"One more..." Ochako Uraraka connects her hands together, making sure to keep her pinkies from touching. Her stomach wants to burst from nausea and her head throbs from overuse of her quirk, but she's too close to give up. She takes in a large huff of air before connecting her pinkies. "Release!"
The thud of a boulder connecting with the back of the truck gives Ochako the confirmation that everything has gone as planned. Her legs buckle, and she falls onto the rubble in relief. She rests her head on the ground and her arms on her stomach. . Although she wants to get back to her apartment for the night, she knows that she is in no shape to do so yet.
Time passes with ease for Ochako as she stares at the sky and enjoys the dazzling shapes that envelop her vision. Her aches and pains drifts away as she loses herself to the endless sky above her.
Supporting her family has always been Ochako's life goal. When she narrowly missed getting into UA, she decided to stay in Musutafu to help expand her parents business with the little money they had. She has lived independently of her parents ever since then, only occasionally returning home to see them. Expanding the family business into a big city was an amazing idea, but progress had been super slow due to a lack of funding. Ochacko worked every day for the last 4 years building the new construction center. More recently, she's been working on a fresh set of contracts from her parents. Things are still rough, but money is beginning to circulate more; the business is getting a lot more traction in Musutafu than it ever had before.
Thirteen has always been a huge inspiration for Ochako. Being a hero is 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. Both of Ochako's parents supported the idea of medical schooling, much to Ochako's delight. In so, she took a two year break from family work and put all of her savings into going to medical school. She only had enough money for two years, but the information that she learned was well worth the money.
Although Ochako isn't an official graduate, she still retains a lot of the information she learned a few years prior. She owns a decent repertoire of books about diagnostics that she often reads to keep the information ingrained. Her interest in the field and drive to keep going is what allows her to keep growing.
Ochako hops back onto her feet and gleefully treads back towards the direction of her car. The scenery bores her for the most part, but the darkening sky draws her attention and keeps her entertained. She imagines the dusky sky dotted with thousands of stars, drawing out a few of her favorite constellations. It isn'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 makes Ochako heart flutter.
A smile briefly grows on Ochako's face from her fantasies, but a slight vibration in her pocket stops her from creating a full-fledged grin. Her heart skips a beat in horror when she realizes why her phone is ringing in the first place. She grabs her flip-phone and violently presses the answer button while moving, causing her to drop the phone. A yelp escapes her, which is cut off when a high pitched voice blows through the phone.
"Hey, 'Chako, everything alright?" Ochako sighs in relief from hearing the voice that confirms her phone is still functional and thankfully not broken.
As Ochako bends down to pick up her phone, she speaks up a little louder than usual. "Yeah, I just dropped my phone, sorry!"
When Ochako gets her phone back to her ear, saunter now on pause, she hears a sigh on the other end before hearing exactly what she dreads. "You're late, sweetie. Did you stay overtime at work?"
Ochako begins shaking the phone, and words start spilling 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 causes waves of comfort to hit Ochacko, calming 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 pulls her phone away from her ear to hang up, but a sudden tightness in her chest keeps 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 causes Ochako to wonder 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 Tsuyu isn't even home yet, Ochako releases some tension in her back and shoulders that she was previously unaware of. She gets a little too relaxed, and accidentally whispers 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 realizes what she is doing and widens her eyes in embarrassment. "You heard nothing!"
Mina's laughter grows 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 is contagious, making Ochako let out a light chuckle which cascades into full blown laughter. Ochako takes a second to calm down before puffing her cheeks outwards. "You'd be on Mars long before you 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, you know!"
That did it for Mina. "First of all, I said melt, didn't I?" Mina begins her retort, taking a slight pause before continuing. "And here I was, thinking you were the hero fangirl. 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.
The thought of Izuku brings a heavy blush to Ochako's face as the memory of him saving her comes back into light. The memory hasn't seen the light of day for years, so she was surprised, to say the least. "I- uh… No! I me-mean, I could easily beat him in a trivia battle about Thirteen without a sweat!"
Mina is left in a rut from Ochako's mention of Thirteen. She puffs out a large amount of air before continuing the conversation. "Okay fine, you would probably win that." Mina pauses for a moment, before squealing from the other end. "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."
Ochako doesn't get a chance to reply before Mina jumps in again, speaking even faster than before. "Oh! I actually just remembered! I think he told me he takes Sunday's off now! Oh Ochako-chan, you are not getting off easily this time! Actually, Tsuyu-chan just got here, so I'll see you soon!" Ochako stomps her foot onto the ground after hearing the end-of-call ding, still feeling flustered. Her hand flies into her peripherals, and she furiously types in Mina's number before calling. She didn't expect Mina to pick up due to Tsuyu, but she let her phone ring until hearing Mina's voicemail box recording.
The sound of shoes slamming into the rubble fills Ochako's ears as she dashes towards her car. Her phone rests snuggly in her right pocket until it begins to vibrate softly right as she gets over her previous conversation with Mina. The vibrations stop after a moment, which leaves Ochako to check her phone. The notification that she just got astounds 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 comes out at first but pressing the speaker button fixes the problem. "-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 isn't bad. In fact, it is awful. She is SO going to pay when I see her...
There isn't a good place to park her car that is any closer to her current placement, so she makes do with parking in a nearby parking lot. The parking lot is filled to the brim, which surprises Ochako considering how empty it was when she parked there in the morning. She opens the door and gets in to start her car. The sound of her car starting is super satisfying, and the music that fires up on the radio catches her attention. It isn't a song she knows the lyrics to, but she sings to the best of her abilities while swinging back and forth.
The route home is familiar to Ochako, so she barely pays any attention to her GPS. She passes the time by singing to her heart's content, causing her to barely miss the final right turn to her home street as advised by her directions. The song on the radio ends, which leaves her to realize she is about to pass by her house. With one of her hands already resting on the wheel, she presses her other hand onto the wheel while making sure to keep her pinkies raised. She yanks her wheel to the right to sharply turn, but her car jolts to the right more than she intends. She stops the car by instinct, which causes her to move forward a little from the inertia. Being a bad driver is one of Ochako's biggest faults; she was still getting used to driving in her new car. 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 moves backwards a little, then turns to the left to face her driveway. A look out the front window confirms that she is in a good position to safely pull in. As she puts her gear back into drive, she hears the sound of a car honking their horn, which makes her speed up her car by instinct. Once she pulls into her driveway enough, she looks back at the car that honked at her. The car is relatively flat, with both windows rolled down. The person in the car is blasting heavy metal which surprises Ochako a lot.
How did I not notice him? His music is deafeningly loud!
With the new thought, Ochako notes the figure inside of the car that is still parked in the middle of the road. She gives the other driver a look and flinches from the evident rage on his face. His ash-blonde hair spikes upwards, and almost touches the roof of his car. To be fair, his car is very flat, so that isn't a huge accomplishment. Seeing his hair causes her eyes to widen in surprise, though. As if he were responding to her surprise, he starts his car up again and begins to move slowly. Brown eyes meet red while he screams. "LEARN TO DRIVE, YOU DAMN HAG!"
Bewilderment plasters on Ochako's face, even after the vulgar driver leaves. Seeing him causes her to do a double take. Why does he look so familiar?
It takes a moment, but Ochako's wonder fades away. She shakes her head in disappointment from wasting time, and pulls up fully into a small driveway that is identical to many others around her. Her house isn't anything special, but she is thankful to be in an actual house. Her house isn't tiny since it houses 3 people, which 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 starts to ring again when she exits her car. The caller ID causes her to smile a little while answering. "Dad?"
The returning voice is deep, yet calming. "Hey Ochako! You didn't call, so I wanted to make sure you were okay." His statement makes 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 rises 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 doesn'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 brings back Ochako's previous mistake with Mina to mind as well.
Ochako rests her other hand on the wheel 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 emanates from Ochako's phone, although quieter. "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 causes Ochako to raise her face back up, before sighing and putting on a smile. "Yeah, love ya, Dad!"
"Love ya too, 'Chako." Ochako ends the call this time, before rushing into her apartment.
Both Tsuyu and Mina are in the kitchen when Ochako barges into their home, most likely in a conversation. Ochako closes her eyes for a moment from the sudden change in light and blinks a few times to confirm she has adjusted. Her barging entrance causes Mina and Tsuyu to flinch slightly.
No visible reaction comes 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 leads 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 kicks 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 is flattered by Mina's caring attitude, but she feels like it's a little overdone. Ochako shakes her head and sets 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 nods in agreement. "I agree, kero."
They had a point, so Ochako nods her head as well. "Okay, I'll be quick!"
Ochako dashes through the kitchen before darting into a narrow hallway connecting to her room. She strips out of her clothes and throws them to the side once she enters her room without a care for the dirt that covers them. She can deal with the clothes later, but her plans come now. She turns left and rushes into her bathroom and turns on the shower. The bathroom is relatively bland with grey tiles and mat gray walls. Ochako doesn't care, though, and is thankful that she has the luxury of a shower in the first place.
Jumping in a hot shower always relieves her of her stress, especially after a long day of work. Since Ochako worked overtime, a shower was long overdue. She hums in comfort from the rush of warm water. God, I'm glad I turned on the shower earlier. Though, she feels a little bad considering she was wasting water.
Somehow, Ochako manages to hear some raised voices from across the house through her shower. Something feels off, but she decides to ignore it. The water around Ochako starts to rain down much harder than before, causing small bolts of pain wherever the water slams into her skin. She compares the feeling to that of hail. To be safe, Ochako reaches out to turn off the shower, and after she does, a sudden pressure overtakes her whole body that threatens to crush her whole. Pulling her arm back to her side is a slow process, but she manages. There isn't any pain besides what was caused by the water, but the pressure is overwhelming. It doesn't help that she can't hear Tsu and Mina anymore, which only adds to Ochako's growing worry. Her stomach churns from the feeling, threatening to spill all of its contents out.
Another wave of pressure sends Ochako crashing down onto the floor. A few cracks appear on the walls surrounding Ochako, and the showerhead clatters onto the ground. Both of Ochako's hands slam down onto her chest, taking away her breath. Ochako widens her eyes in pain from her fingernails drilling into her chest, but the pain isn't bad enough yet to cause her to scream. Both of her hands lock together as she lands by sheer luck, which causes her to instinctually activate her quirk. All strain dissipates as her quirk comes into full force, which is a huge relief to Ochako. She expects to float, but is astonished when she stays planted on the ground.
A sudden feeling of seething hot iron daggers presses into Ochako's upper chest like nothing she has felt before, causing her to gasp out in pain. She sidelines the pain as best as she can as she scans her surroundings. Her bathroom is in shambles, with multiple items broken on the ground. The cracks that litter the walls grow slowly, which implies that the house isn't going to stay up longer. A few holes are present in the ground as well, which Ochako notes.
Both Tsuyu and Mina are crying out in pain, which causes Ochako to nullify gravity in a nearby towel and wrap herself in it. Adrenaline pumps throughout her body, which cancels out a lot of the pain coming from her left hand. She darts into the kitchen, and her heart shatters.
Tsuyu's tongue is on the ground and her eyes are unmoving. There is a small amount of blood pooling out from her tongue, but nothing that is threatening to Tsuyu's life. Her whole body is pressed onto the ground with her right arm pressed backwards into her back in a very unnatural manner.
Mina, on the other hand, is in more severe condition. Her face is pressed down flat into the ground, which is made worse by the blood that has spread outwards. Ochako's eyes widen as she realizes that Mina might not be able to breathe. Her whole body is shoved down similar to Tsuyu with her right leg bent opposite to her body. Ochako is surprised by the fact that none of her leg bones are popping out, considering how far her leg is bent. One of Mina's arms are bent almost identically to Tsuyu's but her nails must have dug into her back. Ochako assumes so because of the blood that covers her back and cringes from the realization.
Ochako decides to help Mina first and shoves her left arm down onto Mina's back awkwardly. She can't move any of her fingers, but smiles when she sees that all five of them are pressed down. Mina bolts upward when Ochako connects her other hand with her back. She doesn't stay up long due to her injured leg, and screams while falling back down. Ochako catches Mina and flinches from the damage on her face. Mina's nose is bent to the right from the force of impact, and blood continues to flow and falls at an unnatural speed onto the ground. Ochako puts Mina down lightly, before smiling in reassurance.
Mina speaks frantically after gasping 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 sends a jolt of pain to spill out from her left hand again, causing 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."
Mina has no choice but to comply, and sighs as she relaxes onto the ground. Ochako moves over to Tsuyu next, repeating her previous motions to revert her back to normal. Tsuyu reacts similarly, but is able to stay standing. She violently coughs up blood, and Ochako reacts 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 confirms that she understands. Her tongue hands out of her mouth awkwardly with blood spilling out of the midsection of her abnormally sized tongue. Ochako shudders from the confirmation and realizes that she is probably the only one who has any chance with her quirk acting as a foil to that of the perpetrator.
"Is there anyone that you know to be on the scene?" Tsuyu nods again from the question, which fills Ochako with a bit of 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 looks around herself, and her eyes widen. The walls of the kitchen are filled with cracks that continue to spread, and the ceiling above her has small holes. The ground around her is matted with debris which only confirms that she doesn't have a lot of time.
Tightness pulls at Ochako's chest even without the unknown quirk affecting her. Her heart is racing as well, which only adds to her lasting anxiety. People need her, and the determination she feels helps balance out her anxiety.
"I'm going to kick this door down, so can you help Mina-chan outside?" No nod comes from Tsuyu, but she darts over to Mina, slowly helping her up.
A slight laugh comes from Mina amidst all the chaos. "Uh, Ochako? You may want to put some clothes on…"
Ochako looks down and heats up from the sight. Her towel must have fallen at some point, and now both of her closest friends get to see her naked.
"Nice rack!" The compliment doesn't register for a moment, but Ochako realizes what Mina was inferring after a few seconds.
The blush spreads down to Ochako's exposed neck which causes a quick command. "TSUYU-CHAN! Get her outside! I'll be out in a moment…"
A swing of Ochako's leg causes the door to bulge, but not fully. She tries once more, and the door crashes down onto the ground violently.
With the open door, Ochako darts back into her room, and puts her clothes on furiously. She doesn't bother with underwear or a bra, only caring to dress enough to be considered decent. Her feet sting from contact with rubble and other broken items, so she decides to put on shoes. She rushes back into her kitchen and jumps outside, and the sight that beholds her is shocking. Multiple buildings are decimated, reduced to pieces.
The ground around Ochako shakes violently for a moment, which causes her heart to skip a beat. She turns around to face her house, and the sight of it crashing down onto the ground is 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…
There is no sight of a villain nearby from what Ochako can tell, but her eyes latch onto Tsuyu, who is holding onto Mina bridal-style. Her tongue is still hanging out, but the blood appears to have dried up enough to clot the bleeding, which is a good sign. Ochako realizes that Tsuyu is of way less use with her tongue being rendered useless, which adds more pressure to Ochako.
Mina keeps a positive attitude, which is very helpful to Ochako considering how scared she is. "Hey, Ochako! Both Tsuyu 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!"
I'm no hero, though…
The fact that Mina is 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 puts on a fake smile, and begins to run around in pursuit of anyone in need.
No people are in Ochako's peripherals for a while, so she assumes that a pro hero has evacuated them. All the nearby buildings are run into the ground, giving Ochako a stronger field of sight. She continues to run, not caring about the increasing pain that tugs at her feet and hand, and eventually catches sight of one standing person.
A menacing smile slashes the new figure's face, which is only made worse by the howling cackle she makes. Ochako assumes that this is the Vertigo that Mina described earlier. She takes note of how Vertigo is levitating a few feet off of the ground with occasional orange bolts flowing out of her feet. Where the bolts touch, the ground fractures and crumbles, which explains the growing crevice beneath her.
Matted brown hair with hints of red frames Vertigo's face in chaotic tufts, and a dark mask leaves only her mouth uncovered. The rest of her figure is covered by plates of black and orange armor, and her chest has a large V that glows lightly. She doesn't seem to notice Ochako, much to the villain's delight. She could very easily catch the villain off guard, thanks to her position right of the destruction, out of focus. Vertigo does seem to have her attention on someone else, someone marked by green hair and an achingly familiar suit.
Recognition is immediate, and Ochako gasps in horror. Her body is frozen in place, her right hand tremors from the sight. She's never seen such high confidence from a villain before, and the confidence makes her think of All Might. If Vertigo is so confident, and can petrify one of the strongest present heroes, then Ochako stands no chance. Her thoughts are interrupted though by another chaotic, deranged laugh, which snaps her attention back to Deku.
No way! That's Deku!
Ochako's gasp catches the attention of Vertigo, who swiftly turns towards Ochako. A sneer grows on her face, which is complimented by her raising her hands. Orange waves spill out of her hands as she clenches them tightly, and the reaction is immediate. Ochako shakes as the ground around her quakes and threatens to spill downward from pressure beyond anything Ochako has experienced before. The new level of tension threatens to push her to the ground, but it isn't enough to stop her. Ochako's face stays up to face Vertigo, and her eyes catch Vertigo floating to the right a little before dropping to the ground. A sudden wave of dust that spills outward makes Ochako cough, obstructing her vision heavily.
An excited voice speaks up while Ochako is 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…" The mention of weak heroes causes a rush of determination to flow through Ochako, and amiss all the pressure, she pushes on. Her legs carry her over to Deku, and Vertigo thrusts her hands out in an attempt to make her fall. She makes sure to keep a part of her body planted on the ground at all times to keep the quirk from taking over. The waves keep on coming and growing, which causes one of her knees to buckle for a moment. Ochako keeps on running, and is within arms reach of Deku when the ground around her opens up.
High pitched screams come from both Deku and Ochako as they both crash down into the newly created pit. The crater is only a few feet deep, but Deku falls down immediately due to the villain's gravity quirk. His impact is less severe considering how he fell with the rest of the ground. Ochako falls down a little slower and lands on top of Deku, thankful for the cushion for her impact. Deku lets out a grunt of pain from the impact, and Ochako quickly rolls off of him in embarrassment.
A moment of silence ensues, which gives Ochako the time to look over at Deku. His eyes are pleading, which causes her to rush over to him and activate her quirk. Green lightning immediately begins to arc from his body which comes into contact with Ochako due to her close proximity.
All of the tightness in Ochako's chest subsides, replaced by a comforting warmth unlike anything she has felt before. Her body accepts the new feeling with pleasure and relaxes, which causes her to fall into Deku's grip. Falling into his grip results in a new pounding in Ochako's chest. Her body goes limp, and a new blush that extends to her neck grows from laying on top of Deku. Nothing could have prepared her for this. She was on top of another guy. And a hot one, at that!
A slight change in altitude shocks Ochako, but not from the lightning that consistently strikes her. Muscles in Deku's arms clasp her tightly as he adjusts her to fit bridal-style. Another feeling overtakes her; that of longing. It takes every ounce of her will to keep from lunging into Izuku; to feel his strong grasp on her, to feel his li-
What the heck, Ochako? You don't even know him. He probably doesn't even remember you…
Ochako grunts in discontent from realizing that her silly fantasies won't happen. Her discontent doesn't last, as she gasps in pleasure from his increased power. His muscles bulge a little more, which causes Ochako to hum as her eyes look up at Deku's face. The green mask on his face is a little goofy, considering how it only leaves his hair exposed. She can't help chuckling a little, but she feels a little disappointed considering how she can't see his full face. The new relaxation causes Ochako to realize how tired she is. Her head goes limp into the armor that clasps Deku's chest, which makes her come very close to losing consciousness. One thought tugs at her mind amidst the new comfort that she feels which she feels he deserves to know, though.
"Uh, Iz..." I'm not supposed to know his name! "...Deku, 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."
A look of urgency shows on Deku's face as he shakes his head and mutters 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 nods her head slightly, not wanting to move her head away from Izuku's covered chest. "Yeah, I don't think they could have moved much."
All Ochako wants is to feel all of Izuku's power, considering how he claims he wasn't even at 30% yet. If his current power made her feel so good, then 100% has to be on another level. She doesn't notice the sudden change in altitude that follows; she just feels another increase in pleasure, and her longing grows tenfold. The slight tingle in her mind that represents her activated quirk threatens to vanish, and Ochako has to use all of her willpower to keep herself from deactivating her quirk.
Mina and Tsuyu are in danger and they need me! Izuku needs me too. The thought keeps Ochako grounded in reality and helps her wake up a little. She wants to melt into Deku's arms and sleep, but she knows better.
Time appears to slow down as all of the warm sensations that Ochako felt vanish suddenly from Deku setting her down lightly. His tender movements make Ochako's heart flutter, which is amplified by all of her previous emotions.
Ochako frowns as she turns away from Deku and looks at Mina and Tsuyu. Both of them appear to be doing better, but Mina has her eyes closed. Ochako assumes she is passed out, which wouldn't be a bad thing considering how much chaos was going on. She moves towards the two, and looks back at Deku one last time when she approaches them. Her eyes widen as she notices his exposed face.
He pulled his mask away! Why?
Ochako doesn't expect to see the huge grin that is shown on Deku's face, but she isn't complaining. Her heart threatens to burst from his smile which caused the warm sensation to return. The comfort was mild, but still noticeable. Another warmth spreads to Ochako's neck and cheeks from a small thought about him being cute.
His eyes lock onto Ochako, which causes her heart to skip a beat. His grin fades away, replaced by a smile that has a hint of gratitude in it. "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 goes numb, and her mind blows up with dopamine. Nothing prepared her for what Deku just said, so Ochako reacts by falling backwards. She is close enough to fall into Tsuyu and Mina, but Tsuyu's quick extension of her tongue prevents that. Her tongue wraps around Ochako and lays her onto the ground slowly. Ochako doesn't register anything after Deku's voice. Her mind replays 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 retracts her tongue and looks down at Ochako with a newfound smile. "You like h-him, kero…" Her voice is weak, but effective. Ochako didn't expect Tsuyu to speak, and the faint voice makes Ochako worry. Her eyes widen as a result of Tsuyu's statement, and her response comes 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 giggles at the sentiment and reaches 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!"
"Hush, Mina-chan! We can talk about this later, okay?" Ochako didn't need Deku to hear their conversation, assuming he comes back anytime soon.
Ochako remembers what she told Deku regarding medical care and eyes 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 says while shifting her eyes to Tsuyu.
Tsuyu complies and lies Mina on the ground lightly. Ochako scrambles over to Mina and bends 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. She taps on Mina's lower hip and starts to run her hand down her leg to test for any injuries. Ochako feels a tightness near the knee and rubs her hand around the area, causing Mina to wince slightly. She lets off the pressure a little and moves onward. Mina winces twice more, once when Ochako touches near her knee, and once more when Ochako touches a little above the top of her foot. She does a little more testing before smiling at 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 sighs after her synopsis, thankful for how Mina isn't in any serious 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 grins at Ochako and laughs at her, which causes 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 smirks at Ochako, grabbing her shoulder with her good arm to urge her onward.
"Uhh, Okay?" Ochako gives in, shifting herself around to face opposite to Mina. She doesn't expect to see anything and is shocked to see Deku standing there with a very slight smile on his face. His eyes are beat red, yet no tears appear to be spilling from his eyes. Small arcs of lightning are still protruding from all around Deku. When he catches her eyes, his smile fades and is replaced with a look of defeat that takes all breath away from Ochako.
Nobody in Ochako's life has been able to affect her emotions so quickly like Deku. Seeing him in such a defeated state makes her want to run over to him and hug him, but she knows how unprofessional the notion would be. Her heart longs for him, and her body pushes to move on its own. She decides to wait things out and hear of his victory before moving over to him, though, just to be safe. What she hears is not expected though, and only adds to the dread that she feels.
Midoriya's head drops downward, and his quirk deactivates. "Vertigo got away, and it was all my fault…"
And with that, Ochako passes out without a moment to comprehend the horrible news.