Strangers in a Strange Land

by EvilMuffinLord

What's a hero-in-training to do when he awakes in a strange land filled with fantastic sights and terrifying monsters? If you're Izuku Midoriya, then you fight like hell to help the people of your new home out. Together with Mina, now his trusty Palico sidekick, he'll show the residents of Astera what it means to be a hero!

5. Miasma

In which a celebration is had, a new area is explored, and a careless action has consequences

Cover art by Wolfy1298!

---

"Everything looks good," the medic said, making a final note on the form she was filling out before handing it to Izuku, "Congratulations, Mr. Midoriya. You're cleared for active duty."

Izuku let out a sigh of relief while Mina cheered loudly. He'd been feeling perfectly fine for nearly a week now, but it was nice to finally have official confirmation.

"Yes, yes, We're all very excited," the medic said dryly. "Now, how about you two get going and stop disturbing the other patients?"

"Sorry!" Mina chirped, with a smile on her face that said she was anything but, "C'mon Izuku! Let's bounce!"

She grabbed his arm and practically dragged him out of the medical ward, to the great amusement of the rest of the patients. The laughter that followed the pair out of the building caused Izuku to flush with embarrassment. Well, that and the fact that he was hyper aware of the way Mina was gripping his hand.

The revelation that he had fallen for Mina had made things much more difficult for Izuku. So many interactions seemed to take on a different tone now, from their simple daily chats to their sleeping arrangements.

During his convalescence, Mina had taken to sleeping at the foot of his bed, next to or sometimes even on top of his feet. At first Izuku had thought little of the gesture. Mina had been shaken by the encounter with the Kirin and felt guilty for leading them into the fight. As time had passed, however, and she made no move to return to her own bed Izuku had become more and more aware of her presence every night. She might be stuck in a feline body, but he couldn't ignore the fact that he was spending every night in bed with a girl, or the fact that her original form had been quite pretty.

"So," Mina said, jolting him from his thoughts, "What do you wanna do first? There's a big battle going down in the arena between some A-listers and a pair of Paolumu, so we could go watch that, or we could go fishing again. I heard someone spotted a platinum fish by the docks the other day. Or we could do something else. I'm open to ideas!"

"Mina, we should probably report to the Commander first. He should know that I'm back to full health."

"Fiiiiiiine," Mina sighed, "you're right. But then we're gonna do something fun and not work related to celebrate!"

"Sounds good," Izuku said with a small smile.

---

"Hey you two!" the Field Team Leader called, waving them up to the command section of the Tradeyard, "What mischief are you up to today?"

"Actually, we came to see you and the Commander," Izuku replied, "I was just cleared for active duty, so we came to let you know."

"Excellent news!" the Commander said, looking up from the stack of papers he was perusing "Tell me, are you up for exploring a new area?"

Izuku and MIna didn't even have to look at each other to confirm. They both nodded in perfect synchronization.

"Perfect," the Commander said. "Now, while you've been recuperating, our best technicians have been working hard to transform the Third Fleet's Research Base into an aerial research platform, a task that was completed several days ago. Finally, the area beneath the Coral Highlands is open for exploration."

"Ooooh!" Mina said, "What's it like? Is it as pretty as the Highlands?"

"Not quite," he replied with a chuckle, "The first reports describe it as an area dominated by decay and effluvium, earning it the tentative title of 'The Rotten Vale'"

"Oh come on!" Mina cried, throwing her paws up in dismay, "Why does this place have to keep jerking me around? We get one nice place to explore, and then it's back to the pits!"

"The pits is actually a fairly accurate description," the Field Team Leader cut in before she could continue her rant. "We know the Vale runs deep; we're just not sure how deep. The effluvium gets thicker as you go down, and our scouts are having a tough time dealing with it. Apparently it can sap your energy pretty quickly, and our standard issue masks aren't doing much to combat it. The second fleet is working on improvements, but it might take a while."

"And we can't afford a delay like that if we hope to pick up Zorah Magdaros's trail in time to reach it," the Commander said. "Which is why we're sending our best hunters to search for a way through or around the effluvium. If the two of you are willing, you can leave at first light for the Research Base, and travel with them to the Vale."

Izuku frowned. "Sir, if you're sending your best hunters, won't we just get in their way?"

A rare smile touched the Commander's lips while the Field Team Leader laughed openly, slapping his knee in amusement. Before Izuku could ask what was so funny, a furry elbow lodged itself in his stomach, causing him to fold in on himself in pain.

"He means us, you humble idiot!" Mina hissed.

Izuku flushed with embarrassment, both from his mistake and from the high praise. "S-sir... we, er, I don't—"

The Commander held up a hand to forestall Izuku's objections. "Let me stop you right there Mr. Midoriya. I've had reports from the ecological research team, the resource center, the Lynian Researcher, and the Chef, all of which were practically glowing and demanded that the two of you be assigned to their division on a permanent basis. You've earned every bit of praise and then some, believe me."

Izuku swallowed, pushing down his embarrassment as best he could. He wasn't entirely successful, and he could still feel his cheeks burning, but he at least managed to squeak out a response.

"Thank you, sir."

"You're most welcome. But both myself and the rest of the division leaders agree that mere praise isn't enough. Thankfully, the perfect opportunity to reward your hard work has presented itself. As you may be aware, the Fifth Fleet ended up being quite a bit larger than we expected, which has left us short on housing space, and the barracks rather packed. Recently, though, a private room in one of the more established districts of Astera has opened up, and we've agreed that you should be the ones to take it over. So, what do you say?"

"We'll take it!" Mina said, before Izuku could politely decline. He shot her a questioning look, and she shrugged. "What? I'm tired of people keeping me up with their snoring. I never thought I'd miss the UA dorms this much, but honestly I'd fight a pissed off Anjanath to have a private room again at this point."

"Uh, Mina, I'm pretty sure you'll still be sharing it with me," Izuku said, glancing to the Field Team Leader who nodded in confirmation.

"Well, yeah, but that's different," Mina said, turning slightly away from him. "You're much better company."

Now it was Izuku's turn to look away as he tried to hide the blush that was rising in his cheeks. He turned his gaze back to the Field Team Leader, who was grinning and wiggling his eyebrows, and the Commander, who looked pensive.

The look disappeared a moment later, though, and a small smile crossed the Commander's lips. "I suppose congratulations are in order, then." he slid a key across the table to Izuku, who pocketed it. "Take the rest of the day to get settled in your new room and to prepare for departure. A wingdrake will be ready to take you to the Research Base at dawn."

Next to Izuku, Mina shuddered involuntarily at the mention of the upcoming wingdrake ride, but didn't say anything. Even though Mina had accepted the necessity of wingdrake transport as the scope of the Commission's activities expanded, she had never gotten comfortable with them. She still shut her eyes during the rides and sank her claws into his leg for safety, despite the flights being relatively smooth.

"We'll be ready sir," Izuku said, snapping off a quick salute, with Mina following suit a second later.

"Glad to hear it," the Commander said, returning the salute.

With that, Izuku and Mina took their leave, heading off to take a look at their new abode.

---

"Is everything all right, grandfather?" the Field Team Leader asked, once the two hunters had departed, "You seemed a bit distracted just now."

The Commander sighed heavily and leaned on the table. "Apologies. My current projects have taken more of a toll on me than I expected."

The Field Team Leader nodded sympathetically "You could always let the division leaders handle more of the paperwork. It would lighten the load on you significantly."

The Commander shook his head. "They have enough work with their regular duties. I won't add to their burdens unnecessarily. Besides, with a bit of luck, my workload may just be lightening a bit in the next few days."

"Does this have anything to do with your secret investigation?" the Field Team Leader asked.

"Indeed," the Commander replied, picking up the top sheet from the pile he'd been looking over before Izuku and Mina had arrived. "I'll need to wait for the Captain to return from the guild in order to confirm some things, but I believe I've made a breakthrough just now."

"Now that's interesting. Any chance you feel like reading me in?"

"Not just yet. For something like this, I would rather have all the cards I can get before showing my hand. In the meantime though, let's get back to work on the supply lines to the Research Base," the Commander said, setting the paper back on the stack, which he pushed to the side.

The paper had yellowed slightly with age, and part of it had become illegible with water damage sustained on the voyage across the sea, but most of it could still be made out. It was filled with name after name, a list of hunters who had signed up for the expedition to the New World. The names on the list, however, were not what the Commander had been so interested in.

He was far more interested in the two names that were conspicuously absent.

---

"Holy cow!" Mina said, racing over to jump on the bed at the center of the room. "This place is awesome!"

Izuku had to agree. The room was built of rich, dark wood, and was about the same size as his dorm room back at UA. The left wall had been left open, allowing one of the large trees that grew in the canyon sections of Astera to poke a limb inside and make the space feel natural and organic. Beneath the limb was a small garden of flowers in individual flower pots that added a splash of color and a subtle fragrance to the room and eased what little tension was left in Izuku's shoulders from the moment he stepped into the room. The opposite wall was dominated by a massive aquarium carved into the cliff face that the room was built against. Izuku couldn't see any fish in it at the moment, but it did contain several types of aquatic plants and corals.

Even though he and Mina had just stepped into the room, it already felt well cared for and homey. The bed that came with the space was extremely large, and the mattress had quite a bit of bounce, as Mina proved when she managed to bounce herself halfway across the room with a particularly vigorous jump. The bookshelf in the corner was already filled with academic titles on monster biology and behavior, though Izuku recognized a few fictional titles he had discussed with some of the more well-read members of the Commission mixed in. There was even a small table with some fruit laid out on it for them.

Their gear and the few personal belongings that the two had collected during their time in Astera had already been brought up to the room and stored carefully in the corner. The edge of Izuku's charge blade gleamed in the light from the chandelier that served as the main source of light for the room, causing him to wonder if whoever had moved their equipment had given it a polishing at the same time. He didn't dwell on it long, though, since he was relieved not to have to deal with the hassle.

"It really is awesome," he murmured.

"Glad you like it, meowster!" a new voice cut in.

Izuku turned to see a white and black furred Palico dressed in the casual uniform of the Commission staring up at him.

"Oh, uh, hello," Izuku said lamely. "Do you, uh, live here too?"

The Palico shook its head with a smile, "No, I'm the Housekeeper for this section of Astera. I just wanted to stop in and make sure you were settling in all right."

"Yeah we are!" Mina exclaimed, padding over to join the conversation. "This place is way nicer than the barracks! Plus I won't have anyone tripping over me on their way to the bathroom in the middle of the night or dropping crumbs in my bed."

The Housekeeper nodded in agreement. "Indeed, the barracks are rather cramped at the moment. To be purrrfectly honest, I don't know how the poor saps in charge of them keep up with all those young hunters tracking mud in every day." He fixed Izuku with a piercing look that made the young hunter take an involuntary step backwards. "I trust that I will not have to deal with that from you?"

Izuku shook his head quickly. He made sure to clean any loose mud and debris off of his equipment well before returning to his room as a matter of habit. He even retained his habit of taking his shoes off before entering the barracks, even though the rest of the hunters thought it was rather strange and it had led to him getting his toes accidentally trod on a couple of times.

"Glad to hear it," the Housekeeper said with a broad smile. "Now, I'll let you get back to settling in. I'll stop in to clean every other day starting tomorrow. If you decide to keep any pets in your room, I can take care of feeding them while you're out on any long hunts. Just let me know ahead of time, though please keep your neighbors in mind and don't bring anything home that will keep them awake at night. If you need anything else, my rooms are two floors up and one door over from here. Any questions?"

Izuku and Mina both shook their heads, and the Housekeeper took his leave with a small bow.

After his departure, the two set about making the space their own. Izuku added the books he had picked up to the shelves and made sure all of his equipment and hunting tools were sorted just the way he liked them. He also stripped the covers off of the bed and folded them neatly in a corner. Astera's climate was just a hair shy of tropical, and with the fuzzy blanket that was Mina, he often found himself overheating.

Meanwhile, Mina set about redecorating the walls, adding some trophies from their more memorable hunts in place of the ropes that had been hung across most of the walls. She also added a hand-stitched (or more accurately paw-stitched) wall hanging that the Bugtrappers had gifted her a few weeks back. It depicted Mina and Izuku's first meeting with the tribe, as well as their subsequent defeat of the Great Jagras.

It was apparently tradition for the Bugtrappers to make such a quilt when a tribe member came of age and successfully felled a monster for the first time. For most, that meant an Aptonath, or perhaps a regular Jagras. To slay a Great Jagras, even with help, was an impressive feat by Bugtrapper standards. As such, the entire tribe had agreed to honorarily adopt Mina and gift her the quilt.

One of the tribe members had whispered to Izuku, in rather halting human speech, that there was a second meaning to the quilt but Mina had interrupted before he could finish. As far as Izuku understood, the quilts represented the soul of the one depicted on it and rarely depicted two people. He'd tried to ask Mina about it later, but she had laughed the question off and changed the subject, though she had seemed a bit nervous afterwards. Izuku had chalked it up to being something personal that she didn't want him prying into, and left it at that. He had to say though, it did look excellent hanging on the wall just behind his charge blade's stand.

Their lack of belongings meant the two of them finished quickly, and were able to relax for a while. Izuku dropped onto the bed with a sigh of relief, and Mina sat down next to him a second later, a cluster of grapes in her paw.

"You know," she said, tossing him a grape, "If it weren't for the giant monsters and constant risk of dismemberment, this would be the ultimate tropical get away."

Izuku chuckled at that. "It is very beautiful."

He craned his neck slightly so that he could stare out of the open wall on the far side of the room. From this angle, he could just barely see the edges of the Ancient Forest far in the distance. Only the occasional glimpse of a wheeling wingdrake gave any indication that it was anything other than a normal forest.

"And the company isn't bad either," Mina said, poking him in the ribs far more gently than was strictly necessary. He had been completely healed for nearly a week now, but she was still overly sensitive about the injury.

"No, it definitely isn't," Izuku said, returning the affectionate gesture by patting her on the head.

Mina relaxed into the head pat, closing her eyes and stretching her toes out as far as they would go. Her tail twitched with every stroke of his hand, and Izuku had to fight to keep a smile off his face. He'd noticed quite a while ago that Mina couldn't entirely keep her tail still when she was feeling strong emotions. It was a good barometer for telling her emotions. And right now, it was telling him that she was very happy.

"Sorry that we have to go back to work so soon," Izuku said, breaking the comfortable silence that had fallen over them.

"Don't be," Mina replied, cracking one eye open to stare at him. "Time off is nice and all, but I'm ready to get back out there. You weren't the only one who's been feeling cooped up here in the city."

Izuku frowned slightly as her reply reminded him of a question that he'd been meaning to ask. "You know, if you were feeling bored you could have joined a tailrider safari. I'm sure they would have loved to have had you."

She shook her head. "I thought about it, but it just wouldn't be the same. I already have the best partner, so why should I settle for less? Besides, I talked to some of the Palicos in charge of the safaris, and they're a bunch of stuck-up jerks. They act like all the Palicos from the Fifth Fleet are complete newbies, no matter what anyone says. Five minutes after I started talking to them, one of them started explaining how to properly trap a monster, never mind the fact that he's never hunted anything tougher than a Kulu-Ya-Ku while we've faced down a rampaging Anjanath."

"Are they really giving you a hard time?" Izuku asked, a spark of anger flickering to life in his chest. He could hardly imagine someone trying to bully Mina. She was so warm and friendly that the idea of her going through anything like what he had endured made him sick to his stomach.

"Nah," she replied, "I don't concern myself with the opinions of buttheads. Besides, I got him back pretty good. I waited till he was done pandering, then thanked him for keeping the regular monster population down while we were out on the front lines, discovering all kinds of new and dangerous monsters. He left pretty quickly after that." The grin on her face could only be described as wicked.

Izuku let out a sigh of relief. She had put his fears to rest as quickly as they had emerged, just like she always did.

"That was quite the sigh," Mina said, glancing up at him. "Anything you want to share?"

"Not really. I was just… thinking about how glad I am to be out of the medical wing."

"You and me both. Hospital smell is depressing no matter what universe it's in. Although…" she craned her neck to look at the sky before a wide smile crossed her face, "speaking of your hospital stay, I think I've stalled you for long enough for them to get things ready."

Izuku frowned in confusion, which only caused her smile to grow.

"Come on, Izuku. Did you really think we wouldn't throw a party to celebrate your recovery?"

"It-it's really not necessary."

"That's where you're wrong!" Mina proclaimed, jumping to her feet. "When someone gets out of the hospital, you have to have a party. It's the law."

He opened his mouth to object, then thought better of it. If being Mina's partner had taught him anything, it was that she was an expert on social interactions and was impossible to dissuade once she had set her mind to something.

"This, um, isn't a big party, is it?" he asked tentatively.

"Well, I said to invite people who wanted to congratulate you on your return to health. So, I guess it depends on how many people you've helped out."

That was comforting at least. He and Mina were good hunters, but they hadn't done anything that special. A few people would probably drop by to wish him well, but he should be able to handle it easily enough.

"Okay. That sounds like it could be nice."

"Glad you think so!" Mina said proudly, "Now, let's get ready! We've got a table in the Gathering Hub reserved for the evening, and the Chef is expecting us. It wouldn't do to keep him waiting."

"What's wrong with our table in the Canteen?" Izuku asked.

She clicked her tongue. "Izuku, it's a party! We can't just do what we always do. Besides, a party is a gathering, and that's what the Gathering Hub is for."

He couldn't argue with that logic. "All right then. Let me get changed, and then we'll go."

Mina punched the air in victory, then set about her own preparations for the evening, which mostly consisted of making sure her fur was brushed and that there were no tufts sticking up.

Shaking his head, Izuku slipped off his casual clothes in favor of something a little less sweat-stained and prepared himself for a fun, if slightly taxing evening.

---

The second Izuku stepped off the elevator chain and into the Gathering Hub, he froze in shock. The deck of the ship-turned-meeting space was absolutely packed with people from every part of Astera, to the point that people were forced to eat while standing due to the lack of tables.

For a moment, he wondered if they had wandered into some other event that they hadn't been told about. Then, his eyes were drawn to a banner hanging between the masts of the ship that proudly read "Welcome back Izuku, the Emerald Star!"

"M-Mina what… what's going on?"

Her devil's grin was back, but this time he found it far less comforting. "I told you. We invited everyone who wanted to congratulate you. Turns out, that was about half of Astera. You've made quite the impression, mister!"

"But… but I didn't…"

"Hey everyone!" the Second Fleet Master called, his booming voice cutting through the crowd despite the din, "Cut the prattle. The guest of honor is here! Let's give him a proper Astera welcome!"

The effect was instantaneous. A cheer went up as everyone raised whatever glass was closest to them in a toast.

"TO MIDORIYA!"

It was at that point that his brain stopped working completely as he overheated from embarrassment. It was only Mina pushing him into a nearby chair that saved him from collapsing to the ground entirely.

The rest of the party passed in something of a haze for him. It seemed like everyone he knew was in attendance, and they all stopped by to welcome him back and buy him a drink. Even the Commander made a brief appearance, though he simply gave Izuku a pat on the shoulder and a nod of approval.

Mina had, thankfully, thought ahead and made sure he was only drinking water. It wouldn't do to have the guest of honor collapse into a drunken stupor half an hour into the celebration after all.

There was more food than anyone could eat, bottomless drinks, and excellent company for the entire night, all of which left Izuku feeling sluggish yet content as he crawled into bed after the party had ended. True, he would never be a "party person", but he had still enjoyed himself immensely.

Once he was settled, Mina crawled up after him, spinning around in a circle a few times before settling down. Izuku had no idea if she had adopted that mannerism as a joke, or actually needed to perform the ritual before she slept, but he wisely decided not to ask.

Apparently he wasn't the only one feeling the effects of the evening. Mina had only just finished curling herself atop his feet when she began to snore softly. The vibrations radiated pleasantly throughout his legs and drew him further towards the siren song of sleep.

Before he finally yielded to its sweet embrace, however, he reached out a hand and ran it gently down her back.

"Good night dear. Sleep well," he whispered, enjoying the way the words tasted on his tongue before he closed his eyes and passed into a deep slumber, ready to face whatever the next day would bring with Mina by his side.

---

"I hate this place!" Mina shrieked as she and Izuku skidded around a corner, their feet scrabbling for purchase. Ahead of them, the path sloped sharply downwards, which would likely make for a dangerous descent at the speed they were going. Unfortunately, they had little choice in the matter given their current predicament.

The pair charged down the path without hesitation, doing their best to remain upright as their footing threatened to give out beneath them with every step.

A moment later, a terrific crash sounded behind them as an extraordinarily angry Radobaan failed to make the corner. It roared its fury at the delay and uncoiled from the wheel-like position it used to move around the Vale at speed, swinging its head around to get a good look at the fleeing hunters.

The delay had bought them a few precious seconds, and for a moment Mina thought they were finally going to get away. Then, the Radobaan leapt forward, twisting in midair so that it came down mid-roll.

The monster had been fast before, but with the power of its leap combined with the steep slope, the Radobaan was now rolling at an incredible speed. Within the space of a heartbeat it was right behind them once more, and was poised to flatten the pair as it rolled on by.

"Look out!" Mina cried, leaping forward and knocking Izuku to the ground.

The Radobaan passed over them with barely an inch to spare, launched into the air by a slight bump in the rough stone path. Time seemed to slow as it passed over them, the wind from its passage ruffling Mina's fur as she clung to Izuku's back for dear life.

Then, the moment was over. The monster smashed down in front of them and continued its forward charge over another drop, though this one was significantly larger. Mina could hear the sound of snapping bones and the shrieks of surprised Revoultures as the Radobaan came to a stop in the small ravine below.

With a start, Mina realized they had somehow made a gigantic circle around the Vale, winding up just beyond the Commission's campsite. The spot that the Radobaan was now sitting in was one of the first areas that she and Izuku had explored, and just beyond it was the area where they had encountered the sleeping brute.

They had done their best to sneak past it, since their objective was exploration rather than extermination, but a careless step from Izuku had snapped one of the many bones that littered the floor of Rotten Vale. The crack had awoken the Radobaan, and it was apparently cranky in the morning. The monster had proceeded to chase them up and down the slopes of the Vale, never letting them quite get away, no matter how many tight corners they took or wedge beetles they swung from.

Next to Mina, Izuku groaned and struggled to rise to his feet. She wasn't sure, but she thought he might have hit his head when she tackled him to the ground.

"You okay Izuku?"

"Fine," he replied, holding a hand to his temple, "just a little rattled. You?"

"Didn't even touch me!" Mina said, giving a small flex for emphasis.

A roar echoed from the ravine as the Radobaan righted itself and began to shake, sending shards of bone flying in every direction.

"Shall we teach the guy a lesson Izuku?" Mina asked, her weapon already in hand.

He nodded. "With how aggressive it is, I don't think we have a choice. If we leave it, it will just cause problems for the Commission. And the walls here are narrow enough that it won't have much room to roll—"

He was cut off by a low growl coming from behind them.

Mina whipped around, and her eyes widened in surprise and fear. Somehow, a monster had managed to sneak up behind them in the short time they had been occupied recovering from their near miss with the Radobaan. What's more, it had done so almost completely silently, despite its size.

It's hide was blood red and leathery, forming strange patterns on its back and accentuating the monster's muscles. A spiny ridge of white bone ran down its spine, spreading out as it reached the monster's tail, turning the appendage into a spiky club of bone and hide that Mina knew from a glance could do some serious damage if it hit her. Even more concerning than that, though, were the monster's claws. It had two sets of them, layered one on top of the other, and each claw was wickedly sharp, gleaming in what little light filtered down to the Vale.

"Odogaron," Izuku supplied, his own gaze fixed on the monster in question, "It's fast, dangerous, and the Commission doesn't know a lot about it."

Mina sighed. As they moved further from Astera, the monsters seemed to grow stronger, and the Commission's intel grew spottier. It wasn't their fault, of course. She and Izuku were exploring new territory, and that meant coming up against many unknowns. Even so, Mina dearly wished they had a little more to go on in this situation. Anything that would reduce the amount of time she spent near those claws was a good thing.

Before either side could make a move, however, the Radobaan made one for them. It soared up from the ravine behind the hunters in one powerful leap and slammed down just behind Izuku and Mina, who barely managed to keep themselves from falling over.

They were now pinned between the two monsters, each one blocking a possible escape route. Thankfully, the monsters seemed more interested in each other for the moment, sizing up the opponent who had laid claim to "their" prey.

"Got any bright ideas?" Mina hissed, spinning around so that her back faced Izuku's.

"We have to separate them," Izuku replied, rapidly descending into one of his muttering sessions as he ran through the scenarios, "But they're both obviously fixated on us, so we can't just run past them. Dung pods maybe? No, the ambient stench here will just make them useless. If I had a trap we could…"

Mina tuned him out as she glanced around, looking for something that could help them out of their predicament. The only thing remotely useful was a small pile of scatternuts a few feet away. Mina couldn't really think of a way for them to be useful, but she filed their location away just in case.

With every nearby option exhausted, Mina let herself look a little further away, and stopped in her tracks.

"Izuku!" Mina hissed, elbowing her partner to get his attention, "to the right, do you see that hole?"

Izuku flinched at the sudden break to his concentration, but recovered quickly, "I see it."

"I checked earlier, and it leads deeper into the Vale. I think if we run, we could make it before either of the monsters can catch us, and it's too narrow for them to follow easily."

"What about the effluvium?"

"I think it's gonna kill us a lot slower than these two!" Mina quipped.

Izuku wavered for a second longer, but was convinced when the Odogaron and Radobaan broke their deadlock and began to advance towards the hunters, apparently deciding that they were going to have a fight here and now, and if their prey got squished in the battle, well, it was still edible.

"Okay, on the count of three, we go for it," Izuku said, sheathing his weapon for a bit more maneuverability, "One—"

"THREE!" Mina shouted, grabbing Izuku by the belt and pulling him after her.

They sprinted for all they were worth, taking a flying leap at the end to gain some extra distance. Both monsters lunged at the hunters, but with the element of surprise on their side, the two barely made it.

As they plunged downward, the poisonous yellow gas that blanketed the lower levels of the Vale seemed to rise up to meet them, wrapping around their bodies and seeping into the cracks of their armor as if it were both alive and hungry.

The second they hit the ground, Mina began to regret their choice of escape route. The upper layer may have contained a pair of irate monsters bent on consuming her, but at least the ground had been solid and dry. The lower layer, on the other hand, was disturbingly warm and squishy beneath her paws.

The smell was horrific as well. On the upper level she had been able to ignore the scent of death and decay that permeated everything once she had gotten used to it. Here in the mists, though, there was no way to ignore it. The scent forced its way into her nostrils and lungs with every breath, making her gag and cough. Unfortunately, this only made the sensation worse.

Next to her, Izuku began to cough violently. He pulled the cloth masks that the Commission had given them out of his belt, attaching one to his face and tossing the other to Mina.

It was a slight improvement, filtering out some of the gas, but it wasn't nearly enough to allow her to breathe normally. She still felt as though her energy was draining away with every cough and ragged gasp.

"We need to get out of this gas," Izuku said, voice slightly muffled by the mask.

Mina nodded, and looked around for anything resembling a path upwards.

The yellow haze made it difficult to see very far and gave even familiar objects an ominous appearance. She could just make out a pack of Raphinos flying high above them where the gas was slightly thinner, but there seemed to be something off about them. The patterns that they were flying in were much more erratic and aggressive than any Mina had ever seen before. In fact, if it wasn't for their distinctive cries, she wouldn't have recognized the monsters at all.

The only other thing Mina could make out were a couple of poisioncup plants bloated with toxins a few feet away. At this point, she honestly wasn't sure whether their poison would be worse than the effects of the effluvium, but she was sure that she didn't want to get close enough to find out. The plants were volatile at the best of times, and she didn't trust herself not to accidentally walk too close and disturb them in the gas cloud.

"I think the gas is thinner over there!" Izuku said, grabbing her shoulder and pointing to the right.

The pathway he was indicating seemed to lead up slightly before curving out of sight, which was good enough for Mina. She followed along behind Izuku, keeping to her back paws instead of walking on all fours. The effluvium was worse near the ground, and she was having enough trouble already.

Thankfully, Izuku had been correct, and the effluvium began to rapidly thin as they followed the path upward until the gas was practically gone. The stench, however, remained, forcing Mina to breathe through her mouth if she didn't want to choke again.

"Are you okay?" Izuku asked, bending down to check on her once they had reached the highest point they could reach.

The path they had followed had led them into a large cave whose walls were covered with vines and large yellow parashrooms. It was divided into two halves by a steep cliff, the upper half of which was made up of a similar combination of stone and bone as the upper level of the Rotten Vale, and a lower section that was shrouded in the roiling effluvium. Mina could hear something scrabbling around in the gas below them, but couldn't make out more than vague shapes, none of which seemed to notice the hunters.

"I'm fine," she said, as confidently as she could manage. "Just a little short of breath."

"Me too," Izuku said, tugging at his breastplate to give himself a bit more breathing room. "I didn't expect the effluvium to be this bad."

"I don't think anyone did," Mina replied, copying the gesture. It didn't help a bit. "Considering the map doesn't even cover this area, I think the scouts turned around before they could get this far."

"Seems like it, not that I blame them," Izuku said, finishing with a cough.

"Me either," Mina replied. "So, any idea how we're going to get out of here?"

Izuku shook his head, "Not really. We could try going back the way we came. I'm pretty sure there's a way back to the upper level there. I just worry that we might run into those monsters again. I wouldn't want to fight either of them in this mist."

She shuddered at the thought. "Yeah, no."

"Then we should try and find a way through the effluvium. There might be another way back to the upper level, or maybe even a clear spot that we can fire an SOS flare from. We just need to search."

"Sounds good," Mina said, rolling her shoulders for effect. "Now let's get going. I don't want to hang around here any longer than we have to."

---

Mina froze as a low growl echoed through the mists, the source impossible to identify as it bounced off the cave walls. It was easy to tell, however, that whatever had made that growl meant business.

She and Izuku had actually made excellent progress in their exploration of the vale. The going had been slow at first, but they had caught a lucky break when Mina had accidentally spilled a potion on her mask during a quick rest. She had wrung the cloth out as best she could, but when she had put it back around her face, it had been much easier to breath.

That revelation had made the rest of the exploration much swifter, since they didn't have to take quite so many healing breaks.

Unfortunately they hadn't found anything resembling an exit from the effluvium. Instead the only path curved downward, going deeper into a massive cave system whose edges vanished in the misty gloom of the effluvium cloud that blanketed the area.

Surprisingly, turning around had never crossed either of their minds. They had a job to do, and now that they had found a way to mitigate the effluvium's effects, they had stopped seeing it as a barrier to their progress. Instead it had become just another environmental hazard, one that was no different than the sandstorms or torrential rains that occasionally swept across the Wildspire Wastes and Ancient Forest respectively.

As the growl's echoes began to fade, Mina drew her weapon and prepared herself to spring into action. Behind her, the tell-tale scrape of metal and scale indicated that Izuku was doing the same.

They didn't have to wait long for their opponent to show itself. The Odogaron crested the mound of decaying flesh and bone in front of them with predatory grace, the effluvium seeming to part around it without even affecting the monster in the slightest. Its fangs and claws were stained black with a combination of tar and blood, and several large cuts were visible in its hide, but on the whole, the Odogaron seemed to have come out the victor from whatever conflict had occurred with the Radobaan.

"Oh come on!" Mina cried in exasperation, "We wouldn't even make a proper meal! Why the hell is it chasing us?"

"Maybe we're in its territory?" Izuku guessed, "It attacked the Radobaan too, so it might just be protecting it's home."

The Odogaron snarled at them and began to circle around the pair.

"Or it might just hate us," Izuku added, trying to settle his stance while still keeping the monster in view.

Without warning, the Odogaron lunged directly toward them forcing Mina to dive out of the way. Behind her, she could hear the crunch of bone as the Odogaron came down directly where she had been standing, as well as the now familiar shriek of claws raking down Izuku's shield.

She popped to her feet in one smooth motion, despite the ground pulling at her fur as she rolled, and spun to face the monster. Except there was nothing there to face. Izuku was reeling from the blow that the Odogaron had delivered, but the monster seemed to have vanished.

With a start, Mina realized that the monster had leapt back to its starting position in a single bound. It wasn't just stealthy, this monster was fast too.

But two could play at that game. She charged the monster as fast as her legs would carry her, sword held high and a battle cry on her lips.

It might have been her imagination, but she could swear that the monster shot her a contemptuous look before swiping at her legs.

She leapt over the blow easily and lashed out with one of her own. The Odogaron's hide was thick and leathery, but she wasn't the same person who had first arrived in the New World. During Izuku's convalescence she had spent most of her time away from his bedside training herself, and that training was now making itself known. Her blade bit deep into the monster's hide, drawing forth a hiss of pain.

It slashed again, but this time with much greater speed and force, clearly intent on taking her out of the fight before she could do any more damage. The blow was harder to dodge this time but she managed to get out of the way in time.

Instead of striking, however, she darted forward between the monster's legs and under its belly. To her dismay, it's hide wasn't any more vulnerable there than it had been above. Instead, she focused her attacks on its legs, doing her best to hobble the monster. It's speed meant that Izuku might have a hard time blocking all of its blows, and anything she could do to negate that danger was worth it.

The Odogaron bucked and reared, trying to get an angle on her, but Mina refused to be pushed aside that easily. She darted back and forth between whichever legs were still on the ground, slashing whatever she could reach. Occasionally, one of her slashes would hit a claw and bounce off, but she was dealing some serious damage.

The Odogaron, evidently, agreed. Without any sort of warning, it gave up trying to slash at the girl-turned-palico and simply dropped down on top of her.

She gasped as the massive weight slammed down, driving the breath from her lungs as she was forced deep into the muck that covered the floor of the Vale. She was soaked with slime almost instantly, and would have groaned if it were possible. She had no idea how many baths it would take to be clean again, but the number was far too high for her liking.

Thankfully, the Odogaron wasn't on top of her for long. Her vision was just starting to turn black around the edges when the weight pressing down on her vanished as a horrendous screech filled the air.

She clambered to her feet as best she could to find Izuku standing over her, his charge blade shifted into axe mode and dripping blood.

"Thanks," she gasped.

"Don't mention it."

A large gash ran along the Odogaron's back leg, giving it a slight limp as it paced back and forth, glaring at the hunters. A rivulet of blood ran from the wound and mixed with the decaying flesh of the myriad of monsters beneath their feet.

Mina glanced at Izuku, her intent to charge the monster clear. He nodded in response, shifting his weapon back to the more mobile sword and shield mode in preparation to join her.

She took a brief moment to smile. Not the wicked, feral grin she often wore during combat, but a gentle curve of her lips as she reflected on how well she and Izuku worked together. Out of everyone she'd known growing up as well as those she'd met at UA, no one outside her immediate family had been able to read her quite like Izuku.

They moved as one, with Izuku keeping his weapon high while Mina stayed low, each covering the others openings.

In response, the monster swiped at the ground furiously, sending shards of bone sailing towards the pair. A few small shards found gaps in their armor, but the majority either went wide or were deflected by Izuku's shield. Mina hissed as one shard drew a line of pain across her right shoulder, but she didn't slow down one bit.

Just before they entered the monster's reach, the two separated, forcing the monster to choose who to focus on.

It chose Izuku, leaving Mina free to attack its legs and side as best she could. The monster didn't make it easy though. It practically danced around the area as it tried to find a way past Izuku's guard. She would go in for a strike, only to find her target had already moved away, forcing her to readjust. It was incredibly frustrating, and Mina could feel her hackles rising with every miss. To top it off, the few strikes that she had managed to land weren't slowing it down nearly as much as she had hoped.

At least Izuku was having slightly more luck than her. Chips of the Odogaron's claws flew off every time it slashed at Izuku's shield, joined by drops of blood coming from several slashes to its face.

Mina yelped and dropped to the ground as the monster's bony tail sailed towards her. The monster wasn't using the appendage to its full effect, but it was still something that she had to watch out for. Then, a thought occurred to her as she watched the tail swing back towards her.

As it came back around, she scrambled to her feet and held her blade up high. The force of the two colliding nearly tore the weapon from her paws, but she held on with grim determination and was rewarded with a splash of bright red blood. Her weapon didn't have quite the reach to cut through the tail in a single swing, but she had sheared through a lot of the muscle on the lower half of it.

The Odogaron shrieked in pain and fury and whirled on Mina. Its eyes were blazing in anger, and if looks could kill, Mina was sure she would have dropped dead on the spot.

Instead, she stuck her tongue out at the monster and wiggled her free paw in a "come at me" gesture, then skipped out of the way of its lunge.

It came after her in a fury, desperate to land a blow that would take her out of the fight, and failing to land even a single one. A few came close, but her speed and flexibility won out now that the fanged wyvern had taken some real damage.

She smiled as she danced between the blows. It felt good to be in the field again. Her training could be as intense and realistic as possible, and it would never even come close to this feeling. She knew, deep down, that what she was doing was important, that it had meaning, and that was the best feeling in the universe. Or multiverse, if Izuku was right about what had happened to them.

Mina skipped to the side of one last blow, and found herself back at Izuku's side. The Odogaron blinked in surprise as it took in the armored hunter. In its furious haze, it had clearly forgotten about him, particularly once he had ceased attacking it, biding his time until Mina could lead the Odogaron into the perfect position.

Lightning crackled as he brought his sword down in a powerful strike. It didn't carry nearly the same weight as an amped element discharge from the axe mode, but it was more than enough to send the Odogaron stumbling back, clawing at its face in a vain attempt to relieve the sensation of electricity dancing across its skin.

That was apparently enough for the monster. The moment it had recovered from the electricity's effects, it shot the hunters a death glare before turning on it's heels and dashing into the effluvium. It scrambled up one of the cave walls and into a tunnel entrance that was almost invisible in the thick mist.

"Yeah, you better run!" Mina called after the monster, reveling in the victory.

At the same time, Izuku dropped to his knees and clutched his side. His face was screwed up with pain, and he was gasping for breath.

"Izuku!" she cried, running to his side, "What's wrong?"

"I'm fine," he said, looking anything but.

"No, you're not. Let me see your side."

He shrank away from her touch, which only made her suspicions worse.

"Izuku, I swear if you don't let me look at you, I will cough up a hairball in every pair of boots you own!"

He risked a glance up at her, and his face paled when he saw just how serious she was. His arm wavered slightly as he debated to give in to her, which was enough for Mina. She reached forward and yanked his arm away, exposing the wound beneath.

She gasped in shock and concern. Blood soaked the side of his Paolumu fur jacket, spilling freely from a horrendous gash in his side that definitely hadn't been there before the battle started.

"Izuku, this looks terrible! We need to get you bandaged up right away!"

"Mina," Izuku said, placing his hand on her shoulder. There was still blood on his palm, and she could feel it matting her fur, but she didn't dare pull away from his touch. "We can't stay here. We can barely see fifteen feet, and if another monster sneaks up on us, we'll be sitting ducks. We have to keep moving."

"Then let's head back to the cave we found earlier," Mina replied. Her voice sounded a touch hysterical, even to her ears, but she didn't care one bit. "It's not that far, and we can treat you there."

The words were barely out of her mouth before a roar echoed from behind them. Mina craned her neck around, praying that it wasn't coming from the direction she thought it was. Her heart sank, however, when she saw a familiar outcropping of bone that had nearly tripped her on the way there. The roar had definitely come from the direction of the cave, and knowing her and Izuku's luck the cave was probably already filled to the brim with nasty monsters that wouldn't leave them alone long enough to rub spit on their wounds, let alone treat them.

"Mina, it'll be okay. I'm tough," Izuku said, flexing his arm weakly.

"You're an idiot," Mina snapped, fighting back the wetness that was threatening to overwhelm her. "You have a massive wound in your side, you're slowly being choked to death, and there's at least one angry monster out there with a taste for your blood. How can you say you're okay?"

He slowly rose to his feet, keeping his hand pressed to his side the whole time. "I've… I've had worse."

"That doesn't make it better."

"I know," he admitted, pulling a length of gauze from his belt before dousing it in mega potion and pressing it against his side. "But it helps me keep going."

She sighed heavily, then stood as well. "I hate how much better that makes me feel."

He managed a wan smile at that. "Glad I could help."

She nodded, "Yeah. Now let's get moving before something else shows up and tries to eat us."

---

"You are not climbing up there!" Mina said, planting herself firmly between Izuku and the vines, "You have a gaping wound in your side!"

"It's not gaping!" Izuku said, oddly defensively, "And if there's a way out up there, I'll have to climb it eventually."

"And if there isn't a way out, then you're just opening your wound for no reason. I'll climb up, look around, and then come back for you."

For a moment, Mina thought that she had won. He turned his gaze to the vines, a forlorn look on his face. Then he cocked his head to the side, and turned back with a thoughtful expression.

"Wouldn't staying down here alone be more dangerous?" he said slowly.

Her mouth worked silently for a few seconds while her brain scrambled for anything she could say in response. Finally, after a minute of silence she gave up.

"Fine. Fine! You can stop making puppy dog eyes at me. But we're taking a break once we get out of the effluvium to bandage you."

"That sounds fair," Izuku replied with a small smile.

After their fight with the Odogaron, the two had continued even deeper into the bowels of the Vale. Miraculously, the effluvium had actually thinned out as they went. It seemed that the area where they had fought the Odogaron was the heart of the effluvium in the Vale. Something about that bugged her, but the answer refused to come easily, and Mina abandoned that line of thinking in favor of more immediate concerns. At the very least, breathing had become significantly easier as they had continued, which was a relief.

It had been even more of a relief when Izuku had spotted a shaft of sunlight coming down from above, perfectly highlighting the cluster of vines they were currently scaling.

It wasn't a horrible climb, thankfully. The vines were thick and strong, not even budging under the weight of Izuku and all his equipment. There was even a plateau half way through the climb where they could catch their breath. Even still, Mina watched Izuku like a hawk, ready to help him in an instant if he needed it.

He grit his teeth through most of the climb, and was looking more than a little pale by the end of it, but he made it up without any assistance from her.

They emerged into a large hollow that had been carved into the shell-filled stone that formed the base of the Rotten Vale. Fossils as large as Izuku jutted from the walls, though none seemed to be in danger of coming loose and falling on the two. There was a loose smattering of vegetation covering the floor, each plant fighting for the few scraps of light that could be found this far down.

"Well," Mina said, putting her paws on her hips as she surveyed the area, "I think we just found the perfect place for a forward camp."

"I think you're right," Izuku said, sliding his charge blade to the ground as he sat down next to it.

"Don't think this gets you out of getting treated, mister!" Mina said, spinning around to face him as she pulled a wad of bandages from her pack.

To his credit, he didn't put up any further resistance. He sat back and lifted up his armor, allowing Mina full access to his wound.

Once she had wiped away the blood and gotten a proper look at the gash, she relaxed a little. It wasn't nearly as bad as it had first appeared. He would still need professional treatment, of course, but it shouldn't leave more than a small scar once it was fully healed. That was assuming, of course, that he didn't make the wound any larger by overtaxing himself.

"You know, you promised me you wouldn't get hurt again," Mina said, trying to fill the silence that had stretched between them. She'd meant to come off as light and joking, but her voice refused to comply. When she spoke, every bit of her concern was evident.

Izuku flinched, as much from her tone as from the actual words. "Mina, I… I'm sorry. I didn't mean to—"

"I know," she cut in, before he could get started, "I just… you only just got out of the medical wing. I don't want to see you back there so soon."

"It's not a fun place to be," he replied, a wry smile on his face.

She couldn't help but giggle at that. "It is pretty boring. Maybe they can add a pool table or something."

"Somehow I can't see the medics approving that addition."

Giggles turned into full on laughter, and just like that, the somber mood was broken before it could fully take hold. Mina finished bandaging Izuku's wound as she laughed, doing her best not to poke him as she did so. She wasn't entirely successful, but Izuku didn't say anything, and she left it at that.

Once she was done, Mina padded over to Izuku's other side and leaned against him. Now that they were out of danger, and their goal was in sight, she was starting to feel a bit exhausted. The expedition had been relatively short but it had been extremely action packed, especially when compared to what she had gotten used to during Izuku's recovery.

Her eyes started to drift shut, despite her best efforts to resist. Next to her, she could feel Izuku's breathing slow as well. He'd done everything she had, and had done it while carrying a weapon that weighed quite a bit more than he did.

Before Mina could fully drift off to sleep, Izuku shifted position slightly and his arm wrapped around her. She froze in place, unwilling to turn and look at him and risk breaking the contact. She felt warm and safe in a way she had never felt before, and she never wanted that feeling to end.

On the other hand she desperately wanted to see Izuku's face, to know what he was thinking. She might have accepted her own feelings, but she was far from certain about Izuku's. Sure, he didn't shy away from her touch, let her sleep on his bed with him, called her by her first name, always shared his food with her, and always listened to her with his full attention, but did that mean he liked her as anything more than a friend? Izuku was probably the nicest person she had ever met. She couldn't imagine him hurting someone who didn't really deserve it. What if he was just doing all that because he didn't want to hurt her feelings?

She didn't want that. She wanted to help and support him just as much as she wanted to be more than a friend to him.

It also didn't help that she was stuck as a Palico. Sure, people back home with animal Quirks had relationships all the time, but this was different. They were still fully human, while she was something else entirely. Not to mention she missed her old form. Being short sucked.

She also had no idea if they would ever be able to return home.

Finally, after nearly a minute of internal debate, Mina leaned forward slightly and turned her head to see Izuku's face. Only to find him fast asleep.

She sighed in a combination of exasperation and disappointment. She really should have seen this coming. Izuku wasn't the type to just throw his arm around a girl, even if he didn't think of her as anything more than a friend. It had only been her twisting herself into knots over nothing like she had been doing for the last few weeks.

She'd never thought having feelings like this would be so difficult. She'd always pictured romance as something amazing and wonderful. Sure, she knew objectively that there could be heartache and worry but those hadn't factored into her fantasies. She'd thought it would be like one of the romance novels or TV dramas she had watched, full of wonder, sweetness and adventure.

If she ever did make it back to her home, she owed more than one friend an apology for dismissing their worry about whether their crush liked them back as an overreaction.

In the end, not even her tumultuous feelings could overcome her exhaustion. The dim light of the hollow, combined with Izuku's warmth and steady breathing eventually had her yawning and her eyes drooping before much time had passed.

She snuggled tighter against Izuku's side, pulling his arm even further around her to serve as a blanket.

"I love you, Izuku," she whispered before her eyes finally drifted shut and she fell into a deep sleep, a contented smile on her face.

---

She was jerked back to wakefulness when something landed on her face. Her eyes snapped open to reveal a set of chitinous legs dominating her field of view, and a pair of fangs poised just above her eye.

She screeched in alarm and leapt to her feet, scrabbling at her face in a desperate attempt to remove the Scavantula that had decided she would make for an excellent next meal. Her claws drew sharp lines of fire down her face, but she was far too occupied with removing the offending arthropod from her face to care about the pain.

After what felt like forever, she managed to dislodge the Scavantula, which went hurtling across the small cave before bouncing off of the wall and scuttling away.

Izuku, meanwhile, had leapt to his feet as well and had his weapon out and ready to face whatever had attacked his partner, despite having only woken moments prior.

"What happened?" he asked, whipping his head back and forth as he searched for the target.

"Spider," Mina replied, desperately trying to calm her racing heartbeat, "B-big spider on my face trying to eat me, and it was horrible, and—"

She was cut off as Izuku tossed his charge blade to the side with a casualness that would have made the Second Fleet Master weep and pulled Mina into a tight hug.

"Are you okay?"

She had to force herself to breathe normally, but she finally began to calm down. The warmth from his embrace helped more than he would ever know. It let her center herself, and reminded her of who she was. She wasn't a little girl who was scared of spiders anymore. She was a member of the top hunting team in Astera. She fought giant monsters for a living, and she was excellent at it.

"Y-yeah. Just a little surprised. I'm good."

Her voice might have been a little shaky, but Izuku took her at her word. He released his hold on her, and stepped back quickly to a respectful distance. It might have been just her imagination, but she could swear that there was a dusting of red on his cheeks.

That thought brought the debate she'd been having with herself before falling asleep back to the forefront of her mind. She had been far too exhausted to resolve her debate then, but now she had no such excuse. She needed to put up or shut up, and she was done being scared!

Mostly.

Even the thought of asking him if he felt the same way that she did twisted her stomach into knots and robbed her mouth of every drop of moisture. Even with all that, Mina forced herself to stand tall, to open her mouth, and to speak as loudly and clearly as she could.

"Izuku, there's something I want to ask y—"

A scream echoed through the Vale, high, piercing, unmistakably feline, and full to the brim with fear. It sent a shiver down Mina's spine, even with how faint it was.

She and Izuku spun to face the source of the cry, and found themselves facing towards the way they had come from.

A more reasonable pair of hunters might have been reluctant to return to the miasma filled area that had caused them so much grief so recently. Izuku and Mina, however, were anything but reasonable. They didn't hesitate for even a second.

They clambered back into the lower levels of the Vale and cast their gazes around for their target. The scream had faded away as quickly as it had come, which left them directionless. Thankfully, Mina spotted a tuft of white fur a little ways up the path.

"This way!" she cried, charging ahead at full speed.

The trail led them into another cave, though this one was significantly larger than the one they had been resting in. In the center of the cave was a large pit containing a massive skeleton with a few chunks of decaying flesh still clinging to the bones. The whole area echoed with the buzzing of Vespoids, the croaking of Paratoads, and the thunder of panicked footsteps.

An unfamiliar white and black furred Grimalkyne burst into the cave, running as fast as its hind legs would carry it. Its right arm dangled uselessly, soaked in blood and bouncing painfully as the Grimalkyne ran for its life. The other arm clutched a hunk of raw meat that was nearly half the size of the Grimalkyne to its chest

Hot on the Grimalkyne's heels was the same Odogaron that Izuku and Mina had beaten back earlier. The wounds on its body, and the half-severed tail proved that beyond a shadow of a doubt. Even still, it was hard to believe this was the same creature that they had fought so recently. Its breath was coming in great gasps, each exhale sending a burst of steam curling into the air and forming a white trail behind the monster. On its neck and chest, the flesh beneath its hide had begun to glow red, highlighting the patterns in its hide as well as the musculature beneath. If it hadn't been for the half-mad way it was acting, the change might have even been beautiful.

They didn't have time to admire the monster though. In just a few steps, it drew within striking distance of the Grimalkyne, and sent it sprawling with a single swipe of its talons. The Grimalkyne screeched in pain, leaving no doubt that it had been the one that Mina and Izuku had heard before. The piece of meat that the feline had been carrying went flying in the opposite direction, which is the only thing that saved the Grimalkyne.

The Odogaron abandoned its pursuit of the feline and leapt upon the meat, swallowing it on one gulp. It was hardly more than a morsel for the beast, but it apparently didn't care in its enraged state.

"Are you alright?" Mina asked the Grimalkyne, as she and Izuku took advantage of the Odogaron's distraction to draw close.

"I will live," she replied succinctly, wincing in pain as she rose to her feet. She glanced at the Odogaron before amending her statement, "Unless that thing kills me first."

"You'll be okay," Mina said, unsheathing her weapon, "Because we are here!"

She felt a little cheesy for using All Might's line, but that was overwhelmed by the rush of excitement she was feeling. For the first time since coming to this New World, she felt like a hero again.

A part of her did wish Izuku had understood the line, though. She knew he would have been over the moon to hear her say it.

The Grimalkyne looked at her incredulously, but didn't argue. Instead, she retreated to the edge of the cave, leaving Mina and Izuku to face the Odogaron.

Unlike their first encounter, the Odogaron didn't stalk around them, or give them any time to prepare. It charged straight at them with blinding speed and ferocious intent. Mina barely had time to react as it unleashed a flurry of blows, each one more devastating than the last.

She leapt backwards, trying to get outside of the monster's reach, only to find it had closed the distance she had created in an instant. The follow-up swipe sent her sprawling backwards, her head swimming from the impact.

She pulled herself to her feet as quickly as she could, though not nearly as fast as she would have liked. Izuku couldn't bring his charge blade's axe mode to bear against an opponent as swift as the Odogaron, and he would have trouble blocking all of its attacks as well. With his current wounds, that left him at a serious disadvantage. He needed her at his side, distracting the monster and keeping him safe. He needed her, and she was just sitting around.

With a massive effort, Mina forced her thoughts into order and surveyed the situation. Izuku was reeling under the force of the Odogaron's onslaught. It never attacked in the same place twice, coming at him from multiple angles in quick succession, and giving him no time to breathe. With every second, she could see him being forced further and further back towards the pit in the center of the cave.

She knew without a shred of doubt that if Izuku stepped back into that pit, he would be finished. He would lose his balance, and the Odogaron would pounce.

The second that thought flashed through her mind, Mina knew what she had to do.

The Odogaron didn't even see her coming as she streaked towards it and leapt atop its back. Even then, the monster barely reacted to her presence, preferring to continue its assault on Izuku instead of dislodging her. It was a mistake, and one that she intended to make it pay for.

She scrambled up to the base of its neck and raised her sword above her head with both hands. The glowing lines on the back of its neck provided perfect guidance to where its hide was weakest, and she used that as best she could to aim her blow.

"No one hurts my Izuku!" she cried, a moment before driving her blade into its spine.

The Odogaron screamed in pain, a sound so piercing and awful that Mina clapped her paws over her ears involuntarily. Unfortunately, this meant she was easily dislodged as the monster flailed about.

For the second time in as many minutes, Mina found herself flying backwards. This time, however, Izuku was there to catch her before she could slam into the ground.

"Thanks," she said, looking up at him. The angle was a bit odd, given that she was upside down and being held in the same position that one would hold a swaddled baby, but she wasn't complaining. It was much better than the alternative.

"Don't mention it," he replied, setting her gently back to the ground.

After several long moments of furious thrashing, the Odogaron finally stilled. The glow beneath its skin had faded to nothing, and it was swaying slightly as it tried to stay on its feet, but it was still standing. Mina's sword protruded from its shoulders like some kind of bizarre decoration, giving it a slight air of absurdity.

"Looks like it's on its last legs," Mina said, surveying the monster.

"Yeah," Izuku agreed before looking at her in concern, "Mina, are you going to be all right without your weapon?"

"Course!" she chirped, dropping into her fighting stance. Despite being unarmed, she was feeling more confident than ever now that the end was in sight. Besides, she still had her claws and she could still keep its attention away from Izuku.

"If you say so," he said, turning back to face the Odogaron.

It enacted one last, desperate charge towards them. It weaved from side to side as it did so, though Mina couldn't tell if that was a ploy to make it harder to hit, or just an inability to run straight.

It crashed into Izuku's shield in a shoulder tackle that sent him sliding backwards, despite Mina helping to brace him against the blow. The Odogaron might be hurting, but it was still incredibly dangerous if you weren't paying attention.

It followed its shoulder charge up with a spin, bringing the considerable weight of its tail to bear against them. The wound Mina had inflicted on its tail before apparently wasn't affecting the monster nearly as much as she had thought it would.

Before the tail sweep landed, Izuku slotted his sword into his shield, using both arms to brace against the blow and actually shoving against it. He still stumbled back slightly, but it wasn't nearly as bad as before, and the monster seemed to take some small amount of damage from the exchange as well.

It stumbled back as well, and Izuku seized his chance. He grabbed the handle of his sword and pushed it further into the shield, triggering the full transition into axe mode as he brought it down directly on the monsters already weakened tail. He hadn't had time to build up a significant amount of energy in the blade during the fight, so the attack wasn't quite as spectacular as it could have been, but it was still an effective blow.

Its tail was cleanly severed, and the Odogaron rolled onto its back, trying vainly to escape as it's balance was obliterated.

As it did, Mina heard the distinctive snap of metal shearing in two, and her stomach dropped. Sure enough, as the monster scrambled back to its feet, she could see the hilt of her sword lying on the cave floor, while the blade remained embedded in the monster's neck.

It managed to rise to its feet, but it was clear the fight had utterly left the monster. Its gaze was dull, and its mouth was frothing with exhaustion. When combined with the large amounts of blood that it had lost throughout the fight, Mina was amazed that it could still move.

It swiped at the ground beneath it, sending a shower of dirt and rock their way. This wasn't an attack, however. As Mina raised her arm to protect her eyes from the spray, she caught a flash of red as the Odogaron turned around and fled.

She took a step forward, not wanting the monster to get away and threaten any more denizens of the Vale, but a loud croak distracted her. She looked to her left to see a rather annoyed Paratoad shaking its head side to side as it began to swell. One of the rock shards that the Odogaron had sent flying was resting next to the amphibian, leaving no doubt what had angered it.

"Izuku, look out!" she called, tackling him to the side and out of the Paratoad's radius.

She barely made it in time, the edges of the Paratoad's paralytic cloud touching her toes and numbing them in an instant. Thankfully, her reactions had been quick enough to spare them from the full effects, something she was not eager to experience ever again.

Her first encounter with a Paratoad had been on a rocky slope in the Ancient Forest in the midst of a routine expedition. She hadn't seen the creature until her foot was practically on top of it, and by that point it had been far too late to stop the collision. She'd been paralyzed before she knew it, and had tumbled down the slope rapidly. Izuku had barely managed to catch her before she had tumbled into the Gauju-infested water at the bottom of the slope.

She shuddered at the memory as she hauled herself off of Izuku. He was looking a bit worse for the wear, with clumps of dirt and mud covering his once pristine white jacket, and a patch of pale lichen stuck in his hair, but at least he wasn't bleeding this time.

"There was a Paratoad," Mina said, pointing at the offending amphibian by way of explanation when he looked at her in confusion.

"That was incredible" the Grimalkyne they had rescued said, dashing up to them. "You took on that monster like it was nothing!"

Mina grinned at the praise, drawing herself up a little straighter before responding, "Yep! We're awesome like that!"

The Grimalkyne edged her way closer, curiosity and excitement winning out over any sense of wariness. She seemed particularly fascinated with Izuku's charge blade, which Mina couldn't blame her for. It was an impressive piece of craftsmanship in any universe.

"Do all of your warriors fight like this one?" she asked, looking at Mina in curiosity.

She shook her head as she glanced at Izuku, who had begun to strip the scales off of the severed Odogaron tail while he waited for Mina and the Grimalkyne to finish their conversation.

"No, he's… special," she replied.

The Grimalkyne frowned for a moment, then nodded her head in understanding. "Ah, I see. You two are life partners then?"

Mina spluttered in surprise, shocked by the Grimalkyne's casual reference to her feelings for Izuku. At that moment, she was more thankful than ever before that he hadn't managed to pick up the Grimalkyne language. She wasn't sure she could have endured the sudden embarrassment.

"I-it's not like that!" she protested, "I mean, we're partners, but not that kind of partners. Not that I wouldn't mind that but…" she trailed off as she noticed the Grimalkyne wasn't paying attention to her anymore.

Instead, she was staring at Izuku with rapt attention. For a brief second, Mina felt a spark of jealous anger ignite in her chest. Then, the Grimalkyne's stomach rumbled loudly, and Mina realized what was really going on. She wasn't staring at Izuku, her gaze was fixed on the tail he was carving.

"Are you hungry?" Mina asked, placing a gentle paw on the Grimalkyne's shoulder.

She started, then looked guiltily at Mina. "I-I wasn't trying to steal your food! It's just… I haven't had supper yet."

"It's okay," Mina said, reaching into her pack and pulling out a ration pack, "Here, you can have this to tide you over."

Now that she was paying attention, she could see that the Grimalkyne looked half starved. Her ribs were visible whenever she drew a deep breath, and her eyes looked a bit sunken.

The Grimalkyne demolished the ration in a single bite, then sniffed at the paper that it had been wrapped in, searching for any crumbs that she had missed. It was an impressive display, but not wholly unexpected. The rations were meant more as supplements for a peckish hunter than as actual meals.

"Izuku," Mina called, "Do you have any food on you?"

He looked up in confusion, then reached into one of his belt pouches. After a brief moment of rooting around, he pulled out a cloth wrapped packet of well-done steak jerky. "Is this enough?"

"Perfect," she replied, bounding over and grabbing the packet.

The Grimalkyne's eyes went wide as she saw the bounty that Mina was bringing her, her paws shaking as she tried to reject the packet, despite the drool that was filling her mouth.

"I- I couldn't. Our people don't accept handouts."

Mina cocked her head to the side, then smiled as an idea came to her. "Then how about payment? If you know a way back to the upper level that doesn't take us through the effluvium, we would be willing to give you this, and the Odogaron tail."

The Grimalkyne considered the offer for a moment, her tail and ears twitching furiously as her willpower warred with her stomach. Then, her nose twitched as the smell of the jerky reached her, and her stomach rumbled once more.

"Y-yes. There's a tunnel not far from here that leads back up. It's not hard to find, if you know where to look."

With a wide smile, Mina handed the packet of jerky over. The Grimalkyne gulped one strip down, a look of satisfaction washing over her face. Then she regained her senses, stuffed the remaining jerky into a small pouch she carried, and bowed to Mina.

"Thank you so much!"

"Don't mention it," Mina said, "Although… the Commission, our 'tribe' has more information we're looking for, information we'd be willing to pay for in food and medical assistance."

The Grimalkyne's ears perked right up at that, letting Mina know she was on the right track.

"We're trying to scout out the area. Any maps you have, or even help scouting would be immensely valuable. And if you know a way to counter the effects of the effluvium…"

The Grimalkyne nodded furiously. "There is a way. Our elder knows how to craft a mask that can filter the mists. We could teach your people this, if they could help us in exchange."

Mina stuck out a paw. "It's a deal then!" Technically, she didn't have the authority to negotiate for the Commission, but she doubted anyone would complain. She and Izuku had just solved one of the biggest problems facing the Commission in less than a day, and all for the cost of a few meals and some medical supplies. They had more than enough to spare, and the Lynian Researcher would be over the moon to hear about contact with a new tribe.

"Something good happen?" Izuku asked, walking over to them.

"The Commission just got some new partners!" Mina replied, a wide smile on her face, "They even know a way to deal with the effluvium!"

"That's awesome! Great job Mina!" Izuku said, holding out his hand for a high five.

For someone so gentle and caring, Izuku was surprisingly forceful when it came to high fives. Mina had come away from more than one with a stinging paw. She never refused one though, and it had become something of a ritual for them to high five after every successful hunt or expedition. It was a little embarrassing to have an audience though. The Grimalkyne stared at them rather intently, though Mina couldn't tell what was running through her head.

"On that note, we should probably head back," Izuku said, pulling himself up to his full height. "The Commission will want to hear the good news, and I could use a bath."

"Me too," Mina admitted, giving herself a surreptitious sniff. One of the downsides to her heightened feline senses was that she knew exactly how terrible all the gunk stuck in her fur smelled.

"Well then, let's get going," Izuku said, gesturing for the Girmalkyne to step forward, "Lead the way!"

---

"They're back!"

The Handler's call set off a ripple in the small camp, which had become much more crowded since Izuku and Mina had last visited. Several hunters and their handlers milled about at the edges, while a group of tailriders had taken over the stools by the oven. Even the Field Team Leader was present, chatting with an elderly woman dressed in the light armor favored by the scouts and explorers of the Commission.

They all crowded around Izuku and Mina, congratulating them for coming back in one piece and lobbing endless questions at them in equal measure. It took Mina puffing up to twice her size and letting out a furious hiss to get everyone to back off.

Izuku breathed a sigh of relief. The crush of bodies had set off his anxiety, despite the fact that most of them had been well wishers. He resolved to thank Mina profusely for her assistance once they were alone.

A brief image of giving her a big hug to express his gratitude, and staying snuggled like that until they were forced by hunger to let go flashed through his mind. His cheeks burned at the thought, and he forced himself to think of anything else. Thankfully, the Field Team Leader picked that moment to address them.

"It looks like you two have had quite the exciting day. Any chance it was a successful one too?"

Izuku nodded, "We made contact with a tribe of local Grimalkynes when we rescued one of their members. They agreed to provide support for the Commission in exchange for food and medical supplies. We stopped by their camp and spoke to their elder on our way back, and apparently, food has been getting more and more scarce in recent years."

The Field Team Leader nodded sympathetically. Apparently food had been an issue during the early days of Astera, when they still were learning how the ecology of the New World worked. "I'll need to confirm with the Commander, but I'm sure it won't be an issue."

"That's a relief," Izuku said with a sigh. "They were really helpful. They call themselves the Plunderers, and they know the Vale like the back of their paw. They even told us about a monster called a Great Girros whose hide can be used to neutralize the effluvium."

A cheer went up from the assembled hunters and tailriders at the news. They had been waiting around with no direction for far too long for their liking, and now they finally had a monster to direct their energy towards. Izuku pitied the Girros they came across. They would not be holding back in the slightest.

"Excellent work, as always," The Field Team Leader said, giving Izuku a friendly slap on the back that sent the shorted boy staggering forward slightly. The greatsword strapped to the man's back definitely wasn't just for show.

"Thank you , sir," Izuku said once he had recovered his balance. He snapped a quick salute, which Mina copied.

"Now, why don't you head on back to Astera? We can handle things here, and I know the Commander will want to pick your brains about what you found down there. And, since I know you worked hard, you can have this."

He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a sheet of paper. It was a voucher for a free meal at the canteen, with no limit on how many dishes or drinks that could be requested. Essentially, it was a free ticket to an all-you-could-eat-buffet for both Izuku and Mina, which had them both salivating as images of juicy steaks and deliciously melted cheese filled their heads.

"You are literally the best boss ever!" Mina said, snatching the voucher from his hands before he could think of rescinding the offer.

"Now that's some high praise!" he said, laughing at her antics. "Have a good trip back you two, and let my Grandfather know that we're doing well out here."

"We will" Izuku replied. Then, he put his fingers to his lips and let out a loud whistle. A moment later, a wingdrake swooped low overhead, allowing Izuku to grapple onto it with his slinger before ascending rapidly towards the sky above.

Normally, Mina clung to his leg tightly during the flights and didn't risk letting go, but to Izuku's surprise she let go of his leg slightly after they had ascended a little ways above the Vale. She reached her free paw into her pack and pulled out a scatternut that she had picked up on their way back to camp, much to his confusion.

"This place sucks, and if we ever come back, it will be too soon!" she cried, before hurling the scatternut down into the Vale. It traced a long, lazy arc before vanishing into the mists of the effluvium far below them.

He looked down at her, only to receive a shrug in response to his unasked question. "What? We didn't get to beat the Odogaron, and this was the next best way to relieve the stress.

It was a bit odd, but Izuku didn't begrudge her a coping mechanism. He could use some catharsis himself, though he doubted he would copy Mina's method. He would be far too worried about hitting someone accidentally.

Instead, he turned his gaze upward, where the blue sky above the Coral Highlands was just becoming visible and inhaled his first breath of clean air since descending into the Vale.

---

Far, far below, in the very depths of the Rotten Vale, a rare feast was occurring. Dozens upon dozens of Girros surrounded the corpse of an Odogaron that had wandered too far into their territory and fallen to their pack due to its weakened state.

They tore into it with the savage hunger that only a starving monster could display. The only sound was the snap of their jaws and the tearing sound of meat as they did their best to strip the monster clean.

So it was that when a scatternut came to a sudden and abrupt halt on top of a nearby mound of decaying flesh and bone, the sound of it bursting filled the entire area. It had the same effect as a gunshot in a crowded theater. Girros scrambled for cover, scrambling over each other in their haste to get away.

Eventually the ruckus ceased, as each Girros was secure enough in their own hiding place that they could turn their attention to the source of the disturbance.

At the center of the area, a truly massive pile of flesh, bones, and gristle sat, small streams of effluvium and other assorted gasses wafting off of it. The scatternut's impact had broken one of the large rib bones that protruded from the top of the pile, but otherwise had left the mass undisturbed.

Still, the Girros were cautious as they returned to the Odogaron's remains. They slunk low to the ground, pausing every time a bubble popped in the acid pools nearby, or one of their number misstepped and snapped another bone.

Finally, the pack made it back to the corpse and resumed their feast. One Girros, however, was more curious than the rest. It wondered at the cause of the disturbance. And so, it continued on, creeping closer and closer to the pile.

It scrambled up the mound, a lifetime of experience navigating the often treacherous footing of the Vale keeping it from slipping back down. A few of its pack-mates noticed the Girros's climb and began to call out to it, urging it to return to the pack and their meal.

The Girros ignored them, pressing forward until it finally reached the peak of the mound and the remains of the scatternut resting there. It sniffed at them curiously before it suddenly stiffened, then collapsed. The small cloud of effluvium that surrounded it pulsed, then drew into the mound as though drawn by a great inhalation.

The remaining Girros fled without a single look back. Not even the bounty of a fresh Odogaron could tempt them back now that the ruler of the Vale was stirring.

And deep beneath the mound of death, a single golden eye slowly opened.

---

Author's Notes:

And here we area again. Thank you to everyone who's stuck with this fic through it's extraordinarily inconsistent upload schedule. The fact that you're still here means the world to me.

This story was supposed to be a short little bit of connective tissue, with a bit of fluff and action to spice things up. Then, I sat down to write it and it somehow spawned into the longest single chapter I've ever written. There's just something about this story that makes me want to write more and more every time I go to write it.

On an unrelated note, when I was first sitting down to write this fic, I saw that a streamer I follow was playing Iceborne, and decided to tune in for a minute to get some inspiration, only to find him playing with a charge blade user named Midori. They didn't have a Mina Palico, but I like to think it was the universe telling me something anyways. Coincidences are fun.

Finally, because someone asked, no this story will not contain any lemons. That kind of writing isn't really my forte, and its not something I'm looking to do with this fic. That said, there will be cuddles, head-pats, and all that good stuff. Just not much beyond that while Mina is still Palico-ed.

As per usual a massive thank you to the man, the myth, the legend, Raef_Darksbane for editing/betaing this fic, and thanks to each and every person reading this. You guys are the best. Have an excellent day!