Ch. 17 Come Out Into The Shadows
Ochaco drifted swiftly down to the adjacent garage of the agency building. Despite the residual warmth from the day earlier, there was a chill bite in the air that sliced right through her. She briefly looked at the blinking red dot in the corner of her visor when her feet landed on the ground. A few taps at her headgear pulled up a message from Ashido.
Ocha - Stoplight is here with Yonezu and three officers. Gonna need you to make some commotion at the front door so we can slip through the back.
Uraraka smirked, dismissing the pop-up and got to work on rolling the garage door up. Make some noise, huh? This outta do the trick. She took a few steps inside and mounted her motorcycle. The bright pink light that pooled in the panels of the cycle spilled out over the ground and walls. With a pull of the handle, the engine purred underneath her. Ochaco sped away and peeled into the street. She weaved in and out of what little traffic was in her way, the wind whipping past her. Her eyes stung with the force of the gale that struck her face, forcing her to squint.
It took her about ten minutes to reach the docks where she pulled in behind some stacked containers near the entrance. Ochaco left the engine running and called Mina with her headset.
"Ocha!" Mina whispered, her excitement ringing through her hushed voice, "You're here! So whaddya got planned for this?"
"Me? You really didn't have anything ready, did you?" Ochaco sighed as Ashido giggled in response. "OK, here's how we should do this: I burst through on the bike and draw their attention. Your team comes through the back and cuff anyone disembarking. We'll meet in the middle and hopefully find Yuang. Could you send me some backup though?"
"Sure thing! Sending Hikari to your position."
Ochaco put her bike in neutral and rolled it over to the building entrance. She hid behind a small shed that looked out to the minute parking lot which was towered over a large brick faced factory. There were a few wide panels of window panes clumped together with several panes smashed out, leaving jagged remains in the rusted frames.
A minute later, Uraraka spotted Hikari padding around a corner. The sidekick's gaudy yellow stoplights strapped to her body clanked with every step. Ochaco winced as Hikari's gait echoed in the still night. Stoplight's cheeks were puffed out and immediately deflated when she breathed out in a wheezing huff. Ochaco greeted the young hero with a twisted smile.
"You alright there, Stoplight?"
"Y-ye-ah," Hikari said, "W-we're a-all set in the back. Just w-waiting on you."
Ochaco nodded and rolled her motorcycle into position, lined up square to the double doors. She noticed that one of the doors was precariously clinging to the wall by its hinges. With her jaw set, Ochaco revved the engine a few times, each roar getting louder than the last. She shot forward like a rocket, whooping defiantly as she closed in on the building. Ochaco pulled on the handles with some effort and lifted the front wheel into the air. She crashed through, sending the doors flying away into the dark.
Before her stretched a long, empty hall. Broken tiled floor squelched under the tires as she sped forward. At the end of the vestibule, Ochaco found herself facing two adjacent hallways and another pair of double doors. Without any hesitance, she burst through the entrance and shouted out into vast darkness stretched out in front of her.
"GIVE US THE GIRLS AND I WON'T BREAK ALL OF YOUR BONES!"
Her eyes adjusted to the gloom and she looked into the expanse laid out before her. The floor was broken and cracked, filled with rows of curtains hanging on makeshift frames. Above were four landings, one atop the other, that encircled a sizable opening in the middle to allow a pair of pulleys to drape their chains to the ground. Haphazard scaffolding leaned flush against the right wall where some would-be repairs had been initiated on the windows. There was movement in the closest landing, hidden in the deep shadows and crates that hung around the railing. A couple of figures shifted through the dark followed by gruff voices that called out loudly.
"Is that a friggin' motorcycle?"
"This chick is nuts."
"Remember what the boss said: she doesn't walk away tonight."
Ochaco cracked her knuckles and dismounted her bike. As she walked towards the center of the room, stretching her arms in a showy fashion, her headgear performed a quick scan of the area. Her visor showed eight body heat signatures standing above her at different levels. A wicked grin split across her face. Ochaco rolled her neck and shook out her arms before pulling out the handles of her new batons. With a flick of her wrists, she extended them and took off running towards the two people in her sight.
They were stunned when she started flying right at them. The man on her left began digging through his waistband, twirling around as if chasing an invisible tail. Ochaco targeted him first, slamming feet first into his back when it was turned away from her. The man soared into a crate and crumpled into a heap on the floor as it buckled under the force of impact. She gave a feral grin to the other man who was nailed to his spot.
"Shoulda handed over the girl."
Ochaco tore through wave after wave of crooks that spilled out to take her out. More burst through the side doors that were hidden away by the shadows, shouts of rage giving way to wails of agony as she fell upon them. Femurs and skulls cracked under her batons. Ochaco's muscles burned with exhaustion, sweat beading down her face. There were tears in her bodysuit now and scratches littered against her once new armor. She wasn't sure how long she had been in the fight, but it didn't matter at the moment. Ochaco was lost in the rush of battle, ducking and striking at anyone foolish enough to get close enough.
From the back of her mind, Ochaco was vaguely aware of Stoplight's movements on the ground floor. She'd occasionally see her sidekick handcuffing Ochaco's unconscious victims who had been gently thrown over the railing. Mina's voice came through her earpiece, breaking Uraraka from her battle fueled stupor.
"Whatever you're doin', Uravity, keep it up. We just breached through the door and it's quiet. The building's huge, so it'll take a bit to sweep through the place."
"S'fine," Ochaco grunted after punching through the stomach of a goat-headed man who had tried to sneak past her, "Just let me know if you run into any trouble."
A rallying cry sounded from the hallway she had entered from and soon the remainder of her would-be attackers fled from her brutal rampage. Hikari squeaked out in surprise as she was rushed by the oncoming horde. Ochaco gave pursuit, leaping off the railing to give herself some momentum. She shot out a wire at her sidekick who grabbed it and was pulled away from the speeding group. With an almighty tug, Uraraka swung Hikari towards the second-floor landing.
"Get the rest of those bastards in cuffs! I'm going after these rats." She didn't bother waiting for a response. Ochaco kicked out the doors as she landed, leaping away with a mid-air twist and stopped with her back to the entrance. She was alone. Uraraka swiveled her head to see where her prey had scurried off to. Unfortunately, their voices were bouncing off the walls, making it difficult to discern which direction they ran towards. Ochaco made a decision and bolted down the hall on her left. She spurred herself on, the muscles in her legs screaming in protest as she zipped through the building. Ochaco turned a corner and had to stop herself from attacking the people she found.
"Mina!"
"Ocha! What are you doing out here? Where's Stoplight?" A small group of heavily armored officers stood behind Mina. Leading the squad of police was Yonezu, their hair still covering half of their face under a peaked cap that sat on their head. The solemn officer held a gun with both hands, facing downward. The others had their weapons drawn as well.
"I took after the bastards that jumped me at the front. Did you see them come through?" Ashido shook her head, a little dejected pout on her lips.
"Sorry, Uravity. Didn't see any of 'em. Does this mean it's clear behind you?" Uraraka almost answered when Hikari interrupted over their comms.
"Stoplight reporting in. Attackers have been subdued and arrested in the entry storage. Am I greenlit to pursue the others who fled the scene?"
"Pinky, here. You're a-go, Stoplight. Just met up with Uravity. She's about to move on and we'll be sweeping behind you two."
Uraraka raised a brow quizzically at her partner. Mina only shrugged and stepped aside to allow the officers to press forward. "We haven't seen anything here yet. I'm starting to think this was a wild goose chase."
"Where've you looked through so far?"
"We started in the back right? Well, it's like a giant container yard. Just rows of 'em piled on top of each other. I don't have any scanners with me but Hikari said they were empty. When you started tearing things up, we breached and went to the cooler, the admin wing, and now here."
Ochaco hummed in thought, tapping her chin. Hikari doesn't have any scanning tech from what I remember. Did she get an upgrade too? She shook her head and started running towards the back, waving Ashido good-bye.
"I'm gonna keep after those guys who ran away. Call me if you need anything!"
She didn't bother to look at Mina's confused expression. Her only focus at that moment was reaching the containers behind the factory. Something was off. How could they have explored half of the building and not found anyone aside from the gang members. It didn't sit right with her. Ochaco pushed through to the courtyard at the building's tail end. There was an awning that stretched over the cracked slab of concrete, hiding any moonlight that peeked through the cloudy sky. Just beyond the courtyard stood a shabby booth near the fenced-off containers that rose several yards away. Uraraka took away her gravity and jumped to the top of the nearest container stacks. The corrugated metal underneath her boots made her going uneven, but she did her best to creep quietly.
In the narrow paths that wove between the stacks marched more armed people. Ochaco wasn't surprised to see that the majority of these guards were Oozers. A few others walked with them, bandanas covering their faces. She knelt down, listening to a pair that roved below her.
"Ya damn Runnahs gonna bring 'em heroes out here."
"Well, we wouldn't have to be out here if you green bastards had done your job and killed that floaty chick instead of us. Fuckin' packs a punch…"
"Ah," dismissed the Oozer, "You lot just ain't cut out fer real work. Now shuddup. I think I smell summ'n."
Ochaco sucked in her breath as the orcish brute turned to look in her direction. A thousand battle options coursed through her mind. She weighed the outcomes and felt her body coil, ready to pounce into action. Thankfully, a boisterous man walked through the entrance, loudly complaining about the hired guns.
"Can none of idiots kill a couple of heroes? It's not like your fighting Ground Zero here!"
Uraraka watched the newcomer waddle into the fray, arms swinging at his sides as he wobbled forward. The top of his squashed head was balding. He looked like a large beach ball with arms and legs stuffed into a suit. When the man turned and pointed to the pair beneath her, Ochaco's eyes went wide. Shinjirou Mori. The man who had been central to the whole operation was mere feet away from her. If anyone would know where Yuang was hidden, it had to be him.
She crouched down, ready once again to leap into the fight. This was her chance to end this. Six months of hunting deadends and chasing ghosts were about to pay off. Ochaco took stock of how many people surrounded the politician when the ratta-tat-tat of gunfire mingled with a blood curdling shriek in the far corner of the dock. Mori directed two Oozers to stay put, dismissing the rest to investigate the sudden attack.
"If it's that green haired fuck, make sure you actually kill him this time!"
When it was just the four of them left, Ochaco waited a few moments before striking. She took her gravity away and jumped forward. Her boosters activated to give her extra force. With her batons back in hand, Ochaco crashed into the Oozers. The impact should have been enough to render them useless. That didn't stop her from bashing the back of their heads for good measure.
Mori shrieked and fell backwards as he tried to escape. Uraraka returned her gravity and stood up quickly to glare him down. The politician held a hand up, pleading with a pathetic crack in his voice. "P-p-please d-don't h-hurt me! I-I'll give you money! You want money, doncha? I got plenty. Just don't touch me!"
"Too late for that, Representative Mori. The game's over. Where's Yuang?"
Ochaco pinned him down to the beaten earth with a boot against his shoulder. He whimpered and tried to roll himself up to protect his body. She felt a sneer pull at her lips, her eyes narrowed mercilessly.
"Last chance before I break you in half: where is she?"
"That's not going to be necessary, boss."
Ochaco looked up to see Hikari walking towards them. She looked unperturbed - radiant even - as she approached. Stoplight's face was impassive, showing no sign of intention. The hairs on the back of Uraraka's neck stood up as she felt a chill run down her spine.
"Stoplight, what's -"
"Gonna have to stop you right there, Uravity." The red lights on the sidekick's costume burst into life and Ochaco felt her muscles seize. She'd only experienced Hikari's Quirk on a few occasions. It was panic inducing sensation to have everything in you suddenly stop. Thoughts, movement, breathing, heartbeat… just still in her body. Thankfully it had been short lived in those moments. Now, however, she wasn't sure how long Hikari would hold her.
"Get this bitch off of me!" Mori demanded. Stoplight obliged him by dragging the politician out from under Uraraka's foot. He sputtered and grumbled as he stood up, wiping the mud caked on his coat. "Damn it, this suit's ruined. The hell is wrong with you?"
"We have to move. Now shut up and go," Hikari ordered. The sidekick shoved him away and stepped backward, keeping her eyes on Uraraka. Her face remained neutral as she regarded the pro hero. "Nothing personal, boss. They just made me a great deal to take care of this. To take care of you."
Stoplight reached behind her right hip and produced a stubby revolver. Before she could raise it and pull back the hammer, a boot appeared out of thin air and collided into Hikari's ribcage. She cried out in pain as she flew off to her left. Ochaco's fell on all fours, gasping and coughing at the air flooding her lungs. Her mind was in overdrive as her senses caught up to her. The nerves in her fingers and toes were on fire. Uraraka could hear a scuffle unfolding a meter away. When she was grounded again, Ochaco slowly raised herself up.
Mina was grappling with Hikari. Her partner was struggling to wrest the gun from Stoplight's hand, a visage of grim determination painted across her face. Uraraka took off to join the gray. She lead her knee into Hikari's side, her forearms pressing against the traffic lights adorning her sidekick's body. Hikiari growled in frustration as she stumbled back. Ochaco and Mina were about to press their advantage when the red lights on Stoplight's costume lit up once again. They froze instantly, giving the wayward hero enough time to run after Mori. When she was out of sight, the pros fell to their knees and gasped in unison.
"I… have always hated her quirk," Mina whined, rubbing her neck, "Did you find anything?"
"N-not yet. Looks like Mori is one of the people in charge of the Runners and Chasers. It's crawling with Oozers in there. Where's Yonezu?"
"Stayed behind to arrest anyone else they came across. We went to that storage place you were at. That was how Yonezu and I pieced together that Hikari wasn't clean. A lot of the guys you took out hadn't been cuffed."
Uraraka swore under her breath. She turned her head back and forth, between the containers and the direction that Hikari ran off to. Eventually she had made a decision and nodded towards the yard they stood in front of.
"Let's find Yuang. Yonezu can take care of the traitor."
Mina nodded and followed Uraraka into the container stacks. A quick scan from her headgear showed the gravity hero clusters of heat signatures scattered about the ground. Unfortunately, the containers themselves gave no reading. She growled in frustration when a soft, familiar voice spoke from above her left side.
"You're going to want to use an echo scan, Sunflower. The containers are insulated. That was one of Hosori's little ideas."
Izuku sat on the edge of the nearest container, one leg propped up to hold his arm with a sleek cane in hand while the other leg swung lazily. Half of his face was revealed as his mask was in tatters. Only one eye was covered. Oozing scratches littered his freckled cheeks and lips. There was a growing shiner on his exposed eye. As he always was, Deku was dressed sharply: a skinny black tie with a white button-up shirt, the sleeves rolled up and a black vest covering suspenders that latched onto the well-fitted slacks. Izuku gave her a half-smile, wincing as his lips split slightly.
Ochaco motioned for him to join them which he obliged. When he stood to his full height after sliding down to the ground, Uraraka slapped him as hard as she could. Deku made no sound. He rubbed the steadily reddening skin gingerly, not quite meeting her gaze as he turned back.
"You got a lot of nerve, Deku. And you better believe we're gonna have a talk after this." Ochaco warned. She adjusted her scanner and let it run for a few seconds. The unconscious bodies scattered about pinged on her radar, their steady breathing cropping up on her visor. There were some points about twenty meters away that caught her attention. She walked quickly, Izuku and Mina in tow, and found that more pings jumped on her screen the closer she got. Ochaco dismissed her visor and stopped in front of a plain container. Her eyes narrowed, searching the corrugated metal for any openings. Sure enough, there were well-hidden slats carved into the top spanning the length of the container. She rushed over to the doors, working on the rusted latch. Izuku sidled next to her and lent her some extra strength. Together, they managed to break the oxidized metal's hold. Ochaco activated the lights built into her headgear.
Huddled in a large group were more than half a dozen women. They were dressed in rags, tattered cloth barely hanging over their bony shoulders. Dirt and filth coated their exposed skin. Ochaco recognized the slender face of Yuang. Izuku reacted first, talking in Mandarin quickly with a reassuring tone. Uraraka did her best to keep up and make herself look as welcoming as possible. These women had seen better days; Uraraka didn't want to scare them, making things worse. She watched in grudging admiration as Deku calmed them down. Mina nudged her, a slick grin on her face. Ochaco rolled her eyes, muttering a warning under her breath.
"Alright, they're all ready to move," Izuku said, "They were about to be shipped out tonight. Whoever gave you the intel tonight is a damned saint. I'll distract Mori and his people if you two can lead them away."
"And just where do we take 'em? It's not like the cops are on our side," Mina argued. Izuku tore off the tattered remains of his mask to run a gloved hand through his hair. Ochaco hated that she bit her lip at the motion.
"You're… not gonna like my suggestion," he said with clear hesitance, "I-I think…"
"I'll take 'em to Mad Love, Deku," Ochaco finished for him, "But we are gonna get 'em outta there as soon as Mori is dealt with."
"That's perfectly fair, Sunflower."
The women filed out of the container as Mina called in some backup from Kirishima. Izuku shuffled his feet, eyeing Uraraka warily. She crossed her arms and leaned against a container, summoning him with an upward nod of her chin. He walked over with a tight grip on his cane.
"You ready to stop being stupid, 'Zuku?" Ochaco watched him squirm in place, twisting his cane quickly. He wasn't looking at her. She sighed and started to walk away. Izuku reached out to her with a half-raised hand. It was enough to keep her put.
"Ochaco, I… we need to talk. I've got some plans in place and I want to let you know what's going to happen. I -"
"Deku, if you say 'I' or 'me' one more time, I will lose it," Ochaco warned. Izuku gave her a sheepish grin and fell silent. "Just answer the question already."
"Sunflower…"
It was the first time in what felt like years that they met each other's eyes. Izuku peeled away his shredded mask, giving her a full view of his beaten face. More scuffs and scrapes, an open wound on his eyebrow gushed with a steady stream of blood. Despite the obvious pain, he must have been in, Izuku gave her his best winning smile. An ache burrowed in her chest while she drank in his emerald eyes. A familiar, homely warmth flooded her senses. Despite the frown she had set on her face, Ochaco felt a smile grown on her lips. A single phrase echoed in her traitorous mind, growing louder the longer she looked at him: I missed him.
"Deku, list-"
Gunshots rang out in the sky, silencing the world around them. Mina and Ochaco jumped to provide some cover to the women in their care. Izuku dived to the entrance, craning around the corner to keep a lookout. More gunshots blared through the atmosphere. They sounded closer than before.
"I see them," Izuku said, "They're headed this way. Looks like your sidekick is fighting a few cops. She's winning though."
"D'ya see Mori with her?" Ochaco swore when Deku shook his head. The politician must have escaped if it was just Hikari fending off Yonezu's detail. A few more pops shot out followed by cut off cries. "Mina, get them to safety! Deku and I are gonna deal with the traitor."
Ashido nodded and took her place adjacent to Izuku. As her partner waved over the women, Ochaco sidled up to the villain. He gave her a quick once over, his gorgeous eyes losing a little of the warmth that had been there.
"On three, I'm going to rush her. Don't follow until these ladies are clear and headed away."
She gave him a nod of confirmation and sat in waiting. Izuku took a deep breath before rushing out of sight. They were immediately exposed to more shouting and a few rogue gunshots. Ochaco grit her teeth as the noise swelled to an agonizing climax. More wails of pain cried out, grating on her nerves.
As the fighting carried on, the two pro heroes started to herd the women away from the scene. Ochaco leaped out into the open and took a defensive stance. Her eyes darted about, looking for any would-be attackers that might rush her. Behind her, Ashido began ushering their charges with hushed commands.
The scuffle in front of Uraraka was turning desperate. Hikari's Quirk had given her the advantage in the brawl. A number of the officers were left in crumpled heaps on the ground behind the turncoat, all of them clutching at their stomachs or limbs with groans. All that stood in her way was Yonezu, Deku and two officers. Izuku's presence had tipped the scales back to a more balanced scrum, but Hikari was quickly adapting to the situation despite being reduced to hand-to-hand combat.
There was a reason she had fit in at the Rainy Day Agency so well. Much like Ochaco and Mina, Stoplight had an aggressive fighting style. Her Quirk made it so that she could incapacitate and dispatch foes with the ease of a seasoned veteran. Something odd was happening though. Hikari would shine her light on Deku only for the villain to continue moving. Stoplight growled and moved to block incoming blows from the police officers surrounding them.
Yonezu feinted left and threw out a right hook. Hikari turned on them quickly, grabbing a hold of their outstretched arm with her traffic lights brightly illuminated. The officer froze in mid-air, stretched out wide and open for Hikari's foot to drive into their abdomen. She killed her lights. Instantly, Yonezu was sent flying into a brick wall. There was a sickening crunch that snapped through the air upon impact. The officer fell to the ground in a heap and didn't get back up.
Izuku shouted and pressed his attack. Whereas before he had been nimble and calculating in his strikes, now Deku was sending out wild, ferocious jabs with his cane. Hikari laughed at his attempts while she backpedaled away from him.
"That the best you got, loser? Hope he was better in bed, Uravity!"
The remaining cops grappled her arms and struggled to keep her in place. Deku rushed forward, hoisting his cane like a javelin as he ran at Hikari. Ochaco watched in trepidation as time slowed, her traitor sidekick smiling as Izuku fell upon her.
"Deku wait!"
A flash of red engulfed the world. That damned suffocating, seizing feeling held her in place once again. Hikari easily slipped away from her captors, striking the officers behind their heads with vicious blows. She casually walked over to her dropped revolver and took her time to replace the empty shells with fresh bullets.
"Wonder if this will drive the message home, boss. You were warned."
Hikari leveled her pistol at Izuku and pulled back the hammer. Time halted for Uraraka. The smell of Izuku's minty hair, the feel of his slender arms wrapped around her waist, the elation that coursed through her when they danced - all of it flooded her mind as she could only watch Hikari pull the trigger.
Click.
Nothing happened. The pistol's chamber rolled over and the hammer fell again. Another click quietly mocked Hikari. She opened it up, a flabbergasted look on her face. As she fiddled with the gun, Deku rushed forward and kicked her square in the chest. Hikari wheezed and fell back. Ochaco heaved as all of her senses once again rushed her nerves. Izuku hesitated before turning his attention back to Stoplight.
"You really need to watch your back. Never know what a thief might take." He dug through his pocket and started tossing a handful of unused bullets in his hands. "Now what was that about teaching Uravity a lesson?"
Deku twisted the head of his cane and pulled it away, unsheathing a thin blade that was attached. He brought the point to Hikari's throat and just stood still. Uraraka watched through watery eyes as she coughed and gasped for air. She reached out to him, her hand shaking heavily.
"D-deku… N- cough - no…"
Izuku turned his ear slightly towards her but never took his eyes off of Hikari. His nose was wrinkled and his mouth pulled down at the corners into a sneer. Ochaco felt an ache in her chest. Gone was the warm, knowing smile on his freckled face. What replaced it was something cold and hateful. She had seen it many times in the past and had grown to hate it over time. Uraraka called out to him one more time, pleading with a rattly breath.
"Deku...please."
He finally relented, stifling a cry through gritted teeth as he stepped away from Hikari. Izuku's body convulsed, but he kept his blade focused on Stoplight. The sidekick stayed on the ground, rubbing her sternum gingerly.
"Why not finish it? You that whipped?"
"You're lucky she's here. I would have finished the job if it weren't for Ochaco," Izuku said coldly. Slowly, he stepped over to where Uraraka was recovering. Hikari's gargled a laugh as he walked away and created distance between them.
"You know I'm just gonna stop you again, right?"
"Fishing for secrets. Clever. I'll indulge you. See this cane? Both the cane and the blade are made from some 'borrowed' material from a kid. I had some friends modify it so that I could use a watered-down version of her Quirk. Try me. As long as I'm touching this, you won't be able to stop me."
Hikari regarded him for a moment, a demure and bemused expression playing on her eyes. She quickly looked over to Uraraka. Izuku caught the quick glance, following the direction of her gaze. His eyes grew wide when he realized what Stoplight was going to do.
"I can't stop you," she purred, "But I can stop my boss from ever getting back up."
Uraraka's world became stifled once again. She hadn't caught her breath yet and now all the air in her lungs grew still. Her body was frozen. Deku shouted but he sounded garbled as if he were underwater.
As soon as her senses were muted, they came rushing back. Through the haze of her painful recovery she felt Izuku knelt next to her. He was pressing the tip of his cane on her thigh, the thin sword long dropped as he patted her with a free hand. She sputtered and shook as the air in her lungs started to move through her body.
"Sunflower, I've got you. Just breathe for me, OK? Just breathe."
"Hope it was worth it, scum!"
Uraraka became lost in a sea of screams and gunshots. She felt Deku envelop her with his arms, the cane still pressed into her leg. Hikari was shouting indiscernibly, followed by a few gunshots that rang out. Izuku gave a war cry and left Ochaco's side. She looked and found a new body in a familiar blue-green camo patterned bodysuit lying a few feet away. Mina was unmoving. She crawled over to her partner, shaking her a little while Deku brawled with Hikari. Ashido's breathing was shallow. Ochaco's training kicked in and she flipped the acid hero over on her back. There were two entrance wounds in her chest, one in her right shoulder and the other just below her bust. Uraraka focused on the more grievous injury and applied pressure. She recalled her visor, using it to call in for emergency aid. Ochaco was numbly aware of Hikari's body dropping to the ground followed by Deku's presence returning next to her.
"This is Uravity. I need EMT aid immediately! I've got officers and a pro hero down. Please respond!"
Ochaco shared a pained look with Izuku as they waited for someone to answer her call. As she gave the coordinates, Deku started rifling through his pockets, frantically searching with patting hands. He pulled out a small needle and uncapped it.
"Sunflower, this is a painkiller cocktail. It'll help Ashido's bleeding and take the edge off. I've got to go. Meet me at Mad Love when she's being taken care of."
He pressed his lips on her forehead, running a hand through her hair. She gave him a desperate look before he took off behind her, leaving her alone with Mina who's breath was slowly vanishing by the second.
