Black Phoenix
Chapter 5: Fight Club Initiation
Overhaul woke up half expecting Izumi to be lying next to him, but was pleasantly surprised to see she'd not only left but had taken the time and energy to clean up after herself. There wasn't a shred of evidence that the two of them had intercourse but for the fact he was stark naked under his sheets. It showed the girl was smart enough to know he wasn't the clingy and cuddling sort.
"This arrangement is turning out to be more fruitful than I'd expected." He laughed to himself and got out of bed to shower and change. He hadn't expected to enjoy sex, it was a pleasant and thrilling experience minus the fact he had to touch another person… but the raw pleasure and the sense of dominance overcame any sense of disgust he had with the deed.
He strangely felt more relaxed today as well, as if all the stress and tension had been sucked from his body. So this is what people meant by the fact sex was a great source of stress relief. They'd have to do it again sometime when his burdens got heavy.
He headed out to make the rounds, and raised a brow when he spotted three of his precepts in the meeting room with Izumi. She smiled naturally and sweetly at Yu Hojo as he presented her with a crystalline figure. Behind her Setsuno was painstakingly parting and braiding her hair into dozens of small viking-style braids.
"It's perfect, Hojo-san!" She accepted the figurine admiring it with pure female appreciation. "See, your crystals aren't worthless at all. You have the talent to turn them into something even more precious than jewelry." She stroked a finger over the cheek of the figurine. "Women love little trinkets and baubles like this."
"I can attest to that. My ex was constantly spending money on do-dads and trinkets." Setsuno tapped the top of Izumi's head when she moved. "Hold still or the braids will come undone and I'll have to start all over."
"Whoops, sorry. I'll hold extra still. I'm surprised your ex-girlfriend let you go. You cook, you do hair, you're very organized. I would date you if I wasn't involved with..." She drifted off when her eyes glanced over and saw Overhaul standing in the doorway. "Speak of the devil…." She murmured with a sky smile then put on a beaming smile. "Morning boss. Did you sleep well?"
"Somewhat. Can I ask what you all are doing?" He motioned to them and to Tabe who was snoozing in a corner. He'd never seen the guy so docile.
"We're just hanging out and getting to know each other, right boys?" Izumi smiled and the two nodded. "Oh and don't worry about Tabe. I gave him something to sleep off his hunger fit. It'll only last for an hour or two, but it does keep him from trying to eat the furniture."
"I see…" Overhaul eyed the other two who looked just as docile as the sleeping Tabe. "Shouldn't you be training, my dear?"
"Oh I will be after my hair is done. I was waiting for you to wake up so I can ask a favor. We're looking to keep my identity a secret right? Which means I'll need to rely heavily on my physical strength to get the job done."
"I'm well aware of this, and I warned you as such yesterday."
"Which is why…" She glanced back at Setsuno as he finished the final braid in her hair. "Thanks." She leapt over the back of the couch. "...I figured you could help me with a few extra changes."
"Hmmm I see…" Overhaul eyed the girl speculatively then glanced back at his lackeys. "Leave us, and take Tabe with you."
"Sure thing, boss. See yah later, Izumi." Hojo hefted Tabe up over his shoulder and Setsuno gave her a wave. Izumi waved back with a giggle and then turned her attention back to Overhaul.
"You're really good at what you do." He grunted at her.
"What do I do?" She raised a brow at him.
"You help people… even if they're the scum of the Earth, the trash that society has tossed away, you can't help but get involved and try to make them feel special."
"The reason you brought them onto your team was so they could be useful to you, right? What's wrong with me bringing out their full potential?" She circled the couch again, opening up the silver case with her combat gear inside. "I'm getting to know each member of your team; finding out their strengths and weaknesses in order to properly utilize them. Plus I like knowing what pieces are in play, so that I know which ones to use for each situation. It makes for better strategy down the line. "
"I gave you what pieces you need in your repertoire. Leave those decisions to me, and stop making my team soft with your bleeding heart. If you start giving them the notion that they can live amongst the norms then they won't be as useful to me."
"Ye of little faith. You honestly think those guys won't walk on hot coals for the man who gave them purpose and a chance at redemption? You have their trust, Overhaul, so why not trust them in return."
"Like the trust you had in the league?" He watched her smile falter. He saw the hurt and anger in them, but she kept her back straight and tall. "Only fools have blind trust. I barely trust you, let alone your opinion."
"Something we'll need to work on, but for now…" She pulled out a set of gloves, the fingertips taloned like a bird claw. "What do you think of these?"
"Hmmmm…" Deciding he was more comfortable to talk of work than of trust, he lifted one of the gloves into eye view. "It's good work, considering they're black market items."
"Quality pays for quality. Especially if you know who to buy from." She slipped one on, wiggling her fingers. "If I'm gonna make adjustments to my persona, then I want quality work."
"Adjustments, huh? I see, so this is what you meant by making some changes. You want me to merge these with your natural skin so you can alter your appearance."
"Along with a few other modifications…" She scraped the talons across the wall so they marked up the concrete. "It'll help disguise my presence in public and give me an edge in battle. Not just in the ring, but against any heroic encounters I wind up facing."
"You're thinking of revamping your entire appearance?" He scowled over that. "That's a bit extreme even for you."
"Never play a game unless you're playing to win, that's my motto." She then went to the case and opened up a contact lens holder. She put them in one at a time and fluttered her eyelashes until the lens adjusted and slipped into place. She eyed herself in the mirror, her natural green eyes now an incandescent gold color. "Besides… I'm not changing my appearance completely. I want to be able to look into a mirror and still see myself. I'm just… making improvements."
"What other improvements did you have in mind?"
"I haven't made any final decisions as of yet… but I did make some sketches." She pulled out a small notepad from her pocket and tossed it at him. He caught it on the fly, and flipped it open. The images all resembled a big black bird, bit with added green tinges to pair with her hair. He read the lettering on the top of the page and had to smirk.
"The Black Phoenix…" He eyed the glove still in his hand. "That's the name you've chosen?"
"It was originally going to be my hero name… but its symbolism still applies." She looked up at him through the mirror. Their eyes met, and she felt a stir in her chest that she immediately recognized as attraction. "I lost everything that night in Kamino, I may as well have died… but your passion and plan have breathed new life into me. This is the second time I've been reborn, and now thanks to you I'd like to take a new approach on how to live that life."
"Oh..." He smirked from behind his mask and leaned over to whisper the words huskily to her. "...and just what approach is that, my dear?"
"To not give a damn about other people; which is, admittedly, a lot easier said than done." She turned around to face him. "I've already fallen back on bad habits, making friends and interfering in the lives of other people. As you've told me before I'm quite ill… despite being a villain I still suffer from hero syndrome."
"I've noticed that." He handed her the glove so she could slip it on. "After all, you took the time and energy to try and cure me, and you succeeded for the most part."
"Well now I need you to return the favor." She held her hands out. "I can't keep making the same mistakes. I don't want to care anymore. I need you to make me as cold and as callous as you are. So that way, when the time comes and I have to face down my past, I can do so without hesitation, fear, or regret."
"So you want me to make you into a true villain?" He pulled one of her braids up and into view. "Are you sure that's what you want? After all the effort you put in to maintain this image of heroic villain you want to just burn it to ash?"
"Yes…" She took a step closer to him, their bodies almost brushing. "The world is as confused as I am about where I belong. They either think I'm a tragic victim, or a psychotic evil genius. Frankly I don't think I belong in either category, but I'm sick of playing the game of life by myself. If the world refuses to see me for who I am, then I've no choice but to play by their rules." She raised her hands up to his eye level. "I've made my choice… I just need you to help me follow the path I've chosen."
"Alright…" He dropped the braid, and took off his own gloves. He lay his bare hands over the leather and skin. "Just don't say I didn't warn you."
"Mnnng!" Her body shuddered as he started the process; fabric, skin, bones, and metal all merging together. Her fingers elongated, and she wiggled them to get used to the new sensation.
"You'll get used to it." He finished wiping his hands before replacing his gloves. He admired the work he'd done and nodded in approval. "We'll play with your design choices a bit, see which ones you're most comfortable with. Then I'll need you to get to work, My Phoenix. You've got a long day ahead of you."
Izumi gave him a wicked smile, her arms hooking around his neck and she nuzzled her face along the beak of his mask.
"Mmmmm, yes Boss."
~Fight Club~
Roars of triumph and groans of failure echoed out in the large garage-like space that served as the underground Fight Club. The building on top was a respectable dojo with legitimate fighters training for tournaments and staged battles. In the deep basements underneath, however, was a place of gambling, shady business, and raw fighting ability.
Izumi could taste the greed that filled the air of this place; Greed for power, greed for wealth, greed for fame and attention. She supposed she felt a bit greedy too, but wanted to keep her head. After all, she was there for business, not indulgence.
"Didn't you say you were gonna fight? I can't fathom how you can breathe in that get up, let alone fight in it." Rappa complained as he led the way through the crowd. He was referring to Izumi's choice of gear; tight black pants with straps for weapons across her right thigh and calf, a top that closely resembled a corset with its intricate straps, fitted bodice and laced back. Over the corset top she wore a tailored suit jacket with a long skirt-like tail. The mask she'd chosen was similar to a prajna mask, made of bone and resembled the skull of a dragon with its elongated face and protruding beak. Everything she wore was in a deep black color, even her mask, but with touches of green on the stitching, buttons, and accents to add dimension.
"I'll manage." She shrugged it off. "I happen to like how I look."
"Ugh. What's the point in looking nice if you're just gonna die?"
"Could be you're right, Rappa, but my end goal is to make an impression on people. I'm dressed to kill… so to speak… and want these higher ups to take me seriously."
"Oh they'll take you seriously, then try to kill yah the first chance they get." Rappa warned.
"They can try, but I won't make it easy for them." Izumi glanced over in the direction of the fights listening to the announcer rile up the crowds with his commentary. "Reminds me of the Sports Fest; All the excitement and rush."
"People love a good fight." Rappa concurred.
"Stupid people." Tengu grunted as someone tried to push their way past and he yanked them back and formed a barrier around himself and Izumi. "I hate crowds."
"Let's see if we can't find more suitable accommodations, hmm?" She eyed the stairs that led to the VIP box seats. "Think you can get us up there, Rappa?"
"Not a problem if you don't mind me knocking around some weak ass guards." Rappa laughed, slamming his fists together.
"Do what you have to. Whatever gets me in the door." She waved him along. "Go on, I'll follow you."
"Alright! I've been itching to punch something all day." Rappa laughed and shoved his way through the crowd.
From behind the mirrored glass of the VIP lounge, Byron Sakamoto, the owner of the facility, and an international trader of black market merchandise, entertained a small group of wealthy guests.
"I don't know, Byron, these fights just don't entertain like they used to." Liam Pendragon, an Irish mobster, lounged in his seat looking bored. While heroes had put a halt on his seedy dealings, his family wealth and whiskey business made him plenty comfortable to indulge the occasional trip to the underground gambling scene. "There's no passion in any of the brawls...humph kid stuff."
"I have to agree with my friend here, Mr. Sakamoto." Vlad Volkov, a russian business tycoon with a taste for violence, concurred. "I enjoy a good fight… but there's no spark, or challenge. You promised me a worthwhile show."
"All in good time, gentlemen." Byron poured them both a drink, Vodka for Vlad, Whiskey for Liam. "Unfortunately these tournaments have to weed out the lesser fighters first before any true carnage gets unveiled. Still it entertains the lesser crowd and fills up my pockets, so it'll be worth it in the end."
"Says the man who gets 90% of the profit. I don't know who gets skimmed worse... your patrons, or your fighters." Liam complained and down his whiskey with one quick gulp. "Whatever happened to your prize fighter? The undefeatable one? Now he had passion."
"Yes he did… a pity that a great deal of his competitors did not." Byron sighed. "Unfortunately, no one was a match for him so he grew bored and restless. He went after some Yakuza guy. With how tenacious he is, he may never come back."
"Never say never, old man!" Rappa punched the door off its hinges, Byron narrowly escaped getting beamed with it. His bar with all his liquor wasn't so lucky. Glass shattered everywhere and the expensive Persian rug became soaked in liquor.
"What in the… Rappa!?" Byron choked and wiped his brow at the close call. "Was that really necessary?" Byron scolded the fighter with a sneer. "Where the hell have you been? How the hell am I supposed to run my business when my prized fighter goes Awol?"
"Shut up, you don't own me!" He shoved a finger at him. "I only came back here because Over-"
"Rappa." Tengu warned him from behind and nudged him forward "You're blocking the door. Move."
"Tch… Shut up!" Rappa snapped at him, his fists clenching at his side. The guards had only managed to rile him up. Now he really wanted to punch something. "You don't give me orders either, chicken shit!"
"No, but I do." Izumi's voice called out and she kicked his backside with her boot nudging him forward. "So move your ass."
"Oh you wanna go you little-" Rappa raised his fist but Tengu put up the barrier trapping him inside as Izumi stepped in and around him.
"I apologize for his behavior. We're still working on his manners." Izumi bowed to the men in the room. "My name is Phoenix, and I've come to discuss some business matters with you Mr. Sakamoto."
"Business she says…" Vlad scoffed and grinned wide, his wolf face flashing off sharp pearly canines. "... yet you can't be much older than my granddaughter and she's still a pup."
"Aye," Liam agreed. "You're a bit young aren't yah missy? You sure you want to be dealing with the likes of Byron?"
"My friends have a good point." Annoyed by the interruption, and the damage done to his VIP room, Byron slumped into his chair and lit a cigar. "My business deals in gambling and adult goods. You don't even look old enough to drink."
"I dip my tongue in wine when I've the yen for it… but that's not the kind of business I'm referring to. I'm looking for investors and possible patrons for a product I'm selling. I hear you're friends with a lot of men who'd be in the market for such goods."
"Sorry, but we don't want any girl scout cookies." Vlad teased and had Liam chortling.
"Want me to punch his lights out, Phoenix?" Rappa slammed his fists together but Izumi held her hand up for peace.
"No, Rappa, let them tease. I wouldn't be taken seriously right out the gate." She strutted over to the broken bar, eyeing the broken glass and splintered wood. Tilting her head to the side she crouched down and waved her taloned fingers over them, the pieces glowing and rising from the floor one by one until they hovered a few inches in the air. "A word of warning to you Mr. Sakamoto. If I were in your position, I wouldn't be so quick to write me off. After all, if this "little girl" could get your prized fighter to take orders…"
She whipped around, her jacket tail flaring up like spreaded wings. The glass shards on the floor suddenly bulleted across the room and towards the three seated gentlemen. They let out a stream of curses and shouts ducking down and taking shelter behind furniture. When the peltering stopped they lifted their heads up and glanced at the far wall. The glass shards that imprinted there formed a bird-like shape.
"... then clearly she's more dangerous than she looks." She finished her sentence and crossed her arms smirking down at the cowering men.
"Yeah no shit." Byron swallowed and pulled out a handkerchief from his breast pocket to wipe at his sweaty face. "You'll uh… have to forgive my insolence. There's not many females in power here in the underground."
"That's understandable I suppose." Izumi shrugged it off. "In my experience, most men won't bow to a woman in power unless they either seduce them, kill them, or outright humiliate them." She smirked. "Thank goodness for you and your friends that I need you alive, and I'm not the slightest bit attracted to any of you. A small bruise on the pride will heal fairly quickly."
"Yes, well uh, you've certainly got guts, kid, I'll give you that." Byron tried to laugh the situation off.
"You could say that…" she pulled up one of the toppled over chairs and gracefully sat down crossing her legs. "So… Does this mean I have your attention now?"
Byron glanced back at his guests who were still recovering from the shock of what had just happened.
"Well gentlemen… you wanted excitement… I say we all got it."
"In spades." Vlad readjusted his tie and took a proper sear. "Alright little one, start talking."
"Excellent…" She smiled wickedly and tapped her nails on the arms of the chair. "As I was saying, gentlemen, I have a product I'm eager to put on the market. It's going to revolutionize the war between heroes and villains, and fatten the pockets of all who invest in it."
She raised a hand crooking a finger towards her. Tengu stepped up and lay the case down popping it open. The revolver, quirk-removal bullets, and three syringes with foreign liquid inside sat neatly in the velvety red material of the case.
"A gun?" Liam snorted and crossed his arms. "Are you out of your bleeding mind? Any idjit can produce one of them."
"It's not so much the weapon, as what you put in it that's special." She pulled out the gun and placed the cartridge inside. "I have a special presentation prepared for next week as a demonstration for what these babies can do."
"Patience was never my virtue." Vlad insisted with a low gruff growl. "I want to see demonstration now."
"Very well, if you insist." She pointed the gun at him. She smirked as he got a look of "oh shit" on his face and she shot him right in the chest with it. Vlad fell back and Liam viciously cursed and paced around.
"You bloody fucking psycopath! I thought you said that you needed him alive."
"Oh, he's plenty alive, and… relatively unharmed." She added with gentle laugh as Vlad rolled onto his hand and knees. He shook his head, feeling odd and groggy. His clothes were loose and his body felt lighter.
"What the hell was that? I didn't even feel any pain, it just startled me." He rubbed at his chest, and it was then he noticed the looks Liam and Byron were giving him. "What?"
"Holy mary mother of god." Liam stepped closer. "Vlad is that really you under there?"
"The hell are you talking about? Of course it's…" he paused, while rubbing at his chest he took notice of his hands and held them out. His breath whooshed out of him as he hesitantly touched his face and ran to the closest mirrored surface. "YEBENA MAT'! What have you done!?"
"I honestly wasn't sure if that would work. We haven't tested these on heteromorphic quirks yet, so I was curious to see what it would do." She laughed. "You look good in human form… very distinguished."
"Are you trying to tell me that those bullets can just remove quirks?" Liam pointed to the case.
"Temporarily… but in a life and death situation, the loss of one's quirk can be perilous, wouldn't you agree?" Phoenix waved the gun around, pointing the barrel at her temple. "As for the other tubes in the case." She nudged it with her foot. "They're an improved version of quirk enhancing drugs. You can tape on the usual warning labels… possible addiction, body chemistry effects, brain damage, yada, yada, yada… but just one of these babies equals out to about ten of your run of the mill quirk drug, but with half of its nasty side effects."
"So quirk enhancers for your side, and quirk erasing bullets for your enemies…" Byron reached out his hand, pausing in order to get permission before lifting the tube from the case and admiring it. "Fascinating… and who's your manufacturer?"
"I manufacture these myself. I won't say how, or where, but as I said I'm more than happy to share my products provided I can get some keen investors to fund my research and production. Which is why I came to see you Byron." She set the gun back in the case and took the vial back, setting it down and closing it. "Your client list has a wide variety of villainous types who would greatly benefit from it. I'm more than wiling to give you a portion of the profits, providing you follow my demands."
"I see and what demands do you require of me?" Byron asked, immensely intrigued now.
"As I said I've a demonstration planned for next week. It's going to be quite public, and I'll need someone to spread the word on where they can acquire the goods. Which is where you'll come in. I want you to be my middle man. You use your connections and influence to bring the buyers here where we can talk shop and arrange purchase and delivery. Naturally i'll need to be on sight as much as possible so I'll need a cover story in case things stir up… so I want you to sponsor me and make me one of your fighters."
"So I'm your middle man AND your cover story? Just how much profit will I be making?" Byron asked, rubbing his chin in contemplation.
"Well that all depends on you now doesn't it? We can start at five percent… but the more business you send my way, the larger your cut will get. Consider it commission pay." She explained, leaning back comfortably in the chair again.
"Pay by commission, huh? You drive a hard bargain." Byron eyed the products again. He knew the market would eat up this product like kids at a candy store. He needed to be involved in this! There was no way he'd turn his nose up to the kind of profits he knew this product would make. "Alright, kid… I'll do it on one condition."
"What condition is that?" Izumi tilted her head to the side, her wicked smile hidden behind the bone mask, but the crazed look in her eyes was enough to have him shuddering.
"You raise my profit margin to 15 percent."
"Sorry, but I'm not as big a fool as your other fighters. 8 percent."
"You need me, more than I need you. 12 percent."
"Hardly, you're just convenient. 10 percent."
"I really do admire your guts, kid." He held his hand out. "Alright. Ten percent it is. I look forward to working with you, Phoenix."
"Indeed you will." She held her hand out and they shook on it. "It's a deal."
~Ask Briry~
Briry: Meant to get this out sooner, but life distracted me. Hope you guys enjoyed it!
Next Chapter: The Demonstration