Midori the Phoenix
Chapter 20: The Phoenix Rebels
"We interrupt this program to bring you a special news bulletin."
The TV screens flicker to show a reporter aboard a helicopter flying over the JDC. Smoke rose in the distance, and the reporter's face looked grim as she spoke into her headset.
"I'm flying over the canyon trail that leads to the Detstar Juvenile Detention Center where there was a mass mutiny and over half the children under their care have escaped. According to eyewitness reports two delinquent children somehow got possession of release triggers for the quirk suppression cuffs and freed themselves and others in order to rage war against the staff. Their powerful and uncontrollable quirks overwhelmed the heroes that attempted to help, and many were injured during the attack. The number one hero Hawks tried to prevent any further damage and did manage to keep twenty five children from escaping, but the bulk of the escapees stole a medical supply truck and fled the scene."
The reporter holds on as they circle over the crash site where heroes and police cars had gathered and were pulling kids out of the ravine before putting them in handcuffs.
"As you can see below, the truck has been found at the bottom of the canyon. Hawks had pursued and attempted to save the children and vehicle, but was gravely injured by one of the escapees and he was unable to keep the truck from rolling over the edge. Many heroes have been called in to search the wreckage and so far no deaths have been reported, but many children are still missing in action and have yet to turn up. We'll keep you posted on any further developments of this shocking event."
~JDC~
"You had, ONE JOB, Akira." Aizawa paced in front of the ex-head of security. Thanks to his reckless decisions and screw ups he'd been relieved of his job, but that didn't excuse him from receiving a lecture from the heroes he'd let down. "Keep Karma from escaping for ONE WEEK, let her play nice with the other kids, make her feel cared for and concerned over… but instead you flew off the handle, pushed at her buttons, and on top of all that moved up her transfer date without informing me, Lemillion, or any of the other heroes who could have prevented this catastrophe from happening! What the hell were you thinking!?"
"How was I supposed to know that she'd brain washed the one kid in the facility who hated her guts as much as I did?"
"That's another thing!" Aizawa threw his hands up. "How did those boys get their hands on the release gear? Only security is supposed to have access to those, and yet they got not one, but TWO in their possession?"
"Hell if I know. Maxwell and Salinsky have been at the facility the longest… a total of eight years in this place. They were on their way to completing the program, and leaving this place, you'd think they'd-"
"You gave those two special treatment because you thought they were under your control." Aizawa leaned in, his eyes glowing red as his quirk actuated in a threatening manner. "Well guess what… from the moment Karma stepped in through these doors they were no longer under your thumb."
"Mr. Akira…" Toshinori stepped forward crossing his arms, his own eyes looking down in disappointment and anger. "You used my name to help you get permission for Midori to rejoin activities, all so you could devise an excuse to seal her fate. Did you honestly think it was a good idea to put her in a group of malleable young minds? Did you honestly think she wouldn't figure out a way to use those kids and plan her escape? You're fucking stupid!"
"Ooh… the All Might just cursed." Hawks held his mouth and leaned into Lemillion "He's Mighty pissed."
"As for you, Mr. Hawks…" Toshinori looked over his shoulder and had Hawks sitting up straight, his face and wings bandaged up from the attack. "You're supposed to be the number one hero. Is the title that holds the most weight truly such a joke to you?"
"No sir…" Hawks cleared his throat. "I'm no All Might, or Endeavor… but I hardly treat my responsibilities as a joke."
"Endeavor would be even more displeased than I am. He was an impatient man… but even he knew there were certain steps you had to take in order to secure a dangerous villain. The number one rule in those steps is to never give them a chance at escape, because they will most certainly take advantage of it." Toshinori sighed and crossed his arms. "Aizawa-kun… I'm going to return to the school and take over lessons. You should join the search for Karma and the other children. Your quirk will be of the most use."
"Since when did you start giving me orders?" Aizawa grunted and put his goggles on. "Lucky for you I was already planning on doing so. It shouldn't be too difficult to track them down. They're a large group of kids in medical garb and bare feet. They should be easy enough to spot in a crowd."
~Meanwhile~
"Midori… Midori?" Yuuichi shook Midori's unconscious body gently. "She's not waking up."
"Try slapping her." Max suggested and tapped her cheek. "Oi, curly top! Wake the fuck up."
"Guys we have to move," Slim told them in a hushed whisper. "The heroes are spreading their search and it's only a matter of time before they find this place."
"Midori still hasn't woken up yet. We can't just leave her here." Yuuichi pried one of her eyes open. "Hey! WAKE UP!"
"Boys, boys, boys, geez that's no way To wake a lady." A rich girlish voice rang out. "Leave this to us… Mink, darling, give her a kiss."
"Okay Roni…" a lispy voice responded and Midori got a whiff of reeking breath and a tongue slobbing on her face.
"Blegh! Ewww what the hell?" Midori coughed and groaned, rubbing her aching head.
"Yeah sorry about that." Veronica, call me Roni, gave Midori a sympathetic smile. "I probably should have thought about having Mink wake you up before she started digging into the sewer channels."
"Blegh, yeah, it would have been appreciated." Midori focused her blurry vision and looked around. "The sewers huh? Not the most sanitary of hiding places."
"The most convenient though." Yuuichi helped her to her feet. Midori leaned on him for support testing the strength of her legs before letting go.
"Is everyone okay?" Midori rubbed her head. "Is anyone hurt?"
"No. Lucky for us one of the kids had a cushioning quirk that secured everyone in the cab. You and Max got the worst since you two weren't in there."
"My liquify quirk saved me but we weren't sure if you survived the fall." Max nodded to Yuuichi. "Wolf boy here tracked your scent, and the mole girl dug us tunnel through the canyon that led us to the city's sewer systems.
"Well thanks for dragging me along. One of my quirks is called fortify, and if I hadn't passed out from lack of stamina I probably wouldn't haven't gotten hurt at all."
"Did you say… one of? Just how many quirks do you have?" Slim questioned.
"Not sure anymore, but I'll save that story for another time. How many of us are there?"
"Ten altogether… there were more of us but a lot of the younger kids got scared and scattered. No clue where they could be now." Yuuichi explained.
"Well we can't worry about that right now. The heroes won't take long to check down here so we best get moving." Midori took a look around and picked a random direction to start walking.
"Where are we going, exactly?" Max asked, him and the rest of the group following her lead.
"We need new clothes, and to find a crowd of people to blend into. We stand out too much otherwise." She stopped at a fork and furrowed her brows. "It's hard to see down here…" She placed a hand on the wall, making a face at the grime and she wiped her hand clean on her pants. "Ick… I need to find my bearings. I've never been down here before."
"There's a ladder up ahead, let me take a look. I'll be able to sense any heroes nearby." Yuuichi joged forward to the ladder and climbed up it. He grunted and popped the man hold up peeking through and looking around. He didn't hear or see any people and risked poking his head out further and getting a better look. "Coast is clear… why don't we get above ground for now?"
"Good idea." She turned to the group. "When you get out, stay in the shadow and keep out of sight of any people. I'll follow up the rear in case we're followed. It's me they want most, and I can distract them long enough for you guys to get clear."
"Let's hope it doesn't come to that, especially since I'm actually starting to like you." Max climbed up next, followed by slim and the others. Midori took a long look at each of them. Majority of them were over the age of ten, except for Mink who she knew to be about 8.
Once everyone was up Midori followed them up and replaced the man hole cover. She took a look around, and sighed with relief. She immediately recognized her surroundings.
"Nice dig, mink. I know exactly where to go from here. First things first though, we're gonna need some clothes. Can't go walking around the city in these eyesores." She motioned to the scrubs they all wore.
"...luck be a lady." Max pointed across the dark street. "There's a clothing store right there. Whaddya say we do some shopping?"
"With what money, Maxwell?" Veronica crossed her arms and earned a snort.
"Roni, baby, just sit back and enjoy the show. Slim…" he fist bumped his partner in crime. "Let's do this."
"Don't touch the cash register." Midori warned. "Take clothes only. If they see money is missing from the register they'll immediately look at cameras and know we've been here. I'd like to keep our trail as clean as possible."
"Yeah, yeah, just leave it to us." He pretended to pop his collar before he melted into a metallic puddle and slithered across the street undetected. Slim casually strolled by, his form seemingly vanishing from sight causing Midori to blink.
Name: Maxwell Daichi
Quirk: Mercury- can turn his whole body into a near indestructible metallic puddle and shapen it any way he desires.
Name: Sano Salinsky
Quirk: Slink- can hide his visual presence for up to 10 minutes.
"Huh… well I guess that explains the pick pocketing fetish. He can really get away with it."
~Bakugo's apartment~
It was 3am, and Bakugo's cell phone buzzed for the fiftieth time that night. Annoyed that these ass holes weren't letting him sleep, he reached out from under his blanket and made a grab for it. He saw the read out with blurry vision and snarled before answering.
"The hell do you want? Do you know what fucking time it is?"
"I'm well aware of the time Bakugo, but I've tried calling you multiple times throughout the night." Lemillion's voice spoke on the other end. "Haven't you been getting my messages?"
"No, in case you didn't hear from my agency I'm taking vacation days so if this is anything work related you can go fuck yourself." He started to hang up but Lemillion's voice spoke in a grave tone.
"Midori escaped the JDC."
Bakugo paused and slowly sat up in bed putting the phone back to his ear.
"Oh? Doesn't sound like something Midori would do. I think you're talking about Karma."
"Bakugo-"
"Shut up, fish eyes, I could care less if that villain bitch is back on the streets. It doesn't change anything." He snapped, eyes glaring out the window. "In fact, it's perfect. Now that she's free, those cowards in the league of villains will finally come out of their hidey hole and we can round them all up at once."
"Bakugo do you realize what you're saying?" Lemillion narrowed his eyes. "Karma is dangerous, and if she reunites with the league she'll be even more so. We have to find her before that happens."
"No… I've had it with this cat and mouse charade. I'm not gonna kill myself chasing her tail. I'm through with playing games, and giving any sort of fucks about her. When she comes out of hiding, and believe me she will… I'll be waiting to take her down for good. If you're so worried about her joining up with the league, then grab the idiots who let her escape in the first place, and get them to clean up their own mess!"
He hung up and turned his phone off before slamming it back down on the side table. The warm body next to him shifted and he turned to look down at Shoto who had overheard the entire conversation.
"You sure about this, Katsuki?"
"It's fine…" He rolled over so he was face down in the pillows, but then turned his head so he and Shoto's eyes met. "The next time I see that girl… I want to look at her and see only a villain. I'm not gonna let myself be pulled down by my feelings for her anymore."
"In other words you need time to prepare yourself for what you're gonna have to do?" Shoto interpreted and Bakugo lay his face back in the pillows sighing.
"Fuck you, Icy Hot, why do you gotta make it sound all weak and shit?"
"Hmmm," Shoto smiled and he snagged him around the waist pulling him into a spooning position. "I never said it was weak. You're taking this seriously, and making sure you're mentally prepared. It's smart."
"Tch," Bakugo tucked his arm under his pillow still trying to hide his flushed face with the cushion. "What about you? Are you ready to face her down again?"
"Yes…" Shoto nuzzled into his neck, sighing in contentment. "I care about Midoriya… and I wish things with Midori had come out different… but things are what they are. If she's a villain, then as heroes we have to stop her. No more holding back."
"Humph…" Bakugo let the smallest of smiles graze his lips. He lay his free hand over Shoto's on his stomach and linked their hands together. "I hold you to that, Icy Hot."
~Midori and the crew~
The empty park had proved useful in washing away the grime from the sewers as well as providing some tree cover from overheard search parties. The clothes the boys had secured didn't quite fit properly, but she made it work. She rolled up the cuffs of the jean pants that were too long, and tugged up the hood of the Ground Zero sweatshirt they'd snagged. She had to admit, it was smart of them to snag some hero merch to blend in with the mostly black ensembles. Hero Merch gave them a more "fit in" feel as the majority of the younger generation were obsessed with heroes.
"Alright, now that we all look like regular kids we need to find someplace to hide out." Max shrugged on his leather jacket and adjusted the hat on his head. Next to him slim counted out the cash of a billfold he'd swiped from a wealthy looking man just outside a restaurant. Midori gave Slim a sour look, but Max's comment had the wheels in her head turning.
"Hmmm… a hideout, huh?" She looked around and her lips curved. "Just so happens I might know the perfect place. Lucky for us we wound up in this particular region."
"Huh? Why is it lucky for us?" Veronica asked running fingers through her hair as she tried to find the right way to wear it with the hat she was given.
"Yeah, I heard this all Yakuza territory which means it's gonna be crawling with heroes." Slim questioned and pocketed the cash.
"Let's just say I've got… connections here." She rubbed her chin. "We won't be able to get through the front door… but I think I know another way to get in."
"To get in where? Will you stop speaking in riddles, Midori." Max asked agitatedly.
"It's a long story, one I don't want to talk about out in the open. I got you this far, Max. Will you trust me to find a us all a safe place?" Midori gave him pleading eyes… and being a hormonal pre-teen who was weak to feminine charms, Max sighed and gave in.
"Yeah, yeah, let's just get out of here before we get caught. This is my first taste of freedom since I was five, and I'm not about to waste it."
Midori grinned and she nodded. She led them through the park… holding out her hand and motioning them to halt when she spotted some heroes patrolling around.
"Damn, they're blocking the alley… we need to get through that opening over there." She motioned down the street.
"Leave it to me…" Yuuichi slapped her back and motioned Slim to follow him. They sneak through the dark treeline and over to the opposite sidewalk. He pointed at the sweet couple sharing what looked like a harmless flirt and he made some hand motions to Slim that had the skinny guy snorting.
"Oh yeah, that outta do it."
As the boys made a plan Midori kept her eyes on the heroes, making sure their movements didn't pose any suspicion. A few moments later there's a loud high pitch squeal and the sound of a brutal slap coming from the other side of the street.
"KYA! PERVERT! HOW DARE YOU!"
"Whoa! Amy, baby, I swear it wasn't me!"
"Not you, my foot! Do you see anyone else standing here?"
The two heroes took notice of the squabble, and to her delight, hurry over to check and see if their assistance was required. Yuuichi and Slim rejoined the group and they all rush across while the hero's attentions were occupied.
"Do I wanna know what you two did?" Midori asked mid-run.
"Eh, probably not." Yuuichi flashed her a coy grin and dashed into the alley right behind her. As the group of ten filed in, the narrow space became more apparent. Midori crouched down by a man hole and used her quirk to lift it up and off.
"Alright, I'm going in first to make sure no one else is around. Once I give the signal the rest of you follow me as quickly as possible."
"Ugh, are we seriously going into the sewer again?" Max grunted and wrinkled his nose as he shared a space with Mink who was creeping him out with her wide black eyes and sharp teeth.
"Relax, will you Max?" She climbed into the hole and shot them all a wink. "I promise this one is way more sanitary. With that she zipped down the rails. Once at the bottom she noticed immediately that the lights were still active despite the damage being done to the structure. She walked a few feet down the pathway to check down the next hall and her grin widened. "Just as I thought." She walked over to the misshapen walls that were warped from Overhaul's quirk. "They haven't touched it since the battle. This exit is completely cut off. Alright guys, come on down!"
"Whoa! What is this place?" Yuuichi looked around pulling his hat off and shaking his long black hair free.
"It looks like some kind of underground base." Veronica opened a random door. "There's bedrooms, and is that a gym?" She jogged over to the broken double doors. The training facilities that Midori recalled Karma using, were not in the best condition. Both Mimic's and Overhaul's quirks had misshapen the hallways, and a lot of the equipment was damaged, but the overall structure remained intact and sturdy.
"We won't have access to all the amenities unfortunately…" Midori explained. "This used to be the hideout for the Shie Hassaikai… a Yakuza group that I was a part of for a short time."
"Did you say… Yakuza?" Max blinked and shook his head. "Wait, wait, wait a minute! Are you telling me that you used to be-"
"Like I said it's a long story… but I guess it's about time I told you all the truth." She pulled her hood back, her long green hair falling out and her features coming to life. "You all know me as Midori… but my real name is Izumi Midoriya also known as Karma the Queen of Villains."
Yuuichi stood unphased, but the rest of the kids look dumbstruck, awed, or confused.
"Who?" A girl about 12, tall and willowy, blonde with silvery blue eyes known as Dia asked. Her twin brother, Claus, shared her height and coloring, but his expression was sharper and intense.
"Karma… I've heard about her… she's supposed to be this tactical genius that killed off the Hellfire hero, Endeavor. I've heard Captain Akira talk about her like she was the devil himself."
"Well… I wouldn't say genius… more like just hard working and extremely lucky." Midori rubbed the back of her head.
"I don't get it," Veronica put a hand on her hip. "I thought Karma was older than us. She should be like 20 years old by now."
"Let's just say some things happened… A quirk reversed my age to that of a child, and I actually didn't have any memory of my past life until recently." Midori explained and twiddled her thumbs. "Look why don't we get comfortable first?" She opened a nearby door and motioned them in. "I'll answer everyone's questions once we've had a chance to relax and get settled."
"Yeah, let's get some rest guys, it's been a long night." Yuuichi agreed. "I don't know about you but I could use a real shower, and some decent sleep."
"Fine by me… I'm beat." Max stretched and ruffled Midori's hair. "Midori, Karma… whatever your name is… you came through on your end of the bargain. It's only fair that I hear yah out." He glanced back at the others grinning. "Right guys? Let's quit this lame drama for a bit and just relish in the fact that we're free! WOO FINALLY REAL BEDS!" He rushed into the room and jumped on the king size bed groaning happily. "Aww yeah!"
"Well a shower does sound nice…" Veronica nodded and looked to the other girls. "Shall we freshen up ladies?" She ushered them all across the hall to a different bedroom. She glanced at Midori. "You're welcome to bunk with us."
"Nah, that's alright… I've actually got a room picked out already." She motioned further down the hall. As everyone else settled in, Midori walked towards the bedroom at the very end and opened it. The familiar surroundings of Dabi's quarters bring back all kinds of memories and had her eyes swim. She walked to the closet and opened the doors. They were bare but for a few discarded and wrinkled shirts. She lifted one up and brought it to her face sighing. "It still smells like you. Oh Touya… I want to see you."
"...but the truth of the matter is they don't care about you."
Midori's eyes hardened and she clutched the shirt tighter to her chest. Even though she'd been prepared for it, even though she knew what those guys were trying to accomplish, their tactics to bring out her inner villain had still caught her off guard.
"Not used to handling all those quirks are yah, kid?"
Hawks was right… she was out of practice when it came to using her quirk. Though she'd done her best to control it, she'd had to use more energy than normal in order to keep it all reigned in. On top of that she still wasn't used to adapting her new quirk, and had injured Hawks far more than she'd meant to with that last fire blast.
"If I do track them down, I fear I'd be doing them more harm than good."
What she'd said to Yuuichi that day had been her true feelings. She thought she'd be a burden because of her age and her current mind set but it was far more serious than that. She wasn't in any condition to lead the league of villains. She wasn't in any condition for fighting heroes, and playing the game…
She wasn't prepared for that responsibility, she wasn't prepared to live her life as a destructive villain.
...she wasn't Karma.
"That's right… I'm not Karma. My name is Phoenix!" She pulled the shirt back and ran the material through her fingers. "As much as I want to let you see Touya and your son... I've got my own priorities to accomplish first."
"Midori?" Yuuichi knocked on the door and as she turned to him, the look in her eyes sent little chills running through him. "You okay?"
"No… I'm not…" She tossed the shirt aside and fire flickered through her hair and over her fingertips. "Once everyone's gotten some rest, I want them all to gather in the training room for a meeting. Where we go from here is important..." Her chin lifted up and the power that radiated off her was nothing short of intimidating. "...and I can't afford to waste anymore time."
~Ask Briry~
Briry: Phoenix is finding her power, and now she's got some potential allies to help her on her quest… but what are her plans for the future? Guess you just gotta keep reading to find out.
Next Chapter: The Wrath of Finnick Todoroki