As Class A waited, they wondered, What is the deal with this place? It was far more serious than anything they had been to before, hell, even the League of Villains attack had some moments of levity. After all, Allmight was there. He wouldn't be here to save him this time. This place didn't. Its environment was gritty and oppressive. No powers to rely on. Those who were emitters could already feel the suppression of their genetics. Todoroki had felt cold for the first time in years, with his internal fire completely gone. Koda couldn't command the rats to go away, and his face was becoming more... baseline human. Kyoka's Jacks were less... fluid in their motion than the day before, and had become more firm. Momo took one look and stated that they were atrophying... which horrified the violette. Ochako already had her finger pads shrivel up to nothing, disappointing the hero student. What shocked them the most was Hagakure's translucency. Shoji just thought it was his stellar vision, but no, everyone could see that the formerly fully invisible girl now had outlines people could make out. No color, but people could see what she would end up looking like. A bob styled haircut, but with far longer hair than Ochako's, as well as a cute face, and very ladylike limbs. Mineta was actually growing, for whatever reason, his meagre stature was improving... even though his personality did not. He remarked that seeing Hagakure was a "forbidden pleasure".
Tsu would have used her tongue if it wasn't noticeably less elastic. So, Mina acted instead.
With their quirk woes on the forefront of their mind, they needed something to take their mind off the stress. Today's lesson with guns was decidedly not that. What did make things more relaxing was the arrival of Izuku and Lucy, the latter dragging him by the hand. It was a far more intimate gesture here than it was out of the bubble. And that stuck out to the two matchmakers in the class.
Meanwhile, Lucy stated to her lover: "C'mon, go take a seat. I'll be right along with food." She called to the kitchen through the door, "Henry! I'm back! Start getting those potatoes peeled, and I'll start with the meat!"
The hired help called back, just as she entered through the back door, getting ready for a busy night. "Right away!"
Izuku sat down at the head of the large table, ready to relax. Many of the other students gave the green haired boy a wary glance, but he seemed in high spirits. Ordering a root beer, or a soft drink concoction which was the equivalent of it. Healthier due to only having organic materials, it was great to drink when cooled. Lucy's place was one of the only ones to have a very ancient form of refrigeration tech in the back. Apparently, Izuku built it, but the others didn't know. The point was, at least there was something close to normalcy. A moment later, Llorona entered the room, sitting on the boy's left. She rolled a cigarette and lit it, taking in the smoke, a distinctly different emotion, a smile, resting on her face. The very pink Mina just had to ask about the change in mood. "Um, Llorona sensei..."
The older woman sighed, but not really meaning it. It was only Bakugo and Kirishima, funnily enough, that drew her ire the most. "Yes, Mina?"
For once, it was about the topic of her happy mood, instead of her often realistic one. "You seem in a happier mood..."
Llorona responded back, more than happy to share why. This time. "Well, it's because there is actually a reason to celebrate."
Uraraka, her naturally bubbly personality finally at the surface for the first time while here, asked, hoping it to be an actually good reason. "Because?"
All the girls in the group had their attention on the conversation as soon as Llorona spoke the truth. Grinning, the experienced huntress replied: "Lucy got her man."
Toru Hagakure, now translucent instead of purely invisible, asked, excited for some good news, alongside her best friend Mina. "Lucy... she's the innkeeper, right?"
"Yes. She finally got through Izuku's thick skull. They're now a couple."
Mina near shouted, drawing the rest of the class into the discussion. "I knew it!"
Llorona looked over at the horned girl. Her skin, vibrant pink the day before, was now faded. It would become pale by the next morning. Her horns would probably fall off in a day or two. The pink girl asked, hungry for more details "How long did it take?"
While the reason why may have been horrifying, the actions alone were downright heroic. "A year. 9 months ago, a hive somehow snuck in, and she was nearly one of the victims. Fortunately, he saved her. She's adored him ever since." It was clear that Izuku, despite his cynicism and poor fortune, had the heart of a hero. At least to those who were paying attention. Bakugo didn't, far more concerned with other matters... like how half the inn stared at him with enough vitriol to kill him, if looks could kill.
Toru and Mina both spoke at the same time, "Aw... that's adorable..."
Llorona was tiring of the conversation, content to watch Izuku get praise from the other kids his age. "I guess. Just be ready for his teachings tomorrow."
Izuku waited for them the next day at the main part of the inn. As Class A trickled down, Izuku sat, enjoying Lucy's heartfelt breakfast, made just for him. Bacon, Eggs, and warm bread, followed with a cold glass of milk. Unpasturised, sure, but still some normalcy. Everyone else also had their breakfast... although, Katsuki was the last to arrive. Swallowing the last of the scrambled eggs, he cleared his throat. The entirity of the class glanced at him. "I heard yesterday was a bit of a fiasco. So, today, there will be no practical component. Instead, I'm going to bring you to the town's laboratory, and we'll discuss more there. Depending on how strong your... constitution is, you may or may not want to eat. Just be ready in 10 minutes."
Walking over to Lucy as the class organized themselves, Izuku thanked her, before looking back at them.
"You've got quite a group to watch over. Will you be alright?" She asked, setting the plate down behind the bar.
"I made a promise to a personal legend of mine. I have to." Izuku stated, before letting her go around the bar.
Walking up to him, she leant down slightly to give him a quick peck on the cheek, her blue and green eyes meeting his flustered ones. "Just, be safe, alright? I've heard stories about what's in the morgue..."
"Most of which are unfounded." Izuku stated, before he gave her a quick hug. The girls cooed at the scene before the greenette passed them, and the class followed close behind. Many of the usual patrons shifted their gazes back to whatever they were doing, only after a certain blond haired boy left. She sighed, knowing that even after the Quarter moon, that boy's time would be short. He was just as daring as that boy that ran around with a target on his chest. Cain went easy on him, but the other's wouldn't... when it was time. Not like she would stop them. Their buisness was their own. And if it helped Izuku with his, then, who was she to disagree with that?
As they walked, Izuku was pelted with questions from a few individuals. They had introduced themselves as Iida, Momo, and Todoroki. Clearly, the most studious out of them all, with calculating intelligence, but each had their own flaws. Iida was a stickler for the rules. He wouldn't dream of breaking any or even bending them. He was far too rigid, and would probably die to a person who hid in a bush. Momo's flaw was confidence. When she knew what she was talking about, she would be quite the conversationalist... but without that backup? She would crumble. That would make her easy to overwhelm. Possibly dead if attacked from multiple directions. Todoroki on the other hand... oh boy was he a mess. Cold, calculating, and over reliant on his quirk. He would be the first to die, maybe around the same time as that Mineta kid. Especially if that violet haired harasser didn't leave Lucy alone. Finally remembering why the names of those three stuck out, Izuku's eyes lit up... and then refocused on their questions when he noticed a cold fury when Todoroki mentioned his father. To be fair, when Izuku left, Enji Todoroki was the number 2 hero: Endeavour. Kinda famous, and he could understand being annoyed by the pressure... but that felt really off. A lot more negativity than just being the son of a famous hero.
However, Iida was first to ask about the itinerary, "What will we be learning today?"
It was good to look ahead at the day's work. He couldn't fault anyone for being curious. It's about making sure they know what to keep outside the walls, at any rate. "Today? The dangers of the Bayou. Have to go to the lab to show you safely."
Momo, curious about where they were heading. "What is this Laboratory like?"
The greenette nodded to the building at the opposite end of town. Furthest from the gate. It was a grand old building, as he explained, "It's a research hall. For both gadgets and unnatural phenomena. Today we're going to the morgue so you can see what exactly you need to look out for." That got everyone intrigued... and some a little scared. The midget, well, not so midget who kept making passes at Lucy squirmed. Good.
The research hall was an impressive building at the opposite end of town to the main gate. This allowed for the most security and precaution. It was constructed of local timber with specialized reinforced windows. It looked like something out of a historical fiction novel.
When Izuku entered, the receptionist, a mature woman by the name Mary Shelly, welcomed them. "Hello Izuku. It has been a while since you were last here..."
He hadn't visited this place in half a year. A testament to the woman's memory. "I'm amazed you still remember me."
Her voice was mostly serious, with a bit of levity to try to put people at ease. However, with her gaunt looks and dark, curly hair, making her more reminiscent of a spectre of some kind, that had the opposite effect. "It's not often an outsider arrives... and you are leading a group of them."
However, Izuku nodded. She was a gentle soul, the few times he'd met the widow. Nothing to be concerned about. If they can't get over personal appearances, then they wouldn't be good hunters... or heroes. "I'm teaching them about the corruption today."
"Ah... you'll need a key to the elevator, then." Standing up, she went to a board with nails in it on the wall behind the receptionist desk. There were plenty of keys on it, and she carefully removed one for their use.
Accepting the key, he agreed. "Precisely."
Handing it over, her voice became formal yet again. "Keep it with you. If you lose it, it may be at least an hour before another person goes down there."
Everyone was nervous as Izuku graciously accepted the key. "Thank you for the reminder." When they went through the door, they realized why it had a key. It was an old fashioned elevator, large enough for all of them to fit comfortably.
To be honest, most of them were already unnerved by Mary's presence, and now were slowly realizing that this... all of this... was a bit much for just a morgue. A normal morgue only has the dead. Why would they need something that locks them down there? Momo, now nervous, asked, "What is with this...?"
Midoriya turned to the crowd. They did need to know this, at least. "This building houses specimens. Some which are far larger than a normal man. There is a reason why it is large enough and needs to be locked properly when not in use. C'mon."
That was more than a bit concerning. Enough so that a blond by the name of Denki asked, "There... they're not still alive, right?"
It was a fair question, but they didn't quite know of the corruption yet, which earned a few giggles from the rest of the class. Izuku, however, took the question as serious. "Of course not. We'd never bring living corruption back to Haven. That's dangerous to all of us." The greenette was calm as the elevator lowered, down into the darker basement, a single electric light illuminating the cage as it descended.
The basement was better lit than Class A expected. It was clean, made from stone, and well lit for ease of access.
Momo spoke up, "I'll admit, I wasn't sure what to expect here..."
Izuku raised an eyebrow. "Were you expecting a damp, dingy basement with corpses all over the place?" Most of the class looked away from him, which gave his answer. They were far too inspired by movies. "Well, there are specimens down here... but you wouldn't quite call them human anymore..." That immediately got their attention back on him. Entering the next room, there was a single scientist working on a new corpse, with a large black man with mutton chops and a distinct bowler hat securing it to the table. The older gentleman spoke with a kind, but firm voice, "Thank you for your help, Mr. Trevors. Your payment is on the table over there."
The bigger man, Mr. Trevors, took off his bowler hat in respect. "Anything for a... satisfied customer. Don't hesitate to call upon my services again, Doctor."
The man bowed slightly, before putting his hat back on his head and grabbing the coins in the pouch. The distinct glitter made it clear what he was paid for his service in gold. "Pleasure doing business..."
As the big man strode past Izuku, he gave a curt nod. Izuku respectfully gave one back. Smiling slyly, the Trevors left the basement with his own key. He was nothing but a mercenary and a... purveyor of fine goods. Or at least, hard to acquire goods. But... the greenette would introduce him to the class only if they survived the quarter moon ritual. Not a moment sooner, for their benefit. The Carcass Gunrunner was a tricky man, and they didn't need to have any debts with him.
Turning his attention back to Izuku called out to the doctor. He didn't want to intrude on his work, and the notes they had compiled together were quite fascinating. Izuku didn't want to ruin their previous rapport. "Mind if I give a brief presentation, Doc?"
"Hm?" He turned and looked at Izuku with a raised eyebrow, before seeing the crowd he brought with him. Knowing the value of his task, the man was amenable. After all, he used to teach university students himself, "Ah, the new ones. Sure. Just don't interrupt my work."
"Not a problem." He glanced at the table. A grunt was strapped to it, ready for vivisection and dissection. "Are you working on that one?"
The Doctor didn't look from his notes, immediately replying with his strict accent. "I will be... in a moment."
Izuku agreed. "Then I'll get them out of the way first."
"Right." The Doctor returned to his work.
To the class, he motioned to the table, having them crowd around... a cadaver. "Alright, everyone... Take a look at this."
Everyone couldn't help but be repulsed by the corpse. It was in severe decomposition, the face partially rotted off, Many of them muttering between each other... "What's so special about this fucking corpse...?!"
Of course Katsuki was the first to speak... and curse in front of the researcher... Izuku glanced to the man, who scowled into his work, trying to drown out the noise.
Turning back to the blond, Izuku continued his explanation: "Well, Katsuki, the corpse is special not because it's dead, but because it is a reanimated corpse. The remains of a zombie, in other words." Their eyes widened. Denki even went over to poke it.
Izuku was exasperated with the class idiot. "You, don't touch. As you can tell, they're restrained to the table. There is no killing a Grunt, as these are called. You can only force it to become dormant. It will come back to life eventually. And... there are reasons to believe that the original person is still there, just unable to control their body. They feel everything that happens to them." He breathed in, then delivered the terrible truth. "If you fail to get a wellspring in 3 days, this is what awaits you. You will become this, and there is no way to prevent it, no cure. This is why you can't afford to fool around when Llorona tries to teach you how to survive. Any questions?"
Momo and Iida both raised their hands, but Momo was the one to ask the question they were all thinking. "You call them corrupted... is it a disease or a curse?"
Izuku shrugged. "A bit of both. It acts like a disease and has pathogens, but it can also be applied through a curse. I do know that it is weak to fire and banishment, and that's the reason I burnt Eraserhead's corpse and..." He paused, as if remembering something painful, before shaking his head to shake away the memories. "I don't know much about it, that's Doctor Harold Black's job here." Izuku gestured to the elderly man, still busy in deep thought. As he moved to a different table, he thanked the man for his graciousness. "Thanks for letting us use this."
"No problem, Izuku." He didn't look up. Instead, he grabbed some gloves, pulling them on. It was clear he was going to the... hands on part of the vivisection.
Not wanting them to interrupt the good doctor's work, the greenette stated. "Alright, Class A, onto the next bout of freaks."
The next table was of a woman. She was bent over at an unnatural angle, with a large, vaguely wooden structure protruding out from her torso, emanating from her womb. It was full of small holes.
"This is the particularly nasty fate that will happen to women specifically." That alone made this far worse than a grunt, but wait, there's more! "It's not nearly as common, but it's far more painful. Apparently, what is required is a fertile woman who isn't protected. At first it starts off as an average pregnancy. But if it isn't caught... the insectoid hive will grow until it bursts out the ribcage like this." He gestured to the corpse... and now the wooden structure at the center made a terrible amount of sense. All of the girls in the group were horrified, rightly so, while the men grimaced at the mere thought. Even Katsuki had the humanity to be sympathetic for that. Izuku continued, "These are incredibly dangerous compared to grunts, as the woman herself may not be as mobile, but they can launch swarms of insects at people. There was an incident about 10 months ago where one broke into Haven. I was able to take it down as it attacked... well, that's a story for another time. This is why it's important for women to not get corrupted."
Jirou, for the first time today, had to ask. "Has... has there been any prevention for this?"
He gave that question the dedication it deserved. "Well... the only two who nearly became hives only survived because they had it removed before hand. Considering we don't have the tech to check if the pregnancy is human or not... prevention is far better than the cure. Fortunately, those with wellsprings are spared this particular fate... but you can't be too careful."
The next corpse one was large and bloated. It lacked a head, and only had one arm. A large spike jutted out from in between the third and second fingers.
Izuku looked down at the beast with distain. "This monstrosity is known as a meathead. It's name is ironic, as it doesn't have one. Immune to fire, and only weak to piercing weapons, this thing is far more trouble than it's worth. They typically wander near larger structures... they are usually surrounded by lots of oversized leeches which act as their eyes, and on top of that, have a venomous bite. You'll hear them before you see them. My advice is use a large melee weapon or a knife. Not ideal, but it's the best option. Actually, the best option is to just avoid them."
Momo raised her hand, disgusted and yet, still curious. "How are they created?"
Izuku grimaced, and decided to go the more impactful route. "There is a rule here: If a female hunter gets pregnant, she cannot leave the city walls. That is because the unborn child doesn't have a wellspring to protect them, not until the mother creates one for them, which is the final thing that happens during the leadup to childbirth. Many... through desperation or greed, they venture into the corrupted lands. And... it infects the child. Just like the hives, the corrupted child will burst out of the body, violent from birth, as a meathead. The first meathead's conception was well documented in the archives down here. The mothers go mad, willing to protect the child even when they know its corrupted, and will revel in the pain of it... entering the world the way it does. And don't forget, you'll still become a grunt afterwards, because your wellspring dies with you." All of the girls were terrified. It makes sense. The most painful ways to die are with them.
The next table had a large burnt corpse. There wasn't much left, mostly charred remains. This one happened to be entwined with barbed wire. "This one is in really bad shape, but it's known as an armored. They are near bulletproof, but catch fire really quickly. They're usually found near clues which lead to the bounties. On another note, the big bounties I'll talk about later have to be located. There are... fractures in the world left behind by their presence, known as clues. Sealing it will narrow the locations down until you find them."
The last table had a large dog. It was ginormous, it's head looking like a large skull, it's skin burnt or torn off.
With the final "This is a hellhound. They travel in packs of 3-5, and are often away from structures. Headshots will work, as well as a good hit, although you have to be careful. They are incredibly agile. And this one was only shot once. All outside physical damage is natural. They all look like this... sort of. Any questions before I move onto the ones that we can't possibly bring here?"
None of them had any questions. "Good. There are a couple that are... too volatile to bring here. First up: Immolators. They explode when pierced, and are incredibly aggressive. If you're going to shoot them, do so from extreme distance, as it can run way faster than anyone else. Even Ingenuim, if he was here. So, if you see a grunt smoking and smoldering, you can take it on, but use blunt force. The but of your rifle, brass knuckles, the grip of your pistol, it's up to you. Just don't stab or shoot it."
Everyone nodded in understanding.
"There is one more... purely aquatic. Known as water devils. You'll know when you see them. Killed all the local wildlife with the exception of birds. If you see the water bubble and froth, avoid all water near it. It's a swarm of corrupted fish that will devour you alive."
There was no other basic corrupted to talk about, and it was then that he realized he forgot something. As they discussed what they'd just learnt, Izuku went over to the researcher. "Hey, Dr. Black, do you have any photos of the bounties?"
The scientist actually looked over at the green haired boy. "Hm? Of course. Forgot your book?"
Izuku rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, slightly embarrassed. "Yeah, it's back at the inn."
Opening a drawer, he handed three images to him, explaining with a quick nod. "I have some here..."
"Thanks." Izuku accepted the photographs. Getting back to the class, he called them back. "Now, when out in the Bayou, killing small fry is good and all, but you have to remember why you're there. There are important targets with large bounties. These targets are basically nexus of corruption, and if left alone, will make the deterioration of the swamp accelerate. So, I'll give you the rundown. There are three that are in the Bayou, and they have very potent weaknesses and strengths. So, I'll go over the most common first: The Butcher." He passed around a photo.
Izuku sighed, explaining its, frankly, disgusting appearance. "It's a mutant meathead. Some weirdo taxidermied it, and stuck a pig head on it and embedded a meat hook into its arm. It's completely immune to fire, and its attacks deal fire damage as well, but it's weak to slashes and stabs, so try that if you can." He passed the Butcher's photo around. Most of them were grossed out by it, but didn't say anything. They figured it was the least gross of the bounties out there, especially since Izuku started with simple zombies at the start of the day. Things were only going to get worse from here on out.
"The next one is the Assassin. A collection of dark insects which can form into a humanoid form, they are fast and prefer weaker targets. They are weak to poison and make massive gashes that cause bleeding." He passed along the photo of that bounty. The assassin was gangly, emaciated, yet... still powerful. Its head was caved in, giving it no face, yet it was clear that he was far from harmless. There were two massive bone spikes that were hidden under its hands, clearly its main method of attack.
All in all, not someone one should wish to meet at all, if possible. But one that had to be taken down nonetheless.
The last one was simple enough. A mass of flesh that formed naturally... into a giant spider. "The last one is the Spider. It deals poison damage, but is weak to fire. It's named that, but it's really an amalgamation of multiple people in one body. Why it forms like this is a mystery."
Todoroki stopped Izuku's train of thought. "Wait, you keep referring to the fact that they keep coming back..."
"That's because they do. We kill them, banish them for a while, then they reappear. Honestly, this place is barely contained. It's a bloody miracle it never spread outside the bayou."
Katsuki couldn't hold back from asking: "How the fuck do they come back?"
Izuku was dismissive, just because of the questioner, "Dunno. It's some Voodoo shenanigans. It actually is the result of Voodoo as well. It's through Voodoo rituals that we're even able to banish them. Usually takes a minute with the big bounties, too."
Uraraka asked cautiously, "Is... is this place ever going to get... fixed?"
With sympathy, Izuku spoke, ripping off the metaphorical bandaid. "Probably not. People are used to how this place works. And the money flows through the bounties, so why eliminate them entirely? Human greed is keeping them from getting rid of the world ending threat. Nothing I can really do."
She asked another question "Is... is there something responsible for this?"
Izuku looked around, "Don't tell anyone about this, but there is a... figure in control of this. A real bad spirit, something unlike the others. Something smart. I don't know much, but I do hear whispers in the research hall from time to time. A figure called the Sculptor. What it calls itself. The only one that knew anything about it is long dead. If we could seal and banish that, then there might be a chance to free the Bayou. But don't tell anyone. After all, it's just rumors. After all... it's a bit smart to put bulletproof zombies at key locations, isn't it?" Izuku could hear the researcher scribble on his notebook. Diffusing the tension, he brought them all back to the elevator, wishing Dr. Black well with his studies. "Alright, everyone... I don't know about you, but today was probably a lot, right? I suggest we head back to the inn... and relax. What about you guys?"
They all agreed, relieved that they now had the time to digest this information. As well as take things a little easier. The Bayou was a lot more messed up than they realized...
As they walked back, Katsuki asked Izuku, "Have... have you fought all of these?"
Quick and to the point, Izuku responded brusquely. "Yes. Every single one. I've 'killed' thousands of grunts, hundreds of hives, and plenty of meatheads, armoreds, and bounties. By the time you leave, if you don't take a job in town, you will take down just as many."