Chapter 1: Acquiring Acquaintances
Don't be scared, oh, you'll be saved, oh!
The dark angel will fight all hell
Take you on a flight like a spell
- "Dark Angel" by Pow Wow, hit song of the popular pioneering rock band
It's dark. There were no windows and it seems all the bulbs were busted. So, he took out a little flashlight to help him navigate inside the underground hideout.
Deku was on a mission. Track down a couple of Tartarus escapees. Bring them back. Simple and straightforward.
He thoroughly studied each person's profile and memorized the layout of these tunnels to the bone. So, as expected of a top hero, he finished the job efficiently. It was surely simple, but not easy. Definitely not easy.
When he handed all the escapees - now prisoners again - to the police, he went back inside their hideout to clean up any damage made. There was quite a lot of debris. Most of them were from the gang's attacks, not his. Still, he blamed himself for not ending the fight quicker to lessen the damage.
Being a one-man hero agency sure is tough. He currently handles everything from planning through clean-up and that's already taking a toll on his body. Maybe he really should get sidekicks and employees soon. That would allow him to take more missions in, right? That would increase the amount of people he could save! Alright. It's decided. After wrapping this up, he'll start looking into recruits.
As he was bending down to pick up an enormous block of cement, his Danger Sense suddenly flared, putting him on high alert for any attack. But even that didn't stop him from breathing in. And within that millisecond, he detected lavender and instantly felt all strength leave his body.
Just before Deku completely lost consciousness, he faintly heard someone say, "Sleep now and gather your strength for when you wake up, you'll be meeting our Ma and Pa. They'd want you fully charged up to do their bidding."
It's dark. Well, of course it would be as the sun went down about an hour ago. But that's not the only thing that went down. Unfortunately.
Earlier, she was just minding her own business, flying over the silent jungle and well above the coverage of the tallest trees. She loved watching the sunset without anything sabotaging the view. Flapping her wings leisurely, one could mistake her for taking a walk in a park.
Suddenly, the sky opened up directly above her and the hole looked like a black void, extremely out of place in the backdrop of the wild and vibrant colors of twilight.
Due to sheer curiosity, she just about approached it to investigate. But then, it trembled and ejected an unconscious person's body.
"What the—," she uttered just as it started plummeting. In a reflex, she flew down to chase and then catch it. No one falls to their death. Not on her watch.
Just before the body hit the trees, she caught it and once her arms were full, she noticed that the body actually belonged to a man. A heavy muscled man.
The world couldn't have given her a tiny feather-weight baby to save? She grunts as she heaves him up, securing her hold beneath his shoulders and knees.
Then, the mysterious hole trembles again, ejects again, thrice. However, this time the three people who came out were conscious and they hung on to the edge of the hole to prevent freefalling.
She almost tried getting their attention to return who she assumed was their comrade. But something in her gut stopped her. So, she hid under the leaves and observed them for a bit. She thought, if the man really was with them, they wouldn't have just let him fall, especially while unconscious. Or they would frantically be looking for him now, worried for his safety. If they do, then she'd gladly hand him over.
"Who the fuck dropped him?" the largest of them asked with a deep, booming voice.
No one answered for a few seconds. Then, someone spoke up in an abrasive tone that did no good for the tense atmosphere. "Ni was supposed to hold him. She had to get his—"
"I thought y- you had him!" The woman pertained as Ni hesitantly answered back in a small, mousy voice. "I passed him over to Ichi a- after I—"
"Useless! The both of you! Ma and Pa really wanted his power. After everything we did to get him— Ugh! Just search already! Damn it! He'll be waking up in around an hour!"
Hearing enough to prove her gut feeling correct, she flew away as fast as she could manage with the added weight of this kidnapping victim that fell into her arms. Not sure where to go, she raced to the direction of the sun as it completely hid itself beyond the horizon. Oh, how she wishes she could disappear just like that.
It's dark. The world where they just came from was in the middle of the day. Right now it's pretty much night. Still, none of them seems startled by this fact. They knew that not only the time of the day had changed. They're at an entirely different point in time and that's normal to them. Just as holding on to the edge of the hole that brought them from that point to now is normal as well.
What's not normal for them is failing a task that their Ma and Pa have given. So, they scanned their eyes over the island for their target and when their vantage point above the trees had turned useless, they all pulled themselves back in the hole. For a second, they were just floating in complete darkness. Then, the hole reopened up to show them the ground on the other side. They all stepped out before it snapped close, vanishing without a trace.
"You couldn't have made the damn wormhole closer to the ground like this earlier?" the biggest of the three demanded.
"Shut up! You know it's hard when we're literally traveling through time," another man replies.
"But San is r- right," the petite woman squeaked out. "If you didn't open the w- wormhole in the sky earlier, then that hero wouldn't have f- fallen."
Yawning fiercely, the other man says, "Ah well. It is what it is. And I hate to say this, but we'll need Juu to track down this hero. Our powers are not for reconnaissance, people. Also, I'm tapped out. Can't transport us anymore. It's sleepy time for this guy." With that he plopped down and rested against the trunk of a tree.
"Also, I need to confess that I made a mistake. Instead of bringing us forward, I might've brought us backwards. Sorry! Good night!" Immediately after that, he was snoring.
"I fucking knew it! There were too many trees for this to actually be our time. I'm going to kill you," the huge man said through his teeth, trembling with anger.
"San, calm d- down. I'm angry too. B- but we need him." He isn't listening to the woman. "Hey, we need Ichi. Okay?"
The anger in his face washed away and was replaced by fear.
"Shit, shit, shit! Ma and Pa will punish us for fucking up," the mountain of a man called San wailed while touching the tight metallic collar around his neck which matches those of his companions.
Flinching at the thought, the woman, Ni replies, "N- not if they d- don't find out. Once Ichi wakes up tomorrow, he c- can go pick up Juu. T- then after he sleeps another ten hours, he can bring Juu here and she'll track the hero down f- for us."
Who is he? How did he get here? What was that hole in the sky? Why were those three people after him? Where did he come from? Why is he unconscious? Why does he look so… unique?
Now that they've landed and she knows that no one is following them, all these questions started swirling in her brain, giving her the mother of headaches. It tends to do that when she tries using this particular organ. It's like it refuses to work with her.
Mindlessly, she goes down on her knees and studies him, but she had to rub her eye once as she couldn't believe it.
Green. That's all she sees.
What she thought was black is actually green. It's the color of his fluffy hair that she had to force herself not to touch. Which was extremely challenging as the mess of it was just begging her fingers to comb it up, away from his face, to see more.
It's also the color of his tight, peculiar and futuristic clothes that were a bit tattered and torn in some places, making her blush a bit at the exposure of skin and toned muscle. No wonder the man is heavy, she thought. He's bulky and built like a human tank that could snap a tree like a toothpick.
She peeled her eyes off his body and went back to his face and felt her heart clench for a second.
His sharp jaw was clenched and his eyebrows were knitted in frustration even in sleep. Freckles dotted his cheeks like little stars and she found it unexpectedly adorable.
Confused by the unfamiliar feeling that was rising in her chest, she jumps back up to her feet and starts flying in circles above him. Because of the frantic flapping of her massive wings, the wind around her started blowing wildly, but she never noticed.
"What do I do? What do I do? What do I do?" she mutters. Then, like a normal occurrence she started having a conversation with herself.
"Damn it. I shouldn't have interfered. Whatever he's involved with looks too complicated for someone like me. But, he was falling! What else should I have done? Let him fall? But, what if he thinks I'm an enemy? What if he kills me when he wakes up? Or or or… What if he feels disgusted being saved by someone like me? Wait, no. He has green hair. That's not natural! Could he be cursed like me?"
Who is she? Though a bit unclear, Deku kept hearing a female voice mumbling nonstop in the darkness. Even if she's possibly his captor, it still was somehow a comfort to him. At least he now knows that he isn't dead.
But wait, if he can hear her that means his body is starting to work again! Just a minute ago all bodily functions weren't working. He has tried opening his eyes, but he couldn't. His body won't move. His body won't do anything. Until now.
Think, Deku, think! If there's nothing else to do right now aside from hear, at least use your brain. So, he thought, could she be the lavender Quirk user?
"Could he be cursed like me?" he hears her say in panic. What is she talking about? Cursed?
Despite her worried tone, he still found her voice comforting. It was like silk, sort of sleek, even sexy.
Wait. Did he just hear that particular sentence clearly? Did he just really think that this kidnapper's voice is sexy? It seemed funny to him how now that his ears seem to be working well enough, it's like his brain started malfunctioning.
"It's been an hour. They said he'll get up in an hour. Why isn't he awake yet?"
Suddenly, it felt like the effects of whatever Quirk rendered him in this state completely faded, invisible weights on top of him removed. So, he tried opening his eyes again, but the lids felt heavy that it barely even twitched. With more will this time, he forced them. Finally, they open. Slowly. Very slowly.
Everything was blurry at first, just a violent mixture of browns and greens and darkness. Then, his surroundings materialized bit by bit.
The rays of moonlight eked through the thick cover of leaves and danced on a flying woman's olive skin and massive wings as she flew in dizzying circles above him. Then, as if sensing that he's awake, she stopped in her tracks. And out of nowhere, dove headfirst towards him.
More out of reflex than anything, he got to his feet and tried to use his Float Quirk to fight his winged enemy in the sky. But his feet stayed glued to the ground. The Quirk didn't work. So, he tried Smokescreen. Nothing. Blackwhip. Nope.
He didn't need to try activating all the other Quirks. He knew— He felt that they wouldn't work. So, he prepared to defend himself Quirkless against her attack. But, instead of attacking, she stopped a few inches from him and kept hovering.
Why isn't she attacking? Looks like she's observing for now. So, he did the same.
The lower part of her face was covered with the mask that was connected to her top. And it was held in place by ear loops that were hooked on her unnaturally large and pointed ears. While her left eye was hidden under an eyepatch very much like a pirate's, her right eye pierced through him, large yet angular, golden like honey.
"You're awake." She was just about to think he might have died, but there he was, energetic enough to stand, eyes open and just about to swallow her whole. Green like everything else that was his. Glassy like polished emeralds.
Unconsciously, she lifted her hands to make sure he was not an illusion. Next thing she knows, those hands were above her head being held down by his, her back was to the ground, and her wings were pinned under sharp knee pads.
"Ow!" she shrieked. "What are you doing?"
She struggled to get out of his hold, but her raw physical strength was nothing compared to his.
Ignoring her and keeping himself from breathing, he scanned the surroundings quickly to understand the situation he's in. To find a way to get through this without resorting to any more violence.
They were in a small clearing with thick, tall trees guarding from all directions. He noted that that would be a problem because it would be too easy to get lost in unfamiliar forests if he tries to escape on his own.
Also, it's currently night, so that would mean he had been sleeping for at least ten hours since the last thing he remembered is being in the underground hideout at around eight in the morning.
Ten hours would've been enough to kill him if that's what she wanted. But no, he's still alive and breathing. Was his Quirk all she wanted? Then, why transport him from the hideout to this forest?
He can't figure it out. He can't figure her out.
"Are you not the lavender Quirk user?" he demanded while still holding his breath.
"I don't know what you're talking about! Get off me!"
So she isn't. He didn't think she was since he can plainly see that her Quirk was something bat-related because of her wings and ears, but he had to make sure. Now that he knows, he allowed himself to breathe.
No lavender scent detected. Good. All he could smell were the woods. And her. He doesn't know how to describe it, but she smelled overwhelmingly good, distinctively creamy and soft with hints of fruits. It almost distracted him from the fact that she stole or helped steal his Quirk.
"What did you do to me? How did you get my Quirk? Who's working with you? Answer me!"
"I didn't do anything to you or get anything from you! So, please! Get off!" She squirmed under him, fighting to break free from his hold.
That's when he realized that she's on the verge of tears, so he released her hands and jumped off, guilt clawing his conscience. As soon as he did, she sat up and caressed the part of her wings that had reddened under the pressure of his knees.
He didn't notice earlier, but the skin on her wings looked thin enough for some light to filter through and the veins inside to be seen. Not only that, he could also faintly see the white outlines of her wing bones. And if he wasn't being careful, he could've added to the countless scars all over them as well.
"I can't believe this is what I get for saving your ass," she sulked.
Her statement got Deku thoroughly confused. "You saved me?"
"And now I'm extremely regretting it." Now, she's crossing her arms.
"I don't understand. More so, I can't believe it. Weren't you working with the one who knocked me out, stole my Quirk, and brought me here? I heard you say something earlier. You said that they said that I'll be waking up in an hour. How would you know that if you weren't working with them?"
She was silent for a few seconds, studying his face. Then, she understood, as if a light bulb flickered in her head.
"You didn't see or know who kidnapped you! So you thought I was the kidnapper. That's why you attacked me. I see, I see. That's understandable. Well, uhm… How do I explain this?"
She scratched her head in confusion and that action made him notice the X-shaped scar on the left side of her forehead, above the eye patch.
"How about I tell you everything I heard while we eat? 'Cause I'm starving!"
Without waiting for a response, she started emptying the contents of the numerous pockets in her pants while settling down on the forest floor that was carpeted with leaves and moss. Out came a water bag, a packed sandwich, and some sliced fruits.
Still cautious and admittedly not hungry, Deku just sat across from her to watch and listen as she recounted the events from an hour ago.
To eat, she unhooked the mask's ear loops and revealed her face. Again, he was frozen. Not from a Quirk. No, it was because he was stunned by the rest of her face.
She bared a striking resemblance to flying foxes that solidified his theory on her bat Quirk. He never thought he'd find bats beautiful.
Her foxlike face with clean-cut features complemented her golden eye. Pointed nose, soft jaw, narrow chin. And her mouth. The look of it distracted him from what was being said by it. He honestly thought of just watching it move whatever words were coming out of it, to see all the shapes it's able to make.
"—ening to me? Hey, Green Man!"
"Oh, I'm sorry." Embarrassment flooded his face.
"It's a lot to take in, I know," she said, misunderstanding the reason behind his befuddled state. "So, you got everything I said?"
"Not yet. Trying to."
He collected his scattered brain, tried to shift his focus from her, and went into professional mode.
She saw the sudden shift in him and could almost hear the gears in his brain click and clack as he analyzed everything, muttering in an astonishing pace to himself while writing invisible words on his palm. She was amazed, to say the least.
"From what you just said, you saw three kidnappers. A big man, an average man, and a small woman. Also, you heard two names, Ichi and Ni, so I assume those are codenames. One of them must be the lavender Quirk user that made me sleep for an hour. There was also a warper who brought me from the hideout to here. The last one, I think, is responsible for my Quirk not working. Could it be the Ni that you said had to get something from me, but dropped me afterwards? Possibly! And they work for someone called Ma and Pa who wants my power—" He suddenly stopped himself when he noticed what he was doing and saw that his savior was just watching and munching on her food.
"Oh, I'm sorry! I just do that sometimes. It helps with—"
"It's okay! You're actually amazing!" She unconsciously leaned closer in astonishment. "I wish I could use my brain like that. I honestly only understood about half of what you said, but I guess you kinda get what the situation is now?"
"You're too close!" Deku blushed.
"Oops, sorry," she gasped before flying to the side. She didn't actually notice how close they were until he mentioned it in that breathy and soft voice. Who would have thought that a bulky man like him would have a voice like that?
She turned her back to him so she could hide how red her face had become, forgetting about her unnaturally large pointed ears that were just as red and were in plain view.
Luckily, Deku wasn't looking because he too was distracted with his own emotions.
To quickly change the subject, he asked, "Can you please tell me where we are?"
"I can't answer that," she mumbled shyly, her back still to him. "Sorry, again."
"If you're not with the villains, why can't you tell me where this is? I just want to go home."
"Because I don't know where we are!" she finally admits. "I'm lost, too. But well, in my case, I tried to get lost on purpose so I just turned my brain off, flew with no particular destination, and ended up here."
At that, he laughed. Despite the gravity of the situation, he couldn't help but laugh.
She peeked over her shoulder and watched him laugh with little droplets of tears coming out of his eyes.
When his laugh died down, he offered his hand to her and said in a warm voice, "This whole situation is outrageous! Thank you. For everything. By the way, I'm Deku. And you are?"
"I'm Aki," she answered with a smile, reaching out to take his hand. And oh, she thought as she felt the warmth of it, as she felt inside her a burst of heat and color and strength.
Everything stopped and she had to hold her breath. It seemed even the air held its breath.
Then her eyes met his.
All else seemed to melt away at that moment. There was only him, his face shadowed by the wisps of his hair, and his eyes so brilliant and green.
He felt all of it too and didn't know what it was and what to do with it.
Nobody moved and they would've stayed like that all night, if not for the sudden interruption of an owl's hoot above them. Feeling awkward, they both withdrew their hands in a jolt.
Aki then tried to grasp any topic that they could talk about and fumbled with, "What kind of name is Deku? Do your parents hate you?"
"Ah, no. That's my hero name. You've never heard of me?"
She looked visibly confused so he panicked. Flailing his arms and blushing, he tried taking it back. "I guess not! I'm just a rookie Pro Hero anyway—"
"Pro Hero? Amazing! I don't know what that is, but it sounds cool!"
Huh? He thought, how could she not know what a Pro Hero is?
"So, that's a kind of code name? Then, mine's Dark Angel! People call me that. Not really sure where it came from."
"Dark Angel? Like in the Pow Wow song?"
"What song?" she asks, not understanding.
"Just some popular old song. I guess you haven't heard of it. Anyway, it actually suits you. When were you licensed?"
"Licensed? I'm not? I guess?"
"Oh, you're not a hero! I'm sorry, I thought—"
"Hey, I might not be licensed or whatever, but I'm still a hero! Though people would call me a vigilante instea— Ha!" Her sentence got interrupted by her own yawn. "I'm sleepy? Wait… Oh! I've been awake for about three days!"
"What have you been doing for three days?!"
"Flying, hiding, looting. All that stuff. I was basically out for a supply run. Then, impulsive me decided to go on an adventure. And here we a— Ha!" She yawned longer this time. "I can't stay awake anymore. Good night."
Again, without waiting for a response, she went ahead with what she wanted and curled against a tree to sleep, leaving Deku with so many questions.
He didn't know that vigilantes still operated in this era. Why couldn't she just get a license? Maybe she's a drop out, he thought, remembering how she doesn't seem to understand and kept questioning what he said.
While Deku's head was swimming with so many questions, there she was already snoring softly, with her wings folded close to her body in a kind of hug. Right now, it may look like a massive blanket that's keeping her warm. But he remembers how it was earlier. Enormous in its size, the wingspan being disproportionately large to her body, with her fingertips only reaching the halfway point of each wing. And powerful too as it was blowing quite the flurry while she was just practically pacing in the air.
With nothing else to do, he decided to watch over her as she sleeps, using the silence to plan what to do to get his Quirk back, get home, and learn more about this mysterious woman that he just happened to meet in the middle of it all. He really hopes she isn't doing something immoral in her vigilantism.
"Deku."
Aki called his name out as soon as she woke up early the next morning, but she got no answer.
Maybe he already left. Did she really expect to find him still here after everything he'd been through? He was kidnapped after all. It must have all been so overwhelming. She should understand if he decided to find his way back home, somewhere familiar or even track his kidnappers down for some sort of revenge.
Still remembering how panicked he was when he first woke up, how cautious he was of her, she scratched idly at her sore wing, right where he crushed it with his knees, and decided she better do something about her grumbling empty stomach first before worrying about others.
So, to look for food, she closed her eyes and focused on vibrating membranes in her larynx. The high frequency sound it produced echoed out to her surroundings, helping her see what her eyes couldn't reach but her unnatural ears could perfectly hear.
Trees blowing in the wind, rocks with insects scuttling underneath, overgrown and untouched shrubs, a fallen log, tiny birds chirping, a man who had climbed a tree at the edge of the clearing— Oh! He's still here.
Excitedly, Aki flew up to where he was. And was impressed at how high he managed to climb in his state.
Deku was perched on the highest branch that could've been stepped on on that particular tree. Since he doesn't seem to notice her, she took a second to admire the view.
The sun, almost fully risen and out of hiding from the horizon, provided a soft orange hue to the misty morning and tinted everything in sight, including his unruly green hair which gleamed in the light.
She approached him quietly, something devious cooking up at the back of her head and unable to hide the smile that grew on her face because of it. Then, she stopped directly behind him and swiftly dove over his head to surprise him with a loud, energetic, "Good morning, Deku!" right in his face.
It took his breath away and she saw utter shock in his inverted face before he jolted back, almost losing his footing. Thankfully, she was prepared for that and grabbed him by the collar, keeping him from keeling over. She's not about to let someone fall because of her, especially someone she just saved from falling the night before.
Suppressing her laugh from the naughty little prank, she flicked her wings once to flip herself upright and face Deku properly this time.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you that much," she said, voice shaking from trying to hold her laughter in, while straightening the part in his collar where it got rumpled by her grasp.
"It's okay! I'm fine." Better than fine, he thought, after having such a broad smile from her to start his day. Even if it was caused by his momentary suffering.
He doesn't know if the romantic lighting of the sunrise is doing tricks on his eyes or if she really looked more beautiful than the night before, but he couldn't deny that he's definitely attracted. To her short, tawny hair that stopped right above her turtleneck top. To her single exposed eye that glinted with mischief. Even to the eyepatch that made her look like a pirate who's up to no good.
"Didn't know you were already awake. I didn't hear or sense you at all."
"Thin wings perks. They barely make any sound which makes it great for sneaking in and out," she explained as she sat on the thick branch beside him. "By the way, what're you doing here?"
Enthusiastically he replied, "Just trying to get a lay of the land. I've been up here since dawn to maybe spot anything that could tell us where we are, but nothing. Beyond the island, there's only water until the horizon. But here's the great part. Now that I know for a fact that we're on an island, that narrows down the possibilities of our location, right? If we think of the islands around the last place you remember you were in, that could help us find our way home."
"I could've helped you with all that. The checking part, not the thinking part. Winged creature, remember?" She stretched her wings for emphasis. "Besides, it's risky for someone like you to climb this high, you know. What if you fell?"
"I just wanted to do something. I still want to be of use even if I'm currently Quirkless."
"There's that word again! Quirkless. Quirk. You keep saying that, but I never got to ask. What exactly does it mean?" she asked, confusion evident on her face.
"You don't know what a Quirk is?"
"Will I be asking you if I do?"
"How can you not know what a Quirk is?" Deku couldn't believe he had to explain this to someone his age in this era. "You know the superhuman ability that people have? Yours seems to be some sort of Bat Quirk—"
"Ah! You mean Meta Ability? Gosh, you could've just said so. Didn't know some people call it a Quirk. I guess it kind of puts a positive spin to it, huh? Makes it seem like something unique, special, if a bit peculiar." Instead of something like a defect or abnormality, she thought.
"Are you one of those who joins the rallies and protests to get us mutated humans accepted into society like normal humans? Is that the terminology you're pushing for? Quirk?"
"Wait, wait, wait,' he frantically said, almost hyperventilating.
"What is it? Hey—" Her voice faded away. He can no longer hear her or anything in fact. Except the ringing in his ears and his own voice.
Who knew that this would actually happen in real life? Every single piece that didn't fit seemed to fall into place at the realization. Who would have known?
"Aki…" he started uncertainly. "Let me ask you one thing. It's gonna sound ridiculous, but please answer me honestly."
"Uhm… Okay?"
"When did people with Quirks or Meta Abilities start popping up?"
"Twenty years ago," she answered with no hesitation. "Because that's my age and I'm among the first few in Japan, just born weeks after the very first one in China, the Luminescent Baby."
He can't believe he's hearing this with his own ears.
"My sisters and I came out of the womb with these wings, these ears, this hair."
He can't believe he's actually speaking with someone from the First Generation.
"We came out…" She tried to find the right word, ignoring the other words that poured in her brain. Words that people have whispered behind her back. Words that were spat directly on her face by others.
Disgusting mutations. Disfigured humans. Ugly creatures. Unfortunate girls. Freaks. Abnormal. Defects. Deformed… No!
"Different! We came out different and were the first ones in our prefecture to come out like that."
"Among the first ones. Weeks after the Luminescent Baby…" Deku trailed off then, "Fuck!'
"Oh my god. I didn't think you could swear."
"I normally don't, but… This is a special occasion!" he exclaimed, bringing his hands up to his face. "After all, I've been kidnapped. My Quirk isn't working. And to top it all off, I was transported to the past! Which would have been outrageously amazing. If only it wasn't against my will!"
Aki doubted she heard that right. "Transported to the what now?"
He raised his head and looked straight at her. "I was born generations after you, more than a century after you."
Aki stared at him, trying to figure out if he's joking and Deku stared back, completely serious.
"You're from the past or, more appropriately, I'm from the future, but somehow the warper, the kidnapper brought me here, in your time. I didn't know of any Quirk that can do that. To my knowledge, this would be the first Quirk that deals with time travel. It's never even been conjectured in any forum, so I've never heard of anything like it. Since no one with a Quirk like it ever made it public, everyone just assumed it's fictional, something for the comic books and movies."
The two fell silent for a few minutes, taking it all in.
In the hush, Aki tried to grasp the fact that the man sitting beside her came from the future. Somehow, it made so much sense. It explains the weird terminologies, the almost costume-y clothes, and even the song he talked about. If it really was popular, she would've heard of it, unless it actually became popular after her time, which it most likely did.
This is all so crazy, she thought. But if she's this thrown off balance after learning the fact that he actually shouldn't be here, she can just barely imagine how he must be feeling.
When she glanced over, his face was grim, so she wanted to do something to cheer him up.
"We should, uh… We should go down," Aki said, trying to put on an enthusiastic tone.
"Sure," Deku replied, still preoccupied with his own thoughts.
"Do you want me to carry y—" Before she could finish her question, he already started climbing down on his own. Worried he might miss a step while obviously distracted, Aki fluttered around him all the way down, ready to catch him in case he fell.
Promptly after both of his feet were safely on solid ground, Aki approached him.
He looked like he's back to himself now. "I'm hungry."
"Of course you are. You didn't eat any of my food last night," she said flatly. "And since I've finished those already, let's just look for food here in the forest."
"Don't you need to go home?"
"Not right now. I actually planned to stay here till after the sun goes down," she answered with a grin. "Flying is fun. But under the heat of the sun? It's only fun for the first few minutes. After that you feel like you're being cooked."
Deku considers this for a few seconds and then, "Ah, I'm Quirkless and lost in another era anyway. What else can I do? I guess I can spend one day hunting and loitering in the woods." With you, he added in his thoughts, the only good thing that came out of this. Whatever this is.
The smile that grew on her face instantly made him think that he'll never come to regret this decision.
"That's it. Positive thinking! Let's go!" She started whistling as she led the way.
He thought correctly. Never.
"Aki."
"Yes?" She glanced back, arms already as full as Deku's of varied fruits and mushrooms that they've gathered.
"I'm seeing tracks over there." Deku gestured. "Looks like a squirrel's. Why don't we go after it so we can have some meat as well?"
"Uhm… Actually, I know exactly where the animals are, but I feel a little guilty having to hunt them. So, I've been avoiding them all this time," she said softly and then quickly added, "But if you want I can lead you to them. Those tracks aren't a squirrel's though. If we follow that direction, we'll see a marmot by a spring."
"Oh! I'm sorry. I didn't— It's fine. I mean, I'm fine with what we have. We don't need to get meat," he frantically answered.
"Thanks for being understanding."
"Sure," he nodded. "By the way, how did you know that it was a marmot? More so, how did you know it'd be by a spring?"
"Well…" She can't quite bring herself to say it and Deku noticed that.
"It's alright. You don't have to answer. I was just curious. I thought it might be related to your Quirk — your Meta Ability, so I asked." Shyly, he admitted, "To be honest, I'm extremely fascinated about all kinds of Quirks and their applications, strengths, weaknesses, et cetera. I have even had numerous notebooks since my childhood where I took down notes on different Quirks and analyzed them. I guess the fact that you're from the First Generation also added to my curiosity."
Aki was bewildered. By how he described his fascination for something that she never really felt like that for. By the fact that he wanted to learn more about her Meta Ability, more about her.
No one has ever really looked at her the way this man from the future did. Disgust? Yes. Pity? Yes. Tolerance? Yes. Love? From her mother, yes. But fascination? Never in her two decades of existence. Not even from people she saved. Just like the family from three days ago.
"Echolocation," she blurted out. "I knew it was a marmot and I knew where it was because of echolocation. That's how I found you earlier, too. And how I found these," she lifted the contents of her arms. "I make a high pitch sound and then listen to the returning echoes. Depending on how long it takes for the echo to return, its intensity and pitch, I can tell where something is, how big it is, and in what direction it is moving. The folds on my weird ears help me pinpoint the angle and all that boring stuff."
"Your ears are not weird!"
"It is! They are! Just look." She gently dropped everything she was carrying and tucked her hair behind both ears. She then leaned closer for Deku to see. "It's big and pointy and wrinkly—"
"Stop it. I mean, sure, they're big, pointy, and wrinkly, but they're actually cute. Like elf ears." And he caught himself reaching to touch them. Able to restrain himself at the last second, he dropped his hand to the side.
"Mystical and beneficial," he added in a flat, almost businesslike voice. "You wouldn't be able to do echolocation if it weren't for those ears, right? So they're perfect just as they are."
How does one even refute that? She was too stunned to speak. She never thought her ears could be called cute. Ever since she was a child, she would hide it under her hair, just as her mother told her. To avoid the scary looks, she said.
"You're amazing! You know that, right? Just by listening to echoes, you're able to pinpoint anything. Oh! I got an idea. Can I try hearing the high pitch sound you make?" he said like a child wanting to see a magic trick.
He was too cute, she couldn't refuse. "Uh, sure? It's well above average human hearing, but maybe you might feel it if you concentrate."
She left her mouth slightly open and let her larynx do the trick, sending a sonic click over to Deku.
"Ah!" Wonder washed over his face. "I didn't hear it as expected, but I felt it in my teeth somehow and at the back of my neck. That was crazy! Kind of like a zap of electricity."
"Oh, interesting. For me, it sounds like someone hammering metal."
"Wow! I wish I had a notebook on me right now. I want to write it all down! How about your wings? They're so big and beautiful! How do you control them?"
His enthusiasm is contagious, she actually started to enjoy talking about the things that she used to feel insecure about.
"Actually, they're like hands," she answered, demonstrating how her wings can move just like hands. "You see, my wing bones are actually just longer and more flexible fingers. So, flying is pretty much like swimming in the air. Since I have normal human hands along with my wings, it feels like I have four hands."
"Amazing! Like hands, huh?" He wiggled his fingers, imagining them as wings. "Then that must mean you have precise control on each one of them."
"Yeah."
"I can already imagine the incredible maneuverability! Being able to weave, dive, turn, hover like no other flier!"
The pure awe in his face makes her heart throb. And she thought, the more she got to know him, the more she found it hard to not fall for him.
And that's how they spent the whole day. Going around the woods, eating what they find, and talking about her Meta Ability, her Quirk, like it's the most interesting thing in the world. He had so many questions about her and her world and she tried to answer them all to the best of her ability. Now, she feels like he knew too much about her and she still knew close to nothing about him.
"Enough about me. Can you tell me about—"
"Aki, look," he unconsciously interrupted. "The sun's going down. Time flew by so fast I didn't even notice." She didn't either and she couldn't believe it. She's always been cautious of time and had always anticipated the sunsets.
"Do you wanna watch it from above? I can carry you."
He blinked and gulped as otherwise he might have goggled and dropped his mouth wide open. "I'll just climb this tree. You go ahead—"
"Oh, come on! It won't be the first time. Besides, if you climb, by the time you reach the top of that tree, it'll be dark."
"I'm fine—"
Before Deku could refuse again, she gripped his hands and took flight. She left him dangling, like a child hanging on monkey bars in a playground.
"You'd better hold tight," she ordered as she cleared the treetops.
He no longer had a choice but to grasp her dainty hands firmly as they gained altitude. Strangely, even if the distance between his feet and the ground grew, Deku didn't mind it at all.
And when he looked up, he thought no view could ever compare. It's so unreal. Brilliant shades of purple, orange, and pink painted the sky. And the silhouette of the clouds created shadows that added depth to the picture.
How could something so beautiful and memorable appear at such a difficult time? Is this to comfort him somehow? Give him calm and peace?
Aki squeezed his hands to get his attention. "Do you like it?"
Then, he understood. Yes, the sunset did bring him comfort. Just like Aki did. Aki who saved him and lifted him here to see this. Her being by his side in this magnificent moment is definitely something he'll remember forever.
Eyes watering, he strained his neck to look up into her face. "It's perfect! Thank you so much, Aki. You're the best!"
Oh, no, she thought.
The green of his eyes sparkled. The light and his emotions colored his face in a rosy tint. The smile he flashed at her gleamed as bright as the setting sun. And all these combined, stopped her heart for a full second which made her realize that she's done for. She's boxed herself in. All in a matter of about twenty four hours, she fell in love with him. How could it be so easy? How could it be so fast? What's wrong with her? And why does it feel so right?
"Deku, I think I…" She trailed off, unable to continue because a disturbance in the natural sounds of the forest caught her ear. Three sets of footsteps.
They came back for Deku!
Heart beating fast, Aki immediately flew in the opposite direction from where the footsteps came from.
"Aki—"
"Cling to me so you don't fall," she frantically said before she threw him up in the air and caught him bridal style.
This isn't the first time she carried him this way. Still, it felt completely different now that he's awake. Forcing her feelings away, she focused on flying as fast as possible to save him.
For a second, Deku didn't know what to think. Everything happened so fast. Still, he placed his arms around her neck to follow her order of clinging to her. Not really knowing the reason for the change in position, he felt flustered for a second. Then, he looked at her face and knew something was wrong.
"What's happening? Is there a problem?"
She ignored him and focused on the sounds of the kidnappers, keeping an eye out, or more accurately an ear.
The three are now just a few feet behind them somehow. That should have been impossible even if they sprinted. Must be the portal thing!
Damn it! She's gotten frustrated as they kept jumping in and out of her radar. And now that she gave all her attention to the sounds in her vicinity, she heard something that she didn't catch before; the sound of wings that are too big to be a bird's or bat's. Must be someone like me. A winged human!
Analyzing the speed that the winged human was going, she knew there's no way she can outfly whoever it was.
"What's going on? Please answer me, Aki."
Feeling hopeless and not knowing what to do anymore, she dejectedly said, "They're back! Your kidnappers! And they have someone winged and fast with them this time. I can't— This time I might not be able to save you from them—"
"Put me down." Deku's voice was calm and even. "Then get out of here. It's me they want. They won't come after you."
She tightened her hold on him and said in an irritated voice, "Don't be foolish and just hold tight."
"But—"
The rush of speed slapped Deku against her body as she arrowed toward the ground. His heart felt like it jumped to his throat and continued beating while there.
Looking down, he saw a high cliff at the edge of the island. Underneath were caves, varying in sizes.
With echolocation, Aki quickly checked the sizes of each cave, its opening, and the availability of anything that could plug it. There was one particularly narrow cave with a boulder right above it that would cover the whole entrance perfectly.
The winged creature lunged down from above. Her senses caught just the edge of it, and her instincts had her screeching to a halt so that it would meet nothing but air. Then she maneuvered up into a high, wide flip and swooped down to the cave with all her might. But in the last few feet the winged creature caught up and kicked her squarely on the back causing her and Deku to fall in the water.
As Aki was sinking, she saw who the new kidnapper was. It was actually a girl her age. And was the most mutated person she's seen since the dawn of mutated people. Her body no longer looked human. It was as if she was a human-sized bat with some human features not a human with some bat features. And even though they were both bat-type mutants, the two girls couldn't be more different.
Instead of having a human head like Aki, the hybrid had no white in her eyes, just black and gold. Her nose is pretty much a bat's nose. Her mouth couldn't be fully closed because of the fangs that didn't fit inside. And each of her ears were almost as large as her face.
Instead of having a human body with bat wings like Aki, the other one had the legs and feet of a bat. She had no arms or hands, only the pair of wings that was the main part of her body. No fingers, just the digits of her wings and the thin membrane that connected everything, from her ankles, up to the sides of her body, to her wings.
But, the most noticeable difference is that she was fully white. From the fur all over her body. To her loose, thick hair that went past her knees. And the leathery membranes of her wings.
Before Aki was completely submerged, she saw the hybrid dive to follow them. And disappeared into thin air as she got swallowed by a hole that opened up out of nowhere.
Deku swam up for some air and witnessed the hole that brought him here in action. Since it would also be his way home, he better look for who controls it.
"Aki, I need to find them."
"Uhm, no? Are you crazy?"
"But—"
"Let's continue this conversation somewhere else. They're in the caves. Just waiting. And as much as I'm able to locate them, I'm sure their white bat can do the same. So, let's make it harder for them."
Deku nodded, trusting her instincts. Then, Aki grabbed him to go underwater.
Unexpectedly, she was a great swimmer, too. Her wings served as her propellers and she sliced through the current gracefully like she belonged in the sea and not in the skies. She reminded him of stingrays.
In a matter of seconds, she pulled him through a dark, narrow tunnel. At the end of it, there was a pocket of air where they were able to breathe and rest on some rocks.
"Deku, we must find a way to escape undetected," she said as she wrung her hair and clothes.
"You just said that they can track us down."
"I know what I said, but we'll be outnumbered and pretty sure overpowered as well. Need I remind you, they're powerful! One can travel through time and space. Another can stop Meta— Quirks from working. And you said the other one knocked you unconscious with just one breath! In addition to that, they've got this upgraded version of me out there."
"Listen, I have a plan."
"A plan to fly as fast as we can away from the enemies, I hope. Because fighting while powerless would just be— I can't believe I'm saying this to someone else— It would just be a dumb move!"
"I may be Quirkless, but I'm not powerless. Again, my plan. I need to figure out which one creates the portal. That could be my ticket home."
Right. He doesn't belong here. He must find his way back.
"And how do you plan on doing that?"
"I must fight them. See which Quirks they'll use. Single out the portal maker. Knock everyone else out. Escape. Besides, I think they're waiting for something. If not, why else would they retreat and regroup? I'm sure they have limits, too. I'll look for it and—"
"You keep saying I. Don't you mean we?"
His plan was risky. There's so many ways for it to go wrong. Still, he exuded an aura that made her want to follow him.
"I can't drag you into this anymore." He knew how the odds were against their favor and he can't risk her safety for something she shouldn't have been involved with in the first place.
"Too late for that."
Too late indeed, he thought. Her eyes were already ignited, showing him a new side to her. She's no longer the woman who showed him the sunset, or gathered food in the forest, or hugged herself to sleep with her wings. This is the vigilante side of her. The woman who didn't follow anyone's orders, even if it's the law. She'll fight because she thinks it's the right thing to do, even if the chances of winning are slim to none.
"All right. But you'll only take on the winged one."
"Excuse me?"
"You're the only one who can fly right now. Fight her in the air while I fight everyone else on the ground. Considering their supposed Quirks, none of them have one that is for hand-to-hand combat. That's supported by the fact that they brought reinforcements, the new girl. Aside from tracking, she must also be the combatant. So, I should be fine. If I keep holding my breath, the lavender scent won't be able to affect me. The wormhole user might try to trap me, so I'll have to be cautious of that. The most uncertain one is the Quirk stealer. If they've already stolen it, what else can they do? Maybe I can try to have them give it back."
Aki just watched and listened as Deku thought out loud. She tried to keep up, but he muttered so quickly.
"Wow! Okay. So, bottom-line is I just fight the white bat and you'll take care of everyone else because you don't think they're combat ready?"
"Right. That should ruin their plans. They didn't know about you, so they must've planned for the bat girl to find and then fight me. Meaning, the three knew that even while Quirkless, I could still slip through their fingers again."
"Okay, smart guy, planning is over. It's time for action. Get ready. I hear echolocation emissions that weren't from me. Meaning she's searching for us right now."
"I'm ready. I'm sure once she locates us they'll send—" A portal opened up behind him just as he said, "—a portal. Don't breathe until I tell you so and fly us out through the hole!"
Aki did exactly that. She took a huge breath and held it. Then, she looped her arms around his waist and carried him through the black hole. Inside, there was nothing but darkness and silence. She even tried sending a sonar sound out, but nothing came back.
Then, after a second that felt like an eternity, a hole opened up below her. She exited through it and found herself coming out through a hole on the stony ground at the highest point of the cliff. Aki quickly landed and stood back-to-back with Deku as the four kidnappers circled them.
The first to make a move was the white bat-human hybrid, just like Deku assumed. She really was their main attacker, meaning the three trusted her skills enough to help them not fail on his kidnapping. Again.
As she lunged for him at superhuman speed, Deku dodged and Aki came to meet her attack. The two bat girls grappled until they fell off the edge of the cliff.
"I wasn't informed there was someone else here. Get out of the way. All we need is him," she said nonchalantly.
"No! You're not kidnapping him again." Aki threw punches that were all blocked by white sturdy wings. However, in one swoop, she was knocked against the cliff wall by one kick that had a whole body flip momentum powering it. The hybrid was obviously more experienced in combat and had more battle sense.
While Aki felt blood dripping on the back of her neck from a wound on her head, she saw a white blur leave her and fly upward to where the others were.
"Fuck!" she shouted, pushing off of the wall where her body was embedded and launched high into the air to catch up. When she reached them, she thought it was too late.
On the cliff, the biggest man ran forward and the hybrid dived down as the small woman and the lanky man stayed behind.
"Deku, above you!" Aki called out just in time for him to use the big man's forward motion to flip him over and hit the incoming hybrid with her companion's heavy legs. While the two tried to get off of each other's tangled limbs, Aki rushed in to bring Deku into the air with her. Being that close to the kidnappers made her realize something. She heard the sound coming out of the huge man like he's a boiling kettle and how the air sounds significantly thicker around him.
"You can breathe here," she said quickly. "I've figured it out. The big man has gas coming out of the pores on his knuckles."
"The lavender Quirk?"
"Looks— Well, sounds like it, but we should be safe here. Notice how far the other two are? That's where the gas ends."
"How'd– Nevermind. Thanks, Aki," he said, drawing in a deep breath. "Drop me off. I know what to do now."
"Okay. I'll try to keep the white bat busy up in the air." She released him and flew to her target who, in turn, had her eyes on Deku. Anticipating her opponent this time, Aki was able to dodge the kick that was sent her way and grabbed the other leg to pull with her as she flew higher in the air, away from Deku.
"You like the sky that much?" The hybrid raised her eyebrow. "Fine. Let me send you straight to heaven."
"Not a chance. Go to hell!"
Their fighting styles were completely different. Aki attacked with her arms and fists, grit and instinct. Her opponent fought like a seasoned soldier, more precise and technical, with everything that's available. Wings, legs, and fangs. Oh, the fangs. Aki hated them. Wounds were already accumulating all over her body because of them. The hybrid on the other hand, was as clean as fresh laundry, no stain whatsoever.
The significant skill gap convinced Aki that she wouldn't win if she continued to fight clean, so she finally gave in and pulled on the other girl's long white hair, wrapping it around its owner. She hated the dirty tactic, but she believed she had no choice. This was one of the reasons she kept her own hair short. To be safe in case her opponent wanted to fight dirty. Just like she did.
It was an unexpected move that staggered the proficient fighter and gave Aki a few seconds to get away and help Deku. Even though it didn't look like he needed it.
A minute before, when Aki dropped Deku off, he decided that the huge lavender guy should be first to go so he could breathe freely.
Deku baited him with a feint and when the man rushed in like a bull, Deku pumped up with his feet to throw the huge body to the ground. This knocked the breath out of the man, allowing Deku to throw him again and leave him rolling down a hill.
"San!" The other man ran to follow him, but Deku blocked the way.
A pang of guilt hit Deku. But he tried to ignore it and focused on trying to defeat the other two that were left shocked when their main guys, the batgirl and San, got taken away.
"Who are you?" Deku asked, keeping his distance to observe them and get information on their Quirks.
"Why don't you give yourself up? I'd love for us to get to know each other. Come on! Let's just do this the easy way." the lanky man cajoled.
"What do you want from me?"
"Come with us and you'll know."
The tiny woman reached out and pulled the man. "Ichi, we have a m- minute left," she bleated.
"Fuck! Okay."
"A minute left for what?" Deku raised his voice, getting frustrated. He didn't get a response. Instead, a hole appeared beneath him, almost swallowing him whole. Maybe if he wasn't anticipating it, he would've been. But since he was, he gripped the edge and pulled himself back up, catching Ichi, the one who opened it, by surprise.
"You're so persistent!" Ichi lost his temper and seemingly threw a tantrum by opening up holes anywhere and everywhere, but Deku dodged them all in a reverse game of whac-a-mole.
"Ni, wake San up! We need him to—" Deku landed a punch on his cheek and droplets of blood sprayed from Ichi's mouth before he could finish his sentence.
"Ouch! That freakin' hurts! Ha!" He yawned out of nowhere. "Shit!" He yawned again, longer this time.
"What's this? Are you bored? Or are you…" Deku observed him. Bags were forming under his eyes instantaneously while the holes or portals he's opened were closing as if… "You're reaching a limit, aren't you?"
The portal maker didn't answer. He didn't have to. It was confirmed by the woman. "Help me with the l- last of your energy!"
Deku thought, if San has the lavender Quirk and Ichi is the warper then that means this woman called Ni is…
"Cover me, p- please!" she shrieked as she pulled out something from a pouch on her belt. However, Deku was quicker and took her arm to twist.
"You're the one!"
"P- please let go of me," she cried, reaching for her pouch full of green hair that he took from her. "Ichi! San! Juu! Help me!"
At that moment, a lot of things happened at once. Aki, bloody from her own fight, came to help. The hybrid called Juu came a few seconds after her. Ichi, barely able to keep his eyes open, opened a hole behind Deku that spat out San with his knuckles ready to fight. Deku, knowing that the lavender gas was already around him, stopped breathing, but at the same time he felt a familiar sensation, a sharp stabbing sensation in his head. Danger Sense! His Quirk is back!
This is finished, he thought, feeling overjoyed and confident.
Aki couldn't believe her eyes. She's never seen anything like it. Black and green tendrils of energy exploded out of him and in less than a second, he bound all four of the kidnappers.
But even if that had surprised her, his power was not what caught her attention. It was actually his smile and the look in his eyes. Not because it was beautiful, no. It was actually terrifying, yet exciting at the same time. No beauty in it, just pure, unadulterated power. He seemed so exhilarated at getting his power back. It was confusing yet hypnotizing to watch. No matter how much she tried, Aki could not keep her eyes off of him.
"Who are you? What do you want from me? Take me back to my time!" Deku demanded, but was met with silence.
Ni wiggled under the hold and reached for her neck.
"Don't," San managed to whisper.
"We have n- no choice."
"Stop–" Ni pressed on the metallic collar around her neck before Deku or Aki could stop her.
It lit up like steel being forged and melted the skin around it. For all four of them, not just Ni's. They all howled in pain and convulsed before their bodies disintegrated.
Unsure of what to make of what just happened, Aki asked, "Are they dead?"
Dazed, Deku replied, "I don't think so. Looks like they escaped. The collar item must have been their last resort and it looked like it came with risks."
"Cowards!" Aki yelled at nothing in particular.
"They'll be coming back for sure. Maybe in a day or even less. Their warper, Ichi, was tapped out, so he might need to recover first. I'll wait for them here."
Aki watched him with pity. What might just be his only way back slipped through his fingertips after all.
"So, they won't be coming back any time soon? Alright. How about for now, we go to my hideout? We're exhausted, injured, and need some real good food. Also, I feel the rain coming. I'd prefer to spend it indoors, under a roof, than here and be drenched to the bone."
"But–"
"When they come back, we'll be ready. Let's figure it out together, Deku."
Author's Note:
And that's it for the first chapter of the first part! Is it quite long? Or is it too short? Well I hope you like the length as it is because that's how it's gonna be for all chapters (about 20 pages in the word file)
How'd you like Aki, my first OC, and the beginning of AkiKu's story?
How about Ichi, Ni, San, and Juu?
I'd really love to hear from you.
Lastly, I'd like you to know that "Dark Angel", the song that was mentioned in the chapter, is based on "Foxy Lady" by Bow Wow which was released in December 1976. You know what that means?
Chapter 2 spoiler below!
Title will be "Bonded in a Bind"
Midoriya experiences what being in the past is truly like. Aki reveals her past. And the kidnappers suffer the consequences of their actions.