I led Ochaco through the steps of my mountain, my body language quiet and controlled despite my desire to act like normal and just give my pupil a big ol' hug and tell her how proud I am of her.
But I don't.
I can't.
I have to keep up my wise Chinese master roleplay. It's just too damn cool! The fog, the cryptic proverbs, the dragon? Ten out of ten theming. Breaking character now would be a betrayal of the aesthetic, not to mention ruin the fun. Doing this was so much better than the white void, tench coated mysterious powerful stranger thing I did with Izuku.
.Which, honestly, I wasn't even that upset about falling apart. My Matrix phase had been dragging for a while, and looking back at it— so half assed. My brother was also acting like a bitch during USJ and I couldn't reach him without breaking character and yelling at him like a real sibling.
But that wasn't important right now.
Right now, I had a more pressing issue.
Namely: How do I tell this girl I kind of kidnapped her brain?
Not in a malicious way, obviously. I was just kinda lonely with Izuku not wanting to talk to me and Izuki outside the system, hanging out with him. Sure Izuki was me and I was her and so I could control her and live through her. And before she was out in the world doing her own thing and living her own life, I was okay doing that.
But now that I see what she's become on her own, even if she is me, she feels different now. Changed. And that was kinda scary but at the same time good. So controlling her didn't feel right anymore.
Ugh, feelings. Where was I again? Ochacho!
So for a few days after USJ, I was sitting in my control room, playing Bloodborne 2 and generally feeling like a doomer. After I got bored dying to the same boss for like the third time or so, I decided to spy on Izuku. That's when I remembered that Ochaco, my newest user, was still laying comatose in a hospital bed after USJ and gave Izuku a quest to get him out her room and actually get some sleep.
And since she wasn't doing anything, not even dreaming. I figured, why not scoop her into my place for a little side quest? Give her a crash course in kung fu, mental resilience, and quirk control so she wouldn't damage her body so much trying to control her new power.
And if I got to indulge in a little kung fu fantasy while doing it? Well, that was just a bonus.
I glance over at her from the corner of my eye. She's walking just behind me, breathing calm and smiling like she had just hit the jackpot. Despite occasionally looking at the now clear view of the mountains and valleys surrounding us, her gaze was mostly fixed on me. Probably wondering what secrets of the universe my lips would speak to her or something, but I wouldn't say anything until we were at the temple.
After many more steps we were there, Star Temple. A bit on the nose but sue me, I liked it. Carved into the mountain itself. Its sloped roofs curled skyward. Marble dragons lined the walkway and the faint scent of Incense smoke curled lazily from braziers beside the door. There were even twin lion statues that technically aren't Chinese but they looked cool so I put them in anyways.
The place looked every bit like the Chinese fantasy mountain temples that I had imagined it would be before building it. I even added weighted doors, the idea of which I took from the Zoldyck family of Hunter Hunter.
They opened on their own with a mental command from me as we got close.
It was supposed to be a whole training thing for Ochaco but it didn't pan out because she would just use her quirk on the door and push it open. I could have stopped her from using her quirk but it seemed like a terrible idea to stifle smart thinking for meat brained approaches to problems.
So I let it slide. Still kept the door though.
Inside was cool because of the hidden air conditioning. The polished wooden floors shone beneath our feet from the waxing. Paper lanterns cast a warm amber light that flickered along the curved beams above. Despite the traditional and ancient design of the rest of the mountain, everything was pristine.
We walked straight through the center corridor, our footsteps soft against the wood. Ignoring the living room, meditation deck, the kitchen, and a few other places we passed that would be very out of place in a regular temple.
Ochaco was used to most of this by now. She'd lived here between training sessions, napping on the meditation mats and reading through manga disguised as scrolls that I had made for entertainment. But even with her familiarity, she slowed when we reached the Great Mural Hall.
A single wall dominated the end of the hallway.
Painted in thick brushstrokes, aged by my will to look older than it is, was a glorious mural: a massive and familiar eastern dragon coiling through clouds, its whiskers trailing like banners. In front of it stood a lone warrior on a hill—furred, golden-eyed, with a long, magical staff braced over one shoulder and a mischievous smirk on his face.
Sun Wukong and the Dragon I'd sicked on her in all their glory.
The resemblance between my and Wukong's staff was impossible to miss.
Ochaco slowed beside me, her eyes scanning the mural. "Wait," she said with wide eyes. "Is that... are you… Stella, are you Wukong!"
I folded my hands calmly over the top of my staff. "The immortal story plays out across many forms," I replied with deliberate obfuscation while trying to hold in laughter. Neither confirming nor denying my pupils' claim.
She blinked, eyes wide with awe yet twinged with a hint of skepticism. Before she could inquire further and make me burst out laughing. I raised my staff and tapped the mural once.
The dragon's eyes glowed. A shimmer rolled across the paint like ripples on a pond.
And then the entire mural wavered, dissolved into mist, and vanished.
Behind it, an elevator was revealed. Polished chrome that was completely out of place in the temple. Even more so than the modern amenities I put in here.
A faint, pleasant ding chimed as the doors parted revealing an equally polished and gleaming interior. Ochaco's face turned from awe to disbelief. It was amusing to me how she could witness everything that this place had to offer, from dragons to her strange "teleportation" here, and yet was left gobsmacked by a mundane elevator.
"...Is that an elevator?!" She asked as if she could not believe her eyes. Probably because she had snooped around this wall at least once a day since she had gotten here and had found no secret entrance.
I didn't answer immediately; I simply remained perfectly serene thinking of what to say before just dropping another proverb. "Not all journeys are uphill. Sometimes, the path forward goes down."
She gawked between me and the elevator then gave up trying to understand and sighed. "I know you're trying to pass yourself off as some ancient being from the myths of china but last time I checked, none of them changed wall paintings into elevators."
"It was always an elevator," I lied with an expression that couldn't completely hide my amusement as I stepped into the machine. "The mural is only there until someone's ready to see past it."
"Ready to—Stella! You can't keep pretending kung fu parables apply here!" She shouted petulantly. "I checked this spot a hundred different times for secret passages and stuff. There was nothing here until now!"
"Correction," I said, as the doors began to close. "I can and they do."
Her groan echoed off the stone as she held her hand out to make the elevator sensors open the doors again so she could step in after me, still muttering complaints about my wisdom. If she hadn't reached the end of her training, I would have bonked her with my staff for that disrespect.
We waited in silence as the elevator descended. Calm music played for a short while before another ding sounded. The doors opened to the white. No coffee table or chairs this time. Just a void of nothingness. I had thought about using the system room for this expo dump but I was too lazy to redecorate it right now to fit the aesthetic.
I stepped out first. Ochaco hesitated at the threshold but calmed herself with a deep breath then stepped forward. The moment her foot touched the floor, the elevator vanished behind her. She spun around and reached out, hand brushing the spot where the doors had been, but there was nothing. Just white.
Her eyes darted around, unsettled even if calm. "Where are we?"
"The White Room," I said, resting my staff lightly against my shoulder. "It was created to help another System user. Izuku."
Dropping my brother's name and mentioning the System had the desired effect—Ochaco's thoughts started turning in the direction I wanted. I skimmed the surface of them, just enough to keep track.
"Wait… Izuku's been here before?" she asked, surprised.
"Indeed," I replied, doing my best to keep the pride out of my voice. "How do you think he got so strong before even stepping into UA?" Then I leaned in a little, my voice shifting toward something more conspiratorial. "And why do you think he knew what that screen offering you power was?
Her brows furrowed. "I thought he trained, like, a lot. I see him do it all the time. He even trained me before you!"
I didn't reply to her, just watched as she connected the dots and came to the conclusions on her own.
She opened her mouth, then closed it again, frowning. "At USJ… I told him about it. That pop-up. He looked surprised, but not—" Her voice trailed off. "Not confused. He said he knew what it was."
I nodded once. "Exactly."
"I see. But then… What is this place? Where are we?" She gestured around her, arms wide, but I could tell through her thoughts she wasn't just referring to the white room but the mountain as well.
"That's where you've been going wrong, pupil," I said. "You've been thinking the System is just a place. A mystic training ground tucked away in rural China."
"Well, yeah!" she snapped, a little defensive now. "What else was I supposed to think? It's not like any of this makes sense."
"It's not supposed to, at least at first." I stepped closer and put a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"Then say it in a way that makes sense Stella! No obfuscation, proverbs, and no talking around the issue. Explain it to me clearly!"Her shoulders shivered as a sob nearly broke out. "I-I want to go home Stella. I miss my family."
I sighed, feeling like a bit of a bitch for nearly bringing her to tears but did as she requested and began speaking bluntly and succinctly.
"The System," I said, already prepared for this question. "Is a sentient dimension. A living space full of powers, relics, domains, and more. It gives strength to people it deems worthy—and pushes them toward their potential and beyond. For what reasons, that is its own prerogative to share."
She stared at me. Not with awe or wonder at the complex implications of my words. But with panic.
"Another dimension?" she whispered. "You're saying I'm not even on Earth?"
"You are here, and you are there," I repeated the words I'd told her on the first day. They confused her then, and I could see they still did now—except this time, they also made her angry.
Her fists clenched. Jaw tight. She was seconds away from blowing up at me.
So I didn't give her the chance.
I raised my staff and waved it through the air. The white around us shattered like glass and in the blink of an eye, we were no longer in the endless void of the White Room. We were standing in the corner of a hospital room.
Ochaco froze as she took in the sudden change in scenery
It was dim and quiet, the lights low but warm. Monitors beeped steadily beside the bed where her real body lay, pale and still. Electrodes clung to her temples. An oxygen line traced beneath her nose. Her chest rose and fell, slow but steady.
Her parents sat at her bedside—her mother with tear-reddened eyes, her father gently rubbing circles into the back of her limp hand. A nurse moved softly through the room, adjusting an IV drip. In the background, the television was on low volume, the news running some bland report about how recovery efforts in the city were progressing after the latest villain attack.
Ochaco took a step forward, her arms instinctively lifting to reach for them. "Mom! Dad!" she called, voice cracking as she hurried toward them.
Her parents didn't react. Didn't look up. To them, we weren't there at all.
"You're in a coma. Have been for nearly two weeks." I told her bluntly, just as she wanted. "You don't remember this part but after you accepted the System's offer, you removed the limiters of your quirk, a sort of forced awakening. You used your newfound power to save your class from certain destruction but you weren't ready for it. It couldn't handle the strain and began to fall apart. Izuku's healing prevented any permanent damage from happening but due to complications you wouldn't wake up and won't wake up for a little longer. So while you were recovering, the System pulled your mind into itself—to me—so you could train, recover, and learn to control it."
Ochaco stood still for a long moment, staring at the quiet scene like it was the last time she might see her parents.
Her voice, when it finally came, was low. Almost numb.
"I knew something was wrong. I didn't think I was dreaming.Your training and everything else on the mountain was too real. But I didn't think it was… this."
I stepped beside her awkwardly but tried not to show it. Comfort wasn't exactly something I was well versed in giving. "It's a lot. I know."
She finally looked at me. Not angry. Not even scared anymore. Just… tired.
"How much longer do I have to wait," she asked..
At her question, I smiled at her because I could finally give some good news. "No," I answered softly. "I already told you pupil, soon."
I turned toward the door just as it creaked open.
Ochaco followed my gaze, watching with quiet curiosity as three figures entered the room.
A tall, tired-looking man with a dark capture weapon scarf loosely coiled around his shoulders. Beside him, a short elderly woman with sharp eyes and a warm expression. And last was a man in a sleek black suit—the Hero Public Safety Commission's seal stamped in silver on the breast pocket. His left arm was clearly not fully human, longer than his right arm, green skinned and black clawed. Subtle mutations traced up his neck as well, his jaw just a bit too sharp, his right eye shifting in a way no natural eye should.
Her parents rose from their seats immediately, startled.
"Who are you?" her mother asked, voice trembling. "What are you doing here?"
The suited man raised his human hand and stepped forward, voice calm. "I'm Agent Hoshino. Hero Public Safety Commission. These are Eraser Head and Recovery Girl, from U.A. High. We're here at the request of a young hero—one who asked not to be named."
I leaned down toward Ochaco. "It's Izuku," I whispered quietly, as Hoshino continued speaking.
"He made a deal with us," the agent went on. "In exchange for his cooperation, he asked that we direct resources to resolving your daughter's condition."
Her father's mouth fell open slightly. Her mother brought both hands to her mouth and started crying, shoulders shaking with quiet relief.
"I'm sorry it took so long to get here," Aizawa said, his voice low and gruff as he stepped forward. "The city was in chaos. Villain activity surged in the aftermath, and since Ochaco was stable—"
He stopped abruptly as Recovery Girl gave him a sharp thwack on the knee with her cane.
He winced and sighed. "Right. I apologize."
"We both do," Recovery Girl added. "U.A. failed in its responsibility to protect your daughter. She was placed in danger before she was ready, and that's on us."
The two bowed deeply.
Ochaco's parents stared at them for a moment, stunned, then her father shook his head slowly. "You don't need to do that," he said. "Our daughter chose this path. She wanted to be a hero, and we supported her. This was… a risk we accepted, even if we didn't want to."
Her mother nodded through her tears. "Just help her. Please."
The hospital doctor—who had quietly entered with the group—stood off to the side with the nurse, observing everything closely. A nod from the doctor gave Aizawa the go-ahead.
Eraser Head stepped forward, scarf gently rustling, and activated his Quirk. His eyes locked onto Ochaco's sleeping form, glowing faintly red.
The change wasn't visible on the hospital monitors at first but in the White Room, Ochaco flinched. A soft shimmer of light bloomed at her fingertips. Faint at first, then brighter. Blue particles flickered off her form and she became more ethereal.
"You're waking up," I said, a small smile tugging at my lips as the monitors began to spike.
The doctor turned sharply toward the screen. "She's responding. Increased cerebral activity. She's coming back."
Ochaco turned to me, eyes wide and shining. She stepped in close, grabbing my hand. "Thank you, Stella. For everything. For training me. For staying with me. For giving me the strength to save the class."
I blinked in surprise before smirking. "You figured that out huh?"
Her grin was shaky but genuine. "You never mentioned you were a user. So I guessed you were either Wukong or the System's avatar, and being the System's avatar sounded more likely."
I raised a brow but didn't deny it. Instead, I took a step back and placed my fist to my open palm and bowed. "Well done, pupil."
At that moment, Recovery Girl stepped forward and placed a kiss on Ochaco's head. The old ladies quirk working to help her recover faster. Uraraka was barely visible now and began to dissolve into brilliant blue particles, drifting upward like fireflies.
She gave me one last look—eyes full of gratitude—and vanished.
| Ochaco P.O.V |
The first thing Ochaco felt was air pulling into her lungs like she hadn't breathed in days. Her chest rose, slow and stiff, and the soft beep of a heart monitor echoed nearby.
Her eyes fluttered open to dim lights and a white ceiling.
The beeps and hum of machines and the chatter of the doctor, nurse, and Heroes she knew were there but couldn't see, helped the fog in her brain disperse even though everything still felt strange and distant. Like waking from a deep dream.
Ochaco turned her head slowly, vision adjusting, and looking to find her parents' faces when she caught movement in the far corner of the room. Someone with a staff resting against her shoulder was rising up from a bow.
Stella.
Ochaco's breath caught but when she blinked, the corner was empty.
A second later, she was hit by a pair of sobbing bodies. Her mother and father grabbing her in a crushing hug. Her father was laughing and crying all at once and mother whispered her name again and again like a prayer finally answered.
Ochaco closed her eyes, breathing in the scent of home as she weakly smiled and returned the hug. "I'm back," she murmured.