Nine-year-old Mina sat patiently outside her little brother's door. She didn't want to wake him up. (In fact, Izuku had scolded Mina for barging into his bedroom in the past.) With her legs crossed, she fiddled with a lock of pink hair and stared at the white wooden door, willing it to open.
The hallway walls had been painted white everywhere, but Mina had scratched them before in her boredom. She'd seen the metal underneath. Mina and Izuku lived in a giant mansion, large enough to contain two bedrooms, a gaming room, an entire library, a kitchen, and a gym painted to resemble the outdoors with fake grass between the exercise bikes. But the door was two feet thick and made of steel. This entire home was inside a giant bank vault.
At the first sounds of stirring, Mina leapt up. She hopped from foot to foot, paying attention to each rustling coming from inside. Izuku must be getting dressed.
Finally, Izuku opened the door. He wore jeans and an All Might T-shirt. The seven-year-old boy grinned up at her from under his floppy curls. "Good morning, big sister."
Mina hugged Izuku. She immediately felt her energy recharged by his cuteness. "Good morning! Let's get breakfast." She strove to sound casual, as if she hadn't been waiting for him to get up, but she wasn't fooling anyone.
Sometimes Mina envied Izuku, because he fared much better alone than her. Izuku seemed perfectly happy to read comic books all day. Mina hated loneliness. This giant house felt like a mausoleum where every sound echoed loudly. Izuku knew nothing except living in the vault—he'd only been four years old when Dad had imprisoned them here. Mina, two years older, remembered sunshine and going to school and the warm smiles of Inko, her late stepmother.
Three years had passed since Mom had died and Dad had locked them in this vault. Had it really been so long?
Taking Izuku's hand, Mina led him down the hallway to the kitchen. The room had been designed with low counters and cupboards that children could easily reach. The walls were painted cheery yellow. The table in the middle had three bright red stools. A fake window had been painted on the wall showing a grassy backyard with a hammock hanging from an oak tree. Mina had once found the picture comforting, but now it taunted her with what she couldn't have. She'd complained to her father, and he'd added a fake tree with a hammock to the gym. He didn't get it. That wasn't the same at all.
Shaking off her gloomy thoughts, Mina took down a box of pancake mix from the cupboard.
Izuku clapped his hands. "It's Saturday, so we get to have pancakes!"
"That's right." Mina smiled. "Can you set the table?"
Izuku set the table as Mina mixed together the ingredients and poured her first pancake into the bowl. She made a smiley face from chocolate chips.
Before they ate, both Mina and Izuku clasped their hands together and prayed in front of a small household shrine with Inko Midoriya's smiling picture. Inko was the only mother Mina had ever known. Dad said that her birth mother was a prostitute who had handed her over to him for money. (Dad did not believe in softening anything for children.) He'd hired Inko as a nanny. They'd gotten married, then produced Izuku two years later. Mina often thought about how her life would have been different if Inko hadn't been murdered by All for One's enemies. Maybe then Dad wouldn't have gotten paranoid and felt the need to keep his children locked behind a wall of steel.
After a delicious pancake breakfast, Izuku beamed up at her with chocolate smeared on his face. "I got a new All Might comic yesterday. I can't wait to read it."
Mina felt a twinge of disappointment. She'd hoped to spend some time with her little brother today (he was the only person she ever got to spend time with.) But she knew Izuku had been looking forward to the latest comic release for two months. "I'll go practice my quirk in the gym."
Something of her true feelings must have shown on her face. Izuku said, "Or we could play a board game together."
Mina asked, "What if I read the comic book to you?"
Izuku's face lit up. "Yeah! That would be great!"
In this manner of compromise, an introvert and an extrovert living in close corners had grown up together. Both Izuku and Mina tried hard to make their sibling happy. They only had each other in the entire world. Mina did not count her father, who she'd started considering an enemy after her last failed escape attempt.
Izuku settled on an armchair big enough for two of them. Mina sat down next to her brother and opened the book. She began, "All Might hung in the death trap over the pit of lava—"
Just as Mina finished reading the comic, she heard the grinding of the vault door open. She resisted the urge to leap to her feet and try to run outside. Every time in the past, her father had always easily caught her. He treated it like a game.
Hisashi Midoriya, also known as All for One, pushed open the living room door. He smiled to see the two children tucked close together. "You're such a good big sister, Mina." He patted her head. "Thank you for looking after your little brother."
"Dad!" Mina scrambled down from the armchair and threw herself into his outstretched arms. Then she tried to burn off his skin.
"Ah, you're such an energetic girl." Hisashi laughed as he cuddled her. Unfortunately, he had a hardening quirk. One of these days, she kept hoping she'd be able to attack him too fast for him to activate it. He'd even acid-proofed all his suits long ago, so she was denied the satisfaction of burning them.
Izuku leapt on Hisashi from behind and bit his shoulder. Hisashi shifted his grip to hold his other child. "Careful, you might hurt your teeth."
Through a mouthful, Izuku muttered, "Let us out of here already."
"The outside world is too dangerous, ducky. I've told you so many times." Hisashi lifted Izuku onto his shoulders. "Ah, what lovely green eyes you have. Just like my bro—"
Mina cut her father off by ramming her head into his stomach.
Alas, she bounced off another quirk. Hisashi held Mina up in his arms as her acid dripped uselessly. The carpet had also long ago been changed to acid-proof materials. "Are you two in the mood to play? How fun!"
Sadly, everything was a game to their father. Mina growled and retaliated by spitting acid at his eye.
As usual, he dodged. Izuku gave a noble effort at ripping out their father's hair. Hisashi easily plucked his son loose. He juggled both children in the air, laughing.
Mina moaned as she was tossed around. She felt dizzy. Maybe she'd eaten too many pancakes for breakfast.
Once his children were too dazed to fight, Hisashi carried them to the sofa. He materialized a blanket and tucked it over the three of them, too tightly for the children to move. "I won, so I get to pick what movie we watch."
"But you always win." Mina sighed.
"Then you should try harder to surpass me, my future demon queen," Hisashi said unrepentantly. He grabbed the remote and flicked on the TV.
"Are the villains going to win in this movie too, Dad?" Izuku asked wearily.
"Hush and see," Hisashi said.
The movie was about an alien invasion, which reminded Mina of her last escape attempt. Mina had pretended to burst out of Izuku's stomach like the movie Alien. They'd even used ketchup as fake blood. Ideally, their dad should have passed out so they could run. Unfortunately, he'd retaliated by wrapping them up in blankets and smothering them until they felt sick.
The aliens didn't win, but the main character was an antihero who genocided the aliens' planet, so Mina supposed this movie was still along the lines of her father's taste in brainwashing materials to turn his children into villains. Izuku fell asleep on the sofa.
Hisashi picked up his youngest child and carried him to bed for his nap. Izuku stirred but didn't wake as he was tucked in. Brushing back Izuku's hair to make it look straighter, Hisashi murmured, "You look so much like your Uncle Yoichi when he was a child."
Uncomfortable, Mina shifted from foot to foot. Izuku got compared to Yoichi a lot. Mina knew her brother had tired of it.
Hisashi turned to Mina. In a low whisper, he asked, "Have you done your homework yet, my future demon queen?"
"Yes, Dad. I'll show you. Let's go back to my room." Mina wanted a word with her father alone.
They walked down the hallway slowly to avoid making noise and waking up Izuku. Mina glanced up as they passed an old photograph in a large gold frame. In the picture, Hisashi had his arms wrapped tightly around his younger brother. Younger Hisashi had a huge smile on his face, but Yoichi looked unwell. Yoichi's arms were pinned to his sides by the suffocating embrace. Mina had experienced so many arm-restraining hugs that she used to think they were normal. Only recently had the photograph started to give her chills. She walked faster until she reached her room.
After Mina handed over her workbook, Hisashi flipped through it. "Good, very good. I'll have Kurogiri grade you later, but I'm very proud of you. This is the first time you finished your homework ahead of the due date. I'll get you a new Alien comic."
Mina licked her lips. She'd pulled an all-nighter to finish her homework after procrastinating for a week. Yesterday, she'd gone over every answer together with Izuku to make certain it was correct. She'd forced herself to finish her homework uncharacteristically on-time for a reason. She wanted a favor from her father. "Dad, don't you think it's about time that Izuku started lessons, too? He's seven years old. That's old enough for second grade."
Hisashi knelt down in front of her. His eyes were warm. But his tone had no give. "My precious future demon queen, your little brother doesn't need schooling. Someday, you're going to become my right-hand woman and rule over my empire. But he can never leave the vault."
Mina's heart sank. She shuffled her feet. At least she hadn't told her little brother about her plan, so he wouldn't be disappointed by her failure. "It's not fair. Izuku is way smarter than me. He's a genius. If only one of us gets lessons, then it should be him."
Hisashi laughed. "Ah, you just want to get out of your schoolwork. I understand."
"No!" Mina grabbed her father's sleeve. "I'll never work for you unless you let Izuku out of the vault, too. I mean it." Frankly, Mina would rather not work for her father's villainous business at all.
Hisashi stroked her cheek. "You're such a protective big sister. I know you want what's best for your little brother. But Izuku is too vulnerable and emotionally fragile for the outside world, just like your Uncle Yoichi. Izuku admires that fool All Might. Even worse, he wants to become a hero. It's too dangerous. He'd be killed." His grip tightened on her face, stopping just short of being painful.
Squirming, Mina protested, "Izuku should get to be a hero if he wants to be." Mina thought it would be great to become a hero alongside her brother, but after how badly her father had reacted to Izuku's dream, she knew better than to admit it.
"You say that because you don't understand the danger." Hisashi sighed. "Because I've always protected you two, you've never seen your little brother lying in a pool of blood." His eyes burned. "Your brother is quirkless. Society chews up and spits out weak people. Someday, when you're a bit older, I'll show you the harsh realities of the world. Then you'll understand why you have to protect your little brother and keep him safe in the vault. It's the natural order of the world. Older siblings must protect younger ones."
Mina glared up at her father, thinking, I'll protect Izuku, even from you. She'd already been teaching Izuku in secret. He was so smart, he could even solve her math problems from two grades higher. Someday, the two of them would escape this vault. Mina wouldn't let her little brother fall too far behind other children. After all, Izuku was aiming for a hero school. He needed to be able to compete with the best.
"That's a good look in your eyes." Hisashi patted her head, mussing her hair around her horns. "How about I take you outside for some quirk practice?"
Mina felt guilty that her father let her out sometimes—always strictly accompanying her—but never Izuku. However, she told herself that she couldn't afford to turn down this opportunity to scout out escape routes or obtain a useful quirk. She nodded. "Thank you, Dad," she mumbled. Flattery got better results with her father, but she hated it.
First, Mina changed into her formal clothing—a navy blue suit jacket with a pencil skirt, tailored to her young body. It came with black sandals and a silver bracelet. Her father liked to dress her up in suits, whereas he always gave Izuku comfortable shirts and sweatpants. When she'd been younger, she'd been jealous of her little brother. By now, she'd realized that Dad's lack of expectations for Izuku came with even less freedom.
Hisashi texted on his phone, then Kurogiri appeared in a swirl of shadows. "Good to see you again, Miss Mina." Even with his face hidden, his tone held a smile.
"You, too." Mina did not currently know where the vault was located because Kurogiri always took her out through a portal. She took her father's hand and stepped through the shadows.
They emerged into a familiar bar. A shelf full of glasses gleamed in dim light. A skull rested on the top of the shelf. Dad said it had belonged to a woman named Nana Shimura. Mina hoped this was a joke.
A teenage boy sat at the bar, swinging his legs and playing a game on his phone. His spare hand itched at his neck incessantly. He had hands covering his head, which according to Dad came from his dead family…including the aforementioned Nana Shimura. Mina really, really hoped this was a joke. Her dad had a strange sense of humor.
Mina waved. "Big brother Tomura! How did the gaming tournament go?"
"I missed it," Tomura said flatly.
Mina shook her head. "But you were looking forward to it for weeks. What happened?" He sounded uncharacteristically subsided. Normally her adopted older brother could chat about games with her for hours.
"Something came up." Tomura dug his fingers deeper into his neck. They drew blood.
Mina ran over. "Big brother, you're hurt!" She looked around. "Where are the bandages?"
"I'm fine." Tomura didn't sound fine. His tone was dull, and his eyes even deader.
Hisashi frowned. "Tomura, shouldn't you be training?"
"Yeah. I just didn't want to be alone…fuck." Tomura stood up.
"Watch your language in front of your little sister," Hisashi scolded.
Tomura scratched harder at his neck. Blood seeped under his fingernails. "I'm sorry." He sounded sincere this time. He attempted a smile, but it looked grotesque. "I'm not feeling well. I'll see you later, Mina." He slouched off. Hisashi jerked his head, and Kurogiri silently followed after the teenager.
Mina watched her brother's retreating back and the bloody scratches with concern. She tugged on her father's sleeve. "Dad, is Tomura sick?"
Hisashi patted her shoulder. "Tomura made his first kill recently. It seems to have agitated him. That's why Kurogiri has been too busy to stay with you and Izuku lately. I'm afraid Tomura has been acting so strange, he might hurt himself."
Mina shuddered. "My big brother killed someone?"
"It was self-defense." Hisashi smiled, as satisfied as a cat who'd successfully pounced on the neighbor's pet bird. "He has no reason to feel guilt."
"Why did an adult attack Big Brother Tomura?" Mina asked, watching her father closely. She suspected he'd arranged it.
"You're a clever girl." Hisashi chuckled. "My future demon queen, you shouldn't get too attached to Tomura. He expects to inherit my criminal empire, but that rightfully belongs to you, my blood-related child."
Mina shifted uneasily. She didn't want to become a villain, but she didn't want Tomura to become one either. He seemed much happier playing video games. She asked, "Why did you tell us both that we would become your successor?"
Hisashi said, "That's not for you to know yet. Let's just say that Tomura is related to Nana Shimura, someone important to All Might. I have plans for him. For now, you should let him treat you like a little sister and become attached to you. Someday, he'll become an important chess piece for you to use. Remember, only your real little brother matters. As long as you keep everything I told you a secret, then I'll keep letting Izuku have his All Might merchandise."
Mina clutched the bottom of her suit jacket. She'd gone along with her father's villain training because in exchange, Dad would let Izuku have hero comics and merchandise. If she tried to warn Tomura, she'd get in trouble. Izuku might lose his prized belongings. Mina knew that Tomura wouldn't believe her. His loyalty to her father was absolute. Even so, she felt dirty. A drop of acid trickled down her forehead. It burned a small hole in the wooden floor.
"Now, quirk training. I have a new one for you. First, take off your jacket. Put on this instead." Hisashi held up a yellow shirt with holes in the back.
"A wing quirk?" Mina asked hopefully.
Hisashi smiled. "I found one as you desired, my little demon queen. I gave up a valuable fire quirk in exchange, all for you."
Eagerly, Mina changed. "I'm ready!"
Hisashi placed a hand on Mina's forehead. Heat and light shot through her. She felt weight on her back. The change was swift and left her gasping. In her reflection off the glass cabinet, she'd sprouted bat wings.
Hisashi clapped. "How lovely! You look just like a proper demon princess, especially with your horns." He snapped several pictures. "This will be my new screen background."
Next, Hisashi taught Mina how to fly around using her new quirk. After she landed, he said, "According to the original owner, the wings should be retractable."
Mina closed her eyes and concentrated. The weight on her back vanished. She spun around, looking over her shoulder. The wings were gone. "Cool. Dad, can I keep this one?"
Hisashi beamed. "I'm happy that you like my gift. It seems to have adapted well to you. Yes, I think you can have this one permanently."
Mina leapt up in the air and whooped. "Thank you!"
Hisashi caught her and hugged her. "It will be the start of your hoard, my future demon queen."
Mina already had several quirks—a regeneration ability, a longevity ability, and an ability that gave her keen eyesight. Her dad said she could handle multiple quirks because she shared his genes. Although Hisashi had allowed Mina to play with powerful quirks, he never let her keep them. He knew full well she'd use them to cause trouble. This was the first time he'd let her keep a quirk that might be useful in escaping. Mina hugged her father around the neck, secretly plotting to use her new wings to fly away.
Hisashi set Mina down. "It looks like Tomura is still going through his rebellious teenage stage. Kurogiri needs to keep an eye on him, just in case he gets any ideas about turning himself in. But I hate to leave you and Izuku to make your own meals, and I'm too busy this week to stay with you. I'll get Gigantomachia."
As soon as her father left, Mina eyed the bar door. It wasn't locked. But she refused to run without Izuku. She didn't even know where the vault was located, so she wouldn't be able to fetch help for him.
In any event, she was not left unsupervised for more than a minute before Kurogiri returned.
The warper polished a glass in front of his bar. Mina scrambled up on the stool. Attempting to imitate an adult voice, she said, "I'd like an Aspen beer."
Kurogiri's glowing eyes narrowed. "You're too young for alcohol, Miss Mina. Also, that's a fictional drink from the movie Alien. I'll make you apple juice."
Mina drank her apple juice and pretended it was beer. If only she was as cool as Ripley from Alien. Then she'd bust straight out of the vault, guns blazing.
Hisashi returned with a much shorter Gigantomachia, only about twice the height of an ordinary person. Years ago, Hisashi had given Gigantomachia a shrinking quirk so he could babysit the children. The vault mansion was big, but not big enough to fit full-size Machia.
"LITTLE LADY!" Gigantomachia bellowed, bounding over to Mina. He knelt down and rubbed his cheek against hers.
"Good to see you too, Machia." Mina grinned and stroked his spikey hair.
"Be good, my future demon queen. Or as good as you're capable of being." Hisashi kissed Mina on the forehead. Waving his hand, Hisashi ordered, "Kurogiri, a portal."
Mina sucked in her last breath of outside air. Then the warper transported Mina and Gigantomachia back into the vault.
Yawning, Izuku emerged from his room. "Is it lunchtime? I'm hungry." He looked at Gigantomachia, then locked eyes with Mina. A shared excitement passed between them. They'd been waiting for a chance to be left alone with Machia to put their plan into action.
Gigantomachia donned his "Kiss the Chef" apron hanging on the wall. Proudly, he declared, "I WILL MAKE LUNCH FOR THE LITTLE LORD AND LITTLE LADY." He immediately started making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Gigantomachia only knew how to make one thing. Mina had and Izuku had gotten tired of the sandwiches, but they pretended to like them because Machia took such great pride in his cooking.
"Mmmm, this is great," Izuku said around a mouthful of peanut butter.
"You get better at putting on the jelly every time." Mina stood on her chair and pecked Machia on his arm, as high as she could reach.
Gigantomachia purred, his hair wagging in happiness. "I MAKE SANDWICHES FOR LORD TOO. I USED TO MAKE SANDWICHES FOR THE IDIOT BROTHER BUT HE NEVER ATE THEM. IN ONE HUNDRED YEARS I HAVE LEARNED HOW TO USE TEN NEW KINDS OF JELLY."
"Very impressive," Mina said. Then she and Izuku exchanged glances. It was time to put their plan into action.
Over the last several months, Izuku had carefully gone around the mansion taking measurements. He said that he'd figured out which part of the vault was the weakest point. He also said that he'd analyzed Machia's shrinking quirk and concluded that it was influenced by emotion. Mina didn't understand half of what he'd said, but she trusted her genius little brother. Izuku was the escape planner, and Mina was in charge of putting his plans into action.
Loudly, Mina said, "Time for dancing lessons!"
Izuku said, "Yes, you've been teaching me how to dance for weeks. It's a surprise for our father." His delivery was a bit stilted. He could not hide the anxiety on his face.
Mina latched onto Gigantomachia's arm and ordered, "You have to learn how to dance, too. It will make Dad happy."
"LORD WILL BE PLEASED?" Gigantomachia asked.
Mina felt guilty about taking advantage of him, but not guilty enough to remain in a bank vault for the rest of her life or become a villain. "Dad is going to love the dance routine that I have planned. You're vital. You'll be the star dancer."
Gigantomachia puffed up his chest and bounded after her. He had to crouch on all fours to make it through the door.
Mina directed them to the hallway in front of the vault door. "Line up." She stuck a whistle in her mouth and blew it. "We'll start with some basic stretches. Touch your toes."
Izuku bent over. Gigantomachia imitated him.
"Stretch your arms over your head. Now, stretch sideways." Mina bent her legs, too. Then she ran into the living room and returned with an old-fashioned tape recorder. She put on a party mix. "Pump your arms and legs. Follow me!"
Mina moved her arms to mimic a robot, turning her body in all directions. Izuku and Gigantomachia imitated her, Machia at a slower pace.
"Faster, Machia!" Mina shouted, blowing her whistle again. She leapt up in the air, legs stretched out like a ballerina. "Higher! Fly like a bird!"
"FLY LIKE A BIRD!" Gigantomachia shouted. His head swelled up. He slammed into the ceiling. With a crack, metal broke.
Izuku had been certain that excitement would cause Machia to lose control of his size. Izuku had also planned for this to happen in a narrow enough area that the metal would collapse onto the giant. Mina grabbed her brother and they ran out of the hallway and back into the living room, ahead of the falling metal.
"You did it, Izuku!" Mina cried.
"I hope I was right about how the beams would fall," Izuku muttered, watching intently. But neither of them could see through the debris filling the air.
More crashing sounds came from the hallway. Then, finally, silence. Mina coughed from the smoke, then peeked at the ruined hallway. Gigantomachia lay unconscious under a beam. A fair bit of this plan had relied on luck—like all their escape ideas—and this time, they'd finally gotten lucky. Mina knew that with Machia's enhanced stamina, he wouldn't stay unconscious for long. She grabbed her little brother's hand. "Come on!"
Carefully, the two children climbed up a fallen beam and out of the rubble. They were in a thick forest. Mina looked around at tall coniferous trees in all directions. "Where are we? Where should we go?"
"It's okay, big sister." Izuku tugged on her sleeve. "I made this." He held out a homemade compass created from a paperclip and magnet. "The only forest near Musutafu is to the north. Therefore, we have to go south."
Mina hugged Izuku so hard she lifted him off his feet. "That's why you're team planner! You'll make a great hero someday."
Izuku blushed and muttered, "We still don't know how far we are from town. What if we can't walk far enough? What if Machia wakes up?"
"Then we'd better get moving." Mina took Izuku's hand and ran.
The two children moved as quickly as they could across uneven ground. Fortunately, they were not too far from the city after all—it did not take long before Mina heard cars in the distance. She cried, "We're safe!"
Mina's foot slipped. The ground went out from under her, a hole hidden by leaves. She tried to let go of Izuku's hand, but reacted too late. Both children fell into the hole.
Mina skidded down on her bottom. She fell forward and landed on her knees, scrapping them. Rocking back and forth, she hissed in pain.
Izuku had landed on his feet. He looked around. "Oh, no," he said in a small voice.
This was probably another of Dad's traps, a backup plan. Mina bit her lip. What if they'd triggered an alarm? "Don't give up! I just got a flying quirk today." Mina flexed her back, and wings sprouted. She grabbed Izuku and tried to carry him out of the hole.
But Izuku was too heavy. Mina fell to the ground, barely turning her body so she didn't land on top of her little brother.
Izuku said, "You have to go without me."
"No!" Mina cried. She'd waited two years so that she could escape with her little brother. She wouldn't give up on him now.
"You have to bring back a hero to help me." Izuku's eyes filled with tears, but they did not fall. He looked resolute. "Find All Might. He's the only one who can fight Dad or Machia. If we brought back another hero, we might lead an innocent person to their death. It has to be All Might."
"What if Machia catches up with you first?" Mina cried. Izuku would be taken away to a new vault where she'd never find him again.
Izuku took her hand. "Trust me, big sister. I'm team planner. This is the only way."
Mina knew that Izuku was trying to persuade her to leave alone and save herself, but she also knew that he was right. If they both stayed down the hole, they would both get caught. If Mina left, she might be able to bring back help in time to save her little brother. But she was terrified that Izuku would be taken away before she could return. Mina had been at Izuku's side for his entire life. She was much more scared of escaping without him and being all alone than being recaptured by her father.
If they went back to the vault, they'd be together, but Izuku would lose his dream of becoming a hero. Dad would be much more careful next time to never let them escape again.
Mina threw her arms around Izuku and hugged him. In a choked voice, she said, "I love you. I'll come back to save you, I promise."
As Mina flew away, she heard Izuku finally break down into sobs behind her. She knew he didn't want her to see his tears, so she did not look back.
Aizawa's usual patrol included a stop at a stone wall near the edge of town to leave out bowls of milk for stray cats. Just as he finished filling the bowls, a little girl flew over the wall. She had pink hair, horns, and bat wings. As she landed, her wings trembled. No longer able to function, they retracted. Without looking at him, she ran down the street, shouting, "All Might! Where's All Might?" Her gaze fixed on Might Tower in the distance, looming so large it cast a shadow over skyscrapers. With a relieved gasp, she ran toward the tower.
"Do you need help?" Aizawa shouted, running after her.
The girl glanced over her shoulder. Her face paled. "Stay away from me!"
"I'm a hero," Aizawa said, attempting a reassuring smile. Alas, those weren't his strong point. Her bedraggled appearance worried him. She had leaves stuck to her hair and scrapped knees. He asked, "What's wrong?"
The girl put her head down and ran faster. Her feet slid along the ground, using some strange substance. "Dad told me that all quirk traffickers claim to be heroes. If you come near me, then I'll burn your face off." She tossed a handful of acid on the street, where it sizzled and burned—a warning shot.
What an unusual quirk to go with a bat mutation. Aizawa could understand a father teaching his daughter to be wary of strangers, but it sure did sound like this man had an odd grudge against heroes in particular. "Here, let me show you my hero license," Aizawa said. As he ran beside her, he flipped to a picture of his license on his phone.
The girl didn't even look his way. She muttered to herself, "Maybe this homeless man has deluded himself into thinking that he's a hero…"
"I'm not homeless, and I'm not mentally ill," Aizawa growled. He easily kept pace with her as she ran, but he didn't come close enough to grab her. He didn't want to scare her. However, he couldn't let an obviously endangered child run off on her own. She might run into real traffickers. In desperation, he asked, "What if I show you my fan page?" Underground heroes did not usually have fan sites but Yamada had created one for Aizawa as a joke. From there, it had kept getting bigger and bigger. To his mortification, a lot of villains had joined Aizawa's fan club.
The girl veered sideways, acid forming on her fingers. "My dad says I can't believe anything I see on the internet."
"That's fair." With a sigh, Aizawa put more distance between them. "If the beefy smiley face is the only hero you'll listen to, then please at least let me escort you to Might Tower. I won't come near you."
"Fine." The girl cast him a pitying look over her shoulder. "Maybe All Might can help you find a homeless shelter, Mister."
Aizawa used his capture scarf to swing between lampposts. "For the last time, I'm a hero!"
With his enhanced senses, All Might heard the commotion in the lobby from the top of the tower. He stepped out of his office and asked his secretary, "What's going on?"
She looked up from her phone. "I just received a call about that. A hobo wearing a sleeping bag is in the lobby, claiming to be a hero."
All Might said, "I think that's Eraserhead. He's a real hero."
She continued, "A little girl with him keeps screaming that she needs you to save her brother from All for One. Who, uh…stuffed him into a bank vault? That can't be right."
Upon hearing his archnemesis' name, All Might stiffened. Then he shot down to the lobby with a speed approaching teleportation.
Izuku sat sniffling in the hole with his knees pulled up to his chest. He didn't know if he could cry hard enough to flood this hole and lift him out, but he was prepared to try.
"I am here!" A red, yellow, and blue blur landed in the hole and picked Izuku up.
"It's All Might," Izuku whispered, stars in his eyes.
Mina waved from the top of the hole. "Izuku!"
"You brought the real All Might to save me! This is the best day ever!" Izuku cried. He spotted the dark-haired man with a scarf standing next to his sister. "You even found Eraserhead, my favorite underground hero? You're the best sister in the universe!"
Eraserhead grinned. "Finally, someone who's heard of me. You're the first child who I've ever liked."
"Didn't you say that you're a teacher?" Mina asked.
"I meant what I said." Eraserhead crossed his arms.
All Might said, "I don't fear a fight with All for One, but I can't let it happen with children nearby. We have to go." He picked up both children, one on each shoulder, then tucked Eraserhead under his arm. Despite Eraserhead squawking in protest, All Might leapt into the sky and carried them away.
"Become my new dad," Izuku said happily, hanging onto All Might's hair tuft. "You can be my new dad, too," he said to Eraserhead. "I deserve several new dads to make up for the one I currently have."
Eraserhead only screamed for All Might to put him down right this instant.
As All Might bounded in giant leaps, Mina tugged on his other hair tuft. "Mister All Might, sir, I need to talk to you. About All for One…and about another boy who needs saving. His name is Tomura, and he's related to Nana Shimura."
All Might slammed into the ground so hard that he left a crater. Eraserhead growled at him. Recovering his poise, All Might leapt out of the hole. "You can tell me all about it back at Might Tower. I promise, I'll help you."
OMAKE TIME!
Omake: The Alternate (Non-Canon) Backstory
Inko: Dear, who is this other woman who claims to be your wife?
Mina's mother: I married him first!
Hisashi: Err…ladies, can't we talk? There's no need to wave around frying pans.
Inko: Bigamy is a crime, I'm filing for full custody of our son.
Hisashi: Not if I stick him in a bank vault first!
#
Omake: Birth Order Discrimination
Hisashi: I'm angry that Mina escaped, but I'm proud of her brains. She'll become a great future demon queen.
Izuku: Dad. It was my escape plan. I'm right here.
Hisashi: Ah, a typical younger sibling, always claiming credit for the older one's accomplishments.
#
Omake: If Mina Looked at Aizawa's Fan Page
Mina: What the higgidy heck, my older brother is the president of your fanclub!
Aizawa: I'm just relieved he's a child and not another villain. I have way too many villain fans.
Mina: Uh…he could be both?
#
Omake: If Mina Listened to Aizawa
Aizawa: What happened to your brother?
Mina: I can't tell you. The villain is too strong. You'd surely die. It's All for One.
Aizawa: What is All for One, a new brand of energy drink?
Mina: He locked my little brother in a bank vault.
Aizawa: I'll never understand the games of modern children…wait, you're serious?
#
Omake: The Origin of All for One's Anti-Acid Quirk
Kirishima: I decided to become a hero after a villain stole my father's quirk.
Mina: Uh… (Remembers her father's skin hardening quirk and sweats.) I'm going to do everything in my power to support you, almost like I have a guilty conscience.
#
Omake: Adventures in Babysitting
Gigantomachia: I WILL BABYSIT YOU JUST LIKE HOW I USED TO BABYSIT THE IDIOT BROTHER.
Mina: You knew my Uncle Yoichi?
Gigantomachia: WE LIKED TO PLAY HIDE AND SEEK.
Mina: Aw, so you knew my family even back when my dad and uncle were children.
Gigantomachia: I REMEMBER THE GOOD OLD DAYS PICKING UP THE ENTIRE TRUCK WITH THE IDIOT BROTHER INSIDE AND CARRYING IT BACK TO THE VAULT.
Mina: Uh, so Uncle Yoichi was an adult? I've gotta escape this vault before I become old enough to drive.
#
Omake: All for One is the Worst Boss
Hisashi: Kurogiri, I got you a gift.
Kurogiri: Is it a vacation?
Hisashi: I have two more children for you to look after on top of Tomura.
Kurogiri: That is not a gift. That's extra work for no pay.
Hisashi: Nonsense, it's a privilege to look after my offspring. One of them exudes acid and the other bites.
Kurogiri: I'm starting a Nomu Union.
Author's Note: Have some BAMF Mina for Mina May! The title of this fic is double-edged. On the one hand, there's All for One controlling and confining his brother. Then there's Mina refusing to escape without Izuku.
Possiblycringe (tumblr) / BucketOfMud (Ao3) / Popsicles (discord) proved cover art to go with this fic with some extra sketches. Delete the spaces to get the link:
tumblr.
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possiblycringe/691180502327132160/happy-birthday-mina-i-collabed-with-katydid