Chapter Text
“One more...” Ochako Uraraka connected her hands together, making sure to keep her pinkies from touching. Her stomach wanted to burst from nausea and her head throbbed from overuse of her quirk, but she was too close to give up. She took in a large huff of air before she connected her pinkies. “Release!”
The thud of a boulder connecting with the back of the truck gave Ochako the confirmation that everything had gone as planned. Her legs buckled, and she fell onto the rubble in relief, all the while resting her head on the ground and her arms on her stomach. Although she wanted to get back to her apartment for the night, she knew that she was in no shape to do so yet.
Time passed with ease for Ochako as she stared at the sky and enjoyed the dazzling shapes that enveloped her vision. Her aches and pains drifted away as she lost herself to the endless sky above her.
Supporting her family had always been Ochako’s primary goal above being a hero. When she narrowly missed getting into UA, she made the hard decision of abandoning her dream. It wasn’t like she didn’t want to be a hero now; it was quite the opposite. She still held a deep desire to be a hero, but she had priorities that kept her from pursuing it full-time.
Ochako’s first step towards her familial goal was to move to Musutafu. The city was huge, overwhelmingly so, mostly due to how Ochako shifted from rural to urban life so quickly. With the little benefactor money from her parents, Ochako began to work valiantly to expand the rather small family business to the bigger world. She had lived independently of her parents ever since the shift, only occasionally returning home to see them.
Things wouldn’t be easy. Ochako worked tirelessly for 4 years to build the second family construction center, night and day. Being in close vicinity to the spotless city beach allowed for Ochako to take the occasional break, much to her eventual guilt.
More recently, Ochako had been working on a fresh set of contracts from locals, but this contract to assist a new hospital was an extensive job, although well paid. Things were still rough, but Ochako learned to appreciate each penny, a life lesson she would never forget.
Thirteen had been a huge inspiration for Ochako since before she could recall. Being a hero was still her aspiration, and losing her position at UA wasn’t going to stop her. Working on the side to make money took up most of her free time, considering how she was also working to build new family infrastructure.
When Ochako was in her budding 20’s, she decided to take a big step towards her heroic dreams by attending a medical school. She shelved the dream for so long, but it became too much for her to bear alone. Thankfully, Her parents were very supportive when Ochako originally explained that her dream was still there. The words that Ochako’s parents spoke about being proud, regardless of her choice of path left Ochako in tears. Thankfully, she had been saving up money for a while, so she didn’t have to rely on her parents all too much. Their money was being pooled for business interests, so it would be selfish to redirect any of that money to her own needs. Even if she only had enough money for two years of emergency medical school, the information that she gained was well worth the tremendous amount of money.
Although Ochako wasn’t an official graduate, she still retained a lot of the information she learned a few years prior. She owned a decent repertoire of books about diagnostics that she often used to keep the information ingrained. Her interest in the field and drive to keep going was what allowed her to keep growing. The slim chance of ever becoming a hero was also enough for Ochako.
Ochako hopped back onto her feet and gleefully waltzed back towards her car. The scenery bore her for the most part, but the darkening sky drew her attention and kept her entertained. She imagined the dusky sky dotted with thousands of stars, drawing out a few of her favorite constellations. It wasn’t a hard task for her; her time spent drawing them with her parents helped a lot. The idea of floating away and seeing space in all of its glory made Ochako’s heart flutter.
A smile briefly grew on Ochako’s face from her fantasies, but a slight vibration in her pocket stopped her from creating a full-fledged grin. Her heart skipped a beat in horror when she realized why her phone was ringing in the first place. She grabbed her flip-phone and violently pressed the answer button while moving, causing her to drop the phone. A yelp escaped, which was cut off when a high pitched voice blew through the phone.
“Hey, ‘Chako, everything alright?” Ochako sighed in relief from hearing the voice that confirmed her phone is still functional and thankfully not broken.
As Ochako bent down to pick up her phone, she spoke up a little louder than usual. “Yeah, I just dropped my phone, sorry!” A quick flip of the phone confirmed it hadn’t cracked.
When Ochako got her phone back to her ear, saunter now on pause, she heard a sigh on the other end. Ochako knew what was coming, but she still hated to hear exactly what she dreaded. “You’re late, sweetie. Did you stay overtime at work?”
Ochako accidentally shook the phone a little. Her brow furrowed, and words started to spill out of her mouth. “I’m so sorry, Mina-chan; I was so busy working that I forgot about our plans tonight! I’m on my way home right now. You and Tsu-chan can go out without me!”
“Stuff happens, I forgive you! It’s okay to be a little late, and don’t rush. It isn’t a girls night if you aren’t around, so text me when you are cleaned up, okay?” Mina’s soft and soothing voice caused waves of comfort to hit Ochako, helping to calm her shaking hands.
“Okay, I’ll be quick! Remember? This new job isn't far away, so I’ll be home in about ten minutes, okay?” Ochako pulled her phone away from her ear to hang up, but a sudden tightness in her chest kept her from ending the call. "You two really are free to go on without me, Mina-chan. I won’t be hurt!”
A laugh from Mina left Ochako wondering if she had said something wrong. “Oh, ‘Chako, you’re being too hard on yourself. Tsu-chan isn’t even home yet, but she’ll be here momentarily."
Upon hearing the news, Ochako released some tension in her back and shoulders that she was previously unaware of. Well, she got a little too relaxed. She rolled her shoulders back with ease, and accidentally whispered to herself instead of thinking. "Maybe she’s right. Plus, it’s not like Mina-chan is on her own. I had work I needed to get done today, so I shouldn't be blaming myself for working a little overti-” Ochako realized what she was doing and widened her eyes in embarrassment. "You heard nothing!"
Mina's laughter grew exponentially louder. "Oh yeah, you better believe me, sweetie. I would hate to melt through your skull to ram the truth into your brain, so this makes things easier!”
Mina’s laughter was contagious; Ochako let out a light chuckle which cascaded into full blown laughter. Ochako took a second to calm down before puffing her cheeks outwards. "You'd be on Mars long before ya could land a finger on me. Don't get your hopes up just because you're a pro hero. I can pack a punch too, ya know!"
That did it for Mina. "First of all, I said melt, didn't I? Also, nice accent!" Ochako rolled her eyes at the mention of her accent. It was all in good fun, so she didn’t bother to comment on it. "And here I was, thinking you were the hero fangirl, ‘Chako. Why would I even try to touch you? I could shoot you from a mile away with my acid, so you wouldn't even stand a chance. You could always try throwing stuff at me, but I’d melt it all in an instant. I swear, if only I could get you and Izuku-chan to meet again; he'd beat you in a knowledge battle against every hero! It would be so cute!”
Izuku… Haven't heard that name in a while.
Thinking of Izuku was like a breath of fresh air. Even so, Ochako was at a loss of a coherent rebuttal. The idea of meeting him again flustered her, even if only a little bit. "I- uh… No! I mean, I could easily beat him in a trivia battle about Thirteen without a sweat!"
Mina puffed out a large amount of air before she continued the conversation. "Okay fine, you would probably win that.” Mina paused to squeal.
Ochako knew what that sound meant. Oh no.
"You two would make an adorable couple! How did I never think of this before? I’m not sure when he’d be free for a date since he’s been so busy trying to become the number one hero, though.” Changing the subject was so Mina.
Ochako didn’t get a chance to reply before Mina jumped in again, speaking even faster than before. “Oh! I actually just remembered! I think he told me he is taking a break soon! Oh, Ochako-chan, you are not getting off easily this time!”
“You won’t be able to find me, Mi-”
“Actually, Tsuyu-chan just got here, so I’ll see you soon!” Ochako stomped her foot onto the ground after she heard the end-of-call ding. First, Mina cut her off, then she hung up? Oh, Mina was so going to pay. Ochako’s hand flew into her peripherals, and she furiously typed in Mina's number before she called once more. She didn't expect Mina to pick up due to Tsuyu, but she let her phone ring until she heard Mina’s voicemail box recording. There’s always later.
The sound of shoes slamming into the rubble filled Ochako's ears as she dashed towards her car. Her phone rested snuggly in her right pocket until it began to vibrate out of the blue. She just got over her previous conversation, for crying out loud! The vibrations stop after a moment, leaving Ochako to check her phone. The notification that she just got astounded her, especially considering how Mina was probably socializing with Tsuyu. A voicemail? Can't be too bad, right?
With her phone as far as it is from her ears, no discernable sound came out at first. Pressing the speaker button fixed the problem, though. "-ld Tsuyu about my idea, and she's in on it too. Sorry, hun, but there's no getting out of this."
The voice mail wasn’t just bad. In fact, it was awful . Oh, she is SO going to pay big time.
There wasn’t a good place to park her car that was any closer to her current placement, so she made do with stopping in a nearby parking lot. The area was filled to the brim in comparison to when she last left her car, which surprised Ochako a little.
Ochako opened the door and hopped in. Her seat was a little cold, but that was nothing that wouldn’t be fixed with body heat. If only she had a seat warmer. That was a luxury! The sound of her car starting was super satisfying, and the music that fires up on the radio catches her attention. It wasn’t a song she knew the lyrics to, but she did her best by humming.
The route home was familiar to Ochako, so she barely paid any attention to her GPS. She passed the time by humming to her heart's content, The drive wasn’t long, but she still caught herself daydreaming. Luckily, the song on the radio ended, leaving her to realize she is about to pass right by her house. With one of her hands already resting on the wheel, she pressed her other hand onto the wheel while making sure to keep her pinkies raised. She yanked her wheel to the right, but her car jolted to the right more than she intended. She stopped the car by instinct, which caused her to move forward a little from the inertia. Being a bad driver was one of Ochako’s biggest faults; she couldn’t help being a daydreamer. Buying a car for herself was one of the proudest moments of her life. She has had her license for a while, but she didn’t start to drive often until recently.
In an attempt to readjust, Ochako’s car moved backwards a little, then turned to the left to face her driveway. A look out the front window confirmed that she was in a good position to safely pull in. As she put her gear back into drive, she heard the sound of a car honking their horn. Holy, it was loud! She made her speed up her car by instinct, avidly trying to avoid it. Once she pulled into her driveway, she looked back at the car that honked at her. The car was relatively flat, with both windows rolled down. The person in the car was blasting heavy metal, which fit the look.
How did I not notice him? His music is deafeningly loud!
With the new thought, Ochako notes the figure inside of the car that was still parked in the middle of the road. She gave the other driver a look and flinched from the evident rage on his face. His ash-blonde hair spiked upwards, and almost touched the roof of his car. To be fair, his car was very flat, so that wasn’t a huge accomplishment. Seeing his hair caused her eyes to widen in surprise, though. As if he were responding to her surprise, he started his car up again and began to move slowly. Brown eyes met red while he screamed. “LEARN TO DRIVE, YOU DAMN HAG!”
Bewilderment was plastered on Ochako’s face, even after the vulgar driver left. Seeing him caused her to do a double take. Although he was really rude, she wasn’t particularly offended. Why does he look kind of familiar?
It took a moment, but Ochako’s wonder faded away. She shook her head in disappointment, turning her attention back to her house. It wasn;t anything special, but she was thankful to be in an actual house. It wasn’t tiny by any means, mainly because it housed 3 people. Living with friends was a nice upgrade from her previous setup. She loved having roommates, especially considering how they were some of her closest friends.
Ochako’s phone started to ring again when she exited her car. She frowned a little in preparation to scold Mina, only to gasp when she saw the ID. It caused her to smile while answering. “Dad?”
The returning voice was deep, yet calming. “Hey, ‘Chako! You didn’t call, so I wanted to make sure you were okay.” His statement made Ochako cringe.
I forgot again? Isn’t that a constant for me today?
“Ya, I had’ta work overtime. Well, my work wasn’t done yet, so I decided to work longer. Sorry for not calling, I’ve been in a rush.”
“C’mon darlin’, don’t feel bad fer not calling. I’m just glad you’re okay! Thank you for working overtime, by the way!” Ochako’s dad’s voice rose a little near the end of his sentence.
“I want’d to get the work done, but I was slower than usual today.” While true, it didn’t excuse Ochako for forgetting so much.
Why am I being so forgetful? I’m usually on top of my game...
“So, what are ya up to?” The question may be simple, but it brought back Ochako’s previous mistake with Mina to mind.
Ochako relaxed her other hand on the wheel as well to support her sudden want to fall over. “I have plans with Tsuyu-chan and Mina-chan that I’m late for, but I’m still glad ya called.” I would love to talk more, but I don’t have a lot of time.
Another laugh emanated from Ochako’s phone, although quiet. “That’s exciting! Tell Mina I said hi, then! We both have stuff to do, so I’ll see ya later!”
The sudden end to their conversation caused Ochako to raise her face back up. She sighed and put on another smile. “Yeah, love ya, Dad!”
“Love ya too, ‘Chako.” Ochako ended the call this time, before rushing into her apartment.
Both Tsuyu and Mina were in the kitchen when Ochako barged into their home, most likely in a conversation. Ochako closed her eyes for a moment from the sudden change in light and blinked a few times. Her flashy entrance caused Mina and Tsuyu to flinch slightly.
No visible reaction came from Tsuyu after the flinch besides a slight tilt of her head. “Oh, hey Ochako-chan. You should hop in the shower quickly; you’re awfully dirty.”
The nonchalant attitude was expected from Tsuyu; her mention of Ochako’s appearance led her to look down and see the truth of the claim.. “I didn’t even notice; My back is probably a lot dirtier, though.”
Mina kicked her seat away with a look of urgency on her face. “Are you okay? You look way dirtier than usual. Did something fall on you? ”
Ochacko was flattered by Mina’s caring attitude; it was nice to have amazing friends. Ochako shook her head and set her hand on Mina’s arm in reassurance. “Thanks for the concern Mina-chan, I’m okay. I’m dirtier than usual because I laid on the ground for a while. If I was hurt, you would know!”
“Phew! Well, you are in no condition to go out right now, so why don’t you shower first?”
Tsuyu nodded in agreement. “I agree, kero.”
They had a point, so Ochako nodded her head as well. “Okay, I’ll be quick!”
Ochako dashed through the kitchen before she darted into a narrow hallway connecting to her room. She stripped out of her clothes and threw them to the side. She had no care for the dirt that covers them; she can wash them later. Her plans came now. She turned left and rushed into her bathroom, taking no time to stop. Running while nude was… Odd, but she needed to be fast. She turned the showerhead on, and shivered at the cold water that encased her whole.
Jumping in a hot shower always relieved her of stress, especially after a long day of work. Today was an exception; she couldn’t wait for the water to warm up. Since Ochako worked overtime, a shower was long overdue. She hummed in comfort from the eventual switch from cold to warm water.
Somehow, Ochako managed to hear some raised voices from across the house through her shower. Something felt off, but she decided to ignore it. The water around Ochako started to rain down much harder than before, causing small bolts of pain wherever the water slammed into her skin. She compared the feeling to that of hail. To be safe, Ochako reached out to turn off the shower, and after she did, a sudden pressure threatened to crush her whole. Pulling her arm back to her side was a slow process, but she managed. There wasn’t any pain besides what was caused by the water, but the pressure was overwhelming. It didn’t help that she couldn’t hear Tsuyu and Mina anymore, which only added to Ochako’s growing worry. Her stomach churned from the feeling, threatening to spill all of its contents out.
Another wave of pressure sent Ochako crashing down onto the floor. A few cracks appeared on the walls surrounding Ochako, and the showerhead clattered onto the ground. Be it from her sudden falling or from the strange event, she had no clue. This just wasn’t right. Both of Ochako’s hands slammed down onto her chest, taking away her breath. Ochako widened her eyes in pain from her fingernails drilling into her chest, but the pain wasn’t bad enough yet to cause her to scream.
Both of Ochako’s hands locked together as she landed by sheer luck, which caused her to instinctually activate her quirk. All strain dissipated as her quirk came into full force, which was a huge relief to Ochako. She expected to float, but was astonished when she stayed on the ground.
A sudden feeling of seething hot iron daggers pressed into Ochako’s upper chest like nothing she has felt before, which caused her to gasp out in pain. She sidelined the pain as best as she could as she scanned her surroundings. Her bathroom was in shambles, with multiple items broken on the ground. The cracks that littered the walls grew slowly, which implied that the house wasn’t going to stay up longer. A few holes were present in the ground as well, which Ochako noted.
Both Tsuyu and Mina were crying out in pain, which caused Ochako to nullify gravity in a nearby towel and wrap herself in it. Adrenaline pumped throughout her body, which canceled out a lot of the pain that came from her left hand. She darted into the kitchen, and her heart shattered.
Tsuyu’s tongue was on the ground, and her eyes were unmoving. There was a small amount of blood that pooled out from her tongue, but nothing that was threatening to Tsuyu’s life. Her whole body was pressed onto the ground with her right arm pressed backwards into her back in a very unnatural manner.
Mina, on the other hand, was in a more severe state. Her face was pressed down flat into the ground, which was made worse by the blood that has spread outwards. Ochako’s eyes widened as she realized that Mina might not be able to breathe. Her whole body was shoved down similarly to Tsuyu, with her right leg bent opposite to her body. Ochako was surprised by the fact that none of her leg bones were popping out, considering how far her leg is bent. That wasn’t a bad thing, of course; Ochako was glad to see that. One of Mina’s arms were bent almost identically to Tsuyu’s, but her nails must have dug into her back. Ochako assumes so because of the blood that covered her back and cringed from the realization.
Ochako decided to help Mina first. She shoved her hands down onto Mina’s back awkwardly. She couldn’t move any of her fingers, but smiled when she saw that all ten of them were pressed down. Mina bolted upward when Ochako activated her quirk, probably by instinct. She didn’t stay up long, though, due to her injured leg. Mina screamed while crashing back down. Thankfully, Ochako caught Mina, but she flinched from the damage on Mina’s face. Mina’s nose was bent to the right from the force of impact, and blood continued to flow at an unnatural speed. Ochako put Mina down lightly and smiled in reassurance. It felt forced, but it was her best.
Mina spoke frantically after she gasped for air. “There is an immensely strong quirk active right now if you aren’t already aware. Speaking of which, how are we moving? I thought Vertigo’s quirk was still active?”
Oh, that makes sense. Of course this is all due to a villain; how could I be so dumb?
A quick shrug of Ochako’s shoulders sent a jolt of pain to spill out from her left hand again, which caused her to wince. “My quirk seems to cancel the other quirk’s effects. I’m going to go check it out, okay? You’re in no position to move, so please stay here.”
Wait, am I going to do this?
Ochako had to do this. Right. Nobody else could, considering how powerful this quirk was. It was sheer luck that she could somehow negate its effects, but it was her. Of course it was her. She was no hero, after all. Then again, people needed her, right? That was enough. This wasn’t about her.
Stop being selfish.
Mina had no choice but to comply with Ochako's demands, and sighed as she relaxed onto the ground. Ochako moved over to Tsuyu next while she repeated her previous motions. Tsuyu reacted similarly, but was able to stay standing. She violently coughed up blood, and Ochako reacted by patting Tsuyu’s back to help her breathe. “Don’t talk please, Tsuyu-chan. I’m going to ask you a few questions, and I want you to nod or shake your head in response, okay?”
A nod of Tsuyu’s head confirmed that she understood Ochako. Her tongue hung out of her mouth awkwardly with blood that spilled out of its midsection. Whoever did this was going to pay. Nobody could hurt her friends and get away with it. Was she able to stop the perpetrator?
I can do this. Just keep going.
“Is there anyone that you know to be on the scene?” Tsuyu nodded again from the question, which filled Ochako with a bit of newfound relief.
“Alright, let’s go and investigate. This quirk is really powerful, so let’s take Mina outside. I dunno how this house is still standing…” Ochako looked around herself, and her eyes widened. The walls of the kitchen were filled with cracks that continued to spread, and the ceiling above her had small holes. The ground around her was matted with debris which only confirmed that she didn’t have a lot of time.
Tightness pulled at Ochako’s chest even without the unknown quirk affecting her. Her heart was racing as well, which only added to her lasting anxiety. People needed her. Goodness, she seriously had to man up.
You got this, Ochako.
“I’m going to kick this door down, so can you help Mina-chan outside?” No nod came from Tsuyu, but she darted over to Mina and slowly helped her up.
A slight laugh comes from Mina amidst all the chaos. “Uh, Ochako? You may want to put some clothes on…” Ochako looked down and flared up from the sight. Her towel must have fallen at some point, and now, both of her closest friends saw her stark naked.
“Nice rack!” The compliment didn’t register for a moment, but Ochako realized what Mina was inferring after a few seconds.
The blush spread down to Ochako’s exposed neck, which forced a quick command. “TSUYU-CHAN! Get her outside! I’ll be out in a moment…”
A swing of Ochako’s leg caused the door to bulge, but not fully. She tried once more, and the door crashed down onto the ground violently.
With the open door, Ochako darted back into her room, and put new clothes on furiously. She didn’t bother with underwear or a bra; she only cared to dress enough to be considered decent. Her feet stung from contact with rubble and other broken items, so she swiftly shoved on shoes.
Ochako rushed back into her kitchen and jumped outside, and the sight that beheld her was shocking. Multiple buildings were decimated, reduced to pieces. They were a mere image of what they used to be.
The ground around Ochako randomly shook for a second, which caused her heart to skip a beat. It wasn’t strong, so she must be far away from the commotion. She turned around to face her house and yelped. Well, that’s new. The sight of her house crashing down onto the ground was a sight Ochako never expected to see. Being aware of the fact that her house is gone terrifies her, but the knowledge that everyone got out okay is comforting.
If I was a few seconds later, we’d all be dead… At least I was able to save a few people. Maybe I can do this?
There was no sight of a villain nearby from what Ochako can tell. To repurpose herself, Ochako looked around and noticed Tsuyu, who was holding onto Mina bridal-style. Her tongue was still hanging out, but the blood appeared to have dried up enough to clot the bleeding. That’s a relief! Ochako realized that Tsuyu was of way less use with her tongue being rendered useless, which only added more pressure to Ochako.
There may be other heroes… Don’t give up yet.
Ochako’s heart is beating way too fast, and she feels a little lightheaded. Thankfully, Mina keeps a positive attitude, which is very helpful to Ochako considering how scared she is. “Hey, ‘Chako! Both Tsu and I aren’t able to do much right now, but you can! We know how strong you are, and you have the heart of a hero. There are heroes on the scene right now, but there is a strong possibility that they are also immobile, so I recommend you go help them out. This is your chance to shine!”
There are? I’m no hero, though… They’re lying. They want me to die.
“But, I’m not a licensed hero! I can’t do anything. It was just by luck that I was able to save you two…” It was true, and Ochako truly believed that she wasn’t capable of much else.
If Mina could, she probably would have hugged Ochako. That would have been nice. “I speak for Tsu when I say that I believe in you. This is what you’ve been waiting for. Go show the world what you’re capable of. Maybe you’ll catch the eye of some agency.” Mina’s smile looked genuine, which helped to affirm her point.
The fact that Mina was still keeping positive inspires Ochako to do the same. “You’re right, but I don’t know how much I can really do. I’ll try, though!” And with that, Ochako put on a fake smile, and began to run around in pursuit of anyone in need.
She didn’t stop me from breaking the law? Is that heroic?
The law didn’t matter. No people were in Ochako’s peripherals for a while, so she assumed that a pro hero had already evacuated them. All the nearby buildings were also run into the ground, which gave Ochako a stronger field of sight. She kept on running without a care for the increasing pain that tugged at her feet and hand. Her thoughts helped to numb her pain, or rather, to help distract her.
Each new house meant another new failure. Another possible lost life. If only she were quicker, if only she were better, if only she was strong. Dammit, focus! Ochako hated to swear, but it helped to throw her on track. Speaking of which, there was one person that Ochako eventually saw, but she was still a decent lot away. She moved closer, and eventually got a good picture. Although it was a weird angle, Ochako could make out a good amount of features.
A menacing smile slashed the new figure’s face, which was only made worse by the howling cackle she made. Ochako assumed that this was the Vertigo that Mina described earlier. She took note of how Vertigo was levitating a few feet off of the ground with occasional orange bolts that flowed out of her feet. Where the bolts touched, the ground fractured and crumbled, which explained the growing crevice beneath her.
Ochako was petrified. This villain was no joke. All villains gave off some sort of negative vibe, but this vibe was strong. This villain wasn’t going to stop until she was stopped, and that raw determination was beyond terrifying.
Matted brown hair with hints of red framed Vertigo’s face in chaotic tufts, and a dark mask left only her mouth uncovered. The rest of her figure was covered by plates of black and orange armor, and her chest had a large V that glowed lightly. She didn’t seem to notice Ochako, which was fantastic, considering how simply being there was enough to petrify Ochako. Without the ability to move, Ochako just stared. How dumb!
Ochako could very easily catch the villain off guard, thanks to her position that was to Vertigo’s right. Vertigo appeared to have her attention on someone else, though. Ochako averted her gaze as best she could, and locked her eyes with that of a new person. That someone was marked by green hair and an achingly familiar suit.
Recognition was immediate, and Ochako gasped in horror. Her body was frozen in place, and her right hand tremored from the sight. No wonder he was frozen, Vertigo was no joke! This villain was the definition of cocksure, and that confidence made her think of All Might. If Vertigo was so sure of herself, and could petrify one of the strongest present heroes, then Ochako stood no chance. Her thoughts were interrupted though by another chaotic, deranged laugh, which snapped her attention back to Deku.
No way! That’s Deku!
Ochako’s gasp caught the attention of Vertigo, who swiftly turned towards Ochako. A sneer grew on her face, which was complimented by her raising her hands. Orange waves spilled out of her hands as she clenched them tightly. Ochako needed to move, but she couldn’t. She shook as the ground around her quaked and threatened to spill downward from pressure beyond anything Ochako had experienced before. The new level of tension almost brought her to the ground, but it wasn’t enough to stop her. Ochako’s face stayed up to face Vertigo, and her eyes caught Vertigo floating to the right a little before she dropped to the ground. A sudden wave of dust that spilled outward made Ochako cough, obstructing her vision heavily.
An excited voice spoke up while Ochako was working on clearing her vision. “So someone is able to stand up to me? That’s a first. All of these other heroes have been weak beyond words. I’m seriously disappointed…” Vertigo’s voice was a blend of childish excitement and bloodlust, which created a nasty sound.
Vertigo adjusted herself to face completely opposite to Deku. Stereotypically speaking, Ochako expected her to laugh or do some dumb monologue. That was what most villains did, anyways. Vertigo was an exception, and didn’t waste any time. Without any time to react, Vertigo thrusted her right arm down, which caused a new tremor that crippled Ochako. Her knees buckled, and she was on the ground. A few cracks began to form around her, and all hope was lost.
Tears spilled out from Ochako’s eyes and crashed into her lap, and the sheer force of her tears was enough to cause some pain. Her chin locks into her neck, and humiliation comes. She was so weak! Why? Why couldn’t she just get up and fight back? She had the foil. She could do it.
But Ochako couldn’t. That was, until a voice unheard for 10 years spilled out. “Don’t give up!” That was all that Deku got out, because he started to cough after yelling.
He believes in me!
Izuku’s faith in Ochako sends a rush of determination through Ochako, and amidst all the pressure, she pushes on. She tries to launch herself up. Once, twice, and three times. Each time failed, and the pressure only seemed to grow. So much for Vertigo being different, she was toying with Ochako.
I’ll make her regret that. Just don’t give up.
The fourth attempt succeeded, and Ochako locked one foot onto the ground successfully. Her other leg stayed buckled down, but sending some strength through her strong leg allowed for her to push back up. After rising completely, Vertigo decided to start trying again, as shown by the next tremor. It was stronger than the last one, but Ochako was fueled with a new vigor. She made sure to keep a part of her body planted on the ground at all times to keep the quirk from taking over.
There was the laugh. Oh, that laugh was evil. Ochako grimaced at the pure poison that exudes from Vertigo. Was this some kind of game to her?
“Finally, a challenge!” The waves kept on coming and growing. The laughter grew, too. Ochako kept on running, and was within arms reach of Deku when the ground around her opened up.
What in the?
High pitched screams came from both Deku and Ochako as they both crashed down into the newly created pit. The crater was only a few feet deep, but Deku fell down immediately due to the villain’s gravity quirk. His impact was less severe, considering how he fell with the rest of the ground. Ochako fell down a little slower and landed on top of Deku. Deku let out a grunt of pain from the impact, and Ochako quickly rolled off of him in embarrassment. She felt guilty from using him as a cushion.
What an amazing first impression, ‘Chako!
A moment of silence ensued, which gave Ochako the time to look over at Deku. His eyes were pleading, which caused her to rush over to him and activate her quirk. Green lightning immediately began to arc from his body, which quickly came into contact with Ochako due to her close proximity.
All of the tightness in Ochako’s chest subsided, hereby replaced by a comforting warmth unlike anything she had felt before. Her body accepted the new feeling with pleasure and relaxed. She relaxed too much, and fell into Deku’s grip. A new pounding blew in Ochako’s chest from the sudden impact, forcing her body to go limp. A blush that already highlighted her neck grew even more. She was laying on top of Deku, and, well, nothing quite compared in embarrassment factor.
A slight change in altitude shocked Ochako; it was calmed from the lightning that consistently struck her, though still quite the oddity. Muscles in Deku’s arms clasped her tightly as he adjusted her to fit bridal-style, facing no restriction. It was obviously professional, but it was hard to see it that way. Another feeling overtook Ochako: longing. It took every ounce of her will to keep from closing her eyes, even though she wasn’t that tired. The adrenaline was weaning off, though, hence why her eyes were fluttering uncontrollably.
Ochako pulled her face away a little more to look over to where Vertigo was. Instead of trying to stop her and Izuku, she just stood there, eyes wide. It was like a reversal; now she was the one that was petrified. The pressure was still present, though, so Ochako left her quirk active. Ochako averted her gaze, deciding to take a look at Izuku's face, which was much less shocked. In fact, no fear showed at all.
The green mask on Deku's face was a little goofy, considering how it only left his hair exposed. Ochako couldn’t help but chuckle a little; he kind of looked like a child’s toy. The newfound relaxation left Ochako realizing how exhausted she was. Yeah, she was tired, but with a sudden drop in adrenaline, it really started to hit her. Her head went limp into the armor that clasped Deku’s chest, which made her come very close to losing consciousness. Determination was enough to keep her going, as well as the one thought that tugged at her mind amidst everything that was going on.
“Uh, Iz...” Ochako would have clasped her mouth, but her position refused to let her. I’m not supposed to know his name! “...Deku-kun, I’m worried for my friends. Mina and Tsuyu are my roommates, and they are hurt really badly. I don’t have any gear, but I want to do a quick diagnostic. I’m not an official medical school graduate, but I have a lot of knowledge. Can you take me to them?”
A look of urgency showed on Deku’s face as he shook his head and muttered for a moment. “What? Where are they? I assumed they would be able to handle themselves… I should have evacuated them too instead of calling for their help... If I activate 30%, I can probably get you over to them without losing Vertigo. Are they right outside of your house?”
Ochako nodded her head slightly. She didn’t want to move her head away from Izuku’s covered chest. “Yeah, I don’t think they could have moved much.”
Deku set down Ochako after what felt like only a moment of traveling. In contrast to earlier, time moved way too fast. It was that time moved fast, or Izuku did. She wouldn’t put it past him, he was a hero, after all. Ochako was so tired, but yet, she still had something to do. It wasn’t much, but it was the most she could do now.
Ochako frowned as she got up and turned away from Deku. She was met with Mina and Tsuyu, who appeared to be happier than earlier. Both of them also seemed to be doing better, but Mina had her eyes closed. Ochako assumed she passed out, which wouldn’t be a bad thing considering how much chaos was going on. She moved towards the two, and looked back at Deku one last time when she approached them. Her eyes widened as she noticed his exposed face.
He pulled his mask away! Why?
Ochako didn’t expect to see the huge grin that was apparent on Deku’s face, but she wasn’t complaining. Her heart threatens to burst from his smile, even if it was probably for show. He was just so authentic, it didn’t make sense. The comfort from his expression was mild, but still noticeable.
His eyes locked onto Ochako, which caused her heart to flutter. His grin faded away, replaced by a smile. His eyes closed just a little bit, and his hands rested into the pockets of his hero suit. “Thank you for saving me, Ochako. I owe you; that makes two times now that you’ve rescued me.” And with that, he was gone.
Every limb in Ochako’s body turned numb, and her mind blew up with dopamine. Nothing prepared her for what Deku just said, so Ochako reacted by falling backwards. She was close enough to fall into Tsuyu and Mina, but Tsuyu’s quick extension of her tongue prevented that. Her tongue wrapped around Ochako and laid her onto the ground slowly. Ochako didn’t register anything after Deku’s voice. Her mind replayed his words like a broken record, with her body growing warmer after each repeat. Nothing could have prepared her for that.
He remembers my name! No way! Why do I even care?
Tsuyu retracted her tongue and looked down at Ochako with a newfound smile. “You like h-him, kero…” Her voice was weak, but effective. Ochako didn’t expect Tsuyu to speak, and the faint voice made Ochako worry. Her eyes widened, and her response came without another thought. “No! I don’t! I don’t think I do, I haven’t even had a good conversation with him before!”
Mina giggled at the sentiment and reached out to Ochako like a baby with her good arm, pointing her fingers out accusingly. “I knew it! You like him! It all makes sense now!”
So she is awake.
“Hush, Mina-chan! We can talk about this later, okay?” Ochako didn’t need Deku to hear their conversation, assuming he would come back anytime soon.
Ochako remembered what she told Deku regarding medical care and looked Mina down. “I am going to check you two out quickly, okay? Especially you, Mina. I want to check your leg.”
“Okay, I think it is broken, but I’m not sure.”
“Hey Tsuyu-chan, can you lay Mina-chan down for me?” Ochako said while she shifted her eyes to Tsuyu. “Oh, also, please refrain from talking.” Ochako’s wink was a double edged sword; she wasn’t going to be nice if she talked again. Her tongue may be better, but it wasn’t healed yet.
Tsuyu complied and placed Mina on the ground lightly. Ochako scrambled over to Mina and bent over to inspect her injured leg. “I’m going to put some pressure on a few areas around your leg, so tell me if it's too much, okay?” Mina nods, which gives Ochako the clearance to proceed.
Ochako tapped on Mina’s lower hip and ran her hand down her leg to test for any injuries. Ochako felt a tightness near the knee and rubbed her hand around the area, causing Mina to wince slightly. She let off the pressure a little and moved onward. Mina winced twice more, once when Ochako touched near her knee, and once more when Ochako tapped a little above the top of her foot. She did a little more testing before she addressed Mina.
“Thankfully, I don’t see any permanent damage, but I think your femur and tarsals are fractured. There is some minor bruising near the knee, most likely from hyperextension. There isn’t anything that won’t heal on its own, but you will have to rest your knee for a while. If you don’t, you risk permanent damage to your leg.” Ochako sighed after her synopsis, thankful for how Mina wasn’t in any life threatening condition.
Another grimace comes from Mina, which causes Ochako to remember about her arm. “Can I see your arm now,?” Mina extends her bad arm out in compliance, much to Ochako’s delight. She inspects Mina’s arm in a similar manner to her leg, and is thankful to see no major damage again. “I’m really glad to tell you this; I don’t think there is anything that is of much concern. You have some major bruising near your wrist, but otherwise, I don’t think you have any major damage. Your leg is of much more concern, but I still recommend you give that wrist a break.”
Ochako moves onto Tsuyu next, going through the same procedure, but on her arm instead. She isn’t surprised to see that Tsuyu’s reactions are more frequent, considering how the bones are much smaller. She cringes from the deeper reactions that Tsuyu gives, which implies that she has stronger injuries in her arm than Mina. “I’m sure you figured this out already, but your arm is in much worse condition than Mina’s. I don’t think any of your bones are broken, but you probably have some hyperextensions near your clavicle and elbow. I have the same advice for you as I do for Mina-chan in regards to her leg; try not to use your arm much, and it should heal. I don’t have a cast, but I recommend you refer yourself to get one. That will help you recover better, especially considering how often we use our arms.”
Mina’s winks, her eyes gazing past Ochako before resting on her once more. “Okay, thank you! You would make a great hero like Thirteen, Ochako-chan!” Mina grinned at Ochako and laughed at her, which caused a smile to grow on Ochako’s face too. The praise doesn’t feel deserved, but Ochako takes it anyways. “Aww, thank you! That means a lot, coming from you!”
“Hey ‘Chako, you should turn around!” Mina smirked at Ochako and grabbed her shoulder with her good arm.
“Uhh, Okay?” Ochako gave in, shifting herself around to face away from Mina. She didn’t expect to see anything and was shocked to see Deku standing there with a very slight smile on his face. His eyes were beat red, yet no tears appeared to be spilling from his eyes. Small arcs of lightning were still protruding from all around Deku. When he caught her eyes, his smile faded, quickly replaced with a look of defeat.
Midoriya’s head dropped downward, and his quirk deactivated. “Vertigo got away, and it was all my fault…” And with that, shock and exhaustion took over, and Ochako passed out without a moment to comprehend the horrible news.