[Chapter 6]
It was a normal night in Kurado City.
At least, it was supposed to be until a shrill alarm resounded from a nearby storefront. Curious civilians turned towards the source of the commotion, only to flee in panic when the store's display exploded outward in a shower of glass. A heavy steel table came flying, smashing into a nearby parked van and flipping it end-over-end.
Three people sprinted out of the wrecked shop, their outfits and demeanor all but screaming the word 'villain' to anyone watching. They were clad in red and black, pearl necklaces and gold chains hanging from their arms. Small bags were slung across their backs, overflowing with precious stones and documents.
"Thieves!" a panicked, desperate scream echoed from within the shop. "Villains! Scoundrels!"
"Dammit T, you just wrecked our escape vehicle!" one of the villains howled. "Fan-fucking-tastic!"
"Who cares, we got the goods! Press forward!" another yelled, clad in power armor.
The midday crowd parted before the villains, running for their lives as the trio thundered down main street. A police car hurtled right at them, sirens blaring.
"F, you're up!" the lead villain ordered.
Dull yellow light flashed between the palms of the smallest of the three villains, the woman bringing her hands down onto the road. A rippling shockwave erupted from the point of contact, surging forward like a wave until it hit the police car with a thunderous crash. It flipped onto its side, the screech of metal against asphalt filling the air.
"Hahaha! We're invincible!" The lead villain raised his fist in triumph. "Nothing can stop us…"
Magical Girls Miracle and Mustard descended from the skies and hovered right in front of them, hands on their hips.
"Shit." one of the villains said.
"Fuck." another echoed.
"Ah, hello there!" Miracle smiled and gave them a friendly wave. "I don't think those belong to you. Mind giving them back?"
"Hell no." The lead villain raised his palm and shot her with a bolt of blue light.
Izuku, as Miracle, simply raised her hand and batted the deadly attack away as if it were an errant child's ball. The speeding energy bolt crashed into the wall of a nearby building, cracking the concrete. All three villains took a step backward in alarm, clearly not expecting her to shrug the attack off that easily.
"Well now you've done it. You guys just won!" Mustard grinned.
"W-Won what?"
"A one way ticket," The girl's gloved hands came together, cracking her knuckles. "On the ass-whooping express."
Both Magical Girls descended upon them like a pair of vultures and chaos ensued.
Izuku bobbed and weaved, slipping between energy blasts and shockwaves. Once she closed in it was all over for them, her high-heeled kick slicing through the air in a crescent arc and into the lead villain's temple. The man's visor shattered into a thousand pieces and he hit the ground hard, out cold from the impact. A vicious backspin elbow was enough to disorient her next opponent with a single hit, sending the female villain stumbling like a punch-drunk boxer.
The villainess launched a few more shockwaves, each containing enough kinetic force to crumple a car. They bounced off Izuku's guard when she advanced calmly, unphased. By the time the villain recovered from her shock she was in point-blank range, the Magical Girl swinging her into the ground in a flawless judo throw.
Two down. Mustard was dealing with the last villain, playing with her opponent like a cat toying with its prey. The enraged villain was hurling incandescent orbs that detonated into fireballs only seconds after leaving his armored hands, but Mustard was neutralizing the projectiles by encasing them in swirling bubbles of her plasma.
"Damn you, witch!" he roared, sending a swarm of tiny orange spheres at her.
Mustard responded by charging through the cluster bombs and stomping a dainty foot onto the ground. A wave of plasma manifested from the impact and tossed the man upward, heavy power armor and all. She closed the gap in the blink of an eye and winked, slugging him on the chin with an uppercut. Glowing fingers dug into the villain's armor and she peeled it apart like an orange before tearing him out, hauling the terrified man into the air. A purple conflagration ignited atop her free hand.
"Mustard!" Izuku said quickly. "He's had enough."
Matsuda, as Mustard, frowned but obliged, tossing her opponent aside unceremoniously. The defeated villain smacked into a wall face-first and slid down its length, knocked unconscious.
It was over, just like that. Civilians began peeking out from behind corners and parked cars, rising to their feet and cheering once they realized the threat of villainy was gone. The pair of Magical Girls made a polite bow to the gathered crowd before flying off into the horizon, the shrill wail of police sirens already approaching. They could handle the stolen goods and downed villains.
A sleepy-looking man put down his binoculars, having witnessed the entire exchange from a nearby rooftop. Strained eyes narrowed behind a pair of yellow goggles.
[x]
Izuku relaxed atop her bed, scrolling through the news app on her phone. It was a Saturday afternoon, but Inko was still working. So far things were pretty quiet, and Izuku guessed that it was for the best. In the five days since the Jellyfish Angel's appearance the girls stopped three villain attacks, rescued two cats stuck in trees, and helped one old lady cross the road. The heroes hated them for it, but at least the civilians they helped seemed pretty grateful.
It was pretty clear by now that they were on the Hero Association's bad side. There were even rumors on the internet that she and Mustard had a 'shoot on sight' order tagged to them.
Maybe the heroes were just doing their jobs, she thought. Still, it'd be nice if they didn't escalate that much and engage every Angel they encountered with extreme force. Now that she thought about it, that was the standard procedure for dealing with villains too. She witnessed it countless times before, just like when Mt. Lady first debuted. The modus operandi of nearly all heroes was to shoot first and ask questions later, with the official explanation being to prioritize the safety of any nearby civilians and infrastructure. When an unexpected variable like the Angels showed up, they had no backup plan or procedures.
Small hands gripped the smartphone tightly. With the exception of All Might, the heroes she'd met so far were more focused on eliminating threats rather than helping people. Was that what they were taught in Hero Schools? If she didn't know any better, she'd think that heroes were more concerned about public relations than actually helping people. She hoped the top 100 heroes had a little more pride in their work.
A small chime from her phone drew the girl out of her thoughts.
Matsuda-san: **Yo**
Matsuda-san: **Wanna hang out? I wanna go to a cat cafe for lunch**
Izuku sat up, fiddling with the small device. Texting someone was a novel experience, considering she'd never actually done it before.
You: **Oh, today?**
You: **Sure, why not.**
You: **When are you free later?**
Izuku sent the text and waited nervously, wondering if she was doing it right. Was this how people texted one another? Long, painful seconds passed, and Izuku began to worry until her friend sent her a time and location. She let out a sigh of relief, not even realizing she'd been holding her breath. Matsuda was her first friend in years, so she was glad they were getting along.
The schoolgirl stretched with a lazy yawn and flipped off the bed with the grace of an acrobat, rummaging through her wardrobe for an outfit. Thankfully she was somehow allowed to keep her clothes in her male form's room, and Inko had given her the spare room in the house to prevent a boy and a girl sleeping together. Izuku didn't know how she still got away with tricking the older woman into thinking Mikumo Akatani and Midoriya Izuku were two different people, especially when they were never seen in the same place together.
Well, her situation was weird. Izuku refocused and began looking through the clothes again, eventually picking a cute blouse paired with a simple pair of denim shorts. It wasn't easy being a girl now that she actually was one, having to keep all sorts of things in mind just for a simple outing. As a boy he could just put on a decent outfit and head out, just like that. As a girl, she had to manage her color coordination, her hair, her accessories. That's what the internet told her.
Izuku huffed. At least she didn't have to put on makeup; it looked way too complicated and time-consuming. Since she was trying to make sure her male self was as masculine as possible, she reasoned that her female self should be as feminine as possible to match. It was quite the eye-opening experience when a quick search on the web made her realize that she was already a tad too feminine as a boy.
In Izuku's mind a girl should be sweet, kind, and empathetic. It didn't take long for her to realize those were the traits she already liked. In other words, she just behaved like what the boy version of her would find ideal. Honestly, there wasn't much she had to change. Strangely enough it didn't feel that weird since she thought of herself as a boy while in her male form, and a girl while in her female one. Her unique perspective due to having two bodies allowed for some interesting revelations.
The girl glanced at herself in the mirror, changing into the outfit and making sure it fit her nicely. As embarrassing as it was to admit, she was getting used to being a girl. She could finally open her eyes while bathing and take care of herself properly, though she still blushed quite a bit at the sight of a female form. Baby steps, she supposed.
It also turned out that girls had to be much more careful when it came to taking care of their bodies, especially their skin and hair. A girl's skin felt really, really different compared to a boy's.
Izuku took her time walking to the meeting spot, humming to herself cheerily while music played in her special limited-edition All Might earbuds. Her carefree demeanor soon ended when she realized people were looking at her. Throughout the journey Izuku felt multiple eyes tracking her every move, the introverted girl shrinking into herself more with every passing minute. Why was everyone looking? Izuku did a quick check on herself but found nothing wrong with her outfit, still confused and not used to the newfound attention. Ultimately she decided to make herself as small and inconspicuous as possible, keeping her head down until she reached the cafe.
Just as Izuku predicted, her friend Matsuda showed up five minutes earlier than their agreed meeting time. The brunette was dressed in a t-shirt paired with a jacket and a pleated skirt, the darker colors giving her a tomboyish appearance in contrast to Izuku's pastel outfit. The words 'Deep Dope' were stenciled across her chest, representing her favorite rocker band.
"Sup, Midoriya-san. Or is it Mikumo-san?" she smiled and waved. "Either way, you look great!"
"Hello. Oh, you can call me whatever you'd like." Izuku waved back shyly. "Um, thanks. You look nice too."
The girls made their way inside, peering around at the many cats lazing around the cafe. After placing their orders some of the felines came up to them, Izuku letting out a small squeak when a large, gray tabby cat rubbed against her bare leg.
"A-Ah! Hello, kitty…" she mumbled, surprised. Turning to Matsuda, she could see the other girl was already busy playing with another cat in her lap. "Wow, they really like you!"
"Nah, they're just hungry." Matsuda wiggled a treat in front of the cats gathered at their table. "Heh. I always wanted to go to one of these."
"Why didn't you just do it then? I've come alone before."
"Well, it's, y'know." The brunette's expression twisted into a small frown before she sighed. "It's not manly. I mean, look around us."
Izuku did. Sure enough, the cafe's clientele consisted of mostly women, with the only two men seeming to be on a date with their girlfriends. Still, Izuku knew exactly what the other girl was referring to. She herself had been mocked and bullied countless times for being too soft when she was boy-Izuku, no stranger to the many derogatory slurs that were hurled at guys seen as too effeminate for society's standards.
"It's just the way it is." Matsuda continued, a hint of bitterness in her voice. "All the things I liked weren't very manly, so now that I'm a girl I'm gonna enjoy it to the fullest. To be honest, I hated this power when I first got it. It was like fate was laughing in my face."
"What do you mean?" Izuku raised an eyebrow.
"When you think of power, what's the first image that pops into your head?"
"All Might." Izuku answered reflexively.
"Exactly! I wanted to be someone like that. A big, tall, buff dude that no one would think of messing with. But that'll never happen." Matsuda laughed. "Instead, I got all the power but none of the intimidation factor. Ironic."
"I think you're pretty intimidating." Izuku mumbled. "I'm the one who looks vulnerable. People kept looking at me while I was on my way here. Do I really look like an easy target or something?"
Matsuda paused, giving her a quick once-over before chuckling and shaking her head.
"Nah, girl. They were looking at you cuz' you're mad cute."
"O-Oh." Izuku stammered, quickly looking to change the topic. "Hey, I think your cat is trying to escape."
Sure enough, the orange feline in Matsuda's grip was wriggling around, allowing itself to be cuddled one last time before it leapt off her lap and rejoined its peers. Both girls giggled and watched the cats play, eventually turning their attention to the drinks when they arrived. Izuku smiled as they enjoyed their coffee. It tasted absolutely amazing, the experience only made better with the added presence of a friend.
Having friends is awesome, Izuku decided.
"I know, right?" Matsuda agreed, Izuku blushing when she realized she'd accidentally muttered her thoughts out loud. "It's hard to live in this world. What I want is a world that's easy to live in."
"A world full of things only you like?" Izuku asked, the words strangely familiar.
"Exactly! Man, you and I are the same, you feel me?" Matsuda nodded. "Well, maybe not exactly the same since you wanna be a hero."
"You don't?" Izuku blinked. Nowadays it was the dream of nearly every kid to be a hero.
"Nah. I wanted to be a designer. A fashion designer, if we're getting specific." Matsuda said. "My dad… didn't like that. I was always more inclined towards the arts, and I guessed he thought that made me soft."
Izuku was silent, allowing her to vent. She knew what it was like to be a disappointment, a failure. The crushing dread and despair that wrung her mind like a vice grip, combined with thoughts at the back of her head that told her how much of a loser she was compared to her peers. On bad days, she could even hear Bakugo's laughter.
"I loved to draw as a kid. When my dad found out, he got rid of all my sketches and notebooks, tore them right up." The brunette sulked. "Said they were a waste of time and that I should be training to be a hero instead. I guess the joke turned out to be on the both of us since I never amounted to anything. You've seen my male form, and it can barely even be called that. I'm happier as a girl, because at least then I don't have to feel like I'm useless."
You're just a useless, worthless Deku!
The words cut into her thoughts like a thousand tiny knives. All the hurtful things that everyone had ever said about Izuku flashed atop the surface of her mind for a single, infinitesimal moment before she quickly forced it down, grimacing.
"Hey, don't say that." Izuku mumbled. "You've been helping people with me, Matsuda-san. Without you, we would never have managed to defeat some of those Angels. I'm sure many people see you as a hero now!"
"But I don't wanna be a hero. I don't wanna ever be like him."
It didn't take a genius to know what the other girl was talking about. Izuku hardly even remembered her own father, but she was willing to bet he was leagues better than the man Matsuda was talking about. For a parent to crush their child's dream like that…
"Fuck heroes." Matsuda continued, voice low and angry. "To me, they're people who hurt their own families just to maintain their egos. They pretend to be guardians of society, but anything that doesn't fit in their perfect little picture gets swept under the rug or tossed into the trash. They're rotten to the core, a bunch of maggot-infested apples. We've both seen it when we're Mahou Shoujo."
"I understand where you're coming from, but I think you're generalizing as well. Not all heroes are like that. I mean, look at All Might." Izuku countered.
"One perfect apple among an orchard of rotten trees. Someone's got to clean it up." Matsuda sipped her beverage, then winced and brought a hand to her temple. "God, my head is killing me."
Izuku was quiet. For a moment she wanted to ask what she meant by that last part, but concern took over and she instead called for a glass of ice water to be delivered to their table. The brunette took a grateful sip, simply nodding in thanks.
"You alright?"
"Yeah, much better. Sorry, I get worked up really easily." Matsuda admitted. "Haven't had a headache like that since I failed math class."
"Oh, maybe I could help with that?" Izuku offered. "The math, I mean."
"Um, sure? Now that I think of it…"
As lame as it was, the rest of their lunchtime was spent helping Matsuda with her homework. Despite the bullying Izuku was a straight-A student, so she was able to help with many of the academic problems the other girl faced. Thankfully, the change in topic helped Matsuda cool off, and so did the cats. Izuku knew what it was like to feel helpless and angry, lashing out at an unfair world. Nobody had helped her back then, so she was determined not to let someone else feel that pain and loneliness.
Soon it was time for them to part ways, the two teens making their way back home after a friendly goodbye hug. Izuku briefly contemplated flying home after watching Matsuda do so but ultimately decided against it, even if she didn't have to shift into her Magical Girl form to do so.
The sun was beginning to set, Musutafu City's nightlife coming to the surface like mushrooms after rain. Izuku reasoned they must have spent longer time talking than she thought, idly taking in the surrounding lights and the chattering crowd.
Then she felt it, the strange sensation pulling in her head. Izuku's eyes widened and her gaze snapped towards a dark alley, her attention drawn to something lurking within. It was an unmistakable feeling of beckoning, pulling her closer and closer.
An Angel.
Here? Izuku looked around, frowning. From the looks of things, nobody had noticed it yet. The crowd was still going about their usual business, blissfully unaware of the danger that lurked only meters away from them. The girl's hand hovered over her pocket, about to call her fellow Magical Girl for backup before deciding against it.
This was an opportunity. Nobody had noticed it yet, and no heroes were on the way. She finally had a chance to properly communicate with one of the strange creatures they'd been fighting thus far.
Izuku took a deep breath to steel herself and stepped into the alley.
Her enhanced senses acclimated to the surroundings immediately, her vision adjusting to the low light levels while her hearing began to pick up the scampering of mice on the ground. The tiny rodents were fleeing, leaping into drains to escape something deeper within the alley.
Izuku gulped but continued to move forward anyway. It was definitely an Angel. A cacophony of scratching and skittering reached her ears and she soon realized there were dozens of rats headed her way, but before she could even get into a defensive stance they flowed around her like a river around a rock.
The rats ignored her, seemingly terrified of the Angel. Venturing deeper within, Izuku soon realized the cause for their fear.
Even in the darkness of the alley the otherworldly creature was easily visible, its amorphous body colored in an odd, vibrant shade of pink. It took Izuku a few seconds to understand what she was looking at, the creature a gigantic mass of translucent, viscous liquid that towered over her small form.
It turned to face her, and she gasped.
This Angel was what could only be described as a slime, a large pink shoggoth that wobbled and shook with every movement like an oversized bowl of jelly. Thrashing within its liquid body were a bunch of rats, and Izuku watched in horror as the slime reached into the drains and pipes to pull out even more. It shoved them into itself, the poor rodents struggling and squeaking in vain as they were absorbed into its pinkish mass. It was… drowning them in itself. Toying with the creatures and making them panic.
Despite knowing they were filthy vermin Izuku couldn't help but feel sorry for the rats. Memories of the Sludge Villain came rushing back, the painful sensation of drowning on land still fresh in her mind. She immediately made herself known by clearing her throat, announcing her presence.
"Hey, you!" she yelled. "Let them go!"
Beady black eyes turned to Izuku's direction and focused on her. The Slime Angel rumbled and shook its body, performing a threat display like an animal protecting its territory.
Who are you to tell me what to do , it seemed to ask.
"I said," Izuku put her hands on her hips, puffing her chest out. "Let. Them. Go."
She matched the creature's gaze, daring it to defy her. Both of them knew who was the stronger out of the two and Izuku reasoned that if all the Angels she encountered so far thought like animals, this one did too. To her excitement the Slime Angel broke eye contact first, establishing her as the dominant one. It slowly began releasing the rats from its body, and Izuku could have sworn she saw it sulking like a petulant child while they scurried away.
In the end, the creature was robbed of its playthings… or meals. It turned to Izuku again, clear annoyance rippling off its gelatinous form.
"Now then." Izuku smiled, standing a little straighter. "Let's talk, Mr. Angel."
[x]
Mei's fingers drummed along the steering wheel, her eyes squinting at the empty road below.
In the passenger seat was her friend and fellow Praetorian Saiko, the blonde girl idly playing with a butterfly knife while waiting for their intended target to arrive. The two of them were in Mei's car which was positioned atop a hill overlooking a long, winding one-way road, and it would have been a somewhat romantic scene straight out of the movies if not for the sniper rifle in Mei's grip and the tactical load bearing vests they both wore.
Click-click, click-click, went Saiko's knife.
"Would you stop that? I'm trying to think." Mei grumbled.
"About what? The mission's simple. Point and shoot." Saiko said. "Just make sure you don't hit the merchandise. Remember, the third vehicle."
"Easier said than done." Mei grunted. "So we just capture the HVT and the merchandise, and your contact will get you access to the archives?"
"That's what he promised. He wants the merch undamaged, though. Didn't say a thing about the others so I'll consider them collateral damage. Don't miss."
"I never miss. What's got you so worked up about those Magical Girls anyway? To go this far for them ain't exactly your usual M.O."
"It's not just because I don't want anyone else to go through what we did, Hatsume-san." Saiko said wistfully, the knife in her hand flipping end-over-end. "Let's just say it's a personal interest. I'll share the details with you once I get them."
"Fuck you, pay me instead." Mei shot back with a wry grin, no real heat in her words. "Can't believe I'm doing this job for free, you know how expensive these bullets are?"
"Let's hope they're worth the money, then. We've got company." Saiko said.
A series of lights crested over the road, revealing a convoy of black SUVs. Both girls stepped out of the car. Mei flipped out her rifle's bipod and got into position while Saiko monitored the convoy with a pair of binoculars, watching as they slowly made their way into the kill-zone. The blonde checked her watch and phone, nodding to herself a moment later.
"How's our asset?" Mei asked, adjusting the weapon's scope.
"Ready to deploy at a moment's notice." Saiko told her. "Fire when ready."
"Right. Here we go…"
Mei took a deep breath and steadied her aim. Mei's custom weapon charged up with an electrical whine, the coilgun taking a moment to power up before splitting the silent night with a deafening crack when she pulled the trigger. A magnetically accelerated .50 BMG round was sent screaming through the air and into the engine block of the lead vehicle in the convoy. The vehicle screeched to a halt, disabled from the shot.
"Hit." Saiko said calmly. "Next."
A second crack echoed atop the hill. The rear vehicle was hit this time, a flash of light blooming under its hood when the engine exploded.
"Good hit." Saiko whispered, patting her partner on the back. "Let's roll."
The column was effectively halted, now dead in the water on the narrow road. It didn't take long for the occupants to spill out, waving their weapons and firing wildly into the night in retaliation. Mei and Saiko let them waste their ammo for a while before deciding to move in, activating their jetpacks and gliding across the treetops. Saiko reached for the radio atop her right shoulder and tuned in to a specific frequency while high-tech goggles clicked into place over their eyes.
"Agent Nomu, move in." she said.
"You heard the lady!" Mei yelled. "Tojo, Fuckface, get 'em!"
Two massive, gray shapes sprinted through the forest beneath them, making a beeline towards the stranded, panicking convoy. They were faster than both Saiko and Mei, meant to soften up their targets before the pair could arrive. A shock and awe tactic.
In the end, it was mostly shock. The two lumbering Agent Nomus burst out of the treeline like rabid dogs, jumping into the fray and smashing anyone who got in their way. These brutes were captured during a HPSC raid, then fitted with special neural interfaces Mei designed and reprogrammed to serve them.
One shoulder-charged into the convoy and flipped the vehicle over, causing the occupants to scream in terror. The other landed feet first on another SUV's roof, crushing it and everyone within in a shower of blood and shattered glass. Only the third vehicle containing the merchandise was left untouched, just as planned.
The two Nomus were little more than flesh golems, but they served Saiko and Mei's needs just fine. They were there to soak up most of the damage and sow chaos in the enemy ranks, and they were doing a fantastic job at the moment. Screams of fear cut through the night as the beasts rip and tore, shrugging off Quirk effects and bullets.
When Saiko and Mei landed it was into a scene of pure carnage, the Nomus leaving twisted and mangled bodies in their wake. Annoyingly, the defenders had rallied around the third and central vehicle and were desperately trying to protect it.
Saiko and Mei opened fire, bounding from cover to cover while using the Nomus to flush them out. The masked defenders fired back, but their semi-auto pistols paled in comparison to the submachine guns the two girls wielded. It didn't help that they like to hold their guns sideways like the gangsters they were, missing most of their shots. Their ranks began thinning rapidly once Saiko started closing in with her knives, Mei supporting her from range.
"Covering fire!" Mei yelled over the chaos. "Babies, move in!"
To both girls' surprise one of their Nomus exploded into bloody chunks only a moment after advancing, its killer standing amongst a puddle of blood and flesh that'd once been a wall of muscle. He was a thin man in a bird mask, glaring at them as he reached for the ground with all five fingers.
"That's our HVT. Overhaul sighted." Saiko confirmed.
"And he just killed Tojo!" Mei complained. "Dammit, I worked hard on him!"
Overhaul's fingers touched the asphalt. Matter warped at his touch, the road transforming into a surging rampart of spikes that headed straight for them. Saiko and Mei dodged upwards with their jetpacks but their remaining Nomu got caught in the wave, multiple spikes tearing through its muscular body and holding it in place.
Saiko hurled a handful of knives at the man while Mei fired off a burst. They bounced off a makeshift shield that the man created, but it was a mere distraction as they started closing in and flanking from opposite directions.
"Insolent brats!" Overhaul shrieked, fury in his eyes. "Who sent you?!"
"Boss, they're—agh!"
One of his lieutenants, Chronostasis, made the mistake of peeking out from his cover at the wrong moment. Mei's aim was straight and true, the girl sending a round right through the masked man's right shoulder. Overhaul roared and hit the ground, manifesting a forest of spiked tentacles that raced towards the pink Praetorian.
Mei grinned and held her mechanical arm out, a hexagonal pink energy shield blooming to life before her. Overhaul's attacks bounced off the barrier, leaving her free to press forward aggressively. The Yakuza head was forced to focus on her, inadvertently allowing Saiko to close in. His next attack detonated the car next to Mei and knocked her off balance, spraying her with a fallen man's insides. She wiped the blood from her eyes and changed mags, getting back into the fight within mere seconds.
Chronostasis got up, his arrow-like hair spearing towards them in a flash of blue light. Saiko simply slid under the attack, already close enough to cut by the time he got his bearings. When he raised his handgun she was already driving a six-inch blade into his ribs, feeling him gasp when the wind was knocked out of him from the impact.
"Chrono!" Overhaul howled.
That was when Mei's favorite Nomu out of the two, Fuckface, decided to step in. He dropped from the sky like a meteor and landed with a thunderous crash, missing Overhaul by inches and nearly turning the man into paste. Overhaul screamed and impaled the Nomu with another wave of spikes, temporarily stopping it. The behemoth roared, already tearing its way out of the trap while the girls continued pushing forward.
"Boss… Boss!" a black-clad man sobbed, crawling out of an overturned vehicle and towards Overhaul while cradling his bleeding side. Another gangster was busy helping him up.
Saiko recognized him. This was Nemoto Shin, the man with the Confession Quirk. He'd have to be dealt with, but that Quirk of his could prove useful…
"Hatsume-san, I want him alive."
"Copy."
Mei landed right in front of them, gun at the ready. The man helping Nemoto up managed to squeeze off a shot with his gun held sideways, but missed Mei completely. She didn't allow him to correct his aim, a blast of concussive force erupting from her mechanical arm and sending them flying backwards into the cliff wall. Nemoto was knocked out but his buddy was still dazed and confused, searching for his weapon. The girl strode up to him as if she was on a casual walk, pulling out her sidearm and aiming between his eyes.
"The sights are on top for a reason." Mei said coldly.
A gunshot rang out, signaling the end of any further Yakuza reinforcements. Overhaul was alone now, three opponents bearing down on him mercilessly. He was bleeding from the head, either from a wound one of the Nomus inflicted or the car crash. It was clear he wasn't in top form and his opponents sensed weakness, drawn to it like sharks smelling blood in the water.
The Yakuza head was running out of gas, and everyone knew it. The only reason he was still fighting instead of fleeing was the merchandise he was protecting, one that Saiko was eager to get her hands on. Overhaul was keeping his distance, constantly spamming spikes and pillars at them… but Saiko was beginning to see the pattern in his attacks. It was so very predictable once she knew what she was looking for.
Once Saiko found the opening, she struck. The girl bobbed and weaved, threading the needle between his defenses. A triumphant smile full of glee bloomed across her face when she got into range, igniting the beam saber in her grip.
It was a weapon that was elegant in its simplicity, originally a specialized surgical tool meant for cutting through the tough skin of heteromorphs. The concept was simple; an envelope of arcing plasma suspended between an oscillating electromagnetic field, forming a thin blade that could cut through even the toughest organic shells. Saiko brought the weapon down onto Overhaul's wrists, lopping his hands off in one clean strike.
The man didn't even have time to react, only letting out a pained gasp of shock and horror when his cauterized stumps hit the ground. His Quirk functioned through his hands, and without them he was essentially powerless. Saiko didn't allow him to process the situation at all, immediately jabbing a needle into his neck and pushing down on the plunger.
"High-value target neutralized." Saiko whispered, catching Overhaul's now unconscious body. "How's it going on your end, Hatsume-san?"
"I'm alright." Mei popped out from behind her cover. "Fuckface, you okay?"
The Nomu in question said nothing, more concerned about pulling out the large shards of concrete embedded in its body. Strangely enough, it didn't seem to be bleeding. Its single eye and puckered mouth twitched for a moment, but it still seemed to be functioning properly.
"Of course you are." Mei sighed. "Take these two back to the rendezvous point. A HPSC chopper will be arriving shortly to pick you up."
'Fuckface' did as it was told, hefting Overhaul and Nemoto onto its shoulders and sprinting away into the dark forest. The girls walked over to the boot of the undamaged third SUV and popped it open, finding a large, silver luggage case. The merchandise they were after, their bargaining chip. Just as Mei was reaching for it Saiko stopped her, quickly clamping a hand around her friend's wrist.
"Wait." Saiko said slowly. "What is that?"
There was something fixed to the back of the case. Cold metal, flat and black. It was wired to the vehicle itself, and the two of them took a step back when they realized what they were looking at. Two pounds of C4. Seven hundred steel ball bearings. The barely visible housing was peeking out, but Saiko could see enough of the words to know what they were.
'Front Toward Enemy'.
"Hahaha! Sneaky bastard." Mei grinned, squinting at the claymore mine. "Overhaul's parting gift."
"Can you defuse it?" Saiko asked, doing the same. "I'm not in the mood to be swiss cheese today."
"Sure, sure. Just give me a few moments…"
Mei began to work. Her artificial left hand unfolded into a multitude of tools, the girl gingerly reaching into the workings of the improvised bomb and slowly disabling it. One wrong step and they'd both be blown to kingdom come, but Saiko was confident Mei could do it.
She was right. Only minutes later Mei was done defusing the bomb, wrenching the now harmless plastic explosive out with a carefree tug. The young tinkerer began salvaging the parts, stashing them away for future projects. Both girls spent another ten minutes inspecting the car and luggage case for any further hidden contingencies or traps before finally snapping the lock and opening it.
A tiny, white-haired little girl tumbled out of the case and onto the road, sobbing in terror. Her large, frightened red eyes looked up at Saiko and Mei, backing away on her bandaged hands and feet. She was a small, fragile thing that curled into herself, hugging her knees. The two girls exchanged a glance and got down on a knee together, Saiko extending a gloved hand.
"Hello, Eri-chan."
[x]
Izuku couldn't believe what she had done.
It was unbelievably reckless, not to mention dangerous. No one in their right mind would do what she just did, but it was getting late and the Slime Angel was starting to get more interested in the crowd outside the alley than hearing her out.
So she brought it home.
Izuku groaned as she shut the door behind her, putting her backpack down. It unzipped itself and the shrunken Slime Angel rolled out, immediately beginning to explore its new surroundings with eager curiosity. A pair of pseudopods shaped almost like rabbit ears sprouted from the top of its head, the slime starting to touch everything.
"What the—hey!" Izuku protested when it grabbed an All Might figurine. "Careful, that's a limited edition!"
It obeyed and put the figure down before looking around again. The Slime Angel could somehow change its size, the giant monstrosity in the back alley having shrunk down to the size of a cat. It continued crawling around Izuku's room and examining everything it came across, fascinated by her belongings. It seemed to be particularly interested in All Might, making a beeline for a table where Izuku displayed many of her collectibles.
She quickly stood in front of it to protect her precious figurines, but the slime simply produced a set of writhing tentacles that coiled around her limbs. They were cool to the touch and surprisingly dry, hugging her arms and legs like a quartet of gummy snakes. Thankfully, nothing lewd happened since the Angel was still interested in the figurines, the creature lifting Izuku up and putting her aside like how one would rearrange furniture. The creature stopped at the table and stretched itself upward to get a better look, peeking at the small army of All Mights.
"Huh." Izuku said, observing it carefully. "You like All Might?"
It said nothing, not having a mouth nor vocal cords. Soon it got bored and started wandering around the room again, occasionally taking an interest in Izuku's belongings. Now that she got a good look, it was actually kind of cute.
The girl retrieved a nearby bag of potato chips and wiggled one in front of the creature, wondering what it ate. Beady black eyes stared at the chip for a moment before ignoring it completely. She didn't expect it to be so… docile. All the Angels she'd met so far either terrorized their surroundings or minded their own business, and this one seemed like it belonged to the latter category. Izuku's attention was pulled back to reality when she noticed the slime squeezing itself under the door, attempting to escape.
"Oh no you don't!" Izuku huffed.
She quickly but carefully grabbed and pulled it into her arms, cradling the creature like a baby. It struggled and squirmed in her grip, but eventually relaxed after realizing Izuku wasn't going to let go anytime soon. Like it or not, it knew she was the superior of the two and was submissive to her.
Izuku sighed, sitting down onto the bed. All of her earlier questioning was for naught since the two of them were too different. The Angel understood her commands, but not her questions. It was comparable to a dog that could barely interpret what its owner wanted, associating words and commands with specific orders, but not truly communicating on the same level.
The young girl gently pulled at the slime in her lap, causing it to stretch like taffy. It didn't seem to mind. She poked at it, and it glanced upward at her before looking away again.
"What am I gonna do with you…" Izuku groaned, letting her shoulders fall.
The Slime Angel wobbled in her lap in response, jiggling like an oversized bowl of pudding. Izuku began petting it, wondering if it was enjoying her company.
"I can't just keep calling you Slime Angel." Izuku thought aloud. "Do you have a name?"
It didn't reply, instead using its tentacles to search under Izuku's bed. There it found some of her workout equipment and started playing with them, easily hefting the heavy weights into the air. It put them down after a few moments and started searching again before Izuku drew its attention away by giving it another gentle poke.
"Hmmm, what should I call you?" Izuku wondered. "Slimy? No, too gross. Pinky, because you're pink?"
That somehow got the Angel's attention. It rotated about to face Izuku, watching her face intently with its beady little eyes.
"Pudding? Hm… Wait, I've got it!" Izuku exclaimed, bopping a fist into her palm. "I'll call you Jello!"
It reached up and poked at Izuku's forehead with a tentacle. There was a suction cup on its end, the appendage sticking to her skin.
"Eh? What are you do—"
The room flickered and the creature's eyes began to glow with an eerie, unearthly light. Glimmering particles swirled around it like a miniature sandstorm, surprising Izuku with the sudden movement. She jumped when a sudden, incredibly loud booming voice echoed in her head.
PINKY.
Izuku stood in shock, causing the slime to leap off her lap and onto the floor. There the two of them stared at each other for a few moments, the girl's breathing quickening by the second.
"Y-you can talk?! How… why… wait." Izuku blinked. "The tentacle?"
The newly christened 'Pinky' said nothing, waiting for her to make a move. Izuku picked it… him up and held it up to eye level, trying to replicate what just happened.
"Can you talk, Pinky?" she asked.
Silence continued to plague the room, but the slime wiggled its tentacles at her. Izuku stopped and wondered if she should. She really, really shouldn't… but her curiosity won over.
"Alright." Izuku took a deep breath. "Show me."
Long, coiling tentacles sprouted from Pinky's body once more. Izuku's breath hitched when they coiled around her waist and limbs but she put her trust in the creature, knowing deep down that it wasn't trying to hurt her. Pinky lifted her into the air and gently pressed its forehead against hers. It closed its eyes, and so did Izuku.
There was the odd sensation of being dumped into a bath of ice water, followed by what felt like a light electric shock running up her spine. Light and images flashed across her mind's eye, Pinky's thoughts and memories transmitted to her brain at the speed of thought.
Izuku gasped. Most of it was incomprehensible colors, sounds, and feelings, the girl a tiny green speck in a sea of endless pink. She could feel Pinky's influence, the creature extending a thought-anchor for her to hold on to. She did, and began to see what it saw, to understand its memories.
Anger. Frustration. Bitterness.
She sifted through them, past the veil of negativity. Behind that were memories… human memories. The image of a man yelling at her flashed into existence.
' —get out of here! No muties allowed.'
'Quirkist prick! Come on, Ashido-san. We're leaving!'
A spike of disbelief thundered through Izuku. Pinky was once human?
No. A strong feeling of refusal and wrongness answered her query. The Slime was trying to tell her something, showing one memory after another in a rapid sequence of flashing images and sounds. It was like a video was being played in her head, skipping forward at random intervals.
A memory of a classroom, followed by what looked like a dance class. It didn't take long for Izuku to realize she was viewing the memories from a first-person point of view, watching through another's eyes. Pink arms stretched before her, cutting through the air in a beautiful flair.
Izuku watched, fascinated. Another memory showed the owner of those pink arms using her Quirk, droplets of viscous liquid splattering onto a rock. Whatever the liquid touched smoked and melted, reduced to a pile of goo. Acid. Whoever this person was, their Quirk made acid.
A rumble of contentment and agreement touched Izuku's mind. The girl frowned, trying to understand. The answer was so close, right at the top of her mind. Pinky kept showing her more memories of those pink hands unleashing the acid Quirk, the unique smell and sizzling sound repeating again and again in her head.
Acid? Izuku thought. Is that what you're trying to tell me? You can use acid?
Agreement, then frustration. Not quite the right answer. She already knew that Pinky wasn't the person in the memories. He was…
He was…
You are the Acid. Izuku realized. That's what you're trying to tell me.
Unrestrained delight assaulted Izuku's mind and senses, a dizzying blast of emotion that nearly washed her away. The girl held on, still in disbelief even as the entity's waves of joy rolled off her.
You're a Quirk.
Another memory was transmitted to her. This one was of the pink hands gripping a hairbrush, running a hand through light, curly hair. The owner of those hands was humming a small tune to herself, starting to comb through her hair. To Izuku's surprise she could feel it, the tugging sensation all too familiar. This wasn't a memory, but a live feed. A gasp escaped her lips and the owner of those pink hands jolted in surprise, looking around in confusion until they found a mirror.
A pink-skinned teenage girl was looking back at Izuku, her large, frightened eyes dyed black from a slight heteromorph mutation.
"Who's there?"
Izuku's vision blurred and spun into a rainbow of colors, suddenly dragged back into the real world. She was in her room again, coughing and sputtering. Pinky lowered her to the ground gently, his tentacles retreating while he hovered into the air.
"You're a Quirk!" Izuku exclaimed, eyes wide with wonder. "Wow! You're… wow! And you can fly now!"
It was closer to floating than flying, really. Pinky hovered in the air, having taken the shape of an orb. Izuku didn't miss how it now sparkled a little with its own pink Glitter, identical to the forcefield that powered most of her abilities. A quick check ensured that Pinky didn't steal any of her power; he replicated it. The creature began bumping against the walls and ceilings like a pinball even as Izuku breathed a sigh of relief.
Then the gears started to turn in her head. Izuku frowned, connecting the dots. Pinky replicated her Glitter… no, he probably already had it already. In the moment that their minds were connected he must have learned how to use it to fly from her. That meant all the other Angels had their own forcefields too.
The other Angels. They're Quirks too. All this time we've been fighting people's Quirks? Where did they come from, and why are they here? What is even happening?!
Trembling hands came up and ran through golden blonde locks, and cold, icy dread began forming a pit in her stomach. A single, terrible thought just occurred to her. Miracle and Mustard were so effective in defeating Angels because their opposing forcefields interfered with theirs. But that meant… both of them were the same.
She remembered how she got the power to turn into a Magical Girl. That wounded girl on the bridge. The iron taste of her blood. The brilliant rainbow in the midst of a deep, endless abyss. A beautiful, powerful body, surrounded by glittering particles, summoned from an 'alternate space'.
"Am… Am I an Angel?" Izuku's voice was a tiny whisper, her small body shaking under the revelation. "Am I a Quirk?"
Only silence answered her, the truth hanging above her head like a sword.
[x]
Thousands of kilometers away, a soundless bolt of rainbow lightning split the air.
It hit the sea of Japan, the water sizzling and bubbling from the impact. The air rippled with a shriek of shattering glass, thick lines of darkness branching out in empty space. A crack in the world, an opening to nowhere.
From that nowhere, something reached out. What emerged from the darkness was a creature black as night, its entire body thin and streamlined to resemble a long, wicked knife. Six silver tubes lined its back, like spiracles of some giant insect. Blue exhaust flared from the openings, and the creature broke into a world not of its own. Free to wander and do as it pleased.
The Quirk turned its attention towards the land, a single red eye studying the city on the coastline. It considered heading there immediately, then did a little more thinking. Why rush things? It'd been rushing since the moment it gained awareness. Maybe it should slow down, enjoy itself a little. The creature beheld its new surroundings, and made the closest approximation to a smile. Two words thundered in its thoughts as it raced into the sky.
Ŗ̵̪̽ẽ̸͕̮̯̪̜̿͘͠ć̶̼̖̰̋͝͝i̶̛̖̳̠͆̌̊͘p̸̥̓̋͒̂͊r̷̖̮̒̈́o̵̢̰̮̟̞̾ ̴̨̰̟̈̕B̸͙͚͗̓͒́ṳ̶̥͚̠̒̇̆̾r̶̢͙͔͕̭͑͊͐s̷̞͉͙͂̇̈t̵̝̣̓̿.̴͖̙́͊
[Chapter 6 End]
Thank you for reading!
Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.