Huntik Heroes
Chapter 16
Rescue time. I wanted to get this out a little bit quicker since there were probably a few who were unsettled by that last chapter. Though it might get a bit more unsettling towards the end with this one. Mainly because I'm going to bring in ideas that I think probably do happen in the prime universe. But there will be a bit of a brighter spot with this as well. So, on with the show.
(No POV)
"Alright. Is everyone ready?" Zaeed asked his team. They had taken a red eye flight two days after the USJ attack. The whole team was in a safe camp not far from the Blood Spiral base. Very little had been observed by the agents watching, but they stood ready to assist.
All around the top Seeker of the Foundation, he saw how they had prepared. Melissa had changed into a semi suit like Izuku's and Asahi's. She passed some discrete radio transmitters to each of them, and some devices in case they were needed.
Asahi had taken some time and learned a few more powers to try and find Reiko and the others. Izuku on the other hand had taken to learning some more combat focused powers. As well as something special to help in the mission to come.
The plan was made and all three of the younger seekers look determined and ready for the fight to come. "Alright. Let's do this." Zaeed said with a smirk reminiscent of his ancestors Zhalia and Dante. Inside the base though, something different was happening.
"Well, that was a successful test batch. I do have to thank you Reiko-chan. The information I received from the serum is just what we needed to rip apart this quirk obsessed world. I hope you enjoy the little pieces I've left you with for now. It's far gentler than what I used on the others."
Reiko was currently still strapped down to the table. And was still in her underwear. But that was as far as the Blood Spiral took it and left the girl with items poking and teasing her breasts and nether regions.
Sarah took the remains of the serum she created and packaged it up in the case from before. She then picked up her Loreslave and powered up the crystal portal to take her to the home base of the Blood Spirals. Letting her captive suffer while she made her report to Shauna and Wind.
At the entrance to the facility the guards were attacked by a pair of Raypulse shots. And then another was struck by a magic blast from an Icarus titan. "So these are the ones we need to get through to get the kids." Zaeed said as he Izuku and the rest walked out from the brush. With Caliban, Asura, Kilthane and Powerbonded Gawain marching with them.
"Fools! You think you can simply break through all of us!?" a Spiral says while sounding the alarm. Swarms of the silent soldiers rush from various underground entrances and exits. Zaeed and the teens look around at all the enemies before them.
Izuku speaks up first with, "I'd say they've got at least 50 members. Not the best odds." Zaeed notices the smirk on the green teen's face and responds with, "I don't know. They might last quite a while."
This incises the Spiral members and they each engage with shots of Nullcurse and Raypulse at their foes. The seekers quickly cast defensive spells and blast back before the titans engage the recently summoned Marauder and Harlequin titans.
Izuku rushes forward fist first to knock out a few of the enemies. Using Dragonfist and Shatterknuckle to take out enemies or break through shields. "Thanks for showing me how to use that Zaeed!" Izuku says after properly shattering a Stormshield.
"No problem kid! Touchram! I've found it's a good -Hyperstride!- attack when dealing with magic traps or barriers. Dragonfist! Just be careful with it! You already got a feel for -Boltflare!- how it can be a risky move!"
What Zaeed was talking about was an unfortunate side effect or complication with Shatterknuckle. While the attack could break almost any barrier or even the body of an enemy, it came with a risk. If the person using the attack didn't have enough magic or will when they used it, the blow would rebound on them.
Something Izuku found when he tried to use it on Asahi's Willwall. And he broke his hand as the result. Luckily a few castings of Everheal restored his limb before the mission. But against these Blood Spirals, Izuku had a decent way to break through the enemy shields. And even some strong titans.
Something he and the others needed when the Spirals brought out some heavier artillery. Namely an Undergolem, Cerberus, and Executioner. "Okay. Now we're cooking! Bind them! Chaingolem!" Zaeed announced before holding up the amulet for said titan.
The metal titan arrived and quickly lashed out at Cerberus and Undergolem. Izuku meanwhile pulled out his Jeweled Colosus and summoned the titan to the battle field. While the others continued to fire spell after spell.
Though these were not the actual Melissa and Asahi. They were a set of duplicates made by Izuku with the spell, Splitmind. It was a spell found by a rogue Seeker in the past who just focused on getting rich and nothing else. But the power eventually was learned by a few others who had the creative capability to make it work for them.
In this case, Izuku made the duplicates and disguised them as Asahi and Melissa with Thoughtspecter. While the doubles couldn't invoke titans, they could still use the spells of the person they were copied from.
And where were Asahi and Melissa? They were currently sneaking around the Blood Spiral base with Camoforge. "There are still some Spirals down here." Melissa noted as they snuck through the halls.
They stopped when they overheard something from a few of the Spirals. "So those foundation agents are giving our men more trouble than we expected. A few of the subjects miss Sarah experimented and tormented should be decent weapons. Especially some of those newest ones."
This makes both teens eyes widen but they know what they need to do. They keep following the soldiers but they have to make a choice when the pair split up. Luckily their foes give them an idea on what to do.
"Where are you going?" the male one asks as his female cohort was turning to a different corridor. "You can release the ones we have controlled with little issue. I'm going to take care of our secrets. Miss Sarah may have taken most of them with her Loreslave, but it would be foolish to leave an intact path for our enemies."
Hearing this the pair of Huntik Seekers make up their mind on who to follow. Melissa would follow the male one and try to disrupt or free those who had their minds controlled. While Asahi was focused on finding the secrets. And maybe rescuing the others.
Melissa keeps up her Camoforge as long as possible to sneak up on her foe. But she missteps and alerts the man to their infiltration. Before he can call out or raise another alarm, Melissa disrupts the item he was using. He snarls at her before firing a Nullcurse and then Cutracing away.
"Damn! Asahi! Hopefully I stopped him in time, but I've been compromised! Get what you need and get out!" Melissa says into her commlink. She then Nimblefires and tries to catch up with her enemy.
By the time she had though, he had apparently raised a group of mind controlled quirk users up to fight. "You are quite persistent. But are you willing to hurt someone you know?" the Spiral asks before Melissa gets sound blasted from the side.
After shaking off the shock of the attack, she opens her eyes to see Jiro. Though the girl was in a rough state. She was currently blindfolded and her arms were restrained behind her. In her mouth was some kind of gag and her jacks were hooked into a few speakers attached to some harness that was barely covering her modesty.
But aside from that, Melissa could see the evidence of her having been tortured. Likely, by the head Spiral. The blonde girl growled as her enemy unleashed a Marauder titan to engage Melissa at close range. She fires off a Raypulse to get the evil titan to back away before invoking a new one.
"Help me! Melee Artist!" Melissa calls out and summons the four armed titan. It then engages Marauder while Melissa faces down the Spiral and the controlled Jiro. It was more evident that the girl wasn't attacking Melissa of her own volition when the Seeker commanded her to attack.
Jiro groaned a bit before firing off a few sound attacks, but they were not very accurate. "Useless girl! She's to you left!" the Spiral commanded before using the collar around the earphone jack girl's neck to shock her.
This just infuriates Melissa more. "Is this what you plan to do to others?! Make them into disposable weapons?!" Melissa demands before casting Honorguard. "Why not?! They have done the same or worse to many of us! Why should we show them mercy when they give none in return!?"
The Seeker girl's eyes narrow as she puts one of the last stages of her plan into action. "Copykind," she mutters quietly while holding her Januseea amulet. 'I'll only get one shot.' Melissa thinks as the Spiral had charged up a Bladewave while ordering Jiro to use her strongest sonic attack.
As both attacks are fired, Melissa creates a set of orbs in front of her. She smiles as she creates another set of orbs to either side of the Spiral. And the man is hit with his own spell and Jiro's sonic attack. Melee Artist meanwhile had defeated the Marauder….. but it was felled at the same time.
Melissa ran over to Jiro as the girl had collapsed in a heap after the Spiral had been knocked out. "Kyoka! Hold on! Let's get these off of you!" Melissa says while removing the girl's jacks from the harnessed speakers. Then freeing her arms and taking off the other items that were used to blind and bind her.
"Ugh…. Wait… are you real? Or are they messing with my head again?" Jiro asks while looking up at Melissa. Her eyes slightly glazed over as she looked up into Melissa's. Who gave the girl a sympathetic look before pinching her.
After grunting in pain at that, Jiro knew Melissa was real. "It's really you? Are we really saved?" Jiro said while wincing from the pain that had been inflicted on her. Especially to a few piercings that were forced on her and had been shocking or pleasuring the girl.
Melissa nodded and asked how many others were with the weaponized quirk users. "Uh…. Can't I take a moment to recover?" Jiro said while rubbing her arms. But Melissa's gaze told her they didn't have time.
She directs Melissa to a few that were about to be sent out. Kaminari and Jurota being among them. Melissa lets the captives out before suggesting that they all get out of there. Until one asks that she take off the collars stopping their quirks. "We can wait for that later. Right now we need to get you out of here."
Jiro and Jurota agree as many of those who wanted to fight with their quirks were in not the best condition to do so. Something Zaeed and Izuku noted when a few mutant and transform type quirk users were sent at them.
"They clearly counted on the burst power that came with these quirks. Just going for an overrun tactic so they could save on power." Izuku said with a growl. Before knocking out another Spiral with an Augerfrost blast. Zaeed agrees and notes that they needed to be careful, nonetheless.
Asahi meanwhile was still sneaking up on the female Spiral to find out where the secrets were held. Only to be distracted by two things. One; she walked through what was the detention cells. Where Asahi found his classmates. Momo and Pony looking the worst out of the group. Though Mineta wasn't too far behind.
The second was that he didn't see Reiko among the captives. 'Please be okay Reiko.' Asahi thought as he followed the woman further. Only to be enraged at the state he saw Reiko in on the table. She was currently twitching and struggling against her restraints as she was shocked by some items.
His rage grew when the Spiral, after destroying some documents, slinked over to the girl and slapped her across the face. Before attacking the same areas that were being tortured by Sarah's 'gifts'.
"YOU BITCH! KINDLESTRIKE!" Asahi shouted before blasting the soldier with the blue beam of energy. After she was knocked back, Asahi blasted the things restraining and tormenting Reiko. "Reiko! REIKO! It's me! It's Asahi!"
"Asahi? Is it….. really you? No, it can't be! They're just messing with my head again!" Reiko said before trying to back away from him. Her wrists are bruised, as are other parts of her body; so Asahi isn't sure where to grab to keep her from backing away.
He tries to console and convince the ghost girl that he really is Asahi. "Do you have some real way to prove it!? Huh?!" Reiko asks while wincing at the pain in her limbs. Asahi first tries invoking Springer. But that isn't enough. Then he tries talking about things only they would know. But she just thinks her mind is playing tricks on her.
Asahi bites his lip while trying to think of what to do next. Especially since the Spiral wouldn't be unconscious forever. He blushes as he thinks of an idea. He grabs Reiko again to get her to look at him. When she finally does, he kisses her.
The sensation, as well as the feelings Reiko could pick up on, help her to see that Asahi was really with her. "Reiko. I'm right here. I'm sorry I couldn't get here sooner." Asahi says with a sad smile. One that makes the ghost girl tear up before embracing him.
"How touching. So that is why you were so determined to save these beasts. Well it won't matter soon." The female Spiral had awoken and dragged herself to the crystal portal and something….. frankly a bit cliché. A self-destruct switch.
The two heroes are surprised and yet not that they would go this far. The Spiral taunts that they wouldn't be able to get everyone out in time. "You'll have to choose who you want to save. The girl and the few outside. Or risk dying in here in a foolish attempt to save them all!"
With her speech done, the Spiral uses a new power she learned to get away. Fireport. She barely gets away, before she is exhausted. But she does give her allies a warning about the destruction of the base.
Outside, Izuku and the rest had captured quite a few Spirals and freed some of the first sent in quirk users. Melissa showed up next with Jiro and the others she had rescued. "Asahi and the others are still down there! We need to get them out!" Izuku said while letting up his Splitmind spell.
That is when Asahi come in over the comms. "Izuku? Zaeed! Are you guys there? Listen the Spirals set the base to self-destruct! You need to away as fast as you can!" Asahi's declaration worries Kaminari and the rest as there were still quite a few who were trapped or imprisoned.
"Hold on Asahi! We're coming down!" Zaeed says before running toward the entrance. Or trying to run. He had used up quite a bit of his power and was exhausted. "There's no time! I have a way to get them all out! Just get the others away!"
Izuku is a bit confused so he asks his old friend if he was sure. "Trust me Izuku. I can do this." Asahi's voice projects that he would find a way to save all of them. So the other Seekers trust him before escorting the weaponized captives quickly away.
"Reiko? Can you stand?" Asahi asks after cutting off his call. She tries to do just that but she is too wobbly to walk. So Asahi picks her up bridal style and runs them both back to the cells. Once there, he blasts down the bars. And with a little help from those who were still sane they get everyone gathered in the same cell Momo and the rest had been imprisoned in.
Reiko winces while resting. With Asahi's jacket around her almost naked form. "Asahi? Is this the end?" she asks, unsure of what he was going to do. "No. I won't let it be the end. Here goes nothing."
Asahi rubs his hands together before saying, "Ghostwalk". Suddenly beneath the Seeker and captives, a hole opens and they fall through. Where they crash down on is in the Lambert family dojo. While everyone was groaning, the portal closed as the base of torture exploded.
"Boltflare! I don't know how you – Asahi!? How did you get back here?!" William asked as he burst into the dojo. The young seeker looked at his father before laughing and falling back in relief and disbelief. "It worked. I'm so glad that worked!"
After laughing for a few seconds Asahi stood to talk to his father. Only to suddenly feel weak and nearly collapsed on the floor. But he was caught by Reiko who winced as well given her own pains. Asahi needed a moment to gather himself before asking his father to call Zaeed.
"Will? Listen….. I don't know where Asahi is. I think he might be buried with the Blood Spiral – Wait! Asahi!? How did you get back to Japan with…. A few. Okay I need some answers! Now!" Zaeed said while looking confused at his holotome.
Asahi smiles before explaining the new power he learned from Mirai. "It's based on Umbra's power. But it takes a lot of concentration and power itself to use. Not to mention…. I'm kind of exhausted from using it once. So it was a last resort."
The Seekers on the other side of the call were impressed and glad that Asahi had managed to save everyone else who was being held captive by the Spirals. William cuts off the call to take care of his son and all of the people who were brought to his home.
Back with Zaeed and the rest, they were doing much the same. Though Zaeed was curious about something he overheard from a few. "Excuse me. You said you had known the woman who held you before? Care to explain?"
"What the hell do you care bitch? I'll tell you this though, next time I see her I'm killing her again." The first part was irritating enough for Zaeed, but the latter made him more concerned and was enough to rope trick the pair of former captives. "Izuku. You and Melissa take your classmates back. I think I'm going to work with the heroes for a bit."
The pair were confused but they went along with the elder Seeker's direction and brought Jiro, Kaminari, and Jurota home. Though after letting them rest at the Rio de Janeiro safehouse. As well as getting them all some new clothes.
Melissa checks in on Jiro who seemed to be suffering from some nightmares and phantom pains during the night. But when she does the punk rock girl lashes out at her. Though it isn't too much of a problem as Melissa counters the wild strikes from her jacks.
"Jiro! Kyoka! Calm down! You're okay! Its just a dream," Melissa says while holding the girl's wrists. Jiro lets out some panicked breaths before she breaks down in tears before hugging the girl. One Melissa reciprocates and gently pats her head while she cries.
When Melissa pulls back, her pajama buttons get caught on something hidden beneath Jiro's own clothes. Making the shorter girl wince in pain and a bit of pleasure. Melissa notices this and asks Jiro to let her take a look. And she is sees what had been hurting and reminding the younger girl of what had happened to her.
And when she asked why she hadn't removed them, Jiro looked terrified. Indicating to Melissa that she had tried it before and it lead to something worse. "Okay. Just hold on. I'll take care of this." Melissa says before gently taking out what the Spirals had used to "decorate" her body.
Jurota and Kaminari had fewer nightmares but theirs were more in guilt for the pain they had inflicted on others. Back in Japan though, the other students who had been returned were suffering their own sets of nightmares and terrors. Momo worst of all.
She was constantly thrashing and crying out for help even when the doctors were just taking blood samples. Midnight had to step in and use her quirk to calm the girl down. While also cursing the monster who did this to her student.
Mineta and Pony meanwhile had to be treated for the multitude of injuries that had been inflicted on them during the few days they were captive. With some doctors mentioning that Mineta probably wouldn't be able to go to bathroom comfortably ever again. And Pony would need a few days for her bones to heal.
Reiko though had a different….. not exactly problem, but it was something almost painfully jarring to her as well. The serum that the head Spiral Sarah or Sadie had tested on her was apparently a perfected one that she had been using on other subjects. Reiko no longer had her quirk
"The stuff would suppress or remove our quirks. Even genetic changes like if we had horns originally just due to a relative possessing a quirk like that. It took it all away from us. Though in some cases…. I'll admit I didn't mind. I didn't have any urges or cravings due to it anymore."
Was what one former captive explained while getting treated at a hospital. For Reiko though she wasn't sure where this would leave her. And what it meant for her going forward. 'I guess I could always switch to the General Course. Not like I can be the same kind of hero I wanted to be.'
When the group returns to Japan, all of their classmates are glad to see them all and that they were safe. Though some of them were still suffering from the trauma of being kidnapped and what they endured.
"Man that lady who had you guys was really messed up. And she had dozens of people held captive right? I can't believe they were able to remove Reiko's quirk! Will she get it back? Maybe. They did say that it wore off for a lot of them. But didn't they also say it had been perfected?"
The students who were able to return felt uneasy or nervous about the whole matter. Momo, and Mineta still weren't back at school thanks to their injuries. Pony was eventually able to return, but she was scared of Jurota now.
All of class 1-A eventually went to check on the two who were still injured, and they were all unsettled by the frightened look in Momo's eyes. Her fear increasing a bit when she looked at Jiro. While Mineta was wincing as he tried to move.
Seeing what their classmates were like now and what they likely went through made many of the students furious. "Whoever the bitch was who did this to you, she deserves to get taken down hard! No joke, this is beyond cruel what she did to all of them."
"Unfortunately, that is probably the only thing she knows. And she has… a twisted but sensible reason for it." Zaeed said while walking into the hospital room. The teachers had come to check in on the pair and glare at Zaeed for even suggesting that the Spiral who did this to their students could be sympathetic.
Zaeed sighs before saying, "I found out something….. disturbing and a bit frightening while talking with some of her captives. A few of them were her own former tormenters. And….. they had killed her a few times before."
Hearing this shocks all of the people gatherd. With some questioning if she was a zombie or something like that. Zaeed pulls out his Holotome and brings up a few things. First was the images of the two captives. Both were apparently wanted villains who had been missing for some time.
"They had been working with a….. very twisted group of psycho and sociopaths. The head of which was a man named Lazarus. Or rather he took his name from his quirk. It let him bring people back from the dead." Zaeed explained before bringing up some more images.
Ones that sickened and made more of those in attendance want to vomit. Lazarus apparently was part of a torture group. Where they would torture certain individuals with their quirks for pleasure. And when or if they died, he would bring them back.
And the most constant victims group who were their victims, were those who were quirkless. Seeing them as lesser beings and treating them as such. With Sadie having been a long standing 'adoptee' of theirs. "Apparently, they'd pick up some kids from orphanages and then use them like this. This is the truth… of your quirk and so-called hero-based society. This is what quirks have made many people into."
Zaeed's declaration unsettles and terrifies more of what was involve. With Momo herself remembering some of her tortures. And that they looked similar to what the woman had endured herself when she was young. Younger than her and for far longer.
"I guess she broke worse than I did. And she probably sees this all as revenge against all those with quirks right?" Momo asks bitterly. And Zaeed just nods before noting that the girl apparently didn't break. At least not in terms of her will. "Her mind is definitely broken, but she has crazy amounts of will. That was what it took for her to….. well break free. Her and the others."
Zaeed mentions that quite a few of the Spirals they had fought were similar to the woman who led them. He also notes that it wasn't strange for the Blood Spirals to recruit orphans or the homeless and downtrodden. "It's a good way to get followers who want to rage at the world around them."
"But that is part of the reason we need to stop them. What she did? Yeah there was a reason, but it won't change what happened if she puts everyone with a quirk through the same pain she went through. If anything, it will just make things worse." Asahi says while looking down. As well as looking to Reiko who came along with them.
She smiles back before nodding and agreeing with him. "I may not have suffered as much….. but I did lose something that. We all feel defines us. But that isn't a reason for me to take revenge on her. But I do know she has to be stopped."
Zaeed smiles and nods to the girl and congratulates her on her own strong will. Hoping for the best in whatever she does. "Wait Zaeed? You're not staying?" Izuku asks with a confused look.
The top seeker shakes his head before saying, "no. After finding this out….. the Huntik council is thinking on working closer with the World Hero Commission. If we can stop these incidents, we can stem the sea of recruits. If only for now."
With that he closes his Holotome and tells the Seekers they did well and he was proud of them. Aizawa looks down and grips his fists tight before admitting that the Seeker was right. "We failed that girl. All of us who call ourselves heroes….. we failed her and even our own students. More than we thought."
Vlad agrees and suggests that they should let the students talk while they work with their fellow teachers and heroes to try and make some of this right. They leave as well, and let the students think about where they stand as heroes and if they wanted to continue on the path they started.
After talking a while, the students are told by the nurses that visiting hours were ending. "Hey. Rest up Mineta. Hopefully we'll see you soon." Sero says to the short teen. Who just nods and thanks the tape user.
Momo meanwhile gets a hug from all the girls who visited. With the exception of Jiro who couldn't bring herself to do it. Instead she was working through her own memories and some of the phantom pains and pleasures that were going through her.
After leaving the hospital, Asahi offered to walk Reiko home. She accepted and thanked him. "You sure you're, okay?" Asahi asks as they were walking. Reiko looks up at him with her uncovered eye and gives him a sad smile.
"Sort of. I'm I guess I'm….. I think I'm still unsure of what has all happened to me in the last few days. Or even the last few weeks. Meeting you, learning about the Seeker world and titans, fighting Blood Spirals and villains. And then getting kidnapped and tortured by them. It's"
"Way too much to understand right?" Asahi says with a smile. Reiko nods and agrees with a slightly happier smile. As they were reaching her family home, Asahi could feel her unease growing. Likely thinking that they wouldn't be able to meet as often since they would probably be in different classes.
'Not if I can help it. And I think I get what that crazy bitch was thinking of. Hopefully this gives Reiko a chance.' Asahi thinks as they arrive at her home. "Thanks Asahi. For everything." Reiko says before hugging the boy. But before they separate, Reiko kisses the boy when he doesn't expect it. Closing her eyes in bliss.
He reciprocates before slipping something into the pocket of her sweatshirt. When they separate, they rest their foreheads against one another and smile. "I'll see you soon Rei. I'm not walking away." Asahi says with a confident smile. Reiko thanks him before going to her home.
After she closes the door, she leans against it before blushing and holding her mouth in a mixture of happiness and embarrassment. Her parents see her at the door and ask if she was okay. When she tells them she was, she mentioned that she just wanted to be alone for a bit.
As she was walking up the stairs to her room, she put her hands in her sweatshirt pocket. Her hand touches what Asahi had placed in there and she feels the surge of energy. She grabs it before pulling it out and sees that it was an amulet.
A navy diamond shaped amulet with a pale gem in the center. And a pair of ram like horns on the side of the item. She can sense the name of the being connected to the item, but she doesn't try to summon them right now. Thinking she'll ask Asahi about it later. Back at the Japanese Huntik HQ, the mirror that they had found underneath Mt Fuji glows. And an amulet appears next to the item.
I won't deny that bit towards the middle and end was extra dark. But really, I could see it happening. And for any of you old guys like me, you'd recognize some of the points from a certain arc of Black Lagoon.
It was where I got the idea for this as well as what could happen in a world as twisted and warped as the quirked world of MHA. But as you saw, there will be some happier notes eventually. Just going to take some time to get to that. Please review!