Chapter 65

.::Small Talk is Hard::.

So Monday turned out to be... interesting. Way more interesting than any Eijirou thought it would be. He wasn't part of the world travelers' FacePage group chat, but Ashido had kept him apprised of every major development. Starting from that inventor girl getting briefed on the situation after the vigilantes found their apartment bugged, to Ashido and Kaminari's attempts to come up with new identities just in case, to that scary Toga chick apparently knowing Midoriya had an "episode"...

Eijirou had a feeling this would all be a lot more meaningful to him if he actually knew the people involved. As it stood, Ashido wasn't the best at explaining just why all these people specifically were big deals, and Todoroki did little better. Eijirou of course understood how serious it was to tell anyone, but they seemed particularly freaked out by who knew all this stuff.

But then, to cap it all off, it turned out the villain that Todoroki woke up with was his brother, which was the one time where Eijirou felt like he didn't need an explanation to understand why Todoroki and everyone else had been so shocked.

Todoroki ended up being gone for the better part of two hours before coming back, clothing singed and looking relatively catatonic. Explaining to Kuroe why they needed new clothes for him, and also why he kept staring into space had been an interesting challenge. Thankfully he just accepted Eijirou's half-hearted shrug and mumble of "family problems" without many questions.

Overall though, it was a very awkward and quiet night.

So, yeah. Monday turned out to be very eventful in the weirdest of ways. It almost made Eijirou scared about how today would go. He set out pretty early to the train station to meet Jirou, Kaminari and Uraraka so he could lead them to the meeting place. Ashido had wanted to be the guide, but ultimately had been deemed too distinctive to go in public. Todoroki could disguise himself, but was still in no condition to really talk to anyone. So it ultimately fell to Eijirou to be the guide.

Though there was a small hitch in that he didn't really know the way to the meeting place. Originally they planned to use that tunnel they'd met on Friday, but according to Todoroki that... probably wasn't an option anymore. And since Kuroe worked from home they couldn't use his house, so they'd had to call up some of the runaways for another option. Which meant Eijirou wasn't going to the train station alone.

"So, uh, you go to the train station often?" he asked awkwardly, trying to fill the silence. Beside him the hulking figure of Parasyte, or Shouji as he insisted, just shrugged, the gesture making his poncho-style coat seem to rise a few inches.

"Not particularly. There's a small bakery nearby that sells some seasonal breads, so I stop by to get those sometimes."

"Oh, uh, neat," Eijirou replied, and they lapsed into uncomfortable silence once more. Words could not begin to describe just how awkward this felt. Eijirou still felt mildly intimidated by the larger boy, his mask and dark poncho giving him some distinctly sinister vibes. Walking side by side like this, it was hard to believe they were the same age. He would've pegged Shouji as at least a year older than him.

And if Shouji wasn't intimidating enough on his own, then that other guy was. Apparently the runaways' whole "buddy system" still applied even if there was an outsider, so when Shouji showed up there was another guy with him he introduced as Glitch. Eijirou had no idea who he was or what he looked like, because nothing about him would stay solid. His coat kept flickering in different spots between various shades of red, blue and brown, and he wore a knit hat with ski goggles and a scarf around his mouth with similarly blinking colors.

What really grated Eijirou's nerves was that even now he couldn't see him. The guy had stuck around just long enough for Shouji to introduce him, and then vanished. Guy never even said a word, just nodded at Eijirou and then blinked out of existence. They didn't say what the guy's Quirk did, but clearly it let him screw with how other people saw him. Eijirou absolutely got where that codename came from.

Glitch was definitely following them now even though Eijirou couldn't see him, a thought that made the hair on his neck prickle, but he tried not to focus on that. Way more comfortable to focus on Shouji.

The train station soon came into sight, and the awkwardness only continued as they entered. From the schedules posted on a big monitor, they still had a good fifteen minutes before the train from Hosu would arrive. Fifteen minutes of just standing around waiting, surrounded by strangers going about their lives. "Uh, maybe we can stop by that bakery you mentioned?" Eijirou suggested.

"No, it's closed for winter," Shouji replied, shaking his head.

"Oh," Eijirou said weakly, and once again, silence. Man, this was awkward... He felt a bit self-conscious with all the strangers milling around the station. Though none of them paid him and Shouji any mind, he felt like someone might look at them and recognize him any second now, disguised or not. The whole thing just made him feel even more on edge, and also envious of how calm Shouji seemed.

Seriously, the guy seemed totally unbothered by everything. Maybe his time on the streets played a role in it. He just had that cool and mature air around himself, like he'd been through stuff no one else had. It made Eijirou curious about how long he'd been living on the streets, but that felt a bit too invasive to ask about.

"So, your hair isn't naturally red?" The question startled him out of his thoughts, looking at the other boy in surprise.

"Uh, y-yeah, it's actually black," he confirmed after a few seconds.

"I wouldn't have guessed. I can't really picture it like that. Though I also thought your hair naturally spiked up like that, so..." He trailed off awkwardly, and all at once Eijirou remembered that Shouji wasn't just a runaway, but the one who'd seen UA in his dream. He had known that this whole time of course, but it hadn't really clicked until now when the other boy commented on his hair. After all, the other world's Eijirou's red hair had been what ultimately convinced Anjou that Ashido might not be crazy.

That last part in particular kept running through his head. In some other world out there, he, Ashido, Shouji and Todoroki were all classmates, along with a bunch of other people he'd meet today. It was wild to think about. "So what was it like at UA?" he asked without thinking. Shouji stiffened next to him briefly, glancing around to make sure no one had been close enough to hear the question.

"There's not much to say," he said after a moment. "I already told you everything I saw in the dream, which is all I know."

"Yeah, but it must've been cool to see it, right? Even if it was just a classroom and the hall."

"Not really. It just felt... normal." Shouji shrugged, the poncho shifting a bit as he probably crossed his arms. "It's strange. At this point, it feels more like my own memory than a dream. It felt like I was actually living it, and that it was normal for me to be there. Even chasing the janitor robot didn't feel too weird." Pausing, he added in a lower tone, "Although, when I saw... that blond, skeleton man..."

He trailed off, seeming to search for words, and Eijirou had to think for a moment of who he might mean. "Oh!" he exclaimed. "You mean—uh." He stopped short of saying All Might out loud, knowing that would definitely get a lot of weird looks if someone overheard. Coughing awkwardly, he muttered, "Uh, that guy the others said is still alive somehow, but retired instead of dead...?"

"Yeah." Shouji nodded. "When I saw him, I felt..." He trailed off again, and the poncho shifted again before he sighed. "When I looked at him, I thought of that name. His hero name. And it felt normal even after waking up." That had Eijirou pausing, turning to stare at him wide-eyed.

"Wait. You mean you recognized him inside the dream?"

"Sort of," Shouji hedged. "I think I technically recognized everyone, the same way you recognize classmates and friends. You think of their names but also... don't. It's—more in the back of your head, than an active thought." He shook his head, seeming a bit frustrated by his attempts to explain it.

"No, I totally get it," Eijirou assured him. "Like how you look at someone and know who they are, but don't really think, 'Oh, that's totally Fujisaki' right?"

"Right. Anyways, after I woke up, I forgot most of the names. I only remembered his name, because he was..."

Once again he trailed off, but he didn't need to explain it. The guy was All Might. If you looked at a skeleton guy and somehow thought "All Might," that'd definitely stick in your head, dream or not. "I totally get it, dude," Eijirou assured the larger teen, before frowning. "But uh, did you mention that part to Anjou? I mean, I feel like she probably would've brought it up, right?"

"No, it felt too crazy to mention. That was the only really absurd part of the dream. Everything else felt utterly... normal." His body sagged a bit at the word, bowing his head with an aggravated huff. "I know I keep saying that, but I can't think of a better one. Nothing really stood out as wrong or strange, not even him. It just felt like another ordinary day. And I guess for that world, it was."

Eijirou didn't really know how to respond to that. He didn't even know why Shouji was telling him all this, it wasn't like they really knew each other. But maybe that was why. Maybe the guy just needed to talk to someone who might understand, who was also more on the outside but not completely in the dark. Eijirou could respect that.

"So do you think you'll recognize everyone when they show up?" he asked after a few moments, and Shouji nodded.

"I did when I saw you two. I still couldn't remember your names, but when Anjou said them, they did click as familiar. Since I already know the names of everyone else coming, I think I'll be able to match them to their faces. That's why I volunteered to be the escort," he added, glancing at the train tracks. "I want to see with my own eyes that I'm not going crazy."

"Yeah, I get that," Eijirou muttered, scratching the back of his neck. "Man, I'm actually kinda jealous now. You might just have some weird dreams to go off of, but I still don't really have anything but everyone's word that this stuff is real. At least you've got some sort of memories to go off of."

"I guess you have a point," Shouji hummed, and they lapsed into silence once more. It didn't feel quite as uncomfortable as before though, the brief chat taking off some of the edge Eijirou felt around the other teen. It kind of made him wonder how they got along at UA, how different their counterparts might be in a world without the looming sense of danger and slowly impending societal collapse.

Then he realized it didn't matter. That was a different Kirishima Eijirou in a world that he didn't even know for sure existed. But he did exist in this world, and so did this world's Shouji.

"So," he said, breaking the silence again. "Are there any good places to grab a bite around Odawara that aren't closed for winter?"

Clothes, money, towel, sleeping bag, camping stove, and wigs.

Ochako checked the contents of her backpack and the duffel bag for the fifth time, side-eying Deku's bedroom to make sure she hadn't forgotten anything. Seeing nothing out of place, she finally allowed herself to accept she'd packed everything. "I think that's all of it," she declared, zipping up her backpack. She hefted it over her shoulder and grabbed the duffel bag, grunting at the weight.

"Sure you don't need help?" Aiko asked from the doorway, sounding faintly amused as she watched Ochako turn around.

"No, I'm good!" the teen declared with a determined smile. "I'm going alone, so I won't have you help carry it everywhere!" Still, she didn't like how her arms and back already felt sore from lifting it. The two bags had to be the heaviest things she'd carried since coming to this world; it really made her wonder about how lazy other Ochako had been.

Maybe some of the strain showed, because Aiko reached over to take the duffel bag anyway. "At least let me carry it downstairs. You look like you're about to fall over." Ochako really wanted to protest, but she couldn't deny the relief at having the weight taken away.

"...Thanks," she said feebly, giving in as she followed Aiko through the apartment.

"Why not use your Quirk to make it all lighter?"

"Because I can't be too dependent on it. And if it looks like I'm not struggling at all, people might find it weird, don't you think?"

"Good call." Aiko flashed her an almost feral grin, which Ochako returned with a slightly feeble smile of her own. As soon as Aiko turned forward again it faded, eyebrows pinching together nervously.

Ever since Deku told her about how shaken Aizawa-sensei had been by his encounter with Aiko, Ochako's unease about the woman had multiplied exponentially. As nice as Aiko had been to her, the way Aizawa-sensei reacted just cemented that she was still a villain. Whatever happened between them in the past, it traumatized him to the point that just being around her triggered him.

She felt so glad Aiko had come home late in the evening, so they hadn't spent much time together before she left. She wasn't sure how long she could keep up a friendly façade. Just seeing her sent a chill down Ochako's spine now, her brain basically screaming, 'Danger! Danger!' on repeat. It made interacting with the woman a lot more stressful than before.

"So, you're sure you'll be okay?" Aiko asked idly, and Ochako quickly bobbed her head. She couldn't let slip anything was wrong now, she was so close to leaving.

"Yeah! I'm gonna meet up with my friend."

"The one you know online?"

"Yep! And thanks for giving me that wig for her, by the way."

"Don't mention it. I really need to de-clutter a bit anyway," Aiko added under her breath. "Don't even know why I keep getting all those wigs, not like I need them..." Part of Ochako wanted to ask what she meant, but the other part didn't want to talk to her more than absolutely necessary.

"Thank you anyway," she said, for lack of anything else to say.

They reached the stairwell and Ochako really felt grateful Aiko had taken the duffel bag, because she felt like she needed to hold the rail to remain steady with the weight of her backpack. The thick layers of clothing didn't help, making her steps feel a bit more stiff as the fabric hugged her knees whenever she bent them. She felt a similar tightness around her arm when she raised her free hand to adjust her scarf so it wasn't as tight.

"You do know if she's actually a girl though, right?" Aiko asked, and Ochako frowned at the back of her head.

"Huh?"

"You know, that your friend is actually a girl, and not some forty-year-old guy catfishing you," Aiko said casually. "And even if she's not, you need to be careful. Meeting someone you know online can be dangerous. You never know if you're meeting a serial killer." Ochako stopped walking and just stared at her, the sheer hypocrisy of the statement really hitting home.

Aiko paused and glanced at her over her shoulder, an innocent smile on her face. "Something wrong?"

"...Are, are you trying to say you're a serial killer?" Ochako asked awkwardly, and Aiko's smile became even sunnier somehow.

"By the strictest definition, yes." That had Ochako freezing in place, her blood chilling. She didn't expect such a straightforward answer! Aiko shrugged as she turned and resumed her descent, continuing nonchalantly, "Don't act so surprised. You're the one who set out to find the Villain Alliance, and I wasn't exactly subtle about my connection with them."

Ochako just stared, still stunned Aiko admitted it so openly, but after a moment she took a shuddery breath. "No, you weren't," she agreed quietly as she followed. "But... why are you actually telling me that?"

"To highlight that you have the survival instinct of a rock and need to be more careful," Aiko chirped cheerfully, and Ochako's shock was briefly replaced by enough indignation to glare at her. "Really though, you need to be cautious of strangers. If you ran into literally anyone else tied to the Alliance that day, you'd be either dead or trapped in a cell as one of Izun's new friends."

That last remark had Ochako shuddering, knowing just how right Aiko was. Deku had particularly hammered in that second possibility while scolding her for being so reckless. Hearing it from a villain just made it all the more real.

Still, despite the fact Aiko terrified Aizawa and had just admitted to being a murderer, and Ochako probably shouldn't try to make her angry, she couldn't help but feel a need to defend herself. "I know it was risky, but you'd already found me at that point. I had nothing to lose anyway."

"I suppose not," Aiko hummed. "Still, you're pretty soft. You've done a decent job surviving so far, but the streets are a dangerous place. It's not too late to go back home. You'd definitely be safer."

Ochako frowned, briefly squeezing the handrail as she walked. "I know, but I have stuff to do that I can't do if I'm being constantly watched and guarded." Aiko hummed but didn't respond, and they spent the rest of the walk downstairs in silence.

Aiko ended up carrying the duffel bag outside to the end of the street before turning to her with a smile. "Well, Uraraka-chan, it's been nice having you here," she said, holding the bag for Ochako to take. "If you're ever in Nabu, please don't go looking for the Alliance again though."

"I won't," Ochako promised as she took the bag. Aiko smiled, and then abruptly ruffled Ochako's hair, making her yelp. Ochako tried to pull away on reflex but felt a painful tug, and realized Aiko had a firm grip on her hair. The woman's smile faded as she looked into Ochako's eyes, the serious look on her face sending a chill down her spine.

"And you won't tell anyone about me or the Alliance, right?" she asked, and Ochako felt herself shiver.

"I won't," she lied, forcing herself to meet Aiko's gaze. The woman didn't reply right away, her expression unreadable but oddly intense.

"You won't tell any pros or police?"

"No," Ochako agreed, relieved she could tell the truth about that. She only planned to tell the others from her world. "I won't tell my parents if I go home, either, or any other adults."

Aiko was silent, still staring at her in that eerily intense way that made her want to squirm. "Uraraka. You won't do anything to put Izuku in danger, will you?" The question had Ochako inhaling sharply, and her hands balled into fists around the handle of the duffel bag as her expression hardened with determination.

"Never," she swore solemnly. "Deku's my friend. I won't ever do anything to hurt him." Her vow elicited a soft hum from Aiko, and at long last she released Ochako's hair and backed off.

"Alright then, I'll accept that," she said with a nod. "But remember, telling people about me or the Alliance will absolutely count as putting him in danger."

"I know," Ochako said with a firm nod of her own, and then dipped into an earnest bow. "Thank you for taking care of me all this time!"

She heard the woman give a soft huff, and when she straightened she had on that soft smile smile again. "Just don't get into trouble, okay?" she said, and Ochako yelped when the woman darted forward to ruffle her hair one last time before backing off with a laugh. "And don't forget to throw on the wig before you get too close to the train station!"

The reminder had Ochako tugging up the scarf over her mouth a bit more, hiding a small smile. "Don't worry, I will! Thank you!" She gave one final bow before walking off and leaving Aiko behind.

Once she turned a corner she heaved a large sigh, feeling some of her tension fade now that she was away from Aiko. She felt like she had a lot to unpack from their farewell just now. And with luck, this would be their last farewell, and they'd never meet again before Ochako and everyone else got back to their own world.

After everything that happened with Aizawa, Ochako couldn't stay with Aiko any longer. She couldn't stand to be around the woman knowing her mere presence could impact him so heavily. Not just because it meant Aiko was dangerous, but because it meant she'd done something in the past that had left a definite, lasting imprint on him.

And anyone who hurt her teacher was an enemy.

As uneasy as she was now, Ochako knew that if a few days passed without Aiko being hostile towards her, that unease would lose its edge. And after that, she'd just be angry. She didn't think she'd go as far as to try to attack the woman—her instincts screamed that would be suicidal—but she'd never been in close quarters with someone she actively loathed before.

Aizawa-sensei had risked his life for them multiple times and had supported them through so much. He was a one of a kind man who embodied every aspect of not only what it meant to be a hero, but a teacher. Ochako felt it safe to say nearly everyone in 1-A would be willing to put their lives on the line to repay him for all he'd done for them. And while this might not be their Aizawa-sensei, she felt like that willingness to give everything to protect others had to be a universal constant for the man.

She had no idea what she would do once she got over her initial anxieties around Aiko, so best to not take any risks and leave now before it happened. She and Deku had worked out alternate plans yesterday; after finishing up the business in Odawara, she could come back and just stay in the warehouse instead. They'd even asked Jirou to bring some extra money so Ochako could rent hotel rooms if the weather got too bad. She felt bad asking for money like that, but in this situation it was a necessary evil.

Today, everything would finally set in motion for real. She'd finally brief everyone on the full details of the situation with Deku, the Alliance, and Aiko. She'd learn what was going on in Odawara so she could tell Deku, work out a system to communicate better. And she would deliver that anklet to Hatsume to hopefully figure out a way to unlock it, so the escape plan could finally move forward.

(And she'd also apologize to Todoroki for not having the chance to warn him about Dabi. She was literally going to tell him about it today! How could they have predicted that Hawks of all people would beat her to it?)

"Hello."

Ochako startled at the voice and spun around, feet sliding apart into a slightly clumsy rendition of the offensive stance that Gunhead had shown her. She briefly cursed her counterpart for not having those moves ingrained into her body's muscle memory, but her ire was quickly forgotten when she registered who had startled her. A young girl with black hair and inverted-looking eyes stood only a few feet away in the mouth of an alley Ochako had just passed.

More importantly: she was only wearing a short-sleeved sailor-style dress. She didn't even have on tights or boots, just knee-high black socks and plain old black loafers.

What the heck? Was she crazy? This morning the temperatures were the coldest yet this year! Ochako had on wool leggings under her pants and a thick coat over two another layer, and she still felt the bitter chill whenever the wind blew past her. She didn't dwell on it long though, her thoughts instantly derailed when the girl asked, "Are you Uraraka Ochako?"

Immediately Ochako was back on edge, panic briefly spiking at being recognized. She hadn't put on the wig yet because her floppy-eared hat didn't really fit over the pigtails, and the windchill was too bitter to make the long walk with her ears unprotected. But her hair was mostly covered right now, with only a few strands of her bangs poking out. And with the scarf, that mainly left only her eyes to identify her.

"Who are you?" she demanded, sliding her left foot just enough to make her stance more steady.

"I suppose that is a yes," the girl hummed, and then dipped her head. "Heiwajima Seiko." As soon as she said the name it suddenly clicked, and Ochako felt her tension drain all at once.

"Oh, you're that girl Deku mentioned!" In retrospect, it should have been obvious that this was Seiko, since there probably weren't many girls with black hair and inverted eyes, or who wore all black except for a tiny cherry blossom hairpin. In Ochako's defense, she was kind of distracted by the fact the girl was absolutely not dressed for the weather. "Aren't you cold?"

"Not really." Short and perfectly devoid of emotion, just like Deku described. Only then did Ochako notice that Seiko's pale face didn't even seem a little pink from the cold, her expression looking more bored than uncomfortable. "Are you leaving?"

"Huh? Oh, uh, yeah." She nodded awkwardly, a bit surprised by how quickly Seiko changed the topic. She really wasn't the type for small talk, was she?

"I see. A shame. I was curious about you." The bland remark had Ochako feeling a bit wary again, remembering how uneasy Deku tended to be when talking about her.

"How did you even know I was here?" she asked. Given everything going on, she didn't think he would be too careless mentioning her around the Alliance's base. And he certainly wouldn't tell Seiko about her.

"On Sunday evening Izuku kept muttering about whether you'd be alright staying with Aiko. He didn't realize I was watching and thought he was alone. He seemed upset, so I decided not to bother him."

Ochako couldn't even react to that, just stared in a weird mix of exasperation and disbelief. Deku's mumbling was one of his most defining and endearing characteristics, but this was the first time someone had actually used it to their advantage. Usually he rambled too fast and quietly to follow, and she'd gotten used to mostly tuning it out.

...It suddenly occurred to her his mumbling was a really big liability when living with someone who could spy on people without anyone knowing she was there.

"Well, I'm leaving today, so he doesn't have to worry I guess," she muttered with a frown, making a mental note to talk to him about that later. A brisk breeze blew past and Ochako shivered, feeling her skin prickle. "Okay, seriously, aren't you cold?"

"No." Seiko looked perfectly unbothered by the wind, not reacting to it at all, but Ochako didn't care.

"Well, I feel cold just looking at you!" she declared with a nod, and in a split-second decision she set down the duffel bag and walked over. "You should at least wear a scarf!"

"I don't need it," Seiko intoned blandly.

"Does your Quirk that can make you overheat if you wear too many layers?" Ochako asked in response. Seiko seemed to pause, her head tipping to the side just slightly as she gazed at Ochako with empty eyes.

"No."

"Then you might feel okay now, but you're still a little kid, and it's still freezing. Don't you know what hypothermia is?"

"It's a significant drop in body temperature usually from prolonged exposure to cold."

"If you know that, then you have no excuse to refuse this!" Ochako unwound her scarf from her neck and draped it around the younger girl's shoulders, flashing her a smile. The light blue and pink argyle-pattern scarf had already felt big to Ochako, and it looked almost comically large on the smaller girl. It completely enveloped her chin and a good part of her sailor collar, and Ochako couldn't help but smile. "Look, the pink parts even match your hairclip!"

Seiko lifted one of the loose ends of the scarf to inspect the pale pink diamonds. "They do," she said, which Ochako decided was good enough for her.

"Glad you like it!" she said, and went to retrieve the duffel bag. "I need to go catch that train now, but it was nice to finally meet you!"

And she meant it. Maybe it was because they'd only spoken for a few minutes, but she didn't find Seiko nearly as creepy as Deku made her out to be. Ochako wouldn't go as far to call her normal, there was definitely something off about her, but overall she felt kind of underwhelming compared to how Deku talked about her.

Seiko just eyed the scarf a moment longer before looking up at her. "Likewise," she intoned, and the corners of her mouth lifted slightly. Ochako felt her own smile grow a bit more strained, suddenly understanding Deku's discomfort around Seiko a little better. Something about that smile felt wrong, though she couldn't put her finger on why before it faded. "Farewell, Uraraka-san."

With that she turned to walk back to the alley, and the shadows seemed to reach out to meet her, wrapping her in darkness before she vanished. Ochako blinked, a bit surprised by the abrupt departure, but a brisk breeze had her shivering and hurrying off to the train station. Now that she'd given up her scarf, she really didn't want to spend a moment outside longer than absolutely necessary.

It was a little later while she looked for a place to put on her wig that she noticed her breath visibly leave in small puffs. Only then did Ochako suddenly realize that she'd never seen Seiko's breath. She shivered for a different reason this time before continuing her search, pushing it out of her mind.

The grand reunion's finally about to happen. Looking forward to it! Also, props to Izuku for managing to last 60+ chapters without slipping anything until now.

Question for next time: what would be the most hilarious misunderstanding that could arise from someone listening to Izuku's muttering? (Don't need to ask about the most disastrous thing that could be overheard, so somehow interpreting Izuku's mumbling to mean he's getting married or something silly like that is way more fun!)