Ochaco stood before her mother's gravestone. A plain vertical column with only the name written on it had been all she could afford. She'd had to make all the funeral arrangements herself, and probably paid too much in her stress and inexperience. Light, slushy wet snowflakes fell down on her head, but she didn't feel it. Mud and melted snow seeped into her sneakers.

A shadow fell over her. She turned. Izuku stood behind her, holding an umbrella over her head.

"How did you know to find me here?" she asked.

"Just a hunch." He shrugged. Sweat clung to his shirt and hair. He panted slightly, as if he'd been running.

She wondered how many places he'd looked before finding her. "I'm sorry for worrying you, Deku," she whispered.

"Don't be!" Izuku waved his hands. This jostled the umbrella, so he stopped. "I know you're going through a hard time. It's just, you haven't been at school for a week. Everyone has gotten worried."

Ochaco had dozens of unanswered texts on her phone. She swallowed. "I've been thinking about dropping out of U.A. I wanted to become a hero to make enough money to support my family. Now my mother is dead, the drunk driver who killed her jumped bail and ran away, and my father is who-knows-where." Her voice caught.

"Your dad is missing?" Izuku asked, frowning.

Ochaco lowered her head. She whispered, "I'm not sure. I haven't heard from him in days. Sometimes he does that—did I ever tell you about what happened to my father?"

Izuku shook his head.

"When I was young, my father got caught up in a villain attack. The monster ripped off his face." Her voice trembled. "After that, he was moved to a hospital in America because he needed special treatment. He tries to call me every day, but sometimes he has bad days and can't talk. My parents always acted like money wasn't a concern. They put on a brave face around me. But I did some research behind their backs and found out their construction company had collapsed. I don't know how they're paying for Dad's medical bills—I can only assume we must be in a lot of debt. I needed money."

"Hence why you wanted to become a hero."

"Yes. So I could provide my parents with a good life." Ochaco sobbed. "Now that Mom is gone, I don't know if I want to be a hero any longer."

Izuku's hands twitched. He asked, "Can I hug you?"

"Yes, please," Ochaco whispered.

Dropping the umbrella, Izuku pulled her into his arms. He felt strong and warm. He stroked her hair as she wept. Funny, she'd wanted to hug him for a long time, and now her wish had been granted under the worst possible circumstances.

"Excuse me." The newcomer's voice was cold and threatening. Bandages covered his face. He wore a black suit with no tie and the first two buttons unfastened. Though he wore no coat, he seemed unaffected by the cold. An even greater chill radiated off him.

"Dad?" Ochaco gasped. "How could you be outside the hospital?"

Her father said, "Fortunately, I've recovered enough to walk around with this." He gestured at the breathing device attached to the bottom of his bandages. "I've returned to Japan to look after you."

"Oh, Dad." Ochaco's shoulders shook. "M-mom…we already had her funeral…"

"I'm sorry I missed it. I'm sorry for everything you've been through. I'll take you home now. We're going to live together from now on." Her father yanked her into his arms. She wondered if she imagined how aggressively he seemed to shove Izuku away.

Izuku picked up his umbrella and stepped backward. "A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Uraraka. My name is Izuku Midoriya."

Her father grunted, rather rudely.

Izuku said, "I'll leave you two alone. Ochaco, if you ever want to talk, then I'm here. I'll be your friend whether you remain in the hero course or not. But I hope you stay. It's your choice, of course. But Class 1-A wouldn't feel the same without you."

A warmth formed under Ochaco's chest. She really did like him. "Thank you."

Her father took her arm. Since the accident had destroyed his eyes, she guided him up the walkway. As always, his skin felt unusually warm. He had a very weak quirk that let him make his body temperature hotter. It must be useful this time of year.

He asked, "Do you have a special relationship with that boy?"

Ochaco stumbled. "S-special? What does that mean?" Color flushed her cheeks. She babbled, "Oh, no, we're just friends. Very good friends. He's wonderful." Her face couldn't have gotten any redder. She feared her feelings were stamped across forehead.

"I see." Her father said nothing more, but he didn't sound happy. His free hand clenched into a fist.

"Dad…?" Ochaco trailed off, uncertain what she'd been trying to ask.

He stroked her hair. "Don't worry, my angel. Your father is just grumpy about some strange boy taking his little girl away from him."

Ochaco squawked, "Dad! I said it wasn't like that!"

"I remember the days when you used to say that you were going to marry your father when you grew up. You were so cute back then. But you were never very faithful to me. One day you wanted to marry your Teddy bear, and the next day it was your pet turtle. Oh, but didn't Sir Teddy Bear try to murder you for your inheritance? So you buried him in the backyard and then cried when you couldn't remember where later."

"Stop it!" Ochaco was so glad that Izuku was no longer around to hear about her dark history.

He chuckled. "That's a better look on my angel's face."

Her father had called her by that nickname ever since she'd discovered that she'd inherited her mother's quirk by floating around her bedroom. She did wonder how a blind man could possibly see her face. But she assumed he was speaking metaphorically.

At the road, a muscular man opened the door to a black limo. "Here you go, Miss Uraraka."

Ochaco stopped. She hissed, "Dad, surely we can't afford this. The construction company collapsed."

A trace of concern entered his voice. "You found out about that? Oh, my precious girl, you don't need to worry. I own plenty of companies."

Why hadn't Ochaco known about this? Uneasily, she got into the limo. Her father sat down next to her. Keeping her voice low, she asked, "But what about all your medical debt?"

The limo started moving. Snow pelted against the windows, coming down faster now. Her father said, "I don't have any debt. Money will never be a problem for you, angel. You come from a family with plenty of it."

Ochaco had never admitted to her father that she wanted to become a hero in order to support him. Now she felt foolish. "Then why couldn't we ever visit you in America?" she mumbled. She'd always assumed they couldn't afford the plane flight.

Her father said, "Until recently, I wasn't well enough for visitors. I'm sorry I left you alone so long, especially right after your mother's death. I had business with the man who ran her over."

"The police found him?" Ochaco's head shot up.

As snow struck the limo window, her father didn't speak. Although he had no eyes, she still felt like he was measuring her. Then he said, "No, they didn't find any trace of him. And I don't believe they ever will."

"Oh." Ochaco slumped back down.

Her father said, "I think you should take a leave of absence from school so we can spend more time together."

"That sounds nice. The teachers already told me that I could take as much time off as I needed." Ochaco gnawed at her lip. "But after that, I think I want to go back. I want to become a hero."

"Why? Because of the Nineth—that boy?"

Ochaco flushed again. "I already told you that it's not like that! I love attending U.A. I have a lot of good friends there. I've told you all about them." Ochaco's father had always been fascinated by her school life. He asked careful, detailed questions about the quirks of her classmates. He even seemed interested in the minutiae of her daily life, such as the precise dates and location of the Forest Training Camp. Even when Ochaco worried she might be boring him, he insisted it was very important to him to hear every last detail.

"I worry about you, my angel. Your class has dealt with so many villain attacks. I thought they'd make you give up on becoming a hero."

"My encounters with the League of Villains have only strengthened my resolve. I want to stop criminals like the ones who injured you and killed mom."

"But I want you to be safe." Her father patted her hand. "You're the only family I have left in the whole world. Can't you understand? I need you. You could help me rebuild the family construction business. We'd work together."

Family was everything to Ochaco. Her heart wavered. She mumbled, "I'll think about it." But as she stared out the window and thought of leaving U.A., she only felt pain. The snow came down even harder, sticking to the ground and covering the road. She muttered, "I wish I'd known that you brought a car. We could have offered Izuku a ride."

"Oh, so you do care about him," her father said, his silky tone covering something dark.

Ochaco flinched and looked at her hands. She spent the rest of the ride in silence.

By the time they got home, her father was all smiles again. He bustled around the kitchen, taking down a measuring cup and a pot. "Are you hungry?"

It was still early for dinner, but Ochaco nodded. She'd skipped lunch. She wasn't sure when she'd last eaten, now that she thought about it.

"Excellent! Want me to make my famous pancakes?"

"For dinner, Dad?"

"Why not?" Her father chuckled. "You used to love my pancakes. It's been so long since I last cooked for you."

Not since before his injuries. Ochaco's heart twisted, remembering the old days of happy family meals with her father, mother and herself around the table. "You know what? Pancakes for dinner sound amazing."

Her father hummed a Paul Simon tune as he cooked. He liked old-fashioned songs from a century ago. When he placed the pancake in front of her, it had blueberries in the rough outline of an angel with a dress and wings. A dab of chocolate sauce formed the halo. "For you, my angel."

Ochaco smiled for the first time in a week. "It looks delicious, Dad." When she'd been young, she'd adored her father's pancake designs, getting excited every time he came up with a new one.

As they ate, they talked about quirks, her father's favorite topic. He could ramble on about them all day, and she enjoyed listening to him talk about his passion. It reminded her of Izuku when he got worked up about quirk analysis. (Was it true, that old saying about girls liking men who resembled their fathers? An awkward and embarrassing thought that she didn't care to dwell on.)

Her father wanted to hear all about the latest news from U.A. and Class 1-A. He asked about the location of their upcoming training exercise tomorrow even though she didn't plan to attend. How nice of him, to show such deep interest in her life.

Afterward, her father brought out a brand-new pink bicycle and a set of hair clips. "I got you a gift, to apologize for being away so long." He fastened a butterfly clip to her hair.

Her father had always loved spoiling her with gifts. Even when he'd been at the American hospital, he'd often sent gifts on random occasions. It had worried her, back when she'd been afraid of financial issues. "This is too much," she protested half-heartedly. "I have a birthday coming up soon. You should save the presents for then."

"I'll get you even more gifts." He kissed the top of her head. "By then, perhaps I'll be able to present you with Japan."

She snorted. "Dad, you're being silly again." But she didn't mean the reprimand. It felt good to have him home.

Her father sat down on the couch and beckoned her to join him. She rested her head against his shoulder. He stroked her hair. "Oh, angel, you don't know how much I've missed this."

"Me, too," Ochaco whispered. It had been hard to have her dad away in the hospital. Video calls weren't the same.

He tugged on a lock of hair. "You used to have it longer. I miss braiding your hair."

"I cut it short when I became a hero student. I thought long hair might get in the way."

His fingers paused just over her ear. "I hate that you had to do that. You should never suffer any hardship. I should always look after you. I blame myself for getting in that…accident."

Ochaco put her arms around him and buried her face into his chest. "No, Dad. You have nothing to be sorry for. Besides, I like my new hair and I love U.A. I've made so many friends." She told him all about her latest conversations with Tenya, Shouto, and Tsuyu. She kept away from the subject of Izuku, as if avoiding probing a sore tooth.

Her father combed his fingers through her hair as she talked. Occasionally he'd give a small "mmm-hmm." She sighed and relaxed against him, as if sinking into a hot bath. Her natural heater father had always given the very best hugs, ever since she'd been small. She'd used to creep into bed with him and Mom during winter. The two of them would both press cold feet against him until he'd begged for mercy.

His arms wrapped around her like a blanket. This close, she could hear his heartbeat. It gave her a feeling of safety.

They passed the next couple days catching up with each other and playing boardgames. Her father refused to play Monopoly because she'd beaten him too many times, the sore loser. They told each other happy stories about her mother. It helped, a lot. Ochaco finally felt ready to return to school.

That was when the trouble started.

"Are you sure you still want to be a hero, angel?" Her father asked. He was standing in front of the door like he had no intention of letting her out of it.

"I'm not completely sure," she admitted. "But I want to try a bit longer. After I go back to U.A., attend a few classes, and see my friends, I think I'll be ready to decide."

Her father frowned. "It's too dangerous. Your class has been through so many incidents. Please, my baby girl, I just lost your mother. I can't lose you, too."

The plea reached Ochaco's heart. She shifted from foot to foot. "Maybe I can take another day off. But I at least want to see my friends. Izuku, Tenya, and Shouto are going out for bubble tea after class. They invited me to come along."

"Izuku." Her father frowned, and she knew she'd made a mistake. He covered the doorknob, blocking her path. "Please, I would feel so anxious if you left. I thought your mother was safe and protected, but she died in a random accident. Whenever you're out of my sight, I can't stop thinking about you dying."

For the first time, Ochaco realized that she hadn't left the house during her father's entire stay. He'd had takeout and groceries delivered. She'd enjoyed spending time with him so much that she'd barely noticed. But that wouldn't be sustainable in the long run. "Dad, I can't live my entire life within arm's reach of you."

"You could. I know you were worried about money, but I have plenty, more than enough to support you forever."

Ochaco winced. "You're being a little strange. I know you've suffered a lot since Mom died. Have you considered talking to someone?"

"Like a shrink?" Her father recoiled. "You think I'm crazy?"

That old-fashioned attitude again. "Of course not! I think that you went through a major trauma, and a professional might be able to help you. Would you refuse to see a doctor if you broke a bone? This is the same thing. Deep down, you must know that I can't stay at home forever. I want to have friends, have a career, and yes, I want to date."

Her father's nostrils flared. His breathing apparatus rattled. Finally, he said, "What if you go out for tea with your friends, and something bad happens to you?"

This was clearly the trauma talking. She felt terrible for her father, but she couldn't back down or they would both never be able to heal. "It won't."

"You don't know that. Your friends are hero students; they attract danger. If you go out with them and get attacked by villains, then will you admit that it's not safe for you to attend U.A.?"

Ochaco hesitated. Her father was being ridiculous. But he was still her legal guardian, and he did have the right to withdraw her from school if he ever used it. She needed to reach an agreement with him. The odds of her being attacked by villains while out on a normal outing with her friends were vanishingly low. The bet was ridiculous, but she knew she'd win it. "If I don't get attacked, then will you admit you were being paranoid and let me return to school? I want you to see a psychologist for at least one session, too."

"Done," her father said.

He'd agreed so easily that something felt strange. She'd expected him to argue over the psychologist at least. But it was too late to back out now.

Ochaco was very much not looking forward to admitting to her father that she'd been attacked while out drinking bubble tea. She still didn't want to drop out of U.A., so she'd have to find a way to persuade him, but she didn't have time to think about this now. She dodged sideways as Toga jabbed a knife at her shoulder.

"Aw, not even a drop of blood?" Toga pouted. "Don't be stingy—"

A thud came from behind them. A pillar fell over. The awning of the café came tumbling down. Toga slipped. A steel pillar toppled toward the falling villain. Her eyes wide, she reached out toward Ochaco, whispering, "Help."

If the pillar hit the other girl, she might die. Ochaco knocked her out of the way.

She felt pain as the pillar struck her neck, then darkness.

Awareness returned in flashes. Ochaco felt motion under her back. Izuku was crying. She tried to open her eyes, but they felt too heavy. Her head ached. She couldn't feel her legs. She whispered, "Is everyone safe?"

Izuku said, "No one else got seriously hurt. The League of Villains ran off after you got injured. I'm not sure why. You're going to be okay. They're putting you in an ambulance."

Ochaco felt the bump as her stretcher was lifted, then the world went black again.

Warm arms fastened around her. Ochaco snuggled into them. Someone was humming, a centuries-old tune she recognized. "Dad?"

"You're going to be just fine, my angel," her father said. "I'm healing the break."

With his words came a tingling down her back. But her father didn't have a healing ability. He had a minor quirk that made his body hotter.

As soon as she had that thought, she realized that he was using his quirk right now. The air around her was frigid. Flakes of snow rained down on her hair. But she didn't feel cold, because her father's body blazed like a furnace.

Snow? But she should be in the hospital. Ochaco forced her eyes open. It was so dark, she could barely make out the shadowy outline of trees. She lay across her father's lap on a park bench. Her feet were bare. He'd wrapped her up in a heavy coat. "Dad, where am I? Shouldn't I be at the hospital?"

"I'm so sorry." He seemed to be talking to himself, not her. "I made a mistake. I almost lost you." His grip tightened, becoming painful.

"It's okay." Ochaco spoke slowly, as if to a child. Her breath puffed white in the cold air. "Please take me back to the hospital."

"I can look after you far better than they ever could," he said dismissively.

Ochaco twisted. The coat fastened her arms too tightly for her to move them, but she didn't feel any pain. Her injuries were gone. "How could you possibly heal me? Do you have more than one quirk?" An iron vise gripped around her heart. "Did you meet a villain named All for One?"

Her father snorted. "You're a smart one, angel. You already have all the information you need to figure it out, unless you don't want to know."

Yes, Ochaco certainly had a suspicion, but she hadn't realized she'd been avoiding thinking it until he called her out. Her father no longer had bandages covering his face, but she could barely see him in the darkness. Only the sound of his breathing apparatus penetrated the night air. She reached up and felt the scars around his face and eye sockets. "You're All for One."

"Yes."

She'd wanted him to deny it. Her breath came out in hoarse gasps. This couldn't be happening to her. It had to be a feverish hallucination brought on by her near-death experience. But once she'd started putting the pieces together, she couldn't stop. "I promised you that I'd quit U.A. if a villain attacked me when I was out. But how did you even know which tea shop I went to? I didn't tell you. There must have been a tracker in the hair clip you gave me." Her voice shook as anger and horror penetrated her shock. "All those times you asked me about our class—you were using me for information. Dear god. I'm the U.A. spy. I happily told you about our trip to U.S.J. and you nearly killed Mr. Aizawa! It's my fault that Katsuki got kidnapped at the training camp! What will my friends think? Will they hate me?" Her voice cracked.

Her father—All for One—hummed and rocked her. He combed his fingers through her hair. "You don't need to worry about them any longer, my precious angel. I'll keep you safe. I can't lose you. I couldn't bear it."

"Your minions nearly killed me!"

His teeth ground. "That never should have happened. The League was under strict orders not to harm you. I punished Himiko Toga for her sins."

"You…" Ochaco's mind went white with horror. "Please, no! I only wanted to help her! It wasn't her fault!" But whatever revenge her villainous father took would be Ochaco's fault.

All for One said, "Hadn't that girl been harassing you for months? I'm sorry, I should have found out sooner and stopped her. She deserved to be executed by my hand. Tomura didn't need to die, but he tried to protect her. No matter. I don't need him any longer."

Ochaco burst into tears. Even though she tried to pull herself together, to think, to do something, she couldn't stop sobbing. It was all too much. Her father whispered endearments and held her closer to his chest. "Shhh. I'm scary I scared you, angel. Everything is all right. You're safe."

It felt obscene. Two people had died because of her, and their murderer was comforting her.

All she wanted was to break down. Her father was the most important person in her life. Her only remaining family. She couldn't imagine not loving him, even now. She loved him so much that it was ripping her heart in two. There was no possible future she could picture for herself after this reveal, just a black, yawning void.

Ochaco sniffled, then rasped, "Dad, please. Please turn yourself in. Please, if you stop being a villain, if you stop hurting people, then we can start over. Please!"

"Aw. You're adorable." He kissed the top of her head. "Just like your uncle." His voice turned dark. "They took him away from me. Just like how Izuku Midoriya has started sniffing around you like a dog chasing a heat."

"T-they? Please, Izuku has nothing to do with this."

"He has everything to do with this," All for One growled. His grip tightened. "He's the nineth One for All holder, a lineage passing down the same quirk for generations with the goal of destroying me. The first two kidnapped my little brother. They played at being heroes, but I saw their sick intentions toward him in those greedy, lustful eyes. They warped his mind, then got him killed. I failed my little brother, my only family. I let him die."

Ochaco had understood maybe half of that, and she still didn't see the connection to Izuku. Her body wouldn't move. Her head spun. More tears fell from her eyes. "Dad, I don't understand, but I want to. If you'll stop hurting people, then I'll listen to your story. I want to help you. Please."

Her father continued speaking as if he didn't hear her. "I tried so hard to protect you, but I failed you, too. I thought if I kept you by my side then you'd be safe, but I see now how short-sighted I was. The One for All vermin will sniff out any hideout. Even a bank vault couldn't keep my little brother safe from those scum."

"Huh?" She must have misheard.

"But I found the perfect way to protect you. That's why I didn't need to keep Tomura alive any longer." Her father kissed her head again, his lips melting the snowflakes. "We'll never, ever be separated again, my angel."

Light flashed from his hands, and Ochaco knew no more.

Ochaco floated in water. It was all around her, lifting her hair and seeping into her black wetsuit. Panic pierced her mental fog. She held her breath, thinking she was drowning, but no, there was a breathing mask over her face.

Though it stung, she forced her eyes open. She floated in a tall tank surrounded by wires and thick tubes. The glass gave her blurry glimpses of a laboratory. A bald man in a lab coat said, "Completion status: fifty-five percent."

Ochaco pounded on the glass. "Let me out!" she screamed into the mask, more out of terror than because she believed he could hear her. The weight of the water pressed down on her, suffocating. Her throat burned. She wanted to cry, but no tears came out. A hazy reflection with sunken cheeks stared back at her. She looked dehydrated.

Her father's voice whispered, "Hush, my angel. Let me in. I'll shield you from the pain."

Ochaco jerked her head around, looking for All for One. But she couldn't see him. His voice came from inside her head.

Against her will, her arms relaxed and fell back to her sides. The world started to fade away. Ochaco fought desperately. Though she understood none of this, she feared what would happen if she fell asleep.

Outside the tank, the doctor said, "Sixty percent." He sounded maniacally gleeful. It scared her. What was he counting up to?

Giving up on her arms, she kicked the glass. The change in tactics took her father by surprise—she slipped away from his influence.

With control of her body, pain came rushing back. Her joints screamed in agony. Her eyes jerked around sporadically. She could barely think through the migraine in her head.

"Everything is okay," her father said. "I'm here with you. I'll help you get through this. I'll be with you forever, after the transfer is done. I know it hurts. I'm sorry."

Nothing was okay. Her body had turned against her. She felt too muddle-headed to resist him. Her limbs went limp. Her vision went black. The sensation of water faded away. It felt as if she was floating through outer space. Then the pace picked up, her body spinning like arms on a clock face. The nausea was even stronger than when she used her quirk. But she had no body with which to vomit. Only endless pain.

"You're doing wonderfully, angel," All for One said. He started singing: Father and Daughter by Paul Simon. That had always been their song.

Now, it made her angry. What was he doing to her? How could he? Her mind screamed a chorus of betrayal. Soothing feelings of love came from her father in return. They itched under her skin like spiders.

She had no power to fight him off. Time faded away. In the darkness, all she had was the never-ending sound of her father's baritone singing.

Very distantly, the doctor said, "Ninety-five percent."

Where are you? What are you doing to me? she tried to ask.

"I'm right here with you, angel. See?"

She felt a sensation like a ghostly hug. But the touch seeped straight into her skin. She howled at the violation.

Her father said, "It will be all over soon. I promise. Then no one will ever be able to take you away from me again."

The world flashed white. An unimaginable coldness drilled into her body. She screamed and screamed.

Despite the cold winter air, Izuku was sweating. He couldn't help being nervous at his first time visiting to Ochaco's house—especially with the likelihood of running into her terrifying father again. He rubbed a bit of snow on his cheeks to stop them from looking so red. Then he knocked.

Ochaco opened the door. "Hello, Izuku."

Immediately, Izuku knew something was wrong. She hadn't called him "Deku." There was a smile on her face, but it looked false. Someone who didn't know her wouldn't have been able to tell, but it was a bit too wide. She must be badly shaken after the discovery of Himiko Toga's body in an alleyway. Why else had she asked him to come over to her house right after he texted her about it? If Toga had been murdered due to failing her mission as the authorities had speculated, he worried that Ochaco might feel responsible. Even though she shouldn't, of course.

"How are you holding up?" Izuku asked. "Can I do anything for you? Distract you with a game, talk, anything at all?"

"Oh, please, you're a teenage boy, I know full well that you didn't come here to talk," Ochaco said coldly.

Izuku stared at her blankly. "Excuse me?"

Ochaco's fake smile returned. "It was a joke!" She laughed.

Izuku didn't believe that, but he let go of his confusion because he cared more about helping her. "Sure. Can I come in?"

"Of course." She gestured him inside. "Let me take your coat."

He flushed as she moved behind him and pulled off his winter jacket. "You don't need to—"

Metal sliced through the air. Izuku dodged sideways. The blade bounced off his ribs. If he hadn't moved in time, it would have gotten an organ. Whirling around, he saw Ochaco holding the bloody knife with malevolent grin.

Clutching his side, Izuku growled, "Toga, you faked your death!"

"Ooo, wrong answer. And you're supposed to be smart. Even your reflexes are subpar. How did you ever believe yourself worthy of her?" Not-Ochaco clicked her tongue. "What a close one! I nearly ripped out one of your kidneys, just like your mentor. Oh, well, it's not as if I'd kill you until you give me back my brother's quirk."

Izuku's heart stopped. "All for One?"

"Right on the second guess! Although this body is hers." All for One placed a hand on his stolen chest. "Just so you know, it's all your fault that I did this to her. Originally, I was going to transfer my consciousness to Tomura Shigaraki's body. But I couldn't bear to lose yet another family member to a foolish crush on a One for All holder." He gave a little twirl. "You should see the look on your face! Yes, Ochaco is my daughter. Dare I hope that you'll despise her for it? I'd prefer you to stay as far away from her as possible."

Cold rage filled Izuku, completely overtaking his pain. He growled, "You stole your own daughter's body? How could you do this to Ochaco? This is unforgivable!"

"Still playing the part of a knight in shining armor. How touching." All for One sneered. It looked grotesque on Ochaco's face. "I don't give a damn if you forgive me or not. My daughter belongs to me and only me now. You'll never be able to steal her, not now that we're one." He raised a hand, and darkness swirled around it. Red lines danced in the air. His eyes flashed crimson.

"How could you still have All for One?"

"Of course I transferred my quirk into her along with my mind. But I can't be bothered explaining to the likes of you." Murder radiated off All for One. Red sparks danced over his arm. "I'll take my time torturing One for All out of you—"

Abruptly, he doubled-over. The quirks blinked out. Clutching at bobbed hair, All for One groaned, "I need you to go back to sleep, angel. Daddy has business to take care of."

His body convulsed. He slammed his own head into the wall. Inhuman moans came from his throat.

"Ochaco!" Izuku stretched out a hand.

"Don't come closer!" She screamed. He knew it was her, this time, from the tears filling her eyes as she gazed up at him. "I can't hold him off for long. You have to run away. Please, Deku." Her eyes snapped to the blood seeping through his shirt. "I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault." As Ochaco's body convulsed, Izuku knew he had to go. She was suffering to save him. But at least this meant she was still in there. "I'm going to save you. I promise to find a way. Please wait for me."

Izuku ran past Ochaco, out into the winter air. His side throbbed. He ran faster than he ever had in his life. Rage burned inside him, that All for One had dared do this to Ochaco. But even through the pain and fury, he was already turning over every last thing All for One had said to him, searching for clues. If quirks could be transferred, then they could be removed. He would save her no matter what.

Ochaco sat on her father's lap. Darkness swirled around her, eating into her legs. All for One had created this armchair in their mindscape. It didn't actually exist. Nothing existed, here.

But his arms felt very real, wrapping around her shoulders like bars. He rested his chin on top of her head, cradling her like a baby and keeping her immobile. He murmured the tune of a childhood lullaby. His gentleness choked her. She jerked and fought. He remained as immovable as cold steel. Did his body have no heat here, or did she no longer get any warmth from his embrace now that she knew the truth?

"Please, Dad!" she cried, as she had a hundred times before. She refused to accept the protective embrace of the villain who'd hurt her friends. Her heart had been obliterated by his betrayal like the nothingness around her.

"Hush, angel. Go to sleep. Daddy will take care of everything by the time you wake up." He moved his arms upward, one covering her mouth to suppress her cries and the other covering her eyes. In the sudden darkness, she became even more keenly aware of the crushing weight of his body, strangling her. He had no heartbeat. He was the coffin burying her alive.

She clawed at him, trying to break free or at least pull down his arm away from her eyes so she could see. Her fingernails dug in, but she couldn't draw blood from a ghost. He sang again, a deep tone reverberating in her ears like the crashing waves dragging drowning sailors down.

It was no use. She had no control over her own body, not in the real world and not even here in her mind. The darkness caught her and pulled her under, deep into the freezing cold depths of nothingness.

Not even dreams could reach her. Emptiness had taken root in her heart like a parasite. She had nothing and was nothing.

For a brief moment, she envisioned Izuku's scarred hand reaching out to her as he had the day she'd stabbed him.

Ochaco opened her eyes. She lay on a princess bed surrounded by pink curtains. The thick wool comforter tucked over her gave her no warmth. Of course, it wasn't real. But it felt more real than the shadows around her, stretching out in all directions into eternity. She shivered and clutched the pale pink blanket even harder. She felt a tug on her mind, urging her to sleep. If only she let her eyes drift shut, her pain would stop. She would turn back into a doll on the shelf waiting for her father to come play with her.

When she remembered the blood dripping from Izuku's side, it gave her the strength to resist. How could her body have done that to him? She looked down at her trembling hands. All for One would use her to hurt all her friends, just like he had when he'd tricked her into spying for him. A dull misery filled her chest.

Izuku's eyes had been full of rage before he'd ran. She'd never seen his face make such a coldly terrifying expression. He'd promised to save her.

Izuku would come for her. Part of Ochaco wished he wouldn't, because it was too dangerous, but she knew nothing could stop him now.

She refused to helplessly watch Izuku get hurt again. No more useless begging and pleading with All for One, either. She'd taken back control of her body briefly. That meant she could do it again.

Ochaco flung aside her blanket. Then she stood up and walked into the darkness. It seemed to have no end. But she kept going.

OMAKE TIME!

Omake: All for One Finds New and Creative Ways to be the Worst Dad

All for One: All my attempts to protect my beloved relatives backfire on me. No matter what I do, they still run away. But I finally found a solution!

Author: Giving them freedom?

All for One: Bodily possession.

Author: You're the worst. I'll go do some research on float tanks.

#

Omake: This is Definitely NOT Canon for This Fic

All for One: My angel, it's time for your Star Wars reveal.

Ochaco: I know, you're my father.

All for One: I meant the other reveal. Izuku is your brother. I've been secretly maintaining two families under different identities. That's why I freaked out so badly about your crush on him. Sorry, sweetie, you can't date your half-brother.

Ochaco: …

All for One: And now we're both going to shove this conversation down our memory hole like Luke and Leia did concerning the time they made out on Hoth.

Ochaco: MY NAME IS OCHACO URARAKA. YOU CHEATED ON MY MOTHER. PREPARE TO DIE.

#AFO totally made this up to stop his daughter from dating the latest One for All holder #Only to be knocked dead (literally) by her murderous fury

Author's Note: Happy birthday, Ochaco! Thank you to BreezyGG25 for this excellent Dad for Ochaco prompt. Hey, look, All for One found new and creatives ways to be the worst dad! On twitter, ovo_crow drew art for BreezyGG25's AU. I found it extremely inspiring when writing this story. Delete the spaces to get the link:
twitter.
com/
BananaGG22/status/1450090132606947331

In addition, Antagonistic_Protagonist drew the lovely cover art for this story at:
villanist.
tumblr.
com/
post/671771106016968704/happy-birthday-ochako