Chapter 123: A Cave
Midoriya couldn't tell if he was dreaming. It had been a week since he'd accidentally confessed to Uraraka, and that week had been… honestly hard to describe. It was filled with late-night talks by the fire, both of them roasting s'mores and staring up at the stars. There were moments where she'd grab his hand, and he didn't want her to let go. Not to mention the times she'd "steal" his T-shirts, even though they'd bought her some perfectly good ones.
The nights after their mutual confessions had been nerve-racking. Having forgotten to buy a new sleeping bag, the two ended up having to share his for quite a bit longer. Yet as time went on, the nervousness faded. Midoriya would find Uraraka quietly cuddling with him at night. One morning, he'd even found them floating in the air, Uraraka having forgotten her gloves. Things still felt awkward sometimes… but Midoriya couldn't help feeling happy.
He hoped this wasn't a dream. Thankfully, the small, still-healing bruises on his body told him it wasn't. Fighting against the aches, Midoriya tugged the Fulton's last strap tight before glancing around the unconscious rhino. Across from him, Uraraka pulled her side of the strap and looked up. With a bright smile that made him giddy, Uraraka slowly stepped back from the animal.
"This side's good," she told him, and Midoriya happily nodded.
"Great. I'm finished here, too." He stepped back as well. Once out of the way, he watched Uraraka deactivate her quirk and let the Fulton's balloon carry the rhino upward. It was a funny-looking sight to see such a large animal just drift away. When it was out of sight, Uraraka glanced toward him.
"So, what are we at now?" she asked calmly, as Midoriya ran the math in his head.
"Seven. Only three left," Midoriya replied, pulling his Idroid from his pocket, "They are, however, the farthest away."
Instantly, the map was brought up, displaying the area around them. The last three rhinos were spread out in the north, east, and, unfortunately, south. So it was guaranteed to be a long journey. With that thought, the two began walking to their captured M151 and sat down.
"I don't mind," Uraraka replied, eagerly pumping her fist in the air, "Not when we're this close to the finish line."
An excited glint lingered in her eyes, and it made Midoriya smile. Buckling himself in, he quickly switched the jeep's engine on. As he did so, he looked over the vehicle with a… well, nervous, if grateful gaze. After some brief research with Vicky, he'd learned the M151 was a stick shift. Not, as both teens had incorrectly assumed, an automatic. So how were they able to drive it?
Well, it was the strangest thing: the M151 wasn't an automatic… but this one was. So was the original jeep Uraraka drove, before it was shot with a grenade launcher. For whatever reason, these jeeps had their transmission, driveshafts, and a slew of other parts replaced, with the vehicles being converted into automatics. And that had Midoriya thinking: who exactly had the funds to do that kind of work?
He doubted ordinary poachers had that cash. This wasn't just one jeep — it was a full fleet: a dozen M151s, a dozen UAZ-3151s, all stripped and heavily customized, plus a host of other vehicles. No regular group of poachers had that kind of money on hand. Unless his leading theory was right, they were dealing with a paramilitary organization.
Truthfully, Midoriya wasn't sure what that would mean. But at the very least, it made getting around much easier. The vehicle's canvas roof also gave them some much-needed shade, once he'd gotten it set up. Not wanting to linger, Midoriya put his foot to the floor and sped off. Through the rolling Nigerian hills, a new thought came to him.
"What are you going to do once you get paid?" he asked, glancing at Uraraka for a split second. With how eager she was to finish the job, it had to be something good.
"I'll probably give most of the money to my parents… somehow," Uraraka replied with a shrug, which was fair. Midoriya wasn't sure exactly how the MSF planned to transfer the funds, because in what world does a teenager suddenly get four hundred grand? No matter how legal it was, it was going to look suspicious. Still, Uraraka's answer gave him pause.
"Nothing for yourself?" Midoriya asked, surprised. He didn't know exactly how much this job would net them, what with the other animals they extracted this week. But it was, at a bare minimum, four hundred thousand dollars. Add in the MSF's cut, fuel costs, the pilots' paychecks, and some other factors, and Uraraka would make a nice and tidy… twenty-six thousand… that seemed a little low… huh. Midoriya was sure it would be higher once the other animals were counted.
"Nah. Not like I need anything," Uraraka then replied, briefly waving him off. That didn't sit right with him. After all this work, she deserved to treat herself. A few ideas ran through his head. And though Midoriya knew Uraraka wouldn't like being pampered, there were loopholes he could exploit.
"We… could go on a date… You know," Midoriya told her, blushing, "I mean… if you want."
Now blushing as well, Uraraka looked at him with a small smile on her face. Slowly, she tilted her head to the side.
"And where would we go on this date?" Uraraka asked softly.
"I don't know… maybe see a movie, have a picnic together, go stargazing, ride a rollercoaster… share a crepe," Midoriya replied, improvising more ideas as they came. Uraraka laughed, and he froze for a second.
"That's so cheesy!" Uraraka told him, laughing.
"So… no?" Midoriya asked nervously. Uraraka shook her head and, as she stopped laughing, looked back at him with quiet fondness.
"Are you kidding?" Uraraka replied, her hand cautiously running through her hair, "I'd love to do those things with you."
With gentle care, Uraraka leaned to the side and rested her head on his shoulder. There was some hesitation to the action, as Midoriya could see her turning red out of the corner of his eye. But she didn't dare move away.
"It's cheesy… but cheese is nice," Uraraka told him, bringing a smile to Midoriya's face. It was relieving to hear. Most of his date ideas were probably cheesy to begin with. And to be fair, he… didn't actually know what he was doing. Most of his relationship knowledge was from either fiction or his family. And when it came to family, the only person with a decent love life was Miller. Which… you know, considering his womanizing, Midoriya had a strong feeling he wouldn't be the best role model in that regard.
Snake had an old relationship he didn't like talking about. Strangelove had loved the Boss before her death, but hadn't dated. Paz, Amanda, Cecile, and Chico hadn't gone on dates. So… all that was left were movies. Cheesy, cheesy movies. It was at least something he could use. Though a new idea soon came to his mind.
"You could also buy a new gun," Midoriya commented cheekily. He knew Uraraka wasn't the biggest fan of guns, but hey, it was something to spend money on. Oh! And they could go to a shooting range for a date! Actually… no. That was something he wanted to do, not her. Uraraka had the exact same thought as she looked at him. She smirked, her brow raising in suspicion.
"Nice try, but that's your hobby," Uraraka replied, before patting the Beretta on her thigh, "Besides. This one's good enough."
Back before they'd left for Za-Ku-Na, they'd grabbed one of the poachers' leather holsters for her pistol. Now the Beretta 92 Brigadier Inox was strapped to her right leg. To Uraraka, it was enough. It was a decent gun, decently easy to use, and wasn't all too heavy. Midoriya, though, didn't believe it was enough.
"It's a good gun, don't get me wrong, but you took it from a poacher. Wouldn't you want something a bit better?" Midoriya asked, while turning his head toward her. There were millions of other guns Uraraka could get, some possibly leagues above the Beretta. There was the FN Five-Seven, the H VP9, the H Mark 23, and every manner of Glock, just to name a few. If she liked lighter weaponry so she could focus on her hammer, then there was also the FN P90, the MP5, the MP7, the UMP, and the TDI Vector.
With those, she could wield her hammer and a capable firearm. Of course, she just shrugged in response to Midoriya's words.
"Maybe. But this gun has an advantage that the others don't," Uraraka replied, confusing Midoriya for a second.
"Oh?" Midoriya inquired, as Uraraka smiled back cheekily.
"It's free," Uraraka replied, and he chuckled.
"Heh, got me there," Midoriya relented. A free gun was a free gun. And he knew exactly how Uraraka felt about free stuff. As he turned away from her, his gaze refocusing on the road, he didn't notice Uraraka's smile fade. Instead, he saw the scenery around them. Having driven for some time now, the two had ended up on a dirt road in the middle of seemingly nowhere. An old wooden fence sat off to the right of them, blocking off an empty plot of land that stretched out for miles.
To their left, meanwhile, were some sprawling hills dotted with trees and shrubbery of all kinds. It was, in a sense, a patchwork forest with dozens of clearings. Several buildings also dotted the hills. Some old farmhouses, a rusted water tower, some large grain silos, and an old windmill all stood present. All of them looked abandoned, having been seemingly vacated years ago.
"...I do wish I were a better shot, though," Uraraka suddenly commented, her tone a bit quieter, yet determined. Glancing back at her, Midoriya thought over her words for a second. The next rhino was still a bit away, and it would take time to get there. But if he was doing the math right, then a quick stop should be fine.
"Well, we've got some time to kill," Midoriya told her, while smiling excitedly, "I could help you practice."
"Only if you want to," Uraraka replied hesitantly, while Midoriya looked down at her confidently.
"Of course, I want to," Midoriya replied, determined. If it meant helping her, then he'd do it. Besides, now he gets to shoot guns for fun. Looking around, Midoriya spotted a section of fence still intact. It stood proudly, providing a nice, stable spot he could use.
"Let me just park us here," Midoriya commented as he brought the jeep to a slow stop. Both of them then disembarked, but not before Midoriya reached into the jeep and grabbed a trash bag from the back. Then, hopping over the fence carefully, he opened the bag. Inside Midoriya found the empty cans they'd collected over the week. Some were theirs, others they'd found lying about.
Not wanting to leave the place covered in litter, the two had collected what they could. Now it was proving beneficial, as Midoriya began setting cans on the fence. He set seven cans on the fence, equally spaced, then led Uraraka into the empty field.
"Ok, now stand here," Midoriya told her, the teen coming to a stop. Uraraka followed suit, her eyes staring holes at the fence holding the cans.
"Simple exercise, just shoot the cans," Midoriya explained, as Uraraka took a deep breath. Cautiously, she reached for her Beretta and drew and aimed it carefully. Still not used to the firearm, Uraraka's hands shook as she aimed carefully.
"Alright… simple enough…" Uraraka commented, before taking another deep breath. After a few seconds of waiting, Uraraka exhaled and swiftly fired. She shot seven rounds, and each soared forward rapidly. Two zipped past the fence and kicked up dirt. Another two struck the fence, splintering the wood. And the final three knocked over the cans in the middle. With a grumble, Uraraka dropped her arm down, removing her finger from the trigger.
"Three out of seven," Midoriya noted, as Uraraka groaned.
"I suck at this," Uraraka muttered, causing Midoriya to whip his head toward her.
"Hey, you're still new at this. Nothing wrong with that," Midoriya told her, before slowly walking backward. Still looking at her with a smile, Midoriya set up three new cans and walked back to her. He nearly tripped over a stone for a second, but he kept moving forward. With the cans set, Uraraka readied herself to fire again, only for Midoriya to stop her.
"Here, before you shoot, let me just… adjust you a bit," Midoriya told her, before cautiously stepping forward. Slowly, he began to adjust Uraraka's posture. She was balancing on her heels, throwing off her center of gravity. So Midoriya had her lean forward from her hips with her knees slightly bent. Her grip on her gun was too low, and her wrist was limp. A dozen other minuscule fixes were made before Midoriya stepped back. Gesturing to the fence, Midoriya smiled calmly.
"Now try," Midoriya told her, and Uraraka took a deep breath. Another few seconds passed, and Uraraka fired another seven times. One round hit the fence, another hit the dirt behind it. Five cans then fell back, as five rounds found their target. Three cans were in the middle, while two were on the right of the fence. This time, Uraraka uttered a quick "Yes!" as her arm dropped again.
"See? Better that time," Midoriya told her, before moving to set up the cans again. He still had at least a dozen cans left, so Uraraka could go for another two rounds. And if needed, he could grab the less damaged cans she'd already shot. Carefully, Midoriya started setting up the next row of cans. Once five new ones were placed and ready, he took a quick second to relax.
Looking up at the hills in front of him, Midoriya took a moment to just enjoy the view. Then, he turned ready for… Something moved. Up on the hills in front of him, nestled between trees, something had moved. It was difficult to see. But something had moved out of the corner of his eye. Turning back toward the hill, Midoriya looked over it warily. It may have been his mind playing tricks on him, or some tree swaying in the wind.
With how long it was taking him to move, Uraraka slowly approached him, concerned. Placing a hand on his shoulder, Midoriya only gave her a quick glance as his eyes dug into the hillside.
"What's going on?" Uraraka asked worriedly. Midoriya didn't reply because he didn't know. He was ready to chalk this up to him just seeing things. Until he saw movement again.
"Wait…" Midoriya couldn't help but mumble, the teen surveying the hill. And instantly, his eyes shot wide open. He grabbed Uraraka and dropped to the ground. She yelped in surprise and panic, but stayed quiet as Midoriya brought a finger to his lips. With precise quickness, he drew a pair of binoculars from his bag. Slowly, Uraraka did the same. And once they were in her hands, Midoriya pointed toward the hill.
"There, by the bushes," Midoriya told her, a faint dread present in his words. Up on the hill, nestled between some trees and bushes, were two men. One white, one black, both in camouflaged uniforms. Specifically, Soldier 2000 camo, from South Africa.
"It… can't be," Uraraka muttered, as the girl spotted the two men. And yet it was. Standing up on that hill was the same group of "poachers" as before.
"There's more of them?" Uraraka panickedly questioned as Midoriya kept his gaze on them. So far, neither man acted as if they saw the teens. Instead, they were busy heading down the hill with their R4s raised. In all likelihood, they heard Uraraka shooting and were now patrolling the area. But… why?
"What are they doing here?" Uraraka asked, as she kept herself as low to the ground as possible.
"...I don't know," Midoriya cautiously replied, as he watched the two men come in close.
"...They were after one of the rhinos last time… they could be after the one we just saved," Uraraka slowly rationalized. And Midoriya wanted to agree. Because that would mean his leading theory was wrong. But then Midoriya began to survey the rest of the area. He looked back at the abandoned structures they'd passed, the markers of civilization long gone.
"No… they're not," Midoriya eventually replied, as he brought his binoculars to his eyes. Mentally, he swore.
"Uraraka… I think we have a bigger problem," Midoriya told her, before he drew his Mk 13 rifle from his back, "I see more hostiles."
Ensuring the chamber was loaded, Midoriya found Uraraka looking at him, shocked. After a few seconds, the shock went away, and Uraraka began to survey the area.
"Where?" Uraraka asked, and Midoriya quickly started pointing out spots.
"On top of that water tower," Midoriya said, his arm moving with his words, "Inside that house, that shack, that barn, between those trees…"
The more he looked, the worse the situation became. There were not just two enemies here. There were dozens. Sniper teams were set up in the old water tower, farm houses, barns, grain silos, and the windmill. Along the hills hidden by trees were trench lines, disguised with false shrubbery and netting. Higher up the hills were old Oerlikon GDF anti-aircraft guns, Umkhonto medium-range SAMs, and Bosvark self-propelled anti-aircraft guns. It was almost impossible to spot them through all the shrubbery, but they were there. And considering the MSF hadn't detected them, it's likely their radars were shut off at the moment.
This was not some band of poachers; this was, as Midoriya thought. A paramilitary group was in Outer Heaven. A million questions ran through Midoriya's head. How did they get in? Where did they come from? When did they get into the country? But most importantly-
"Why are they here?" Uraraka again asked. Midoriya… Midoriya wasn't sure. This was a shockingly well-equipped group. They had anti-air defenses set up. And since there hadn't been any reports of civilian aircraft getting shot down, these defenses were very clearly last resorts. Only to be used if the MSF learned they were here. But why were they here? The only reason they'd set up air defense in this area… was if they had a base hidden somewhere.
A base likely full of intel. Answers to why they were here and who they were. And it was somewhere up these hills.
"...Want to find out?" Midoriya cautiously asked, his gaze moving toward Uraraka. She looked back at him, surprised. But as Uraraka thought it over, her face shifted to a determined look.
"...What's the plan?" Uraraka asked, as Midoriya stood up to a crouch.
"Well, they've got to have something of interest on that hill," Midoriya reasoned, before he began walking forward, "We'll move in close and get a better look."
Reaching their M151, both teens quietly looked at each other and nodded. Soon, Uraraka had the vehicle float and moved it to a more secluded spot. They didn't want the enemy to find their stuff after all. DD, who had been napping in the jeep's back seat, was suddenly awoken by the movement. Peeking his head up, Midoriya signalled for him to stay quiet before saying, "DD, guard."
Not making a sound, the wolf dog hunkered down in his seat and kept his nose in the air. As he did this, Midoriya brought a hand to the radio in his ear.
"Vicky?" Midoriya began, only for the AI to speak up.
"Already on comms. Monitoring chatter," Victoria replied, causing Midoriya to slowly smirk. With that confirmation, he rapidly began moving toward the hill. Uraraka kept pace behind him, and the two soon dove into some bushes. Little by little, they moved up the hill, through tall sections of grass, trees, and bushes. And all the while, Midoriya saw the ever greater extent of this operation.
More guns, more trenches, and more men. Ducking behind some tall grass, Midoriya heard two of the not poachers cautiously patrolling the area.
"[They're sure they heard gunshots? Not fireworks or anything?]" one of them asked, his familiar South African accent as present as ever. At the same time, the two slowly walked further away.
"[Yes they're sure]" the other man replied, "[Someone was shooting out here.]"
"[Could be hunters]" the first man rationalized.
"[Ok, and? You know our orders. No witnesses]" the second man countered. As they got further away, Midoriya carefully started to crawl forward.
"[Yeah, yeah]" the first man muttered, as Midoriya rolled into a small bush, "[Got any smokes on you?]"
"[Afraid not. Used up my last cig yesterday. And we're not getting more for a week]" the second man replied, just as Midoriya peeked out of the bush. They weren't looking his way, so he cautiously left the bush and crawled out in the open.
"[Damn]" the second man muttered. Seconds later, Uraraka popped up next to Midoriya. The two quietly moved forward again, not stopping as they got further up the hill. Eventually, though, Midoriya found Uraraka now grabbing his arm. With a quiet tug, she pulled his attention to her. Pointing to her right, Midoriya saw a small clearing. The sight confused him at first; he didn't see anything wrong.
But then he got a closer look and noticed how muddy the area was. Most of the grass had seemingly been killed off, and now all that remained was dirt and mud. Looking around, Midoriya found the coast to be clear. He doubted it would be for long, so both he and Uraraka rushed out to the patch of mud.
"I see tire tracks… They're wide and large. Likely from a large truck. Something industrial," Uraraka noted, as the two got a better look at the mud.
"Or military," Midoriya added worriedly. Following the tracks, Midoriya found they went farther up the hill. They wound and twisted through the trees and bushes, as if to try and disguise their routes. However, these paths had been taken so often that their attempts were futile. Which meant they'd take Midoriya exactly where he wanted to go. With a silent agreement from Uraraka, the two followed the tracks.
Sticking to the bushes, Midoriya continued to keep an eye out for any more enemies. A MAN KAT-1 would eventually drive by, forcing Midoriya to duck into the grass again. But once it was gone, he found their destination. Ahead of them was a cave entrance. It was large enough that three semi trucks could drive into it side by side. Littering the entrance, meanwhile, were a dozen more enemies.
With the entrance guarded, Midoriya looked for another way in and found an air vent hidden behind shrubbery on the hill's side. He looped around the guards, unscrewed the grate with his knife, and crawled in. It was pitch dark at first, but he found another grate and crawled toward the light. When they climbed out, Midoriya stood on a rock ledge overlooking a massive cavern. Uraraka gasped beside him.
"My word!" Uraraka cried out in a whisper, "How big is this place?"
Midoriya wasn't sure. Looking around the cave, he found hundreds of people all scattered about. Large floodlights were set up everywhere, providing light for the cave. Tunnels and caverns were dug out in all directions, leading to barracks, medical stations, warehouses, and armories. All along the floor were drainage grates dug into the floor to avoid flooding, and above them were human-sized vents to air out the exhaustively hot cave.
The entire place was effectively an up-and-coming FOB. But as Midoriya looked around, he soon heard shouting from below him. Looking down, he spotted three men huddled together, angrily arguing with the others. Next to him, Uraraka watched, confused.
"More poachers?" Uraraka asked, and Midoriya squinted his eyes.
"No… these guys are different…" Midoriya replied, shaking his head. Looking around the cave again, he began to notice something odd. While the three currently arguing were doing so in Afrikaans, he heard distant murmurs that sounded like a different language. Down, lounging in a pair of camping chairs, Midoriya spotted six men. These six did not have the same clothes as the poachers. Instead of khaki or Soldier 2000 pattern fatigues, they had… EMR pattern camouflage… and exoskeletons.
The men chatted while working, carrying around large crates or marching around armed. All the while, they occasionally laughed.
"Wait… those guys are speaking Russian," Midoriya realized. They weren't white South Africans, they were Russian. They were speaking Russian, wearing Russian equipment, and drinking Russian booze. And then Midoriya noticed another six people, and they weren't Russian or South African. They were Asian. All were dressed head to toe in Type-07 combat fatigues and had exoskeletons as well. Chinese. They were Chinese.
Of the three men arguing, one was South African, one was Russian, and one was Chinese. If Midoriya had to guess, they were the commanding officers. Just then, Uraraka tugged on his arm again.
"Those crates over there, they've got logos on them," Uraraka told him, as Midoriya turned toward her. Her arm was held out and pointed to the floor. Following it, Midoriya spotted the crates in question and noted three odd logos. One was of a leopard facing forward and roaring, with blood dripping from its fangs. The next was of a knight's helmet, adorned with the sigil of an eagle. And the third… the third was a bit too far to see.
Pulling out his Idroid, Midoriya angled the device's camera toward the crates.
"Victoria, could you run a background check on what we're seeing?" Midoriya inquired as he took photos of everything around him. He documented the unknown men, the cave itself, and whatever equipment he could find.
"Sure, just one moment," Victoria then replied, leaving Midoriya in a quiet silence. It lasted only for a few seconds, but Midoriya began to grow impatient. Deciding to move forward, Midoriya looked up at the ceiling and found several sturdy stalactites he could grapple and swing off of. Looking forward, he spotted a ledge along the cave wall that made for a perfect vantage point.
Quietly, Midoriya motioned for Uraraka to follow his lead. Within seconds, his grappling hook was fired into the ceiling, and Midoriya swung to the next ledge. Uraraka followed closely behind him, floating herself to make the trip somewhat easier. As they landed, Victoria finally piped back up.
"...Oh…" Victoria muttered, instantly worrying Midoriya.
"Oh?" Midoriya questioned as he pulled his Idroid back out.
"So… we've got a problem," Victoria explained, her avatar now popping onto the device. She looked up at Midoriya nervously, an anxious look present on her face.
"Who are we dealing with?" Midoriya cautiously asked, as Victoria's avatar began to pace around the Idroid.
"Well, the South African poachers are actually a uh… a PMC. Called Luiperd Sekuriteit," Victoria replied, pulling up a hologram next to her with more info, "And they're the uh… the private army of… totalitarian dictator Luan Igwe."
The last part was somewhat mumbled as Victoria nervously tapped her foot on the Idroid. The sudden proclamation caused Uraraka to sputter as her eyes went wide.
"Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait! Dictator!? We were fighting a dictator's army!?" Uraraka exclaimed in a loud whisper. The full ramifications were only now beginning to hit her. This wasn't some band of villains; this was an invasion force. Midoriya, meanwhile, had the same reaction as her, if a little more reserved. He knew they were fighting some paramilitary group. But… this? One of the warlords' own private armies had snuck into the country?
"It uh… it gets worse," Victoria added, shaking both teens out of their thoughts, "The second group is Vityaz Protection. Another PMC, this one funded and supported by the Russian government. And group three is-"
"Gold Coast Defense," Midoriya interrupted tiredly, as he found the third group's logo on the hologram, "The Gold Coast Mercs."
"You know them?" Uraraka asked, surprised, with Midoriya shrugging. It was a bit hard not to know them.
"The MSF has had run-ins with them time and again," Midoriya replied. The GCM's main area of operation was the Pacific. With Mother Base being there, along with MSF allies, the Gold Coast ended up being a continuous annoyance to the MSF.
"In a sense… we have three separate PMCs, with possibly hundreds of men each, all huddled into this cave," Victoria told him, while her finger circled the air around them.
"Great," Midoriya muttered, as he looked down from his vantage point. Behind him, Uraraka looked over the ledge worriedly.
"How bad are they? On a scale of… thief to cult?" Uraraka asked, her eyes falling on his Idroid.
"Well… they should be in prison," Victoria replied, and Uraraka raised a brow.
"That bad?" Uraraka asked, concerned.
"No, I mean literally," Victoria told her, as she swiped through her small hologram of info, "Since they're government-supported, both Vityaz and Gold Coast are reportedly allowed to recruit from prisons as well as the regular citizenry. In exchange for their freedom and payment, they're given a gun and thrown onto the frontline."
Knowing both countries, they'd have thousands of innocent people possibly locked up. Plenty of possible soldiers. However, Midoriya had the distinct feeling they weren't who these PMCs recruited. So… they were dealing with three armies made up of mass murderers, rapists, human traffickers, and who knows what else… Midoriya didn't know if it could get worse.
Yet somehow it did.
"Uh… Midoriya…" Uraraka said, her face now as white as snow. Worried, Midoriya followed her eyes toward a large section of the cave and… no… no it… they didn't…
"No…" Midoriya muttered as his eyes surveyed the cave's vehicle depot. The area was utterly massive and was cordoned off into three distinct sections. There was one for Luiperd, one for Vityaz, and one for the Gold Coast. In each of these sections, there was a full fleet of armored vehicles. Not just armored technicals with a .50 cal machine gun bolted onto the back. There were tanks– lots of tanks and all manner of AFVs.
Vityaz brought T-90M, T-80BVM, and T-72B3M tanks, BMP-3 IFVs, BTR-90 APCs, Uran-9 unmanned drone ground vehicles, Tunguska and Shilka self-propelled anti-aircraft guns, Tor and Osa short-range SAM launchers, and Buk and S-350 Vityaz medium-range SAM launchers. The Gold Coast had brought Type-15 light tanks, ZSL-10 APCs, ZBD-04 and ZBL-08 IFVs, PGL-12, PGZ-09, and CS/SA-1 self-propelled anti-air guns, HQ-11, HQ-16, and HQ-17 SAMs.
And Luiperd had brought Olifant tanks, Rooikat AFVs, Ratel and Badger IFVs, Bosvark self-propelled anti-air guns, and Umkhonto medium-range SAMs. There were legions of trucks, dozens of howitzers, loads of multi-launch rocket systems, and an endless number of light utility vehicles. It was a full army's worth of equipment. And that wasn't even the end of it. Because Victoria's intel said each PMC had aircraft. The Gold Coast had a navy for crying out loud. Midoriya doubted they brought any aircraft here, as radar would have detected them.
But that meant each PMC had donated only a mere fraction of their forces to this mystery operation. All the vehicles, equipment, and people in this cave were nowhere near enough to be their full forces. With that terrifying thought, Midoriya heard the three men below somehow yell louder.
"[Fokkers! Both of you!]" the South African man angrily yelled, as Midoriya looked back at his Idroid. Angling the camera downward, he managed to get a better view of the man. He had short brown hair, thick stubble on his chin, and a long diagonal scar going from the bottom of his chin to his temple, right to left. He wore the same Soldier 2000 camo as the other South African mercs present, but with the sleeves of his jacket torn off.
He had a ballistic vest on, which covered the plain white t-shirt he wore over his unbuttoned uniform. His pants were cheaply made blue jeans, with regular combat boots, and he wore a brown leather dual gun shoulder holster, with two Vektor SP1 pistols. After a few moments, Victoria had brought up a small data file on the man, revealing his name to be Lieutenant Colonel Smit Adonis.
"[Dozens of my men are stuck rotting in jail, and you want me to just leave them there!]" Adonis shouted, shoving his finger into the Russian commander's chest. His hand was soon swatted away as both the Chinese and Russian COs glared back.
"[Don't blame this on us! We were sticking to the plan!]" the Chinese CO countered, as Victoria pulled up another data file. Lieutenant Colonel Jun Guo was his name. Unlike Adonis, Guo had a bit more professionalism in his apparel. His face was finely trimmed and clean. He appeared to be in his mid-thirties, bald, with a long, narrow face.
His Type-07 combat fatigues were finely pressed and tucked, with his sleeves rolled up instead of torn off. And on his thigh was a black polymer holster, holding a QSZ-92 pistol. Just then, the Russian stepped forward, his arms crossed tightly.
"[It's not our fault your men got money hungry and decided to start shooting the wildlife!]" the Russian argued, causing Adonis to grumble. Again, Midoriya angled his camera, and again Victoria brought up a file. The final CO's name was Lieutenant Colonel Maxim Galkin. He was the tallest and widest of the three. At least he seemed to be. He wore one of Russia's exoskeletons while the others didn't. With the bulky machine having bits strapped around his feet like boots, he seemed taller.
He was something of a middleman when compared to Adonis and Guo. Galkin had his EMR camo uniform fully intact, but it wasn't as finely cleaned and prepped as Guo's. Galkin had a large beard, yet his black and grey hair was cut short. Though his hair was mostly hidden by a green baseball cap. He had a red bandana around his neck, tally marks scratched onto his exo, and a Saiga-12 hanging off his back.
"[You just expect everything to go off without an issue, now that two hundred of my men are gone!?]" Adonis exclaimed, his hands shooting up into the air, exasperated, before dropping back down.
"[If they were incompetent enough to get caught, then all that tells me is that they won't be missed!]" Guo shouted back, as all of them continued to bicker. On and on they went, before Adonis called them both worthless braks, and stormed off. Guo gave him the finger as he left, and Galkin simply turned and grumbled. The sight left Midoriya quiet, as he took a few deep breaths. Next to him, Uraraka did the same before she leaned back against the ledge's wall.
This was all just insane. And all it did was give Midoriya more questions. So he began thinking of a plan.
"...They've got to have a command center around here," Midoriya soon stated, determined, "We find that, we grab what intel we can, we call in the MSF, and they'll drop a few bunker busters onto this cave."
It was a simple plan. Grab what they need, then leave. He wasn't going to get into another large firefight if he could help it. And with the hundreds of guys below them, they'd likely need more than FOXHOUND to deal with them all. Sitting back up, Uraraka looked at him and nodded.
"Which way then?" Uraraka motioned as Midoriya began to survey the cave.
"Good question," Midoriya replied calmly. This particular section of the cave was well built. Several concrete structures were built into the cave for greater stability. But the structure's purposes could be for a dozen different things. Just then, Midoriya had an idea and brought up his Idroid again.
"Does this place have security cameras?" Midoriya asked, hoping Victoria could find a signal she could use.
"A few," Victoria replied, "Accessing them now."
Seconds later, the cameras' feeds were brought onto the Idroid. And there were far fewer cameras than Midoriya was expecting. There were a dozen in total, but most cameras covered the cave's exterior, surveying the open area. If Midoriya had to guess, the PMCs hadn't gotten around to installing more yet. The entire cave still had chunks and sections under construction. There was, however, one camera displaying some potential.
It showed a lone concrete room filled with computers, maps, files, and a handful of men sitting about. The most striking thing, though, was the large window on the left of the room. Its placement confused Midoriya, but this seemed to be the place.
"I'm thinking that's it," Midoriya commented, as Uraraka looked over his shoulder. Her eyes focused on the room carefully. When she saw the window, her eyes widened in recognition.
"So, lining that up with the window… the command center would be… over there," Uraraka noted, before pointing out to her right. Following her arm, Midoriya spotted the area in question. Positioned slightly above them was a large concrete box, settled into the cave's wall. It was like a foreman's office overlooking a warehouse, with the window providing a view for the officers. It was still a strange design choice in Midoriya's book.
But it was unmistakably the command center. Spotting another vent dug into the side, Midoriya motioned for Uraraka to follow him. Quickly, he grappled onto the roof and swung from vantage point to vantage point. Behind him, Uraraka floated over, using her own grappling hook to pull her along. When they reached the vent, Midoriya unscrewed it and clambered in. The inside was filthy. Loaded to the brim with dust and water.
"Gross," Uraraka gagged, as the two moved forward.
"We're almost there," Midoriya told her, before he spotted the exit getting close. Looking through the exit vent, Midoriya spotted the same ten men he saw on the cameras. All were part of Vityaz, and all were busy organizing the room's maps and files. At the same time, fans covered the room as each man tried to cool themselves off. Some of them had gone shirtless, as they desperately tried to combat the heat.