----------------------------------------------------
Beginning of Chapter
----------------------------------------------------
The city outside was a canvas of steel and neon, the early morning rain leaving slick trails across the streets as its been exactly a day and a half since the incidents at the bank.
Tokoyami leaned against the cold glass of his hotel room window, phone pressed to his ear, eyes fixed on the black car parked below.
While not a large five star hotel, it was still very much above the average standard hotel. Satoru and Tokoyami were sighed in at this Hotel to be their place of residence for the internship.
"—Yeah, I see him," Tokoyami said quietly, voice steady, as he stood, dressed in casual clothing with a black sweat pants and black shirt.
"He's got luggage being loaded into a car… talking to that man who likes carrying some kind of gravel. I cant remember his name"
From the other end, Midoriya Izuku's voice sounded urgent, concerned. "Wait… like a judge gravel? Are you sure you can't remember his name? Describe him for me."
Tokoyami glanced again, narrowing his dark eyes. "Black shirt, tie… looks tired. Seems like he hasn't slept much. Hair's messy, though in like a deliberate way."
There was a pause on the line. Then Momo's voice, calm yet intrigued immediately spoke with recognition, on the same line. "Black shirt, tie… tired… height and hair messy… and carrying a gavel? Oh, Tokoyami, you mean Higuruma Hiromi?"
Tokoyami blinked, before thanking her as it finally clicked. "Ah, yes, thank you Momo. That was indeed the name."
"Wait Tokoyami," Midoriya interjected, voice low, trying not to sound panicked, "If you met Judgeman, than what type of trouble did you two cause?"
A small hum came from Momo over the call agreeing with Midoriya. "Oh yea, you two must of caused big problems if Judgeman, Higuruma Hiromi, showed up."
Tokoyami shook his head as if they were talking in person, "Actually he just came to meet and take Gojo. We had an... small incident during that bank heist with the ice guy that Gojo had a big hand in and he showed up the next day."
Tokoyami grabbed the bottle on his bed with his free hand before falling into the warm comfortable bed and taking a sip from the bottle before continuing.
"Some things happened and Hawks isn't too pleased with Gojo at the moment. A bit of tension if I'm being really honest.
So Gojo will be going to Tokyo with Higuruma to continue with something about Gojo and a few police investigations."
Momo's voice had a slight edge of worry now as she spoke. "Something big must have happened for Gojo… especially for him to personally pick him up. Tokoyami, what happened?"
Tokoyami's gaze hardened as he gazed at the ceiling above. His shadow shifted subtly, curling up at his feet. "I… I don't really know if Im being honest."
Midoriya's voice lowered, as he began mumbling under the line. "Might… have something to do with Sukuna."
A stunned silence followed between the three, before Momo spoke. "Sukuna, the rogue agent who killed a dozen people and escaped Endeavor?" She said in a sarcastic tone.
"While I've never truly doubted your overthinking Midoriya, I think you might be a bit off track on this one." Tokoyami said.
Midoriya's response shocked them, leaving the other two speechless. "Wait, you guys haven't realized? You know... Gojo's full name is Satoru Gojo, right?"
Both Tokoyami and Momo hummed as if it were trivial knowledge. "I fail to see where you're taking this Midoriya." Momo said.
"Well, Sukuna's full name is actually Ryomen Satoru. I'm thinking...since they share a family name... maybe he's Gojo's father."
Midoriya continued hesitantly "And well...both of their quirks are space related? I think, anyway. And they both have other things that only make sense if they're related. Like that regeneration ability.
The others inhaled sharply. They hadn't realized. None of them suspected. The dots were there but they never made the connection.
Tokoyami and the Dark Shadow both wore shocked expressions. Outside, the black SUVs' engines roared as they drove off.
Of course Gojo had enough luggage to fill an entire SUV. There was enough room for Higuruma's briefcase and overnight bag between a duffel filled with designer sunglasses and an entire suitcase full of shoes.
The interior of the SUV was entirely black. The seats were dark leather and the windows were tinted so the inside felt like night. There was a divider between the front and back of the vehicle, perfect for keeping private matters from the driver.
"So, I'm supposed to be training with Hawks but he's still salty. So you're taking me to Kamizono because she likes me and wants my autograph and to use me for child labour." Gojo broke the oppressive silence suddenly, looking out the window as the drove.
Gojo said suddenly to break the silence between him and Higuruma, facing the window as he spoke.
"If you have to dumb it down to understand. Sure." Higuruma replied back flatly.
Gojo opened his mouth to shoot back at the indirect insult and then closed it. Arguing with a lawyer, especially one so skilled that other nations consulted him, was a battle he couldn't win.
He mumbled under his breath in defeat, annoyed. He adjusted his glasses as he stared outside the windows. Buildings and people flew by in a blur. Seeing small kids with their parents brought a small smile to his face.
"Boy, tell me something." Higuruma said casually as he folded his arms over his chest and leans his head back, looking at the roof of the car.
"What?" Gojo snapped, turning to look at Higuruma. He looked exhausted but at least he dressed well. "And it's Gojo. Not 'boy.'"
"What's your reason for becoming a hero?" He asked Gojo. His tone sounding more interested than the normal flat and tired tone he usually spoke used.
The slight change in tone caught Gojo off guard. 'Nosey bastard.' He thought to himself. He didn't feel like answering but after a few seconds he did anyway.
"Simple. I want to be strong enough to do whatever the hell I want."
A faint smirk tugged his lips as he chuckled softly. "Is that so Satoru?"
Gojo was confused; he expected a lecture from him on what a hero should stand for, not being strong but saving people. The laughter didn't sit right with him. "Hey! What's so funny?"
Higuruma shook his head slightly. "No no, nothing really. You just want to be strong huh? I'm guessing you want to become special grade"
Gojo nodded with a casual smile as he spoke. "Yea exactly."
"First, I call bullshit on that. Not the special grade part. Second, what's funny is that your father said the exact same thing to me. Only he meant it."
Higuruma said as he continued.
Gojos eyes narrowed under his glasses, the smile he wore was now replaced with slight frown.
"I know you're lying." He raised a hand to stop any objections. "Don't bother objecting. I'm keeping my eye on you. You want to be strong enough to do whatever you want?"
Higuruma shook his head slowly. He clicked his tongue as if disappointed before he continued. "I'll admit that you have potential. But, can you really reach the heights of Star Stripe? Even higher than All Might? Or the newer faces like Yuta? Not to mention some old names. Ones you've probably never even heard of."
Higuruma leaned back again, seeming to lose interest as he continued. "In any case, Gojo, I wouldn't be lying if I said I said I'm also slightly interested in you, given your background and abilities."
He sighed tiredly. "But I doubt you'll reach those monsters."
Gojo gritted his teeth before taking a breath to relax himself and then put his arms behind his head. "I'll be at the top. Don't need someone like you lecturing me. This world hasn't seen me properly, I'll be a monster in my own right."
Higuruma didn't answer him, he closed his eyes as if he fell asleep. It was going to be a long ride after all. Gojo looked annoyed at the man before he turned his head to glance back out the window.
Higuruma thought about Gojo's words. 'You say the world hasn't seen you properly. You haven't seen the real world. The bigger your ego, the worse the pain when it's shattered.'
-----------
Within Yokohama City, near the Kamino district, an abandoned bar served as Shigaraki's Hideout. Old and looked broken down from the outside, no one would even think a villain like him would hide there.
Inside the building, the only light came from the orange glow of the low hanging bulbs above the counter and the empty bottles that lined the shelves like trophies of sleepless nights.
The TV mounted on the far wall hummed with static, replaying news coverage of the recent "Bank Heist Incident." The screen flickered between Korihoo's arrest and the Pro Hero Hawks being interviewed about the battle. The network had only been allowed to broadcast it nationally after a minimum of 24 hours thanks to some strings being pulled.
Sukuna sat alone at the counter, one arm resting lazily on the back of his chair as a glass of whiskey gleamed in his other hand, the amber liquid catching the light like molten gold.
He had been warped here per All For One's request as he thought more about Sukuna's ideas.
Sukuna's expression was unreadable, somewhere between boredom and amusement, as he took a long, slow sip watching the television.
Behind him, Shigaraki Tomura slammed his hand against the table, nearly knocking over an empty glass. His voice was sharp with barely contained anger and his red eyes glowed faintly with irritation from what he saw on the screen.
The television displayed Tokoyami and Gojo walking out the bank. Dark Shadow following behind Tokoyami, shy of the people who were cheering from the sides.
"That damn Gojo, he humiliated me! He acted like I was some weak brat playing villain... And then he somehow just comes back from the dead? He's a damn cheater!" Shigaraki spat out.
Sukuna didn't bother looking up as he analysed the words on the whiskey bottles lable before he poured him the last of the contents. "And wasn't he right?"
The words were soft, almost casual, but the tone carried a weight that chilled the air in the room.
Kurogiri, standing behind the counter polishing a glass, froze momentarily before glancing toward Sukuna, wary.
Shigaraki's head snapped toward him. "What did you just say?"
Sukuna turned slightly, his crimson eyes glinting like a predator sizing up prey. "I said..." he lifted his drink and took another deliberate sip "... Wasn't he right?"
Kurogiri's mist swirled faintly, tension bleeding into the air as Shigaraki's hand twitched.
"Watch your mouth, old man." Shigaraki said in a low tone as he gave Sukuna a cold look. But all it did was make Sukuna laugh, a deep, low chuckle that echoed like thunder in a cave
"Old man?" He placed the glass down gently, rotating his wrist as though stretching after a nap. "You think you're hot shit because you've got that Decay quirk and you're All For Ones student? You're a tantrum with hands, nothing more."
Shigaraki's breathing grew heavier. "Say that again." He challenged Sukuna, walking from behind the table to stand right in front of Sukuna with his fists clenched at his sides.
"Why not?" Sukuna smirked, leaning forward on his chair, his tone dripping with mockery. "Where do i event start? You failed at the USJ attack. You lost men, failed your objective to kill All Might, and made a fool of yourself in front of the entire underworld.
You can't even control your quirk without falling apart emotionally. Now granted I wholeheartedly believe that brainless couldn't have truly beat All Might, but facts still stand. In fact, Tell me—" his grin widened, showing teeth "—is there anything you can do right?"
Kurogiri set the glass down. "Sukuna, enough." His voice was calm but firm. "Provoking him isn't wise. He's still learning and not in the right men—"
"Quiet," Sukuna said, raising a finger toward Kurogiri without even turning to look. "I'm talking to the boy." He stood up from his seat, towering over the boy as Shigaraki stood only a measly 175cm -5'9 compared to Sukuna's height of 190cm -6'3-.
Yet Shigaraki still stepped forward, his hand trembling slightly, not with fear, but with rage as he grit his teeth hard enough you could hear them grinding against each other. "You think I'm afraid of you?"
"I know you are, because you know that if I beat you to a bloody pulp, the most I'd get from All For One is a lecture." Sukuna replied, looking down at Shigarki with a lazy grin.
His shadow stretched along the floor like a creeping flame while his grin widened. "You talk big, brat. But you're still hiding behind someone else's will. You're not a leader, you're All For One's leftover puppet."
That did it. Shigaraki lunged forward, his hand grabbing Sukuna's wrist, fingers spreading across his skin. The moment his fifth finger brushed against the flesh, his quirk flared to life, crackling energy spreading as the skin beneath his palm began to crack into flakes and crumble into dust.
"Die!" Shigaraki hissed, the Decay climbing fast.
But just as the spreading rot reached Sukuna's forearm...
SLASH
Blood splattered across the floor as Sukuna's arm dropped cleanly off, severed at the elbow.
For a split second, Shigaraki froze, staring in disbelief as the dismembered limb went limp in his hand as it slowly turned to ash beneath his Decay.
Sukuna stood there, smirking. He gave a slight glance to his bleeding stump, blood pouring onto the floorboards as he stood calmly.
The stump then bubbled grotesquely, muscle and bone knitting together, reforming as a new forearm sprouted before Shigaraki's eyes. The process was smooth, eerily calm, like watching a wound in reverse.
"Not bad," Sukuna said lightly. "You actually had the guts to try. Almost enough to make me respect you even a little bit. Almost."
Before Shigaraki could react, Sukuna's new arm shot forward and slammed into his stomach with a dull, heavy thud. The air burst from Shigaraki's lungs as he folded over, crashing to the ground. The counter tables and chairs rattled from the impact as he landed on the floor.
Kurogiri took a step forward, his mist flaring up again, but Sukuna merely waved him off. "Stay out of it, fog boy. This is between men."
Sukuna stared down at Shigaraki, who was clutching his stomach and coughing violently, his face twisted in pain and humiliation. "Let me make something clear,"
Sukuna spoke coldly, his tone shifting from amused to razor sharp. "I'm not here to play errand boy. I don't take orders, and I don't follow children who throw tantrums when things don't go their way."
He turned and picked his drink up, knocking it back in one go before continuing. "All For One wants me to make sure you don't screw up what's coming. So I'll be here. Watching. Making sure you don't burn down the entire plan with your incompetence."
Shigaraki glared up at him from the floor, his voice shaking with hatred. "You… you think you can just walk in here and talk to me like that?"
"I just did," Sukuna said, his grin returning. "And you couldn't stop me."
The silence in the bar grew heavier. The only sound was the faint buzz of the neon lights and the quiet drip of liquor from a cracked bottle near the counter.
Shigaraki pushed himself up onto one knee, glaring daggers at Sukuna.
His voice was hoarse but laced with venom. "I'll kill you… and then I'll kill your son." when he finished that sentence one again the tension in the bar was thick enough Sukuna could slash it. Kurogiri stiffened instantly, ready to open a warp gate to save the young master.
Sukuna froze in the middle of putting the glass down. Then he started laughing. Slowly at first, then louder, richer, until it filled the entire bar. It wasn't the laughter of amusement, but of mockery so deep it bordered on cruelty.
"You?" Sukuna said between laughs, setting the glass down and leaning closer until his crimson eyes met Shigaraki's. "You couldn't kill me even if I gave you both arms and begged for it. And Gojo?" He chuckled again.
"I may indeed hate the very fact he has my name, but even I'll admit this..." He fixed Shigaraki with a flat stare. "You wouldn't last a second against that brat, even if he let you hit him."
He stood, stretching lazily. "You've got a lot of anger, Shigaraki. But anger isn't strength. It's just noise. Remember that."
Shigaraki didn't respond. He stayed crouched, breathing heavily, glaring at Sukuna with hatred burning in his eyes.
Sukuna turned away, heading back toward his seat. He picked up his severed arm's remnants, now nothing but dust and brushed them aside with the tip of his shoe before sitting back down.
"Clean this mess up," he said to Kurogiri casually, lifting his glass again. "And bring another bottle. I have a feeling I'll need it if I have to babysit him much longer."
Kurogiri gave a small nod, his mist shifting uneasily. Shigaraki muttered curses under his breath, his eyes still fixed on Sukuna.
Kurogiri reached behind him and put a bottle down on the counter before he walked to the other side to fetch the broom to sweep away the dust left by Sukunas arm from Decay.
Shigaraki slowly got up as he did though Sukuna snapped his fingers at him and pointed at the bottle.
Shigaraki looked at him before sliding the bottle across the bar like he was afraid to get too close to Sukuna. Sukuna brushed ignored the glass he drank out of previously and drank straight from the bottle, tilting his head back. The bar was silent again, except for the faint hum of the television as the reporter chattered away.
"Kids these days," he muttered to himself with a cruel smile. "No respect for monsters."
The bottle thunked against the counter and the lights flickered once. The bar was silent again, except for the faint hum of the television as the reporter chattered away, Shigaraki's ragged breathing and Sukuna's soft, amused chuckle.
----------------------------------------------------
End of Chapter
----------------------------------------------------
Am I back? Yes I am.
More chapters daily like before? Yessir
Am I about to enter my school holidays and due to me not having a life will I be writing even more? Yes, yes and yes.
Will I post another one today? Um. Anyway, Hope you enjoy this long chapter, let me know what you think, I had fun wiring the 2nd half.