I had this one in my computer for a long while and realized the perfect day to release it was...Friday the Thirteenth!

Then when I missed that I released it here! The second best day! Besides, it felt wrong not releasing more of this in October. Enjoy!

Izuku ran toward his house, with Erma following in the air. They were going to go to the park today, and Izuku already couldn't wait. His legs were only just now starting to burn, having run almost the entire way from his house to hers.

He couldn't believe how much faster he'd gotten since he started hanging out with her. In fact, he felt better in general these days. Like hanging with Erma made him healthier. Ironic, given how she killed flowers by holding them and gave off an aura of death and gloom.

Izuku remembered less than a year ago, when he'd tried to climb a tree with Kacchan and the others. They all climbed it easily. The dared him to follow them, prove he had what it took to be a Hero. But when he tried, he got scared. He went down after only three branches.

Kacchan meanwhile almost made it to the top. He wasn't afraid of everything. From his perch, he dismissed Izuku as a coward.

They arrived. Izuku waited as Erma went inside.

Erma went inside, apparently to get some big surprise. Izuku sat outside, wondering what it could be. Izuku idly noted a harmless garden snake next to him. Odd, not long ago he'd at least have been startled.

Could it be a new All Might toy? Maybe a Warrior Unicorn Princess doll, she loves those? Maybe a Gang Orca. Izuku kicked a rock. He felt something in his shoe and took it off, shaking a small pebble out. Must have gotten it in there at recess. Now that he thought of it, maybe it was a horror-

"Hello little boy. Would you like to play with me?"

Izuku looked up. A strange marionette doll stood in front of him. Izuku looked from side to side, but couldn't see anyone controlling it. He felt slightly unnerved. What was that doing here?

The marionnette stepped forward, wobbling as its weak legs struggled to support it. "Come play with me," the doll said in a raspy voice, "We can play every day. Forever. And ever. Doesn't that sound fun?"

Izuku almost answered, but thought better of it. In fact, it would probably be a good idea to leave. In the back of his mind, he considered that before meeting Erma, he'd definitely have screamed by now.

Hold on, what was he thinking? This must be Erma! Somewhere around the corner, she was puppeting the thing with her powers as some sort of funny prank. Izuku looked around, trying to spot her.

"What are you doing? Aren't you going to answer me?" the puppet said.

Maybe she was using magic instead of telekinesis? It would explain the voice. Then again, Erma might be very good at imitating others. Izuku never asked.

"Well?!"

Grass shuffled behind Izuku. Her turned around as Erma stepped through the gate, her hands behind her back.

"Hey Erma, cool trick!"

Erma raised her visible eyebrow, pulling out the Gang Orca figure she had behind her back.

"But wait," Izuku said. "If you have that, then who's-"

He pointed at the puppet. Erma's visible eye trailed after. The moment its gaze met the puppet's, the temperature dropped several degrees.

The puppet hissed. "You…" It took a wobbly step toward her. "You! I've been-Wait!"

Erma telekinetically yanked the puppet into the air slammed it into the ground. Repeatedly. "Wait! Wait! It's me!" the puppet said after hitting the ground once again. "He stole my body!"

Erma paused, dropping him. She pointed at Izuku.

"Huh?" Izuku glanced at the puppet, then at her intense gaze.

"Quick! Subdue him! Hurry!"

Erma pointed again, this time more emphatically. Izuku realized what she was asking for. "We met when I left my All Might figure in the park. It was raining, and you came through the TV."

Erma sighed with relief. She turned back to the puppet. However, while she was distracted, the puppet sprang to its feet and lunged for her. "Give me your-"

"Erma!" Izuku threw his shoe at the puppet, hitting it in the side of the head. Its hateful gaze turned to Izuku just as Erma's hair lashed out like a cobra, enveloping the puppet.

The puppet struggled against Erma's hair as it wound tighter and tighter. It was hopeless. "N-now, can't we talk about thi-"

Erma whistled. Her dog Siris came bounding out. Erma pointed at the puppet, then pointed at the ground.

Sirius happily barked then started to dig. And dig. And dig. And dig. Izuku leaned over the edge of the pit. He couldn't see the bottom. Izuku glanced at Erma, who was glaring at the puppet with glowing white eyes. Slowly, her mouth stretched into a fanged grin. Izuku glanced back at the hole, just in time to see a tiny glow at the bottom.

What was-

Izuku hopped back as a wave of heat came up, followed shortly by what sounded an awful lot like the tortured screams of the damned. Sirius came back out and sat in front of Erma. She gave her dog a treat for the trick of having evidently dug straight to Hell.

"No!" The puppet wailed. "You can't send me back there! You can't-"

Erma threw the puppet into the hole. The puppet's screams joined the chorus of others, continuing until Siris dug the dirt back into the hole, covering it up completely. Erma clapped her hands together like she was wiping dust from them. Her attitude was clear. Good riddance.

Izuku slowly tapped the mound of dirt where the hole had been. He nervously glanced at Erma, wondering if he should be worried that he felt only slightly unnerved after witnessing that. Erma must've had a good reason. One that Izuku did not need to know.

Erma placed a hand on his shoulder. She pointed to Izuku with a concerned expression.

"How am I?" Izuku said.

She nodded.

"I'm fine. You?"

She gave him a thumb's up.

"Cool Gang Orca figure," Izuku said. "You wanna go to the park to play with it?"

Erma nodded. Izuku put his shoe back on, then joined her in walking to the park. They didn't rush, but they didn't need to. "You alright?" Izuku said.

Erma looked surprised. She smiled and nodded.

Izuku returned her smile. That was all he'd needed to know.

Izuku and Erma uncovered the rock. "Huh, bugs."

Erma got in close, lifting the bug with her telekinesis to examine it. The thing was hideous, hairy, with twisted legs and cruel mandibles. In other words, the kind of thing Erma loved.

She smiled as she turned it over with her telekinesis, watching it like it was an adorable hamster. She set her bug down and stretched. Izuku got to his feet. He slipped and nearly fell, but he caught himself on the nearest tree. Looking up, he realized he recognized it. It was the tree Kacchan had called him a coward from.

Izuku wondered. Erma could fly, but could he…

Izuku jumped up to the first branch and pulled. He made it halfway before dropping. He jumped up and pulled again. Same result. He wasn't strong enough to pull himself up. At least, not the usual way.

Erma offered her hand, but Izuku refused it. He wanted to do this himself. Looking between the branch and trunk, and idea occurred. Izuku grabbed the branch, then planted his feet on the trunk. He walked up the trunk until he could hook his leg around the branch. Izuku then used his other leg to push himself up, finally getting atop the branch. Success!

Izuku reached over and grabbed the next branch, pulling himself higher. His feet found another branch, then another, and another. He smiled as he began climbing more easily. He was doing it!

As he got higher, the branches started to thin. Izuku moved more slowly, but he didn't want to stop. Not yet. As his foot fell on the next branch, it snapped. Izuku's grip on the branches in his hands tightened into a death grip. For a moment, his gaze flicked downwards. He was so high!

Izuku turned back to the tree, trying to balance his dangling foot on something. Finally, it rested on a thicker branch. He sighed with relief. This was getting dangerous. Izuku put his hand close to the trunk, where it was stronger. He then planed one foot on the trunk and propelled himself upward, letting his hand move higher.

The top grew closer and closer. Izuku's heart raced in equal parts nervousness and exhilaration. However, as he began to move, he felt his grip wobble. Izuku refastened his grip and realized he'd gone as far as he could.

Finally, he let himself look down. He couldn't help but smile at how high he was. He was higher than Kacchan had ever been. He'd done it. He'd actually done it. Last time, he got scared and gave up before any of the others. But now? He'd conquered his fear.

Izuku's footing almost slipped again, but he quickly regained it. However, as he readjusted his footing, he saw that he wasn't alone. Erma floated up next to Izuku, her hands extended as if ready to catch him.

"Were you following me up?"

She nodded.

"You didn't help me did you?"

She shook her head.

Izuku smiled at that. Erma held out her hand, offering to take him down. Izuku shook his head. Instead, he began climbing down, determined to finish what he'd started. That said, he felt better knowing she was there to catch him if he fell.

Hope you enjoyed! Reviews make me smile!

PS I drew art of this AU (not canon to it, but still) on my tumblr. Here it is www. / gojifan97 /731086104899485696/ heres-another-one-of-jack-might-playing-with ?source= share

Wittle Wallace: You're not still mad are you?

Erma: *has Siris dig a hole to Hell*

Wittle Wallace: Yep, she's still mad.