Izuku had no words. His reserves had grown faster over the past two days than a month back home, and now he, his mother and Anima were leaving the mountain city at dawn. Li had come to see them off, though he was only one.
"I hope you have found what you came here for." the head of the Xuan clan said tersely. Izuku could tell there was still some tension in the air, but his teacher either didn't notice or more likely didn't care.
"We have come as far as we could." the werewolf said with a grin. As the trio left down the mountain, Anima picked up Inko.
"Gotta make up lost time!" the monster shouted before sprinting down the mountain almost as fast as they would fall. Izuku channeled his chi and quirk and started to run as well. After a while, he realized not only how much faster he was, but also how much easier he was reinforcing himself with his powers. Instead of worrying about control, the hero-in-training was just feeling the rushing winds as he kept up with his sensei.
"Ain't it awesome?" Anima asked as he was in a freefall. "The speed, the rush, the danger, the risk! This is how you live!" the werewolf laughed. Izuku couldn't help but start smiling at the infectious joy. The green-haired teen definitely understood why people could get excited by extreme sports. Before they knew it, they had fallen below the snow line and were approaching the hotel they stored their things.
"Touchdown!" Anima jokingly shouted, Izuku landing right after.
"I-I don't want to do that again…" Inko stuttered in shock and slight fear. She knew Anima would never drop her, but the instinctual part of her brain told her how far she fell in such a short time. Anima patted her on the shoulder.
"Don't worry, if you do it often enough, it either becomes fun or dull. Let's get our things." turning to the hotel room, Anima heard the woman whisper to herself.
"I don't think my heart could take another trip." the three packed their things, though little they had, and left for the airport. Izuku noticed that he hadn't seen the sun, so he asked.
"Huh? Oh, we lost elevation so fast, the sun hadn't come over the horizon down here. It'll come up before the plane leaves." the oldest calmly explained as if it was just a normal occurrence.
'Then again, he's been that fast for centuries, he may be used to it by now.' the teen thought. The plane they boarded was going to Turkey, where they would board another plane for Rome. they'd spend the rest of the day there before sleeping on a train to London at night. Then they would take a flight home. Izuku and Inko wondered how Anima managed to make all of their travel stops seamlessly flow into the next with little to no planning. They're seeing him buy the tickets at the desk before boarding.
"It's a neat trick, and one I learned from a guy that rode the universe like a taxi. Wasn't as good as the chain-smoker though; he could make time and space itself line up just right to get him where he needed to be, when he needed. I still have to grease palms with resources." Anima explained, leaving details vague. Izuku knew he'd get the story later, but his teacher needed to not freak in the plane seat.
Izuku noticed it was around five in the evening by the time they reached Rome. the ancient city walls stood as a testament to the craftsmanship of the workers' thousands of years ago; aged, battered, but still standing. Wandering through the city as Anima gave his version of a history tour, filled with stories of warriors and heroes, politics and religion, and how the city itself was made, attacked, and remade again. While the werewolf wasn't one for embellishing, the emotion, the passion in his teacher's voice as he animatedly told the history of the empire that first used the word "hero".
"I never knew you were a fan of history." Inko admitted, after hearing the summary of Ajax and Hector.
"Yeah, I didn't either, but a friend of mine managed to make it more interesting. Ever since I've liked looking at stories of warriors and war. It tells a lot about what that society valued." Anima admitted.
"What was he like?" Izuku questioned. The martial artist shook his head.
"Actually, it was a woman. Pandora was a teacher from Greece; ah right, it's not a country anymore, but regardless. She was smart, skilled, and strong as hell. When we first spared, she pinned me to the point I had to dislocate my shoulder to get out of her hold." there was a self-deprecating laugh before he continued. "She's currently teaching a student back home. Hope she's doing well." the trio talked more and more about old heroes. After some time, Anima started leading them a specific way. Soon, they were standing in front of the Vatican.
"It's the reason I wanted to come here." he told them in a somber voice. Leading the Midoriyas down the corridors, Anima passed through the entrance of a room for a certain saint. Izuku, reading the plaque by the door, remembered the person from his trip to the hero museum.
Saint Ecanus, Starhealer, Saint of heroes, Symbol of Peace.
The room itself, while large, wasn't ornately decorated. The stone was polished, but there weren't many fancy paintings like the main hall. There was a simple violet carpet that, while cushioning, wasn't laced with silk or gold like other carpets he'd seen in the living quarters for the pope and his retainers. The couches were nice, but not anything noteworthy, and the chandelier wasn't adorned with anything other than warm-tinted glass. Even the soft music, while nice and calming, wasn't anything to write home about.
It was comfortable and peaceful, but not what one would think of for immortalizing a saint.
"Come here, Izuku." Anima spoke softly, as if in a graveyard. "Let me show you the history of an old friend." the teen in question then realized why his teacher brought him. Ecanus, Starhealer, was a hero that had long since passed. Not only that, he was an Outlier. Anima wasn't crying, but knowing the werewolf, he was silently paying respect. Looking at the statue in the glass case, he saw the old outfit the pacifist hero wore. It was white, a hard color to keep in such a messy job. In the collar, there was a dark brown stain that ran down. Everyone in the room knew it was a massive bloodstain, probably what killed him. In the statue's left ring finger was a familiar symbol; a white cross on a violet background. It was the same one that was on the left chain on Anima's belt. Seeing his student's gaze, he answered the unspoken question.
"They have a replica. The ring he wore is on my chain." Izuku nodded at the simple answer, leaving a minor mystery unsolved. Looking around to his belongings, he noticed an old picture, creases showing where it was folded to fit in a pocket or wallet. In it was a group.
The largest was a man in a simple t-shirt and jeans with a leather belt. His long hair and winning smile reminded Izuku of a bear. Leaning against his left was a lankier man with his eyes focused on the tome in his hands, paying no attention to the camera. On his right Anima was holding a young woman in the picture, and telling by the frost coating his arm and her glare, she was not there willingly. In front of the taller ones was a child in a wheelchair, looking rather skittish. The only reason he stayed seemed to be the teen with golden-silver hair and violet eyes sporting the purest white wings. The smile on his face, while he held the wheelchair-bound child, was relaxed, as if his whole identity was in a single phrase.
Don't worry, I'm right here.
Izuku knew at that moment the teen with wings was Ecanus, making the room they were in make much more sense; there weren't any fancy decorations, or bright colors, of pricey things because they weren't welcoming enough. The soft chairs and simple carpet were what most people found nice to relax on, and the soft music made the atmosphere even more calming. Then Anima spoke.
"He was a miracle of a kid. Without ever relying on violence, armed only with the power to protect, nurture and heal, he was a symbol of peace. We use to joke, calling him the "weeping angel" because he was such a bleeding heart." there was a nostalgic air around the werewolf as he talked about his former teammate.
"He was a master of words and he had that air, kinda like yours, where his mere presence told everyone 'don't worry, I'm here to help.' you would have gotten along like a house on fire…" Izuku read the plaques and listened to his teacher tell him the story of the pacifist hero. Soon, the guards came and told them they had to leave. Taking that as their queue, the three left with a new appreciation of what a "hero" really was. As they left for the train, Anima took a detour, leading to the outside of the city, and led his companions to an overlook to a forest. The setting sun gave the trees an ethereal appearance.
"It's so pretty." Inko exclaimed. Her son couldn't help but nod in agreement.
"It is, and Ecanus made it." Anima admitted, earning looks. "His last miracle: a forest to protect the innocent. He stopped a private army from coming into the city, but this was his deathbed. It used to be a plain, but he used everything to stop the advancement of that force. This was the result." the sun had set fully as the werewolf explained the history of the sacred forest. At this point, they went straight to the train station and booked a small cabin. They would be in London in twelve hours.
Izuku woke up from someone shaking him roughly and automatically tried for an arm-lock. After a moment, he realized who it was.
"Good reflexes Izuku." Anima stated without concern. "London is a half hour away, get ready." the teen nodded as he went through a kata to start the day and wake up. After getting some clothes and taking a shower, Izuku decided to spend some time meditating with his teacher while Inko used the shower herself. By the time everyone was ready the train had stopped at King's Cross. Anima led the way as Izuku took in the surroundings, noticing they were on platform nine. Walking to the bus system, Izuku noticed something odd.
"Sensei, what's the black stuff on the buildings?" he asked. Anima turned his head to see the black plastic walls that some of the buildings were made from.
"It's a high-density plastic that's easy to replace. You'll see government buildings across Europe and the US made of the stuff. think of them like giant, sturdy Legos. Easy to make, set up, and recycle."
"Ah, I see." Izuku noted before going into a mumble. "Many recyclable polymers are bullet resistant and depending on the structural makeup, easy to replace if damaged. Government buildings like banks and political meetings are often targets for terrorists and villains of social agendas. Making it so the buildings are likely to still stand and relatively quick to repair means that businesses are less likely to be poorly affected. It could also-"
"We're here." Anima cut his student's mumbling as he and several people got off the double-decker. Izuku picked up his bag and stepped onto the brick sidewalk. Izuku saw a park with a massive memorial column in the center of the path. Before he could ask, Inko decided to point a fact out.
"As much as I'm alright with taking another walk, let's get some lunch before we continue. It's almost eleven-thirty right now." Anima stopped mid-stride before checking his phone.
"Crap, thank you for catching that Inko." the werewolf agreed. Taking a turn, they found themselves in a nice bakery-cafe. After ordering, talking, eating, and more talking, the time slipped by until it was just past noon. Everyone recharged and satisfied, they went back to the park.
"Woah…" Izuku exclaimed. The monolith was a memorial to heroes, taller than him and more numerous than he could count. Simple plates hung under masks and capes, noting a hero and sometimes their legal name. On the floor was a message; "many shall flee from danger to protect themselves, but hark and heed those who run towards and protect others. Heroes need nothing but courage and will to be a shield and light for those in need." Caleb Hyles, "Captain Britain VII"
"This is the Hero's Monument" Anima explained. "Before the International Hero Assistance Act, the thing that made it so heroism was an actual career, there were still other heroes doing it technically as an illegal hobby." Inko had to suppress a shudder at remembering the stories Anima had told them of taking bullets and realized that he had to have a job to support that as well. The centuries-old monster gestured his hand back to the monument.
"These are the ones that died before the bill, from age, bullet, or collapsing structures. The names under the cape plaques had some power or high tech; Power man, Dr strange, Hawkgirl, and so on. "
"The ones under the mask plaques didn't have even that; Captain Metropolis, Thanatos, Phoenix Jones… for every one super, there were dozens of the smaller heroes. The media didn't even care to call them heroes. I remember the rant Limbaugh made. 'They aren't super heroes, they're super zeroes. They have zero sense, zero brains, and zero chance of survival.' the bastard said." Izuku was appalled at the disregard in the phrasing for people wanting to do good. There was an ironic chuckle from Anima as he continued.
"They decided to take that title though. Men and women that made the world a better place, even if only a little. I have great respect for the zeroes that tried their damnedest to give the world just one more light."
"'All the darkness in the world cannot extinguish the light of a single candle.' Francis of Assisi." Izuku quoted.
"Damn straight, just make sure you don't let your beacon dim Kid." was his teacher's response. The youngest nodded.
"I won't. People need help every day, and I won't let myself sit back when I can help someone in my grasp." there was no hesitation in his voice. The path of the protector, the hero's will, a hero's distortion, all of it meant one thing to the Martial artist; It's never wrong to help someone, even if you would sacrifice yourself.
Inko looked at her son and saw a fire that she doubted centuries could dim. She knew what projecting chi did, but it never ceased to amaze her that the overwhelming comfort her son shrouded the area in was what his soul was in its simplest form. She was brought out her thoughts when Anima's head swiveled to a man that laid a bouquet of flowers at the monument.
"S'cuse me." the man spoke softly. Anima trailed him with his nose before shouting.
"Oi, Oi Jack!" the now named man stopped and turned to face the werewolf before nodding and continuing to wander away.
"Dammit, Jack." Anima growled before turning to Inko and Izuku. "I'll meet you later; right now I'm going to try and knock some sense in an old friend." The Midoriyas nodded before the old hero chased after the man in the trench coat, leaving them to wonder what the history between them was. Izuku went to his notebook to memorize the heroes that died before the term quirks came about.
Anima managed to catch his old friend at the cemetery, putting down another bundle of Hydrangeas at the foot of a grave that read: 'Emma Jane Fraiser, mother, grandmother, Outlier' in heavily faded stone. The werewolf waited a moment before walking to the Immortal's right.
"You know the 1940's went out of style in the 1960's, right Jack?" He teased. Jack glanced to his side before turning back to the grave.
"Long time no see Lupo." he commented in melancholy.
"It's Anima, it has been for the past two-hundred and forty years." the martial artist noted with annoyance.
"It's still Lupo on my phone. Man, how long has it been since we last talked?" the bureau-worker questioned.
"Change it then, and fifty years since we last talked, eighty in person. Not since Sentry died in Quebec." the mood turned a little heavier at the memory.
"Yeah, I know." Jack noted. "So what brings you to the old Smoke? Hopefully not the tea."
"I took a student recently, and I'm showing him the monument here; he saw Starhealer's exhibit in Rome yesterday. The Kid's name is Izuku."
"Ah, Deku. Tell him he did good on Stain and One for All." the immortal praised. Anima turned his head in question.
"How did… you know what, I'm not putting it past your team to keep tabs on that kind of shit."
"How's his arm anyway? It looked like your old-" Jack was cut off.
"Thanks to Ordana, Fine." Anima forced.
"She still pissed at you?" he asked.
"And I at her you know how it is."
"Good, that's good."Jack smiled as he turned to Emma's stone. The immortal gave a bow with a small prayer before turning away and starting to walk off. Anima saw the look on his old friend's face before sighing.
"Jack, why do you keep doing this to yourself? It's been centuries. Her stone is almost unreadable due to weathering."
"I can never forget. She was my best friend, they all were." Anima saw the weight of history on his companion's shoulders. He hated this.
"You're living in the past. You still mourn for Alice, and she died before the world wars." Anima countered.
"I'm not letting them fade." Jack noted with a slight edge in his voice.
"I'm not saying you should. I'm saying to let go. They've passed on, but we're still here. I still remember them just as much as you do, but I let their past leave a trail for the living and unborn; you put them above those around you." Anima argued.
"I mourn to remember what I am. The glitch, the mistake, the fixed point in time. All thanks to one madman. I mourn them on the day of their death; today Emma died, tomorrow Wally and the day after that Adam, until there are no more deaths to mourn. I live to remember what happened." Anima hated this. Ever since the first outliers died, Jack and he would argue about how to respect the dead.
Anima saw to make sure the next generation would know the falls to avoid, while Jack saw someone who should be remembered. Every time they met this argument would come up and neither wanted to bend. It hurt Anima to see someone beat themselves up almost every day for centuries.
Jack was twice as old as Anima was, and he hadn't changed a day.
Suddenly Jack's phone went off. Picking it up, Lupo could hear the conversation from both sides, but something caught his attention. Waiting until the call ended, he called the retired hero out.
"You brought the Nomu Here?! The fuck are you thinking!?" Jack turned to his friend before answering.
"We have better research facilities and inhibitors. Due to their vegetative state, we can call them effectively brain dead and use them for research purposes." Anima was seething at the callous response but managed not to brain the former hero against a random tombstone.
"Jack, you're treading a fine line here, both ethically and politically. Don't turn into a mad scientist." the werewolf warned before walking off.
"What hotel are you staying at?" Jack called and Anima answered. The two Outliers left to get back to their lives once again.
The next day, everyone was waking up to get on the plane back to Japan. Anima Opened the door to leave only to find a laptop-sized box at the foot of the door. Picking it up, he saw the letter attached to it and read it to himself:
Lupo,
I'm sorry About the bad taste, but I still consider you my friend. Deku needs to know about them, about us. Please don't let the Outliers die out; I know you won't. Don't be a stranger and call if you need anything, regardless of danger, The Captain is always ready to help.
-Jack
"What is it?" Izuku peered under his teacher's arm. Anima gave the box a small shake to here a binder shift inside.
"Just some notes you may find useful." He commented. "Come on, we're going to miss our plane if we aren't careful. I'm ready to cuddle back with Jesse again." the Midoriyas chuckled at the werewolf's complaints before going to the airport.
With first class seats and a straight flight, they'd get back home tonight.
Alright, this was a hard chapter to write. Anyway, the travel arc is pretty much done! I'm sorry for taking so long but I realized how burnt out I was by the third week of not writing. Even now it's rather hard to write anything of worth. I hope the chapter lived up to your expectations. If it did, or if I could do better, I'd love to hear a reply. Till next time!