The Ultimate Cure.
Chapter Two: The Killer Rabbit and The Shy Crow.
Kai stood before the chair, he had set up this backup base when Terada died in an 'accident' just a cut brake line and car crash later. (Putting in a bomb for good measure…) Then Kai killed all those loyal to Terada, yet he couldn't bring himself to hurt his little brother, so he told him to go out on collection with his stuff, moving out before he got back. He had to handle his plan in the cleanest way possible.
All culminating in this very moment. Painstaking planning all started Kai's true goal. The key was the darling little granddaughter. He turned to her guardian, an impressive recruit that Naosu fought in the streets, he did not need to question his loyalties.
"Rappa, go wake up Eri," Kai said, his empty voice slightly echoing in the darkroom. Rappa nodded, hating what was going to happen next. He was an honorable man, set in his ways, only itching for a good fight.
He went to her room, opening the door, "Squirt?" he asked. Eri popped up with a scared expression on her face. She knew what Rappa was here to do. He took a deep breath, stepping in.
"Look, it'll be okay, don't worry," he assured.
Eri stayed resigned, silent. Rappa gently plucked her into his arms, holding her tenderly. He hated what Kai was going to do. He wanted to break him.
"I… I… want Big Bro…" she muttered. Rappa sighed and carried her, moving slowly, making sure he could keep her calm. He went to where Naosu's stuff ended up, grabbing an extra coat he had and wrapping Eri in it.
She snuggled into the soft blue fur and Rappa kept her quiet and calm. That jacket was an important comfort object for Eri, she held onto it. He got to the room, handing her off to Kai, whose eyes glimmered in hunger.
Rappa hated those eyes. There was nothing in them, they were soulless. While Naosu's were sparkling with life, vigor, confidence, and poise. He sat down outside the room, arms crossed and trying not to bust in there and stop whatever's going to happen.
Eri stood still, her eyes staring straight ahead. That chair hurt. The 'procedure' even more so. Naosu almost killed Kai the last time he was here.
"Eri, now that there are no distractions… we can get down to business," he said, his golden eyes staring down at her. She stood stock-still.
"Eri, now!" he ordered.
Silence. Not a single movement. Like that scene in Big Brother's favorite movie. If she doesn't move, maybe Kai wouldn't see her! Not a single move and the monster won't see you. Kai felt a slash of frustration cut his heart.
He growled to himself, tapping the side of his mask, running his hand through his hair.
"Eri… if you don't get in the GODDAMN chair…" he hissed. She still didn't move. He grits his teeth and decided to pull out his trump card. He took one of Naosu's spare masks and coated it in his blood when he tried to revolt before he 'left'. He took it out.
"This is all that's left of your dear brother… I don't want to add your sweet little horn to my collection, it'd be a shame…" he sighed, throwing the mask down at her feet. Fear settled into her chest, tears brimming in her eyes.
She picked it up, "That's irrefutable evidence, Eri-dear… now be a good girl and I'll make it quick, okay?" Kai muttered, stepping up to her.
"This is what Naosu would've wanted, Eri… if you want to help Naosu achieve his dream, get in the chair, sweetie," he said, picking her up.
Eri clenched the mask and coat in her arms, despair and empty acceptance settling in her chest and stabbing at it like gargoyles. Her eyes shut, tears starting to stream down her cheeks.
The mask fell to the floor with a small clatter.
I picked up my mask, maybe I knocked it over in my sleep? I noticed that it wasn't on my side of the bed. There were still traces of Rumi's warmth from last night. I didn't hear the shower or anything.
I checked the time, at eight o'clock. Right on time. I didn't find a note or anything from her. I turned on the TV. The news was blaring, and I turned it down, using it as background noise. Today was the anniversary of me and Kai being adopted into the Hassaikai. I pulled out a small bottle of sake and settled in at the table, seeing piles upon piles of newspaper clippings.
All of them had me involved in some way. Was she that dogged in her pursuit of me? I unstoppered the bottle, grabbing a cup and pouring it.
'Here's to you, Terada-san, Eri… Eri's okay, I'm sure of it…' I thought, taking a drink, feeling the alcohol burn my throat, turning to tar in my stomach. It took the edge off.
"Ugh…" I breathed out gently. I sighed and wished Rumi was here. I knew she was busy. I didn't want to bother her. I ditched the bottle on the table, opening the curtains and smiling at the day outside.
Eri would've liked it today. We used to go watch the ducks at the pond in the park near the old compound. I smiled at the memory and I wanted to see if I could run into Rumi again. Like hell, she's gonna go without one of my kisses!
To hell with it! Time to adapt, time to plan, time to… wait…
What the hell? Why's there some guy flying towards here? I pulled one of my gloves off, my slight agoraphobia starting to become more than slight. The guy circled, then flew away.
Huh.
That's when I saw Rumi slam into the balcony, laughing and smiling.
"Hawks, you ass!" she snapped up into the sky. I cocked my head at her, she came inside her smile wide.
"Hey punk, you're finally awake! I just thought I should get some villains in the slammer, but that ASS decided to steal my thunder!" she snapped, glancing at the table, finding the small bottle.
"Babe, it's not… you okay?" she noticed that I was crying a little.
"Yeah… yeah, It takes a lot more than just a gulp to get me drunk… today's the day Terada-san brought me and my brother into the fold…" I sighed. She hugged me.
"Oh, Naosu… it's alright…" she sighed.
"Just don't drink too much, alright? 'Specially not if we're gonna have a few little kits, I don't want them to think their daddy's a drunkard…" she advised, kissing me gently.
"So… whaddya wanna do?" she wondered.
"I just wanna stay inside, okay?" I mumbled, still coming to grips with the fact that all I knew was gone now.
Rumi smiled, "Okay then," she agreed. We ended up sitting on the couch, my head in her lap as she petted my hair gently.
"It's all gonna be okay, you got out, you got another chance, punk!" she muttered.
"I just… want to see my sis again, I want to get her out of there… my brother already started on his pet-project… that fuckin' bastard…" I sighed.
Rumi shifted me to her chest, wrapping her arms around me, humming a little. We were wrapped in a blanket together. She kissed the top of my head.
"So, your brother's an asshole?" she asked.
"Yeah, not only that but… he would just tell me that I wasn't good at anything after Eri showed up. 'Always the screw-up!' 'Always soft!' God, I wanted to Overhaul him so bad! He always downplayed all I did for the Hassaikai," I explained.
"Is Overhaul your quirk?" she asked.
"Yeah, if I hit things or scratch things, they burst apart… then I can reassemble them… but not as good as my brother can," I sighed.
"Is that why you were so scared last night?" she wondered.
I nodded, "You were the other reason, you were so pretty… so beautiful… I felt like I wasn't worthy of you…" I sighed.
"Worthy? Sweetie, you're the only man that ran like hell! You're the only man I wanted to pin down… that means you're the most precious thing in the world to me right now! When we got our little litter of kits… you're still gonna be the punk that ran like hell!" she said, kissing me again.
I felt my phone buzz, I shot up, accidentally headbutting her.
"Ow! Punk! What the fuck?!" she yelled.
I ran into the bathroom, 'Damn it! Why're these fuckers calling me?! I told him five-billion times that my brother wouldn't apologize!' I thought, answering.
"Hello, Crow…"
"Fuck you, Shigaraki…" I growled.
"Now now, I'm just here to congratulate you on getting out of that dumb group…"
"Just leave me alone and spit out what'cha need to say!" I snarled.
"I've been wondering now that you're out of a job… maybe out on the cold streets… you want to join the League?"
I hung up. Hell. No. That's a whole nother can of worms. I Overhauled my phone to be safe and reassembled it back to normal, deleting the number and sighing. I was better at reassembling inorganic things.
Rumi was a little ticked, "What the hell? Why'd you headbutt me?" she asked.
"I panicked…" I mumbled. Rumi pouted.
"You're lucky that you're my mate, otherwise I'd beat ya black n' blue!" she growled, yanking me into her chest, starting to smother me.
"Mmph! Rumi! S-stop!" I stammered She kissed me after I came up for air, grabbing onto my shoulders and pushing me up against the wall, her kisses became sloppy, overly wet. Her voice was breathy, her legs were wrapped around my waist, her perky breasts brushing against my chest.
That's when she pulled away, her ears swiveling.
"Awww…. Goddammit! Fuckin' villains can't give me another matin' sesh with my punk for one goddamn minute?! Lessee…" she mumbled. She picked up her phone.
"Why don'tcha have an agency?" I asked, feeling the forming bruise on my neck.
"Agencies are for pussies! So I got the Hero Network app and the news to tell me where to crack some skulls! I only work with birdbrain 'cause he's an asshole, and I hate assholes… hold down the fort for me, baby? Don't you dare start drinkin' again without me around," she explained, snarling at the end and kissing my bruise tenderly.
"I'll be back later, sweetie!" she exclaimed, leaving me alone again.
I sighed, looking down at my phone. I turned it off and sat on the couch. I took my mask off the table and stared at it. Why was I so downtrodden?
Eri was curled into a little ball in Rappa's arms, he was holding her, letting her cry. She was wrapped in Naosu's coat, holding his mask tightly. He knew the truth. He knew that Naosu was still alive.
In Kai's own words, he was still an 'asset'. He was a wild card now, either a mole for the League, a spy for the Heroes, or an independent ghost operative. She shifted in Rappa's arms.
"I-I-is he… really… d-de-dea-dead?" she warbled, Rappa sighed.
"He wouldn't want you to get hurt like that. Don't believe Chisaki for a second. Naosu's too crazy to die like that," he assured.
"So… is he?!" she gasped.
"I wouldn't get my hopes up, lil' squirt, but maybe," he sighed.
Eri settled down, smiling just a little bit. Rappa smiled a little at that. He finally made the little lady crack a smile.
"I hope Big Brother remembers his promises…" she sighed.
"Heh. You're still hanging onto that, 'Mrs. Chisaki?' Haha!" Rappa teased. His blood boiled however, he hated how Kai tried to put out one of the brightest lights he knew. He already put out one, the poor kid was probably despondent right now…
For now, Rappa had to be Eri's rock. Had to be her support. He gritted his teeth after he left Eri's room after putting her to bed, pulverizing punching bag after punching bag in the gym, his fists flying, imagining Kai's face on all of them.
'I won't forgive you for pulling such a stunt to that poor little squirt. Whenever I get the chance, I'll pulverize you! You have no honor! No emotions! All I want to do is beat the shit out of you!'
He let out a roar, sending it crashing and smashing into the wall. He pounded his chest, psyching himself up.
'Bring on the next five!' he thought.
He bashed and busted through the night, ignoring the pain he was going through.
'For that squirt, anything!" he thought.
I heard a loud clattering on the balcony around five in the afternoon, I spent the day watching the TV, my nervousness increasing. I sat up and saw Rumi with her ears down, her legs were unsteady, and I could smell blood on her.
I opened the door and she staggered in, "Punk…?" she mewed, toppling into my arms. I found the wound, it was a good-sized slash on her stomach, it wasn't too deep, but I knew I needed to stitch it up.
I was panicking. My eyes took in that wound and I carried her over to our bed, making her comfortable, darting around for some needle and thread. I wasn't too bad at sewing, but her pained expression scared me a lot.
"What happened?! Who did this to you?! I need names! Faces! Gimme their specs! I'm gonna kill 'em! I'm gonna make 'em explode!" I yelled.
"Punk… don't freak out, okay?" she hissed.
"What kind of bullshit is that?! Of course, I'm panicking! You come staggering in with a wound! What the hell did that to you? It looks like a blade did it…" I breathed, cleaning the blood, hearing her crying and hissing breath.
She could take the pain, but this blade slash was messy… whatever did it tried to rip her open. I gently started to sew it up.
"Mm… Naosu… I'm sorry," she sighed.
"That… bitch sounded like you… I dunno how," she mumbled as I put her on some sort of painkiller, I didn't check, but I gave her the right dosage.
"Just sleep, okay?" I soothed.
Rumi whimpered, "Hold me…" she sniffed.
"What? You're crying?" I asked.
"I just… I got scared, punk… she caught me off guard and shit… I just thought of you and I… snapped," she whispered.
"What did you do?" I asked.
"I… I knocked her out, but then she melted… fuckin' melted, Naosu!" she hissed.
"What scared me was that she took on your face… I thought I'd have to kill ya…" she whispered.
"Okay, you know what? I'll handle this," I reasoned. I leaned over and kissed her, she pushed in a little bit, needy. I held her.
"Just call me, babe, I'll come running," I said.
She nodded, "Only if I need your help…" she sighed, "Gotta keep up the image of being the Lone Rabbit hero…"
"Bullshit, I'll be there, they're gonna have to pry me away with a crowbar!" I growled. I made that promise, knowing that she'd have to stay safe, no matter what, I'd protect her. She can't always go at it alone.
I kissed her wound, now bandaged, very gently.
This was bad. More than bad. It was catastrophic. One second, Rumi and I were crackin' skulls, having a good time, being crazy heroes that were in love, now mics were being shoved in our faces and questions hawked at us from all sides.
"Mirko! Who's that next to you?" one of them yelled. I hated this. I officially hated this.
"My… uh…" she mumbled, snapping her fingers, trying to find the right word, "My… uh…" she mumbled.
She looked at me in panic. Why ask me?!
They all turned to me, and I gathered my courage, and here was where I made a mistake. Here was when Rumi and I knew the horrid power of the media firsthand. I spat out the first thing that came to mind.
"SHE'S MY MATE!" I screamed.
Then, much like a bomb, they went off, the questions making me panic. I tried to stay calm, Rumi trying her best to talk them down. I was about to crack.
"When's the wedding?"
"Is he good in bed?"
"Is he a good kisser?"
"How long have you two been dating?"
Rumi held onto me, her hands gripping my white suit tightly. I closed my eyes, trying to breathe. I took a deep breath, I felt Rumi scoop me up and she started to run. She jumped over the next row of buildings, her smile wide and we landed in a quiet park a few rows down, she smiled and touched her forehead to mine.
"Not bad, huh?" she asked.
"Boss, you should have a look at this…" a small, plush like thing said, slapping a newspaper down on the coffee table. Kai looked down at the paper, seeing the headline. More importantly, the picture.
Naosu, laying there, his silver eyes wide, in the arms of the Rabbit Hero: Miruko, He smiled, looking down at the headline.
"Interesting, Mimic… very interesting," Kai said, grabbing the paper and reading it.
"Hmm… mysterious masked fighter mates with popular Rabbit Hero: Mirko? Heh, I always knew he was good for something…" he commented.
"What're we gonna do with him?"
"He's sure living a nice life. We should leave him be," replied Kai
"Are you sure boss?"
He gripped the newspaper and tore it to shreds, his golden eyes burning.
"FUCK NO! We have to go find him. We have to make sure he never comes back for her. He'll completely foil my plans and bring the Yakuza down to extinction. Send out the Eight Bullets, I want them to find any info about this 'Rabbit Hero'. Use any methods to get the job done. And if you see my bro out there, bring him to me," demanded Overhaul
"What if he runs? Or if he becomes the Crow?"
"And what about his woman?" another man piped up, he had spiky blond hair and closed eyes, his name was simply Tengai.
"Oh look, a volunteer, take Setsuno, Shin, and Mimic with you. I want my brother to know exactly what happened to our parents… I'll make him feel so much despair it'll make him crumble. And if any case he does become the Crow, this is where Chronostasis comes in and uses this," stated Kai as he held up a Quirk Erasing Bullet.
"But boss, we only were able to make one," said Chronostasis, loading it into his gun, intent on using it on that self-righteous brat.
"Well then it'll be a good opportunity to test it out, plus if we do get rid of Naosu, nobody can stop us from producing many more. Now off you go, for the sake of the Hassaikai's future," replied Kai.
After the small group went off, the meeting room was empty, leaving only Kai inside surrounded by silence.
"I'm gonna go grab a drink," said Kai as he left the room and headed to a bar to drink his frustrations away.
A few moments later, after Rappa and Eri checked and double-checked the meeting room.
"Squirt, go see what he tore up, I'll keep an eye out for anybody," he said.
Eri nodded, creeping in and seeing a couple of pieces of the article, the headline and the picture, only listing Miruko and the picture of Naosu, shocked.
Eri picked them up, tears brimming in her eyes, "He's… alive?! He's… He's… ALIVE!" she squealed, Rappa gasped.
"Squirt, shhh! The others haven't left yet!" he hissed.
"But… he's alive, Rappa! He's alive and out there with that lady! But… what does… 'Mate' mean?" she asked, her cute red eyes sparkling.
Rappa gulped, his mask eyes widening.
"S-squirt, you're not old enough to know, it's adult stuff!" he sputtered.
"Hmmm… is she…" Eri mumbled, smiling at the implication she was getting from her big bro's expression in the picture.
"Is she his… wife?!" she gasped.
"Who taught you about relationships, squirt?" Rappa wondered.
"Big bro! He and grandpa taught me… She's gotta be special!" Eri exclaimed.
'Whenever we meet again Naosu, you and I are soooo gonna have a little talk… and a rematch as well!' thought Rappa.
Rumi and I fell into bed, her arms around me, "So, punk, that's what bein' a hero is like… I guess I had to get it out sometime…" she sighed.
I buried my face into her silky white hair, glad to finally be home. She held me against her hot body, slightly mixed with the scent of her sweat was the scent of her shampoo. She was perfect.
Yet our chemistry on the battlefield could use a little work, she's protecting me, no, I'm protecting her, back and forth. Rumi grabbed my hair, running her fingers through it, she pulled the sheets over us with her free hand.
"How's your wound?" I asked.
"Better… but it could stop hurting if you kiss it," she teased.
"Oh… uh… its… under your… suit…" I mumbled.
"Oh 'cmon, punk… you're still shy?" she asked, grinning that feral smile of hers that turned my legs into jelly and my stomach into lead. God, I love Rumi, I had sex with her, why am I so shy with her?! C'mon Naosu! You saw her fans! Half those guys looked at you like they wanted to BE you!
"Heh, so that's how it is..." she cooed at me, she was below me, yet she flipped me over on my back, her red eyes glowing.
"Y'know… I could letcha lead this time… but where's the fun in that? I love you, and I haven't truly mated with ya yet…" she whispered into my ear.
"Wait… what?" I mumbled.
"I wanna take it slow, babe, I want you to be relaxed… it's no fun if you're not havin' fun, too… and I got hurt, seeing that side of ya, I knew I made the right choice for my mate," she reasoned, her red eyes closing as she curled up against me.
"You know what? That tattoo is wrong… you're not a crow, at least… that's not what I think," she said, distracting me with her words, for such a rough talker, her words sound so sweet… she held my hands, leaning down, her soft breasts brushing against my chest.
"You know what you remind me of, baby?" she asked.
What could she be talkin' about? Is she… Her heart's pounding. Oh god, I can hear it! She guided my hand to her chest, my hand brushing against her pounding heart. Why was her heart beating so fast?
Why were her legs twitching? Did I…? Did I scare her? Goddammit, Rumi! Finish what you were gonna say before I get worried again!
"Well… your protective side is a lot like a wolf, and you're a lot like a crow, too… you're a mix, not just one… and my kits need a strong dad to protect them… seeing you hack and slash, and burst apart guys… well…"
She yanked me close to her mouth, her lips just inches from mine, her heart reached a fever pitch in my hand, I squeezed in fright. She looked deep into my silver eyes.
"You got the speed of a crow and the power of a wolf… and that's such a FUCKING TURN ON," she growled into my ear. Her silky hair went wild, her breath hissing out and her eyes seeming to glow in the low light.
"This is what my heat looks like, punk! I hope you're ready, 'cause I ain't lettin' ya go! So c'mawn, make me sing!"
In retrospect, I'd take Kai Overhauling me over and over, but… god, the way she looked so beautifully savage… that scent wafting off her made me want to lose control. There was another part of me that I tried to hide…
The Crow, ever since I started enforcing, took a foothold in my mind. He was another mask I put on. Another face to put on. We weren't separate. I was Naosu and the Crow the first time. I'll just be Naosu this time.
I tackled her, Kissing her sloppily, I tore the mask of the Crow apart, we were the same, not separate! I just wore him as a mask to justify my cravings. My craving to cure villainy, my craving for Rumi, especially after someone hurt her… I kissed her lips, her legs wrapping tightly around me, her arms locked around my neck.
Her heart pounded, her eyes showed her lust, but fear was there too. Many scientists said that people with animal mutations retain their instincts. She wanted me…
But she was scared.
I straddled her, her now wild white hair balled up in my fist. She was below me again, we fought for position, with me overhauling the headboard in the struggle. She hid her face as I thrust, hearing her loud, pealing cries muffled by the pillows and sheets.
I leaned down to her ear, my order clear, "Shh… it's okay… you're mine, just be quiet, okay?" I am assured, feeling more confident than ever to have her in my arms. She moaned and I continued to have my way, overhaul slowly destroying my gloves.
'NO! Stop! If I keep going… I'll hurt her! I'll never get to see her again! I'll disassemble her!'
'YOU COWARD! WE FINALLY GET TO BE FREE AND YOU STILL CAN'T LET GO?!'
'But… I love her…'
'THEN PLEASE HER!'
'I don't want to use Overhaul! It's my brother's quirk! Not mine!'
'ACCEPT IT! ACCEPT IT AND YOU'LL TRULY BE FREE!'
'IF YOU CANNOT HAVE HER… SOMEONE ELSE WILL! SOMEONE ELSE WILL WALK WITH YOUR WOMAN! SO LET GO! LET GO AND FINALLY BE FREE!'
I burst the bed to dust, and we fell in the pile of blankets, pillows, and sheets. Rumi was gasping, I was holding on weakly. She was mine. I won't let Kai or anyone else take her. She's mine, dammit.
Rumi continued to moan and gasp, her eyes screwed shut, I was holding it all in, "P-punk… N-naosu… I… I know… I know.. Ngh! What you're feeling… you feel like… augh… your quirk is a curse…" she moaned out, I was getting close, ready to pounce and bite down on the back of her neck, marking her as mine…
"But… if you want me to describe it… it's a… a...gift. You're strong. Strong enough to… to tear apart all those in yer way… but… you use it to… to protect people… I saw you… kneeling to comfort that little kid that got caught in that hostage situation… you rebuilt the vault with a single touch… even stronger than before… Naosu… you're not your brother, so don't pretend to be,"
Instead of biting her, I wrapped my arms around her, feeling her wrap her arms around me, pulling me down to her level, looking into her eyes, hearing the words I wanted to hear more than anything in the world from the first woman I ever wanted to share my life with…? I started to cry.
I decided to go slowly as she kissed the tears away. I felt myself release within her, closing my eyes, feeling her body press up against mine. My hand brushed against the fragments of the bed, they reversed the headboard alongside it.
I felt a new feeling as she dried my tears with her hair. I felt… oddly connected to her.
"Guess I'm Chisaki Rumi now, huh?" she drawled.
"What?" I asked.
"We mated," she said.
"Yeah, so?" I asked.
"Mating is a lot more… intricate than marriage… we share the pain, we share a bed, we share our lives. We have kits, cubs, whatever. If you wanna get officially married, later on, it's alright!" she assured.
"Just… be careful, Rumi… If you do end up carrying our kits into this world, promise me that you'll tell me the minute you feel like your work is too much! I'll bear the burden, that's what I promised the moment I held you…and made you mine" I sighed.
"Aw… Punk~ " she cooed sweetly, "Of course, I'll letcha take on some of the jobs!" she chided.
I buried my face into her hair, smelling her scent, she covered us with the sheets, and the night was peaceful…
Yet little did I know I'd put Rumi through the worst three weeks of both of our lives… the Hassaikai were pursuing me.
Tengai loomed over the city with Setsuno, the blond was frustrated.
"We've been looking everywhere for that brat! How hard is it to track down a kid wearing a pale white suit bein' followed around by a rabbit slut?! Seriously?! Is he even trying to hide?!" Setsuno ranted. Shin's dark mask turned to him.
"He's got almost no close associates, no set routes, no fuckin' social presence other than the news reporting on him, he's a ghost!" Setsuno ranted.
Tengai still stayed silent, "What of the area around the apartment he's staying in with his woman? Why haven't we checked there?" he observed.
Setsuno's radio buzzed, "Good tidings, friends, we have ourselves a lead… turns out if you give 'em money… they'll fall riiight in line,"
"Geez, it was that easy?" Setsuno barked.
"Nah, I did what I always do best, use my quirk to make them talk, the money was just for them to not call the authorities… and for our boss to have more drinks" Shin intoned
They all met up, the poor store owner wanted to be left alone, but he was booted out. Mimic inspirited the bar, waiting. It seemed that both Chisakis frequented the same bar. When they came in, the guy treated them as living gods.
Mimic stood before the others, "So, what's the deal? How're we going to… acquire him?"
"It's simple, we go after his mate. If it's true that they've done the dirty deed, then he can't afford his Rabbit slut and possibly her unborn child to get hurt," Setsuno huffed, "Damn if only my girl hadn't abandoned me…"
Chronostasis cleaned his gun, "Yeah, seems like a good plan, Mimic, Setsuno, and I will handle things, go back to the base and tell the boss we got it covered,"
"Yeah but his girlfriend is one of the top heroes. And with her Rabbit quirk, she's very agile. How do we get Chronostasis to get a clean shot?"
"EASY! I'M HERE! I CAN STEAL HER ENERGY AND WE CAN JUST ROUGH HER UP!" Katsukame roared, beating his chest.
"Well boys, we got ourselves a plan, let's bring the good news home. And the booze too, it could be a good use for a celebration once the future is set for the Yakuza," Chronostasis said. They all agreed and split up.
The homebound team came back with so much booze you could swear that they raided a brewery instead of the boss's favorite bar.
"Oh good, you guys are back. You guys seemed to have something good in mind, considering you brought back so many drinks. But before we can celebrate… did you find him?" asked Kai.
"We got ourselves an ironclad plan, sir!" Tengai said, nodding.
"Oh yeah? Then for your sake, I hope to see results," he snarled.
"Sir! Operation Phone Home is about to be executed! We have Chrono, Mimic, Setsuno, and Katsukame as the Away Team. Once the target and his mate are in position, BAM! We'll capture him! Not after giving his girl a thrashing, she'll never forget anytime soon!"
"Well done, team. I can almost grasp our future of the Yakuza. But we can't afford to be too lenient… Not with that fool Shigaraki breathing down our necks. After we get rid of Naosu, we get rid of that blue-haired idiot and his League of B-list villains and sideshow quacks. After that, we can finally rise to the top, eliminate quirks, and drink all the lemon sour, sake, and beer we want. This calls for a celebration, for the sake of the Hassaikai's future. We will crush all those who oppose us!" he yelled.
Meanwhile, Eri couldn't sleep, and if she couldn't sleep, neither could Rappa. She was on her way to find the big brawler but not before she overheard the conversation with Kai and the gang.
She froze. She couldn't believe what she just heard. Hours ago, she found out that her Big Bro Naosu is still alive, and now that Kai has a plan to capture and kill him again? She couldn't bear the thought of Naosu dying for real this time.
Especially when he finally found that special person. Rappa was lumbering out of the gym, covered in the massacred sandbags. He saw her and she practically bowled him over. Or tried to.
"Squirt? What's up?" he asked.
"It's horrible…" she sighed.
"It's about Naosu, right? I heard about it, too… from Katsukame, that bastard can't wait to beat the tar outta his woman. So we gotta figure out what ta do, squirt," he sighed.
"M-maybe you can… stop them? You've been training so hard, Rappa! You have to be strong enough!" she said, grabbing onto one of his hands. That was one of the first times Rappa ever felt like what he was gonna do was right.
'I owe it to him. I owe it to Naosu… he's the only man to ever give me a fair fight ever since I joined this freakshow, the kid knows his way around a knife, he's strong, but… he's just a kid. He's a kid, Kai. Just like Eri. Yet you're gonna tear him away from a woman he loves just for some stupid plan? A plan that makes little Eri suffer even more? God, I never felt any weaker than I do now…' he thought bitterly, Eri was looking to him.
Eri was looking to him, Naosu was counting on him to keep her out of harm's way. Yet, he had to save the only man that ever respected his strength.
"Don't worry, Lil' Squirt, I'll do all I can, but you gotta hang on, okay?" he sighed.
God, I could use a drink! Today's patrol was just brutal... Rumi and I couldn't stop feeling paranoid… I sighed, looking to my mate in quiet amusement, she was raring for something too. She still smiled, regardless of how her ears drooped and her eyes kept on fighting sleep.
"C'mon, Rumi, we can just go home if you're tired," I reasoned.
"No, it's alright…" she sighed, leaning against me. I smiled, supporting her. My mask was on, and this time, on the other side in white, was 'Punk'. She'd kiss my mask before every fight, saying that her kiss was luckier than her feet, just for me.
I held her close, her heartbeat was calm, but somehow… all the other bars were closed, narrowing it down to one. Wait… that's odd. What's with all the closures? Usually, the nightlife was bustling…
A sick feeling of dread passed through me. I slid my knife out. I tightened my grip on Rumi's hand. There were no other options. How could one be open and the rest closed? I opened the door gently, the bell was removed.
What the hell was going on? Rumi stormed right on in. While I slid in next to her. I saw the bartender, not letting go of my knife for a second. I felt odd. Rumi was staring at me.
"C' mawn, punk… calm down, everything's okay. Put the knife up," she said. I stared a little. Something was off, way off. I couldn't place my finger on what exactly. I wasn't stupid. I wasn't dumb, but…
In the next few moments, I wished I could've just never met the Boss.
"What would you guys like to drink?" the bartender asked neutrally.
I froze, That voice! Rumi! Gotta get her out! I got up, my knife being yanked out of my hands by Setsuno, my eyes were blinded, and I felt the burn. I didn't feel Rumi's hand in mine. I reached out desperately.
"GET HER, BOYS!" Irinaka roared.
"NO! GET AWAY FROM HER!" I screamed, struggling, they brought fucking Katsukame?! I heard Rumi fighting, "NO! STOP IT! RUMI!" I screamed, my quirk going wild, I needed to protect her! What if she… What if she's carrying my kit? What if she's pregnant?! I mean, she was in heat, but… that quickly?
NO! Focus, focus… I just felt despair set in.
"What's the matter, boy? Can't save your Rabbit slut?" mocked Irinaka.
That's when I felt it, that's when I felt the rage. That's when I felt my body move, I took my knife back, I felt my mask tear off. I grabbed the first person I could, feeling the man's arm burst under my touch.
"GAHHHHHH! FUCK!" Setsuno screamed. I only needed the staccato of feet to know who was who. I then could see it again. My eyes were bloodshot, and my body loose, as if I was a puppet on cut strings.
Ever since Kai and I were on the streets, this… cut string mode would kick in when I'd be under extreme stress. My voice would become rough and full of acid, the other me would take a backseat.
"Shit! The Crow has been unleashed. Good thing we came prepared, Rikiya, you're up!" shouted Irinaka.
Katsukame loomed above me, I already cut up Setsuno pretty badly, He used his quirk and I felt my body weaken.
"Alright then! Pin him down!" Irinaka commanded.
I saw Rumi still fighting, she was doing well, I then saw her start to weaken herself. Katsukame's quirk evolved. I looked at her, in shame. I was a trashy protector. God, I saw all the goddamn red flags.
A small grin formed in Irinaka's face, "Time for the final phase and we can call it a celebration. Alright Kurono, time to wrap this up!" commanded the Mimic quirk user.
Fear set in when I saw the revolver, the single red bullet in the chamber glinted in the light. Rumi still struggled, she wouldn't go down without a fight. I saw him straddle her, the gun pointed at the back of her head.
"Come with us quietly, or kiss your mate goodbye!" he snarled, she looked at me.
"Punk?" she asked.
"Rumi… don't follow me, forget you even knew me," I sighed, "I-I surrender, just let her go,"
"Good boy," Irinaka said before forming a fist and punching hard in his forehead, knocking Naosu out cold.
Rumi saw her punk get dragged out, her eyes filled with tears, she wanted to follow him, but she knew she couldn't take all of them on. So she did the one thing she never wanted to do ever since she started.
She called for help. She didn't know who to call, though. She never had a single number from the heroes she reluctantly worked with. So she turned to the next best person to help. The other pro that had her eye on Naosu, that Nighteye guy who was looking into the Shie Hassaikai.
Anything to get her punk back. Anything. She got up, dried her tears, and picked up his mask, holding it, "I'mma tear 'em down, time to call in the cavalry," she growled.
"Wake up,"
"Wake up, Naosu,"
I was punched awake, I was chained up, with Kai looming over me. His golden eyes shined.
"So… what's the problem?" I asked. Of course, moments of snark got me in heaps of trouble, he punched me again, this time I took it.
"Your EXISTENCE." he snarled.
"Oof, that's rough…" I sighed, "Too bad you gotta go even harder…"
"You know, I could just easily overhaul you out of existence but where's the fun in that? I guess I should bring in a witness to make you suffer,"
"Hehe… aha… HAHAHA HAHAHA! Oho! That's rich! You need Eri, right? Rappa's useful, yeah? Rumi's on her way to kick your ass, and you think just some rando is gonna make me suffer?! HAHAHAHAHAHA!" I cackled.
"SHUT UP!" he yelled, sending his fist rocketing into my gut. "Do you know what Eri's quirk can do?" He asked.
"Eri's quirk?" I mumbled.
"Yeah, it rewinds things… how would you like to be rewinded to where you never existed? Who says that I should be the only one killing you?" he asked.
"You know what? Dying to Eri would be mercy… But dying to you? How lame… I'd rather die to the girl I helped raise than to my brother, hell, I'd take my mate over her…"
"So you're fine mentally traumatizing your little sister after killing you? My my brother, that's pretty cold-blooded. Just know that you wanted this,"
"No… I know your game, I know what you do, how you operate, what do you want out of killing me? What's the goal? What's the purpose? What, you wanna erase your past? Just like you did with the boss? With Mom? I know in that cold heart of yours you loved them!" I snapped, Kai grabbed me by the neck.
"Shut… up… You. Could never understand what I went through… what you took from me! What you took can NEVER be given back now…" he snarled.
"I know that you wanted the Boss's validation… I know you wanted Mom to love you as much as she loved me… but… you could never understand emotions! You could never know how much pain you put all of us through!"
"Pain? What pain? All my years of planning for this day, the day I killed our parents to take charge of the family, the day I killed our boss for me to run the Hassaikai, and now I can finally bring the Yakuza back to the top. All I need to do is to get rid of you!" he muttered, I felt a flash of rage. I strained against my chains, feeling them dig into my flesh.
"I won't let you… kill me…! I… I'll be the one to… to… rewrite society's poem! Heroes, Villains, normal people… then there's you! The only one in my goddamn way! You threaten everything I hold dear… Eri… Rumi… all of the people we hurt!"
"Well, I see we both have our own goals, the difference is that you won't live to achieve yours. The moment they burst into our territory, your ass is history. Too bad you'll never get the chance to say farewell to your sister, or your slut of a girlfriend!"
I strained against my chains again, my eyes burning with righteous fire. "Don't you dare say that about her… she's my only chance at living the life I've dreamed of… surrounded by people who love me and care about me, I won't let you tear her away from me, that's why I won't die, one day, I'll… I'll finally get to see my dreams come true!" I started to laugh again, Kai gritted his teeth and Overhauled the chains.
"Prove your convictions, brother, and then we'll see who's right in the end, your goal or mine?" I asked, my back to him, I was shirtless, my body was beaten, Kai was untouched. Kai was fresh, and I was going to be the underdog in this fight.
I turned around, my tattoo meant nothing to me now. None of my Yakuza past mattered except for Rappa and Eri. My friend and my little sister. Rumi was my mate, I had to return to her. Bloodied, Broken, in sickness, in health, I swore a vow to protect her! To watch her back!
I dropped into my stance, I didn't have my knife, but I didn't care. One of us would come out of this alive.