Progress, Conflicts of Interests, and Boxing
The newly formed duo headed back down the streets of Avernus, heading for the white palace that represented Katsuo's mind and soul. It took them some time, but they made it back to the marble palace. Though this time, they didn't go through the front gate; Since his stunt with the Shadow Katsuo, it was swarming with guards.
The shadows there, soldiers in Roman armor, seemed to be on high alert. Considering the beat down David served the ruler the day prior, that made perfect sense.
They snuck arround and found a weakpoint in the defenses. They found one that they could use; a bunker leading out, used for disposing trash. Seemed… odd that demons would need that. Lubbock had a theory for that: "Could just be the cognitions; human soldiers use sanitation, so they use it to resemble humans."
David led the way. As they moved, he told O'Brian what little he knew of the Metaverse, Shadows, and Palaces. O'Brian seemed to understand most of what he was saying, even relating it to some other real world science. Cognitive Psience, he called it.
"Ready?" David whispered as they stood on a ledge overlooking one of the Shadow soldiers below them. Lubbock nodded, and they ambushed the soldier.
Lubbock extends his gauntlets, letting his steel wires bind the soldier in his threads. In shock, the shadow's form seemed to melt and change. Gone was the roman soldier; in its place, appeared a humanoid figure with a leaf dress and a flower on its head. its appeareance changed, but it was still trapped in Lubbocks threads. Gallows Flower - David could see its name in his mind.
David summons his power and strikes the shadow with a Garu Spell. It takes the hit, but doesn't seem to take any damage.
"Wind doesn't work, let me try!" Lubbock yelled before recalling his threads and summoning his persona. The eagle winged general swung its sword, sending Curses at the Gallows Flower. Unlike the wind attack, this one did harm it, causing it to scream in agony. David finished it off with a spear thrust.
The threads from O'Brian's claws were far more deadly and versatile than regular Monowire. They made disabling traps or opening doors with locks a breeze. He could even bind weaker shadows in them.
"Did you get eddies from that too?" David asked while checking his account; sure enough, he received 20 Eddies from the kill. Lubbock's nod suggested he got the same. 'Talk to Igor later, explore now.'
After that, they continued to explore the Palace. Katsuo's palace was decked out like a Roman Palace divided among four floors. The garden, main hall, bath houses, kitchens, and barracks were all on the first floor. They'd explored all of the first floor except the barracks; more shadows in larger groups.
They fought a few other Shadows so far, always in an ambush. Crypt-Dwelling Pyros, Beguiling Girl, Apprentice in a Jug, and Dirty Two-Horned Beast were among the Shadows they faced. Apparently, they could see a Shadow's name when its true self is revealed.
"What's with the names of these Shadows? They're rediculous." Lubbock complained.
David shrugged. "Beats me. It's probably something stupid."
They made their way to the Barracks, at the east section of the Palace. at the archway leading there, they saw another Soldier Shadow, this one eminatting an angry red aura. David explained it would be stronger than the ones they faced, but they agreed they should explore the barracks, which meant they had to get through him.
Lubbock climbed the archway while David readied himself from the side. At his signal, Lubbock dropped down from the arch, and bound the shadow in his threads. Like before, its form melted away, revealing a Humanoid figure with red skin, a horse's head, and fire in its fur and mane. Burning-Breath Horse Demon.
It seemed to take damage from it, but not much. The Demon gripped the wires arround it and pulled, freeing itself and pulling Lubbock down to the ground. He yelped as he hit the ground hard.
David dove in and slashed at the demon with his spear, causing a gash on its chest. It responded by belching out tons of fire at him. David dodged the worst of it but still felt the heat.
Lubbock got up and fired a bast of cursed energy, the spell arcing forward as red and black bolts of energy. It impacted the Demon's back and dissipated… it was barely affected. Lubbock tried again only for it to be neutralized the same way. 'Resistance to Curse. Damn…'
The Demon had other plans; it stomped the ground, causing a shock wave that struck both David and Lubbock. David got up but felt… slower. Burning Beast grinned at that, rushing David and punching him hard enough to send him flying into a wall. The beast surged forward and tried to smash David's head in.
The demon's arm was held back. Lubbock had managed to wrap the beasts arms in his wires, holding him back. Seconds later, Burning Breath pulled back harder; his strength surpassed Lubbock, sending the rogue flying. David caught Lubbock before he hit the wall.
David glanced at Burning Breath, who seemed to be glaring at them. "Our spells aren't working!"
"No Shit!" Lubbock shot back. "Got any suggestions?" They considered their options, just as it started breathing fire at them. They dodged each to the side, avoiding the flames. When the Burning Breath stopped, David tried to charge at it with his spear. Lubbock joined him, making a hatchet out of his threads.
And then Burning Breath roared; it was so intense that it knocked both of them back. It didn't deal them any damage, but it would signify the moment the battle was lost.
Seconds later, other shadow soldiers arrive and help; a half dozen Brutal Cavalrymen surround David and Lubbock. They brandish their spears at the duo, and charge. Burning Breath joins their charge.
David saw the writing on the wall; they were outgunned. He grabbed Lubbock and ran. The Lancer bolted all the way, using the Sandevistan thrice to get them a few streets away from the Palace. Lubbock leaned against the wall while David sat down across from him.
"Daaamn." Lubbock cursed. "You weren't kidding about that one being strong."
David sighed. "Yeah, Not our best moment."
"It's a full on mini boss, and we don't have a chance." Lubbock shook his head. "Just us vs Burning Breath… We're not gonna win that match up. It resists Curse and Wind, both our elements."
David agreed. "He's tough. Best we avoid him-"
"but we got no choice but to take him down." David just looked at him confused, before Lubbock explained. "You don't put a mini boss level threat somewhere for no reason. I get the feeling it's guarding something we need."
"You sure?"
"Positive."
After their escape they decided to look around the palace further before calling it a day. Fighting the Burning-Breath Horse Demon, and losing horribly, they chose to rely on stealth to get around. They managed to explore the 2nd floor, slipping around Shadows, without issues. They reached a roadblock coming from the library.
And, after listening in on the Shadow Soldiers talking - more complaining about their jobs - they learned that the key to access the third floor was kept in the Barracks… The place guarded by the Burning-Breath Horse Demon. Lubbock grinned at being proven right.
They couldn't get into the next area without fighting him, so they called it quits for now.
When they left the Metaverse, they ended up in Japantown just as the sun was setting. O'Brian offered to sell some of their loot, but David asked they wait till tomorrow. O'Brian headed to his rest spot, the Bushijima Inn. David headed back to the Velvet room to rest and ask about
'The more I learn the more questions I get.' Igor answered his questions as best he could. After that, he trained with Regalla before getting some sleep.
_The Next Day_
The next day, the two hell runners - Lubbock insisted on the name, and David agreed it was fitting - had tried three more times to bring down Burning Breath, to no avail. Everytime, he would hit them with that damn slowing spell, and then attack, either with fire or its fists. Then it would roar, calling in reinforcements.
If they had the time, they might be able to whittle him down, but they didn't. 3 minutes after each encounter, Burning Breath would just let out a call for reinforcements. They could barely hold their own against him on their own; add in the swarm of other enemies, and they would be finished.
"This isn't getting us anywhere!" Lubbock groaned after their third attempt. The two of them had left the metaverse and were eating out in a quiet spot in Japan Town. The Bushijima inn, a hotel that doubled as a
Lubbock took a gulp of his synth coke and sighed. "Has that patron of yours got any solutions for this, or some powerup we could use?"
David shrugged. "Igor is explaining more about how Palaces work and what I can expect, including some new abilities he mentioned."
"Will it be useful against Burning Breath?"
"No idea, though it has something to do with weaker shadows."
They finished their meal and left… not before Lubbock tried flirting with the daughter of the inn's manager. She bluntly replied that she'd agree if he impressed her in a duel. Lubbock backed down after that; he explained how he heard horror stories about the last few times she 'dueled' someone. On their way out, the verdette
The two of them hashed out other ideas for how to deal with him. David picked pretty quickly how realworld items can be used in the Metaverse. Neither of them had fire attacks, but they could theoretically use them if they had the right tool. Such as Napalm, or a flamethrower… either would be good for one attack but it would still do minor fire damage to the enemy.
Pity Burning Breath wasn't weak to fire.
From there, they went through possible traps to contain or weaken him. From what Igor mentioned, conventional methods wouldn't hold against the stronger Shadows, so no telling if it would work in Burning Breath.
"Want to try to explore the area in Avernus instead? We kinda started obsessing about the palace, but shadows in Avernus are plentiful too." David mused.
O'Brian shook his head. "Can't. Got an appointment with Doc for maintenance on my Monowire." They chatted a bit before going their separate ways.
David left for the Velvet room, probably for another training session with Regalla.
_20 Minutes Later, Little China_
"What exactly have you been using these implants for?" Victor asked as he finished his work. he recalbrated them and refitted the wires as normal, but they were… stronger now. Stange thing was, they showed extensive use under pressure, but minimal wear from it. It made no sense.
Lubbock just shrugged. "Nothing much. just some… business ventures."
Victor hummed at that. "Riiight."
After a few more minutes of inspection, Victor concluded his chrome was in solid condition. Lubbock paid his fee and walked out of Vic's office and into Misty's place of work.
The second he walked out of the Esoterica, he was grabbed by a tall, blond haired, brown skinned, built like a goliath edgerunner. Maine.
"I think you know what I want." Maine said as he dragged the verdette out of Misty's shop. "David Martinez, where is he?"
Lubbock nervously chuckled and tried to slip from the big man's grip. "I don't know who you are."
Maine just chuckled at that and lifted him up by his arm. Lubbock flailed about. That ended when Maine leveled his arm cannon at him. "Wrong answer, punk. Next one better be right."
"Threatening a kid for chrome; that's a new low for you, Nelson." Lubbock and Maine both turned to the interloper, who happened to be Victor himself. Misty spotted Maine and contacted Vic for help. He obliged.
Victor huffed at the sight before him. "Hassling my clients right outside my residence… you really have fallen far, haven't you…"
Maine glared at the ripper. "This ain't got nothin to do with you. This bout's between me and his punk ass friend who stole my chrome."
"I think it does concern me…" Victor stepped forward, unafraid. "...since both kids are some of my clients."
Maine didn't budge. "Vic, you do good work, but this kid's bud stole my tech. I'm just tryin to get it back. If he agrees, I'll buy him a replacement spine, and ask you to install it. Seems fair, especially given the headaches he's caused me. Now, why don't you head back down to your boxing matches and let me "
"You wanna off yourself via cyberpsychosis, be my fucking guest." Vic cut in. "but keep your chrome obsessed tantrums away from my clients and away from my business. Or else your newest piece of metal will be the least of your worries."
Maine sighed; Vic has lasted as an independent ripper in NC for a reason. He had the connections to stay independent, but also to make good on his threat. He let go of Lubbock, who shot a grateful look at the ripper before bolting away. Maine' called his people to follow him; he'd lead them straight to David.
Maine: [ Dorio, Kiwi follow the punk. I gotta talk with Vic. ]
Kiwi: [ Got a lock on him. ]
Dorio: [ Take your time, babe. We won't lose him. ]
Maine watched the brat run off. Then, he pointed his arm cannon at Vic. "Couldn't keep out of things, mind your own fuckin bussiness, could ya?"
Well…" Vic didn't seem to care about the cannon in his face and reached into his pocket. He pulled out a cig, lit it, and took a puff. "When junkies are starting shit near my place of work, it becomes my business."
"Ain't nobody like me." Maine growled
Vic flicked the used bud to the ground and stomped on it. "Gonks like you are everywhere in NC. Only difference is if they alive or dead."
"Reputation is everything in NC. I'm defending mine." Maine argued.
"No." Vic countered. "It's just your addiction to the next piece of chrome. I don't care what it does to you, but keep it away from my place of business, or else. Got it?"
Maine glared at him for a few seconds more, before lowering his arm, hiding away the cannon. He walked away. Vic sighed and did the same, returning to his place of work.
Maine: [ Alright, give me the good news. ]
Dorio: [ Yeah… about that… ]
Kiwi: [ We lost him. ]
Maine: [ The FUCK?! ]
Maine spent the next hour ranting about that… until Dorio talked some sense into him and he calmed down. They'd keep looking, Maine would make sure of it.
_The Next Day_
Lubbock's runnin with Maine made it clear they needed to settle David's debt to Maine. The only reason Lubbock slipped past them so easily was because he warped into Avernus the first chance he could. Common shadows didn't offer much in terms of eddies; barely 20-50 eddies a shadow. There were some other items from them, but nothing worth more than 30 eddies to a vendor.
David tried looking around in Avernus for salvage like he did the first time, but barely found anything worthwhile.
That led them back to Katsuo's Palace. According to Igor, the deepest part of the Palace held a treasure worth enough eddies to pay off the debt. David would need to ask one of Maine's people for details, about how much his mom sold the Sandy for. Igor emphasized that taking the treasure would grant them an item they could sell for a lot of eddies… enough to pay back Maine for the Sandevistan.
They couldn't get past Burning Breath with just the two of them, so considered expanding. They agreed they needed more manpower in the metaverse.
Fortunately for them, Victor mentioned he'd introduce David to some of his other trainees.
David arrived at the gym the minute he got the call from Vic. According to the good Saint Ripper, it was a neutral spot in Heywood that most cyberpunks and gangs left alone. It was one of the low chrome gyms, so the folks with little to no physical chrome were more common there.
He looked around the small gym. There were a few people at the weights, some on the treadmills and others on the plain sparring mats and elevated wrestling rings. He saw Victor sitting by one of the rings.
"Good ya made it kid." Vic welcomed him in by tossing him a pair of boxing tape rolls, for his hands no doubt. "Let's get you ready." He wrapped them around his hands, and showed David how to do the same.
David's gaze was drawn to the two teens wrestling in the ring behind Vic. He watched as the redhead threw the girl into the ropes, then fell down on the mat.
The girl stood up, and brought up her fists. She seemed shorter than him, by a few inches. She had blue-black hair of medium length with a single, left-swept red highlight on her bangs. Her blue eyes bore into her opponent. She didn't wear much, just a black sports bra, jean shorts, and sports tape around her fists and feet.
The dude on the other guy was a muscular teen around his age, with spiky red hair and red eyes, and the same kind of sports tape around his hands and feet. His chest was bare, and he wore baggy pants. He braced himself for her attacks and threw a few punches
They two of them charged, trading blows. The girl was faster and sent multiple jabs at him. The red head braced himself and countered when he got the chance. They kept up their spar until Vic called out to them. "Stones! Matoi Jr! Come meet your newest sparring partner!"
"Okay-" the red head shouted but was cut off. The girl took advantage of the red head's distraction and charged at him. She swept him off his feet and slammed him into the ground. The red head groaned but instead of being mad, just sighed and gave a light chuckle.
"...Really Ryuko?"
The Bluenette shifted a bit, looking slightly guilty, but still grinning. "I told you I was gonna knock you down a peg, Kiri, and I did."
The red head, Kiri, just looked confused. "Right… But I'm still ahead, 5 to 3 wins this week."
"Shut up." Ryuko extended her hand; Kiri took it and she pulled him up. The two then walked to David and Vic.
David just watched the whole thing with a slight grin. He could practically see Igor grinning as much as him at this development.
He and Lubbock had hit a roadblock they couldn't get past with just the two of them. Days later, he gets a call from a confidant and runs into two teens who said confidant can vouch for… two teens who could be potential metaverse allies? 'Ain't no better fortune than that.'
David introduced himself, prompting the redhead to give his full name, but preferred Kirishima to his friends. They get along fairly well; Kiri showed him some shadow boxing before Vic told him to save it for the ring.
Ryuko just gave her full name, all the while glaring at David. David glared back but without much heat to it. They could settle things in the ring. Vic showed him some stances and how to throw a punch. He then set him against Kiri in a spar. Then with Ryuko.
David held his own, better than Vic was expecting; but he still lost to both of them. Vic instructed and set them to spar again. Rinse and repeat for the rest of the day.
And that roughly summarized his meeting with Ryuko Matoi and Eijiro Kirishima.
This chapter was focused more on interactions and set up.
As for other teammates, we have Ryuko from Kill la Kill and Kirishima from My Hero Academia. These obviously aren't the same characters from their original stories; they're basically Fanon characters based on their Canon counterparts.
You don't need to know who they are in their own Canon stories here; I'll go more into their backgrounds for this story as time goes on. Once more, I'm taking liberties on the minor details, but their major characters will be the same.