My Iron Giant
-Walking the Tight Rope-
"OCHACO! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING UP THERE?!"
'Uh oh'
Looking below Ochaco could see her parents. One of them outright seething and the other very nervous at the rage of a woman. The giant actually turned to look down at the two of them. He briefly considered their existence before looking back at Ochaco.
"Don't look at me like that!" Ochaco said to her new friend. She didn't know how much he could here but it felt right to treat him like a normal person. It wasn't ok to do anything else in her mind.
"GET DOWN HERE THIS INSTANT OCHACO! YOU HAVE SOME EXPLAINING TO DO!" Her mother called with a surprisingly loud voice.
"ALRIGHT! I'LL BE DOWN IN A SECOND!" She yelled back down.
"DON'T YOU TRY BACK TALKING US!"
"I WASN'T I WAS JUST...uuugh" She looked back at the giant. "Would you help me down please? Also, please don't do anything to spook my parents."
He lowered the girl down in front of the parents. Both of them in slight awe at the action. Ochaco sat herself down to stay on the giant's hand, fidgeting nervously at the two looks she was getting.
"Ochaco, we should probably talk somewhere more private. Without anyone else." Her father said.
"Dad, he's part of the reason why we're having this conversation...Actually scratch that he is the entire reason you're here."
Her mother's glare went up to the robot's face, getting no response, so she turned back to look at her daughter.
"What did you do?" She asked.
"Nothing! Well, during the entrance exam I kind of got stuck. There was a big robot coming my way and was going to crush me-"
"What?!" Her father yelled in shock. He looked back up to the robot and immediately frowned in his assumption. "So this UA robot nearly killed you?"
"No! He saved me and he's more than a robot! He was taking the test with me and before I got smushed he jumped up and saved me. But he turned into this. We're not even sure he knew he could do that since he was supposed to be quirkless." She quickly defended him. Both the parents looked back up. This was someone her age? Many questions, assumptions, and several other thoughts came to their heads.
"So, why can't he change back?" Her father asked.
"We don't know, there's honestly a lot we don't know but right now he's stuck like this and refuses to be more than forty feet away from me. Not only that but if someone or something tries to hurt me...he'll attack them."
"Ochaco, what do you mean by attack?" Her mother asked.
"What else could she mean? This thing could kill someone by taking too hard of a step next to them." Her father said motioning to the giant.
"Don't call him that."
"What?"
"His name is Izuku Midoriya, and he's my friend Dad. Don't call him a thing."
"I, uh, sorry-"
"Don't apologize to me! Say it to him!" She pointed at the giant.
"...Can he hear us?"
"We know he listens to me but that's not the point! Just say you're sorry!" Ochaco said back, frustrated at her father's unwillingness.
"Ochaco, don't yell at your father like that."
"Then treat him more than just a machine!"
Her mother brought her hand up, ready to smack a little sense into her to get her to calm down.
"No, wait!"
*CLANG*
The giant moved the hand that was under Ochaco away from the two and chopped the ground between them with the other. His pupils narrowed in almost laser like precision as she shielded her eyes from how bright they became. Her entire frame was highlighted.
"STOP!" Ochaco screamed. Her dad grabbed his wife and pulled her away from the metal hand, accidentally tripping and making the two of them fall backwards. The giant remained still but did not take his eyes away from the woman.
"It's ok, they're ok. Please don't hurt them. Don't hurt my parents." Ochaco gently asked, placing a hand on one of his fingers and looked up to his eyes. He finally looked down to her, and after a couple of seconds took his hand away from the ground.
Her parents were practically shaking in place. "W-what w-was that?!" Her mother asked in a demanding tone.
"I told you, he's very defensive." Ochaco said in concern for both her parents and for Midoriya being forced to act like this.
"He..can't control it right now. That's why the school asked you to come so that you can build the student dorms and help me figure out what to do."
Her father's eyes widened as he realized something. "They might not let you be a hero."
"What do you mean?" His wife asked.
"Don't you see! She won't ever be able to train or be with the other hero kids if they can't change the kid back!" He said. That made Ochaco's mother feel shocked. She wanted to cry, they sacrificed so much to help her achieve her dream and she was getting mad because she thought Ochaco was getting cold feet.
"I'm..so sorry.."
"It's ok, they said they can figure out a way for me to learn and they'll still do their best to help Midoriya. But it will be hard and they don't know how long it will last. But I have a choice right now. I either work harder than ever to try being a hero or I go into the business course."
"But Ochaco, you always wanted this, and we did so much to help you." Her father said.
"I know and I still want to be a hero. But it would be so much easier to go into the business course!" She mentioned.
This was a really big choice, and neither one of the parents felt they had a place to say. The silence was hurting Ochaco more and more seeing how they couldn't help.
"Ochaco, what do you want? What do you really want?" Her father asked. "Don't think about the options, don't think about what situation you're in...what do you want right now?"
Ochaco paused and looked down at her shoes. What she wanted? Right now? She rethought about...everything. She wanted to help her parents, to make money to let them live comfortably. But that was long term, her father was asking right now what she wanted.
She looked back up to the giant, he couldn't choose for himself, he was forced to do everything she said and be her slave.
"I….I want to help him. I want to help Midoriya. So that he can choose who he wants to be."
"Well, I think that went rather well." Nezu said from around the corner of the school. He was wearing a set of headphones plugged into a cone facing the Uraraka family. All Might in his deflated form stood next to him with another set of headphones on.
"He made a wonderful friend."
"Indeed, but are you absolutely certain that the boy was quirkless before?"
"You've read the file, he was diagnosed quirkless when he failed to show a quirk when he was four. Not only that, but he was just like me when I met him."
"Rushing off into danger?" Nezu joked.
"Looking for hope, just someone, anyone to believe in him." All Might said in a depressing attitude.
It wasn't news that the quirkless community was lacking in the same treatment as those with quirks. They weren't locked up or anything, but everyone preferred someone with quirks to work, to teach, to do...anything. They were viewed as less competent, and because of that, no one believed they could do anything meaningful.
"I still don't understand. One for All has never done anything like this. It was basically just a power up." All Might pondered out loud.
"Power…." Nezu thought.
"Are we sure that he is dead? It isn't preferable but it would explain a lot."
"He's dead. No one can survive their skull being caved in."
"You can never be too sure about anything All Might. Mr. Midroiya has shown us that today."
"Yes, I guess he has." All Might said. It wasn't possible. There was no way that he could be alive! But, how else could they explain young Midoriya's circumstances?
Ochaco was sitting back in the principal's office. Sipping on a cup of tea that Recovery Girl gave her to help relax her nerves.
"Uh, Recovery Girl?"
"Yes?" She asked, sitting across from Ochaco keeping her company as the giant waited patiently by the window.
"Have you ever had a choice that directly impacted someone's entire life? And you don't know what would be best?"
The question caught the older woman off guard. She hummed, thinking about her own life before answering.
"It's not something most go through, but I have had my share of experiences."
"Like what?"
"Honey, I may be the nurse for the school but I am the go to for fixing people up. Too many times have I had to make that kind of choice in my career. I have chosen to cut off someone's limb, sparing them of risk but never knowing if they would be fine. I've even had to prioritize different people dying in front of me. Choosing how to help someone is a part of every hero's career. And I'm not just talking about professional heroes who run around in tights."
"How do you pick which one you choose?" Ochaco asked, trying to make her choice easier.
*sigh* "You don't ask the easy questions do you?"
"Nothing has been easy today."
Recovery Girl chuckled at the unintended humor. "I guess not."
*knock knock* "Excuse me? I was told to come here to hear about my son." A woman's voice came from outside. Whatever affects the tea had on Ochaco vanished as her anxiety started shooting through the roof.
"Come in." Recovery Girl said. In walked Inko Midoriya, a short plump woman with dark emerald shades of hair and eyes. Her skin was pale and had no blemishes on it.
"I'm sorry, I thought my son would be in here and-"
"Don't worry, this is the right room. Please sit down so we can talk about him and what his future will look like." Recovery Girl stated comforting and professionally.
Inko nodded, taking a spot next to the woman. She eyed Ochaco curiously, wondering what this girl had to do with her son. She turned to Recovery Girl, waiting for her to start the explanation.
"Ahem" Recovery Girl cleared her throat. "During the entrance exam, this little lady here was put into a hazardous situation that at first glance looked dire."
"Oh my, are you ok?" Inko asked Ochaco immediately, her motherly worry taking priority in the conversation.
"I'm fine!" Ochaco reassured. "But, it's about Midoriya…" Her eyes drifted to the big robot outside.
Inko didn't get the clue and instead went pale thinking about possible implications. "Where is he, where is Izuku?"
Recovery Girl sighed, her experience with mothers in the medical field always caused more stress than necessary. "He saw Uraraka here pinned under rubble and went to her aid by facing a hundred foot testing robot."
Inko gasped, feeling her fingers go numb. "I-is h-he?"
"He manifested a quirk." Recover Girl threw out, making Inko more confused than anything.
"But, that can't be...he's quirkless. The doctor showed us he had the pinky joint."
Recovery GIrl paused at that. "Did he mention anything else proving he's quirkless?"
"No, why?"
Recovery Girl took a very deep breath at the incompetence of other doctors. She would have to double check with the hospital records now to see if they had any blood of Izuku's she could test for a quirk factor. If it showed he had a quirk, then case closed he had one all his life. For now though, she had to take care of explaining what they knew.
"I think it's best for you to watch the footage of what happened." Recovery Girl pulled out a small tablet. She then played the video before Inko. The mother saw her son, looking scared terrified as he was dodging robots left and right. She wanted to say something right then and there but then she saw another camera looking down a large road. In the corner she could barely make out Uraraka stuck under piles of broken concrete.
Out of the cloud of dust the zero pointer emerged, then her son ran right to it, jumped, and
*CRACK*
The light of the screen nearly blinded her, but looking back she saw it. The massive robot that is sitting outside right now is wrecking robots left and right while protecting Uraraka.
She looked back to the window, staring into the massive eye.
"Izuku?"
The shutters that let the giant blinked seemed to twitch hearing his own name, but quickly went back to their neutral position. She got up and walked over to the window and placed her hand against it. Before she could try and comprehend his situation Recovery Girl elaborated.
"Your son seems to only respond to Uraraka here. Our guess is his quirk never manifested because he was never put in such a stressful situation where he had enough space to activate it. His focus was helping Uraraka and ever since his initial transformation he has been on active duty in protecting her from anything that may harm her, and following every command that he thinks he can follow from her."
Inko didn't look back, instead focused on her son. She wanted to be happy that he got a quirk, a very powerful one, but it still felt wrong. "H-he can change back. Right? I can take him home?"
"As of now, he either can't or doesn't know how. Until we discover a way to help him turn back we can't let him leave school grounds." Recovery Girl explained.
"Why?!" She turned back in sudden anger. "Why can't you let me bring my son home?!"
Recovery Girl clicked a small button inside her pocket. "I know how frustrating it is, but as of right now he doesn't have room in smaller roads and would easily cause panic."
"My Izuku never would do anything like that! He's a sweet shy boy who always wanted to be a hero!" She turned back to the window and opened it up. "Come on Izuku, we're going home. I'll make you your favourite for doing a good job helping the sweet girl."
The giant didn't move, or give any indication he heard the woman.
"Izuku, don't you want to come home?" She tried smiling to the giant, but the cold looking metal seemed to sting her heart as it did nothing to acknowledge the woman. It hit her harder when she saw that the eyes weren't even looking at her, but the girl behind her. Uraraka felt a little off at how the mother was looking at her.
"Give me my son back."
Ochaco looked over to Recovery GIrl at the unease of the situation. Seeing how still the woman was she did her best to answer. "Um, we already tried to ask him to-"
"THAT'S NOT MY SON! THAT'S A MACHINE THAT'S ENSLAVED BY YOU NOW GIVE HIM BACK!"
The giant's eyes locked onto , watching the possible threat to Ochaco into narrow pupils. Right after Eraserhead and Snipe burst into the room and took in the scene instantly.
"Ma'am, you need to calm down right now." Eraserhead warned, already bringing out his capture tool. Snipe kept his hand above his revolver just in case she made any kind of quick move against the girl.
"THEN GIVE ME MY SON!" She shouted back, slamming a fist on the coffee table next to Ochaco. The giant shifted into a more reactive stance, making the heroes react. EraserHead already tried erasing the giant's quirk but it was useless, so he focused on restraining the woman.
He threw out his capture tape and bound the woman. She fell harshly and smacked her head on the corner of the table. Inko ceased movement as the small cut started dripping a little bit of blood.
"Damnit Aizawa, I get it was a bad situation but couldn't you have pulled her away?" Snipe asked.
"You wanna risk a rampaging robot killing his own mother without choice?"
"Alright, you've made your point now let's get her out of here. Bring her to my office and I'll make sure she's fine when she leaves. If she still puts up a fight we'll have to arrest her and get legal documents to keep her son here at the school." Recovery GIrl said as she walked off with Eraserhead. She looked back to Ochaco, who was sitting there with her arms wrapped around herself and staring at the floor in silence. Snipe looked at the older hero, giving her a nod and letting her take care of business.
Snipe sat next to the younger girl as the others left, and laid out a small cloth on the table and placed a toolkit next to it. He gave her something to focus on as he pulled out his revolver and in controlled practiced motions started to disassemble it. In the process of cleaning his gun Ochaco watched, letting her mind focus on something other than what just happened.
"You ever seen a gun before?" He asked out loud.
She shook her head, eyeing the tool that he used to scrub through the barrel.
"Not many have here in Japan. You can still have em in other countries but with a world full of people who could melt yer brain at a single glance most folk think they don't need em. But just like anything, ya can either make it a tool, or a weapon." He pulled out some of his specialty rounds, each shell colored differently than the other.
"I never liked the idea of hurting someone, but I loathed to see a day where I was useless to save someone. So, I learned ta use a gun. Not for killing or harmin', but for protecting folks who can't protect themselves. That's why I made myself special rounds for any kind of vfoe I face. Freezin', flares, tranquilizers, tasers, standards, and for the tougher fellas, armor piercing."
He started to click the pieces back together, one by one and showing where each one fit just so she could see. Once he was done he pulled the hammer of the gun, pointed it ahead, and pulled the trigger.
*click*
"If ya get good enough, you'll never have to worry about if you might accidentally kill someone. If ya need a way to get someone far away, nothing says freeze like a gun in a well trained hand."
"Does your quirk help with that?" She asked. Now that she thought about it she didn't know the hero's quirk.
Snipe shook his head. "Nope, just a hell of a lot of practice. If you ever wanted I could show ya sometime. Even if ya chose a different path ya pick up some great hand eye coordination and spatial awareness."
She gave a brief nod before sitting up with her legs in her arms.
"You have a favorite hero?" Snipe asked, changing the subject.
"Y-yeah, Thirteen. I was planning on being a rescue hero like her."
"Was?"
She simply pointed her thumb at the giant waiting patiently outside.
"You think you won't get to be a rescue hero cause ya got yourself a big fella following ya?"
"Well, I don't know. Things are just really confusing right now. I wanted to ask about what he wanted to do but.."
"I hear ya. Mothers are scary."
She chuckled a little. "I want to know what he wants, then I can make a choice for the both of us." She said, thinking about the options given to her.
"You try askin?"
She was about to refute that but she stopped. Was it that simple? Just ask? Deciding to try it out she got up to the window.
"Hey, I know you haven't really talked but...I need to know. I think you want to be a hero because you were at the entrance exam but, what kind of hero do you want to be?"
[Query: "what kind of hero do you want to be?"]
[Access core memory to cross reference query with recorded data…]
[Memory found]
Both Snipe and Ochaco watched as the giant's eye created a screen, similar to the one that Ochaco watched earlier. The scene was a rooftop somewhere, the camera panned up to see none other than-
"That was incredibly reckless young man!"
"I know, but-"
"No buts! I have to leave and-"
"Can someone quirkless become a hero?!"
"A-All Might?! He met All Might before?!" Ochaco asked out loud as the scene started to play out. Snipe was also intrigued at the question that Izuku posed to the man. He was curious as to how the number one hero would respond to that. After all, it was personal for him too.
"I want to become a hero like you, who saves everybody with a smile."
Ochaco went slightly wide eyed. That was it, that was his dream! She knew what he wanted, what he dreamed to be! Now that she knew what he wanted to be she could help him down that path. Internally, she was thankful that she could still pursue her own dream while helping him with his.
Snipe walked up behind her, looking closer at the memory playing before them he saw All Might with whisks of steam on him. Even if it already happened and there was no changing it he was still worried about what exactly the boy saw, and if he got his answer in time.
As Ochaco was silently leaping for joy in her soul at figuring out the question of the day, All Might exploded into a puff of steam. Snipe went out to put a hand on her shoulder to turn her around but remembered the fact that the giant was right there watching at the same time. "Missy, we should probably-"
"Huh?! Who are you? Where did All Might go?!"
"I am All Might-bleagh" The on screen All Might finished with blood pouring from his mouth. The screen cut out, leaving the two with the giant standing there. Ochaco was frozen in place, the smile still on her face but what was shown was still trying to process in her brain.
"Well, looks like ya got yer answer. Now let's get-"
"Midoriya, could you show me All Mi-"
"Ya wanna meet Thirteen?"
She turned around with stars in her eyes. "She works here?!"
Snipe thanked her fangirling as if it was a higher deity. He and the staff were barely informed of All Might's condition. It was a closely guarded secret, and apparently Midoriya knew and the secret was almost given away to Uraraka.
"Yep, she lives on campus like a lot of us. If someone hasn't offered a place to stay for the night I think she'd be glad to help out a fan."
Ochaco beamed. It was a dream come true to just meet the space hero. Now she has the chance to stay at her home?! It was a lot, but most importantly…
"You think I could get an autograph from her?"
"I think that could be arranged." Snipe said, leading the girl outside the office. Ochaco gladly followed the man to their destination. The back of her mind was still in absolute distraught with how much work she has ahead of her in the hero course, her new living situation, and especially Midoriya's mother. Her childlike wonder for the chance to meet her favorite hero stopped remembering what Snipe was distracting her.
The hero caught on the depressing mood that started to overtake the girl once again. He gave a sigh, hoping that once given some time to calm down Midoriya's mother would be more open to listening the full extent of what was revolving around her son. Now though, he had a different thing on his mind.
What was All Might's answer to the boy?
They traversed through the building, stopping by the storage room to grab Uraraka a few items to use for the night including a gym uniform to use as pajamas. Once that was done they walked out of the school, following the path that led to the staff housing. Many of them moved here to better respond to any potential threats that targeted the school.
And the fact it was free.
The giant simply followed, his soft footsteps that still boomed in the night air was the only noise that gave them company. His eyes were like a lighthouse's, large, bright, and illuminated the area around them in a soft mint green glow.
*knock knock*
"Just a minute!" A very muffled voice said. They waited a minute before the door opened to reveal the space hero herself. Ochaco seemed to lighten up seeing her, but the weight of everything, while slightly relieved, still showed in her eyes.
"Oh, hello Snipe. Who have you brought here?" She asked, then looked up to see the one that was responsible for wrecking an entire battle area.
"Ah, I see." Thirteen said before looking back down. "You must be the one I heard so much about, Uraraka right?"
Thirteen knows my name! "Y-yes, it's great to meet you. I'm a big fan."
"She said she wanted to be a hero just like ya." Snipe said, eliciting a blush from Ochaco. He got a little more serious before handing Ochaco her stuff for the night. "Because of the unexpected circumstance we don't have a place for her to stay the night. You mind?"
"Of course not! It's been a while since I've had a guest so excuse me if it's a little messy." Thirteen said, moving out of the doorway and motioning them to come in.
Inside Ochaco looked around and saw all sorts of model space ships and posters of mankind's accomplishments in space exploration. Besides that it was a fairly modest place.
"Please excuse me needing to stay here." Ochaco said.
"Oh nonsense, a hero should always be willing to help on and off the clock." Thirteen waved it off.
"If ya don't mind I have some business to take care of." Snipe said.
"Alrighty, take care." Thirteen said.
"Thanks for taking care of me" Ochaco bowed, respecting the man who helped her out. "And...if it's possible..."
Snipe raised an eyebrow under his mask.
"I'd like to take you up on that offer."
He gave a nod. "I'll see ya tomorrow then for trainin'. Ya got a lot to learn if ya want to put that tool in yer belt."
He stepped out of the door, closing it behind himself. Thirteen turned to Ochaco, a little stunned by what she saw.
"You're going to learn how to shoot?"
Ochaco immediately got worried about what the space hero's opinion was about her learning to use a gun. She frantically waved her hands in front of her as she explained. "W-well he talked a-about how I could d-develop hand eye coordination a-and-"
"I think it's fantastic." Thirteen interrupted. "He has turned down everyone that asked to be trained by him. If you manage to get as good as him you could be a great hero." She commented, going over to the kitchen.
"I'm not one to cook anything fancy, but I have some frozen meals I can quickly whip up."
This felt like the most casual meet your hero event ever to Ochaco. Later she discovered that Thirteen was a big fan of older pre-quirk movies. In fact, they inspired her to be a hero herself. Who knew? Now, they were watching one of those movies as the giant sat outside watching through an open window. It was about an alien who grew up on earth and had a bunch of ridiculously overpowered quirks. She doubted that anyone could be stronger than All Might, but then again, she didn't know how strong Midoriya truly was.
Ochaco looked at said boy, who was actually watching the tv instead of her. Does he like this stuff? In that case she should get more stuff like it for him to watch. Maybe she could find out more about his likes from his...mother…
She hung her head again, reminded of the fact that Izuku's mom felt like she stole her son from her. Even if it wasn't true, it felt like it. Izuku was a slave to her, and she couldn't change that. The movie ended not too long after her thoughts turned sour again. Thirteen gave her some spare pillows and blankets to use with the pullout couch. So, with nothing else to do, she laid down to rest for the night.
Starting tomorrow, she would find out everything she could to try and give Izuku's freedom back, so he could choose for himself who he wanted to be.
Alright, next chapter is going to be more lighthearted than how it's been for this one. Now while I have been getting some recommendations for possible types of robots or gundams, I won't be using them until school actually starts. But, lots of ideas have come to my mind for where this story will go. If you have any other ideas, comments, suggestions, feel free to send them!
I'm starting to try and figure out Ochaco's social circle for when the school starts. What characters from the show should hang around her or what are some other characters you want to see around that are from other giant robot stories?
Zabkiel:
Great Questions! Next chapter will focus on exactly that so don't worry!
adislt:
Good observation! We'll go more into how Izuku's mind is operating next chapter but about Ultron potential hmm. Possibly, but given the morals of Izuku and Ochaco I don't think either of them would do anything much with total internet control. So if he can do stuff like that, he would use it way differently or not at all.
Sweet Kagamine Kiss:
Got to admit, I do love me some good ol IzukuxOchaco fics. I wasn't planning on having this story romance heavy but if anyone has any interesting ship ideas I'll hear them out. If not then any potential romance will remain between Ochaco and Izuku. That includes other ships for Ochaco, but not Bakugo.
Random 65:
Oooo yeah. That would be dope. I'll definitely use that in the future.
Nacholoco:
Sorry, I don't read spanish. I tried putting it through a few different translators but I'm still a little lost.
bamxp:
You know, it's a good question. But with all of the potential that Izuku has with simply turning into a robot and "adapting" it will be a while before I think about touching that.
Pikapowerz:
That's a good point. I'll look into some Voltron stuff and see if it's another potential for Izuku. If so I think it would attract more attention to this fic.