Chapter 9: The Choice
"Deku…"
"Uraraka…"
She stared into his green eyes with her brown ones. "I… like you."
The expression on his face was practically one of shock. "Ura… Ochaco-Chan…"
By now, her face was so red that she had to look away. "Sorry… I just… my heart's beating so rapidly. I couldn't stop from saying it."
Despite her nervousness, Deku looked more thrown off than her. "Well… the thing is… I… like you, too."
Miracles really did happen. It felt like something impossible. Ochaco never would have figured the universe would reward her feelings in such a fashion. To have dedicated her life to the future of being a pro hero… and then to selfishly seek out something more in this fashion… she didn't deserve it. What had she done to receive such blessings? Either way, it was the path she took. This was her choice.
It was already clear that Ochaco would be late to Karuizawa Station. One o'clock was the time to meet, but she had failed to board the right train. The stress of what was to come weighed heavily on her shoulders. It was difficult to function.
She couldn't help but question everything. Why was she suddenly struggling with balancing her focus? In all of her training, she'd been tested over the months. There had been numerous challenges in her career, even if she was still young, and she'd grown so strong. Why was this so difficult for her?
It was that crush. That silly, selfish crush of hers. She loved Deku, and it just so happened that the boy she loved was the one who needed her help now. In the beginning, she had embraced this love for him, declaring it her driving force. However, now she realized it was possible for that driving force to also burden her. It became difficult for her to think straight with anything, knowing that the one she loved was in danger.
This was showing her at last just why aspiring heroes were discouraged from urges like this. Having people that you care about made it difficult to do the right thing. She wore her heart on her sleeve… which was now a weakness.
With that in mind, she considered the life that Jin Okami knew. It felt like a lonely one. In fact, it didn't take much convincing for Ochaco to realize that it wasn't the life for her. At the same time, she was grateful for his existence because he had helped her to find a trail back to Deku.
Life didn't always make sense… but it made sense that different people had different roles to play in the world. Ochaco had her own role, and so did Jin Okami.
The door to the office opened… and in walked Jin Okami. Across the room, Principal Nezu smiled and motioned to the chair. "Please have a seat, Okami."
When given the offer, Jin reluctantly complied. He felt uneasy, knowing what was coming next. After all, this was no ordinary visit.
Before they got started, Professor Aizawa quickly entered the room, taking a seat next to Nezu. "Let's make this quick, if we could."
"Shota…" Nezu tried to urge him to tone it down.
"No, he's right," Jin spoke up anyway. "I have no wish to keep any of you longer than necessary. I have come today to thank you for everything you've done for me… but I will be dropping out of U.A."
While Aizawa was stoic, Nezu was clearly disappointed. "It is a shame to hear it, Okami. Your test scores have always been outstanding. Not to mention the use of your Quirk has tremendous potential. We had wished to see your journey through to a bright future."
There wasn't enough enthusiasm in the world to convince Jin otherwise. "I am not fit for the hero business. I cannot exercise my abilities with so many other distractions. It is most ideal if I take a different path."
Silence returned for a while. It was hard to argue against Jin's points. Even so, Aizawa wasn't done with him yet. "You have always been logical, Okami. However, I believe this decision of yours isn't based on that."
"Then what is it?" Jin asked irritably.
"Your decision… is one of ego."
"Ego?" Jin glared at his professor, surprised to be accused of something like this. It was a change of heart for the man who was now his former professor. "The only ones around here with egos are…" Fortunately, he cut himself off before finishing his statement. He was still only sixteen years old. To speak rudely to his peers could only end in trouble. Therefore, he would refrain from saying anything of the like. "Thank you again for all the support you've provided me. However, it would be more logical if those resources were redirected to aspiring heroes who are committed to this life. I'm afraid I am not one of them."
"We accept your decision," Nezu said, quickly stopping things from getting tense again. "Thank you for giving us your greatest efforts while you attended this school. We wish you the very best on your new path."
When Jin Okami walked out that door, he knew his life would never be the same again. But this was how he wanted to proceed now. This was his choice.
When Ochaco walked through the lobby at Karuizawa Station, she found Jin waiting for her at one of the seats near the corner of the room. Although it was normally his strategy to keep a low profile, he still had his tablet with him, strapped to his left wrist. Even when they arrived at Don's property, they anticipated having to leave to another location, so the tablet would still be necessary.
"Sorry, I'm late," Ochaco said quickly.
"I anticipated that you would be," he brought up. "There is a lot of traffic during workdays."
She just rolled her eyes as she walked over to him. "I guess I should have figured."
"Do not take it personally. I was late as well."
That relieved her at least. Before they left, she motioned to her backpack. "I have some gear from my hero costume. Just enough to help with potential combat."
"That would be ideal," he said in agreement. "I suppose if you showed up in your hero costume it would raise red flags as well. Just enough to assist us with our confrontation."
Even so, the two of them were wearing ordinary outfits. Ochaco had her gray hoodie and black yoga pants, while Jin was in a light blue shirt with brown slacks. Looking unassuming had been Jin's style since the day Ochaco met him. In fact, he never seemed to wear the same outfit twice. Then again, it was difficult for her to remember any of his outfits. That was the power of his efforts in keeping a low profile.
The two of them left the station, hurrying out to the bus stop. Eventually, they would reach Don Takahiro's facility once again, and then things would get intense.
While on the bus, Ochaco felt her nerves harassing her. This wasn't her first tense mission, but it was still no easy feat. With what was at stake, she suspected she would really be put to the test. Not to mention that aside from having Jin with her, she was going in alone.
At one point, Ochaco glanced over at Jin, and he was completely calm, sitting in his seat and looking down silently. "How do you do it?" she asked.
"Do what?"
"You're always so calm."
He took a moment to think of how to explain it. "This is the way that I live."
"You're just naturally calm? That's not how you explained it to me before." After all, she remembered that he was essentially addicted to caffeine and pills just to keep balance in his life.
"I am always calm… and always anxious. The key is maintaining equal pulls on both ends."
"And how do you do that?"
The Wolf let out a breath of air, as if he didn't want to explain himself. "The thing is… I use my Quirk."
That got Ochaco's eyes to widen. "You use your visualizations? What do you mean?"
"I have a habit of people watching."
Upon hearing that, Ochaco let out a giggle of surprise. "I wouldn't have expected that from you. What kind of things do you see?" As she thought it over, there was also a sense that it was a bit invasive to the privacy of others. It was a strange concept for her to imagine.
Even Jin looked uncomfortable with it. "When I am on buses and trains, I observe visualizations. Sometimes I see people on the train, where they came from, what they've been up to. There's always something. It can wear out my Quirk to overuse it, but when it's just for this particular purpose, it's strangely refreshing. There's no pressure in harmlessly observing the activities of others unrelated to my work."
"Hmm." Ochaco thought it over. "I guess that makes sense. After all, you would naturally embrace using your Quirk. We all do in our everyday lives."
"You do as well?"
"Yeah. Mostly for simple things, like lifting heavy objects, exercise, travel. I can improve efficiency by using my power to decrease the burden of gravity." As she discussed her abilities, she suddenly realized how much she took pride in these little details. It hadn't crossed her mind previously, but after spending so much time with Jin Okami, the man who praised efficiency and logic, she now understood it better.
"Embracing your Quirk will be your key to success," Jin explained. "At least, you've come to comprehend the vitality of that truth. Others don't learn it until later in life."
Eventually, the train reached the exit, and the two passengers disembarked. Once outside, the thirty-minute walk down the countryside was ahead of them. The sun was beating down on them, but Ochaco had a plan this time: She used her Quirk on the two of them, allowing them to float down the road. In the past, when Ochaco used her power on herself to levitate, she had to hold her breath. By now, she was strong enough to use her power in multiple breaths. Thanks to this advantage, they both saved energy traveling down the hot summer road.
It was only a matter of time before that same fence came into view. Beyond that, was the next step in finding Deku.
"Where are you gonna be?" Ochaco asked, knowing already she had to go in first to meet with Doctor Takahiro.
"I must gather more visuals first," he explained. "I've seen three different people working on site besides the doc, so we'll need to locate them."
Before their arrival, Ochaco and Jin had agreed on one thing at least: They weren't going to let Don know of Ochaco's arrival ahead of time. It was too risky to give him advanced notice, considering the way these guys appeared to setting traps for students.
Once Ochaco took a few steps down the hill, she stopped to peer ahead at the house. Everything was just as peaceful as last time. Still, she had some concerns…
"There are cameras now," Jin pointed out.
Ochaco felt a bolt of panic but managed to hold still. "You can see them?"
"Through visualization."
She had to act like she wasn't communicating with another person, considering she was being watched. "Where?"
"I can only see the front of the house. Your arrival will be noticed."
She nodded while clenching her fist. "Then I'll need to make sure I distract them so that you can sneak over."
There was a pause before Jin responded. "Only Takahiro has a Quirk, but still, don't be deceived by him. Once you get inside, take him down quickly. His assistants have some muscle, but I've seen no evidence of weaponry."
"And?" She figured that didn't clear things up enough.
"… I cannot guarantee that the agents from my visualizations aren't close at hand. Use caution."
Although she was nervous, Ochaco couldn't resist a motivated grin. "Same to you."
With things settled, she proceeded on to the property. As she got closer, she thought she noticed movement through the windows of the house. Like she had suspected, they were more on guard now.
Moments later, the front door opened, and out walked Don, in his same purple spandex. This time, he looked much older, going with a man in his fifties. His hair was even gray to further sell the appearance. Perhaps he was trying to convey a man of wisdom.
Regardless, Ochaco knew what he really was now. "Good afternoon," she greeted anyway, "I'm back with my medical records."
"Uraraka-San," he replied with a friendly smile. "Welcome back."
While she was smiling, Ochaco was also peeking past Don, into the house, searching for signs of the others. She was not going to bank on this place being occupied only by Don this time. If she let her guard down, they could get the jump on her.
So far, no one else was in sight, and Don waved a hand toward the doorway. "Come on inside, and I'll receive your medical records. While you're here, I can hear more about your recent activities."
"Sounds good," she acknowledged. Not a moment went by where she wasn't alert, and she constantly let her eyes scan her surroundings, all while maintaining an appearance of composure. It would be best if she didn't look suspicious, at least for now. Until they found out for sure what immediate threats were in this place, she needed to be ready for anything.
For the time being, Don acted oblivious. "Have a seat on the couch. I just finished boiling some water for the tea."
Once Don left for the kitchen, Ochaco followed his path with her eyes. She noticed that Don fetched one of the mugs from the kitchen table as he headed to the stove to grab the kettle. Since there were two mugs on the table, that proved someone else was here. At least, one other person anyway.
Ochaco cautiously sat on the couch. She was checking everything around her. In Jin's visualization, Deku had been hit by a dart from unknown agents. Those appeared to be the ones behind the abduction. Perhaps Don and his assistants were just pawns. But that didn't mean they weren't dangerous. If Ochaco revealed her intentions at all, they would attempt to stop her from leaving to tell others. One confrontation would put her life at risk… so she needed to make sure she came out on top.
Sounds from the television got her attention from the other room. Last time she was here, it had been on as well. Was it something relevant to this situation? She needed to think of all the angles, and so she didn't want to rule anything out.
Eventually, Don returned, bringing a tray with two cups already filled with tea. "It's a special herb," he mentioned casually. "You'll find it quite uplifting. This entire property is designed around the concept of psychological serenity."
With a smile, Ochaco accepted her cup, blowing on it to help cool it down. She set the cup on the table next to her and watched Don closely. He made his way over to the other couch, taking several moments to sit.
"I have some questions," Ochaco said. Might as well start the process.
"Certainly," Don said, acting like he had nothing to hide.
Even so, Ochaco knew better. "Why isn't this place listed in the U.A. files?"
The reaction was a few blinks of his eyes. "My dear, we must respect the vitality of keeping things under the radar around here. These aspiring heroes are being watched at all times. They are not permitted to have secrets, not with the media always prying into their affairs. This is a place of solitude for those heroes who simply need it."
Ochaco reached for her cup, but hesitated, "I was just concerned. I'm so accustomed to being in all of the U.A.'s programs. Enrolling in one beyond their scope is making me a bit… uneasy."
"Well, we certainly don't wish to make you feel that way."
She noticed how he said the word 'we.' However, she pretended to not pick up on it. "You helped other students then? Like Neito?"
Don stared at her, perhaps finally suspecting her of something. "I have helped many students before. You'd be surprised how many potential young minds express a need for help."
The mood began to shift. "And you've done well keeping things 'under the radar'… haven't you? I wouldn't want it to get out that I came here. It would be better if I could maintain my privacy."
"Privacy is of great importance to us." He said it again.
Inside, Ochaco felt her heart beating. This was what she'd been warned about before in her training. It was vital that she move without letting her nerves cause her to hesitate.
With one last deep breath, Ochaco returned to her feet, her expression shifting to a stern gaze. "What are you doing with your patients?"
For several moments, Doctor Takahiro was motionless. Eventually, he nodded his head and interlocked his fingers. "You're not here to enroll, are you?"
She shook her head, keeping her eyes locked on the 'doctor.'
"Pity. I was hoping to avoid making waves. It appears as though it is simply unavoidable now." As he stood up, Ochaco flinched back, already in a combat stance, causing Jin to smile crookedly. "I'm impressed that you managed to find this place, and even more surprised that you chose to come back. But if you really understood what happens here… then you never should have returned."
"Maybe I'm still clueless," Ochaco said, holding up her fists. "Maybe I'm just another innocent life, seeking guidance. Vulnerable to your deception…"
"This is a necessary part of life," Don countered.
"Necessary? Maybe for you."
Don was already changing his age, making himself younger… and more physically imposing as well. "This operation is running on a tight ship. We can't afford any mistakes."
There was a sudden thump, causing Ochaco to turn in surprise. It hasn't been from Don, but instead another figure appeared. A man in a white smock seemed to appear out of thin air, although in truth it was from some sort of hidden door located in the corner of the living room. Ochaco had to leap back as the man lashed out with some sort of metallic object, resembling a reach extender, with cuffs at the end. Fortunately, she dodged the sneak attack, and turned her body in parallel motion, riding with the momentum. At just the right moment, she got a firm grip on the man's wrist and guided him into the wall with a crash.
"Go now!" Don's voice rang out.
More thumps, along with hidden doors, and two more of the doctor's aids came rushing in. The first one tried to force Ochaco back toward the couch to throw off her balance. She left the ground, landing gracefully on the couch, and then delivered a kick to the man's left cheek. While he was stunned for a moment, Ochaco leaped from the couch, grabbing the man's weapon with both hands, and then throwing them both off toward the kitchen. She used her Quirk to change his weight, allowing an easy toss, only for her to release him and then deactivate her Quirk at the right moment.
The last aid managed to loop one of the cuffs around Ochaco's wrist, and he tried to twist her arm behind her back. Before that could happen, she gripped her assailant's other arm with both hands, used her Quirk to remove his weight, then easily tossed him in a spinning motion. She ripped herself free, along with the extender and cuff, which she pried loose once it had no weight.
When Ochaco returned her sights to Don, his amber eyes were illuminating after using his Quirk… rendering him a child once again. "Why are you doing this?" he cried out in a shrill voice, his eyes tearing up.
She'd already been warned of his capacity to deceive. "Where's Deku?" she demanded, her emotions begging to be acknowledged.
Don fell to the floor and started crawling backwards, looking like he was afraid for his life. "I don't know! Please don't hurt me!" It reached the point where he was bawling… then it went further. The young boy reduced his age even more, now appearing to be only six years old.
Even then, Ochaco knew it was a convenient age. "You can go as young as six? Maybe even… four? The age when Quirks normally appear in children." As she shared her thoughts, she stomped forward.
Just as she was looming above Don, his eyes lit up once again, and from there he lunged forward, shifting his age, and morphing into a young man now instead. That gave him the opportunity to catch Ochaco off guard, and he got a hand around her throat and squeezed tightly.
Despite the ambush, Ochaco allowed herself to fall backwards, changing her weight so that she floated in the air. In a swift move, she changed Don's weight as well while simultaneously pulling her left arm back, causing her body to quickly spin to the left, bringing Don beneath her. At just the right moment, she pressed her fingers together to activate the release, and they both fell, Don landing hard on his back. The impact was tough on him, and Ochaco wrenched his hand away from her throat, then twisted it into a keylock on the floor, causing him to writhe in pain.
"You really have some good tricks," Don acknowledged, the discomfort in his voice.
She couldn't resist a grin, even while angered. "I've been told I have potential."
Suddenly, another figure appeared, bringing the reach extender cuffs… only they went around Don's ankle. This time, it was Jin Okami, arriving conveniently. "He can change his age and slip out of the bonds," Jin explained. "We'll need to be careful when we bind him."
With things calm for the moment, Ochaco was able to begin simmering down her intensity. Even so, she glared at Don again, still holding onto her previous inquiry. The one that was driving her all this way: "Where's Deku?"
Instead of answering, Don rested his head on the floor and sighed loudly. "I'm sorry, my dear. You won't see him again."
The forbidding words caused Ochaco to get heated up. The emotions were overflowing, as grief and rage charged in with fearsome force. "You better hope that you're lying," she said, speaking in a low voice. She tried to avoid letting out her weakness, but it was too much. It wasn't like this man would care about the lives he ruined.
Even so, Don's face expressed his intentions. "There are people much more powerful than myself. They are the ones who make these decisions. Do you really think I'm the appropriate target for your rage? I have about as much say in this path as you do. With that in mind, it's like I told you… you will never see him again."
Upon hearing that, Jin tapped Ochaco's shoulder with a calm hand. "I've seen him already," he announced.
Ochaco's eyes widened. As happy as she was to hear that, she was still concerned that Jin had chosen to reveal that to Don.
"You've seen them?" Don asked, hoping for clarification. "And who the hell are you?"
"Just the driver," Jin answered nonchalantly. "Please try to remain calm. You will be here for a while, and it will be most ideal if you maintain your energy for the ordeal."
It wasn't very comforting for Ochaco to remind herself of the plan, but she had already come to terms with it. Don Takahiro and his assistants were going to be bound and restrained here at the house. It was too risky to release them, and too soon to turn them in to the police or the heroes. For the time being, they would have to be kept secured.
With her Quirk, Ochaco was able to handle the weight with ease. That gave Jin plenty of time to comfortably tie up all of them, keeping them bound to chairs in separate rooms. The two of them had to spend extra care with Don Takahiro, to make sure he wouldn't be able to change his age in a fashion that would grant his escape. They even pretended to leave at one point, only to wait in the other room, watching the camera, to see what Don would do. Sure enough, he shifted his age multiple times, but was unable to slip free from the bonds. Several minutes later, Ochaco and Jin went back inside to rub it in his face, and then Ochaco gave everyone a few drinks of water to make sure they were hydrated enough for the evening.
While that went on, Jin explored the house, including the hidden room behind those trap doors. Apparently, the staff had a laboratory there, and that was also the room where they were monitoring the front of the house with the camera. Sure enough, that had allowed them to see that Ochaco had arrived originally. What's more, the lab had several tools, such as those grabbers they'd been using before. This was probably the way they normally captured their prey.
"They couldn't just catch Deku this way, though," Ochaco brought up. "He's too powerful."
"They would have needed the agents to do that themselves," Jin said in agreement. "They used some sort of tranquilizer dart. It's the kind of thing they could have caught him off guard with."
"What about us?" Ochaco crossed her arms. As tough as she was, she was still worried about how mysterious this enemy was. "How can we be prepared?"
"You're a hero, aren't you?" Jin smirked. "The point of heroes is to be prepared for anything."
"It's not that simple. Even heroes can't barge in recklessly."
Jin was smiling, strangely excited with her words. "Good to hear you've been trained intelligently. Now then, I'm going to do something for you."
She raised an eyebrow with curiosity. "… What?"
"You did good in there," he said, motioning toward the back of the house. "It's time for your reward."
They both went out to the back, where the path led down toward the stream from before. Just like before, the clear water was flowing smoothly down the channel, and aside from the evil that was nesting here, the place was placid.
"You'll have to get your hair wet," he mentioned.
"What? Why?"
Jin squinted at her, then let out a single grunt. "We don't have much time. Do you trust me or not?"
She was worried about acknowledging it now, but she understood the urgency they were dealing with. "Yes, I do. Hurry up and tell me already."
That got Jin to nod, and he held a hand up toward her. "There is a trick I learned."
"Let me guess… you've kept it a secret from other people?" Ochaco was already suspicious.
Although he was irritated with her skepticism, Jin shrugged and nodded. "Yes, it is essentially a secret. Keep in mind, I have a Quirk, just like you do. And I have discovered ways to expand my Quirk, although there remain many mysteries."
"Okay, then what are you trying to tell me?"
Down the hill by the side of the river, there was one area where the water was mostly still. Jin walked in that direction, while Ochaco followed close behind. When they reached the bankside to the pond, Jin knelt by it. "It's best if I just show you."
There was an overwhelming amount of intrigue in Ochaco's mind. Wherever this was going, she knew it was important to this case. The Wolf didn't just complete mindless acts. Everything he did had purpose. "Okay… tell me what to do." She knelt next to him.
"We will both submerge our heads," he explained. "Hold your breath for as long as you can. Focus on staying calm." As he gave the instructions, he was looking directly into her eyes.
With one last shred of doubt, Ochaco cleared her mind and nodded in approval… then she dunked her face. The cold water swept over her, but she remained there, closing her eyes. Once there, she could only wait.
It only took three seconds for things to begin.
"What are you afraid of?" Deku asked.
"It's the water…" Neito explained with a frown. "I'm… afraid of drowning. I can't swim."
"You have so much ability," Deku pointed out. "Learning to swim is much easier than some of the feats you've already accomplished."
"Really?" Neito looked away.
Deku remained optimistic. "There's a pond right there. You can practice swimming." Despite the suggestion, Neito looked reluctant, and Deku noticed it and waved both hands back and forth. "That's okay! Maybe next time!"
"Next time…" Neito gritted his teeth in frustration.
Suddenly, Deku felt the prick. "Huh?" he said, inspecting the bug bite. Instead, he found a red dart injected at his left waist side. Before he could process what just occurred, he collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
Agents swarmed in with great speed. "Get lost," one of them barked at Neito, while the others fetched Deku. Just up the hill, a utility van was parked and ready for the transfer. The agents hurried to it, along with their catch, and in moments they had vanished.
As for Neito Monoma, he had tears in his eyes as he returned to the house. Don Takahiro came walking out to him, urging him to return inside. "It is the way of the world," Don told him. "Do not worry about him anymore. This solves all our problems. We will soon discover the nature of his Quirk."
"Gah!" Ochaco shouted, lifting her head out of the water with a burst. She accidentally choked on some water in the process, but she cleared her throat as she regained her senses. What she just witnessed should have been impossible. She saw Jin's visualization.
When she turned to her side, Jin was using the bottom of his shirt to wipe his face dry. "I told you to stay calm."
Instead of arguing, Ochaco was worked up over what she just observed. "How did you do that? You sent me the visualization? I saw everything! I saw Deku! I saw what happened!"
"We observed it at the same time," he pointed out. "No need to share because I saw it too."
"Wait…" she said, remembering the ending. "The nature of his Quirk? That's why they abducted him?" Just as they'd theorized before.
"It would appear so." Jin glanced back toward the house, remembering he left his canister back over there. "The agents responsible have some sort of agenda regarding Deku's Quirk. And now that we know they took Neito Monoma as well, it would seem that they decided he was a loose end to their operation."
Ochaco couldn't deny that Neito had looked guilty for his actions the last time she saw him. "He was crying… like he regretted what he did."
"It matters not, for he still did it." With that, Jin returned to his feet. Surprisingly, he offered a hand to Ochaco, and helped her back up as well. "We must go down the road to this site. Wherever it is, that is where we will find Deku."
"The visualization ended before we could find out," Ochaco said sadly.
"It did… but in that hidden lab, I found more information. It was simply imperative that I did not reveal to our friends inside of my discovery."
"Then why did you tell Don that you saw Deku and Neito already?"
Jin looked irritated having it brought up. "Our twisted friend looked like he was… spitting out some venom. I merely gave you the antidote."
Whatever that meant, Ochaco managed to find solace in it. From what she gathered, it appeared as though Jin had been trying to relieve her at the time. At least, she felt that way, even if the Wolf wouldn't have admitted it.
Once they dried off, Ochaco and Jin returned to the front of the property by the fence. They had a way to go, but apparently Jin knew which direction the van went. The only question was whether the trail would last or not. At this point, all they could do was hope.
