awashlogs | Into The Forest

We don't have a choice. [The panic he'd felt earlier has already been firmly replaced by grim determination.]

The blood could belong to someone who came in with us. We have to find them.

[Izuku would never forgive himself if he turned around without looking for whoever was hurt.]

[That's a familiar look on Midoriya's face.

He can't say he hates it. But he can say he's going to back his friend up on this.]

Let's go.

[It probably makes the most sense to have him go first, he has the better long range ability.

So he'll start cautiously taking steps forward.]

[Staying close, Izuku lets Todoroki take the lead as they walk further down the path, always just a second away from activating his quirk.

As they follow the trail of blood, Izuku leans in toward Todoroki.] It's so quiet. The last couple times I was in here, I could still hear birds in the trees.

[Birds that definitely aren't there now. Izuku keeps his voice hushed as he speaks, obviously reluctant to speak louder in the eerie silence.]

Edited 2018-04-09 02:48 (UTC)

[Shouto answers with a small nod. When he came in here with Keith and Mysterion the animals were still chirping. But this time it feels like they've been deliberately cut off from everyone and everything in the forest. Except for whatever's at the end of this path.

Maybe the forest is discouraging them from doing this again. ... Not that he believes in living forests. But.]

It's too quiet to be natural. Stay on guard.

[Silently, Izuku just nods in response. If he'd needed any proof that the forest had some kind of sentience, this would definitely be enough. For a little while, there's nothing but the sound of the leaves and twigs crunching under their shoes as they continue on.]

I think we're getting close. The smell's getting worse.

[It's not that he isn't used to the smell of blood by now, but there's something about this whole set up--the way they'd all been separated, the silence, the blood trail--that makes the coppery tang in the air so much harder to take.]

[He doesn't like how it feels like they're being funneled into a certain direction, bound to the whim of the forest instead of being able to explore the way they meant.

Before they get too much closer to the source he'll stop and turn to his friend.]

When we find whatever's there...

[This is... hm. It's harder than he thought it would be to say. Especially when they simply don't know what's there. While Shouto's fine at figuring his own way alone, he's less good at considering a combination of powers.

Being in a forest like this means he's reluctant to let his full fire power loose. But his ice is made for situations like this.]

I trust your sense of strategy. I'll follow whatever orders you give.

[Only the slight widening of his eyes betrays his surprise. He knows Todoroki well enough to know what a sign of trust that is. Now all he has to do is make sure that trust isn't misplaced.]

Okay. [A quiet exhale as Izuku eyes the path ahead, already ruling out a few strategies. No fire, he thinks. Too unpredictable when they're surrounded by things that would catch fire too easily.] Let's see what we're dealing with.

[This time, Izuku moves them just off the path, so they can use what little cover the trees can give them. The closer they get to what the forest is leading them toward, the heavier the smell of blood and decay gets.]

[He gives a nod in response. Midoriya is somebody he trusts fully and without reservation. It's hard admitting people are better than him at something, but he doesn't feel like it's misplaced.

The closer they get to the smell the more Shouto feels like gagging. The stench of rotting is disgusting. It's something people tend to avoid on principle. But here they are, getting closer.

He follows when Midoriya moves them off the path.

That's when they get their first glimpse of a bunch of bizarre goat men in cloaks.]

[The stench does make Izuku gag as it worsens with each step they take, and yet he presses on. He thinks of the blood stains, and who they could belong to--it's that worry that keeps him going.

His eyes are watering by the time they finally reach the goat men, clearly in the middle of something. Izuku's grateful; with their attention elsewhere, it'll be easier for him and Todoroki to scout them out first. Izuku crouches behind a bush as he narrows his eyes at the center of the goat men's circle.]

I don't see anyone middle of that circle. [He whispers, gaze flicking over to Todoroki's for a moment.]

[He wants to leave as soon as possible with how awful the stench is here. But they need to confirm that nobody's been taken by what's apparently a cult of goat men.]

I don't either.

[They're talking and goats are usually prey animals. One of their ears twitches and the turn to seemingly stare directly where the pair of them are hiding.

Shouto goes entirely still, like maybe they'll somehow blend into the gray of the forest foliage.]

[Izuku goes still beside him, as well, holding his breath. Their sudden caution is all for nothing, though, when the goat man breaks away from the circle to walk in their direction, a bloody ax in one hand.]

Crap, crap... [Izuku says under his breath.] Should we get out of here? If they haven't taken anyone...

[He trails off as he suddenly catches sight of something a little beyond the ritual circle. It's a tent of some kind...and now Izuku realizes that they can't leave without checking that first.]

[ They should learn some kind of silent signal method to avoid this sort of thing in the future. Shouto's head is racing already. With the goat man getting steadily closer he presses his right hand and foot into the ground and ices it to the ground before it gets any closer.

Unfortunately, that means the entire group of goat men have noticed and Shouto ices them all down.

He doesn't notice where Midoriya's focus is yet, but neither of them have started running any direction yet.]

What's the call?

[His attention snaps back to the goat people, and he quickly takes in the situation.]

More ice--keep them encased so they can't move at all. [Izuku says quickly, feeling just a bit alarmed when he sees the first goat man raising the ax like he's about to throw it in their direction.]

[ He doesn't like being forced into situations like this. It reminds him far too much of the incident at the USJ.

But if it's immobilize or be killed there's only one option. So he makes more ice,. In a few seconds they're all completely encased in it and unable to move.

It's a lot in such a short time and his breath is already coming out icy. ]

[As soon as the goat men are completely trapped, Izuku's tugging at Todoroki's arm, pulling him up.]

Come on. [He says quietly, eyes lingering on Todoroki in concern--he'll have to check if his friend's overdone it with the ice, he notes to himself. But first..] There's a tent just over there. We need to make sure they aren't keeping any one in there.

[ There's the slightest shiver in Shouto's right side, but he's trying to compensate with him other's flames.

He allows himself to be pulled up as he looks at the goat men and the tent
Midoriya's right, of course. They need to make sure nobody who came in is on the slaughtering block. ]

Okay.

[ He'll start walking forward, tense. There's probably something in there and they need to be ready for it. ]

[They reach the tent, ignoring the angry, frustrated sounds the goat men make as they pass by.

Izuku pauses just outside, sharing a look with Todoroki before pulling the flap open.

There's...nothing inside. Well, no one, specifically, and Izuku's shoulders slump in relief.]

[ There's the slightest bit of tenseness released from Shouto's shoulders. At least nobody they know was captured by these guys.

One less thing to worry about. The goat men are still a concern, but they're handled for the moment.

They've come all this way, they might as well see what's here.]

... Anything useful in there?

Not exactly. [Izuku ducks into the tent to get a closer look at the items in there.]

There's a quill, some paper... another symbol like the one that's in the circle.

[Poking his head out of the tent now.] The paper and ink could be useful, but... [He worries at his bottom lip. To be honest, he doesn't really want anything that belongs to the goat people, especially if they're being used for rituals like this.]

You have your own paper and pens, right?

We can just... Leave it here.

[ Shouto doesn't want to take anything of theirs either. Maybe they can track them down that way. Seems best to simply leave it here and try to find everyone else. ]

Yeah. Hold on... [He stares at the symbol intently for a moment.]

Maybe I should draw the symbol out and take it back with us? In case anyone knows what it means.

[This whole place makes his skin prickle, but if it could be a clue of any kind, then they should probably investigate it.]

You want to take back a symbol from a cult of goat men?

[ It doesn't seem safe when he says it out loud. But it's just a drawing, right? And not even the original. ]

We did find it in the forest...

[Leave no stone unturned? They did come here looking for answers, after all. He frowns at the symbol again, though, and shakes his head before stepping away.]

Never mind. Let's just go look for the others. [That's taken top priority again, now that it's clear the goat men don't have any of them.]

I don't want to summon whatever they're trying to get here.

[ He'll fall right into step with Midoriya. ]

The sooner we're away from this the better.

Good point. [He stops outside, eyeing the still-trapped goat people with some trepidation.]

What do you think we should do about them?

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