We enter the second arc in the story. As Aloy begins to pick up a lead on HEPHAESTUS' strange activity since the defeat of the Zeniths, Bakugo, wild card that he is, decides to up and leave without a word. Now as complications expectedly arise from this, it's time to see how everyone deals with such unexpected events happening in an already perilous situation.
Matt22152: That is a good guess for what I'm about to do. Pretty soon, he will encounter a fan favorite from the Horizon games.
NewMystery356: I don't think a lot of 1-A are that egotistical, I mean, cut them some slack.
(Sorry for the wait, got burnout, standard writer stuff)
Chapter 11: Songs Against Shadow
"Hey! Kacchan!" Midoriya entered the lounge once again to his classmates, currently indulging themselves to life in an underground base. "Um… where's Kacchan?"
"I don't know. I haven't seen him in a while." Kirishima shrugged.
"Do you think something happened to him?" Kaminari asked.
"Hey, GAIA? Do you know where Bakugo is?" Uraraka tapped her Focus with a query.
"It appears that Katsuki is currently sitting by the west exit." GAIA answered, showing the students live footage of the man staring off into the Forbidden West.
"You can contact GAIA through the Focus?" Tsuyu asked.
"All of your Focuses are connected through a Focus Network that GAIA created." Beta stated. "Just take note that you may hear our other friends through this network."
"Ah, gotcha." Kirishima stated.
"Think we would get to meet your other friends?" Ashido quickly brought up an inquiry.
"H-Hey, let's not get hasty now." Beta puts out her hands defensively.
"We have a lot of questions about this world! The Tenakth can't be the only tribe here, right?!" Sero exclaimed.
"E-Everyone! One question at a time please!" Beta began to sweatdrop.
"Guys, you're making Beta uncomfortable." Iida exclaimed with worry.
Midoriya couldn't help but giggle at this, but he decides to move on now. Moving through the western exit, he eventually makes it to the outside of the base.
Bakugo sat on the cliffside, silently watching the sun set in front of him. Midoriya smiled, but couldn't get the feeling that something was off. This was further exacerbated by the blonde haired boy to look back with a single red eye.
"Oi, Deku. What are you doing here?" Bakugo growled.
"Hey, Kacchan. It's nice to see you here." Midoriya smiled out as usual. "Are you gonna have dinner with us? Beta says she has some stock in the-"
Bakugo gestured to a wooden flask in his jand, dripping with broth.
"O-Oh, I see." Midoriya giggled in embarrassment.
As Bakugo took another swig of stew, Midoriya went on to sit on the cliff face next to him. They both take a look at the setting sun silently.
"...so, got anything swirling around in that mind of yours?" Bakugo quietly asked a question.
"A-Are you asking what am I thinking right now?" Midoriya asked. "Hmm… I've been thinking intently about the tribes in this world."
Bakugo gripped his flask tightly.
"I really want to help Aloy, you know? I mean, we have no business being in this world at all, but even still, I want to help in their struggles against the machines."
A low shadow covered Bakugo's eyes.
"We should be heroes. We should be there for these people in their time of need." Midoriya then bowed his head down. "We shouldn't let them live in fear or danger. We shouldn't fail anyone… like we did with Tekkrah…"
The wooden flask suddenly flew past Midoriya's head, smashing into a rock and spilling its contents on the ground. Bakugo had his arm outstreched, and breathing heavily.
"You really expect me to believe that's what you're thinking of?" Bakugo growled out. "You're relieved, aren't you, Deku?"
"R-Relieved? Kacchan, what is this about?" Midoriya asked worriedly.
"Admit it! Deep down, you want to strike me down because you think you're right!" Bakugo yelled out. "You want your long awaited retribution?! Here! I'm wide open!"
"K-Kacchan, what-"
"YOU WANT TO MAKE ME EAT SHIT, DON'T YA! DO IT! HIT ME WITH ALL YOU GOT!"
Midoriya fell silent at this, not expecting this sudden outburst. There the two stand. Bakugo expects the boy to make his move, but the green haired boy just stands there, unwilling to lift a finger.
"You… you really don't hesitate when helping others, don't you?" Bakugo turned around, frustrated at the way things were going.
The two silently took in the confrontation. The sun had passed over the horizon, causing the area to be shrouded in the darkness of night. This only served to make the scene even more dreary.
"...Kacchan?"
"Just screw off, Deku." Bakugo silently said.
Bakugo's hands suddenly lit up in an explosion, sending him up high into the air. Midoriya, while slightly stunned by the explosion, recovered quickly and gasped at the sigh.
"Kacchan!"
"Don't you dare follow me!"
Multiple consecutive explosions followed this order, as Bakugo blasted himself further and further west. Realizing he was trying to run away, Midoriya began to channel energy into his legs.
"Kacchan… why are you trying to run?" Midoriya muttered to himself.
Shooting off into the sky, Midoriya reached his hand forth to grab his runaway friend. The distance quickly began to close, but Bakugo suddenly veered his head towards him.
"Why the fuck are you still on my ass?!" Bakugo asked angrily.
"Please, Kacchan! Tell me what's wrong!" Midoriya responded to this worriedly.
Still in the air, Bakugo turned back and began to aim an explosion at his friend. Midoriya responded by aiming an Air Force attack.
It was a showdown in the air, and both students stared at each other intently, waiting for the other to make their move until…
"Huh?!"
"What the?!"
A Sunwing was making its way towards them in the sky, screeching its metallic vocals as it flew in the air.
"AP SHOT!"
"AIR FORCE!"
A hail of projectiles rained down onto the flying machine. Try as it might to dodge it, a few good hits were enough to throw the Sunwing off balance and lose control of its flight.
However, this also sent its hunk of metal straight into Midoriya.
"Gaaagh!" Midoriya yelped upon being dragged downward by the machine.
Midoriya and the Sunwing began to plummet down towards a part of the mountainside, where hard rocks were certainly waiting for him. He attempts to break free, but the momentum's too strong for him to escape.
"Ghh… I need to cushion my fall!" Midoriya yelled out, putting a finger downwards while collecting energy. "Air Force!"
A sudden shockwave appeared between Midoriya and the rocky mountain. It slowed his descent, but it didn't stop him from painfully crashing into the rocks.
"Ghhh…" Midoriya groaned in pain, trying to recover from the fall.
A few distant explosions in the distance caused the green haired boy to snap out of his daze. He looked up in shock to see Bakugo heading further west.
"Kacchan… What is going on with him?" Midoriya picked himself up and prepared for another leap.
The Sunwing suddenly perked up behind Midoriya, and went on for a quick beak attack. He didn't have the time to react and braced himself for what is to come.
A sudden energy surge blasted into the machine, causing it to stagger. It turned to its new attacker, but two more energy blasts render it inoperable in seconds.
"Hey, are you okay!" Beta called out to him from the base's exit, with a large cannon composed of nanomachines on her right hand. The other students were also with her.
"You might get seriously hurt, Midoriya!" Iida yelled out as well.
"Y-Yeah! I'm fine!" Midoriya nodded with relief.
A couple quick leaps were enough for Midoriya to regroup with the others. Needless to say, they were more than relieved to see him fine.
"Midoriya, are you okay?" Uraraka asked.
"Yeah… I'm fine…." Midoriya took a moment to catch his breath. "Wait, no… I'm not. Not now…"
The other students devolved into a whole mess of exclamations and questions, but Midoriya was quick to drown it out. He looked towards the night sky over the Forbidden West, and his friend flying over it away from them… away from him…
His friend is hurt, angry, and confused. He didn't have enough time to help him.
Did… did he hurt Bakugo? Was it his fault?
It's time for another song and dance with the UA faculty. Due to how sudden this situation was brought up, Aloy decides it would be the best course of action to make conversation in the call.
"Do I have to be in this conversation, Aloy?" Zo asked.
"I'll try and get this moving as fast as possible. These people did entrust me with their students, so I'm just doing what needs to be done." Aloy sighed in annoyance.
"I'll just inspect the convoy one last time, see if I can pick up any trails." Zo stated.
"Go ahead. I'll join you after this." Aloy stated, before turning back to a live holographic view of GAIA's chamber. "GAIA? I don't think the teachers will hear me since they don't have a Focus. Have anything in mind to move around it?"
"I believe I do. I can use my own audio systems for you to communicate without the use of a Focus." GAIA answered.
"Well then, let's boot it up." Aloy stated before turning to Midoriya and Iida. "Can you tell me what happened? Did you try to chase him?"
"Well… yes, I did. But we were attacked by a… Sunwing?" Midoriya turned to GAIA, who pulled up a hologram of the machine. "Yeah, that. We were attacked midair, and I was brought down. He just continued west, not even trying to tell me if there was something wrong."
"Do you think it has to do with that altercation you two had a while ago?" Iida asked.
"Yeah, it seems like it. I've seen that kind of ego before." Aloy pondered. "But, fragile ego aside, this is not exactly a problem I can put off."
"But shouldn't you be dealing with your machine problem?" Midoriya asked.
"I know, we should consult your teachers before we figure something out." Aloy sighed. "Activate the Transwarp. We've stalled quite enough."
Beta nodded at the order, using her Focus to activate the transwarp. There, Aloy waited for the portal to form.
In the distance, Zo went on to investigate the site when she noticed something in the distance. A single Utaru hunter approaches Stone's Echo.
"The Chorus would like to invite the Gravesinger Zo to Plainsong." One of the hunters spoke out, prompting Zo to approach them.
"The Chorus invited me?" Zo asked.
"There's been an attack on one of the fields. A machine. Something our hunters have not seen before." The hunter began to debrief. "One of the land-gods, La, was targeted. The hunters tried to fight back, but we suffered some casualties before the machine slithered off."
"An attack on the fields?" Zo gasped.
"The Chorus fears that the machine will return once again to attack La. After much discussion, they have requested your aid in order to escort La back into the mountain." The hunter debriefed.
"I see. Can you describe the machine that was attacked?" Zo asked.
"Hmm… from what I could tell, it was a very peculiar machine." The hunter pondered. "It was a different color than other machines. White and gold. And its parts seem to fly off of each other from what the hunters say."
"White and gold… ah, I see." Zo realizes what was going on. "I'll be back in a bit, tell the Chorus I'm on my way."
"Mhm, thank you." The hunter stated, before turning back to the direction of Plainsong.
Zo believed she had found a sufficient lead with this new development. But first, her people were in danger. This new machine is probably more dangerous than anything the Tenakth ever faced.
Zo decides to walk back to Aloy, tapping her Focus so she can join in on the conversation.
"Aloy. Something just came up." Zo spoke out.
"Hmm? What is it?" Aloy asked.
"News of a machine that had attacked Plainsong. Possibly a new machine created with Zenith tech." Zo debriefed. "I have to attend to one of the land-gods, it is my duty as a Gravesinger."
"Well, looks like we need to change up our plans." Aloy thought out. "Beta, send them to Plainsong instead. If we can get this done, we can find their friend."
"I'll get the Chargers ready." Beta nodded.
"Wait, who's being sent to Plainsong?" Zo asked.
"We have decided to send our students there in order to aid in your task quickly." Aizawa stated from the holographic projection on the other side of the portal. "Bakugo needs to return as soon as possible. Our students are qualified to help out in your endeavor. So once Aloy is done with her task, she can focus on getting our student back here safely."
"Oh, I see. So I assume you must be the teacher of these students." Zo nodded in understanding. "My name is Zo, a Gravesinger of the Utaru. May I ask your name?"
"Shota Aizawa. Pro Hero Eraserhead." Aizawa answered. "I believe Aloy has told you about our world, am I correct?"
"Yes." Zo bowed down in respect. "Your goals and causes are admirable. May the land bloom in your steps, Aizawa."
"I appreciate the gesture." Aizawa responded with a nod. "Midoriya, Iida. Go with Beta and head for Plainsong. Bring along Kaminari and Yaoyorozu with you."
"Alright, Aizawa-sensei." Midoriya nodded.
"We'll do our best, sensei." Iida bowed down.
With that, the connection was cut. Aloy turns to Zo once again.
"So, this new machine. Zenith tech, right?" Aloy asked.
"I'm certain. The Chorus is certain that it will attack again." Zo nodded
"So, once we bring down the machine, we'll have GAIA trace the Cauldron it is from." Aloy thought. "We'll be able to cut off HEPHAESTUS' access to the Zenith tech once we find out where it's getting it from."
"Good plan. But first, we need to deal with the machine." Zo stated. "Let's head to Plainsong now."
"Alright." Aloy stated, before the two made their way to Plainsong in the distance.
"Okay, are you three comfortable?" Beta asked as she pulled the reins on a Charger.
"Yeah, is this what horse riding feels like?!" Kaminari asked excitedly, disturbing Yaoyorozu who was holding the reins of the machine.
"Excuse me, just let me concentrate, okay?" Yaoyorozu exclaimed.
"And are you sure you're okay with running?" Beta turned to Iida, who wasn't riding a machine and was currently stretching his legs.
"No need to worry about me, Beta. Running is my specialty." Iida stated. "Make sure to hold on tight, Midoriya."
"A-Alright…" Midoriya replied, still somewhat deep in his thoughts.
"Okay then. Yaoyorozu? Iida? Follow me. We're heading for Plainsong." Beta stated.
Beta tugged on the reins, allowing the Charger to ride down the mountain towards the east. As Yaoyorozu and Iida followed her down.
Midoriya was still deep in thought, wondering what might be troubling his friend, Bakugo. And where he was at this moment.
Eventually, Beta led the four students to an area that is clear from trees. This is able to let them see the marvelous structure up ahead.
"Whoa…" Kaminari gasped.
"Whoa indeed. It's beautiful." Yaoyorozu added.
The entire area is what used to be an ancient field filled with large satellite dishes. The fields around such ancient structures are flowing with crops planted on fertile soil, ready for harvest.
In the center of these lush plantations and fields are three separate satellite dishes, upon which the Utaru have built their settlement. The buildings upon these dishes consist of interweaving of plant fibers, allowing for a beautiful display of architecture in the form of bridges, platforms and sections of unique shapes. There was even a large tree growing from the center of one of the satellite dishes.
This had agriculture written all over it. And if it somehow doesn't, they don't know what can.
"So this is the Utaru homeland? Very beautiful indeed." Iida nodded in appreciation.
"Plainsong. This is where we need to go, right?" Midoriya asked.
"Yes. I believe Aloy and Zo are currently here as well." Beta stated. "We are on a bit of a time constraint here, so the sightseeing can wait."
"Hold on, just one quick snap of the thing." Kaminari took out his phone and took a picture of the Utaru settlement. "Something to bring back home."
"While the architecture is amazing, we still have to do our duty as heroes." Iida stated. "Come on, let's find Aloy."
As the five of them enter the fields of Plainsong, they notice a bit of a commotion in a nearby area, and opt to look into it.
Very quickly did they realize the situation at hand.
"Here, eat these." Zo was currently tending to another Utaru, who had one of his legs crushed. She then gave them some medicinal berries in order to deal with the pain.
"T-Thank you… Zo…" The Utaru groaned in pain.
"It's okay, you fought well." Zo consoled the Utaru before turning to another Gravesinger. "Bring him to our healers, he needs their immediate attention now."
As the injured Utaru was brought away to the healers of the tribe, Zo turned to Beta and the students.
"Ah, Beta. Glad you arrived." Zo smiled at the new arrivals before turning to the students.
"Got the students here for assistance." Beta stated as the students hopped off the machines.
"You say this place was attacked by machines, right? Can you tell us?" Iida was quick to ask.
"Follow me." Zo ushered, leading the students and Beta through the Utaru farmlands. "According to our hunters, a large machine entered Plainsong's fields, targeting one of our land-gods."
"Land-gods?" Yaoyorozu asked.
"They are the machines that tend to our farmland." Zo gestured to one part of Plainsong, where a machine was seen tilling the soil with its horns.
The machine had the appearance similar to ceratopsids, such as the triceratops, with a total of five horns for tilling the soil around a singular eye. It had two massive sacs visible on its back and two seed dispensers to its sides. Its long tail that was split in two also helped to till the soil.
Quickly scanning the machine with his Focus, Midoriya finds that its name is a Plowhorn.
"A Plowhorn. According to this file, its main function is soil maintenance and seed dispersal." Midoriya hummed.
"And the Utaru consider these as their gods?" Kaminari asked.
"Yes. When the tribe was still in its foundational stage, eight of these Plowhorns provided them with arable land for their crops." Beta answered.
"I see, so these machines helped the Utaru develop its agrarian culture." Iida nodded.
"And as my duty as a Gravesinger, I am one to tend to the land-gods in case something like this happens." Zo noted, pointing towards a scene that was going on ahead.
"GAAAAGH!"
The five of them turn to see another land-god surrounded by Utaru, but this wasn't a pretty sight. One of the Utaru had his legs crushed under the machine, and his fellow tribemates were trying to lift the machine off of him.
"Okay, we do this in three." Aloy was also seen with the Utaru, ready to lift the machine as well. "One, two, three!"
Aloy and the Utaru lift the machine off of the injured Utaru farmer. Midoriya and Iida quickly took the initiative and dragged him out of the wreckage.
"It's okay, we're here." Midoriya quickly reassured the Utaru farmer. "Zo, can I have some berries?"
"Oh, I have some here, young one." Zo reached into her pocket and pulled out some medicinal berries.
Midoriya quickly administered the medicinal berries to the Utaru farmer, and after a few moments, he begins to calm down.
"Thank you… thank you…" The farmer sighed.
"Get him to our healers." Zo turned to one of the hunters that was nearby.
"If I may, Zo. I can run fast, I may be able to take this man to your healers." Iida offered.
"Fine. Bring him with the others. We can't lose anyone else." Zo sighed as Iida carried the farmer over his shoulder.
As Iida ran off, Midoriya and the others noticed something harrowing. Nearby, three bodies of Utaru were seen lying parallel to each other. All three had grave injuries, and had lost a lot of blood.
"Wh-What happened here?" Yaoyorozu gasped.
"The true danger of these machines…" Midoriya gulped remembering back when Tekkrah died.
"D-Did the Plowhorn do this?" Kaminari asked.
"No, it was another machine." Aloy stated. "The farmers had witnessed it exiting the forest, where it attacked this one here."
"So, at least we know our target." Yaoyorozu stated.
"Unfortunately, we don't know where it went. It left just as quickly as it appeared." Zo stated. "The Chorus is afraid that our land-god La would get attacked again. I'm tasked with bringing it back to the mountain to be renewed."
"Ah, let us help you, Zo. We're qualified to help." Yaoyorozu stated.
"Yeah, simple escort mission, let's go." Kaminari smirked.
"Actually, I'm gonna need you with me along with Midoriya." Aloy told the electric blonde. "This new machine might be tough. I'm gonna need your help to take it down."
Kaminari froze at the mention of fighting an unknown machine, something the others took note of.
"Kaminari?" Yaoyorozu asked.
"Is something wrong?" Aloy asked.
"He probably wasn't expecting to fight a machine. I promise this isn't that common in our world." Midoriya stated while scratching the back of his head.
"Well, we shouldn't waste any more time." Aloy stated. "Zo, think you can wake the big guy?"
"I think I can. No need to worry." Zo stated.
"I'll head back to the base. Erend is planning to return, and I guess he still doesn't understand who we have at the base." Beta stated, hopping back onto the Charger for the trek back.
"Okay, be careful Beta." Aloy nodded while smiling.
"Have a safe trip." Midoriya waved back.
With that, Beta left for the base, and Aloy brought Midoriya and Kaminari into the forest, ready to hunt down this new dangerous machine.
"Fuuuuck…"
How long was he out? Damn it, if he could remember anything last night, he would have some semblance for why he woke up in the middle of the day in the middle of the forest.
"Hmm… huh…"
So last night wasn't a dream. It almost felt like it was. One of the few times he actually lost control of himself. And it wasn't like back in Ground Beta where he could release that stress with a fight. No, he just got up and ran. Ran from everyone, and from damn Deku.
He brought himself up to try and compose himself. But he just couldn't, all this stress and thoughts eating away at him from the inside. Damn it, why does this shit have to be so difficult.
Now, he had to make a choice. He knew he would get punished severely for each passing hour he was separated from the others and had to return, but after that pathetic display, he couldn't bring himself to face the people he annoyed, and especially Deku. He didn't want to be more of a hypocrite than he already was.
"It seems you are lost, young hunter."
Bakugo shot open his eyes in surprise at the new voice, only to see a hand being stretched out towards him. The hand belonging to someone bearing Tenakth armor and tattoos with predominantly cool colors such as blue and purple. The most notable details of his appearance was a large piece of machine plating on his right shoulder, and that his left arm is missing with the stump covered by blue fabric.
"This is no place for a wannabe."