Hello! It's been too long and I do apologize for that. As it probably has been for most of us, this year has been extremely difficult. I worked on this during my free time (which wasn't much time between other things). My intension was actually to finish the story and routinely start posting each chapter, but that plan went out the window pretty quick. Anyways, I wanted to give you guys at least one chapter before this year was completely over.
Hope you guys enjoy!
Until next time!
Chapter 10: Castle's Crumbling Part 1
"You promised me! You said you stopped using Eri in those experiments months ago and I actually BELIEVED you!"
After the initial meeting it didn't take Izuku long to realize that it had been All for One's intention to slip that information about Kai's experimental projects. He assumed he was wanting to cause tension between them and the teen thought it would never work. Kai was his everything, he believed it would take more than that to shake his faith in his Kacchan. So when the confrontation, about what exactly AfO meant, did happen it was a rather hard pill to swallow.
Learning that Kai continued using an unwilful Eri in his projects infuriated him, yet he was also mad at himself for not seeing the signs that were more than likely obvious.
"You choose her safety over the mission? Over me?" Kai questioned him back accusingly.
Izuku gave him a fierce glare his hands squeezed tightly into fists as he felt something within him start to boil, "You know how I feel about the mission, Kacchan." he began trying to keep his tone even as he continued, "How I would follow you to the ends of the Earth and back if it meant your happiness, but I also love Eri and I want to give her the same kind of care that you gave me when I was her age." he explained as tears began falling from his emerald eyes, "But how can that happen when you've put her through that?!" Izuku practically yelled the last part out from the pent-up frustration that he never realized he had been holding back. "I just wish you would stop lying to me all the time! Is that really too much to ask for?"
Kai stood there in momentary shock; he wasn't quite sure what to do at this point. When Izuku was a child and would rebel against his orders he'd defuse it with a simple reprimand; a smack, or a lashing, but other than that one moment months ago, he hadn't had to give him that kind of punishment or worse. And this wasn't rebellion, this was pure anger towards him and his actions upon someone Izuku cared for. He couldn't afford losing any more of Izuku's trust, he couldn't afford any more mistakes.
"You're right. I shouldn't have kept the project a secret from you." Kai finally stated gently, "And I should have been more considerate of your feelings with this matter."
Izuku wiped his tear stained face on his sleeve and took a calming breath, "You should have... but I also should have noticed the signs sooner. Eri is absolutely terrified of you." He replied solemnly.
Kai finally took the time to explain his research; showed him the test results and proved to Izuku that Eri's blood was necessary for a future with the 'Cure'. Izuku, though, was still dead set against it. If it meant Eri's suffering, then the price was too high and pleaded with Kai to take a step back and see that what he was doing was wrong no matter the reason.
Kai frowned at the idea that this fact made Izuku so upset, "Her blood is essential in our quest to cure the world of its sickness. It had all been hypothetical until now." he answered honestly, there was no point in beating around the bush at this point. He couldn't have Izuku fight against his plans, it had taken him so many years to mold the boy into what he preferred him to be. He wouldn't let all that work fall to pieces now.
Izuku did not look impressed as he shuffled through the pages of data. "You know... it probably would have been easier if you had included me in this." Izuku stated bluntly sitting back in his chair to look straight into Kai's eyes. Kai did not like that look, he never wanted to see that gaze aimed upon him again. "I could have made sure that Eri was cooperative or at least understood how important her role is in this plan of yours, hell, if I had been included I would have figured out a way of replicating her blood so she wouldn't have to go through any of that at all." He then crosses his arms as he continued proving his point, "Yet, all that you managed to do is make sure she's terrified of you and labeled you a villain in her eyes to the point of absolutely no trust."
"..." Kai couldn't disagree no matter how hard he tried, he never actually thought about that aspect of creating the drug. "You're such a smug little brat sometimes."
A cute snort escaped from the younger, "Hey, you had a hand in raising me, so mostly your fault~" he retorted back with chuckle. He smiled outwardly and tried to stay as positive as possible after all this, but now, just as All for One planned, there was a small voice of doubt and mistrust that Izuku fought to ignore.
They eventually came to an agreement of sorts. While Kai would not stop his progress of creating his quirk-erasing drug, he agreed that Eri's treatments would be watched over by Izuku himself from now on and it would be less invasive than before. Plus, Izuku managed to also get Kai to agree that Eri would no longer stay locked up within her room. If Kai was serious about mending Izuku's faith in him he needed to start where it was most important to his treasure.
"Stop spacing off Runt!" Rappa growled out as his fist came down toward it's target, Izuku.
Izuku gasped and barely jumped out of the way before continuing to dodge the fists flying at him. Rappa let out a huff of aggravation at this tactic. Izuku knew that, he might not have a quirk, but he was quick on his feet, however Rappa's point for this training session was combat, not defense.
"Come on Runt quit running and fight back!"
"Tch, I'm trying!" He grunted skidding back from blocking a punch.
"Try harder, I'm not stopping till you get one punch in." He warned.
It went on like this for another 5 minutes until suddenly Izuku's tactic changed. He grappled Rappa's swinging arm and used the leverage and momentum to catapult the large man over his shoulder. This assault took Rappa by surprise, but he had been a brawler longer than this kid's been around. He caught himself by planting his feet first and then tossed Izuku forward.
Crashing into the slightly forgiving floor Izuku groaned as he started to pick himself up. Rappa gave a heavy sigh, "Take a break and get your head back into the game."
Izuku huffed out an 'oof' as he sat up against the wall. Looking up to find the hulk of a man handing him a towel he graciously took the offering.
"You've been in a mood ever since that meeting with Bucket Head."
A grin crossed the boy's features, "You mean All for One."
"I don't give a shit what his name is." he responded as he sat beside him. "You and Overhoe had a fight again too."
A laugh escaped the greenette that time, he knew well the way Kacchan and Rappa were towards each other, but it never seemed to get old for him to hear the nickname whenever it was uttered from Rappa's lips. The laugh ended with a breathy sigh before giving a shrug at the comment, "yeah... kind of, but we settled it."
"Bullshit." The man huffed out, surprising the teen. "I know exactly what that fight was about. Broken trust isn't easily settled." the large man stated bluntly. "It's still bothering you, which is why you're here training with me instead of chancing a run in with him out there." he added.
He would argue back, but he knew Rappa was right. He was still bothered and honestly the best way to avoid Kai was to come here to Rappa's dojo. Kai had already stated that he disliked coming here, it was too dirty; filled with germs and disease for him to be comfortable. Izuku admits he also has a touch of germaphobia when it came to things that were not from within his home, but his phobia is nothing compared to Kai's hate for filth.
It's also commonly known that Rappa isn't shy about picking a fight, especially with their boss and they always seemed to butt heads when it came to everything. So this place was Izuku's perfect getaway. Get away from the constant nag, the overbearing rule of not touching anything dubbed 'unclean' or other human contact, of being perfect. Here he was able to break a sweat, take off his sanitary mask, use things that he knew Kai wouldn't let him otherwise, where he could just breathe and be. He let out a heavy sigh again and leaned his head back against the wall.
"You're being uncharacteristically insightful today." Izuku spoke up.
Rappa glanced down to the solemn young heir. He hated when Kai messed with the kid's head like this. He, along with majority of the syndicate, disagree with Kai's idea of isolating Izuku from the world around him since he was younger. No one was even allowed to touch him unless authorized by the Boss. It wasn't an issue for him though, he had become one of Izuku's trainers when the kid turned ten. He hated it at first. Kids weren't his forte and to have to play 'babysitter' to, who he assumed would be, a bratty preteen was not what he signed up for. However, it didn't take long for Izuku to appeal to Rappa's better nature; he was intelligent, curious and not afraid of a challenge, after a while he gained the brute's respect. Being a constant figure in young Izuku's life also meant seeing things that were often overlooked.
He watched as Kai coordinated the boy's life; what he studied, who he associated with, where he would go, what to eat or drink and how to dress. He didn't have any say in his life whatsoever and if Izuku did have a rebuttal or complained Kai never hesitated to punish him for disobedience. Punishments hardly ever happened twice and he seemed so happy to blindly follow the man's direction to the mark. As the cycle continued and Rappa quickly figured it out; Izuku wasn't a person in Kai's eyes, he was a doll, a pet. Something for the Boss to dote over, dress up, accessorize, and keep all for himself. The problem is, is that Izuku's getting older and with that his own rebellious spirit too. Kai's influence was slipping and he can see the handwriting on the wall. Rappa may not openly say his thoughts or feelings about certain things, but one thing he was very sure of was his affection toward the young Chisaki and if push came to shove and he had to choose who to follow, the answer to him was obvious.
"Heh. That's because it's you."
After his intense training session with Rappa Izuku had decided to take a stroll around their courtyard and gardens just outside their estate. The walk was silent at first which caused his mind to wander and he found himself thinking of Kai. Izuku was still purposefully avoiding him and apparently Kai was keeping his distance. However this only made him think and miss the man more.
Chatter from within the gardens caught Izuku's attention and he followed the sounds to investigate. Sitting around a stone table were a few yakuza members. They were all playing mahjong, he smiled as he watched them, they all seemed so comfortable around each other, no, they were familiar with one another. They've spent constant time together and forged a bond. He admired that. It was how he felt with Kai, Kurono, Eri and Rappa, but most of the time separately. He was hardly ever in a group setting like this.
When he was spotted the group waved him over and he felt his heart speed up with excitement as he ventured into their circle. Toya rose from his seat, letting Izuku take his place. Yu explained the rules of their game to the young heir and they all began to play with Toya standing comfortably behind Izuku as he watched them all.
Hekiji glanced over to Izuku, "How was your training with Kendo? You seem to be a little stiff today." he asked.
"Hm? Oh, yeah, he worked me over pretty good. I'm really sore, but, it's all worth it in the end." Izuku replied with a smile.
Toya chuckled as he carefully leans on the back of the chair looking down to the young teen, "Not too many can survive a single training session with that brute let alone the years you've been under his tutelage. I imagine you're stronger than you realize Little Boss."
"Brute is a good word to describe him, Kendo tends to get carried away when it comes to a fight, training or not." Hekiji added.
Izuku grinned and laughed, "Rappa-senpai is passionate, I admire that quality in him. Just like I admire all of you."
Toya shook his head, "There is nothing to admire about garbage like me-"
"Don't say that! None of you are garbage, you're all amazing individuals that I am proud to call family." Izuku cut him off firmly as his green eyes turned to the blond.
The four older gangsters gazed upon the greenette in wonder. All of them found defaults within themselves, they all felt their lives useless and a waste. It was why when Kai brought them into his organization they felt a sense of worth and loyalty to their Boss. However lately, with the more time that they've been exposed to the prized possession of Kai the more they've found this young boy's unconditional acceptance of them to be what motivated them the most. He found fascination and wonder in all of their quirks and wasn't afraid to tell them so; to tell them that he saw worth in them. Though Kai's rule of keeping distant from what he considered his was well enforced, it didn't stop them from becoming just as protective of their little Boss.
From the second story window Kai watched the interaction within the garden. His gold eyes fixed on Izuku. Things were becoming complicated. It was obvious to Kai that Izuku was avoiding him the last few days, it was to be expected, but damn he hated it.
"Kai-sama" he heard Hari call as he entered the office.
Kai didn't turn from the scene below, "What is it?"
"It seems All for One is requesting a meeting with Karasu."
He could feel his blood boil, "Is he now?"
"He's also requested for the meeting to be here, to show no ill-will."
"Tch. No ill-will, bullshit. He's planning something, I just need to figure it out before it happens." Kai replied then turned to his closest friend, "I have half a mind to say no. Just one meeting with them and all the years it took grooming Izuku was nearly destroyed. Why should I allow them to continue to tear down what we've worked so hard to create?"
Hari took this opportunity to approach the Yakuza boss. His gaze lingered down to the scene below. "To show Izuku that you trust him." He replied. When Kai scoffed he continued, "He's at a pivotal point in his life. Just getting into the scene of the underworld and already Karasu is the hot topic on the streets. Pretty soon rumors will start spreading about his and Stain's alliance and once it's confirmed I'm sure it will cause him to become even more desirable to outside sources. He needs your support and guidance now more than ever or else he'll look for it in someone other than you and the yakuza."
Kai kept silent for a moment, he agreed with his right hand, he needed to be rational and level headed in order to keep Izuku within his possession willfully. "Very well." he responded finally, "The meeting will happen tomorrow, but the whole of the eight bullets will need to be there to make sure nothing goes wrong." he answered.
Hari gave a nod, "I'll inform him then." Hari replied then he slowed at the door and turned back to Kai, "And if Izuku asks to add his own bullet? The Hero Killer." he inquired.
"Accepted. The more protection for Izuku the better."
Izuku opened the door to Eri's room. The little girl turned around quickly; confusion turned into pure joy as she instantly runs into Izuku's awaiting arms. "Hello Princess, I have come to rescue you." He speaks softly. He watches as her eyes widened in fear. "It's going to be alright. Things are going to be better from now on." He assured her, helping to ebb away the distress from her tiny frame. With her firmly held in his arms he turned away from the room and carried her out of the secret bunker; believing that to be the last time he will ever see her behind a locked door again.
Eri stared with wide eyes at the new room Izuku brought her to. It was bright with windows letting the natural light in, the room was accented with soft purples and blue with a canopy bed, her familiar toys were washed and neatly placed around the room and amongst the pillows along with some new ones. She looked up to Izuku and tilted her head questioningly.
"You needed a new room, so we fixed one up for you. Do you like it?"
"It's so bright!" she answered as she crossed the threshold and spun around to take in everything with awe. "So pretty!" she gushed over the colors as she dashed from corner to corner with childish excitement that only made Izuku more assured that he was doing the right thing.
'You choose her safety over the mission? Over me?'
He watched as she climbed up onto her new window seat and took in the scenery that she would become accustomed to. It wasn't like he was choosing between the two. Izuku loved them both equally, that should have been enough, but then he knew Kai. The older teen had had all Izuku's attention until Eri came into their lives. Izuku chalked it up to a rather unhealthy dose of jealousy; a jealousy and overbearingness that the teen was just beginning to take notice.
Footsteps caught his attention, "Izu." he heard Kai's voice.
Emerald eyes flashed over to the older teen. At the sound of his voice Eri's happy rambling halted to a stop and she stayed perfectly still on the window seat. Izuku didn't make a sound either, allowing the thick air of awkwardness to linger around Kai, he had to admit something deep down enjoyed the satisfaction of seeing the older teen flounder in trying to get Izuku to forgive him this time and not the other way around.
Kai's gold eyes scanned around before locking onto the green haired teen before him. He could tell Izuku was still unhappy with him, a blind man would feel the intensity of the gaze that he was just victim to. Kai did notice the horrid silence; his sights shifting to the little girl obviously frozen in fear of him then back to Izuku. If he could get the kid to trust him and not be seen as a threat then Izuku would no longer be upset with him. Unfortunately, that takes time, time that he does not have to waste.
"Thank you for helping set up the room for Eri, she really likes it." Izuku spoke up.
Eri's head perked up not sure if she heard him right. Her ruby eyes glancing to the older man that she feared more than anything.
Kai hadn't expected that comment, but he gave a nod in response, "It was the least I could do." he replied then turned to Eri; locking eyes with the little girl, "I want to show you that I am sorry for how I treated you before and hope that we can start over so that we can all be a family again."
She watched him carefully. He sounded sincere; but then again, she knew how well he could lie. There was something still extremely dangerous in him and she wasn't sure if she could trust him. She could see that his words pleased Izuku tremendously and if he says he's willing to change then she would give him that chance, for Izuku's sake.
Let me know what you guys think!
Stay safe and hopefully I'll have more chapters up soon!