20/04/2024

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The Emperor's Dragon
Dragon 12 - Unsheathe the Claws

Captain Teiko Meishu rolled her shoulders under her flak jacket. Today was the day. She'd finally have the plague mask wearing Yakuza in their place. With a bit of luck the raid today would break the last of… whatever was keeping them in existence and one threat to peace and lawful society would be removed.

She'd actually studied historical statistics. If Heroes could get a handle on villain crime, then this would be one of the safest times in history to live. Theft was down, assault was done, domestic and other violence was down, and they didn't think that was just through under reporting.

Teiko shook her head. She had to focus on today. Getting rid of the Yakuza… It probably wouldn't happen today. The raid today would be a warning to them and they'd linger but she could watch them and if the raid found what she thought it would, then she'd have the resources to watch and that should be enough to make them disappear and generations of police would celebrate that.

Even with the evidence her officers had collected, it hadn't been the easiest to get permission for the raid. She didn't think it was because the Yakuza had protection. It was just a function of the times. With All Might's fight against that villain about a month ago… Villains, and criminals everywhere were making bids for power. Her case wasn't that high on the list.

Yes, multiple people had been shot. But they were multiple homeless people and they had no one advocating for them. Plus, no one had died. If someone had died, homeless or not, then there would have been more concern. There was concern now, and with the evidence already collected, and what they would collect today, she was certain they'd be able to put away most of those involved. There were some who'd worm their way out of charges.

There always were.

The only blemish in today's raid was that there were several heroes who just had to be involved. They weren't the big names, they were-

The Captain suppressed a sigh. She knew exactly why they were here. The highest ranked was 47 and the others two were both sub 100 but she couldn't remember exactly where they were. It hardly mattered. They were here for a chance at publicity. She didn't begrudge them that. Not exactly. Teiko was aware that heroes had to have publicity to advance in the ranks but she did begrudge them taking her officer's leg work. This was a police mission, not a hero one.

They could tag along but-

Her precinct would be getting the credit, not their agencies.

-ted-

Kai rolled the red coated bullet back and forth between his fingers as he waited. It was the one he'd decided was for All For One. The other two permanent bullets were with Chronostasis and Nemoto, though they had just received word that only one of All For One's brats was going to be here. He'd sent a message to Nemoto to not waste the bullet. If the brat was problematic then Chronostasis would take care of it. He had the better shot.

He reviewed what he knew of All For One's younger brat… It wasn't much. The teen was relatively new to the scene. He'd been enrolled in UA's Management course, which most likely meant All For One had wanted this one to take over his legitimate and semi legitimate companies, while Tomura took care of the underworld. It was presumably the arrest of his father that had triggered his activity.

Kai huffed. He wasn't entirely sure if he should be insulted that the youngest brat was here but… The underworld was without a leader now, and while he knew the Shie Hassaikai would come out on top, if he could get All For One's brats to acknowledge him, that would make things so much smoother. Their resources would guarantee a faster path to victory and then…

The Yakuza had ruled the underworld in the past but that was before quirks. He knew that because he'd studied history. With quirks things had changed and Kai had never seen the point of bowing to All For One but the Boss had been insistent and since he'd taken over, Kai hadn't been in a position to challenge the old ways. Now…

He looked down at the bullet. Things were different now. All For One was gone. All Might hadn't retired but anyone with any sense knew he would. Kai didn't know what he was waiting for. There was probably some heroic convention they knew nothing about. Behind the scenes, the heroes were jockeying for position, just as they were in the underworld. There had already been some confrontations in the lower ranks.

Kai had been amused when he'd been told of them. The gangs moving now had no chance to win. They were… They were so insignificant that he'd deal with them via a broker when the time came rather than directly. The rest of the underworld, the real players were biding their time. Or at least they appeared to be. He'd be stupid to assume they were doing nothing. They would no doubt be doing what he was today, exploring new alliances and avenues to power and shoring up his existing power base.

As far as he knew, All For One's brats hadn't contacted anyone for the last two weeks and interestingly Kai didn't think that any of All For One's … He wasn't sure what to call them - allies seemed to give them too much autonomy but minions made them seem closer than they were. He settled on acquaintances. None of them seemed to be talking to the brats. He couldn't be absolutely sure of course but…

The brats were young. At 27 he was considered young. At 20 and 16, the brats were infants and they should be open to his guidance… He'd offer that at least. While his generation didn't really understand the reverence given to All For One, the man's fight against All Might had shown some of his power. In his prime… In his prime, Kai could well understand why the Boss had been prepared to tread carefully around All For One. So, given that the Boss had taken him in and taught him and that the underworld should stick together where they could, he would offer the brats the same. He'd take them in, and their resources and they'd still know greatness in the underworld but they would be his subordinates.

The time of All For One was over and while they probably didn't want to accept that reality, he'd be the best choice of those who would be looking to dominate them. Most other groups would simply execute them and then take All For One's resources. He was willing to let them live, to teach them how to properly run a business.

Perhaps it was best that the youngest one was going to be his initial contact. He might be willing to accept that he had no real experience and jump at the chance to be guided. The eldest would most likely be drunk on his meagre successes against UA.

In which case, setting all this up would be worth it.

His plan would work but, if he could get All For One's resources, then it would be that much faster and he could take it further. Kai smiled internally. That was a nice thought. He could spread the Shie Hassaikai's influence beyond Japan if he had All For One's resources. They wouldn't only be respected here, they'd be respected everywhere, as they once had been.

While he didn't have access to much capital, the Yakuza were what would be termed old money in polite society. They were old money all right, but broke. There were only a few assets left. The others had been consumed over the years to keep them alive. This base, along with the one disguised as an office, was one of the last of the really good assets they had. It was in a reasonable area but at a distance from Tokyo. As an asset, the main selling point was the gardens which were extensive, even for the area. The house had been modernised, so while it superficially looked traditional, most of the rooms had polished wooden floorboards and central heating and cooling. The room he was in now was the only one with tatami matts. It was meant for formal audiences but he was beginning to rethink the setting on the grounds that they required him to kneel. It required All For One's brat to kneel as well but he'd been waiting longer and his legs were letting him know that.

At least he hadn't dressed up for this. The boss used to put on the full kit occasionally but thankfully he'd never insisted Kai have to. He shifted slightly, easing the tension in his legs as a buzz came from his phone. It meant they were here.

Kai picked up his phone and answered. The caller was under instruction to give him some very specific answer. "Warp gate, three, and the warp gate left."

Interesting. He knew the League had a warper and he had assumed that the man would be with them but it appeared as if All For One's younger brat had some sense of tactics. A warper was a valuable asset and exposing him was dangerous. There were all sorts of uses for a warper but that wasn't what he was thinking about.

There were three of them today. One would be the brat, one of the others would be Twice, who'd brokered this meeting and the third… he didn't know enough about the League. Tomura Shigaraki would be recognised so it wasn't him and it wasn't one of the big names the League had been seen with. His phone buzzed again and Kai glanced down at it. It was a photo of the group. He recognised the third from the intelligence his men had gathered. Blonde and young. It wasn't just in the high school uniform she was wearing but he could tell from her face. It still had a certain roundess to it that maturity would hone. Himiko Toga. He'd heard about some of her killings earlier but she was just… She had nothing special.

So two children and Twice who had brokered the meeting. This should be easy. He had the brains, they had the cash and together… with him at the helm, they would change the world.

Kai put his phone back down. "The warper isn't here," he announced.

Several people relaxed at that. They weren't expecting trouble but a warper was always an unknown and Kai had prepared a temporary bullet for him. A warper was too valuable to just destroy but too dangerous to not be prepared for.

A shadow passed over the balcony that was outside the room. Kai recognised the diminutive form of Joi's cloak, escorting the trio. Their shadows were arranged in ascending height with Joi leading the way followed by the girl, then All For One's brat and Twice. Their footsteps were quiet, indicating that they'd left their shoes at the door. He wondered what the brat thought of that. Kai was curious to know what sort of education he'd gotten with All For One.

The door slid open with a soft hiss. That was probably Joi's doing. The cloak gestured and Kai watched as the three of them stepped into the room. It was obvious to Kai's eyes that the girl wasn't a guard. She didn't even glance at the room, instead her eyes went straight to him. He raised his head and dared her to speak. The girl snorted but remained silent. The photo had shown him everything he needed to know and in person there was nothing he needed to reassess.

The brat was more interesting. He was dressed in a black jumpsuit with green highlights. It almost looked like bike leathers, complete with gloves. The colours actually complimented the green of his eyes and hair. The Boss had shown Kai pictures of All For One. He'd been expecting a copy. The teen's eyes were hard and he did glance to the corners of the room and to the ceiling. That was surprising but not completely unexpected. All For One would have seen to his basic training. His expression was surprisingly neutral and as he approached, Kai got the impression the kid was sizing him up.

It was kind of cute.

Kai didn't think they'd fight today but he was ready for that possibility. It was one of the reasons he hadn't had All For One's former scientist transported here. While it would be interesting to see the brat's reaction, that was something that could wait for another day. And the office was the safer place to keep Eri.

This location was… He'd chosen it because he didn't want the brat near his main operations. At least, not yet.

There were three cushions laid out and Kai watched as the brat settled himself on the middle one. Twice and the girl took up positions at either side of him. Kneeling, the brat was shorter than him but the height difference was reduced slightly.

"So you are All For One's younger heir," Chronostasis commented as Joi took position next to Kai.

"Only heir," the brat replied sharply.

"Oh?" Hari probed.

"Tomura is not my brother," the kid said and then his expression shifted as if he was recalling something sour but he didn't elaborate.

Kai let the silence stretch between them. Interestingly the kid remained seated, but the girl squirmed. The kid glanced over at her and reached out to touch her leg before he pulled his hand back. She stopped squirming.

"Twice told me you wished to speak," the kid said.

Kai was silent before he nodded. "Your father, the Emperor of Darkness, I never really believed in his power but… His fall is significant. The elders truly believed in him and feared him but now that he's gone, there is no longer anyone who rules over the night. So the question the underworld is asking is who is next to rule?"

The kid looked at him for a few seconds before he chuckled. Then he recovered before he burst out laughing again. It was hard to tell what Jin was thinking about but the girl looked at the brat curiously. He recovered again and cocked his head slightly. "So you want it to be you?" he asked.

"It will be me," Kai announced, dismissing the brat's laughter. Who knew what a 16 year old was thinking about? There was probably some obscure trope that he'd hit upon and the brat had no sense of decorum. "I have the objective, and the plan." He shook his head, and then took a deep breath. "I've seen the way Tomura uses his resources. Moonfish, Muscular, Stain… He had no idea how to use them, and now, he sends you to speak to me."

"Tomura did not send me," the brat snarled and actually seemed insulted by the suggestion.

Kai gave him a look and then acknowledged the statement with a nod. "Very well, Tomura does not know how to use his resources, and I doubt you will be any better. I will be the one to rule the underworld because I have the objective and the plan."

"And you think I came here to back you?" the brat asked.

"A few years later, and you might have had the ability to take your father's throne, but you are too young, you lack the ability to coordinate and recruit. The people you are sitting with now are Tomura's and neither of you can take the throne." Kai said matter of factly. "But you can still be a power in the future."

"With you?"

"With me," he agreed.

The brat snorted and then shook his head. He made no other threat and Kai flicked his fingers to let Hari know it wasn't the time. The kid was blustering but he'd bow to reality soon enough. "Your very first assumption is wrong. My father has not vacated the throne."

"He's in Tartarus," Joi pointed out on his behalf.

The kid acknowledged that with the tilt of his head. "Just because the Emperor is not seated, does not negate his position. And what would a relic of the pre-quirk age know of ruling the underworld now?" the brat challenged.

"Because unlike Tomura I have a plan," Kai replied.

The kid nodded and he continued. "To carry out my plan a vast amount of financial capital is needed. As a relic of the past," he said, somewhat mockingly, "finding investors is somewhat troublesome but with you, it will be a bit of a different story."

The kid smirked. "So what you are calling a plan is actually a proposal," he announced.

"I have a plan," Kai corrected.

"Not if you don't have the means to carry it out." The rejoinder was instant.

"The plan will simply be faster with you."

The kid seemed to think about it for a moment. "Ah, so you have a proof of concept," he said. "Interesting. How much financial capital?"

"I would take control," Kai told him.

The brat laughed again. "And you call me naive! There is one absolute truth about the world you are forgetting. He who has the gold, makes the rules. You need my help and yet you expect me to be subservient? Investment doesn't work like that."

Kai stared at the brat. "In business perhaps, but this isn't business," he said.

"And you think I should come under you?"

"I will be taking your father's throne and this is your chance to make it with you, or I will go through you."

The kid laughed again and got up. "We are done here. I did not come to be subservient and I did not come to hear delusions from a relic of the past. You would do well to remember the throne is not empty and follow in the steps of your elders. It seems to me that they understood."

The brat actually had the gall to turn his back. Kai gestured and Hari reacted, pulling the gun that was ready. He didn't hesitate and the bang was loud.

"No!" That was the girl. She jumped and Kai's eyes widened as she was thrown back, into the kid who was turning back to him. The two of them stumbled and fell with the kid embracing the girl. He looked down at her face and then pulled his hand away from her shoulder.

Her blood was bright red on his hand.

Kai handed the other bullet to Chronostasis as he felt the weight of the kid's presence suddenly flare.

"What have you done?" the kid demanded, his eyes shocked only for an instant before his lips curled back. "What have you done?" he snarled.

There was no need to answer as Chronostasis raised the gun again.

But then, there was no second bang.

-ted-

Well, that went well :D

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-ted-

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