Ochako stared down at the villain in the hospital bed. Her usual blonde buns were undone so her hair spread out over the white pillows. One arm was handcuffed to the bed, while the other was out with an IV in it to keep her hydrated. Despite the worrisome situation, her face was relaxed, like she was in a dream.

Beside her, Aizawa-sensei said, “I agreed to chaperone so you could see her in this villain hospital, but there is not much you can do for her now. She may have gotten into this situation while you were chasing her, but there is no use waiting by her bedside for her to wake up. The quirk will take its course, she will wake up, and she will face her criminal charges.”

Even so, Ochako struggled to take her eyes off of Toga Himiko. 

“It’s been a full week,” Ochako said, forcing her voice to stay steady, “and she still hasn’t woken up.”

“The effect time of the quirk ranges widely, but she will have to wake up eventually.”

She felt useless just standing next to Toga. She thought visiting might help in some way, that perhaps hearing Ochako’s voice nearby would somehow snap Toga out of it, but there was no effect at all. All of Toga’s vitals remained stable, but she refused to wake up.

After the third day, Ochako had to stop googling long-term effects of a coma. She didn’t want to think about Toga’s body wasting away and struggling to stand on her own, all because Ochako had chased her into a civilian with a strange quirk.

Even if it hadn’t been on purpose, Ochako felt responsible. As a hero, wasn’t she supposed to save people? How could she abandon a person who she put in this awful situation, even if they were a villain?

But what could Ochako do?

“We should go,” Aizawa-sensei said.

Since there was nothing Ochako could think to do in the hospital to help, she went.

Ochako knocked on the apartment door once, twice, then three times. Finally, the door creaked and someone with tanned skin and thick eyelashes peeked out.

“Ise Kai?” Ochako said, “I’m sorry to disturb you, but I need your help.”

“Ummm I don’t know you,” Ise said, then started to close the door.

Before she could, Ochako kicked a foot out to keep it open, only cringing slightly as Ise continued to try to tug it shut. “No, we met. Last week, remember? I’m Uravity.”

Ise blinked at her and at least stopped trying to close the door on her, though she didn’t open it the full way. She brushed back her loose bleached-blonde hair with manicured nails. “I already gave my statements and all that, yeah? And you’re not even in your hero suit.”

Ochako was not. She was in her casual clothes, just an old tank top and board shorts. She smiled at Ise, trying to weasel in. “I’m kind of acting unofficially, if you catch my drift. Can I come in?”

Ise looked her up and down, and eventually stepped back. “Eh, why not? My friend just canceled on me. You got something fun up your sleeve?”

“Uh, maybe?”

Inside, Ise offered Ochako some cookies, which Ochako tried to eat at a polite pace.

“I want to hear more about your quirk,” Ochako said.

Ise groaned. “I already told the police, did they not tell you? It’s embarrassing.”

“No, it’s cool! Being able to transport someone into the world of the last game they played is really quite amazing!”

She let out an exasperated raspberry sound. “It’s like, a total nerd quirk though.”

“Still, a lot of people would find it fun, and you were able to use it to protect yourself when Toga ran into you.”

“I don’t like to use it, but if someone’s getting aggressive, it usually knocks them out for at least an hour or two, if not more.”

“That’s exactly what I wanted to ask you about. Do you know of any way to get someone out of it if it’s taking too long?”

Ise started, and after nibbling a cookie asked, “Is she still unconscious?”

Though Ochako wasn’t supposed to share confidential details of a case with civilians, she also wasn’t supposed to be here in the first place. “Yes, unfortunately.”

“Unfortunately?” Ise tilted her head. “It seems good to keep her out of trouble.”

“But it’s… medically it’s not good. If there’s a way to get her out sooner, I need to help her. It’s my duty as a hero to take responsibility.”

Ise looked at her curiously, then her lips parted in understanding. “You’re worried about her?”

For some reason, Ochako found her cheeks heating. “Um, I guess. I mean, shouldn’t anyone? She’s stuck in a bad situation.”

“Might be a good situation if she’s still asleep,” Ise said with a giggle.

Ochako frowned. “What do you mean?”

“Like I told the police, my quirk is something that’s easy to get out of. All a person has to do to get out is to verbalize that they want to leave the world, and they’ll wake up. So if she hasn’t woken up in a week, she must have last played a really fun game she doesn’t want to leave.”

“But she needs to leave,” Ochako insisted, “she can’t stay there forever.”

Ise gave her a strained smile. “She’ll probably wake up at some point.”

Ochako didn’t like the sound of that. “There has to be something I can do. Please, is there anything? Any way at all to make her wake up?”

She nibbled on a cookie, avoiding Ochako’s eyes.

Despite having Toga in custody, Ochako couldn’t even talk to her. “I just want to reach out to her. Please.”

Finally, Ise looked at her. “Look, there is maybe kinda sorta one way, but it’s totally dangerous. I don’t recommend it.”

She leaned forward, eyes sparkling. “Whatever it is, I’ll do it.”

“Don’t jump to that till you hear the details,” Ise said with a forced laugh. “My quirk can only create one active ‘video game’ world at a time. That means if someone is actively in one, when I try to use my quirk on someone else, they end up in the same world.”

Ochako stood up. “So I could meet Toga in the world she’s in? And explain how to get out?”

“You could, but there’s a danger. Since your friend is the one who went in first–”

“She’s–” Ochako started, cheeks growing hot again, “she’s not my friend.”

Ise blinked twice. “Ah, sorry. The way you talked about her, I forgot she was a villain. I mean, she did run at me while holding a knife, she spooked me but…”

“Ahaha. Yeah. I’m sorry about that.”

Ise waved it off. “It’s whatever. Seriously though, the world that’s currently active with my quirk is her world. If you join her, you’re gonna be stuck under the rules of her world in whatever role you end up in. Plus, even though she can leave just by saying she wants to, you can’t. You’re gonna be stuck in that world until she dismantles it, and seeing as she’s been in there for a whole week, she doesn’t seem in a rush.”

Ochako pressed her lips together, considering the situation. That did sound risky, putting her safety in the hands of a villain.

But wasn’t the point of a hero to go into danger to save people? Even if Toga was a villain… right now, she needed help. Ochako couldn’t call herself a hero if she balked at this like a coward.

“I’ll do it,” Ochako said, determined.

Ise drew in a deep breath. “You could end up in a coma, too.”

“Even so, I’m a hero.”

“Aren’t you still a student? Is this like… technically allowed?”

Ochako pursed her lips. “Technically… I don’t think it’s necessarily not allowed.”

“Will I get in trouble?”

“I might get in trouble,” Ochako admitted, “but I’ll be in and out so fast that it won’t be an issue. I mean, it’s not like I’ll even be interacting with Toga in the hospital bed, right? I just go into this world, get her out, and we both wake up. We don’t have to tell anyone.”

Ise leaned on a cheek. “I’d like her out, too. It’s totally weird to know someone is stuck in a coma because of me, but still… it’s not safe. I’m not a doctor, I don’t know how to take care of someone unconscious long-term. I’d have to call heroes or take you to a hospital.”

“Just give me a little time, I’ll persuade her.”

Ise nibbled on a cookie again, but Ochako allowed her time to think it over. Finally, with a sigh, she said, “I’ll give you up to three days, and after that I’m certain you’ll need to be in a hospital to survive.”

“I doubt I’ll need that much time.” Thirty-six hours was plenty to find Toga and tell her how to get out.

“I hope so, for your sake and hers.”

Ochako thanked her profusely as they got set up. Ise had an air mattress that she set up for Ochako to lie down. Once lying down and comfortable, Ise’s hands hovered over her.

“Are you sure you want to do this? Last chance to back out now.”

As if Ochako could stand another day just watching Toga in a hospital bed. “Yes, I’m ready.”

Her hands pressed onto her, and reality faded away.

DAY ONE

“Lady Uraraka, you are a viper!”

Ochako blinked into consciousness. She was standing in some sort of office space. The furniture was all very fine, an ornately carved desk and matching chairs with plush red seats. Bookshelves lined one wall with fancy gilded covers.

Across from her, the man yelling at her was in fine clothes, embroidered in elaborate detail, layered with vests and cuffs and ascots that made her dizzy imagining how hot it must get underneath. When Ochako glanced down at herself, she found her dress had long sleeves that ended in lace, and the skirt section went down to the ankles. The overall vibes reminded Ochako of those historical romance films Momo liked to play on the common room television.

The man continued speaking, piercing blue eyes between blond bangs boring into her judgmentally. “Just because she is a poor transfer student and you are a duke’s daughter does not mean you are permitted to take such liberties. At this academy, we are all meant to treat each other with respect. And yet, you tossed her dress into the mud while she was changed out of it for magic class. You uncapped her ink so it spilled all over her books. And now, you even slipped some sort of dreadful spice into her meal, so she almost choked on her lunch. This has gone far enough!”

She struggled to keep up. He stood tall with a rigid back that made clear he expected total obedience.

“Cease your harassment, or I shall take most severe action. You may be Duke Uraraka’s daughter, but I am the prince of this nation and more than capable of enacting punishment if I wish to dedicate myself to the task. Do not think for a second that I shall go easy on you simply because we are engaged—that was a matter decided on our parents, not by me, and I assure you my heart remains completely unswayed by your pathetic attempts for my attention. Do you understand?”

Duke’s daughter? Prince? Engaged? Ochako glanced down at her own hand, but didn’t see a ring on it. So it couldn’t be that serious, right?

He slammed a hand on the desk, making Ochako jump. There was not an ounce of mercy in this man. “I said, do you understand?”

“Y-yes,” Ochako forced out.

HIs eyes were like icicles. “That is ‘Yes, Your Highness’.”

Ochako just wanted this to be over. “Yes, Your Highness.”

He huffed, but was satisfied enough to walk past her. Her eyes followed his path and discovered a door had been behind them the whole time.

“Then we shall return to lunch. Don’t dare attempt to dine with her or myself,” he said.

Still uncertain what kind of world she was in, Ochako followed awkwardly several steps behind as he left the office. Walking drew her attention to her legs, which were surrounded by what seemed to be some layers of fabric beneath the skirt that filled it out. As they traveled down a hallway, Ochako kept looking around for Toga, but all she noticed was that they were surrounded by opulence. Fine vases filled with fresh flowers on marble podiums, woven rugs decorating the length of their path, and more gave the impression of an extremely well-funded building.

What exactly was the last game Toga had played? Ochako’s family had never been able to afford a game system, but she had watched some of her classmates play games, and this didn’t feel like anything she had seen Kaminari play on the couch in the dorms.

They finally reached a larger space that was, apparently, a cafeteria. A chandelier shone down on dozens of long tables. Despite the large capacity, there were only a few groups around, and servants were bustling around to remove plates and cutlery that were left behind. Apparently lunch was winding to a close.

There was still a particular group left, though, that the prince beside her immediately marched towards. It consisted of two other tall men, one red-haired and one green-haired. They parted as the prince approached, and between them Ochako finally caught sight of her goal.

“Toga!” She called out, a smile of relief coming easily to her face.

There she was, Toga Himiko in a relatively simple, light yellow dress, and her hair done up in its usual two buns, but framed with some jeweled hair clips. Her eyes darted up to Ochako, her eyebrows raised, and–

The prince immediately stepped into view, blocking her from her. “What did I just say? You are not to harass Miss Himiko any further.”

Ochako tried to side step him. This was just a game, he was just a character, but Toga was real, and she needed to talk to her. “Sorry, I have to…”

He stepped along with her, and put out a hand to block her as she continued to try and reach Toga. “You are impudent.”

She caught sight of Toga being hurriedly shuffled toward another door by her two companions, and she struggled anew to get past the prince. Soon, the prince fully shoved her, and in her heeled shoes and heavy skirt Ochako fell to the ground.

The people still in the lunchroom gasped at the scene, but nobody stepped between them.

“You bring embarrassment to the Uraraka name,” he said sternly, looking down on her, “Clean up your act before the Academy Dance two days from now—I may be obligated to take you, but you would do well to make it at least tolerable for me.”

Ochako stayed down for a moment, catching her breath as he spun on his heel and left the same door as the others.

She got up, carefully navigating the layers of her skirt, and hurried to the door herself. She was caught off guard, but she had to talk to Toga. She would fight through them all to save her.

When she grabbed the door, though, it refused to open. She tugged it, and then heard a strange pinging sound that felt uncomfortably close.

In front of her eyes, something overlaid her helpless stare at the wooden door that barred her from Toga.

Ochako blinked, and the error faded. Villainess?

She tried the door again, but it was just as fruitless as the first time.

“What does that mean?” Ochako muttered. “Am I really stuck here? I need to see her.”

That was the third weird message that popped into her vision. She looked around herself, but nobody else seemed to notice it in any way. “Is this part of the game?” She asked, disturbed.

There was no explanation. Ochako continued to try the door, banging against it, kicking it, and wriggling the doorknob as though it would open at any moment.

“Fuck you,” Ochako muttered, still trying to pry the door open. Toga was behind there somewhere, she just had to reach her.

Around her, nobody seemed to take notice of her behavior. By now the only people left were the servants clearing the last of the plates. Everyone felt indistinct, especially compared to Toga and those boys who had surrounded her.

After a minute, there was a loud whirring sound, and suddenly everything disappeared.

Things reappeared. A seat Ochako was in, a table in front of her. It was the long tables of a lecture hall. Ochako was surrounded by various other students, all sitting with their textbooks open or quill and paper out to take notes. Up front, a teacher began to lecture.

Ochako didn’t listen. This was all a game. She stood up, looking around the classroom for Toga, but found she wasn’t around.

“Lady Uraraka?” The teacher said sternly, “Is something the matter?”

“I have to go,” Ochako said, then hurried down the steps to the exit.

There were mutters, and even when Ochako couldn’t make out specific words like “weirdo”, “freak”, and “bitch”, she could tell by their tone that they were unkind. It shouldn’t matter, since she was getting out of here.

But as soon as she put her hand on the door, it refused to budge. Again.

As she tried the door again and again, the teacher and students seemed to stop taking notice, and the lecture continued. Was she really trapped here?

Ochako tried to wrack her mind for an explanation. This was nothing like one of Kaminari’s games, but the ‘Villainess’ the messages mentioned had sounded familiar. Where had she heard that before? Who else played games? Tokoyami had shared weird computer games with pixel graphics before, but this was certainly not that. Satou had some phone games he used to relax, but this was too complicated for one of those. And Mina…

She gasped at the memory. Mina’s dating sim games.

Mina tried to share them with Ochako once, but it had been boring to just read a bunch of text. Still, Mina had ranted about them enough that Ochako remembered the general setup. A poor girl attending an academy and then suddenly being surrounded by hot, powerful men you could choose to date. Mina used to laugh at the villainess antagonist that would always get in the protagonist's way. Did Toga play a similar kind of game?

And was Ochako now the villainess?

She kicked the door in frustration. Did this mean she wasn’t going to be able to interact with Toga unless there was a specific scene where she was supposed to meet her? How often was that? How long would it take?

Could Ochako really get Toga out within the three days she promised Ise?

DAY TWO

Though the first day was a bust, the game must finally have smiled on Ochako, as there was a large magic combat class that merged multiple classrooms. One of those classes included Toga.

Unfortunately, it included the three men who had been keeping her from her as well. They glared at Ochako, warning her that if she approached they would take action. Ochako was still deciding the best way to approach Toga. Perhaps in the locker rooms afterwards? Everyone, including the women, had changed into some sturdy trousers and linen shirts, but if Toga had been changing in the same large room of lockers as Ochako, it had been far enough that she hadn’t seen her.

The instructor explained as Ochako shifted on her feet trying to catch sight of Toga between the men’s shoulders, “We’ll be dueling in groups of two, draw lots from here to determine your team!”

He held out a circular container full of wooden sticks. Ochako barely paid attention, as the prince had shifted his position and she finally saw Toga clearly. She was smiling wide as she reached into the bucket, then exclaimed, “Team B!”

There were people around Ochako, noise as the bucket moved around and various other people plucked their lots, but it all felt indistinct compared to Toga, who was the sun between the clouds.

Those clouds came together to cover her, all three men gathering close, and the game system made another one of those infuriating pinging sounds.

Ochako snapped to attention. To the side, the instructor was reaching out the bucket towards her. She wondered what would happen if she didn’t play the game, if she fought against it as she had tried yesterday. Then again…

“Narratively, it would be most interesting if the villainess was on the same team as the protagonist, don’t you think, game?” She muttered.

Nobody around her reacted to her words at all. She reached into the container and felt around, hoping to discover the shape of a ‘B’ embossed on a stick, but it seemed all were flat the whole way down, so she truly had to choose at random.

“Please,” she hoped, and pulled out her stick.

It said ‘A’.

Her heart dropped. There went that plan. The bucket continued around, and she turned to try and approach Toga regardless of anything when the prince stepped in her way. He wasn’t close to Toga anymore, but he was in the way all the same. 

He held up a stick that said ‘A’ as well.

“Since we are on the same team, we should strategize.”

Ochako grit her teeth. “I really don’t have time…”

“I shall fight Miss Himiko, I do not trust your ability to hold back when it comes to her. You can fight Arth. Use that… unsettling magic of yours on him. He can handle it much better than the delicate Miss Himiko could.”

She paused. Backed up. “...Fight her?”

“Your listening skills remain subpar. Yes, we are Team A, and they are Team B, so we must battle, but you may not take it as an excuse to bully Miss Himiko any further.”

Her back straightened up. There was an opportunity here to finally face Toga properly.

The instructor got up on a small podium beside a large arena. It was a clearing of well-trodden dirt and occasionally a bit of grass, surrounded by a low fence and enough seats to accommodate a few classes-worth of people. Near the north and south entry point were racks of padded vests and wooden swords, which the competitors were selecting from. Ochako was stuck on the north end with the prince, but she equipped herself with excited movements while watching Toga do the same at the south end. Though Ochako had never used a sword before, she picked one up with all her finger pads touching it so it was easy to swing around. 

“For Team A we have our honorable Prince Eduardo Regalo! With his royal ice magic, he is a fearsome opponent to face off against indeed! Alongside him on Team A is Lady Ochako Uraraka with her… unique dark magic that blasphemes the physics of the natural world. Hopefully she plays clean this time.”

Thankfully in this world her ‘magic’ was just her quirk, but she didn’t love the way the teacher described it. It was just removing something’s gravity.

“For Team B we have one of our top students who always gets top marks, the studious Sir Arth Egel! His earth powers will surely serve him well in this battle today.”

The man beside Toga was the green-haired one who had been part of the crowd surrounding her on the first day. He stared Ochako down through spectacles. Was he really going to fight with those? Then again, Iida fought with his glasses, so perhaps it wasn’t impossible. His long hair was probably more concerning, going down past his shoulders and only slightly controlled by a ribbon that loosely collected it half-way down his neck. In her class, even the women mostly had short hair, with only Momo having long hair she always brought up into a tight ponytail for heroics, and Tooru possibly having long hair that wasn’t a visible liability. This guy’s hairstyle gave him a handsome vibe, she supposed, but she was already imagining tugging at it if she could get close.

“And of course, our new transfer student, Miss Himiko Toga! Despite being a commoner, her rare power which connects her to others and allows their power to be multiplied makes her an asset on any battlefield!”

Ochako tried to meet Toga’s eyes, but Toga was looking up at the tall Arth. He held out an ungloved hand to her, and she carefully took it into hers. Ochako grimaced. Surely they would let go once the battle started, right?

“Your vests are equipped with burst packets—If you hit them hard enough, those should burst and you will count as an elimination. In addition, if you are immobilized or verbally surrender, you will be eliminated. To win, you must eliminate both people on the opposite team. Ready?”

Toga smiled wide as she brought Arth’s hand close to her mouth, isolating one finger in particular to come up against her lips. Arth was pressed close, and despite his stiff expression the red tint of his ears made his feelings unmistakable.

This was a stupid game and Ochako was going to get Toga out as soon as possible.

“Go!”

Arth flinched as Toga’s mouth bit down against the edge of his finger. She wrapped her lips around the wound, and he let out the kind of gasp that Ochako would have giggled at if she had heard it coming from Mina’s game console.

Though Ochako and Eduardo both ran towards them the moment the battle began, by the time they got across the arena, Toga had transformed. Now she looked identical to her teammate, a tall green-haired man.

The ensuing fight was a flurry. Arth or Toga quickly kicked up a sandstorm with their earth power to reduce visibility, and when they came out it was unclear which Arth was the real one. Eduardo had started creating some ice prison’s indiscriminately, but his technique was much more localized bursts than Shouto’s overkill techniques so she found it hard to predict how he would use his ice. Still, whichever Arth got caught in them would have at least one limb free to direct the earth around them and break the ice apart.

Ochako assessed the two Arth’s carefully while dodging various earth attacks. It was a struggle to keep focus as they often tried to drop the ground out from under her, but by using zero gravity on herself she was able to avoid landing hard enough to burst the packets in her vest.

Eventually though, she was able to note differences. One of them was quicker to rely on the earth power, while the other tended to slink through the environment and swung the practice sword around with fearsome speed that revealed how much she enjoyed blades.

So while Toga took a swing at Eduardo, Ochako floated behind her to avoid her footsteps giving her away. Unfortunately, Eduardo’s eyes went over Toga’s shoulder to glare at Ochako, and Toga spun around with a wide arc of her sword. It knocked against Ochako’s arm, and if it had been a real sword, she would have been bleeding.

The disruption led the other Arth to leap onto Eduardo, and those two engaged in battle together. Though Toga started to turn to help them, Ochako called out, “Toga!”

She glanced back at Ochako. “Guessing?”

Ochako swung her sword, forcing Toga to focus on her to block. “I’m certain. Toga, I came from the real world to help you—you’re inside of a game right now!”

The teacher called out, “Sir Arth Egel has been eliminated!”

That didn’t matter. What mattered was telling Toga what was going on. “It’s a quirk, and to get out, you have to–”

Eduardo tried to stab Toga from behind, but she was quick on her feet and dodged just in time, spinning away.

It was interfering with Ochako’s ability to talk with her, so Ochako grit her teeth and shoved her sword into Eduardo’s chest. His eyes widened, and a burst of red stained the vest where Ochako had pressed the wood into him.

“Traitor!” He spat at her, “We’re supposed to be on the same team!”

“Er, Prince Eduardo Regalo is eliminated?” 

Now Ochako could focus fully on Toga. She hunted her relentlessly, and even when Toga raised a platform of dirt to escape, Ochako leapt up and grabbed at that stupid green hair to pull Toga off before she got too high.

Toga spun in the air like a cat, landing swiftly on her feet, but she wasn’t prepared for Ochako to throw her sword away and leap at her. Toga brought up her sword to block, but since it was just a piece of wood, Ochako grabbed either end with her hands and shoved Toga downwards, sending both of them to the ground.

Her body was on top of Toga’s, legs spread over her hips, hands pressing the sword above Toga’s head so she was effectively pinned. Toga stared up at her with red cheeks, and the Arth disguise finally ran out so Ochako could look into Toga’s glaring yellow eyes.

“To get out, you just have to verbalize that you want to leave this world.”

Toga spat back, “What are you doing here? Just trying to ruin my fun?”

“You’re in a coma,” Ochako continued to explain, “you have to wake up.”

“In a villain hospital? Where they’ll have me locked away? As if!”

Ochako’s arms were shaking. She had the advantage of being on top, but Toga was strong enough to start pushing the sword back up. “Toga, please, you can’t stay here forever, or you’ll waste away. All you have to do is say…”

“I don’t want to leave!” Toga screeched.

With that, she spun so suddenly that Ochako’s back slammed against the ground. In a mere moment, Toga had drawn back her sword and drove it right into Ochako’s gut, punching the breath out of her and sending the red burst of the vest out to splatter against Toga’s cheek.

She was hit so hard that Ochako’s vision swam and she felt the urge to vomit, but before she fainted she heard Toga say, “Just leave me alone.”

DAY THREE

Ochako was fed up and done with this world by the third day.

The system had kept her from trying to reach out to Toga for the rest of yesterday and most of today. She knew her time was coming to an end—much longer, and Ise would have to call the heroes to figure out what to do with the idiotic Ochako who dove into a weird transmigration quirk to save a villain with no backup plan.

Now she was being dressed by two maids while stewing in her thoughts. It had been awkward to have maids at first, and she thought about dismissing them the first day, but after she saw all the various layers and lacing on the clothes she was expected to wear, she welcomed the help. Trying to talk to them had garnered only stiff and almost robotic answers, same as most of her classmates, so she didn’t speak much.

All she could do was think about how she was going to persuade Toga to say she wanted to leave. It made no sense to her why Toga was clinging on. Sure, it delayed her going to jail for a little longer, but at some point she was going to have to face reality.

Was it all the cute boys surrounding her? They weren’t that cute.

Her maids were finished with her dress, and started to brush her hair. They began to braid around the crown of her head, weaving in star-shaped jewels that sparkled against her brown hair. It tied together with her dress, a deep blue dress with layers of translucent fabric stitched with similar little jewels that made her look like the night sky. It was even more elaborate than the dresses she had worn the past two days.

Tonight was the Academy Dance, after all.

It was her final chance to reach out to Toga and get them both out before Ochako had to get sent to a hospital herself. She had to succeed this time, no matter what.

She stared at her determined face in the mirror. The face of a Villainess in this world.

But tonight, she would be a hero. She had to be.

Toga was late.

After Eduardo had done his ‘duty’ as a fiance by linking arms with Ochako as they entered the space, Ochako took a spot towards the outskirts of the room, carefully avoided by just about everyone. There was something like a forcefield around her, but she didn’t mind it. She didn’t mind the people who would glance towards her and start whispering. When she parked at a snack table and had her fill, she didn’t immediately move away when she heard someone gossip with her friend about how “the usual greedy culprit was hogging the food.”

She moved on eventually though, and was now leaning against a wall where at least she wouldn’t hear the whispering behind herself. Here, she could scan the full crowd moving along under the shiny chandelier. A band played off to the side, though they had only played one song so far, Ochako wasn’t expecting to be asked to dance tonight. 

That didn’t matter. Ochako tried not to pay attention at the occasional scoff or giggle in her direction. What had she even done to warrant such treatment? Just because her quirk seemed weird in this world? It didn’t matter. Ochako focused on the task at hand. Toga. Where was Toga?

“Would you like to dance?”

It took a moment for Ochako to realize the question was directed at her. In front of her, a red haired man leaned towards her with a hand outstretched. He had been crowding around Toga on that first day. Why was he asking her? Ochako hesitated, but Toga still wasn’t there, and maybe she could learn something from one of the men who hung around her nowadays.

“Sure, sir…?”

He grinned. “Sirius Firey. Don’t worry, Lady Uraraka, I understand you don’t bother to remember the names of those you consider below you.”

She was insulted enough to start pulling her hand back, but he held fast and led her onto the dance floor. The music was starting, and the dance began. Ochako was relieved to discover that this body seemed to have some sort of memory for dance—so long as she didn’t think too hard about it, her body reacted naturally to his leading. 

“Why did you ask me to dance with you?” Ochako asked, still confused.

“I wanted to speak properly with you and give a warning. Miss Himiko has been working hard, and if you attempt to embarrass her the way you like to try to, I will not hesitate to take action against you. Even if you are the daughter of a duke, that doesn’t give you the right to hurt whoever you would like.”

All things she’d heard before. So she asked, “What do you like about her?”

“I like everything. She is like the saint herself descending upon this Academy. Her kindness and power inspire all of us.”

“But what do you actually like about her?”

“I like everything about Miss Himiko.”

“But specifically, what specific things about her do you like?”

He stiffened a moment, and they were momentarily off beat. “I like everything about Miss Himiko.”

She tried a few more times, but he became like a broken record. She soon realized the problem.

This game wasn’t that deep. These characters weren’t designed to hold up to deeper scrutiny. They had a certain path they were meant to go down, and any deviation wouldn’t be accepted. Even Ochako was corralled by the system so she couldn’t stray too far from the plot. Everything was predestined.

When was Toga destined to walk in so she could finally talk to her again?

The song came to an end. “Remember my warning,” Sirius said as he let go.

The warning didn’t really matter. Everyone in this world already decided how they felt about her—even if she heeded all their warnings, she was certain they would find some new way to twist her actions into being some sort of evil scheme.

She was exhausted. Tired of the automaton-esque classmates who talked behind her back and the pretty boys who threatened her with little to no provocation. She wished she was back at UA with all her friends, safe and having real actual conversations with people who understood her.

Across the room, Toga entered, and everything else faded away.

She was radiant, a golden tiara that expanded around her like the rays of a halo. Her golden dress was puffed up and trimmed with all sorts of ruffle and lace. She was smiling at Eduardo, who must have disappeared from Ochako’s side during the first song so he could accompany her into the dance late. On her other side, Arth was smiling at her, and in the sea of people between them the redheaded Sirius was darting through the crowds to get closer.

Ochako followed that same path, drawn like a moth to the light. Toga giggled at something Arth whispered in her ear, and Ochako couldn’t help but pick up her own pace.

As she got closer, she made out the conversation.

“...dance with me next!”

“I asked her first.”

“Well I accompanied her in, so…”

The boys were all so occupied with bickering that they didn’t even pay attention when Ochako marched up in between them and extended a hand.

Toga finally looked at her.

“Dance with me,” Ochako said.

She didn’t care what the system said. She needed some time to actually have a proper conversation, but these boys were flies interfering. Just one dance had to be enough time to persuade her.

Ochako’s hand started to grow hot. She wanted to draw it back, but she held fast.

“Stop mocking Miss Toga,” Arth said sharply while pushing up his glasses seriously.

“I literally just warned you…” Sirius said, stepping in front of her.

“Must I make a royal decree to force you to keep your distance?” Eduardo edged in front.

Ochako’s hand was burning.

Toga shoved through the men and placed her hand in Ochako’s. 

The burning stopped.

Toga turned back towards the men with a smile. “It’s fine, boys. It must have taken a lot of courage to ask, perhaps she wants to apologize to me?”

All of their expressions darkened. Their words overlapped each other in a dizzy wave.

“This must be another one of her schemes.” “You’re so pure-hearted to trust her after all that she…” “You must call out if she hurts you on the dance floor.”

Toga smiled at Ochako, and she did not look like she was trapped in some random game world where everyone was fake and nothing made sense. The corners of her eyes crinkled and her teeth were bared wide as they made their way onto the dance floor. A beautiful smile that seemed to say she was at her pinnacle. She was the master of this domain.

Though Ochako was the one who had asked her to dance, Toga shifted their hands and began to lead the steps. Smoothly, just as smoothly as she had integrated into this game world. She oozed confidence. Unlike Ochako, she had a pleasant place in this world.

“You need to get out,” Ochako opened.

Toga’s open joy shuttered. “No.”

“Come on, I came all this way to save you.”

“From what?” she snapped, twirling Ochako hard enough that the centrifugal force almost spun her out of her arms, “this world where everyone likes me? Where they smile and welcome me? Where my power is seen as the love it is instead of a curse?”

“It’s not real though. These aren’t really people, they’re just… they’re game characters. I’ve tried to talk to them, but none of them seem able to step out of their programming. I’ve done nothing to you since I got here, but all anyone seems to know how to do is treat me suspiciously and talk about how creepy I am. It doesn’t matter what I do, they’ve decided I’m a villainess and treat me like one.”

Toga was not smiling anymore. She rolled her eyes. “Gee, I wonder what that feels like?”

It took Ochako a moment to understand, and she accidentally stepped on Toga’s foot at the realization. “T-that’s different. You have done villainous things.”

Toga’s grip around Ochako’s waist was painfully tight. “I knew a hero like you would never understand.”

The dance was making her dizzy. She tried to focus on just Toga’s face, not the lights twinkling around them. “I… maybe I don’t understand. But I know you can’t stay here forever, so please, just say you want to leave this world, and we can both get out and figure things out in the real world.”

She curled her lip down. “No.”

The music swelled to a finale, and suddenly Toga let go of her. Ochako stumbled back, struggling to stay upright, but Toga leaned back until she landed on the floor with a thud.

In an instant, she was swarmed by her retinue of admirers. Ochako was shoved back, away from her. The music stopped entirely. By now, everyone was looking at them, and Ochako already knew how the scene looked.

“You danced with her just to trip her,” Arth accused.

Sirius said, “For real? Your pettiness knows no bounds…”

“I wasn’t–” Ochako faltered as everyone’s stares piled onto her, but she forged onward. “–she’s the one who fell all on her own, I really just wanted to dance and talk with her.”

Nobody acknowledged her explanation. The world had turned against her.

No, it had been against her from the moment she had transmigrated into this body, this role. No matter what she said or did, things were always going to turn out like this.

Eduardo stepped up, facing her and looking down at her like an executioner at the guillotine. 

“You’ve harassed Miss Himiko for the final time, Miss Uraraka. No matter your position, I cannot bear to be bound to someone with such a cruel heart. Your family may be displeased, but the prince of this country cannot possibly accommodate a bride who has such a blackened heart. Henceforth, I proclaim our engagement annulled!”

Gasps around her. Ochako didn’t join in—the engagement was one of the last things she was thinking about in this world.

Still, when some people started cheering and clapping, her face grew hot from embarrassment. Was she really so awful that people would celebrate something like that? Eduardo was pointing at her, as if to make abundantly clear who was to be mocked.

This world was stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

“Toga, please just say–”

“You should leave if you know what’s good for you,” Eduardo declared with narrowed eyes, “Miss Himiko has been through more than enough tonight from you.”

“But–”

No, no, she couldn’t. Toga was still in here. It was the third day!

“I still want to talk,” Ochako insisted, even as her limbs grew heavy.

“You’ve ‘talked’ more than enough.”

Her body was seizing up whenever she tried to move closer, but she could still shout. “Toga, please!”

Last time, Toga intervened and broke the system. It was her world, her game, she could change it, couldn’t she?

Toga glanced back at Ochako, then turned away. She smiled at the men around her instead, who welcomed her with open arms.

She blinked, and she was no longer in the dance hall.

The system thankfully hadn’t transported her too far. There was a hall off to the side that had an exit and the entrances to the ladies and gentlemen’s retiring rooms. The wall that faced the dance was filled with curtained arches, so although there was a wall that went up to Ochako’s waist, if she pulled back the thick curtains she could see inside.

She had tried to sneak back inside, both through the main entrance and through the curtains. Each time, an invisible force kept her back. The system had decided that the villainess shouldn’t interrupt this scene, so she was stuck.

The scene in question was Toga dancing with every single one of those men who had spoken ill of Ochako, and then some. She was sent swirling around the dance floor, adored by everyone. Every time Ochako looked, Toga and whoever she was dancing with were always smiling.

Ochako clenched the curtains tight.

“Oh my gooood, no way.”

Ochako heard the hushed whisper to her left, but it wasn’t Toga’s voice so she tried not to pay it any mind.

“She’s still here? After that embarrassment? She’s totally shameless.”

“I would have run home crying.”

“I wouldn’t have been a bitch like her in the first place.”

Finally it was enough, and Ochako sent a glare towards the girls who had paused in their exit of the dance hall. One of them squealed, and the other dragged her away. Like Ochako was some sort of horror show attraction they want to giggle at just to run away from.

Once they were gone, Ochako ran her hands over her arms. It was cold out in this dance hall. 

If this were a dance at UA, she’d be with her friends, laughing and dancing like Toga was now. Having the time of life, enjoying the event like a normal girl. Yeah, it’d be a lot like how Toga was now, surrounded by smiles and people who welcomed her with open arms.

If this were at UA, she wouldn’t be moping in the halls like this. She wouldn’t be standing alone. People wouldn’t look at her like she was the scum of the earth. She wouldn’t feel so awful, alone, and helpless.

Right now, she desperately wished she could destroy this world and never look back.

Was this how Toga felt about the real world?

Realization hit Ochako like a truck, and she felt like vomiting all those hors d'oeuvres she’d swallowed in the first part of the evening.

Toga spun and spun in the green-haired boy’s arms, and a thin piece of fabric went fluttering towards the ground. The song was ending, so he let go and caught the white ribbon that had been in her hair, then handed it to her.

Everyone here went out of their way to be kind to Toga and include her in everything. How was Ochako supposed to compete with that? When the real world was full of people who would hunt Toga down to lock her in a cell?

Toga bowed slightly, something like an apology in her expression, then turned towards the exit.

Oh. Oh.

Ochako thought about waiting, but then she saw all three boys swarm her almost immediately, accompanying her. Did she need to fix her ribbon? If she was going elsewhere…

Ochako eyed the women’s retiring room.

She waited against the wall beside the door, crouched so a table mostly covered her from the initial angle one would have upon entering. Ochako tried to calm her racing heart as time passed, staring at the chaise lounges and the vanity or two for people to rearrange their outfits or powder the nose. Thankfully no one else was there at the moment.

“You’re all too kind!” Toga’s voice was audible as the door creaked open. “I’ll just need a few minutes to fix up my hair, then I’ll be right out!”

As soon as the door shut, Ochako pounced.

Toga was quick to react, but Ochako had momentum, so she sent them both stumbling back. Toga’s back landed on one of the chaises with a thud. Ochako landed on top, and she grabbed both of Toga’s wrists to try and keep her pinned. The end result had both of them breathing heavily, faces close enough for the air to mingle. One of Toga’s buns was nearly undone from the lost ribbon and the scuffle that had ensued.

“Toga,” Ochako breathed out.

“You can’t save me,” she whispered.

“I know.”

They stared at each other. The only two real people in this elaborate video game setting, face-to-face.

Ochako had to speak. She had to tell her. It was her last chance.

She started with, “I’m sorry.”

Toga’s expression was guarded. “...For what?”

“For everything. For barging in as if I’m always right. For the real world being the way it is. I’ve been treated as a villain from the moment I appeared here, and after just three days I feel awful. But now I keep thinking, is that how you feel? Is that how the real world makes you feel? Like no matter what you do, nobody can look past the stain of villainy?”

She didn’t respond. Her lips were drawn tight in a line, like she was holding back.

“But when I watched you dancing, all I could think… there’s no such thing as a villain, really. You’re a normal girl, Toga, and you have the most beautiful smile.”

Toga’s throat bobbed with a hard swallow.

“I’m ashamed that it took us going into a whole other world for me to get to see you, but I want to see more. And I want to see it in the real world.”

During her speech, Ochako’s grip had loosened, so she wasn’t able to stop Toga from spinning them around. The chaise was small enough that it sent them tumbling to the ground, and Ochako landed on her back with a painful thud.

Toga didn’t run though, so Ochako stayed put. Now Toga had Ochako’s wrists held down, and she was looming over her as their bodies pressed together. There was anger in her expression, but that wasn’t all.

“I…” Toga’s voice was tight. “I’m happy here, I want… I… I’m normal.”

“I see it,” Ochako acknowledged, “and I hate to tear you away. But these game characters aren’t the only people who see you, are they? What about the rest of the League?”

That drew a slight smile to her lips. “They’re probably going crazy trying to find whatever villain hospital you guys put me in.”

Ochako hesitated on her next words, but decided to push through. “And there’s me too. I can’t claim to understand everything, but I don’t want to act like this never happened. I don’t want to turn from you anymore. Please… let’s go to the real world, and give me a chance to try to change things there. I’ll do my best to make it an easier world for you, I promise.”

Toga’s eyes were wet. “You… don’t mean that.”

Ochako craned her neck up to press her forehead against Toga’s. “If you’ll have me, I’ll give you blood every day for the rest of my life.”

She waited, breath held. She could hear Toga’s breathing, which had gone ragged. The door rattled, someone starting to open it. Another lady coming to fix their outfit? One of the boys, concerned by how long Toga had been in here?

There was no chance to find out, as Toga’s lips moved to say, “I don’t want to be in this world anymore.”

Ochako sprang upright with a gasp. A television was playing, but a yelp drew her attention.

Ise was applying eyeliner, grasping a pocket mirror as some random show played on the television in front of her, but at Ochako’s sudden noise she had smeared it up to her brow.

“Aw, you made me mess it up!” Ise complained.

As she dabbed at the mistake with a wipe, Ochako discovered a water bottle and a protein shake had been placed beside her. She gulped them both down with haste.

“Pace yourself,” Ise said, “you’ve been out for three days.”

“Sorry for the stress, but thank you for giving me the opportunity. I… learned a lot.”

She smiled. “So you got her out?”

Ochako nodded. “Now it’s time I see her in the real world again.”

Though Ochako immediately went to the villain hospital, she ended up not seeing Toga there. There had been a break in despite all the security, and Toga had escaped. Turns out the rest of the League had been looking for her.

Eventually though, after Mr. Aizawa had stopped freaking out about Ochako going missing for three days, he revealed that a note had been left on Toga’s cot, addressed to her.

Dear Ochako,

I’ll come to collect what you promised me when you least expect it ❤.

Sincerely,

Himiko