My Hokuto Academia
I DO NOT own Hokuto no Ken or My Hero Academia, they belong to their respective creators, Tetsuo Hara, Buronson, and Kohei Horikoshi. Support the official releases, especially of Souten no Ken. Oh, someone's already translating Souten no Ken: Regenesis [manga version] already!
Italics = Flashback
"Italics" = Speaking in a Different Language
'Italics' = Inner Thoughts
Italics = Flashback
"BOLD" = All-Might's tone or Present Mic [excited]
Chapter Sixty: Bienvenue aux Enfers
Undisclosed Hideout
"Yes, I agree. That holiday, in particular, has come early."
Bloodgash looked over the list, again, recognizing a few names he worked with during his time in the Golden Triangle. However, that one name was what made him flinch a bit. The employer noticed it.
"... aside from this one guy, everything's good."
"Any particular reason for that one name alone?"
"He's a smarmy prick," Bloodgash added. "One mission with him was enough."
"Ah... I understand. However, there are plenty of mercenaries to recruit from. The prison itself is a different matter entirely," the distorted voice said. The scarred merc tilted his head, wondering what he meant exactly. "Erinyes Ultra-Max Facility."
"Wait. Do you mean... that island castle?" Bloodgash asked. "The former Château d'If? The same one that was the setting of that one Pre-Quirk novel? That Erinyes to be specific?"
"Yes. However, you will need to bring another one with you. Young Tomura will be recruiting too but on the domestic side."
The merc nodded in understanding with Tomura agreeing too. There were a few questions that popped into both heads, however. The merc started first, asking the obvious one.
"So, how exactly are we getting to Erinyes? It's not exactly drop in and get out." Shigaraki agreed with that, not that he would say out loud. However, the distorted voice snickered a bit, almost as if it was the easiest question of all time.
"Oh, don't worry about that. One of the prison guards there owes me a favor. Debt-related." One question was answered, but there was a follow-up.
"Do you expect me to go now or..."
"You will go to Erinyes first thing tomorrow afternoon. A cover ID needs to be set up for you and the person you choose to bring along. However, there's another detail you need to know."
"And that is...?"
"According to the one who owes me a favor... there's an underground fighting ring at Erinyes." He paused. "However, here's the interesting twist: Quirk-Suppressor Collars and I think you can guess the rest."
It was clear as day, every Erinyes prisoner was fighting Quirkless. This was the perfect situation for Bloodgash and on top of that, it would be a reunion for him. He hasn't seen any of these mercs for quite a while.
Hidden Lair
The whole room was not that big, though it resembled more of a hospital room. The left side had a computer set-up with a series of medical charts above it. In the center of it was a comfortable-looking chair, and sitting in it was a tall man in a suit with a skull-like mask with all sorts of tubes going into it.
"I knew Bloodgash was the right choice. It was worth talking to his former employers, though their secrecy surprised me a bit." He paused. "On top of that, their little outfit might be older than I am," the tall one smirked, but he felt pain in his ribs.
"Master!" exclaimed an elder voice, accompanied by a pair of footsteps. "You need to be still for the healing procedure! You're not at full capacity yet!"
"Doctor, all good things take time." The man assured the good doctor. The latter was a short but pudgy man, balding, and a fuzzy mustache. On top of that, he wore a lab coat, making his mad scientist status more obvious. "However, there is something I did leave out..."
The doctor tilted his head. "I don't follow..."
"Notice how I used the phrase: a man on the inside," the tall one clarified.
"... wait... You're saying..."
"You're almost there, doctor." He was grinning, the answer was right in front of him.
"You have more than one mole, is that what you're implying?" The doctor questioned. "Is that it? I mean-"
BRING! BRING!
The doctor's response was cut off by the sound of a cellphone ringing. He snapped his head to the computer screen, quickly ran to it, and then accepted the call by pressing the Accept key.
"You're on speaker," he barked. There was a coughing noise, but it mixed with a record scratching, causing some discomfort to the doctor's hearing. "We need to fix that vocal modifier on that phone of yours."
"It was difficult finding a private spot. However, I like to report on my progress." The use of a vocal modifier was obvious. The doctor noticed the look on his master's face, splitting into a grin.
"Ah, it's good to hear from you. How's your infiltration of U.A. so far?"
"No one suspects a thing, All For One... none at all. 1-A is fairly divided," the voice said. The now-named All For One kept his grin, but he was partly surprised by this reveal.
"Interesting. One would think that the USJ Incident would unify them. What exactly caused the divide?"
"One of my classmates, a green-haired kid named Izuku Midoriya."
'This is an interesting development, but amusing. Who knew that the same child who destroyed Nomu at the USJ would end up splitting his class too? A less unified hero class means a lesser threat. That means reclaiming what's mine will be easier,' the villain thought.
"Half of my classmates are afraid of him, the other half feel he's partly justified. However, there's a potential issue though. Midoriya has a small circle of friends by his side, I have no idea if they're just as lethal as him."
"Hmm... a potential problem. If their mindsets are anything close to this Midoriya's mindset, this will pose an issue in the long run."
"What's your recommendation?" questioned the distorted voice.
"Keep observing, we need more info on 1-A and the other heroic class. A repeat of the USJ is something neither of us needs. Anything else to report?" All For One asked, hoping for more.
"... well, it seems some members of 1-A are having second opinions over being a Pro Hero. I can exploit that for more intel on their Quirks, what do you think? "
All For One nodded, liking the suggestion that his infiltrator had put forth. "I fully endorse that, you're embracing villainy far better than I thought. If I knew this would happen, I would have recruited you before U.A.'s entrance exam."
"I'm glad you did. I honestly don't think I would stand out as a hero, even if I worked my Quirk out to its maximum. People like Todoroki, Midoriya, and Yaoyorozu already stand out because of their flashier Quirks."
"Now, now," All For One said, waving his finger as if scolding him. "Your performance during the Sports Festival was excellent, a force to be reckoned with. An asset worthy of Young Tomura."
"I heard how he acted during the USJ, is he getting better?" the voice asked.
"... it's an ongoing process, but I like to think he's progressing. The loss of one of his hands and also the mercenary I hired should be sufficient enough to motivate Young Tomura."
"I'm curious about the mercenary. Where did you find him? " The voice asked, curious. "Is he just for hire or will he be permanently part of the League? "
"As long as I pay him, he'll stay. Hmm... I'll share this bit of privileged bit of info with you. Our fellow mercenary is a born survivor."
"Meaning...?"
"He's fought in quite a few warzones, the most recent one being the Golden Triangle. Otherwise, the closest thing I got to some sort of backstory is that he grew up as an orphan in some backwater city, that's it."
"That's convenient..." the voice added with a bit of snark. "A skilled gun-for-hire and we don't know a thing about him. Sounds like something out of a bad comic book."
"Now, now. He has a sufficient motivator to stay with us. Someone to get revenge on. And that someone is the Midoriya kid's teacher."
As All For One finished, the voice on the other end was silent. " So... a revenge quest? Seems a bit petty."
"It may be. It's more sufficient than monetary gains though, I don't have to worry about Bloodgash going rogue. On top of that, I think the one known as Dabi would be interested in learning from him."
"Alright, All For One. I'll keep you posted on any of UA's movements. Be sure to keep your end of the bargain," the voice said.
"Do not worry. Unlike most people, I keep my promises," All For One responded. "Considering how that family of yours filled you with empty promises. The complete opposite of what an honest family should do, am I correct?"
Another brief moment of silence was there until a scoff was heard on the other end of the line.
"I'm glad I moved away from them. Don't get the wrong idea, I don't hate them. That home just felt... suffocating. Even with my siblings supporting me. My dad had the gall to look disappointed. Where they do get off! It's not my fucking fault for being born with a crappy Quirk! It's not my fault they were born with more 'complete' Quirks than I was!"
Fury was seeping out of the other end. However, the voice was heard taking a deep breath to compose himself.
"Sorry for ranting. You know how am I when the mention of my family comes up. However, I need to go. Present Mic assigned some difficult homework."
CLICK!
The doctor turned his head around, slowly, asking "End of the bargain? What exactly did you promise him?"
"Oh, nothing too fancy. A Quirk worthy enough to make him stand out," All For One answered. "My infiltrator seems quite bitter towards their family, doing anything to stand out. A selfish motivation I can work with. However, there's one little thing that the League and our infiltrator do not know."
It clicked for the doctor, immediately answering "A second mole, master? Wouldn't that potentially complicate things if they are not aware of each other?"
"Feel free to point out the faults, I'm waiting, doctor." Like that, the doctor was put on the spot.
"Well... the possibility of one going rogue. You have to consider that, master."
"Oh, that's the best part, my good doctor," he said as if he knew the answer all along. " They won't. I didn't have to blackmail them into joining. There's another factor and two you forgot to consider."
"Like what?"
"The potential of an information leak. The fewer people know, the better. On top of that, if one of our infiltrators is found out, the second one will serve as our main point of contact. That is why I made them unaware of each other. Any other questions, my good doctor?"
"Well… I mean… It's a sound plan. But…"
"… Your point?"
"I'm concerned if they'll be able to maintain their cover for long. The infiltrator you spoke to seemed very…"
"Angered? Yes, you can say that. However, that promise of power will motivate him enough to keep his cover for the time being. Any other questions?"
The doctor nodded no, believing his doubts were misplaced. "For now, focus on healing, master. I'm not sure how long until you'll be in top performance."
Undisclosed Hideout
Dabi and Bloodgash were heading to their guest room for the night. The room itself was pretty standard: two beds, a lamp, and an AC system on the left side.
"So what exactly happened to you?" the scarred merc asked.
"As I said, I'll say it when it's time," Dabi said, not budging. "However, what's your involvement in all this?"
"Our boss hired me to train the brat who's ignorant of the concept of skincare," the merc barked. Dabi had to snicker at that. "On the other hand, I have a personal stake in this."
The burned man's eyebrow peaked a bit, prompting him to ask. "Personal? Looks like we do have something in common then."
"So, there's a motherfucker you want payback on, too? I'm curious, is it a vigilante prick?" Bloodgash said with some venom.
"Hmph. You wish," Dabi said with a smirk. "It's a bigger target than that. It's the No 2. Pro Hero of Japan, Flame Hero: Endeavor." Bloodgash let that sink in for a few seconds…
'He's either confident or biting off more than he can chew. That's a big fat payday if you ask me. Hmm… maybe I can help this guy and in return, he can help me with my problem,' the merc reflected.
"Whatever beef you have with him, you're gonna need substantial help and resources," Bloodgash said, emphasizing it. "I bet he has an army of sidekicks, am I right?"
Dabi nodded, wondering where the merc's going with this.
"Endeavor has strength in both quality and quantity. Does that sound like something you could do solo?" he asked, daring the burnt man to answer.
"I'll think of something… why are you interested anyway?"
"One. I think you have potential. Two. You have a goal, unlike Shigaraki. Three. It's going to sound petty; the fact that you can fight without your Quirk means you're not completely useless."
"Heh… I'll take that as a compliment," Dabi said. "Here's my question. Were you always a gun-for-hire?"
"Freelancer? About four to five years… all because of what that prick did to me…" Bloodgash said darkly. He slowly removed his mask, showing off the menagerie of scars on his face. "He disgraced me… humiliated me… left me to die instead of finishing me off…"
"Huh, sounds like you were taken lightly. That's what pissed you off?"
"He made me lose my standing with my former employers, destroyed my hard-earned rep… that is why I'm working for Sensei. All to mutilate and kill that fucking cao ni ma …"
Dabi whewed in response, learning more about the scarred merc than he thought.
"Hmph. That's reasonable," the burned man responded. "How bad is this Erinyes Facility anyway?"
"From what I heard…" he started. "That prison's known for alleged corruption. As if the prison fighting ring wasn't enough to prove it."
"Sounds barely different from the fighting rings I was in," responded Dabi. "Except the suppressor collars."
"Well, time to sleep in. We have a big day tomorrow…"
The Next Day
Dabi and Bloodgash were in the bar room but noticed that Shigaraki wasn't there alongside his supposed recruits. The only one aside from the two was the shadowy butler, Kurogiri, who was cleaning up the glassware.
"So, where is he?" asked Dabi.
"Young Tomura is currently entertaining his guests in the next room, " the butler replied, not in the mood to talk. However, he needed to maintain professionalism. " Giran should be arriving with some paperwork."
Bloodgash put two and two together. "False arrest warrants, am I right?" He was met with silence from Kurogiri. In the next two minutes, Kurogiri got a notification on his phone.
"Giran has arrived."
Kurogiri formed a portal in front of the two. Giran came walking out of it, papers in hand, but his grin wasn't present.
"Alright, paperwork is done as requested. Pretty easy stuff." Giran handed the paperwork to both Dabi and Bloodgash, sounding professional.
The arrest warrants seemed a bit soft…
"Tax evasion? Are you serious?" questioned Dabi. "Is that even enough for the French equivalent to Tartarus?"
"... ever heard of Al Capone?"
Dabi shrugged in response. "Is he important?"
"Big-time mafia boss from the 1920s. One of his crimes being tax evasion… along with murder, extortion, and involvement in organized crime," Bloodgash explained in a matter-of-fact tone.
"He was a big icon to gangsters."
Dabi nodded but looked at the rest of the charges. "39 counts of murder and two counts of arson?"
Giran shrugged, explaining, "Well, think of it like this. It's a solid way to get into Erinyes. Any more and you'd likely get put on death row."
Bloodgash has heard enough, motioning for Dabi to come with. A cough was heard from Kurogiri, who wasn't too enthusiastic about working with the scarred mercenary.
"My master told me the coordinates of where to drop you off… 43.2976°N 5.3810°E. You'll be in the middle of Marseille, France… " Kurogiri said, creating a portal that was larger than normal. " Get going…"
Bloodgash detected some friction but ignored it. As soon as Dabi and he walked through the portal, it immediately closed. Kurogiri was a bit exhausted, needing a second to lay on a chair.
"If there's a silver lining to all this, Bloodgash might die in Erinyes," Kurogiri said. " Someone like him is poisonous to Young Tomura. It may even lead him to an early death..."
"Where exactly did you find that prick?" Giran asked, lighting up a cigarette.
Marseille, France
A portal opened up, dropping two people onto the roof of a building. As soon as they landed, the portal closed up.
"That shadow prick did that on purpose," coughed up Bloodgash, unamused at where Kurogiri transported them.
"So… this is Marseille?" Dabi asked, taking a look at the city and the port. It immediately clicked where in Marseille they were. "We're likely near the Old Port of Marseille."
Bloodgash took a look at where Dabi was pointing to. He saw multiple boats docked in columns, the pier being a marble gray, where people were either taking photos or walking to some important appointment. Further down were small buildings, either apartment buildings, or office buildings with red tiles composing the majority of their roofs.
"Hmm… what's your course of action?"
"Oh, that's easy," Dabi said, emitting flames from his hand. He also noticed that the building they were on wasn't too big, height-wise. Two floors at best.
"Let's get to work then…"
As they descended from the building, the scarred merc pulled out twin semi-automatics while Dabi was ready to throw some fire.
As soon as Bloodgash fired the first bullet… hell broke loose. One tourist with a small hat fell like a puppet with its strings cut. In a few seconds, every tourist or local ran for it. Dabi took some exception to that.
The burnt man grabbed a local by and lit his face on fire at an agonizingly slow pace. The screams are music to his ears. This horrific incident caused a few people to freeze in shock, one even shivering.
"More fuel for the fire, I guess," he added. His current victim was burnt and most definitely, dead. As he let him go, he fell face-first. However, Dabi raised his foot and…
SPLORCH!
The victim's head burst open like a rotten watermelon. Viscera strewed about. The victim twitched for a couple of seconds. Dabi strolled away from it, but his new victims ran from him the moment he started walking.
"They always run away…" he sardonically added. He raised the flame's temperature to its highest but concentrated it to a single point. His hand.
Inferno Burn!
A single blast of fire was sent toward a group of runaway tourists. Once making contact, it became a cacophony of screams and fire. Flesh became charred like a smoked pig. However, one victim, surprisingly alive, latched onto Dabi's ankle.
"Why…?" asked the charred man, though his voice was nearly gone. Dabi looked at him for a brief moment, but his answer?
WHAM!
A soccer kick to the near-dead victim's face, breaking his neck in the process. Immediately, he heard the familiar sound of cop sirens.
"Was wondering when they'd arrive," he added with a smirk. "I wonder how Bloodgash's faring."
Bloodgash only shot a few fleeing tourists. However, the familiar sound of cop sirens means one thing: they got their attention.
'I'm surprised, shouldn't there be a Pro Hero first?' He mused. However, a few uniformed cops should make for warm-up practice. As the sirens died down, the stamps of footsteps were heard.
"Lâchez l'arme!" screamed a cop wearing ballistic armor, aiming a black semi-automatic pistol at the merc. He was flanked by two other cops who wielded the same firearm. Bloodgash holstered his pistols and took a combat stance similar to that of Kickboxing.
The cop on the right spoke up, "Tu as entendu ? C'est votre..."
Bloodgash cut off his sentence by sprinting towards him, hands out like a predator's claw, aiming at the cop's throat.
RIPPPP!
"C'est quoi c-ce b-bordel..." sputtered the middle cop. He saw his colleague gagging, clutching at a section of his throat that was currently missing. Bloodgash dropped something wet; it belonged to the dying cop.
The middle cop stood his ground, though he was shaking a bit. Unfortunately… he hesitated for one second too long.
SQUELCH!
Bloodgash aimed for the cop's eye, skewering it like a grilled steak, then yanked it out with a trail of blood following it. The last cop dropped his weapon and ran away, screaming that he wasn't prepared for this.
"Coward," the merc muttered. Then he turned toward the single-eyed cop and his dying colleague. He walked towards the cop, covering up his bleeding socket, took hold of his neck, and twisted it 180 degrees, making a satisfying cracking sound.
The dying cop was on the floor, gagging, trying to form coherent sentences. Bloodgash bent down, looking at him with a bit of pity, until saying…
"This will be in poor taste, but any last words?" He asked in a mocking tone. The dying cop gagged out some semblance of words.
"I'm sorry… repeat that?"
In his last moments, the cop spat some blood on his face. He was surprised by this, then wiped it off his cheek.
"Rude but acceptable," he said, standing up and raising his foot, and slamming it down on the cop's face.
SLAM!
"Not dead yet… maybe a little more."
CRUNCH!
The cop's hand twitched as the second stomp happened.
CRUNCH!
A gurgling sound was heard from the dying cop. A little more.
SPLORCH!
The cop's head burst like a watermelon hit by a sledgehammer. Parts are all strewn about. However, he knew that more cops were coming, but he had a job to do.
"Anytime a Pro Hero should be showing up now…" he asked, still wondering. He checked his ammo, seeing he still had enough. "Any moment now…" the merc said, becoming a bit impatient. In a minute, he got his answer.
A Pro-Hero landed in front of him, giving off the air of a performer. He was a mime with some teardrops on his makeup.
"... are you fucking kidding me?" Bloodgash spat out with some indignance. "A mime? Out of the Pro Heroes they send, a fuck-you know what, fuck it."
BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!
Three shots were fired. However, the mime was still standing. Unharmed. The merc fired several more, but the result was the same: the bullets barely reached him. However, the mime had his hands out, almost as if he was hugging the wall…
"Wait a fucking minute… Did that mime make an invisible barrier?"
BLAM! BLAM!
Bloodgash saw it: the bullets were stuck in mid-air or more accurately, lodged into a solid wall that happened to be invisible. The mime's eyes twitched a bit.
'That mime's barrier has a limit then. Perfect.'
Instead of firing in several spots, he focused on a single spot. Specifically towards the mime's chest.
BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!
There was a crack heard, causing the mime to panic. He quickly reinforced the barrier with some hand signs of his, resembling that of a bricklayer.
"Oh, no. You don't!" yelled Bloodgash as he fired several more rounds into the mime hero's barrier. The mime whewed in relief but that only angered the merc. In frustration, he kept wasting bullets on the invisible wall.
"Okay, motherfucker! You asked for this!" exclaimed Bloodgash, putting away his guns. He exploded with a burst of speed, coming towards the mime!
In several seconds, he closed the distance between them.
WHAM!
The mime instantly flinched once the mercenary's fist made contact! The barrier still held up but that didn't stop him. However, the merc pulled out his pistol once again and placed it extremely close. Right near the mime's chest area.
The mime hero mouthed, 'Didn't you- '
BLAM!
There was a small crack, just a small-
BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!
The mime was slightly panicking, trying to reinforce the bar-
CRACK!
"Well, there it is," Bloodgash said. He punctured through the barrier, the mime knew it too.
'Attendez, il l'a cassé?! ' screamed the mime internally. In a panic, he forgot to-
BLAM!
The mime flew back, hitting the back wall of his cubic barrier. A clear bullet wound in his chest, nothing vital was hit.
'Non... c'est la limite de ma barrière!' mouthed the mime as he rushed back to the broken-
BLAM!
He got one in the stomach, sending him to the ground once again. As he was bleeding out, he looked at the merc who kicked down the now-fragile barrier.
KRIK-CRACK!
Once more.
KRIK-CRACK!
One more kick was needed.
KRIK-CRACK!
The whole barrier shattered with one last kick, the mime hero was trying to form a shield for a last-minute defense. However, Bloodgash would be quicker on the draw.
BLAM! BLAM!
The mime's head was leaking blood like a sprinkler, slumping down, and the rest of his invisible barrier broke away as he expired. The merc walked towards the now-deceased mime and got a good look at him.
"Fucking mime… " he said, lifting his foot. "How fucking dare you…"
CRUNCH!
"-make me waste effort-"
CRUNCH!
"-on a piece of shit like you!"
CRUNCH!
"A-"
CRUNCH!
"Fucking!"
CRUNCH
"Mime!" Screamed Bloodgash as the mime's head burst open. He was panting a bit, a little exhausted from that yelling. As he took a breather, he heard more footsteps coming in his direction.
"... This is a bit pathetic," Bloodgash said, unholstering his firearms. However, he noticed the sizable police presence, armed with what looked like grenade launchers. One stepped out of the crowd and yelled something in French.
"Tirer le gaz lacrymogène!"
"What the-" were Bloodgash's last words before the white gas enveloped him…
Dabi saw a whole mist of white smoke enveloping Bloodgash. As he planned to go after him, he heard a series of coughs coming from him.
"Don't - come - any -" Bloodgash said, Dabi making out three words. The coughing, the white mist, and the smell.
"Tear gas. Son of a bitch..." he said, gritting his teeth. However, there was a silver lining to it: this can land them in Erinyes and they won't need to go through a trial either. Dabi decided to re-think things over but came to a quick conclusion.
He put his hands up in surrender, got down on his knees, and moved his hands behind his head. As a group of police came by his location, one of them screamed.
"Vous êtes en état d'arrestation!"
SMACK!
Dabi felt the impact of a club across his forehead, knocking him out cold. The only sounds he heard were the clinking of handcuffs and muttering from police, whether it was about him being a complete psycho or wondering what the motive was…
"... ah… what the fuck happened…" said Bloodgash, slowly getting up and feeling more restrained than usual. "Right… Marseille."
He took a look around him, they were definitely in a prison van. The cramped space, the fact that Dabi was sitting across from him in handcuffs too. The walls were black and windowless, and also a stone-faced police officer there.
"You took your time, Sleeping Beauty," Dabi snorted.
"Where the fuck are we?" muttered Bloodgash. The burnt man shrugged a bit, then pointed to the stone-faced officer.
"... you truly have no idea, do you?" questioned Bloodgash, frustrated now. Dabi only shrugged in response.
"Ne vous en faites pas," spoke the stone-faced officer. "Vous avez de la chance d'être emprisonné mais il y a un bon côté... vous pourriez ne pas survivre la première semaine."
"What…?" questioned Dabi. "None of us speak French."
"Tu seras mort dans la semaine, compte là-dessus," spat the officer.
"Dead? Sure buddy," mocked Bloodgash. "I've been through worse. Especially the Golden Triangle."
The officer said nothing in response for the rest of the ride. The two prisoners did the same too.
"Lève-toi!" the officer barked. "Déplacez-vous comme indiqué. Toi d'abord, Flame. Puis toi, Mercenaire."
"Yea, yea," spat Dabi as he moved first. Bloodgash followed after. The moment they were out the doors, the sunlight blinded them for a bit until their eyes adjusted. They were in front of a square-shaped fortress. Three towers flanking it. All colored marble.
The one difference? Tons of prison officers in SWAT-like gear. Armed with high-powered assault rifles, very likely HK416 assault rifles—each one with an itchy trigger finger.
"Continuez à avancer!"
Dabi and Bloodgash listened, really not wanting to face the wrath of an entire squad of trigger-happy prison officers. Picking up the pace, they saw the entrance which was a black gate—accompanied by two guards.
"Entrez là-dedans, bande de merdeux."
The two were handed off to the two guards who barked orders with the same intensity. It becomes a blur for both of them. Crimes are being recorded, mug shots are being taken, fingerprints are taken, and getting clothes along with a collar around their necks.
'Quirk-Suppressor Collars. Likely the latest model.' Bloodgash thought, tapping the collar. Dabi was being nonchalant about this. However, the barking of a lanky prison guard broke their train of thought.
"Prisonnier 4218, vous avez le ou les mandats d'arrêt en cours dans cette affaire. Incendie criminel et agression," the lanky guard said, reading off a list of crimes, to Dabi.
"You do realize I don't under-"
"Fine, I'll make it easier for you," the guard spoke back in Japanese, though accented. "39 counts of first-degree murder, 2 counts for arson, and… tax evasion. I don't know how you got to France but that's irrelevant."
"... fine."
"Next."
Bloodgash moved into Dabi's place, then the guard reads off the warrant.
"Prisoner 4219. 3 counts of tax evasion, 20 counts of assault, and also the destruction of private property."
"Guilty as charged."
"Le prochain examen de santé. Plus un prélèvement d'ADN. Faites-les sortir d'ici," the lanky guard responded. The two were marched to get a health screening and also a DNA swab. It takes only a few minutes for everything to be set.
Dabi and Bloodgash were in surprisingly regular clothes as they were being led to their cell. A standard twin bunk cell with an unbreakable glass entrance with a keypad in the front, accessible by a keycard. The guard accompanying them said the following in Japanese, though accented. The former had a normal blue T-shirt with loose-fitting pants while the latter had a black shirt and grey workout pants.
"You will be reporting to supper on the dot."
As the guard left, Dabi turned towards Bloodgash, asking the big question.
"What's the next part of the plan?"
"Remember how Sensei mentioned an underground fighting ring?"
Dabi nodded.
"I'm thinking we can get their attention via confrontation. It's obvious where it will happen," Bloodgash said, knowing Dabi's answer.
"Where everyone at supper will be." With that answer, Bloodgash grunted in acknowledgment.
"Now, it's a matter of waiting and knowing when to strike."
"Keep it moving!" barked a prison officer, making the long line move in an orderly fashion to the cafeteria. Dabi and Bloodgash were both in the middle of the line, waiting to get their meal for the evening.
"Hey, get a move on!" barked that same officer. As soon as the line stepped foot into the cafeteria, Dabi got a good view of the cafeteria's layout. It was fairly wide in shape with all of its tables being square-shaped, steel-colored, and having four attached seats each.
The line would split in two as Dabi noticed there were two kitchens, evidenced by the counter windows where everyone received their food. Once receiving their food, Dabi found a free table in the center and found Bloodgash there, sitting, eating as quickly as possible.
"So, how is that plan going?" spoke Dabi before eating.
"Think about it, we're new fish. Someone's gonna think we crossed a line," Bloodgash explained as he surveyed the area. He noticed a pair of convicts staring at them, two tables away from them.
The first one was middle-aged, tan-skinned, but what made him stand out was the desaturated pink hair and purple-pink markings underneath his eyes. He wore a blue shirt and normal beige workout pants.
The second one was a semi-humanoid octopus, complete with tentacles from his face, boneless-looking arms, and his skin a dull shade of red. He wore gray baggy pants and a green sleeveless shirt. However, the Quirk-Suppressor Collars were clear as day on their necks.
'Looks like they're coming this way.' Bloodgash thought as the two got up from their seats, coming towards them. The pink-haired one walked a little quicker, then seated himself across from Bloodgash.
"You two must be new." The pink-haired convict spoke. "Name's Swordkil. Why don't we-"
"Let me stop you right there," Bloodgash interrupted. "My buddy with the fancy burn work and I aren't that interested… in whatever thing you have going on."
The now-named Swordkil was taken aback by this but doubled down. "Listen, these convicts come in one of two types. The mercenary type and the slasher type. Either way, you're fucked without any sort of support."
The octopus man slammed his hand on the table, trying to intimidate the two. "You're dog chow for every convict here! Think about it!"
Dabi did not flinch.
"I'm trying to finish my meal here…" he deadpanned. The octopus man was incensed by Dabi's casual attitude but let it go for now.
"Swordkil, they're not gonna listen. Why don't we show what happens to new fish who don't accept our generosity?" the octopus man said, eyeing Dabi. Swordkil raised his hand, stopping the octopus from doing anything rash.
"Innsmouth, it's that arrogant and greedy attitude that got you thrown in here," he said to Innsmouth. He turned towards Dabi, analyzing what his next move was.
"Take the hint: We're not interested… besides, my friend and I can handle ourselves just fine," Dabi responded. "Now, you're gonna walk away and pretend this never happened."
"You think you're in a position to make de-"
"1."
"Oh? A count-"
"2."
They didn't say 3.
Swordkil's head met the business end of a prison food tray in one move. Dabi kicked Innsmouth's knee, making him buckle and more importantly, leaving his face open.
BOOM!
One uppercut right into the octopus man's cheek, stunning him. As he was clutching his stung cheek, he felt sharp pains in his leg, and he saw that Dabi was the cause of that: low kick upon low kick.
"Ah, you little-"
WHAM! WHAM! WHAM!
The last attack was a kick to the knee, making a small cracking sound. Innsmouth backed away, needing to reassess the situation. However, Dabi wouldn't give him that chance as he closed the distance between them, hands up like a professional boxer. The octopus man put his guard up quickly.
BAM! BAM! WAM!
Dabi responded with a one-two combo and a snap kick, attempting to break through Innsmouth's guard. The former still kept up the pace, increasing the speed of his strikes. There was a kick thrown now and then.
WAM! WAM! WAM! BAM!
Bruises were showing up on the octopus man's arms despite his guard still staying strong. Dabi did notice that Innsmouth wasn't backing away, maybe-
WAM!
Dabi was surprised by a hook punch from Innsmouth, interrupting his rhythm. Innsmouth then responded with another jab to Dabi's face; then he took advantage of it by unleashing a volley of strikes using all four of his arms.
Sunken City's Blow!
Dabi was on the defensive but he tried parrying one of the octopus' hits, but he got a punch in the face for it. The burnt man has underestimated him, he'll admit. He quickly backed away, trying to get out of his range. However, he wasn't gonna let him that easily. The octopus spread his arms out, intending to grab him in a hold.
"Oh, that's your play?" said Dabi, a bit impressed.
'He's telegraphing his next move, though. Hmph. Let's see what he does...'
Innsmouth ran towards him, trying to grab him. Dabi side-stepped him and sucker-punched him in the side of the head and backed away, avoiding any blows from the octopus man. He charged once again, attempting to gr-
WHAM!
A roundhouse kick to the temple put an end to that. The octopus man was stunned for a bit, a little more than normal. Dabi heard mutters but stepped in to deliver another strike. His right arm cocked back, legs firmly planted, and his fist firing... right... now!
CRUNCH!
Dabi's fist hit Innsmouth's chin directly, hearing a cracking sound too. The burnt man saw the octopus man's arms slack a little, indicating he was more fragile than he let on. However, he wasn't done just yet. Dabi took advantage of Innsmouth's dazed state and unleashed the first punch. Right into his nose.
Devil's Combo!
Dabi unleashed a whole flurry of jabs into the octopus convict, each one with the added purpose of inflicting pain. As he kept striking, Innsmouth's arms were rising, all spread out.
WHAM! WHAM! WHAM! WHAM!
'That's right...' smirked Innsmouth. 'Keep wasting your punches!'
WHAM! WHAM! WHAM! WHAM!
WHAM! WHAM! WHAM! WHAM!
Innsmouth wrapped his arms around Dabi in a hold, stopping his attack, and also preventing him from getting another strike in. The convict didn't have much of a plan, but it was to survive.
"A little close, don't you think?" Dabi said while smirking.
"Close-"
BAM! BAM!
Two headbutts. Right into Innsmouth's face.
"You little fuck-"
In one quick moment, Dabi shoots his head forward with his mouth open.
CRUNCH!
Innsmouth's screams filled the entire cafeteria, shocking the other prisoners. Dabi had his teeth around the nose area and in one movement, tore through the nasal area, ripping it off like a bandage. He immediately let go of Dabi, clutching the bleeding area, and worse of all, the burnt man was mocking him by spitting out the chewed-up flesh like it was gum.
"You... little... motherfucker!" The octopus man exclaimed, blood leaking through his hands. "I'll fucking kill you!" He screamed, throwing a sloppy punch while still holding his bloody nose.
WHIFF!
Dabi side-stepped, dodging the octopus man's sloppy punch. He was now close and delivered a horizontal elbow strike into Innsmouth's temple, sending him back a bit. Dabi did not let up, stomping his foot on Innsmouth's forward foot, keeping him right in place. The octopus man meets the business end of a horizontal elbow strike to the temple... causing an open cut to appear.
"Fu-"
WHAM!
Innsmouth's right eye met the hard knuckle of Dabi's fist, making the octopus man yelp in pain. As he was stunned, he grabbed Innsmouth's head in a clinch and smashed his knee into the convict's face two-three times before letting go. Innsmouth immediately dropped to a knee, not putting up his guard. Dabi took this as an opportunity to finish him off with a kick-
WHIFF!
The moment he lifted his leg, the octopus man grabbed his leg with both arms, shocking Dabi briefly. He took that chance and lifted Dabi, grabbing his waist and slamming him to the ground. As soon as both were on the ground, Innsmouth got further on top, slamming his fists against the burnt prick's face.
"You-"
BAM!
"Piece-"
BAM!
"Of-"
Innsmouth stood quickly, lifting his leg up and then...
SMASH!
The convict's heel made its mark on Dabi's face. He then kept at it, forcing Dabi to put his arms up to minimize the damage. He then rolled out of the way, avoiding more stomps, and surprised him with a sucker punch to the leg. Innsmouth flinched a bit, letting down his guard. The burnt man took advantage of that and slammed an uppercut into the octopus man's mouth, making him bite his tongue.
"You fugg-"
Dabi interrupted that with a few well-placed blows, all aiming at two areas: the face and the rib cage.
WHAM!
BAM! BAM!
Innsmouth gagged but then grabbed for Dabi again. He quickly swayed back, missing the octopus man's four limbs. Then he dashed forward and struck him in the face with a jab. Right in the nose area.
"AAHH! YOU FUCK-"
Dabi then grabbed his head, forearms resting on the collarbone, and drove a knee into his face. Then added another. And another. And another. Dabi paused before leaping and delivering a flying knee right into the bloody nose.
SMASH!
Innsmouth retched, coughing up blood, but he didn't have that luxury of recovering. His bloodied nose was the last thing he should be worrying about. Dabi came in with a horizontal elbow to the face, making his head go to the side. Innsmouth's head was on fire; he barely foc-
BAM!
Innsmouth felt he was hit by a battering ram, smashing him onto the floor. Dabi was quick to get on top of him and in a twist, grabbed one of the octopus man's hands. Using both hands to grip the octopus' four fingers, he pulled them in opposite directions...
"What are you - ahh!" Yelped the octopus man as he heard a cracking sound. "You piece of-"
RIPP!
The slow tearing of flesh ended any response from Innsmouth. The only thing that came out of his mouth was horrid screaming.
RIPP!
Innsmouth's screams increased in volume as the flesh was tearing apart further.
CRACK!
Innsmouth's fingers finally broke, his screams turning into whimpers, and his hand nearly torn in half. Dabi ignored that, grabbing his head and then forcing his mouth open with his fingers.
"You fuc-"
SLAM!
Dabi slammed Innsmouth's head into the table. He gripped it, raising it again, and saw his work: bloodied mouth, missing nose, and most of all, a pleading expression. If there was any mercy, this was it. He slammed his head into the table over and over again...
SLAM! SLAM! SLAM!
Dabi paused, getting a better idea. Keeping the octopus man's mouth open, he made him bite the curb, so to speak. In this case, the edge of a prison seat. Dabi heard more whimpers from Innsmouth but he promptly ignored it raising his foot.
"And here it comes..."
STOMP!
Dabi sent his foot down, breaking the convict's teeth and scattering them all over the floor. Innsmouth's limbs went limp in an instant and the only sound he made was whimpering, begging for this to be over. However, the burnt man grabbed him by the back of his head off the now-bloodied seat.
"I'm not done yet..."
"B-Buh... you bheat... me..." whimpered the injured convict, helplessly trying to pry himself off Dabi's grip.
"That may be true but I need to send a message to the others," Dabi said. Innsmouth, through his pained voice, wondered what he meant.
...
Dabi flipped him onto his front, then slammed his fist into the octopus man's throat.
GHACK!
Innsmouth instantly covered his throat to-
BAM!
A fist made its way to the octopus man's eye, making him gag in pain. Dabi followed up with another... and another... and another.
POW! POW! POW!
POW! POW!
POW! POW!
POW!
Innsmouth's world was going dark... he tried putting his hands up in a guard but that was pointless.
POW! POW! POW!
POW!
Dabi's face split into a sadistic grin as he heard the sound of bones cracking.
POW! POW! POW!
POW!
POW! POW!
Innsmouth was coughing up blood as Dabi kept launching fist upon fist on the poor convict's face. He then switched up to an elbow instead...
CRUNCHHH!
An elbow made its way in Innsmouth's face, dead-center. The octopus man's jaw broke upon impact along with a few teeth flying. Blood was seeping from the jawline to the floor, slowly forming a puddle.
"I'm not done yet. Not - quite - yet."
As soon as he finished, Dabi gripped Innsmouth's head with both hands and his thumbs hovering threateningly over the convict's eyes.
"N-No..." whimpered Innsmouth, begging to be spared from the oncoming pain.
"Hmm... no..."
...
SQUELCH!
Dabi shoved his thumbs into Innsmouth's eyes, popping them like grapes. Innsmouth was screaming in agony, his limbs wildly thrashing to escape, and soon went limp as Dabi's thumbs went deeper. Blood flowed from the convict's eye sockets like a river; the burnt man slowly dislodged his bloody thumbs from the dead man's eye sockets. He slowly stood up, satisfied with his work. Innsmouth's body twitched for a bit until he finally stopped moving.
The other convicts saw the conclusion and got the message: Do. Not. Fuck. With. Dabi.
All eyes focused on the other fight that was still going on. Bloodgash and Swordkil.
"Who you betting on?" asked a lean man in clown make-up. "If anything, I'm betting on the new guy." Some of the other convicts agreed.
Bloodgash and Swordkil were eyeing each other, keeping their distance. The former made his first move by closing the distance and unleashing a volley of strikes. Bloodgash knew what was coming, keeping himself ready to counter-attack.
SWISH! SWISH!
Bloodgash dodged the first two punches with minimal movement.
SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!
Bloodgash swayed his head out of the way, even side-stepping to dodge the incoming straight punch. The scarred merc sent two to three punches to Swordkil's face and followed up with a snap kick in quick succession.
WHIFF!
"Gotcha," Swordkil smirked as he caught his leg by hooking his arms under it. The scarred merc was sent tumbling to the ground via a single-leg takedown, letting Swordkil get on top of him and then grip his throat tightly.
"You really should have-"
THUNK!
A quick jab to the throat cut him off, making his grip slack.
THUNK!
Another jab made his grip come loose, making Swordkil hold his throat in pain. Bloodgash followed up with an elbow strike to the side of the head and then slammed his forehead with a rising headbutt! Swordkil gasped in pain, leading him to be pushed off by an elbow strike to his temple. The pink-haired convict rolls away and recovers, taking an upright combat stance again.
Bloodgash eggs him on, but Swordkil doesn't take the bait. On the other hand, he closes in to throw a straight punch which Bloodgash promptly blocks and follows up with a volley of punches and the occasional kick.
THUD!
One of the kicks catches Bloodgash in the liver, stunning him for a bit. Swordkil grabbed his head in a clinch and smashed his knee against his face a few times. but the other merc put up his guard to minimize the damage.
"You - little - shit!" snarled Swordkil, hitting Bloodgash still. As he kept kneeing at him, he failed to notice Bloodgash's slowly rising foot...
STOMP!
That single stomp on his foot stopped Swordkil's barrage, causing him to curse briefly. Bloodgash wretched his head out of the clinch by hitting him with a hook punch to the liver and delivering a headbutt to the chin, making him bite his tongue.
"Ah! mah tungue! You-"
Bloodgash inhaled while taking a combat stance, similar to Kickboxing. Swordkil ignored his current pain, running at him to prevent whatever attack he was setting up. Instead of attacking him head-on, Swordkil circled him to get out of the line of fire AKA Bloodgash's fist.
'Shit, I need to -'
WHAM!
The pink-haired convict interrupted those thoughts with a quick snap kick to Bloodgash's face, making him stumble a bit. Swordkil leaped into the air, delivering a flying knee to the bastard's skull.
WHAM!
Bloodgash was sent tumbling to the ground, making a satisfying thud.
"You really should have taken my offer, prick. But this?" as Swordkil motioned to what had transpired. "This is a good consolation prize at least. Now, I'm gonna kill you and be done with it."
Swordkil was walking towards the downed Bloodgash, intending to maim him. As he came closer, he bent down and put his hands around Bloodgash's throat, intending to throttle him. He tightened his grip for two seconds...
SQUELCH!
"The fu..." gasped the pink-haired merc. His eyes turned to the origin of the injury, Bloodgash's hand puncturing the left side of his waist. A smug expression formed on the merc's face as Swordkil was coughing up some blood. In two seconds, Bloodgash launches up, opening his mouth, reaching for the ear, and snapping it shut with a crunch.
"EAAAAHHHH!"
Swordkil's ear was on fire, trying to get Bloodgash off him, to no avail. A wet, fleshy sound made him scream louder as Bloodgash tore a piece of his ear off with his teeth. Swordkil was holding his torn-off ear in pain, giving the other merc an opportunity: a soccer kick to the face, sending him flying a couple of feet. Bloodgash saw him get up, albeit struggling.
"You..." snarled Swordkil despite being in pain. "I won't just kill you... by the time I'm-"
"You talk too much for a merc," Bloodgash interjected.
"Fuck you!" exclaimed Swordkil as he ran towards Bloodgash. The scarred merc was cocking his fist back, ready to fire at a moment's notice. Swordkil raised his leg... going for a front kick.
"DIE, FUCKER!" as he shot his foot forward!
SHUNK!
Bloodgash's fist made contact, no, broke the sole of Swordkil's foot. The pink-haired convict immediately held his pained foot, ranting at how he was still gonna kill Bloodgash. He stepped towards the injured Swordkil calmly, prepping another attack.
WHIFF!
Bloodgash promptly dodged that straight punch... and responded with an upwards elbow strike to the chin, stunning him for a few seconds. A few seconds is all that he needed... cocking back his fist, ready to fire.
Executioner's Cannon!
An explosive force was sent into Swordkil, dead-center. The convict felt his solar-plexus crack like an egg, forcing him to cough up more blood and drop to a knee.
"guhh... fuck... the fuck did you do to - gack - me!" slurred Swordkil, trying to keep his coughing down.
Bloodgash didn't answer.
"Answer me, you - gack - shit!"
He remained silent, then hoisted the injured Swordkil up to his shoulders, back against his head, and ready to deliver a painful final blow. He held the convict's left arm with one hand while having the inside of his right thigh held by the opposite hand. All gripped tightly.
"Let - go - of - me - you - fucking -" were the last words Swordkill said before Bloodgash slammed his body into the ground. Headfirst.
Meteor's Landing!
CRACK!
There was a definite cracking sound once he made contact with the floor. Bloodgash then let go, letting Swordkil fall like a freshly cut tree. Back first. The pink-haired convict was coughing up blood still, but he managed to slur a few words.
"Get... used... to - wait, the fuck?!" nearly shouted Swordkil. "My arms! My legs! I can't fucking move! YOU!" he said with increased venom.
"... yes?" mocked Bloodgash.
"The fuck did you-"
"Paralyzed you from the neck down, that's all," stated Bloodgash in a matter-of-fact tone. Swordkil tried in vain to move but there was no sensation, but Bloodgash didn't move.
"It's only fair that I-"
A loud alarm sound cut off Bloodgash as he turned around, every other prisoner was face-down, and there was a team of officers in tactical armor, all aiming rifles at him.
"Sur le sol! TOUT DE SUITE!" barked the lead officer. "Vous avez cinq secondes pour obtempérer!"
Bloodgash did not resist, he was on his knees, placing his hands behind his head, and waited for -
"Mettez ces deux-là en isolement," mumbled the lead officer. Bloodgash didn't mishear that, he was dragged away by two other officers with Dabi following soon after.
A door was opened up, letting some light into a dark room. Two people were thrown into it, one showing disgruntlement at this. Before one could complain, the door immediately shut, leaving both of them in the dark.
"Well, that could have gone better..." muttered Dabi.
"You were playing around too much," Bloodgash interjected.
"The fuck are you saying?" Dabi questioned. "I won."
"This time. This time. Next time? You might end up like that octopus man or worse." Bloodgash emphasized. Dabi scoffed in return, saying it wouldn't happen. Bloodgash nods his head in disappointment, thinking he's getting cocky.
One Hour Later...
"Fuck... this is annoying..." muttered Dabi, still in complete darkness.
"It's solitary confinement, of course, it's annoying," Bloodgash replied with bits of snark. He now stood up, facing the wall, or at least what he could feel via touch.
BAM! BAM!
"The fuck are you-"
BAM! BAM! BAM!
Bloodgash cut Dabi off by focusing on the wall, practicing his striking, mainly techniques from Boxing and Wing Chun. As he was getting into it, a knock on the door interrupted it.
"Ah, gentlemen. Mind if I come in?"
The voice sounded VERY familiar to both of them but Bloodgash put two and two quite quickly.
"Wait a minute, you're that prison guard that listed our crimes," exclaimed the merc. As he finished, the door creaked open, revealing a lanky prison guard. The same guard from much earlier today.
"I have a name, it's Jourdain," replied the lanky guard. "I did hear about what you did earlier today... normally, you'd be in solitary for some time. However... some of my superiors believe you'd be both a perfect fit for it."
Both of them knew what was coming, they just waited for confirmation.
"Gentlemen, how do you feel about participating in underground fighting with other vicious prisoners?"
Bloodgash hit the jackpot and Dabi knew it too.
"Lead the way, mon ami," replied Bloodgash. Jourdain nodded and motioned for the two to follow him. As they were walking, they came across an elevator. It was that obvious, this was the secret entrance to the fighting ring...
"Messieurs, I welcome you two to the Underworld."
Author's Notes: I apologize for the long-ass hiatus but it was mainly life issues [a car crash being one of them] and work ramping up. Plus picking up martial arts again [Muay Thai] to get back into shape. I do promise to be on a reasonable uploading schedule now.
Oh, this is the start of a new arc: the Erinyes Arc.
Bienvenue aux Enfers = Welcome to Hell [French]
Jourdain = 'one who descends'
"Sur le sol! TOUT DE SUITE!" - "Vous avez cinq secondes pour obtempérer!" = "On the ground! NOW!" - "You have five seconds to comply!"
"Mettez ces deux-là en isolement" = "Put these two in isolation"
"Tu as entendu ? C'est votre" = "Did you hear? It's your"
"Vous êtes en état d'arrestation!" = "You are under arrest!"
Inferno Burn - A condensed blast of flame from Dabi's fist.