This chapter takes place after Merry Christmas. So, read there and then read this.
Anyways, please enjoy this chapter. Here's the Discord: /cgFmXz3qJ5
Ochako hadn't been home since she left. It felt strange, taking the train out of the city and back to the countryside. Life had changed for her and that was okay. Life would always be subject to something like that. Honestly, when she saw herself going back at the start of her life at UA, she thought nothing would be that different.
A boyfriend, the Omnitrix and an alien dog were not in her mind at that time.
Enaba, her hometown, had recently gotten a hero office, thanks to the League threatening her parents. Ben sent one of his friends to watch it, someone by the name of "Marrow Amin". From what her parents said, the guy was really nice and fit right into the town. The townsfolk liked him a lot, especially his sense of humor.
Aizawa had gone out of his way to assign Ochako here as 'a personal Christmas gift,' an incredibly nice little gesture. She hoped her teacher was enjoying the personal gift Class 1-A had bought for him.
(Present Mic blinked. "New sleeping bag?"
"Yes." Aizawa said, settling into the newest 'state of the art' sleeping bag with built in warmers and noise cancellation.)
Izuku looked out the window, looking at the frozen river. "How long until we get to Enaba?" He asked.
"Two more hours. I'm really in the middle of nowhere." Ochako sheepishly admitted. "Makes the lengths the villains went to to threaten me even more insane."
Izuku nervously chuckled. "Yeah, yeah…" He was fidgeting a little and Ochako knew exactly what he was nervous about.
"Hey," Ochako said, putting her hand on top of his. "You don't need to worry about my parents! They're pretty casual. They're not gonna bite."
"I know, I know…I just wanna make a good first impression." Izuku explained. "Do I just be…casual?"
"Yeah! Listen, you'll fit in fine." Ochako reassured him. "Nothing's gonna go wrong-"
A head poked up from the row in front of them. "Did you even tell your parents you two were dating?"
Ochako frowned. "I said I was seeing someone. Just…didn't clarify."
Shinsou's eyes narrowed. "You're nervous they're gonna smother him."
Ochako's eyes darted away. "Maybe."
"Knew it." Shinsou said, going back to looking at his phone. It was distracting him from Iida, snoring up a storm in the seat across from him.
So, Ochako and Izuku weren't alone on their trip to Enaba. Aizawa had included Iida and Shinsou in the group. They didn't mind, especially since this was Shinsou's first foray into the world of hero work since he got his license. Shinsou seemed nonplussed about the experience. Part of him sort of expected this would be his first job, since everything else had been sort of 'a let down'.
The plan when they got to Enaba was to meet Ochako's parents at the station, have a quick belated birthday lunch with them (her birthday was the day prior), have a debriefing with Marrow and do some light patrolling around town. They'd be here for the week.
Ochako was sort of excited to show her old town the hero she was shaping up to be. After all, everyone in the town chipped in some money to help send her to UA. She had to repay the debt.
"Shiiiiip?" Ship's face pressed up against the cold glass.
"Honestly, I dunno who my parents are gonna dote more over." Ochako said. "You, or Ship."
"Ship. He's easier to hold." Izuku said. "In spite of his squirminess."
"Squirm's a weird word. Squiiiirm. Like a weird fusion of a squid and a worm." Ochako joked.
"I think Animo actually made a squirm…." Izuku said.
"For real? Gross."
"Kind of." Izuku said. "Hey, so…you've never talked about Enaba before. What's it like?"
"Oh! Well, Enaba was founded as a mining area. The inflow of miners was what allowed the town to grow into the community that it is today. Nowadays, it's pretty quiet." Ochako explained. "Since the population is so concentrated in such a tiny area, gossip and news travel quickly across the town. Everyone knows everyone. But, again. Not much happens."
"It sounds cozy," Izuku remarked.
"Yeah, it's got that small-town charm," Ochako nodded. "The people there are friendly, and everyone is always ready to lend a helping hand. No matter what."
As the train continued to rattle along the tracks, Izuku and Ochako settled into a comfortable silence, both lost in their thoughts about the upcoming visit. Ochako sighed, as she closed her eyes, and leaned back in her seat.
Nothing was gonna go wrong this week.
Two hours later, the rhythmic clatter of the train wheels finally began to slow as the group approached their destination. The scenery outside the window changed from snow-covered fields to the familiar sights of Ochako's hometown, Enaba. It was a quaint little station, and the train came to a halt with a gentle screech.
Ochako opened her eyes and sat up, her excitement bubbling up once more. She glanced at Izuku, who had been lost in his thoughts, and gave him an encouraging smile. "We're here," she whispered.
The train doors slid open, revealing the small station platform, dusted with a fresh layer of snow. Ochako, Izuku, Shinsou, and Iida gathered their belongings and made their way to the exit. Ship hopped onto Ochako's shoulder, and they stepped onto the platform, greeted by the crisp, cool air of Enaba and the picturesque view of the snow-covered landscape.
"This is where you grew up?" Iida asked. "It's a very beautiful place."
"You should've seen it in the spring." Ochako said. "When the flowers are in bloom, this place looks 10x prettier."
Shinsou seemed indifferent to the scenic beauty of the small town. He glanced around the station with a disinterested expression, as if the picturesque surroundings didn't quite capture his attention.
"Yeah, it's nice," he said nonchalantly, more focused on checking his phone than the snowy landscape.
Ochako couldn't help but feel a bit miffed at Shinsou's indifference. Yes, she knew he was a bit of a loner, but still. He should be excited for his first real foray into the hero world.
As the group made their way out of the station, Ochako scanned the area for her parents, Yua and Hitohito. Her heart skipped a beat when she spotted them waiting near the entrance, bundled up in warm winter clothes. They wore proud smiles as they approached their daughter, their eyes lighting up at the sight of her.
"Ochako!" her mother exclaimed, the two rushing forward to embrace her.
"Mom, Dad!" Ochako beamed, returning the hug. It had been so long since she'd seen them last- and trust me, she needed this hug BADLY. Her parent's hugs could make all her worries wash away, just like that. Her mother's tight embrace and her father's firm pat on her back reassured her that everything was alright.
"We've missed you so much, Ochako," her father, Hitohito, said with a hint of emotion in his voice.
"I've missed you too," Ochako replied, her eyes moist with happiness. Ship nuzzled in to join the hug.
"This must be Ship! He's so much cuter in person." Yua said, picking him up. "Hello there lil guy~" Ship happily chirped as Yua showered him with affection.
Ochako turned around and gestured toward her friends with a proud smile. "Mom, Dad, these are my friends from U.A. This is Izuku Midoriya, Tenya Iida and Hitoshi Shinsou. They're gonna be working at Marrow's office as well."
Hitohito's eyes narrowed. "The boy with green hair…is he the one you mentioned on the phone?" He asked.
"Y-yeah. That's my boyfriend." Ochako confirmed. His eyes narrowed more, and without another word…
Hitohito wasted no time and immediately pulled Izuku into a bear hug, causing Izuku to wince slightly. Shinsou couldn't resist the opportunity and started recording. He was absolutely sending this in the group chat.
"DAD!" Ochako exclaimed with a mixture of embarrassment and amusement.
"What!?" Hitohito replied, laughing. "Your mom's hugging your dog! I need something to hug too!"
Hitohito set him down. Izuku, still recovering from the unexpected bearhug, managed an awkward introduction, stammering slightly, "H-hello, sir." He said, weakly raising his hand.
Hitohito burst into laughter at Izuku's formal address. "Sir? No need for that, young man," he said, clapping Izuku on the back with a hearty chuckle. "Just call me Hitohito!"
"O-okay?" Izuku blinked.
"I remember you from the Sports Fest. You were the kid who fought…him!" Hitohito pointed at Shinsou, who was ignoring him. "And Endeavor's kid! Those were some cool fights."
Izuku nodded. "It was…uh, fun." Izuku rubbed his arm.
"Enaba might be quiet, but we appreciate heroes just as much as anywhere else. Now, let's get going." Hitohito said, turning to face Ochako. "We got your lunch reservations at your favorite place!"
Ochako's eyes lit up. "Yeeeeeeeeees-"
Admittedly, when they heard reservations, the first thing Izuku and the others, save Ochako herself, thought was some sort of fancier restaurant. There wasn't any real reason for it, just general correlation. Reservations usually just meant a bit of a fancier place. The actual place they went to definitely wasn't bad, but it wasn't a fancy place. It was honestly a nice and humble ramen shop that the Urarakas frequented.
"Humble place," Shinsou muttered, "Fits."
"We eat here every chance we get." Ochako explained. "It's sooooo good because..."
Izuku raised an eyebrow. "Because?"
Ochako walked over to the counter, and over to the cashier. His eyebrows went up.
"...the usual?" The cashier asked.
"The usual."
"The usual?" Shinsou and Iida asked, sharing a glance between each other. The duo then turned to silently ask Izuku if he had any ideas on that, only to get a shrug from the green-haired student.
The cashier walked in the back, her face looking grim. She only said one thing to the cooks.
"They're here."
The cooks understood.
"Anyone else notice a sudden shift in the atmosphere?" Shinsou asked.
"Almost like the staff were prepared for this," Iida answered.
"Well, they kinda are," Ochako sheepishly admitted.
Yua nodded. "We're...infamous here." She motioned to a picture on the wall. Izuku looked over to see said picture was of a younger Yua, Hitohito and Ochako, and a giant bowl of ramen. The picture had a label under it- "CHAMPIONS OF THE BOWL."
"Oh. Ohhhhh," Izuku realized.
"Ah...well that's...not concerning at all," Iida said, keeping as straight a face as he could.
"The Enaba Bowl...the town's specialty bowl that few have undertaken." Hitohito explained in an ominous tone. "And we've demolished it."
"Any reason why?" Shinsou asked.
"Free meal if you finish it." Hitohito explained.
Everything sorta clicked after that.
"It's a tradition for us to do it for my birthday, ever since I was young!" Ochako explained. "And we've won every year."
"Every year?" Iida asked.
"Yep! No different this year!" Ochako beamed.
The group shared a look. "Are we gonna have to join-?"
"Only if you want!" Yua encouraged.
Iida looked at the picture. "It does look appetizing. I suppose I could assist."
"Same here." Izuku said, turning to Shinsou. "Hey, Shinsou. Do you wanna-" But Shinsou was already looking at the menu. Izuku frowned. "Guess not."
"Ah, don't worry. The bowl overwhelms some." Hitohito joked. "No one can handle a full course of bok choy, chashu, dried seaweed, mushroom, corn and ginger on first look. It's overwhelming for some!"
The group found a table and settled down, with Shinsou sitting at the front area, slightly apart from the others. Ochako's parents' attention turned to Izuku and Iida.
"So. How's our girl doing at U.A?" Hitohito said.
"Ochako's doing better and better every day. Especially since we've figured out," Iida tapped his wrist. "More on those forms."
"Yeah." Izuku said. "She's had the Omnitrix for less than a year but she's doing pretty great. Not to mention, her quirk development is coming along."
"And her friends? Is it true that she's getting along with everyone in the class?" Yua asked. "Even that boy who roughed her up at the Sports Fest?"
"'Getting along' with Bakugou is a loaded question." Ochako admitted. "Either he tolerates you or ignores you. I'm in the 'tolerates' category."
"What about..." Hitohito motioned to Shinsou.
"Oh, he's still sort of fitting in." Ochako explained. "He joined the class after two kids transferred to other courses."
"I will applaud his progress. Even though he joined a few months ago, he managed to get his provisional license in such a short period." Iida admitted.
"Impressive! Especially since UA's so high pressure. We sent in a few applications to other schools, y'know. But Ochako was so deadset on UA." Hitohito recalled. "She was training like crazy. Running laps, doing workouts with her quirk, etc. It was having our own Rocky Balboa in town."
"What about you two? Ochako mentioned your work's sort of picked up with Ben 10k commissioning you for some work." Izuku said.
"Yeah, how are those projects going?" Ochako asked.
Yua smiled. "Well, we finished the construction of Marrow's hero office faster than we thought. And we're getting contacts from other hero schools to use the blueprints I drew up for the UA Heights Alliance."
"Thank goodness for royalty charges. We're flush with cash for a first!" Hitohito said. "It feels nice to be on the up and up."
Ochako smiled at that. "At least that's going good."
"But," Hitohito said, making Ochako flinch. "Well, for a very good thing, something bad's gotta happen."
Ochako made a face. "I'm suddenly scared to ask."
"Oh, no no no. Not with us. WIth the town!" Yua said. "There's been this awful case of vandalism with the crops."
"Vandalism?" Ochako repeated.
"Yeah! Someone keeps on cutting down these hideous patterns in the crops. Trying to spook people." Yua frowned.
"What, like...an alien hoax?" Izuku asked.
"Exactly. It's those crop circle pranks you'd say in those 'Do Aliens Exist?' faux-documentaries, where the best evidence is some flimsy testimonies and flashing lights in the sky," Hitohito explained.
"Forgive me for this sounding...stereotypical perhaps, but Ben never told you about any aliens that actually use crop circles did he?" Iida asked.
"What? No. But...I mean I guess its possible? Not like I know alien languages by heart, but if there can be a whole species like Upchuck then anything's possible," Ochako shrugged.
"Upchuck?" Yua asked.
"It's...a weird alien. Powers line-up with the name."
"I...see." Yua made a face. "It has such...a lovely name?"
"Yeah. No." Ochako shook her head.
"It is as weird as it sounds," Iida admitted.
"But not all of them are weird. Some are pretty straightforward like Four Arms or Upgrade," Izuku chimed in.
"Those ones we know. But still. Probably not actually aliens. People just have weird senses of humor." Hitohito rationalized.
Still...something worth investigating, Ochako thought. Even if nothing else, she could find the would-be comedians who were behind it.
Before she could dwell on it anymore, a giant bowl was placed on the table. It shook the entire table, and made Izuku and Iida gasp at the sheer size.
"They made it bigger because of us." Ochako admitted.
"Bigger?" Iida and Izuku said in unison.
"Yeaaaah, they have to keep it as an actual challenge, right?"
Izuku and Iida stared at each other.
"...well, I'm not eating for the rest of this visit." izuku said, grabbing a fork and digging in.
"Nothing risked..." Iida sighed before grabbing a fork as well. He just prayed he'd survive this.
The answer is: yes. They survived, but just barely. Eating what felt like 10 tons of ramen was making them feel understandably bloated.
"Ooooh. My god." Izuku muttered, leaning on Ochako for support. "How do you eat that every year?"
"Dunno! I think I have an iron stomach." Ochako shrugged.
"Lucky." Iida muttered.
"THIS is why I didn't join in." Said Shinsou, who was in good health.
"And instead of trying to warn us...you just let us march headlong into that?"
"Well if I did that, then you wouldn't learn," Shinsou smirked a little.
Izuku narrowed his eyes. "Judas."
"Ah, don't worry, kid. You'll burn off some of the noodles with the patrolling you'll be doing later!" Hitohito joked.
"Right," Izuku sighed. Shinsou just kept his smug little smirk for the rest of the walk. They weren't heading to Marrow's office right away, though. Instead, they stopped off at the Ochako family home.
Ochako's family home was a quaint and modern Japanese house at the eastern edge of Enaba, right near the cornfields. It was two stories, with a small fence guarding the front. It also looked a bit more run down than some of the other houses.
"Home sweet home." Ochako said, as she stepped through the gate. She hadn't been home in ages...and it was hitting her again.
"You good?" Izuku asked, taking note of that shift with Ochako.
"Yeah, yeah...just...first time seeing this place in ages." Ochako admitted, as her parents unlocked the door.
"Marrow's office is literally down the road. Ben had us build it close to our home." Yua explained.
"Didn't expect that," Shinsou hummed.
"Well, it makes sense. We WERE threatened by that manchild running the league." Hitohito explained.
"Manchild?" Ochako asked.
"I mean I'm not wrong on that. How old is he supposed to be again? Early twenties or something? But the way he acts makes it seem like he's so much younger than he actually is. It's like he's a spoiled teenager or something."
Ochako rolled her eyes. "True, but still. He threatened you."
"And now he's on the run!" Yua said. "Heroes are gonna be all over him if he makes another move any time soon."
"And if he does somehow manage to slip past all the others, there's a whole agency he has to deal with. An agency where the hero's main power is to freeze people in place," Hitohito smirked, "He wouldn't be able to do anything."
"Freeze people?" Shinsou said. I can do that too, kind of. Is that why I'm here?
"It's his Semblance. He can just turn to someone and freeze them in place. He just needs to say 'Stay' and keep eye contact."
"That's it? No...need for them to respond to that? Just one word and locked in place?"
"Yep."
...wow, another person who outclasses me. Shinsou thought.
"Well, we shouldn't keep him waiting any further." iida said. "Even though we have no set time, I think we should get an early start on work."
"Yeah...let's," Shinsou said. Not like hearing that Marrow outclassed him that much affected him. Why would it?
Shinsou didn't really appreciate how often he felt undervalued amongst his own classmates. He had his own strengths and weaknesses...but he was always focusing on the weaknesses.
The group said their goodbyes for now, and walked down the road, suitcases in hand.
"So, what do you know about Marrow?" Izuku asked.
"Hm? Oh. Ben just said he was an old buddy of his. Going by Ben's previous buddies, he's probably gonna be a funny guy with a lot of heart...or really serious and commanding respect." Ochako guessed.
"The duplicitous edge." Iida said, briefly channeling his inner Tokoyami.
The group approached the office- it was a small place, looked like a bungalow, surrounded by a fence. A picture on the front of the fence read "MARROW HERO AGENCY". Ochako and the others made their way inside, where they saw a hallway and a receptionist working the desk.
"Uh, hi there." Ochako said. "We're here from U.A?"
The receptionist smiled. "Oh, yes. Hold on. Give me a second." She tapped her phone and quickly dialed a number. "Sir? The U.A students are here." She paused as she waited for a response. "Give him a second."
A door to their left opened, and out stepped Marrow. Marrow was a Faunus in his mid 30s with long greenish-black hair tied in a bun and blue eyes. His trait was a dark gray canine tail. He was dressed in a blue and white jacket, with a red undershirt, and some dark blue jeans. He had small goatee (which Ben HAD teased him about) and an easy going vibe to him.
Ochako suddenly got why Ben chose this guy- it was that vibe. Had he sent someone like Albedo, the town would feel a little overwhelmed, maybe. This was a guy you could share a drink at the bar with.
"Welcome to the Marrow Hero Agency! I'm Marrow, I'm sure you saw the name out front." He walked forward. "You must be Ochako! Heard a lot of praises."
"I promise I'll live up to them." Ochako joked, shaking his hand.
Marrow chuckled warmly at Ochako's reply. "I have no doubt about that," he said with a friendly grin. "And you must be her friends from U.A, right? I've been looking forward to having you all here. Come on in; let's get you briefed on what we do around here."
"Thank you," Iida said, as he followed their 'boss' to the back.
"My Hero Agency usually takes care of some small stuff. We're a bit of everything. Help for the police, volunteer firefighters, repair men." Marrow explained. "We don't see much battle, but we do have to settle an occasional skirmish."
Shinsou's expression shifted to mild annoyance. He had hoped for some more exciting hero work after getting his provisional license, and the prospect of handling minor issues wasn't exactly thrilling for him. Yes, Alan said he should work on his people skills, but...the call for action was growing more and more by the day.
"So, you're like a swiss army knife hero." Izuku said.
Marrow laughed. "Kind of! I was the best of the best back when Ben was still a rookie hero. Now I'm just doing whatever I want to nowadays."
"Well, thank you for keeping watch over my town." Ochako said. "I know the Shigaraki scare must've freaked people out."
"It did, for a little bit. Then I showed up, and got people at ease." Marrow smiled. "Nothing to worry about."
"What about the crop circles?" Shinsou asked. "You looking into those?"
"Huh?" Marrow looked behind him. "Oh! Yeah. Those things. I'm having some of my sidekicks (aka neighborhood watch) patrol the fields to catch the pranksters. Nothin to really get concerned about."
Shinsou frowned again. Ochako noticed again- and to be honest, her patience was running thin.
"Now, that's a good enough briefing, isn't it?" Marrow asked. "How about we do the fun part of the job..."
"Patrolling?" Iida asked.
"Yep," Marrow nodded.
Shinsou just rolled his eyes at the patrolling part. In a town like this, was there even the possibility of crime? Sure, you had the threat of Shigaraki, but if the League was going to make a move, that move should've happened already. Maybe the boss of the League was just bluffing about going after them.
At first, the students thought they'd be divvied up between two different heroes, maybe Marrow and one of his sidekicks, but instead, they were all one team. And of course, with only a single team, who else would be supervising than the former Ace-Op himself. Izuku, being the mega fan he was, filled in his friends about the history of the wolf Faunus. Marrow was with All Might and Ben during the final battle of the now historically dubbed Salem War. Originally, he was an Ace-Op of Old Atlas, basically the Huntsman version of a spec-ops unit. After General Ironwood lost his mind, Marrow was the only member of said team to have outspoken doubts about the plan. He eventually switched to aid Ben and Ruby before the Pros really got involved in the conflict.
With Marrow at the lead, the four students followed him along the patrol route through the streets of Ochako's hometown. While Ochako was happy to be home and Iida and Izuku were more than happy to visit their friend's home, Shinsou was less than enthused. Minorly annoyed would be the best way to describe his mood right now. It wasn't patrolling itself, he understood the necessity of that, but out here made it seem a bit...redundant. What were the chances of even minor crime going on out here? Sounded like these crop circles was one of the most exciting things this town had seen in a while.
The hero agency's presence here was understandable, given the threat Shigaraki made, but if it was more than a bluff, shouldn't he have acted by now? As horrible as that sounded, the decay villain didn't come off as someone who made idle threats. So why hold off? Mind games?
Ochako didn't have those kinds of thoughts on her mind, though. She was just happy to see some familiar faces as she patrolled the streets. Store owners waved hello to the young girl who'd gone off to make a name for herself in the hero business. One of them even offered the group drinks of water, free of charge. Marrow tried to be humble and refuse, but the shop owner was insistent. How could he refuse? Some of the other bystanders made some good natured jokes about Ochako's new position as a hero. Seems the hometown hero hadn't forgotten her humble origins, they quipped.
Of course she wouldn't! This was Ochako they were talking about! How could she forget her home!
But she did pick up some things on patrol. Izuku and Iida were keeping an ear out too, of course, trying to pick up clues on the identity of the crop circle makers. No luck there, but that didn't mean they heard nothing.
"Hey, you know Miss Mitsugi?" one citizen asked a friend.
"Runs the little corner store right?" the friend asked, just to make sure they were thinking of the right person.
"Yeah that's her. Think I said something wrong. She's always got a smile on her face when you go in, but no so lately. She looks at me like I stole something."
"Did you?"
"Of course not! Why would I steal from her? I look like a jerk to you?"
"Maybe something happened then?" the friend suggested.
"Maybe...but don't you think she would've said? Or just say it was personal? But no, she's just said...nothing," the citizen explained.
Izuku hummed. Sounds like they're just under the weather. Not like anything is all that wrong.
Ochako eventually broke away from a small crowd, with a small laugh. "Jeez. I'm like a celebrity here."
"Are you going to let it go to your head?" Iida asked.
"Iida. C'mon. It's me!"
"Oh. I said that too seriously, didn't I? Hm."
"Oh, you were joking!" Ochako chuckled sheepishly, "Sorry."
"No, no, it's alright. It is good to hear that you're tempering the fame, though."
"I guess you have some prep for when you-know-what gets out." Iida said.
Ochako chuckled. "I guess."
"Nothing really going on," Shinsou sighed.
"Well, yeah. Town's not that big."
Shinsou rolled his eyes. "Yeah."
This is my first mission. My first task after getting my license far earlier than I should have and yet, it's all about Ochako. Shinsou thought. And I don't think anyone's really cared.
"Hey...after patrol, we can talk," Ochako said, immediately disproving him.
Shinsou frowned. "About what?" Shinsou said. "Assuming people don't stop to talk to you."
"What's that-"
Before Ochako could ask further, someone came running towards Marrow. "SIR! THE CORNFIELD! YOU NEED TO SEE IT!"
"What? What's wrong?" Marrow asked.
The farmer ran over, almost out of breath. Marrow walked over, eyebrow raised. "M-mr. Amin...the corn-! It just...disappeared! I saw it vanish with my own eyes!"
"It disappeared?" Izuku asked, looking to the others.
"Show us," Marrow said, motioning for the farmer to lead the way.
Ochako made a face, before she followed Marrow and the farmer to the crops. A smaller group of people also followed closely behind, confused as to what happened.
"And it just...vanished? Nothing weird happened before that?" Marrow asked.
"Yeah! One minute there, the next? Poof! Into thin air! I dunno if it's a Quirk, or just a prank or something else! Whatever it is…it's disconcertin' to say the least."
Could be a Semblance, too. Not the first time I've heard of an invisibility or teleportation Semblance, the Faunus thought to himself.
The farmer led them to the 'crop circle'. He was right. The corn was gone, replaced by some sort of weird...metallic sheen. Marrow touched the ground, and frowned.
"What...is this?" He asked.
"It's like someone just spray painted metal over the crops?" Izuku said, the words coming out more like a question.
"In the blink of an eye? And no one noticed?" Shinsou asked.
"Yeah! Just turn away for one second, and...yeah! Gone!" The farmer said. "The metal sheet is new too."
"Never heard of a metal Semblance," Marrow muttered, "Magnets yeah, but outright turning things to metal at range?"
"Could it be a Quirk?" Ochako theorized, "I've seen and heard of plenty of matter altering Quirks. Maybe this is specifically vegetation based? Maybe one of the same pranksters making the circles?"
"Possible...but why now? Out in broad daylight? The crop circles usually happened over night."
Shinsou narrowed his eyes as he looked down at the metal. "I think we're going to need to do a stakeout to figure this shit out. Whatever it is, we need to see who is doing it."
"Agreed. Later tonight, we'll stalk the cornstalk and get to the bottom of this." Marrow smirked.
"Gonna need coffee for this?" Ochako wondered.
"Maybe a cup or two," Marrow chuckled.
Shinsou frowned. Finally. Something worthwhile. Gonna hope that this situation is actually worth something and not some stupid prank…
He was sort of right about it.
The rest of the afternoon and evening was thankfully uneventful. No other strange crop field events to interrupt the peace, much to the relief of everyone. Marrow had dropped the kids off back at the Uraraka household for a quick dinner. Of course, considering that their lunch was the Enaba Bowl, dinner was actually a little light, just some normal ramen. Once they'd finished and their energy was up, the former Ace-Op turned hero made his way back, taking a sip from his own coffee filled thermos. He had a feeling he'd need it.
"All set?" Marrow asked as he saw the students walk out the front door.
"All set!" Izuku nodded.
The group took off to the corn field, The night was nearly pitch dark, with some light snow falling from the sky. It was sort of eerie, but weather couldn't be enough to deter a hero now, could it?
"Hey, Shinsou. I've been meaning to say. Your new costume's really neat." Ochako complemented. Shinsou's costume had evolved from "UA uniform with various gear" to an actual costume. The costume was grey with purple on the sides, and blue lines running down the suit, with bandages wrapped around his arms. There was some protective gear around his shoulders, elbows and knees, too.
"...thanks." Shinsou was sort of irritated that it took someone (even the author) THIS long to mention the suit.
"No, really! It is!" Ochako said, feeling like that wasn't really sincere.
"Just...stay focused on the job," Shinsou sighed.
Izuku felt like he needed to add. "It is pretty cool! Reminds me of the costume I started out with." Izuku said. "Even kind of look alike."
"They look nothing alike." Shinsou shot back.
(They kinda looked alike. Thanks for the design, Roxy!)
"Is it keeping you warm?" Iida asked. "We can go get a coat if you need one."
"Don't need a coat. I'm fine," Shinsou countered. Even if, in reality, he could've used one.
"Alright, if you say so." Iida nodded, as Shinsou pushed through the group to walk ahead. He seemed...angry. No, not seemed, he was angry.
And Ochako felt like she was to blame for it.
The group quickly made it to the edges of the field. Nothing out of the ordinary stuck out when they got there. Marrow hummed a bit, looking for a good spot to set up. Not too exposed where they'd be easily seen, but not too obscured where they wouldn't see anything.
Shinsou seemed to keep his distance from the others, constantly looking around for someone, something. Ochako gave a sharp exhale, and frowned.
She needed to say something.
"What's wrong?" Ochako asked.
"Hm?" Shinsou hummed, not even turning to face her.
"The whole time we've been here, you've just seemed...annoyed."
"Wonder why."
"Listen. I know it sorta feels like it's been all about me this entire time, but I'm glad this is your first mission-"
"Because I make your skills look better by comparison?" Shinsou snapped.
"W-what? Where did that even come from?" Ochako blinked, genuinely surprised by the sudden outburst.
"I'm not sure if you noticed, but I'm the one working my ass off here to look like I even fit in with the rest of you." Shinsou huffed. "I thought it'd get easier with time, but all I feel is more and more alienated from the bunch. So, apologies that your homecoming is literally sort of torture to me."
"Why? I'm sorry if this isn't as action-packed as you'd hoped it'd be, but-"
"No! I'm just...sick of being reminded how far behind I am." Shinsou huffed. "How much left I have to go. I don't want to be the straggler anymore, damn it!"
"No one said you were still a straggler!"
"No one needs to say it. It's painfully obvious."
"Putting yourself down isn't gonna help you, either." Ochako tried to help,"I'm in this hero buisness, not for the cheap thrills or fame- I'm in it to help anyone who needs it."
"That why you keep getting surrounded by people, praising your Hero status?"
"...they're not praising me. They're congratulating me. I know we have quite a bit of cash now, but that was recent. I know you're not the most familiar with me, but my family wasn't exactly the richest. So how'd they pay for tuition? Easy. Everyone in town chipped in. Seeing me back in town, seeing me attend U.A...it's giving them so much excitement and pride. I'm sorry if my poverty was ever an issue to you, Shinsou."
The mind-controlling hero blinked, stunned into silence by Ochako's subdued counter. If this was anyone else, he might've expected a bit more of an explosive argument. Ochako's anger at the insinuation was definitely still there, but it was that contained kind of anger that one might've missed it entirely.
"I get see us fighting, you see us taking down yakuza and aliens and villains and we seem so...so much larger than life! But trust me. As much power as I hold in my wrist, I really, really value moments where I can just be down to Earth." Ochako explained"The Omnitrix isn't a 'solve all problems' weapon. It's a gadget. It's easy to think I'm as powerful because Ben's powerful, but that's his power. Not mine. I..."
Ochako clenched her fist. "I don't want people like you to assume that I'm something I'm not."
"I..." Shinsou began.
"You're all about action," Marrow suddenly interjected, "Sorry. Overheard. But...feels like I need to step in a bit."
"Sorry. We shouldn't be arguing like this-" Ochako began to apologize.
"Ah, it's fine. Stuff like this is bound to boil over." Marrow huffed.
"What...what did you mean by that? I'm all about action?" Shinsou asked.
"I knew someone like you." Marrow said. "'Knew'. I...don't think we were ever really meant to be friends, honestly. Two different styles of work. She was...a lot. Intense. Wanted to always be working. It consumed her."
"Is she...?"
"What? Oh, god, no. She's still alive. But...there were a few moments where it was touch and go for her."
"What, um, what happened to your friend?" Ochako asked.
"Honestly, when everything was said and done, I don't think she really ever fell out of that hole. Kinda concerning." Marrow admitted.
"Is she...a hero, like you?" Shinsou asked.
"Teacher at Atlas Academy. But, what I'm trying to say here, is that you shouldn't just focus on the mission. If you just focus on the job, on the orders...I've seen how easily that can go wrong."
"So, what? Be lax? Ignore the signs? What is it that's needed to be a hero, then!?"
"Did I say ignore the signs? The point I'm trying to get at is that you're still human. You're a Hero, but you're human. You're not a robot, with just 'the mission' on your mind. You have interests, hobbies outside of saving the day."
Shinsou frowned. I don't get it. Every advice I've gotten with being a hero is tied to stuff you'd hear from someone telling to 'be yourself'. I don't...get it.
Shinsou made a face in confusion before it seemed to click.
"...oh."
"That didn't land, did it?" Marrow asked.
"No, no. It- it did." Shinsou answered.
"I feel like I've been suppressing who I really am, ever since I got into this class. The last time I really...embraced that is with the festival from a few months back. I've been burying myself in this hardened identity..."
"Good," Marrow nodded. Before he could continue the little pep-talk, he froze, sounds reaching his ears. Judging by the similar reactions from Ochako and Shinsou, they heard it as well. A feint rustling came from somewhere off in the distance, no doubt the pranksters responsible for the crop circles. Well, if they were lucky.
Izuku walked over. "Think we found our pranksters." He said, as the group slowly approached the noise. The closer they got, the weirder the noises got. It sounded like someone was carrying around...a radiator, for a lack of a better descriptor.
"What...is that?" Ochako whispered, only to get a shrug from Izuku.
The group approached the 'prankster,' they were dressed in what looked to be a hazmat suit, using a weird 'metal detector' device to coat the ground in metal.
"What the?" Iida muttered, confused.
Marrow raised a brow at that. The hazmat suit was new to him, especially in this weather. But the metal detector...he'd seen that before.
"A freeze gun?" Marrow whispered.
"Freeze gun?" Ochako repeated.
"The 'metal detector.' Saw a couple of 'em a few years back during a case in Hong Kong. Arms smugglers brought 'em in...along with a bunch of other alien weapons. This one's just been modified, I guess."
"It's...it's actually alien?" Shinsou asked.
"Yep. Guess they're playing into the stereotype. Surely no one expects aliens to make crop circles," Marrow rolled his eyes.
Ochako frowned. "Shall we confront them?"
"Nah. Lemme handle this interogation." Marrow pulled rank and walked forward. The guy didn't notice Marrow sneaking up behind him. Marrow raised his hand, and snapped his fingers.
"Stay."
They didn't even have time to register that they'd been discovered. The hazmat-clad trespasser felt their body seize up on the Hero's command. Their finger was about to press on the sprayer's trigger, but it curled and stopped just short of applying pressure.
The sidekicks approached, looking confused. "What did you do?" Shinsou asked.
"Ah, just my Semblance. I can sorta freeze people." Marrow said oh so casually. Shinsou blinked.
"But you can't control them." Shinsou pointed out.
"Nope."
...okay, good. I'm not outclassed here.
"So, who wants to unmask him?" Marrow smirked.
"Dibs." Ochako said, ripping off the mask without hesitation-
And nearly screaming. Ochako covered her mouth, with her eyes wide with fear. Izuku and Iida flinched at the sight of the man underneath the mask. Shinsou just blinked.
"...gross." Shinsou gagged.
"What...is that?" Marrow asked.
Staring back at them all was that eerily unblinking green eye of a DNAlien.