It's hot.
It's night time and it's still really really hot.
It's after midnight. Everyone came and gave me my birthday presents because they couldn't wait.
Oh I turned ten today!
But it's still super late so I turned ten tonight?
Sakura got me this diary! Which I'm writing in right now! She says that since I like reading books so much I should try writing in one. I don't think writing in a diary is the same as writing a book. But there are a lot of pages. Maybe I'll end up writing an autobiography!
Oh I spelled autobiography right on the first go! I'm awesome!
Musen gave me a walkie-talkie. Well she gave everyone walkie-talkies but I got the first one. I think she got them off one of the fishing boats that the grownups are tearing down. So they're super old, but super tough. This means we can talk to each other no matter where we are on the island! It's so cool! I wonder if this means she's going to stop wearing foil on her antenna so she can talk with us?
Bob…
Biruda…
…Bob. I'm calling him Bob. This is my diary and I'm using his nickname! Bob built me a shelf for all my books! And it's not wobbly at all. I guess now I know why he was collecting driftwood. He used a lot of his nails though. I hope he isn't too tired to go play when the sun comes up. The doc said he has to be careful making too many nails.
Bark Head got me an ice cream sandwich. It was super yummy. He even stuck a candle in it but almost melted the whole thing when he tried to light it. He's such a dork. But he said he would take me to the library in the morning so I could look through all the donations coming to the orphanage. He did some chores and got permission to take a book for keeps. Said I could pick out my new book.
So he's not a total dork.
I think that's it for my first entry? Is this fine? Well I'm the only one that's reading this so I say it's fine.
So goodnight diary!
~ Midoriya Inko ~
~ July 4th ~
~ Age 10 ~
PS: I wonder what book I'll find?
If it had been hot at midnight, the following morning was like walking into a sweatbox that someone left running for way too long and left closed overnight. The air was thick, sticky, and tasted like sweat. Living on a small little island out in the middle of the ocean had some benefits, just not on a scorcher like today. Not that Inko minded. She was too excited about the new book she was going to get.
Throwing on a lime green sundress that was a size or three too big, and tying a cord around her waist, and Bobby clipping the back so that everything stayed on, Inko skipped down the halls of the rundown orphanage and into the boys' room. Carefully, she snuck around the hanging fishnet hammocks until she crouched down next to her target, who was snoozing away with one leg hanging out of the net.
"Psst," Inko whispered as she poked the boy, only getting a grumble in response.
"Psst!" Inko tried again, only to have her poking hand swatted away.
Inko puffed out her cheeks and crossed her arms. Then, without hesitation, she cocked back her leg and swung out a kick that nailed the poor boy right in the butt.
Wailing in shock, the poor soul twisted out of his hammock and fell to the ground with a thud. "Ahh!"
A few of the other boys in the room groaned in annoyance. One, Biruda by the sound of it, swatted at the empty air. "Nenshouki, shut…. uppp… zzzzzzz…"
Inko smiled brightly. "Oh Bark Head, you're up. Great."
The boy glowered at Inko. "Midoriya, go away, I'm sleeping."
"No, you're awake."
"…I'm going back to sleep."
The boy tried to pull himself up with his net hammock, but Inko pulled it away. "I wanna go to the library."
"Then go."
Inko rolled her eyes. "You promised to get me a book."
"… later. Gimme my bed back."
Inko held it up. "Nenshouki Hisashi, you promised me a book. Besides, do you wanna ride your bike after the sun's fully up?"
Hisashi stopped grabbing for his bed. "…You're not going to ride on it with me are…" he trailed off when he saw the huge grin on Inko's face, "…greeeat."
Realizing he was in a no win scenario, Hisashi threw up his hands. "Okay okay. Let me get changed."
Inko cheered, quietly. "Great. I'll go get your bike. See you out front."
The orphanage was a small building, held together by sheer will and enough duct tape and glue to encircle the whole island twice over. It was once an old school, but had been long abandoned before it was repurposed for its new role. No one really knew who came up with the idea, but the reason was simple. It was the easiest way to get all the orphans into one place and off the streets.
And to keep their bad luck away from the other families.
Bespin Island was a small speck of land in the middle of the ocean with a population less than two hundred. The people who lived there survived by fishing. Boats would go out with their nets, haul in catches for their homes and for selling to the mainland when a large trading boat would dock. Everyone, in some way, was part of the fish trade. Either fishing, repairing boats, selling the fish, cooking the fish, or making and repairing the fishing equipment. In some way they were all connected. But being in the fishing trade made the village extremely superstitious.
Bad luck was a real tangible thing they had to be wary of. And orphans, the children of fishermen that died out at sea, or simply never came back, were the worst bad luck charms of all.
Orphans on the docks when the ships left to fish, meant empty nets.
On the streets near the shops, meant more broken tools and equipment.
So they needed to be kept somewhere away from the main source of the island's life. Thus the orphanage. Of course they were still taken care of. They weren't blamed for their bad luck. And to hurt one of these unlucky kids was an even greater taboo.
At least in theory.
The kids that still had their parents would never play with the orphans. And the fishermen, the most superstitious of the lot, would go out of their way not to come into any kind of contact with them. At least until they were sixteen and old enough to start earning their own keep. Then there was always a boat that had a spot for some extra hands.
Even if it was gutting the bait and getting the chum ready.
But while stuff in the main village wasn't always great, the orphans still had the rest of the island to play on. For such a small island, it had plenty of places to play in. The beach and the ocean. The forest that covered the interior of the island with freshwater pools and streams to float in. And towards the center, a tiny mountain that could be climbed and easily camped out on. Bespin was a small speck in the middle of the vast ocean, but it was a beautiful speck in the middle of the ocean.
Ring
Ring
Inko thumbed the bell on the tall bike's handlebars while also tapping the wireframe basket. It had been almost five minutes and Hisashi still wasn't outside yet.
Ring
Ring
Ring
It shouldn't take this long to put on some clothes, Inko grumbled to herself.
Ring
Ring
Taking her hand off the bell, Inko started tapping the walkie-talkie that was clipped to the cord around her waist.
Maybe I should give him a call and see what's taking so—
The walkie-talkie chirped to life. "Midoriya if you use that thing this early in the morning I'm scooping up an ant hill with a shovel and dumping it on you."
Inko froze, gasped, and quickly put her hand back onto the bike's bell, wondering, How does Musem alway know when something's about to happen? I swear she can hear the future with that antenna of hers.
The door to the orphanage opened and Hisashi stepped outside, looking at Inko smugly. "You got caught already, huh."
Inko threw up her hands. "She always knows! Now she has a way to let us all know that she knows."
Hisashi rolled his eyes before he looked at Inko. "You really think I'm going to carry you the whole way to the library?"
Inko just gave him a toothy grin, making Hisashi sigh in defeat. Shooing her away from the handle bars, Hisashi threw his leg over the side and straddled the bike's frame on his tippy toes. The bike was an adult bike, donated, and was very big next to the kids. The light blue paint was stained with rust spots and the seat was more duct tape than seat. Holding the handlebars, Hisashi looked over his shoulder at Inko as she hopped side-saddle onto the fender rack, wrapped in old strips of towels and rags to make a comfy second seat. She smiled as he struggled to keep the bike upright. He took several hurried steps to get the bike moving before he pushed himself up and onto the seat, and got his feet onto the pedals.
Once they got moving, Inko bounced a little on her seat, excited about her gift. "So what kind of chores did the librarian make you do?"
Hisashi shrugged. "Mostly just putting books away and some cleaning. Nothing hard."
As the two rode down the hill towards the village, Inko blinked as the harbor came into view. "Hey? That's a new ship."
Inko pointed over Hisashi's shoulder. Sure enough, mixed in with the fleet of fishing boats was one that stood out from the rest. Three times longer than any of the island's boats, and twice as wide, this multi-deck yacht was a shimmering pearl compared to everything else.
"Oh yeah, I heard some people in town talking about some important people coming to see the mayor pretty soon. I guess that's them."
Inko blinked. "Important people? What kind of important people?"
"Ehh…" Hisashi scratched his head. "I think someone said they were… Alder… Adder… Alderaan… something or other."
"Maybe they want more fish? Like for restaurants?"
"Maybe? I just know a lot of the grownups were excited and a lot weren't."
Inko frowned. "Were they fighting?"
"Sea Beard had to get them to calm down and go back into the town hall."
"Grrrr…"
Inko's growl at Bespin's resident hero's name made Hisashi laugh. "You don't like old foam top, do you?"
"Grrrr…"
Hisashi shook his head. "You gotta stop picking fights with the other kids."
"Grrrr…"
Rolling his eyes, Hisashi took one hand off the handlebar and poked Inko's side. "You're the birthday girl. I think you gotta be cheerful."
Inko pouted. "I am cheerful."
Hisashi didn't even have to look to know Inko was pouting. Sighing, Hisashi turned off the main road and started going towards the forest on the outer edge of the village. "Let's go ride through the trees for a bit."
Hisashi knew Inko liked spending time in the forest. It was like walking into another world when you got into the trees. The sounds of the sea were blocked out by the trees and everything was soft and quiet. Plus, all the shade was a good way to escape the sun's heat.
Turning off the cracked and crumbled concrete road, the two rode down the softer and smoother dirt path that twisted and weaved between the trees. The soft shade and cool breeze helped calm Inko down while Hisashi slowed his pedaling so he could glance over his shoulder. "Sorry. I shouldn't have brought him up."
Inko looked away. "It's fine. You were telling your story."
Hisashi turned back towards the dirt road. "I could have told it differently."
Inko huffed, but stayed silent.
Deciding to change the topic, Hisashi circled back to the library. "So what book do you think you'll look for? One of those grown up books?"
Inko smiled, knowing exactly what Hiashi was trying to do. "Grown up books are fun."
"I think you make everyone nervous with what you read."
"Bah! It's not my fault the best books are the," Inko made some quick air quotes before she put her hands back onto the seat rack, "'mature' ones."
Hishashi cleared his throat to make the best impression of one of the grownups that always talked about Inko. "'No little girl your age should be reading so many war books.'"
Inko snickered. "Who was that supposed to be?"
"I'm not… really sure," was Hisashi's answer. Which just led to even more giggling from the pair. The two were so distracted that they didn't notice a group of kids walking up the trail in front of them.
"Hey look, it's Snag!"
That did get their attention. Their laughter stopped as they looked over at the group of kids that were laughing and pointing their way.
Hisashi's way.
"Hey Snag! Where're you off to?"
Hisashi lowered his head and started to pedal faster.
"Aw, does the worthless Snag not have anything to say? He's just a big baby."
The kids were jogging to keep up with the bike now. While any of the orphans on Bespin would tell you that the kids with parents were horrible to them, Hisashi would always get the worst of it. Because the kids knew why he was an orphan.
Everyone else at the orphanage was there because their parents had died out at sea and they had no one left on the island to care for them.
Hisashi was there because his parents had left him. Taking their boat one night and vanishing.
When something like that happens, everyone on the island talks about it. And then superstition mixes into the gossip. Somehow making Hisashi the worst orphan. Because how horrible must a child have been to make his parents abandon him?
At least that's what the other kids on the island got from all the gossip they heard the adults talking about.
Nenshouki Hisashi was as worthless as a burned up tree. A disgusting charred thing the people of Bespin had to put up with.
He always got in the way.
He was always underfoot.
He was Worthless.
He was just a snag.
Snag.
Snag, just like his namesake.
"Snag was such a pain his parents couldn't wait for a storm to kill them. They just up and—"
The bike jolted hard and Hisashi had to grip the handlebars tight to keep from falling over.
"ARGHH!" The bike had jolted because Inko had leapt off the seat and was now charging the other group of kids.
"Aieee!"
"Look out! She's gonna—"
CRACK!
POW!
CHOMP!
Hisashi pulled the bike up to a bike rack in front of the library and attached a chain to it, while Inko hopped off the back seat and fidgeted with her dress and dusted herself off. She was rather pleased with herself that she got out of that scrap without needing to add a new patch to her sun dress. Hisashi shook his head. "You know you're gonna get in trouble for that."
Inko rolled her eyes. "Four big boys against little me? They should be ashamed of themselves. I thought boys were supposed to be tough and stuff."
"Hard to be tough against a crazy person."
"I am not crazy."
"You were biting them," Hisashi countered dryly.
Inko shrugged while picking at a now very loose baby tooth. "I didn't like them calling you that horrible name. No one's allowed to call you names."
"... Does that mean you'll stop calling me—"
"Eeeeeexcept me."
Hisashi threw up his hands. "Of course."
"You are, and will forever be Bark Head."
Hisashi groaned. "Great."
Following behind him into the library, Inko reached out and tapped him on the shoulder. "Hey. You're okay right?"
"Pfft, you're the one that just got into a fight."
"I'm serious. I know what those stupid boys said—"
Hisashi turned away. "I don't care what people call me. Or think about me."
Inko knew that wasn't true. Hisashi cared a lot about how people saw him. She knew about the nights Hisashi cried himself to sleep. Had heard the times he had called himself a worthless Snag when he thought no one was around. That name haunted him. So she made sure that any kid who used it paid the price.
And cursed she wasn't big enough to deal with the adults that used it too.
Walking into the library, Inko waved at the librarian who looked at the two over her thick rimmed glasses. She pointed to a room off to the side and Hisashi led Inko to it. Once inside, Inko started bouncing with excitement. Inside the small stuffy room, where several boxes stacked in a corner, with 'donations' scribbled across the brown cardboard with black marker. They were even still taped up.
Inko really was going to get first dibs.
Diving into the boxes, Inko had to be held back from ripping the boxes into cardboard shreds as Hisashi quickly found a box cutter and sliced the tape open. He pointed at a small book trolley in the room. "Make sure whatever you dig through, you just put it on the cart."
Inko nodded, but only just. She was already going through the books while Hisashi left to go check out a book for himself.
"You're getting that magic book again?" Inko asked as she flipped through the pages of one of the books, looking for the summary.
Hisashi huffed. "I'm going to learn all the sleight of hand tricks in that book."
"All you ever do is turn the tricks into 52-Pick-Up."
Hisashi blew out a raspberry and walked out, leaving Inko to her own devices. Humming a happy tune, she began to pick through the books, pulling out stacks at a time before flipping through pages. As with any donation books, some of the books were in better shape than others, and there was no order to the genres she pulled out. Pop up books and already colored in coloring books were swiftly placed on the book trolley.
Inko was not interested in children's books.
Like Hisashi said, she preferred books that the adults read. Romance novels were okay… ish. If it had a lead that didn't realize what they had going for them Inko tended to yell in frustration, ordering the blind moron or morons to finally just confess and kiss already. Having to read about two people that clearly loved each other but kept coming up with the most insane reasons why they couldn't say they were in love, was head bashing infuriating.
Mystery and Detective novels were high on her list of enjoyable books. She had read through all the Sherlock Holmes books the library had. And honestly a good murder would really grab her attention. She just had to be careful she didn't say that out loud anymore. She got strange looks for over a week last time.
But it was war books that Inko really loved. Fictional or non-fictional, it didn't matter. Reading those books, Inko could imagine herself in the middle of the excitement. She'd be on the front lines, fighting tooth and nail to advance on the enemy. They were fun, and gave her so many ideas when she played with her friends.
Emptying out the first box, Inko hadn't really seen anything that caught her interest. Almost everything was either for kids, or too damaged. Some books were so obviously missing pages or had been drawn and scribbled in, so Inko turned her attention to the other boxes and started her search again. The second book had all been school textbooks, which was a hard pass from Inko. So she moved onto the last box.
Inko frowned at some of the first books she pulled out. They were literally falling apart in her hands. It seemed some people had confused 'donation box' with 'trash can.' Inko was careful as she put those books on the trolley, not wanting it to look like she was destroying things. Moving on, Inko pulled out a couple more books, and then loads and loads of magazines and tabloids. Some were so old the paper was turning yellow. Inko wasn't super interested in magazines, but flipped through a few because, why not? The first had a cover with some faded image of some guy with what looked like black paint on his face. "'Meta Abilities, the future of humanity or its death toll?'" Inko moved onto the next. "'Quirks, is the name too political?'" Inko frowned. Since when are Quirks political?
Inko grabbed the last of the stack. "'The super powered revolt and the rise and fall of Des—'" Inko trailed off when something fell out from between the pages of the magazine and landed in her lap. Glancing down, Inko blinked. A small red book had been tucked away inside the magazine.
Putting the magazine away, Inko picked the book up. It was old, the red cover was faded and it had several creases along its spine, which made it look very well read. But also decently taken care of. Aside from age, and some reading wear and tear, it was in pretty good condition. The book had splotches of black across its red cover, and above it, its title. "Meta Liberation War," Inko read off.
A war book?
Opening the book up, Inko scanned for a summary but found a dedication page first. "To all who refuse to allow the oppressors to dampen and erase your voice. Let my words ring in your souls. We are the future of this world. We are the next step despite what others might say. Our day is coming. The war for our lives is coming."
And Inko was hooked. The dedication page was weird, but it still got her attention. She went looking for that summary. "This book is the final words of the leader of the Meta Liberation Army, Yotsubashi Chikara, Destro. A revolutionary and leader. Destro stood against the oppressive government and fought for the freedom of this world's people. After his capture and false imprisonment Destro gifted these words to his followers before robbing the government of its victory and taking his own life. Let his final message stir your soul and open your eyes to the truth."
…So not a war book? Is this about a soldier? A general? Maybe he was some kind of general that got captured as a POW? Well whatever it's about it seems really interest—
There were a few quick knocks on the door before Hisashi stuck his head in. "Hey Midoriya, we need to go."
Inko blinked. "Huh? What's up?"
"I just saw Sea Beard walking outside with the parents of those kids you beat up."
"Oh… poop."
"Yeah…" Hisashi noticed the book Inko was holding. "Did you find one you liked?"
Inko held up the red book. "I think so. I think it's a story about a general or something. Said he was the leader of the Meta Liberation Army. Not really sure what that is though."
Hisashi wasn't sure either, but he was sure Inko would tell him once she read the book. Glancing over, he was glad that the books she had gone through were neatly stacked in the book trolley. "Well then, let's get going before they find the bike… and maybe hide the book?"
Inko looked down at her new book, then nodded. There was a good chance that the adults and hero might take it away to punish her. Slipping the book into the top of her dress, and tightening the cord around her waist to make sure the book didn't fall out, Inko hurried out of the library with Hisashi. Peeking around a corner, and not seeing the hero or parents, the two hurried for their bike. Pulling it from the rack, Hisashi got his feet on the pedal while Inko hopped onto the seat rack. "Hurry, let's get going befor—"
"THERE SHE IS!"
Someone rushed the pair and Inko found herself getting yanked off the bike and Hisashi getting shoved to the ground with the bike falling on top of him. "You're not going anywhere you little brat!"
The man, a large fisherman in overalls and smelling of salt and booze, easily held Inko up by her arm, his hand almost crushing her forearm as he gripped her.
"Let her g— ack!" Hisashi tried to get up, but the man stepped down on the bike, pinning him to the ground.
"You shut your mouth you worthless Snag, or I'll throw you in a chum bucket and you'll finally stop being a parasite. You'll stay right there while I make sure this rabbid brat learns to never touch my son aga—"
"DON'T CALL HIM THAT!"
"AHHH!"
Inko pulled herself up, and bit down on the fishermans hand. Startled and cursing, he threw Inko to the ground. Still swearing angrily, he pulled a fist back as he got ready to start beating her, when a new voice got him to stop.
"Put another hand on those children and it'll be you in a bait bucket. Move back. Now."
The fisherman sneered, but stopped himself from hitting Inko and took his other foot off the bike that was pinning Hisashi down. Hisashi glared up at the group that was walking up to him. Two more fathers, a man from the market and another fisherman who was nowhere near as disheveled.
The final man stood out from everyone. He was old, very old. His skin was a blotchy dark tan, from his years and years out in the sun. He was also a good two heads taller than anyone else on the island, even if he had shrunk in his old age. His frame was lanky with some visible remnants of muscles that weren't covered by his old sailor hero uniform. The tattoos he had of anchors and chains were only just recognizable on the wrinkled skin. He had a permanent squint in his eyes, with one closed all the time, though never the same one if you looked twice. Where there should be hair on his head and face, he had foam instead. There were some around the side and back, but the top of his head, which he kept covered with his hat, was smooth. The foam that made up his eyebrows was still thick, and the cascade of foam around his mouth, chin and jaw, looked like he had dipped his face in a barrel of soap suds.
The fisherman pointed at Inko. "My boy's going to need stitches because of this brat."
"Good," Inko spat out. "I hope he gets a scar."
The fisherman growled and took a step towards Inko, but Sea Beard stepped forward and put himself between the two. "Don't."
The fisherman had to strain his neck to look up at Sea Beard, but finally relented and stepped back, before walking around to join the other two fathers. The man from the market shook his head. "This is the fifth time this month these kids have gotten into trouble. The orphans used to be more respectful, but now, they're starting to take advantage of our generosity. This has to end. There needs to be consequences, Sea Beard."
Sea Beard held up a hand, motioning for everyone to stay calm. "There will be, but I'm not going to let you hurt these children."
Bending down, Sea Beard picked the bike off Hisashi and helped the boy to his feet. Turning, Sea Beard reached down to help Inko up, only for her to smack his hand away as she scurried backward. "Don't touch me!"
"Midoriya, I'm not going to hurt you. Just let me help yo–"
Inko's hands found stone and small chunks of crumbling concrete as she moved away. Grabbing fistfulls, she threw them at the old hero. "Stay away! Stay away!"
"Midoriya, please just—"
Hisashi pushed his bike into Sea Beard's side. The strike surprised the old hero more than hurt him, but it still made him take several steps back while Hisashi put himself between the adults and Inko. "She told you to get away!"
The fisherman growled. "You damned brats need to—"
Inko pulled herself up with the bike and reached into its front basket, tiny hands searching for one of the few items the kids had to defend themselves. The worst kept secret of the orphanage was that the bikes had small Swiss army pocket knives taped to the bikes baskets. Borrowed from the lost-and-found at the island's favorite and only bar, the knives were almost a joke. Too small to be a real threat, so no one really cared about them.
At least until one was pointed at them.
The three parents watched Inko carefully. The other fisherman put his hand into his own pocket but his arm was grabbed by Sea Beard, who shook his head. "Don't."
"She just pulled a knife."
"After you attacked us!" Hisashi yelled back.
The boozed fisherman pointed at the pair. "You two don't have any idea the trouble you're in now."
"Enough!" Sea Beard yelled. "Everyone calm down."
Giving the adults stern looks, making it clear that he would not accept any more violent or provocative acts from them, he turned back to Inko and Hisashi. "Midoriya, please give me the knife."
"No. We're leaving."
"Midoriya, you attacked someone. Again. I've warned you that you couldn't keep doing that."
Tears started running down Inko's cheeks. "I protected my friend! They always come after us. They say horrible things to us. They hate us because it's fun!"
"Mid—"
"The things those boys say, the things they said today to Bar…, to Nenshouki are mean and evil! Calling him.. Calling him Snag, it hurts him!" Hisashi flinched at the name, something Sea Beard noticed and frowned at. "I'm not going to let them keep doing it."
Sea Beard looked over at the parents, with the market man throwing his hands up in the air. "Words don't excuse violence. It doesn't matter what our boys said to these orphans, they don't get to attack our kids. Take care of this!"
Sea Beard's shoulders sank, and Inko sneered. "You're horrible. You know I'm telling the truth but you'll still protect the people hurting us first."
"Midoriya that's not–"
"What about when those kids pushed us off the pier? Or threw our clothes into a boat's bait bucket. Threw rocks at us?!"
The parents rolled their eyes. "Kids play pranks. You're just an ungrateful child that's been too spoiled."
"They hurt us! But you," Inko pointed the little knife at Sea Beard, "you protect them. Because they have parents to whine and cry to. But not us. We don't have anyone so we get all the blame. We don't get to have anyone to cry to, because of you!"
Inko stepped back as Hisashi pulled her back. "You let our parents die! But instead of doing the right thing and trying to help us, you always take their side! It's not fair!"
"Midoriya, that's not true. I don't—"
"When was the last time you ever came to the orphanage to visit any of us? You come tell us how you couldn't save our parents, but after that, you abandon us."
Inko hopped onto the seat and Hisashi pushed off the ground, getting the bike up to speed as fast as he could, going in the opposite direction of the parents and hero. The parents lunged to give chase but Sea Beard didn't let them pass. Inko didn't get a good look at his face as they hurried away.
Not that she cared what effect her words had.
She hated that hero.
Because he wasn't a hero.
Inko had never met a hero and if you asked her, she wasn't even sure they were real.
Inko and Hisashi didn't head straight back to the orphanage after that. About halfway there, their walkie-talkies chirped, warning them that there were several angry parents waiting for them. A lot of adults were arguing with the people in charge of the orphanage, so they took the long way home and then waited in the woods. Watching and waiting until the adults that never came up to the orphanage finally left. Adults that normally didn't care about the old run down building or the kids inside.
Except when they felt they had been wronged.
Then the orphanage was all they thought about.
There was so much screaming. Adults screaming at adults. Adults screaming at kids. Everyone wanting to be heard and to look like they cared about what happened today.
It lasted an hour.
It only took an hour before the visiting adults' apathy towards the orphans kicked back in and they couldn't even care enough to be mad anymore. So they left. They left and things were back to normal.
Inko watched the group leave, and saw that Sea Beard wasn't with them.
Because of course he wouldn't be. Inko hadn't been lying when she said the hero never came to the orphanage. It was the one place on the island he always avoided. She still remembered when he came to her when she was younger, to tell her that her parents' fishing ship had sunk. That he hadn't been able to save them. He had promised to make sure she was taken care of.
He never came to see her again.
It was the same with all the orphans. Sea Beard failed to save their parents, came to deliver the bad news, and then he was gone.
It made Inko's blood boil. At how much he didn't care. Why else would the old hero avoid them? It had to be because he didn't care enough about them to come check on them.
Walking into the old school, Inko and Hisashi were rushed by their friends, asking them about what had happened and why there were so many angry adults asking for them. According to them, even the mayor had gotten involved, if only to get everyone to just forget everything.
'Don't make our island look bad,' Inko's friends had quoted. Inko wondered if that had anything to do with the visitors on Bespin. At the very least, the issue seemed to have been put to bed, since the orphanage's caretakers just seemed ready to get everyone to move on and get ready for lunch.
Which was just fine with Inko.
Inko just wanted to enjoy the rest of her birthday with her friends. And then later, get a chance to read the new book she got.
Alderaan Mining and Refining Corporation.
I can still hear their representatives walking the streets, talking about all the good their company would do for us. The jobs that were coming. The money. All we had to do was sign on the dotted line and sell our souls.
Or at least the mayor did that for us.
Bespin is my home. The people fucking suck but Bespin is a paradise.
Or at least it was.
It only took a year before they ruined everything and no one did anything. The forest is dying. The water on the island is just mud and diesel fuel. They even managed to ruin the ocean. The fishing boats have to travel so far now since all the fish are dead that none of the normal spots work anymore. And the fish they do catch? They're so sickly they don't live long enough to sell to the mainland.
And Alderaan? They either just ship in their own food and supplies and dont bother with our markets, or take what they want. For 'services rendered.' At least that's what those private security cops always say.
And the adults, the people that are supposed to be in charge aren't doing anything. They're just letting these people come in and destroy the one good thing our home had.
Its beauty.
Maybe they're getting paid off.
Maybe they're just too afraid.
Maybe they don't care.
Sea Beard sure doesn't care. Just keep not doing anything you worthless piece of crap.
I've talked to Musen, Sakura, Bob, and Bark Head. We're going to the quarry tonight. I'm not sure what we're going to do, but we're going to do something. The protesting isn't working anymore. So it's time for something drastic.
It's just like Destro said, "To stand by and do nothing while our world is taken from us is a crime almost as horrific as the one being committed by those that seek to steal it in the first place." He fought for a cause he believed in. So I will too.
I'll fight for my home.
~ Midoriya Inko ~
~ June 13th ~
~ Age 15 ~
Bespin Island had been many things for the people who lived there. A temperate speck in the great blue ocean. Natural freshwater springs that fed and nurtured a vibrant green forest. Schools of fish always traveled around the coasts, so the people always had a source of food and bounty to sell. Bespin Island was a small place, but it provided for the people that called it home.
But while the people of the island always looked to the water as the greatest resource, it was outsiders that looked at the island itself. With the turn of the century and the recovered stability in the age of Quirks, the world entered into a new explosive industrial and technical revolution.
Progress that had been halted as humanity fought to understand the new normal that Quirks brought, was now racing forward. New wonders were being built. Cities were springing up almost overnight. Technological marvels once thought to be only the stuff of science fiction were now entrenching themselves in the world of reality. But the wonders and marvels needed resources to be built. So the world looked to places untapped to acquire what was needed to help the world enter into its new age.
Bespin Island for so long only provided fish, but after a survey, it was discovered it had something else to offer the world.
Iron.
Bespin Island's soil and its mountain was so rich in iron ore, that the researchers joked that it was a small wonder the tiny island didn't simply sink into the ocean.
When word reached the outside world about just how iron-rich the small island was, companies rushed to offer contracts and to serenade the people to pick them, and it was the Alderaan Mining and Refining Corporation that was able to sweet talk the people in charge of Bespin Island to give them the exclusive contract.
The initial worries of the general populace were quickly brushed aside with promises of money flowing into the people's pockets, new jobs and the prospect of Bespin Island becoming more than just an island with a fishing village. It could become a geological goldmine that would make it the most profitable location in the whole world. And to alleviate the concerns of the fishermen, the last holdouts, Alderaan Mining and Refining Corporation made it clear in no uncertain words that their presence would in no way impact the fishing.
With promises like that, it's no wonder the people welcomed the mining corporation with open arms.
It only took about a year after the ink dried on the contract before Alderaan Mining and Refining Corporation turned the once thriving island into an ecological disaster.
It took them even less time before they started breaking all the promises they had made.
To get to the iron ore, the company had to ship in tons and tons of mining and excavating equipment. Just to get to the site they wanted to turn into a quarry—the far side of the mountain at the center of the island and directly opposite of the village—it required tearing a path through the vibrant green forest. The first deep wound to the land, but not the last.
The machines needed people to operate them, and the villagers of the island had no experience with such heavy equipment, so Alderaan Mining and Refining Corporation shipped in their own people. But instead of moving them into the village, they tore down more forest and created a second village using the large shipping containers as the foundation for the new homes.
And when the people complained about these new residents, the corporation brought in 'police' to ensure that law and order was maintained. Private security that answered to the corporation, not the lone sheriff that had always been enough to make sure everything had run well before.
All of this, and then the mining began. Loud machines roared and screamed as they dug into the ground, ripping an open wound that tore away the top-soil, and then deep into the iron-rich crust underneath. As the machines worked, they spat out diesel and oil that seeped into the ground. Rainfall carried it and spread it over the land, turning the parts of the forest that hadn't been dug up sick. The green trees were now pale, yellow or brown, some rotting from the inside. The groundwater was poisoned, so the streams carried the sickness even further, affecting not just the plants, but the animals and people as well. Even the air was turning poisonous. The constant black smoke that rose from the quarry covered the island in a haze. If the wind blew favorably, it was carried away from the island. But if it blew into the island, and carried the smoke towards the village, it would become painful to stay outside for too long.
For years this continued. The muddy runoff from all the digging and the leaking machines soon made its way into the ocean, turning the water murky. The effect was more than just a change in how the water looked. The fishing spots the fishermen had used for decades and decades were no longer any good. The fish were contaminated, too sick to sell or be used as bait.
So the fishermen had to take their boats out further into the ocean. These uncharted waters didn't have the regular schools of fish in them, so the catches were considerably less. The added fuel cost to get to areas of the ocean that were not contaminated and the smaller catches meant that no one was making the money they once had. Some fishermen wouldn't even undock their boats anymore. It cost too much to even try to haul in a catch.
This would trickle down to the other people on the island. Nothing to sell.
And less to eat.
What was available for the villagers was just enough to get by. If the 'cops' working for the mining company didn't come by and take what they claimed the villagers owed.
Stores emptied of their stocks was not an uncommon thing to see. Either by lack of money to restock or because they had just 'donated.'
Alderaan Mining and Refining Corporation soon became aware of the shortage of commodities. Food, water and other creature comforts would be shipped in.
For their employees.
The villagers were not allowed access to these supplies. Unless they were willing to pay the workers a ridiculous markup.
It wasn't just good stuff that came through. Sometimes villagers would see unmarked boats docking with the workers' village. Packages would be unloaded or loaded to and from. Certain houses the miners used were always busy. Packages came in. Packages came out. The people involved were shady, and there were rumors about exactly what was in those packages. Some concerned villagers brought this to the attention of officials, and the message they were told in response was simple.
"Mind your own damn business, or else."
So the fact that Bespin Island was also in the middle of a drug epidemic was purely coincidental.
Clearly the villagers were making their own heroin and meth.
Not the workers.
For years Alderaan Mining and Refining Corporation worked to line its pockets while Bespin Island suffered. Sea Beard tried to keep things afloat. But his contributions were pathetic and not worth mentioning, as far as Inko and her friends were concerned. The old hero specialized in water rescues. The mess Bespin was in was far outside his realm of expertise.
He could turn himself into sea foam and travel across bodies of water. Carrying a few people back to shore if they were in trouble. Not much use for that when the threat was on land and so deeply entrenched that they were also considered the law of the land.
But for Inko, and her Meta Liberation Army, these things weren't a concern for them. They weren't willing to simply let things continue as they were. It was Inko, inspired by the words of Destro, who rallied her friends to her cause. Convinced them that it was time to fight back.
And so for the past few weeks, the miners began to experience a series of mishaps. Machines no longer working properly. Equipment missing or badly damaged. Things that by themselves might be written off, but once they happened all at once, and so consistently, it became obvious sabotage.
That and the black splatter of paint that began to appear on company property and equipment. An obvious tag that looked just like the black marking on a little red book.
The constant roar of engines.
The screech of metal on metal.
The thunder of rock and stone being ripped apart.
The perpetual cloud of red iron rich dust that clung to anything.
The haze of smog that sat inside the quarry even with a soft breeze blowing through.
All these factors and more made it so very easy for anyone to sneak inside the heavy construction site. Even if security was on the lookout, the quarry was just too massive to keep an eye on every entrance. Much less the whole border.
The quarry, now a deep gash that covered almost half of the island, was dug down so deep that reinforced walls of concrete had to be built to prevent the ocean from breaking in and flooding the whole thing. The miners were now working several hundreds of feet below the sea level.
With so many factors at play, it was easy for Inko to sneak down the quarry and then bury herself between the piles of discarded dirt, which gave her a great view of her target. Crawling along the pile, Inko carefully kept to the edge of the construction site, even wearing a hard hat and mask around her mouth to keep out the dust. If anyone got a good look at her, they'd know she didn't belong. So she made sure to keep a watchful eye on the security that drove by in their black trucks, her hand resting over her right wrist that had a piece of homemade support gear strapped to it.
The gear was simple and made excellent use of her Quirk, something she had praised her handyman of a friend Biruda for making. Inspired by baseball pitching machines, the device was a metal plate that lay across the back of her arm, with two small wheels—scavenged from a child's rusted through and abandoned red wagon—bolted on either side of the plate on an adjustable rail.
Like a pitching machine, the wheels would spin, which Inko generated by pulling on the sides of the wheels with her Quirk, and then some kind of ammo was slipped in between the wheels and fired outwards. The adjustable wheels let her fire anything she could get her hands on. Mostly it was golf balls, plucked from the sea under the little hitting range that the more well-off site managers liked to use to play some golf.
But Inko could also fire something as large as a baseball at a decent speed to knock the wind out of anyone wanting to grab her.
Or knock them off their feet with a good headshot. Which Inko now had some experience with after the past few weeks of getting under the skin of the security and having to make more than a few quick and messy escapes.
The device could also fire something much smaller than a golf ball if Inko needed to. During one night of practice, Inko had slipped a knife in and was pleasantly surprised at the nice thunk the knife made as it embedded itself into a tree stump.
Inko's walkie-talkie chirped as her lookout called in. "That was the last truck in your area. You should be good for a few minutes."
"Thanks Musen." Inko got up and quickly moved down the road, keeping behind the piles of discarded dirt that had yet to be loaded into trucks and driven out of the quarry. Which just happened to be her target for the day. Down by the last dirt pile, a large excavator sat dormant next to a fully loaded large construction dump truck. A truck that was parked on a perilously steep incline. The excavator and truck drivers were off to the side, having a smoke break. So their vehicles were open.
They were too close for Inko to get into either of the vehicles, even in this chaotic mess of a place she'd get spotted for sure. But she could get close. Close enough so that she could see inside the truck. Close enough so that when she reached out her hand, she could feel her Quirk pull on one of the truck's levers.
It was just at the edge of her range, a few yards away, but Inko could feel her Quirk latch onto her target. Taking a breath, Inko focused on the lever in the oversized dump truck, its parking brake, and pulled. Her link struggled, but after a good, hard tug, the brake came loose with a clank.
At first, nothing happened. Inko frowned and worried she was going to have to move onto another target she and her friends had spotted from up at the quarry's edge, but then the truck groaned.
The tires, taller than a person, began to rotate as the truck's weight dragged it down the inclined dirt road. Inko silently cheered as the truck rolled down the road while the drivers yelled in a panic.
Down and down the truck went, picking up speed as it careened onward. Inko clapped her hands, lightly. Everything had gone according to plan. The truck would slam into the water tower at the bottom. That would cause no end of issues for the workers for the next week. And for the next week, the people of Bespin would get some peace and—
"Midoriya! The truck's turning!"
Inko blinked. She had been getting ready to make her escape when Musen desperately called her. Looking back around, Inko saw that the truck hadn't kept going straight towards the water tower at the end of the dirt road. It was now banking left, towards a different structure made up of several large tanks and pipes.
"Um… what's the truck about to hit?"
"I think those are fuel tanks!"
"Oh… well fuc—"
BOOM!
The large truck slammed into the fuel reserves for the vehicles and machinery on site. The thunderous boom sent out a shockwave that cleared away the dust and smog and shook the ground, sending Inko tumbling down. Orange fire screamed upwards towards the sky, with black smoke swirling up to join it and creating a pillar of black.
As bits and pieces of truck, fuel tanks and rock rained down and pelted the ground, Inko, flat on her ass and looking at the fire with wide eyes, only got out a "holy fuck," before her walkie-talkie chirped away.
"Midoriya! Get out of there! All the guards are coming your way!"
"All?"
"ALL! OF! THEM!"
Shaking the cobwebs out of her head, Inko snapped her head up, and sure enough, she could see black trucks bursting through the dusty quarry and beeline it right to the site of the explosion.
And right towards her.
"Oh crap!" Inko quickly realized that this place was about to be swarmed, and probably not just inside the quarry. "Musen! Get back home now!"
"But—?"
"Run! I'll lose the ones after me and meet up with you guys later!"
Inko glanced over where she knew Musen was keeping watch and saw the other girl's head vanish from the underbrush. With Musen now gone, Inko began to climb up the side of the quarry to make her escape. Fortunately for Inko, even if everyone was rushing to the area she was, they were all too distracted by the huge fireball that was once fuel storage tanks to give her any mind—
"HEY! WHO'S THAT CLIMBING UP THERE?!"
Oh come on!
Inko glanced over her shoulder and swore. Multiple miners, workers and now security, were pointing up at her. No longer worrying about not getting seen, Inko scrambled upwards, the tips of her fingers getting cut and scuffed up as she clawed her way up as fast as she could.
Bellow she could hear people screaming at her as they climbed after her while the engines of several trucks roared and gunned it up the winding first road that wrapped around the quarry walls. If Inko could get to the top before the trucks with the security made it up the road, she should be able to make it into the forest and make her escape.
So that just left her with one other worry, the people climbing after her, but grabbing some loose stones from the ground she was climbing, Inko chucked them behind herself, smacking the people coming after her. Sometimes even in the face. The falling stones slowed the workers approach so that they were not able to get close to Inko.
In theory at least.
Inko made it to the top of the dirt wall and pulled herself up, only to feel one of her legs get grabbed. "Got you!"
Inko growled as she kicked at whoever was holding her, the heel of her boot slamming into the man's face with a crack. Inko wasn't sure if she saw teeth go flying or not, but the strike was enough to make the man let go. The next kick sent the man tumbling back down the side of the quarry. Fortunately for him, the fall wasn't that far. At worst he'd only have some broken bones. Not that Inko really cared. If she got her way, the man would end up falling on his head and breaking his neck.
Inko got herself up on her knees, just in time to hear the trucks barreling up the road and coming right for her. Kicking off the ground, Inko made a mad dash across the quarry's upper level, a flat plot of land lined with office trailers and cars. While the suits from the offices all gawked at the fire and smoke, Inko ran, ducking and weaving through the trailers as she rushed for the dying remains of the forest and underbrush.
To her side, a truck engine roared as the driver slammed on the gas. He was either hurrying to cut off her escape, or simply run her down. As Inko ran, she lifted her right arm up and leveled her little wheel-spinning crossbow with the truck's windshield. Loading a golf ball in, she focused her Quirk and got the wheels spinning, then with a flick, the ball was fed into the wheels and fired out of the device with a little pop.
The golf ball hit the truck's windshield. The laminated layers of the windshield prevented it from shattering into thousands of little glass shards, but it didn't stop the spiderwebs of cracks from spreading over it, making it impossible to see through. The driver, startled, jerked the steering wheel to the side, cutting left and into the path of another truck. The truck was t-boned and the sound of crunching metal ripped through the air as the trucks ground to a halt. More trucks slammed on their brakes and narrowly avoided the crash.
Inko used the extra time to dive into the underbrush and sprint through the forest. Now she just needed to get some distance between herself and the quarry. Which wouldn't be a problem. Alderaan Mining and Refining Corporation's knock-off private army were too lazy to spend the time and energy to chase her through here—
CRACK!
CRASH!
SNAP!
Inko blinked and whipped her head to look back where she had come from. Trucks were barreling through the forest, running down the rotting trees and dead underbrush as the security forced the vehicles onward.
Oh… holy shit.
It suddenly dawned on Inko that she had caused a huge explosion and that the security forces might be a little extra pissed off right now. Inko turned back around and double timed it. The trucks could only just make it through the trees, but if Inko could get into the thicker parts, there would be no way for the trucks to follow her. That would just leave the security forced inside. More than likely they would keep after her on foot.
Can't go back to the village… Don't want to bring these boys home with me.
Inko pivoted and started running in the opposite direction of her home. Behind her she could hear a truck hit a tree while others still tried to run her down, but the thickening brush and forest was slowing them down. She just had to keep running. Sooner or later she's leave them far behind—
Bang
The trunk of a tree, right next to Inko's head exploded as a bullet ripped through it.
Startled and her ears ringing from the shot, Inko looked back. A guard was leaning out of an open window with his pistol drawn, aiming right for her. Soon, other guards were following suit and pulling their guns out while others were jumping out of stalled trucks, with guns drawn and firing.
Bang
Bang
Bang
Bang
Gunfire ripped around Inko as she ran. She ducked and weaved through the trees, trying not to think about how close some of the shots were to hitting her. Bark splintered and the ground spat out dirt from the wayward shots. Hitting a dried creek, Inko pivoted and leapt down into the dried ravine before taking off running again. The further she ran, the rougher the ground became as it began to slip upwards towards the island's mountain.
"Which way did they go?!"
"Up there!"
Guards screamed as they gave chase. More gunshots followed. Inko climbed out of the dried riverbed and worked her way back over the uneven and unstable ground. After years of mining, the grounds around the quarry had become prone to landslides. Many of the trees that were still standing were sloped over.
The landslides also had greater gaps in the ground. Weak points that, if you weren't careful, you could fall through. Not that Inko had time to think about that. She just ran, weaving around as best she could so the guards never had a direct line of sight of her for too long.
A large rock jutted unnaturally from the ground. Probably fallen from higher up the mountain when the first landslides started happening. Inko slid to a stop and ran around the rock, gasping for breath as she leaned against the stone.
Crap crap crap.
Inko's hands were in her pockets as she fumbled for some ammo to shoot.
But that might give my position away…
Right now, her best bet was to have the guards miss her entirely. Drawing attention to herself was not a good idea. Inko's fingers then touched the cool metal of a small Swiss army knife she carried with herself. If a guard did get too close, she could go for his throat to try and make sure he—
Creeeeeeeek
Inko blinked. "Eh?"
Suddenly the ground under her feet didn't seem so firm. Before Inko could even think about moving however, the creeeeeeek turned into a series of snapping sounds, followed by a loud crack.
"Oh, son of a biiiiiiii—"
The ground opened up, and Inko plummeted into the dark.
Inko slammed into the surprisingly soft ground after falling several feet into the dark hole. She wasn't hurt, but the impact still knocked the air out of her. She immediately started to gasp for breath when she heard a noise that made her clamp a hand over her mouth and fight every fiber of her being to stop trying to suck in air.
"Do you see them?!"
"No sir!"
"Damn it! They were going up the mountain weren't they?"
"Do we pursue or head for the village? That has to be where they're from. It was one of those troublemaking kids for sure."
"There's a difference between graffiti and blowing up something."
"They might have a base up there?"
"Sir, what should we do?"
"…They were headed in this direction. We follow the creek and see where it leads."
"Yes sir!"
Inko fought to hold her breath as the footsteps of the guards echoed in the small chamber she had fallen into. Slowly the sound receded until there was only quiet. Inko forced herself to wait a few more seconds before her body couldn't be held back any longer. Inko gasped violently, hacking and coughing as she finally let herself breathe.
"God-Fucking-Damnit," Inko let herself swear as she breathed, ripping the mask off her face and tossing the hardhat to the side where it bounced off into the dark. Inko slowly sat up and winced. She pressed a hand into her side, feeling her ribs. Nothing felt broken, but she was sore as fuck and had a feeling it was going to be hell for the next day or so.
But I'm alive. Go fuck yourselves you crap-shot security fucks.
Technically, nothing about this operation had gone to plan, aside from a few vehicles and trailers she had been able to tag while making her way to the parked truck. Instead of hitting the water tower with the run away truck, she had hit fuel tanks with it, sparking a huge explosion. Definitely an escalation from the other things she had done.
Hell, someone could have died in that blast… Someone could actually be dead, it's not like I had a chance to look… Huh?
It dawned on Inko that she wasn't actually all that worried if someone was dead. She never actively wanted to kill anyone, just make their lives a living hell so that they would leave. But now that she was at this point, and felt no worry about lives she might have or could have taken, it made her think about everything she had done and if maybe it was time to make this accident the norm.
Thoughts for later. First things first. I need to get out of here… wherever here is.
Aside from a few beams of sunlight from the hole above her, the little cavern was dark. Fortunately, Inko was pretty sure she'd be able to climb out. Reaching up, Inko ran her fingers through her hair before she blinked. "Where the hell is my hard hat?"
…Oh right, I threw it off…
"Fuck."
Grumbling, Inko fished out a small keychain flashlight and clicked on the light. It took her a few seconds to let what she was seeing sink in. She was expecting to find herself in a pit. Instead, as she looked around, it dawned on her she wasn't in a pit.
She was in a tunnel.
It was low and uneven. The path behind her was caved in from the large rock overhead, and the path in front of her, where her hat had bounced down, was narrow and sketchy. It was also obviously man-made. Along the walls and roof, shoddy wood beams kept the remaining parts of the tunnel in place. The smart thing to do, would be to get the fuck out of this place as fast as possible; clearly this wasn't a secure or safe tunnel. Half of it was crushed and she had just fallen through the damned top of it.
On the other hand, she needed that hard hat back. It had been a surprisingly huge pain in the ass to steal some of the miners' uniforms and equipment back when she and her friends had started their campaign, and she didn't want to risk losing anything that helped them blend in when they were on site. So, carefully, Inko worked her way into the tunnel, wondering just how hard she had tossed that damned hat that it apparently had bounced pretty far.
After making her way several yards in, and having to shimmy through some sections, Inko gasped as the tunnel opened up into a small, very small, room. Inside, it became a little clearer exactly who had built this tunnel and just how old it was. Hanging from a wall was a tattered but still recognizable flag, an old Japanese rising sun flag.
"This must have been dug by soldiers back in World War Two… holy shit."
World War Two was a subject that was covered in many of the war books Inko had read. The nonfiction ones talked about the many islands the old imperial nation had and how they all had soldiers ready to fight and die to defend. Bespin Island was no different, there had been soldiers here too. Some of the residents could even trace back their family tree to soldiers that were here at those times of war. But as far as Inko was concerned, she'd thought all the old war traps and pillboxes had been demolished.
"Guess they didn't know about this tunnel," Inko guessed. She doubted that the soldiers would go around talking about their secret passages to people. So when the allies attacked and the war was over, this place was abandoned and left to rot.
Or collapse in on itself. The fact that anything was still standing after all the mining and landslides was a small miracle. Inko shined her light around the room and happily found her hard hat, leaning up against a corner of the room. When she bent down to grab it, she raised an eyebrow when she saw that it was lying next to something that wasn't mud or dirt, just covered in it.
And it had a leather handle.
Curiosity getting the better of her, Inko put her hat back on and gave the handle a tug. Whatever the handle was attached to was stuck in the wall. Setting her feet, Inko gave it a few more tugs, and after some dirt rained down from the wall and ceiling, she was shocked when a whole foot locker came free from the dirt wall. The wooden box was only a couple of feet wide and tall, but it was much longer, almost as long as Inko was tall. And it was still solid.
Inko knocked on it. Huh, maybe being underground kept it from rotting away?
The foot locker was locked, but she was sure she could find some tools to open it up. Or just have Biruda work on it. Giving the room another lookover, and deciding that she didn't want to stay any longer and risk it caving in on her. For all she knew, this box had been keeping the whole place standing.
Making it back to her hole and peeking up to make sure the coast was clear, Inko carefully made her way back home. With her prize slung over her shoulder.
"You're going to tell us where you were today. Now!"
After climbing out of the hole she had fallen into, Inko had stashed the foot locker, her support gear, and the clothes she had worn while sneaking into the quarry, and had only just made it into town before a black truck screeched to a stop right besides her and guards yanked her off the street and dragged her to the local jail.
Thrown into an 'interrogation' room, which was really just an empty office since only the local sheriff officially worked there, Inko just rolled her eyes and blew the head security guard off. The man had some kind of rhino Quirk. He was large, had gray rough skin and an elongated head and face, with a large curved horn sticking out from the top of his snout.
He was more or less a giant man / rhino hybrid.
And he was pissed.
"Do you think this is a game you little bitch?" he snorted angrily.
Inko smirked. "I dunno, I'm sure having a blast."
Crack!
With the back of his hand, the head security guard smacked Inko across the face, knocking her out of her chair and to the ground. "Don't toy with me, girl. Or else I'll—"
The door to the room slammed open and the man whirled around. "I told you two to not disturb me right—"
POW!
Sea Beard, as soon as he had opened the door, pushed past the other two security guards, saw Inko on the ground, and proceeded to punch the man right in the face. "I warned you, Sytsevich. You and your goons do not come into this village and abduct our citizens off the street. You do not touch them!"
While Sytsevich and Sea Beard stared each other down, the sheriff, another old-timer that looked more like an old Italian western cowboy than an officer of the law, reached down to help Inko up, but she batted his hand away and got up on her own, spitting out some blood right at the arguing adults' feet. "Don't need your help."
The two men frowned while Sytsevich reached out to grab her. "Fine we'll do this at—"
Sea Beard blocked the man from getting to Inko. "Do I need to remind you of the rules? You handle things at your quarry. That's it."
Sytsevich huffed while the security guards outside the room chuckled. Even Inko had to roll her eyes. Everyone knew that 'rule' was a bunch of bullshit. The fact that Sea Beard still seemed to believe it, was not even a bad joke anymore.
It was just sad.
Sytsevich though decided to play along. "There was an attack at our quarry today. A fuel depot exploded. That gives me jurisdiction to interrogate and detain her," he pointed at Inko, who just flipped him off, "in whatever way I see fit."
"Only if she was there, Sytsevich," Sea Beard countered. "Does this mean you have security footage that shows who was there today," Sea Beard glanced at Inko, "or just more footage of people wearing your mining uniforms causing trouble?"
The snarl that escaped Sytsevich's throat was the only answer Sea Beard needed to hear. "Take your goons and get the hell out of here. If I see you in town again—"
"You'll what? Let me remind you, you don't have any jurisdiction over me or my men. We'll go where we want, and take care of our business how we want."
"Not if you can't connect Midoriya to the crime."
Sytsevich pointed at Inko. "We know it's her. Her and that little gang of hers."
Inko rolled her eyes. "Riiiight. You've just had it out for us because we staged the last few protests at your quarry."
Sytsevich frowned. "You were also the only ones to show up to the last one. And then when those stopped, suddenly the attacks began."
Inko shrugged. "A coincidence isn't proof."
The sheriff sighed. "Have you even gotten a statement about where she was today?"
Sytsevich grunted. "She's refused to answer." He then blinked and smirked, which made Sea Beard frown. "Since she is a suspect in the explosion, as the local officer here, it should be your job to get an alibi from her. If you can't, it's reasonable that she should be held as a prime suspect until an investigation, led by me, is completed."
The sheriff sighed. It was a reasonable request, which made it so unpalatable. "Midoriya, where were you today?"
Before Inko answered, Sytsevich added, "I think it's also fair that she can't give a time and place and list off her accomplices as people that can confirm her story. Those friends of hers are not trustworthy and would lie to keep her safe. She must have more trustworthy people to back up her alibi. If she can't do that, it's the same as her not giving any answer at all."
"Look at you trying to be smart," Inko mocked. "As a matter of fact, I can give you a time and place. But I know for a fact you're not going to get anyone willing to confirm it, but that's not my fault."
"Tell us where you were, Midoriya," the sheriff asked.
Inko shrugged. "The Twirling Twi'lek. It's just about the only way a girl like me can make some money, you know."
The men in the room all blinked. That 'bar' was well known for serving the miners and guards more than just drinks. It was a drug den located at one of the mining village's ports. Guarded cargo was loaded into it and taken out of it almost regularly.
Women were also seen getting on and off those boats too.
Of course after a 'thorough' investigation by the Alderaan Mining and Refining Corporation Security forces, it was deemed that the drugs and women seen were just rumors started by the unhappy locals. The company security also made it crystal clear that Sea Beard or the sheriff had no jurisdiction to come and investigate the location themselves. An order backed by the mayor himself. Or course, any rumors about him visiting the bar were completely unsubstantiated. The Twirling Twi'lek was a totally legal and upstanding bar and not a drug den.
Or a whore house.
End of story.
"I'm sure you could ask your mining friends or even some of your security boys and they'd tell you I was there. I could even point them out, if you want."
Not that anyone would dare say I was there, Inko thought with a smirk. Because there are only two reasons a young pretty girl like me would be there and both of them would get you shitheads in a lot of trouble. Inko just had to hope that Sytsevich wouldn't call her bluff.
The rhino's ears twitched and he looked over at his other guards. They were looking at Inko and whispering amongst themselves. It was almost enough to make Inko laugh. They were really trying to think if they had ever seen her at the bar.
Checkmate, bastard.
Inko's bluff had worked, and Sytsevich, not wanting to open the can of worms that trying to check Inko's alibi would open, took his men and left. But not before giving Inko a murderous look. The rhino man clearly didn't like that he had been outplayed. So now Inko was just left with two other men she couldn't stand. She dusted herself off, and went for the door, only for a hand to grab her shoulder. "Midoriya, we nee—"
Inko whirled and smacked Sea Beard's hand away. "Don't you touch me!" she growled. "After everything you've failed to do, what makes you think you have the right to talk to me?" Inko narrowed her eyes at the old hero. "Why are you even still here? Do you even do anything anymore?"
Not exactly a fair question. While the number of fishermen that still tried to go out to sea to earn money had dropped, there were still those that were trying to keep things going. But they had to go out so much farther now. So far that if there was a distress call, Sea Beard wouldn't be able to reach them. The graveyards at the edge of town had a few fresh names etched into stone that reflected this new normal.
At least Sea Beards failures hadn't resulted in any new orphans. By some twisted miracle, Inko and her friends had been the last group of children left without anyone. A blessing, since there wasn't even an orphanage anymore. It was one of the first buildings that had been lost during a mudslide, caused by the aggressive digging and the island getting hit by a particularly nasty tropical storm.
Inko once heard some people wonder, if the miners kept digging, if there would even be an island the next time a storm hit. And that had been during the first year of Alderaan Mining and Refining Corporation's work. Now, after so much of Bespin Island had been hollowed out? It was something the people of the island tried not to think about.
Inko then turned her glare towards the sheriff. "So, unless you have a reason to keep me here, any charges you want to press…"
She trailed off and waited to see if they had anything, which she knew they didn't. "Or you're willing to take a statement so I can press charges against those bastards who kidnapped me off the street and used my face as a punching bag…"
Again Inko waited for them to respond, but once again neither the sheriff or Sea Beard did that. Because when it came to trying to hold the miners and the security to any form of law, they were more or less impotent thanks to the mayor and the company coming to an 'agreement.' It was clear today wasn't the day that changed. "Then I'm out of here."
"Midoriya, wait," Sea Beard called out. "This thing you and your friends are doing, it's over. You're lucky that no one was hurt in this last stunt you pulled."
Inko threw up her hands. "In case you suddenly have proof I was there—"
"I'm not an idiot Midoriya. Neither is Sytsevich. Pretty soon I'm not going to be able to protect you from him."
Inko spat in disgust. "You don't do jack shit here."
"Midoriya!" Sea Beard's voice almost boomed in the small room. "I'm not playing games with you. Either you stop this now, or else."
Inko turned and marched up to Sea Beard. "You don't have any proof. Not you, not those security chumps. So stop trying to scare me, or threaten me, or whatever. I haven't done anything."
"I'm not trying to scare you Midoriya. I'm trying to save you."
Hearing that, Inko's face turned red and she snapped back, her voice full full of venom, "Bull fuc—"
"I know what those tags are," Sea Beard cut in, scything through Inko's anger to make his point. "That mark belongs to the Meta Liberation Army. Do you have any idea what would happen if word got back to the mainland that there were people using that name? Do you have any idea how stupid you are, using that? Of what that name actually means and represents? If anyone figures it out and reports it, then those 'security chumps' will be the least of your worries. Midoriya, the Hero Public Safety Commission, the god damned government, is not something you want to piss off."
Authors Notes:
What was once going to be a single chapter has changed into an arc of its very own. Hello everyone, I hope you're ready for a doozy of a time. :insert smiling imp face here:
So yeah, this little arc is all about Inko and her life. I've been looking forward to this part of the story for a while and it's great to finally get to share what all the little hints and tidbits I've been leaving have been about. So I hope the payoff leaves everyone happy!
Aside from that, I hope to get these chapters out quicker but it all depends on how work and that stuff turns out.
As always please feel free to leave a comment, review, or critique!
And a huge thank you to my beta reader!