Start Over | S. Aizawa

Chapter 5 - Izumi Ryo

Izumi Ryo

The door slamming against the wall is what eventually woke me up. I instinctually pulled Eri closer to my chest, my arms tightly wrapped around her. Holding her so close, I could feel the beating of her heart. Her fast heart rate and the rapid rise and fall of her chest are what told me that she, too, was woken up by the sound. 

Lifting my head and looking towards the door, I saw Kurono standing outside the room. 

It's been three days since my last assignment... since I left that hero in the alley. But the fact that Kurono was here told me I was about to get a new one. I gave him a slight nod before climbing out of bed and quickly getting dressed in leggings and an oversized T-shirt. I turned to look back at Eri before I left, and I found her watching me with a worried look in her beautiful red eyes. I quickly walked up to her and pressed a kiss to her forehead, smoothing her sleep-tangled hair away from her face as I did. 

"I'll be back, baby," I mumbled into her hair. 

She didn't respond, but I turned to leave anyway. Kurono didn't like to be kept waiting. 

I slipped my shoes on and made my way out of the room; I gave Eri one last smile before gently closing the door and following Kurono down the hall. 

The walk to the meeting room was a long and confusing one. I remember how often I had gotten lost in this place when I was younger. Kurono and Chisaki constantly had to track me down after I'd gotten lost looking for the bathroom. I almost chuckled at the memory but was broken out of my thoughts when Kurono stopped. He knocked on the door to his left, and Chisaki called out,

"Come on in."

Kurono opened the door, revealing Chisaki and Mimic sitting on the couch inside. It wasn't unusual for Chisaki to be here; he usually gave me my orders, but the fact that Mimic was here had me on edge. I'd never liked Mimic. His presence alone always sent a sick shiver down my spine. 

"We have a guest coming." Chisaki stated, "Tomura Shigaraki from the League of Villains. His decay quirk is powerful, and I don't want him to cause trouble if something doesn't go his way. I want you to be here while we talk, just as a precaution."

I was shocked. Chisaki had one of the strongest quirks I knew of, so the fact that he wanted my help told me this Shigaraki guy was incredibly powerful. 

Chisaki reached into his pocket and pulled out the key needed to unlock the cuff on my wrist. I shuffled over to stand in front of him, my arm extended towards him. He made quick work of the lock, tossing the device over to Kurono once it slipped off of my wrist. Without a word, I moved to stand at the side of the couch opposite Mimic. Chisaki then looked up at Kurono.

"Go find Shigaraki and bring him here. I think he's wandered long enough."

Kurono pulled his plague mask over his face and left the room, shutting the door behind him as he left. 

After a few minutes, Chisaki finally broke the silence, not bothering to look my way as he did. 

"After this, you have a new assignment. I need you to find the man I had you watching and get rid of him."

He must have been talking about the guy he thought was giving heroes info on the Yakuza. Either Chisaki found out he was talking to the heroes, or he decided the guy was causing more trouble than he was worth. 

Before I could reply, the door opened, and in walked who I could only assume was Tomura Shigaraki. The first thing I noticed was the bright red shoes he was wearing. They seemed almost out of place compared to his dark clothing. His hands lifted to pull his hood down, and it was then that I saw the sickly grey hand covering his face. A chill ran through my veins at the sight of it.