Happy early Labor Day to my American readers. To the rest of you, enjoy working on Monday. Me? I'm going back to binging the new Live Action One Piece because IT'S SO GOOD! Anyway, welcome back to another chapter of A Hero's Creed! We're taking a break from Izuku and the students to visit with our favorite serial killer. Afterward, we'll head back to UA and see what new problems Izuku will get himself in. But first: Reviews!
Gamelover41592: They passed! *throws confetti*
LEGOBRICK13: You need to sleep! As for Bakugo's placement, please see the response below.
Monkey D. Conan: I considered doing that, but the drama it would have caused would have been unnecessarally complicated and violent on Bakugo's part. To avoid having to write that when I don't really want to, I put him at the very bottom and figured that got the point across well enough. As for Izuku, I have plans for his Work-Study that will dip deeper into the Assassin's Creed style.
Monster King: As ordered, her is the next continuation.
Ranger McAleer: Thank you.
stevenpiskunov2: Oh no no no. No sir, we are not going to end up with an Izuku that would try to "redeem" someone like Juno at that point. By the time he's facing true threats like that, mercy won't be an option. Also, that would make him a hypocrite since he will have killed so many men just following orders only to spare the one giving those orders? Not fair. As for the Sages, I'm aware and have plans for such things. Do recall, David Shield was a Sage without the heterochromia, so I know they exist even if I haven't played Valhalla myself for all the details.
And to the guest: I plan on building off of that next chapter. please be patient.
Finally, as you may have noticed, I have officially changed the title of the story. This is now, by all metrics, the first of the Hero's Creed trilogy! We're in for a ride over the next many years if I have any say.
Chapter 51:
Hisha Happenings
"Now that's a casino," Himi grinned, dressed in street clothes as she, Akaguro, Nascha, and the members of Hisha stared up at the newest renovated building on the block. It was an impressive structure for the area, almost castle-like but decorated in neon lights that were sure to attract attention. These lights proclaimed the building [The Lucky Rook] in English, the Hisha's very own bar and casino. A very, very subtle Assassins' A hid in the bottom half of the R, so hidden that only one who knew to look for it would see it. Letting her smile widen further, Himi punched Yonjo Kodai in the shoulder, the portly man stumbling from the force of her punch. "So, how's it feel to be the owner and boss of a casino?"
"Er, uh…" he stuttered, wringing his hands together. "I'll, uh… I'll let you know when it really sinks in."
"Alright, maggots," Akaguro grunted, stepping forward to look at the assembled group. "Buck up and shut up, we've got some things to talk about." The members of Hisha snapped to attention, pressing the thumb-side of their righthand fists against their hearts. They were dressed in a mix of clothing, some in button-downs with open suit jackets, others with vests, each with the Hisha symbol —a chess rook— embroidered on the left breast. Only Himi and Nascha did not salute or wear the outfit, the pair flanking the group. "We're opening this place tonight, and I expect all of you to remember the official power structure. The owner and manager of this place is Kodai and unless you're in a private meeting with myself, Eagle, or Changeling, you will act as such. Understood?"
"Yes, Boss," the men intoned.
"Good." He turned his attention to the other Hisha Generals. "Heads of security are Tatuo and Card. You may manage your teams however you wish, but any problems that arise from that are on you. Clear?"
"Crystal," the pair nodded.
"Zukaigo, Fureru, you two are officially in the kitchens. I know you enjoy cooking, Zukaigo, and Fureru should be happy to have a full setup rather than that sad excuse in the basement of [The General's Rest]."
"We are ready," Zukaigo bowed, the blonde beside him only inclining her head slightly.
"And the rest of you," Akaguro said, turning to the remaining members. "I hope you've been practicing those card tricks we told you to. I know some of you plan on being security detail or kitchen staff, but you need to be ready to take over a table if something happens. Dealers can't be expected to deal all night without breaks, after all. Now then, who wants to see the inside?"
The gang cheered, Akaguro allowing himself a small smirk as he led the group through the drawbridge-style door and into the casino. The inside was lined with red and blue velvet in a checkered pattern, the rug's dual colors contrasting well with the green of the card tables. Directly to the left of the entrance was the slot machine section, three back-to-back rows of the (obviously rigged) machines ready to be turned on. To the right were half a dozen pool tables, open for future patrons (or handy Hisha in disguise) to swindle the overconfident without the house getting involved. A short walk to the back from there was the bar counter and several tables for the hungry and thirsty, the flooring around it black-and-white checkered tile for easy cleaning of spilled food and drink. Finally, in the back left were the poker, blackjack, and koi-koi tables, set up so only most of them had house involvement.
The walls were unpainted grey stone to give it a touch of that castle feeling, though they were decorated with paintings featuring chess pieces, card suits, hanafuda flowers, and the like. The back of the room held doors to the back rooms for the security cameras and storage, between them a window where patrons could exchange money for chips and vice versa. The door to the kitchens was behind the bar, a small window between the rooms so whomever was bartending could pass back food orders. The bathrooms' entrances were on the other side near the pool tables.
From the ceiling hung a crystal chandelier, light refracting through said crystal to give a subtle, almost disco-ball-like effect. This chandelier was on the same level as the second floor, the VIP area for more expensive and questionably-legal pastimes. Above that, just barely visible if one craned their neck, was the railing of the third floor, an area for private affairs to be rented out at exorbitant prices.
"It's… alright," the newest member commented, the young man seemingly stitched and stapled together with scar tissue. He had messy dark hair and a number of piercings that cut in impressive, if scary, figure.
"It's perfect," Iguchi smiled beside him, shoving an elbow into his friend's side. "Didn't you say you wanted to learn how to be a bartender?"
"I said I learned how to pour myself a drink to deal with my old man."
"Now you can put some of that skill to work," Nascha —or as she was known to these men and women, Eagle— interrupted. "Congratulations, you're our first-floor bartender."
Dabi blinked slowly, turning a blue eye on the foreign woman. Wordlessly, he gestured to his face as if that would change her mind.
"Did I stutter?" she questioned.
"Come on, Dabi," Iguchi commented. "Maybe you'll enjoy it and learn to smile. Listen to drunks complain about their shitty lives, light a couple drinks on fire, learn to flip a bottle, the works."
"I still think it's a bad idea. I'd be better on the security detail."
"Did I forget to mention the pump-action, 12-gauge shotgun hidden under the counter for dealing with violent patrons?" Nascha grinned. Dabi stared at her for a moment, his eyes slowly drifting to the bar and the shelves of alcohol behind it.
"...I guess I can try it," he said, trying to not sound giddy at having discretion over a gun like that, no matter how stereotypical a bartender with a shotgun may be.
"That's the spirit!" Iguchi laughed.
"Alright maggots, enough gawking!" Akaguro yelled. "We've got to make sure everything works properly and that you're familiar with it, don't we? Get to it!"
The Hisha spread out with the same enthusiasm one would expect to see in schoolchildren rather than gang members, the men testing machines, forming card games, and starting rounds of pool. Dabi hurried behind the bar, locating the shotgun Nascha had mentioned before doing anything else. Once he'd taken a moment to admire the fine piece of illegally-imported American manufacturing, he placed it carefully in its hiding spot (a hidden compartment with a latch) and turned to the rows of alcohol, organizing them to his own preference with a cheat sheet telling him which bottles were worth more.
"Changeling," the Master Assassin said. "Eagle. Generals. A word?"
"Of course, Master," Himi answered, the seven forming a circle with him in the center of the now-noisy casino.
"I understand this will be a serious change of pace," he started, "but this is the start of our new information gathering campaign."
"I trust this has something to do with those so-called Hidden Ones that helped you… convince us to bow?" Fureru queried.
"I will not deny it," Akaguro replied. "That said, your job is just to gather information and keep things running smoothly. Changeling, Eagle, and I will sift through what you collect to determine what is useful, what is not, and what to investigate further. Once business is up and running, we'll determine the code words for special services, whether those are your regular clients or our allies."
Kodai adjusted his tie, a bead of sweat running down his face. He wiped it away with a handkerchief quickly. "I will admit to still being hesitant. I never imagined I'd become even a middle manager, much less the face of a business like this."
"Everywhere you go in the casino, you'll be accompanied by either myself or Card," Tatou said. "We'll keep you safe, so you can act all haughty and arrogant you want." The tattooed man sent a glare at his fellow general. "Just remember not to turn that act on us."
"R-Right, yes, of course," Kodai nodded.
"Now this is a fancy place!" The group turned as a voice sounded from the doorway, a woman in black-and-white robes sauntering in. She kept her hood up, but the front of her robes were open at the top to reveal the valley between her breasts. The only defining traits any of the Hisha could see were her full lips, the very distinct way her hips swayed when she walked, and a single mole that drew attention to her assets. She pulled out a smoking pipe and a lighter, the smell of tobacco soon filling the air as she breathed out a puff of smoke that drifted away in heart shapes. Kodai felt another bead of sweat roll over his forehead. "You three sure have outdone yourselves."
"I didn't expect to see you here," Akaguro told her.
"When my dear daughter told me what her students helped you with for their promotions, I just couldn't resist seeing the results on opening day for myself. She's so busy nowadays that we don't get to talk much and I find myself with a lot of free time."
"What, you don't have enough targets to seduce?"
"Come now, you know I'm starting to get up there in years."
"Yeah right," Himi interjected. "You don't look like you've aged a day over 29."
"And I'm still disappointed I didn't manage to snatch you away from the bloodsucker to make you my student. You go by Changeling here, yes?"
"And what shall we call you since we aren't using names?"
"Mmm, I think Madam will do."
"Why are you actually here, Madam?" Akaguro grunted. She had been his least favorite of those who had shown him the ropes when Usagiyama had first introduced him to the ways of the Brotherhood when they met while he was still acting as the vigilante Stendal and he had not yet bullied the HPSC into giving her a Hero license. He hated her lessons most likely because Madam specialized in seduction, a skill Akaguro was not so adept nor interested in.
"As I said, I have quite a bit of free time. When I heard we were sponsoring a casino, I figured I could plant the seeds for some… alternate entertainment businesses in the future."
"What do you mean by that?" Card demanded.
"Why, beautiful men and women, of course," Madam answered easily. Red quickly overtook the faces of Kodai and Zukaigo as she approached, her fingers trailing up the underside of Card's chin. Her cheeks, too, turned red. "Gambling and drinking is all fine and dandy, but there are some things the powerful will only let slip during pillow talk, if you catch my meaning."
"Have you run this by Mentor?" Akaguro questioned beside her.
"Not yet," Madam smiled, breathing out more heart-shaped smoke. Nascha felt her head starting to get light at the smell, except it didn't smell like tobacco anymore. It smelled like salty sea air and her dad's fresh-baked tamales and sun tanning oil and lavender. She found herself leaning in slightly, the Generals unconsciously doing the same. Madam breathed out again, a flash of euphoria hitting Nascha. "We need to see if this business succeeds first."
"Stop it," Akaguro grunted, grabbing Nascha roughly by the arm. The sudden discomfort snapped her out of her daze, the scents returning to that of tobacco. "Do not use your Quirk on my subordinates."
"You're no fun, A— Stain," the woman pouted, correcting herself before she could use Akaguro's name despite the fact it was known who he was through the Quirk registry. Since he hadn't been acting in his capacity as Stain since his injury by Kurogiri's portals and his subsequent takeover of Gin Kyoshi, most people seemed to have forgotten it. She waved her pipe through the smoke, her next breath shaped like nothing. "What's life without a little fun?"
"Fun is meaningless when oppression threatens to take it away."
"That's when fun is most valuable," she rebuffed, trying to bop him on the stub that used to be his nose. Akaguro growled, catching the pipe with a frown. "You always were a bit of a stick in the mud."
"You mean I was always serious," Akaguro sighed, releasing his hold. "Generals, go on about your day. We'll have another meeting before we open."
"Of course, Boss," Tatou nodded, dragging the others away. "We'll be going now."
Akaguro led the group of Assassins to one of the tables, Dabi was nearby getting a feel of the bottles and studying recipes, Iguchi at the bar poking fun at him while a few Hisha members whose luck had already abandoned them nursed the new bartender's practice drinks.
"Eagle, I don't think you've ever met," the male Assassin began, gesturing to the woman while keeping his voice low. "This is Master Assassin Yokubo Kayama. Her daughter is one of the UA teachers. Kayama, this is Nascha Garcia, the one Apprentice Asui rescued from the Templar dockhouse."
"Ah, so you're the American," the now-named Yokubo Kayama smirked, leaning in to rest her chin on her fist. The act smushed her chest against the table. "I've heard a few things about you. Interested in learning the ways of women?"
"Don't you dare," Akaguro growled, waving a hand through the heart-shaped swirls in the air before they could reach Nascha. "Honestly, how you have only one child is a mystery."
"Not really," his fellow Master Assassin waved off. "Most men barely made it to the bedroom before someone got stabbed, and not in the way they wanted. I'm much more interested in women."
"Really?" Himi blinked. "But—?"
"My daughter? Not that odd. One of my Templar targets had a Sleeping Dust Quirk I figured would merge well with my Love Breathing, so I let him reach the finish before finishing him off. Nemuri was the result, and I was right. Unlike my Quirk, which requires that people consider me attractive, Nemu's Somnambulist is most effective on those attracted to women in general."
"I really didn't need to know that many details," Nascha muttered.
"Oh, that's child's play compared to most of what we do, Initiate Garcia. That said, it is also incredibly effective. I am here to lay the groundwork for the perfect place to pass my specialty to the next generation. Universe knows my sweet Nemu is too focused on her deep cover as a Hero teacher to do it properly. Something about educational moral limits that would get her fired or whatever."
"And you want a business for…?"
"Geisha and oiran."
"I don't know what those are."
["Prostitutes,"] Akaguro clarified in English, his voice making it clear where he stood on the matter. "She wants to set up a brothel." Nascha's darker complexion went bright red at the implication while Himi's cheeks darkened slightly, but with a much-less-embarrassed expression. "Casinos are already pushing the legality, Madam."
"And you know we can get away with it using the same loopholes as everyone else, Stain. Two-hundred years and they're still there because politicians enjoy the services like everyone else."
"She's got a point," Himi commented.
"Changeling, shut up," Akaguro ordered.
"I'll just be around for the next few hours to see how things go and if this gang of yours is worth all the resources," Yokubo said, getting back on topic. "Have a good showing and we'll start to build the hottest nightlife street in Japan under the Templars' noses. The perfect information network."
"I think you are hoping for too much too fast," Akaguro sighed, the younger Assassins' eyes bouncing between the arguing Masters like one watches a tennis match. "It could take months or years for proper word to spread and ensure we remain aboveboard in the eyes of legality. We can't build too quickly or it will draw unwanted attention."
"Then I'll just have to market for you," Yokubo commented, holding up her hands so her pointer fingers and thumbs made a rectangle she looked through. "I am an investigative journalist in my day job, after all. Plus, my Popular Public Places blog on Y will get people here in no time. I bring the crowd, the crowd justifies the story, the story makes you more popular." She stood with a wink.
"We're not done—"
"I'll be around tonight if you need me. Bye bye, Stainy~!" She shuffled out with a flair of her robes and a swing of her hips. Akaguro grunted, his face falling into a hand propped on the table.
"Bartender!" he barked, not knowing most of the foot soldiers' names. "Make me the strongest drink you know!"
"I thought you hated alcohol," Himi said.
"I need it to deal with that woman. Bartender!"
"Sure thing, Boss." Dabi reached for a special bottle of vodka on the top shelf, one he expected to stick around for a while considering he wasn't bartending on the more-exclusive-and-expensive second floor. Giving the blue-colored cocktail in the martini glass a single stir, he hummed to himself before deciding to go an extra mile. He grabbed a small candlewick with no wax and set it in the glass before lighting its end on fire with a snap. Blue sparks lit, a brilliant azure flame drinking in only a portion of the alcohol as he placed the drink before the muttering murderer he had no qualms working for.
"Mixed with a Polish alcohol I can't even start to pronounce with a 95% alcohol content, I call this Dizzy Blue."
Akaguro barely blinked at it before using his fingers to quinch the fire and pull out the wick. He took the thin-stemmed glass in hand before slamming back the cocktail in one go. He slammed the now-empty glass on the table, only a miracle keeping it from shattering.
"Another."
"Certainly," Dabi replied, turning to the women. "And for you two?"
"I'll have a Bloody Mary," Himi answered. "Real blood if you can swing it."
Dabi raised an eyebrow slowly before turning to the American.
"Wine, please. Red." She paused. "Uh, no blood, thanks."
"Yeah, sure." Dabi took the martini glass and returned to the bar, Iguchi sending him a curious glance. "What?"
"They're weird, right?"
"Who?"
"The boss and his wings. They're weird, right? A mystery. Do you think they work for that woman or just alongside her?"
"What does it matter?" Dabi questioned. "Stain's our boss and the girls are clearly his students or whatever. It's not our place to question what they do, only to follow their orders and get paid."
"Man, you're no fun to gossip with," Iguchi sighed. He pushed his chair back as Dabi finished the Bloody Mary, taking a knife and slowly cutting a gash on one finger, letting his blood drip into the drink bound for Changeling. Iguchi's snout wrinkled. "Well, I'm gonna be dealing cards all night, so I'm gonna get a couple rounds of pool in before work starts." He cracked a smile. "Gotta admit, though, working for the Hisha is way better than any job I've had before. Working for Stain is just the icing on the cake."
"It doesn't bother you that he's not killing Heroes anymore?"
Iguchi paused at Dabi's question, the lizard-man sending a sideways glance at the trio at the table. His scaled fingers rapped on the counter.
"He's injured," Iguchi whispered. "You can tell by the way his footsteps sound. He's got a prosthetic now. Maybe that's why he started the Hisha, to get ready to go back to his regular mission with a broader network."
"Yeah… maybe." Dabi excused himself, bringing the requested drinks to the table. The American —Eagle— had a frown on her face as Stain and Changeling traded what sounded like barbs and banter in a language Dabi couldn't follow. Some romance language, if he had to guess; it didn't sound like any of the English he remember from his barely-passed class in middle school. He stepped over to Eagle silently, setting a glass of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon before her. She thanked him with a nod before holding out her hands for the other drinks so he didn't need to interrupt the arguing master and student.
The drinks delivered, Dabi returned to the bar and started cleaning the counter with a rag. It was unexpectedly soothing and, for just a moment, he considered that working for the mob might actually be a little fun.
X
The Lucky Rook thrummed with energy, chatter and laughter fulling the new casino as people won big and lost it all in minutes. The sounds of the slot machines buzzing and pool balls clacking together accented the ambiance of the dim room, flecks of light from the chandelier twinkling through the air. Nascha had demanded to pick the ambient music, the American having chosen a tune called Whims of Fate from some old video game, its free use legality having long been established by time.
Himi grinned, leaning her head on her hand and her elbows on the railing of the third floor as she watched all this. She had changed out of her casual clothes for something more appropriate for a grand opening, a blood-red dress accentuating her youthful curves while she'd let her blonde hair down, even if it was a bit messy from the buns she usually kept it in. She sipped another Bloody Mary from a straw.
"Looks like Master Kayama pulled through," she commented to Akaguro, the man standing in the shadows with his standard robes, something that only worked since no one would be coming to the third floor without permission tonight. "After that Y post of hers, people flooded in."
"Yes, I suppose," Akaguro admitted, though it sounded like it physically pained him to do so.
He stepped forward, just enough to catch a glimpse of the woman down on the first floor. She was drifting through the crowd, turning heads with her low-cut blue satin dress when she wanted to and silent as a ghost at others. Without a hood, her wavy black hair was free to show off how it curled at the edges, not that any of the Hisha managed to recognize her, treating her like just another patron. She had her smartphone in hand, snapping pictures whenever she felt like it and updating the world about what their nightlife could be like if they had the guts to risk it at the Lucky Rook.
"Suppose nothing," Nascha said, reappearing from the stairs in her forest green dress that fell to her calves. "This place is set to pay for itself in a month's time."
"The numbers are that good?" Himi blinked, her grin turning into a fanged smirk. She pointed at her master and teacher. "I told you this was the perfect idea! Cover for the Hisha and profit for us!"
"Yeah, yeah," he waved off. "Anyway, I suppose you've earned yourself some free time. Go have your fun, while you can."
"That's not ominous," Nascha commented, rolling her eyes.
"You don't need to tell me twice!" Himi nodded. "I need a new drink anyway!"
"I don't think so." Nascha intercepted the blonde before she could reach the stairs. "You're underage."
"Everything is permitted~!" Himi spun around the American, showing off her greater dexterity and training and vanishing down the stairs.
"Changeling!" Nascha charged down after her, Himi giggling at the Initiate's futile attempts to stop her.
Himi lost her almost as soon as she set foot on the first floor, leaving Nascha to huff and take up a position leaning against the wall beside Victoria Card. Himi threaded through the crowd until she reached the bar, slipping onto a stool before tapping her finger on the counter beside her empty glass.
"Oh Dabi~!" she called, getting the scarred man's attention. He thankfully excused himself from one of the patrons that was bemoaning losing it all in the last round and grabbed the pitcher of Himi's favorite drink. Reaching her, he filled her glass without a word. "Aren't you forgetting something?"
"No blood with patrons around," he replied.
"Aww, come on!" she whined. "Just a little? A splash? No, just a drop?"
"Sorry, Boss' orders."
"Dammit," the teen grumbled. She grabbed her not-literal Bloody Mary and spun to take in the room. The figure that caught her eye out of the crowd was Iguchi, the smiling lizard Heteromorph dressed in a nice tux as he dealt a new round of Blackjack for the men at his table. The cards flipped, a man with purple hair slamming his hands on the table.
"You damn morph!" the man raged, pointing an accusing finger at the dealer whose smile dropped into an unamused frown. "You're card counting, aren't you‽ Quit the cheating and give me my chips, you stupid lizard!"
"What seems to be the problem here?" Card asked, having responded to the disturbance.
"This cheating liz—!" the man began only to find another Heteromorph at his shoulder, Card's bat ears twitching.
"I think this man may have had a few too many drinks," Iguchi suggested.
"I think he's overstayed his welcome," Card replied, grabbing him by the elbows. "Insulting our employees is a one-way ticket out the door, [bruv.]"
"Let me go!" the man growled, struggling "You can't do this to me!"
"I can and I am," Card replied, easily dragging him through the parting crowd. Himi smirked and raised her glass, Kayama taking a picture of the dismissal on the other side. After all, sensible patrons like a place that moderates those who get out of control or push their luck too far.
X
"Endeavor!" Burnin' yelled, the Sidekick slamming open the doors to her boss' office. His eyes shot to her. "We've got a lead!"
"A lead?" he echoed, closing the laptop on his desk.
"To the Stain case." She handed over two pictures printed from what looked like a social media site, one the full picture of a man getting dragged out of somewhere and the other a zoomed-in section of the first focusing on the bar. "His student's at this new casino! If we go now, we can capture her and get his location or draw him out!"
"Stain has been silent for months, let's make sure it stays that way."
Quickly gathering the other remaining Flaming Sidekickers, the four pulled onto a street near Shibuya's outskirts, the castle-shaped casino the most eye-catching building in the area. A line stretched out from the doorway, but the pro Hero ignored that, walking up to the bull Heteromorph manning the door.
"Woah there, pal," the blue-furred bull man said, holding out his hand to block their entrance. "You blind or something? You can't just jump the line."
"We are here on official business," Endeavor grunted.
"Only our business is official business here, pal."
"Do you not recognize me? I am a pro Hero."
"You got a warrant?"
The man felt an eye twitch, his hands fisting at his sides. "Listen here, civilian. I am the Flame Hero: Endeavor. Japan's Number Two—"
"I don't care if you're King Arthur the Third of England. No warrant, no entry. Back of the line."
A part of Endeavor sorely wished to burn the Heteromorph and the building behind him to a crisp for his lip, but that would be unbecoming of a pro such as himself, not to mention would result in his immediate suspension and arrest. So, with a growling huff, he and his Sidekicks were made to wait in line.
Half an hour later, they reached the building's doors once more, only there had apparently been a shift change as it was now a monkey Heteromorph at the door.
"ID, please."
"I—?" Endeavor cut himself off. "Do you not know who I am?"
"Oh, you're the guy Dan warned me about," the monkey muttered. "Look, we treat everyone the same. I, D, please."
Grumbling because this useless arguing was a waste of time and getting them nowhere, Endeavor reached for his fireproof wallet, something he hadn't needed for a very long time. He pulled out his Hero License. "This is official business. Grant us entrance."
"Everything seems in order," the monkey man commented with a nod, his prehensile tail opening the velvet rope. "I'll need you to cancel your flames, though."
"Excuse me?"
"Your fire Quirk, I need you to turn it off. Only security is allowed to use their Quirks in defense of the building and patrons and we don't need you burning down our business opening night. Insurance would not be happy with us."
It took every ounce of Endeavor's considerable willpower to not punch the insufferable monkey man. Slowly, very slowly, his Hellflame dwindled away until only his mustache and goatee remained. Monkey man nodded.
"May Lady Luck fill your coffers in [the Lucky Rook], Mr. Todoroki."
"Finally." Endeavor stepped onto the drawbridge entrance. The Flaming Sidekickers made to follow only for the bouncer to shut the rope. Endeavor turned. "They are with me."
"Don't care," the man drawled. "No ID, no entry."
"They are my Sidekicks."
"Legal drinking age is 20," the man replied, sending a pointed glance at Burnin' and Aethon. "Green Bit here's probably a teen and I know how much young Heteromorphs can get away with pretending to be older. IDs, please."
Onima complied first, the man accepting his Hero License as well. Aethon followed, seeing as a blushing Burnin' was having a harder time extracting her ID from within her tight-fitting costume. She eventually did, revealing herself to be 25. The Heteromorph went to open the rope for her.
"I'll need you to cancel your fire Quirk as well, Miss Kamiji."
"I can't. This is my hair."
"Then I have to ask you wear this." He held out what looked like a baseball helmet.
"You can't be serious."
"This is ridic—" Endeavor started to interrupt.
"It's opening night and we gotta be super careful," the bouncer shrugged. "Them's the rules."
["This is fucking stupid,"] Burnin' muttered in English.
["Don't fuckin' care,"] the bouncer replied in kind, earning a shocked blink.
"Fine!" the woman growled, taking the helmet and placing it over her head. The bouncer mimed buckling the bottom strap under her chin, which Burnin' did with a scowl. "Let's just get this over with."
"May Lady Luck fill your coffers."
The inside of the building was alive, Endeavor's frown turning into a sneer at the entertainment. He abhorred games of chance; he hated most games, really, but much preferred games of skill if forced to choose.
Games of chance were a waste of time and resources as well as something one could not control, and he hated not being in control.
"Spread out and find the girl," he ordered. "You know what she looks like."
X
Himi was broken out of her daze when the glass in Dabi's hand shattered, the scarred bartender's eyes widening at something behind her. His hands twitched, blue sparks burning themselves out before landing on the tile floor as ash. She glanced back, trying to subtly see what had him frozen, only for her own eyes to widen as she recognized the horse-headed form of Aethon. She abandoned her mostly-empty drink and dove over the bar, shoving her back against its interior.
"What the Hell are they doing here‽" she whisper-yelled. Dabi seemed to unconsciously reach for the shotgun hidden in the bar, but Himi reached out and stopped his hand. His eyes shot down at her touch, the Assassin giving a firm shake of her head. Dabi's fist clenched, broken glass causing him to bleed over the rag he'd been cleaning with.
"I can smell her," Himi heard Aethon grunt. "She was at least here recently, but there're too many other smells."
"Excuse me, barman," a woman's voice said, Dabi looking up to see Burnin' on the other side of the counter. "Why are you looking down?"
"I, uh, broke a glass," the Hisha grunt replied, holding up his bloody hand. "First day on the job. Some of these glasses are kind of brittle."
"You should get that checked out," the Sidekick recommended. "Anyway, we need some information from you. Do you know where this woman is?" Burnin' held up a photo of the bar, the teen killer hiding under the bar to be seen sitting on the stool she'd occupied until they walked in.
Dabi feigned studying the photo, his other hand reaching for the panic button. He missed it, Himi directing his fingers there so he knew it got pressed. The man hummed, his hand now idly picking glass shards out of the other.
"She does look familiar," he said after a minute seeing as there was no way he could deny she was at the bar. "What's so special about her?"
"She's the main suspect in an active murder investigation."
"Murder? Really?"
"Oh yes," Burnin' confirmed. "We believe she may have ties to the Hero Killer. Can you tell us where she went?"
"Can't really say," Dabi shrugged. "Plenty of people coming and going, plus the first-night nerves."
"Maybe think a little harder," the Sidekick suggested, sliding several thousand yen over the bar. Dabi glanced at the clientele around them before pocketing the money.
"Last I saw, she was taking a guy up to the second floor," he lied. "More expensive stuff up there, you know."
"My thanks for your information." Burnin' stepped away, Himi under the bar letting out the breath she didn't know she'd been holding. Sure, she and Master Akaguro could probably take the Flaming Sidekickers, but the Lucky Rook would take massive damage and Endeavor was a whole separate matter. Discretion was the much better part of valor tonight.
"What is the meaning of this?" a voice demanded, Himi almost not recognizing it without its normal stutter. Needing to see what was happening, the Assassin activated her Quirk, using the blood Dabi had provided for her drink earlier that night to turn into him. Her transformation complete, she grabbed him by the arm and forced him to switch places with her.
Yonjo Kodai stomped through the crowd, both Sai Tatou and Victoria Card trailing on either side as his guards. Where the fighters were dressed in the same lose suit jackets as their subordinates, Kodai wore a full suit with a golden tie and several golden rings to complete the look. Himi didn't know if it was alcohol or the fact he had the strongest Hisha Generals at his side, but the portly man almost looked confident.
"And you are?" Endeavor questioned as the shorter man stopped before him.
"I'm the owner," Kodai answered, pointing a finger up at the man, "Yonjo Kodai, and I received a report saying a stuck-up Hero and his groupies were causing a disturbance in my business!"
Himi-as-Dabi blinked. Intellectually, she knew Kodai didn't like Heroes considering one of them got him fired for following his former boss' orders with said boss getting off with a light slap on the wrist, but to be able to stand up to the Number Two of Japan? That must be some serious vitriol he held in his heart.
"We aren't just groupies, you—!" Onima began only for Endeavor to hold up a hand, cutting his words off. The pro Hero studied the man before him, his eyes drifting to the man's guards.
"We are on the trail of a murderer and a serial killer, Mr. Kodai. I—"
"So you aren't a customer?" the figurehead interrupted, Endeavor freezing at the audacity of the civilian before him.
"I'm sorry?" The Hero tried to keep the growl from his voice. "This is an inves—"
"If you're not a customer, get out."
"You can't force us to—" Burnin' tried.
"This is my business and I reserve the right to refuse service to anyone. If you do not want to patronize my casino, then I don't need you sucking up all the air with your hot air and inflated ego. You're ruining the mood. Now get out."
"You may be paatronizing a murderous criminaal!" Aethon gasped. "This girl killed aa pro Hero!"
"It is not my place to question every person who walks through that door," Kodai shot back. "If you want to turn my casino upside-down looking for a paying customer, then come back with a warrant. Otherwise, get out of my face so we can go back to business as usual."
"This is not over," Endeavor growled. Flame licked over his clenched fists, but he knew any action on his part would result in swift legal action, action he would not win considering the amount of phones and cameras pointing at their interaction. "Do not delete any of your footage from tonight. We will return."
He turned on his heel, the Flaming Sidekickers glancing back with barely-concealed anger as they followed their boss to the exit. Kodai glared at their backs until they were little more than figures in the street, Burnin' pulling off the helmet she'd been made to wear and throwing it on the ground. Only then did Kodai relax, the man staggering back until Tatou caught him with a hand on his shoulder.
"I didn't think you had that in you, boss," the tattooed man commented, surprised. "Nice."
"He will be back," Card muttered. "I saw his type in England. Once he thinks he has a bone, he will not let go, even if he has to go through innocent meat to get to it."
"Be that as it may, we can't let it ruin our opening night," Kodai said. Taking a deep breath to regain control of his shot nerves, he turned, raising his voice so the silent patrons and staff could hear him. "Apologies for the interruption! 150 free chips to everyone here! May Lady Luck fill your coffers!"
A cheer rose through the Lucky Rook, a certain woman's smile turning into a smirk as she typed away at her newest post, certain that the attached video would make the casino even more of a success. She pressed send, scanning the words she'd typed as they finished uploading.
Endeavor tried his luck. Will you?
From the third floor, Akaguro watched the incident before nodding slightly. Perhaps this gang Himi wanted so badly will actually prove worth the time.
End of Chapter 51
With the Licensing Exam done and plans for the upcoming Work-Studies (which are actually a bit away since they were moved up in Canon), I figured we could check in on our favorite gang and serial killers to see what they're up to. How did I do with the casino as an homage to Himi's favorite Assassin of the past?
What part might the Hisha and the Lucky Rook play in the game moving forward? What conspiracies might their business catch wind of? Is it successful enough to warrant Yokubo getting what she wants? Speaking of, what do you think of Midnight's mother? What will Endeavor and the Flaming Sidekickers do moving forward from here? Tell me what you think!
Read and Review!
-SwordOfTheGods