summary - iida is vengeful, ochako is flustered, and [first name] is finally reunited with her favorite hero.
...
"Iida-kun seems... off," you uneasily told Izuku, away from the other students. "Is he alright?"
He had been distant. Not physically, no, but he just wasn't there. He would stay quiet during lunch, only speaking when he felt obligated to. He was more erratic too, shaky. You noticed his leg impatiently tapping under the lunch table, as if he was anticipating something, when you ate with the trio. He was pretending to be perfectly fine, and it bothered you. You weren't the best of friends, of course, but still. It hurt to see him like this.
You wanted to be someone he could confide in. You wanted to be seen as reliable.
Izuku slightly shrugged, but you could see the heavy worry making his face sag with stress. He and Iida are close, aren't they? "He's been different since the Sports Festival... I might not be the person to tell you this, but his brother, Ingenium, got attacked during the Sports Festival. By Stain. Didn't you see it on the news?"
"Oh. I don't really... watch the news that much anymore." It was true. Heroes didn't interest you in the same way they did before. Some heroes were sick, you realized, when you saw one posing like a savior for the news after beating up a teen for pettily stealing a pack of gummies and a box of cigs. Yes, some criminals deserve to be beat up, but for stealing some gummies? Shouldn't they have just tried talking to the kid? Maybe you're more empathetic because you yourself are a shoplifter, but still.
You were going to be better than that.
"I hope he's alright." You glanced at the aforementioned boy's direction. That must be hard for him. Iida really, really looked up to his older brother. He was proud of his heritage, coming from a family of Pros and all.
You then tried to lighten the mood. "So, Gran Torino, huh?"
After talking to Izuku, you couldn't help but walk up to Iida before the trains boarded. Even though you weren't as close to him as Uraraka and Izuku were, he's still your friend. You closed the distance between your bodies, giving him a sudden, assuring hug. His muscular form stiffened against your soft body, and only relaxed when you let go and stepped back. He was silent as his bespectacled red eyes searched your face.
You looked at him, confused. What was he looking for? Genuinity? You felt so vulnerable under his piercing red gaze. You didn't know that he felt the same.
He then did something you didn't expect from him.
He desperately pulled you back into him. His arms briefly wrapped around yours. He smelled good. Like expensive cologne. But there was a horrible lingering odor that hung around him like a dense fog. You could sense it – smell it, even with the help of your antennae. The pheromones he was emitting – it was despair. He smelled so sad and spiteful; it was almost unbearable.
You would bear it though.
You hugged back, of course, and gave him a slight comforting squeeze. He rested his warm cheek against yours before pulling away and letting you out of his quick grasp.
"Thank you," he whispered, his face strangely tense and solemn. "Thank you, [last name]." It was unsettling. Yes, he was usually pretty serious, but not like this. He was never this... gaunt.
"Good luck," you quietly told him. "Stay safe on your internship." He was heading to Hosu, where the Hero Killer Stain was last rumored to be. It made you feel anxious. What if he gets attacked too? Or maybe he's planning on getting attacked, to encounter Stain – to get revenge for his brother.
No. Iida seems rational enough not to do something so reckless. But either way, you had to sympathize with him.
Iida stared into your eyes, a troubled storm brewing in his red irises. Yes, luck. He'll need it for what he was planning on carrying out. And as he gazed into your soft eyes, he couldn't resist engulfing your frame in another hug, taking you by surprise. You wrapped your four arms around him, bringing his head to your shoulder. He would need all the luck he could have.
You sat beside Uraraka on the bullet train to your internship. You were both heading to the West, her to Ehime for Gunhead while you were heading to Hiroshima for Miruko.
Yes, you chose Miruko. You had called her a few days ago, asking why she said not to choose Hawks, and she simply said, "I'm just better, of course!" You couldn't deny it. Additionally, you decided you should mainly focus on combat for now. It would really help.
At your feet was a briefcase labeled 0 and it contained your hero costume. It was rushed as you only had a few hours to design it, but you were so glad you got it in time. Although, you haven't looked at it yet. You decided to save the excitement for when you reach Hiroshima.
Your sketch was something that was extremely aerodynamic, with hard boots and studded knuckles for combat. You hoped they captured your vision. You sort of copied the costumes of a few pros and mixed them together...
"Ah, I'm so tired." A soft yawn managed to escape through Uraraka's pink lips. She hugged her briefcase to her chest. "I barely slept last night because of how excited I was!"
You couldn't suppress a small yawn of your own as you complacently nodded, resting your eyes because you were also a bit tired. "Same. I'm kinda scared, to be honest."
She tilted her head. "Hm, why?"
'Oh my God, she's so cute,' you thought. You timidly looked down at your lap. "I don't know, I just feel like I don't really deserve to be here. You guys already know what you're doing."
You only got internship offers because you knew both Hawks and Miruko personally. If not for them, you would still be in 1-C, in the General Education course. It wouldn't be that bad though. You really did love all your classmates.
Still, you want to change hero society, and being in the Heroics Course is the first step.
She stared up at you incredulously. "Are you pulling my leg?? You did amazing! I mean, you got further than me," she said, her voice full of shame as she scratched her jaw.
You furrowed your brows. "Well, we lost to the same asshole, so we're basically the same. But anyways, you're super strong, by the way. I really thought you were going to beat him!" You tried to sound as reassuring as you could.
She bashfully giggled, a noise that made your face flush, and smiled widely at you. "Thanks, [last name]-chan."
You smiled back at her and she blushed. You looked too beautiful, she thought. Uraraka thought you were genuinely one of the prettiest girls in your year, and she always wanted to eat lunch with you.
It made her a bit disappointed when you didn't.
"Hey, you can call me [first name], okay?" you muttered, shyly looking away.
Uraraka grinned, wide and sweetly. "Then you can call me Ochako!" She stifled another yawn, covering her mouth.
"I'll wake you up if you wanna sleep," you sweetly offered. You still have four hours left of the train ride.
She languidly nodded and let out a sleepy hum. She was totally slumped! Her head softly lolled forward, so her neck was craned over her case, which supported her head. That can't be good for her spine.
You clicked your tongue. Being the good friend you are, you gently wrapped an arm around her shoulder to sit her up straight, while the other brought her head to rest on your shoulder. As you were tired yourself, you laid your own head on hers. She was the perfect height to act as your pillow.
And you fell asleep.
...
Ochako was not asleep. Well, maybe she did sleep for four hours, but-! She had woken up to a pressure on top of her head, and when she glanced to the side, she was met with your neck. Ah, she was sleeping on your shoulder.
She was sleeping on your shoulder.
Her face burned red and she couldn't help but bury her face into her hands. No, no, this is normal for girl friends to do. Yeah, girl friends – as in, girls who are friends! Just friends.
But you're just so cool and strong and pretty and kind and tall and caring and have such nice hair– Is it normal to think so much about your girl friends? She didn't think this much about Tsu or any of the other girls in her class. Yes, she admired them and all that, but this was... different? Yes. Definitely different. She didn't turn pink at the thought of those other girls or get jealous when she thought about how they were surrounded by other people. She didn't stare at them longingly in the halls, waiting for them to send her a smile.
Additionally, she gets so irked when she sees you hanging out with that mean purple-haired boy – the one that declared war against her class. You were there too, when he declared that "war", and you looked so cool and intimidating as you stood in front of that mob and your eyes slowly raked over her classmates' forms. Your voice was so smooth and confident when you spoke about getting into the Heroics Course. She couldn't believe you when you said you felt you didn't deserve your spot.
She saw you pull Deku away earlier to talk with him. Deku. She began to wonder if he liked you, or if you liked him. You two hug so much. Are you dating? The thought made her feel queasy as she pressed her pink lips against each other and knit her brows together.
Deku was cool too, though – not as cool as you, but still admirable.
Sometimes she wished she had a mind-reading quirk. She wanted so badly to know what you thought of her. She turned red at her wild imagination, her hands returning to her face. When the pink pads of her fingertips touched her face, she began to float, and she quickly realized that she forgot to deactivate her quirk.
Your head uncomfortably fell to the side when Ochako reached the roof, due to the lack of the pillow her head acted as. You tiredly shifted your head, looking up at the girl whose head was pressed against the train's ceiling. When you finally registered what was going on, you let out a genuine laugh, your eyes widening. "How'd you get up there, Ochako-chan?" you asked, still laughing at her uncomfortable position.
"Stupid quirk..." she grumbled in humiliation, covering her pink face again. Her other hand pushed down her skirt, hoping that no one decided to look up at her.
You grabbed her ankle and pulled her down. She let out a flustered yelp at this action. Finally, she was able to make herself stop floating and she plopped back into her seat beside you. "How embarrassing," she whispered, hunching over and hiding her bright red face from your laughing face. She looked close to passing out.
A lifelessly automated female voice rang through the bullet train car, interrupting her thoughts, "Arriving at Hiroshima Central Station. Thank you."
You stood up and Ochako was once again reminded of your tall stature, which looked even taller from her seated position. She had to crane her neck up to look at you face to face.
"Bye, Ochako-chan," you smiled, genially patting her back. "I'll see you after my internship. Good luck!"
"B- buh-bye, [first name]-chan. Ah, and good luck to you too!"
...
"[LAST NAME]-CHAN!!!!" Miruko, who wasn't in her hero costume, ecstatically hopped over to you, engulfing you in a tight side hug, which you happily returned. God, you love her. She urgently picked up one of your bags. "Come on, let's go before the paps come hunt me down."
Paps. Paparazzi. You wondered if they would start rumors of you dating Miruko if they saw you two together. I mean, if they did it with Hawks, they ought to do it with her too. Otherwise, they're just homophobic...
"I don't have an agency, because I usually travel around Japan fighting all sorts of crime, but I'm in my hometown for a few weeks, so I thought, why not offer you an internship?" she explained, pulling you into the Uber she ordered.
The driver glanced into her mirror and gasped, doing a double take. "Oh my Goodness! Miruko!!" she exclaimed. "Can I get a picture? You're so beautiful in real life!"
"Anything for a fan!" She winked, posing for the picture.
"You see, when I became a hero, I learned that you have to be photogenic," she said to you. "Especially since you're such a pretty girl, I bet people'll ask for your picture left and right!" Her voice was optimistic and direct as she eyed you up and down. She had such a hard stare – trying not to blush was a difficult task.
"Thanks, but I doubt it," you muttered, averting your eyes. "At the end of the day, I'm still a mutant, y'know? A lot of people think it's ugly..."
People looked at you weird. Your four arms and black eyes and ribbed antennae brought people's attention to you, and it usually isn't good attention. Their eyes showed disgust and disdain at your uncommon, insect-like appearance.
It was disheartening.
You couldn't help but wonder how they would act if you only had the wings. They would like you more, wouldn't they? You would probably be just as appraised as Hawks. Or would you still be looked down upon because they're not as beautiful and vibrant as a butterfly's?
You barely had any time to register a hard blow across your cheek, which forced your head to the side. It took you a few seconds and your ringing head to realize what just happened.
Oh my God.
You just got slapped by Miruko. Hard. Like, she was not holding back in the slightest.
You slowly connected your eyes to her fiery red irises as one of your hands rubbed the sore and bruising area on your face. "...Did you just slap me?" you lowly whimpered, pain clear on your face.
"I hate when people say dumb shit like that." She unexpectedly glared at you. "Listen to me: you are a gorgeous girl. I know you are." Even though her message was positively beyond sweet, her tone was... Well, it sounded like she wanted to kill you.
"Repeat after me," she demanded, grabbing your shoulders and squeezing them tightly. "I, [last name] [first name], am a gorgeous girl!"
At your bewildered silence, she repeated her words, shaking you back and forth. "I am a gorgeous girl!"
"I... I, [last name] [first name] am a gorgeous girl," you wobbly said.
"Louder!"
"I, [last name] [first name], am a gorgeous girl!"
"DO YOU HEAR YOURSELF? I AM A GORGEOUS GIRL!"
"I AM A GORGEOUS GIRL!"
...
Miruko stood in front of her apartment door. "Alright, welcome to my humble abode..."
Your jaw dropped when she opened the door. It was anything but humble! The first thing that caught your eye was a statue of a leg. Her leg. Yes, very humble, Miruko. You let out a sound of amazement at her beautiful home. "Wow..."
She showed you to her guest room, which was where you would stay for the week-long field study.
"Put on your costume, we're going on patrol!"
"Already!?"
And for the first time ever, you were going to see your hero costume. You haphazardly threw the case onto the bed. Your anticipating fingers latched under the cold metal locks and slowly lifted the lid of the hefty silver suitcase to reveal your hero costume. Your hands reached for the cloth and pulled it out. Oh my God.
Your hero costume looked almost exactly like your sketch and had the colors you wanted: Black, white, red, brown, gray. When you looked close enough, the main suit had a small hexagonal pattern.
You slipped into the shiny spandex, which had four short sleeves that were a bit snug around your arms, but otherwise fit perfectly. The sleeves ended halfway down your deltoids. There were slits in the back to stuff your wings through, but it was such a struggle. How did Takami do this everyday? You let out a sigh of relief when you finally got them through the back of your tight suit and zipped it up. The breathable spandex suit stretched across your skin, molding to perfectly cling to all the delicate curves and muscles of your body. The silver zipper trailed from about an inch below your navel all the way up to your neck.
Around the neck, there was a big furry lapel that was detachable. It was so soft and you were glad you stole the idea from Miruko's costume. You then pulled on your fuzzy boots, which reached mid-calf, and laced them up. They were heavy because of the steel toes and reinforced sole. You thought it would make your kicks more dangerous. You also had a hidden compartment for a small butterfly knife in your boots. What? You can never be too safe, you know. You were seriously considering requesting a gun too.
In addition to the boots, you had requested shin guards, knee pads, forearm guards, and elbow pads – for safer landings. You didn't trust yourself to have perfect landings like Takami.
You slid on the gray forearm guards. There were two sets of thick brown gloves that were similar to armored motorcycle gloves. The knuckles were studded with brass for extra punching power and the insides were thickly padded to protect your hands and soak up the unreal amount of nervous sweat your palms produced. The cuffs were, of course, covered in a light-colored shearling fur. Obviously, all the fur on your costume was fake.
You had also asked for a brown utility belt that would wrap around your thigh, in a fashion that was not unlike a garter. In it was medicine for migraines, bandages, and a few other things – Kosei's moth-shaped charm being one of them. Ah, you already missed him. Attached to the belt was a capture weapon, similar to the one around Eraserhead's neck. You had seen him use it in the halls to wrangle unsuspecting or rule-breaking students. Your version was just much smaller than his.
You pulled on a pair of custom over-ear headphones, which were decorated with a creamy fur. They had a small built-in transmitter and microphone.
The final touch to your costume was a dark helmet. It looked like a motorcycle helmet, but the top and back were molded to be more aerodynamic. The visor was heavily tinted, so your enemies wouldn't be able to see which direction you were looking in – and so lights wouldn't bother you as much. You, on the other hand, could see everything very clearly. The sides of the helmet had a design that looked like your wings. Of course, there were two small holes in the top to stick your antennae through.
You stared at yourself in the vanity that was in the guest bedroom. It felt good to be in your costume – empowering even. You were reminded that if everything goes right, you'll get into the Heroics Course. You can become one of them.
It took you over half an hour to get your whole costume on. After taking a few pictures of yourself in your costume and sending them to Aina, you exited the room to see Miruko sitting on her couch. She was already in her hero costume, which consisted of her white leotard and fuzzy scarf. She jumped up in shock, staring you up and down. "[first name], is that you? I almost didn't recognize you, with that helmet and all!"
Your gloved hand flipped the shadowed visor upwards, revealing your alluring inky eyes and the bridge of your nose. From the adorable scrunch of your nose bridge and the way your twinkling eyes were crescents, Miruko could tell you were grinning in what could only be described as joy. "Cute, right?"
"Sexy!" she squealed out in English, shooting you a grin.
"Thank you, Miruko!" you sang, giving her a 360 twirl of your costume.
"Call me Rumi when we're at the base, alright?" By the base she meant her apartment. She was letting you call her by her first name. How did you get this close with the number 6 Pro Hero? "But remember-! Code names while we're out, alright, Saturnia?"
...
wc - 3,465 words
why did i forget iida existed sorry yall (def wrote him ooc sorry) justice for canon red eyed iida !!!! but anyways long overdue ochako scene ❤️
also, chapters will be getting longer from this point on ! just abt every chap is 5k+ words !!!