Chapter 4

Afraid to speak with any of her classmates any further today, Ochako takes refuge in the teacher's lounge with All Might.

"I'm sorry, All Might." Ochako bows her head in apology. "I told Bakugo everything."

"I can't say I'm pleased," All Might sighs. "But I understand. If you thought telling him would be safe, I'll trust your judgment."

"Thank you. I think he'll keep the truth a secret. He's changed, so suddenly."

"He and Midoriya were always close, even if their relationship was a bit. . .rocky." All Might grimaces. "I'm happy he's grown. . .if only it didn't have to come at such a steep cost."

"Now, we have a bit of a conundrum concerning your new quirk," All Might says. "The less people that know the truth, the better. But it appears the rest of class 1-A has noticed that you now wield the same power as Midoriya."

"Sorry," Ochako apologizes again. "A student from 1-B was saying some awful things about Izuku and our class. I let my emotions get the better of me—I-I didn't hit him or anything!" Ochako tries to wave away the sudden alarm on All Might's face. "I just kind of grabbed him a bit harder than I expected, and in my anger I guess I subconsciously channeled One for All."

"This is troublesome indeed. Well, it's not unheard of for people to discover new aspects to their quirk. Rather than the manipulation of gravity. . ." All Might furrows his brow in concentration. Ochako swears she can see the gears in his head turning. "Perhaps it would be better to consult a teacher more inclined to the sciences than I am."

Armed with the help of her teachers, Ochako musters the courage to return to the classroom. The atmosphere is not as subdued as it was earlier, but there is still a palpable tension and uneasiness in the air. Her entrance, surprisingly, is mostly ignored or missed.

"Uraraka, you're back," Ojiro calls out. "Are you okay?"

"I'd be lying if I said yes," Ochakoa bluntly answers.

Ojiro looks away. "I understand. We're all struggling. But remember, we're all here for each other, too."

With a friendly pat on the back, Ojiro heads back to his own desk.

"Uraraka."

Ochako turns around and comes face to face with Todoroki.

"Oh, Todoroki."

"Yaoyorozu mentioned it earlier, that you seem to suddenly have the same quirk Midoriya did."

The entire classroom instantly quiets, all ears listening in on their conversation.

"We first noticed that Midoriya's quirk seemed to be the same as All Might's, and now you also have a similar quirk. Could you tell us what's going on?" His question sounds more like a command.

"I'm honestly not too sure myself," Ochako deflects. "According to some of the teachers, it seems that my quirk isn't just the manipulation of gravity. Apparently, it has something to do with quantum mechanics. It all went over my head, though." She tries to give him an apologetic smile, but she's sure he can see the way the corners of her mouth tremble as she struggles to sell the expression.

"I see." Todoroki's face clearly says he doesn't buy it, but he also lacks the knowledge to dispute her explanation. "I'm sure it's interesting to suddenly discover new powers so long after your quirk has awakened. I'm looking forward to seeing what you can do."

"Y-yeah, guess I'll need to start training more!"

Thankfully, the rest of the class accepts her explanation for the time being. Bakugo gives her a subtle nod of acknowledgment, an interaction that doesn't go unnoticed by Tenya.

Tenya shoots Uraraka a questioning look, but before she can address his concerns All Might enters, signaling the next class is about to begin.

As they finally leave after a trying day at school, Tenya gets the chance to ask Uraraka about Bakugo's uncharacteristic behavior.

"What was that about? Earlier, when you were explaining your quirk to Todoroki. Bakugo nodded at you, almost as if in approval or something," Tenya says.

"I'm sure he would be furious at me for saying anything, but I think deep down, Izuku really meant something to him. Perhaps in the past Izuku was just some reminder of what it was to be weak, and that Bakugo needed to stand above everyone else. But it seems that Bakugo has finally acknowledged Izuku as a true hero."

"Too late," Tenya says bitterly. "It's always been clear that out of all of class 1-A, Midoriya was truly the most heroic. When all I could think of was avenging my brother against Stain, Midoriya's first thought was to save others. Even during the entrance exam, he risked failing but he sacrificed his body to save you. I struggle to understand how Bakugo could fail to see any of this."

"Don't be too hard on him," Ochako chides.

Tenya sighs. "You're right. He and I. . .we weren't so different. And if anybody should know people can change, it's me."

They walk in silence for a short bit, before Tenya finally decides to broach the obvious, unmentioned topic.

"Uraraka. . .how are you holding up?"

After the whirlwind of the day's events, Ochako finally succumbs to all of her pent up emotion. Even as she sobs into her hands, she's rather impressed that she managed to keep it together for so long.

Her outburst tells Tenya everything. Unsure of what to do or say, he opts to rub her back in what he hopes is a soothing manner.

"Sorry, Uraraka," he apologizes. "I didn't mean to make you cry."

"No, thank you," she tearfully says. "After everything that happened today, it's almost like I forgot. I can't forget. I'll never forget."

Tenya turns to take off his glasses and quickly rubs at the corners of his eyes.

"I don't think any of us will."

Notes: I think my plan is to focus a bit more on how characters react and develop in response to Izuku's death, but the main focus will still be on Ochako learning to master One for All and struggling to live up to Izuku's ideals. I'm going to limit myself to that for now, and perhaps as I feel more comfortable with how things work out I may attempt to incorporate a bigger plot.