Chapter 23
Weeks whistled by for Shanta and her group, her patience ran wire thin. She took residence in constricting, communal quarters with Hitoshi, Shanta, and Mandalay. They had held up their end of the bargain, and now they waited for the courtesy to be reciprocated. Amidst their stay, Hitoshi and Mandalay had executed much of the same construction work they would have otherwise done in Aspeu. Skarngards Pillar was presently expanding at a significant rate, given its embargo on unwanted government eyes.
Ochaco appointed herself as the emissary of their small cluster, meeting with Edgeshot and Riot frequently. Lengthy conversations took place regarding the faction's resources, what their stance was on the political forefront, how they could be of any service once they arrived in Aspeu and how to conduct themselves from there.
Shanta's occupation was much less glamorous and one that brewed tedium and discomfort. Having had erstwhile experience with her brother's ersatz ham radio granted her an aptitude for telecommunications. The service she offered involved decrypting messages, relaying information to her superiors, and sending the occasional memorandum herself if so called upon. Upon arrival, she was distributed messages and intel that was non-sensitive, including weather reports and trivial daily matters. Overtime however, Edgeshot, and his colleagues accounted for her promptness and talent for decryption. She now held critical intelligence about Shiketsu's structure and affairs, data that would have been safeguarded otherwise.
She realized that affiliating with a powerful faction such as Shiketsu was dangerous, though the opportunities were numerous. A stable income could be drawn, one that wasn't heavily taxed or exploited by Aspeu's authorities. Conveyance via blimp became much more accessible, allowing her and her brother to venture in and out of Galliedenn. The most notable benefit, is the refuge Shiketsu could provide to Izuku, given his current predicament with the law.
These were the comforts that provided Shanta with enough serenity and endurance, to wait out for an available blimp. Though, the tole on her was evident both mentally and physically. Bags began to form under her cavernous eyes. She had been eating poorly, giving her naturally slender frame even less to work with. Hitoshi had urged her to fear less and did his best to alleviate some of the burden, though her rest remained perturbed until she rekindled what was once lost.
She found herself once again on the same chair she spent ten hours a day in, with heavy eyelids about to collapse like a concertina. Her local was that of a dingy wooden shack, located just below the peak of Skarngards Pillar. She was clothed in a furry hide and many pads to protect from the snowy and invasive climate found above the clouds. With a pen in hand, and a magnifying lens set on her spectacles, she scrupulously jotted down the yammering being transmitted through the ham radio. Some bumpkin made reference to a possible green cap sighting's over international waters and felt as though it was important enough to address Shanta's attention. The door to her provisional office swung open, startling her to some degree.
"Hello again Shanta," Riot exclaimed, closing the door behind him.
"What do you want?" she quipped with a trace of aggravation. Her etiquette had degraded in her current state of limbo.
"I deliver to you both good news and bad news, which would you like to hear first." Abandoning the mind-numbing task of descrambling passages, she gave her full attention to Riot. The two brothers conversed a great deal more with Ochaco than they had with Shanta, only calling upon her when a crucial matter was at hand.
"I don't really know, I guess the good news first?" she answered, never quite knowing how to react to the awkward brethren.
"After a great deal of time in suppression, a scout has informed us of your brothers' location." Upon hearing the news, the pen she had seized in her hand fell to the floor, ringing on the iron surface. The weights that had balancing upon her shoulders for the longest time had collapsed, as her posture and aura immediately altered.
"That's amazing," she replied with a squeak. "Do you know where he is?"
"He was recently located in Ceederwood. Kota Izumi informed us of an incident." The word "incident," he implied triggered an arrythmia, halting her good spirits dead in their tracks.
"What do you mean by incident? Is he alright?"
"According to our sources, he left the skirmish relatively unscathed. A colleague of his by the name of Bakugou, sustained a number of injuries however, and is now in medical care. Up until today, we were in the dark regarding his comrades and their aliases." Her head was jumbled, utterly confused regarding the events that had transpired.
"Well what happened?" she barked.
"A group of Reservoir Dogs had seemingly been pursuing them for quite some time now. As you are quite aware of by now, they do not take to kindly to foreigners. A fray ensued, though the aid of an unknown faction prevented any further casualties."
"When you say unknown, you really mean classified don't you?" An uncomfortable moment dispatched, as Shanta eyed down the loftier man from her sitting position. The situation she now found herself in, akin to many they had previously had. Though she relays delicate and crucial information day in and day out of Shiketsu, she is left in the dark in regard to many manners, especially those revolving around factions. However, when those details and sensitive material pertain to her brothers well being, her ire holds no bounds.
"Do you know of this Bakugou character, have you two had a previous encounter?" he asked, derailing the matter at hand.
"No, I have not. Now that you know where my brother is, I'm assuming you'll make greater haste attaining that blimp? We've been stationed here long enough, doing work we were never asked to do." She realized she was pushing the matter, cognizant of their generosity, and hospitality. However, her compassion and receptivity were surpassed by nerve and grit.
"We have a blimp ready to board tomorrow. I suggest you and your friends pack your belongings tonight, it will be a long trip ahead of us, and we may lose Izuku's location once more." She stood with resolve, grasping with open palms at anything on her desk that pertained to her, like a madman grasping at straws. She rammed them in her bag with no rhyme or reason, longing to tell the others of the good news.
"We certainly are going to miss the kind of work you do here. It has been grand having helping hands such as yours on our side. Not only on your behalf, but on Hitoshi's, Mandalay's, and Ochaco's behalf as well."
"I wish I could say the same Riot; I really do. But there's only been one thing on my mind since arriving here, and that's my brother and friends." Though the claim lacked congeniality, her words held true. Crimson riot pivoted and began to exit through the cumbersome room, but planted a foot on the door before his departure.
"What are your thoughts pertaining our operation, the way Shiketsu runs things?" Crimson said, hesitantly. She stared at him with a pensitive mind, never having been asked that before.
"I'm all for it to be quite honest. I've never been keen on authority or mass administration, call me an anarchist all you want. With organization's come agendas, and profit, and with power like that, corruption is imminent," a hefty moment dragged by.
"That's why I'm a fan of you lot. Sure your mysteries and secrets drive me up a fucking wall, but there's comradery, little formality, and more leeway when it comes to who does what. I can get behind that," she concluded with a grin. Crimson stood at the doorway, as obstinate as ever. Finally, he shot his neck up, his red eyes glazed as he looked her up and down.
"Would you ever consider joining the ranks?" his voice rung with sincerity. Immediately taken back by the request, she stopped all the packing she was doing, admiring the maple ground with bug eyes. She had never considered joining a front such as this, unaware of their existence just months prior. The thought struck a chord in her being as she gave it some real thought. When she envisioned the future, the sites she basked in were those of her waitress employments, nights with Hitoshi, and comradery amongst Mic's bar. To backing a cause such as this, against Aspeu and tyranny, appeared all too daunting within her deep contemplation.
Before she could respond, Crimson was bucked aside, slamming into the opposing wall with a strength. In barged Hitoshi, breathing heavily with his hands sprawled firmly on his knees. He gawked up; his perpetually tired eyes now resonated a terrifying alarm. Before Crimson was given an opportunity to retaliate, Ochaco trailed behind Hitoshi, followed by Mandalay. Shanta sat up from her seat, arm outstretched to provide a modicum of comfort.
"Hitoshi what happened? What's wro-"
"Sit back down," he demanded, placing his hands atop Shanta's shoulders as gingerly as the situation allowed. She obliged with wide eyes and a scattered mind.
"What's going on?" She demanded.
"Go to FM 105.7, pick up the signal from the Kenfall tower," Ochaco plead, as Shanta's fingers frantically twisted the knobs and dials of the ancient radio. "It happened in Ceederwood, there's been an incident. I think your brother might be involved."
