Droplets hit the wool tatami, soaking into the carpet. The patter isn't as dense as rainfall nor is it quite as heavy. However, it does seep through the material as wet as liquid can possibly be. Blood is the devil's ink. Clay can create too. The combination of both can be molded into anything.
Kai Chisaki, young head of the Yakuza, is capable of morphing and reshaping too. With his touch based quirk, all it takes is five fingers coming into contact with something to perform a complete overhaul. Which is why his subordinates find it odd that he isn't wearing his gloves to prevent accidental deconstruction.
They know better than to question their superior though. They wouldn't dare go against their boss. So they keep quiet about it. They just go about their business, taking their seats at the table they were called to. Joi Irinaka, general manager of the Shie Hassaikai, counts wads of bills. A stack of yen begins to pile up behind him. Hari Kurono, being Chisaki's assistant, brews tea to deliver.
It's so quiet in the room occupied by the entire force of the Yakuza that it's eerie. Even Rappa and Katsukame, as large as he is, remain silent. Nemoto and Setsuno share a look, communicating telepathically even without the usage of quirks. Then again, anyone in the room would be able to know what the other person is thinking in this atmosphere. The brewer beeps to alert Kurono it's ready to be poured. The sound is not just to inform them that the tea is ready. It's an indicator that the meeting can finally begin.
However, before it can, there comes a disruption. The old fashioned Shoji Japanese sliding door that makes up the room's entrance and exit is pushed open. Nobody had been expecting anyone else to attend the meeting. Least of all, a second Kai Chisaki.
All eyes flick towards one or the other, discomfiture and consternation brewing faster than the tea did. The Chisaki in the doorway glares at his doppleganger with minacious golden eyes. They each share the same wardrobe, green bomber jackets with purple fur collars. Despite the beak shaped masks covering their jaws, the facial features are so similar that they could be mistaken for twin brothers.
The only notable difference is that the one in the doorway does have his white surgical gloves on, whereas the one at the head of the table does not. The imposter becomes evident then. The Yakuza turn on who had duped them.
Though he's not the real Kai Chisaki, his fingers are just as deadly. The five digits become elongated, jutting out and spearing Yu Hojo before he can crystallize. The deceptive identity thief is well informed of the Yakuza group's members. Fraudulent Chisaki's informant had been rather thorough about each of their quirks in particular.
"And here I was about to give the performance of a lifetime.", fake Chisaki retracts his five fingers from Hojo. Now a lifeless corpse, the Yakuza's body falls to the floor. The gangster's killer stands up, stealing their face next. Chisaki's brown hair retreats into his head as his facial structure is reconstructed. Even his clothes change completely, leaving no trace of former identity.
"Bastard!", Katsukame roars in anger as he rears his colossal fist. Right behind him, the rest of the Yakuza are as equally infuriated. The intruder didn't just steal Hojo's appearance. Diamonds cover his body, taking the impact head on. The sturdy makeshift armor is just enough to shelter him as he's sent crashing through a wall. The diamond chips, cracks, and then shatters as he tumbles across the floor.
"How dare you use the boss's face!", Irinaka lets loose a shrill shriek while pursuing the infiltrator. He doesn't expect Hojo's body snatcher to transform their arm into an ax, ready for the assault. In one swift swing, fake Hojo chops Irinaka in half. Intestines unravel and blood spills just like that.
The real Chisaki has had enough. He himself rushes in, intent on touching the interloper in order to disassemble their shape shifting body. As always, when he does make contact, the body bursts. Blood sprays in all directions, flesh completely liquified. As much as he hates the sight of blood, he can't help but grin beneath his mouthpiece.
However, that toothy smile doesn't last. The red liquid changes its shade of color, graying and turning thicker. It collapses in heavy heaps instead of being a wet splash. It oozes worse than gore. It makes his skin crawl and causes hives to break out across his face. The deconstruction of clay doesn't matter when the putty is able to be reshaped.
Fake Hojo drips all over the carpet, clay face melting with the rest of his body like a wax figure in heat. A gurgling sound is the only warning the Yakuza gets before the intruder stretches his arm again, long appendage serving as a thick whip. Despite being made of clay, it packs a heavy hit. Setsuno and Nemoto are slammed into the ceiling, bones crumbling from the force of impact.
Katsukame charges the clay figure with another massive fist cocked back. When his knuckles connect, the liquid splatters just like when Chisaki's quirk took effect. But that doesn't finish the fight. The clay shoots spikes up from its many puddles, piercing the hulking Yakuza member from all angles. Katsukame unleashes a primal scream while trying to retreat from the spires spearing his body.
"What are you.. ?", Chisaki mutters under his breath as he watches the unkillable slime slam into Rappa next. Rappa's punches have no effect on the liquid, every blow absorbed by the clay. The fight is futile.
Kurono hurries to stand by Chisaki's side. There's an urgency in his tone when he pleads, "You need to evacuate. While it's distracted."
But they don't get the chance to escape, even if they wanted to try. A spike stabs through Kurono's chest, impaling him on the spot. When it retracts, there's a hole at his epicenter. Chisaki's assistant slumps to the ground, joining the other dead Yakuza there.
Sakaki, who had opted for booze over tea, has his brains bashed in by a clay hammer. That same clay then forces its way down Tabe's throat, imploding the man from the inside out. Not even Tengai's shields are enough to hold back the force of the unkillable liquid; he's eventually buried by the weight of the clay closing around him, and crushed.
Chisaki grits his teeth, grinding them together behind his beak shaped mask. His golden glare watches as the clay morphs until it matches his appearance. "What is it that you want?", he addresses himself with venom in his voice.
"Transfer all of your assets to this offshore account.", his living reflection sounds exactly like him. Although, his movements aren't mirrored. Fake Chisaki reaches into his coat pocket to pull out a cellphone, offering it to the real Chisaki.
Real Chisaki taps numbers into the device, carefully avoiding touching it with all five of his fingers. After he's finished wiring money into the bank account, he hands it back. "Done.", he growls before asking, "Anything else?"
Fake Chisaki's eyes lift in delight, making an expression on the man's face that not even himself had ever seen him have before. Then, the imposter's hand takes the form of an ax again. It makes a clean cut, beheading the real Chisaki. The voice that comes out of the fake Chisaki is no longer masculine; a feminine cheerful response answers the dead man's question, "Nope!"
The still living Chisaki changes his hair color without having to dye it, brown locks becoming blonde. His chest develops a modest bust and his manhood becomes womanly. Pretty soon, he puts a pep in his step that's much too bubbly for a gangster. He becomes the murderous girl, Himiko Toga. The ex-member of the League Of Villains and former partner of Anarky.
She skips her way to the nearest wall, avoiding the bodies laying by her feet. It feels good to be cute again, she thinks. A miniskirt and a cardigan is much cozier than a business suit and a heavy coat. Her now uncalloused hands touch one of the many corpses, smearing them in blood.
She's only been doing as she was instructed, but she has to admit that it's been fun. And now she even gets to finger paint with blood! Her hands slap the wall, sliding up in a wide arc and curving down. At the bottom, she dots it with one final smack. Once she's finished, she sucks on each of her fingers. It's better than licking sauce off of them.
Toga can't suppress the giggle that escapes her grin full of fangs as she saunters out of the room, leaving behind her a bloody question mark.
-AUTHOR'S NOTE-
It's been a long wait (hopefully not too long), but I'm ready to finally start writing the sequel to Legend Of The Bat!
To Returning Readers: Thank you for being patient and for continuing to read this series! Your commitment is very much appreciated!
To Newcomers: Welcome! You probably understood less of what was happening in this first chapter/prologue than the veterans; to which I would say and suggest you read the first book that preludes this one! If you happen to like what you read, then I hope you stick around!
The story will be picking up from where the last one left off. In case you need a recap, Himiko Toga has become Clayface and now works under the employ of the yet to be revealed Riddler. Meanwhile, Izuku Midoriya has his hands full as a billionaire, vigilante, and legal guardian of Eri now - which will be what the next chapter is all about!