Suzumi was forced to sit on Keiji's lap as he worked, sitting behind the large mahogany desk between his arms. He opened and read letters full of cash from the people he loaned money to and he counted the money out, laying it in piles on his desk before his phone rang. He picked it up and Suzumi held her breath as he wrapped his free arm around her body, grabbing at her skin like a snake. She grimaced and she tried to pull away, but it caused him to hold her even closer.

"What do you mean!?" He yelled into the phone suddenly, causing Suzumi's heart to start racing. "I don't want excuses! Do your damn job!" He paused as he listened to the reply. "If you can't stand up to the Shie Hassaikai then I better not see you back here alive!" He paused again. "Fine. I'll send you Kawatora. Don't disappoint me any further."

He ended the call with an aggravated sigh and pulled Suzumi closer as he used both hands to send a text to Kawatora. He slammed the phone down onto his desk and grabbed at the back of her neck. She froze, not wanting to be the outlet of his rage. He hissed through his teeth.

"That Chisaki brat's days are numbered… He thinks he can bully me, but I'll show him. Soon we'll be able to pay for the first shipment of weapons…" A blood thirsty grin grew across his face. "Then we'll give him what he wants. He's been trying to provoke a war between our families for too long… and I'll be the one to destroy him."

Keiji grabbed her chin, pulling her to face him. He couldn't see her eyes or her face, but he gazed into them with a gentle, confident, and unsettling look in his eyes. He could feel her heart racing in his grip like a trapped rabbit. "But first, I'll get my revenge on your family."

Suzumi tried to turn away, but her head was held firmly in place. He ran his fingers over her brows and eyes with his left hand before settling his fingers on her lips. He was trying to feel her expression and his features quickly changed to match her own, his brows furrowing into anger and a scowl growing on his face.

He had wanted her to be afraid, and she was, but the angry expression he felt on her face was seen as a challenge to him. If she wasn't fearing him, he wasn't in control.

She could feel the heat build up within her as he pushed his chair back and pushed her off like an angry toddler. She fell onto the floor and before the bells could settle he began yelling. Yelling about the same things he always yelled about. How everything was her fault. Loud, violent, and scary.

"How dare you look down on me! As my wife you are expected to obey and worship me! I have given you everything! Without me you'd be living on the streets! NO ONE would be able to see you. You'd just die out there! But no, instead of being grateful you look at me like that!" He drug his hand across the desk and sent the papers flying through the air before turning back to her.

Suzumi shrunk back against the wall, trying to make herself small. Trying to make herself disappear entirely through the floor, but she knew there was nowhere she could go. He sunk down to one knee and leaned in closely, so close she could feel the anger radiating off of his body. It was suffocating. He held his hands up against either side of the wall to make her feel even more trapped and he leaned in so close their foreheads brushed up against one another.

She avoided his intense gaze, trying to think of the closet. Dark, cramped and hot, the air just as heavy as it was now. But that place was safe… Not here.

She was suffocating in his anger as his quirk gripped her insides.

"Huh? Say something!" He hissed, smacking his hand against the wall.

Suzumi closed her eyes and tried to fight the tears her fear tried to squeeze out of her. He was desperate for some ammo to use against her. For some sort of argument to begin. If she kept her mouth closed would he leave her alone? Or would it result in violence?

She was terrified, but behind her eyes she could only think of the anger on Shota's face. How heartbroken he looked when he saw what Keiji had done to her. Deep within her was her own anger and she kept it hidden and far from reach. Her instinct screamed at the back of her head to fight back, to punch and claw at him, and to bite off his nose, but she remained frozen in place. Even if she could fight, she wouldn't be free.

Nothing good would come of it, so she lifted her arms up to shield herself as he pulled back his fist...

Before her heartbeat could explode from her ears, there was a knock at the door and the sea of anger drowning the room drained through the doorway as it opened.

"I didn't say you could enter!" Keiji stood and turned to the door, his hands balling up into fists.

"Forgive me boss, but we need to talk." It was Unit who entered, stepping aside.

Peplum walked into the room, dragging behind him two bodies with the use of his quirk. Suzumi clambered to her feet as she recognized her brother as he was dropped to the ground.

"Kaede!" She tried to reach out and run to him, but was caught by Keiji. He gripped her arm tightly, causing her to yelp out in pain.

"Suzumi?" Her brother looked around frantically in the room, but could not find her.

Blood covered his face from a head wound and his arms were bound behind his back. As another body was thrown down beside him, Suzumi's heart skipped a beat. The man coughed and struggled to lift his head, looking up at Keiji with dark and tired eyes.

"Sho…." She could barely speak, her body beginning to shake violently with fear as she raised her hand to her mouth.

"What happened?" Keiji narrowed his eyes, demanding an answer as he looked down at the two.

"His wife and kid are in the other room. We were able to get out without running into the police, but something else came up." Unit took a knee, grabbing a handful of Shota's hair to pull his head up to face the boss. "It seems that we've been working with a spy."

Shota tried to force consciousness into himself, but his eyes were heavy and it was difficult to keep them open. He strained his ears to listen for the bell, but couldn't hear it. His head was foggy and he felt dazed. He had passed out on the drive over. He tried to unbind his wrists, but it was no use.

Keiji's face soured into a look of disgust. "Nothing can go right today.." He shook his head, bringing his hand to his forehead. "So who is he then? Shie Hassaikai?"

Unit shook his head. "He wouldn't let me cause injury to the family. I've had my suspicions about him since the beginning, but I'm sure he's an undercover hero." He moved his hand over Shota's eyes. "Looks like the erasure hero, right?"

Suzumi felt as if she could faint, grabbing onto the desk behind her to steady herself. They had found him out and there was no one around who could help rescue him. She knew that Keiji would condemn him and want to destroy him on the spot and that set her heart racing even faster. She felt weak and like she could throw up.

He was already so beaten up… What could she do?

Keiji erupted into laughter and shook his head at the hero laying on the floor before his smile faded into disgust. He let go of Suzumi and approached him.

"Stand him up." He ordered Unit and he obeyed, pulling the hero to his feet.

After looking the hero over, Keiji bore his eyes into him angrily, his quirk igniting a heat within his core like heartburn and quickly spreading into his lungs and throat with a suffocating intensity. Keiji's anger became palpable as Shota coughed and struggled, trying to gasp for air.

It felt like a fire erupted in his lungs and no matter how desperately he gasped for air, he felt as if he were drowning in smoke. A sweat broke out from his forehead and the rest of his body as the heat spread out from his core.

'I just have to hold out as long as I can… I can't use my quirk to erase his, not yet. I can't confirm that I'm who they think I am. I need more time. I can't fail here! Not after how far we've come! This isn't over yet…'

The room grew blurry and he struggled to keep his eyes open just as much as he struggled for breath. He only hoped that Suzumi wasn't there, watching him like a fly on the wall.

"Keiji! Please! Stop!"

Suzumi couldn't sit back and watch him suffer, knowing too well that feeling of suffocation. Without thinking she found herself running between him and putting her arms out to push Keiji backwards. Her legs were heavy with fear, but her heart pulled her forward into action. She couldn't sit there and take it anymore.

"Out of my way!"

Keiji's damning eyes widened with surprise as the invisible woman before him suddenly took form. The red in Suzumi's eyes faded as he landed a punch across her cheek and sent her falling to the floor.

"Suzumi!"

Keiji opened his mouth in surprise and amusement as he found that both Kaede and the hero were yelling out for her. As Suzumi faded from view, Keiji looked back at the hero who was now struggling desperately to get free. His eyes were glowing red like daggers into his own, his hair standing up on end.

"Oho~!" Keiji grinned, holding out his arms. "So we were right! I'll admit, you had me fooled, Eraser. It's just too bad you won't be able to beat me."

Shota struggled violently to get free, eager to kick the evil smirk from Keiji's face, but Unit held him firmly in place. He was easily able to push him down to his knees, his strength greater than his own.

"Let my sister go!" Kaede yelled out from the floor. His eyes were also glowing red, but Peplum's quirk proved to be stronger than his own.

Keiji huffed. "The audacity…" He shook his head. "Just look where you are! I've won. You're in no place to barter, you should be begging! Begging for me not to kill you." He turned towards Suzumi and held out his hand, his sadistic expression softening into a fake apology. "I'm sorry dear… We shouldn't fight in front of company. Come on."

Suzumi looked at him confused from the void and hesitated before taking his hand. He lifted her to her feet and she felt herself become visible once again as Shota's gaze fell upon her. Keiji held her closely and watched Shota intently as he wrapped his fingers around her neck. He grinned as he could see the outrage in the hero's face, the anger burning in his eyes as he struggled to break free.

"Don't you dare hurt her!" Shota growled.

Keiji's eyes sparkled with excitement as the relationship between the hero and Suzumi made itself clear to him. He pulled her head to the side and ran his tongue from her collarbone, up her neck, and flicked it off of her jaw bone. He laughed deeply, finding joy in the raw look of disgust and hate it brought to his enemy's face.

"Don't worry hero…" Keiji growled. "I won't be the one doing the hurting."

He stepped behind Suzumi, placing a hand on her shoulder while he pulled his pistol from his waist. He took her hands and wrapped her fingers around it, holding his hands gently over hers as if he were teaching her how to fire. His hands were unnaturally gentle, sending a chill down Suzumi's spine.

"I'd start begging…" He grinned, moving his hands back to her shoulders. He leaned in and whispered into her ear. "Which one do you want to die most? The hero that failed to save you? Or the brother that betrayed and abandoned you?"

Suzumi's head spun and her hands shook as she held the gun in her hands. She had never fired a weapon before… or bore the responsibility she now held in her grip. Kaede yelled at her from the floor, but Shota remained silent as he stared back at her. The look of determination in his face wasn't strong enough to hide the anger and fear in his eyes. Still, at this time she could pick out the worry stitched into his brow and the care in his eyes. Her heart ached just as hard as he struggled to break free from Unit's grasp.

"COME ON!" Keiji made her flinch as he yelled. "Shoot!"

She pointed the gun at Kaede, her hands trembling visibly, but she couldn't bring herself to pull the trigger. She moved on to Shota, the tears welling up in her eyes.

"GO!" Keiji gripped her tighter, shaking her slightly.

She screamed out as she pulled the trigger, and the sound was so loud it made her ears ring. Her hands flew back from the recoil and there was a loud thud and a shriek as Unit and Shota fell to the ground. Suzumi fell to her knees as well, dropping the gun to the ground beside her. She shook so violently, but didn't tear her eyes away from the blood on the back wall. She had taken a life and it was Unit who lay lifeless on the ground.

Shota dropped to the ground and hopped back up to bring the arms behind his back under his legs and in front of his body. With the use of his quirk he was able to loosen the tie of his capture weapon around his wrists. He flung one end around Peplum's neck and pulled it taught, sending him flying towards Keiji.

This bought him enough time to pull out his phone and send a text.

now

Shota wasn't sure if he had enough time to press send before the phone exploded in his hand. He shook it free from his grasp, and yelled out in surprise, patting the burning skin on his hand on his clothes. He focused his quirk back on Keiji who had thrown Peplum off of him before the heat could travel back to his core.

Keiji yelled out in frustration. "You're going to regret that!" He looked around the room frantically for his pistol and for Suzumi but without his quirk he wasn't able to find her. "Peplum, go!"

The flamboyant man hopped up onto his feet and charged at Shota, touching his own clothes to make himself easier to maneuver. Just as the hero threw his capture weapon, aimed at his arms, the man jumped up and moved unnaturally through the air to dodge him. He pushed himself off of the back wall and sent his elbow into Shota's back. He staggered forward, but didn't fall, getting lower to the ground to avoid him, but as he felt the burning sensation growing within him, he was forced to bring his attention back to Keiji. Peplum was staying behind or at his sides so that he would have to make a choice.

He could only erase one of their quirks at a time and Keiji's was the most dangerous. Peplum wasn't using his quirk to restrain him as he had been using it to keep Kaede tied up and on the floor. He was doing his best to cause injury and every time Shota's eyes left Keiji he turned around to search for Suzumi.

Shota gritted his teeth and tried to back himself against the wall, but Peplum wouldn't allow him that advantage, sending his body weight into the hero to push him back towards the center of the room.

"Sorry, chevalier~" Peplum suddenly stopped, landing himself gracefully in front of the door. "All your efforts are for naught." He rolled his fingers up into a fist, activating his quirk.

"What?" Shota grunted as his clothing became tighter and he was brought down to his knees, his capture weapon wrapping around his eyes to obscure his vision.

'Was he just toying with me this whole time? Was he buying time for Keiji to find Suzumi?'

His fears became reality as he heard Keiji speak up from the other end of the room.

"Hand it over, Suzumi…" He spoke calmly, holding his hand out for the gun she held to her chest. "That was the last of the ammo… It's worthless now."

Suzumi shook, her sobs and the bells around her wrists had given her position away while the others fought. She didn't know what to do… She felt so hopeless. So trapped. She just wanted this to end.

She flinched as he suddenly jolted forward and ripped the gun from her hands before pushing her to the ground. He laughed triumphantly, turning back to the rest of the room.

"Peplum! Take that Sakamoto trash away and get some answers out of him."

"No! Suzumi!" Her brother wiggled around on the floor, but couldn't break free.

"Got it!" He lifted Kaede from the ground with his quirk and made a swift exit, shutting the door behind him.

Keiji was surprised that the hero didn't try to turn and run now that Peplum's quirk no longer held him down, instead they were engaged in a staring contest, waiting for the other to make the first move. Eraser's eyes were glowing red as he got back to his feet, his capture weapon floating around his head. Keiji pointed the gun in his direction, curious to know if the hero could out maneuver a bullet.

"You think you can beat me? Huh?" Keiji grinned.

"I have to." He answered, hoping that the police station received his message. Hoping that he pressed the send button before the phone exploded. If they held out long enough then they would have backup, but he couldn't rely on that hope… just in case they weren't coming.

The hero decided to make the first move, throwing the end of his weapon at the gun to knock it out of the villain's hand. It fired into the wall before falling and skittering across the floor. There was a scream from Suzumi, but Shota couldn't break his gaze from Keiji. He charged forward to attack, but his enemy was fast enough to dodge his fist. He countered, and kicked the hero backwards.

"This isn't quite fair, hero!" He pulled something from his pocket, popping off the cap with his teeth. "I demand my quirk back!"

As Keiji pulled the cap from the syringe, Suzumi knew right away what it was. She had been hiding behind the desk, worrying over who would win the fight, but as he raised the item in his fist she knew. She knew that if he used that drug then Eraser's power wouldn't work on him anymore. His powers would be strengthened beyond the point of nullification. She found herself climbing onto the surface of the desk and wrapping her arms around Keiji's neck.

'I'm sorry… I can't sit back making paper cranes anymore, hoping for something that may never come true. I can't sit back and watch you die. Even though they were only made by mistake… I'll be a butterfly. Forgive me, Shota… I've endured all that I can. I can't do it anymore. I can't suffer like this any longer.'

The needle sunk into her arm and she yelled out in pain, finding herself being lifted and pulled off of the desk and flung down onto the floor. As the syringe activated and the plunger dropped, a warmth surged into her arm, running the contents into her blood.

Her eyes rolled back into her head and her body arched backwards, her ears becoming clouded. An unnatural warmth rushed through her body, into her chest and through her arms and legs, filling her fingers and toes. She could just barely hear Keiji yelling at her through the strange feeling of euphoria that poisoned her mind and choked her.

At first, the feeling was overwhelming and suffocating, but as the drug settled into each corner of her body she found herself laughing, curling her toes and gripping at the floor. It was both agonizingly painful and euphoric. A contradiction that made her feel like clawing at her skin. Her blood squirmed underneath her skin like bugs.

She heard the choir of screams echo in her head, her mouth was open and she vaguely could hear her own voice as well. It was distant and foggy, breathless and heavy but she could hear it underneath the anger of her husband as he continued to yell.

She got to her feet, feeling an overwhelming amount of energy coursing through her veins. The anger she trapped deep inside her was unable to be held back any longer. It broke through her ribs and transformed her into a monster. The burning energy raging through every fiber of her being and glowing, red hot in her eyes.

Kill. Tear. Bite. Scratch.

Destroy.

'I want to destroy that voice. Tear the flesh off of his body. To make him disappear.'

You will pay for everything you've done to me. Every insult. Every touch. Every crime you committed against my body.

Now it is your turn to suffer.

brief note!

fun facts!

The name Keiji can translate to 'criminal' or to 'preside over'

I picked out the surname Gokudo pretty lazily… it's just another name for Yakuza

Peplum is defined as: a short flared, gathered, or pleated strip of fabric attached at the waist of a woman's jacket, dress, or blouse to create a hanging frill or flounce. I felt that this guy had a lot of style and made me think of some sort of Jojo character, so I searched for fashion terms. When I saw an image example of Peplum, it gave me the idea for clothing manipulation.

Cirrus, the name for the fat man wearing the goggles, has a night vision quirk. During the day he wears special goggles to allow him to see during the day and has some serious light sensitivity. His name comes from one of the largest manufacturers of night vision goggles.

Don't hate me too much for breaking this chapter up! It was getting to be a bit long, so I split it into a second part, but I feel it made up for how short the previous two chapters were. I will have it up as soon as I can! I've been excited to finally get to this point in the story as I've been dreaming about it for a while now.

Alexa, play Unravel (of coarse) covered by Kohana Lam

/U7oSARGR55g