Chapter 114 - Of Barons and Heroes
"Welcome-welcome-welcome to my humble abode!" Gambit waved an arm joyously as the rift behind Deku snapped shut. Gambit sat down on a large, black ash seat embroiled with etchings and a fabric cover.
The large chamber was tall and rounded at the top like an observatory; rows of books lined the walls entirely, containing jars and artifacts here and there. A large, gold chandelier swung up above, holding onto some wax candles. Four paths created an intersection where Deku stood, leading off into large, black-iron doors. The floor between the paths was littered with riches and all sorts of random items, weapons, armor, relics, and even copies of Deku's and Yuki's armor!
"All of this... is amazing!" Deku breathed, inspecting the objects, the riches of a thousand worlds. If he was honest, it was like he stepped into a fantasy novel.
"I'm glad you think so, everyone always wants something, but it's the appreciation I like to see," Gambit nodded to himself. "I've spent millennia building my emporium,"
"Thank you for having me," Deku bowed respectfully.
"Manners too, well, while I can't hand off my information for free, you certainly have my respects," Gambit grinned, then whisked a deck of cards into existence, playing with them mindlessly. "Now, onto the reason you're here, I'm sure you're aware that information isn't cheap, so I have to ask, what will you part with to pay for my services?"
This was what left Deku at a crossroads, he agreed to hear Gambit out, but what could he offer in return? Akio said Nightmares can be quite deceptive but ones like Velk existed too, Gambit appeared to be the latter as he patiently waited for an answer. But was there really something of value on Deku?
With a gut-wrenching feeling, his hand brushed to Yuki's mask, which caused his head to snap upright to the tall Nightmare leering at him. "That mask holds sentimental value to you, the last thing little Yuki gave you before she was exiled from this realm, how unfortunate, she and that old Archon have been on my radar for a while now," He tapped his chin in thought. "But I have no doubt every fiber in your being wants to keep that item, so I won't barter for it."
"T-thank you," Deku breathed, inspecting his costume for anything else.
"There is one thing you have that I don't," Gambit's index finger slowly lowered to Deku's chest, eyes glowing brightly. "Your quirk, One For All, now that's certainly valuable-" He held up his hand to keep the greenette from freaking out. "-you can temporarily pass that power to another, with the added Ex-Machina amnesia, so, I think we have ourselves a valued trade, no?"
"While I am against offering One For All to random people... it is ultimately your choice," Yoichi suggested to Deku. It didn't take a degree in psychology to know Gambit had other motives, it was written so openly on his face. He wanted anyone who met him to know there was more at stake than a simple exchange of information.
"Why?" Deku asked pensively.
This made Gambit lean forward with his hands flicking cards into the air to float by Deku aimlessly. "Come now, humor me! You're a smart one, even you could figure this out," He teased, awaiting an answer. Then he made a curious sound. "...now that I think about it, your experience with Nightmares is limited, very well,"
Gambit shrugged. "I just want to have some fun, my motives aren't so convoluted as that of Kovik's, or as overly dramatic as Infernal's, I'm here to entertain myself," Waving his arms wide, the ceiling above burned with the radiance of countless stars and galaxies. "The Multiverse is an endless, bountiful place, while your world and others may be very insignificant in the grand scheme of things, I've learned that the best stories are told where you least expect them,"
He sat back, smiling down at Deku's befuddled expression. "I may be one of the sharpest creatures in the universe, but... even I respect the simpler souls," With a chuckle to himself, he added to his rant. "I've seen many like you defy the impossible, and I want to see more of that, so, won't you indulge me, oh hero of mine?"
The sincerity in his voice was almost too good to be true, Deku knew better than to trust a Nightmare he never knew, for all Gambit's talk, it could be just that, words to feed a false truth. Yet, something about Gambit was too honest, the way he carried himself was so much like Velk, the energy he radiated was powerful, dangerously so, but calm, like the tide.
"...okay," Deku raised his hand, "It's a deal, Gambit."
"Hahahaha, I knew you'd agree with me!" He slapped his armrests, leaning out to grab the boy's hand, practically covering Deku's forearm as they shook on it. "Very well, hold still, I should be able to tap into your quirk with a little effort," There was a strange, cold feeling pricking at his arm, like a needle, then Gambit retracted his hand. "Hm... not bad, I'll savor this,"
"Did that work?" Deku cocked his head when Gambit stopped trying to flick air pressure through his floating cards.
"I can feel something, could be what I ate earlier, but we'll cross that proverbial bridge later, for now, I have a deal to uphold," Clearing his throat, Gambit's eyes narrowed with great intensity. "So, what do you wish to know, little traveler?"
This was it, over a month and finally, Deku could take a real step toward his ultimate goal. The pros were stretched thin with their own investigations and maintaining what little peace there is. Deku was the only one actively searching for long periods of time. A few he grew close to the Splicer Sectors only to find any efforts of infiltrating them to be a suicidal attempt, and that was just getting past the front door.
"I want to know... how to defeat the Devil Splicer Barons," Deku raised his head, watching Gambit bend the air until the lights were dim, and a projection appeared between him and Deku with a blue symbol of the Devil Splicer banner.
"Then let's take a look at what lies below..." Gambit began, raising a finger. "Oh, and little friendly advice, learn your enemy before you deal with them, haha, there's irony in that..."
The hologram flickered, and the first of the 'Barons' appeared, a Fallen riding what was called a 'Fallen Pike' a bulky hover bike with its copper hull painted black with a few red splash marks of SIVA - or NARA in this case.
The Fallen appeared feminine due to her petite frame beneath a cloak, her armor was standard but the helmet reminded Deku of a biker gang, the black helm spray-painted with the upper half in white, depicting a skull as red flames flickered atop the rounded scalp. Four arms, no weapons.
"Freksos the Drifter. Top dog of a pack of savage riders that leave nothing but scorched earth in their wake, rather tacky too." Gambit muttered the last part as the image warped. "Oh, her location will take you to a city in Hyogo."
The Splicer stood as tall as Gambit, with two bulky arms, and draped in black chains brimming with NARA's nano swarm, all humming from a maul hung by a chain in its right hand. The jagged maw was left uncovered, while the helmet seemed to be fashioned from a cage, wrapping around the Fallen's head. The black and red armor made him look far more intimidating than most Fallen.
"Zarlik the Tormenter, A sadist down to his marrow, be it man, woman, child, or hero, never let his claws near your flesh. I heard, he enjoys using the quirks of his victims against them." That made Deku's stomach turn. He heard of him before, even All Might looked ready to puke. "He overlooks a city in the Okayama Prefecture."
Next on-screen was another large Splicer, perhaps as big as Kovik himself. She had three arms, the lower right remained but was heavily modified with what could only be described as a dragon's mouth made of metal and NARA wiring. Her helmet's right eye was bulging with three scopes, tubes feeding out from a gas mask that left her bald head exposed.
Slung on her back was a trove of weapons and augments that extended over her arms like an exoskeleton, her cape wrapped around her waist like a windswept skirt. "Selas the Augmented, a fanatic bred from the likes of Taniks' legacy. There is no mound of scrap she cannot repurpose, any and all tech at her fingertips can be weaponized. She especially loves support equipment, tch, amateur collector." That rubbed a sore spot on the Nightmare. "She's to the Saitama Prefecture."
Next on the list was... not a Splicer. I wore the colors and metal plating of one, but that was about all Deku could make out from the image. Their body had been heavily modified, looking like a distorted amalgamation of machinery and ice that formed a carapace to resemble an eastern dragon.
"Yarath Vel the Hoarfrost, a man drugged on NARA, his quirk has left him more monster than either Splicer or Human. Left to fester in a tundra of his own making. Word of advice, his ice is more than it seems." Gambit forewarned before the image flickered. "I'd be wary when confronting him in the Yamagata prefecture."
The villain immediately became familiar to Deku, the formal attire, hat, walking cane, and mask with a bionic arm. Mr. Compress. "Mr. Compress, familiar, ain't he? I must admit, even I am in the dark about what his purpose is to the Liberation Army's cause. You already know that this old dog has more than a few tricks up his sleeves."
Like Compress, the next made Deku's face harden at the twisted smile and gradient green hair. Halimaka had changed too, now his arms were pitch black, lined with SIVA's symbol across the forearms, aside from that, his appearance remained the same. "Halimaka, Venom Sickle. One you've had a run-in with prior, but do not mistake his strength to be as it once was. All it will take is a single cut, be very wary of what he has become." Gambit clicked his fingers. "Nagano prefecture, but he tends to move around often."
Unlike the others, the next Fallen wore the colors of a different House, deep blue with white accents, but her mask was now misshapen by the infusion of a shard from Vosik's faceplate, turning her shrouded appearance into a deformed arachnid.
"Drevis, Wolf Baroness. Leader of the Barons, and loyal to the new wannabe 'Kell of Kells'. Deadliest assassin of the Reef Wars, and aid to the Kell of Wolves. She may be a machine fed on memories, but her aim is unquestionable."
The final image included two, Shigaraki was a blurred-out image given his ambiguous appearance and whereabouts. But centerstage was the Splicer Deku hated the most, bearing the colors of his House, armed with a modified scorch cannon and a helmet shaped like a pyramid. The mad scientist was as twisted as he was in real life.
"Saving the worst for last; Kovik, Splicer Priest, Kell of Kells. The Eliksni behind the creation of NARA, the last of Aksis' disciples who has risen to the title of a prophecy no less! And the one who tore apart the world you know, discarding Yuki Azuru and her allies to an unknown world,"
The facial images of every Baron surrounded Kovik, all in the palm of Gambit's hand as the light returned to the emporium. "Kovik remains elusive, smoke in your hands. However, his Barons lead a path forward, divide them, dismantle their control and uncover the truth behind their districts. You'll find Kovik and Shigaraki. Corner them, and all that will be left... is to return the favor."
With that, Gambit chuckled.
A rift pried itself open in the dead of night, rain pouring down as Deku only left his realm for a split second by all accounts, not even his tracking device would've gone off as Gambit handed him a blue umbrella. "There you are, back into the... well, I was going to say 'nice night', but..." He drawled, giving the wore a flat stare. "Welp! I'm no weatherman, not after the last time I messed with nature, so, off you go! Hope my intel helps~"
Deku adjusted his mask again, turning back to the perplexing Nightmare, "More than you know, thank you for your advice!" Again, he gave a curt bow that Gambit never got tired of seeing.
"Keep this up, and we may meet each other again someday, oh, not worry, I believe in Data Protection when concerning my clients, you're lucky none of the Barons you asked for visited me yet!" Gambit admitted, "I'm a neutral party, so don't hold it against me if you find your enemies have something I offered them, food for thought, as they say."
"I'll keep that in mind," Deku agreed, while he'd have liked to keep anything of Gambit's away from the likes of Kovik, it can't be helped, Gambit was far stronger than possibly anyone in the world and beyond. What he says goes, Deku was just a small voice in that argument.
"Toodles!" Gambit waved, and the rift snapped shut once more, leaving Deku to pull out his radio.
"All Might?" He asked.
~Ah, yes, what's wrong, Young Midoriya?~ Always concerned, it was thoughtful. Deku shook his head though he knew All Might couldn't see it.
"I'm okay, but I've found it," He relayed with more energy in his voice.
~Found what? Please, explain~
"But... how do I get close to them?" Deku asked after processing all of Gambit's information. The young man paced. "Their defenses will detect me the second I enter the facility, implying I'm not already spotted, while Smokescreen helps to cover my tracks it's still very noticeable that something's wrong..."
Gambit stared for the longest time, "...you're gonna wear out my floorboards soon," His comment drove Deku from his mutterings. "As for your predicament... you're wearing the solution, Deku,"
"I am?" He asked, hand brushing the blue scarf around his neck, the twin tails resting against his back. The threads were weaved with SIVA. "...the nanomachines...!"
"Ding-Ding!" Gambit rang a bell too, "Your little girlfriend gave you her nanomachines, they're your all-access pass," He added, moving to prod the cloth with his hidden tail. "Use that head of yours, and you'll find there's more to these little nanites than a minor repair." He winked, not handing out any other clues.
"A way to infiltrate the Barons' districts," He tugged at the gift he treasured, once more, Yuki had given him a way forward.
|Okayama Prefecture|
"Please, move quickly, others will arrive to evac you!" Lux Draco, AKA the Sunlight Hero Ra, ushered those caught in the crossfire to find cover and slip away unseen, his radiant blades sweeping in a fan-like pattern to ward off the stray shots from the battle beyond the makeshift barriers of cars and debris.
The night was a cold one, but the heat from wire rifles quickly punctured that temperature with their fire. Another shockwave threw his braided ponytail back, his lips pressed thinly with worry. On the battleground, the boisterous Kotaro Kaneko, AKA the Tremor Hero Shocker, was duking it out with the Devil Splicers.
"Ya want a piece, come on!" Kaneko hollered, slamming both fists diagonally against a Captain's broad chestplate, shattering it with an emerald cone of light, sending the Fallen flying across the street and through its own Vandals, their rifles clattering to the ground from the recoil. He blocked a pair of swords with his right forearm, grunting as he shoved the Vandal back and sucker-punched it in the jaw.
Kaneko spun on his heel, recoiling as two more Dregs were upon him, unwavering at the sight of the hero that just made quick work of their chain of command. He stumbled, saved by a pair of swords severing the night sky, splitting the heads of the Fallen in half, dropping them for Kaneko to return a clap, releasing a wide arc of vibrations to disorientate the Splicers, some falling from being too close to the radius.
"Thanks a bunch!" He yelled back to Draco, then gaped beneath his mask. "Hey, watch it!"
Draco blinked, swiveling only for his whole world to spin in pain, a cloaked Mauarder had snuck up on him, clutching a shock spear in its claws as the blade sliced along his left bicep with a sickening hiss. With a mental image of hands clasping his two swords, while the others protected the civilians, he brandished them to guard himself against the spear as it crackled against the luminous blades.
"I'm fine... keep fighting!" Draco wheezed, trying to move out from between his swords and the spear but the angle against the car's hood made it difficult.
A horrid shockwave rippled through Draco's hair a second later, his eyes catching Kaneko who pointed his right fist back, blocking another Vandal with his right gauntlet that started to spark. To avoid the extra arms skewering him, he spun his body with a smaller blast from the right arm, roundhousing the Vandal.
With the Maurader off Draco, he impaled the spearman and turned his attention to the yellow and red clad teen who was knocked onto his back, having drawn his attention to Draco for a second, another Captain had emerged in a flash of red, raising his Shrapnel Launcher to tear apart Kaneko's chestplate, leaving him reeling from the impact.
"No!" Panic gripped Draco, his yellow eyes shaking while his two radiant blades flew to his partner's aid, but the Captain was faster, raising the molten muzzle toward Kaneko, red liquid hissing and bubbling from the twisted barrel of the augmented shotgun. "Close the gap, close the ga-"
His thoughts were ground into the mud, a pair of arms locking his behind his back while two trace rounds shattered his radiant swords, the others still maintaining a defensive line for the lingering civilians. Every struggle was met with a vice-like grip, the Splicers had him pinned to watch in horror as scarlet magma bubbled before Kaneko's rising head.
*Fwoosh!*
That eternal hellfire was left in a smoldering pile of scraps, the Splicer Captain roared in anger, but something latched itself to his helmet's angular horns, prying it from the earth, and slammed the Fallen hard. It crumbled like dust as the blur smashed into the other Fallen, safeguarding Draco and Kaneko in seconds.
"Maine Smash!" Deku slammed a solid uppercut through a Vandal, the shockwave leaving a haze of wind pressure for him to glide back and ensnare several Splicers left in the area with Blackwhip before throwing his arms back, gathering the flailing bodies into a black mesh in the sky. Bending his knees, he lunged from the edge of a shop rooftop, bringing his right left high. "St. Louis Smash!"
In a crackling flash of red and green, the Splicers were little more than colored snowfall, Deku landing with a short skid before the two boys from a while back, he remembered them, they were Hana's friends, two more people who were hurt by her forced exodus from their world. "Are you two okay?" His pupils blinked with concern.
"Wait a sec... that you, Midoriya?" Kaneko never would've believed it if he didn't recognize the costume, even if a bit banged up like his. "Holy crap... long time no see I guess..."
"While this really isn't the place for a reunion, it is good to see you," Draco nodded, smiling as he helped Kaneko stand until he could shake off the dizziness. "And yes, we are fine now, a few scratches but nothing serious."
"I think my whole chest is burning..." Kaneko wheezed, rubbing his now exposed skin that was clearly burned but only a minor first degree. "Those upgrades were worth every penny!"
"Still, you shouldn't have taken your eyes off them," Draco sighed, worried for Kaneko's health. "But... thank you,"
"Anytime," He gave a curt nod, then the two addressed Deku who was watching the last of the civilians vacate the area safely. "So, here's the big question, what's with the sudden arrival? Appreciate the support but what's brought you all the way to Okayama?"
Deku craned his neck, eyes flashing to narrowed pins. "The Baron, I'm going in there,"
The place Deku reference stood two to three blocks away. An ominous red glare from spotlights hung over an old Community Center turned tormentor's playground. The interior was a mystery, but a wall sanctioned off a large portion of the city with the Center acting at the command post for the Baron, Zarlik.
"That's suicide, not a single Pro can break their perimeter, and with how heavy they've pushed to kidnap innocent people, we're spread thin here..." Draco couldn't recall a day that wasn't spent holding back the Splicers. And now, an old friend said he wanted to attack the core of this monster's operations?
"Hence why we're comin' with, right!?" Kaneko pushed forward to tower over Deku, the boy's expression flashing with surprise as a rough finger jabbed against his chest. "And you ain't refusing, this here's our fight, so if that place is your business, it's ours, get me!?"
"But it will be dangerous, the Barons are-" Deku attempted to intervene but was roughly thrashed back and forth by Kaneko's hands.
"I said we're comin' with, end of story!" He set the slightly dazed Successor down, crossing his arms. "Look, no hero that went solo against that place came back alive or without a few nasty injuries, yer gonna need all the help you can get," Kaneko waved his arm at Draco. "I and Lux here will watch yer back, then you can send that Baron packin'!"
"It... would be preferable to do this together," Draco, while against going anywhere near the Baron's Sector, agreed. If they placed defensively the whole time, eventually, they'd be tired out before long. And with Deku here, they stood a far greater chance judging by how effortlessly he disposed of the Splicers. "What say you, Midoriya?"
"...I... think I'll be shaken again if I refused," He lowered his hands in defeat, nodding reluctantly. "Okay, then we need to move now while we have the element of surprise,"
"Right/Lead the way!"
The trio took off, and Deku tapped his radio. "I'm moving in, going radio silent,"
~Be careful, Young Midoriya~
"I will," He spared Kaneko and Draco a look over his shoulder. "I'm not alone."
"So, uh, gonna sound dumb, but how's this-" Kaneko pointed the ventilation duct hidden from view that connected to the buildings within the Sector, and the closest to the Baron's lair. "-any different than busting in headfirst? Second we enter they'll track us,"
"This is true, but I have a feeling Midoriya has the solution," Draco hummed, watching the greenette fiddle with a device in his hands, a keypad with a small screen, wires connected to a fuse box, and a blue cluster the size of a middle finger, one containing Yuki's SIVA, and Kovik's NARA from the dead Fallen.
"I had some help figuring this out," Deku replied as he hooked the combined cluster to the keypad as a few sparks trickled from the fuze box. "SIVA and NARA are one and the same just with different commands and cores to keep the nanomachines functioning. So by doing exactly what a Splicer would do, if I splice the two variants and their coding, scrambling the frequency to keep NARA from detecting Yuki's SIVA then I can trick their defenses into believing we're Fallen created by NARA."
There was a lot more nuance and science behind his explanation, but he didn't want to waste time on the details for his allies. What they needed to know is that with this tampered frequency connected via their comms, they could walk around in the Barons' Sectors as if they were Splicers themselves.
"How can you be all flashy and cool yet sound so nerdy?" Draco promptly smacked Kaneko on the back of the head for that.
Keeping concealed in the dark, Deku took a dangerous step toward the vent, pushing his arm into the dark tunnel. For ten seconds, no alarm sounded. Then twenty and he pulled himself inside. By the time half a minute passed, he allowed himself a smile. It worked!
"Okay, we can move, but keep very slow, we don't know if any of them can hear us in here," Deku ushered, hearing them shuffle to move inside and out from the view of any patrolling Fallen. "This is it, Zarlik's lair... no turning back now," Not once did he consider the thought of running away.
Behind them, Draco grabbed the vent's grate, and careful fixed it in place. Had they been a few seconds later, the Dregs that stalked by the alleyway would've seen them, instead, all the mindless creatures passed as a fuze box laying wide open, the wires sparking and torn from their resting place.
To Be Continued...
Deku, with two returning faces, now enters the lair of probably the most sadistic of the Barons. Zarlik awaits them, but what has become of the sectioned-off city under the Splicers' control? I hope you enjoyed, I appreciate the support as always; seeya in the next chapter, Heroes!
P.S. Can I just say how much of a relief it is not to have to struggle for chapter names with the word 'Perfect' in it?
Next Chapter Intermission: The Tormentor
"We're back in action, feels great!" Kaneko thundered, his hazel eyes burning with passion. "Think it's time we remind everyone how our quirks work, yeah!?"
Draco, who was much less vocal nodded with a pleasant smile. "Yes, by all means," He motioned for Kaneko to step forward.
"Sweet! Mine's Shockwave-" He held up an arm, allowing the skin to vibrate as a greenish wave of energy manifested. "-my pores release small vibrations, and combined they create shockwaves that can shatter concrete. I can extend the range and radius but its a little tricky to control so I have a pair of gauntlets to help focus the direction of my vibrations and their intensity, don't want to hurt anyone and all that!"
Draco stood center stage next, "As for I-" Five glowing swords of light appeared like wings at his back. "-mine is Holy Sword; as demonstrated, I can manifest five radiant swords to either block or attack, producing beams of light from the tips of the blades, as well as hinder healing capabilities if my target has 'darkness' within them, whether that is superficial or a factual result of my quirk remains unknown."
"He's God's given gift, that's what," Kaneko rolled his eyes.
Draco sighed warily, "...you know I hate when people say that, I do not wish to-"
"Insult your God, I getcha, but it's me, ya know I'm just pullin' yer tail," Kaneko smirked, ruffling his partner's hair. "Onto the show; up next is The Tormentor!"
"Go Beyond-" Draco remained as passive as ever, while Kaneko wrapped an arm over his shoulders.
"-PLUS ULTRA!" The brunette bellowed.