Chapter Text
03.16.35
The console beeped noisily at her. She was used to it by now, though. Just the standard “close-proximity” alarm for when the ship was near an object of some kind. But unlike other encounters, this was a prepared encounter. She frantically scurried around the ship and gathered the needed equipment for docking.
Tether cable? Check. The oxygen levels in my ship seem fine. Should be good enough for docking, anyhow. I’m ready now!
“This is Uravity, checking in to the I.S.S. I am ready for docking!”
She hurried back to her pilot’s seat, sinking into the cushioning. It was designed specifically for her, with accommodations for her gear. After all, it wasn’t every day that you were picking up a co-pilot. She didn’t know much about him, but she knew that he wasn’t exactly your average recruit. She had poured over the results of his tests and was surprised to find that, in spite of being a year-one like her, he had tested above her.
Surprising. I wasn’t top of my class, but I was near it. He tested above me…?
The only thing she could find that she did better than him was the anti-gravity test. Of course. That’s understandable. That was the only thing I got 100 on.
She was cut out of her thoughts by the electronic voice that cackled through her headset.
“Uravity, prepare for docking. Port extended, ready when you are.”
“Yes, sir!”
The vibrations shook the ship as the two crafts docked. The shaking almost forced Ochaco out of her seat, and she clinged to the armrests.
That might need to be serviced at some point. That was a rough docking procedure.
Carefully, she stepped up from her seat, and made her way through the small corridor. This ship wasn’t exactly meant for more than one person, but in a pinch, it could accommodate for more than one.
Plus, she could use some company.
Her normal rounds were lonely, and she had spent many hours staring into the canvas of space, just counting any visible stars. As much as she loved finding the beauty in the inky, vast darkness in front of her, a companion would be nice.
She reached the back of the ship, passing the crew quarters. The airlock was the only thing that stood between her and the new recruit.
Carefully, she tied her tether down to a secure hardpoint. It was a precaution, only necessary in her mind in case the airlock failed.
She pressed a button on her in-arm control pad. Her mic crackled to life, and the feedback started. She heard her voice slightly waiver, but she picked up her confidence.
“This is Uravity, ready on the airlock door.”
“I.S.S., confirm Pilot Deku is ready on his end.”
The new voice that was so unfamiliar came through to her speakers.
“This is Deku, confirmed for airlock door readiness.”
A sigh from the station operator, and then, the words she was waiting for.
“Commence operation, I.S.S. airlock door opening now.”
She could hear the sound of the middle room pressurizing, and the clanking of heavy boots against the metallic catwalks. All pilots were required to wear those magnetized boots to keep them grounded against the non-existent-gravity of space. She took in a deep breath as she watched the flashing lights of the airlock door.
Red. Yellow. His presence was recognized, now all he has to do-
The light flashed green, and the door to the I.S.S. sealed. The hatch to her ship was the only obstacle left.
Solid green, no flashing. The door opened in the standard iris form.
A small gasp escaped her as she saw the man she would be working with.
She knew he was her age, and that at one point, they had gone to the academy together. She never really had seen him, though. Only brief flashes of the man.
He was taller than her, spiky green hair atop his head. Freckles dusted his cheeks, and his green eyes matched his hair. He looked toned in the somewhat tight spacesuit, and her normal blush rose a little.
Keep it together, Ochaco! He’s a colleague!
On instinct, she stuck out her hand, no matter how awkward it felt for her.
“Welcome aboard, Pilot Deku.”
“N-Nice to meet you, Captain Uravity!”
He stuttered!
She choked back a laugh, their gloved hands forming a handshake. The door behind him sealed into a place, a small hiss escaping as it did.
She let go of his hand, pulling back to the tether, and unlatching it from the hardpoint.
“I-I hate to question you, Captain, but was that tether really necessary…?”
Her flushed cheeks became rosier again. Crap! I was hoping he wouldn’t call it out!
“U-Um… Yes. Absolutely. And please, call me Uraraka. No need to be so formal.”
“A-Alright, Ca-... Uraraka.”
She stepped back into the hallway, slowly walking to the commons area. Carefully, she wrapped the tether around her hand, forming a circle with it. Putting it back in its holder, she heard the clanks of the man's boots behind her.
“U-Uraraka? Where should I put my gear?”
She turned to him, a look of disbelief on her face.
“You did look at the ship layout before you came here, right?”
His cheeks turned a little red, the brown of his freckles highlighted.
“W-Well yeah, but if you have anything personal in the crew quarters, I didn’t want to be a nuisance…”
She sighed deeply, pulling off her gloves absentmindedly, and placing them in her pockets. Walking up to the door of the bedrooms, she touched a finger to the scanner.
“Print accepted!”
The door slid open normally, unlike the iris patterns of the airlocks. The room was spotless, nothing out of place.
Good to see that she cleans. A tidy room, a tidy life!
Izuku stood near the door, watching her walk over to her sleeping bunk. Straps lay on the floor, being meant to keep personnel from floating away during sleep.
He took in the sight of her sitting down on the bed. Like him, she was wearing the company issued suits, though they had chosen startlingly different colors. Her suit was pink and black, with some white accents. She also seemed to have some extra-gyroscopic wrist enhancements, as two large bulges were on her wrists. He also noticed that the suit was almost skintight on her, unlike his own, which left a little room on him.
His own suit was green, with black and white accent marks. It was his mom’s choice, and he was going to stick by it no matter what.
As it was his first time actually meeting her, he had tried to do research. Though, he already knew who she was. He had seen her all throughout school, but never had the courage to approach her. Her chocolate-brown hair bobbed to her shoulders, and she constantly had that rosy blush.
He walked to the bunk opposite her, and sat down on it. The bed had clearly never been occupied, and his hands instinctively went to his pocket. The zipper resisted, but eventually gave way. He pulled his pen and notebook out, and instantly began to write notes about the situation of the room.
He also left room for a later profile about Uraraka.
The two went about their separate duties, with Uraraka contacting the I.S.S.
“I.S.S., are we cleared for departure?”
Izuku could hear the conversation through his headset, and followed along. He absentmindedly went to the seat next to Uraraka’s, grabbing the control column. The touch-based display in front of him lit up instantly, and he focused on remembering the checklist of items for exiting a station.
Crew cabins locked down, check. Engine room is at peak efficiency. Airlock… depressurized. Navigational controls are in order.
He looked to Uraraka, giving a nod. She turned to the window pane in front of them, lit up with holographic displays. Buttons and displays lit up her face, giving her eyes a sparkly look.
Izuku. Now is not the time. We are about to depart from a space station. Focus.
He was so wrapped up in his thoughts, that he forgot the most important part of his checklist.
Seat belt…? Oh sh-
“U-Uraraka wai-”
“Huh?”
Too late.
Her finger pressed on the panel in front of her, and the engines in the back made a grinding sound as they came to life. The ship lurched forward as it undocked, and Izuku flew upwards and backwards.
“DEKU!”
His body hit the back wall separating the hallway and commons area, and he flinched in pain. The thruster kept him pinned, and Uraraka yelled onto the coms.
“We have a situation on board. We will be needing to slow to a stop for a second.”
The operator on the I.S.S., clearly irritated, came back in a gruff voice.
“Very well, Uravity. Please leave as quickly as possible, there is another ship approaching for a refuel soon. Eraserhead out.”
Uraraka sighed, and slid down into her seat. Great, fantastic. I thought this guy scored well on his tests? And now he’s embarrassed me in front of someone remarkable.
“Deku, I’m reducing the thrusters now. Get ready to hit the ground.”
The engines high-pitched whining came to a halt, along with the ship, and a ‘thud’ could be heard throughout the entire cockpit. Part of her felt sorry for bringing him down so brutally, and part of he was satisfied. That’ll teach him to NOT ignore protocols…
Izuku slid into the pilot’s seat next to her, without a word. Locking the seat belt into place, he put a hand onto the craft’s control column, and eased the throttle forward. The hum of the engines became louder, and they pulled away from the station.
“So, Deku, why’d you choose the name Deku?”
Silence.
Not a word came out of Izuku.
Guess I pissed him off. Probably should apologize for being so harsh.
“Sorry about how rough I was being, you just got me in a bad position with that station operator.”
Still silence.
Fine, whatever. If he wants to be a brat about it, then we won’t talk at all.
Without realizing it, she had contorted her face into a pout. Her hands reached to interact with the diagrams and charts in front of her. She ‘accidentally’ bumped his shoulder with her hand.
No reaction.
Instead of being quiet, she turned to him, a curious expression on her face.
“Deku, are you okay?”
Still no response came from the pilot. Her worry could be seen etched on her face. Slowly, she reached out to him, and spun his chair towards her.
His eyes were closed, his mouth hanging agape. Blood was streaming out of his nose.
...Shit.
When he woke up, he couldn’t tell where he was. The lights were incredibly bright. Blinding, actually. This really hurt to look at.
He closed his eyes, bringing his left hand to the wrist mounted control system on his right arm. Even without looking, he had memorized the combination to dim lights near him. Slowly, the lights became tolerable. He moved his hand back to his side, and closed his eyes.
I want to rest.
“...Deku? Are you awake?”
That voice. Who did it belong to? It was warm, and familiar, and close. Close. That was what mattered. Where was he?
The last thing I remember is…
THUD.
Right. I slammed against something… hard and metallic. Pain spread throughout my back, and then… I don’t remember much.
“Deku…?”
“Y-Yeah. I’m awake. Groggy, trying to remember where I am.”
“We’re on the ship. You got slammed against the floor when I stopped the engines, because you forgot your seat belt. Open your eyes.”
He obliged the voice’s command. He peeled his eyes open, and saw her. Events of the past hours came flooding back into his head.
Ah. Right. I forgot one thing about protocols. Seat belts.
The harsh pain in his back reminded him that he was having a conversation, and he focused on her face.
Her brown hair was almost touching his cheek. Slowly, he made out her chocolatey eyes, and the way her ever-constant blush looked from this distance. Close. She’s really close. This is...
Her breath tickled his cheek, and he let out a nervous laugh, his own cheeks becoming flushed. Come on, Izuku. You’re better than this.
“U-Uraraka, may you p-please back up so I can get up?”
She stared blankly at him for a second, before shaking her head. She mouthed the word “yes”, and backed up quickly. She practically ran out of the room, and he sat up on the bunk.
His first observation was the medkit on the floor. A couple bandage casings lay scattered on the floor, to which he wrinkled his eyebrows.
Bandages? Where…?
His question was quickly answered when he crossed his eyes and saw the white of UA bandages on his nose. He laughed, and pulled out the notebook he had kept in his pocket.
A good half-hour passed before he came back to the cockpit, flopping down into the seat. Now that the initial kickback of the thrusters was over, they could walk freely without slamming into things.
Ochaco sat in her seat, turned to the left. She was examining the screen that was connected to the built in telescope, and was clearly immersed in her work.
Ochaco was staring at the many different colors. As much as she was happy to not be alone out here anymore, she also was devoted to studying the stars as much as she could. Their white and orange hues burned in a bright contrast against the darkness, and a smile engulfed her face.
Of course, with looking at stars came finding constellations, and making her own. Every time she had come to the I.S.S., she had noted a particular formation of stars. And so, she watched the pattern go by. It was the first formation she had found, and it reminded her of her origins. How hard she had worked to get a position high enough to command her own ship.
It brought her back to the question she had asked him when he was passed out.
“So… why Deku?”
Her words broke the comfortable silence, outside of his scribbling pencil. Part of her wondered what he was writing so intently, but he wasn’t going to dive into his personal things. Unless the name Deku was personal, too.
“It was… A nickname. Given to me by a childhood friend, but he kind of hated me? It’s hard to explain, but I always looked up to him, no matter how much he acted like he hated me.”
She sat in shock for a moment. Somebody can hate this innocent and incredible boy? I haven’t even known him that long, and I can tell he worked hard!
“And… what about you, Ms. Uravity?”
Ah, right. This is a conversation, not an interrogation.
“It came from my desire to get up into space, actually. With my, um, name being Uraraka and all, I decided that I wanted to defy gravity. Hence, Uravity!”
She puffed up her cheeks and got excited. Having company on this ride was already better than being alone.
Izuku, on the other hand, burst out laughing.
“H-Hey! W-what’s so funny!?”
He wiped a tear from his face, putting his pencil on the armrest of his chair.
“It- It’s not funny, it’s just been a while since I’ve heard someone with that amount of enthusiasm. It’s good to hear, honestly. Raise that morale, Uraraka!”
He pumped his fist in the air, and soon, she joined him. Both of them said the phrase they knew so well from training.
“Go beyond! Pluuusss Ultra!”