***
Max trudged through the dark, dragging his weight down the alleyway. 'Let's head towards the outskirts' he thought, 'There has to be someone who knows where he is.'
"My, my…what's a pretty thing like you doing all the way here in the dark?"
A sweet, sickly voice whispered softly in his ear.
Max's blood ran cold. He swiveled, leaping backward to create distance. He clenched his left hand, the bracelet on his wrist shone as his shield materialized. He scanned the alleyway.
Nothing. The place was dead silent.
'Not my head.' Max thought. He knew the voice that always tormented him, it wouldn't speak so sweetly. The voice was real. Invincibility quirk?
"Aren't you just a precious little thing." The voice giggled directly behind him. "I really want to see…how you bleed."
Max was prepared. He swung his shield backward, the heavy metal meeting flesh, sensing the figure tumbling back.
Max kept his guard raised, staring down at his fallen foe. "Who are you?"
The woman slowly pushed herself up the ground, long violet dark hair shielding her face before she pushed it aside. Green eyes stared back at him as a sweet sickly smile bloomed on her face.
"Who I am doesn't matter, darling," she giggled, standing up to her full, imposing height. She was slightly taller than him, dressed in all black. "I'm here to deliver you, but if you struggle, I won't guarantee you going back in one piece."
She blushed deeply at her own words, her eyes sparkling with anticipation. "So…please struggle."
Max narrowed his eyes. This was a waste of time. He needed to be out there searching, not wasting time here playing games.
"I don't have time for this," he spat, tightening his grip on the shield. "I'm not going anywhere with you."
"Aww, that's a shame darling."
She vanished in a flash of speed. Max's eyes widened, but before he could react, she reappeared directly in front of him.
"Cause I wasn't asking," she giggled, striking him straight in the abdomen.
Max doubled over instantly, coughing up blood.
'She's strong!' he thought, clutching his stomach in pain.
"Don't struggle so much, darling," she purred, closing the distance between them. "Struggling only makes it so much worse."
She slowly walked him down, her deep green eyes fixed entirely on his trembling frame. Like he was not a threat to her. Like he was nothing.
Max took an involuntary step back, his hands shaking violently. His vision flickered, Vox's violet hair fading as an all-to-familiar face slammed into his consciousness.
'What's wrong Max?' Raphael asked, a slow smile on his face. 'You swore you'd get revenge, but is this all you've got? Look at you, still the same pathetic child who couldn't save his parents.'
"Shut up." Max muttered, trembling.
'Still the same weak boy who couldn't do anything that day but watch as his parents died.'
"I SAID SHUT UP!"
Blinded by fury, Max swung his shield forward, driving all his strength, hate, emotion into it.
CRACK!
His shield connected with brutal power. The impact sent blood flying as she was launched straight into the wall.
Max stood panting, eyes flaring with fury at her fallen body.
But then, she rose. Her head bleeding seriously, but her eyes sparkled with sheer ecstasy. She brought up a hand to her head, swiping it as she slowly licked it.
"I see," she muttered softly, a slow smile creeping up her lips as she studied his face. "That looks in your eyes…You're starving for revenge."
"Shut up!" Max snarled defensively. "You don't know a damn thing about me!"
She shook her head softly. "I don't need to. Your eyes give you away, darling."
"SHUT UP!" Max roared, lunging forward with his fists raised. He landed a heavy blow to her skull, knocking her off her feet.
He didn't hesitate, blinded by rage, he rained punches down on her. Again, and again, and again. His fists became a blur, smashing into her skin over and over.
Yet beneath the blows, her giggles grew louder. She laughed, her mouth stretched in glee even as the blows became heavier, faster.
Max roared, driving another punch down. But, mid-strike, his fist stopped dead in midair. Her fingers wrapped tightly around his forearm, clamping down like a vice. He strained his fist, but he couldn't move an inch.
She smiled up at him with bloodied teeth. "Ohh darling. But there's one thing you don't understand about revenge." She leaned forward until he could feel her breath on his skin. "It's not free. You'll have to pay up!"
Something blurred, faster than before. Max's vision faltered as what seemed like a canon struck him straight in the abdomen, sending him flying across the alleyway.
Max groaned on the cold concrete floor, each breath hurting more than the last. He could taste the thick blood dripping from his lips.
H…how? He thought. Her blows seemed even stronger than before. Much stronger than when they started the fight
He pressed his palm into the ground as he tried pushing himself up, but a searing agony exploded across his abdomen, causing his arms to falter under him.
"What's wrong darling?" She cooed, her boot crunching on the dirt floor. "Your punches are so delightful. But I couldn't let you take the lead forever…a girl should get her turn."
Max gritted his teeth, planting his shield in the pavement as he forced himself up, ignoring the searing agony across his body.
"Ohh, you're standing again." She smiled sweetly.
How is she still standing?! Max wasn't holding back his punches, and it wasn't like the attacks weren't affecting her, he could clearly see her bleeding. But it seemed every time he attacked her, she just got stronger as a result. Was that her quirk?
A sharp beeping sound cut through his thoughts. She glanced down at her hand, her ecstatic smile melting into a disappointing frown.
She turned her attention back to him. "I'm afraid, we'll have to end our dance here darling." She said sadly, "Boss does hate it when I'm late."
She dashed forward, faster this time, before Max could raise his guard, she punched him straight in the gut, folding him completely. He shot backwards, slamming into the wall behind him before falling limp into darkness.
***
"You're late Vox." Kazumi stated,, drumming his fingers on the table.
Vox simply smiled, giggling. "Oh, don't be so dramatic, Boss. I was making sure your present was wrapped just right." She winked at him.
Ignoring her usual eccentricities, Kazumi turned his gaze to the unconscious boy slouched beside her. His eyes swept over the kid's frame, weighing his value for a second.
"Take him to the next room," Kazuni commanded softly, " I'll speak with him myself."
"Yay you're not killing him!" She beamed, "C'mon darling, let's go."
She dragged Max's limp body off, leaving Kazumi alone in the room.
Kazumi leaned back, taking a calm sip of his wine from his glass before checking his expensive gold watch.
"Let's get this over with. I wouldn't want to be late meeting him." He stood up, wearing his coat as he left the room.
***
Max groaned awake, his head pounding with brutal pain.
W…Where am I?
He tried to stand, but met instant resistance, heavy iron clanked against his wrists. Looking down, his wrists were chained to a metal chair. Struggling against the chains were useless, it only caused his injuries to sting much worse.
The room was completely bland. No furniture. No windows whatsoever. Just a metal table, two chairs, and a reinforced door opposite him.
Before he could clear his head, the heavy reinforced door clicked open.
A man stepped inside, dressed in a sharp black suit beneath a heavy black and red coat. Gold rings adorned his fat fingers, his round face resting squarely on broad, imposing shoulders. He pulled out the chair across from Max, calmly sitting across him.
"So you're the kid, who caused me trouble, huh?"
"If you mean those robbers, I brought an end to their actions. Yes."
The man leaned back, studying Max in silence, tapping a finger on the metal table.
"You're no vigilante." He stared flatly, " And I've met a plenty of them. You don't carry their poise. You don't do their planning. You don't act like one." He paused, narrowing his eyes. "You're just a fool playing hero."
Max gritted his teeth. "I do not care for your mockery. They committed heinous crimes, so I stopped them."
"Hmm," The man leaned forward. He closed his fat fingers together. "Honestly, boy, I don't care about your moral crusade. But you cost me money. And when someone costs me money, they don't get to simply walk out the door without costs.
Max gritted his teeth, his grip tightening his knuckles till they turned white. "I have no time to sit in your cell. I am leaving, whether you grant permission or not." he declared, rattling the chains even as there stung his injuries.
The man didn't even flinch. He simply laced his fingers over his stomach. "Should've thought about that before you meddled in my business. Now, why don't we discuss how you're going to pay for it."
"I will agree to nothing you have to say, criminal." Max spat, every second wasted here felt like another away from his goal.
Kazumi paused, tapping a slow finger against the metal table.
"Vox mentioned you were difficult." He muttered softly, narrowing his eyes. Let me reframe the offer, kid…what if I help you locate the person you're hunting?"
Max froze. What?! The room fell dead silent.
He narrowed his eyes at the man. "You're lying."
"I could be," the man admitted freely, a faint smile touching his lips. "Or perhaps, I have eyes and ears in every corner of this street. You on the other hand are wandering the alleys like a blond stray, asking random thugs for scraps. I fail to see how that is a strategy.*
He leaned back. "Besides, let's be honest with each other, how many beatings are you going to take before you realize you're out of your game. You need a network kid. I am that network."
Max but his lips. He didn't trust this monster for one second. But if this man actually knew a way to find him…he couldn't just turn away.
"Take your time to think about it." The man stood up, adjusting his cuffs. "You don't get an offer like this often, kid." With that, he left Max with his thoughts.
***
"You really think he's going to take the deal, boss." Vox said, stepping into stride beside him. "I really hope we don't have to kill him. He's so sweet!"
"He'll take it." Kazuni replied smoothly as they walked down the brightly lit corridor.
Each and every person they passed bowed respectfully to him, clearing a path for him.
"How are you so sure?" Vox giggled, twirling a lock of her purple hair. "He looked ready to bite your head off. He's quite stubborn."
Kazuni paused outside the mahogany door of his private office. A deep chuckle escaped his lips
"That stubbornness is precisely why he'll agree to it." He glanced back. "I had the same stubbornness once upon a time. And the thing with that kind of stubborness, you don't know when to quit, even if it costs you everything.