He repeats quietly, still staring at the monitor.
Shigaraki: "That's Toga."
He makes a head out, but stops short, the hair on the back of his neck standing up—this has to be one of Random's tricks to lure him outside.
Shigaraki: "It can't really be her..."
He scratches the back of his neck, jaw tight with doubt.
Shigaraki: "I just need to ignore it."
He clicks the camera feed off, leaning heavily against the cinder block wall and trying to pretend he never saw anything.
Shigaraki: "She'll go away soon enough."
(Outside the Hassaikai Headquarters)
Toga stands still under the trees, voice empty like a puppet being controlled.
Toga: "He's not coming."
Random's low voice responds from the shadows beside her.
Random: "That's to be expected. Find a way to force him out of hiding."
Then it fades away into nothing.
Toga nods slowly, her tone hollow.
Toga: "Yes..."
She walks toward the Hassaikai entrance, pausing for a brief second as a flicker of her own real emotion fights to break through.
(Meanwhile, in the basement of the remote cabin near Suicide Forest)
Overhaul struggles harder against his restraints, desperate to get away from the woman's touch. He cries behind the blindfold when her hand wraps around his cock, the sound muffled by the cloth gag. His whole body shakes uncontrollably as she lowers her mouth toward him.
Alexa: "It's okay, don't worry—I'm not going to hurt you yet."
She yanks the gag out from between his lips.
Overhaul: "Please stop!"
Hot tears roll down his cheeks, dripping off his chin onto his bare chest.
Alexa: "But we're just about to get to the fun part."
She snaps the clean ball gag back around his mouth, strapping it tight.
Alexa: "I wonder how loud you'll moan for me?"
She pulls a buzzing vibrator out of a nearby drawer, flipping it on, and watches him shake his head wildly in fear.
Alexa: "It's okay, baby."
She wipes the fresh tears off his face with one hand while pressing the vibrator firmly under his cock. He thrashes harder against the bonds, but every movement just pulls the chains tighter, cutting deeper into his raw wrists.
His loud, muffled scream echoes off the basement concrete before he goes still, body going limp with shock.
Alexa whispers hotly against his ear.
Alexa: "Be a good boy and moan for me."
Overhaul lets out muffled, tear-soaked cries and nods frantically against his bonds.
Alexa smiles and strokes a soft hand over his sweat-slick hair,
Alexa: "Good boy."
(Meanwhile at the underground facility under the water on the right side)
Dabi swims up to the surface to catch a breath of stale air. He growls, scanning the dark concrete walls.
Dabi: "Damn it, where is the way out of this place?"
He looks around and spots several of the creatures curled up asleep along the tunnel edge.
(In his mind).
"There are so many of them."
He watches the sleeping creatures huddled along the bank.
"How am I supposed to get out of here without getting killed?"
He sinks back down into the dark water, and hears loud screeches drawing closer from the tunnel behind him.
"I just have to keep going until I find an exit."
He swims deeper, staying low to keep the creatures from spotting him.
He stops swimming and holds still for a moment, listening as the creature's heavy footsteps splash right past his hiding spot. He smirks faintly and veers off, heading toward the left path instead.
"That was almost too easy. I should have thought to switch paths sooner"
He thinks as he swims into the left tunnel.
"I just hope those two are okay."
He hears an unfamiliar voice purr right behind him.
Unknown Voice: "Isn't it Dabi."
Dabi: ...
His eyes widen and he spins around immediately, staring right at a figure that's clearly Random. He kicks hard for the surface, lungs burning.
(Out of his mind).
Dabi bursts to the surface, coughing out water, and snarls.
Dabi: "Random!"
He activates his quirk instantly, bright blue flames curling around his upper body, the heat steaming the water around him.
Random chuckles darkly, voice echoing off the tunnel walls.
Random: "You should be more careful. We don't want to alert all those creatures now, do we?"
He laughs again before disappearing into the dark water like he was never there. Dabi curses sharply, kicking back down into the depths to avoid drawing the creatures toward him.
Dabi: "Shit!"
(In his mind).
"That bastard is just trying to get me killed."
He swims deeper as heavy, rushing footsteps barrel toward his position from above.
"Random is here already, he wants to take me out first. I came here looking for him, so let's do this—bring it on!"
He stays completely still and quiet under the dark water.
(Above the water)
The creatures screech loudly as they sniff around looking for the intruder.
Random appears with a wide smile, looking over at the creatures. His presence forces them to charge into the deep water, even as several drown instantly.
Random mutters quietly.
Random: "There's more where that came from."
Then he disappears again.
(Under the water).
Dabi hears frantic splashing from above as the forced creatures swim down.
"I knew it. He's forcing them to come down here just to get to me."
He starts swimming as fast as he can toward the end of the tunnel, and stops short when he spots a rusted metal ladder leading up to a locked exit hatch.
"This is my chance to get out of this damn place."
He swims hard for the ladder, grabs hold with cold, slippery hands, and climbs as fast as he can, the creatures' thrashing getting closer and closer behind him.
(Out of his mind).
He roars as he yanks the hatch open and pulls himself out, voice echoing off the tunnel walls behind him.
Dabi: "Random! Wherever you are, I'm going to find you and kill you!"
The creatures' screeches grow louder right behind him as he scrambles up out of the hole. He freezes when he realizes he's in a completely different place, hours from Hassaikai Headquarters.
Dabi blinks in confusion, breath catching.
Dabi: "How is this possible?"
He climbs fully out of the hidden hole and spins around, seeing he's standing on an empty street right next to the edge of Suicide Forest.
(In his mind).
"There's no way I swam for hours. That's impossible. We must have collided with Random's warped world."
He thinks to himself, jaw tightening.
Dabi walks slowly across the empty asphalt street toward the abandoned parking lot.
(Out of his mind).
Dabi: "This almost reminds me of when we all decided to mess with Random in the first place."
He says the words sarcastically, glancing toward the dark treeline.
Dabi: "Suicide Forest. Well, that's just great."
He pauses, staring down the empty street, remembering the SUV driving down this very road, and remembering all of them before the nightmare ever started.
(In his mind).
"If only we'd chosen to do something else. None of this nightmare would have ever happened."
He thinks bitterly.
Thunder rumbles low through the grey clouds overhead.
Dabi clicks his tongue irritably.
"It's about to rain again... I better find shelter, but I can't leave Overhaul and Shigaraki waiting... Damn Random for ever existing."
He breaks into a run straight into the forest, pushing blindly past dense trees, stepping over half-buried dead bodies as he goes.
"Just keep going. Don't stop for anything."
He repeats in his head, when he hears a distant, terrified scream cut through the trees.
"Who is that?"
(Out of his mind).
(Meanwhile at the Hassaikai Headquarters in the bunker)
Shigaraki turns back to the monitor, leaning forward.
Shigaraki: "Is she still outside?"
He pulls up the camera feed and sees no one there except a few slow-wandering zombies.
Shigaraki leans back against the wall in relief.
Shigaraki: "She's gone, good."
He's just starting to relax when a sharp knock sounds right on the bunker door behind him.
Shigaraki calls out calmly as he stands and walks toward the bunker door, hand hovering over the lock.
Shigaraki: "Dabi? Is that you? Or Overhaul?"
Toga keeps knocking steadily, her voice calming through the thick metal.
Toga: "It's me Shigaraki, open the door please."
Shigaraki's jaw tightens, eyes blazing with anger as he stares at the door.
Shigaraki: "I know it's you Random, don't bother trying to trick me."
Toga yanks on the doorknob, voice rising in desperation.
Toga: "I'm not Random I'm Toga! I escaped from him to get to you!"
Shigaraki growls and shoves the heavy couch toward the door, bracing it against the handle.
Shigaraki: "Go away!"
Toga bangs on the door over and over, voice cracking.
Toga: "Why are you blocking the door? It's really me!"
Shigaraki snarls, yanking the child by the hand and hurrying into the back emergency room, slamming the heavy metal door locked behind them.
Shigaraki whispers softly, forcing a small smile to reassure the scared child.
Shigaraki: "We'll be safe here."
Shigaraki: "Just ignore it. I need to pretend I didn't hear anything."
He covers his ears tightly, squeezing his eyes shut to pretend the constant banging doesn't exist.
(Outside the bunker)
Toga keeps banging over and over, hot tears rolling fast down her cold cheeks.
Toga: "Please open the door Shigaraki! Please! Please just let me in."
Random appears silently right behind her, his breath cold against the back of her neck.
Random: "Kill him..."
He whispers low into her ear.
Toga goes still, staring blankly at the locked door. A bloody, stained knife materializes right in front of her hand.
Toga: "Take the knife."
He whispers again, and she slowly wraps her fingers around the handle. The bloodstains on the blade suddenly glow bright red. She looks down, and sees her own reflection staring back with a completely empty, emotionless face. She lifts the knife, pressing the sharp tip lightly against the thick metal door.
(Inside the locked back room).
Shigaraki pulls his hand away from his ears and listens closely.
Shigaraki: "Did she finally leave?"
He cracks the door open to peek out, and a deafening crash from the outer door makes him freeze. He stares in shock as the outer bunker door shatters into splinters all over the floor.
Toga walks into the bunker, a wide, empty smile spreading across her face.
Toga: "Let's play, Shigaraki."
Shigaraki clicks his tongue in anger, his eyes locking on the bloody knife in her hand that glows with eerie red energy.
(In his mind).
"Random is nearby, he's here to take me out."
Shigaraki thinks, glancing quickly over at the trembling child beside him.
"I need to focus on protecting them, I have to put all my feelings aside."
He grabs the child's hand and slams his palm against the concrete wall, which immediately decays into crumbling dust. He cuts through wall after wall to escape outside.
Toga tilts her head, still smiling that empty smile.
Toga: "Oh come on Shigaraki, aren't you happy to see me?"
Shigaraki says nothing, just keeps running through the decayed walls until he bursts out into the open daylight. He stops, scanning the surrounding area quickly for any sign of danger.
(Out of his mind).
(Meanwhile in Suicide Forest)
Dabi runs through the thick trees, stepping over more rotting dead bodies, when he hears distant screeching that sounds exactly like the creatures from the underground.
Dabi curses, activating his quirk to wrap his hand in bright blue flame, aiming it toward the source of the sound. He keeps running blindly, not knowing what's waiting for him ahead, and the screeching grows louder by the second. He glances back to check if it's following him, and trips right over something that looks like a hidden secret door leading to a basement.
He stares at it for a second, breath catching, as heavy fast footsteps come running toward him through the trees.
Dabi curses under his breath, yanks the hidden door open, ducks inside quickly, and shuts it closed behind him just as the footsteps pass right by.
Dabi stays quiet, holding his breath.
Dabi: "Where am I?"
He thinks, looking into the dark and noticing a faint light glowing in the distance ahead.
(Meanwhile in a room deeper inside the same basement)
Random appears right behind Alexa, whispering something low into her ear.
Alexa smirks, turning off the buzzing vibrator pressed against Overhaul.
Alexa: "An intruder, I see."
Overhaul breathes heavily, sweat dripping down his forehead, and looks up slightly.
(In his mind).
"Who's here?"
He wonders, his heart racing in his chest.
(Out of his mind).
(Meanwhile at the Shie Hassaikai Headquarters).
Shigaraki stands still in the open yard, when he hears footsteps approaching from right behind him. He spins around to click his tongue in irritation as Toga's wide, empty grin comes into view. Protectively, he gently pushes the child behind him.
Shigaraki: "Hide."
He commands calmly, nodding towards the nearby brush.
Toga: "Now it's just you and me."
He doesn't waste words, his expression darkens as he attacks immediately. The ground crumbles beneath his feet, and he launches himself at Toga with dangerous speed. She laughs wildly, actually excited by his violence.
Toga: "I love it when you get aggressive!"
Shigaraki doesn't slow down, his voice quiet and calm as he runs toward her.
Shigaraki: "I don't want to hurt you. But I have to, so I'm sorry Toga—please forgive me."
He wraps his arms around her like he's giving her a hug, holding still for a moment without attacking.
Toga clutches the knife tight, silent tears rolling down her cheeks. Random keeps whispering the same command over and over in her ear: Kill him. She lifts the knife, aiming for his back, but all her good college memories flood in. The memories make her hand shake, and the knife clatters to the dirt.
(Flashback to the old college arcade).
Toga leans against the side of the arcade cabinet, smiling at him as he grips the controls.
Toga: "Shouldn't you be studying for that final tomorrow?"
Shigaraki's thumb taps the start button, eyes on the screen.
Shigaraki: "In a minute."
He slams the gas pedal down on the cart racing game.
Toga tilts her head, her voice going soft.
Toga: "I have a question. If something ever happened to me, would you still be friends with me?"
Shigaraki pauses the game immediately, turns to look at her, and gives her a small, genuine smile.
Shigaraki: "Of course I would Toga. We'll be friends forever."
(End of flashback).
Shigaraki's voice is as calm as he can make it, cracking at the edges as tears threaten to spill.
Shigaraki: "Toga I'm sorry, I won't let that bastard use your body for unspeakable horrors."
Toga hugs him gently, still smiling through her tears.
Toga: "Go on ahead, friend."
Shigaraki's tears finally fall, voice breaking completely.
Shigaraki: "Goodbye Toga..."
He activates his quirk, and she slowly decays away into fine grey dust.
Toga closes her eyes, smiling softly.
Toga: "Goodbye, Tomura."
Shigaraki kneels on the dirt, staring at the pile of dust, and hot tears drop heavily onto the ground before him.
He screams at the top of his lungs, fists clenched so tight his nails dig into his palms.
Shigaraki: "I fucking hate Random!"
(Meanwhile in the dark hallway of the hidden basement)
Dabi stays completely silent.
(In his mind).
"If Random's trying this hard to kill me, I'm definitely not alone down here."
He thinks, activating his quirk to let a small blue flame dance in his palm, cutting through the dark.
"Wait, are those lights already up ahead?"
He walks slowly, step by step, toward the faint glow growing brighter with every movement.
(Out of his mind).
(Meanwhile in a certain room in the basement).
Alexa runs her tongue slowly along the sharp edge of her pulled knife, eyes glinting toward the closed door.
Alexa: "He's close by, so I guess I'll just have to kill him."
Overhaul stays tied to the chair, silent.
(In his mind).
"Who the hell is here?"
He hears Dabi's faint voice echo from down the hall, and his heart races.
"Fuck, I have to help him."
He forces himself to stay still, pretending he heard nothing.
"I just need to figure out how the hell I get out of here."
(Out of his mind).
Alexa goes silent, slipping away to hide in the corner by the door where she has the upper hand. She hears Dabi's footsteps walk right into the room, and tenses.
Dabi kneels immediately to yank the ball gag and blindfold off Overhaul.
Dabi: "Overhaul!"
Overhaul's eyes adjust fast, and he yells in panic.
Overhaul: "Dabi that bitch is here too! She's right behind you!"
Alexa lunges forward, yanking Dabi back by the shoulder and slicing her knife deep into his outstretched hand. Dabi screams loud, white hot pain shooting up his arm.
Dabi snarls in pain, activating his quirk until bright blue flames roar up his arm.
Dabi: "You're fucking sick, you stupid bitch!"
Alexa smiles creepily, nodding her head toward the tied-up Overhaul on the chair.
Alexa: "I prefer you don't do that here, unless you want to burn down your friend too?"
Dabi freezes, jaw clenched.
(In his mind).
"Damn she's right."
(Out of his mind).
Alexa tilts her head, running the knife along her bottom lip.
Alexa: "I don't want to hurt my favorite sex toy. So how about we take this fight outside, yeah?"
She snaps her fingers, and in the blink of an eye both Dabi and her are standing outside the secret basement door in the middle of the forest.
Alexa: "Random gave me the power to teleport anything—even people. Who knows, I might just use your little friend as a human shield."
She laughs, then drops into a ready fighting stance.
Dabi wraps his entire body in roaring blue flames, knuckles cracking.
Dabi: "Well then, let's see what happens when you mess with someone like me!"
(Outside Hassaikai Headquarters)
Shigaraki's still kneeling, face broken with grief, when slow footsteps approach from right behind him.
Shigaraki doesn't turn his head, voice hoarse from crying.
Shigaraki: "Kid, you came back?"
He spins around, and his eyes blow wide open when he sees All For One standing right in front of him, rotting and reanimated as a zombie.
Shigaraki goes completely still.
"No way..."
His heart dropped straight into his stomach.
In the dark surveillance room high above the chaos, Random watches the screens with a calm expression.
Random: "Hopefully those two will get the job done."
He shifts his form, bones cracking and muscles rearranging until he looks exactly like Midoriya Izuku, down to the last freckle on his face. He smoothes out his hero costume, a cold smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.
Izuku Midoriya: "I should head over to the final stage now—the USA."
This will continue in the next chapter.