MHA: Hands on, Quirks Up!

[All For One]

"Fuuuuuuck! Cheating fucking fuckers!" Tomura Shigaraki snarled, his voice cracked and raw as he thrashed against the floor. His fingers scraped uselessly against his neck, failing to latch on. His arms, both of them, hung at grotesque angles, elbows warped from impact or strain. Possibly both. His body spasmed again, face contorted with rage and something else.

Fear?

No, not quite.

Desperation.

All For One watched in silence, his head tilted slightly with detached curiosity. 

Tomura's skin, especially around the neck, was flaking. Peeling like brittle bark. It looked eerily similar to Decay. Interesting, his Quirk shouldn't be able to affect his own body.

"That fucker tried to kill me," Tomura spat between labored breaths, blood and fury coating his words. "No fucking question about it!"

He thrashed, heels kicking weakly at the ground. "This isn't how it ends! No way! That bastard didn't beat me, he cheated! Some veteran player was pretending to be a noob! That's all it was!"

His skull thudded against the floor once, then twice more, as if pain might drown out the humiliation.

"Fuck that. Fuck all of that!"

All For One let the tirade echo for a few seconds more before finally speaking, his voice calm and layered with warmth.

"You are allowed to fail, Tomura. That is part of growth."

The boy froze, his labored breathing hitching slightly.

"You misjudged your opponent," He continued, voice like a lullaby whispered from the dark. "And perhaps you weren't as prepared as you believed. That only means you must begin again. As many times as it takes. And I will always be here to provide the pieces. You need only learn how to play them."

The silence that followed was thick with frustration. And then, the faintest nod.

"Kurogiri." All For One said. "Take us to Kyudai."

The mist-wrapped servant obeyed without hesitation. In moments, they stepped through the portal into the cold sterility of Garaki's underground lab.

"What do we have here~?" Kyudai crooned with fascination, his voice laced with amusement as he hunched down beside the battered boy. His thick goggles reflected the purple light of the lab, making his eyes unreadable as he leaned in closer. "So much damage in such little time. Fascinating. Just look at those broken arms! And the neck… You've truly outdone yourself this time, Tomura Shigaraki."

Tomura bared his teeth. Breath rattling, but his glare held firm.

"Heal me," he growled. "Or die."

Kyudai only chuckled, unbothered. "Well, you certainly still have your charm," He raised a finger, wagging it condescendingly. "But I am a man of science, dear boy, not a punching bag. My pride wouldn't allow me to let a patient crawl around half-dead under my watch, even if that patient is screaming threats like a wild dog."

Before Tomura could snap again, All For One gently placed a gloved hand atop his head.

"Now, now… Young Tomura." His tone was gentle, indulgent, not quite a rebuke. "Hatred is a gift, but it must be directed properly. There's no need to waste it on Dr. Garaki. Save that for your enemies."

Tomura flinched beneath the touch, but didn't resist. His breath trembled out of him.

"You've done well," He continued, brushing away a streak of ash from Tomura's cheek with a disturbingly tender gesture. "But now is the time to rest. Recovery requires patience… and trust. We'll refine your game plan in time. This is not the end, merely your first real setback."

He leaned in, lowering his voice to a whisper only Tomura could hear. "And from failure, true hatred grows."

Tomura's lips parted, but whatever he was about to say dissolved into a groan of exhaustion. His eyelids fluttered.

All For One activated a calming quirk with a simple brush of his fingers, threading its effects into Tomura's brain. The boy's body slackened, shoulders sinking, expression falling still.

"Sleep, my successor."

"Still a child in many ways," Garaki murmured, stepping aside to help guide the limp body into the recovery pod. 

The fluid hissed as it rose around Shigaraki's frame, encasing him in weightless suspension.

All For One's gaze lingered on the vat, unreadable.

Tomura Shigaraki's hatred.

Yes… Let it fester. Let it grow.

He turned his attention without pause.

"Kurogiri."

The mist solidified into form. "Yes, Master?"

His tone didn't shift, but the weight behind his words was unmistakable.

"Tell me everything."