Chapter 6: Ageless
There is one element that has always been a staple in the history of mankind: Glory. In so many ways, glory has been the driving force behind humanity, as it is theoretically achievable, since it is measured in the realm of the living world. Glory is the reward for seeking purpose in life. It is the promise of immortality, in the sense that glorious accomplishments will be talked about years after death. It is the one way that mortals can guarantee something of merit in their brief period of existence, before death takes them away from that world for all eternity.
While the concept of 'glory' has been carried throughout history, superheroes have come to be associated with traits that surpass even that. There is an element of selflessness that motivates superheroes, which renders them philosophically more genuine in their nature. The way of the hero defies the boundaries of mankind's potential. Specifically, it goes beyond the human race's genetic design to survive. That is the level humanity has reached so far.
When Ochaco and Jin climbed out of the bus, they were met with a warm gust of summer wind. The sun was lower now, but its heat remained at large. Clouds were gathered some distance away, but they wouldn't reach their destination anytime soon. It would be clear weather for the time being.
Ochaco couldn't resist staring off into the countryside. The hills were beautiful, complete with welcoming slices of green serenity. If only she were able to spend time appreciating this view.
"Our destination is this way," Jin announced. His eyes weren't on the scenery, but instead were glued to his tablet, where he was running the GPS. While the sun was head West, Jin was traveling to the East. Wherever this place was, he seemed eager to get there quickly.
Apparently, Ochaco's silence got Jin's attention, and he turned away from his tablet. "What are you staring at?"
When she heard him, she returned her attention to him and their trip. "Sorry. Just got… I was looking at the countryside."
Upon hearing that, Jin raised an eyebrow, trying to analyze her words. "Did something come to mind for the case?"
"No, not that. It was just a nice view."
"I see."
Ochaco knew it wasn't the focus right now, but still she was wondering something. "Don't you ever just appreciate the things that you see? I mean, you're always working on your visualizations… but there's still a lot to see in the present, too."
"A strange time to become philosophical," Jin said, glancing away momentarily off in the distance. "I suppose it makes sense that you see it that way."
"Wait… what way?"
"To you, those are hills, meadows, plants, and more. But to me, they are echoes of past events, visualizations. When I look hard enough at objects, the visualizations come flying in." With that said, he returned his gaze to the tablet. "I cannot afford to take in any additional visuals. My mind is already consumed as it is."
After a brief delay, the two travelers resumed their trip in silence.
Thirty minutes later, they still hadn't arrived. Although she didn't want to be bothersome, Ochaco couldn't resist asking about it. "How much farther is it?"
"The next ridge." Sure enough, there was a sort of fence signifying the entrance to a property. It didn't actually do anything to keep people out, instead serving merely as decoration. "When we get there, it will be difficult for me to remain unseen."
"How did you do it last time you were here?"
Jin slowed down as he thought it over. "I pretended to be dropping off a package."
"Do you have a package this time?"
He shook his head. "This time, I need to go on the property with you."
"What if they have cameras?"
A valid concern, but Jin didn't seem worried. "I've found no evidence of the place being monitored. Should be fine."
"What if you get found?"
"You are only now expressing your concerns?" he asked her, crossing his arms.
Ochaco glanced away. "Fine. I'm just… making sure before we go over there."
"If I am found, I will admit my profession," Jin explained. "You will admit that I wished to accompany you to the property. Only if I am discovered, though. For now, do not mention anything about my presence."
"Got it." Ochaco was concerned, but things didn't appear too risky. Jin's logic made sense, and there shouldn't be any reason for them to be treated as intruders. After all, Ochaco was expecting to encounter someone involved with shady behavior. In fact, part of her wanted to find that, if only because it would potentially help her get closer to finding Deku.
Upon arriving at the fence, the walkway led downhill, toward a trail which went on to the property. Ochaco glanced ahead and saw it: the very same cabin Jin had shown her on his laptop earlier. It was hard to believe he'd managed to locate this place. In fact, this entire scenario was hard to fathom. As she took the first step on the path, Ochaco felt an unexpected sense of pride that she was standing somewhere the other heroes had not searched before. It was too early for her to jump to conclusions, but she was still glad to be here, regardless of what was found.
"The sun will eventually set. Hurry up." Jin was whispering from atop the hill, standing there with most of his body hidden behind the fence.
"I'm going," Ochaco said, turning her attention back to the cabin. The walkway was long, and along the way, there were patches of flowers blooming. Meadows of short grass spread out on both sides of the cabin, leading out the length of a football field before the woods stood proudly beyond them.
Isolation. That was what it felt like to be here. Maybe that was the purpose of having a doctor stationed in a place like this.
Then Ochaco reviewed the initial assessment. Perhaps this wasn't a doctor at all. Maybe this place served another purpose. It looked more like a place for a weekend retreat than a medical appointment.
Only one way to find out, and it lied ahead. Ochaco got stepping, making her way cautiously to the cabin.
"Who are you?" It was the voice of a child.
Ochaco leaped to the right, startled from the unexpected arrival. To her left, a young boy was standing in the grass, staring innocently at her. He was wearing some sort of purple spandex outfit, as if he were imitating a superhero. His irises lit up with an amber glow.
It was uncanny how the kid showed up out of nowhere, but Ochaco smiled at him. "Hello there. My name's Ochaco. What's yours?"
The boy had a curious look stuck on his face, even after Ochaco talked to him in a sweet voice. "My name is Don."
Ochaco kept smiling as she knelt to match the boy's level. "I'm just here to pay a visit. Is anyone home right now?"
"Yeah…" Don shrugged, as if he were reluctant to reveal information to a stranger.
Considering she was a stranger, Ochaco was making sure to mind her manners. "Well, if your mommy or daddy is here, could you let them know they have a visitor?"
Despite the polite request, Don barely reacted. However, he did eventually point a small finger to the front door. "You can just go inside."
"Oh." The invitation still didn't feel valid. Ochaco gulped nervously, suddenly feeling uneasy about the whole thing. Normally, encountering a child would be a heartwarming experience, but she didn't get that vibe here. This time, there was something off about this entire property. When she tied it together with her preconceived notions of the suspicious activity involving Deku's disappearance, none of it added up to anything good.
For now, she remained calm and approached the front door. Even after being invited inside, she decided to knock on the door. There was no bell visible, and the windows were covered with thick white curtains. It was still best to stick to the plan, and that's what she was going to do. Just like she rehearsed before.
After a minute passed, no one came to the door. Ochaco ran a hand through her hair as she tried to decide how to respond. Surely, someone should have heard the knocking by now.
"I told you, you can just go inside," Don repeated, still standing in his original spot.
Ochaco smiled at him but sighed nervously when she turned to face the door again. There was only one option now, and she turned the handle. The door was unlocked, and it gave a loud creaking sound from being opened. While the wood was polished on the outside, inside it was beat up and worn out. In fact, the entire living room looked decrepit. It only added to the strange environment.
"Hello?" Ochaco called out a few times as she went in. The floor was made of wood, but there were a couple of carpeted rooms ahead on the right, including a dining room. The television was playing a program, but she couldn't see it from the front of the house. Up ahead and around the corner was the living room, where the T.V. was playing. Ochaco removed her shoes, placed them in the shoe rack, and then made her way toward the living room. If the television was on, surely that meant someone was there.
Moments later, Ochaco rounded the corner to the living room… but it was unoccupied. "Is anyone here?" she asked, doing her best to hide her nerves.
After asking that, Ochaco turned to check the kitchen, then found herself looking upon a tall man. "May I help you?" he asked in a rich voice.
"Shit!" Ochaco swore for a moment before settling down. "Sorry. I didn't…"
It dawned on her that there was something eerie about the tall man. He was wearing the same purple spandex as the boy from outside. In addition, his eyes were amber, same as the kid. "You look as though you've seen a ghost."
Ochaco fake laughed, hoping to stall while she regained her senses. What on Earth was going on here? This was getting strange fast. "Sorry to walk in like this," she said, working to restore her manners. "I was on my way to visit, and I ran into a young boy outside named Don, who told me I could go inside to find the owner of this house."
Despite the strange mood, the man smiled in friendly fashion. "Yes, well I must admit I wasn't expecting any visitors. Would you please care to identify yourself, my dear?"
"Ochaco Uraraka," she answered with a slight bow. "Pleased to meet you. Are you the doctor that resides here?"
"I am," he answered. "My name is Doctor Don Takahiro."
Ochaco's hairs stood on end. "Don?"
"Yes," he confirmed with a smile. "We meet again."
While Ochaco tried to make sense of it, Don quickly revealed what had happened. His eyes glowed with amber illumination, which quickly spread across his entire body. In just several seconds, his form shifted in size, until he was only a few feet tall. Don was as he'd been when Ochaco first met him outside the cabin.
"Your Quirk…" Ochaco was still unsure on how to react. "You can change your age?"
"At will, yes." Don's voice was that of the young boy again. "Of course, coming up with specially designed clothes to wear wasn't easy, given that my Quirk doesn't change them with the process." That explained the purple spandex now. With that explanation out of the way, he quickly shifted back to the older man once again, showing no noticeable strain from the process. "My Quirk is Agelessness. I can change my age at any time."
Unsurprisingly, Ochaco was stunned. "That is an amazing power."
Don nodded with pride. "Yes, I suppose it has been quite useful to me over the years." He walked over to the living room, located the remote, and shut the television off. "Now then, you've come to this place looking for a doctor. That's me. Of course, this is no ordinary place. I should know because I'm no ordinary doctor. That leads me to my first question: How did you find out about me?" Now that the initial surprise was over, Don Takahiro was right to business.
It took Ochaco a few moments to refocus. Stick to the plan. She had to believe in it. "I'm a classmate of Neito Monoma. He recommended that I come visit you."
Don's eyes grew large, as if he never expected to hear that. "I see. So then, you're in need of some help?"
"Yes," she replied, glancing around at the house. "But first… what is this place? It looks like some sort of… summer home."
That got a laugh out of Don. "I am a doctor, and my specialty is in a specific field of psychiatric treatment. That is, a specific field involving those who are superheroes. My purpose is to uphold an appropriate environment devoid of stress and strain, where young aspiring heroes may grow and mature. This place differs from academies like the U.A. because it is not a place that is occupied by large numbers of students. Instead, this place is for a select few students at a time, so that they may level up in isolation. Mainly, this facility is best used for students with mental issues stemming from their Quirks."
Ochaco hadn't been expecting such a detailed explanation on the design of the property. She was also surprised that Don Takahiro didn't deny knowing Neito Monoma. Perhaps she really could be convincing of her intentions here. It was still too early to tell. But now that she was here, Ochaco had to make this count.
"I've been struggling in my studies," she went on. "Things have been stressful now that I'm close to finishing my third year. It just feels like there's so much pressure right now. I even had to turn down an internship during the summer break. Until I figure things out, I don't think I should be taking on any additional hero work." Although it was part of the act, Ochaco couldn't help but notice there was some truth in it as well.
"That's alarming," Don replied with concern. "Well, I'm more than willing to give you a tour of the premises. Along the way, ask me any questions you can think of. This is a place of peace. All I ask if that you honor that as well."
"Of course," Ochaco said sweetly.
While she was shown around the property, Ochaco concealed any trace of nerves. Elsewhere, she knew that the Wolf was studying the area, locating clues for his visualizations. It was Ochaco's job now to keep Don Takahiro preoccupied so that Jin went unnoticed. Fortunately, there was this sense that Don received visitors like this in the past, and he was used to accommodating them. Yet, there remained a few points of mystery. If Don Takahiro was a psychiatrist for young superheroes, why hadn't Ochaco ever heard of him? Nothing about his profession was listed at the U.A. It wasn't like her academy to conceal something like this. The professors at her school made themselves available constantly. They didn't hide from view.
It really did seem like this Don Takahiro was 'hiding from view.'
"Down here is a natural stream," Don explained, motioning down an additional trail. At the edge of one of the meadows, the path went downhill, and the sound of running water was audible. Sure enough, the stream flowed through the area, with clear water running.
"It's beautiful here," Ochaco commented. Oddly enough, her thoughts on the beauty of scenery from earlier in the day came back to her now. This time, it seemed as though this 'scenery' was covering up something. It was too soon to know for sure if that were the case, but she felt that way all the same.
"Yes, well my aim with this place is to have that effect on patients." Don put his hands on his hips as he gazed proudly at the stream.
Ochaco smiled for a moment, then noticed something else. Footprints. The dirt down by the stream had lots of them. Maybe today was just an off day, but Ochaco wondered why so many footprints had been left in one area. Perhaps lots of patients came down here after all. Perhaps.
Either way, she realized that this would be a good place for Jin to check for visions. Of course, it would be nearly impossible for him to get around to the back of this place. Unless, of course, Ochaco was able to direct him while keeping Don engaged.
While the doctor was looking away, Ochaco sent a quick text to Jin, and then she hid her phone away. "What is the process like for arranging sessions here?"
Don turned back to her now. "Before we get into any of that, I must first complete a background check."
"Right," she said understandingly.
"If you return with your medical documents, we can begin the process," he explained.
Ochaco didn't know much about the medical field, but she was certain that a real doctor's office would be able to send in a request for that information through fax. Still, she didn't bring it up. "Okay, I can do that." If anything, it was good for her, since she had no intention of returning here, at least not with therapy in mind.
"Splendid. Now then, may I help you with anything else while you're here?"
"Yes," she said quickly, before things could suddenly come to an end. "May we speak about a few things, please? I have more questions." It felt risky to be the one to suggest going back inside the house.
"Of course, my dear. Follow me back this way. You may sit and give me your questions comfortably." At least, that worked out.
A few minutes later, they were inside the cabin again. Ochaco took a seat, feeling strangely nervous. She'd done well so far at keeping Takahiro preoccupied, but she felt like she could be doing more. This was her chance to extract some information. However, if she pushed too much, she could accidentally reveal her true intentions as well. It was a fine line.
Even so, for Deku, she had to try. "I'm worried about graduating," she began. "What lies ahead for me? The other heroes are so powerful and confident. Maybe I'm just not good enough."
"You harbor doubt," Don said. "It is perfectly normal. You can amp yourself up all you want, but in the end, having accomplished feats on paper still serves to solidify your faith. It's much easier than having only faith alone."
It bothered her with how similar that line sounded from the way that Jin normally spoke. "But I can't accomplish things until I become a pro hero anyway. So, it's like the entire thing is a trap."
"You think of it that way. But in truth, it's the reverse. Without the struggle of having to work hard to achieve, your accomplishments would mean nothing."
That actually made sense. Ochaco nodded with a smile. For a moment, she considered that Don Takahiro was a good doctor after all. Perhaps her imagination had gotten the best of her this time. "I guess, I need to acknowledge that more often. Still, it's easy to say that now, but when issues arise, I still struggle a lot."
"It's no small feat. But you can improve your strength and will through the right training. That is what a place like this can do for you."
Training. That word rang in Ochaco's head. For some reason, it didn't really add up for a place like this to have both therapy and training together. Not compared to what she was used to seeing. "So…" She took a deep breath. "… You train people here as well?"
"Therapy alone is not enough for superheroes," Don said. "We need to explore Quirks for the answers. For me to give the right guidance, I must observe Quirks in use, or else I could give inaccurate information."
"That's a good point," Ochaco admitted. Even so, the thought of someone 'observing' Quirks of students made her feel uneasy. Maybe this was where things got shady.
"What is your Quirk, my dear?"
She got chills when she became the subject, but she maintained her composure anyway. "Zero Gravity. I can alter the gravity of objects that I touch."
"Remarkable." Don looked her up and down, as if he were sizing up her abilities. "There is great potential in something like that."
She nodded in agreement, but her gaze went away. Down toward the living room… where the T.V. was running a program. Why was the television on again? The two of them had been outside this entire time.
Despite the revelation, Ochaco kept it to herself. She simply had to act oblivious to anything suspicious like that. "I guess so," she said, responding to Don's last statement. "I'm still working on my training. What I really need is to improve my confidence."
Don smiled, but it looked more sinister now that Ochaco was suspicious. "We certainly help with that here," he said. "This is a place for those with great power, but who are suffering mentally from the strain of working so hard to improve their abilities."
Ochaco felt her phone buzz from receiving a text message. She didn't want to check it in front of Don, but she assumed it had come from Jin. With that, she decided to make a move toward the exit. "Thank you for everything, Doctor Takahiro. I guess I should get going. I'll return with my medical documents."
Although he remained friendly, Don still made a motion toward the front door, almost as if he were preventing her from exiting.
The tension suddenly grew, and Ochaco was worried that she wouldn't be allowed to leave. She was several feet away from the front door, so she couldn't get out without passing by Don. Since she was standing at the edge of the dining room, there was a small table with a lamp and some decorations on it. Subtly, she touched the objects, utilizing her Quirk on them secretly, just in case she needed them.
Meanwhile, Don opened the door and waved her on. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Ochaco Uraraka. I look forward to seeing you again soon."
"Thank you for everything, Doctor Takahiro," she said with a bow. With that, she went for the door, resisting the urge to bolt outside. Several seconds later, she had made it outside, and the door shut behind her.
From there, Ochaco walked as quickly as she could. Even now, she felt like she was being watched. First, she pressed her fingers together to deactivate her Quirk and then she brought out her phone. The text message was from Jin. He had already left. "Good," she muttered in relief. She was grateful that he'd texted her at just the right time.
When she returned to the fence at the beginning of the property, she spotted Jin, standing down the road. She hurried to catch up to him, exhaling rapidly from the stress now that it was over.
Meanwhile, Jin was calm as usual. "Relax. Breathe."
She nodded, taking several moments to simmer down. Even now, she was eager to reveal all she'd learned, as if it would vanish from her memory if she waited any longer. "There is a doctor there named Don Takahiro. He has a Quirk called Agelessness. He can change his age at any time."
"I know," Jin replied with a shrug.
"Wait, but…" Ochaco sighed, realizing it. "Right. Because you saw the visualizations already."
"Correct," he said with a tiny grin. "No need to share your conversation with him to me either. I've already seen it myself."
"You're fast," she commented, shaking her head. "What do you think?"
Before answering, Jin took a drink from his canister. After wiping his mouth dry, he gazed into Ochaco's eyes for a long moment. "You performed well. I went and saw the footprints you told me about."
"And?" By now, she was overwhelmingly eager to know.
Even so, Jin shrugged and hesitated. "I saw many things." The wind picked up at just that moment, while the sun was low in the sky, still headed West. Time seemed to slow down for that moment, as even the fast-moving Jin had to acknowledge what he was about to share with Ochaco. "Midoriya was here."
Ochaco's heart froze as it struck her like an atom bomb.
