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All For One has never given much thought to how he would go out. In fact, after he stole a regeneration quirk, he didn’t think he’d go out at all.
He always believes that finding young Shimura Tenko was a blessing in disguise. This was a young boy, abandoned and alone because of his quirk. All For One could use that. If that wasn’t enough, the boy was the grandson of the person All Might loves the most. It’s just perfect.
He gives the boy a new name and hones his quirk into a weapon. The boy himself becomes an extension of All For One, albeit a moody teenage brat but an extension nonetheless.
Shigaraki Tomura is relentless and he gets what he wants. What he wants is usually what All For One wants. That suits the villain just fine. He gives Tomura free reign in most things. The illusion of choice is beautiful, in a way.
When Tomura wants to take in the scrawny fourteen-year-old menace that has a penchant for trouble and some sticky fingers, All For One is a little wary. But keeping Tomura complacent is worth having Kurogiri be reduced to a glorified babysitter.
When Tomura suggests the League of Villains, he gives the boy permission. It’s a cheap name to hide behind and it’ll keep All For One hidden until he’s ready to face All Might again. It works.
When Tomura mentions inducting Todoroki Shoto, All For one knows his plans are about to go better than ever. Not only does he have the grandson of All Might’s only familial figure, but he also now has the son of Endeavor. Tomura is a godsend — well, he would be if All For One believed in a god.
All For One doesn’t worry about anything, really. But he’s worried about Midoriya Inko. Because ever since she showed up, Tomura has been late to answer his calls and League activity has decreased enough that even the media has noticed. Kurogiri claims that perhaps Tomura is going through his rebellious stage now. He’ll come around soon, Kurogiri says.
All For One doesn’t have a lie detector quirk, but he doesn’t need one to know that something is going on that he’s not being told about. He’s pretty sure it’s got something to do with the unseeming woman.
Then comes the fated fight against All Might. All For One doesn’t expect to be ambushed by an army of fifteen and sixteen year olds who are furious about their classmate getting taken and who all have pent-up frustration ready to fuel both them and their quirks. He does get to see the look on All Might’s face when he reveals Tomura’s birth name, but that joy is short-lived when Todoroki Shoto has the gall to punch him in the face.
Immediately, he’s furious with Tomura’s lack of good judgement skills, until the Endeavor spawn informs him that the blow was for All For One’s mistreatment of ‘Tenko’.
In his distraction, All Might delivers a should-have-been-fatal blow. He wakes up in Tartarus, but that’s all right. He knew this was a possibility when he stepped out to fight the fading pro hero. He has quirks that will let him get into contact with Tomura and the rest of the League.
But he never does. His calls go unanswered. Doctor Ujiko manages to send word that Tomura has not reached out as yet.
Finally, someone picks up the line, but it’s not Tomura or Kurogiri. It’s a furious woman’s voice that berates him endlessly about his manipulation of Tenko. She informs him that she’s going to smash the receiver that he’s connected to and he will never hear from her son ever again. And she does just that, because now All For One can no longer use any of his communication quirks to contact someone.
All For One finally understands that he’s fighting a losing battle when he realises that Midoriya Inko is not as unseeming as she looks. She’s stolen Shigaraki Tomura from right under his nose.
Still, then, he doesn’t admit defeat. He just knows that he has to start with her when he gets out.