Warnings: Language, scary bug descriptions, mentions of rape

Chapter 5: The Wastelands

"General Bakugo, may I speak with you for a moment?"

Bakugo looks up from his travel sack while he packs the last item for his stay in the Wastelands to see that bastard, Shouto, standing in the archway. Bakugo frowns and then lifts his lip in a sneer. The bastard butterfly prince had gone home only to return on this day; the day he and Izuku depart. Bakugo didn't want him here, but the butterfly is still a prince, and if Shouto wants to, can go and complain to the Queen about mistreatment.

"What is it? Can't you see I'm busy packing? Well, don't just stand there, you moron! Come in and talk so you can leave!"

Shouto calmly enters the room and stands a few feet away from Bakugo. He is aware of Bakugo's strength and reputation for savageness, so Shouto does not want to startle or angry the short-tempered hornet. While he can hold his own in a fight, engaging in battle with Vespas can have severe consequences because of their stingers and the venom. It's best not to anger a stinging Sky Warrior.

"I don't understand why Izuku has chosen you to go with him," Shouto starts. "But, I trust in his judgment. And so, I would like to offer you my assistance,"

"Keep your assistance," Bakugo replies. "I don't need it."

"It's to help Izuku, and yourself, find the secret behind the League of Villains. Izuku will be occupied with the duties that come with marriage, and he may not always have the time to gather the information necessary for this mission,"

Bakugo sighs heavily with a growl. "Spit it out, nectar-sucker,"

Shouto reaches into his doublet to take out a red leather pouch. He shakes the pouch between them, jingling the coins inside. Shouto sees that he has captured Bakugo's attention and piqued the hornet's interest. He tosses it to Bakugo, who catches it with one hand. "That's one thousand gold pieces," Shouto tells him.

"What the hell for?"

"Bribery," Shouto answers. "I'd rather you bribe the people of the Wastelands to gather information rather than smashing their faces into rocks or breaking bones. The Insectoids of the Wastelands live in poverty, which makes them desperate. As a prince, I know that if your people are not happy with you, they will easily turn against you. Whoever leads the Wastelands, be it the Centipede King or another, the Insectoids of the Wastelands will know. Use this to find out that information and not draw attention to yourself by hurting others."

"Giving a total stranger one thousand gold pieces?" Bakugo says, smirking as he opens the pouch to make sure there are coins in it. It's full. "Are you a total idiot?"

Shouto shakes his head. "No. It's Izuku's judgment that I trust. I implore you to keep the violence to only glares and sneers. Save the fighting and killing for when we have what we need. As a general honored by the Queen, I'm sure you agree, even if you pretend that you don't."

"Bite my glorious stinger, you half-and-half loser," Bakugo says. "I'll take this money and do what I want with it!"

Shouto shrugs his shoulders. "As you will," Shouto turns to leave when Bakugo calls him back.

"Hey! I've got a question for you, too."

"What is it?"

"What's your deal with Izuku?" Bakugo asks. "You want to mate with him, or something?"

Shouto's brows lifted in amusement. "No, that's not it. We're friends. He is one of the few people that I trust wholly in this world. You will be his only line of defense. Please don't forget that. This is a stealth operation."

"I don't need your help or your advice!" Bakugo shouts at him. "I have everything handled!"

"Yes, of course you do,"

Shouto leaves Bakugo's room to fly to Izuku's where he finds the cherry bee sitting on the bed, looking forlorn, and dressed in all black from head to toe. When Shouto first met Izuku, he thought the honey bee wouldn't make it as a Sky Warrior. Izuku is an omega male, after all. But Izuku proved him wrong, and the honey bee became All Might's Second In Command. Shouto would love to face Izuku in a one-on-one fight someday; not to prove anything to himself, but just to know what it feels like to take on a real challenge.

"Izuku?"

Izuku lifts his head to see Shouto enter his room. Izuku smiles softly at the butterfly prince. "Hi, Shouto. Have you come to wish me well?"

"Yes, among other things," Shouto comes to stand before him. "You have a hard road ahead of you. I only wish there is something more I could do to make the situation easier for you."

"Having your support is more than enough," Izuku says. "But, Shouto, can I confide in you about something? You have to promise not to tell anyone."

Shouto could never deny those wide, innocent green eyes gazing up at him. "I won't tell a soul," he says.

"It's…it's about Bakugo,"

"Ah, you've changed your mind about bringing him," Shouto interrupts him. "That's fine. We have enough time to find you someone else-"

"No, that's not it!" Izuku says. "I still intend to take Bakugo with me. It's just that…over the last couple of days…I've been thinking about him."

"In what way?"

Izuku blushes. "In a…in the way an omega thinks about an alpha."

"Oh,"

"But I wonder if I'm only thinking like this because of my situation," Izuku says. "What do you think, Shouto? I can't possibly have feelings for someone like Bakugo! But I would rather have him than Dabi! I can't seem to tell the difference between my hope and my fears."

Shouto contemplates Izuku's words for a few moments. "Hm. It could be your insecurities for this issue reaching out to something else. However, I don't know if it's a control issue you have. Yes, you're losing control of your life right now by marrying Dabi but setting your sights on an alpha like Bakugo isn't taking control, either. He is an alpha who will have no one. In a way, you might see a part of yourself in him. He doesn't want a mate, and neither do you. Both of you want to dedicate your lives to fighting. I think you're viewing Bakugo as a healthy, worthy opponent; not as a potential mate."

"Yeah, you're right. That does make a lot of sense," Izuku says. "To think…in another day or two, I'll be married…to Dabi…a spider alpha…" He shudders.

"It's going to be a challenge, but I know you can do it. Everyone is counting on you. I think that, by doing all of this, you're even surpassing All Might."

Izuku managed to laugh at that. "No one can ever surpass him,"

Shouto smiles. "I know. He is your hero above all others."

"Shouto? Can I ask you one more thing?" Izuku knows his face is turning red. "I don't know any omegas close enough to me as friends to ask this sort of thing. I mean, I know WHAT is done…but there is only so much books can tell you about…that deed."

"Oh. I see," Shouto tries not to appear embarrassed, so he turns his head from Izuku. "I will answer the best I can. I'm not an omega, and though I have been with omegas before, it is hard for me to tell if they are really feeling good or pretending because I am a prince." It's not that Shouto doubts his sexual skills to please, but there is the fact that he is, indeed, a prince that everyone wants to impress.

"Hands and knees," Bakugo's voice suddenly joined theirs, startling Izuku and bringing an uninterested stare from Shouto. "That is your easiest and least painful first-time position. Dabi will probably take you like that anyway since on the back is more intimate for the antennas to touch." Bakugo points to his own. "Try to have him take you on your hands and knees,"

Izuku looks at Bakugo. "Is that how you do it when you lay with others?"

Bakugo smirks. "Depends on who they are. But someone like this Dabi will most likely just get the deed done for the sake of doing it. It's going to be rape no matter how you look at it, but you'll be married to Dabi, so it's not against the law."

Izuku looks down at the floor.

Shouto narrows his mismatched eyes at Bakugo. "That was unnecessary,"

"Pfft. It's the truth, though. The Wastelands barely have any laws in place as it stands!"

"I'm not going to be able to do it," Izuku whispers to himself, but it was loud enough for the other two to hear. "I'll end up attacking Dabi…it'll just happen."

"Play the role of a whore, then," Bakugo offers. "Chances are he wants to hurt and humiliate you. Show that you like it, and he'll grow bored."

Shouto interjects. "No, he must feign innocence to gain their trust."

"Feigning innocence is one way of going unnoticed, but feigning a whore may gain Dabi's respect quicker," Bakugo moves closer to Izuku. "Look, we won't know how you should act until we've assessed the marriage situation. I know of Dabi, and you do too, but we don't know what he's like behind closed doors. Feigning the whore will give you some power to defend yourself in the guise of sexual desire. Innocence may want him to hurt you even more,"

Izuku looks to Shouto. "What do you think?"

"Perhaps Bakugo is right in some respects," he says. "Assess the situation first. Feign innocence in public, among the others in the Wasteland court, then be 'wild' with Dabi in private if he calls for it. You won't know anything until you're in Dabi's presence, alone with him."

"Anyway, I came here to tell you that we should prepare to leave," Bakugo says. "We have a long flight ahead of us and a lot to do once we get there."

"Yes, you're right," Izuku stands up from the bed. "Thanks, Shouto. Hopefully, we'll be able to look back on all this as a distant memory."

"While both of you are here, I want to add one more thing," Shouto says. "Keep this between the three of us. I will send one of my own to the Wastelands as a spy, possibly even more than one. We're going to have a code word that only they will know, and when you hear them speak it, you will know they are from my kingdom."

Izuku nods. "What's the word?"

"Half," Bakugo offers. "We'll know it's you. 'Half.'"

"Alright," Shouto agrees. "'Half' it is. We will all be in touch soon," he turns back to Izuku. "Stay strong and stay focused."

Izuku swallows hard but gives a swift nod.

While leaving the shelter of the Canopies, Izuku looks over his shoulder, and buzzing wings as the treetops become smaller. It has been so long since he last left the Canopies. The air, sky, and sun cover his body with warmth, delight, and comfort. A Vespa is in their real element when soaring through the sky with the sun on your wings.

Below him, the green pastures of the Valley speed by in multiple lines of rainbows from the millions of flowers. They gather their nectar from the flowers in the trees rather than flying down to the Valley. Izuku prefers tree flowers over ground flowers. But Izuku knows when he and Bakugo reach the Wastelands because the climate instantly changes.

One second, he is warm and covered in light — the next, his body's cold. The sky becomes gray, the air damp with moisture, and the sun hides behind clouds. Below them, Izuku can see a mist or fog, gathering, and weaving around the bases of trees. No. Not trees. Thorn bushes. Thickets. Brambles. And…are those trees? Izuku flies lower to look closely at the top of the black foliage. It's a tree; only it's dead, stripped of leaves and fruits. Many of the others surrounding this tree look the same.

"How can anyone live here?" Bakugo wonders, stopping in flight when he sees Izuku has stopped moving.

"This is why they want to live in the Valley so badly," Izuku answers. "The Wasteland lives up to its name."

"All the more reason to keep them OUT of the Valley," Bakugo says. "If this is what they did to their own land, they will only do it to ours over time. We need to keep these surface crawlers on the ground where they belong."

Izuku flies over to stand closer to Bakugo. "I don't think they did this to their land themselves."

"What do you think, then? It just came this way?"

Izuku nods. "I do believe it was created like this. It's the same as us. We have always been this way- the Vespas, for example, with stingers and venom. We are made for the Canopies, just as Papilos were made for the Valley."

"Pfft. You think a lot, but you're dumb," Bakugo flicks Izuku's nose. "Forget your lecture and let's keep moving," He points far ahead of them. "See that towering black mass? That's the Centipede King's home. Dabi lives there, too. That's where we're going. It's their main court…or at least the only one we know of."

"To think that is going to be my home for a while," Izuku says, taking in the sad sight of the tower. 'I can do this…I have to do this, for All Might and the Valley. For everyone!' He yelps when one of his antennas is pulled.

"Let's get a move on, larva!"

At first, the massive towering structure of black thorns and brambles seemed like any other; only it permeates the aura of darkness and evil. All around them the area is eerily quiet. The only sound comes from Bakugo's wings, which are buzzing with aggravation. He says that someone should be here to meet them already and that he doesn't like to be kept waiting. Izuku wants nothing more than to stall for time. Izuku wants to see All Might, and he hopes they will allow him to do so before the ceremony. They shouldn't need a ceremony because it's a business deal for peace, not for love.

Izuku glances over at Bakugo, noting how confident and fearless the hornet alpha looks as red masked eyes stare at the castle. The visit will be easy for the alpha; Bakugo won't have to be an omega mate and play an obedient role. Bakugo's only goal is to ensure everything goes smoothly, and try not to lose his temper or blow their cover. How Izuku wishes the roles were reversed. No, that's not fair to say. No one should have to go through this type of situation.

Movement from the front of the castle alerts Izuku to someone finally coming out to greet them. He takes a small step closer to Bakugo. There's the soft echo of footfalls from the entrance as a tall Insectoid appears before them. Instantly, Izuku knows who it is. There's no mistaking that strange charred skin beneath cold teal eyes he's heard tales of. The dark skin stretches with the smug, lazy smile. It's Dabi, the Arachnoid alpha general, and Izuku's new husband. Six long hairy spider legs unfold from his back with the other two tucked in his jerkin pockets. Izuku has never see Dabi up close, and what he thought is charred skin is not. Dabi reveals that the skin is eyelids, and now four pairs of eyes are looking at them.

"Welcome to your new home, Cherry Bee Izuku."

Before Izuku could respond, Bakugo speaks first.

"It's about time! We were waiting out here for forever! If you want this shit done, then let's get a move on instead of making us wait here!"

Izuku wanted the ground to open up and swallow him whole.

Dabi keeps the same calm, confident smile on his face. "General Alpha Katsuki Bakugo. I'm not surprised you came with All Might's Second-in-Command," Says Dabi.

"It was Izuku's choice," Bakugo says, glancing at the omega.

"You could have brought more with you," Dabi says to Izuku. "Wouldn't you like attendants?"

"I thought I would take care of myself," Izuku says. "I…don't want to be a bother."

Dabi smirks. "Modest, I see." He turns to the entrance. "Both of you may follow me to the grand hall. There, we will sign our marriage contract, and the Centipede King will endorse it."

Izuku nods and follows after Dabi, forgetting about Bakugo. His nerves are on edge while he stares at Dabi's back, and those long spider legs. Izuku would have to close his eyes when it comes time to the mating, or he might just lose his mind. The castle's interior is black and dark. Dampness hangs in the air and chills Izuku's skin. His antennas twitch at the sting of the cold. He looks back at Bakugo, and the alpha doesn't appear to be cold even though he is wearing very little. How can Bakugo not feel an ounce of fear being in this place? When he turns back in the direction of candlelight, they enter the grand hall, much like the hives'. But when Izuku lays eyes on the Centipede King, his breath stills and his throat tightens. Just looking at him could drive an average Insectoid mad.

The Centipede King's body is long and lanky with messy silver hair and a crazed smile. He sits on a stool, which has the lengthy lower part of a centipede body curled around it. He wears all black and is covered in hands that attach to the centipede legs. With all those legs, including the two humanoid ones, must allow him to move quickly along the ground. If his kind had wings, it would make for a truly terrifying image. The antenna on the end of the body matches those on the king's head. Izuku felt relief that he was not going to marry the Centipede King. The horridness of Dabi's form is almost refreshing to look upon.

"So, this is All Might's Second in Command, the rare and unique Cherry Bee," says the Centipede King. "Dabi, you got lucky."

"I suppose I did, Tomura," Dabi replies.

"Where is All Might?" Bakugo asks. "This omega isn't signing a damn thing until we know for certain that All Might is alive!"

Tomura grins. "I'm hurt that you don't believe me," he says. "Dabi, why don't you show the hornet where All Might is?"

"May I see him?" Izuku asks quickly.

"No," Replies Tomura. "You will stay here, with me. We need to talk about a few things."

Izuku looks at Bakugo who says nothing but walks up to stand before Dabi. "Alright, show me where All Might is."

"You may want to give him a light, Dabi," Tomura chuckles. "It's so, so very dark down there, and we wouldn't want our guest to trip."

Bakugo narrows his eyes at the Centipede King. "If that's a threat, then you'd best take it back before I get mad."

Dabi taps Bakugo on the shoulder with one of his spider legs. "Come with me, my friend."

Bakugo buzzes his wings. "I'm not your friend!"

He looks back at Izuku before following Dabi out of the hall and down a hallway, which opens up to narrow stairs. Vespas rarely fly in the dark, and stepping deeper into the damp darkness made him realize, with frustration, that he needed the torchlight Dabi offers him. Swiping it from the spider with a sneer, he holds it above him and looks at the surroundings as they continue down the stairs. When they reach the bottom, Bakugo sees rows of cells, all with barred doors and chunky locks. There is no light down here, only the torch in his hand. To put a Vespa like All Might, who is used to the sun and open skies, in such fridged darkness must be a slow, silent form of torture. For Wasteland inhabitants, living and seeing in the dark is second nature. It is the one strength Dabi and Tomura hold over him.

"See for yourself," Dabi says as he presents the first cell to Bakugo. "Inside you will find the Hero of the Valley."

Bakugo holds the torchlight between the tight bars of the cell and his eyes slowly widen.

"Come closer, little one," Tomura beckons Izuku over with one of his centipede legs from his left side. "I won't harm you,"

Izuku's bottom lip quivers and his feet and wings freeze with fear. His antennas pick up the chemical trail of Tomura, and the power radiating from it is overwhelming. Izuku can easily fly away and out of reach if he needs to. There may be consequences to that action, but it is an option. If only he had feeling in his wings. He is too paralyzed with doubt and fear to use them. Izuku didn't know how long the bottom half of Tomura's brown body was until it creeps along the floor towards him, the back antennas acting like the top ones. In the dark, it would be impossible to tell which end of Tomura is coming towards him. Izuku watches each dark yellow leg move perfectly in sync with the others, the sharp tips tapping along the floor and making his blood run cold.

Before the back antennas can touch him, Izuku finds the strength in his wings to lift himself in the air and away.

"Now that's not nice," Tomura says with a mocking tone and pout. "I was only going to welcome you here to my home. After all, you're marrying my Second-in-Command and thus will be living here. You'd do well to remember just who will put food on your plate and shelter you from the harsh rains. And, let's not forget that I also house your precious master and leader, All Might."

Izuku is reminded of his duty, and he slowly flies over to land and stand before Tomura. He clenches his eyes tight as he feels dozen pairs of legs slowly creep along his clothed flesh and encase his body in a sharp tangle of limbs. Izuku can feel each little prick of the leg tips, and if Tomura chose to squeeze, they would easily pierce Izuku's flesh all in one go. He bites his lip as Tomura's front antennas touch his, forcing them to mingle. Izuku can read all of Tomura, sense his strength, sees his power as a gamma, and knows how deadly the venom is. He can endure the sting of another Vespa, even the sting from Scorpion, but the antennas warn him that one solid bite from Tomura is enough to kill him.

"Welcome to my humble home, little Izuku," Tomura leans in to whisper in Izuku's ear. "I can tell that All Might made the right choice when he offered you to us,"

Izuku doesn't believe that All Might would do that. He knows All Might had to do what was right, and it wasn't because he wanted to. Izuku feels a hand stroking the soft fluff around his neck.

"It's so soft…I wonder if all honey bees have this, or if it's just you. Can you answer me?"

"W-we all do," Izuku forces the words from his lips.

"I can sense you're frightened, but also you're stubborn. Very stubborn. If you know what is best for you, I would suggest doing just as you're told with no argument or attack. You can have a very, very easy and peaceful life here in my home. All you have to do is breed for us, and you can have anything you want. Dabi may be your married mate and husband because he is an alpha, but I am the sole provider of everything here. All of this was bestowed upon me, and I intend to keep it. For now, that is," He chuckles darkly, stroking the fluff a little harder. "Dabi doesn't like to share, which is a shame. I should have liked to have you for myself, once or twice."

Izuku felt like he would burst out of his skin just to get away from the Centipede King. 'Think of All Might! You're doing this for him! For your people! For the Valley!'

"Oh. I believe your new husband and guest have returned," Tomura grins at the look on the hornet's face. "So, what do you have to tell our omega? Are we lying?"

TBC