The Bright Hero, Cobalt
Chapter Thirty
"Normal speech."
"SHOOOOTOOOOO/AI/Kacchanese speech."
"Twice Prime speech. Other Twice speech. Other Other Twice speech."
"Telepathic speech."
'Thinking speech.'
'Sign language.'
TRIGGER WARNING: Depiction of a panic attack followed by a PTSD-related flashback involving human experimentation. It's short, but it's there. I will place :TW: before and after the portion in question for readers' convenience.
Teacher's Lounge, The Next Day
All Might sighed in contentment as he gazed out the window. The students were all working really hard on getting ready for the culture festival. The former number one hero had recently given Izuku a pass to head out and grab some supplies. The boy was taking a bit longer than he'd expected, but seeing as Ochako was fine and dandy, carrying around lumber five times her size at the moment, he felt safe in assuming everything was fine.
The phone on his desk rang, and Toshinori quirked an eyebrow in confusion. "That's odd. Why would a number from a warehouse be calling?" he wondered aloud, picking up the phone. "Hello, you've reached U.A. Yagi Toshinori speaking. What can I help you with?"
"We have your son."
"...I don't have a son."
"Oh, sorry. You just dote on him so frequently...Well, anyway, we kidnapped him, and he talked us down, so could you send someone to pick him up? We'd drop him off ourselves, but the car's having issues," the would-be kidnapper explained apologetically.
Toshinori blinked. "Oh my god, you have young Midoriya," he said softly.
"Yeah, that's his name. We were gonna ransom him to make some money, but he talked us down. He's playing checkers with one of the guys right now, but I don't feel right just sending him back on his own. The address we're at is-"
"Don't worry, I have your location already. I'll be there shortly, though you'll forgive me my escort. I'm not exactly in fighting shape anymore, and they won't let me go anywhere alone. Thank you for doing the right thing, young man," the former pro said with a smile filled with pride.
Hanging up the phone, Toshinori made a mental note to go over de-escalation tactics with his students later. Apparently, at least one of them was excellent with them already.
Around An Hour Later
"A little to the left! Okay, back a bit! Perfect, set them down!" a student from 1-D called out as Izuku did as the teen instructed. After getting kidnapped and talking the young men down, the graying verdette was helping move heavy items with Phenex, using it as an exercise to get used to moving around in the machine. He'd tripped once or twice, and dropped things at least five times, but his aura prevented any actual damage occurring, allowing him to catch himself or his cargo before anybody was hurt.
Reaching out with his hand, he gave the student, who appeared incredibly tiny to him, a thumbs up, before carefully walking over to the lumber pile and turning around to get a better look at the stalls, keeping an eye out for groups that might need a bit of extra muscle. He suddenly sensed mild irritation through his Bond with Ochako, and he was sure his body was smiling wistfully.
"Izukuuu! Mina-chan and Tooru-chan are teasing me again! I'm gonna hide in the cockpit with you!" the girl whined telepathically, and Izuku was sure the smile on his face turned into a grin. Soon enough, the girl had floated near enough that Izuku could reach out and touch her with his temporarily mechanical hand, the girl grabbing onto his outstretched finger to stop herself before clambering over to the cockpit, which he happily opened, shutting it quickly behind her in the hopes that her pursuers didn't see it happen.
If a giant robot could whistle inconspicuously, Phenex would be doing so right this very second.
Izuku stood still for a bit until he sensed that Ochako had gotten herself properly strapped in, not wanting to fall over or anything with her inside. "It's really nice in here. Good view of the outside, but none of the heat!" she said, and Izuku blushed as he felt the ghostly sensation of his real body being touched, his hand being occupied by hers.
"I'd return the favor, but right now my body's basically asleep while I move around in this thing," the freckled empath said with a smirk that hopefully found its way to his face. He suddenly felt a tingling on his cheek, and he realized Ochako must have been poking him.
"You look so relaxed in here. Like, you're smiling sometimes, but most of the time it looks like you're asleep. You have been sleeping well lately, right?" the brunette asked, concerned for him as always.
"I have. Occasionally someone on campus has a nightmare that wakes me up, but I'm able to get back to sleep easily enough afterwards as long as it wasn't too violent. Eri-chan is the most frequent culprit, but Himiko-neechan and Jin-san are always with her at night, so I'm not worried," Izuku answered, his sincerity making its way through the bond. A student from 2-C had caught his attention, and now he was on the move again, carrying a giant stone ball with a face carved into it.
Realizing that he needed to concentrate, Ochako stopped chatting for the moment, instead just enjoying holding her boyfriend's hand. As she sat with his mostly still body, the brunette concentrated on the feeling of his hand in hers. There were calluses that hadn't been there when they first started out, and looking at his knuckles, she found more wear and tear there.
The brunette looked at her own hand, which also bore the marks of hard work and effort. Her eyes were drawn to the pads on her fingertips, which had been incredibly tiny for a few minutes a month or so ago. Her quirk was pretty much completely reliant on One for All to function now. Frowning a bit, the girl gripped her partner's hand tighter. She was startled when the boy's eyes opened, and he reached out to gently flick her forehead.
"Don't be sad, Ochako. I don't regret letting go of One for All one bit. I know it's in good hands with you," he said softly, having sensed her sadness taking root and deciding to deal with it a bit more physically, if a finger flick could be considered that.
Ochako smiled at her freckled companion gratefully. "Thanks, Izuku," she replied softly as he synced with Phenex again, his body relaxing as his mind took control of the machine instead.
Before long, Mina and Tooru had made their way over, resulting in a comical chase that involved a clumsily running giant robot and two teenage girls teasing him and his girlfriend.
At The Gate Of U.A., With Eri And Haro
Eri gazed back and forth quietly, before making her way to the sidewalk on the outside of the U.A. barrier, her small robotic friend following quietly. She wasn't running away, no. In fact, she made sure Haro could help her find her way back before she even considered doing this. No, she just wanted to know what was outside of the walls of her new home, curiosity having eaten away at her for a little while now.
Free of the cage that was Kai Chisaki's laboratory, she wanted to enjoy her freedom. However, she didn't want to bother her mother or father, or any of her aunts or uncles, about this tiny excursion. So, when nobody was looking, she skittered away. She would have asked for someone to come with her, but everybody looked so busy!
The tiny girl gaped as she gazed at the area around her. "So many people," she murmured in amazement.
"Human population within five kilometers exceeds ten thousand, haro! Mustafar province is heavily populated! Many neighbors, haro!" the orb-shaped automaton chirped helpfully.
Eri smiled at her small companion, patting the top of their head. "You're so smart, Haro-chan!" she exclaimed with a tiny smile. The automaton flapped their tiny 'wings', appreciating the praise.
"You will be too. You will be too. Eri-chan still learning, haro! Eri-chan will get smarter!" the bouncing droid encouraged, before turning around and staring at seemingly nothing, then turning back to their friend. "Wanna keep going? Do a lap of U.A.?"
Eri nodded. Their exploration was pretty tame, the albino girl occasionally stopping to look at a fountain or interestingly clipped bush. Many of the people around her smiled her way and waved, the tiny tot shyly waving back to a few of them when she was feeling particularly bold.
Eventually, the pair found themselves in front of a tiny shop someone had set up, selling plushes of various heroes. Eri gazed at a plush of Marida with a tiny smile, before Haro interrupted her. "Eri-chan has allowance, haro! Eri-chan wanna buy?" her ball-shaped friend suggested, spinning around cutely.
The free girl nodded, grabbing the little plush and going to pay for it, before being waved off by the shopkeeper. "It's on the house," the man said with a smile and a wave, pocketing some money he'd been given by someone who'd been keeping an eye on the girl. They'd been following from a distance, but rushed over with the money when noticing the albino's interest in the plush before rushing off once more. The single-horned girl bowed politely before leaving, her shadow sticking to rooftops as they kept an eye on her.
Eri was amazed at just how big the world was. Part of her knew of the enormity of the planet she lived on, but even this tiny part of it felt amazingly large. She didn't know just how many people she passed in her excited state, but she eventually came out of her stupor when she bumped into somebody and fell over.
:TW:
The man bent over, intent on helping the girl up. She heard a whirring noise, the sound growing louder and louder as it filled her mind, and she wasn't out on the sidewalk anymore.
Overhaul loomed over her, a medical drill in his hand as he lowered it slowly, methodically, towards her arm. Eri screamed, she wailed. Why was he doing this to her? Her cries of terror were suddenly cut off when she felt something envelop her consciousness, something comforting.
"You're not there. You're here, in my arms. Can you hear me breathing? Breathe with me, okay, Eri-chan? Deep breaths," she heard in her mind, a familiar presence doing its damndest to pull her out of her panic attack. She couldn't hear her mama breathing, but she could feel it, and she did her best to emulate her.
:TW:
Eri didn't know how much time had passed while she was like that, but she eventually found herself lying on a bench, with her head in her mama's lap. They were in a park, far away from whatever had been making that horrible noise. "You're safe, Eri-chan. It was just a panic attack. He's in prison, and you're here with me," Himiko said softly as she sensed the girl coming to. The white-haired girl sat up and whirled around, pulling her mama into a tiny, strong hug. Himiko smiled softly, returning the affectionate gesture. "Looks like we gotta keep you away from construction sites, and Meimei's workshop. That flashback made me nauseous, too," the pro commented softly, making sure not to let the hatred she felt for her daughter's tormentor slip into her voice.
Eri simply cried for a while, her mother holding onto her softly as she let her tears run dry. It felt like hours, but Eri calmed down, feeling incredibly exhausted. Haro sat nearby in low power mode, not wanting to interrupt. Himiko smiled encouragingly as she stood up, the tiny girl cradled gently in her arms. "You wanna head home now, kiddo? You've had a pretty eventful afternoon," she said with a sad smile. Her daughter, and damn did it feel good to call her that, nodded sleepily. Picking up Haro with her aura, and floating into the sky with her daughter cradled in her arms, Himiko made her way back to U.A.'s campus at a sedate pace.
"Mama?"
"Yeah?"
"Can you tell me a story?"
"I can do that. You wanna hear about the time your Aunt Meimei built her first reactor?"
"That sounds fun."
"Well, it all started when Aunt Meimei saw a mime…"
The story was an odd one, but they were an odd group. An odd family, actually.
That Evening, In The Common Room
Ochako stirred awake, yawning adorably, before panicking a little. "Not again!" she whined, finding herself floating around in the air, a few of her classmates chuckling at her. She found herself pulled down from near the ceiling, her boyfriend's aura reaching out and easing her to the floor as she released her quirk. "Why didn't ya wake me up, Izuku!"
Her boyfriend smiled nervously, glancing to the left. "S-sorry. You just seemed really peaceful, and you worked really hard today, so I just made sure you didn't hit anything that might wake you up," the boy admitted guiltily.
The brunette groaned in exasperation, glad she'd taken to wearing shorts under her skirt. Honestly, with her quirk, skirts were just a no-go. "Well, I did enjoy looking at you bein' all serene and whatnot when we were in the cockpit together, so I guess this is just karma," she said with a bit of a grin.
Izuku frowned for a moment, before coming to a realization. "No, we aren't quite even. I've gotta spoil you, and I think I know just how to do it," he said, suddenly giving off an incredibly determined vibe. "Come with me," he said confidently, grabbing her hand in his and leading her off, the two of them doing their best to ignore the teasing coming from their friends as they exited the dorm. It wasn't quite curfew yet, but they were cutting it close. Izuku turned around and took both her hands in his. "You wanted to be an astronaut once, right? Do you trust me?"
Ochako blinked, not sure where he was going with this. "Y-yeah. To both of those questions. I've always been fascinated by space, you know that," she said softly, her heart thudding in her chest as she gazed into Izuku's oddly determined eyes.
Glowing blue, the boy before her nodded. "Just wait a minute. Gotta get this thing moving…" he said, shutting his eyes in concentration. Not long after, Phenex was hovering over them, and the freckled teen smiled at his girlfriend. "Wanna go to space for a couple minutes?"
Ochako blinked. "You-you're serious? That's crazy! What are we waitin' for?" she exclaimed, blue aura now coming off of her as well as she leaped in the direction of Phenex's cockpit, her boyfriend not far behind her.
The interior of the cockpit lit up as it opened and the two entered. Izuku made sure his partner was fully strapped in before lying back in his seat and becoming one with the machine. "We only have enough oxygen to be up there for about half an hour, but it's not a good idea to be up there for a long time anyway, so it's probably for the better this way…" he mumbled off before his body went still, smile still on his face as he synchronized fully.
Ochako looked at the camera feed around her in amazement as she saw their blue aura surging around the machine. She offhandedly noticed the user interface indicating that aura enhanced mode had been activated as they began ascending steadily. She gazed out at the sunset, her boyfriend's hand held in hers. A tiny bit of blue aura slipped into the cockpit and closed his hand around it, the boy's smile growing wide. "We need to start looking away from the sun. It'd be bad if we looked towards it while we're up there," he said cautiously, rotating the machine so that the front of it faced the darkness of night, the cameras in the back shutting off.
"Reaching upper atmosphere. Weapon systems shutting down in accordance with international treaty," the onboard AI stated, though none of them were worried. This wasn't a fight, after all.
Shortly after, the pair were hovering in low orbit, gazing out at the stars. And there were so many. The universe stretched endlessly before them as the two took it in, before Ochako spoke. "C-can you look down? I wanna see it. I wanna see the earth," she said softly.
"Yeah, I kinda wanna see what it looks like from up here, too," Izuku replied, gradually turning the machine and adjusting the cameras to keep the sun's light from harming them. Soon, they gazed upon their big, beautiful world, in all its glory.
A blue gem with many landmasses and swirling clouds spanned their sight as they gazed at it. "It's so pretty," Ochako said in awe.
Izuku nodded, even though the action was only made by the machine. "It is. Hey, Ochako? Thanks. Thanks for always being there for me. You're my hero," he said softly, the affection and gratitude flowing from him to her openly. The brunette blinked back tears, and found herself seeing what her boyfriend saw. Not just a planet, but all the bonds of everybody on it, crisscrossing networks of friendships and rivalries, romances and familial bonds. Their blue world was filled with blue joy.
"No, thank you."
The two of them couldn't stop grinning, even as they descended back to the campus, finding that several of their classmates were outside waiting for them. They loved their class, their family. Life is good.
