"Never thought the father would want a meeting so quickly," Zhong remarked as he read the letter over again.
"Guess they really wanted your head, huh?" Himiko commented with her usual wide smile.
"What did you do to them again?" Izuku sat back in his chair with a raised eyebrow.
It didn't take too long for the Chinese mafia to give a response to the package he sent them. Unsurprisingly, their letter was about a meeting, telling them the time and place. The fact that it had been so quick meant that they were quite excited to meet the one who seemingly got rid of a major thorn in their side.
"They think I betrayed them, but I was framed! Worst of all, it was by a newcomer who quickly rose to the ranks and every one of these fucks believed him. I lost more than my position because of him," Zhong Liu answered, anger burning in his eyes. He clenched his fists so hard he even drew blood.
"You'll probably get your revenge at some point. For now, let's just prepare for our meeting with them," Izuku raised a hand in a calming manner. Clearly, the mafia and their former member had a lot of bad blood. He couldn't allow that to cloud Zhong's judgment for now. "Anything you can tell me about your former boss?"
"He's greedy as fuck. I'm sure he's delighted that you took me out, so you're already in a good light. Still, he'll expect some kind of deal. He'll consider leaving you alone a good enough reward for you, but I doubt he won't want anything in return," Zhong explained to which Izuku hummed.
"I think I can work with that," The green-haired boy nodded.
"Are you sure, Master?" Zhong questioned him. Even if he hadn't been explicit, Izuku already had an idea of why he was unsure. It was because he still thought his new master was the kind to punch rather than ask questions. He couldn't completely fault him for that considering how Izuku took over this group.
"Don't worry about me. I can assure you, I'm far from being an idiot," The dragon boy reassured him before gesturing to Toga. "Is her mask done?" He asked before a man quickly ran up to them, holding a suitcase.
"Here it is, sir! Just like the lady ordered," He stated as he obediently opened the suitcase, showing it to them.
It wasn't just a mask, but also a helmet, which would serve to hide her hair to keep her identity even safer. Of course, the additional protection was a nice bonus. It was all black with white outlines of a face, consisting of a wide-open smile while the eyes were crossed. Izuku picked it up, spinning it around to inspect it, then threw it at Himiko, who expertly caught it.
"This is acceptable," He complimented as the man who gave it to them nodded gratefully and went back to his position.
"This looks cool!" Himiko smiled while looking at it, satisfied with the result. "I could be like a silent assassin or something! I would never talk and would be full of mystery, right? Do guys like girls like that?" The blonde asked cheerfully while looking at her partner with bedroom eyes.
"It looks kinda scary," Isami remarked from Izuku's side. "Wouldn't you rather keep your cute face, Ace?" She asked, which made Himiko blush with happiness. She loved it when people called her cute, of course.
"I need to keep her identity a secret. No one outside of our group should know her face," Izuku explained.
"Am I going to meet the mafia guy with you?!" Himiko gasped excitedly.
"Naturally. I'll also probably take one or two of some of our guys," He declared to Zhong Liu, who nodded in agreement. "The fact that we'll have to go all the way to Nagoya is annoying, though," He grumbled. He'd have to skip school because of that. Well, it wouldn't be the first time, but he still didn't want to try his luck too much even if he had the school wrapped around his finger.
"The meeting's tomorrow, will you need to prepare anything else, Master?" Zhong asked.
"No. I don't think there'll be a fight and if there is, I won't be in trouble. I need to take a look at these guys before I come up with anything," Izuku replied calmly.
"Oh, so you'll do something about them at some point?" Zhong arched an eyebrow in surprise. He was happy about it, of course! He wanted revenge on them, after all. But it still came off as a surprise since he thought his boss would wait before striking the Chinese mafia in any way. They could be good allies thanks to their resources.
"Yeah. I can't allow them to know too much about me, and I'm unwilling to give them any kind of protection money for too long either. When I know we don't need them anymore, we'll get rid of them. Besides, I could always find good recruits among them if I'm lucky," The horned boy explained, much to Zhong's glee.
"As you wish, Master. Know that I will have your back no matter what!" He declared confidently and proudly, clenching a fist to his chest.
"I'm his right hand, though! Don't forget that!" Himiko playfully pouted before kicking the man in the shin, though he barely felt it.
Power-wise, Zhong was certain he could take her in a fight. Easily at that. However, he was also aware that she was his Master's most trusted companion, so power didn't matter here. Unfortunately, it meant he could do nothing but be her punching bag if she saw fit as she was his superior.
"I'll prepare my personal car for you, Master, and a driver," Zhong stated. Because of Izuku's size, a regular car would be a hindrance, so he figured giving him the one he used was the best course of action, here. There was also enough room for him to bring around five people with him.
"Good. Get me all our financial reports, too. It could come in handy," Izuku instructed before standing up. "Well, I'm off. Keep this place secure. I'll come back tomorrow and we'll be leaving for Nagoya first thing in the morning," He explained before walking away, not leaving them time to respond. Himiko simply waved at him, saying her goodbyes in a cheery and high-pitched voice. The fact that she was so relaxed and carefree around his master also made it clear that Zhong had nothing on her, and would need much more to prove his worth if he wanted to avoid being expendable.
Though, he couldn't help but wonder where Izuku left off every day. He wasn't in the club most of the time, even if it would have been a perfect hideout for him. Was he one of those villains who lived double lives by keeping their criminal activities a secret? He didn't seem that sneaky, but Zhong could be wrong. For all the bull-man knew, Izuku could even be married with a wife and kids! Should he inquire more about his leader or not? If he knew more about him, then he could be more helpful. Obviously, he couldn't investigate his boss or spy on him, he needed Ryu to tell him himself when he trusted him enough.
"I can't wait to be tomorrow! I never left the city before!" Himiko exclaimed excitedly. Her family hadn't been the traveling kind, after all. Sights were something else Izuku would help her discover!
The horned boy glanced at her one last time, thinking of tomorrow. He remembered their discussions well thanks to his good memory. Tomorrow wouldn't simply be a profitable business opportunity, but also another way to check how truly devoted Himiko was… and how truthful. Naturally, he trusted her the most currently, but he still couldn't say it was at 100%. Tomorrow would either be her greatest challenge… or greatest prize. Oh, well, that would be for the next day for him to ponder.
***
The next day
He wasn't impressed. The trip went well and without issues, especially since they arrived in Nagoya quicker than expected. The instructions for where to find the location for the meeting had been clear and concise and led them to a safe house. Soon enough, he was sitting across from the mafia boss, Lei Xue. The old man didn't look powerful, but looks could be deceiving. He was surrounded by several men, all looking certainly more professional than the ones who worked under Zhong's name when Izuku took over.
The horned boy, on the other hand, only had Ace standing by his side with her mask on, as well as two men a couple of feet behind.
"I can see how you defeated Zhong Liu," Lei Xue hummed softly, looking the horned man up and down, before snapping his fingers. A nearby henchman swiftly pulled out a cigar placed it in the father's mouth and lit it. "He was an annoying thorn in our side, but I doubt you did this knowing that,"
"No, I didn't. I was looking for a gang to take over and he was the perfect target," Izuku confirmed. "You could say I just started my criminal career,"
"And how did you find out about Zhong Liu? Even we had to look for him for quite some time before finding he was in that little club of his," Lei questioned.
"An information broker told me about him," Izuku answered without hesitation. "Can't say his name," He added. Of course, he wasn't going to mention Giran's name if they didn't know it already. The old man grinned.
"I like you," He pointed at him. Izuku would expect a mafia boss would be mad at someone hiding information, but it seemed the reality was different. "Do you know who I am?"
"You're Lei Xue," Izuku responded, making Lei nod.
"It is," He confirmed. "And you're Haō, aren't you? Quite a bold name, but what I'm mainly wondering about is how you heard about me… and why you sent me that fool's head,"
"I took over his business on top of his group and interrogated his former men about it. I learned that he had a few problems with you, so I decided to let you know he wasn't in charge anymore. I thought there was nothing better than sending you his head as a peace offering," Izuku explained carefully. He was careful not to reveal how much he knew about Zhong's past issues with them. He couldn't let them discover that this information came directly from Liu himself. "Maybe we could come up with a deal? I give you a percentage of the profits and you help me out sometimes," He suggested. He didn't want to give them anything but had no other choice if he wanted him to listen. Moreover, he couldn't let them know that he was aware they were trying to screw Zhong's business. This offer should get them off his back, and let his group resume their activities as usual.
"I was right! You are bold!" Lei chuckled, pointing his cigar at the younger man. "But I do like your spunk. You know how the world works. That's good. You did me a favor by taking out Zhong Liu, so I wouldn't mind doing you a favor in return. If we go through this deal, then I may do more than one, who knows," He stroked his chin in thought. Izuku waited for him to continue, wondering what he would offer. "What would you say about 30%?"
Did Lei think Haō was an imbecile? The mafia boss probably started high because he expected Izuku to fight it and settle for something lower, but still too high. He couldn't afford to give him 30% when he already had so many expenses. The business wasn't going well either because of Lei's actions.
"No, sorry, but that's too much," Haō shook his head. "I was thinking along the lines of 10%," He responded, sparking a gasp from the man standing right beside Lei. He looked average, except for his clawed hands. If he remembered Zhong Liu's words correctly, this was Shuren, Lei's most trusted man.
"10%?! Who do you think you are speaking to? Father deserves more than scraps! Don't forget you are on our turf, here!" Shuren exclaimed, his claws extending with a sharp edge to them. Quickly and wordlessly, Ace pulled her knife out, ready to defend her leader if need be.
"Oh, please, will you calm down? We're just talking!" Lei Xue snapped at his underling in annoyance. Shuren was loyal to a fault, so his reaction didn't surprise Izuku, nor the way he obediently retracted his claws. Izuku threw a glance in Ace's direction, which seemed to be enough to tell her to put her knife away. "I understand 30% may be a bit much, but remember I'll offer my assistance to expand your business, too. Though, I see you won't budge on this… What about 20%?" Lei offered next, only for Izuku to shake his head.
"15%, and I'm not going higher than that," Izuku stated confidently. Oh, he could definitely go higher than that, but he needed to keep that pressure up.
"Really? No higher than 15%? Not even for 18?" Lei suggested, tapping his armrest with a pointer finger, getting frustrated.
Izuku paused to ponder. He already knew what he planned to say, but that was something else they couldn't know. Lei would be more willing to accept his offer if he showed more reluctance and there might be a chance Haō wouldn't make the deal at all.
"17% and it's a deal," He finally spoke out.
Lei didn't answer immediately, thinking the deal over. After a few seconds, he grinned and stretched out his hand.
"It's a deal," He nodded.
Satisfied, Izuku shook his hand and smirked. Honestly, he would have preferred to give him less, but this was the best he could do at the moment. Besides, it wouldn't last forever. The moment he wouldn't need Lei Xue anymore, he would destroy him and his little crime empire, if he could even call it that. From what Zhong had told him, they weren't faring too well in Japan, even if it had been better than in China.
There were even more concealed crimes in China than in Japan, so there were more underground pro-heroes than in Japan. Moreover, their government was far more controlling, and meticulous when it came to their investigations. You could hardly grow a crime empire in that country, which was why the mafia eventually relocated to Japan. However, considering how the Yakuza were becoming nothing more than an old myth, slowly dying out, Lei Xue may have yet to pick the best country for his underground activities. He was a fool, and this would work in Izuku's favor. Soon, he would be as much of a myth as the Yakuza. Old and forgotten.
Their talk didn't end here, of course. Discussing the strip club itself wouldn't be enough if they entered a partnership since they also needed to think of other ways they could help each other. Laundering their money wasn't a good offer since they already had a way to do it. Ultimately, they decided that Izuku would supply them with drugs for a price beneficial to both of them and that Lei Xue would use his network to sell any information Haō may need. The older man also offered his services if a hit ever needed to be put on someone.
All in all, it went well. Luckily, Himiko had also been behaved. It seemed she took this seriously just as he wanted her to.
"Well, I think we're done here. We'll send you a written agreement about everything we talked about to make sure we're all on the same page," Lei Xue leaned back in his chair comfortably, quite happy about the outcome. "You'll go far in this business with me, my good man," He pointed at the horned man.
"Thanks. Before we go, though. I'd like to use the favor you owe me, now," Haō suddenly stated, to Lei's surprise. The older man arched an eyebrow, curious, while Izuku slid two pictures on the table and made sure they were out of his subordinates' view. Even Ace shouldn't see it since this should give him the final answer to how much he could trust her, but would also prevent any future issues. "I want these people delivered to me by tonight. Their addresses and names are on the back. Can you do that?" He explained as Lei picked up the pictures and looked them over for a few seconds.
"Yeah, shouldn't be a problem," He shrugged, handing them to his right-hand man, who immediately took a look, too. "What's your issue with them? They don't look like much,"
"Nothing personal. They could pose a problem, that's all," Izuku replied, not revealing anything.
"Alright, I can respect that. Consider it done," Lei Xue nodded before standing up, encouraging Izuku to do the same and causing the horned boy to tower over him. "This is the beginning of a wonderful partnership," The old man grinned, greed almost visible in his eyes.
"I'm sure it will," Izuku nodded and shook his hand yet again. This was only the beginning of his empire.
He still had much to do before UA's entrance exam.
***
He spent the rest of the day at home, telling his mother that school ended early. As usual, she didn't question it much. He trusted Himiko and Zhong to handle the strip club on their own, which was currently closed as they would soon start the renovations to change the restaurant into a nightclub.
When he returned to the club, the first one to welcome him hadn't been Zhong or Himiko, but a random underling, seeming nervous.
"Uhm, Boss? There was a… packet for you," The man announced. From his tone, Izuku could already tell what it was.
"Yeah, it's something I ordered from the Lei Xue. I understand it must have been tough to sneak in, though. Where did you put them?" The horned boy inquired.
"We don't really have anywhere to hold prisoners, so we put them in one of the private rooms,"
"Good. I'll go there. Tell Ace, and no one else, I'll be waiting for her," He ordered and left, acknowledging the man's salute as he ran to notify his blonde partner.
It only took a few seconds for Izuku to reach the room where his personal prisoners were held. Unsurprisingly, Himiko joined him even faster. She rarely left his side every time he came here.
"Haō-kun! You're finally here!" Himiko greeted him cheerfully and jumped on his back the moment she reached him. He was happy to hear she used his villain name even if they were currently alone. After all, they were still in the strip club, so there were risks of eavesdropping.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm happy to see you," Izuku replied dismissively. He was more excited about what was behind this door. "I've got a surprise for you," He said, making her perk up.
"Oh? What is it!?" She clapped her hands excitedly.
"Why don't you go in?" He simply smirked and opened the door, letting her go in first.
"I love the secrecy, Zuzu!" She grinned, showing a toothy smile as she went in. The first thing she heard was sobbing, which already made it clear what kind of gift it was. However, what happened next shocked her to the core.
"Please, let us go!"
"We'll pay you anything you want!"
Himiko froze, instantly recognizing those voices. It only took her a few steps to see who spoke those words and confirm her suspicions. They were… her parents. Both were on their knees with their hands tied behind their backs, crying and moaning uncontrollably as if they were on their way to slaughter. Their heads were nearly touching the floor while they begged desperately for mercy.
"Mom? Dad?" She voiced out loud. The blonde held no pity in her voice nor resentment, she was simply surprised. It seemed her voice was enough to get them back to their senses, making them hurriedly perk up in shock.
"Y-You! It's you! I should have known! You… devil child!" Her mother cried with anger.
"You brought us here?!" Her father screamed, his teeth clenched.
"What? No," Himiko shook her head. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm the one who brought them," Izuku interjected before her parents could scream something else, pulling everyone's attention to him.
"You did?" Himiko exclaimed.
"You told me you hate them, that they hated you in return, and that they could never accept you. You told me that you rejected them. I thought there would be no better prize than claiming their lives. Something even I didn't get the chance to do with my old man," Izuku explained, gesturing at them. Of course, killing them was also necessary so that there would be even fewer people who would know about Himiko. She needed to be his trump card, his chameleon whose identity would be a mystery to anyone but him. It would also serve to show how dedicated she was to him. Saying you despised your parents and rejected them was easy, but proving it in such a way was a different matter.
"I… thank you, Izu-kun… But," Himiko muttered, surprised he went that far.
"We can talk about it later. I trust that you won't need me for this," Izuku turned his back to her before she could speak. He needed to leave if he didn't want to influence any of her decisions. She needed to make those on her own.
"Ah, wait!" The blonde outstretched her hand to stop him, only for the tall boy to close the door behind him and leave.
…
What was she supposed to do now? She wasn't prepared for something like this! She never thought she would even see them again!
"You won't do what he said, are you?" Her father asked with a wavering tone and a shaking voice. "You wouldn't do that to your own blood, would you?!" He shouted, trying to crawl back, only to fail as he had been tied too tightly.
"Now you care about blood?" Himiko arched an eyebrow. While she had been unsure of what to do until now, and still was, she couldn't help but glare.
"We always have, stupid girl! Why do you think we wanted you to be normal!? It was for your own good! But you kept screwing up! You and your creepy smiles!" Her mother screamed in response. Gone was the fear, replaced by fury. Clearly, she didn't believe her daughter would hurt her, no matter how demonic she believed her to be. "You have the opportunity to fix everything now! Get us out of here and we'll get you some help!"
"What kind of help?" Himiko asked, disinterested.
"A mental asylum, obviously!" Her father interjected before her mother could answer. "Don't you want to be like everyone else?!" He questioned her.
Indeed, in the past, she wanted to. Her parents hated what she was, so she believed them when they said she needed help. She believed them when they told her she needed to be normal. She tried so hard to be what they wanted her to be, repressing her emotions and who she was. It was no wonder she ended up snapping eventually, hurting other people. Ironically, she couldn't have been happier when that happened. And now, they were surrounded by enemies, facing death at every turn, they still treated her like trash when she was their only potential savior? Even now, they believed they could mold her however they wished?
"Hurry up and free us, already! Before he comes back! We still have a chance to be a normal family again, Himiko!" Her mother ordered, shouting her name for the first time in a long time.
"You bastards… What do you know about normal?" Himiko questioned as she pulled out her knife and held it in front of her face.
Her cold and merciless glare reflected on the blade as she stared her progenitors down, eyeing them with contempt.