14/05/2024

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The Emperor's Dragon
Dragon 19 - The Man on the Inside

Exodus Rubble was a career hero. He was listed on official rankings but only ever on the published lists, not on those that were announced at the fancy events. He was currently at a career high of Rank 682, which probably had something to do with the spate of shootings that had occurred.

He spent most of his time at the emergency office, and sortied as a First Responder when a call sounded like a Hero would be needed rather than just a first responder. Far be it for him to take work from the paramedics.

So that meant he usually went to fires, car crashes and other things like that. It wasn't hard work but it paid the bills and since he wasn't usually fighting villains, it wasn't even particularly dangerous work. Being a hero was, if you picked the right role, pretty cushy and Exodus intended to retire soon. He thought he could buy a small patch of land and run a market garden, or work in a convenience store. He'd need to do something but nothing strenuous.

"We got an alarm!"

He looked up from the magazine he was reading. "Where from?"

"Precept building," the dispatcher who monitored all the alarm points responded after a moment.

Exodus sighed. He didn't know the building, which meant he had to treat it as real. Not like the Acuity building. They had alarms almost every second day when someone did something stupid. He put down the magazine and went to the dispatcher. "What do we know?"

The woman was looking at the blinking lights on the panel as if they would tell her something more. They probably would. Alarm codes had been established a long time ago. They might even pre-date quirks but it was all blinking lights to him.

"Looks like the building sprinkler system got set off," she replied.

Darn, that probably meant a fire. Exodus Rubble hated fires. It took forever to get the smoke smell out of his hair and the ash got into his costume and ugh… this one was probably a write off already. "Anything else?"

"Building is occupied by Nise Kai and the Precept Company. Don't know anything about them," the dispatcher said, this time referring to a book that was kept with information like that. It told them what hazards could reasonably be expected on site. "No chemicals at least," she added brightly.

He nodded and knew he couldn't dawdle further. "Someone probably had a late night ciggie and didn't put it out right when they left," he muttered.

"Probably," the dispatcher agreed. It happened sometimes. Late night staff just needed the ciggies and didn't go to the smoking points. They triggered the smoke alarm or accidentally lit something on fire, which triggered the sprinklers and then everyone had a bad night.

"Do you want back up?" another dispatcher asked.

Exodus shook his head. "Lemme see what's happened first," he instructed. The alarm would have already gone to the fire brigade so they'd be on their way too. He'd just get there faster but he could call for more hero back up now if he thought he'd need it. "I'll let you know who should be sent once I get there," he added.

That got him a laugh. The dispatchers knew what he meant. They usually called it clean up or fuck up. Clean up referring to crews who'd help dry out everything that the sprinklers had doused and fuck up mean the insurance because something worse had happened, though in practice, having your office space doused by sprinklers was pretty bad.

"I'm heading out," Exodus announced to the dispatchers. It got him a wave or two, but they'd already turned back to their screens.

Yeah, he liked his cushy gig.

-ted-

"Just stay calm," Yakuni said to Eri. He had no idea what was happening but he knew something was. The Eight Bullets were agitated and he hadn't seen Overhaul all day. So right at the moment, staying calm was the most important thing.

He'd picked up that Kai was going to meet with Dragon to form an alliance. At least that's what it sounded like superficially but Yakuni was used to listening to more than just the words. It wasn't an alliance Overhaul was seeking from Dragon, it was allegiance, with Dragon being the subservient. That wasn't going to happen and for a while the back of Yakuni's throat had felt prickly until he managed to convince himself that for all of Overhaul's arrogance, he wouldn't just go to a meeting and demand to be obeyed. He'd lead into it. This would be the first of a couple of meetings and Dragon would realise what was up and turn the tables at some point.

Yakuni had remained convinced of that, until the Eight Bullet's agitation had turned into full frustration just after lunch time. Then he'd realised that was actually what he should have been expecting. Dragon had walked away, and they were frustrated that things weren't going as quickly as they wanted. He'd believed that until their frustration had turned into paranoia a few hours later when Shin had returned.

From the snatches of conversation he'd over heard, the meeting with Dragon had gone even worse than expected and Overhaul had been- Yakuni wasn't sure. Shin had garbled something about Kai being captured by the Police but Yakuni had no idea how that would even be possible. Kai wasn't just a run of the mill villain. He would have used his quirk. It wouldn't matter how many Police were there, Kai would have disassembled them all. Unless there was some serious hero fire power there…

But Shin had not changed his mind, not even with Rappa and Rikiya insisting that he was wrong. He'd also said that Mimic and Chronostasis had been captured.

There'd been a moment, just a moment, when Yakuni had thought the Eight Bullet's might fight amongst themselves but then Hikiji had said something and they'd calmed down. And believed Shin.

Yakuni had taken heart from that. The meeting with Dragon had gone badly, and for whatever reason Kai had been taken by the Police. He supposed it was possible that Kai had allowed himself to be taken in rather than give away secrets. After all, if the Police couldn't prove anything, then they couldn't hold Kai forever. It might have been the most logical course of action.

The explanation didn't feel right but he couldn't come up with anything more unless… The meeting had gone badly. If it had gone very badly, then could Dragon have simply taken Kai's quirk? That would explain why Overhaul had been taken in by the Police. Without his quirk, he was just another man and the Police could deal with him easily enough.

By Dragon's Dad he hoped that was true. If it was, and the Police didn't release Kai then there was no way the Eight Bullet's could keep the Shie Hassaikai together. Especially if Mimic and Chronostasis were out of the way too. Even if the Police released Kai, without his quirk…

Oh, what a potentially glorious day!

Even Eri appeared to be pick up on the Eight Bullet's agitation, though not the subtleties of it. What she knew is that without Overhaul there, they didn't do anything to her. He'd refined Kai's system so he didn't have to take Eri apart as often and she definitely appreciated it but Kai still insisted that most of the work be done when he was present. On day's like today, it meant he had a lot of free time.

Eri did pick up that something was very different when Shin ordered the other Eight Bullet's out to defensive positions. He picked up that they were expecting Dragon to raid them. Though if the boss had defeated Overhaul already then…

Yakuni shut his eyes. Dragon wouldn't be raiding if he'd lost his quirk so he hadn't hurt the Boss. The prickle in the back of his throat returned and stayed. It was late when the radio crackled to life.

"What the hell ar-urf!"

"We're overrun!"

"ARGH!"

That wasn't the sound of defence. That was the sound of defence losing.

Shin, who was still here with Hikiji, knew that as well. Yakuni saw Shin grab the radio. "Toya, report!" He ordered.

Good choice. Toya would at least be calm in his report. "I don't know which brat it is, but they have some sort of bioweapons," came the quick assessment.

Yakuni didn't frown. He didn't need to draw attention to himself now but what did Toya mean by which brat? Kai was meeting with Dragon, so wouldn't it be Dragon attacking now? The bioweapon bit was pretty easy to understand. They had to be the Nomu. Yakuni suppressed a smile. He might not understand everything but if the Nomu were here then… he was leaving today.

"How many?" Shin asked.

"Not sure. They just keep coming," Toya replied. He sounded distracted.

Shin picked up on that as well and looked towards Hikiji. "You heard?"

Hikiji nodded. Eri didn't like that. She cowered.

Yakuni couldn't shake his head at that reaction. At least some of the intimidation from the Shie Hassaikai was because she responded. If she didn't… Though, really that spoke to how weak the Eight Bullet's were that they had to get a response from a seven year old.

Hikiji didn't say anything as he nodded.

That seemed to be enough for Shin who turned to them. "You don't need to worry," the Eight Bullet member said.

Yakuni raised his eyebrow. It told the Shie Hassaikai member without words that he was doubtful of that. He wouldn't have done that to Kai but Shin was an underling and right now he was too busy to attempt to exert his power. Plus he appeared to know they weren't in a great situation. "I'll keep her safe," Yakuni reassured them.

They'd think it was for Kai but if Dragon was here then… He would be interested in Eri's quirk and so would Dragon's Dad. He'd keep Eri safe until they'd seen her.

"You'd better," Hikiji growled.

Yakuni kept his expression clear for the few moments it took for the Yakuza to turn away. He wanted to roll his eyes but he knew better than to do that. There must have been something in his tone that- No. There wasn't. Yakuni knew he hadn't given anything away. He'd had a life time of practice keeping his resentment out of his tone. When you were quirkless, you couldn't afford to let anyone know how you really felt. He had a quirk now, thanks to Dragon but that type of thing never left you.

Hikiji was stressed. That's all it was. The Shie Hassaikai were kind of directionless without Kai and Hikiji was taking it out on him. Yakuni spent a few minutes reassuring himself of that while keeping an eye on the two Eight Bullet members who were here. They were definitely focused on what was going on in the building.

Yakuni tried to think about what would happen. Dragon would raid the place and would eventually find here and then… The walls were reinforced, as was the floor and ceiling. He wasn't sure if the Nomu could break in. Dragon could probably compromise the air conditioning but that would take time. They'd have to test their strength against the barrier Hikiji would put up.

It would turn into a stand off and Yakuni already knew Dragon wouldn't have the time to simply wait. The Police, the Heroes, someone would come and the Shie Hassaikai would win by default because they could then later retrieve Kai.

And if Dragon managed to get through Hikiji's barrier then, Shin would shoot him. Yakuni knew he had one of the guns loaded with a red, permanent bullet.

Like hell that was going to happen.

Yakuni looked down at Eri. "It will be okay," he whispered to her before he looked around. This room had always been sparse. There was the surgical chair that Kai put Eri in and some tables where he worked. The walls had some storage cupboards but that was about it. He knew what was in those cupboards too. A microscope, and some surgical supplies, specifically syringes they used for extracting Eri's blood and some gauze and bandages. Nothing immediately useful.

But Shin and the other Eight Bullet's had brought in extra things. Yakuni looked at the tables, keeping an absent ear on the radio. It didn't sound like things were going well. There were a couple of temporary bullet's on one of the tables but… no gun. Shin still had it and while Yakuni was pretty sure he could overpower the Eight Bullet, he couldn't do it while Hikiji was here. There had to be something.

He looked up when there was an odd groan but nothing changed.

"Heh," Shin laughed.

"What is it?" Hikiji demanded.

"Some moron just set off the sprinklers," he informed the other Eight Bullet.

It took Hikiji a moment to work out the implications. Yakuni knew what it meant immediately. Dragon had even less time now.

There had to be some way he could help!

He could probably mix something up in a syringe but they'd notice that, so it was out… He ran through what he had in storage in the pocket he always carried with him. There was a heap of genetic samples from the Shie Hassaikai, including Eri. Some food and… He had a baseball bat.

Yakuni smiled. He hadn't been able to get a gun but the sports equipment was easy to come by. He'd been so focused on making sure the Shie Hassaikai never found out he had a quirk that he'd almost forgotten that. Carefully, Yakuni reached out, focusing on his quirk. He was not going to let Dragon be defeated by them.

"Shin, I've got him alone!"

The report surprised the Eight Bullet's. "Then get him, Soramitsu!" Shin commanded.

For a moment Yakuni felt a stab of worry then he dismissed it. Soramitsu would not be able to defeat Dragon. The Eight Bullet member would be able to injure some of the lesser Nomu but he couldn't defeat them. Not really.

The call from Soramitsu was beneficial to him though. Shin and Hikiji were focused on the radio, as if they could somehow see how the battle was going. From the lack of reports, Yakuni knew it wasn't going in their favour. He suspected they knew it too, which meant he would have to act soon. Carefully, he reached into the dimensional pocket he carried, focusing on the bat. He felt his finger tips brush against the cold handle and grasped it, pulling it from the space quickly and putting it behind him.

Eri gasped but Yakuni managed to cover the noise by turning to comfort her.

"Don't worry, it will be okay," he repeated. Yakuni couldn't quite bring himself to tell the lie that it was because Shin and Hikiji were there. He'd never been able to tell Eri the truth. He didn't think she'd betray him deliberately but he didn't need Kai knowing that he wasn't loyal.

She looked up at him, her red eyes full of questions. Yakuni smiled and nodded, to silently repeat his information. He saw Eri gulp and she returned his nod. "Just stay there," he instructed. She nodded again and sat where he indicated, before drawing her thin, bandaged legs to her chest and holding on to them.

"Soramitsu?" Shin asked for an update but the radio was silent.

Hikiji shook his head. "He won't answer," the man said.

Yakuni felt a surge of triumph at that. Izuku had obviously won, just as he knew he would.

There was a thump and something echoed down the corridor.

"Shit!" Hikiji muttered and gestured towards the corridor.

"What?" Shin demanded.

"They found here," Hikiji reported.

"Well bl-" Shin didn't finish the order.

"I already have," Hikiji interrupted.

No! Dragon didn't have the time to go through Hikiji's barrier. The two Eight Bullets focused on the corridor. Yakuni reached out and picked up the bat he'd gotten out earlier.

He didn't give them time to react. The instant his hand closed on the bat's handle, Yakuni rushed towards Hikiji. The footsteps brought attention but the Eight Bullets didn't turn in time and Yakuni snarled as he brought the bat down on Hikiji's head. Yakuni felt the reverberation in his arms but he couldn't hesitate. Hijiki fell even as he was swinging towards Shin.

This time, he hit the Eight Bullet solidly on his side. Yakuni had put all his strength into it and heard a crack as Shin was thrown aside. That put him out of commission for a moment, and Yakuni took the time to look at Hikiji. The larger man was down and Yakuni quickly checked him over. He was out. Yakuni rose to check on Shin, absently flicking on the lights to the corridor. That should tell Dragon it was safe to come down.

"What?" That was Shin.

Yakuni looked down at him. His voice was soft and his arm was bent at an unnatural angle. He felt the pull of a quirk on him and realised it had to be Shin's. Yakuni didn't know much about the Eight Bullet member except that Kai kind of trusted him.

"Why?" he added the question breathily.

"Why?" Yakuni repeated with an almost hysterical laugh. It was almost over. "I was never loyal to you!" He snarled, happy to be able to speak the truth. "I was never loyal to the Shie Hassaikai or Kai or any of you!"

"But-" Shin swallowed. "Kai checked. How?" he demanded.

Yakuni remembered that. He'd hurt for days afterwards. "Your precious little Overhaul assumed," he said fiercely. "He assumed I was loyal to the Old Man, and I am, just I am loyal to Dragon first! And you know what the funniest thing is," he scoffed proudly. "The Old Man knows it! He knew better than to make assumptions!"

He could have said more but the first Nomu emerged into the room. If Eri had been a normal little girl, she would have screamed. Yakuni could see that she wanted to but instead she just curled tighter into her little ball. Even though he'd seen pretty much all of the Nomu there was something unsettling about seeing them outside of the tanks. They weren't loyal to him, the way they were loyal to Dragon but he knew what would set them off.

Yakuni took the few steps back to Eri, raising his hands as he slid down the wall next to her.

"It's safe," he yelled.

"Yakuni?" Dragon didn't sound sure.

"It's me, Izuku," he called, using Dragon's name to show that it really was him.

More Nomu came into the room, including several coloured ones. They were more dangerous than the dun coloured ones. Then a man came in. He was wearing a skin tight costume which covered him from head to toe. Yakuni didn't know who he was and he didn't move when the man checked Shin and Hikiji.

"It's safe," he reported.

In another time, Yakuni might have felt insulted that his word wasn't trusted but since they were dealing with Dragon's safety, he was reassured that Izuku had sent someone to check. A moment later Dragon entered.

He was wearing a full face helmet, and a long coat over leathers but Yakuni would recognise him anywhere. He actually felt himself relax. "Dragon," he whispered.

With Izuku here, at the very source of their operations… the Shie Hassaikai had truly lost.

-ted-

Yakuni might not have seen the battle but he enjoyed what he heard and he's the best boy for Izuku! Making sure Izuku can get to his goal! Having someone on the inside is always the best!

My discord is on this code: TcBnRN7aDn FFN will remove links but you should be able to figure that out. There's a heap of other authors there, so come along and chat to us all! Not just about MHA.

-ted-

Loved it? Hated it? Found a spelling mistake? Let me know please!