Midori the Phoenix
Chapter 25: Bonding Time
"Mama?" Finnick stepped into the room, his eyes blinking a few times. "That is you, isn't it?"
"Finnick…" For the first time in a long time Midori felt Izumi push forward. She wanted to cry, want to run to the little boy and cuddle him to her breast.
The sound of running feet thankfully forced her to put on the breaks and she snapped her attention upward when Yuuichi jogged in.
"Ah, there you are. Sorry, Phoenix, I was actually looking for him so the three of us could talk."
"Yuuichi…" thankful for the opening, Midori calmed her breathing and hardened her gaze on her partner in crime. "What is he doing here? Who brought him here?"
"Uh, I did… technically… listen he kinda snuck into the group and well apparently The King and his Dad gave him the okay to join us. So long as you gave the thumbs up, that is." Yuuichi explained, patting the top of Finnick's head who still stared wide eyed at her.
"Oh they did, did they?" Midori growled between her teeth, forcing a smile, and flames flicking through her curls at the rise in her temper. "Funny… how does The King expect me to get results if I'm taking care of a child?"
"I can help!" Finnick snapped his gaze when Phoenix started showing off her temper. "Mama I can-"
"Mama?" Yuuichi looked down at Finnick, then up at Midori… suddenly he put two and two together and his face went white. "Holy shit! No way, is he-"
"YOU-" she pointed a finger at Yuuichi and instantly shut him up. "-will keep that information to yourself. I'll figure out how to handle this situation, so go finish making the preparations for tomorrow's mission." She waved her hand dismissing him. Once Yuuichi backed out of the room, she used her quirk to slam the door closed so that she and her son could have privacy.
Finnick, suddenly afraid and wary of his mother's foul mood, fidgeted as Midori approached him. He looked up with fretful eyes, and swallowed hard. He'd heard all kinds of stories about his mother's wicked temper, and unforgiving nature… but he'd also known about her kindness and eagerness to help others.
"I'm sorry… please don't be mad at me." He pleaded, hoping that despite her current mood, he could appeal to that kindness.
Midori's temper simmered and she crouched to her knees looking her son in the eye. So many emotions swelled up in her as she examined this little boy head to toe. Four… no… five years had gone by since she last saw him. This was hardly the reunion she'd planned, or wanted for them. To see her son so frightened and intimidated by her, was causing both guilt and sadness to well up.
"Show me your hands." She told him calmly.
"What?" Finnick blinked back tears as his eyes met Midorii's. Green on green.
"Show me your hands, Finnick." She held hers out. Finnick hesitated before laying his out on top of hers. She gripped them gently, forcing them into a boxer's stance. "I don't know how much the King and his followers have taught you… but if you're gonna help me, I need you to pull your weight. So I gotta see exactly what I'm working with."
She let his hands go and then held up her palms.
"Punch my hands… as hard and fast as you can."
"You want me to punch you?" Finnick started to lower his hands but stopped when her eyes hardened.
"You won't hurt me, Finnick. Do as I say."
Finnick didn't know what this was all about, but he wasn't about to deny her anything. His brows knit together and his face turned serious as he raised his fists back up and jabbed into her palm. The hit was sloppy and weak and had Midori letting out a short scoffing laugh.
"Pathetic… who taught you how to punch, kid?" She lowered her hands, smiling for the first time. The soft look on her face, and the teasing tone of her voice had Finnick relaxing.
"No one… they've only been teaching me things like chess, strategy, and how to control my quirk." He admitted and rubbed his fingers. The hit had hurt him more than it had her.
"Well we'll soon fix that." she grabbed his hand and gave it a little kiss. "Studying, and mastering your quirk is important… but out in the field you need to rely on more than just your mind and your quirk. Your entire body has to be on alert."
"Does this mean… that you'll train me... let me go on missions with you?"
"The best teacher is field experience… but I want you to stay close to me Finnick." She rubbed his cheek, looking in his eyes again as her own moistened with tears. "You're too precious and important… so you'll need to stick close, pay attention, and learn fast. Do this and I'll take you with me. Deal?"
Finnick's eyes went wide and bright as stars and he leapt up hugging her. The embrace caught Midori off guard, but she found herself holding him tight.
"Deal… I'm so happy you're here, Mama. I've been waiting so long to see you." He cried happily into her shoulder. "I really, really wanted to meet you."
"Me too, Finnick." The tears finally slipped down her cheeks and she pressed a kiss to her son's temple. "God... believe me, me too."
~A few hours later~
Midori lay down with Finnick, waiting for him to drift to sleep before slipping out of the covers and tucking him in. Eyes hard, and temper bubbling up again, she dressed in full costume again and contacted Kurogiri. A few minutes later she and Tomura were stepping through Kurogiri's portal and into the Doc's lab.
"Run the configuration again," Dabi ordered as he eyed the results. "Even with the extra enhancements, that amount of growth will be too much strain on her body. We need to make sure she'll be completely stabilized through the entire process before-"
"My King." Dr. Bennet rose from his seat and bowed. Dabi turned, and his heart leapt into his throat when he spotted Phoenix at his side. "Have you come to check on the process?"
"No… our newest member wanted a word with Dabi." He resisted the urge to smirk as he stepped back and let Phoenix step forward.
"With me, huh?" Unsure of what this could mean, Dabi rounded the desk and held out his hand for Phoenix's. "Well it's good to officially meet- OOOF!" Dabi fell back as Phoenix's hand completely ignored his outstretched one, and instead fisted before whipping out and striking him right in the face.
"Idiot!" Midori removed her mask and tossed it aside. "What's this about you telling our son that he could tag along on missions with me? Are you out of your goddamn mind adding him to my recruits when he's not even properly trained yet?"
"Good to see you too babe…" Dabi winced holding his jaw but he managed a smile. There she was, he thought, his wife in all her angry glory. "Not exactly the reunion I wanted, but I'm happy that you've-" he paused when what she was saying finally registered. "Wait… who told you about that?"
"Apparently our little dark prince escaped his babysitters and played stowaway." Tomura answered with great humor. "I'd be proud if I wasn't so keen on keeping my face intact." He added with a wary look to the preteen queen.
"I'm tempted to punch you as well, Tomura." She shot him a death glare.
"I'd appreciate it if you didn't. Even in your current state you could probably kill me if you were so inclined." Tomura shrugged it off and Dabi was quickly on his feet.
"I'm gonna fucking roast Magne and Spinner. They probably just sat him in front of a TV and called it quits." Dabi sneered. "I wasn't planning on sending him anywhere. He's been begging to be sent on missions ever since he got his quirk, but I've been telling him no from the beginning. Unfortunately the kid's stubborn and doesn't like to give up once he's got a notion in his head." He tapped her on the forehead. "Sound familiar?"
"That doesn't explain how-" Midori started to argue but Dabi quickly countered.
"He made an argument about how your group is made up of primarily kids, so I told Finnick that I'd talk to you, and if you agreed that I'd let him run missions under your supervision. I had a feeling you'd say no, because I was sure you didn't want to see him in your current state. I thought it would satisfy him enough to give us time to complete the aging process. "
"Instead he took what you said as an opening to get what he wanted." Midori sighed and rubbed hands over her face.
"I'll have Kurogiri bring him home. I'll give him a firm scolding for-"
"No, don't bother. I got an idea of where his progress is, and since you idiots are only focusing on a limited part of his training, I'll take it upon myself to readjust his focus."
"You sure you can handle it and him?" Doctor Bennet questioned. "Don't you already have your hands full, Karma?"
"Bennet's got a point." David Shield spoke up, looking weary and thin from his time in close captivity. "The kid's quirk is powerful, and he can barely control it."
"Pyrokinesis, am I right?" She questioned with a raised brow, and got surprised looks from the others. "Before I knew Finnick was in tow I split my group into teams in order to attract less attention. On our way back to base a hero suddenly caught fire. The news reports said the fire started internally, internal combustion. Since I'm the only one of my crew that has a fire quirk, I could only assume it was Finnick who did it."
"Barely five years old and he's already got a body count." Doctor Tsubasa chuckled from his spot and earned a sharp glare from Midori. "He's turning into a great villain." He cowered back in his seat as sharp implements of many kinds suddenly floated and surrounded him. Midori's Sentient Aura whipping out as her temper grew hotter.
"You think this is funny, old man? That's my son you're talking about. I did not give birth to him just so he could become twisted up and damaged like the rest of us!"
"Izumi…" Dabi lay a hand on her shoulder and rubbed it gently. "Phoenix..." He corrected and turned her towards him. He crouched so that they were at eye level. "I know you want to protect him, and keep him sheltered… but the facts are he's the son of two villains. You know better than anyone what the world is gonna see when they find out he exists. They're not gonna care if he's good, or innocent, because to them he's already tainted."
Midori couldn't deny that. She'd lived first hand what society thought of kids with villainous parents. She dropped her quirk and shoved Dabi's hands away.
"I know… but that doesn't mean it's okay for us to encourage his bad habits. He needs to know that there are times for violence… and times for peace."
"Who better to teach him?" Dabi smiled and reached out stroking her face. "I'll do what I can… but it's you he wants to learn from the most. He's spent the last four years of his life listening to your legend, hearing the praise from others. Now he wants to experience it first hand… and he wants to show you what he can do in turn."
"I'm not the woman I used to be…" she started to tell him, averting her eyes away from his, but letting him continue to touch her.
"... but you will be." He motioned to the others in the room. "We'll keep working on our end. You focus on your mission. If Finnick becomes too much of a hassle just let me know. I'll personally pick him up. Deal?"
Midori lifted her eyes to Dabi's again… and a slow affectionate smile spread.
"Alright… I guess that's fair."
"Good." he pulled her in for a hug and sighed whispering in her ear. "I think you broke my jaw."
"Pfft…" Midori couldn't help it. She laughed and hugged him back. "Weakling."
~The following morning~
"It's about go time, let's go over everyone's assignments." Phoenix stood with Finnick standing beside her. The two of them were in casual wear, sunglasses and hats protecting their identities. "Finnick and I will play off as siblings, and blend into the crowd. Everyone has communication devices, so if anything odd or noteworthy pops up, be sure to radio it in." She tapped her ear piece. "I'll be taking notes and listening in on everyone's findings, while also staying within everyone's range. You need backup, or feel like you've been compromised, back out immediately and I'll head over to run interference."
She placed a hand on Finnick's head, earning a small smile from him.
"The young prince's quirk will come in handy for that, but I want to avoid getting him involved in anything so soon… so be cautious and careful as you track your targets." She turned her attention to Kaoru. "Surveil has already set up cameras in the sections I've outlined on the map, and will stay underground to keep eyes on everyone. Claus, if we need to retreat back to base, make sure to give us some thick cover so we can split up properly and avoid detection."
"Yes, boss!" Claus nodded and stroked a hand over his sister's tense shoulder.
"Alright then, this is just a warm up today guys. I don't expect any major issues until later in the week. So use this experience and learn all you can." She stood tall with both hands on her hips. "With that said, let's move out Rebels!"
"YES, BOSS!" The crew shouted together, and the operation commenced. A few minutes later, Phoenix and Finnick blended into the crowd of families at a nearby outdoor mall, admiring the shops, and just wandering around.
"Team B is in position, we've got eyes on Jukebox, and Crawler now." Yuuichi's voice spoke through the earpiece, Midori felt Finnick's grip on her hand tighten and she looked down smiling.
"This your first time using a communicator, Finn?"
"Yeah… it's just like in those movies I watch with Dad." He touches his ear, the sunglasses hiding his wide eyed and shiny expression. "Sooo cool."
"Team C is in position, we've got eyes on the agency. We're waiting for a clear opening to plant the bug inside." Slim reported a few moments later.
"Copy," Midori responded to silm's report. "Unless an ideal moment occurs, take your time. Your quirk can make you undetectable to the naked eye, but you're vulnerable in a crowded space, so the fewer people there are, the better.
"Rodger, I'll bide my time and let you know once I've completed my task."
Midori paused when Finnick tugged on her hand. His body facing a food truck parked outside, and letting out enticing smells. With a gentle laugh she walked him over, and ordered them both some Takoyaki to share. As the rest of the crew handled tailing their targets, planting bugs, and gathering intel, she and Finnick relaxed, relaying or responding over the comlink now and again. It felt like a generic outing for the most part, and midori was happy Finnick seemed to be enjoying himself.
"We've got a villain appearance. Juke and Crawler are responding."
"Play spectator, and relay to me what you're seeing. Be sure keep a path open for yourselves in case you're recognized and need an escape." Midori's eyes suddenly became serious and she took a look at her surroundings. Spotting a nearby cafe she hauled Finnick there, ordering a couple of parfaits before pulling out a notebook from her backpack and immediately started scribbling down notes."
Finnick watched his mother with keen interest as she went into a state of muttering, and quick analysis.
"This would be so much easier if I could see the battle myself." She tapped her comlink. "Surveil, do you have eyes on the fight."
"I've got ring side seats," he teased. "Want me to stream it to you?"
"That would be fantastic… hold on lemme put on some headphones." She pulled out her temporary cell phone and plugged in some headphones. She held one earpiece to Finnick who took it with a smile and scooted his chair and parfait over so he could sit and watch the fight on the tiny screen.
The battle didn't last long, the heroes quickly winning out over the small time thugs earning them high praises. Midori pulled the headphone out and tucked her phone away tapping her comlink.
"Nice job, guys, we got some really good quirk data from that fight. Keep tailing them for another hour just in case they run into any other baddies. I wanna see how varied their quirks are in battle."
"Rodger, Phoenix."
"Roni, Mink, how is the intel process going?" Midori asked dipping her spoon into her half finished parfait. Finnick had devoured his already and was sucking on the spoon eyeing his mother's notes with great interest.
"Not well…" Roni admitted. "My quirk is only so good if I can get close to them, but that's been proving rather difficult. I did manage to squeeze some information out of a cop about their daily routines, but there was nothing of great value in the information."
Veronica aka "Roni- Quirk: Mental Inhibition, can remove a person's unwillingness to do something essentially taking away their free will.
"Can't be helped… we'll find another way to retrieve the data. Regroup with Team C and see if you can assist Slim in infiltrating the agency. We need that bug planted or La Brava won't be able to get into the records."
"Very well, I'm on my way."
"So…" Finnick spoke up when the comlink went silent. "Is our job really just to sit here and listen to other people do stuff?"
"That's right…" She pushed the parfait away and casually tapped her pen on the table as she re-read her notes. "We're the tactical team, Finnick. We carefully guide the others, and offer support where we can whether through advice, guiding them, or in emergency situations providing battle support."
"I guess this is kinda interesting, but I bet being out there and actually doing stuff is a lot more fun. When do I get to do stuff like that?" Finnick questioned with a pout.
"When you're properly trained for it." Midori told him bluntly. "While it's true being on the field is the best teacher, there are certain requirements you want to fulfill before even attempting any of it. You're showing potential by analyzing everything and asking questions, but you should have physical capabilities, and your quirk needs further honing before I can let you be on the field. I don't want you to get hurt, or accidentally hurt one of yoru other teammates." Midori looked to him and offered a sweet smile. "Do you understand?"
"I guess so." Finnick sighed and slumped back in his seat. "I guess I've got… mmmm what did dad call it… OH Itchy feet!"
Midori laughed at that and she ruffled the top of Finnick's head, the baseball cap slipping off and revealing some of his bright red hair.
"Yeah that sounds about right. I was pretty much the same throughout my entire life. Always antsy, always moving. I could never sit still." She smiled warmly at him.
"Really?" His eyes sparkled a little at the aspect of having something in common. "What were you like when... ah…" Finnick suddenly held his stomach. "Um… Ma… I mean… Phoenix?"
"Hmm? What is it Finn?" She turned a little more towards him.
"I need to pee." He fidgeted in his seat and had her laughing.
"Do you need me to come with you?"
"No! No, I got it." He stood up dancing a little. He spotted the bathroom in the corner of the cafe and jogged over. "Be right back!"
"Be sure to wash your hands!" She shouted after him, then returned to her notebook.
"Gotta go, gotta go, gotta go…" Finnick chanted to himself as he burst through the door. He yelped a bit when he ran right into someone else and fell backwards. His hat tipping off and revealing his bright red hair. "Ooof!"
"Whoa!" Two strong hands caught him and kept him upright. "You alright, little dude?"
"Y-yeah, S-somehow." Finnick looked up at the man apologetically. "Sorry."
"That's…" the man paused and took a careful study of him. "Touya?"
"Huh?" Finn blinked at the man's careful study. "Who?"
"Oh.. sorry, you just look an awful lot like someone I know." The man laughed and picked up the hat setting it back on his head. "There you go, little man." He moved so the kid could rush into the bathroom. He looked after him a minute then made his way out of the cafe. His cell phone ring and he checked the display before picking it up. "Hey, lil bro. What's up?"
"Natsu…" Shoto spoke on the other end. "You're late, you know. Fuyumi is expecting us in twenty minutes. Where are you?"
"Sorry, bro, I had to take a quick pee break. You'll never believe it, but I ran into this kid on my way out. I swear to christ he looked like Touya."
There was a long pause, before Shoto's voice came out hard and cold.
"Where?"
"Hmm? Oh it's that stylish cafe at the outdoor mall. They had a special on Cheesecake today and I-"
"Was there anybody else with him… the kid?"
"Huh? Not that I noticed, but the kid couldn't have been more than five so I'm sure his parents are here somewhere." Natsu rubbed the back of his neck. "Why what's wrong?"
"Go back to the cafe and stay there. I'll call Fuyumi and tell her to cancel dinner. If you find the kid again, keep an eye on him until I get there."
"Uh… okay… but why?"
"Just a hunch." Shoto closed his cell phone and got up from his desk. He looked to one of his sidekicks. "If Ground Zero calls or shows up, tell him I'm following a lead."
"Yes sir."
Shoto adjusted the cuffs on his costume, his eyes hard as he made his way out of his agency.
"A five yeard old boy who looks exactly like Touya…" Could be something, could be nothing, he thought with a sigh. However, after casually bumping into a pregnant Izumi at a mall in England, Shoto had decided to never overlook coincidences. Especially where Karma was concerned.
~Ask Briry~
Briry: Long time no see faithful readers! Took me awhile to get back into the swing of things. I've been struggling a little to keep myself motivated to write, plus I kept getting distracted by Tiktok, but I'm back and ready for action.
Next Chapter: Culture Fest Pt. 1