The atmosphere in the back of the limousine was incredibly tense… or at least, Overhaul thought so. Upon arriving in the upstairs lounge along with Toru, the two of them had made their way over to meet the rest of Arowana's personal guards. The Three Bullets- suddenly expanded to Five- was a tactical unit well known throughout the Shie Hassaikai, and generally feared. None of the three established members were particularly friendly to the underlings around the warehouse, though only one of them was outright belligerent. Overhaul had interacted with each of them only briefly, though their few encounters were enough to paint a very clear picture of who and what he was dealing with.

Lattice, the man with the worst reputation and most imposing stature, was predictably seated at one of the bars in the lounge when Overhaul arrived. He was tall- unnaturally so- incredibly muscular, completely bald, and looked distinctly unimpressed with everything around him. The man wore a simple suit with a deep red undershirt and matching metallic facemask that concealed his nose and mouth. Unlike Overhaul's, the accessory was completely featureless and flat, lending him an almost alien look. Even with the full coverage, he had been known to yell loudly enough to clear out entire rooms when he was displeased. Overhaul decided immediately that he would only interact with the man if and when he had to… and he hoped that those times were few and far between.

The man's partner in crime, known professionally as Aegis, was of a contrasting build but of similar height. Aegis was quite slender and unassuming, with a full head of spiky blond hair that was wildly unkempt and jutting out at all angles. Much like Lattice and his leader, the Bullet's uniform was a black suit and pressed undershirt, colored in a sandy yellow that matched his hair. He, too, was at the bar and cupping a drink in his hands, though the expression on his maskless face was one of serenity contrasting that of Lattice. The two were well known to work as a pair, with Aegis being the voice of reason and Lattice's 'handler', as some had put it to Overhaul. Somehow, he had a feeling that neither of the two men would be happy to learn of the label.

Last was Chronostasis, the man in charge of the Bullets. Though he was shorter and known to be quieter than his underlings, something about the man's incredibly serious expression and the way he carried himself made him even more imposing than Lattice. Chronostasis was leaned up against a wooden support column next to the bar, his eyes closed and arms folded across his chest as he waited for the new arrivals. He wore a shirt of pale blue beneath his suit jacket and several silver rings of various styles. His otherwise standard outfit was accented by a simple silver chain necklace with a cross affixed to it. It was clear that the man put quite a bit of though into his appearance; his chin-length silver hair was immaculately styled down around his face and jewelry polished to a mirror sheen. Chronostasis said only two words as Overhaul and Toru approached him.

"Let's go."

That was all the greeting the pair was offered, and Overhaul had simply nodded. Minutes later, the five of them sat in the back of a limousine, with Arowana and his driver in a separate compartment up front. Overhaul wasn't thrilled to find that Toru, too, had quieted down and apparently lost all of her enthusiasm. Lattice and Aegis chose to sit on one long seat running along the side of the vehicle, while Overhaul and Toru chose the opposite one. Chronostasis sat alone on the longer seat in the very back, between the two parties. No words were exchanged at all until Lattice suddenly nodded in Overhaul's direction, his eyes narrowing as he spoke through his mask.

"So. You nervous?"

Overhaul paused and swallowed, letting his beaked mask hide the motion as he tried to decide whether speaking the truth or maintaining a confident façade would impress the others more.

"I am."

The moment that Chronostasis let out a sigh and closed his eyes, Overhaul knew that he had chosen poorly.

"…for what possible reason? This meeting is with All Might- the supposed 'Symbol of Peace.' We're here more for appearances than anything else. If the man had wanted to make a move on the Shie Hassaikai, he would have done so ages ago, and we would be powerless to stop him. There is no sense worrying about something out of our control."

"Listen to the boss," Lattice advised as he leaned back in his seat and interlaced his fingers behind his head. "Besides, if Arowana thought he was in danger… he wouldn't be bringing fresh meat along to defend him. He'd have brought The Princess, whether she wanted to come or not."

"…Saku?" Toru guessed.

"Indeed," Aegis answered. "Her codename, both officially and otherwise, depending upon who is speaking. From Lattice's mouth, it is meant quite informally… and generally accompanied by several expletives."

"She deserves them."

"Enough," Chronostasis ordered, drawing all attention to himself. "She and her partner are of no concern to us, especially right now. Focus on the mission ahead, and once the meeting starts, remain silent. We're not being asked for our opinions, nor are we to interfere in any other way. This meeting is what Arowana wants, and we're going to make sure he gets it."

"Yes, Sir," Overhaul answered with a nod. "Do any of you know why this is happening? I'm having trouble figuring it out. What advantage is there in allying with All Might?"

At that, Chronostasis pinched his nose and closed his eyes, causing Overhaul to sit up a bit straighter.

"…you are asking too many questions. Questions that shouldn't matter to you and will make your job and mine much more difficult. Put on your uniform. Read your orders. Arrive on time. Execute. That's all there is to it. Am I clear?"

Overhaul nodded, shooting Toru a quick look as he fell silent. As he remembered he couldn't tell what look she gave him in return, the gesture just made him feel incredibly stupid.

"Yes, Sir…"

"About time," Lattice said with a chuckle. "Last thing we need is pointless chatter. Now keep quiet until we get to the target."

And so Overhaul did, though his mind was anything but. He had a job to do… and he wasn't quite sure how he felt about it.

Toshinori Yagi stood alone in the parking garage, on the level just below the top. The mall attached to the structure was still closed, its windows dark and doors chained shut despite being in the middle of the day. Though the interior had been cleaned, there was still an air of unease about the building. The owners had capitalized on the attack that had happened a few months back to renovate and drum up hype for a grand reopening with an undefined date. That date was likely being coordinated internally to coincide with some holiday or other opportunity for maximum profit. The thought made Toshinori's stomach turn- everything in society seemed to be becoming more and more about money, regardless of the real costs associated. It hardly mattered to the owners of the building that people had died… though even that was secondary to what was on the number one hero's mind. He was more concerned with the message that had been left in blood at the scene of the crime.

BROTHER

Toshinori knew what it meant. Only a few others did… but for how much longer that would remain true was unclear.

The sound of an approaching vehicle caused Toshinori to stand up a little bit straighter and fold his arms across his chest. He kept his expression neutral, though his eyes were slightly narrowed. It was a stark contrast to his usual ever-present smile… and would likely be more than enough to rattle the Shie Hassaikai if they were planning to try to strongarm him into anything. As he watched the limousine park and a group of six figures exit the vehicle, Toshinori found that he was right. He could practically see the fear on all of their faces no matter how stoic they tried to look. All of them seemed incredibly tense except for the leader, a man that he knew only in name.

"…All Might," Arowana said in greeting as he led his bodyguards closer, stopping with a distance of about ten feet between himself and the hero. His voice was clear and full of purpose despite his wizened appearance, though he kept his face mostly hidden beneath his wide-brimmed hat as he spoke. "We finally meet in more than just passing. My thanks for agreeing to such a meeting seemingly out of the blue."

"The offer of it intrigued me," Toshinori admitted. "Besides… I trust young Togata. The fact that he seems to be working alongside you now was enough to get me interested in a dialogue, no matter how… unsavory some of your activities may be, at times."

"A matter of slightly differing philosophies," Arowana said dismissively as he clasped his hands behind himself. "There are matters upon which we will never see eye to eye… but I would posit that there are several where our aims align, regardless of what you and your associates may initially believe."

"I am aware of the good that the Shie Hassaikai does," Toshinori replied with a slow nod. "Charity work, funding municipal upkeep, disaster relief… I know that some of you volunteered to help at this very mall, after the recent attack. Such things are a large part of why the pro hero community has not made a priority of going after you and stopping the minor crimes associated with the organization."

"And the other part is because you do not see us as a legitimate threat," Arowana concluded. "The Yakuza at large are regarded as weak. A relic of the past with little place in the new, Quirk-centric world of villainy."

"…I don't deny it," Toshinori admitted as he let his arms drop to his sides. "You and the Nue are the only ones even on our radar, though your enemies are far more problematic. That being said, we lack the manpower or knowledge to fully dismantle them, even after learning of their connection to Sir Nighteye's death."

"Not if we form an alliance," Arowana suggested. "I have the knowledge and can offer additional manpower."

"I had a feeling that that is what this meeting was about," Toshinori admitted. "The optics of such a thing, though…"

"You are only half right," Arowana warned. "Ridding ourselves of the Nue would be step one. I am not interested in a mere temporary alliance, All Might- I see this as our opportunity to re-enter the public eye in Japan as more than a vague threat lurking within the shadows. There is much that we could do for Japan as a whole, if only we were permitted to do so."

"Permitted by whom?" Toshinori asked. "I don't control Japan, or hero society at large, let alone the prime minister. Working together on this would hardly change the public's perception of you and yours overnight, and endorsing you publicly without a sudden, immediate change would be career suicide."

"Isn't that just the thing?" Arowana asked, sounding almost amused. "Hero society as we know it is entirely broken. The system, as it were, no longer works. Villain activity is becoming more brazen, to the point of targeted attempts on the lives of high-profile heroes. Public opinion on heroes is declining, and celebrity culture has begun to overtake the original motivation for becoming a hero. The fame doesn't interest me, All Might. Getting our country back on track is what I care about most… as well as having the opportunity to gain influence behind the scenes. I have ideas as to what can be done to remedy the ills of our current system, after the removal of the Nue… but that must come first for the safety of the public, your heroes, and my clan. Wouldn't you agree?"

All Might took a long inhale.

"…what are you thinking?"

"All in due time," Arowana replied. "But let this be a new beginning between you and whoever else may be willing and the Shie Hassaikai. From there, we can work on broadening our influence and aligning our aims with those currently in power. Are you interested in getting started?"

"I am, provided you are being honest with your intentions," Toshinori answered. "Let us begin formulating a plan…"

Author's Note:

What could go wrong?

-RD