Many are the times Ozumi finds herself surrounded by a flammable setting. This time, in a small wooden lodge, in the middle of forestation. Don't blame her if the area ends up in ashes after today.
Herself and Howard stand in guard while John pays a visit to the midget who thought it would be a great idea to deviate Howard's mind. The terrors she must have seen. And now she is tangled in John's roots in the lodge's basement.
Her peer is prepared to attack, tentacles coming from his ripped jacket sleeves. Their men in a conjoined effort surround the area standing guard.
"Isn't this marvelous?" Ozumi inquires, Howard simply listens. "Finally the emergency plan is put into action. The best possible scenario… It was only a matter of time."
She couldn't hide the jubil in her voice, not that she is trying to mask it.
"You predicted this outcome?" Howard side-glanced Ozumi, keeping his focus mainly on the front door.
Ozumi sighed with satisfaction.
"Hey, good idea, I will tell you exactly how I predicted this." Ozumi gets into a comfortable position, leaning backwards into the handrail and resting her palm on the wood. "When I used to reside in Yokohama, prior to my time in the Guild, Fukuzawa already had a certain fame for his dignity in addition to his upright morals. People from this city would never be fools enough to try to lure him with the sight of money. I have this information because I was a member of the Port Mafia. A regular combatant, I was never good enough for Mori to make me an executive, that bastard." the last sentence is filled with bitterness. "Furthermore, knowing the insides and outs of the Port Mafia, I knew all the steps Francis took were the wrong ones. He walked the exact path I delineated that he would. He becomes quite predictable after a few years, however his money and influence are no laughing matter. When our agents started to be plucked out one by one, after every mission, it was a matter of time before Francis got desperate and green lightened the emergency plan."
In her face a twisted, large smile as she starts to giggle.
"In the end, I win!" she shouts. "I get to see this damned city burn to the ground!"
The thought itself is exhilarating. She feels it in the pores of her skin.
"You deemed us to defeat. Why exactly?"
"Revenge, of course. Not to the Guild. The Guild was a blessing in my darkest of times."
Ozumi exhales, with the air leaving her mouth, also leaves all the momentum and adrenaline. Her face is neutral and her voice lowers.
"Hey, listen to me, this is a…" Ozumi's voice came to a stop in intents to correct herself before she even speaks. "It is a personal request."
There is no reaction, but he is a listener.
"I am sure agents from both the Port Mafia and the Detective Agency will come together, even though it is an obvious trap. It is just as irresistible as Port Mafia's little gift for us. Their names do not matter right now, however they are a strong pair in combat. I need you to take care of one of them for me. Hold him off while I finish the other."
Silence settles between them.
"Is that all?" Howard groans.
"No. If it happens that I do not survive, which would be the worst possible outcome, I wish for you to kill them. Both of them. If I'm going down, I am not going down alone."
"What about John?"
"We have had a strained relationship since the last mission. Despite that, I have a hunch that he will not interrupt. Not unless he desires me to burn his grape vines again."
"I want to listen to something from you."
"And what that might be?"
"Should I satisfy your personal request after you admitted treason?"
"Hey, do not make silly questions. Of course you should aid me. Due to the fact that now I am playing to win."
Ozumi whispers the last sentence, full of intent. Howard does not respond. With no other grievances, he should do as she asked.
From the basement, the child's screams grow louder and agonizing. They fill the cabin like a tortured soul.
"Oh, look at that. It has begun." Ozumi murmurs. "I only wish I was there to presence the chaos first hand."
"Our role is also of importance."
"But is it not ever so boring?"
The forest was monotonous. And Howard one still board of not many words. Ozumi needed some excitement, something fun to pass the time.
"You should be alert, Lady Ozumi." Howard advises.
"No one is coming today, I am quite certain. The city is a growing chaos at this exact moment." Ozumi explains.
After a few minutes, her phone rings in the pocket of her dress. It is an unusual video call from Piero, her personal answers the call.
"What is it Piero?"
"I have a view of the center of Yokohama. I believe my Lady would like to see this."
The angle switches to the back camera. The image shows the city in absolute calamity state. Flames fill the streets and screams and yelps of fear can be heard all the way from the top of the building Piero is in. People run from the disaster in a panic while others assault citizens affected by the child's and John's ability. On her phone screen, a personal live feed of pure chaos.
Ozumi's smile grows twisted.
"Oh, Piero," Ozumi gasps. "This is exactly why you're my favourite."
Slowly, Piero shows off every angle of the disaster. The flames are bright on screen, however, something else catches Ozumi's attention.
"Wait, zoom on the street. That group near the cars."
Without question, Piero obeys and zooms where cars crashed together at the beginning of the conflict. On the roof of a stabilized vehicle, stands a man. His shouts can't be heard from that distance, but he points demanding to each place as his comrades make the efforts to save what they can. The red hair and the formal, old fashioned attire are a given.
"So, this is where you are," Ozumi chews on the nail of her thumb. "Chuuya Nakahara. Of course, defending the rotten city you hold so dear. Maybe I should pay him a visit right now. See his face in person when an irreversible disaster falls on Yokohama." she could barely hold the enthusiasm of such thought.
"The order is to stay here and stand guard." Howard reminds his comrade.
"I know, I know," her gaze never leaves the screen. "Howard, you could afford to have a little more fun from time to time."
"Fun? Like this?"
For one minute, Howard deviates his focus from the front door and turns to Ozumi. In return, she swerves her head towards the disgusting deformity Howard tries to perform with his tentacles tangled on each other.
"It's a fox."
"Good God, take that away from me."
A/N:
All the action is coming in the next chapter! I wrote the begining for it and left the battle for another day. Finally, next time you see a new chapter for this fic, it will be the meeting everyone has been waiting for! I am way more excited than I though I would be! This is the first time I write a villainous OC (in fanficition), so that's probably why.
Don't get me wrong, I love all the upright, strong sense of justice OC's. But writing a villain is also plenty of fun.
And I wish I had a vague date for the next chapter, but I haven't even finished writing it yet. And the battle hasn't even begun. And I have all the other fics to write, plus my actual WIP. Why do I write so many things at the same time you wonder? Because I get bored easily. And then I get nothing done. I literally did this to myself for no good reason.