Je'daii Deku: Rise of the Revenant

Light the Tinderbox

The ride to the island was smooth. It only took an hour and a half, and when he arrived at the coordinates for the first facility under his command, the people there were scrambling. They had been, most likely, warned of his arrival. The ship landed, with everyone there looking at it in awe... before the ramp lowered. Izuku's silhouette walked off the shuttle, directly towards the group that waited to meet him. A grizzled old man with a five o'clock shave, a military haircut, and a scar over his eye greeted him. His armor looked tough, painted black and orange with a skull & crossbones on the chest. He held an advanced helmet under his arm, the metal under the visor pained with the lower jaw of a human skull.

His voice was as gruff as his appearance. "So, you're the one the boss sent. The Revenant."

Izuku, annoyed, made his intentions clear. "I wasn't sent. I arrived because he said some of you would be competent."

He narrowed his eyes. "You're doubting us?"

Initial annoyance aside, he corrected himself, "Not at all. I wanted to see how you're doing here, and if there are any... exemplary personnel to promote. I'm looking for competent officers for the military force I am forming from the remnants of All For One's connections. Your name?"

The man laughed as the green haired boy diffused the tension. As he did, the man lit a cigar. "Really? Guess you got to get your eyes checked first. Name's Dutch. I lead this garrison."

Izuku lowered his head in respect. "Nice to meet you, Dutch, and yes, that is my plan. I wanted to also thank you for working under me, but I assume you don't care for such formalities."
He agreed after taking a huff from the Sweet Williams. "No, we'd rather just get paid."
"That's fine. I have some... personal armaments that I will be delivering to you. I would like you to familiarize yourself with them."

Dutch raised an eyebrow at the news. Apparently mercenaries aren't used to large quanities of gifts. "New weapons? Nice."

Izuku responded, "And armor resistant to moderately strong quirks. But first, I want to see the best of what you have to offer in terms of soldiers."

The lead man grinned, "Right this way."

As Izuku was led through the facility, he was given a rundown. There were live fire excersizes, martial arts training, the works. The way the paycuts worked also gave the greenette hope for what to expect. "Here, your worth is determined by your skill. Even if you have an amazing quirk, but suck in the field, you'll remain at the bottom. It encourages people to work harder to get more of the cut."

Smiling, the Revenant gave praise for such a system. "A sensible system. Keeps you in top shape, too."

"Glad you can recognize that... for one of his lot."

The boy gave a slight indication of his circumstances."I was a late bloomer. I value skill and creativity over brute strength. Which..." He watched a duo of tough-looking girls sparring with staffs. "Your group exemplifies my position wonderfly."

The man gave him a glance, before nodding in agreement. "I ain't one to judge. Most of the best people here don't have anything flashy." He gestured to the pink haired, slightly more slender girl, currently sparring with a staff. "For instance, Seirra here has a cousin in UA. They share a quirk. Makes her an excellent sniper. Kinda bad on its own, but makes her an artist with a rifle."

"Would you mind if I asked what yours is?"

"Don't have one."

"Really? That is remarkable. You must have quite the skill."