"Are you just going to stand there all day?" I snapped, glaring at Deku. "How will you make up for the time you've wasted? We are already on a tight schedule. Yet here you are, wasting time like we're on a safari vacation! Get moving this instance". I tried my best to stomp away, but a bolt of pain shot through my injured leg, causing me to limp pathetically instead. I thought the wide open field will help us in covering the distance faster but now it seemed to mock me as I longed for the supportive trees. With every agonizing step, my leg throbbed and ached, the muscles and bones crying out.
Eventually Deku seemed to snap out of his reverie, shouldering his pack hastily to catch up to my halting pace. I bit back a groan as he drew near, not wanting to reveal any more weakness. We needed to make up for lost time, and I refused to let my infuriating injury be the reason we failed. Gritting my teeth against the pain, I pushed forward across the grassy plain. Deku kept glancing at me with concern, but he wisely held his tongue as we continued on.
We walked in silence for a long time, moving up the mountain in slow switchbacks. In some spots, the trail was so narrow that I could do little more than clung to the mountainside, take tiny, shuffling step and hope the God is kind. The path snaked its way up the steep incline, forcing us into a grueling march. Loose rocks shifted under our feet as we scaled higher and higher, making every footfall treacherous. Fortunately, the weather was very kind today. The sky was a bit cloudy, letting soothing sun rays filter through at times to warm our skin. A soft breeze kissed our sweat-covered faces, providing sweet relief as we continued the arduous climb.
Around afternoon, we descended the first slop and started up the second, which was, to my misery, even steeper and taller than the first. We stopped for a small break at the foot of the second trail, both of us exhausted and frustrated with the difficult terrain.
"Kacchan! We should make our camp here. That way we can..." Deku said, his voice strained with fatigue.
"Are you out of your damn mind? How many times must I tell you that we need to complete this assignment today? And yet you want to stop here," I grumbled, scowling at him.
"Please, hear me out, Kacchan. All I am saying is let's set up camp, then use our quirks to cover the remaining ground quickly. It'll ease the strain on your leg. We will find the next clue and be back here in no time. What do you think?" he proposed.
I wasn't sure whether to berate him for implying I was weak or thank him for sparing my foot, as I was about to collapse at any moment from the pain. Ultimately, I just glowered and said "Don't pitch the tent. Just stash your bag here out of sight. We can set up when we get back."
"Sure Kacchan, let me grab a few things from my bag. Although, it's an emergency kit and I should carry it all, the straps might snap from my quirk's force as you already know. In the meantime, you can re-apply that pain relief spray that I gave you earlier and you can take a pain killer as well. It's safe to take one now as you took the last dose more than 4 hours ago. Eating a few biscuits beforehand could help too since I know it must be hurting badly. Hmm, let's see. What else I should carry? I am taking some rope, a blade, hooks, 2 water bottles, zip ties and flare guns. Should I bring the medical kit from our first checkpoint too, just in case? I think I should just take it. After all, it is an emergency kit. I am leaving the clue boxes. I don't think we will need them. Kacchan, Can i borrow your bag to put all these things?"
I was completely exhausted. I just glared at him. It seems like after I sat on the gravel to rest, my complete body was on the verge of breakdown. I know he already has an extra bag with him - I saw it this morning when he was packing up the tent. So what's the point in borrowing mine? Honestly, how many emergency supplies is he carrying? Why does he think we need an entire house worth of stuff traveling with us? Did he already know about the dangerous checkpoints ahead? Did Aizawa give him clues and tips days before we entered this place? That's the only reason I can think of for his enormous bag. But he seems just as clueless as me from the beginning. Oh God, I'm becoming paranoid like Deku, overthinking and fretting about some trivial matter. I'm just tired and not thinking straight. What does it matter if he borrows my bag? I am not carrying any secret treasure or something. I know he's just trying to be prepared for any situation, even if it seems like overkill at times. I should trust that he knows what he's doing. For now, I'll take a deep breath and try to regain my composure. No need to get worked up over a simple request.
"Err, I won't burden you with my stuff. You don't have to worry. If you allow me to borrow your bag, I will carry it myself. I won't touch any of your stuff. I promise." he said
Oh, he was only trying to help. Of course, he is DEKU. Always looking out for others. He must have noticed how exhausted I was. I feel so stupid now. But it doesn't matter.
"Whatever" I mumbled, picking the biscuits and medication before sliding the bag in his direction. I slowly removed my shoe, wincing as my swollen foot emerged. Carefully, I sprayed on the medication.
"I have an extra bandage that will help keep your foot warm and cushioned," he said, staring at my injury with concern. He rummaged in his own pack for a moment before producing a soft crepe bandage. I wrapped it snugly around my foot and ankle, providing support and protection. With effort, I managed to slide my boot back on, lacing it up loosely to accommodate the swelling. While still tender, the short break to rest my foot and apply first aid had worked wonders, making the pain much more bearable. We both took off with our quirks. I usually rely on my gauntlets to focus and direct my blasts. But even without my usual gear, the arduous trek had caused me to work up quite a sweat, providing ample nitroglycerin-like liquid to detonate. Channeling my pain and fatigue into rage, I unleashed explosion after explosion to rocket through the air.
Within minutes, we arrived at the edge of an apple orchard. A proper wooden fence enclosed the perimeter. There were some wicker baskets and wooden harpoons to our right, probably used by local villagers to harvest the apples. We immediately noticed that the ground was littered with fallen rotten apples. The rows of trees appeared unkempt and wild, with branches sagging under the weight of the uneaten fruit. It was clear that the villagers had not harvested the fruit in quite some time due to the precarious path left by a recent forest fire followed by heavy rains. In their absence, the wildlife had taken advantage of the unpicked feast spread before them. Squirrels chattered and birds sang as they feasted upon the bounty of crisp, juicy apples. The sweet aroma of the fruit perfumed the late summer air.
I groaned looking at the number of trees. "Finding that fucking clue out here could take ages. I have no idea where to even start searching" I grumbled.
Deku nodded thoughtfully as he scanned the rows of apple trees that stretched out before us. "You're right Kacchan. This place is massive. We need a plan to cover more ground efficiently." He tilted his head, frowning.
"Oi, I know that stupid look on your face" I said gruffly, wincing as I shuffled. "Now, spit out what's on your mind"
Deku's eyes lit up eagerly, like I had just handed him a box of chocolate. "I've got an idea" he exclaimed. "I will stay on the ground and check for any disturbed soil or holes in the tree trunks that could indicate a hidden compartment. Meanwhile, you can use your Quirk to propel yourself up into the trees to search from above. That way you can keep your leg elevated."
He looked away at the end of his explanation. He was still feeling guilty for my injury and was avoiding looking at me in the eye. I saw how he was always looking at my foot whenever I tripped or huffed but didn't say anything.
"And how the fuck can you claim that you won't miss it?" It took me a few seconds to understand what he was proposing. And when I did, it was a strong sense of discontent and outright annoyance. That was actually a good plan.
His quirk will allow him easy access to cover the ground quickly but it would take a lot of effort to scale the trees from the top. Whereas, it will be good and easy for me to stay high in the air rather than checking each tree trunk for any hidden cavities with my limp. Also, as he said, it will help my foot to recover.
It was a good plan. A brilliant one, actually. And god did it stabbed my pride that DEKU was the one to come up with it. God damn it, I really hate him.
"Tch, fine." I agreed begrudgingly. "We will do it your way. But you better find that clue quick, or else I'll blast you to the moon!"
He didn't said anything, just nodded sheepishly, glanced at my foot one last time, and moved ahead to examine the ground. I wanted to say that he doesn't need to worry that much, that it was just an accident, that he has already helped me enough. But those words doesn't exist in my vocabulary. It's not in my nature. Better to move ahead in silence, focusing on the task at hand. I used my explosions to leap from tree to tree as he scanned their branches and trunks.
After nearly an hour of worthless searching, we found ourselves on the opposite end from where we began. We were both sure that we checked each tree thoroughly. I was so frustrated that I wanted to hurt something or someone badly.
"Are you 100% sure that clue was pointing to this place? Is this the only Apple Tree Orchard on this hill?" I asked, frustrated at the lack of success.
"Yes, its the only one. I am sure of it." he said with a frown. He tilted his head slightly and stroked his chin. Thinking pose. Soon he began mumbling so rapidly I could barely follow. But I caught a few words like "... clue said beware of the hands...", "...no villagers here...", "...fences in place...", "...must be somewhere unprotected..." and "...all the apple trees are here..."
Limping away from the trees and towards the fence, I tried to ignore Deku's incessant mumbling, which only increased my urge to hurt him. The sun had started its descent towards the horizon, and a gentle breeze rustled the leaves. I gazed out at the dense, foreboding forest opposite me, its darkness a stark contrast to the sunlit field where I stood. Bushes and trees were entangled in such a chaotic way that it almost looked pitch black inside, even on this partially cloudy day. The sun's rays were soothing and warm where I stood, but just a few feet away it seemed like a different world entirely. I peered into the depths of the forest, trying to make out shapes in the shadows. As I studied the edge of the forest, I noticed the ground was strewn with partially eaten apples in various states of decomposition. Some had only a few bites taken out of them, while others were nothing but brown, mushy cores swarming with insects. With a jolt, I realized that no animal ventured over this part of the fence. Could this be because of this forest? There is only one reason why there are apples outside of the fence.
"Deku, I think we have a lead" I said, waving at him to come over. Deku snapped out of his reverie and caught up with me, peering over the rotten apples and the sinister looking forest.
"I don't have a good feeling about this Kacchan." Deku said hesitantly. "The apple trees need ample amount of sunlight. And that place looks like it never let any sunlight penetrate. I doubt we'll find any apple trees in there."
"Do you have a better plan?" I snapped. "Can you guarantee the clue isn't here without looking first?" I jabbed an accusatory finger at his chest. "Useless Deku. You are such a damn coward. I always knew you didn't have what it takes to be a real hero." I glared daggers at him, my fist clenched tightly as red-hot rage coursed through my veins.
Deku shrank under my harsh words, shoulders hunching as he stared at the dark tree line. "Th-That's not what I meant. I-I'm not scared, Kacchan," he stammered meekly, though his voice wavered.
I scoffed, small explosions popping from my palms. "Excuses, excuses. I don't need your help to explore some stupid woods." I jabbed him roughly in the chest again, causing him to stumble backward. "But fine, you stay here and cower in fear if you want. I'll go get the clue myself, like I do everything else around here. Just try not to piss yourself before I get back, coward."
With that, I turned and followed the trail of apples. I didn't look back to see if he was following me or not. I just wanted to be as far away from him as I can. I used small explosions in rapid bursts to light my way ahead. The light revealed a narrow dirt path winding ahead, with decomposing apples strewn along the way, their sickly sweet stench hanging in the air. As I walked further, the darkness seemed to close in around me, the gnarled trunks of ancient trees looming out of the gloom.
The path sloped downward before rising again. I could just make out an opening up ahead where the trees parted. Pushing through the last clinging branches, I emerged from the shadowy forest into sunlight. When the darkness receded, an incredible sight lay before me - the oldest and biggest apple tree I had ever seen, shining radiantly in the sun. It stood majestically in a clearing, its branches spreading outward and dipping low with the weight of thousands of luminous red apples. The apples seemed to glow, polished to an unearthly sheen. Shafts of sunlight filtered through the canopy, illuminating motes of pollen that drifted in the air like golden dust. It was like some kind of sacred place for worshipping nature's bounty. I approached reverently, awed by the presence of this ancient tree loaded abundantly with fruit.
"I found it" I muttered under my breath, huffing lightly. "The clue is here. It has to be!" I stood transfixed like I was under a spell, unable to look away.