Arc 6: Restless

Tags: No sex, just mental manipulation and lore.

I was working on my laptop; funny enough, next to me was Ochako sleeping. I wasn't in my room but hers; it was quite nice, and she had a new air conditioner, so everything was going well. I was finding out all about this Diana guy, the latest stock and money movements of my father and his company, and finding out about hero agencies. I had around 30 tabs open; I was even with some earpods listening to music, but I didn't notice that around 30 minutes ago the music paused, believing I fell asleep, and I didn't notice with how focused I was. I had been working non-stop all the time.

I was also researching about the Quirk-Destroying Drug and how little information there was about it on the web. There were mentionings of heroes and villains with capabilities of temporarily being able to take quirks away, such as Eraser Head, but a specific drug that was being sold on the black market or distributed around was non-existent; there were just rumors that most likely were true.

There was also the hero association bulletin about some villains being 'capable' of stealing quirks away and being careful about it. Of course, they didn't specify that this was done through a drug and not due to a quirk, but that was years ago. Japan has been doing their uttermost best attempt to keep this thing hidden away and absolutely underground, and I can see why...

But isn't that drug destroyed? Did that stupid woman actually have a way to find it or something like it?

I was still so wary, believing she was going to betray me the first chance she had and that my dad was behind it. I feel stupid, I feel frustrated, and I have so much stuff to do as well. I haven't brainwashed those idiots on the other place, and—and then there is ughhhhh, there is so much. I cannot keep up. I need to change my method, I need to...

As I thought to myself, I saw Ochako suddenly moving and shaking. Was I moving too much, or is the laptop too bright? I turned off the screen, but even then she kept moving, starting to pant; she looked in panic. She must be having a nightmare. I placed the laptop aside, and then my thigh was suddenly pinched, grabbed by her as she was having more of a night terror. I would give her some light shaking, calling out her name, "Ochako, Ochako." She suddenly woke up gasping, sweating, looking around, and her quirk activated out of nowhere as I grabbed the frame of the bed, but it was useless as the bed was floating too. "Calm down, calm down," I tried to whisper as she realized where she was now. It's okay. "I looked at my laptop floating as well... Shit. "Do not undo your power, or everyone will hear; lower the things slowly first."

She heard my voice, and with my help, we placed everything as low on the ground as possible, undoing the quirk, and a small but lightly loud thump was heard as everything went back in place; she looked embarrassed at me. "S-sorry, I didn't mean to I-"

"Ochako calm down... I am not mad, if something I am worried. Lay down is still late you should get some sleep and being honest I should too"

"Sorry."

"Stop apologizing, I am not mad once more nor I should be, What were you dreaming of?"

"... It's nothing important."

"Hmmmmm, I do not believe it's healthy for you to bottle up your feelings." She looked guilty now. "And not to mention healthy either." That feeling you get when you know you shouldn't do something yet you still do; she knows she is in the wrong. "And I am a person that cares for you and loves you, and you should—"

"I knooooow... But I don't want to trouble you with it; you already have lots of things."

"That's true, but if I cannot make time for you, then I am a horrible boyfriend. There is always time for you, and now it's the time. What's wrong?"

"Hmmm, you will say that I shouldn't be thinking about it again."

"Ah... Toga again? Same dying nightmare, I assume."

"See, you find it dumb."

"Sorry I am a bit tired; that came out too straightforward. I don't think it's dumb; you certainly are traumatized by this, regardless if I believe Toga deserved your sympathy or not, but I simply cannot tell you to forget about her and live life either, because that's absolutely insensitive and well... What do you think would make it better?"

"I have already done a lot of therapy and talked with the others; it doesn't get any better."

"... I could make it better, but you won't like the solution."

"Uhm—is it something lewd?"

"WHAT?! No, no, no, ahah, no. I wish. I could remove her."

"Remove her?"

"Out of your mind, if you let me use my quirk, fully willed I can grab pieces of the memory that disturbs you and cut them off, not make you forget her fully, but... I could, you know. I do not recommend it, however... People that take on that offer tend to get a habit of asking for more being removed. I have seen it before."

"I don't think I will take it."

"That's a good thing then, but if you ever want a restful night I can at the least block her from your mind, just for tonight"

"It's fine, Jack, thanks, but don't worry too much about me; I know I will eventually figure it out. It's just that... I wish I had another chance to talk with her." I stared at her, trying not to say anything bad about that woman, but decided just to ignore it for now.

"Well, whatever you choose to do, I will be there to help you."

"I just wish things could've gone differently; Toga could've used the same help I am trying to provide when she was young."

"... What about her quirk being removed?"

"What do you mean?"

"If Toga's quirk had been removed as a kid, would've that helped?"

"Jack?" She said with a bit of a frightened look.

"Wait, no, sorry, just listen. I am not saying force her to stop having a quirk or stop her from living or something like that; just hear me out. You told me that due to Toga's quirk, the consumption of blood, and a misconception of how to show love, she ended up doing all of that. She definitely had issues, and in what's personal, for me, she doesn't deserve forgiveness, but going back to the topic, if she could live without her quirk, would that be fine as well?"

"I- Don't think we should remove quirks in problematic children we should guide them"

"But how about a kid whose quirk is hurting him, actively hurting him? Toga, sure, she could've been saved. But I want to give you a better example. Back at my island there is this boy; he belongs to an association. I would say a club, but that's degrading: the quirkless association, a small group of people without quirks and people that wish didn't have quirks. His whole life he has been a slime; he cannot become solid willingly, he cannot eat solids the proper way, and he doesn't feel hugs like a person would, but he can still feel pain and other bad emotions. He has seen his life since the beginning as a curse; even his parents left him because he kept moistening and wetting everywhere he went, ruining furniture and the house. His life was taken away from the beginning."

"That's an extreme case, don't you think?"

"When you go against the normal, any bad case is always an extreme case. Toga's quirk could be something that actively harms her; sure, it could've had better uses... could've been a better life, but since she was a kid, the quirk was hurting her, and her family just made everything worse, but if she didn't have the quirk, she could've had a normal life."

"... I- I think that if it's only the quirk but—I—I don't want to talk about this right now; I am not sure."

"Ochako, believe me when I say there are people whose quirks hurt them, people who wish they didn't have them. Some people are born without legs, others are born with allergies, and those types of things are the type they wish never happened to them. There are villains out there, dangerous, that could be rehabilitated if it wasn't because of their dangerous quirks."

"Why are you telling me this"

"I want to know your thoughts about giving villains a second chance over the idea that they had their quirks removed... Would you do it?"

"I need to think about it... I know Toga would've been better as a kid if her quirk was removed, but she could've done more with her quirk still inside her if she could tell me what she thinks about it, maybe... Maybe I could make a better decision. I wanted her to have a better life, but I don't think removing bad quirks from kids is the best way to go about it, although... Hmmm, this is harder than I thought."

"Let's not think about it then; we rest tonight."

"Jack, is there something you want to tell me?"

"What?"

"I just feel like there is something you want to say but you can't."

"... It is a secret, but I promise I will tell you once it's done."

"What's done"

"I am working on something after what you told me, and I want to get it going first. For that I need to think about my approach for now, but thanks for asking. I promise you it's nothing bad, and I promise you I won't make a move unless you give me the permission."

"Un-unless I let you?"

"Yes."

"Why me?"

"Because you are a better hero than me, and, uhm, you are my girlfriend, and I want to make you happy. If my job makes you unhappy, then I will choose you over it." That's a lie, but I still want to be with her.

"Y-you shouldn't focus on me instead of your career."

"I am rich, Ochako; I literally don't care about my job, I care about you." I patted her head, making her feel more at ease. "Now how about we try to go to sleep together this time? I am tired from reading all day." I hugged her close to my chest as she closed her eyes, lying next to me with a smile.

"You are a good guy, Jack."

"Hmmmm... I could be better."

"Better than now?"

"Always better for you."

"I wonder how."

"In unexpected ways, I like the... mystery, you see?"

"That's good to hear." She held me closer. "Good night, Jack."

"Good night, Ochako. Love you."

"Good night, Jack." I waited for a moment, waiting to hear if she said something else.

She didn't.

It hurt me a little.

Love is a strange thing.

But then again I was manipulating hers; this is my own fault.

The next morning came as we both got ready to start our day. Ochako was fixing herself as I came close to give her a kiss. "Want me to make you coffee?"

"No thanks."

"Chocolate?"

"No thanks."

"You sure? Marshmallows and some bread on the side."

"Hmmm... I sh-shouldn't."

"Is this about your weight?"

"Jack?!"

"Just saying, you are not big, and even if you were, I wouldn't mind."

"Now I don't want to" she pouted.

"Fair enough." My cellphone rang as I grabbed it to read what it was. It was a message; it was the same number Diana texted me before. She sent me the address, plus the agency, plus information about a hero. She sent me a lot of things about a girl known as Yu Takeyama, hero name... "Mount Girl?"

"What was that?"

"Nothing, just reading something from work."

"Is it important?" I read what she was asking me about going and 'recruiting her'; she was actually one of the top heroes as well, pretty strong too, so this was an actual test for my powers. However, she has a private agency; she has assistants, a working base, and the public absolutely loves her. She then wrote to me the reason why she was asking me to get her.

If she helps us promote our little project, things will be easier for the public.

That's right; the more heroes that help promote, the better.

"Jack?"

"Oh, sorry, Ochako. I was a bit focused. Yeah, it's important, but not bad nor bad news nor bad anything, just important things."

"Hmmm."

"Hey, I promise you lunch today. I have class; I go eat with you, and then I work, okay?"

"That's nice, but if it's important, you can go, Jack."

"Nope, can't discuss me on this; girlfriend time is girlfriend time, and work time is work time. Let's get to class, shall we?" I was about to leave the room, but Ochaco stopped me, pulling me back.

"L-leave through the window." She said, slightly upset.

"Ah yeah, right." Forgot we weren't public yet.

The day went as usual: studies, some hero work, talking with some teachers, spending time with Ochako, and leaving the place; however, on my way out, I could notice Katsuki avoiding talking with me. I am happy he understands his place now.

As I was leaving, I noticed my favorite victim, Midnight, heading 'home' as well. I quickly sneaked up behind her to give her a good scare. "Hi there!" She yelped, walking forward, noticing me getting even more nervous.

"J-jack, is there something I can help you with?"

"Do you know Mount Lady?"

"UGHHHH, do I know her? She is the most unbearable hero there is; I cannot stand her as much as she cannot stand me"

"Hmmmm, then I will ask the pussycats to present me to her; I need to get to the girls anyways."

"Jack... I need to talk to you."

"Don't bother reading your mind; you are pregnant. It was bound to happen anyways; most likely Brava is as well, though unsure if the pussycats are. It's been over a month since we fucked, so..."

"W-what are we going to do about that?"

"Hm? What do you mean, I finally get some girls that like to get pregnant? You will have my kids, and I will raise them into a happy family. What's so hard about that?

"I d-don't want a kid."

"Hmmm... Hmmmmmmmmmmm... Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, oh, I forgot."

"What is it?"

"I do not care what you think."

"I th-thought so. When will you have enough?"

"Hey Midnight, I am tired of talking this with you, about you suffering and all that, so let's make it the last time as to not repeat ourselves, so I will just ask you a question since you are fully brainwashed and you will answer to me truthfully. Think very carefully your answer you could regret."

"What does that mean?"

"I gave you this choice in the past but it was very half-way done so today I will make it full. Would you rather, be a completely new person with a new personality that forgets the old Midnight and simply lives on with a new life alongside me like a robot oooooor would you rather be the same Midnight, with the idea implanted that you love me, you are happy being a traditional wife and you will never question me again and give up being a hero... Wait you already gave up being a hero, well the rest stays at least."

"... Please no"

"Choose or I will choose for you"

"You don't have to do this"

"Oneeee...."

"I have done everything you asked, I mean you forced me to but."

"Dooooooosss.... That's spanish for two"

"W-we can discuss this I don't want to forget I don't want to disspaer I WANT TO-"

"And three."

"OPTION TWO"

"Good. Let's get going then, I am sure Brava will be jumping from happiness as soon as she tells me she is pregnant, also how is our little project going Midnight?"

"... Toga has been very obedient but there is no remains of who she was after the brainwashing"

"Hmmmmm we will see about that in a moment."