Honestly? I plan to sort of run through this arc. There's not a lot to offer. This is very much a breather arc.
Anyways, please enjoy this chapter. Here's the Discord: /cgFmXz3qJ5
Before Ochako realized it, September was over and October had started. As the vibrant hues of summer began to wane, the crisp air of autumn crept in, signaling the arrival of cooler days. It didn't hit her until she was in math one day.
It had been a total blur, these past few weeks. Nighteye's funeral was two weeks ago- the work study group, the pro heroes who assisted during the raid and All Might attended the funeral. As for the work studies, it was decidedly and understandably put on hold.
In the case of Momo's family, and any other groups involved with Shie Hassaikai, they were quickly found out, and taken in for questioning. Momo's parents were out on bail, paid off the media to keep hush hush about it, but were in some seriously hot water with the authorities. Momo decided it was best to distance herself from her family's affairs, at least for the time being. She hadn't confided much in her friends (sans Jirou), but Ochako could sense there was some weight Momo was carrying.
After the tragic demise of Nighteye, his loyal sidekick Centipeder stepped up to take charge of the agency. The newly christened 'CentiMirai' agency said they'd wait until the day that Mirio would return to them. As for Albedo...he was busy spending some time with Eri. Eri had regained consciousness but was still deemed unstable. Albedo requested no visitors for the time being.
Albedo had learned that Eri's quirk was intricately linked to the small, delicate horn that protruded from the top of her head. After being used, it had undergone a reduction in size.
So, they were due for some slow times. And Ochako could live with that.
...but GOD she couldn't live with this stupid math class.
"Evaluate Cez(z1)(z2)dz, if C is a circle of radius 3 centered at the origin." Ectoplasm asked the class.
The class went silent. Kaminari's brain malfunctioned, giving up the ghost. Jirou tapped her pen repeatedly. Bakugou looked angry when he wrote something down. Even Momo had trouble with this question.
Ochako had just accepted she wouldn't get the answer, and let death take her. Izuku was built differently, though. He was scribbling down like a mad man, faster than that one time Ochako saw Izuku transcribing a news report about All Might.
"Midoriya," Ectoplasm pointed at the boy as he raised his hand.
"Uh...is it...2πicosh(3)?" Izuku guessed.
"Close, but no cigar." Ectoplasm said. Momo's hand went up.
"2πi(ee2)." She answered confidently.
"Correct! Onto the next page." Ectoplasm said, as Izuku sighed.
Izuku's been going kinda full throttle recently, Ochako hummed, as she flipped to the next page in her book. He's been doing pretty good, but...I think he needs to slow down.
After class, the main trio met up.
"The effort that you're putting into your studies is admirable, Izuku!" Iida said with a grin, "Though, maybe a bit of 'refueling' is in order before we move on to the afternoon classes."
"...why did you put so much emphasis on refuel?" Ochako asked before she gasped in realization, "Iida! Did you just try to make a pun?"
"Yes, I did! Why, did it not land?"
"Delivery was off a bit there," Izuku chuckled, "But sure, I could go for something to ea-"
Before Izuku could finish his sentence, a piece of cheese was shoved into his mouth.
"𝐻𝒶𝓋𝑒 𝓈𝑜𝓂𝑒 𝒸𝒽𝑒𝑒𝓈𝑒." Yuga insisted, sparkling like usual.
Izuku gave Yuga a very, very confused side eye as he bit into the cheese. Ochako and Iida didn't know how to react.
"...what flavor is this?" Izuku muttered, as he kind of accepted the cheese gift.
"Halloumi." Yuga elucidated. "Goat and sheep milk blend into a salty, semi-soft cheese, akin to mozzarella. Cyprus birthed it, now Middle Eastern cuisine savors it. Watermelon and this food are often paired together. It can be grilled, pan-fried, or served on a salad...like my lunch."
Ochako and Iida stared at Yuga, both lost for words.
"Do you like it?" Yuga asked.
Izuku nodded slowly.
"Yuga, I-" Ochako said, but she and Iida had a small block of Halloumi shoved in their mouths. They chewed it slowly, before swallowing.
"...That is good, actually." Ochako muttered.
"Um...maybe, you'd like to...join us, Aoyama?" Iida said, a bit uncertain. He was still very confused about this whole scenario and, honestly, who wouldn't be?
"I appreciate the offer, but non! I cannot! The cafeteria food does not suit my tastes!" Yuga said, holding both hands out in front of him.
"You don't like Lunch Rush's dishes?"
"Not for me~" Yuga walked back to his desk, and over to his salad. It was a delicious combination of fresh greens, juicy tomatoes, crisp cucumbers, and tangy red onions. The salad was topped off with a drizzle of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice, which perfectly complemented the savory flavors of the Halloumi.
The trio stared.
"Well, okay then!" Iida nodded. "To each his own! We won't pressure you."
Yuga nodded, as he held up his glass of...wine.
Ochako leaned towards Izuku. "Is...is he allowed to drink that on campus?" Izuku gave a half hearted shrug.
"Better question, is that actually wine or just grape juice?" Ochako asked.
Yuga just laughed, and sipped from it.
"That answered nothing." Ochako sighed. "Well, come on. I'm ready to try that new flavor of Turmeric-Orange at Mr. Smoothie."
"I think Ben installing that was a mistake," Iida said. "You've been drinking a lot of those."
"Well, they're healthier than a milkshake. At least praise me for that," Ochako pouted, as they walked out of the class.
The rest of the day had gone pretty smoothly, even if it did seem to take forever to get through Cementoss' Modern Lit class. Not to say that Cementoss was boring, but what was supposed to just be an hour-long class felt at least triple that length.
Iida opened the door to Heights and, once again, the trio just stopped dead in their tracks. Someone was cooking something that smelled delicious surprisingly, but that wasn't what got them. It was the identity of the chef.
It was YUGA again.
"Please tell me that I'm having some sort of strange hallucination," Iida deadpanned.
"No, we...we see that too," Izuku said, absolutely flabbergasted.
"Is...he making a cheese dish?" Ochako asked.
"Fondu, actually!" Yuga announced.
"You know having cheese with every meal isn't the heal-" Iida began.
"Shhhhhh sh sh sh sh," Yuga quieted the speedster, "Do not question my culinary vision here!"
"I-"
"Shush!"
"...but I-"
"Hussssssssh!"
"Am I allowed to speak at-"
"No talking!"
"...what is happening right now," Izuku wondered.
Yuga removed the skillet from the heat and sprinkled some chopped parsley and lemon zest over the cheese, giving it a fresh and zesty boost. He poured some alcohol or something over it, reached for a lighter and...
"OPA!" He declared, as the meal went up in flames. The trio jumped back- what was he doing!? Finally, he drizzled the lemon juice over the cheese.
"Ah~! There we go." Yuga said.
"...who's idea was it to let Yuga cook again?" Mina asked, watching from the sidelines and...wearing sunglasses as if she knew a fire would start.
Toorhu slowly backed down the nearest hallway to hide herself. It was actually supposed to be her turn to try and cook, but Yuga insisted.
"It's supposed to be on fire~!" Yuga declared, as the lemon extinguished the flames. "This is a saganaki dish!"
"A what?" Ochako asked.
"A saganaki dish," Yuga repeated. "It's a type of Greek appetizer made with pan-seared cheese and usually some lemon juice. I added a few more flavors to this traditional recipe to give it a unique twist."
"Don't eat too much cheese, dipshit." Bakugou said, walking past. "That's not healthy. You want heart problems?"
"Oh, he's a nutritionist too? Huh." Ochako hummed.
"I am simply treating my friends. Is that really so bad?" Yuga asked.
"Oh, you...made this for us?" Izuku asked.
Yuga flashed a smile. "This is a simply divine dish! It may look simplistic, but believe me...your tastebuds will beg for more."
Izuku had his doubts.
"What, did you think I poisoned it?" Yuga laughed. He was the only one laughing at that joke. "I poured some brandy to start the fire. Besides, if the hypothetical poison WAS flammable, it would've killed all of us by now."
"It checks out," Shinsou said from over on the couch.
Izuku raised an eyebrow. "Brandy? Isn't that a bit...strong?"
"And where'd you even get it!?" Ochako said.
Yuga grinned. "Ah, but it gives the dish a unique depth of flavor that you won't find anywhere else. Trust me, Midoriya, you won't be disappointed."
"...alright, I guess." Izuku hesitated for a moment before picking up a fork. He cut himself a piece, and took a small bite of the cheese. His eyes widened in surprise as the flavors exploded in his mouth.
"This...this is really good!" Izuku exclaimed, taking another bite.
"Try it with pita bread," Yuga said. "It's VERY delicious."
Iida and Ochako both took a piece of the cheese and tried it with a small piece of pita bread. Their faces lit up in surprise as they tasted the dish.
"This is amazing, Yuga!" Ochako said, grinning.
"I have to admit, I was skeptical at first, but this is really delicious," Iida said.
Yuga beamed with pride. "I am glad you enjoyed it! I always love experimenting..."
Ochako paused at that. Please tell me you heard that in your brain. She thought.
Yuga was a weird kid, in Ochako's eyes. It wasn't that he was totally unapproachable, or all that off putting. It was just...the energy he gave off. It was a bit overwhelming. As they sat down to enjoy the saganaki dish, Ochako couldn't help but observe Yuga's behavior. He was talking animatedly about the various cheeses he had used and how they complemented each other, but there was something a little too intense about the way he spoke.
Maybe she was just being unintentionally judgy. She pushed the feelings aside. Still, none of them had any idea what Yuga was ever thinking.
...
It was then that he started to reveal his true nature.
Izuku rubbed his eyes as he finished transcribing some entries from his hero notebooks into his laptop. He wanted to have a more 'ready' encyclopedia at the ready, so he was compiling it into a big document on his Google Docs.
"Oh, huh..." He said, looking down at his clock. "Is it 1 AM already? Jeez. I better get to sleep."
Izuku flicked his lamp off, and walked over to his bed. He plopped down on it, and began to drift to sleep.
...a minute later, Izuku thought he heard something press against his window. He wasn't too sure, though. Izuku sat up in his bed and listened intently, but he didn't hear anything else. He shrugged it off and lay back down, closing his eyes.
But then he heard it again. This time, it was unmistakable - something was tapping against his window. He opened his eyes slightly...
To see a figure pressed against the glass. Izuku's eyes clamped shut. Was that...Yuga!?
Yuga stared for a few more minutes. Izuku just had to lay in bed, pretending he was asleep. His eyes only opened after Yuga walked away.
Izuku was sweating. What the heck was that? Why was Yuga on my balcony!? How did he get on my balcony? I'm right next door, so why take the trouble to slip onto my balcony?
Izuku got out of bed, to see if Yuga was maybe still creeping around. He flung the curtains over to his balcony, and he looked around to see no one there...
But there was something on the ground.
Spelled out for him, were the words...
"I know."
All in CHEESE.
Izuku shut the curtains and immediately went back to sleep.
The next morning, it turned out Izuku wasn't the only one who overslept. He and Ochako were racing towards the classroom as quickly as they could, though Iida was still enforcing the rules.
"No running allowed, remember! Power walk at maximum speed!" Iida cheered. Ochako got there first, letting out a sigh of relief once she crossed the threshold, with Izuku entering close behind her.
"One minute till class starts! Incredible timing you two!" Iida applauded, "But I really must advise against pulling these all-nighters, Izuku. I could hear your mumbling from a floor down."
"W-wait, could you actually?!" Izuku asked.
"Ah, no. I was messing with you, but I had a feeling you were organizing something."
"Yeah, and ...then something weird kinda happened." Izuku said. "Aoyoma-"
Izuku stepped inside, and saw Yuga looking directly at him from his seat.
"Aoyoma...?" Ochako said, motioning for Izuku to finish.
"U-uh...n-nothing, nevermind," All Might's successor said, before going to his seat.
"Thinking what I'm thinking?" Ochako whispered to Iida.
"Very much so, yes," Iida said, "I sense potential blackmail."
"Maybe a bit extreme, but, definitely something going on..."
Izuku never really spoke to Yuga, and Yuga never went out of his way to interact with anyone else. He was the type of fun, free spirit who just would spout whatever whenever. Sometimes he'd send an unprompted text, or just lurk in the group chat.
He was clearly a man of action, not words. His actions during the Summer Camp and Licensing Exam proved it. There had to be a good explanation in why Yuga was...fascinated in hi-
Izuku's face turned red. Oh my god! Does he have a crush on me?! Oh god, that could actually be a possibility! I don't swing that way! Even if he did, he's not really my type- B-but no matter what it could be, I probably shouldn't call attention to it. I don't want to cause a scene for him. Izuku thought.
Izuku's eyes darted over to Yuga.
...unless.
"Huh, well that's cool," Jirou said as she scrolled through her phone, breaking Izuku out of his thoughts.
"What's up?" Kaminari asked.
"Looks like the rumors were true. Mt. Lady, Edgeshot, and Kumui Woods are teaming up, calling themselves 'The Lurkers' now."
"A teamup?" Izuku hummed. "I guess they cover each other's weaknesses pretty well."
"And Yu does like money." Bakugou muttered.
"Huh?"
"Shut up."
"Wait...team-ups..." Mina wondered, before a lightbulb went off between her antennae, "I got it! When we all become pros, we should team-up too! Ochako can lift me up into the air, Sero controls me with his tape, Koda and Jiro are on recon, and I make acid rain! Team Rainy Day! It's PERFECT!"
"...a little extreme, but yeah." Tsu said.
"Personalities are important in these things too, you know!" Iida yelled. "Now, let's all line up! It's time for our training."
Training today was going to be interesting. Since it was technically an open secret about Ochako and the Omnitrix, she was allowed to use it in training.
"Today's assignment is to keep working on your ultimate moves. While the previous benchmark was only two, those who haven't done so need to keep trying. The rest of you will work on improving existing ones." Cementoss said, before his eyes darted over to Ochako. "In your case...keep working on your forms."
Ochako nodded. "I already know what I'm working on today." She said, as Kirishima stepped up.
"Bring her in." Kirishima said, punching his fist into the palm of his hand. Ochako nodded, before activating the Omnitrix. She scrolled to Diamondhead's icon, and slapped down the faceplate. Her skeleton reinforced itself and grew, as crystals grew around her body. Two back spikes popped out of her back, and one triangular one popped out the back of her head.
"You're training with Diamondhead again?" Sero asked.
"Kinda," Ochako admitted. "I figured that since Kirishima has experience with tanking blows that maybe he could give me some..." Ochako sharped her finger. "Pointers. Ah? Ah?"
"You've been hanging out with Mrs. Xiao Long too much," Tooru frowned, shaking her head.
"And as for me..." Kirishima instantly assumed Unbreakable mode. "I'll be her personal sandbag! I need to be as strong as that Hassaikai guy who got away. And I'll be anyone else's sandbag! JUST HIT ME!"
"Dude, that just sounds WEIRD." Alan said.
Kirishima looked over to Izuku, who was doing some sort of weird exercise. It looked like he was...crouching, over and over again. "Hey! Midoriya! Think you can smash me up a bit?"
"S-sorry!" Izuku said, as he slowed down. "I'm gonna work alone on this one."
"Alright, suit yourself!" Kirishima said, as he and Ochako walked off.
"Might as well take him up on that sandbag offer." Bakugou muttered, as he walked past Izuku. "...still trying to re-unlock that quirk, huh?"
"Huh?" Izuku asked, a bit thrown off. "Y-yeah."
"Any progress?" Bakugou asked.
"No."
Bakugou scoffed. "Then how're you planning to surpass me, then!?" He followed behind Ochako and Kirishima, as Izuku looked down at his hand.
That Fa Jin power was incredibly useful- if Todoroki was right about what he THINKS Fa Jin can do, then I'd probably be able to access something akin to 100% without putting too much strain on my body. Izuku thought. I know I can't handle a proper 100%, at least not without some cheating...I wish I just knew why I can't use it right now.
Izuku looked up. What did that guy say-?
Kid. You're tearing yourself in half, especially by overusing my quirk with the fifth's... I'm not telling you to quit, but...snap out of it. Don't die fighting someone like him.
Izuku made a face. Did he lock it away because I was using it so…haphazardly?
"Hey, Izuku!" Aoyoma called out, getting the secret successor's attention, "Watch." He was leaning against a solid block of stone, his belt pressed up against it as energy started to gather up there.
Izuku blinked a few times, starting to think that somehow the crush theory might actually be true. Either that or the sparkling student just wanted to show off a new move. The second part might've been more likely since Aoyoma fired off the beam and cut a perfect tunnel right through the block. But then that perfect beam became segmented, firing off as a series of laser blasts. Then the crystal-like shoulder pads of his costume lit up and began firing off the same bolts.
"Navel Buffet Laser!" Aoyoma announced.
Yuga was not beating the allegations here- this was some weird sort of flirting.
Yuga strained himself, and squeezed. "One more!" He declared, before a tiny laser shot out of his belly button. The fabulous lad started to carve something into the stone. Izuku looked over to see what he put in...
'Still Waters Run Deep.'
Huh?
Yuga smiled.
...and then keeled over.
"Oh...that one...really hurt my stomach," Aoyoma muttered, still in pain from over-exerting himself.
"Why did you do that last one then?!" Izuku questioned, "Cementoss, sir! Aoyoma isn't feeling well, he needs a break!"
"Alright, he can take five," Cementoss nodded.
The secret successor to All Might made his way over and helped his classmate up, though not without an ulterior motive. As sinister as that sounds, this was the perfect chance to ask.
"Aoyoma...um..." Izuku started once the two were out of earshot, "Lately you've been acting kind of...w-well, I saw you on the balcony that night and...you said you knew. What exactly do you know?"
"I know..." Yuga muttered. "I know that...your quirk is ill suited to your body. You are like me..."
Izuku flinched. "L-like you? How so?"
"M-my belt. I have had it since I was petit. W-without it, the laser would sometimes...burst forth of its own accord. It is hereditary. My Quirk and my body...are somewhat at odds, you could say. That is...that is how the doctors explained it, anyway. But then I saw...I saw you during the entrance exam. I saw how your body was decimated by your own power. From there...I saw this...link, this thing we shared. And then, when you returned from your work study," Aoyoma began.
"...I seemed stressed," Izuku finished.
"I was...going to say frazzled, but...but that works too. So...I wanted to cheer you up. Did you...enjoy my surprise?" the sparkling student weakly smiled.
"...Aoyoma, I'm gonna be honest." Izuku said. "I honestly thought you were flirting with me."
Yuga blinked a few times.
"...aren't you gonna deny it?"
"I like mystery." Yuga smiled.
Izuku was, once again, thrown for a loop.
Yuga could only chuckle a bit, before returning to a more serious demeanor.
"Unless we can face that which pains us...we can never truly sparkle, don't you agree?" Yuga asked.
Izuku took a deep breath, and smiled a little. "Y-yeah. I guess. Thanks, Yuga. You...really helped me out."
Yuga smiled too...
But deep down, he knew.
He knew about One for All from the start.
"Yuga...did you know?" Mr. One asked him, one day while he was in that run down bar. "There's someone like you at UA."
"There...there is?" Yuga asked, taken by surprise there. True, he was still mostly afraid but his curiosity was genuine.
"That's right. A young man by the name of Izuku Midoriya. I think you and him would get along swimmingly."
"Did...did he come to you as well?" Yuga asked.
"No, no, but in a way, I sort of made him..." Mr. One bemused. "His quirk came from All Might.
"A-All Might?" Yuga repeated, a bit shocked. "He has a quirk like yours?"
Mr. One nodded. "It's strange, isn't it?"
"But...I thought his Quirk-" Yuga began.
"Was strength based? A common misconception, one perpetuated by the media due to...well, no one really understanding it," AFO chuckled, "His power is...related to mine, an offshoot, an offspring, if you will."
"If yours is called One for All, his must be called All for One." Yuga rationalized.
"Correct. Such a strange phrase!" Mr. One said. "It immediately contradicts human nature! We're a inherently selfish species, and the idea of sacrificing one's own needs or desires for the greater good of a group goes against that selfish nature. The most wicked are driven by their own selfish desires and refuse to put the needs of others before their own..."
"But...you can bestow powers upon those you wish as well...can you not?" Yuga asked. If greed truly was the driving force of humanity, then why would AFO even CONSIDER giving away any of these powers he's collected? Why not just hoard them for himself?
"Because." Mr. One said. "I need them."
"For what?"
"Myself."
"I...see," Yuga said, dropping the subject. Pressing for information wouldn't work here. AFO would turn the question around somehow or give a vague non-answer.
"I've sought out that troublesome power for a while...I don't like the direction it's taken." All for One hummed. "I heard the boy destroyed his body when he used it..."
"He did. Recovery Girl was called in to heal his arms and legs. All broken save for one arm," Yuga confirmed.
"All that power...and he's more a threat to himself than he is to even the lowest E-rank villain," All for One scoffed.
"Why is this power so important to you?" Yuga asked.
"It belonged to someone dear to me...and I honestly gave it to them as a joke." All for One sighed. "I didn't realize the bit would go on so, so, long..."
All for One took sighed, reminiscing on how this dance started. It's funny in retrospect, that a joke like this could end up becoming his worst enemy. But every joke or routine had to run its course, and One for All was far past that threshold. The joke had lost its humor.
"And...when...when you have it-?" Yuga began but AFO cut him off with a raised hand.
"Reaching too far, my boy. My plans for the power are not yours to worry about. I do appreciate the curiosity, but it, as with all things, has limits," the symbol of evil noted.
Yuga nodded.
"You met the boy, right?" All for One asked. "What did he seem like?"
"...confused." Yuga said. "But he saved a girl's life without hesitation."
All for One went quiet.
"That's the scariest kind of hero..." He sighed.
"The scariest?"
"Indeed. One without any regard for their own safety, and merely the safety of others. Just like him," All for One said. Jst who he was referring to, though, was plain as day.
Yuga thought about it- yeah, the most intense heroes were the ones willing to do anything to win. That Endeavor guy on the news almost sliced his arm open when fighting some sword wielding villain that could cut through his flames, and he won by sheer force...scary.
"Yuga?" Izuku asked, breaking his classmate out of the flashback, "Are you ok?"
Yuga blinked.
"...I need to see a nurse." He muttered. "I strained my muscles in my stomach..."
"R-right."
"R-right."
Surprisingly, that was the start of a real friendship between Izuku and Yuga.
No, like. Seriously.
When Iida and Ochako came back to the dorms later that night, Izuku AND Yuga were cooking more saganaki.
"Am I doing this right?" Izuku asked.
"Oui! Oui! You're doing great." Yuga complimented.
Ochako gasped, as she turned to Iida. "We missed a lot, actually!"
"We...apparently did," Iida blinked, adjusting his glasses.
"You're not the only ones," Mina said, "Dunno what happened, but Yuga's been in very high spirits lately."
Ochako's eyes narrowed. "Really..."
"Yeah, he's really come out recently!" Mina grinned. "It's great!"
"Hmmm, I wonder what happened," Iida pondered.
Ochako's pupils shrank. D-did Yuga just steal my crush? Ochako's face turned red. DID I JUST CALL IZUKU MY CRUSH!?
"Ochako, you good?" Mina asked, noting the the anti-gravity student's change in color.
"YEP! All is fine! All is fine! Ahahaha..." Ochako said, holding up her hands.
"Ochakoooo~! You wanna try some of Izuku's cheese?" Yuga called over.
If Ochako had a drink, she would've spit it out right then and there. That phrasing!
"Y-yes. Yes. Please." Ochako said, walking over. She didn't know why she was doing this.
"Oui! Now if you just-oui! Perfect!" Yuga said, "It is ready!"
Ochako blinked, as she tried some of it. Just like Yuga said. It was...really, really good.
Well, Izuku, if this is the life you want now- if you want to make cheese with Yuga and fight crime...I accept this... Ochako sighed, before she felt Yuga's eyes staring at her.
"Y-yes?" Ochako asked.
"Uraraka, have you ever experimented-"
"WHAT!?"
"With your hair?" Yuga asked.
"I-..whu...I..." Ochako sputtered a bit, before just blue screening.
"Is she that set on her hairstyle?" Yuga asked.
Mina couldn't help but put a hand over her mouth to stifle her laughter, knowing exactly what was going on.
"Mina, are you alright?" Iida asked, taking note of the pink, alien-like hero.
"I'm fine, I'm fine!" Mina said, muffled.
"Huh?" Ochako looked up at her hair. "Is there...something wrong with it?"
"You need to express yourself a bit!" Yuga exclaimed. "Throw in some style."
"I mean...my hair's fine, right?" Ochako said.
"Ohhh, it is. But it's very...plain. Have you never played around with it?" Yuga asked.
Ochako thought back- since money was sort of a necessity, Ochako never really did buy any fancy products or anything for her hair. She just used 3 in 1 shampoo stuff. Because anyone who needed 3 bottles of something for their hair was insane.
"I mean...not really," Ochako admitted sheepishly, "I just...with how expensive some of the products can be, I never really-"
"Nonsense! I know how to make your hair magnificent." Yuga declared. He clapped his hand. "Mina! I need your assistance."
Mina saluted. "Aye aye!"
"Uh, wait, hold on-" Ochako tried to protest, but there was no stopping them.
"Izuku, serve up the saganaki if you'd be so kind," Yuga said, "We'll be back in a few minutes!"
Izuku blinked. "O-oh! Okay?" And then Yuga and Mina led her away.
Iida stared at Izuku. "...can I try some of that?"
Yuga and Mina sat Ochako down on a stool, holding all sorts of tools. Ochako looked nervously at them. "I, uh...I kinda think this a bit extreme, guys!"
"What? Pffft, nah. This isn't extreme!" Mina smirked, "Honestly, I think you'd look good with a ponytail."
"A...ponytail?" Ochako asked.
"Yes, yes! I know it may seem basic, but a ponytail adds flare!" Yuga said. "It should reflect your tenacity as a hero, no?"
"I-i mean, maybe but I can-!" Ochako started.
"Nope! We got this for ya!" Mina cut her off.
"Get to work!" Yuga said, as he and Mina started fooling around with her hair. Ochako was flabbergasted, and lost for any words. Yuga, meanwhile...
Was thinking back to another horrible conversation.
"A-an Omnitrix?" Yuga repeated, as he was chauffered home by someone Mr. One hired.
"Yes, yes. The oaf actually managed to make one..." All for One sighed. "And gave it to some first round flunkee."
Mr. One paused.
"...barring you, of course. You fought well."'
"Sir...I...I know it was a bad match-up. Because of my reliance on my belt..." Yuga said.
"Unfortunate, I know. But tell me what you know of a one...Ochako Uraraka," All for One said.
"Ochako? She's...she's nice. She hangs around Izuku and our class president a lot. She's in the middle of grades classwise, she's great at rescuing, and she has a nice sense of tenacity..." Yuga listed.
"Noted...useful information. But is there anything about...say, her Quirk or odd little tidbits that never really lined up with her? Personality quirks, her motivation to be a hero, things like that."
"S-sir...it...sounds like you want me to deconstruct her."
"Oh no, no, I will deconstruct her. You are merely my eyes on the inside, my first-hand source on her."
"H-her quirk...works on touch. It removes gravity for a time being. She has a limit, though- maybe 500 kg." Yuga guessed.
"Very useful for rescue operations as you said, but a limit like that...she would still need support. Continue."
"Um...and I overheard her say she needed money to support her parents. She's from a poor family..." Yuga said.
"...I see." All for One said."
Yuga did not like how his 'boss' said that. He had learned to pick up on certain tones of voice that AFO had, and the way he said 'I see' was what Yuga decided to call his 'scheming' tone. That bit of information may have sparked an idea for him.
"...Anything else on her that's notable?" All for One said.
"She...has a fighting spirit that's beyond her current limits." Yuga said. "And I sort of admire that."
"There's the connection. Her fighting spirit. Oh, Tennyson. How sentimental you are," All for One chuckled.
"What?"
"Tennyson has always loved the indomitable human spirit." All for One chuckled. "That humanity is always going overcome everything in its path..."
"And you don't believe that? Considering what you said about greed..."
"On the contrary, I too full believe that the human spirit can be the source of a great many things...which is why when it comes to those who would stand against me, their spirit is my first target."
"Are you...going to break her spirit?" Yuga asked.
"I may." All for One said. "I do not know if I will face her in combat someday. Tomura might...but not me."
"But...I thought you said Tomura-" Yuga began.
"Was focused solely on All Might's legacy? True...but in a way, the great comradery between the Symbol of Peace and the mighty Ben 10K is part of that legacy. In time, Tomura will target the girl as well, as a little bit of extra salt in the wound…" All for One said.
So, Yuga was burdened with knowledge. Knowing that there were two successors in his class...weighed deep on his mind.
They were both probably the best people for the future cape and cowl. Izuku and Ochako were an optimistic face for a generation...and Yuga wanted to see them succeed. Ochako had said something: about heroes supporting heroes, whenever.
Yuga heard about the Hassaikai raid.
...and he wanted to support them.
"Uh...Yuga?" Mina asked, snapping him back to reality. "You gonna tie this off or what?" Her black and yellow eyes shifted down to the ponytail they had promised to give Ochako.
"Oh! Oui! Of course! Forgive me, lost in thought!" Yuga covered.
Yuga began to tie up Ochako's hair. Ochako fidgeted in her seat a bit.
"Are you...sure you should be doing this with your gloves on, Yuga?" Ochako said. "I dunno much about hair, but styling it with gloves on is a little weird!"
"He's just tying it," Mina said, "I mean you're right, using gloves is a bit weird but, meh."
Yuga paused. "Y-yes. Yes, but I am...very unique in the sense!"
"Why you start wearing them? I thought you'd be the type to do nail polish." Mina pouted.
"But would it not be scraped away in the heat of battle?" Yuga asked.
"...oh yeah, I guess so."
Yuga gave a sigh of relief.
"You know, Uraraka...I haven't told you this yet, but I think Mr. Tennyson chose right." Yuga said.
"Oh, thanks-" Ochako said.
"But not just for you, for all of us." Yuga continued. "He saw something in each one of us that made him believe we could be heroes. And it's not just our quirks or our abilities that make us stand out as heroes. It's our mindset, our determination, and our willingness to do what's right, even when it's hard."
Yuga stepped forward, his eyes filled with passion.
"Being a hero is not just about fighting villains or saving lives. It's about standing out from the crowd and making a difference in the world. It's about being the best version of ourselves, and using our talents and abilities to help others. And that doesn't mean we have to be perfect, or have all the answers. It means we have to be willing to try, to learn, and to grow..."
Yuga looked sad for a moment.
"You said you wanted to help the heroes, right?" Yuga said. "I follow that dream too- So let's stand out as heroes. Let's be the ones who never give up, who always strive to be better, who always fight for what's right. Let's be the ones who make a difference in the world. Because that's what being a hero is all about-"
Yuga didn't realize it, but a small crowd had formed because of his speech.
"Wooooah. You've been holding THAT one in, haven't you?" Kirishima smirked.
"That was a beautiful speech, Aoyoma." Momo clapped. "I dunno what spurred it, but...it was quite fantastic."
"Pretty corny but...gets the message across." Shinsou joked.
Yuga looked embarrassed for a second, but kept a nice smile.
...for once, this smile wasn't a farce.
Ochako admired her new hair- it was very poofy and reminded her of a pineapple for some reason. "Ooooh, now I can get used to this look." Ochako said. "But I feel like it's missing something."
"All great heroes have some part of their hero costume on their casual wear to show they're still fighting..." Yuga said, approaching her with something in his hands. "I found this online. I thought you would enjoy it."
Yuga opened his palms to reveal a small hairclip that resembled the gauntlets she wore on her costume. Ochako's eyes lit up.
"Ooooooh my god," Mina said, "This is adorable!"
Yuga beamed at that. Ochako clipped it into her hair and smiled.
"There you go! There's the future confident Ochako 10k!" Mina grinned. "You know, I have some hair dye-"
"That...might be too much," Ochako nervously laughed. "But this is great. Thanks so much, you two!"
"No problem!" Yuga grinned, before leaning in. "Consider it something to make Izuku's eyes pop out of his head."
"H-huh?" Ochako said, as Yuga walked away.
"I'm rooting for you two~!" Yuga declared, disappearing into the night- and by that I mean he he skipped back to the kitchen.
Ochako and Mina stood in silence for a few seconds.
"Oh, he's TOTALLY wingmanning for both sides, that's awesome." Mina giggled.