Overhaul moves silently through the house, turning off each light as per the task. His movements are quick and precise, but his mind is racing with fear and frustration. He can hear Dabi's loud snores echoing through the dark house, adding to his already frayed nerves.
Overhaul: "I'm so fucking terrified..."
He whispers to himself as he enters the last room, flicking off the final light switch. The entire house is plunged into complete darkness now.
Overhaul: "What am I supposed to do next?"
Shigaraki smirks at Overhaul's discomfort, clearly amused by watching the usually composed friend be bothered by something as simple as darkness.
Shigaraki: "You're scared of the dark... how pathetic."
Overhaul shoots him an irritated glare.
Overhaul: "Damn you."
He mutters, turning away to focus on the new note that just appeared.
The note: "Turn on all of the TVs—including the one in the basement."
Overhaul clenches his jaw.
Overhaul: "The basement... of course."
He pushes off the wall, visibly frustrated with Shigaraki's mocking tone. He runs a hand through his hair anxiously.
Overhaul: "I just said I feel like I'm going to let something inside with me when I go to the basement."
He says slowly, as if explaining to a child.
Overhaul: "There's a difference between being scared of the dark and feeling like I'm inviting something in."
Shigaraki just stares at him blankly, not understanding.
Shigaraki: "It's called messing with Overhaul. Someone should make a video about it."
He smiles at him.
Shigaraki: "Then go do it! But who knows what lurks in the darkness? Just imagine it - what if someone was right there..."
Overhaul scowls at Shigaraki's continued teasing, turning his back on him sharply.
Overhaul: "Shut up."
He mutters, storming off towards the basement door. He pauses with his hand on the doorknob, Shigaraki's words echoing in his mind. "What if someone was right there..."
He shudders slightly, trying to shake off the feeling of unease.
Overhaul: "It's just a basement."
He tells himself firmly, opening the door and descending into the darkness.
Overhaul: "Shigaraki, you coming?"
He calls out for Shigaraki, his voice echoing in the empty, dark house. When there's no response, a chill runs down his spine. He looks around frantically—the basement door stands open behind him, but Shigaraki has vanished completely. Not even his footsteps can be heard.
Overhaul: "Shigaraki?"
He calls again, his voice quieter now, tinged with uncertainty.
Overhaul: "If this is your sick twisted joke, then it's not funny..."
He steps back toward the basement door, suddenly feeling very alone.
Shigaraki: "Right here!"
He touches him from right behind, watching Overhaul jump in fear.
Overhaul jumps nearly a foot in the air when Shigaraki suddenly appears behind him and touches his shoulder. He whirls around, hand on his chest as his heart pounds.
Overhaul: "Damn you!"
He hisses through gritted teeth, glaring at Shigaraki's amused expression.
Overhaul: "Don't... fucking... do that..."
He tries to calm his racing heart, but Shigaraki just laughs, clearly enjoying this.
Shigaraki: "So fun."
He grins, his pale face glowing in the dim light.
Shigaraki: "Your reaction is priceless."
(Meanwhile, at the elevator).
Pressing the button on the elevator trying to make it go up but heard something like the elevator wouldn't go up not at least a few inches up.
Shigaraki: "What the hell?"
He looked and heard something moving above them.
Overhaul: "Looks like we're not alone."
He smiles slightly right behind the mask.
Shigaraki: "You're probably right about that."
He looks up and hears something snap. His eyes widen and immediately grab Overhaul once feeling the pressure of the elevator falling down.
Shigaraki: "I'm not sure if you're real or fake, but brace yourself!"
The elevator falls a few feet deep down, crashing. He lays down on top of Overhaul due to the crash.
Shigaraki: "Ouch."
He lies there looking up at the light flickering on and off. A note appears right in front of him.
The note: "Task one: Turn on the generator to get the elevator working."
Shigaraki: "Oh, fuck."
He groans and gets off of Overhaul. Overhaul was knocked out cold. No response just unconscious breathing. The elevator interior is dark except for the flickering light. Something drips above them. Shigaraki gets up and sees a task bar appearing on the elevator wall. It reads: "Generators Required: 10/10". He notices a time limit displayed as well.
Shigaraki: "What the fuck?!"
The note reappears, updating with new information: "Time Limit: 30 minutes remaining."
Reads the updated note: "Lives on the line: Overhaul's and yours. Three attempts allowed before consequences ensue. Distance threat approaches if the task fails." Pauses, considering Overhaul's role.
Shigaraki: "So he's my... friend's life support, huh? But does he have the same setup for me?"
He glances back at Overhaul's unconscious form, then turns his attention to the elevator controls and generator locations, thinking strategically.
Shigaraki: "Ten generators, 30 minutes..."
(In his mind).
"So, if I fail, Overhaul dies. But does he have something similar on his end? Like, if he messed up, would I die too?"
"That would be... quite the motivation to actually pass this damn test."
He pauses, looking back at the elevator.
(Out of his mind).
Shigaraki: "Overhaul, if you can hear me—keep that one Shigaraki alive!!!"
He shouts at the top of his lungs.
The Note: "It starts now."
The note vanishes, and time begins to tick forward.
Shigaraki: "Alright, since Overhaul is knocked out, I should leave him here. The elevator is a safe spot—it's also a spawn point."
As he carefully opens the door, trying to make as little noise as possible, he hears a soft rustling sound coming from inside the room. His heart rate increases slightly as he realizes this could be his first encounter with the creature. He decides to push the door open just enough to peek inside. The room is darker than the hallway, making it harder to see anything clearly. Suddenly, he hears a louder rustling noise directly ahead of him. He freezes, holding his breath to listen more intently. The sound is getting closer. He hears the slow, deliberate steps of something heavy entering the room. His heart pounds in his chest as he remains perfectly still under the desk, barely daring to breathe. The creature's footsteps are eerily calm, almost as if it knows he's hiding. He can feel the adrenaline surging through his veins as he tries to suppress any urge to move or make a sound. Suddenly, the footsteps stop right beside the desk. He can feel its presence looming over him, its breath heavy and laborious.
He waits in tense silence, the growling of the creature echoing through the room as it continues to search for him. Every now and then, he hears the sound of something heavy being thrown across the room, the creature's frustration growing with each passing moment. Finally, after what feels like an eternity, the growling begins to fade away, indicating that the creature has moved on to search elsewhere. Seizing his chance, Shigaraki slowly crawls out from under the desk and begins to make his way towards the generator.
The sudden loud hum of the generator echoes through the hallway, instantly drawing the creature's attention back towards the room. It growls intensify, and it begins to rush back, its heavy footsteps thundering down the corridor. Shigaraki quickly finishes pressing all the buttons to start the generator, then dashes behind a nearby bookshelf for cover. The creature bursts into the room just as he hides, its massive form filling the doorway. It snarls angrily at the generator, confused by the loud noise disrupting its hunt.
The creature's attention remains focused on the noisy generator, its growls muffled by the mechanical whirring. Shigaraki takes advantage of this distraction, slipping out into the hallway silently. The beam of his flashlight cuts through the darkness as he moves carefully, placing each foot with calculated precision to avoid any creaking floorboards. He makes his way toward the second generator, hoping desperately that Overhaul is faring better in his own section.
(Meanwhile at the house in the basement).
Overhaul: "For fuck sakes."
He mutters to himself, frustrated with the static on the TV screen. He tries adjusting the channel, but it remains unchanged—a grainy, snow-like image with no sound. Shigaraki stands behind him, watching with amusement as Overhaul grows increasingly annoyed.
Shigaraki: "What's the matter? Can't handle a little static?"
Shigaraki teases, leaning against the basement wall with his arms crossed.
Overhaul: "Maybe it's broken... or maybe something else is causing the interference."
He takes a deep breath, reminding himself of their goal—finding Midoriya. With a determined scowl, he leaves the static-filled TV behind and heads towards the bedroom, where another television sits unused. As he enters the room, Shigaraki follows closely behind, his footsteps quiet on the creaky floorboards.
Overhaul: "Let's see if this one works any better."
He mutters, reaching for the power button on the bedroom TV.
Overhaul: "God, I hate these old pieces of shit..."
He slams his hand on the TV's power button, breathing heavily from the stress. The screen flickers to life—but again, it's just static. He clenches his fists in frustration.
Overhaul: "Why is this so scary?"
He mumbles, but then looks at Shigaraki with narrowed eyes.
Overhaul: "And it's more scary when it's just me."
Shigaraki raises an eyebrow at him, looking genuinely confused.
Shigaraki: "What are you talking about? I am here!"
He said irritably.
Overhaul storms into the living room, his frustration boiling over. He grabs the remote control and turns on the TV with an angry stab of his finger. The screen comes to life—More static. He sinks down onto the couch, his face buried in his hands.
"I don't know anymore..."
He whispers to himself, feeling completely overwhelmed and isolated despite Shigaraki's presence. Shigaraki follows him into the room, standing over him with a confused and slightly annoyed expression.
Shigaraki: "What the fuck are you talking about?"
Overhaul throws the remote at the TV in frustration, and it clatters uselessly against the screen. The static continues to play, unchanged. He groans loudly, burying his head in his hands as Dabi's snoring echoes through the broken ceiling from where he had crashed through earlier. The sound is both annoying and slightly comforting in its normalcy amidst all this chaos.
Shigaraki watches him, shaking his head with a mixture of exasperation and faint amusement.
Shigaraki: "Seriously, Overhaul?"
(Meanwhile in the living room).
Dabi: "What just happened?"
Overhaul jumps slightly as Dabi's sleepy voice breaks through the tense atmosphere. He looks over his shoulder, blinking owlishly at the figure stumbling towards him from the direction of the broken ceiling.
Overhaul: "Dabi? Is that you?"
He asks, his voice laced with surprise and relief. Shigaraki turns to look as well, raising an eyebrow as Dabi approaches them, clearly groggy and disoriented.
Overhaul: "You're awake..."
He mutters, standing up from the couch.
Overhaul: "Finally."
Overhaul: Dabi? Is that really you... or is this just a random impostor along with a fake Shigaraki?
He looks at Shigaraki, who's smiling at him.
Dabi's eyes narrow suspiciously as he looks at Shigaraki, his flames flickering to life around his hands. Overhaul quickly steps in front of Shigaraki, holding up a hand to stop Dabi.
Overhaul: "Don't."
He warns firmly. Dabi pauses, looking between Overhaul and Shigaraki with confusion.
Dabi: "That's Random?"
He repeats incredulously, his flames growing brighter.
Shigaraki: "Overhaul..."
He says calmly from behind him.
Shigaraki: "It's really me."
Overhaul: "Something tells me that Random has something else up his sleeve. It's just an assumption, but I doubt he'd be waiting around for no reason."
Overhaul's calm demeanor stops Dabi from immediately attacking Shigaraki, making him pause and think. Dabi's flames dim slightly as he considers Overhaul's words.
Dabi: "You think Random has another trick up his sleeve?"
He asks, his voice low and dangerous. He doesn't lower his guard completely, but he stops advancing on Shigaraki.
Overhaul: "Probably."
He admits.
Overhaul: "And keeping us separated like this is definitely part of his plan."
(In his mind).
"Hopefully Shigaraki is doing a better job than me."
(Out of his mind).
(Meanwhile while in the hallway).
As he stands there, the sound of breaking furniture and the creature's furious growls grows louder. Shigaraki realizes that he's running out of time. The monster will eventually lose interest in the first generator and start searching for him again. He sees the second generator across the hall and makes a quick decision. He silently makes his way over to it, crouching low to avoid detection. As he reaches it, he presses the start button gently but firmly. The generator springs to life with a roar, drowning out any noise he might make.
Shigaraki moves stealthily, the sound of the second generator providing him with a much-needed cover. He navigates the dark corridors, his flashlight casting eerie shadows on the walls. As he approaches the next generator, he hears a loud crash behind him. The creature has finished destroying the first room and is now on his trail again. His heart races, but he keeps moving forward, determination etched on his face. He reaches the third generator and starts it up without hesitation. The facility is now filled with the combined roar of three generators.
(Meanwhile in the living room).
Dabi tilts his head slightly, his calm demeanor shifting to one of mild intrigue.
Dabi: "What I mean is, the Shigaraki you know might not be the real Shigaraki. So, what's your take on this mess?"
He looks at Overhaul, his gaze steady and analyzing.
Overhaul: "This situation is dire, truly. But what if we refuse to carry out Random's tasks? What if, instead, we pursue the opposite direction tasks.
Dabi: "What are you talking about? If you do that, then Shigaraki would be—"
He grabs Overhaul by the shirt, his grip firm.
Dabi: "You're acting like a fool right now. Shigaraki is probably fighting to keep you alive, and you won't do the same for him? You're nothing but a coward."
He stares at Overhaul, his eyes blazing with anger.
Overhaul: "I know I am a coward, but this is just a gamble. If Shigaraki ends up dying, then you just have to kill me."
He looks at Dabi calmly, then glances over at the note that suddenly appears, the words changing.
The note: "You think you're so smart, huh? You dumb bitch!"
Overhaul: "Random, I'm not doing it, you hear me?!"
He moves away from Dabi and approaches the fake Shigaraki.
Dabi: "Overhaul, what are you doing? Just do the damn task already!"
He lunges forward, trying to grab Overhaul once more.
Overhaul: "Strange, Dabi... I thought you hated Random. Why are you so insistent on making me do it? Unless... you're Random yourself."
He places his hand on the fake Shigaraki's face, his expression turning serious.
Dabi: "You're right, I do hate Random. But Overhaul, if you're risking Shigaraki's life..."
He grabs Overhaul again, his blue flames flickering menacingly.
Overhaul: "If you're going to kill me, just do it already."
He looks at Dabi calmly, not even flinching at the displayed power.
Dabi: "Overhaul, please just do the tasks."
His tone shifts slightly, less demanding and more desperate.
Overhaul: "Please, Dabi, let me do this! It's just a gamble... I didn't tell you everything because I knew you'd stop me. But if I'm wrong, then kill me."
He looks at Dabi with pleading eyes before turning to Shigaraki and activating his disassembling quirk.
Dabi: "NOOO!"
He watches in horror as Shigaraki is completely disassembled, the house transforming back into the city where it started.
Overhaul looks around, noticing the blood trail now leading to multiple branching paths.
Dabi: "Don't tell me Shigaraki is actually dead..."
He stares at Overhaul, his voice cracking slightly with genuine fear.
Overhaul: "I'm not sure, but give it a second. If nothing happens—if Random doesn't act—then you can kill me like I promised."
He stands still, waiting, his hand still pressed against what was left of the fake Shigaraki.
(Five minutes earlier in the hallway).
Hearing a deafening screech from the creature, Shigaraki turns abruptly.
Shigaraki: "What's happening?"
He scans the chaos around him—debris flying, the elevator buckling and collapsing. His eyes lock onto Overhaul.
Shigaraki: "Overhaul!"
He sprints back toward him just as Overhaul begins to vanish, his form flickering like a dying light.
Shigaraki: "What the hell?!"
(Now).
Shigaraki: "What the hell just happened?!"
He looks at Dabi and Overhaul in confusion, trying to make sense of his sudden reappearance.
Dabi: "No way... You're alive. You're actually alive."
He hugs Shigaraki tightly, relief washing over him.
Overhaul: "..."
His eyes widen in shock, his plan clearly goes as intended. He watches as Dabi hugs Shigaraki, realizing that the real Shigaraki might actually be alive.
Shigaraki: "Yeah, so what just happened?"
He looks at Overhaul calmly yet confused at the same time, trying to understand the situation.
Overhaul: "I just took a gamble."
He looks at the blood trails leading away from the spot where the unknown, his mind racing with possibilities.
Dabi: "A gamble... You mean to tell me you didn't know if it would work or not?!"
He looks at Overhaul, his voice filled with disbelief.
Overhaul: "Well, yeah, idiot. If I killed the fake Shigaraki myself, I didn't know if it would kill the real Shigaraki too. That was the whole gamble."
He looks at the blood trails, then back at Shigaraki, who is very much alive and standing before them.
Dabi: "You absolute maniac! You could have gotten him killed!"
He gestures to Shigaraki, his voice rising with anger and relief mixed together.
Overhaul: "He's alive, so that's what matters. Sometimes you have to take risks to get results."
He looks at the blood trails, which are now fading away as the illusion completely dissolves. The cityscape returns to normal, and the oppressive feeling of Random's presence begins to dissipate.
Dabi: "You're insane. Absolutely insane."
He shakes his head, still holding onto Shigaraki as if afraid he might disappear again.
The note appears in front of them, the handwriting scrawled and angry.
The note: "I should've killed you first. Never expected a loser like you could figure out what's happening. Since you refused to do the tasks, something bad will happen to the real world. Something much worse than my world."
Overhaul: "He's serious. Whatever he's planning, it's not good."
Dabi: "Like what?!"
He grabs the note, reading over Overhaul's shoulder as more words appear on the paper.
The note: "Enjoy your world. We'll meet again soon. If you survive."
The paper crumbles to ash and vanishes, leaving them standing in uneasy silence.
Overhaul: "So we're going back to our world now? Or does this mean that Random has already entered our world? If so, then everyone we know is in grave danger. They'll all die."
He looks down sadly, the weight of the situation settling heavily on his shoulders.
Dabi: "You think he's actually here? In our world?"
His voice trembles slightly, a rare moment of vulnerability cracking through his usual confidence.
Overhaul: "It's likely. The note said we'll meet again soon."
(In his mind).
"Fuck fuck! It's my fault."
(Out of his mind).
Dabi: "What's happening in our world right now?!"
He strains his ears, picking up on the distant screams and chaos.
Shigaraki: "Are we in our world?!"
He looks around, realizing they're outside of the city, the familiar landscape spreading out before them.
Overhaul: "It seems we are. And something terrible is happening."
He points towards the city, where thick smoke rises into the sky, and the sounds of destruction grow louder.
Overhaul: "Look."
They turn back to see explosions tearing through the city skyline. A plane crashes into a building, causing a massive explosion that rips through surrounding structures.
Dabi: "It seems so..."
He watches in grim silence, blue flames flickering at his fingertips instinctively.
Shigaraki: "Wait... what about Midoriya? Is he still trapped in Random's world?"
He looks between Dabi and Overhaul, realization dawning.
Shigaraki: "If Random's here, then Izuku is alone in that nightmare."
Dabi: "I'm not sure, but we'll get him soon."
He looks at Shigaraki calmly, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder.
Overhaul: "Boss..."
He takes a few steps forward, standing at the edge overlooking the burning city.
Overhaul: "Something tells me I should've done those stupid tasks. Why didn't I listen to you, Dabi? Damn it... damn me and my stupid theory!"
He collapses to his knees, tears streaming down his face as he witnesses the destruction his gamble has seemingly caused.
Shigaraki: "It's not your fault. How were you supposed to know Random would do something like this?"
He kneels down beside Overhaul, placing a firm hand on his shoulder.
Shigaraki: "To be honest, nobody knew this would happen. At least your gamble got us back into our world—to fight back instead of wasting time on his games."
Overhaul: "..."
He looks up at Shigaraki, his tear-streaked face showing a flicker of hope.
Dabi: "Overhaul, you should direct that hatred not towards yourself but towards Random. If he's in our world now, then he's out there somewhere—walking around as a human."
He looks intensely between Overhaul and Shigaraki.
Dabi: "You know what that means."
Shigaraki: "It's our chance to kill him."
His eyes glow with determination and malice.
Dabi: "We can end this nightmare once and for all."
Overhaul wipes his tears away, a cold resolve hardening.
Overhaul: "First things first—we need to figure out what disaster we're dealing with. And I'm going into the city. If my Boss might still be alive, there's a fifty-fifty chance."
He looks at Dabi and Shigaraki, his resolve returning.
Shigaraki: "Going in there alone is suicide. So I guess I'm coming with you—so I can find my friends."
He glances at Dabi, silently seeking agreement.
Dabi: "Fine. We all go."
This will continue in the next chapter.