Damned

Book Two: Chapter Seven

The land was hilly and chaotic, not a hint of order. The strange place was dark, and the only hint of light was a faint purple glow. Rivers flowed down the world's mountains and along the land. There was no sign of life for miles, and would cause any normal person to shiver in fear.

A burly man sat in a throne with his large hands resting on the arm's of his chair, and his name was Kami Yamindo. The seat was made out of a material not native to Earth, but it was metallic and cold against the man's long fingers. The large man's eyes were colorless and did not react to the fain light that shun down on him. Yamindo wore a silky black robe and looked at the many men and women kneeling in front of him. But most entrancing of all, the strange man's fingers were littered with jewelry. The treasures seemed to be the only thing in the entire terrain that sparkled.

The man raised one of his fingers and pointed to the bearded man that sat in the front of the gathering. The bulky man looked up and with his dull, grey eyes. "You will return to the land you tried to take for yourself." There was a potent venom in Kami's words.

The man kneeling narrowed his eyebrows in confusion."You want me to return ?"

"Yes, think of it as an opportunity Raba."The bearded man kenneling on the hard ground bawled his fist in anger at the use of such a word.

"Don-"

Yamindo interrupted the man by waving his hand in the air. The gesture lifted the long haired man up, and Kami pulled him towards his throne."You should be thankful I didn't let you rot in Hell after what you did." Kami's threat was barley audible, but it was loaded with animosity.

The long-haired man struggled, but couldn't break free."W-Why do you want me to go back ?", questioned the man through his teeth.

"Because I want you to pay your old apprentice a visit and let your former comrade know that I'm expecting them soon." Kami then put his right hand down, and the man fell to the ground.

......

Izuku raised the canteen and tilted it up. Cold water dripped from the steel, circular container and into the man's mouth. Deku then looked to his wife and handed her the flask. The woman grinned and chirped,"Thanks."

As Ochaco sipped away at the water Izuku looked at what surrounded the trio. The wilderness was quite beautiful and the man loved it, besides the constant buzzing of insects. The trees to the sides of him were tall, and the leaves round leaves were a bright green. Sap trickled down the tress thick trunks and into the occasional hole burrowed into the plant. As Midoryia and his wife walked shoulder to shoulder the woman tugged on the sleeve his t-shirt. The man gave Ochaco a perplexed look.

"Deku, it's a baby leopard !", squeaked the woman.

Izuku stopped and looked around. The man then scratched his head in confusion, but opened in mouth in shock as Hoga patted the small animals head. Deku then howled,"Are you crazy !"

The blond man stopped scanning the animal and looked to Izuku's freckled face."What's the matter Midoryia ?"

"Y-Y-You're petting a baby leopard !"

"Do you fear wild animals ?"

"W-W-No, but what if it's mom is around, and she tries to eat us because you wanted to pet her baby."

"She's not," Hoga voice was monotone like usual.

Ochaco smiled as she watched the man admire the animal."How do know the little guy's all alone ?"

"I watched a documentary once."

Izuku's mouth gaped open in shock and he stuttered out,"D-D-Did you just make a joke ?"

"Yes." Gusui then stood up and the small cat scurried over to Ochaco and rubbed against Ochaco's leg.

The woman nudged Midoryia with her arm and whispered,"Izuku, h-he's so cute."

"Not really."

"What, did you just say this rascal ain't cute !"

Deku tossed his hands in the air,"I just don't like cats ."

Ochaco let a humph and picked up the small animal.

"Ochaco, what are you doing ?", asked Deku through his teeth. The woman looked at her husband for a second before holding the cub in front of Izuku. The man locked eyes with the animal and leaned forward. The small creature's eyes were a yellowish tint with a single black pupil. Midoryia slowly inched his left hand towards the cub and lightly rubbed the cat's head. Fuzzy, thought Midoryia. The animals spotted pelt was beautiful to the man.

Izuku squinted at the animal and conceded,"Okay the little guy's kinda cute."

.....

They had been walking for hours and the sun was beginning to set. Izuku did not necessarily care when they stopped, but he was beginning to hope it was in the near future. The man had fallen behind his wife and Gusui and looked around. The man spotted a colorful flower bed and jogged over to it. Deku bent down and grabbed onto a white and crimson flower, and gave it a tug. His green-eyes looked down at the beautiful plant and a grin pulled at his freckles. The crimson red looked as if it dripped down and plant and complimented the faded white well."I would put that back if I was you."

Izuku peered at Hoga with a puzzled expression."Why is that ?"

"The flower you're holding is deadly poisonous."

"Oh !" Izuku then dropped the pretty blossom. He then leaned over and pointed at a yellow flower."What about this one ?"

.....

Izuku and Ochaco sat far above the ground on a trees thick limb. The woman sat in the man's lap and leaned into his chest. Midoryia played with her silky hair and tucked it behind her ear with the yellow, not life-threatening flower he picked out earlier. Ochaco kept her forehead into the man's chest as she muttered,"I love you."

Izuku's face flushed at her words. The man then smiled and wrapped his arms tighter around her back."I love you too."

Ochaco then looked up at Izuku with her brown jewels and asked,"Do you know what's goin' to happen ?"

Izuku gazed at her and his brow wrinkled."To be honest, I don't have a clue."

Ochaco frowned,"That's not what I wanted to hear."

"But it's what you expected."

"Yeah...it is," mumbled the woman. Ochaco's lips then wiggled as she thought about how she wanted to ask her next question."Are ya scared ?"

"S-Sc-Scared ?"

"Yeah scared, I mean you always hated your quirk, and now you're gonna try and have it restored. Doesn't that frighten you ?"

Izuku examined the flat land miles ahead of them where the green grass turned an unhealthy yellow."It does...a lot."

"I know why you're doin' Deku, b-but I just can't understand it. You've suffered so much because of that quirk and you almost seemed relieved when it was gone, but now you are gonna be takin' that burden on again."

"At first I was happy it was gone, but as time went on I began to miss it, it was like a part of me Ochaco. I-I can't exactly put it into words, but I didn't feel like me without it." which probably doesn't make a lot of sense," chuckled Izuku.

"I get it, I wouldn't be me without makin' stuff float, but you hated it ?"

"I did most of the time, but it was pretty damn good at keeping people safe." Midoryia then looked into his wife's eyes."Without it who knows, maybe you wouldn't be here and Akito wouldn't be alive to annoy us."

Ochaco tilted her head as she studied Deku. The woman then sat up and gave him quick kiss on the lips."I love you so much."

Midoryia grinned as he laughed,"You already said that."