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Takami Tomie had two problems.
One, her troublesome son, and two, the target on her back.
Well more like three, if she counted her treacherous husband, but he had disappeared from the face of the earth years ago, and no one had seen him. Not that they were looking too hard, or else Takami Katsuro would have been found by now, most likely waterlogged and decayed past recognition.
What a shame. The undercity could use some drama right about now. Well, other than the current turf war and the differing opinions on the new hotshot detective that had shaken up the precinct a few months back.
Anyways, Takami Tomie knew she had a target on her back, one that had only gotten larger since having her son. That's not to say she couldn't handle the extra attention; after all, unwanted attention was how she got her name out there in the first place.
* * *
When Ukai Tomie was in her early teens, she and a group of like-minded individuals began planning heists and other not-so-legal activities. By the time she was 20, Tomie had an impressive criminal history that garnered attention from numerous criminal organizations. She, however, had her mind set on one in particular; Takami the Thief.
Takami Katsuro was infamous for being ruthless and cunning, as well as being picky about who he did business with. He only met with the worst of the worst and was known to spill blood over simple disagreements. There was a reason he was known as the King of the Undercity.
When Tomie was twenty-three, she and Takami sealed their lives to one another. He initially sought her out for a heist, but as they got to know one another, sparks flew. After six months of working together, they began dating, dodging bullets, and evading capture together like a modern-day Bonnie and Clyde. Their whirlwind romance resulted in a shotgun wedding and a new ruler on the throne, right next to Takami the Thief.
Life had been great for the next few years, but it all changed when a plastic stick confirmed Tomie's worst nightmare.
* * *
Ever since she was young, Tomie never wanted kids. That mentality did not change as she got older. Even when she got married, Tomie swore that she would never carry a child. Katsuro disagreed, wanting his blood to carry on the legacy he had built. The couple argued over the topic for weeks, neither wanting to concede to the other. It wasn't until blood was shed accidentally that Katsuro backed down.
"You don't want kids, fine. We won't have kids, but please, for the love of God, let me get you patched up," he pleaded, eyeing the blood that was pooling around the knife lodged in Tomie's shoulder.
The bastard had thrown a knife at her when she tried to walk away. Tomie wanted to tell him to fuck off, but she knew that underneath his hard exterior, Katsuro cared for her. He truly loved her, and that would be his downfall.
Tomie, despite what the world believed, never loved Katsuro. Not in the way he loved her. Tomie loved power, and Katsuro had a lot of it. He was one of the most influential people in Japan and held sway in numerous operations. Tomie wanted that power for herself, and the easiest way to do that was to marry into it.
Sure, Katsuro was a doting husband, and the sex was great, phenomenal even, but the power that came with being the wife of Takami the Thief was intoxicating. With a snap of her fingers, a neighbourhood could be looted and razed, or the bitch who insulted her hair could be sued for all she's worth. Either way, Tomie loved every minute of it.
But it all came crashing down when she held that damned stick in her hand.
Katsuro had been ecstatic, thanking every holy being for blessing them with their unborn son. Tomie had been much less enthusiastic, cursing herself for not being more careful. She didn't want his child, or any man's child, to wreak havoc on her body and leave her broken after it was born. But it was too late, Katsuro had announced her pregnancy to his inner circle, and the rumours began circulating.
* * *
If there was one thing Tomie hated more than the thought of childbirth, it was the pregnancy experience as a whole. The cravings, the aches and pains, random women coming up to her touching her stomach and giving her unwanted advice. Ooh, she hated that last one with a burning passion.
She nearly stabbed a woman who had stupidly approached her at the corner store, giving her unsolicited advice on what to do during childbirth. She even went as far as to comment on her weight and the height of her bump, saying that she was far too large and that she was carrying twins with how low her stomach was.
First of all, rude. Second, Tomie's doctor told her she was at a healthy weight and that she was only carrying one child, not two; third, the height of her bump had nothing to do with the sex of the gremlin currently occupying her uterus, (that had been disproven years ago,) and fourth, fuck you.
* * *
When the day finally arrived, after hours of stabbing pain, many threats of torture and death, and countless fuck yous, Takami Keigo had made his presence known to the world.
Katsuro had named the child, claiming that it was tradition for any male born into the Takami line to have their name begin with kanji sounding like the English letter “K”.
Tomie didn't care, passing Keigo off as soon as she could to get some much-needed sleep. Whoever said childbirth was a worthwhile experience had either never gone through it, were high off their ass on some S tier drugs, or was a fucking man.
You would think centuries after reproductive rights had been finalized as a severe issue, men would keep their damn mouths shut, but no...they still tried to butt in on conversations that had nothing to do with them. Go figure.
Anyways, if there was one thing Tomie could appreciate after giving birth, it was Katsuro’s devotion to his son. He was there for all of the brat's firsts, from his first words to his first steps; Takami the Thief was there, cheering on the baby blonde.
It almost made Tomie regret putting a hit out on Katsuro. Almost.
* * *
When Keigo turned two, Tomie anonymously put out a hit on her husband, promising over 65 million yen to anyone willing to take out the King of the Undercity. Unsurprisingly, no one took her deal. Katsuro may have been a powerful enemy and businessman, but he was also well respected by nearly everyone.
So Tomie had to come up with a different tactic. She didn't mind getting her hands dirty (how else would Tomie have gotten to where she was in life if she hadn’t?), but that didn't mean she wanted to. The few cops that were brave enough to enforce the law within the Undercity would be at her door instantly asking questions. She was the wife of Takami the Thief and a prime suspect.
Poison? Nah, too risky. Katsuro was a smart man; he knew the signs of poisoning, having gone through it multiple times throughout his criminal career. Tomie was pretty sure that her husband was immune to most poisons by now anyway, so that was off the table.
Murder? Well, technically, everything she considered doing was murder, so that was too broad.
Take a secluded trip somewhere? That could work, but Tomie would have to be careful. If she came back too soon, especially alone, it would be suspicious. Sure, she could lie and say Katsuro stayed behind to finalise a business deal, but again, that would raise too many questions if someone checked the credibility of her story.
No, it had to be foolproof, something that happened so often that no one would question it. Something like...a car crash!
Car accidents happened so often that fatalities were nothing new. If Tomie planned it right, the next time Katsuro got in a car, he wouldn't get out. However, she would have to deal with planning her soon-to-be late husband's funeral, something the master thief wanted nothing to do with.
What if she planned a trip out to Hiroshima? It was an island city with numerous bridges and underground tunnels. Accidents happen on suspension bridges all the time. If a body happened to hit the water, well, there was nothing police could do. At least, not immediately.
Perfect, she thought, looking over the finalised plan.
* * *
Tomie set the plan in motion a few weeks later, first suggesting a weekend getaway to Hiroshima, which took a lot more convincing than she originally thought. Apparently, her husband wanted to bring Keigo along, which wouldn't have been a bad idea if Tomie hadn't already gone through the lengths she did to plan out their weekend.
"Darlin’," she started, her voice dropping into a seductive whisper, "I want it to be jus’ us this weekend. No business, no kids, no plans."
"Just us?" Katsuro echoed, his voice becoming thicker.
Gotcha, Tomie thought triumphantly. "Uh-huh. Jus’ us," she whispered, trailing her fingers down his arm at a snail's pace.
"Very well, I'll let Tanaka know the change of plans."
"I'll go pack." Tomie kissed his cheek before skipping away excitedly.
Now, despite what you may think, the master thief was genuinely excited for this trip, just not in the way her husband was. Now all she had to do was make sure Keigo had a caretaker for the weekend. Which shouldn't be too hard; nearly everyone adored the brat.
* * *
Four days later, Takami the Thief and his wife were making their way to Hiroshima via bullet train. They planned on renting a car once they made it into the city, there being no point in wasting one of their personal vehicles. (They were too recognisable was Tomie's reasoning when Katsuro questioned her.)
So far, the trip was going well. Katsuro had left everything dealing with the Undercity back in Fukuoka, and the two criminal masterminds reminisced about the time they met.
* * *
Katsuro had been the one to reach out to Tomie, asking her to join him on a heist. She initially refused, wanting to play hard to get, but Katsuro surprised her, tracking her down and demanding that she join him. Again she declined, stating that she had no interest in dealing with a neanderthal.
Tomie expected a lot of reactions, like anger or denial, but Takami surprised her.
He laughed.
That had confused her. Here stood one of the most ruthless men of the Undercity, someone who could get away with murder fifty times over and no one would care, and he was laughing. Hysterically.
Once the blonde caught his breath, he straightened up and grinned lazily. "I've been called a lot of things in my life, sweetness, but that's a first."
"Perhaps no one was brave enough to say it to your face," she quipped, her own grin making its way across her lips.
"No one, but you, it seems."
She hummed in agreement, and Katsuro smiled. A genuine smile, not one of the feral grins or smug smirks she had seen in passing. He surprised her again when he shifted from leaning against the doorframe down to his knees in one fluid motion, his hands flat against each other in a prayer-like manner. "Ukai-san, will you do me the honor of joining me on this heist?"
It took a second for her to respond, but she grinned wickedly, enjoying the view of the king on his knees. "Well, when ya put it like tha’, how could I not?"
And that is how Tomie found herself on a train, next to the blonde, stolen goods packed away and stored for auction. The heist itself hadn't gone smoothly, with one of the scouts being a snitch. Katsuro had taken care of them while the rest of the crew replanned their escape. They lost a few good people, but in the end, they had gotten what they came for.
And now, history was about to repeat itself, only this time, Tomie would be returning alone.
* * *
It was done.
Takami was dead, trapped in a rental vehicle at the bottom of the Hiroshima Bay. It was much easier than Tomie expected.
All she had to do was modify the rental's brake lines, suggest a night ride through the city, and just in case of anything going wrong, slip Katsuro a dose of Ecstasy.
It turns out she didn't need to do that last bit, as Katsuro had been drinking throughout the night, something he rarely did. Within three hours, the criminal mastermind was plastered. When she suggested a drive, he jumped at the chance to see the sights, claiming that it had been years since he came to the island for pleasure. They cruised the roads for a bit, Tomie enjoying the babbling nonsense of her husband, knowing that her plan was coming to an end.
All she had to do was make it out of the car safely, which she had a plan for. Halfway through the drive, Tomie got behind the wheel, ensuring the safety measures were in place before speeding off. She knew of a specific turn a few kilometres out from where they currently were infamous for fatal accidents. Out of all the casualties in that area, only 15% survived. Tomie just had to make sure she was a part of that 15%.
As they approached the turn, Tomie sped up, mentally preparing herself for her escape. Meters away from the turn, she locked the e-brake and jumped out of the vehicle, watching as the car plowed through the railing, flipping several times before hitting the water.
She crawled to the edge of the bridge, grinning as she watched the rental and Katsuro sink beneath the waves.
I did it, she thought. I killed the King of the Undercity. Tomie cheered, happy to have done the impossible. Now all she had to do was make it back to her hotel and disappear before sunrise.
As Tomie walked away from the scene, her smile widened.
She was free.
* * *
Two years had passed since the unexpected death of Takami Katsuro. No one knew the truth, but it had been speculated that it was a targeted attack. Not that it mattered. While the king may have been gone, the queen took the throne with an iron fist and blood-painted lips.
Keigo was now four years old, and every day, Tomie's patience was wearing thin. He asked so many questions, often having to do with Katsuro, and he would babble on and on about nonsensical things. When she couldn't deal with the toddler's antics, she either called one of the secretaries or went out into the city.
That's what had happened a few days ago. Tomie tried to finalise a hit list, but Keigo would not stop babbling and laughing. She had been at her wit's end with him and smacked him, making the toddler cry out.
"Shut up, you fuckin’ brat! Can't ya see I'm working?!"
Keigo only cried harder, causing Tomie's migraine to worsen. She stormed out of the room, yelling for someone to shut the child up before she got back. Where she was going, no one knew, but they all knew from past experience to not anger the Queen of the Undercity.
Tomie disappeared for over a week. She left instructions with her inner circle, telling them it was business as usual until she returned. The message was spread across the Undercity, all complying with her wishes.
When Tomie returned, she expected to return to a screaming toddler and incompetent underlings; instead, she had a message stating she was needed at Dragon Hill Children's Hospital immediately.
* * *
What did that brat get himself into now? Tomie thought as she made her way to the hospital. When she arrived, she was shown to a private room on the upper floors, where before even approaching the door, she could hear Keigo laughing. Just like his father, always laughing.
Stepping in the room, the laughter ceased, instead of the cry of 'Mommy!' replacing the silence.
"Hi, br-baby boy," Tomie smiled, praying no one noticed her slip up.
"Are you Takami Tomie?"
Tomie turned away from her son, studying the man in front of her. Black windswept hair, pale skin with a sweaty sheen, and downcast eyes. Stance relaxed, but he was gripping the clipboard in his hands like a shield. He was scared of her. Good, Tomie thought as she put on a dazzling smile. “Who’s askin’?
“My name is Dr. Sato. Your son was in a car accident,” he mumbled, clearly uncomfortable but trying to be professional.
”Was he?”
Dr. Sato cleared his throat, caught off guard by her question. “Yes, did you not know?”
“I’ve been out of town on business. I jus’ got back and was told to come here. What happened?”
The doctor took a breath before answering her. “We're not sure. We got an emergency call about a head-on collision. Eyewitness reports state that the vehicle flipped multiple times after colliding with another vehicle. The driver was ejected from the car upon impact, most likely due to a faulty seatbelt, but little Takami here was trapped in the car. Thankfully, his car seat was strapped in correctly and protected him from serious harm. The most he had was whiplash from the flip, but paramedics found glass embedded in his head, torso and hands. It’s a miracle that he had such minor injuries, given the state of the vehicle.”
Tomie’s sweet demeanour dropped, a grimace now visible on her face. Yes, a miracle...she thought. “Anythin’ else?”
The doctor blinked but shook his head in response. Tomie sighed, and turned back to the toddler who was playing with a stuffed bunny toy and babbling.
”When will he be released?”
”In a few days,” Dr. Sato answered. “We want to keep him for observation, just in case.“
“Call me when the brat is released.” Tomie turned to leave, but the look on the doctor’s face made her stop. “Somethin’ ya need, Doctor?”
Dr. Sato dropped his gaze to his clipboard again as he nodded. ”Takami-san, some people wish to speak with you.”
”Who?”
“I'll let them introduce themselves.” The doctor shuffled to the closed door and poked his head out. “You may come in now, your Majesties.“
Tomie raised an eyebrow, but didn’t say anything as a couple stepped into the room. The doctor bowed respectfully before fleeing the room, his white coat flying out behind him.
Tomie scoffed. Coward, she thought as she eyed the newcomers.
The couple was young, perhaps in their late twenties, early thirties. They were dressed casually, or casually as the seemingly royal couple could when out in public. The man had inky black hair and bright orange eyes that held wisdom and mirth. He wore slacks and a button-up shirt and a black tie, with a dark grey blazer. An expensive watch sat on his left hand while a tie clip made of jade and gold blinked in the fluorescent lighting of the hospital room.
The woman on his arm smiled daintily, as her amber eyes sparkled and dark chocolate hair framed her face prettily. Her curls were pinned back in an elegant fashion that contrasted nicely with her pale skin. She wore a dark blue dress and nude heels. Her jewelry consisted of a pair of diamond earrings and a simple necklace at the base of her throat.
Tomie was immediately on guard. If the newcomers truly were the Imperial Couple, she was fucked.
“Hello Takami-san,” the man greeted her, bowing his head.
Ignoring the greeting, Tomie held herself straighter, arms crossed as she continued to eye them. “State ya business,” she bit out. “Now.”
The man chuckled, relaxing his posture a bit. “Straight to the point, splendid. My name is Tachi Ren, and this is my wife, Ayane.”
“Hello,” the woman greeted her with a sweet smile.
“I only know of one couple with tha’ name, and ya don't look like ‘em,” Tomie said bluntly.
“Perhaps without all the traditional clothing, no, we don't. But I can assure you, Takami-san, we are who we say we are.” Tachi said gently.
“What do you want?”
This time the woman answered her. “We wish to adopt your son.”
Tomie stiffened, eyes narrowing. “Excuse me?”
“You heard correctly. We wish to adopt little Takami,” Tachi said, looking towards the toddler who was oddly silent and watching the three adults.
“Why?”
The Imperial couple glanced at each other before looking back at Keigo. “Initially, this trip was to tour Fukuoka and possibly adopt an heir, but we were there to witness the car accident. No one was there to comfort Takami while he was being treated,” the consort said, eyes still on the baby blonde.
“Are you insinuating tha’ I'm an unfit parent? Because I was out of town on business and wasn't there to comfort my child?” Tomie seethed, eyes darkening. “I’ll have you know—“
“Takami,” Tachi interrupted, dropping the honorifics. “We are both aware of your business. Your husband left quite a legacy behind.”
Tomie nodded in agreement. “That he did, one I'm tryin’ to keep afloat.”
“We also know the legality of your business,” the younger man continued. “The carnage and bloodshed of it all is no place for a child.”
“So, you're offering to take my son, make him a prince, for what, my silence?”
“No,” Tachi shook his head. “We wish to adopt Keigo under the table, and we'll continue letting you run your business with minimal interference from the police.”
Tomie raised an eyebrow. These royals were willing to turn a blind eye all for a fucking brat? There has to be a catch, Tomie thought. “Why? Why him, why me? Why not give some poor kid in an orphanage a chance. Why take mine?”
”Takami, you may be his mother, but you clearly have no love for your son,” the consort pointed out. “You love one thing and one thing only, power. We are offering to give Keigo a loving family. One where he won't be beaten or locked away for disrupting a meeting or coloring over a hit list.”
She hated to admit it, but the couple before her made valid points. They may be young, but they had perfected the art of politics, something Tomie could respect.
On the one hand, Tomie had been looking for a way to rid her life of the gremlin child, and now the opportunity was presenting itself on a silver platter. On the other, Keigo was her kid. Did she really want to sell him to the highest bidder?
Apparently so, as she heard herself saying, "What are ya offering?"