"Huff! Huff! Huff!"
Following behind Azure were a couple of people she took along for her own protection and survival, a group of five, not including her.
'That voice… is she around? Looking at me?'
Her mind couldn't focus on the voice, it was more preoccupied with escaping Siberia and this cold.
"If you guys see anyone call it out." She commanded.
"Will do leader." Said a male prisoner with some pants. "So like someone like her?" He pointed up at a nearby cliffside.
A side effect of her using her quirk is that those under its influence lose a bit of their IQ but will get it back once they are no longer under her influence.
Everyone looked to where he pointed to see a woman with long flowing red hair and armor. She had a visor that hid her eyes. She had a good build, it made Azure a bit envious she had such nice curves in the right places even under that armor. It was Mélusine.
She gestures to come over and walked away.
"Come on lets go. I want out of this cold."
They hurried up towards Mélusine.
They didn't take long reaching the location within 10 minutes. When they arrived they saw a cave, a deep one. They entered with their guard up. They all were ready to use their quirks as they went into the cave.
After about a few minutes, it was a surprisingly long cave, they saw the light of a fire. They got close enough to see the red-haired beauty. She was sitting on a rock poking at the fire.
"What is your name?" She said using her quirk.
Mélusine turned her head towards Azure, saying nothing.
"!" Azure could feel daggers dig into her, the Mélusine's gaze was nothing she ever felt before. "S-sorry." She said instinctually to survive.
"… Sit down Azure."
Azure walked forward leaving behind the security of the ones she ensnared with her quirk. The second she stepped out from the side she saw another figured who's features where completely hidden with only their crimson red eyes and from what Azure could tell are faint feminine features and shapes. Their body was of course fully covered and bulky. This was Albert using his Self-Modification.
"Who are you guys?" Azure said to Albert. "How did you break me out?"
"Depends on your answer." Albert responded. "Are you willing to work for me? I can help you leave this place." Their voice held not sign of it being male or female.
"What if I say no?"
"Well you go back to prison without a larynx, fingers or eyes." Albert looked directly into Azure's eyes.
Azure felt intimidated of course, but she felt Albert's gaze familiar. She knows she has felt their eyes somewhere in her life but where?
"I… I know you from somewhere… Hmm." She began to remember where, but it eludes her. It was hard to know when she was only going off on feeling. "Azure." She used her own quirk on herself. "Remember their gaze—!!" Her body turns rigid, her eyes widen and her heart pounds. "You…" She knows Albert's gaze.
Now knowing Albert's gaze it made sense to Azure to how she was broken free. Only someone like them could break her free with such ease.
"Oh? I didn't think you can even use it on yourself. You never showed to be able to do that before." Albert said with surprise. "So will you be my subordinate?"
"Why is a weapon like you here?" She gestures around her. "You… you are America's Executioner, the Carrion Piler, the Gurdian of the Oil Fields, the fucking Hegemony of the Northern Hemisphere, Cain! You're a fucking ghost that haunts every black market, illegal shit around the world like some modern day boogieman! Every-fucking-where you go ruin is left behind for America to take under it's greedy grasps. Also you also chased after me."
"Color me surprised I didn't know you knew so much about me." He made a slight smile. "How did such information get leaked?" His eyes narrowed in on her.
Azure didn't like being gazed so intently, especially now knowing it's the person who shifted the entire dynamic of the worlds power to one nation. She composed herself well, she is not so inexperienced to lead mere intimidation affect her… that was if she had her younger sister by her side.
"I-I am sorry, but I cannot give you that information. You understand that information simply just… leaks! F-From some conspiracy guy on the Dark Web by the name of True Whistle. And there are very few people who seen shadows of you and your work."
"I see." Albert knew that the government would make and spread around conspiracy to hide a lot of stuff. "Thank you for telling me."
"Not at all. I am grateful you broke me out… even if you were responsible for my capture."
Albert fought her sister while the others on the mission went after Azure. They captured her by shooting tranquilizers, he would later be the one to escort her to Cocytus. Why you may ask didn't just kill her? Simple she had a useful quirk they may have need of one day.
"Well I don't care about that. I am here for you."
"Why? If America wanted me they could have gone through easier methods. I mean the UN is just a front to let America do what it want without the other nation's people complaining and bitching about the audacity of America's actions since they are allies, or something."
"Oh, haha!" Albert gave a lighthearted chuckle. "You are mistaken I am not here on America's behalf I am here on my own. Also I am sure you are confusing the UN with NATO, either way you are still correct in either context."
"!!" Azure's heart pounded. "W-what do you mean by on your own?"
'Are they defecting!? To who!? WHO!?!? Or are they striking out on their own!?'
Azure's mind raced with possibilities.
"I mean I am breaking away from America and planning on destroying the people who cultivated me. So I will be needing an army—an organization to topple my own nation."
"Heh… hehahahahaHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!" Azure broke out into laughter, she couldn't believe what she was hearing. "You fucking have yourself a deal!!" She quickly got up and knelt before Albert. "I, Azure Seong will be under your command, Boss. Let me be your sweet whisper to the dismantling of the United States!"
Azure couldn't ask for a better opportunity. If it was Cain she would follow that monster, after all it was that monster who single handedly made America what it is today. And now that monster wishes to break from their master's hold and not just bite them but rip their throats!
"Hoh? Very nice." Albert got up and stepped into the fire.
"!?" Azure saw their feet and looked up as the flame consumed Albert. "W-what are you—"
"Azure." Albert's body began to change, returning to his new and true form. His clothes burned away leaving only a nice suit. "There will no backing out. Betray me and I will deliver you a fate worse than death."
Azure stared deeply into his grey hexagon eyes, not even noticing his magenta hair and branch-like horns or even the scales. He even showed a bit of his mana burst to truly inflict the terror of a Beast, albeit a Beast Candidate at her. How can she even think to betray him after this showing of faith—of will. Azure knows deep in her heart, gut, and mind that betrayal will never be an option. What stood before Azure might as well be the devil.
"I assure you, Boss." She lowered her head even lower to touch the ground. "I know what you are capable of. This simply solidifies my unwavering loyalty to you."
"Good, your first order is this. Fine three people, they will be the corner stone of my organization. Cerulean, your sister."
"No problem."
"John Lovekiss, you know him as The Magic Bullet."
"Him?" She slightly tilted her head but dared not look up at Albert. "I am sorry sir, but from what I last heard he died about a year ago."
"Really? Damn. Alright I'll look for someone else."
"Let me check incase he faked his death. You cannot be too sure with him."
"Very well. I am sure you can do it. Your third person is Holy Shepherd. Before you ask yes I know you two do not get along but with him we will have no worry of people breaking from your influence."
"Hmm…" She grumbled a bit but nodded her head. "As you wish, Boss. But I ask of you this, can you please be there when I go to recruit him? Do you also happen to know where my sister is?"
"No idea. She got away and is somewhere around the world."
"They didn't send you to catch her?"
"I was assigned more important work. You know you are far more dangerous than your sister."
"Fair enough."
"Lancer." Albert looked to Mélusine as did Azure. "Take them into Mongolia."
Whoosh!
One by one Mélusine took the ones Azure influenced to within Mongolia's borders.
Whoosh!
Azure got up to see her followers were disappearing one—
Whoosh!
After the other.
"S-she is quite fast." Azure spoke as her last follower disappears.
Whoosh!
"Lancer is very fast. Think of her as my right hand man, your co-boss."
"I will keep that in mind."
With those being her last words she disappeared from the cave and found herself before her four followers. A warmth touches her skin.
"Here." Mélusine said holding out her hand with a satellite phone. "Call us when you find your sister and when you get word of John Lovekiss. If he is dead then look for another person who can replace him. The phone already has the number."
"Of course, Co-boss." Azure nodded respectfully taking the phone.
"Hm." Mélusine nodded and disappeared.
"… Hoh." She let out a deep breath. "A lot just happened." Then she smiled. "Hm! I sure do love the smell and feel of freedom."
While flying back to Japan, Mélusine asked a question.
"Why did you show your true appearance?"
"It is to show that there is no hope or value in betraying me. Once that is done her loyalty can be earned by action. The primary reason why Azure was caught was because her quirk made her followers dumber, thus she and her sister had to pull a lot of the weight. When all is said and done, and my organization is up and running her full potential can really bloom."
"Okay so what about this John Lovekiss? You never mentioned him?"
"That is because John is a mercenary. I met him only once and that was to coordinate some things in South America. From what I heard if he didn't leave the military he would have been my gun instructor."
"That good huh?"
"Very, his quirk lets him do impossible shots, more than I can do."
"And now? With your current self?"
"I could do some of them, but I would be brute forcing it to work. I do hope he faked his death."
"Any ideas on who to replace him with?"
"Well he had a Quirk similar to Snipe but a bit more complex and flexible. But if I can't get him there are others. The nearest one I can get is Lady Nagant, but she'll be a tough one to break out. Even then I do not think she would join me."
"And the others?"
"There are two. Corbinianus Palencia—God's Messager and Minenhle Everhart—Karma Rain. Both are not fans of me."
"Why?"
"Well I took Corbinianus left eye in what used to be North Korea, and I was the one responsible for Minenhle's people being enslaved by the Everhart corporation. Minenhle Everhart isn't even her name its what Everhart gave her. From what I heard she threw away her name and goes by Karma Rain."
"So we should probably hope that John is alive or begin to plan a way to get Lady Nagant out of prison huh?"
"… Yeah."