If stepping into the Yakuza compound had been like stepping into another world, walking down into this fight club was like walking into hell itself. With just a few short steps, his heart was already pounding to match the endless beats that seemed to engulf everything around him. The lights were flashing and the people were closing in around him.
There were so many of them, and of so many different kinds. Street thugs, students, businessmen, Yakuza members, and so many more all stood cheering, shouting, and clamoring for the attention of men behind thick glass as they bet on the winners of the fight. Were it not for Ori’s hand wrapped tightly around his wrist, he would have been swallowed up and eaten in this place in a matter of moments.
Somehow, Ori managed to navigate this crowd with ease, and promptly took Izuku through a locked gate into a more silent area of the underground.
He could still feel the pounding of the music, but there was a silence here that could not be ignored. There were more men in suits, a few people that looked like thugs, and more than a few people that looked like they were in the process of counting their teeth. “Uhh, Ori, what are we doing here? Because I don’t feel like getting my ass kicked.”
“Pfft,” She snorted and let go of his wrist. “Have some faith Izuku! I know what I’m doing.” She looked around and bounced on her heels for a moment before her focus snapped towards a slick-looking man that was wearing a pinstriped black and white suit, complete with the fedora. “Ah! Ita! Over here!”
Ita, who had been staring at them the whole time, pushed himself off the wall and walked over. A katana was strapped to his back, while he carried another one in his hand like it was nothing out of the ordinary. With an overly pleasant smile on his face, Ita gave Ori a slight bow, his free hand going over his heart while his straight black hair swung freely for a moment. “Lady Ori, it’s good to see you out and about. Sadly, if you’re looking for your brother, he’s—”
“Not why I’m here,” Ori waved her hand like it was nothing and then pointed towards Izuku. “Ita, this is Izuku.”
“Ahh,” Ita’s pale green eyes widened as he turned to look at him. “So this is the canvas you mentioned.” Again, Ita gave a light bow. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Izuku.”
“Yeah, yeah, Izuku, this is Ita, he’s not as creepy as he looks, he’s actually really nice for an old guy.”
Ita gave a slight glare towards Ori. “I’m twenty eight.”
“That’s nice.” Ori bounced on her heels and looked around the area for a moment. “Anyways, Ita, can you—”
“Keep him out of trouble?” Ita finished as he gestured towards Izuku with a slight head tilt. “It would be my pleasure.”
“Great!” Ori clapped her hands and smiled at both of them. “Izuku, I’ll be right back, I’m just going to see if there’s someone here that Raijin can fight and see if we can put you in quicker! I’m so excited!”
With that, Ori was gone, bouncing down the long concrete hallway and then around a corner with all the confidence of a kid at a playground.
“It’s been a while since I’ve seen her so excited,” Ita muttered in a subdued voice, his head swaying side to side a bit like a puppet. “I’m going to cut. Straight. To the edge. With you.”
Straight to the edge? Was he making a pun? Was it a quirk pun? Why did people make those? Was he supposed to start making tattoo puns now? The slight glint of steel as Ita unsheathed his katana just a hair brought that train of thought crumbling down. “Uhhh,” Izuku held up his hands and blinked. “I’m not going to do anything.”
“Oh, I know.” The katana was fully sheathed again. “Because if you, did you would have the entire might of the Amagi Group bearing down upon you.”
“I umm, I didn’t realize she was that important.” Izuku kept his hands up for a moment as he watched Ita’s posture relax. “Is she like a Yakuza princess?”
“In a way.” Ita gave a slight nod. “Her family’s story is tragic enough; most of us just want to keep her safe.”
“Something tells me she makes that hard.”
“How observant you are.” Ita cracked a smile and glanced down at Izuku. “I suppose proper introductions are in order, I am Ita Kirumasa, I’m Tanaka’s captain.”
“I’m Izuku Midoriya.” Izuku stuck his hand out and met Ita’s pale green eyes. “It’s nice to meet you.”
This was the second Yakuza he had met that was surprisingly nice. Ori didn’t count. He still wasn’t sure if she was nice, or just nice to look at.
“Izuku,” Ita took his hand and leaned in close, “Midoriya. Was it?”
“Yep.” This was the second time that a Yakuza member had reacted to his name. “Is there something wrong with my last name?”
“No, no, it’s perfectly fine, it’s just familiar is all, but I’m sure you get that a lot, it’s pretty common after all.” Ita gave a light chuckle and a smile before taking his hand back.
“It’s not? I was the only one in my school.” Izuku raised an eyebrow and stared at Ita for a few seconds. “I’ve never even met another Midoriya.”
“They’re more common in Osaka, but that is neither here nor…” Ita paused for a moment and shrugged. “Actually I suppose it is there, but most certainly not here.”
“Oh, umm, okay.” Izuku glanced around and caught a few more glances of the would-be competitors. He really didn’t know what to make of some of them. How many were Yakuza? How many were fighters? How many were both? And where was Ori? “Hey, Ita, can I ask you a question?”
Ita raised a very straight eyebrow and nodded slowly. “I’ll make my answer as. Straight. Forward as possible for you.”
More straight puns.
“What caused Ori to lose her inspiration?”
“Tragedy.” Ita’s smile faded and he took off his hat for a moment. “You might be too young to remember it, but do you recall the great crusade that All Might and the police led against Yakuza that were being designated as villain groups?”
Izuku nodded. “I’ve heard about it, it happened when I was really little.”
“That’s when those three lost their father.”
“Three?”
Ita gave a slow nod and covered his face with his hat for a moment. “I’m sorry Izuku, but that is not something I have the strength to speak of. And please.” A tear slid down Ita’s cheek. “Do not trouble Ori with your curiosity on this.”
Izuku swallowed and looked at his feet. Tragedy, huh? And not just once. Ori lost her father around the same time that he did. But, Ita said there were three of them, yet he’d only seen Ori and Tanaka. And she lost her inspiration two years ago.
Something happened to the third one.
Great, now he was curious about Ori’s family history. Maybe he could get it out of Tanaka pretty easily? He seemed pretty open.
“Wait,” Izuku looked around the area again. “Shouldn’t we be wearing masks or something?”
“Ahh,” Ita dried his tear and placed his hat back on top of his head. “You’re thinking of the Underground Masquerade. That one was based out of Osaka, and had a different set of standards than here.”
Wasn’t an underground fight pit just an underground fight pit?
“I can see it on your face,” Ita hummed and smiled. “You see, ours is just a bit safer, in nearly all regards. And we make more money.”
“How?”
“I’m not at liberty to say.” Ita nodded down the hall. “Ahh, here comes an even more excited Ori.” Ita gave another short bow and a wink. “I trust everything went well?”
“You bet!” Ori grabbed Izuku’s hand and pulled him along. “Come on Izuku, I got Raijin a match! Thanks for watching over him Ita, you want to join us?!”
“Tempting though that may be, I’m afraid I’m needed elsewhere. Best of luck to you two.” Ita gave a short bow and slunk back into the shadows.
“Wait,” Izuku stumbled for a second as Ori came to a dead stop just to look at him. “Just Raijin? Not me?”
“Pfft, please, you don’t look like you can actually fight.” She gave a laugh and pushed some of her hair back out of the way, revealing her glowing red eye. “There’s no way I’d risk scarring up my favorite canvas.” She gave him a hungry look that really did a great job of making him feel like a piece of meat, or in this case a hunk of skin. “Besides, Raijin qualifies for the heavyweight fights.”
“Heavy—”
“Alright folks!” a raspy female voice called out over the speakers. “We got a special treat for you tonight! A true heavyweight bout!”
The cheers flooded over the silence that had once been so prevalent behind the arena. The pounding music stopped and a rumbling took its place.
“Come on!” Ori jumped and grabbed his hand again. “This is going to be amazing!”
“Tonight, the champion has returned! From the twisted minds of that pink-haired brother and sister duo! The mechanical menace, the unstoppable bot!”
They arrived at the top floor of the fighting arena, lights, wires, and cameras were scattered around the place, and a few more Yakuza guards could be seen up here. Across from him, Izuku saw a large pink-haired man and a much smaller pink-haired girl milling about on a platform just like what he was standing on. Below them, the once small arena was expanding, doubling in size as the crowd moved around, climbing up on whatever they could to get a better look at what was about to happen.
The sound of metal scraping against the concrete sounded as something emerged from a pathway into the newly expanded arena. The robot looked like one of the villain bots from the entrance exam had gone through a junkyard and suited itself out with more and more gear before painting over it with a slick red paint job. A massive sword of scrap metal was in one hand, and a shield of hubcaps and slag in the other, while two more grabby arms awaited anyone that got close. The bot was slightly larger than Raijin was, but looked less sturdy.
“Introducing the new and improved Gladiator-bot! That’s right folks! This baby’s even more deadly than the last time he made an appearance!” The crowd cheered as Izuku looked down towards the arena where a blonde-haired woman wearing a biker jacket was having a field day.
Ahh, so everyone else was crazy here too.
“And now, before you all dive into a betting frenzy, let’s introduce the only thing crazy enough to go up against it!”
The lights flashed towards them, bringing with them every set of eyes.
“A collaboration of quirks, a beast yet untested, art given life! Let’s hear it for—”
“Izuku.” Ori shook his shoulders. “Let him out!”
Izuku stuck out his arm and willed Raijin out. He felt the great ape swing into action, its hand pressing on Izuku’s arm before his sleeve exploded. Raijin flew through the air, a powerful roar escaping him before he landed with enough force to shake the area.
“Raijin!” The crowd roared and more than a few whistled. “The thunderous ape made not of flesh and bone, but ink and lightning! Now then! Get ready to place your bets! Because this showdown is set to get started at any moment!”
On the display, a countdown began as the lights outside of the arena began to fade.
Izuku looked at what remained of his sleeve. He probably should have taken it off, or at least rolled it up so Raijin wouldn’t destroy it. Was there something wrong with leaving from the palm of his hand, or did that monkey just want to show off?
Ori was speechless, her glowing red eye quickly becoming brighter as the lights around them went out one by one, until only the arena light remained, highlighting Gladiator bot and Raijin. For a few brief moments, it felt like it might be the cover of some B-list action movie with bad CGI, but the roar of the crowd affirmed the reality of the situation.
“3!”
“2!”
“1!”
“FIGHT!”
Raijin pounded his chest, and Izuku felt his blood begin to pump as he let out another roar that shook the stadium. Gladiator Bot surged forward, its one massive wheel nearly burning out as it charged, its massive blade and shield at the ready.
Sparks flew as the robot swung wide, aiming for a quick victory.
Raijin let out a roar like thunder and spun to the side, dodging the blade and letting out a punch that the bot attempted to absorb with its shield. The shield buckled, bent, and warped as a pulse of sparks shot through the bot’s arm. With another roar, Raijin leapt towards the sword and brought both fists down onto the broad side of the blade and shattered it.
The bot retaliated with a shield slam to the gut, which forced Raijin back.
Izuku placed a hand over his stomach. It didn’t hurt, but he could still feel that impact. Did he feel what his tattoos felt? That might be his weakness.
Gladiator bot didn’t relent and came at Raijin with all four of its bare arms at the ready. A barrage of punches slammed into Raijin’s body and Izuku felt each one like a light tap on his skin. But Raijin must have felt it more.
Raijin roared and slammed both arms down onto the bot’s back, then grabbed onto one of its arms. With a thick stubby foot on the bot’s chest, Raijin ripped the arm free from its joints, sending wires, sparks, some strange liquid, and gears flying out. But that wasn’t enough for Raijin; with another roar of thunder, he grabbed the arm with both hands and smacked Gladiator bot in the head with it.
Sparks went flying from all over the bot as Raijin leapt upon it, his large sparking hands grabbing onto the bot’s head. The sound of metal tearing and crunching echoed throughout the arena as Gladiator Bot’s three remaining limbs tried desperately to remove the great ape from its body.
With one last roar, gladiator bot’s head was torn off, and Raijin had won his first fight.
XXXX
It was late by the time Izuku got to his mother’s apartment, and he had more than enough prize money in his pocket to do whatever it was that he wanted with it. If he got paid like that once a week, he’d be able to pay his way through college and rent his own apartment. It was so much money, and it was just burning a hole in his pocket, begging to be spent.
But on what?
A new laptop?
A giant meal?
Better clothes?
There were so many things he could spend the cash on, but so few things he actually wanted to buy. Maybe he should just start saving it for something? What on earth did people do with fat stacks of cash they got from an illegal underground fight club?
Drugs and alcohol?
Neither one of those sounded appealing to him. Considering how he hung out with the Yakuza twice now, that was probably a good sign. Or something.
The only thing he did buy was a new shirt on his way home. Hopefully his mom wouldn’t notice.
He creaked open the door and was greeted by the sound of a dinner long since cooked, though his stomach wasn’t complaining at the idea of cold food. Still, it was a bit on the late side and he didn’t want to talk to his mother for a number of reasons. Maybe he could sneak some and just hide in his room for a bit.
“Izuku.”
The chill in his mother’s voice caught him off guard.
“Where were you?”
She stood in the hallway, bathed in the dull light that came from their kitchen. He head was down, her entire body looked like she was shaking and he could see the tear stains on her cheeks.
“I…” He scratched the back of his head. He almost couldn’t look her in the eye. But he did. He glared at her challenging her. “I went to the movies with Ori, I texted you remember?”
“Oh, I see.”
Her mother’s voice stopped shaking as she looked up at him with a firm sadness in her eyes that piled on guilt. She presented her phone to him and a video started to play.
“So this isn’t you?”
“Give it up for—” The crowd cheered and the phone zoomed in on him holding out his arm. “Raijin!”
Inko pressed pause as the camera zoomed in on Izuku’s face. Same pants. Same shoes. Same him. Same Ori. Different shirt.
No use denying it.
“How’d you get that?”
“That doesn’t matter!” She stomped her foot on the ground. “Why were you there! Tell me Izuku! Why were you there? Why were you fighting? Where did that gorilla come from? Why can’t you just tell me the truth?”
“You want the truth?” He shouted and stomped his foot right back at her. The fake gasp of shock she let out wasn’t going to stop him. “This is your fault! You didn’t let me get a tattoo for my quirk! You’re why I failed to get into U.A.! So what did you make me do?” He unbuttoned his shirt and willed Raijin to stand on his chest. “You made me desperate enough to go to some Yakuza artist and get this done! Mom, meet Raijin!”
Inko just stared at his chest for a moment, her body was still and lifeless for a few moments. Tears began to fall down her cheeks again.
Her voice was small.
But it was loud enough.
“Get out.”
He didn’t need to be told twice.
He tossed his phone into the first river he found.
