Heroes Adventure in Wonderland
Hello everyone hope you enjoyed all the previous chapters! I don't own MHA or any of its characters, themes, settings, or anything related to it as this is a work of fiction. All rights go to Kohei Horikoshi, please support his work. I only own the story plot line and my OC. Hope you enjoy.
Chapter 10: Izuku through the Vale of Tears. part 3.
Last Time
"That's a pig!?", Kota asked in a low voice being surprisingly appalled by the misshapen creature.
Now
"No its a unicorn. Yes it's a pig! Did I not just say that mere moments ago.", said the Cat sarcastically. Kota shrunk back from the Cats harsh tone.
"That really doesn't look like a-.", Todoroki began until the Cat cut him off aggravatedly, "How many times must I tell you that nothing is as it seemed down here?! Now are you gonna subdue it or are you gonna watch it all day?"
Izuku was about to go over a grab the grinder when out of nowhere he heard a loud explosion and saw Bakugou exploded from his spot rocketing through the air towards the pig! "You're dame ducking right I'm gonna blowcthst thing to smoldering shit! Die!", yelled Bakugou as he blasted the pig straight in the snout!
He sent off several more explosions and landed on the ground waiting for whatever was left of the pig to fall. But nothing did, instead the pig flew out from the smoke without even a single scratch or scorch mark and flew away squealing in fear!
"The fuck?!", he shouted in frustration! "What the hell give! I sent off enough power to turn that thing into pulled pork! Why isn't it even have a single burn mark!?"
"Because you're so called abilities are of no use down here in Wonderland.", came the Cat as he appeared next to Bakugou.
"Eh!", he shouted at the creature.
"The Cats right, I can't electrocute anything. Even if its in water!", siad Kaminari.
"I can't hear anything with my earphones. It's like the world is silent.", added Jiro.
"Anything I try to burn simply brushes it off, and if I freeze it it'll break out not even phased by even the cold.", Todoroki put forth.
"I'm having a hard time keeping Dark Shadow under control. Even in direct sunlight it's like Dark Shadow is at full power constantly.", Tokoyomia added with some strain in his voice.
"Yeah what's up with that Cheshire-kun? You keep telling us our quirks are useless but why?", Tsy asked the Cat.
The Cheshire Cat smiled and replied, "Simple really, what exist in your world; works in you're world. And whatever exists in this world; works in this world. So by extend your powers are virtually useless against virtually anything."
"Then how are we gonna get those pigs for the Duchess?", Mineta stressed!
The Cat grind wider and said, "Use the tools you have been recently given. You're understanding of the world, and you're quick witts. And most importantly, use you're allies all around you and you might just make it to Allen in one piece. Now get that pig before it tells the rest of its flock to bugger off! Or you can kiss you're shortcut goodbye.", the Cat demanded and then disappeared in thin air.
Bakugou then stormed off in Izuku's direction and forcefully yanked the Pepper grinder from his hands as he growl, "Gimme that nerd! I'll show you who will be kissing whos ass goodbye!"
Suddenly the Cheshire Cats eyes and grin appeared right in front of Bakugou's face and before he could go on the attack, saying, "Oh and one more thing before you go on a killing spree. 'With Birds and Bees they own the same thing. But take one out and two more will still sing. But take what is theirs and the rest shall run. Fail to do that and they'll come one by one.", and the Cat completely disappeared.
"The fuck was that supposed to mean?", the explosive blond asked?
"Another one of Cheshire Cats riddles.", Momo explained. "Now let's think about this, all of Cheshire Cats riddles have some kind of hidden message in it. Something to help us through a certain obstacle."
"Yes, but what obstacles could the Cat be trying to tell us.", Iida asked.
"You're not really thinking the gibberish spewing out of that overgrown hair balls mouth was supposed to fuckin help us!", Bakugou snapped!
"Let's take what the Cheshire Cat said piece by piece.", Iida said to Momo, while ignoring Bakugou.
"With birds and bees they own the same thing.", Tsu repeated.
"What do birds and bees have in common?", Mina comment. "Koda, you're pretty knowledgeable on animals. What do birds and bee have in common?", she said motioning to the large quite teen with the odd shape head.
Kota tensed up at the sudden question and in a nervous tizzy began to sign really fast making it incomprehensible what he was saying.
"What about honey?", Mina asked trying to calm him down.
Kota stopped signing super fast and began to calm down enough to sign a bit slower, "Not likely, only bees make honey. Birds have to either forage or catch it themselves.", he signed.
"Oh oh I know! They both fly and have wings right?", Tour chanted.
"You're right, they both can fly, though I fail to see what that might have to do with the rest of the riddle.", Kota signed.
"Take one out and two more will still sing.", Kaminari repeated the next part. "I've heard of a creature from Greek mythology that can grow back two heads for everyone it's lost. So do birds grow back their heads?"
Almost everyone facepalmed at his extremely stupid question while he looked around to every for the answer. Kota laid it on him lightly signing, "No, no bird can grow back a missing head.", Kaminari was about to ask another question until Kota cut him off signing, "Bees too."
"Birds usually stay in pairs of two right. And so do bees.", Ojiro put forth.
"True, but only during the mating season. Few birds will mate for life. And bee colonies can range from a few thousands to a fee hindrance thousand.", he sighed.
"I guess it means that if one is gone then there's still one more behind it.", Sato put forth.
"Yeah but what about the last part, 'But take what is theirs and the rest shall run. Fail to do that and they'll come one by one.", Kirishima stated.
"You'd have to take what birds and bees have in common to...stop them I guess? If you don't they'll just keep coming. But what is it that they have?", Uraraka asked.
Izuku pondered over this for a moment trying to put all they figured out into a single picture. At the sound of some strange noises he looked up in a tree and saw a nest with two birds with cow heads, and a large beehive dripping with honey. Then a light bulb went off in his head and he practically shouted, "Nest!"
Everyone looked at the green teen wondering what he was talking about, and also wondering if this place had finally got to him. "What?", Iida asked?
"Nests. That's what birds and bees have in common, they both build nests!", he half shouted with enthusiasm!
"The fuck are you talking about Deku!? Bees don't build nests you dork, only shitty birds do that.", Bakugou snapped at him!
"Actually he not too far off.", Kota sighed in agreement. "Think about it; hornets, wasps, yellow jackets. They all build hives called nests, and in some parts of the world bee hives are sometimes referred to as bee nests."
"It makes sense now. If you destroy the nest of a bird or a bee colony, at some point they all scatter and leave. But if you don't they'll stay and try to defend their home.", Momo explains putting it all together.
"Okay, congratu-fucking-lations. You figure out the mangy mongrels shit sack riddle. But what the fuck does that have to do with anything!", Bakugou yelled.
Suddenly Mineta started to walk back away from the group with a distressed look on his face as he stiffened and stuttered out, "G-G-Guys! I t-t-think t-t-that's what he ment!"
Everyone looked in the direction of the grape headed boys gaze and saw something unimaginable! A creature that could only be described as a flying insect with a body made out of a bolt! The creature buzzed around the group eyeing them with its one eye as if it were a predator looking to pick off the weakest one.
"What is that thing!?", shouts Kaminari!
"It looks like a fly and a bolt put together.", Tsy observed.
"A Boltfly?", Shoji questions?
"Who care what its called just kill the bastard! Die!", shouts Bakugou as he whips the grinder at the creature and begins to pelt it with pepper until it shatter like glass! Bakugou blew the smoke from the grinder and with a cocky grin says, "Done and done."
"Not really Bakugou.", says Ojiro as he pointed to something behind Bakugou.
The Blond teen cocks an angry eyebrow and turns around only to be shocked by the sight of about a dozen more Boltflies buzzing around them angrily and eyeing the group with intense interest! Bakugou smiled like the Cheshire Cat and while gripping the grinder with intense excitement said, "Ha! Send 10, 20, 100 or 1,000! Ill mowem all down to nothing!"
Bakugou then blasted off into the air at full speed and began to rain pepper scented hellfire from above at the Boltflies! The flies in turn began to zip around trying to dodge the onslaught of pepper, with a few actually making it! The ones that did survive began to charge at Bakugou, though Bakugou was crafty skilled and smart. He used his quirk to not only stay airborne but also change positions at a moments notice! When a fly came to close he'd either moved out of the way, stun it with a blast, or completely change positions for a clear shot! In mere minutes the last of the Boltflies were nothing but broken pieces on the ground, with Bakugou standing above it all with a triumphant posture and cocky grin atop the pile of broken bodies.
"Whos the man!", he shouted victoriously! Suddenly alone Boltfly came up behind the ego inflated teen and knock him in the head causing him to fall down from the pile face first at Minetas feet, who promptly responded with, "Not you, that for sure."
Suddenly over four huge piles of bolts came from behind different parts of the environment and shuffled into the opening. Everyone mentally wondered what exactly were these piles of bolts and why they were moving? Though they soon got their answer when about three Boltflies emerged from each pile and went on the attack! Oddly enough the bolt piles even joined in the fray and began to bounce around try to crushes anyone under their metallic pile!
Everyone began to scatter from the flying creatures and the metal piles, while Bakugou just barely managed to destroy the last Boltfly and its new friends! But very soon the bolt piles stopped bouncing and began to shake like they were in fear and three more boltflies emerged from them!
"The hell! They just keep coming!", Bakugou shots in agerveration and exhaustion!
That when it all clicked in Izuku's head; the riddle, the Boltflies, the bolt piles, that's what the Cat was telling them! The answer to their current demema! Izuku turned his attention to a struggling Bakugou and shouted, "Kachan! The bolt piles are their nests! If you destroy that then more won't come!"
"Don't tell me what to do shitty Deku!", Bakugou shouts back as he rockets from his current spot to the nearest nest while aiming the grinder and shouts, "GO TO HELL!", but when he turned the grinder nothing happened. "The Fuck?!", was the only thing he managed to say when a Boltfly emerged from the nest and wacked Bakugou clean in the kisser!
"Bakugou! Destroy the nest!", Mina pleaded as she tried to cover her head from two swarming Boltflies!
"I can't! Stupid fucking grinder is broken!", he shouts back as he continuously cranks the handle with nothing coming out!
Uraraka then turns to Izuku and shouts, "Deku-kun, the knife!"
Izuku does a blank for a moment and when it finally clicked he says back, "Oh right I forgot!", Izuku then reached to the holster on his belt and whips out the knife while simultaneously slicing three Boltflies in half! He then ran towards Shoji while yelling, "Throw me!"
Shoji knew what he was referring to and when Izuku jumped into the air he grabbed him by the ankle and threw him as hard as he could muster at the nearest Boltfly nest! Izuku soared past the nest and skidded along the ground coming to a hult! The nest looked totally fine, as if Izuku didn't even go near it, then it began to quizer like it was going to spawn more flies and in a instant it fell apart into pieces! Everyone saw this and either looked on in shock, cheered with glee, or shouted at Izuku to take out the reaming nests! Izuku listened to the last and ran to each nest as fast as he could muster hacking and slashing the nests till they were nothing but scrap metal!
Bakugou finally got a single shot out of the grinder while he was distracted by Izuku's knife fighting skills and upon finding the grinder was fully operational he grinded threateningly at the Boltflies and said in a low tone, "Oh, you're in for it now motherfuckers!", and then completely annihilated the rest of the flies in seconds!
Izuku and Bakugou stood in their spot for a while as they breathed heavily from the extraneous fight they undertook. No one said anything to one another and simply stayed where they were both exhausted and flabbergasted by the vent that just happened before them.
Though the peace was short lived as Bakugou shouted at Izuku, "What they fuck Deku! Where the actually hell did you get that huge ass knife."
"Vorpal blade.", came the annoyed disembodied voice of the Cheshire Cat correcting him.
Izuku scratched the back of his neck awkwardly and replied in a nervous tone, "Ah right. I kinda forgot to mention the knife." "Vorpal blade.", came the Cheshire Cat's voice, this time a bit more forcefully. "Funny story, we found it embened in the skull of a giant dead...thing.", Izuku explained as best he could.
"Fellas well talk about all this later. Right now we have to get any amount of pigs for the Duchess or we'll lose our chance of getting a quick trip to Allen.", Shoji informed the group while coming between the angry approaching Bakugou and nervous Izuku.
"As much as I agree with Shoji I think we can kiss that idea bye bye. With all the noise we created from fighting the Boltflies and Bakugou scaring off the first one, I don't think theirs a single pig in this area.", Jiro informed them.
Everyone was dismayed by this sudden realization that their entire plane of escape had just gone up in smoke, and now they would have to take even longer to get out of this mad world. Though while they were all quite Izuku heard a very low and odd noise coming from above them. It sound like something was eating and have trouble breathing through its nose so it made snorting sounds. He looked up and too his relfe and revived hope he saw a pig flying in the air! It was eating some fruit off the top of a nearby tree, and according to the soot marks on its snout it was the same one that they thought Bakugou hand scraped off!
Then Izuku remembered what the Duchess had said to them earlier, 'Look, all you have to do is listen for the oinks, then shoot the pig.' Izuku mentally thanked whatever forces that drove this place for letting them luck out on this! Izuku tapped Bakugou's shoulder, who made an angry and quriouse scowl at him. The green haired teen then put his finger to his lips and and pointed to the tree where the pig was still happily munching away at the fruit. Bakugou smiled maliciously and aimed the grinder at the unexpecting creature.
'DIE!', he screamed mentally! And blasted the pig with precision aim!
Everyone else ducked for cover at the sudden and rapid gunshot noises barreled from the grinder as the blond teen peppered the pig with no end in sight! The pig itself began to swell up like a balloon as it the pepper were causing it to swell, then without warning the pig 'exploded' into a small flash of smoke and sparkles. Everyone wondered what happened the the pig but soon heard a very familiar female laugh echoing through the area when the pig vanished.
"I guess that means the Duchess is happy?", Tsy questioned? "We should probably try to find more. The Duchess never said how many she wanted and I'm pretty sure one isn't going to cut it."
"Tsy is right well keep our ears peeled and get as many pigs as we can muster. Kachan can you hold out till we find more pigs?". Izuku asked the blond.
To which he replied oh so humbly, "Of course I fucking can you nerd! Just tell me where to shoot the little shit eaters!"
So the hero's went off though the whole entire area listening for any oinks they could hear. Once they did they would follow the sound until they came across the misshapen animal. Where Bakugou would delightfull pelt the pig with as much pepper as possible before it poofed out of existence, followed by the sound of the Duchesses joyful laughter echoing irly throughout the area. As the continued this process gaining one pig after the other with little to no trouble along the way, Izuku noticed someone trailing behind them. Recognizing the floating gloves of Tour, Izuku slowed down until he was at walking pace with the invisible girl who was extremely and uncharctistly quite for some reason.
"H-Hey Tour, y-you okay? Y-You seem to be d-deep in thought. Or at least I think you are.", Izuku asked the girl nervously. No matter how much time has past he still finds it hard to talk to girls no matter how close he is to them.
"Hmm? Oh sorry Izuku, you're right though I am thinking about something.", she replied. "It's just-it may have been a while since I've read the Alice in Wonderland book yet I distinctly remember something about the Duchess and pigs. Though I can't quite put my finger on it."
"Maybe she had a pet pig?", Izuku offered.
"Not exactly though you're very close to the truth.", came the disembodied voice of the Cheshire Cat who appeared next to the teens.
The two teens didn't react to the Cats sudden appearance since at this point they were practically numb to it. Though the did jump in fear when Bakugou suddenly came out of nowhere and attempted to blast the Cat dead center with the grinder held tight in his grip! He let out a stream of pepper until the grinder suddenly stopped blasting out peper, all to Bakugou's dismay. Though he did smile at the thought of what became of the Cheshire Cat once the pepper dust cleared, and once it did he was far more angry then he was pleased with what he saw!
Instead of a Cheshire Cat reduced to hamburger meat, their sat the Cat completely intact without so much as a scratch and lacking any color. That is to say he had no color on his body, as if someone had forgotten to paint him in after the outline, and was completely see through!
"Did you really think that was going to work?", the Cat asked sarcastically.
"YES!", Bakugou shouted back!
"Oh so close yet no cigar.", vexed the Cat. "I'm no pushover and certainly no stranger too fighting either."
"Uhhhh, as you were saying?", Tour interjected.
"Hmm? Ah yes! As I was saying the Duchess does have a-", the Cat began until Bakugou rudely cut him off. "HOLD ON A FUCKING MINUTE!", he shouted! "You don't get to answer their question till you've answered mine.
"No you don't have a chance with that girl, now go cry in a corner.", replied the Cat in a vexing tone.
"That's not what I meant!", he growled!
"But you never say what you mean, and you never mean what you say. And speaking of saying, you never asked a question to start with.", the Cat continue to annoy Bakugou.
"The fuck is up with this shitty grinder!", Bakugou exploded!
The Cat unmoving and unfazed by Bakugous rage as he seemed to take pleasure in his angwish. "Not sure I understand.", replied the Cat.
"Why does this piece of shit suddenly stop working on me mid fucking battle and then start working again out of fucking nowhere!?", he shout asked the Cat!
The Cat smiled as if it were a trivial question and replied, "Oh quite simple my simple minded toy. You keep using all the aminuation in one shot not saving enough of it for when the going get rough, and then it stops working."
"If that's true then how the fuck does it start working again when all the pepper is gone?", the blond asked roughly.
"Simple, it replenishes on its own with time, time you certainly don't wait for. With your current grinder I'd say you'd have to wait around 30 seconds before its fully replenished. So until you upgrade it to something more...durable, I'd use that ammunition sparingly in case you're in a situation you can't simply blast you're way out of. That is to say you actually want to survive.", chasized the Cat.
The Cat then turned back to Izuku and Tour and answered their question, "As for you two, the Duchess did indeed have a connection to pigs. You see, when Allen first came down here and meet a much smaller Duchess, he saw that the Duchess was treating her own baby poorly. As to say that she would beat her child ever time he would sneeze. Made incredibly hard from the cook who would throw peeper all over the place causing the Duchess and the baby to sneeze violently. She would even sing a song about it that goes a little something like this;"
.
"Speak roughly to your little boy,
And beat him when he sneezes:"
.
Sang the Cat.
.
"He only does it to annoy,
Because he knows it teases."
.
Izuku jumped into the song with a glazed expression, like he did when he first meet Allen.
.
"I speak severely to my boy,
I beat him when he sneezes;"
.
The Cat continued.
.
"For he can thoroughly enjoy
The pepper when he pleases!"
.
Izuku and the Cat sang the last part as a duet.
"I know that song. I've heard it before.", Izuku sated in a low earth shattering sounding tone.
"I certainly hope you do, after all it was the very first song Allen sang to you when you first meet.", said the Cat.
Izuku tired the push the flow of questions surging through his head and his jerking desire to ask the Cat them. Though immediately decided not to as he wouldn't get a straight answer, and instead he went back on track asking the Cat, "What happened next? After Allen meet the Duchess, I mean."
"To make a long story short, he saw the condition the babe was in and out of pity for the child he decided to 'rescue' him from the Duchess. And by rescue I mean kidnapping it once the Duchess was distracted. Once he had the babe and was off the Duchesses property he soon found out that the babe had turned into a pig.", answered the Cat.
"A pig?", Izuku questioned.
"Fucking what?", Bakugou questioned.
The Cat then slapped Bakugou with his tail while firmly stating, "A Pig Katsuki. A Pig! You of all people should know what that is, considering you are one.", Bakugou firmly growled and clenched his teeth at the Cat.
"Oh! Now I remember!", stated Tour enthusiastically.
"After the child underwent his...transformation, Allen did the only sensible thing and released the little creature into the wild. The only thing is; that's it been breeding like bunnies ever since that time and have become a real nuisance, running amok across the lands.", the Cat explained.
Then Tour made an expression(or really a gesture) like the wheels in her head were turning from the info she was just given. She then stated, "Wait a minute. If that true then that means we're actually hunting down, seasoning, and serving the Duchess her...", she began until the Cat finished/confirmed her thought, "Grandchildren. Yes."
"That. Is so. incredibly. Fucked up!", Bakugou started with a horrified expression, and Izuku and Tour were right behind him on that!
"Oh don't look at it that way. Think of it as pest control, eradication of a foreign and invasive species.", the Cat said with a peppy tone.
Izuku then opened his mouth to say something but was quickly cut off by the Cheshire Cat who smacked his paw on Izuku's mouth, forcefully closing it. The Cats yellow eyes narrowed and flickered around the area causing a feeling of unease to rise up in Izuku's stomach and the rest of their group. He looked around some more before quietly whispering to Izuku, "Do you hear that?"
Izuku listened around for any strange sounds, though he couldn't hear anything out of the ordinary apart from the buzzing of bees and the chirping mooing coming from the cow birds. Izuku looked back at the yellow eyes of the Cheshire Cat, staring intensely at him, and shook his head no.
The Cat released Izuku's mouth and whispered to him, "Exactly."
Bakugou heard this and put on a smug expression of pleasure, presumably, seeing the Cheshire Cat find a new victim for his acts of hazing. Though that presumption was soon killed quickly as the Cat then continued saying, "That mean you have gathered all the pigs in this area. High time you return to the Duchess to exchange service for supplies, before she changes her mind.", and with that the Cheshire Cat disappeared.
The rest of their group caught back up with the larger portion of their class near one of the large trees. When they did Kirishima was the first to ask them where they went and that they couldn't find anymore pigs. Izuku briefly explained their encounter with the Cheshire Cat, and the truth on what the pigs really were. Upon hearing this the whole class shivered with distquest and nausea! He also told to not harp on it as they needed to stay focused, he then told them how all they got all the pigs in this area and that they should head back to the whole class agreed and made their way back to the giant door that lead into the strange house of the giantess.
The Duchess turned around and upon seeing the group enter she smiled warmly and said warm and invitingly, "Ah you've returned. Thank you so much for the pigs! And I'm a lady of my word so just take the door directly behind me and you'll reach Allen lickety-split. As an extra thanks I've prepared a little something for you lot in the basket beside me. Oh, and you can keep that grinder too. Just be sure you pepper up any pigs you come across in your travels."
The group looked to the floor and saw a large wicker picnic basket with a red and while plaid cloth laying on top, a strong scent radiated from the basket meaning that whatever was inside was some kind of food. When they looked behind the Duchess they saw the other, albeit, smaller door opened by itself giving the teens their promised shortcut.
Bakugou shoved his way past the group towards the basket with a pleased yet forceful look on his face as she sternly stated, "Out of the way fucker! What evers in that basket is mine and mine alone!"
"Hey why is it yours!? We all helped get those pigs!", Mineat complained!
"Shut Up purple shit!", Bakugou snapped at him! "I did all the heavy lifting so it mine!"
Bakugou went over to the giant basket with a pleased expression running across his face and lifted off the cover with zeal, only to start violently sneezing into the basket and on its contents! Everyone turned away at Bakugou's poor manners and distquesting display. Bakugou tired to turn away from the basket but failed as his face was flung forwards by the force of his own sneeze and into the basket where he continued to sneeze violently in the basket and contents!
"ACHOO!", he sneezed.
"Ew!", siad Mina.
"ACHOO!", he sneezed.
"Gross dude!", said Kirishima.
"ACHOO!", he sneezed.
"How revolting!", said Momo.
"ACHOO!", he sneezed.
"Bakugou!", cried Kaminari!
"ACHOO!", he sneezed.
"Mon Dieu!", cried Aoyama dazzlingly.
"ACHOO!", he sneezed.
"Bakugou-kun stop!", cried Uraraka covering her mouth in disgust.
"I fucking ACHOO! Cant! ACHOO! What in this fucking thing!? ACHOO!", he yelled between sneezes!
Iida then walked over to the basket and also broke out into a sneezing fit once he was mere feet from it! He plugged his nose between his fingers and walked up to the basket and looked at the contents underneath the sheet. Iida was very, the very least, surprised to find something that didn't look like much for cause of violent sneezing fit.
"A pie?", Iida questioned as he looked at the hot pastry sitting in a tin foil pie tin, with steam wafting off of it so thick it looked like it had just been taken out of the oven.
"A very special pie of my very own creation.", hummed the Duchess with self delight. "My very own world famous Sweet Pepper Pie."
"What in it?", Izuku questioned?
"Pepper mostly.", said the Duchess.
"Why am I not surprised.", Tokoyami deadpanned.
The Duchess waved her finger dismissively as she explained, "It's not about the smell sweetie, it's the taste. Just plug your nose if it bothers you so much and take a bit, it's that simple."
"With miles of Bakugou snot all over it? No thank you!", Jiro said firmly.
The Duchess sighed and grabbed the basket in one hand, and with the other she used the cloth to wipe the pie clean or at least it looked clean. She set the basket down and offered it yet again to the teens. Not wanting to insult her seemingly friendly gesture, and not wanting to set off the Duchess, the teens gathered round the basket with clogged noses and they each took a piece from the pie and scarfed it down quickly to avoid any unwanted after taste. After they all downed their price their eyes widened at the pies taste, as for it live up to its namesake! The pie was surprisingly sweet despite smelling like pepper, it didn't even taste like pepper. Everyone licked their lips in delight at the sweet taste still lingered on their tongues.
The Duchess saw this and smiled at their satisfied faces, "I knew you'd just love it, everyone does! Even the Queen herself.", she patted her own accomplishment.
"Who?", Tsy asked?
The Duchess made an expression like she said something shouldn't have and quickly resorted with, "Ah, nevermind! Now away with you all."
The teens then made their way to the smaller door and just before the left through it the Duchess called out to them, "Oh wait children, just one thing before you go!"
"What now?", Sero inwardly groaned.
"Have any of you seen a Cheshire Cat around? Grey on grey stripes, yellow eyes, big grin?", she asked them?
Before anyone could answer a familiar pair of yellow eyes with a grin appeared on the Duchesses head gear and shook itself back and forth disapprovingly. Everyone was conflicted as to what to tell the Duchess when Izuku suddenly said, "Cat? What cat, I've never seen any cats before?"
"There's a cat?", Momo lied.
"What cat?", Mina lied.
"Never heard of it.", Iida lied.
The Duchess made a sad expression as she replied, "Thats a shame. I was so hoping to see him again. And have him for a nice little dinner."
At that the hair on Izuku's neck raised in fear along with the group he started their adventure with. In a moment Izuku and his group grabbed or pushed their friends to the exit while Izuku quickly said, "WellI' 'llbesuretofindmorepigsforyouinthefuture,butwehavetogosobyeBYE!", and with that the teens left the giantess back to her cooking and didn't stop moving till the sound of her bubbling pot stopped popping and the smell of pepper stopped wafting into their noses!
Once they were all far enough the teens finally stopped to catch their breath from all the running, Bakugou stomped over angrily to Izuku and yelled at him, "What the hell stupid Deku! First you aline yourself with that flea bitten hairball, and then you protect him inside of ratting him out to that giant hag for nearly getting us all killed?! What the Fuck!"
Uraraka then came behind Bakugou and slapped him lightly on the back, and the blond teen then floated into the air harmlessly while making a 'what the fuck is happening' face. When Uraraka finally gather her breath she said, "Bakugou-kun please calm down, Deku-kun was right in lying about the Cat. Were all in shambles right now from everything that's happened. The only difference between us and everyone else you might be down here is that we have a guide. And sure that guide maybe a two faced, manipulative, malicious, no good mangy louse, but he's at least a helpful louse! If it weren't for him we would've been too late to save you from the Duchess."
"Hmm, flattery might get you somewhere.", Uraraka herd the purr of the Cheshire Cats disembodied voice whisper in her ear.
"The hell?! If that's true then why the fuck did he lead us to our near death of being consumed alive then!?", he yelled at the brunet!
"Maybe it's because you tried to kill him when he gave us his offer in exchange for his assistance, instead of just refusing it or bartering with him for something else?", Todoroki offered breathlessly.
"Shut it half and half bastard!"
"No Todoroki is right. If you hadn't just exploded like you always do then maybe we could have found another way to convince him for directions and avoided that Duchess altogether.", said Shoji.
"I certainly like a bit of bartering from time to time.", whispered the Cat in Shoji's ear.
"Fine whatever the fuck you all want to to believe or blame! I don't ficking care!", shouted Bakugou as he tiled upside down. "And put me down round face!"
Uraraka place her fingers together and deactivated her quirk leading Bakugou to fall head first on a rock! "Whoops, sorry.", she fake apologized.
"You did that on purpose!", the blond teen groaned in pain.
"Yep.", she stuck her tongue at her.
"Guys maybe we should just focus on the task ahead right now.", Izuku offered.
"Midoriya is right everyone! The sooner we find Allen, the sooner we can get ourselves and everyone else out of Wonderland!", Iida commanded while chopping his harms in the air!
So the heroes of class 1-A all walked along the shortcut, consisting of another thick forested tunnel with flora so thick it made the whole place look like they were underground leaving little to no light for all them to see, in the hopes of finding Allen and getting themselves and all the rest of the heroes who fell down here out of this mad world.
However the hero's soon found themselves and yet another predicament after only a few minutes of walking, when they found something blocking their path or rather diverting their path.
In front of the group was a lone tree standing in the center of a forked road with two signs that pointed two different ways. The signs, written in English, read 'This Way' and 'That Way'.
Kaminari was the only one from the group who walked up to the tree; fell to his knees, took a deep breath, then let out an antsy cry!
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!", he shouted at the top of his lungs! "Come on! I thought this was a shortcut not any other maze! We're gonna be trapped here forever!", he then fell face first on the ground and began to cry!
Jiro walked over to the sobbing electric blonde teen and poking him with her earphone jack said, "Come on Kaminari. All's not completely lost, we just need to pull ourselves together and-.", she began to say until Kaminari shot up from his spot and grabbing the girl by her jacket yelling, "How is everything not lost!? The last time we got lost we nearly we went around in circles for hours and nearly died five times, and that's not including the Dutchess who tried to eat us! We're never gonna find Allen or get out of this mad place! We gonna be stuck here for the rest of our lives and grow long long beards! We're doomed, just doomed!", and immediately began to cry into her shoulder.
Jiro made a confused expression by how her friend just acted and said to her. But she gave in and awkwardly patted him on the back in a soothing manner.
"There's gotta be something that can help or maybe someone!", Momo offered.
"Momo-chan I appreciate your indifference, but there nobody out here!", Sero shouted as the last part of his sentence echoed off the tunnel!
"Wait look!", Sato suddenly shouted while pointing to the tree.
When everyone turned their attention to the tree, their sitting almost the branches sat the Cheshire Cat grinning at all of them as usual. Everyone either looked at the Cat inquisitively, groaned a sigh, or in Bakugou's case; growled at the Cat while reading the Pepper Grinder. All while Tour was the only one with a strange posture, as if she were thinking about something.
"Wait a minute guys!", she suddenly exclaimed to her class. Everyone turned to the floating pair of gloves in question. "I've seen this scene before in the book. And I think the Cat wants one of us to play it out. But you guys have to trust me and let me take the lead on this."
Mostly everyone looked at one another and then nodded back to the invisible girl. She gave a thumbs up and skipped merrily to the tree.
"Whatever she's got in mind it's never gonna fucking work.", groaned Bakugou.
Kirishima pushed the blond teen playfully on the arm and said, "Have a little faith man, what other options do we have?"
Bakugou held up the Pepper Grinder showing their 'alternative'. Kirishima shook his head while saying, "Bakugou, no. Just, no."
There Toru looked up towards the Cheshire Cat and said in a pleased voice, "Oh! Cheshire Puss.", she greeted the Cat like an old friend. "Do you know where we oughta go to from here?"
"Well, that depends a good deal on where you want to get to.", spoke the Cat.
Tour tapped her chin like she was thinking and replied saying, "Allen."
"Why do you want to see him?", asked the Cat?
"Because he's our safest bet for getting out of Wonderland."
"You know, sometimes things that look safe actually turn out nasty, and things that look nasty turn out safe. That's a moral, Hehehe.", the Cat explained in a chuckle.
"What sorta people live around here?", Tour asked the Cat?
Suddenly the cat disappeared and reappeared on one of the trees branches far off to the right, "In that direction, lives a Hatter.", he said waving his paw around to the right. It disappeared and reappear again this time at the opposite end of the tree, "And in that direction, lives a Hare nicknamed March.", said the cat. "Visit either if you like: their both mad."
"But I don't want to be among mad people.", Tour remarked.
The Cat chuckled at her comment, then replied back, "Oh well you can't help that. We're all mad down here, each and everyone of us.("As you can see I'm not all there myself", the cat said in a hushed voice.) Their mad, I'm mad, and you're all mad too. It's only by chance and careful planning that you're not!"
"How do you you know were mad?", Tour asked.
"Well if you weren't, you wouldn't be down here. And everyone down here-.", the cat paused for a moment before looking at Izuku with a sinister and malicious grin and finished, "-is completely mad.", and with that the cats head disappeared into thin air.
Suddenly the Cat reappeared by the trees roots laying on his side in a relaxed position. "I went to a hunt ball once, I didn't like it. Terrible people, they started hunting me!", he said as if it were supposed to be a surprise to her!
"Humh, life must be terribly hard for you?", she questioned scaractically.
"Ah but I grin and bare it.", grin the Cat. "By-the-by what became of the baby?", asked the Cat as he started to play around with his head, rolling it around on his back feet.
"Baby?", Sero questioned only for Iida to quickly quite him with a firm SHUSH!
Tour made a face like she was trying to think of a way to explain the conundrum that never happened, "It….it turned into a pig.", she finally answered.
The Cat then balanced it head on its tail as he relied, "I knew it would do that. It's the same with Crows and Moorhens.", then the Cats body started to disappear leaving its head floating in the air for a bit before it disappeared too.
Then the Cat reappeared again(with its head on) by one of the tree limbs hanging upside down by its tail, "Now did I say pig or fig?", it asked her taking a relaxed posture.
"PIG.", she emphasised. "And I'd wish you wouldn't keep appearing and disappearing so suddenly! You're making me quite dizzy!"
"So sorry.", apologized the Cat. "Hows this?", he asked as his body slowly started to disappear from his tail down to his head where it stayed there for a while before vanishing as well.
For a while the cheshire Cat didn't reappear and it seemed like the creature had gone off an completely disappeared. Everyone was disappointed that Tours plane had ultimately failed and the Cat had duped them again for it own pleasure. Just when they had lost hope of finding the right path to take Tour made a sound like something heavy was dropped on her! Everyone turned their attention back to the invisible girl only to see the Cat suddenly appear on her shoulders seemingly floating in the air atop the girl as he did with Izuku.
The Cat rubbed his face against her, at least that's where her face is suppose to be, and began to softly purr with delight. After the Cat had finished rubbing his face against the invisible girl he said with a grin, "Thank you ever so much for playing with me. Their not too many people that I can find that are willing to play with me. So as a form of appreciation for your curiosity I will tell you which path to take."
Everyone was delighted to hear this from the Cat and patiently waited for him to give direction. Expect for Bakugou who immediately yelled, "Don't just leave us in suspense! Tell us where to go you many flea bag!"
The Cat his paws for a moment before turning to Bakugou and narrowing his eyes, "Katsuki.", he inquired of the Blond teen. "As the American say, 'Bite me Bitch.", he said with a huge shit eating grin.
Bakugou was now vibration with furry at the cats reply, while he simple turned his attention from him and back to Tour where he asked, "Now where was I?"
"Directions?", said Tour.
"Ah right! The correct path is…", the Cat pause for dramatic effect. Everyone leaned in due to the anticipation. "Any of them."
Everyone immediately fell to the ground from the lack luster and the painfully simple answer!
"Simply choose whichever path strikes you're fancy, they both go in the same direction."
Everyone stared at the Cat with shocked or annoyed expressions, being expressed best by Tokoyagis deadpan voice asking, "And you couldn't have told us this sooner because?"
"I was having too much fun.", grind the Cat.
Then the Cats body, neck, and tail all vanished from sight only leaving the head and limbs visible. Then the Cats head and limbs all slid off Tours shoulder and onto the ground were they fell with a series of thunks! The Cat's head then positioned itself on its ears and began to scamper about at a fast pace like a bug or rodent! All the girls and a few of the guys screamed in fright of this sight of the moving decapitated head which scammed back to the tree! The Cats legs followed soon after walking across the ground as if they were still attached to the body! When the legs caught up with the head back at the tree they positioned themselves behind the head and the Cats body and tail reappeared filling the creature back in once more!
The Cats took its usual sitting position again and said to the teen, "You've got the directions you wanted now you better be on your way, before you miss tea time and Allen along with it.", and with that the Cat disappeared again.
The teens sweat dropped and sighed aggravatedly at the Cats constant antics and went on their way through the path on the right. Like the Cat said before both paths did go the same exact way when you went behind the tree and saw both paths looped back around to each other. The shadow along with the already present sense of hopelessness didn't allow it to dawn on the hero's to actually make sure this wasn't some other Wonderland nonsense.
As they walked along the path the hero teens decided now was the best time for them to catch up on what happened to all of them after they fell down the Rabbit's Hole. With Izuku's group; they told them about the oddly comfortable bed they woke up in together(Mineat bit down hard on his lip at the mention of his friends sleeping next to some of the hottest girls in their class), the strange room they found themselves in, Woody the talking door and his bad jokes, the food and drink that altered their size, the Vale of Tears and their first encounter with the Cheshire Cat his deal for them in exchange for his guidance, the multitude of obstacles and riddles they had to overcome and figure out, where the found the Vorpal blade, they potion that gave them control over size alteration, the giant crying statue of Allen, and even the 'crimes against all things natural' the Ruins themselves and how they were unable to kill them without the Blade.
With Bakugou's group; they too had a similar experience only with far more turmoil, how they woke up in a huge bed of flowers, some of which actually talked or sung, a blue caterpillar smoking on a weird pipe thing who was as snobbish as Monoma and rude as Bakugou, the Cheshire Cat and the deal he gave them for help, then when Bakugou tried to kill him for no reason, how he lead them astray deep in the Vale, going in circles for hours on end, how they too found the strange potion that allows for controlled size alteration(which was a relief for Izukus group since they thought only they had this new ability) and even when they meet several Ruins and couldn't kill them no matter what they did, and had to make a hasty retreat while dragging Bakugou away from the fight, and finally the part where they meet the Duchess who was able to catch and season them in their exhaustion, and of course Izuku's group knew the rest.
After their catching up conversation was over they soon found themselves at the end of their shortcut, a dead end that is. The only thing that laid in front of their path was nothing except a huge tree that's trunk was so thick it looked more like a huge wall then a plant. And on that tree hung a mirror with a perfectly polished surface and gold trimming, it stood over 12 ft tall and 6 ft wide. Upon seeing this everyone groaned with aggravation!
"Are you kidding me!? This is a short cut?! There's nothing but long path with a mirror at the end of it!", Iida exclaimed while falling to his knees in despair.
"I can't believe the Duchess lied to us! Even after we helped her!", Sero exclaimed while falling to his back in defeat.
"I can sort believe it.", said Ayoma.
"What! How?", Sato asked confused.
"Well le Chat de Cheshire did say that everyone down here is furieux. So that would also include her, non? So she may have not lied at all, she was simply fou.", the sparkly boy explained.
"That does make sense, after all she'd put anything in her mouth as long as it looked edible.", Sero commented.
"Like Bakugou?", came the disembodied voice of the Cheshire Cat.
"Shut up Cat!", yelled Bakugou!
"Show yourself Cat! You've got some explaining to do.", Kaminari demanded!
In a matter of moments the Cheshire Cat appeared before them right next to the mirror grinning as it always did. "Oh really now?", the Cat asked rhetorically? "And pray tell what is it that I have to explain?"
"This!", Kaminari motioned to the mirror.
"Well why didn't you say so from the start! This is a mirror, and it-.", the Cat began to explain unti Kaminari cut him off saying, "I know what a mirror is!"
The Cat cocked an eyebrow and asked, "Are you sure? Cause with you're single digit I.Q I wouldn't be surprised if you forgot how to breath.", he shot a shit eating grin.
Kaminari made a sour expression and motioning back to the mirror exclaimed, "I mean this isn't the shortcut we wanted! There's nothing at the end of this tunnel except this huge mirror! And that won't help! The Duchess gave this path to us and you encouraged us to take it. So what give?! Are you just trying to run us around in circles for your entertainment!"
"If that were the case I wouldn't have revealed myself to you and simply watched all of you honk about like a gaggle of headless geese.", the Cat answered honestly. "Besides neither the Duchess nor I lead you astray. Though we have very different taste we do share one commonality. We both keep our word once given, and this mirror is you shortcut.", the Cat explained.
"And how exactly is a giant price of reflective glass suppose to help us?", Tokoyami asked in a rhetorical and deadpanned voice.
"Simple, it's the path. You merely have to walk right through it.", the Cat answered simply.
Momo looked over all over the mirror and asked, "So when a beam of light hits the mirror at a precise time, a secret passage will open up?"
The Cat solemnly shook his head no and replied, "Don't be ridiculous, time has no meaning down here and there's hardly any light to begin with."
"Then how are we supposed to 'pass' through the mirror?", Izuku asked.
"A mirror is simply nothing more but glass and metal hung on a wall pay it no mind and walk straight through, hurry now you don't have the time-now about that wine.", said the Cat.
"Wait, what wine?", Izuku asked the Cat.
"Oh you didn't bring any wine with you? Thats a shame, you're journey may very well end here and now. Payment can be made out in many different ways; take for example blood and booze, both of which are equivalent to any currency.", stated the Cat and then disappeared.
Izuku walked up to the mirror and placed his hand on the cold glass. There was nothing out of the ordinary about the mirror, aside from it being huge and edged with gold. Overall it was just a normal mirror that reflected everything behind Izuku. What did the Cat mean by 'pay it no mind and walk straight through' a mirror is a solid object and you can't just walk through it…can you? Then again, a lot of things that shouldn't be able to happen have happened. He looked closely at the mirro to make sure it wasn't one way or a trick mirror, but no just a plain mirror.
Suddenly the Cheshire Cats reflection appeared in the mirror causing Izuku to jump in place! He looked down at the side where the Cat should be next to him, but found nothing. He looked between the spot and the Cats reflection; it was almost like the Cat wasn't there at all and simply on the other side of the mirror! He waved his hand in front of the mirror at the Cat and the Cat waved back.
Then the Cat spoke through the mirror saying, "A reflection sometimes exposes more reality than the object it echoes. But which side of the mirror are we truly on, and which one is reflecting whats true and what's dead?", and the Cheshire Cats reflection disappeared.
Izuku knew what the Cat was trying to say yet he felt as if there was something else layered into it, though it would have to wait for later. Izuku took a deep breath, closed his eyes, extended his hand forward, and began to walk towards the mirror. He kept repeating what the Cat told him in his head, 'A mirror is simply metal and glass pay it no mind and walk straight through.'
Soon the whole entirety of class 1-A watched in amazement as they watched the green haired teens hand suddenly melt into the mirror! Then his arm, and the rest of his body disappeared into the mirror! Everyone crowded around the mirror to see if they could spot the green teen on the other side! Though they only saw their own reflection looking back at them.
"D-Deku-kun?", Uraraka called out in a low and concerned voice.
Suddenly Izuku's face appeared out of the mirror, like Mirio, in front of the group causing everyone to jump in surprise!
Before anyone could scold or yell at him for scaring them like that, Izuku quickly piped up saying, "Come on in guys, theirs AC in here.", and with that said Izuku disappeared into the mirror.
Everyone looked at one another wondering who should go next, until Uraraka stepped forward to what Izuku did and melted into the mirror. Soon all the student of class 1-A melted into the mirror one by one, leaving the tranquil Vale of Tears behind them.
New item acquired: Sweet Pepper Pie.
Surprisingly sweet pie with a scent that make you want to vomit.
Consumable item
One use
Baked and sent by the Duchess after acquiring a certain amount of peppered pigs
Increased pain tolerations and damage reduction from enemies after consumption (acts like an item that increases your health pool)