Disclaimer: I own neither My Hero Academia or Persona 5

Welcome to the side stories of Thieves Can Be Heroes! Some of them stem from my own creation, either for fun or as a gift to friends. Some of them also come from the minds of my readers and my beta reppuzan (as this first chapter is). Just something to note before continuing on, scenes in this side story will most usually be non-canon unless indicated differently. So just sit back and enjoy the ride!

WARNING: This snippet does contain endgame spoilers for Persona 5. If you haven't beaten the game yet and don't want to be spoiled, I do not recommend reading this. You have been warned.

The Older Sister

By reppuzan

Izuku was torn as he went to bed that night. On one hand, he was on Cloud Nine. To think that he'd finally be able to attend U.A. after everything that happened in the past year... it was like something out of a dream. Sure, he would only be in the General Education course, but going to All Might's alma mater at all was something that seemed to be forever out of reach when he got that sentence practically a lifetime ago. But what would his new classmates think? How would a school designed to produce some of the greatest Heroes in the world treat one of the country's most infamous vigilantes? It was exciting. It was frightening. He wasn't sure which feeling to focus on.

But whatever fear he was feeling faded as he thought of his adventures with his friends. After all, nothing could be scarier than fighting the embodiments of the distorted desires of humanity, right? So, he closed his eyes and waited for sleep to take him.

But a strange and uncomfortable, yet familiar sensation jolted him awake. His eyes shot open and he began blinking away any remaining fogginess and drowsiness as he began surveying his surroundings.

It was his cell in the Velvet Room again. Everything was exactly as he had remembered it. The only difference was the fact that his hands and feet were unbound and his clothes hadn't changed. As he sat up, he felt something pressing into his palm. He opened his right hand to see the key had been given the day he left Tokyo. Was that really a month ago now?

"Welcome to the Velvet Room."

That voice didn't belong to Caroline, Justine, Lavenza or Igor. It was definitely older than either of the twins, with a certain mystique and playfulness that reminded Izuku of Takemi. He peered out of his cell, which now lacked a door, to see a beautiful woman with flowing, wavy silver locks and the same golden eyes as his former wardens standing in the center of the room, which was now entirely devoid of furniture.

She was wearing a blue satiny jacket with two parallel rows of silver rings running down the front that were shoulder-width apart. In her hands was a thick, dark-colored book that resembled an encyclopedia or a textbook.

This woman gently smiled at him as he got to his feet. "I've been expecting you, Izuku Midoriya."

"M-Me? But who...," he stopped as it hit him. "Are you-"

"My sister always said you were sharp," that smile grew a little wider. "Yes, I am Lavenza's eldest sister. You may call me Margaret."

"It's nice to meet you, Margaret-san. But... Why am I here? I thought I'd never be here again after we defeated Yaldabaoth."

"It's true. There's no real reason for you to visit this place again. The distortions that have plagued Tokyo have vanished thanks to the efforts of the Phantom Thieves," she opened the book in her hands and began flipping through the pages one by one. "You've earned your freedom and saved your world from the clutches of the mad god who forced you into a twisted game that was rigged against you from the start. But that's not why I brought you here."

"Then, why did you bring me here?" he asked as he walked towards the entrance to his cell. Margaret was giving him far more questions than answers.

She stopped flipping through the pages and met his eyes again. "Well, I came to see what the man who stole my sister's heart was like."

"The man who stole your sister's heart? That doesn't make any sense. I didn't...," he felt his face heat up as the words sank in. "A-Ah! I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to- I-I just t-tried to finish m-my 'rehabilitation' and uh- Not to say that Lavenza-san isn't cute but..."

Margaret laughed as Izuku's ramblings devolved into gibberish, covering her mouth with her free hand as if to be polite. "I apologize. It was a jest."

"A-A jest?"

"She told me how easy it was to embarrass you with anything remotely romantic. Still, it's something else to see it for myself," after a few more seconds of laughter, she stopped, her expression becoming more solemn. "But that's not why I called you here either. Please, come out here so we may speak face-to-face."

"Oh, um, okay." Izuku stuffed the key into his pocket as he stepped out of the cell and towards Margaret.

"I wasn't lying when I said that I wished to meet the man who stole my sister's heart. But I also wanted to experience your strength firsthand."

"My strength?" Izuku felt heat snaking over his shoes, looking down to see a circle of blue flames rising from the ground. It soon turned into a twister that engulfed him completely in an instant, subsiding only a few seconds later and leaving him in a familiar set of clothes. "M-My thief outfit?!"

He looked himself over and reached up to feel the mask that represented his Persona on his face. It hadn't changed either. His hands fell back to his sides. "Then... you want to fight me."

"Indeed. You and your friends defeated an entity so powerful that even my master was no match for it. I can't help but wonder what made it possible for you. Was it your ability to stand on your own in the face of certain doom? Or was it the strength of the bonds you've forged along your journey? Or is it simply a testament to humanity's infinite potential to grow and change? I must know the answer.

"Of course, I can't force you to battle me. If you wish, I can simply send you back to the real world. That decision is up to you. But if you defeat me, I promise you a reward for your efforts. What do you say? Are you willing to face one who resides over power?"

Izuku's eyes drifted to the floor as his hand came up to his lips. Should he battle her? What could he possibly gain from this? What is she looking for? Questions like these buzzed through his mind without end and none of them seemed to have any answers.

But if there was one thing he wanted to do, then it was to be a Hero again, one last time.

After was seemed like a small eternity, he looked back up and locked eyes with Margaret. "I'll do it. I accept your challenge, Margaret-san."

Margaret's smile returned. "Splendid. Now, are you absolutely sure you are ready to fight?"

He reached into his coat and found his staff and pistol along with all of the items he'd taken with him on his final heist. "Yes, I'm sure."

"Alright," Margaret let go of her book, which began to fly into the air along with an array of tarot cards that flew from its pages. "Then let's make this a battle to remember."

Her feet left the floor as her book and cards began to crackle with unbelievable amounts of energy. Even without Futaba or Morgana to guide him, Izuku could tell that Margaret was undeniably powerful. But he wasn't afraid, not anymore. It was time to put everything he learned into practice.

He reached up to the mask on his face and ripped it off with a grin to rival the Number One Hero.

"Come, Carter!"

The End

This was a fun chapter to read as the first for the side stories! I do imagine something like this happening with Lavenza since she is the youngest of the Velvet Room siblings haha anyway, I hope you all enjoyed my beta's snippet, feel free to leave a review, a follow and a favorite if you'd be so kind!