The Okami Hero: Amaterasu

Arc 5: Eight Serpents

Chapter 4: Hell Days

[Sunday 17th April 2281]

[Shie Hassaikai Compound, Corusantu]

The next day began what would soon become the routine for Izumi's life in the Shie Hassaikai Compound. Izumi woke up naturally at around 6am and lay in bed with Eri in her arms, until the little girl woke up too. Eri was an early riser too it seemed, and extremely eager to do anything Izumi asked, so it was no effort at all to get the child to wash her face and brush her hair and teeth.

While Eri was doing this, Izumi checked the vents for Ishiko. The Poncle was absent, but a small piece of paper was nestled just inside the vent, so Izumi reached a finger in and pulled the paper out, unfurling it to discover it was a piece of toilet paper that Ishiko had written on. The Poncle had written as largely as she could, but thanks to her small size, the words were barely readable if Izumi squinted at the paper.

The note read: "Izumi, I'm so sorry for not being more help. I have explored maybe a third of this place's vents and the size of this compound is insane! I've managed to discover a few bits and pieces of information, but all the vents connected to the outside are blocked by grates that even I can't squeeze through, so I can't get out to get help. We'll need to escape on our own, or wait for rescue.

I was in the vents above Overhaul's office AND the lab, so I know what you went through and what that Insane Bastard is doing. I'm so sorry… I wish I could do something to stop him, but I'm weaker than you even without your powers.

I couldn't bear to watch, so I kept exploring while he was hurting you… I hope you'll forgive me. I'm writing this note now as you sleep, so you'll know I'm okay in case I've left to keep looking around before you wake up. I'll look around some more and be back before you go to bed this evening, so we can talk then.

Please try to look after yourself and Eri.

Ishiko."

Izumi's heart ached for Ishiko. The Poncle had been her nearly omnipresent companion since she was five, so it felt odd not to have her… Izumi wished Ishiko wouldn't feel guilty for not being able to help, but she'd have to address that tonight. Perhaps Ishiko's exploration would provide the missing pieces needed for Izumi's plan?

When Eri was done washing up, Izumi took her place and discreetly disposed of Ishiko's note, so there was no chance of it being discovered, then took the little girl back to the main room before the Guards watching the cameras got suspicious. The fact that their little bathroom didn't have security cameras was a blessing for Izumi, one she didn't want to give Overhaul reason to remove.

At around 8am, some of Overhaul's men came along and made sure they were both up, then took their dinner trays from the previous night and replaced them with breakfast trays, which were just another pair of convenience store meals. Before the men left, Izumi reminded them that Overhaul had said she could use the kitchen and they promised to bring it up with their boss. They were very polite, if a little stiff, so Izumi got the impression that they'd been ordered not to upset Izumi or Eri.

Maybe Overhaul was trying the carrot approach rather than the stick? It was wishful thinking, but there wasn't much else Izumi could do while her powers were suppressed.

After eating breakfast, Izumi took stock of the unopened toys and books littering the place and began to tidy them away, before picking a few and showing them to Eri. Eri could read a little, but not much and she didn't have a clue how to play with toys, so Izumi split their time between showing Eri how to play and teaching her how to read. It was actually quite fun, and helped both girls forget their situation for a time.

At 1pm, the men returned with some sandwiches and a message from Overhaul; Izumi would be allowed to use the kitchen for all meals starting tomorrow, but she would be supervised by one of Overhaul's Eight Bullets. This would mean that the experiments were rescheduled to after dinner, otherwise Izumi would have been too exhausted to cook.

The afternoon was spent much like the morning, until 4pm when Overhaul came to collect the girls for the experiments. Izumi didn't want to remember the next part. It was the same as the first session; cutting, healing and resetting until she could barely retain consciousness even after being reset. Then Katsukame took her and Eri back to their room, where Eri was extra cuddly to try and soothe Izumi's pain. Even though she wasn't the subject of the experiments any more, Eri was still forced to watch as a hostage to ensure Izumi didn't use the opportunity to rebel while her powers weren't being suppressed. It was horrible for the little girl, forced to watch as the first person to care for her was sliced apart and destroyed then reassembled, all to take the pain that was originally meant for Eri.

Eri felt ashamed; she knew that Izumi was suffering because of Eri's quirk and it filled her with guilt, but at the same time, the five year old was relieved she wasn't suffering instead, which only made her feel worse. Izumi didn't seem to mind though; she just patted Eri's head and told her it was okay.

In a repeat of their first day together, dinner was delivered soon after the experiments ended. The girls ate and then went for their bath, with Izumi eager to finally speak to Ishiko again and also soothe the new set of scars she'd gained from the day's experiments.

Almost as soon as the bathroom door closed, and Izumi got the bathwater running, Ishiko appeared from out of the vent. Eri saw her first, but merely stared silently at the Poncle, seeing her as only a bouncing ball of yellow light. The little girl gently pulled on Izumi's dress.

"Izumi, there's a shiny thing on the sink." she said cutely.

Izumi turned and immediately broke out into a huge smile as she saw Ishiko. "Ishiko! Thank god you're okay! I was terrified something bad had happened to you, until I saw your note!" the girl said, rushing over and scooping Ishiko up in her hands, then rubbing the tiny being against her cheek.

Ishiko giggled and hugged Izumi's cheek; "I'm fine Izumi, I'm more worried about you! I-I heard the day's experiments… the vents carry the sound to every corner of this hellhole." Ishiko said, sounding like she was about to cry.

"It's okay, Ishiko. As long as you and Eri are safe, I'll be able to endure." Izumi smiled.

Ishiko sighed, wishing Izumi didn't have to endure, but instead of commenting on that, she looked down at Eri, who was watching their exchange with sparkling eyes.

"Is it okay for the Little One to be here? Won't it raise questions?" Ishiko asked.

Izumi shook her head; "Eri has strong spiritual power, enough that she can see the Demons. Plus, she's a good girl; she'll keep you a secret, right Eri?"

Eri nodded enthusiastically; "Is she a Fairy?"

Izumi giggled while Ishiko rolled her eyes. The older girl knelt on the floor and lowered her hand so Eri could easily see Ishiko; "Eri, this is my best friend; Ishiko. She's a special type of person called a Poncle, which makes her very small but also lets her talk to animals and see spirits. She's going to help us escape."

Eri's eyes sparkled more; "You're going to take Izumi and me away from here?"

Ishiko nodded; "Not by myself. I'm going to help Izumi save you. I'm too small and weak to do much by myself..." she said, slightly bitter over that fact, "...but I can help by stealing things and getting information. You've got to keep me a secret though! Don't tell anyone about me, alright?"

Eri nodded seriously. Ishiko and Izumi were working hard to save her; Eri would do whatever they told her.

Seeing the little girl's serious expression made the two older girls smile. Ishiko then turned to Izumi; "I've managed to scout most of the place. Like I said in my note, even I can't escape via the vents, as there are grates with holes the size of pinpricks over any vent that leads outside. Even peeking through those holes, all I saw was grass and generic buildings, so I have no idea where we are. However, I've managed to find a lot of locations inside the base, including Overhaul's room, the lab, his office, the rooms of all his Eight Bullets, the kitchens, and a few other rooms. I also found out where they're keeping your stuff; your school uniform got burned, but your backpack and everything inside it, including your phone, is in the lab. They're in a locked cabinet like three feet from the chair they strapped Eri down in; I saw Overhaul put them in their himself."

Izumi beamed; "Excellent! I have almost all the information I need to finish formulating my plan. What about Orochi and the Demons? Did you see much of them?"

"Demons yes, Orochi no." Ishiko said, "There are a couple of groups of the creatures roaming around, but their total number is exactly 88. Mostly Imps with a few others mixed in… they congregate on the lower levels, but for the love of all that's decent, do NOT take Eri down their in your escape… It's a real life Silence of the Lambs." the Poncle shuddered. Izumi went green, remembering Overhaul's comment about his more disposable men being eaten by the Demons…

"No sign of Orochi at all. I checked everywhere, so he's either residing in a room without a vent, which is possible, or he's elsewhere." Ishiko said.

Izumi frowned, "That'll make escaping easier, but it messes up my second objective… anything else to report?"

"Yeah, just one thing." Ishiko said, "There's a room with a comatose old man. Apparently he's the real Boss of the Shie Hassaikai, and Overhaul took over when he went into a coma due to illness. Apparently Orochi's keeping him alive, though I don't know how."

Izumi hummed. The Old Man made her pause, a strange feeling in her chest. She shrugged it off; a comatose old man wouldn't be a problem, so it was best to ignore him for now and inform the police about him after she escaped, so he'd get proper medical help. While the information Ishiko had provided had been mostly vague, it was still enough for Izumi to finish her plan.

"I think I have everything. I need to know how to get to the kitchens from here, but I'll find that out for myself tomorrow." Izumi mused.

Ishiko nodded, "So what's the plan?"

Izumi grinned; "It's simple! Get loose from this restraint, bust out of here, kick Overhaul's butt, hopefully slay Orochi, and get Eri to safety. The plan is simple, but actually pulling it off is going to be difficult… luckily, I have you here. Your Storage Quirk is going to be crucial."

Ishiko raised an eyebrow; "Okay… give me the details."

Izumi spent the next few minutes explaining what she wanted Ishiko to do. The Poncle girl didn't like what Izumi had planned, since it involved the Wolf Girl being tortured again, but it would provide the Poncle with the best chance to complete her part of the plan. Eri, bless her heart, listened quietly and did her best to keep up with the conversation, but ultimately she couldn't really grasp what was happening. All she knew was that Ishiko was going to do something while Izumi was being hurt, and it would lead to them escaping.

With the plan set, Izumi and Eri finally got to have their relaxing bath, only with Ishiko joining them. Eri helped Izumi wrap her newest collection of scars (which made Ishiko seethe with hatred towards Overhaul), and then the Poncle allowed Eri to hold her gently in her hands while Izumi brushed their hair.

When they were done, Ishiko turned to the Human Girls; "Alright, I'll return to the vents now. I'll linger near the vents in the lab, so don't be surprised if you don't see me until after tomorrow's experiments… Eri, Izumi; both of you do your best to endure! I'll ensure the plan goes without a hitch."

Izumi smiled and thanked her, while Eri reached out a tiny finger and patted Ishiko's back with the same comforting motions Izumi used on her.

Smiling, Ishiko kissed Eri's nose goodnight, making the little girl blush and wave to the Poncle. Izumi thanked the Poncle once more, then took Eri out of the bathroom and going straight to bed. That night, Izumi went to sleep with a small smile… the first stage of her plan was almost complete.

Stage One: Reconnaissance. Izumi needed to know the basic routine of the facility, how to get from Eri's room to the laboratory, and how Overhaul and his men acted during the experiments. She'd gathered most of the information from observation over the last two days, and what she hadn't known, Ishiko had filled in. Now all Izumi needed was to know how to get to the kitchens, and she'd be ready to begin Stage Two! That would be where Ishiko really shined...

[Monday18thApril 2281]

Izumi's third day with the Shie Hassaikai, and her second full day, was much the same as the last. The only difference was that half an hour before each meal, one of Overhaul's men would come and lead the girls to the kitchen.

The man was Hekiji Tengai, the pious man that had apparently changed Izumi's clothes when she was first captured. He was a man with short, spiky blond hair the same colour as Katsuki's, and grey eyes that he rarely opened. He was dressed in a simple black yukata with a white sash and had a dull brown mask shaped like a bird's beak over his nose and mouth. Of the members of Overhaul's forces that Izumi had met, Tengai was the only one she sort of liked. Eri was comfortable with him and he didn't feel the need to threaten the girl to ensure Izumi obeyed. In fact, as a former Buddhist, Tengai was very polite to Izumi and would do what she said so long as it didn't defy Overhaul's orders, referring to her as "Divine One" and "Okami Amaterasu". The man even apologised for being the one to strip search her when she was first captured, and assured Izumi that he did his best to maintain her dignity in the process.

At Izumi's request, the monk-like man demonstrated his quirk: Barrier, which created a golden sphere of telekinetic energy around him that was as strong as steel. He invited Izumi to punch it, or even attack it with the kitchen appliances to prove his point. Izumi chose not to, just in case it got her and Eri punished by Overhaul. Just because Tengai was willing to let her didn't mean Overhaul wouldn't hurt her for accepting.

Under Tengai's watchful eye, Izumi showed Eri how to cook a basic and tasty breakfast, which they ate together in the kitchen. Eri's eyes had lit up; it was only some smoked fish, white rice and miso soup, but it was new to Eri and she loved it. That had brightened Izumi's mood considerably to the point she even (reluctantly) offered to fix a plate for Tengai, though the man politely refused. Before escorting the girls back to their room, he carefully examined the room to ensure everything was in the proper place and Izumi wasn't trying to smuggle anything out. Nothing was missing, so he took the girls back without a word.

Izumi frowned once they got back to the room and Tengai left. While friendly to her, Tengai was the diligent type and very loyal to Overhaul, which meant he was unlikely to forget to check the kitchen before letting Izumi leave, and he likely wouldn't think anything of strip searching Izumi or Eri if something was missing. Without Ishiko present to use her Storage quirk to hide an object, Izumi couldn't smuggle anything out safely, and she couldn't keep Ishiko with her as then she might be exposed by the inevitable strip search. Even if she wasn't discovered, the missing object would immediately make Overhaul suspicious and potentially risk him having Nemoto question her with his truth forcing quirk, which would ruin the whole plan! Plus, Izumi didn't want Eri to suffer the indignity of a strip search, even if the little girl was be too young to be particularly upset.

Forgetting all that, Izumi was still satisfied. Now she knew how to get to the kitchens to arm herself after she found a way to get her powers back… the knives would be a great way of saving ink and stamina when the time came. Stage One of her plan was officially complete, and Stage Two would begin when the time came for the day's session in the lab.

The day progressed the same as the previous one, only this time Izumi got to take Eri to the kitchens to cook their own meals. At lunch time, she taught Eri to make a bento lunch and then at dinner (which came before the lab session, to accommodate Izumi's cooking) they deviated from the norm and baked an Apple Pie. That proved to be VERY popular with Eri, who apparently loved apples.

No sooner than they'd finished their first slices, Overhaul, Chronostasis and Katsukame arrived in the kitchen.

Izumi frowned; "I guess we're going straight from dinner to the lab?"

Overhaul nodded; "Correct. You've done very well in the last two sessions; we've made remarkable progress. You'll continue the good behaviour today as well, won't you?" he asked.

"I will, but don't blame me if I throw up. Being sliced like a ham won't sit well on top of the pie Eri and I made. Want a slice?" Izumi offered.

Overhaul raised an eyebrow as he looked at the pie; it looked pretty good for something baked by a teenager and a five year old. "Not trying to poison me, are you?" he said jokingly.

Izumi rolled her eyes. She was starting to think Overhaul had a split personality… one moment he was genial and joking, and the next he was threatening to have a little girl beaten while Izumi was carved up like a thanksgiving turkey. "Eri and I both ate it. Unless you're deathly allergic to cinnamon, I think you'll be fine."

Overhaul snorted; "I'm not, but I'll abstain from the pie. You can eat the rest another time, so you can both enjoy the fruits of your labour. Now come on; the lab beckons, and I want to enjoy the fruits of MY labour."

Izumi nodded and put the half-eaten pie in the fridge while thinking; "YOUR labour!? It's me getting dissected! I swear, I'm going to make Overhaul regret the day he dreamt up this stupid scheme!" As Izumi turned to follow Overhaul, she noticed Katsukame watching the fridge longingly, likely wanting a bit of pie for himself. Izumi would have offered, but the big brute had smacked her twice the day before last, so no pie for him.

Izumi almost felt ashamed of the spike of vindictive pleasure that thought brought her…

Almost.

They went to the lab and both girls were strapped down as always while Overhaul prepared his tools of torture. Syringes, scalpels and tweezers were arranged on a little table beside Izumi's chair, just out of her reach. Once Izumi was strapped down and Katsukame was in his usual threatening position behind Eri, who was made to wear the bomb collar again, Izumi tried to discreetly look around the room. She eyed the security cameras that were focused on both her and Eri, which were also recording the experiments, and then she looked up to the room's single vent. A tiny yellow speck of light could be seen just inside it, looking almost like a piece of metal that was catching the light. Izumi held back a smile; Ishiko was in place.

Then the procedure began.

It was the same as the last two and thankfully, the pain didn't make Izumi throw up, though Eri did take it harder than usual. She was crying almost as much as Izumi, and kept begging Overhaul to go easier on the green haired girl, though the man paid her no attention. Izumi felt a stab of guilt; the time they'd spent cooking together had improved their relationship even more, which meant it felt worse for Eri to watch her being tortured.

The stinging cuts brought tears to Izumi's eyes, but she did her best to keep an eye on Ishiko without giving away what was happening to Overhaul. Stage Two of her three stage plan was Equipment; she needed two objects to successfully pull off her escape attempt, and Ishiko was tasked with using the experiments as cover for her to steal the first of those objects: Izumi's cellphone. The phone was crucial, as without it, Izumi couldn't call for help or activate the GPS Beacon, which would allow Sakuya to see where her phone was (a feature that the Konohana Matriarch had insisted on for both Izumi and Himiko, which was fair considering the amount of trouble the girls got into). Ishiko had seen the Phone being put in Izumi's backpack and locked in a cabinet within the lab, which apparently doubled as the storage place for any valuable objects the Shie Hassaikai had, likely so Overhaul had all his most precious resources in one place.

The plan to retrieve it was fairly simple: Ishiko would use the experiments as a distraction to sneak behind Katsukame, pick the lock on the cabinet, then steal Izumi's cellphone and hide it with her Storage Quirk. Then she'd sneak out and return the phone to Izumi when they reconvened in her room. It was risky, since Overhaul, Chronostasis, and Katsukame were all in the room, but they would all be facing Izumi, who was strapped down opposite of Eri, while the cabinet Ishiko had to break into was behind Eri's chair. Izumi would have liked to simply have Ishiko commit the theft while the room was empty, but Izumi remembered the video Overhaul had shown her of the last time he experimented on Eri… the cabinet containing her things had been in full view of the camera, and since those cameras were always on, if Ishiko stole the phone while the room was empty, she'd be easily caught on camera, and if Overhaul or someone else checked the recording, it would spell doom for their plan and Izumi and Eri would suffer for it.

However, during the experiments on Izumi, the girl had noticed that Katsukame always loomed behind Eri as a silent threat, watching almost eagerly for a sign of rebellion from Izumi, so the monster could use it as an excuse to hurt Eri. His attempts at intimidation played right into Izumi's hands though, as his bulk completely obscured the view of the cabinet from the camera. In other words, so long as Katsukame stood in his usual spot and all attention was on Izumi, neither the Yakuza or the camera would be able to see Ishiko sneaking down from the vent and breaking into the cabinet.

Izumi did her best to muffle her screams as the torture continued, so as not to distract Ishiko. On her end, Ishiko was working quickly so she could get the phone and flee before she was noticed. She worked fast, not wanting to be exposed to the sight of her dearest friend being tortured. Starting from the vent, Ishiko took a running leap and jumped from the vent to the ceiling, using her tiny katana; Denshumaru like a climbing spike to stick to the ceiling. From there, she used her sword and a broken syringe needle she'd found in the trash to continuously stab into the ceiling and swing from spot to spot, until she was directly above Katsukame. Then, with a strong kick to the ceiling, Ishiko pulled her two blades free and landed easily on the metal objects on Katsukame's shoulders. Ishiko was so light, and the man so buff, that the Yakuza enforcer didn't notice a thing, letting Ishiko easily navigate the man's harness to get closer to the ground.

The Poncle was mostly careful to avoid his skin, but the butterfly-like hair ornament she wore accidentally brushed his arm as she descended, causing the tiniest tickling feeling. Katsukame, didn't even look down, instead just lifting his arm to scratch at what he'd thought was an itch. Ishiko, hanging from his belt, had to suppress a sigh of relief as she finally managed to reach the floor, climbing down the man's pants leg. Now she was right in front of the cabinet, and all she needed to do was pick the lock and the hard part would be over!

The Poncle carefully climbed up to the lock and jammed her sword and needle into it, then began to wiggle them around in an attempt to lift the tumblers and lock them in place. She had to go very slowly and only act while Izumi was screaming, otherwise the quiet clattering of the lock would be audible to the enemy. It was a harrowing experience, but eventually, Ishiko successfully picked the lock and gained access to the cabinet!

A cabinet that immediately swung open with a loud bang.

Ishiko froze and both Izumi and Eri's eyes widened with terror. The Yakuza turned to the source of the bang. Izumi panicked, sure Ishiko was about to be discovered, so she took a massive risk and released a huge flash of Divine Light, which dragged her, Eri and the three Yakuza members into the Astral Plain, leaving only Ishiko behind…

When the group arrived in the Astral Plain, Izumi found that since the chairs she and Eri were strapped to had been bolted down, they hadn't been sucked in with them, leaving her and Eri free. For a single instant, Izumi considered using the opportunity to rush and grab Eri, then send the Yakuza back without them, but she knew she couldn't leave the Astral Plain to any spot but the one she entered from, and Eri would only be able to survive for three hours, meaning it would only buy her a three hour reprieve before an inevitably bad punishment… Izumi may have been free from her straps and without the Cursed Band, but Eri still had the Shock/Bomb Collar on, which needed a key to remove, so Izumi dared not risk anything yet.

Overhaul took one look at his surroundings, having been warned of the Astral Plain by Orochi, and turned a vicious glare at Izumi.

"W-Wait!" Izumi cried, fearing he was about to activate the command to shock Eri, "Accident! It was an accident!" she yelled, getting down on her knees and carefully holding her hands out in front of her, showing she wasn't trying anything funny.

"You call THIS an accident!?" Overhaul yelled. Behind him, Katsukame leaned down and grabbed Eri roughly by the shoulder, making the little girl whimper though thankfully not in pain.

"STOP! Please don't hurt her! It really was an accident, I didn't mean to do this! L-Look, I'll send us all back and we'll continue, okay? I won't do anything bad and you can strap me down again and keep going! Just please don't hurt anyone!" Izumi begged.

Overhaul grabbed Izumi by the chin and forced her to look him in the eyes. Nemoto wasn't present, so he couldn't be sure she was telling the truth. "Explain how this happened."

Izumi briefly panicked, being a bad liar, but thankfully the Hanagami Monkeys were skilled in deception and came up with a story for her, which she parroted to Overhaul; "Y-You know about the Brush Gods right? How they live inside me and can help me control and use my powers? Well when my body is under a lot of stress or being damaged a lot, they forcibly activate my power and bring me here to heal and rest. The last couple of days, I've resisted and actively forced the power to stop, so I wouldn't upset you and get Eri hurt… but I'm more tired than usual today so I couldn't resist as well as usual, and something falling over behind Katsukame made a loud noise and startled me… I thought he might have hit Eri, so I panicked and lost control! I swear I didn't plan to do this."

The Yakuza Boss sneered behind his mask and looked back at Katsukame; "Did you hit Eri?"

"Nah Boss. I think something fell over behind me. Probably nudged it with my harness after scratching my arm." the muscle-bound Yakuza said with a shrug.

Overhaul's eyes narrowed, then turned back to Izumi. "Return us now. Any funny business, and Eri will pay for it."

"Of course, I'll obey." Izumi promised, the released more Divine light and sent them all back, praying that Ishiko was gone.

The group landed back in Overhaul's lab in the exact spots they'd been standing/sitting in before being whisked off to the Astral Plain. Eri was already sat in her chair, so Katsukame strapped her down again while Izumi immediately put herself back in position and allowed Chronostasis and Overhaul to do the same to her. Once both girls were secured, the Yakuza trio turned around to see what had caused the loud bang in the first place. Izumi's heart soared when she saw that all the cabinets were closed and locked, while a hook on the wall above them, which held some bloody towels, had seemingly come loose and fallen down, creating the noise.

Izumi barely hid her smile; Ishiko had succeeded in escaping and covering for the noise! The Greenette looked up at the vent and saw a little yellow light inside, jumping up and down to signal her success. Ishiko, mission complete, retreated back through the vents, leaving Izumi to endure the remainder of her session.

Overhaul turned back to Izumi, satisfied that nothing was going on and he was in full control. "Do not do that again. Accident or not, if you send us there again, I will punish you and Eri severely. It'll be much harder for you to endure being strapped down if your backsides are covered in welts." he threatened.

"Y-Yes sir, I'm sorry. Like I said, I was just more tired than usual..."

Overhaul ignored her and immediately began the experiments again, cutting Izumi viciously. He was angry from the interruption, and was being much more aggressive with her. Izumi needed to end the experiments early… she couldn't take much more of this if she was going to continue planning with Ishiko later!

Thankfully, Izumi had observed that Overhaul always ended the experiment after Izumi stopped being able to use Rejuvenation to close her wounds, leaving Rewind to complete the process and resulting in a scar. It would cost her another scar, but after she felt her energy begin to dwindle to the minimum she needed to stay functional, Izumi forcibly stopped herself from activating Rejuvenation.

Overhaul scowled as he watched the light of Rejuvenation appear, and then flicker off again before it could heal anything. Instead, his last cut on the girl's leg was being closed by Rewind and the veins around her horn were pulsing.

"Your stamina really is lower today." he frowned, "Another reset would be useless. I had thought you'd be stronger, having eaten before hand today."

Izumi panted in pain; "S-sorry… I didn't sleep so good last night… and the Astral Plain incident took some power too" she lied.

The Yakuza Boss sighed and looked at the samples he'd collected; "It's still more than I would get from Eri, so won't complain for now. Still, I won't be happy if this repeats itself. The moment you return to your room, you are to bathe and sleep. No wasting time playing around." he ordered.

With that, the man began cleaning his scalpels and Chronostasis moved to retrieve the Cursed Restraint. Chronostasis slapped the Cursed Restraint around her ankle again, cutting her off from her powers. The key to the restraint was always kept in the hooded man's coat where Izumi couldn't see it, and he never exposed it when Izumi wasn't properly restrained, which meant Izumi wasn't going to be able to snag it without being discovered… Izumi didn't mind that though; she already had a plan to deal with the restraint.

Once the cuff was in place, both girls were released from their straps and Eri immediately ran sobbing into Izumi's arms, whispering sorry over and over again.

"Shh, Sweetheart. It's okay. You don't need to be sad." Izumi smiled softly, using all her strength to pick Eri up and cuddle her close.

"You have strength left for that, but not your powers?" Overhaul frowned.

"I'm pushing myself to my limit." Izumi said, making up an excuse; "I usually try to shake some real feeling back into myself when we're back in our room, but you've ordered me to go straight to bed. I figured I'd walk back instead of being carried by Katsukame, to try and make the blood flow properly again."

Overhaul hmphed but didn't complain, instead going back to his cleaning. Izumi frowned; "Can… can we have the future sessions without Eri here? She shouldn't have to see this."

"She experienced it herself, so she can deal with watching. Her sobbing doesn't bother me, and I need to ensure your obedience." the man said, not even turning to look at the girls.

"Callous Bastard! It'll be you sobbing when this is done!" Izumi thought, her face contorting into a snarl.

Chronostasis led the girls out of the room and Izumi staggered back to her room while carrying Eri. Overhaul had allowed her to walk like she'd asked, which Izumi had wanted just in case Katsukame copped a feel while carrying her. He'd done it the day before, when Izumi was too tired to protest, and the girl didn't want a repeat of that! The girls were let into their room and then the door shut behind them, locked from the outside again.

"Home sweet home..." Izumi muttered sarcastically. Eri didn't speak, instead staying pressed into Izumi's chest. She hadn't said a word to Izumi other than sorry since the day's session had begun…

Izumi took her into the bathroom and gently set her down on the edge of the bath while she got the water running. Izumi then turned to the vent and peered inside, "Ishiko?" she whispered.

At the sound of her name, Ishiko appeared from around the corner of the ventilation system and hopped over. "Izumi! Thank goodness! I'm so sorry, I didn't expect the cabinet to swing open so suddenly! Those monsters didn't hurt you or the little one, right?" Ishiko asked worriedly, noticing how quiet and timid Eri was acting.

"We're as fine as we can expect to be..." Izumi sighed; "I was able to convince them it was an accident caused by the Brush Gods. Overhaul was mad and made the experiments hurt more, but Eri wasn't hurt so I'll call it a win. What about you? Are you okay?"

"Well, aside from shaving a few years off my life with terror, I'm fine. You saved my bacon with that Astral Plains trick; I thought for sure I was about to die. Still, I managed to use the opportunity to snag your cellphone and get out of there. I even worked that hook out of the wall to use as a cover for the noise the cabinet made." Ishiko explained.

Izumi nodded and frowned; "We might be in trouble… the whole reason we planned for you to steal it while I was being experimented on was so Katsukame would block you from the Camera, but since I took him into the Astral Plains too, you must have been recorded while escaping."

"Already taken care of." Ishiko grinned, "After you came back, I worked my way to the surveillance room and messed with the recordings. I would have mentioned it before so I could have stolen back your phone without you being experimented on, but there's usually a guard watching the cameras. I was going to expose myself and pretend I had just arrived to bust you out, and distract the guard, then snuck back when he ran off, but thankfully the guy watching the room was a coward and must have fled already after seeing his boss disappear to the Astral Plain. As far as the Yakuza are concerned, your little flash of light managed to knock out the cameras in the Lab. All recordings after you and the others disappeared have been destroyed and I disabled the cameras."

Izumi sighed with relief; "Thank goodness for that… who knew Sakuya letting us play in the Commission's Surveillance Room would prove so helpful!"

Sakuya had given Izumi and Ishiko full access to the Commission's Surveillance Room not long after Izumi had moved in, saying it would allow Izumi to watch the Heroes training and working in the building without getting under their feet. While Izumi had been analysing the Heroes, Ishiko had been using the recording equipment to edit together a video of all Musutafu's hottest male Heroes… Izumi had called her a pervert, but that had worked out well for them here!

"I know, right? So what's the plan for tomorrow? You need one other thing before we can bust out!" Ishiko reminded her.

Izumi opened her mouth to reply, when Eri made a quiet sniffling sound behind her. The poor girl was still distraught over everything that had happened that day. Izumi sighed; "Ishiko, let's deal with that tomorrow. Eri and I have to go straight to bed soon, or Overhaul will get angry. Meet me in here tomorrow morning and we'll make arrangements."

Ishiko nodded sympathetically; "You got it. I'll leave you two to relax… oh, but first; here you go." the Poncle said, activating her Quirk and expelling Izumi's Cellphone.

Izumi took the object from Ishiko with a quiet thanks, still a little exhausted from the experiments. She then carefully stowed her cellphone inside a box of tampons, assuming the Yakuza Thugs would never deign to look inside. Then she stripped herself and Eri and got in the bath, letting herself soak her aching muscles for a bit.

"Great Mother, why did you not show Eri your phone? It might have given her some hope and eased whatever was upsetting her." Bakugami asked.

"I don't want her to know. That way, if we're caught, I can tell Nemoto honestly that she didn't know. If she did know and we got caught, they'd hurt her for sure." Izumi reasoned. "I only let her learn about Ishiko because it would have been harder making a plan with her without Eri in the room. It would have looked suspicious if I was in here on my own for too long while Eri was out in the bedroom."

"An appropriate decision." Yomigami answered, "When are you going to switch on the… what was it called? GPS?"

"That's right; it stands for Global Positioning System. I won't be using it yet… not until I deal with this restraint..." Izumi said, "It's been three days, so Sakuya and the others know for sure I'm missing and have no doubt gone to the police and rallied the Heroes. Once Law Enforcement know my location, they'll send people to investigate, which would tip off the Yakuza. If the Police sent a strike team, Overhaul would use us as a hostages, and let's face it, if the Police start appearing for any reason, I'll be the first suspect. I need to make sure I can defend myself and Eri first. Plus, I can turn on the GPS AND call the Police to warn them of the Yakuza, their plan and their quirks."

"So you will wait for a way to get the band off. I have to say, I don't like the plan you have for it."

Izumi smiled wryly at Tachigami's worry; "Neither do I."

Bathing complete, Izumi redressed herself and Eri, then sat on their bed while the little girl wrapped a new bandage around Izumi's leg. Eri wouldn't meet Izumi's eyes though, even as she covered the older girl's newest scars.

Suddenly, Izumi felt something wet splash against her leg. Looking down, Izumi's chest tightened as she saw Eri crying silently, biting her lip and fumbling the bandage. Her hands were shaking and it was making it impossible for the child to tie the knot.

"Eri Sweetheart, it's okay. I can tie it if you're tired." Izumi said gently.

Eri didn't speak. She just nodded shakily and crawled further onto the bed and allowed Izumi to properly tie her own bandage. When she was done, Izumi turned off the light and wrapped herself and Eri in the sheets, hugging the girl close.

"Eri… I know it was hard for you, but everything will be fine. Try to hang in there a little longer, okay?" Izumi said, kissing Eri's tear stained cheeks.

Eri whimpered and opened her mouth to say something, before losing her nerve and shutting it again. Izumi stroked her hair. "You can say anything you want to me, Eri. I won't be upset or angry, I promise."

"D-Don't!" Eri suddenly cried, "Please, don't promise me anything any more!"

Izumi blinked; "Eri?"

"Every time you promise me something, you get hurt! The big man hit you instead of me because you told him too, 'cause you promised I wouldn't get hurt. HE hurts you, over and over, instead of me because you promised to protect me! He hurts you because of my curse, my power!" Eri cried, "Please! Give it back! Give back my curse! Please!" she grabbed the front of Izumi's dress and pulled at it, desperately putting her hands on Izumi's chest, just as Izumi had when taking Eri's quirk. "I don't want you to hurt any more..."

Izumi gasped and felt tears build in her own eyes. "Oh Eri… I'm so sorry. You're such a good, brave girl… a little hero. But I can't give it back...no, I won't give it back! Not until you're free! I don't want to see you suffer… I think it would hurt me more to watch you being experimented on, than anything Overhaul can do."

Eri hiccuped as Izumi held her; rubbing her back, stroking her hair, and kissing away her tears. "You do so much for me..." Eri said miserably, "You play with me, teach me things and hug me. Before you, no one ever touched me kindly. Even though they hurt you, you care more about me… Why? You don't know anything about me. It's only been three days, but you care about me so much! You took my place in the hurting… please, don't do it any more… I can't… I don't want to see you hurt any more because of me!"

Izumi felt a few tears slip down her cheeks. Eri was so desperate to stop her pain… just as it was worse for Izumi to imagine her being hurt than it was to be hurt herself, it was the same for Eri. Eri was willing to take the torture again to save Izumi. The girl's bitter tears almost broke Izumi's heart… but Eri's deep desire to save Izumi from pain further ignited the older girl's determination. Izumi needed to escape and get Eri to freedom! Even if Eri wasn't being experimented on, she was still suffering! Eri wanted to save Izumi, and Izumi wanted to save Eri.

"Eri, I need you to listen to me carefully." Izumi said seriously, whispering into her ear as they embraced. Izumi wasn't sure if the camera watching them could pick up sound, so she was being quiet.

Eri sniffled, "I'm listening." she said softly.

"I need to ask you to do something for me. Something hard, that you won't like, but will help me greatly." Izumi said.

"Anything! I'll do anything!" Eri said pleadingly, "How can I help you!?"

Izumi smiled; "Tomorrow, they will experiment on me again. We can't stop them yet, so I need you to be a brave girl and endure it. Close your eyes and try to block out the sound. I know it will be awful for you, but I need you to do this."

Eri's eyes watered again; "B-But-!"

"Eri." Izumi cut her off, "I swear to you, on my life and my dream to be a Hero, that tomorrow will be the last time. By this time tomorrow night, I will be free and help will be on the way. Please, endure it for just one more day… you've never been outside before, right? Well tomorrow, I'm going to show you the stars!"

Eri's eyes lit up. "R-Really?"

"I promised, didn't I?" Izumi smiled.

"But why can't we do it now?" Eri asked.

"I'm missing something. I need something I can only get with my quirk, and that means I can only do it while Overhaul is hurting me. Can you do this for me Eri? Can you be a brave girl for just one more day?" Izumi asked.

The little girl sniffed loudly and wiped her eyes, before giving Izumi the most determined look, her ruby red eyes burning like fire. "I'll do it. I'll help you however I can!"

Izumi smiled and hugged the child yet again; "Thank you, my little Hero."

Reassured and motivated by Izumi's words, Eri began to calm down and relax, letting Izumi lull her to sleep. Once Eri was in dream land, Izumi closed her eyes and went to sleep, thoughts of her plan clear in her mind.

She had the information she needed, and she had her phone (switched off until needed). Now she just needed to endure one more torture session to get the last piece and then… then she'd escape. Eri would be free.

The Shie Hassaikai would crumble to dust and Orochi would die.

Izumi smiled at the thought as she drifted to sleep.

Next Chapter: A Brush with the Dark

To be Released: June 29th 2021

Now the escape plan is coming along! Izumi has a way to communicate with her family and reveal the Yakuza's plans and location, but still needs to escape her restraint in order to avoid being taken hostage when the attack begins. As Izumi promised, there will only be one more day of the in-story timeline for this arc, with only one more experiment session!

Good thing too, as you can probably tell from Izumi's inner thoughts, she is getting a lot snarkier and angrier the longer she's exposed to Overhaul's cruelty… that might come to ahead soon.

I know this arc has been tough on a lot of people; the subject matter is a lot darker than my previous works, but I thank you all for sticking with it. There should only be one more dark scene like that, so please hold on for a little longer.

Also, this chapter is technically long enough for it to qualify for my two day break instead of my one day break, but I've decided that for this arc alone, to make up for the dark theme and so cliff hangers don't add too much more torment, I'll be sticking with one day breaks, so a new chapter will be out every other day until this arc is finished.

I hope you enjoyed! Please Comment and Review; it really encourages me!