Rats scurried along the sewer pipe as footsteps echoed loudly throughout the tunnel, their shadows quickly disappearing through holes in the dilapidated concrete. A single light swung every which way as the footsteps grew louder and louder accompanied by disgusted noises every few seconds, exasperated ones filling the stale air when a squelch was heard. A cloaked figure cursed under his breath as he carried a body over his shoulder through the underground system to reach his destination unseen. Heroes were snooping around the area in search of anyone else associated with the Quantum Council, so it was best to lie low and out of sight for the time being. The light flickered and before he could smack it against his hand to shake some juice from the battery, a manhole opened up directly above him sending him darting out of direct view and up against the wall with bated breath.
"Did you get the body?" A voice asked from above and the man let out a rough sigh as his heartrate skyrocketed.
"Can't you be a little less abrupt, Dabi? About scared the literal shit out of me, not that I haven't already stepped in it thanks to the heroes lurking around everywhere. What the hell do we need from this guy anyways? Smells like you already got to him."
"Hurry up and bring him over here so we can get this done. Boss ain't the patient kind especially when I'm gone for an extended period of time. Here, toss him up." Dabi ordered with his hand outstretched so the man readjusted the body before standing beneath the open manhole. With a mighty heave he tossed the lifeless flesh sack upwards only to stumble out of the way when Dabi intentionally pulled his hand back with a smirk. The body squelched grotesquely against the concrete pad connected to the ladder, certain fluids spitting from the gaping orifices.
"You jackass! What're you playing at?!" The man swallowed down the bile as the corpses head lolled to look at him with a haunting smile. Oh god, there was something rotting in his mouth…his tongue?
"Oops, my hand slipped. For real this time, I promise," Dabi grinned as the villain below spat before picking the body up again to toss it up. Even though his clone had killed him he still wanted a piece of satisfaction for having to put up with the man's bullshit. He grabbed the corpse by the charred shirt and dragged him through the manhole and onto the street before dropping it carelessly, the assisting villain quickly climbing up and replacing the cover.
"Seriously, do you know how hard it was to find this thing? Pros and security were swarming everywhere! Luckily, I had help from Toga using one of the security guards' blood, but still. That was risky as hell. They're probably already aware he's gone so it won't be long before a manhunt starts. You already leveled that damn place so why bother going after him?" Dabi merely shrugged and motioned for him to carry the body once more before casually strolling down the alleyway. The grunt let out a string of insults while lifting the leaking corpse onto his shoulder. Every single article of clothing was going to be burned the moment this stupid job was done. A scalding shower would be next to scrub his skin of the stench of decay. Something oozed onto his back and he shuddered violently. Make that about ten showers.
"You'll know soon enough what he's needed for. He did have a quirk capable of even bringing countries to their knees with just a bit of mind tweaking so why can't we do the same with him? I'm sure Dr. Garaki has plenty in store for him now."
"You're taking him to that freak? Hell, I've seen enough in my lifetime that doesn't faze me but that guy…I think I'd rather face All Might in a solo fight than that maniac. He's always in his lab requesting more test subjects and materials, always wanting the near dead or freshly dead ones in order to extract quirk essence. I believe the dead should be left alone because I don't want my ass to be haunted for eternity!" The villain hissed while weaving through the alleys to reach the target building under the guise of darkness.
"Luckily for you, there's no more All Might to fight so consider yourself the victor in that manner," The flame user mused with a chuckle to himself. "Though I guess Shoto's little classmate could be considered to surpass the former pro in a matter of a few short years. U.A. did teach the former number one themselves."
"That Izuku Midoriya kid? Didn't seem that tough to me when they raided the mansion but what the hell do I know. You only call me out when I'm needed to drag corpses through a stinking hell hole underground just to avoid any wandering eyes. I was enjoying dinner with my family, you know, it was Udon night! My favorite meal and you just had to call me in during dinner. Poor wife thinks there was an emergency surgery needed at the vet hospital and is going to be up all night waiting for me while the kids sleep." Dabi stopped short at a corner with his hand held up so the villain faltered and flattened himself against the rough brick wall. A minute later a police car slowly patrolled by with its spotlight checking alleys and down streets. They were really out in force lately in search of the remnant Quantum members. It wouldn't be long before they started raiding buildings with any connection to the council.
"Move." Dabi ordered once the car was far enough away and the two sprinted across the deserted streets to reach another alleyway diagonal from their original position. "The less you complain the faster you can get back to your family to eat. Just remember that no matter where you are, you respond to my calls regardless of what time it is or where you are. You're stuck with it until I say you're done, is that clear?"
"Yeah, yeah, personal debt and all that I get it already. I just want to spend more time with my family, is all. Ain't you got one? No way you don't with how you act around the other League members. You've even done Toga's hair with little effort before so surely—"
"I don't have one anymore, drop it. Go deposit that body off near the red door, knock three times, then disappear. I'll be in contact with you if I need you again, Muscle Man."
Muscle Man grunted and watched Dabi disappear before trudging over to the designated door. He dropped the body with a little more care this time then knocked thrice before turning away with a hand digging deep into his coat pocket. A cigarette rested against his lips as the lighter ignited brightly in the darkness, a few puffs catching the tobacco on fire and a heavy cloud of smoke slipped past his lips. The loud clanging of a metal door closing in the still air reached his ears as he slipped back into the darkness.
Ochaco watched rather helplessly as Mina sobbed and slobbered all over her lap, the other girls a little more restrained yet nonetheless still shedding enough tears to fill the room. As soon as Recovery Girl had cleared her tests, visitors were allowed for short visits each day and her classmates certainly didn't waste a second in barging in to see her. It was a tight fit for everyone to squeeze into the room, but somehow they made it work despite the numerous machines occupying the bedsides. Deku visited as early as he could with permission from Recovery Girl and devoted himself to helping her recover both physically and mentally. Despite her protests he persisted, so Ochaco had no choice but to give in to his demands after only a few pleas. The guilt was there, that was evident, yet she didn't want him to help out of pity or regret for what happened. She was ready to move on from the trauma and get back into fighting shape for herself and Yoshizawa.
"I'm just so…happy…you're okay, Ochaco! We couldn't sleep…couldn't eat…I even organized your room for you and I suck at organizing!" Mina bawled in between breaths, Toru gently holding her shoulders in support. Tsu held Ochaco's hand firmly and sympathetically nodded her head.
"We can confirm that fact," Jiro added in with a sheepish smile, a jack wrapped around her index finger. "We try to go in and clean up after her, but she's kicked us out more times than we can count. We'll get it fixed up before you return to the dorms, Ochaco."
"Yes! I'll have some things arranged to ensure you have a peaceful transition back into the dorm life, is there anything you would like to have specifically? I can either make it or have it sent through my estate." Yaoyorozu inquired from beside Mina, the hero quickly creating some tissues for her from her chest. The pinkette stuffed them to her face yet kept it smothered into Ochaco's lap before wrapping her arms around her friend's waist, nestling her way closer.
"I'll be fine, I really don't need anything else. I just want to get out of this bed more than anything right now. It gets a little old being in it for a long time." Ochaco gently put her free hand on Mina's head and began brushing through the thick, unruly locks. The pain she constantly put them through was enough to make her chest seize up with regret, but she needed to be strong for them. The tears could fall once they left for the day. Right now she was thankful for the support that encouraged her to keep putting one foot before the other.
"When will Recovery Girl let you out? It's already moving into spring and summer is right after that." Mineta pointed out from his spot at the foot of her bed, a couple of the others seconding with head nods. "Summer's supposed to be about beaches, hot babes in swimsuits—"
"Seriously? Can't you get your mind out of the gutter for once, Mineta?" Kaminari groaned, his eyes keenly watching Jiro as her jacks wiggled towards their direction in warning. He'd had enough of having his brain poked and prodded for one school year. Though the electric quirk holder knew she was more preoccupied with helping their classmate heal than zapping him.
"It's not like I'm being perverted about it! I'm just saying summer's supposed to be about having fun on the beach and stuff with your friends. Sheesh, I can have my mind out of the gutter sometimes, guys."
"That's rare of you to be so…normal, Mineta." Sero complimented.
"Whenever I'm completely healed up and have regained my strength back I guess. After the last few times of multiple injuries she's not going to let me out just randomly anymore. She threatened to strap my body to the bed if I tried," Ochaco laughed uneasily as chuckles rippled through her classmates. They all knew Recovery Girl would make good on that promise too. "Before I forget, Todoroki?"
"Yes?"
"Thank you, for cauterizing my wound and saving me. I don't think I would've made it without your help." Todoroki nodded with slightly widened eyes.
"Of course. I hope it didn't leave too bad of a scar though without me using my flames it could've ended up worse. I'm glad I was able to use that part of my quirk to aid my friends."
"How bad was the scar? I mean, you don't have to tell us, Ochaco." Toru asked but quickly waved her hands to cover up her mistake. The brunette knew it came out wrong but she wouldn't place any blame. They were curious was all. "I'm sorry, that was insensitive of me to ask! Don't worry about it, really, I shouldn't have said anything."
"It's actually bandaged up pretty good to try and lessen the level of scarring so I can't," Ochaco apologized with a brief smile though she knew it wouldn't convince them of much as it quickly faltered. "Recovery Girl is doing her best to clean it up, but there was quite a bit of damage done…"
"We'll still love you even with your scars, Ochaco," Tsu ribbited with a squeeze of her hand, a gesture the brunette truly appreciated in her faltering state. "Here, we snuck some gifts in to ease the loneliness of staying alone. We all pitched in to buy the high quality mochi from that small shop in Nara. The owner was nice enough to send us with two boxes of green tea mochi and some other treats. He's a really nice guy who said we should all visit sometime."
"Me next! Me next!" Toru interjected before rummaging around in her bag on the floor, muttering about where it went until she yanked it free from the fabric. "Here, Yaomomo helped me with this one! It's a little doll version of Uravity! I hope it helps you on your journey to becoming a strong hero again one day."
"Mina, your turn." Tsu poked the pinkette on the head to get her attention. Mina slowly looked up at Ochaco with puffy, red eyes before blinking and looking at Toru expectantly. The teen clasped her hands together excitedly as the pinkette sat up to reach into her bag nestled on the floor.
"I know it may not be an expensive gift, though I just wanted to remind you of all the happy times we've had when you get lonely and to show you how far you've come as a hero." Mina sat up straight before handing over a photo album with a picture of all the girls centered on the front. Ochaco ran her fingertips over the glossy cover before sliding a finger down the side to open it. Pictures of her from the entrance exam to the headline photo after a battle with the Ryukyu Agency lined each slot, each photo showing a triumphant and determined smile adorning the brunettes face. Small handwritten words of encouragement were scribbled alongside group pictures like when they had a slumber party in the dorm lounge. Countless goofy photos of them hanging out in the mall, by the river, even in the training building. Every moment they had together was placed in the album and Ochaco could really feel the love coming from her classmates. The final picture showcased the entire class posing for the official U.A. class photo with everyone's signatures and well wishes filling in the space below. Tears welled up in auburn eyes and soon they dripped onto the laminated pages resting in her lap.
"You're going to make us all cry, Ochaco," Tsu ribbited while furiously swiping away at the falling tears of her own face, the girls all sporting similar expressions. Even a few of the guys couldn't hold back their emotions and soon the box of tissues were being passed around like candy to those in need. "We wanted to let you know how much you mean to us so you wouldn't be disheartened about everything that's happened. You can't give up on being a hero, Ochaco, because you're the one who's been pushing us to better ourselves this whole time. Keeping the morale up, encouraging us to go beyond our limits, even putting your life on the life for us against villains. We wouldn't be where we are without your help."
"She's right, if you hadn't sacrificed your quirk on the mountainside then things could've been a lot worse. It was the ultimate sacrifice to make and for that I humbly thank you, Uraraka." Iida bowed deeply. Everyone else followed suit save for Bakugo who merely nodded his head at her in acknowledgment from his position at the back of the room.
"T-there's no need to do that! I just did what any person should do to protect their friends! Honestly, there was nothing special about it!" Ochaco quickly flustered at the formal gesture her class was providing, hands waving frantically in the air. One of her tubes disconnected from the sudden movement and not even a second later an alarm tripped, the slow dripping medicine gushing all over the floor. "Oh shoot, that wasn't supposed to happen. It needs to get plugged back in before—"
"If that's an alarm going off, Ochaco," Recovery Girl called from the doorway as Tsu scrambled to grab the spraying hose to reconnect it. Said brunette grimaced as she heard the familiar clicking of the old pros cane tapping against the floor with each step. Another lecture wasn't far behind especially since there were so many people in here that it was more than possible for an accidental bump to happen. Unfortunately, the nurse was keeping a sharper eye on her due to recent history of continuous injuries. Something that made sense yet it also meant the recovering hero had to be extra cautious when making hand or arm movements.
"Sorry, one of the lines accidentally disconnected, Recovery Girl! We've got it covered though!" Yaomomo quickly called out once the line was once again secured into the port protruding from Ochaco's arm. The liquid rushed through her veins and the teen let out a sigh of relief. At this point she wasn't sure which medication it was but it was best not to gamble on it being painkillers. "Here, let's put another piece of tape over it to ensure it stays this time. Hopefully it won't be detrimental to lose a bit of whatever that is."
"Here you go, Yaoyorozu," Sero held out a piece of his tape to which she took with a thanks before carefully taping the tubes down to Ochaco's hand. She made sure to smooth out any bumps before returning her hands to her front.
"We should probably get going since we're supposed to meet with Mr. Aizawa for the mission briefing in less than an hour." Tokoyami pointed out with a glance of his watch. Dark shadow meekly nodded before retreating into the cloak to avoid the harsh florescent lighting of the hospital room. Sometimes the artificial lights were too bright for the shadow.
"You're going to raid a Quantum Council location, right?" Ochaco received a few nods though the mood in the room had suddenly changed at the mention of it. She could tell how they all felt about it and she was no different. Yoshizawa never intended to hurt her but nonetheless fell under the control of Ronaldo who altered his plans in accordance with what All for One wanted. They yearned revenge for the suffering she endured yet it was pointless to focus their drive on something so trivial, especially after coming to the realization that it was merely a pawns game driven by the puppeteer lurking behind the shadows. But unless the teachers had informed them of that fact, they were going in blind. "Please be careful today, some of the men operating under Paranoias may not realize the original Council no longer exists. There's no telling if Ronaldo informed them ahead of time since he was behind everything."
"We've got this in the bag, Uraraka, don't worry about a thing!" Kaminari beamed as he flashed two thumbs up. "You just focus on healing up while we do the hero work. We'll be back in a flash!"
"I'll make sure to send you updates on everything that happens, Uraraka, that way you don't worry about us." Iida offered as he shifted his helmet in his hands. "I'll personally ensure every single one of us comes back unharmed today."
"Time to go, kids, I've given you plenty of visiting time for today. Go fulfill your duties as heroes before Aizawa barges in here to drag you away. It's time to change your bandages anyways, Ochaco," Recovery Girl finally made her entrance amongst the class before weaving past them to reach her desk. Her chair squeaked as it rolled towards the medical cabinet for the ointments and sterile gauze. "Say your goodbyes while I prep her supplies."
"We'll do a video call tonight, okay? To make sure you're still doing okay, Ochaco," Jiro squeezed her shoulder lightly before heading for the door first, Kaminari close behind after he waved. One by one they said their goodbyes until it was just Mina remaining by her bedside, the pinkette not ready to leave with her hands grasped tightly on the bars. Ochaco clasped her hand as tight as she could to offer some comfort.
"You'll be okay? I can convince Mr. Aizawa to stay back if you need the support, girlie."
"I'll be fine, Mina, focus on your mission instead. It's not like I'm going anywhere for quite a while," That managed to get a meek smile from the pinkette and it was good enough for Ochaco. "We'll do a video call tonight so you can check up on me and tell me how the mission went."
"Are you sure you wanna be left alone with Recovery Girl? Isn't she just going to poke and prod you with a bunch of needles? I don't think your poor skin can take any more!" Mina whispered loudly until a tongue depressor whacked her in the back of the head. Recovery Girl laughed to herself as the hero hurriedly booked it from the room after a quick hug, the door shutting loudly behind her.
"I promise no more needles for the time being, Ochaco, no need to worry about your supple, young skin for the moment. You are a little thin for my liking so I'm going to up your daily caloric intake until I'm comfortable with the numbers. At some point we're also going to have to get you up and moving. Your muscles have atrophied from the coma and physical therapy is on your recovery list too. Probably looking at not being able to return to hero work until summertime."
"Summertime? You think it'll take that long to get back to normal?" Ochaco asked dejectedly as the nurse walked over with a tray of supplies. She was expecting it to take just a few weeks, not longer than two to three months.
"I say the word 'normal' to describe your physical condition, not your mental and emotional status. You went through a lot of trauma, Ochaco, it won't go away overnight. It could be around for years though there are many proper treatments to handle the bad memories. As long as you have your support systems you should be fine in the beginning and throughout your treatment course. Obviously, right now the biggest concern is trying to heal your physical wounds before we reach the mental ones. Go ahead and lift your shirt up for me so I can remove the old bandages."
Ochaco complied silently while lying back to prepare for the sting of disinfectant. It still hurt quite a bit to shift around with the heavy scarring but at least the pain killers numbed it for the most part. Recovery Girl's cold hands worked quickly to remove the old bandage and the moment the wound hit fresh air the brunette looked down. She hadn't actually seen the extent of the injury until now but just a single glance made her queasy. It was a thick, uneven scar that ran just above her belly button in an angry red line. Being a hero came with the risks of injury or even death, but the longer she stared at it the more self-conscious she became. Deku never seemed to let his battle scars bother him, at least on the outside, and often in society it marked a true hero willing to sacrifice everything for the sake of peace and justice among those who were quirkless. The stitch marks that'd held everything together at one point didn't settle right with her mind and before the antiseptic could be applied, Ochaco leaned over the side of the bed to expel the nothingness in her stomach. Recovery Girl managed to grab a trash can in time so none of it hit the floor.
"I know it's hard to look at right now but it'll get better. Sometimes the human mind just can't comprehend surgical sites or incisions because it's not natural." Recovery Girl quickly set her supplies down in order to clean up the sullied trash can and replace it with a new one. Ochaco leaned back into the pillow with a shaky breath. Even the motion of vomiting hurt enough for tears to spring up in the corners of her closed eyes.
"Recovery Girl, is it alright to come in? The rest of the class is about to head out for their mission so I thought…" Izuku trailed off as he stepped from behind the privacy curtain to take in the scene. Recovery Girl was busy doing something with a bucket and Ochaco was lying on the bed with her shirt tucked up to expose her stomach, a hand resting over her mouth. Immediately his eyes went to the angry red scar jaggedly going across her skin, the flesh puckering inward from the non-existent stitches that kept it sealed shut at one point. It was going to scar pretty bad, something he knew firsthand from his own injuries, and he had to swallow the guilt rising in his throat back down. His eyes trailed up to hers and in that brief moment of mortification, the only thing his brain processed was the fact that her shirt was rolled up beneath her chest and exposing her midsection. Heat burned across his face before he had the common sense to slap his hands over his eyes and quickly back away behind the privacy screens blubbering incoherent apologies. In the process his foot caught on his heel and he hit the wall before landing on the floor in an embarrassed fetal position.
"Deku, are you okay? Did you fall?" Ochaco called out while trying to look around the curtain blocking the view. She heard the thump of him hitting the floor so she could only assume he tripped over himself.
"I-I'm so sorry! I didn't realize you were c-changing!" The brunette cocked her head questioningly at his sudden outburst. Changing? She'd only just lifted her shirt up so the incision site could be cleaned, that didn't really count as changing. It's not like much was exposed anyways, at least not more than during the sports festival when Mineta and Kaminari tricked them into wearing cheerleader outfits. Recovery Girl quickly finished up before sitting heavily back down on her stool, a rough sigh escaping aged lips. If it wasn't one thing it was another.
"There's nothing indecent here, Midoriya, I'm just changing her bandage out for the day. If you don't like looking at the wound then you can wait outside. You're not going on the mission today I take it?"
"Well, actually…Mr. Aizawa has informed me that I'm needed for this mission. Since I've had more experience with the Council he wants me to do some reconnaissance regarding a second lead near the main hideout the rest of the class is going to. I'll have Kaachan and Todoroki with me while the others round up the remaining members. The mission shouldn't take too long to complete."
"Aren't they leaving soon? Everyone else just left to meet up with Mr. Aizawa," Uraraka hissed when the cold alcohol soaked cotton ball touched her skin, the swab moving in little circles over the wound to fully cleanse it. She could hear Deku take a tentative step but he seemed to think better of it and remained where he was.
"They are. I've only got a few minutes before I have to leave so I figured I would check in with you." Chiyo hummed under her breath knowingly. He was lovesick alright and it didn't take her extensive knowledge of the human body to figure that out. Now if only the brunette wincing on her infirmary bed would just tell him already then the two could stop dancing around all nervous. She'd already noticed how he would sit closer to the bed whenever he visited and the way they seemed more relaxed around one another, but there still seemed to be a bit of a wall. Midoriya was a nervous kid to begin with so it was expected. Although the more they matured and trudged on to becoming heroes, the faster they grew up in more than one way. They never did stay babies for long in this school.
"I suggest you make it fast before you're left behind, Aizawa doesn't take kindly to his trouble child being late for important missions. And no more crying, I've about mopped up an entire pond from all the tears shed in this room. You can put your shirt down, Ochaco." Chiyo secured the new bandaged then gathered her supplies to disinfect them in the sink. There was a little more redness than she liked though nothing screamed infection yet. Without being able to use her quirk yet, the girl's body wasn't healing fast so the risk of infection increased the longer she remained bedbound. Within the next few days she was going to have her start moving around the infirmary.
"You got your costume fixed," The brunette pointed out easily as Deku cautiously made his way back over to the bedside after ensuring no more clothing was being shifted around. He sat down easily in the chair beside her before latching his fingers together on his lap, general nervousness radiating from his posture. Either from seeing her or about the upcoming mission, she wasn't quite sure yet.
"Luckily it wasn't too hard of a fix and I had it back within days of turning it in. My gloves sustained a bit of damage so Hatsume made some modifications to them as well. They're lighter and more reinforced along the knuckles to provide stability when blasting air or using black whip. I've tested them out a few times during practice so I can tell they'll handle much better in combat." Deku showed off the newly reinforced features to his classmate who let out a low whistle.
"Wow, so fancy now. Not like I can really remember what they looked like before but I figured you would enjoy the theatricals." Uraraka grinned as she held up her hands to show off her vein ports, at least four spots on her arm had been punctured to gain access once the other veins shriveled up. "We could be twins now! Though mine just pumps me full of medicine all day and basically keeps me functioning. Not as cool as yours though. I did accidentally pop one off a little bit ago when the others were visiting but it's all good now."
"Does it hurt to have that many in your hand? It seems like it would be uncomfortable to move your fingers around or grab stuff."
"It's a bit uncomfortable at times but there's not much I can do about it for now. Recovery Girl thinks I'll physically be back to normal in a little while so just in time for the end of the year. I'm about ready to get up and walk around, I've been in this bed for way too long already. Pretty sure winter is almost over by now, isn't it?" Deku ruffled a hand through his hair with an amused chuckle. Sounded like the usual Uraraka, ready to get up and face the world after being comatose for weeks on end. It was funny how alike they really were.
"In another month or so winter is finishing up, but there's still some snow on the ground. Not enough to go sledding with though I remember reading there was going to be at least one more snowstorm before the season's over. If you're well enough then I promise to take you sledding again." Recovery Girl cleared her throat to indicate his time was up. Ochaco glanced over to see the nurse casually motioning to wrap things up, a hand pointing at her wrist. "Ah, sorry, I should probably get going before Mr. Aizawa hunts me down. I'll check in with you when we get back, okay?"
"You worry too much, Deku, it's going to give you wrinkles by the time you're twenty. Go. Finish what needs to be done and make sure Ronaldo pays for everything he's done. I'll be rooting for you from here." Ochaco held out her tube free fist in a motion she'd done once before after the class battle, an encouraging smile adorning her tired face. Deku wavered briefly before returning the fist tap with a confident grin.
"I'll make sure Yoshizawa gets his justice. See you later, Uraraka."
The door shut quietly behind the hero and it wasn't until she was sure he was fully gone that a shaky breath was released. Keeping her emotions in check was always the hardest thing to do especially with everything that's happened with the Quantum Council. Her head settled heavily into the pillow as the brunette stared at the now empty seat. The way his face briefly contorted in guilt and shame the moment those virescent landed on her scar...he'd never forgive himself for it. "Deku still blames himself for my injuries…"
"He may blame himself for a while but time heals more than the eye can see. The most important thing is that you focus on yourself for now, Ochaco. I've got nurse Ayi bringing up your breakfast in a few minutes so try to relax until then. You may not think it now but I can promise you things will get better." Chiyo gently gave her a pat on the shoulder before shuffling back to her rolling stool. As soon as she sat down in the worn chair the old pro twirled to face Ochaco while grinning a slightly devious smile, wrinkled hands pressing the syringe cane against the tile floor. "So, care to tell me how exactly you're going to tell Izuku Midoriya how you love him?"
"This is the spot? Doesn't look like much more than a rundown shack. There's no way this place holds more of those Quantum freaks," Bakugo scoffed while perched atop an apartment complex roof, Todoroki and Deku flanking either side with Eraser Head standing guard behind. They'd waited until darkness fell to move in stealthily to catch them by surprise. The rest of their classmates had separated into groups in order to catch any stragglers that slipped through the cracks. Hawks was watching from the skies to relay the needed information to the leaders and all they were waiting on was a bait villain to set things off. The man had been picked up from the abandoned site in the mountains and was assured immunity and relocation services in exchange for him playing bait. He hastily agreed claiming he never wanted to get involved further than being a driver, a wife and two young children waiting at home for him.
"Looks can be deceiving. Keep your eyes open because as soon as our bait gets the door open, we're moving in. There are other pros ready to ambush the location as well so keep your quirks reined back for close combat. If all goes well then this will be over in a matter of minutes." Eraser Head adjusted his goggles before expertly wrapping the scarf around his fingers. They had to be fast, over a month had gone by since the incident at Paranoias' mansion so Ronaldo could be anywhere in Japan rebuilding the Quantum Council. Hawks sent in whatever bit of information he had but it'd been radio silence since then. It was thanks to Daiko and his willingness to put an end to the villains for the sake of his family that U.A. got right back on the trail of the council.
"Is that him? He's one of the men who were distributing the paralytic?" Deku asked quietly as a man wearing dark clothes casually turned down the alleyway they overlooked. He kept glancing back nervously at every car that passed, his casual steps picking up pace with a tight adjustment of his jacket. Even from high up the teen could practically feel the fear radiating off of him.
"That's him. Prepare yourselves."
Daiko nervously looked around to make sure he wasn't followed down the narrow alleyway with a pounding heart. This was risky, beyond risky, but he needed to do it in order to get his family away from this mess. The police and U.A. vowed to put him into witness protection if he acted as their bait to dig up any other Quantum Council locations. While he didn't know too much about them, he did know there were whispers going around about recruits happening which gave the slim opening for the authorities to take. A discreet radio was hooked up to his ear and the wintery weather made the perfect excuse to have a hat on with his jacket hood on top to conceal any wires. He swallowed heavily as the described door came into view. All he had to do was knock twice, wait for the window to slide open, say the keyword, then step back and allow the heroes to move in once the door opened. Easy. Totally easy. He removed the glove from his right hand as he reached the door and hesitantly raised it in preparation to knock.
"The codeword is 'Paranoias is fallen, Machiavelli has risen.' Just take it nice and easy and don't be too nervous. Go over the script like we practiced. This will be done and over with soon." Hawks' voice soothed into his ear. Right from the beginning the pro had been patient and eased his way into getting his trust. It took a little bit because after getting arrested on the mountainside, Eraser Head swung by the jail to interrogate them some more. That man was scary. Appearance wise he looked like a disheveled old man but as soon as that quirk activated and his eyes glowed red…Daiko about had a heart attack. For a minute he'd actually interpreted him as a villain, not a pro hero.
Daiko grit his jaw and rapped on the door loudly twice. Footsteps could be heard thudding across the floor and the man let out a nervous puff of air. Just like they practiced. The metal window slid open so suddenly he nearly biffed it on a slick patch of snow, the only savior being his fast reaction in holding the exterior of the building. Dark eyes scanned him from bottom to top before resting on his own barely controlled green ones.
"Whaddya want?"
"P-Paranoias is fallen, Machiavelli has risen."
After another minute of scrutiny the man behind the metal door slid the section closed before beginning to fiddle with the locks. Daiko took two steps back and one to the right as the pros hiding in the darkness prepared to move in. He kept his hands shoved deep into his pockets to hide his nervousness. After eons, the door finally opened and the man responsible for the scrutiny held it open for him with a crooked grin. "Welcome to the Quantum Council, friend."
"It's a go!" Hawks ordered to all pros. What happened next could only be described as pure, organized chaos. Daiko was yanked out of the way to safety before a handful of pros rushed the door, kicking it all the way in and beginning their apprehensions of villains. Shouts filtered into the alleyway as skirmishes began. All three students waiting atop the neighboring building leapt into action with Eraser hot on their trails. Bakugo shot himself through the doorway with exploding hands while Deku wrangled any villains attempting to escape with black whip. Todoroki secured the outside perimeter with a large ice barrier that blocked all alleyway access. Eraser landed then darted into the fray inside of the building, activating his quirk left and right to aid in the apprehensions. Bakugo and Deku were far ahead but he could hear them taking down the council members with ease.
"What the hell—how did the pros get here?!" One man yelled before he was pinned against the wall, his face jerking to the right to stare at the hectic scene.
"Somebody snitched!" Another yelled as he attempted to fight back with his quirk only to find it wouldn't activate. "My quirk won't work! Someone's erasing it!"
"Make sure to check every single room in this building, let no one escape!" Eraser Head ordered with a flick of his scarf, the material quickly capturing a runaway villain. A whack to the back of the neck had him limp on the floor so the pro moved onto his next target. He needed to stay with Bakugo and Midoriya in case they ran into something bigger than they could handle. After Uraraka's incident, he wasn't letting a single student out of his sight. He followed the sounds of explosions and high air pressure to track them down, their speed already having them on the next floor up. Damn, he was getting old if he couldn't keep up with kids half his age.
"Clear over here, Kaachan!" Deku called out as he swept through the right half of the floor as Bakugo took the left. A door failed to open so with a powerful swing of his foot he blew it to pieces with a thunderous crash. The second he saw the glint of metal in his vision he jumped out of the doorway just as the machine gun fired into the hallway. From what he could tell it was unmanned, but that didn't mean there wasn't a villain hiding out nearby to finish the job if the machine failed. "Automatic firing machine! I wasn't able to determine if there's anyone else in the room!"
"Blast the fucking thing over already! Someone's bound to escape through the roof if we don't hurry up!" Bakugo yelled back as he loudly blew up every door in his path, the highly fueled teen enjoying the carnage with a twisted grin.
"I'm going on ahead you two, clear the floor and meet up with me on the roof!" Eraser Head ordered as he jumped up and over the doorway Midoriya was crouched against before taking off down the hallway at full speed. If traps were set along the corridor then something or someone was residing higher up. It was only a three storied building yet it seemed like an eternity to reach the roof access on the third floor. More traps had been laid out but the pro navigated them with ease, deactivating them as he went to ensure a safe passage for his students. A heavy kick broke the roof access door from its hinges and into the snowy air, the door hitting the slanted roof with a heavy thunk. A person attempting to flee the scene turned in surprise and made to escape until Eraser Head's scarf constricted his movements. "You're not going anywhere. Tell me where Ronaldo is so we can get this done nice and easy. Your friends below have already been captured by other pros and police so there's nowhere for you to run."
"So I should just give up and surrender like that weakling Paranoias? No! Machiavelli shall reign supreme as the next ruler of the Quantum Council!" The villain struggled hard against the restraints but Aizawa tightened them as much as he could, fists clenched hard around the fabric. His eyes flashed red to cancel out any quirk the villain had but nothing happened. It didn't look like a quirk was active in his body so Erasure was pointless but regardless, he wouldn't let up until he knew for sure he was quirkless. The villain was still struggling against the restraints and with some effort, kicked his leg out to throw himself over the edge of the roof. The pro tried to dig his feet in against the roof though the snow made it impossible to get a grip on the heavy slant.
"Where do you think you're going? The only thing down there is more heroes awaiting to take you in!" Eraser Head shouted when he hit the ground, his body quickly sliding against the snow covered shingles towards the edge of the roof. This building only had a small lip for guttering that wasn't enough to brace his feet against, so with one hand he shot another strand of scarf out to wrap around an exhaust vent sticking up. The two jerked to a stop with a metallic groan, the villain dangling three stories up as Aizawa strained to hold onto both of their weights. The vent he'd grabbed wasn't meant to support weight as it began creaking and popping in strain. He had to lean over the edge to keep his eyes on the villain who was currently slowly spinning in the air.
"That's the goal, isn't it?" The villain cackled out with a delighted grin twisting his expression. Eraser Head felt realization dawn over him as the man opened his mouth wide. A small blinking device rested on his tongue. "I was warned in the event of a pro bust to leave no traces of evidence behind. Don't worry, the rest of the building is rigged too! You won't get the best of us, Eraser Head!"
Eraser Head sprung into action. With a release of the scarf holding him on the building, the pro used the strength in his legs to propel him into the air and towards a neighboring roof. Simultaneously, he yanked up on the villain with every ounce of strength he had up and into the air away from the building. The villain flew past him laughing maniacally as the pro shot out the free end of his scarf to latch onto a telephone pole.
"The building has been cleared, Eraser." Hawks' voice rang into Aizawa's ear as the pro squinted his drying eyes in the frigid cold. He couldn't keep up Erasure much longer but without knowing the villains quirk, he wouldn't release it unless he got him away from the buildings. He couldn't risk releasing the scarf and hope he could reactivate Erasure in time before the villain could gather his thoughts. The risk was not knowing his quirk, if he had one, and it was a high gamble to release any of the Quantum Council members.
"Midoriya and Bakugo were clearing the second floor just a minute ago, pinned down by gunfire. I've got a villain with a bomb in his mouth that I'm moving away from the buildings. Make sure my students get out, Hawks!"
"Copy."
"Aww, worried about your kids? Funny to think you're a hero who stays away from the spotlight by lurking in the darkness, yet here you've been the past few months revealing yourself over and over. The mountainside job, the shipyard, the little stunt you pulled at Paranoias' mansion on the other side of Japan. Not to mention U.A.'s interviews explaining your failures as not only a pro, but a teacher to those young students whom you put in the direct line of danger. I've heard all about that girl, Ochaco Uraraka was her name? Ronaldo has told us all about how her sacrifice as a human guinea pig has paved way to a much larger plan for the revived Quantum Council. Tell her Ronaldo gives his greetings and that he'll be paying her a visit soon enough." The villain cackled before biting down on the device, a loud beeping emitting from his mouth as the switch was triggered. Eraser Head released Erasure after no longer being able to go without blinking, the image of the villain loosening his restraints with ease the last thing he saw before everything went momentarily dark.
"Stun Grenade!"
"St. Louis SMASH!"
Eraser Head shot his eyes back open ready to cancel out the mystery quirk only to find his students had intervened before the bomb exploded. Bakugo had stunned the villain while Midoriya smashed him higher into the air. The blinking device tumbled from the knocked out man's mouth and with a precision shot, Bakugo hit the device dead center and forced a controlled explosion. Waves of heat washed over the area from the intensity but from what Eraser Head could see, there was minimal damage done to the buildings and zero harm done to innocent bystanders and heroes. He landed heavily on top of the power pole as his students braced for their own landings, Deku carrying the knocked out villain over his shoulder. He shouldn't be surprised. They've both come a long way since enrolling at U.A. and the past few months have certainly proven that. He'd worried for nothing.
"We've disabled the building of its explosives, Eraser Head, and all of the people have been evacuated. Is this mission done and over with or what?" Bakugo landed near his teacher as Deku followed shortly after with the knocked out villain over his shoulder. Eraser Head let out a silent breath. Neither looked harmed so that was some weight off his shoulders. But now there was the problem of what Ronaldo was manipulating his followers to do if caught by pros. And the fact that he was claiming he wasn't done with Uraraka? The web entangling U.A. and the Quantum Council was growing ever more complicated.
"All clear, boys, good job. I didn't even have to lift a feather for this mission!" Hawks chimed in with a swoop overhead, the winged hero giving a quick salute as he lowered altitude. Eraser retracted his scarf and stood up on the narrow pole with ease. If Hawks was revealing himself so casually then they were done, but the sharp glint in his eyes told Aizawa there was something else he knew.
"What about the rest of the class?"
"They finished on their ends just a few minutes ago. Captured a good handful of stragglers trying to escape through the storm drain systems about a mile from here. I figured this would be an easy mission for your kids to handle, Eraser. Gives them some more real world practice outside of school and internships. They're regrouping at the designated point so you should be able to head home soon. Trouble child, think you can handle giving the police our bomber there? And take Bakugo with you, I need a minute to speak with your teacher." Hawks lightly instructed with a nod of his head towards the police force down below.
"Of course!" Deku agreed before jumping from the roof with ease, an annoyed Bakugo right on his trail complaining about him leading the way.
"Don't expect me to help you, damn nerd!"
Hawks waited until they were on the ground before turning to Eraser Head with the smile wiped from his face. "They were expecting a pro attack at any time, we just so happened to choose a night when their guards were momentarily lowered thanks to Daiko. Ronaldo must've already given a speech to his followers on what to do when we bust down their doors. I have no doubt this was just a lower ranking location, I'm sure there are more secured places buried deeper within the city and possibly all across Japan. I've been digging through my contacts but nothing has tugged on the lead yet. With Ronaldo working for All for One, this brings a whole new level of danger to the students and citizens. In the span of a month, Machiavelli has amassed a larger gathering that Paranoias ever did in fifteen years. This guy means business and he's hellbent on bring the Quantum Council back to its former glory days, maybe even far beyond that. This most likely will bring head to a bigger skirmish than what happened with Ochaco Uraraka. We need them to be prepared, Eraser Head."
"I'm fully aware of that, Hawks. The moment All for One came into the play was when I knew it was just the beginning. Ronaldo's lackey informed me that he would be paying Uraraka a visit sooner rather than later with a greeting. I thought he was done messing around with her but that may not be the case." Eraser scratched at his face tiredly. This was turning into one big tsunami of problems. U.A. had already beefed up their security and with the disappearance of Paranoias' body from the morgue and uprising of Machiavelli, they would have to rework the entire system to ensure the safety of the students. Daily, reporters were edging their way onto school property demanding answers for the damage and destruction done, some even attempting to pry sensitive medical information about Uraraka. They always had the doors slammed on them after being told to wait for official school reports to be made.
"How's she doing? I haven't been around too much lately to get an update, busy with snooping around in dark alleys and all that."
"Better. Not completely healed but not critical anymore. Recovery Girl has been keeping a strict eye on her the entire time and refused the rest of the class in until just recently. In the beginning we weren't even sure she was going to make it out of there alive but she's a tough one. I think as long as Midoriya stays by her side then everything should turn out alright. But then again, that trouble child always seems to bring chaos in his wake." Aizawa grimaced at the thought. That boy has been the target of All for One ever since coming to U.A. and now his classmates were getting wrapped up in it, the devious villain overlord targeting his friends to get to him. Hawks ticked a brow up with an amused smile and Aizawa could almost predict what he was going to say next. He and Nemuri hung out too much in their free time.
"Midoriya and Uraraka, huh? The first signs of a high school love blossoming in the dead of winter. Beautiful and oh so tragic. What're your thoughts on it, Eraser? Got deets?" Hawks could nearly feel the man's eye twitching from his hovering position, much to his utter amusement. Nemuri had sent a text asking him to get more information on the power couple in her absence. With the mission being completed so fast he figured it was worth a shot in the dark despite knowing what the grumpy teacher would say.
"It's none of my damn business what they do. I'm here as their teacher to teach them how to survive in the real world of being a pro, not sit around and dictate who they can flirt with. You want to know? Go ask them yourself. If we're done then I'm going to regroup with the rest of my class. Have the paperwork on my desk by morning if you would." Aizawa flapped a hand at the surveillance pro before casually stepping off of the telephone pole and down to the snowy ground below. Hawks shoved his hands into the deep pant pockets with a curious stare. The teacher was still tense and sensitive about everything that'd happened over the past few months and he didn't blame the man, but the pro certainly became more aware of where his students were and if they were safe. He couldn't protect them forever though for now it wasn't his place to interfere. After all, he was just a pawn working undercover for the Hero Public Safety Commission to infiltrate the League of Villains.
"…and then Jiro blasted them with a soundwave that sent those villains flying right into Yaomomo's trap! It was amazing, Ochaco, you should've seen how great everyone was! The mission took only a few minutes but a couple of hours to prepare and plan out the strategy. Even the pros were impressed with how smoothly everything went." Mina excitedly explained to her friend as the class gathered around the bedridden brunette to go over the mission. They'd all arrived back at the school where Recovery Girl granted them a short visit before the infirmary closed for the evening, the old pro lightly warning not to take too long. It was already late at night but she knew it was good for both sides to have as much contact for the sake of healing.
"Hey Midoriya, didn't you and Bakugo deal with a crazed bomber? I heard some of the pros saying you two stopped a villain from blowing himself and Mr. Aizawa up. It's so crazy how you two are always involved in the intense situations!" Sero redirected to the green haired teen leaning against the wall beside Ochaco's bed. Deku rubbed the back of his head out of habit with an unsure smile.
"Well, Kaachan and I were in the process of clearing the second floor when Mr. Aizawa shot past us to reach the roof since I was pinned down by machine fire. He even disabled all of the traps so it was easy to reach the roof access. We managed to get up there as Mr. Aizawa was about to blink. Now that I think about it, I don't remember seeing what quirk that villain had."
"That's because he didn't have a quirk. He was just a damn loser who was going to blow the building up along with whoever was near. They had to have known ahead of time the pros were going to raid because that guy was ranting about how Paranoias' fall led the way for Ronaldo or whoever to take over the Quantum Council. They just weren't expecting to be ambushed after they sent the bait in, that's the only reason everything went so smoothly." Bakugo retorted with a crossing of his arms, eyes staring a hole into the tile beneath his feet. It was a close call with Eraser today, the pro stuck between a rock and a hard place with a bomber and packed into a residential area. Not that he doubted his teachers abilities, but he'd rather have an intact person rather than a blown up pile of flesh.
"It was a little odd that everything went so smoothly now that you mention it. It's possible they were being overcautious as a result of what happened a few months ago, but most of the villains willingly gave up. There's something weird about all of this but I can't put my finger on it yet." Yaomomo agreed with a hand to her lips, some of the others nodding their agreements.
"Is it possible Ronaldo is altering the minds of the villains?" Ochaco suddenly asked and the room went quiet save for the slow, rhythmic beeping of machinery. "I don't understand how his quirk works, but Ronaldo brought up that he'd altered Yoshizawa's plans which is why they failed. We know he was working with All for One from early on although there has to be a way he activates his quirk. All Yoshizawa had to do was lock eyes with someone and after some flashing lights they were mind linked. He had full control of physical and mental functions as if they were his own. It honestly felt pretty creepy."
"So if we don't understand how his quirk works then we can't know how to counterattack. Is there even any information available on him? Did he ever mention anything that would make him stand out?" Tokoyami asked sullenly to which the brunette slowly shook her head.
"Sorry, there's still a lot I don't remember about the incident. It's still a bit of a blur for me. I'll let you know whenever I remember important stuff."
"Don't worry about it, Uraraka! Your main priority is to get better! Maybe Recovery Girl can get you up and moving faster so we can get the day of sledding in before the snow melts!" Kirishima clenched his fists in front of him eagerly, eyes hopeful for his classmates recovery.
"When does Recovery Girl think you'll be released, Ochaco?" Tsu asked from her position on the bedside stool. In her lap sat a bag of mochi squares that she'd been holding onto for her friend. Seeing as their mission was a fast one, she was hoping Recovery Girl would allow them as a snack.
"She wants me to gain a bit more weight so I can handle her healing sessions better, though by the end of the week I'm supposed to start walking with assistance. Maybe in a few weeks we can go sledding once my scar wounds heal."
"I know this is rather intrusive to ask," Ojiro started unsurely, all eyes on him as he tried to correctly word his question. Ochaco nodded lightly for him to continue. She had a hunch it was going to be about how she got her injuries. That was one of the parts she couldn't forget even if she wanted to. But they had a right to know after she promised not to hide anything from them. "And feel free to stop me at any time, Uraraka, but how exactly did you get that injury? I know it's incredibly rude to ask…"
"It's fine, Ojiro. I promised to be more open when talking about these incidences, right? But um…which injury are you talking about?" Ochaco chuckled nervously with a finger scratching at her face lightly. Tsu reached out to grasped her tubed hand lightly in silent support.
"Wait, there was more than one? How badly did you get injured?" Kaminari asked incredulously before Jiro whacked him upside the head with her hand, the blonde grimacing but accepting his punishment. "Ow! I didn't mean that in the wrong way! It's just that we don't know the full story. Sorry, Uraraka,"
"I think they're asking about your abdominal wound." Todoroki supplied quietly.
"Ah, yeah that would make sense. Sorry, I'm still a bit spacey from waking up. I guess the easiest way to explain it is you know how people hold underground fighting rings? I made it through the first round but couldn't survive through the second one. I got lucky, really, because the first villain didn't know what my quirk was so I sent him high enough up then released. The second one…" Ochaco trailed off a bit before taking a deep breath in. Haunting images flickered through her mind like a rolodex and auburn eyes closed before reopening lidded. "He knew who I was and what my skills were so he used that knowledge to overwhelm me with straight power. Neither my quirk nor my martial arts skills could lay a finger on him. It was a rather one-sided fight. Paranoias stopped the fight before I lost consciousness and I woke back up in the cell. It was an experiment with villains on quirk enhancers."
"They put you through a…a fighting ring? What kind of deranged person does that?" Mineta piped in with a horrified screech.
"That's so horrible…" Jiro breathed into her hands. Yaomomo placed a gentle hand on her friends shoulder.
"I can't believe there are sick people in this world. I've known all my life villains are bad but this is a new low for them. Torturing a student for the fun of it? What kind of sick freak does that?" Kirishima grit out with clenched fists and teary eyes, his body trembling with barely constrained rage.
"The kind that used his childhood trauma to take revenge on the hero world." Deku interjected, a low anger lacing his words. Ochaco glanced up at him before averting her gaze down. He was still extremely bothered by it. Looking between the other two who where there, their expressions were similar in their own ways. Bakugo was angrily looking off to the side while Todoroki averted his gaze down a bit. Her injuries had been severe, that she knew, but what she hadn't realized was how affected it made those around her.
"Why would Paranoias do such a thing? What use did he have to fight villains against a teenage hero?" Shoji asked.
"Because he was experimenting on the villains to amplify their quirks with illegal drugs. What better way than to use the guinea pig he already acquired to see what happened? At least she had better odds unlike that group in the—"
"Kaachan!" "Bakugo." Deku and Todoroki called out in warning and the blond promptly clenched his jaw shut with a tch. A little bit too much information was getting leaked to those who didn't need to hear it. Ochaco curiously looked between all three trying to figure out what they were talking about. Everyone looked at Deku and Todoroki in surprise. Normally they never lashed out so urgently at the pyromaniac and suspicions began arising. Bakugo rarely had a slip of the tongue but apparently even he was thrown off by the incident. The teachers never fully indulged all of the details from the mansion yet it seemed the top three of class 1-A knew something they didn't.
"I don't know what you three are hiding but I think it's best if we called it a night. I'm sure Ochaco wants to get some rest since it's been an eventful day. I'll leave these here for you, Ochaco. Let me know when you need anything else and I'll bring it when we visit after practice tomorrow, okay?" Tsu took control of the room while carefully handing her friend the bag of snacks. Ochaco took it with a small thanks, tubed hand resting gently on top.
"Tsu is right, we have a test in the morning for English so we should go and get a full nights rest. Recovery Girl will do her best to take care of Uraraka in our absence." Iida agreed with a waving of his hands, the class groaning in unison.
"Man, I hate English! It's so hard to get the pronunciations correct. I barely scraped by on the last one." Kaminari clasped his hands behind his head as Iida began directing everyone towards the doors. They still had to change out of their costumes, clean up, eat dinner, then attempt to study before hitting sheets. Seeing as it was already after eight pm, they had a lot to do in a short amount of time. "Take care of yourself while we're gone, Uraraka. Keep looking forward to that sledding day if it motivates you to heal faster."
"Are you actually giving decent advice, Kaminari? I was sure with how often you short circuit your brain that a lot of your cells were fried." Jiro snickered with a twirl of an earjack. Kaminari dropped his head in defeat before throwing his hands up in an attempt to shrug it off with a pleading smile.
"I still have enough cells to know when to cheer up a classmate, Jiro. Give me a bit of credit sometimes, yeah?"
"Sure, sure. Call us if you need anything, Ochaco. I'll have my ringer on if you need to talk. Get some rest tonight." Jiro gave the brunette a firm squeeze of the shoulder before leading the class out of the infirmary, Kaminari trailing along behind her asking if she really thought he'd fried all of his brain cells.
"Goodnight, Ochaco," Tsu waved goodbye, all of the girls doing the same before leaving for the night. The rest of class 1-A did the same until it was only Deku and Uraraka left in the infirmary. Recovery Girl had yet to return to her domain so it just left the two to talk things out.
"Are you alright, Deku?" Ochaco asked quietly when she noticed he wasn't moving the slightest bit, eyes narrowed in on an unseeable object. While there wasn't much she remembered about the kidnapping, she was sure Deku remembered every single detail and agonized himself over it often. Whatever Bakugo brought up seemed to be something he didn't want to remember. "Deku?"
"Oh! Sorry, Uraraka, I guess I zoned out for a bit." Deku snapped from his stupor to sheepishly look at his bedridden classmate. Ochaco puckered her eyebrows in concern. It wasn't like him to zone out like this and it made her worry.
"It's been hard on you, hasn't it?"
"Yeah. There were a lot of things in that mansion I wish I hadn't seen. Whether it was Paranoias' doing or Ronaldo's, the things done in that mansion were beyond inhumane to say the least. Even what he did to you, Uraraka…it never should've happened on my watch. I'm sorry." Deku apologized sincerely with a small bow. The brunette raised a hand to wave off his unnecessary apology but her eyes trailed to the various tubes protruding from her hand and arms. Constantly flowing fluids, supplements, nutrients, essentially an artificial lifeforce pumping through her veins to keep her alive. Until now she hadn't thought anything of it, just accepted it as part of the healing process. Realization slowly dawned on Ochaco who carefully cradled the tubed hand against her chest with the other on top. The tears were already falling, that much she figured from the sudden heat trailing down her cheeks, as the bubbling guilt suddenly burst. How much damage had she done to the rest of her classmates? How much were they silently suffering?
"I'm the one who should be sorry, Deku," Ochaco said thickly, earning his attention immediately. His hands uselessly hovered in front of him until he made up his mind and sat down at her bedside, virescent eyes watching her helplessly. "I never meant for this to happen and I dragged all of you into this. I don't remember a lot of it, but I know everyone's been suffering worse than me. I can't even begin to imagine what you went through in the mansion, Deku."
"Uraraka…"
"Everyone says it isn't my fault although I feel like there's more I could've done to end things faster. Maybe if I'd tried harder to escape when I had the chance, then you and Todoroki and Bakugo wouldn't be this distressed. All I can remember is the fighting ring and vaguely making my way down a hallway before collapsing. The scars on my body are now a reminder of that but…Bakugo mentioned something about unlike that group. How many more people were hurt, Deku? How many more were injured because I couldn't fend off a single, misunderstood villain?" Ochaco finally looked up at him with agonized eyes filled with tears of grief and guilt. Deku startled though quickly tried to calm himself down, hands clenching the pants of his costume tightly. How many more…that was a question he wanted to know himself though the answer wasn't within his grasp. How many bodies had been in that room? Had there been prior victims? Countless experiments over the past few decades as Paranoias tried to build his Council up?
"I…can't give you an answer to that, Uraraka. I'm not sure anyone has the actual numbers of victims the Quantum Council has claimed. I want you to know that because of your heroic efforts and sacrifice, you've probably saved countless more lives. The things done there were unspeakable, including what you endured, and I wish it turned out so differently. You've sacrificed your quirk and body to prevent any more casualties. You were more of a hero in that moment than I was."
"Do you still have nightmares about it?" Ochaco asked suddenly and for a moment Deku wanted to say no, deny that the horrific smell was never retained in his mind or the fact that he kept seeing her body lying on the ground bleeding out. Most nights it was the same scenario, the hero to be barely getting more than a few hours of sleep a night due to waking up in a panic with every terror. Uraraka's body lying there in a pool of blood, the stench of decay filling his senses until he woke up in a cold sweat. The first few nights had been the worst. The fight with Paranoias had gone wrong when the stake meant for him was diverted back at Uraraka by her own hands, the sharp wood piercing through her heart with the swirling mask adorning her face. Blood seeped through the holes as widened eyes stared at him in horror, more of the crimson substance flowing from underneath the mask. He'd actually woken up screaming which alerted Aoyama who promptly grabbed the class rep in his panic. By the time a few of his classmates had arrived, the green haired teen was sitting on the edge of his bed quivering and wide eyed, a heavy sweat covering his body. Even Mr. Aizawa showed up after some time, the teacher about to call for Recovery Girl until he was reassured multiple times that there was no need.
"I do. Not every night but at least a few times a week."
"What about the others? Are they having trouble sleeping?"
"…I've noticed a few with darker circles under their eyes so I can't be entirely sure. I would assume so. Everyone's taken the past few months very hard. Mina took it the hardest, it got to the point where she needed help getting out of bed in the mornings. A lot of us couldn't focus on school and we all isolated ourselves more to try and comprehend everything that was going on. Counselors were brought in and we were urged to talk with them at our discretion. I think most of us aren't willing to bring it up right now."
Ochaco laid her head back against her pillow suddenly drained of all energy. The built up emotions breaking free was taking every last bit of strength she had, her eyelids stopping halfway to closing only because she forced them open. Her hands slipped until they were resting against the bed once more and Deku looked up at her face at the movement. The distress in his eyes kept the tears flowing yet Ochaco didn't have the strength to wipe them away. "I'm sorry, Deku, I'm getting a bit tired now."
"Get some rest, we can talk about this later, Uraraka. I'll let Recovery Girl know on my way out and I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" Deku quickly stood and made to leave. His foot refused to move when he tried to start walking away, the command between his brain and limb failing. There was something he needed to get off his mind before leaving, something that had been bothering him for months now. He carefully turned back towards her only to find she had already fallen asleep with her head rolled to the side. The monitor showed her heart rate leveling out to a resting rate and Deku watched it for a minute before looking down at Ochaco. Even in her sleep her expression was strained, the slightest crease forming in between her brows. He never meant to distress her more by bringing up the incident again but something dawned on him in that moment.
Ever since the attack, whenever she was in the infirmary her brows were always knitted while she slept. Never once, even when placed under a sedative, did she look peaceful sleeping. The rest of class 1-A struggled with the whole ordeal but what Izuku Midoriya should've taken notice of…was how much Uraraka was struggling with the guilt of troubling her classmates through her fake, cheerful smiles. He gently grabbed the snack bag resting on her lap and placed it on the bedside table with care, making sure the bag didn't crinkle too much and wake her up. A quick search for an extra blanket soon had the teen carefully laying it over her slumbering form, tucking the edge just below her chin. There were still tears resting on her flushed cheeks so very delicately, a thumb swiped both sides to remove the moisture.
He understood completely how she was feeling. All for One was targeting him and it often wrapped his classmates into their battles, the injuries sometimes severe. The guilt never fully went away, always lurking within his chest and growing with each intensive battle fought. Even his teachers had sacrificed so much to protect him. All Might lost his powers after passing them onto him and nearly died during his final fight with All for One, the very last essence of One for All dissipating from his body. As his successor, the heavy burden of finishing Tomura Shigaraki and All for One resting on his shoulders. But with the Quantum Council now aligning with the evil overlords control, it seemed like a never ending battle to gain the upper hand. Would he even be strong enough to finish them off? Killing wasn't the way of a hero, but would it come to that if it meant saving the world?
"It's time to go, Midoriya. You've got a big test in the morning and you're still in your costume. I see she's finally worn down from the excitement, it's good that she's falling asleep on her own now." Recovery Girl quietly spoke from his side, a wrinkled hand resting against his arm. Deku finally tore his gaze from Uraraka to look down at the old nurse, eyes filled with turmoil. She gave an understanding smile before patting him on the arm.
"Yeah. Thank you for everything, Recovery Girl. I'll be heading off for the night now."
"Time will heal all, just remember that. All you can do for her now is stay by her side and support her alongside your classmates. I would avoid talking anymore about what happened in the mansion for the time. Let her heal at her own rate."
"Yes, ma'am."