Countryside — Outside Osaka — Thursday Afternoon
The facility sat at the end of a long dirt road cutting through flat agricultural land; from the road, the building was barely visible and the surface looked like an old farm.
Suguru was driving while Ivy was behind him, one leg crossed over the other on the dashboard, watching the passing fields through the tinted window. William occupied the back of the van with a large case of equipment he had insisted on bringing to such a meeting.
Garaki's Facility — Interior
Garaki met them at the inner entrance personally with a clear eagerness in his eyes, the doctor had been isolated for too long and was finally being presented with a peer instead of those children his master told him to work with.
"Crane," Garaki said, extending a hand. "At last, I was beginning to think this meeting would never happen."
Crane shook it firmly. "The timing was… fortunate I wasn't planning on returning to Japan for a while."
"You can always reach out here if you're in this hero worshipping hell hole."
"I apologize that we couldn't bring anything from Gotham that's our best," Crane said. "This meeting was not something I had planned for."
"Understandable," Garaki replied, already gesturing toward the inner door. "Come, I'll show you what we've been building."
The main lab space was large and cold with a constant low hum of equipment in the air and that's when they saw the start of Garaki's work.
The tanks lined both walls.
William stopped walking entirely.
He stood in the center of the main corridor and turned slowly, taking in the rows of massive glass cylinders. Each contained a different Nomu in various stages of completion, he moved to the nearest tank and pressed one gloved hand flat against the glass, staring at the suspended figure inside.
"You managed to put multiple Quirks in one creature," William said.
"Correct," Garaki answered, clearly pleased. "The theoretical ceiling is effectively unlimited, though the practical challenges of neural stability increase significantly with each addition. We lost a great amount of material and subjects before we found the right approach."
Crane moved along the row more methodically, looking at the ones earlier on in progress with more minor modifications and still looked somewhat human, Ivy had fallen slightly behind. She wasn't looking at the tanks though.
Her gaze had locked onto two hospital beds positioned against the far wall, at the edge of the main lab space and heard many voices and saw a small group around them. She watched them for a long moment, then turned and followed the others without a word.
Remote Mountain Region — Kanto — Two Days Later
The wind howled through the jagged peaks, carrying the sharp bite of early winter. Gran Torino floated lazily beside Detective Tsukauchi, hands tucked deep into his coat pockets as they hovered above a narrow dirt path carved into the mountainside.
"So you've had eyewitness reports, eh?" Gran Torino said, voice carrying over the wind. "Hard to believe he's this deep in the mountains. There's not all that much out here."
Tsukauchi adjusted his coat collar. "In the last couple of days, four separate people have reported spotting him. Given how remote the area is, I'd say the odds are good."
Gran Torino grunted. "I guess that's true. Unfortunately, his Quirk is Warp Gate. That's gonna make him hard to corner and catch."
"Still," Tsukauchi replied, "four separate reports does sound careless. I don't get it, what's the League of Villains up to?"
Even if they didn't fully understand the League's motives, this was their best chance to arrest Kurogiri. They needed this to go smoothly.
They then heard one of the police up ahead.
"Assistance needed," a voice said urgently. "The suspect has been found, he must be secured before he activates his Quirk."
Tsukauchi looked at Gran Torino. "That means you're up."
"Yeah, I'm on it." The old hero cracked his neck. "You kids. Good grief. Can't believe you're working an old man this hard."
They descended quickly. Kurogiri stood in a small clearing between the trees, his misty form shifting slightly in the wind..
Gran Torino landed lightly in front of him.
"So, I finally get to meet you, Kurogiri," the old hero said with a grin. "It's a pleasure."
Kurogiri's yellow eyes glowed faintly within the dark mist. "Gran Torino, your Quirk makes you a pain for those of us trying to stop the League. It'll be easier with you gone."
Tsukauchi's voice cut in sharply from behind. "Be careful! Don't let him touch you. He's able to activate his Warp Gate using his head and both hands. He'll be hard to restrain."
"I'm well aware," Gran Torino replied. "I'll take him and speed outta here before he gets a chance to bolt. You and me can even get to know each other a little bit better along the way."
Kurogiri tilted his head. "I wonder…"
He paused, as if listening to something only he could hear.
"Have you or the officers heard whispers of a man with a wild appearance traversing this area?"
Tsukauchi frowned. "What's that?"
"It seems he's gotten too much attention," Kurogiri continued calmly. "Though I suppose that can't be helped I have business with the individual in question."
"You can tell us all about him during interrogations," Gran Torino shot back, already tensing to move.
A low rumbling began beneath their feet.
"What the heck?" Tsukauchi muttered. "Was that an earthquake?"
Kurogiri's misty form seemed to ripple with something almost like satisfaction.
The ground shook harder
Gran Torino's eyes narrowed.
"Detective Tsukauchi. Gran Torino. You must realize Shigaraki is not the only person All For One cultivated."
"Allow me to introduce you," Kurogiri said, "to one of his most faithful servants…"
The mountain itself seemed to scream.
Gigantomachia stepped through from the treeline like a living landslide.
"EVERYTHING IS FOR THE GLORY OF MY MASTER"
Garaki's Facility — Main Lab
Toga sat in a chair near the second hospital bed, legs folded under her, one hand resting on the rail beside Twice. She was healed by now, Garaki's work had been fast and thorough. Her knife turned slowly between her fingers, catching the cold overhead lights.
Shigaraki stood at the center of the group, arms crossed, Dabi leaned against the wall with indifference. Spinner stayed near the injured two while Compress stood slightly apart observing the lab.
Toga was talking.
"—the plant woman came out of nowhere and her vines went straight through Jin before I could even get my knife up. So I stabbed her in the chest, but the blade came back completely dry. She didn't even flinch, then she grabbed me by the throat, and this dark gas rolled in, and the man in the mask—"
"Crane…" Shigaraki cut her off.
Toga stopped mid-sentence and looked at him. "You know him?"
"We've met."
She frowned, something uneasy shifting behind her eyes. "He wasn't a Yakuza."
"No," Shigaraki said flatly. "He's not."
Dabi shifted his weight, eyes sliding sideways without turning his head.
Then a calm voice carried across the lab.
"Look who it is."
Ivy stood near the far side of the Nomu tank row, visible between two containment units. She was looking directly at the League with amusement and surprise.
Crane had turned his head toward them.
"I had a feeling I might find some familiar faces here."
The League's posture changed instantly. Dabi pushed off the wall, Spinner's hand drifted toward his sword and Toga's knife stopped twirling in her hand.
"Crane," Shigaraki said, voice dangerously flat."
Crane replied, stepping forward. "I'm a guest here, Shigaraki. So are you, as I understand it. I'd rather not break my friend Garaki's equipment."
A short, tense silence followed.
Shigaraki's eyes flicked past Crane to the old scientist standing at his elbow. "How long?" His voice was tightly controlled. "How long have you been in contact with him?"
Garaki's expression remained carefully neutral. "For several months I have been in contact with them at All For One's knowledge and interest."
Something dark and fast moved across Shigaraki's face.
"For example they helped perfect the newer Nomu," Garaki continued, "specifically the loyalty and the erasure of the former subjects mind, the brain they provided us has given me the knowledge on how to mass produce Nomu now."
"That brain we sent was primarily me," William said from two tanks down. He was still examining a specimen inside the glass without turning around.
Shigaraki was quiet.
Crane turned back to Garaki. "It was good to meet in person, I would have liked to take Nomu research or even a specimen back to Gotham for our own research, but I suspect your current leader—" he tilted his head slightly toward Shigaraki "—would prefer that didn't happen."
"Then we won't take more of your time." He nodded once at Garaki. "Thank you for this proper introduction" His gaze moved to Shigaraki. "It's a shame, your master understood the value of working with us and how much it could benefit each of us, I was even willing to give something to you, Garaki, but it seems our partnership is on hold for now."
He turned toward the exit.
Ivy was already facing away, William following her.
Garaki waited until they were ten paces clear, then turned to Shigaraki.
"They have weapons and biochemical research that your master spent years trying to replicate," he said quietly. "They have things in Gotham nearly impossible to get in Japan and they beat you all, twice."
Shigaraki let that sink in.
"Dont throw away what me and our Master accomplished."
Shigaraki stared at the floor between his feet. His fingers twitched.
Then he said, "Stop."
Crane slowed without turning fully. He looked over his shoulder.
Shigaraki stepped forward from the group, stopping with clear space between them. "We can make a deal but only as equals."
From the back, Ivy laughed.
"Equals," she said.
"You people lost both times we met."
She didn't look at him when she said it, she was simply checking out her fingernails.
Shigaraki's expression tightened.
Crane held up one hand slightly toward Ivy before he turned fully to face Shigaraki.
"Of course," Crane said. "Equals are fine." He glanced at Garaki. "Is there a chemical station in this facility?"
"The far end of the east wing," Garaki replied, understanding what Crane wanted.
"Is there a Nomu we can take or at least one early example I don't need a city breaker?"
Garaki hesitated. "Several subjects are at stages I can't interrupt, but there are two or three earlier models I was going to dispose of—"
"I trust William to choose the right one." Crane looked at his colleague.
"Don't embarrass us."
"When have I ever," William said, already heading toward the tank rows with clear purpose.
Crane turned and began walking toward the east wing, motioning once with two fingers for the League to follow.
Shigaraki looked at his group as Dabi raised one eyebrow. Then the League fell into step behind him.
East Wing — Chemical Station
The chemical station was well-equipped, but Crane barely used any of it.
He simply stood at the center of the room, coat still on, and rolled up one sleeve. The League watched in silence as a thick, dark haze began to bleed from his hands, slow at first, then heavier, making sure the gas condensed and collected into a series of reinforced glass vials lined up on the table without spreading.
Ivy leaned against the wall near the door, arms loosely crossed, watching the League with calm, unbothered eyes. A quiet warning.
Toga tilted her head, fascinated. "That's what you hit us with?"
Crane didn't look up. "Yes and this is just the base version. I don't trust you enough to make my modified strains."
He sealed the first vial with a soft click and moved on to the next. "Drop one of these in a room and give it a minute, everyone inside will be seeing their worst nightmares soon enough but it wont last long and doesn't have any specific effects as again this is just the base form."
He finished the last vial and set it down with the others.
"Three full ones, that's worth one of your old Nomus we will take and study at home" He wiped his hand with a cloth and rolled his sleeve back down. "Use them carefully my power doesn't care who's friend or enemy once it spreads."
Shigaraki stared at the vials for a long moment, red eyes narrowed.
Then Ivy asked, voice low, "Where's the warp guy?"
Shigaraki's jaw tightened. "That doesn't concern you."
Ivy gave a small, lazy smile. "No… I guess it doesn't."
Crane picked up a small case, slid the vials inside, and snapped it shut before he looked at Shigaraki one last time.
"Consider this a show of good faith," he said. "Next time we meet I hope we can get straight to business and maybe we won't have to waste so much time with your immaturity."
He saw a message from William saying he was loading the specimen onto the van and then turned toward the exit without waiting for a reply from Shigaraki, Ivy following him, while the League stayed behind, watching them go.
Kansai International — Private Hangar — Same afternoon
The next movie was an old one, something Silver remembered watching as a kid during one of the nice times in her life. She wasn't sure why she picked it tonight, maybe because it felt safe.
They were sitting side by side in the rear cabin, seats reclined slightly, a soft blanket draped over Eri's lap. The forward sections of the plane were quiet, they were the only ones still on the plane and Silver had made sure the boarding door was sealed and locked.
For the first half hour, Eri barely moved. She watched the screen with careful, wary eyes, like she was waiting for the woman she was with to do something bad or hurt her, but after awhile her shoulders loosened and shifted sideways until she was gently leaning against Silver's arm.
Silver didn't pull away.
When the credits started rolling, Eri stayed quiet for a long moment. Then, in a tiny, hesitant voice:
"…Who are you people?"
Silver glanced down at her. "Hm?"
Eri kept looking at the blank screen, her small fingers twisting the edge of the blanket.
"All of you…" she whispered. "What… are you?"
Silver took a moment, thinking carefully.
"We're a…," she said gently. "Some of us just work together, some of us are closer than that." She gave a small, tired smile not wanting to reveal all the evil things they did and make the girl silent and terrified again.
Eri looked down at her lap, still twisting the blanket.
"Who's the man you all call boss?" she asked even quieter.
Silver was silent for a few seconds.
Eri was quiet again, her small hands kept fidgeting.
"The other man before…" she whispered, almost afraid to say it. "He wanted my blood… to make bad things."
"Yeah," Silver said softly.
Eri's voice got even smaller. "Is… is that what he wants too…?"
Silver looked at the blank screen for a long moment.
"I don't know everything he's thinking," she admitted. "But I don't think he's going to be like the man you were with before…."
She remembered the conversation from early that morning, before the others left for the hotel.
Earlier That Morning — Private Hangar
Most of the group had already gone, the hangar was still dark except for the suns morning light peaking through the windows. Silver had been doing a final perimeter check to make sure there was nowhere for the girl to escape, when she saw Crane finishing a call and walking towards her.
"Victor thinks she can save Nora."
Silver stopped, she knew about Victor Fries and had heard about his wife in the cryogenic chamber and knew what they meant to Crane.
"The girl?," Silver asked.
"Her quirk is rewind," Crane confirmed quietly. "Her power can be used for bullets which I plan to make more of but not at the scale that keeps her hurt and scared of us. Victor believes there's a way to use it differently, to reverse what happened to Nora so he can treat it, this would also influence Freeze to work for us easily." He finally looked at her. "But I realized that the girls power would be able to heal any of us as well and bring anyone back from the brink of death. So it is far more valuable to try and win her over then use her as a tool."
Present
"There's someone he knows," Silver continued gently. "A woman who's been really sick for a long time. He thinks you might be able to help her, he won't force you to but he thinks you can help people."
Eri stayed very still, twisting the blanket between her fingers.
"I don't… know how to help anyone," she whispered.
Silver gave her a small, sad smile.
"You don't have to know how yet."
She picked up the remote.
"…Do you want to watch something else?"
Eri thought about it for a few seconds, then gave the tiniest nod.
"…Okay."
Outside in the distance the heroes and students most worried were unaware the small girl they failed to save was slowly learning what it felt like not to be afraid every single second.