Chapter 33

The journey so far had been somewhat pleasant, as reminiscences of Izuku's first cruise to Aspeu flashed sporadically before his mind. Five days of cruising had passed on the blimp, as both smell, and anxiety grew to nauseating levels. An abundant number of rations and supplies were provided to the three that traveled, given that the nourishment on board was meant to sport a crew of ten or more individuals. The food itself however was stale and bland, as the diet was designed to preserve the tests of time, rather than the tests of their palates.

Halfway through the trek, Izuku happened upon a dumping unit within the blimp, quickly ridding the premises of all the filth that had littered it since the departure. Though it significantly purged the vehicle of the overwhelming scent, traces of it still lingered throughout the cabin.

The earpieces provided by sector four functioned nicely, though they have not proved their worth just yet in Izuku' eyes. Over the five days of travel Mei and Tenya were the only individuals to put them to good use, as Izuku sat in the rear of the small gondola, overhearing the flirtatious banter and witticisms exchanged by the two. Every so often Denki would check up on Izuku to relive some of the boredom that lingered, which he greatly appreciated.

Halfway through the voyage Izuku noted the black hues and shades that littered the sky's above, like the clouds that dotted the stratosphere were blown from a giant addicted to cigars. The murky hints only thickened exponentially the closer they drew to coal drift, a concern they were made aware of before the travel began.

Izuku caught himself time and time again gyrating and prodding AC's various buttons and pistons, as a remedy to the tedium he experienced on board. It had become his default pastime, investigating different algorithms and patterns just as he had when he first obtained the strange creature. As they concluded their fourth day of travel, Izuku was once again fiddling with AC, droll hanging from his mouth as his eyes began to lose focus as sleep began to cloud his mind. His hands were unrelenting however, as if they were set to autopilot, working against the will of the mind.

Suddenly, one of the many random inputs Izuku had attempted registered, as a small clamor resounded from the orb, followed by a deep and baritone bustle. This alarmingly stirred Izuku to consciousness, as he held the quivering globe in his palms. The piercing lilac light that constantly emitted from its machine-driven retina grew even brighter, dazzling the entire cabin in a radiant twinkle.

"Fellas, there's something going on with AC," Izuku exclaimed in a distressed fashion. The panic in his voice was apparent, as Bakugou veered from the co-piolets chair to bear witness to the strange phenomena.

"Calm down Izuku, can someone describe it to me?" Tenya statically voiced from the intercom that breached his ear.

"It's um… it's shaking, quite a bit. It's glowing even more, I've never seen it do this before," Bakugou stuttered, incapable of putting the abnormal situation into words. The once low rumble that rung from the automaton now raised in pitch escalating higher in linear fashion, while the shaking amplified to a vicious degree.

"You guys alright back there," Mei yelled troublingly, unable to part her eyes from the musky sky as she piloted the blimp.

"Let go of AC," Bakugou howled, tugging Izuku shirt violently.

"What?" he stammered as an inattentive response to the warning issued,

"Izuku let go of it now! Your friend over there is looking more like a bomb than it is an automaton," he continued to bellow over the deafening blares. For fear of his life, Izuku followed Bakugou's advice, releasing the orb as he was violently pulled by his collar as he staggered rising to his feet. Departing from hesitancy Izuku ran after Bakugou with a great deal of struggle as the lavender light that glittered the entire cabin was now blinding. He witnessed Bakugou vault over an empty disposal crate tucked neatly in the rear of the cabin. Following suit, he leapt over the same shelter, consciously fearing for Mei's safety, as well as the precautions she could put into place. By now the once low din reached an earth-shattering shriek, as the cabin crew were forced to cover their ears.

"Everybody, hold tight!" Izuku was positive the cautionary yelp he had issued went unheeded over the roar's AC manufactured. He prayed that no discharge would occur, at least not one that would bring the entire blimp crashing down in a flaming wreckage. He had come to far to let some inexplicable smite of fate be the end of his journey.

As the radiance and high-pitched wailing reached its pinnacle, it subsided just as abruptly as it had started. The climax had ended, and, in its wake, a comically conventional ding was registered in its place, similar to that of an oven timer. After an admonitory minute had passed, Izuku and Bakugou both peeked over the create to bear witness to what had transpired.

To the best of their perspective abilities, no change had occurred. AC was parked right where Izuku had left him, while the surrounding cabin space remained untouched. From afar it appeared as though no alteration was made to AC, though the team remained alert. The heart rates and breath of the team began to stabilize.

"Can someone fill me in on what the hell just happened back there," said Mei in a manic shriek. "With that blinding light going amuck, I could barely see what was ahead of me. What if we had soared through an ash cloud hu? What then?"

"Is everyone alright?" Denki voiced in concern through the staticky earpiece.

"We're good, just an unexpected hiccup," Izuku reassured.

"Izuku if that robot over there hadn't saved my life a hand full of times, I'd be chucking it out of the blimp as we speak," Bakugou grumbled.

"I know."

"Just promise me, no more prodding and poking at the thing alright? One day it's going to blow up in your face," Tenya advised.

"I know." He acknowledged their words, though his actions would remain unchanged. The others remained forever skeptical however, Izuku was confident in AC's intentions. He was certain of very few things in this world, though the loyalty and rapport between the funny little android and he never wavered. He approached the orb, lifting him off the ground with cautionary hands. At first glance he saw no changes to the exterior, no faults nor fissures. Although, upon further inspection he discerned a small depression, directly above the lilac lens that gazed about with such wonder. Before he was given the opportunity to examine it any further, Bakugou came rushing to his side, looking over his shoulder and bearing witness to the minor alteration.

"What do you suppose that is?" Bakugou questioned.

"It looks to me like a button," Izuku answered back.

"Don't even think about pressing it," he advised menacingly.

"I'm going to press it."

"Don't press that button," Denki and Tenya bellowed concurrently, and directly into his ear.

"I'm going to press it."

"Izuku!" Mei snapped from the head of the gondola. "As the senior most staff of this vessel I order you to leave it be. This mission is hazardous enough as is, so there will be will no more light spectacles or fiery threats tacked onto it. There's no chance we'll get Mellissa back if I blindly fly us to the ground or implode midair. We will proceed with the mission as planned, and we will take AC back to the bunker for further inspection. Is that understood?"

"Understood," Izuku complied, seeing the voice of reason within the cockpit. After a brief self-reflection he understood his own carelessness, knowing full well that curiosity was one of his many flaws. He made a mental note to learn from it. Bakugou returned to the comfort of his co-piolets chair, leaving him to store AC back to the cozy knapsack he called home. He proceeded with superfluous caution, as to leave the latest button un-pressed.

Hours had passed and after an unsavory supper of saltines, dried corn and canned beans Izuku drifted off to sleep with great difficulty on the hard-wooden base of the gondola. He arose violently, stirred by the turbulence and blaring alarms of the vessel. Outside the fortified windows of the cabin he could witness the mountains of jet-black cloud that encompassed the sky, as mists of granite and rumble hammered against the side of the hull. Though rheum encrusted his eyes he could witness Mei to his far right, her face knotted with effort as she struggled to anchor the blimp

"What's going on?" Izuku spouted as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

"Dude, you truly can sleep through anything can't you?" Bakugou said, gripping the rims of his chair for support.

"I'm trying to land this blimp, that's what's going on," Mei stammered with one hand on the throttle, and the other on the elevator wheel. Veins began to surface on her temple, while beads of sweat began to fall from her nose and upper lip like shower falls.

"Did anyone see us land? Is anyone aware that we're here," he grilled troublingly.

"I doubt anyone would be able to see five feet in front of them in this climate, let alone a grey colored blimp. Now stop it with the questions I'm trying to land this thing," Mei snarled engrossed with the task at hand. As the turbulence grew more violent, Izuku was forced to latch on to any surface that would prevent him from bouncing about the cabin like a pinball.

The feeling of nausea, formally triggered by the unpalatable food that resided in his stomach, grew to new heights as the throbbing of the cabin became perilous. After several excruciating minutes of straining his muscles to remained anchored, and bolting his eyes closed from both queasiness and fear, the blimp reached its final descent. Though the turbulence had suddenly sized, the sound of jagged stones and surges of debris rocketed off the exterior of the cabin, assaulting the ears as it echoed brutally.

"We made it," Mei groaned, as her head collapsed onto the control panel with a sturdy thud. As the cabin approached a stop Izuku's dizziness overcame him, failing his first attempt to rise to his feet. So, he sat, head in his hands and bid his time while the room sized to spin.

"So, what's the plan?" Bakugou said through an assortment of dry heaves.

"Well, the longer we stay here, the greater our chances of getting caught. Which means you two have to book it right now," Mei instructed, rising from her seat as she approached the two operatives.

"I took the liberty of packing two filtration masks in your knapsack, that should get you to the nearest mine entrance about a quarter of a click that way. Unfortunately, I couldn't get my hands on any goggles so, you'll be going in blind. I need to stick around here so that no one messes with our ride. I'm assuming you can just follow AC and he'll show you the way, isn't that right little buddy?" As she concluded her sentence, AC came shooting out of the knapsack per usual, gladly acknowledging the call. They proceeded to fit the constricting filtration masks onto their respective maws, as Mei opened the drop bridge to the infernal landscape below.

The moment the cabin depressurized, a brute wave of heat and fury washed over both Izuku and Bakugou like a tsunami of napalm and scorching coals. Though the filtration gear served its purpose their eyes could not adjust to the cinders. Both instinctively barred their eyes shut, burying them in the crevice of their arms for additional refuge. Though they remained stationary, rebelling versus the ferocious winds that threatened to whisk them off their feet, Izuku could feel AC's familiar metallic coating brushing against his palm. With it, he propelled himself forward with frosty puffs of pressurized air. With Bakugou's hands resting upon Izuku shoulder's, the golden globe guided them like a Shepard herding sheep, while their flesh and blood strained against the unforgiving climate.

For ten minutes they blindly rambled through the crusty earth like rotisserie chickens in a stove. The kindling airborne at all times burned both their foreheads and cheekbones like terminal fevers. Izuku thought to himself, what amount of energy and power derived from the bowels of the earth, could bring someone to manifest hell on earth like this. As their journey winded to a close, reaching some semblance of cover from the elements, they squinted opening their eyes once more, daring not to remove their protective breathing apparatus. They found themselves at the entrance of some manufactured burrow.

"I need a minute," Bakugou stuttered. "Can you check to see if my eyebrows haven't been singed off?"

"Can you repeat that I can't hear you all that well," Izuku roared. Though the masks they wore prevented black lung and further damage, it also hindered their speech. Their speech and cantankerous ramblings converted into muffled, barley registered audio.

"What?" Barked Bakugou. Finding an alternate approach Izuku relied on his hands to sign, relying on deaf actions. He diverted the attention to AC, who already begun the spelunking tour down the rocky shaft they had entered. Seeing no point in resting, the two began their descent, happy to put as much distance between them and the surface as possible.

As they ventured down, they watched as the webbed ores and abundant stalactites gave way to man-made rails, and wooden supports. The distant sound of metal rasping against metal could be heard, in addition to a harmony of dins produced by pickaxes on precious minerals.

"Keep your head down," Izuku instructed. When they realized they had stumbled upon an operational mine they crouched lower and scuttled gentler. Izuku made sure to grasp AC from the air and ensure that he floated safely, an inch above the ground. He prayed that the rubble and dust being fanned about by the orb's steams of air, would not compromise their stealth. The dark blue attire they wore pleased Izuku a great deal, though he now longed for a murky brown dye, to camouflage against their surrounding atmosphere like a wary chameleon.

Both Bakugou and Izuku could not help but gander over their sheltering cover to observe the workers that labored over dim torchlight. Miners, draped in pigskin bodysuits that were permanently dyed in black coal and tar, littered the area like a beaten ant colony. Their shoulder slouched and their heads hung low as they drove their pickaxes monotonously down into the bleeding earth. Their faces were masked by headdresses composed of hard felt and metal tubbing, giving them a Martian appearance.

As the miners focused at the task at hand the infiltrators strenuously slipped by their perimeters, using ever cart and protruding crystal to their advantage, as cover. They followed AC blindly, as they descended further and further into the depths of the treacherous excavation pit. Amidst their descent, Bakugou tapped Izuku vigorously on the shoulder, both startling him and grabbing his attention.

"Where are we going," Bakugou whispered, shrugging his shoulders excessively in the event that Izuku could not hear register his enquiry.

"I don't know man, just put your faith in AC. He's gotten us this far without killing us, hasn't he?" At this, Bakugou rolled his eyes, verifying that he heard every word Izuku had issued. As the excursion forged on Izuku bared witness to some miners faces, those that were free from the cumbersome cloths and metal tubing. Malformities and crusty skin were found in patches amongst many of the faces he reluctantly witnessed. Gashes and charred patches of skin riddled their many faces, most defiantly caused by the environmental conditions.

An overwhelming wave of nausea coalesced with pity washed over Izuku's psyche. No man would perform this labor of his own volition, he was certain of very little but this he knew. Trotting along the path rusty rebar and viscous mud, the anguished faces of these miners only fueled Izuku's desire for a new order, knowing full well Aspeu's glutenous requisite for power was to blame.

"How much further? We've been crab walking for miles now," Bakugou whispered furiously into Izuku ear, trying to remain as audible as possible.

"And how would I know? I'm not the conductor here."

"How does it even know where we're going? How positive are you that it's not just, sniffing something else out like, gold or whatever?" A look of pure bafflement was issued, as an eyebrow and hand we're elevated in reply.

"Bakugou, first of all it's not a pig sniffing for truffles ok? He's gotten us this far hasn't he? Secondly, he doesn't like being called an it. So how about you endure the scuttle just a little while longer until we liberate a crucial member of our faction. How about that?"

"That depends on how long a little while is, trusting around to save your girlfriend. Oh, and so we're part of a faction, now are we?"

"What, you don't believe in the cause? You don't think this whole backwards-ass country requires a one eighty in regards to its administration?"

"That's not the point," Bakugou mumbled.

"Man, we've been living under their roof, training under their people, and surviving off of their food. As far as I'm concerned, we're already in it for the long haul."

"I agree," Tenya curtly said buzzed into his earpiece. Both operatives we're startled by the sudden interjection.

"Holy hell Tenya, a little warning next time," rejoined Bakugou spitefully.

"My bad guys. I knew you to were scuttering all sneaky like, so I didn't want to startle either of you," he said remorsefully.

"Yeah well great job," Bakugou snapped with a tenor dripping with cynicism.

"For now, just stay radio silent until we need something from you guys ok? We appreciate the concern though," Izuku said, in a more constructive manner. As the squabble came to an end, AC's uninterrupted hovering continued, as he forged further down the depths of the mine. It was at this level where the descent conveyed a certain soreness in Izuku ears, similar to that of the cabin pressure felt in the blimp.

Just as his legs began to cave from the uninterrupted hours of hunkering, AC came to a stop, right beside a traditional steel door, with bars fitted at eye level. Only then did Izuku straighten his back once more, feeling the burden of the hunching arch relive itself, while peeking discreetly through the steel bars. The chamber he oversaw was terribly lit by a guttering grey candle suspended to the wall. Still, the radiance was enough to glimmer off the blonde locks of a woman, chained by the writs to an eroded bed frame. His stare held for a moment, as veneration and concern briefly paralyzed him. He slouched once again, inches from Bakugou's look that was half obscured by the bulky mask.

"So? What's the verdict?" said Bakugou patiently, taken aback by the seconds Izuku squandered to process the situation.

"Yeah, she's um… Yeah, she's in there," he spluttered. More time passed, as Izuku blankly crouched, completely aloof.

"Hello? Earth to Izuku? What's the plan?" Bakugou asked, peering over his shoulder fretfully. The door that AC had revealed to them lay at a dead end, down a far-reaching railway tailored to mining carts. At any moment a miner, or any other antagonist could present itself down that hallway, with no route to escape.

"I'm not quite sure. There's a keyhole, do you happen to know how to pick locks?" He asked optimistically.

"As a matter a fact I do," Bakugou said pompously. "Though this deadbolt is way too heavy duty for me. I don't have anything on me that's large enough or sturdy enough to make a suitable pick."

"Well then that doesn't help us much now does it?" he countered, dropping his eyelids.

"I might have a suggestion," Tenya buzzed in once more.

"We're all ears," Izuku acknowledged.

"Do you recall our initial arrival to Aspeu? How we touched down and the blimp was immediately infiltrated, and we all hid inside that cramped stall."

"Good times, good times," Kaminari pitched in a sassy sigh through the intercom.

"Remember how it carved a hole through the floor of the restroom, allowing us to make that escape? Use that same laser to cut through that bolt." Izuku placed his digits to his temple, deep in thought.

"What if I hit her? That could happen couldn't it?" he responded; suddenly stricken with a particular fear he was unaccustomed to.

"Right now, Izuku I don't see any other alternatives," Bakugou said, striving to sound as empathetic as possible. "Plus, the more time we waste here debating this the more time they have of catching us and sounding the alarms." With no other options Izuku sighed, knowing these next moments would determine the fate of the mission, as well as the fate of the Mellissa herself.

"Alright AC. Remember how you cut that hole through the bathroom floor the moment we touched down on Aspeu? Well could you maybe cut the bolt open on the door, just please be careful," he requested with a tentative tenor. Abiding by his request, AC rose to eye level, and began to laser away. It took only moments for the solid iron and carbon alloy to flux into a liquid concoction, a river of molten amethyst. Once time elapsed, the solid bolt dropped with an alarming thud, reverberating off the rails and walls of the cavern.

"They might have heard that," Bakugou whispered, distressed.

"We need to hurry then," Izuku responded, more determined than ever before. With their stealth possibly compromised, he took no time preoccupying over the amount of noise being made. Izuku kicked the door open, rushing headfirst into the room, approaching Mellissa like a dream left behind in the night. Taking no time to issue words he simply took her pulse, a skill he would not have unearthed if not for Shoto.

"She's alive, just unconscious," he added firmly. Without having to issue a single demand AC immediately went to work on the chains that bound her ankles and wrists.

"Bakugou I need you to stand outside and keep guard," he directed. Bakugou complied, rushing towards the entrance with his newly acquired firearm scoped directly down the railway.

"Hey, can you hear me?" Izuku soothingly whispered into here unheeding ear. "We're part of UA, we're here to get you out." Izuku asserted. His suspicions were correct, Mellissa was out cold. Only now, while AC took a moment to break away her shackles could he truly note the damage that had been done.

Her stomach, as well as the surface area of her arms and legs were bare, exposed through tattered clothes, similar to those that Izuku and Bakugou currently festooned. The injuries inflicted months ago whilst on her motorized cycle had roughly healed, though untreated and sure to leave behind uninviting scares. However, fresh wounds we're delivered some still blead while others were coated in thick crust of scab and congealed blood. In some drastic cases sinew was exposed, as well as purple blemishes denoting internal bleeding and fractured bone. Most injuries he felt familiar with, having trained rigorously with a the strong willed Naezono, though his grievances were never imposed to this degree. A voracious rage like a fire swept over Izuku trembling form, as he vowed to commit those that begun this malice to a life of pain.

Enthralled in his own rampant storm of thoughts he was unprepared when the final link was cut by AC's prevailing beam. Without warning her figure fell like a ragdoll, scarcely granting him enough time to secure her in his hold before her skull hit the pavement. He solemnly ran his hands through her hair, cradling her head like that of a new born infant, preventing any further damage. Gliding his fingers further he could feel the laceration hidden between her roots, from where the initial motor vehicle injury took place. He squandered a precious moment, gazing down upon her, desiring nothing more than to thank her for granting him a gateway to this life, an impactive one that could change the tides of history.

"Any day now Izuku," Bakugou snapped grittily, his finger steady on the trigger. Snapped back to existence, he let his feet carry him. He supported Mellissa's back in one arm with her legs in the other, paying diligent attention not let his blundering mannerisms lead to knocking her into the corner of a wall, or the peak of a stalactite. With no further delay the trio bolted out the corridor as fast as their stride would allow.

As they darted through tunnels, weaving through every cart and protrusion alike, some mine operators took notice. However, rather than perusing the trespassers they simply stood idly by, the look on their grotesque faces almost resembled that of admiration. Perhaps they stood in some form of silent protest, Izuku thought to himself. With the burden of supporting a fully grown human in his arms, Bakugou took it upon himself to take the lead, storming as the head of the escapees. He was sure to enter each room scope first, as his keen eye plotted every knock and cranny for unforeseen perils. Izuku dreaded the hike back to the surface, knowing full well the effort he would have to exhort.

"Guys, we have news," Denki buzzed through the intercom.

"Denki honestly, any other time but now would be great," Izuku responded through intermittent pants.

"No guys really, this is seri-." Allotting no time for Tenya to finish, Izuku turned off his intercom, knowing full well distractions of that sort would lead to their escape being thwarted.

"You turned off your coms as well?" Bakugou questioned from the front, maintaining his dominant eye on the lens of his scope.

"Kaminari had a point. It gets kind of annoying having some ramble on in your ear," he said weakly. Slowly but surely the escalation progressed, as blurry support pillars and shimmering lattices of barrage torches flew by. From the rear of their formation, AC's thrusters began to blaze with a greater vigor, propelling him onward to the head. The reason for this alteration was unbeknownst to Izuku, though he gave it very little thought when having the wellbeing of an incapacitated comrade on his conscious.

"How much further?" Izuku asked, unsure of whether he could maintain this brisk pace, given the load he now carried.

"I think we're about halfway there; I'm beginning to hear howls from the wind above ground." Clearing into another large room, AC flew, veering a corner and leaving the remainder of the squadron struggling match the pace. Upon arrival came a grander cavern, well supported by elongated cement pillars and oddly placed buttresses.

Suddenly, they were met by the deafening sound of gunfire, further amplified by the acoustics of the ill-omened cavern. Both Izuku and Bakugou ducked and sought shelter behind two large boulders conveniently placed at the focus entranceway. Izuku cradled Mellissa's cranium in his arms, sheltering from any stray bullets. In addition, AC instinctively projected his lilac hexagonal lattice of transparent shielding, something Izuku had only now been habituated with.

"You Midoriya runts are going to be the death of me," said the vaguely recognizable voice of Dabi, come again like an impish ghost of summers past.