Sow the Seeds to Tear You Down
"Well, it's about time I found you, Deku."
"Deku? Who's that supposed to be?"
Izuku tightened his grip on Sora's jacket and slowly pulled him back despite his protests. Once he was behind him, he stepped forward.
"Kach-Katsuki." He stumbled over his words. "You're…okay."
"Hah? Did you think I'd drop dead like the rest of those extras?"
"Izuku, do ya know him?" Goofy asked.
"Yes, I do. This is Katsuki Bakugo. He's from the same world as me."
A tense silence hung in the air as the two looked at each other. Sora looked between them and coughed to break the quiet.
"So uh, are you a friend of Izuku's? That's good, I guess we found another one of your friends. Hey, have you seen anyone named-"
"Shut up Clown Shoes."
"Clown Shoes? Hey, that's not-"
Izuku put up a hand to stop Sora, then stepped in front of him.
"How long have you been here? Since…well our world fell apart?" He looked Katsuki up and down. He didn't look injured, which was good. It looked like he didn't run into any Heartless. He swallowed hard as he looked at him. There was a sick feeling in his gut. He wasn't sure what name to put to it.
"I haven't been in this shithole for long."
"So you just got here?" Sora asked. He waited for an answer and frowned when he was ignored.
"That's good. That means you haven't run into any trouble yet. We can take you to Traverse Town once all this is over. Iida and Todoroki are there, so at least you won't-"
"Shut the hell up Deku."
"Hey, watch your mouth!"
Katsuki looked at Donald with a scowl. "Like I need to listen to a fucking duck."
"I oughta wash your mouth out with soap!"
Izuku shook his head and stepped forward in front of Katsuki, blocking his view of the others. He clenched his hands into fists to keep his hands from shaking.
"We're just trying to help. You're not the only one who ended up stranded in another world, and I know you don't like it, but we need to get along." He lowered his voice and looked Katsuki in the eye. "Listen, I know you, and I didn't leave off on the best terms the last time we saw each other, but that doesn't mean we have to dredge that up again."
Katsuki glared at him. "I don't need to do jack shit for you, Deku."
"I'm not asking you to be my best friend. I just need you to work with us so we can figure stuff out. Then get out of here."
Katsuki grabbed the front of Izuku's shirt and ignored the shout from Sora and the others.
"Hey!"
"Put him down!"
"Getting that fancy toy must make you think you're in charge. Huh, Deku? Just because some fancy fucking key appears, you think you're all high and mighty?"
Izuku frowned. "No, it doesn't. And I don't know how you got that idea."
The two glared at each other, and Sora stepped up.
"I don't know why you two are angry at each other," he kneeled down to pick up the slide the now-deceased Heartless took. "But can you put him down? We got what we need, and we're just trying to help."
Izuku caught his red eyes glancing toward Sora.
"Sora, back up."
"What? But-"
"Back. Up."
"What embarrassed one of these idiots has to come and save you?"
"No. This is an issue between me and you. They're not involved."
"I'm about to be involved!" Donald shouted.
"No, you're not!" Izuku yelled and grabbed Katsuki's wrist. "The two of us can settle this. You all should go back to the camp."
"Afraid of them seeing how bad I'm gonna kick your ass?"
"I don't want to fight."
Sora looked between them each time they took a turn to speak. Something in his stomach twisted at the way they glared at each other. They were both tense, both angry. It was clear that as soon as they stepped away, there would be a fight, and it wouldn't end well for either party.
Even so much as glancing at Katsuki made Sora feel sick. There was something about him that unsettled him.
"Of course you don't, because you're a fucking coward."
"There's no reason for us to fight. I know you're upset with me, but we have more important things to do. Instead of dealing with your ego getting checked at the battle simulation!"
An explosion rang out, and voices cried out as Izuku stumbled back. He bit back a cry of pain as he held one side of his face. Painful burns stung his skin. His eyes watered as he glared up at his former childhood friend.
"Izuku!"
Goofy rushed over and looked at him while Sora and Donald approached him.
"What is the matter with you!"
"Why would you do that?"
Izuku pushed Goofy away and pulled those two away from Katsuki. He ignored their protests and put himself in front of Katsuki again. His hands shook as he met glare.
Katsuki looked over him with a huff.
"You're fucking pathetic. You know that?"
He said nothing as the blonde began to walk around him.
"You know, it took me a minute to realize why that stupid key looked familiar. Then it hit me, Guardian. Whatever her fucking name is, has the same damn thing. You were a Quirkless loser who didn't have any powers, and then one day, you have them all of a sudden? I call bullshit!"
"Why should that be any of your business?" Sora snapped.
"Sora, don't."
"Nobody's talking to you, you little bastard."
Sora frowned and passed Izuku to look at Katsuki. "Yeah? Well, I'm talking to you!"
Katsuku's hand twitched, and Izuku reacted before Sora could. There was another loud explosion.
Sora flinched and looked up to see a half-formed barrier in front of him. He looked behind him and saw Izuku holding out his Keyblade and glaring at him. His stomach sank as the barrier faded, and Izuku approached him to drag him away.
"When I tell you to back up, you need to back up. This is not your fight Sora, so I need you to stay out of it."
"And just let him say that stuff to you?"
"It's not your business Sora! He's from my world, and his issue is with me. So it's my problem. This isn't something for you to get involved with!"
"It is if he's insulting you for no good reason!"
"I have plenty of reason Clown Shoes. Now get the hell out of here, I don't give a shit about you. I'm just here to put Deku in his place."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Katsuki ignored him and looked at Izuku's Keyblade, then scoffed. "That's the flimsy shit you got during the battle trial. At first, it didn't make sense until I realized that Guardian had one. For a hot second, I thought you dragged your sorry ass to that bitch and begged her to give you a Quirk. Which I thought she did, conjuring how pathetic you are."
"Don't talk about her like that."
"And then I found out something about that stupid Keyblade. Someone filled me in on that shit, and it really pissed me off."
They all looked up at that.
"How do ya know what it is?" Goofy asked.
Izuku frowned. "You…You didn't see M…Gaurdian. Did you?"
Katsuki ignored him. "I found out that damn thing apparently chooses its wielder. Apparently, you need to be worthy. And somehow, that ended up being you. And that's a fucking joke if I've heard one!"
Izuku grit his teeth but stayed silent.
"How the hell is a Quirkless runt worthy of something like that? Apparently, the one thing that can kill those damn monsters, and it's you? An idiot who couldn't even be born right to get a Quirk, a useless moron who somehow got the one thing that could have actually matters and you fucked it up!"
"Shut up…"
"What that hero wannabe did in 10 years you couldn't do for a fucking day. Whatever the hell thought you were worthy, clearly didn't count on you fumbling the fucking bag and letting everything fall apart."
"Don't talk about her like that! I didn't want our world to fall to Darkness. I had no control over that!"
"Bullshit! Of course, an idiot like you would get it at the last minute, and you couldn't even do anything. Everything that's happened Deku, is your fault!"
"They may be innocent, but what about you?"
"Th-that's not true."
Katsuki closed in on Izuku and got in his space. It took almost all of Izuku's willpower not to back away, to stay where he was.
I'm not supposed to let him push me around anymore. Didn't I say I wasn't going to let that happen? So why can't I…
"That thing should have gone to someone who can actually use it like it's supposed to be used. Who isn't going to cry and wuss out when there's a whole bunch of those damn Heartless things. Someone, who isn't going to screw everything up!"
"I'm trying-"
"As if! That damn thing chose wrong." Katsuki jabbed a finger into his chest, making him stumble back. He kept advancing for every step Izuku was forced to take back. "There's no way in hell someone like you is actually supposed to have that thing. Not a weak, pathetic Deku who won't even look me in the eye!"
"Back off!" Sora shouted.
Katsuki grabbed his shirt again, and scowled down at him. "You're a waste of space Deku, a placeholder. Someone like you doesn't deserve that thing, and you damn well know it."
"That's not true…"
"You shut your mouth!" Donald shouted. "Izuku, don't listen to that foul-mouthed little-"
"You're gonna fucking die out there Deku, especially with these extras around you. It'll happen sooner or later, and the longer that goes on, the longer that damn Keyblade is wasted on you. So just do everyone a favor Deku."
Izuku glanced up, and saw a grin spread across Katsuki's face. "You should just take my advice, nerd, and speed the process along. Find the highest place you can, and take a swan dive. Then that damn thing can move down the list to its proper owner. To someone, who can actually handle it."
Izuku stared up at Katsuki. All the air had left his lungs, and the hand grabbing his shirt was starting to heat up.
Before Katsuki could open his mouth again, there was a blur of red, and his head snapped back, and he let go of Izuku.
Sora glared at Katsuki with shaking hands. "What is the matter with you? Why would you ever say that to someone? You don't do that, you don't say that! You can't tell someone to…what is the matter with you?"
"You're talking some big shit for someone who was shaken up a minute ago."
"Shut up! You're a bully and a bad person!"
"Sora-"
"He knows you because you went to the same hero school right? Someone like you shouldn't be there in the first place. Not if you go around telling people to…you're not a hero. You're more like a-"
Katsuki lunged at him with sparks popping at his palms. Sora summoned his Keyblade, but Katsuki was too close for him to block the incoming blow.
Before an explosion could go off, a flurry of ice washed over them. A searing explosion cut through most of the spell, and the boy saw Donald scowling at him.
"You get away from our boys! I don't want to see you anywhere near them!"
"I'm not taking orders from an oversized chicken!"
"What did you just call me?"
A hand grabbed his wrist, and he looked down to see Izuku. He looked up at him with tears beginning to form.
"Get away from him."
"Of course, you're fucking crying, Deku."
"I said, stop." He grit his teeth. "I don't know why you're here or what you want from me, but stop."
He tightened his grip, and ice magic began to seep over. Coating the boy's wrist in frost.
"You know, exactly what I want. I just fucking said it."
"You don't mean that."
The blonde narrowed his eyes. "Trash like you shouldn't even exist anymore, let alone get something you clearly don't deserve."
Sora pointed his Keyblade at Katsuki. "Get away from him. Right now."
He looked around at all of them before his gaze landed back on Izuku. He wrenched his wrist out of Izuku's grip and turned away.
"Whatever, you fucking losers, I already got what I needed." He looked over his shoulder at them. "If you idiots know what's good for you, you'll ditch Deku now rather than later. That waste of space will only drag you down. But you probably already know that, don't you?"
As he began to walk away Sora inched closer to Izuku, just waiting for the boy to turn around and start fighting them again.
"And you're just going to walk away?" Donald shouted. "Fine, get lost in the jungle! See if we care! If there's anyone we should ditch, it's your sorry behind!"
"Now Donald…"
"No! He can get lost in there! I'm not watching someone with such a nasty attitude! And maybe while he's lost, he can find a better one!"
Sora only turned around when he was sure the bully was gone. He looked at Izuku and saw him staring straight ahead at where Katsuki had been. He looked down at his sore hand, then back up to his friend. He put on a smile and came up to him.
"I guess teaching me to throw a punch was worth it after all, but I think I kept my thumb in my fist."
His smile fell as he got no response.
Goofy approached Izuku. "Are ya okay? Ya took a pretty bad hit there. Mind if we take a look at it?"
Izuku turned away when Goofy got close. The knight paused with a frown.
"Hey…whatever that jerk said. Don't…it's…"
"Do you still have the slide?" His voice was low.
Sora stopped. "Uh, yeah. I still have it. Why?"
Izuku said nothing as he grabbed his bag and pulled a potion out, and drank it.
"Then let's go. We have what we need, so come on." He turned and walked past them.
"Izuku-"
"Let's go."
Donald and Goofy glanced at each other, then the taller of the two tried going up to Izuku again.
"Izuku, listen. What he said was wrong, now I don't-" He was cut off by the teenager sidestepping him and walking away. Izuku paused momentarily when he saw Tarzan standing at the entrance to the clearing. He continued on after a moment.
He felt the eyes of the others on him, but refused to look back at any of them.
-HoL-
"Oh goodness, you're all back! You took quite a long time getting that slide." The Professor perked up as he saw them.
The hunter approached the group as they walked back into the camp. "We heard an explosion. I assume that was because of you lot?"
Izuku shrugged and walked past him.
"You could say that. I guess…" Sora muttered. He trailed after Izuku; every time he tried to catch up, he would walk faster. "We got all the slides. Do you know where Jane is?"
"Oh, she should be in the tent! She finished fixing the projector."
"Thank you!"
Sora began to walk toward the tent and stopped when he didn't see Izuku walking over. He frowned and looked at the others.
"Izuku, you gonna come inside?"
He stopped walking and nodded after a moment.
"Y-Yeah. I will. Just give me a second."
"Oh. Well, I can stay out here if you want. Jane might need a second to set up the projector and-"
"You've got the slides, so you should go talk to her. I'll be inside in a minute."
He faltered. "Are…Are you sure?"
"Yeah, go on."
Sora stared at him for a moment before looking at the others. Goofy nodded and motioned for him to go inside. Donald looked just as unsure and glanced at them too.
"You fellas, go ahead and go on inside." Jiminy hopped onto Sora's shoulder. "I can stay out here."
"Are ya sure Jiminy?"
"I'm sure. Go on now." He jumped toward the ground and used his umbrella to float down. "I'll keep an eye on him."
Sora stared at Izuku before being guided away by Goofy. He looked to the side to see Tarzan lingering behind as well.
The man watched him before looking at Sora and grunting out a pattern of noises he couldn't understand. "Not okay?"
"...No, Izuku is okay. He just…he'll be okay. I think."
Sora made his way inside with Tarzan behind him. Inside Jane was finishing up with the projector and smiled as they came in.
"Oh, you're all back. Have you got all the slides?"
The teenager fished them out of his pocket and handed them over.
Jane thanked him and began to sort them out.
"What do you need the slides for anyway?"
"You're aware that Tarzan doesn't speak English, yes?"
"Yeah, we're pretty aware of that." Donald looked at the man.
"Well, we're hoping that with some of the slides, he can see something and recognize it, and we'll understand what he's talking about."
"So yall are just tryin' to get over a language barrier, we got it."
"Yes, and hopefully, we'll make some progress here. I've been trying to teach Tarzan some English, and he's picked up a bit, but not quite enough."
"Well then, let's get started."
"H-Hold on!" Professor Porter hurried into the tent. "You haven't started yet, have you?"
Clayton strolled in behind him, less than pleased to be there.
"No, you showed up just in time." Jane smiled as she lifted the projector to light something beneath it, and a light was cast on the wall.
"Oh, wonderful! Are you paying attention, Tarzan?"
The man approached the screen and jumped when a picture appeared. It was a picture of a gorilla, the man looked at it in awe and looked back at the others. Jane smiled and out in another one, showing a man with a mustache in a pose.
Tarzan grinned and mimicked the pose.
The picture changed to a jungle, and he jumped as it changed to a city.
"What's that?" Sora asked.
"That's London. You've never been?"
"No, but that's so cool!"
Jane continued to go through the slides, showing different objects and locations. None of them seemed to match what Tarzan was referencing. He mimicked some of the pictures and watched others.
Jane continued to go through a few more slides until she landed on a picture of a castle.
Tarzan tilted his head but looked away at the others.
Jane hummed and reached for another slide, only to see she was done with that stack. She looked around. "I'm sure I had some more, hold on just a moment. I'll be back."
She stepped around them and went out of the tent. While she was gone the others began to talk amongst themselves.
The voices faded into the background as Sora stared at the current slide. He found himself walking toward the projected image and ran a hand over it.
Something in his chest hummed, a faint feeling he thought he should recognize but couldn't.
Why does this look familiar? I've never seen this before. I've never been off my island…
"Sora?"
He blinked, and looked around.
"Are ya okay there?"
He glanced at Goofy and nodded. "Yeah I'm…fine. I'm fine." He walked away back to the others just as Jane came back inside.
"Found them! Now, let's get started. Shall we?"
-.-
Jiminy watched the others go inside and turned to Izuku. He walked over and hopped up, and grabbed onto his shirt. He climbed up until he reached the boy's shoulder.
"I'm fine, Jiminy. You can go inside with the others."
"I never said you weren't, and I don't mind sittin' out here with ya. It's probably a little stuffy in there with everyone. A cricket needs fresh air every now and again."
Izuku hummed but said nothing else.
The cricket sat on his shoulder and pulled out his journal, and began to jot down some things.
He was silent as Izuku stepped further from the tent and walked to the other side of the camp. He didn't say anything, just as long as he stayed in the area. He couldn't risk letting him get lost.
He stopped at the edge of the camp and sat down on a crate nearby. He put his face in his hands and was silent for a while.
"I know you probably don't wanna hear it, but that fella was just bein' unkind." Jiminy said. "Nothing he said is true. You know that, right? You are none of the things he said."
Izuku didn't respond, and Jiminy continued.
"Those three love havin' ya around, and I'm sure Sora is happy to have someone else goin' through the same thing with 'im. Neither of ya are alone in that."
He frowned as he felt Izuku's shoulders begin to shake. He was about to reach out until Izuku took a deep breath and sat up straight. Izuku pushed his hair out of his face and looked up.
"I-I know you're trying to help. But please, can we not talk about it?"
Jiminy looked at him and nodded. "Alright, if that's what you want. We can do that."
He watched Izuku take his backpack off and set it on his lap, then opened it and began to count through the potions and ethers he had. He had been grateful when Sora gave it back on their way to the camp, but now was as good as time as any to make sure the supplies were intact.
Jiminy listened to him quietly count everything and watched him rearrange things so they were more organized.
Once Izuku was done, he set the bag down and pulled his jacket off his waist and looked over it. The cricket hopped onto the crate as Izuku put his jacket on, then the backpack. He watched Izuku shake his head, then turn to him with a smile.
"Come on. We should join the others."
"Are ya sure?"
"I'm sure," he held a hand out for Jiminy to hop onto. "Let's go."
Jiminy jumps into his hood and stays quiet as he watches Izuku go to the tent.
He walks in on them talking
"We have been in this jungle for some time. If these friends of yours are anywhere, it's likely they're with the gorillas. However, Tarzan will not take us to them."
Jane shook her head as she put out the light beneath the projector. "Really Mr. Clayton, I doubt Tarzan would hide-"
The man approached Tarzan and glared down at him. "Then why doesn't he take us there? If he has nothing to hide, then why not share the location of the gorillas with us. It's why we're here in the first place, is it not?" He leaned down toward him. "Take us to the gorillas. Go-ril-las!"
Tarzan backed up but met the man's glare, then bumped into Izuku, who stood at the entrance. They all looked up at him, and Sora smiled and made his way over.
"Uh, sorry, what did I miss?"
"Nothing important," Clayton answered.
Sora saw Izuku look his way, and he shook his head. He was a little upset, having hit another dead end when it came to his friends. But that was fine, they'd figure something out.
"You feeling better?"
"I'm okay. My big question is where we go now."
"Ideally, it would be to find the gorillas."
"And if we can't do that?" Jane questioned.
"I'm sure we'll find something to help everyone out." The Professor spoke as he helped pack up the slides. "We can't be too hasty with things. Lest we make a mistake, we can't remedy."
Tarzan looked at them all as they spoke, but his gaze always returned to Sora, the stranger he met in the treehouse. Looking for his loved ones, for something precious.
He sighed and nodded before stringing together words in broken English. "Tarzan go see Kerchak."
"Are you sure Tarzan?"
"Who is this Kerchak?"
"He must be the leader, which is perfect. I'll go along as an escort. Show him that we humans aren't that frightening. What a better way to build trust, yes?"
Sora looked to the side and caught Izuku eyeing the man's gun before narrowing his eyes.
Apparently, Jane seemed to catch on. "Well, by that logic, we should come along too. I doubt it would be safe for just the two of you to go. We are safer in numbers."
"Please, Miss Porter, I doubt-"
"Oh, that sounds like a good idea." The Professor cut in. "Imagine what we could learn by being up close and personal, even if for a moment. I'll go get my notes!"
The man rushed out, and Jane looked up at the hunter. "I guess it's decided then."
"Do you mind if we come along too?" Sora asked. "If my friends are there, I wanna make sure they're okay."
"Do you really wanna go trekking through the jungle?"
"At least I'm willing to look. If you wanna stay here, then that's fine by me." He stuck his tongue out at Donald.
"Now, come on, you two..."
Izuku sighed and shook his head. "Either way, we should all go. Just in case things go sideways."
Clayton huffed and walked out. Jane smiled at them and thanked them before hurrying out to get her own supplies, leaving them all alone.
They all glanced at each other, or at least Sora and Donald glared at each other.
Goofy cleared his throat. "So, Izuku, ya feelin' better?"
"I'm fine." He didn't look at him. "Sora."
"Yeah?"
"...Back in the grove, you said you kept your thumb in, right? Let me see your hand."
"It doesn't hu-"
"Let me see it."
He obeyed, then grinned. "I put my weight behind it like you taught me." He counted it as a win when he saw the faint smile on Izuku's face.
"You look fine. Next time just be mindful about forming your fist."
"Yeah, I gotcha."
-HoL-
He waited until the camp was empty. It wasn't that hard. Apparently, they were all looking for something, which made it all the easier to walk right in. It was idiotic to leave the place unguarded. Then again, they were all just a bunch of random people. He wasn't expecting much from them. Especially Deku.
He had a general idea of what he was supposed to be looking for, only given a few details and half-assed descriptions.
That old hag wanted him to find some kind of report or a piece of it. The whole thing was scattered all over the place in different worlds, and for some reason, this lady really wanted it.
It was part of why she even sent him to that hell hole in the first place. Try to find the report, and then go back to the castle. She also wouldn't mind if he found anything else interesting there, anything or anybody worth her time.
Of course, there was nothing interesting there.
The only thing that held any interest for him was that damn nerd.
He had known he was alive, based on what he had seen from the last time those two-bit villains were spying on the group. That knowledge made something in him burn and seethe, the Quirkless cockroach that just wouldn't die.
Katsuki scowled as he picked up a book and thumbed through the pages. All this for a damn report, it was a waste of his time.
But he had to do it.
He had to make himself trustworthy to those idiots in order to get in good with them.
He wasn't an idiot, far from it.
He had seen what that hag with the staff had done. When those monsters found him roaming the halls of the strange castle he ended up in, he fought them off. Carving through waves of them with his Quirk, incinerating them with powerful explosions.
He gripped the book tightly as he recalled the unrelenting force of those monsters. Where there was one, dozens were behind it, all displeased with him invading their home.
The only reason he was still alive was because of that woman.
Replaying the sound of her staff slamming into the stone floor still sent reverberations through him. All at once they had stopped, then disappeared into the ground where he couldn't see them anymore.
He grabbed another book.
Sharp nails grabbed his face and looked him over with interest, calling him a poor child for ending up in that hell hole. Yet admirable for the valiant fight he put up against her pets.
He slammed the book down and grabbed another one.
She was willing to show him hospitality if he was willing to play nice.
No sign of the report. He threw the book to the side and grabbed another.
She was the master of the castle and of the monsters that were called the Heartless. She looked more than happy to tell him her name.
Maleficent.
It was all her fault.
Another slam. Another book.
She was the one who sicced the Heartless on the worlds. Other worlds, his world. She was the one who destroyed everything.
"Damn it!" His palms sparked as he threw the book away. He glared at his hands as the poor thing burned and smoldered on the ground.
He glared at the remaining stacks of books to look through, combing through a needle in a haystack. Even then there was no guarantee the report was there.
Even so, there was one thing of interest to him. Something that would pay off in the long run.
After he and that other guy listened to them talk, rant, and rave for what felt like hours, something caught his attention. They talked about something called a Keyblade. There were two present right now, three if he wanted to count that wannabe hero, but he was sure she was in the ground somewhere.
He had managed to corner the hag and ask about it. Why was it so important, and why they didn't just kill the two little bastards if their having it was such an issue?
Katsuki's eyes flicked up, and he saw one of the Heartless monkeys peeking at him through the thicket. It tilted its head, and he returned to looking through the books for what he needed. He would be pissed if he wasted all this time for nothing.
It was easy to piece it all together after she so kindly told him about that item of interest. Giving vague details about it, choosing someone worthy, and some amazing power it held.
They were afraid of it.
It was the one thing that could stop the Heartless permanently, the one thing that could derail their plans. And there were two active wielders of it right now.
At the mention of 'worthiness' Katsuki wanted to blow up the nearest thing he could.
There were a lot of things he'd call Deku. 'Worthy' ain't one of them.
He was a worthless, Quirkless nerd who was scared of even his own shadow. There was no way he was worthy of anything.
The damn thing is wasted on him.
He began to rifle through all the stray pages on the desk, finding nothing but sketches and random notes.
The Keyblade, being as powerful as it is, probably had an active limit to it. There could only be so many existing at once. He could see some sense in the powers that be, limiting that kind of weapon. However, he didn't see the point in giving someone like Deku that power.
If anything, he was likely a placeholder. Once he was gone, the Keyblade would move down to the next candidate.
Clearly, it was Katsuki.
Why he wasn't first in line, he didn't know, but it pissed him off. How was the little good-for-nothing parasite in front of him? Unless he somehow stole it?
He huffed as he pushed the papers aside and moved to the next table piled with books and scattered pages.
If he got rid of Deku, then the Keyblade would have to go to its rightful owner.
Him.
He was stronger than that idiot, faster, and had an actual Quirk. He had more value to him than Deku ever would.
He would get the idiot to give it up, alive or dead. And if he had to, he'd pry it from his cold dead hands.
Katsuki would be the one to put all this to an end. He'd figure out how to get their world back, and he'd kill all of those villains. But first, he had to get rid of Deku and get what was rightfully his.
His palms sparked at the thought. It was killing two birds with one stone. Getting rid of the one constant pest in his life and getting the power to set everything right.
He would be the hero that everyone needed and prove without a doubt he was going to be the greatest of them all.
As Katsuki thought it over, something on the desk caught his eye. He pushed things off to the side and scanned through papers when he saw something that didn't seem right. He picked up a piece of paper that seemed older than the rest, but still in good condition. The handwriting was different from the other papers scattered there.
There were a few sketches near the bottom, something that looked like a heart with different scribbles and markings by it.
"Much of my life has been dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge. That knowledge has guarded this world well. Not a soul doubts that. I am blessed with people's smiles and respect. But though I am called a sage, there are things I do not understand. I believe darkness sleeps in every heart, no matter how pure. Given the chance, the smallest drop can spread and swallow the heart. I have witnessed it many times."
"Darkness… Darkness of the heart. How is it born? How does it come to affect us so? As ruler of this world, I must find the answers. I must find them before the world is lost to those taken by the darkness."
"What the hell is this?"
At the bottom, there was the number one in the corner, and signed off beneath the test was a single initial.
A.
"This is it? One fucking page? You can't be serious. She sent me all the way out here for this piece of shit?" He turned it over and found no other writing.
He huffed and pocketed the damn thing. He looked up and saw the Heartless that was watching him scamper off to who knows where. He was technically done; he could leave and be done with this place…but he wasn't.
He still had some business here, and if he could get things moving along in his favor, then he'd do it.
It wouldn't be too hard.
-HoL-
"Are we there yet?"
"I don't think so. It don't look like anywhere gorillas would live."
"There's nothing here but green, green, and more green. Wait, no, that's Izuku."
The mentioned boy looked to the side, then ahead. He hadn't said much since they left the camp, and if anyone noticed how Sora lingered near him, they said nothing.
Tarzan grunted out a series of noises and looked back at them. "Almost there."
"Are you sure Tarzan?"
He nodded.
"Just how deep in the jungle do all the gorillas live?"
"Oh, it's likely they go in quite deep, but they seem to move around based on some of the old nests we found. Though we have no proper approximation of how far they will go before settling down, it's clear that they go around quite frequently. Perhaps to keep food in plenty supply, so as to not wear out a food source in one area."
As the Professor rambled on, Tarzan paused and looked around before motioning them to follow him as he climbed up a tree.
"Well, wherever they ended up, they decided to go high this time." Donald huffed and glared at the dreaded climb. Long, winding vines clung to the thick trunk and led further up in the canopy.
"Well, maybe they've gone pretty far because of the strange creatures as of late," Jane took Tarzan's hand as he helped her up, and she began climbing on her own. Followed by her father, then Clayton.
"Have they attacked the gorillas? Or anything else," Sora asked.
"No." Tarzan shook his head. "Watching, waiting."
"So they're lurkin'?" Goofy asked.
"They don't seem to want to be found or confronted," Professor Archimedes said. "We've never seen such creatures where we're from. What about you all, seeing as you're from far away, have you ever come across creatures like that?"
"Uh…" Sora looked to the others. "I mean-"
"We see 'em every now and again." Donald answered.
"Sometimes they're pretty serious threats."
"But we've been able to take care of the ones that come our way," Izuku mumbled.
"Oh, so you have experience with them. That's a little reassuring." Jane reached the top and kneeled to help her father up.
"I assure you, you're likely safer with me around than them. If all these wretched things do is sit and watch, they're likely not a threat."
"Mr. Clayton, it's not wise to underestimate wild animals we know nothing about."
"Especially when it comes to these things, not bein' careful is kinda dangerous."
The hunter shook his head and pulled himself up to the top. He stepped to the side so the others could pull themselves up as well.
Sora panted as he looked around. "So, do we have to go up any higher or…" he stopped when he heard rustling in the trees.
Dense, strong branches reached above them and wove together through the different trees. All of them were covered in greenery with vines draped down from above. There was nothing there, no birds or even small animals. As if they were afraid to be in the area as if something else was taking up the space.
Tarzan walked forward, then turned to the others and made a gesture of staying back. He walked further along the branch they were standing on and looked around. When he spotted something, he leapt across some trees until landing on one and calling out.
The others all looked at each other, and a few of them crept forward to try and see what Tarzan had seen.
They peered around and saw the man perched on a branch over a great distance to the ground. In front of him, on a higher set of branches, were two gorillas. Behind them were other gorillas making their way out of the area, some looking over their shoulders at the scene before moving on.
As Tarzan began to speak to them in a way they couldn't understand, something caught Clayton's eye. One of the strange monkeys they had been discussing earlier was perched on a branch not too far away. Somewhat hidden by the vines.
He was about to raise his gun but stopped as the monkey leaped back. It stared at him as it made a motion to follow. While staring at the creature, he noticed a gorilla had separated from the others and was making its way in a different direction.
The monkey stared at it, then at Clayton before taking off.
-.-
"Tarzan, why have you brought them here? So close to us, to the family? Do you understand the risk you have put all of us in?"
"Kerchak, I know the nesting grounds are secret, but they need our help. I trust them. They won't do any harm."
The gorilla looked over the group and huffed. "This is our home, Tarzan. Why should we allow them to our nesting grounds? Why should we help them? They are strangers and have no place here, and you are supposed to protect this family. Not them."
"I want to help them because they…they need us. They are searching for their family. They've lost people they care about and are seeking them out. Shouldn't we help them? If something happened to ours, wouldn't we want their help as well?"
"They should have protected their own families better."
"Kerchak, please!"
"I won't hear any more of this Tarzan!"
The man froze and looked behind him to see some of them had stepped back at the sound of his shout.
"Tarzan," His mother spoke. "I know you mean well, but I don't think they will find what they're looking for there. It's unlikely that's where their family has ended up."
"We don't know that for certain!"
Kerchak huffed and stomped his foot. "No more of this Tarzan. Take these strangers to their home, and tell them they are not to come to our nesting grounds. Then…" He stopped, then looked off into the distance.
"Kerchak?"
He shook his head and glared at Tarzan. "Go take care of our family."
With that, he rushed off, with Kala following after. She nodded at him before leaving him all alone.
-.-
"Did you uh, catch any of that?" Goofy asked.
"Nope."'
Sora frowned and nudged Izuku. "Hey, is it just me, or was that gorilla guy looking at something?"
Izuku glanced at him and looked around. "I think he was, but I'm not sure what he'd be looking at."
He leaned against Izuku as he stared in the direction the gorilla had been looking.
"I think…that's where the treehouse is, that's where I ended up landing. And if I remember right, we came from that way. I think."
"You think there's anything important there?"
"Maybe…"
"Tarzan." Jane stepped forward. "That was Kerchak, right? What did he say?"
"He seemed quite upset. I do hope we haven't done anything to wrong him."
Tarzan looked at them all and shook his head. "Kerchak…said no. No nesting grounds."
"Well, you tried Tarzan, but we understand. Let's get back to camp, and we can try to figure something out. And-"
"Uh, ahem, I apologize for interrupting you, dear." The Professor cut in. "But, do we know where Mr. Clayton has gone?"
The group looked up at that, and began to scan the area. There was no sign of the man, and there had been no gunfire.
"What happened to going in a group to stay safe?" Donald shouted. "The jungle is a dangerous place. How is it that even someone like him lacks the common sense to not go alone! If anything, I was expecting one of you to slip away."
"Hey!" Sora snapped.
"Now, Donald…"
"We shouldn't be arguing. We should be trying to find Mr. Clayton." Jane sighed. "Though I'm not sure where he could have gone."
Izuku was quiet before looking off into the distance.
"Maybe Jane and the Professor should head back to the camp." He said. "We can check the; you called it a treehouse, right?"
"Yeah." Sora nodded. "Why there?"
"There has to be a reason Kerchak looked over there. Maybe Tarzan knows."
"Should we come with you?" Jane asked.
"No." Tarzan shook his head. "Need to go now. You go to camp."
"Are you sure, Tarzan?"
He nodded and looked at the others. "Help, please."
"Of course." Sora smiled. "You're helping us out. No reason we can't do the same."
Tarzan nodded and looked at Jane and the Professor.
"We'll get home safe. Just be careful."
"Know way back?"
"We do, don't worry Tarzan."
Still, Tarzan helped them make their way down to the ground and watched them begin to make their way back toward the camp.
"Uh, should we head down?" Goofy asked.
"Maybe."
"He made us climb up here, and now he's going to make us climb back down. For the love of…"
"We're in a jungle Donald." Sora huffed as he began to look for proper footholds. "It's just climbing up and down a tree. It's not that bad. Right, Izuku?"
"I mean…the first time I've ever really climbed a tree is today so…"
"I climb trees all the time, and it's not bad." Sora looked at the duck as he found his way down. "You just like to complain."
"And you like giving attitude."
"Well, you started it!"
Goofy shook his head as he peered over the edge. "Don't go down quite yet Sora, Tarzan is makin' his way back up."
The teen looked over his shoulder and hurriedly dragged himself back up as Tarzan climbed. Izuku reached forward to pull Sora up as Tarzan grabbed a vine and swung to a different branch. He looked at the others and gestured them to follow as he took off.
He grabbed one vine and swung to another before landing on another branch, then turning to look at them.
"Does he expect us to follow him like that?"
Sora grinned and looked at the different vines before stepping back and taking a running start.
"Sora!"
The teen shouted as he grabbed onto a vine and swung back and forth before making the leap to another one. Then jumping from that one to land beside Tarzan. He stumbled on the landing, then stood up straight.
"It's not that hard. Come on!
Donald grumbled as he approached the edge, then stepped back to get a running start as well. He yelled as he jumped and grabbed a vine. As it swung back and forth, he struggled to grab the next one, almost getting within reach but swinging back before he could grab it. He began squawking as he kept trying to reach it.
Izuku sighed and held up his hands, casting a small Aero spell to boost the duck forward. It was a little too much though, and Donald went flying off the vine and to the branch beside Sora instead.
"Oops…"
"Be more careful with your magic Izuku!"
He nodded and stepped back before taking a running start and using Aero to boost himself. He grabbed onto the vine and grabbed the next one.
Goofy did the same, running and grabbing the vine, and struggling to reach the next one before getting to the platform.
Tarzan looked at them and nodded as he took off ahead and began swinging from vine to vine again, going just a little further ahead.
Sora looked at the others and grinned as he followed after.
Meanwhile, Donald sighed. "This is ridiculous."
-.-
Katsuki sat high on a branch as he watched some idiot walking through the trees and following one of the Heartless that had been watching him.
With the gun, the man had, he half expected the idiot to shoot the damn thing. Instead, he insisted on following it. Then he realized why. Looking further ahead, climbing up a large tree and into a treehouse was a gorilla.
Oh, so this fucker is a poacher.
Even so, the Heartless that were lurking around wasn't attacking him or anything, which meant they were interested. Which meant…
He narrowed his eyes as the air grew heavy, and he heard tapping behind him. Though she walked silently, it was always the staff that gave her away.
He stayed quiet as she approached him, looking down on the scene before speaking.
"I believed I sent you here to complete a task, did I not?"
"Yeah, and I did it. So what?"
He could feel her smile at him as she tapped the staff against the ground.
"Well, if you were finished, all you had to do was call. Don't want any of the Heartless getting eager now, do we?"
"I wasn't done here yet. I've got business I need to take care of, so fuck off."
She raised an eyebrow. "And what business would that be?"
He clenched his fists as he looked up at her. "Those idiots are here"
Maleficent paused, then hummed. "I see. I suppose you're not done here yet, then."
Katsuki pushed himself to his feet and turned away from her, then looked down to spot a group of familiar faces stumbling their way through the trees and swinging on vines. Guided around by some guy in a loincloth. They had to wait for someone to catch up.
Katsuki huffed and shook his head. "You're also looking for some other pawn, right?"
She glanced at him. "Please, pawn is a rather harsh word now, isn't it? But I suppose I am."
"Don't fucking care, your weird ass pets like that idiot over there." He at the treehouse and began to walk away. "Figure you'd take interest in something like that."
The evil fairy looked in the direction of the treehouse, then smiled. She could sense something in there, a little seed of darkness that needed a push over the edge. A reason to succumb.
"You certainly have a keen eye."
He huffed and said nothing else, instead turning his attention to the group that arrived near the treehouse. A few of them stumbled and rushed to get to their feet as they followed after the new guy. Whoever he was, he was rushing the others to follow after them.
He grit his teeth as he caught sight of Deku. He clenched his fists to keep any sparks from forming around his hands. He couldn't blow his cover. He needed to wait for the right moment to get that idiot.
"You said you have completed the task I originally sent you here for, yes?"
"Yeah, what about it?"
Maleficent glanced down at him. "So I take it you found the report? Or at least a page, given that it's scattered amongst worlds.
He swore he could feel the folded-up paper burn in his pocket.
He huffed and looked to the side. "I looked all over the damn place, and there wasn't jack shit. Just a bunch of notes on these damn gorillas and whatever lives around here."
If she wants these things, then they're important. She ain't getting shit from me.
"Ah, I see." She tapped her staff on the ground again. "Unfortunate, but an outcome I foresaw. There are many worlds out there, not all of them will have the answers we seek." She looked down at him. "Though some have exactly what we need."
Katsuki forced himself not to flinch as a gunshot followed the annoying duck's shout of anger. He could feel her looking at him, watching him instead of the group inside the treehouse. He kept his gaze forward. He wouldn't give her an inch.
The duck was yelling at the man, with the occasional interruption from Clown Shoes. Probably asking what he was doing or thinking. The man they initially followed was further inside, but he didn't care. He was more interested in Deku, who was glaring at the man.
"Perhaps we should leave them to their business. Come now, we'll be able to speak to that man in time." A dark portal opened up behind her, and she began to walk towards it.
"I can get out of here on my own, lady." He stood up and began to walk in the opposite direction.
"Of course." She watched him as he hopped off the branch and began to make his way down to the ground far below.
-HoL-
"What is the matter with you? What in the world compelled you to do such a cruel, foolish-" Jane huffed and turned away from the hunter.
The man rolled his eyes as he had received a lecture from the group that had found him in the treehouse.
"As I told them, I was aiming for a snake that could have hurt that little gorilla. I had no intention of-"
"I don't want to hear it!" Jane cut him off. "You are not to go near the gorillas again. You will bring no harm to them, am I clear?"
"Jane dear…"
"No, I will not have any of it. We were told we could trust you. Tarzan trusted you enough to bring you, all of us, close to the gorillas. We will not earn that trust again."
"You cannot be serious."
"We are." Donald crossed his arms. "Why did you even run off in the first place, Mr. The-Jungle-is-a-Dangerous-Place?"
"Ah you see, I had seen one of those strange creatures following the gorilla. I was just ensuring it was safe. And then we reached the treehouse I saw the snake and…"
"You're such a liar!"
"Don't speak that way to me, young man."
"Enough." Jane raised her voice to call order. "Mr. Clayton, just…go. I feel it would be best if you stay here whenever my father and I go out for research. But for now, please leave the tent."
"You can't be serious. You hired me for protection. Why without me you-"
"I trust Tarzan with guiding through us the jungle. Not you."
The man looked around and saw the hard look everyone was giving him. He stepped back before turning around in a huff.
He walked out of the tent and through the camp, gripping his gun tightly.
"Those blasted imbeciles. Why am I wasting my time on them? I came here to hunt all these blasted gorillas!"
He panted and stalked out of the camp and into the bamboo thicket. He pulled out his pipe and furiously searched through his pockets for a match. As he pulled one out, the air around him grew heavy. Dread pooled in his gut as something dark rose from the ground and formed into what looked like a gateway.
Out of it, stepped a terrible creature. A woman draped in a black cloak with horns atop her head.
He dropped the match and pipe and raised his gun.
"A devil!"
The creature laughed before looking him in the eye.
"A rather rude thing to call someone who is willing to offer their help."
The bamboo began to shift, something tugging and pulling the stalks as it darted around them. The woman didn't move as the man frantically looked around for the source. As the bamboo parted, he whirled around and pulled the trigger.
-HoL-
A big thank you to KeeperofHounds for beta-ing this for me!
Discord: /yFZPD5K