Chapter 28: Secret Revealed

"Deku?" I give his shoulder a shake. When he made no effort to speak, I roll him on his back. I pull away the cloth he is still pressing to his mouth. The inner surface of the cloth is splattered with dark, inky red.

"Fuck"

His gaze was unfocused, eyes darting around as if he was searching for something just beyond his grasp. I snapped my fingers in front of him, desperate to spark some recognition. His eyelids fluttered slowly, and he blinked, but there was a disconcerting emptiness in his expression.

"How long have you been coughing up blood?" I demanded, my voice harsher than I intended.

He didn't reply, just stared at me with those heavy-lidded eyes, vacant and distant, weakly clutching at his chest as if it might hold the answers I sought.

"Deku, talk to me." My frustration spilled over, tinged with a layer of worry that deepened with every passing moment.

He parted his dry lips, but all that escaped was a thin, labored breath, as if every syllable was a monumental task. He quickly closed them again, trembling at the seams, biting down on his bottom lip hard enough that I feared he might draw blood himself. A few tears streaked silently down his cheeks, betraying the quiet pain he was trying so desperately to contain.

He gasped sharply, his body arching as he kneaded at his chest, screwing his eyes tightly shut in a wince that twisted my gut. More tears leaked down, finding their way to the side of his face, and my heart ached for him, a visceral sense of helplessness clawing at my throat.

I placed my hand against his brow, feeling the heat radiating off of him. It was an unmistakable spike in his fever; the clamminess that once marked his skin was long gone, replaced by dry, searing heat that sent alarm bells ringing through my mind.

Dehydration.

Why the hell didn't I notice sooner?

The guilt clawed at my insides, a relentless itch that wouldn't go away. Every second felt like an eternity as I watched him struggle, those heavy-lidded eyes filled with confusion and pain. I'm not some kind of doctor; I don't have any magical cure for this.

What do I know about dehydration? It's not like I can just whip up an IV in the middle of nowhere. But I couldn't let myself drown in those thoughts. No. Just focus. Panicking wouldn't help him—he needed me to pull it together.

I can't fix everything, but… I can give him water. That's an easy fix. Just some water.

I take a deep breath, steeling myself as I gently raise his head, cradling it between my hands. "Come on, Deku," I urge, my voice steady despite the turmoil churning inside me. "Just sip a little." I bring the water to his lips, watching as he winces. I feel my insides twist with concern, but I push the anxiety down, forcing a soothing tone.

"Good, that's good" I praise, keeping my voice steady. "A little more."

I tip the bottle further. Too far. In an instant, his eyes widen, and the water floods down too quickly. He splutters and gags violently as the liquid goes down the wrong way, and I snatch the bottle away, the remaining water splashing out in chaotic arcs. Panic races up my spine as the gagging morphs into a harsh coughing fit.

Great, I only made it worse.

I can only watch helplessly as Deku curls in on himself, every muscle in his fragile frame bracing against the force that feels like it's ripping him inside out. I see his strength unraveling—piece by piece—as pain and misery flood out of him in violent waves, leaving behind a trembling shell that seems so much smaller than even a moment ago.

"S-Sorry, Kacchan," he whimpers, a soft plea that twists the knife deeper.

Without thinking, I cradle his head in my lap, desperate to offer him some semblance of comfort. "Shh. Don't talk. Just focus on breathing" I urge, my voice a low, steady cadence meant to anchor him amidst the chaos. "Once you have some Aravac extract in you, the pain will recede."

But he shivers violently, trapped in his own whirlwind of fear and regret, as if my words floated past him unseen. "I'm sorry for slowing us down…" His words slur and fade, heavy with exhaustion, his eyelids fluttering as he struggles to stay conscious—each blink longer than the last.

"Hey, hey, hey. You're not allowed to do that, you hear."I speak softly, my heart pounding in my chest as I scan the area for my bag. But as my gaze darts across the ground, panic surging within me like a wildfire. Where did it go?

Laying his head on the ground, I stand up abruptly, my legs feeling like lead as an urgent adrenaline rush propels me into action. I search the ground frantically, my breath coming quicker. The surrounding vegetation looms large, and I'm reminded of how easily things can disappear in this wild expanse. My mind races. Think! Where could it be?

Then, from the corner of my eye, I catch a glimpse of something—an unmistakable edge of my bag, partially concealed beneath a tangle of underbrush. But as I step closer, my heart sinks. It's not just lying there; some furry little creature has snatched it away, dragging it clumsily across the forest floor.

With no time to think, I take off after it, desperation fueling my every stride as it drags my bag further into the dense thicket of Kinnigan Hill. Just a bit ahead, I spot the scruffy raccoon-like animal, its bright eyes glinting mischievously as it hauls my bag toward a tangle of roots and underbrush.

"Hey! That's mine!" I shout, pushing my legs to move faster. My heart races with the realization that this bag holds more than just the medicine. The extract is vital, yes, but nestled within that same bag is also our certificate of completion for this year at UA. Without Aizawa-sensei's signature, our painstaking efforts to survive Kinnigan Hill become meaningless. If I don't retrieve it, all of this hardship—the training, the lessons, the struggles we've faced—will be for naught. No certificate means no assignment completed, no next step in our hero careers, and worse, no chance of Deku's survival.

"Damn it!" I curse under my breath, the urgency burning in my chest. In a moment of frustration, I decide to bring out the big guns. I gather my resolve, channeling energy into my palms as I prepare to unleash a powerful blast.

"Hey! Get away from there!" I shout, igniting my Explosion quirk. A burst of fiery energy erupts from my palms, sending a shockwave through the air. It's loud—very loud—and the wild animals of Kinnigan Hill scatter in every direction, the chaos of my explosion sending the forest into a frenzy. The raccoon-like creature, startled by the noise and the ground-shaking force, pauses for just an instant before dropping my bag and retreating into the underbrush.

"Finally!" I exclaim, relieved at the creature's retreat, but my relief is short-lived. Another critter manages to grab my bag and scampers off, clutching it tightly in its jaw as it disappears deeper into the tangled greenery.

"No! Come back!" I yell, feeling a wave of frustration surge through me. My heart races as I make an impulsive decision. Without thinking too much about the consequences, I take off in pursuit, igniting another burst of explosions to cover the distance quickly. Each blast propels me forward, the adrenaline pumping as I draw closer to the creature.

I realize that this would-be thief is surprisingly agile, darting in and out of the underbrush with a leaping grace that belies its cumbersome appearance. "Come back here!" I shout, my voice echoing in the dense foliage as I try to close the gap. I push my limit, weaving between the thick trunks of trees and the vibrant undergrowth—each step a desperate act as my frustration mounts. I can't let this creature ruin everything that matters.

It's exhilarating, but my body feels the strain. After just a few more blasts, exhaustion begins to creep in. The energy saps from my limbs as the beast takes another sharp turn, leading me deeper into the thicket, the air thick with the scent of damp earth and wildflowers, their fragrances contaminating my focus with chaotic tactile memories.

I remind myself how serene this hill is supposed to be, punctuated only by the sounds of nature, yet here I am, racing after a small animal through a labyrinth of vibrant foliage that seems determined to slow me down. Vines hang like curtains between trees, and wild blackberries thicken the underbrush, their thorny tendrils weaving a natural barrier to my progress.

Cursing under my breath, I maneuver past clusters of tall grass and wildflowers, my hands brushing against blossoms that sway gently in my wake. Each moment feels like a ticking clock, reminding me of the urgency of Deku's condition and the precariousness of our assignment.

With one last explosion, I manage to close the gap and tackle the creature, grabbing the bag just as it makes its final escape. I land heavily on the forest floor, panting and gasping for breath, my heart pounding not just from exertion but from the anxiety of being futilely separated. The bag is secure in my grip, but I can't shake the feeling of dread that comes with it. I can't lose a moment recovering. I scramble to my feet, pulling the bag close.

"Deku…" I mutter, glancing around. The dense canopy of branches above me blurs my sense of direction, and for a moment, I feel completely lost in the overwhelming expanse of Kinnigan Hill. I have no idea where Deku is, and this place suddenly feels more like a wild labyrinth than before. The adrenaline from the chase has faded, and now fatigue weighs on me.

With only the urgency of Deku's condition pushing me forward, I take a deep breath to steady myself. I need to focus. I unfasten the bag and check for the Aravac extract. Relieved, I spot the bottle nestled safely within, but the reality of the situation crashes down on me. Without guidance, there's a chance I might wander aimlessly, losing precious time.

I can't afford to waste time, not when Deku's out there, struggling. I shoot into the sky, my heart pounding like a war drum. I need to spot the stream, to lock onto where I have to go. I frantically try to spot any sign of that stream but the forest is dense and winding, an endless sea of green. I soar high in the air, pushing my body upward with desperate strength. There.

Landing hard, I take off in a sprint, following the trickling stream. My lungs burn and my legs feel like rubber. Exhaustion is creeping up on me and my body isn't producing enough sweat to produce powerful explosion that can keep me airborne or help me travel faster. So I have to stick to the ground. That gut-wrenching image of Deku— face twisted in coughing agony—burns in my mind. His eyes fluttering closed as if the world is slipping away.

No, wait! Please Kacchan, I'm so tired

Tired or avoiding the truth? Does he think if I don't see those stitches, I'll never know about the damn infection crawling its way through him? Does he thinks I'm too stupid to notice?

I don't want you poking at it again. The pain finally came to a bearable level.

What's his idea of a 'bearable level'? Can he even define that? Right now, all I can think about is how slow this is moving. Every second drags on like a torturous eternity. All I want is to quickly complete this assignment—just hand Deku over to Aizawa-sensei or to the hospital, whichever I find first, and be done with this whole emotional mess! I'm over all this tangled drama; I just want to scream and shake him out of it.

I am so tired. I am so cold.

Deku's pallid face haunts me, his rattling breaths echoing in my ears, fueling my desperation. I've never pushed myself this hard, never felt fear like this, cold tendrils snaking around my heart.

I can't stand this! I'm done playing his stupid game. He's not okay, and pretending he is only makes it worse. I want to shake him and yell at him to stop putting a brave face. I want to scream in his face, "You're not fine! Look at yourself!"

But then I stop. Can I really blame him for this? All I've ever done is push him away, acting like I have it all figured out while he's been there trying to hold on. How many times do I have to watch him put on this brave front? It just gnaws at me. When all I do is shove him away, how can I expect him to reach out? I hate feeling this helpless. It's like I'm losing him all over again, and I can't let that happen. I won't let that happen.

The sun is beginning to set, casting long shadows through the thick canopy of Kinnigan Hill. The forest, once a simple backdrop for an assignment, had transformed into something far more sinister. My heart races as I sprint through the underbrush, frantic worry gripping my chest.

Finally, I skid to a halt, my heart racing as I bend over, gasping for air. I scan the surrounding, frantically searching for him, but he's nowhere in sight. "Are you fucking kidding me?" I bark out, frustration mixing with panic. Where the hell did he disappear to? Only the bubbling stream and chittering birds answer me.

Before I launch into another frantic search, I decide to quench my thirst. I lean low, desperate for a sip from the stream. I cup my hands, gulping down the cool, crisp water. It soothes my parched throat, but does nothing to quell the tempest raging inside me. Just as I'm about to plunge back into the woods, I spot something that makes my blood run cold.