chapter twenty-nine;

    "ABSOLUTELY NOT!", SHIGARAKI GROWLED, glaring at dr. ujiko as if he was threatening him. youko glanced up at her aggravated father while the rest of the league stayed silent.

"your majesty, it is in your best interest to let her highness attempt the quirk transferring", dr. ujiko repeated, making shigaraki even more pissed.

"I heard what you said the first time, and I'm not letting it fucking happen!"

     "papa, it's okay", youko chimed in, tugging on the male's red coat.

     "see, your highness understands the—"

     "shut up!", shigaraki snarled at dr. ujiko, then glaring at youko, who just smiled.

     kneeling down, shigaraki's gaze softened. "youko, you don't need another quirk. you're already my perfect little queen", the male assured, patting youko's head with his black gloves on.

     "I agree, your highness. it is extremely dangerous for someone as young as you to soak in another quirk when your body has just only adjusted to the first one", compress deduced.

"yeah yeah!! yoko's already powerful enough", toga smiled, twirling her knife around.

"but his imperial majesty—"

     with a glare of dabi, the mad scientist immediately shut up. though that had hastily caught the attention of little youko.

     "grandpa wanted this?", youko asked, to which dr. ujiko had just nodded.

     "his imperial majesty said that it'd be in shigaraki tomura's best interest to have his queen gain a protection quirk", dr. ujiko answered.

     "so if I get a quirk like that, I can protect the people around me??", youko excitedly asked, starting to get more drawn to the idea of having this quirk.

     "indeed, your highness!"

     "papa, I want it!! please let me get the quirk", youko pouted, batting her eyelashes at shigaraki.

     "youko, you don't need it. we can all perfectly protect yo—"

     "but I want to protect you guys!! I'm old enough now", youko frowned, tired that she's always the weak one being captured and used as bait.

     "I want to help you papa...I want to help you get back at those heroes", youko mumbled, swaying back and forth on her feet as she looked down at the ground.

     "and plus, grandpa said that it'd be helpful. you always listen to grandpa right?", youko asked, egging shigaraki on.

     shigaraki's breath hitched. if he didn't know better, he would've almost thought that youko was purposely bringing up master to pressure him into saying yes.

     the male shut his eyes momentarily to ponder for a while.

     indeed, in any—practically every—circumstance, shigaraki would've agreed with his master on a whim, no thoughts, no disagreements.

     to shigaraki, his master always made the right and most beneficial choices.

     but youko was different. youko was his daughter. and if something were to happen to her, he wouldn't be able to have another youko; at least not the same exact one that gave him long hugs and sweet kisses.

     "oh come on papa!! pleaseeeee", youko whined, wrapping her arms around shigaraki's neck as she peppered kisses all over the male's face, making him embarrassed as all his subordinates were watching and giggling.

"alright alright, stop it", shigaraki scowled as he placed his hand on youko's face, stopping her from giving him even more kisses.

"how long will this take?", shigaraki inquired.

"since her highness is smaller, it will take approximately a month for her body to soak up the quirk", dr. ujiko replied.

shigaraki clicked his tongue. a month was too long away. he then looked over at youko, who had kept on her puppy face, pleading with her cherry red eyes.

"ugh, fine", shigaraki growled, making youko prance around the lab as johnny just watched from the side.

"your majesty, are you sure about this?", spinner asked, obviously sensing shigaraki's reluctance.

"if I say no, she'll just cry about it nonstop. that'll be too annoying", shigaraki lowly replied, turning his attention back to youko and dr. ujiko.

     "in that case, may your highness change into this white gown please? we can start immediately!", dr. ujiko grinned, proud to show off his experiments and knowledge.

     "okay!!"

     toga led youko to a more private part of the room, where she shielded youko with her jacket while youko changed into the given dress, even as to wearing no shoes.

     toga ended up carrying youko back towards the group, as she didn't want the little girl's feet to step on any of the wires or pipes.

     "is your highness ready?", dr. ujiko asked, preparing all the mechanics and gathering all the materials needed.

     "yep!! what happens next?", the little girl eagerly asked.

     "your highness will be unconscious for a while. so I will first be injecting this fluid to make sure that once the procedure is done, you'll be awake again", dr. ujiko explained.

     youko nodded as she only understood certain words.

     "okay, I trust you. but will it hurt?", youko asked.

     "it's only a little prick at the beginning", dr. ujiko promised.

     "well...I will see you all when I wake up from my nap", youko giggled, waving at the league while extending her arms out for shigaraki.

     the male quickly snatched youko from toga, who pouted, but understood that shigaraki currently needed her the most.

     "don't miss me too much papa. make sure you put lotion on every night even though I'm not there to do it for you", youko reminded, to which even dabi had cracked a small smile at that.

shigaraki simply rolled his eyes as youko cupped his face and placed a soft kiss on the male's cheek.

"I love you papa! see you soon", youko said as dr. ujiko inserted the needle into youko's arm, making the girl slightly tear up.

however, as the old man had said, it was only a quick prick before the girl had passed out on shigaraki's shoulder.

"your majesty", dr. ujiko started, extending his arms out so that he could take the child.

"you're not doing anything", shigaraki protectively scowled, refusing to hand youko over.

dr. ujiko sighed. "in that case, please place her in the container over there".

shigaraki did as told as he placed one last kiss on youko's forehead, watching as the glass container completely closed, encasing the unconscious girl.

youko's body then started floating like the other nomus in their containers, as a sky blue liquid started filling up the tube.

dr. ujiko hastily typed some codes into the computer and made sure that everything was set.

a few bubbles floated here and there, meanwhile youko stayed insentient.

shigaraki and the rest of the league observed for a while before each one slowly exited the laboratory one by one, until only shigaraki and dr. ujiko were left.

     "your majesty should go rest. I assume you have a lot of paperwork and plans to put into action", dr. ujiko advised.

     shigaraki simply didn't answer as he just continued staring at youko, who seemed to just float without a care of the world beyond the tank.

     "why did master decide to suddenly give her another quirk?", shigaraki asked, not even moving his gaze away for a second.

     "it was always planned, tomura. you know better than I, that he always is at least six steps ahead", the eccentric scientist answered.

     "so why?", shigaraki questioned again.

     "whatever the reason is, it won't harm you", the old man replied.

     "but will it hurt her?"

     a moment of silence had fully answered shigaraki's question.

     "no...at least not intentionally".

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