UEIS HQ
???, Japan
A few moments earlier
"Urrgh..." Mirko groans as she turns to her left, still in pain from the devastating blow delivered by Izuku.
"I ain't surprised you'll get the chance of getting beaten up in such a way," Godzillo said as he watched the medics do their jobs. "But, I was surprised that you got it this early."
"Screw you, ya big dumb lizard!" Mirko screech before she howls in pain. "What the fuck is that kid!? He hits like a fucking truck!"
"Orca brought the kids for a reason, Mirko," Godzillo stated. "I want to know more but it appears that fate decided to show it to me instead."
"Oh, screw your 'fate' bullshit!" Mirko said before she started wincing in pain. "Fuck, make this pain stop!"
"You know this will go faster if you would stop moving away from the [Recovery's] Area of Effect." Godzillo deadpanned as Mirko flipped him off. "So, why attack the kid? You're better than that, you know."
"That kid had to call me a pet bunny," Mirko growls in annoyance as Godzillo crosses his arms.
"That's not a good reason, Mirko," Godzillo said as Mirko huffed. "...you've changed a lot, Mirko."
"People change, Serizawa," Mirko said.
"Yet, you change for the worse." Godzillo sighs. "I still remember how you acted when Gang Orca brought you to meet me for the first time."
"My past self was nothing but a crybaby! A kid who's willingly let people push me around like a wimp!" Mirko growls.
"Yet, you let the morales of people you hate change you into something worse." Godzillo retorts, causing Mirko to flinch before glaring at Godzillo. "Glare all you want but what you did is too much. If that kid didn't know a thing about battle, you would kill him!"
"Pfft, Kugo wouldn't bring a weakling to our HQ." Mirko retorted as Godzillo glared at her.
"Did you even hear yourself? You make it sound like you didn't give a shit if you did kill a fucking minor!" Godzillo roared, causing Mirko to widen her eyes.
"I...that's not what I meant!" Mirko stammers.
"Did you forget every awakener has gained powers that could kill others with ease!? Magic follows different rules, it's a complete out-of-context power in a world of Quirks! You casually activate your magic on a minor, a pre-teen, for god's sake! Your normal kick is enough to take off someone's head! But, you have to add magic to the mix!" Godzillo berates Mirko as she shrinks down.
"You should go find the kid and apologize to him." Mirko stares at Godzillo in disbelief. "I know he's also at fault for falling for that taunt but unlike you, he's a child and has tendency to lose control of their emotions." Godzillo sighs. "Besides, his reaction alone is enough punishment for him."
"What does that mean?" Mirko asked not in anger, frustration, or annoyance. It was pure curiousity.
"Why don't you find out by yourself?" Godzillo stated. "Of course, do it after you got healed."
"And it's already done since like, 3 minutes ago." Mirko yelps when the healer, a humanoid lizard with smooth white skin and a pair of red eyes wearing doctor's uniform stated. "You two were too engrossed with your talk that you didn't even notices that I'm already done with you."
"Ah, apologies, Lulu-san," Godzillo said sheepishly as the healer, Lulu, huffed.
"Ah, whatever. Mirko, I need you to take it easy. That boy's punch caused more internal damage than I thought. Most of the damaged part is healed but I recommend you to let it heal naturally, let it rest for a few days." Lulu stated as Mirko wince before nodding.
"To think his punch could deal so much damage," Mirko mutters. "Wait, then how's my ankle?"
"You didn't give me a chance to finish my statement." Mirko has the decency to blush in embarrassment. "When I said take it easy, I mean it. It will help your ankle to fully recover. My healing magic [Recovery] isn't a powerful one as it only removes any chance of fatality of one's injury. If you reopen the wounds, the chance will be double and it'll take longer time to heal."
"I get it, I get it." Lulu smacks Mirko's head with her tail. "Ouch!"
"I'm serious, you idiot!" Lulu said in annoyance. "Magic doesn't solve death! No known mortals have access to such powers! So, take my words seriously!"
"I know," Mirko mutters.
"Okay, take it easy, Lulu," Godzillo said as Lulu sighed tiredly.
"How do you all deal with her?" Lulu mutters as Godzillo pats her shoulder sympathetically, not noticing Mirko's ear twitch. "Also, if you plan to meet the boy, tell him to come here. Being hit by Mirko's [Static Charge] isn't a pleasant experience."
"...but he looks just fine." Lulu's eyes twitched at Mirko's words, and a visible vein popped on her forehead.
"YOU BLOODY MORON!!!" Now, she finally understands why Recovery Girl looks 10 years older every time she sees her. Patients know how to test the doctor's patience.
Later
Mirko slowly walked down the hallway, making sure she didn't strain her injury more than usual. She can still feel the constant pain in her private part ever since she was healed. Of all things she expect, she would never expect her opponent to pull such moves.
She can't help but be annoyed and impressed. Annoyed by the fact that it was a cheap move and it could knock her down like a wimp. Impressed by the fact that a boy did it without hesitation, disregarding the fact that she's a girl.
Suddenly, images of Izuku glaring at her with hatred, his flaming sword preparing to thrust into her chest flash in her mind, causing her to feel chills in her spine. She froze before she scowls.
'Did...did I feel scared towards the boy? A random brat?' This made her feel annoyed. To think that a random boy could put the fear of death into her. She shakes her head in denial. 'No way! I face a scarier monster than him! I-!'
She froze when the image flickers into an image of a giant shadowy figure with glowing purple eyes staring right at her soul. She growls before shaking her head.
'Why!? Why did I start feeling like this now!? I didn't even give much thought earlier-!' Mirko wanted to facepalm towards herself so much. 'Right, too busy dealing with the pain and my discussion with Godzillo...'
She starts thinking about what Godzillo said. She hates to admit it, but what he said is true. She shouldn't have attacked the kid rashly, especially when she didn't know what the kid was capable of. Of course, she won't admit it to Godzillo.
'I'll just go and apologize to the brat. Oh, don't forget to tell him to go to infirmary as well,' She shivers in fear, remembering how Lulu casually overpowered her and put the fear of god into her. 'Yeah, not gonna forget it...'
She then notices Gang Orca is talking with the boy and the black-haired boy next to him places his hand on the boy's shoulder. She decided to leave them be so they could talk privately, but what Izuku said caused her to stop.
"I...have a bad history with bullies, who loved to taunt and mock me for 10 years because I never get my quirk."
Mirko can't help but stop as he starts to explain his past. She can't help but find her past with Izuku was a tad bit similar.
'He was bullied...like me...' Mirko can't help but feel somewhat sympathetic towards the boy. He has gone through a similar experience to her, but compared to her, it sounds like it was much worse than her, given that he admits he was quirkless.
She also remembers that in the articles, something she always read to pass the time, there have been tons of suicide incidents in Japan over the past decade. All of the suicide incidents were majority quirkless.
"But, what made you stop admiring him?"
"...the moment he told me to jump off the roof and kill myself to get a quirk in the next life,"
Mirko can't help but wince when she heard that. So, he was also suicide-baited? Yeah, the boy had it hard. She was bullied, but never to the point of suicide bait.
She continues to listen with her enhanced hearing, the feeling of guilt slowly piling up in her chest. The next word made that feeling multiply tenfold.
"And all of his taunts...it's almost exactly what Mirko said earlier...it's just hit too close to home..."
Mirko froze as Godzillo's words resurfaced in her mind. She keeps denying Godzillo's words, hating the fact that she's turning into the type of person she despises the most. But, it hurts Mirko to hear someone, a random person, compare her to his bully.
'I'm...I'm not a bully...I'm not a bully, I'm not a bully...' Mirko's mind won't stop denying it as cold sweats start falling from her forehead, and her breath grows heavier. Words of Izuku and Godzillo continue to play in her mind repeatedly.
"You let the morales of people you hate change you into something worse."
"And all of his taunts...it's almost exactly what Mirko said earlier...it's just hit too close to home..."
Mirko takes a heavy breath as she tries to calm herself down, pushing away her thoughts before hearing Gang Orca offer the kids to bring them to the cafeteria. Her stomach started to growl, but she didn't feel like eating. After they left, Mirko walked in the opposite direction, unable to show herself to the kid she had just bullied. She can no longer deny the truth.
She has turned into the person she hates the most and the sole reason why she becomes a hero in the first place. And to her, it's the greatest shame she ever felt in her life.
To be continued
