Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The fall had been disorientating.

Was it a fall? Midoriya wasn’t sure which way was right any more, which direction was up or down, let alone left and right.  His eyes couldn’t focus. There was the swirls of blue followed by black patches of uniform that was Aizawa’s, or possibly Present Mic’s, or maybe even Kacchan’s. Orange floated in front of his vision along with whatever heavily muted swearing he managed to catch over the whirling noise in his ear. That one was definitely Kacchan.

Attempting to peer over his shoulder he saw tumbling red. So, Hawks was here too, and he seemed as disoriented as the rest of them. That surprised Midoriya.  As angry as the commission had been at them, he couldn’t imagine them taking it out on the number two hero, their bank roller. And yet…

Someone gripped his arm tight, and reflectively he grabbed hold of them. Holding tight as the portal shifted and spun. Tokoyami looked panicked, his eyes wide and irises small. He must be fighting Dark Shadow’s control. “It’ll be ok! We are all here for you!” Midoriya tried to soothe his friend but even he knew he wasn’t being heard over the noise of the portal. Instead, he clung to the man, reassuring through touch.

They would be fine. Won’t they?

Finally the intense blue became less vibrant, he could even hear Kacchan swearing somewhere above (?) him. Among the blue he could even see patches of road and… sand?

“Brace for impact!” Hawks yelled, his feathers floating uselessly around their group.

Oh… Midoriya’s eyes widened. They were falling, and falling fast.  He could see the tops of ruined buildings, old, abandoned cars…

This was going to hurt. He wrapped his arms around Tokoyami, trying to shield him as much as he could.  Closing his eyes he tried to pull black whip from his arsenal. He could use it to wrap everyone together and catch hold of a building. He could save everyone. To his surprise his body burned with bright flashing pain when he tried to use it, a strange green light flooding his vision once before petering out.

This wasn’t good.

He wasn’t the only one.  Kacchan swore beside him, his hands dripping with sweat, face red with effort, but no sparks. And Hawks’ feathers drifted lazily down, down, down…

Aizawa’s scarf wrapped around his wrist, jolting him from his panic. Of course, the man with a canceling quirk would be calm in this sort of situation. His teacher, nodded before pulling his arm back, sending him and Tokoyami towards a ruined building. Reaching out Midoriya grabbed hold of the window ledge, missed, but managed to slow his descent towards the ground, slicing his hands to shreds.

It didn’t mean that the impact still didn’t hurt.  The shock wave ran through his feet to his hips, making some injuries he had been letting heal naturally jolt. But… they were alive. Kacchan had landed in another window, the girls in a tree, Hawks had managed to use his wings to sort of parachute down…

Mic and Aizawa landed on the ground, hard enough to knock the wind out of the blonde. But it seemed that even Mic didn’t have his quirk for instead of a loud, booming, wail, all they heard was a strangled croak.

If he hadn’t seen it come from Present Mic, he would have assumed that it had been a far off frog being stepped on.

“Eraserhead! Present Mic!” Jiro cried out, both her and Yaoyorozu rushing to their aid. Midoriya helped Tokoyami to his feet before making his way over. He hoped that they weren’t dead. If they were…

But Mic moved, helping Eraser sit up. “Don’t worry kids, that wasn’t even in the top ten worst landings. Did I ever tell you about the time I jumped out of a plane…”

“Mic, you’re so damn loud.” Eraser complained, clutching at his head. Ignoring the mumbled apologies, he looked around, quickly counting everyone, assessing. “Good. No one is dead, everyone accounted for.” The man gruffly said, tucking his scarf around his neck again, Mic helping him to his feet.

“I have no idea where we are though.” Yaoyorozu said, looking around. It was far from the lavish hero’s commission legion that they had been visiting.  “I haven’t seen a place like this in Japan… or anywhere, ever.” She was right. The area was, for a lack of a better term, dead. Buildings had long since crumbled, entire walls and supports missing. Whatever windows and doors may have been left were boarded over with molded plywood. Cars were beyond rusted, their tires melted to the ground. The road was missing large clumps of asphalt, holes large enough to fall into and not be able to crawl out of. Plantlife… there was none. Trees were white without leaves, looking like spears jutting into the sky, or there were sparse brown grass that dotted occasionally. And what he assumed was water looked like the brown sludge they had found in Mineta’s bedroom.

And the air… the air was thick with the smell of dust and old blood and rot.

“I can’t feel her…” Tokoyami suddenly said, panicked. He had sank to his knees, head in his hands. “I can’t see or hear her…. What is this place? Where did she go?” Midoriya put a gentle hand on his shoulder, not knowing what to say. So Dark Shadow was also affected by this place.  Was it all quirks then? That would explain why he couldn’t use black whip, Kacchan explosions or Hawks’ his feathers… But what would that mean for those with physical quirks? He made a mental note to check on Hawks and Tokoyami often, watch for other symptoms.

Kacchan managed to detangle himself from the broken window and make his way over. “This place is a fucking wasteland.” He sneered, looking around. “Looks like it has been abandoned for years. Not a living soul in sight.” But there was a subtle spark of fear to his eyes. They were outside their normal training ground, possibly even outside Japan. There was nothing remotely familiar about this place.

Hawks adjusted his shoulders, his large wings finally coming to rest behind him. Though Midoriya could see that he was missing many of his feathers. “There’s something about this place that makes my wings itch.” He complained. “It feels like death…”

Eraser was rubbing at his eyes, broken googles already at his feet. He could shut off his quirk as necessary but still. His eyes were always sensitive, even when he pretended that they weren’t. “Hawks, can you give Eraser your glasses? I think this place is bothering his eyes… and his were broken in the fall…” Midoriya asked.

That earned a glare from the grumpy teacher. “You don’t need to baby me…” Eraser complained but Hawks was already pulling off his glasses, Mic handing him his eye drops from his pocket. He glared at everyone. “But thank you… I guess.” Grumbling his slipped the yellow googles slipped on, before standing up to stretch. “Ok. Survival training 101. What do you we know?”

Mic, always fast on his feet, was first. “We aren’t in Kanas anymore.” Mic offered, earning a glare from his old friend. “Sorry. Trying to lighten the mood.”

“Well, we know not to piss off certain short-tempered members of the commission.” Jiro said, glaring at Kacchan.

Kacchan bristled. “Listen here-”

“Stop. We don’t list off what should be common sense, even if others don’t necessarily see it that way.” Eraserhead said, cutting off Kacchan’s remarks and ignoring his squawks. “What do we know?”

Midoriya thought about it. “Well, we don’t know what the guy’s quirk was exactly other than he called it displacement.  I’m assuming that the commission knew what it was for otherwise they would have interfered more when he was angry, they didn’t even seem that alarmed even when Hawks fell through as well so I am assuming they know his full range…”

Kacchan groaned, rolling his eyes. “Nerd… you’re so fucking loud” he rumbled dangerously.

“What else?” Eraserhead said, interrupting him again.

Yaoyorozu hesitantly put up a hand. “I don’t know about anyone else but when I try to use my quirk it… well, it’s beyond painful.” Yaoyorozu said. Midoriya and the others gave a small nod, encouraging. “Something must be stopping us from using it. If I had to guess it was environmental since we didn’t eat or were forcibly injected with drugs. At least that I know of.”

“Good.” Eraserhead said, but his attention was drawn to Mic, who was looking behind him. “What are you…? Ah.”

Midoriya followed his gaze. There was a man hunched over a garbage pail, rummaging through it. The man’s skin was blistered and red, like he had been out in the sun for far too long but… he had to know something, right? “Hey! Excuse me!” Midoriya waved his hands and rushed over to the man.

“Deku, wait!” Mic shouted, too late in reaching for the young hero.

But the man turned at the sound, and Deku realized why he had been watching.

The man was blistered and red yes, but was also completely covered in oozing sores. His clothing had been melted into his skin, nails long and curved. There was practically no meat to his lean frame. His eyes held no colour and yet somehow reminded him of a desperate animal…

An angry, hungry, desperate animal who saw a potential meal.

This had been a bad idea.

The man gave a loud cry, pushing the garbage can away from him. He snarled, snarled, at Midoriya before rushing at him, running at a speed that shouldn’t be possible with his thin limbs and sores. Midoriya, tried to back up, to run back towards safety, towards the group. But fate always had it out for him. His foot caught on a lose rock and he fell backwards, landing on his butt and watching as the man rushed him, mouth gaping open, that terrible, growling sound getting louder…

With the man closer now, the young hero realized that he had no lips or nose, and it appeared like he was missing his ears too. Like they had been burned away.

The man sprang at him, snapping at him like a rabid dog. Midoriya raised his arms, covering his face, his eyes closing…

“Deku!” Kacchan yelled.

Eraser’s scarf wrapped around his waist, yanking him backwards, back towards the group and towards safety. “God damnit, Problem Child, you always rush into things headfirst. You’re just like All Might.” Eraser put his body between them, trying to shield Deku from sight from the man who was recovering quickly from his failed attack and hissing at the group.

Normally the comment would have made Deku swell with pride but for now…

He would ask Eraser about that more later.

The man yowled and there was an answer. Three, four, five… countless of the same bumbling body came out of houses, or around the cliffs. Midoryia no longer dared call them men. They were more like animals, or monsters of bedtime stories or fairy tales. There were so many surrounding the group, hissing and snapping at them. Jiro and Yaoyorozu froze up, hands clutching at each other, whimpering softly. Kacchan bumped against Midorah and Tomiyami, for once saying nothing about them touching. Mic and Hawks finished closing around the group, looking at the snarling herd.

“Wish I was one of those heroes who had a backup weapon in his back pockets.” Mic muttered to himself, his green eyes flickering. “This is going to hurt…”

Eraser grunted. “Always told you that. I quote: You carry your voice everywhere though.”

“Now is not the time to say I told you so.” Mic snapped back. Hawks for once didn’t have a snappy comment, letting the two bicker like a married couple as the horde looked for an opening.

The group of men hissed and began to rush them. Midoriya flinched, watching them coming closer. They would need to fight their way out. He reached for his super strength but again, the burning pain flooded his whole body. This time it was more intense, causing his white disorientations to blur at his eyes… he gave a cry and fell. He heard his name but did not see who said it. This was not the time to be weak! The herd was coming closer yet, fingernails outstretched, the teachers and Hawks ready to try and protect them, the ground was shaking…

The ground was shaking….?

Before the first man reached Eraser, a large set of armour came in front, blocking the attack taking the impact. It was hard to see what it was exactly. Metal coated the body from head to toe, the helmet with two little horns sticking out the back of the head, robot eyes lit where he assumed the person could see out of, the chest had steel reinforcements across it, along with arms and legs. There was no exposed skin or weakness anywhere that Midoriya could see. A giant set of armour, something almost from medieval times…

Though he swore he had seen a similar armour when Todoroki introduced him to Warhammer.

The armour slid back slightly, seemingly giving a little grunt of pain. But Eraser was saved from the attack. The herd regrouped, now entirely focused on the armour.

The armour said something, but he didn’t understand it at first. Perhaps it was English but it was fast and rushed. “Get back. Back to the first building! At least!” Mic translated as the armoured thing grabbed what looked to be a sword from it’s back. Electricity crackled along its length as the armoured being took up its own stance against the horde.

Deku was unable to look away, unable to move. Giving a quiet swear, Tokoyami grabbed Deku and pulled him back, the others already as far back as they could.

One of the more impatient horde members sprang at the armour again, hissing. It was effortless. The armoured being took a step to the side, raised the sword and simply knocked the head from its body. Jiro recoiled and cried out as the head landed across the road from them, the body falling with a soft plop by the being’s feet. But the armour didn’t flinch. It took up a stance again, daring the creatures. But when they hesitated, it attacked. One after another they fell. One tried to spring for the helmet, but the armoured man simply pushed it down before stomping on the head. Brain and blood splattered the ground, the remains dotting the landscape.

The horde seemingly taken care of the sword’s electricity faded before it was roughly sheathed to the being’s back.

And then the armoured being turned its eyes towards them.

The ground shook at it moved towards them. There wasn’t even a scratch on its body from where the herd tried to scratch its torso, the metal had to be sturdy and strong, perhaps stronger than steel. Once they were close enough the armoured creature spoke again, again in English. This time was too fast for even Mic to understand. “Japanese?” Mic asked hopefully.

The armoured giant grumbled reaching up again, touching a dial on its helmet instead of its great sword. “How is this?” They asked, the same robotic voice asked in clear Japanese. It was rough but…

“Oh! You must have a translator built into the helmet! How fantastic! They were working on those once upon a time I heard…” Midoriya began rambling, thinking frantically. If the translator was that advanced here, then they must have made fantastic progress since he last heard about the machine. That would be so useful but there would be a lot less translation jobs…

The armoured being seemed to regret their decision immediately. “Politely, I ask you to shut up.” They said, looking at the small group. “What are you doing here without any armour, without weapons? All out in the open where every scorched can see you?” they demanded. “You should know that walking around without taking any sort of preparations is suicide. I don’t even see any supplies on you. How did you intend to survive your little walk?”

“You know pal, as much as I appreciate you saving our asses…” Hawks began, finger pointing at the being, stepping forward to make a point.

Yaoyorozu interrupted when she grunted in pain and clutched at her stomach. Deku turned quickly, wrapping an arm around her waist. “I’m fine, I’m fine,” she tried to assure her worried friends. “I just… I can’t make anything. I tried… I tried to make a dagger but it hurt too much.” The armoured being stood tall, silent for a moment. Then…

“Did you just try to use a quirk?” The armour asked.

Yaoyorozu looked up, sheepish.  “Yes. I…you brought up a good point about preparations and provisions and..”

“What year is it?”

That was an unusual question. One that they weren’t expecting. “I… huh?” Yaoyorozu asked, not the only one confused.

“What year is it where you are from?” The being asked again, clearly unphased. But perhaps this was apart of their normal routine, saving strangers, fighting off masses of, what were they called? Scorched?

“What a stupid question. What year is it here?” Kacchan demanded instead, folding his arms.

Midoriya rushed in again. “Kacchan! You can’t be so rude. They saved us and…”

“2105.” The armoured being said quickly, watching their faces. “Approximately 23 years after the great war. Which I am guessing hasn’t happened yet from where you are.” Their eyes seemed to stare directly at Tokoyami and Hawks before looking back at the rest of the group and speaking again. “In 2077 the world became ingulfed in atomic fire and radiation. It burned skin, mutated animals and humans beyond recognition, and killed the gene that carries your quirk. Welcome to the future of humanity,” they said, sweeping a hand over to the destroyed houses and cars. “No quirks, no heroes, only pain and suffering caused by the wants of the wealthy and few.”

Chapter Text

The Wastelands were adequately named Deku came to realize.  Brown, toxic water bubbled along the shore banks, garbage long since discoloured was floating or sinking in its shallow depths. Dead and decaying plant life dotted the horizon and crumbled to dust beneath their feet. The ruins of cars and shattered houses were as far as the eye could see. What he was coming to learn were the petrified remains of people fleeing or seeking shelter from the bombs were alarmingly common. And if he squinted he could see the remains of what appeared to be a brightly coloured waterpark in the distance.

It was becoming devastatingly clear just how one’s life could change in a single moment. For him and his classmates to be sucked off towards some not-so far off future, far away from their comfortable lives and bright futures. For these people who were going about their normal lives until bombs covered the world with irradiated fire…

Suddenly the English test that he had been frantically studying for paled in comparison.

“It reminds me of when we were learning about Pompeii. The people coated in ash and their last moments were forever preserved.” Jiro said in a whisper, eyes lingering on the remains of a couple trying to shield a baby from the radioactive horror. Yaoyorozu nodded, wrapping her arms around herself, her eyes down, carefully watching where she stepped. Not that Deku blamed her. There was a lot of strange mysterious fluids and objects on the ground that he too was trying his best to avoid stepping in.

Their metal covered saviour seemed to have no such qualms or apprehensions about the mysterious fluids or waste. Marching forward, they stepped in puddles, crushed rock and bones underneath their boots, kicking rocks and metal bits out of their way. They seemingly had no fear or worries as to what they were stepping in. Perhaps they had seen far too much or perhaps had seen much worse to worry about what was underneath.

After their little outburst, talking about the so-called Great War, they hadn’t said much else to the group. Their words had hung heavy in the air, surrounding the group. Choking their thoughts. The thought of a massive war, of millions if billions of lives blown out in a moment, the world forever changed…

It was inconceivable. The stunned stillness had stretched on  before the metal being spoke again, finally breaking the silence. “Follow me.” They had said, turning around and gesturing in a vague ‘follow me’ motion.

Kacchan, of course had something to say about that. “Huh? Why the fuck would we do that?” he demanded.

The metal person seemed to shrug at the question. Their body language was hard to read in the full body armout. “Do or don’t, I won’t lose sleep over it.” They said. “However, those scorched that attacked you are not the only herd out here. Nor are they the only monsters or groups that you have to watch out for. And they are far from the deadliest. If you want a chance to live, you’ll follow me and I can take you to a nearby settlement that won’t kill you on sight and try to loot your corpse for the clothes on your back. And that is if you’re lucky. Soft skinned folks such as yourself go for a pretty cap.”

Not even Kacchan had a response to that. They all may not quite trust the metal person, but between the unforgivable wastelands and whoever they were…

The metal being won by a nose. They scrambled after them, keeping close but not too close. Kacchan grumbling to himself as Keigo helped a struggling Tokoyami keep on his feet.

Which brings our little group to the present. Nothing more had been said since. There was only sound of their footsteps, the scattering of pebbles, and the empty, hollow sound to the wind as it whistled past them and through the shattered buildings. Every once in a while one could hear a croak of what sounded to be a very large frog, or a growl or grunt of something that didn’t sound quite human…

It all made Deku even more anxious. He could practically feel eyes glaring at them through every peephole, every crevice. Glaring at them with murderous intent.

He needed to break the silence with something. Glancing over the metal being, he realized that they were about as easy to read as Eraserhead. Yet he had the overwhelming feeling that a joke or a fun fact about All Might would not go over well.

“Where are we?” he asked instead. “This place looks vaguely familiar, I know I’ve probably seen it in textbooks…”

“West Virgina.  Or at least the remains of what was West Virgina.” They interrupted, turning to look at the remains of a sign. Deku waited but they didn’t say anything else. His classmates and teachers didn’t seem interested in holding conversation again.  Maybe he just had to take control of the dialogue, guide it a little bit.

“So… what’s your name and what are you doing here? You said so yourself, it is the middle of nowhere. A wasteland.” Deku asked the metal being. Their electronic eyes seemed to glance over at the green boy before looking back over the horizon. “I mean, I think you are the only thing alive and slightly friendly that we have seen since we arrived. Not that we’ve seen many things alive outside whatever you called those things before. Scorched I believe you said? Though I can see why they would be called that. Just by a quick look at their appearance they appeared to be covered in burns…”

“Nerd…” Kacchan growled behind him, his mask pulled up to keep the hair and sweat out of his eyes. “Do you ever shut up?”

Deku sputtered at his friend. “Hey! It’s better than just listening to nothing. And if they have a specific goal, maybe we can help them. You know, as thanks for saving us from those creatures.”

Bakuago grit his teeth, Deku could never read the room when it was needed. What they needed to do was be quiet, listen, learn… He opened his teeth to argue back…

“I’m here scouting for weapons and other supplies.” The being simply said, interrupting Bakugo’s unsaid comments. “This used to be a rather affluent neighbourhood before the war. The intelligence I received said that there was a large stockpile of guns, bullets, and non-perishable food. Potentially even medical supplies and textbooks.” They glanced around again, the electronic eyes looking down at Deku and Bakugo for a moment before looking around them again.

The group looked at the metal being.  They had no backpack, there were no pockets in their armour. There was no way that there could carry that amount of loot by themselves.

“Then… then we can help you carry your supplies!” Deku said, getting slightly excited. “We’ll help you find it and carry it wherever you need to. We will be happy to travel wherever you need us, no matter how long it takes…”

Eraserhead firmly gripped his shoulders, yanking him back. “Careful what you promise. We don’t know what else they are hiding, or what they may need from us. Don’t make promises so willy nilly.” He whispered urgently, loud enough for the rest of his students to overhear. Gods above Deku reminded him of All Might somedays. “A promise made, is a debt unpaid.”

The students looked at each other with confusion, Bakuago choosing to simply glare at his teacher. “What do you mean by that?” Yaoyorozo asked quietly.

“An old Irish proverb. Simply put, making a promise carries a moral obligation to fulfill it, similar to a debt being owed to a bank.” The metal being said even as Present Mic opened his mouth to answer. “That being said, that would imply that your words are worth their weight in caps.”

Deku fussed with his hands. He was unsure about the last bit of that. What did caps or hats have to do with weight of words? And yet… “I don’t make promises lightly. You saved me, saved my friends, saved my teachers.  You saved us. You are helping take us to safety, supposedly. I myself would like to try and repay that bit of kindness…” He swallowed hard. “You… you don’t know us.  Not from Adam or Eve. And yet you saw that we were in trouble and came to save us. You had nothing to gain from that.”

The metal being stopped walking and turned to look at him, the helmet even turning to take him in. Deku gulped, he had the feeling that he was being assessed, scrutinized…

“You truly believe that. In truth I had everything to gain both from saving your life, and everything to gain by your death. A win-win for me.” They said finally, looking away, looking at something on their wrist. A tiny screen flashed to life as they spun a dial. “But similar to what your teacher was saying, be careful what you promise and to whom. The one who holds the life debt holds a lot of power…” They started to walk again, this time in a slightly different direction. “For all you knew I was rushing to rob your corpses before they turned cold.”

Hawks shuddered, his wings heavy on his back. His yellow eyes were missing their signature mischievous glint and twinkle. He almost seemed worried. “That’s just disturbing.”

“This world is disturbing.” The being quickly quipped in response. “You get desensitized to it. You don’t want to know what I’ve seen people do for caps. For food. For simple raw materials… even more so for power.”

Deku quietly gulped. There was a seriousness about their words, one that made Deku think that they were telling the truth.

He decidedly didn’t want to know more.

But… “I don’t believe that.” He said. “I… I can sense there is good in you.”

The metal being shook their head. They seemed disappointed in his answer. “Follow.” They commanded, gesturing again.

Silence again. This time even Deku dared not break it. Their small group continued to follow the armoured being who had finally slowed down among a large group of destroyed homes. But they seemed to be getting close to somewhere. The armoured being were looking between the houses and the little screen on their wrist. Finally they stopped in front of a particularly destroyed house. Two sides of the house were missing, the upper floor splinted and exposed, not a strip of rug to be seen.

And from where Deku was standing, he could see a doll’s hand hanging over the edge.

He swallowed hard around the lump in his throat. No one had been spared from this destruction. He glanced back towards the armoured person again. They were closely examining a sign, comparing it to the screen on the wrist.

With a jolt, he realized that they never asked for their name, never introduce themselves. They had asked about the location, the war,, but not their name. He took a breath, preparing himself…

“Do you even know what you’re looking for?” Bakugo asked, disturbing the silence. “This dump looks like any other house on this block.”

“Kacchan!” Deku said, turning to face his friend his mouth agape. “That’s so rude of you!”

Jiro gripped his arm tightly for a moment, making him jerk out of her grip. “Shut up!” she hissed to him.

“Don’t fucking touch me!” Bakugo snapped at her, swatting at her hands before going grey in the face.

It didn’t take a rocket scientist to realize what had happened.  On instinct, Kacchan had tried to use his quirk. Deku gripped him from behind, trying to stabilize him even as the young man swayed slightly. “You can’t use your quirk here, Kacchan! Remember?”

Bakugo growled at the green haired man, trying to shrug out of his hold. “Let me go! I don’t need to be held and coddled like the rest of you crybabies!”

“That makes no sense, Kacchan!” Deku countered. “You could-”

There was a small popping noise before the world became caked in red light. Flashbacks of his last mission in the States pulsed in front of his eyes, making Deku grip tightly at Kacchan. Present Mic pushed in front of the students, pushing them back towards Eraserhead and himself again. The armoured being had one arm outstretched to the sky, a faint red trail trailing from their hand. “What was that?” Mic demanded.

“Flare gun.” The metal being said, hooking the tiny gun to a small hook on their shoulder. Deku hadn’t seen it there before as it had been partially obscured by the large electric sword that was attached to their back. They turned to look at the students. “You asked if I knew what I was looking for. Yes. Yes, I do.  And I believe that found it.”

They sounded… almost pleased. Was it possible for a robotic voice to sound pleased?

Mic gestured to the slowly falling and dissipating red light. “And that was…. What?”

“A signal.” The metal being said, making a familiar knuckle cracking motion. Waiting.

“Obviously it was a signal.” Mic said, waving his hands. “What was it a signal for? Your friends coming to ambush us? An SOS cry? Monsters on route?”

The metal being snorted. “If I wanted to attack, I would have summoned them while you were arguing amongst yourselves.” They said. “I was calling my squire. He was hiding nearby, preparing for the trip back. Now we need his help. If this stockpile is true, then it would be too big for us to carry it all.”

Deku, his arms still loosely looped around Bakuago, blinked at the term. “Squire?” he asked. “What do you mean…?”

There was the sound of shifting rubble and rapidly approaching footsteps. A young, African-American man appeared, hauling a large bag as he slowly scaled the remains of several walls. “Knight Errant!” He called out, holding the bag tight to his back and waving with his free hand. “Knight Errant!”

“Knight Errant?” Tokoyami asked, still hovering near Keigo. It was truly alarming how grey the skin around his eyes had turned. “What is that?”

The metal being looked back at them. “Me.” The replied simply.

Chapter Text

The group leaned against the house, watching silently as Del and Knight Errant (a real life knight? As if this timeline couldn’t get any weirder) spoke to one another. It was almost comedic, as stoic and neutral as the knight was, Del was on the other side of the spectrum. He was animated, spoke with his hands, his tone of voice raising and lowering as he spoke. He seemed to catch himself every now and then and tried to speak more calmly, trying to contain the hand flailing. But it always returned.

For now, all the group could do was wait and watch. Del and the knight seemed in no hurry to wrap up their conversation.

Deku could feel his fingers twitching already. He had so many questions, wanted to touch or move, make notes in his notebook, or do something, anything else than stand around uselessly. Looking around, he saw that the group, although keeping close together, had split up in loose groups. Mic and Eraser were leaning against one another against one of the ruined houses, Mic watching the Knight and squire with deep concentration, Eraser appearing to be dozing against his shoulder.  Kacchan was close by, kicking at rocks that were nearby. He looked as twitchy as Deku felt, and about four times as angry.

Tokoyami was finally sitting down, leaning against another ruined wall, Keigo standing guard over him. Tokoyami really wasn’t looking so great. Some of his feathers had turned grey and were beginning to molt off his cheeks. Keigo appeared to be in slight discomfort, shifting his weight from one shoulder to another, staring out at the horizon with a far-off look. The cocky bravo had melted away into slight worry.

That wasn’t a good sign.

Jiro and Yaoyorozu were settled on what looked like the remains of a garden wall, quietly talking. Yaoyorozu at least had stopped looking green in the face, but Jiro’s earlobes were beginning to look pale. Thinking back to what the knight had said earlier, Deku wondered if his friends were beginning to suffer from some form of radiation sickness. The more that they would use their quirk, the worse they would feel or look. For those who could not turn off their quirk, this place must be hell on earth.

Looking between everyone, Deku decided to approach his teachers. “Do you understand anything that he is saying?” Deku asked Present Mic, scratching his hair. “They are speaking too fast for me to understand.”

The musician sighed, shrugging his shoulders. “I understand the gist of what they are talking about. They are speaking very quickly, and possibly using local slang? Doesn’t help that our so-called friend refuses to remove their helmet. It distorts their voice to the point where it doesn’t even sound like English.” He narrowed his eyes as he watched them for another moment before speaking. “The knight was gone for a long time, Del was getting worried. Surprised to find survivors this far out, extra mouths to feed, will need even more supplies… will be late getting home if we take them, captain will be angry… going over different available options… but that is what I am catching.” Mic said.

“So our friend isn’t the top dog after all.” Kachann said giving a small bark of a laugh. He was leaning against a nearby ruined wall. Most of the colour had returned to his cheeks by now. He must be feeling better at least. Especially if he was talking like that.

“Knights weren’t top of command in most armies.” Eraser said, pulling his hair back behind his ear. “They were high in terms of rank, but they were usually lead by a captain or commander, a lord and then a whatever head of royalty was in power. Which means that we do not piss them off and tempt them into leaving us in the middle of god knows where without protection. Understood, problem child number two?” he glared at the blonde, the girls coming closer to them.

Kacchan folded his arms angrily. “You’re acting like I am the one who got us into this shit storm.”

“You were!” Both Deku and Jiro snapped at him, Kacchan looking away with an angry grunt.

The ground shook as Del and the Knight finally approached them. Seems like their conversation had finally ended. But there was a deep uneasiness to Del’s face.  He was wringing his hands, holding tight to the backpack straps. The knight touched their helmet, changing their language settings. “Apologies for the delay. Del and I were discussing potential options.”

Mic stood up straight, brushing the dirt off of his pants. “I get the feeling that you worked to make this beneficial to both parties.”

The knight nodded. “One – we bring to the Whitespring Mall. Along the way, we’ll supply you with food, water, medical supplies, protection, with whatever you need. Once there, we drop you off there and continue on our merry way. You could stay there, find work and supplies until you meet someone who is able to assist. But make no mistake. Nothing comes for free here in the Wasteland. In exchange, we expect labour in return. You’ll find and carry supplies, help with camp, whatever we need you to do.  Everyone needs to pull their weight around here. The good news is that the Whitespring is a busy center, you have people of all allegiances there, along with a large handful the robots that have been programmed to keep peace there. You might even find others that have been in your predicament.”

“How long would it take to get to this Whitespring?” Mic asked quickly.

“At best? Week and a half, most likely longer.  And we would need to go through several large patches of unfriendly territory including cultist, super mutant and off-shoots of raiders, not to mention the breeding ground of mirelurks we would need to get through.”

Mic shook his head. “All of that sounds terrible.  There is no guarantee that we would get home. What is the other option?” 

The knight and Del looked at each other briefly. “Option two – we take you to the main headquarters of the Brotherhood of Steel. It’s where we were originally headed. We offer the same perks, and it would take less than a week to get there. Less dangers as well. We could bypass majority of the super mutants and avoid the mirelurks completely. They have been collecting technology, plans and history since the bombs fell. There is a good chance that one of the members would know something. “They would also be interested in hearing about the world before the war, could be an exchange of intelligence.”

Eraser looked at Del’s face. It was pinched, like he had ate something sour. “He doesn’t want us there…” he said carefully.

Knight Errant shook their head. “The organization is incredibly untrusting and reluctant of outsiders. And as much Paladin Rahmani is trying to change the organization, calling it a slow improvement is giving it too much credit.” Their voice trailed off.

“So that’s two options. Do you have a third?” Mic asked hopefully.

A slight shake of the metal head. “Third – we could leave you here and go our separate ways. But none of you wouldn’t last a day out here alone without weapons or supplies, especially without your quirks, and five students to take care of. That would be a death sentence for all of you.”

Eraser sighed. “We need a moment to talk.”

“Of course.” Knight Errand nodded to them, stepping back. “We’ll be looking for this stockpile. Once we have what we came for, we’ll be leaving and consider that your answer. But before we go, we want to try something with your friend there.” They nodded to Del.

Del rummaged in his pack, bringing out an IV bag full of amber liquid, hollow tubing and a needle. He went over to Tokoyami, wiping an area on his arm before moving to press the needle in. Keigo panicked, reaching out quickly to grip his hand. “Wait! What are you doing?”

“Radaway, at least in it’s diluted form.” The knight said to them. “Radiation attacks the gene where your quirk is stored, making you more susceptible to radiation poisoning. It’s why you will feel pain or weakness when you use your quirk. There are drugs that we can use to keep it at bay, but it won’t be permanent. At least until we get you to an actual doctor.”

Keigo looked between the knight and Del, looking back at Tokoyami. “He’s my charge.” He finally said. “I promised his folks that nothing will happen to him.”

“And nothing will, as long as you let the medicine enter his veins.” The knight said firmly.  Keigo bit his cheek but let Del go.

Del nodded. “It will work. Promise.” He said slowly, in English. Carefully he pushed the needle into Tokoyami’s arm. The liquid flowed easily from the bag and into his arm. It might be Deku’s wishful thinking, but already the grey was fading from Tokoyami’s cheeks.

The knight tapped their helmet again, motioning to Del to follow them. Guess they were leaving them alone to talk now.

Jiro watched them step away before turning to her teachers. “We can’t be considering letting them leave us here.” She said quickly. “They already proven to us that we won’t survive out here without them.”

Mic shook his head. “I agree. That’s not an option. I don’t mind exchanging some cheap labour for supplies and passage but within reason.”

“The Whitespring really isn’t a real option, is it?” Deku asked.

“I don’t think Tokoyami will last the trip. Or any of us if we keep trying to use our quirks.” Mic said quietly.

“Hey now, don’t you worry about me.” Keigo said suddenly. “I can look after myself, wings or not.” He supported Tokoyami with his leg, stabilizing him. “It’s the kid I am mostly worried about.”

“I’m fine… I feel better already.” Tokoyami said, trying to get to his feet. He didn’t even make it halfway up before he fell back down against him. “Just need to catch my breath.”

Eraser looked into his eyes. They looked better, more focused. “I think you should let whatever medicine they have flowing into you work before you try to move again.”

Tokoyami quietly blinked at him before looking back down at the IV drip. “Fine.” He grumbled.

Eraser sighed, worry fluttering across his features. “So then we know which one we need to pick..”

There was no need for a response.  It was obvious.  They wouldn’t survive without help, without their quirks, no could they possibly survive two weeks on the road if Tokoyami was this sick already. Imagining how it would be even tomorrow without supplies?

Would he and the others even be alive?

A cold, sinking feeling in Deku’s gut answered the unasked question.

* * * * *

You stood in front of the storm cellar double doors, glancing between it and the glowing pip boy on your wrist. This had to be it. You had already spent too much time searching this toxic mess of a wasteland to be wrong.

“What do you think they will pick?” Del interrupted your thoughts, shifting the large backpack,

“If they are smart, they will come with us to Fort Atlas.” You said, turning off the pip boy. “The grand squire probably has something in her arsenal that they can use to get back to their time. If not her, then someone else will eventually join the brotherhood.”

Del nodded, seemingly satisfied at your words, glancing back at the group. They were trying to be quiet, but the younger blonde one in particular needed to learn a lot more tact. “They sure are loud.” He muttered to himself.

Time to get back to work. “However, I am more concerned about finding whatever is in store for us here than whatever the heroes decide.” You said, looking back at the cellar doors. They were the typical, run-of-the-mill, lead-lined doors that the Free States had been selling before the war. Either sold to those who could not afford a ticket into the vaults. Or those who did not trust the Vault-Tec corporation.

“There will be at least something.” Del said quickly, trying his best to assure you.  “The man I bought this information from said this homeowner used to be a professor. So even if this stockpile isn’t the treasure we thought it was, he probably had a lot of old world knowledge stored here. It’ll be easy to find something to bring back for the brotherhood.”

A large sigh escaped your mouth. Del could be naïve at the worst of times, yet he was a breath of fresh air from the usual assholes at the fort. “Call me a pessimistic, but if they were willing to part with this information for a few caps then it makes me think that we’ve been scammed, or they already cleared out what they wanted and are selling the scraps of what remained.” You responded, stepping up to the doors again. “Let’s do this fast. We are too close to be comfortable to a floater territory. I want in and out of here before any of those fuckers spawn.”

There were the light sound of footsteps causing you to turn around. You already knew that it would be Present Mic. He was the one who spoke the better English of the little group. “We have decided on option two.” He told you both, bowing slightly. “We will appreciate any help that you can provide, and will be happy to assist wherever we can.”

You gave a nod, not surprised. The heroes of old were vastly outmatched here. Both them and their sidekicks would die if they had decided to separate. But their egos would be something that would need to be kept in check. “As you wish. We will be happy to accompany you to the fort. After we find what we need here.”

Mic nodded before returning to his group.

Del watched him go. “I still don’t know if this is a good idea, Knight Errant. Perhaps this whole thing is an elaborate set up.”

You tested the handles. Of course they were locked. “It would be a hell of a set up if it was. And by who? Who would have the time, energy and resources to set this up?”

As Del sputtered and tried to come up with an answer, one came to your mind. The Enclave. The secret organization had more caps, the furthest reach, and retained more resources than any other group.  But the other group were still unaware of such a group outside of the whispers of legend… but as for summoning a small gaggle of past heroes? The Enclave had nothing to gain from that.

 “Fair enough.” Del said. “We will have to see what the Paladin says.”

You couldn’t help but chuckle. “The Paladin will have a lot to say. Though I think that she would be quite excited to meet people who lived before the war, even before the tension between America and China.” Before Del could respond you engaged your Power Armour, ripping open the doors with ease. “I’m going down there to see what I can find. Keep an eye on our new friends there. Make sure they don’t attract anything else that could eat them.”

Del immediately snapped to attention, pressing his fist to his chest. “Ad victoriam, Knight Errant!”

You raised your fist to your chest. “Ad victoriam.” And you stepped into the darkness of the cellar.

Chapter Text

You hit the floor of the cellar with a hard thud. Luckily your power armour absorbed most of the force of the fall, but it didn’t do much to stop the shock waves that ran through your body. You grit your teeth, waiting for the pain to stop irradiating through your body. Dust drifted and floated around the room, being caught dancing in the faint light of your eyelights. “Ugh…” you groaned to yourself, finally standing and turning on the light of your helmet. You were getting too old for this shit.

“Knight Errant!” Del yelled from above. “Knight Errant, are you ok?”

“I’m fine, Del. Standby.” You said to him, taking a moment to look around as you grabbed the bag he had tossed down to you.

The conditions of the shelter was the first thing you noticed. The cellar was smaller than the sleeping bunkers at Fort Atlas and was completely coated in thick, wet, dust. Ruined ceiling beams were splintered above your head, the remains of the cellar stairs below you while peeling paint and chipped concrete covered the remains of the walls. Under your feet was the rotting and wet remains of an area rug. Off to the side, you noticed the remains of what looked to be a dead indoor garden and broken storage system. There weren’t any windows dotting the room, but you supposed that was by design. A solid wall would provide better security and protection from radiation any day of the week.

To put it bluntly, the entire place was a mess. There had been no upkeep to the area, it hadn’t been lived in for years, maybe shortly after the bombs fell. No sign of life or disturbances. At least you knew that whoever sold Del the information couldn’t have touched the so-called stockpile. You would have seen their footprints a mile away. Though with the conditions of this shelter, you doubted if any food that remained would be worth a carry.

And those high-pitched noises echoing around were enough to make anyone jumpy…

Those were coming from you. Looking down, you noticed the Geiger counter on your pipboy. It was chirping and ticking at highest level it could sense. The whole place must be just swimming in radiation. Luckily your suit would protect you from most radiation… but you still needed to get out quickly to avoid radiation sickness yourself.

You took a cautious step forward, looking around.  From what Del could dig up, the professor was known to be highly intelligent, though also paranoid who trusted very few, much less the corporations like Vault Tec or the government. This place had to be built and designed by him. The greenhouse for growing fresh food and herbs, the cozy conditions… You would not put it past him to be preparing for this war years before the vaults were even commissioned by the American government.

So, that begs the question. A man spends much of his life preparing for a war that would change the world forever and make supplies and resources impossible to locate. He obviously had no trust in the corporation that designed the large vaults due to his paranoid and conspiracy mindset, or he would have bought placement in the vaults. He spends thousands, if not a couple million adding a single, granted large, room bomb shelter and dressing it up to make it livable and comfortable, even to the extent of creating a greenhouse and small indoor water purifier so one could live comfortably until the radiation was diluted enough for outside life…

So where was he?

You took another step into the small room, freezing when you heard a large snap under foot. Slowly your eyes drifted downwards…

Your foot stepping on a khaki covered bone, now obviously shattered. You stepped back quickly. Skeletons and bodies were not an uncommon sight for the wastelands, but the dead should always be treated with respect. Two skeletons, one in the remains of a sweater vest and the mentioned khakis, and the other in what looked to be a pink dress. Both skulls looking dead ahead, their jaws open and silently screaming, and both having a noticeable bullet hole. Though the placement was different on each skull.  You squatted close to them, inspecting the old wounds. The woman’s had a bullet hole in the front, no exit wound that you could see.  And the male had an exit wound to the top of his skull but no entrance….

“So, you shot your wife, sat down beside her and blew your own brains out,” you muttered, noting the dark stains behind them. Dark mold dotted the wall behind them. “But why…?” Turning your attention back to your Geiger counter, you got to your feet, testing the signal. Though the signal was mostly maxed out, it seemed that the warning noises became more frantic when you approached the small generator in a far corner. “Ah.” You said, suddenly unstanding. “Your homemade fusion core wasn’t stable and bled radiation everywhere. Even if you had a spare you wouldn’t have survived the sickness…”

A terrible way to go. Suddenly the murder suicide made more sense.

But back to the task at hand.

Coming back to the skeletons you carefully pried the shotgun out of his bony hands. It would be a start you supposed, checking the magazine. Four bullets left.

Going through the rest of the area you found an untouched first aid kit with not one, but four stimpacks inside. That alone was worth this cursed trip. You also found a few books that were remarkably untouched by mold, dampness or decay, and added them to the pile. Sribe Valdez would find them useful for something, even if for light reading.

And yet, something irked you about the room. Yes, it was small, but it seemed bigger on the outside. And some paranoid man was going to survive the apocalypse with six bullets and a shotgun? No, that didn’t make any sense. He would need more firepower, especially if he thought that he and his wife would need to fend off angry hordes of survivors that were deceived by Vault Tec.

You began to tap on the sides of the shelter, listening. There had to be a false wall, somewhere he could store guns and the “good stuff” without fear. To put his mind at ease that his wife and him would survive and be ready for just about anything…

Ting…

Pausing, you tapped the same spot.

Ting…

Grinning, you reached up and pulled the remains of a bookshelf to the ground, exposing the large safe that he had embedded in the wall. You allowed yourself to feel that sweet bubble of satisfaction for a moment.

Now for the harder part. Turning up the audio dials of your helmet, you listened carefully as you began to slowly spin the dial, listening for the sounds of the mechanical release.

A faint shuffling noise and you began to spin it the other way. Two more to go.

Finally the door swung open and you couldn’t help but give a low whistle. “I doubt Del too much, sometimes.” You admitted quietly, reaching in to grab the bullets and other weapons. The man had been absolutely stacked. Taking a moment, you made sure to check the guns’ chambers, ensuring that all the weapons were empty of bullets before slipping them into the bag. Accidents could not be afforded in the wastelands, especially if you were now in charge of a fucking field trip of wannabe superheroes.

Checking the top of the shelf for anything else, your metal covered hand bumped against some lumpy along with a folder. You grabbed both.

Two doctorates in the remains of their picture frames looked back at you, the reminders of another time and place. He had been a doctor of computer sciences, a career with limited growth and oversaturated population. And she…

“A doctor of speech-language and linguistics? That’s strangely convenient.” You said to yourself, flipping through her folder. There were several plans in here that the brotherhood would find interesting, along with…

She had been developing a device that would translate languages in the ear and help you speak it. You looked at the plan, trying to understand. The auditory piece looked a bit like a large hearing aid that clipped to the person’s ear. It was attached to a cord that slipped around the person’s tongue to help them form the words of the desired language. How it worked you had no idea. But if it did it would make conversating with those heroes a hell of a lot easier and without the need for interpretation.

Course it means that you couldn’t pretend not to understand the language anymore, but for Del and the brotherhood and anyone else that they happened to meet, it would be worth it in the long run.

“Knight Errant! Are you there?” Del called down to you, jolting you from your thoughts. You cursed yourself for not turning down your audio settings the moment you opened the safe. It sounded like he was right behind you.

“I’m here!”  You said to him, shoving the folder in your chest piece for later. “And you were right. The paladin will be pleased with your discovery.”

“Our discovery.” He corrected, causing you to roll your eyes. Hell, you could practically hear him preening. “How do we get you out?”

Stepping closer to the cellar doors you could see him peering in, and could hear the Japanese heroes talking amongst themselves. Grabbing a piece of rope, you tossed one of the ends up to him. “Never doubt a knight. I have an idea, but I’ll need you to take these.”

* * * * *

Deku paced nervously on the dirt path. The knight had been in the basement for a long time and, although he didn’t know Del very well, it was obvious that he too had started to get anxious. He had been glancing between the basement and a ruined area past everyone, where vibrant green, blue and red bubbles drifted.

He shuddered. He felt uneasy just by looking over there.

On a positive note, Tokoyami was looking much better. His feathers and cheeks were less grey and more black, and there was a shine that was beginning to return to his eyes. Keigo was definitely relieved, keeping close to the teen and keeping his IV line kink free.

The others…

Kacchan kicked a fence, causing one side to break with a snap. “How long are they going to take?” He demanded with a snarl. “And Deku, stop your fucking pacing. You’re making me nervous watching you.”

Deku understood that it was probably the heat and unease that was making Kacchan even crankier than usual. He opened his mouth to reply when he saw Del was struggling. He rushed over, grabbing part of the rope and giving a pull. “I can help.” He said to the man, fingers tightening around the rope. Del looked at him in confusion before giving a nod. Together they pulled again.

The bag was heavy and awkward. It swayed in the air Deku and Del hauled it up. The moment the lip of the bag slipped over the opening, Del grabbed it and yanked it backwards, landing with a crash on top of Deku’s feet.

“Ah! Are you ok?” Deku asked, before giving the man a thumbs up and down, gesturing to it. Del looked at him for a moment before giving a thumbs up, before looking for a hand up. Bracing himself, Deku pulled him to his feet. Up front he noticed more details about the young man.  The suit he wore was three pieces, not the one that he had initially suspected. The sweater underneath, cargo pants with a multitude of pockets, and then his over vest, which like his pants, were covered in with pockets.

Del clapped his shoulder in thanks before returning to the basement entrance. “Knight Errant!” He called out.

“How the fuck are we going to get that asshole out?” Kacchan asked, coming to stand next to Deku. “There are no stairs and that basement is about three times the depth of them. And there is no way that we can lift them out without our quirks.”

“We can’t just leave them in there.” Deku told him, turning to face him. “They need us.”

Kacchan scoffed. “You got any ideas then, nerd?”

A hand gently touched both of their shoulders. Del. He gave an awkward grin at the boys before gesturing them to back up.

“Don’t touch me.” Kacchan snapped at the man, even as Deku grabbed his hand and pulled him back. “You don’t need to touch me, either!”

There was a whining noise that was their only warning before the knight landed hard in front of them all, the humming jetpack behind them already beginning to power down, metal turning from purple, to white, and back to grey.

Deku could feel his jaw drop. “You have a jetpack?” he asked, gesturing to his back.

The knight looked over at him and gave a nod. “Of course. This armour weighs about 150 to 200 pounds. Sometimes you just need a boost.”

Keigo gave a laugh as Kacchan threw his hands in the air. “This place is absolutely ridiculous.” Kacchan complained. “I’m so done.”

“The good news is that our raid was a success,” the knight said, ignoring Kacchan. “We have more medical and firearm supplies.”

Jiro who had come close, paused. “Firearms? Like guns and bullets?” she asked.

“Yes. Before the war patriotism in America was at an all time high, and every man, woman and child were encouraged to carry. Just in case they met a communist or Canadian sympathizer on the road.” The knight explained, opening the bag and handing a few of the weapons to Del. “Like the time prior to World War One, it was a time of high tension and mistrust. Would not recommend.”

“And this time you would?” Kacchan demanded, folding his arms.

The knight looked up, eyelights trained on the boy. A chill settled between them, making Deku shudder. But before he could chastise his friend, the knight straightened up. They handed the bag to Del and stepped forward. “Your intentions are not as coy or hidden as you think they are.” They said lowly. “It’s obvious that you are looking for a fight, a dick measuring contest to prove to your little buddies here that you’re the biggest, baddest, top dog around. But here’s a lesson that you will not learn in any superhero classroom.  You’re not. Here you’re nothing but a baby, a weakling, baggage.  You’re not even a sidekick. And the faster you understand that and where you really sit in this so-call food chain, the better along we will all get.” The knight was right in front of Kacchan, causing him to take a step back, but the knight took another step forward. “Your quirk that made you strong and powerful or popular is gone. You are facing enemies that you have never seen before, and they will not hesitate to rip you apart for resources or food. Yes, food. There are cannibals out here due to the majority of farm or prey animals being irradiated to fuck. Deer and cows have two heads, squirrels are unable to grow fur, frogs glow… food is now scarce and you are on the menu wherever you go.”

Kacchan sputtered. “You talk real tough for someone wearing armour. Take it off and lets see how you do.”

“You don’t get it, do you? I had to earn this armour. I had to prove that I was worthy of being a knight. I spent twelve years walking around, training without it. I can fight, I can kill, and I can survive without it.  You?” A finger jabbed into the boy’s chest, making him stumble back. “You have a mouth. And a mouth will not protect you out here without the charisma to back it up. So. Behave and you’ll survive. Don’t and…” The sounds of screaming made them all turn. The bubbles had found a hairless animal and were attacking it, tearing it apart. Deku recoiled, hands over his mouth. But Del and the knight were stone faced. Like it happened all the time. “That’s what happens when you don’t. I will not hesitate to leave you out here, alone.” The knight went back to Del, grabbing the resource bag that looked substantially lighter, before tossing it at Kacchan.  The bag hit him in the chest, causing him to step backwards. “You take first shift.  And if there is anything that is missing, is broken, or is damaged, you will join that snallygaster in death. Those resources are worth more than your pathetic life.” They said, moving towards the path. “Follow. We need to make it to the train station before sundown.”

“Knight Errant?” Del asked them quickly, speaking faster than Deku could understand.

The knight nodded to Del. “We just need to take a little bit of a detour.”