Requiem of the Broken

Chapter 66: The Storm

As Bakugo looked into the darkness of the room, he heard a crackle behind him. He turned and saw another electrical barrier, just like the ones that split the assault force, behind him. 

"Great..." he said under his breath.

He sent a few blasts at the barrier and while it did nothing to the barrier, it did start to move toward him. He started to back up and before long it had forced him into the room, where it stopped in the doorway. Then the doors swung closed.

The room was eerily silent and his night vision was now useless now that there was no light anywhere in the room. He could barely see his own hands in front of his face. He walked deeper into the room blindly until he heard a clunking noise and the lights in the room suddenly switched on.

Starting from the door behind him, they turned on sequentially moving from above the door to the other end of the room. The sudden light blinded him and he winced as his eyes and contacts adjusted. When his vision cleared he saw the room fully. Much like the rest of the bases hallways and various rooms, the walls, ceiling, and floor were all hewn from the mountain itself. However, this room was much larger and longer than any of the rooms before it. Six pillars, three on the left and right, stretched from the entrance to the back of the room, creating a pathway down the middle. The pillars were constructed of metal and stone and Bakugo guessed that they were load bearing.

At the far end of the room, a lone figure was standing in the doorway leading out and even further into the base. The man walked forward until he was at the center of the room and clearly visible. Bakugo recognized the man from the briefings and hours he'd spent thinking about him.

Zeus, hands clasped behind his back, stared him down.

His shaved head shone slightly in the bright light, accentuating the weather-beaten features, the slowly forming wear lines, the few scars visible, and a tattoo of his mercenary logo woven artistically across his shaved head. He wore a simple black outfit that clung to his body, showing his well-muscled body in clear relief.

Zeus's eyes flicked from side to side, then arched one eyebrow.

"I... expected more people. The only scenario I expected to fight a single person was if the LAST angel was sent to fight me," he said, putting emphasis on last.

Bakugo narrowed his eyes and shifted his body into a more battle-ready stance.

"We still have two angels left, but neither will be needed to put you down." he snarled.

A corner of Zeus's mouth curled upward into a smirk.

"Oh, I'm afraid not. See, at this very moment, Yo Shindo should be reducing Mufustafu to a pile of rubble. He was eager to do it too, all it took was the right incentive." he said, clearly pleased with himself.

Bakugo felt a pit form in his stomach.

"Regardless, you're here to... "put me down," you said? Do you honestly think you alone can fight me?" he asked, head cocked to one side.

"You don't scare me," Bakugo said, trying to bolster his confidence.

Truth be told he wasn't sure. Zeus wasn't like Shigaraki. Shigaraki had been half mad, and easy to predict. Of course, Shigaraki had been so strong and dodging had still been very difficult, one swing of his arm was strong enough to wipe out a small house. Zeus, on the other hand, was a seasoned combat veteran and was the youngest person in history to form their own mercenary company from the ground up. 

Zeus smiled fully, revealing well-maintained teeth. 

"Oh, I will, before I kill you and I display your body for your comrades to see. I will terrify you." He said.