Chapter 116 - The Drifter
A small town within the Hyogo Prefecture was now bathed in an acrid stench, a haze of sickly yellow hung in the streets from corrosive, toxic pools from waste filtered by the Baron that held an iron-grip over their district. Freksos the Drifter, a thrill-seeker of a Fallen who rides with her crew on modified 'Pikes', leaving a trail of flames in their wake.
"From what little we could gather, she's responsible for an unknown chemical used as fuel, and this-" All Might motioned to the boiling pools that filled up potholes in the streets below. "-is the unsettling result, absolutely no one sets foot within the surrounding area, unlike with other cities, not even villains prowl, speaks volumes of the dangerous nature of this Baron," This made the ex-hero grimace, sensing nothing but an unwavering silence from his pupil. "Young Midoriya, you must pick your battles here carefully,"
"I know," He turned to All Might, his mask's eyes turning to slits. "Zarlik nearly got the best of three of us, but there's one advantage I have and that's with Float and Blackwhip, I can stay off the ground and plot a better course of action," He wanted to defeat the Barons but he had no info aside from eye-witness reports.
All Might retained his frown, lowering his binoculars, "While I'd recommend against going for a direction confrontation, that new augment to your cloak has been more than sufficient for infiltration," He marvelled at his student's handiwork, smiling lightly. "Young Azuru's luck has rubbed off on you,"
"Yeah..." He tone was softer, if only for a second as his eyes snapped right of the rooftop, moving in front of All Might. "Stay back, All Might!"
"No harm...!" The uncloaked Vandal raised a hand, hissing at the boy's power starting to surface. "Message... from Baroness..."
The pair looked at one another, and All Might asked. "What is it she would want to discuss?"
The Devil stepped forward, procuring a transmission device from its waist, holding it out. ~...Hello, Deku, All Might - what a pleasant surprise, honestly believed no hero would come itching for a fight since the Red Glare, but hey, here you are!~ The cynical voice of the Drifter perked up through the static. ~Don't mind the messenger, he's unarmed... or is he? Hahaha; that aside, I'm here to challenge you, bearer of One For All~
Deku's guard lowered, but his eyes were unblinking. "That is?"
~To fight me, right here, right now in my domain, you can see the gate from here, can't you?~ She clicked, and sure enough, a large, cast-iron gate sealed off the central headquarters of the Baroness' location, within the high walls built in and around the buildings, an even deadlier lake of boiling fallout chemicals was wafted into the air. ~Why else would you be here, right? Some come on, come on, let's see what you're made of, Hero!~
"Why?" Deku murmured, glancing back at the Vandal as if to scowl at Freksos herself. "Allowing the enemy into your stronghold, what's the catch?"
She cackled down the mic, calming herself down. ~...'Catch'? Hehehehahaha...! Why do I care about your petty vengeance against my Kell? Or the loss of your friends? No, all I want is a real challenge, something that tugs at the heartstrings, a real fight to the death from someone worthy of my time! Come on, Hero, what say you!?~
"Young Midoriya?" All Might placed his hand on Deku's shoulder, watching him carefully. It was obviously a ploy to lure Deku in, one that was far too tempting.
"It's our best shot with minimal risk," He whispered back. "And it'll just be us?"
~Us and my riders, of course, but you have my word no harm will come to your teacher... so long as he behaves himself~ Freksos offered. ~Well? I thought you wanted to beat me? To take out your anger on me like Zarlik?~
"That's not-" He was cut off when she laughed again, mocking him.
~Oh, I'm sure that's what you tell yourself, well, I'll see you very soon, Hero~ The transmission cut off, and the Vandal quickly disappeared before he could suffer Deku's wrath.
An offer straight from the Baron they sought, one that held a silent stare from Deku, and a pensive glare from All Might. "Young Midoriya, for this remain in contact," He held his binoculars. "I may not be much help on the ground but I can keep an eye on you from afar,"
"Right, she's trying to egg us on," He tucked his blue cape closer to his mouth guard. "I won't fall for it, but as much as we hate it, this is the perfect opportunity," "And the chance to understand why she chose to work for Kovik despite his manipulations..." If he could get his hands on her NARA core, maybe he'll learn more than just her past this time? "I'll be going then!" He raced to the edge of the rooftop.
"Hold on!" Deku spun around, and saw All Might holding out his fist to him with a confident smile. "Good luck."
Deku's eyes curved upward, bumping his mentor's fist. "Thank you, All Might."
Deku stepped through one of the large holes in the barrier between him and Freksos, once through, he gliding forward with the added momentum of air force, spotting dozens of Splicers milling around on upper levels within the makeshift walls and buildings. They trained their sights on the emerald hero, but none dared to fire a shot per their Baron's word. Flying through the dark tunnel toward the light, a voice broke the loudspeakers hidden from view.
~Y'know, when I heard Zarlik had been killed, I thought nothing of it, honestly. But then I heard your name, and I realized something, ooooh something marvellous!~ Freksos practically purred. ~You're out for our heads, the Barons, my Kell, those responsible for taking not the lives of innocent people, no... you're here to make up for failing your friends~
He kept his silence, finally entering the light. Even through the mask, his nose crinkled in disgust.
Sliding onto the lip of a slope leading down into the massive arena forged around the buildings, the sheer magnitude of the lair compared to Zarlik's was a big contrast to his barren wasteland. Two distillery towers watched over the area to the right, the faint sign of blackish-purple liquid flowing within the pipelines leading somewhere. The runoff spilled out into the arena. The ground was eroded and dead, forming thin strips of land through a lake of sickly yellow acid that boiled. Islands were formed around the edges of the arena and at the base of the distilleries.
Red banners of the House of Devils were strewn across the prongs and fencing of the walls, spotlights illuminating the arena in the dead of night, giving it a gladiatorial vibe. And with a spurt of flames at the far end of the arena, an augmented pike flew off a rampart from several stories above, landing with a splash around the acid that didn't even phase the rider nor her machine. A Devils banner flapping from the tail of the hovercraft.
Beneath a cloak, her armour was standard but the helmet was black, 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 had shown herself. She sat up, clapping her hands.
"Your silence tells me I'm right, you want to protect this world but deep down you want to have the pleasure of tearing my Kell's plans apart with your bare hands!" She adjusted her seating, clawing at her chin in thought. "I'll admit, I understand your feelings of regret and retribution, to have something you love and treasure stripped from your claws... it's a sickening feeling in your gut and twists your heart!"
"Why did you accept Kovik's deal? Why harm innocent lives?" Deku finally asked, watching Freksos lean forward against her pike's head.
"Oh, the would-be heroes are far from concerning, but I haven't taken a single civilian life since I was ordered to - well, can't let that slip, even with pleasant company," She chuckled.
Her reasonings weren't drugged and twisted like Zarlik, Deku realized. Comparing their attitudes, the former was driven to protect people but Kovik manipulated that mindset, making him 'protect' only his domain, and through rose-tinted glasses he took many innocent lives. It was a horrid reality Deku was thankful to have ended. But Freksos? She was aware of her actions, and Kovik wasn't swaying her motives. Despite this, he clenched his fists.
"I suppose reasoning with you won't help, but you used to be human, and now..." He trailed off.
"Now I'm this-" She waved her arms wide. "-an unpleasant process but... compared to back then..." Her fists curled against her pike's handlebars, the flames atop her head burning brighter. "...I'D SOONER RID MY HUMANITY THAN TO EVER GO BACK TO THAT TIME!" With that scream, a bloodcurdling cry, all hell broke loose.
~Several Splicers are approaching from behind, Young Midoriya!~ All Might warned ahead of Danger Sense's range, giving Deku the chance to quickly wrap a whip around a pipeline above the archway of the tunnel and sling himself through the air, evading the scarlet arc bolts released by Freksos' NARA-infested pike.
From the tunnel's entrance the roar of pikes and flames shot out into the acidic battleground. Four riders in total, all with modified pikes infused with NARA, the flames turned scarlet, their weapons much the same as their leader's. Deku adjusted his footing on the pipe, then, with a deep breath, he dove straight toward the lake of boiling chemicals.
Threshing his right arm, a blackwhip caught a rider's neck, pulling him onto the back of the rumbling pike as it started to buckle under Deku's interruption. The Vandal snarled, swinging a cutlass with its extra arm as the blade skimmed by Deku's cheek, his fist shattering the blade before he grabbed the Splicer tightly around the collarbone and threw it off into the boiling lake, seeing it thresh around in agony, its armour breaking down quickly. The sight made Deku grimace, noting to Never set foot in that chemical.
Now came his newest problem, how did he drive one of these things? Looking at the handlebars, it seemed to function like an ordinary motorbike, pressing his soles against where a bracket for his feet were, using them to accelerate or break. Once his right foot hit the pedal, the roaring red flames shot him forward and off a corroded ramp, flying over another rider as Freksos laughed over the commotion of arc bolts striking the pike's hull.
"That's the spirit, Hero! Now things are gettin' interesting!" She commended, her bannered pike swivelling around from behind fuel storage tankers to the far left to intercept. Danger Sense told Deku there were threats to his back and the right of him. This could be tricky.
On reflex, he twisted the right handlebar, and suddenly, his world spun with a yelp, launching a splinter mine from beneath his pike as it bounced across the arena, forcing to riders to evade the blast. "So they come with a dodge function... that launches mines?" His eyes blinked skeptically. He had several questions if lived long enough to get them. Keeping his head low, he noticed the back of his pike was starting to puff smoke, the integrity of the pike wouldn't last a constant barrage from several directions. "Okay... improvise,"
Bringing his pike around, avoiding the flaming streak left by Freksos by a hair, he kicked the pike into overdrive and drove straight into another rider, diving over the wreckage into a summersault. Upside down, he brought both gauntlets forward and fired on the Vandal, splashing acid across the pike's dashboard and the Fallen's body as it flailed angrily at the stinging sensation. Gripping the edges of a thin path of ground on either side of the rider, Deku launched himself with air force, twirling back around vertically. "Manchester... Smash!" His right heel caved in against the rider's nape, crushing it and the two pikes into a smouldering wreckage.
Landing on his feet, his body was quickly peppered by burning arc bolts from behind, the other two riders were intercepting. From the left, Deku's mind burned for him to evade, to which he did by rolling, feeling an extreme rise in heat when a barrier of flames erected at the front of Freksos' pike scorched through the air above him. She swivelled around, driving wildly in an effort to mow him down with flames. Smoke billowed from his form, masking his escape when he clung to a small building meant to maintain the tankers. Knelt low, the three riders emerged from the small cloud of smoke.
"Can't split our focus here, take on her riders first," The third user suggested, knelt beside Deku who was starting to pant. "Ironic as it may be, this ain't a race, we can afford to play this cautiously."
"Danger Sense will keep your flanks covered, remember, trust the powers at your disposal," Shinomori added to the left, inspecting Freksos was raced toward them, bolts of lightning sailing in their direction. "We have a plan, now go."
"Yes, Sirs!" Deku created a small smokescreen again, wrapping a whip around one of the tankers to flank the furthest rider approaching from the top left of the tanker bay. "Taking down the last two riders will put us on an even playing field-" He swung to the next two tankers, zipping over Freksos' head with a crackle of mint-green lightning. "-maximize the quirks, don't overuse them. Blackwhip will help me make better turns, Float to avoid touching the acid, and Smokescreen to evade the wide berth of the pikes attacks!"
Flying into a slow backflip, Deku sailed over the next rider, planting both feet against the arena wall before diving straight at the ground, evading the arc blasts, firing several Delaware Smashes to force the rider into using the pike's evade function. Two splinter mines bounced in his direction, and Deku leapt forward, catching the mines with Blackwhip before crossing his arms and stretching them wide, slamming the two mines in a crisscross against the Vandal as it shrieked, exploding in a scarlet surge, scattering nanomachines everywhere.
"That was impressive, but not good enough!" From the smoke, Freksos' burning pike slammed its cowl into Deku's forearms, the flames eating away at the Mid-Gauntlets outer layer as the fabric began to peel. Thinking on his feet, Deku anchored himself, the sudden oppressing force made his arms burn hotter, but also, threw Freksos over his head, her pike performing a few spins through the air.
She huffed, landing on her feet with a solid crash, clutching the frame of her pike above her head before throwing itself and her own body upright, landing back on the driver's seat. The impressive display proved one thing, dismounting her would be impossible, so instead, Deku became skybound once more, locating the last rider.
Not wasting time, Deku extended his blackwhips to ensnare the gap between two towers of the distilleries, creating a taut wire of black and teal light as the rider was too focused on hitting Deku to notice it in the shadow of the tower's platforms. Sure, Deku grunted as a few hit some soft spots, but when he brought the whips into view, it was too late to turn back. His arms strained and buckled as he held himself against one of the towers, but the result was the severed half of the Vandal disappearing into the acidic lake, its pike left motionless near the arena wall. Then there was one.
Making his way onto the connected platforms of the distilleries, his dark glare met with the Baroness waiting at the middle gap of the tanker platform, her hands playing with the handles while Deku cracked his knuckles, the acrid wind caught through his cape as it shimmered, repairing the small holes in his armour. Flames erupted from the exhausts and green sparks flashed through the night sky over a yellow lakebed.
Red bolts scarred the air, so Deku pivoted his trajectory with float and a few air blasts, skidding across the ground as Freksos passed right by, her cutlass slicing at the 'ears' of Deku's mask as he bent his upper body backward. He steadied himself, catching the polearm of the banner before Freksos dragged him along for the ride, her speed increasing tenfold as the flames flew beneath his floating frame. His eyes lit up with surprise. "Does she... still have her quirk?"
From what they learned, or speculated, most of the 'real' Splicers were, horrifyingly, human originally, their bodies had been twisted to appear and act just like a Fallen. But none of them could use their quirks anymore, why that is was part of Hawks' own investigations from what All Might told Deku. Something Kovik, even before the Jaku City incident, couldn't figure out. It was the biggest mystery among Kovik's web of plots and schemes.
"You should know-!" Freksos yelled over the whirling wind and roaring flames to catch Deku's ear as he was forced to brace himself against various objects she threw him into, intending to brulzie him since he decided to float constantly. "-my quirk before this, you can call it a gift from my Kell! Burst!" As she said this, her speed yet again increased for a brief period of time, causing Blackwhip to ripple and strain against the back of her pike, the banner's pole bent almost horizontally.
Her speed started to steady again, but her constant erratic turns made it harder for Deku to maintain his drip, flying over a ramp, he quickly disengaged as the whiplash would've sent him plummeting into the acid below, using his left to catch the edges of a solid patch of land. "Fighting her while she moves like this won't work, think, Izuku, what's her weakness..." He had about twenty seconds before she caught him. Then, his eyes landed on his target. "There!" Releasing smokescreen, he heard her growl in frustration.
"How long will you keep hiding behind cheap tricks!?" She tore through the smoke with a sharp flick, finding Deku standing at the middlemost rampart up to the tankers. "There you are! I suppose since we both have powers it's only fair you get to use yours to the fullest, all the other heroes never understood me," She grip her handlebars tighter. "They called me 'monster', 'villain', 'fanatic'... so what!?" Flames spurted from the front of the pike as the muzzles discharged. "I'd sooner sell my humanity than to ever be related to the same race as those heroes!"
With an impressive burst of speed that sent the boiling acid flying backward, her pike shot across the arena where Deku waited, black tendrils whipped in the air from his back while he hunched forward, knees apart. He waited until she was only ten meters away... then eight... then four... then one...
With a cone of wind at his feet, Freksos snapped her head upward to see Deku sailing horizontally above, his blackwhips snaked down but didn't touch her, instead, they clogged the holes in her pike's chassis, causing several small pops and burst of black smoke to rip through other impurities NARA didn't repair. Why would it? It was meant to heal the rider not their vehicle, leaving it open to destruction. Freksos attempted to take control of the wayward pike but it spat electricity back, and her increased speed sent her flying into one of the fuel tanks.
*BOOOOOOM!*
The heatwave would've burned Deku's hair if he wasn't wearing a protective mask, the purple flames towering a staggering height into the night sky, bathing all shadows with a lilac glare that pierced the clouds. From the inferno, the scorched body of Freksos threw itself from the flames, and straight into Deku's line of sight as her eyes contracted, feeling the wind rush past her exposed, alien face as a large chunk was ripped from her chest, alongside the NARA cluster held at her center.
Once more, the memories flooded Deku's vision, looking around the similar mindscape as before, he found the pathway was that of a skate park's turf, the chain-link fences and the planked stairwells leading up to the first memory. He said nothing, following the rectangular spotlights above to the sight of an image of several teens playing on a halfpipe, one of which was mid-air, her board pinched at the front between her fingers as she threw her legs back to do a pose.
By the sound of boards hitting the ground and the cheers, the scene flickered, and the young girl was standing on the edge with a smug smile. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail, her eyes wide with glee wearing a tank top, exercise wristbands, a pair of sneakers with spiky buckles, and shorts. Her calves, however, were by far the most toned part of her body, with strange white tattoos depicting wings.
"-thank you, thank you, I'll take all bets now, grovelling is also appreciated," She boasted, her board held down in her left hand.
"Yeah, we get it, you're amazing..." One of the onlookers scoffed as she winked.
"Well, I'm glad you're finally realizing the true skill that is Harumi Alya," The girl, Alya, replied. "But seriously, it took me ages to get that tricked nailed down flat, even with my quirk, so you'll manage... with a few bruises here and there."
"And have you demand we call you 'teacher', no thanks!" Another joked and the scene faded to black.
Deku followed the lights to the next memory, this time, it appeared to be... an accident. It was the same skatepark, that much was clear. But now it lay in ruins, the sounds of sirens, crying, and commotion was muffled for the memory to play without interruption. Alya's friends were nowhere to be found, but she was still around, legs buried under concrete and wood as she struggled to pry herself free, clawing at the ground.
"H... hey... help, please!" She rasped, her image showed she was crying but grit her teeth to endure the pain, fighting with all her strength. "They're... underneath... dammit, h-help them...!" Her throat cried out, but no one was coming. The scene flickered, her head was looking back at the rubble, through the cracks, Deku saw it, her legs were blooded and shredded by the debris, and yet, they held up the crushing weight of concrete to keep two other kids from being crushed, clearly knocked out from the damage. "SOMEONE, HELP THEM!"
Deku reached for the memory but it faded to black, and his hand swept through the shadows left behind, his fingers resting where the trio lay, unable to move. How amazing, that she held on despite her injuries to save them. At first, she reminded Deku of Katsuki, but her pride all but vanished in the face of saving their lives. Swallowing the lump in his throat, Deku arrived at a hospital room, the doorway he stepped through closing.
Alya was sat in a bed, head turned to the window that wasn't there, her face was lost, eyes staring longingly at the sky beyond the memory, her legs were visible, wrapped up tightly as a Doctor stood with the girl's parents sat beside their daughter who didn't mutter a word. "-unfortunately, given the severity of the accident, she will be unable to move her legs anymore, luckily, they didn't require amputation and should heal within completely within a few months,"
"Is there anything we can do?" The father asked.
"Once her legs have healed properly, she can undergo physiotherapy, perhaps then her legs may be useable again but I don't wish to get yours or her hopes up, I'm sorry," The Doctor bowed his head.
The scene flickered, Alya still stared at the window's direction, but her fists tugged at the bedsheets. "...are they okay?" She muttered. "My friends?"
"Oh, yes," Her mother spoke up with a tight smile. "They say if it wasn't for you they may not have survived, you saved them, honey."
"Hm, good," She replied, looking down at her clenched fists. "So... why am I still angry?" She asked her parents. "Why is it when I heard that hero's name, what's it again?"
"Slade, a local hero-" She cut her father off.
"That bastard did this to me," She rasped. "I saw it, he could've lured the villain away but instead he thought pleasing his adoring fans with a show was more important, and we... I..."
"The hero was only doing his job, this was-" The scene flickered, and now their daughter was glaring at them with tears trailing down her face.
"Because of him, I can't even walk anymore! Don't you get it!?" She screamed. "The only thing I'm good at and now it's been taken from me, all the while that son of a bitch gets praised for a job well done! I nearly died, we all did just so he could look good and smile for the camera!" In her eyes, Deku saw it, hatred turning to spite. "WHY THE HELL SHOULD HE GET TO LIVE!?"
"Sweetie, calm down-" Her father's hand were on her shoulders but she threw them off, grabbing her temples.
"I'm useless! I'm my quirk is useless! What can I even do anymore!?"
The shouting faded with the memory, the final scene not far away, appearing just like the hospital room Deku was in. He felt remorse for Alya, her one true passion taken from her due to the accident caused by a ego-centric hero. He had heard of Slade... he died not long ago to Freksos, during the early stages after the Red Glare. Crossing the crumbling hallway, he stepped into the room, this time, Alya was met with the Wolf Baroness, Drevis, much like Zarlik.
"-are you here to kill me?" Alya sat back on her bed, she didn't even look afraid when the Fallen stood over her.
"No."
"Then get lost, I don't care if you're that villain's lapdog or whatever..." For a young girl she had quite the tongue.
"No." Drevis repeated. The scene shifted, now Alya was glaring directly into Drevis' mismatched helmet.
"What do you want!?" Alya yelled, then the memory shifted, her eyes looking at a cluster held out by Drevis. "Huh? What's this thing, a nightlight?"
"NARA will give back your strength," Drevis growled. "Take it, kill the false heroes,"
"...I'm not killing innocent people," Alya looked afraid. "That Splicer guy, he's hurt alot of people."
"Only those that are unworthy, you will be unbound, but... your body will not be the same," Drevis explained coldly. "The choice is yours, give up your human shell or remain lost without purpose. That is all he offers."
Leaving the cluster, Drevis disappeared.
Behind Deku, the memory changed, and now, Alya's mother appeared, smiling at her daughter who hid the cluster under her sheets. "I just had a chat with the doctor, you should be discharged by tomorrow."
"Heh, that's... great, awesome," Alya forced a smile, and Deku's eyes widened, he could see through her false smile with ease. "Um, mom?"
"Yes?" She asked, but still, the cluster remained hidden from view.
"...I love you..." Alya murmured nervously.
With a brief lapse of scenes, her mother approached to kiss her daughter's head, "I love you too, sweetie," Then she was gone with a click of the door behind Deku's still form. The last image was that of Alya holding up the cluster in both hands. A single tear rolled down her face.
"...sorry..."
With the last memory visited, the pathway out revealed itself, another stairwell toward the light, sitting on a concrete wall waiting for him was Alya, her head low in shame. Deku had just underwent a startling difference between Zarlik and Freksos. While the first was driven mad for revenge and manipulated into committing horrible acts. Freksos was just an innocent victim, she never took innocent lives, rather, she projected her anger on those like Slade, those she saw as 'false heroes'.
"'Why'?" Alya's subconscious spoke with a hoarse laugh. "Among other things, I guess... I don't really know why I did it. I took that cluster without a second thought," She closed her eyes, forcing back her emotions. "That's... no excuse for what I did... I messed up, bad..." She brought her knees close to her chest, burying her face in them. "Maybe I was envious that someone got away with ruining my life, or hurting my friends, or angry because I felt so useless... I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..." She croaked.
Deku approached her, and, much to her widened pale blue eyes, she felt the warm embrace of the hero that defeated her, besting her own skills fair and square. She lifted her head, trying to pull away. "No... I hurt people, killed people... why... why are you hugging me!?" She sobbed, trying to fight him. "Stop, please...!"
"It's okay," Deku reassured. "I know what it feels like to be completely useless, it's frustrating, it digs into your mind like a constant reminder that's hard to shake. Sometimes, you just want to quit to avoid being hurt further or pitied," Flashes of himself in middle-school, holding his burnt hero analysis book, and of Yuki when she was hospitalized years ago. "But you're not a monster, it wasn't your fault."
Sweet, calm, and safe. Alya broke down then and there, burying her head into his chest as she felt her body on the outside beginning to crumble. There time was short but she forced herself to stay in his arms, sobbing loudly. Deku patted her head, not bothering to leave her side until she was ready to.
But eventually, she had to let him go, rubbing her eyes dry as she stared at her now bandaged legs, unable to move them, wearing a hospital gown once more. "The fuel... he needs it for something big, something called the 'Siege Engine', I dunno what that is or why... but I think that's where all the fuel was moved to, somewhere... north?" Alya revealed, as Deku gasped, standing back to see her real smile again. "Sorry, it's not much..."
"No, you just saved us a lot of time, thank you," Deku smiled, "I knew you were a hero at heart." That made her eyes widen with wonder, blushing a little at the praise. "I have to go now, bye." He said, approaching the stairs.
Before he touched the light back to reality, she voice perked up. "Can... can you tell my parents...!" He turned to look at her, cheeks red as she played with her wristbands. "...that I love them, and... and that I'm sorry..."
Deku smiled again, nodding, "I will."
She looked relieved, drying her eyes. "Kick their asses, hero!"
With that, they parted ways. And as her mind began to fade, she found herself looking around at the skatepark again, her board clutched to her heart. "I guess some heroes are really cool..."
When All Might reunited with Deku, he pulled his mask off to eat quickly and rest, but when he returned, the young man's eyes were a little red in the night light, and the cluster in his hand was held tightly. When All Might offered him his meal, Deku ate, but from how forceful he looked, he clearly didn't feel hungry at the moment.
To Be Continued...
Probably the most innocent victim of Kovik's plots, using an emotionally unstable child in his plans. But more clues are revealed, but just what is he plotting behind the scenes? And yeah, child victim turned Fallen because I'm just a lovely writer to my characters. I hope you enjoyed, I appreciate the support as always; seeya in the next chapter, Heroes!
Next Chapter Intermission: The Augmented
Deku appeared from the left, and to his surprise, to the right of the screen was Alya. "Hey, Deku!"
"Alya? What are you doing here?" He blinked, his masks orbs flickering with bewilderment.
"I'm here to divulge more secrets to the audience, duh!" She shrugged, looking at the screen. "It should be obvious by now, but the Barons weren't all chosen at random, we were all picked to govern over our respective prefectures, so the Baron chosen had an understanding of their environment, but only the Barons now were successful in bonding with NARA through the Incubation process, I was lucky, essentially."
Deku made a noise of realization and wonder. "So not everyone survives the process of being converted into a Splicer?"
"Correct, though there's all this science stuff and honestly, I just kinda zoned out," She stuck her tongue out, rapping a knuckle off her temple. "Anywho, seems you got your hands full, Selas is... okay, she's a bitch."
"Alya..." Deku sweatdropped but looked at the screen with determined eyes. "But yes, coming soon, The Augmented! Go Beyond-!"
Alya giggled, "I always wanted to say this - Pluuuus Ultraaaa!"
