Chapter 10: Off-Road
After a difficult session of training, Ochaco could barely stand. Her entire body was shaking as her will was almost the only thing keeping her afloat. She knew that day she had pushed herself to the limits.
Upon returning to her dorm, Ochaco went straight to bed. She was proud of her hard work, but right now she was too fatigued to celebrate. In the other room, she heard her classmates having fun together, making her feel left out. In fact, she felt like maybe she was doing everything wrong. Shouldn't she still have the strength to smile and laugh, along with her friends? Did the pro heroes collapse alone in their rooms after completing a mission?
In the end, Ochaco decided that she wanted to make sure when she completed heroic acts, she would also reserve the strength to stand tall and proud afterwards. That seemed like the kind of thing a hero would be capable of. After all, no matter how far out to sea you swam, you still needed the strength to swim back.
There was a knock at the door. It turned out to be Deku. She was surprised by his appearance, and she looked away, hoping he wouldn't notice her discomfort from the rough day.
"Uraraka-San," he said in a soft voice. "I just wanted to check on you."
"Thank you," she said, doing her best to refrain from blushing. "I'm just tired after training today."
"You really worked hard today," he mentioned.
"I guess I overdid it."
Even so, Deku was more focused on concern rather than being proud of her. "I used to go too hard with my training, too. It happened a lot, actually. But that was getting to the point where I was seriously damaging my body. I know it's not easy to sort of limit yourself, but it really is important."
Although Ochaco had run it through her mind already, it was more assuring hearing it from Deku. After all, he used to break multiple bones from his training courses as a first-year student. "You're right, Deku. I don't plan on making this my new routine." Even so, she sighed and managed to meet Deku's green eyes. "It's just that… there are some really powerful students in our class. I just want to keep up with them. I can't fall behind. Even if they are always ahead of me… even if you are always ahead of me… I can't be left behind."
Suddenly, Deku took Ochaco's hand and held it firmly. His face had a look of determination, one that she would remember forever. "I'll never leave you behind."
Even today, Ochaco could visualize that look on Deku's face. She remembered what he told her that day as well. She had no interest in receiving his promise to her without returning it as well. She wasn't going to leave him behind either.
The long walk down the road was one of those tedious aspects of the case. Based on Jin's visualizations, a group of agents from some unknown corporation had taken Deku from Don Takahiro's property. From there, they had a utility van which drove them down this road. Their ultimate destination remained a mystery. In addition, there was still no guarantee that Deku was still there.
In actuality, Jin was following the visualizations of Neito Monoma's abduction, since they were fresher. Based off what him and Ochaco had learned so far, these agents were the same ones responsible for taking Deku, which heavily implied that him and Monoma would be in the same place.
At least, there was a trail, albeit a faint one.
"What can I do to help?" Ochaco asked, starting to get frustrated.
"Block the sun for me," he replied.
"What?"
"Hold your jacket over my head to block the sun."
She glared at him for a moment… but then removed her jacket and did it anyway. Even if it was annoying, she was in full support mode for finding Deku. It would only be another hour or so before the sun set anyway.
At some point, Ochaco couldn't resist bringing something up. "So… you can share your visualization with another person? But our heads had to be underwater?"
Jin looked consumed with his work at the moment, but he paused to look back at her. "Recently, I've improved my Quirk. It works by sort of 'echoing' soundwaves to me, which carries visualizations of acts occurring in the past. I can see about a minute of activity with each visualization. As for how I was able to send it to you… I have gotten strong enough to send yet another 'echo' of those soundwaves to another person. However, it's not powerful enough to travel through the air, and so I must send it through the water, in an environment where sound travels faster."
"That's… amazing. Have you ever shown another person a visualization?"
He shrugged, almost bashfully. "No… you are the first."
"Wow…" She was surprised to learn that.
With a nod, Jin turned back around. "I must spend lots of time going through visualizations. Ironically, since the soundwaves are the source of all my power, it's almost more accurate to say that I'm using my ears for this work. That gives me headaches, from all the strain. Therefore, I need caffeine for my energy, electrolytes for hydration, and pills for my headaches and mental focus." After finishing his thoughts, he sighed loudly. "Not everyone possesses the natural strength to conquer their challenges like you do, Uraraka-San. Consider it a blessing you have not taken my path. Stay in school."
"Stay in school?" she said, raising an eyebrow. It was like it finally hit her right there. "You… you went to the U.A. before, didn't you?"
Another loud sigh, but Jin turned back to face her as he nodded. "I did once… but I dropped out."
"That's why you have issues with them," she suggested. "You didn't believe in the way they were doing things."
"Don't take offense to that," he said.
"I just want to know why. What happened?"
He glanced back to the road, knowing there wasn't much time. There was still a lot of work to do. However, Ochaco knew that too, yet she was pressing for answers. A brief explanation would be reasonable. "This is it in a nutshell: Professional heroes follow guidelines to success. All shapes and sizes, and all kinds of careers. Some are glorious figures, while others perform search and rescue. Endless roles for them in society. I had the power to achieve big things with my Quirk, but I was not going to be able to do that."
"What do you mean? Why not?"
Jin let out a frustrated growl having to revisit the memories. "The professors wanted my power to be used for them. They would have me bunkered in some room, talk about visualizations, and then they would send out heroes to solve the crime. My Quirk didn't work like that. I needed to go and see things for myself. They never understood how my power worked."
"And then… they started accusing me of lying. There were those who doubted my abilities were even real. That was when I reached my limits. As long as I was enrolled at the U.A. I would be stopped from doing what I needed to. Therefore, I parted ways with them."
Ochaco was sad to hear it, but she understood Jin's point of view, at least to some degree. It would have been a ton of pressure for him, and at such a young age. Even now, Jin Okami was still very young. It also made her feel guilty for when she had given him a hard time during this case. Somehow, she'd lost sight of the fact that he was young, and under immense pressure. The caffeine, the electrolyte drinks, the pills… he was using these things to make up for the fact that he was now all alone.
"I'm sorry." She couldn't resist blurting it out. "You have a great Quirk. I'm sorry for doubting you. It really is something else." She also remembered times in the past where she had trained so hard that she could barely stand afterward. All the times she was pushing her limits and wearing out her body. Jin had struggles of his own. Even when Ochaco had been exhausted and worn out, Deku had come to check on her. Not only that, Deku had also gone to check on Neito Monoma. He was a good and caring person. That was part of the role of a hero as well.
"Your apology is unnecessary," Jin said in somber fashion.
"Yes, it is," she argued. "I hired you for this case, but I wasn't giving you the respect you deserve. You've been wearing yourself out with this job for months now. Wearing yourself out for me. Thank you very much for that… and I'm sorry for not being more appreciative."
He was shaking his head at her, doing his best to resist her sympathy. Even so, it looked like some of it sunk in, although Jin refrained from revealing it. "I simply need to work. Let us continue the search."
More time passed. Eventually, the clouds helped to block the sun, releasing Ochaco from her job of shielding Jin. It was getting strangely chilly out now, being that this was the countryside, where the weather tended to shift quickly.
For the past two hours, Jin had barely spoken a word. In fact, he looked more stressed out than ever before. Each gust of wind spurred his impatience, like he was being whipped repeatedly.
Then it came to Ochaco: the wind was making this that much tougher. The Wolf's Quirk worked on sound waves. That meant that while the wind could help provide more chances to visualize, it could also hinder progress, because there would be too many visualizations for Jin to go through. Tedious didn't even begin to describe how difficult his process was.
At one point, Jin stumbled to his knees, nearly falling flat on the ground. He was covered with sweat, and once he prevented himself from falling, he had to cover his forehead and rub it with one hand. This was taking its toll on him.
"Here," Ochaco said, bringing the canister to his face. She removed the cap and offered him some water, and Jin slowly drank sips to replenish his nutrients to some degree. It took him a few minutes before he could stand again, and then he picked things up, as if nothing happened.
Finally, something different happened. Jin exhaled in relief as he pointed off in the distance. There was nothing but wilderness for miles, yet he saw something relevant. "I found it," he declared, the relief undeniable in his words.
"It's off the road or something?" asked Ochaco. Already, she was scanning the countryside, searching for what Jin had already seen.
"There's a dirt path. They don't drive down it. That way, they can keep it more concealed. They took Monoma on foot."
"And Deku?" There was still no guarantee they were both in the same place.
"I could find his vision if I looked, but it would take hours." The sweat was running down Jin's face, assuring them both that he likely didn't have that in him right now. "I am certain they were both transported to the same location. Now, I must conserve my Quirk for only what is absolutely necessary."
As determined as she was, Ochaco nodded in approval. "And once we find the place… we call the police?"
Even in his weak state, Jin gave a tiny smile. "As you wish. We're almost there."
Sure enough, there were signs of a path in the dirt. Off from the road, it was difficult to notice, especially for people driving by. However, Jin already saw the visions, and since Monoma had been taken through there recently, it was easier to track it.
Just as the two of them left the road, the sun was presenting its final rays as it was swallowed by the clouds of the evening dusk. The trail ahead was a dark one, but neither Ochaco nor Jin had any interest in turning back.
Something came to Ochaco's attention soon enough. Jin was having trouble seeing in the dark. That could end up losing a problem for their game plan. "What if we use a flashlight?" She had one in her pack.
As expected, he shook his head. "We could be spotted. It's imperative that we sneak onto the property without being seen."
"Right," she said with a nod.
As always, this part of the trail took a tremendous amount of time. Even if they found a facility of some sort, it would be difficult to describe its location to other heroes or police. Having anticipated this, Jin had brought a GPS with him, so they could reveal their coordinates once it was time to call for backup.
"You did well back there," Jin said randomly, breaking the silence.
"Thanks. You did, too."
"The enemy will be more dangerous this time," Jin brought up. "These are professional villains. There's no telling what Quirks they may possess."
"Did you see any so far?"
He shrugged. "Nothing. These agents have been very secretive. It's possible they are Quirkless, and merely following orders from another. Still, knowing our luck with this kind of world, we're sure to encounter someone threatening."
The entire time, Ochaco couldn't help but notice how on edge she was. It felt as if at any moment, villains would leap out of the shadows to attack them. Considering this was a place of evil, there was no telling what kind of threats were present. However, Ochaco had a sense of the kind of enemies that existed, considering her past experiences.
With that in mind, she placed a hand on Jin's shoulder, urging him to come to a halt. "Wait."
"You see something?" he asked, not turning around.
"No… I feel something."
"That is not one of the five senses," he pointed out.
"We can't just go walking onto the premises. They could have traps set up, or more cameras like at the other place." It pained her to have to suggest the solution. "I think… we'll need you to scope the place more first."
Although he was already worn-out form Quirk overuse, Jin nodded obediently. "Can you see any footprints? Besides ours, of course."
It wasn't easy to see anything in the dark now, but Ochaco knelt close to the dirt and searched. This part of the path was like some sort of a trail, which made it seem like the passage the villains would have used to take Deku. Maybe they cut their way through the less obvious trail, but Ochaco suspected they wouldn't be worried about being followed all the way out here.
Sure enough, she found some footprints. "Over here," she waved excitedly. "Hurry, before the wind clears them out."
Jin cautiously made his way over, making sure not to accidentally step on the clues. Once there, he tapped into his Quirk. It took him less than a minute to finish his visualization. "There were five of them. They took Monoma and some bags with them on foot. No evidence of security systems. In fact, one of them complained about how dark it was, only to be reminded that the point of their operation was to keep in the dark."
According to that, the place was close by, and likely didn't have anything like big towers or bright spotlights. Of course, that brought up another problem. "What if we can't find it? It's hidden, after all."
"I'm certain we'll find it if I use my Quirk," Jin explained. "Unfortunately, it remains unknown how we will successfully infiltrate the building."
"I can handle it," Ochaco declared, already feeling heated up. "Besides, I'm going to send the signal to the pro heroes as well." At least, there was relief in knowing that backup would be at hand.
The two of them pressed on, carefully checking the trail as they went. There were more footprints in the dirt, although a lot of them got blown away from the winds. Jin avoided using his Quirk, saving his energy for when they reached their destination. Once there, he would need to scan the place thoroughly.
However, there remained one problem. "Even if I use my Quirk when we get there, I won't be able to actually see inside the building until we enter it."
"I figured," Ochaco replied, peering ahead into the night. "Anyway, how come we haven't found anything yet? How far did these guys walk?"
With a deep breath, Jin scanned the area as well. Something wasn't adding up. "No tall structures. No buildings." His eyes shifted, moving down… to the trail itself. "That means… it could be underground."
Ochaco hadn't even thought of that. She checked the ground as well, but still only saw the normal terrain. Could something like that be hidden out here? There were no signs of it.
The only way was for Jin to find it with his Quirk. He grunted in irritation but got to it. By now, he was walking slower, talking in a soft voice, and yawning on numerous occasions. The day had taken its toll on him… but still, he went to work.
Twenty minutes passed, until he broke the silence. "There's a hatch."
"Where?" Ochaco almost said it too loudly.
"Over here," he replied, walking over to an odd-looking hill which seemed to unnaturally stick out. When the two of them climbed it, there was some sort of brown tarp covering. It had the same colors as the terrain, rendering it nearly invisible from a distance.
When Ochaco looked at Jin, he was smiling, both in excitement and relief. "We found it," he announced. "Better call the heroes now."
