Deku the Hero of Smite: Chapter 7

By: jungleboy69

Chapter 7: A Close Encounter

The inn was a busy place; patrons were sitting at tables eating food and drinking mead. Izuku and Ammon were at a table, eating a meal of bread, pork and vegetables. "How do you find the food?" Ammon asked.

"It's good." Izuku replied. "It's not like the food back home." Ammon gave a wry smile. "Tell me about your home." He asked. "Do you have any family back home?" Izuku gave a small smile. "My mom." He replied. "Inko Midoriya."

"I see..." Ammon replied. "And what about your father?" Izuku's face fell. "He passed away..." He replied. "He was killed in an accident." "Oh...I'm sorry." Ammon replied, sympathetically. "Do you have any friends back home?"

"Not really." Izuku sighed. "I'm sort of an...outcast with other kids..." Ammon grew concerned. "Is it about these so called 'quirks' you told me about?" He asked. "Surely, you have a quirk too."

"No." Izuku replied. "I don't have a quirk." "In fact, I'm quirkless..." He explained. "All the other kids in my school have quirks except me." "I see..." Ammon replied, stroking his beard. Izuku sighed again. "It's ironic, isn't it?" He pointed. "My greatest dream is to be a hero and I'm the only one in my world who doesn't have a quirk."

Ammon placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Don't be disheartened, my boy." He told him. "Many great heroes started out as ordinary folk." "You don't need 'quirks' to be a hero." He added with a smile. "All you need is courage, compassion and the 'belief' that you are a hero."

Izuku looked at Ammon. "You know, you're not the first person to say that." He pointed out. "Do you really think that would happen?" "I know it." Ammon replied. "You know, there is still the rest of the city to see, if you want."

Izuku smiled. As much as he wanted to go back home, he was still fascinated by the great city. "Sure, why not?" He asked.

(Half an hour later...)

"This city is amazing..." Izuku replied as he and Ammon walked through the street. "I've always heard about Greece from books..." "Aye...boy." Ammon replied as he stretched his limbs. "Still, it is a bit overwhelming for me."

"I prefer the open air of the countryside." He added. "The fresh air, the cool breeze, the song of birds..." "It's also much quieter in the countryside" Izuku pointed out, getting the old man to chuckle.

As they walked through the streets, they passed by a group of robed men with hoods over their heads who were sitting in an alleyway. One of the hooded figures slowly turned towards Izuku. He was dressed in a faded brown hooded cape that covered his face, along with a black tunic wth long sleeves, gray bands around his wrists, and dark metal grieves on his legs with black sandals on his feet.

A smirk grew on his face, which had a nasty scar running over it. He slowly stood up and began to follow Izuku and Ammon who were too busy chatting away. As he reached closer, his hand slipped into the folds of his robe and drawled out a nasty dagger.

Izuku was still chatting with Ammon that he didn't notice the danger he was in until... "HOO! HOO! HOO!" A loud hooting sound alerted them, making them jump. "Wh-What was that?!" Izuku exclaimed.

"Hey!" A loud voice called as Izuku and Ammon looked behind to see the cloaked figure waving his arms at a white tawny owl that was flying around his face and scratching him with its talons. "Get away, you stupid bird!"

"What in the world...?!" Ammon asked. It was then Izuku noticed the dagger in his hands. "He's got a knife!" He screamed in shock. "A robber!" Ammon cried. "Quick, boy! Make a run for it!" Izuku wasted no time as he ran as fast as he could, with Ammon behind him.

The owl flew away and the man silently growled, readjusting his hood and stormed after them. Any passerby was shoved away with a single gesture one hand while he held onto his dreadful dagger on the other.

"Who...is he?!" Izuku panted as he and Ammon ran through the streets. "I...don't...know!" Ammon replied, between pants. "But...don't stop...! Keep...running!" For several moments, they ran through the sea of passersby, who either barely paid little heed or simply passed through with annoyance.

Poor Izuku's heart raced and his eyes welled with scared tears; was it one of those cult members after him? The ones that belonged to this Cult of Kronos? Was he going to be captured and turned into a sacrifice? Will he never find his way home or see his mother again?

"Quick, boy!" Ammon exclaimed, grabbing hold of his shoulder and pointed to a tight corner. "Down here!" Izuku didn't ask twice as he and Ammon turned the corner and hid behind the wall, sweating and panting. "Ammon...are you...okay?" He asked the old playwright.

"Yes..." Ammon replied, the poor man looked as if he was about to collapse. "I'm not...as young...as I once...was..." Izuku peered out at the crowd to see if they were still being pursued. Surprisingly, there was no sign of their pursuer. "I think..." He breathed a sigh of relief. "we lost him."

"That's what you think, boy..." A rough voice spoke from behind him. Izuku froze and turned around. To his horror, he saw the hooded man behind him, holding Amon in a headlock in one arm and in knifepoint with his dagger in the other hand.

"Ammon!" Izuku cried. "Run, boy!" Ammon croaked as he felt the cold blade of the dagger edge close to his throat. "Save yourself!" "Shut up, old man!" The hooded man snarled before turning to Izuku. "If you value this old fool's life, you better surrender."

"Let him go!" Izuku demanded. "If you kill us, everyone will see you!" "This is a big city." The hooded stranger replied nonchalantly. "People see their fellow man murdered on the street every day and do nothing about it." "I can stab you and this old fool right here and now and everyone else will just go on their merry way while you both bleed out." He added.

"What do you want from us?!" Izuku asked. "We don't have any money!" "Money...?" The man sneered. "Who says I want money?" "All I need is fresh victims for tonight's sacrifice!" He added. Izuku grew pale in horror. "S-Sacrifice...?!" He squealed.

"Yes..." The old man flashed a wicked grin. "I am part of the Cult of Kronos, dedicated to the Titan King himself!" "Once we gathered enough blood sacrifices, we will be able to free our Master and Kronos will once again take his place as ruler of the Universe!" He added.

"Y-You're insane!" Izuku yelled. "We'll tell Thallo about this!" "There is no escape, fool!" The man spat. "Our numbers are endless! Even if I die today, another will continue my work and we will not rest until our master is free!"

Izuku began to panic; what would he do? How can he and Ammon going to escape from this? "You should be honored, boy..." He sneered. "Your blood will help herald the return of the Titan King..." "Now, be a good boy...and die." He added as he raised his dagger high.

"HOO!"

A loud hooting sound called and a white tawny owl swooped down from the sky, grabbing the man's hood with its talons and yanking it down over his face. "Gah!" He screamed, releasing his hold on Ammon and swinging his arms wildly. "Get off me, you blasted bird!"

"Ammon!" Izuku called as he helped the old man up. "Yes...my boy..." Ammon gasped. "It seemed that luck is on my side..." "GET OFF ME!" The man roared as he finally swatted the owl away, sending it to the wall.

"NO!" Izuku cried, unable to bear the sight of any creature getting hurt. "Wretched bird..." The man snarled before turning to Izuku and Ammon, pointing his dagger at them. "No more messing around, you two are coming with me!"

Finally, Izuku's fear gave way to anger and he clenched his fists. "No..." He snarled. "You're not going to hurt Ammon..." His fists glowed brightly in a golden light. "Wh-What the?!" The hooded man gasped.

"Why...don't you...leave. Us. ALONE!?" Izuku roared before he shot towards him like a bolt of lightning and punched the man squarely on the face. *POW!* The force of the punch was so strong that it send the hooded man flying back and crashing into the wall. *SMASH!*

Ammon gaped in astonishment as Izuku gave a deep breath and calmed down, the light in his fists fading away. He quickly turned his attention to the little owl, which was hooting softly and twitching in pain.

Worried, he approached the bird and carefully lifted up into his arms. "Are you alright?" He asked. "Hoo...Hoo..." The owl hooted softly, looking up at him with it's big black eyes. "Ammon, we have to go now!"

The old poet snapped out of his stupor. "Oh, of course!" He exclaimed as he and Izuku hurried off, with the latter clutching the wounded owl to his chest.