It seems like every time something good happens to me. (New job.) Something else occurs to give me a heavy reality check to slap me back into being cautious and from becoming complacent. My dog who I've had since early 2009 passed away a few days ago. I haven't cried yet, because everyone in the family was devastated and felt the need to be the strong one. I arranged for my dog to be cremated and will be leaving to go collect his ashes shortly after this is uploaded.
I hate being a downer, but I still felt the need to explain why I didn't upload this shortly after I uploaded the latest chapter of the smartphone fic. My dog literally died the next day early morning on Halloween. So, I wasn't in the mood to do much for the next few days, but I'm feeling better now and know that I can't keep it bottled up.
The next chapter of Shields of Spring will be up soon and I might have to change my current plans for black dragon knights as I kind of ran myself into a corner. Standby for more details soon once I get things worked out.
That should cover things for now, please enjoy the chapter.
My Hero Academia Untold: The Knights of Fafnir
Saga I: Dusk
Arc II: The Incident
Chapter XXVIII: The Final Report
"There's an old saying that if a lie is told often enough, it becomes the truth. Actually, it doesn't. What happens is that people simply start believing that it's true."
-Bailey Jackson, How to Stop Comparing Yourself to Others
Screams and cries ripped through the air as Midnight remembered that horrible bloody night thirteen years ago. It was her first significant government mission, and she had to do it shortly after she graduated from UA. Her first real mission as an independent Pro-Hero.
It was also The Incident that changed her life forever.
"Midnight, do you copy?!" The voice in her earpiece asked, panicked, as she managed to get some of the rubble off of herself. Bitter tears of her failure ran down her face as she saw the bodies of the children and officers who did not make it out in time. All of them had been crushed from the wreckage, and with no time to recover the bodies as the fire continued to spread.
"HOLY SHIT!"
A loud, painful roar rang out as screams and cries could be heard in the distance. A policeman in full SWAT Armor arrived to help her up. She could barely make out what he was saying as the ringing in her ears was at full blast. She could only hear from her earpiece, and that was only because it was right in her ear.
"Help! -night is out, -control! Figh- stil- rescu-" Was all she heard as she was pulled out of the bunker that had housed the trapped children.
The ringing in her ears was beginning to dissipate, allowing her to start hearing the crackle of the flames. She could feel the tremors of the battle; Draco Knight must have his hands full at the moment.
"EVERYONE, KEEP YOUR DISTANCE! THE VILLAIN KNOWN AS THE PHOENIX KING IS HERE AND IS CURRENTLY ENGAGED IN COMBAT AGAINST DRACO KNIGHT!" She heard the operations commander's order out.
As if on cue, the body of The Phoenix King was rammed through the wall as a Berserk Draco Knight with those ruby-red eyes continued his bloody assault. Giving no quarter or window of opportunity to let his opponent counterattack. The two struggled. The Phoenix King's costume had been torn apart, revealing a bloody face housing the most wicked of grins.
Midnight was dragged by the SWAT officer by the thin straps of a rather revealing costume, managing to hide behind a collapsed wall. Yet, thanks to the holes that littered the walls like Swiss cheese, Midnight could still see the battle. She watched as the two stopped moving; the Phoenix King's lips moved as Draco Knight remained, still listening to his foe's words.
She wasn't even sure that Draco Knight could even comprehend him at the moment.
It mattered little; however, the instant The Phoenix King stopped speaking, Draco Knight roared again and began to violently head-butt the man repeatedly until he stopped trying to protect himself and went limp with some violent spasms. Draco Knight, however, wasn't done, raising his clawed arm to deliver the killing blow into the man's chest cavity and ripping out his still-beating heart.
Midnight felt her stomach turn as she was forced to look away. Again and again, she prayed that these horrors were just a nightmare. Yet, those prayers were never answered, as Draco Knight roared one last time.
It was a painful, hollow roar that bordered between man and beast.
"COMMANDER DOUMEKI! WHAT ARE YOU DOING, SIR!?"
Midnight turned around and heard the officer next to her yell out. She watched as the SWAT Commander, armed only with a large metal riot shield and a small white object, charged as fast as he could toward Draco Knight.
The Dragon Hero turned to see the large man running toward him.
Seeing the charge as a threat, he dropped his heart and charged the officer. With a brutally violent tackle, Draco Knight tore the metal shield from the man's grip with one claw while the other ripped into the man's stomach. Instead of falling, Kai Doumeki stood his ground, embraced the berserk hero in a tight bear hug, and stabbed him with the white object between the thick scales of his armor.
Draco Knight roared as he struggled to remove the officer from him, only for him to flash violently back into his normal human form, blood bursting out of him as the EQ Pen took effect. The two men collapsed, and the battle was over. Midnight knew she had to act now that she could move properly again.
As she and the officer who had helped her moved toward Hisashi and the SWAT commander, she stole a glance at the body of one of the underworld's most infamous villains. His face was too bloody and broken to make out his features, but even in death, she could still see the man's golden eyes shining along with that wicked grin frozen on his face that now served as his Death Mask.
Midnight blinked and found herself no longer looking at the body of the Phoenix King. But the body of Overhaul, next to him, was Izuku instead of Draco Knight, still bloody and broken. And next to him was Ochako Uraraka, with her chest torn apart.
Nemuri screamed awake from her vicious nightmare, covered in sweat as she trembled from head to toe. She hadn't had a nightmare about that night in years, not since joining the UA staff.
The Nursery Incident
"What a terribly ironic code name for that mess of an operation," Nemuri said to herself as she remembered the breathing techniques from therapy. "It was just a dream...it was just a dream...Midoriya and Uraraka are safe."
Nemuri continued repeating those words like a mantra to reassure herself that she and her students would all be alright. She reminded herself to be strong for them all when they returned to class the following Monday.
Nemuri turned her head to look at her alarm clock.
5:39 am
It was only twenty-one minutes until her alarm was set to go off, and maybe it was better this way. She needed to attend a staff meeting in preparation for the press conference UA held later today. Nemuri may have been present during the incident. However, she was still very curious to hear what the final report from the police would say—or, more accurately, what it would not say.
Still, the woman rose up with determination.
Today, Nemuri couldn't be the Pro-hero Midnight; she needed to be Nemuri Kayama, a teacher and professional.
"I'm glad you're awake, Ryu," Saya said warmly as she gently brushed her adopted son's hair.
"Are you sure you don't want some of the rice crackers?" the kindly woman added, offering a large bag of snacks again. "They're curry-flavored!"
"No...thanks," Ryu said with a sigh, declining the snack but begrudgingly allowing the physical affection to continue. "I'm not hungry right now."
The young man had never had a mother before, and even though he had lived with the Doumeki family for a little over a year, he still tended to keep to himself. However, Saya Doumeki had been nothing more than a complete sweetheart to him, making it difficult for him to maintain his aloof tendencies while in their home.
Perhaps it was because Ryu was used to wearing multiple masks.
However, since he started living with the Doumekis, he has found himself wearing two particular masks. The first was worn only when he was alone with Kai; it was his mask as a spy. The second, however, was worn when he was in Saya's presence, and it helped him maintain a firm air of politeness and professionalism.
It was similar to the mask he wore at UA.
He wanted to avoid getting close to people due to his mission. Fake smiles and fake friends; he is nothing more than a phony hero at UA. All to protect what mattered to him and complete his objectives. However, he had neither the strength nor the mood to keep up such a façade. Right now, he was simply Ryu in his most basic form. The one who had leaped into action even though it could have been much easier and far less painful to have let his classmates burn.
'Maybe it would have been easier if I simply never woke up...but then again...I'm not allowed to die...at least not yet. I still have work to do...'
Ryu turned to face his adoptive mother, who had been entirely unaware of the true reason why he had been adopted into their household. Having only been cleared for visitors less than an hour ago, I hadn't been informed of anyone else's status.
"Umm...Mrs. Doumeki? Do you know if everyone else made it out okay?" Ryu asked, remembering the ones in the Conflagration Zone.
Saya's gentle face changed to a sad expression before she answered.
"I got some details from Kai. Thankfully, everyone is alive and expected to make a full recovery...well, except for one, unfortunately."
"Who?"
"One of the seniors, the American, I believe? I heard he isn't going to make it; such a shame." Saya answered while shaking her head. She never liked hearing about children getting hurt; Hero Candidates or not, they were still high school students.
Ryu looked up at the white ceiling of his hospital room. He didn't know the seniors all too well, so as cold-hearted as it seemed, the fire-eater couldn't feel bad for the guy. Still, he acknowledged the loss as regrettable.
Alexander Springfield lay in his hospital bed, still and silent as a statue, save for the life support systems keeping his body alive. He lay surrounded by friends and teammates Mirio, Tamaki, Nejire, and Mezou, who collectively tried their best to support his cousin Lucy Barton, Alex's legal guardian in the country. The group was in tears as the Doctor finished breaking the news to them.
The news that their friend and teammate would most likely never wake up again.
"I'm sorry, Ms. Barton. I strongly recommend you contact his parents so we can make a more immediate decision on what to do with him." The Doctor spoke softly as she finished giving the group her prognosis, knowing how difficult it was to break the news to the surviving friends and family. "Now, if you would please excuse me, I need to check on another patient."
The Doctor politely bowed out of respect before quietly exiting the room. Lucy fell to her knees as the group absorbed the news, wailing into her cousin's side.
"You damn idiot...How could you have let this happen to you?!" Lucy cried out in English as she held her comatose cousin's hand. "You promised to be more careful!"
Tamaki sat next to Alex's body opposite Lucy with his head down as he was unsure what to say, keeping a somber look on his bandaged face and holding Alex's free hand. Nejire knelt next to Lucy, drawing the woman into a half-hug while remaining unusually quiet; her often bubbly nature had been popped at the tragic news. Meanwhile, Mezou stood vigil at the foot of his friend's bed, remembering all of the times Alex had begged him and everyone else here for help. To help him train, to help him lose weight, and finally, to help him join their ranks in the Hero Course, to be among them: The Big Five.
'Did we simply end up leading you into ruin, my friend?' Mezou questioned himself as he struggled to maintain a stoic face. 'Was there more we could have done?'
"Hey, Shouji, could you hold down the fort for a moment?"
Mezou turned to see it was Mirio who had whispered to him. Unlike the rest of them, Mirio didn't seem lost or down. No, upon his face was that same amount of determination and strength he was renowned for, the tenacity that got him his spot as number one.
The reason he was their leader.
Mezou knew Mirio would not give in as easily despite what they were just told. It was a trait that young man found both maddening and yet admirable to defy the reality in front of them. The tall boy turned to look at the rest of his team before looking back at Mirio and gave him a simple nod in response. He knew trying to stop him would be difficult.
Mirio was always stubborn like that.
"Thanks, "Mirio whispered gratefully as he made his exit, hoping to catch up with the Doctor. Thankfully, he didn't have to go far, seeing her at the nurse's station with some kind of checklist.
"Excuse me, doctor?" Mirio called out loud enough to get her attention without bothering other patients or staff.
"Yes, young man?" the Doctor answered the young hero as she instinctively placed the checklist out of sight to protect patient privacy.
"Are you sure you can't do anything for him?" Mirio pleaded, hoping that there was some way to save his friend. "A special healing quirk? A specialist? Anything at all, please."
"For Mr. Springfield, yes?"
Mirio nodded in response.
The Doctor paused; she knew from being on the job for so many years that she could often tell what stages of grief surviving friends and family were in.
Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, and Acceptance.
Judging from the young man's plea, she determined Mirio could be somewhere between Denial and Bargaining. Yet, her knowledge about the type of trauma Alexander Springfield had experienced was beyond what modern medicine could do for him. Still, she admired and respected the poor boy who just wanted his friend to get better.
"With the amount of blood Mr. Springfield lost and the time it took to get him proper medical attention caused a significant amount of brain damage due to a lack of oxygen. It's honestly a miracle that the body is still alive despite the circumstances. However, even with some of the most powerful healing quirks at our disposal, they cannot turn back the clock on him."
The Doctor knew this wasn't the answer the boy wanted to hear, but she had to be honest with him.
"The damage is just too severe to be healed the traditional way. There is simply no way to repair or replace the dead brain cells, even with quirks and modern advances in medicine...I'm afraid there are still things beyond our ability."
The corner of the young man's mouth twitched ever so slightly; she knew the lad was trying so hard to be positive. So, the Doctor decided to humor him with a theory.
"The only way I could think of that would be able to restore him would be something akin to reversing the damage. For example, restoring him to the point from before he was injured would be similar to making a computer backup. However, I've never heard of a Quirk being able to do such a thing before."
Finally, Mirio began to look crestfallen and defeated as he began to take in her words. Then, to the Doctor's surprise, he suddenly blinked, his eyes growing wide as though he realized something. It wasn't long before the young man had the brightest smile on his face. It almost reminded her of All Might.
"Thank you for your time, doctor," Mirio responded politely as he bowed to the physician. The Doctor returned the gesture. However, just before turning away, Mirio had one last question.
"Doctor, please forgive me, but...do you know if Mr. Aizawa is awake yet?"
Izuku sat on his bed having a late lunch of Katsudon after his physician had permitted him to eat solid foods. He tried his best to eat but found no desire to fill his belly. He knew that his body was hungry, having used so much power during his battle with Overhaul. Yet nothing would go down smoothly, with the food becoming like ash in his mouth. It did not help his mood when Mitsuki briefly flipped on the news.
Reminding him that the Heir of Disaster had been found.
The way his identity had been discovered was ironic. A saving grace was that almost everyone was more focused on the failure of UA security and the Volatile Quirk Act rather than Izuku actually attending UA. However, this only made it much more difficult to gauge how the public was reacting to him.
Making his future attendance there much more unclear.
He knew that there would be an official UA press conference soon to share the Final Report of the incident. The report would contain a general summary of the event, including details like who had been the combatants. His worry also extended to Eri, given that she had been involved in this, which could only compound the situation.
The conference would reveal not only his fate but possibly hers as well.
"You gotta eat something, Izu," Mitsuki pleaded since Izuku had simply picked at his food with a disheartened look on his face. Not knowing just how much was going through the boy's head. Izuku merely had no appetite, even for his favorite food.
The older woman frowned.
Mitsuki knew that Izuku needed support and wished that she could have Katsuki and Yū over to try and cheer Izuku up like they had done many times before. Yet, it was unsure if the Midoriya apartment was even in the clear. Due to prior experiences, their worries about a possible lynch mob were well within their fears.
Then, there was the question of Ochako Uraraka, who seemed determined to make her way here.
Mitsuki internally admitted to regretting the way she spoke to the country girl yesterday. Yet, she couldn't help it. It had been a rough, emotional day for Mitsuki. Which placed the Bakugou Matriarch on high alert to protect her best friend and the boy, who was basically a second son to her, from any possible threat.
'Anyone weaker would have backed down,' Mitsuki observed as she looked at Izuku, impressed by Ochako's tenacity. 'Looks like you might have chosen a real winner, Izu...Maybe she's the one we need to help you snap out of your funk...'
Deep down, Mitsuki knew that Izuku needed to branch out and get out of his comfort zone. The same was true for Katsuki; the two relied on each other far too much to have a completely healthy relationship. The two best friends needed others to grow and develop, especially now, more than ever, with the former's exposure.
"Thank you, All Might. That's a relief to hear," Inko said quietly on her phone in the corner of Eri's hospital room. "Yes, of course. I'll make sure that we watch the press conference. I think Izuku will need the pick-me-up now more than ever."
"Not a problem, thankfully. The law is clear, and you've done everything by the books. Not to mention, the police report should help with Izuku's PR. I can assure you that if it wasn't for your son, the situation could have been far more dire."
It made Inko's heartbeat much easier to hear this critical reassurance. She had been worried about the possibility that the government would try to find a loophole to have Izuku or herself arrested as a way to quell the public. Thankfully, it seemed like the public, while concerned about Izuku without a doubt, had bigger fish to fry.
"I hope everything goes well with you and UA, All Might," Inko stated, now worried about her son's mentor and her boss.
"No worries, I have to take responsibility for not arriving until after the battle, but that is what the press conference is for. Well, Ms. Midoriya. If you excuse me, I need a bit more time to prepare and look over the Eri files. We still need to complete the third portion of her assessment. Still, I think we could justify a small extended grace period once Aizawa gets back to work."
"Of course, sir. Thank you again for everything," Inko breathed out as she hung up her cell phone.
"Was that Mister All Might, Inko?" Eri asked with a slightly worried look as Inko pulled the curtain to see her ward.
"Yes, dear, but don't worry, it was good news, okay?" Inko cooed warmly while patting the white hair child's head. "Finish up your food, and we'll be able to see Izuku."
Eri nodded before asking one more question.
"What about Chako?"
Inko flinched for a moment.
The woman hadn't heard anything from Ochako. However, she was unaware of the girl in question's conversation with her best friend. Inko feared that Ochako could keep her distance now that she knew the truth. Or worse, that she could have been the person who leaked out some of Izuku's personal information.
Inko thought about calling her, but she was scared of what would happen if she did.
"We are here live at UA, where we are expected to hear from both a representative from the police and the UA Staff, which will include All Might very soon."
The reporter on the TV kept a firm voice as several others from the press corps were taking their seats in one of UA's Multi-Purpose rooms.
Katsuki and Yū were seated on one of the couches of the Midoriya household. They had spent the night and most of the day as instructed by Mitsuki. Between house-sitting for their family friends, the two were also on alert for Ochako Uraraka's arrival. Much to Katsuki's annoyance, he continued to watch the news, waiting for that critical report.
"Careful, Katsu," Yū warned, seeing that familiar look on her cousin's face. "I know that you're suspicious, but I think you and Auntie Mitsuki are being too on guard with Uraraka."
"Can't be too careful...we've made that mistake before," Katsuki answered stiffly.
"Look at the news, Katsu! Everyone has been more focused on UA and the government! Izu's off the radar!"
"And that could change in a heartbeat once the final report is presented, idiot!" Katsuki roared before clenching his teeth. "Besides, you didn't see everyone's reaction back in class. I know...no matter what, things will be different when we return."
"I'm not doubting that, Katsu," Yū replied, leaning forward from her seat. "But I don't think it will be as bad as you think."
"Don't forget that the anniversary of my uncle's death is coming up next week. No doubt some asshole journalist will bring that up...fucking pricks."
Knock, Knock, Knock.
The two cousins jumped to their feet as they heard the knock at the door.
"Check the peephole, Katsu," Yū whispered as she lowered the volume on the television.
Katsuki growled at his cousin for ordering him around, but he knew she had a point. The bomber gingerly approached the door, and the knocks repeated as he got closer. He peered through the peephole and confirmed that Ochako was sporting a nervous-looking expression outside the door.
"It's Round-Face," Katsuki whispered back to Yū, who simply motioned him to answer the door while she stood back just in case things got bad. The bomber sighed as he slowly began unlocking the door. 'Moment of fucking truth'
Without warning, Katsuki whipped the door open midway through the knocks, making Ochako jump back with a squeak of surprise.
"We heard you the first time, Round-Face," Katsuki stated bluntly to Ochako, who quickly recovered from the initial shock.
"And hello to you too, Bakugou," Ochako responded, already getting annoyed by Katsuki's attitude. Hell, she was annoyed that she basically had to redo this whole shtick with the Bakugous just to get to the Midoriyas.
"Sooo, you're here," Katsuki began as he looked down at the brunette, bandaged arms crossed and leaning against the door frame.
"Only because your mom was being as hardheaded as you." Ochako shot back, unwilling to comply with Katsuki's unwarranted attitude toward her.
Katsuki could already feel his blood pressure rising as Yū began to snicker from the living room.
"What do you want?" Katsuki demanded, refusing to back down now.
"I just want to see my friend in the hospital, Bakugou; why is that so hard to believe?!" Ochako answered, putting her foot down. "Why do I need to jump through these ridiculous hoops just to see Izuku, Inko, and Eri?"
"What do you even know about him?!" Katsuki roared, voice already starting to strain. "You've only known him for a couple of months! While being lied to all the same! Where do you get off addressing them by their given names, Round-Face?!"
Yū began to tip-toe her way to the door if Katsuki got violent; she knew that voice. It wouldn't surprise her if he accidentally blew up the bandages on his hands.
"He's kind, incredibly sweet, and smart! He's a giant nerd who could use a bit more self-confidence, but given how he grew up in fear, I can get why he is so jumpy!" Ochako answered back. "He has the patience to be friends with you, who could just be so damn testing when you don't need to be!"
Ochako breathed in for a moment. She hated feeling like this, but Katsuki had pushed her to the edge. They weren't friends yet, mostly just respectful due to having Izuku as a mutual friend. She respected him, but she also had her frustrations with him that needed to be aired out now.
"My name is Ochako Uraraka...not Round-Face, not Pink-Cheeks, not any other damn nickname! I want to be friends with you, too, but you keep pushing me back like you don't want Izuku or yourself to have other friends!" Ochako accused him with a determined stare. "For you, that is one thing, but you can't decide that for Izuku! That's for him to choose on his own..as for that last bit."
Ochako had to pause, allowing herself to think about her answer.
"I...I don't even remember when we started calling each other by our given names, but it just felt natural. And you guys never lied to me. I never asked Izuku if he was related to Draco Knight or not, and given how the media wanted to demonize him...I can't blame him for hiding it."
Katsuki actually took a step back in surprise at Ochako's answer. The girl, however, wasn't finished, far from it.
"I once wanted to become a hero because a boy had helped me out once upon a time. A very special person who showed me what a hero could be. But my reasons changed ever since I met Izuku and especially after we found Eri."
The brunette managed a warm smile that eerily reminded him of Izuku.
"I no longer wanted to be a Hero just because of that boy. I want to be a Pro-Hero for a different reason. I want to save people like Eri. So I could make them smile more like how All Might does...or, in my case, like Draco Knight once did for me."
As she finished up, Ochako pulled out the Knight's Commander Medal from her pocket before showing it to Katsuki. The bomber's eyes grew seeing it. Despite bandaging his hands, he gently took the medal to inspect it. The details, craftsmanship, and beautifully carved number nine behind the medal mirrored his Grand Cross, which he kept in its box under his bed.
This was one of those medals that had been given out years ago—nineteen to the public and two in private.
After a few more moments, Katsuki returned the medal to its owner. He couldn't admit it openly...but she had him beat in a way he just couldn't compete. Deep down, he knew this day would come. One of his greatest fears was to be replaced in his best friend's life.
It was a bit silly for the lad to admit it, but the fear had been growing and festering ever since Ochako came into Izuku's life. It didn't help that one of Ochako's jabs had hit harder than expected.
"Shizuoka General Hospital, room 367," Katsuki said quietly while looking down, his eyes hidden under his hair. "I'll let them know you're coming over there."
"Thank you!" Ochako sighed with relief before giving the ash-blond boy a genuine smile before leaving for the train station.
'Did that really just happen?' Yū thought as she simply stood there with a look of shock and awe from her cousin. She could see him trembling, so she knew as much as she wanted to make her own quips. It wouldn't be right to do so right now. Instead, Yū quickly but gingerly closed the door for Katsuki, who simply returned to the couch and slumped on it.
"I'm surprised you just stopped...I honestly expected that to go longer," Yū tried to joke casually to lighten the mood while Katsuki remained silent.
The boy had a lot on his mind at the moment. Was he partly responsible for Izuku's lack of friends? Did his paranoia only make things worse? Could he have done better all these years? Did he fail his uncle? His master?
"Katsu?" Yū called out to him.
Katsuki sighed; maybe Ochako was right, as much as he hated the idea of even admitting it.
Despite his efforts, he could have accidentally made things worse for Izuku. Maybe he just needed to give Izuku some more space. After all, they're both after the same goal of being the number one hero. And neither would get there if they continually babysat each other.
"You know something occurred to me?" Yū wondered aloud, making Katsuki's ears perk up. "Uraraka mentioned that she had a special boy who helped her before; doesn't that sound a bit like Izu's story? You know the one Katsu, that cute story about the girl Izu helped all those years ago?"
Katsuki snorted with laughter.
"Man, what kind of fanfic bullshit have you been reading lately? Get real! Besides, Uraraka is from out of town, but I'm pretty sure that girl was local...I think."
"Just saying, it would be sooo adorable," Yū began saying dramatically while pretending to swoon. "Two childhood sweethearts split up for sooo long, only to reunite years later, unable to remember each other and fall in love all over again! Wouldn't that be so cute?!"
"I want a hit of whatever you've been smoking to even think that shit would happen in real life," Katsuki retorted with a roll of his eyes.
"You're just salty that I've been able to win our last few shipping bets. OMG, NeMia for the win ah~"
"But soo damn cliché! And that ship was bullshit! The author simply caved from fan pressure over that garage-tier ship. Besides, the series isn't over yet; there are still some ships I can win at."
"Whatever, Katsu, I'm personally looking forward to my next set of snacks, courtesy of you."
Katsuki simply grumbled as the press conference continued without them paying attention.
"We can conclude that the villains in question were after All Might. However, we are investigating if there could have been a further motive for the assault at the USJ."
Ochako was almost at the hospital with a nervous look on her face as she listened to the conference live with her headphones, and she wasn't the only one. The train screens, which were usually for basic things like weather and traffic, were streaming the press conference live. For the most part, it seemed like the press were doing their best to make UA look bad, but she could also tell that the press wasn't getting the reaction they wanted.
"And what about any further security concerns, especially with the upcoming Sports Festival next month, Principal Nezu?"
One reporter asked as Ochako looked out the window, trying to keep her mind off the negative and focus on the positive. She only started listening to the conference after she got on the train, so she wasn't sure if they had gotten to questions about Izuku or not.
"We are proceeding as normal and, thanks to several generous offers from several pro-heroes who have offered to volunteer and act as additional security for the event. Not to mention police and government have offered their own additional support."
Ochako could clearly hear the rumbles and mutterings from the press as though surprised by the Principal's calm answer. Hell, she even caught the odd whisper here and there from the people around her.
"We're almost done here, sir, but I have a question that I'm sure almost everyone here has been waiting for this moment to ask. So, I guess I will take the chance to address the elephant in the room. While the final report did confirm that not only is Draco Knight's son, Izuku Midoriya is currently attending UA. But that he could also have the same destructive power as his father. Do you plan to impose any restrictions or consider placing the boy on probation as the Volatile Quark laws prescribe?"
Ochako's heart almost stopped at the question. The whole train went silent as the reporter touched on one of the most concerning topics. She couldn't see that Nezu shook his head before answering, but his response, however quickly, gave her some relief.
"First, I must remind you that those kinds of questions could be considered very inappropriate as they violate a minor's and student's privacy. However, for the sake of the public and only due to the fact I was already given permission to answer. No, Mr. Midoriya came to UA following all of the laws regarding this topic to the letter. This can be verified by the police, who had to investigate this issue separately and came up clean. Second, Mr. Midoriya has not met the criteria for being placed on probation. This is due to the language used when it was written...but I believe that should be taken up with the law's authors rather than UA."
Ochako couldn't help but feel that Principal Nezu was enjoying being able to answer that particular question. She couldn't put her finger on it, but something about his tone almost seemed...gleeful?
"THAT LITTLE RAT!" Hideyoshi Anno violently spat out. His temper surged, causing several of his fellow party members to begin running for cover as the books proceeded to fly, striking those unfortunate enough not to get to cover on time. "I'LL FIND A WAY TO WIPE THAT SMIRK OFF YOUR FACE, YOU INHUMAN BEAST!"
Honestly, it may have just been Ochako's imagination. Still, she was glad to hear that Izuku wouldn't be getting the third degree. They were now aware that the probation system existed with two people, each from Class 1-A and 1-B, with that status looming over their heads.
"Man, the kid is getting off scot-free?"
"I mean, you heard the report too...if anything, the kid helped save everyone, right?"
"Yeah, so did Draco Knight before he went nuts, remember? The kid is a ticking time bomb."
Ochako started getting irked as she heard the different voices around the train, each voicing their own uneducated opinion on the topic. She wanted to tell them all off, to stop them from talking about her friend like that. Thankfully, someone else began to answer the reporter, one who gained everyone's attention.
"Izuku Midoriya has been an excellent, hard-working student." The familiar warm voice of All Might began saying. "He's a polite young man who thus far is excelling in grades, work ethic, and leadership. The boy was even elected as president of his homeroom class and will even be the first-year representative at the Sports Festival."
This got everyone's attention; when the world's symbol of peace came to your defense, everyone was quick to listen.
"If you want to judge the lad, then judge him by his own actions, not by his family legacy. Let the Sports Festival be his chance to show you what he could do with his power."
Ochako smiled as she saw some of the looks on several earlier naysayers' faces. It was hard to disagree with a man that many trusted when he came to the defense of someone. She leaned back to the moment before seeing that her train stop was coming up.
Thankfully, the hospital wasn't far from the station.
When Ochako entered the lobby, she was surprised to see a familiar face looking over the directory.
"Tokoyami, hello there!" Ochako cheerfully greeted the bird-headed boy, making him jump as she caught him by surprise and making him drop some flowers he had on hand.
"Oops! I'm sorry about that." Ochako added bashfully. The young man quickly recovered, and Dark Shadow appeared from its host to pick up the flowers.
"You're fine...I should have been paying more attention," Fumikage answered with a cough as he grabbed the flowers from the shadowy creature that retreated into his form.
"I'm glad to see you well, Uraraka. I assume you are here to visit Midoriya?" the boy said, lowering his voice when he mentioned Izuku.
Ochako nodded with a smile.
"I only just got the time to see him and Eri today. What about you?"
Fumikage looked at the flowers in his arms before answering her.
"I'm here to wish Asui and...Komori? I believe her name is? Yes, I am here to wish them well, as both were with me during the USJ. Unfortunately, I allowed both to be harmed when I should have been strong enough to intervene."
"But Tokoyami...you did a lot! You helped save Eri from the fire zone! Which I owe you thanks for that."
"I'm afraid I cannot take full credit for that." Fumikage retorted with an uncomfortable look on his face. "I do not know why, but the final report failed to mention several things. Including our collective rescue, thanks to Kasei."
Ochako looked surprised and realized that many things were missing from the report.
'Come to think of it...I know some things weren't mentioned at all. Like the bounty on Kaminari's head.' Ochako thought to herself, remembering the statement she had to give to the police.
"So you said that Kasei saved you?"
Fumikage nodded solemnly.
"There was a point when we were caught by several fire villains in the open. One of them had launched what I could only describe as a great ball of fire...And I will not lie to you, Uraraka. Honestly, I thought we were all going to die right then and there. Until Kasei appeared, ate the fireball, and spat it back at the villains. Only to buy us time to escape while he fought them off alone."
"I didn't know that..." said Ochako with a concerned expression. "I guess I owe him thanks as well, not just for Eri, but for saving all of you too."
"Indeed, I would have stopped by his room as well," Fumikage followed up with a slightly disappointed look. "But I was informed that only family could see him for the time being."
"Now, if you would please excuse me, Uraraka, I need to get going...oh, and before I forget," Fumikage added as he turned away from Ochako. "Please inform Midoriya that I will not be treating him any differently from before I learned the truth. He has my support in continuing to be my classmate, teammate, and class representative if he wishes to remain in that position."
"I'll be sure to tell him," said Ochako with a bright smile and a nod.
And with that, Fumikage left Ochako alone in the lobby.
Ochako quickly glanced at the directory and discovered where Izuku's room was. She made her way into the elevator and pressed the button for the third floor. Her heart beat faster as she got ever closer to her destination. Her right hand was in her pocket, containing her medal.
Finally, she pulled it out and looped it around her neck, wearing Draco Knight's emblem right over her heart.
"Courage, Ochako...you're just visiting a friend, " she muttered as she fidgeted with the medallion in her hands. The elevator dinged, and the doors began to open. Ochako stepped out into the hallway and began to follow the signs that would guide her to Izuku's room.
'Why do I feel so on edge? Maybe because of my dream?' Ochako thought to herself. She had a repeat of her favorite dream last night, only this one seemed far more real, and somehow, Izuku had appeared in the boy's place.
'Come on, Ochako! Get it together! As nice as that would be...it just doesn't seem real...it would seem like a fairytale.'
"Chako!" A voice familiar voice squeaked, making Ochako turn only to see Eri running up to her.
"Eri!" Ochako said happily as she scooped up the little girl in her arms, relief spreading that she was already up and moving around.
"I missed you," Eri whispered in her ear, making Ochako nuzzle her cheek.
"I did, too, Eri."
"Eri, where did yo—oh..." Inko called as she exited from a room a few doors down on the opposite side of the aisle. The two looked at each other for a moment, both caught off guard that they would see each other like this. What made Ochako nervous, however, was Inko's eyes growing wide.
"Mrs. Midoriya?" Ochako called out as Inko silently drew closer.
But instead of answering, Inko started walking up to her instead with disbelief in her eyes. Eri looked at the two with some worry until Inko was right in front of them, looking at Ochako's chest or, more accurately, at the medal around the girl's neck.
"Is...that?" Inko began to say as Ochako showed her the medal.
Like Katsuki, Inko carefully held the object in her hand as she inspected the medallion.
"I've been a Draco Knight fangirl since I was little," Ochako said quietly with a blush on her face.
Inko felt a rush of nostalgia wash across her body. She remembered the days she and Hisashi had spent designing and redesigning, making the models do extra silly poses with the medals, and creating some joke medals during the prototype phase for laughs. The day they gave Izuku and Katsuki their medals. When the fan club began to award the medals, the look on Hisashi's face hit her back instantly. She didn't know when the tears had started flowing, but Inko couldn't stop them once they started.
Instead, she simply hugged the brunette.
"Thank you," Inko said happily between tears, "thank you so much."
Eri looked worried as she didn't like seeing people cry.
"Inko, please don't be sad." The little girl pleaded with her guardian.
"I'm not sad, Eri," Inko answered with a sniff. "I'm so happy right now."
She wasn't lying; years of seeing the man she loved repeatedly slandered and disgraced after everything he had been through in his life. Only to discover that he still had fans...fans who remembered him and still loved him enough to keep something like this. Inko knew Hisashi would have been over the moon to meet one of the contest winners, no matter their rank.
"Izuku's in his room. He's been feeling better since the press conference...honestly, all of us are feeling better after watching it." Inko started up again, and she managed to wipe the tears from her face while still holding on to the two girls. "The Doctor just cleared Eri and Izuku to be discharged once they get one last check-up, so I was about to call Ryūko to see if she could give us a lift home. But, since it will still be a while before she ends her shift to come over. I'm sure Izuku will be more than happy to see you, now more than ever."
Ochako smiled as Inko let go of her and tried to take Eri off her hands, but Eri resisted.
"I want to stay with Chako," Eri whined as she clung to Ochako's body, much to the surprise of both the ladies.
"We still need to do your last check-up with the doctor," Inko said, worried that Eri might not want to leave Ochako alone.
"Don't worry, Eri...I'm not going anywhere," said Ochako to try and ease the girl's worries. "I'm just going to see Izuku, and I'll come back to see you, okay?"
"And she'll be more than welcome to spend the night at home, Eri," Inko added, instantly making Eri much more relaxed now that she knew that Ochako would be going home with them.
"Are you sure that's okay, Mrs. Midoriya?"
Inko smiled at the girl as she took Eri from her arms without protest this time.
"More than sure also, Uraraka? Just call me Inko, okay?"
"Ooh! Umm! Then please just call me Ochako." Ochako responded, surprised by Inko's request.
"You know where Izuku's room is, right?"
"Yeah...Bakugou told me when I stopped by your apartment earlier."
"Katsuki didn't give you any trouble, did he?" Inko asked a bit nervously.
Ochako paused for a moment before answering with a toothy grin.
"Bakugou was just Bakugou...so only the normal amount of trouble."
Inko had to cover her mouth with her hand to stifle the giggle from Ochako's answer.
"Well, then, you should have no trouble with Mitsuki. See you soon, Ochako." Inko finished before heading back to Eri's hospital room. Eri simply waved, and Ochako did the same before continuing her walk to Izuku's room, now refilled with confidence.
Once she was in front of room 367, she gently knocked on the door.
"I think that could be your mom, Izu." Ochako heard Mitsuki say as she heard the woman's footsteps getting closer. It was time for a tiny bit of revenge. The door opened, revealing Mitsuki Bakugou to an Ochako Uraraka wearing the medal as clear as day and a mischievous grin.
"Hello, Mrs. Bakugou; I would like that apology now, please," Ochako said innocently, yet with the tiniest hint of sass in her voice.
"Auntie Miki, who's at the door?"
Ochako couldn't help but feel so...happy to hear Izuku's voice.
"Just a good friend who's come by to visit, Izu; just give me one quick second with her," Mitsuki answered calmly.
"Wait...wh-"
Mitsuki, however, just slipped out and closed the door behind her, cutting Izuku off. She stepped into the hallway with Ochako. The young girl didn't say a word, only keeping that same closed-eyed smile after being jerked around by Mitsuki
. Ochako just wanted to savor this moment.
"I'm sorry, Uraraka," Mitsuki said, honestly relieved to be on the wrong side for once.
"Apology accepted," Ochako chirped. She wasn't one to hold grudges, but she needed to hear that today. Yet, she didn't expect the grin that formed on Mitsuki's face.
"I'll give you two some alone time; besides, I need to let Katsuki and Yū head back home now that I'm sure we've passed the biggest hurdle. Just be sure to keep it PG-13, okay?"
"W-w-wait, what?" Ochako said with a heavy blush growing on her face. Mitsuki, however, started walking away, getting the last laugh while pulling out her cell phone.
"Buh-bye!"
'The Bakugous are all crazy, aren't they?' Ochako thought to herself as she turned to face the door.
Izuku was surprised when Mitsuki stepped out, saying a good friend had stopped by. His first thought had been Katsuki, but when he heard Mitsuki say "Her." Izuku felt his heart almost stop. Even blushing when he had remembered his re-imagined dream with that girl from ten years ago...only with Ochako in place of the girl.
'Could it have really been Ochako at the door? She's the only good friend I've really made recently. Given how much time we've spent together both on and off school. And if it was her, could this mean that she isn't mad at me for keeping the truth about my family a secret?'
Before Izuku could continue this train of thought, he heard the door knock twice before opening slightly. Izuku didn't know if he should have smiled when he saw that familiar brown hair and eyes peering from the open door's crack. The two teens looked at each other for a moment. Neither was unsure how to begin their conversation, given everything that had happened in the past twenty-four hours.
"Can I come in?" He heard Ochako ask gently.
"Su-su-sure," Izuku managed to answer. Ochako quietly slipped into the room, closing the door behind her. However, she remained by the door. She wanted Izuku to be as comfortable as possible since he was still a patient at this hospital while she was still only a visitor.
The two remained silent for what seemed like hours, despite only a minute or two at best.
"Would you like a seat, Uraraka?" Izuku offered her after a moment, realizing that it was rude to just keep her standing after she came all this way to see him. Ochako looked shocked and disappointed before making her way to the seat next to his bedside.
"Yeah, that would be good...thank you," Ochako couldn't help but notice that Izuku wouldn't turn to face her.
He simply sat there trembling as though trying to find the right words to say. She wanted to say something as well...but when he used her last name instead of her first, she was worried that she might have done something wrong. Finally, Izuku managed to breathe out what he held in, and Ochako realized why he had done it.
"I'm sorry, Uraraka. I'm so sorry for lying to you this whole time and for keeping the truth hidden from you...I was just scar-"
Izuku wasn't given a chance to finish, as Ochako decided to bite the bullet and gave Izuku a much-needed hug.
"Why?"
"You don't have anything to apologize for," Ochako answered him. His arms remained at length, unsure if it was okay to wrap his arms around her.
"But I lied...I became friends with you...while keeping you in the dark."
"I was a stranger first before you met me...You wouldn't just spill all your secrets to a stranger, silly."
"I swear...I was planning on telling you after the USJ...before everything went...haywire."
"If it makes you feel better...I kind of...found out on my own."
"What?" Izuku said in surprise.
"Mhm, at the battle trial, I saw your scales and decided to do some research, and well...I found this old photo of the Drake's Den staff and put two and two together, ya know? I didn't say anything because I wanted you to trust me enough to tell me on your own...and given how the media has been toward you...I can't blame you. No, I won't blame you."
"Uraraka..."
"Ochako."
"Huh?"
"I guess it's fair now, right? I've been keeping a secret of my own, and I never asked you. But is it okay if I can keep calling you Izuku...and you can keep calling me Ochako?"
"Are you sure?"
"You were doing it before just fine, silly."
"O-oh..yeah, right...I'm sorry."
Ochako giggled. "Stop it with the apologies, Izuku; you're fine."
Izuku felt a smile growing on his face as his arms began wrapping around the girl.
'She so warm.'
"Guess it's time I told you my secret then, Izuku."
"What is it?"
Ochako broke off the hug and showed him the medal she was wearing. Izuku didn't realize that she had been wearing that the whole time, nor did she expect to take it off and looped it around his neck.
"I've been a huge fan of your dad for ages. Funny enough, you've never entered my bedroom when you came over to my apartment. It's filled with Draco Knight merch, including this, and after you saved us from that big guy at the USJ. I can't think of anyone else who should wear it right now."
Ochako was quickly reminded that Izuku was as much Inko's son as he was Draco Knight's. The boy simply proceeded to cry as he realized what he was wearing. She didn't know what had happened to the Grandmaster's Cross Izuku once had, nor did she expect to get a hug in return for the cross she gave him.
"Thank you," Izuku said tearfully as he cried happily on her shoulder. Ochako simply wrapped her arms around him once again. The two simply sat together, ready to welcome all the new challenges that would come their way.
Author's Commentary
Good god, I want just to get these two lovebirds hooked up already!
But I can't...not yet, at least. I know, my fellow Izuocha fans, I know. It was super tempting to just make them a thing here, but I feel like it would be the wrong move in the long run. What I love about Izuocha the most is the foundation, their friendship that slowly grew into feelings of genuine love and admiration.
(And if you deny these facts about canon, you are both wrong and blind. Fight me.)
For this story, I feel like their friendship still needs a bit more growth before they take that first step into an actual romantic relationship.
But to help set your hearts and minds at ease...*Cough/Arc IV/Cough*
I pretty much have the moment it all comes together plotted out well, and I can confirm when it will happen. Just not the chapter.
With the end the USJ, we now begin the next phase of the saga with the beginnings of one the deeper mysteries that will surround the majority of our primary cast whether they know it or not.
-ZX
