Chapter Text
The drive must have been over an hour as Shouta followed Araki's KIA through traffic, eventually exiting the Tokyo area west towards Narita.
He saw Araki pull off an exit so Shouta did as well, making sure to keep his distance at two cars behind his quarry as he could see him under the rain. They turned right, and Shouta followed him down the streets. Soon some cars left, but Shouta made sure to give himself distance.
Before long, he saw Araki pull into a parking garage next door to an apartment complex. Shouta parked on the other side of the street and waited, inspecting the apartment. A simple building, about ten stories tall.
He got out, dressed in his casual attire. He pulled up the hood on his jacket as he jogged across the street to a nearby liquor store, getting under a awning and blowing into his hands to keep warm. One eye on the lotto numbers before him, the other on the parking garage. He saw the umbrella-toting old man exit the garage and walk along the path, briefcase in hand as he got to his building. Shouta followed, seeing the old man walk on in.
Shouta entered the building, seeing a receptionist to the side as he pulled his hood off.
"Sir?"
"Sorry ummm, visiting an old friend." It wasn't a lie. "I was told he lived here?"
"Who are you looking for?"
"Ummm, Araki-san." Shouta explained. "Old man, white hair, walks with a limp."
"Oh yes he's here. Seventh floor, far end of the hall." Bingo.
"Thank you." Shouta nodded and walked into the elevator. He rode it up, departing and seeing the state of the complex. Wasn't too run down, but wasn't upscale either. Just... average.
The black-haired man walked down the hall, eventually arriving at the door at the far end. The door looked a little worn and plain, the other doors in the hallway having various decorations to make it stand out. He looked down, seeing the light under the door.
Shouta knocked three times and stepped back, hands in jacket pockets. He waited. And waited. And waited.
He knocked again, four times.
Nothing.
"Araki-san? I know you're in there."
He heard shuffling inside and he sighed.
"It's me, Aizawa Shouta. I interned under you in my first year at U.A., and then again my third year." He said, stepping back. He sighed, not hearing any movement.
This amount of paranoia was irritating.
"I was in a sting operation providing support from afar using my quirk. Grizzly and Johnny Bats were the villains we helped apprehend." Maybe something else… something close. "We spent that night eating paninis and drinking coffee, since we had to stay up that night for a report. I ordered the steak, sweet onion and cheese. I think you settled on that BLT…"
He heard the clicking and clacking of many locks coming undone and Shouta let out a sigh of relief before stepping back. The door opened, and Aizawa Shouta finally saw the narrowed glance of a shorter and cross looking man with white wiry hair, leaning against a cane. Behind him on the kitchen counter was a simple Glock handgun.
"It was a VLT." Araki Hyu replied as he took a deep breath, standing up straight and groaning. "Aizawa-kun, good evening."
"Good evening Araki-san. Mind if I come in?"
"Mnnng." Araki grunted and stepped aside before he picked up the gun, holstering it irritably. Shouta walked in, blanching a bit at the place's smell. He could see a workbench at the far end of the living room along with numerous crinkled-up paper bunches in a wastebasket. He noticed dust on the doorway as he came in, brushing his finger across it.
"Ever consider hiring a cleaning service?" Shouta mused.
"No, because I don't trust 'em." Araki growled as he limped into the kitchen and opened up a cabinet.
"Want a drink?"
"I drove."
"Hnn." Araki pulled out what appeared to be some brandy and stepped over to the glass cabinet. "So, ten years since we last talked, and you follow me here in that rusty old scrapheap?" Shouta perked up.
"You were always two cars behind. You didn't mix it up." Araki looked back, offering a smirk.
Shouta sighed as he saw the old man limping over to the freezer with his glass, putting it against the fridge as ice began to fall down.
"For the record, you dropped off the grid and moved out of Tokyo, I lost contact." Shouta crossed his arms as the man went back to his counter and began to pour himself some brandy.
"Yeah well, the Yakuza may be a shell of itself, but it's not gone entirely." Araki replied with a shrug. "Got into a bad dustup eleven years back. Got trailed, had to move again."
"I see. You could have talked, I would have helped."
"Not in your fledgling hero career. Besides, you were busy making your connections to the underground." Araki waved it off, taking a sip of his drink and smacking his lips. "Don't worry yourself sick on my account."
"You still could have said something."
"Oh stop being sentimental." Araki rolled his eyes. "Now, I doubt you trailed me all the way from Seinen Leap just to catch up on old times. So," he set his glass down, leaning against the counter closer to the microwave. "What do you want?"
"Answers. I'm closing in on a case."
"Huh. Really? I know you teach at U.A. now. Couldn't ask Fukuda to give you a hand?" Araki asked, grabbing his glass and limping past Shouta towards the main living room. Despite the drawing workbench, there were some well-lived couches and a TV set.
"This one is more personal to me."
"Really? Well, consider me intrigued then." Araki smirked, looking back as he lifted up a blind on his window, looking out beyond Narita and to the mountains. "What is it that I could help with a young pup like Eraserhead?" He said, lifting his glass.
"What do you know of Peter Parker, and his story?"
Araki visibly shifted, not drinking as he brought his glass down. His old grey eyes were glued to Shouta's within the dim room, the only sound being the rain and the thunder from outside. He sighed through his nose.
"He's in your class, isn't he?"
"Got it in one."
"Great…" Araki took another sip of his glass, wincing at the burn of the brandy. "Of all the teachers he had to get you."
"You make it sound like a bad thing."
"Hnng." Araki set the glass to the side and sighed before narrowing his eyes at Shouta. "What I say does not leave this room. Understand?" He only used this tone back when they were on stings… This was big, and Shouta felt his heart skip a beat.
"Fine."
Araki took his cane and limped past Shouta. He followed, a moment later seeing Araki's bedroom with sheets uneven and spartan drawers. Araki walked over to a wall where a framed poster of one of his past manga covers was displayed. "Psychosocial" was the title, with the big words in English overhead and the main heroine aiming her pistol at the reader. Araki took the frame down, revealing a safe.
He placed his hand on the pad presented. Fingerprints seem to be all that was needed as the safe clicked and the door opened. Glancing inside, Aizawa saw the stacked folders within.
"You're gonna have to take a seat in the living room. And a drink."
"I drove, I won't need one."
The two returned to the couch in the other room, Araki grabbing his brandy as Shouta took his seat, and Araki sat across from him. He looked at the case file in his hands, then back to Shouta.
The Erasure Hero looked back at him with a hard gaze, jaw clenched.
"Start from the beginning." He set it down, and Shouta reached for the file, opening it and seeing the sketches. Araki leaned back in his seat and took a sip of his drink.
And Shouta began to read. Early childhood memories, a graveyard, with the notes:
'Richard and Mary Parker. Mother and Father, dead by plane crash when Parker was under a year old.'
Lost his parents that young? He flipped through more of the sketches, seeing a young Peter with some adults, one being a man with a warm smile, and the other a slender attractive woman.
'Ben and May Parker. Uncle and Aunt, Peter's parental figures.' In the background, he could see the Statue of Liberty as well, confirming that Parker did indeed live in New York at one point.
Shouta flipped through more pages, delicately inspecting each one.
Next was Peter Parker standing next to Ben and May over a birthday cake.
Then Peter was looking up at a man in a suit of armor. The suit looked high quality, even futuristic like something out of a science fiction manga.
A speech bubble read "Nice Work kid." The armored man looked like a pro. The notes to the side...
'Iron Man. Tony Stark. Avengers Founding Member.'
"The Avengers?" Shouta read aloud. "Some hero group in America?"
"Keep reading." Araki droned, taking another sip of his liquor. "Notice something as well?"
Shouta looked down, seeing people in the background of each sketch as if Peter was in an area of sorts. Meeting this chubby kid, who went by the name of 'Ned' it apparently.
He took stock of the people in the background and noticed… They looked...
"The people look quirkless." Shouta said aloud.
"There's more to it."
Shouta got back to reading, going through each paper as he heard only his breathing, the ice shifting within Araki's drink, and the thunderstorm outside. Apart from placing each sheet of paper to the side anyway.
Then came a peculiar image. Peter's hand being bitten… by a spider. A note to the side made his eyebrows hike up.
'Source of powers. Oscorp-designed genetically modified spider.'
Shouta raised an eyebrow even higher. The images looked a lot like that flashback arc in Arachnophobia, complete with the Uncle dying and setting up the hero on his path to heroism.
Did the old man start mixing fantasy with reality?
Looking back at the prior pages, he saw the Iron Man once more, the glowing symbol on his chest… it looked just like-
"The Tin Man insignia…"
Araki seemed to smirk behind his glass.
Aizawa continued.
A coffin being lowered, the tombstone reading Benjamin Parker. The sight of a weeping woman to the side and a mass of mourners all around.
"How did he die? This Uncle Ben?" Shouta asked.
"Didn't see it." Araki replied with a shrug. "Take that for what you will."
And so Shouta continued on…
Peter looking at a cheap imitation of the suit he now wore, made of stuff acquired at home like a hoodie and some store-bought items.
Creating a tub filled with a white substance.
Fighting some street-level thugs…
No sign of any Pro Heroes in New York, the hero capital of America. Not even the thugs Peter fought, or any of his classmates from the few sketches in school looked like they had quirks.
A curious creative license. Perhaps to further protect Parker's origins in some way?
Meeting a middle-aged man with a small beard and mustache, sitting with him on the bed. Tony Stark once more, the closest Shouta could identify as a Pro in the sketches.
Another page Peter, in a better suit, standing next to several heroes, Iron Man from before with an individual in jet black feline-esque body armor and a black and steel armored hero staring down an equally diverse set of opponents, including a blue armored man with a shield, a man with a metal arm, a man who could fly, and some red-costumed giant. Along with many others. They were in battle in an airport of some kind, names attached in bubbles to each one.
The suit on Peter…. "He used that in the Final Exams…" He uttered.
Peter's experience was confirmed if this sketch was true in some form or fashion. He's fought with and against both heroes and villains before stepping foot into U.A. Judging by this... a year before, maybe less than that.
Then came the fight with this winged villain. A man wearing some kind of winged power armor. More high level support tech… Not just that, but on a plane. In the sky.
The situation was extreme, even for most Pros.
Then he saw the sketches become more intense in detail.
"This ringed ship…" It looked similar to the Hell Ring Saucers used in Arachnophobia, used to transport Thanatos' legions. He looked at Araki. Did the old man genuinely mix up his imagination and creative license for reality?
"Did you 'base' Arachnophobia on this... supposed past?"
The old man laughed, a wheezy, raspy thing. "Think I've lost my mind do ya?"
The U.A. teacher nodded. "I might."
"Can't say I blame ya. Even so, keep readin'. Ya came all this way here. May as well finish eh?"
He wasn't wrong. Though he was beginning to fear he'd find less clear answers here than he'd thought.
Peter's confrontation with the two villains, each bearing similarities to Thanatos' lieutenants. Iron Hand and Dark Mind.
Flying out of Earth, and on the ringed UFO no less. Then proceeding to save a wizard of sorts with a sentient red cape.
"The Wizard…" Shouta said aloud. Another of the hero's main companions along with the Tin Man…
Tony Stark, the Iron Man, looking like a King and knighting him with his arm. "You're an Avenger now." Said the text bubble.
Next, a picture of Peter being held at gunpoint by a man with odd weapons.
The next page was turned, revealing a world of ruined alien skyscrapers, satellites, and sinkholes.
Then another picture came forth. This time, it was Peter hiding on some overcrop, looking down at the wizard (with the name Dr. Strange by its side in a bubble) and walking towards him, was some hulking titan of a man. And the name beside this bald man…
"Thanos…" Shouta said aloud. "Influence for Thanatos huh?"
Araki nodded, and Shouta remembered Thanatos' design. A massive muscular creature in a dark black robe, weilding a massive scythe and on his left hand, a golden gauntlet riddled with various jewels. His goal, that he had completed, was the erasure of half of all life in the galaxy. This Thanos didn't have that cloak or the scythe, only pants, a skintight vest, and that same gauntlet.
An exchange made between the Wizard and Thanatos in the opening chapters before the Purge began. They were… eerily similar.
"Titan was like most planets; too many mouths, not enough to go around. And when we faced extinction, I offered a solution." A bubble, one of several, connected to Thanos said.
"Genocide." Strange replied.
"At random. Dispassionate to rich and poor alike. They called me a madman. And what I predicted came to pass."
"Congratulations, you're a prophet." Strange remarked wryly.
"I'm a survivor." The speech bubbles continued.
"Who wants to murder trillions." Strange growled. The page ended, and Shouta turned it, seeing it again from Peter's perspective.
"With all six stones," Thanos snapped his fingers. "I would simply snap my fingers, and they would all cease to exist. I call that… mercy."
Shouta turned the next page… and the combat that ensued. Peter slinging through ruined buildings and portals before he wound up getting grabbed, and the solemn looking titan of a being was glaring down at him, his gauntlet at Peter's throat.
"Insect!" The speech bubble by Thanos growled, and the fight continued, until he was trapped, bound after displaying god knows how many differing abilities.
Until Thanos was freed, largely thanks to that gunslinger from before as he smacked Thanos in the face, releasing the mantis-woman's grip on his head. The note to the side read 'Quill - A fucking idiot'.
What came next was a meteor shower, and Peter putting people on web-lines and flying through the debris as hell rained down around him.
The men and woman around Peter turning to dust…
Just like in the beginning parts of Arachnophobia, where all but the hero, the Tin Man, and the Wizard survived.
Then… Peter, holding the man that gave him his suit, as Tony Stark was crying, the despair written all over him with the bubbles "It's going to be alright" above him as the world dissolved around him.
He turned to the next page. Finding it pitch black.
"What is this?"
"Death."
Shouta was silent, looking at this as he saw the following page, recognizing it as he put the pure black page to the side. His eyes widened.
It was the skyline of Musutafu, Tokyo in the distance, the hill with U.A. just seen to the corner, and at the forefront, was a very similar description of that giant villain Mt. Lady fought in her debut.
Aizawa leaned forward, placing the file on the coffee table before leaning back in his seat, hands to his face and taking one big sigh before staring at the older man as his hands fell to his lap. "Quite a story."
"I like it." He chuckled in reply. Shouta remained stone-faced.
"How much of it is real?"
"Every bit of it." Araki said, without a flinch of doubt.
Shouta frowned, lips pursing. "You do realize how unbelievable this is, right?"
"Afraid you've wasted your time Aizawa-kun?" The old man laughed. Strained and wheezing. "Every bit of it is real." He frowned, looking at the sheets. "He died on that alien world. To a cosmic maniac. Then he came here. Where he comes from isn't here but it is. In a sense."
"You're talking about parallel dimensions, multiverse theory. Fantasy and Science fiction."
The old man shrugged. "I can't change what I see in their minds with my quirk. You know that. You don't have to believe it. Just like you don't have to go about looking for this kid's past like it's any of your business but here we are."
Aizawa took a deep breath and let it out with a sigh.
"So… according to you, he's from a world where there's no hero society but… they have these… Avengers?"
"They were basically the only heroes around."
"So how did he wind up under Mt. Lady's care?"
"She volunteered, she eavesdropped at some point and stepped up." Araki replied. "Came after All Might handled that sludge villain if I remember correctly."
"But… he doesn't exist here according to… this. How did she even apply for guardianship?"
"Fukuda probably called in favors. Got some documents forged."
The black-haired man nodded. Believable, considering Fukuda knew people in the underground. People Shouta had set him up with.
"So… now you know." Araki said, brandy in hand. "What are you going to do now?"
"I'm not even sure if this isn't just you having finally cracked somehow." He admitted bluntly.
Araki chuckled. "It'll hit you eventually I think. I just tried to move on as normally as I could. I was bursting with ideas and inspiration at first, happy to finally get started on a new series for my publisher… but after, while drawing this and storyboarding…" He leaned back and looked up at the ceiling before he sighed, deeply. "I realized how small we were in the universe, and how… possibly, there maybe a Thanos out there, right now. I wonder if it's only a matter of time before he finds Earth with its pants down. Or if he's finding those Stones and then..." He snapped his fingers. "Curtains for half of humanity within minutes."
Shouta said nothing. He could see why the thoughts were so frightening. If you believed them that is. And he got the feeling Araki did believe them.
He stood up, hands stuffed in his pockets. "Is there any place to eat close by?"
"Hitting the road?" Araki asked wryly. "And so soon too?"
Aizawa didn't answer, simply staring at the man.
Araki nodded. "Hnnn… There's this nice fried chicken shop down the block. Want to go down there together?"
"Don't you usually hole yourself up here?" Shouta asked, and he noticed the briefcase by the workbench once more. "So… was your manuscript in there?"
"It was, now it's loaded with cash." Araki got up, grabbing his cane and limping over. Kneeling down and opening the case revealed many stacks of yen banknotes. He took a big wad and placed it in his pocket. "Come on, my treat. And besides," He smirked. "I have the great Eraserhead by my side. I think I can afford to drop my guard for a spell."
Shouta got up, seeing him close it. "So… why don't you just do direct deposit?"
"I don't trust much in electronic stuff. I'd rather keep my money."
He got to the doorway after Araki limped out, seeing the file from his vantage point on the coffee table one last time.
He had quite a bit to consider.
(X)
The door to the bar opened before Tomura perked up from his seat at the counter. Kurogiri was busy cleaning a glass as his golden eyes shifted in his direction.
"Yo, Shigaraki." Giran waved lazily, smirking with his traditional cigarette in his mouth. "Sorry to pop in unannounced."
"Do you have my new party members?" Tomura put his phone down, tone eager.
"Alright boys. And lady, come on in." Giran stepped aside, and the first one in was a massive man in a deep brown hooded cloak, a red mask with beady black eyes covering his face. Tomura could feel his eyes on him.
After him, was someone incredibly skinny, bound up in a black straitjacket with red-dotted belts. Even his eyes were covered, his mouth held open by hooks which caused even Tomura to wince at the sight. He seemed to wheeze and breathe harshly.
Next came a shorter individual wearing a… school uniform? And a gas-mask of sorts. "Hey, I don't want no brats here." Tomura pointed at Giran. He felt the gas mask-wearing boy prickle up.
"I'm nineteen, asshole." He replied, his voice altered thanks to his mask. The teal-haired youth paused and then let out a laugh.
"What did ya do? Not drink your milk or something?"
"Tomura," Kurogiri spoke out sharply.
"Tch…" Tomura shrugged. "Sorry…" He paused, looking at the guy's mask. "What's with that mask of yours anyway? It looks like somethin' out of a video game."
"Oh oh, we doing show and tell?" Said an accented female voice behind Tomura. The boy turned around, seeing a girl with wild dyed blue hair with black tips. She had piercings around her nose and ears, wearing a simple pink sweatsuit and sneakers, and her hands positioned behind her back. Her wild looking eyes were also amethyst in color.
"The fuck did you come from?" Tomura asked, leaning back in surprise.
"Yo yo Shan-san," Giran stepped aside, and a man stalked in wearing… rather revealing clothing. He had a simple mat of dark brown hair and smooth ruby-red eyes. His clothing consisted of a pair of black leather skinny jeans, a vest with one button that showed off abs galore within that lean gymnast-like frame of his, and an amethyst feather boa around his neck. "Easy on the Leader here. Seems like he's not the kind of cat to handle surprises~". He oiled, Tomura narrowing his eyes.
"Hey, Giran… So who are these guys?" Tomura growled.
"You said you wanted some bonafide killers to join your group right? Well… meet the most bloodthirsty pitbulls I know on this side of Japan." Giran nodded, looking at Kurogiri. "I'll be expecting my finder's fee again." The black mist man bent down under the counter of the bar, and pulled out another briefcase. Tomura saw Cloak, Straitjacket, and Gas Mask sit at varying booths, Straitjacket again breathing as his teeth moved… slightly, as if they had minds of their own..
Shit that was disturbing. Creepy as hell too.
"Okay…" Tomura turned around in his seat as Giran approached the briefcase with a pep in his step. "So… you guys want to join the League of Villains? Right?"
"Oh? We starting this little kumbaya?" Cloak asked, his voice deep as he looked about.
"Work hard… need to work…" Straitjacket uttered.
"Why don't you start Leader-san." Gas Mask said as the Dumbass seemed to saunter on past, taking his seat in a booth. Shan noticed, and Tomura saw it. A flicker of light, and she was by his side, sitting beside him humming happily.
"Your quirk is Teleportation?" Tomura asked the girl.
"Hao hao!" Shan raised a hand. "My Quirk 'Blink'! So my name here is Blink! But real born name is Shan Mei! But call me Blink! That easy for you no no?"
"Well, at least now I know your little alias…"
"So you call me Blink and no mean names? Me no like meanies who call mean names..."
"If you don't piss me off-"
"Hao hao!" Shan, or Blink, vanished again, reappearing beside the creep who seemed to be smiling a biiiit too much seeing this exchange.
Tomura narrowed his eyes before holding out his empty glass. "Kurogiri, tequila." He said, and he saw the man get to work behind the bar.
"Now what's your name and your quirk you fa-" Tomura felt something wet pour down onto his hand and sleeve, making him pull away. He turned, staring at Kurogiri as he whipped his hand through the air.
"Gah, the fuck was that!?"
"That wasn't me Tomura." Kurogiri stepped back, hands reaching for a nearby towel. "My arm moved on it's own."
Only for his hand to slip and the towel to fumble onto the floor as his hands refused to close.
He heard Blink giggle up a storm, with Cloak and Gas Mask snickering as Tomura turned back around. Creep had his hand, with his ring finger pointing down, outstretched.
"Motherfucker..." He hissed, his hand on the glass as he reduced it to silicon dust.
"Whaaat? I was only looking to help, Shi-chan." Creep leered. Tomura contemplated leaping at him, but he felt both of Kurogiri's eyes on him… And his gaze was on the television set off to the side.
Tomura growled. "Tch… Funny guy aren't you?"
"I try my best to put on a smile. Ah yes, you wanted to know my little nickname? Well… You can call me... Geppetto."
"Geppetto…" Tomura spoke off of his tongue. "Did I hear that name before?"
"It's from the Pinnochio fairy tale, didn't you read or watch that stuff as a kid?" Gas Mask asked.
"With a face like that, doubt he was much of a kid." Cloak chimed in. "Oh, by the way," He raised a hand. "You can call me Muscular." His tone was like that of a grinning hyena. "Heard of me?"
"Muscular, I know of you. You're that infamous serial killer up in northern Honshu. You have a muscle augmentation quirk, right?" Tomura said, his tone excited as he did his best to ignore Geppetto and Blink off to the side.
"My reputation precedes me." Muscular seemed to beam, relaxing in his booth. "Heard you were looking for some killers to help you in your goals. Well, count me in."
Tomura seemed to grin behind his mask. Muscular was a simple guy. He wanted to kill. He could relate to that. "Sounds fine to me… I know the targets too."
"E-Ehhh?" Straitjacket jerked up. "Ta...targets… Fresh meat? Will… Will I work haaaaard~?" He groaned, panting as Tomura pointed.
"Who's he?"
"That is Moonfish." Giran said, who hadn't left and was loving the sight before him going by his shit-eating smirk and crossed arms. "He was scheduled for Death Row before he busted himself out. He got one other inmate out, someone who works under me now, and that brought Moonfish to me."
"No shit." Tomura asked. "Moonfish… Hey, Kurogiri. Do you know of this guy?"
"Ehh? N-No work? N-No meat?" Moonfish seemed to utter, sounding almost heartbroken with his jagged teeth on display.
"He was much like Muscular before Muscular, a serial killer who targeted indiscriminately. Not to mention a cannibal, it made cutting into his targets easier with his quirk. Blade-Tooth." Kurogiri explained.
"Canny Ball? Hey hey Pet-chan." Blink spoke, looking at Geppetto. "What's a Canny Ball?"
"A people eater, Blinky~" Geppetto oiled.
"Wow wow."
"Mask kid. What's your story? And your quirk got something to do with that mask?"
"I'm a bit new in Giran's ring, but… I wanna prove myself, and get back at those damn heroes… fuck it, rest of society in general." Mask kid spoke, voice low. "I wanted to be a hero before… but my quirk made it impossible… My quirk is Gas by the way. I can conjure and manipulate poison gas… problem is…" He tapped on his mask. "I'm not immune to it, so I have to wear this when I'm working." Tomura was silent… and felt a little nostalgic hearing that before he brushed it aside.
"Surely you have a pretty face under there Mu-chan." Geppetto spoke. "Come on, you're among friends now~"
"It's Mustard ya metrosexfiend." Mustard replied.
"Oh~" Geppetto put a hand to his chest. "I am sooooo hurt~" He drawled.
"So I get that you're new along with Blink." Tomura pointed at Mustard. "And these two are vets." Then at Muscular who waved lazily as he sat close to a groaning Moonfish. "What's your deal…"
"My… excursions are not nearly as exciting buuuuut…" Geppetto seemed to smirk darkly, and raised his hand at Mustard. The boy seemed to freeze on the spot. His fingers began to move… with them, so did the boy.
"I've done my fair share of assassinations. Hits… and other killings." As his fingers began to move, Mustard seemed to be doing jumping jacks. "Just because I wanted to see what would happen… when I used my 'Puppet Strings'." Geppetto looked back at Tomura, red looking into ruby red.
"Like what?"
"Oh I dunno…" He oiled, before Geppetto had a dangerous looking smirk. "trailing a couple whose marriage was failing… then having one of them strangle the other in a fit of passionate rage? What about a person jogging on a path, only for a simple… twitch." His fingers relaxed, as did Mustard who panted, free of his control. Then the thumb moved, and Mustard's leg was pulled out under him, making him fall with a yelp.
"I can make them tear a ligament… fall down a cliff?" Geppetto whispered, leaning forward as all fingers were primed and… Mustard almost seemed to levitate up, unable to move, but Tomura could hear his panicked grunts under that mask. "Or if they're going for a swim and I just… relax my hands in their general direction and they… drown themselves?" He was licking his lips almost sensually.
'He's dangerous…'
"So many many possibilities… Like that time I saved a child against his bully from across a schoolyard… by taking his arms…" Mustard's hands reached for his helmet as Geppetto levitated him back to the ground.
"H-Hey, wait, H-Hold on Geppetto!"
"And breaking his own neck."
And Mustard lifted up his gas mask, showing a plain looking Japanese teenager underneath who was panicking. Mustard blinked before he pulled his arms down, with it his mask as Geppetto had placed his hands on his lap.
"Fucking asshole!" Geppetto shrugged. Out of the corner of the teal-haired youth's eyes, he saw Kurogiri perk up.
Tomura narrowed his eyes. "You… I-"
"Shigaraki," Kurogiri spoke out, and all the occupants in the room turned towards the black mist man. "I am going on an errand. The Master is calling to me." He said, and his suit fell down from his black misty body.
"Oh boy~" Geppetto cooed, then he frowned when he didn't see anything. "Darn."
"Fine, be quick about it." Tomura waved his hands.
"He also is making sure you get along with your new League members. HE won't accept you turning these back once more." Kurogiri replied, and Tomura perked up before sulking.
"Fine…"
"Giran, thank you again for your assistance." Kurogiri, now a mass of black mist, almost seemed to bow.
"Just doin' my job." Giran nodded, grinning back. "Well, if that's all, I'll be taking off. You got accommodations for my guys here?"
"We have proper room and board upstairs. I trust we will share it accordingly?" Kurogiri asked, addressing the room, his golden eyes narrowing across. "Properly too?"
Tomura nodded. "Fine..." Kurogiri nodded and he turned himself into a vortex, vanishing as Giran waved before shutting the door behind him.
(X)
Everything still hurt.
Why was it that you could be treated with the best medical supplies in the world, but when you wake up after a big fight, you feel sore all over?
Peter had been asking that question for about an hour after the medical drones left him. Not the deepest thought that he had in his mind, but it sure as hell wasn't leaving him right now.
On the plus side, unlike the last major party he ran away from, he didn't fall out of a plane.
So it was a step in the right direction when it came to heroics.
"You feeling okay?" Karen's voice asked from his phone.
"No," Peter admitted.
He tried to chuckle, but it came out rather choppy in his current state. At that moment, there was no doubt that Karen had a few video cameras and scanners pointed at him to make sure that he was alright. She had the entire hospital on watch, and no one was the wiser as she made herself at home there.
Again, he was fine, no plane defenestration, so again, plus!
All he really needed was a good night's sleep-
"Peter, you have a phone call."
He groaned.
"Who is it from?"
"Yu."
All tiredness left him immediately.
"Ahhh, say that I'm not available. I'm at the hotel right now and-"
"Already answered."
TRAITOR!
Peter snapped the phone up from the side table and put it up to his ear as he laid back in the hospital bed, groaning a bit.
"Hello?"
"Peter are you alright, are you okay, do I need to do anything!?" Yu was frantic as Peter winced, pulling the phone away from his ear. Across from him, he saw that Midoriya was asleep from painkillers thanks to his broken right hand. Todoroki and his sister were in another ward if he remembered correctly.
"No no Yu I'm fine I swear, how are you?"
He winced, of all the times for his mouth to betray him.
"Oh, I'm great, just got finished with a lovely little stakeout with Shinji. Was on top of the world when I took out a guy that was trying to get away with a hit and run," Yu started, her voice sickeningly sweet. "But then I turn on the news and see what happened on I-Island, and let me tell you, that was a whole different kind of thrill." She let out a sigh of relief. "You were there at the Tower, weren't you?"
Peter paused, sighing. "Yeah… Came in late…"
"Where are you now? Karen said you were in bed when I called her… What kind of bed?"
"Yeah, I'm at the hospital."
"It must be late down there." Yu replied softly. "We'll talk when you get back here… when are you flying back anyway?"
"Tomorrow morning or so… All Might said that he's gonna book us all a flight back to Narita. Recovery Girl will be there too, so we'll be as good as new the next day."
"Okay… I'll clear my schedule so I can pick you up then… Sleep well ok? And for real. Count sheep. Sleep is good for you."
Peter took a deep breath and sighed. "Thanks Yu… I'll see tomorrow. Good night."
"Good night Peter."
(X)
Shouta walked through the streets of Japan, hoodie up to protect himself from the rain after he dropped off the old man back at his apartment. It helped him think. Plus he can walk off the chicken dinner he had with Araki.
One would presume that an introvert like him wouldn't like the hustle and bustle, the movement of people around him helping to focus his thoughts but he did. He could drown it out. Background noise, static. It helped him set aside his own unnecessary thoughts alongside the inconsequential movement around him.
Alternate worlds with no heroes.
Avengers.
Infinity Stones.
Thanos.
It was all too much to process as a whole really.
Part of him wanted to simply chalk it up to Araki having finally lost his mind. Another part argued that the story, or at least a very small part of it, could be proven relatively quickly.
Parker's quirk.
If his own quirk didn't work on him, that would certainly give credence to the allegation. There were of course quirks that he couldn't disable, but Parker didn't show the outward signs of such. In theory, his quirk should be affected the same as Midoriya's or Bakugo's.
If it wasn't, well... that was a point in his favor.
He could confront him directly, or his guardian. Both were apparently aware of the story and he could glean some information from their reactions in general.
There was a buzzing in his pocket. A text.
The dark-haired man pulled it out, and read:
'I-Island attacked. Our students who were in attendance were involved. In hospital and healing. Taking Parker and Midoriya with me on a Private Plane home. Recovery Girl will come by.' All Might.
Aizawa stared at the phone. Blinked once. Twice. Considered chucking it into the nearest garbage bin before closing his eyes, counting back from ten and stuffing it in his pocket.
Fucking ridiculous. Always with those two...
He walked further into the city, trying for a while to refocus his thoughts as he tried to drown out the considerations of I-Island and everything that had happened there. He'd get answers on that disaster tomorrow when the news broke and there was a clearer picture.
For now, he had to consider the story.
Araki hadn't given any outward signs of insanity. He'd been clear-eyed, coherent, and held conversations easily. He hadn't repeated himself; the man seemed competent in every sense of the word.
If the story was true, and he was by no means convinced, it added a whole new layer of potential danger around Parker and this... supposed new world, or dimension. Could others follow him? Would other victims from this 'Snap' wind up in this world somehow? Why had he been the only one? Were there potential side effects to those around him? Radiation, immune system pathogens hiding within him? Lack of immunities in his own system? Where exactly had he appeared in their world and did that place have a particular quality or reason for this happening?
Shouta looked up into the rainy night sky, feeling the rain on his face.
More frightening, was there a Thanos in this universe somewhere? Could another snap occur here?
The thoughts gave him a headache. And while the implication was frightening it was too distant to bring about true fear. Too abstract still.
Half a universe worth of people was a statistic.
He could deal with statistics.
He kept walking for a time, hands stuffed in his jacket pockets, the white noise of the city and the rain buzzing at the back of his thoughts.
He had a headache by the time he made it back to his car. He shut the door and sat there for a time before he slowly made his way home.
Araki sounded so damn sure that what he had seen in Parker's head was real.
Peter's backstory still had holes, and he was supposed to use this to fill them in?
He got more questions than answers on this trip… but it wasn't nothing. Shouta sighed heavily and focused on the road as he navigated himself back to Korosanto Ward using his phone map. That should take his mind off of this extra dimensional quandary for the night. That and a glass of whiskey in his liquor cabinet.