Tomura Shigaraki jolted awake, eyes wild, every nerve on edge. Whoever dared to kidnap him and leave him alive was about to die. But as his vision cleared, he froze. The familiar fingers of his father's hand weren't there. With no comforting weight, no partial veil over his sight, His neck itched furiously at the absence, and he tore at it, nails scraping skin until it burned.
He scanned his surroundings: the mouth of a cave, deep in the wilderness. Nothing but trees and rock in every direction. His gaze dropped to his side, where a bag sat, suspiciously out of place. Gritting his teeth, he clawed at his neck while rifling through it, careful not to activate his Quirk and reduce it all to dust.
"Crap, crap, shit, garbage," he muttered, tossing aside useless item after item. His fingers found a folded piece of paper. He barely skimmed it before reducing it and the rest of the bag's contents to powder.
His neck was raw now, blood dribbling down his fingers as his mind raced. Could this be one of Sensei's tests? But no—Sensei always supervised his training. And under Sensei's watch? No one would've dared take him.
A memory surfaced—something from long ago. An old game that Sensei once showed him. Sword Art Online… something, something Extra. A death game. Players trapped in virtual reality, fighting for their lives.
The sting of his bloody nails snapped him back to the present. The idea lodged itself in his brain. Could that be what this was?
"Status," he barked. Nothing. "Inventory. Menu."
Then—ping. A screen flickered into view.
Name the fallen human.
A grin split his face, wide and feral. His hand finally stilled from his neck as he typed in: Tomura Shigaraki.
The screen faded. Tomura turned toward the cave, glee lighting his features. He strode forward—only to feel something snag his foot.
Trip.
"GOD DAMN IT! THAT WAS A CHEAP TRICK!" he roared, face contorted with rage. "Sensei would make me train ten times harder if he knew I fell for that!"
CRUNCH.
-
Kurogiri sighed, already familiar with the routine. He could hear his young master screaming through the walls of the bar—another game lost, another rage fit brewing. Judging by the thump he just heard, it was likely the last controller being smashed. Again.
Without missing a beat, Kurogiri placed an order online for replacements. He'd pick them up later. But when several minutes passed in silence—unusual silence—his instincts tensed.
Preparing for retaliation, should Tomura lash out for entering his space uninvited again, Kurogiri cautiously phased his head into his portal.
What he saw made him freeze.
Tomura lay unconscious on the floor. A pile of ash rested in one hand. The gnarled hand of his father—the one that usually covered his face—had fallen beside him.
Kurogiri didn't hesitate. A portal opened beneath the boy, warping him to Dr. Garaki's lab, and a message was immediately dispatched to Sensei.
Startled by the sudden arrival, Dr. Garaki dropped the clipboard and spilled his drink. But years of experience took over fast, and he began prepping the medical equipment, barking orders at Kurogiri as he examined the unconscious boy.
Meanwhile, in the depths of his private lair, the Symbol of Fear, All For One, tapped his fingers impatiently on the arm of his throne. What was left of his face twisted in irritation and unease.
What happened to Tomura?
The question gnawed at his mind. If his protégé didn't wake up soon, it would mean the loss of over a decade of planning, grooming, and evolution. Gone. Just like that.
His fingers tapped faster as contingencies began running through his mind. Dozens of backup plans. Fail-safes. None of them is good enough for his timeline.
With a breathless pause, he shifted his attention through his technopathy quirks to Tomura's room, combing through any digital clues that might explain what had happened.
-
"GASP!"
Tomura awoke with a sharp inhale, heart racing. He took a second to gather his bearings before the pain hit him.
"GAH!" he snarled, clutching his left arm, now bent at a sickening angle. Fury replaced confusion as he began scratching his neck again, blood smearing beneath his nails.
The pain didn't stop him from standing—barely.
Stumbling forward, his steps uneven, Tomura entered a wide room. In the center, a single flower stood, glowing unnaturally.
"Howdy! I'm Flowey! Flowey the—"
The flower froze.
The human just walked past him.
Flowey blinked. "This was new."
A wicked grin split the flower's face as vines whipped from the ground and snapped around Tomura's broken arm.
"Where do you think you're going, idiot?!"
Tomura roared in agony, but as soon as he registered the pain, his eyes snapped to the culprit. Fury boiled into violence. He grabbed the vine with his full hand—and it crumbled into dust.
Flowey's grin faltered.
More vines shot out, surrounding Tomura in a living cage. Flowey laughed.
"Hehehe! Pretty interesting seeing a human with this much spunk!
But let me give you some advice—DOWN HERE, it's kill or be killed!"
Despite the searing pain, Tomura moved. He pushed through the assault, AFO's training kicking in. Each vine he touched disintegrated, the gap growing larger with every step.
Realizing the extent to which the human was willing to go to kill him, Flowey tried to retreat, but it was too late.
Tomura broke through and grabbed him by the stem, yanking him from the soil. Roots followed, trembling and flailing, while the rest in the environment shriveled and died.
Flowey panicked.
"H-Hey! Wait! I see now! You're a lot like—"
His words died in his throat as Tomura's grip tightened. Forced to look into the human's eyes, he froze. There was no fear in his eyes. No mercy. Just an empty, seething void of apathy and hatred behind glowing crimson irises.
"It's like you said…" Tomura growled, lips curling into a cruel smile.
"Kill or be killed."
Flowey's face crumpled with fear. Tears rolled down his cheeks.
"W-Wait—!"
Tomura's thumb pressed to his stem.
The flower crumbled to dust.
A rush of satisfaction and heat bloomed in Tomura's chest. His breathing steadied. The itch at his neck faded—just a little.
You earned 10 EXP
LV 2
Step step step.
Hearing the footsteps coming his way, Tomura got ready to fight.
"Oh my!" Toriel gasped in worry. "Are you alright, human?!"
As she approached, Tomura guarded his mangled arm and lunged at Toriel. Surprised, Toriel caught Tomura ready to heal his injuries before she felt a deep painspread from her arm. Stepping back in pain and disbelief, she watched as she started to turn to dust.
"Wh-why?" she questioned softly as she collapsed. In just moments, she was dusted.
LV UP
LV3
Feeling the burning in his chest intensify, Tomura came to a realization. This was a playground. This was his chance to practice and perfect himself to achieve his ultimate goal.
He would destroy everything.
His smile cracked his dry skin open as he laughed, blood running through his smile and dust on his hands.
-
Geez, this is my first time writing something dark. How did I do? I've decided not to make this a different story; I'll have these as another intermission between Izuku's milestones, like the Real consequences. So, just a few things I'll repeat. Thanks for the powerstones and collections! I realized they are a motivator to get my brainmeats churning. Until next time, Dreamers!
p.s. If I decided to make another fic, this one a SI, what would you like to see? I'm curious about what you guys think?