Vigilant - An MHA Alternate Universe Story

Chapter 8: Pa-Pa

Mrs. Uraraka had invited them in, despite Ochako's indifference. Now, Izuku and Mina sat on the couch in the living room while Ochako sat on the smaller loveseat perpendicular to them.

"S-Something bad is happening..." Izuku said.

"Lots of bad stuff have happened, Midoriya." She said.

Hearing her refer to his last name seemed to sting worse than any of name she could have given in that instant.

"So you've seen the news?" Mina asked.

"Yeah." Ochako nodded. "I like hearing from you, Mina. I like your calls to equality."

They both worried there was going to be a "but".

"But things are different now."

"Ochako..." Izuku said. "Maeko Hatsume from the news is hunting us all down. He tried to kill me."

Ochako did have a spark of concern in her eyes but not much emotion. "You know what happened."

Mina groaned. "That's it! First it took you two years before you finally confessed feelings. Now you're avoiding the inevitable once again!"

"Mina!" They shouted in unison.

"Ochako, Hatsume is illegally attacking ex-heroes and the government isn't doing anything about it! And one blanket law isn't stopping the ever-growing rate of crime worldwide!" Mina defended her case.

"Ochako... Not a day.... N-Not a single day goes by where I don't think about what I did."

"Izuku. Even now I still want to be there for you but you stopped caring about the rest of us. Your Quirk went uncontrollable after that villain hit you with a drug. But it wasn't the fact that people died that I gave up... It's because you left me." Ochako explained. Hot tears gathered in her eyes.

"I did it to protect you... I saw why my mentor All Might was always working alone so I took that same path. I'm too dangerous even now..."

"Ochako... We all lost that day." Mina said. "It's not his fault."

"Look, we're only here to warn you of what's about to happen!" Izuku snapped.

Ochako looked at them both. "It's been a year and two weeks since you left us..."

Izuku lowered his head in shame.

"You're not here to come back, are you?"

He slowly shook his head. "I can't trust myself anymore."

"But you're with them." She gestured to Mina.

"I'm not planning on staying."

"What?" Mina turned toward him.

"I'm only here to gather everyone I love under...something to protect them because Hatsume won't hold back." Izuku said.

"...Pa-Pa?"

All three heads in the room turned toward the source of the sound.

A little girl with silk-white hair and a small horn on her right temple stood in the hallway in a nightgown just a little too big for her frame. She was no older than twelve yet still appeared much younger.

Izuku fell silent as she dashed across the room and landed in his lap, wrapping her arms around his shoulders.

"Eri!" Ochako scolded.

Izuku felt his own tears escape down his cheeks as he hugged her back.

"I pr-prayed every...night that I'd see you a-again!" She sobbed into his shoulder.

"Of course you'd..." He stopped himself. "I'm here now... It's okay."

Ochako and Mina felt as though they couldn't carry on with the conversation with such innocent ears present.

"I missed you..." Izuku whispered.

"I think it's time you two went home. It's late and Eri has school tomorrow." Ochako said.

"She has school?" Izuku asked.

"She starts at the new academy just two blocks away."

"I'm scared... I want you to walk me there, Pa-Pa..." Eri whimpered.

Izuku chuckled a little. "Eri, sweetie. You'll do great. You're a big girl now."

"Not without my hero..." She whined.

"Eri, come on. I'll tuck you into bed. Let's go." Ochako said walking over and scooping her out of Izuku's arms.

"Are you staying, Pa-Pa?" The little girl asked.

"I-I have to get going, sweetie... I-I love you."

Eri pouted and waved her hand to him. "I love you more, Deku-Pa."

"Goodnight, Eri." He managed a smile and waved back, watching Ochako carry her away.

"Thank you for stopping by, but I'll look after my family here. I can manage." Ochako said to the two. "See you later, Mina."

"Bye..." Mina said back.

Izuku stood up and they both walked out.

"Send her a message." Mina said as they now walked down the street. "We need you, Izuku. You're not the unstable monster the media said you are."

"It's not me they called a monster..." Izuku said.

"Well, whatever they said, nobody could understand what you were going through." Mina said.

"Whatever that drug did to me is still in me... I haven't used my Quirk in full since that day...until the other night when Hatsume nearly killed me."

Mina lowered her head. "If he wants to mess with the bull, he's gonna get the horns one way or another. I wasn't kidding. I don't care the risks, we need you. With you by my side at our next rally, we'll win more people over!"

"Nobody thinks of me as the Symbol of Peace anymore." Izuku said.

"...Because it's not a peaceful time." She sighed. "It's time we fight fire with fire. I have a plan for that but it's only if things go south... Very south. Hatsume has yet to actually do harm to anybody."

"GAH!" Minoru gasped as he lunged out of a nearby alleyway covered in trash.

Izuku and Mina both screamed in unison.

"Oh, GUYS!" Minoru was about ready to jump up and hug them. Mina suspected he was doing it because of the dress she was wearing and stepped back.

"M-Mineta?!" Izuku asked.

"All....whopping...six inches of me." He said out of breath.

Unsure if that was a pun on his height or dick joke, they shook it off and stayed focused. "What happened to you?" Mina asked.

"Your pink-haired techno-pimp threw me out of my club. Literally, he threw me out the window. Then proceeded to chase me for a few kilometers in the streets." He said.

"Hatsume?!" Izuku asked.

"Yeah. Speaking of which, I never lost him." Minoru shrugged.

"You dumb son of a bitch!" Mina snapped.

"That makes THREE of you!" Maeko Hatsume shouted, bursting from the other end of the alleyway, staring them all down. Two metal tentacles were sticking out of a thin pack attached to his jacket on back.

Although they were prepared for a fight, their guards dropped when Tenya appeared behind Maeko.

"I strongly disagree with these barbaric actions, Hatsume. And I-" He made eye contact with his old friends.

"Nah. I'm killing them." Hatsume frowned.