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CHAPTER START---
"Do you know what you're going to say to him?" Eraser asks Yagi.
Currently, they were sitting in his car in front of Tartarus's bridge.
At the moment there was no 'bridge', only pairs of pillars spaced out evenly. Made entirely of metal with massive turrets attached to them.
Spanning the 10km between the mainland and the large metal island in the open water.
The guards standing beside this area were heavily armed, always ready for a sudden escape attempt from the villains.
And even knowing these respected Pro Heroes were cleared for entry, the turrets never once aimed away from their heads.
"I just have some questions, about my master, and about her grandson," Yagi says.And as he does, the bridge segments begin rising out of the water, sliding upwards as they're connected to the columns.
"The villain, Tomura Shigaraki, is what you mean, right?" Eraser gives him a side-eye.
Yagi sighs as they begin driving across the bridge, "I know, I know, but part of me feels like I should atleast try to speak to him before completely giving up on him."
"Good, just don't get tunnel-visioned on redeeming him, he's way past that."
"That, I agree with," Yagi says. "Besides, he's hunting him down already, it's only a matter of time before Shigaraki is locked in here too. But for now, let's just focus on today Aizawa, and thanks for coming with me."
"Right," Aizawa says as they drive the 10km to the main gate of Tartarus.
For the first time, Aizawa gets this close to the prison, seeing the 2km square structure, a small metal city in the open water.
All around the perimeter, the ocean was far too rough for most boats to survive them. Artificially made difficult to navigate by devices built into the side of the prison.
All 500 meters below sea level there were devices installed.
At the very top, they focus on making it almost impossible to approach the prison via boat.
And below that, they use sonics to give a painful sensation to any ocean life or Quirk users trying to approach underwater. Or crack open any submerged vehicles.
"I never appreciated how ridiculous this thing is," Aizawa says as they arrive at the main gate, and the metal wall extends almost 100 meters above them. And below them is a 100-meter drop into the raging sea.
"It may not be as tough as New Alcatraz, but in this day and age it's a necessity," Yagi says as the guards approach to scan them and the vehicle.
"Rumor says it's strong enough to contain you, that true?"
The guard nods as heavily armored vehicles with turrets and gunners fall into place around them, boxing them in as they take them inside the prison.
"That's the thing about Quirks like mine," Yagi says. "No matter how physically powerful you are, eventually technology will catch up, or atleast be able to lock you down."
"Or you'll meet a bad matchup."
"Mhm, if someone like yourself were a villain there isn't anything I could have done," Yagi admits.
"So they did test it against you?"
"They've taken my measurements and power limits many times over my career, as they do with all the top Pro Heroes or those with especially dangerous Quirks."
"And here I thought that was just a rumor."
"Pro Heroes are the only people allowed to push the limits of their Quirks, it makes sense to build your prisons and infrastructure against them, that way you're always built to withstand the best."
"Mhm," Aizawa thinks it over for a moment as they get escorted deeper within. "So, you're saying you couldn't break out?"
They come to a stop and both get out, and the guards fall into place to lead them to a pair of massive hydraulic doors.
"Well, there is a reason the cells are all underground, even I need to breathe," Yagi says. "And let's just say the ventilation system here can pump more than just air."
Some of the guards glace over at Yagi as he says that, but they pay it no real thought, expecting All Might of all people to have some knowledge about Tartarus.
"A perfect death trap for any person."
"There aren't any people here," the leader of the escorts says. He looks back at Aizawa as the doors open. "Prison is where you put people, Tartarus is for the monsters..."
As the man begins leading them within, they step into a large room with rows upon rows of turrets tracking their every move.
Eventually, they get to a massive elevator, 10m square with a massive '1' painted on the doors.
"This is the first one," the leading guard says. "Each elevator goes down 100 meters, then you need to get out and go to the other side of the floor to enter the next. You're in for a good walk to get to All For One."
"So one prisoner can't just get in and reach the surface," Yagi says.
"Mhm," the man uses his biometrics to activate the elevator when everyone is inside. "I'm the warden here, and obviously neither of you will speak about what you see in here."
"Of course not," Yagi says.
"Good, we've never had civilians come in just to visit a prisoner before, but President Pantu has made a special allowance," he looks directly at Yagi. "Nobody else would have gotten in here, but luckily, you're you."
"Special allowance?" Aizawa asks.
The warden grunts, "normally we ignore last requests before execution, but any info we can get out of All For One can prove valuable..."
"Execution?" Yagi was genuinely surprised by that. "I wasn't aware of that."
"Nobody outside of this facility and the commission was, until right now," the warden says. "We don't need the League of Villains having any more reason to send Gigantomachia our way. The longer this is kept quiet the better."
Yagi takes a deep breath, finally feeling as if this chapter of his life was about to be closed, "well, I was wondering why they kept him around for so long. So of course this was unavoidable."
The doors open and they see massive metal doors on both sides of the hallway. Blindingly bright and completely white walls aside from the chrome doors and black turrets.
And they couldn't even see the end of the hallway.
As they are walking the warden looks back at Aizawa, studying him for a moment.
"Can I help you?" Aizawa asks.
"Why are you here?"
"What do you mean, I'm backup," he gestures to Yagi.
"No, why did All For One ask for you?"
Aizawa looks worried and confused by that, not sure why All For One would want to speak to him.
He was also annoyed and angry at Nezu, because he was the one who assigned Aizawa to protect Yagi, so he must have known.
As they get down to the 5th floor, Yagi is already feeling a bit winded. But thankfully the air quality was exactly as on the surface, even here, 500 meters below sea level.
They eventually reach the final door of this level, one which seemed even more well-made than the others.
Much thicker and more secure. But before they could enter, their eyes fell onto two more elevator doors that were just as reinforced.
"Level 6?" Yagi asks, reading the number painted atop it.
The warden grunts, "new floor, a work in progress, anything more is classified..." he says as he opens the door for them.
Before they enter he turns to them, "no touching the glass, no using Quirks, no telling him about what's happening outside. We keep these things separated from the outside world for a reason."
"Understood," Aizawa says.
"And remember," the warden looks directly at Yagi. "I don't care if you were the Symbol of Peace, break the rules, and these turrets will hollow out your skulls before you can realize how badly you fucked up..."
"I'd have it no other way," Yagi nods.
And with that, the man steps aside for them to enter the room.
They see two metal chairs bolted to the floor, positioned in front of a thick metal wall. The walls are entirely white with cameras and two turrets at the back of the room.
The moment they step in he locks the door behind them, and they approach the seats. They see a large control panel with all manner of reading constantly being updated. Studying every bit of All For One's body and mind as he's locked up.
"Take your seats, and keep your hands in view," a guard's voice over the speaker system says, and they do exactly that.
"Opening the visibility barrier," the voice says as the metal barriers begin to raise up into the ceiling. And sandwiched between them is a meter of bulletproof glass with no holes in it.
On the other side, they see All For One completely locked up in a sarcophagus-like structure with only his head exposed, a mask on his mouth with tubes running into the side of his head.
The metal sarcophagus itself has dozens of tubes running from it into the floor and the control panel, designed to keep him nourished and take his readings.
"Finally, some good conversation can be had in this cell," All For One's grating voice reaches them, causing both men to scowl. "That damn doctor they bring in to poke and prod me isn't allowed to speak, it's quite a miserable experience on my part."
"You reap what you sew All For One," Yagi says.
"Ohh, is the ever benevolent Symbol of Peace saying that being put down like a rabid dog is justice?"
"I uphold the laws of society," Yagi says. "My duty is to protect people, not to hand out judgments."
"Spoken like the proud sheep you are, atleast the next so-called Symbol of Peace is more of an independent thinker..."
Aizawa just leans back and observes the conversation, but stays ready to use his Quirk.
"You called us here, now just tell us what you want. I don't have anything to say to you."
"Come now, my final conversation and you want to cut it short, really? And you're lying to me at a time like this, really, because we both know you have hundreds of questions for me..."
Yagi grits his teeth, "Tomura Shigaraki, my master's grandson, where is he?"
"Ohh, you're still hung up on that old news, aren't you over that already? Did you really think just because he has Nana Shimura's blood that he'd be incorruptible?
We both know that neither of you were born special, you were made, built to be great heroes...so why can't someone be groomed and built to be a great villain, hmm All Might?
The world doesn't have a UA for villains, so I had to take the homeschool approach for Tomura."
"And you chose him to spite me, to spite us, right?"
"Oh definitely," All For One chuckles. "But is it so wrong for a villain to have a Sidekick?"
"So he's your sidekick?"
"Oh no, he was always meant to be my successor," All For one says. "We are both men on borrowed time, mine will run out in a few days when I'm executed, so tell me, how much longer will you live?"
Aizawa turns his head toward Yagi, not sure what he's talking about.
"Horizon must have given you a deadline, right? And I imagine with him it's quite accurate..."
Yagi sighs and leans back in his chair, "from today, less than 3 years..."
Aizawa's eyes go wide, blindsided again today.
"Ahh, so we're in the same boat either way, how befitting, rivals descending into hell together."
"Hell?" Aizawa asks, causing All For One to look at him.
"Oh, why don't you ask him then," he looks toward Yagi. "Where do you deserve to go All Might, after how badly you failed your predecessors?"
"I'm not dead yet," Yagi says. "I've still got time."
"Ohh, but you wish you were, yes? That would have been better than standing on the sidelines while others clean up your failures, right?
I can't even fathom how much you hate it. The rise in crime and all the people who got hurt because you so arrogantly concealed your fading strength. I bet people are still doubting Endeavor, right?
All because you failed to tell him what was coming, you didn't give him time to prepare, to hold up the weight of society like you once did...not that I think he could ever do it."
"I---"
"So arrogantly looked down on even other Pro Heroes," All For One cuts him off. "You and the other inheritors always do that, always think you're the only one who can act because nobody can keep up with you. But I imagine that delusion was destroyed recently for you."
"Inheritors?" Aizawa asks, but is mostly ignored.
"When I attacked the summer camp, I did it to meet Horizon, did he tell you that?" All For One asks.
"You thought it was him, he told us," Yagi says.
"Ohh I did, he was the only logical choice, but I've had time to reconsider it after my fight with him. He's not the type of person to accept help in that way, and he doesn't need any more than he already has.
He's perfect, if I had gotten to him before Nezu, this world would already be in the palm of my hand. Oh, I can't imagine how upsetting it must be, especially for Izuku Midoriya---"
Aizawa and Yagi both stared wide-eyed at All For One.
"That's your successor isn't it, the boy chosen by you to become the next All Might of this world, yes?"
"What?" Aizawa asks Yagi.
"How must it feel, All Might," All For One once again ignored Aizawa. "You put the weight of living up to your feats and accomplishments on the shoulder of a young man, enough to break the mind, body, and spirits of anyone in itself.
And then you force him to sit in a classroom, and behind him is a person who seemingly fell from heaven to be the greatest hero this world shall ever know. I can't imagine what that will do to his mental health."
Yagi grits his teeth, "future Pros are none of your concerns, you won't be around to torment them."
"Ohh, but I'll be around to see it myself. To see the greatest war between the society you protect, and the monsters that seek to tear it down.
Heroes and Villains playing in an all-out war game, until something snaps, and a young man finally decides to flip the table."
"Tomura Shigaraki will be locked up before it ever gets to that point," Aizawa says. "And you won't be around to see it..."
"Tomura Shigaraki? Oh, of course, because surely that's who I meant...but tell me, why exactly wouldn't I be around, when the key to postponing my execution is sitting right in front of me."
"And why would I ask them to do that?" Yagi asks.
"Not you All Might, you're barely a man, certainly no longer a hero or symbol, and definitely of no use to me, sit quietly on the sidelines and watch everyone else be useful, that's all you can do now."
He then turns toward Aizawa. "But you, you will ask Nezu to petition the commission to postpone my execution, that way they can further study me, and eventually find a way to reverse the Nomu process."
"And why the hell would I ever do that?" Aizawa asks.
"Oh, because you wouldn't give up on your friend a second time, right, Eraser Head."
Both visitors look confused at that.
"Oh, how I wanted that Quirk, Erasure, such a perfect Quirk to compliment my forces. And with it even All Might would have been no threat. But sadly there was one person more of a hero than you. He got you to safety at the cost of his own life, and our trap fell on him instead."
"No..." Aizawa mutters.
"You didn't even love your friend enough to keep searching for a body, you gave up on him so easily, and he fell into my hands, becoming our first successful High-End Nomu. My knight, still capable of higher thought process..."
"Wait," Yagi looks between them, seeing Aizawa gripping the sides of his chair so hard his fingers were bleeding. "You can't mean---"
"Oboro Shirakumo," with these words Aizawa's face almost goes red in anger, it took every bit of self-control for him to not activate his Quirk.
"You're lying!" Aizawa yells.
"Oh you wish I was, and sadly you need me alive to check. My body will detonate into nothing when I die, and so will any hopes of digging up your friend, from deep within his new Nomu self."
"You can't prove anything," Yagi says.
"Ohh, I can't?" All For One gives a devious smile. "So tell me then Eraser Head, didn't something look rather familiar when you saw that Quirk again? When you saw his clouds flowing again, I'm sure you can remember it right, you know who it is..."
"Kurogiri," Aizawa mutters, much to Yagi's horror. He immediately gets up, opening his eyes wide at All For One, "what did you do to him?" he growls out.
"Don't approach the glass," the guard says through the speakers.
"Oh it took a lot of work, merging Quirks to make Warp Gate, but as you've noticed, he was easily worth the trouble..."
END CHAPTER---