The nation of Japan watches in fear as Shigaraki Tomura begins his livestream. It's late when he sets up the stream and begins his ranting, against heroes, against society. He sits in a lone folding chair with a plain wall as a background broken only by a plain chipped door.
People pause in their daily lives. Some gape in open fear. Some stop only long enough to assess that there is no immediate threat before moving on, grumbling about delays and traffic. Some watch from their homes, wondering just where the villain will strike next. Some sleep, oblivious to the all too common threat. It is not uncommon for a villain to commandeer the airwaves to spit threats and horrible promises. This is different, Shigaraki has clearly learned. He raves, he spits, but he explains.
The audience is not convinced, they are tired and not only because of the late hour. Their lives are still, for the most part, unaffected but they are weary. Hosu and Kamino left deep scars, the sparkling illusion of hero society is shattered beyond repair now. Whether anyone realizes it yet or not.
All Might has retired, running himself into the ground. He was a symbol, and a shaky one at that. He has been replaced by a deeply angry man, perhaps just as full of bitterness and resentment as the villain ranting before them. Beyond Endeavor is a youth, efficient and popular, but still young and with something no one can quite identify in his eye. Further down is a man still out with injuries no one knows the extent of, and a hero who works best in the shadows between the spotlight and the underground.
The symbol is gone and the cracks are showing. Things will change, they must. This is not enough to stop life. It is not enough for them to see anything but a maniac.
He's in the middle of explaining the only somewhat shaky ideology of the League of Villains when he's interrupted by the door slowly creaking open.
The viewers hold their breath as a tiny little girl with white hair peaks through the crack. He turns slowly as she rubs her eyes and blinks at the scene.
How did she end up in the hands of a villain as monstrous as Shigaraki? More people pause to watch. Perhaps they shouldn't, they may not be able to forget the horrors they are about to see.
Several people in the UA dorms gasp, eyes wide in shock and grief.
"Eri, what are you doing up?" He asks with gentleness never before heard by his audience. That isn't right. That isn't how it should be.
"I had a bad dream," She mumbles.
"Well, I'm busy, can't you bother someone else?"
"I can't, Himiko and Spinner went out to 'enact justice on evildoers,' and Dabi is visiting his new friend," she politely ignores Shigaraki's disbelieving whisper at the news Dabi has at least one friend, "and Mr. Compress is helping you with the camera, and Twice is sleeping. He had a lot of trouble getting to sleep yesterday, I didn't want to wake him up!" She's pouting a little by the end of it and she's still shaky with stress. Shigaraki sighs long and loud, closing his eyes before staring at the ceiling in a sad cry for help.
More than one person in the audience fails to stifle a snort.
"Fine, I guess you can stay."
"thanks Shiggy"
Her eyes shine with delight no one understands and the audience watches with trepidation as she climbs into his lap without hesitation, they're even more astonished to see him let her without protest. Only narrowing his eyes at the title.
"I thought I told you it's Shigaraki... whatever, as I was saying..."
He continues his rant, pausing only briefly when someone off screen, Mr. Compress presumably hands him some artist's gloves. He slips them on and, never losing his train of thought, starts to braid her hair. He's not good at it but it's obvious she finds it soothing as she gradually relaxes in his lap. It's clear she was really shaken up by whatever her dream contained as she finally lets go of the tension in her muscles. The only real change in his speech is a slightly quieter tone adopted after she flinched when he raised his voice.
This is not how things are meant to be. He is meant to be a monster.
He's going on about defeating all the heroes and destroying society when his guest pipes up.
"Shiggy what about Mrs. Suzuki?"
"who?"
"Mrs. Suzuki, she gave me a really pretty flower when me and Himiko were out shopping last week, it was pink. She has a big dog named Sake and she let me pet him! She was really nice, I don't want her to get hurt."
Shigaraki visibly splutters. Multiple police departments begin desperately searching through the hundreds of thousands of people with the surname Suzuki in hopes of finding a clue.
"Well..."
"And I know you hate heroes but Deku was really nice to me when I ran away. He gave me a hug! I don't want him to get hurt either."
"Eri..."
In another life, Deku would have fought, and bled, and faced great loss to get her back. He would have watched her grow and heal and smile again. In this one he can only cry, knowing that he failed her, and that she somehow doesn't hate him for it.
She gasps suddenly, "will there be apples if you destroy society?"
"I don't..."
"I asked Mr. Compress what society was once and he said it was kind of how people work together, do people work together to make apples!?"
Shigaraki sends a pleading look to the person behind the camera, overwhelmed. He receives no help from his giggling cameraman.
"Please don't get rid of apples Mr. Shiggy!"
"ok, ok, fine. I will do my best not to get rid of apples."
"thank you!"
She gives him a hug that he manages to return awkwardly. The look on his face indicating he's just now realizing that his reputation as a feared heartless villain may be shattered beyond repair.
"Compress, please tell me you had the sense to turn the stream off."
The only response he gets is an increase in poorly hidden giggling. He stands, hiking Eri up onto his hip and walks over to the camera grumbling all the way. She lays her head on his shoulder and yawns, apparently ready to sleep again now that her apples are secure. He fiddles with it, muttering self-censored curses all the while, until finally...
The screen goes black and the audience is left alone with their many questions about the leader of the League of Villains and the mysterious little girl in his arms...
They find no answers.