[Bakiri Retsu]

Ever since Dream World Retsu’s priorities had changed. A fire burned within her. Whereas before it was like a wildfire reducing all in its vicinity to ash it was now more condensed. Focused towards a single direction. A single goal. Retsu exhaled deeply, the air passing through her lips like the whistle of a train coming to rest, ready to take on a new arrival before moving to its next stop.

She sat atop a simple workbench facing the door of the nondescript warehouse she’d rented anonymously after receiving a call on one of her burner phones. Having looked into exactly who made a request of her Retsu was prepared for anything. This would either be a trap or a very fruitful meeting. Quite frankly Retsu wasn’t sure which of the two she’d prefer. A manic grin twisted her face. They were free to come try her. She’d show them just like she showed the rest.

With a groan she cracked her neck and leaned back on one arm, pushing bullet casings to the side to put her hand down. Tools, ammo and weapons lay scattered atop several different workbenches throughout the warehouse. She’d only informed her new client of the location a few hours ago but she’d been working here throughout the night, making sure she had everything she needed to keep herself on her feet come hell or high water. The majority of her armaments were hidden away both on her person and throughout the room but the fact remained. Retsu was loaded for bear.

Her gaze returned to the door and she schooled her expression when the customer finally arrived.

“Yo, Yoko was it? Come in and close the door behind ya.”

---

Tag: Yanai Yoko

[Yanai Yoko]

Unlike her usual style of red, today she wore a neutral, black hoodie. She didn't want to be caught dealing with people like this... Or did she? Did it really matter if she was caught? Not like she seriously believed she could be a hero anyway. She couldn't explain why she had gone incognito with her outfit, but she was already here and going back just for a wardrobe change was completely pointless. She just needed to get this shit over with and move on.

One step inside the door and she was already itching for a cigarette. What kind of psycho was she going to be dealing with today? ''Yeah, that's me.'' Creepy that she knew her name, but it was probably necessary to do business. Besides, just Yoko wasn't much of a give away in itself, there were tons of people in Japan named Yoko. ''So you're the manufacturer or whatever?'' Not someone she recognized, but that figures. She got her lead from some shady-ass people. Dumbass centipede guy and his shithead friends. One day she was going to get back at them for making her feel like a loser. ''You're familiar with umbrellas, right? I need that, but with a gun.'' She held out her umbrella to demonstrate. ''Basically a hidden weapon, but I need to be able to reload it.''

Bakiri Retsu

[Bakiri Retsu]

"The one an' only," Retsu responded humorously. How curious. It was rare these days that she conversed with people that didn't recognize her in advance. The sight brought Retsu back to simpler times. Her jaw clenched as a painful twitch in her left eye diverted her train of thought. Ignorance was bliss but Retsu wasn't one to stop just because something was painful. Besides, it wasn't like the past had been much better.

Her gaze homed in on the umbrella as Yoko held it out, taking in the whole before her eye flicked between certain parts. By the casual way the student held it Retsu doubted it was a weapon but she'd seen stranger things and faced weirder assassination attempts. Her second-in-command had been sworn to silence in regard to the blueberry incident on pain of death. 

"Yah, ah fookin' know what an umbrella is," Retsu spat back while looking at Yoko as if she were an idiot. "Kent say ah've 'eard of UAU student packin' heat before but ah guess tahms are changin', ey?"

With a snort she gestured for Yoko to approach while hopping off her workbench. While she didn't have an awful lot of information on the younger Yanai ENKI had a fair amount of basic intel on UAU students. Facade was very insistent they stayed the hells away from them and likely included intel on them so they knew who to avoid but Retsu had never been one to play by others' rules.

Fetching her welding equipment she rearranged the mess covering her workbench before she continued speaking, her mind already abuzz with ideas.

"You lookin' ta use any kind a' special bullets or just the regular?"

Of course she'd fully be charging her extra for every single request the blonde made. After all, why wouldn't she?

---

Tag: Yanai Yoko

[Yanai Yoko]

She only became more grumpy at Retsu's answer, annoyed that she was being so unnecessarily rude, failing to realize she herself talked like that more often than not. As long as she could get the weapon made that's all that mattered. ''Yeah? Well I don't give a shit about all that hero stuff. Who would want to be a hero with how things are out here?'' Although she was playing up her apathy, it was coated in tons of spite, mainly towards her own father. ''So, that means you can do it.'' She added with a hint of snark as she approached like she was instructed to.

''Stun rounds, explosive rounds, regular rounds. Something that'll kill a person if I need to.'' She was fully serious about her request too. She had never killed before and she wasn't eager to do it, but she was going to kill before she let herself or someone else die at the hands of a villain. Maybe that made her unfit to be a hero, but those were the precautions she felt like she needed to take. ''In terms of looks, I'd like for it to look similar to this one.'' She pulled up an image of the gear umbrella she had left at home. ''When it's closed it looks like a kanabo. Then, when you open it the sides of the umbrella can act as a shield, and in the case of the weapon I want you to make for me...'' She pointed at the tip of the umbrella. ''Shoot bullets. The idea is that I'll be able to load it manually and use it as a bolt action rifle.'' She put her phone away. ''Can you do something like that?''

Bakiri Retsu

[Bakiri Retsu]

"Hmm," Retsu hummed thoughtfully. That was the most sensible thing she'd ever heard one of those hero types say. More importantly it was mighty convenient right now. "Of course I can," she replied answering snark with a brusqueness that made it clear what would happen if Yoko tried to push her luck with the implied insults.

"The whole shebang ey, plannin' ta hunt a Gorgon?" Retsu jested with a grin, keeping a close eye on Yoko's reaction while tapping her finger on the workbench. "Three types sounds doable. What kinda stun rounds 're we talkin'? Rubber bullets ta pack a punch, taser rounds ta paralyze or ya got somethin' else in mind?" 

Regardless of her opinions on hero students Retsu was a consummate professional when it came to her craft. The identity of the customer didn't matter. She'd make the best damn thing she could so long as they paid. "Hoo~ Buildin' up a brand are ya?" Retsu snorted mockingly. There it was. Regardless of what those damn wannabe do-gooders said that's what it was always about for them. Fame, fortune and making their own mark first and foremost. Disgusting.

"Looks easy 'nough," Retsu replied while wholly focused on the picture. Now that she was taking a closer look it felt oddly familiar. Not that she'd seen this specific piece before but definitely items of a similar make. Now where...

Ah. The exhibit a few months ago. She didn't know the maker but it was clear they were skilled. Retsu wasn't planning to let herself be outdone.

"Hmm, barrel could fit inta the shaft, handle at the end ken be a screw-on ta remove parts. Trigger could be worked inta the button ta open it. Chamber 'n ejection port ken be hidden in the groove, maybe a turn ta reveal 'r hide it? Either tha or 'aving the button be on a removeable plate fer those and puttin' the trigger elsewhere," Retsu muttered to herself while scribbling down a primitive schematic. She could see several ways to construct it but it'd come down to Yoko's preferences and what it was intended to be used for.

"Ya plannin' ta use it in CQC as well?" Retsu asked while turning to face Yoko. "And d'ya want the casing ta be wood or metal?"

Retsu knew what she'd pick of course but she was no stranger to customers wanting alterations to her designs to better fit their aesthetic. Thinking on the details would have to wait until she knew. Each material had their own properties after all. 

---

Tag: Yanai Yoko

[Yanai Yoko]

She immediately felt that she had overstepped when Retsu gave her response. She was so used to being sarcastic and snarky with people, but she also didn't make a habit of talking to villains on the daily. No one in her life would actually hurt her, but someone like this villain? She could probably kill her if she wanted to. She swallowed quietly when Retsu mentioned the name Gorgon, but she tried to hide it with a quick shrug, although her gaze did falter as she looked away for a moment. ''So what if I am?'' Shit, what was she doing. Was this a good idea? How could she get through this conversation quickly so she could get the hell out of here?

''Rubber.'' She started trying to save face with her response. ''If I use it most of the time it'll make it less obvious when I switch to real bullets.'' She smirked, trying to amuse the villain with her logic. In truth, she had made up the reasoning on the spot. ''It's all about surprise.'' She said in response to the brand comment. ''No one expects the brute to suddenly have a gun on hand when all she does is swing a big weapon around.'' That part was actually true, and a big reason why she wanted the umbrellas to look similar to those who didn't know what to look for.

Retsu was talking a bit fast for her, mentioning all these technical things Yoko hadn't really thought about, all the little intricacies. ''Metal casings.'' She said it just to sound decisive. ''I've got CQC handled. This is gonna be for those times when closing the gap is harder. It's the kind of precautions someone with my quirk should take.'' It didn't harm to mention her own quirk. Even if she didn't in details, this scummy villain already knew her name and it wasn't exactly hard to get ahold of her quirk information, not when that one mercenary group that held her hostage had several minutes where they had her student ID on hand. Hell, her information could be all over the black market right now for all she knew. ''Heroes act like they're your friends, but you should always be prepared to turn your weapons on them.'' It wasn't a sentiment she agreed with, but it kind of fit what she had said earlier and hopefully it would put Retsu at ease. ''That's why I had to come to you.''

Bakiri Retsu

[Bakiri Retsu]

“Well, that’d be quite something, wouldn’t it?” Retsu prodded, pretending she knew exactly what was going through Yoko’s mind. In truth she had no fookin’ clue how to interpret the student’s response. Intimidation she could do but mind games and manipulation had never been her strong point. Situations requiring those were ones she usually solved with bombs or bullets. Speaking of which.

“Makes sense,” she nodded before falling silent, more than happy to let the blonde ramble away to fill the silence. There weren’t a lot of conversational techniques she knew but she’d learned from Rui that so long as you stayed quiet the other person would go on and on and on until you spoke up. With some luck Retsu could get something useful out of Yoko’s rant.

“Keep ‘em underestimating you and then Bang!” She shouted the last word while slamming her fist down on the table. “Nevah fails ta work. ‘specially when judgemental fooks think they’re better then ya.” Retsu continued with a malicious grin, the mania in her eye plain for all to see.

“Metal it is,” she responded while scribbling a few more notes down on paper. “Don’t ah fookin’ know it, ain’t exactly got a quirk that’s good at range either.” Retsu added bitterly, the last part of her sentence almost a hiss as her left eye throbbed in pain. Who knew how much truth there had once been to that statement? Not her. She’d find out though. No matter who she had to kill for it.

Letting out a sympathetic snort Retsu nodded in agreement.

“Ya know it. Which brings me ta the next part. Payment.” While it may seem like a non sequitur Retsu didn’t wait for long to elaborate. “Ah ain’t gonna lie. Ah dun’ trust y’r money as far any farther then ah ken throw it. Fer all ah fookin’ know it’s bein’ tracked.” Leaning against the workbench as if she didn’t have a care in the world Retsu raised her index finger while making eye contact. “Instead, ah’ll be askin’ fer a single favor. Worst come ta worst ‘nd ya flake on me, well,” she snorted. “People’ll suddenly foind out y’r buyin’ arms off Bakuretsu.”

Retsu made sure to put extra emphasis on the final word. Even if the student hadn’t recognized her in person she should have at least heard of the name and more importantly how vindictive she could be. Why, she doubted she even needed to elaborate that reputation would be the least of Yoko’s worries.

“Nothin’ illegal of course. See, ya weren’t wrong that heroes are up ta some fooked up shite. That sister a’ yours? Cunt’s got an illegal lab. Some real messed up shit in there,” she lied with a straight face. “Ah need it off mah turf and ah’d rather not ‘ave ta deal with The Gorgon breathin’ down mah fookin’ neck while ah’m doin’ it. Gahds know what she and The Elementalist did ta themselves. Could take ‘alf mah arsenal ta put the bitch six feet under. So ‘ere’s the plan. Moment ah’m ready ta fook it up y’ll come ta one of our hideouts, give ‘er a call that y’r in trouble and pop y’r distress signal or whateva.”

Leaning forwards slightly she extended a hand towards Yoko.

“We got a deal?” Retsu asked with an expression that made it clear it was barely more than a rhetorical question. “Ya know what? Do well enough and ah moite just 'elp ya put 'er down y'rself. How’s dat sound?”

---

Tag: Yanai Yoko

[Yanai Yoko]

She was scared, but she couldn't show it. She knew she couldn't and she did her best to hide it, but she wasn't exactly used to dealing with criminals. ''Yeah, it would.'' She said coldly, trying not to overthink it too hard. She just needed to say what this villain wanted to hear and then she could get out of here. She flinched when Retsu slammed her fist on the table, but tried to save it with a smirk. ''Exactly, that's just what I was thinking.''

The villain admitted to not having a quirk that was good at range either, which sort of surprised her. Did they think so little of her that her knowing that wasn't a threat? Most people guarded knowledge about their quirk almost as fiercely as their own life. She would have expected a villain to do that more so than others. ''Right.'' She nodded, perhaps being a little too quick to answer and exposing her eagerness to get out of there. Rummaging through her bag she was about to get the money, but paused when Retsu continued. ''A favor?'' She felt her blood run cold when she heard the name Bakuretsu. Not only was she a notorious villain, she was one of the worst ones in Tokyo. ''I-I won't flake.'' Her face was pale and she felt terrible about making this Faustian bargain, but she couldn't back out now.

She felt a bit of relief wash over her when Retsu said it wasn't anything illegal. ''She... She does?'' She had always suspected something was wrong with Hebiru. She was emotionally distant, impossible to read. Who knew, maybe she did have a messed up secret lab. When she heard all of the plan she almost felt... Lucky. All she had to do was call her sister and say she was in trouble? Easy. Her sister was so cold she wouldn't even act on it even if she did. Although... She did spare a thought to that one time at the infirmary, the first time they had talked in a long time. Something seemed different about her sister, something that seemed to clash with her image of who her monster of a sister was. No, it was a one time thing. Hebiru was horrible and that's that. ''You've got a deal.'' She took Retsu's hand and shook it. ''I can't wait.'' She smirked.

When she finally left, Yoko immediately felt something take hold in her stomach. Guilt. However, she quickly pushed it back as she opened her umbrella and lit a cigarette, disappearing through a narrow alleyway.

Bakiri Retsu

[Matsu]

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[attr="class","likedotitle2"]Approved

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I'm telling Hebiru

+5000 EXP for Yanai Yoko
+5000 EXP for Bakiri Retsu

PHARAOH LEAP.

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