Midori the Queen

Tomura and Team Might

"Well now don't they make a lovely picture." Touya complimented as he watches Izumi drawing with Eri and Kota. They sat around a table in varying positions, Izumi in proper kneeling stance calmly sketching in her notepad, Kota with his legs criss crossed and face irritable as he meticulously created little figures, and Eri timidly peeking up from her paper to admire Izumi before going back to her paper.

"What do you want?" Chisaki grunted watching as well but with an irritated expression. Izumi had been doing her job of making Eri comfortable but was giving the child more free reign than he found necessary. She'd insisted on putting Eri in proper clothes like skirts and dresses. She insisted that at least once a day Eri be allowed to play outside with Kota in the yard. She insisted that the girl be tucked in at night and read stories, and even had the gall to force him to read to her. Both parties had felt awkward.

"Just making a delivery." He handed Chisaki a manilla envelope. "Ace sent me the latest transaction of goods.  The money has been put into the account Karma verified and I made sure to put together the data for your records." 

"Well done, Karma was right about your usefulness." He opened the file and peeked at the contents. He'd never seem so many fucking zeroes. His mood instantly improved. 

"I’d hate to ruin the mood, but I feel like I should warn you.” He spoke again eyeing Izumi as she laughed at Kota’s blush from her praising his artwork. “Shigaraki has discovered that Karma’s been under your care. Ace has been tasked with narrowing down the field of where you could be hiding her."

"That so?" Chisaki slapped the manilla envelope against his palm. "We'll have to do something about that." 

Eri glanced up from the game to look at Chisaki. Her bottom lip trembled from the wicked gleam in his eyes and her head immediately lowered. She thought of their conversation yesterday, after Kota and Izumi went to bed. 

"Do you enjoy spending time with Karma and Kota, Eri? If you want to keep having fun, and keep them alive, you're not gonna give me anymore trouble. You'll do as I say, behave when we extract the samples, and not tell anyone about the project. Is that understood?" 

All the people who had been put in charge of her before had either been killed or replaced in some way. Izumi was different from them all; genuinely kind and sweet, and enjoyed being around her. She had to protect her and behave. She wouldn't tell them what this man was doing to her. She would bear with the pain… because it was worth the reward. It was worth having this time with Izumi and Kota, it was worth finally getting the chance to feel a bit free despite the fact it would only last for a little while. 

...and who knows maybe that man would change. He read to her the other night, had even tucked her in. Maybe Izumi could help her by just being with them. 

"What are you drawing there Eri?" Izumi asked curiously. Eri timidly lifted the paper up. The painstaken depictions of her, and Izumi. The two of them hand in hand, a house in the background, and several other stick figures that were indecipherable. 

"It's my wish…" she admitted and held the drawing out to her. "I wish that you, and me, and Kota, and everyone else here can become a family.” 

Izumi’s heart melted at that and she eyed the picture cuddling Eri close to her. 

“We will be, Eri. Very soon.” 

“Are you sure?” She cuddled in gripping Izumi’s shirt. “I can’t help but feel… like you’re going to go away.” 

Izumi’s eyes went cool and she stroked Eri’s hair. She looked to Kota who returned the serious stare with one of his own. It only took that look for Izumi to realize that Kota had been thinking the same thing. Was she that unreliable?