Chapter Text
It was hot—humid and sticky hot. The air smacked them as soon as they stepped off their plane. The heat clung to their skin and clouded their lungs. 2-A found themselves debilitated on the "tarmac," if you could even call it that. It was a crude landing strip on the side of a mountain used primarily for emergency services and the occasional agricultural biplane. They were truly in the middle of nowhere.
When 2-A first received the request to do a hero exchange in Tennessee, Mina and Kyoka squealed with joy and sprinted to the sign-up list. The idea of the bright lights of Nashville’s Broadway, live bands, and famous honkey tonks were always something that came up on their social media. Giddy girls in their pink and glittery cowboy outfits bar hopping for bachelorette parties and then posting the next day hung-over in a hot chicken shop devouring the city’s signature sandwich—delicious fried chicken covered in a hot oil sauce served with sliced pickled on sliced white bread.
But this was not Nashville. This was nowhere. The teens were at least a two hour flight from the nearest city, surrounded by miles and miles of raw Appalachian terrain.
The friendly pilot pointed the students to a small shack next to a bumpy gravel road about 15 yards from the landing strip. “Old Walter should be here soon to grab y’all. He’s gonna be in a big yella school bus. You can’t miss them. I gotta head back to the ranger station. Only so many planes in this area, and we got to be ready. Things have been a little off here. Lots been happening. I guess that’s why they called yall over,” he said as he threw the last of the remaining luggage out to Eijiro and Deniki.
His voice was slow and drawn out. While the students were bilingual and very skilled with it, they found him quite difficult to understand. It was an odd and slow inflection. They were used to the twang that people had on country American media, but this was on a whole new level. Izuku understood him the fastest. “Um, sir?” he spoke. “If you don’t mind me asking… What is happening here? Do you know why we were called in? I tried to read the brief, but even that was vague.”
The pilot froze. It was his quickest repose of the day. He turned and looked at the children, conflicted. “That’s not for me to tell. I think it's best for Walter to go over those things with you. This is his town, after all.”
A loud, indignant scoff sounded from the back of the crowd, and a familiar gruff blond yelled, “Town? We have been flying for hours, and I have seen nothing but trees. Just where the hell is this town?”
“Old Walter will be driving y’all to it. He should be here soon.” Katsuki scoffed again, and Izuku looked at him distressed, trying to silently signal him to calm down and not be upset about what might be their only ticket out of the middle of nowhere.
“You’d be best to teach that boy some manners. They matter here. Not sure if that is the case where y’all are from.”
The tense interaction was broken by Mina's voice, “Oh, he just as unbearable there too.” The class joined together in a slew of giggles despite the blond's protests and the airplane's engine turning over. Everyone waved to the pilot as he took off, leaving the class completely abandoned in a forest of a foreign country. Ochaco was the first to realize the gravity of their current situation. “Is anyone else kind of freaking out right now?” she looked around, slightly panicked, and rightfully so. The sun was beginning to set, the mosquitoes were starting to search for their supper, and the teens had just been abandoned on the side of a mountain.
So they waited for the fabled “Old Walter.” Kyoka sat with her earplugs embedded in the ground for what felt like hours, and then it happened. She heard the low rumbles of an inbound vehicle and jumped with glee. “He is coming, I hear it! I hear it! The bus! It sounds terrible, but it's coming!” Everyone released a sigh of relief. She plugged her ears back into the ground and determined by the sound waves that he should be arriving in about 15 minutes. Bags were quickly picked up off the ground, and every one stood at the ready, waiting as the arduous minutes ticked on.
“It sounds terrible” was an understatement. The disheveled yellow bus was rusted, smoking, and leaking some mystery liquid on the ground. The breaks sounded like a distressed bird crying for help every time they were tapped. The second the vehicle came to a complete stop, the doors dramatically swung open. “Good evening, friends. How are y'all doing tonight?” Mina’s frizzy and disheveled appearance answered the question no one else dared to answer. Well, almost everyone.
“You called us out here and had us abandoned at a decrepit tetanus-written shack in the middle of nowhere to be eaten alive by mosquitos and die of heat stroke. And what is with this weather anyway? Why does it hurt to breathe? What is up with that? I have been through a summer, but what the hell is this?” Small crackles began to erupt from his hands. His frustration couldn’t be any more obvious, but before he could catch his second wind, Walter stepped off the bus right in front of him.
“I am sorry, son.” As he looked up, the students realized how much worse he looked than them. He was covered in sweat and oil, and his shirt was stained with a small rip on the sleeve. His hand had a crude, dirtied bandage wrapped around it. Fresh seeping red told the class that it had opened again recently. There was another layer to his apparent exhaustion, something deeper. His eyes were sunken in and bloodshot, and his tan, weathered skin somehow looked pale and frail.
This was a man in distress. He had the weight of a community on his back, and his vertebrae were beginning to crack.
Katsuki immediately regretted his outburst. They were heroes. They were here to help a town that was obviously in distress. It was their duty to respond. “Listen… don’t worry about it, old man. We are just tired and hot.”
Old Walter chucked. “Well, I can second that. Hurry up and get into this school bus, and let's get you to town. Y’all look tired and hungry, and to be frank, I think we all need a good bath.”
Everyone piled on the bus, relieved. No one complained about the dire state of the worn pleather, as anything was more comfortable than itchy grass or a splintered bench. The bus rumbled and sputtered as it took off. The rocks and sticks popped and cracked beneath its worn tires, and Izuku found himself trying to determine what part was louder. He could not decide.
The students sitting closer to the bus's front were graced with muffled bluegrass tunes. The signal would occasionally waver as they rode through the mountains, but it would always come back. The banjo somehow pushed itself through the mountains and presented itself on a worn and crackling radio, ever perseverant.
Izuku smiled. It was strange, but the music reminded him of his own story—a sound struggling to be heard not for its own validation but for the enjoyment and relief of others. He wanted to help people, understand them, and save them.
It was a sound that offered solace to the people. Some of its songs sang of struggle and strife to let listeners know they weren't alone. Other songs were a rallying cry. It sang of community and family. It sang about the need to protect what was close and stand up for what you believe in.
No matter how much the radio wavered, the songs always came back. Izuku wanted to protect the community that these songs were for. That was their job as heroes.
Walter’s voice broke the group's silence. “This is the county’s school bus. It was locked up in the garage for the past couple of months. I started it up today, and it was not too happy.” He chuckled. “Not too surprised. From one old man to another, I hate getting out of bed; I guess the bus just did not wake up either”. Old Walter seemed to have amused himself with that as he snickered and complemented himself on his comedic prowess. The students smiled and chuckled with him simply to humor the old man.
Deniki said, “You know you're funny for an old dude.”
Walter smiled, “Well, thank you. I surely try. Humor is one of those things that keeps you going even in the hardest times.” He turned his attention back to the road. The setting sun was beginning to make him uncomfortable. He quickly flicked on the headlights and gripped the steering wheel a little harder. He began to look at the passing trees, trying to hide his paranoia. He had never felt so conflicted in his life. He knew they were sending heroes to help. He was old, and they were sending the best. The governor promised them the cream of the crop, but these were children. They were all about the same age as his grandchildren. Every time he looked up in the rearview mirror, all he saw were his babies looking back at him. What had they done? The town needed help, and they sent children. Children were being sent up to clean up this mess. They sent children to die. They knew what was happening. Yet they still sent babies. Children to be massacred on his watch. Babies that were going to be massacred on his watch. His grandchildren-
“You know whatever is going on, mister, we'll take care of it,” Ochaco said.
Walter was immediately drawn out of his inner abyss, and as he looked back up, the visages of his grandchildren were replaced with the faces of class 2-A.
“We may look a little rough. But we are the best at what we do. Whatever is going on, we'll take care of it!” Kirishima had stood up and leaned over the seat before him to get closer to the old man. His smile radiated amongst the students as they offered their words of encouragement. Walter was impressed. These children radiated confidence, and their smiles were reassuring. He looked up and smiled as he tried to push his doubt aside. He prayed that their assurances weren’t based on naivety.
He hadn’t followed any of their hero journeys. To be frank, he was pretty closed-minded. He was a firm believer in worrying about and protecting one's own. He barely had time for American news, let alone the news of another nation. At one point, he cared—perhaps a little too much—but now his focus was on his town and the safety of its people.
His thoughts were once again interrupted by the voices of the children. They could finally see the lights of his little town, and they were excited. The relief and anticipation was palatable. He was just excited to get them into the safety of town. The forest wasn’t safe at night anymore.
The children looked out the windows, partially out of curiosity but mainly to get a strategic layout of the land. They looked at what buildings were on what streets. Momo noted the local school, doctor's office, and police building. Izuku took notice of the large brick building with four white columns in the front. He assumed that this was their municipal city building. The town seemed to be set up in a small grid with local businesses surrounding the central city building.
The roads were cracked and worn but still drivable. The buildings were obviously worn, even in low light, but it looked like everything was cared for. You could tell people took the time to keep the sidewalks clean. Most buildings had freshly planted flowers flourishing in the front. The shops had freshly painted advertisements on the windows stating weekly deals.
“My son-in-law paints all those windows. Real talented fella.”
Momo smiled. “They look absolutely lovely, Walter. You should be proud.” Walter smiled.
They left the central city blocks and began driving up the side of a mountain again. “We are almost there. You will be staying with my family for the next few days. We all live right next to each other so that you won't be too far away from one another.” He came to a clearing as he continued to drive up the mountain. Six houses were placed equidistant from one another. There was a large white farmhouse with a front porch. Eight hanging flower baskets ran the porch's span, and the porch swing swung with the wind. The front flower beds were full of hydrangeas. The bushes nearly covered the porch, leaving a sweet floral scent. “That is where my daughter and son-in-law live. They have four extra bedrooms in that house. That was where the miss and I lived years ago, but we moved to a smaller home once they started having babies. I have four outstanding grandchildren. They're all about your age. You'll meet them tomorrow,” He said with a smile.
As they pulled up to the front porch, a man and woman eagerly waited by the door. They both appeared older, and their salt-and-pepper hair and smile lines gave it away. The woman jumped down the stairs, waving her hands excitedly. “Hello, hello! Welcome children! We are so excited to see you. Come inside. We have dinner waiting. My name is Krista, and this is my husband Matthew, but you can call us Mom and Dad; everyone else does.” Dad held the door open with a smile and pointed everyone to the large kitchen table.
The spread on the table was something beyond dinner. Dad referred to it as Tennessee’s finest. Fried chicken, biscuits, green beans, black-eyed peas, cornbread, butter beans, mashed potatoes, cucumber salad, fresh sliced tomatoes, fried green tomatoes, fried okra, and fresh jams and jellies covered the table. Mom made sure to state which garden each vegetable came from, who canned it, and when. Gardening was obviously a point of pride for her.
The buffet was a welcome treat after a long day of unpredictable travel. The food and hospitality were so good that they almost forgot why they were there. As the late dinner was coming to a close and thank-yous were being exchanged, Izuku attempted to bring up the mission again and was immediately cut off.
“Hey, look at the time; it’s getting pretty late, kids. Why don’t we get you guys to your beds.”
“Perhaps we could just go over.”
“We can talk about it tomorrow. No use ruining a good night's sleep.”
The class began to separate. Shinso, Fumikage, Eijiro, and Deniki elected to stay in the main house.
Momo and Kyoka were taken down the road to a smaller pink home with purple shutters. The garden wasn’t nearly as green as the main houses but overflowed with lawn ornaments. Terracotta cats and wind chimes were stacked on top of one another, and fairy lights illuminated the path. A young girl was waiting on the front porch. She was shorter and had big curly hair in a large clip to keep it off her face. She had wide-rim glasses, and her outfit was just as eccentric and colorful as the garden. “My name is Katherine, but everyone just calls me Katie. You just left my parents' house. How was dinner?”
“It was wonderful,” they responded in unison.
“I am glad you liked it. Dad really loves to feed people. Let’s get y’all into some warm beds.” She walked them through her home and up the stairs. “I hope you like the place. I was going to whimsy fairy core goth with a touch of Garfield.” Katie was met with a confused silence.
“Garfield… America’s favorite cat? Fat? Eat lasagna?”
Momo and Kyoka looked puzzled for a second, and then the sudden realization hit them. They knew who he was and nodded in unison. After the realization, they began to look around and realize the alarming amount of Garfield merchandise littered across the house. “She’s just like Izuku," Kyoka mumbled, “but with an obese American cat.” Momo covered her mouth to muffle her chuckles to save face. Who would dare insult the host's house on the first night?
Mina, Ochaco, and Tsuyu were taken to one of the houses on the other side of the gravel driveway. This one was a light blue, and it seemed bright and friendly even in the darkness of night. The front flower beads were full of wildflowers and tiny houses for local fauna. The girls were started by the alarmingly loud croak of an American bullfrog.
“That is Lary. Don’t mind him. He is more bark than bite.” A tall blonde greeted them at the front door. Her smile was just as bright as her home, and freckles dotted her cheeks. She wore sunflower-themed pajamas, and her hair was up in rollers.
“I am so sorry we are meeting like this, but it’s a little late, and I have work in the morning.” She laughed, looking down at her moo-moo. I promise I’ll look better in the morning. Katie is usually the only one who is up at this hour. My name is Haley, by the way. It is a real pleasure to meet y'all; we will be working together closely.”
This statement piqued the girls' interest. It was the first information they had received for their mystery mission. They didn’t know what they were doing, but at least they knew someone they would be working with. Haley continued to show them through her home.
“We must keep quiet because my husband is upstairs; trust me, he needs his beauty sleep.” The joke drew a small chuckle from Tsuyu, and they were quickly shown to the upstairs spare bedroom and office with a trundle bed set up in it. As Ochaco began dropping her luggage off in her new temporary bedroom, she noticed a stack of files sitting on the desk in the office. They were clearly a form of police documentation with the letters TBI written on top and a massive red “Classified” stamp covering the front page of the manilla folder. Was this documentation for their mission? Her fingers twitched in anticipation as she began to reach for the folder. She reached the top page and paused before opening it and debated the morality of opening classified documentation not meant for her eyes. When she finally gained the courage to turn the page, there was a cough on the door. She jumped and practically hit the ceiling. Ochaco turned and immediately began apologizing, red with embarrassment.
“I guess I should have locked those up, hu?” Haley sighed as she walked up to her desk and gathered the files.
“I am so sorry, miss. I shouldn’t have been looking. I just thought maybe it would have a little more information about the mission…”
Haley paused for a second, perhaps a second too long until she eventually responded. “It does, but it's not something you need to look at now. It’s not pretty. And once you see it, you can't go back. I know I can’t.”
Ochaco paused and looked at Haley. After studying her for a second, she realized that her expression was almost identical to Walter's: exhausted and desperate. Just what were they even here for? What could possibly suck the life out of two bright and lively people? What was terrorizing this inconspicuous small mountain town? The silence in the room was loud. Ochaco’s ears were ringing until Haley finally spoke again. “Get some rest. We’ll talk in the morning.” She gathered what was left, threw it in a cardboard box, and rushed out.
The next house of the night was completely different from any other building in the town. It was sleek, dark, and modern. The front yard had well-manicured grass that was cut into a perfect grid pattern. The front porch was industrial and lit up by small spotlights embedded in the ground. The man who greeted Shoto and Hanta matched his home completely. He was clean-cut and well-manicured. He was wearing blue silk pajamas that had obviously been pressed and had on bunny slippers that were so pristinely white they were almost reflective in the moonlight.
“Welcome. Please remove all outside shoes before entering the building. I have provided several slipper options in the mud room for your choosing.” The boys walked in with their luggage and selected pairs of plane slippers in their size. Before the boys could introduce themselves, two cans of Lysol immediately attacked their bags. The man aggressively sprayed every inch of their belongings. They were shocked.
“Sorry… you can never be too safe,” he said nervously. “My name is Jakeri. It is really nice to meet you. Please keep my house clean.”
Shoto smiled. “You won't have any issues with us. I think you got the luck of the draw when we were assigned to your home. We are some of the cleanest people in the class. There is really only one person who is more orderly than us, but he is not on this mission.”
Jakeri released an audible sigh of relief as he walked them in. The interior of the home matched the exterior. Everything was modern and minimalistic, and the air smelt almost sterile.
“You’ll have to forgive me. The cleanliness needed in my dental office seemed to have rubbed off on me for the rest of my life. Once I started learning about pathogens, the cleanliness just didn’t stop. It’s almost a compulsive need to be cleaned at this point in time.” he admitted, embarrassed.
Shoto smiled. “I tend to be the same way at home. There's no need to be embarrassed. I am just glad we have a clean place to sleep.” Jakeri let out a sigh of relief. The reassurance was nice. He immediately took the boys to their room and excused himself for the night, stating he had to go to work early in the morning.
Izuku and Katsuki were the last two students remaining, and Walter took them up a dirt path off the main gravel road. It was obvious that it had been abandoned for quite a while. The tire tracks were barely visible, and the path was covered with low vegetation. They arrived at a cabin just out of sight of the families' homes. Their porch lights were barely visible through the dense summer thicket. As the wind blew, they would come in and out of visibility.
Izuku looked up at the sky and realized how much he could see. Thousands of stars were scattered across the sky, and patches of colorful space dust surrounded star clusters. It was quiet—a silence he had never heard before. There were no cars, no dogs, no sirens, just silence. The only sounds were the trees rustling in the hot summer wind and the occasional accompaniment of an animal or insect. The darkness was amplified by the lack of light from the cabin. It looked almost abandoned. The flower bed was overgrown and lacked the charm of any other homes. No lights were on, nor was there anyone to greet them at the door.
Walter broke the silence. “This was my wife and I’s home first. We built the white house when we started having kids, and then we moved closer to town when her health started going down several years ago. It was actually my great-grandfather's home. It’s been passed down quite a bit. My oldest granddaughter was supposed to live here, but she’s been gone for a while.” He paused for a second and took a deep breath. “I wanted to keep it vacant just in case she wanted to return to us, but that’s not something I think I will live to see.” He handed the key to Katsuki and turned away. “Please take good care of it. It means a lot to us. Get some rest. We have a big day tomorrow.”