Midori the Queen
Chapter 28: Desperado
"What the hell do you think you're doing?"
"I'm sorry… I was just- Ow!" Kota rubbed the top of his head where Touya had smacked him.
"Are you an idiot bringing Eri out here in her condition?"
"Eh?" Kota blinked a bit in confusion, but the serious look in Touya's eyes had him stiffening up again.
"You know full well that she's been sick because of her quirk. So what gave you the bright idea to drag her out like this and in her Pjs no less?!"
"Eh... Oh I'm sorry!" Kota bowed apologetically and inwardly sighed with relief. Leave it to Touya to come up with a swift lie and save all their butts. He hadn't expected to run into heroes, let alone ones he knew. If they got wind of who he really was, Karma's identity would be in trouble.
"Save your apologies, I don't want to hear them. Jesus Christ, you can be such a pain." Touya muttered the last bit in English for affect and then looked to the three heroes again. He straightened up and bowed. "I apologize for my idiotic brother. He's been cooped up inside for awhile and tends to get restless. I'm sorry if these two have caused you trouble."
"Ah don't worry about it," Mirio waved it off. "Kids will be kids after all. Oh hey that mask, are you with the Hassaikai? You guys are famous around here."
"Yeah, but don't let the mask freak you out. Our boss is a real germaphob." Touya stood up straight again tapped his mask. He placed a hand atop Kota's head, lowering it to keep his face from being scrutinized. "I just recently joined up due to my sister's engagement, so I'm still new to the area and not really familiar with any of the heroes. Who are you?"
"You gotta be fuc-" Bakugo started to complain but Mirio quickly cut him off.
"Ah don't worry about that, we're still newbies ourselves." He motioned Bakugo back to keep some distance between them and Touya. "So your sister's engaged to one of the Hassaikai members huh? That's cool, when's the big day?"
"Next Saturday, presumably. Why? Want an invite?" He smirked and had Mirio laughing.
"No, no, I couldn't. Formal events aren't really my thing."
"Senpai…" Shoto murmured, his eyes still hard on Touya. He recalled Nighteye's warning before they went on patrol… "Don't let them realize we're onto them." If this really was Kota and Dabi, they couldn't give away any hints to their itinerary. "We should get going. We're still on patrol."
"Ah, you're right. Let's get going, huh? Katsuki? Shoto?"
"Yes sir." Shoto quickly responded in a monotone.
"Yeah, whatever." Bakugo eyed Kota with a grit of his teeth. "Watch where you're going next time, kid."
"Bakugo…" Mirio scolded playfully. "You really should smile more, or you'll never get any fans. Come on, show those teeth." Mirio stretched his cheeks and made Bakugo shove him off.
"Get off! Don't touch me!"
Touya watched them walk away, and carefully ushered the two kids back into the alley before letting out a long breath. He removed the mask and placed it in the trash glaring down at Kota.
"What the hell were you thinking coming out without a guise on? Where's Izumi?"
"Back at the house…" Kota responded, both kids holding onto each other as the fear and relief washed over him. "We ran away."
"What? Why? What happened?" Dabi eyed Eri's wounds and held out his hand. Eri hesitated before offering it to him and he gently took it and immediately caught the scent of blood. His eyes instantly chilled.
"Please…" Eri whispered to him as the two met eyes. Tears spilled down her face. "Please don't make us go back, Mr. Touya. I don't want Kota to get in trouble because of me."
"You've sure got that wounded look down don't you Eri?" He gently pat her head. "Alright, I'll take you guys someplace safe… but in return you gotta tell me everything that's happened."
Both kids nodded in agreement. Touya picked Eri up and she immediately cuddled into his arms burying her face in his neck. Kota latched onto his free hand, and the three of them walked back into the light of the busy street… and away from the nightmare.
~Meanwhile~
Izumi stirred on the bed, the familiar warmth of a body next to her instinctively made her curl into it.
"Touya…" she murmured and opened her eyes… but it wasn't Touya she found. Kai lay still as a corpse, his body glistening with the sweat from his exertion. Guilt immediately stabbed Izumi in the gut and she slowly rose up and put her head in her hands. "Not again."
Why? She asked herself that over and over. Why did she have this sick compulsion to have sex with every man that came in contact with her? Tomura, Touya, now Chisaki… not to mention she'd had the sick fantasy of being sandwiched between Bakugo and Shoto.
"What's wrong with me?" She lounged against the bed frame, holding her heart as it ached in fear of what Touya's reaction would be to this. She'd already lost one man she loved… she didn't know if she could handle losing him too.
Kai stirred beside her, his arm stretching out and laying across her lap. She looked down at him, the peaceful expression on his face was so different from the way she was used to seeing him. Their quick little romp around the training room hadn't been enough to sate him. They'd dragged their bodies into the shower, spending more time touching and admiing each other's bodies as they cleansed under the hot water.
… and then couldn't resist another round tangled in the sheets of Chisaki's bed.
The man had said he'd had a hunger for her… and he wasn't kidding. He'd greedily, desperately, and famishedly devoured every part of her body that he could get his hands and mouth on. All that virgin curiosity and pent of need had resulted in him taking out years of dormant human desire… and she'd been the one to bring it out of him.
Why the hell did that make her so happy?
"Maybe I really am sick…" she murmured and unable to resist gingerly stroked her fingers through Chisaki's hair. When he murmured her name in response, she felt a little flutter in her heart and had to smile. "Mmm Kai."
The tender moment broke when she hear the vibrating sound of her cell phone. She stretched out her hand, instinctively trying to use her quirk to float it over… and grunted when she got no response.
"Ugh, damn it. I spent months getting used to that damn quirk, now it just feels weird not having it." She shifted, Chisaki grunting in protest when she moved away and his arms hugged her waist tighter. "Let go, Kai, I'm trying to get my phone."
"Let it ring…" he muttered, half asleep still.
"Baka…" she laughed and finally snagged the vibrating phone from the side table and placed it to her ear. "Hello?"
"Are you alone?"
"Touya?" His voice rang clear as a bell. The guilt came back, but only briefly. Her eyes went sharp as daggers from the cool tone he'd spoken in. "What happened?"
"I'm at Ace's villa and I've got the two squirts with me. Kota sprung Eri from the mansion, and very nearly got himself caught by heroes in the process."
"Excuse me?" Izumi calmly listening to the story of his encounter with Mirio and the boys. "What the hell are you talking about? Why the hell would Kota do that? Why would he leave base without me?" At the echoing silence her temper grew. "Answer me damn it!"
"He found Overhaul's lab. It's the place he's been cooking up those anti-quirk bullets." There was another pause, and Izumi could hear Touya brace for her response. "Izumi, he's been using Eri's body to create them."
"What?" Izumi's pupils shrank, and her hand clenched into the sheets around her waist. Her temper burned inside her, fury and disgust building in her throat.
"What is it?" Fully awake now, Chisaki sat up seeing the fury light on her face. Her eyes met his, and pure hatred filled them.
"He's there with you, isn't he?" Touya spoke calmly, trying to soothe her through the phone, "Don't lose your cool Karma. Even with your power, you can't take on his entire clan by yourself. Be smart, wait for Ace and I to-"
"Shut up..." Tears spilled down her face as she forced herself to stay in character. Her body shook from the absolute disgust at herself and what she'd just done with this sick psycopath. "I don't want to hear your fucking excuses. How dare you give me these half ass results over the god damn phone! I didn't realize you turning Quirkless would also turn you into a fucking coward!
"Izumi?" Genuinely shocked by her choice of words, Touya tried to absorb what she was saying, but was shaken by the absolute hatred and anger and betrayal that filled her voice. It was almost as if she was talking about herself.
"I should have known better." She sobbed and bowed her head, every part of her body aching inside. "I should have known after that incident with All for One that I was better off alone! All allies ever do is complicate matters, and break your heart."
Touya picked apart her words, trying to piece the code together, but had a hard time getting past the hurt and pain that filled her voice. She was reacting far more harshly than he'd expected her to. Why did that bother him so much?
"I'll clean this mess up myself. If you know what's good for you take the next plane out of the country and get the hell out of my life!" Her head lifted up and her eyes showed murderous intent that had Overhaul's guard up. "... If I ever see your lying face again, I'll fucking kill you! Traitor!."
She hung up and threw her phone across the room so it smashed to pieces.
"Oi, oi, oi, I may be able to touch you now, but that doesn't mean you can make a mess of my room."
"Like I care!" She seethed, trying to figure out how to take out her raging aggression without putting herself in danger.
"I take it that wasn't a pleasant call?" Overhaul got out of bed, making his way to the bathroom to clean up.
"To say the least…" she grabbed one of his shirts from the closet. "Who's in charge of watching Eri when I'm not around?"
"Ah, what was his name again…" he tapped his cheek legitimately trying to remember the nameless face he'd hired. "Ah, Takeda I think. Why?"
"I'm going to kill him," she said straight out and looked Chisaki dead in the eyes. "Thanks to him Kota and Eri wandered off on their own and are now in Hero custody."
The dresser table he'd placed a hand on suddenly broke to splinters and his eyes raged back with the same murderous depth as hers.
"Say what!?"
~Ace's Villa~
Dabi hung up the phone, his hand gripping the cell so tight it started to crack. Even if it had all been coded, the words Izumi had spoke struck him to the core.
"She's trapped." He set the phone down and turned to Ace "Chisaki must have used the serum on her because she can't defend herself. She's ordering all of us to stay away."
"You're serious?" Ace clenched his teeth. "When Overhaul finds out his daughter is missing he'll go ballistic. He's gonna kill her!"
"I highly doubt it. He won't blame Karma for this." His eyes meet Ace's across the room, a secret conversation happening between the two adults. "What really concerns me is after that little encounter with the heroes this morning I know for a fact they know where she's at. It's only a matter of time before they get a warrant and raid the place. Without her quirk Karma is wide open for capture."
Ace's expression changed, his shoulders relaxed and he set a hand inside the coat pocket letting out a long exhasperated sigh.
"I see… so that's the real game she's playing." He rubbed the bridge of his nose "Our queen sure likes to play recklessly. A plan like that is full of errors. If we don't get the timing right or all the right pieces in play then she's as good as gone."
"She's willing to take that risk, and so should we. We can't always count on her brain to think things through for us. What we need to focus on is collecting the other pieces so she's free to play."
"Agreed. I'll get a message to Tomura. He received coded message of his own during their meet up. She intended to use him as a distraction in order to pull Eri out, but now that things have changed him showing up could just hinder it."
"I agree."
"I don't get it" Kota spoke up from the couch. Eri sat next to him, her legs pulled to her chest. Both of them looked lost by the conversation."Why is Izumi staying with the Yakuza?"
"She's playing Desperado." Touya explained solemnly, all the while looking out the window of Ace's villa.
"Des...per..ado?" Kota blinked, even more confused now.
"It's a chess move .Izumi is a master chess player after all." Ace explained with a small smile. "She likes using the tactics she's learned in chess to power up her moves in real life. In Chess, desperado is a piece that is captured and becomes a "sacrifice" in order to advance a player's strategy."
"That doesn't make any sense at all." Kota frowned. "She's the "key" piece in the game isn't she? If she's captured, then it's game over."
"No… that's what everyone else believes… but in Izumi's game, there's another key piece." Touya fingered the blue flash drive in his hand. What Ace said about this elaborate plan having many holes was an understatement. He had to play his part to the best of his ability, or it was game over for everyone. "So long as that key piece remains in play, Izumi's game continues."
~Back at the Hassaikai~
"AHHH PLEASE! PLEASE I'M SORRY!" The guard sobbed as two of the eight precepts hold him still as Karma carved her name into his back. "PLEASE STOP!" '
"Your incompetence has cost us greatly, Takeda." Overhaul spoke. "You should feel grateful that her majesty has decided to spare your life. If it had been left up to me I would have killed you without hesitation."
"If I had my quirk I would have had a lot more fun roasting your carcass slowly before doing this." She spread salt on the wounds so they would bubble and scar. "Still this will have to do. Stupidity isn't worth death… but should something happen to Kota or Eri as a result I may very well make an exception and kill you in spite."
Overhaul couldn't stop the smile that spread across his lips. Izumi was the kindest person he'd ever met, rivaling even his surrogate father. Because of that he'd nearly forgotten just how cruel she could be when Karma's wrath was unleashed. It was ridiculously attractive.
The loss of Eri had been a shock to his system. Without any warning he'd lost the key to his plans, the essential piece he needed to change the world. He'd unleashed his temper by destroying all manner of furniture, and had been sorely tempted to take his aggression out on Karma herself…
...but the fact she had just as much hatred and need for bloodshed in her eyes had calmed him. In a sense he quenched his need for punishment through her. He particularly enjoyed watching her meticulously place her letters in the skin, refusing to let little jerks and unconventional utensils ruin her handiwork.
As the sobbing mess that was Takeda was dragged out of the room, Karma cleaned her hands free of blood and gore, her eyes still sparking with temper.
"You should have killed him." Overhaul suggested. "Your rage is still present in your eyes."
"Killing him wouldn't have brought me any satisfaction." She picked up the knife she used and proceeded to clean it. "Besides, it's not him I'm really angry with."
"Dabi?"
Her hand jerked on the blade, nearly nicking herself. She was sorely tempted to tell him the truth and stab the blade right into his face. Instead she took a calmly breath and continued to clean the blade in silence.
Her silence made Overhaul uneasy. Dabi, or Touya as she called him now, was important to her. He didn't know the depths of their relationship, or how much trust there had been between the two. All he knew was that trust had snapped clean apart both by her having sex with him… and he for running away at the first sign of trouble.
Without him, would she be able to perform at the level he needed her to? Unless she could help him come up with an alternative plan he was back at square one… a goal with no means.
"He may be a quirkless coward, but he's still your closest friend. Shouldn't you forgive him? It's not like he'd have been able to do anything against the heroes once they found out who Kota was."
"I understand that…" She sighed heavily and dropped the knife altogether. "If I'm being perfectly honest, I blame myself more than I blame him."
"Why's that?" He lifted a finger using it to gently brush her cheek. She quickly slapped it away and turned to face him. The look on her face was of pure frustration.
"I'm the one that told Kota to look after Eri. I'm the one who told him I wanted to make her smile again." She grit her teeth shaking in frustration. "I didn't think he'd actually take her out on his own. I didn't think he'd go that far just to make me happy." She covered her face with her forearm, tears welling up and falling down one right after the other. "I should have paid more attention, I should have listened to what he had to say. Instead I was too busy thinking about that kiss. I was too busy worrying about how Touya would react when I told him that I was attracted to you, and that I wanted you."
She heard him make a sound of surprise, and her head lifted up. She walked to him, clenching her fists looking ready to punch him.
"Kai…" She sobbed his name and beat a single fist on his chest. "Why? Why did you have to complicate everything?" She did it again, harder this time.. "Why did you have to kiss me and make me want you?!" Her voice came out harsh and raspy as she screamed her frustration out. "WHY? DAMN IT!"
Shocked by her actions, and fueled by her words, Overhaul stepped to her, snagging her by the waist and crushing his mouth on hers. She sank into it, the initial pleasure of his kiss making all the hate and anger from before go fuzzy. For a long glorious moment she forgot about the outside world, forgot about heroes and villains, forgot about playing games, and crying little girls… and it was beautiful.
"I don't really know why…" he spoke softly to her, his grip on her waist not letting up. "All I knew was I saw the connection you'd had with Shigaraki… and I wanted that. I wanted you by any means necessary."
"Well you got what you wanted." She lay her head on his chest, shaking and hugging him tightly. "So take responsibility for it."
"Fine… What do you want me to do?"
"Be mine…" she lifted her head, and touched his face. "Marry me for keeps."
"Hmmmph, alright." He leaned in and brushed his lips across hers. "Done."
Late at night, after she'd tired him out, Izumi left his room and wandered down to Eri's. She opened the door, stepping into the cutely designed room with its colored posters, pretty furniture, and girly items. She picked up a stuffed animal at random, held it to her chest.
The groundwork of her plan was laid out. Everything else was out of her hands. Once the plan was set in motion there was no turning back, no second chance. If she failed, she would either be captured or killed. If she succeeded…
She paused in that mindset and bit her bottom lip.
… If she succeeded, she'd become the kind of villain she'd always hated. The kind of villain that took advantage of everything and everyone in return for success and power. She'd become the new All for One.
Sick to her stomach by her choices she lay out on Eri's bed and just let the tears come freely..
"I'm sorry, Eri… I'm so sorry."
~Ask Briry~
Briry: Getting closer to the end! I will have the Overhaul x Karma lemon uploaded on Archive of our Own within the next day or two so if you're interested, be sure to check it out. If you need a link I'll be posting it on my page "Bri's Fanfiction" once I upload it.
Next Chapter: Runaway Bride