4JAGUAR

🔄

His eyes lingered on the spent bullet when Shigaraki set it down between them, his brows furrowing just slightly. Those were some pretty big demands from a guy who'd not so long ago made it clear he didn't want to play well with others.

Kai couldn't help but wonder where Shigaraki got his bravado from. Sure, he was All for One's protege, but he had a real bratty streak about him, less like a successor, more like a child. Could he BE All for One's son? It would make a lot of sense of his whole attitude. Not that any of that mattered, although he could only hope Shigaraki's next reaction wasn't a bad one. For a moment there was nothing in his expression but quiet, clinical satisfaction. He'd never been surprised by his own competence; he had known the theory was sound, he had known his work would prove itself eventually, but he wasn't quite finished yet, and now he had to pop the new little bubble Shigaraki was blowing.

❝ You don't start small, do you? ❞ his tone doesn't carry annoyance; rather, there was a real sense of approval underneath the appraisal. He wasn't going to refuse, but Shigaraki wanted what he didn't have ━ he wanted what anyone would assume this kind of achievement came with: big rooms, funding, staff, and sterile rows of expensive equipment....

That would've been real nice ━ so nice it might have passed as a dream of his, in another life. ❝ But here's the thing… There aren't any facilities, and the researchers? ❞ He gave a little huff of amusement as he continued, ❝ you're looking at him. ❞

His gaze moves up as he says that, golden and steady. ❝ Chrono helps when I need another set of hands, but the truth is, we made these in our basement with only second-hand equipment and enough patience to make a saint hang himself. ❞ The admission is pretty casual, almost dismissive, as though he hadn't just confessed to accomplishing, with scraps and hard work, what funded institutions would have killed to replicate and what would, without any doubt, turn the entire hero world upside down in a matter of days.

"Well, aren't you a humble guy?" he could see it, of course, the pride and satisfaction, and if what he said was true then Tomura wasn't about to say it wasn't well deserved. Even Dalma, with his fancy laboratory and decades of research hadn't come close to create anything like those bullets. If Chisaki wanted to strut around like a slightly less fancier peacock, so be it.

"I'm not surprised, but I will admit I didn't think it was that bad. I'll give it to you, pretty impressive for your situation." +1 respect, he makes a inner note, "I assumed you guys where lacking on something, otherwise we would've been seen lots more of you. We all know the yakuza isn't doing big numbers lately, and if you weren't in a tight spot you wouldn't be bothering trying to make alliances in first place."

Anyone could put two and two together. It wasn't any different from piecing lore scattered in item descriptions. That was harder, actually. Yet, there was also the fact that Chisaki had no way of knowing that Tomura had exactly what was needed to make this into a fair item exchange. He probably only intended to obtain some measure of manpower from the league, maybe some notes from the old man if he was lucky, but this? He hit the jackpot and didn't even know it. Fate— providence, Sensei called it, seemed to have a hand at work. If he didn't know any better, he would have suspected some kind of informant— a traitor playing for both sides; it was all just that perfect. Chisaki had something Tomura wanted, and he didn't know it yet, but Tomura had exactly what he needed to make this a fair item exchange. However, if there's one thing Shigaraki Tomura has is trust in his comrades; this was just a lucky, perfect coincidence.

"Alright then, I'm about to make your day— no, scratch that. More like your damn year. You, Overhaul, have the research; put it on the table. I have the means. I've a specialist, I've the facilities. I've your damn DLC." he extends his arms outwards, as if bathing in praise, any similitude with All for One was purely coincidental, thank you, "Bet you didn't see that one coming, huh? Call it Steam's Christmas sale. All off. See? I can be humble too."

“If only Faerie Britain wasn't like that, then, we... could've been happy...”

This is an entry to a challenge, the theme of it was "Wish", I think it's very fitting for the life of my fave "Suffering Builds Character" character :) Up until the end, Artoria's life is always full of regrets :(