Chapter Text
the night train
When people die in a horrific way, to the point it’s hard to really recognize them, the authorities bring in assumed family members to help identify them. Unfortunately, fifteen-year-old Ochako Uraraka was the only relative to her mom and dad.
Walking down the corridor had her stomach in knots. The dull green walls and speckled linoleum floor lit up by yellow buzzing bulbs didn’t help matters either. She had been at school, and just finished her math test which she knew she aced. Then just as her teacher graded her work, the principal walked into their classroom with two police officers.
Ochako’s whole body tensed the moment they said they needed to talk to her in the hall. Not once in her life had she ever gotten into trouble, let alone had to interact with the police. She wiped her sweating palms on her skirt and prayed her somersaulting stomach wouldn’t unleash the contents of her lunch on the officer's polished shoes.
“Ochako, there’s been a terrible accident. We need you to come down to the station,” one of the officers had said.
Everything from that moment on had been nothing more than a blur. She hadn’t processed anything the officers said on the ride over, nor had she managed to make sense of their route to the station. The cobbled roads, the horse carriages, the cars all blended into a swirl of colors and shapes. All that replayed in her mind was the officer’s words. When they had arrived at the station’s front entrance, she had found it incredibly hard to breathe. They weren’t at a hospital, which could only mean one thing: her parents were dead. You didn’t take injured people to a police station, they would be taken to the hospital.
They finally reached the end of the corridor. A large window looked into a room with counters going around the outer perimeter and a massive wall of little square metal doors. Four tables were placed in the center of the room, each having a moveable light hanging overhead. Ochako sucked in a breath upon noticing her parents' bodies laying on the two center tables. The authorities had been nice enough to cover their faces. She recognized the pink blouse her mother had been wearing that morning.
Tears welled in her eyes, air vanished from her lungs, and all she wanted to do was collapse to the floor and cry. She had just been with them four hours ago. They had been so vibrant; laughing and wishing her a good day at school, waving to her as she ran out the door. In front of her, they lay lifeless. Dead. Gone.
Mom…Dad… she stumbled back, shaking her head.
“Ochako.” One of the officer’s reached for her.
No, they can’t be dead! They can’t be. What’s going to happen to me? Why did they leave me! Hot tears poured down her face, then she sobbed uncontrollably, falling to her knees and burying her face in her hands. This can’t be real, it had to be a terrible nightmare. She would wake up and everything would be fine. This couldn’t be real, her parents were still alive, they had to be.
♠♥♣♦
Ochako sat alone in the waiting room of the police station.The only comfort she found were the two police horses hitched to the sidewalk post outside the window. She wrung her hands several times and glanced out the window every couple of minutes. Two and a half hours ago, she had seen her dead parents on a table in the morgue, and she still wasn’t sure how to process that information. A tingling feeling jolted throughout her body. So many questions bubbled in her mind.
The officers who’d brought her down to the station told her that a woman would be coming to get her. She didn’t remember the name they’d said, nor did she recall what was going to happen next. Regardless, it couldn’t be good. Everything about today had left a sour taste in her mouth and a heavy knot in the pit of her gut. Ochako swallowed, lips pressed together tight, eyes still burning from her tears and chest tight with anxiety.
Heels clicked on the floor from behind grabbing her attention. She glanced over her shoulder, catching the shadow of a woman through the paper partition. Click, click, click, click . Then silence. Ochako trembled as a woman with blond hair pinned up in a ballerina bun stood at the entrance. She wore a belted fit and flare navy dress, adorned bright red lips and several files were tucked beneath her arm.
“You must be Ochako,” the blond woman said with a small smile. She approached and took the seat beside Ochako. “My name is Yu Takeyama. I’m here to help you.”
Ochako nervously glanced at Ms. Takeyama then immediately stared down at her whitening knuckles balled in her lap. Though she was just a kid, Ochako knew that with no living relatives, the only option she had was being put into an orphanage and hopefully by some sort of miracle someone would adopt her. She licked her lips and let out a shaky breath, trying to find her voice that seemed lost on her the moment she had arrived.
“I’m so sorry for your loss,” Ms. Takeyama said, placing a hand gingerly on Ochako’s shoulder. “I can’t even imagine the pain and confusion you must be feeling.”
The tears pricked at her eyes once again. She sniffled and hunched over, her shoulders heavy. A long time ago, Ochako’s parents had taken her to the beach. She got sucked into a riptide and spiraled under the water while trying to swim back to the surface. Unfortunately, no matter how hard she kicked and flailed she kept getting pulled deeper and deeper. That’s what she was feeling now, the need to come up for air, desperately needing to breathe but couldn’t.
“You’re fifteen, right?” Ms. Takeyama inquired, removing her hand from Ochako’s shoulder.
A coldness washed over her. She opened her mouth to speak, but found it difficult to utter a simple yes.
“You can’t live on your own at fourteen,” Ms. Takeyama explained, her tone gentle and somewhat apologetic. “Even if you could, the bank is going to take your house.”
Ochako snapped her head up at the woman beside her.
“Your parents had debts to pay, so to recoup the money owed, the bank will take the house and everything in it.”
The world was spinning again. She wouldn’t be able to live in her home anymore, it would just be taken away and along with everything inside, it was earth shattering. Everything she had ever known and loved was being blown away like dust in the wind. She couldn’t do anything about it. Her vision blurred and her heart ached. How could this be happening? I don’t know what to do…
“This is a lot to take in,” Ms. Takeyama said with that same gentle and apologetic tone then frowned. “Can I get you anything?”
What a stupid question.
“Have you eaten anything?”
Ochako opened her mouth, but closed it and shook her head.
Ms. Takeyama nodded. “Okay, let’s just take a minute to sit. I’ll get you some water and then we can get you something to eat.”
Ochako bit her bottom lip then closed her eyes, sucking in a deep breath. She slowly exhaled through her mouth and turned to face Ms. Takeyama. “What’s going to happen to me?”
“Well,” Ms. Takeyama began softly. “You’ll be sent to an orphanage, where you will be taken care of until someone adopts you or until you’re old enough to take care of yourself.”
She didn’t want that.
“Look, I know you’re going through a lot. Let’s just take it one step at a time. First, let me get you some water and then over dinner we can talk about what happens next. Okay?” Ms. Takeyama lowered her eyes to catch Ochako’s. “It’ll be okay.”
“Okay,” Ochako whispered.
Ms. Takeyama gave her a smile and rose to her feet before placing the files she’d been holding onto her seat. “I’ll be back in a minute.” With that, she walked away and left the room.
Once again, Ochako was alone. She let her head fall back, a single tear slipped from the corner of her eye. If she stayed, she would be going to an orphanage. Even though she didn’t know much about those places, she knew going to one wouldn’t be good for her. To be stuffed into a house with dozens of other kids—never getting to play in the meadow by the creek, no more picking wildflowers with her mom, no more catching frogs in the pond with her dad.
The air hitched in her lungs as she fought the urge to cry. Everything was being taken away from her. Ochako raked her fingers through her shoulder length brown hair and swallowed the lump in her throat. She clenched her fists and forced her weakened body to stand. Staying wasn’t an option, where she would go, what she would do, that didn’t matter. She would figure it out, but no way would she lose her parents, her home, and her freedom all in the same day.
When she rose to her feet, Ochako turned toward the entrance of the small waiting room and strode out. What started as a walk, picked up to a jog and once she threw the front doors of the police station open she bolted.
Her destination was unknown to her, but that didn’t matter. All she knew is she didn’t want to stay. She pushed herself harder and faster, zooming down the road. Horse carriages and cars lined her path but she weaved through them. If she was going to do this, she had to really commit and leave Saitama all together. They’d find her if she stayed in the city—she had to go far away. With no money, she would have to get creative.
A train whistled in the distance and Ochako skidded to a stop, grasping onto a telephone pole. Her lungs burned and sweat beaded on her forehead. She panted at the street corner, facing the direction of the train yard a few blocks down. That was it. Her ticket out. Any train, it didn’t matter where it was going just as long as it could take her away. Ochako took in a deep breath and jogged down the street.
When she made it to the wooden fence line, she followed it until she found a broken section. She peered through it, scanning the train yard.Four men stood in a group, chatting and smoking under the light pole and three train cars down, one had its door wide open.
I can do this. Ochako squeezed through the fence, staying low in the knee high grass.
“Hey!” a man hollered.
Ochako stiffened. Had she been spotted?
“Come on! We’re heading out in ten minutes, stop draggin’ your feet!”
“Sorry, Hawks!” The small group of men quickly dispersed, getting back to work checking the train. If she was getting on, it had to be now before they could close the door.
Ochako made a break for it, pushing herself to run as fast and as quietly as she could. In a matter of seconds, she was at the train car and grabbed the small metal ladder. Hoisting herself up, Ochako crawled onto the straw covered floor and then rolled onto her back. No turning back now, she was on a train going to who knows where.
The train whistled. She sat up and glanced around, it was too dark to see everything, but it seemed to be mostly storage. On her right, were wooden crates filled with various food items and to her left were stacks of hay bales and what appeared to be bags of animal feed. She got onto her feet and dusted herself off. It wasn’t the best situation, but it was her own choice and she honestly believed her parents would have wanted her to run rather than be locked up in an orphanage.
She sat down on a hay bale and let out a breath. “Watch over me, mom and dad.”
♠♥♣♦
Ice cold water soaked Ochako’s clothing and skin, startling her awake. She jumped from the hay bales she slept upon during the night and scrambled back against the paint peeling wall of the train car. Gooseflesh formed along her skin, her breathing hitched as her eyes locked with shimmering golden ones. A man stood before her, his shadow looming as the morning light flooded in from the open door behind him. He tilted his head and chortled, crouching down to eye-level with her.
“Do you know who’s train you’ve boarded, young lady?”
She shook her head.
He hummed and rested his arms across his thighs. Given his fair skin, shiny blond hair, and clean clothes, Ochako assumed he was someone important. Many of the other people she’d seen around the train the previous night had been in disheveled, sweat stained clothing, their skin tanned from hours under the sun. He tilted his head, eyes tracing every inch of her.
Some men hollered from outside. “Hawks! Hey! Mr. Chisaki is looking for you.”
“Give me a minute,” he called back, never taking his eyes away from young Ochako. “How old are you?”
Ochako bit the inside of her cheek.
“You climbed on last night, didn’t you?” the man, Hawks, inquired and rose back to his full height.
She broke eye contact, pressing her lips together.
“Do you speak?” Hawks pulled her from her thoughts. “Tell me your name.”
Ochako let out a small sigh and stood. She dusted the pieces of straw from her clothing and looked Hawks in the eye. “I’m Ochako and I’m fifteen.”
He nodded and stuffed his hands into the pockets of his tawny colored pants. “And why exactly are you on this train?”
“I had to run away.”
“From who?”
“Everything.” Her eyes stung as tears threatened to spill down her cheeks.
Footsteps tapped on the wooden ramp, leading into the train car. Hawks glanced over his shoulder then turned as a man, wearing just as fine an outfit, entered. While Hawks was adorned in tawny pants, a white button down with the top three buttons undone and a slim fitting dark blue vest, the other gentleman wore all black and a blood red tie. He even wore gloves, which Ochako found odd as it was too hot to wear in the dead of summer.
“Is this why you’ve kept me waiting?” the man in all black asked in a voice that demanded respect. His hair was short cropped, but his eyes were gold just like the other’s. Ochako wondered if they were possibly related. The newcomer walked forward, standing alongside Hawks. He looked down his nose at her. “A stowaway?”
Hawks looked down at the ground, dejected almost, then took in a deep breath as if he didn’t want to answer. “So it would seem.”
The man nodded and approached Ochako, stopping only a mere two steps away. He crossed his arms, studying every last bit of her. She held her breath and clutched her arms to her chest, the feeling of uneasiness washed over her. Hawks may have thrown cold water on her, but came off as friendly. This other man, however, was the exact opposite. Though he wasn’t burly or even mean in appearance, his presence alone was heavy. He took another step closer and Ochako pushed herself back against the hay bales.
“Let’s just kick her off the train, Chisaki,” Hawks said with a small shrug. “She’s just another street kid.”
Chisaki lifted his hand to silence Hawks, but his eyes remained on Ochako. “No one enters this train for free.”
Ochako’s hands were clammy. Her eyes flicked toward the open door, the desire to make a run for it bubbled in her core. She could make it.
“Don’t even think of running,” Chisaki ordered.
Ochako licked her lips, shoulders tight, and heart pounding.
“If you want to keep her, she’d be good for the show,” Hawks commented, earning a quick glance from Chisaki. “She’s a pretty girl and a good size for stunts.”
“She’s scrawny,” Chisaki stated flatly, turning to face Hawks dead on.
Show? Stunts? Scrawny? Ochako’s brow creased. On the one hand, she assumed Hawks was trying to help her, but stunts didn’t sound helpful. She knew how to do somersaults, cartwheels, and could somewhat do a decent backflip. Were those the kind of stunts he was getting at? She wrung her hands together, her eyes darting between Chisaki and Hawks as they whispered amongst themselves.
“We need someone,” Hawks said, louder and firmer than before.
Chisaki sighed, rubbing his temples. “How old are you?”
“She's fifteen,” Hawks interjected before she could even process the question. “Trainable.”
Chisaki tutted. “And you’ll take that on yourself?”
Hawks’ eyes flicked to Ochako then he met Chisaki’s cold, hard gaze. He nodded. “Yes.”
“She’d make a good meal for the Jorogumo.”
Meals for a Jorogumo? Ochako tugged at the sleeve of her blouse. These two were crazy. Jorogumos weren’t even real! They were just make-believe monsters used to scare kids from wandering around at night. Maybe hopping onto a random train in the middle of the night was a bad idea. She bit the inside of her cheek, racking her brain for some sort of plan.
Chisaki took a step toward her and grabbed hold of her chin, yanking her forward with far more force than necessary. She yelped and stumbled forward, nearly knocking into him. He held her chin tight, squeezing like a snake trying to suffocate its prey. She trembled, fighting the urge to claw at his wrist. His golden eyes scanned the features of her face then he let go and grasped her shoulder. Ochako gasped as he forced her to spin around a couple of times, scrutinizing her like she was a hunk of meat.
Hawks cleared his throat. “She’s just a kid, Chisaki.”
“Regardless,” he said, upon finishing his examination. “She jumped aboard the Night Train, and free loaders and stowaways aren’t permitted.”
“I taught Hitoshi, I can teach her too,” Hawks commented, his eyes locking with Ochako’s. Chisaki paid him little attention. “We need a new act for the horses, let’s see if she can do it.”
Chisaki clicked his tongue and gripped Ochako’s chin once again, forcing her to look at him. “You have sixty days to prove you’re of value to me and my Wonderland. Should you fail, I’ll feed you to the Jorogumo. Do you understand?”
She didn’t understand anything, but Hawks was gesturing for her to agree. Why he was helping her, she couldn’t be sure, but it appeared he had her best interest in mind. She closed her eyes and let out a breath before nodding. “I understand.”
“Good.” Chisaki let go of her and turned on his heels. He walked toward the doorway, stopping beside Hawks for a moment. “Have Nemuri deal with her until you return, we have business to attend to. Don’t make me wait.” With that he was gone and Ochako let out a deep breath, plopping onto a hay bale with her hand on her chest.
Hawks stuffed his hands in his pockets and tilted his head, giving Ochako a weak smile. “Welcome to the Night Train. We’re a circus–of sorts.”
Ochako blinked. “A circus?”
He nodded. “Of sorts. And unfortunately you’re now tangled up in it. Trust me though, it’s better than the alternative.”
“Feeding me to a Jorogumo?” she asked, somewhat skeptically.
Hawks chuckled and walked to the entryway, nodding out the door. “The thing about this circus? The monsters are real.”
“What?”
“You’ll learn soon enough, but let’s hurry before Chisaki comes back and loses all desire to be generous.” He walked down the ramp, leading to the world beyond the train car. The moment Ochako stepped out, there would be a whole new life for her. She hesitated, but closed her eyes and forced herself onto her feet. She made a decision to run, so now she had to live with it.
The morning light shined in her eyes as she walked out of the train car. Beyond the glimmering rays of sunlight laid a field of lush green grass speckled with morning dew. Dozens and dozens of people were carrying wooden and metal materials while others hammered items together. Muscular work horses pulled carriages loaded with items from one area to the next as supplies were dropped off at each station.
Hawks waited for her at the bottom of the ramp. When she came to his side, he placed a hand on her shoulder, earning her full attention. “In order to survive here, you’ll need to work hard and prove your value to Chisaki.”
“Why are you helping me?” She had to know. He didn’t know her from some random stranger on the street, but here he was showing her undue kindness. She didn’t want to complain, but there had to be a motive behind it. “I’m just some random kid, you don’t need to help me.”
“You’ve got spunk,” Hawks shrugged. “And honestly, you kind of remind me of myself. I was younger than you when I ended up here but I was down on my luck too.”
“How long have you been doing this?”
“Since I was eleven.” Hawks appeared to be counting in his head. “So thirteen years, now.”
“This Night Train has been in existence for thirteen years? I’ve never heard of it before.”
“Oh no, this particular show has only been here for five, but I’ve been following Chisaki’s lead for thirteen.”
“Why? He doesn’t seem like a pleasant person.”
Hawks laughed. “I’ll give you that, he’s gotten…temperamental recently.”
The trumpet of an elephant sounded from three cars down, breaking their conversation. Her eyes widened as a large gray creature walked out of the railcar alongside a young man, probably the same age as her, maybe a year older. He had a wooden staff resting on his shoulder as he walked beside the elephant, guiding it to a covered space where several other animals were tied to posts or caged.
“That’s Hitoshi Shinso. Much like you, he ended up on this train about three years ago,” Hawks explained. “He’s not much of a talker, but he’s really good with animals so we’ve kept him around.”
“You mentioned him earlier? That you taught him.”
“Yeah, I did. He…uh, has a couple of acts.”
Hitoshi had long and wild purple hair with a tall and lean build. The elephant followed him as if they were best friends. When they were under the tent, Hitoshi turned to the creature, who stopped and rested its trunk against Hitoshi’s torso. He smiled and patted its trunk then proceeded to walk toward its leg and hooked it onto a chain staked into the ground. Maybe he felt her eyes upon him because once he finished tending to the elephant, he looked her way, gazing at her with curiosity and a hint of uncertainty.
She turned away, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. “So what’s going to happen to me?”
“Well,” Hawks paused and placed a hand on the small of her back, guiding her in the direction to the front of the train. “We have sixty days for you to perfect an act.”
“And if I don’t?” She halted, eyes boring into his.
He smiled. “You will.”
For some reason she believed him. With a single nod, Ochako gestured for him to lead the way. Before they continued on, she looked back to the tent where the animals were being held. Shinso had vanished into the fray of carts, people, and animals. She walked alongside Hawks, knowing full well this was her only way to make her own choices.
Banners sprung up like daisies in a field, black, gold, and white pennant flags zigzagged toward the middle of the field where the big top was being hoisted. Men hollered, heaving and groaning as they tugged and pulled up the posts. In a matter of seconds, the massive poles were high in the air and the tent unfurled in such majesty.
“This place mustn’t be too bad if you’ve stayed here so long.”
Hawks pursed his lips. “Or maybe this is the only place for me.”
She considered his words for a moment, wondering if the same would be true for her.