A Hero's Quest

Chapter 10

       Katsumi finally reached the cockpit. The door was blown clean off and the captain and first officer seats were abandoned.

Two grisly bodies lay slumped against the controls. It wasn't long, before Izuku floundered through the door, patting out the small fire on his sleeve. 

" Villains really did sabotage the aircraft. Check this out." Katsumi remarked. He tapped the FMS displaying their position and destination. It didn't compute. They were flying away from Japan, not towards it.

" Oh shoot!" Izuku exclaimed. That meant they were stirring a sinking ship. Knowing the villains, autopilot was set and a security code prevented the heroes from disabling it.

Their options were limited to: ditching the plane and using Olivia's Art to save everyone or forcing the code out of the villains and landing the plane. Both were risky, especially with thick clouds surrounding the airplane and obscuring their view.

Katsumi turned to Izuku with a fierce gleam in his eye. " Stay here and figure out how to bypass that stupid code. I'm gonna exterminate those murderers." Ferocious flames danced in his palms.

Izuku leapt to his feet and grabbed for Katsumi's arm, but he'd already left.

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       In the very next cabin, Katsumi was meet with a nightmarish sight. Enwreathed in a ring of conflagration, stood a praying-mantis woman with thin shoulders and stocky hips. She had flowing black hair tied in a fishtail braid. And her turquoise eyes bulged from their sockets.

" Ew. Oh, that's so gross." Katsumi clamped his mouth preventing himself from vomiting.

" Looks like a little boy has wandered into my nest. Poor fool. Thinking you can finish off, Lilou Grape, Queen of the Mantises." The woman hissed.

Katsumi snickered, posturing as he warmed up his Art. He wasn't afraid of bugs and had no qualms about punching a lady. " Ha! Prepare to meet your demise, you HIDEOUS PEST!" He roared, narrowing his eyes.

" How dare you address a queen with such arrogance! You, brat, are the one who should prepare himself!" Lilou spat, readying the venom in her fingernails.

Katsumi lunged into a generic taekwondo stance, focusing on his target and studying her movements. Lilou did the same, expecting the impulsive boy to strike first. Of course, it would be foolish for her to assume, so she decided to attack and catch Katsumi off guard.

" Get ready for your funeral!" Lilou snarled, slashing at Katsumi's face.

Katsumi dodged the sloppy incursion, counterattacking with a mild explosion in Lilou's ribs. " Eat fire, BASTARD!" He shouted, sliding between the enemy's legs as she smacked into the ceiling.

" You'll pay for that!" Lilou howled, crawling back up.

Katsumi smirked at his success, but Lilou seized the opportunity. She savagely swung her fingernails at Katsumi, shredding his long sleeve shirt and inflicting a minor cut across his cheek.

" Yes! I got you! Now, die!" Lilou cackled wickedly. Her eyes thirsty for blood.

Katsumi staggered back a pace, steadying himself in front of the wall of fire. His right cheek seared like the inside of an oven. Katsumi's vision blurred briefly, but he managed to stay alert.

As Lilou leapt at him again, Katsumi jumped into the air, flipped over her head and unleashed a powerful blast of combustible nitroglycerin. The explosion impacted Lilou's vertebrae and slammed her into the cockpit doorframe, knocking her unconscious.

Katsumi skidded to a halt, wheezing heavily. " Looks like this brat just kicked your butt. WITCH!" He said smugly. Katsumi's cheek flared with pain and he collapsed to his hands and knees. " What'd she do to me?" Katsumi breathed.

Izuku heard a thud from right outside. He wasn't making any progress with the security code. The airplane appeared to be flying straight and in the distance Izuku barely made out the shadow of what was probably a mountain. A mountain! Izuku was steadfast to get the passengers off the plane.

He raced out of the cockpit, discovering Katsumi hunched over on the ground and a mantis woman collapsed a few feet away.

" Katsumi! What happened? Can you stand?" Izuku asked. He stretched a hand out to his friend. Unlike the last couple times, Katsumi accepted Izuku's help.

He released a caged breath, hiding the pain that flared through his jaw. " I'm fine. It's just a minor cut. We need to check—." Katsumi was interrupted by an earsplitting scream.

" Olivia!" Izuku's eyes widened.

" Oh no." Katsumi mumbled, biting back his bottom lip.

They fled the cockpit, darting along the consumed cabins. Katsumi was worried for Olivia. She was undeniably facing a villain as powerful as Lilou Grape, and with only defensive maneuvers, Olivia didn't stand a chance.