[Chapter 13]


Midoriya Inko stared at the TV with disbelief, hands clasped in worry.

It was happening again. Live footage from a news helicopter showed a furious battle happening right in the heart of a city, an emerald comet bombarded from all sides by what must have been dozens of heroes.

Magical Girl Miracle.

Inko watched, horrified as the girl tried to escape from her countless pursuers, only to be repelled at every turn. Even the very sky turned against her, pink lines of light cutting across the horizon to form a cage. Poor little Miracle was desperately trying to find a way out, zooming about in hopes of finding an exit.

Then she fell from grace, plummeting like a bird with clipped wings. All of Japan must have watched her crash into the earth, only to rise again like a vengeful revenant. There was something wrong with her form, half of her body still clad in her Magical Girl regalia. The other half was… dressed in an All Might hoodie? It looked familiar, but the camera footage was too grainy to catch the details.

Whatever the attack was, it seemed to have weakened Miracle. She could fly no longer, instead sprinting across the road like a professional athlete while getting into skirmishes with various heavy-hitters. Inko was shocked at how strong she was, the girl even able to stand up to All Might for some time!

It was clear now that Miracle wasn't trying to hurt the heroes at all, entirely focused on trying to escape. Soon she was cornered and trapped by Endeavor's heat rays, and…

That was where it all went wrong.

Miracle screamed, her voice loud enough to reach the news helicopter filming above. Green, crackling lightning exploded out of her, chaining from one hero to another and causing them to fall like dominos. It was like watching a natural disaster unfold in real time. Miracle was turning into the eye of the hurricane, the origin of a swirling maelstrom that tore apart the environment around her. The storm concentrated upon Miracle and turned into blinking eyes with animal pupils, each one moving about independently. They arrayed themselves into wings atop her back, giving her the appearance of an Angel. Oddly enough the heroes were left unharmed despite the devastation, the lightning seeming to be only deadly to anything inorganic.

Miracle continued onward, destroying multiple squadrons of combat robots with a single swing but stopping right before her hand reached an unknown hero's face. He must have said something to her as she suddenly stopped, beginning to cry. Inko couldn't help but feel pity for her.

Then All Might punched her into a building.

Miracle hurtled through the skyline, ragdolled by the impact of his fists. Rubble filled the air when she crash-landed right before U.A High School, only to be surrounded by its teachers only moments later. Inko gasped when the girl powered down to surrender, revealing an all too familiar face when the new cameras zoomed in.

Her shoulders were slumped, blonde locks falling over a pair of golden eyes. She looked so very tired, all the fight having drained out of her at the sight of U.A. Inko's hands flew to her mouth, the woman trembling in shock.

"Mikumo-chan?"

[x]

Izuku hugged her knees and shivered, wondering how she ended up in a situation like this.

It was her first time in a detention cell. To Izuku's surprise it wasn't as bad as she'd thought it would be. She deduced that it was meant to hold U.A students for one reason or another, and was designed with enough modern comforts to accommodate them. Despite being in a literal dungeon beneath U.A, the conditions were more akin to a hotel room rather than a prison.

Toga didn't seem to think the same, complaining all the while.

"I can't believe you decided to surrender." Toga whined, floating about in the air lazily. Her voice was clearer now, lacking the ethereal, dreamlike quality she had before. "I mean, seriously. Why?"

"What was I supposed to do?" Izuku whispered back, wary of any audio bugs the heroes had in the room. "It was either that, or beat them all into unconsciousness. I couldn't do that."

"You and I both know we can." Toga huffed. "Well, maybe All Might would be a little tougher than the rest…"

"Not what I meant, and you know it." Izuku said. "I can't keep punching my problems away. Violence isn't the answer."

"Correct. Violence is a question, and the answer is yes."

"That's what a villain would say."

"Guilty as charged."

Izuku paused at that, looking up at her. Toga continued to float around, an untouchable ghost that existed in her mind alone.

"You… you were a villain?" Izuku asked nervously. "You never told me that!"

"That's what the cops called me before the doctor found me. Must have slipped my mind." Toga said. "It's hard to remember, it's like my memory is in bits and pieces. Anyway, that's not the point!"

Toga got right up in Izuku's face, jabbing at her forehead with a translucent finger.

"If being a so-called 'villain' has taught me anything, it's that power triumphs all. Without power, we have nothing." Toga groused. "You, we, have all the power in the world. I need you to understand this; we can do whatever the fuck we wanna do. You don't have to give an inch to these pricks, let alone your time."

"That's the sort of thinking that leads to the persecution of others." Izuku argued back. "To discrimination against those that are different. What we need to do now is come to a common understanding."

"That's why you surrendered? To talk?" Toga sneered. "We can do it on our terms, not theirs. One strike from us and thousands lose their lives. They should be groveling before us!"

"And what good would antagonizing them do? It'll only lead to more conflict!"

"They started it! Fuck around and find out. You want to turn the other cheek, but what you don't understand is that just gets you another slap. People will walk all over you if you let them, you little dummy!"

"I still have to try."

"Haven't you tried enough? You know what your problem is? You're too much of a goody-two-shoes." Toga said, exasperated. "So goddamn gullible. You keep seeing the best in people, looking at the world through rose-tinted glasses. Don't you get it? No matter how hard you try, sometimes things just won't work."

"I… I know that!" Izuku winced. "It's just…"

"You stubborn little—" Toga fumed, wringing her hands. "You know what? I'll let you find out for yourself. You wanna be a battered housewife? Fine! But don't say I didn't warn you."

"Why do you hate heroes so much?"

"Why don't you? After all the shit they did to you, I'm surprised you haven't gone berserk on them."

"I still believe in some of them. Not all heroes are like that, you know that." Izuku said.

"You keep believing that bullshit. I suppose growing up worshiping heroes will blind you to their incompetence and failures." Toga shot back angrily.

"Why do you have to be so negative?"

"Well, why do you have to be so goddamn positive?" Toga hissed. "Is that the Magical Girl part of you talking? Love and peace, hmm?! Sorry to break it to you, but the world isn't sunshine and rainbows like a fucking anime. The world is harsh, cold, cruel, and its people have only ever failed me when I needed them."

"You wouldn't think like that if you had someone to help you." Izuku said sadly.

"I don't wanna hear that from some loser who's in love with a girl that doesn't even exist!" Toga shrieked.

Izuku's lip trembled and Toga immediately knew she crossed the line. The poor Magical Girl looked as if she was about to burst into tears, Toga quickly descending and sitting down beside her. Izuku began sniffling, and the other girl couldn't help but feel pity at the swirling whirlpool of emotions that she felt through their shared minds. Shame, embarrassment, self-loathing… it was like a dam breaking, the emotions Izuku felt flooding across her face.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean that…" Toga began.

"No, you're right. I'm a total loser." Izuku said, tearing up. "I can't help it. I always wanted someone to be nice to me besides my mom. So I… I made Mikumo to be that kind of girl. Someone kind and sweet. Before I knew it, I had these weird feelings for her, me, and… I don't know what's wrong with me. I don't even know who I'm supposed to be anymore."

Izuku hung her head, ashamed.

"I'm a freak, aren't I?"

Toga was silent for a moment before deciding to speak up.

"My parents called me the same thing." Toga said. "A freak. A demon-child. All because my Quirk made me think differently. Because I wasn't normal like the others."

Izuku looked up with teary eyes, listening intently.

"It's so easy for me to fall in love." Toga moved to sit opposite to Izuku atop empty air, her voice a near whisper. "Animals… people…. Heroes, villains, boys and girls. They all… have such beautiful blood flowing through their veins. I can't help the way I love people."

"Yeah?" Izuku sniffed.

"Yeah." Toga nodded. "I just wanted to live the way I wanted."

"It's hard to live in this world." Izuku agreed. "I think… I think a part of me understands why Mustard wanted to change the world. With all this power, it'd be hard not to."

"To reshape the world in her own image." Toga chuckled sadly. "It's what the other me would have wanted. For a place where she could be accepted and loved. Maybe that's all she ever needed, for someone to love her. For someone to love us."

Toga placed her forehead against Izuku's and closed her eyes. She could feel the other girl's warmth, an incorporeal sensation that echoed across space and time. The two of them were united, two souls in one body.

Foreign memories flooded Izuku's mind, the hopes and dreams of a little girl wronged by the world. In a garden she found a corpse of a sparrow, found love in life and death. Her Quirk took its shape, dancing upon her chest when she dreamed and slept. As she grew older she kept the sparrow caged inside her, suppressing her naturalborn urges.

One day, the blood of a loved one was spilled. Toga looked down at her hand and found the knife her Quirk had become. The knife allowed her to become the people she loved, but she filled it with anger and hatred in response to how the world treated her.

So she brandished a blasphemous blade, to create a world that's easier to live in.

"We might be abnormal, you and I. Built different." Toga sniffed. "But we won't let the world decide what we are. Never again."

Izuku thought of all the times Bakugo had bullied her, the humiliation, the mocking jeers, the laughter that cut into her skin and ego, tearing her pride and self-esteem to shreds. All the times she wanted to disappear because of the things that he and the other bullies did, because of something that she couldn't control.

Yet here she was. Still here despite it all. A survivor.

"I'm scared." Izuku whispered.

"Me too." Toga admitted. "But as long as we have each other, we'll never be alone."

The two girls held each other in mind and spirit, the living and the dead linked by their individuality.

"Wanna learn how to braid your hair?" Toga asked out of the blue.

"...Sure." Izuku answered.

She spent the next few minutes fiddling around with her hair, satisfied once it was tied into a neat braid. Toga helpfully shifted her appearance into Mikumo's, allowing Izuku to appreciate the new hairstyle.

"Do you still want to be a hero, Izuku?"

The question caught her off guard, and it took a moment before Izuku could come up with an answer.

"I still want to help people. To save people, like All Might." Izuku said softly. "Do I have to be a hero to do that? I mean, I still kinda like All Might, but those other heroes…"

"You don't wanna be like them. Yeah, I get it." Toga nodded. "There are always alternative career paths. Ever given any thought about that?"

"Not really. I was always called nothing by everyone except my mom." Izuku said. "Even the dream of being a hero was just that, a dream."

"Pfft. Now you're a super-powerful being that can be a guy when you wanna be, and a girl when you wanna be. You can have your cake and eat it." Toga scoffed. "Do you have any idea how many people would kill to be in your position? Sheesh. We can be a… J-pop idol?"

"Um, I'll pass. Crowds make me nervous." Izuku mumbled shyly.

"TigTog E-girl? Boys love that." Toga suggested.

"Why would I want to attract boys?" Izuku frowned. "Also, I'm bad at video games."

"Vtuber?"

"Isn't that just an anime E-girl?"

"You're missing the point!" Toga chided. "We can be anything we wanna be! Dude, we literally have the power of God and anime on our side."

"I wouldn't call it that—"

"It's a doggy-dog world we live in, and we're top dog!"

"It's 'dog-eat-dog'." Izuku corrected, giggling a little. She knew this was Toga's way of cheering her up. "Besides, I'm sure there are many other people out there who are stronger than us."

"Then we're the world's strongest fourteen-year-old. Anyone tries to mess with us and we'll be like, zap, mothafucka! Taste mah lightning—"

Toga threw out her hand, wriggling her fingers playfully. Both girls paused when sparks of golden lightning flickered atop the vestige's palm, causing them to blink in surprise.

"Whoa."

[x]

"You've got to be joking." Midnight said to her smartphone. "You want me to set a good example for the walking h-bomb? Me, the R-18 hero?"

"That's right, Kayama-san!" Nezu said cheerfully from the other end. "Now, I'll be busy holding off the vultures from the HPSC regarding little miss Miracle, so someone needs to be the one she can confide in!"

"Can't Vlad or Hound do it?" Midnight hesitated. "I don't exactly fit the image of 'reliable older role model' for most kids."

"You do not. But extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures. Believe me when I say I have faith in you. Perhaps what Miracle needs isn't an older male figure, but an older female that is willing to listen and empathize with her. Our reports suggest that she was building up a good rapport with Mt. Lady before those upstarts ambushed her."

"You mean before they jumped her ass like a bunch of punks? Sheesh, what kind of people are we letting in nowadays?" Midnight's heels clicked against the cold marble tiles. "And those orders from the HPSC…"

"They don't apply here. U.A is under my jurisdiction, and what I say goes." Nezu said calmly. "You can safely ignore that 'shoot-on-sight' order."

"Good. 'Cause if you're expecting me to hurt that girl in any way we're gonna have a problem, boss."

"Wouldn't dream of it." Nezu smiled. "Just talk to her, and be gentle. Find out what she knows about these… Angels, and why she's here in general."

"You think she might be connected to him?" Midnight asked, dubious.

"It's possible. In any case, if she truly is connected to our eternal adversary, All Might will have to be informed. Right now, what Miracle needs is someone she can trust. To fix what young Aizawa has inadvertently shattered. A motherly or older sister figure, perhaps. Make her an offer. Anything. Japan can't afford to lose her."

"I'll try. So basically you're only picking me because I'm the only woman on the team." Midnight gave her smartphone the side-eye. "Gee, thanks boss."

"Now, now. Don't put it like that." Nezu's calm, infuriating smile continued to fill the device's screen. "You were always one of my best students, Nemuri. I trust you. Nezu out."

The call ended just like that, leaving Midnight to decipher Nezu's words and intentions. The mouse-bear-dog man often expected his students to read between the lines, and this was no different.

Midnight pondered as she walked. The HPSC and their explicit orders to capture Miracle at all costs, despite knowing how unpopular the attempts would be… The ten-million yen bounty… It just didn't add up. They knew it was bad optics for the hero industry, yet they still encouraged it. The only explanation Midnight could come up with was that the HPSC knew something about Miracle that others didn't. Something they were so desperate to keep a secret, they were willing to risk public ire.

Her thoughts trailed off as she finally reached the interrogation room. The room itself was more of a precautionary measure ever since one of the kids brought back a villain they'd captured during Midnight's time as a student. Containing him back then was a difficult affair. Nearly every single U.A staff member was here, including Aizawa. The man looked more tired than usual, his lips set into a thin line of determination. Beside him stood another tall, thin figure, who adjusted his spectacles upon meeting her eyes. He seemed to be engaged in a staredown with Toshinori, All Might, until she arrived.

"Hey, boys." Midnight greeted the rest of the teachers, then turned to him coolly. "Sir Nighteye."

"Midnight." Nighteye returned the greeting with one of his own. "Good to see you again."

"I wish it were under different circumstances." Midnight eyed the one-way mirror. "How is she?"

"See for yourself."

The teacher stepped up to the glass and took a good, hard look. Sitting in a chair with her hands atop the cold steel table was a teenager who looked nervous but was clearly trying to hide it, her eyes still a little red and puffy from crying. Surprisingly enough her hair wasn't green, her golden locks tied into a small braid. The girl was dressed in an oversized All Might hoodie that was clearly too large for her, the sleeves flopping about whenever she moved her hands. Her wrists were bound with heavy duty Quirk-resistant shackles that were designed to hold brutes three times her size, looking comically huge compared to her petite frame.

She's so small.

This was Magical Girl Miracle? She didn't look like much, being a cute, timid-looking girl that would look more at home in a convenience store than a prison cell. Midnight quickly shook off her first impression, not willing to judge a book by its cover. Behind the girl stood two of U.A's security bots, the submachine guns in their metal hands trained on her.

"Were the bots and guns really necessary?" Midnight sighed.

"Without them she could kill everyone in this room once she transforms, save for All Might." Vlad King said quietly. "It's a precaution we have to take."

"After what we've seen her shrug off, those guns ain't nothing but peashooters." Snipe offered his opinion, thumbing his revolver nervously. "She's taken rockets and 50 cal to the face without flinching. You might as well throw styrofoam packing peanuts at her."

"It's better than nothing, wan." Hound Dog shrugged. "I don't like it either."

"Alright." Midnight took a deep breath, looking around at the rest of the teachers. "Who's coming in with me?"

Aizawa opened his mouth, only to snap it shut when Midnight shot a baleful glare at him. Instead All Might stepped up, still in his civilian form.

"I'll go. I want to understand her." Toshinori said. "To see things from her point of view."

"As do I." Nighteye volunteered, raising a hand. "My Foresight will come in handy."

"That's three." Midnight counted, nodding. "Okay, just let me do most of the talking. Remember, the last thing we want is to antagonize her. Her idea of heroes has already been tarnished thanks to the HPSC's efforts. We have to make it clear that all we want to do is talk."

There was a bit more talk as the trio discussed any useful information they could use with the rest of the teachers. Security footage from the cell Miracle was imprisoned in earlier revealed that she was… talking to herself. They weren't able to get any audio, but that itself was rather strange. Possible signs of schizophrenia? Midnight shelved it away for later, steeling herself to talk with what must have been a poor, frightened girl.

She knocked on the door three times before entering.

[x]

Izuku looked up from the table when she heard a trio of knocks. Gulping, she remembered the advice Toga gave her earlier, and the words of an old hero from an equally old interview.

The ones who smile are the strongest. As terrified as Izuku was, she had to be strong. To be the Magical Girl fate chose her to be.

The door slid open with a quiet click, three people making their way through. Being the hero fangirl she was, she recognized two of them almost immediately. Leading the way was the R-18 hero Midnight, followed by All Might's trusted ex-sidekick, Sir Nighteye. The third was a thin, emaciated man she assumed was with the government since he was wearing a suit and tie.

"Oh great, look who it is." Toga grumbled. "Stripper Supreme, an Overworked Office-worker, and a Spooky Skeleton. Come on, Izuku. Use your feminine charm!"

"My what?" Izuku mumbled under her breath. "I don't even know how to talk to girls, let alone be one."

"Good afternoon." Midnight said, sitting down. She placed a plate of chocolate chip cookies on the table.

The two men took seats beside her as well, and Izuku felt as if she was in an interview of sorts. Beside her Toga floated, glaring at the trio of adults spitefully. She didn't trust adults, not one bit.

"Hello." Izuku said quietly. "Ms. Midnight."

Midnight blinked. "You know who I am?"

"I watched your debut. It was… quite something." Izuku said, blushing.

That was an understatement. Midnight's debut involved her appearing in public with seemingly nothing on except a few belts and pouches that barely protected her modesty, all while having just defeated a group of villains. It made the headlines the very next day, along with forcing the government to implement modesty limits on hero outfits. A controversial introduction to an admittedly controversial hero.

"I see. These are my associates, Sir Nighteye, and Mr. Toshinori Yagi." Midnight introduced the two men, who gave simple 'hellos' to Izuku.

"Ah, um, hello." Izuku returned the greetings with a polite bow to each. "I know you too, Sir Nighteye."

"You do?" the thin man asked.

"I'm a huge fan of All Might, so I've read about plenty of adventures and exploits the two of you had together. The Tokyo Tower incident, the Highway Circus Troupe, Toxic Chainsaw… I could go on and on." Izuku said with a small smile. "It was always a dream of mine to see you and All Might together in person."

Nighteye's eyes narrowed into razor-thin slits.

"I don't mean right now." Izuku added nervously before looking at the blonde skeleton-man. "And, ah… sorry, I don't think I know you. No offense."

"None taken, young lady." Toshinori chuckled. "Miss… Mikumo Akatani, is that right?"

"Y-yeah." Izuku said. Of course, Eraser Head must have told them her name. "Are the people I, um, knocked out okay?"

"They're fine. Somehow, your lightning didn't leave any permanent damage. A miracle, no pun intended." Nighteye said curtly.

The girl's eyes flickered to the cookies on the table nervously. Even if she knew it wouldn't be a good idea to eat them, she was kinda hungry. They could be laced with some sort of truth serum or Quirk suppressant.

"They're just regular cookies." Midnight smiled, taking a random one for herself and biting down. "See?"

Izuku slowly took a few and began munching down on them. It was an obvious ploy to gain her trust but hey, free cookies. Little did she know that her childlike behavior only reinforced the image of a whimsical, otherworldly fairy that many saw her as.

"Izuku!" Toga hissed, voice laced with urgency. "Don't get too chummy with these guys. Say the line!"

"O-oh, right!" Izuku straightened in her chair. "I want my lawyer."

"You're not under arrest. Not here, at least. You're a minor, and due to the extraordinary circumstances at hand, U.A will be handling any and all legal affairs related to your case." Nighteye said. "And no, you don't get a phonecall."

"Aww man…" Izuku mumbled, looking downcast.

"Don't listen to him, he's lying!" Toga howled. "I bet he's not even a real lawyer! Don't say anything stupid, and by stupid I mean anything at all!"

"First things first. We just want to talk, Ms. Mikumo." Midnight assured her. "Let's start with something simple. Are you related to the Anomalous Entities nicknamed 'Angels' in any way, shape or form? You seem to be one of the few individuals that are able to combat them effectively."

"I… Um, yes? Maybe?" Izuku stammered, not missing the way their eyes widened just the slightest bit. "I'm not too sure, really. All I know is that they don't want to hurt anyone. They're just curious about the world."

"What exactly do you mean by that?" Nighteye inquired, leaning forward with interest. "Do you have any idea about their goals, what they are?"

"Hmm…" Izuku thought for a moment, tapping her chin. The thirty-kilogram cuffs that bound her hands were lifted off the table effortlessly. "I guess you can say they're like children? No, I'm pretty sure they are children. They're just exploring."

All three adults in the room exchanged worried glances while Izuku continued to think. It'd be best not to reveal too much for now. After the fiasco that was the heroes attempting to deal with the Angels, Izuku couldn't trust them with that kind of information.

"I think we need some elaboration on your part." Toshinori said slowly. "Children?"

"Well, not actual children, but…" Izuku shrugged. "It's hard to explain."

"We'd really appreciate it if you could, honey." Midnight said softly.

"Don't call us honey, you hag!" Toga screeched. "Why don't you go back to your home on whore island?"

"Please." Izuku said to Toga, before turning back to the adults. "I'm sorry, I can't."

"You can't or you won't?" Toshinori asked.

"Both." Izuku's golden eyes flicked up to meet his cyan ones, noticing his black sclera.

"Why not?"

"I just can't." Izuku repeated, looking away. "Trust me on this."

If the general public got hold of the information that Angels were actually people's Quirks, the Quirks of children… there'd be societal upheaval and mayhem. A series of socioeconomic earthquakes that would shatter the planet. The world simply wasn't ready for it, and Izuku knew that the revelation could possibly destroy modern civilization as they knew it. It would lead to another Dark Age, just as the Advent of the Exceptional had done all those years ago.

"If you say so. Moving on!" Midnight shrugged, earning her a disbelieving glare from Nighteye. "We need to know the reason for Mustard's rampage in Musutafu City. The 'Magical Girl Massacre', as they call it."

Izuku's gaze dipped to the table at that, hands turning to fists.

"Mustard was… unwell." Izuku admitted. "Her dad was beating her, abusing her. She was hurting on the inside, and I didn't realize it until it was too late."

The three adults had varied reactions. Midnight looked saddened at the revelation, Toshinori looked aghast, and Nighteye just… frowned. From what Izuku knew of him, Nighteye often managed the most extreme criminal cases such as human trafficking and domestic terrorism. She guessed he'd seen his fair share of atrocities.

"I know that's no excuse for her to do what she did." Izuku continued, shivering. "A-and I tried to stop her, I really did!"

"No one's saying you didn't." Midnight held up her hand placatingly. "We know you did your best. Mustard lost her mind, that much we are certain of now. But where is she?"

"I—"

She's locked away inside of Matusda-kun.

"—don't know." Izuku answered. "She disappeared after we fought, and that's the last I saw of her."

It wasn't technically a lie. Naturally, the three of them still didn't seem convinced. Why would they? Izuku hadn't answered a single one of their questions so far, and for good reason. Anything she let slip might screw up the entire world.

"That's the last we saw of her, too." Nighteye said. "We've been combing the country for any sign of Magical Girl Mustard, but she seems to have gone radio silent. Off the radar. We were hoping you could aid in tracking her since many suspect that she's still out there."

"Sorry to disappoint you." Izuku said weakly. "I can't help you there."

"Hmm." Nighteye looked pensive. He was about to ask something else when Midnight interrupted him again, causing him to grit his teeth.

"There is one thing we were curious about." Midnight produced the remains of a burnt notebook from out of nowhere, gently placing it atop the table. "This was found among your belongings when we searched you earlier."

Izuku held her breath. It was her beloved 'Hero Analysis For The Future' or rather, what was left of it. Half the book did not survive the heroes' ambush, its pages torn and tattered. But despite it all it was still legible, containing Izuku's hard work and information she compiled on each and every hero she'd seen and heard of. Thankfully her smartphone was completely destroyed and lost in the same battle, or else they'd have a whole other slew of problems. Midnight gently turned to the front page and pointed to the name scribbled there.

'Midoriya Izuku'.

"Who is Midoriya Izuku?" Nighteye asked calmly. "As far as our records show, he's a Quirkless middle schooler with nothing to his name. A complete nobody, so to speak."

Guess what, you're still nothing. You're just a worthless, Quirkless, Deku!

Oof. That really, really stung. Or, it would have if Izuku wasn't sweating cold bullets. Toga seemed to sense how upset she was and leapt to her feet, enraged on Izuku's behalf.

"Shut the fuck up, asshole!" Toga roared, flipping the man off with both hands. "Fuck yo mama, fuck yo daddy—"

"Calm down—" Izuku whispered hurriedly. "He didn't mean it like that…"

"I beg your pardon?" Nighteye raised an eyebrow.

"—fuck yo gran-gran!" Toga continued raging. "I told you, I told you about these hero cunts! They're just superpowered cops who think they're better than everyone else! I swear to God, I will swarm; on any motherfucker in a blue uniform…"

Izuku grimaced. It was clear now that the emotional surges that she experienced at times affected Toga as well. It was only natural, since they seemed to draw from the same wellspring of power Quirks did. Emotions were what gave her strength.

"Please answer the question." Midnight said slowly, noting Izuku's distressed state. "Is he a friend of yours?"

"He's… um… he's…!" Izuku stammered, wracking her brains for a solution.

Nighteye and Toshinori leaned in a little closer, eager to hear her answer. How in the hell was she supposed to bullshit her way out of this? Toga wasn't exactly helping, still spitting curses only she could hear. A cacophony of vulgarities that existed solely in Izuku's head. To the three adults the room was so quiet one could hear a pin drop, but to Izuku it was like a constant explosion was going off. In all the chaos, Izuku resorted to the tried and true excuse Inko had created in her misunderstanding.

"He's my boyfriend!" Izuku blurted out, her cheeks burning red.

The embarrassment of that single statement was actually enough to break Toga out of her rage-filled tirade, the vestige blinking in surprise at the sudden declaration. She wasn't the only one, seeing as how the adults seemed rather taken aback at the news.

"Your boyfriend? Really?" Toga asked flatly before looking thoughtful. "No, wait. Go on. This might work!"

"Huh. Tell him that he makes some great notes." Midnight flipped the torn book to her own entry. "With some help and a few years, I bet he could actually make a living off these."

"R-really?" Izuku blushed. Nobody ever said anything good about her.

"I agree." Nighteye said, almost causing Izuku's jaw to drop in shock. Sir Nighteye himself was complimenting her work! "For someone of his age, this is most impressive. Does he know of your… alter ego?"

I am the alter ego.

"No." Izuku lied. "He doesn't know I'm Miracle. To him, I'm just a normal girl. But now that I'm here, I'll have no choice but to break up with him."

"Why is that?" Toshinori asked, confused.

Izuku resisted the urge to glare at him while Toga certainly didn't. Could he be any more crass?

"The whole 'secret identity being revealed' thing has pretty much just upended our relationship." Izuku said, faking bitterness. "No thanks to you guys. Just… leave him alone, okay? He doesn't know anything. Don't hurt him."

"As you wish. It's not like we intended to in the first place." Nighteye said, writing down something on his notepad. "We'll be asking him some questions, but we can guarantee that we won't do a thing to him."

Holding back the sigh of relief that threatened to escape from her lips was a monumental effort for Izuku. She instead lowered her head, barely even believing that she got away with that. Behind her Toga laughed, scarcely believing what just transpired as well. Their shared existence was built atop lies and one more was merely a drop in the ocean.

"Oh, honey." Midnight stood and made her way around the table, wrapping her into a hug. "I'm so sorry."

Izuku squeaked when she made contact, engulfed in the older woman's warmth and missing it when she parted. It was… nice. Hugging someone felt amazing, and it was as if all the tension was draining out of her.

"Quirkless?" Toshinori mused. "Huh…"

Then it came right back when she heard those words. Just as Izuku was about to ask him if there was a problem with that, the air shifted, causing her to flinch. There was something… off about this man. Izuku took a quick look at him with her True Sight and was stunned by what she saw. Despite his frail stature the man radiated power, a rainbow aura flaring around him.

Izuku took a closer look, fascinated. Above each person floated a blurred shape that Izuku soon realized was their Quirks, separated from the real world by a higher plane of existence. The entities sometimes rested upon their host, nuzzling against them. Angels on their shoulders.

Midnight's Quirk was in the vague shape of a quadruped animal, a pair of foxlike ears jutting out from its head. Nighteye's took the form of a bird, the creature occasionally spreading its wings. The shape of its head suggested that it was an owl.

But Toshinori… his was different. The man's Quirk consisted of eight orbs that orbited his head like planets around a sun, taking the form of a miniature galaxy that he wore as a crown. A halo of eight shimmering stars.

The sheer power that rolled off him made Izuku squint, its blinding radiance something she experienced only hours before. It was hard to describe, but she recognized its broadcast signature via her Quirkspeak. It was flaring outward, the familiar, overwhelming power barely contained within the unassuming vessel of the thin man before her. Izuku only encountered one person who was this powerful. This man, he was…

"All Might." Izuku realized, her heart skipping a beat.

Nighteye froze. Toshinori stiffened but leaned in closer. "Sorry, could you repeat that?"

She was only about 60% sure, but the men's reactions all but confirmed it. This thin, emaciated man who looked like he couldn't hurt a fly was All Might, the Number One Hero. His secret identity? Izuku felt the gears in her head grind to a halt before spinning furiously. It made sense… All Might was rarely seen in public in his civvies, and even to this day his Quirk and its effects were unknown. This could be why. He had some sort of transformation Quirk, just like her! The power to turn from a thin, unassuming man into a musclebound god.

"I, um, All Might." Izuku thought fast, coming up with an excuse. "Could you tell All Might I'm really sorry for punching him? Mr. Aizawa too. I'm sorry for trying to poke his eyes out. It was a heat-of-the-moment kind of thing."

"Of course, dear." Midnight said gently. "Frankly, we heroes owe you an apology as well."

That caught Izuku's attention, a burning flame of resentment igniting in her heart.

"Then why go after me that hard?" Izuku mumbled. "I was only trying to help."

"We know." Nighteye straightened his tie. "But vigilantism is a serious crime. You can't do these things, Miss Mikumo."

"I couldn't just stand there and do nothing while innocent people got hurt." Izuku tried explaining. "Sometimes the heroes don't make it in time. I didn't mean to hurt anybody."

"No one ever does." Toshinori said softly.

"It's not just that." Midnight said. "There was a standing order to bring you in, no matter what it takes."

"Kayama." Nighteye warned, a stern expression crossing his face.

"No, she deserves to know." Midnight proceeded anyway. "Mikumo-chan, the HPSC is desperate to capture you, even to the point of damaging the previous reputation that heroes have built up over the years. Please, this is important. Did you do anything to them?"

"The HPSC?" Toga repeated, scoffing. "Glow-in-the-dark MOTHERFU—"

"What?" Izuku said blankly. "No, never. Public Safety, right? I don't even know what they do."

"I see." Midnight paused. "Mikumo-chan, this is important. This… Magical Girl Quirk of yours. I know it may sound strange, but did someone give it to you?"

Both Toshinori and Nighteye visibly tensed at that, and Izuku knew she had to answer carefully.

Yes.

"No. I was born this way." Izuku lied, looking confused. "Give it to me? Like, giving me a Quirk? Is that even possible?"

The awkward silence that followed told her that it was. Even if the revelation stunned her, she didn't let it show on her face. Someone out there was capable of giving other people Quirks. Judging by their reactions, Izuku suspected they were a villain. It made sense now! This was why the HPSC was so focused on capturing her… they probably thought she was connected to the mysterious Quirk-granter. Somebody with an ability like that could fracture entire nations. People born with dual Quirks were always stronger than those with one. If this individual could grant someone an additional Quirk, they could create an army of super-beings. Maybe even some with three Quirks, though that was unheard of.

It made her curious. The power to give Quirks to others… Perhaps he knew of the Angels' true nature as Quirks? Or, he could be the one behind their invasion. Izuku had a new lead.

"Hmm." Toshinori nodded. "There is something that's been bugging me. Our records show that you sometimes show up before the local heroes when an Angel attacks. How do you find them? Our rapid-response teams would appreciate any method you have of knowing when an Angel appears."

"Oh, people have like a hashtag for that." Izuku answered.

"A what now?" Toshinori repeated, confused.

"A hashtag. It's like a… a thingy on Qwoter that everyone spams to make popular, which I then notice and head to the scene." Izuku explained. "As for other Angels that people haven't noticed, I'm drawn to them by nature."

"Hmm." Nighteye looked curious. "Drawn to them how?"

"It's like a pull, or like a voice in my head that tells me where they are."

"Fascinating." Nighteye said while Midnight and Toshinori exchanged worried glances. "Is this voice in the room with us right now?"

"You bet your ass I am, wagie!" Toga spat.

"Um." Izuku wasn't quite sure how to answer. "No?"

"Poweeerrr!" Toga pointed both hands at Nighteye, tiny sparks of gold lightning branching off her fingers. "UNLIMITED POOOWWWAAAAAAA!"

"I see. Just one last thing before we take a break." Nighteye cleared his throat. "Miss Mikumo, do you know what my Quirk is?"

"Ah. It's not publicly available knowledge but my b-boyfriend wrote some notes and speculated on it." Izuku mumbled up a storm. "You have some sort of ability to predict the future, a form of touch-based clairvoyance. Based on the records, it requires physical and eye contact between you and your target, and upon activation creates a simulated reality or something similar that you can observe possible futures in. That's the key word here; possible. They are mere possibilities that have not yet come to fruition, and as such are subject to change depending on various external factors. The very fact that operations involving you have failed at all means that it's not 100% foolproof. It's not 'future-sight', but more like a prediction of possible futures. I suppose it has some sort of limit as to how far you can simulate the future, or else you'd be able to stop crime before it happened…"

Izuku trailed off when she realized all three adults were stunned at the sudden influx of information, the girl blushing furiously and looking to the ground.

"That's surprisingly accurate." Nighteye said after a moment of silence passed. "Except for one, small detail. My vision of the future is always 100% accurate, no matter how many times I try to change the events I've foreseen. One cannot turn the tides of fate."

His eyes met Toshinori's, the two men speaking through a glance. The tall hero looked back to Izuku, stretching his hand outwards. Again, the sight of a hand reaching towards her made Izuku tremble for some unknown reason, but she suppressed the sudden spike of fear.

"May I see your future?" Nighteye requested. "It is of utmost importance if we are to prevent future Angel attacks."

Izuku looked wary, inching away from his hand as if it were a knife pointed at her.

"Will it hurt?" she asked, worried.

"Not one bit." Nighteye assured her. "You won't even notice it."

Izuku considered it before nodding slowly, putting out her own hand.

"Okay, here."

"Thank you." Nighteye said, placing his palm on hers and making eye contact. "This will only take a moment."

He blinked, pupils turning into eerie purple crosshairs.

[x]

Nighteye knew something was wrong the moment his Quirk activated.

The world of Foresight often took the form of spinning clock faces and rolling film reels. This time Nighteye stepped into an empty white void of absolute nothingness, the blank expanse stretching before him into infinity.

This never happened before in all years of his work as a hero. Nighteye was stunned, lost for words at the strangeness of it all. By making contact with someone he should have been able to see what transpired in the near future, not… this.

"What is this?" Nighteye wondered aloud.

"Shhhhh."

The hero froze before whirling around to find nothing there. Yet, he was certain he heard it. The voice of a young girl, dripping with venom.

"I'd be careful where I was sticking my nose If I were you."

There it was again. Nighteye looked around but found nothing again, the unknown voice seeming to echo from all directions. It was always at the corner of his eye, something rail-thin and blood-red.

"Where are you?" Nighteye demanded. "Show yourself!"

He soon got his wish. The being that eluded his sight flickered right in front of him for a split second, like a spliced image in a film reel. It was a horrifying creature made of muscle tissue and spiraling tendons but its head was a human girl's, blonde locks tied into two messy buns. The entity smiled with a mouth full of razor-sharp teeth before disappearing. Nighteye tensed when an invisible pressure clasped around his entire body like a pair of giant human hands, forcing him to look up.

Two slits opened up in the infinite white sky, turning to a pair of staring, golden eyes.

"Nighty-night, Nighteye."

[x]

Izuku wondered if it usually took this long. Nighteye had been staring at her for a whole minute now with his unblinking purple eyes, and it was honestly starting to creep her out.

"Nighteye, what's wrong?" Toshinori asked, visibly worried when he didn't respond. "Mirai?"

Nighteye said nothing. Everyone in the room jolted in alarm when a steady trickle of red emerged from his nose and the thin man collapsed onto the table with his eyes still wide open. Izuku recoiled, shocked and confused while Midnight and Toshinori immediately rushed forward.

"Mirai!" Toshinori exclaimed, turning to Izuku. "What did you—"

"I didn't do anything!" Izuku cried out, terrified. "W-what happened?"

Nighteye's limp body began to shake uncontrollably, prompting Midnight to unlock the door and call for help while Toshinori dragged him out.

"He's having a seizure! Get him to Recovery Girl, ASAP!"

The door slammed behind them, leaving poor, confused Izuku still in the interrogation room. She wondered what just happened, slowly sitting down and burying her face into her hands.

"Toga." Izuku whispered. "Why did you do that?!"

"I had to." Toga answered without the slightest bit of remorse. "His Quirk, it was… looking into us. If it continued to look, he would have seen your true form."

"You didn't have to knock him out!" Izuku spoke into her hand, hiding her conversation with the vestige.

"I didn't have a choice!" Toga shot back. "I could sense it. His Quirk, can, and will see you. Would you rather I let him do as he pleased, and reveal what you really are? I was protecting you! Protecting us!"

"I… Thank you, Toga." Izuku mumbled, deciding to trust in her. "But you went a little too far."

"He'll be fine. I think." Toga handwaved her concerns. "So what now?"

"We can't do anything but wait." Izuku said. "I think—"

She paused. Something was happening outside the room. It was barely discernible even with her super-hearing, but it seemed like a huge argument was happening outside the door. Before she knew it the heavy steel door opened again, and a single burning man stepped through.

Endeavor.

Izuku tensed at his mere presence, remembering their last encounter. He was so very tall, towering over her like a flaming monolith. The girl shrank timidly when he scrutinized her with a careful eye, eventually sitting down opposite her. Hound Dog entered the room soon after, furious at the intrusion.

"Sir, you can't just—"

"I can and I will. By the power vested in me as the Number Two Hero by the Hero Association, it is my duty to respond to any and all threats to our society." Endeavor growled, barely even giving the teacher a backwards glance. "Leave us, lapdog."

"You—"

"Before I do something that we'll both regret."

Hound Dog fumed but was forced to comply, the door closing with a click behind him. Endeavor turned back to Izuku, who swallowed her terror and tried to remain calm. She could feel the temperature of the room subtly rising, unsure of whether it was some sort of intimidation tactic.

"Don't be scared of him." Toga growled. "His flames are nothing compared to Mustard's."

Izuku steeled herself, letting Toga's words sink in. She was right. Mustard was a hundred times scarier than Endeavor. She could do this.

"Girl." Endeavor boomed. "Mikumo Akatani."

"That's me." Izuku said in a small voice.

"I'm offering you a deal." Endeavor continued. "The way I see it, you're in deep shit right now. The moment you leave U.A's grounds a metric ton of lawsuits are going to fall right on your head. People aren't just going to let this go."

"He's just trying to intimidate you." Toga hissed. "Don't listen to him, Izuku. We have more power in our pinky finger than he does in his entire body."

"I have the power to help you out of this situation." Endeavor rumbled. "With my money and connections, I will be able to provide you with the best lawyers money can buy. We'll be able to sweep each and every one of your crimes under the rug, and all will be forgiven before you even know it. You'll be able to put all of this behind you."

Izuku remained skeptical. She was naive, but she wasn't born yesterday.

"What's the catch?"

Endeavor pulled out his phone, tapping on it before flipping it over to show her the screen. On it was the picture of a teenager her age with two-toned hair that split right down the middle, the left side of his handsome face marred with a burn scar.

"This is my son, Shoto." Endeavor said.

"Um…" Izuku blinked. "Okay?"

"I'd like you to get together with him."

A full three seconds of silence passed before anyone spoke. It was Toga that broke the silence with a guffaw, holding a hand to her stomach and roaring with laughter soon after.

"Oh, this is rich!" Toga laughed. "Pretty boy can't get a date so he has to get his daddy to do it for him? How pathetic is that?"

"Oh, you want me to be friends with him?" Izuku said, completely oblivious and painfully innocent. "I can do that."

Toga laughed even harder.

"No, I…" Even Endeavor looked stumped for a second before refocusing. "I want you to marry him."

Izuku froze, Toga's raucous laughter ringing in her ears like a bell. The insanity of it all gave her pause until she found her wits.

"W-w-what? Me and him, together?" Izuku stammered, cheeks burning bright red. "But that would mean…"

"Yes. An Arranged Marriage." Endeavor stated.

"Well, well, well." Toga said. "What do we have here? A way out. Pretty-boy ain't too bad of a looker, either… But I was never one to take the free lunch. Never take the free lunch."

"But why?" Izuku asked, looking directly at Endeavor.

The man looked as if he was deciding whether to tell her the truth before ultimately doing so, revealing his intentions.

"To create something that surpasses All Might and beyond." Endeavor said softly. "For too long has All Might stood at the pinnacle of Hero Society. I made Shoto to carry on my legacy, chose a wife with a Quirk that paired with mine would create something to go beyond All Might. With a union between you and Shoto, we could create something that would not just be Japan's number one, but the world's."

He wasn't just talking about an Arranged Marriage, but a Quirk Marriage.

"There it is." Toga stopped laughing as Izuku's feelings of disgust and horror flowed across their shared mind. "There it fucking is."

"My dream was to go beyond All Might." Endeavor admitted. "With you and Shoto, we can go beyond that. You, girl, are a being of infinite potential. It would be a waste for you to end up with that Quirkless lout."

The words crept across Izuku's brain like a wave of frost, freezing her in place. Beside her Toga stiffened, twitching.

"What?" Izuku asked carefully.

"A waste. A child between you and your current, well, ex-boyfriend would be a complete waste of your genetic potential. Your Quirk is one of immeasurable power, so it's mind-boggling to even think of you ending up with someone Quirkless. The mere thought of your child becoming Quirkless when you've got such power is frankly, appalling." Endeavor continued unabashedly. "I assure you, Shoto has one of the most powerful Quirks in Japan. A child between the two of you would be…"

Izuku wasn't listening anymore, a new feeling crawling up her back and pressing against her temples like a tightening vicegrip. She saw red, barely even able to hold back the burning rage that thrummed within both her and Toga. The two girls unknowingly began to synchronize, united in their shared fury and disgust.

This was the Number Two Hero. A hero that people looked up to. If this was the standard of heroes in modern society… then she wanted no part of it.

"You're all so selfish." Izuku and Toga said together.

"What did you say?" Endeavor asked.

Izuku looked up at him, her anger having reached a boiling point before stilling to an absolute calm. A point between rage and serenity.

"Fuck this shit." Izuku said in two voices, both hers and Toga's. She pointed at the wall to her right casually. "Love-love beam."

Lighting erupted from her index finger in a torrent of green, blasting the reinforced wall open. Heavy Titanium-A panels peeled open like a banana, the force of the otherworldly lightning shearing the armored layers of the school away until it reached the outside world. The explosions threw Endeavor right on his ass, multiple alarms blaring throughout the entire school. Izuku stood slowly, gently pushing out the chair behind her. Multiple teachers barged into the room, faces etched with shock as they made the realization that she didn't have to change into her Magical Girl form to have access to her powers.

Izuku demonstrated just how outmatched they were by snapping off her heavy-duty cuffs as if it was a piece of frayed string.

"Mikumo-chan, stop!" Midnight cried out. "What are you—what did he…"

"You're making a mistake, girl." Endeavor said, getting up. "You're being too emotional. Just calm down, and stop being irrational—"

"Silence." Izuku ordered. Coiling ribbons of light surrounded her form and she was Miracle again, a miniature whirlwind of Glitter pushing the teachers back. "I've had enough. This was a waste of my time."

Aizawa stepped forward, only to be met with a look of betrayal from Miracle. Her heartbroken expression caused him to pause.

"Are you going to hurt me again, Mr. Aizawa?"

The teacher said clenched his teeth and said nothing, but he didn't activate his Quirk either. Izuku looked away sadly before addressing the others in the room.

"I'm sorry, Miss Midnight." Izuku sniffed, gesturing around at U.A. "But I don't belong here. I never did. And now, I don't want to be."

"Mikumo-chan, please." Midnight begged, holding out a head. "Calm down. I don't know what he said, but we can make it better. Let's just talk things out."

"I—"

"Shut it!" Midnight snapped before turning to Izuku again. "I'm begging you, Mikumo-chan. Don't do this. If you do, we can't guarantee you our protection anymore."

"What makes you think I need any protection?" Izuku said, Toga's voice slipping in for a moment. "I was doing just fine until the heroes ambushed me. With a dirty trick, too."

"It was for your own good!" Midnight tried. Behind her Toshinori tensed, but didn't transform into All Might for some reason.

"Who decided that?" Izuku asked. "The same people who shot at me?"

"It was either the heroes, or the military." Midnight said. "The higher-ups were convinced that you're just a kid who has no idea what she's doing. Don't prove them right."

"Yeah? Well I know this; everyone keeps trying to tell me what I can and can't do." Izuku said, hands curling into tight fists. "Nah. Imma do my own thing. In other words…"

Izuku floated into the air, preparing to make her exit. Just before she did she turned to face them one last time, tiny streaks of gold and emerald lightning branching atop her Glitter particles in a stunning lightshow.

"Screw you guys, I'm going home!" Izuku yelled.

She rocketed away through the breach in U.A, leaving the stunned faculty behind her. A contrail marked her flight path before a thunderous boom disrupted it, the Magical Girl going supersonic before U.A's auto-turrets could even register her. The sky was beginning to light up with crisscrossing lines of electricity, the heroes attempting to cage her again.

Izuku refused to be a caged bird. Not now, not ever. She wished to soar, and the slithering voice of her Quirk echoed within her mind.

"What is thy wish, o wielder mine?" Transform asked.

"I want wings." Izuku answered.

Dozens of eyes opened up between slits in reality and congregated on Izuku's back, forming a set of eerie, eldritch wings. They hurtled forward and shattered the lightning cage, defying conventional physics and seeming to carve at space itself. Izuku made her escape into the upper atmosphere, the wings fading away once they served their purpose.

A stunned silence fell over the group of adults back at U.A, most of them still in utter disbelief.

"That could have gone better, wan." Hound Dog said.

Midnight marched over to Endeavor, confronting a man almost twice her size. She was absolutely furious, shaking with anger at what she assumed was all his fault.

"What did you say to her?" she demanded. "What did you do?!"

"She overreacted."

"Overreacted?!"

"She's a teenager with too much power, so it was inevitable. I've seen something similar from Shoto." Endeavor shrugged off the blame, letting Midnight's anger roll off him like water off a duck's back. "The brat will be back soon enough when she gets tired of fooling around. Seen, not heard…"

Midnight had to physically hold herself back from slapping him. The absolute gall of this man, the shit he got away with just because he was the number two hero… it infuriated her. This wasn't fair. Now she had an inkling of how Mikumo felt.

"This is why I've always hated you, Enji." Midnight spat, venom in her voice. "You selfish, pompous ass."

"Think whatever you like." Endeavor grunted. "I was only offering her a way out of the mess she created."

"Here I was, thinking you'd change after climbing to the top." Midnight scowled. "You're still the same old, overcompensating bastard."

Endeavor simply ignored her stinging barbs and walked away, not giving a damn about what she thought.

All he cared about was power.

[x]

Izuku sat on the summit of Mt. Fuji, sulking.

She was currently building a small pyramid of rocks, biding her time and thinking of what to do. Even if Nighteye did promise that he wasn't going to hurt 'Midoriya Izuku' and by extension Inko, she was still a little afraid of going back home. Right, she also had to apologize to him after what Toga did.

The vestige went silent at her request earlier, taking a break and falling into slumber. Izuku sighed when her rock pyramid collapsed, restarting the building process all over again.

She would still respond to Angel appearances. That much she could do. Villain attacks on the other hand, might be best left for the heroes to deal with. Maybe? She honestly wasn't sure. If her intervention resulted in innocent people being saved, she was more than willing to help. The problem here was the heroes.

Izuku worked to be the ideal image of a hero she'd known since her youth, someone who saved others and protected people from danger. Whether it be an evil villain, a collapsing building, or a raging river, she would always lend a hand. That was just the kind of person she was.

Japanese society valued conformity, so anything out of the norm was seen to be wrong and unnatural. If so, didn't that already mean that Izuku was already an outcast? Then it didn't matter. She could just keep doing her own thing.

Then there was the knowledge that someone out there could give Quirks to others. She supposed such an individual would be invaluable to the HPSC and every nation, so it did explain their desperation if they really thought she was connected to him or her. Someone with the power to give others Quirks… it was way too similar to the incident on the bridge.

Maybe this person did have ties to her after all. But where would she even begin to look? Was he connected to the mysterious 'lab' Toga mentioned?

Izuku groaned, rubbing her temples. Being a Magical Girl was tough.

A gurgle caught her attention and Izuku looked up to find Pinky hovering above her, the blob of pink slime floating down into her arms.

"Oh!" Izuku exclaimed, delighted so see him. "Pinky!"

The Slime Angel let out another gurgle, nuzzling against her lovingly. Izuku hugged him back, rubbing her cheek against his soft, springy surface. Hugging others was nice. She made a mental note to do it more often.

"Sorry you had to fly all this way." Izuku mumbled sleepily. "Thank you for coming to see me."

Pinky said nothing, simply opting to let her hold him. Izuku lay down in the snow, holding the slime against her like a pillow.

"I'm just gonna… take a break." Izuku yawned, starting to doze off after the chaos of the entire day. "You're my only friend, Pinky…"

She soon fell asleep under the stars, still hugging her slimy pet. He hugged her back, comforting her in the only way he knew how. Together they slumbered, Izuku's stress temporarily forgotten as the slime munched away at her fears and worries.

Thousands of miles away a pink-skinned schoolgirl awoke with gasp, having dreamt of cuddling with a certain emerald Magical Girl. Ashido Mina stared down at her own hands before feeling around her face, stunned by an odd sense of disorientation.

"What. The. Fuck." Mina whispered.

[x]

Saiko Intelli scrolled through her phone, rather amused at all the chaos that was happening on the web. Only a day ago Magical Girl Miracle was captured, interrogated, and escaped from the heroes' clutches. To make things worse for the heroes, someone hacked into the Hero Association's servers and retrieved the interrogation footage, uploading it raw and uncut for all to see.

The resulting fallout was catastrophic. Though U.A staff was courteous and polite, the information that Miracle provided left all of Japanese society stunned. Her comment about Angels being children sparked what looked like the rise of a cult that worshiped them, calling them 'God's messengers', 'Cherubs', and 'Children of God'. Miracle herself was seen as a messianic figure, a prophet to usher in the coming of a new age.

Saiko snorted, wondering why anyone would even believe in that tripe. 'We can make a religion out of this!'. Of course, it was all grifters who were either after power or money. Mostly the latter. Either way, she watched many fools part ways with their money.

The fact that Miracle actually was a minor sent ripples throughout the community. Many still believed she was just a short woman cosplaying as a younger Magical Girl until they watched the interrogation footage, which made it clear that she was still a kid. Her innocence and naivety only added to the image of a 'Lamb of God'.

It was balanced by her supposed relationship with one Midoriya Izuku, a Quirkless boy of no renown. This little tidbit was what set social media on fire, and within mere minutes of the footage leaking the names 'Midoriya Izuku' and 'Mikumo Akatani' were trending worldwide. The fact that a girl with such a powerful Quirk was dating someone with no Quirk at all was seen to be taboo, and many found it abhorrent and unnatural. Some even claimed that Mikumo's 'sweet and pure' image was tainted by the fact that she had a boyfriend. The truth that he was Quirkless sent many reeling in shock, the comments sections filled with phrases like 'It should have been me' and 'what does he have that I don't'. People struggled to comprehend how a Quirkless nobody landed such a catch, even if he was supposedly unaware of Mikumo moonlighting as a Magical Girl. They called the poor girl a 'blood-traitor', a 'dud-lover', all sorts of horrendous names and slurs. As if being in a relationship with a Quirkless person was some sort of cardinal sin, like Quirkless people were inferior just because they didn't have a Quirk.

Surprisingly both Mikumo and Midoriya were ghosts on the net, having no social media presence at all. It confused everyone, since what kind of teenagers didn't have social media?

That was when the shitstorm intensified. It was revealed by Midoriya's schoolmates that he was bullied by his own class relentlessly due to his Quirkless status. Many came to his defense, claiming that they would have helped him if not for one reason or the other, bla bla bla. Saiko rolled her eyes. Clout chasers, all of them. The only silver lining was that his school, Aldera, was destroyed in Mustard's massacre.

A civil war soon erupted on social media, with some defending the two teens while others condemned them. Since Midoriya had no social media accounts the public directed their hate and jealousy at Quirkless support groups instead, vile insults and curses thrown at people who had nothing to do with the situation at all. Many others defended them, but hate always spoke louder than love. A myriad of discussions soon erupted across the internet about whether Quirkless people should be segregated into their own communities to avoid tainting the gene pool, whether they should even be called human, that they were less than human, all sorts of horrible Quirkist ideas coming out of the woodwork from people hiding behind their keyboards. The actual Quirkless suffered, now shunned even more because one of their kind dared to love someone 'above' them.

Saiko just watched it all burn, not in the least surprised by their awful behavior.

Then there was Endeavor. Saiko had literally said the words, 'why, you stupid bastard' out loud when she watched the footage. Why in the world did he think it was a good idea to arrange a goddamn Quirk Marriage between his son and Mikumo, Saiko would never know. Then he had the audacity to insult her boyfriend and all Quirkless people, right to her face. Saiko would applaud his audacity if it wasn't so comically Quirkist.

To no one's surprise, it pissed Miracle off. She proceeded to showcase one of her hidden abilities; that she didn't have to turn into a Magical Girl to use her powers. In other words, she could have escaped U.A any time she wanted.

Some people were enraged at Endeavor's actions and how they caused the loss of a potentially overpowered hero, while others decided to find humor in the absurdity. The memes were already out, with many making fun of Endeavor. Worse still, they made fun of his son. Poor Todoroki Shoto. He didn't deserve that.

However, Saiko did have to admit that the badly drawn meme of 'The Virgin Dual-Quirked Trust Fund Baby vs The Chad Quirkless Lad' was pretty fuckin' hilarious. She saved it to share with Mei later.

Finally, there was a conspiracy theory going around that Mikumo/Miracle was All Might's illegitimate love child. It was purely based on the fact that both Mikumo and All Might had blonde hair, which basically amounted to nothing. Still, it made Endeavor's actions look even worse. Rumors of his supposed manic obsession with All Might were spreading, and it was getting real ugly.

Saiko scrolled a bit more before deciding the fun was over. She had enough information to work with and if the data was accurate, sweet, pure Mikumo-chan was hiding a dirty little secret.

The agent picked up a photo of Midoriya Izuku, then compared it to two other photos of Mikumo Akatani and Miracle before putting them all in the same folder titled 'Weapon M'.

"I found you." Saiko smiled. "Magical Girl Miracle."


[Chapter 13 End]


Thank you for reading!

If this was a different kind of fic, we would have soap opera levels of drama between Shoto and Izuku lmao.

Next chapter: Saiko meets Izuku, and they discover the origins of 'Magical Girls' together. It's gonna be crazy.

Hope to see you in the next chapter!