#he helped Mr Compress get back at Overhaul

[moodyvoid]

If you sincerely think Shigaraki would be an abusive partner, I’m going to assume you read the manga with your eyes closed.

[haine-kleine]

after sitting with my thoughts about the epilogue for some time, I think the thing that broke the story had started right after Dabi's dance. said thing is LOV' utterly out of character treatment of each other and Shigaraki specifically.

them just standing there and passively observing the scene makes absolutely zero sense, if you use anything from their previously established relationships within the organisation for reference. especially with All for One's creepy comments. Spinner even points out shortly before this chapter that AFO!Shigaraki seems nothing like his normal self and this person is not the one he had chosen to follow.

and yes, Spinner does approach screaming Shigaraki and tries to help him, and his concern later leads him to seeing Shigaraki's mutated form in the cave, and on its own this development for Spinner is in line with his character and all around fine. pretty reminiscent of Toga and Twice, too.

(except Spinner is not allowed to really help Shigaraki in any way, unlike Toga was allowed to help Twice, and this entire thing between Shigaraki and Spinner only ends with Spinner's regrets and survivor's guilt instead of anything good or meaningful that isn't meaningless angst porn)

it isn't Spinner approaching Shigaraki that is the issue, it's the other's complete lack of action or even reaction besides appearing mildly disturbed. this is simply out of character for all of them, just judging by Twice's example who had similar breakdowns and wasn't plainly ignored by the others until his fit stops. this reaction makes even less sense, when you take into account the current state of the League. Twice had just been murdered by Hawks, the double agent who had infiltrated the League via Dabi, and Mister Compress had just sacrificed himself to give the League a chance for escape, and was sent to Tartarus immediately after his condition was no longer life threatening. Kurogiri is also being held captive by the heroes. there are only four of them left, with two dead and two captured. and none of them even mention the dead or the captured outside of the context of Kurogiri and his quirk.

this straight out makes no sense if you look back to the Overhaul arc and remember how far Shigaraki and the rest of them were willing to go to avenge Magne's death and Mr Compress' destroyed arm. this was important.

the event had motivated Shigaraki to be a better leader, because he had realized these people depend on him, and he won't let them be hurt under his protection. it had started the seed of self-doubt in Jin which would eventually grow to the desperation that allowed him to overcome the mental block against his quirk in the MVA arc, because he wanted to do everything he possibly could to help the League. it allowed him to make his clones despite the crippling trauma, because he saw Toga's hurt, bleeding body, and he didn't want her to die.

even fucking Giran, a broker whose very profession requires him to care about himself and his own well-being first and foremost, had sacrificed all of his fingers to prevent Redestro from getting his hands on the League. because he wants to protect them, to save them. and then we never actually see his mutilated hands or hear anything from him ever again.

and when Twice actually dies? all we get in response to that are two upset faces from Dabi and Toga's fury. that's it.

i really want to stress how out of character this barely-present reaction is, because Magne's example is right there and when Overhaul had killed her, the League knew each other for no longer than a month. this League has been together for at least half a year, had been through thick and thin together, had spent months on the run, homeless, having no one but each other to rely on, has defeated the Meta Liberation Army, quite literally, with the power of their friendship. they all cared enough about each other and Shigaraki specifically to stay with him during those months they had to fight Gigantomachia with barely any breaks for rest, still homeless, barely scraping by. it was imperative that they all survive through this together, especially for Shigaraki, who had went on this quest of getting stronger at least partly so that he would become a more reliable protector for the League. and when Twice falls victim to the hero who had murdered him in cold blood, because no one except for Dabi was there to save him, Shigaraki doesn't even get to react to Twice's death, and possibly never even learns about the fact.

on topic of Dabi, his reaction being exactly two frames of sad expressions and including the footage of Twice's murder into his broadcast, and ending immediately after that, also makes no sense. Dabi is someone who holds himself accountable and despite his declarations, cares about the League, it's the very reason he was keeping Hawks from the League and sprinted to Twice as soon as he realized Hawks' intentions with him, to protect him. Dabi's unsuccessful attempt to save Twice is another iteration of Overhaul, a combination of Shigaraki and Twice's roles in the tragedy. but unlike Shigaraki, who had steeled himself into taking care of his subordinates and becoming a responsible and strong leader, or Twice who had never forgotten about his role in the incident, Dabi just somehow forgets about the entire thing as soon as the first war is over. Toga is the one whom the narrative allows to actively react to Twice's death and express her grief. it makes sense that her reaction would be the strongest, as she was the closest with Twice, but why are two LOV members no longer allowed to care about the same incident at the same time? why aren't they allowed to protect each other anymore, when Giran, who is not even in the League, had made that sacrifice for them?

These are pretty small things, but it's these instances of Toga and Dabi preventing Machia from being injected with the sedative, protecting the League that are sorely missing in the second war.

and the biggest act of devotion and protection to the League, which was the last time we saw anything like this for them, Mister Compress' last moments with the League.

Mutilating his own body just to buy them five seconds to possibly escape. Because he loved the League, because he wanted all of them to be happy and achieve their dreams, to be free, and to live.

and in return for the favour, not only do they not come back for him like they did for Kurogiri (because his quirk is important for the plot, while Compress' isn't), but none of them mention Compress ever again. same with Twice (with the exception of Toga), same with Magne. from this point onwards, none of them are allowed by the plot to even care about the League of Villains. the interpersonal relationships between two individuals still shine through, occasionally, like Spinner's devotion to Shigaraki (and him alone), Dabi and Toga's pyromaniac trauma lane visit to her house and him giving her Twice's blood, Kurogiri reaching out to Shigaraki in the very end. but what about the League? ahd what about the dead members of the League, or Mister Compress?

somehow, at the point of the final war it boils down to the generalized conflict of heroes vs villains and the morality gymnastics involved in the concept. on its own, this would have been an okay development, if the examples the story was using to prove its point weren't people who had become very close friends and who had lost four people to this war against the heroes.

if the individual conflicts, like Toga's desperation to be acknowledged as human being deserving of affection, Dabi's familial abuse trauma and Shigaraki's lifelong manipulation by All for One not giving him any chance to be saved at all, were the finishing line of the villains' story development, why join them within the League at all? LOV is a separate concept functioning as a collective uniting all these villains, giving them a place to belong and people who give a fuck whether they live or die. except not anymore, because for some reason after the first war this concept is scratched completely.

so why not make them mere acquaintances who sometimes collaborate to bother the heroes together, if the bond between them got in the way of the story and wasn't the point of the story? why prove the depth of their bond with the Overhaul and My Villain Academia arcs? why make Shigaraki develop relationships and a sense of responsibility for these people at all, if in the very end his desire to save these people is denied by the author himself?

the previous arcs have spent a great deal of effort establishing that the villains are human too. they have human feelings, human desires and human relationships. so why is it that in the final arc their ability to experience human emotions towards each other is turned on and off manually by the author? at the very end even the author stops pretending like anything happening to the villains is evaluated on the scale of human experiences (unlike the heroes, whose injuries and deaths are talked about and mourned in great detail) and Kurogiri and Shigaraki are wiped out like plot inconveniences rather than important and well written characters.

honestly? it's ironically meta that the story ended up proving the very point it has spent 400 chapters arguing against.

[villainsandvictimsalliance]

Horikoshi giving hero tropes to the villains is probably my favorite part of bnha.

He presented us with a nervous wreck of a boy at the beginning of the manga. Look, he seemed to say, isn't he creepy? isn't he evil? He met Tomura in his most lanky form. Malnourished, neglected, real dead hands all over his body and blunt nails digging mercilessly in his skin.

Sure, the story paints him as a real villain. He is there to kill kids, after all. He wants to kill the light of the hero society, to spread violence and hatred all around. He's also very very suspicious. You get that feeling that there's more to the story. It's in the way he acts, his desperation. He looks sick. What is he making him so? What is his story?

Tomura is a loser. A failure since the beginning, if you follow the narrative. Characters like Stain, Overhaul and Redestro point it out: Tomura isn't the best strategist per se, they can't understand his reasons to do what he does, there's something wrong with him in villain terms.

That's when the brain starts to pick up the signals and plants the doubt. Many people don't notice it, but something in the story gives away that he is a very special type of villain.

We see him alone in his dark messy room, staring at a screen. We see him drinking alone in a bar as he sits on his misery. Over and over, we see that evil boy and his burdened stance. Only Kurogiri is there. His master only talks to him through some radio. He doesn't mention anyone else. No one else seems to live in that bar but Kurogiri and him.

Back then, when Tomura was all about AFO and All Might and no one else, he felt hollow. Rotten.

We first saw him approach someone for help and some company after the first LOV members were introduced. We meet Toga and Dabi, then Tomura goes to find Deku. Is he still creepy? Yes. Is he still evil? Also. We have Giran talking about Tomura with the fondness you reserve for a spoiled child. The way Kurogiri and Giran talk about it, it's more like Tomura needs to make some friends. He's not used to it, so he's being rude to them.

He's a chosen one reluctant to make friends, since he's used to doing things on his own— or at least with people he didn't care about. Next time we see him, his telling Kurogiri that he doesn't want them to die, he wouldn't sacrifice them for a goal and he actually wants them to succeed. He talks like a leader, he considers them important.

When they show us the LOV around Tomura as he talks to a kidnapped Bakugo, there's something in there already. How they worry when Bakugo hits Tomura and knocks the hand out of his face. They humanize Tomura, which is a lot to say when AFO did everything he could to dehumanize him. They make Tomura be more mature, more responsible and more capable. While AFO paints Tomura as a foolish child that cannot get things right until he's guided there, the LOV trusts Tomura to take care of himself and guide them.

That's when the hero tropes with villains started.

A quick list from the top of my head:

Twice overcame his trauma mid-battle in order to save Toga and then the LOV.

Tomura was tempted by Overhaul to betray the LOV in exchange for power. He pretended to agree, only to backstab Overhaul because Tomura would never forgive those who hurt his friends and would never betray the LOV.

Magne went to attack Overhaul for offending her and her friends, defending their ideals and their right to exist 'til death.

Mr. Compress took the leading role in many dangerous situations to assure that the LOV would get their win, but also to assure they'd make it out alive.

Tomura would forgive people not on his behalf, but for the benefit of the LOV.

Giran refused to sell any info about the LOV and laughed in his captors face because he was not so important to them. Turns out he was bluffing about it being all business, since we know from Twice's flashback that he did it also for the fondness he felt towards the LOV and the LOV went there to rescue him.

The LOV rushing through a battlefield the size of a city while desperately trying to find a way to save Tomura.

Twice and Mr. Compress refusing to leave Tomura fighting Gigantomachia alone and taking the burden of his training with him.

Dabi doing all he could to save Twice and snapping when he realized Twice was dead.

Mr. Compress worried about Toga and her solo mission.

Spinner telling Toga that she needs to come back safe and sound to them.

Tomura refusing to die or give up while the LOV still needs him (to be a hero).

Twice already dead and still moving because he needed to save Toga.

The entire LOV refusing to even consider defeat because they blindly believe that there is no way Tomura can lose.

And there's so much more...

The LOV made Tomura act heroic. They gave him a reason to want to save and protect, instead of just wanting to destroy.

The power of friendship but for evil.

Isn't it the best thing ever?

[codenamesazanka]

It's October, so here is one of my absolute favorite League fic: a Japanese fanfic about the League on the run post-Overhaul, looking for shelter, and coming across an old Buddhist temple. Strange happenings occur.

雨夜森奇談 | A Strange Tale of a Forest on a Rainy Night: https://www.pixiv.net/novel/show.php?id=20672060

It's a wonderfully written and plotted spooky genfic story - with gorgeous imagery - that involves the whole cast, tho with slightly more focus on the (not necessarily ship) pairings of Shigaraki & Spinner and Compress & Dabi.

Mostly readable via Google Translate, with maybe some odd phrasing. I highly recommend it!

But if you want, click the Read More for my summary.

Largely Mr. Compress POV. The League is hiding out on a mountain, getting soaked in the rain, when they come across a great gate to some sort of compound. Toga and Twice are happy they've found shelter at this temple, wanting to believe that there might be a compassionate Buddha-like monk inside who would help even Villains; Dabi, Spinner and Compress are more skeptical, but wonder if they might be able to get by using false identities. Meanwhile, Shigaraki is strangely quiet and hesitant and even seems uncomfortable.

Fortunately, when a monk appeared, he turned out to be blind, unable to recognize the League at all, and are happy to welcome in guests for the night.

Due to Shigaraki's strong and harsh insistence, the League forgoes staying in the lodging house, instead spending the night in the temple hall where a giant Buddha statue is enshrined. Shigaraki also rejects the monk's offer of futons, food, and showers. This causes conflict between him and Toga, who's confused about Shigaraki's rejection of the monk's kindness, as well as his uncharacteristic denial of the League's wants; while Shigaraki snaps that Toga (and Twice) have lost their sense of caution. Compress mediates, calming everyone down by unmarble-ing supplies.

As he goes around giving everyone towels and blankets, Compress notices Spinner in a daze, shivering violently as if cold, while everyone else was okay. But Shigaraki calls out to Spinner, giving an order to accompany him to find the bathrooms, and so the two of leave before Compress can talk more with Spinner.

Much later in the night, while everyone else seems to be sleeping alright, Compress is wide awake thanks to the noisy storm outside, loud rain and winds beating against the building. He discovers that Dabi is still awake as well. Dabi asks if it's because of the awful rotten smell that's preventing his sleep - but Compress doesn't smell anything like that at all. For his part, Dabi doesn't hear any sounds of a chaotic storm, or any noise. Compress then realizes that the sounds he hears isn't wind - it's voices.

Shigaraki suddenly speaks up, making both men turn to look at him. Shigaraki, sitting in front of the Buddha statue, gaze piercing, asks Compress and Dabi if they trust him. If they do, he'll tell them everything.

POV switches to the monk, who narrates that he's been blind from birth. Tonight, he's got guests - he can't see them, but he knows/senses there are six of them. In the middle of the night, he visits the building they're staying in, but when he steps into the temple hall, he can only sense the presence of a single person - the leader of the group.

The monk tries to question the young man about where the others have gone, but the young man seems to ignore him, giving non sequitur responses. The young man says that he was expecting the monk; that he's unsure whether the monk was doing all this intentionally, but it doesn't change what's going to happen. He then calls the monk a monster, a ghost. The word confuses the monk, but also paralyzes him—literally.

POV switches back to Shigaraki, who reveals that from the moment he arrived at the temple gates, he saw nothing but ruins, despite what his teammates were saying. And where the others saw a monk, Shigaraki could only perceive a walking skeleton, mumbling fragments of words. To Shigaraki, his League kept acting like they were all in a nice temple compound instead of a weedy field with crumbling, unliveable buildings, and interacted with the unintelligible skeleton as if it was an ordinary person.

Shigaraki thought it at first that he had gone insane, but then realized it was the opposite: he was the only sane one among five people lost in some kind of illusion. But then there was Spinner, who said he felt a terrible chill like someone was watching them. Then there was Dabi and Compress, one who was smelling things no one else was smelling, and the other hearing things no one else was hearing.

With that information, Shigaraki came up with a plan and gave orders.

Shigaraki tells the skeleton in front of him that AFO and the Doctor have theorized something like this happening - quirks being so varied that there might even exist a quirk that can bring someone back to life after death. He asks the skeleton if that's what his power is—but the answering moan was still incomprehension to Shigaraki.

Suddenly, the skeleton charges forward to attack Shigaraki, only to be covered by a blanket and tackled by Spinner, who had been hiding on the ceiling. Spinner tells Shigaraki that he was right; Spinner saw the monk change from a person to a monster halfway through Shigaraki's monologue. Shigaraki proceeds to decay the skeleton, sending it off with "ashes to ashes, dust to dust" (which he acknowledges is a heathen/non-Buddhist phrase, but whatever).

Meanwhile, Dabi and Compress have been sent on a mission by Shigaraki. Walking across the temple compound, they discuss whether they believe Shigaraki's story about the temple being in ruins and the monk being a skeleton; and whether they believe Shigaraki's totally unsubstantiated theory that the monk has died a violent/unnatural death, was revived by some kind of Undead quirk, and was now luring people into the temple and killing them, leaving corpses that was the source of the smell and ghostly voices Dabi and Compress were experiencing - which is why Shigaraki sent them to find those corpses. (He also told Compress to marble a sleeping Toga and Twice and take them with him, just in case.)

Eventually, Dabi and Compress arrives at a building that they had seen was intact earlier in the evening, but now appears to be a decaying wreckage. Inside is a heap bodies in different stages of decay. For Compress, the voices have become deafening; for Dabi, the smell has become unbearable. To put the dead to rest, Compress suggests Dabi burn them, because after all, "Dabi" means a (Buddhist) cremation funeral. As Dabi activates his quirk, Compress then also unmarbles some artificial magic-trick flowers to give to the dead, then puts his hands together for a prayer.

After that, Compress and Dabi met back up with Spinner and Shigaraki in the main temple, where they gave another prayer to the Buddha statue before leaving the ruins. Only when they were safely back in the forest did Compress unmarble Toga and Twice, who after being told what happened, freaked out. While Shigaraki snapped at them for being noisy, Spinner muses to Compress that there was still something he doesn't get - how had they known the place was a temple? Shigaraki saw only ruins, while everyone else saw a gate, with no sign or indication of what was beyond it. Compress recalls that it was Twice who saw a roof through the trees and walked towards it; and when they arrived, Toga asked if it was a mansion, only to be told it was a temple by... a voice that Compress now realized belonged to none of the League.

Compress tells Spinner that since it's all over, it's better to just forget about it.

[shih-coulda-had-it]

FEBUWHUMP | NOT ALLOWED TO DIE | WC: 695

a/n: speculative ficlet on the end of bnha. manga spoilers.

//

His whole body ached. This was nothing new to Tomura, who had been plagued with an awareness of bodily discomfort since he was conscious enough to register it, but unlike before, there was no way he could relieve himself of the pain.

He could not lift a limb; he could barely turn his head.

Beside him on the torn-up battlefield, Midoriya wheezed and wept dry, rasping sobs. He looked even more of a mess than Tomura, and the insides of Tomura were still churning with the stupid, indigestible truth that deep down, he was a pitiful child wanting to be saved. The ghosts had been ruthless in their excavation.

“Shut up,” Tomura managed, and his lips curled weakly to bare his teeth. “Just--would you shut the hell up and kill me already?”

Midoriya twitched. Unlike Tomura, Midoriya was laid-out flat on his back, face turned to the sky and all four limbs stretched out like a butterfly pinned to a corkboard. The kid didn’t even bother twisting his neck. He just side-eyed Tomura with unwarranted incredulity.

“A hero wouldn’t hesitate. Not after all I’ve done.”

“What do you think I’ve been trying to do,” Midoriya said, unsteadily, “for the past hour?”

“You’re trying to be the good guy. ‘There’s always someone to save.’ Ugh.”

The doctor had subjected him to intense electric shocks, conditioning his body before the transfer of All for One, and the Quirk still hadn’t integrated peacefully. Star and Stripes tried to smother him in the ocean and obliterate him altogether. In neither of these cases did Tomura cry.

Tears were beading up now, threatening to spill over and soak the ground. Tomura crooked his fingers against the dirt, seeking Decay in the fiery ruins of his veins, and tasting blood when all he turned up was more pain.

“I can’t do this,” he gasped. “I can’t look at--at all their stupid faces--and listen to them tell me that I was wrong--”

Unbelievably, Midoriya wrenched himself to the side and reached over to grab a fistful of Tomura’s hair. He said, “You don’t get to die.” He sounded like a hero; he sounded like a maniac who would see Tomura thrown into some asylum for ‘recovery’ when all it would really be was an indefinite term of drugged incarceration. “One for All didn’t go away so you could die. I told them I’d save you, and I will.”

“You and what Quirk?! You think you count for anything now? Even All Might’s word doesn’t mean shit!”

“You’re Quirkless too, now!” Midoriya fired back.

Tomura clenched his jaw. Maybe if he ate enough dirt, he’d throw up, choke on his own vomit, and die before any medical assistance reached them. Like being unable to use a Quirk mattered to the terrified, paranoid judicial system. He’d dusted both of Overhaul’s arms up to the elbows and they booked him in Tartarus anyway.

“I won’t let you disappear,” the boy swore.

“Moron,” Tomura spat. “I’m telling you over and over again, it doesn’t matter what the hell you want. You’re gonna stand against the heroes when they drag me to prison? You’re gonna ask them to go easy on me with the sentencing? It’d be more merciful to just kill me!”

Midoriya yanked on Tomura’s hair, and Tomura wailed a long, despairing cry into the dirt. Would anyone else help him? Dabi--useless. Toga--useless. Spinner--gone. Mr. Compress--imprisoned. All Tomura had left was Midoriya, and he hated Midoriya, but not enough to suppress Tenko’s needy want for a friend. 

“If they take you, I’ll find you. I’ll ask All Might to find a safehouse in the country. I’ll make sure you have dogs to take care of.” Midoriya released Tomura and rolled himself completely to his stomach. His eyes were red-rimmed but dry. Exhaustion weighed on him as heavily as the hurt did on Tomura. “Don’t you want to live?”

This was the final straw, amidst the many final straws that had edged their fight further and further in Midoriya’s favor. Tomura had no desire to voice Tenko’s want, so he scrunched his wet eyes shut and screamed into the shattered earth.

Next to him, Midoriya waited.

[shadowsandshapes]

FFTB | CH 2: Trial by Fire (Dabi/F!Reader)

Summary: Dabi doesn't think you've got what it takes to join the League. He approaches Shigaraki with a request: he wants to test your abilities and see what you're capable of. Contains: Swearing, Canon-Typical Violence, Power Fantasy Elements, A Series Of Very Unfortunate Events, Reader Is A Villain Who Does Villain Things

↞ Prev | Chapter Index | Ao3 Portal | Next ↠

This was ridiculous. Shigaraki had to be out of his goddamn mind if he thought a girl like you could benefit the League in a meaningful way. You weren’t cut out for this – Dabi could see that in an instant. Back at the gambling hall, he had only caught glimpses of your abilities, but he was certain you wouldn’t be able to keep up. Recruiting you was like tossing a bunny rabbit in with a pack of ravenous wolves. They would eat you alive. He watched you make your introductions with the rest of the League, scrutinizing your every move. Pretty little thing. Soft features and curves – all smiles and sarcasm. No substance.

There was no way you’d last a week. Let alone long enough to repay your debt.

Thanks to Twice’s disastrous Overhaul introduction, the LOV was short one member and Mr. Compress was out for the count until he could get a new arm. Having fresh meat on board wouldn’t be too bad. That’s why they visited the casino in the first place: recruitment. However, the raid had thrown their plans into disarray. You showing up to mess with the cops definitely helped but, at the end of the day, you were nothing special. They needed frontline fighters. You were a disaster waiting to happen. Not exactly what they were looking for.

“Shigaraki –” Dabi called, motioning for the other man to move out of earshot of the others. As soon as he was certain no one was paying attention to them, he leaned in close and continued. “Let me test ‘em,” he grumbled – nodding his head in your direction.

“C’mon, Dabi…” their leader protested half-heartedly, rolling his crimson eyes at his companion’s overly cautious attitude. Tomura really wasn’t in the mood to argue right now. Not after all the shit they just went through. “What makes you think she’s not a good fit?”

“Look at her.” Dabi deadpanned. “She looks like a fucking pastry. Sweet and fragile. We gotta know what we’re dealing with here. Didn’t you have beef with some other villains? Let me take her to them – see what she can do.”

Shigaraki pressed a thoughtful finger to his lips as his eyes landed on you. Dabi had a point. You didn’t exactly look like the part of the evil villain. As far as he was aware, you could have been bluffing about your Quirk. They knew nothing about you – other than that you had hilariously humiliated those loser Heroes at the casino. Still, those guys were small fry compared to what the League was facing now. If Shigaraki wanted to get even with the Shie Hassaikai he would need strong allies. Whether or not you were one remained to be seen. Dabi was a harsh judge. Maybe this was the perfect opportunity to find out. 

“Alright,” he agreed, giving Dabi an affirmative nod. “Take her downtown. There’s a group of thugs who leaked our info to Overhaul’s men.” Shigaraki pulled out his phone and quickly typed up the address. “Make them pay, rough ‘em up – and find out what she’s capable of.”

“You got it, boss –” Dabi checked the location. A warehouse. Remote – most likely abandoned. A grin tugged at the corner of his lips. He’d be able to test your mettle and the authorities would be none the wiser. This was perfect.

Time to give you a proper introduction and grill you a little. Just for fun. 

Dabi strolled up and inserted himself between you and Toga. He slung an arm over your shoulder and pulled you close. The other girl protested but his icy glare was enough to send her slinking off to join the others quietly. In contrast, the grin Dabi was giving you struck you as dangerously venomous.

Just what was he up to?

“Hey, Lucky –” he started, “the name’s Dabi – you and me are going for a ride first thing tomorrow.” His finger shamelessly dipped into the hem of your neckline, giving it a small tug and allowing it to snap back. “I suggest you get some more tactical clothing cuz this get-up you’re sporting isn’t gonna cut it where we’re going.” Oh – the way you blushed when at his touch was delightful. What a peach.

Yeah – he was gonna enjoy breaking you in.

“I have a name. It’s (Y/n).” This Lucky-shit better not stick around – you hated being called that. Bastard. He seemed so very pleased with himself for making you uncomfortable – it was pissing you off. You shrugged his arm off your shoulder dismissively, glaring as he chuckled and raised his hands in mock surrender. There was no way this charmer was getting off the hook so easily: you hadn’t forgotten the shit he pulled earlier. For now, though, you decided to play nice. “Sending me on a mission that quickly – what’s this about?”

“Trial by fire, newbie. I’m gonna find out just how lucky you are.”

Aside from asking about the mission details, you didn’t talk much – but Dabi did notice you glaring at him every now and then. 

It was hard not to. Your face seemed to be permanently stuck in a seething expression. Sure, being forced to join the League wasn’t a walk in the park – but most villains would be thrilled to gain some notoriety. It came with the territory. Reputation could get you a long way in this world. Considering how many recruits Dabi had turned into burn marks on the pavement, you should consider yourself – well, lucky. 

You walked by his side, keeping pace as you made your way toward the rendezvous point. Despite your reservations with the man, you had listened to his advice – leaving the cocktail dress at home for the day. You really, really didn’t need him getting a free show of your sexy bits if you happened to get into a fight. The memory of his finger on your collarbone kept replaying in your mind – which incidentally was why you kept glaring at him. Among other things.

“Your face is gonna get stuck like that, grumpy. Lighten up, will you?” he said, unable to suppress a grin at your pouty expression. “If we’re gonna start teaming up, ya might as well get used to lookin’ at me.”

“Not the biggest fan of my current company,” you admitted. “Can’t say I’m looking forward to working with the guy who left me for dead yesterday. Do you know how many cops were on my ass? I’m still picking glass from my hair.”

Dabi barked out a laugh. “You still sore about that, babe? So that’s why you were being such a sourpuss.” He could have guessed. His first impression hadn’t exactly been a favorable one. Still – that was hardly Dabi’s most pressing concern right now. “I told you: it was nothin’ personal. Crusty said to block the exit, so I did. You were just collateral.”

“It’s not fair. I tried to help you and you let me take the fall. I mean – yeah, you’re villains, but did you have to be dicks about it?”

He shrugged. “Life’s not fair, sweet thing – the sooner you get used to that, the sooner we’ll start getting along.”

You sighed. This was going to be a long fucking day, wasn’t it?

You couldn’t have been more right.

The thugs you were sent to dispatch were pussies but the sheer number of them was overwhelming. Dabi was no help. Intentionally, you reckoned. This was your test after all. He spent most of the fight up high – away from the action as you barreled towards certain doom.

Your confidence was admirable. Stupid and reckless – but admirable nonetheless.

Improvised weapons were one of your favorite things to use in a fight. In this case, you’d gotten your hands on a rusty lead pipe. A crude-looking thing. Heavy and wide enough to do some serious damage to human skulls and kneecaps. Perfect for dispatching a pack of low-lifes, really. At first, Dabi thought you were nothing but a bumbling buffoon, stumbling from one disaster into another. He expected you to go down in the first five minutes of the fight but you were still standing. More than that, you were actually pretty good. Someone must have trained you.

After a while, Dabi started to notice a pattern. What seemed like utter chaos was actually far more contained. Every slip-up you made actually worked in your favor. It was almost comical how you skid across the ground – slipping between the legs of one of your attackers to emerge on the other side and crack the pipe against the back of his head. You could influence your luck but its effect was dependent on what you had to work with. Objects, people – anything you could touch was fair game. If he were to put you in an empty room, for instance, Dabi figured nothing would happen. You simply wouldn’t have anything to influence. The way he understood it, Luck was better suited for defense which is why you had invested time in combat training. There was potential in you – Dabi could see that now. Guess Shigaraki was right – maybe you could earn their respect just yet.

With the loud crack of bone and groaning cartilage, you brought the pipe down on a thug's knee. He howled in anguish, dropping to the ground like a cement brick. “Hey hotshot –!” you called out. Dabi perked up – snapping out of his thoughts. “Can you get down here already?”

“This gettin’ too much for you?” the villain questioned – descending from his metal scaffolding perch by sliding down the rafters. “You can say it’s too much, I won’t snitch to the boss – pinkie promise.” He jumped the last gap and wasted no time catching up, ducking past oncoming attacks to reach your side with one quick sprint. 

“It’s not that.” You rolled your eyes, taking a moment to wipe the blood from the pipe on your jeans. “I’ve never taken on this many guys at once –”

“Yeah – I bet,” Dabi smirked, positioning himself to cover you as the thugs regrouped for a counterattack. “You look like a real good girl with that pipe in your hands.”

You shouldn’t have laughed – but you did. “Shut. up. Fuck me – you’re unbearable.” For the first time today, you didn’t sound all that pissed off. Rather, amused. Almost like you were actually having a good time despite the circumstances. Dabi took note of that, eyeing the smile you were so desperately trying to hide from him.

So you did have a sense of humor after all. 

He felt you press your back against his to make sure no one could take advantage of your flank – surveying the remaining pawns on the field. The rest of the fight was an outright slaughter. Your opponents didn’t stand a chance once the two of you were actually working together. The matter was settled within minutes – blue flames sweeping up whatever bloody bits you and your trusty pipe had left behind. When the dust had settled, you and Dabi were the only ones left standing. Breathless but unscathed.

“Not bad, newbie –” Dabi admitted, reaching up to ruffle the top of your head. “Guess I was wrong about you. You’ve got spunk. One more thing –”

“What – is there a written exam too?”

“No –” Dabi laughed, shaking his head. “Just a question, that’s all.” You know – maybe this guy wasn’t so bad after all. He was kind of tolerable when you were actually on the same team. “Don’t get me wrong – you kicked ass just now but – how’d a pretty little thing like you end up like this?”

“Like what?”

“A villain.”

You became quiet then. There was something there. Behind your eyes. A sadness. Anger – a festering resentment. Dabi could see it all. He knew those feelings intimately. Still – you shrugged and tossed the lead pipe into the grass – pretending the question didn’t bother you. You were a good actress but Dabi saw right through you. 

“Life’s not fair,” you quoted him. “I got used to it.” He wasn’t satisfied with your less-than-masterful deflection, you could see that clear as day. Regardless, Dabi didn’t seem interested in pressing you for an answer. For that, you were grateful. That was a can of worms you weren’t willing to pop open with a stranger just yet. Maybe one day you’d be able to talk about what happened – for now, you settled for quietly boiling yourself alive with these feelings.

Dabi, for his part, only concluded one thing from your conversation: you had motivation. Something every member of the League needed. That was enough for now.

A/N: Heheheheh Dabi you black cat of a bastard. We're gonna get some actual bonding in the next chapter but the crumbs have been strewn 👀The next chapter does need HEAVY editing, so that one will take a while to come out

Taglist: @kelin-is-writing @dynamars @dabislittlemouse @simpysheep @ohnoitsthatonekid

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[shipping-all-ships]

Idea.

An AU where AFO and The Boss switch protégé, Overhaul now being raised as Shigaraki Kai and Shigaraki Tomura now being raised as Chisaki Tenko. I don’t care about Overhaul so for a brief summary on him: he still has his rash thing, wears the bird mask, and his Yakuza underlings are now his version of the League.

Anyway, onto Tenko. The Boss cares for him and teaches him the way of the Yakuza, and he always wears either archery or artist gloves to prevent any quirk accidents; The Boss also gets him some much needed therapy, so while he still has the lingering guilt and trauma, it’s nothing like it was for Shigaraki Tomura, It’s discovered his scratching isn’t allergies but a stress coping mechanism and he still does it, though not as badly as it was.

Tenko is loyal to The Boss (or Pops, as Tenko is allowed to call him) and it’s why at 18 he’s chosen to become the bodyguard of his daughter’s daughter, 3 year old Eri who just accidentally rewound her father and her mother disowned her for being a “monster”, which helps Tenko bond with her over the shared trauma of thinking themselves monsters. Pops lets him set up his own team to help and he ends up with the League, all who make Pops raise his eyebrows (save for Mr. Compress, who seems to know a concerning amount about yakuza etiquette) but all prove themselves loyal so they’re allowed to live. Dabi is the only one who’s shifty but he’s under contract that states they’ll help him ruin Endeavour and give him protection in exchange for his service so he’s all in.

However, Pops ends up in a coma when Tenko turns 20 and Tenko becomes the de-facto leader until Eri is deemed old enough to lead or Pops wakes up. 

So while Tenko runs the place, Eri gets to live her best life as a spoiled Yakuza princess she’s always meant to be, though she’s still very timid and has a hard time just saying what she wants even though she has people who trip over themselves to grant her wishes. She enjoys playing with Toga and Twice, elaborate and silly tea parties with Magne, listening to Spinner’s passionate if confusing rants on Stain, watching pretty fire displays from Dabi, magic shows from Mr. Compress, and peaceful evening with Tenko.

It is discovered they can use Eri’s blood to make quirk erasing bullets, so every couple of weeks she’s brought in and her blood is drawn. She doesn’t mind since it’s only a little uncomfortable and Tenko takes her out for ice-cream afterwards. Since many can’t be made at a time, they keep these bullets separate and only to use for special occasions. 

Tragedy strikes when information gets leaked that the yakuza have quirk canceling bullets and a vague idea of how they’re made. Eri ends up kidnapped by Overhaul for The Doctor to experiment on, right in front of some hero students. So now, not only do they have some pissed off heroes after them, they also have all of the yakuza hunting them down for daring to take their princess. It’s probably the first time heroes and yakuza unite against a common enemy.

Eri will make it back safe and Tenko is going to make all of them regret every being born.

[quirkwizard]

I am quite interested in that Mr. Compress rant if you do not mind sharing?

Mr. Comrpess felt so wasted among the members of LOV. He started off really strong. He's got a unique personality, a standout design, an amazing power, and a strong introduction. He catches the students totally off-guard, captures Tokoyami and Bakugou, and is probably the main reason why that plan succeeded in the first place. But after that, he really fades into the background and doesn't do much. He helps Toga and Twice escape the Yakuza, but that was a double. He takes Overhaul's arm, but that scene is completely dominated by Tomura. He doesn't get much to do in the MLA Arc, he didn't even get his own counterpart to fight, and he only becomes relevant when he saves Tomura.

This is especially felt when his backstory, if you could even call it that, is revealed. Hori had all this time to bring it up and then he rushed it with a few panels. It reeks a lot of Magne's death. A brief flashback of a character that didn't have much going on with them, desperately trying to get you to care about someone we haven't seen much of. Which again, was overshadowed by the Dabi reveal and everything else going on with the war. It feels like Hori didn't know what to do with Sako. It's like he only kept Mr. Compress around because he didn't have a chance to get rid of him in a satisfying way. I get that some characters won't get as much attention as others, but the sheer lack of anything going on with him feels baffling when Hori had all this time to develop him.

His backstory is especially bizarre given how at odds it is with the rest of LOV. When it comes to the main members of the League, all of their backstories revolve around how they were somehow faulted by society and that caused them to turn to villainy. Dabi was pushed into a bad headspace via social pressures put on him by his father. Toga's psychotic urges weren't treated properly, which led to a breakdown. Spinner felt pushed down his entire life and rallied to a symbol that gave him strength. Twice's criminal record and mental instability made him feel ostracized and he turned to the League for support. Sako doesn't really fit in with that. He wants to be like his ancestor, Harima. He chose to do this. As for far as we can tell, nothing external pushed him.

And it raises the question of why he's even in the League. Harima was a Robin Hood figure, trying to undermine selfish heroes and give back to the poor. If Sako wants to be like him, why is he with the League? Tomura wants total destruction. This works with the rest of the League or at least doesn't conflict with it. They try to connect it to putting things right somehow, but that doesn't really sit well. Which I guess is part of the issue when you connect a character to a complete nobody that the audience barely knows. It would make more sense if he felt compelled to do this by societal shunning, hated for the crime of being barely related to a major villain and felt vengeful for it. Alternatively, maybe he could be a wannabe entertainer who felt like villainy was the only way to show off his skills because he couldn't use his Quirk without a license.

[clickbait-official]

if he gets sick

masterlist

Overhaul/ Chisaki Kai:

- he doesn't get sick, right?

- that's what he tells you

- after he stops denying it, he asks for a mask

- if it's like a cough or something, he'll try to continue work

- overhaul? more like overwork

- make the man go back to bed

- please

- use your puppy eyes or whatever

- but like

- this man is determined

- give him a book or something

- distract him

- cause it's all he'll focus on

- you better help this poor man when he's sick

- soup, blankets, the like

- put hand sanitizer by his bedside

- god, he loves his angel

Hawks / Takami Keigo:

- give him your constant attention

- mans is starved for it

- being sick is just you giving him more attention

- and also cuddles

- he loves you

- so much

- but he wants cuddles

- so he'll get his fucking cuddles

- even if you get sick too

- cause then he can take care of you!

- also

- mans loves your baking

- deny him his chicken nuggies and he'll cry

- a lot

- cuddle him more

- please

- he loves you so much <3

Mr. Compress / Atsuhiro Sako:

- oh, the d r a m a

- he's a grown man, he can take care of himself

- but he has you now

- so he can let you do the work

- he lies on the bed, closing his eyes

- lying in bliss

- any cough, any illness

- he'll suffer through it to be treated like this

- treat him like the angel from heaven he is

- god, he's so pretty

- love him or i will :)

(request more here)

[kavikaslana]

Dabi, Toga, Overhaul, Atsuhiro, Shigaraki, and Bakugo with a S/O that can regenerate limbs

Honestly, I think anyone in general with a quirk that activates through touch would love this, especially shig

Shigaraki

He’s still going to be afraid of touching you, even after you told him your quirk. He has to be careful not to touch your chest, neck, or face without the gloves still anyway, he doesn’t see a point in it. 

Training with him could work, since he doesn’t really need to use his quirk for him to train, all he has to do is touch you (artist gloves on) and he’d win. It would improve your stamina and how quickly you can react at least, but you wouldn’t really be able to train using your quirk, unless you gave him a knife. He still doesn’t like the idea though, just in case he slips up.

He just wants to make sure he doesn’t hurt you, especially after his quirk upgrade. Since it could spread now, he always keeps a knife in his pocket in case he needs to separate one of your decaying limbs. Toga’s always on standby as well.

Eventually, he learns that as long as he doesn’t touch any spots with vital organs, that you’ll be fine. He still wont send you on missions though, he can’t take that risk. He’ll go to your shared room after a long day and just hold your hand. It slowly becomes a comfort for him as time goes on. 

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Overhaul

I’m gonna be honest, I can see him abusing this.

“Y/N, stick out your arms, I want to test something but no one will volunteer.” He’d command, completely ignoring the fact that you could still feel pain. 

110% would not train with you with the excuse that he doesn’t want to get dirty.

I feel like he’d experiment on you with different drugs, and then cut off that limb when he was done. Sorry but he would. The only drug he wouldn’t use is the quirk-erasing one, even after he made the quirk restoring bullets, can’t take any chances with you but yet he’ll still cut off your limbs. 

Now personally, after he looses his arms, I’d annoy him. You’d cut off your forearms and regenerate it in front of him for no reason. Whenever he’d try to type, you’d bring your laptop into the room and type on it. Every time, he’d try to push you out, always threatening you, but what’s he gonna do??? Shoot you in the stomach???

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mr. Compress (Atsuhiro)

For your personal life, I don’t think he’d mind it. He could at least use you to practice for missions, as long as he was careful, that is. Otherwise, it wouldn’t really have a use in your personal life.

In missions however, he’d love it. He knows it still hurts when a limb gets severed, but hey, at least you won’t bleed out as long as its just your limbs that get stabbed... theoretically. 

It does bring him a little comfort to know that other threats have a smaller target they have to hit, and that you could still fight back if your hands somehow got cut off during a mission. 

He’d probably be more comfortable bringing you to the league’s hideout, at least with Toga and Shigaraki. He’d still make them keep their distance though.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dabi

He’s a bit of a special case. Due to his quirk, he can’t exactly train with you very easily, so it would just be easier to use a thug he found off the streets. Sure you can regenerate limbs, but if his flames hit any other part of your body, its over for you, and he doesn’t want to take that chance.

I could imagine that he’d convince Shigaraki to pair you with someone like Toga or Spinner, since their quirks aren’t as dangerous as his, at least to you. And just like Compress, it would bring him a little comfort knowing there’s a smaller target that rivals have to hit. 

If there was any chance there would be someone with a quirk like his on a mission with you, whether they were an ally or a rival, he’d tell Shigaraki to assign him instead, or at least assign you to a different position or section. As much as he doesn’t like the thought of you being paired up with Shigaraki or Toga, in his mind it would be safer for you. 

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Bakugo

He’s like Dabi. For your lives outside of being a hero, it wouldn’t really serve a purpose. 

Training wouldn’t go very well since his quirk has a wide range, like Dabi’s. He would not let you be around Shoto during fights or training. He’d usually make you stay home while he deals with villains. He knows your limits, and he’ll let you go with him if its only a few missions if its just some lowly thugs or someone with a quirk like Toga’s, but he’d still watch you just in case. 

He does think your quirk is cool, but with him being the person he is, he’d still say his quirk is better. Every time, you’d always say “depends on the case, dumbass” as he tries to figure out what you mean. 

He will try to train with you though, but he won’t use his quirk. According to him, he can’t date someone who can’t at least beat Deku, so he still tries to find ways to train with you. You will most likely not use your quirk at all. Instead, he would help you improve things like strength, speed, stamina, etc.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Toga

She’d love this, it just means blood for her, but she knows she has to be careful. You’ll still bleed out if she takes too much, so she’ll keep an eye on you for a while after she severs your arm or leg. 

Training would definitely work for both of you, especially if you got Twice or Compress so Toga could use her quirk, but hey, at least you could use your quirk and she’d get your precious blood out of it.

Always volunteers to be your partner on missions, whether its to steal a UA file or to take down a new threat. She isn’t as concerned about you as Bakugo or Shigaraki, but she does care and will take quick glances at you once you get into the battle. She’ll make sure you’re away first before she either finishes the group off, or follows you back to the rest of the members. 

[musicfeedsmysoul12]

More Headcanon Stuff

Since everyone likes my post about Permits and shit: Here’s more BNHA World Building I use for fics!

Hero School: The Actual Hardest School to Get Into

UA is not, as mentioned previously, that hard to get into. It’s based on a statistic taken out of context, and also because almost the entire country applies but doesn’t get into the hero course.

The hardest school to get into is actually called Shīrudo Academy and is an intelligence-based heroics school. 

 The exam is twelve hours long and you must get a ninety percent to be allowed in. 

 The graduates of this school go on to enter the intelligence-based heroics field. They train for years, learning undercover tactics, code work, information gathering and interrogation techniques. 

 Shīrudo Academy is one of five hero-based programs that do not just include high school but also university. Meaning, you enter the Academy and then leave Shīrudo Institute before you are considered finished.

Second Chance High School-University

Okay not translated because I can’t find like a good translation for this.

Anyway, SC is a high school/university geared towards potential heroes who have black marks on their records, or have criminal records.

SC does NOT accept those who have: Sold drugs, committed Sexual Assault or committed First Degree Murder.

SC is meant to help those who have potential as heroes but have things holding them back. Like Shirudo they are a combination high school and university program. They operate on a ‘Ten Strike’ program in which you have ten attempts to change your ways before they expel you.

 They take extreme cases, or on occasion get transfers due to the Red Flag Protocol.

Red Flag Protocol

I fully believe while most hero schools are allowed to run how they want- UA a prime example- there are some general policies or rules.

One of them I call the ‘Entitled Brat’ rule or as it’s called officially ‘Red Flag Protocol’.

Red Flag Protocol is when a student…

-displays signs of extreme violent behaviour

-acts shocked upon being reprimanded

-refuses to listen to teachers or ignores reprimands, acting like it’s a jok when walking into detention

-being shocked to be actually punished and attempting to argue

-displays Quirkist behaviour to Quirkless individuals or those with ‘weaker Quirks’.

-attempts to establish a hierarchy with them at the top and enable them to bully others.

-displays illegal behaviour

-displays sexual harassment to others

The Red Flag Protocol is used in hero courses as there are multiple cases a year when problematic, disturbing or illegal behaviour is noticed in students who had entered the school. 

 This is due to the status that is given to middle schools that comes from having someone from their school become a hero. As well, there is a monetary fund given to middle schools when they have a student make it a year in a hero course program for high school. 

 With an emphasis on strong Quirks and brash personalities, it’s no schock that these have become a protocol to watch out for these behaviours.

 The student operates on a five-strike program when placed into the protocol. Five strikes, they’re either removed from the hero course or transferred to SC.

Anti-Cheating Board

The ACB is a board sent out when allegations of cheating are made on any test, or when a complaint is lodged that someone is accused of cheating without proof. It is not just for Hero Schools but also for any schools. 

 The ACB is made up mostly of people who are able to either detect lies or force people to tell the truth. All possess Job Specific Permits for their Quirks. 

 The ACB is always working because there are a lot of cheating allegations. In recent history, the Aldera school came under fire for accusing a student of cheating fifteen times and had the ACB called in. Now, they have a member of ACB come in to oversee all testing done to prove no cheating is occuring. The school was fined for their Quirkist views due to the student in question being Quirkless. 

Homeschooling Program 

According to my research, Japan doesn’t allow homeschooling, however, with Quirks I propose that there are some Quirks that could pose a risk to other students. Such as: Quirks that require equipment that if damaged could cause death, injury or other. Or sentient Quirks that are near impossible to control.

 Children with dangerous Quirks as well are allowed to be homeschooled. However once control to a reasonable level has been reached, the child is required to enter regular school.

 A small scandal came about when Endeavour, Number Two Hero, attempted to have his youngest classified as someone with a dangerous Quirk that required more training. It was proven to be false and Endeavour fined for false filing.

Dangerous Quirk Regulation Bureau

The DC is responsible for tracking those whose Quirks are regarded as a Class 9 on the Quirk Scale. Any Quirk that can cause death or injury or cannot be turned off that influences others is under their view and they monitor them. They provide funds if needed to help control their Quirk.

 Often these people enter into Heroics or Military service due to the fact they are regulated. 

Quirk Scale

The Quirk Scale is a scale meant to measure how dangerous a Quirk is. (A lot of this is kinda vague so I use examples)

Class 1: Minor Quirk that only affects the person using it. Does not affect anyone or anything else. Example: Colour Changing Eyes. 

-Exceptions are caused for those who while their Quirk does not affect anyone else, it can make them unnoticable. Example: Shapeshifting. Spinner resides here. Nezu resides here to only on a technicality that he loves to debate with the Bureau on. They gave up and just slap him with a ‘Class 1 but Class 9 danger’ label.

Class 2: A Quirk that affects other people or things outside the body. However is low-powered and does not negatively affect others without it being on purpose. Example: a low level teleckentic or someone can make a small flame but barely enough to roast a marshmallow.

-Note: Ojiro actually technically is in this category as his Quirk can affect others but requires it being on purpose. 

Class 3: Quirks that affect others or things with greater power. A telekentic able to lift larger weights or a fire user able to produce more fire.

-Hagakure is here because while her Quirk only affects her, it can also enable her to spy on others. Sato is here to, along with Sero, Jiro, Asui, and Shouji. Kirishima and Iida are in this category due to a technicality on the fact they can harm others by using their Quirk in negative ways. Otherwise they would be level 1. Similar with Twice.

Class 4: A quirk that only affects others and not themselves but isn’t considered very powerful.

-Note: Kouda actually is here as Anivoice affects animals. Technically he should be a level 6 but as it is animals he was ranked 4. (This changes when they get older though) Mr. Compress and Magne are here to.

Class 5: A quirk that can affect others or cause harm in a way that is more harmful than a class 4.

-Toga is here. Stain as well. Ochako is to. Bakugou resides here to.

Class 6: A Quirk that affects others in ways that are considered to be removing part of their autonomy.

-Aizawa is here. As is Shinsou.

Class 7: A Quirk that can cause damage to an extreme level to others or can affect someone in a way that is regarded as high level.

-Recovery Girl is here. As is All Might, Midoriya, Todoroki, and Endeavour.

Class 8: A Quirk that can cause extreme damage to others or themselves, or a sentient Quirk that does in fact have a downside.

-Kaminari and Dark Shadow are here. Dabi is to. Overhaul and Eri also are here.

Class 9: A Quirk that either can cause death or grievous bodily harm that either cannot be controlled at all, or requires specialized equipment.

-Present Mic and Thirteen are here along with Shigaraki.

Random Laws

Just a few random laws.

Hero School Law of Custody: A Law that states a hero school is awarded partial custody of any student accepted into the school. This law is in place to prevent a parent from pulling a student from the school recklessly or to prevent any contracts being signed without permission from the student. The Hero School may also pull any student from their parents if it is believed to be in their best interest.

Sidekick Law of Emancipation: If anyone under the age of majority earns a sidekick license they are automatically emancipated.

Law of Accidental Death by Quirk: A law that prevents anyone from being charge with murder if they have accidently caused death by their Quirk. For an example, I have an OC called Gas Attack who breathes out deadly gas. She would be protected under this law if her breathing support item that lets her breath the gas into a container that neutralizes it breaks. Or, if Bakugou as a toddler accidentally killed someone with an explosion. Shigaraki would have also been covered under this law when he killed his family.

[villainsandvictimsalliance]

Now, it is true about most members of the League of Villains that they tried to stay away from becoming evil, and they try very hard.

Tenko got groomed by AFO when he was 5 years old. And before that, he did fight to get rescued. But once it became clear that no one would help, he gave himself in to AFO's new identity for him.

Twice had a job before getting fired and he in fact when looking for another job, but they kept treating him like he was already a criminal or a villain, so he got lost on it and gave in to that life, and then he started losing his sanity to his quirk.

Toga tried for 15 years to be the daughter their parents wanted, repressing her need for blood and her identity, her quirk. She couldn't hold on anymore and instead of trying to help her, they straight up started calling her names and seeing her as an evil being, instead of a confused teenager in the process of dealing with herself and her definition of the world.

Mr. Compress was before a thief, but he didn't participate in murders or other stuff. And he had a very Robin Hood style, which is more morally grey than anything else.

Shirakumo didn't have a choice on becoming Kurogiri.

Touya ran away from AFO, when back home, and it was only after witnessing the extreme abuse Endeavor inflicted on Shouto that he decided to let his original identify die. And even now, he's still trying to come back from it, he still cares.

Spinner didn't want to go against cops or hurt kids, even after joining the League. And before, he spent years and years trying for people to accept him, but he was invisible. He still is in so many ways.

You have villains like Overhaul, Muscular, AFO; who wanted had a choice and even a chance, and they decided who they wanted to be (AFO made himself completely, Overhaul was constantly pressured and advices against going so far, Muscular straight up told Deku he didn't want to change).

And you have villains like the League of Villains, who also tried and decided who they were, but they were so heavily conditioned by so much trauma and so many situations in their life that we can't say they are entirely responsible for how they ended up.

[sarahjtv]

BNHA Chapter 327 Spoiler Analysis: Home Sweet Home

OH MY GOD, GUYS!!!  DEKU GETS A BATH!!!! 🎉🛁 🧼   My broccoli boy finally gets squeaky clean, gets some sleep, and we finally get some R&R time with the Class 1-A kids.  It’s not close to the happy-go-lucky days of old, but it’s some time with the kids nonetheless.  I’m glad Horikoshi put some heart and humor in this chapter because god knows we needed it.  But, let’s be real, this is the calm before the storm:

The chapter starts off with what everyone and Horikoshi has been wanting for Deku since he went on his mission: A motherfuckin’ bath 🛀 🧼🛁!   Kaminiari and Kirishima lead the Class 1-A boys to carry Deku into their side of the UA Alliance bathhouse (looks real nice btw) and give him a good power-wash.  The whole sequence is very comical!  The boys are rushing in and poor Deku has this O_O face on him like “what is happening?” 😂 We also see some of the boys butt naked 😳  It’s clear that Horikoshi had fun drawing this thing and it was fun to read 💚

Bakugo is with them of course and you can actually see his scars from when Shigaraki stabbed him.  He’s not bleeding, but you can see those scar patches on his skin.  I’m curious of how fan artist are going to draw him from now on.  I would like to see that fan art 👀

There’s also some bubble sfx coving Bakugo’s crotch and a translator said it might say dick or penis.  I’m curious what the officials will say.

But, Bakugo being Bakugo is still aggressive towards his classmates.  More playfully than before, but still.  He reminds everyone that he still intends on being the best there is and that everyone is still his rivals (also friends, Bakugo).  HE EVEN MAKES AN ATTEMPT TO CALL DEKU IZUKU!  LIKE HE ALMOST SAID “DEKU” BUT HE CHANGED IT TO IZUKU AT THE LAST MINUTE!  AND DEKU SAYS THAT CALLING HIM DEKU IS JUST FINE LIKE THAT ANGER THAT ORIGINATED FROM THE NICKNAME ISN’T THERE ANYMORE AND IT’S A FREINDLY NICKNAME BKDK FRIENDSHIP GROWTH YOU LOVE TO SEE IT 🧡💚  

After Deku’s bath, he’s sitting in the commons talking to the rest of Class 1-A.  Well, most of them.  Mina tells Deku that Ochako and a few other students went to bed after everything became ok again.  So, I definitely didn’t see Tsuyu, and it looks like Shoji, Aoyama, and Hagakare weren’t in this chapter either.  Ochako I understand; her speech must’ve been emotionally taxing.  Aoyama and Hagakare are the top suspects for being the traitor in the fandom and this isn’t helping their cases.  I don’t know about Tsuyu and Shoji though.  They’re both mutant-types, but characters like Ojiro or mutant-like people like Jiro, Mina or Tokoyami didn’t get outcasted.  Horikoshi did hint that Shoji would be getting something soon.  But, I really am just speculating here.

Now that Deku’s back, everyone has questions for him.  Though I understand why, this has gotta be overwhelming for Deku.  At least they’re not mad at him for hiding OFA.  They seem very understanding actually.

Then my ❄️🔥 boy, Shoto Todoroki, comes in all handsome right out of the baths 💙  He’s drying his right side while you can see a steam cloud on his left.  So, it is canon that Shoto drys himself naturally with his heat. His entrance is so pretty that even Mineta’s questioning it (shut up, Mineta, you’ll never be as beautiful as him).  And yes, I might be a Shoto simp, don’t judge me I see y’all too 👀

Anyway, Shoto asks everyone to let Deku sleep since that was pretty much the whole reason they brought him back.  Problem is, Deku can’t because he really needs to apologize to All Might for abandoning him.  AND AFTER HE SAYS THAT THERE’S A DETAILED PANEL OF SHOTO POINTING TO ALL MIGHT LIKE “UH, MIDORIYA? HE’S RIGHT THERE” AND ALL MIGHT LOOKING FROM THE WINDOW LIKE A HORROR VILLAIN WHAT IS HAPPENING HERE 😭

All Might comes in and apologizes to Deku for not being able to support him when he needed it, but Deku says that All Might support him more than enough.  Mina also scolds All Might for not saying anything when he left.  She wants All Might to apologize to everyone for that.  Though I’m glad Deku and All Might have reconciled (I honestly thought that last convo between them was going to be THE LAST for a hot minute), Mina has a point.  All Might did bail on all of them without any warning.  Kinda messed up in general.

All Might apologizes and he is going to fight with everyone regardless of his physical state so that he can see that flame continue to shine.  However, he warns the kids that they got info on the villains and that the final decisive battle is coming soon.  If the whole “Final Arc” thing hasn’t been hammered into your head, there you go.  I’m also glad that Stain’s speech did end up motivating All Might further.  Who knew?

So, All Might is off to help Endeavor since he’s got unfinished business to take care of.  But, the kids are wondering why Endeavor (and probably Hawks) isn’t entering UA entirely yet.  Shot reminds them that Endeavor is still connected to Dabi and that his presence alone would cause more discourse.  People’s minds can’t change that easily.  Shoto of all people would know.  

As Deku FINALLY SLEEPS 💤 and Shoto puts a blanket over him (possibly warmed by his left side 🔥) 💙💚 Shoto acknowledges how his presence might be making people anxious too even though it’s not his fault at all (thank you, Kirishima for doubling down on this btw ❤️🪨).  But, things are different and Shoto’s going to show that so that everyone can be at ease like he wants as a hero.  There’s even this sweet small smile on his beautiful face as he says this.  He’s grown so much and he’s pretty to boot I love him so much *HANDS IN FACE* 💙❄️🔥 

EVEN KIRISHIMA’S CRYING FROM HOW MANLY SHOTO IS I LOVE THESE KIDS!!!!

And now Jiro steps up and says her piece.  That she knows how hard it is to convince everyone to change their minds for the better.  Like with those two critics from the Culture Fest.  Even so, they accomplished this before, so she thinks they can do it again.  She even gathers all the band members to emphasize on this.  I love how Jiro uses her earphone jacks to rally the band and how she literally drags Bakugo by the shirt for a cute group shot.  None of these kids are afraid of Bakugo anymore LOL 😂!  Also, Momo is the tallest out of all of them in this line up shot (except for Bakugo who’s still being dragged on the ground).  I think she’s roughly 5ft 6-7 inches?  She’s the tallest of the girls I know that, but damn.  She towers all of them.  Even me...  She’s also very pretty in this shot and it’s her birthday as I’m posting this, so happy b-day Momo ❤️

And we get a beautiful panel of Jiro leading everyone to make sure that they’ll go beyond with making everything better than it was before.  We get a nice group shot of the rest of the class agreeing with her with a smile including Shoto with a small one (did I mention that I love him?) 💙💙💙 And Deku’s in the center still sleeping away.  I hope he has good dreams *kisses forehead*💚  And go Jiro for stepping up to the plate too 💜!  All these kids have grown so much.  There is a light at the end of the tunnel. 

Finally, the last pages show Endeavor, Hawks, and Best Jeanist going somewhere, maybe Tartarus.  They got info out of Dr. Ujiko via polygraph and the Nomu Research Group at Central Hospital.  They predict that they have 2 months until Shigaraki’s ready to go again, so they’ll need 1 month of preparation.  But, the info Stain gave All Might gave them more info.  His letter ended up being a personal letter to All Might (Stain really is that nuts...), but there was a microchip in the blade Stain left containing the security records from Tartarus.  It’s not stated how this info affected the mission at hand, but it sounds like it has to do something with the time frame.  So, I’m curious if they have less time to prepare or more?  Given how this is the Final Arc, Imma say less.

Finally, the teaser asks “How are the villains moving?”  I wonder if that means we’re switching to the villain’s next week.  I would love to hang out with the kids more, but I would also like to know what our villains are up to.  Like, where the hell is Himiko Toga?  Is Spinner still questioning shit?  What happened to Mr. Compress after he mauled himself to help Shigaraki and the others escape?  Also I think we need more info on this dude’s backstory given he’s the grandson of the famous Robin Hood villain who’s name definitely didn’t escape me... 😐  Is Dabi laughing his ass off from the utter chaos he started?  Is AFO still smiling like the evil mastermind he is?  Is Shigaraki as crispy as he was earlier?  I was going to ask about Twice but... 😭

So, yeah!  Love this chapter.  Really good transition chapter into whatever happens next.  I’m kinda sad we didn’t see Deku fight off more past villains during his vigilante days.  We got Muscular and Overhaul and I think that’s it?  Didn’t see any of Overhaul’s minions or that teeth-blade villain (Fish-something?; he broke out, but we haven’t seen him since) or Re-Destro or his goons.  I don’t count as Gentle or LaBrava as villains anymore and they were never truly evil to begin with.  Regardless, it was a really cool arc to see a more dark side of Deku.  I’m really glad Horikoshi made great use of his bunny hood and metal mask finally.  Deku really did look demonic for some time.  Also, seeing Deku badass is always a plus.  And seeing the deconstruction of hero society and the possible reconstruction of it was really good too.  Not everything is sunshine and rainbows, unfortunately, but we can do our best to make it that way.

I’m also glad that we finally got our kids back in top form.  Not just being heroes, but being teenagers too.  They all had great moments especially Iida, Ochako, and now Shoto as they should.  But, Bakugo’s apology was peak for me.  Over 320 chapters of development and build-up lead to that moment and it really is one of the best in the series.  It lives in my head rent free.

So, we got 1-2 months in-manga-time until what is probably the final battle of the series.  God, I can’t believe we’re actually nearing the end of this series.  I started reading it back in 2018 when shit was rough for me. I found this series after listening to the music and reading the hype around it.  I watched the show then I read the manga and it really helped me.  Saved me from a dark place actually.  I will miss this series when it’s done and I will be greatly for the joy Horikoshi has gifted us.  I’ll try to save the farewells for later.  I’d say this series has at least 1-1 1/2 years to go.

Me @ the kids and All Might:

[stillness-in-green]

MVA In Memoriam (3/5)

The Comprehensive Account of the Butchering of My Villain Academia

(Introduction and Part One, Episode 108: My Villain Academia) (Part Two, Episode 109: Revival Party)

Part Three, Episode 110: Sad Man's Parade

Chapter 229 – All It Takes Is One Bad Day

• The full first page, of Jin getting mobbed by Puppet!Jins, them tearing his mask off, and flinging it and then him away. Saved them a bit of budget, I suppose, but it’s a shame to lose the drama and the violence of Twice having his mask pulled away, since it’s decent foreshadowing (indeed, possibly intentionally so, on Skeptic’s part) for the violent bewilderment he’ll be subject to shortly.

• Re-Destro’s line, “Not when he’s using his meta-ability to puppeteer, unless you want another nagging lecture.” They didn’t keep the first nagging lecture, so of course they wouldn’t keep this. I’m still annoyed, both on general principle and at the loss of RD’s implication that these nagging lectures are a regular occurrence, especially if one tries to bother Skeptic when he’s using his meta-ability. Has RD himself been on the receiving end of one? Possibly so! But you’d be less likely to think so just from the anime.

• Re-Destro’s line, “This allowed our warriors to momentarily hold back and stay out of danger.” Because why would the audience need to know that Skeptic planned for and Re-Destro cares enough to observe something like that lol?? Obviously the MLA is perfectly content to just throw their peoples’ lives away because, whatever, more where that came from! Dammit, anime, the fandom believes this enough as it is without confirmation bias from your cuts!

• Skeptic’s “fufufu” laugh, because the anime is allergic to the MLA having fun.

• The police officer’s line, “Sure, but in a case like this, you’re still to blame.” The rest of the exchange hints at it, of course, but there’s a horrifying callousness to a police officer just saying straight to the face of a teenaged orphan facing his first offense, “Yes, you were obeying the law perfectly and this guy just ran out in front of you, but it’s going on your criminal record anyway, whatever.” A weight the anime lost, and another that makes me very suspicious of the patterns behind what, precisely, was put on the chopping block.[1]

• Jin’s narration, “That police officer couldn’t have known. Me neither.” Demonstrates that Jin doesn’t really hold his fall against the one policeman. It’s a consistent thread with Jin’s character that, while he’s very jaded, he’s not actually vengeful, nor is he looking to enact systemic change. While he’s very defensive of his friends, people who hurt Jin himself are never in any real danger of him coming to collect his pound of flesh in return; he just rolls with it as part of how the world works, in the way of someone who was never given reason to believe any different. This line is a good example of that.

• From Jin’s old employer’s angry rant, deletes the note that the client that called is angry, and that the client said, “That young punk of yours did this!” It’s nothing that wasn’t obvious from the rest of the conversation, but I do I think cutting it loses a sense that this guy is just unloading all of his frustration and fear on Jin. The length of the screed, the extra details—it clearly communicates that Jin’s boss is so angry and upset he’s not paying any real mind to filtering, but just recounting every point of contention the moment they come into his mind.

• In modern society, when you’re someone without roots… Well, not a lot of people can relate to that.” It isn’t just the police that failed Jin; it’s a whole society that’s distrustful of people who don’t have a place in the fabric, and thus are unwilling to try and bring them into it. Like Tenko, there are a thousand little places where someone could have reached out a hand, but no one ever did. The audience can intuit this, but I feel it’s better to be clear about it—it’s not just the legal system that screwed Jin over; it’s every other person that never tried to help him because they were afraid of his eyes or distrusted a guy who had no connections. When Shigaraki comes, he’s not going to be coming for heroes alone; he’ll be coming for this entire tapestry of indifference and timidity.

• Skeptic’s lines, “Hrm? Fighting back? I was sure he’d either flee or cower in place... We didn’t anticipate such unity between them.” This gets at two things. Firstly, and once again, that the MLA did their research; that they came into this with educated expectations and a definite plan. Secondly, an in-character observation of what the arc has been showing the audience all along: that the League isn’t just a disparate gang of hoodlums anymore; that they’re developing real bonds. Those bonds mark them as unusual—Re-Destro comments on it in 223, as did Overhaul in 147; even Mr. Compress remarks disapprovingly on Twice’s “habit” of getting overly attached to people. It’s striking that, even though the MLA knew from Giran’s records that the League was uncommonly well-bonded, Twice’s devotion still fell outside Skeptic’s parameters.[2]

• Again Skeptic’s line, “Now his legs.” The drones don’t actually get this far (though you can see them gearing up for it on the next page), so it’s a reasonable enough cut, but it does emphasize the ludicrous, over-the-top extremes Skeptic in particular is willing to go to in securing what he wants. If, you know, “Kidnap the doubler so we have a method to make copies of the Grand Commander at our leisure,” wasn’t bonkers enough.

• Twice’s line, “Even against Gigantomachia!” It really highlights just how much mental energy Twice has been dedicating to avoiding injury, that he was able to keep it in mind even fighting a foe as overwhelming, and for as extended a period, as Machia. And like, the anime blitzed over the Machia fight so quickly, and with so little visible wear and tear to the League, that it really could have used all the reminders it could find room for about how intense those six weeks were.

• Twice’s line, “I won’t watch a friend die!” Such an important line that the composer named an entire track for it, not that the anime gave us that track in the moment it was clearly scored for. They added in a new line later in the scene which mostly gets the important sentiments back in, but loses out in being slightly less fitting to his breakthrough. See the Additions portion of the write-up on Chapter 230, following.

Framing Shifts

• The policeman in Jin’s flashback looked up at him in the anime, where in the manga, his eyes stay down on his paperwork the entire time. I realize that anime can’t just still-frame every panel of a manga and call it an adaptation,[3] so characters will do things like move and look around in different directions just in the course of inhabiting a room, Still, in this case, it has the effect of making the officer look more alert and engaged than he was in the manga, and given that this whole chunk of backstory is about Jin slipping through the social safety net, it feels appropriate to me that the officer should be completely checked out.

Additions

• A new shot of Jin(s) in his pre-massacre doppelganger army days. Didn’t tell us anything we don’t already know—it’s little more than a new angle of the gang in the truck—but it was nice to see.

Bonus Note

• They left Re-Destro’s phrase, “My company,” alone when he was talking about the micro-transceivers Skeptic was using. That’s accurate to the manga, but I’d like to remind everyone that, at that point in the anime, viewers whose only reference is the anime itself have no idea that Re-Destro is a businessman. The show skipped the commercial, RD’s intro, the dinner scene where his company comes up, and Giran’s association of RD with Detnerat; it will further go on to skip Shigaraki recognizing him from the commercial. The news report mentioning Detnerat was ten full episodes prior to Episode 110, and was followed up on in not the faintest degree. For heaven’s sake, would it have been so hard to have Hirata Hiroaki say, “My Detnerat’s,” instead of just, “My company’s”?

Chapter 230 – Sad Man’s Parade

• Deleted the MLA members that are attacking Compress as they get pushed off by the Twice wave. Not the first time, and not the last, that the anime didn’t animate the random MLA people on the street. It’s hard to take the threat of their numbers seriously when the anime kept deleting them from what are supposed to be crowd scenes, you know?

• Mr. C thinking worriedly about Dabi as he’s mulling over Geten’s strength and disregard for catching his own people in the collateral damage. It’s just a, “Dabi—!” but it’s yet another tiny cut that shaves away at the manga’s clear depiction of Leagues’ concern for one another—even Mr. Compress, who claims that such things aren’t very villainous.

Framing Shifts

• Changed the random MLA’s exhortation to kill all the Twices to a generic, “Damn—!” I know American censors have often taken issue with the words “Kill” and “Die” in kids’ cartoons, but I was never of the impression that that was the case in Japan. And it’s not like the show made any bones about Curious planning to kill Toga. A rephrase to save a second and a half on dialogue, maybe?

• Had Skeptic give his lines about failure on the way over to the elevator instead of stalking over in silence, and then dumping the whole monologue all at once. The manga’s extended silence over three identically sized panels is much funnier and more characterful. I grow ever more confident in my assessment of Skeptic as the second-most ill-treated MLA character in this adaptation.

• The return of the Doom Choirs for the Twice Parade. I really wish the anime would lay off slathering Doom Choirs all over everything, especially a moment like this: a triumph for Twice, and, true to form for Twice, also crammed to the gills with visual and verbal gags. The Doom Choir is out of keeping with both the victory and the comedy—Mine Woman, later on, served the Parade much better.

Additions

• Gave Twice a new line, “I will protect my comrades!” It was nice to make up for his, “I won’t watch a friend die!” but the latter is more characterful, especially since a more literal translation is, “I won’t kill my friends!” Which is, you know, relevant to the fact that Twice has problems telling himself apart from things that just look like him, and he just had to intervene to stop some of those look-alikes from killing one of said friends. At least it got his use of nakama back in.[4]

• A new little cut of animation as the action went back to Geten and Dabi. I suppose the Dabi fans liked it, and it was nice to see more of Geten’s ice dragon, but I’d have much preferred they could keep the scenes we already have before adding new ones.

Chapter 231 – Path

The scene of Hawks wondering why he hasn’t heard from Dabi and his subsequent flashback to the last time they spoke were relocated to the beginning of Episode 102, the first thing the audience saw after the prior episode ended with Shouto inviting Bakugou and Deku to come intern with him at Endeavor’s. In the manga, of course, it’s not “a few weeks ago in Kyushu,” it’s “meanwhile in Osaka.” Also, the order of the scenes was flipped—the episode led with the flashback, then returned to the modern day. It really makes the timeline needlessly confusing—the viewer has no real context for what we’re seeing and when, especially since the anime neglected to specify how much time passed between the two scenes. You have to assume it was enough time for an outcry to be raised over Jeanist’s disappearance, but the random shot of a bird flying over was not at all helpful there.

          Alterations included (as usual, outright removed material is in bold text):

          1. Cut Hawks’ thought, “That’s why you keep calling,” and his line, “What’s the job?” I know I should give a breakdown here about Hawks’ mentality and training, but I’m afraid I don’t have it in me to complain about any lines Takami Keigo loses. God knows the anime gives him plenty enough bonus material.

          2. Spliced in the flashback scene of Hawks reporting to the Commission from Chapter 243, but subtly changed it to suggest that it took place after the phonecall in which Dabi demanded Hawks kill a non-Endeavor top hero, rather than it taking place right after Hawks and Dabi’s first contact, which is what the manga implies.

          3. Deleted several key shots in the Jeanist apartment scene, with the effect of making Hawks way less creepy. We got an anime-original shot of his eyes, narrow and serious, but not either of the shots of his big, off-putting grin and widened eyes as he pulls a feather-blade on Jeanist. We also lost a shot of Jeanist turning to face him, framed between extended primaries of Hawks’ Fierce Wings. It’s not like the anime dropped the fake!Dead Jeanist plot, so I’m not sure why the shift, unless it’s just that they wanted to keep Hawks likable for the merch-buying crowd, not creepy and unsettling. And while I personally never believed that Hawks really killed Jeanist, a lot of people thought it was plausible, no doubt based on how off-kilter he comes across in this scene. It loses a real frisson, to just play it straight.

• Shigaraki decaying a missile in mid-air. So Dabi can get those little animation flourishes but Tomura can’t, huh, anime? I see how it is. I. See. How. It. Is.

• Spinner’s little side comment about all the ice everywhere. A nice demonstration that Geten and Dabi’s fight really is affecting huge swathes of the city; that’s certainly apparent already in a bunch of the wide shots showing exactly that, but it’s helpful to have the more zoomed-in moments, too. Also, I do enjoy those little side quips wherever we get them, and the anime often removes them.

• Thinned out the crowd guarding the route to the tower somewhat (it’s particularly noticeable on the mid-distance rooftops) and, as best I can tell, removed Shigaraki and Spinner from the shot. Why keep all the lines harping on the 110,000 number when a) it’s not even accurate to the MLA’s forces, just the League’s assumptions, and b) the studio doesn’t even have the resources to adequately convey the numbers the manga does portray?

• Somebody in the crowd being defiant about Twice’s multiplication and vigorously declaring that the League are all just sacrifices for the MLA’s Revival Party anyway. The background nobodies? Allowed to express even bog-standard over-confidence? Well I never. How dare those people think their lives count enough for them to get dialogue.

• Spinner’s, “This keeps happening!” Of course he couldn’t have that line in the anime, since the anime cut the other big place Trumpet clearly used his power to rile up his followers. What other times were you even talking about when you said, “Every time he talks,” Anime!Spinner? That scene was the first time we even saw Trumpet since he welcomed you guys to town.

• Twice calling Re-Destro a cult leader. He just called him a damn moron (bakayarou) in the anime; he uses the considerably more specific baka kyouso (Google Translate gives “guru”; jisho gives “founder of a religious sect”). He uses the same term again immediately afterward—Viz’s translation gives, “More like chrome dome cult!”—which the anime also deleted.

          So here’s another example of the anime doing everything it could to erase the presence of cults in the HeroAca world. The easy assumption to make is that this was tied to broadcast standards about the depiction of what Japan refers to as “new religious movements,” which—and pardon the brief swerve into real life historical horrors here—have been very unpopular in Japan since Aum Shinrikyo and the sarin gas attacks in 1995. But were these elements removed because the anime didn’t want to represent anything that smacks of new religious movements at all, or because the depiction of both the MLA and particularly the CRC are explicitly villainous and calling religious movements, even made-up ones, evil on TV leads to a lot of angry phone calls?

• Re-Destro’s line, “Unlike my good Miyashita, there’s nothing charming about you.” Of course they’d cut this, having cut the Miyashita scene, but I hate it anyway. As I said earlier, RD’s invocation of Miyashita in front of two people who are going to have not the slightest clue who that is tells me that Re-Destro really does miss and feel bad about killing the guy. Cutting the reminder that RD still feels that sting makes it much too easy to assume that Shigaraki’s right about RD hiding up in his tower, uncaring of the blood shed on his behalf, when if you read Re-Destro with even the slightest of attempts at good faith, it’s clear that those losses weigh very heavily on him.

          Incidentally, and not to harp on the art again, but in the manga, Stress is still visibly spread down from RD’s temple to the ridge of his brow over his eye socket. The anime returned it back to its normal resting state, again suggesting that the death toll mounting in the streets below (as well as, possibly, the new stress of confronting a quirk as powerful as Double) left RD completely unmoved. The spread was back in the following shot, so it was probably just an art error, but it would be nice to have had fewer of those, especially when they impact characterization as much as what RD’s Stress blots are doing at any given time.

Framing Shifts

• Had Machia doing this weird cannonball skim just over the ground, when in the manga, he’s still half-buried, spraying earth and stone everywhere. The manga never namedrops Machia’s Mole quirk during the story itself, but it’s important to know for later that Machia can not only tear through obstacles, he can tear through obstacles extremely quickly.

Additions

• Gave Hawks a few new lines about how too many unexpected things happened for their last arrangement, and that Dabi should have given him more warning. Largely seemed to be there to give the anime an excuse to flashback to the High End fight, in case the viewers had completely forgotten about Hawks and Dabi having a clandestine meeting and sniping at each other in the aftermath of that event. An understandable addition, but deeply frustrating in the context of all the lines that got cut.

Chapter 232 – Meta Abilities and Quirks

• Dropped a third instance of Twice calling Re-Destro a cult leader. I don’t know what the S&P restriction is on this, but given that the movie was allowed to create and villainize an entire international terrorist cult, it is really incomprehensible that the MLA doesn’t get to keep their designation as such. Why?? Because the movie involves going out and defeating its cult, but the series is going to engage in a more sympathetic treatment?[5] Because the self-selecting movie crowd is less likely to complain than the TV audience? Did they just not want to draw attention to how much the movie was ripping off the MLA’s whole shtick? What??

• Missed that RD’s swole arm swipe wipes out the puppets Skeptic left behind; they just vanished from the scene entirely after Twice’s arrival. It’s hard to blame the anime for this; the manga also seems to lose track of the fact that they’re right there in between RD and the elevator—they’re nowhere to be seen anywhere between the end of Chapter 231 and the aforementioned arm swipe, where you can see them getting obliterated. Both versions could have stood to be more attentive to this; indeed, the anime could have fixed it, small error though it is.

• A sort of twitchy sparking around Shigaraki’s hand right after he decays the tower. This is foreshadowing that Shigaraki’s big AOE decay attacks are hard on his body, which will become extremely apparent after he unleashes it on the city at large during the climax, and factors into his decision to accept the mysterious power Ujiko offers. The damage Shigaraki sustains there doesn’t come out of nowhere; Horikoshi is, on the whole, extremely good at layering in foreshadowing many chapters before the foreshadowed elements come fully to light. It makes the writing look much messier than it actually is—more convenient, more pat—to delete this stuff.

• Shigaraki recognizing RD from the Detnerat commercials. Well, they ditched the Detnerat commercial, so of course they ditched this. Still, it lost one of the indicators that Shigaraki is, despite not receiving a formal education, actually quite up to speed on current events—even, apparently, when those current events are happening while he’s been fighting Machia in an isolated stretch of mountains for six weeks! I already suffer enough through fanon characterizations of Shigaraki in which he’s a basement-dwelling feral manchild glued to his gaming console whom AFO bans from accessing information about the outside world, anime! I don’t need you dropping the scenes that most clearly demonstrate otherwise!!

• In the anime, Baby!Chikara’s face was unmarked, just a normal infant face—you’d never even know the kid had a meta-ability just to look at him. In the manga, the skin of his face is clearly darker, contrasted against the paleness of his mother’s hand. It’s obvious that he’s not “normal” looking, and thus equally obviously would have attracted negative attention in his era.[6] Also had his mother smiling; her face in the manga is too shadowed and vague to make out an expression, befitting the murky tragedy of her story and the fear she must have been living with.

Framing Shifts

Additions

• A little thing: they had Twice echo, “Cushion?” when Clone!Shigaraki told him to get ready to cushion Giran’s fall. If anything, Re-Destro and his little thought-bubbled question mark is probably the one who should have had this reaction line.

• Added a visual for Clone-araki catching himself on the window. A perfectly reasonable way to fill screen time while a dialogue beat was ongoing.

• Added a panning still over a reaction shot from a bunch of Twice clones when the tower came down. It had a few good faces in it.

                                                           ---

So, generally, this episode was better. I definitely still had issues with it, but compared to what came before, when they were trying to cram 5+ chapters into the episodes, there were far fewer cuts, and what cuts and tweaks there were, were relatively minor. Definitely nothing that made me want to throw chairs Jerry Springer-style the way 108 and 109 did.

Sadly, I can't say the same for the remaining two episodes. Come back next time for Part Four, Episode 111: Shimura Tenko, Origin.

FOOTNOTES

[1] After witnessing the massacre that was Episode 108, I was convinced they were going to cut the policeman scene entirely, and just go right to Jin getting fired for hitting someone with his bike, letting the audience think it was his fault completely rather than cast aspersions on police and the justness of the law. I was pleased they kept it at all, but less pleased with the steps taken to soften the sharpness of its accusation.

[2] Of course, it’s not like the MLA themselves don’t understand the willingness to give everything for the people who matter. They just label those feelings Devotion To The Cause, and don’t think the League is capable of such resolution.

[3] Netflix’s Way of the House Husband, be told.

[4] Nakama is, of course, a shonen standby, but, to the best of my knowledge (which is admittedly limited; I don’t follow a lot of shounen series), it’s pretty rare to hear the word coming out of a villain’s mouth! Jin calling the League his nakama ties into how the League are both sympathetic villains in the larger story and also the protagonists of the current arc, thereby operating under a lot of protag tropes for the duration—foreshadowed by Spinner’s earlier talk of Shigaraki and his boyish, dream-chasing eyes.

[5] Sometime after the mass arrests, one hopes.

[6] This could well be a coloring error in the manga, but if so, you’d think they’d have corrected it for the volume release. Especially given that, again, the color is in a different shade/screentone than the shadow that covers most of his mother’s face, and her hand stroking Chikara’s chin isn’t shadowed at all.

[sugarakis-p2]

Shigaraki's Muse Ch 23

Ember meets her new babysitter, and begs for the Terrors help in saving Bakugou. Shigaraki has hit his limit with Overhaul when all he wants to do is dream of Ember.

Warning: graphic violence, non/con threat, touches, mature, cusses, dream NSFW

Chapter 22

Chapter 23: Dream a lil dream of me

Shigaraki is petting Ms.Takiya's Pomeranian.

It was old, but it still reminded him of a fluffy little lion. She had bandaged him as best she could. It appeared worse than it was. It stopped bleeding when he stopped digging his nails in. The person with the packrat quirk took the rest of Ember’s apartment.

“When is Ember coming back? The whole community misses her?” Ms. Takiya asked. Dabi dealt with her. Plying her with gin and reassurances that Ember is safe but won’t be back from her overseas humanitarian work for a while. She sighs, “Tell her to write us. Please.”

They  made their way to the hideout to find Overhaul had taken over the place. It was just him, a child, and five other lackeys.

“Whatever this is, I’m in a bad mood,” He rasps at Overhaul.

“Calm down. We’ve been raided. Several of the other hideouts have been taken out. I have a viable product now. But not the means of production. We can rebuild, but it will take some time,” Overhaul said in his hallow tones.

“Well, if it’s access to medical equipment is all you need, we can deliver you to the Doctor,” Shigaraki shrugs.

“Deliver us how?” Overhaul asks dubious of any of the League’s offers.

“Mr. Compress’s quirk. Either way, you are not staying here,” Shigaraki says. Shigaraki was being so reasonable and patient too! He has had it with this arrogant prick. Thinking he’s in charge. Bringing some abused brat with him. Worst of all, Overhaul did not live up to his part of the bargain. Now his light is gone, and this fucker thinks he can waltz in and invade his space. He wants to fill the largest room with Embers things and brood for one fucking moment in peace, dammit!

“Oh,” Overhaul stands in challenge, “We provided this space. I’m not willing to just hand myself over to you in such a vulnerable state.” Overhaul hands the kid over to Chronos and takes off his glove. Magne is the first to move. Screaming about how Overhaul won’t suppress her family. Her upper half turns into a fine red mist. Shigaraki’s blood is boiling, this fucking guy! She was one of his heavy hitters! In the chaos, he relies on the others to take out the others. He’s going to kill this fuckwad, personally.

Mr. Compress is right behind him. Overhaul's eyes widen as he shouts, “Shield.” Shots are ringing out in the confined space making his ears ring. Fool, he didn’t use his own gun in a confined space for a reason. The ricochet could leave more valuable pieces dead. He wants to destroy. The man screams as he turns to dust. It’s not enough. It’s not even close to enough. He has lost so much today. Jumping back from Overhauls swing. Compress and Overhaul touch each other at the same time. The asshole just lost his ungloved arm. Unfortunately, Compress also lost his arm, but he did good. The timing was perfect as he jumped forward and wrapped all five fingers around Overhaul's wrist.

The look of shock and disbelief was sweet. It soothed his soul.

What are you doing? The sweet drunk Ember in his head asks. She’s pressing her tits on his back in a skimpy punk outfit he saw her wear once on the cameras.

What does it look like? I’m getting satisfaction. He snarks at her. What has she done to him? He can barely function without her.

Seems a bit of a waste, also too quick; look at him. Accepting his death, it’s better than he deserves. Plus, taking that pretty quirk with him. Maybe the Doc has something? Sometimes living can be worse. Take it from me. I miss my brother so much. Don’t you miss me that much? Living hurts. He knows she is just trying to talk him into letting him live, and he grins at her efforts. She’s not wrong. It hurts without her.

Even when you are not here, you are still my muse.

“Toga. Stop the decay. I have a much better idea. Something he will really hate,” he orders around father. The little girl is crying, Chronos and Mustard are pointing guns at each other. Dabi is the threat forcing Chronos to remain at a  stalemate. Twice is trying to help a groaning Mr. Compress. Toga looks ticked off, but she follows his orders.

“What are we going to do with this guy?” she asks coldly.

“Twice separate them. Compress, use your quirk,” he says.

“Come on, man. Compress is hurt here,” Twice shouts.

“Think about it, Jin. The quicker we put them away safe and sound, the sooner we can get Compress help,” Toga states the obvious. Toga hands Shigaraki a little box filled with red and blue injection bullets. Twice helps Compress, the little girl did not want to be touched. Sad little thing. He knows exactly what that was like. He puts them and the bullets in an envelope with instructions for Doc and a way to get in touch.

Ember. What would you do to help Mr. Compress?

I would take him to the doctor's at my job. They are corrupt and discreet.

“Dabi, Spinner, Toga, take Compress to the old folk’s home. They have corrupt doctors there. Anybody asks stupid questions you pretend you are visiting someone, Toga,” he says, turning to the lackeys that hung back in the fight. Before they leave, he has an idea, “Dabi, Bring the Terror here. I want to chat with him.” Dabi smirks and leaves.

“Now, the three of you. The one called Packrat, empty out Ember’s apartment in the large room then buy everyone something to eat, including yourself,” Packrat scurries off to follow orders. He faces the other two, and they cringe, “I want you two to take this envelope to this address. Put it in the third mailbox, then watch that mailbox like your life depends on it because it does. Whoever goes near that box I want you to follow. There are two of you, so there should be no reason you fail. Twice, Mustard, give Big Sis Magne a proper burial. I’m going to take a nap. Come get me when you are about to cover her,” he rasps, scratching his bandage. Leaving Mustard to handle Twice’s blubbering.

Packrat gives him a thumbs-up as he makes his way to the room. It’s cramped, but he flops down on her unicorn-covered bed. Holding one of the stuffed unicorns that smell like her. Tucking father away safely.

Are you dead? He wonders.

If I wasn’t, what would you do about it? What are you going to do about it?

I don’t know yet. Hold me. He imagines Ember’s warm arms wrapped around him. Her delicate loving fingers played with his hair.

Ember  wakes with a jerk. It felt like for a moment, a brief moment, her fingers were in his hair. Where was the Terror? Maybe she wasn’t deep enough?

“You’re awake. Good. I want to meet Legion. Some of my finest work. Now, you know what your job is, right, Legion?” Ujiko giggles. Patting the massive black Nomu. It has one enormous row of fangs jutting out with no jaw. Two red streaks where its eyes should be, an exposed brain. The beefy body of a four-armed gorilla.

“Protect baby. Protect mother. Protect mother even from self. Keep hidden from enemies,” the thing rumbled deeply. Ujiko laughs and pats the thing.

“I really like this one. I had to use parts of nine people. But he has the perfect temperament to be your babysitter. Keep you out of trouble. He can split up to nine times, he has a hardening quirk and can grow nine sets of limps. Just to name a few,” Ujiko brags.

People. He uses people to make the Nomu. Ember stupidly assumed they were grown from some human mush spliced with animal DNA, like a chimera, and kept under obedience training. But Ember thought wrong. All the Nomu were once human, and it broke her heart. She can’t reverse what has been done, but she can remember that they are not just simple beasts and not to treat them like pets. She came over, placed a hand on its warm arm through the bars, and gave him her most brilliant smile.

“You are amazing and beautiful,” she said to it.

“Of course, he is. I made him to be. Well now, that we got the introductions out of the way. He will be sure to keep you on task. No free rides here toots. You were a nurse?” Ujiko asked. Looking at her chart as if it held all the answers to her.

“Yes. At a hospice slash elderly care facility,” Ember replies. Trying to comfort Legion with gentle strokes. He seems utterly unresponsive to the gesture.

“Good, then you can assist me. Come on. You can’t run or cause trouble with this big guy around,” Dr. Ujiko says with a massive grin. He has Ember spending her time logging blood samples. Ember spends the entire time talking to Legion, who is unresponsive until she gets up to use the bathroom.

“Where are you going?” Legion asks in its deep guttural voice, blocking her.

“To the bathroom. This little fuck is kicking up a storm today,” Ember laughs nervously.

“I will take you.” Ember shrieks in surprise when it carefully seizes her and watches on the toilet. It’s like that for days. It pampers you and takes care of you, all while watching you like a hawk. Ember can’t wipe her nose without it being there. At least she no longer has to sleep in that disgusting room. Dr. Ujiko insists they eat dinner together so she can go over whatever data the blood samples provided. Also, to mock her.

“Can I talk to Tomura or at least know how he’s doing?” she asks nearly every night.

“Why are you so concerned for that brat? If he’s any kind of villain the Master expected him to be, he will make it just fine. Although I am getting tired of waiting. Don’t bother asking about the explosive brat. I’m already exhausted from this conversation. You really are a boring bleeding heart.” It feels like forever before she sees the Terror again.

“There are no windows, and the Doctor has a very scary babysitter keeping me from leaving or discovering our location. The man is cautious to say the least. It’s been five days. Where have you been?” The teen version of herself huffs at the Terror in the dreamscape.

“I’m sorry. The dreamscape is not so cut and dry. Shigaraki has been having very vivid dreams of you, and it has been drawing me to him versus you.” He looks sheepish.

“He’s alive. I am going to kill him for leaving me for so long. Why did he leave me down there? Is he ok? Has he been eating? Does he miss me? Does he still love me?” She pleads in a parade of questions that sets the Terror’s emotions spinning.

“Ack! No! I don’t know. He spends his time imaging you are counseling him, fucking, or feeding him. Honestly, I am tempted to kill him if it wasn’t for the fact, he can get you away from that insane doctor. Have you ever considered Shigaraki put you there with him?” The Terror asks and then instantly regrets it.

“What! No! Never!” Ember laughs, “He would be here. I mean, he would. I-I-I’m sure he.” Ember stops to sob. Because she doesn’t know. Maybe he is punishing her. Perhaps he doesn’t care like Bakugou has screamed at her over and over again. She is starting to hyperventilate. The Terror holds her tight.

“Shhh. Shhh. My little baby. Calm down. I was a fool. Think of the baby. Shhhh. I will make it right,” He soothes. Bakugou! Her mind screams.

“If you want to make it up to me. Convince Shigaraki to save Bakugou. I am fine here. I am safe.” Ember demands.

“The fuck you are! If the Doctor has you, that means he has plans for you. AFO has plans for you, and he is pure evil.” The Terror frets.

“Yes, but for now, I’m fine! Please! You owe me! You can never repay what you owe me. But this will help. It will help my soul heal a little. Please,” She begs, and the Terror softens.

“It is not that simple. I can control it, and when he wakes, Shigaraki will shrug it off because it will not be his nature to save a hero. I can manipulate and pretend to be you in his dreams, leaving the same issue. I don’t want him to grope me as you. Too creepy,” he states.

“Days ago, I was asleep, and it felt like one of your dreams, but I could feel my fingers comb through his hair. Can you put me in his dreams?"

The Terror looks utterly disgusted. But he nods his head.

“There are rules and conditions. Shigaraki must be asleep at the same time. He has to be dreaming of you. If he decides he doesn’t like what is happening, Shigaraki can assert his will and make you do whatever he wants, and I won’t be able to pull you out. You have to wait until he wakes up naturally or.....” he trails off.

“I get it. A lot of ifs and musts. But I can handle whatever he wants." She reassures.

“What if he gets mad and wants to strangle you? Maybe use his nasty quirk? The dreamscape caters to the Id and some of the darkest desires of a person’s mind. It will feel like you are being strangled, and often that’s enough for the actual body to die. They go into a state of shock or some shit.” he's shaking his head.

“You owe me,” she says, holding his hands. He purses his lips.

“When do you want to go?” he sighs in resignation.

“Now!” she growls.

“I was worried you were going to say that. Ok. Close your eyes count to six, then open them.”

“One…two…three…four…five…six.” She opens them to see she is lying on Shigaraki’s chest, feeding him cheese puffs while he plays a video game. Licking and sucking cheese dust off her fingers. Ember looks around and sees evidence of children, two book bags with the names Cyrus and Hana neatly printed on the front. Ember looks down to see she looks like a slutty trophy wife distinctly not pregnant. The place seems expensive and large. She can see he has added her things everywhere, horror and unicorns, adding a nice little tack to the villa.

She sits up, and Shigaraki gives her a confused look with those crimson eyes that strike fear and lust in her. His hair is a little longer, and he looks too thin. She is angry but misses him so much. Ember slinks over him and presses her lips against his. She can feel him smile and hears him toss the controller aside. His lips feel exactly like she remembers. She can even taste the cheese puffs as her tongue plays with his. Her hands caress his abs and chest. He was building up some muscle when last she saw him, but this. This felt downright sexy as she stroked her fingers up his washboard stomach. She moans with need because it has been too long. Ember shrieks and jerks when she feels both hands squeeze her ass with all ten fingers.

“What?” He asks with a perplexed look. She reminds herself this is all a part of his dream, panting with brief fear. It’s starting to feel weird. Like she is really violating his trust by looking into his inner thoughts. She combs his hair back and kisses him around his eyes.

“I love you,” he rasps. Now she feels confused. He has always been like an awkward teen when he attempts to say it first. But it’s slipping from his lips so freely here.

“I love you, and I miss you. I need you. Yours is the only light I will never seek to snuff out. Fuck, this feels so real. More,” Tomura growls, undoing his pant and pulling her panties aside. So, impossibly smoothly and fast.

“Wait! I have somthi-Ahhhh….fuck! I forgot how big you are,” Ember moans while he makes her bounce on him without any prep or warning. But he has always been more willing to listen after being made happy, she thinks.

“Wait? The kids are out  Now is the perfect time,” he laughs, “I’m not too big. You’re too tight. Naughty little pussy should have stayed shaped to my cock. Damn, you’re perfect. The way you grip and clench on me. Wet and warm.” He looks absolutely thrilled. Disintegrating her clothes, sucking, and drooling all over her dusty tits. Ember squeals and moans.

“You are making the cutest sounds. Ones I’ve never heard before,” Tomura pants around her nipple. He is gliding his hard hot cock perfectly over her slick walls. The grinding, as he arches up into her, hits her clit and sends shudders of pleasure up her spine.

He makes the lewdest little moan of pain when he grips her hips and arches into her milking cunt. Her eyes drinking in the sight of his stomach tighten and his entire core flex under her. Ember groans as the knot in her middle comes undone with him. Orgasming at the same time is beyond euphoric. Cumming in her once wasn’t enough for him. She made a little squeak when he threw her back and pounded her hard into the pricey couch. His aggressive thrusts sent her over the edge in pleasure. It’s almost painful, and she has to grit her teeth. It’s made even harder when both hands are wrapped around her throat. She’s too weak in this dream to push him off.

She’s starting to struggle for air, her lungs begging for it. She is beginning to get feeble. The blackness is crowding around her sight. She can see the Terror at the edge of her sight, reaching for Tomura when she squeezes his cock tighter. He releases her, throwing his head back and rolling his eyes. Drooling, gasping, while his tongue lolls. He falls forward, collapsing on top of her, and makes pitiful whimpers with each pulse of his spurting cock. She waves the Terror away. Mortified he didn’t fucking tell her he would be around watching. He appears to vanish.

Ember embraces Tomura and nuzzles his hair. Making him whine more.

“I’m still down there. Starving. The boy is too weak to help. Save me. Be my hero again. One more time,” she whispers into his hair. His shoulders start to bounce as he presses harder into her.

“I-I-I’m so sorry,” he weeps. Disturbing Ember. She has never seen him cry, making it all too real that she is mind raping him.

“Tell me how?” he mumbles before she is jerked from his dream. Waking with a start on her cot. Gasping for air. Legion is hovering over her.

“FUUUUUCK!” she screams, thrashing in a rage. Panties soaked, “Legion, can you help me to the shower?”

“Yes,” he rumbles.

“Shigaraki, you told us to wake you when we are ready to cover Magne. Are you alright, boss?” Mustard asks. Shigaraki sits up. He doesn’t mind the wetness in his pants, but the moisture on his face is irritating him. He wipes it off.

“I’m fine. Wait for the others. Get out,” he hisses. Putting on a fresh pair of pants, he goes through his phone. He has thousands of Ember, but only two of them together. One where she is asleep on his chest, holding him like a kitten. Him kissing her forehead. The other he stares at often, Ember took it herself.

She has her arms wrapped his shoulders from behind, giving the camera a radiant smile. He has a look of surprise and, with a slight smile playing at the corners. The months away have made him realize a few things. She trusted him, and he destroyed it. He destroys everything he touches.

He has grown by leaps and bounds because of her, and he lost her. He needs to get her back. This time it will be different. He’s not going to give her all the credit, though. He’s going to make sure she’s safe this time. He follows the smell of pizza and Twice’s sobbing. He takes a slice and looks at the mousy young man.

“Packrat? Was there anyone in the Yakuza that had tracking or a warp-type quirk?” He questions.

“How can you eat at a time like this? I’m starving!” Twice whines. Pack rats’ nose twitches as he thinks. Munching the pizza like a rat.

“There was a tracker, but he was arrested. He needed to see and sniff the person in person first,” Packrat squeaked.

“We’re back,” Dabi announces to the room.

“Mister is a bit loopy. That doctor gave him the good. Stuff,” Toga says. Shigaraki tosses the pizza back in the box.

“Let’s bury Magne. Then eat,” Shigaraki says. They stood around Magne's grave in silence.

“Magne believed in the League more than anyone. I have faith that sometime soon, we can make our vision of the future happen. Like Magne, I trust in all of you,” he says around father. The wake pizza was cold, like the mood in the room.

“Shiggy, the Terror is missing,” Dabi says, lighting a cigarette and handing one to Shigaraki. “Not to pile on the bad news, but that new arm and doctor cost a pretty penny. Decent eulogy, though.”

“We still have that one sidekick. When Mr. Compress feels up to it, we’ll make a video. Then we’ll be flush again,” He blows out the smoke. He finishes and grinds out the cigarette, “I’m going to take a nap.”

“Really? You’re going to go mope like a little emo about Ember. Bet she would rather you think of a way to find her,” Dabi snarks.

“Rich, coming from you, edge lord. Go recruit someone with a fucking quirk that can help us find her, or are you over the baby thing?” Shigaraki growls.

“No, I’m not,” Dabi mumbles.

Chapter 24

[deusvervewrites]

Internship Arc Postmortem

As stated in the end notes of Chapter 50 of What it Means to Be a Hero, instead of my usual notes of each chapter, I’d cover the entire arc in one post after the fact.

Spoilers!

TOKYO INVASION ARC

Chapter 51:

Was not expecting such a response to the idea of Stain fighting Nedzu and Izuku. Seeing everyone comment on that ‘upcoming’ fight while knowing that Stain was going to die to Overhaul was a little surreal. Killing Stain mid-narration was something I thought would help sell just how deadly Overhaul is and I’m honestly still proud of that scene.

Airflow! An Underground Hero oc, and the first Original Pro Hero to appear in person in WIMTBAH. While her role is limited, I’m still fond of her. Who knows? Maybe she’ll be important later.

This chapter ends on a foreboding note. Not the same cliffhanger as 50, but a warning that the nightmare has only just begun.

Chapter 52:

Eri is secure, but Stain is dead and the Heroes only somewhat know why Overhaul wants her. Probably the bleakest chapter opening since 31, to be honest. Eri rewinding Inko is something I’d been debating since the early planning stages of this arc. I ended up keeping it in as it helps a lot of things progress.

And, of course, this chapter marks the beginning of the League’s attack on the Tokyo Metropolis. The Tokyo Invasion has begun

Chapter 53:

We finally get our first look at the new LoV lineup thanks to the Meta Liberation Army being dismantled early. The Tokyo disaster is bad enough that even prefectures as far as Fukuoka are looking at potentially taking in victims.

The scene with Mt. Lady is one of my favorites in the fic so far. Especially since it’s right on the heels of Stain’s death. And we get to see Uraraka’s new ferocity.

Himiko and Brave vs the Noumu is an interesting parallel to the first Noumu fight. Himiko is forced to tackle another super strong regenerator, but she has her weapons this time, and a Pro Hero backing her up.

Chapter 54:

I’ve been planning the conversation between Geten and Endeavor for a long time. There was a point where I wanted Izuku to be the one to tell Endeavor he was acting like an MLA member, but that didn’t line up with the plans I had for him and Shoto, so I found a place for it here.

And then there’s Endeavor on Trigger. Reduced from a proud and cunning man to a walking sun lashing out mindlessly. Now that I think about it, that’s a lot like what he did to himself. Endeavor is canonically intelligent, able to keep up with Izuku’s Quirk ramblings, and his skill is undeniable. But he turned himself into a monster to feed his ego. And now the League has turned him into a literal monster of sorts.

Chapter 55:

Checking in with Kirishima and Tetsutetsu. This scene is mostly to help show just how many people are affected by bringing in more characters, even inf their contributions aren’t as impressive.

Mr. Compress takes the stage! I wonder how important that will be...

The Uravity and Miruko vs Kinzoku fight. First of all, Kinzoku is just fun to write. He’s such a pretentious asshole. But he keeps trying to be dramatic in front of Miruko and Uravity. Miruko interrupting one of his monologues is my personal highlight of this fight. Eventually, he drops the theatrics and tries to sucker-punch Mt. Lady.

Mt. Lady is an interesting character. Of all the Heroes introduced in My Hero Academia’s first chapter, she is not who I’d have picked as one of the most stalwart, but here we are 300+ chapters later and she’s proved me wrong. And I wanted to give her some of that character development. And here, she instinctively dodges an attack, accidentally letting the building fall. And she’s devastated, trying her hardest to save everyone in there.

I wanted Uraraka to have a big Plus Ultra moment. Here it is. Pushing herself far past her limits to keep this building from falling.

And last but not least, Himiko holding the line against the Noumu until All Might finally arrives. Brave staying in the fight despite his injuries. Himiko losing her biggest advantage against the Noumu and fighting on. I’m pretty proud of this little fight.

Chapter 56:

Momo: Wow, I’m feeling slightly more confident in myself! LoV: sets tokyo on fire Momo: D:

I had no plans when I wrote this scene, honestly. I just knew Fat Gum would cheer up/distract Yaoyorozu and went from there.

Hawks vs Endeavor. It’s not really a fight, honestly. Hawks is one of the few Heroes that can exist near Endeavor without being instantly incinerated. It’s a bad matchup for a head on fight, but that’s not Hawks’ goal.

I think this is the first scene in the arc that confirms civilian casualties.

The thing about Hawks’ quirk affecting his brain is something I stole from another fic, Drowning Together by Zirconium40. It’s not for the faint of heart, but it’s not really dark fic, if that makes sense. It’s one of those Quirk headcannons that I heard and went “oh yeah that makes sense.”

Hawks is also the only Hero who remains in contact with a central Control through the arc. He’s also the only focal character cooperating with other Heroes who aren’t the Heroes he happened to be with when everything went sideways.

I’ve been excited to write All Might vs the Regenerator Noumu. It’s an interesting look at the reasonable use of force. He’s essentially killing it over and over until it stays dead, because doing anything else risks civilian and hero casualties. It’s probably the most brutal I’ll ever write All Might.

Brave waving off All Might is a hard choice on his part. It would only take seconds for AM to get them both to safety, but those seconds could cost who knows how many lives.

Chapter 57:

It’s Mirio! And the flying Noumu from several chapters ago! Now in a completely different ward! It made good time.

The Hawks section is mildly non-chronological since he’s engaged with Endeavor for basically the entire disaster, and cutting away all the time would break flow. But Hawks successfully evaded Endeavor until he collapsed. But playing chicken (no pun intended) like he had to means it wasn’t a flawless victory.

A quick check in on two of the Class 1-A kids who live in Tokyo. I wanted to show that Heroes-in-training or not, these are all just kids. And they’re in the middle of a major disaster. They’re terrified.

Himiko and Brave are fine!

Mei and Melissa on I-Island getting too into their work again. And they’ve finally gotten around to recreating Midnight’s Quirk, something I’ve teased for like 20 chapters or so. They’re getting breakfast because of time zone differences between Japan and I-Island.

What chaos.

So Chapter 58 is the first ‘aftermath’ chapter. We have a handful more chapters showing off the direct aftermath before an interlude arc and the Term Final Exams.