Some only live to die, I'm alive to fly higher
Than angels in outfields inside of my mind
I'm ascendin' these ladders, I'm climbin', say goodbye
This old world, this old world
And when I fall to rise with stardust in my eyes
In the backbone of night, I'm combustible
Dust in the fire when I can't sleep, awake, I'm too tired
This whole world, this whole world
It's exactly 5 years after meeting her greatest friends and allies and Ochako, now ranked number 3 in all of Japan, is shining literally every time she touched something there is a pink flash, though the situation around their class that was once again in the dark and surrounded by very dangerous villains. It warms Tsuyu's heart in a way she's repressed for precisely two years out of UA to see the amazing heroics of her once close now distant friend as she illuminated in occasional flashes of light coming from their friends' other attacks as well. She shook her head and acted fast in wrapping her tongue around four villains tossing them effortlessly to the side while reluctantly tearing her wide proud eyes from Ochako's now rippling back in her tight stylish pink suit, matching white polka-dot tie barely clinging on, as she floated around launching heavy projectiles here and there at villains, fending them off as she glided the injured staff out of the line of fire. Effortlessly.
"Now really isn't the time to dwell on old unrequited crushes..." she thought solemnly, getting into her rank 5 state of mind as she kicked a rather muscular villain away from one of the well liked support teachers her lean but defined leg muscles flexing as she bounced away deftly in her tight yet modest emerald green dress now ripped at the hip enough for her to move around the battlefield of fifty or more attacking villains and her outnumbered but entirely capable friends. She didn't notice the chestnut eyes locked to her form as she launched into leap after leap, much like a frog, off of the gravity defying chunks of the gym wall stunning villains for her comrades all across the ruined state of the art building with her signature genuine but reserved grin and powerful kicks.
It reminded a lot of them of fun times training together in that same building, before it was refurbished after the second year Katsuki incident, but there were a select few frowning worried at their current predicament. All dressed in fancy clothes slightly drunk off of Denki and Hanta's literal keg but they were now very serious seeing as nearly all of the occupants of the old gym were pro heroes falling in various places on the Japanese national hero ranks. None below the twenty mark. As expected Izu, -Deku, was in the front line proclaiming his catchphrase:
"Everyone! No fear, we are here!" letting the villains, who obviously knew of the prestigious class 1-A and that they were finally all in one place, know that the newly appointed pillar of peace and number 1 hero was ready to save the day for his friends and the staff present in the gym. He was angered by the rude interruption of his beloved class' reunion, the east wall exploding into chunks sending everyone from relaxed jubilation into pro mode immediately only minutes ago.
His face nevertheless showed a determined unwavering smile as he ripped off his mint green bow tie and powered up with cracks of green energy buzzing around him, the wooden flooring beneath his dress shoes shattered as he kicked into action.
Shoto, content number 2 in rank behind his well-deserving fiance who was fending off three villains at once with he himself being his stoic boyfriend throwing ice and fire here and there to cover his back while Deku flipped and kicked faster than most of those without perception quirks to track. He let a small smile cross his lips as his powerful small muscular rabbit like fiance took out all three villains and launched himself further into the fray after breathing and tossing a sure brilliant smile at his other half of the famous inseparable hero duo. Shoto almost tripped up. Almost. He froze a villain behind him who thought he had the jump on the distracted tree of a man with thin icy whiskers on his upper lip. He exhaled an icy breath, fixed his crooked white tie, and raced after his still sometimes reckless partner of going on four years the small fond smile turning into a determined smirk.
Katsuki, number 4 hero, was laughing maniacally his mountain like form just as agile as the zipping green lightning blur he was still trying to usurp, controlled explosions going off in villain after villain's faces. Not enough to maim, but knock them out sure. He's made at least some progress in civility thanks to his manly sweet husband and hero partner, Eijirou, sitting comfy at rank number 8. It was a shock to most of their class to hear the two men had been on an assignment in the US, in Las Vegas escorting some rich company owner to a show and ended up first of the class to be married, in the foreign country shortly after their first class reunion. Eijirou, damn his stupid handsome spiked bearded face, had not stopped teasing him all night for bobbing his head to the beat of a well known girlish American pop star.
Anyway, their client's 15 year old daughter, their real escort, screaming with her friends to a song Katsuki with his scruffy scarred face grudgingly remembered being "Poison" or "Toxic" or something he didn't fucking know. They impulsively got married that night in a cheap roadside "church" despite the teasing and to his red headed boyfriend of two years', friend of five's, absolute delight. Of course their marriage had still not been transferred to Japan, most of their class didn't think it was genuine, but like the two say "It's just a piece of paper." wearing their matching simple bands of gold on sturdy chains around their necks catching the light as they worked around each other fending off the bad guys like always with great but controlled force.
Momo, rank number 10, was providing backup to Kyoka, number 11, who was working with Denki, fellow agency partner and number 18, his electricity giving a much needed boost to her already ear piercing directional sound blasts coming from one of her portable speaker weapons the taller more curvaceous of the two newly wed women was glad she hadn't been able to talk her cautious goth partner of three years out of bringing. At least 6 villains dropped to the ground unconscious as the two power charged duo high fives. She smiled at the best friends and didn't think there were villains around this area still sour over the class's graduation battle against the expanded league of villains, but here they all were. It seemed like every time they planned a get together rude villains always come and ruin their fun times.
She frowned parrying a more muscular blade quirked woman away from her short partner with grace and an intricate long sword summoned from her flesh in an instant. Momo pushed the villain away and spun gracefully in her sparkling low cut black dress to meet another attacker with a just as fancy shield as Jirou glanced back proud of her quick thinking powerful wife. The lifetime goth was wiping her brow with her long tailored shirt sleeve and snapped her lesbian flag colored suspenders once, the only color in her mainly black outfit, with poorly hidden glee as Denki gave her an only slightly silly grin with a thumbs up one hand under one of his own bisexual flag themed straps across his still lean chest seeing the touching display of protection and affection with fondness.
Fumikage, rank number 6, is having a bit of trouble controlling dark shadow in the dark of the dramatically moonless void of night brought on by the cut power of the campus and half collapsed building but Mezo's constant powerful rank 9 presence kept his fine line under control as he bodily checked a couple villains away from his precious bird headed boyfriend and grinned at him from one of his many limbs his long white hair swaying on his chiseled exposed back. "I've got your back Fumi, go nuts." The many armed man wore a tight teal suit ripped from action. Dark shadow roared viciously but was still under strict control as the avian man in his cape/costume blushed and wrapped it's familiar chill, like standing in the shade an early spring morning, around his body and his new boyfriend's blocking an incoming explosion from someone other than Katsuki. Their elbows brushed and the two professional heroes both smirked taking out respective villains.
Mina, Tooru, and Yuuga, fought in a high functioning fashionable group years of working in the same agency under a more cosmetic less combative hero still working well for them in blinding their opponents with bright flashes and quick thinking martial arts that ended with melted useless weapons courtesy of a still giggly Pinky, rank number 12 and self-proclaimed leader of the flashy group. She precisely aimed jets of corrosive acid as she zoomed here and there in her bright sequence dress almost as sparkly as Yuuga's suit. Almost as sparkly but not quite, she had pouted about that as Yuuga preened. Tooru, rank 15, dressed in a yellow dress flowing at her invisible feet in high heels and Yuuga, rank 19 still flamboyant as ever still helped out immensely blinding and blasting baddies across the room. Their sparkling, Denki's strobes, Katsuki's almost constant booming flashes, and Shoto's steady flames lighting their dark battleground occasionally as the targeted group fought valiantly efficiently wiping out the large force swarming the gym one by one from the nearby breached walls rumored to be so strong now that one of Izuku's famed kicks wouldn't dent them. So much for that.
Speaking of strong kicks, Rikido the now pudgier but still muscular man in a too-tight suit from high school working at rank 16 was battling alongside Mashirao in his customary black gi at rank 13, used to collaborating thanks to their nearby agency's proximity they worked well together taking out enemies with swift strong contact as, the chase and secure hero duo, Tenya in full white armor and Hanta dressed in a snazzy yellow and black suit zoomed around them securing downed villains and herding them into a corner further secured by Mr. Cementoss, the only veteran teacher present to help with the esteemed alumni once again under siege.
For once everyone was glad Koji, rank 14, hadn't made it to the reunion the still soft-hearted animal rescue hero would have been panicking with only a few birds and possibly squirrels milling about the city locked campus to help his dearest friends out. He was needed in Brazil at the moment, his quirk necessary for rare animal conservation in the dense rain forest he was most likely trudging happily through at the moment according to Rikido with a soft look earlier in the night. The two were very close, but that wasn't important now as the villains started to get scared of the unwavering group and tried to retreat but were swiftly caught by Shoto's ice as they were slowed by Deku and Uravity also still on the front lines working together like old times showing little exhaustion until villain after villain are captured.
Everything slowly calms around them as the last of the villains were wrangled and secured for the incoming police battalion they could hear finally blaring their way. Everyone searched the area, combing it for more stealthy villains and injured staff to be safe as thunder cracked above them and a sudden downpour started. If everyone's fancy clothes weren't already ruined by the battle they were going to be as the sky let loose above them. The clouds must have rolled in while they fought Tsuyu mused to herself as the stuck to the remainder of the ceiling scanning for anymore villains with the rest of her more cautious companions as their more easy going friends slowly let their guard down and congratulated each other all genuinely impressed with each honed quirk and how well the battle had gone.
Tsuyu finally relaxed, letting the rain wash away the sweat gathered on her forehead, as police and ambulances rushed onto the scene her inky eyes catching the still very pink suited Ochako who seemed to be looking around. She was radiant as ever. Uravity's quick happy looking conversation with Izuku and Tenya ended with fondness and hugs she could see even from her position all the way up in the rafters looking down hair dangling free for once almost blending with the darkness and rain. She couldn't help but blush slightly eyes making contact with the zero gravity hero who brightened like a supernova though drenched to the bone and seemed to be readying to float up and join her based on her hands pressing together.
Though before her nice hot pink dress shoes left the ground, right hand held up in a sheepish wave, Tsuyu tensed seeing a villain well hidden in some rubble rise up behind her. The only nearby heroes being her two longest best friends locked in a serious discussion with their backs to the scene. Tsuyu jumped without a second thought with panic evident on her usually hard to read face as Ochako looked up confused as the distance closed between the unseen arch of black energy heading straight for the high ranked woman from behind and the panicked frog-like woman leaping at her front.
Tsuyu regrets this day the most. Even more than her many failures to confess to her previously most dearest friend.
The almost supersonic beam sliced through Uravity's raised right arm a little below the shoulder. It travels through it's stunned target and straight through the rainy season hero's outstretched left hand severing her ring and pinky finger without her notice as Yuuga of all people tackled the villain and Ochako looked at her arm in shock. It was just...gone. Her dominant arm just ceased to exist. Then the blood came as Izuku and Tenya roared in anguish hearing/seeing her drop to her knees whimpering showing rare fear as waves of intense pain creeped into her body and a villains' maniacal cackle sounded loudly, the two men immediately ran to join their closest friend as she looked at the bleeding stump left behind in shock.
Tsuyu herself was caught, her path interrupted by a very panicked looking Fumikage with dark shadow. She didn't even notice her two missing fingers now bleeding at their stumps. All she sees is Ochako just staring at her own bloodied stump turning pale, her normally lovely tan skin lightening by the moment, as Tenya held Izuku's previously light green blazer against the gushing wound and Izuku was held back by a very icy Shoto from going after the already apprehended loudly bragging unnamed villain in police custody.
Deku's ever present sweet smile on his freckled face was replaced by tearful rage.
"Asui! T-Tsuyu! Stay with us!" From a quick glance, her unlikely best-friend, Fumikage looked desperate as paramedics pulled her out of his grasp. Her teary eyes left Ochako as she was swarmed as well, ashamed, even as her vision blurred and darkened at the edges. She wished she hadn't heard the horrifying screams of pain unleashed from her long time crushes throat as she drifted into unconscious void being pulled onto a stretcher. The wound shouldn't have knocked her out,
"It's nothing compared to Ochako…" was Tsuyu's last thought.
"...said they'd wake up by now!" She heard Izuku's worried voice in the darkness. Her eyelids were so heavy…it's cold.
"We must be patient! The doctors here are the best, you know this, we know this." Tenya was the ever present word of reason.
"Iida is correct, we shouldn't lose ourselves in this awful waiting game. Our comrades are strong." Fumikage spoke up quietly.
Tsuyu croaked hoarsely, finally able to open her eyes, and stirred. The room's current three occupants gathered around her bed and she blinked the blurriness out of her vision. When that didn't work she lifted her left hand to rub her eye and hissed at the pain that shot from her appendage. She felt a soft grip pull her hand away at the wrist away from her face before quickly retreating.
The three concerned men crowded around her hospital bed. Fumikage was placing his hand back at his side and shuffled nervously in his black hoodie and gray sweatpants his soft worry evident even on his beaked face. Izuku was quietly crying disheveled in an old all-might t-shirt and shorts his own hand hand holding her now good hand as Tenya stood dressed sharply as always stiffly hovering.
They all had the same question on their faces.
"How do you feel?" Izuku asked in a whisper voicing their concerns as she held her bandaged hand in her own view wrist limp like always.
Ah.
"Ouch, kero." Was all she said with a soft solemn grin. She was obviously missing two of her long digits, not the end of the world honestly it was just two she assured herself and the men. As her head cleared and she fully awoke she looked around the sterile room past the awkwardly laughing men. Her breath caught in her throat as she noticed the bed just behind Izuku. Ochako.
She was still out, it seemed. Judging by the softly beeping machine and oxygen mask on her face her long time crush and once dearest friend was at least stable. Her immaculate pink suit was open, cut at the buttons and splayed around her, her ample chest covered by the thin hospital blanket. Tsuyu frowned fighting the tears welling up as she saw Uravity's chiseled but still soft looking upper torso. On her right side it was heavily wrapped with a slightly stained nub in her arm's place. Her love- wait no-...yes, love's, body was still pale and frail looking despite her years of hard earned muscle and scars evident to those with eyes. Tsuyu had to look away. She swallowed her sorrow and guilt, "calm" demeanor now fully back in function as she tried to ease her friends' worry over her.
"Is Ochako going to be okay? Kero..." She asked expression neutral head tilted slightly not showing her desperate need to know, she hoped.
"...S-She, hasn't woken up, it's been three days." Izuku chokes and Tenya wraps a supportive arm around his other best friend.
"The doctors say, you two will live...though-" Fumikage couldn't seem to answer and stayed silent his dark demeanor tired and obviously still worried judging from his not so discreet glances at her missing fingers and away looking distant.
"What are you trying to sa-" Tsuyu's nervous question is interrupted by Recovery Girl walking in looking entirely too serious as the men snapped to attention. Years of healing thanks to this kind granny had instilled a deep respect for the now retired hero, she had gotten old 1-3/A through a lot of injuries.
"Okay boys, visiting hours are over I'm afraid, shoo shoo." She waved the concerned boys out of the room, them saying not so hidden pitying goodbyes as they left promising to visit soon. Tsuyu waved weakly with her good hand.
"Okay dear, how is your pain?" Recovery girl got to business, stepping up onto a stool with surprising dexterity and gingerly taking Tsuyu's injured hand into her own gently unwrapping the dirtied bandages as the rainy season hero tried not to wince.
"B-Bearable, kero." Tsuyu saw her frown and shake her head, knowing the frog-like woman was downplaying her pain like she always had as a teen no doubt, before looking at her now unveiled hand. Oh. It was purple and red but not deeply so. The two sewn up digits looked well enough, she knew an infection when she saw one and her wounds were healthy. Judging by the elder hero's small smile as well as she wrapped her hand gingerly with new bandages it was at least healing okay, but she had a concern, medical procedures were incredibly advanced these days. Couldn't they have easily re-attached their severed limbs? As if reading her thoughts, the kind old woman grabbed Tsuyu's good hand and patted it.
"I'm sorry to say we couldn't find your fingers, Ms. Asui, nor Ms. Uraraka's arm I'm afraid. The horrid villain's quirk completely destroyed them." The revelation stings, she had small hope for her fingers, sure. Though the thought of Ochako, a main component to her quirk was...gone. It's the end of Uravity. That makes Tsuyu tear up, not the thought of her own missing fingers, her love's dream was demolished in one night that was supposed to be a well needed break with their dearest comrades.
It wasn't fair.
"You'll be able to leave in just a little while, I'm sure. Keep your chin up, dear." Recovery girl looked at the sleeping girl also with barely hidden pity and shook her head shuffling out the door leaving Froppy alone in the entirely too cold room. Alone with the steady beeping and her thoughts.
"If I'd just been faster...stronger...with my actions and feelings..." She brought her right hand to her thin trembling lips. Tsuyu was alone and that meant she could actually break down, no one was there to see her emotions. She cried silently into her large unmarred hand, unable to look at Ochako. The poor woman had barely just recently gotten over the tragic accident her parents had died in two years ago according to her first casual conversation with Izuku in two years, to her horror, only days before the ruined second annual yearly reunion. Two months after their daughter graduated ready to take on the world, only a month after Tsuyu had run away from her own emotions to a hero job on the coast, Ochako's parents had passed. It was the worst thing she'd ever done, leaving her best friend over selfish feelings only for her beloved parents to die in a flaming wreck twenty-nine days after. She hiccuped quietly cursing herself.
"Tsuyu!" Her head snapped up to see her parents rush into the room. She felt what was left of her composure shatter as her mom, Beru Asui, hugged her tightly crying and her dad, Genma Asui, placed a large comforting hand on her head with tears in his eyes.
"You did good, Tsu, kero." Genma rubbed her greasy hair, her gorgeous oil-slick like strands dulled and messed by days of not showering, croaking deep voice comforting. "We saw you...on the news, we organized sitters, took off work, and rushed here as soon as we could to see you."
"I-I wasn't good enough..." Tsuyu hiccuped through her tears hugging her sobbing mother close and relishing in her father's uncommon show of affection.
"Oh honey, you did your best." Beru leaned back and kissed her forehead through tears. "We're so proud of you and your friends, kero."
The compliments didn't stick, she knows she didn't do her best, her love was missing her arm and nothing seemed right anymore. Either way, she still gives her parents a soft smile easing their fears at least a little bit.
"Ughhh..."
Tsuyu perked up looking around her dad's large frame with concern hearing the pained groan.
"What happened-" Ochako seemed more confused having willed her right hand to wipe the sleep out of her eyes much like Tsuyu had earlier, but her fingers didn't touch her face and the limb barely moved as she wanted. She opened her eyes, fully awake, and looked at her stubborn appendage expecting to see it in a cast or something secured to her chest. It had happened before, so she just blinked in silent surprise at the stump that met her clouded brown eyes, her breathing turning heavy in the oxygen mask. "...Oh-Oh no..."
"Uraraka-chan!" Beru rushed to the girl's side putting a concerned motherly hand on Uravity's single arm.
Tsuyu's parents adored the bubbly hero ever since their daughter had introduced them during their second year when Ochako couldn't afford to go home for their week long break from UA and had her stay over, Ochako had also loved the cute frog family. It was a wonderfully warm snowy winter week together, her parents loved Ochako's polite cute nature, her younger siblings adored her floating them around the living room with glee. Tsuyu remembered the completely domestic feeling that rose in her chest while she softly giggled watching her siblings bob along happily with Ochako chuckling at the kids she focused on keeping safely suspended in the air. Satsuki was gleeful and loud and Samidare was pleased as well though he tried and failed to hide it.
In the bleak present, Tsuyu looked away from her mother and her unrequited love quietly talking thorough her own tears ashamed. She didn't deserve to feel like that with Ochako, not anymore.
"Tsu..." Her dad didn't know what to say seeing her absolute defeat, so he just rubbed the back of her neck like he had when he used to cradle his tiny premature baby in his arms warm and safe. He pulled her to his chest as large tears rolled down her cheeks again. It may have looked awkward to an outside observer, but her dad was trying his best and Tsuyu did appreciate it as her mother talked softly to a calmer Uravity and Genma rubbed her slender neck paternally. If she was honest, she could have fallen asleep right there still exhausted and more so from crying so much. She felt like a scared kid. It was out of character for Froppy, the brave blunt rainy season hero, but she didn't care.
She and Ochako share her parents for nearly an hour, each comforting the women in their own way, neither injured women acknowledging each other yet. The pair may have not been teens anymore, now in their 20's, but they needed this support they had lost their limbs in what should have been an easy situation for them to handle being pros practically since fifteen.
The two concerned parents reluctantly leave after another doctor tells them family visiting hours were over. It seems Recovery Girl had been wrong in her estimate of time left in the sterile building, though it wasn't like she wanted to leave Ochako, she knew she didn't deserve it but any time spent with her love was still important since the gravity hero obviously still needed additional support. She frowned, It was so easy to call Ochako "love" now...She internally chastised herself again. She didn't deserve to call Ochako that.
"Tsu..." Ochako is staring at the ceiling. Tsuyu almost cries again when she sees the utterly hopeless look on the confident rank 3 hero's normally happy face… or what used to be a happy face, she didn't know her like that anymore. Uravity looks at her stump again feeling her breathing speed up and the beeping of the heart monitor doing the same. Beru wasn't here to offer her maternal comfort, so Tsuyu swallowed her shame and swung her legs over the side of the hospital bed. She ignored the feeling of her dirty green dress bunching on her weakened legs, grabbed her iv stand, and walked wobbly over to sit on her lov-...Ochako's bed. She hesitantly takes the panicking woman's good hand within hers rubbing her thumb over the soft skin as Uravity calmed but cried silently.
They sat in silence, Tsuyu being strong for her heavily injured ex-best friend, for once, as about another hour passed and a nurse wheeled in their dinner. Tsuyu reluctantly gets back into her own bed as Uravity smiled pleasantly, hiding her fear and anguish like a pro as the fanboy of a man served them their sub-par hospital meal with an apology and left them alone once more. By the time they finish eating, they're both in horrible pain the meds having worn off and the same nurse comes in to take their dishes as another walks in with what the girls knew to be their night dose of painkillers.
They both fall asleep soon after, important words still left unsaid.
I'm king of the clouds, of the clouds
I get lifted, I get lifted
King of the clouds, of the clouds
I get lifted, I get lifted
Imagination, take me somewhere I don't know
I'm lost but I better find it alone
King of the clouds, of the clouds
I get lifted, I get lifted
I keep searching
Oh, I keep searching
I keep searching
"King of The Clouds"-Panic! At the Disco
NOTES:
Woooo boy! I cried writing this tbh so don't feel bad if it got you, we're all friends here. This fic is gonna be like 12 chapters long and almost all of them have the angst germs. Gonna end on a light note though, for sure, so look forward to that if you like this au enough to follow it to the end!
Thanks for reading! \owo
Hero Ranks:
1. Izuku Midoriya
2. Shoto Midoriya
3. Ochako Uraraka
4. Katsuki Bakugou
5. Tsuyu Asui
6. Fumikage Tokoyami
7. Tenya Iida
8. Eijirou Bakugou
9. Mezo Shoji
10. Momo Yaoyorozu
11. Jirou Yaoyorozu
12. Mina Ashido
13. Mashirao Ojirou
14. Koji Kouda
15. Tooru Hagakure
16. Rikido Sato
17. Hanta Sero
18. Denki Kaminari
19. Yuuga Aoyama