Izuku's eyes shot open in an instant. He found himself staring something he would not expect. The sky was pure, unaffected by the pollution or lights of the earth, making the inky black void seem clear like a pool of water. Lights of all of colors shone brightly against that inky pool, with streaks of a gold colored dust swirling between the black void and bright lights like sediment kicked up in clear water. It was beautiful. It was like nothing he had ever seen, and not even the old photos of deep space from the pre-quirk era could compare. The sight of such a scene fills the teen with a sense of bliss, and yet made him feel small, smaller than anything his world made him feel.

He couldn't feel his limbs or anyplace on his body, he could only feel something cold below him, it felt like he was lying on a bed of ice. Izuku tried to move but found himself unable to, his limbs, if he still had them, were not responsive. Did his nameless friend transport him away from Bakugou before the blow hit him? No, she at best was only to touch him nor she shown any sign of having a quirk. Perhaps, she did something to ease the blow so he would not feel pain? But that didn't explain how he got here in the first place. Scenarios and possibilities rambled on in the head of Izuku, but only one seemed to have been the likely result of his encounter with Bakugou.

"Am I dead?" Izuku pondered as he stared at the star filled horizon.

"Not Yet"

A voice broke the veil of silence that had engulfed Izuku and the space-like purgatory he now occupied. Izuku tried to move his head to find the source of the sound but could not do so, and all he could do was helplessly stared at the scene he awoke to. He felt a pit develop in his stomach and pinch of fear. He suddenly found himself to be able to find his voice

"Who's there?"He called out "S-Show yourself"

The star-filled swirl in his field of vision rippled like something had disturbed its surface, and his ears caught the faint sound of water splashing. Izuku heard sloshing and dripping before those were replaced by a noise that was similar to something heavy being dragged through sand. The sky lights above him became obscured by an eclipsing shadow. Said shadow was a face that Izuku recognized in an instant. His nameless friend was there in all her glory; black eyes shining like polished obsidian, blue skin that was moist like a frog's, and the long tendrils on her head hung limb instead of floating like usual. She was a sight to behold in this space anomaly of a place, a place she seemed to be at home with rather than the tiny bedroom he was used to seeing her in.

"You are hurt" deadpanned the fish-woman "Why do you let him hurt you?". If nameless had a mouth it would be clear that she was frowning. Izuku's eyes grew as a large as dinner plates.

"You can talk!" Izuku shouted

"Yes." Said the irritated fish woman

"But how is that possible!?" Izuku screeched "Arudimentaryphysicalofyoudemonstratedthatyoudonotpossethefeaturesthatwouldindicateamouththerewasalsonotindicationofahiddenmouthororificethatcouldbeusedforspeechhoweverthatisunlessyoucanconductspeechthroughthenostrillikeslitsonyourcheeks"

Izuku's gaze wanders away from her figure as he gets lost in his rant,

"butthencomestheissueofneedingairtobeabletousevocalcordstoproducethesoundyetyourphysiologyshowedthatyoudonotbreathorhaveaneedtobreathebutthenyoucouldhaveaquirkthatwouldaltersomeofthebodyto…"

Izuku was cut off from his muttering tangent from a clawed finger that gently pressed itself over his mouth. He looked back at his friend to see her with what can be described as a stoic face that somehow has an amused expression.

"That is enough, little minnow" the fish woman said with a mother-like tone "We are talking about what happened to you and not about me."

Izuku gulped "What do you mean? What happened?"

She said nothing but extended her index finger from her curled fist and reached down and touched Izuku where his chest was at. Izuku winced as he suddenly felt a burning pain shoot into his previously numb system after the finger made contact. The feeling became worst as he felt a sense of nausea in his skull while his vison blurred, and a blaring ringing filled his ears. He couldn't help it when tears of relief rolled off his cheeks after she lifted her finger off his chest, returning it to the painless state it was in before. As his vison began to clear, he noticed that his invisible friend was staring at him with an intense gaze, with an aura of overwhelming sadness being emitted from her. She disappeared from his eyes before he felt something warm and coarse replace the icy cold feeling. Spindly fingers began to gently comb through his curled hair as his invisible friend once again appeared upside down in his vision. If he were to guess, she had cradled him in her lap something she hadn't done since his sixth birthday.

"That monster had finally done his worst" she finally spoke up with a shakiness in her voice, "He could've killed you with that attack. You are only saved by the fact that I had to interfere"

"I-I'm sure it's nothing. It is not like I haven't dealt with befo..."

She once again placed her slender finder on his mouth, silencing him yet again. With the newfound position, Izuku was finally able to catch a brief glimpse of the top of her hands. The shiny blue skin of his friend was marred and burned black with darker spots of bruising following the end of the damage. Izuku held his breath as he felt tears welt in his eyes. She bore the blunt of the blow that was meant for him, a blow that could've killed him had she not shielded him.

"No, there is no ignoring this, little minnow" she interrupted with a firmness in her tone "You cannot tell me what he did to you was acceptable" She paused for a moment "Will you promise me to stay away from that snake or do something to put an end to his reign of terror, lest I have to interfere again?"

Izuku was shaken by the sheer anger in the question, "I-Interfere again?"

"Yes, I will do so again if he even thinks about hurting you again. I have spent too long watching you get hurt at the hands of that parasite. Next time, I will put a stop to it permanently, with or without your permission" the fish woman threatened

Okay, it was not a threat, but an ultimatum. Izuku decided it would be probably best to give into this demand, and not for his sake, but Bakugou's. As much as he resents Bakugou for the years of bullying, he would not wish him to be on the receiving end of whatever punishment his friend has in store for him. Izuku silently nodded to the fish woman, and she seemed pleased with his answer. However, she was far from done with him.

"What do you wish to do, little minnow?" asked the fish woman

"W-What do you mean?" a confused Izuku questioned

"Do you still desire to be like the smiling giant?" the fish woman probed

Izuku hesitated from answering, she clearly meant about becoming a hero. But the way she said it, indicated a tone of disapproval. Had she not agreed to his childhood dream? He recalled all those times in which she seemed a tad overprotective of him throughout the years, or those times when she seemed to disapprove all those times, he stuck his neck out for classmates getting bullied.

"If you think I do not agree with your desire to become like the ones you admire, then you are right" the fish woman said

Izuku gasped in surprised, "Huh? But why?"

She said nothing at first, pausing at the action of stroking his hair, and instead shifting her long arms to wrap around his head protectively. "I simply do not wish for you to hurt yourself for parasites underserving of your kindness," her voice dropped to a whisper, "I don't want to lose you, my little minnow"

Izuku was overwhelmed by the response, but pressed the issue further, "Why do you call me that? Little Minnow?"

The fish woman tilts her head, "Is it not obvious, I find you adorable like those yipping furry creatures."

"Eh?!"

The fish woman responded with a bout of hearty laughter at Izuku's surprise. Surely, his oldest friend wouldn't have a reason so shallow as likening him as a cute animal.

But before he could respond to her, she interrupts "Besides that, I do care deeply about you, little minnow. I am your friend, so I wish for you to be happy but also to be safe.", She looks away briefly. Her voice is filled with an old sadness as she speaks, "So that's why I ask you again. Do you wish to continue this path?"

Izuku could only answer with silent for a long time…

"Yes. All I ever wanted was to help people, like how you've helped me when I was little", Izuku replied, "I want to return the favor to someone who will need it"

His friend said nothing but moved her left arm into his view. She raises her hand towards her face, and squeezes her fist so tight, her skin darkens from the pressure. She opens her hand up, revealing a self-inflicted cut in the center of her palm. Black liquid oozes out from the wound and on the claws on her fingers, but she then shifts her bleeding hand towards his mouth.

"Then, so be it. I offer my blood, and with it my strength will become yours", the fish woman said in a prayer-like manner, "This will be our bond as a master and student as our relationship begins in earnest"

Izuku looked at the bleeding wound with hesitation but relented and opened his mouth to the black liquid. It tasted bitter. But thoughts of the bitter taste were forced out of because a sensation akin to burning rapidly enveloped his body. Pain overwhelmed his nerves as it felt like every single nerve was on fire, he lost focus on everything around him in his miasma of agony. He would scream if he could find his voice or, is he screaming already but cannot hear it? Yet, somehow amid his numbness to the world around him, he could hear a voice. It was gentle and vibrated like sounds of the ocean, yet it wavered like the speaker was threatening to lose their nerve at the proclamation.

"M-Marris" said the trembling voice, "My n-name is Marris"