ACT 2: LAST SONS

Chapter 11: Not Alone

"Thank you for coming with me, Inko," Ochako said as she fidgeted in the driver's seat as they drove downtown in her car.

"It's ok, Dear," Inko smiled at the younger woman, "And it's going to be ok."

"Thank you… I hope so…" Ochako nodded, taking a deep breath when she pulled into the single-story mental health facility with a large sign on the side of the building "Heroes in Crisis"

"Need me to come in with you?" Inko asked, squeezing her hand.

"I… yes, please." Ochako nodded and the elder woman smiled, and the two exited and walked into the building hand in hand.

"What time is your appointment?" Inko asked as Ochako looked on the directory on the wall.

"Eleven fifteen, but he said I was his first appointment and can drop in any time." Ochako replied, "We weren't in the same class, but we went to UA together."

The two made their way down the hall till they found the office. "I'll be right here, dear." Inko smiled reassuringly.

Ochako nodded, took a deep breath and knocked on the door. A moment later a blue haired man with tired eyes opened the door. "Ochako, good to see you." He smiled.

"Thanks for seeing me on such short notice, Hitoshi," Ochako replied as he led her inside.

She glanced around, still clinging to her purse to her chest, an old nervous tick. She read all the awards and degrees on the wall of Hitoshi Shinso's office.

"Please, have a seat on the couch, get comfy," Shinso smiled softly as he took a seat, and put a notepad and a pin on the coffee table. "Can I get you something to drink?"

"No… no thank you," Ochako nodded.

"Then shall we get down to business, tell me why you're here. Understand it had something to do with the conflict when you faced with Tenko Shimura?" Shinso asked.

"Yes… but first… I know with your quirk I might say something that's a big secret of someone very special to me… It won't leave?" Ochako asked nervously. "I trust you just… I have to know."

"This room is triple soundproof; I have heard more secrets and have shared none. Nothing leaves this room. I swear." Shinso smiled, "One of the things that works with my quirk is I can have people tell the whole truth, even truths they deny themselves without struggle. My quirk has helped a lot of heroes face their demons and struggles. Some more than others…" He said, pinching his nose at the thought of his next session with Endeavor.

"Ok," Ochako nodded.

"Alright then," Shinso picked up his note pad and pin. "We'll start with what you know. And tell me when you have a secret not to be written. And you've spoken to me so I'm in control until I release you but if you feel uncomfortable your safe word Cheeseburger. Say it if a topic becomes too much for you. Do you understand?" Ochako nodded, "Go ahead."

"I found out… during the fight with Shimura… he had brainwashed me… made me a sleeper agent. I… he used me to hurt my family… he used me to hurt Deku… might have hurt Bakugo if things played differently… and he showed that he had me under control without my knowledge for a while…"

"You're not the only one going in my Tenko is a piece of shit file, just so you know," Shinso smiled softly as he made some notes. "So, you have no recollection of anything he had you do?"

"None of it… and what I do know is bad enough…" Ochako's lower lip trembled, "It scares me."

"We have two options to proceed," Shinso stated, "We can unlock those memories together, or I can have the hidden part of you Shimura created tell me. I'll let you decide the path to proceed."

Ochako looked up at her old friend, and with tears in her eyes and a deep breath she made her choice. And Shinso unlocked the part of her that was controlled by Tenko Shimura. She told all about how she would give info about other heroes, was used to sit the bombs that hurt her father's company, betrayed Deku, every tidbit he commanded her to do.

Once she was finished, Shinso glanced to her, "Ok, Ochako I want you to look me in the eyes." She did as commanded, "You will respond to no planted subliminal commands. You will listen to no other controls placed over you without your consent. You are not responsible for what Tenko Shimura made you do. You are free. I am releasing control."

Ochako sat back on the couch and remained still for several moments before she buried her face in her hands and began to cry. Shinso remained silent and slid a box of tissues to her.

- S—

"DIE!" Bakugou screamed as he literally dove into a terrorist camp off the coast of a small supposedly abandoned island between Japan and China. He fired off several off his explosive blasts as he dodged their machine gun fire.

He hit one with a howitzer impact wiped out a small group of thugs. He was about to take out the one he heard coming up behind him, when the thug fell flat on his face with four daggers in his back.

"What the hell are you doing?" Bakugou turned to his wife who was sending him back a fangy grin.

"Hired to wipe out some baddies pushing in on another baddie's territory, got paid good. Almost paid off the nursery. What the hell are you doing?"

"Came to wipe out baddies because they're bad, and you're pregnant! You should be resting, Damn it." Bakugou snapped back.

"I'm pregnant, sweet face, not crippled," Toga snot back, throwing a dagger that stuck in another thug's throat. "And so far, I've got a higher score."

"For now…" The hero and villain couple got back-to-back and began fighting the thugs. "You sure you're alright?" Bakugou narrowed his eyes, "You're breathing like shit…"

"Cause you stink, honey." Toga piped back but couldn't hid the fact she had to shake her head.

"I took a bath last night, thank you very… HIMIKO!" Bakugou screamed as his wife collapsed against his back. He spun quickly and caught her. Her skin was hot to the touch. "Shit, I told you, I told you, damnit," he said cradling her in his arms, and making a mad dash back to his speedboat, with guns firing behind him. "Hang on, baby, I've got you…"

He jumped the boat and laid her on the floor to be safe from fire, before he started the engine and pushed it back toward Japan. "Hang on…" He kept repeating.

He got far from the island, but his eyes widened when the engines started to fail. "What the hell? No!" He ran back to the engines and panic began to rise when he saw bullet holes in the engine block. "Oh, no, no no no…"

He ran back to Toga and got down beside her, "Himiko?" he asked but she only groaned. He was stuck in the middle of the ocean, with terrorists behind him, and no hope in front of him. Hope. That's it. If it was any other situation he would have hated himself for this. But this. This was an emergency. "IZUKUUUUUUUUU!"

Miles away at his desk, Izuku Midoriya was anxiously waiting word from his mom and girlfriend when he heard his friend's desperate cry. He glanced around and a moment later he disappeared with his glasses falling on the desk.

"Kacchan?" Superman asked landing on the boat.

"I dunno what the hell happened, she wasn't supposed to be doing shit, but she was doing shit and then she fell and she's shitting hot and we're stuck and I don't know what to do…" Bakugou said, gripping her hand with tears forming in his eyes.

"I'll get her to the hospital," Superman said, going to one knee beside them.

"No… hospital…" Toga groaned in her fever.

"Fine, the Fortress then," Superman said, scooping Toga up in his arm, "Hold on to me, we're gonna do the thing you hate."

"Do it…" Bakugou said, wrapping his arms around his friend and wife.

A flash later they were in the Fortress of Solitude, with Bakugou trying to steady himself. Superman made no hesitation, called one of the Fortress androids and placed Toga on a comfortable bed that raised as the Fortress detected their needs.

"We will begin running a diagnostic on the pregnant human female, it will take a few hours. But early analysis shows she and child are stable," the android responded as scanners lowered from the crystal-like ceiling.

"Has anything like this happened before?" Superman asked his friend.

"Not while I've been around, Deku, and if it has when I'm not she hasn't said a damn word…" Bakugou said, trembling by the bedside.

"You ok?" Superman asked, stepping up to his friend who was staring at the blond who seemed to be fitfully resting.

"Yeah, just cold… and the flight made my eyes water, 's all…" He said, rubbing his face.

Superman felt his phone buzz from the pocket on his cape. "Ochako and Mom are back, you want me to fly you back or…"

"I'm not leaving her, Deku," Bakugou said, not taking his eyes off Toga.

"What I expected, I'll be back soon," Superman smiled, before taking flight.

-S-

Izuku walked into his mother's living room adjusting his glasses, finding Ochako and Inko sharing a pot of tea. "So…" Izuku asked, and Ochako ran to him, giving him a big hug.

"Shinso helped me," Ochako sniffled, "Tenko … told the truth… it was me who set the explosives for him… he used me to spy on other heroes too… including you…" Ochako glanced away.

"He… didn't use you in any other way, right?" Izuku whispered, fearing the answer as it was something she had voiced her concerns about before setting her appointment.

"No, he never touched me… Thank God…" Ochako replied, and he released the breath he was holding.

Izuku had made a vow to never use his powers to take a life unless absolutely necessary, and he was worried had that taken place, he would have had to break that vow.

"Do… you have any more of that tea, mom?" Izuku asked.

"I do, want me to bring you a cup, honey?" Inko replied from the kitchen.

"No, I'll come and get it," He said quickly. "Be right back, Ochako…"

Ochako nodded and continued to fight the guilt at what all she was made to do. Even if she knew it wasn't her fault she still was struggling.

"Stop stressing, sweetie," Inko replied, walking in and rubbing her ring finger absentmindedly, then sat down in the chair. "It wasn't your fault. Now you can get on with your lives and let that madman rot in jail."

"Yeah, it's finally really over…" Ochako said, as Izuku came back and gave her a big hug.

"Ochako, There's something else I wanted to talk about…" Izuku said, and his mom sat forward in her chair.

"Deku?" Ochako asked curiously.

"This may be a bit sudden but after everything we've been through, I just…" Izuku said, before mentally hearing Bakugou's advice of just go for it. He dropped to one knee just as his mother's TV made a incredibly loud noise and came on by itself, grabbing Ochako's attention away from him.

The three looked at the TV, and Izuku could hear the same sound coming from all over the world as every TV and monitor came alive, showing the same message and every local dialect.

NOT ALONE

NOT ALONE

NOT ALONE

YOU ARE NOT ALONE

WE COME IN PEACE

YOU ARE NOT ALONE

WE COME IN PEACE

YOU ARE NOT ALONE

WE COME IN PEACE

GENERAL ZOD COMES IN PEACE

To be continued…