Chapter 37
In an act of bashful desperation, Izuku shook off David's grasp as he ran towards his anticipating sister. The immediate dash prompted a mass of guns to train on him, though Shoto's hand held high prohibited the shower of slugs. As the sibling's made contact Shanta wrapped her hands around Izuku, encompassing as much as she could while Izuku buried his head in her shoulders. Their eyes completely veiled as showers bowled over their cheeks, staining the leather garments that bound their person. Differing opinions surrounded the state of Izuku culpability, though it was inaudibly agreed upon by all in attendance that a moment would be granted to the two estranged relatives. The duo pulled away, urging a face to face discussion.
"Shanta, what on earth are you doing here?" he voiced through feasibly, the dumbest of grins.
"What you're not happy to see me?" she retorted, prompting a mild chuckle from Izuku. "I'm here with Shiketsu, they took us in after the attack on Galliedenn. We hunkered down in Sanalze until we could get a blimp out. After intercepting some radio chatter from Tenya and Denki, I had a quick chat with the duo, and they filled me in on where you guys were." After clarifying she delivered a thankful wave to Tenya, who nodded happily despite the gag in his mouth.
"I'm so glad you're ok. What about Yoroi, do you know where he is?" Izuku questioned frantically. The twinkle in her eye began to fade as she recalled the fateful capture governed by Dabi.
"He's still in Aspeuean custody. I'll tell you all about it later, I'm just glad to see you again." Izuku's heart rate ebbed away at mention of the confession, he let out a sigh of defeat.
"So, you must have had quite the adventure Izuku?" Ochaco said, coming up from behind Shanta. The two sustained a heartfelt hug, one that Ochaco savored for as long as their time constraints would allow.
"Enough with the formalities," David proclaimed. He, Shoto, and Asuy all paraded forward. Three individuals from Shanta's rear also marched forward, two of whom bore leather gauntlets and masked mouths. At the forefront of both men stood a powerful looking woman with purple hair, with a cane in hand and a pistol holstered at her side. The clothing she displayed road the line between provocative and powerful, somewhere in the fulcrum. The two assemblies met at center stage. David and Asuy up took merciless glances along with the rest of UA, while all other party members claimed bland visages, like the expressionless state of bewildered newborns.
"Hello Midnight. Here I was under the presumption I could have lived a full and healthy life, without ever having to tolerate you again," David said, abandoning all congeniality.
"You thought wrong," she retorted cunningly. "It looks like you have a situation on your hands, one which could require some assistance." She posed the decree as more of an offer rather than a statement.
"That will depend on the stipulations I'm sure you'll issue out," he replied.
"Do you mind filling me in?" Izuku whispered to Shanta. The reunited siblings backed away to the corner of the room that hosted Tenya, Denki, and Bakugou.
"The lady at the for front is Midnight. She's the administrative representative of Shiketsu. The two accompanying her are Crimson Riot and Edgeshot, the two men who adopted us into the fold." As she spoke her eyes wandered toward Denki, exposing a buoyant grin from behind his gag at the sight of Shanta. She ruffled his hair in a friendly manner, maintaining a lively spirit amongst the stroppy situation between factions.
"Who are you referring to when you say us?" Izuku continued to enquire.
"Ochaco whom you know, and Mandalay, a kind of quirky girl who I'm sure you'll like," she said. "Also, my friend Hitoshi, you'll get to know him quite well once this is all over… hopefully."
"We ask of very little in return, an alliance of some sort, access to your facilities, I'm sure we can hash something out," Midnight inclined, waving a hand to the long wooden table located at the epicenter of the room. With that mere gesture, both factions' highest authorities began to congregate, taking seats wherever they could find.
The men overseeing Izuku, and his apprehended team maintained their position. Several faction members that held a lower status departed from the room, knowing their place. Unsure of how to proceed and whom to follow, Izuku upheld the position near his comrades, unwilling to leave them be.
It appeared as though both factions divided between the middle, with David at one head of the table, and Midnight at the other. Shoto and Asuy sat beside David as second lieutenants, while Midnight was surrounded by unknown collaborators. Edgeshot and Crimson Riot held loci at the midpoint of the table. A trice of rigidity hauled by, as the room held still. Izuku' eye caught the glimmer of Mellissa's hair from the opposite end of the room, no longer obscured from the societal mob. Their eyes met as she gifted him with a smile, hobbling towards his direction.
"Who's your friend?" Shanta asked Izuku peculiarly.
"Her name is Mellissa; I'll fill you in on all the details later. You'll like her I promise." All that was issued in reply was a curled smirk and a halfcocked eyebrow. Mellissa plotted herself to Izuku's right, exchanging pleasantries with Shanta on the way.
"So, let's recap?" Midnight instated, silencing all whom were present. "One of your own made a goof, a blunder let's call it. And this compromised Bunker (51-890) in the process?"
"Allegedly," David replied. "The far more likely scenario involves duplicitous acts of epic proportions. One that's going to cost lives of thousands, and snuff out a dream we all shared." David's acknowledgement was civil, though venom dripped from the verses. White hot shame coated Izuku essence. It took all the will power he could muster not bury his face into his chained arms.
"There are some holes within your premise? It's rash to pin all this on Izuku" Midnight claimed, planting her arms firmly on the hardwood counter.
"You speak as if you were one of us, as if you've known these individuals for years and can purportedly vouch for them."
"Shanta, a trusted cadet of mine, claims that he and his associates would be uncapable of such duplicitous acts."
"Well of course she would say that, she's related to the crook!" he barked maddeningly.
"I'm sorry about him," Mellissa murmured to Izuku, feeling the need to apologize for the acts of her father figure. She placed a comforting hand on his arm.
"It's alright, I deserve it," he sighed defeatedly, knowing full well that his careless actions will bear down on UA with no leniency.
"Let's keep things courteous, refrain from using that tone," Midnight said in a manner that displayed elements of courtesy, and intimidation. "Before arriving at UA, Izuku and his colleagues were subject to a polygraph, no?"
"Yes, they were," David said through gritted teeth. "The results of which are not always conclusive."
"Have they exhibited any form of treacherous behavior?" Midnight replied. It was at this point where the vein emerging from the side of David's head throbbed with a frightening pulse. Izuku could see the cogs in his mind churning, requiring no vocal cues to comprehend his thought process. If he so desired, David could expose Izuku and company for the blimp they hijacked, and the betrayals they administrated in the name of his daughters rescue. That would, however, place himself in jeopardy, having known about the operation beforehand.
"No, they have not," he muttered, almost inaudible from the other side of the table.
"It was also brought to my attention," Midnight continued, "that this lad, and his colleagues retaliated against Dabi and an entire platoon, before fleeing to a blimp that landed them in Astrovale."
"That we have no record of. In addition, we have no primary source at the supposed site of rebellion," David quickly protested, further cementing his case.
"Enough. Truthfully, I am not preoccupied about the welfare of the boy. I merely wish to strike a deal." Shanta's eyes drifted from the congressional table, knowing full well that meeting her superior with venomous eyes would not suit her well.
"We wish to be granted full access to the seven blimps you currently have stored in sector 3 of this bunker. In addition, we propose a conglomeration of our research and development with yours," Midnight proposed.
"How do you know of these facilities?" Asuy asked in astonishment, amazed at the unraveling of faction intel.
"A source of ours felt it wise to entrust us with some minor intelligence, after your crowd supposedly failed him and or her in some form or another. Don't make too much of a fuss about it. The data he supplied us with was not detrimental to UA in anyway. And before you ask, it was not divulged by this lot," she illuminated, waving gesturing her hands towards Izuku and his friends. Izuku mind immediately pictured Kota Izumi recalling how his grandfather perished in a terrible arson. Given that the arsonist escaped the grasp Izuku and his comrades, this could have led to Kota to project the blame on UA.
"And what will we receive in return for our blimps and research?" Shoto requested, with his glass-sheltered eyes supposedly on the objective.
"In return, my men will be willing to lay down their life to stop the oncoming horde of green caps, with the promising knowledge that a counteroffensive of this magnitude will provide a hearty setback for the Aspeuean administration. It is at times like these where we must remember, we have a common enemy." A moment of meditative thought was granted to the faction at hand. All eyes began to unconsciously wander towards Shoto, the communally appointed tactician of the entirety of UA.
"What are your numbers?" Shoto asked calmly, as if the weight of thousands were meagre grains of sand upon his shoulders.
"We could carriage four thousand men in the upcoming week, allotting two or three days of preparation before Aspeuean forces come to us. And what of your numbers?" she rejoined. David, being the reserved man that he is, could not bring himself to offer such sensitive information, gripping the sides of the wooden table like his life depended on it.
"We have five thousand men at this outpost, give or take. We expect the grand majority to participate in the bout to come," said Asuy, in a benevolent manner completely juxtaposing that of David.
"What about the Green caps? Did any scout of yours get a good look at their platoons before coming here?" Midnight asked. Once again David issued another beat of silence, unable to come up with a sensible answer. Though it was not his place Izuku stepped up, being a first-hand witness to the horrifying force about to rain down upon them.
"When we flew overhead on the blimp, we counted three STEHB's, six zeppelins and anywhere between seven to twelve thousand men. It proved difficult to count the foot soldiers from the blimp we resided in, given the high altitude." Most executives hung their heads low in that somber moment. All in attendance began mentally constructing any form of response to a force that large. David, opposed them, staring Izuku down with the fury of a hurricane.
"Ryukyu, Rikodo, escort Izuku Midoriya out of the premises and back to his penitentiary, where he can no longer interrupt the council," ordered David, gesturing towards two of the armed guards stationed near the entrance.
"Dad," Mellissa called in protest, finding his request irrational and cruel.
"And escort his traitorous friends with him." Upon his request, the two henchmen escorted Izuku's chained figure out from the boardroom, followed by his fellow colleagues, Shanta, and Ochaco. Mellissa gave David Shield one final look of hard disapproval, one that was tastelessly reciprocated, before accompanying her new colleagues.
All fifteen people, prisoners and guards included, unnervingly crammed inside the elevator at once. The rickety apparatus protested all throughout its decent. Izuku was pressed against the wall alongside Mellissa. She delivered an apologetic look, for both the claustrophobic conditions and David's behavior. Those who possessed mobile hands removed the gags from those encumbered, allowing for dialogue.
"Hey Izuku, doesn't this bring you back to the time where the four of us were crowding that one restroom on the blimp?" Denki said provocatively, naïve to the despondent atmosphere that befell them all. Izuku knew Denki all too well, as he used humor as a defense mechanism, in an attempt to ignore his claustrophobia.
"You can gag him again if you really want to," Bakugou said to Ochaco half kiddingly. After a strenuous time had passed, they had reached their final destination at ground level. All parties emptied out, as they proceeded towards the lockup. Upon arrival Mellissa unsheathed a torch, favorably lighting up the atramentous room around them.
"I can take it from here," Mellissa told the sentinels, once inside the chamber. The need to protest could be registered on both their faces, though her seniority trumped theirs, prompting no further discussion.
"It's really good to see you again Mellissa," Rikodo spurt with a rosy visage that could eb read like a children's novel. Mellissa revealed a warm smile in kind. Both Naezano and Rikodo abandoned the chambers leaving Mellissa relived, and Izuku a little greener than he was accustomed to. Mellissa placed the torch on a fixture in the wall, allowing for better vision. The seven members herded in a circle; their faces dimly lit like phantoms through a thicket of mist.
"Shanta it's good to see you again," said Tenya, launching the first of many embraces and warm welcomes. It was the first time that day where the drab nature of the conditions at hand had not affected their mood. For only a moment, they let all troubles flow down the creek, briefly basking in each other's company. Ochaco administered a hug to Denki, tussling his hair in the process. Tenya assured Shanta that the groups health and safety were both assured. Mellissa and Bakugou stood idly by underneath the torchlight, allocating time for the heartwarming reunion of the Galliedenn natives. Neither wanted to trespass on the reunification being administered, given the two were strangers to most party members. After pleasantries had been exchanged, Izuku instigated the introduction of the newcomers.
"So, Shanta and Ochaco, this here is Bakugou. You might have caught a glimpse of him at the blimp port in Galliedenn. He's saved our asses once or twice, and he's a very dear friend of ours." Bakugou held an unadorned appearance, afraid of committing a faux pas.
"Hey," was all that Bakugou replied, eyeing the floor banally as he spoke. All the men knew from prior experience just how awkward and ill-disposed Bakugou could come off as, particularly with regard to first impressions.
"It's nice to meet you," Shanta began followed by an immediate hug, one that Bakugou was not prepared for. He rose his hands instinctively in quiet defiance, unsure of how to proceed. His retina grew to the size of dinner plates.
"I heard about what happened at Ceederwood, and how you got sent to the hospital. I'm sorry that happened, and I want to thank you so much for protecting my brother. Welcome to the family." Shanta spoke earnestly, flaunting a row of brilliant white teeth as she beamed in his direction.
"Yeah, right. No problem?" He responded apprehensively, ignorant in matters of reciprocating gratification.
"It's a pleasure to meet you as well," Ochaco said, extending her arm out in standard fashion. He felt much more at ease upon receiving this salutation, clasping her hand thankfully in response.
"I'm Ochaco by the way, I'm not sure if Izuku ever brought us up in conversation," she confessed.
"Are you kidding me?" Bakugou spout with a coy chuckle, "he wouldn't shut up about you guys. It's nice to put a name to the face." Ochaco grinned back, jubilant in regard to the news she had just received.
"And this is Mellissa," Izuku announced. She waved her better arm nervously in response.
"Hi everybody, it's nice to meet you all. I just wish it had been under better circumstances. Izuku has told me a lot about you guys," she spoke, in an attempt to come off as approachable as possible.
"Yeah, we're pretty familiar with you as well," Denki hazed in playful mockery, provoking a venomous look from Izuku. A trickle of embarrassment ran down his spine as Mellissa giggled timidly in response.
"How familiar?" Ochaco asked shooting a quizzical look, disregarding the repartee in the room, trying to get her social bearings. Tenya took the liberty of responding.
"AC, the golden sphere I'm sure we're all familiar with now, showed us a visual recording of her from the past. It was back when she first delivered him to Izuku, during her steam cycle crash." Tenya's intentions were pure, bidding to spare Izuku from embarrassment by clarifying the situation. The explanation however, led to a furrowing of the eyebrows on Shanta's part, accompanied by a much redder pigmentation of the face.
"It was you who brought that device to him?" she began in a low menacing voice.
"Not intentionally," Mellissa replied, raising one arm defensively, while the other hung more or less limp. "I just punched in random coordinates. There was no time to input a direct location on the GAUNT, I just needed to get the sphere out of there." The explanation she delivered did very little to remedy Shanta's ominous aura.
"Do you have any idea what that action cost us? Our grandfather's in prison right now! Izuku got a knife through the thigh, and I was captured and interrogated for two straight days!" Her voice boomed throughout the room as all inmates began to shrink away. Shanta approached her formidably while Mellissa began to back paddle in horror. Even the torch hung on the wall began to flicker as if distressed.
"I'm sorry," Mellissa began, as misty tears began to cloak her lenses. "I'm sorry the burden fell on you. There really wasn't any time, if I could take it back I would." Her voice began to break, as a prominent concern fell over her safety.
"Yeah, well sorry doesn't cut it. The amount of damage you've inflicted on me, on my family, it's deplorable." Shanta's approach was berserk in nature, as their two faces almost grazed together amidst the scolding. The firelight coupled with her auburn hair and rosy completion gave Shanta an almost fiendish quality.
"Enough!" Izuku roared, unable to withstand the verbal battering being committed. He wedged himself between the aggressor and her target. "Shanta, you don't understand. You didn't see the recording; she had no other option. There are greater things at play here than just you and I. Believe it or not Mellissa acted completely selflessly."
"Izuku, how are you taking her side? With everything that's happened-" she began, before being cut off.
"I've seen the green caps, and the TANKS. I've seen the miners they've thrown to work, and I've seen the violence on the streets. All those crimes against humanity would have been escalated to unbearable heights if Aspeu obtained the kind of power that AC possessed. Stop grilling her!" Slack jaws and side glances were dished out in spades, while the siblings wallowed in resentment. Both felt a hot shame, having been estranged for so long, only to clash atop a dreadful conflict. Shanta seized her wrangling, though the ire that radiated from her could almost be stroked, like heat from a stove.
"Fine Izuku. Think whatever you like I don't care. I'm going prove myself useful and try and grant you guys some semblance of favor from the higher ups." She barked storming out the makeshift cell, but not before shooting a vindictive look at Mellissa's person.
"I'm so sorry Izuku," Ochaco apologized, before tailing Shanta's trembling figure as they both departed from the chamber. Bakugou, Denki, and Tenya all hung their heads, wishing to avoid all conflict within the group. Silence filled the room, disturbed only by the snivels and snobs that rung through Mellissa's cords. Izuku eyes locked with hers once more, the hinting embers from the torch did very little to mask the puffiness of her eyes. Her name was all he could utter before she ran off as fast as her broken body would allow.
