Uraraka hit the ground hard, the impact jumbling her skeleton painfully before she scrambled to her feet. Explosions sounded off around the brunette sending her running in constantly changing directions as fire roared through the trees behind her. The dirt pathway before her continued endlessly as she barely dodged searing detonations closing in. A root lashed out at her shoe sending the woman crashing into the dirt with a pained grunt. Ochaco slowly lifted herself up from the dirt with heavy breaths as a maddening pain tore from the left hip down through her leg. She let out an agonized scream as the bone in her limb protruded through her flesh, jagged and stark white. A trembling hand reached towards the bone yet stopped short as red filled her vision. Blood dripped heavily from her fingertips, flowing downward to mix with the dirt beneath. The substance quickly began pooling around Uraraka in a hot embrace and stained her clothes while threatening to pull her under into its deep depths. She flailed her arms frantically as the pool morphed into a dense liquid—
"Chiyo?!"
"The alarm!"
The blood rose to chest deep and Uraraka barely felt the immense pounding of her heart over the suffocating weight of the goo. She raised her hand above her head in the scarce chance someone would swoop in and save the day yet as the sea of red continued to rise, the flickering light of hope began to extinguish—
"Midoriya, get out of here!"
"Focus! Her stats are crashing—"
"Uraraka!"
Ochaco took in shallowed gasps of air as the heavy pressure of the blood compressed her chest down like an anvil. Her freed hand drooped lower as the energy was sapped from her body. No one would save her…she was going to drown in a crimson sea all alone, afraid…the blood felt searing as it climbed up her chest, inching its way up her extended neck with ease. One last small gasp was all she managed to take before the sea engulfed her whole, dragging her down into the scalding pitch black depths of oblivion. Moments later and her hand would be swallowed whole as well, completely extinguishing the flame—
A hard yank suddenly forced her body upward through the viscous blood and back into the open air, the brunette rasping in a breath of fresh air once the chest pressure relieved. She collapsed onto the ground hacking and wheezing, staring wide-eyed at the dirt beneath her as she tried to comprehend what was happening. The break in her leg appeared to have disappeared and the brunette released a shaky sigh at the sight of a normal limb.
"Are you okay?"
Ochaco slowly lifted her head at the voice, auburn eyes wavering when a heavily scarred hand appeared before her. There was no mistaking the large scar wrapping around his palm or the many adorning ones trailing up his arm, proof of his true dedication to protect those in need. Callouses lined his palms and she could feel the coarseness of them as her own hand slid against his. "Deku…"
"Don't worry, Uraraka, I'm here now. I'll protect you no matter what." Deku beamed down at her with the boyish smile and vibrant emerald eyes she loved so dearly. Uraraka felt the tears trail down her dirtied cheeks as a soothing calm washed over her. With ease he pulled her to her feet, keeping one hand on her elbow while the other remained clasped with hers. The burning woods around them vanished and an open field of gently swaying flowers replaced it, vibrant colors trailing as far as the eye could see. The brunette trudged along behind him as he led them through the field in a comfortable silence. Ochaco let her gaze sweep over the area in stunned awe. She'd never seen anything like it before and part of her almost didn't believe it could be real. Fingertips grazed over the petals expecting them to be silky soft yet her digits phased right through them like they were holograms. A frown tugged her lips downward when she tried to physically grab one, even going as far as to aggressively swat at the untouchable flora. Even trying to yank them out of the ground didn't work and the brunette scratched her head in confusion.
"Nothing here is real," Uraraka spoke softly as she slowed to a stop. Deku turned to give her a questioning look. "My hands go right through the flowers like they aren't real. It's all just a false illusion of peace, isn't it?"
"You're real," Now it was the brunette's turn to give her friend a weird look. He merely chuckled in amusement.
"How do you know that? This could all be a dream right now and you could be made up as well."
The green haired teen mulled it over for a moment. "True, but what I do know is that you need to wake up now, Uraraka. There are people waiting for you in the real world, myself included."
"What? That doesn't make any sense when you're right here, Deku." The flowers began dissolving into nothingness beneath her bare feet and Uraraka stumbled back. Deku remained rooted to the spot though the light around him began to darken, slowly swallowing him until only his hand remained locked with hers. Her fingers slipped through his and she reached out grab him only to grasp thin air.
"Wake up, Uraraka,"
Why was he telling her to wake up? Why did she need to wake up?
"Uraraka, please, wake up…"
Auburn eyes fluttered open with slow blinks as a bright light entered their line of sight. A few hard blinks was all it took for the light to disappear and Uraraka's surroundings started to clear up a bit. Her head lolled to the left and Recovery Girl immediately had her cold hands against her cheeks, tilting her head every which way in examination. Two fingers pressed firmly against her neck and the teen shivered at the frigidness against her hot skin.
"Are you conscious now, Uraraka? How many fingers am I holding up? You set the alarm off with a night terror, scared us all half to death. Focus your eyes on the light for me now." Chiyo flashed a light at Uraraka's eyes and the teen squinted at the brightness before turning her head away. Her body felt heavy and she was still disoriented from the hell she'd emerged from. The memory of it was beginning to dissipate with each shaky breath in. "I've given you a relaxant to calm you down a bit but we're going to have to closely monitor you from now on, child. I'm going to draw some more blood and check everything to make sure I didn't miss anything."
"Uraraka, are you okay?" The teen slowly turned her head towards the vaguely familiar voice, eyes widening in surprise as she saw Deku sitting to her right with his hands over hers. His expression was a mix of sheer panic and palpable relief, a sight that sent her heart into an irregular, painful rhythm especially when she noticed the tears pooling in his eyes. She took in a breath to respond when it finally occurred to her that a mask was covering her nose and mouth. With her left hand she tried to move it off when he beat her to it, gently lowering it from her face to rest against her neck. It was still fuzzy but she was nearly positive he was the reason her consciousness returned. Or it was all a hallucination but for now she'd stick with the former.
"De…ku…?" He nodded eagerly, giving her hand a light squeeze. "What happened?"
"A night terror triggered the alarm so Recovery Girl and Mr. Aizawa came rushing up here. I saw him sprinting towards the school and I had a bad feeling in my gut so I followed. You were completely unresponsive when we showed up."
"You'll be getting a strict lecture once this is all done and over with on disobeying a direct order from your teacher." Aizawa growled from the other side of the bed, his eyes narrowed at the problem child and Midoriya ducked his head sheepishly.
"She could use some support right now, Aizawa, so just relax a little bit. I've got everything under control right now so why don't you go report to Principal Nezu for me? I'm sure he's still caught up with the detective and All Might, not to mention all of those pesky press members swarming the gates right now demanding answers." Chiyo intervened sharply, even going as far as to poke and prod the disgruntled teacher with the end of her cane until he gave in.
"Fine, but you're still getting that lecture later, Midoriya, don't think you've gotten out of it." Eraser Head flashed his quirk in warning before exiting the infirmary. Chiyo snorted and remarked under her breath that he was always a sour old man. Uraraka stared at the door blankly. Her head was so foggy and it was difficult to even snap her attention back to reality.
"How," She started slowly, unsure of where her thought process was currently going as she tore her gaze back to her friend. "How long this time?"
"You've been out for almost an entire day now," Izuku supplied softly, carefully reading her expression for sudden changes. "You set the alarm off about thirty minutes ago just as we finished our training lesson in the gym. Are you feeling alright? Do you need anything?"
Uraraka shook her head before leaning back into the pillow tiredly. The memory of the horrors was fading away and becoming replaced with guilt and shame. She had worried them all so much by sending them into a panic with setting the alarm off suddenly. There was no recollection of it, no memory of even what happened yet those around her would have the scarring event seared into their minds. Deku was getting dragged further and further into her problem and she couldn't bear the thought of him continuing to blame himself for the injuries.
"Oh, the others wanted to know if there's anything you want brought to you," Deku brought up and Uraraka opened her eyes to stare at him. He held up his phone for her to see the group message, some of their friends continuously typing due to a slow response from the green haired teen.
"No outside food, snacks, or drinks Midoriya, she's on a limited diet until I'm comfortable with her condition." Recovery Girl interjected without looking away from her computer, fingers flying across the keys with expertise.
"Ah, of course, I'll let them know." Izuku replied before sending a text to the group, watching as his text bubble popped up. Instantly he was flooded with protests from a few, mainly Mina, but Ida fought back to regain control. Uraraka drifted her attention away from the now rapidly texting Deku down to the pins in her leg. They were thin, rounded metal sticks protruding through her skin in various sections in her thigh. While they weren't more than a few inches sticking upward what unnerved her the most was how many of the supports had been used. At least eight had been imbedded into her femur to help keep it straight and immobile during her time of healing. Her quirk generally prevented those types of injuries yet without the use of the life-saving ability the risk rose exponentially. Never in her life had Uraraka broken a bone but seeing as how she'd gone and gotten one of the worst types of breaks, according to Recovery Girl at least, it made her feel small and vulnerable, weak and useless. Was this how she was going to always feel now?
"Ochaco! Girlie! We brought some things to cheer you up!"
Mina burst through the door excitedly with her arms full of trinkets and goodies, a wide grin on her face. The rest of the girls followed suit, chattering excitedly. Recovery Girl pursed her lips at them but said nothing as she hopped down from her chair and excused herself from the room for a bit for some peace and quiet. Midoriya quickly found himself surrounded by the girls, the teen trying to shrink away from the rush.
"We're here to cheer you up, Ochaco, I hope you don't mind us barging in like this." Tsu said as she handed the brunette a small frog shaped origami she had created. "Hey, Midoriya."
"H-Hey, Tsu." Midoriya replied with a quick wave.
"Of course not," Ochaco gave a worn grin as she examined the small green ornament in awe. It was amazing the detail that went into folded paper. There was even a little baby frog on its mothers back! Tsu had always been so talented with origami.
"Midoriya, you seem to be constantly visiting our dear Ura by yourself. Any special reason for that?" Mina rounded on him quickly, a devious grin lighting up her face as he flushed bright red. The other girls snickered at his reaction, knowing smiles on their faces when he covered his face with one arm.
"I-I just wanted to make sure she was alright! If you'll excuse me I…I have something to do…w-way on the other side of campus so byeUrarakaI'llseeyoulater!" Deku squeaked out before quickly excusing himself from the room. Uraraka felt a bit bad for him but her classmates soon dragged her thoughts away from his retreating form.
"He's got it bad," Mina snickered loudly behind her hand until Toru whacked her arm lightly. "What? I'm never wrong with my love intuition!"
"So, how are you feeling? Recovery Girl and Mr. Aizawa haven't been keeping us totally up to date on your status." Toru pressed her gloves together anxiously, pushing her fingers together then releasing before repeating the process.
"I'm fine, definitely starting to get tired of not being able to move," Uraraka started slowly. Being immobile was the least of her concerns currently though they didn't need to be made aware of that yet. Deku wasn't supposed to know either but that was already said and done. He wouldn't tell another soul, that much she knew.
"We noticed Midoriya sprinting after Aizawa today, was there a reason for that? He never said anything and just chased after him." Jiro asked with a twirl of one of her jacks.
"Yeah, he was like in full panic mode once he saw Mr. Aizawa booking it. I know he still feels guilty about you getting injured so we were beginning to wonder if something happened to you." Tsu added in, the girls all nodding in agreement. "Cementoss blocked the corridor connecting to the infirmary and All Might ushered us back towards the dorms. It was rather odd both teachers turned us all away, even Ida couldn't reason with them. I wonder if Midoriya got in before they arrived. Eventually we snuck past though that was mostly All Might giving in and letting us go after a snack bribe."
"Oh sorry, I guess I had a night terror and it set an alarm off so Recovery Girl and Mr. Aizawa came running." Ochaco admitted with utter embarrassment, using the hand Deku held to rub against her nape. It still felt warm from his touch. "Apparently I wasn't responsive when they showed up so they might have assumed the worst."
"Dang, girl, we need to get you healed up quickly! Can't Recovery Girl just kiss you and fix you up?" Mina spun around on the stool she had found, abruptly stopping to look at her friend before spinning the opposite direction at full speed.
"My strength hasn't recovered enough for her quirk to be effective so I'm stuck healing the normal way."
"I can bring you a tea that is supposed to help with your immune system and overall wellbeing, maybe that will help you gain your strength back," Yaoyorozu offered. "I can have it shipped straight to the school right away though it may take a day or two since it comes from a rare fruit deep in the jungles of the Amazon. I have a supplier at the estate who may be able to find it sooner—"
"Why don't we just stick with some good old fashioned green tea," Mina interrupted with a dramatic stop of her spinning, arms crossed over her chest and a delicate finger pointing at the co-class rep.
"Recovery Girl might be okay with that since she's controlling what I eat and drink now."
"Ehhh? That's boring! I even brough you some mochi squares, your favorite! Oh, and a bunch of other snacks that you can just hide by floating them!" Mina excitedly tossed the pile of snacks onto the brunette. Uraraka flinched at the mention of using her quirk but quickly covered it up by picking up the mochi and pressing it to her face hungrily. Tsu tilted her head at the odd reaction but remained silent. The frog quirk holder could see through the act right away.
"Thank you! It's my favorite kind too."
"That isn't the last of the gifts either," Jiro piped up and they all looked at her expectantly. She pulled a box from her jacket pocket then presented it to the baffled brunette. "Your phone was damaged once we found you so everyone in the class pitched in and bought you a new one. It's already programmed with everyone's numbers and we even set the wallpaper. Bakugo ruined the photo but we just photoshopped a smile on his face. Here."
"I put some sick tunes on there as well! And lots of pictures of me to help motivate you!" Mina chirped happily.
Uraraka took the phone carefully and swiped her thumb up to unlock it, the touch screen sensation foreign as she only ever had a flip phone. There weren't any apps on the main screen so it revealed the class photo set as the wallpaper. Everyone was holding signs up wishing her a speedy recovery, smiles on their faces as they posed for the camera. Bakugo did indeed have a fake smile plastered on his face, the look comical to the brunette as it seemed so foreign for the pyromaniac. Even Mr. Aizawa was in there though he didn't seem to be super happy about it. "I don't know what to say…thank you."
"You're welcome, Ochaco. Now you can text us whenever you feel lonely. Classes start up again tomorrow but we'll come visit after they're over, alright?" Tsu hugged the teary eyed girl tightly, the others following suit and embracing their friend.
As soon as Recovery Girl returned an hour later the group dispersed for the evening, promising to check up on her the following day. Once the door shut Chiyo wandered up to the side of the bed, taking a heavy seat on the stool Mina had occupied. She started off asking about how the visit went, what snacks they brought in so she could regulate her intake of them, then switched to the usual medical questions. It wasn't until Ochaco answered every question that the old nurse let out a heavy sigh and looked at the teen with a despondent expression.
"Ochaco, we've been looking into the type of paralytic you were sprayed with and I'm afraid it's not looking good. Detective Tsukauchi pulled records of similar attacks and it appears those affected never recovered their quirks, even after receiving top notch medical care. There are some things we haven't tried yet but I'm afraid there may not be much more we can do after that, I'm sorry."
For nearly a week Uraraka denied visitors from entering the infirmary, even fighting against Chiyo's suggestion that it would do her good to stay sociable during the long recovery. Multiple times an hour her new phone would go off yet it remained untouched on the table next to her. What little hope for her quirk returning had died out days ago when the news was broken to her. Principal Nezu swung by once more to inform her the villain that had caused her injury had been apprehended and jailed pending charges from U.A. and the police. Mr. Aizawa had tagged along as well, staying silent while his employer went over all of the details with his student. Uraraka remained mute throughout with quiet responses here and there to any questions asked, gaze averted off to the side. Chiyo followed them both outside of the infirmary for a private conversation, leaving the brunette to mull over her thoughts.
Ochaco stared numbly out of the window by her bed. She had zoned out for most of the conversation from Principal Nezu but the news that the villain who attacked her specifically had been arrested stood out. According to him it was an attack unrelated to the League directly, it was more of a show so they would notice them and move them into their rankings. They didn't know much about the machine they used as it wasn't theirs to begin with; it had been stolen off of a truck they hijacked after it left a factory about a month ago. The school and police were busy trying to track down the stolen cargo in hopes it would lead to the source of the quirk paralytic but no leads had popped up so far. Nothing they said really mattered anymore; Uraraka had lost any hope of getting her quirk back the moment Recovery Girl mentioned it.
The door clattered open once more though the brunette paid it no heed, instead closing her eyes in an attempt to quell the thoughts plaguing her. A chair screeched quietly beside her and the sound of someone settling into it reached her ears. Whoever it was remained silent, either respecting the fact that she was trying to sleep or just waiting for her to notice. The clock on the wall slowly ticked countless times before Uraraka finally gave up on sleep and opened her eyes to see who was there. Deku sat hunched over with his head in his hands, fingers tangling into messy green locks. She tilted her head to get a better view when something falling onto his lap caught her attention. He was crying. Over what? Her? The teachers wouldn't have told him anything without consulting her first so did something happen? With her tube covered hand Ochaco reached out and lightly rested it over his. Izuku didn't move for a minute and the brunette took that as a sign to just wait and let him figure things out at his pace.
"I…accidentally overhear the teachers…about your quirk…" He started lowly with a scratchy voice. "About how they can't…that there isn't…"
Uraraka bit down hard on her lip to stop herself from letting out a strangled sob. The tangy taste of blood entered her mouth but she didn't care as her hand slipped from his and hit the bed heavily. Tears poured down her cheeks, soaking into the gown adorning her body while her chest tightened considerably. He wasn't supposed to find out that part. With all of the guilt still residing within him this would have been the final blow to his morale and mental strength. Now that he'd overheard, no doubt on his way to try and check on her, there was no fixing this. She would need to leave the school, leave her friends behind so they could continue their journey to become top heroes.
"It's not your fault, Deku, don't blame yourself. I did it to protect everyone and my quirk was the ultimate sacrifice." Uraraka warbled out and Deku finally raised his head from his hands. Agonized virescent locked onto shattered auburn and the amount of grief passed between them created a heaviness in the air.
"Uraraka—"
"Stop." The brunette bit out a tad harshly, noting the way he flinched at her sudden change in tone, watery eyes going wide. "I will never blame you for this, Deku, I wanted to protect you and the others. Dwelling on it does nothing but drag you down on you path to become the number one hero. Feeling guilty won't bring my quirk back neither will trying to fix anything. It's gone and the chance of it coming back is slim to none so it's best to just forget about it. How many times have you sacrificed yourself for the sake of everyone else? How many times did you suffer injuries just to ensure citizens were safe? You have an amazing power, Deku, and you can continue to use it for the sake of others even if I can no longer do the same. If you were in All Might's position right now, what would you do; sit around and be dragged down when people need heroes or would you go back out there, give it one hundred percent all while giving a smile?"
Izuku gaped at her speechlessly, floundering his mouth open and closed a few times until he finally swallowed heavily. Uraraka was right; sitting around grieving over her loss of quirk wouldn't help anyone but at the same time she was his friend, one of his very first real friends, and he wanted to be there for her no matter what. She had pushed him so many times, encouraged him more instances than he could count, and had even saved him when his powers lost control during the battle with class 1-B. Now she was trying to do the same again despite heavy injuries and losing her quirk. It made his chest tighten painfully. Uraraka was proving her relentless strength once again while he was slipping further and further behind.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have snapped like that." Ochaco said quietly as she shakily swiped at the tears still falling down her cheeks with more instantly replacing them. She gave up and let them fall but kept her watery gaze down.
"N-no, you're right, you don't need to apologize. I didn't mean to overhear the teachers I just…I'm…we're all worried about you, Uraraka, and you can always rely on us. We're in this together, aren't we?" Deku asked hopefully with a small sniffle. Even he was having a hard time stopping the flow of tears.
The brunette nodded quickly with averted eyes. She was getting weary of delving deeper into the problem at hand between Deku, her classmates and the teachers. Detective Tsukauchi checked in every other day with updates or to ask more detailed information regarding the attack so the memory always stayed fresh on the mind. Were her parents ever notified or did they find out through the news channels giving their reports? Maybe she should call them at some point when she was truly alone.
"What's today gonna be?" A voice boomed into the room startling them both, Deku literally falling over with his chair and Uraraka jerking her bad leg upward. The brunette clamped her hands over her mouth as the pain forced the breath straight from her lungs, expression agonized before falling blank as her soul began detaching from her body. Deku scrambled from the floor in a panic to latch onto the departing soul and keep it from floating away. He quickly shoved it back down then fretted over the brunette as she took in a sharp breath, hands grasping at her chest out of sheer pain and terror.
"I told you not to do that!" Aizawa smacked Mirio upside the head as he entered behind the third year with a heavy scowl. "She's still severely injured, take that into account next time before you throw open a door and yell like an idiot."
"Ahahah, sorry, sorry, that was my bad." Mirio flapped a hand at the pro before turning his attention to the first year students staring wide-eyed at him. "Yo, Midoriya! And uh...what was your name again, miss?"
"Ochaco Uraraka." Aizawa shook his head before grabbing a chair and sitting backwards in it at the end of the bed. Maybe this was a bad idea. The thought behind it was to encourage his student to not give up on her quirk returning, but Mirio was often a bit too spirited in everything he did.
"Right, right. Sorry about the entrance I was kinda careless about it." Mirio apologized to the brunette with a sharp bow. Uraraka let her head fall back against the pillows with a trembling breath out. Forget about sleep, now she was more alert than she had ever been, heart racing a hundred miles an hour. Well, beats per minute.
"Mirio, what are you doing here? I didn't expect you would come visit Uraraka." Deku resumed his seat once more on the opposite side of the bed though he kept a closer watch on the monitor hooked up to his friend. Her heart rate had skyrocketed causing the screen to flash the triple digit number warningly. His hand began reaching for hers in silent support but stopped before simply clasping the other one and setting them against his lap. Considering Mirio was here along with Aizawa meant it was going to be a more serious conversation that required their full attention.
"Mr. Aizawa asked me to come see you to try and help you through your problem. He told me the gist of it so I'm assuming Midoriya knows what's going on as well if he's here, right?" Izuku gave a nod of confirmation and Mirio continued. "I can understand how it must feel to not have your quirk, it's like an endless deep ache that you can't get rid of. We were born with these incredible gifts yet as soon as they're gone we feel helpless and useless. I'm more adjusted to it now since I've had a few months to get used to the emptiness though you've only just recently lost the ability to utilize your quirk. Add on the fact that you were severely injured and it makes for a double whammy."
"You've stayed positive this entire time, Mirio, yet all I can think of is how useless I've become as a hero. I couldn't even protect my friends from the explosion while you still had the strength to save Eri against Overhaul even when quirkless." Ochaco spoke lowly while keeping her gaze on the sparsely patterned infirmary blanket. "I don't even have the strength to be healed by Recovery Girl so I'm stuck sitting around all day medicated while my classmates continue on their paths to become heroes."
"I don't expect you to feel any different, Uraraka, because you're still entering the world as a new hero. I've had years to adapt and strengthen my body and mind just to keep smiling through it all. I'm not saying it was easy by any means, but the path to becoming a hero isn't a casual one to take. You've gotta not only prepare yourself physically, emotionally, and mentally but trying to balance all three can be tricky when curveballs are thrown at you. The best thing to do is keep your head up even if you can't muster a smile."
"I told you all what it takes to be a hero, what it entails, but there's no amount of words to explain what to do when you suddenly lose all hope of continuing down that path. We're still working on tracing the paralytic back to the main source but it could take weeks if not longer to find it. The best thing for you to do now is to stay within the walls of U.A. to get healed up. It'll be much safer than trying to leave the school, right?" Aizawa hit the nail on the head as Uraraka stiffened up at the mention of it, chestnut locks shifting as she looked up at him. How did he…?
"You…thought about leaving the school?" Izuku asked nervously while straightening up in the chair.
"Deku…it's not…I figured…" Ochaco stumbled over her words as she looked at him feeling like a cornered animal. The monitor began flashing once more as her heart rate jumped from panic and Aizawa raised his hand to catch her attention. She was too on edge to try and converse with so it would be best to take the two trouble makers and head out. He could already hear the scolding from Chiyo.
"Take it easy, Uraraka, no one here is trying to make you feel like you're trapped. I was going off a hunch about you wanting to leave. I'll have Recovery Girl give you something to help you relax more. We can discuss things later when you're ready to talk. Let's go you two. Midoriya, you've got a lecture to sit through and you may as well join him for your carelessness, Mirio."
"One more bit of advice, Uraraka," Mirio turned his attention back to the brunette with his usual smile on his face. "All may seem lost right now, but just remember you're not alone in this fight so feel free to depend on those who are supporting you from behind. They may very well be the ones to save you from giving up on your dream of becoming a hero. It'll be hard but try your best to keep smiling!"
Aizawa dragged the two out by the backs of their collars leaving Uraraka in silence yet again. She sunk her head back into her pillows with a defeated sigh. Nothing was going to plan regarding telling her friends what was really going on and now Mirio was involved but she could understand why Mr. Aizawa brought him in. He was still taking a break from being a hero after having his quirk blocked but he remained a lot more optimistic about the outcome. Deku, though trying to keep a brave face, was torn up about her quirk not coming back and Uraraka didn't know what to do about it. She wasn't planning on telling anyone that there was now no hope yet fate decided to punish the brunette even more. A frown tugged at her lips. Was this punishment for something she did? Had she been too selfish in her stride towards becoming a hero that she strayed from where the path really was? Or was it because she didn't have the heart to confide in her friends about the inner turmoil tearing up her insides? True, she hadn't told them everything that was currently going on but she was still trying to digest it herself. Auburn eyes darted over to the phone still resting on the end table beside her bed. Being hospitalized gave her plenty of time to figure things out and since she was more than awake and clear-minded, Ochaco reached for the phone and dialed a familiar number.
"Mom?"
"You should be good to go now, Ochaco, but you'll have to stay on the crutches for at least another week to ensure the bone stays lined up and heals properly until your next session. Limited physical activity, ice it before bed to keep swelling down, come back to me if you need any more pain pills. Aizawa and the other teachers will be keeping an eye on you and reporting back to me if you do something against my rules. Understand?" Chiyo directed at Ochaco with a stern look. The teen nodded while trying to awkwardly adjust the cushion of the crutches to a more comfortable spot under her arms. It had taken another week of rest and recovery before Recovery Girl could make some progress on her leg, the pins having been removed a few days ago in another surgery. "Good. You've still got a long ways to go but just don't forget you're alone in this struggle. Now go on, I've got a bunch of discharge paperwork to complete."
"Thank you, Recovery Girl, for everything." Ochaco gave a short bow of her head before fumbling with the crutches and slowly making her way into the hallway. The nurse just smiled and waved her off. The girl had gone through her ups and downs, but now it appeared her will had strengthened once more. The journey to heal was no walk in the park, but with her friends behind her there was no doubt she would overcome her fears and become an even stronger hero.
Uraraka slowly clacked her way down the barren hallway deep in thought. It had taken time and a lot of self-doubt before she realized what she needed the most. Her friends never wavered in their strength to keep her standing and for that she was thankful, even if she still had yet to tell them the entire truth. Her mother had suggested being open with them not only to be honest, but to help strengthen their bond as friends and heroes. It wouldn't be an easy conversation to have with them though the brunette felt it was finally time to tell them after last week's conversation with Mirio. Deku had been true to his word and brought notes for the finals prep and even offered to help her go over anything she didn't understand. An amused huff left her lips at the memory. He didn't seem to realize every small gesture towards her just made her fall that much deeper into love with him. Maybe one day she would tell him, after he'd become the number one hero in Japan, but for now she was content with spending every possible moment with him.
"Miss Uraraka, Recovery Girl finally released you from the infirmary?"
All Might popped out from the teachers' lounge to see the brunette making her way down the hallway on crutches. Uraraka blinked her thoughts away as her teacher walked towards her with a relieved grin. "Oh, All Might, I didn't see you there. She just released me a few minutes ago so I was going to head back to the dorms."
"It's a relief to hear you're doing better. I know young Midoriya has been worried about you every waking moment," The former pro chuckled as she flushed red and looked away. "Though I feel he's still blaming himself for your injuries."
"I've told him it wasn't his fault but I know he still harbors some guilt over my quirk being gone. I didn't realize he overheard the other teachers talking about it so that made it worse I think. He's trying to stay positive for my sake but I can tell it's eating at him constantly." Uraraka said with a frown.
"It'll take some time for him to process everything, though I'm positive he's already looking into way of reversing it. He even asked me if I knew anything about the factory where it was stolen from but that's a secret between us."
"Really?" All Might nodded.
"On some level he can relate since his quirk arrived much later in life than normal and we both know he'd do anything for his friends, so I'm sure he's already gotten some information at least. Does he know you were released?"
"No, I haven't texted anyone yet since I'm too scared to try and take my phone out while using these things," Uraraka admitted sheepishly and All Might merely laughed. She had a bag resting on her back that had all of the snacks, personal items, and even medication that she was supposed to take with her everywhere. Unfortunately, her phone was lodged somewhere in the depths and out of her immediate reach.
"He should be showing up any minute so I can have a chat with him, but why don't you see if he'll help you back to the dorms? Our meeting can be delayed a day or two, no worries. It was nothing important anyways. I'd rather someone be with you on your journey back. I've been on crutches before, it gets tiring to use them."
"I-if you're sure…" Uraraka shifted uncomfortably on the crutches while trying to adjust her one good leg better on the floor. "How do people get around on these things? They're so uncomfortable!"
"You can always try to tape some towels around the cushion to help, but unfortunately there isn't much more you can do to make them comfortable. I've used them before and you never can get used to them, but it helps to push with your arms instead of leaning on the cushions for support. Ah, there he is early as usual." All Might pointed towards the end of the hallway.
Izuku was busy skimming through a notebook and muttering as his eyes darted across the pages rapidly, a hand to his mouth. All Might shook his head with an oh well gesture and Uraraka stifled a laugh. Ever the muttering nerd. It wasn't until he stopped within a few feet of them both that he finally looked up. He looked at All Might first with a puzzled look then towards where his mentor was pointing to his right. Uraraka spit out a laugh as the teen rapidly glanced between the two with a look of disbelief.
"What kind of reaction is that?" Uraraka laughed as Deku flung his notebook backwards in surprise before backing up against the wall with wide eyes.
"U-U-Uraraka! Y-you…you're, I mean when—"
"I just got released a few minutes ago, sorry for not telling you, Deku. I couldn't figure out how to text while using these things." Ochaco grinned widely at his reaction. It was good to see him again.
"Young Midoriya, why don't you help your friend back to the dorms? We can have our meeting another day. Take care you two and have fun!" All Might flapped his hand at them before heading the direction Uraraka had come from, hands in his pockets whilst whistling a cheerful tune.
"A-are you okay now? I mean, what about your leg? Shouldn't you still be resting right now?" Deku snapped from his surprised stupor and picked up his hastily discarded notebook before turning to her.
"I'm on limited physical activity and I still have to report to Recovery Girl at least twice a week, but I can eat whatever I want now! Oh, I still haven't eaten my mochi square so those are first! Tsu said she was hanging onto them in her room so I'll have to get them from her. You'll really like them, Deku, they're the best things ever! I actually lost about ten pounds while being hospitalized so I need to gain some of it back and then start on working out again." Uraraka started ranting about all of the foods she wanted to eat now that she was free from the restrictive diet.
"I could use a snack before training tonight so…why don't I treat you for being released? T-to celebrate! Your release!" Izuku offered then quickly waved his hands with rutilant cheeks and Ochaco chuckled at his reaction. He was so adorable and innocent.
"Sure! I'll never turn down free food!"
The two made their way through the school at a crawl, often stopping for short breaks when the brunette was growing tired of walking on one leg. Deku offered to just carry her when she got tired but Ochaco refused, stating she needed to gain some strength back in her leg after being stationary for so long despite the tempting offer. Eventually they made it to the nearest vending machine by the training stadium and Ochaco flopped down heavily onto the wooden bench with an audible sigh. She set the crutches to the side while Izuku went to get them snacks and drinks. Her good leg was burning from the activity while the other was aching from the recent surgery. There were small, nearly invisible scars from the rods but in a certain light they illuminated brightly to remind her of the haunting memories. It was a gamble every night she slept on whether or not it would be a nightmare though it seemed most often to be the case. The same scene of the bus exploding over and over as her friends were caught up in the aftershock. Some versions had her classmates meet their demise while often it was of Deku dying as he tried to save her. Those ones always woke her in a panic, the sheets drenched as she hyperventilated in the dark infirmary.
"Here, they didn't have any mochi but I figured a sweet bun was close enough." Izuku held out the treats to her with a smile.
"You're the best, Deku! Thank you!" Ochaco beamed before taking the bun and ripping open the package to sink her teeth into the sweet treat. It was heaven after the strict diet Recovery Girl enforced upon her. "So what's the training look like for tonight? Is it more power moves or teamwork exercises?"
"Mr. Aizawa wants us to go against someone opposite of our quirk strengths; Aoyama might be up against Ojiro, Kaachan against Tokoyami would be a good match up, Tsu against Sato and so on. He wants us to learn to adapt to opposite quirk users to strengthen our areas of weakness during battles." Deku explained excitedly.
"I wonder who I'd be paired with," Uraraka hummed as she crumpled up her empty wrapper before reaching to grab the green tea sitting beside her.
"I would guess someone who has either a strength quirk or someone who uses long distance attacks, so maybe a heavy power type. Since you can use your quirk to float away from an enemy going against one of those types would be a disadvantage for you since they could strong arm you back to the ground. Of course with your upgraded braces it would be a challenge for your opponent because they would have to move fast enough to react to your extended range of movement."
"Why don't I fight you, Deku?"
"Eh?" Deku looked at her in a surprised stupor, clearly not expecting the question.
"Well, you're a power type and your quirk is pretty powerful, right? So we can test the theory of opposite quirks together!" The brunette clenched her fists together excitedly in front of her with a determined expression. Deku's expression went from surprised to unsure before finally settling on a slightly concerned one.
"U-Uraraka, what about…"
"Oh, right…forgot about that little problem," Uraraka unclenched her fists and stared at the smooth, raised pads lining her fingertips. They looked so out of place now that her quirk wasn't working and the smile slipped into a neutral thin line. "It still feels a little weird to not have it, but it's a bit funny if you think about it. I had lost control of my power multiple times before losing it completely so maybe it's my fault that it's gone for good now. Maybe I've forgotten what it really means to be a hero or maybe I'm just not meant for this path anymore, Deku."
"What…are you talking about?" Izuku looked at her with a slurry of emotions, brows knitted together in confusion. It wasn't like Uraraka to be so down like this, the normally bubbly teen only ever worried about saving money. Something had changed within her and it gnawed at him sharply.
"It's nothing, don't worry about it. I'm just going on a weird ramble again," Ochaco shook her head in the process of grabbing her crutches once more. "You should probably head into the training center so you're not late. It looks like everyone else is just now getting there. Thank you for the treat…and for always being there for me, Deku."
"Uraraka—" Izuku jumped to his feet with a hand reaching towards her, the appendage suddenly jerking to a stop when auburn met emerald. A reassuring smile tugged at her lips before she turned and began making her way towards the dorms. His arm dropped to his side and his fingers curled up tightly. Uraraka was suffering beneath the surface of faking okay, her eyes telling him everything he needed to know about how she was truly feeling. With her quirk gone she no longer felt the pathway to becoming a hero was an option. While her martial arts skills were impressive, they weren't enough to qualify her as a hero out in the fields. It didn't matter what he said in an attempt to console her, it was her final decision in the end regarding her choices but…why did it feel as if she were about to completely disappear from his life?
Ochaco stopped to rest on the bench outside of the dorms slightly out of breath. It wasn't intentional to slip on her emotions like that when he was already worried sick but she couldn't help it. Every waking moment she tried to forget she was now a normal human being without a quirk while her friends continued to grow stronger each and every day, leaving her behind in their quests to become top heroes with their amazing abilities. One of the crutches slipped off of the bench and she swiped her hand out to grab it only to miss, the metal contraption thumping into the dirt softly. Grief bubbled up within her and Uraraka threw the other one with as much force as she could with a scream. How was she supposed to sit around and do nothing all day? Here she was hobbling around on damn crutches while everyone else was training hard, pushing themselves to the limit each day. What was she even doing here? There was no point in her even being at U.A. in the heroes course if she couldn't even be one. It was every child's dream to be a hero and use their quirks to help those who needed it most and that dream had shattered in the matter of seconds because of those villains.
Ochaco clenched her fists tightly and pressed the base of her palms against her eyes as the tears poured down her cheeks. Would any of this had happened if she'd just told him how she felt weeks ago? Would she still be quirkless and could she have lost her best friend in the process? Deku didn't have time for petty relationships dragging him down as he rose to the top and there was no point in revealing her feelings for him. Did he even feel the same way? Was he just showing all of that concern because they were friends? There was no chance of having a relationship with how busy things were getting with school and internships with pro hero agencies. A breeze picked up and Ochaco ran her fingers upwards through her hair, watery eyes staring at the blurred training building visible from the dorms. They were all probably busy training themselves to be stronger, faster, tougher. Some honing their special attacks while others aimed to up their defenses. Deku was probably strengthening his offense or working to be faster, no doubt putting extra effort into his powerful kicks since his arms aren't able to handle the strength of his attacks. With how he trained it would take no time at all before he reached the top of the charts…and out of her reach.
"Uraraka!"
The brunette slowly blinked and turned her head towards the source, swiping hastily at dewy eyes to clear her vision. Green locks caught her attention immediately and she felt a flash of panic across her chest. Wasn't he supposed to be training right now? Did something go wrong at the stadium? He quickly sprinted towards her with a sense of urgency, calling out to her once more as he drew near.
"D-Deku…? Is something wrong at the stadium? What's happening?" The brunette asked in alarm as he stumbled to a stop in front of her, doubled over trying to catch his breath. He shook his head before looking at her. Tears were brimming in his eyes and before she could ask what was wrong he dropped to one knee to engulf her in a hug. Auburn orbs widened in astonishment as she was pulled tightly against him and her heart kicked off on a fast pace, nearly matching Deku's own pounding chest.
"I'm sorry, I should've seen how much you were suffering sooner." His voice was rough with emotion as he spoke lowly just past her ear and she felt the tears beginning to slip afresh uncontrollably. "I don't know what to say or do to help you, but I won't let you think you're alone in this struggle. Feel free to lean on me any time you need to. You're always there for me, pushing me to become stronger and better as a person and hero when you're the one who needs saving. Don't worry, Uraraka, I'm here now."
"I…" Ochaco choked out as her arms slowly lifted to slide around his torso, trembling fingers digging into his shirt tightly. Her face dropped onto his shoulder as sobs wracked her chest painfully. "I'm sorry…"
"Don't be, you haven't done anything wrong, Uraraka." Deku shook his head lightly against hers, their hair strands intermingling as his own tears plopped softly onto the bench beneath them causing the worn wood to darken sporadically. He should've noticed sooner, should've tried harder to be there for her. He knew what it was like to feel weak and helpless, nearly sixteen years of his life without a quirk. But for others, it was like losing their whole word in an instant.
"I pushed everyone away because I'm afraid," The brunette croaked hoarsely against his soaked shoulder. "Afraid that I'm nothing more than a hinderance without a quirk, that I'll just drag everyone including you down. I have no purpose here at U.A. anymore, Deku, my career as a hero is done and over with."
"You can't give up yet, not after you've pushed all of us to be better people and heroes. There's always a chance that your quirk will come back."
"Even if it does…I won't have the confidence to fight villains anymore thanks to the attack, I still have nightmares about that night…" Ochaco reluctantly pulled back from the comforting embrace to look him straight in the eyes. His scrunched expression was blurry through her tears and she roughly swiped at them with the back of a hand.
"You're not alone anymore, please let us help you. I don't want to lose you, Uraraka, we're friends aren't we? The others are worried about you just as much as I am and we'll do anything we can to help you get back on your feet. What would All Might do in a situation like this?" Izuku shifted his hand to rest against hers carefully. It always made his heart race to touch a girls hands, let alone Uraraka's, yet he didn't know how else to comfort her. She let out a small, crackled laugh at his words and eased some of the tension in her hands.
"That's dirty to use my own words against me, Deku," Ochaco sniffled yet the tiniest of smiles tugged at her lips while he gave a watery grin.
"I'm not too good at consoling people so I figured if it worked for me it would have an effect on you. Will you let us help you?" Izuku asked hopefully as Ochaco hesitated, chewing on her bottom lip unsurely. "All of us will work with you on ways to build your strength back up and we'll dig further into the paralytic you were sprayed with so your quirk can be recovered. There's still hope, Uraraka. There's always hope in the bleakest of situations."
"I—"
"Uraraka! You didn't tell us you were released, girlie! Midoriya, were you in on this?! How many secret lover things are you keeping from us?" Mina interrupted their conversation loudly and the two looked over to see the entire class making their way over to the duo at a full sprint. Uraraka slipped both hands from under Deku's to wipe her face off with the sleeves of her shirt. It was bad enough to be seen a hot, crying mess, but throwing on a hand holding session in front of the whole class? Ochaco knew it was just how he showed support and comfort despite it being a new occurrence since her injury. If her mind wasn't in such a tizzy she'd fluster at the contact.
"Midoriya, what's going on? You never showed up for training and All Might said you were helping Uraraka back to the dorms when we passed him. Is everything alright?" Ida asked intensely as he glanced between the two, noting their tear stained faces and watery gazes. "Did something happen? Why are you two crying? Are you in pain, Uraraka?"
"Ochaco?" Tsu asked gently as she laid a hand gently on the brunette's shoulder, eyes brimming with unshed tears of concern. "What's wrong? You can always talk to us, you know. We're all teammates."
"She's right! Whatever you're going through we'll help you out!" Jiro interjected with worry.
"Was it Mineta again?" Sero asked, earning himself an indignant huff from the short hero.
"I didn't do anything, honest!"
"Ochaco, we're here for you so don't worry about feeling like a nuisance to us, let us know what's going on so we can help you out." Kirishima wailed out as he pleaded alongside his friends, manly tears forming in his eyes.
Ochaco looked between the concern and scared faces of her classmates and let out a shaky sigh, closing her eyes to push the last of the loose tears out. It seemed it was now or never to let them all know. With Deku supporting her she took in a deep breath before looking at her friends with resolve. "We all need to have a chat tonight."
Eraser Head crouched atop an old warehouse building with his goggles resting loosely around his neck, eyes scanning the dark and dilapidated area slowly. A tip had finally come in about a factory producing the paralytic so he and a few other pros were sent out to scout the area. It was himself, Midnight, and Hawks who were sent out to investigate the lead, their orders to apprehend any villain or civilians working with the toxic material. The mission overall was more covert to avoid raising suspicions of the media and the League which is why only the three pros were sent for their stealth expertise. Midnight swung her legs over the edge of the roof they were residing on as she settled next to her fellow educator.
"What are you thinking, Eraser? It seems like the perfect place to run a dirty operation without raising any suspicions. This place has been abandoned for the past few years so no one would look twice at the area. No citizens living nearby, deep in the mountains, only one accessible road. Maybe the occasional lost travelers but otherwise it's a golden base." Midnight glanced at Eraser Head, slender fingers pushing back the deep wine locks tickling her cheek. The man was even more stoic and on edge than she'd ever seen and it all had to do with his student.
"Would seem like an ideal location but until we can gather more information it's nothing more than a hunch led by an anonymous tip. Hawks should almost be done scouting the area for any incoming vehicles or movements among the compound." Eraser Head kept his gaze on one building in particular, one just off centered from the main building. To the normal eye it appeared as just a regular rundown warehouse, but to his trained sight it showed signs of being recently occupied. The main door was shut while the others were cracked or even fully open to reveal the dark innards. When they had been jumping from roof to roof he'd noticed it had no broken or cracked windows, the glass covered from the inside with curtains or light blockers. Something suspicious was definitely going on in the compound and he was going to find out what it was even if he had to tear every single warehouse apart.
"Got two trucks headed up the road, transport vehicles for sure. Two visible occupants in each one." Hawks radioed in and both pros turned their attention to the road leading to the compound. "ETA about five minutes at the speed they're travelling. I'll keep eyes in the skies, over and out."
"I meant to ask how your student is doing. I heard it was a pretty traumatic injury caused by a villain. The news stations are clambering over each other just to get the first scoop plastered on the front page." Midnight suddenly brought up the topic much to Aizawa's immediate displeasure. "Oh, don't give me that scowl of yours, Shota, just because she's your student doesn't mean the rest of us can't be worried. How is she?"
"You're asking this now?" He grumbled in annoyance. "We have a mission to focus on, we can talk about that later."
"You know why I'm bringing it up, Shota. You've got a personal reason for being on this mission because it was your student that got injured on that trip. I want to make sure you aren't going to lose your cool because of that." Nemuri added the last part softly, tearing her vibrant cerulean orbs from the road to look at her former schoolmate. He was never the emotional type, especially since Oboro died during their time at U.A., but the man had grown a soft spot for this year's students. It was almost adorable save for the fact he'd expelled last years class without hesitation.
"I can leave my personal feelings out of a fight, Nemuri, we're both aware of that."
"Yes, yes. Tall, dark, broody Shota has the personality of a sour kumquat when it comes to battle," Shota shot her a dirty look but Midnight merely dismissed it with a wave of her shackled hand. "But this wasn't an ordinary attack either. Whoever is running this business could wipe out dozens, if not hundreds, of heroes and it needs to be stopped before anyone else is injured. Has there been any headway on reversing the effects? I know Recovery Girl mentioned there wasn't really anything else to do about it, but I'm sure if we can break down the components of the paralytic then we should be able to create a reverse serum that will reactivate Uraraka's quirk. I can't begin to imagine how the poor girl feels."
Eraser leaned back on his haunches and rolled his head towards Midnight with a sigh. There was no getting her to shut up until she got what she wanted. "The break in her leg was severe enough that even Recovery Girl had to place pins in the bone to keep them straight since she couldn't use her quirk to heal her. The paralytic sapped any energy Uraraka had so she's been hospitalized for a few weeks and was just released earlier today on crutches with added guidelines. It's torn her down pretty good, but Midoriya seems to be sticking by her side and keeping an eye on her. He's still blaming himself for her injuries but there wasn't anything anyone could've done at the time. If the machine hadn't been stopped by Uraraka then things would have turned out a lot worse. She gave us the opening we needed yet took the most damage in return."
"Oh, Midoriya is staying by her side? How romantic! I just love young love it gives me such chills—!" Midnight trilled with her arms wrapped around her upper torso as her tongue traced over her canines excitedly.
"Focus, the trucks are coming into the compound!" Eraser Head hissed before grabbing onto a layer of his scarf and pulling up his goggles.
Headlights illuminated the dark roads as two trucks came around the mountainside curve, engines rumbling loudly in the silent night. They slowed to a crawl as one of the riders got out to open the chain link fence blocking off the compound, then driving towards the centered warehouse. Hawks lowered his scouting height to keep a better eye on the movement, sharp eyes scanning the shadows for more accomplices. So far it looked to be just the four men but a tingling in his wings told him otherwise. Activity was beginning to stir up in the building they suspected as the main supply house, the feather he'd planted in the roof picking up increased vibrations. The trucks parked outside of the main building and the other three men got out, waiting for the fourth before heading towards the depot.
"Oi, you sure we weren't followed, Jenson? I don't wanna deal with anymore freakshows popping up outta nowhere to rob the cargo again. Lost a few years off my life for that one." One man gruffed to the other leading the group in between buildings.
"Positive. No one ever comes up here unless they're stupid or lost, sometimes both. We made diversion trucks to lure any watching eyes far away from the mountains so relax already. We've gotta get these next loads to the boss or he's gonna have all of our necks." Jenson replied lightly, his demeanor calm and relaxed as he swiped his thumb across his neck.
"Yeah, Daiko, quit being a pansy about these delivery jobs or you're gonna end up whacked." A man threw his arm over the shoulders of the wary one, knuckling his head lightly. "We get a job, we move and deliver the shit, we get paid and go home. Easiest job in the world! Robberies are common in this line of work but that's why we got special vials of that paralytic stuff to shoot any quirked freak who tries to mess with us."
"Shouldn't we be more careful with that stuff? Isn't it a permanent quirk eraser, Taron?" The fourth man asked uneasily, fidgeting with his hands in front of him. He appeared to be the newest of the batch judging by his jumpy movements and obvious fear of what they were transporting.
"From what I know, it's a short term paralytic that eventually returns the quirk but who knows the timing with that. According to the news, the last guy I shot took a few months before his quirk returned, but at that point he was so mentally fucked up he ended taking his life shortly after because he couldn't handle it again. Fucked up stuff so don't drop it. Probably toxic to us too." Taron shrugged before releasing the man named Daiko with a playful push.
"So it's not permanent, at least that's a relief." Midnight muttered behind her hand. "But we can't let this stuff hit the streets or it'll cause a massive uprising in villains attacking if the heroes are down."
"Activity picking up inside the depot where they're headed. Looks like you were right, Eraser Head, that's where their main operations are at. Let's wait until they're in the building before we swoop in and knock them out. Midnight?"
"Already on it, Hawks." Midnight deftly leapt from the rooftop to sneak into the depot before the men shut the door behind them.
"Hawks, keep an eye on the area and report anything suspicious. I'm going in to help her." Eraser Head relayed before taking off at a sprint, leaping to the next rooftop with ease.
"Roger."
The door to the depot groaned open and the men filed into the glowing room with little apprehension. Massive vats of neon purple lined the walls, burbling and mixing the substance like clockwork with slow agitation. Barrels upon barrels were stacked and ready to be loaded onto the waiting vehicles just inside of the doors, a bright hazard warning label adorning the front of the red containers. Midnight silently slid along the wall to keep an eye on the men, fingers at the ready to tear her suit wide open. Doing it too soon could cause them to lose critical information regarding the toxin, a risk they couldn't take with one of the students affected by it.
"Gentlemen, you're late." A cold voice rang sharply over the burbling liquids and the group stopped short and quickly bowed deeply to a person just out of sight for Midnight. "This is very delicate material that needs to be transported soon after it's removed from the vat. Did I not tell you that last time, Jenson? Surely you must have informed your two new lackies about punctuality."
"F-Forgive me, Mr. Hojo, after the last shipment was stolen we had to take extra precautions regarding safety. Diversion trucks were used—"
A gunshot rang out forcing Midnight to stifle her movements, eyes watching as the nervous newcomer fell to the ground in agony. Blood pooled from the wound on his shoulder as he screamed out incoherently. Movement up above caught her attention so she looked up to see Eraser Head signaling that he was inside and ready. Midnight nodded before slicing through her outfit sleeve to release a small amount of mist that was nearly undetectable at her range. It wasn't enough for them to fully fall asleep but it was more than adequate to make them drowsy and sluggish without becoming aware. There were enough toxins in this building to thicken the air so it was unlikely they would realize what was going on before their takedowns.
"I don't want excuses, Jenson, I want progress. These are to be delivered to the wharf outside of Tokyo so they can be shipped overseas. I want them there by tomorrow night is that understood?" Mr. Hojo outlined the threat clearly in his voice.
"Y-yes, sir!" Jenson stuttered out before turning and barking at the men to start grabbing barrels. Daiko grabbed the wounded man, shifting him up and onto his shoulder before making his way to the doors.
Midnight increased her output of the sleep-inducing aroma to prevent the men from leaving the warehouse with any barrels. With her whip at her side the pro slowly walked in between the giant glass containers, heels clicking loudly against the concrete floors. "My, my, what have we got going on here boys? Seems like a party I didn't get an invite to."
"W-what? Who are…you…" Daiko slurred while stumbling sideways as sleep threatened to overtake him. The new recruit on his shoulder had already passed out and slipped from the loosened grip to hit the floor with a thud. The pro casually stepped over the sleeping bodies as she faced the man sitting at the other end of the depot. He was bald with a dark mask covering his face, piercing eyes studying her with mild interest. Midnight felt recognition take over as his police file flashed through her mind. He was one of the Yakuza men working under Overhaul. He was reported as arrested so why was he here?
"Ah, I don't believe we've met before Miss…?" Mr. Hojo stood tall from his chair as he addressed the pro with a casual wave of his gun. Midnight smirked behind the back of her hand, her free arm pushing up her chest in a seductive mannerism.
"My, you have some manners! I'm flattered you would recognize my youthful appearance, what a good boy you are. You can call me Midnight, dear boy. Now, it would be rude of me not to ask what I should call you, so is there a name you prefer?"
"Yu Hojo, a pleasure to meet you Midnight." Yu swiftly aimed the gun at the hero with an apologetic smile. "Though I'm afraid pro heroes shouldn't be sticking their noses where they don't belong."
"Unfortunately for you, one of my students was injured thanks to this lovely paralytic you have contained here in these vats so it's become a bit of a personal mission. Surely you understand my reasons for being here now, so I would suggest coughing up any information you have before my intoxicating aroma sends you into a sweet dream. Unless you'd rather I punish you first." Midnight flicked her whip in warning as they stared one another down. Aizawa grasped his scarf tightly, anticipating the yakuza member to fire the gun once more in a matter of seconds.
"Well now, normally I would offer an apology but it seems I've run out of those along with my patience. You should've run when you…had the…chance…" Yu stumbled over his words, shaking his head in an attempt to clear the drowsiness washing over him. Damnit, he'd gotten distracted by her talking. "This is your…quirk…"
"The clock is ticking so why don't you tell me what I need to know and I'll let you have a nice slumber?" Midnight purred as she stepped closer to the struggling villain. The gun jerked back and forth as Yu tried to remain locked onto the pro, failing as his grip began loosening on the weapon.
"I ain't…no snitch…lady…"
"Hmmm, well in that case we can use some more persuading methods to get it out of you."
The Yakuza member grit his teeth and activated his quirk. Hard crystals protruded from every inch of his body in a protective barrier. Midnight pouted her lips out with a sigh. "You had to go and make this harder, didn't you? Well, I've had my fun so you're free to do whatever you want with him now."
Eraser Head lashed his scarf out as Yu Hojo steadied his aim with his weapon once more. The scarf wrapped tightly around the gang members wrist and with a hard tug he was sent soaring into the air while Aizawa leapt over a beam to hang the villain from it. Layer upon layer of scarf constricted the man until he was cocooned tightly. The crystals disappeared instantaneously as the pro activated his quirk. Yu wiggled back and forth to no avail, eventually just giving up to hang limply from his upside-down straitjacket.
"You're going to tell me what you know about this stuff and where it's coming from," Eraser Head demanded as he yanked the cocoon closer to him. He grabbed the man by his collar and held him upright by it to look him square in the eyes. The last time he saw this bastard was when they raided the Yakuza homestead in search of Eri. Suneater went head to head with him and two other members, emerging victorious though not without injury.
"What the hell would I know about this stuff? I just oversee its distribution. Can't arrest me for managing property that ain't got my name on it, Eraser Head." Hojo sneered.
"Maybe not, but I can beat the crap out of you until the authorities arrive and haul you off to jail." Aizawa threatened lowly. The Yakuza member barely flinched, keeping a neutral expression though his eyes were steeled. Verbal threats wouldn't do much in this situation so he'd have to rough him up a bit before the cops show up. There wouldn't be much objection from the other pros.
"I'll get a few good whacks on him too for Uraraka's sake," Midnight cracked her whip loudly against the floor.
"Tell us what you know about the paralytic!" Aizawa demanded with a heavy blow to his captives stomach. Yu flinched but kept his mouth tightly sealed. The pro released his target and allowed him to swing back and forth, not caring the slightest as he whacked against a few barrels before using him as a kicking bag. Midnight remained silent while her piercing eyes remained on the gang member. She'd read through the report of Overhaul so the name had popped up in the police reports, but they mentioned he was supposed to be imprisoned not running an illegal toxin business. Someone with high influence or big money bailed him out.
"I ain't telling you anything, damn heroes! You think you're all so great by helping people and shunning villains like us who work hard for a living! I don't know nothing about that student of yours but it ain't my fault!"
"What would you know about an explosive device that expels the paralytic as a failsafe once the machine shuts off?" Midnight piped in and both men looked at her.
"How the hell do I know? We just send the stuff out in liquid form, whatever happens to it afterwards is out of my hands. Just take me back to jail already! It's better than dealing with damn heroes!" Yu struggled wildly until Eraser Head gave him a good whack on the back of the neck before releasing his scarf, the man falling to the ground unconscious.
"Well, now we know there are multiple steps to this process but the fact that they're trying to send it overseas is a problem, Eraser. This operation goes much deeper than we originally planned so what do we do now?"
"We've got four willing lackeys to talk since baldy over there probably won't spill much more information. I've got police and Endeavor on the way to help clean this mess up and I've already sent word to the school." Hawks strolled in through the open doors with his hands shoved deep into his pockets, stepping on the knocked out men as he reached his teammates.
"No one else on the premises then?" Eraser asked as he crossed his arms against his chest, quirk deactivating with a fast blink. Hawks shook his head no and crouched down to investigate the Yakuza member.
"Not another soul for miles so that's comforting. Hey, wasn't this guy apart of the mission with Overhaul and Eri? His face looks familiar."
"One of his lower ranking lackeys that Tamaki took care of. Isn't he supposed to be imprisoned still? Why is he out here in the middle of nowhere managing chemicals for an unknown boss?" Midnight glanced around at the burbling vats with unease. How much of this stuff had already reached the cities? Were the villains planning on a large scale assault by using it? Was the plan to send it overseas to wipe out heroes in other countries? The hero didn't like where this was going at all. A sinking suspicion that Uraraka was the first guinea pig filled her gut.
"Guess we'll have to keep investigating up the chain to find the main source. I don't know about either of you but I'm getting hungry. Eraser Head buys?"
"I've got somewhere else to be, you're on your own." Shota gruffed before heading to the warehouse doors. "I'll head to the school once I'm done."
"You never have somewhere to go Shota, what's going on?" Nemuri asked genuinely curious. Aizawa stopped short with a hand on the door, tilting his head slightly so they could hear his words.
"To pay a visit to the villains who stole the machinery."