Since Horizon is a video game, there are side quests. And since this is the first side quest of the story, it will be fairly simple. Helping the Desert Tenakth clear their land from machines so they can easily get their desert meat. This simple task, however, will be Deku's and Bakugo's first look into the horrible truth of this world, and the true danger its inhabitants face. How will this go? Only one way to find out.
Chapter 5: A Simple Task
Aloy leads Midoriya and Bakugo towards Arrowhand, a Desert Tenakth settlement currently undergoing a food crisis due to machines. As they approached, they noticed a distinct difference in color these Tenakth had with the ones found back at the Memorial Grove. Instead of the predominant cyan that mimicked the color of the forest, these Tenakth bore predominant red and yellow colors as bright as the sun that shone on their territory.
The three approach the gate, encountering two of the Desert Tenakth guarding the entrance to their settlement.
"Good day, Champion. I see you brought some outlanders here." One of the guards eyed the teens, and their strange outfits. "Those are some strange pieces of armor. Wouldn't want to be the tailor who made them."
"I-I… actually, it was made by my mom…" Midoriya rubbed the back of his head, while Bakugo bore a small scowl that wanted to boast about how awesome it is.
"Huh, sentimental value, I guess." Another guard shrugged.
"Chief Hekarro sent me. He said I can look for Marshall Okkoreh to help with your food shortage." Aloy explained her situation. "Is he here at the moment?"
"Oh, yeah. You'll find him inside." The two guards then gave a salute to the huntress. "May your spears strike true, Champion."
With that farewell, the three head into Arrowhand, with their eyes meeting multiple Desert Tenakth youth training with spears. Despite the awe of the trainees seeing the Champion herself in the settlement, they still went on with their training.
Still, this doesn't escape the attention of the green haired teen.
"So your titles are the Champion and She Who Flies On The Wings Of The Ten. Are there other titles they call you?" Midoriya asked curiously.
"Is that really a question that needs answering?" Aloy asked. "Why do you need to know that?"
"Well, you are a hero here, so I'd like to know what the people here call you." Midoriya stated, rubbing the back of his head. "We've been passionate about heroes since we were kids, so there's that."
"It's a… long story. Something we have to get back to the base for." Aloy stated. "But, first thing's first, machine problem. I'm guessing you're already up to the task?"
"Hmph. Like I said, you'll see us in our element." Bakugo pridefully stated. "We've seen your skills, now it's time for you to see ours."
"If you say so." Aloy stated, not knowing how to approach his pride.
There, the group came across a duo of Desert Tenakth conversing among themselves. Knowing that one of these men might be Marshall Okkoreh, they decided to listen in on their conversation.
"Could he be somewhere far south?" The elderly of the two Desert Tenakth asked, seemingly worried about something.
"It's possible. But with too many machines out there, it's too risky for a search party to head that deep into the desert. We already have a lot on the line as it is." The younger of the two stated. "He shouldn't have gone out on his own. May he be guided by the Ten."
"Um, what's that about someone going out alone?" Aloy interrupted the discussion, catching the attention of the two.
"Aloy! Thank the Ten you're here." The elder Desert Tenakth stated.
"It seems I came at the right time, Jetakka?" Aloy asked the elder.
"You sure did, Champion. Now I wouldn't have to risk more men on this search party." The younger Tenakth sighed with relief.
"And you must be Marshall Okkoreh. Chief Hekarro sent me here." Aloy told the Tenakth Marshall. "Mind telling me what the situation is?"
"Ugh. It's a young hunter named Tekkrah. He snuck off into the desert to get more meat for the tribe." Okkoreh sighed once again. "Must've been a last ditch effort from the young soldier. We don't even know where he went."
"Wait, I think I remember now." Jetakka let his hand out. "He told me about a station north of the Stillsands. A station where we used to dry meat in the desert heat. Yes, that's probably where he went."
"Is he mad?! The path is filled with hunter killers, and he thinks to head there alone?!" Okkoreh asked.
"Hey, take it easy. He's just doing what any good soldier would do." Aloy let out a hand in front of the Marshall. "You said north of the Stillsands, right? Maybe I can head down there and find him."
"As always, the Champion helps us in times of need." Jetakka nodded at the prospect. "We hope you find the young soldier."
"Well then, that at least saves me the headache. Thank you, Champion." Okkoreh sighed. "Oh, and if you have the time, may you pick up the meat from the station? It should be enough to feed the Tenakth here."
"Consider it done. I'll help your people get what they need." Aloy stated.
"Yeah, the people of Arrowhand won't have to worry about food shortages now that we're here." Midoriya jumps into the conversation, ready to help someone in need.
The two Desert Tenakth took quick glances at the young teens accompanying the huntress. A confusing sight, to be sure due to their ages. There shouldn't even be hunters this young among a commander's ranks.
"And they will accompany you in this endeavor, Champion?" Okkoreh tilted his head in confusion. "Even we don't send out hunters that age for machine hunts."
"It's okay. Think of them more like my… apprentices." Aloy stated. "I think you know I'm more than capable of protecting them.
"Well, you have proved yourself time and time before." Jetakka stated. "I can also assume you will take full responsibility if anything happens to these two, right?"
"Of course." Aloy nodded.
"Hmph. Very well then. Good luck on the hunt, Champion." Jetakka nodded. "May the Ten guide you."
"Thanks for the assurance." Aloy nodded appreciatively.
Aloy began to lead the two students towards the southern exit of the Arrowhand. With their task clear, they are ready to head into the desert and find Tekkrah.
The three of them step out of the Desert Tenakth settlement, immediately spotting a group of three machines a little bit away from the settlement. These machines come in the form of quadruped animals, similar to that of a bighorn sheep. The machines also have a singular canister of biofuel between the haunches and saws on the ends of the horns.
"Well, this will certainly make things easier." Aloy stated.
"Looks like we've got something to convert into scrap then. Get ready to die, robots." Bakugo prepared an explosion in his palm.
"Not what I have in mind. We have to cut some time. The longer that Tenakth soldier stays out there, the longer he is in danger of the machines." Aloy then pulls out her spear, gesturing to the blunt end with the override augment. "We can override those Chargers to cut through the desert.
"You're gonna override the machines?" Midoriya asked. "So we're gonna use them to ride across the desert. That's gonna give us more time to find Tekkrah!"
"Hmph. Guess we think differently." Bakugo calmly scowled.
The three sneak up on the Charger herd, and very quickly, the huntress uses the override augment to take control of the machines' systems. The machines now glow with a blue hue, with blue wires now covering the head and neck of the machines.
"There. Hop on." Aloy stated, hopping onto the machine and using its blue wires as reins.
The two students quickly hopped onto the Chargers, using the reins in order to try and control the machines. It was hard, but they managed to get the machines under control.
"Wow. Is this what horse riding feels like?" Midoriya asked in awe. "I've wanted to try this for a while now! Maybe I can- Whoah!"
Due to his jittery energy, the green haired boy managed to startle the Charger he was riding. This caused it to throw him off its back, with him landing on his back on the sandy rocks as a resort.
"Oof!" Midoriya painfully yelped.
"Oh, be careful there." Aloy grit her teeth at the sight.
"Haha! You really fell off the robot horse, huh?!" Bakugo began to laugh at the sight. "Now let's go. We have hero work to do, Deku."
"A-Alright then!" Midoriya jumped back onto the Charger, making sure to grip the reins tightly. "Lead the way, Aloy."
"Okay. Follow me." Aloy says, pulling on the reins of her Charger to set it in a running motion.
Aloy began to charge into the rocky desert, prompting the two students to follow on their robotic mounts. Though with some difficulty at first, Midoriya and Bakugo quickly managed to get used to the machine riding, catching up to the huntress in a matter of minutes.
"Whoa! Okay, I think we got a handle on it." Midoriya exclaimed, controlling the machine as best as he could. "How far are the Stillsands?"
"Oh, it's not that far. We may be able to see signs of the missing soldier." Aloy then spots something in the distance that piques her interest. "And I think that's something over there."
The two students look ahead and see a machine that had been felled on the desert stone ahead. From a single glance, the machine had taken the form of a raptor variant known as a dromaeosaur, with bipedal legs and claws on all four limbs. It's armor plating was made to resemble feathers, it had a sharp, fan-like tail and its lower jaw seems to be in the form of chainsaws.
And it had a distinct purple hue. An Apex variant. Not only did this thing look like it was built to kill, it was practically designed to.
"A-An Apex machine?" Midoriya asked nervously.
"Yeah. A Clawstrider. Razor sharp claws and jaw, this thing's built to kill." Aloy muttered as she dismounted the overriden Charger.
"Whatever it is, it doesn't look like it did its job well." Bakugo stated upon seeing the sight of the machine.
The fallen Clawstrider had a bunch of arrows lodged into its carcass, mostly in the neck and head region due to the prescence of its central processor.
"Looks like we found our guy." Aloy activated her Focus in order to scan the state of the machine. "I can use my Focus to scan for tracks. Tekkrah couldn't have gone far."
Suddenly, electrical howling was heard nearby, catching the group off guard. Turning their attention to a nearby hill, they spot a pack of Scroungers heading towards them, with mechanical teeth barred and sparking with electricity.
"Scroungers. Must've came to salvage the Clawstrider carcass." Aloy exclaimed, taking out her bow in the process.
"Huh? You mean these metal fuckers can be scavengers as well?" Bakugo raised an eyebrow in confusion. "What's the damn purpose?!"
"So they scavenge parts of dead machines to make more?" Midoriya quickly asked. "Might be a form of self replication, but what purpose do these machines even serve?"
"Believe it or not, these machines were a part of something good. That event I told you about earlier? The one that collapsed the Old World? These things helped in its reversal." Aloy stated.
"What?! Then-Then why do they attack humans?!" Midoriya asked in confusion.
"That is a story for another time." Aloy says as the Scroungers begin to make their way towards the group. "Right now, these things might risk getting a trail removed. We have to take them out or else our lead on Tekkrah is gone."
"Well then, it's time for them to join their salvage." Bakugo prepared an explosion in his palm. "Get ready to die!"
With a wind disrupting explosion, Bakugo launches himself towards the pack of Scroungers for an attack. Things quickly became chaotic on his end, and because of the distance and general disorientation his Quirk uses, Aloy could only slightly tell what was going on.
"So, his Quirk is to produce explosions from his hands." Aloy stated. "Well, since it doesn't contain shrapnel, I suppose it might be safe for him, but it may limit his lethality."
"A-Actually, it's a good thing that his explosions don't cause shrapnel. See, us heroes only focus to capture and detain villains. We rarely want to kill anyone." Midoriya explained.
"I see." Aloy stated.
Another electronic roar. The two turn to see another machine moving over another hill opposite of where Bakugo was in combat with the Scroungers. This was one large machine in the shape of a large feline, and heavyset on the front. The machine also had a turret on the middle of its spine, appearing to be its main ranged tool.
"And then there is that Ravager." Aloy stated. "Do you want to do the honors with your strength enhancement?"
"Um, no. Actually, I want to see how you fight. You are experienced in fighting these things, right?" Midoriya insisted.
"Okay then. I'll handle this." Aloy then turned towards the machine.
The Ravager then pointed its turret towards the two of them. Taking out her spear, Aloy began to charge at the machine. The turret began to fire blue energy pulses rapidly, blitzing through the arid desert heat. However, the huntress dodges these shots with ease, quickly closing the distance with the machine.
'I haven't really given this much thought because of our circumstances and the world around us. Maybe it was because I was too fixated on everything that was happening.' Midoriya thought out. 'But Aloy. She's what is considered a Quirkless in our world. Someone who has little chance to be considered someone strong, let alone become a Hero.'
Seeing its target getting ever closer, the Ravager bent its hind legs in order to leap at the huntress. Aloy intercepts the attack with her spear, heavily bashing its head as it stumbles to the side.
'But this is a world full of Quirkless people. And these Quirkless people face threats worse than the occasional Villain attack.' Midoriya pondered. 'We've seen it with our own eyes. Aloy managed to take down and defeat a Tremortusk using only her weapons and strategy. Who knows how many Pro Heroes it would take to defeat something our entire class had trouble with.'
The huntress quickly dodged a swipe from the machine, before jamming her spear directly into its joints, deliberately crippling it. Seeing this continuous show of skill and bravery, Midoriya stared down at his hand, thoughts slowly coming in.
'So it is possible. This question has been eating me since getting into UA, but even after my continuous improvement with One For All, I've never really been able to prove that a Quirkless man could be a Hero. A question that would save many Quirkless people the bullying I and many others have endured. And now, here, in a world where machines run wild, that question has been answered.' Midoriya tightly clenched his fist, looking at Aloy with newfound respect as she fought the Ravager valiantly. 'Aloy is a Quirkless Hero! One that can definitely rank high if she became one in our world. And she has the heart willing to help others as well!'
Aloy then pulled her bow as the Ravager began to charge towards her. Fearless in her stance and posture, she stares down the machine with courage and conviction.
'She is proof that the Quirkless can become Heroes! A hope I have been looking for a long time for! A hope that no matter who you are, as long as you have the strength and compassion, you can be a Hero!' Midoriya, with tears almost forming in his thoughts, let out one thought of gratitude as Aloy fires an arrow at the machine.
A sip of coffee. Then another one, then another one. Sure, a sip isn't enough to get the body rearing to go, but Class 1-A's homeroom advisor kept the caffeine coming like an addict as he brought a singular hard drive down the hall. It was just two hours since the discovery of another world, one where his students just so happened to get transported there, and next steps are to be carefully planned after hearing about the students' brush with a robot mammoth. A robot mammoth. Aizawa had a headache thinking about what kind of luck was being drawn to these kids for something of that caliber.
"Aizawa-sensei! What happened to the 1-A students?!"
"Yeah! I heard they disappeared!"
"Is that true, Aizawa-sensei?!"
Normally, he'd be stressed out with the amount of students asking him questions as he moved down the hall. But the already bouncing thoughts in his head distracted him from this. And of course, these were people close with his class, so he had to feel sorry for them.
"Unfortunately, we don't have a significant understanding of where they went. But we are making efforts to bring them back." Aizawa told the students. "Kendo."
"Yes, sir?" Kendo responded.
"As class president, you should bring your classmates back to your classrooms now." Aizawa ordered. "We'll get them home, but the situation is getting more complicated by the second. We shouldn't be distracted at a time like this. Wait in your rooms until further notice."
"O-Oh, okay." Kendo stuttered for a bit, uncertain about the situation at hand. "Okay guys, you heard him. Let's head back to our rooms."
Quite a bit of uproar was caused by this, with many of the 1-B students trying to ask more questions and Kendo struggling to stop them, forcing her to use her Quirk to hold them back as the homeroom advisor continues to walk down the hall.
Eventually, he opens a door to a singular hall, entering a conference hall where only a few of the UA teachers were waiting. Most notably, All Might and Power Loader accompanied by Midnight, Present Mic and Principal Nezu. All of whom are currently waiting nervously about the situation.
"Ah, Shota. I assume you have the files?" Of course, Nezu was the exception to the nervousness.
"There doesn't seem to be any malware in the files sent." Aizawa sat down on one of the many chairs, placing the hard drive in the center of the table. "Still, we may have to tread lightly with this."
"Of course. We must focus on the task at hand." All Might stated.
"Yeah, can't trust something from a Dorito on a head." Present Mic tried to lighten up the scene.
"My students are in another world. Did I not just tell you to tread lightly?" Aizawa groaned a bit. "Sir Nezu. The files I am about to show you apparently show the background of the world my students are in. I may be skeptical to show this, but my students have been attacked by robot animals for hours before we re-established connections between Hatsume's Transwarp Nodes."
"This is a different world we are dealing with." Power Loader stated seriously. "Different rules, different history, and different dangers. These files will serve as a history lesson of the new world."
"This will certainly be interesting." Midnight stated. "What are your thoughts on this, Sir Nezu?"
"It appears the feeling is mutual, Miss Kayama." Nezu stated. "Who is the name of the one who has accompanied the students?"
"A huntress named Aloy. The students acknowledge her as a great fighter, even helping them against a large robot mammoth." Aizawa explained. "For someone from a Quirkless world, she may have demonstrated her abilities well enough for the students to trust her. Though I have been having trouble determining if she is to be trusted."
"No need, Shota." All Might interjected.
"Hmm? What does your judgment tell you this time?" Aizawa narrowed his eyes at the statement.
"I'm sure you saw it as well. She had a certain conviction in her eyes that I've seen in only a few Pro Heroes. Strength and dedication accompanied by compassion and will." All Might stated. "I've seen it in many of you, and now I have seen it in the huntress. I know I don't have the best track record when it comes to decisions, but let me be the one to say that she is the kind of person who keeps her word."
"Wow. Quite the speech there. Now I kinda wanna meet this Aloy." Midnight ponders for a bit.
"Still, we should take this with a grain of salt. Certainty is in short supply these days." Nezu reaches for the hard drive and inserts it into the holographic projector in front of him. "Though I would like to learn more about this world."
Turning off the lights in the room gave way for the holographic projector to do its thing. This was the start of the UA Teachers' view into Aloy's dangerous world with a past soaked in blood.
The last Scrounger quickly fell to Bakugo's explosive power, leaving a charred carcass with loose components in the dry desert sand. Despite what he had initially expected, the machines had put up quite the fight, shown by Bakugo's fatigue only proliferating further under the desert sun. There was also quite a bit of slashes found on the boy's arm and torso. Nevertheless, he stood victorious above the wreckage of the machine.
"There! Maybe you'll think twice not to be such pieces of shit." Bakugo sneered at the carcass, before slightly faltering to his wounds. "Damn, I can't believe these things actually got a scratch on me. Mere street punks won't stand a chance against them."
Grasping the claw mark on his arm, which appeared to be the biggest injury from that ordeal, the explosive teen made his way to the carcass of the Apex Clawstrider. Midoriya noticed him approaching from his fight, and gasped upon seeing his wounds.
"Kacchan! The machines got to you?!" Midoriya gasped.
"Yeah. Those things managed to brush off my explosions so easily. So annoying." Bakugo said angrily.
"But are you okay?" Midoriya asked.
"Of course I'm okay, Deku. Let's just get this over with." Bakugo stated, looking around for a bit. "Where did the huntress go, anyway?"
A loud thud was heard. The two young students turn to see the Ravager on the floor, damaged to the point of inoperation. Aloy pulls her out of the machine's neck, before turning her attention to the task at hand.
"Okay. Now to look for tracks." Aloy stated, strapping her spear to her back.
That's when the students noticed the outcome of the fight. A big canine-like machine, possibly capable of leveling a small building, with a large pulse cannon on its back for extra measure, and Aloy managed to take it down on her own. Slight sweat, but stamina still-rearing, and no scratches.
"Wow! So you really are a great fighter!" Midoriya exclaimed with stars in his eyes.
"Tch…" Bakugo stopped himself from saying anything else, getting pissed off at the comparison of the results.
"Alright. Let's continue to look for Tekkrah." Aloy activated her Focus once again, with the holographic interface beginning to scan the surroundings of the dead Apex Clawstrider.
Immediately, something was highlighted within the Focus' interface. Medium-sized footprints, accompanied by slight blood drippings moving away from the Clawstrider carcass. The blood was small enough to be unnoticeable, but the Focus quickly made that easier.
"Footprints. Leading away from here." Aloy muttered. "A small trail of blood as well. If Tekkrah was the one who fought this Clawstrider, it seems he didn't come out unscathed."
"Oh no! That means he's getting weaker out there!" Midoriya gasped upon hearing this. "We might be running out of time. Can you check how much the blood has oxidized?"
"Oxidized? You mean…" Aloy pondered a bit.
"Blood begins to oxidize once it has left the body and exposed to air. Your Focus may help in determining how long since it was spilt." Midoriya stated.
"When did you have the time to learn that horseshit?" Bakugo asked.
"Oh, I spent some of my time learning investigation tactics from Aizawa-sensei." Midoriya scratched the back of his head.
"Hmm. Maybe it isn't as horseshit as you think. Bakugo, isn't it?" Aloy stated, while Bakugo nodded hesitantly to confirm his name. "If I can find out how long it has oxidized…"
The Focus began to work, analyzing the blood drippings for signs of oxidation. Very quickly did the results turn up. Aloy smirks upon realizing its implication.
"The blood isn't that old. This is recent." Aloy stood up. "That means we can find Tekkrah if we follow his trail. You have good intuition."
"O-Oh, uh… thanks." Midoriya shrugged his shoulders a bit.
"Come on. You say we can follow his tracks to find him?" Bakugo asked.
"Let's go. Follow me, people." Aloy says.
Scanning for more tracks, the Focus highlights the trail of footprints and blood moving away from the Clawstrider, heading down south to the Stillsands. Aloy nodded to the students, before all three of them went on to follow Tekkrah's trail.
