OKAY SO, I would like to take a HUGE HUGE MOMENT to thank HeCallsMeHisChild for their INSANE kindness and support and awesomeness, Verandis for also showing an INSANE amount of support, and Free Man for commissioning an amazing picture of Ibara being a badass.
If you wanna know how you too can show support, go on over to my tumblr and click some links. You'll see the ones. Also, make sure you read the top post to see what you get for clicking said links and showing said support.
ANYWAY, that being said, TIME FOR THE FIIIIC.
The day had come.
Chatter, laughter, even tears filled the air as parents gathered around as their kids checking, rechecking, and re-rechecking their backpacks and belongings for the big school trip. Within the parking lot, a large and rather fancy-looking coach sat waiting, its bottom sides open as Hound Dog and Cementoss packed the travel bags inside.
The sun was bright, though it wasn't hot. Clouds had, thankfully, gathered above casting some level of shade above the proceedings.
Which Izuku was thankful for because he was blushing deeply.
"Muuuum!" He stood as his mother readjusted his tie, which wouldn't sit right no matter what, "Leave it alone! It's fine!"
"I'm not going to see you for an entire week! And if you think I'm not going to fuss over my only son before he goes to some mysterious place in the mountains you've got another thing coming!" And she proceeded to produce a comb, seemingly from thin air, and tried to tame his unruly hair, which Izuku simply stood and took because, well, what other choice did he have?
Inwardly, he did love the attention. His anger towards his mother had been eroding pretty steadily over the past few months, despite the fact he'd told her how annoyed he'd been by selling him out to Lucifer for the day.
She'd responded that he'd been doing better than ever since getting to know him, and while she would never forgive Lucifer, she could see how Izuku benefited from learning about his heritage.
Honestly, he couldn't really argue with that.
By now he had come to some level of understanding with his mother. She did love him, and he knew that. She had made mistakes, big mistakes sure, but she was only human. She couldn't be blamed for being human.
He on the other hand… well, he wasn't sure what to think anymore.
He shook the thought off as he spotted Hitoshi walking over to him, parentless and reveling in it.
Hitoshi had already thrown his bags into the coach as his mother had dropped him off early. Both his parents had work to get to, which was understandable. However, it did mean that Hitoshi could stand and grin at the way his friends were being fussed over, while he remained embarrassment free.
"Look at that, discount Karkat still can't comb his hair," Hitoshi chuckled as he shoved his hands into his pockets.
"Hey, at least-"
"Hitoshi Shinsou, did your mother really drop you off looking like that?" Inko turned on the teenager, who, while towering over her, seemed to pale at her attention.
"Well- I- erm-"
"Come here, let me fix your hair so I can get a picture of the two of you," Inko advanced on him, wielding her comb like a sword, "Come on, young man, I want a picture of the two future number one heroes!"
Hitoshi had no way to defend himself as Inko basically pulled him down and began trying to tame his hair too, and Izuku found it was his turn to grin.
About a minute later the two boys, with combed hair that clearly didn't suit them, were pushed shoulder to shoulder while Inko raised her phone. Izuku curled his tail up and gave an awkward smile while Hitoshi refused to smile at all but did raise two fingers up in an unenthusiastic peace sign.
Inko took the picture and her smile lit up her entire face, "Oh, look at you two! You're growing up so fast, and I'm so happy my son has such good friends."
"We pick only the best," Nemesis hissed through Izuku's lips.
"That's high praise coming from you."
"Well you deserve it, both of you, you've worked so hard to get here." Inko added as she dabbed tears from her eyes, "I'm so proud!"
Izuku had no response, so he simply smiled shyly before accepting the hug Inko grabbed him into. Hitoshi managed to back away before he was brought in, his hands held up in defense.
A moment later, Inko let him go, and with some stern words about keeping as safe as humanly, or inhumanly possible, and some even more stern words to Hitoshi about keeping an eye on him for her sake, especially after what happened over the weekend, she finally left with a quick kiss on Izuku's cheek.
Izuku sighed as he watched her retreat to her car, giving her a goodbye wave, "Sorry about that."
"No worries, dude," Hitoshi chuckled, "You should just be lucky my mum dropped me off early, or you would have had the same treatment from her."
Izuku only smiled at that as he re-scuffed up his hair, Hitoshi doing the same beside him. A moment later, he started looking back to the crowd of parents and students. He let Nemesis enter his eyes just a little, barely even on reflex, as he scanned for faces he might know.
Oddly enough while he didn't spot Tenya, Fumikage, or Shoto, he did spot Ibara.
She was standing alone by the bus assigned to class one-B, and for a moment he was almost tempted to go over and say something. Then, suddenly, someone stepped out of the crowd, just visible through the gap of people.
It was Katsuki's mother, with Katsuki in tow.
Izuku nudged Hitoshi and pointed over to them, who soon caught sight himself.
Together they watched as Katsuki's mother seemed to shout some words at her son, who shouted back, then she said something calmly to Ibara, who… blushed? This was followed by Katsuki going a very bright shade of red, screaming something more at his mother, before someone stepped into the gap, blocking the view.
The two teenagers looked to each other in surprise before Hitoshi shook his head, "They deserve one another."
"Please, don't give me nightmares, I've not had any in months and I don't want them starting again."
Hitoshi only chuckled grimly at that, "You know they've got some more people with them now. Neito Monoma and some girl called Setsuna Tokage."
"… wasn't she the girl who could like, separate all her body parts?"
"I guess, I dunno, you're the one with the photographic memory."
"Okay, one, it doesn't work like that and-"
"ATTENTION CLASS ONE-A!" Tenya's voice boomed over the crowd, and when Izuku went onto his tiptoes he could just about see his friend's hand waving about in a robotic manner, "IT'S TIME TO START BOARDING THE BUS! PLEASE GO TO YOUR PREASSIGNED SEATING ARRANGEMENTS!"
"Well, this is it, hope you're ready for it, devil-boy," Hitoshi mused as he began strolling towards the bus.
Izuku brushed the comment off with a roll of his eyes and a small, one-sided smile. However, he had barely taken a step towards the bus when his phone buzzed in his pocket. Pausing, he brought it out and opened it to see a single message.
From Lucifer.
'Third floor.'
He frowned at the message, then turned his head, Nemesis truly entering his eyes as he allowed them to hyper-focus.
He spotted him in no time. The darkness of his suit and, really, of his very being cutting an image out from the usually clear glass panels of the building.
With Nemesis in his eyes, he could see him as clear as day, even down to the UA pin he had on his tie. He watched as the King of Hell smiled in pride, then raised and waved his hand as, in his other hand, he clicked another message.
It arrived with a buzz and Izuku looked to it.
'Goodbye for now, Izuku. Have a fun time, and keep safe, I know you will.'
Izuku frowned and quickly typed back, 'You're sending Kuroiro to spy on me while I'm there, aren't you?'
He looked back as Lucifer got the message, frowned, then typed back, 'It's for your protection, especially now I know that more of my siblings may know about you. Until the culprit is caught and interrogated, we cannot be too cautious. Kuroiro is under strict orders not to make himself known while you're there.'
Izuku rolled his eyes at this and quickly typed back, 'Is it literally impossible for you not to interfere in my life for more than five minutes?'
'You're too important to lose.'
'What's going to happen to me!? I'm at a summer camp in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by people, guarded by pro-heroes!'
'Heroes are just mildly trained mortals who can't handle what we're build to handle.'
'What we're build to handle'. The words stopped Izuku for a moment as they dug into his heart and reminded him of just what his future held. The fact he hadn't truly given an answer to Lucifer the other day had not left his thoughts. Internally he was sure he would say no, that he didn't want to torment some demon for kidnapping him.
And yet…
And yet that nagging voice at the back of his head whispered darker truths. That maybe he would make an exception, just the one, just for the sake of well-earned vengeance on the demon who had stolen so much from him.
And that made him worry about something else. Was he slowly losing parts of his humanity to Nemesis as they evolved and grew closer together? Was the line shifting for him as he grew more into his Fallen self, and further from his original humanity?
Even more concerning was that he wasn't sure he could stop it… or even wanted to.
"Izuku!" Tenya's voice called out to him, "Hurry up!"
"Sorry!" Izuku snapped from his thoughts and hurried over to the coach. He quickly climbed aboard and sat himself down, finding that he'd been seated next to Shoto, who gave him a small smile.
However, he also found he was still within view of Lucifer, should he decide to refocus his eyes and look to his left.
He decided he might as well keep texting. Anything to keep his mind on the present.
'I'm still half-human, you know. Before you go insulting them.'
'I'm not insulting them. I've seen many humans perform great deeds against tremendous odds. But you are something greater, and always will be.'
And he knew he was. That was the real kicker. His friends were humans, and he was more. That fact was unavoidable.
But again, he didn't want to think about it.
He rubbed his eyes for a moment before sighing and typing back, 'Look. Just… for one week. Please. No Kuroiro, no spying. Let me have this holiday away from all the Prince of Hell crap and I'll,' He paused, wondering if he was really about to type what he was sure he was about to type.
Nemesis moved through his blood, a candle flame that settled within him. Once, such a thing would have sent dread running through his heart.
Now it felt so natural to him that he had no idea how he'd lived without it, and he couldn't deny that it was very partially Lucifer's help that had brought him to it. And yet at the same time, it was the very symbol of his otherness from those around him.
Perhaps it was better to lean into it than to resist it. He had learned that lesson once before and it had unlocked the freedom of his heart and soul. At the very thought, his Fallen-self ghosted through his blood, flickering his scars with an azure blue.
With a soft sigh, he replied, 'I'll spend more time with you when I get back, okay?'
He looked out the window, his eyes turning a void black as he focused on Lucifer.
The Fallen King clearly seemed to be taking a moment to consider the answer, before glancing up. Despite the huge distance that separated them, their eyes met as if they were simply standing side by side. Then, to Izuku's amazement, Lucifer nodded once.
And, just as the coach started up, he swore he saw a shadow move out from under it.
The coach ride was almost entirely uneventful. Izuku spent most of it looking over Shoto's shoulder as he played Animal Crossing: New World Order on his Gameslave Dolphin. Izuku had told Shoto he was surprised he played video games. Shoto had shrugged and said he'd spent a lot of time as a kid sitting around at his dad's agency, so he'd had to do something when he wasn't training.
Quietly he had wondered why he hadn't done something like, oh, hang out with his friends. But then again, considering what he knew about Endeavor, there was a very real possibility that Shoto hadn't had any friends.
So Izuku had shut his mouth and just let Shoto play.
Other than that, he had looked out the window, done some minor meditation which hadn't worked so well considering the coach was filled loud, boisterous teenagers, and ate the box lunch that his mother had packed for him.
Eventually, he had taken to playing 'spot the unborn' out the window. He had been up to fifteen when the coach had finally come to a rumbling stop. On the orders of their teacher, they slowly began to file out of the couch and onto a stop in the road, which seemed to act as a kind of scenic overlook for a vast forest, stretching towards a jagged mountain in the far distance. The air was fresh and strong with the scent of nature, that sort of distant pine and earth smell that holiday candles tried in vain to capture, yet never truly did.
While the others gasped at the scene or stretched their aching limbs, Izuku felt Nemesis rise in his blood, though not in anger but more like a tired yawn, and he even stretched his tail out behind him. Having it wrapped around his waist for several hours hadn't felt great.
"Uuugh, I feel so stiff," Ochaco whined as she stretched her arms beside him, pushing her chest forward.
Hitoshi let out a small sound of amusement, "Well, that's a nice view."
Ochaco quickly slapped him on the arm, "Pervert!"
"Wha- no I mean the forest, you weirdo!"
"Oh, yeah, I guess it's nice."
"You guess?"
"It's very nice," Shoto mused, a hand coming to his chin.
"I prefer my forest more," Fumikage mumbled as Dark Shadow moved out to sit atop his head, "But nature is nature, and it is always more welcoming than the darkness of the industrial city."
Izuku didn't say anything. His eyes were on a car that was sitting to the side of the overlook. Why was it there? It felt a little too coincidental for his liking.
His question was answered a moment later when the doors opened, and three people, one reluctantly, got out.
"Class," Aizawa announced suddenly stepping off the coach, drawing the student's attention to him, "Say hello to the pro heroes who'll be assisting you while you're at camp."
Two of them were a pair of adult women dressed in blue and red matching costumes with large paws on their hands and cat ear-like communication devices on their heads. One was a bright, blue-eyed blonde, the other a similarly bright, brown-eyed brunette, and both looked athletically fit. Their costumes were bright, poofy dresses that looked like a cat had fused with a cheerleader. Without a moment's more hesitation, and in a well-practiced unity, they quickly began.
"Your feline fantasies are here, meow!"
"Perfectly cute and catlike girls!"
"You can call us the… WILD, WILD PUSSYCATS!"
Which they ended in a pose which, to Izuku, looked about half complete, not that their companion looked eager to join in. He was a boy, short and young, with dark pants, dark shoes, a white shirt, and a red cap with a pair of horns on it.
And he looked remarkably unimpressed.
"Oh wow, the Wild, Wild Pussycats!" Ochaco drew Izuku's attention as she gushed, "They're some of the best rescue heroes in the business!"
"I've heard of them," Fumikage nodded in agreement, "They specialize in mountain rescues if I remember correctly."
"You remembered right!" The blonde of the two women called out with a grin and a wink before holding out a paw to the forest below, "And we own all this land, right to the mountain itself! Cool, huh?"
"It's our own personal training ground, and the training ground for up and coming heroes like yourselves!" The brunette added with a grin. "Speaking of which, your campsite is riiiiight over there!" And she pointed towards the mountain, "At the base!"
"So… why did we stop out here?" Mina asked from the crowd.
"… oh, they wouldn't."
"I think they would." Izuku mumbled before taking a single step back and raising his voice, "Guys, I think we need to-"
"All you need to do, is go forward," Aizawa answered before he could finish, and Izuku turned to see his teacher with that all too familiar, devilishly wicked grin on his lips. The one that could send a chill even down Nemesis's spine.
"Did you really think it'd be this easy? Heh," The blonde of the Pussycats smirked and rubbed her hands together, "Just remember, if you don't get to the camp by twelve, you're gonna miss lunch!"
And before anyone could react, her hands slammed into the ground.
It instantly collapsed under the feet of the students.
It took less than a second for Nemesis to rush through his body, and even as he turned and tumbled in the air, he could feel his legs and arms shift to their unlight-clad forms. He barely even felt the pain of the change anymore, if anything it was like a slight ache, like stretching a cramped limb.
His wings burst out of his back, and unlike almost everyone else in the class who landed in a tumble of dirt and limbs, he managed to land on his feet… which he then promptly stumbled and fell over.
Unless he timed them with slow perfection, Izuku still couldn't stick the landings.
Still, he managed to roll back up and came to stop beside a huge, thick tree. The rest of the class were already clambering to their feet, some groaning and rubbing what were sure to be future bruises.
Yet it seemed as though they had all, remarkably, come away from it mostly unscathed.
"You better get moving!" Izuku looked up to see the outlook already reforming and the brunette Pussycat shouting over the side, "This is private land, so use your quirks all you want! You've got three hours to get to the campsite! But be careful of the Beast's Forest!"
"The… Beast's Forest?" Izuku heard Tsuyu speak, her voice holding a quiver of apprehension.
"I don't like the sound of that," Came Denki not a second later.
That was, of course, followed by a low, loud roar that echoed from the forest before them, and as the class gathered around, the trees shook as something moved within the darkness ahead.
On instinct, Izuku's eyes dimmed and his ears twitched with his heightened senses, yet he couldn't detect anything alive. Well, he could detect plenty of things that were alive, tiny critters in the trees and underbrush, yet nothing huge, nothing that could make a sound like that.
Then, it emerged.
Just as the class lined up, the trees parted to reveal a monster.
It was huge and mottled brown like the color of packed earth. It hunched on all fours, yet its body was long and almost crocodile-like. Its head was a grinning skull with two vast tusks and rows of teeth made from sharpened stone.
"What the hell is that?!"
"Oh my god!"
"Stay back! We don't know what it can do!"
Yet as these shouts went out, there was only one that caught Izuku's attention.
Hanta's voice came through as clear as he called out, "Hey Izuku, this a friend of yours?"
Izuku turned to look at him, just for a moment, shadowed eyes narrowing in anger before he turned back to look at the advancing beast.
And with a mouth filled with sharpened teeth, he attacked.
His blood was already up thanks to the fall and the sudden rush of blasphemous power that filled his body. He needed to burn it off, his very soul practically shook from the giddy energy that was within him. Fire. Fire hot and furious and flowing through every inch of him surged and danced with joy as he leapt up, bouncing from tree to tree before he dived at the beast, long talons flashing and slicing through its neck.
He had half expected blood to pour out of it. He had half wanted blood to pour out of it.
Instead, there was only earth-dust and collapsing mud.
The monster simply fell apart as its head impacted and shattered onto the ground.
Izuku sprang off it, coming to a quick and rolling stop before straightening up and watching as the thing that had never truly lived, died before him.
Then he turned to see the looks on his classmates. Some of them were relieved, others still shocked, Hanta however looked to be a mixture of annoyed and thankful that the thing had gone.
"They're constructs," Izuku called out to the others, "Things made to test us. We can beat them. All we need to do is hit hard enough."
There was another sudden roar from behind him and Izuku turned to see a smaller, but clearly swifter earth-golem to come rushing towards him. Fire flowed from his fists, yet before he could act there was a sudden flashing of lilac lightning that streaked past him, smashing into the creature and causing it to almost totally evaporate into a cloud of dust.
Izuku, or Nemesis, or perhaps both, grinned as the dust parted to reveal Hitoshi. He was dirty from the fall but seemed no worse for wear. He panted a little as he flicked his hand, flexing his fingers before wrapping them into a tight fist.
"They're not that tough, I mean, if you can take one out," He matched Izuku's grin before looking over to the others, "Alright, let's get moving. You heard her. If we're not there by noon we're going to go hungry."
Izuku tried not to feel hurt when the class moved to follow Hitoshi, and not himself.
However, as they entered the forest and the air became filled with the sounds of roaring, earth-golem monsters, he felt a shadowed presence at his shoulder, and he turned to see Fumikage and Dark Shadow.
The demon smirked at Izuku, simply stating, "How about it, Princeling? Want to see who takes the most heads?"
"A little competition might liven things up," Hitoshi joined him at his other side as the trees began to shake with the stomping feet of the approaching monsters, "Besides, if this is how we start our time at the camp, I can't imagine what the rest of it'll be like. Best to have some fun now, right?"
As the monsters began to emerge, and the class surged forth to meet them, Izuku cracked his neck and then linked and cracked his taloned fingers.
When he spoke, it was with the echoing tone of Nemesis, "Well then. Let's get started."
Hitoshi emerged out into the clearing panting, bleeding, and bruised. But worse was that his whole body ached with the torment of using One For All. The stress of using it so frequently had pulled tremendously on him and his knuckles stung sharply as sweat mingled with skinned flesh.
The sun was hanging low and heavy in the sky, the clouds lightly hugging it as it hovered on the horizon. It looked beautiful, framed within the valley of two great, forested mountains. He took a long breath, savoring the impossibly fresh air before letting it go, though it did little to ease the pain in his body.
He looked back to the forest as he heard another crunch of something being smashed into nothing.
And then, seemingly emerging from the darkened shadows of the forest itself, came Fumikage and Izuku.
Fumikage looked exhausted. His feathers were ruffled and his shirt had a sharp rip on one side. Dark Shadow hovered above him protectively, yet they seemed… bigger, bulkier, with their feathers riled up like the spines of a lizard.
"You cannot count that last one!" The demonic crow practically spat out to the teenager beside him, "We set it up for you!"
"Nonsense," The echoing voice of Nemesis answered back, "You distracted it. We took its head. Therefore, it's our kill. We win."
Izuku had taken his jacket off and wrapped it around his waist, as many had done, revealing his scarred, unlight covered arms. He had also become covered in dirt and mud, though rather than making him seem messy it made him seem… battle-worn.
Hitoshi hated how easy it seemed in his mind to replace the dirt with blood. And while Hitoshi and Fumikage both seemed worn to the nub, Izuku wasn't panting. He wasn't even showing the slightest signs of exhaustion. He was still walking upright, almost calmly, as if the whole thing had been a pleasant stroll.
"But we can go back again if you wish. We're not tired yet."
"No, please, I cannot take any more of this," Fumikage panted out before glancing to his noticeably larger familiar, "We're done for tonight."
"But master," The crow curled around Fumikage, their tarnished-yellow gaze glinting with something… cruel, "The night draws in, and our power grows. Won't you let us play in the darkness, just this once?"
In answer, the demon was pulled suddenly back into Fumikage's form, vanishing into his chest. Though Hitoshi got the distinct impression that Dark Shadow seemed to be laughing as they moved back into their host.
Izuku sighed and began dusting his arms off, "Just as well, we're getting hungry."
Fumikage shot his friend a harsh glance before his crimson eyes looked forward, "It seems we're the last to arrive."
They had come out into a rounded clearing where the very welcome-looking camp buildings stood. There were several of them, all linked together, making an odd miss-match of concrete and wood. The main entrance, which faced them directly, was set out with a tall, Grecian style arch, twin columns, and a large pawprint in the great center-block pediment.
Before the buildings, the students had gathered, though surprisingly it wasn't just class one-A. Class one-B was there, and while the two classes were mostly mingling with their own, that he could see Momo and a tall, red-headed girl chatting to one another, as well as Eijiro and a boy who looked like the weird, nega-verse version of him having what looked to be some kind of hand squeezing competition, their quirks on full display. Some of the other classmates had even gathered around to see who would be the victor.
Ibara, Nieto, Setsuna, and Katsuki were all sitting together, separate even from their own classmates. He was glad to see that they looked just as bruised an exhausted as he was.
He could also see Aizawa talking to the same two women as before and leaning up against a wall looking remarkably grumpy was the same young boy with the spiked cap.
As the three stragglers approached, Aizawa glanced over to them and frowned, "You're almost late."
"Oooh, but you took down so many of my earth-beasts!" The blonde grinned widely and quickly walked up to the boys, "You three are definitely strong!"
Hitoshi chuckled as, from the corner of his eye, he spotted Katsuki fuming and his own group holding him back.
Izuku seemed to blush a little at the compliment, "T-thank you!"
"But you don't seem tired at all," The brown-headed woman spoke softly, putting a paw to her chin, "Is that part of your quirk, I wonder?"
"… kinda? I'm probably going to crash really hard later."
Hitoshi frowned at that. He knew how Nemesis worked within Izuku, how his Fallen-self could make him go hours upon hours without rest or exhaustion. It was, frankly, kind of terrifying when one thought of the implications. A being who could fight and fight and fight without stopping or slowing down.
But it meant that even now, as Izuku stood there wilting under the inquisitive gaze of the weird Pussycats, Nemesis was still active in his body. His talons were gone, his legs normal, and his eyes were clear and bright.
Yet his Fallen-Self was still going, still pushing Izuku forward.
How often had he been doing that?
Hitoshi turned, wanting to shake the thought off. He was sure it was fine, just a natural progression of his own power. Just like Hitoshi was learning to push his own limits bit by bit.
His eyes landed on the young boy from before, the one he'd seen standing beside the car on the overpass. Their eyes met briefly, and the boy scowled deeper before looking away.
"Hey, who's kid is that? One of yours?"
"What are you implying!?" The blonde Pussycat snapped, pointing an accusing claw at Hitoshi, her eyes blazing, "Are you saying I'm old?"
"… no?" He arched away from the claw before looking back to the kid, "Just… you know, it's a bit weird to see a kid in a place like this."
"He's my cousin's son, who lives with us now," The brunette replied with a cheerful tone, "Say hi to everyone, Kota!"
The young boy simply continued to frown, his face the picture of youthful irritation. A few of the students offered some friendly words of greeting, but he ignored them. For a moment, Hitoshi considered going over to the kid and trying to introduce himself, but his gut told him it would probably end badly.
He had seen that look before. He had seen it in the mirror.
He knew that the last thing that kid wanted was someone he didn't know walking over to him and bothering him.
… so, he would save his words for later, when there was no one around to interrupt them.
"Alright everyone," The blonde woman turned back to the haggard, dirty crowd of students and clasped her hands together, "Now the last of your classmates have arrived, it's time for dinner and then baths!"
This was met by a rousing cheer from the students, and Hitoshi couldn't help but let a thankful smile form over his face, though it dropped as he watched Kota huff, turn, and storm away.
Tomura felt energized. He didn't often feel energized. Usually, he felt almost nothing other than a low-grade hatred for everything around him. Well, other than his Father and Sensei of course.
But everything else could go to Hell.
Her especially.
Thankfully, she wasn't here, though no doubt she was somewhere with Father. Hanging onto the tails of his robes and begging for more attention. She had basically become his shadow, especially within the last few days, and the jealousy that gathered within Tomura made him want to vomit.
He had seen the way she looked at him sometimes. With those eyes that were picturing his death.
He had vowed to turn her to dust before that would ever happen.
From his position at the chancel, his eyes turned to scan the room. Standing by the pews was Shuichi, talking to another one of their more recent recruits. Kenji Hikiishi, aka, Magne. Magne was a tall, bulky trans woman with brown hair pulled back into a ponytail and eyes that were always hidden by a pair of dark sunglasses she never seemed to remove. Her quirk was magnetism, being able to push or pull people around her. But that didn't interest Tomura, nor was it any factor into why he had allowed her to join the group he was forming.
What interested him was what she knew.
When she had arrived, she had talked about believing in the underworld, in worshipping the fell powers that dwelt there. They'd heard this from others before. Part-time pagans who thought whispering 'Hail Satan!' and drinking tomato juice made them evil.
Tomura had almost raised the hand to have her killed before she had suddenly announced she knew the true names. Lucifer, Beliel, Nirgali, Lilithia, Apollyon, Mammon, and Satani. It was only then that she also revealed she had been studying demonology, true demonology. She knew the right names and the right rituals, but she needed experts to further her studies.
Father Satani had of course loved it, and Sensei had seen the logic in having someone educated in summoning practices, as it would free up some of Father Satani's time.
Shuichi himself had bulked up since joining them, his change in shape a mixture of the brutal training regime they had placed on him, and the unholy brands that had been pressed into his skin, forever marking him with the ruins of strength and power and rage. They had made him ditch the templar white, and had clad him in blacker robes, blacker armor.
He was to become a dark paladin.
Next had come a possessed human who was currently rocking back and forth on a nearby pew.
It was Legion. Or rather, it was the human that Legion had found after the destruction of the body they had been bound to. Some poor soul named Jin or something.
Though, more annoyingly, it wasn't all of Legion.
Nemesis had either been too eager or too stupid to properly banish Legion once they had torn them apart. As such, while most of what made Legion had descended back to Hell, a part had managed to survive long enough to find this human.
And they had bit down into his soul.
The man looked up as if somehow knowing that Tomura was watching him. He was dressed in the dark robes of their order though he also wore dark gloves and a black mask over his entire head, his eyes nothing more than blank whites of thin fabric.
"How- how could you- WE ARE LEGION- No I'd never- BLOOD FOR THE FALLEN OF BLOOD," He clamped his hands over his mouth and huddled up again.
It had been Father Satani's desire to take him in, under the hope that perhaps they could summon the rest of Legion into him.
That hadn't gone well so far. Legion was so scattered that scrying for the individual components took hours on end.
The others in the room were much the same. Lurking in their own, individual corners. The black leather-wrapped thing that didn't have a given name but Tomura had designated 'Cenobite' stood on one side of the room, corpse-still. He couldn't see any inch of its skin other than the lipless death-grimace of its teeth, which were not sharp or fanged but human.
It was just that there were a lot of teeth. Enough to fill his mouth and more so. Dozens upon dozens of human teeth, shoved and forced into angry red gums. Its mouth hung open, and Tomura was sure he could see a fly buzz down, land onto its teeth, move inside then crawl back out again before flying off.
On the other side of the room was, what looked to be at first glance, a young man, barely into his teen years at most.
But Tomura knew it was not so.
The young man wore a child's school uniform, all black, but his hands were covered in black gloves and his head was utterly hidden by a large, ancient-looking helmet complete with a gas mask that came down low like a snout.
Those eyeglasses though. They showed nothing behind them. They were black as if only the void itself existed behind that mask. There had been no formal interview with him. The boy had just… shown up one day. He seemed to do that often. Tomura almost would believe he didn't move if he hadn't seen the boy turn and walk away when Father Satani had ordered it once.
He made no sound. His footsteps didn't even echo.
The only noise he made was the soft, filtered breathing through that emotionless, black-eyed mask. Shuichi had jokingly named him Mustard, after the gas that he'd used to kill a room full of possible recruits.
The nickname had stuck.
Sitting on one of the pews was one of the more… stranger members of their new flock. A man dressed in the robes of their order, yet rather than show his face he wore a mask. It was white, though the pattern on it seemed to change and swirl with each second. Oddly enough, while there were no slits for his eyes, he, and Tomura only referred to them as a he as the voice it spoke with was low and masculine, seemed to be toying around on a phone.
Tomura had never seen his face. Yet unlike the other clearly possessed souls amongst them, he seemed easy going and calm. Even friendly.
He had not told them what Fallen Lord he was declared for. He had not told them anything about himself.
The only thing he had told them was that he wanted to end the world as it was, and wished to see it all burn with the final performance of dying souls. The last, perfect moment of life, before it crumbled to dust. Father Satani had asked him for a name, the strange demon had told them his name was Compress. His true name, he kept to himself, and not even Father's pressure could get it from him.
Out of all of them, Tomura tolerated him the most. And maybe Shuichi since he enjoyed playing video games.
His attention as drawn forward as a side door to the chapel opened, and all noise within stopped. Tomura quickly straightened as Father Satani entered the room. Every candle, flickering with blue fire, danced more joyously and every shadow deepened.
Because Father Satani was, as always, the brightest thing in the room. He was always the brightest thing in any room. His very presence brought a sickening white light to the hearts of every person who looked upon him.
Yet as he glided into the room, and as those gathered collectively bowed their heads in submission, Tomura couldn't help but spot the other figure following in his Father's glorious wake.
Himiko Toga.
Himiko in her robes which almost, but not quite, matched those of his Father. Himiko who, from the moment she had stepped into the Heralds, had become his Father's pet. Always at his side, always willing to do whatever he asked of her.
It sickened him with envy, jealousy, and hatred.
But today he would prove why he was the Ender of Days, the one to ascend when others fell. His talk with the boy, Hitoshi, had inspired him.
He would rise above his past failures by working harder than ever before to bring about the End of Days.
And Himiko Toga would know for sure just who it was she bent the knee to.
Himiko walked with her hood up over her head, her body hidden within her voluminous robes with even her hands, which were apparently clasped before her, were swallowed under her hanging sleeves. The only features of hers he could still see was the lower half of her face and the long strands of her golden hair.
Her skin was a lot paler than it had been weeks ago. She moved differently too, somehow… smoother, more elegantly, even though he couldn't see her body.
Yet he knew she, out of all of them, had changed the most.
"Ah, good, the disciples have gathered!" Father's voice, as always, was the sweetest poisoned wine to his ears. It was the cure for sorrow and the cause of pain. Tomura's eyes looked away as the Fallen Angel ascended the chancel steps.
Tomura watched as Himiko stopped at the base of the chancel before she bowed her head low and stood back in line with the others, who had taken to standing before the pews. This was not something that Father Satani had ever instructed, rather, it was something that simply happened naturally over time.
They lined up before their Lords and Masters.
And Himiko stood down there, and not at the top of the chancel like himself.
He couldn't help a tiny, vindictive smile form at that thought. Though somehow, he was sure the girl was glaring at him from under her ornate hood.
There was a movement of shadow and air, and to Tomura's far left, Kurogiri formed from the darkness, his tarnished yellow gaze opening from the swirling mass of terrible shadows. A moment later, another portal opened, and through it, Kurogiri pulled the all too familiar laptop, the screen bright with the words 'no signal'.
"So, we are all gathered," Sensei's voice spoke through the screen, a cold, blunt weapon of a voice.
"Not so," Father Satani mused with a snake-fanged smile to the screen, "Our Wayward Child is yet to arrive."
"They will soon," Sensei's harsh grate almost coughed, "We put the word out for their return weeks ago. If they delay any longer, we will consider it a personal insult."
Tomura's hands curled into fists. He knew who they were talking about. He had only ever met them briefly, and he had never really liked them. Though that was no surprise as Tomura didn't like anyone.
However, one thing he knew was that this particular person had two qualities that pissed him off. Firstly, he was rude, and not just to himself but to Sensei and Father Satani. Secondly, he was strong.
Strong, because he had the gift of the destroyer flame.
As if on cue, the doors to the back of the chapel opened with a bang, and there stood the last member of their group.
It was a man. He was of medium height with a wiry build, though most of it was drowned under his huge black trenchcoat. His hair was a jet black, his eyes a terrible azure blue, and his clothes a grey top with stitched-together black jeans and some black boots.
Yet the most noticeable thing about him was his scars. Under his eyes, over his entire lower jaw, neck, and even onto his chest, his skin was charred, burned, and purple with dead flesh. It seemed, in some fit of madness, he had stapled it back to the parts of him still healthy. The skin around the staples looked red, sore, and unhealed.
Tomura raised an eyebrow as the man strode into the room, uncaring at the eyes that focused on him. Remarkably, he seemed unaffected even by Father Satani's terrible golden gaze.
"Ah! Here he is!" Father Satani seemed to laugh as he spoke, "Dramatic as always, my dear Touy-"
"That's not my name," He snarled in a low, smoker's tone as he stopped at the feet of the chancel, "It's Dabi."
"Of course! Our dear Dabi," Father Satani's four arms stretched wide, though they did not approach the man, "You have returned to our loving embrace."
"Bullshit."
The gasp in the room was audible. No one talked to Father Satani like that. Not even Tomura or Himiko, or even Sensei.
"You told me to come back. So, I came back." His hands curled into fists from which wisps of smoke emerged, "I've done what you asked. For months. I was out there on my own doing everything you wanted from me and you've still done nothing to help me!"
"You performed your task well, Dabi," Sensei answered from the screen, "And we're soon going to be ready to finally heal you."
This changed his expression. The tired, dead eyes of the man widened, "… really?"
"Really," Father Satan's arms folded again, "As you can see, we have reinvigorated our flock. Tomura's ascension draws near and we have even found him a High Priestess," Father Satani gestured to Himiko, who Dabi turned to look at.
Quietly Tomura boiled under his skin. High Priestess. The very idea scraped at the inside of his chest with ragged claws.
It was fine though. He could wait. He had learned patience was indeed a virtue, especially when it came to removing obstacles in his path.
Dabi looked at the girl who gave him an odd, almost wobbling bow.
"… right." Dabi looked back, "So what now?"
Tomura took a chance and spoke first. "All the pieces are falling into place. The Prince of Hell has been revealed, which means the End has finally started. They are training with the heroes, which means we have to strike at them to get to him."
"The Prince of Hell?" Shuichi asked, "Is working with the heroes? Why? Shouldn't he be on our side?"
"The current King of Hell has become weak," Father Satani explained, "My sibling has even become so low as to… breed with the human stock. They have created a hybrid thing that is blasphemous even to us. But the child contains the blood of a Celestial being, and as such, is necessary, nay, even perfect for our work. Their name is Izuku Midoriya, but their Fallen name is Nemesis. They have been openly declared the Prince of Hell."
"So, you want us to capture him?" Dabi asked with a frown, "And then, all that work I've been doing-"
"Is all part of the calculation," Sensei answered, the screen flickering for a moment, "Each piece falls into place, just as we have always planned it."
"To hear that King Lucifer has fallen so low shocks me," Compress asked in his constantly smiling voice, "Yet rumors have been swirling in Hell for some time, even before I left."
"Things are changing," Legion hissed before the man they possessed took back control, "Just- anything to rid me of this monster!"
"When do we move?" Himiko asked, her voice oddly quiet and without her usual smiling viciousness.
"We need a few more days to prepare," Tomura replied, scratching his neck, "Once we have completed the new Host, we'll be ready."
"With the Great Father's help," And Magne gave a bow of her head to the Fallen Angel, "I should have it ready soon, middle of the weak at the most." A smile grew across her lips, "Summoning real demons. I'm so excited."
"You've been learning quickly," Father Satani chuckled, "You're a natural conjurer, Magne."
And then Himiko threw up.
She convulsed suddenly, her robes shaking around her before she bent over and vomited onto the floor in a stream of dark blood.
The others moved back in shock as she panted, occasionally hiccupping as she did.
Yet Tomura's eyes narrowed as he spotted something… odd.
There was a sigh as soft as a dying breath beside him, and he turned to see Father Satani frowning at the sight. "Himiko. You promised me you were fine."
"I'm- I'm sorry," She choked through the blood that she spat onto the floor, holding her stomach tightly, "I tired, Father, I tried and-"
"You're disappointing me, Himiko," The Fallen Angel warned in a light tone, "If you can't hold yourself together…"
"I- I just need… a little more… P-please, Father."
Father Satani waved a hand towards Shuichi, "Take her to my chambers, I will deal with her shortly. Kurogiri, clean that mess up. As for the rest of you. Go. Prepare. Ready your minds, bodies, and souls for the coming battle. Neither myself nor your Lord Sensei will accept failure, so keep that in mind."
Tomura said nothing as the others began dispersing, either melting back into the shadows of the chancel or, at least in Dabi's case, storming back to the open doors.
Though it wasn't any of them Tomura watched. It was Himiko. As Shuichi began helping her away, black blood still dripping from her chin, he couldn't help but notice as she reached out to take hold of Shuichi's arm.
Her fingernails were jet black. But she could have painted them easily enough. No, what had truly caught his attention, was what he saw when she had been panting, blood dripping from her parted lips.
He had noticed them as clear as day.
A set of four, snake-like fangs.
Just like Father Satani's.
SO. The kids are at the camp! And things are happening at the villain camp, including TOU- ERM- DABI SHOWING UP FINALLY. The mystery of what's going on with him and the Todoroki family gets a little boost.
Also, Himiko threw up some blood. She should really get that looked at.
Now I know some of you might be mad I didn't have Hitoshi get punched in the balls. The problem was, while I did originally try and write that out, nothing I did seemed to get it to work, so unfortunately it got left out. Overall the chapter was mostly here to just move a couple of plot point along and to add more movement to the heralds. I did have fun taking time coming up with HFS-versions of the usual villain crew. So far Mr. Compress and Spinner have become my faves. Does that mean they'll survive? Who knows. Maybe.
Personally, I'm not super happy with the first two parts of this chapter. I dunno but they don't seem up to my usual standards. You guys might argue differently, but they feel a little slow, maybe even clunky. I dunno.
Next chapter we're going to spend some time building on some characters and prepping for the showdown. We get to see Hitoshi being awesome, Izuku doing tai-chi, and maybe even spend some time with the God Squad!
So till next time my dudes, check out my tumblr, join the discord, and be safe and sound till next time! PEACE!
