Bakugo stands with his hands pushed far into his pant pockets, looking down a path and watching the patrons shift. The sun has set, and even though the sky is still bright along the horizon, tiki torches have been lit inside the iron fence. Kirishima, Jiro, Ashido, Sero, Todoroki, Iida, and Uraraka are watching a man who claimed to have unpierceable skin. He lets people take turns trying to puncture him with needles and knives. Nothing draws blood. His classmates seem completely entranced by this place, but Bakugo doesn't get the hype. There isn't a single person in the whole circus who could kill a villain with their quirks, he is less than unimpressed.

Bakugo turns and spots the gypsy girl from earlier. She's grinning, arm-in-arm with some older men who are red-nosed with liquor. Her bright blue eyes rest on Bakugo, and her smile falters. For a moment she looks away, embarrassed, but then she apologizes to the men and tries to leave them. The men whine and complain, begging her not to go. Bakugo can't make out any of their conversation over the music and chatter around him. One of the men looks agitated now and lunges at her, but the girl twirls and steps away so effortlessly that he stumbles and falls flat on the pathway. Bakugo loses sight of the girl for a moment, and then there's a soft jingle behind him.

"Hi, again," she says with a curious smile, her hands clasped behind her back. Golden bells are tied to her ankles and the front of her shirt.

"I thought that old lady said you had a show to go to," Bakugo replied, wary of her gaze looking him up and down. She scoffs and waved that away with a gloved hand.

"Screw Stella. She just hates when the six of us try to make contact with others our own age."

"I saw her pull your hair. What was up with that?"

The girl blinks as if she didn't expect him to bring it up. She glances around warily, but as she opens her mouth to say something, Kirishima is beside them.

"Oh, it's you again!"

"Hi!" A more friendly, genuine smile graces the gypsy's lips. "You can call me Mia."

"I'm Ejiro Kirishima, and this is Katsuki Bakugo. We're from-"

"UA, yeah I know."

"So, what do you do in the Circus? You look like a belly dancer,"

Mia's smile widens, "I'm the fortune teller."

Kirishima gasps, "IS THAT HOW YOU KNEW WE WERE FROM UA?"

"You're such an idiot," Bakugo grumbles, "We said it earlier."

"Oh, yeah..."

Mia laughs. Her voice is high and clear and sweet like the ringing of her bells. "You want me to read your fortunes?"

Bakugo narrows his eyes at her, unsure. Kirishima, on the other hand, volunteers enthusiastically. Mia twirls and dances past the two of them, and puts a gloved hand out, "Follow me then."

"Come on, man!" Kirishima urges when Bakugo hesitates. The two walk on either side of Mia, passing food stands, clowns and carnies offering trinkets and balloons.

"How old are you, Mia?" Kirishima starts the small talk, "You don't look like you could be any older than us."

"My sixteenth birthday is next week, actually," she says. Bakugo notices a little sadness in her voice. "So, I'm probably not far off from you two."

"You don't go to school?"

"Nah, but everyone sort of helps tutor the younger ones. I can even speak English and Russian, too." She flips her hair proudly as she says this.

Finally, Bakugo is too curious to not ask, "How long have you been in the Circus?"

"Ten years as of my next birthday. I joined shortly after I turned six."

"Are your parents in the Circus, too?"

She shakes her head and holds a curtain open for a small tent that was made of deep purples and bright magentas, all trimmed with shimmering gold lace. "I was in an orphanage before I joined the Circus. Come, sit down."

The boys each take a seat in the two lavish cushioned chairs before a circle wooden table. There's no crystal ball, no tarot cards, only a golden chandelier hanging only inches above their heads. Mia walks to the other side and sits on a velvet stool. She props her elbows on the table and holds her chin.

"So?" She looks back and forth at the two of them, "Both of you put a hand on the table, palm up."

They oblige. She ungloves one hand runs a single finger lightly over their wrists. Her eyes flicked up as she touches Bakugo.

"You first," She says, smirking. Bakugo sneers.

"I don't even believe in any of this shit. Don't waste your time on me."

Mia just rolls her eyes and takes his hand in the hand that still wears a glove. At first, she hovers her bare hand over his, looking at him with a mischievous little smile. Then she grazes her fingers across his palm so lightly it tickles. Her eyes close and they wait. She keeps her eyes shut, and tilts her head to one side, twirling her fingers in figure eight on his hand. The grin fades and her eyebrows furrow. Bakugo and Kirishima look to one another, then back at her.

She lets out a little gasp, her eyes flicker open again. Her eyes are wide in alarm. "Y-You... shouldn't be here."

"What?"

"Shit," she flinches away from him, panic rising in her voice.

"W-What the hell did you see!?" Bakugo demands.

"I can't tell you!"

"It's MY future!" He barks.

She rolls her eyes again, "I can't see the future! It's all part of the act! I see your past!"

"What was in Bakugo's past that's making you freak out like this?" Kirishima questions.

Mia looks at them with desperation in her face, "I... I can't tell you. But you two should go. You should all leave. Please-"

"And why the hell should we do anything you say?" A small explosion bursts in Bakugo's palm. A challenge.

BOOM!

The ground rumbles with the sound of a larger explosion somewhere within the gates of the Circus. Startled screams fill the air. Bakugo and Kirishima run out of Mia's tent and into the pathways. Black smoke rises on the other side of the Circus. People freeze and watch it rise into a dark cloud above them.

"H-Hey..." one of the carnies passing out balloon animals says, "Is that coming from the menagerie?"

Bakugo charges back into the tent. Mia is halfway under the table, throwing a backpack over her shoulder.

"What the hell did you do?" Bakugo growls.