Perfect Plaything || Shigadeku

Act III

Of course, Shigaraki would've probably enjoyed the reunion with Izuku at a different time in a different place, but having the hero, All Might's favorite student, right in his grasp after masterfully executing a plan made it so much more exhilarating. 

Shigaraki could feel Izuku rigid in fear, but shivering a bit, the small boy's face pressed against Shigaraki's chest. Shigaraki had his hand around Izuku's neck, a nonverbal reminder that he could kill him in an instant. 

Shigaraki could never shake off the invisible misty residue after warping through Kurogiri's portals; something he would never get used to. He let go of Izuku, knowing that Izuku couldn't use his quirk in such a closed space without risking structural collapse. Shigaraki also knew that Izuku didn't have the confidence to take action. He recognized the patterns of low self-esteem, anxiety, validation seeking within the younger boy. Typical of bullied victims. 

"Y-you're Shigaraki?" Izuku's timid voice broke through Shigaraki's thoughts.

Oh. So Izuku knew the name. Most likely through All Might. 

"Correct." Shigaraki turned away, wincing a little at a bullet hole that lodged itself in his left thigh. Snipe. That bastard had shot him right before the portal closed. Fuck. Shigaraki hissed, gingerly testing his weight on the injured leg.

"Why did you take me?" Izuku asked, fidgeting with fingers. Shigaraki could practically smell the fear in the air. 

Shigaraki removed Father from his face, gently setting him aside on the bar countertop. It would be fun to play with the boy. Izuku Midoriya. The villain turned around with a predatory grin, running a hand through his grey-blue hair. The dim lighting made his red pupiled eyes stand out, almost glow as he stepped towards the young hero.

He saw the hero shrinking in intimidation as Shigaraki cast his shadow over him. He cocked his head in mockery as Izuku lowered his eyes to the wood tiled floor. Shigaraki hooked his index finger underneath the young boys chin, forcing the emerald eyes to meet with his dark crimson ones. Izuku's neck was completely smooth, with no hint of an adam's apple. Shigaraki's eyes roamed over the hero's body in careful examination, noting that this boy was quite underdeveloped. Izuku had a small muscle mass which failed to comically petite frame, in contrast to the immense power his quirk held. Perhaps this was why he was a late bloomer...? Shigaraki narrowed his eyes, making contact with the green eyes that looked at him with distress. 

"You have pretty eyes." Shigaraki smiled, letting go of the hero's chin.

"I- wh-?!" Izuku tripped over his words. Almost immediately, the pale face dotted with a constellation of freckles turned into a strawberry. How cute.

"Kurogiri, take him," Shigaraki stepped back, his left leg groaning in protest. Shigaraki ignored the pain, taking Father and putting him back on his face. Already, Shigaraki felt more calm and collected. 

Kurogiri opened a portal right beneath Izuku's feet, sending the hero falling into one of the locked rooms Shigaraki had prepared beforehand. 

"Shigaraki." Kurogiri stepped behind the bar, searching for something on the lower shelves. "What is the purpose of Izuku Midoriya?" He straightened with a medical first aid kit in his shadowy hands. 

Attentive as ever. Shigaraki sighed, letting Kurogiri cut away a small strip of his pants fabric where the bullet had entered and tend his wound. "Izuku Midoriya is favored by All Might. There is some connection between these two that I need to figure out. All Might doesn't waste his time to build a personal connection with anyone." Shigaraki mused. "By taking away what All Might cares for is the best way I can hurt him and plan my next move."

"As long as you don't get attached to the boy." Kurogiri cautioned, pulling out the bullet with a pair of tweezers to emphasize his warning. Shigaraki bit back a hiss of pain, almost jolting out of his chair. He never preferred to take medication, nor alcohol, knowing from previous experience that it made his mind foggy. He would have to deal with the dull throb of the pain for another couple days. 

Kurogiri wrapped Shigaraki's leg with bandages, after dousing the now stitched closed wound with a healthy splash of hydrogen peroxide. Shigaraki almost murdered the shadowed man for it. 

Shigaraki stood up, swaying a little. Just a split second after, the door burst open by Stain, The Hero Killer. 

"So, you are Shigaraki Tomura." Stain stared at the villain standing before him.

"I am." Shigaraki confirmed. 

"I saw your pathetic endeavor at scaring the heros on the news. I must say, this... life of villainy you are failing miserably at, is quite entertaining." Stain walked, as Shigaraki mirrored Stain's movements, the two circling each other. 

"Why should you care? Of my knowledge, you believe in killing heros, yet you let some go. How kind of you to make exceptions." Shigaraki sneered. 

Without a blink, Stain struck out with his knife, but it never cut Shigaraki. Instead, Kurogiri was hit, and the mist man was paralyzed as Stain licked the blood off the knife.

In that moment Shigaraki was distracted, Stain used the opportunity to kick the villain down and stab two of his wickedly sharpened knives into Shigaraki's shoulders, pinning him to the floor. 

"Honorable heros deserve to live. I kill false heros. Those who live for fame or money. And by the looks of you, I wouldn't mind killing a false villain." Stain snarled into Shigaraki's face. 

"I live to kill All Might." Shigaraki said quietly.

Stain studied Shigaraki for a few seconds, his other knife still poised above Shigaraki's throat. "That's one thing we have in common. Destroying the status quo." Stain removed the knives. Shigaraki didn't flinch as the steel blades cut deeper through his flesh. 

Stain licked Shigaraki's blood of his blade, and left for the door. "I will allow you to chase this dream of yours. If we clash again, the weaker will be culled." Then The Hero Killer left.

After a couple minutes after the paralysis wore off, both Shigaraki and Kurogiri bandaged their wounds once more. 

"Would you like me to open a portal to your bedchambers?" Kurogiri asked. 

"No. That won't be necessary." Shigaraki waved Kurogiri off and headed down the hallway. 

Shigaraki paused before the door. He could almost hear Izuku breathing on the other side. The locked room was only accessible by a masters key, which unlocked all the rooms in the building. Shigaraki pulled the key out of his pocket, unlocking the door. 

Almost immediately, Izuku jumped up from the bed and crouched in a defensive position, watching how Shigaraki would react. 

Shigaraki paused for a moment, before his eyes rolled up and he collapsed on the floor.