AN: Thanks for reading and leaving reviews everyone!
With a groan, Ochako pushed herself upright in the surprisingly soft bed, rubbing the last vestiges of sleep from her eyes.
"Good morning!" Melissa called from her position at the desk. "And Happy Birthday!"
Ochako mouthed the words to herself as she put on her glasses, the blurry edges of Melissa coming into focus as she smiled at her. Feeling a warmth in her chest, she smiled at the older girl. "Thank you! Umm, what time is it?"
"It's almost nine AM," Melissa said. "Izuku and I have been up for a bit."
"Why didn't you wake me?" Ochako asked as she hopped out of bed.
"It's your birthday!" Melissa reiterated. "And since we don't need to be anywhere for a while, we decided to let you sleep. Go get ready, I'll take care of breakfast." As if to demonstrate she picked up her cell phone.
"Okay," With a single nod, Ochako grabbed her outfit and padded over to the bathroom.
Because of the conditions she grew up in and the fact that her birthday fell during winter break, she was never really able to have proper birthday parties. At best she was only able to invite a few people over for a small celebration, or her parents saved up enough money so that they could go out to a nice restaurant.
This year the celebration was still going to be small, but since she was spending it with her two best friends she didn't mind. After a quick morning tour of Roppongi they were going to return to Mustafu to spend the day with her family, before Melissa returned to Might Tower that evening.
As she pulled open the door to the bathroom, Ochako felt a thrill of excitement run through her, ready to see what the day would bring.
"Where are we going?" Ochako asked as they departed Tatooin Station.
"It's a surprise!" Izuku said.
"Don't worry, your parents know," Melissa assured her.
"Okay…" Ochako said suspiciously as she adjusted her backpack on her shoulder.
Without another word, Izuku led the two girls through the streets of the city. They eventually left the commercial district and passed through a residential area. As they approached the edge of town Ochako spotted the dome in the distance. Struck with recognition, she turned toward her companions.
"Is that what I think it is?" Ochako asked.
"Surprise!" Melissa cheered.
"My mom helped your parents get tickets," Izuku explained as he looked up from his phone. "We're going to meet them there for the afternoon show."
"Really?!" Ochako asked, still in disbelief.
She had always wanted to go to an observatory since she was young, but they were always too expensive and too far away. While she knew Mustafu had an observatory, she hadn't dared ask her parents to take her. She would much rather they save the money now that they are financially stable, in case they fell on hard times again.
It seems that her parents had other ideas.
"Come on, your parents are waiting for us," Melissa urged.
"Okay!" Ochako said, before she broke out in a jog toward the domed building, Izuku and Melissa hot on her heels. She quickly closed the distance and saw three familiar faces waiting for them - her parents as well as Inko. "Mom, Dad!" Ochako shouted as she crashed into her father, wrapping her arms around his chest. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"
"It's the least we could do," Her father said as he placed a massive hand on her head. "We know how much you've wanted to see the stars like this."
Ochako pushed up her glasses to wipe away the tears that were building in her eyes. "You didn't have to, you know."
"No, but we wanted to," Her mother replied, wrapping her arms around her. "Happy Birthday, Chako."
"This is the best birthday ever," Ochako told herself as she savored her parents' warm embrace, before finally separating. Holding her parents' hands, she looked up at them. "Well, what are we waiting for?"
"Lead the way," Her dad said with a small chuckle.
Unable to keep the grin off of her face, Ochako walked toward the door to the observatory.
Ochako's face hurt from smiling so much today. After the trip to the observatory they went out to sushi for dinner, and it was so much better than anything she ate back in Nabari.
And now she was back at home, seated on the floor of her apartment with a pile of presents next to her.
"You really didn't have to get me anything," Ochako insisted as she examined the gifts, one package in particular standing out. "Spending time with the two of you is enough!"
"We wanted to!" Melissa insisted. "You got Izuku and me something for our birthdays, it's only fair that we returned the favor."
"I know but-" Ochako stared at the large box, a strange sense of worry in her chest.
"Why don't you open them and see what you think," Izuku encouraged her.
"Alright," Ochako said. Taking Izuku's smaller package she opened it to find a new astronomy book, as well as a pair of notebooks. For the first one the cover was blank, but for the second… "'Hero's guide to the future, volume Ochako'?" Ochako looked up at Izuku quizzically.
"It's actually a joint venture between Melissa and I!" Izuku said hastily. "It's a lot of speculation about ways to use your quirk and theoretical support gear you can use to help!"
"There's lots of blank pages, but once we begin training we'll be sure to help you fill it out!" Melissa said. "And then when it's time to design your costume for UA, you'll have all sorts of ideas!"
"That's," Ochako looked in awe at the book. "So thoughtful. Thank you."
Setting the books aside, she slid the large package in front of her.
"I hope you like this!" Melissa said excitedly.
Ochako looked at the girl nervously before she began unwrapping it. When the contents were revealed, she couldn't help but gasp. "A-a NextStar-"
"Yep!" Melissa said brightly. "A telescope! Small enough and powerful enough for us to see the stars up close!"
"Risa," Ochako paled as she looked up from the package. "This- this is too much!"
"Huh?" Melissa asked, confused.
Realizing they probably shouldn't intrude, Ochako's parents looked at each other before they got up from the couch. "We'll be in the other room getting the cake ready," Ochako's mom said.
"Okay," Ochako said. She watched her parents make their way to the kitchen, giving them some semblance of privacy, before she turned toward Melissa, her voice low. "I can't accept this!"
"Why not?" Melissa asked, hurt and confusion leaking into her words.
"These- these are tens of thousands- hundreds of thousands of yen! One of these costs a whole month's rent- I can't-" Ochako looked down, shaking her head as she pushed the box toward the older girl. "That's a lot of money!"
"Ochako," Melissa said, gently resting her hands on the box to stop it. "I can afford it and you deserve it."
"It doesn't matter!" Ochako hissed out, before hanging her head. "I'm sorry. I know you wanted to do something nice for me, but it's just-" She clenched her hands into fists on top of the box.
"I think I get it," Izuku said, resting his hand on top of hers. "It's overwhelming, isn't it?"
"Mhm," Ochako bobbed her head. "I just-" She looked at Melissa. "I know it was different for you, but I could never dream of owning anything nearly as nice as this. Even when I become a pro hero, I'd have a hard time convincing myself to buy something like this. I-" Ochako's eyes searched the room, desperate to find some way to vocalize her emotions, before they landed on the notebook. Grabbing it, she held it up. "This is- this means a lot to me, more than any price tag. I just-" She dropped the notebook as she slid her hands along the box. "I always made do with what we could afford. Seeing something like this just-"
"I'm sorry," Melissa said, slowly removing her hand from the box. "I knew how things were before you moved to Mustafu, but I didn't realize-."
"It's because I haven't really talked about it," Ochako admitted, her cheeks heating up as she felt her blush spread. "I don't really like dwelling on it," She gestured wildly around her apartment. "especially not now."
Pushing the box away, Melissa pulled the younger girl into a hug. "I got it for you because I thought you deserved it. But if you want, I can keep it and find something else for you."
"N-no," Ochako said. "You'd only be keeping it so the three of us could use it together, right?" She felt the older girl bobbing her head in affirmation.
"You caught me," Melissa said softly.
"I'll keep it then," Ochako pulled away from her friend and forced a smile to her face. "It's almost like a present for all three of us then, right? Something we can do together? I'm just… holding onto it for us!"
"Mhm," Melissa said. "I did buy it for you, but I maybe sorta-kinda assumed we'd be stargazing together?"
"Y-yeah!" Izuku said nervously. "We already watch the stars practically every week, we just thought - you might want to see them a little better."
"I just… went a little overboard when I went telescope shopping," Melissa admitted, her cheeks turning pink at the admission.
Ochako felt her smile turn genuine. "I know. Just please-"
Melissa placed a hand on Ochako's shoulder. "I understand. I'll think of something less… extravagant next time."
"Thank you," Ochako said. Feeling better, she slid back over to the box and turned it over, looking at the specifications. "We're going to be able to see so much with this."
"Do you want to go out tonight?" Izuku asked her. "I know Melissa's going back to Might Tower but…"
"I don't mind," Melissa insisted.
Ochako looked up at the pair and shook her head. "No, we can wait until Risa's back. I want us to see the stars together. But I-" She turned toward Izuku and felt a faint heat on the back of her neck. "Maybe we can do something else instead?"
"Yeah, we can," Izuku smiled at her.
"That'll also give me time to figure out how to use this!" Ochako tapped on the box. "I bet it's super complicated to learn!"
"I'm looking forward to it," Melissa said.
"Me too," Izuku added.
"I am too," Ochako said, feeling her own excitement building, washing away the strange mixture of emotions. "But for now, let's have cake before Risa has to go!"
Standing, Melissa pulled Ochako into another hug. "Are we okay?"
"Mhm," Ochako bobbed her head, knowing Melissa would feel it through her shoulder. "Thank you."
Tomoyasu Chikazoku was sitting in his office, quietly looking over some paperwork. While many people took time off during winter break, spending time with their families and loved ones, Tomoyasu saw it as the perfect time to get work done.
After all, with fewer people around it was easier for him to focus on his true goals without attracting any unwanted attention.
His reading was interrupted by his cell phone ringing. Not his personal cell phone, nor the one issued to him by Feel Good, Inc. No, the unique ringtone indicated it was his third phone. The one people called only for urgent matters.
Tomoyasu picked up the phone. "I hear it will be pretty stormy tonight."
A pause on the other end, before the woman's voice replied. "That's ok, my garden could use the rain."
Tomoyasu allowed his shoulders to relax a fraction. "What do you need?"
"We need an extraction. The police have been investigating our school for signs of quirkism among the teaching staff," The woman answered swiftly.
Tomoyasu frowned. "What happened?"
"One of the second years doesn't have a Meta-Ability and was interviewed by some hero from UA. After that they transferred out and a detective began snooping around. They must have found enough reason to escalate further." The woman reported.
Tomoyasu let out a weary sigh. "Leave it to someone from UA to take pity on a child like that. What is the school?" As he asked the question, he unlocked his computer terminal and began typing, accessing the list of agents across the country.
"Aldera Middle School."
Silently typing, Tomoyasu brought up the school. A rather unremarkable school at first glance, its most noteworthy feature was that no student had the combination of drive and meta-ability to make it into either UA or Shiketsu. One of the dozens of similar schools across the country, it normally wouldn't even be on the Meta-Liberation Army's radar. However Aldera's proximity to UA was enough to warrant inserting two of its members into the teaching staff.
"Okay, I am putting together an extraction package," As he talked, his hands rapidly danced across the keyboard as he transferred funds and mailed them instructions to move to a certain apartment complex that doubled as a safehouse in Deika City. "A shame, but that school sounds like it was a dead end for the two of you."
"It was," The woman agreed. "But the principal was easily manipulated, so the job was easy enough."
"Were there any students of note?" It would be a risky play to recruit someone while the school is under police scrutiny, but there were many ways to get people to lower their defenses.
"Just one. The other student who was interviewed by the hero from UA - Katsuki Bakugo."
"Oh? And what is his meta-ability?"
"He generates explosive sweat," The woman explained. "Much like nitroglycerine. He can ignite it with the palms of his hands, creating large explosions."
"That does sound like a powerful ability," Tomoyasu agreed. "Forward his file along and I'll see what I can arrange."
"It's already sent, Sir," The woman replied.
Sure enough, Tomoyasu heard a ding as he received an e-mail. "Excellent. Well, I wish you luck, I know packing and moving can be annoying, and I'm sure you'll want to get started right away."
"Thank you, Sir, I hope to see you soon."
"Me too, Goodbye."
Tomoyasu hung up the phone and pinched the bridge of his nose. Why was UA concerned about some kid without a meta-ability? He was one of a dying breed, an embarrassment of genetics that should just quietly step aside and let those with powerful meta-abilities take the spotlight.
No matter, if someone from UA wants to waste their time and resources on some crusade to protect a curiosity so that they could generate some good press, then that is on them. That's that many fewer resources he would have to worry about, after all.
After finalizing the extraction package to maximize his agent's safety, he turned his attention to the student file that was sent to him. Pulling it up, he leaned back in his chair and rubbed his chin as he read.
"Katsuki Bakugo huh? I think it's time for another hero to visit Aldera."
The rest of winter break passed quickly, and before Izuku knew it, he was heading back to Tatooin station with Ochako to pick up Melissa. Her dad flew back to I-Island that morning, and with school starting back up in a couple of days, she was looking forward to a quiet day with her friends before the next semester began.
Unfortunately, it wasn't off to a peaceful start.
As the three of them walked through Mustafu, escorting Melissa back to her apartment, Izuku suddenly froze. He paled slightly at the sound of a familiar voice calling out behind him.
"Where the hell have you been, Deku?"
Ochako and Melissa exchanged worried glances before Melissa looked at Izuku "Are you going to be okay?"
"Yeah," Izuku said softly.
Ochako, meanwhile, had other plans. Spinning around she came face to face with a spikey-haired blonde kid. "Who the fuck are you?"
Katsuki sneered at the round-faced brunette. "Deku's old classmate. We were worried about him when he didn't come back at the start of the year."
"You were never worried about me, Kacchan," Izuku said as he turned around. "Unlike my real friends."
"These two are your friends?" Katsuki scoffed as he folded his arms. "Why would they be friends with you? Unless…"
"Unless what?" Ochako asked menacingly.
"You never told them you were quirkless, did you?" Katsuki said accusingly, before a wicked smile crossed his face. "I get it! You tried to go to a new school to hide your quirklessness! But you can never escape - you'll always be a useless Deku."
"So what?" Melissa asked.
"Don't you get it?" Katsuki growled in frustration. "That means he's never going to amount to anything! Why'd you waste your time hanging out with a loser like him?"
"He's not a loser!" Ochako yelled, raising a fist as she stepped forward menacingly.
"Izuku's going to become a great hero, just you wait!" Melissa added.
Katsuki laughed. "Him? A hero? How? He's quirkless!"
Quickly making eye contact with her friends, Melissa slowly turned to Katsuki, a quiet steel in her voice. "I'm quirkless too."
Katsuki nearly choked in surprise as he double-checked the case the older girl was holding in her hand. Sure enough, it was what he thought - a standard-issue hero uniform case, used by schools across the country. "How? You must have cheated!"
"She's going to UA," Izuku said, suddenly finding his own strength. "You can't cheat your way into that school! And-" Izuku's hand clenched into a fist. "And I'm going to go to UA, too! And I'm going to become a great hero! Just like All Might!"
"Quit lying to me!" Katsuki yelled. "There's no way she's going to UA!"
Katsuki stepped forward menacingly, only for Melissa to step in between the two boys, her case already raised to block the blow. "What's it matter to you anyway?"
"UA is the best school in the country, damn it!" Katsuki said. "Only the strongest and best go there! There's no way they'd accept someone who's so worthless!"
"I'll show you who's worthless, asshole!" Ochako said as she stepped forward with her fist raised, only for Melissa to hold her arm out, stopping her.
"Let me show him how worthless I really am," Melissa said, winking at her friend.
Ochako cooled slightly. "Yeah! You show him!"
"Bring it on!" Katuki bellowed. "I'm tired of people like you looking down on me!"
With a roar Katsuki threw a punch. Melissa found herself surprised by his sudden burst of speed, but unfortunately for her opponent she had fought faster. Her training kicking in, she dropped the case she was holding and deftly stepped out of the way, raising her elbow to land a solid gutshot on the explosive boy. Katsuki staggered back with a cough before he stared at his opponent, rage in his eyes as they heard small pops from his hands.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you Kacchan," Izuku said. "You know what will happen if you use your quirk in public."
Staring, Katsuki realized the round-faced girl had pulled out her phone and had an extremely smug expression on her face as she pointed its camera at him. Growling, he stopped using his quirk. "Fine, I can take her on without my quirk!"
Melissa stood there, silently waiting for Katsuki to make the next move. It pissed him off. Growling, he charged again, attempting to fake out before he threw a left kick. It almost worked as Melissa dodged the punch, only for her to drop her arm in time to intercept the real attack. She tried grabbing Katsuki's leg but he hopped back, throwing her off balance. Taking the opening, he charged her, only for her to lower her center of gravity, throwing her arms around his waist and hurling him over her back, right into the ground.
"I think I've proved my point," Melissa said as she retrieved her case. "Let's go. This isn't how I wanted to spend my winter break."
Katsuki growled as he rose to his knees. It would be so easy to use his quirk and put them in their place, but they had a small audience now, and Deku was - infuriatingly - right. He couldn't get away with using his quirk here. Not if he wanted to be a hero.
"Stronger - not strong enough," Katsuki whispered. "If some quirkless girl can learn to fight like that, I need to be even better! That way-" he grinned "-I'll be even more unstoppable when I add my quirk. Then I'll show you!"
Pushing himself upright, he looked at the people watching. "Tch, get out of here, there's nothing to see here."
Turning around, Katsuki shoved his hands in his pockets and walked in the opposite direction.
"Fine, if you think you're going to be a hero, I'm just going to have to get even stronger. So strong, they won't even think about accepting your application."
It was his second day back and already Katsuki was sick and tired of this school. Not only were there police here interviewing the teachers before winter break, but now two of the teachers just up and vanished?
It was a bad look for the school, and if he missed his chance to apply to UA because his school was embroiled in scandal…
"This worthless school better not ruin my ability to go to UA," Katsuki grumbled, feeling small pops under his palms as he used his quirk in an attempt to relieve some of his stress.
It didn't work. Fortunately, the loudspeaker offered reprieve as it crackled to life, its announcement breaking him out of his dark thoughts.
"Katsuki Bakugo, please report to the Principal's Office."
"This better be good," Katsuki grumbled as he stood up and waved to the surprised teacher, not even waiting for permission to leave the classroom. Shoving his hands in his pockets, he quickly crossed the building to the principal's office. There he found the man himself waiting for him in the hallway, looking almost as impatient as Katsuki felt.
"Ah, there you are!" The principal hurried over to Katsuki. "It appears you've impressed someone! You have another hero here to interview you?"
"What?" Katsuki asked in surprise. Another hero? Asking for him specifically?
Then again, considering the first interview led to nothing but Izuku's transfer out of Aldera, he probably shouldn't expect much from this one, either.
"It's true, come on!" The principal waved his hand as he encouraged Katsuki to follow him. "We don't want to keep him waiting."
"Tch," Katsuki replied, but followed the aging man as he took him to the teacher's lounge.
Opening the door, Katsuki saw a large man sitting on the couch, reviewing a file. Looking over the man, he noticed that the hero's most prominent feature was his massive square jaw. The other major difference from the last interview was his attire. This hero was dressed in the purple and green of his hero costume, unlike the ill-fitting oversized suit of the last hero to interview him.
Noticing that he wasn't alone anymore, the hero put down the paperwork he was reviewing to give Katsuki a friendly wave. "Hi there!"
The principal smiled nervously back at the hero, before gesturing to the student beside him. "Slidin' Go, I'd like to introduce you to our star student, Katsuki Bakugo."
AN: I hope you all had a wonderful winter break! Too bad it's already over :( Anyway… I hope you enjoyed the revelations in this chapter! ~SupportGrrl47