A Wanderer

Chapter Twenty

The moon revealed itself to the world and its faint light fell onto the beautiful landscape. The beam of white light highlighted the monstrous forest behind Deku and shined on him like a lone spotlight. He held a small dagger in his left hand and stared down the dangerous group across from him. In the front stood a tall man with long black hair tied into a ponytail. His hair fell far past his shoulders and stopped at the center of his back. His face was partially covered by a goatee that came to a pointed end. Deku looked the man in his fiery magma eyes and took a gulp. He was cornered with his only way out to fight through the team of six. The man's face stayed frozen as he shot Deku's way. His pupils were filled with distaste, nothing else. The man raised one of his closed hands in the air and slowly opened it. The wall of branches behind Deku erupted into a blazing flame. He had never had the best experiences with Ashai, and he could tell this wasn't going to be any different. He rolled away from the blaze and when his he peeked his head up, he was greeted by the sight of a woman. A large golden watch hung around her neck and ticked unbelievably slow. The sound alone could drive any sane man mad. Deku gazed upwards at the woman and at her pale purple eyes. Kia grabbed the brim of the hat on her head as he tried to lunge passed her and a purple mist pulsated out from her. He was frozen in the air by the woman's power and another woman slowly walked towards him.

Her long scarlet hair fell to her waist and swayed with the draft of wind sweeping in. She placed one of her long fingernails on Deku's back and scraped it against his thin clothing. The woman leant down to his ear and a slimy tongue extended from her mouth. The tip of the muscle played with the outermost membrane of his ear."There's nowhere for you to run Deku. You're going to stay right here play our little game, and pay a price for all of scars you ever gave me." His body trembled as he tried to break free of the hold Kia had on him.

.....

Ochaco slammed her hand against the wall of branches. There was no sign of give, so she began to rap against the impenetrable wall repeatedly. A thorn from a branch caught the side of her wrist and a tepid liquid began to lightly stream from the wound. She placed her forehead against the wooden wall whimper for the man on the other side, she knew he was in trouble. She pulled herself away from the wall of timber and focused on the path ahead of her. There was a lone, dirt path that trailed through the forest and to the sides of it stood tall trees. For a split second the thought of climbing up a tree passed through Uraraka's mind, but that would have been impossible, and what was she to do when at the top. Deku made it out to her like no-one could escape the maze of trees without completing its test first.

Ochaco straightened herself out and began to unsurely walk down the uneven trail ahead of her. The pebbles sprinkled throughout the road crunched under her weight, and she jumped at the sound of leaves rustling. She looked up at a trees and watched as a flock of crows exploded out of it and zoomed past the full moon. Uraraka took a deep breath and gathered herself."Nothin' to worry about Ochaco, just find a way out of here and to Deku."

Ochaco had been walking down the path without interruption for minutes now. Her brown eyes glumly scanned the wilderness and her face was set in a unusual frown. She continued to survey the forest, but came to a stop when there was a change. There was now a fork in the road, she needed to make a decision. The straight path now parted in three directions. She could continue to walk straight, or take a turn deeper into the forest. She took a nervous gulp and almost instantly an eerie breeze followed. Goosebumps began to rise along her milky skin, and her body seemed to grow unnervingly cold. A faint whisper then introduced itself to Ochaco's ear."Will you be honest with yourself, or continue to lie, like you have done to yourself for years ?"

Ochaco whipped her head around and there was no-one, just a simple draft. She quickly looked back to what lies ahead of her and froze. Her blood grew frigid and moving her legs seemed to lose functionality. To the left of Ochaco stood herself, or so she thought. The woman looked much like her. The same short, soft hair that framed her fair face, the light blush marks that kissed her round cheeks, and the same chocolatey eyes, but she was dressed in something unfamiliar. The wispy woman on the path wore a skin tight suit, pink suit with black highlights and white boots. The mirage then ran down the path and into the darkness ahead. Her eyes jumped to the middle road, which was devoid of anything. No strange, ghost like sight or any sign of life. Uraraka then looked to the road on the very right and stared at a man with his faces mask by curly hair. He was dressed a thoroughly padded hunter green costume and wore bulky gauntlets on his hands. His head slightly tilted and his a single stand of his hair was tossed to the side. A sliver of emerald was revealed before green electricity began to crackle off of him and he disappeared in a flash.

Ochaco never for a second thought about the empty path, but she had to choose between the man and the woman. She turned her hips to the left and took off after the woman.

Ochaco's sprint came to a slow end down the path as she spotted the man from earlier standing with his head low. She could make out a painful wimped and the sound of sniffled as he stood over something. She worryingly stood behind the man, unsure of what was next. Minutes passed until she steadily approached him and tried to place a hand on his back. Her arm passed through his body and she fell through him as if he didn't exist. Is he a ghost ?

She fell onto the ground and landed face first. Ochaco sat up on her knees and looked at the same woman from earlier, but this time laying on the ground. Her costume was ripped to shreds and blood seeped from her. The crimson liquid leaked from the corner of her mouth and the many cuts on her body. Ochaco took a gulp before turning around catching a glimpse of the man's face. Much of it was hidden by his long hair, but his freckled cheeks were revealed. Uraraka watched carefully as tears streamed down his face and snot trailed down his lip. Ochaco reached for the man a second time, however this time instead of just passing through him like a mist, he evaporated into thin air."He's suffered more than you could ever imagine. Years of heartbreak has grinded him down from a great mountain to a simple ant hill. He is but a shell of his former self, a simple legend today. A lost man trying to ease the pain however he can, but now he has been forced into trying to be the great hero he once was because of you. How does that make you feel ?"

Ochaco took a swing at the air in hopes of shutting up the bodiless voice."What the hell are you talkin' about ! What guy !"

"Are you really that naive Ochaco ?" The voice's whisper was laced with venom."You know in your heart of hearts the man I speak of."

"Who do you speak of !"

"I'll show you then." A wall of fog began to appear in front of Ochaco and a misty image began to form. She watched as the faint outlines turned into the precise pictures. Ochaco nearly choked as she was given a view of Deku as he was suspend in the air, unable to move. She watched as a man trailed his hand over his back and Deku's body began to slowly decay. Tears streamed out of her eyes as she watched him helplessly suffer.

"The man you love ! That is who I speak of."

.....

Deku gritted his teeth as he felt his body wither away at the touch of a man's fingertips. His green eyes were slightly opened and he was searching for a single opportunity. He needed just one break, and there wasn't a chance he'd waste it. Kai still stood over him, and leaned down. The tip of the watch hanging from her neck seeped into the bubbled of purple that Deku was encased in. He had one opportunity, and it was to snatch the relic from her. That was a way for her to channel the ability to control time, without that she couldn't freeze time, only reverse it.

Deku wiggled his fingers as he eyeballed the watch. He had one chance, and if it was wasted him and Ochaco were as good as dead. He had to wait for the right moment. Kai turn her head curiously and furrowed her brow. This caused the relic around her neck to seep deeper into the void Deku floated inside of. He prepared to reach up and yank on the watch, but stopped himself as the woman opened her mouth."We're being watched !", proclaimed the woman furiously."That bitch is spying on us !"

The man who had spent the past ten minutes torturing Deku stopped and pulled his hand out of the magenta bubble."The one in the forest; why does that matter ? We can kill her once we finish off the halfling."

The squad of six was entirely focused on each other, not an eye was on Deku. He slowly pulled his arm through the bubble and was met with resistance. He gritted his teeth as he fought against the force and his brow wrinkled. He got a finger on the golden rim of the watch as Kai spout an order."Someone take her out ! I'd love for all of us to get a hand on the mortal, but we can't play too much. We were given another chance by the Lord and wasting it would be a shame."

A man in the very back of the pack sprouted dragon like wings and took off into the sky. Kai looked back down and was prepared to finish off Deku, but was shocked to see him with an angry look and a fist full of her watch. He yelled as he tugged on the watch and the chain holding it snapped. Kai couldn't reverse time, there was now a delay in between her power.

Ashai quickly directed a roaring flame Deku's way, but all he hit was a bolt of green electricity. Dirt was kicked into the air by Deku's blazing fast speed and he stood behind the five demons he once battled with for years. His veins furiously popped and his eyebrows were inching closer as he grew angrier. There was a loud crunch as he crushed the relic in his hand and promised,"I'm going to kill all of you! Every last one !