Izumi ❖ Chapter 1 - Ice cold
~Authors Note~
Heya dears ฅ^•ﻌ•^ฅ
I'm glad that you have found your way here. The idea for this story has been plaguing me (Ha! Got it?) for almost two years now. In short, I just have to write it down.
Personally, I thought the Hassaikai arc was way too short, so my story starts at the point where Overhaul is taking over. There will be some Canons and OCs showing up :) Even though the story contains romance, it develops VERY slowly. After all ... it's Overhaul. Oh, that rhymes! Neat =w=
It may be that there are any typos or weird contexts/sentences - i'm a german Author and i tried my best to translate, so please let me know if you find something odd.
I leave a triggerwarning here: This story contains gore, splatter, violence and abuse.
Enough blathering. I hope you enjoy reading. *leaves cookies there*
Special thanks to HellsGate, who proofread my story. You're the best ◉w◉
The girl coughed as she inhaled the dust kicked up by her scuffed boots. It had not rained for a good two weeks and the late summer heat burned mercilessly on her skin.
So she walked under the shadows of the rooftops and acacias, into neglected back alleys – into a neighborhood where no Hero ever strayed. Beggars leaned against the walls of the shacks that the residents called their homes, and criminals waited in the darkness for their victims from whose pockets they could steal. This slum – it was a hodgepodge of sad existences that justice had forgotten. Like many other street children, the little girl was one of them.
Her steps slowed when she spotted a boy in the alley she had never seen before. Probably a new kid who had ended up on the street, she thought. He must have been about her age, give or take a year.
Unblinking, the boy stared at the baker, and the girl hastily hid in the shadows, watching him. If he was planning to steal from the old Rei, the boy was in for a treat, for the baker was not exactly squeamish about thieves. The girl grinned. If he got caught, she could take advantage of the confusion and steal some food.
The boy took a step forward, pressing his hand to his belly. For a moment she had thought she could hear his stomach growling, then he sprinted off in the direction of the bakery stand.
It wasn't long before she heard Rei's furious yell. „You dirty thief!" it echoed through the alley, and the boy shot around the corner, turning, closely followed by the Baker, who chased after him.
The girl, meanwhile, hurried to his stall, grabbed three anpan, and made off again. She knew that Rei would quickly reoccupy as soon as his tantrum had passed, and no sooner had she finished spinning the thought than the baker marched back again.
The girl had hidden herself, and when Rei had turned, she ran into the alley he had chased the boy into earlier.
„You goddamn parasites!" it came to her ears.
Just then he seemed to notice that three Anpans were missing, and she quickened her steps. Her gaze was fixed firmly on the fresh footprints. They were barely visible and most would probably not even have noticed them.
So the girl ran, following the trail. First left around, then right around. She continued to make her way through the maze of streets until she finally stopped in a dark cul-de-sac. Hidden behind stinking trash cans sat the boy. He didn't even cower, didn't seem afraid. Instead, he stared absent-mindedly holes in the ground.
„You really suck at stealing," the girl said, and the boy looked up. His golden irises looked blank, as if he had no soul left. „Here, your share," she said, tossing one of the anpans in his direction as she just sat down next to him unbidden.
He caught it, staring wide-eyed at the filled bun for a moment before turning his face back to the girl. He didn't waste a single word.
„Don't be shy," she said while eating. „I bet you haven't eaten in a while, have you?"
He opened his mouth, wanting to retort something, but decided against it and his gaze fell back on the anpan in his hands.
„What is it?" she echoed.
„Why?"
„What, why?"
He held his breath before asking; „Why ... are you helping me?"
„Why not?" She shrugged. „We're in the same boat, aren't we?"
The boy was silent and then hesitantly began to eat.
„You haven't been on the street long, have you?"
A silent shake of the head on his part.
She woulnd't ask about his family. You only ended up in this slum when you had lost everything. Far be it from her to stir up painful memories.
„Thank you ... for the food," finally came from him cautiously and he gave her a quick sideways glance. „What's your name?"
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„Takizawa!" boomed in her ears as Daidara harshly snapped her out of her thoughts. „Your photos are genius! You're really talented!"
Takizawa Izumi massaged her temples. „Thanks, I know."
„And how modest you are again today!" He grinned cheekily, his black tail swaying back and forth and the spiky tip gleaming golden.
Izumi raised a finger in admonishment, sarcasm resonating in her voice. „Modesty is a virtue-"
„That you, unfortunately, do not posesses." Yamano, the author of thier journalism team, took a stand next to Daidara, the lector. „Still, I must honor your work." With her finger, Yamano pointed to the photo of Hawks on Izumi's desk. „Catching him at work and not posing for photos is really hard."
Izumi raised her camera toward her colleagues and pulled the trigger. Taking a closer look at the photo she had just taken, she concealed from Yamano that Daidara had given her bunny ears at the last moment. Pushing off on the edge of the desk with her foot, Izumi rocked the chair back and forth. „I chased after him for a solid two weeks for that, too. The guy's really jumpy."
„Goes with his Quirk. Free as a bird, or something," Daidara mused, grabbing a piece of chocolate from Izumi's desk, who then gave him a reproachful look.
Yamano adjusted her glasses. „With your photos and my story, we'll get that raise for sure."
„And my editing," Daidara interjected emphatically.
Izumi watched the scene silently. The two were arguing like an old married couple, and a smile crept onto her lips at the sight. It was comforting to know that they got along so well, because there was an eternal competition going on in the Hero Times office. Who shot the best photos, who broke the most exclusive stories? The teams were constantly competing with each other, because whoever couldn't deliver anything was the first to have their head rolled when it came to budget cuts. This made smooth cooperation within the teams all the more important.
... your destiny, make it grand or horrible ...
The ring tone rang muffled through the office - it had been Izumi's second cell phone, which resembled her actual smartphone down to the last detail.
... grasp it with those hands of yours ...
„Sorry, I have to take this," she said, digging the smartphone out of the depths of her pocket.
...'cause you can live your dreams while still awake ...
„Takizawa," she reported as she picked up.
„Yoo-hoo, my little birdie!"
Velvet's voice sounded cheerful, the intonation was habitually enthusiastic, but Izumi could hear the well masked annoyance in her tone. Something catastrophic had to have happened - the fact that Velvet had called her during her working hours alone was proof enough.
„Did something happen?" she probed.
„I'm extremely pleased to hear that my little birdie seems to understand the urgency of my call," Velvet replied, the singsong of her voice breaking all at once into icy coldness. „We have a serious problem regarding the dear Mr Vulture."
Izumi swallowed. Apparently, shit was already hitting the fan. She gave her colleagues a furtive sideways glance. The last thing she wanted was to arouse suspicion – one of her reasons for having the identical second phone.
„Don't worry about it. I'll be right there to pick you up," she replied, hanging up.
„Is there trouble?" inquired Daidara.
„A friend of mine is having stress with her ex."
„Ohhh, a friend?" He mused, then a mischievous grin flitted across his face. „Is she cute?"
„On a general league scale of one to ten, she's a twelve," Izumi pointed a finger at him, „and you're a minus three."
Yamano snorted. „Ouch."
Sulking, he crossed his arms. „So snarky."
„Just honest." Izumi winked at him and shouldered her bag. She hung her camera around her neck. „Well, get on with it, you writer-lector dream team."
„Still, try to get me her number ... Ow!"
Yamano smacked him across the skull and snorted. „Grow up already!"
„I'll see you tomorrow then," Izumi said and laughed heartily, turning on his heel. „And please let him live. It's really hard to find a good lector." With those words, she disappeared from the office.
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With a skillful leap, Izumi hopped off the roof of the warehouse, jumping a good ten meters into the depths. The flutter of her hood assaulted her ears, and wind concentrated under her boots just before she hit the ground. Dust swirled as the winds cushioned her impact completely silently. The only sound that had ultimately alerted the guard to her was the soft rustle of her gray-green cloak as it yielded to gravity and slid down her petite body. Izumi had landed directly between the gate and the guard, and she instantly pressed her gloved fingers to his mouth, stopping him from sounding the alarm.
Something shattered the silence, lightning fast and unseen, yet razor sharp, cutting his skin like an invisible scalpel. Blood trickled down his cheek, dripping onto the collar of his white shirt.
„Let's be clear: I could have just slit your throat." Her voice echoed muffled through her owl mask, and moonlight refracted, reflected, in the lens of the visor embedded in her right eye. „And can continue to do so. So think carefully about what you want to do now."
The incision Izumi had inflicted on him was superficial, yet it achieved the desired effect. The man swallowed hard, nodded haltingly in response, and she let go of him. The guard did not dare to lift a finger. Apparently, he understood his position.
„How many people are currently in the building?"
„Four in all."
„And Hayashi," she said, her tone sharpening. „Is he one of them?"
„Yes," he answered curtly.
„What exactly do you have to do with him?"
„... He's our infobroker and he's got some big thing going on right now. He's promised us shares if we protect him until an ultimatum expires."
„One last question," she echoed. „Are you familiar with their quirks?"
„Only two of them. Ikeda is the guy who looks like a cheetah ... his skills match his appearance. He's a melee fighter with quick reflexes and claws. And Konishi ... His body is like rubber and he can extend his arms and legs, but I don't know at what distance."
„I sincerely thank you for smooth cooperation." Izumi slammed the edge of her hand into his neck, and the guard collapsed. For a second, her gaze lingered on his unconscious body before she turned to the massive gate behind her.
To some, it certainly looked like an impenetrable wall, and Izumi bent her knee, balancing on one leg. Wind currents gathered again beneath her boot. More and more and more they compressed until it became a sphere. A constant, shrill whirring sounded, resounding over the terrain, cutting the silence, and she kicked against the Gate, unleashing the concentrated power of the wind. The thick metal of the gate instantly gave way and buckled under the tremendous pressure, shattering and ripping open with a deafening tug. The sharp edges of the meter-long crack peeled inward.
Dark and dusty the warehouse had been, and metal fragments and stone chips crunched under Izumi's light weight. „Hi!" Unconcerned, she raised her hand. „I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"
The four men stared at her, stunned. Izumi's interest was focused on the guy in the back row. Hayashi, an ashen-haired upstart who always wears ties with horrible patterns - those had been Velvet's words. True, Izumi found silently to herself, when she caught sight of said broker. That striped tie in neon yellow and purple had indeed been appalling.
She had barely finished spinning the thought when a fist nearly collided with her face, directing it outward via wind current. It was Konishi who had opened the fight, and Izumi gave herself a massive push, darting forward and racing close to his extended arm. She had been so fast that he wasn't even remotely able to dodge, and she lunged, amplifying her blow with wind pressure and chasing her fist into his stomach. Her metal-armored knuckles literally dug into his stomach, making him spit blood and sending his body flying. She jumped after him, performed a skillful spin and kicked, sending him straight back to the ground. With a loud crack, Konishi hit the concrete, and as Izumi landed, she managed to duck under a razor-sharp claw aimed sideways at her at the last second. She looked up. Ikeda's guard was wide open and she rammed her elbow under his solar plexus - but without wind pressure, for it was not in her interest to kill him. The cheetah man backed away, contorted his face painfully, bared his teeth.
„I'm not interested in you guys. I'm only here for Hayashi," she said, rising from her crouched posture and turning to Ikeda and the unnamed third guy who had originally taken up a protective position in front of Hayashi. By now, however, the latter's bodyguards had frozen into a pillar of salt, not moving a muscle. Pure fear was reflected in his face. „Fuck off," she ordered them, casually pointing at Konishi, who lay unconscious in the dirt beside her. „And don't forget this one."
It took a moment for the men to seem to grasp her words. They gave each other one or two initially skeptical, then determined looks before complying with Izumi's order - albeit cautiously. Ikeda shouldered Konishi and his gaze grazed Izumi.
„There's another one outside the gate. Take that one, too."
The men said nothing, seeking the distance as quickly as possible, and Izumi turned to Hayashi. He smiled, facing her waitingly, and they both remained silent until the overlapping footsteps of his bodyguards were out of earshot.
„You have made no effort to escape, nor do you seem to want to fight me," she finally addressed him. „So you seem to be aware of your situation."
„I was aware that I was betting very high, but I had naively still imagined certain chances." Hayashi snorted defiantly. „Who would have thought that Re-Destro would immediately send Hummingbird after me."
Izumi cocked her head at the mention of her alias, and he grinned in amusement. „Bull's eye .. So you really do exist."
„Good bluff," she admitted, „But what good does that knowledge do for you now?"
„I guess I'm just honored that an urban legend will be my executioner."
„You're taking your fate surprisingly calmly."
„And you seem pretty hesitant for a Villain."
Izumi strode up to him and clasped her hands behind her head, skipping over his statement. „By the way, I must correct you. It wasn't just Re-Destro you pissed off with your blackmail attempt."
Hayashi looked at her in confusion for the first moment. „Ah. Milady Rose, then? Though I'm not surprised by that. It was obvious she was doing business with a fat cash cow like Re-Destro, only I didn't have any solid evidence." His voice trailed off and he grinned bitterly. „... So I didn't stand a chance from the start."
Much like Izumi's alias Hummingbird, Milady Rose was a title given to Velvet by the denizens of the underworld.
„How desperate do you have to be to willfully piss on two of the greatest powers in the underworld?"
„Pretty desperate," he replied. „Probably about as desperate as you are."
„Desperate, me? Don't be ridiculous."
„You know, Hummingbird ..." He settled on the cold floor, following her unstoppable steps with his gaze. „In the world we live in, there are only two kinds of people: Those who do bad things because they can, and those who do bad things because they have to. And you and I, we are of those who must."
Coming to a stop in front of him, she looked down at him and tilted her head. „Do we? Interesting that you can judge. After all, when I recall your disaster with Re-Destro and Milady Rose, it doesn't seem to me like you're the brightest bulb in the box."
A laugh escaped Hayashi. „Point taken." Then he raised a finger admonishingly. „And yet, I didn't think Hummingbird would be so soft-hearted. I mean ... you're even bothering to understand the intentions of a doomed man right now. Why else would you even want to talk to me if not out of your guilty conscience?"
„You're reading too much into this. It's mere curiosity."
„So, even the guys you just let go instead of whacking them – even at the risk of them being able to spread information about you, though I doubt they even know who you are."
She shrugged. „I don't spill any more blood than necessary. That's all."
Grinning, he grabbed her wrist, applied pressure. „You think I don't know the significance of you sparing those guys?" His gaze dropped for a moment to the gaping crack in the gate. „You could have killed them right then and there if you wanted to. What do you think that says about you, Hummingbird?"
The fine leather of her black gloves creaked as she tried to break free of his grip, but he didn't let go.
„The truth hurts, doesn't it? I can't even begin to imagine how painful it must be for someone like you to inflict violence on others."
„Let go of me," she commanded, but Hayashi apparently didn't even dream of it.
„Hey, Hummingbird." The amusement in his voice was nauseating. „It must really bother your conscience to have to kill me, doesn't it?"
„It doesn't." It really doesn't.
„Hey, Humm-ing-bird," he sang. „Denying it won't do any good. How long do you think you'll be able to block it all out? How much longer before you destroy yourself?"
„Do you really want those to be your last words?"
He ignored her question, then rummaged in his jacket pocket. „Here," he said, holding out a flash drive to Izumi. „At least I die knowing that your future will be one of unbearable torment." Hayashi smiled in satisfaction. „Goodbye, doomed Hummingbird."
An all-pervading cut echoed through the warehouse, cutting through the silence and Hayashi's throat in equal measure. Izumi broke free of his grip on the spot, backing away a step as if automated, while his body hit the gray concrete, his blood spreading across the ground like a deep red carpet. He gasped for breath, choking on his own blood, but his eyes did not leave her for a second.
Izumi could not take her eyes off him, and despite the gruesome death throes she was about to face, she felt nothing but icy coldness in her heart.
Then Hayashi took his last, miserable breath and Izumi paused for a moment. A long moment, until she finally recollected herself. Once again she created her winds and began to float, stepping past the lifeless body and across the carpet of blood, from whose shallows she finally fished the USB stick.
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„Once again, I can only affirm that you and Velvet are simply my most trusted business partners!" Yotsubashi held the USB stick in the air, looking at it in the cold glare of the overhead lamp. He made no secret of the joy he was feeling right now. „That little maggot actually dared to try to extort me for my gadgets. And all for money, so his wife and kid don't have to end up on the street. Heartbreaking, don't you think?"
Izumi had her arms folded behind her back, clenching her fist. Hayashi ... Had a wife and child?
„Pretty desperate."
She immediately drove his words from her mind, studying Yotsubashi's debauched enthusiasm instead.
Yotsubashi Rikiya, president of Detnerat, a.k.a. Re-Destro, leader of the Meta Liberation Army – he had been Velvet's most important customer, and it was only through their cooperation that gadgets exclusively reserved for Heroes could enter the underworld.
The sophisticated visor set into the right eye of her owl mask also came from Detnerat. It was a prototype that had many features, the most important being the ability to detect all surveillance cameras within Tokyo and its 5-mile radius, as well as the exact surveillance radius of those cameras. Detnerat's servers consistently pinpointed the locations and functionality in real time, and the radius was expanded bit by bit. This made it much easier for Izumi to remain a rumor and go about her work undisturbed.
„You guys are really worth every single yen!" He glanced over his shoulder. „For your outstanding work and saving my empire, you get a bonus!"
„Your confidence in our competence honors us, Yotsubashi-sama," she said, bowing politely.
He grinned and finally turned to her. „Tell me, Hummingbird, you're really sure you don't want to join my Liberation Army? Your skills would be invaluable to us."
„I am also honored by your offer," she replied, bowing again. „Regrettably, joining is not possible for me for personal reasons."
For a while, his penetrating gaze rested on her. „Very well, then. But should you change your mind one day, you know where to find me."
Izumi nodded to him, then strode to the window front and surveyed the Tokyo skyline for a moment. Millions of lights in thousands and thousands of colors shone and flashed, painting the silhouettes of skyscrapers, signs, streets and bridges in the darkness even in the blackness of night.
„Your payment will arrive on Thursday," Yotsubashi said, watching her open a window. „Expect more orders. Oh, and please give Velvet my best regards and deepest thanks."
„But of course," Izumi gave in reply and climbed out of the frame, pausing. „We look forward to working for you again soon, Yotsubashi-sama."
With those words, she pushed herself off and plunged into the depths whose darkness swallowed her whole.