Chapter 117: A Family Reunion
"Keep your head on a swivel!" Ocelot loudly shouted, while Yaoyorozu breathed heavily. Adorned in her hero costume, she wiped away a bead of sweat from her brow. For whatever reason, today's exercise was held later than normal, the sky an inky black above. Paintballs soared over her, far too close for her comfort. They likely would have hit her, had she not dived out of the way. Transitioning to a brief roll, Yaoyorozu soon stood up and rapidly aimed her two Beretta M9s at their targets, a handful of villain robots Ocelot had borrowed. There was mostly a bunch of one-pointers, with a smaller number of two- or three-pointers littered about.
Without much of a second thought, Yaoyorozu pulled the triggers on her guns in quick succession, firing out six paintballs. Each one struck a robot in front of her, and Yaoyorozu quietly imagined the real rounds smashing through metal. Instead, six robots detected the paint striking them and either shut down or staggered backwards. Not letting up, Yaoyorozu continued firing, while booking it to a small concrete wall.
As she ran, Yaoyorozu's arms shifted around, always trying to stay on target. It was like an old western shoot-out, as both her guns focused on a different enemy, and were constantly moved about. Another three robots shut down then, blue paint coating their now "broken exterior". Reaching the wall, Yaoyorozu slid up to it like a baseball player nearing a base.
Once there, she looked down and found her Berettas empty, their slides pulled backward. With a shaky breath, the girl began to reload, first by passing her right pistol to her left hand. With her right hand free, she drew two mags from her utility belt and slammed them into her guns. Quickly pressing the slide release, both guns' slides shot forward, bringing a round to their chambers. Of course, as she did this, she heard Ocelot shout through a megaphone again.
"The enemy won't give you time to rest! You can't give them any time either!" Ocelot warned her, right as a two-pointer slammed into the concrete wall she hid behind. Bits of rubble flew everywhere, as dust clouded the area. Coughing loudly, Yaoyorozu accidentally dropped her guns. The two-pointer, seeing it narrowly missed Yaoyorozu, began to turn around. With little time, Yaoyorozu unholstered her backup weapon, an M134 minigun mounted to her exo-skeleton.
In seconds, the gun was in her hands, and before the two-pointer could even stop her, Yaoyorozu held down the trigger. In just ten seconds, six hundred rounds shot forward, plastering the two-pointer in paint. Any defense it could provide was overwhelmed as its sensors forced the machine to shut down. At the same time, the robot's companions came rushing in to help, only for Yaoyorozu to turn and "cut" them down.
Of course, unknown to the heiress was that she smiled the entire time. The entire thing was just exhilarating! A one-pointer tried to swipe at her, and Yaoyorozu simply dodged under its arm. Then, without a second thought, she shoved her minigun right where its head would be and held down the trigger. Were they real rounds, the machine would have been utterly torn apart. None of this mattered, though.
"You're falling behind!" Ocelot told her, snapping Yaoyorozu out of her brief joy. Time, Yaoyorozu wondered. Time? Time! How much time did she have left!? There were at least thirty robots; she had half an hour to destroy them all. She'd gotten twelve one-pointers, at least three two-pointers, one three-pointer… dam- dang it! How many were left!? Finding a brief lull in the fighting, Yaoyorozy rushed back to her Berettas and scooped them up. With both pistols in hand, the girl rapidly began to run around the obstacle course.
"The targets are escaping!" Ocelot commented, forcing a loud "What!?" from Yaoyorozu. The robots weren't supposed to escape! She didn't know they could! But… Ocelot did tell her to stay on her toes. He always enjoyed the exercises; he could spring some kind of trap or trick on her. Some unexpected revelation that showed she'd missed some key piece of info or didn't think of some possibility.
It… It's fine, though. I'll think of something, Yaoyorozu told herself. If they're taking the entrance out, then she could cut off the final robots there… except that's what Ocelot expected her to assume. The robots held no care for damaging the area; they could just as easily smash their way out of the maze! If that was true, then how would Yaoyorozu find them all? Maybe… a metal detector! She'd make a metal detector and follow it to them- but that was stupid!
What she'd just wave around a handheld metal detector like an elderly tourist on a beach!? It wouldn't work! Her best bet would be to corner off whatever stragglers she could find… only that ran the risk of the majority getting away! Desperately, Yaoyorozu tried to think up a plan, all while booking it to… somewhere. She didn't know where to go. She didn't know what to do. No plan she thought of was good enough in her mind.
"Six targets left, three have escaped," Ocelot announced, filling Yaoyorozu with more panic. Quickly, Yaoyorozu rounded a corner and found the last three-pointer running away from her. In seconds, Yaoyorozu fired at the machine, paint striking its outer arms and back. Instantly, the robot collapsed to the ground, and Yaoyorozu rushed off to find the next target. Instead, a loud klaxon sounded off, signalling the exercise's end.
"All remaining targets have escaped, mission failed," Ocelot again announced, forcing Yaoyorozu to slowly slouch forward. Another day, another loss. Quietly, the girl walked out of the obstacle course, her head held low. When she reached the exit, Yaoyorozu found Ocelot there waiting for her. His arms crossed together, the cowboy looked Yaoyorozu over.
"What was lesson number one?" Ocelot asked her while she looked up at him.
"...No plan survives contact with the enemy," Yaoyorozu hesitantly replied, causing Ocelot to nod.
"And what was lesson two?" Ocelot asked, now holding up two fingers on his right hand.
"Be willing to improvise," Yaoyorozu answered, with Ocelot again nodding. It should have been an easy thing to do. For a moment, Ocelot stayed quiet before he eventually sighed. Drawing one of his revolvers, he began to twirl it around on his right index finger.
"I've seen your grades, you've got the brains for this kid," Ocelot commented, flipping his revolver into the air, "But none of that matters if you don't make a choice."
Yaoyorozu could only nod back. It was the same lesson every time. The same lesson Yaoyorozu had taken to heart, yet she just couldn't implement it. He said she was smart… but it didn't feel like it was true. Back during the USJ, she'd been the one leading Kaminari and Jiro. It was her making the decisions… did she make the right ones? Kaminari got grabbed because of something she failed to anticipate.
And during the massacre, Yaoyorozu… she had to embarrass herself on live TV, because she didn't know how to deal with Mineta free loading off of her. Not to mention every loss her class had against Akatani. As far as she knew, her victories were made purely by luck. It's hard to make a choice when her ideas always fail her in the end. Soon, Yaoyorozu saw another pair of boots walk up to Ocelot, and she found one of his men passing him an Idroid.
"Sir, message from the birdman," the man said, causing Ocelot to raise a brow and eventually grumble. Grabbing the Idroid, he turned back toward Yaoyorozu.
"I'd say we're done for the day. Get some rest, be ready for class tomorrow," Ocelot ordered, with Yaoyorozu quickly nodding in response. With that done, the cowboy began to walk away, leaving Yaoyorozu alone. None of her ideas were good enough. Every plan you choose fails- Yaoyorozu shook that thought away. Instead, a new one took hold, as her stomach rumbled loudly.
She didn't have dinner yet… and now that Yaoyorozu thought about it, she remembered a certain thing she'd been saving for later. Hearing her stomach rumble again, Yaoyorozu quickly began running back to the dorms. After how tough this exercise had been, why not treat herself? Reaching the dorms, Yaoyorozu swiftly rushed to her room and hid her Berettas under her bed.
She then took off her hero costume and switched to some more comfortable pajamas. A plain white pajama shirt and pants. All while trying to be as quiet as possible, the girl was unsure if anyone else was still awake. With that done, she quietly went back downstairs to the kitchen and opened the fridge. There, hidden behind a whole stack of food, was her prize. Carefully, Yaoyorozu began to rearrange the fridge's contents, giving her space to pull out four large pizza boxes.
Two held plain cheese pizzas, and two held pepperoni. Opening the boxes up, Yaoyorozu began placing the pizzas into their respective ovens, as the microwave wasn't nearly big enough for all of them. It took a while, but once they were fully reheated, Yaoyorozu pulled them all out of the oven, set them onto the kitchen's island, and quietly took in the aroma. It smelt delicious. She didn't know what it was, but the moment Yaoyorozu had tried her first slice, she'd been hooked.
Resting the hot pizzas on the counter, Yaoyorozu grabbed her first slice and tore into it. The thing was gone in seconds, and Yaoyorozu grabbed another slice. In minutes, an entire pepperoni pizza was gone, and for a moment, the realization gave Yaoyorozu pause. She was in the midst of biting another slice, the cheese stretching from the slice to her mouth. Her parents never really allowed her to eat this.
It was overly unhealthy, something unfit for someone of her stature. Not to mention the way she was eating it… It was undignified. Looking down at herself, Yaoyorozu found some pizza sauce had dripped onto her PJ shirt, and her pants were covered in crumbs. It earned a quiet grumble from Yaoyorozu. I may love the food, but that doesn't give me an excuse to be a slob, Yaoyorozu thought to herself.
Still, it felt somewhat liberating, not having to worry about what was and wasn't dignified. She could just eat what she wanted. It was a guilty pleasure of hers, one- the kitchen's lights flicked on. Rapidly, Yaoyorozu turned toward the light switch against the wall. Instantly, Yaoyorozu's eyes widened as she spotted Jiro standing next to it. Tiredly, the punk blinked, Jiro soon tiredly rubbing her eyes.
"Yaomomo?" Jiro asked, partly confused as she looked her friend over. Yaoyorozu felt like a deer caught in headlights. Mentally, she couldn't believe she'd been caught. Slowly, Jiro's eyes went from her friend to the two slices of pizza in Yaoyorozu's hand. Seeing them, and the sauce stain on Yaoyorozu's shirt, Jiro couldn't help but snort.
"Pigging out, are we?" Jiro jokingly asked, to which Yaoyorozu accidentally dropped her pizza.
"I-I-I-I no!" Yaoyorozu replied, practically pushing the pizza aside, "P-pigging out? W-why would I do anything of the sort?"
Her reaction earned a small laugh from Jiro.
"I'm just messing with you," Jiro replied, while tiredly walking forward. Of course, the closer she got, the better Jiro saw the pizza boxes Yaoyorozu had left on the counter. Along with the two and a half pizzas remaining.
"... That's a lot of pizza," Jiro cautiously muttered, the girl now staring at the food.
"...I was… hungry," Yaoyorozu hesitantly replied, while bashfully trying to dust the crumbs off herself. Jiro simply nodded back, the punk rocker still staring the pizza down.
"Can you spare a slice?" Jiro eventually asked, turning back toward Yaoyorozu again. In response, the heiress paused, now thinking the question over.
"...Possibly… maybe… I'm not sure," Yaoyorozu replied. It was difficult to fully say. She was still famished, and there wasn't exactly a meter to tell her how full she was. But one slice wouldn't be missed… probably. With a cautious hand, Yaoyorozu reached out and passed Jiro a slice of plain cheese pizza. To which Jiro quickly grabbed it and took a slow bite. All the while, the punk noticed Yaoyorozu's bashful looks, the heiress still desperately trying to clean the stain on her shirt.
"You know this is nothing to be embarrassed about, right?" Jiro told her as Yaoyorozu sighed.
"Yeah… It's not like I'm the daughter of the richest people in the country, and bound to a familial lineage ripe with tradition, formalities, and keeping up appearances," Yaoyorozu muttered, before her eyes shot open. She didn't mean to say any of that. Sarcasm had always been taught to her as something that was rude and uncouth.
"Heh, sarcasm from you? That's a first," Jiro commented, as Yaoyorozu looked back at her apologetically.
"I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me," Yaoyorozu apologized, though Jiro just waved it off. She genuinely didn't know where it came from, though. It was an entirely unwarranted remark that Yaoyorozu didn't mean… well, didn't fully me- no, no… it… There… may have been some pent-up anger. Anger Yaoyorozu didn't know she was holding.
"...Keeping up appearances… wanna talk about it?" Jiro cautiously asked, before taking a bite from her pizza.
"About this?" Yaoyorozu questioned, gesturing to herself and the pizza. Jiro just shrugged back, leaving Yaoyorozu quiet.
"...My parents have been… lying to me, about my weight," Yaoyorozu explained, the girl slowly remembering past events.
"So you've told me," Jiro replied, only to see Yaoyorozu shake her head.
"It's… worse, actually," Yaoyorozu added, while Jiro raised a brow. With a deep breath, Yaoyorozu grabbed another two slices of pizza for herself.
"I had a check-up with Recovery Girl recently. I don't weigh a hundred and four kilos, I weigh a hundred and thirty," Yaoyorozu told her, causing Jiro to sputter.
"W-what!?" Jiro exclaimed, coughing slightly as she tried to avoid choking on her food.
"That was my reaction too," Yaoyorozu commented, as she remembered the meeting in question. It turned out Hagakure had been right about her quirk. Yaoyorozu's fat cells were effectively super dense, allowing for more weight to be packed into them. So Yaoyorozu could look to be as thin as a stick, and still weigh a hundred pounds bare minimum. It also meant she was far stronger than she actually appeared.
But with all of that in mind, there was one small issue, or rather, a lack of one. Because her weight was perfectly fine. If anything, it might have been a tad bit low. Recovery Girl had gone through over a dozen tests, all determined that Yaoyorozu was healthy.
"...For at least eight years, my parents have had me on a strict diet. No greasy foods, and practically no sweets," Yaoyorozu began to mutter, "They gave me a personal trainer, a personal dietitian, a nutritionist, and a five-star chef, telling me it was all for my own good."
For a moment, Yaoyorozu just stared at the pizza in her hands, looking over the slightly melted cheese.
"Because a model hero is a healthy hero," Yaoyorozu added tiredly, now stacking both slices on top of each other. With one bite, she dug into both slices as if she were eating a sandwich.
"For the longest time, I trusted them. Trusting that they were right," Yaoyorozu stated, slowly chewing in between words.
"But… I was healthy," Yaoyorozu muttered again, "I was healthy, and I don't know if they just didn't realize I was, o-o-o-or that they didn't believe I was, or… if I wasn't in their eyes."
In the end, it didn't matter; it was all for nothing. Eight years spent avoiding anything that so much as resembled candy, just to find out she was perfectly healthy. It was all entirely pointless, and Yaoyorozu didn't even have a say in the matter.
"For whatever reason, they decided I needed a diet. Just like how I needed fencing lessons. How I needed a golf tutor. Or how I needed to know how to master ballet at six, or how to play the violin at age seven. O-or how to speak fluent Hungarian- Hungarian! At age nine!" Yaoyorozu went on, her voice slowly getting louder the more she spoke. Up until she was near yelling.
"In all my life, I haven't made a single real choice that wasn't already decided for by my parents!" Yaoyorozu exclaimed, before biting into her pizza sandwich again, "I've eaten what they've told me to eat, watched what they told me to watch, learned what they wanted me to learn, and acted how they wanted me to act! I've been their perfect, pretty, elegant, sophisticated Yaoyorozu heir, and I'm…"
Slowly, Yaoyorozu trailed off, the girl taking a slow, deep breath. Her body slumped forward slightly as Yaoyorozu looked back at Jiro, downtrodden.
"Yaomomo?" Jiro asked, concerned, while Yaoyorozu breathed deeply. She turned toward her pizza, looking at it hungrily, but she didn't take another bite.
"I'm tired…" Yaoyorozu muttered, her hand drooping to the kitchen's island. There wasn't a choice in life that she'd made for herself. And quietly, that gave Yaoyorozu some realization. Everything was decided for her, but now, as she trained to become a hero, for the first time in her life, she'd have to make real choices. Back during training with Ocelot, she'd have to make a choice.
"I want to make a choice for myself," Yaoyorozu commented, all while internally she began to panic. She wanted to make a choice for herself, but how? How was she going to know it was the right one? How was she going to determine what to do? There was a difference between deciding to eat pizza and deciding how to save a life. Could she even do that right? All her plans failed. It was just a mix of annoyance for Yaoyorozu. She was tired of everything being decided for her, tired of keeping up the image her parents wanted, tired of her own shortcomings, just tired. Of course, as she thought this, Jiro looked at her friend and gave her a smirk.
"And so you're holding a grand pizza rebellion?" Jiro asked rhetorically, before chuckling, "Not a bad start."
Yaoyorozu knew Jiro was partly joking, but it was a genuine compliment.
"I wouldn't worry about it," Jiro continued calmly, "We've all got to unwind and let go sometimes. It's not a bad thing."
Yaoyorozu remembered Grizzly saying something similar.
"You don't have to be Miss Princess all the time, living out all their choices," Jiro added, before looking Yaoyorozu up and down, "Doesn't mean you can be a slob."
"I wouldn't dream of being one," Yaoyorozu replied, somewhat offended, which caused Jiro to laugh. She went quiet again, though, just to think over everything.
"...They've made almost every choice for me in life. Now… now I have to make my own and… I'm terrified," Yaoyorozu commented, before watching as Jiro nodded.
"It's a good thing you're the smartest out of all of us," Jiro told her, before biting into the last of her pizza, "I'm sure you'll think of something."
That was semi-comforting to hear, but words could only do so much. Because Yaoyorozu didn't fully believe them. Again, both girls went quiet, allowing Yaoyorozu to snack on her pizza. A second entire pizza was soon gone by the time Jiro started looking around the lobby.
"...Want to stay up all night?" Jiro eventually asked, giving Yaoyorozu a mischievous grin. Yaoyorozu thought the proposal over cautiously. Normally, she wasn't up this late. Her parents would…
"...Sure," Yaoyorozu replied hesitantly, with Jiro smiling wider.
"Cool. Have you ever played Devil May Cry?"
Uraraka was nervous, but then again, who wouldn't be? The day had finally arrived, and her mission was now upon her. Taking in a few deep breaths, Uraraka tried to keep her head on straight as she walked. At the same time, she looked over her current gear, going over everything carefully. Running down a mental checklist, Uraraka had her phone, a bottle of water, some spare clothes, and a compass packed into a small backpack.
Along with her "gravity" hammer and the exoskeleton she'd requested for her costume. Speaking of which, since she didn't really know what else to wear, Uraraka had elected to borrow her hero costume for the time being. Now, Snake said the MSF would cover everything else, so this was all Uraraka had thought to bring along. And as she reached UA's airfield, Uraraka began to wonder if she had made a mistake.
"Ok… ok," Uraraka began to mutter aloud, "This is good. You're on time, you're all packed, there is nothing to worry about."
Looking around the airfield, she soon spotted Snake standing off to the side. Quietly, the man examined his watch before looking back up. With his one eye, the soldier saw her coming, and his arm dropped to his side.
"Uraraka," Snake calmly greeted, giving her a brief nod.
"Snake! Uh… sir!" Uraraka replied, somewhat panicking. Unsure of what to do, her left arm came up to her head for a clumsy salute. To which Snake raised his brow at the gesture.
"You don't have to salute. Legally, you're a civilian on this mission," Snake told her, causing Uraraka to pause.
"O-ok… gotcha," Uraraka replied, the girl nervously chuckling as her arm dropped down. At the same time, she took a few more deep breaths, trying to calm down.
"Nervous?" Snake questioned, seeing Uraraka's stressed expression.
"Somewhat," Uraraka answered. Now that the day was actually here, and she was about to leave, her brain just had to start bringing up all the possible ways this mission could go wrong. She could get crushed by a rhino, run into a band of poachers, get stung by a mosquito, and contract malaria; hell, she could trip and land on a jagged rock. Seeing this panic, Snake carefully crouched to her level.
"You have the option to back out, you know. The contract has a clause allowing you to change your mind," Snake told her, while Uraraka breathed in. It was tempting, but a quiet voice in the back of her mind just started taunting her again. All the usual thoughts spewed by the usual suspect flew by. And suddenly fear was replaced with spite. Uraraka wasn't a quitter.
"No, I'm good," Uraraka eventually decided, before taking a final deep breath. With that, Snake gave her a slow nod and stood back up.
"This way then," Snake said, the mercenary now beginning to walk away. Quickly, Uraraka kept pace behind him, all while her eyes surveyed the surrounding airfield. It looked to be particularly busy, as dozens of aircraft continued to take off and land around them. Not all of them were MSF-affiliated, shockingly enough. But just as Uraraka noticed this, she found that Snake began to slow down.
Looking forward, she spotted a lone Black Hawk helicopter resting on the tarmac. Around it, MSF personnel were busy fueling it up, as one man climbed into the pilot's seat. Thinking it was the aircraft assigned to her mission, Uraraka readied herself for the inevitable. That was, until she noticed a brown head of hair and a familiar dog inside the helicopter. Getting closer, Uraraka's eyes slowly began to widen as she recognized who was in the helicopter.
Her head now peeking through the vehicle's door, her eyes swiftly met another pair.
"Akatani?" Uraraka asked, as the other teen asked, "Uraraka?" at the exact same time.
"What are you doing here?" they both asked simultaneously, before they paused. Each teen opened their mouth to answer the other's question, but seeing the other attempt to speak made them freeze. Eventually, Uraraka decided to keep quiet, letting Akatani speak up.
"W-well, I wanted to do some contract work. Kinda a spur of the moment thing," Akatani replied, as Uraraka slowly nodded her head. That made some sense. She was… a little surprised. Akatani had said he was taking a break from missions… he also said he'd give them a goodbye whenever he was about to leave for one, Uraraka realized angrily. But she quietly rationalized it as him not having gotten around to it yet, and not that he simply wasn't doing it.
Of course, as she thought this, Uraraka slowly began to realize something. Why was Akatani in this helicopter? The same helicopter taking Uraraka on her mission?
"Wait… are you going with me?" Uraraka asked, seeing Akatani quickly become puzzled.
"With you? With you where…" Akatani began to ask in return, only for the dots to start connecting in his head, "We're on the same mission!?"
Rapidly wide smiles began to form on both teens' faces. Suddenly, Uraraka wasn't as worried as she was before. It was simply relieving to know he was going to be with her. With Akatani coming along, this would be so much easier.
"That's incredible! I had no idea!" Akatani exclaimed excitedly, "Was this a recent thing?"
"Sorta. I… may or may not need… money," Uraraka cautiously explained, as Akatani voiced a silent "ooooh".
"It's fine though!" Uraraka quickly added, before Akatani could say anything else, "With the two of us there, I'm sure this will be done in no time."
"I can show you the ropes if you need," Akatani offered, to which Uraraka quickly nodded her head. At the same time, both teens heard Snake clear his throat. Turning toward him, the merc motioned for Uraraka to get into the helicopter while also walking toward Akatani. Hopping into the aircraft, Uraraka sat down along the helicopter's side. Akatani meanwhile began shuffling closer to his dad. Once they were close enough, Snake put his hand on Akatani's shoulder.
Carefully, the mercenary took a slow, deep breath.
"Alright, be responsible, check in every hour," Snake told him, before pulling his son into a hug, "And take care out there."
"Dad…" Akatani muttered, slowly trailing off. Uraraka didn't see it, but she was sure the teen had an embarrassed smile on his face.
"I'll be fine," Akatani told him, with Snake only grumbling back. Seconds later, the merc sighed.
"Already too damn tall," Snake muttered as he let Akatani go.
"Five five is tall?" Akatani questioned, causing Uraraka to laugh.
"Too tall for my liking," Snake replied, the soldier then stepping back. Without another word, he slapped the helicopter's side twice, while the aircraft's rotors began to spin. There, Uraraka saw the pilot hear the noise, turn, and give Snake a brief thumbs up. Slowly, the helicopter's blades sped up, the wind now blowing the grass around. Just as the helicopter began to lift up off the ground and hover, Snake again grumbled.
"I love you, kiddo," Snake told Akatani, the words nearly inaudible to Uraraka. Akatani, however, heard him perfectly clearly.
"I love you too, Dad," Akatani replied, a faint smile on his face. By then, the helicopter had risen in the air.
"[This is Pequod, departing the area]" Uraraka heard the pilot state, and wordlessly, Akatani shut the helicopter's door. Once it was closed, the teen sat down next to Uraraka. Somewhat tiredly, he slouched into the chairs, watching as DD lay across from them. Quietly, the dog yawned while resting his head on the chair. With everything rather quiet, Uraraka slowly looked out the black hawk's window.
Below them, the ruins of Musutafu flew by, as the helicopter eventually reached the ocean. It was surprising just how fast they'd left the city, but then again, she'd never flown in a helicopter before. This may well have been slower than normal. That said, it did get her thinking.
"How long are we going to be flying to Africa?" Uraraka asked, her head turning toward Akatani. Looking back at her, Akatani carefully shrugged.
"Half a day probably," Akatani replied, with Uraraka thinking it over. That seemed about right. Africa was a continent away, and even if they were flying at nearly two hundred miles per hour, it would still take thirty-nine hours at a bare minimum. So this would likely be a long flight. Best to get comfy, Uraraka thought to herself, the girl carefully stretching in her seat. She paused mid-stretch, though, a new realization hitting her.
"Wait, how are we going to reach Africa in a helicopter?" Uraraka questioned aloud, as she again turned toward Akatani. Logically, it didn't make sense. Uraraka wasn't an expert on aircraft, but she knew the bare minimum the average person did. Aircraft needed fuel; the smaller the aircraft, the smaller the fuel tank. The only planes completing continent-to-continent trips were massive passenger planes. This was a helicopter; there was no way they were reaching Africa.
Perhaps she'd gotten the wrong idea. They'd land on one of the MSF's carriers, which was still shocking to think about, sail for a good few days, refuel, and then take off again. But Akatani said it would take them half a day of flying. Did he mean when they got to their plane? Or did he mean in the helicopter? Akatani is smart, Uraraka mentally commented. He'd know this helicopter wouldn't have the range to reach Africa.
So it was likely he meant option number one. Sure enough, he sat up in his chair and softly smiled.
"Oh, we're making a pitstop first, remember? We need to pick up our gear," Akatani explained, as Uraraka thought it over. Now that he said it, Uraraka realized Snake hadn't provided any of the gear he said he would yet. Slowly, she felt like a bit of a fool for not realizing that sooner. Of course, that didn't last long before Uraraka looked out the window again.
"Pitstop?" Uraraka questioned, "Where? We're in the middle of the ocean."
By now, she expected to see a carrier in the water. Instead, there was just an empty ocean. Nothing but miles and miles of water rested ahead of her, as far as the eye could see. If not on a ship, then where were they landing? It confused Uraraka to no end, as she continued to stare out the window. It took a while, but soon Uraraka spotted the ship. It brought her some relief, the girl now watching as the large, orange… very large… that's… that's a big ship.
The closer the helicopter got, the more the object Uraraka spotted looked less like a boat.
"...Akatani… what's that on the water?" Uraraka asked, earning a confused look from Akatani.
"Hmm?" Akatani replied, before he turned to look out the window. It took him a second to find what Uraraka meant. But the moment he found it, his face lit up into a wide, excited smile.
"Oh, got home quicker than I thought," Akatani muttered under his breath, a tinge of excitement leaking into his tone. Instantly, one word stuck out to Uraraka. Home? Home!? What did he mean home!? This wasn't… no, it couldn't have been! Slowly, the object got closer, and Uraraka's eyes slowly widened.
"Oh my gosh," Uraraka muttered, as she tried to rationalize what she was seeing. Along the water was what Uraraka could best describe as dozens of oil derricks, all connected with large bridges. Each platform was built like a honeycomb, and the entire series of structures sprawled outwards for what seemed like miles. There was an entire flight deck the size of a small airport, a docking yard built lower to the water than other platforms, and entire platforms covered in air defense weapons.
It was shocking, and Akatani soon noticed Uraraka's shock.
"...Did dad not tell you about this?" Akatani hesitantly asked, only for Uraraka to start shaking her head.
"No!" Uraraka exclaimed, her face practically pressed up to the window now. The entire thing was simply massive. And now that they were closer, Uraraka could see aircraft, ships, and even people moving about. Trams moved between the platforms, while possibly thousands of people mingled about. Then Uraraka remembered why this had caught her attention.
"You… you live here!? This is your home!?" Uraraka asked, shocked, now turning toward Akatani. For a moment, he stayed quiet, unsure if he should confirm it was, or if he should lie. But, slowly, he took one glance at Uraraka and started nodding his head.
"Yeah," Akatani replied, a fond smile forming as he looked out the window. Looking back out, Uraraka couldn't help but be amazed by everything.
"This is so cool! It's like I-Island!" Uraraka commented as more details came into view over time. How had this remained hidden for so long? The entire place sat miles off of Japan's coast. It wasn't some new structure either, how could it have been? All these platforms connected together; it had to be a multi-year-long endeavor. How had no one noticed it before? As she thought this, the helicopter started nearing one platform. It had a large, almost skyscraper-like structure in the middle of the platform.
Carefully, the helicopter landed on the platform's helipad. Once they were on the ground, Akatani rushed forward and pulled the door open. Swiftly, the teen hopped outside, and Uraraka watched as DD got up from his nap and followed Akatani. Following them both, Uraraka carefully walked forward. There, Akatani stopped in front of her, his wide, fond smile still present.
"Welcome to Mother Base!" Akatani excitedly told her, his arms gesturing to the platforms around them, "The HQ and home of the MSF."
Quietly, Uraraka laughed, finding the bit of showmanship a bit funny. Akatani laughed as well, his cheeks becoming a small pink that matched Uraraka's own. It was here that Uraraka had the best look of the area so far. Across neighboring platforms, Uraraka could spot what looked like parks and recreational areas. Alongside the industrial sounds of machinery and soldiers working, there was a faint cheering and laughter of people Uraraka couldn't see.
A baseball field stood on one of the platforms, and Uraraka could see hundreds flocking to it in droves. She could even hear the announcers discussing some game going on. For as militarized as this place was, it shockingly enough didn't feel like a military base. It felt more like a city on the water. An odd city, but it was a city of sorts. Truly, it was like setting foot onto I-Island. To Uraraka's surprise, though, she soon heard the sound of footsteps rapidly coming toward them.
"Midoriya!" a voice shouted in English, with Uraraka again quietly thanking Present Mic's lessons. Rather quickly, Akatani's head darted around the second he heard the voice. There, Uraraka spotted a different teen running toward them. His hair was a similar brown to Akatani's and was oddly long and spikey, with it being stylized into a ponytail. He was decently tan, possibly Mediterranean… no Northern European in complexion.
His clothes, meanwhile, were a plain short-sleeved white hoodie with a red stripe running along the middle, some knee-length jeans, and a red bandana over his forehead, along with a pair of sunglasses. A wide smile was on his face as the teen booked it toward them. For whatever reason, Akatani began to panic.
"W-wait, Rody!" Akatani called out, now holding his hands up and waving them in front of him. It didn't do much, as the now-named teen slammed into him. The sudden force caught Akatani off guard, but he managed to keep his balance. There, Uraraka realized Rody had grabbed Akatani into a hug.
"Dude, it's been so long!" Rody exclaimed with a laugh, as a small bird seemed to fly out of his hair. Carefully, the bird landed on Akatani's shoulder, the teen relenting as Rody continued to hug him.
"Missed you too, buddy," Akatani sighed, a hint of annoyance in his tone. Though to Uraraka, it seemed to be more joking annoyance, as the wide smile on his face told the true story. Slowly, Rody let Akatani go, and the two started up some kind of secret handshake. It gave Uraraka another chance to look around again. Only this time, she found that she and Akatani had drawn a crowd.
A handful of people had noticed Rody's stunt, and one by one, people began to come forward. Akatani eventually noticed them, and somehow his smile grew wider.
"Hey, Izuku's back!" a young boy bearing a close resemblance to Rody would yell.
"Izuku! Long time no see!" a red-haired woman would call out, as a younger brown haired man walked up alongside her. Rather quickly, Uraraka found Akatani surrounded by people.
"How have you been?" a smaller blond woman would ask, with a hint of a Spanish accent. Alongside her was a black cat that stuck close to her leg.
"Geez, you seem bigger. The hell are they feeding you over there?" the brown haired man from before would ask with a laugh, also with an accent.
"Are you doing ok?" a woman with white hair and a red trench coat would ask.
"What's it like over there? Are they treating you good?" the red-haired woman from before asked.
"I'll shoot 'em if they're not," the brown haired man told him, only for the other woman to elbow him and mutter "Chico".
On and on it went as the group talked about. All while Akatani smiled brightly, answering all their questions. Quietly, Uraraka looked over everyone present. There were three kids, a boy and a girl who looked like Rody, and a younger kid with long brown hair and a dark green sweater. One teen, that being Rody. Four adults, the red-haired woman who looked to be in her early thirties, the younger brown haired man who seemed to be in his twenties, the shorter blond woman who… Uraraka wasn't sure how old she was.
It was an odd mix of height and just looking young. Her best guess was that she was in her late twenties. Finally was the woman in the red trench coat, who appeared to be in her mid-forties. Of course, as Uraraka thought this, said white-haired woman soon noticed her.
"Oh? Who's this?" Strangelove asked, her gaze switching from Uraraka to Akatani and back. Just like that, the entire group turned toward her, and Uraraka was suddenly the focus of everyone's attention. Shocked by how quickly things had turned, Uraraka nervously looked over everyone.
"…Hi," Uraraka said, while hesitantly waving her hand. With a nervous smile, she watched as everyone's attention moved between her and Akatani. It was hard to hear, but Uraraka could have sworn she heard someone chuckle in the crowd.
"You brought a girl back with you?" Rody commented, before elbowing Akatani, "Didn't know you had it in you."
"Rody," Akatani groaned, the teen's face turning slightly red. After a few seconds, he shuffled closer toward Uraraka and took a deep breath.
"Um… everyone, this is Uraraka Ockako," Akatani introduced, before facing Uraraka.
"Uraraka, this is my best friend Rody, his brother and sister Roro and Lala, my Auntie Strangelove, my cousin Hal, my other cousins Amanda and Chico, Paz, her cat Nuke…" Akatani told her, slowly introducing everyone one by one. Each person he introduced gave Uraraka a calm smile and a wave, and Uraraka returned it in kind. Eventually, Akatani began to trail off as he started looking around, confused.
"Where's Cecile?" Akatani asked, the teen slowly looking around everywhere.
"Likely getting your equipment ready," Amanda replied carefully, earning an "oh" from Akatani. At the same time, Uraraka looked up at everyone with an unrealized excitement.
"It's nice to meet all of you," Uraraka told them. She didn't know Akatani had such a big family. They all seemed nice. Moments after this thought, Strangelove had stepped forward slightly, the woman eyeing Uraraka carefully.
"I assume you're one of UA's students?" Strangelove asked, with Uraraka nodding back.
"I am," Uraraka replied, before hearing Paz, Amanda, and Chico start murmuring after they heard her answers. A few careful, hidden suspicious glances flew her way, which Uraraka tried to ignore. Strangelove, however, remained unconcerned.
"An honor to finally meet one of their pupils," Strangelove said softly, an intrigued look on her face. Slowly nodding, Uraraka again looked over everyone curiously.
"So you're all family?" Uraraka asked, watching as Paz nodded in response.
"Of sorts," Paz replied, the woman then crouching down to pet Nuke, "Not the most picturesque family. But one nonetheless."
Uraraka wondered what she meant by that. But before she could ask, an alarm started to ring out on the base. In a momentary panic, Uraraka started surveying the area, expecting an attack. Except no one else looked panicked. Seconds later, Uraraka realized why; the alarm was only going off on one platform. The alarm was eventually followed by several loud thuds, almost like footsteps.
Each one shook the platform just a little, rapidly confusing Uraraka.
"What is that?" Uraraka asked, just as the platform shook again. As she asked this, Strangelove had started turning away from her and snapped her fingers.
"Oh right, I nearly forgot," Strangelove commented, the woman soon walking away from everyone. Most people didn't follow her, but Paz, Hal, Roro, and Lala did. Quickly, they ran to the other side of the platform, and Uraraka followed close behind. Reaching the other end, Uraraka watched as the children got a bit too close to the platform's edge.
"Hal, sweety, don't get too close to the edge," Strangelove stated, the woman carefully pulling her son back while Paz did the same with Roro and Lala.
"Sorry, Mommy," Hal replied, the kid bashfully looking down. With so many questions still in her head, Uraraka looked toward Strangelove, confused.
"What's going on?" Uraraka asked, as Strangelove pulled out her Idroid. Looking at the device's clock, Strangelove hummed to herself.
"If my schedule is correct, R should be launching our newest satellite," Strangelove replied, not realizing the bombshell she'd just dropped on Uraraka. It was just one surprise after another today, and Uraraka wasn't sure her eyes could get any wider. They did, though, as the girl spotted the source of the shaking. Across the water on a different platform was a massive robot. Behind it was a large elevator hanging off the side of the platform.
Logically, that's what had brought the robot to the platform's roof. The robot itself was bipedal in nature, bearing a digitigrade leg style, with large, flat slabs of metal for feet. It bore no arms, but it did have a giant gun mounted onto its right side, along with other weaponry scattered about. Somehow, the machine appeared decades old to Uraraka. As if it had been around for years.
Most staggering of all, though, was its size. It wasn't as large as UA's zero-pointers, but it towered over everything else Uraraka had seen. Her roughest estimation was that this machine had to be two stories tall at a bare minimum. Carefully, the machine moved into place, and its gun slowly arced up toward the sky. At first, Uraraka was confused about why, until she remembered what was going on.
They were launching a satellite, and this robot was acting as a miniature mass driver. They were shooting a satellite into orbit. Incredible! Have they done this often, Uraraka wondered, the girl enraptured as the robot's gun finally stopped moving. There, everything stayed quiet for a second before an earth-shattering crack echoed around them. Uraraka had blinked and now found a new light flying through the sky.
The sheer brute force of the robot's railgun had sent the satellite upwards for miles. Soon, the projectile had left Uraraka's view, leaving the girl to feel giddy.
"Or trying to," Strangelove muttered off to the side, tampering with some of Uraraka's giddy. But not by a lot. Even if the launch was a failure, that didn't mean they couldn't try again.
"You're launching satellites!?" Uraraka exclaimed excitedly, a wide smile taking hold of her face. Quietly, Strangelove nodded back, causing Uraraka to giggle with glee.
"How many of them do you have? Have there been any successful launches? Does the MSF have any spacecraft? You guys don't have orbital weapons, do you? Are all your satellites being shot into orbit? Why does the MSF have its own satellites? Do you have any astronauts?" Uraraka asked, a flurry of questions coming to mind. Every time she asked on another four would pop into her head. She spoke so quickly that Uraraka barely realized she'd started to ramble.
All the while, Strangelove looked down at her in surprise. Of course, that surprise soon changed to fond amusement. Uraraka and Akatani definitely spent a lot of time together.
"I'm afraid most of that is classified," Strangelove soon answered, "Although we haven't had any successful launches yet."
Quietly, Uraraka tried to hide her disappointment when she heard Strangelove's answer.
"Our current railgun is too powerful for our current satellites to handle. In fact, we've been forced to dial down launching speeds to ensure the satellites down evaporate before they reach orbit," Strangelove explained further, causing Uraraka to raise a brow.
"How fast are they moving?" Uraraka asked, assuming that Strangelove was simply exaggerating.
"Well, for ZEKE's railgun, it has a maximum muzzle velocity of fifty kilometers a second. For our current launches, we've dialed it down to ten," Strangelove replied, immediately proving that she, in fact, was not exaggerating. Uraraka didn't know all of the math and science behind something like leaving the atmosphere, but she knew that at such high speeds, heat shielding was a necessity.
"So it's launching the shells at a high enough speed where even titanium melts away," Uraraka commented. At those speeds, it didn't matter how much heat shielding the MSF added to their satellites. They were going to disintegrate before they ever reached orbit. Even at just ten kilometers a second, they were pushing the limits of material sciences. But considering this was a current issue, Uraraka assumed the MSF already knew this.
"To try and mitigate the issue, we're trying a hybrid system. The railgun launches the satellite up, and a secondary rocket carries it the rest of the way," Strangelove added, causing Uraraka to slowly nod along.
"But I'm assuming it's still too much power," Uraraka noted, with it now becoming Strangelove's turn to nod.
"You seem rather knowledgeable about this subject. A personal hobby of yours?" Strangelove asked, to which Uraraka looked up at her nervously.
"Kinda," Uraraka replied, a nervous grin present on her face.
"How cute," Strangelove commented, "Reminds me of a younger me, back when I first started working at NASA."
"You worked at NASA!?" Uraraka exclaimed, the sudden shock of the statement hitting her like a truck. Even more shocking was when Strangelove just shrugged.
"Years ago, before this whole mess began," Strangelove told her, acting as if the piece of info was something boring or unimportant. How was that unimportant!? She worked at NASA! More questions flooded Uraraka's mind, the girl desperately wanting to know more about Strangelove. That was, until she remembered something. Looking around, she found Akatani was nowhere to be seen. It left Uraraka confused for a moment, but the confusion died away as someone spoke up behind her.
"Didn't know Izuku got a girlfriend," Rody muttered, forcing Uraraka to spin around.
"G-girlfriend!?" Uraraka cried out in shock, her face heating up, "W-whatever gave you that idea!? We're just f-friends! Really!"
Where had this even come from!? Just because she was a girl and Akatani was a guy, it didn't automatically mean they were dating! They were just friends! It's not her fault they hung out together so often! And even if it was… Rody was laughing. His laughter was loud, it was long, and it caused him to start gasping for air.
"And I-I thought he was easy to mess with," Rody said, still laughing loudly. By now, he'd started to clutch his stomach, and the same small pink bird from before flew around him. When he finished his laughing fit, Rody wiped a tear from his eye and stood up straighter.
"So, what are you guys up to?" Rody asked curiously, the teen bringing a hand to his chin. Still overwhelmed by the teasing, Uraraka could only nervously chuckle.
"O-oh, we're going to do some animal preservation work," Uraraka replied, her answer giving Rody a brief pause.
"...Just the two of you?" Rody asked, shocked.
"We're supposed to have a chaperone," Uraraka explained, with Rody slowly nodding.
"...Well, in that case," Rody said, then began to walk away. A mischievous grin took hold of his face, and the teen motioned for Uraraka to follow. Uraraka didn't exactly want to at first. However, seeing as she didn't know where Akatani had run off to, she decided she had nothing better to do. Quietly, she rushed after Rody, the boy leading her off their current platform, and toward a different section of Mother Base. Through all the tram lines, Uraraka was brought to one platform's interior. Of course, this just led her to a set of winding hallways.
"Hey, uh… where are we going?" Uraraka eventually asked, just as they took another right turn.
"Hmm? Oh, nowhere important," Rody answered ominously, the bird next to him then beginning to chuckle… wait, how could a bird chuckle? Why was that bird even here? Uraraka didn't have a chance to ask either question before she heard Akatani speaking.
"Which one, which one…" he muttered to himself, right as Rody came to a stop outside an open door. He said nothing, but stepped to the side for Uraraka to see into the room. Quietly, Uraraka looked in and found Akatani standing about.
"The Mk 13 is a must… but what else…" Akatani continued to mutter, "Bushmaster ACR… yes."
Taking a slow step forward, Uraraka soon found out why Akatani was here. In front of him rested a large wall filled with firearms of all kinds. Currently, Akatani was busy grabbing a rifle off the wall. He checked it thoroughly, quickly going over the gun's every part. At the same time, Uraraka got a good look at the rest of the room. And it was… well… All Might was everywhere.
Literally everywhere. His face covered eighty percent of the walls. There was just merchandise placed all over the room. Alongside it was a wall of shelves, more guns, a desk with a PC on it, a TV, and a large bed. Not to mention photos of an asian teen with diamond-style freckles on his cheeks, bushy green hair, and green eyes, standing amongst members of Akatani's family. From there, it took Uraraka mere seconds to realize where they were. All of this stuff was Akatani's. He's… he's such a fanboy, Uraraka thought to herself, mentally astonished by how much stuff was there.
She knew he and All Might worked together often enough, and that they got along well, but this… She never knew he was such a fan. It was cute, in an odd way, but cute. Uraraka herself could only dream of having a collection similar, though it would substitute All Might for Thirteen. Right as Uraraka thought this, though, Akatani had turned around and was about to leave his room. Only to freeze once he saw Uraraka and Rody. In a quiet panic, his eyes shot open, and his gaze moved between Uraraka and Rody.
"I… think I can guess your favorite hero," Uraraka commented, hoping to lighten the mood somewhat.
"Well, I mean I… It's just that growing up I'd always… All Might was just so… I…" Akatani sputtered in response, words failing him for a while as he ultimately decided to settle with "...I think he's cool."
Lightly, Uraraka giggled at the answer. All Might is cool, Uraraka thought to herself. Slowly, Akatani shuffled by, the teen bashfully keeping his head down.
"...We should… get going," Akatani muttered, while quickly shutting the door to his room. With not another word, he briskly walked down the hall. Keeping pace behind him, Uraraka, seeing he was still embarrassed, gave him a comforting smile.
"It's nothing to be embarrassed about, you know," Uraraka told him, "You think he's cool, so you collect his stuff."
Hesitantly, Akatani nodded, her words seeming to do the trick for the moment.
"Honestly, I'm kinda jealous. I don't think I'd be able to afford half the stuff in there," Uraraka continued, seeing her words slowly bring Akatani's mood up. He still looked back at her, embarrassed, but less so than before. Which was fine, Uraraka was sure she'd be the same if Akatani were in a similar situation. Then again, Uraraka didn't have a whole lot of things to be embarrassed about. Not much Akatani could stumble… onto… Akatani… wait a minute.
No one on Mother Base had called him Akatani Mikumo. They called him…
"So… Midoriya Izuku, huh?" Uraraka commented, causing Ak-Midoriya to freeze again. It was only momentarily, though, as the teen cupped both his hands over his face.
"I suck at keeping secrets," Midoriya muttered to himself.
"To be fair, it wasn't your fault this time," Uraraka told him. Not a single person had bothered with his fake name. They must not have known Uraraka was coming, or at the very least assumed she'd known his real name. If only because, why else would the MSF bring her here?
"You're right, it's his fault!" Midoriya reluctantly agreed, before rapidly turning toward Rody.
"...You were keeping your name a secret?" Rody asked, concerned.
"Face too," Midoriya stated, with Uraraka remembering the photos in his room. It was strange to think that's what he actually looked like, but it fit how Midoriya described himself. He did indeed have green hair. And he looked as cute as Uraraka thought he… cute… she was calling him cute now. No more denying it, no more shutting the thought down… he was just… cute.
And it…it messed with Uraraka's head the more she thought about it. Rody's tease from earlier popped into her head. How he'd called her Midoriya's girlfriend. And it wasn't true! They were just friends, nothing more. He was just a very close, very… very kind, caring… helpful… selfless… very smart… He… He was always there for her, whenever she needed. Nothing Uraraka asked of him was too great a request. And… he trusted her.
Some lowly country bumpkin. It was touching to think about. So… thinking it over, Uraraka wouldn't be… opposed to… going on a few dates with him. Sharing a crepe with him sounded nice… so did seeing a movie together alone. It was here that Uraraka slowly went red, the more she thought everything over. Because as much as she said she and Akatani were just friends, she slowly began to realize something.
That wasn't enough for her. Uraraka, as shocking as it was to admit, didn't want to be Midoriya's friend. She… she wanted to be his girlfriend. I… I have a crush on him, Uraraka mentally realized, her breath unintentionally speeding up. She had a crush on him. But they'd only known each other for a few months! And… it could just be a fleeting thing! A fad! He… does he feel the same way? Could he feel the same way? Uraraka didn't know.
Even if he did… Midoriya still had stuff he was working toward. He was the possible heir to a multi-billion-dollar PMC. He was doing everything he could to push himself to his dad's level. And Uraraka… Uraraka was trying to become a hero. A relationship would just get in their way. And Uraraka didn't want to slow Midoriya down. She couldn't be some burden on him, not after everything he's done for her.
So, while trying to hide her red face, Uraraka mentally calmed herself down. She couldn't burden him now. As she thought this, Rody had clicked his tongue in thought.
"...Was wondering why you seemed different," Rody commented, while Midoriya groaned, annoyed. Seeing a chance to stop thinking about her current predicament, Uraraka swiftly cleared her throat.
"What are we doing now?" Uraraka asked, her gaze moving between Midoriya and Rody.
"Well, I was picking up some stuff from my room," Midoriya explained calmly, "But now we're heading to the command platform to meet up with my Auntie Cecile."