Requiem of the Broken

Chapter 14: Broken Chains

Ochako leaned against the nearby wall as she caught her breath. She hadn't fought this hard or been this battered since the duels she and the other angels had had with Shigiraki, or when she had been forced to fight a High-End Nomu on her own. Whoever this woman was, she was absurdly strong for a non-modified human, at least she hoped she was unmodified. So, with a final breath, she collected herself and readied for a finishing blow that put the woman down long enough for members of the QSU to restrain her. She hoped it would be enough. She had her doubts that her attempt at snapping the woman's neck worked since she hadn't actually felt or heard any of the bones break.

Then the woman spoke, it was like a whisper but hoarse and raspy. As if she hadn't spoken in many years.

"Please... kill... me..." she rasped out.

Ochako felt herself stop in shock.

"If... you... do it... they... will... believe it..." she rasped out slowly.

In a sudden flash of insight, Ochako understood then, truly understood this woman, and why her eyes reminded Ochako of her own. She was what Ochako had been only a couple of years ago. Broken, and beyond feeling anything but anger, hate, apathy, and hopelessness. Ochako recalled the terrible months following the death of Hikari and Gentle. It had all seemed so meaningless to her, fighting, living, and happiness; her last dregs of duty the only thing keeping her going. So long as there had been a mission (the more dangerous the better) she could put it all out of her mind. She didn't know when it started, but at some point, she had wanted to die on a subconscious level. Her sense of duty, however, prevented her from contemplating suicide, for a time anyway. She would storm entire bunkers and hideouts solo, fighting dozens of villains and terrorists, skirting the line of life and death every time.

It wasn't quite the same with this woman though, it wasn't loss that weighed on her soul as it had with Ochako, she could see that. But whatever it was had thoroughly broken her, the woman no longer saw a way out of whatever kind of pain she was in, and now death had become preferable. With that realization though, came a newfound sense of purpose. Ochako knew what needed to be done. Perhaps it wasn't too late to save her, perhaps Ochako could even save her in this very fight. Her resolve hardened, and she prepared herself for what was to come.

"I'm sorry, but I won't." Said Ochako

The woman turned her head towards Ochako from where she lay to stare at her. Up close, Ochako noticed that the skin had small hairline black cracks stemming from around the eyes that faded back to normal skin and had two small studs for earrings that looked be a gold color but were so worn and dull it was hard to tell.

"Why... " she rasped in an emotionless voice.

"Because I know what you feel, and because I know, I have to save you from whatever binds you. If not for your sake, then for mine."  Ochako said quietly.

The woman didn't say anything, just turned her head to face the ceiling again. Eventually, she moved though, slowly standing up, and facing away from Ochako but within striking range with her massive claws.

"You... can't... save me..." she rasped out one final time.

"I can, and I promise you that I will," Ochako said.

There was silence again save for the odd noise of rubble falling to the ground. Ochako tensed, ready to move at a moment's notice. The tension in the air was palpable, and Ochako felt a bead of sweat trickle down the side of her face. Then the woman twitched and in an eyeblink and explosion of movement, was swinging another clawed hand at her throat. Ochako glided backward already ready for it and countered with a lightning-quick finger jab right at the ulnar nerve of the elbow as it passed by.