Owen patiently waited outside the airport for the arrival of the foreign heroes, feeling slightly worried that they wouldn't be able to show up after everything given the short time frame. But his nerves were soon dissipated when he saw a plane in the distance arriving towards the large airfield, landing several meters away as the familiar sight of Izuku and Setsuna stepped out.
As the American saw the two standing by their own pilot and sharing a few words, he couldn't help but notice how much these two have grown since the last time he saw them in person.
Izuku wore the iconic green hero suit that definitely didn't resemble a rabbit, his hands being free on any gloves while his sleeve stopped at his biceps. A change that he made when he started getting better at controlling One for All. Yet that change was nothing compared to his height, with the freckled man being a foot taller than Setsuna, his broad frame built after years of saving others in need while carrying himself with a sense of power and respect as he traded words with the pilot with a smile. Thanking him for the time to take them here to this location at such an earlier hour.
Meanwhile, Setsuna was donning a purple-scaled suit donning her entire figure save for the head of hair and mask that showed a bit of her face. Yet that's not to say that she was lacking, as her slim and fit physique showed her own growth as both a hero and a woman. Someone who stood beside the rising new symbol during society's most devastating collapse both as a partner and a lover. Her own sharp-toothed grin bringing joy and comfort to those that need it, and fear to those that warrant it.
Once the two shared their gratitude and got the go-ahead from the captain, they both departed from the plane as their navigator prepared for takeoff. Not wanting the aircraft belonging to All Might or his successor to be seen by a lot of people on this mission of theirs. Getting Owen to smile as the two made finally made their way toward him.
"I see you're all suited up," Owen greeted them with a smile as he eyed their attire and shook Izuku's hand. "Glad you two could make it."
"Yeah well..." Izuku chuckled while rubbing the back of his head. "After what happened the last time we went to a dinosaur-filled island, we're definitely not taking any chances."
Owen nodded with a slight grimace remembering the fact that the two greenettes helped them out in their tourist clothing the last time they met. Setsuna eyed the lower part of Izuku's torso where the Indominus scratched him with a frown. The scars still present even after being healed by the doctors to this day.
"It was cutting it a bit close, but we're suspicious of everything too after everything you said," Setsuna added as she shook her head to dispel her frown while shaking her own hand with Owen. The American returned it with respect and gratitude after traveling so far to meet up with him for this endeavor.
"So when does Claire show up?" Izuku asked as he eyed the morning skies around them, still dark from the absence of the sun.
"She should join a couple of hours if I'm not mistaken," Owen recalled with a frown as he eyed the two with a raised eyebrow before gesturing to the small plane behind him. "We could wait inside if you want."
"That's fine," Izuku waved off with a smile, "We are still a little sore from the long ride over here, so we don't mind waiting a bit out."
"Totally..." Setsuna added in while stretching herself a bit to ease the discomfort in her joints, "Besides I want to know what you and Claire have been up to since you didn't mention a whole lot on the phone."
Owen mentally grimaced at the question due to his current relationship with the redhead, hoping that this topic would've been forgotten during all the details involving the mission. Yet he felt that they deserved to know after helping them so much during their escape from Jurassic World. And started to fill them in on his past endeavors after they helped them that fateful day, their conversations filling the empty runway as they waited for Claire to arrive.
…
…
…
"So anyway, I left her, right?"
Owen finished telling his story of his last encounter with Claire, hoping to get support on his point of view of the breakup after moving the conversation inside the plane to sit down. Only to look on as the upcoming symbol of peace gave a strained and awkward smile while Setsuna looked at him with sympathy.
"...I mean," Izuku stared awkwardly as he scratched his cheek uncertainly, "...at least the separation was mutual?"
Owen slumped back in his seat with crossed and a grumble as Setsuna nodded along to Izuku's statement. Looking at the duo with slight envy at how well their relationship lasted since their last encounter, before noticing something on the splitting hero's hand that made him raise an eyebrow.
The absence of a ring.
Of course, that could be due to her wearing her hero suit for this mission, but they didn't mention anything about marriage either so far in their conversation. Yet it was obvious that they cared for each other deeply, even more so than the typical couple that dated. So maybe it just wasn't the right time? They were in their early twenties after all. Owen also had no idea what the schedule of a hero looked like, even more so given that Izuku was a shoo-in for the number one spot in Japan.
He decided not to open that can of worms for now and started to shift the topic toward the mission that they were about to embark on before a yawn broke through. Making him stop his conversation as the pair in front of him did the same.
"I guess we didn't much sleep on the ride over here," Setsuna said as she stifled her own yawn, Izuku doing the same next to her as they hesitantly slumped in their seats.
"We should get some shut-eye," Owen admitted as his eyes struggled to stay open. "We still got some time before Claire gets here."
The two heroes absentmindedly nodded as they started to doze off, Setsuna using Izuku's shoulder as a makeshift pillow while the other rested the side of his head on hers.
Owen watched the two for a moment before he got himself comfortable in the seat as his eyes began to close, hoping to get a little bit of sleep before Claire showed up while idly wondering what her reaction would be seeing the two most popular heroes from Japan joining their expedition.
(Later that morning)
"There's no way that thing is up to regulation."
"Come on, planes are the safest way to travel."
"I've seen drones bigger than that."
Claire sighed as she ignored the teens' argument and watched the surrounding lot for any sign of Owen, hoping that he would make a last-minute arrival for this expedition. But she didn't get her hopes up after their meeting two days ago, where he stated that he wanted nothing to do with this expedition. Making her reluctantly follow the two teens into the small aircraft, only to pause behind them as they suddenly stopped with a loud gasp. Following their line of sight before gaping along with them at the image of two green-haired heroes on the plane.
"Holy shit! Is that Deku?!" Zia exclaimed with shock.
The shout managed to wake up the two sleeping heroes from their slumbers as they opened their eyes in shock before seeing the three people in front of them. Their nerves settling down easily after seeing the familiar sight of Claire Dearing, who they helped last time when they visited Jurassic World.
"I'm here too you know," Setsuna grumbled beside Izuku without any real heat in her voice, still waking up from her slumber as they both rubbed their eyes.
"W-What are you guys doing here?" Claire asked in complete surprise, not expecting two of Japan's most notable heroes to be joining in their mission.
"We heard a tip about this little operation to Isla Nublar," Setsuna explained as she stopped herself from yawning, "decided to check it out to see if it was real."
Claire furrowed her brow in confusion, not sure how they heard of this operation before her eyes drifted towards Owen. Who also woke up from the sudden shout and lifted himself up from the seat to lock eyes with Claire with a smirk.
"It's about time you showed up."
Claire was too stunned to say anything back, unable to process the fact that not only did Owen decide to join her in this expedition. He had brought back help, help in the form of two heroes that most people would only dream about meeting in person. Let alone the number hero in the making along with his faithful partner.
The silence was odd as Claire stood there in disbelief looking at Owen, who still wore the smirk on his face after seeing her reaction while gesturing to Izuku to introduce himself to her in hopes of getting her out of her trance.
Izuku nodded and stuck his hand out to Claire like he did to greet Owen earlier that morning, wearing his signature smile as a means to put Claire at ease.
"It's nice to see you again Claire," Izuku said earnestly that startled Claire for a moment as she finally shifted her gaze from Owen to the greenette, "I hope you have been doing well."
"O-Oh, of course!" Claire jumped in surprise as she made contact with the greenette, "It's good to see you again-"
Only to pause as she took in the fact of exactly who she was shaking hands with, someone who helped her out during the fall of Jurassic World. Someone whose slightly awkward demeanor has transformed into the upcoming hero of his country while bringing hope to those that need it. Someone whose admittedly well-built physique as a teen only exploded as he matured, the strength he carried with him made aware to her during the handshake on the plane.
"...Wow. You're so strong."
Zia stifled a snort along with Setsuna as Claire's face turned beet red, not meaning to share her thoughts out loud with the person that helped her so many years ago and someone who carried such a high amount of status.
Thankfully Izuku took it in stride, just waving off the compliment with a chuckle as he was already used to various reactions from home due to his time with fans.
"Sorry, but he's already taken," Setsuna playfully added that only made Claire turn a shade darker as the splitting hero detached her wrist from her arm to reach Claire and shake her own hand, "But other than that, it's good to see you too."
Claire barely managed to regain her bearing and shook the hands of Lizardy, someone that also rose to the ranks quite quickly due to her achievements of helping others and working alongside Deku. The redhead was still unable to fathom that they were here waiting for her for this upcoming mission.
Owen and the heroes' gaze shifted towards the two other teenagers that entered the aircraft, who were now looking between Owen and the heroes with uncertainty. Something that the animal behaviorist noticed.
"And who are the other two? I don't think you mentioned them when we first talked about this operation."
Claire managed to knock herself out of her stupor after hearing Owen's question, seeing that she still didn't introduce the other people who followed along with the operation. Berating herself with a grimace for the lack of manners due to the sudden additions on the plane.
"O-Oh right. I'm sorry. This is Zia Rodriguez," Claire gestured towards the teenage girl who sported herself a simple yellow t-shirt and glasses as she shook hands with Owen and the greenettes, "She studied extensively in the proper care of prehistoric animals."
"Oh really?" Setsuna perked up in interest in the role, "Have you done any work on one yet?"
"No, but I worked with numerous vets and doctors to prepare for stuff like injuries, but only really talked about the prehistoric care and biology with someone who worked at the park."
Setsuna nodded in approval at her background and commitment to such an endeavor, knowing that the information for the care of dinosaurs was limited due to their rarity after the fall of the park.
Meanwhile, Izuku shifted his gaze to the other teen in the aircraft who looked back at the two with a nervous smile. The greenette knew that he was out of his element right now as he made his way towards them, shaking the hands of the heroes and Owen relatively well for someone uncomfortable in his environment.
"And this is Franklin Webb," Claire introduced the nervous black teen who fiddled with his glasses and took a seat near the group, "He's an expert on systems and code for electronics."
While they all took the introduction in stride, Izuku couldn't help but notice the way Franklin buckled himself anxiously to his seat. Holding the bag tightly on his lap as he looked out the window anxiously.
"Nervous flyer?"
"Would you ride a thousand-pound horse that's been abused all its life?" Franklin rhetorically asked.
"...Uh, no?" Izuku admitted to the odd metaphor before brightening up, "But I did jump out of a plane when I was in my first year of UA," he recalled the mission he had with Kacchan and Shoto to take down Humarise when they were working with Endeavour.
…
"…We're not compatible."
Izuku only shrugged with a sheepish smile over Franklin's blank expression and response as the teen held onto the backpack tighter to his person. With the sound of the engine and propeller finally coming to life, the plane finally took off on the runway before lifting in the morning sun for the park.
(Isla Nublar)
Izuku watched as the plane flew above the numeorus trees and forest that littered the ground below, giving them a view of the vast jungles that grew due to the absence of humans. The remaining buildings and railroads they could see from the plane were overtaken completely by foliage and plants, all with a giant volcano in the distance releasing a plethora of smoke and smog into the atmosphere.
It was almost like arriving on a whole new planet.
As the plane finally started to decsend and made its way onto the runway, he saw that numerous people were moving throughout a makeshift compound. Preparing gear and supplies while loading them onto numerous modified vans and armored trucks that were stationed nearby.
"Well, at least we know that they weren't lying about an operation going on," Setsuna said dryly as she eyed the operation with narrowed eyes.
Izuku only nodded with a hum as he watched the mercenaries move about the small compound, unsure of how they would respond to the arrival of two heroes on their operation. Yet he didn't have much time to ponder, as the plane slowly made its way to a stop right near the entrance of the camp. With a man sporting a pair of shades looking at plane with a grin.
Claire made his way out of the plane first, followed by Owen and the teens of the rescue effort. With the two heroes waiting inside for a moment to see how they would treat their guests first before revealing themselves.
"I'm Ken Wheatly," the man in shades introduced himself with a firm handshake towards the redhead, "Glad you can finally join us Claire, Mr. Mills informed me of your participation."
The redhead returned the gesture to the mercenary with ease, as Ken looked towards the plane with an eager look in his eye hoping for the man of the hour that they were waiting for.
"And the raptor wrangler?"
"Right here," Owen called out as he left the aircraft with the two tees trailing behind him, shaking Ken's hand with a smile before eyeing the operations around him, "It's quite an operation you got here."
"Well, Mr. Lockwood takes his humanitarian efforts very seriously."
Owen raised an eyebrow at that statement but was unable to comment on it when the people around them suddenly stopped and turned their attention toward the last two people who departed the plane. The signature colors of green and purple on their bodies stood out in a field of militarized gear like a sore thumb as uneasy murmurs broke out throughout the compound. Their presence and stature emitted a sense of power and authority despite them not using their quirks at the moment.
A sign that pro heroes Deku and Lizardy were on site.
Ken watched the two greenettes make their way towards them as a bead of sweat broke through, not expecting this sudden addition as he eyed the two with caution behind his pair of shades until they stood right in front of him. The crowd around them turned silent as they watched the interaction between Ken and the heroes.
…
"...I didn't know heroes were a part of this," Ken stated after a moment of silence and hesitation as he eyed Claire from the side, who looked anxious at the sudden questioning from the mercenary.
"I invited them here," Owen jumped in as the mercenary's attention was shifted back to him, "Given our experience with the park when it fell, I felt like it was needed. And they wanted in after hearing what was going on here."
"It's not an official search or arrest," Setsuna admits with a shrug even as she eyed the surrounding men around them, "Just want to make sure that it's legit seeing how no one outside knows about this little operation of yours. So unless things seem odd, we are only here to observe and assist."
"That shouldn't be a problem..." Izuku said nonchalantly before locking his gaze with Ken with narrowed eyes. "Will it?"
Deku and Setsuna stared down Ken with a slightly stern and knowing look, almost daring him to say something to get this whole operation shut down. An act that the man returned as the others look at each other uneasily, unsure if this confrontation will come to blows or conflict seeing the tension build between them.
"...No, it's not," Ken stated with a slightly clenched jaw knowing that he needed to make a call about this sudden addition. "But we need to hurry, that volcano is about to explode any moment now and we still got a few more species to contain."
Ken turned away from the new arrivals with a furrowed brow as Izuku and Setsuna gave each other a raised eyebrow, each of them even more suspicious of the legitimacy of the whole ordeal given the reaction of the one in charge. The other mercenaries hesitantly going back to what they were doing after the departure
"You sure know how to make an entrance..." Zia dryly stated as she made her way towards the armored transport that was waiting for them, shaking off the sudden standoff as best she could with a reluctant Franklin following along.
Setsuna hummed in slight amusement at the teen's assessment as she followed along, Izuku and the rest of the group loading onto the vehicle as the volcano continued to shoot off giant plumes of smoke and ash. Into the sky.
The tension didn't seem to lessen even when everyone was finally loaded up onto the vehicle, as Ken and the numerous personnel around them kept an eye on the two heroes. A gesture that the two returned as they eyed them warily and with caution, with Claire and Owen looking at each other uneasily at the state of the van. Not quite sure what to do with this sudden atmosphere and tension as the vehicle continued to push through the vast jungle.
*Sprt Sprt Sprt*
Izuku's and Setsuna's focus was broken as Franklin continued to use bug spray on himself, seemingly unaware of the current tension between the two groups as he continued to lather the repellent onto his arms. Before suddenly thrusting the spray toward the two heroes' direction.
"Need some bug spray?"
Izuku and Setsuna blinked at the sudden offer as the splitting hero stiffed a chuckle on her lips, with Zia facepalming at Franklin's action since Izuku's current attire covered his entire body. Leaving very little skin exposed to the outside world.
"...Um, no thank you." Izuku turned down the offer politely with an awkward smile.
Franklin shrugged before stuffing the spray back into his backpack as he eyed the outside warily, the kind gesture being the icebreaker that the two groups needed as they reluctantly settled into their seats. Keeping an eye out for any prehistoric creatures that may cause trouble in their journey to the compound where they can locate Blue and Charlie.
The vehicle turned into Main Street where the once bustling buildings filled with toys and products were now overtaken by foliage. Various windows had almost no glass in them, nearly bare from wear and decay as plants littered throughout the exhibits and stores. The railway for the tram was almost nonexistent, with several sections being covered with plants from the surrounding area or derailed from the wear of time. Lush trees sprouted throughout the sidewalks as nature slowly overtook the foundations of the once-busy and thriving amusement park.
Owen, Claire, Setsuna, and Izuku looked at all of these sights with mixed feelings, the buildings and attractions they saw now had a different meaning to them as they recalled the incident of the Indominus Rex even as the landscape drastically changed. Their memories of the once thriving park are now in disarray from the drastic shift.
"Bad memories?" Ken asked after seeing their reactions to the various attractions, knocking them out of their stupor momentarily to look at the mercenary.
"Some were good..." Owen said as he eyed Claire with a small smile, one that the redhead returned with a bit of a wistful smile of her own.
"Definitely," Izuku and Setsuna said in unison when they saw the sign for the petting zoo, recalling the time they had so much fun with the young herbivores in the pen while idly wondering if any of them were still alive.
The sound of thundering footsteps caused the vehicle they were in to stop moving, turning off their engines to remain silent as the passengers looked out the windows warily.
"W-What was that the T-Rex?" Franklin asked nervously as the loud steps seemed to be drawing close to where they were waiting.
Meanwhile, Zia's face turned into shock as she finally caught sight of the creature outside the window as it entered the small paved road. Something that made her gape in awe due to her never being able to see one of these creatures in person, unbuckling herself from her seatbelt as fast as she could so that she could see it with her own eyes.
"I need to see this."
Zia made her way towards the back door as everyone's eyes widened, unbuckling themselves out of their own seats as the teenager opened the door and left the vehicle in a hurry. Setsuna following right behind Ken despite their rough introduction as he called out to Zia, not wanting to teen to hurt herself from any unknown danger.
"This area is not secure..."
The man's voice trailed off as he and the rest of the group finally managed to get a look at the creature that suddenly emerged from the forest. Rearing its head back with the support of a thick and long neck as its bellow rang into the air while its heavy stomps continued on.
A Brachiosaurus.
Or at least it was a Brachiosaurus based on what Setsuna could tell based on the structure of its anatomy and physique, yet the coloring was drastically different than the ones usually advertised or described whenever she learned about them. As its skin was pale green from head to tail rather than the dark grey or brown it was usually associated with. Yet the thing that caught her eye the most was the large pink flower that was wrapped around the base of its neck, the petals in full bloom that swayed gently from the massive herbivore's steps.
She knew that most of the animals of this island had some type of quirk in them based on the call that Owen gave them, but also from the tales from the infamous 'Nublar Six' that escaped the island when the park first collapsed three years ago.
She hated not being able to help them when she and Izuku initially helped Owen and Claire, as they had no idea that there was anyone still on the island after the whole catastrophe. The war with All for One occurring right after spring break, halting their plans for extraction even if they did hear about the group of kids. Leaving no time for an expedition to save them due to the chaos that was happening around the globe.
Yet to the world's shock, they managed to escape and bring tales of the remaining dinosaurs that shocked them and the world. One of which is the abundance of quirked dinosaurs all throughout the island, caused by the harsh reality of natural selection.
She was brought out of her thoughts when the green Brachiosaurus leaned its massive neck down and sniffed one of the palm trees that littered the abandoned street, seemingly deciding if it wanted to munch on the leaves or not as he sniffed the plant with its large nostrils.
"A picky eater huh?" Owen asked as he looked on in slight awe at the massive beast, who reared its head back with a snort and a small shake of its head after finally deciding to move one without eating the tree.
"Maybe it's because of its mutation," Izuku added with a rub of his chin as he watched the massive herbivore start to leave the site with thundering footsteps. "It might be able to use photosynthesis as a means of getting energy rather than plants, allowing it to choose what it wants to eat more freely than the others."
Setsuna hummed in thought as the large sauropod finally disappeared, leaving Main Street with a bellow that made the splitting hero wonder what other kinds of quirks and mutations she would see on this island. Though as she made her way back to the armored truck, she couldn't help the sinking feeling that she wouldn't have to wait too long to find out.
After driving through the long plains where the Gyrospheres used to travel to see the herbivores, the van finally pulled up to the small compound atop the massive hill, looking just as ruined and overtaken by foliage as the rest of the park they've seen so far. The team of heroes and mercenaries wasted no time leaving the vehicles with haste, the volunteers following right behind them as they started to get to work.
Izuku winced as a flash of Danger Sense pulsed through his head just as the volcano behind them rumbled and spewed out smoke and ash. A sign that it was ready to blow any time now and needed to hurry. Watching as Ken pried open a fuse box with a grunt that displayed numerous wires, hard drives, and ports that made even attempting to override the code seem like an impossibility to the greenette.
Yet he noticed Franklin taking a deep breath before lifting his index finger into the stream of wires, the end changing into one of the ports that were found inside. Allowing him access to the system as ones and zeros seemed to dance in his pupils.
"Come on kid, we don't got all-"
Ken was interrupted when the large metal doors suddenly sprang to life, opening slowly to the surprise of Izuku and Setsuna as the others made their way inside. Though as Franklin separated his hand from the stream of wires, he stumbled slightly with a dazed expression that caused Izuku to grab his shoulder.
"Are you ok?" Izuku asked with concern as he helped the teen stand.
Franklin shook off the mild headache that came and passed, rubbing his eyes for a second before looking at the two heroes with a slight smile as a means of reassurance.
"Y-Yeah, just takes a lot out of me sometimes."
"Nice work," Setsuna said in honest praise at his skill and quirk being used to open the door, "I didn't think we would get in so easily."
Izuku nodded in agreement at Setsuna's claim before a large smile started to spread onto his face as he patted the teen on the back.
"It's quite an amazing skill you have Franklin," Izuku said earnestly, "If you ever think about working with heroes, I know some people who would love to have a person like you on their side."
Izuku and Setsuna both left the teen after saying their piece as they ventured inside to meet up with the others, leaving Franklin outside with a gaping mouth at the praise given by the two heroes. A huff of amazement left his lips as he entered the compound, feeling more confident in himself as he went to work.
Franklin went to work restoring power back into the systems, connecting his laptop to one of the fuses on the wall. His computer displaying the need for authorization from a member of the park to gain access.
"I need your hand," Franklin asked Claire while pointing to the hand-shaped keypad off towards the side.
As Claire's handprint was read by the systems, the building's electricity and power sprang to life immediately as the numerous screens in front of Franklin booted up. The logo for the park was displayed as Franklin brought up a map of the entire park for them to see, with numerous dots showing the location of the animals on the island.
Setsuna watched in fascination with the number of dinosaurs that were still on the island, yet she couldn't help but also feel a bit of sorrow knowing that not all of them would be able to leave the island. Knowing that it was a matter of time and supplies that would leave most of them behind rather than favoritism.
Yet there was something on the made that caught her eye on the screen, which was several blips and dots all converged on a certain area near the east side of the island. Something that she found odd seeing that a large amount was so close to the water.
"What about there?" the splitting hero asked Ken with an eyebrow seeing that nothing was mentioned about their operations the entire trip here, "Is there a group of herbivores there or something?"
"That's our boat. We already captured a bunch of them."
"Without the tracking system?" Setsuna questioned with suspicion, a gesture that Izuku mirrored as he looked on carefully from the sides.
"The big herbivores are easy to find," Ken quickly stated before looking at Franklin, "Can you isolate the raptors?"
While Izuku and Setsuna found it odd how quickly Ken defended himself, they knew he had a point about the giant herbivores being large and therefore easier to locate. Yet they couldn't help but feel like something was off about him.
As the two heroes' doubts about Ken grew, Franklin inputted the correct identification tag for Blue. The raptor's location was found as her dot pinged and beeped onto the screen, just a couple of hundred miles away from here.
"There she is," Owen stated with awe and a bit of longing, anxious about seeing the carnivore he raised from its birth so many years ago.
"There's another one of them there too," Franklin added on seeing the other dot that was beside Blue's.
"Must be Charlie's," Izuku noted with interest, seeing that no other being would stand to be with a raptor other than another raptor.
"Huh, didn't know there was more than one," Ken admitted with a frown as everyone turned their heads towards him with an odd look, "Mr. Mills only mentioned Blue when capturing raptors came into the conversation."
Shrugging off the misinformation as nothing, Owen told Ken to start the vehicle they arrived in to catch up to the raptors in time. Zia following along after firmly stating that she needed to see the state of the raptors after performing this operation.
Izuku watched the two blimps on the screen with a sense of fascination and anxiousness, not quite sure if they were cutting it close with the amount of activity the volcano was doing in the background. Even more so when he realized that Owen would be dealing with two carnivores on his own.
"I think you should go with them," Setsuna suddenly said much to the Izuku's and Claire's surprise, "You are the only one here who has been with the raptors besides Owen."
"Are you sure?" Izuku asked as he looked between her and the departing mercenaries from the room with concern, "What about you?"
"Are you kidding? Do you forget who you are talking to?" Setsuna rhetorically asked with a raised eyebrow as she tapped the forehead of her lover playfully, "Partner to the legendary Deku ring any bells? I can take care of myself. If anything, I am more worried about you knowing how enthusiastic you can get in your heroics."
Izuku blinked at the tap before chuckling in good nature from her actions, taking in her reassurance and points easily after being together for years. Plus, he had to admit that it would be a good idea to keep an eye on Ken and the operation in person. Moving towards the others who were about to leave the room with confidence despite the insane situation they were put in.
While Franklin watched the conversation between them with amusement due to their elevated fame and status, Claire watched it with interest before looking towards Owen, who was adjusting his backpack while he waited for Izuku by the door. The redhead pursed her lips as she built up the confidence to speak to Owen one last time before they moved on with this operation.
"Owen."
The man in question looked back at her with a raised eyebrow, with Setsuna and Izuku looking at the interaction from the sidelines with interest knowing their past relationship. Idly wondering if something important was going to be said before they departed.
"Be careful, ok?"
Owen looked back at Claire in surprise at her concern and only hesitated for a moment before making his way toward the redhead with a serious expression on his face. An act that took Claire and the greenettes by surprise.
"Remember, if I don't make it back..."
"...Yeah?"
"...You're the one that made me come."
…
Claire could only stare in disbelief with a slight gape as Setsuna covered her mouth to hold in the snickers threatening to break out, Izuku not doing much better as he looked away as a means to restrain himself from making a sound. Even as Owen reassured her that they would be fine and headed his way back to Izuku and the others. Making Izuku shake off the smirk from his face as he thought about their relationship, knowing that the two didn't really depart on any negative terms even if that what was Owen stated.
Maybe there is a chance for them to be together after this entire thing blows over.
As the roar of the armored vehicle tore through the landscape, Izuku couldn't help but feel like there wasn't any progress being made. Watching as the small symbol on Owen's tablet got farther and farther away as they continued to drive through the jungle.
"We're never going to catch them in this." Owen concluded with a frown before turning towards Ken, "We should stop here and go on foot."
With a nod and a shout towards his men, the vehicle jerked to a stop as Owen and Izuku prepared for their trek for the raptors. With Zia stating that she will wait here and be ready for when the raptors are safely contained before checking on their conditions and health.
"Izuku and I are going in, let me know if she runs, ok?" Owen said to the radio that was connected back to the compound.
"Copy that."
"We are right behind you," Ken advised them as he and some of his men started to load out of the vehicle and gear up.
With that confirmation from Claire and the mercenary, Izuku and Owen made their way deeper into the forest in search of Blue and Charlie. Unaware of the expression that suddenly formed on Ken's expression as he watched the two's back with narrowed eyes.
…
…
...
Izuku walked alongside Owen as the American casually made his way forward, looking at the trees and ground for the occasional footprints and scratches to guide them toward the raptors.
In some ways, it reminded him of the time when they first searched through the jungle for Claire's nephews, Zach and Grady. Yet there was another sense of tension that was felt as another pulse of Danger Sense was shot through him as the volcano rumbled in the distance, causing Owen and Izuku to pause as a flock of screeching Pteranodons flew overhead.
"Sure cutting it close," Owen muttered as he forged onwards with a sense of hurry in his actions. Izuku followed along closely as his own doubts started to grow about them ever finding the raptors.
"Do you think they will still remember me?"
"Hard to say," Owen grimly admitted as he pushed a thick brush away from his face, "They haven't seen either of us since the fall of the park. And if I remember correctly, you were still the 'new' member of the pack when the whole Indominus stuff was going down. So I would say be prepared for anything."
Izuku grimly nodded as he followed as he made his way past the bush that Owen went through, only to stop suddenly when the American held a hand up along with a finger to his lips. A sign that they should remain silent as they moved their way forward, with Owen slowly bringing the walkie-talkie to inform Ken of their movements.
"Wheatly, I'm on fresh sign. Wait for my signal."
Owen pushed on ahead with Izuku to see a small clearing that was free of any grass or trees, with an overturned jeep from the original Jurassic Park having numerous plants and foliage growing around it. A sign that this vehicle has been here for quite a long time.
Izuku tensed at the movement of a brush beside him and kept his eyes sharp as Owen started to near the jeep with a slow and firm stance. One that was followed by the greenette behind him as the perpetrators of the movement finally showed themselves.
The two were startled as Blue leaped onto the car with a screech while Charlie emerged from the bushes off towards the sides, looping around and staring down Izuku with a hiss as they both started to draw in closer. Outstretched arms and claws were ready to attack as they bared their teeth with a snarl at the two humans.
Owen and Izuku couldn't help but notice their current state after being away from them for so long, with several scars covering them throughout the length of their bodies after living through serval years of hunting quirk-filled prey and predators. Their survival being the result of their intelligence in knowing what targets to pick for food and which ones to leave alone.
Izuku stood with his back against Owen's as the two carnivores continued to near, forcing himself to not activate his quirk as a means to not startle them while Owen tried to talk to the two with outstretched palms on each side."
"Hey girls. You miss me?"
The two carnivores didn't seem to take the question kindly, stalking toward the two humans with snarls leaving their lips before completely surrounding them. Making Owen and Izuku stand close to one another back-to-back.
"Raise your hand and follow my lead," Owen quickly informed Izuku while never keeping his eye off Blue.
Izuku did what he was told slowly to not startle the two raptors in front, Charlie and Blue growling at the sudden act. Not trusting the odd gesture from the greenette after everything they've seen on the island.
"Easy Blue," Owen soothed as he took a piece of meat out for Blue to eat, which he quickly tossed towards the raptor in hopes of gaining her trust again. But was dismayed when the meat just harmlessly tapped Blue's snout as another snarl left her lips.
Meanwhile, Charlie looked at the greenette in front of him thoughtfully even as she bared her teeth, a sense of familiarity now shining through her reptilian eyes as she continued to stalk forwards. Recalling the time someone helped her fight the Indominus when Blue was knocked out, smelling the air where Izuku's right hand was as the greenette looked right back into Charlie's eyes.
"...Remember me?" Izuku asked with a hint of nervousness as Charlie stepped forward towards his hand without any of the tension from earlier. Blue followed along in a much calmer manner now that the smell of Owen's scent registered in her memory.
The two looked on in anticipation as their snouts started to draw near their hands, the tension from earlier now dissipating even as the volcano rumbled in the distance.
Izuku could hardly believe that this operation was going as smoothly as it was, finding it hard to believe that Charlie even remembered him due to his short time being in the pack. Yet he couldn't help but relax his stance as the aggression left the raptor's eyes. Now all they had to do was let Ken know-
His eyes widened as Danger Sense pulsed through his head and the sound of two darts shot through the air. Diving towards the right just as he registered the act and the darts hit the two carnivores on the neck, causing them to spin around in confusion and anger as Owen stumbled onto the ground by Blue's tail.
"I told you to wait for my signal!" Owen called out in frustration towards the mercenaries that were now surrounding them and the raptors with loaded guns and firm stances, ready to use their quirks at a moment's notice. With Izuku glaring at the sudden intervention when things were going so smoothly with him and Owen.
"Back up your men slowly right now," Owen advised them as the two raptors got back onto their feet and eyed the armed men around them with a snarl.
Izuku watched the men around them with narrowed eyes as they refused to do what Owen asked, doubt growing inside of him as he hesitated to charge himself up with One for All, not wanting to cause the raptors to attack.
The tension snapped like a rubber band when Blue caught sight of one of the mercenaries' guns raised toward her. The velociraptor leaping towards the aggressor with a screech and armed claws., the man's terror-filled screams filled the air as her sharp talons started to pierce through his body.
A small percentage of One for All coursed through his body as Blackwhip sprouted from his arms the moment he saw that Charlie was about to follow through on Blue's action. The dark strands wrapped around the carnivore's body just as she started to near some of the mercenaries. Falling onto the ground and struggled against Izuku's restraints for a moment just as another dart was shot into her neck, putting her to sleep.
Izuku quickly turned as another strand shot out of his arms towards Blue in hopes of getting her off the other-
*Bang*
The sound of a gunshot made the hero and Owen's eyes widen in shock, with Blue rearing her head back in a startled screech before she slumped onto the ground, her breaths becoming more labored as she fell unconscious.
Ken cursed under his breath even as Izuku and Owen openly glared at him, their displeasure and anger palpable as Owen rushed towards him with the fury of a thousand men over their incompetence.
"Wheatly you son of a-"
Owen was cut off when another dart was suddenly shot towards his chest, causing him and Izuku's eyes to widen even as the American's body when slack and he hit the ground unconsious.
That was all Izuku needed, moving towards the nearest people that were activating their quirk in a blur and knocking them out in a single hit. Before leaping into the air and grabbing the remaining mercenaries and their weapons with Blackwhip. Leaving them all defenseless as they struggled in his tight grip with strings of curses while he wrapped up their weapons with the whip from his other arm.
"Hey Deku."
The hero in question stopped when the sound of a confident Ken spoke and turned to see him raising a gun towards Owen's unconscious body on the ground and an anxious Zia right beside him. Weapons he hid on his person when Deku started charging himself up.
"I think it's in your best interest to stand down now," Ken said with a grin as he locked eyes with the hero in green, "Unless you want to be the cause of your friends' death, I suggest you let my men and their gear go."
Izuku knew that he could probably take him out instantly, but with two hostages being kept at point blank and his arms being literally tied with the weapons he gathered and the other mercenaries, he knew he had no choice but to follow the man's demands and powered down his quirk. The remaining men scrambling for their gear as some kept their weapons and gaze locked back onto Deku, who glared at Ken with disdain as they started to gather the pair of raptors onto the truck.
"You won't get away with this," Izuku growled out even as he clenched his fists on the sides.
Ken smirked at the declaration as he held up the tranquilizer towards Deku, enjoying the fact that he got the drop on the most powerful hero in the world.
"Oh, I think I already have."
The dart hit Izuku square in the chest just like Owen, making him slump over even as Zia called out his name in worry, his mind and body going numb as sleep started to take over. Before finally crashing onto the ground with the sound of reeving engines being the last thing he heard.
"Do you think they are ok?"
Setsuna glanced at the teen who was looking over the monitors worriedly, already getting used to his anxious behavior in the short time that they traveled over here. Looking at him reassuringly as a hint of her hero persona showed through as a means to calm him.
"I'm sure they're fine," Setsuna briefly smiled as she looked back onto the screen where Blue was supposedly on the map, "Besides, Izuku worked with Owen before. So I'm sure there's nothing to be worried about."
Claire's smiled briefly at the memory, recalling the time Izuku ran through the forest with Owen and the pack of raptors. Yet Franklin didn't seem so convinced as he shifted his gaze back towards the map on the screen.
"They have been gone a while though. I just hope they make it back fast enough for us to get out of here."
Setsuna hummed as she considered his point, not liking that they were taking so long to get back without calling in or updating them. Even more so as the eruptions from the volcano's eruptions continued to increase in the distance, shaking the ground slightly even when they were a fair amount of distance away. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to check in wit-
"Cut the cord, let's go!"
Setsuna was brought out of her musings when a shout outside the building was followed by the sight of the giant metal doors closing. Making her and Claire jump from their seats before running towards the door in hopes of getting them to stop.
"Wait! Stop!"
"We're still in here!"
Whoever was outside either didn't hear them or ignored their cries as the two metal doors slammed shut, locking the three inside.
"W-Wait's going on? Are they helping us?" Franklin frantically asked, hoping the doors were shut due to a giant dinosaur being outside their compound.
Claire entered the code on the keypad in hopes of opening the door, only to get denied by the system with glowing red letters. Making the redhead look at the others with an anxious, paling expression on her face.
"I don't think they are coming back."
Setsuna pounded on the door in a fit of frustration and rage as the building continued to shake and crack. Dust and ash making its way through the ceiling that forced the two volunteers and the splitting hero to hold onto something as the building continued to shake. Setsuna looking at Claire and Franklin in worry as the weight of the situation started to set it and the eruptions started to increase in frequency.
They were now trapped on an exploding Island.
Before you guys get on my case about how easily Izuku was taken out by Ken, let me remind you that the same thing happened to All Might in I-Island. Also, I would like to hear your ideas about what kind of quirks should go in the various dinosaurs on the Island, which can be different species of all sizes other than the raptors and the T-rex.
Fun fact, the Brachiosaurus quirk in this scene was inspired by Meganium in Pokémon.