Controlee

84. So We Ask For Help From Those We Love

For those of you reading chronologically with SSD: Ellie, this chapter comes after 3. Fix-It.

So, there's a conversation in here. That references a conversation that happened a long time ago in this book. And I cannot, for the life of me, remember if that historical conversation actually happened or I just invented it from nothing. So... enjoy that. I hope I didn't invent it. If I did, I hope I explain it decently enough in text that it makes sense. 🤦‍♀️

Rule 94: Be willing to rely on others in the way they rely on you.

"My work studies mentor is actually insane." Otsuka had only experienced one day with the woman, but this was one thing Otsuka could be sure of. She wasn't the only student who'd had their first work studies day today. Hawks had actually come to UA to pick up Tokoyami this morning while almost everyone else was rushing off to the train station.

"All the best people are," TT replied distractedly, fiddling with a brick phone that looked older than him. It was odd because TT's phone had been confiscated, but Otsuka wasn't about to bring it up. It would probably get him in trouble if anyone found out he had it.

"Yeah. But she's also amazing and I think I'm in love."

TT snorted, but then she felt the bed move as he sat up sharply. "You're being a dramatic teenager, right?"

Otsuka gave him a dry look. "She's an adult, she's a little old for me. I was obviously exaggerating." AG, or Silver as was her actual name (and, yes, the hero name of AG did come from the chemical symbol for silver, Otsuka had asked), was awesome, but Otsuka wasn't interested in her in that way.

TT nodded, sagging back against his bed in relief. "I miss the old days when you were too young for romance."

Now it was Otsuka's turn to scoff. "But seriously," she continued, "she's actually so fast it looks inhuman."

"What's her quirk?" he mumbled, clicking actual buttons (not a touchscreen) on his phone.

Otsuka frowned, trying to remember if Silver had told her. For an underground hero, Silver had been pretty informative and forthcoming with information. At least, she had after a mishap early on in the training. Otsuka had tried to push herself to really show Silver the extent of her stamina, but Silver hadn't been interested in seeing that side of things at the time. Since then, Silver had tried to be abundantly clear of her expectations for everything Otsuka did. It was maybe a bit more than Otsuka really needed, but— at the same time— the clarity was comforting.

Thinking back over it all, Otsuka didn't think they'd ever got on to discussing Silver's quirk. They'd talked plenty about Otsuka's. Maybe Silver was waiting for Otsuka to ask about it.

Or it could be something more than that. Silver worked as an underground hero. To survive in the underground, every advantage was a good advantage. Aizawa had taught 1-A that. It was possible that Silver kept her quirk a secret to help surprise her enemies as much as possible.

"I have no idea."

TT hummed, and Otsuka couldn't tell if he was making that sound because he was curious or if he just wanted to sound like he was paying attention. He smoothed his thumb over the buttons of the phone he really shouldn't have had.

She frowned at him, considering. "But it's got to be pretty powerful because she totally threatened to kill me with it," Otsuka said nonchalantly, watching and waiting for the moment TT realised what she was saying. He didn't. "Then she also said she'd kill anyone I told."

She watched as TT nodded along, making another quiet sound that suggested he was listening when he clearly wasn't. She could probably say anything right now and he wouldn't catch a thing. This was the kind of thing teenagers recorded to show their friends and laugh, right? Otsuka probably shouldn't do that though, especially not with TT's phone visible. They were both in enough trouble not to make it worse.