[The Wharf -- Warehouse District] Summit [Strive Plot]

"Tch... if only you could hear yourself. From where I'm standing, you sound just like a villain."

"You're a child who plays in the sun, I'm sure anyone operating in the shadows sounds like a villain to you. One could only hope to be so naïve." The last he'd seen Choyoku was at a table with Katagiri. That was NOT a good sign. If anything isolating her was saving her life. Of course, Strive didn't know what he was doing... He didn't ask. Accusations were more important. He descended slowly, his dragon returning back into a regular shadow. With a satisfying clink, both swords rested in their sheath with his hands ready to draw at any moment. He watched black urchin encase the pillar in dark spikes. He'd speak to the wounded hero anyway. 

"You seem to place yourself in other peoples' decisions as if you hold weight in what people choose for themselves. You're going to apologize to her making her own decisions. Talk to her about what you failed at for her life? What about her? It seems you're are more interested in your own satisfaction than who she is as a person." He started with a somber expression. Strive was painting himself a menace of sorts. Everyone would just be sorted into one bucket with such black-and-white beliefs. The future generation would be doomed if they followed too closely in his footsteps. He was a pillar, but unfit for the title in Yoo's opinion. The closest thing to a true pillar in his opinion was Gigabite, a man who saw people for who they were and took initiative on rehabilitation. "Perhaps that's the curse of the number 1 hero... It was never about justice, it was never about HER, or else you'd have come with your cape like one does by the book, Benjimaru Yuruginai. This is about your personal satisfaction. Nothing else. Hypocrite indeed. " 

He stomped his foot once more, his shadow expanding once more. His eyes were attuned for the dark. He'd take the time to scan his environment. Jogo hadn't answered his comms, Speed likely would wake up soon, and Strive wouldn't be taken down be something like that. Perhaps he could take the moment to get a progress report. He raised his cuff link closer to his mouth before speaking but stopped at the realization. A large part of this mystery solved itself as he came to terms with who was in front of him the whole time. Jogo... perhaps he was a mole. The only person who could breach the Ryuujin mansion and whisk away his mother was someone who could seep into surfaces undetected... It was similiar to shadow sneaking, the ability to maneuver without creating sight or sound. "...I've been had." He grumbled under his breath. This also meant, his call to isolate Choyoku probably fell on deaf ears. She likely was still seated with Gauss at their table. He'd removed the comm unit from his cufflink and crushed it under his foot. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. Yoo's face seemed obscured by shadow casting over it. So did this mean his mother was alive or dead? More importantly there still was Strive's piece in all of this. There was an incredibly large chunk missing from this mystery, and the only person with answers was his unknowing opponent.

"I've been the Number One Hero for ten years. I represent the choices people should be making. Benjimaru can't exist, not while Strive is the face of Hero Society in Japan. You must have felt it as you rose in the ranks... the pressure to become less of a person, and more of a face. A character. A Pillar of Justice."

"I was born into a Yakuza family, boy. I've seen bloodshed as far back as I can remember. Becoming a hero was the most human decision I could make.  "

"That's why you never went much higher than Ten, right, Nocturne? Otherwise, you'd have to give up your family, your life, your ties with the Yakuza, everything that made you, you, Yoo-doumaru Ryuujin. Luckily I had none of that, not after what my bastard uncle did. And you know what? I didn't mind that at all. I was fine to sweep my old life under the rug and become what society wanted. Until this week. I found that my sister had survived, after all this time. I pushed her away, and I felt immense guilt, but I managed to hide that away. Yet after discovering that information, I realized something! A little bit of Benjimaru was still there, an ember within the body and heart of Strive. So I took the choice, and it might be seen as a poor one. I decided to indulge in selfishness for once in my heroic career!"

Lose everything due to a rank? He'd lost everything the millisecond he decided to become a hero. His own father conspired to kill him when he found out his heir had aspirations for justice. He grew up in this kill-or-be-killed environment and still chose heroics despite how hated he'd become. "I don't have time for your identity crisis." The more Strive spoke, the more it seemed like he was unraveling. Was the pillar breaking before his eyes? Shameful. Yoo began walking forward toward the hero as Strive finished his speech. "Yes, a hypocrite. The only person you'll ever be to me is Benjimaru. This "Strive" you're presenting to me is just a sorry excuse to ignore your life, your problems, and your past. " He gripped his licht saber and slowly unsheathed, its faint glow shining upon Yoo's face in a sinister way.   

Speed frowned as he watched his friend. He'd slide and whip his body out of the way of the shuriken, making sure to stay in bounds of Strive's range. Watching each other's backs was one of the core points of their hero team, of their friendship. In a way he didn't recognize who the Strive in front of him was. This was too much... ~KK wants this to play out in a way I can't decipher. He laid it all out in his favor... even with him in prison. I know the guy's track record. There's a reason he hasn't been caught, or even seen, for two decades of being a villain.~ That's exactly what Strive said during their meeting... Gritting his teeth he listened closely to Strive's words. He didn't like what this situation was. Even with his hate toward Nocturne, Benji wasn't being himself. He panted. Many of his wounds were reopening already. 

 Yoo had a fair assessment of their movement now. He did Speed in earlier, and getting hit by black urchin was a considerable blow to Strive. At this level... he felt he could take them. But first, he intrigue shifted toward Speed who's fire for this situation seemed to be waning. With slow calculated steps, he shifted himself closer to the wall while allowing his katana to rest in a lower stance. "You're not cut out to work in the shadows, pillar. Letting a villain get in your ear, and taking advantage of your own teammate's kindness to have some back up? -You're a muddied wonderboy doing Team Confidence's bidding.."

"SHUT UP!" Mayoi roared in defense of his besto friendo.

The dusk hero ignored Speed. He was an abused party in this scenario, manipulated by Strive who very obviously was being manipulated by KK. The detective mentally measured his swing despite being so far away. He lift the blade edge closer toward his waist. He couldn't use his arm to rip it from its sheath but that didn't mean he couldn't conduct Iai. Strive seemed raring to go, perhaps charged up by this little midbattle conversation. To be honest, Yoo was trying to waste minutes. The closer the event came to a closing the sooner he could figure a few more things out. He kept his objective at the front of his mind, while Strive had other plans... "So you've lost sight of your objective, pillar? You're definitely suspect... Let me put this in Leyman's terms before I cut you both down... Two off-duty heroes tampering with official business would be an obstruction of my investigation to find my mother, intrusion of a private event  and a conspiracy charge for taking orders from Team Confidence's KK." For whoever won... things were going to get ugly. "Should you fall by my blade, or rot in prison, this will be your final nocturne."


Mayoi flinched. His mother??? What the fuck was he talking about? Why would he be here to find his mother if he was in league with the Yakuza? He had to have been lying, but... they were two off duty heroes tampering with whatever mumbo jumbo Yoo was speaking about. And thinking back now... why didn't Strive want back up? Why was he pushing back getting his sister over some grudge with Nocturne? He remembered more of Strive's words... ~I'm going to sneak in myself. No uniform, no backup... if I'm going to get to Choyaku, it can't be on my own terms. It has to be on... KKs.~ Mayoi inhaled deep, clenching his fists hard. He didn't want to believe it, but Strive, no Benji was playing him with KK's advisory. Sister having to wait? It was a blasphemous statement considering the talk they had prior. As convicted as Strive was to fight Yoo, Speed was horrified at who his friend was turning into. "W...why would you make your sister wait Benji? It's the whole reason we came..." His response to Benjimaru's call to action. Neither Strive nor Nocturne could be trusted, and like Yoo said... this WASN'T Strive. It was someone different, someone desperate... Was he an idiot for blindly trusting his best friend in this state? Maybe he was taken advantage of... Strive was fighting on KK's terms after all. Yoo seemed to poised to strike but likely was waiting for one of them to charge. 

He took a step toward Yoo, passing a prominent glare at Strive with tears building. Justice would shine on whoever was going to win this bout. Yoo would be put on trial if Strive won, and an unauthorized team showtime would go to jail if Nocturne won. Regardless, Speed, no Mayoi had lost his hero... Givng "Strive" a proper answer to his question. He was caught between two rivaling heroes and a hard place.  "I don't seem to have a choice in the matter, " Partner. He usually would've said partner right there. He wasn't Speed's partner here... he was Strive's tool. " Damned if I do, damned if I don't... I have a disadvantage here, and Mr. Efficiency knows that... It's Showtime..." Strive and Speed had worked together so long, that one could fight like they were an extension of the other. They didn't need trust to fight... All it would take was a simple tip- Mr. Efficiency. A steep disadvantage of being a hero for so long was that Nocturne had very clear habits. He was a dominating fighter, but he'd never been against the likes of Team Showtime. Since a kid, Mayoi was fanatical about the top 10, he knew how most top heroes fought. Yoo had been a top hero for 20 years, of course there was a game plan in mind.

He didn't care to hear Strive's response, he'd roar forward in a sprint that would become accelerated into a slide. "I feel sorry for you. Ryuujin Style Iai: Fukahire!" Nocturne would slip into a shadow that would glide into Speed's shadow, the black blade breaching the surface like a shark's fin. Blood splattered as Yoo appeared skidding to a stop at the edge of Speed's shadow. BUT Mayoi wouldn't fall. He was a hero of tenacity, a hero who HATED losing. "Thinking you're faster than me- SPEED?!?"  With a cut leg, he spun and closed the distance aiming to swing at Yoo with his own katana. He hadn't dropped it since the last clash. Yoo wasn't impressed by such shotty swordsmanship. "Ryuujin style:New moon..." Another sword technique, Yoo kept a tight form before making a short chopping motion as a feint to meet Speed's slash. The black blade would flick to a uppercutting slash as Yoo twisted his wrist with precision. With a resounding clang, the black blade would prevail, forcing Speed posture to lean on his cut leg. Mayoi grunted as Yoo's sword play whipped his arms up. This meant Yoo had a clear opening to slash. The clearest and shortest path to victory for Yoo was to cut one opponent down at a time rather than struggling against two foes for a long period of time. The most efficient choice was to cut Speed down in this moment. Yoo's arm reeled back as he measured his swing once more, wide open for Strive.

From Strive-"You're a disgraced Hero, who was unranked because he let a civilian die. You stand here protecting known villains and criminals instead, and might we remind you that your side attacked first, without provocation? Try and spin this however you want, Yoo. Private investigation? Private event? Is that what you're claiming this to be? Nobody will believe you're in the right. All this prattling about KK... you truly have lost your trust in Hero society if you think they have the upper hand! That man sits in prison, rotting under my order. Tchh. You're truly a pain. Heroes like you have no place in this world!"


"The side who attacked first was Speed knocking gaurds out unprovoked before you were spotted on the roof, and if a villain volunteers" Nocturne was quick to respond. Strive was seemingly losing touch with reality. He was saying just about whatever to paint Yoo as a villain. Stealth Scale cloaked the man's body with resistant shadows as Strive closed the distance. With a strong grip, the katana would go close to nowhere, though the knee would land true. Speed clutched his fist, glaring at Strive. "He's... right... He's not in prison under your order if you're the one following his directives..." Strive was saying anything to fuel his conviction. Actually, like Nocturne said, this was just a sorry excuse. Whether Benjimaru meant it or not, he did take advantage of his best friend. "You said it yourself... this wasn't on your terms but KK's... Off duty... no back up... I'm such an idiot." He looked to Nocturne with disgust. Whether Yoo was conducting an investigation or not, he still was a detective. He could figure out so much without even having the conversation that he and Strive had. He watched the two, Yoo was warding off a fair amount of strikes, but with one usable arm many of the strikes penetrated his guard. He needed a way to break free... This would be a gamble, but nudging Speed was his best option.

Yoo chuckled admist scuffling with Strive, "A-agh hit dog-guh hollers ngh. At least, one-ngh of you is smart." Tossing the katana high into the air, Speed slid behind Nocturne joining Strive's onslaught of blows being thrown. Speed unleashed a flurry of haymakers, sending Yoo ping-ponging between the two brawler heroes. This would prove better despite having to take more damage. He could clearly see victory on the horizon, the heroes were standing on his shadow. Tears rolled down Speed's face as threw jabs knees and haymakers. "I was a bad friend for not realizing you weren't ready for something like this. You're just as bad as he is right now... We should've just went to Moonbeam." He said sending Yoo to Strive with a heavy handed right, the dusk hero would come right back to him after receiving hits from Strive. Yoo settled into the rhythm they were creating. He knew now from his shuriken toss, Mayoi was far more damaged than his partner. There'd come a moment, whether a half second or a second, in this volley of ass kickery that would give Yoo the opening. Both heroes were injured, but he'd beaten Mayoi earlier. Comparably, he was running on fumes and keeping up with Strive's second gear through sheer grit and willpower. 

"We're going to kick this guy's ass, then I'm going to pull you back from this operation by force. You're not being yourself, Benji." THERE. It was coming! As Yoo predicted, Mayoi's strikes were becoming slower. He'd raised his leg as Speed's delayed haymaker shoved him into Strive's oncoming blows. This would of course shove Yoo back toward Speed. With a pivot and extension of his arm, the black blade pierced Mayoi's stomach. Fighting through the pain, the slip n slide hero reeled back to punch again. Another second of delay. Lovely... Yoo wasn't going to let this moment go to waste. Loud enough for both to hear, Yoo- "One down..."

The dusk hero could give Team Showtime their kudos. They analyzed his tendencies and made a play toward that. Speed was the innocent party for Strive's shenanigans, which Yoo considered but he also was the weakest link in this two on one clash. It was still the most efficient choice to aim for Speed. Just because they knew it was coming didn't mean they could keep up with his skills as a tactician. A dragon's maw breached the shadows in an instant, snapping on Speed and taking flight with considerable force. Was Yoo becoming faster? Yoo would seemingly vanish, quickly reappearing on the dragon's head. "Don't think this can stop me!" He used his squeaky clean quirk to force his body out of the dragon's teeth, blood falling down to earth beneath them. As Speed emerged free from the dragon, it would vanish seemingly shoving itself into either Yoo or his shadow. It was hard to tell. The katana he threw up earlier was on its way down, but Speed snatched it out of the air and swung toward the dusk hero. Metal shattered, as Yoo broke through Speed's swing delivering another cut. Rather than delivering a final blow, Yoo locked eyes with the hero. Mayoi's expression told him all he needed to know. 

"None of this was your fault... you were following your Pillar of Justice." Yoo stated as the two began to plummet. They both spoke in hushed tones, both understanding the fight would return to a one-on-one between Nocturne and Strive.

"Fuck you..." A teary-eyed Speed glared at his opponent. If getting his mother and Strive's sister was the goal, what even was the point of this whole fight? He always distrusted Nocturne and now he couldn't bring himself to trust Strive anymore. He found both to be a disgrace to the top 10. Beyond that, Speed wanted to get one thing straight. Yoo probably didn't pay smaller heroes like him anymind, but he was going to today! From the deepest core of his gut, Speed stared deep into Yoo's soul. "I'M GOING TO BE THE NUMBER 1 HERO, that man was NEVER my Pillar."

 The intensity this wounded man gave off sent a chill down Yoo's spine. It was enough to shake a soft smile, even a chuckle from an otherwise glum expression. "I see... " Just before impact, he gave a nod of acknowledgment. "-You have my support."

Before he could respond, Speed would land first, bouncing off the ground like a rag doll. The shadows beneath Yoo accepted his landing with a comfortable swell. Speed was wriggling and writhing in pain. Yoo's face was red from the bloody impacts, his eye swelled shut, and he could tell he had cracked rib. Still unwavering, he pointed his blade at Strive. "One to go..." 


 

From Strive- "You've fallen low, you bastard. No true hero would accept money from villains. No true hero would use lethal force against another Hero! You think I'm bad for following my heart? For going under the radar once in my ten years? I'm falling back. Even if this means giving up my sister, I'm not letting my friend die on my watch. You can try and stab me in the back if you want. Your kind... that's what you do, right? I won't forget this. The Hero Commission will know what your operations involve. Tch... to think you still teach the next generation of heroes, while defending those who would see them dead on the side. You're a disgrace, Yoo."


Yoo slowed and raised his blade before resting it on his shoulder. He didn't move despite Strive being so close, and he didn't bat an eye at the man's rage. He was incredibly dense... still painting Yoo as the villain when he was just doing his job. "I've already laid all my cards out to you, Pillar. The hero commission has no quandary with my actions. ...they know more than you think. Hmmph... in any case, it seems like you and Speed stumbled into the uglier side of heroics, wonderboy. " He said with a disappointed expression. There were things moonbeam and he had seen that would make most heroes quit. There was a reason detective agencies and hero commission-sponsored heroes were so few and far in between. Some missions were traumatizing and asked one to make challenging decisions. Being raised by killers, snakes, and assassins, Yoo was built for all that came with missions like these.  Being so successful in rescue and villain fights, Strive was considerably blind, but in a good way. There was a purity in people like him that shouldn't get tainted. Sadly, KK gave him a taste... The second he agreed to that villain's ideas was the second he'd never be the same again. 


Yoo gave the hero one last scowl, hoping Strive wouldn't turn into an iteration of himself. The world needed more heroes, not warriors of the shadows. Heroes like Nocturne were a potent stop gap between the sheltered surface world and the horrifying world of the underground. BUT heroes like Mama Bear, Giga Bite, King, and Strive...even Speed. They were NEEDED. They were the blueprint. He felt sadness welling in from his chest. "Welcome to my world... and goodbye..." He tracked their movements until they were out of sight. A silence befell the dusk hero. He closed his eyes, and focused on his breathing. His body ached, but he could still fight. Talking to Strive and Speed gave him the whole picture of what was going on and he knew he wasn't out of the woods yet.


If this were a hit to get Strive killed, he was supposed to be the killer? Judging by how twisted the  (silver age)Aeronauts case was, it wasn't out of the realm of possibility. Or perhaps, Strive was to kill him? That may have been Katagiri's plan against KK's wishes... Both family members were just lures to bring the heroes out... He was no exception to the ploy. "I'm just following my heart too, kid... " He muttered to himself as if Strive were still there. Strive was quite the hero. He had great conviction and spoke with authority, but Yoo could tell his color changed in this off-duty mission. Speed was tenacious and electrifying, but would he recover from today's battle? He could see why they were a fearsome duo...  He smiled at the thought. Perhaps in a different lifetime, they could've all just worked together and taken this group down in an awe-inspiring raid. Quite the thought, indeed, but that's all it was... -a thought. That was that, and this was reality. He was glum, more glum than usual, perhaps mentally preparing himself. He saw Strive's sister, Choyoku but never saw his mother. Perhaps she was already gone... Maybe he'd been kidding himself this whole time. His stony expression cracked in pain as he prepared for battle once more. He tore his blazer off, as well as his button-down. His skin was black and blue from Speed and Strive's earlier onslaught. He was crying. He couldn't tell if it was because of Strive's words, the wounds, or because he'd begun mourning his mother's death just now. Of course, she had to have been dead. He should've known when he realized Jogo was a mole. This wasn't a mystery or investigation to be solved, but him in denial. 


Clapping could be heard from Katagiri. "Well done, Ryuujin. You've kept a party safe, as requested. Who knew placing a request with the Hero Comission could've been so easy? I give KK his Kudos as well. " Behind Katagiri was a crowd of yakuza toting weapons, guns and quirks at the ready. It was a small army. The yakuza boss analyzed the blood splatter and Yoo's appearance. "I'm assuming Strive got away. Pity... I was supposed to get paid a pretty penny if you killed him, I thought your mother meant more to you than that. I heard Speed was with him too. Two for one special never hurt anyone." Katagiri was reveling in this while looking at Yoo's beat-up body. 

"Jogo took her away, didn't he?" Yoo ignored the comments. 

"Killed her too." Katagiri chuckled. "Yoo... My family's been trying to squish yours for decades. You should've known this was coming. Beyond that, I promised Team Confidence a dead top 10 hero, so I'm going to deliver. Any last words? "

"Just a phone call." Yoo dug in his pocket and called Rouge when he found his phone. "Do whatever you can to find and seperate Choyoku Yuruginai from the Yakuza. My mother's already gone... make preparations for a funeral. I count roughly 100+ Yakuza members. I'm going to kill them all." He snapped his phone shut, and took his katana out of the ground.  The sky changed as tears rolled down his face. His expression was surprisingly zen, despite his claim to want blood. Wanting revenge after a family member was murdered was a natural response. Was he allowed to be a victim? He was usually the guy telling people 'We'll get those bastards.' His mind dragged along as he slowly crept forwards. Katagiri would give a sign, and flunkies would come pouring in from all sides. It was far more than a hundred, this was far more the than number of guests in the event. 


His quirk eclipsed the moon with a giant black cube, and casted a harsh tint on everything in the vicinity. Whether people regarded him as a good hero or bad hero, Nocturne was a hero of Japan. His ultimate move was "Eclipsed Country," allowing his quirk to create a rising black sun at the cost of his body and mind. He blinked, and he saw images of his mother cradling him. Upon another blink, he saw bloodied bodies falling to the way side of his sword play and shadows. Again, he'd blink. He remembered a wedding. He was incredibly young at the time. A decripit old geezer was pointing to Yoo, showing a young Katagiri who the Ryuujin heir was. Hmmm. It really had been a long time. Another blink, he felt wet. He likely got stabbed. He wraithed around the crowd like a shadowy ghoul, upping his kill count.

"Okay, okay. I'll let you elites come and play. I know you've been itching to kill him, too. " Katagiri commanded. A select few of his ranks would step up. Yoo was deep in the depths of his life as it flashed before his eyes. By this time, he remembered graduating from UA and returning to Shizuoka. Upon another blink, someone copied his quirk. He'd met his match in this shadowscape. At least until someone locked his quirk away and the lighting returned to normal. He was impaled, shot and stabbed. He wouldn't stop though. "Awww, well aren't yall nice?" Katagiri cooed at the group. The elites backed off a fair amount. One of their own was dealing with a deep loss. Gauss. They were giving the man dibs on the kill. 

Yoo was delirious at this point from the blood loss, but he moved as if completely in tune with his body. Maybe he was more in tune than ever before. He pointed his blade at Gauss, exactly how he pointed his blade at Strive moments earlier. His memories were slowly catching up to reality. "One to go." He'd lowered his stance, and prepped himself for an Iai. Again he spoke to Strive as if he were still there. "That's right, wonderboy, heroes were never my allies... They just tolerate me. If I need to be a hero for 50 years, I'll do what I must. " He was measuring his swing. Gauss was a tall man. Was he to aim for the neck, or bring him down by aiming at the knees? There was his large metallic arm as well, likely a huge threat and probably had something to do with his quirk. Still, speaking to the missing number 1 hero, Yoo- "Yakuza were never my allies... Why would I side with them? I grew up with these people and they forever wished me dead." His muscles tightened now that he picked a target. "I never drew a line in the sand, THEY DID. If I need to cut them all down, I'll do what I must. " 

The dusk hero raced forward in a blur, lunging for Gauss. He was right at the man's torso. This Iai was a feint. As fast as an Iai swing would lash out, Yoo would flick his wrist and aim to stab Gauss right through the heart. This was the most efficient choice. He needed to figure out which of these opponents sealed his quirk away. 

"Ryuujin Style: Final Song."