Here it is, the 151st full chapter of Miraculous Quirks released on time as always. It took almost all of Class 1-A working together and a much needed apology from Bakugo but finally Izuku has relented and accepted his friends help and desire to bring him back to U.A. However, this was just the first hurdle, the second is about to come and it is going to be a lot harder to overcome. How will they manage it? That is all the administrative stuff that I have for you, however, and there are no guest reviews to respond to or questions to answer so I will end this note here. Do keep the reviews coming as I enjoy hearing from y'all. That is all I have for this pre chapter note so that means that it is time to sit back, relax, and enjoy the 151st full chapter of Miraculous Quirks.
Disclaimer: I do not own either of these great works of fiction.
Chapter 151: Plea from the Heart
"The first hurdle has been cleared." Momo said as she stood between Ochaco and Marinette while the rain fell and they watched Bakugo hold Midoriya following his apology and Midoriya's acceptance of their help before he passed out from everything he'd been through. "That said, it's going to get tougher now. This was the easier of the two we have to clear to bring Midoriya back."
As she finished she looked to Ochaco next to her. This had been the brunette girl's plan and if anyone could be relied on now it was her. It wasn't just because Ochaco was in love with Midoriya, that was something few knew for certain though Momo was one of those few, but because out of everyone she was the one who'd come up with the plan to bring him back and save him so if anyone had an idea for how to overcome the next hurdle it would be her.
This was Ochaco's mission, she was the one who wanted to be the hero who saved other heroes when they were in pain, when they needed it, and this was her truest test, to save the boy she loved and the hero who inspired her the most in his time of need. She'd achieved the first part of that but the second part would be a whole lot harder.
Ochaco of course had a plan. She'd managed to rescue Deku and she was going to bring him back and make sure he was allowed to stay at U.A. long enough to rest, recover, and recharge before they all headed out as a class to stand beside him in this final battle to come. It was going to be tough but she knew what she had to do to make it work and she was already stealing herself for that should it come to it.
"That it will so we'd better hurry." Marinette said from Momo's other side getting her attention as Shoji and Adrien walked forward and helped Bakugo with Midoriya so that Shoji could carry him on his back as that was the easiest way to do so now that he'd agreed to come back. "Change and use Voyage to get us near the school but not right in front of it as you need to change back and the staff outside aren't informed of this stuff."
"Right." Momo said as Kaalki flew up to her shoulder waiting but before Momo could do anything she paused when she looked at Marinette and noticed that her friend had a small rivulet of blood running down her face from her forehead that was mixing with the rain that was still falling around them. "Er, Marinette, are you ok?"
"Huh, why wouldn't I be?" Marinette asked looking over at Momo. "Sure what I had to say was emotional but it needed to be said and once Midoriya recovers Adrien and I can tell him our full tale. I'm fine now though, what's most important right now is getting Midoriya back to U.A."
"Yeah but, er, your bleeding Marinette." Momo said creating a small white handkerchief out of her hand and using it to dab Marinette's head and showed her. "See? What happened to cause that? It takes a fair bit of damage to break your skin and you were in one of your suit upgrades most of the time."
"Oh that." Marinette said as she started to bleed again though she wasn't really phased by it beyond a small headache she had. "Guess the blow Midoriya gave me was harder than I expected. He used that strange acceleration, gotta be the second or third's Quirk if I had to guess, along with his raw power to blast out of my item and into me. The facemask of my space costume covered me so I thought I was fine though he did crack it but I guess it was enough to cut me. One sec, this will be good training and should clear up a potential concussion that I might have."
"I'm more amazed you took a blow from Midoriya at that speed and are still standing even with your costume and enhanced constitution." Momo said as Marinette created a small coin with her Quirk and then just flipped it into the air. "And now you're…oh."
Marinette didn't say 'Miraculous Ladybug' like she would if it had been her Miraculous power but she thought it and the coin exploded into a stream of ladybugs. Unlike before when she'd awakened her Quirk through her desperation to save Adrien, this time she actively controlled the stream so that it was smaller than normal and had the ladybugs fall down to encircle her head before they flew up and vanished. When they were gone there was no blood and no visible cut either though Marinette was a little paler Momo thought.
"I've got to do more training and eat way more protein to handle the energy drain but I understand how the cure works now that I've had the time to focus on the change." Marinette said as she wobbled a little. "Still more draining than I'd like but I can clear up any damage from Quirks with it so long as it's recent and I had a charm active when the damage occurred. I can also direct what is cured and what isn't to mitigate the amount of energy that I burn with it. The wound Midoriya gave me was because of his Quirk so I could heal it."
"That is a serious upgrade." Momo said her eyes wide at the implications of what Marinette could now do especially with the healing aspect even if it wasn't on the scale of what her Miraculous could do but then again that was magic with the only limit being what was in the bounds of the cure and this was a Quirk that required Marinette's own energy to use. "Awakened Quirks, they're something else."
"Still would rather not deal with what is needed to cause a Quirk to awaken, it wasn't exactly pleasant." Marinette said. "Now hurry, we should get moving."
"Right." Momo said remembering that Marinette had only awakened her Quirk because Adrien had been stabbed by one of Shigaraki's Quirks and about to die before looking to Kaalki. "Ready Kaalki."
"I am." Kaalki said with a nod.
"Very good then Kaalki, Full Gallop." Momo said and she quickly changed into the outfit the class now knew as her Miraculous outfit, well all but Midoriya but he was out right now and would learn once he'd been allowed to recover. "Alright everyone, it's time to get Midoriya back to U.A."
At that the class gathered up and Momo held out her hand and said 'Voyage' to create the gate to a location she'd already memorized that was near U.A. but not in the direct line of sight so that they could all get there as soon as possible. In moments they were all through the portal with Momo bringing up the rear so that it closed behind here ss soon as she was through it. Once it was closed she said 'Dismount' to let the transformation fall and gave Kaalki a carrot before they began to head to the entrance of U.A.
It only took a few moments and soon they were walking up to the massive black barrier that surrounded U.A. with Thirteen waiting outside of it. The moment she saw them the pro hero came up to them and realized that they'd succeed, faster than she actually expected them to, and had Midoriya with them so she went to right away. As she was doing so Midoriya groaned and began to open his eyes a little confused as to where he was and why Thirteen was before him.
"He's awake." Shoji said. "We got him but we still have to go onto campus."
"Well that's good." Thirteen said as she raised a hand and opened her helmet showing Izuku her face for the first time confirming her gender and revealing that she had short black hair with a golden patch at the top cut in a short, choppy style and light brown eyes. "Midoriya, can you hear me? Are you ok?"
"Thirteen?" Izuku muttered as the class gathered around him realizing the same as Thirteen that Midoriya was conscious again. "Wha, what's going on?"
"Right you've been gone for a bit so I'll give you the update." Thirteen said. "Most civilians have already been evacuated to the various shelters set up all over the nation. The ones who are still in the streets are either anti-hero vigilantes, escaped villains, normal villains who hadn't been caught before the chaos of the jailbreaks, or looters taking advantage of the chaos that is going on right now."
If he could Izuku would have nodded at that as he knew first hand that that was who was out there. Japanese society had fallen hard in the wake of the revelations in Jaku and the Tartarus and other jailbreaks so anyone not in shelter were either criminals or civilians who'd lost faith in hero society and had thus banded together to take the law into their own hands which was almost as dangerous.
"Other than the villains, the others won't last much longer as more and more are asking for help and protection." Thirteen continued getting Izuku's attention again and that too he knew as he recalled his fight with Muscular and how that likely helped convince some citizens to seek shelter though he didn't stick around to confirm. "Plus, the rioters have for the most part banded together and formed gangs so we can easily deal with them as a group. While the evacuations were ongoing we had to split up our forces but we did do our best to improve the situation here and in the streets as well. It's reached the point that all the help you've done in the area can be dealt with by others so leave it to us, alright?"
As Thirteen had been speaking Izuku's attention had been drawn to the massive barrier before him. It was hard to describe but it was a ring of black, highly technical looking, metal the height of the school at least and a good dozen or so meters thick with several lights and pillars on it. It was unlike anything Izuku had seen for and he had to ask about it.
"This, this is U.A.?" Izuku asked his voice weak. "What is going on?"
"To be exact it's the U.A. barrier." Sero said with a grin. "And this is just the tip of the iceberg. The security here is off the charts. Not even Tartarus was this secure and after that attack there are even additional precautions in place as the Principal learned from the mistakes there."
"There really isn't a safer place in Japan right now." Adrien said. "Trust the Principal to make sure of it and the Guardian of Technology even lent some expert advice and aid in the blueprints and manpower though he couldn't work on it himself."
"Yup, you're going to totally geek out about this Midoriya." Toru said excitedly, she'd been one of two unable to say her peace to Midoriya earlier but she promised herself she'd find a way to do so after all this was sorted. "Apparently we can even merge with Shiketsu! It's totally unreal, like out of some futuristic, sci fi anime but it's real life!"
"This is why it's safe for you to return." Koda added. "The Principal's been upgrading this for a while and with the current situation he's implemented it."
Izuku listened and noted the barrier, it was certainly impressive and he did expect the security to be better but still, there was a doubt in him as nothing was ever going to be 100% safe. He wanted to respect what his friends had done for him but seeing U.A. again reminded him of his decision and why he made it.
"I, I just can't take the risk." Izuku said. "Me being here is too much even with all this."
As if to prove his point they began to hear the shouts of civilians from the inside telling them to take the boy, who Izuku knew had to be him, away, and that they didn't want him here. He couldn't disagree with that and so he was more than ready to leave once more even if he'd come this far and accepted that his friends would stand by his side.
"They're loud, aren't they." Thirteen said with a sigh as the civilians began to shout about prioritizing their safety as that was what had been promised them. "They clearly didn't listen to the Principal when he explained the situation to them."
Izuku didn't mind though as they kept shouting to keep him out. That didn't stop Class 1-A though as most of them just moved forward and went through the first door with Izuku still being carried by Shoji while Thirteen accompanied them. After that it was a corridor with a series of other doors and scanners to allow them through, all of which they passed, and in short order they were all in and on the entrance drive to U.A. Once there Shoji put Izuku down so that he could stand at the back as most of his class stood before him facing off with a horde of angry civilians as Uraraka stood next to him.
Only Todoroki stayed outside as he waited for his father and Hawks to return once they were done dealing with Dictator and the civilians to discuss some things with them before heading back to U.A. to regroup with Class 1-A. Hopefully things would be sorted out by the time that came but it wasn't looking good as the class looked at the gathered civilians while several clones of Ectoplasm stood around, Cementoss held Nezu in his palm, and Present Mic tried to calm them down with Best Jeanist by his side.
"Keep him out of U.A.!" The lead civilian shouted as their path to the U.A.'s main building was blocked by a mass of refugees many with umbrellas up as the rain poured down on them. "He's the one, isn't he? The one that Shigaraki is allegedly after. Bringing him here is as good as killing all of us because that monster will come here for him. You said U.A. would be safe but it's not with him here."
"Hey, calm down, this isn't the right vibe ya dig." Present Mic said trying his best to escalate thing. "There isn't any threat to your lives here."
"We know better and the Principal guaranteed our safety." Another civilian said. "So guarantee it and get that kid out of here. So long as he's here there is always going to be a threat."
"We won't let this happen." A third civilian shouted. "We came here to be safe not to be a beacon for Shigaraki's Decay and the army of villains he commands."
"Take the boy away!" Several more began to chant.
"Now hold on, if you…" Present Mic said before a lady in the front of the group took a step forward to address him.
"You said that if we abandoned our homes and came here that you'd keep us safe." The woman said cutting Present Mic off. "But you've just reneged on that by bringing that boy here."
"Yeah, there's a time bomb living with us if that boy's allowed to say." One of the civilians from earlier shouted. "No way will we accept that! Hide him somewhere else, not U.A.! there's a whole country out there so take him to one of the other places."
As they were speaking Izuku knew that this was a bad idea so he began to back away in preparation of turning for the tunnel he'd just come through. The civilians were right, he was a threat to them so he had to leave just like he did before, only then would they be safe. He was grateful for all his class had done for him and if they followed he wouldn't stop them but he couldn't do this, he couldn't remain and put these people in harms way, so he turned and began to walk off.
Thankfully he was in the back of the group so it shouldn't be an issue to get away and once he was away the crowd would stop and things would calm down here. At least it wasn't until he felt a small, warm, hand grab his right arm.
Izuku turned in surprise to see Uraraka holding his arm but as he did she lowered her hand so that she could take his gloved hand in hers though she made sure that not all 5 of her finger pads were touching him. She'd stayed at the back to keep an eye on him and as Izuku looked at her she gave him a soft, kind, reassuring smile that did just that.
"Don't worry, it's going to be ok." Ochaco said smiling and she meant it because she had a plan, one she'd been thinking about for a long time, and it was almost time to enact it if the crowd wasn't convinced soon. "We're all in this together, we're not going to let you go and we're not going to let them send you away. We'll show them that you have every right to be here as well, that you need to be here to recover. You don't have to do this alone, it's time for us to help you, Deku."
At that Ochaco turned and looked out to the crowd as they continued to shout still holding Deku's hand in hers. She meant what she said, they couldn't lose him now and thanks to the upgrades that Nezu had told them about this place was better protected than even Tartarus had been so Ochaco knew that he was safe here. Now it was time to show them because who helped the heroes when they were suffering? In this case it would be Ochaco as she steeled herself for what she had to do to ensure that Deku was allowed to stay and get the rest he so desperately needed.
Ochaco knew that this wouldn't be easy as the crowd continued to shout at them but she was a hero, things never were easy. This was just another hurdle to overcome as she held Deku's hand and looked out at the crowd as they continued to shout various things at Class 1-A.
"Shigaraki will come for U.A. now that he's here."
"U.A. was supposed to guarantee our safety and put us at ease, that's why we came here in the first place!"
"Don't let that kid in!"
"Send him away, let another shelter deal with him and the threat he poses!"
"The reports say that he's got multiple Quirks, that makes him a Nomu!"
Those were just some of the phrases being shouted at Izuku from the crowd as they all began to mix together. He couldn't argue with them, hell he wanted to respect them and go as this was a bad idea but Uraraka held his hand firm and wouldn't let him go. In all of it, and unable to hear it himself, there was one call that did come to support him though only Adrien, Shoji, and Jiro could hear it out of the other shouts thanks to their enhanced hearing.
"Izuku! Baby! You're back. Please, he has to stay."
"No, you can't, it's too dangerous."
"Adrien, something up?" Marinette whispered as the crowd continued to shout noting that Izuku's presence was now scaring people. "You tensed. Is this about to boil over into a mob?"
"No, well not yet at least." Adrien whispered back as he relaxed a little but he was still ready just in case. "I heard someone support him so there's at least one person who wants him to stay. From the sounds of it it's a woman and the way she spoke, it's got to be his mother. Someone's stopping her though, not sure who."
"Ok well we need to remain careful because something like that could cause this to escalate." Marinette said as there were now accusations of lying and demands for answers. "This isn't what I expected though."
"Yeah the Principal said he'd convince them." Sero pointed out. "But that doesn't seem to be the case."
"When it was first explained to them there were those who acted as if they understood what was going on." Thirteen explained as the kids hadn't been here for that. "But with what is going on there is more speculation than truth and that leads to unease. When that sets in, fear and rumors run the day and they're hard to overcome with words alone."
"What we need is someone who can get their attention and let them know the truth in a convincing way while appealing to them at the same time." Adrien said looking around as Present Mic used a megaphone to try and calm things down but was stopped by Best Jeanist who seemed ready to take the stage to reassure them. "Looks like the number 3 hero is going to give it a try."
"Of the heroes he's probably the best to do so." Marinette agreed as Best Jeanist stepped forward to address the crowd as some pointed out that they came here because they believed him that U.A. would be safe. "He's the most popular in the popularity poll and unlike Endeavor and Hawks he wasn't tainted by Dabi. Hell, coming back from the supposed dead to disprove Dabi probably helped him. Still…"
Marinette trailed off as the crowd quieted down and Best Jeanist gave his response to the citizens sheltering at U.A. He backed what the Principal said about U.A. being the safest place right now and that their lives were the priority.
However, he then shifted gear and revealed the plan with Midoriya and why he left, which was as Class 1-A had expected to use Midoriya as bait to flush out and find the villains but it failed with little to show for it. Best Jeanist didn't need to add that only 4 notable Tartarus escapees had been apprehended as a result of the plan, with only the arrest of Muscular being made public due to the sensitivity of Nagant's info at the time and the fact that Dictator had just been caught, but that alone showed how much of a failure it was.
Best Jeanist didn't end there though as he continued on and confirmed that while Midoriya was a target of the villains, he was also the most valuable asset the heroes had in this war so for him to wear himself down anymore than he already had could be catastrophic for them as losing Midoriya was not an option that they could let happen. It wasn't the best situation but they were doing the best they could and they needed Midoriya to be healthy and strong if he was to fight for their futures so he had to rest in U.A.'s safety for that to happen.
"That was…uninspiring." Adrien whispered in French to Marinette as Best Jeanist finished his pitch whole the rain continued to fall. "Like really bad. I thought someone with his popularity would have a better appeal to a crowd of people."
"Yeah way to stock rhetoric and an almost clinical delivery with no emotion to it." Marinette whispered back also sticking to French as she looked over to Midoriya and saw Ochaco still holding his hand a serious look on her face. "I think I know who has to speak and she does as well."
"Huh, who…" Adrien began but before he could say anything the crowd finally responded to Best Jeanist.
"Are you kidding me?" A man said taking a few steps forward and they all snapped to him to see he had bags under his bloodshot eyes. "You do know how things got this bad, right? You loser heroes failed to stop Shigaraki when you had the chance and now Japan is a lawless country when it was once the safest country in the world. You screwed everything up and even after that you still want us to pay for your mistakes. That's what your asking us to do. What the fuck is that about?"
The man looked like he was about to rush forward but held off. Still, his words got a lot of shouts from the crowd agreeing with him and the tides were now rising against Midoriya and they started shouting again to get him out, to let them live in peace, and denouncing them as heroes. It was bad and getting worse. All it would take is one spark and a riot within U.A. could break out.
Marinette was ready to defend Midoriya and she knew that Adrien was as well, same for the rest of their class, but that was a last resort. They needed to peacefully diffuse this before then and Marinette was already turning but before she could speak Ochaco had already acted, using her Quirk on herself as she rushed forward and grabbed the microphone from Present Mic as she passed him before she leapt over the crowd.
"That's it Ochaco." Marinette whispered a smile on her face as she tracked her friend's landing on the other side of the crowd before she leapt up again and used Zero Gravity to reach the roof of the school before canceling it so that she landed on it before she turned to face the crowd below her. "Only you can do this, only you can persuade them because no emotion is more powerful than the one you hold for Midoriya in your heart."
"Huh?" Adrien asked his baton already in his hands. "What are you going on about?"
"Just watch." Marinette said. "It's time for a heartfelt plea, one filled with pure love and spoken by a great hero. It's her time to rise and I couldn't be prouder of her. Go Uravity, the stage is yours and unleash your emotions to save your beloved and give him the chance he needs to recover so that he too can save this country."
Adrien was going to say that that was a little cheesy but before he could the crowd had already turned and seen Ochaco standing atop U.A. Her actions had gotten everyone's attention, including her parents who were in the crowd as well and stunned by what she was doing, and now all anyone could do was look as Ochaco brought the megaphone up and spoke into it.
"Dek…Izuku Midoriya has a special and important power unlike any other." Ochaco said and that alone stunned everyone who knew her. "A power that is vital for what is to come."
"She, she used his full name." Adrien said the surprise clear in his voice as someone in the crowd pointed out that that power was what made Midoriya dangerous. "I don't think she's ever used it before."
"As far as I know she's always called him Deku, it's why he reclaimed that name, she gave him a new way of seeing it and called him it because she liked it." Marinette said smiling as she watched her friend glare back at the man who'd shouted at her. "It's what makes her special to him and why I knew she'd fall for him though she may have called him Midoriya the first time thinking Deku was his first name, it's hard to remember. Regardless this shows her seriousness and she's just getting started."
"You're wrong, he's not dangerous." Ochaco said her amplified voice cutting off any chatter as she responded to the guy who had said Midoriya was dangerous and would get them killed because he wanted to take a nap. "He left U.A. because he didn't want to put you in danger, he didn't want to cause you any trouble that might come from him staying her. It was us, his friends and classmates who made him come back!"
"What is she doing?" Izuku asked no one in particular causing Marinette to sigh, the boy was dense for sure but then again Ochaco wasn't outright confessing even if this was clearly something more than normal friendship driving her right now. "Uraraka…"
"His ability is truly special, it's a power that was created and nurtured over generations specifically to defeat All for One!" Ochaco announced. "That is why the villains are coming after him, he is the biggest threat to them so they want to stop him because without him they've almost certainly won this war. That is why he's been fighting this entire time; he knows the stakes and what that means so rather than hide or wait he left to keep those here safe and draw the villains out from wherever they are hiding and scheming. However, he did this alone because he didn't want anyone else to be hurt. He left to protect every single one of us but now that he's back so look at him!"
The crowd started to do that and Marinette had to give it to Ochaco it was a good point. In his current, ragged, state Midoriya looked like he'd been through hell and back which was pretty much true. It looked off putting to some but with Ochaco's words there would be a new meaning to his ragged, exhausted, appearance as it showed just how far Midoriya had gone to protect them when he struck off on his own.
"There is no one out there who wants to change our situation more than him!" Ochaco continued. "And to do so he's put himself in harm's way over and over again without a second's thought. See what that has done to him. Just because someone has a special power that doesn't mean that he or she is a special person! They're still just human, just like us and yes, Izuku Midoriya is a special person, he's a very special person because of who he is and what he's done for all of us but he is still human, still just a boy, even he has limits! Can't you see? That is what protecting all of us looks like!"
As Ochaco spoke the crowd was quiet as they all looked at Midoriya where he stood. Her words were cutting deep and rang true because of the emotions she was pouring into them and the man who'd shouted back at her had already been silenced while Izuku's mother was crying as she listened to his classmate's passionate plea about her son. Amongst them all though only one was muttering and Adrien's hearing picked it up.
"It's starting to work." Adrien whispered quietly in French to Marinette as they looked out over the crowd while Ochaco paused in her plea to let her words sink in for a moment and for the people to really get a good look at Midoriya's current state. "See the tall lady with the fox appearance, likely a mutant class Quirk at work or some hereditary result."
"Yeah, clear heteromorph regardless of Quirk type so it's not a surprise she's here as several shelters ban them which is not helping in the slightest." Marinette replied in French noticing the woman with blue fur in the crowd as Bakugo stepped up to talk to Midoriya telling him that the people were still scared out of their minds despite the fancy system that was in place to protect them but they'd clean up any messes that he couldn't handle. "What about her?"
"She recognizes Midoriya." Adrien said. "I think he rescued her recently though I can't make out more than a few words from here. If that's the case it's going to help."
"No doubt." Marinette agreed. "Actions speak louder than words and she's likely not the only person he's saved in the crowd today. Those people will be key, once they realize that they will back up what Ochaco is saying because they too will know just how important Midoriya is."
"There's something more at play here though." Adrien said as the murmurs began and the crowd started to see Midoriya for what he was, at least some of them that is, and that was that he was just a kid who's been fighting this entire time. "This goes beyond her feelings. Uraraka's emotions, her determination and passion in this, it's not just because she loves Midoriya. That helps sure, no question about it, and the fact that he's her inspiration is helping, but this is more than just that."
"It's who she is." Marinette said with a smile. "She's found the kind of hero that she wants to be and now she's showing all of us that along with how much she's grown this year. It took meeting, falling for, and being inspired by Midoriya for Ochaco to discover her heroic path but she did and it was needed because with this Japan has just gained a truly great hero. It needs a hero who understands the importance of heroes in today's age more than any other and who is there to help heroes when they need them the most and now it has that hero. Uravity, when this is over, and if we survive, she'll be up there with Deku and boy will they make one hell of a power couple when they finally confess."
"This is different to our day." Adrien said with a smile of his own as a realization began to form in him and with that a resolution. "But society is different now and there are many heroes who have become one for many different reasons. We are still growing bugaboo and this is but one lesson we too must learn."
"Very true and I am grateful to Ochaco for teaching it." Marinette said as the fox lady stiffened. "I truly realized that this was who she was when she embraced me after we told the class the truth about us but it's clear that she's realized that this is her path a while back and it's time to see the fruits of her labor."
"That boy." The fox lady said loud enough to get everyone's attention. "A few days ago he went out of his way to save me when I was cornered by some people who were afraid of heteromorphs. He got them away from me, made sure I was alright and told me to seek a shelter I'd be safe before he ran off to help others."
"Well, we've looked at him now so are you happy?" The man who originally challenge Ochaco said clearly he was going to need a little more convincing. "I get it, you want us to get beat up and ragged like him too, don't you? You want to see us broken down and covered in mud and blood?"
"It's the heroes who are getting bloody and dirty so that you can be safe here!" Ochaco responded as the man turned and shouted the last part up at her. "They're the people who have to wash away the stain of what has happened. They're the ones who are atoning for their role in allowing this to happen and doing all they can to show you that they can make up for their mistakes!"
"Ochaco." Tsu said looking up at her friend. "All this time you've had this bottled up inside you, haven't you?"
"You see, right Midoriya." Ida said walking up to Izuku's other side. "She's up there fighting not just for you but all of us. She wants to see everyone smile the way you do but the smile she truly wants to see again is yours."
"No one was more upset by your departure or driven to get you and bring you back than her." Marinette said as she looked up at Ochaco. "She was the force that propelled us forward when we needed it the most. It was her plan to use Endeavor, her idea to show you how much you mean to all of us but she didn't get to say her peace to you because it was too great to say then and Bakugo's was more important. This is her peace; this is how much you mean to her Midoriya. Do not forget that."
"Uraraka…" Izuku said again but that was all he could get out as his lip quivered and the tears formed in his eyes.
"You're lucky to have someone like her in your life, Izuku." Adrien said. "We all came for you but she's something special. This is for as much for you personally as it is to persuade the crowd. Treasure it because people like Uraraka are hard to find."
"I wish that I could reassure everyone here but I can't, no one can." Ochaco continued as Izuku watched listening to everything she was saying and realizing just how much she meant to him, how much he needed to hear this and have her support in this very moment. "I'm sorry about that, I truly am, but I just can't reassure you in the way you want to be reassured. The truth is that we're all scared of what is out there, of the threat that we face and what has happened to our country. We're just like you! We care about our friends, our neighbors, those who we love, all of them, we care about them too!"
Ochaco paused as she thought on what she needed to say next and no one spoke as they stared up at her. They all knew that this was her moment and they had to leave it to her as they waited to hear what else she had to say though Marinette couldn't help but note how Ochaco had phrased caring about those she loved and how apt it truly was.
"When a hero is in pain the ones who help most are the ones who the hero fights for." Ochaco said and during this she'd have her own realization about Himiko Toga but that would come later as this was for Deku. "So please, in this moment of need, lend him your support, help him fight for us the way only he knows how. Search your hearts, show him what he fights for and let him rest by your side so that he has time to prepare for his battle, time you give him so that he can protect you when his time comes. Izuku Midoriya is carrying the burden of not just his powers or those who have come before him on this path he walks but that of the whole nation all while trying to keep us safe. However, he's still got a lot to learn, he's still just a kid!"
"Yeah but…" The asshole who'd challenged Ochaco started but she wasn't done.
"I'm begging you!" Ochaco shouted and Marinette at least could hear the love in her voice and she knew that her friend was thinking of Midoriya and all that he truly meant to her as she said her final words and they were clearly getting to Izuku as he was balling now and had fallen to his knees and bowed forward before the gathered evacuees. "Let U.A. continue to be Izuku Midoriya's hero academy!"
As Ochaco finished many stared in stunned silence as Izuku sobbed but as he did the fox lady suddenly rushed forward through the crowd in an effort to reach him. It wasn't just her though, out of the crowd rushed Kota, the young boy from the forest training camp, Mandalay's nephew that Izuku had saved and reignited a faith in heroes following his parents' deaths. They reached Izuku and Class 1-A knew they had to leave it to them because they'd done their part in getting Midoriya here, Uraraka had done her part with her passionate plea, and now it was time for the support of the people.
Kota showed this as he tearfully supported Izuku and apologized for not saying something in his defense earlier. It was a touching scene form arguably Izuku's first fan and just what was needed as he showed Izuku the support the boy needed and what the crowd needed to hear.
All Marinette and Adrien could do at this point was watch as the fox lady picked Midoriya up and put him back on his feet, confirming that he was a U.A. student in the process. She was also crying and spoke of how she'd been turned away from every other shelter she visited for being a heteromorph until she got to U.A. but that was fine because she got to see Izuku again and then hugged him as she thanked him though she did call him a crybaby hero which was kinda accurate at the moment.
That got Kota to hug Izuku as well and for a moment the scene was like that as everyone watched until finally another man with star-like growths on the top and sides of his head stepped forward from the crowd, handing his umbrella to the guy questioning Ochaco in the process. There was no threat in his posture or gait and Marinette smiled, this was all Ochaco's doing and it was going just as it should.
"You know, maybe before we get all hysterical we should hear what the young hero has to say." The man who was clearly middled aged based on his vocal tone said as he looked around the crowd. "All he wants to do here is rest, not stay permanently. Don't forget, the city is short on resources and pros at the moment so where else can he recover safely? Look at him, I've seen the reports and sure there have been some hysteria in them, there are bound to be given the situation out there, but everywhere he's reported to have been have seen improvements. It's not much in the grand scheme of things but it shows he's working but look at how hard he was working; he deserves a break. Isn't that what you teachers were trying to explain to us, Nezu was it?"
"It was." Nezu said with a nod as he stood in Cementoss's palm looking at the evacuees and seeing how they were reacting to Uraraka's words. "All he needs is a break to rest, recharge, and heal up so that when the time comes he can protect us all the way he was trained to do here at U.A."
"Yeah but can't he go to Shiketsu instead?" Another man asked. "Don't they also have a secure campus? Or what about Ketsubutsu? Or one of the other hero schools or shelters?"
"I'm sure he could but the same would no doubt happen anywhere he goes." The woman next to the man said which shut him up. "And he doesn't have classmates who support him at those places like he does here."
"To be honest, over the last few weeks I've had to face some hard truths." The man who'd been the first to step forward said. "Back before the country fell into this lawless chaos I just thought that the pros were nothing more than performers on a stage. We watched All Might, a truly extraordinary man, show us what a hero truly was. He became our Symbol of Peace as we applauded him and wanted to be him as he reassured us that all would be ok because he was here but somewhere along the way we lost sight of the fact that he was just a person."
The man paused but no one was going to interrupt him. He'd taken the initiative and been the first to step forward and now everyone was listening to him and so he continued with what he had to say.
"Now, though, that stage has been destroyed in ways that we never could have imagined, there is no longer a script for them to follow, no more money or fame to be had in being a pro hero and plenty of them have quit in the wake of what happened in Jaku." The man said. "Those who did clearly were in it for the money and fame but what about the rest of them? Why do they still bother fighting for us even when acceptance of heroes is at an all time low? If we reject those who are still trying to help despite all that has happened, despite there being no glory left in being a hero, what do we have that is worth saving? How can we get our lives back if this is how we act? I know that things are tough but we can't be spectators anymore, we have to set up."
There was another pause and it seemed that the man was done speaking to the crowd. All the teachers, pros, and students could do at this point was just look on at what was going on and wait to see what happened next. This was in the hands of the crowd now and they were the spectators waiting to see how things played out.
"There are a lot of rumors out there about a ragged young man who can use multiple Quirks running around over the past few weeks." The man who'd challenged Ochaco said breaking the silence caused by the older man and those near him could see his phone in his hand. "Some of the rumors say he's working with the villains; others say he's a true hero. That was you right? So tell us, if you get some rest here at U.A., will you win when you go back out there? Will things go back to how they were before society collapsed?"
This was the moment that was needed and the crowd looked to Midoriya as his classmates stood around him serious and emotional, several were even crying after Ochaco's speech. Izuku understood this as well and he looked at the man who'd challenged Uraraka and gripped Gran Torino's cape as he gave his response.
"If I can rest then I'll make sure of it." Izuku said the seriousness and conviction clear in his voice though he still had tears in his eyes. "And I know I can do it because I have all my friends beside me, supporting me in the battle that I know is coming for me. Together I know that we'll make things right again."
At that the man stepped forward and walked towards Midoriya and there was a little tension given his previous hostility but no one moved giving the man the benefit of the doubt. That was proven to be a good thing as all he was doing was approaching so that he could put his umbrella over Midoriya's head.
That was what was needed to show that the situation had officially been diffused and finally the crowd broke and his mother was with him in a moment. Several came up to Midoriya as the tension left the area and Class 1-A joined them and mingled with the crowd to help out where they could. They'd been united and it was thanks to Ochaco that it was possible, it was thanks to her that Izuku would get his chance to rest and recharge for when he finally faced Shigaraki and All for One.
As this was happening Ectoplasm sent a clone to get Endeavor, Hawks, and Todoroki from where they were outside, the first two had arrived shortly before Ochaco's plea, and they came in to see the situation. Endeavor misread it but Hawks read it correctly and noted all the progress that had made to get here and together they may just do that and in the process accomplishing his own dream as well. That got to Todoroki and he reminded his father that they were in this together as well and Endeavor agreed knowing exactly what his son was getting at.
"She did it." Marinette said as she wiped a tear away from her eye though she was still crying after everything she'd heard. "Ochaco did it. With her plea Midoriya can rest and we can be whole when the fight resumes."
"That we can." Adrien said smiling at the scene before them but before he could join in he had one thing he had to do. "We're all united now and Marinette…"
"Yes Adrien." Marinette said turning to him and Adrien turned to her still smiling with tears in his own eyes.
"We've been carrying a burden of our own for over a year, the burden of the pain we feel, of our displacement, our loss and all the suffering that has come from what happened in Paris." Adrien said seriously. "We've put on brave faces but you and I both know that this is the truth."
"I know." Marinette said her eyes swimming with tears. "We are not of this time period, of this age, and yet here we are standing alongside people born in the Age of Quirks with Quirks of our own thanks to a benefactor as we try to once again become heroes."
"We didn't choose this path; we didn't ask for this to happen to us but here we are." Adrien said as he looked around at the help Izuku was getting and up at Ochaco on the roof smiling at how her words had moved the crowd into letting Midoriya stay. "But our secret is out with our friends and they stood by our side despite it and the fact that we hid it from them. They're here for us and we're here for them."
"What are your saying?" Marinette asked knowing that Adrien had something on his mind.
"I'm saying that after this, after what has happened over the last month, after getting Midoriya, after what Uraraka showed us and what we've seen that it's time we truly let it all go." Adrien said looking back at his love. "Yes, we are not of this time but now we are here. We have new friends, a new family, and people who we care about us just as we care about them and just like it was back in Paris before the incident. It's time to stop hurting for what we cannot change but to embrace the future even if there will still be pain at the losses we've suffered. If we are to truly be whole again it is time to truly accept our situation. We are of the Age of Quirks and this is our lives."
"I couldn't agree more my love." Marinette said as the tears fell from her eyes her boyfriend's words moving her more than ever and coupled with what Ochaco had said she knew that this was what they had to do. "We are heroes both before and after the Advent of Quirks so let's show it. Midoriya needs it right now and we're here for him."
Adrien nodded and they moved to join their classmates in helping out. Ochaco's plea from the heart had worked and Izuku Midoriya was able to stay at U.A. and rest up. He's need it for sure given what was to come but what he really need first was a bath, priorities after all.
The tension that had been around them ever since they'd arrived had broken and the final hurdle Class 1-A had to overcome was cleared. Fittingly, the rain chose that moment to finally come to a stop and the time to prepare and recharge for the final war began.
Well there it is, Ochaco's heartfelt plea has reached the crowd and persuaded them to let Izuku stay at U.A. and recharge for the battle to come. It's a little uneasy, naturally so, but this is just what he needs and only Ochaco could ensure it, plus it helped Marinette and Adrien finally shake off the last of their grief and accept their new lives fully though telling their class certainly helped there. Now it's time for that rest to start and we all know what Izuku needs most so that is to come as we near the end of season 6's material. That is all that I have for this chapter, however, so I will leave it off here. As always, if you like it or have any questions please let me know in reviews or PMs, I will try to answer them as best I could and post any questions asked between uploads at the start of the next chapter and do follow and favorite this, so you are alerted to future uploads. Do keep the reviews coming as I like hearing from y'all as you enjoy my work, it motivates me to keep producing the best work I can for y'all to enjoy. Until next time.
Stringdog
