AN: So, stop me if you've heard this one before, but I decided to turn this into sort of a series. The way it works is I'm gonna eventually write additional 2-4 chapter "Episodes" set in this world, telling the adventures of this duo as they try and save the world.
HOWEVER! As I was writing notes for Future Stuff(TM) I realized that there were some things that didn't gel quite right with what I had in the one shot. So now I rewrote the back half of the one-shot (Chapter 1 remains unchanged up until Ochako suffers her injury) and now the one-shot will be a 3-shot! :D
Part 3 is mostly written at this point and just waiting on editing, so you shouldn't have to wait too long for it to show up. In the meantime, enjoy!
Trigger warnings: This chapter contains PTSD.
Eventually, she started to hear the sound of beeping. Like if she was in a hospital. As time passed more and more sensations started to come back, and she felt stiff and sore - especially her right arm, which felt strange and heavy.
Soon enough, she tried to open her eyes, only to snap them shut immediately as she saw a too-bright light overhead.
"You're awake!" Izuku said in relief.
Hearing the voice of her latest bounty caused her eyes to snap open again. Bolting upright, she saw Izuku sitting next to her in a swivel chair, his face far too close for her liking. "You!" She exclaimed, pointing an accusatory finger at him only to freeze.
She was pointing with her right hand.
Her very prosthetic right hand.
"Sorry, I didn't have a chance to ask you," Izuku rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "But I um, maybe sorta-kinda brought you back to my ship to give you a prosthetic arm?"
"You WHAT?!" Ochako exclaimed.
"I promise I was respectful!" Izuku's face turned bright red as he spun around and looked away.
Ochako felt her face burning as she looked down. Sure enough, her shirt and pants had been replaced with a loose-fitting tank top and a pair of comfortable shorts. Looking down at her arm and legs she saw numerous scrapes and bruises - nothing she hadn't dealt with before. Then, after working up her courage she finally forced her eyes to her right shoulder. There she saw the upper part of her shoulder – well, what was left of it, at least - was covered in a dark metallic plating that served as a connector to her new arm.
Her new prosthetic arm.
Her eyes drifted down it as she examined her new limb. It didn't quite feel right, but as she flexed and twisted her arm and hand it responded just as she expected it to. Its design was similar to the one Izuku wore on his left side, with two significant differences: First, the plates and energy lines that covered her limb were pink, instead of green. And second was its size. Now that Izuku had removed his trenchcoat and sat there in a form-fitting tee shirt, she noticed that his arm was bulkier than his right arm - like it was a size or two too big for his lanky form. Her prosthetic, on the other hand, was a perfect match for her left arm. If she wore sleeves and gloves nobody would ever know it was fake.
"After seeing what you did I couldn't just let you die," Izuku said softly, his head half-turned in her direction. "So I brought you back to my ship to help you. Once you were stable I gave you a prosthetic as a way of saying sorry… and thanks."
"Sorry for what?" Ochako asked in confusion.
"Sorry for dragging you into my mess," Izuku said softly.
"The Nomu?"
"Yeah…" Izuku stood up and walked over to a small computer terminal.
As he typed she saw a panel slide away to reveal a monitor. He then pulled up a map with various locations marked on it. Ochako's brows furrowed as she tried to figure out why it felt so familiar until it hit her.
"Those are all the towns that suffered disasters! Disasters attributed to you!"
Izuku winced at the accusation. "I tried my best to avoid damaging the towns! But well… you saw what happened today."
Ochako's brows furrowed as she tried to put everything together. The towns… the Nomu… This… ship?! Whatever technology Izuku had access to, it was far more advanced than what a normal person could get ahold of… Finally giving up she let out a resigned sigh.
Guess I don't have a choice if I want answers.
Reluctantly, she turned her head toward Izuku. "What's really going on?"
"I thought you'd like to know," Izuku turned toward her and gave a gentle smile that was the furthest thing from what she expected given his reputation. "This story dates back to the colonization of Tythe itself." Taking a deep breath, he continued. "Five hundred years ago, when our ancestors discovered the planet it appeared to be a paradise. The colonists thought it was perfect! However, the opinion wasn't universal - several surveyors and researchers thought it was too perfect. And well… they were right"
"The Great Desert," Ochako whispered, all too aware of the desertification that has gripped the primary continent and threatens to engulf so many of the planet's cities and towns."
Izuku nodded somberly. "Have you ever heard of the Ancient Ruins?"
"Of course!" Ochako said, before recalling her history lessons. "The ancient race who lived here before moving on for unknown reasons. Their technology is so advanced it can almost feel like magic, and working pieces are worth so much that hundreds of people go exploring these ruins regularly, despite the dangers contained within."
"Exactly," Izuku smiled at her. "They are full of tech but the creatures guarding the ruins…"
Ochako's eyes went wide. "You mean that Nomu?"
"Mhm," Izuku bobbed his head. "The one we fought today, and many others like it - there are several traits common to all of them. But beyond that, there's countless variants as far as I can tell."
Turning his attention back to the computer he brought up an image of eight people. "This group was known as the 'Gang of Eight,' the original group who were skeptical about the planet's long-term viability. Of course, they were outvoted and the colonization effort was approved. Worried that things were being rushed, they went independent and began researching the ruins themselves, trying to convince themselves that they were being paranoid. Or trying to prevent any future calamity.
"What happened to them?" Ochako asked quietly.
"It took almost two hundred years, but one by one they all died with their work incomplete. Eventually, the original group dwindled to one lone scientist - Yoichi Shigaraki. He found a successor who assembled their own team to continue their work. For the next three hundred years their mission and research continued across multiple generations until…" Izuku looked down at his prosthetic hand, an unsubtle reminder of the price he had already paid for the mission.
Ochako's eyes quickly found her own arm. "Is that why you gave me this arm?" Ochako asked bitterly. Clenching her prosthetic into a fist, she glared at Izuku "Because you wanted me to join you in this… whatever it is?"
"No!" Izuku held his hands up defensively, and even in her state it wasn't hard to see the genuine look of hurt in his eyes. "I swear I didn't!"
"Then why tell me all of this?" Ochako whispered, her anger abating as Izuku's reaction hit her like a splash of cold water.
"Because," Izuku rubbed the back of his head, "you don't seem like the type of person who'd sit by idly. Not after you've seen firsthand what those Nomu are capable of."
Ochako closed her eyes and shuddered, the feelings of pain and fear as the Nomu bit into her flesh still fresh in her mind. If one of those creatures was capable of that, how many people would it take to bring one down?
Opening her eyes she looked down at the locket still hanging around her neck. She made a note to ask Izuku why he left it on later. But for now, she gently lifted it and opened it. Tracing her finger along the pictures of her parents, she asked the question that had been growing in her mind over the last few minutes.
"Do you think there's a way to reverse the desertification? To make things green again for everyone?"
Izuku turned away and looked at the screen, examining the image of the original eight people in charge of that project. Eventually, he let out a weary sigh. "I don't know," Izuku admitted as he slowly turned back toward Ochako. "My predecessor… Toshinori Yagi and his partner David Shield thought they had an answer. After giving me full control of the ship they left on a mission, heading toward the ruins at the center of the Great Desert." He swallowed the lump in his throat. "They never came back."
Ochako examined Izuku's face as she felt a growing sense of pity for him. "You… weren't meant to be in charge yet, were you?"
"No, I wasn't," Izuku asked, his words laced with sorrow. "And the truth is I don't know how much longer I can keep going."
"Whadya mean?"
"I've been at this for five years and well…" Izuku gave her a sheepish look "You've seen what's been happening. I've been trying to dive into ruins, to stop these Nomu from hurting people and keep the towns safe but…" He let out a frustrated sigh.
"You've failed enough times, there's enough disasters tied to you that you have a billion-credit bounty on your head," Ochako whispered guiltily. "And you've got people like me chasing after it."
"Yeah," Izuku said softly. "I try my best…" From her vantage point, Ochako swore she saw him trying to fight back tears. "But I'm afraid it's not gonna be good enough. And unless I find someone to continue after I'm gone…"
"The planet is doomed to become a desert," Ochako whispered.
Ochako felt a storm of emotions as she looked at the man in front of her. From guilt and shame to pity and admiration. She didn't know how long the two of them looked at each other in silence, both trapped in their heads before she finally looked down at the picture of her parents.
Ma… Pa…
Izuku was right about one thing. Now that she knew the truth, she wasn't gonna sit idly by. The question is how.
You already know the answer. A stray thought replied. It sounded like her dad.
You're such a strong girl. I know you can help us. Her mother joined the chorus, repeating the words she said before Ochako left to take on her first bounty.
Ochako then looked up at the man standing in front of her. The man who was her current target. He looked so fragile, standing there as if awaiting her judgment. It was a far cry from the man on the streets who fought that Nomu.
Trusting her memories of her parents, she nodded to herself as she came to a decision. Closing the locket, she attempted to push herself out of bed. She felt a little weak and unsteady, but her legs held her as she stood up and padded over to Izuku. Without warning, she grabbed him and pulled him into a hug, ignoring his startled yelp of surprise.
"I can't even imagine you living this way… being okay with the world hunting you down while you're trying to help everyone…"
"It's hard," Izuku admitted. "But if I can make one more person happy, then it'll be worth it."
Ochako balled her hands into fists, feeling Izuku flinch as she pulled at the fabric of his shirt. She felt a flash of guilt and pulled back, looking up at his face.
"Sorry! I just– That's such a sad way to live!" She protested.
It's– how can he be okay with this?
"Weren't you the one who wanted to take me into the Commission?" Izuku said lightly as a faint grin and blush appeared on his face.
Ochako let him go and stepped back, guilt etched into her features as she crossed her arms. "That's before I knew all of this!"
"Well, what else am I supposed to do?" Izuku asked helplessly.
Her gaze once again softened as Ochako relaxed her arms. "Well…" She offered him her prosthetic hand. "For starters… what if you had a partner?"
"I thought you didn't want to be a part of this?" Izuku asked hesitantly.
"I…" Ochako closed her eyes as her hand began to fall. "The reason I'm a bounty hunter is to save my town," Ochako admitted. "Twenty years ago, when I was still a little girl, it was swallowed by the desert. I can't even remember what it was like before then, but every day the folks are struggling to do their best despite it. Despite normal getting further and further away from us every year. The money helps them buy equipment, but if there was a way to help them. To really help them…"
Izuku stepped forward and grasped her hand. "This has been going on for five hundred years already," Izuku said softly. "Even if we're close, it's gonna be a long journey." He closed his eyes and sighed. "If we don't get ourselves killed first, that is. Are you really okay signing up for that?"
"I don't care if it takes a hundred years or a thousand," Ochako said adamantly, her fist clenching at her side. "If there's some way to help push back the desert… to save everyone, not just a single town… I'll do it!"
As she said that she felt the fingers on her prosthetic twitch involuntarily. She felt a strange energy as it surged through her arm, both flowing into and out of her at the same time. Both of their eyes went wide as they watched the pink light increase in intensity, much like Izuku's did during the battle with the Nomu. Before either of them could respond, Izuku briefly became wrapped in a glowing pink light. As he did so he suddenly felt his stomach lurch as if he was in freefall, and then he suddenly found himself weightless!
"Ochako!" Izuku exclaimed. He reflexively let go of her hand and, free from the restraint, found himself floating toward the ceiling.
"Izuku!" Ochako yelped in panic. "Wha-what happened? What's going on?!"
"Your arm activated!"
"My… what?" Ochako asked in disbelief.
"You-" Izuku rubbed the back of his head sheepishly from his position on the ceiling. "Both of our arms are built out of Ancient Technology. But I didn't think you'd be able to link yourself to the power core I installed!"
"You WHAT?!" Ochako asked as she felt a brief wave of panic wash over her.
"Why do you think our prosthetics look different from anything you can find on the commercial market?" Izuku asked awkwardly. "It's not like I had many options! But it was just supposed to power a better arm than anything else you'd find on Tythe as an apology! You weren't supposed to be able to do– this!"
Ochako closed her eyes and took several steadying breaths. Opening them, she looked up at her companion. "Well you can interface with the core in your arm, can't you?" Ochako asked pointedly as she crossed her arms. She realized her mistake immediately as her skin crawled at the feeling of metal against her skin and she just as quickly uncrossed her arms.
"It took lots of training," Izuku admitted.
Ochako sighed. "Ok questions later, how do I get you down?"
"It should respond to your commands through a mental link," Izuku explained. "Try um… I feel weightless right now, so try thinking about giving me my weight back?"
Nodding, Ochako looked at her prosthetic, only to feel a creeping sense of wrongness at the limb. Not wanting to dwell on those thoughts, she closed her eyes and took a calming breath to shove them aside. She had to focus! It took a moment, but she finally was able to clear her head enough to look for the right mental command.
Give Izuku his weight back?... no… Restore… no… Release?
Ochako's eyes snapped open as she heard a startled yelp, just in time to see Izuku crash into the floor unceremoniously. Rushing over, she knelt next to him.
"I'm so sorry! I didn't think about getting you down before–"
"It's okay," Izuku said as he pushed himself to a sitting position and rubbed the side of his head. "I've had worse."
"I saw today," Ochako laughed nervously as she started blushing. Standing up she offered him a hand. "You really are a human disaster, aren't you?"
"H-hey," Izuku protested. Despite the pout on his face, he still grabbed her hand and used the leverage to pull himself upright.
"Sorry," Ochako let go of his hand and offered him a coy smile. Sure it probably was mean to tease him like this, but it gave her something to focus on.
"It's okay," Izuku said as he brushed himself off before he looked at her. As Ochako watched, the anxiety seemed to fade from his face, as if he wasn't the one who had just crashed onto the floor.
"So did you put any more surprises in me?" Ochako asked as she looked at her arm. She pointedly ignored the queasy feeling in her stomach as she anxiously waited for an answer.
"N-no," Izuku said as his face morphed into one of assurance. "Everything else was just normal medical procedures."
"So how do we figure out how this works?" Ochako raised her arm toward the ceiling and wiggled her fingers as she examined it. Seeing the light filtering through the mechanical fingers made it feel better… somehow.
"Trial and error," Izuku admitted. "I have the file which details the power core I put in the arm but… using it is a different story."
"I see…" Ochako said thoughtfully before she shot Izuku a broken grin. "I guess that means you're stuck with me until we figure it out!"
"Stuck with you?" Izuku asked. "You say that like it's a bad thing…"
"I mean, I did try and shoot you back there," Ochako giggled.
"It wouldn't have worked," Izuku said. "...probably." He quickly added. "But I don't see a problem with having someone as talented, determined, and pretty as you for company."
"...pretty?" Ochako blinked.
Izuku's face was ablaze as he realized what he said. "I- you- Nomu-"
"...oh," Ochako seemed to understand as she felt her permanent blush spreading. "A-Anyway! Is there someplace I can um… change?" She looked down at the makeshift outfit she wore, suddenly feeling extremely self-conscious.
"C-change?" Izuku stammered out, thankful for the distraction.
"Y-yeah!" Ochako nodded fervently. "There's a lot to talk about and I'd… rather do it someplace else?"
"That– yeah!" Izuku agreed. "I actually managed to rescue your bag!"
"Wait!" Ochako shouted. "You did?!"
"The town was still a mess in the aftermath, so once you were stable I may have snuck back in and stolen it," Izuku admitted. He winced as he held up his hands defensively "I-I promise I didn't look through it! I wasn't able to get your horse though… sorry."
Ochako closed her eyes and sighed. "Don't worry, that stubborn ass will do just fine without me." She opened them and gave the man in front of her a grateful smile. "You got the important parts, at least!"
"Follow me," he said, seemingly recovered from his mortification.
He led her out of the medical suite into a narrow hallway with another door on the other side – the research lab, he explained. Continuing onward, they walked down the corridor and up a half-flight of stairs to a surprisingly spacious lounge.
"How big is this ship?!" Ochako exclaimed as she looked around the room. While she hadn't been off-world her entire life, she had been on a few ships as she crossed the planet in search of bounties, and they were usually cramped affairs.
"It's a diamond shape about thirty-five meters wide by forty-five meters long," Izuku explained. "Since it was originally designed as a long-range reconnaissance vessel, crew comfort was a high priority." He paused before his face fell as if he recalled a distant memory. "At least, that's what David told me."
"Oh," Ochako paused, wrapping her arms around herself in guilt. "I'm sorry."
"It's okay!" Izuku insisted as he turned towards her. "Come on. I put your stuff in one of the spare quarters." He paused. "I guess they're your quarters now, huh? N-not that you have to stay there! There's three empty ones, after all!"
"Whatever you picked is fine," Ochako smirked at him. "I'm sure they're all the same anyway."
Turning around, they ascended another partial flight of stairs to another narrow hallway with four identical doors running along its length, and a door at the end of the hallway.
"That's the cockpit," Izuku explained as he pointed at the final door, before pointing to the second door on the right. "And that's my room."
"And which one's mine?"
"That one," Izuku indicated the first door on the right.
"Next-door neighbors huh?"
"I-yeah," Izuku rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly as he felt it heating up. "Everything's on the bed. I um, hope everything's there."
"I'm sure it is," Ochako gave him a reassuring look as she walked up to the door.
Pressing the panel she saw it slide open and she gasped - the room was huge! About twelve cubic meters by her estimate. That's larger than most of the rooms she rented while traveling!
"There's a communal shower off the lounge to the left," Izuku explained from behind her. "I-if you want to clean up as well!"
Ochako looked down at her arm and legs, noticing the thin layer of film and grime on them. She had to admit, a shower did sound really good right about now.
"I'd like that," She looked over her shoulder at Izuku. "You'll give me privacy, right?" He responded by making a sound Ochako could best describe as 'trying not to choke on air.'
"O-of course! What do you take me for?!" He exclaimed.
"Sorry," Ochako giggled. "I know how you criminals are." Composing herself, she gave him an amused look. "Talk more afterward?"
"Y-yeah, that sounds great!" Izuku said as he backed into the wall. "I-I'll clean up the infirmary and then I'll wait for you in the lounge!"
Izuku took back off down the stairs, causing her to shake her head. She had to admit, he was pretty cute, despite being every bit the disaster his moniker implied. Just… not in the way the public expected.
Turning her attention back to the room, she saw a small desk as well as a stool propped up against a wall, and a pair of bunk beds against the back wall. Or well, what would be a pair of beds, if the top one wasn't folded into the wall. And on the bed was a familiar bag with a small pile of folded clothes on top.
Pressing the button to lock the door, Ochako heard it slam into place behind her as she approached the bag almost reverently. There, sitting on top was her jacket.
The very same jacket that she wore when…
Feeling her heart race speeding up, she carefully picked up the jacket. She barely noticed the left sleeve unfold because her attention was on the ragged right shoulder of the jacket.
She watched in horror as she was helplessly pulled toward the creature, time feeling as if it slowed down to ensure she felt every bit of pain…
Breathing heavily, she threw the jacket away with a grunt, not even realizing she had made it float as it collided with the wall in a soft thud. Clutching her prosthetic, she closed her eyes, trying to steady her breathing.
In… out… in… out…
It took far longer than she would have liked, but finally she felt herself calming down. Slowly detaching her left hand from the metallic surface it was wrapped around, she cracked a single eye open to see the shirt sitting there next, another unsubtle reminder of what happened.
Taking a deep breath she grabbed it and quickly tossed it away, not even bothering to look at where it landed - she'd have to throw those out later, but right now she just wanted them out of her sight. Fortunately, her pants were the next thing on the pile, and when she lifted them they unfolded to reveal they were still intact.
"At least I can salvage something," Ochako said with a shaky smile.
Tossing them back onto the bed she finally revealed her bag. Opening it she quickly went through its contents, verifying everything was still there. She gave the bag a tight smile when she was done, thankful that she wouldn't have to replace everything after that fight. It was always a pain, and far too expensive for her liking, when she had to.
Silently she picked up a set of travel clothes, one of the four – now three – outfits she carried with her on business. Returning to the door, she pushed the button to unlock and open it, watching it slide away. Poking her head out to ensure Izuku wasn't around, she quietly padded down the stairs back to the lounge and then onto the washroom. Closing and sealing the door, she walked over to the sink and set her clothes down.
And then she was shaken to her very core when she looked into the mirror.
She barely recognized the woman staring at her in the mirror. Her tan skin was gone, replaced by a deathly pale tone. Even her normally prominent blush marks appeared muted. The only noticeable color on her face, really, were the scars and the deep purple bags under her eyes. As her eyes trailed down to her shoulder and arm, she saw the full extent of cuts and bruises she would be healing from, and then there was her other arm–
She felt the tears building as pulled off the shirt, letting it fall to the ground in front of her and exposing her torso fully. Even though Izuku did a good job, she still saw the massive plate of metal attached to her shoulder like some sort of pauldron.
A loud sob tore from her throat as she grabbed her right arm. Hot tears ran down her cheeks as her fingernails throbbed, trying to dig into the metallic shape, only to find the hard material refused to budge. It remained solid and unyielding, a stark contrast to the soft flesh she was so used to - flesh that she had lost less than a week ago.
Her knees gave out and she slid to the floor, her sobs filling the confined air of the room as the full reality of the situation came crashing down. Facing that Nomu was in many ways her worst fear made manifest - that someday she would face an opponent who completely outclassed her, and that she was helpless against. But the ending was far worse than she had imagined it to be. Rather than simply put a bullet in her, like she expected a human to do, it crippled her before discarding her. It was as if the creature knew she was no match for it, merely an annoyance to be dealt with.
She didn't know how long she sat there, but eventually a faint metallic clinking helped her escape her thoughts. Cracking open her eyes, she saw she was nearly doubled over on the floor. As a result, her neck hung low enough that her locket danced along the floor. It must have been bouncing up and down from her sobbing. Desperately grabbing it as if it were a lifeline, she grasped it with her left hand. As she felt the cool metal between her fingers, she felt her sobs begin to slow.
"That's right Ochako," She began unsteadily. "You knew how dangerous this was. But you did it anyway."
Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and forced herself upright. Cracking them open, she looked at her prosthetic limb again. "And it's just like Pa said. Every ordeal you survive makes you stronger. I just don't think this is what he meant by that." She closed her eyes again as she gave a wet chuckle. "But I'm not dead…" Her voice fell to barely a whisper. "Izuku he… even after everything, he saved me."
Releasing the locket and letting it settle against her chest, she stared at the sink in front of her. Taking a deep breath, she grabbed it and pushed herself upright. She giggled at the sight she found in the mirror. The dirty tear streaks and puffy red eyes now completed her look, she thought to herself.
"And now you might be able to save the village – save the whole damned world. You're not gonna back down, are you?"
No. She thought to herself. I'm not.
With a heavy sigh, she took off her bra and underwear before walking into one of the two showers. Turning the water on, she turned it up until it was as hot as she could stand before she closed her eyes and let the liquid wash over her, carrying away the dirt, grime, and bad memories.
Feeling better after the hot shower, Ochako changed into her comfortable travel clothes before looking at herself in the mirror again. She was still a mess, but she looked and felt a little better and right now she'll take what she can get.
Plus, she thought as she looked down at her right arm. Something about having a sleeve over my shoulder makes it feel better. Less unnatural.
With a quiet sigh, she finally unlocked the door and stepped out, only to see Izuku sitting at the table off to one side. His head jerked up at the sound. Even at the distance, she could see the guilt written across his features. Sliding out of his chair, he quickly closed the distance between them, stopping a meter in front of her.
"Are…" Izuku rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "Are you okay?"
"What do you mean?" Ochako lied.
He pointed to the washroom behind her. "You were crying. I didn't mean to hear it but…" He looked guilty and sad and Ochako didn't know why, but she hated knowing that it was her fault. "...it was so loud that I heard it down in the infirmary."
"Oh," Ochako said softly.
"I know it's a lot and you just woke up so it's okay to back out," Izuku began. "I mean it was a spur-of-the-moment decision and now that you've had time to think about it–"
"Izuku!" Ochako held up her hand to interrupt him. "It's… not that."
"Then what's the problem?" Izuku asked, concern laced in his words.
"It's…" Ochako fidgeted with her prosthetic, unable to say the words.
"You feel like you've lost a part of yourself, don't you?"
"Yeah," Ochako said quietly. "I… it's hard."
"I know," Izuku assured her.
Ochako's eyes drifted over to Izuku's prosthetic arm. "How long did it take for you to…"
"Weeks," Izuku admitted. "And that's with the help of Toshinori." He gave her a rueful look. "Sorry, but you've only got me."
"'Only' you?" Ochako asked with a raised eyebrow. "You've– you've done so much!" She insisted, before shoving her arm in his face. "You– you gave me this! You saved my life! That's… it's incredible!"
"It was the least I could do," Izuku said softly. "You were so brave and strong, jumping right into a fight that wasn't your own to help others. When I saw the Nomu attack you, I–" He swallowed the lump in his throat. "I thought you were done for. So when I found out that you were still alive, I knew what I had to do."
Raising his prosthetic, Izuku hooked his thumb and index finger around Ochako's wrist. She felt a brief surge of electricity shoot through her prosthetic limb, far beyond the sensations she felt when he laid his real hand overtop her prosthetic one.
"Izuku…" Ochako breathed as she closed her eyes. "Thank you."
Twisting her wrist, she freed herself from Izuku's grasp before her fingers found his metallic fingers and entwined themselves, the surge of electricity increasing as she did so. Eyes darting between their hands and Izuku's face, she gave her partner a confused look. "Are they… supposed to do that?"
"I… sometimes?" Izuku said hesitantly as he looked down.
Ochako rolled her eyes. "I'm really going to have to read everything you have to understand what you put into me, aren't I?"
"I didn't put anything in you!" Izuku protested.
"Put into, attached, same difference," Ochako closed her eyes and savored the sensation. "This is… nice though."
"Nice?"
"Mhm. Like… it doesn't feel like I've lost something." She opened her eyes and gave him a broken smile. "But maybe… just maybe… I've gained something."
"I mean…" Izuku's eyes found the floor as he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "...these arms are stronger than anything we're capable of with normal arms."
"That's not what I meant!" Ochako rolled her eyes. "But thank you for trying."
As she looked at him, she once again couldn't help but notice how cute he was, standing there awkwardly.
Why was he so cute? It's unfair.
Her brain tried to warn her about getting too close. That he had the largest bounty on the planet on his head.
And yet…
He was such a far cry from the hardened individual she was used to finding behind a wanted poster. It was unfair to make those comparisons.
"Like I said, I'm not very good at this…"
She wanted to let him know that she cared. That he wasn't alone anymore.
"I dunno, I think you're doing a pretty good job."
And she's always been a little reckless.
Squeezing his hand, she felt a thrill run down her spine as she felt a new burst of energy. Holding Izuku in place, she leaned forward and closed her eyes as she placed a chaste kiss on his cheek.
"O-Ocha…" Izuku said in a far-too-high-pitched tone.
Opening her eyes, she saw Izuku standing there, his face bright red and his eyes wide. Realizing that maybe she went a bit too far, Ochako felt her face igniting. She released Izuku's hand as if it burned and stumbled back a step.
"S-sorry! Was that too much? I just–"
As Ochako desperately flailed in search of a distraction, her body obliged by letting out a loud rumble. She looked down at her shirt, reminded of the fact that she hadn't eaten anything solid in several days.
"F-food!" Izuku exclaimed. "You must be starving!"
"Yes!" Ochako replied just as loudly. "I should eat something!"
"Let me…" Izuku swallowed a lump in his throat. "I'll go make you something!"
Turning around stiffly, Izuku retreated to the kitchen, leaving Ochako temporarily as she tried to wrestle with her emotions.
An hour later Ochako collapsed onto her new bed. Even though she'd been asleep for several days already, she was still exhausted and ready to call it a night. Especially because… her eyes drifted over to her right hand before she screwed her eyes shut.
Izuku said it took him several weeks. It's okay to take your time.
Counting to ten, she opened her eyes again and let out a weary groan.
Unfortunately, she still had business to deal with before she could go to bed.
With far more effort than she cared to admit, she rolled over and grabbed her portacomp off of the table she shoved next to her bed. Popping it open, she typed out a quick email to Toru, explaining that rumors of her death had been greatly exaggerated. She then went on to say that the Human Disaster got away in the chaos of an Ancient Technomonstrostiy attacking the town, and she's been lying low recovering in a hospital. She ended it with a promise to send a full report in the next couple of days, before hitting send.
Just in time, too, she realized as a loud yawn escaped her lips. With a couple of keystrokes, her portacomp went into sleep mode as she gently laid it back down on the table. Business done, she lay down, quickly making herself comfortable in her (new, permanent?) bed. Closing her eyes, her exhaustion overtook her as she drifted into unconsciousness.
She just hoped that her dreams were more pleasant than the last ones.
Izuku sat in the lounge, cradling a data slate in his hand as he desperately tried to think of anything but the feel of Ochako's lips on his cheek.
Sure, she tried to shoot him! But she felt bad about it afterward!
And more importantly… the moment the Nomu arrived, she didn't hesitate to jump in and help. She helped the townsfolk evacuate, and she even managed to land some solid hits on the Nomu! But then he caught her and…
Izuku closed his eyes and shuddered at the memory of her being discarded like a broken doll. His heart sank at the sight. Sure it was enough to let him temporarily unlock the limiter on his prosthetics and destroy the Nomu, leaving nothing but a smashed core and twisted metal in its wake, but it shouldn't have come to that!
He cried when he found out she was alive, and carried her to the ship to nurse her back to health.
That was as far as his planning went. Izuku expected her to leave at the next town, maybe with a promise not to chase him anymore, and then he'd be alone again.
Instead, he had a new partner, and…
His face heated up as his thoughts once again returned to the feeling of that kiss.
It had only been a few hours, but Ochako's presence already made the ship brighter. He took a leap of faith when he asked her to fight with him in town, and she proved him right. And she continued to prove it ever since she woke up. She had a warmth around her, even as she braved her newest battle. The way she was so quick to jump to his defense, almost on reflex… It makes him wish he met her under different circumstances.
And yet… A traitorous thought reminded him.
"Am I really that lonely?" Izuku said out loud. Hearing silence in response, he let out a loud groan as he slid the pad away from him and buried his head in his arms.
It felt so, so very selfish of him, but he couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to feel her lips on his.
