Fractured Wings

The chambers had an uneasy energy. Shadows clung to the cracked walls, flickering erratically with the sputtering light of the few bulbs in the room hanging on the ceiling. There was a scent of damp concrete. 

The League of Villains, fractured but not broken, gathered in tense silence. Daiki Tenma leaned against a far wall, the leather jacket creasing slightly. His angular features were set in a frown, and his yellow eyes glinted with a barely restrained frustration. 

Nearby Saya Kurotsuki sat cross-legged on a battered crate, her gaze fixed on the ground. Her long, crimson coloured hair framed her face, giving her an air of a detached menace. 

"This is bullshit." Daiki snarled, his voice cutting through the oppressive silence. "I was interested in seeing UA in our attack. Now we're stuck in this freak-show's world." 

Twice twitched nervously, muttering to himself in overlapping tones. "Death trap? Funhouse? Death Funhouse!?" Toga giggled softly at his outburst, but even her usual cheer seemed muted. Spinner's clawed fingers tapped against the hilt of his sword, his expression one of simmering anger. 

Miyu Ogawa, a recent member, sat atop the hulking figure of a previous member of the eight precepts along with a smaller figure sat on her shoulder. Another recent member who had joined the crew from the last games, Cipher was seated in another corner, his slender fingers steepled as he watched the room with a calculating gaze. 

Saya finally tilted her head, her voice soft and lost that same playful and menacing charm that Toga usually had too. "I feel like a pawn again." 

"Pawns? Speak for yourself," Daiki shot back, his voice laced with venom. "I'm not playing Proxy's dumb game. I'll kill him before the 24-hours." 

"Kill Proxy? Sure, why not? Easy Peasy!" Twice chimed in, his manic grin stretching wide. "Oh wait, except he's a goddamn lunatic with powers that make him think he's a God." 

Cipher's calm voice interjected, cutting through the rising tension. "Well obviously, we wouldn't be the only ones. Every hero and any other individual that wants to fight their way out will be gunning for him. But still, we've all underestimated him for far too long." 

Shigaraki, who had been silently observing the conversation, finally spoke. His raspy voice carried an unsettling calm as he adjusted the severed hand atop his face. "Enough." The room fell silent, all eyes turning toward their leader. "Proxy... that man before was just a small thorn that I can partially credit for the growth of the league. But his delusions of Godhood are pathetic, and I'm sick of hearing his name." 

He stepped forward, his sneakers crunching against the debris on the floor. "We stick to our plan. UA is still our target, and we'll take what we want from them. Proxy's games are an obstacle, nothing more." 

Toga tilted her head, her eyes gleaming with curiosity. "Then what do we do about him? Just let him keep playing?" Her voice carried a playful lilt, but there was a sharp edge to her words. 

Shigaraki's lips curled into a chilling smile beneath the hand. "No. Daiki, Saya, you'll deal with Proxy. I don't care how you do it, but make sure he's out of the picture." 

"Yeah get lost!" Twice roared. "Wait, those two alone?" He pointed worryingly. 

"I don't want the rest of us distracted," Shigaraki replied, his tone final. "Proxy's games are his playground. If you can't find a way to turn his rules against him, don't come back." 

Saya rose from her seat, her movements deliberate and measured. "Understood," she said simply, her cold demeanour unshaken. She glanced at Daiki, who rolled his eyes but pushed off the wall with a resigned shrug. 

"Understood boss," Daiki muttered. "But let's hope to having something better to work with when this is over." 

As the two turned to leave, Toga's voice rang out. "What about us? What do we do?" 

Shigaraki's smile widened, the unsettling glee in his expression sending a chill through the room. "We're still going to go after UA. So... lets take Katsuki Bakugou." 

"The loud explosive one..." Toga giggled at that, "This is going to be fun." She let out a louder laugh that sounded wild in the chamber. 

_____

We were flying hundreds of feet off the ground. My paper constructs beneath us shifted with every gust of wind. 

We had all been interrupted by that huge cyber attack that even Skeptic was wary about. We had watched as UA was attacked by a plane that most of us were certain was sent by the culprit that trapped us in here again. Daigo Kiyoshi, Proxy. He really is just an enemy of the entire nation. 

I looked over my shoulder, catching the faintest smirk on Nagant's lips as she scanned the horizon. Her rifle out. 

"Back in Proxy's domain," she muttered. Her voice was a low drawl that carried easily over the rushing wind. "Feels like a bad rerun, doesn't it?" 

I scoffed, forcing my eyes forward. My grip on the paper constructs tightened as I adjusted it's course slightly. 

Arata cut in sharply. "Focus. The order is clear. Proxy needs to die. Whatever this is," he gestured to the warped sprawling landscape of the fake world we were in, a twisted version of Tokyo. "it's not going to serve our organization's cause." 

I nodded, though the words sat heavy in my chest. The Meta Liberation Army were moving at a quickened pace as they did not expect to be in such a situation. Proxy was a wildfire, threatening to burn down everything in his path. Destro's order's had been direct, eliminate him. Yet, as we soared closer to the city, I couldn't shake the feeling that we were walking into something far bigger than even Destro could predict. 

Nagant was perfectly balanced on top of on of the paper birds despite the turbulence. "You think the heroes are already closing in on him?" She asked, her tone was deceptively casual. 

"Of course they are," Ren cut in with a louder voice from behind me. "Heroes are always near, and I think Endeavour's base would be closest. And then Hawks and All Might would just get there the quickest." She spat out. 

Ren was too hyper, she was strong but she was acting as though she could fight in the same ring as the aforementioned. I have been with this team for some time now, and Ren most definitely is the strongest out of those three, but I could piece her up with very little effort. She does not qualify to compete with anyone in the top ten. 

Arata would have a better chance since he is much smarter and knows how to use his quirk really well. 

My thought's drifted to Daigo's announcement, his voice was echoing in my mind. "This world is the new Eden." He said something like that. Eden. The word twisted something in me. It wasn't too far-fetched to believe he may have been like me, a lab rat founded by the Eden Project. 

But what did that matter? I didn't feel any sympathy. He could have ended up like this anyway... as an enemy of mine. That just brought me back to previous thoughts I had about people from the Eden project acting out like this. 

Would I end up like that? 

The thought doesn't scare me. It doesn't rile up anything within me. 

It doesn't matter. 

If there's any higher rank a villain can go I'd probably end up there. 

And my execution would be called. 

But I don't care. That's fine.... 

"Are we there yet???" Ren asked in a childish and jarring tone. 

"We'll be there in a minute." I responded. 

The city was coming into view. Tokyo but not Tokyo. I could already see colourful suits below us signifying heroes were already gathering in Tokyo en-masse. Ready to carry on their duty and fight to lead everyone back home. 

"Get Ready!" 

_____

The rush of wind roared in Yuki Arakawa's ears as Ryukyu's massive wings beat powerfully, propelling them closer to their destination. The city sprawled beneath them, chaotic and weirdly fractured. There was a lack of people unless they were teleported in mass groups in various corners. 

Light's flickered ominously across the skyline, and the unnerving stillness of Tokyo Tower ahead loomed like a sinister monolith. Every second felt like a countdown. It had been an hour since the announcement. 

Yuki sat near the base of Ryukyu's neck, her hands gripping a leather strap tightly as she scanned the horizon with sharp, unyielding eyes. Beside her, Nejire Hado hovered slightly above Ryukyu's broad shoulders, her spiralling energy surrounding her, keeping her steady despite the relentless speed. Gang Orca stood behind them, his hulking frame balanced with practiced ease, his commanding presence grounding the urgency of their mission. 

The silence between them wasn't just physical; it was heavy with unspoken thoughts. Yuki's mind was a storm of calculations and distant memories. She had been trained to focus, to push everything else aside, but even she couldn't entirely ignore the weight of what they were flying into. 

"This is reckless," Yuki finally muttered, her voice cutting through the wind as her dark eyes remained locked on Tokyo Tower. "With the top three heroes in the country most likely heading towards Proxy we should be appeasing the civilians and going after villains that may be taking advantage of this situation." 

Nejire glanced at her, her expression unusually serious, the light in her eyes dimmed. "Yeah but, even with as arrogant as Proxy is, I doubt he'll just wait for them in one spot. He'll find ways to slow them down and run the clock or else he would have been caught by now. He probably has many working for him too, people that may get in the way of those heroes." 

Getting in the way of All Might didn't seem possible, but underestimating that villain was something even Yuki had done for far too long now, and now look at the situation. It hurts. 

Gang Orca's voice boomed, steady and firm, carrying over the rush of air. "It isn't ideal, Genesis. But this man has been left unchecked for far too long, and this may be our only chance to do what has to be done." 

Yuki didn't respond immediately, her jaw tightened. 

Nejire broke the silence, her voice tinged with a rare edge of frustration. "I hate it too. Leaving people behind to fend for themselves—it's the opposite of what we stand for. But this... it got too big too fast." 

Gang Orca nodded his head, his sharp eyes glancing toward Yuki as Ryukyu's wings shifted for a sudden descent. "Yuki," he began, his voice softer now, almost regretful. "We spoke briefly about this before, but I need to make it clear. You've trained for this scenario. Killing as a hero—it's not something we ever want to face, but sometimes..." he hesitated, the words heavy with the burden of his experience. "Sometimes it's the last resort. And I'm sorry that you may have to confront this reality in a place like this." 

Yuki's grip on the strap tightened, the leather biting into her gloves. Her face remained stoic, but her voice betrayed a flicker of something deeper—understanding, perhaps, or resignation. "I understand. I've known for a long time that being a hero isn't just saving people. It's making the hard calls. If Proxy doesn't fall here, we're all going to pay for it." 

Nejire glanced at her with a sad smile, her energy sparking faintly. "You're strong, Yuki. Stronger than most of us. But it's okay to hate to think of doing this too. I do." 

Yuki gave her a small nod, the gesture as close to reassurance as she could muster. 

Gang Orca's voice broke through again, resolute. "Remember, this isn't just about following orders. It's about stopping something that could destroy countless lives. We're heroes, even if today feels like we're crossing lines we swore we wouldn't." 

Ryukyu let out a low rumble, her voice deep and filled with determination. "We're almost there. Prepare yourselves." 

The group braced as the towering structure came into full view, it's peak disappearing into the ominous sky above. Yuki's heart pounded in her chest, but her face betrayed nothing. She wasn't afraid—not of Proxy, not of what they might have to do. She'd made her peace with it long before this moment. 

"Right. No hesitation." 

Ryukyu dove fast as the wind screamed around them. 

_____

The blaring sun of the alternate Tokyo rained down heavy, it felt like a blanket. Daiki Tenma moved through the streets with a predator's grace, his leather jacket was off and tied to his waist leaving a tightly fitted short sleeved black T shirt on. 

His yellow eyes scanned the shadows. He hated this—the waiting. Proxy's game and delusions felt like a waste of time to him. But if there was one thing Daiki learned from the Eden project, it was how to turn a distraction to an opportunity. 

He didn't care for Proxy. Not really. The man was clearly a lunatic with a God complex, and Daiki had no patience for his type. What he wanted was to fight. The thrill of testing his limits, of pushing himself against someone who could match him. Someone who could make him feel alive. 

'Strength.' 

The word echoed in his mind, a mantra that had driven him for as long as he could remember. It wasn't about being a hero or villain. It wasn't about saving people and doing good or doing bad. It was about being strong. Strong enough to crush anyone who stood in his way. Strong enough to prove himself and always be right. 

Daiki remembered his parents, he didn't like that. He thought that after all this time he would have forgotten them by now. But he remembers, he remembers the way his father looked at him with cold and dismissive eyes that always told him, "You'll never amount to nothing." "I'm smarter than you, and this is all I am, so what can you do?" 

He clenched his fists when he thought of the memory. He hated them. Hated how weak his dad was, and how passive and quiet his own mother was. It made him feel like nothing, like he would be nothing. 

Life wasn't going so great until he turned nine anyway, that was when he got his quirk. Late incredibly so. The quirk doctor's named it 'Thunder', he was able to absorb and control momentum. 

Daiki Tenma wasn't weak. He wouldn't be like his parents. 

He didn't know why his father was so bitter with everything. It started when Daiki watched more heroes fight, like All Might, but his favourite was Endevour, he wouldn't admit it back then but he was a fan of many a villain too. Not because of their acts but because of their power. 

It was when he was brought to the Eden project he got to know more about villains that the public wouldn't know of, in fact the other subjects of that project weren't even in the know of what he knew. 

All For One. 

The only reason Daiki joined the league was because of that man. 

But even then, he didn't think he would still be thinking of the parent's he had killed so long ago now. 

The Eden project was like a new start for him, a new promise. A place where all that mattered was strength. Daiki had thrived there, his quirk making him an unstoppable force, 'the next All Might,' they said. 

Since he was more privy to details that others weren't he found out he was number one in some rankings. Saya, a girl with crimson hair that he had fought many times now, was number two. But even though she could be fun to fight with, she could get a little one-dimensional. 

It was number three that captured his attention. The boy with pecan skin and light brown eyes.

Daiki couldn't remember his name, but he remembered the face. The short growing dreads, the quiet intensity, the way he moved as quiet as the shadow beneath his feet, always adapting, always improving. He remembered the fights, the way Kobe had pushed him, forced him to dig deeper, to be better, in ways that neither Saya nor his parents ever could. 

And he remembered the silence. No anger. No fear. No frustration. Just acceptance. Like losing was just another quiet step forward. 

Daiki's lips curled into a smirk. That boy had been different. Special. He knew he had been enjoying it in his own way, even though he never looked like it. And now after all these years, he had caught glimpses of him—Soryu. The name in the news didn't matter. 

Daiki stood atop a rood on a skyscraper, his eyes scanning the horizon. The had left the air crisp and dry, the lights of Tokyo reflecting off the glass of the buildings like a thousand tiny stars. 

And off in the distance he caught something, not one of the mindless heroes or civilians he had been speeding past. 

It was in the sky, something diving downwards, a massive paper bird, it's wings cutting through the air with unnatural precision. Daiki's eyes narrowed, his heart pounding in his chest. There were three figures on the birds back, their silhouettes faint against the city lights. But one of them... one of them stood out. 

Daiki's breath hitched. It was him. 

The boy from the project. The one who had never stopped challenging him, even in silence. Daiki's hands clenched into fists, his quirk hummed beneath his skin in excitement, ready to be unleashed. He could feel the momentum building, energy coursing through him like a live wire. 

"Finally!" 

The word echoed in his mind, a single thought that carried the weight of years of waiting, pointless fights, of searching for the right opponent. Proxy didn't matter, nor did the League and Tomura's baseless threats. It was this moment. 

"You've been hiding long enough," his eyes locked onto the figure off in the distance. "But I found you. And this time, you won't be holding back or walking away." 

He could feel the excitement building, a fire in his chest that threatened to consume him. This was what he lived for. This is what made him feel alive. 

"A dance that defies the laws of this false world." 

Daiki crouched low like an animal in the jungle eyeing down it's prey before attack. His muscles coiling like springs. The air around him seemed to still, the world holding it's breath as he prepared to move. His quirk activated, he didn't need to touch anything to absorb momentum, he absorbed it from movement. He could feel it all, a symphony of energy waiting to be unleashed. 

And then he was gone. 

The rooftop shattered beneath him as he launched himself into the air, his speed rivalling that of All Might in his prime. The wind roared in his ears, the city blurring around him as he closed the distance in an instant. His eyes never left the figure on the paper bird. His target. 

As he soared through the sky, the name finally popped into his mind. He had finally remembered, just at the right time. And he screamed it out so loud it tore through the buildings surrounding them. 

"KOBE!"