The Escape
"Everything is set. Our tracks are wiped clean," Mio declared, her voice resonating with confidence. Seated at the desk, she scrutinized the forged passports and IDs. A meticulous eye scanned each detail, ensuring the façade was impeccable.
Shizuka nodded, her ears perking up at the efficiency of her master. "Katsuragi-sama, I have arranged for Drekus and Feral's transport. Securing their passage will be a challenge, especially given their wanted status."
Mio leaned back, a thoughtful expression crossing her face. The passports in her hands now seemed inconsequential compared to the challenge of transporting two notorious villains across borders. Feral also being marked as an S-Class Threat.
"Well, they can go in the cargo hold for all I care." Mio mused. " Now go pack my stuff. Make sure everything is ready for departure."
A curt nod from Shizuka acknowledged the command. The heiress of a once-wealthy family, she had now her unwavering servant. Mio smiled. As an Enforcer, her access to data surpassed the limitations of the Quirk Registry. The Ookami family's Pack Mentality a gem hidden in that vast repository of information.
Originally, the intention was for Shizuka to follow Sandatsu. However, the quirk-induced compulsion had chosen a different path – Shizuka's allegiance now pledged to Mio herself. What an ideal outcome.
The private airport in Osaka lay shrouded in the cloak of night, its runway illuminated by the dim glow of scattered lamps. Awaiting them were two ominous figures: Drekus and Feral.
Drekus calmly waved his hand when he saw them. His sunglasses, incongruous in the nighttime setting, covered his eyes as he observed the arrivals. In his characteristic manner, he greeted them with a guttural declaration.
"Comrade! Little Devil!" Mio tried to ignore him, while Sandatsu, still in his dazed state, greeted him with a fist bump.
Feral got closer. Her piercing gaze bore into Mio, assessing the newcomer with a predatory intensity. Unfazed by the scrutiny, Mio met Feral's eyes with a level of confidence that concealed how absolutely terrified she was inside.
"Tiny!" Feral declared. The air seemed to ripple with the primal energy that surrounded her.
"Very. But big evil too." Drekus added.
"I like the look on her eyes!" his big sis said.
The designated contact approached the group, a silhouette stepping out from the shadows with the confidence of someone accustomed to the covert dealings of the underworld.
Ookami, with the deference expected of her station, addressed the contact. "Katsuragi-sama, this is the person I arranged for our safe passage."
As the contact extended a hand in greeting, Feral sidled up to Sandatsu with predatory grace. Her eyes traced over his disheveled appearance.
"So, just so you know," Feral mused, her eyes narrowing as she studied him. "I wouldn't let any random villain cut my arms off like that..."
Sandatsu, his gaze distant and unfocused, struggled to engage in the banter. His fractured mind hindered any attempts at coherent communication. Feral, undeterred by his lack of response, continued her light-hearted teasing with her tail slowly couling around Sandatsu's legs.
"Wait," the young man finally spoke. "aren't you the one I ate?"
"No? I could be though. If that's what you want."
Drekus, overhearing the banter, joined in with boisterous laughter. "Ah, awkward young love! Drekus thinks it beautiful!"
In the dimly lit cabin of the private jet, Mio, huddled over her laptop, navigated a maze of encrypted files and sensitive data. She had tried to extract as much information from her time as an Enforcer. Ookami, ever the dutiful servant, stood besides her, ready to assist her master when needed. She glanced at the screen occasionally while maintaining a respectful silence.
Feral and Drekus, once exuberant and boisterous, had settled into an uncharacteristic tranquility. Feral, her earlier vigor tempered, appeared to enter a state of torpor, her eyes half-lidded as she reclined in her seat. Drekus, content in the stillness, mumbled incoherent words to himself.
The journey, necessitated by the need for secrecy, forced the aircraft to take convoluted routes and make unexpected stops, each detour a precaution against unwanted pursuit.
After a few hours Mio decided it was time for a brief respite. She glanced at Ookami, her glasses catching the ambient light, and uttered a command while she stood up and stretched a bit.
"Ookami, make me some tea. Something soothing," she instructed, her tone carrying an air of authority that Ookami hastened to fulfill. Dutifully, Ookami retreated to the makeshift galley.
Mio tried to sit down again to rest. But after tossing and turning for a minute without being able to find a comfortable position, she rose from her seat and drifted to the one next to Sandatsu.
Ookami, returning with a tray bearing a delicate teapot and cups, hesitated for a moment as she observed the scene. Setting the tray down on a nearby surface, she couldn't help but feel a pang of envy as she regarded the unusual tableau before her. Her moment of infatuation with her master was cut short by that man's presence. The vacant gaze in his eyes betrayed the fractured state of his mind. To Shizuka, he was an unsettling nuisance. Shizuka couldn't shake the memories of that night. The fear clawing at her throat, the desperate struggle for survival, and the encounter with the man who had nearly taken her life. Her disdain for Sandatsu simmered beneath the surface. She was filled with resentment for the inhumanity she sensed within him.
But those thoughts dissolved into the periphery every time she looked at Katsuragi-sama. Mio's usually stern countenance was softened in repose, a sight that struck a chord within Ookami's infatuated heart.
The room was steeped in shadows, illuminated only by the flickering dance of flames in the grand fireplace. The crackling embers cast eerie shadows across the regal chamber, revealing antique furnishings that spoke of wealth and lineage. The air hung heavy with the scent of ancient wood and smoky warmth, creating an atmosphere of subdued opulence.
Seated around a polished mahogany table, three mysterious figures engaged in hushed conversation. The tall, imposing figure exuded an aura of controlled power. His sharp, calculating eyes surveyed the room, absorbing every detail in the dim light. Dressed in a tailored charcoal-gray suit that clung to his lean yet muscular frame. He bore scars etched into his pale skin.
Opposite him sat a shorter figure, androgynous in appearance with long, flowing hair. Their eyes, devoid of life, stared into the distance with an unwavering smile. Their presence exuded an unsettling calmness, a stark contrast to the charged atmosphere within the room.
Closest to the fireplace, the third figure—an elderly man in traditional Japanese attire—was hunched over, his weathered face adorned with a thick beard and mustache. He held a cane with gnarled hands, and a loyal butler stood attentively at his side.
The tall figure broke the silence with a voice that carried a hint of authority, slicing through the stillness.
"He should be within our reach by now."
"So he really is that clueless?" The androgynous figure tilted their head, their dead eyes fixated on the flames. "He's gonna get himself killed, no doubt."
Seated near the fireplace, the old man hunched over. He gripped his cane tightly, his voice dripping with bitterness.
"Serves him right," he spat, his gaze intense. "his existence is an affront to my legacy."
The androgynous figure shrugged, a dispassionate smile playing on their lips. "I still think it's such a shame to go straight for the kill."
The old man scoffed. "Revenge is the only course of action."
"I just think this is the best method." The tall figure interjected. "If he survives first contact, so be it. Job's done. If not, then I keep going until he dies."
The old man leaned forward, the glow of the fireplace accentuating the lines etched on his face. "Have you made the necessary preparations? Is everything ready?"
The tall figure, calm and collected, offered a nod. "I've assembled the best for the job. Skilled, efficient, and merciless."
Intrigued, the old man's eyes gleamed with anticipation. "Have you enlisted the Five for this task?"
The tall figure, however, shook his head.
"The Five should not be underestimated. They're a formidable force, feared by many."
The tall figure, undeterred, leaned back in his chair, a subtle smirk playing on his lips. "I'm not underestimating them. In fact, I've hired them on multiple occasions. I know precisely why they are so feared. No, this isn't their kind of job. He requires more than a handful of specialists. He needs an army."
"An army? For a single man?" The androgynous figure raised an eyebrow, a mix of curiosity and skepticism in their voice.
A wry smile danced on the tall figure's face as he responded, "This isn't an ordinary army. It's a single man. Meet our secret weapon." With that, the door to the grand room creaked open.
The mysterious man stepped forward. His attire was tactical, a blend of stealth and strength, and a mask concealed the majority of his face. The only parts visible, the eyes, had black scleras and white pupils.
The tall figure chuckled, the sound low and confident. "It's just a matter of using the right tool for the right tasks."
The sudden jolt ripped through Mio's body, jarring her awake from her sleep. Before she could react, Sandatsu's firm grip seized her, and in an instinctive motion, he hurled her across the cabin towards Feral.
Mio collided with Feral, the impact forcing the breath from her lungs.
Sandatsu spared no time in activating Feral's quirk using 「Hijack」. In the blink of an eye, Feral underwent a grotesque transformation. Muscles bulged beneath her skin, her form expanding to monstrous proportions. Massive wings sprouted from her back. The confined space of the jet strained to contain the unleashed force within Feral's augmented frame.
The jet shuddered again, this time more violently, as a projectile tore through its hull. The once-secure cabin shattered. Debris scattered in chaotic disarray, and the ill-fated vessel began its descent toward the earth below.
Amid the chaos, Mio clung to Feral, the rushing wind tugging at their forms as gravity asserted its dominance. The fractured remnants of the jet now reduced to a tumbling mass of wreckage.
Mio caught a glimpse of Sandatsu during the fall. Another projectil intersected his trajectory, altering his course with an abrupt impact.
Amidst the chaos of their descent, Feral shielded Mio with her formidable frame, her muscular form absorbing the brunt of the impact as they crashed through trees and careened into a massive boulder. The trees shattered like fragile reeds in the wake of Feral's descent. The colossal boulder crumbled under the sheer force of their crash.
As the chaos subsided, the dust settling in the wake of their destructive descent, Mio found herself relatively unscathed. Feral's body had shielded her from the worst of the impact, leaving her shaken but alive. Feral, however, bore the evidence of their ordeal, her once majestic form now marred by wounds.
Feral, ever resilient and seemingly impervious to pain, groaned as she slowly rose from the wreckage. The air was thick with the scent of blood mixing with crushed foliage and the acrid tang of upturned soil.
The coarse, joking tone returned to Feral's voice as she addressed Mio, a note of mirth laced with pain. "Everything's alright for the little empress?"
Mio, steadying herself, offered a wry smile in response. "I've had better landings."
The distant echoes of explosions reverberated through the night. Feral, her instincts undulled by pain, took the lead, guiding Mio through the forest.
Adrenaline still pumping, Mio quietly followed the villain, who was dragging her by the hand. Feral was the only one who could see in the darkness.
After a couple of minutes, she spotted something. Light. Fires from the remnants of the jet.
Ookami, with tears streaming down her face, rushed towards Mio as if salvation itself had descended upon her. The heiress's voice, choked with emotion, repeated "Katsuragi-sama" like a broken record. She enveloped Mio in a tearful embrace, overwhelming her with a mix of gratitude and joy. Mio, uncomfortable with such displays of affection, patted Ookami awkwardly on the back.
"Alright, enough," Mio said, extricating herself from the fervent hug. Ookami, her emotional outburst momentarily sated, wiped away her tears with an embarrassed yet blissful smile.
Drekus, stood nearby, overseeing the emotional reunion. His sunglasses still intact, not even a speck of dust on them. With a subtle nod he acknowledged Mio's survival.
He had not only protected Ookami but salvaged most of the luggage and equipment. The deceased pilot, now a reanimated zombie under Drekus's influence, carried the burden of their possessions with an eerie, automaton-like efficiency only disrupted by it's shambling movements and the fact that it was missing an arm.
Mio, having regained her composure, surveyed the motley assembly of survivors. "Well, it seems we're all in one piece, more or less," she remarked, her gaze shifting between Ookami's teary-eyed relief and Feral's mangled frame.
Ookami, still emotional, nodded in agreement. "Thank you, Katsuragi-sama. I thought... I thought we were going to lose you," she admitted, her voice trembling.
Mio, brushing off the sentiment, replied, "Save the tears for later. We've got more pressing matters to attend to." She gestured towards the distant sounds of explosions.
Drekus grunted in agreement. "Now what?"
Mio, pondered their next move. "We keep going."
The decision hung in the air. Feral, Drekus, and Ookami exchanged glances, silently acknowledging their shared agreement.
Feral was the first to break the silence. "Leaving him behind, huh?"
Mio met Feral's gaze. "He will," she declared, her tone carrying an unshakable confidence. "It's not a matter of 'if', but 'when'."
Drekus, standing nearby, added his perspective with a simple, "Drekus trust comrade. He catch up."
Ookami, ever obedient to Mio's whims, nodded in agreement. "Katsuragi-sama's words are absolute."
With a subtle nod from Mio, the group began their journey through the forest, leaving behind the distant sounds of conflict. Feral led the way, her eyes adapted to the darkness.
Ookami clung to Mio's side, still overwhelmed by the earlier chaos and the abrupt departure from their once-controlled situation. Drekus lumbered behind, chilling. He was enjoying the walk.
After an hour of walking, they finally found it. Asphalt. The road, winding through the darkened forest, hinted at the possibility of civilization beyond the treeline.
Another hour passed. Nothing. They kept walking.
As they ventured further, the distant rumble of engines reached their ears. The group exchanged glances. Spotting headlights in the distance, Mio signaled for the group to approach cautiously.
Feral was the first one to move. She tried to intercet the car, but whoever was driving it got scared and accelerated, running her over. Furious, she tried to stop it with brute force. However, in her haste, her tail swung wide, accidentally smashing into the front of the vehicle, rendering it useless.
"Great job, Feral! You've got a real knack for subtlety," Mio exclaimed, her frustration evident as she surveyed the damaged car.
Feral, unapologetic, shot back with a toothy grin. "Hey, at least we have food now!" she said, pulling the dead driver out of the vehicle.
Mio and Ookami sat inside the car while the undead pilot and driver pushed from the rear. Drekus and Feral calmly walked besides them.
After what seemed like an eternity, the rhythmic hum of engines drew them to a larger vehicle – a worn-out truck parked by the side of the road. Drekus, confident in his strength, approached with a confident grin.
With a swift motion, he grabbed the truck's frame, only for the rusted metal to groan in protest. The vehicle, showing its age, nearly disintegrated at Drekus's touch.
As Drekus struggled with the dilapidated truck, a rustling sound emerged from the treeline. The owner, a disheveled man, stumbled out, still in the process of zipping up his pants.
"Wha... What the hell is goin' on here?" the truck owner stammered, his voice betraying a mix of confusion and fear. He glanced around, trying to make sense of the surreal nightmare unfolding in front of him.
The truck owner's breath hitched, realizing he had stumbled upon something far beyond his understanding. His hands trembled as he fumbled for his phone, the feeble light revealing the fear etched on his face.
Within the first car, Mio reclined in the driver's seat. Inside the vehicle, the remnants of the driver's personal belongings were scattered—receipts, a crumpled map, and a faded air freshener dangling from the rearview mirror.
Glancing at the truck driver's phone in her hands, she let out an irritated sigh. The device, devoid of any signal, mocked her with its uselessness. Mio muttered a string of colorful expletives, her frustration echoing in the confined space. She half-heartedly pressed buttons, as if expecting a miracle to grant her a connection to the outside world.
Outside, the snowstorm, summoned by Ookami in her majestic wolf form, blanketed the area in a swirling tempest.
After another excruciatingly long wait the adrenaline that had sustained her was giving way to exhaustion. The comforting hum of the car's engine lulled her into a drowsy state.
Outside, another approaching vehicle came to a sudden halt, the driver struggling to navigate the blinding snowstorm. Drekus and Feral, displaying a surprising level of finesse, circled the stranded vehicle. With deliberate movements to avoid causing damage, they lifted it—one at the front and the other at the rear.
The revived drivers from the previous vehicles, now grotesque zombies under Drekus's control, ambled toward the stranded driver, who was both horrified and confused by the unexpected assault.
The car's door creaked open, and Mio's eyes snapped open with the reflexes of a cornered beast.
"Katsuragi-sama! We got a car now!" Ookami's voice, a tad too chipper for Mio's liking, pierced through the quiet.
Mio's face contorted into an irritable scowl as she turned to face Ookami. "Ugh, fucking finally..."
Ookami gestured toward the stolen van outside, its silhouette barely visible through the thick curtain of snow. The contrast between the warm interior of the car and the frigid landscape outside annoyed Mio even more.
"Cut the snow storm you idiot!" She snapped.
To Ookami, seeing Mio in her grumpy, sleepy state was a rare and precious spectacle. It was a private view into a world that only she had access to—with the exception of that Owari bastard. The way Mio's eyes flickered with irritation, the lines of fatigue etched on her face, all of it heightened Ookami's obsession.
As Mio shot her a withering glare, Ookami felt a shiver run down her spine—but it wasn't from the cold. It was the thrill of being noticed by the object of her devotion, even if that attention was laced with annoyance.
Ookami couldn't help but marvel at Mio's resilience and strength. How she commanded those terrifying villains, ordering around as her underlings. To her, Mio was more than a leader—she was a deity, a force to be worshipped.
The stolen van, now their makeshift escape vehicle, had a trailer hitched to its rear—a fortunate addition for their journey. Mio, still seething from the earlier frustrations, took her place in the driver's seat. However, her mounting irritation reached new heights as she found herself unable to reach the pedals.
"Damn it!" she exclaimed, loudly voicing her discontent. Profanities peppered her complaints as she grappled with the limited adjustments the van offered. Drekus and Feral, observing her futile struggle, exchanged amused glances but wisely refrained from commenting.
In the end, Mio, with a begrudging acceptance, decided against allowing either Drekus or Feral to take the wheel. Instead, she turned her attention to Ookami, who, despite her meek demeanor, had showcased an unexpected level of competence during their escape so far.
"Fine, Ookami. You drive," Mio ordered, tossing the keys to the obedient heiress.
Ookami, now the designated driver, assumed control of the van. Drekus and Feral, with a shared smirk, climbed into the back. Mio began rummaging through the trailer, ruthlessly discarding the original owner's possessions. The trailer was soon stripped bare, its former inhabitant's belongings scattered outside.
Mio retrieved her luggage, carried until now by the zombies controlled by Drekus. Among her things, she unearthed a large, dark-colored yukata. The fabric billowed as she gracefully wrapped it around herself. Mio, nestled in her secluded corner, succumbed to the fatigue that had been steadily encroaching.