The Black Phoenix

Chapter 8: Grudge Match

"Are you sure you want to do this, Kai?" Izumi asked as the two of them duked it out in a game of Shogi. While the rules were generally similar to a standard chess board, the pieces had different titles, different movements, and you were able to capture and use your opponents pieces. In a way, Izumi felt very much like a Shogi pawn… captured and then used to further an opponent's goal. Yet at the same time, there were moments where she felt very much like an "opposite" King. It moved and acted like a traditional "King" piece, but once captured the game would not end. At this point even if she were to be caught by Shigaraki or the heroes, Kai and his crew would still be able to play on and achieve victory.

However… things were about to change drastically.

"I'm sure." Kai responded, shifting his lance up two places. "You helped me to achieve the next step in my plans. We're rolling in more cash than I could have dreamed, and it's allowing me to advance further in my research than ever before. It's time, I think, to take a gamble and show the world what the Hassaikai are truly capable of."

"If you do this, I'll no longer be able to protect you and the Hassaikai. The heroes will put two and two together, and know that I'm under your influence. They'll come for me, and attempt to shut you down." She warned him.

"I've made calculations to prevent the heroes from ever finding our base. Even if they take down the riff raff upstairs… they won't be able to find us down here." he assured.

"You're underestimating your opponents, Kai." Izumi moved her bishop into checking position, with her rook, and knight on the back end ready to capture any piece that tried to take it down. "It'll be your downfall."

"Oh no, my dear." He plucked up his promoted general and checked her king. "It is you, who are underestimating me."

Izumi's eyes flickered with surprise and then instant attraction. She leapt over the table at him, pinning him to the couch and straddling his waist. She whipped the masts off both of their faces with her quirks so they lay on either side of them, and then took his mouth with hers.

Kai's hands hesitated a moment, before grabbing her by the waist and indulging in the kiss. He still wasn't accustomed to the amount of intimacy this girl demanded from him. She was needy, hungry for affection, and he still wasn't quite comfortable with giving it to her.

"Kai…" she whispered his name like a prayer, her arms coming around to hug him close. He didn't even know when she started to refer to him in such an intimate matter… but the name sounded so right coming from her lips.

"Phoenix…" he whispered back and granted her a flutter of kisses up her neck. "We need to get back to work."

"Not yet…" she pleaded with him, shutting her eyes tightly and burying her face in his shoulder "Please not yet, I'm not ready to put that facade back on."

Kai sighed and gave her a comforting pat on the back, letting her stay clung to him like a koala for a moment longer before telling her his news.

"I found Shigaraki."

Izumi stiffened, and her hands dug into the back of his shirt. She bit her lip as inner rage bubbled inside.

"When?"

"My scouts came in contact with the one you call "Twice" searching the area for potential recruits. I met with him personally, and we agreed to meet up tonight with the rest of the league." He explained and had Izumi slowly sitting upright in his lap. He noticed the unstable fury in her eyes, and soothed it by running his gloved fingers down her face and neck, stopping just above the swell of her breast. "I gave you my word, that I would help you find vengeance."

"That you did…" She let out a small laugh. "So this is what you meant when you said you were ready to make some moves of your own."

"I'm in the perfect position to take down my biggest competition." He leaned back, adjusting her on his lap so he could see all of her. "Tonight, we'll overthrow that wannabe king… and your reputation as the Queen of Villains will be renewed."

"Tonight…" She looked down, but Kai gripped her cheeks and forced her to keep her eyes on him. "So soon?"

"You're not scared, are you Phoenix?"

"No…" She tried to shake it off but couldn't lie directly to his face. "I'm terrified."

"Want me to cancel the meeting and give you more time to prepare?" He offered but that put her back up.

"No! I can do this. I owe it to myself, and to Touya to not put this off any further!" She lay forward, putting her forehead on his shoulder. "Could you just… hold me a little while longer until I get my nerve back?"

"How long are you going to keep acting like this?" He shoved her back and off him. Izumi stumbled, scattering the shogi board as she scooted overtop of it. "How long are you going to keep clinging onto the nearest available man as emotional support? I'm not your damn teddy bear."

"I never said you were!" She shouted back at him and rolled off the table. "I thought this was a mutual show of affection, but apparently I've overstepped. Forgive me, my saviour." She gave a mock bow and hissed in anger.

"I indulge you every once in a while, but don't misunderstand my feelings, Phoenix. We're business partners, not lovers. I don't mind scratching your itch from time to time, and giving you the occasional pat on the head, but don't look to me for love. I don't care that way for you."

"Oh please, love?" She laughed at him. "You think I'm in love with you? Don't be stupid, you're noting but a convenience to me! The moment Tomura's dead I couldn't care less if you ever touch me again!"

"Well that's convenient isn't it?" He snagged up his mask, and then tossed hers at her. She caught it on the fly and they both put them on with flicks of temper raging in both their eyes. "I was wondering how long I was gonna have to go on pretending that your kisses do anything but revulse me! From now on keep your hands to yourself."

"Fine, maybe I'll see if Rappa wants to go a round or two with something other than his fists!" She tossed back at him, and made him scoff.

"Good luck with that! You'd have better luck seducing a chicken!"

"Well at least a chicken knows what to do with its cock!" She flung out her quirk, the shogi board flying up and smacking him in the face. "Have fun figuring that out without me having to hold your hand, you damn virgin!" She stormed out slamming the door behind her.

"RAUUGH!" Overhaul unleashed his own fury, kicking the couch and tearing up the room in a rage. After a moment he calmed down, saw the mess he made, and cursed himself. He straightened his hair, and mask, and took off his glove in order to reset the room back to its original state. "Damn hormonal teenager."

~Fight Club~

Byron puffed on his cigar as he watched Izumi plow her fists into a fighting dummy he'd help set up. He'd closed everything down when she'd stormed in and screamed for the entire club to clear out or get wrecked. A few of the non-intelligent sorts had challenged her bluff, but had met with a very gruesome demise. His clearing crew was still trying to get the blood stains and bodily innards off his wall.

"You wanna tell me what's got you so worked up, Phoenix? I would think you'd be doing cartwheels with how good business has been. I'm raking in more cash than ever before, and it's all thanks to you and your-"

"It's not mine!" She whipped her foot around, the hell of her boot cutting through the face of the dummy like a knife and causing sand to pour out from its wound. "I may have organized everything, but the product comes from a third party, and all my profits have been going to him."

"I see…" Byron took another deep long puff and blew out the stream of smoke, watching her through the haze. "Did the two of you have some kind of falling out?"

"You could say that." She stepped away and readjusted the gloves on her hands and wrists. "Apparently he has some kind of delusion that I'm in love with him, and had the decency to warn me that he doesn't feel that way about me. Tch, what a joke!" She plowed her fist into the dummy's gut and she ignited "static fire" causing the dummy to go up in flames. "The only thing that loser was to me was a convenient stress ball. I can get sex from any man I choose. I don't need him to hold my hand and pat my head."

She stepped away from the dummy and plopped herself on a bench, guzzling down a water bottle.

"You seem awfully upset for someone who just lost a squeeze toy." Byron pointed out, and took a step back when she turned callous eyes to him. "Just a perception, Phoenix, no need to set me on fire."

"I'm not in love with him." She told him again, and ransacked her pocket pulling out a silver sword pendant. She ran her thumb over it, tears filling her eyes as she thought of the man who had once worn it. "There was only one man I loved, and Tomura killed him."

"I thought Tomura was the man you were in love with."

"No…" she shook her head, closing the pendant in both fists and holding it to her forehead as if to pray. "I thought I did, but I never loved Tomura. I wanted to be his hero… I wanted to save him from the dark path All for One had set him on, but it was a pipe dream. It was a disastrous and painful dream that made all of us suffer in the end. I was so consumed with that dream, with that image, that I lost the only man I ever really loved."

She grit her teeth, the tears falling down one by one as the memory of Touya came flooding back to her. His kiss, his touch, his smile… god she missed him! She missed hearing his voice as they talked of their plans or of each other's lives. She missed waking up with his arms around her, her nose taking in his sour, yet strangely appealing scent. She missed his unwavering support, and comfort.

Grief took her, and the tears boiled up into rage and she lowered her hands to burn her gaze into the ring in front of her.

"I'm finishing this. Tonight, I'm taking full advantage of the opportunity Kai has given me." She pocketed the pendant and cracked her knuckles. "Then once its all over… I'll figure out how he's making the serum and take it for myself. Once I know his secret, then he and the rest of the Hassaikai can burn in hell right next to Tomura and the league."

Her smile went wicked and she accepted the cigar Byron offered her. For the first time she took a deep inhale of the cigar, and let it out in a steady stream from her nose before coughing and waving it away.

"Ugh, that's disgusting. How could you possibly enjoy that?"

"Eh, it's an acquired taste." He shrugged and flicked the remainder of the stub away. "So… are you ready for your big grudge match?"

Izumi poured more water in her mouth, swishing it in her mouth before spitting it away to get the taste of burnt tree bark out of her mouth.

"Oh yeah…" She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and grinned at him. "It's time for some well deserved payback."

~Later at the Hassaikai~

Overhaul gave a swift knock on Izumi's room and waited for her to give the okay before stepping inside. He watched her strap her boots and belts into place, her gaze keeping clear of him.

"Twice will be here soon, are you ready for me to put on your makeup?" He peeled off his glove, holding his hand out.

"You sure you wanna touch me?" She said with some sting still in her voice. Despite having calmed down from their earlier banter, she still held a grudge.

"I don't mind getting a little dirty when it's for business purposes." He countered and plucked up her taloned glove running a thumb over it. "How long are you gonna stay mad at me for merely speaking the truth?"

"I don't know…" She sighed in aggravation and finally turned to face him. "How long are you gonna keep having this delusion that you're more than a convenience to me?" She snagged her glove out of his hand and put it on.

"You seriously expect me to believe that you kiss me, fuck me, and cling to me the way you do because I'm convenient?"

"No, but I also don't want you to think that you mean more to me than I actually do. You're pretty much on the same pedestal that Tomura is on."

"If I recall you claim to love him as well." He reminded her.

"Yes, but if you recall we clarified what my feelings for him actually were." She tugged the other glove into place and held her hands out to him. "I'm sick, remember? I have a bad case of hero syndrome and it makes me want to help and save people who don't necessarily want or need saving. I look at you and I see this pathetic, germaphobic little man who doesn't know how to be intimate with others and I want to help him. I kiss you, fuck you, and cling to you because in my mind it's what you need in order to be a more complete person…"

"I don't need-" he started to defend himself but Izumii held her hands up to his face to stop him from speaking.

"Yeah, yeah, I KNOW! You've made it very clear to me that you don't want to be saved. So why don't you do us both a favor and instead of "indulging" my sickness, figure out a way to cure me, and fast, because I'm really sick of feeling like an idiot whenever I try to be a good person. It's better for both of us if I become just as cold-hearted, and as emotionally stunted as you! Now will you just fuse the damn gloves to my hands so we can get this over with?!"

"Tch…" irritated, but not wanting to delay any further, Overhaul gripped her hands in his ungloved ones and fused the material to her. "You're such a pain in my ass."

"Hate to break it to you, handsome..." She leaned in teasingly, her eyes and smile full of wry sarcasm. "... but you put that stick up there yourself."

~The League's Secret Hideout~

"Seriously," Overhaul looked at the rundown dump Twice had brought him to. "I'm gonna get sick from being in a filthy place like this."

"Don't worry, everyone inside has been sick for a long time." Twice assured and opened the door, spreading it open to show off the lineup. "I've brought the boon, boss!"

"So I see, Twice." Shigaraki narrowed his eyes on Overhaul. "You've certainly brought me a big fish."

"A big fish?" Overhaul said with a laugh in his throat. "Now that's ironic, Mr. King of Villains. I was under the impression I was in the presence of royalty."

"Who is this guy?" Magne questioned, shuddering. "Is he famous or something?"

"Master showed Karma and I a picture of his once." Shigaraki explained, eyeing his potential ally up and down. He'd been frustrated the last few days as the info Ace had given him had turned up dry. Whoever this Tomoyasu Chikazoku was, he didn't seem to care who he was or what his plans were. His invitation to join the league had been declined, and he returned it with a brisk, polite, and stuffy letter explaining he wanted nothing to do with Tomura or the league. Now Tomura was back at square one, looking for recruits in the slums. Still this Overhaul character gave him some hope… the aura around him was very dangerous, and he liked the seriousness in his eyes. "He's what you would call a Yakuza, the young head of the Shie Hassaikai."

"Shie Hassaikai?" Magne let out a small squeal. "So he's number two of Organized crime! Kya! He seems so dangerous!"

"Organized crime?" Toga glanced up at Mr. compress with a questioning brow. "How is he any different from us?"

"Allow me to tell you a little story. In the past there were many scary groups that ran the underworld. These groups were known as Yakuza, or "the mob" as the english would say, but after heroes started thriving these scary men were unmasked and began to disban. Those that survived are now working as "rent-a-thugs for other villain groups. They're what you would call an "endangered" species."

"Endangered species… well I suppose you're right." Overhaul agreed, though not very appreciative of the term.

"So what's a Yakuza thug want with us?" Magne questioned. "Let me guess, you're excited about All Might's retirement too and want a piece of the action?"

"Wrong… it's not All Might's retirement I'm interested in, but rather All for One's." Overhaul corrected and had Shigraki's hand twitching.

"Excuse me?"

"Let me get right to the point… I'm not here to join your little club. I've got my own plans in the works, and I have an old friend of yours to thank for getting me past the first stage."

"What?" That brought Shigaraki to his feet. Suddenly he knew why he'd felt such immense tension the moment the guy had walked in. "Are you telling me that you're the scumbag who stole Karma from me?"

"I wouldn't say I stole her from you. After all, you were the fool who tossed her away like a used rag." Overhaul smirked from behind his mask. "Thanks to your carelessness, Karma was more than happy to help me. In fact she leapt at the chance to beat you at your own game."

"Ha! Unlikely…" He took a step forward, lifting a hand up and cracking the knuckles as his urge to kill rose. "I could see her taking pity on a small organized crime syndicate for a short time, but you're a fool if you think she'd join you for an extended period of time."

"Who's the real fool between the two of us I wonder?" Overhaul smirked behind his mask. "I'm the man who's curing her of her debilitating disease and allowing her mind to flourish… whereas you have done nothing but inhibit her true capabilities."

"BULL SHIT!" Shigaraki slammed his palm down on a crate, disintegrating it. "Karma is mine! She loves me! Give her back to me!"

"She used to love you… now she can't stand the sight of you." Overhaul held back a laugh.

"Twice!" Shigaraki turned violent eyes on him. Twice held up his hand looking nervous and shaking. "You should never have brought this asshole here. Get him out of my sight and find Karma!"

"Yessir!" Twice saluted by raising up his middle finger then turned to Overhaul. "You heard the king! Begone, peasant! Stay for some tea?"

"Oh I'll leave… but you won't be able to find Karma on your own. I could bring you to her if you'd like." Overhaul extended his hand. "You and your league could join us, put your useful quirks and name under my command, and then I'll let you see her."

"Tch," Tomura lifted his chin up. "Like hell. Get Out!"

"You said it, boss!" Her own fire burning from Overhaul's words, Magne revealed her weapon and leapt from her seat. "We didn't come together to be under someone!" Filled with rage and determination to take down her enemy. "Those that are bound by the chains of common sense, laugh at those who aren't!" Raising it up she locked onto Chisaki forcing him forward and towards her. "I'm a part of the league of villains because I refuse to be bound by anything!" .

Overhaul dug his feet into the ground, removing his glove he prepared to counterattack, but the pull abruptly stopped. He stumbled forward a few steps and jerked his head up watching Magne scream as she was raised off the floor dangling from the grip on her weapon.

"Kya! What's happening? Someone get me down!"

"That quirk...could it be…" Tomura's eyes scanned around and locked onto a shadowed figure in the rafters.

"You don't want to be bound by anything you say? Does that include gravity… Magne." Phoenix smiled maliciously from behind her dragon mask, raising the frightened butch woman even higher until it raised all the way up to the rafters where she stood. Magne clung onto the pole for dear life and stare at her former queen with a horrified expression.

"Q-Q-Queen Karma?!"

"I'm queen no more… and you didn't answer my question, Magne." She grabbed the beam for support, and reached out stroking a few fingers through Magne's hair. "Are you sure you don't want to be bound by anything?" She took a firm grip of Magne's hair and let her quirk on Magne's weapon drop. Magne screamed again as she was forced to let go. She flailed her arms and managed to barely hold onto the bannister.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry, please don't let me fall!" Magne pleaded, wincing as Phoenix's grip on her hair tightened, the talons digging into her scalp and drawing blood.

"Well it seemed to me you were more than ready to be chained down by All for One when he murdered Dabi, and was dragging my sorry carcass across the ground like a ragdoll." She grit her teeth, her eyes sharpening as she yanked Magne by the hair, jerking her head back to look her in the eye. "You talk about freedom and not being chained down, but in reality you've been chained down all your life by your fear of death."

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Forgive me! Forgive me, your highness!" Magne sniveled, staring up pleadingly. "I'll do whatever you ask, just please forgive me!"

"Anything eh?" She let go of Magne's hair and held out her hand for hers. Magne shook and took her hand, lifting herself up with Karma's help. "Alright, I'll forgive you."

"Thank you! Bless you!" Magne bowed her head down to Karma. "How shall I repay you?"

"You can tell Dabi I said hi."

Before Magne could understand what was happening Phoenix kicked her across the face sending her plummeting to the ground.

"MAGNE!" Toga held her mouth in shock as she watched Magne's head hit the pavement and splattered like watermelon.

Phoenix floated down from the bannister, her aura floating around her like the flaming licks of her temper. She landed atop Magne's body and eyed the bloody mess she'd made.

"Does anyone else wish to atone?" Her eyes flicked up and she tilted her head admiring the shocked and infuriated looks on the faces of the league. "Mmmm… I didn't think so. No matter." She calmly stepped off Magne's body and took her place beside Overhaul. "I'll make you pay for your betrayal nonetheless."

"Our betrayal?" Tomura seethed. "You're the one who betrayed us, Karma!"

"Am I really?" She laughed holding her chest. "Well silly me, I must be confused. You see I could have sworn it was you who chose to listen to All for One rather than hear me out. It was also you who let his pathetic jealousy and insecurity fuel his decisions and kill the man who kept me from going insane. Oh and it was also you that when I tried to help you, and the others find a better life you go off on your own tirade, making whatever plans you want causing chaos and destruction!"

"You tried to kill me!" Shigaraki shot back in fury.

"I was trying to save you!" She screamed back at him. "You're the one who told me over and over how much he loved me, and needed me, and didn't want to be in this world if I wasn't there to be by his side."

"All you had to do was kill All Might, and things would have been fine."

"No they wouldn't!" The anger suddenly died from her face and was replaced by tears. "Because I never loved you!"

Tomura's faced jerked back as if he'd been slapped. Toga placed a hand over her mouth and she gave Tomura a sympathetic look.

"So maybe you're right…" Izumi pulled off the mask showing her true face to them. "Maybe I am the real traitor here… because I made you believe that I loved you, when in reality the only thing I cared about was saving you. I was delusional, thinking I could somehow be the hero you all needed."

The room went quiet, and Izumi laughed pathetically.

"The more I think about it… the more I realized just how stupid I was. I believed you all could be saved and that I was the only one who could do it." Izumi raised her eyes and looked to the members one by one. "Toga-chan you're such an affectionate person, and so cheerful. I thought you just needed someone who understood you and your unique way of expressing it."

"Queeny…" Toga teared up, looking between her and Tomura, caught in between her loyalties and affections.

"Atsuhiro-san," She addressed, Mr. Compress. "You've such talent that is being wasted on petty crimes. I wanted to give you a bigger and grander stage to perform on."

"It would have been an honor…" he pulled his hand into his hands, rubbing the rim with a clear sign of guilt and regret. "...your highness."

"Twice…" She crossed the room to cup his face in her hands, eyes drenched with tears. "Your mind is broken, but you've got such a big heart underneath it all. You genuinely care about everyone, and do your best to help us out."

"Mommy…" he went to his knees and hugged her tight around the waist. She pet him gently and finally turned her eyes to Tomura.

"You're right, Tomura. I did betray you. I made you believe that I loved you, and used that love to justify my actions. I used all of you to feed my obsession and need to become a hero. It's a sickness that Overhaul calls Hero Syndrome… and it stems from my deep affection for other people."

She stopped petting Twice and took a deep long breath.

"There's only one way to cure my sickness… I'm just sorry I had to drag you all into it. I hope you can find it all in your heart to forgive me."

"Mommy?" Twice looked up at her confused, and Izumi gave one last teary smile. Placing her hands on his cheeks she took a firm grip, and before he knew what was happening, she snapped his neck like a twig.

"JIN!" Toga screamed, tears streaming down her face as the shock of his death forced her to collapse to her knees. Izumi's aura swarmed around her, and the various boxes, chains, and loose materials all began to move under her command.

"Kai… you may want to take some cover." Izumi suggested as she raised her hands up, preparing for a fight.

"Way ahead of you." Overhaul snapped his fingers and the front door of the hideout broke open as the eight precepts burst in ready for battle.

"I see… so this was your true purpose for coming here." Tomura seethed and raised both his hands, murder in his eyes. "You should have started with that."