Midori the Queen

Summary: Outed as a villain, Izumi casts away her previous self and fully embraces her role as "Queen of Villains." Without her trust fund to support herself and her followers she resorts to true villainy, all the while avoiding confrontation with heroes and her former classmates.

Chapter 1: A Line in the Sand

"I won't make it easy for you."

Play the villain until either captured or killed; that was the role Izumi Midoriya, AKA Karma had decided to portray. She'd spent months agonizing between her role as a hero and a villain, but now that ship had passed. She allowed herself to soak in the regret and guilt for the lies she told. She allowed herself the grief of losing her friends, classmates and dreams... but now it was time to accept her duties as Queen of Villains and act upon them.

Her first official duty was to ensure the financial support of herself and her followers. Without the trust fund sensei had provided her they would need to find some other way of gaining currency. The money she'd invested into the donation fund was enough for them to live on for a time, but expenses such as equipment, service fees, and information were expensive. If she was gonna lead this group of misfits, they would need to figure out how to raise their bank.

"Look at those wheels turn…" Dabi teased sitting across from her as she eyed the chess board. He watched her meticulously move pieces, all the while that sweet face remained passive and stern. "Whatcha thinking about so hard, highness?"

"Hmmm?" She finally gave him a brief glance, and switched her current move from the rook to the black knight. He found it both odd and endearing that she'd given him that particular namesake. It made him feel important and trusted. "Anything and everything all at once."

"Sounds tiring…" He leaned forward on the table and move his white piece to counter her move. "I wouldn't have the energy for something like that."

"Well it's not your job to think now is it?" She shifted her knight to capture his white rook and gingerly set it aside along with the rest she'd collected. She then eyed the black knight for a long moment as a stray thought entered her mind. "How long have you been a villain Dabi?"

"Not long." He admitted with ease. Unlike the other members of the league he was completely comfortable opening up to her. "I wandered around on my own for awhile did some mercenary work in America, and a bit throughout Europe. It was fine for awhile, but I wasn't really doing anything productive or worthwhile. In order to make my mark I know I'd have to make some kind of allies. Hence why I'm here serving you." He moved his knight across from her queen and made her lips twitch.

"Serving me, huh? Who really holds the reins of this group? I'm not sure it's me anymore." She retreated her queen to station in front of the king.

"Don't let what Shigaraki did and say affect you." His eyes went cool. "It's always been you pulling on his strings. His actions, no matter how surprising, are the results of your ideals."

"That might be how it started, but it wasn't my idea to expose All Might's secret like that. It wasn't my idea to fake my own death." She pointed out scowling.

"No, that was him, but you went with it. It was your decision to pull off the mask and reveal your identity to the world. We figured fake your death, cut your ties to the hero world, and the job was done… but you went a step further." He shifted the next piece and smirked when she had to evade to avoid capture. "You shifted his plan into your own. You chose to lay all the cards out and reveal yourself to the world. Now you're the most famous villain of all, the one who outwit the fools at U.A."

"You've a point there…" she smiled. "That reveal was more instinctive than a thought out plan. I have a bad habit of going into rambles and mutters when I'm excited, but I somehow managed to avoid that and came across as cunning and manipulative."

"You did, and no one saw it coming." He moved in for the kill putting her king in check, but failed to see the trap she had laid.

"I like a good surprise, don't you?" She shifted her queen again. Dabi blinked in surprise when he noticed she'd managed to cage his pieces including the king. "Checkmate."

"Damn, and here I thought I had you on the ropes." He smiled coyly and stood up leaning over the game to press a kiss to her lips. "You done thinking?"

"I'm never done thinking…" she murmured back, her eyes softened with affection. "I wouldn't be doing my job if I wasn't thinking."

"Take a break highness." He ruffled her hair and put the game away. "You've earned it."

"Have I?" She sat back and folded her hands together, thumbs twiddling in an old nervous habit. "Doesn't feel like it. Until I can solve our financial dilemma I've got plenty more thinking to do."

"We can always do what I did and find some mercenary work." He pointed out. "It pays the bills so to speak, and the work can be entertaining."

"I know I've done my fair share of killing, but I'd prefer to avoid it if I can." She said with a scowl. "Most mercenary work requires bloodshed."

"Well you could always sell your body…" he ducked the flying plate she'd flung with her quirk. "Just a joke, highness."

"Make that sort of lewd joke again and I'll toss you out a window." She threatened and aimed a smile as Tomura came down the steps. "Good Morning, My King."

"Good Morning, My Queen." He cupped her face with his gloved hands and kissed her firmly then eyed Dabi suspiciously. "I heard a crash, have you been misbehaving?"

"Not my fault her highness can't take a joke. I was trying to help her come up with a solution to her problem."

"Both of your solutions are out of my comfort zone." She tossed back irritably.

"Can we really afford to be comfortable?" He pointed out and eyed Shigaraki who now pat the top of Izumi's head as if to soothe the inner rage. "You've committed to being a villain so you'll have to toss some of those sensibilities out the window. Mercenary work can be helpful, and for the most part you can pick and choose the jobs within your small comfort zone."

"I suppose you've got a point… but we've an image to protect. There's not much to be said for the King and Queen of villains if we're taking orders from other people."

"In Japan, maybe, but what about other countries? Only Japan knows about All Might's weakness as the Japanese government has done their best to keep that secret underwraps. Which means the League of Villains is also being kept in a secluded part of the world. If you want to change things you need to start making a name for yourself in other markets and building up a reputation."

"Hmmmm…" Izumi rubbed her chin. "I hadn't thought of that. There's no point in only changing part of the world if the rest isn't going to follow suit."

"As intrigued as I am about branching out, just how do you expect the lot of us to leave the country? We're on high alert, and even Kurogiri has his limits in teleportation." Shigaraki pointed out.

"Not all of us have to go…" Izumi pointed out. "I can spend some of the donation money to buy a guise, and false identification for myself and a couple others." She looks to Tomura. "Would you mind staying behind and weeding through some of the newbies Giran will be sending in? According to Ace we're going to have plenty of fresh faces to build up our ranks, but I want us to comb through them carefully. Quality over quantity."

"Tch…" Shigaraki scratched at his neck irritably. "I don't like the idea of you leaving the country if I'm not going with."

"I'll make it worth your while." She murmured and nuzzled into him. "If you do this… when I get back I'll-" she leaned into his ear whispering seductive murmurs that had his face twisting in a sadistic and possessive smile. His hand wandered down firmly grasping her ass. "Deal?"

"Mmm deal… I'll put up with the world for a time so long as you come back and make true to your word."

"Believe me, my King." She nuzzled him. "I won't be gone long."

~Two Weeks Later~

"I gotta say, you look super hot as a redhead." Dabi tugged the red-orange curls laughing as it sproinged back into place. "Very American."

"Thank you. I'm happy that my english is somewhat good." Izumi spoke in her best possible accent, trying to avoid the rolling Ls her people were known for. She'd practiced with Ace for two weeks, using english at every availability. She wouldn't be able to pass as a born and raised American, but it was enough to have her fit in for the most part.

"You butcher it…" Dabi said in a far more believable accent that had her pouting. He wore long sleeves, a baseball cap, and had inherited Shigaraki's disguise that consisted of a shaggy black wig, glasses, and face mask.

"Screw you…" she fired back and had him chuckling. He glanced backwards at the other two who were accompanying them. While Toga's quirk would have been ideal for this situation, her personality and fear of flying ultimately had her staying put. Which was fine for Izumi as she'd be useful to Tomura by playing spy and informant.

Twice looked uneasy amongst the sea of people his face sweating but for the most part he passed off as a sane member of society. Then there was Mr. Compress who seemed quite at ease with himself in a nice dapper business suit and a slickback hairstyle. They were boarding the plane as strangers from different worlds, but would exit the New York airport together and prepared for anything.

They'd used Compress' quirk to stow away their weapons and costumes and Izumi had shifted funds into their alias accounts just in case they were separated.

"American currency is so expensive." She murmured, taking a look at her online funds. "We've only got a lil over a million each to play with but who knows how expensive tech and such is over there."

"I wouldn't worry. America is full of greedy and twisted tycoons who run the black market, but they also are the ones who end up hiring mercs in the first place. If we get one good job it'll set us up nicely for a time."

"So all we need is that one good job." She closed her phone as they all boarded the plane. She nearly slept through the entire flight waking up only to eat and catch snippets of the hero drama playing on the t.v. Twice and Compress behaved themselves,tl though Twice indulged in alcohol and went into a drunken sleep.

~Several Hours Later~

Once in America Izumi indulged in a wide eyed and tourist view of Manhattan, her eyes bright and excited for what adventures lay in store for her and her team. She stuck her head out a taxi window snapping photos with her phone and eyeing the sights and sounds of the bustling city.

"Kids are so easily entertained…" Dabi pulled her back in and ruffled the red hair nearling tugging the wig out of place. "Good to see you smiling though."

"I know we're here on business, but this is my first time outside Japan. Everything looks so bright and new." They pulled up to the hotel and she scampered out holding her arms up. "I love it!"

"Let's see if you love it once you've seen the night crowd." He warned and pat her on the rump as they head inside. Once in the room they regrouped with Twice and Compress and headed up to their joint suite they'd be occupying during their stay.

"New York City…" Twice yawned and flopped on the bed of the hotel room. "Big whoop… if you've seen one overpopulated city, you've seen them all." His head popped up, eyes wide and expressive. "I LOVE IT HERE!"

"Indeed, New York is so diverse in its attractions. I'd like to partake in a Broadway performance before we say goodbye." He loosened the tie around his throat while staring out the wide open window. The suite they'd rented sat high above the skyline overlooking the city and its bustling crowds.

"We can take a day or two to play tourist, but don't forget why we're actually here, Compress." Izumi reminded him and plugged in her laptop to get it charged and get access to the wifi.

"So says the girl who was sticking her head out with her tongue hanging out like a dog." Dabi mused and took the kick to his shin. "Ow."

"Not to worry, I'm nothing if not professional. Now if you'll excuse me I'm going to go shower off that dismal flight, then partake in some food. Call me if anything comes up." He flicked his hand hautily in the air and disappeared into the restroom.

"Well…" Dabi removed the wig scratching his itchy scalp. "He's certainly in character." He looked down at Twice who passed out on the bed choosing to snore off the time difference. "So's that one."

"Ah let them indulge… there will be plenty of work for them to do once we've set ourselves up." She sat at the provided desk and immediately went to work using the website Ace had sent her a link to in order to connect with the American Black Market. "Damn it's all in English…" She muttered trying her best to translate each line and furrowed her brows.

"Give it here…" Dabi leaned over her shoulder so their faces were close and typed for her. "You want to avoid bloodshed, and with the crew we have my suggestion is looking into theft jobs."

"You don't sound too thrilled with that idea." She muttered and leaned back to keep her face out of the way.

"Thievery is fine, as I'm better at covert operations than any hostile environments. It's just assassinations and hostile jobs pay a lot better."

"You said you spent time in America doing mercenary work. If it paid well then why did you go back to Japan?" Izumi asked curiously as she scoured through the job postings.

"Too expensive in terms of living conditions. Plus I got annoyed speaking English all the time." He started, and then sighed when she turned her head and gave him a raised eyebrow. "America has great food, freedom, and all that shit but it's such a mishmash of ethnicities and backgrounds that there's all kinds of unnecessary backlash. In order to keep people from discriminating each other they don't have as many rules or restrictions as other countries do, and a lot of people, not just villains just take full advantage of it."

"Isn't that a good thing in our line of work?" She nudged him into the chair next to her and turned her body more to face him.

"Good for us, but bad for the common people who are just trying to live." He rubbed his neck sighing. "The majority of the heroes here have given up on trying to control the situation or set any kind of standard, so they perform half assed and it pisses me off. I mean if you're gonna be a hero at least do your fucking job."

"I'm starting to see why you and I get along so well, Dabi." Izumi smiled at him. "It took me awhile to notice but you and I have very similar viewpoints about hero society. We don't necessarily hate them… we just feel those that call themselves heroes aren't living up to the standards they should. Like your father."

"Let's keep him out of this conversation, especially since we seem to be bonding." He took her hands cupping them between hers. "It's been some time since we've gotten the chance to be alone without Shigaraki lurking nearby."

"We're not exactly alone." She shifted her eyes to Twice who was still asleep on the bed.

"Alone enough for this…" he leaned forward, pressing his lips to hers. Izumi closed her eyes indulging in the firm yet touching kiss. When he pulled back her eyes slowly open and she let out a soft shaky breath.

"Dabi…" She could only say his name, hoping it was enough to keep him from delving deeper into her emotions.

"It's hard to tell that you're not even sixteen somedays. The way you talk, and present yourself you seem so grown up and mature." He rubbed her knuckles with his thumb. "It's ridiculously attractive."

"I don't understand you and Tomura sometimes." She gripped his hands to stop the seductive movement. "I'm not attractive or at least I'm not what many would call a beauty. I'm just plain, and ordinary."

"Yeah your looks are pretty textbook… but what makes you think it's your face that I'm attracted to?" He smirked at her bemused expression and pulled her hands to his lips kissing them. "Get back to work, highness. I like you best when those wheels are turning."

~Back in Japan~

The kids of Class 1A all celebrated having completed their final exams. While a few students did struggle during the practical portion where they were paired up against teachers, no one failed the written exam. As a reward the school would be sending them out on a summer camping trip for both fun and for training.

"This is gonna be awesome! We get a few weeks of relaxation for ourselves, and then we get to go camping!" Ashido bounced and hugged Yaoyorozu. "Thank you so much for helping us study, Yao-momo."

"Eh?" Her mind having been elsewhere Yao looked up flustered at Ashido and lay a hand on her heart "Oh of course it was my pleasure."

"You okay Yao? You seem distracted."

"Mmmm yes I was just…" she rubbed her hands nervously on the desk. "Well..." She lowered her eyes sighing. "I guess I'm just a little depressed. I didn't perform as well as I'd hoped in the final exam."

"You did fine…" Todoroki said standing up from his seat. "Our team passed thanks to your ingenuity. You should be proud of the job you did."

"Still…" She looked up at Todoroki. "I made so many mistakes, and kept doubting whether or not what I was doing was right. I still have such a long way to go to gain the kind of confidence I need to be a good hero."

"Take lessons from Bakugo…" Mineta suggested teasingly. "He can sure give you pointers in that department."

"Shut it, grape face." Bakugo popped a few explosions in his palm as a warning to Mineta. "Nobody asked you for your opinion."

"Geez that's harsh!" Mineta cried and shrunk into his seat.

"He does have a point though, Bakugo-san." Yaoyorozu stood up and approached him. "You performed well in your pair up with Kirishima and Sato."

"Those idiots were lucky that I was in their group. If I hadn't been there they would have rushed head first into a fight they couldn't win." Bakugo pointed out with a huff in Kirishima's direction.

"I cannot deny it." Kirishima rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "You saved our butts, Bakugo."

"Kinda makes you wonder though…" Kaminari lounged with a grin. "You guys were the only team with three people on it. If Midoriya were still here we'd be even and you'd be teamed up with-" he drifted off as the room went silent at the mention of Izumi. "Sorry."

"Tch…" Bakugo turned up his nose. "Doesn't matter. No matter who I got paired with I was gonna win." He'd already lost twice to that stupid rabbit. No way he'd lose to anyone else, and he was NOT losing to her, again. "I'm going home, I'll see you losers later."

"Hold on, Bakugo…" Todoroki shouldered his bag and briskly walked up behind him. "I'd like to talk with you. Let's walk together."

"Whatever, IcyHot." He shoved the door open and let Todoroki close it behind him. "So what the hell do you want to talk to me about?"

"Do you have any plans for summer vacation?" He strolled up next to him, hands in his pockets.

"No, and why is that any of your business?"

"Some people from the Hero Committee approached me the other day. They gave me some free tickets to some kind of special event for heroes." He pulled out the tickets in question. "I thought maybe you and Kirishima might like to come with me. I don't really have any other friends I could ask."

"Lemme see that." Curious he snagged the ticket and narrowed his eyes on it. "All expenses paid… why the hell would the committee give these to you?"

"I came second in the U.A Sports Festival, and plus I'm Endeavor's son. They're extending invitations to heroes all over the world in order to increase the revenue and publicity of the event." He shrugged. "So, do you want to come?"

"I'd be an idiot if I didn't want to go, but it really bites that I have to get tickets from you of all people." He waved the ticket in Todoroki's face.

"Better me than not at all, right?" He took the ticket back and pulled out a piece of paper writing information on it. "Here's my contact info. Shoot me a text later and I'll send you the information so you can forward it to Kirishima. Unless you wanna bring Sero or Kaminari instead?"

"Don't be an idiot, Of course I'm inviting Kirishima first. Those other two idiots can find their own way."

"I'd hardly call Sero an idiot… but Kaminari is pretty dense, especially after what he just did. Everyone's mood was high because of the camping trip, but it really took a turn." Todoroki agreed holding his chest as it ached.

"Damn straight…" Bakugo snarled. "That stupid dunce face, I could kill him for bringing that bitch up."

"It's not just him. Yaoyorozu's been thinking of her a lot, using her as a yardstick for her own combat and confidence. I think all of us wish Izumi were here. Class just doesn't feel the same without her."

"That damn rabbit made her choice. She chose to be a villain, nothing we can do to bring her back." Bakugo huffed, refusing to admit he'd felt the same.

"Did she really though?" Shoto hung his head thinking of Izumi's farewell video.

"I never wanted to be a villain."

"It sounds to me like she didn't have a choice at all."

~In America~

Karma had spent three hours browsing through jobs on the black market network. She struggled through translations, poking Dabi whenever she didn't understand a term or phrase. A few jobs looked promising, but as Dabi had predicted they didn't really pay enough for her to get too enthusiastic.

"Maybe he's right… I may have to go out of my comfort zone." She sighed heavily and clicked on the next job listing… and paused when a phrase caught her eye. "Hmmm? What's this?"

"Did you find something?" Dabi rose from his chair and leaned over her shoulder. "I-Island? Where's that?"

"It's a secret island. All Hero related business companies invested in creating a city that was dedicated in the study and development of quirks. It's a man made island where all of the best scientists, and inventors live for the sole purpose of researching quirks and creating hero items."

"Sounds promising, but why do you have that confused look on your face." He poked her cheek and she slapped it away.

"As I said it's a secret island. It's mobile so no one knows where it's truly located at because it floats around the world. The only way to get access to it is through invitation and even then getting through customs is a bitch. No way a villain could enter without a high security clearance." She continued to mutter as she went over the job requirements. "Need help securing a very valuable item from the I-expo. Payment nego-" she paused as her brain started to connect dots. "I-Expo… hero items… HOLY SHIT THIS IS IT!"

She suddenly jumped up and slapped her hands on the desk.

"Wha? Huh? What happened?" Twice snorted as he sat straight up having woken from his nap. Mr. Compress entered from the second bedroom holding the book he'd been reading.

"Did something happen?"

"Oh hell yes," She turned smirking at her team. Excitement was coursing through her as the plan formed crystal clear in her head. "Pay Day is in sight boys. We're going to I-Island."

~Ask Briry~

Briry: I'm back bitches! Lolz. I'm a bad girl, I promised myself I wasn't going to work anymore on this until I updated my other stories but I've got so many people asking for the sequel, and my other stories are still in limbo as far as plot and development so I thought instead of remaining idle and working out the kinks I might as well release something everyone's been enjoying. I hope you all liked the first chapter and are looking forward to more.

Next Chapter: New Techniques