'-and by touching objects, she can of course revert their momentum and halt them but I wonder if-'

Izuku is roused from his thoughts by a steaming bowl being placed before him. His favourite topic would sadly have to wait, no matter how interesting Velocity's Quirk was.

Inko smiles fondly at her son as he mutters his thanks and begins shovelling food inside his mouth, too used to his behaviour to mind it. Instead she starts to eat herself, managing to employ a little more decorum than her son.

"Going somewhere today, Izuku, honey?" She asks in between bites, noticing the bag balanced on his shoulder.

He glances at her and nods eagerly, unruly green locks bouncing.

"Yeah. I've gotta go grab a copy of Thunderspike's new autobiography from the library and maybe take a look at a couple of Quirk development books while I'm there," he replies, continuing to wolf his food down with relish.

In his younger years he'd already scoured through the pages of most of them, desperately seeking some hint there could be such a power lying dormant within him, the faintest sign that he wasn't truly Quirkless.

Perhaps it was just him being unable to totally let go of his optimism, but there was still a chance he'd missed something vital that might help him gain control over One For All.

"Well that's fine, but we're running low on a few things. Would you mind buying some supplies while you're out?" His mother requests as he speedily finishes his meal, putting his bowl away.

"Sure thing, mom. Just text me what you need and I'll get it on my way back - love you," he promises, offering a quick hug before dashing off.

Inko watches him go and sighs to herself in mild exasperation. Her boy was certainly growing up fast but he was still the same as he'd ever been, too energetic for his own good sometimes.

Maybe she'll have another bowl.

The library proves a failure once again. Though there was plenty of information on Quirk development in children, none of it is useful to someone who's been given a Quirk in his teens.

He isn't surprised - almost nobody had ever been in a situation like his, and those who had clearly didn't suffer from the same issues. Still though, there's a small sting of disappointment - but at least he managed to secure the book he'd been after; Lightning Fast, Razor Sharp.

The streets are full of people now, each making their way through the day just like he was.

A few of the more interesting mutant-types catch his eye and he has to force himself to not stare and contemplate their possible Quirks and effects. Not everyone likes being analysed - but he can hardly help it; the various ways their unique powers can be utilised is so fascinating!

Instead Izuku shakes his head in an attempt to control himself and opens his phone to recheck the text he's been sent. It's mainly a request for groceries and other household products, just enough for the pair of them to live on for the next few days until his mother can do the week's shopping later on herself.

Nothing he needs to go out of his way to get, at least. There is a small grocery store nearby he could get most, if not all, of the supplies on the list from and then hurry home to catch the rerun of old Hero fights he's been meaning to watch.

As he enters the shop he can see the proprietor sleepily standing behind a counter, a gardening magazine less-than-discreetly tucked away, presumably for him to read in between customers.

A young mother and her daughter are just exiting the store, so he holds it open for the pair to pass, awkwardly returning the thankful smile she gives him as she pulls her child along. It doesn't seem like anyone else is buying anything at the moment, but then it is a Sunday after all.

Muttering to himself, he paces up and down as he looks for what he needs. Where to start? Right, some apples. Okay, now what?

Broccoli, check. That was another one down. And there was the cabbage too, right next to it. It seemed firm and green, great. What else was on the list? Ah yes, cucumber.

'Hmm. This one is cheaper but closer to the sell-by date. We might not be eating it soon, so maybe it would be better to get the fresher one instead? But then- eh?'

"Best give me the money, old man, I won't ask you twice!" An angry voice breaks his concentration.

His head shoots up, scanning the area - there, over by the counter! A pale man dressed in a white pinstriped suit stands tall, his fist planted against the wooden top.

In one hand he holds a small, dark baton he waves menacingly under the cashier's nose as the elderly gentleman cowers. The thug continues to berate him, greedily thrusting a bag in his other hand and demanding money is put into it.

Izuku's eyes narrow, watching the pair intently.

A robbery at such a tiny store on a Sunday. He was just stealing a handful of petty cash from a pensioner, not exactly breaking open a bank safe. This was practically crime for crime's sake. Was his Quirk so weak that he only dares risk such slim pickings?

As the older man fearfully begins putting the meagre contents of the cash register into a bag, the robber turns away from the cashier to look across the store.

Crap. He'd been so perplexed by the motive of the Villain that he'd stood there too long, how silly of him.

As quickly as he can, Izuku ducks down - maybe his green hair would blend in amongst all the vegetables.

For a brief moment he imagines himself stepping in, laying the fiend low with a single blow from One For All and taking his first step towards becoming the Number One Hero.

It is a fleeting dream, he knows that, as much as doing nothing grates at him. Some Hero candidate he is, crawling on his hands and knees alongside a bunch of pineapples.

The reality is that unlicensed Quirk usage could get him in seriously hot water, especially since it's likely there is no real danger here. Surely an actual Hero will appear any moment and begin dispensing justice to the Villain.

It just won't be him doing so.

All he has to do was sneak away and hopefully he might get to see the action from a safe distance. Maybe it'll be a Hero he knows. Perhaps even All Might again! That would be a treat worth missing the Hero rerun for.

"Heheh, what've we got here?" A voice chuckles nastily, freezing him in place. "A little boy trying to run away, hmm? Maybe hoping to alert the police? Or a Hero?"

Izuku looks up to see the Villain smirking at him, pale eyes gleaming with malice.

"You'll make for good insurance in case any do-gooders come running," the robber sneers, reaching out for him with one hand while holding the baton threateningly in the other. "Best come quietly, boy, else things'll get ugly."

Shit! He hadn't been stealthy enough. Maybe his hair wasn't camouflaging him so well with the eggplants.

Now he was going to be held hostage, just like before with the Sludge Villain! All Might probably won't be here to save him this time and he'll surely be forced to help the Villain escape and forever tarnish his reputation as a would-be Hero, if not tried as an accomplice and sent to prison!

"What the hell are ya mumbling about? Come along, I said," The Villain demands, grasping at him with a confused sneer.

No, he has to stay calm. Thinking of his mentor fuels his determination. He is the holder of One For All now, a Hero in the making!

There is no way he can let himself be restrained by some two-bit thief. His classmates will never let him live it down as well. Especially Kacchan, who'll probably laugh himself sick or something.

Kacchan... What would his childhood friend do if it were he in this situation? Probably immediately leap forward and blow the guy's face off with his Quirk while screaming "DIIIIIIIIIE!"

No. This would require somewhat more subtle and tactful methods than Kacchan was capable of.

'But how do I defend myself without getting into trouble for it? There's got to be a way. Do I just run for it and hope for the best? Or… maybe I don't need to...'

It's possible he doesn't even have to fight his way out after all. A flash of power to show he isn't an easy mark and the Villain will probably run away, right? If he looked like a threat, the man might escape to seek safer prey elsewhere.

If he was robbing a place like this then there was no way the guy had any real strength, right? Yeah.

Glaring up at his would-be captor, Izuku focuses hard. The power of One For All flares, red lines rising across his right arm as he readies his fists.

The Villain freezes in surprise. Perfect. Faced with a potential threat instead of a hapless victim, surely the man would think twice. It might be enough to delay him until help could arrive.

"I don't think so. M-maybe it's you who sh-should come quietly," Izuku demands, emboldened by the fear on the villain's face. "I'm a Hero, after all!"

"Heheh. I see, got a backbone after all, huh? Guess I misjudged ya, didn't think ya were anything but a weakling. Alright then… have it your way, boy!" The robber exclaims, taking a step backwards.

Izuku's heart begins to beat even faster. Is the villain preparing to run? Maybe the bluff had worked. At the first sign of resistance the robber was folding like a house of cards - he was a genius!

A sharp pain erupts in his back as something solid strikes him.

His eyes widen in shock at the sudden injury but he has no time to figure out what's just hit him as they are immediately followed up by further blows.

"We coulda done this the easy way, ya know? But ya wanted to play the Hero!" The villain's voice echoes behind him as he turns to face this new threat

He's seeing double - there stands the Villain but now he is a dark black colour, both in skin and in suit, his form almost shadowy in appearance.

'Another one, where'd he come from? I never saw him!' He thinks, readying his arms to fend off this secondary foe. 'Was he just hidden or has he got some kind of duplication Quirk?'

Attacks come in from behind once again as the pale Villain joins in and Izuku is now the victim of pummelling on both sides. He groans, partially at how spectacularly his bluff failed, but mostly just in pain

By the counter the elderly cashier goggles at the scene in front of him, too scared to run away or call for help.

"Bet you're wishin' you'd just shut up and come along now, heheh. Name's Crowd. Know why?" The pale Villain asks.

He's unable to reply, thanks to a nasty whack to the stomach that knocks him to the ground and leaves him gasping for air. The villains seem unbothered by his silence, continuing to kick at him.

"Might be 'cause there's three of us, Crowd," another voice answers in his stead.

Grey hands reach out and grasp Izuku by the arms, hoisting him up and holding the teen in place as the pair alternate their attacks on him.

"Right you are, Crowd," the Dark Crowd agrees, delivering another strike to Izuku's cheek. "Three of us indeed."

Izuku grits his teeth, pain wracking his body. His soul writhes at the injustice of being forced to stand still and take a beating like he was a kid in the playground once again, but how can he free himself?

He is surely trapped - even if he uses One For All, there was a high likelihood that the store would be damaged, the cashier might be caught in the crossfire and his bones would break. Not to mention that his position at UA could even come under threat.

There is no winning this one. He's well and truly screwed it all up. Hopefully once he is unconscious they will leave him be. Maybe he won't suffer any permanent damage.

But mercifully, eventually, the attacks stop. Dark Crowd laughs at the bruises beginning to form and the blood spattered across his face, dripping from his possibly-broken nose.

"Had enough? Heheh, you sure took a beatin' there. Think you'll come quietly now though. Old man, where's that fuckin' money?!" Pale Crowd demanded, turning to the cashier.

Only to find the elderly man has now run away while the villain had administered their beating to Izuku.

"Sorry fellas, it's closing time," someone else replies.

Izuku's vision is somewhat blurry, but he stiffly raises his head to stare at this newcomer.

Long white ears and longer white hair contrasts against her brown skin. Fierce red eyes blaze with hunger for battle as she stares down her opponents.

His heart soars - though he's never seen her in person before, he'd recognise the Rabbit Hero Mirko anywhere. He makes sure to catch every bit of news on her almost as religiously as he does for All Might.

'Wow, what's Mirko doing here?' Izuku blearily thinks as the woman stalks forward with all the grace of a hunting tigress. 'Last I heard she was in Wakayama Prefecture.'

"Oh great," mutters Dark Crowd. "You fuckin' held us up, boy. Now we gotta deal with this bitch as well as you."

"Yeah, nice going," Grey Crowd agrees, punching him viciously across the face again as punishment.

"Let the kid go," Mirko demands. "And turn yourselves in. It'll be easier on you."

"Yeah? I've a better idea; how about you get on your knees and blow me and maybe we won't choke him to death," Pale Crowd replies, a vulgar grin on his face.

The grey arms holding him in place shift, a hand begins to wrap around his throat and squeeze.

Izuku struggles weakly as his air supply gets restricted. Even so his widening eyes never leave the Hero, mesmerised by the furious snarl that arises on her face.

"Me too, while you're at it," says Dark Crowd. "Hell, I'm sure you could please all three of us at once, bunny girl. We've all heard the rumours."

The trio laughs in unison as Mirko crouches slightly, toned legs coiled like a spring.

"I'm really glad you said that," the Hero says icily. "It makes my job just that little bit easier."

There's a rush of air.

It has to have been Mirko but he'd blinked and missed it, so he has no way of being sure. All he does know for certain is that he's no longer being strangled but instead is lying on the floor and Grey Crowd is now lodged face-first inside a box of watermelons.

The other two look blankly at their fallen comrade and then whirl on white-haired Hero, surging rage clear on their faces.

"You fucking bitch, you'll regret that!" Pale Crowd howls, rushing her as the Dark one pulls the other clone free.

Mirko weaves and dodges the haphazard swipes with effortless dexterity. A brown leg arcs, scything through the air to smash into his sternum with her metal-shod heel, the force hurling him off his feet to bounce along the floor.

"There's three of us and one of you," growls Grey Crowd, spitting out a chunk of watermelon. "Don't seem like good odds."

"Oh I know. It really isn't fair," Mirko agrees, shrugging her shoulders. "If only there were a lot more of you small fry, I might actually get to have fun for once."

The trio lunges in unison, arms outstretched to grapple her into submission. Strong thighs clench as Mirko leaps, narrowly missing the ceiling as she sails over their heads and lands in front of Izuku.

She spares him a brief glance but quickly returns to watching her foes as they collide into each other, unprepared for the sudden jump.

"You doin' okay, kid?" She asks, her tone flat. "Looks like you've taken a hit or two there."

Izuku gazes up at her, feeling like a boneless mess. Fear and awe and frustration and shock and hope are all bubbling away inside him and it feels like there isn't an inch of him that doesn't cry out in pain.

But despite it all he knows he is safe. It is already over.

"Better now you're here, Miss Mirko," he mumbles through bloodied lips, barely audible in his dazed state.

Her long ears pick up the words easily and she shakes her head in amusement.

"Cute," she snorts. "Well, you're conscious at least, that's good enough for now."

The Crowds pick themselves up, fanning out and glaring at the Hero who dared challenge their fun.

"Maybe we should just run," Dark Crowd says to his brothers. "There might be other Heroes on the way."

"No. We fight," Pale Crowd commands. "She can't hold out forever. We'll take her down and show her what she gets for messing with us."

"Oh, if I had a yen for every Villain who said that. Come on then," Mirko replies, standing her ground. "I'm waiting."

Once again they charge her but now they're a bit more cautious, a bit more coordinated; no longer heedlessly delivering their attacks as wildly. Each Crowd now strikes in succession and unleashes a barrage of blows onto the brown-skinned Hero.

She weathers the storm as though it is rain upon rock. A savage smile pulls at her lips, revealing her sharp white teeth as she deflects each hit, sometimes ducking under uppercuts and sidestepping baton-thrusts.

'Oh, wow. This is insane!'

From his heap on the floor below, Izuku watches the four as they battle, utterly enraptured by her fluid, agile form evading their increasingly enraged strikes. He's seen Mirko battle on a screen many times, but in person… It's just breathtaking.

The strain of all their fruitless attacks grows too much and mid-swing the Grey Crowd halts, falling to his knees and then suddenly vanishing into grey fog, leaving the Pale and Dark Crowds to stare angrily at Mirko, breathing hard.

"Oops. Now there's only two of you," Mirko laughs, utterly unscathed. "Really not good odds."

"Now can we leave?" Dark Crowd pleas of his progenitor, taking a hurried step backwards.

Pale Crowd doesn't answer. Instead he rushes forward yet again. Mirko readies herself to strike him down but soon realises it isn't her that he's aiming for.

It's Izuku.

Hurtling past the Rabbit Hero, he pounces at the teen on the ground, fist cocked back in an insensate frenzy and baton at the ready. The green-haired boy watches the man bear down on him, his eyes wide with surprise.

"Oh no you don't!" Mirko roars, grabbing the Villain by the ankle. "Your fight's with me!"

The tip of his baton barely brushes against Izuku's nose as the man is hauled back. He struggles, turning to free himself.

"Crowd! Help me!" He demands of his clone.

The Dark Crowd looks a little unhappy, but dutifully nods and steps forth to aid him. It is too late.

Faster than Izuku has ever seen her, Mirko straddling Pale Crowd's chest, her face marred by unadulterated fury, and beginning to lay into Villain with her fists.

Each punch makes the man shudder in agony as the rabbit-eared woman wails away on him without restraint, the sound of his bones beginning to crack are audible over the meaty thuds of knuckles meeting flesh.

'Holy shit, she might just kill him!'

Izuku sees how the Dark Crowd too freezes in place, sinking to his knees and disappearing into black smoke, but Mirko is too focused on beating the man below her to notice.

"Miss Mirko. Mirko! He's unconscious!" He hurriedly shouts, crawling over to her. "Stop! Please!"

Her head shoots up, glaring at Izuku with bloodlust before she realises he is not an enemy.

He's seen the same stare many times from Kacchan's red eyes but never from a Hero. It is undoubtedly chilling but he cannot bring himself to be afraid of her in spite of it.

As she looks down at the man she had been punching and sees the scarlet fluid that now coats her white gloves, her rage swiftly drains away, replaced with guilt and regret.

Her fingers uncurl from the unconscious man's shirt and he lies against the floor, limp and battered. There's no doubt that he has more than a few broken bones.

"Uh, yeah. I was just… making sure," Mirko says uneasily. "Could have been playing possum. Villains sometimes do that, can't be… can't be careless."

"R-right…"

Izuku's not sure what to do now - he's never seen such incredible aggression from Hero before. Even so, he's got an obligation to offer his appreciation.

"U-um. Ah… Th-thank you. F-for saving m-me."

Mirko doesn't look at him as she grunts, clenching and unclenching her fists.

"It's nothing. Just my job, don't sweat it. You're still alright, right?" She mutters, face creasing in frustration, sneering down at the defeated villain underneath her.

"Fuck, fuck, fuckkk. Shouldn't go so overboard, they'll have my ass for sure this time," Mirko murmurs to herself, barely audible.

"I-I'm fine. And - he was going to attack me. He did attack me. You did the right thing, I think... If anyone asks, I'll tell them it was my fault," Izuku declares, determined. "You don't deserve to be punished because of me, Miss Mirko."

There was no way he could let such an important Hero suffer because he'd been too stupid to keep his mouth shut. The thought makes him want to cry even more than the pain, but he just barely manages to hold it in.

Mirko shakes her head as she hauls herself off of the unconscious body and flicks the blood from her fingers.

"That's sweet and all, kid, but it doesn't work that way," she explains. "A Hero's gotta be heroic, no matter what the circumstances are. Ah, whatever, it'll probably just be a fine or some other bullshit anyway - don't worry about me, okay?"

She walks over to him, and now with the heat of battle no longer upon them, Izuku can finally see for real just how pretty the rabbit-eared Hero is up close. Her long eyelashes flutter gently as she looks him over critically, formerly-blazing crimson eyes now merely a fierce red as they observe his wounds.

'It's Mirko! Here! Looking after me!' He cannot help but squeal internally, the reality of the situation settling in. 'First All Might, and now this? Maybe all those years of bullying and physical attacks were actually worth it.'

Good things did come to those who waited, it seemed. If it meant he got to spend time in close proximity to Heroes like her, he'd take a punch or two any day of the week.

"Well, I'm not a doctor but I'd say you'll live... probably. Ahahaha... just how old are you anyway, kid?" Mirko asks him, carefully gripping his chin with two fingers while she inspects a rapidly-forming bruise.

It was an unexpectedly tender gesture from the woman who'd been beating a guy into paste seconds prior. Not to mention extremely dangerous to his young heart, which felt like it was beating at superspeed.

"I-I'm, uh, f-f-fifteen, Miss Mirko."

She frowns, leaving him be with a final brush of her hand over his green locks. A wave of disappointed longing clashes against his overstimulated relief as she moves away but he shakes them aside. A brief click of disgust escapes her, biting her lip softly.

"Fifteen, huh. You look younger. What a piece of shit," she directs her scorn at the fallen foe. "Just a teen in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"I-it wasn't that bad! After all, I want to be a Hero myself. This is just, I dunno, additional training, right?" Izuku says, attempting to stand taller and look less beaten up. "I barely feel it anyway."

That was a lie, but he had to at least try to look cool in front of her.

This revelation clearly surprises Mirko and she regards him thoughtfully.

"Hmm. Guess you'll be attending a Hero school then?" She asks rhetorically.

"Um, yes, I am. I just started at UA High, actually," Izuku admits, rubbing the back of his head.

Mirko's nose wrinkles.

"That so? Lucky you then. Not all of us get to go to such fancy places. Good thing you never used your Quirk here, they don't take kindly to that from prospective Heroes," she mutters, a tinge of bitterness in her voice.

Izuku stares at her in confusion before it clicks - he'd once read she'd been expelled from her school for unauthorised Quirk usage and fighting.

She knew the dangers of flaunting the rules more than most and was one of the few very high-ranking Pro Heroes who hadn't gone to either UA or Shiketsu for their Hero school. Maybe her tarnished record had been the reason why.

Each blow he'd suffered hurt, but nothing would have been more painful than losing his spot at UA, the goal he'd sought for so long.

"Well, glad to see you've got the right attitude at least; this sort of thing comes with the job - for most Heroes anyway," the Hero tells him.

Mirko turns away and fishes out a communicator from somewhere but Izuku suddenly finds himself too distracted to pay attention to what she is saying, instead staring intently at the incredible sight in front of him.

Namely, Mirko's backside.

Was that tail a part of her costume? Or was it real, like her ears? It was a hot topic of debate amongst certain fans and indeed Izuku had contemplated the idea privately himself a few times. No one seemed to know and she'd never actually said.

He can't tell, even up close. For a moment, he's certain it twitches but maybe it's just his still-blurry eyes playing tricks on him. The desire to reach out and touch it is almost overwhelming.

The sound of a throat clearing catches his attention, and his head whips up to see Mirko has turned back and is looking at him in amusement.

"I know, I do have one hell of an ass," she boasts. "But I'm afraid I can't hang around to let you ogle it all day, I've got other places to be."

He flushes a deep red.

"Nononono, I-I was-! It's y-your t-tail, I sw-swear, I j-j-just w-wondered-" Izuku attempts to refute, utterly embarrassed.

Mirko laughs, clearly unbothered by his wandering eye.

"Alright kid. Well, you'll have to go on wondering about that, y'know?" She winks and his heart jumps. "I hate to just dip, but I've gotta go drop this guy off - plus some cops will be coming to look at the place and get a statement from you as well, I expect. Maybe get you to a doc, I think you kinda need one."

He watches her begin to haul Crowd onto her shoulder and prepare to leave. No, no, she couldn't leave yet!

He almost reaches out for her, but holds himself in check, remembering his first meeting with All Might. There is no need to get grabby.

"Um, wait, Miss Mirko. I-if you don't mind, er, could I trouble you for an autograph? I-I know you've already done a lot for me, but, well, I'm such a huge fan…" He trails off as Mirko fixes him with a flat stare.

Her lips purse but she nods once.

"I suppose, if you make it quick. What's your name, kid?" She asks and he beams.

"Midoriya. Izuku Midoriya," he responds, pulling a pen and pad from his thankfully-intact backpack, and proffering them to the Heroine.

"To Midoriya, huh? Here ya go, hold onto that now, hey? I don't give those out often," Mirko orders, scratching her name into the paper.

"I'll treasure it," he swears solemnly as he beholds the autograph.

Despite the urgency she'd professed, Mirko had still taken the time to draw a tiny rabbit next to their names. It was not much, just the roughest of doodles, but nonetheless now one of the most precious things he owned.

"See ya, Midoriya," she waves one hand, the other holding onto a man significantly larger than her with absolutely no sign of struggle. "Maybe if you make it and become a Pro like me we'll meet again."

He fervently hopes so.

Izuku watches her bounce away, admiring the muscle that ripples across her caramel skin, before realising he is now alone in a ruined shop, still in significant pain, he'll probably miss the show he'd wanted to watch, he's got to talk to the police and worst of all - his mother and his school will also have to be told he's been involved in a Villain attack.

He doesn't even have the groceries he was supposed to get either.

'That's twice now Villains have attacked me in such a short time. And somehow each one resulted in the best days of my life,' He thinks to himself.

But such is the life of a Hero, he muses. Danger and excitement is what he'd signed up for, after all. Still, he's got to admit he was kind of hoping it'd be a bit more of a smooth ride from here on out.

What were the chances that he'd get caught up in another Villain attack soon, anyway? Probably zero.