks buzzed. Technopath made short work of twelve Gigabytes worth of data, the many recordings being instantly downloaded, sorted chronologically and then played for him.

Musutafu's blue skies darkening ominously with abnormal, cyclonic clouds. A burning object streaking through the heavens. A crater that was more befitting of a Western space opera, shattering an unimportant urban center.

Members of the glorified yet underwhelming First Response Unit, taken down in the blink of an eye by the corpulent, bubblegum-like Villain that arose from the crater. Pathetic, but not shocking in the least.

Said corpulent bubblegum-like Villain breaking into a pastry shop, of all places.

Expectedly, Pro Heroes brashly jumping in for their minute of vainglory; two he knew and one he did not, inflicting needless havoc and violence without first attempting discourse.

He witnessed the gluttonous Villain fiercely smash and bury Gunhead's helpless little skull into a wall while getting pelted with projectiles point-blank; a brutal image he'd cherish for quite some time. The musclehead known as Death Arms did not fare any better, even with his enhanced physical prowess. The other insignificant and brightly colored whelp flashed some sort of useless photon Quirk out of his hands. He was smacked away like week-old trash.

Like a predator closing in on his prey, he continued to analyze the footage, painstakingly dissecting the fascinating chaos unraveling in his domain without his explicit knowledge. That wouldn't do. All of his attention was focused upon this man now. From his djinn-like costume to every little frivolous action taken on a whim and without a care in the world...

"Again." His will was done, and this time the recording was cropped to focus on the newcomer, multiple angles appearing on each screen from various media drones scouting the battle and a single news helicopter.

He watched Death Arms slug the obese Villain into a burning vehicle, which proceeded to explode in a glorious blaze of flames.

Upon further inspection, he discovered that the detonation had destroyed his body. Down to a pulp, perhaps. Yet, within seconds, nary a wound remained. "Is it Advanced Regeneration? No, Hyper Regeneration." He mused out loud, going back to replay the last ten seconds.

"Even his garments were reconstructed." He noted with barely contained wonder. Just as his rosy flesh mended itself, every inch of clothing seemed to blink back into existence as if they were an actual part of his body. Simply astounding. How was that feat of convenient matter manipulation possible? He idly wondered if it could restore his broken-down body.

An intriguing theory that had to be tested.

His favorite scene played next, and it was chill-inducing and unforgettable. A guttural scream of instantaneous annihilation. Nothing stood in the wake of the barbaric Fuschia mouth blast. The helicopter broadcast went offline as it plummeted, the audio feed being overloaded by the terrified screams of its passengers. The destruction ravaged everything in its path with impunity, including the meddlesome Pro Heroes.

All done without question or hesitation.

Another helicopter broadcast started, sharing a wide-angle view of the mile-long earthly carving. The carnage was a breathtaking thing to behold, and it made him grin with elation. He was certain the death toll would be terribly high with such an upsurge of exotic annihilative power in the hyper-dense urban environment.

It truly set the bar high. He'd be mindful when he battled Toshinori and ensure he laid waste to twice as much of the city.

"I wonder," Sifting through the sizable collection of earth-shattering Quirks at his disposal, he attempted to assess and match the powers wielded by the peculiar stranger. "Certainly emitter-type, that one. Was it thermokinetic manipulation? A laser-like emission?"

Ah, so many possibilities for mass destruction and battlefield domination—

His heart fluttered upon seeing the man suddenly rise to the skies. A derivative of Air Walk? No; the magnificent wave of wasted kinetic force that shredded everything below as he disappeared into the heavens made it implausible.

The man was defying gravity. He was flying.

A wide, versatile breadth of raw power waiting to be exploited…no—to be taken.

Silence reigned around him. He idly rubbed the deep, ragged scars covering his mangled nose and hollow eye sockets as he collapsed back into the comfortable life support cradle, pondering on all of the possibilities this presented.

Resuming the playthrough, he found out that in a matter of seconds, the pink anomaly was out of sight of most of the cameras under his command. He looked at the timestamp; less than an hour had transpired. He had no doubt his prey would disappear from Musutafu, and perhaps Japan altogether soon enough.

For hours he sat unmoving, obsessively wielding Technopath to monitor countless local systems and broadcasts. When that bore no fruit, he broke into the subpar public surveillance network in North Korea, and then South Korea's. He found nothing of interest there either. Vexing, to say the least.

No matter, he was patient. He was all-seeing and his target would not escape his grasp.

All For One enhanced the Quirk's output, absolute influence, and reach. He tapped into the trickier Russian and Chinese networks next. Upon getting no results, an encrypted message was sent to his vast network of agents across Japan and the lands beyond.

'Find him.'

He waited.

Nearly three hours later, his perseverance paid off. His agents had been worthless and he almost missed it; a seemingly mundane online news broadcast from the Americas replaying the footage of a lycanthropic Pro Hero facing off against what they believed to be a run-of-the-mill Villain...

An obese, conspicuous, pink-skinned, cape-wearing Villain.

His prey.

"Ah, there you are. How unexpected to see you all the way out there," He cooed affectionately, rather startled with his current whereabouts. To be so brash and tempt fate abroad merely hours after his previous attacks! Was it arrogance borne from great trials in battle, or was it just puerile overconfidence? Yet again, he was left in awe as the rascal found himself in the middle of another fierce battle, this one unraveling into full close-quarters combat.

He observed.

Initially, it appeared the pink hooligan was at a disadvantage against the larger, extremely aggressive and abnormally muscular hero, with every single hit staggering him and twisting his features in painful ways. His assumption was fast proven wrong, for he appeared to be only toying with the ireful hero. Truly, his portly physicality did not match his raw strength. His methods were brutal and appallingly simplistic, but also devastating and effective—

Oh, there goes another meddling hero. The patriotic interloper paid a hefty price for his worthless interference. He almost winced upon hearing the sickening crack of ribs and caved-in sternum. Almost.

For the briefest of moments, the lycanthrope went on a brutal grief-induced rampage, all in hopes of downing his enemy once and for all. Yet it wasn't meant to be. Even though his upper body was struck and turned to meaty ooze, it did not slow him down. Then, in a display of craftiness—and perhaps the ultimate, cruel show of supremacy—the caped Villain transformed his head into a set of limbs while also making his body impervious to damage.

"Complete Body Manipulation and Nigh Imperviousness. This is getting preposterous now, young man." He chuckled with unbridled glee and a hint of covetousness.

Immediately after, the hefty fiend went on the offensive to trounce the lycanthropic hero decisively. A thunderclap later, he ended crashing and burning into and through the street, his body spent and bloodied as he mingled in the city's raw sewage.

Then something interesting happened. A sphere of light emerged on the pink menace's gloved hands, and another great detonation bloomed through the city, quite similar to the mouth-blast from Musutafu, but at a smaller scale. "You're able to unleash your emitter Quirk from most of your body. My, the surprises just keep on coming."

Another hero joined the fray. The electrokinetic launched a lightning onslaught, their desperation and fear too evident. All For One smiled as he watched the aggravated child-like ruffian re-merge from the point of impact mostly unscathed. High-amperage electric discharges were rather obnoxious, even to someone as powerful as himself. That man's resilience was exceptional and made his itch to battle him worsen.

The Villain was hit once again, the interloper's lightning emission strong enough to temporarily disable the recording equipment this time. He slowed down the footage. His body had been torn apart into splatter just before the screen blacked out.

Yet again he came back. This time, the earth shook beneath the battlefield as he hovered, his form enveloped in swirling walls of fury and destruction. Every sensor he had tapped into registered a localized temblor. A final detonation imbued with an ear-wrenching scream followed, and every camera went offline permanently.

"Bravo." He whispered, his bemused clapping echoing through the room. For the first time in years—no, decades—he was nearly struck speechless.

No matter what it took, those fantastic Quirks would be his to command. His smile turned predatory and ravenous, his pristine pearly whites contrasting dramatically against the mangled layers of scar tissue that coated every inch of his face.

He reminisced. Through the last century, he had encountered a conservative number of formidable Quirk wielders capable of incredible feats of power. When he did, he made sure their power became his own. From despicable glory hogs to naive bastions of hope, they were all felled by his ever-growing arsenal of death and chaos, their abilities inevitably becoming his to wield.

Like clockwork, the impulsive, compelling desire to possess that which wasn't his own took over his thought processes. He knew there was no alternative...he had to take those Quirks no matter the cost.

Oh, he had so much work to do.

"Doctor," He queried the network for the obfuscated and heavily encrypted connection leading to the reclusive man's base, a question burning in his mind. Once the call was active, he pressed on. "Is there anything you need to tell me?"

"Sensei," The good Doctor swiveled in his chair to greet him. His stout body was hunched over and still partially hidden within the dreary long shadows of one of his labs as he hummed a merry tune very unfit for the decrepit and gruesome ambiance.

Beside him rested an inactive Nomu, the useless, sawed-off top portion of his skull set on a small operating table. His bloodied hands were grasping medical devices that were partially inserted into the modified and hyperdeveloped cerebral tissue, which he had just finished tinkering with for the time being. Dozens of electrodes and medical devices were connected into the Nomu's nervous system, its limbs twitching erratically as if it were a mere meat puppet. A descriptor not too far from the truth.

His green goggles glistened as he appraised the image that was delivered to his monitors. "Ah, I've been meaning to keep an eye on him. I read a vague news report but missed the live broadcasts." He motioned to the inactive Nomu as he discarded the oversized surgical gloves. "The specialty ones have kept me quite busy. Some of them should be ready to deploy in two days at most, once the programming is completed and they stabilize."

All For One nodded appreciatively. Just what he expected to hear, and right on time as the norm. "Understandable, and quite the wonderful news at that. As for my question, allow me to show you everything." He transferred the data collected so far.

The Doctor instantly dropped all of his dreadful tools of the trade, his obsessive tendencies showing forthwith as he cast the Nomu aside. Minutes passed in silence as the bald-headed scientist finished watching the footage with bated breath. All For One waited, his fingers entwined as he rested his chin on them.

"This is...that—no, those Quirks are something else!" The Doctor remarked with quivering lips, fumbling with his words in palpable and frantic excitement. However, a bushy brow was raised in confusion the moment the accusation from earlier sank in. "I'm sorry. Sensei, what were you implying exactly?"

Chuckling mirthfully, the Symbol of Evil tilted his head to one side. "You know what I am implying. Are you telling me you had no play in this whatsoever? No side project running amok behind my back to further your Quirk research, Doctor?"

The mad scientist did not respond for some time as he replayed and digested the footage some more, the only sign he had heard the accusation being a deep frown and a sporadic eye tick. "As much as I'd like to take credit for this, I am afraid this wondrous subject is not of my doing. I would never go behind your back, Sensei. Never. You know that. I don't even have enough spare time to focus on side projects." He stated, his voice plaited with frustration.

He wasn't frustrated by Sensei's question. No, he was frustrated and disappointed by the fact that he should have been the mastermind behind this magnificent feat of bioengineering!

Gauging the affronted reaction, it was highly unlikely that Doctor Garaki was lying; he appeared to be as mystified as he himself had been with the newcomer. Untrusting of mere physical cues, All For One activated Mendacity. Upon finding no deceit in his answer, he dropped the subject. He was a very smart man to maintain his loyalty; the alternative would not be pleasant in any way. "My most sincere apologies, Doctor. You must understand my plight. Let us move on then, shall we? What do you think of him?"

The Doctor huffed, quickly discarding his crimson-stained gloves to scratch his bristly mustache. He moved closer to the screen replaying the most relevant scenes, tapping a finger on the smudged glass. "Based on this, I can only wildly guess at his Quirk arsenal. It is not natural. It can't be."

"An intriguing theory and rational conclusion," All For One praised, enthralled by such possibilities. He truly missed the times when the brave and naive attempted to oppose him. "Do we have another party finally stepping into the spotlight, then? Could it be the Japanese government growing bold and desperate, or is it merely a clandestine organization seeking relevance?" No matter who they were, he'd enjoy crushing them beneath his feet.

Doctor Garaki hummed thoughtfully. "Too many possibilities and variables, Sensei. It's troublesome to even think others have advanced this far in such a short timeframe. I believe it is of utmost importance we capture him and extract the answers ourselves. " He concluded with a twisted grin and mischievous glint in his eyes.

That they did. With such an impressive death count, the newcomer had sent the authorities and heroes in Japan into an upheaval worthy of All For One's praise. But, having escaped their grasp, it was now a matter of who managed to get to him first.

With that in mind, he queried the Western networks for updates...and discovered he had been apprehended. Unfortunate, but not a shocking development in the least. Noting the involvement of the pesky American military and their so-called Special Forces, he was all but certain of where they'd be taking him.

Now that he knew where to begin his hunt, his servants abroad received new orders. He had eyes and ears everywhere.

"So do I, Doctor." All For One resumed his discourse after an extended pause. "Let's make this happen. I will take care of the arrangements. Continue your great work, and I will contact you again soon." With an approving nod from Doctor Garaki, the call ended. He then shifted his attention to another monitor, this one feeding him a live feed from a decrepit bar located in Kamino, Yokohama; the League of Villain's main base of operations.

Toga and Dabi—the newest additions to the League, courtesy of Giran—sat quietly on the barside, while his protege sulked at the far end of the room in his chosen gritty corner. There, he had set a table next to a faulty Jukebox to satisfy his penchant for seclusion. The wall was littered with recently added All Might posters, all of which had been stabbed, ripped, and cut at Tomura's leisure. Currently, his sunken eyes were glued to a mobile device settled in his grasp.

"Kurogiri," All For One beckoned the Warp Gate wielder, his voice as smooth as ever. Everyone in the room turned to face the source of his voice as Kurogiri side-stepped into view.

As it was the norm, Kurogiri could not see his master through the one-way call, being forced to rely only on the audio broadcast for communication. "Hello, Sensei." He greeted, his ghastly silhouette barely visible in the obscured bar as he bowed in reverence.

"Master…" Tomura whispered, his raspy tone laden with reverence.

"Good evening. I hope everything is well with all of you. Kurogiri, I am going to need you to arrange a meeting. We may have yet another vital piece to add to the board before we make our next move. I hope this is not an issue."

The Warp Gate user nodded crisply. "Not at all, Sensei. If I may ask, what is my destination? Back to Tokyo?"

"Oh, no, it is not Tokyo nor Japan. Your destination will be in America. California, to be precise. I will contact you when I get a specific location. Prepare yourself."

Kurogiri's thoughts ground to a halt. He did his best to hide his surprise as broken memories from his earlier stints abroad resurfaced. Quite a few were rather unpleasant, and most of them were in that hostile State. The military-backed heroes he had encountered had been a nightmare to deal with. Was this an extraction? So many questions—

A familiar stabbing pain shot through his head as other conflicting memories attempted to emerge. The compelling subconscious force buried the troublesome thoughts instantly. No, he would not question All For One, ever. "It shall be done, Sensei."

"Good. Now if you'll excuse me, I have other matters to attend to." The broadcast went offline. Kurogiri sighed, turning to face the curious faces waiting for answers.

"What was that about?" Tomura Shigaraki blurted out. He actually sounded somewhat lively, for once.

Dabi—who had been previously dozing off—chimed in. "Huh. Must be someone really important to have you travel that far."

"I am not sure, to be honest with you." He answered. "I do not know who it is. Rest assured Sensei knows what he is doing."

It was true. He trusted All For One with his very life. The man was a true tactician and he couldn't hope to comprehend his great schemes.

"Yay, it sounds like we're going on a road trip~" Toga sang cheerfully in that high-pitched tone of hers as she stabbed an oversized knife onto the expensive wooden surface of the bar...for the third time that evening.

Kurogiri grumbled and sighed again.

Mojave Desert

[ California ]

The Crypt was by far one of the toughest and most secure penitentiary complexes in the Southwest. Some locals even believed it gave Tartarus—the infamous Japanese Super Prison—a good run for its money. Unlike the publicly funded prison in the Far East, The Crypt was privately run by the Air Force and the remnants of Homeland Security as a semi classified joint operation. There were a total of six other prisons operated by them throughout the United States.

The sprawling center sat deep within the crust of the uninhabited Mojave Desert, right below the former Fort Irwin National Training Center, with most of the original above-ground structures either getting repurposed or outright demolished to house the imposing eight-story topside fortress and its vast security systems. Billions of dollars had been diverted over the last decades to build, expand and reinforce the facility as the number of devastating Quirk users grew out of the government's control, their local prison systems woefully inadequate to house them safely.

Most Americans knew little to nothing about what went on or what happened to the hapless Villains within these facilities. The truth was that most did not care anyway. Out of sight, out of mind, as some would say.

Today had been a rather average an uneventful day on the surface. The guards at each imposing tower stood still, their eyes never leaving the surveillance network or the broad view of the expansive and blistering desert around them.

A distinctive claxon then went off.

The base descended into controlled chaos as a detachment of four armored personnel carriers rolled out of the barracks and into the runway. Within seconds, the carrier's doors slammed down and six elite soldiers marched out of each vehicle, their protective bodysuits loaded to the teeth with Quirk-suppressing devices and conventional rifles. On top of the armored vehicles, a gunner stood behind a GAU-2/A Minigun, ready to disperse 7.62×51mm NATO rounds at a moment's notice.

In the skies above, three Air Force VTOL aircraft were coming in hot, their turbine roar deafening all as they transitioned their adjustable thrusters to land between the waiting teams. Pneumatics on the cargo bay door of the largest vessel whirred to life, hissing and groaning loudly as soon as the engines spooled down.

Eight Quirk-suppressing devices went online and sixteen rifles stood at the ready. Soon enough the soldiers got a view of the military-grade Iron Maiden within. Through the forward-facing observation window, they got their first glimpse at the unmoving pink figure, its bloated face easily dwarfing their own. Its eyes and mouth were slanted and curved upward in oblivious contentment. Loud and deeply grating snoring resonated through the hollow Iron Maiden like a buzzsaw, sending vibrations down the walls of the vessel.

Seeing this, the men shifted restlessly. Typically, the Villains being dragged into The Crypt would be screaming and hollering on their way down. To see someone so serene as they were being taken into permanent confinement felt wrong and downright disquieting.

Then again, they were captured rather easily. So it was likely there was nothing to worry about—

"Don't be fooled by his serene demeanor," A cold, feminine voice answered their unspoken question brazenly as her toned figure stepped past the Iron Maiden. It was Torchbearer, one of the most powerful American Pro Heroes and one of the Great Ten in the Special Forces. Her closed fists were glowing a faint turquoise beneath her gray cloak with subdued waves of self-generated plasma as she set the Maiden into motion, her bright amber eyes fixated on the sleeping Villain as she scanned the Maiden's systems for signs of unrest. She did not trust these containment systems, and deep down, she was itching for a fight.

Turning to the unsettled men, she continued. "Believe it or not, doughboy here shredded your fancy jets and killed two of your pilots with minimal effort. We also lost a Pro Hero and over a dozen civilians in town—all of this in a matter of minutes."

Some of the younger men visibly reeled, their stances stiffening as they tightened their grip on their weapons.

"Relax, we've got everything under control." A man reassured dismissively as he exited the VTOL. His tech-rich suit configuration was unmistakable; it was Dark Tide. "Torchbearer, cut it out already. You're scaring them." He chided as he stepped down to walk alongside the chuckling Plasma user, each taking a position by the Maiden's sides. Just before taking off, he had Warped the hotheaded hero into the aircraft to ensure they had a heavy-hitter in case things went awry. So far, it looked like the decision had been a waste of energy and patience.

"He's right," Behind them, the Shield Heroine Aegis stepped forth, her staff idly glowing with energy after the containment bubble had dispersed moments before. "He's unconscious. We can deal with him. You're all dismissed." She voiced with well-practiced authority.

More than a few sets of shoulders slumped in relief. Even with having a decent number of Quirk users within their ranks, it was a daunting endeavor to face Villains capable of taking down actual Pro Heroes with ease. At least they had the firepower and technology to even the odds.

The Iron Maiden proceeded to move on its own power past the dismissed soldiers and towards the main gates of The Crypt without incident, and the heroes followed it quietly without missing a beat. Beneath them, the earth grumbled as the massive meter-thick entry gate crept open, giving way to a long, darkened hallway stocked with defense weaponry, high-tech equipment, and a sizable elevator at its end.

"Please hold still for clearance." One of the men working on the security checkpoint spoke just as a large number of automated turrets focused on them. The other man—who had a plethora of high-tech devices directly fused into his extremities—raised an arm towards them. Emerald-hued scanning arrays blossomed from his open palm as his Quirk probed for weapons or other potential threats.

"They're clear." He announced shortly after, allowing them to proceed into the cramped spaces of the industrial elevator.

Two men in pristine white lab coats joined them just before the doors closed.

"No further incidents, I take it?" The older and partially bald man questioned, his eyes only leaving the large datapad in his arm to eye their newest subject. He lazily acknowledged the heroes with a passing nod. His nametag read 'C. Millers, Senior Head Researcher'.

"Lopez, sync up with the Maiden." He quipped before anyone could answer his initial question. Next to him, the bright-eyed assistant nodded before tinkering with the Maiden's consoles.

"They're still out. Not even a blink since I bubbled 'em up in Santa Cruz." Aegis responded, her face marred with a frown. She was still perplexed about the whole ordeal. Nothing about this incident made any sense. To think this all started with a break-in on a darned bakery...it gave her a headache.

"Did they really just fall asleep while fighting?" Millers wondered out loud, moving closer to the Maiden's observation window to examine the pink mutant detachedly as if he were a mere object.

Aegis nodded. "Yep. Don't know why. Something feels wrong about all of this." It had been far too easy, considering all of the property damage and casualties that had ensued.

"How interesting." The scientist mused, motioning them to follow as the elevator pinged upon reaching the main subterranean station that spread out into multiple tunnels. From there they moved onto a larger rail-operated transport vehicle that took them much deeper into the maze-like underground prison.

"Sublevel Eight?" Torchbearer noted as the thick, numbered bulkheads parted ways to give them access to their final destination. "Are you geeks that worried chubbs will try to break out?"

Millers huffed at the brassy taunting. "Oh no, we're quite confident in our security and containment systems. If anything, we're being prudent, that is all."

"It's closer to the labs," The younger researcher confessed, his tone a bit too chipper considering the ominous implications. Millers shrugged nonchalantly at the disclosure.

"So yet another test subject." Dark Tide spoke up for the first time, his voice loaded with disdain. "I don't like your methods."

If the statement bothered Millers, he did not show it. Instead, he turned to face the hero, his gaze vindictive and harsh. "It feels like we've had this little talk before. Ah yes, we have. Dark Tide, it was your choice to join our little endeavor. Both Aegis and Torchbearer did too, and I don't see them complaining. You signed that little contract that provided you with a small fortune and experimental support items, did you not?"

At that, the Gateway hero shifted his gaze downward. Torchbearer and Aegis remained quiet, unwilling to deal with the headaches they knew the researcher could bring.

Millers cackled triumphantly. "Thought so. Anyway, the subject relinquished his rights the moment he illegally entered the United States and dared to attack us. He demonstrated offensive abilities that drew the interest of powerful people way above me."

From that point on, they did not speak again. They moved down multiple high-security checkpoints and through a set of seemingly endless sterile-white passageways, their every step echoing throughout them. Every so often, they'd walk past a group of armed guards or researchers checking in on the prisoners.

"Aaaand ...we're here." Yellow caution lights strobed in the hallway as Millers placed his hand on a scanner, the door leading to the permanent containment room sliding open upon accepting his credentials.

Every wall in the control room was easily half a meter thick, layered between unknown steel alloys and concrete. Further inside, another set of security doors opened, this time giving access to the prisoner's final resting place. Dark Tide shuddered, claustrophobia beginning to set in.

The square room was comprised of much thicker and more resilient materials all around. It was massive, loaded with state-of-the-art consoles and power supply systems that would connect to the Iron Maiden and maintain its functionality long-term. Another visible trait was the oversized weapons attached to the ceilings on every corner, their domed surface lined with a wide array of cameras and sensors. A thick observation window sat on one side, serving as a way for scientists to interact with the prisoner without entering or endangering their lives.

Slowly but surely the Iron Maiden steered itself into the large cradle, its innards hissing as they coupled. Everyone stepped back into the secondary room as the blast-grade doors shut.

"Iron Maiden synced with the central mainframe. Beginning diagnostics. Power supply; online. Sensor arrays; online. Life support systems; active. Countermeasures; online. Caution-unable to acquire baseline bio-signs." A bland computerized voice announced.

"Huh, that's odd," Millers muttered, eyeing the error report. "No matter, probably a stupid glitch. Go get that fixed up." His assistant nodded dutifully, getting to work on the devices nearby as they lit up with lines of conflicting data and computer coding.

"Heroes!" He turned around to greet them with his trademark unpleasant and phony smile. "Everything went well, as expected. Thank you for escorting our newest acquisition. Yet another great threat to our country taken down by our mighty Special Forces." He mock-bowed to add insult to injury.

The man's sarcastic and jeering nuance almost made Torchbearer snap and wish she could evaporate him on the spot. Pretentious, lying prick. "Yeah, yeah. This was freakin' disappointing." She sighed, trying her best to ignore the man as she crossed her arms in irritation. His bullcrap wasn't her concern at the moment. She was staring intently towards the ton-plus of steel sealing the Villain away. Deep down she had hoped the pink blob would try to break out and fight back. The hype surrounding them made her itch for a good fight and it pissed her off to have such a letdown.

Dark Tide grumbled something unintelligible about questionable practices and his disdain for confined spaces before speaking up. "Okay, great. Since there's nothing left for us do, let's get the hell out of here already." He extended his left hand, willing an inky Gateway into existence out of his fingertips. He'd rather wander through the desert than deal with another flight with these people.

"You know how to reach us if we're needed," Aegis advised the two scientists, her voice calm and collected, well aware any bickering would be useless and detrimental. Torchbearer muttered a curse as her displeased and sprightly form disappeared through the portal to rant and vent somewhere else. Dark Tide followed suit after glaring daggers at Miller a final time.

"Yeah yeah, sure thing." Millers shook his head as the Shield Heroine disappeared, the portal vanishing without much fanfare. He was feeling giddy. "Don't you worry, heroes. He's going nowhere. We got special orders for this one."

He shifted his sight to leer at the Iron Maiden and the prisoner within, sneering wickedly as he spoke. "Procure all of the tools necessary, Lopez. We're going to find out what makes this one tick..."

A/N:
All done! I've had this chapter done for a bit, but Against All Odds had me busy most of the time. We've been looking to buy a home, while at the same time working nonstop(and trying to do some writing in-between). Speaking of Against All Odds...I know it's taking a while, but I'm hoping the update for AAO will be worth it. I apologize for the wait. I will not give up on either story no matter what.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. A few events are being set into motion. 'Tis the calm before the storm...

Let's just say Buu's containment won't last long. I know not many have died yet, but that might be rectified soon. It's going to get messy, and he will finally get to meet the Legion in the next chapter. How will that meeting go? I can't wait to see a certain Decay user's reaction. The baddies are about to make move on the upcoming Forest Training Camp, and I gotta say, I can't wait to start working on that mess.

Please note: Some aspects of this story will NOT follow the original storyline or mechanics, same with anything else I write on this site. I am aware of the Quirk mess I might be getting into by following a different path/theory/idea. Things will be different, but this is a decision, not a mistake. It will be AU to a degree. We'll see how it goes.

Until next time!