Green Tea Rescue

by ss3dj

When Midoriya Izuku was 4 his quirk finally manifested. The doctor named it psychokinesis, but his friend Bakugou Katsuki called it worthless. For the next 10 years, Izuku would grow up bullied and isolated. Then, when a new student named Uraraka Ochako transfers into his class the last year of jr high, everything changes. Rated M for eventual themes.

44. Inko Midoriya: Origin Part 4

Supreme Empress, Commander of the Meta Liberation Army of the Empire of Bespin. It has been a year since I was voted as leader of this island. To date I have not told a soul how I refer to myself. Bark Head would laugh his ass off if he knew, then I'd have to punish him with no sex for like a month. Which would suck because then I wouldn't get any sex for like a month.

Why was I writing this again?

Things here have been good. It's almost like we're finally turning a corner. It took a few months to get an election going, and then another month to hold it. Which I won at a sixty / forty split. Then the recount happened. It took almost six months but I was in, and that old shit was out.

The next day he was getting his shit and calling in a boat to take him to the mainland. Bark Head and I moved in, along with Bob and Musen. The freaking place is huge. No way just the two of us were going to stay there. We have our rooms and the rest of the building we didn't need got turned into a city hall. Better to do business and easier to work. Show the people, especially everyone that didn't vote for me I was serious about this job.

Some are calling it the mayor's apartment. Ha ha ha… Those people clean the bait buckets now.

Also this place has air-con. Which is niiiiiice.

When we moved everything out of our old homes, we finally went through Sakura's things. Collected everything and stored it away. Last time we went up there, her garden had spread. The whole hill is covered now. Over our old places and inside too. It's Sakura's hill now. Probably the only place on Bespin that's growing so beautifully.

Bob got put in charge of reconstruction of buildings and heading the department into looking at just how bad the island is.

Musen is getting the fleet back up and out to sea. Making sure we get fish and money flowing again.

Bark Head is in charge of security and recruitment. Becoming an army meant we needed to get people trained. With the weapons we got now, and with their Meta Abilities. So many people just have them but never use them. It's crazy. He's really taken to the role as my second in command. He's eating up the respect. Demands it in fact. I think he gets off a little seeing people that used to mock and belittle him now bowing and saluting. Knowing he's weeding out people that aren't useful.

Well he deserves it.

Mental note but remind him that Meta Abilities shouldn't be the only thing considered when assigning a role to a person.

This past year, after I got put in charge, it's been crazy. We wiped out any remnants of the Yakuza. People, equipment and products. It's all gone. Things were rough for a while. So many people didn't react well to their forced detox.

Sea Beard is still here. And in charge of water rescues. None of us were happy about it but the fact of the matter is this, he has the experience and the Meta Ability to carry out ocean rescues. No one else does. He is training some people to be able to do it too.

I still can't figure him out. I confronted him once about what he was trying to do. To prove. He just said he was a hero and that this was where he could do the most good.

When I asked him what all the dead would say to that he got pretty quiet. Then just said he's here to protect everyone he can. I thought maybe he was saying he was going to protect people from me, but when I said that, he said no, then just looked at me and seemed, I dunno, sad.

On a personal note, I'm fucking fit. I've spent the past year and a half, on top of all the other shit going on, working out. Working to get my body used to Fa Jin and the kickback that happens when I use it. Body still feels shitty after I use it, especially when I use a lot of the power at once, but it's nowhere near as bad. Still haven't tried using all of it in one go, because I'm almost sure it'll break something, but I'm pretty damned close now.

No one else knows about Fa Jin yet. I've thought about telling my friends, or even just telling Bark Head, but I chicken out all the time. I just can't bring myself to tell them.

Bark Head got a little suspicious when I'd sneak out to run, or lift some weights. By which I mean sand bags. When he asked what was going on, I just stripped down, gave a little flex— bless my six pack—and asked if he wanted to call me mommy, or try to make me call him daddy.

He never asked about my training again.

Also if Bark Head ever finds out what, 'Mommy please,' does to me, I'm screwed.

Still no sign of that Two Faced Killer yet. But I'm ready for them. But I still have no idea about the rest of the prophecy. Too many unknowns, and I can't risk those. I need to know more.

Unfortunately I don't think I have a lot of time left to figure it out. Pemphredo is almost gone. She got moved into the clinic, and has stayed there for the past month. Finally too weak to get up and leave on her own.

Hand of death, and then the once again thing. I'm at a loss. I need to figure this out.

I think if I don't, something bad will happen.

Because every time death has come for me, my friends have been there. I can't lose more friends. Losing Sakura almost broke me. If I lose anyone else, I think that would kill me.

~ Nenshouki Inko ~

~ September 23rd ~

~ Age 21 ~

---

"You understand why we are so concerned, don't you?"

Sea Beard frowned, feeling his grip tighten on the chunky satellite phone as he paced around the deck of his rescue boat. It bobbed and shifted around in the waves of the open water. "You mean you're concerned over the mess you made?"

"A sudden explosion of a rebel faction is not something the government can ignore. Not when they've interfered with an ongoing investigation that is now set back years. Not when they are armed. And not when their leader, this Nenshouki you've told us about, has shown her willingness to resort to violence to get her way."

Sea Beard growled back, but kept his composure. "You do understand what the situation was like, correct? What allowing the Abegawa Tenchu Kai free reign did to the people here?"

"No one forced the people there to start taking the drugs—"

"You let the Yakuza set up drug manufacturing here, a poor island that was in the middle of getting taken advantage of by a corporation that was beating them down. You not only let the Yakuza then fill in the power gap afterwards but actively hampered or killed any operation that could have helped the people here. You abandoned these people and when they realized that and decided to take care of themselves, you get mad at the people for saving themselves. Do you understand the position you're taking?"

"Our position has been and always will be the continued protection of the citizens from threats, both known and unknown. Sometimes that means the few are asked to sacrifice for the many."

"Well, the few are done sacrificing."

"That's your opinion. These people just need to know that their government is there for them, and considering the situation that's about to happen, we'll be ready to step in."

Sea Beard didn't want to think about the situation. He had seen the mounting evidence, both sent to him and with his own eyes. It was heartbreaking.

"You're going to have a hard time convincing people."

"Perhaps. The people that choose to listen to us will be protected."

"And the people that don't?"

"I suppose that will depend on Nenshouki, won't it. One way or another, the Hero Public Safety Commission will not allow another Meta Liberation Army rebellion."

---

Inko had spent a great deal of effort to never set foot inside this building again. After holding her friend Sakura as she died in the hall, the clinic brought up a lot of unhappy feelings and memories. But today she was now more or less forced to deal with it.

Even though the building was much much quieter now, with a dramatic drop in the number of patients, and cleaner too, it still felt claustrophobic to Inko. She could still feel all the death this clinic had seen all too recently.

And it seemed like one more life was about to be lost inside its walls. Though this was not the fault of the people working there. Time always wins eventually. With a nurse leading the way, Inko found herself at the door to Pemphredo's room.

"Are you sure she asked to see me?"

The nurse nodded. "Very sure. 'I want Little Inko.' She was very clear on that."

Inko shook her head, not sure what to make of that. The last time Inko had seen Pemphredo was a month ago, when she had been pulled off the street and taken here, finally too far gone to put up a fight. From her own questioning, the old woman had lost all of her strength and barely talked or ate. IV drips kept her from starving, but those only did so much.

Pemphredo was dying, and according to the local doctor Inko had spoken to when she arrived, everyone seemed to think she was going to die in a matter of hours.

Walking inside, Inko closed the door behind her so that she and the old woman could have some privacy. It took Inko a few solid seconds to realize the old woman in the bed was actually Pemphredo, because the nurses had actually spent the time to help clean and groom the old woman. Her hair wasn't a tangled mess anymore but washed, brushed and cut. Her skin was still ghastly pale but wasn't caked in dirt and sand. It also looked like someone had used some lotion on her, her skin didn't look as dry now. She looked peaceful.

It was weird.

So here Inko was, alone in a room with a woman that used to freak her out as a child and after apparently telling her fortune now freaked her out as an adult. Sighing, Inko ran her fingers through her hair. Even if Pemphredo had asked to see her, she was asleep now. It wasn't like she could just go over and wake her up

Assuming she even could wake her up.

"What am I even doing here? Why'd she even want to talk to me?"

"Dying, dear. Not deaf."

Inko almost jumped out of her skin, clutching her heart as she saw the once closed pale eyes now looking right at her. "Weren't you asleep?"

"Just resting my eyes, dear. Getting in some practice before I doze off for real this time." Those pale eyes glinted with a mischievous light. "That is, if you think I'm fool enough to believe those nurses and that doctor. I still have plenty of fight left in me."

Just listening to her, Inko was almost convinced. But there was no denying just how weak she looked. "Why'd you want to see me?"

"Sit, sit. Don't make me have to work to talk to you and hear you," Pemphredo motioned weakly to a chair near the side of her bed, "and do I need a reason?"

Sitting down, Inko shrugged. "I don't know. You tell me."

Pemphredo smirked. "You've gotten snippy in your old age."

Inko huffed. "Not old."

"Oh yes, you are." Pemphredo pointed out, "You grew old almost two years ago."

Inko shifted in her seat. "I grew up. There's a difference."

Pemphredo shook her head. "Too young to have to grow old."

She went quiet then, staring off into the distance. Inko watched her just as quietly. Pemphredo wasn't out of it like Inko was used to, but she wasn't right. It was like all the broken pieces had been put together, but not in the right way.

Maybe it was all the medicine she was on. Or maybe old age had something to do with it. Inko was pretty sure the woman was over a hundred at the very least. Maybe she had been so crazy for so long she was becoming sane.

Which was, funnily enough, a crazy idea.

"Can I have a drink of water?" Pemphredo pointed over to a small shelf that had a few bottles of water sitting on it, along with some paper cups. Getting up, Inko popped one open and poured her a cup. "Do you know why I'm like this?"

Inko paused as she started to screw the cap back onto the bottle. "Huh?"

Pemphredo chuckled, dryly. "All nutty and crazy. Want to know why?"

"You're not…" Inko could not finish that sentence. There was lying, and then there was what she had been about to do.

Pemphredo laughed. "Don't have the gall to say it, hmm?"

Inko shrugged. "Well, do you? Is this why you wanted to talk to me?"

"Maybe? Partly. Some," Pemphredo rambled. "It's all connected, and I think I'm ready to tell the tale. Though it's a very short tale."

"And you want to tell me?"

Pemphredo smiled. "Well, it has to be you. You're the last person I ever saw. I haven't seen anyone else since you."

Inko wasn't sure what to make of that. Last person she had seen? What the hell did that mean? "How am I the last person you've seen? You see people all the time. Hell, I bet you saw the doctor today."

Pemphredo shook her head, "There's a difference between seeing and seeing, girl."

"Riiight."

Eying Inko, her pale eyes getting a little hard, Pemphredo puffed out an exasperated sigh. "I hope our new mayor isn't so stupid to forget."

"Oi," Inko snapped in annoyance.

Pemphredo just rolled her eyes. "Oh, don't go looking all offended. Just because you have half the people here falling in step with you, doesn't mean I'm going to. You're a little too young to take that tone with me."

"...I thought I was old."

"Oh, you are, but compared to me, you're still just Little Inko."

Inko groaned, rubbing her brow, what was she doing here again?

"Do you really not remember? Do you really not remember the last time I saw you?"

Inko blinked, and then almost dropped the cup of water she was bringing over. Wait. Wait, is she serious?

"You… you remember? Do you actually remember what you said to me?" Suddenly Inko was very glad to be where she was.

Pemphredo shook her head. "I remember that I saw you. It was the first time I had seen anyone in years. You're also the last person I've seen since then. But knowing what I saw… that was never something I could do… At least not since…" Pemphredo tapped her head. "I think I could remember what I saw once. Remember and recall it perfectly. But ever since that day… I think getting driven mad saved me… How funny is that?"

Inko was now seriously reconsidering her earlier passing thought. Maybe her insanity really had come full circle and her crazy had become so broken she was lucid. "What happened to you?"

"When I was little—very very little, younger than you were when Sea Beard came to see you—I was out playing in the rain. I used to live in the city on the mainland. It was so crowded, even with the rain. So much water, so many people… so many people reflected in the water. I saw all of them, all at once and well," Pemphredo tapped her head, "I broke. I saw so many people, all at once. Saw their good moments, their bad moments, and their ends. Thousands of endings. Thousands of ways death won."

Inko tried to think back, think back to that afternoon years ago. Getting called over by Pemphredo. How she hadn't even been lookin at her when she had talked. No, she had been looking at a puddle of water, looking at her reflection in the water. Inko's eyes went wide as it hit her.

"You can see a person's future when you look at their reflection in water."

Pemphredo smiled. "You'd think I would remember how my Quirk works. I guess I forgot it so I wouldn't have to see people anymore… Didn't always work, of course. Crazy me ended up living on a little island in the middle of the ocean. Maybe the dumbest place to move, don't you think?"

She laughed and Inko could only nodd numbly. Suddenly aware that she was holding a cup of water. Pemphredo saw Inko look down and nodded. "I want to see you again. I don't remember what I see, but with you… I think it was important what I saw. I saw… something more than just…" She trailed off, not sure what to call the feeling.

Inko found herself repeating the words she had been told years ago. They were etched into her soul by this point.

"Death comes. Midoriya blood calls to death, and the Reaper hears it from the depths. Death will come for Midoriya then, four times then once again.

"Fear the rage that you have stirred, or you'll drown amongst the animal's herd.

"As a demon offering a trade, a reward you must take for your aid.

"When land is gone and blood flows free, a two faced killer you must flee.

"A hand of death is at your throat, blood will spill so the knife you must note.

"Then when Midoriya blood is thinned by half, the demon will come back to take the calf.

"Birthed from fire eight thrones hide, but fear the demon as he slips inside."

Pemphredo blinked. "I said that?" Inko nodded. "I sound like a right nutter."

Despite everything, Inko laughed along with Pemphredo. Then Pemphredo reached out and cupped Inko's hands, which were still holding the water. "Let me see you. I want to try and use these stupid eyes… I want to see something grand before the end."

For a while now, Inko had been looking for answers. She had pretty much accepted that she'd never get any from Pemphredo, but now things were different. In a moment of lucidity, Pemphredo wanted to use her Quirk on her. Or at least try to. This was the best chance to get some answers.

Despite this, Inko was nervous. Because the first time Pemphredo has looked into her future, she saw death coming for her. What would she see if she did it again? But even though she was afraid, Inko nodded and leaned over, so that her face was reflected in the cup of water. Then Pemphredo looked down.

And her hands tightened and she spoke, with a power in her voice that echoed in Inko's ears, heart and soul.

"Midoriya blood rages up at death, the fall is coming so hold your breath. Beyond death's pale hand I see no life, only the child that lives in strife.

"Eight thrones tall the torch is passed, the ninth grows strong with powers amassed. But beware the Demon his hive is built, else the Ninth will succumb to his guilt.

"Decay will rot and the wolf will howl, the fake will lie and scheme most foul. Betrayed and tricked the rider stalks, inside the sound the eyeless sees all that walks.

"Cut or stitched it mattered not, armed with rage the torch was passed when he thought it was all for naught. Rage and fear will cloud the mind, but do not break the love intertwined.

"A star's great love and strength beheld, the darkness beaten back and expelled. The devil saved from darkness pulled, a cruel love tempered and matured.

"Ninth will fade as the Tenth does rise, together as one until the ninth's reprise.

"With every step Midoriya takes, death's many hands creep up like snakes. Consumed by rage the Twisted One comes, the path of death Midoriya must overcome.

"A web is sewn from mistakes of the past, but the Demon knows not the dice he cast. The first gift made to own flesh and bone, the second time set this path in stone."

---

Inko held her breath as Pemphredo finished. That hadn't been at all what she had expected. Maybe, maybe the pale hand was connected to the hand of death from the first time, but everything else was insanely different. This was even more insane than the last time.

Ninth and Tenth? Eight thrones, a star and now a devil? None of it made any sense at all. Inko repeated the words perfectly in her head again. They were etched in there, along with the first prophecy, but it didn't get her any closer to understanding what was coming her way.

Of course, maybe Pemphredo would remember this one. Maybe using her Quirk on purpose would help her remember. She just needed to ask her.

Then Inko realized something. She was the only one holding the cup of water now. Pemphredo's hands, which had been holding her so tightly, were gone.

Looking up from the water, Inko opened her mouth to say something but stopped, her words dying in her throat. Pemphredo was lying in her bed, hands cupped in her lap with her head nestled in her pillow. Her eyes were closed, and she had a small peaceful smile on her lips.

Inko didn't even need to check her to know; Pemphredo's own words before now echoed in her head just like the prophecies. 'Let me see you. I want to try and use these stupid eyes… I want to see something grand before the end.'

"The end, huh," Inko whispered as she brushed some strands of hair off the old woman's face. "Do me a favor, if you see Sakura on the other side. Let her know we all miss her."

---

Inko let the nurses know that Pemphredo had passed, and after making sure she would be taken care of, she left the clinic and found a place to sit and think. She needed to lay it all out. Which would take time.

"Nenshouki?"

Which it seemed she didn't have. Looking up, Inko saw Musen walking over to her. "Hey."

"You alright? How did your visit with Pemphredo go? It sounded like she didn't have much time left."

Inko sighed. "She's gone. We talked and then she passed away."

Musen closed her eyes, not really sure what to say. It wasn't like they had been close to the old lady, but she had always been there. As old as the island itself.

"It was peaceful at least," Inko added.

"At least she wasn't alone in her final moments," Musen added calmly. "Did you… get any answers from her? Like about the… you know." Musen wasn't sure if saying the word out loud was a good idea.

Inko shook her head. "No. Honestly I have more questions than answers now, but she did… she did try in her own way. She was almost lucid. Not sane, but… something else."

Shaking her head, Inko stood up from the bench. "Why'd you come looking for me? Something up?" Inko needed time to think, but she didn't want to do it right now. So a distraction would be good for her. Any kind.

Musen frowned and nodded. "Yeah. You know that storm that's been brewing?"

"Yeah? The one that some people thought was strong enough to twist all the way around and smack into Alaska, right?"

Musen pulled out a printed out meteorological map and handed it to Inko. "These are the newest projections. It's bad, Nenshouki. Really bad."

Inko blinked and unfolded the paper, eyes scanning it. It had been a few days since she had last seen a report about it. The new paper in her hands made Inko blink again. The storm had been huge before, a massive white swirl or rain and wind. But now, it almost covered up the whole printed out paper.

"Musen..? What am I looking at here?"

"The storm has almost doubled in size since the last report we got. Nenshouki, it's over twenty-five hundred kilometers wide."

"Wha?"

"That's about half the size of the continental United States."

"...Fuck."

"Wind speeds are also through the roof. Three hundred and seventy kilometers per hour. The JMA might have to come up with a whole new rating on their scale because 'Violent Typhoon' doesn't really cut it here anymore."

The numbers she heard didn't seem real. "Okay… okay so the same plan as before. We knew the waves this storm was going to make when it passed us were going to be nasty. Move all boats to the far side of the island and get people off the shoreline when this thing blows on… by… what?"

Musen shook her head and pointed at a dotted line on the paper. "The projected path isn't the same anymore. Look, it's not going to miss us. It's going to slam right into us."

"Fucking hell, we had a couple of weeks before it was going to hit but… What? Musen, what?"

"We don't have weeks. We have days. It's so strong now, and so big, it's eating away the distance."

"Days?"

"Three at most."

Inko wanted to sit down; her legs almost gave out right then and there, but she stood firm. She was the leader here, and damn it, she was not going to panic.

"Get the word out. The island is having an emergency town hall. We need to get a plan together now. Nail down anything that we can't move to the far side of the island. Get Bob to start building shelters ASAP. Don't worry about comfort, we need strength. Strong enough and high enough so we don't drown. If we get everyone working now, we should be good."

Inko was in her zone now. Taking control and making plans to do what she could. She couldn't shoot or punch a storm, but she could damn well turn Bespin into a shield and defy it.

"Nenshouki, there's one last thing."

"What? Is the storm filled with fucking sharks?"

"Sea Beard contacted me after I got this new report."

"The hell?"

"He told me that a rescue ship is on its way."

"A rescue ship? We don't want to be on the fucking water when this hits? Why is he talking about a ship? And who the hell is sending one?"

"It's from the Hero Public Safety Commission. It's a retrofitted cruise liner, I think. The Japanese government is sending it because they want us to evacuate Bespin. It's big enough that it can take everyone."

"Evacuate?" Inko didn't like this. On one hand, getting people off the island for the storm did make sense, but this whole thing seemed odd. She smelled something. "What's the catch? Since when does the mainland give a shit about us?"

Musen shifted uncomfortably, "Nenshouki… Sea Beard and the HPSC… they think Bespin is lost. It's not just an evacuation. It's a relocation. They think the storm is going to destroy the island."

---

It was early morning of the next day and Inko glared at the huge ship that was now anchored off the shore. It really had been a cruise ship, like Musen had thought. The size of it was a little shocking. No one on the island had ever seen a sea vehicle so big. It could easily carry the whole population, and have room to spare.

While the ship was way too huge to pull into the island's docks, it had instead begun to send out bright orange life boats that were now filling every dock port. Made easy since all the other boats had been moved to the far side of the island for safety.

Drumming her fingers on the side of her rifle, Inko, along with any other villager that stopped to look, was a little surprised to see robots emerge from the boats and begin setting up ramps to get people onboard. Knowing that the mainland had some advanced technology was one thing. Seeing it was another.

"Nenshouki?"

Inko pulled out her walkie talkie. "Yeah, Musen?" Inko had sent Musen with some binoculars to get a better view of the ship, to see exactly who was on once the first robot had emerged- "See any actual people?"

"No. It looks like the ship is totally automated."

That was really weird, Inko thought. Though at the same time, maybe they just didn't want people close to the storm. It was still a couple of days away, but the sky was covered in dark clouds just waiting to start pouring rain, and the ocean was getting rough. Waves battered and broke against the island.

It already felt like Bespin was in a storm, and the freaking storm wasn't even there yet.

"There's something else though."

"Yeah?"

"I see a helicopter."

"…Wait really? What the hell is going on?"

Inko could smell something rotten. Something was up. Why would there be a helicopter too? If someone wanted to be here, why not ride the freaking luxury ship. Unless being separate from everyone was the point.

Everything about this was just weird, so Inko needed to go see just what the game was. "Where could a helicopter land here?"

"The village square. With all the food stalls broken down it's large enough and flat too."

Inko blinked. "You pulled that idea out pretty quickly, Musen."

"It just made sense… Also Sea Beard is there. Looks like he's waiting for someone."

---

Over the now drumming beat of the helicopter blades and the kicked up wind it created as it came in for a landing, Inko advanced up to Sea Beard, pushing through a crowd of people working to get the site secure while trying to ignore the sudden strange event.

There also had to be the island's whole host of children that had come to gawk in wonder at the site. They had all been told to avoid the docks because of the heavy waves starting to break—no one wanted to find out their child had been washed away—so the fact that all the kids were here meant they hadn't heard about the cruise liner manned by little green robots yet.

"You want to tell me what the hell is going on here?"

Sea Beard turned and looked at Inko, eyes drifting to the rifle that hung over her shoulder. "Nenshouki, you shouldn't have that right now… You shouldn't be here right now."

Inko frowned deeply. "Im the fucking mayor here. Meaning things like surprise visitors should be at the top of things I should be told about. Want to tell me why the hell you decided to keep this from me?"

Sea Beard frowned, glancing back towards the landed helicopter. Inko could see he was uneasy, which was not a look she was used to seeing from him. It put her a little on guard. "Because I only just learned about it."

Inko looked back at the helicopter. It was a luxury model, she could see that at the very least. She could smell the money wafting off it. "So who's the important douche that decided to fly in?"

"The president of the Hero Public Safety Commission."

…What the fuck?

As if on cue, a small robot, pretty much like the ones operating the boats, rolled out of the pilot seat and made its way to the side door. With the door open, they could see a man with light hair, parted down the middle and a narrow nose topped with a pair of square horn rimmed glasses. He wore a black suit that didn't look like it belonged on the island in any way, shape, or form, and he carried a small black briefcase. Overall, he stood out like a sore thumb.

Inko, despite the alarming situation that a man as powerful as this had just decided to make an unannounced visit, decided to be a little petty and snidely sniped at Sea Beard. "Not important enough to even get told the boss is coming for dinner, huh?"

Sea Beard turned and glared at Inko, a strange fire in his eyes. "Nenshouki, you need to do yourself a huge favor and take this seriously."

"Oh, and why's that? I don't have time to worry about some self important jackass. I have more important things to take care of. Like making sure Bespin makes it through this—"

"He's here because of you, Nenshouki. You got involved in an ongoing investigation that was years in the making. You royally fucked over multiple goverment angencies while wearing," Sea Beard angrily tugged at the red band on Inko's arm, "the symbols of a group that the government officially recognizes as a terrorist orginization. I don't think you realize just how fucked you are."

"...Riiiight, I'm quaking in my boots because some suit decided to make an appearance. This is my home, these are my people, and I'll be damned if I'm intimidated here. So this shit-head can just hop back onto his copter and fly the fuck awa—"

Then, behind the President, someone else poked her head out of the opened door. Dark blue and bright pink hair tied into a ponytail was the very first thing that Inko noticed. Then she saw—

When land is gone and blood flo–

"Look! It's a hero!"

"Oh wow! She must be a hero, she's dressed funny!"

"I've never seen another hero before!"

Children rushed past Inko, jostling her out of her thoughts as they rushed towards the helicopter. Shaking her head with a sigh, Inko supposed she couldn't blame the kids. When the only hero you've ever known is a salty old man, anything new would cause some excitement.

Speaking of new, Inko thought to herself as she sized up the girl that had stepped out of the helicopter. 'New' was a very accurate word. Because looking at this crazy haired character, it was painfully obvious that she was young. Stupidly young. Younger than Inko by a few years at least. The hell? Is this kid even out of high school yet?

The costume she wore looked rugged though, even if it was a simple dark bodysuit. Something that was supposed to hold up to some action. Around her waist, she wore a belt that had little pouches. In each one was a strange twisted up cylinder that oddly enough were the same colors as her hair, some more blue, or some more pink. They looked like some kind of twisted up hard candy. Over her right eye, she had some kind of lens, shaped like a bolt of lightning, giving her a little flourish to her overall look.

When the kids all ran up, this young hero smiled brightly and waved at them.

God, she's a fucking kid herself. Look at her.

Still she was getting some giggles and laughs from the kids, and given the serious and scary situation the island was in, Inko supposed it was alright. The kids needed a break. So let the pipsqueak play with the kids, Inko was going to deal with the suit.

Striding forward, she was aware of the alarmed growl from Sea Beard as he rushed after her. "The hell are you doing?!"

"Saying hello."

"For fuck sakes Nenshouki!"

---

The children beamed brightly as they crowded around the young hero. Excitement and curiosity overriding any 'stranger danger' lessons they might have been taught. After all, this was a hero. There was no danger here.

"Can you fly?"

"What's your Quirk?"

"Your hair is pretty!"

"What's your name?"

The hero laughed and patted a few kids on the head. Smiling at them, she struck a pose. "I'm Lady Nagant! Japan's newest greatest hero!"

"Wooow!"

While Lady Nagant soaked up the children's attention, the President stayed off to the side, nodding in approval. Though his demeanor stiffened when Inko pushed through the crowd and began to walk up to them. While aware of her, Inko wearing her old green uniform and carrying her rifle on her shoulder made it hard to miss her.

As Inko got closer, she noticed that the young hero, Lady Nagant, was watching her. She was armed and approaching a pretty important person so that made sense. The President, though, was not able to hide the disdain he had. And it wasn't because of the gun.

"I'd say welcome to our humble island, but we aren't really taking visitors right now," Inko said as she came to a stop, keeping her eyes on the man. "Apparently there's this huge storm that's about to hit us and we'd like to make sure we don't get swept away." Inko paused and then smiled down at the kids. "Now I'm pretty sure you kids were gonna help get all the stalls put up right?"

Immediately the kids all nodded and after saying goodbye to the new hero, they hurried off. Now it was just the President, Lady Nagant, Inko, Sea Beard and the crowd of people watching them.

"Nenshouki, correct?" The President asked.

"Mayor Nenshouki," Inko corrected. The President frowned while Sea Beard rubbed his brow. Inko however didn't really care about any of that. "I'm a very busy woman, got an island to run. So whatever this is, make it fast because I have a lot more important things to do."

As Inko talked she took a few steps closer to the President. Lady Nagant frowned and stepped between him and her. Inko raised an eyebrow. "Really? What are you, like ten? Step back kid, the adults are talking."

"I happen to be a professional hero, just graduated in fact."

"Good for you kid. Now move, the adults are talking."

Lady Nagant smiled, though it was frosty at the edges. "I'm not about to let a known and armed dangerous villain bear my boss."

Inko raised an eyebrow. "Villain? Look at you. The crayon isn't even dry on your playground diploma, and you're trying to intimidate people. That's so cute. Nice to see the government is getting you all sorted out and ready to crush the little people under your boot."

Sea Beard put a hand on Inko's shoulder, pulling her back and stepping between the two while the President eyed Inko. "If you're unhappy with the term villain, traitor could work just as well."

"Really? You're less convincing than the baby here," Inko said, rolling her eyes. "This whole intimidation thing just isn't your thing."

"Nenshouki Inko, your actions alone would have labeled you an enemy of the state. By interfering with a government operation and killing a protected witness, you would be tried and convicted of treason. Do I need to tell you what the punishment for treason is?"

Inko scoffed, not impressed with anything that was being said but the President continued, now letting his gaze move to the people gathered around in the market. "But you did something even worse. You reformed a terrorist organization with the populace of this island. Making them all traitors." Inko narrowed her eyes. "It wouldn't take much to call in the military and fly a bomber over this place. You understand that, right?"

Inko's hand moved to the gun's trigger. Lady Nagants arm twitched but Sea Beard grabbed Inko's arm and shot the President a look. "We had an agreement, didn't we? This, this right here isn't part of that."

The President nodded. "Just making sure the young woman understands where she stands. Metaphorically and," he popped open a briefcase and pulled out a stuffed manilla folder, "literally."

While keeping an eye on Lady Nagant, Inko plucked the folder out of the President's hand and opened it up. "And what is all this?"

"Confiscated records from the Alderaan Mining and Refining Corporation, of which I believe you have a history with."

"The whole island has a history with them…" Inko grumbled as she flipped through the papers. "And again, what is all this?"

"Detailed records of the company's unpublished mining operations."

"Unpublished?"

"A mining corporation must keep detailed records of their operations, to ensure that proper safety regulations are being followed. And to make sure their planned operations can be carried out. It also includes geographic maps of the island and where miners can and cannot dig. Their published and doctored records show they didn't do everything by the book. These originals paint a very different picture."

Inko wasn't surprised the Alderaan Mining and Refining Corporation wasn't doing things right. She had seen it with her own eyes. But why was she being given documented evidence? "While I'm happy to see my suspicions were right, and the company was a twisted pile of crap, what is this supposed to tell me?"

"A while ago, I had experts study exactly what had been done to this island after Alderaan's illegal mining activities. They all said the same thing. The damage done to the foundations of the island is so great, it's no longer sound."

Inko scanned through the papers as the President kept talking, "I've been sent reports on the constant land mass loss Bespin has suffered. Over the years, chunks of this island have broken off and fallen into the ocean, filling the voids that had been dug out. And that was without the help of a massive storm."

"What exactly are you trying to say?"

"That Bespin island will not survive being hit by this storm. All the preparations you are trying to complete won't do you any good. Our experts say this island will collapse in on itself."

Inko frowned. "Islands don't just do that."

Sea Beard looked over at Inko sadly. "They do when they've had their core ripped out. Look at the documents. Alderaan hollowed out the island way worse than anyone could have imagined."

"We're rebuilding. This past year Bespin has made real progress towards—"

"Nenshouki, look out there. Look." Sea Beard pointed out towards the island, up to the forest and mountain. "Everything is dead. Nothing grows here anymore. The damage that was done was too great. Bespin is a corpse."

"Your home is dead, and staying here will kill its people too," The President continued. "That is why the HPSC has come. To evacuate all of you off and relocate you back to mainland Japan."

"At no point have you all ever cared about the people here," Inko pointed out angrily, "and now you're here? What's the catch? Because you just fucking threatened us not two minutes ago."

"Simple, I'm dealing with a potential problem before it grows too big. The original Meta Liberation Army started out just like this. A group of people left unattended for too long, growing bitter and following a charismatic but dangerous leader. However the methods used to defeat them… wouldn't work cleanly here. If suddenly a whole island's population just disappeared, well then there would be questions. And if we just left you all to die, again, too many questions."

The President reached into the briefcase again and pulled out a folded up document. "This is a copy of an agreement reached within the HPSC. Anyone that agrees to evacuate and be relocated to Japan will receive a full pardon, as long as they immediately cease and terminate any and all contact with rebellious elements. The automated drones will already be spreading the word now that the boats have landed. This is a one time deal, that even includes you. The easiest and quickest solution."

Inko frowned. "Cease contact?"

"To be frank, the people here will be spread out so that contact will be all but impossible."

"And if we tell you to take your 'deal' and shove it?"

The President looked at Inko coldly. "Then on your head, the consequences. The ship will be here until nightfall. It's as long as we can safely remain. Anyone left off the ship when we leave, will have to weather the storm."

---

"So the ship is a trap," Hisashi said with confidence.

"I've been monitoring some news on the radio, they are talking about the rescue efforts. If it was a trap, I don't think the government would want the news to know," Musen countered.

After the talk, Inko had immediately called her friends back to the mayor's apartment to discuss what they were going to do. She knew they needed to get out ahead of this, as word of the evacuation ship and why it was here was spreading fast.

While people weren't panicking yet, it wouldn't take much for there to be an issue. Fortunately, so far, cooler heads were prevailing and keeping people focused on shoring up the island and getting ready for the storm.

"I mean," Hisashi said, "let's make one thing perfectly clear here. No one is getting on that ship."

"You try to give that order and you'll be in a world of hurt," Musen grumbled.

Hisashi lifted his arms up, like he wanted whoever was stupid enough to challenge his word to step forward. "Really? And who's going to challenge me on this?"

"How about me, you jackass?" Musen growled, getting to her feet.

Biruda stepped between the two. "Easy. We're all wound up pretty tight. Let's just take a second to breathe."

Hisashi sneered. "When did you become a fucking coward, Musen?"

"Go fuck yourself you—"

"Enough!" Inko slammed a hand down on her desk to drive home her point. "We are not doing this. Musen, calm down. Bark Head, watch it. You know damn well Musen isn't a coward."

With that cleared up, Inko addressed the subject. "If people want to leave, we aren't going to hold them here against their will. It's not going to happen."

Biruda frowned, "If we lose too many though, we might not have the manpower to secure the island in time."

"Then we're going to have to narrow our focus. Infrastructure will need to be the priority."

Hisashi shook his head. "So you want us to tell people that they need to stop trying to save their homes? They're not going to like that."

"Without the island's infrastructures, we don't have power. Without power, we'll be crippled before we even begin to rebuild what we lose," Inko pointed out.

Biruda looked down at a map with their plans scribbled across it. "About how many do we know for sure are planning on getting on the ship and leaving?"

Hisashi shrugged. "Less than half for sure. Maybe eighty people, give or take."

Biruda whistled. "That's a lot closer to half than I'd want."

Musen frowned. "It's going to be more than half."

"Oh?"

Musen turned and looked Inko in the eye. "You need to order anyone with kids off the island."

"The hell?"

"Musen, hold on a second."

Musen hissed at them. "Shut it." Then she looked back at Inko. "You cannot ask families to stay. This storm is going to rip us apart. Regardless of what the HPSC says about the island's stability, this is going to get nasty. You have to order families with kids off."

"Why in the hell would Inko do that?" Hisashi asked, trying not to yell.

"Because she's our leader. And that means she has a responsibility to make sure those kids are taken care of." Musen glared at Inko. "That means picking the option that gives them the best chance of surviving and not losing their parents. Unless she wants one of the buildings we make to be a new orphanage."

That made everyone wince. By some twisted miracle, because the fishing had been so bad these last few years, no child had lost their parents to the sea. Inko and her lot had been the island's last batch of orphans. So the idea that there could be new ones after this was a harsh pill to swallow.

Biruda crossed his arms. "We do this, we'll be way past the halfway mark on people staying…"

"We'd have what? A quarter?" Hisashi asked.

"I'd say around fifty people or so," Inko said.

That, they all knew, was way too few to secure their home like they had wanted. But no one could muster up an excuse to either keep the children here, or to separate families.

"Musen," Inko said finally, "get the word out. Families are to board the boat. As for everyone else… we'll figure out what we're going to do."

---

Lady Nagant laughed as she piggybacked a kid from the dock to one of the waiting lifeboats. "And here we are!"

With a little spin, she moved the child off her back and into the arms of their family. Waving goodbye, Lady Nagant strolled back off the dock and over towards the President who was watching the operation with a passing interest. These people, the ones taking the deal and leaving, we're not the group he was thinking about.

"Surprised so many people are taking the deal?" Lady Nagant asked as she stood off to his side.

"Larger than I anticipated, but it's still easily handled."

Lady Nagant nodded. "Wasn't expecting her to order people off. That's something you expect from an actual leader. Not the head of a terrorist organization."

"Hmm," the President pulled his glasses off and cleaned them with a small cloth in his top pocket. "It's what makes her dangerous. Destro wasn't some madman. There was a reason he was able to amass such a following. If left to her own devices, this Nenshouki could very well repeat that feat."

Crossing her arms, Lady Nagant looked away from the docks towards the town, at a group of people not packing up to leave, but working to secure the small market center. "At least this makes things easier for me."

"Sea Beard has sent out a message to everyone that hasn't agreed yet to meet with him this evening just before the ship is scheduled to disembark. I suppose the old man wants to try one last time to save all that he can… The group will be meeting at the town hall."

"…understood."

---

Dark clouds made the sky an unnerving dark green. Flashes of lightning ripped through the sky, followed by the crack of thunder. The wind had picked up in the last few hours and waves crashed against the shore. It was still early in the evening, but the storm sapped away any remaining light from the sun, blanketing the island in an early dark.

Rain had started to fall earlier in the day, soaking the ground while people went to and from. As it got late, the rain fell harder. The sky was opening up, and a torrent of water was unleashed.

The worsening weather was the perfect match for Inko's foul mood. Sea Beard's sudden town hall meeting irked her to no end. People had shit to do, and they could not afford the distraction.

"He did make it seem pretty urgent. Talking about safety and everything," Musen said as she, Biruda and Hisashi walked besides Inko down the road, huddled under umbrellas or hiding inside rain ponchos. Keeping close to buildings for some protection from the rain.

"When the rescue expert wants to talk about safety, even if you don't like him, you kinda have to listen," Biruda offered. "Explains why everyone left decided to go."

Inko looked over towards the gathering crowd in the town hall before shaking her head. "He doesn't just get to pull this shit. People are already on edge. They need to be doing something to distract them. Keeping them all cooped up in a room is going to cause issues."

"A lot of people in there are pissed that so many people left," Hisashi noted.

Musen frowned. "We did the right thing. And you know it."

Hisashi grumbled but didn't argue the point.

Biruda sighed. "We better get in there and make sure people don't start rioting or something. I heard a few people on the street earlier say they should be dragging some people back."

"Oh, good. Because that's just what we need," Musen shook her head, "an angry mob storming the lifeboats to drag people back."

"I want you three to get in there and make sure no one does anything stupid," Inko ordered, "I'm going to go find Sea Beard and figure out what his game is."

Before the three left the limited protection of the building and stepped into the downpour, Inko called out to them. "You know…" they turned, "…The boats are still boarding. There are a few left if…" She didn't want her friends to leave, but she'd be selfish if she didn't make sure they knew, if they wanted to leave and have a fresh start, they could. And she wouldn't blame them.

Biruda waved her off. "Yeah, I'll pass. If things are gonna be as bad as we think they'll be, you'll need me to help rebuild this shit hole."

Musen smirked. "We've been with you from the start. We aren't leaving you now."

"I mean, I'm your husband. What kind of shit would I have to be, to abandon you?" Hisashi said with a goofy grin.

---

In the time it took Inko to make it to Sea Beard's place, the weather had taken a turn for the worse. Bespin was now getting battered with rain, wind and the stirred up ocean. Shivering, dripping wet despite her rain poncho, and swearing, Inko used the butt of her rifle and slammed it against Sea Beard's door. "Sea Beard, open the fuck up or I swear to god, I'm shooting your damn door down!"

Since there wasn't a reply the very moment she had issued her warning, Inko's hand went to take the safety off her rifle and blast the door knob off. A second later, the door swung open and the salty old hero looked out into the storm, shocked. "The holy hell, there was someone out… Nenshouki? What the fuck are you doing out here?" He blinked again before moving aside. "Get the hell in here."

Inko grumbled as she stormed in. "You're the shit head that decided to call an emergency meeting out of the blue."

Sea Beard shook his head as he went in search of a towel for Inko. "At the damned town hall. Why are you here?"

Finding one, he tossed it at Inko, who caught it and began to pat herself dry. "I'm here because I'm tired of your shit. What are you trying to pull?"

"What am I trying to…?" Sea Beard threw up his hands. "Do you just completely have your head shoved up your ass at this point?" Sea Beard threw his door back open. "Look out there, Nenshouki! This isn't even part of the main front and it's already the worst storm this island has ever seen in decades! Do you really not know what I'm trying to do here? I'm going to try and convince the last of the people here to get on that ship before it leaves."

Inko rolled her eyes. "Always saying things but never backing them up. All you do is talk, but when push comes to shove, you do nothing. You want to talk? Do it when people aren't working to save what little they have."

"There's nothing left to save, Nenshouki. Bespin died the moment Alderaan started digging. There's nothing left—!"

*BANG!*

Inko screamed as she swung her rifle up and fired a shot out into the stormy night through the opened door. "SHUT YOUR DAMN MOUTH!"

Inko seethed while Sea Beard looked at her. "There has to be something left. The last eleven years can't mean *nothing!* No one did anything. No one wanted to do anything. But my friends and I, despite everyone on this god forsaken shit hole hating us because of you, we fought back!

"We drove Alderaan out, and it cost Sakura her life! We fought back against the Yakuza while you and the damned government sat back and let people drown in the drugs they were making. We finally, *finally,* have a chance to save this place, and now, all of a sudden you say we have to leave. I don't fucking accept it! Not after everything."

Inko seethed and hissed, "After all that pain, all that blood. After everything it cost just to have a chance at something normal, I won't abandon my home just because someone says things are going to get tough."

Inko looked Sea Beard in the eye. "I lived through hell my whole life. The Yakuza, Alderaan, Sytsevich, the fucking superstitious shit heads, and you. You all made my life a living hell, tried to turn my own home against me. Well, I've beaten all of you, time and time again. This fucking storm won't be any different. Musen, Biruda, Hisashi, despite everything, we win. This won't be any different."

Sea Beard looked at Inko. At first, he had been exasperated by her, then shocked at the rage she now seethed with. Now, it was something close to pity. She wasn't trying to save Bespin because she loved the people; it was because it was her home and it was all she knew. But despite all of it, she and her friends had stayed together and made themselves a life.

"You really have had an unfair time here, haven't you?"

Inko scowled. "Don't. Don't even try to pity me." Inko jabbed a finger into his chest. "You don't get to pretend to suddenly give a shit about my life. Not after the bullshit you put me through."

Sea Beard sighed. "I know you hate me because I couldn't save your parents."

Inko threw up her hands. "I never hated you for that., for fucks sake." Rubbing her brow, Inko growled out, "I hated you because you abandoned us orphans. You delivered the bad news, promised to do what you could to help us, then avoided us like we had the plague. The people here hated us because they thought we were bad luck. But you? You pretended like we didn't even exist. When we needed you, you always did nothing."

Inko turned away, disgusted this was where the conversation had gone. She had not come here for some heart to heart. She didn't have time for this. She had a job to do. People to organize. And island to sa—

"It takes a stronger man than me to face the real life consequences of his failures."

…What the fuck did he just say?

Inko turned back around, and was more than a little startled to see the old man, now looking his age. He seemed sunken in. It was a disturbing change. "What the hell does that even mean?"

Sea Beard walked over to a small drawer and pulled out a weathered old pipe. Pulling out some clumps of tobacco, he stuffed them in and lit it.

"I'm almost ninety years old, Nenshouki. I've saved a lot of people in those years. But I've also lost people too. Used to do a lot of work with the coast guard off mainland Japan in my younger years. Didn't come to Bespin until I was already at retirement age. But I felt I still had more to give. Didn't realize that failing to save people here came with an added cost."

With his pipe now stuck in his mouth, he pulled out some rolling paper and quickly rolled Inko a cigarette. She looked at him funnily, but took the smoke all the same. God knew she needed it.

Taking a lighter Inko sucked in a lungful of the sweet smoke and asked, "And what was the added cost?"

"You."

"…The fuck does that mean?"

Puffing out some smoke, Sea Beard leaned against a wall. "When I was younger, and a sea rescue went south… It sucked. I hated that I wasn't able to save someone. I'd go home, or to a bar, and drink a bottle of whatever was closest and let myself feel like shit. Then I'd come into work the next day, determined not to let it happen again. Knowing that no matter what, the sea would take what it wanted eventually."

Breathing through his nose, smoke wafted around his face, looking like a dense fog covering up the foam beard he always had. "But for every loss back then… I never had to face the families of the people I couldn't save. I never had to look at their children." He looked at Inko. "That's not the case when you become a small island's only resident hero."

Inko took another drag. "Wait, hood on. What exactly are you saying?"

"I couldn't look at the children of the people I couldn't save. Because I kept seeing my own failure staring back at me."

Inko blinked, the cigarette almost falling out of her mouth. "You couldn't look at us? Because we were a constant reminder that you couldn't save our parents? That's the reason for… for everything?!"

"Pretty much."

Inko brought a hand up to her face, before she hissed out a breath and ran her hand over her head and through her soaked hair. "You're a god damned coward."

"I know."

After years, years, of wondering why this hero had seemingly abandoned the children of parents he hadn't been able to save. Years wondering what could make someone so heartless. To finally have the answer, that it was a man's own cowardice and fear at facing his own guilt in the eyes of those children.

Inko wasn't sure what to feel. Years of anger and rage, legitimate hate she had felt that had kept her up at night when she was younger. Crying herself to sleep because she was pushed aside and forgotten. All that and more and only to now be here. Inko wasn't sure what she felt. Pity? Anger? Hate? Remorse? It took Inko a few tries to finally get the right word.

Tired.

She just felt tired.

She took another long drag of the cigarette. "This is some good stuff right here."

Sea Beard huffed, a tired smile on his lips. "Grow it myself."

"Huh… never knew that. Sakura would have gotten a kick out of that, I think."

"Hmm."

With the truth out in the open, neither person really knew what to say. So they stood and smoked . A small conversation like this wouldn't erase years of hurt, but at least for a moment, they had a peace.

"Say what you want to everyone. But no one else is going to get on that ship. Too stubborn, like me I guess. I say we can save our home and they believe it. I won't lie to them about that. But… do what you want before you get on the boat."

Sea Beard puffed at his pipe, savoring it. "I'm not leaving."

Inko blinked. "Eh?" Well that didn't make any sense. "Hold on. You're the one making a huge deal about people needing to leave. And you're not leaving?"

When Sea Beard spoke next, there was a calmness to him that put Inko off. He was at peace, when really, he shouldn't be. "I've known for a long time now that I'm going to die here."

"The fuc—"

"And it's not going to be a peaceful death either."

Inko pulled the cigarette from her mouth and gave it a sniff, making sure there wasn't some weed mixed in. "How the holy fuck could you know that? What pesticides have you got soaked into your stash, old man?"

Sea Beard laughed, and despite just saying he knew he was going to die, just continued to smoke. "The day I moved to this island, Pemphredo saw it." He looked at Inko knowingly. "And I'd say she always knew what she was talking about when she saw something."

Oh… well shit.

"Is that why… you never left? After everything? Wait, you think the storm is going to get you?"

"'When land is gone and blood flows free, your fated end you can not flee. Death's great plunge you must take, ripped apart your body will break. Your final act defiance made, a road for redemption you have laid.'"

Inko sucked in a breath, a shudder running up her spine. Those were Pemphredo's words, she had no doubt. But a cold fear gripped her heart as she whispered, "'When land is gone and blood flows free, a two faced killer you must flee.'"

Sea Beard looked at Inko. "What?"

"Pemphredo she… it's part of what she saw with me…"

Sea Beard just looked at her, then took the pipe out of his mouth. "Nenshouki… I'm almost certain that I'm dying tonight. That's why I'm trying one last time to get people off and onto the ship…"

When land is gone and blood flows free…

Inko hated how they both had the same damn start there. She also hated that, thinking about it, 'land is gone' sounded pretty much like what the HPSC said was going to happen. "Oh fuck…"

"'Blood flows free, a two faced killer you must flee,'" Sea Beard repeated Inko's words to himself. "Nenshouki… we should get to the town hall."

Inko felt a pit forming in her stomach. "Yeah…"

---

Hisashi crossed his arms as he looked out into the stormy nothingness, leaning on a door frame. Keeping the crowd under control had not been the easiest thing. People were pissed that so many of the islanders had decided to leave. They were also pissed Inko had ordered families onboard.

The idea of dragging people back was floated around, with many ready to rush the cruise ship and force people back. Musen had immediately shot the idea down. When they tried to push on with the idea, some got newly crisped edges thanks to Hisashi, which got them back under control.

With the crowd now more or less docile, if still on edge, Hisashi stayed at the side entrance and kept an eye on the road. Expecting Inko to be running down it any second.

Footsteps behind him made Hisashi sigh and reach into his pocket and pull out a cigarette. "Musen, do you want something to calm you down?" After the crowd had settled, Musen started getting antsy. When asked what was up, she couldn't give an answer. Just that she was nervous. "Or maybe you should get your antenna looked at," Hisashi joked.

Musen was chewing on a nail, not really paying attention to Hisashi. Rolling his eyes, Hisashi brought the cigarette to his mouth. "Maybe I'll go see if Biruda knows what's up. I'm sure he's tired of planning what we're all gonna be doing tomorrow to batten down the hatches before the damned storm hi—"

Musen stopped moving, her skin going pale. Eyes wide and panicked. She looked at Hisashi, who stopped talking at her sudden turn for the worst.

Musen always knows.

The inside joke about their radio friends' supposed ESP powers. Hisashi suddenly wondered what she knew now. What had her so scared?

Tears in her eyes, her fearful face hardened and she charged, hands out in front of her. Driving them into Hisashi's chest and throwing him out of the doorway and into the dark stormy night. Slamming into the mud and sliding back, Hisashi wretched his head up out of the mud, face covered, to yell at Musen. Wondering why she had done that.

"RUN!"

BANG!

But the first gunshot made sure no one would hear that question.

---

Rain continued to drench Bespin, a constant waterfall ripped out of the sky. Thunder boomed and lightning cracked overhead while gusts of wind pressed over everything.

After parking Sea Beard's truck in the market, Inko grunted as she now had to fight against an ankle-deep current of water that raged around her feet. Each step was a chore, a fight against the elements. And this was in the main market street. Beside her, Sea Beard was struggling much less, his lower body now a swirl of foam. He looked like a genie as he floated along the water's surface. Every once in a while putting a hand to Inko's back to keep her from falling.

With a click of her tongue, Inko had to anchor her feet into the road to catch her breath. She had been tempted to boost herself along the water, using Fa Jin to keep her legs strong, but while she had an uneasy peace with Sea Beard, she didn't want him wondering how she was suddenly unaffected by the raging current.

Plus, even with all the practice she put into her second Quirk, the total amount of energy she could store hadn't gone up that much. It was greater than when she had first got it, and the power she outputted was higher too, but she could still burn through it in seconds if she wasn't careful.

Fortunately she was finally at the town hall, and she could get out of the water. The front door to the building was opened, giving the pair some light the last few feet of their journey.

"I fucking hope everyone is still there and they didn't just leave the door open in this damned storm…" Inko grumbled.

Getting closer to the building, Sea Beard frowned. "Nenshouki, the windows." Pointing up, Sea Beard drew Inko's attention away from the wide open doors, and to several windows along the front of the building. All of them were shattered.

"The fuck?" Inko wanted to scream. "Did those angry fucks actualy start breaking shit? I thought for sure Bob, Musen and Bark Head would be able to keep them in line."

Sea Beard looked at the broken windows while he stepped up onto the town hall's steps. "They must have everything under control now. I don't hear any commotion inside…"

Inko shook herself off, a futile attempt to make herself not soaking wet. "I guess. Hopefully Bark Head didn't have to light anyone on fire… What?" Inko noticed that Sea Beard was still looking at the broken glass. Made from old glass, the large shards sticking out of the frame like clear daggers. "I'll get someone to knock the rest of that shit out and board up everything… What?"

"…The glass is pointing the wrong way…"

Inko blinked. "Eh?"

"Those shards… they're pointing into the building."

Inko tore off her poncho and looked for a hanger to hang it up. "So?"

"So, whatever broke it, came from outside." Sea Beard squinted. "And it was small." Sea Beard looked at some of the broken glass and could see that enough remained to give a basic idea of the size of the object that had gone through.

"A rock?" Inko stopped looking for a hook in the entrance, frowning at all the raincoats and shit piled up from everyone inside taking up all the space. "Though if everyone was inside who threw a rock…"

Inko tossed her coat into a small pile of other rain gear. "…Everyone's stuff is still here…" There were easily fifty people's worth of rain gear stacked up and hung up at the entrance of the town hall building. Even if they weren't angry anymore… "Why can't I hear anyone?"

Sea Beard turned his head away from the glass, looked at all the gear, and then heard only the roaring storm. Inko rushed for the inner door to the hall while Sea Beard was right beside her. Gripping her rifle tightly at her side, Inko threw the door open, and nearly jumped out of her skin when someone fell through and into her arms, a new wetness hitting her chest.

"Oi!" Inko was ready to throw the person off, collapsing like that he must be drunk and spilling his drink onto her. "The hell is going…"

When Inko looked down at whoever was dumb enough to come drunk to a townhall meeting during a horrific storm, she felt her breath ripped out of her lungs. The side of their head was just gone. Red gore, not a drink, poured out of the wound and onto her.

"Wha? Wha?"

Inko froze, staring down at the dead body.

"Oh my god." Sea Beard's gasp of horror to her side broke Inko out of her trance. She looked up, and saw what he saw.

The town hall was a bloodbath. Bodies were everywhere. Soaking the room in red. So many people were just strewn around on the ground. Many were collected into piles at the two doorways into the room, like they were cut down trying to run out of it.

Some were leaning up against each other, huddled together, arms wrapped around others, a final act to try and protect people from whatever had assaulted them. But they were still dead. Dead protectors holding dead victims. Their act of compassion did not matter, they were dead all the same.

Husbands holding their wives.

Sisters shielding their brothers.

Friends trying to—

Biruda, arms around Musen, his lifeless body still covering hers, despite the hole in his back and out his chest. A wound that perfectly matched Musen's, her arms tightly gripping the young man, almost soothingly. The pair clenched together near the side door.

Dead

Dead

Dead

Dead

Dead

Dead

Dead

Inko fell to her knees, her soul shattered. They were dead. Everyone was dead. Her friends were dead. Everyone was dead.

Killed

Murdered

Dead

Dead

Dead

Musen

Biruda

Hisashi

Dead

Dead Dead

Dead Dead Dead

Dead Dead Dead Dead

Dead Dead Dead Dead Dead

DeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDeadDead!

Inko screamed.

Utter horror and despair was expelled from her very soul as she screamed. Shredding her throat and emptying her pain out into the world. She pulled at her hair, ripping strands out of her scalp, slamming her face into the floor, blooding her nose. Inko screamed and cried, wailed and wept.

"I see. I was wondering where you had gone. I guess this explains why Sea Beard was late. At least this saves me the trouble of having to hunt you down."

The voice was recognizable but not. Familiar but strange. Known but unknown.

When land is gone and blood flows free, a two faced killer you must flee.

"You?"

Lady Nagant walked over bodies as she entered the room, stepping on corpses without a care. Her youthful smile and innocence were gone. Only a steely gaze and cold eyes remained. It was as if Lady Nagant had become a new person. Like her very being had been replaced with someone else. The soul of a killer now rested inside her body.

Sea Beard looked at the carnage around them, then at her. "What the hell have you done?!"

"I think we were quite clear to the people here. Getting on the boat meant a second chance. A full pardon. The ones that stay are traitors," Lady Nagant answered simply. "The people here were threats to the stability and the continued peace that the people of Japan need and deserve. And, it's the Hero Public Safety Commission's job to ensure that these threats are dealt with."

"I was coming to convince them to leave!"

Lady Nagant shook her head. "We are far past that point. These people, despite everything, were determined to stay. Determined to follow her," Lady Nagant motioned towards Inko, "so they were too dangerous to allow on the ship. Her followers, and her inner circle. These were people the Hero Public Safety Commission knew wouldn't take the offer. That's why they brought me here. To make sure this mess got cleaned up."

Sea Beard stepped forward, a snarl on his face. "The Japanese government does not condone extrajudicial killing."

Lady Nagant wasn't phased. "The government has entrusted the Hero Public Safety Commission with the task of keeping the peace. No one asks when corrupt heroes suddenly disappear. No one asks when villains who have escaped from their prisons are found dead. And no one is going to ask about a few people that stayed behind and were killed by a storm."

"Is that a fact?" Sea Beard didn't back down. He had always heard that the Hero Public Safety Commission had its dark secrets. There were always rumors. That their reach was further than what was officially recognized by the government and the U.N. But the apparent truth was hard to swallow. "The law on the reach of a hero is clear. They are not the police, they are not the judicial. We detain, we prevent harm to people. This was murder."

Lady Nagant shook her head. "There was no murder though. These people will die in the storm, too foolish to evacuate. That's what's going to be documented. That's what's going to be reported to the people. And that's what's going to be known until this little island is forgotten about in… a week. That's the truth that the Hero Public Safety Commission will give the people. Because it ensures their peace and stability. And we will not allow anyone to threaten that pea—"

"ARRRRRHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

The two heroes' heads snapped up in alarm. Sea Beard twisted around, horrified as Inko screamed. Not in horrific despair, but in furious rage. "Nenshouki! Don—"

The wooden floor underneath Inko's feat exploded into splinters as she launched herself from the ground. Bullrushing Lady Nagant as the hero tried to put her right arm up. Slamming into Lady Nagant, Inko kept screaming as she drove them both through a wall and out into the stormy darkness. Leaving Sea Beard to gape in utter shock.

---

Skidding down the mud and water, Inko drove both herself and Lady Nagant down the washed away road. Far away from the lights of the town hall, Inko ripped her rifle from her arm and twisted it around in her hands, ready to drive the bayonet down into the murderous hero's chest. Lady Nagant, her right arm freed, held up her hand. The arm snapped back and her elbow opened. Muscles and tendons stretched and twisted as a barrel extended out from Lady Nagant's arm, pointed right into Inko's chest.

Even lost in her own red mist, rage pumping through her body, Inko realized when she had a gun pointed at her. Twisting to the side, her Fa Jin powered legs kicked her to the side.

BANG!

Inko felt the heat from the shot as she narrowly avoided getting hit. Tumbling and sliding through the ground, the mud making traction all but impossible, Inko's own power carried her yards away before she could dig her feet and hands into the ground to stop herself.

By the time she had regained control, Lady Nagant was up on one knee, her Rifle Quirk now fully extended, and aimed at Inko. Inko launched herself again, right through a boarded up convenience store, smashing through the door. Inko had her rifle up and started firing through the boarded up windows at where Lady Nagant had been. At the same time, Lady Nagant returned fire while she scurried back.

Not being able to see Lady Nagant, Inko was taking her best guesses as she fired. At least with Lady Nagant returning fire, she had a basic idea where she was.

BANG!

Another shot from Lady Nagant ripped through a building and right through the wall behind Inko, the shot missing her head by a foot. Plaster and wood exploded from the bullet, covering her head. Inko slammed a new clip in and pointed her barrel right for that new entry hole. Her finger was pulling the trigger when another shot from Lady Nagant ripped through the building, but from the wall to her right, not from the front.

The bullet ripped right by her head, hitting a table and sending splinters into the air. Alarmed at the new firing direction, Inko pivoted only for another shot to rip through. From the left wall.

BANG!

Right wall.

BANG!

Left wall.

BANG!

Ceiling.

BANG!

From the front.

The shots were coming from all over the place and no matter where Inko scurried in the room, the shots were always right next to her. Inko tried to return fire, but whenever she shot towards the new direction, the next round changed direction, and was fired where she had been. She was getting chased around the room by gunfire.

Inko didn't know how she was doing it, but somehow Lady Nagant was able to shoot her from different directions. Since the hero was alone, it had to be something with her Quirk. Inko realized that staying inside was suicide, so she reloaded and grabbed a countertop. Taking a wild guess that Lady Nagant was still in front of her, Inko pumped her arm with Fa Jin, ripped the counter off, and launched it through the boarded and now blasted windows. The whole wall exploded from the force of the throw, sending debris outward in a wave of destruction.

Inko was rewarded with seeing Lady Nagant leaping out of the way. She had moved to the other side of the street, where she had been firing. But even having to jump out of the way, that damned rifle sticking out of her arm kept pointing towards her. Her next shot missed, but she was still firing. So Inko ran, firing randomly to at least force the hero to take cover as she retreated. As she did, Inko watched Lady Nagant pull a clump of her own hair out, rolling it into something vaguely bullet shaped with her fingers, and slap it into her arm.

---

Despite how horrible the weather had been as night fell, it was now worse. The rain was blowing sideways with winds strong enough to throw a person to the ground.

Inko hit the ground as another bullet ripped a hole through a building. Her momentum sent her sliding across the mud on her back. Rifle pressed against her shoulder, she fired back towards Lady Nagant, but by then, she had ducked around another building several yards back.

Inko had hoped to get some distance and to set up a chance to get a clean shot at the hero, but as the gun fight had dragged on several things started to become clear about her opponent.

One, distance seemed to work in her advantage. If anything, the greater the distance, the easier time Lady Nagant had at shooting at her. While she was pursuing, she was not making any effort to close the gap.

Two, whatever kind of ammo she had, it wasn't normal. Lady Nagant was curving her shots. It was the only explanation for bullets dropping down on her or coming around a building.

Three, while Lady Nagant was in no hurry to close the gap, she was also adamantly making sure Inko couldn't run up on her. Since she knew about Inko's enhanced strength, if not the particulars, Lady Nagant was not going to let Inko have her chance to use that power on her.

Not that Inko had much left now. Her initial attack, throwing that counter top, and now using Fa Jin to keep herself from getting swept away from the flash flood ripping at her feet… Inko was draining her reserves quickly.

And finally four, Lady Nagant was not going to be the first person to run out of ammo in this fight.

With a ping, Inko popped out a clip into her hand and pocketed it. Frowning as her fingers traced what she had left. A single clip.

Five shots.

Grunting as she got back on her feet, Inko forced herself against the water so that she could make it to a wall behind a quickly deteriorating home. The water was starting to create a mudslide, pulling dead trees and anything not nailed down into its current. All that debris was starting to rip the small village apart.

Back pressed against the wall, and trying to keep herself anchored down as best she could, Inko peeked around the corner, quickly trying to look for where Lady Nagant was perched. Unfortunately she couldn't see anything, and she wasn't going to keep her head poked out, which basically screamed 'shoot me.'

Inko huffed out a strangled breath, the massive amount of water flying through the air making that extremely difficult, and tried to think of a plan.

The only way she could figure out where Lady Nagant was, was when she fired. But the issue with that was, it would mean she was firing at her, so she couldn't exactly stay still to capitalize on anything. And even if she dodged the shot and had the chance to fire back, Lady Nagant would be long gone from her spot. So Inko needed to make Lady Nagant fire at a target that wasn't her.

Inko looked around. Lady Nagant knew generally where she was, so she couldn't stick to one place and plan for long. But she did have an advantage, even if it was a small one. Lady Nagant now knew she had some kind of strength enhancing Quirk. But, that just meant she knew about one of her Quirks.

Off to the other side of the building she was hiding behind, was another house, belonging to one of the families that had fled without bothering to board up the windows or the door. Reaching out, Inko pulled at the door. Wrenching as hard as she could, the door swung open violently with a clatter.

The sound of the door was lost in the storm, but the sudden movement, Inko hoped, would catch Lady Nagants eye and she would fire. Twisting around the wall, Inko pressed the rifle into her shoulder and aimed. Eyes and ears waiting for—

BANG!

Inko saw the flash of Lady Nagants barrel, the bullet obliterating the door and anyone that would have been behind it. Snapping her rifle up, she saw that Lady Nagant was already moving. If she had been startled or confused at the ghost door she wasn't showing it. She was up and turning to move. And her eyes, despite being multiple buildings away, over half way across the village now, met Inko's. Inko's finger hooked onto the trigger and she pulled—

BANG!

CRACK!

Violently, the ground shook underneath Inko's feet, throwing her off balance and making the shot go wide. The whole island was shaking as, off in the black distance, a roar thundered over even the raging storm. It was a sound Inko had heard before, but never this loud.

It happened whenever a decent sized chunk of the island broke off and fell into the ocean. And by the size and feel of things, this had been a huge chunk. The violence of the sudden earthquake cracked and shattered some of the small abandoned homes, sending more debris into the water.

Thrown out into the open, Inko desperately raced along with the current now, just as another shot blasted the wall where she had been. With Fa Jin pumping through her legs, and now going with the current, Inko put as much distance as she could between herself and Lady Nagant.

---

Flushed out of the village, Inko clawed her way onto a mud-drenched hill and collapsed. She was now in the remains of the old forest. The old dead trees still had roots deep enough so they weren't getting swept away by the rain, but like everywhere now, the ground was almost liquified. Even on her side, Inko could feel herself sinking.

She had run as fast as she could, not paying attention to where she was going. She had come out this far determined to find a safe place to try and counter-attack. But no matter how far she ran, she still hadn't been able to find that safe spot. Inko had long lost sight of Lady Nagant, but the constant shots that had hounded her, made it clear that lady Nagant hadn't lost sight of Inko.

Inko supposed the horrific weather, howling winds, ever present waterfall-like rain, and the seemingly deteriorating island itself on top of the constant dark abyss that blanketed the island, was giving her a chance to jump from cover to cover quickly enough to not get shot. Unfortunately for Inko, it also made firing back all but impossible.

Not that she hadn't tried.

Out of her five shots, she was down to one. The last one she had fired was back at the outer limits of the village, when she could still just make out the outline of the old homes. For a split second, she had thought she saw Lady Nagant on one of the roofs and had fired. Only a few seconds later, the tree she had been hiding behind before moving on exploded as one of those damned bullets ripped it apart.

Now, down to one last round, lying in the mud and gasping for air while trying not to drown in the rain, Inko knew she was going to die. There just wasn't any way around it now. She had used up Fa Jin just to run all the way out here, and now, her body was just done, slashed and cut to pieces by the dead white trees, their branches more like outstretched daggers now, cutting her as she had tumbled through them.

But despite knowing she was going to die, she forced herself up and kept moving. Maybe it was just the remnants of her will, her ego, pushing her on, but she was back on her feet. Swaying to and from, but she was up. One step in front of the other. One step in front of—

BANG!

Another shot blasted right next to her head, hitting another tree and turning it into splinters. If Inko hadn't been uneasy on her feet, her head would have been splattered. The shock made her lose her balance, and she went tumbling down. Taken by the water and mud as it drained down the hill, she kept going until she slammed into a tree, its roots so deep into the ground, it was anchored into place. Hacking and coughing, Inko looked around, dazed and not wanting to get back up.

Where am…?

There was a flash of lighting, illuminating the area around her. If Inko had the energy, she would have laughed. She had run, ducking and weaving, hiding and scurrying, all the way to the far edge of Alderaan's great quarry. Below her, the raging rapids roared as it carried anything and everything getting swept away out into the bay at the other end of the island.

So, Inko thought, I'm going to die where it all started?

Inko stayed, leaning against the dead tree as more water and mud rushed into and around her. Was it ironic that this was where it would end? She didn't know, and honestly, she didn't care. She was just so tired now. Musen, Biruda, and her Hisashi were gone. Gone and with Sakura now. Laying against that tree, her rifle strap wrapped around her shoulder, she thought perhaps it was fine, since now she'd get to be with her friends.

At least that thought brought her peace. Opening her mouth, Inko struggled to put the end of the rifle into her mouth and not stab herself with the bayonet. She was going to die, but she wasn't going to let that bitch be the one that killed her. Mouth over the cold metal barrel, Inko's thumb found the trigger and—

Midoriya blood rages up at death, the fall is coming so hold your breath.

Pemphredo's voice boomed in her head. Her ear rang from the old woman's voice, like the old crow had pinched her ear and screamed right into it.

"…The fall is coming… So hold my breath?"

Inko pulled the rifle away and looked behind her. Down into the raging rapids. She looked, and despite everything, felt like she had enough energy to swear. "Fuck you. You old hag, you can't mean… Fuck."

Embers of her rage flickered and burned. Embers that screamed for one last act of defiance. One last chance to rage against death.

"Fuck you…" Inko got up to her feet, and took a step, digging her boots into the mud to hold herself in place. For each footstep, she made sure she wasn't thrown back.

She had one last shot, so before she took the plunge, she would use it. She didn't know why she picked the spot she decided to shoot. Maybe fate decided it for her. Or Pemphredo's ghost was guiding her. But she aimed down her sights, for perhaps the last time, and held her breath.

A bolt of lightning illuminated the island. And there, far off in the distance, still deep in the dead forest, Inko saw something pink.

Another bolt of lightning exploded overhead, blinding everything as the sounds of their rifles roared silently, drowned out by the roars of a dying island and the storm.

Inko fired.

BANG!

Lady Nagant fired.

BANG!

Eyes blinded by white destructive light. And when Lady Nagant blinked away the spots in her vision, Inko was gone.

---

"This is Lady Nagant. I can confirm that Nenshouki has been eliminated."

The President nodded as the report was fed to him. "Good. Return to the helicopter. We're leaving."

"And Sea Beard?"

"We are out of time. He'll be left here to die. He's too old to be able to survive these waters, even with his Quirk. He'll get torn apart."

---

The ground under Inko's feet had collapsed when she had fired, tossing her into the raging waters below. Before she hit, Inko clutched her rifle and did what Pemphredo had said.

She held her breath.

The waters beat and battered her. She was thrown end over end. Until she wasn't. Suddenly, the water wasn't trying to kill her. It didn't even hurt. Which made no fucking sense.

It also didn't make any sense when she was suddenly back on land. Hacking and coughing, Inko let her rifle drop to the ground as she tried to collect herself while she lay on the ground. Trying to figure out just what had happened. Looking to her side, she blinked as a swirl of sea foam moved against the current and crawled up onto the earth.

Or at least most of it. Blotches and clumps of foam were getting ripped off and swept away by the water. Slowly, what was left pulled itself up and began to solidify into the shape of a man.

"S-Sea Beard?"

Inko watched as the foam indeed turned into the old hero, gasping for breath as he lay in the mud. But as Inko looked, he didn't look like he was forming himself quite right. Even as an old man, he still had muscle, but there were parts of him now that looked emaciated. There were places with skin missing too. His body just looked wrong.

"Wha?"

Sea Beard rolled his head to the side, and lifted a hand up. Inko gasped in horror as she saw that all that was left was a bloody stump. "Sea Beard, your…?"

Sea Beard hacked up a cough, blood spraying from his mouth. "Lost… too much foam…"

"No… no no no…"

Inko crawled over to him, looking for some wound to try and treat. Something to tie a tourniquet on. Something she could do to keep someone else from dying.

"You… you can't die… I can't… I can't let anyone else die…"

"Nenshouki… listen." With his remaining hand, Sea Beard reached into one of his pockets and gingerly pulled out a keychain. "Here… one of these will start my… my boat…" His hand collapsed into Inko's. "Get what… what you need and get off Bespin…"

"I'll… I'll carry you—"

Sea Beard shook his head. "Get what you can, and get on. The… location of the cruise ship everyone is on… the dock they are going to… you should be able to reach it."

"What? What do you want me to—"

"The whole thing is automated. I finally get why they only sent robots for the people. No one else to have to worry about for this… operation of theirs. If it's just robots you should… be able to sneak in with the group and… start over."

Inko shook her head. "They know who I am! I can't—"

"I only gave them your Nenshouki name."

"…Huh?"

"They only know you as Nenshouki… They don't know you as Midoriya Inko."

Inko looked down at the old man, not knowing what to say. "You… but… why?"

Sea Beard chuckled. It was a struggle, but he still managed, "Because…Pemphredo saw that I wouldn't…" With a strangled gasp for air, Sea Beard laid his head back down. "Midoriya… you have to live. Find a way to live…"

Inko shook her head. "All my friends are dead. My husband… they're all dead! Why should I keep going?!"

"Because…" Sea Beard reached deep to give Inko a smile. Maybe some other hero he had heard about had it right. "They would want you to, Midoriya."

Over rain, wind and thunder, Inko heard Sea Beard take in one last breath. And then, the old hero who had saved one last life, went still.

---

On the way back to the village, Inko saw the helicopter soar on by, fading into the darkness. It was the last thing she was aware of as she trekked back.

Reaching the town square, Inko could see that it was starting to fall apart. The damage from the flash flooding was taking its toll. But she kept her focus and made it to her own house. Inside, she threw together what she could, as quickly as she could, into a duffel bag. Things she thought were still important. Things she knew she couldn't just leave.

With the bag over her shoulder, Inko opened the door to the mayor's apartment and was ready to trek to Sea Beard's boat but stopped in her tracks.

Hand held out to open the door, stood a drenched, beaten and bloodied Hisashi. The two stared at each other in complete and utter shock. Then Hisashi's legs gave out and he collapsed into Inko's arms, weeping and begging her not to leave. To not be some fragment of his imagination. To please be real.

To please be alive.

Inko joined him in his wails.

---

'Musen pushed me out of the building.'

'I heard gunfire.'

'People were screaming.'

'She told me to run.'

'I ran and ran until I was almost swept away.'

'I tried to find you at Sea Beard's place.'

'I thought you were dead.'

'That he killed you.'

'The meeting, it was his idea.'

'…Everyone is dead…'

Words and more words tumbled out of Hisashi's mouth. Enough that Inko realized what had happened. "Musen always knows."

Both Inko and Hisashi sat on the floor, after spending minutes just crying in each other's arms. Hisashi talked and then so did Inko. Until everything that needed to be said was said. Hisashi was throwing his own bag together when Inko looked out the window towards the town hall.

"…We aren't leaving them there."

Hisashi paused, stuffing his things into the bag. "Huh?"

Inko laid her bag down. "Musen and Bob… we aren't leaving them there."

Hisashi looked towards the town hall. "…No, you're right. But where?"

"Home," Inko said. With whatever authority she had left in her soul. "We're taking them home."

Hisashi knew what Inko meant. Knew what she wanted to do. She wanted to bury their friends alongside Sakura. He also knew it was a dangerous idea. Just getting them up there would be dangerous. He also knew that there was no way he was going to tell Inko no on this.

"Okay."

---

The ordeal to get their friends to their final resting place was enough to drain the two in body and soul. Inko broke down crying when she came back inside the town hall. But together they were able to wrap up their friends in sheets and move them, carrying them to a truck that hadn't yet been washed away. The drive was perilous, and more than a few times Inko was sure they would get stuck, but as they went up the hill, the roads did get a little better.

Digging the grave, right next to Sakura's, damn near killed Inko and Hisashi. One person would be working the soil while the other would work to keep as much water out as they could. But the hole was dug, and in the dead of night, the bodies of their friends were lowered into the hole. A shared grave, but it was the best they could do. As Hisashi got ready to start shoveling dirt back into the hole, Inko placed Biruda's walkie talkie in with him.

When they had thrown in the last bit of dirt, Inko collapsed. Her body, just done.

---

Like Sea Beard had wanted, Hisashi had gotten themselves to the boat. When Inko finally came to, it was light out and Hisashi said they were getting near to the dock the cruise ship was supposed to come to. The small rescue boat had beaten the giant cruise ship in the rough seas, so they had time to plan on how they were going to get in.

It was fortunate that as with everything else of the operation, the whole thing was done autonomously. Robots moved to and from the dock when the cruise ship arrived. Inko and Hisashi, wearing ragged hoodies to hide themselves from the rest of the passengers, slipped into the group without issue. Everyone was too shell shocked to really care about anything else. When it was Inko' and Hisashi's turn to report in, Inko took Sea Beards advice.

"Names?"

"Midoriya. Midoriya Inko and Midoriya Hisashi."

The robot made a few bleeps and boops before it printed out paper work. Documents for them to sign and the instructions on how to start their new life.

Walking away after it was all done, Inko overhead a radio playing the news, reporting on the massive storm that was just going to miss the mainland of Japan. In the report, it said that the small island of Bespin had collapsed in on itself due to over-mining and the extreme weather.

There were no reported survivors of the people that had remained.

Hearing that, the last thread holding Inko together snapped, and she fell to her knees and cried. She cried as it hit her that all of her struggles, everything she and her friends had fought for, was gone.

It had all been for nothing.

---

For the next year, Inko and Hisashi were more like ghosts. They simply existed. Doing the bare minimum to just pass as living people. They had been given a small apartment in Musutafu. In that small place, Inko buried away anything that could remind her of her old life. Buried it and forgot it. The fire that had once burned so brightly in her soul was gone. Drowned and dead.

She would get up, make a little breakfast and then just sit and do nothing. Hisashi would disappear for the day, supposedly to work. At least that was what he was supposed to do.

Wake up.

Eat breakfast.

Do nothing.

Eat lunch.

Do nothing.

Eat Dinner.

Sleep.

It was a repeating cycle of nothingness. Lost in hopelessness there was nothing else Inko could do. The only change in her day would be when she would have to go and buy groceries. She would walk to the store, and pick out some small things. Just enough to live on. No one spoke to her there. No one wanted to be near the ghostly woman. They left her alone.

For a year, no one spoke to her.

"Oi, are you alright?"

Inko didn't even react at first. It hadn't even registered that someone had actually spoken to her.

"Oi?"

Inko blinked, lifting her head up and blinking again. She looked to her right, then to her left. And standing there was a woman with spiky straw blonde hair that was looking at her with annoyed concern. "You look a little out of it. Are you alright?"

Inko blinked again. "Am… I?" Inko blinked again and again, her eyes watering as those words repeated in her head. 'Are you alright?' Inko was crying before she knew what she was doing, knees buckling as the blonde woman rushed to her to keep her from falling to the ground.

Mitsuki and her husband Masaru had thrown Inko and soon after Hisashi a life-line when no one else in the world could even bother. Their friendship helped to bring some life back into the pair. To bring the spark of love back to them. From that spark, Inko found a new drive to keep on living. She might not be a fighter anymore, that fire long smothered, but she promised herself that she would live all the same. She made the promise as she held her baby in her arms.

---

Psychokinesis. The name of Izuku's Quirk seemed to keep ringing in Inko's ears during the bus ride home. Izuku was practically bouncing in his seat. Inko smiled as she ruffled his hair, gently reminding him, again, that he mustn't use his Quirk right now, even if he wanted to see if he could float his All Might action figure.

"Your son has demonstrated that not only is he able to pull objects towards himself, but push them away, and keep them in a levitated state telekinetically. As his quirk is able to perform different actions than yours, I believe we should treat it as a mutation, rather than a simple strengthened inheritance. As such, I will be documenting it with a new name."

That had been what the doctor had said. Izuku's Quirk was a mutation of her own. While she could only pull small objects towards herself, Izuku had full range. And at her age, she didn't have the power to pull the small toys that Izuku was already doing.

The power…

It had been so long since she last thought about it, but closing her eyes, Inko could feel Fa Jin. The stored power was just sitting there, waiting to be used.

Inko couldn't help but wonder. Was Izuku's Quirk a mutation of her own… or a combination of the two she had?

She may never know. It wasn't like she could go to a doctor and just ask, 'So a super villain gave me this Quirk years ago, and I think it got mixed up with the one I was born with, and it was passed on to my son. Is that possible?'

'Also, I'm probably on the Hero Public Safety Commission's wanted list. Do you want to call the cops or should I?'

She also couldn't ask the person who gave it to her. Not like he gave her a number to call for troubleshooting or anything.

"Is dad going to be home today?"

Izuku's question broke Inko out of her thoughts. "Hmm?"

"You said you were going to call dad." Izuku looked up at Inko, eyes big and smiling. "I want to show him my Quirk!"

Inko swallowed a lump in her throat before she smiled and nodded. "Of course he is. He was so excited to hear the news. He'll be home for dinner tonight." Izuku cheered while Inko tried to make sure he stayed in his seat.

It had been a strange phone call with Hisashi. Over the past few months, he had been spending a lot more time at work. On one hand, she was extremely proud of him. It had taken him such a long time to adjust to their new life. She knew he missed the life he had back at Bespin. Missed the respect and power he had worked for.

He had gone through a few different jobs, not able to stand the people there. When he had gotten the job at Detnerat as an assembly line worker, Inko honestly didn't expect it to last. But now, a couple of years later, he was still there, and now putting in work and hours to make his way up the corporate ladder. The drive he had had back as her second in command was back. Now, no longer an assembly line worker, he was in the offices. She was so proud of him.

But on the flip side, all the time he spent at work meant he had become distant. For months, more often than not, Inko would fall asleep in an empty bed and wake up to one too. They didn't talk anymore, not like they used to. The separation hurt. She had brought this up the last time he had been home. And it had led to a fight. Things had gotten so heated, she hadn't even noticed Mitsuki had come into their home and was separating them.

So after that scuff up, she was weary of making the call. But Hisashi needed to hear the good news. His initial reaction to her call was icy. But she powered past that and told him the news. The change was immediate. There was excitement and pride in his voice. He would of course get him as quickly as he could.

Inko just had to hope this next step in their families lives would help bridge the distance between herself and Hisashi.

---

Some ten odd years later, and nothing got better. The distance got worse, emotionally and physically. Hisashi now lived in the States and whatever bond she and him once had, it might as well be gone.

"How?"

A few days after watching her son and his new best friend Ochako roll on the floor after getting accepted into U.A., Inko had to deal with one of the more distasteful parts of her son going to such a prestigious school. Adjusting their budget to school expenses. And while U.A. covered almost everything, Inko knew it was still something that needed to be done.

So that meant calling Hisashi and talking to him.

Not fun.

"How what, Hisashi?"

"Don't play games, Inko. How did he get into the hero course?"

Inko took a deep breath so that she wouldn't end up yelling and attracting her son's attention. "By working and training. Getting professional training. Someone saw Izuku's potential. Someone stuck with him and helped him. Something you started to do, then quit. So you only have yourself to blame for that."

It was an extra twist of the knife, but Inko was almost at the point of not caring. How Hisashi could just bring out the worst in her was beyond her understanding.

The other end of the line was quiet for a bit before Hisashi sighed. "Fine. It doesn't look like there is going to be that much of a change. I'll have what you need wired over after the call and the rest will be reflected in the checks I send you from now on."

Inko was glad that it was settled so quickly. It seemed like this call was at least just going to be like ripping off a bandaid. Painful, quick and better to get it over with.

"Inko," when Hisashi kept going, Inko almost groaned, "U.A. is a very prestigious school. People from all over the world have their eyes on the heroes that place creates. That means they'll also be watching him. How the world sees him will be a reflection on myself. Make sure he knows that, and make sure he knows not to do anything that would embarrass me."

Inko felt a fire burn its way up her throat. She was about to tell Hisashi where he could stick that message, when there was a soft tap on her door. Quickly, Inko hurried to turn her phone off speaker. "Y-yes?"

"Mom?"

"Yes, dear?"

"I was going to go out and hang with Uraraka. Is that okay? We were going to look at some school supplies."

Even with the door closed, Inko put on a brave face and smiled brightly. "Oh, of course. You two have a good time."

Inko heard the front door open and close. Steadying herself, she put her phone back on speaker. Hearing the click, Hisashi spoke up. "What was that?"

"Izuku let me know he was going to look for school supplies with his friend."

"…Bakugou?"

Inko's nose wrinkled. "No. Her name is Uraraka. Not that it matters to you, I think."

Hisashi sighed. "A shame things didn't work out with Bakugou. He's a good, strong kid. An excellent Meta Ability."

And with that Inko was done. "I'm hanging up now, Hisashi. I'm sure we both have things we'd rather be doing right—"

"And you're okay with this?"

Inko closed her eyes and rubbed her brow. Why does he want to keep talking? He hates this just as much as I do. "Okay with what?"

"Izuku becoming a hero. Playing around as one as a child, dreaming of becoming one, that's completely different from what's happening now. He's becoming a part of the system, Inko. Their system. A part of the monster that killed our friends."

Inko was quiet. The rumble of emotions was so loud she's surprised her neighbors couldn't hear them. But even still, she defaulted to the only thing that mattered, which was the truth. "I'm going to support my son. That's what's important now. I will give Izuku all the love and support it takes to help him accomplish what he wants."

"So you've completely moved on, then? Now that you're living a comfy life, you've left the memories of our friends behind? You're all 'forgive and forget?'"

"Don't you dare." It wasn't a fire that slipped through when Inko hissed back. It was a cold, frozen hate. The fire of her youth might be dead and buried, but the chill that was left behind was still very much there.

"I will never forgive what they did. What they took. And I will never forget. Don't you ever say something like that to me again. Don't you ever try to mix up my support and love for our son with moving on and disregarding the love I had for our friends. What Izuku wants to become is someone that saves people. To use his Quirk for others. He isn't the Hero Public Safety Commission and he isn't her. He's not Lady Nagant."

If the chilly reply was what Hisashi expected, or if he was surprised by it, Inko couldn't tell. She also didn't care. She needed to get off this call. Some horrible stuff was getting dragged up and she wanted it to stay buried.

Nenshouki Inko, leader of the Meta Liberation Army, was dead. She was Midoriya Inko now. A mother who only wanted her son to be happy. A son, now with Ochako, was finding that happiness. Her past would only hurt him. So Nenshouki had to stay dead.

Both seemed to know the call was over and they ended it quickly. Inko sat on her bed, alone and trying to find her center. Nenshouki was gone, she was Midoriya now. Nenshouki was gone, she was Midoriya now. Nenshouki was gone, she was Midoriya now. Nenshouki was gone, she was Midoriya now. It was a mantra she repeated, over and over. Nenshouki had nothing now. Only pain, loss, death, sorrow and rage. Nenshouki's friends were all long dead. Her husband was just gone, and her home…

Midoriya had what Nenshouki didn't. A home, friends, love and kindness, and a son. She had a son. Nenshouki never would have had Izuku. Never.

Inko needed to get out of her room and do something. Maybe fix herself a snack. Or go grocery shopping. Just something. So Inko stood up, but didn't move. Because her mind drifted back. Back to a life that was gone. Back to people that were gone.

Picking up her phone, Inko began scrolling through some apps, before finding one that was tucked away. One she hadn't opened in a long while. A satellite imaging app that lets you see pictures of the world in incredible detail. You could even zoom in.

Her fingers shaked as she typed in the latitude and longitude into the search bar. There wasn't a name anymore. Not officially anyway, but you can't change a location.

The map was loaded and Inko was greeted with a picture of a bright blue ocean. Then she began to zoom in. At first it was still blue, blue and more blue. But as she zoomed in, a speck of green appeared. The speck got larger and larger until the map image couldn't zoom in anymore.

But it was enough.

Enough so Inko could look at a small little hill sticking out of the water. A hill covered in green grass and flowers growing everywhere. A garden overflowing with berries and vegetables, a giant apple tree with roots anchoring the hill to the very earth. Unshakable and solid. And four little shacks, covered with green life that overflowed from the land. A little piece of paradise, where Sakura, Musen and Biruda could sleep peacefully till the end of time.

---

It was very late now, and Inko slipped the old polaroid of her and her friends back into the old red book. Taken just before everything had changed for the five of them, it was just them as kids. Five happy kids just after they had built their homes. When she had the chance she had made copies of it, saved digitally, but holding the picture just felt different.

With the book put away, Inko's hand brushed against an old beat up walkie talkie, then her old rifle. So many memories flooded her. So many she hadn't thought about in such a long long time. But after her dinner with Hisashi and Rikiya, so many old thoughts had been brought up to the surface. Many old thoughts.

Old memories.

Sitting in her closet, hand running over the little cubby hole's contents had made those old memories feel fresh again. It hurt, and made her sad, but thinking of her friends' smiling faces also filled her with a warmth. They were gone but still with her. They would help her be strong again.

Because Inko knew she had to be strong again.

Hisashi was up to something. And whatever it was, whatever he was trying to rope Rikiya into, was not going to end well. More than likely he was trying to get them to start following Destro. It was insane, but she knew Hisashi missed the power he had back then. A man so interested in Quirks was the perfect person for Hisashi to work his magic.

It seemed insane, considering the risks to everyone, but Hisashi wasn't one to let risks stop him, an unfortunate lesson Inko had helped him learn years ago. But that wasn't Inko's main concern. Not now. Not after recalling so many things about her past.

Recalling important things.

'Death comes.

Midoriya blood calls to death, and the Reaper hears it from the depths.

Death will come for Midoriya then, four times then once again. Fear the rage that you have stirred, or you'll drown amongst the animal's herd. As a demon offering a trade, a reward you must take for your aid. When land is gone and blood flows free, a two faced killer you must flee.

A hand of death is at your throat, blood will spill so the knife you must note. Then when Midoriya blood is thinned by half, the demon will come back to take the calf. Birthed from fire eight thrones hide, but fear the demon as he slips inside.'

'Midoriya blood rages up at death, the fall is coming so hold your breath. Beyond death's pale hand I see no life, only the child that lives in strife.

Eight thrones tall the torch is passed, the ninth grows strong with powers amassed. But beware the Demon his hive is built, else the Ninth will succumb to his guilt.

Decay will rot and the wolf will howl, the fake will lie and scheme most foul. Betrayed and tricked the rider stalks, inside the sound the eyeless sees all that walks.

Cut or stitched it mattered not, armed with rage the torch was passed when he thought it was all for naught. Rage and fear will cloud the mind, but do not break the love intertwined.

A star's great love and strength beheld, the darkness beaten back and expelled. The devil saved from darkness pulled, a cruel love tempered and matured.

Ninth will fade as the Tenth does rise, together as one until the ninth's reprise.

With every step Midoriya takes, death's many hands creep up like snakes. Consumed by rage the Twisted One comes, the path of death Midoriya must overcome.

A web is sewn from mistakes of the past, but the Demon knows not the dice he cast. The first gift made to own flesh and bone, the second time set this path in stone.'

The two prophecies of Pemphredo. After Inko's stroll down memory lane, these two things now reverberated in her head. Over and over again. And perhaps, thanks to her being older, some things made more sense.

"'A hand of death is at your throat, blood will spill so the knife you must note.' And 'Beyond death's pale hand I see no life, only the child that lives in strife.'" Inko spoke the words and it all seemed so clear, at least because of everything Izuku had told her about Eri. The man that had hurt her, his hands were white, and he could break things with them. It fit 'hand of death,' and 'death's pale hand' Inko thought. And the 'child that lives in strife,' that was Eri. Inko had no doubt.

Getting up, Inko closed the cubby hole and walked into her room.

"So I'm going to meet the person that hurt Eri…" It made perfect sense to Inko. Standing in the middle of her room, Inko flexed her fingers into and out of a fist. Opened, closed. Opened, closed. She repeated the movement until her hand tightened into a fist and didn't open. She breathed in through her nose and then out through her mouth.

Pop!

She threw a quick little jab out to her side. She didn't even turn her body to throw it, so it wasn't a strong punch.

At least it shouldn't have been. But Inko let just a sliver of Fa Jin power it up. The little amount hurts to use, like trying to move an arm or leg after sleeping on it for a long time. But she used it, the first time in decades Inko pulled on the reserves stored up. Her arm hurt even after just that quick little powered-up punch, but Inko wasn't sure she minded.

After all, if she was going to teach herself to use Fa Jin again, she was probably going to get pretty sore. But it would be worth it when she got to meet the man that had caused Eri so much pain.

But while that part of her plan was pretty straightforward, everything else wasn't. Everything else made no sense to her, and it wasn't like she could ask anyone about it. The risk of people finding out who she was was too great. And what that would do to Izuku and Eri, she didn't want to think about it. She was going to have to figure this out on her own.

But speaking about Izuku. Perhaps 'everything else' didn't have her confused. 'Then when Midoriya blood is thinned by half, the demon will come back to take the calf.' She knew what this meant now. As a mother she knew. 'Blood is thinned by half' and 'calf.' Pemphredo hadn't just been talking about her. She had also seen her son. She had seen Izuku. So that made the other part all the more terrifying. All for One was going to come for Izuku. She didn't know why, all she knew was Pemphredo had seen it.

Inko pulled out her phone and began to search, looking for any information about the demon she had met years ago. He'd have to be an old man by now, but he'd still be dangerous if he had all those Quirks. Typing the name into a search bar, Inko wasn't sure what she expected to find. Maybe an incarceration date, a date of death, but no. There was nothing. Zero results. No matter how she phrased the search, it was always nothing.

Which didn't seem right at all. Just meeting All for One once was enough for Inko to know he was a powerful man, and by his own words, well-known. Well-known powerful men don't just vanish. Something was up.

But again, Inko had limited options. She couldn't just go up to, say All Might, and ask if he knew who this villain was. Too many questions would come from that. He was a hero, and would do the right thing. What Inko needed was a source of information that wouldn't turn on her and would have no problem lying and not asking questions.

But Inko didn't know anyone like—

Oh.

Flicking her phone to her contacts, Inko's finger hovered over the screen. She had made sure to get some numbers in case of an emergency. Which this was, but this was also manipulative, what she was about to do. She was taking advantage of someone just to try and get some information. Information that could help keep her son alive but it was still manipulative. Even if the girl did love her son.

Tapping the name, Inko put her phone up to her ear. After a few rings, Inko worried that perhaps she was asleep. It was very late.

Then the phone clicked.

"Hello, Mrs. Midoriya?"

Inko smiled and made sure her voice was as bright and cheery as she could. "Hello, Toga. I'm sorry for calling you so late."

"No, it's alright I wasn't asle—" She was interrupted by a long yawn. "…Okay, I was asleep."

"Sorry."

"It's fine… is everything okay? Can't think of the last time you called me… Was there an issue with your dinner? That was tonight, right? Is Izuku okay? Ochako? Eri?"

"Everyone's fine. Dinner went… fine. They enjoyed the food and there wasn't any drama."

"Oh. That's good. I'm sure I'll hear an update from them tomorrow."

"I'm sure you will."

"…"

"…"

"Um… do you mind if I ask what this is about then?"

Inko closed her eyes and hoped she'd be able to ask for forgiveness later. "You love my son, don't you?"

"I do."

No hesitation at all. Inko was impressed. The girl wasn't afraid to admit anything. "And you'd be willing to do anything to protect him?"

"Yes."

Inko could hear the tone in Himiko's voice change. It wasn't drowsy anymore. She was alert. "Including lying?"

"To who?"

"Everyone."

"Mrs. Midoriya, are you in danger? Is someone threatening you?"

"No. No one is threatening me, I just… I just need to know that this conversation will stay between us. Only us."

"Done."

That, Inko thought, was fast.

Not that she was unhappy with how quickly Himiko agreed. Went to show that she was just a different person and when her priorities pointed in a certain way, she didn't much care about anything else. And her priorities had a habit of revolving around Izuku.

"Toga, when you lived on the streets, with that villain… Stain. I'm sure you heard a lot. Heard a lot about other villains?"

"You hear rumors. It's not like there's a social media page for villains. But word gets around. Why?"

Inko took a breath. "When I was… younger. A lot younger I… ran into a villain. I remember him being powerful and he had an… air about him. Like he was famous or something. My childhood got brought up tonight and it made me think of this person. I was curious about what happened to them and, well, it's like he doesn't exist. No news articles or anything."

"He'd probably be pretty old by now… I mean—" Inko almost laughed, "maybe not that old, but—"

"It's fine, Toga."

"Yeah, anyway. Maybe he was someone in his prime, but new villains pop up all the time and try to make a name for themselves. Old ones just fade away, forgotten. But it is a little weird there isn't anything… Why are you so concerned?"

"I guess, I guess since Izuku is going to be a hero I'd sleep a little better knowing he won't have to deal with the villain I saw. He was so scary after all."

Himiko chuckled, "I guess that's fair. Tell you what, if you can give me a name or something, I'll see if I can't put your mind at ease. I know what Izuku can do. Some old villain, no matter what he was like before, isn't gonna stand a chance."

"Okay… and this stays between us, right? I might have been… a little naughty back in the day when we crossed paths."

Himiko laughed. "Don't want Izuku to know his mommy was sneaking out at night and being truant, huh? …Or Toshinori, maybe?"

Inko, despite the serious conversation, sputtered. Which just made Himiko laugh harder. "Sorry, sorry. It's just, I saw you two at the Sports Festival and it was pretty cute."

While Himiko laughed, Inko rubbed the bridge of her nose, trying not to think of why the two of them looked so cute together.

"Can I give you the name now?"

Himiko calmed down enough. "Yeah yeah. I promise, this will be our little secret."

"Thank you, Toga." Inko knew the relief in her voice was plain to hear.

"So what's this guy's name?"

Inko took a breath, to steady herself. "All for One."

Authors Notes:

So that's how Inko, went from leader of her own Mete Liberation Army to the "meek" and "mild" woman we know now. She had everything taken from her. But now that she has Izuku she just might get that fire back to try and protect him, which I'm sure won't cause anyone issues at all.
Poor Himiko doesn't get paid enough to put up with this shit lol.
I hope you all enjoyed this little detour of mine. It was a story I was really looking forward to sharing with you all. Of Inko's fall and her unfortunate hand in helping shape Hisashi into the man he is today. Next chapter it's back to basics with Izuku and co using their last week to get ready for those term finals. See you then!
A huge thank you to the beta reader for this chapter WereTech!
As always comments, reviews and critiques are always welcome!