***Hi everyone! Sorry for the late update, but I was taking a little bit of a break to recharge my writing batteries! ^_^ Hope everyone had a safe, fun, and happy holiday/New Year! Let's make 2020 Plus Ultra!
***Twenty Funny: Fill Your Life With Laughter and Love!***
***Warnings: Language, smug-Bakugo, dialogue-heavy, into heavy, humor
***Please read, review, and enjoy!
Chapter 12: The War Room
Bakugo wakes up to something warm and tingly on his bare flesh. At first, he thinks it's Deku, but the omega is sound asleep beside him. Bakugo turns his body in the bed towards the strange feeling and sees a white mist glowing with little lights. He realizes that all he can do is stare at the cloud of mist sparkling with eight tiny lights. This is a mist he's never seen before, and his mind tells him that it belongs to the Wailing. But that's not the only thing his mind tells him. The mist seems to beckon him to follow, and Bakugo finds his body leaving the bed and his feet moving on their own. Only his feet move; the rest of him remains limp and still; he can't blink his eyes. The mist hypnotizes him, and he follows it from the room.
The next thing Bakugo knows is that he's in the Prophecy Room, though he doesn't remember getting there. Questioning what he is doing here, completely naked, his eyes are then drawn to movement on the ceiling. The stain-glass figures of the successor and the human-turned-demon begin to move on their own. Bakugo watches, his eyes wide, as the ceiling comes to life.
The successor glides towards the other, the human, who no longer has the demon face emerging from it. The successor holds one of the rabbits, all of which hop at their feet. The two interact in silence. Then, a splash of wild red pushes between them, shielding the successor while pointing a sword at the human. The human draws their sword, there's a short duel, and the successor stops them. The form of red kneels before the human as they stand next to the successor, showing the other that they are a pair. The red is joined by other colors, humanoid forms that were never on the ceiling before, or what Bakugo thought were just designs. All the color forms bow to the couple.
But the scene changes when the colors drain away and dots from all across the ceiling come together to form a figure of gray and blue approaching the successor, who is now alone. They too interact, but unlike before, no one separates them. The successor turns away, and the other figure melts to the ground, disappearing from the scene. The successor is with the human again, only this time there is a noticeable bump of pregnancy.
The blue glass of the sky becomes red as the whole room shakes like an earthquake, knocking Bakugo down to the floor. All colors turn red, black, or brown and the ceiling moans like a squeaky door during a windstorm. For the first time in all his years (that he could remember) Bakugo was terrified. Only the successor, the human, and a great ball of golden light remain among the darkness. Bakugo knows that he is looking at the Symbol of Peace as He defeats the Dark King. But that is not the scene he focuses on. The human alpha is suddenly grabbed from behind by what looks like dozens of hands and they pull the human spirit out to be replaced with that of a demon. The human grows horns and a tail, mouth open wide in a silent roar. Though it's silent, all the glass from the ceiling shatters, raining down upon Bakugo in a rainbow of twinkling lights. Except for the successor, whose form is still there. A moment later, like a piece of paper, it falls arms and head first towards the floor. Without knowing it, Bakugo leaps up to try and catch the successor only to have them fade away once they fall into his arms.
Bakugo closes his eyes for a moment, then opens them to see that the shattered glass is gone from the floor and returned to the ceiling as if nothing had happened.
"What the fuck was that just now? Seriously, what the actual FUCK!"
"Ow!"
"Please try your best to remain still,"
Izuku sits in an herbal bath of aloe and healing salts to soothe his aching lower half while Tokoyami tends to the many bite and scratch marks. Iida is in the room as well, effortlessly holding his writing box while scratching the quill along some paper. 'Legal documents,' Iida had told him. Izuku couldn't focus on Iida anyway because whatever medicines Tokoyami is using on the bite marks sting, making him flinch, which in turn has the gargoyle scolding him. He's both physically and mentally exhausted from the actions of last night, but the hardest part of waking up was not the pain, but the absence of Bakugo. He had left without waking Izuku up, and no one seemed to know where he went. It was Iida who told him that Bakugo wanders off sometimes to be alone when something out of the ordinary happens. Bakugo didn't leave or reject him because Izuku can feel their bond.
"Oh, Dom-Omega, do you mind if I ask a few questions for my notes?" Iida asks Izuku.
"Um...sure, I guess. Ow-"
"I apologize," says Tokoyami. "But please hold still."
Iida explains to Izuku that the notes he wants to take refer to the mating from last night, preferably how a human fairs with a demon. These notes would prove helpful in the future when the worlds come together, which tells Izuku that the demons are planning to breed with humans. Now that he is the Dom-Omega of not just this territory but the human world as well, he should do anything he can to help ensure the safety of human omegas. Izuku gives Iida permission to ask him anything. Iida ends up taking that permission literally and, much to Izuku's embarrassment, ask the intimate questions as easily as if he were giving an interview. Half the time, Izuku could barely answer the questions without stuttering.
"Wonderful! This is great information!" Iida says when they were finally finished. "I will take my leave now. Please use the rest of the day to relax, for you deserve it!"
Izuku waits for Iida to leave then turns to Tokoyami. "I left one thing out,"
"Should I call Iida back?"
"No. I was...too embarrassed to say it to him, but I can ask you about it."
Tokoyami pours some more aloe into the water. "Go ahead then."
"Is it...supposed to be cold inside me?"
Tokoyami tilts his head. "Cold? What do you mean? What's cold?"
Izuku clears his throat. "Um...Bakugo's...you know."
"Hm."
"Is that weird? I mean...it was warm and really nice last night...but now it's cold. Am I supposed to feel it like that?"
"Does it hurt at all?" Tokoyami asks.
"No. It's a little uncomfortable, but I can tolerate it. Sometimes it hurts more than others. The hot water is helping to ease it,"
"Hm. Then I wouldn't worry about it right now. If it persists, then we'll look further into it. However, given what you've told me, I can safely assume it's only because you are a human and Lord Bakugo is a demon. Your bodies will react differently. You may feel the baby beginning to form. Demon fetuses grow quickly."
"Humans take longer," Izuku says. "What about gargoyles?"
"Very long. Even if I were to mate with a demon, it would still take the same length of time. We have the egg or eggs grow first, then we have to sit on the eggs, which can take a long or short time. It all depends."
"No wonder you keep pushing it off," Izuku rubs the back of his neck. "My whole body hurts from last night. I don't even want to move,"
"I'll have Dark Shadow carry you to bed," Tokoyami says. "When you're finished. I've taken care of all your wounds. Iida has a special diet for you, by the way."
Izuku makes a face.
"I know. I thought I would give you a warning ahead of time. But, you are carrying the future inside of you. The baby needs the best attention and care, yes?"
Izuku nods. "Yes."
"Tomorrow evening, I'll be leaving with Shoji to the gargoyle territory. I'll be gone for a few days, but you'll have Iida and Tsu here to help in my sted."
Izuku's eyes widen and he shakes his head. "No! You can't go! I need you here to...to...help me with the baby."
"It's very early stages yet," Tokoyami reminds him. "And I can't resist the calling to return to my homeland and nest to mate. And, believe it or not, Lord Bakugo is, as you already know, very intelligent and he can help you with anything medical you may need."
Izuku sighs and says, "He's not even here right now…"
"I'll seek him out for you," Tokoyami says. "Would you prefer to keep resting in the tub while I find him, or should I have Dark Shadow carry you?"
"The water feels good on my muscles," Izuku says. "Just find Bakugo for me. Thank you."
Izuku sinks further into the water, closing his eyes while trying to focus his mind on something other than the aches and pains. It was his first time last night, and the allure of his omega virginity is no longer exciting. Now he's just like anyone else. The alphas at the mines knew he was a virgin, which was all the more reason to pester him. It's unnecessary in his view. Bakugo is probably proud of being his first, but at the same time, Izuku doesn't think Bakugo would actually care if he were a virgin or not. The alpha is his mate, after all. Izuku had no regrets coupling with his Kacchan. The nickname makes him smile, then his stomach twists with a slight pain that forces him to hiss and sit up in the tub. Rubbing his stomach seemed to help, but whatever was happening inside, he knew, would not be over quick. It had to be an instinct on his end. All he can do is sit and wait for Bakugo to come while his stomach twists and turns.
"Hey, Bakugo! There you are! Why are you naked in the halls?" Sero says when he comes upon Bakugo, who looks like he's in a daze. "Bakugo? You okay?" Sero takes off his cloak to wrap around Bakugo and shield the nakedness.
"Have Iida call a meeting," Bakugo tells him. "You three, him, and Tokoyami. In the war room."
"Not Izuku?"
"No. Not him. I...I'm going to go see him now. This is a private meeting."
"Why the war room?"
"Again, for fucking privacy!"
Bakugo takes Sero's cloak and makes his way to the bedroom. As he gets closer, he can sense Deku's fear. Bakugo goes from a walk to a run, bursting into the chamber and slamming the door closed. He calls out for Deku, finding that the omega is not in the bed. Deku calls from the bathing room. Bakugo drops the cloak and rushes inside to find Deku in the tub, his face scrunched in pain as he leans limply over the rim of the tub.
"Kacchan?"
"What the hell is going on?" Bakugo goes over to him, looking at the water and smelling the herbs. "Tokoyami's been here, right?"
"Yes. My stomach really hurts," Deku tells him. "It's cold and painful...like lying on the snow,"
"Let's get you to bed then," Bakugo easily lifts Deku out of the tub, grabbing a blanket along the way to dry him off. He can still feel Deku's pain, though it doesn't physically hurt him. Instead, it makes him anxious and restless. To know that Deku is hurting and there is really nothing he can do angers him, forcing out a growl. "That wasn't for you," Bakugo says through his teeth while Deku dries off. "I'm just frustrated."
Izuku almost snapped at Bakugo because if anyone should be 'frustrated,' it's him with the beginnings of a baby. Instead, he asks, "Why are you frustrated?"
Bakugo clenches his hands at his sides with his tails whipping back and forth. "Because of our bond from last night. I feel your...whatever it is you're feeling, but not in the same way. I know you're in distress, and that fucking bothers me but I don't know what to do about it,"
Izuku, his stomach still hurting, manages to smile and holds his arms out to Bakugo. "Then come lay with me for a while, and we'll figure it out together. I need my alpha mate with me right now," he can feel the tears stinging his eyes. "I'm scared too,"
"I'm not scared!" Bakugo counters as he lays down with Deku on the bed. When he's beside Deku, his mate, the frustration he felt faded and he was calmer. The strange phenomenon he saw on the ceiling earlier still affected him, and that's what the meeting is going to be about. He can't stay with Deku for long. "You seem like you feel better?"
"It must be because you're with me," Izuku says. "My stomach doesn't hurt as much now. Tokoyami thinks it's because I'm a human that I'm feeling your...seed...differently."
Bakugo's hand unconsciously rests on Deku's lower stomach, which once flat now bears a bit of bulge; not from pregnancy but from his 'seed' as Deku put it. Bakugo smirks with pride. "I don't sense a life form yet...but if you're feeling something, that means everything is working."
"Don't move your hand," Izuku pleas with him. "You're making it feel warm and it doesn't hurt as much."
"Fine."
"Kacchan? Why weren't you here when I woke up?"
"...I had trouble sleeping and I didn't want to wake you," Bakugo replies. "I figured you needed the rest. I still have work to do, you know; marriage or not. And I have a meeting to attend soon, so I can't stay long, but I will be available tonight."
Izuku's tearful eyes turn to face Bakugo. "You're dumping me already? Shouldn't you want to spend time with me?"
Bakugo sneers and yells, "That has nothing to do with this! Right now...there's some shit going on, okay? Shit that I don't understand, but it doesn't involve you at this time, alright? I said you'll have me tonight!"
"Why can't I be in this meeting?"
"Because you need to rest your body," Bakugo says. "You can barely move as it is, and your alpha prime has given you an order to stay in bed!" He nips roughly at Deku's ear, making the other omega let out a little yip. "I can stay for a bit longer, so just shut up and enjoy it,"
Izuku had to admit that Bakugo is right with him being unable to move. His limbs were not only in pain but felt heavy and limp. There really is no energy left in him right now to do much other than accept Bakugo's attention. This is what he wanted, to have his alpha mate beside him. Izuku must have drifted off into a light sleep because he dreamed that he and Bakugo were laying like this in the grass and looking up at the sun through the treetops. When he opened his eyes again, Bakugo was getting up.
"Kacchan?"
"I thought you fell asleep?"
"I think I did...but I felt you moving. Do you have to leave?"
Bakugo gets off the bed to dress. "I said we'll be together tonight! I don't like having to repeat myself!"
"...I understand."
Bakugo grumbles angrily as he feels Deku's disappointment through their bond. 'Stupid bonding mark!' He goes back over to the bed and quickly kisses Deku on the lips. "There! Satisfied? Now stop pouting and focus on making that baby big and healthy, got it!"
Izuku, for some reason, found the kiss and Bakugo's sudden burst of anger amusing. The laughter did not go over well with Bakugo because the alpha attempted a dramatic exit only to stumble over a decorative table. Izuku had to bite his lip and cover his mouth to keep from laughing. When Bakugo finally left in a huff, Izuku pulled the blankets and furs over him to cuddle into the soft warmth. They smell like Bakugo, though it's not the same as having his mate with him. He can still feel that little kiss lingering on his lips and his exhaustion taking over. The ice in his belly slowly began to warm, and as it did, Izuku drifted off into a peaceful, satisfying slumber.
When Bakugo enters the war room, he stops to count everyone in the room. Kirishima, Sero, Iida, Kaminari, and Tokoyami. They all stand to greet him as he takes his chair at the head of the table, pouring himself some blood wine. The others all do the same, though no one says a word. During this type of meeting, only the alpha prime is allowed to speak first. If there was food, he would eat first, same as the blood wine. He takes a hearty sip, then speaks.
"Nothing discussed in this room leaves these walls. Understood?"
"Yes." They all say in unison.
"It's no mystery that strange and peculiar things have been happening here since Deku arrived. Early this morning, and again, this does NOT leave the walls of this room; I was led by the Wailing to the Prophecy Room. There, the pictures on the ceiling came to life and portrayed a scene…" he trails off. Iida is the first to respond.
"What did you see?"
Bakugo pauses to take a sip of blood wine. "I saw a shortened version of the successor's life before The Master of All Evil attacked. I saw the human alpha mate, some other figures, the Symbol of Peace, and another person." Bakugo continues to tell them what he saw detail by detail. As he speaks, Iida takes notes, but what Bakugo notices, after he finishes, are the suspicious, guilty looks on both Kirishima and Tokoyami's faces. Bakugo's eyes narrow, the whites turning black, and his claws scrape the surface of the cup. "Hey, you two," they knew he was referring to them, further proof that the pair know something that he doesn't. "Care to share what you're keeping from me?"
"W-We're not keeping anything from you," Kirishima says quickly.
"I am only trying to analyze what you saw," Tokoyami responds as calmly as he can.
Bakugo knows they're lying, and the fact that they have some knowledge that they have kept from him only makes him angrier. The others at the table can sense his anger, and that was before the flames slowly ignite on his shoulders, reminding all of them why he is a Blood Lord and the Flame Lord.
"Stupid-Hair, Bird-Brain, listen very carefully. To hold back valuable information from your alpha prime, Blood Lord, and Master is a serious fucking crime; especially if it pertains to ME!"
Kirishima and Tokoyami hang their heads in submission.
"So, if you both have been having some secret discussion behind my back, then I think it's time you share with the class. Stupid-Hair, you love my whipping skills; and Bird-Brain, I'm very fond of eating eggs, fertilized or not."
"Whoa, slow down there, boss," Kaminari says. "We all have our own interpretations of the stuff that's been going on."
"So, you've all been talking behind my back?" Bakugo's flames grow brighter.
"Everyone, please, let us calm ourselves," Iida shouts. "Clearly, Kirishima and Tokoyami have information that is worth sharing, but we don't need to resort to such threats violence to get them to speak!"
Bakugo bares his fangs at Iida. "I don't care about that! I'm pissed that they feel they couldn't share information with me!"
"We will now," Kirishima says, lifting his head to look only at Bakugo. "I too...had a strange flashback, that I think was a memory, of you and me,"
Bakugo's flames die and his anger fades. Only by a bit.
"It happened when I was at Mirio's place, and I challenged Dabi to protect Izuku's honor, and that's when I had the memory. Only, instead of Dabi, it was you. It was like...something similar happened before."
"What the hell does that even mean?" Bakugo asks.
Kirishima clears his throat and glances at Tokoyami. "Well...Tokoyami and I...shared some thoughts on that."
"It is only a theory, Lord Bakugo," Tokoyami begins. "We did not want to mention anything because that is all it is, a theory. I would not hold back information if I had all the necessary-"
"Stop running your beak with all that shit and get straight to the point!" Bakugo demands.
Kirishima puts his arm in front of Tokoyami and blurts out. "We know Izuku is really the successor reborn and you're the human alpha turned demon!"
The room went deadly silent with everyone staring at Bakugo, who only stares blankly at Kirishima.
"Again it is just a theory," Tokoyami is the first to break the silence. "But you and Izuku may very well be fated mates."
Iida fixes his glasses, clears his throat, then asks, "How did both of you come to this theory?"
"There are a few reasons," Tokoyami starts. "The first is, obviously, how things have changed since Izuku came to the realm. Some of us have had flashbacks or memories, such as you and Kirishima. Izuku has also experienced some memories. These memories, or flashbacks, or whatever they are, only started when Izuku came. We know that the successor will fall from the sky, and that was Izuku. We know that the successor will not be born, as is the lie we have been telling Izuku. Izuku believes he will bear the successor, though I wonder if he is starting to have some inkling of who he really is. That time with Tomura in the woods...and the Wailing coming to him…"
"What makes you think I was the human?" Bakugo asks, gripping the arms of his chair.
Kirishima takes over with the explanation. "The flashback that I had about you when I faced Dabi. You mentioned a flash of red tried to stop the human alpha...what if that was me in the past?"
"I'm still not following this," Sero says.
"Why are we the only ones who don't remember where we came from?" Tokoyami proposes the question to all of them. "We don't remember our births or growing up. This has never actually occurred to any of us until Izuku appeared. It was Tsu who mentioned this theory to me, and I believe she's on to something."
"We've just always been," Iida states. "Like the Dark King."
"I'm starting to think that's not true," Kirishima says. "Has anyone else experienced anything as me and Bakugo have?"
The room is silent, then Kaminari says, "I always thought Izuku looks super familiar to me...like I knew him before. I just brushed it off because I assumed it had to do with seeing a human for the first time." He turns to Sero. "You?"
Sero strokes his chin. "Come to think of it...now that you've mentioned having always been here...I don't recall when I joined Bakugo's castle. I've always been here. And Izuku also feels familiar to me,"
Iida adds, "I wish I had something to counter your thoughts with...but I don't," he turns to Bakugo, who is still staring. "My Lord? Do you think-"
"Wait! I've got it!" Kaminari interrupts him. "Listen up! I've been saying for a while that All For One has been around for far too long! What if, he wanted Izuku to marry Shoto because Shoto doesn't have anything to do with our possible pasts concerning Izuku! That's why He didn't want Bakugo to marry Izuku because we are all connected. Maybe that's why we have no memories and are only remembering things because Izuku is awakening the past within us? But now that you mentioned Bakugo may be the human turned demon, then what if All For One is trying to CONTROL the takeover of the human world by re-creating the events of that time so long ago but by HIS hands? Right?" He looks around at the stunned faces of the others in the room. "What? Seriously! Doesn't that make sense?" Still silent stares. Kaminari puffs out his cheeks. "Hey! I have a damn brain too, you know! I don't hear anyone else coming to a conclusion like that!"
Finally, it is Bakugo who speaks. "That...makes a whole lot of sense. Dunce-Face might be onto something,"
"We always were a little bit different from the other demons," Sero says. "And other gargoyles," he remembers to add Tokoyami.
"Maybe we were all a part of what happened up there," Kirishima adds. "Maybe...we were all once human,"
The room falls silent again for a long while as everyone contemplates the possible realization they were just presented with.
"We should ask All For One for the truth," Sero tells them.
"No," Bakugo replies. "He is not to know any of this. If He truly is behind the mysteries of us and our pasts, then that proves He possesses some type of magic that prevents us from knowing who, or what, we were. Building off of all the information passed here today...All For One is the cause. He did it for a reason. We need to find out why."
"It's clear now that He is using us in some way," Iida adds, looking troubled. "This changes everything. What do we tell Izuku?"
"We shouldn't tell him yet," Bakugo says.
Kirishima furrows his brows. "Why not?"
"Because he is the successor...and he thinks that we'll be creating peace in the human world when we're really taking it over. If he feels betrayed and knows what power he wields, he could banish us back here. That's why All For One wants to control him. That's why, as Kaminari mentioned, we have no memories. It's clear to me, now, that we all did something up there before we were banished down here. All For One doesn't want to make that mistake again. We keep our lie about bringing peace to the human world for Deku."
"Hey, I mentioned this before, but I think it's time for a change," Kaminari says. "I think it's time for new leadership,"
"I agree with Kaminari," Sero says. "I was against overthrowing All For One before, but knowing what we know now, why not keep our lie, but turn it into truth?"
Iida throws his hands up. "As in, we take control of both worlds and make it work!"
Kirishima grins and adds, "That will make Bakugo and Izuku the new leaders! Bakugo rules the demons, and Izuku rules the humans, but everyone lives together! Why didn't we think of this before?"
"Because we were brainwashed," Bakugo says. "However, we need to know exactly WHAT HAPPENED in the past so we can avoid it happening again."
"You're taking the news of once being a human really well," Kaminari says.
Bakugo frowns and replies, "If you had told me this BEFORE I married and mated Deku, I wouldn't have believed you. Regardless of that, I am what I am now; I'm stronger than a human. Some of the memories I had were of pain...and that might be why I was turned into a demon. There is still much we need to know, though. We have more questions than answers, and no one to ask. We'll have to figure out as much as we can on our own."
"I have one more thing I wish to mention," Tokoyami says. "Lord Bakugo, you said you saw another form interacting with the successor, or Izuku, in your flashback on the ceiling. You mentioned it was dark-colored, and when Izuku and I met Tomura in the woods, Tomura said, 'same green eyes,' referring to Izuku. You all recall that when Izuku told you, yes?"
"Is there a connection between Bakugo, Izuku, and Tomura, you think?" Iida asks.
"Tomura was there during the last battle," Tokoyami says. "Everyone knows that. He was banished with All For One."
Bakugo finishes the blood wine in his cup. "There is a specific reason why I was turned into a demon and Izuku killed himself. We need to find that reason. And Tomura may have the answer," he slams his fist on the table. "We find Tomura, and we force him to tell us what he knows while he's still weak! Tokoyami, tell Shoji and his legion to take to the skies in search of Tomura."
"But, we gargoyles leave soon for mating," Tokoyami replies. "Lord Hawks will wonder why a bunch of us are not there. It will create suspicion."
"Then do your fucking in the sky while looking for Tomura!" Bakugo growls.
"Bakugo, stop it," Kirishima scolds him. "You're letting your anger get ahold of you! You know damn well that it will cause suspicion as Tokoyami said! So, stop talking out of your ass and get it together!"
Bakugo is silent for a moment. In reality, he would only ever let Kirishima speak to him like that. "Fine. Whatever. But try to return as soon as you can, and unless Shoji is part of this as well, don't mention anything to him. And say nothing to Hawks either."
"But I was hoping to get Lord Hawks' input on all of this," Tokoyami says.
"The fewer outsiders that know, the better," Bakugo tells him. "Sero, Kaminari, you two take to the woods and see what you can find on Tomura. He may be wandering around with those monsters. Kirishima, you and I have battle plans to discuss. Iida, go to the main library in the realm and research as much as you can about what we now know."
"Of course," Iida says. "But, battle plans for what?" He looks at Kirishima who gives him an 'I don't know' look.
Bakugo scoffs. "Idiots. We're talking about dethroning All For One. Should, or rather, WHEN that happens," he threads his fingers together and leans forward on the table, his seriousness suddenly turning into a smug, dark smirk. "Windbag, Happy-Face, and Half-and-Half are all going to want a shot at becoming Alpha Supreme. They will either have to submit to me or taste my blade."
'There's going to be a lot of changes,' Bakugo says to himself. 'And I'm finally going to be at the very, very top! I will no longer be someone's puppet. All will bow to me as the Alpha Supreme of the New World and dominator of the successor!' His whole body suddenly tenses with excitement.
TBC
