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a-path-diverged-in-the-woods · 11 months

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Welcome to "My Hero Academia: A Path Diverged in the Woods". This is a living choose your own adventure story featuring Uraraka Ochako. The adventure starts when Ochako meets Toga in the forest at Summer Camp. How will this meeting change this time around? Will they be enemies, rivals, friends or more? You decide.

There will be a poll below the cut at the bottom of each main post. Read the section and vote how you see best. When the poll finishes, new fiction will be posted based on the results of the poll. Each poll will be based on a decision Ochako is facing in the moment. The answers may not always be obvious. Further information is available pinned to this blog.

Now enjoy this tale of two girls, a hero and a villain, continuing their chat from inside a jail cell. Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4 and Chapter 5 available here.

Chapter 6: Girl Talk

Ochako rested on detective Tsukauchi’s couch with her eyes closed. She tried to calm herself to decide her next move but felt several opposing desires gnawing inside of her. She wanted to help Deku by giving him the address, but she also wanted to be involved in the rescue. Talking to Toga had awoken something inside of her. A desire to be active. To be useful. To be a hero. Toga was the first villain she’d defeated. The first suspect she’d interrogated. The first person she’d convinced to help the heroes against the villains. And the first person she’d rescued. It was intoxicating.

At the same time, she felt like her conversation with Toga had been cut short. They’d been coming to a sort of understanding but had stopped right before the breakthrough. Maybe if they kept talking, she would finally understand the girl whose smiles she couldn’t get out of her thoughts. Ochako had never met anyone with so many different smiles. The variety and meaning behind each confused and fascinated her. When she thought of a villain, she didn’t think of a girl her age. But here was proof in front of her. What had happened to Toga for her to become a villain? Was it an external event or was it something internal to the girl? Something inherent? Was being a villain just in her nature? Ochako realized she needed to know.

Checking the time Ochako saw that she had two hours until her friends planned to meet to rescue Bakugo. Kirishima had told everyone when and where to meet. It was a sign of trust that no one would turn them in, but Ochako also knew no one would take him up on the offer. This was too big for them. At least, that’s how she’d felt a few hours ago. Now, just maybe, she felt like she had to be involved.

New determination filling her, Ochako balanced her desires and stood up. She took a deep breath and headed into the main part of the station. She found a desk being operated by a secretary and approached. “Hello?” she asked, her heart pounding in her chest.

The secretary looked up at her. “Hello. Do you need something?”

“I would like to visit with someone.”

“Is a detective expecting you?”

Ochako shook her head. “Not an officer. Someone in the jail.”

A frown. “In the jail? Who in there could you wish to talk to?”

“Toga Himiko.”

A look of surprise. “Why would you wish to talk to a villain like that?” asked the secretary. Then, dawning comprehension. “Wait, are you a UA student?” Ochako nodded.

“She’s not just any UA student.” Ochako felt someone clap her on the back as they moved to stand next to her in front of the desk. In between trying to not get bowled over she glanced up at a tall man in uniform. He had red skin, horns growing out of a bald head and a bright smile filled with rows of sharp teeth. On his chest was a name badge, Lieutenant Akumetsu. “This is the little hero who caught Toga Himiko. Didn’t you just have an interrogation with her?”

“I did.”

“What, got a taste for interrogation and want to see what else you can learn?” His tone was friendly, teasing.

Ochako shook her head. “No, I just wanted to talk. Like people.” It sounded stupid when she said it aloud. This was a villain she was talking about after all. A villain who’d attacked her. This desire of hers was absurd.

A strange expression flashed across the lieutenant’s face before the smile returned. Ochako wasn’t sure what she’d just seen, but something about him reminded her of Toga. “I see,” said the lieutenant. He turned to the secretary. “I’ll approve the visit and escort our little hero to meet with Toga Himiko. There should be no issue with just a chat.”

The secretary looked like he wanted to disagree, but after a moment he just nodded. “If you’re both so sure, then I wish you luck.”

“Right this way,” said the lieutenant. He led Ochako through the busy police station, curious glances thrown their way. She ignored them and just focused on following. She was past the point of feeling self-conscious.

Soon enough they exited the main part of the station and got to a hallway where they only passed a single person. The person nodded to the lieutenant, shot Ochako a questioning look that she avoided and went on her way. They made it to a stairway that led down below the station.

“Due to Quirks we need to be a lot more cautious than they were in eras past,” said the lieutenant, leading Ochako down the stairs. “Quirks demand a level of security to prepare for that isn’t very friendly to people in custody. Especially when we don’t know what their Quirk is. I don’t like the idea of keeping a young girl like this locked up under the station. Luckily, she should be out of here soon and I would hope on her way to a rehabilitation facility. Somewhere nicer that she can get the help she needs.”

“I’ve never really thought about all that before,” admitted Ochako.

“Most people don’t. Villains are just the people heroes beat on television and then they’re locked up out of sight. But for police and heroes, I think we need to think about them more complexly than that.”

“Like how?”

“As people who are hurting and need our help too.”

“But they hurt people,” said Ochako. Toga hurt people. Her shoulder stung again.

“Both can be true,” said the Lieutenant. “But if we don’t do it, who will?”

As they approached the bottom of the stairs, Ochako could hear someone talking loudly and passionately. “-believe this? The higher ups are hesitating to send that psycho to Tartarus. She attacked children, shouldn’t that be enough to prove she’s a dangerous villain who should be locked up?”

“Is that gossip I hear?” asked the lieutenant as they got to the bottom of the stairs and could see two officers, a man leaning against the wall, and a woman behind a desk. Past them was a see-through wall with the outline of a door in it. Beyond that was a series of metal doors. Cells, Ochako assumed.

“It’s not gossip if it’s the truth,” said the leaning officer, turning to face the lieutenant. “What’re you doing down here, sir?”

“Just escorting someone who wants to have a nice chat.”

Both officers looked to the lieutenant, then to Ochako, then back to the lieutenant. The one seated started typing away at her computer. “But the only prisoner in jail currently is the League of Villains member Toga Himiko. You want to talk to her?”

Ochako nodded. “I do.” She took a deep breath. “I already interrogated her, but I want to see if I can just have a chat with her.”

Lieutenant Akumetsu clapped her on the back again. “Listen to this little hero. Doesn’t hearing something like that make you feel like the future is secure when us old folks retire?”

The woman at the desk laughed, but the other officer scowled. “That’s stupid and reckless. There’s nothing to be gained by talking to someone like this. You trying to get yourself hurt?”

Ochako became conscious of the bandage on her shoulder. She resisted touching it, clenching her hands by her side instead. “I’m aware how dangerous Toga is. But I just want to talk, and I think she does too. Where’s the harm in that?”

The scowling officer opened his mouth to shout at her, but lieutenant Akumetsu clapped his hands loudly and drew all attention back to his toothy smiling face. “I think that’s enough of that. Toga Himiko is secured, and they’ll be talking through a wall. I’ll also be watching, there should be no danger. And if there’s any kid I’d trust to talk to her, it would be the little hero who caught her. I doubt anyone else is more aware of what Toga is capable of. Even villains get visitor rights. Could you log the visit for me, and I’ll take her right in?”

“Yes sir,” said the officer at the desk. He typed something into the computer and then the transparent wall buzzed and the door in it swung open. The lieutenant led Ochako past the scowling officer and through the doorway. It was shut behind them, and they walked to the end of the hall. They walked past several open doors revealing empty rooms. Only the final room was closed, a metal door blocking the view inside. “Here we are. Give me a sec to see if she’s up to seeing visitors.”

Ochako nodded, her heartbeat picking up pace. What would she do if Toga said she didn’t want to talk to her? Would it be strange and embarrassing to walk right out of the station if her offer was rejected? She wasn’t sure she’d be able to resist running out as quickly as possible, head low so no one could see her face. Maybe the lieutenant could sneak her out?

Lieutenant Akumetsu knocked on the door, waited a few seconds then slid open a viewing port in the door. “Evening Toga, you awake?”

“Nope. Sleeping soundly.” Ochako felt chills at the familiar voice.

“Sorry to disturb you then,” said the lieutenant with a laugh. “You decent? You’ve got a little hero who would like to talk to you if you’re up to it.”

A pause. Ochako’s breath caught in her throat. Then, “If the little hero can stomach seeing me just in my panties, then I think I could spare a few minutes from my busy schedule.”

“I’ll let her right in then.” The lieutenant opened the door by putting his hand on a scanner then gesturing her inside. “Enjoy your chat. I’ll be right here. Let me know when you want out.”

“Thank you,” said Ochako. She walked through and the door shut right after her.

Toga’s cell was very basic. There was another transparent wall separating the room in two, the outline of a door visible in it. On Ochako’s side was a couch for a visitor and a small television built into the wall. The news was on, but the TV was muted. On Toga’s side was a bed and toilet. And sitting on the bed was Toga Himiko.

“Disappointed that I’m not in my underwear?” asked Toga, holding her arms out, her orange prison garb completely covering her.

“Not really,” said Ochako, turning away in embarrassment. How could this girl turn being fully clothed into something lewd just through suggestion?

“Oh? I figured since you’d come back to visit me at night in my room that you were expecting something steamy. An illicit rendezvous with a villain while your crush ignores you to go rescue someone else. Doesn’t that sound exciting?”

“I just came to talk,” said Ochako, forcing her gaze back to Toga. The villain had moved to lounge on the bed, one leg in the air. She was focusing on her toes instead of Ochako. Something about that annoyed Ochako.

“I really don’t have any more information and talking to me in a more comfortable setting instead of a cold, hard interrogation room isn’t going to change that.”

“Not about hero or villain things.” Toga’s golden eyes casually drifted towards Ochako. “I just wanted to have a…girl…chat….”

That got Toga’s attention. She sat up, put her elbows on her lap and her head in her hands. “I could go for some girl talk. We going to talk about how dreamy Izuku is while covered in blood?”

Ochako shook her head. “No!” She took a deep breath. “Maybe more like things to get to know each other first. Like…introductions?”

“But we already know each other, don’t we O-Cha-Ko?”

“Proper introduction,” said Ochako. She gestured to herself. “I’m Uraraka Ochako, age fifteen and hero in-training at UA Academy. My Quirk is Zero Gravity. I love Japanese food, especially mochi and my blood type is B. What about you?”

Toga smiled. “My name is Toga Himiko, age sixteen and a member of the League of Villains. My quirk is a se-cret.” A wink. Then, her smile widened to show fanged teeth. Ochako was suddenly feeling regrets. “My favorite food is…,” Ochako inhaled sharply, “Pomegranates.” Ochako gave a sigh of relief, then felt embarrassed as Toga laughed. “What did you think I was going to say? Blood?”

“Uh…,” Ochako absently rubbed the back of her neck in embarrassment. “It did occur to me for a moment that might be your answer. Pomegranate is surprisingly normal.”

“I do enjoy blood though.” Toga stood until she was right up against the wall. “Especially the blood of those I find cute. You’ve got some cute blood. I wish I could get a taste of it.”

“You’ll need to buy me dinner first,” said Ochako, trying to cover up her embarrassment at being studied so intensely.

Another laugh. “I’ll make that the first thing I do when I get out then.”

Toga went back to laying on the bed as Ochako took a seat on the couch. The pair were silent for several minutes. Ochako tried to think of what to say but was coming up blank. She’d never had trouble talking to people before. But there was something about Toga that made it hard for her to speak. Finally, she settled on a topic. “What school is your uniform from?”

“All over,” replied Toga, lounging on her back on her bed.

“All over?”

“Yep. I built it from all the cutest outfits I could find while on the street. It worked really well, didn’t it?”

Ochako thought back to how ill-fitting the sweater had been. Suddenly it made sense. “That skirt was a little short though, don’t ya think?”

Toga sat up and smiled brightly at Ochako. “Were you oogling my legs, Ochako?”

“Of course not!”

“I bet you were,” said Toga in a sing song voice. “More importantly though, was that the hints of a cute accent I heard for a moment there?”

Ochako averted her gaze, blushing. “What if it was?”

“See, this is why I love you, Ochako. We’re both keeping secrets, putting up fronts to seem normal in a world of expectations. To the people born normal, who it all comes naturally to, they’ll never understand us, and we’ll never fit in with them.”

Ochako looked back to Toga. The girl had a neutral expression on her face. “Toga…,”

“Himiko.”

“Huh?”

“I told you to call me Himiko.”

“To-“

“Hi-Mi-Ko. Easy, right?”

Ochako took a deep breath. “Himiko.” Himiko’s smile reappeared, but this one was less predatory, more joyous. Ochako liked it much more. “What do you want?”

“Well, I’d to see some more of your or Izuku’s cute blood. I could do with Tsu’s I guess. Maybe see you crying on the floor. Tears add a lot to the cuteness of a person.”

“I’m trying to be serious here.”

Another predatory smile. “So am I.”

Ochako clenched and unclenched her fists a few times, taking a deep breath, then releasing it. “Please, what do you want?”

“You came to talk to me.”

“And I want to know what you want.”

A shrug. Toga laid back down on the bed. “You’ll need to narrow it down then.”

“Why did you become a villain?” asked Ochako.

Toga didn’t turn to look at her. “I felt like it. Seemed fun.”

“You’re dodging the question.”

“Why do you hide your accent?”

“Huh?”

“Why do you hide your crush for Izuku? Why are you embarrassed about being poor? Why do you act like the good girl all the time?”

“I don’t act like a good girl,” said Ochako.

“You totally do,” said Toga. She was staring at the ceiling and kicking her legs through the air again. “You want to be normal. To be like everyone else. To be accepted. To hide your real face so that others don’t reject you. Doesn’t that get tiring?”

Ochako wanted to protest, to refute Toga’s comments, but she stopped herself. The villain was partially right. She did hide her accent to not stand out as a hick. She didn’t have a crush on Deku, but she was drawn to him in a way she couldn’t describe and wasn’t comfortable talking to people about. They always jumped to conclusions like Toga was. Her closest friends knew that she was poor, but it was still embarrassing to admit. And she kept up a smiling polite face to her parents. She couldn’t worry them, after all.

“Maybe I am embarrassed a bit,” said Ochako. “It’s hard to show parts of myself to some people. I don’t want to worry my parents; they work so hard to care for me after all. And by being normal, by not embarrassing myself and by making friends, I can put their minds at ease. But is that so wrong?”

“It’s pretty stupid,” said Toga, putting her legs down but not looking over at Ochako. “The world has shackled you, forcing you to be who you aren’t. I hate that type of world. It’s not cute at all.”

“Is that why you became a villain?”

“Who knows?”

Ochako took another deep breath, then let it out. She checked her phone. A half hour had passed while they’d been talking. She would need to leave soon. It was a short train ride to the hospital, but she wanted to get there early to not miss Deku and the others. She was sick of sitting around and wanted to help rescue Bakugo. Like a hero would. Right now was probably as good a time as any to leave. But as she stood to excuse herself, she felt unable to turn her gaze away from the girl currently ignoring her. Lieutenant Akumetsu’s comments about how heroes should treat villains rang in her mind. She considered his unspoken conclusion; if we don’t help them or give them a chance, who will? She took another deep breath. “Himiko…”

Himiko glanced over to her, a look of surprise on her face. But only for a second. It was quickly replaced with a toothy smile as Toga hopped to her feet and skipped over to the wall separating them. “You called, O-Cha-Ko?”

“I want to help you.”

A laugh. “Sure you do. Why don’t you start by breaking me out of this cell first?” Himiko continued to giggle at the thought.

Ochako clenched and unclenched her fists. “Sure.”

The giggling stopped.

# # # #

Akumetsu Saito hummed to himself outside Toga’s jail cell. The girls’ chat had been going on for quite a while, which he viewed as a good sign. He’d always admired heroes, even if his Quirk hadn’t been well suited for the profession. There was nothing that gave him more pleasure than assisting heroes. Especially the idealistic ones.

There was a knock on the door behind him and he turned and said loudly, “You done in there?”

“I am,” said the little hero. “May I come out?”

“Sure thing,” he said, opening the door. Uraraka exited the room, her expression bright. “Have a good chat?”

“I did,” she said.

“Here, let me walk you out.” He led the girl down the hall and waved to the guards. They buzzed Uraraka out.

As the little hero was leaving, she turned to him. “Oh right, Toga had a question for you.”

“I’ll go chat with her then. You good leaving the station yourself?”

A nod. “I am. Thank you for everything.” Then the little hero was gone.

“What a strange kid,” said Officer Eizen, a perpetual scowl on his face. “You actually going to give a villain the time of day?”

“There’s no harm in answering a question,” replied Saito. He turned back around. “I’ll be right back.”

Saito made it back to Toga’s cell and knocked. “Hi Toga, I was told you had a question for me?” No response. He knocked again. “Toga?” Still quiet. He unlocked the door. “Sorry, I’m coming right in.”

He opened the door and stepped in. What he saw was not Toga, but a brown-haired girl laying on the floor of Toga’s cell. Unconscious. “Uraraka!”

The girl came to consciousness, groaning. “Uh…” She looked up at Saito and her eyes went wide. “Lieutenant Akumetsu?” She scrambled over to the door of her cell and tried to open it to no avail. “Please help. I’m sorry, Toga tricked me. She knocked me unconscious and snuck out. I think she has a transformation Quirk!”

“I’ll get you right out,” said Saito. He opened the door and the girl practically fell out of her cell. He caught her and helped her stand. “That must’ve been Toga I let out. I’ll go right after her.” He turned around, back to the girl. Then he felt a sharp pain in the back of the neck as he fell to the ground and the world went dark.

# # # #

Himiko hummed to herself as she walked out of the police station. That police officer’s blood had been surprisingly tasty. Not as good as Ochako’s of course, but not unpleasant. Maybe she should send him a thank you gift later? She had his wallet; she could probably buy him something nice.

She took her time walking to the station. It was in a lesser trafficked area that she entered the women’s restroom and found a stall in which to wait. Ochako hadn’t arrived yet. Himiko dropped the lieutenant’s phone into the toilet then stood in the toilet bowl. She balanced herself with her arms on either side of the stall and dropped her transformation. Most of the goo from her Quirk was caught in the bowl. A few dots slopped against the floor though. That was sure to confuse a janitor later. She flushed the remains of her escape down the drain.

“Hello?” asked a timid voice. Ochako. “Anyone in here?”

“Occupied,” said Himiko in a sing song voice. “Why don’t you join me?”

“I’ve got the clothes.”

“Are they cute?”

“I think so?” replied Ochako. “They should be better than that jumpsuit you’re in, I guess.”

Himiko got out of the toilet bowl and unlocked the door. She swung it open with a bright smile on her face. “What ugly jumpsuit?”

Ochako let out a small squeak as her face turned bright red and she averted her gaze. “Why are you naked?!”

“That’s just how my Quirk works,” replied Himiko.

Ochako held out the clothes she’d bought, never looking at Himiko. How cute. She took the clothes. “Thank you very much.” She slapped Akumetsu’s wallet into Ochako’s hand. “Here, take how much it cost from here. You can even return it to him when this is all done.”

Ochako looked at the wallet, then to Himiko, then quickly turned around. “It’s no issue. The clothes are pretty cheap.” The hero in-training pocketed the wallet without opening it. “How is the lieutenant? You didn’t hurt him too badly, right?”

“I played nice like we agreed on,” said Himiko, trying to look as innocent as possible. “Knocked him right out, took his blood then bandaged it up like you told me to. I was a good girl and I deserve a treat.”

“Thank you for doing that. He’s a good man and doesn’t deserve what we did to him.” Himiko caught a cute expression of melancholy for a moment. But then Ochako went right back to business. “Now, please change quickly. I’ll go buy us tickets.”

“Yes, ma’am,” said Himiko closing the stall door. She slipped on the clothes Ochako had put thought into buying for her. She slid on the cheap panties and bra and thought about the embarrassed face Ochako probably made when she bought these things for another girl. She admired the shorts Ochako had bought her, sliding them on and finding them able to stay up but slightly loose. And finally, a plain red T-shirt. Simple, but cute enough for the moment. Once she was dressed, she tied up her hair in a single messy bun and slipped on a black face mask Ochako had included. She was good at sneaking around, but it never hurt to mix things up while keeping a low profile. But the most effective cover was going to be traveling with Ochako. One girl was suspect, two were friends.

“I got the tickets,” said Ochako through the door. “Are you done changing?”

Himiko slid the lock open but didn’t touch the door. “Why don’t you open and see for yourself?” There was a moment of hesitation, but Ochako opened the door. Himiko made a cute pose. “Are you disappointed to see me fully clothed?”

“No,” said Ochako, averting her gaze. How cute. “Let’s get going. We’re going to cut it close on meeting with everyone.”

“Eh, worst comes to worst we go ahead,” said Himiko, following after Ochako. “It’s not like we don’t know where we’re going.”

“But we need to be able to offer that help to the others,” said Ochako as they scanned their tickets and passed the turnstile. “And it wouldn’t be good if they were surprised by you being there. They might think you’re an enemy.”

“And who says I’m not?” asked Himiko with a broad smile.

“I do,” said Ochako, boarding the train.

Himiko lagged for a moment, considering staying behind to lose her guide. It would be so easy. If Ochako was doing this properly, she would’ve had Himiko board first. Always keep her slightly ahead and in view. Instead, she naively walked shoulder to shoulder, and boarded the train first. It was laughable.

Ochako turned to see if Himiko was following and found herself nose to nose with Himiko as she invaded the hero’s personal space. “Going to keep moving and give me some space or just stand like this the entire time?”

“Let’sgofindseats!” said Ochako quickly, turning and leading the way as the doors shut behind them.

As the train started to move, Himiko followed her hero and mused about how fun this night was going to be. Corrupting Ochako to be like her would make her blood even tastier. She planned to savor it.

# # # #

Saito sat up in his new cell, rubbing his neck. “Damn, she really knocked me out. I was planning to play dead but guess I didn’t need to.” He held up his hand and saw that a strip of cloth had been ripped off his shirt and wrapped around his finger in a rough bandage. That was a surprise. Toga wasn’t known for kindness like that. He took it as a good sign. That kindness hadn’t extended to not taking his phone or wallet. He bet his money was being used to facilitate her escape and his phone was probably in a fountain or trash can somewhere. She’d left his watch though, and checking it told him that he’d been out for about fifteen minutes. Toga had already been fed dinner, so it would be a while before anyone came to check on him. Most likely the guards wouldn’t bother to walk down and check on the cell until the morning. The chances of anyone finding him soon were low.

So, he grabbed the remote and turned the volume up on the TV and waited for the UA press conference to start. That should be interesting. Bide him over until he found out how the little hero was doing in reforming their wannabe villain. He couldn’t wait to see what the pair managed to do. He had a good feeling about them.

#mha #toga himiko #togachako #uraraka ochako #path diverged in the woods #togaraka #himiko toga #ochako uraraka #this got delayed because my computer died as I was finishing it the first time then i got sick and also work picked up #I think the final product is much better for the rewrites though

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a-path-diverged-in-the-woods · 1 year

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So, the latest poll ended in a tie...

Instead of doing a tie breaker I’ve got something planned that I think will be interesting. It’ll take a while to get done though. I’ll hopefully have it up in a week.

The previous chapters are available on https://archiveofourown.org/works/46004605/chapters/115801432.

For those curious what this is: A Path Diverged in the Woods is a fic about Ochako and Himiko’s relationship starting from their meeting at the forest training camp. Each chapter ends with a poll on tumblr that decides the course of the story. As of chapter 5 Ochako has managed to apprehend Himiko and interrogated her for Bakugo’s location. What future awaits these two girls as they navigate the line between hero and villain?

#mha #uraraka ochako #ochako uraraka #toga himiko #himiko toga #togaraka #togachako #Path diverged in the woods

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a-path-diverged-in-the-woods · 1 year

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Now enjoy this tale of two girls, a hero and a villain, meeting again across an interrogation table. Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3 and Chapter 4 available here.

Chapter 5: Spill My Guts (They Look So Beautiful)

Ochako didn’t hesitate to make her deal with Toga, but she had to pause to think of what to say next. She didn’t really know where to start. Maybe agreeing had been hasty. The most important information was getting Bakugo’s location, but could she get something like that out of Toga without building trust? She decided to start more personal. Maybe that would do the trick? She tried not to think about the voice in her head that was more interested in learning about the villain than the answers the police needed.

“What do you want to know from me?” asked Ochako. Maybe Toga would give her a place to start.

A wide smile. “Surprise me.”

Toga was playing with her. Teasing her. It was clear to Ochako that she had little power in this relationship. Maybe she could change that? “Please work with me here,” said Ochako. “I saved you from falling. Doesn’t that count for something?”

The villain’s expression twisted into a sneer. “You’re the one who put me in danger,” said Toga. “I wouldn’t have been falling to my death if you hadn’t brought me into the air. Then dropped me.”

“You scratched me,” replied Ochako. “It’s not like it’s easy to maintain my Quirk in situations like that.”

“Then maybe you shouldn’t have put us in that situation,” yelled Toga. A pause. A deep breath. A solemn expression. “I was scared it was about to end.”

“I was scared too,” said Ochako. Toga was refusing to look at her, but she kept her gaze on the other girl. “I just wanted to protect my friend. To save my friends. I needed to get you away from them and I wasn’t thinking. It wasn’t really heroic of me to put you in that situation, but I’m glad I saved you. Being fast enough to catch you, and keeping you safe in the air, it was the first time I’ve really felt like a hero.”

A pause. A whisper. Ochako wasn’t sure she heard the response properly. “It was the first time I’ve felt saved.” Then, the broad smile returned, and Toga seemed like herself again. “What would you like to know?

Ochako frowned. “Don’t I need to tell you something you want to know?”

“I said interesting,” said Toga. “Now ask the question or I’ll invalidate your answer.”

“No need,” said Ochako quickly. She wracked her brain for a suitable question. Without really thinking, she asked the first thing that came to mind. “Why did you target me in the forest?”

A look of surprise. “That’s your first question?” A mocking smile. “I assumed a selfless hero like you would ask a different question.”

“I get three,” said Ochako. “And I’d like to know the reason. Was it on purpose or an accident?”

“A happy accident,” replied Toga. “I did ignore some other pairs before you walked by, but you’d caught my eye in the sports Festival. I thought it would be fun to say hello.”

“You watched that?”

“I really liked your fight. You were beat up and beaten down. But you kept going forward despite knowing you couldn’t win.” A manic look grew on Toga’s face. “The cuts. The bruises. The blood. It was all so cute. That moment after your plan failed, the look of despair as Bakugo destroyed your chance at winning, that was the best. And then you tried to keep going. That moment you took a step forward had my heart in my throat. Then you fell on your face, and I fell in love.”

“I’m surprised I left such an impression on you,” said Ochako. She couldn’t really imagine what Toga meant when describing her reaction to Ochako’s humiliating defeat. It had been the lowest moment of her life. She’d been so close and failed. If Deku had been in her place, he would’ve kept going past the wounds. And won. She admired that about him.

“Oh yes,” Toga leaned forward on the table as close to Ochako as she could. Ochako fought the urge to lean away. The proximity wasn’t enough to be dangerous, but it was disconcerting. “I wanted to know what made you tick. What kept you going?”

“You want to know why I’m a hero?” asked Ochako.

Toga nodded. “What makes you want to go out and rough up people like me?”

“I don’t want to do that,” said Ochako, shaking her head. “I admire rescue heroes like Thirteen. To use my Quirk to help others.”

“How selfless.”

Ochako shook her head. “It’s not that at all.” She paused. She’d admitted her reason for becoming a hero to her friends only recently. Was she really about to tell a villain? Toga’s golden eyes studied her, and she shallowed past a lump in her throat before continuing. “I mentioned before that my parents are poor. I want to become a pro hero to make money. Either by completing rescue missions or being licensed to use my Quirk to help my father’s construction company. It’s not selfless, it’s as selfish as could be. So many of my friends just want to help people. But I need. No, I want, money. That’s my reason to become a hero.”

“You don’t know what it means to be selfish, do you?” asked Toga. “To want to do something for yourself and only yourself. To ignore other people’s wants and desires, their wishes and get to live as your true self. I really don’t understand you.”

Ochako was confused. Because Toga’s words were said harshly, like a condemnation, but her expression was soft. A small smile, not wide and toothy like usual rested on her face. She didn’t seem aware of it either. She wondered what type of life led to becoming a villain. Someone like the girl in front of her. Could they really not understand each other?

“Why did you become a villain?” asked Ochako.

“You want to know me so bad that you’re going to use your second question on that?”

“Yes.”

A pause. “I just want to live my life free from rules and restrictions. To live as I desire and am. No more someone dictating that I can’t be me. To live free like Stain. To cut open this stagnant hero-based society that made me suffer. Doesn’t that sound nice?”

“I don’t think so,” said Ochako, shaking her head. “Heroes help and protect people.”

A frown. “That’s just a delusion,” said Toga. “They didn’t help me when I was suffering. And they didn’t help you or your family when you were hungry, did they? Would a just society allow kids like us to starve? To be unable to use our Quirks, a part of our beings?”

Ochako wanted to argue. To say that being a villain was Toga’s choice, not society. No one had made her commit crimes. It was just bad luck that Ochako needed to occasionally go without food and her parents without rest. Right? She fought back the urge though. Would fighting accomplish anything? Probably not. It might convince the villain to stop talking to her. She couldn’t have that. She still had one more question to ask after all.

“Heroes like Deku will change things,” said Ochako. “If things are broken like you and Stain say, then we’ll just need to do better and fix them. To make it so that everyone can smile.”

“But people like Bakugo will become heroes as well,” replied Toga. “Do you think someone like that, who is just like a villain, would be able to make things better?”

“I…,” Ochako was unsure how to respond. It wasn’t like she was the biggest fan of Bakugo after all. The boy was cruel and not what she thought of as heroic. But…, “Deku believes in him as a hero. That means I think he can be a hero as well.”

Those golden eyes drilled into her soul. Unblinking. “How is Izuku doing? Last I saw he was bloody and barely able to move. It was a cute look, don’t you think?”

“I think he looks better now that he’s healed completely,” replied Ochako. “He’ll be discharged from the hospital soon.”

“Has he given up on rescuing Bakugo?”

Ochako shook her head. “Of course not.” She glanced over to detective Tsukauchi. “If the police and pros don’t rescue him, Deku will. That’s just the type of person he is.” Ochako leaned forward on the table and locked gazes with Toga. “That’s why we need to know where they’re keeping Bakugo. I don’t want Deku to be put in danger. Please, help us rescue him.”

“What if I want to see Izuku rush back into danger and get beaten until beautiful blood flows?”

“Then I think we’re done here,” said Ochako. Standing up. She was tired. She was annoyed. But more importantly she was desperate. Something about talking to Toga brought about a strange yearning. She knew the villain too well, while still knowing nothing about her. If Toga turned and walked out on her right now, she’d call to have her come back. She was hoping that feeling was mutual.

“Wait,” said Toga. Ochako paused but didn’t turn back to face the other girl. She couldn’t hide the smile on her face if she did. “I’ll tell you where they probably took him.”

Ochako turned back, not bothering to hide her excitement. “You will?”

A nod. “I will. You told me about some interesting things after all. Our main hideout was a bar in Kamino Ward. If they didn’t hide a different dingy dive bar from me and move hideouts, then they’re there.”

Ochako glanced back at detective Tsukauchi. His expression was stoic and neither he nor the guards moved to take out something to take notes. Ochako trusted they knew what to do as she sat back down. “What’s the address?” Toga told her. She felt her heart soaring as she repeated it to herself several times. “Thank you so much. You’ve helped to save Bakugo.”

“I was just answering a question,” replied Toga, leaning back in her chair. “It’s not like I’m really friends with any of those people really. We just met.”

“Speaking up is the first step to being a hero, isn’t it?” asked Ochako.

Toga looked taken aback by that comment. A large, fake smile covered her face. “No one like me could ever become a hero. Don’t even bother.” A pause. Then almost under her breath. “I’m just happy to see you smile…”

“Bringing smiles to people is what it means to be a hero,” said Ochako, a childhood memory resurfacing. She remembered her parents smiling as a hero defeated a villain. How beautiful to her they seemed. How beautiful all the people around her looked. Then the moment the hero smiled back while tired and about to collapse but buoyed by the cheers of the crowd, her heart had soared. “You asked why I wanted to be a hero. But I think bringing smiles to my parents’ faces, and those I save, is part of it too. I know it’s childish, but people just look so beautiful when smiling.”

“Smiles can be faked. I think people look the cutest when at their limit,” replied Toga. “Their lifeblood spilling out a beautiful crimson.”

“Maybe there is something to admire about that,” said Ochako. “But I’d rather people have honest smiles that they can’t help instead of hurt and sadness.”

“Does blood need to be sad? It’s inside of all of us, after all.”

Ochako considered that. “I guess not. As a child I saw a hero cut and beaten after defeating a villain. But the crowd smiled and cheered, and he smiled back. Why can’t everything just be like that?”

A pause. “The world is too cruel for that to ever be true.”

“Then we should change that.”

“You don’t approve of how I’m trying to do that.”

“Then let’s do it without making people bleed!”

“Blood is how we prove we’re alive,” yelled Toga, her smile slipping. “A world without blood is one I can’t live in.” Toga’s eyes narrowed and locked on Ochako’s. “I want to see the blood of the ones I love. To consume it. To become them. If the world rejects that, then it rejects me. I was hoping you’d understand Ochako, since you share the same scent of love as me.”

“I’m not sure if I’ll ever be able to understand,” said Ochako, frustrated. She’d felt so close, but Toga had visibly closed off. “Could you help me to?”

Toga turned away. “That’s all your questions. I’m tired.”

“Okay then,” said Ochako, slowly standing. Toga made no moves. “I don’t know if I liked talking to you, but it was interesting.” She paused. Then, “could we talk again?”

��I don’t know anything else you want to know,” replied Toga. “Once sweet Izuku has saved Bakugo, our relationship is over.”

“I guess,” said Ochako, turning. She walked away from the interrogation table and detective Tsukauchi opened the door for her. She couldn’t help turning back for one last look as she exited. The guards had closed in and were grabbing Toga to move her, but she wasn’t looking at them. She was looking at Ochako. Her expression one of longing. For what, Ochako didn’t know.

“Good work in there,” said detective Tsukauchi as he brought Ochako back into his office. He gestured to a couch and Ochako collapsed on it. Her legs giving out as all energy drained from her body. She was exhausted. “Toga Himiko has confirmed our suspicion on the location of Bakugo Katsuki. That means we’re right on track.”

Ochako looked at him in surprise. “You knew where he was?”

“We thought we knew where their hideout was,” said the detective. He flashed a sheepish smile. “This just means we can be even surer. Always important in this business. It also means Toga Himiko was probably telling the truth in that room. At least for the most part. Not that I understood what she was talking about most of the time. Once we’ve rescued your classmate and captured the League of Villains, I’ll see about investigating her backstory.”

“I don’t understand how someone could think and talk like her,” said Ochako.

“It’s probably better that you don’t,” said the detective. He checked his watch. “I’ve got somewhere to be. Feel free to rest here as long as you need. You did great. I’m looking forward to working with you when you go pro.”

Then he was gone. Ochako reclined on the couch, just breathing in and out. It was like she’d run a marathon. Her heart was only just calming down in her chest. She closed her eyes but all she could see was Toga’s soft smile. Opening them she took out her phone and prepared to text Deku the address. As the adrenaline from facing a villain faded Ochako felt the urge to do something. To be with someone. She considered her options.

#mha #toga himiko #uraraka ochako #togachako #togaraka #path diverged in the woods

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a-path-diverged-in-the-woods · 1 year

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Now enjoy this tale of two girls, a hero and a villain, meeting again across an interrogation table. Chapter 1, Chapter 2 and Chapter 3 available here.

Chapter 4: Manhunter

Ochako was painfully aware of how little she knew about the current situation the Pro heroes and her friends were about to head into. She didn’t know when the Pros were going to make their move, but she did know her friends weren’t going to wait. Deku, Kirishima and Todoroki were the most proactive people she knew, maybe only behind Bakugo. They were going to act as they saw best. There was always a chance that Yaoyorozu refused to assist them, or another classmate leaked their plan, but Ochako doubted either would happen. Yaoyorozu was someone who was highly critical of herself and always trying to improve. She was similar to Deku in that way. She’d failed to act before, Ochako knew she wouldn’t do so again. Similarly, even those in Class A who were against their classmates going would never turn them in. They all wanted the same thing after all. To rescue Bakugo. She knew they all felt if anyone could do it, it was those four.

That left Ochako in a weird position. She didn’t want to turn in her friends, but she also knew she couldn’t go with them. There was something only she could do though. As soon as she was out of the hospital, she pulled out the business card she’d been given just a few hours ago. After two rings, the phone picked up. “Hello, Detective Tsukauchi? This is Uraraka Ochako. I would like to help and talk to Toga.”

In a pleasant surprise the detective was happy to have her come over immediately. She’d expected him to push things to another day. That spoke to the urgency of the matter. As she headed over, she called her parents to tell them that she was going to go out to eat with a friend. She felt bad about lying but telling them she was going to willingly talk to a villain who had attacked her was not an argument she felt like having at the moment. They told her to have a good time, the stress from the recent incidents apparent in their voice. Her mother was just relieved that Ochako was doing normal high school things. She appreciated that.

When Ochako arrived at the police station she was greeted by detective Tsukauchi. He was talking to a tall, gaunt man in an ill-fitting suit. For some reason he seemed familiar to her. “Welcome back, Uraraka,” said the detective. He looked back to the gaunt man. “I’ll let you know if anything comes up on my end.”

“Same,” said the gaunt man with a nod. He glanced to Uraraka. His eyes were sunk into his head, his gaze one that made her feel under intense scrutiny. “You’re proving yourself a hero young lady. But don’t push yourself too far, you’re still a kid after all.”

Ochako didn’t have a response as the man turned and walked away. Something about him was familiar. Friendly. She wondered if he talked to everyone like he knew them. She couldn’t help but be reminded of Toga.

“I agree with Yagi,” said detective Tsukauchi. “Come with me to my office.” He led her into a side office. He gestured to her to take a seat in front of a large desk, and she did. “Before we put you in the room with Toga, I’ll need to brief you a bit, okay?”

Ochako nodded. She’d love any advice he could give. Her heart was beating wildly at the thought of encountering those golden eyes and hungry smile again.

“So, here’s what we know.” The detective took out a thin file and opened it. “Toga Himiko, aged 16. She’s suspected of being the culprit of several exsanguination incidents where victims have been left weak and drained of blood. The first incident of this was in her final year of middle school when she assaulted a student and drank his blood.”

Ochako shuddered at that. What was she getting herself into?

Detective Tsukauchi gave her a sympathetic smile. “Sorry, but unfortunately the details of this are going to be gory. If at any point this is too much, let me know.”

Ochako shook her head. “Thank you, but I’m good. Please continue.”

He flipped over another sheet. “Since that incident she’s been on the run. It is unknown when she teamed up with the League of Villains, but initial investigation says it was probably recently. It’s highly likely she’ll know little that we don’t, but…”

“But you need to try anyways,” said Ochako. The detective nodded. A question came to mind. “Why is she so obsessed with blood?”

“We suspect it has to do with her Quirk,” replied the detective. He let out a heavy sigh. “But we just don’t know.”

Ochako frowned. “Isn’t her Quirk registered?”

The detective shook his head. “Not properly it seems. It’s rare, but for less obvious Quirks or ones with attached stigma, people will lie on their registration. Her parents listed her Quirk as an increased sense of smell, which seems to be partially true. They’ve refused to talk to us about Himiko. They say she’s been disowned.”

Disowned? Sure, she was a villain, but could parents so easily disown their child? Ochako had a cold pit in her stomach. Something was wrong with this family. “So, her Quirk is related to blood? Like Vlad King?”

“Maybe,” replied the detective. “From your previous testimony the blood found on her person was yours and she was collecting it for some purpose. Whether for her Quirk or another member of the League, we don’t know. That’s one of the things we would like you to find out.” He leaned forward on his desk, fingers steepled together. “What is Toga Himiko’s Quirk? Why was she collecting blood? What are the Quirks of the other members of the League? Where is their hideout? Why did they capture Bakugo Katsuki? What are they planning? There’re too many unknowns that we need answers to.”

A heavy sigh. He continued. “It’s too much to ask a kid to do, but when I question her, she just laughs and speaks in a roundabout manner. There’s been talk of her being sent to Tartarus for imprisonment and questioning. If we don’t get something to work with soon, then I lose custody.”

Tartarus. The word sent a chill through Ochako. The max security prison in Japan famous for holding the worst criminals. A place from which no one ever escaped. Was there really talk about sending a kid there? “Will Toga get a lighter sentence if she tells us something?”

Detective Tsukauchi sighed. “Probably. No promises have been made yet. But I would be willing to vouch for her if she does.”

That meant the villain’s fate was in Ochako’s hands. She fought down her panic. This was too much. She’d just wanted to do something, and maybe tell her friends something useful before they rushed into danger. She wished she could go back to thinking about Toga just as a villain. That would make things so much easier.

“I think that covers most of the facts as we know them,” said the detective. “Any questions?” Ochako shook her head. She had too many thoughts to form a coherent question. “You’re still allowed to back out if you want.”

“I want to do this,” said Ochako. “I just need to see what she knows about the League’s whereabouts, plans or Quirks, right?”

The detective nodded. “That will be enough. Thanks again.” He stood. “Are you ready, or do you need a moment?”

Ochako stood. “I’m ready.” As she’d ever be.

She followed the detective to an interrogation room. He held the door open, and she walked in. There were two guards in the room in opposite corners. In the center of the room was a table and sitting at the side furthest from the door was Toga Himiko. Her hands and feet were bound in chains fastened to the floor. She was in an orange jumpsuit instead of her school uniform, a rather depressing look on her. But she had a wide smile on her face and her eyes twinkled with excitement.

“I didn’t think you’d actually come,” said Toga. “Did the police threaten you?”

Ochako shook her head. “I wanted to come,” said Ochako. For a moment she thought Toga’s expression shifted, but she blinked, and it was back to the same toothy smile.

“I’d much rather to not bring a kid into things,” said detective Tsukauchi, closing the door behind him. He gestured to the table. “Take a seat.”

“Is it appropriate for men to butt into girl talk like this?” asked Toga. Ochako sat down across from her, and Toga winked at her. “A bunch of perverts, aren’t they?”

Ochako ignored the comment. She was feeling more uncomfortable each moment she spent with the villain and wanted to get right to asking questions. But she knew she couldn’t be impatient. This was too important. So instead, she said, “How have you been since the forest?”

Toga lifted her hands and clanked the chains on the table. “They gave me some not cute accessories to wear. The food was horrible and the bed uncomfortable. Sleeping on the streets is much better.”

“Did you spend a lot of time on the streets?” asked Ochako.

“Here and there,” replied Toga, looking around the room. Her gaze refocused on Ochako. “What about you? You ever spent time without a comfortable bed or running water?”

Ochako shook her head. “I haven’t.”

A smirk. “Of course you haven’t. Someone like you who is loved and cared for.” A flicker of a new expression. “I bet you don’t know what it’s like to go hungry either.”

That comment annoyed Ochako. Toga was always talking like she knew her, but she clearly didn’t. “I have, actually,” said Ochako. Toga looked surprised. Good. “My parents work hard, but sometimes we’ve been unable to have enough work. They fed me first, but I’ve been unable to buy lunch before. Or just kept to water. Anything to help them save money.”

“But you’re still loved,” said Toga.

“I am,” replied Ochako. “I love my parents for all they do.”

“I don’t,” said Toga. “They’re not cute at all.” A laugh. “The feeling is mutual though.” Toga leaned forward on the table. “But enough with the pleasantries. You want what I know, right? Find out and you can give it to Izuku so he can risk his life to save Bakugo. You do that and you’ll prove yourself to him. Maybe he’ll look your way and reciprocate your feelings. It’s nice when someone you love turns your way, isn’t it?”

Ochako wanted to fire back, to yell that she didn’t like Deku like that. But the words were stuck in her throat. She remembered him in the hospital bed, eyes filled with determination. She was here because she wanted to be useful. But what that feeling was based on, she didn’t have the words for. “Can you please tell me where they took Bakugo?”

“Secret.”

“Why did they take him? What’s their plan?”

“Didn’t ask.”

“What about the names of members of the League of Villains and their Quirks?”

“Who knows?”

“Why did you steal my blood? What’s your Quirk?”

“That’s rude to ask a lady.”

Ochako frowned. “Why do you act like this is a joke? Someone is in danger.”

Toga shrugged. “Why should I care? I’m not in danger.”

“Yes, you are,” replied Ochako. Her temper was getting short. “You’re going to go to jail if you don’t help. Do you want that?”

A frown. “Are you seriously so naïve to think I won’t go if I do talk?” asked Toga. “I’m a problem no one wants to look at. I always have been. They’ll lock me up in a dark basement and never let me out. Someone who lives in the light like you will never understand.”

“Then help me to understand,” yelled Ochako, pounding a fist on the table. She forced herself to lock eyes with the other girl. “Please.”

Toga studied her for several moments. The room was silent while she did, the air tense. Then, Toga smiled again. “Sure.” Ochako breathed a sigh of relief. “But you’ll need to tell me something interesting first. And I’ll only answer three questions. I’m tired, after all.”

“Deal.”

#mha #uraraka ochako #toga himiko #togachako #togaraka #path diverged in the woods

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a-path-diverged-in-the-woods · 1 year

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Now enjoy this tale of two girls, a hero and a villain, meeting for the first time. Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 available here.

Chapter 3: Tumbling Through the Dark of Night

“I’ll do it,” replied Ochako, locking eyes with Deku. The boy’s expression relaxed a fraction. “But I’m coming with you. I’ll be better able to know when to release if I do.”

For a moment she thought he was going to argue, but he just nodded. His mind was on saving their friends and every other thought was secondary. Anything that increased their chances, he’d take without question. As he climbed off Shoji’s back she got a full view of his arms, both completely bruised from overuse of his Quirk. Thin lines of blood were running down them from burst blood vessels. She took off her shirt.

“Here,” said Ochako. “At least use this for your arms.” Shoji took the shirt, glanced at her and she nodded. He then ripped it in half and quickly wrapped each of Deku’s arms.

Once that was done Ochako touched each of her classmates and they moved to stand around Shoji, an arm grabbing onto each of them. A third arm grew from Shoji’s back just for this purpose and took hold of Ochako. Tsu’s tongue wrapped around the group, tightening to hold them close to each other. “Activate!” said Ochako, putting her hands together. The group floated slightly off the ground as gravity stopped working. Tsu didn’t hesitate, whipping her tongue around like a lasso and flinging the group through the air where the villain had taken Bakugo and Tokoyami.

Ochako was used to being off the ground, but wished she could hold onto Shoji for dear life. Instead, she kept her eyes peeled for the villain and hands ready to come together to deactivate her Quirk. She spotted him a moment later, jumping deftly from tree to tree like a phantom thief in a movie. They quickly overtook the masked villain, and Ochako forced her hands together as they got right above him. “Release!” Gravity regained control again and the teens quickly plummeted towards the ground. They softened their fall by crashing into the masked villain and taking him to the ground. The group landed in a clearing, but Ochako barely had time to look around as a calm voice barked a command.

“Mister. Dodge.”

“Roger,” said the masked villain, somehow slithering out from underneath the teens. Ochako and the others were forced to leap away as blue fire splashed towards them, scattering them. Okacho managed to leap back without getting burnt, but Shoji and the others got caught in the flames, letting out cries of pain. Deku was forced to tuck and roll as Ochako’s shirt caught fire.

Todoroki was fine against the fire, but a villain covered in a black full body suit appeared behind him, pulling out a wire from a device at his wrist. “Some faces from Shigaraki’s hit list,” said the covered villain. “That plain looking beat-up kid and you…were not on it!” Todoroki reacted quickly, sending a blast of ice to the villain, forcing him back with a cry. “Hot, hot!

Ochako scanned the battlefield, trying to access the situation like she’d been taught. Like Deku would do. Todoroki had the strange villain well in hand and seemed unbothered by the enemy flames. She was briefly concerned for Shoji, but he regrew the skin around his burnt arm and was too agile to be caught again as another wave of flame tried to overtake him. That left Deku, who had put out the flames and was trying to get to his feet. His body was clearly about to give out on him. Unfortunately, Ochako wasn’t the only person to notice.

“Hi Izuku!” said Toga, lunging at the boy with a knife. He managed to scramble to the side and avoid her. She paused, standing over him, her knife held clasped between both hands and her expression one of glee. “You’re cute, but I think you’ll look even cuter with fresh blood. Let me help you with that.”

Ochako wasn’t going to let that happen. As Toga finished her declaration, Ochako rammed into her. Toga’s footing thrown off, Ochako grabbed her tightly, activated her Quirk and kicked off the ground as hard as she could. Toga screamed in surprise as the pair flew into the air, spinning and tumbling as they broke the tree line.

“I won’t let you hurt anyone else,” said Ochako as the stars spun around her. She held Toga as tightly as she could, her arms and legs twisted around the villain.

“Let me go,” screamed Toga, panic in her voice for the first time since they’d met. “Let me go.”

“Not until Deku rescues Bakugo and Tokoyami,” yelled Ochako. She was suddenly very grateful for the hellish training that Aizawa had put her through on the few days of the training camp that they’d had. The previous her would have already hurled and deactivated her Quirk from the spinning she was experiencing. She did still force her eyes closed. No reason to make things worse for herself.

Unfortunately, her captive passenger wasn’t quite compliant. Toga started to squirm and claw at her. She’d dropped her knives in the flipping scuffle, but a nail still found purchase and scratched Ochako’s leg, drawing a line of blood. The droplets were flung through the air as Toga’s movements made their spinning even more erratic. She held strong though. Deku was willing to break his body to save people, this was nothing compared to what he felt.

That mindset was all well and good until an elbow found purchase and Ochako lost her breath. And with it her hold over Toga and her Quirk. The pair separated as they started to freefall, once again under the tyranny of gravity. Ochako opened her eyes and saw that they were high above the ground. Much too high for anyone without an Enhancement Quirk to land without serious injury. For a moment she considered just reactivating her Quirk on herself, but she met Toga’s fearful eyes and heard the message loud and clear. “I don’t want to die.”

Ochako’s hands shot out and she wrapped them around the falling, flailing Toga. She activated her Quirk and the pair halted midair. She didn’t have the other girl in a proper hold, and she was still able to move her arms. Toga’s arms came up and Ochako expected slicing pain as her flesh was cut open again to reveal blood. She flinched in anticipation but was surprised as Toga’s arms wrapped tightly around her, drawing the other girl towards her.

The girls hovered in midair, the forest far below them and the stars shining above. As the adrenaline faded, Ochako felt the cool night air blowing over them. The girls hugged each other tighter, spots of warmth on the cool dark. Neither said anything, just breathing as they held onto each other for dear life. Ochako’s stomach tumbled and churned still, and she fought to keep her dinner down. She tried to search for signs of battle or heroes below but couldn’t find anything. There was a thin trail of smoke, but it was on the horizon. She didn’t want to think about how far they’d flown in their fight. Instead, she focused on the person in her embrace. A villain who had injured her. A girl who clung to her for dear life after nearly experiencing death.

Eventually Ochako needed to close her eyes and focused on the sounds of their breathing in unison. On the points of contact between their skin. On the scent of sweat and blood. For an unknown period of time, it became her world…

“Need a lift?” Ochako’s newly constructed world was shattered by a friendly but unfamiliar voice. She opened her eyes and saw a man hovering next to her, a pair of red wings flapping calmly behind him. He had a bright smile on his face and was holding out his hand. “If so, then this flying taxi hero is at your service.”

Ochako was too nauseous to respond. She thought if she opened her mouth to speak, she’d throw up instead. From below her came a whisper. “Please.” The boundaries of what she considered her body and self-separated again and Ochako remembered that she had a villain in her custody.

“Right away,” replied the hero. He took firm hold of both Ochako and Toga’s arms. “Neat Quirk keeping you here. That was a cool move floating those rocks in the UA Sports Tournament. Feel free to drop it, I’ve got you.”

Permission given, Ochako finally released her Quirk. There was a moment where the pair of girls fell, breaking apart, but it was quickly halted by the hero’s strong arms and what looked to be free flying feathers that hovered without assistance around each of the teens. Ochako felt the sudden loss of warmth but wasn’t able to think too much about it as nausea finally overtook her. She looked to the side and vomited. From the sounds of things, Toga was doing the same.

“Looks like both of you have been holding a lot in,” said the hero, his strong, chipper voice never faltering. “Glad that this little side trip on my way home paid off. Gravity girl, you’re in the same class as Tokoyami, right? He was my intern a little while ago. How’s Mr. Serious doing currently?”

Ochako’s stomach did another flip. She’d been so focused on keeping Toga away from everyone else that she’d forgotten about the rescue mission. She was glad that vomiting gave her a reason to not look the hero in the eye. “Last I saw he’d been captured by villains who attacked us. We were trying to rescue him when I ended up here.”

A pause. The air was heavy between the three of them as they hovered far above the ground. Not meeting each other’s eyes. Then, a heavy sigh. “I guess they saw the same potential in him that I did. Good luck getting someone that stubborn to help them though. How about we return you to your teachers and find out for ourselves how everyone is doing?”

Without waiting for a response, the hero flew through the air, Ochako and Toga held firmly beneath him. While they flew Ochako tried to see any signs of her classmates in the forest below, but all was quiet. It was only as they got closer that she made out wisps of smoke coming from a burnt section of the forest and the flashing lights of emergency vehicles. People might be moving below, but it was still hard to make out individuals. As she squinted, she felt something warm against her hand. She glanced over and saw that Toga had grabbed her hand and was squeezing it tightly. Looking up at the girl’s face showed a wide, toothy smile filled with excitement.

“I guess I get to be like Stainy,” said Toga. “Captured while fighting the heroes.” A pause, then Toga looked over and locked eyes with her. “Hey, Ochako. Do you think someone will make an inspiring video about me that will convince people to rebel against this awful world by making everything just a little bloodier and cuter?”

Ochako didn’t know and was unable to answer as the trio flew into view of the training facility building. “Keep an eye out for anyone you know,” said the hero. “We’ll touch down as close as we can. Don’t go running off when I put you down though, okay?”

“Okay,” said Ochako, feeling unsure about being on solid ground again. She’d floated so long, could she ever go back to what was before? Toga didn’t answer. Ochako realized she hadn’t told the hero that Toga was a villain. Did he think she was a student like she was? Would she be able to escape him like she had Ochako? As if in response Toga squeezed Ochako’s hand even tighter. She squeezed back. It seemed like the thing a hero would do. Toga’s grip relaxed. In the crowd of police officers, emergency responders and heroes, she finally recognized a few faces. “Over there,” she said, pointing.

“Got it,” said the hero. He shifted his flight path slightly, flying over the heads of a few responders and heroes. They all looked at him in surprise before waving. He just smiled back. As they approached where Ochako pointed, the hero called out. “Hey Tokoyami! It’s good to see you’re doing well.”

“Hawks?” asked the bird headed boy, his eyes wide. Then he noticed the other passengers. “Uraraka?”

“Clear a space,” said Aizawa, stepping forward to take charge. Ochako made out several familiar students from both Classes A and B, but they all blurred together. She realized she was exhausted now that relief at being safe was setting in.

Hawks set the teens down on solid ground. Ochako thought she’d feel relieved, but instead the ground slipped out from beneath her as the remnants of her vertigo and nausea asserted themselves. She stumbled but found herself caught and propped up. By Toga.

“Sorry about that,” said Hawks, landing next to them. The feathers that had been holding them up returned to his wings. “Forgot that you’d overused your Quirk. Good catch golden eyes.”

“Don’t move a muscle,” said Aizawa, drawing all attention to himself. His hair was on end and his eyes open and glowing red. He had his capture cloth scarf held at the ready. “Whatever your Quirk is I’ve got it erased. Release my student and come quietly.”

Hawks glanced between Aizawa and Toga. “Eraser Head, right?” asked Hawks. “Something wrong with this kid?”

“She’s not a student,” said Aizawa. “She’s a villain. Tokoyami, can you help Uraraka?”

Tokoyami nodded and walked over; an eye kept on Toga. He held out his hand to Ochako. Before she could move to take it, Toga shoved her into the boy, almost toppling them both. As she did, she tried to run, but Aizawa’s capture cloth wrapped around her as soon as Ochako was out of the way. Toga fell to the ground. Laughing.

“I get to go to the same place as Stainy,” said the villain between fits of laughter. There was a broad toothy smile on her face that failed to reach her eyes. “It’s just like the heroes to lock up a villain. To lock up someone like me. Enjoy your crush Ochako, that’s the privilege of those accepted by society!”

“Quiet down now,” said Aizawa, gesturing to a group of police officers. “No one who hurts my students gets mercy from me.”

“You definitely aren’t one to go easy even on children, are you?” asked Hawks. He glanced over to Ochako. “You holding her steady, Tokoyami?”

“Yes sir.”

A laugh. “Serious as always.” The hero looked back to Aizawa. “Need any help with search and rescue?”

“Ask the man in charge over there,” said Aizawa, pointing to a man in uniform surrounded by half a dozen people. “The students are my priority. Thanks for returning my student. And the villain.”

Hawks shrugged. “Didn’t know she was a villain. But all well that ends well.”

The hero’s words rang in Ochako’s ears as she watched Toga being loaded into a police van. For a moment she met the villain’s golden eyes before she disappeared from view entirely. Ochako looked around the clearing and wondered whether there was any hope of truth to Hawk’s words.

# # # # #

Ochako would later find out that Vlad King had gotten the word of the attack out and emergency vehicles had showed up around the time she was carrying Toga away. Out of the forty students, fifteen were in critical condition from a villain’s gas attack. Eleven others had injuries of varying degrees. Thirteen got off without a scratch. And one was missing.

Of the six pros, one suffered a serious head injury. Another couldn’t be found, having left behind nothing but a massive bloodstain. On the other side, four of the villains were arrested. The other six identified villains had managed to vanish without a trace. The summer camp that Ochako and the others had been looking forward to had ended in the worst way imaginable.

Each student who had an encounter with a villain was carefully questioned about their assailants. Ochako had met four of the villains, three who had escaped, but was able to tell very little about them. Her experiences with them had been brief. Except for Toga, but she’d also had embarrassingly little to say about the girl. She liked blood, was good with knives and ambushing people, and Ochako hadn’t seen her use her Quirk. As far as she was aware. The police thanked her for her contribution and bravery, but she felt like she’d done very little.

As she was being shown out of the interview room, a strange urge had overtaken Ochako. She’d turned to the detective, the same who had been in charge at the USJ incident and asked him a question. “What’s going to happen to Toga?”

“Toga?” asked the detective. “She’s being held under tight security and questioning currently. We’re hoping she can tell us anything about the League’s members or their possible whereabouts. She’s been tight lipped so far.” A pause and a frown. He seemed to be thinking through something. “She did list someone she’d be willing to talk to.”

Ochako’s heart started to pound in her chest. “Who?”

“You,” said the detective. He let out a heavy sigh. “I didn’t really want to ask a kid something like this. Even if you’re a hero student. You’ve been through enough.”

She was overly conscious of the bandages on her arm and leg from where Toga had cut and scratched her. Her every word flustered and confused Ochako. Just being in her presence was strange and uncomfortable. But Bakugo had been kidnapped and villains were on the loose. Could she afford to not take action?

“Can I have time to think about it?” asked Ochako.

The detective nodded. “Of course. Like I said, I’d rather you not have to.” He took out a business card and handed it to Ochako. “My number, for anything you need. Even if it’s not about Toga. Take care.”

From the police station Ochako headed to the hospital. The Class A group chat was full of people planning to meet up and visit their injured classmates. Four Class A students were still in the hospital, but they were only able to check up on but not visit with two of them. Jiro and Hagakure were stable but still unconscious from the poison gas attack. Yaoyorozu had been rendered unconscious from a serious headwound and only woken up after a day. The class delivered her a melon, their well wishes, waved, and left to let her continue resting.

That left Deku, who had also been in and out of consciousness for two days but was now cleared to visit. Recovery Girl had visited him and assisted, so while he was covered in casts on his arms and legs, he would be able to go home soon. As class A filed into his room, Ochako was one of the last and took note of the dead look in his eyes. He barely acknowledged them until they directly addressed him.

“I’m sorry for the trouble I caused you,” said Tokoyami.

Deku shook his head. “Nah, I’m the one who should be apologizing.” He looked around. “Is everyone from class A here?

“All fifteen of us are here,” said Ochako, failing to keep the bitterness out of her voice.

Ilda hurried to explain the status of the other three hospitalized students. No one had to say anything about Bakugo. They all knew. Ochako checked out of the conversation until Kirishima mentioned that he had a way to find and rescue Bakugo. That got her attention real quick and caused an uproar among the class. Opinions were mixed on acting by themselves separate from the pros. But as Ochako looked to Deku, she saw the life had returned to his eyes. Regardless of what anyone else said, he was going to save his friend. Even when Tsu told those planning to go that they’d be no better than villains his determined gaze didn’t falter. The question wasn’t ‘would Deku go?’ it was, ‘who would go with him?’

The doctor came to shoo everyone out so that he could examine Deku. As they were leaving, Ochako heard Kirishima telling Deku that they would need to move that night. As all her classmates went home, Ochako lingered in front of the hospital. In her hand was the detective’s phone number. She wondered in a situation that the pros had said they would resolve what the right move was. Inaction was out of the question.

#mha #uraraka ochako #toga himiko #togachako #togaraka #path diverged in the woods

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a-path-diverged-in-the-woods · 1 year

Text

Now enjoy this tale of two girls, a hero and a villain, meeting for the first time.

Chapter 2: Sleight of Hand

“Right Ochako? It’s fun, right?”

The villain’s sweet tone was mismatched with her gruesome words. Her golden eyes mesmerized Ochako and she kept her gaze locked with the villains. She was afraid that turning away would show weakness. A thought in the back of her mind was that she wouldn’t be able to look away even if she wanted to. Those eyes had a hold on her. Maybe if she kept looking, she could get to the secrets hidden behind them…

“A good romance is so much fun!” said the villain. Ochako felt a stabbing in her heart at the words. And in her leg. Wait…

“Ochako,” yelled Tsu, still fighting to free herself from the tree.

Ochako looked down and saw that the villain had managed to grab one of her needles with her unpinned arm and stuck it in her leg. She could feel her blood being sucked away. Watch as it flowed through a tube to the apparatus on the villain’s back.

“Suck. Suck. Suck,” said the villain, her expression one of rapture. Ochako fought through the pain. She needed to keep her hold on the villain. Things would only get worse if she lost focus and let her run free.

“Uraraka?” Ochako turned to the familiar voice to see Shoji entering the clearing. As she did her grip slipped and the villain’s arm came up to shove her. She fell off the villain and her foe jumped to her feet, sprinting away quickly to the edge of the clearing. The pain of the needle being yanked out of her leg sent a quick burst of pain to fog her mind.

“There are too many now,” said the villain, looking back over her shoulder at Ochako, “and I don’t feel like dying. Bye bye.”

“No,” muttered Ochako, forcing herself to her feet. She couldn’t allow the villain to just escape. It was her job as a hero to capture people like this. She attempted to run after the villain, one hand covering the puncture point on her leg, the other reaching out to the villain. “Wait!”

Ochako’s pursuit was stopped as Tsu moved in front of her, blocking her path. “Careful,” said Tsu. “We’ve still got no clue what her Quirk is.”

Ochako looked past Tsu to see that the girl had disappeared into the dark forest. She begrudgingly accepted her friend’s words and turned to her classmates. She saw Todoroki carrying a boy from Class B while Shoji had a beaten and bloody Deku on his back. Ochako was briefly concerned that she couldn’t say this was the most beaten she’d seen the boy, but it was pretty close.

“Who was that girl?” asked Todoroki.

“A villain,” said Ochako, the twisted smile appearing at the back of her mind. Words trying to force their way back into her mind. She ignored them. “She was nuts.”

“Uraraka, you’re hurt,” said Deku. The concern in his voice was sweet, but strangely hilarious in light of his own wounds.

“I’m fine,” replied Ochako. “I can walk. Anyway…,” she didn’t want to think about her cut or stab wound or the girl who gave her them anymore. “But look at you, Deku!”

“I’m just glad you two are okay. Why don’t you come with us? We’re guarding Kacchan and heading for camp.”

Ochako frowned at that. “Huh?”

“Guarding Bakugo?” asked Tsu. She pointed behind Deku. “Then where is he?”

“Whaadya mean?” asked Deku, forcing his wrecked body to turn to look over his shoulder. “He’s right behind us…”

As he turned, he saw the same thing Ochako saw. Nothing. No one was behind Todoroki. The expression of despaired realization on his face was heartbreaking for Ochako. She was still shaking off the shock of being attacked by a villain, but this moment made her realize what else what was at stake.

“Looking for him?” asked a theatrically loud voice. The group turned and saw a masked man in a trench coat and top hat standing in a tree. “I’ve taken him with my magic.” He was tossing a pair of marbles into the air and deftly catching them. “He’s not a resource that belongs on the heroes’ side. We’re going to put him on a stage where he can really shine.”

“Give him back!” yelled Deku.

“Give him back?” asked the masked man. “What an odd thing to say. Bakugo doesn’t belong to anyone. He’s his own man, you egoist.”

“Move,” commanded Todoroki. Shoji obeyed and ice sprung up along the path he’d been standing in. It quickly engulfed the tree holding the masked man.

Unfortunately, the masked man was quick on his feet and leapt into the air to a nearby tree. “We’re just a bit fanatical when it comes to our values.” Even while moving, he didn’t stop talking. “All we wish is to show him that there are other ways. Because you kids today, you have your values chosen for you.”

“It’s not just Bakugo,” said Shoji, cold fury in his voice. “Tokoyami’s gone too.”

“Sorry for my bad habit,” said the masked man. “I’m an entertainer at heart. Taking Tokoyami was just a bit of ad-libbing. I like his dark nature.”

“You can’t have them, you jerk!” yelled Deku. It was obvious to everyone that he was in no position to make good on that promise.

“Uraraka,” said Todoroki. He held out the unconscious Class B boy. “Take care of him.”

“Okay,” she said, grabbing the boy and floating him with her Quirk. Todoroki was running immediately, walls of ice exploding through the forest to attempt to capture the villain. Unfortunately, it seemed that this villain was adept at avoiding capture. No matter for fast or how wide Todoroki struck, the masked man was always one step out of the way. And with each step he moved further and further away from the group.

The masked man brought a hand up to his ear. “Vanguard action squad. The target has been successfully captured.” The villain’s voice rang clearly through the forest. Ochako realized he was speaking for their benefit as well. To rub in their loss. “Short though it was, our mission has come to an end. As planned, be at the evacuation point within five minutes of this transmission.”

“They’re done here?” asked Tsu.

“No way,” said Deku, his voice pained.

“Not going to happen,” said Todoroki, leaping forward and sending out another wave of ice. “You’re not getting away!” Unfortunately, he was unable to back up his words as the masked man slipped away with practiced ease.

“That masked guy is quick,” said Todoroki, running as fast after him as he could manage.

Ochako and the rest followed behind, none of them able to gain any ground. Behind her she dragged the floating body of the Class B boy. “If only we had Ida,” she said through gasps of air while sprinting. Her leg throbbed with every step, a thin line of drying blood running down it.

“We can’t give up,” said Deku, drawing everyone’s attention back to him. “We’ve gotta catch up…and get them back…”

“We’re eating his dust at this rate,” replied Shoji.

Deku glanced over to Ochako. “Uraraka, make us float. Quickly!” He looked over to Tsu. “And then…Asui…throw us with your tongue as hard as you can. With as much strength as you can, make us fly! And Shoji…you can correct our course with your arms in midair.” He turned back to Ochako, his gaze as intense as that of the villain girl’s. “keep an eye on us, Uraraka. When it looks like we’ve closed the gap…”

“I’ll release you,” said Ochako, finishing Deku’s plan. He nodded.

“I see,” said Shoji. “Kinda like human cannonballs.”

“Hold on Deku,” said Ochako, hoping to stop this crazy plan before it went where she feared it would. “Can you even move with those wounds?”

“You stay behind,” said Todoroki. “You’re in too much pain to-“ “Forget the pain," interrupted Deku. “I can move. Quickly now!” He looked pleadingly at Ochako. She considered her options. Deku was relying on her. What should she do?

#mha #toga himiko #uraraka ochako #togachako #togaraka #path diverged in the woods

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a-path-diverged-in-the-woods · 1 year

Text

Now enjoy this tale of two girls, a hero and a villain, meeting for the first time.

Chapter 1: A meeting in the Woods

“Now then,” said Pixie-Bob, drawing the attention of both Class 1A and 1B as they finished cleaning up after dinner. Ochako put the last plate in her pile aside to dry and looked over at the pro hero. “Bellies are filled, and plates are clean! Next up…”

“Test of Courage,” yelled Mina, interrupting the hero. The acid hero skipped around the clearing, her fist in the air. Ochako had to resist the urge to bust into side splitting laughter.

Aizawa let out a heavy sigh. “Sorry to break it to you, remedial group,” he glanced around to Mina and the other members of their class who had failed their midterm, “you’ve got extra lessons and are coming with me now.”

“No way!” yelled Mina. She tried to run but Aizawa’s capture cloth whipped around her and the others trying to flee to have fun. The teacher casually dragged them away and Ochako muttered a quick prayer for their safety. And gratitude that she’d managed to pass herself. According to Aizawa she’d only passed by five points…

“Right,” said Pixie-Bob, continuing as if she hadn’t just been interrupted. “Class B will be on the offensive first. Class A will head into the forest in teams of two. One team every three minutes to keep things spread out but moving.”

Ragdoll picked up the instructions. “You’ll find name cards at the halfway point. Grab your own then come back here.”

“A banquet of darkness,” said Tokoyami under his breath. Ochako noted that he’d said the same thing when they’d first heard about the challenge that morning. It was a very cool line though.

“The scarers aren’t allowed to make direct contact,” said Mandalay. The Wild Wild Pussy Cat’s team co-ordination was impressive. Ochako could tell that they were used to working together and making up for the others weaknesses. While all the heroes she admired were solo heroes, the Pussycats made her wonder if she could have teammates that she worked that well with. “They’ll just be using their Quirks to startle you as best as they can.”

“So, get creative,” said Tiger, his deep voice booming through the clearing. “Whichever class makes the other wet their pants more wins.”

“Please don’t,” said Jiro, wincing. “That’s gross…”

Ochako was glad that it hadn’t been curry for dinner tonight. Last night she’d had to drink so much water because of how spicy some of her classmates had made the food. She’d needed to pee so badly…

“I see,” said Ilda, almost as loud as Tiger. “It’s an opportunity to work on our ingenuity through competition. As well as a chance for us to broaden the utility of our Quirks. I expected no less of UA.”

“Teams of two?” muttered Deku. Ochako glanced over at him. She wondered what it would be like to take a test of courage with the boy. Was he good with scary things? Bad? Either way, he was bound to be entertaining. “Wait, there are twenty of us, minus the five getting extra lessons…”

“Less talking,” said Pixie-Bob, holding out a box to the students. “Everyone come up and draw lots.”

Ochako waited in line behind Deku, taking a slip of paper from the box and unfolding it. “I got number five,” she said, looking over to Deku. “What did you get?”

“Eight” said Deku, his voice strangely hollow. His eyes had that dead look he gained when overthinking. “Teams of two out of fifteen means seven teams, with one person left…”

Ochako felt bad for Deku and put a hand on his shoulder. “Since we drew lots, it meant that someone would be alone.” Maybe she’d see if she could switch with whoever her partner was and join up with Deku instead?

“Ochako,” said Tsu, walking over. “What number are you? I’m five.”

Never mind then. Sorry Deku. “I’m five as well.”

Once everyone had their numbers Pixie-Bob started calling teams to enter the forest. The first few teams entered while Ochako chatted with Deku and Tsu. Every few minutes they could hearing screaming from the forest. Twelve minutes passed and it was finally time. “Team 5 is up.”

“Enjoy,” said Deku, waving the two girls on.

Ochako waved back. “Listen for our screams,” she said, trying to pass off her fear as a joke. Considering the people who had managed to go before them and still screamed, she was worried for her heart.

“Go on Team 5,” said Pixie-Bob, waving to the dark forest. “Your turn Ribbit Kitty and Uraraka Kitty!”

Tsu and Ochako exchanged looks, nodded, and headed in together. Very slowly. After a few steps down the forest path and they couldn’t see the clearing anymore. All they could see or hear was the forest. And the occasional scream.

“I’m scared, Tsu,” said Ochako. “You hear all those screams?”

Tsu nodded. “Gotta be Kyoka and Toru.” She held out her hand to Ochako. “Hold hands and we’ll be fine. I’m not scared.”

Ochako took Tsu’s hand and felt instantly better. Her friend was a calming presence, her hand steady and warm. She was still scared by the flicker of movement in the shadows and the occasional scream, but with Tsu she knew she could handle anything.

“I wonder how far in until we meet someone?” asked Ochako, trying to take her mind off the fear.

“Maybe a bit closer,” said Tsu.

“I wonder how they’re going to surprise us?” asked Ochako. She was keeping her eyes on the trail in front of them. Her senses focused on noticing anything strange that class B might try to pull on them.

“They’ll probably jump out at us,” said Tsu, looking around. “I don’t know their Quirks well. Maybe they can make a loud sound.”

“Or a strange smell,” said Ochako, sniffing the air. Her nose scrunched up. “Wait, do you smell that?”

Tsu sniffed the air. “Smoke?” She glanced over to Ochako. “Did someone start a fire?”

“Bakugo and Todoroki went before us. Maybe it’s one of them?”

Tsu shook her head. “They’re going to get in a lot of trouble if it is.”

“Everyone!”

Ochako jumped up into the air and gave a small cry as she looked around for the source of the voice. It seemed to be close but far. And that voice was…

“Mandalay?” asked Tsu, looking at Ochako. “She’s using her Quirk?”

Mandalay’s telepathy continued to ring in their heads. Her voice was panicked. “We’re under attack by two villains, and there might be more out there. All those who can should get to camp at once. If you encounter an enemy, don’t engage. Just retreat!”

“Villains?” asked Ochako, glancing at Tsu. She noticed something strange behind her friend. Movement. Wait, could it be… “Villains!” yelled Ochako, pushing Tsu out of the way. A knife sliced along Ochako’s upper arm ripping her shirt and drawing blood. Tsu rolled to her feet as Ochako leapt away from the newcomer. The villain didn’t move to close the distance as the pair got about ten feet away.

“Ochako,” said Tsu, moving to stand in front of Ochako. “Is your arm okay?”

“It’s fine,” replied Ochako, her hand over her wound. It hurt. A lot. But she knew she needed to focus on the villain in front of them.

“Hmmm,” said the villain. In the dark forest Ochako was able to make out that the person in front of them was a girl their age, although clearly not a member of class A or B. She was in an unfamiliar school uniform, her skirt pulled up high and her sweater a size too large. Strapped to her thighs were leather holsters that each held several knives like the one she currently held admiringly in her hand. “Too shallow. Not enough.”

Tsu took another step forward, continuing to put herself between their assailant and Ochako. “What kind of jerk comes out swinging with a knife like that?”

“I’m Toga!” replied the villain, her voice chipper and friendly. Never faltering. The result was unnerving. She had some strange apparatus strapped over her uniform that wrapped around to a pack on her back. Ochako made out some tubes that went from the pack to something strapped to a large bandana that was wrapped around her neck. Her face was covered by a creepy mask, but her eyes showed her excitement. “You two are real cute!” The girl pointed to each of them with her knife. “Uraraka and Asui.”

Ochako took a sharp breath. “They know out names…”

“From the sports festival, probably,” said Tsu. “People found out a lot about us then. Puts us at a disadvantage.”

The girl reached over her shoulder, her hand brushing against the messy blonde hair that she had tied up in buns that reminded Ochako of spider lilies. “But so little blood is no fun. Usually with a good wound…I can suck it all out…slurp, slurp!” Her hand cam down with a cylinder from which a large needle protruded. “With this machine, a little cut’s all I need to drain you dry. Makes my job sooo easy.”

Mandalay’s voice rang in their heads again. “The Pro-hero Eraser Head gives all students permission to fight back if needed as they return to camp!”

There was a pause as the two sides stared at each other. There was no doubt in Ochako’s mind that this was a villain who meant to harm them. The villain leaned forward, needle in one hand and her knife in the other. The next instant she was running forward. “So, I’m gonna stab you!”

“She’s charging,” said Ochako, looking around in panic. What should she do? What should she do?!

“Ochako,” said Tsu. The frog hero’s tongue whipped around and wrapped around her. The next moment she was flung into the air away from the attacking villain. “Run back to camp. Getting permission to fight didn’t mean we should beat the villains. It meant that we should protect ourselves.”

“You too, Tsu,” yelled Ochako, activating her Quirk to slow her landing in the forest.

“Of course me too,” said Tsu, preparing to leap after Ochako.

Unfortunately, the villain was too close, and Tsu was forced to dodge to the side again as the villain’s knife slashed through where she’d been standing. As it passed Ochako saw a small trail of blood as it sliced Tsu’s tongue.

“Tsu,” said the villain, pausing to admire her blood-stained knife. “Tsu. Tsu-chan.” She turned back to Tsu and pulled down her mask, revealing a manic smile and fanged teeth. “What a cute name. Imma call you that too.”

“Cut it out,” yelled Tsu, sounding angrier than Ochako had ever heard her. She knelt and attempted to leap away again. “Only people who are my friends can call me that.”

The villain was ready for her though. A needle cylinder flew out and speared Tsu’s long hair against a tree, stopping her leap short. She was yanked backwards and crashed against the tree. “Yay! Then I’m your friend too, Tsu! All right!” The villain skipped excitedly towards Tsu, a bright, innocent smile on her face.

“Tsu,” said Ochako, landing and running back to her friend. She couldn’t leave her to the mercy of the crazy villain.

“You’re bleeding already, Tsu, my good friend.” The villain leaned in close to Tsu, almost close enough to kiss the frightened teen. “Isn’t blood cute? I love it so.”

“Get away from her,” yelled Ochako, just a few feet away. The villain changed her focus immediately from Tsu to Ochako. In a fluid motion she spun around and stabbed at Ochako with the knife in her right hand. Ochako responded on instinct, Gunhead’s instructions playing in her head.

She pivoted on her front foot and twisted away from the knife, making it miss her. The villain’s eyes widened in surprised, but she’d already overextended to stab at Ochako and couldn’t respond as Ochako’s hands shot out. She grabbed the wrist and the base of the villain’s neck. Then she used the villain’s own momentum against her, pulled her forward and onto the ground. The villain struck the ground hard, her knife flying from her hand. Ochako kept the hold as she glanced over to Tsu.

“Tsu, can you restrain her hands with your tongue?” she asked.

Tsu shook her head, her hair pulling against the weapon still holding her in place. “Give me a second for my tongue.”

“Ochako…” Her attention was drawn back to the villain pinned beneath her. “You’re a lovely one too.” The villain’s voice had changed from excited to something else. She sounded awed. “You’ve got the same smell as me.”

Ochako frowned. What could she mean by that? What could she have in common with a villain who had tried to hurt her and her friend?

“There’s someone you like, right?” said the villain. Ochako’s heart started to pound in her chest. The villain’s words struck at a thought she’d been trying not to think about. “And you feel like you want to be like that person, right?”

She thought about her fight with Bakugo, and how she’d wanted to win, just like Deku would in her place. The villain’s cloying words continued. “I can tell. One maiden to another.” The villain’s smile widened into a demented, toothy grin. “Of course you want to be like the one you love. It’s natural. So you end up decking yourself out to look like them. But after enough time, even that’s not enough. You literally want to become them. There’s no helping it.”

Ochako wanted to disagree. Wanted to tell the villain to shut up. But the words struck her heart and caused it to pound in her chest so hard it stole her voice. The villain’s eyes, golden and seeming more like a cat’s than a human, met her own. She couldn’t tear away her gaze as the villain kept going, her voice gaining an air of madness as she continued.

“So, what’s your type? I love the smell of blood. That’s why I always carve people up in the end. Right Ochako? It’s fun, right?”

#mha #toga himiko #uraraka ochako #togachako #togaraka #Path diverged in the woods

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