Musutafu Harbour:

Deku sighed and hesitated.

"Are you sure it's around here somewhere?"

The dock wobbled under his feet. The salty smell of ocean life lingered in his nose. The sun had long since set, moonlight shimmering across the still sea surface.

Kyubey's voice echoed in his mind.

"Yep! Look at your soul gem, it will flash faster and faster depending on how close you get to it."

The cat-bunny rode on his shoulder as Deku held out his egg-shaped gem. The green light flashed intermittently, increasingly so while facing down the dock. Common sense kicking in, the young hero made his way down the somewhat decrepit wooden boardwalk. If not for the handrails, he would've feared to slip on the algae and being swept away to sea. The harbour was never his favorite part of the city. It smelled bad, nobody swam in its polluted waters, and he lived pretty far from it anyway.

Far enough to catch the last bus out towards this part of the city an hour prior. Again, he did not like how he'd had to lie to his mom. Deku couldn't see her approving of such a late night excursion. Slipping through his open window had been easier than anticipated. Still, being away from home this late at night was somewhat unsettling. All in the name of justice, he could handle this. Being a hero would likely take him worse places than an unsightly harbour.

Ocean wind blew against his t-shirt, cooling him down enough to shiver. To Kyubey, he grumbled.

"Man, it's pretty cold out here. Hope we find the witch soon. Are you sure it's even out here?"

Kyubey snuggled into his chest.

"Yes, I am positive. Follow your soul gem and you'll be there in no time. Transforming will allow you to heat your body with magic more efficiently than if not. You'll also likely have an easier time finding the witch."

Deku paused, grinding his foot down into the wood with a shiver.

"W-wait, I can do that?"

The cat-bunny nodded.

"Certainly!"

As green light doused his body, Deku willed warmth to embrace him. No sooner than he had transformed, his shivers ceased. Even with his legs mostly exposed, not even the slightest hint of goosebumps riddled his skin. Regardless, Deku pulled up his green bunny hood out of habit. Teasing Kyubey, he laughed.

"Haha! Why didn't ya tell me earlier?"

Kyubey swishes its tail, red eyes unblinking.

"You didn't ask."

Deku shrugged, continuing to follow the now-amplified miasma to its source. Instead of walking, he could now take awkward leaps at a distance rivaling those of Olympic competitors. Awkward in that he had never done so before and unfortunately slipped on a patch of mushy seaweed. Landing right on his tailbone, Deku braced himself for pain to shoot up his spine. Instead, he simply yelped at the surprise. It wasn't as painful as he had expected. Sure, the piercing displeasure could still be felt, but disconnected somehow. Deku felt disconnected from the pain of falling.

With ease, he got back to his feet.

"You didn't see that, Kyubey, okay?"

His soft laugh followed, Deku was having fun. The closer he got and the faster his soul gem pulsed, the fun seemed to waver. He was a bit nervous about fighting the witch. Was she mean? What kind of spells would she use? Deku honestly didn't know if he had it in him to eliminate a witch, didn't know if he could stomach ending the life of another. Thinking back to his prior encounter with the sludge villain, he quelled his doubt and anxiety. Things would be fine, he needed to take down this witch if she had been sewing evil and 'kissing' citizens into doing her bidding.

Jumping up onto a nearby boat, Deku stabilized himself as it rocked underneath. It was an old vessel, rusted and somewhat stained. Not unlike the other ships, but it seemed off. Soul gem pulsing constantly now, Kyubey added.

"Here we are. Flare your energy to conjure an entrance to the Witch's labyrinth."

Green sparkles illuminated the dark boat. The air shimmered before him, not unlike heat distortion on a hot summer's day. An outline carved itself before him in blue. A greek tragedian mask adorned with hearts and cupids. Encircled by a nautical steering wheel, the symbol shimmered ethereally.

"Ohh... I-"

"Walk into the symbol to enter the witch's labyrinth."

Nodding at the instruction, the boy held his breath and jumped through the circle. The sound of a siren wailing first caught his attention. Kneeling down as he landed on what felt like a carpet, Deku took in his surroundings and whimpered.

Flashing red light intermittently illuminated the nautically themed room in sync with a blaring alarm. Water rushed into the room from a cracked porthole to his left. Watching the water gather in the corner of the room and pool, he guessed the ship to be inclined somewhat, significant enough for such to happen. Oddly surreal scraps of food littered the room, half-bitten and partially digested too. A pig's squeal caught him off guard, causing him to slink back against the damp floral wallpaper. Upon closer inspection, he saw that the flowers were crying- from which real water dripped.

Producing his leather-bound journal, Deku quickly flipped to the familiar entry before reaching in. Once he felt the cool metal gauntlet, the pig's squeal didn't seem as frightening. Kyubey was probably even more scared, considering how it had stopped speaking and trotted alongside him. Determined to find the source of the squealing, Deku carefully marched down the hallway. Water dripped from the ceiling above, pipes stuck out haphazardly. The ceiling was uneven and he swore the carpet was meant to trip people up. Passing a door to his left, the magical boy eyed it with suspicion. Almost as if on cue, the derange pig squealing rang out once more before the mahogany fixture burst open. Out came a disturbingly bloated and grey-skinned pig. Grey slime oozed from slices in its skin. An apple was jammed into its mouth, not dampening its shrill shrieking in the slightest. To stunned to react, all Deku could do was jump out of the way as the surreal pig bounded down the hallway from where he had previously left.

His voice wavered with uncertainty, and legs wobbled from both the ship's rocking and the fear coursing through his veins.

"T-that's disgusting! W-What is that thing?"

Resolutely, Kyubey responded.

"The witch's familiar, one of her servants. They sometimes splinter off into the real world and if left to fester, grow into another witch."

Deku nodded, still not any less disturbed though.

The frantic squealing of the fleeing pig was soon accompanied by a more 'refined' squealing if one could describe it like that. While the first pig squealed madly, the second source of squealing was more musical in tone, almost as if harmonizing with itself in an angelic manner. Glancing into the room, he saw another long hallway. Deku could now see the source of the angelic squealing, a pig with crudely attached angel wings flying his way. The flying pig held a bow and arrow, one that was notched. His cue to fight, Deku charged the animal while weaving in a zigzag direction. He would hopefully be harder to hit that way. The pig was likely an enemy anyway, the weapon an indication of hostility he wouldn't gamble on. Besides, he wasn't sure if the thing was real anyway. It had a certain quality to it that he couldn't describe, almost as if it was a mish-mash of drawings and photographs and toys.

This pig had no cuts nor was it gagged with an apple. This pig wore a laurel crown too. A whir in the air alerted Deku to dodge, and dodge he did. From its bow, the pig had shot a pink heart-tipped arrow. With a thunk, it stuck into the wooden wall. Water trickled into the hallway around the arrow's hole in the wall. Now mere meters from the unsightly flying pig, Deku clenched his fist and readied an explosion. Feeling his energy gather in his fist, Deku willed it to concentrate and groaned out in concentration. A green aura shimmered around his gauntlet, catching him somewhat by surprise. Squealing in realization of its own fate, the pig held up its front legs in a disturbingly human reflex. As soon as his fist made contact, a green-laced explosion rocked the hallway. Instead of blood and gore, pieces of sewn-together food flew everywhere, covered in what seemed like shreds of a pink pig-suit. The charred wallpaper shriveled up from the lingering heat, releasing tendrils of thick grey smoke. A worrying sound rattled out into the labyrinth. Splintering wood was heard by Deku before a torrent of water sprayed through a dent his explosion had created. Panicked, Deku yelped and darted back towards the opened door.

It was not the same hallway.

Instead, Deku found himself staring down a massive grand stairwell. Shining above, a comically large chandelier cast glittering lights around the room. It swayed side to side as the boat lurched and bobbed. The sound of water trickling down the ornate stairwell barely muffled the familiar and unpleasant sound of both angelic and frantic pig squealing. There were more. Dipping his left fist into the journal's page, the magical boy readied himself further for combat. Deku had been thinking of how he could apply Bakugou's quirk, thinking back to the times he had watched the blonde boy use it. As much as Deku hated to admit it, using the explosions to accelerate and increase the force of his punches was an excellent idea. Not only would it provide more momentum, the shock wave would also hopefully knock the pigs off balance. After retrieving his now-armoured left hand, he stuffed the journal safely back into his sweater pocket.

A bloated frantic pig burst through the doors at the bottom of the stairwell, skidding to a stop and squealing upon seeing the intruder. Glancing over its cut and oozing shoulder, the pig hadn't the time to react, as a flying pig rounded the corner with a notched arrow. Jumping back away from its site, Deku readied himself for combat. Whirring air. A pink arrow landed with a squelch between the eyes of the bloated pig. Grey ooze splattered everywhere after the pig deflated like a balloon. Deku gagged as a fleck landed beneath his left eye.

Kyubey hopped onto the glossy oak banister. The hero glanced at it while waiting for the flying pig to come his way. It'd be better to face it in an open room where he could dodge than a narrow elongated hallway.

"K-Kyubey! Why'd it attack its fellow familiar?"

There was a slight pause before it answered in its usual matter-of-fact way.

"Witches are creatures of grief and great mental anguish. It's impossible to decipher its motives. Auto-cannibalism is not a surprising thing for a familiar's task to be."

At least it made Deku's task easier.

With a deep breath, Deku aimed his fists behind his back. He prepared himself to strike and ambush as the angelic squealing came his way. Smoke curled from his fists. As soon as Deku saw traces of pink pass through the double door's threshold, the dual explosions detonated. The recoil sent him hurtling towards the familiar, faster than Deku was honestly comfortable with. Wind whipped at his hair, but he was airborne for mere seconds before his fists made contact and detonated once more. The move had left him slightly disorientated and nauseous, likely a combination of the leaking bloated pig's stench alongside the sudden and spiraling movement. Water pooled at his feet and rushed down through the open double doors. Smoke curled from the winged pig's corpse. This one had been filled with corn and peas.

Kyubey's voice instructed him further.

"The witch is up ahead, just down that hallway and to the left!"

If the familiars had been those disgusting animals, he dreaded facing the witch. How awful must one be to use some sort of pig necromancy? The leaking water followed him on his journey through the long and soggy labyrinth, splashing audibly with each of his steps. After rounding the corner, he came face to face once more with a set of double doors. Instead of wood, these doors were metallic in composition, resembling the swinging doors one would find in a restaurant. Pushing through them with ease, Deku gasped.

Deku sighed, emerging from the top deck of what was now clearly a sinking Titanic. He didn't try and analyze how he had managed to end up at the top deck after descending a long set of stairs, but none of this made sense and it was likely a waste of time. Madness could not be reasoned with. A chorus of pig squealing overwhelmed Deku, directing his attention to the bow of the ship. It just didn't make sense. A large dining table extended and snaked around the ship's deck. Walking towards it, he saw that the surface was moving, much like a conveyor belt. Regardless, the finely set china and utensils remained undisturbed. Not a single glass had fallen, even with the bound bloated pigs thrashing about on the table. Spotting a group of angelic pigs, Deku readied his fists but faltered. They were busy frantically lowering lifeboats and trying to escape the now half-submerged ship. Too busy with what appeared to be their luggage to notice him. Even with the ship's great tilt, the table's decoration remained undisturbed.

Darting around a smokestack, Deku came face to face with the witch.

It was nothing like he had expected, completely un-humanoid in every way.

This witch did not have green skin nor did it wear a pointy black hat. Instead, the witch was an over-sized Greek stage mask, a happy smirk worn on its face. It sat at the end of the table. Its mouth was animated, opening up to receive the bloated pigs. Beyond its lips was darkness, Deku could not see through the mask. A squealing pig entered halfway through its mouth when the mask clamped down, both bisecting and bursting the foul creature. The witch made a mess of the pig as it chewed the familiar up, swallowing it with a comically audible gulp. Another bound pig passed through its lips. Looking away, Deku stepped back. Slipping on a patch of water, he fell to the deck with an audible thunk. A shriek of pure horror sent a tingle down his spine while the hairs on his neck stood at attention. The shriek was pained and agonizing as if the witch itself was suffering.

The witch gagged. Deku barely managed to roll out of the way before a glop of grey vomit splattered where he had fallen. It sizzled away at the deck, from which water now spouted up like a geyser. This was real. The acrid smell reinforced the severity of the situation. He could die. Now on his feet, it was much easier to dodge the second spray of vomit sent his way. Not letting the witch get another chance to attack, Deku detonated explosions in his palms, sending him flying towards the witch's nose. With this trajectory, he'd hopefully be out of the splash zone.

Like he had done before, green energy shimmered around his fists midair. More than he had previously done, he charged up the nitroglycerin coating his gauntlets before he punched the porcelain mask with both fists. The sheer force of his strikes alone cracked the ivory substance, but the witch's shrieks of agony were drowned out by the green-tinted and magically imbued explosions. Flaming debris rained from the sky as Deku landed back down on the deck while the labyrinth wobbled away back to reality The hero couldn't help but pant with both relief and desperation upon his return. It was a surprising exit, Deku had figured he would've needed to find his way back out of the maze. Somewhat disoriented, he grounded himself by kneeling on the familiarly decrepit and stained boat. A harbour bell rang out and the sound of water sloshing against the boardwalk calmed his racing heart.

He had defeated a witch.

A sharp clink caught his attention, Deku flinched and raised his smoking fists in anticipation. Instead of another enemy, he simply saw a small black gem hit the ground. It rolled around on the ship's deck before coming to a stop near his feet. Picking it up, he eyed the object in suspicion. The black gem was gilded in a silver spindle, with the symbol of an arrow-pierced mask carved into the top. It felt wrong, like all of the miasma within the labyrinth condensed into an object. He placed it back on the deck, disturbed by its energy.

Kyubey sauntered out from around a corner, eyes focused on the black gem.

"That's a grief seed! I must congratulate you on defeating the witch, you handled yourself well for a first-timer."

Deku wanted to cry, either from stress or joy. He didn't know which. The adrenaline of battle still fluttered his stomach and trembled his hands. The smell of acrid vomit lingered in his nostrils. For once, he was thankful for the overbearing stench of the sea.

"I-I could have d-died! That's not w-what I was e-expecting.."

Falling to the floor, he cradled his head in his drawn-up knees. Tears stung at his eyes. He let them flow. This was too much. Kyubey walked up next to him, prompting him to glance up with blurred vision. Its expression was unreadable. Wanting to rid himself of the stench, he willed his costume away in a burst of pine-green light. With a fluttering heartbeat, he purposefully held and lengthened his exhales. His school had given them a lecture about stress management before tests. This method was effective for him in most situations, but his heart kept up its flighty rhythm.

His soul gem manifested in its egg-form. Holding it up to his eyes, Deku could see it had darkened considerably. It was no longer as radiant as it had been before. Wisps of black occasionally danced through the green.

"You can use the grief seed to cleanse it. While in a labyrinth, the witch's grief will cling to your soul gem, thus tainting and polluting it. Using magic will also deplete its charge, accomplishing the same effect. Try it, Izuku!"

Nodding at the explanation, Deku picked up the grief seed from the deck and held it next to his gem. As he brought them closer to each other, a dark mist was drawn away from the egg and into the spindle. His soul gem glowed a brilliant pine-green once more. Things would be okay, he could handle this. His reaction had been natural, adrenaline was his body's natural way of preparing him for battle. Deku was safe. A deep sigh of relief followed suit.

"I can't believe I just did that. J-Just, wow... At least it won't hurt anybody else."

Kyubey looked up at him. Deku read its blank expression as proud.

"Use of a grief seed on a soul gem not only cleanses it but strengthens it, reinforces its structure and natural defences too. Think of it as similar to how your body reacts to an immunization, it recognizes the pathogen and strengthens the immune system in general alongside providing and almost guaranteeing a more efficient response to the pathogen in the future. Now, this doesn't mean you're immune to the lingering grief in a labyrinth, but you simply grow naturally resistant at an increment proportional to the witch's strength. The one you fought was average in strength, but you should notice a change in how fast your soul gem pollutes. Not only this, but your magic use becomes more efficient and potent while your reserves grow larger! Can you imagine? It's almost like gaining experience points in a video game and you just leveled up!"

Deku couldn't help but smile. How could he not? Defeating an evil was one thing, but strengthening to this degree? It was almost too good to be true, but Deku petted and rubbed the top of Kyubey's head instead of doubting it. It had been very helpful today and yesterday. Kyubey had not only saved his life but also essentially gifted him a quirk.

"Thank you so much Kyubey! It kinda makes sense when you compare it to something like a video game. You kinda lost me at the first part, but I get it now. I couldn't have done any of this without you. I'm sorry for having a bit of a breakdown, I don't know what came over me."

Kyubey swished its tail.

"Don't worry, that was a natural and completely normal human reaction to danger. You'll get one more use from the grief seed or two if you're pushing it. The stronger a witch, the more uses you'll get from the seed and thus more 'experience'. I wouldn't overuse one if I were you. When it starts visibly radiating grief, it's full. When it's full, you should give it to me for safe disposal. Otherwise, it could hatch again, meaning you'd have to fight a strengthened version once more. Experience gain works both ways, it affects both soul gem and grief seed. Luckily, when I dispose of them, it completely neutralizes their potential to hatch. Isn't that neat?"

Deku smiled at Kyubey.

"Yeah, it really is. We should head back home now, I'd rather not have my mom discover that I'm not there at two in the morning."

It did not respond, but followed him as he began walking. An idea flashed in his mind, prompting Deku to transform in a familiar flash of green light. More mindful of his magic consumption, he reduced its flashiness to hopefully conserve it. Deku could feel the difference in efficiency from both the strengthening of his soul gem along with reducing its stylistic flair. Transforming had been quicker and more fluid, it didn't feel as heavy or intense. With Kyubey by his side, he sat on a nearby bench, staring out at the dark sea. He toyed with the feeling of his magic, played around with how it felt in his body. Sending it to his feet, he concentrated the now visible green energy there. Satisfied, he stood. Deku cracked his knuckles. Jumping into the air, he willed the his magic towards his feet before sending it out in a burst. To his delight, he received a sort of boost in the air; A double jump. It was more gentle than using Bakugou's quirk, but definitely not as fast. It also wouldn't incur any emergency distress calls and was rather silent. Landing with a thud on the pavement, he smiled. Kyubey commented.

"That is an interesting technique, it's similar to what I've seen other magical girls use."

Deku arched a brow.

"Other magical girls? Oh, well, I should have expected that. I can't be the only one fighting witches, now can I?"

Deku used his newfound technique to aid his return home. It was liberating, running and jumping across the rooftops while veiled by night. It took a few uses to acclimate to the technique, but he aced it eventually. It was not unlike playing a rhythm game, the down-stroke of his curved jump the right time for a small burst of green magic. It didn't feel all that magically draining either, compared to how Bakugou's explosions had felt. Every fibre of his being wanted to yell out in exhilaration, but he knew it'd bring him unnecessary attention. This would probably count as illegal quirk use, even though it really wasn't a quirk. As the wind whipped along his cape, he drew up his hood and tightened the drawstrings; An extra step to conceal his identity. While soaring through the skies, his mind wandered. Wandered to the idea of other magical girls or boys. He wondered what powers they had, wondered what their outfits looked like. What if somebody he knew was secretly a magical girl too? Pondering, it, he came up with a blank. He didn't know any other quirkless people his age, maybe he'd have to purposefully look. Deku had the whole summer ahead of him before the U.A entrance examinations, there was lots of time to find a magical ally.

Before he knew it, Deku landed in front of his house. All was still as he slithered in through the open window and dismissed his transformation. Forming his soul gem into its egg form, he analyzed its glow. It was admittedly not at one-hundred percent brightness, but it had definitely only depleted slightly from his extended use. Deku was fine with that, it had provided him with useful experience and mobility that he would have otherwise lacked. Plus, there was still one more use left in the grief seed. Kyubey curled up on his shelf beside his plush toys as Deku slipped under his covers. It looked like a plush toy. Sleep came easily to Deku, but he noticed an odd lack of fatigue that should have accompanied such a physically demanding fight. Thinking nothing of it, his dreams were peaceful.

Tatooin Shopping Center

Deku fell to the floor upon hearing and feeling an explosive blast. Dropping the clothing his mother had wanted, he ducked for cover under a nearby display table. His heart raced, the smell of smoke spreading out into the air. Had it been a gas main break? A woman's voice cried out, 'villain.' Groaning, the young hero debated inaction. Shaking his head, he doused himself in a green light and swiftly entered his transformation. Not wanting to be powerless, Bakugou's Explosion was equipped. Having crawled under the table, he hoped nobody had been there to see him. Regardless, Deku crawled out and made his way through the courtyard, dodging a falling piece of debris and wafting through the fleeing crowd. Everything was on fire.

The site of both Death Arms and that same sludge villain made him gasp loudly. Attention brought towards him, Deku fidgeted under the quick glance of both hero and villain.

"I can handle this, young one!"

Biting his lip, the green magical boy reluctantly agreed and nodded. Death Arms could handle it, he was the officially licensed hero after all. The sludge villain sent globs of viscous liquid his way, globs that he easily dodged. The green sludge monster let out a glass-shattering screech. And attacked the bulky and official hero. He couldn't be a distraction. Deku slicked back into the growing crowd. These people were in danger of smoke inhalation and debris.

"It's not safe here, you guys need to leave."

Bystanders grumbled and complained, but eventually listened. Deku figured they believed him to have some sort of heroic authority given his apparent hero costume. Flashes of white fur became visible as the crowd dispersed. Kyubey sauntered towards him. A question popped into his mind.

"Kyubey! I thought I got rid of the witch's kiss or whatever, why is it still attacking?"

Its tail swished calmly, despite a piece of rebar embedding itself in the nearby sidewalk with a harsh clang. Kyubey's voice rang out into his mind.

"Witches are not the only source of evil. Humans are capable of evil without direct influence from a witch."

It was a somewhat depressing statement. Evil people existed and always would exist. Witches were not a scapegoat, only one cause of crime and suffering. The sludge quirk user was probably already a villain. One that had been easily preyed on by the Sinking Witch. A deep voice caught Deku's attention, specifically the mention of a kidnapping. Towards the villain, Death arms spoke.

"A child was taken hostage? You coward!"

Green eyes snapped behind him, completely ignoring both the fleeing crowd of people and Kyubey. Past the tendrils of dark green and brown, Deku could see sprigs of blonde spiky hair. No way. Further movement revealed that all-too-familiar face. Panic surged through him, enough to send him running back towards the villain before thinking it through. Death arms cried out as a wave of sludge was sent their way. Jumping up into the air, he easily hurdled over it with the boost of his green energy. Landing in a puddle of sludge, he groaned while trying to shake it off his feet. Mere meters from the shocked villain, Deku faltered. The explosion quirk would harm Bakugou. The villain sneered, taking this opening to make a grab at him. Darting back, he fell into muscular arms. Flinching, he turned to face Death Arm's scowl.

"I said, I got this!"

Pushing Deku away, he could feel the licensed hero's strength. It was immense to say the least, sending Deku tumbling back a good ten meters or so. He didn't expect anything less, having studied the hero he had seen patrolling around his neighborhood every now and again. Coughing at the rough ejection from battle as he skidded along the pavement, he wiped a smear of blood from his freckled cheek. With dread, the magical boy watched as Death Arms failed to affect the villain. A strength quirk would do nothing against an elemental body quirk. If one punched sludge it would simply flow away, reforming itself easily. Raw strength wouldn't work. Fist caught in the villain's sludge, the hero was swatted away. Crashing into a nearby storefront with a thud, the metal grated entrance dented significantly. Death Arms groaned.

Could Deku now act?

Bakugou stirred, suddenly flaring back to life in an angered rage. Fighting against the villain, he bit and tore at the sludge confining him. He yelled out in frustration.

"I won't let sewage like this swallow me!"

A flurry of explosions soon followed, he was trying his best to break the villain's hold. It was Bakugou's courage despite adversity that fueled Deku. He could take this thing on, he'd just have to be careful that's all. Death Arms had been temporarily decommissioned and there was no way in hell Deku would wait for another hero to arrive. Rhythmic thudding bounded towards them, he could spot Mt. Lady from the corner of his eye. She couldn't fit through though, she couldn't save them. It was just too risky to wait with Bakugou on the line. Amping himself up for the fight, Deku flexed both of his gauntlets, small explosions sparking up into the air. Yellow eyes locking onto him, the magical boy gulped. If he could take down a witch, this villain should be a piece of cake. The only problem was leaving Kacchan unharmed. Green light flared around him wildly and wind whipped at the crowd. Death Arms glanced. The crowd mumbled in fear and confusion. Mt. Lady watched apprehensively.

"What power..." The villain grumbled out, suddenly releasing a wide-eyed Bakugou from its grip. Tossing the boy to the side with no regard for his safety, Deku frowned. At the very least his friend was safe. Paling upon realization, Deku jumped back a few steps, the green energy dissipated from the air. Dozens of sludge tentacles grabbed for him, some growing hands and others simply attempting to wrap around his limbs. Knowing what would happen if such occurred, he was swift on his feet.

"Stupid Deku! You're in my way of destroying this punk-ass villain!"

Flinching at the aggression, Bakugou's words had distracted him enough for a disturbingly warm tendril to wrap around his ankle. With a panicked yelp, Deku thrust his palm towards it and detonated an explosion. Withdrawing in surprise as the sludge splattered away from him, the green hero exploited this new opening. Diving towards the monster with an explosion boosted velocity, green energy reinforced his fists. Instead of sinking into the creature, his fists audibly smacked against the surface, a gargling howl soon following. As Deku's mimicked explosions blasted the villain to bits once more, he jumped back to take a breath. Bits of charred sludge rained down around them, Kyubey commented. Wind blasted through the streets, papers flew everywhere and citizens braced against the wind force.

"That was a public use of your powers. They'll assume it to be a quirk, but be careful. That was a clever use of your magic! You consistently surprise me, Izuku Midoriya."

Deku was gathering the words to respond. Before they could be uttered, A harsh shriek interrupted his thoughts.

"WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU?!"

The magical boy froze. With choppy and jittery movements, Deku drew his sweater drawstrings and faced Bakugou. The hood did little to hide his fearful pallor nor his characteristic green hair. Backing up slowly, he yelped upon hitting a bench.

"Oh, I-"

"What did you do to Deku and why did you steal my quirk? What kind of fucking costume is that?" Rage dripped from his words, and suddenly, Deku was back in middle school.

"I swear that's not what happened, Kacchan! Y-you know when you h-hit me, right? I felt something off then because of your explosions. I p-played around with that feeling and I discovered my quirk. I really thought that I had been quirkless, but apparently, I'm able to mimic the quirks that are used on me. See?"

From the tips of his fingers, small explosions sparked and popped.

It did nothing to calm Bakugou.

"GIVE IT BACK! YOU'RE NOT DEKU!"

There was no reasoning with Bakugou now. Drooling with rage, his eyes were impossibly wide. Deku had never seen Kacchan this angry before. An explosive fist was sent his way. Jumping back with a green-enhanced step, the fist missed him completely. Fight or flight kicking in, his body opted for flight. Too many eyes watched him. Death Arms. Deku. Mt. Lady. The crowd undulated with excitement. Media would arrive soon too, he couldn't be here for any of that. Like he had practiced the previous night, Deku took flight. Soaring through the air was easier now than it had been at night, from both his experience and daylight guiding him forward.. Each step sent an ethereal green burst from his feet.

Death Arms got up from the wall. Groaning loudly, he came to face the stunned crowd. He sympathized. Too much had occurred for him to react. The boy had worn a costume and so probably hadn't arrived on accident. A problem was now evident to both him, the crowd, and Mt. Lady. They had never seen or heard of this green hero before. It was a problem he mentioned to the reporter while answering her questions. Although to her, he said that the boy wore a green outfit but he couldn't see his face and that he didn't think the middle schooler was a vigilante. That was a complete lie, he distinctly remembered the smattering of freckles, but nobody else besides him and the villain had been close enough to see past his hood. That boy had saved his friend- or enemy from what he saw. No, it was probably a brother, they both had similar quirks and were fighting as if habitual. An argument had followed, something about stealing and being able to do anything. An ambulance took away the blonde middle-schooler, the kid who had previously been imprisoned by the sludge. He felt bad for the poor kid, knowing how frightening the experience of suffocation was.

With each burst, Deku flew further and further from the shopping district. He was fine with that. The other heroes could handle the rest. He was sure that Mt. Lady would do her thing and finish up helping the people. From the sirens he had heard, the police were nearing too. He wasn't running away, he was practicing self-preservation. He wasn't a vigilante hero, he just wanted to save his friend. The wind rushing across his face was not enough to dry his tears. Deku was crying again, but this time from happiness. Bakugou was okay. The sight of him being swallowed up by the sludge would be with him for a while. It had been truly disturbing seeing his friend overpowered like that.

When he eventually landed near his home, he willed away his transformation in a small flash of green light. Sweat dotted at his skin, he held his soul gem in hand. It had only slightly dulled. He wouldn't worry about it for now. He could go witch hunting another time and he still had the remaining use of that grief seed. Knocking on his front door, His mother greeted him with a smile. She glanced at his hands.

"Umm, Izuku, where are the things you bought?"

Deku scratched at his hair and blushed.

"Mom, didn't you see the villain attack on the news?"

Worried, she grabbed him up in a huge. Deku sighed, his face would have been hidden by his hood and the media crews hadn't arrived by the time he made his escape. Things would be fine.

"Oh my sweetie, you weren't hurt, were you? Here, I'll take you to the clinic for a quick checkup, make sure you didn't get a concussion or anything."

As much as Deku disliked the doctor's office, he'd go if it pleased his mother. She honestly cared for him, and that was enough.

Witch Data: The Feast Witch

Name: Rose

Nature: Indifference

The witch of feasts. Her nature is indifference. An extremely indifferent witch that pays no heed to her sinking ship. Forgoing survival in favor of feasting, she is purposefully oblivious. Food distracts her from the inevitable, and she will consume anybody in order to put off facing reality. Her favorite snack is her own minions, she can never get enough. Regardless of how much she fills her stomach, she will always vomit them right back up. It's never enough. One can easily defeat this witch by letting her be, leaving her to sink and drown in the frigid arctic sea as her ship eventually sinks.

Familiar Data:

Name: Jack

Duty: Hunt the passengers.

Minions of the Feast Witch. Their duty is to hunt the passengers. These minions hunt and stalk through the halls of the ship, flying with their perfect angelic wings. Upon finding a passenger or a lost human, they will hunt them with their cupid's arrows until near-death. After being bound with ice, they will bring their prey to the queen witch. Some Jacks are disobedient, choosing to gorge themselves on a passenger instead. These disobedient Jacks are always punished by the witch, consuming them as well.

Name: Passenger

Duty: Livestock

Minions of the Feast Witch. Their duty is to be livestock for their witch. These minions roam and graze through the halls of the sheep, feeding on the carpet and wallpaper. Having a taste for red carpet, they often congregate in herds. Knowing no way to stop feeding, they often end up bloated and leaking digestive juices. Passengers will flee from anybody, Jacks or humans.