𝑫𝒂𝒚𝒃𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒌

𝑮𝒂𝒎𝒆 𝑻𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒔 | 𝟓𝟒

Shigaraki slouched against the wall, his fingers tapping restlessly on the arm of his chair. The dimly lit room felt cold, yet his mind was burning with frustration.

"I figured it out," he muttered, his voice low but sharp. "I know why the Hero Killer pisses me off, and why those U.A. brats get under my skin." His fingers clenched in agitation.

"It's all because of All Might That damn smile of his—"

Kurogiri arched a brow at his leader's sudden outburst, but said nothing, simply awaiting the rest of Shigaraki's tirade. 

Shigaraki's lips twisted into a faint, almost bitter smirk. "It's because he's always smiling thoughtlessly, as if there's no one he couldn't save." He paused, a mocking laugh escaping him. "He's just this giant symbol of false hope. It makes me sick."

He leaned forward slightly, his hands steepled in front of him. "Then there's Izuku Midoriya. That brat was Quirkless until his third year of middle school, and then—bam—he suddenly manifests a Quirk. And not just any Quirk. The kid enrolls at U.A. High School, and in April of this year, he finishes in the top eight at their damn sports festival. Just like that." He snapped his fingers.

Kurogiri's presence remained calm and unfazed, but he couldn't deny a flicker of curiosity about the name Midoriya. However, Shigaraki wasn't done yet.

Shigaraki groaned, his hand running through his messy hair in irritation. "And then there's this Rio character."

Kurogiri raised an eyebrow, his voice measured. "The one associated with the U.A. students?"

"Don't get me started on that brat," Shigaraki growled, a sharp edge to his tone. "She just pops up out of nowhere—no history, no records, nothing. She's gotta be some spy or something. There's no way she's real."

Kurogiri's gaze remained steady. "The Hero Killer had seemed to regard her with extreme distaste for heroes."

Shigaraki clenched his fists, his frustration only deepening. "It makes no sense. She fights against Stain with her little group, and somehow they win." His voice dripped with disbelief. "I mean, during the Hosu incident, they were all involved. And what happens? The Hero Killer himself saves that green-haired kid's life." He paused, his eyes narrowing. "It makes no sense... he was acknowledged by the Hero Killer. The man who wants to see true heroes rise."

Shigaraki's lips curled into a sneer, his voice turning darker with every word. "The complete opposite of me. The complete opposite of Tomura Shigaraki."

He stood up abruptly, his fists clenched at his sides. "I'll make it myself," he muttered under his breath, eyes burning with determination. "A world without All Might. And I'll show everyone just how fragile that so-called 'justice' is."

The air in the room seemed to thicken with his resolve, and for a moment, even Kurogiri could sense the weight of Shigaraki's growing ambition.

➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶

Rio wandered deeper into the park, her conversation with Iida still echoing faintly in her ears. The trees grew thicker the farther she went, the paths losing their shape beneath fallen leaves and shadows. Aizawa would be back soon. She should've turned around. She didn't.

The moment her foot stepped past the clearing, a hand shot out of the brush and yanked her off the path.

A sharp gasp left her throat—
"Shh," someone hissed, their hand wrapping around her mouth.

Before she could react, she was shoved—hard—back into the rough bark of a tree. Her head hit with a dull thud, stars prickling at the edges of her vision. She blinked, dazed. Then her eyes landed on him.

Her stomach dropped.

"You—" her voice was flat, half exasperated, half terrified. "Seriously? Can I not catch a damn break?"

The villain ignored her words and smiled, slow and smug. "I know your secret."

Darkness pooled unnaturally around his feet, tendrils flickering and twitching like they were alive. Her heart started hammering hard in her chest. 

"I don't know what you're talking about," she said stiffly. He couldn't know, could he?

"Oh, but you do," he said, voice low and velvety. "You're not from here. You're an anomaly. A blip. Something that doesn't belong. Not in this world... not in any  world."

Her breath caught.

Before she could move, his hands were around her throat, pressing her harder against the tree. Her body jerked, boots scrabbling against the dirt. She choked out a wheeze, hands clawing at his grip.

"Quiet," he sneered casually. "You talk too much."

The shadows around them pulsed, twisting, creeping up the tree bark like ink in water. His voice was steady and cold as he continued, "You're walking around like you belong. Like you matter. How pathetic."

Her vision blurred as air became scarce, the pressure unrelenting.  If she didn't act fast, who knows what could happen.

She lifted her leg—fighting through the suffocating grip—and slammed her knee against his shin. The port on her boot flashed bright, a burst of concentrated light flaring right in his face.

He recoiled, just slightly, eyes narrowing against the sting. His smile only grew wider.

Then his hand cracked across her cheek, the slap ringing loud in the dark.

"Careful now," he said with mock concern. "Wouldn't want to do anything villainous, would we?"

Her chest heaved, each breath thinner than the last. "What... do you want..." she rasped. Everything was spinning faster than a ferris wheel. He wasn't letting her breathe, at this rate, he'd kill her.

The villain leaned in close, his breath cool against her skin. "I want what I want," he said, waving his hand dismissively. "But for now..."

He tilted his head, smiling. "Oh dear. Would you look at that—we're out of time."

He pulled back sharply, shadows licking at his heels. Though his hand still lingered. His grip was too strong, too firm. Tears pricked in her eyes as the life got sucked out of her.

"Oh, and little one," he added, voice turning syrupy sweet with venom, "don't tell anyone we met. Or I'll tell everyone your truth. That you're not one of them. That you were never meant to be."

His grin widened.

"They'll hate you. And when they find out you've been talking to me? Secret little meetings? Your precious hero career—poof. Gone." He let out a devilish laugh,  his hand finally snaking off her neck as he took in her wounded expression.

Rio's body trembled, air rushing in raggedly as the grip around her throat finally vanished. She'd almost died. Any longer, and he'd have killed her.

Her eyes cleared up just enough for her to see him dissolve into a wisp of the darkness that licked across his body.

Then nothing.

What the hell just happened?