From the Ground Up: Kacchako

Chapter 32: Boundaries

The next day-
Ochako_
Ochako munched on a cracker as she sat on Mina's couch, clad in comfy clothes and her hair pulled into a bun.

Mina came padding down the hallway, flopping down next to her on the couch with a happy sigh.
"Yes! I finally got him to sleep! Reiji is such a hard baby to put to sleep."
She whisper-yelled, and snatched a cracker from the box in Ochako's lap.
"So,"
Ochako said quietly.
"When do you plan to start your hero work again?"
Mina pursed her lips in thought.
"I'm not sure. Me and Ejiro were a team for so long...it feels weird to not be out there with him right now, fighting at his side."
"Do you miss it?"
Mina looked her friend in the eye.
"Do you?"
Ochako tilted her head and looked down at her hands, flexed her fingers a few times.
"I do."
She said finally, examining her hands.
"I really do. It's just- I haven't fought in so long since..."
"What happened? In that- place?"

Ochako stared into her friends eyes for a little, pondering on what to say. Where to start.
Once her mind sorted through the words, she explained everything. The best she could, anyway. About the water prison, the blackouts, the horrific short memories, and about the person who got her out. And about what she hadn't even dared tell Katsuki,
"I'm- I'm afraid Mina. I'm so scared. My quirk was gone for so long...I can't feel it anymore. I've tried to use it on small things, but nothing happens. What if- what if they took it from me..."
Her voice began to wobble, and Mina gripped her hand so hard it hurt.
"Hey,"
She said in a stern voice, a mother's voice.
"That's not what happened. I know it. You haven't lost your quirk there's no way. I can feel it"
Ochako blinked back the burning tears threatening to fall.
"How are you so sure?"
Mina sighed through her nose and sat back, releasing her hand.
"When Reiji was born, Ejiro lost touch with his quirk for a few weeks."
"What?"
"He was afraid he'd hurt Reiji, and his quirk just- vanished. He was so scared he'd hurt our boy that he somehow suppressed his hardening quirk for a little without meaning to. It came back when he was sure that he wouldn't hurt Reiji"
"I didn't even know that was possible"
"Neither did we. But- I guess it is. I think that's what happening to you"
"But I'm not scared of hurting anybody."
"No, but maybe you're scared for yourself. These people- they kidnapped you and used your quirk against you. They took everything from you. Maybe your mind is suppressing it so that you can't use it, so nobody will know that Uravity is alive."

Ochako looked back down at her hands, the hands that used to save people, that used to do good in the world.
For the first time since she got out of that water cage, she wanted to fight again. She could feel the breath rushing through her lungs, the muscles that had gone un-used for months begin to yearn for strength again.
She lifted her eyes back to Mina.
"I want to fight again,"
She declared. Mina perked up.
"I want to let the world know I wasn't beaten, and that I'm still here. I want to be Uravity again. I can't let Katsuki and Ejiro do all of the fighting because I was hiding in a corner."
A grin spread across Mina's lips.
"I knew you wouldn't be able to sit on the sidelines for long"
"There's just one problem. I've searched the apartment, there's no sign of my suit. I can't find it anywhere"
Mina smiled again.
"That's because Katsuki threw it out a little after you disappeared, but, lucky for you, I am the greatest friend ever."
She jumped off the couch and disappeared down the hall again, and when the emerged, she had a large, tightly sealed black box in her arms.

She dropped it onto Ochako's lap.
"Woah, what's with the new box?"
She said, Mina sat down next to her.
"They're a new-released compartment for hero suits. It keeps the fabric new and stops anything from happening to suits with special-suited material"
"...so why does my suit have one? My quirk doesn't effect the state of matter."
"It was my old one, kept my acid from damaging the material. But I figured yours needed more preserving."
Ochako shrugged and flipped the lid open, nostalgia hitting her like a wave once she set eyes on her suit. She ran her hands over it.
"So, how do you plan to get your quirk to wake up?"
Mina said, quirking her head to the side. Ochako bit her lip.
"One of the earliest memories I have of my quirk is from when I fell off a swing set, and before I could hit the ground, my quirk saved me. I think it was the fear of falling that jump-started it."
"...so, what? You're going to jump off a swing set and see what happens?"

Ochako smiled and turned her head to her friend.
"I'm going to jump off the highest building I can find."
Mina's brows went up.