Toga Household, Sunday morning.

On March 21th, a girl named Toga Himiko (Age: 15, Quirk: Transformation), stabbed a classmate in the abdomen. After the classmate collapsed, Toga proceeded to insert a straw into the boy’s knife wound and drink his blood. This had continued until a teacher physically pulled her away. An attempt to restrain her failed; Toga broke free when the teacher became distracted by the injured student. Toga then escaped from the school via a window and managed to flee before any Heroes or police had arrived. Currently, her whereabouts are unknown. 

Today is the third day of the search for the young fugitive. Police have expanded the search area to the entire city and surrounding suburbs, and Heroes have been instructed to be vigilant on their patrol routes. Police have also been posted at the Toga residence to provide the household with protection from the media and public, to prevent any family members from committing inadvisable actions, and also to resume interrogation of the parents. 

Kurogiri thinks that by day three, any questions useful to the investigation that could be asked would’ve been asked.

Two detectives are questioning Toga’s mom Katami about Himiko’s history and behavior, hoping to use that information to capture the runaway. Killing animals as a child, lack of self-control, frequent lying, inauthentic emotions like faking smiles - they sketch out an early profile of a budding psychopath. Shigaraki and Kurogiri are there as well, standing in the hallway, listening in. Shigaraki crouches down by the doorframe, observing the age-height marks carved into it. More precisely, there are only two notches, each labeled ‘Himiko’ and an age. The count starts at age 2 and stops at age 3.

Shigaraki goes off on his own to gather more information. Kurogiri follows. He is not authorized to accompany a Hero on duty, much less have clearance to be at a crime scene. However, no one - not Shouta or Hizashi, the police, not even the Public Safety Commission - has ever said anything about this infraction, so Kurogiri continues to accompany and assist Shigaraki Tomura wherever he goes. 

(This is something he, Kurogiri, wants to do. It is a choice that brings him satisfaction. One day, perhaps, he will find something more fulfilling than watching over Shigaraki Tomura and choose that instead. Until then, he is happy where he is, doing what he does.) 

Shigaraki and Kurogiri look around Himiko’s bedroom. A tarp covers the window - someone with a good, strong aim must have thrown a rock. Bits of glass still glitters in the light, scattered over the bed, remnants of a hastily, half-hearted clean up.

Kurogiri talks to Himiko’s younger sister. The younger sister, who is 7, 8 years old, asks if they’re going to put the whole family in jail. Kurogiri says no. The younger sister then asks if Himiko is a Villain now. Kurogiri internally debates whether to explain the legal technicalities of the term; decides not to. He tells the younger sister that Himiko did something bad, but they’re going to find her. 

Shigaraki notices something about the bedsheets, before heading to the bathroom to rummage through a cabinet, where he finds a bottle of 3% hydrogen peroxide. He questions the younger sister about Himiko’s mornings. Younger sister says Himiko sneaks out of her room all the time in the mornings, carrying her blankets to the bathroom. It’s a secret only she knows. 

As the investigation wraps up, the younger sister asks if after they kill Himiko, will things go back to normal?

If we kill Himiko, will things go back to normal? Shigaraki repeats, utterly monotone.

Younger sister, frightened, stops talking. Kurogiri gently tells her Heroes don’t kill. Why does she think they’ll kill Himiko? Younger sister won’t say anything else. 

Shigaraki asks Kurogiri to warp them downstairs, surprising and interrupting the interrogation. There, Shigaraki reveals that Himiko’s bedsheets are covered with lots of old, faint, washed-out bloodstains; that Himiko sometimes gets up early to wash them out, and this has been happening for quite a while; why and however it happens, it’s clear that Himiko has been constantly injured for a long time. He asks Katami whether she knew and did nothing about it, or didn’t care about her daughter to know at all. 

It comes out that Katami knew Himiko would bite her wrists until she bleeds, but gave up on doing anything and ignored it, because no matter what she and her husband tried, Himiko is just a defiant child, and has always been abnormal. When asked why they didn’t seek help, Katami said they did go to quirk counseling, when she was younger. After a while it seemed to have worked, but now they know that Toga tricked them into thinking it worked. Detective points out that the bedsheets meant it didn’t work, and asks: Why didn’t they continue? Why didn’t they look for stronger programs? Katami sobs out that it was just so shameful, those kinds of programs are for ‘challenged’ kids and delinquents, and they never wanted to be that kind of family or people. 

Shigaraki then mocks her, saying that it turns out they are that kind of people, their secret is out, they didn’t try hard enough to discipline her, now they will always live with this stigma. The world will never forgive them, they’ll probably have to go into hiding because people are already throwing rocks and drawing graffiti on their house, and she has to live with the knowledge that Himiko came from her after all, so there’s probably something twisted within Katami as well.

The woman is terrified and hysterical. The detectives yell at him to get out. Shigaraki and Kurogiri leave, but not before Shigaraki tells the woman to take that feeling, and think of it everyday from now on. It took Toga Himiko twelve years before she snapped; how long will it take Katami?

(Before leaving, Kurogiri politely hands Katami a business card.)

Outside, Kurogiri tells Shigaraki he might have broken the woman. Shigaraki says he’s good at breaking things, but then admits he went too far. He then sarcastically says at least this means his therapist will have something to do; he’s been too good lately, they’re running out of things to talk about. Kurogiri thinks to himself that Shigaraki truly has matured a lot, becoming self-reflective and much more open. Five years ago, when Shigaraki Tomura was 14 years old, Kurogiri would’ve never imagined this possibility. Then life took a drastic and sudden turn when All For One was defeated and his bases were raided. Shigaraki and Kurogiri were captured, then reformed, and now here they are. 

Still, Kurogiri tells Shigaraki that if they find and take in Toga Himiko, they’ll have to deal with her family as well, so he shouldn’t burn that bridge just yet.

Next stop is Himiko’s friends’ residences. The majority of them are reluctant to talk, their families wanting them to start disassociating with anything related to Himiko, one or two even scared that Himiko might target them next. One of the parents says that Heroes aren’t what they used to be, ever since All Might has began retiring. Crime has gone up, people no longer feel as safe. Heroes better find that villain quickly. Still, in between the fear and criticism, Shigaraki and Kurogiri managed to gather more info: Himiko liked Saito, who’s cool and popular; she liked that Saito had stood up to a bully, even if he got all beaten up. She had joined all the clubs he joined, listened to music he liked, generally wanted to try out everything he did. Other things: They know her Quirk was something to do with shapeshifting, but no other details. Himiko rarely ever talked about home; she liked to stay after school. Himiko was always agreeable and eager to go along with everyone; she was trendy; just a very normal girl. The stabbing came out of nowhere.

Deciding they’ve got a good general picture of Toga Himiko, Shigaraki and Kurogiri warp to Shinka Centre.

The moment Shigaraki warps in, a muscular woman with a [chain-weapon quirk] tries to attack him. Shigaraki dodges the attack and retaliates. They spend a few good minutes fighting, before Shigaraki gets past her defense and touches her with a finger, signaling checkmate. The woman - whose name is Maeda - yells in frustration but concedes. Shigaraki tells her he’s busy with a case, so don’t bother him for the rest of the day, before walking away.

Kurogiri offers his sympathies but also encourages Maeda. Her speed and strategy is improving. She’s making progress. He hopes she can keep it up, in both sparring and her rehabilitation. Because the deal is, Maeda can be as violent and villainous as she wants, as many times she likes… but only towards Shigaraki Tomura. If she wins, Shigaraki has to give her half his inheritance and discharge her. If Shigaraki wins, she has to stay and continue her therapy sessions, chores, studying for her GED, etc.

Shigaraki always win and so Maeda stays at Shinka.

Shinka Centre is a Villain rehabilitation facility; its Director is, on paper, Shimura Tenko. When Shigaraki Tomura was 17, he came up with the idea and prepared for it; when he turned 18, he inherited his father Kotarou’s fortune. Using that + help from All Might and Nedzu + an army of lawyers + cooperating with advocacy groups + maybe some bribery, maybe some blackmailing, who knows; Shigaraki created Shinka. A place that’s the furthest thing from Tartarus; a place away from HPSC; a place where Shigaraki Tomura could be a hero his own way, taking in the trash that society had thrown away and refused to acknowledge. A place where he can pay forward what All Might did for him - saved him. 

It’s only been open for ten months and they have four patients. Shigaraki complained to Kurogiri before that the few courts willing to even consider Shinka have approved and transferred to him only easy cases, which will be good for success rates but not helping those who really, really needs it. Meanwhile, the Commission opposes the idea of Villain rehabilitation in general; Shigaraki dryly opines that they’re afraid he’s building a personal Villain army. Shigaraki already destroyed the Symbol of Peace, so this was like rubbing salt into a wound with a rusty nail.

Maeda (age 20, charges: assault, theft) is the most troublesome patient so far, but she’s also not that clever, so they’ve successfully kept her under control with individualized treatment. She has a clear goal, focuses all her aggression on only one target and no one else, and they’ve convinced her that therapy and work will make her stronger, more disciplined, smarter, all of which will allow her to one day defeat Shigaraki Tomura (who rubs her the wrong way for being younger than her and also a rich kid). Does it work? She’s taken up meditation, and the therapist is chipping away at her walls; she is working towards her GED, starting to learn delayed gratification, and getting along with the other patients without trying to dominate them. Compare that to a typical prisoner.

Still, it does mean sometimes there are problems like the floor getting torn up. Shinka is an abandoned hospital Shigaraki bought out, slowly being renovated. Miyako, the administrator, is absolutely devastated by the damage to the building and setback again. She asks Kurogiri if he can work with her today. Kurogiri looks to Shigaraki, who refuses to show any indication about what he wants Kurogiri to do. Kurogiri then says yes, he’ll help, but only for a bit, because there’s a case. Miyako is super thankful for the help. During, she asks if the case is the girl who stabbed someone; if Shigaraki is trying to get her into Shinka. Kurogiri says that they’ll have to see if she qualifies first, but he knows the answer is ‘yes’. Shigaraki Tomura will not fail. 

Secretarial work surprisingly is not as easy for Kurogiri as everyone, including himself, thought it would be. Before, the work he did for All For One and the Doctor did not need paper trails; must not have paper trails. His quirk and role being what they were, things that were needed to be done were done instantly. But Kurogiri is a quick study, and he’s happy to help. Miyako does nearly all the office work. The other staff might sometimes help, but mostly it’s just her. Shigaraki pays her a salary that much more than compensates for it. Her twin brother is in prison for taking Trigger and rampaging, killing two. After that, the family lost everything, and no one wanted to hire someone associated with a Villain, so this job is a godsend. When the brother is released, he’s welcome to Shinka too.

After helping with the paperwork, Kurogiri goes to Shigaraki’s office. The door is always open. Shigaraki is just staring at an unmarked map of the city - he has never been one for drawing or writing out what he’s thinking, instead keeping all information and plans inside his head. When Kurogiri asks about the progress on the case, Shigaraki says Toga Himiko is in survival mode, and he needs to grab cash for some of his underground sources to be on the lookout for her. This is as clear as mud, so Kurogiri asks for an explanation. 

Shigaraki tells him that there hasn’t been any new bloodletting incidents after Saito - Himiko currently isn’t stabbing people for blood or enjoyment. The very few reported, unsolved quirkless crimes involving stabbing with a knife during the past 48 hours are unlikely to have been committed by her. Himiko is focused on survival - looking for places to hide and sleep, looking for food, looking for money. If she is criming, it’s unreported, and that happens in areas that Heroes and police ignore, which also have good hiding spots, so drifters inevitably end up there.

Everyone lost their mind over the blood drinking, but Himiko is probably a dumb kid running away. Kurogiri points out that Himiko having a straw to stick into Saito’s wound suggests premeditation, and she showed clear enjoyment. Shigaraki says that doesn’t have to mean a mastermind plot by a sadist. Himiko stabbed Saito randomly in the stomach out in the open, when common sense would be to do it somewhere private and to cut an artery for more blood. Kurogiri wonders, is that common sense? Shigaraki shrugs and says even if she is a ruthless psychopath, he’s not in any position to judge. 

With what they’ve found out, Kurogiri and Shigaraki conclude that Himiko seems like a girl whose quirk issues weren’t addressed and snapped after a lifetime of suppression. She likes and admires Saito, who is popular, kind, normal, so wanting to be like him - wanting to be him - could be a way to relieve the pressure of conformity, while also satisfying the urge to drink blood. Considering how she was smiling while drinking Saito’s blood, she’s high on her first stabbing, her first blood drinking, her first taste of freedom. She has reigned it in, though, enough to focus on survival. In control of herself but flooded with adrenaline. They should find her before that energy runs out.

Kurogiri reflects all this - the profiling, Toga Himiko’s situation, the way people dislike it when you contradict the image they want you to be, and refusing to accept anything less than strict conformity to the role they expect. When he was allowed to wake up, Kurogiri was expected to become a boy named Shirakumo Oboro. He was asked questions to which the answers had already been decided for him. He was not trusted to exist as he is. From the moment of his creation, Kurogiri has known he is not human. But it wasn’t until that moment that he fully understood the kind of being he is; made to finally realize the divide between him and the humanity Heroes guarded. There was no truth to his experiences, no meaning to his emotions, no legitimacy to his desire to watch over Shigaraki Tomura, who had become distant and cautious, the brittle, meticulous connection so painstakingly built between them gone. It had seemed only the disappointment and danger of Kurogiri’s existence was real. 

A phone alarm rings. Shigaraki sighs. It’s time for his weekly luncheon with All Might. Shigaraki also checks on Saito’s status. The kid is…surviving.

At the restaurant, All Might is, as always, happy to see Shigaraki, who calls him Uncle. At first it was sarcastic, but now it's habit. Shigaraki acts like a teenager reluctant to spend time with an uncle who calls this ‘chilling’. All Might tells Shigaraki he’s playing and immensely enjoying Critter Creek [Animal Crossing]. When Shigaraki tells All Might he can bully a villager to make them leave, All Might coughs up blood at the cruelty. They talk about things like an uncle and nephew might. Shigaraki continues to try out everything on the menu; All Might teases Shigaraki about using a spoon to cut his meat. Kurogiri is still there, sitting at the table as well, and sometimes All Might tries to pull him into the conversation, but Kurogiri only gives a polite but aloof reply. 

Shigaraki Tomura is allied with Heroes, and All Might is now awkward family with Shigaraki, but Kurogiri still distrusts him, and Heroes in general. There’s programmed instinct to it, but Heroes can still harm Shigaraki Tomura and ruin all the work he’s done, a threat that Kurogiri monitors. Besides, All Might is said to have killed All For One (though Kurogiri is pleased to note that All Might didn’t escape unscathed either), and is responsible for Shigaraki and Kurogiri’s capture. Kurogiri lost three years to Tartarus; All Might gained those three years, during which Shigaraki grew from a surly, wrathful 14 year old to a shrewd, ambitious 17 year old. All Might got to play proud parent; Kurogiri woke up to a young man who didn’t need him anymore. 

Still, it isn’t like All Might got to have it all. Kurogiri reveals: The Hero’s phased out retirement meant societal anxiety and power struggles. He pulled a lot of strings to get Shigaraki - who was condemned as a Villain despite being 14 due to his quirk, his upbringing and history, his psychological evaluation, and the fact that he killed two Heroes and five officers during his capture - first out of Tartarus, then out of juvie (and into a psych ward), then even attempted to just get him out. This was not revealed to the public, of course, but even in that sphere, All Might started doing things differently. He donated to reform causes; he took an interest in quirk counseling; he even began to talk to the Villains he stopped, saying stuff like he believes in their atonement during their arrests. As the Symbol of Peace, he of course swayed some of the public opinion, but he also received lots of criticism, even dropping to No. 2 in the billboards. Conspiracy abounds that this is an imposter; that he’s going senile; that his quirk is making him too superhuman, thinking he can save everyone. Without a unifying icon to rally behind, schisms among the people appeared, going in all types of directions, good and bad. 

When it’s time to go back to the office, All Might suddenly asks to speak to Kurogiri alone, because someone’s special day is coming up and someone else wants to plan something ‘cool’. Shigaraki, disgusted, leaves. All Might is speaking the truth - Shigaraki’s 19th birthday is coming up, and he wants to do something for it. Kurogiri says he’s already planning to make a cake, but if that’s also All Might’s plan, Kurogiri is happy to give the task to him, and make a special dinner instead. They have a chat planning a small event, even semi-joking about getting a car for Shigaraki (doesn’t know how to drive; thought has probably never even crossed his mind) and telling him he should learn to get around without using warps. 

All Might then muses about how the first anniversary of Shinka opening is also coming up soon, and how proud he is of Shigaraki; that he wouldn’t trade this path he chose for all the world. Quite literally, because five years ago, the choice was: abandon Tomura to keep being the Symbol of Peace, or give up being the Symbol of Peace to help Tomura. Keep true to being a Hero and the impartial justice and laws he of all people should uphold, or do all he can to help a single person, which would mean breaking some of the rules. Kurogiri cooly replies that as expected of All Might, he managed to do the impossible and paradoxically choose both options with his slow, gradual retirement. 

All Might shares what happened back then: he did try to go back to work, to continue the heroism he worked so hard to achieve and maintain. Yet he could not stop thinking about the child, small and bound in that bright white cell, every misery illuminated and made stark. He committed to doing more and working even harder to make sure a tragedy like Shigaraki Tomura would never happen again. But everytime he saved someone, he would see Shigaraki like a ghost in the background, angry and bloody and accusing. Sometimes Shigaraki looked like All Might’s Master right before her death; sometimes Shigaraki looked like All For One right after his death. One day, All Might found that he couldn’t even smile. So he had to save Shigaraki, even if it meant leaving behind the peace he spent years and a truly herculean effort to create. The moment he chose Shigaraki, the status quo - his status quo - was gone, everything forced to start changing. 

Kurogiri thinks: All the world for the one successor of All For One. The poetic irony is unparalleled. But he reciprocates All Might’s openness, telling him about how Shigaraki Tomura has been doing. Joining everyone at Shinka during dinner; learning how to do laundry; brought books for the pitiful Shinka library, except half of the purchase is manga Kurogiri is pretty sure no one will read except for Shigaraki. There is not much he can tell All Might even if he wants to, and there isn’t a lot he wants to tell All Might either, but in between those boundaries, Kurogiri finds that it’s pleasant to share the little trivial things that he picks up and puts away in his mind. Previously those details had always stayed locked in his head, no doorway to them and no knocking visitors. Now he shares them with the Shinka staff, with Aizawa and Yamada, and especially Shigaraki.