Guest: You don't say...
Day 355, 10:23 AM
Climbing down the boat to check the engine, Monkey pulls out a bottle of water to take a sip. He could only spare so much water before they got to the mainland. The device they use to make drinkable water out of saltwater was malfunctioning but Magic Carpet was working on it right now. In just a few hours, once they reach the mainland, they can see what Japan has to offer. They were not native to Japan and didn't speak Japanese but they figured it would be unnecessary if Japan was a wasteland like everyone else. They're only heading to Japan because they can't sail on the water for too long. Now was the time to head to dry land and fast.
Pulling out his binoculars, Monkey Man sees a bridge in the distance, a bridge he doesn't recognize on the map but beyond the bridge is a town and forest, signs of life and wildlife, perfect.
He puts the binoculars away before turning to Magic Carpet. "Hey, buddy, I see land. Just a few more minutes and we shall be there."
Before they could celebrate, the engine stalls. "Damn it," Magic Carpet curses. "Every time." The boat comes to a complete stop and pisses off the boat driver. "Shit. Just... give me a few minutes."
"Don't worry," Monkey Man assures him, "Remember: land ho is in sight, which means no more sleeping on a rocking boat in the middle of the night. No more waves. As soon as we get past that bridge, we'll be in Japan."
"Hope you practiced your Japanese."
"Shut up and get to work."
"Ooh, pushy."
Monkey Man heads to the edge and rests his arms on the railings. Japan may not have been the best place to go but it was better than nothing. After losing a few of their survivors a few weeks before, Monkey Man and Magic Carpet were all they had left and they even considered each other to be brothers. But honestly, they were tired of sharing the same stories repeatedly. While they were grateful for each other, they craved new survivors, and new people to talk to. Not just for the social conversations but also for the experience. What did other survivors experience when they were sailing here from their original location? What did survivors do to survive? Did Japan have the same kind of zombies they encountered?
However, there was one thing that Magic Man could admit that he missed when he left the boat: the freedom to use his quirk. Yes, his quirk was a simple one: he could speak and write a monkey language as easily as breathing. There were no monkeys to speak to so he settled on creating his own messages and wording system. Magic Carpet could make carpets float like nothing but it was very basic and only lasted for a few seconds. Their quirks were never glamorous and not something worthy of being called Pro-Hero worthy but it felt good to finally be free to use their quirks out in the open.
As he muses, he fails to notice something swimming in the ocean, flying through the ocean water like a military jet.
"Okay," Magic Carpet exclaims as he comes out, holding a monkey wrench. "I finally got the engine up and running."
"Nice."
"And, I have a little friend for you to talk to." He tosses him the monkey wrench.
"Aww, how did you know I was feeling lonely today?"
"I just took a lucky guess. You know, I-"
He is cut off by a loud humming sound that resembles a knife screeching across a stop sign. Both men look around, trying to find the source of that humming sound before it vanishes completely. Neither man says a single word as they remain frozen in place, their hearts beating so loud they thought they would burst in their chests.
That's when they saw the currents in the water began to change. What was once a calm and soothing water now had small but violent waves crashing against the hull of the boat. The boat wasn't too big but big enough to resemble the Orca from Jaws. Both men forget how to breathe as they stare at each other.
"Get the engine running," Monkey Man urges. "Hurry."
"Oh no." Magic Carpet runs inside and pulls the throttle. The engine starts up and the sound to indicate the boat is accelerating sounds off but the boat remains in place. He pulls the throttle again, turning on and off the engine but the boat remains in place. So much so that it barely moves even an inch. He turns the wheel but the result is the same. The boat is stuck in place and it wasn't going to move at all.
The humming sound returns, this time, louder.
"Drive, drive!" Monkey Man begs.
"I can't! We're stuck! We're fucking stuck!"
Moneky Man quickly runs into the room and pulls at the throttle while Magic Carpet mans the wheel.
"Something's holding us down! Something's holding us still!" Magic Carpet desperately turns the wheel but the result is the same.
"Come on," Monkey Man begs the throttle, "please, please!"
Both men continued to scream at the boat, hoping that it would start up by some miracle and save them from whatever was lurking under the boat. Whatever was holding the boat in place. As both men internally panic which soon externalizes into snot-blubbering terror, a lightning bolt from below strikes the boat, charring the boat and turning it into nothing but then a big pile of what looked like coal for a chimney.
The boat remains in place with most of it still intact but the boat technically doesn't float in the water. No, it's so still that it's not even rocking with or against the waves of the ocean. Like a rubber duck being snatched underwater in the bathtub, the boat vanishes underwater after something snatches it from below, leaving nothing behind but a splash the size of a semi-trailer.
Day 356, 6:00 AM
"This one is for all the marvels," Shishikura says suddenly, "Mora, I swear to god, if you lost to this son of a bitch, I will castrate you in your sleep. You better win, for our sake; for our school's sake."
Mora nods soundly before looking at his cards. He pushes the poker chips forward. "All in."
Bakugou smirks. "I'll call you, bastard."
Sitting between both boys, Camie taps the table where the river of cards lies for everyone to see. "Okay, showdown everyone, time to see who won the big pot!"
Mora lays down his cards.
Camie gasps. "Ahh, look at that, a straight!"
"You idiot," Bakugou laughs. "You overplayed your hand this time, Chewbacca." He lays his cards down.
"Wow," Camie coos, "a straight flush!"
"WHAT?!" Shishikura and Mora gasp.
Bakugou laughs again. "You should've folded when you had the chance. After all, I did warn you. Did I not warn you?"
Camie collects the cards and shuffles them. "This means Bakugou wins the last two KitKat bars." She produces the two candy bars from her pocket and slides them across the table to him.
Bakugou catches them. "They say you should always tip your deal so here." He slides one to Camie. "Enjoy it."
"Aww, a guy who gives a girl chocolate, so swoony amiright?" She unwraps the wrapper and takes a bite.
"Don't eat it all at once." Bakugou laughs again before heading off.
Heading back to his group, the crowd of Shiketsu students moans and groans over their loss while the UA students sit at their table in the cafeteria and watch Bakugou's victory walk with awe.
"Guess who won the big pot." He gestures to the Kitkit bar. "There's eleven of us and four pieces so..."
"You eat it," Kirishima insists, "you've earned it man. Besides, I'm aiming for the hair dye they have."
"They have hair dye?" His jaw drops. "Oh that's right, I forgot that your red shitty hair isn't natural, shitty hair."
"Natural redhead," Mineta laughs as he sits on Kenta's shoulders like a chair.
"I've met plenty of natural redheads in my time," Kenta whispers.
"Really?"
"Nope."
"Tell me when you meet one."
"I'll give you all the details."
Kuroiro looks over. "Mineta, why do you sit on his shoulder?"
"Because it's comfy," he shrugs casually.
"And he isn't heavy," Kenta adds.
"Whatever." He looks at Komori. "You miss your bed back home?"
Komori nods. "Yeah, I do. Honestly, sleeping on those desks sure is a pain."
"I've fallen over twice already," Shinsou admits. "Do you know what it's like to wake up with a desk on top of you?"
"I've had worse," Deku says while resting his chin in his hand. "Like when I got tied up both times I slept here."
Bakugou pauses as he is about to eat his first piece of the KitKat bar. "You can learn to sleep uncomfortably on hardwood tables when you prove to be responsible enough not to run away in the middle of the night."
Deku sarcastically salutes him. "Message received, mom."
7:00
Stepping forward, Camie swallows a ball of nervousness down her throat before she finds the courage to speak. "Hey, Bakubae, I was wondering, if you're not busy with anything, why don't you come with me on a supply run? You know, I'm sure you'd like to pitch in since you're our guests and all that."
Bakugou looks at her, glaring. "How the hell do you know what's on my mind, Ms. Illusion?"
"Just taking a wild guess and hoping for a wildly right answer. So, what do you say?"
"Sure, I'll go on a supply run with you. If only so you don't mess anything up."
Camie laughs. "Oh, Bakubae, I knew you were the one."
"The one for what?"
"Come on, let's go; the car's already heated up for us."
"Why would it be heated for us; it's the middle of July!"
"I know, isn't it exciting?"
8:00
Camie is the one doing the driving as the small car zooms down the road, passing several zombies along the way. Camie drives around them and doesn't move her eyes for one second, even to look at Bakugou as he stares at her.
"Something on your mind, Bakubae?"
"To be honest, I never expected that you would make it this far into the end of the world."
"I had total faith that you would. Do you not trust me and my abilities?"
"No. That's not what I meant. It's just... people change and you haven't. I knew you'd make it this far into the world but I never expected you would make it this far... and still be the same airhead you were back in the remedial class."
"I'm betting that's the one part of me you missed the most, Bakubae, right?"
"You wish."
"And wishes do come true." She removes a fallen eyelash from her eyelid. "Make a wish."
Bakugou chuckles. "I doubt it's going to come true. But-"
"Shh, don't tell me or else it won't come true."
"Like I said, I doubt it'll come true anyway but... whatever you say."
"Wishes do come true, even at the end of the world. My wish came true."
"Oh really, and what would that be? If it already came true, then there's no harm in telling me."
When they're clear of the zombies, she finally glances at him and smiles. "To see you again." She bats her long eyelashes at him before turning to the road again, laughing internally upon realizing that Bakugou is blushing.
Huh, maybe wishes do come true, even when the world has gone tits-up. Bakugou looks away. Maybe my wish is going to come true.
9:00
Hanging on the roof of one of the buildings, Kaminari finds solace as he leans on the railings and gazes into the trees in the distance. He thinks back to a time when everything was simple. Man, I think I'm starting to like rooftops now.
He just wished someone was up there with him and as luck would have it, his wish came true.
Jirou steps forward and stands beside him, leaning on the railing as well, gazing into the distance. Kaminari looks at her and offers a heartwarming smile but elects to say nothing. Jirou is the same and simply remains silent. They don't need words to share a moment, a moment neither thought they would have again.
That is until Kaminari decided to speak up. "Want to go on a bike ride?"
Jirou looks at him and nods without hesitation. "Absolutely."
Taking her downstairs, Kaminari leads her to his dirtbike and climbs on. He revs up the bike as Jirou climbs on the back and clutches him tightly from behind.
God, I missed her touch, Kaminari internally smiles. "Ready?"
"Ready."
Kaminari rides off through the gates after telling the Shiketsu students his intentions. He cuts through the parking lot before taking off down the road to the right. Jirou looked over her shoulder to see the school shrink as the distance between them grew. When the school is out of sight, she looks back, her eyes focusing on the back of Kaminari's head, where she leans in and snuggles her face between his shoulder blades.
"Want to do a wheelie?"
Jirou lifts her head. "Yeah. Just... don't drop me."
"No promises." He revs up the bike before popping a wheelie.
Jirou clings to him tight but not tight enough to make him lose his balance or disturb his concentration. Jirou looks over her shoulder to see her almost dangling at a ninety-degree angle over the ground. She wondered what would happen if she fell right now but decided she didn't want to try. Kaminari holds the wheelie posture for about ten more seconds before the front wheel touches down. Jirou lets out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding and laughs in relief.
"Man, I missed those tricks of yours."
"I know," Kaminari smiles, even though he knows Jirou can't see.
"Got any other tricks up your sleeve?"
"I still got a few but they require me to be free of a passenger."
"Nah, I get it."
"I can do another wheelie if you want."
"Yeah, sure. I'd like that. And longer this time, please?"
"Your wish is my command."
He pops another wheelie and holds it longer this time. While Kaminari is counting to thirty while keeping his eyes on the road, Jirou revels in the bliss, the feeling of freedom she gets when riding on the back of Kaminari's bike. God, it's been so long since she saw the electric bastard and, to be honest, she genuinely believed that he wouldn't survive for very long. She liked Kaminari but Kaminari's strong suit was running and parkouring the environment like a pro, not taking out multiple zombies at once. Sure, he could take them down one at a time but to take on a group at once was different. He could kill hundreds of zombies if he discharged two million volts of electricity but this would only work one time and only the non-beast zombies would be killed. He's better at running away.
She compares herself to him. Compared to him, she was weak. Jesus Christ, Kaminari can take out an entire group of zombies with one strike while she can't. Sure, she can disrupt the ground to throw zombies off their balance but her quirk can't exactly kill zombies, not like his can.
We're just kids, she reminds herself, we shouldn't have to kill to survive. We shouldn't have to turn on each other.
The wheels touchdown and Kaminari focuses on riding with both wheels on the ground. No longer reveling in the bliss the wheelie offered, Jirou decided now was the time to express her thoughts.
"I missed you, I missed you so much, Kaminari. It was lonely and depressing without that stupid Jamming-Yay look on your face."
Kaminari feels himself choke on his own saliva. "Really?"
"Yeah, really. I wanted to find you but I couldn't. Kendo wouldn't let too many people go with Bakugou."
"She must be having a hard time. What with her losing her hand and everything."
"Bakugou left before we came across the bacteria."
"Oh, that's right."
"Where have you been? Bakugou said he would find you and-"
"Deku didn't want to go to his house yet so we went to mine. When Deku gained the courage, we went to his house. Then we spent some time in a cave... and then at a gas station. And now..."
"I'm kinda glad you were banished. Because... if you stayed, you probably would've gotten sick from the bacteria."
Kaminari groans. "Yeah. After what that bacteria can do, I'm glad I was banished."
"I was scared. I was terrified for my life."
"I would be too." He does a 180 swerve and rides back to Shiketsu High's hideout. "Jirou, do you really think the others would want us back?"
"I don't care what the others want; I want you and Deku back with us."
"And what if they decide to kick us out again?"
"Then I'll fight them tooth and nail to keep you here."
Kaminari smirks. "Oh, I see why you want me back."
"Please, enlighten me, I beg ya. Why?"
"Because there's no Kamisquad without me. You just want me back because you miss our little Kamisquad dynamic."
Jirou chuckles. "Keep dreaming, idiot."
"Ahh, the dynamics are already back to how they were now. This is going to be so much fun already."
10:00
Sensing someone approaching him, Deku stands up as Shishikura and Mora head his way. Standing tall before them all, Deku nervously rubs his fingers together as he waits for the Shiketsu High students to speak first.
"So, Deku, I know we're supposed to discuss this with Bakugou but we're going to agree to meet with your UA class."
Deku's eyes widen. "Really?"
"Yeah. So far, we've been hanging out for the past few days, getting to know each other, and I think it's time we expand our horizons."
Shishikura holds his head high. "This is only as a means of survival. Working together with communities is better than surviving on our own."
"Wow, really?" Deku smiles a little. "Wow, that's... that's awesome. I'm glad you decided to work with us."
"We would offer you a chance to live with us but I'm pretty sure that all of us can fit on those desks we sleep on."
"Yeah, it is kinda uncomfortable."
Shishikura leans forward. "We hear that you have beds and we wish to sleep in some. We have offered you and your group hospitality out of the goodness of our hearts. All we ask for in return is one thing: to sleep in a bed. A nice, soft, comfy bed. Just for one night."
Deku nods. "Oh, I can't speak for everyone but I'm sure I can get everyone to agree to it. If you're lucky, maybe we can scavenge some beds for you."
"Even a mattress doesn't have a blanket, it will still suffice," Mora chimes in.
Shishikura looks at his hairy friend. "You know, if recycling is still a thing, maybe we can give ol' Chewbacca here a haircut and use his hair as a blanket."
Mora laughs. "You wouldn't want my hair as a blanket, especially around your private parts."
"I'll be the judge of that."
"Okay, but if you decide to use my hair as a blanket, don't get mad at me if you wake up with itchy balls."
"Again, we'll be the judge of that."
Deku chuckles.
Shishikura looks at him. "By the way, will you finally admit defeat and go back home or are you going to stay here?"
Deku hesitates. "I'm not too sure. I want to go back but at the same time, I..." He pauses to find the words. "I don't know."
"Your friends care about you," Mora explains to him, "the blonde pomeranian does, at least. And I think you should give it a shot."
"I don't know if I'm ready to face them. I'm afraid that... if I face them, I'll remind them of everyone who died because of me." Deku explains his story to them one more time to make sure they're up to date with all the details, leaving nothing out.
"The sins of the father," Shishikura growls. "You are not your father, child. My father worked at Tartarus Prison and he would've been guarding All for One's cell had he been incarcerated. If AFO escaped and killed my father in the process, I still wouldn't blame you because you did nothing wrong."
"But I hid the truth from-"
"It doesn't matter." He sighs heavily. "Man, the world got dark without All Might. Listen to me, I'm not your close friend or anything but if you want this relationship between UA and Shiketsu to work, you have to put in the effort; we all have to put in effort because the world can't afford freeloaders. The sole condition for this agreement to work, aside from the obvious, is that you need to face your friends. And this is non-negotiable."
Deku looks at Mora. "Isn't that for Mora to decide?"
"I am Switzerland."
11:00
Elsewhere, after decaying the last lock away, Shigaraki finally opens the bank safe to see if he can find something worthwhile. Looking around, he finds a corpse in the middle of the bank vault. A skeletal corpse, he loots the body to find a small can of applesauce on him. It wasn't a lot but it was something.
Shigaraki steps out of the vault and removes the top before consuming the food, not caring that it is unbeatable. Then he spat it out hard. "Shit." He tosses the can away. "Why was he carrying applesauce in his jacket anyway?" He spots an empty baby stroller in the corner of the bank. "Huh, maybe it was for that little brat."
The other members of the League of Villains step out of the shadows of the bank after doing a thorough sweep of the place.
Mr. Compress steps forward, revealing himself to hold a duffle bag in his hands. "Found something that could help us."
Shigaraki opens the duffle bag and finds a few food items inside. Looking through, he finds several cans of nonperishable foods and opens the first can. He tosses it to Mr. Compress then hands the rest out to the other members.
Kurogiri, Twice, Big Sis Magne, Spinner, Moonfish, Mustard's clone, and Giran.
"Looks like someone thought this apocalypse wouldn't last too long so they hid themselves in a bank vault and waited." Mr. Compress takes a handful of sardines. "Uhh, gross."
"Stocked up on money so they'd be rich when the world ended but the world wasn't going to come back for a long time." Shigaraki zips the bag before tossing it over his shoulder. "We need more food and supplies. We need to power up."
Twice salutes Shigaraki. "We'll be at full strength soon. Not gonna happen!"
"Is it really necessary that we do this?" Giran asks. "After all, we're barely holding ourselves together."
"No, this is necessary. If those UA brats are barely hanging on by a teether, the same as us, then we need to upgrade. Even if our power level is one point higher than theirs, then we've already won." Shigaraki walks forward. "It took forever for us to find where those UA brats sleep and I can't believe I never thought to look around that burned glorified military school."
Heading out the bank, they travel back to their van and climb in. Spinner drives off and waits patiently for Shigaraki to give the next set of orders.
"We should head back to that one school," Shigaraki tells them, "the one we've been scoping for the past few days."
"Got it." Spinner makes a sharp turn to the left. "Is now the time we're finally going to unleash the full fury of Stain's wrath on them?"
"Patience," Kurogiri commands.
"Exactly," SHigaraki smiles, "the last group put up a fight but we can't attack, especially when our HP is so low. Our plan is the same: scope out the place and search for any vulnerabilities."
Spinner pulls up to the middle of the road next to a tree. Shigaraki and Kurogiri step out, leaving everyone else behind in the van. They walk through the forest and stop when they spot the survivor's hideout. They hide behind a set of trees where Shigaraki takes out a pair of binoculars. He zooms in so he can count all the students present in the courtyard and nearly scratches himself upon seeing a familiar face.
"Hello, little brother."
Character Cards
- Sobong "Monkey Man" Gi-ung
Quirk: Monkey Language (He can speak and write a monkey language)
Occupation: Police detective (Formerly); wandering survivor
Age: 31
Birthday: July 1st
Height: 170 cm
Blood Type: O
Likes: Computers.
Dislikes: Taxes.
Other Facts: Married outside of his religion
- Gangjeon "Magic Carpet" Dong-hoon
Quirk: Carpet Ride (He can levitate a carpet and ride on it for a short time)
Occupation: Pit clerk (Formerly); wandering survivor.
Age: 32
Birthday: May 29th
Height: 172 cm
Blood Type: AB
Likes: Bees.
Dislikes: Wireless transceivers.
Other Facts: Expert sign spinner.