"The right man in the wrong place can make all the difference in the world."
- G-Man, Half-Life 2
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Rumi knelt in the near total darkness of the dusty abandoned train tunnel and listened intently. So far everything was going to plan. Hawks had purposefully put out a rumor about several heroes defecting to the PLF and confirmed a few days later that the Ministry of Defense had gotten wind of the rumor. Now all that was left to do was to wait for Zulu team to show up.
Hawks' plan was fairly straightforward. To capture Izuku and Oscar, the heroes needed to make sure that the Ministry of Defense was clueless as to what was going on. This meant that the heroes needed to do two things. Cut off Zulu team's communications, and prevent any aerial surveillance from spotting them. The abandoned trainyard and its labyrinth of underground service and transportation tunnels would negate any aerial surveillance, and Hawks had somehow procured a military-grade radio jammer that would reduce any communication device in its radius to a static-spewing piece of junk. Of course that meant that the heroes could not use communication devices either, but there were other means of communicating with each other than through electronics.
So now all that needed to be done was to spring the trap. The four heroes had each staked out a different area, and the plan was to divide and conquer. Endeavor was in the northern tunnels, Best Jeanist was in the western tunnels, Hawks was in the eastern tunnels, and Rumi was in the southern tunnels. The heroes had no way of knowing where Zulu team would begin their search, so that is why it was decided to split up and cover all the possible routes. Once Izuku and Oscar were captured, the heroes would use the train tunnels to covertly transport their prisoners to a nearby safehouse.
Rumi was broken out of her thoughts by the faint sound of helicopter rotors getting closer. Normally she would have been excited and eager to get the mission started, but today all she was filled with was anxiety. The prospect of possibly coming to blows with Izuku terrified her, not only because she did not want to hurt her soulmate, but also because she had no way of knowing whether Izuku would actually try to kill her. She was almost certain that such a thing would not happen, but a cynical whisper in the back of her mind kept dredging up scenarios where Izuku was too far gone to know who was a friend and who was a foe.
Not to mention the fact that Izuku used to specialize in killing powerful quirk users.
Her ears twitching slightly, Rumi pushed the negative thoughts from her mind and forced herself to focus on what was happening in the present. A few moments after the helicopter had arrived it left, meaning that Zulu team was now on the ground and on the hunt. Hiding in an alcove in the shadowy darkness, Rumi waited patiently as the sound of footsteps slowly got closer. In the distance, three shadows with red eyes slowly approached.
Rumi cursed slightly, of course the fuckers brought night-vision goggles.
Making sure no part of her body was visible, Rumi eavesdropped on the trio of agents warily making their way down the tunnel.
"Confirmed, radio is being jammed." One of the armed and armored soldiers said robotically.
"Wilco." A familiar voice said coldly. "It's too late to retreat, continue as planned. Eyes up, we are probably walking into a trap."
"Shit shit shit shit!" Rumi silently cursed.
There was no doubt in her mind that the leader of the trio was Izuku. Even through the mask she recognized her boyfriend's clinically cold voice that he used whenever he was focused on a mission.
Waiting like a panther ready to strike, Rumi listened as the three sets of footsteps suddenly stopped ten feet from her hiding place.
"Sir, my quirk is telling me someone is close. Within fifteen feet of our position." The other brainwashed agent announced quietly.
Rumi resisted the urge to sigh in annoyance. Of course one of the agents had a sensory detection quirk. Now there was no way she was going to take them by surprise.
Rumi felt a bead of cold sweat run down the back of her neck as the sound of guns being raised reached her ears.
"Understood, proceed with caution." Izuku said apathetically.
As the trio of agents slowly advanced, Rumi steeled herself for what she was about to do. Right as the lead agent stepped in front of her, Rumi kicked them so hard in the ribs they were sent flying into the opposite tunnel wall with a heavy thump.
Bursting from her hiding spot, Rumi leaped up and bounced off the ceiling in a blur of motion, already anticipating the firestorm of bullets about to be sent her way.
However, all that met her was silence.
Coming to a stop, Rumi was shocked to see that Izuku had quickly put his second subordinate in a tight sleeperhold. A few seconds later, Izuku dropped the unconscious body of the agent to the floor and held up his hands.
"Wait!" He whispered frantically. "I am on your side! I was..." He trailed off as he finally got a good look at who had been about to ambush him.
"Rumi?!"
Rumi felt like her heart was about to explode from anxiety as she cautiously kept her distance from the heavily armed Izuku.
"Is that you Izuku?" She said warily. "I mean the real you. Not the bloodthirsty psychopath I saw on the news."
The confusion was evident in Izuku's voice as he took off his gas mask. "Rumi I d-dont know what is going on. I woke up today and found out I am working with Oscar of all people! I c-cant remember much, but I swear on my mother's life that I am not going to hurt you. Please, I need your help."
Feeling like a gigantic weight had been lifted from her shoulders, Rumi could not help but rush forward and hug her (surprisingly scruffy-looking) lover.
"Oh thank god!" Rumi exclaimed in relief as she clung to her tall soulmate. "I knew it! I knew that wasn't you! I knew that there was a reason you were acting so weird!"
While it was a little awkward to hug Izuku over all the tactical equipment on his body, Rumi did not care in the slightest.
"Rumi what the fuck happened to me?" Izuku asked as he kissed the top of his girlfriend's head.
Pulling back slightly, Rumi gave Izuku a concerned look. "I don't know Izuku. You said you don't remember much, what is the last thing you clearly remember?"
"Getting killed by the harbinger." Izuku said quietly. "The only thing I remember a-after t-that is um...Hawks t-telling y-you about w-what I d-d-did to s-save your life."
Rumi was about to speak up but was cut off by Izuku frantically blundering forward while trying to explain himself.
"I'm so sorry I didn't tell you!" Izuku said with fear and self-loathing tinging his voice. "I just...I couldn't lose you. I wouldn't! I know what I did was wrong, b-but it w-was my only option! Please...don't hate me..."
Feeling her boyfriend shake in fear, Rumi reached up and pulled his face down to look in her eyes. "Izuku, I could never hate you. Yes, what you did was wrong. But we can't change the past. I still love you with all my heart, and I would never abandon you."
To back up her words, Rumi gave Izuku a fierce kiss that lasted for a few seconds.
Ending the kiss, Rumi gestured to the unconscious agents nearby. "We can talk later, right now we need to get out of here. The others should have captured Oscar by now. We need to-"
Rumi was cut off as a deafening explosion rocked the tunnel, sending her flying into the tunnel wall. With a heavy rumble the tunnel collapsed, entombing Rumi under tons of dirt and concrete.
The last thing Rumi heard before she passed out was a familiar sinister laugh echo through the tunnel.
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His ears ringing, Izuku pulled himself out from under a small pile of rubble to see Oscar standing over him with a hungry smile on his face.
"Heya Mido. Looks like we need to have a little talk."
Grabbing Izuku by the neck with a muscular hand, Oscar effortlessly lifted him up and pinned him against the nearby tunnel wall.
"I knew something was off about you today." Oscar snarled as Izuku gasped for air. "Who woulda thought that you would organize a little betrayal with you bunny bitch. I don't know how the hell you managed to set this up, but I am sorry to say your plan is royally fucked."
Gritting his teeth, Izuku decided his best bet to figure out what was going on was to antagonize Oscar enough to make him reveal critical information.
"It was easy going behind your dumb ass." Izuku choked out. "You fucking Americans are so stupid I knew I could do it."
Quickly stripping Izuku of his weapons and equipment, Oscar dragged Izuku deeper into the dark bowels of the tunnels.
"Oh really?" Oscar laughed. "God you are such a hoot Mido. Since you are digging for info I might as well tell ya what is really going on before we get to the main event."
Pushing open a thick metal door, Oscar roughly dragged the dazed Izuku down a rusty metal staircase.
"First off, you should be thanking me. I mean who was it that told Lola about the secret drug that saved your life? Of course I neglected to tell her that the drug was actually a super serum designed to turn people into berserkers, but you managed to keep your sanity, mostly." Oscar bragged. "You and Lola were being played like a goddamn fiddle this whole time and you never knew it!"
Emerging into a cavernous and shadowy underground industrial warehouse, Oscar pushed Izuku against a nearby wall and aimed a menacing large revolver at his head.
"Where to begin?" Oscar mused out loud. "Let's start off with the basics. First off, Director Fujikawa is working with the PLF. Kinda ironic how the guy in charge of the Ministry of Defense is actually playing both sides to get what he wants. And what he wants is to destroy all pro-heroes so that the public has to rely on the government for protection."
Keeping his gun pointed at Izuku's head, Oscar began pacing back and forth as he continued to monologue.
"Now why would he want that? Well it all boils down to money. Well, money and good old fashioned revenge. Y'see back in the day Director Fujikawa saw his parents get killed because of a pro-hero. Some newbie fresh on the block got a little carried away fighting a villain and accidentally turned his parents into bloody paste. Of course the newbie was stripped of his hero license and the hero commission made everyone involved say sorry, but that wasn't gonna bring Fujikawa's parents back from the dead. So with that terribly tragic backstory, Fujikawa worked his way up the governmental totem pole until he was the head honcho himself. Now, where does the money come in you ask? Well y'see, money makes the world go round, and Fujikawa knew that if he was gonna dismantle hero society he would need to appease the real powers behind any country, corporations. War is good for business, and all the companies making products for heroes could just as easily make goods for a proper military-industrial complex. You must have noticed the recent investment in military hardware Mido. This war against the PLF is basically a scheme for the corps to fill their pockets."
Izuku frowned, and as much as he did not want to believe it, everything Oscar was saying made sense.
"So, that brings us to the present." Oscar continued. "Director Fujikawa has all the pieces in place. Decades of planning are finally ready to bear fruit, except there are a few problems. First off, there is the fact that one Ministry of Defense department is doing its job a little too well. And it can all be traced back to one agent in particular, you. So, Fujikawa needed to get rid of you in a way that would not arouse suspicion. Why do you think that mission with the harbinger was such a clusterfuck? Because that's what it was designed to be. Then there were other problems like PLF backstabbing fuckery, whistleblowers, etcetera etcetera."
Oscar paused then smiled in a deranged fashion.
"And that is where I come in."
Continuing his pacing and talking, Oscar kept his gun trained on Izuku at all times. "I was to be the solution to all of Fujikawa's problems. His troubleshooter. His ace up the sleeve. His right hand man. And when everything was said and done..."
Oscar paused for dramatic effect.
"...I was gonna kill him."
"Now I know what you are thinking, Mido." Oscar said condescendingly. "But Oscar, why would you do all that just to stab Director Fujikawa in the back? Well to answer that we need to go back a little bit. Specifically to Fujikawa's predecessor, the previous Director. Y'see the old fox had good intuition, and when she saw Fujikawa climbing his way up the ranks she created a contingency plan. She made a deal with the one thing that had more power than the Ministry of Defense. The CIA. America and Japan have been buddies for a while, so the previous Director made a deal with the CIA just in case Fujikawa turned out to be a bad apple. In exchange for getting rid of Fujikawa, the CIA would get the right to choose who the next Director of Defense would be. Just imagine, the entirety of Japan's Ministry of Defense secretly being under America's control. The deal was too good to pass up."
Oscar then pointed to himself. "You see Mido, I am not a rogue agent like everyone thinks I am. I am actually a CIA deep cover operative. I was the one chosen to infiltrate the Ministry of Defense and get close to Fujikawa."
Oscar then smiled in a deranged fashion and bowed.
"Basically, I am one of the good guys."
Izuku could barely wrap his head around the massive conspiracy that had just been revealed to him, but he knew for certain that Oscar was not one of the good guys. He may be working for the CIA, but he was a monster all the same.
"Hence, this is how I know so much." Oscar explained. "And everything was going according to plan...until I met you." Oscar then sighed wistfully. "Mido, I was never lying when I said I consider you like a brother to me. You are the epitome of what a true hero should be. Not some dipshit running around with a cape, but someone who knows what sacrifices must be made to ensure that the world will see another tomorrow. Someone who is willing to get their hands dirty so innocent people can live peaceful lives ignorant of all the bloodshed that goes on in the shadows. A true hero. I respect the hell out of you man. Which is why it makes me sad to see you fall for that goody two shoes hero bullshit that Lola and KFC constantly go on about. I could have let you die to the harbinger, but I compromised my own objectives to make sure you survived. Remember that."
Oscar stopped pacing and extended his hand for Izuku to shake. "Join me Mido. Together we can change the world."
Izuku looked at Oscar in disgust.
"I will never willingly join you, Oscar." Izuku stated. "I don't respect you at all, but I do pity you. You are broken beyond repair, and nothing I say or do can change that. So do what you must, but I will never become a monster like you."
Oscar sighed with what seemed like true sadness. "I expected you to say that, but it still hurts either way."
The American cannibal was quiet for a moment before speaking again. "Okay Mido, have it your way. I know it is pointless to argue with you."
Suddenly, Oscar took his revolver and snapped it in half. "Let's settle this like men. We both know only one of us is gonna leave her alive. You win, and you can go face Director Fujikawa with all your hero friends. I win, I take your corpse to the director, and carry out my mission. No hard feelings."
Izuku knew that this was the best chance he was going to get to get out of the situation alive, so he steeled his nerves and nodded.
"Fine, no hard feelings."
Uncharacteristically serious, Oscar nodded and stripped off his body armor until he was just clad in his cargo pants and undershirt.
Following suit, Izuku did the same and took off his body armor until he was just in regular clothes. If he was going to fight hand-to-hand with Oscar he would need all the mobility he could get. Being weighed down by heavy body armor would be a death sentence against the inhuman cannibal who could easily tear him in half.
Squaring his shoulders, Izuku adopted a fighting stance and signalled his readiness.
Nodding in understanding, Oscar raised his fists.
Then the fight for survival began.
With a feral roar, Oscar launched himself at Izuku. Dodging out of the way, Izuku sprinted deeper into the dark industrial warehouse.
If he was going to win against Oscar he needed a weapon.
The sound of pounding footsteps heralded Oscar's arrival, and Izuku rolled to the side just in time to avoid another diving tackle.
Finding a toolbox, Izuku frantically searched for anything that could be used as a weapon. Just as his hand closed around a rusty screwdriver, Izuku was slammed to the ground as Oscar clotheslined him like a pro-wrestler. Rolling to the side and dodging a double fisted hammerblow that would have caved his skull in, Izuku stabbed the screwdriver into Oscar's ribs before getting up and running away again.
"Rragh!" Oscar yelled as he pulled the screwdriver out of his ribs and threw it with expert precision at Izuku's back.
Turning at the last second, Izuku hissed in pain as the rusty projectile embedded itself in the meat of his shoulder. Pulling the screwdriver out of his shoulder, Izuku held onto the bloody improvised weapon as he grabbed a pair of heavy scissors off a nearby shelf. Breaking the scissors in half so he had two sharp shivs, Izuku turned around just in time to receive a brutal kick to the ribs from Oscar. Flying backwards, Izuku gasped in pain as his back collided with the hard metal of a hanging engine block. Ducking instinctively, Izuku felt one of his ribs crack as Oscar's meaty fist slammed into the area his head had been moments earlier.
Before Oscar could pull back, Izuku stabbed the two shivs into his guts and spiked the rusty screwdriver through his ankle. As Oscar roared in anger and pain, Izuku dodged to the side and escaped into the nearby darkness.
Jumping up onto an elevated work platform, Izuku forced himself to be as quiet as possible as the sound of Oscar's heavy footsteps got closer.
"C'mon out Mido. Stop being such a little bitch" Oscar snarled as he yanked the shivs and screwdriver out of his body.
Realistically, the best strategy to beat Oscar would be to slowly wear him down with sneak attacks and let blood loss work its magic. However, Izuku did not have the luxury of time. He needed to get back to Rumi as fast as possible, and that meant taking down Oscar in the quickest way possible. With that in mind, the next best option would be to find an opening and take Oscar down in one decisive strike.
Feeling something against his arm, Izuku gave a silent prayer of thanks as his hands closed around a loop of tough metal wire. As far as improvised weapons went, it was not the best. But Izuku could not afford to be choosy.
As Oscar got closer to the elevated platform, Izuku slowly got into a crouch and readied the wire. Right as Oscar passed below him, Izuku leapt off the platform and onto Oscar's broad back. In that same moment, Izuku wrapped the wire around Oscar's neck and pulled it as tight as possible.
Grunting in surprise, Oscar desperately flailed for a few seconds as Izuku clung to the wire like a cowboy riding an enraged bull. However, Oscar quickly recovered from the surprise and counterattacked with overwhelming force. Staggering over to a nearby metal wall, Oscar began brutally slamming Izuku against the wall with all his might. Gasping in pain, Izuku grit his teeth and desperately clung to the wire as it slowly opened a bloody cut in his palms. A few more wall slams and Izuku felt another rib break from the punishment.
It was a contest of wills, and whoever lost would pay a bloody price.
As Oscar's breathing became shorter and shorter, the American went with one last desperate attempt to dislodge Izuku. Climbing a nearby ladder with Izuku still clinging to his back like an annoying primate, Oscar got to the top then leapt off backwards.
As the floor rushed up to meet him, Izuku could only close his eyes and brace himself.
This was going to fucking hurt.
Slamming into the metal floor hard enough to leave a dent, Izuku cried out in agony as he was sandwiched between the floor and Oscar's bulky body.
For a second it seemed like Izuku's plan was going to work.
Until the bloody wire slipped through his hands just enough for Oscar to heave in a gasping breath.
Capitalizing on the opportunity, Oscar quickly yanked the wire from around his neck and roared like a beast as he reached backwards and grabbed a fistful of Izuku's hair. Finally dislodging Izuku, Oscar threw the green-haired agent across the room and into a pile of metal scraps.
His vision blurred from the pain, Izuku cried out in pain as he felt a jagged piece of scrap metal pierce his thigh.
Before he could do anything to escape, Izuku found himself being yanked up by Oscar's rough hands and then dragged over to a nearby work table.
"Time to end this." Oscar growled victoriously.
Throwing Izuku onto the table, Oscar put his meaty hands around Izuku's neck and began to squeeze.
Trying his best to escape, Izuku knew he only had a short window before the lack of oxygen would incapacitate him.
As Oscar tightened his grip, Izuku desperately reached for anything that might help him out of the deadly situation.
"Shhh." Oscar whispered like a deranged maniac as he continued to slowly strangle Izuku. "Just let it happen Mido."
As his vision began to fade, Izuku felt his fingers dip into an old metal jar and subsequently begin to burn.
It seemed fate was on his side today.
Grabbing the jar of battery acid, Izuku used the last of his strength to splash the acidic chemical concoction directly into Oscar's eyes.
Letting loose a howl of pure pain and agony, Oscar reflexively let go of Izuku's neck as he stumbled backwards and pawed at his burning eyeballs.
"AHHHHH! FUCKFUCKFUCKFUCKFUCK!" Oscar screamed as Izuku sucked in a breath of fresh air and got up.
As Oscar blindly threw wild punches around him, Izuku grabbed a nearby sledgehammer and slowly advanced.
Now was the time to be extra careful. Oscar was like a wounded and cornered animal, on death's door but at his most dangerous.
Timing his strike, Izuku swung the sledgehammer over his head with a roar and caved in Oscar's collarbone.
Crying out in pain, Oscar blindly lunged at Izuku as one of his arm's hung limply at his side.
Anticipating the desperate last ditch attack. Izuku sidestepped Oscar like a matador evading a charging bull and swung the sledgehammer up in a perfect uppercut attack that connected directly with Oscar's jaw. As Oscar's broken teeth filled the air, Izuku watched with satisfaction as the deranged cannibal fell to his knees.
Hefting the sledgehammer like an executioner would an axe, Izuku stepped forward to deliver the final blow.
"Wait." Oscar croaked out over a mouthful of broken teeth. "You...owe...me..."
Pausing, Izuku frowned. Technically he still did owe Oscar a favor, but there was no way he was letting the cannibal get out alive.
Reaching into one of his pants pockets with his usable hand, Oscar pulled out a small datadrive and offered it to Izuku.
"All the...data on...Fujikawa..." Oscar explained as Izuku warily accepted the gift.
Well that was certainly unexpected. Oscar could have easily taken the useful information to the grave, but like an honorable loser he gave it to Izuku for winning.
Leaning forward, Oscar tilted his head up and looked at Izuku with acceptance in his eyes.
"Finish it."
Pocketing the datadrive, Izuku nodded in understanding and hefted the sledgehammer.
Time to end this.
Taking careful aim, Izuku swung the sledgehammer back as Oscar closed his eyes.
With a final yell of effort, Izuku brought the sledgehammer down with all his might on Oscar's head.
With a heavy impact and wet snap, the sledgehammer caved in Oscar's head and broke his neck.
As Oscar's bloody body went limp and slumped to the floor, Izuku dropped the sledgehammer with a clatter.
Looking down at himself, Izuku took stock of his injuries.
Painful, but survivable.
Turning around to limp back the way Oscar brought him, Izuku moved as fast as he could back to his soulmate.
As he slowly climbed the steps, Izuku could not help but look back one last time at Oscar's body.
Barely illuminated from a flickering light, Oscar lay motionless on the floor as a pool of blood slowly spread out around him, his face calm and serene.
It looked like Oscar was finally at peace.