Midoriya Izuku trudged down the crowded street, barely even feeling the throngs of people pushing past him as they made their daily commute. A sad and sorry sight he was, eyes glued to the ground and head bowed. The young boy thought about what his childhood hero had told him earlier, the simple but brutal truth still sinking in.
His "sister" followed him discreetly from the rooftops, peeking out every so often to take a quick look to make sure he was okay. Valkyrie had initially went off in search of more people to save or stuff to fight, but was inexplicably drawn back by a huge wave of negativity from her brother only minutes after she left, literally pulling her back. In a way she was hopelessly drawn to her brother now after finally meeting him, much like how iron fillings are drawn to a magnet. She couldn't help but worry and fuss over him, especially when he was so upset now.
Ah, onii-chan. Dear, sweet brother of mine.
Noting to herself that she wasn't being very heroic right now by sticking to her brother instead of patrolling, Valkyrie supposed it was okay to take a break other than "sleeping" once in a while. The past ten years had been so boring that any normal human in her position would have gone insane long ago. Patrol, fight, sleep, repeat. Patrol, fight, occasionally have an existential crisis, sleep, repeat. It wasn't all bad though, she had made a few "friends" over the years, so sometimes she got to team up with a big group of heroes to bring down a particularly large threat. Those were fun.
The girl was yanked out of her nostalgia with another blast of bitter sadness from her brother. The poor boy was practically radiating depression; chunks of it were eaten away by her but more rushed in to fill the gap almost instantly; she might as well have been trying to empty a swimming pool with a teaspoon.
Sure, she could always absorb his negative emotions from her maximum range but a part of her wanted to stick around, to see more of him despite how sad he looked right now. She couldn't detect any negativity around here anyhow-
The construct stopped, suddenly raising her head. A wave of fresh new emotions had just entered her range, clearly from a distressed mass of people. Valkyrie sensed three major emotions as she stood; a surge of sour uncertainty, pockets of bittersweet excitement, and of course... spikes of cold crystalline fear. She turned in alarm, watching as Izuku continued walking towards the disturbance cluelessly.
She advanced forward to investigate further, unaware that her brother had noticed the commotion too, and was starting to make his way there to catch a glimpse of what was happening.
[x]
A pro should always be ready to risk his life. Without power, can one become a hero? No, I should think not.
Those were the words that All Might had said to him, utterly shattering his dream of being a hero. The man had pretty much told him to give up and go be a police officer or something if he wanted to help out the heroes. He didn't want to just help, damn it. He wanted to be a hero, to make a difference...
You need to be realistic.
It's time to start seriously thinking about your futures!
Even as a third-year, he still can't face reality.
The words still echoed in Izuku's head like a clock-tower bell, an almost incessant ringing reminding him of his own worthlessness.
Izuku held the still burnt notebook in one hand, and with the other he started to wipe away a stray tear.
Don't cry, he told himself. You knew this already, right? This is reality. The young boy continued walking, seemingly unaware of the commotion ahead. It's because I knew… that I tried so damned hard… So hard not to see. To ignore reality. Yeah.
He finally noticed the commotion when a loud explosion shook him from his moment of self-pity. A crowd was gathered outside a single-lane street, watching as multiple explosions rocked the nearby buildings, shattering glass and concrete.
What's going on? A villain?
"Raaaaagggggggggh!"
The Sludge Villain roared, two different yet distinct voices distorting into one horrific echo. Izuku gasped, a hand to his mouth. The villain from before! He must have gotten free somehow- he thought back to the moment where he had clung on to All Might… with the villain stored in a bottle on the hero's pocket.
All Might let him go? No, he dropped him, the boy quickly realized. This is my fault.
"Why are the heroes just standing there?!" Someone in the crowd yelled.
"Seems the Villain's grabbed a middle schooler. They can't do anything till the hostage is safe." Another bystander replied, shaking his head.
Whoever's caught is enduring the same pain I did… It's all my fault! Hang in there, I'm sorry! I'm so sorry…
"AAAAAAAAGGGGHHH!" Another cry of rage, or was it pain? With the villain and his hostage's voices mixing together in a horrific crescendo, it was hard to tell.
Someone will save you soon… A hero's bound to come...
Without warning the Villain turned to the crowd. Two pairs of eyes bulged, one belonging to the Villain and the other his hostage. Painfully familiar red eyes stared into horrified green ones.
"Kacchan?"
[x]
It was the same Sludge villain again, but this time he had a hostage. Valkyrie stood on the roof of a nearby building, observing the situation and already starting to form a plan. She noted the damage to the surrounding buildings and hostage, Bakugo Katsuki… the boy who was always hurting her brother with those unkind words of his. She could feel his fear from where she stood. She decided instantly that it was irrelevant who he was, for now he's just someone in need of help.
First, she had to free the hostage from the body- it wouldn't be as easy as the last time where she had caught him by surprise. Maybe she should do an emotion drain- no, too slow and risky. Done wrongly, she might accidentally hurt the hostage too since they were connected. She'd have to act fast, distract the villain and rip the boy out. Aim for the villain's eyes. Judging by his power, he'd probably regenerate if she tore them out. Probably.
Her entire thought process was completed in a second as she flexed her legs for a jump, preparing to leap down into the fray. Just moments before she was about to, a sharp sensation of fear rushed though her mental link. She watched, simultaneously transfixed and horrified as her brother rushed towards the villain recklessly. But his fear- that should have stopped him- She realized too late that she cared more about his safety than he did.
Onii-chan, no!
Time seemed to slow as her mind went into overdrive. The situation was beginning to rapidly spiral out of control. Valkyrie was torn between heading down there right that instant and engaging the enemy… but Izuku could get hurt in the skirmish - or to drag her brother away to a safe distance and return later… but that would leave the villain(s) to roam free and continue wreaking havoc, an unacceptable result that might cause the nearby bystanders to get hurt. She didn't plan for this, she couldn't-
No. Not again. She couldn't let him get hurt again. If she didn't have any options left… then she'd make one.
The projection darted down, a blur of white starting to close the distance rapidly even as Izuku threw his schoolbag and its contents into the Villain's face, temporarily distracting it as he ducked under a wild swing of its arm.
"Kacchan!" Izuku lunged, fingers desperately grabbing at the sludge and trying to dislodge his childhood friend from its slimy grasp.
"You! Why?!" the blonde teen coughed, still choking on pieces of the Villain.
"My legs just started moving! I don't know why but-" Izuku cried, the fear evident in his eyes. "You looked like you needed saving."
The sludge roared, a huge arm already mid-swing as sparks bubbled from his slimy palm... he could use his victim's Quirk, Izuku realized with horror.
"Goddamn nosy brat, I'll-"
Whatever the villain wanted to say next was cut short as a sharp crack resonated through the air, followed shortly by a wet splat. The young boy opened his eyes to see that the top half of the villain's head had disappeared… and an unsightly green stain was now sliding off wall a few meters away.
Valkyrie stood over Izuku, a graceful arm outstretched in a backhand stance while her other arm had tanked the explosive swing meant for him. Even as she started to tear Bakugo out of the now stunned sludge, Izuku was putting together of what just transpired. She had just slapped the top of the Villain's head clean off. The girl pulled the coughing hostage just in time to shield both students from another crazed, flailing blow.
"You again?! You crazy bitch, that kid was my ticket to beating him!" the Sludge screeched, his mouth flapping away while a pair slimy eyes glared at her from the ground as they struggled to rejoin the main body.
The villain could control his body remotely even without a head, just as she suspected. It was how his pieces could form back together in the first place. Valkyrie grabbed both boys and leapt back, prioritizing their safety. For Izuku she held him under her arm gently, while she slung Bakugo over her shoulder like a sack of bricks.
Instead of fighting it would be best to retreat now since she was carrying two civilians- no matter how much she pummeled the Sludge, he'd probably just reform rapidly unless she tore him into itty-bitty shreds and scattered them all over the place. But she couldn't retreat back into the crowd, that would endanger them too.
The monster's eyes found their way back to the main body, sliding their way up his waist even as he lunged for the vigilante. With both her hands occupied, she raised her leg high into the air and stomped, the asphalt rupturing upwards in massive chunks and stopping the Sludge's advance temporarily. Before she could do anything else, a loud voice bellowed and caught her attention.
"You've helped me again, both of you!" A huge figure dashed past, his mighty back now encompassing their vision. All Might shifted his head back slightly to look at Izuku, ever-confident grin on his face. "Thank you, young man. I told you what was required of a great Hero, but I see now that I wasn't practicing what I preached!"
"All Might!" Izuku cried from Valkyrie's grip, his voice full of hope.
The great Hero dashed forward, his huge fist clenched and brimming with pure power. "A pro should always be ready to risk his life! That's the true test of a Hero!"
The villain howled with fury, enlarging to maximum size. "All Might!"
A muscular arm reared back and shot downward, aiming low. "DETROIT SMAAAAAAASH!"
The blast of air pressure that followed was almost unreal- it accumulated in an enormous wave that literally blew the Villain away, scattering him across the area. Nearby the various heroes braced themselves against the gust, Mt. Lady shielding the nearby civilians in a protective cradle she formed with her arms. Valkyrie stood still as a statue but held on tight to the two boys as their clothes flapped wildly in the wind. As an added precaution she exercised her power, extending it to the two boys and temporarily imbuing them with her invulnerability. A tornado formed from air pressure ripped through the sky, a testament to All Might's immense strength.
To the crowd's amazement and wonder, All Might's punch caused a rising air current that shifted the clouds, causing tiny little raindrops to fall. Then they started to cheer for their great hero, a cacophony of hope and joy echoing down the now battle-scarred street.
"Yeaaaaaah! You go, All Might!"
"You see that? He changed the weather with a single punch!"
"Amazing! That's All Might for you!"
Valkyrie blinked, watching the raindrops fall and the subsequent cheering of the crowd. A small feeling of envy regarding All Might's raw power welled up within her but she dismissed it easily, opting to tend to her two charges instead. She scanned Bakugo quickly to make sure he was okay, then dumped him off her shoulder unceremoniously after realizing he was perfectly fine. The angry boy yelled out in protest but then started to cough, clearing the remaining sludge in his throat. Needless to say, she didn't like him very much. For Izuku she put him back onto his feet gently, then dragged him a few meters away and started to inspect him carefully for any damages. Everyone else was still busy cheering and crowding around All Might, the majority not noticing the pair.
"E-eh? I'm fine, really..." Izuku started to protest, but to no avail. The taller girl prodded at his body softly then started to check his head for any bleeding, her slim fingers running through his hair. The boy fidgeted nervously, a warm blush already building up in his cheeks. It was the second time now that he'd met the girl, and it didn't help that she was gorgeous. But her behavior… it reminded him a little of his mother fussing over him when he was younger, or a loving big sister he never had. It felt almost nostalgic in a strange way- maybe he was a weirdo for thinking like that.
Valkyrie made a low purring noise from her throat, satisfied that her brother was okay as far as she could see. To Izuku's surprise, she then formed a knife hand and smacked his head softly.
"W-w-wha?!"
A flurry of emotions was rushing through the girl, each cycling to the surface of her mind. Worry that Izuku might had been hurt. Relief that he was unhurt. Anger that he'd thrown himself into danger. Pride that he'd been so selfless. Love that he'd been so brave. She leaned in close, her expression stony. She wasn't smiling this time, feeling a little upset at both herself and him.
"Idiot onii-chan."
The words came out as barely even a whisper, and Valkyrie leaped away before Izuku could properly register what he'd heard. Shortly afterward, All Might launched into the air in a different direction after talking to the reporters while the heroes started to rush in to clean up the mess. Izuku blinked in confusion and stood stock still even as a medic shone a flashlight into his eyes.
She called me an idiot and… something else? I didn't quite hear that last part...
[x]
It was later in the evening when Valkyrie felt another surge of sadness from her brother, this time mixed with a strange combination of gratitude and… pride? At first she was alarmed and wanted to make her way back to him, but then realized it must have been something positive if he felt pride. She decided to check it out when she went to sleep.
The girl closed her eyes, feeling her physical body evaporate like smoke as her stream of consciousness made its way back into her brother's mind via their mental link. When she opened them again she found herself in Izuku's mind, a strange landscape of colors and shapes that ebbed and flowed like the ocean waves. Here she could express her emotions all she wanted in her mental form, unlike her physical form which had trouble even making faces. Here she was free. Humming to herself, she skipped her way to his latest memories and accessed them, reviewing what had happened earlier that day. She couldn't access all of his memories, but snippets of it were already enough to piece together a story. It was the same for his emotions, she couldn't feel every single emotion via their link- stronger ones were more easily felt.
A quick fast-forward of his memory fragments told her everything she needed to know. Izuku had met All Might. His true form, that is. That was unexpected. What came next made her feel a strange sort of pain; jealousy and fear mixed with joy and doubt. All Might had offered Izuku to be his successor. To inherit his power that'd been passed down from generation to generation, One For All. On one hand, she was happy that her brother was finally getting ahold of a proper Quirk just like he'd always wanted, but on the other...
Her heart ached with loss. Was this how it felt to lose? To be fair, Izuku probably didn't know of her true nature, let alone his link with her. Still, it pained her to imagine that he didn't need her anymore, now that he had power of his own to wield. Wasn't this what she wanted? For him to be a hero, to be happy? But-
What about me, onii-chan?
She wanted to approach him, wanted to reveal herself so much over the last ten years… but she'd seen for herself that drawing attention to oneself would ultimately lead to people you knew getting involved, or worse, hurt. Time and again she'd seen it in both heroes and villains, with their monologues and attention-seeking. She'd sacrificed her own happiness just to make sure that Izuku was safe. Originally she'd planned to reveal herself and all her deeds to him when he was a little older, but now she didn't know what to do.
A pessimistic vigilante had once said the same to her; that happiness was death to people like them. A family would make her vulnerable. Hesitant. Weak. She would put them in danger, just like he did.
To be a hero… you must be alone.
No, no, no! She shook her head, refusing to remember those words he had said. This was different. onii-chan would have power now. He could protect himself now, right? But still... it wasn't right for her to keep babysitting him if he got ahold of power, especially a formidable Quirk like All Might's. He finally had a chance to be a hero.
A treacherous, naughty little thought flitted across her mind. I don't want onii-chan to get that power. I want him all for myself. Onii-chan's mine. MINE MINE MINE-
She shook her head again to clear away that horrible way of thinking. That wasn't- she had no right to do that! All she wanted was for Izuku to be happy. That was enough for her.
What about my happiness?
The rising doubt and confusion clouded her mind, her mental form curling into a ball in Izuku's mindscape. The girl decided to go to sleep, thinking that she would cross that bridge when it was time.
[x]
It wasn't working. Months had passed since then, and yet she still wasn't sure what to do. Ever since then she had argued with herself on what was the best course of action, questioning her own existence more than usual. Every now and then between her patrolling she went back to Izuku's mind for rest and observed his training, each time getting prouder yet feeling more worried. The boy was almost ready to inherit All Might's power. With power like that, he would eventually achieve his dream of becoming a hero- he wouldn't need her anymore, would he?
The more she thought about it, the more her phantom heart ached with sadness. Why did she have to feel this way... Shouldn't she be happy that Izuku finally got a chance to be a hero? She'd faced some of the strongest and deadliest Villains without even batting an eye, but why was it that she felt so much fear and pain at being unneeded by her dear brother? Her entire purpose for existing was to be a hero, but she was now unsure if she still had a reason to exist with Izuku's nearing inheritance of One For All. He could go and be a hero himself...
Valkyrie looked to the faraway mountains, a sudden thought occurring to her. Maybe she should seek out advice from a friend instead of tackling the situation all by herself. She should have thought of that earlier!
[x]
Deep within the secret mountain base alarms started to blare with deafening volume, indicating that someone or something had tripped the multiple perimeter defenses. Three sets of feet thundered down the hallway as they made their way to the control center, a woman already manning the console and flicking on several switches.
"What have we got?" the muscular man asked, hunching over the petite woman and eying the screens warily.
"Unknown bogey, approaching fast. Its tripped the laser defenses and is nearly here. This is no wild animal we're dealing with."
"A vehicle?"
"Radar's not picking anything up. Thermal imaging returns one unit, closing in. It's plowing straight through the mini force-field barriers! Whatever it is, it's tough and not stopping."
Another woman behind them cursed loudly, taking her position on another console as her fingers began flying over the keyboard in a series of rapid taps.
"A villain? Why here?" A third woman questioned, cycling through the different cameras. "This is a rescue base, there's nothing valuable they'd want to steal."
"Medical supplies, rescue equipment? A lotta important stuff in here. Who knows, maybe they just have a grudge against us." the man grumbled, already suiting up in his magnificent costume and preparing for battle.
"Whatever it is, we can't let them take the equipment! We need it to help—"
A loud beeping started, and the lights in the room began to flash red. "Bogey's approaching the main gate at high speed! Prepare for impact!"
The team of four hunkered down, each anticipating a massive impact against the near-impenetrable steel doors from the unknown… except absolutely nothing happened. "Eh?"
A small voice crackled over the intercom, soft and nearly inaudible.
"Cat-lady? It's me, open the door please."
Four set of eyes peeked up at the main screen, and a muscular arm reached up onto the console to cycle through the cameras until they found the one that was situated at the main gate. The screen showed a young woman with pale white skin, standing before the doors and waiting for a reply.
"Is that who I think it is?"
Valkyrie started knocking on the titanic mechanical doors, each knock shaking the entire building. Dust started to drift off the ceiling within the base as vibrations resonated through the building.
Boom, boom, boom.
"Cat-lady~. Open the doo~r pleas~e." the vigilante chanted in a sing-song voice, her expression still neutral.
Every eye in the room turned to one particular woman, who grimaced sheepishly. Well, you're the only one she responds to verbally, right? You talk to her. Her teammates chided and pushed her into the main seat of the control room, giving her control over the communication systems.
"Testing- testing, is this thing on?"
Valkyrie did seem to hear her for she looked around until she found a camera near the door, then gave it a nod.
"Right. First of all, it's Pixiebob, not Cat-lady! You're making me sound like one of those old women who keep a dozen cats. Second, what are you doing here, Valkyrie? It's three in the morning!"
"I need help." the girl answered, features cold as ever. Her reply stunned the rest of the team: never had the strange vigilante ever asked for help, let alone approach them in the first place. This must have been something serious.
"Is it a disaster? Our emergency surveillance program hasn't picked up anything yet. Anyways, we're ready to roll in-"
"No villain. No disaster." Valkyrie shook her head.
"Huh? Then why'd you come here?" Pixiebob asked, her confusion carrying over the loudspeaker.
"I need help." the girl repeated. "You said to come to you if I needed help."
Pixiebob's three teammates shot her a look, which told her all that was needed to be said. The blonde woman groaned painfully, her head in her hands. "Okay, I did say that last time we met, but you can't just barge in here! This is a super-secret rescue base, you know."
Valkyrie looked at the camera, then back to the supposedly impenetrable doors. "Open the door please."
Well, apparently she didn't care if it was the National Bank of Japan or a super-secret rescue base. The girl stubbornly knocked on the door again, a little harder this time. Small shock-waves reverberated through the structure with each knock, shaking the building's very foundations.
"What if I can't open these doors for you? I mean, how did you find these place anyways? This is a classified location-" the heroine said hurriedly, hesitating.
"Open. Or I'll open them for you." Valkyrie said quietly.
That got their alarms bells ringing. Those high security doors cost a fortune and from what they'd seen of Valkyrie, she could pretty much tear through them effortlessly if she really wanted to. Sighing, Pixiebob looked to her team for confirmation before reaching over to flick a switch.
"Fine. But only because I owe you, got it?" The heavy, multi-ton doors started to slide open and Valkyrie strode in casually like she owned the place. Little did they know she could recognize certain emotional signatures of people she remembered, which was how she found them.
"Well, I suppose we should meet our guest. I'll go prepare some tea." the muscular man announced curtly, starting to make his way to the kitchen. An awkward silence fell over the three women, two of them already waiting for an explanation.
"Y'know, when you said you can speak to the Valkyrie I thought you were joking. I mean, I've only heard rumors of her speech as an urban myth. So you guys are friends, huh? She's your pal, your chum?" the brunette teased.
"It's not like that, Mandalay." Pixiebob replied, the trio marching over to the main entrance to meet the vigilante. "We met during that big earthquake rescue a few months back and she uh, took a liking to me? I mean, I don't even know why. She helped me out a lot during the rescue and we worked well together; I told her to come to me if she needed any help then, didn't expect her to bring that detail up now. Haven't seen her since. To be fair, I do owe her for the help."
"Hmmm. Gimme a little more detail." the team leader requested, looking apprehensive now. "I need to know what we're dealing with just in case."
"She came across one of my earth beast puppets during the rescue effort." Pixiebob explained, their heels clicking against the metal floor as they walked. "It scared a young boy nearby, and she started to tear it apart. She probably thought my earth beast was some sort of villainous minion and was trying to protect the kid. Took me a while to convince her I was here to help, but after that she helped me locate the remaining trapped civilians."
"Hmmm. Any thoughts on why she's here, Ragdoll?" Mandalay asked, checking to make sure all her equipment was there in the rush to put in on earlier. Everyone in their team were dressed in matching cat-themed costumes that included offensive paw-gloves with retractable claws. Never hurt to be too cautious.
"No clue," Ragdoll shrugged, tapping at her chin with an extended claw. "My Search Quirk doesn't work on her, remember?"
Mandalay groaned, rubbing her head. "Perfect. An indestructible vigilante in our home that's immune to Quirks. Let's just hope she's peaceful."
"Don't worry, she only attacks villains." Pixiebob assured. "Or people and things she thinks are "evil"."
The three women finally made it to the living room/main hall, where the vigilante was waiting. Their leader took a deep breath and stepped forward, looking to her teammates and sharing a nod. "Okay, let's do this."
"Locking on target with our sparkly eyes!" Mandalay started, flourishing her claws.
"Our helping paws will pounce your way!" Ragdoll cried, jumping happily.
"Springing suddenly from out of nowhere..." A deep voice rumbled from within the nearby kitchen.
"We're cute, cute, cats with stingers!" Pixiebob finished, gesturing to her audience.
"Wild, Wild Pussycats!" All four members of the team announced simultaneously, the three women taking positions in fabulous poses in their cat-themed costumes while their fourth member was absent.
"..." Valkyrie stared at them blankly, blinking. "Hello."
"It's our new intro! What do you ya think, eh? Eh?" Ragdoll grinned, even as the girl continued staring at her without a word. "Tough crowd... she really does only respond verbally to certain people."
"Ahem. So, uh, Hi Valkyrie." Pixiebob cleared her throat awkwardly. "What do you need help on?"
The vigilante paused, sniffing the air momentarily like she smelled something. "Personal advice."
Mandalay groaned, while Ragdoll started to giggle uncontrollably. "You came all the way here into the mountains, woke us up at 3 AM, activated every alarm on your way here, infiltrated our secret base, just so you could get some personal advice?"
Valkyrie nodded, then without warning started wandering towards the kitchen. A vague question of what she was doing crossed Pixiebob's mind but died on her lips when she realized Tiger, their fourth member, was still in the kitchen making tea.
"I know you look like that naturally, but can you at least put on some clothes or something? There's a man in the kitchen." the blonde remarked exasperatedly. Actually Tiger was a woman turned into a man via Quirk, but that was irrelevant now. Plus, it would help to train the clueless girl for future interactions; Pixiebob doubted that Valkyrie herself knew how many guys she was making hot and bothered with that alluring form of hers.
The girl stopped and tilted her head in apparent curiosity, looking at Pixiebob with that same blank expression she always wore. She looked down at her own featureless body, then at Pixiebob. Or more specifically, Pixiebob's costume. The older woman instantly got what she was thinking and covered herself with her hands, a scandalized look crossing her features.
"I didn't mean mine! You can't have these, make some of your own!"
Valkyrie tilted her head again, this time to express her confusion.
"Don't give me that look, I know you can shapeshift. I saw you change to a smaller size to rescue someone trapped in the debris." Pixiebob huffed, pouting. "I also saw you blend into the crowd when we left by making some clothes of your own. Why don't you do that now?"
A moment passed and Valkyrie was suddenly clothed in a perfect copy of Pixiebob's costume, complete with cat ears, paws, and tail. The strange thing was, it looked better on her than it did on Pixiebob herself. The sky-blue costume complimented her snow-white skin nicely, the girl twisting around to check herself out. Mandalay and Ragdoll exchanged glances, then nodded in approval.
"Wha- Hey, You can't wear that! Only official members of our team can wear that uniform, it's copyrighted! Change to something else." Pixiebob protested, slightly jealous of the other girl's youthful figure.
"Okay, Cat-lady."
The moment those words left her mouth Valkyrie shrank right before their very eyes, now taking the form of a child in an oversized hoodie that stretched down to nearly touch her knees. Her hair transformed to jet black, long locks shortening in the span of a few seconds. Her skin was no longer snow-white but instead a healthy, normal color. Light blue pupils gazed at them passively, a surprisingly normal color considering that they used to be milky-white with a green glow. The women stared in silent fascination, until Ragdoll started squealing in excitement at the completed transformation.
"Ohmigod, she's so cuuuuuute!" She ran up to the now younger girl and started rubbing her head gently, cooing all the while. "I didn't know she could do that!"
"Me either." Mandalay said, still staring in abject disbelief. "Careful, Ragdoll- she just looks younger. For all we know you two could be the same age."
"But look! Look at her cute little face! Tiny!" Ragdoll gushed, darting around the girl manically.
"I didn't mean- gah, nevermind." Pixiebob muttered. "Why must you appear before me in that ridiculous form?"
"Why do you go on rescue missions dressed as a cat?" the girl countered flatly. "Just as that form is comfortable for you, this form is comfortable for me."
The now miniature Valkyrie continued to wander past them and towards the kitchen, just as Tiger rounded the corner with a huge teatray in his arms. He didn't see her due to their massive difference in height, almost colliding with the girl until the last second. In his rush to avoid her he dropped the tray, deftly catching it before it hit the ground in an impressive demonstration of his flexibility.
"What the- Who-"
The heavyset man didn't get his answers as the tiny girl strolled past him, stopping momentarily to sniff at his tea before finally reaching the kitchen. There, she floated up onto the marble counter-top and reached for a large porcelain jar, opening it effortlessly and retrieving the hidden treasure within.
Without a word Valkyrie stuck her fingers into the jar and pulled out a small sugarcube, popping it into her mouth and chewing slowly. The Pussycats watched her from the kitchen entrance, bewildered.
"Is that—" Tiger began.
"Yup."
"Why is she so..." He struggled to find the words, the teaset now cradled in his arms protectively. "Small?"
"Because Pixiebob told her to put on some clothes."
"What does that have to do with anything?"
"More importantly, she's eating all my sugarcubes!" Ragdoll exclaimed, shaking Mandalay back and forth. "She can't do that!"
"Yeah, pretty rude. She's almost like an actual kid, if you think about it. Throwing a tantrum on our doorstep, eating our food... I wouldn't be surprised if she starts raiding our fridge next." Mandalay deadpanned.
"No, I mean she'll rot all her teeth if she eats that much sugar at one go!"
[x]
After a few minutes of persuasion, the team managed to get everyone into the surprisingly spacious living room where they now sat in a rough circle on cushy-looking sofas. Valkyrie opted to sit on Pixiebob's lap with the jar still clutched tightly in her hands, occasionally reaching inside for another sugarcube.
"Okay, we're all here." Pixiebob chuffed, holding the smaller girl gently while sinking into the comfy sofa. "Is that English on your hoodie? And where did you even learn such weird eating habits anyways?"
She was of course, referring to her little sugarcube snacks. Valkyrie could eat the cubes easily enough- their mildness was nothing compared to the sweet emotions she could consume just from people being in her radius. This was the only way she could taste sweetness without it being too overwhelming. She had picked up the habit of eating sugarcubes whole from a Vigilante known as Inkblot (nobody in Japan could pronounce his English name properly), the first person who realized she wasn't actually human and taught her how to speak properly. All this from him noticing that she wasn't breathing, which was why she couldn't speak in the first place. Inkblot wore this weird monochrome mask that shifted into symmetrical shapes on his face like ink on paper, hence the name.
They'd first met many years ago when she detected his never-ending pit of negative emotions and followed hungrily like a child following a breadcrumb trail. Inkblot soon discovered her meddling when he gradually felt better each day and outright hated her when he finally realized she was treating him as a walking snack, but quickly forgave her when he noticed she literally had the mentality of a child. He was an interesting man; paranoid and even cruel in some respects but someone who held onto his principles. Uncompromising. Made her question if he was an actual good guy or not but in the end they found themselves as acquaintances. Not close enough to be friends, but pretty close.
Long story short, in the time they spent together as a pseudo-team he taught her plenty of things including fighting techniques, citing that one day her invulnerability may not be able to protect her. Too bad he didn't teach her anything in the emotion department, seeing as he himself was pretty much dead inside. The last she saw him he was headed to America, in an attempt to find "The Big Blue Bastard that sent me to this universe in the first place". Whatever that meant, she wished him well and sent him on his way.
But that's a story for another time. While Valkyrie was busy thinking on her her past, Ragdoll had begun poking at the girl's childish cheeks, laughing musically when Pixiebob shooed her away gently. "Y'know Pixiebob, you kind of look like a mother when she's in your lap like that. Its adorable!"
Pixiebob flushed, her cheeks tinged red in embarrassment. "T-that's not-"
Before she could answer, the blonde found a sugarcube prodding gently at her mouth. Valkyrie held it in an angle, apparently trying to feed her.
"Nn." the girl insisted, sugarcube nestled in her tiny fingers. The older blonde turned an even brighter shade of red, trying to remind herself that the child before her was much older than she looked (which unknown to them, was actually untrue).
Both Mandalay and Ragdoll smiled brightly at that, the latter even pulling out a camera from seemingly nowhere and taking a quick snapshot. Tiger just grinned slightly, content at the scene. Pixiebob eventually relented and popped the cube into her mouth, her face scrunching up as the sharp sweetness stung her taste buds.
"Geh. I don't know how you can eat these." she grimaced, reaching for a warm cup of tea to wash the taste down. "So what 'personal advice' did you come here for, anyway?"
The girl thought for a moment on how to answer the question. She didn't feel like revealing the existence of her brother… she had to call him something different, then.
"I'm scared that my Master doesn't want me anymore."
Pixiebob spat out her tea in a spray of disbelief, coughing and sputtering while the other three Pussycats looked on with various stunned expressions. She came to us for relationship advice of all things? And on such a delicate topic... really?
"What?!" she shrieked, shifting the girl on her lap slightly so they were now face-to-face. "Master? W-w-what do you mean by that?!"
She couldn't believe it. Such a sweet, innocent, young girl was into such depraved play- wait a minute. This isn't her real form!
"Master is master. I serve Master." Technically she wasn't lying- Izuku was her creator and she was his construct. Master and servant. She just preferred to think of him as a brother.
"S-serve? You mean you do what he tells you?"
Valkyrie nodded, thinking of her first and only order. Be a Hero. One that she continued following to this day. All three women blushed fiercely, their imaginations already running wild with all sorts of unhealthy thoughts. Master and Servant play? Oh boy. Tiger instead opted to down his tea, listening with renewed interest.
"Um, ooooooookay. So, uh… why do you think he doesn't want you anymore?" It was hard for Pixiebob to understand why someone wouldn't want a shapeshifting, unstoppable metahuman at their every beck and call, especially one so cute by default. Maybe it was her lack of facial expressions. The girl clearly had emotions, but most likely had trouble expressing them.
Valkyrie scratched her head, thinking of how to describe Izuku's inheritance of One For All without revealing too much information. "He's gonna get something better soon. Better than me."
Ragdoll held a paw over her mouth in a scandalized expression while Mandalay turned even redder, fidgeting in her seat. Tiger coughed, then began to pour himself another cup of tea.
"Listen, Valkyrie-" Pixiebob started, her own face turning a bright shade of red. "I don't know what kind of relationship you and your, uh- Master are in but I'm sure he wouldn't abandon you just because he found someone better. At least- I hope he wouldn't."
The girl tilted her head, waiting for the older woman to continue. "I-I mean, can you tell me what kind of person your Master is?"
Valkyrie did not hesitate to reply as Izuku's good qualities were listed in rapid fire. "Brave. Selfless. Kind. Generous. Caring."
"You really look up to him, huh." Pixiebob said. "This person, do you love him?"
"Yes." In a pure, sisterly way, of course. But Pixiebob didn't need to know that.
"Does he love you?"
At that, the girl didn't answer. Until the sludge incident, Izuku had never even met her face to face and likely barely even knew of her existence. How was she supposed to answer? Pixiebob sighed, stroking the girl's hair gently. "Look, kid. Can I call you kid? I mean you're literally a kid now… nevermind."
"Nn." The girl didn't shy away from the physical contact, instead leaning into the older woman's bosom further. She snuggled into the softness, feeling the warmth of Pixiebob's body through her clothes.
"At times like these, what you need to do is go talk to him. I mean, from what you're implying you guys are close, yet far? It's such a weird relationship but hey, I'm not one to judge. You gotta go talk to him to find out how he feels about you, or else you'd just end up with an unrequited love that'll never bloom. Fight for what you want, what you believe in. If you don't even try you'll just be giving up without a fight." Pixiebob took a moment to catch her breath, then hugged the smaller girl tightly. "I should know."
Valkyrie looked up, her face still cold and stony as if it was carved out of marble. Her eyes however told a different story, for Pixiebob could see a sort of childish fear within them. "But what if he doesn't want me anymore?"
The blonde thought for a moment, then took a deep breath and gave her opinion. "Then you move on. It's not the end of the world. But whoever this guy is, he sounds like a good person from your description so I don't think he'll just abandon you. Which begs the question of why he would find someone else in the first place, the two-timing scumbag son of a-"
The vigilante tilted her head, suspecting that Pixiebob had somehow misunderstood her somewhere along the line. But so far her advice was pretty decent so she'd keep quiet and listen. Meanwhile, Pixiebob was busy getting upset on whoever would cheat on such an innocent girl.
"-knuckleheaded imbecile! Either way, that's all the advice I can give you. I mean, I was never really good at this relationship thing so I can't guarantee anything."
"But I want him all to myself."
"Oh." Pixiebob raised an eyebrow, then coughed awkwardly. Maybe the girl wasn't as innocent as she looked. "Well kid, that's the thing isn't it? You want him. That implies you want to own him, have him all to yourself. But that isn't right. You can't just own people like they're objects... it may make you happy, but you gotta consider how they would feel. It's a delicate balance of feelings. Relationships sure are complicated, eh?"
She thought for a moment of what Izuku would think if she kept babying him all his life, stealing away his opportunity to grow. It felt... wrong, like she was taking away his future. It was the same wrongness she would feel if she had absorbed too much of his emotions, leaving him a lifeless husk. Not that she'd ever do that to her dear brother, but still. She just couldn't take away his chance to be a hero, especially when he'd looked up to heroes all his life. Pixiebob was right.
Valkyrie looked up at the older woman's determined face, then nodded slowly. "Yeah."
She resolved to talk with Izuku right after her nap later, already thinking of what she was supposed to say. Finally approaching him purposely... she didn't know how she was supposed to feel about that.
"Out of curiosity, do you call your Master, uh, 'Master'?" The blonde asked nervously, hoping to find out more information about this mysterious individual that ruled over the girl. Maybe kick his ass if he made her cry. The girl seemed to ponder the question before looking her in the eye and giving a direct answer.
"I call him onii-chan." Valkyrie hoped they wouldn't be able to get too much information out of that.
"PFFFFFT!" This time it was Tiger who spat out his tea mid-sip, coughing out the remaining liquid as he tried to comprehend what he just heard. "Oh... my... Goodness!"
All three women were speechless, already trying to imagine what sort of pervert this guy was. In their heads they were already imagining this "Master" making poor Valkyrie shapeshift into her younger form occasionally for whatever kind of weird act they had going on. Then again, it wasn't their right to judge the relationships of others so they just held their tongues instead of objecting.
"That's... unique." Pixiebob finally said, her teeth grinding together slowly. No doubt she was already thinking of plans to destroy this guy if she ever got the chance to meet him. "He's important to you?"
A nod, followed by the continued chewing of the sugarcube in her mouth.
The blonde sighed, patting her on the shoulder. Different strokes for different folks, then. "Jeez. I don't even why you came to me for advice in the first place- to be honest all myrelationships have been, well, catastrophic. Why me?"
Another tilt of the head. The answer was surprisingly obvious: the girl considered Pixiebob a friend. Then again, she could count the number of people she actually considered friends on one hand alone. She answered appropriately by pointing a small finger at the older woman's face. "You're my friend."
Pixiebob found herself smiling, then chuckled. "Thank you... I'm flattered, really. But I mean, everyone knows you only talk to certain people in all your years of vigilantism. So what drew you to me in the first place? What made me so special that you wanted to speak with me?"
Valkyrie pondered the question for a moment, thinking back to the first time she'd met the eccentric hero. Her bravery and passion in helping people, her kindness… it all matched the criteria of what she thought of as a true hero. Also Pixiebob kind of reminded her of Izuku's mom, Inko. But how was she to phrase that... If Izuku was her master, then was his mother the master of her master? Master's master? Grandmaster? How confusing. Ultimately, she decided to play it straight.
"You remind me of Baa-chan." She said simply, still chewing on a sugarcube.
"Baa-chan?" Pixiebob blinked, then started to protest. "Obaa-chan? I remind you of your grandmother? Hey! I'm not that old!"
Ragdoll burst out laughing, while Mandalay held back a giggle. Tiger just sipped at his tea again.
With that, the girl got up from her position, then placed the now half-empty jar she was holding back onto the coffee table. Turning to face the Pussycats, she gave them all a deep bow, followed by a small wave. "Thank you, Cat-lady."
"It's Pixiebob!"
Valkyrie paused for a moment, then waved again. "Bye-bye, Pixiebob."
Then, she was gone. Vanished into thin air, whisked away to who knows where. It was as if she was never there in the first place, every trace of her gone except the half empty sugarcube jar she'd left in her wake. The Wild, Wild Pussycats stared at where she'd been just moments ago, still contemplating everything they'd just experienced.
"So. She can teleport? That's nice to know." Tiger finally said, sipping at his third cup of tea. Strangely enough, he was the only one that drank the tea he made. No sense in letting it go to waste.
"I don't think it's that… if she could teleport why didn't she just teleport her way back into the base?"
"Maybe she has some sort of limitation? A guy I knew had line-of-sight teleportation."
The team looked at each other, each shrugging in turn.
"Well, that happened. It's time to go back to bed." Ragdoll announced cheerfully. "Night' girls."
"Are we seriously gonna ignore that a highly-wanted Vigilante just asked us for relationship advice? Well, asked Pixiebob, but still." Mandalay remarked in disbelief, watching as Ragdoll grabbed a pillow off the sofa on the way back to her bed.
"Yeah, it's surprising to know that even untouchable heroes like Valkyrie have problems of their own. Real-eye opener." Tiger turned on the television and swapped through the channels until he found a football match. "Maybe she's just a normal girl under that title of number one vigilante. A little weird, but normal overall."
"Shouldn't you be going back to sleep, Tiger?"
"I'm a man, I can do whatever I want." The muscular hero sipped at his tea, holding the teacup with his pinkie extended. "Besides, I don't feel like sleeping now."
Mandalay and Pixiebob shared a look, then rolled their eyes and threw a pillow each at the lounging hero before going back to their respective beds. Pomf!
Men.
[x]
"Eat this!"
"Eh?"
"Doesn't matter what it is you eat, as long as it contains my DNA! Now hurry!"
[x]
All Might awoke to find himself in a strange landscape of colors and shapes, the ground beneath his feet shifting, yet stable. There were trees and widespread plains of grass, but also empty desert sands and deep oceans mixed together in a kaleidoscope of impossible environments. It was beautiful in an alien, abstract way. One moment he was at the beach standing before Young Midoriya with a strand of his hair and the next he was here.
He looked down at himself, surprised to find that he was in his muscle form. He practiced switching between his two forms and found that the transition was effortless, something that was clearly impossible. He didn't even feel any fatigue when changing... which meant he didn't have his time limit here. How had he fallen asleep and end up here? Wasn't the U.A entrance exam in three hours? What was this place?
"Heya, Toshinori."
All Might spun around, only to come face-to-face with a woman he knew long ago, her form faded and translucent like a ghost. Seven glowing motes of ethereal light orbited around her head like a halo, making her look like an Angel from Heaven.
"Shimura Nana," All Might breathed, unable to believe his own eyes. "I thought you were dead."
"I am, genius." The previous wielder of One for All scoffed, a wide grin already appearing on her features. He hadn't seen that familiar grin in decades... He wanted to give a greeting hug but that translucent form made him think twice. Maybe he would pass right through her. "Glad to see you're still as smart as when I'd last saw you."
The hero blinked, squinting his eyes at her translucent figure. He then looked back at his own body and started patting himself to make sure he was still solid.
"Am I dead?" All Might whispered, looking down at his muscular body and shifting over to his true form for comparison. "Are you a ghost?"
"I'm no ghost, and you're an idiot. If you're here it means you've passed the torch." Another grin, this time milder. "Midoriya Izuku. He's a good kid."
"I... don't understand."
"Take a look around you. Where do you think we are?"
The pair viewed the landscape, eerily beautiful yet completely alien to them. Nana sighed, then patted her successor on the back. "Let me give you a hint. You're not the real Toshinori."
All Might glanced at her in confusion, then at his thin hands. He flexed them experimentally, forming a fist and testing each finger individually. "I feel pretty real."
"Well, sorry to break it to you but you're not. You're a fragment of the real Toshinori that was passed along with the power. A piece of his soul, if you will."
The man's eyes widened, finally realizing what she was implying. He then took another look around before coming back to face her. "Then this is-"
"Ding ding ding! Correctamundo! We're in the mind of One For All's newest wielder, Midoriya Izuku." Nana chuckled and spread her arms wide in a dramatic fashion. "Plenty of room in here, as you can see."
"So all of this isn't real."
"Nonsense! It's as real as you and me! We exist, that is. Unless you're having an existential/identity crisis right now. That would suck."
"Very funny, Sensei. I see you haven't lost your sense of humor." he grinned, still looking around at the impossible environments. There were snowcapped mountains in the distance, ocean waves washing against the rocks in a calm rhythm.
All Might looked contemplative, considering the situation. "The real me is still out there teaching young Midoriya? That's good to know. But what happens to us? Do we go mad in here?"
"Actually it takes around an hour for the power to settle down, and then a little more for you to manifest. I've been sitting here waiting for you to show up. Midoriya's exam is about to start! And of course you're not going to go mad. I'm not mad! At least, I don't think I am. Remember those times you were in a pinch and you suddenly felt a surge of power or otherworldly knowledge come to you? That was me! Or one of us helping you out subconsciously, anyway. We're basically here to guide and help the user out whenever he or she needs it."
"One of us?"
"The previous wielders of One for All." Nana answered, pointing at the colored lights circling around her head. Seven lights... for seven wielders. All Might's eyes widened once again at the revelation. "We live on in the inherited power... and never truly die. Congrats, Toshinori! You get to be an immortal!"
All Might stared blankly, unsure of how to react. "So all this time you guys were watching me? That's creepy."
"What kind of reaction is that? You just got told you're an immortal! You're no fun. And to answer your question, something like that. We can only see snippets of your life, incomplete memories. Look!" The woman pointed to a violet orb of light, one of the seven. "This one's me. In here our strength is shared- not that I need it here anyways. Too bad we can't spar to see how far you've come."
"So that's going to happen to you and me?" he asked, slightly nervous of the answer.
"Pretty much, yeah. I'll turn into a glowing light and float around your head. You'll watch over young Midoriya, just as I have watched over you."
"I see. It's good that I can help the boy out, even if I don't make it in the real world... Can any of the other wielders materialize like you do now?"
"You're taking this awfully well, eh. I can only do it so easily because I'm the second latest to wield the power. If you want to summon a previous wielder for his wise sage advice—" She waggled her eyebrows comically. "—you'll have to dismiss me temporarily. Relax, you won't go mad in here."
"Right... so what other duties do I have in here?"
"Well, first of all you have to—" Nana suddenly stopped mid-sentence, eyes widening in alarm. She spun on the spot to face a different direction, a bewildered look on her face. "That can't be right. What the hell?"
There was a loud whooshing as a circular oval of light manifested mere meters away from them, the intense glare almost overwhelming.
"Is that supposed to happen?"
"No, I've never seen anything like that before!"
The light eventually subsided, and at the spot it had been stood a young girl in an oversized hoodie. Her arms were outstretched upwards and her eyes scrunched shut as she yawned, mouth open wide. Both Nana and All Might stared at the new individual in confusion. She hadn't spotted them yet, her eyes still shut as she walked groggily past them with a sleepy expression. Shoulder-length black hair bobbed from side to side as the girl stumbled over some pebbles. All Might started to reach out before his old mentor's arm stopped him, her head shaking slowly. No.
"What's-" Her hand latched over his mouth quickly, stopping the words from coming out while she kept her eyes on the strange child.
"Don't move or make a sound." Nana whispered in a hushed voice. All Might complied, watching cautiously as the girl pulled herself up onto a nearby flat rock. "Nobody else is supposed to be in here."
All Might looked to her, then at the girl. He raised an eyebrow and she slowly lifted her hand off his mouth, allowing him to speak again. He fully got her implication that something wasn't right, opting to keep his voice low. "It's just a kid. Maybe she's a young telepath probing into his mind?"
"No telepath could go this deep," She said softly. "We're literally at the innermost parts of Midoriya's mind, his psyche. This is something else."
One of the motes of light in Nana's halo suddenly started blinking rapidly... as if it was starting to panic. "...Toshinori?"
"Yeah?" He watched as the tiny girl shifted, apparently trying to find a good position to sleep in as she curled into a tight ball.
"I think I know what that is." Nana said, her voice barely audible now. "One of the previous wielders is telling me she's some sort of split personality... or worse, a Tulpa. Thing is, they've never seen one so advanced. It's almost as if she's... sentient."
"How can you tell?"
"From the memories they're showing me, split personalities or entities usually manifest as either a rough shape or sound this deep in the psyche, never a crystal clear image like this one."
"So she's... like an imaginary friend? Is that good or bad?"
"Bad. Really, really bad. It means she's focused and tangible to us... If she's defensive she'll be like a white blood cell; worst case scenario she'll think we're invaders and will do her best to destroy us utterly and completely."
A split personality in young Midoriya's mind? That didn't sound good. She might look like a kid, but the hero knew from experience not to underestimate small, cute or vulnerable-looking opponents. All Might hesitated, then looked to his old mentor. "Can we take her?"
The light that had blinked previously started blinking even faster, Nana's eyes widening in response. "Probably, since you're, well... you. But Wielder's telling me its not a good idea to fight her. This is her domain as much as it is his mind, it'd be the same as breaking into someone's house and picking a fight with them. Totally not cool."
"What do we do?" he whispered back. "We can't just keep avoiding her forever."
"For now, we need to fall back and come up with a plan." She turned and began tiptoeing away. "Hopefully we can reach a peaceful resolution with her- we're kind of intruding on her home here."
All Might nodded, then turned and began to follow the older woman. Just as he took a few steps a sudden small tug on his pant leg stopped him in his tracks, forcing him to look back slowly. The little girl was now directly behind him, her small hand tugging at his jeans. Her other hand rubbed at her eyes sleepily, still yawning. Nana froze where she stood, an uneasy expression on her face.
"Uh-oh."
The girl cracked both eyes open, her large pupils gazing at All Might in confusion, then at Nana. The two adults stood still as the child began to look between the two back and forth like a referee at a tennis match. Then she focused on All Might, her doe-like eyes locking onto his face with laser precision. The confusion started to disappear, and with it came a spark of recognition. That recognition turned into sadness without warning, moisture already starting to form at the corner of her eyes.
"Eh?" All Might stammered, resisting the urge to back away.
Her lower lip began to tremble and the girl started to sniff, before finally breaking out in small, miserable sobs. Tears began to stream down her face as the small child began to cry, her soft sniffling echoing through the landscape as she collapsed to the grass on her knees. Nana jogged up beside All Might, a strange sense of pity overcoming the both of them as they watched the poor girl cry her eyes out.
"What. Did. You. Do." Nana asked her student, her voice low and dangerous.
She bent down and began to comfort the girl, patting her on the back gently as her crying slowly subsided to small hiccups. The array of souls on her halo was flashing rapidly like a strobe light now. She ignored their warning, taking on a motherly tone to try and placate the girl. "There, there. It's okay. We're not trying to steal your home... Poor thing, she really is just a kid. Maybe she thinks we're here to take over Midoriya's mind."
"I didn't do anything, she just started crying when she saw me!" All Might assured, scratching his head.
"Probably scared her with that bony face of yours." she sighed. "Do you know this kid?"
"Never seen her before in my life."
"Hang on, let me see if I can get a reading off her..." Nana placed her hand on the girl's forehead, which started to glow softly. "She's... upset that she'll no longer be needed? Wha?"
"What is that supposed to mean?" All Might asked, confused. Why would she be unneeded? Something wasn't right here.
"No idea." Nana puzzled, trying to put the clues together. "Quick, change into your muscle form! That'll help her see that we're the good guys- she'll be sure to recognize your Hero form."
All Might complied and changed to his Hero form in an instant, complete with trademark mighty grin. "Have no fear!Because I am here!"
He completed the intro with a mighty flex pose, one that even casual fans would be sure to remember. If the girl was part of Midoriya, then she would certainly recognize this!
As it turned out, the girl did recognize him and stopped sniffling... an expression of fury suddenly crossing her features.
"Eh?"
The girl stood and transformed, growing rapidly as her hair lengthened and her skin turned snow-white, her pupils glowing with a soft green light. Before either of them could say anything her fist crashed into All Might's face with a thunderous boom, sending him flying back into a rock formation which crumbled under the impact. Nana looked on, transfixed as the girl's true form was revealed. She'd seen her in All Might's memories. But how... why was she here?
Valkyrie.
"Ouch," All Might got up from the pile of loose rocks, now facing his new opponent. "Oh. Well that's... unexpected."
Valkyrie growled, fresh tearmarks still staining her cheeks. She continued walking up to him, her stride defiant and confident. Graceful fingers curled to form solid fists. He'd never seen her this angry before- actually he hadn't seen her with any other expression besides her default stare. This was different. Maybe because they were in a mental form now?
"Uh, hi, Miss Valkyrie. What a coincidence! Didn't know you lived here, sorry for the intrusion. That explains a lot of things actually, like how nobody was ever able to track you down. You live in people's minds?"
"Nn." The vigilante slammed her fists together, creating a small shockwave. She then began to crack her knuckles threateningly, not looking very friendly at all. Unlike the real world, here she could express her emotions freely. Instead of her usual cold expression her face was locked into a rictus of rage, clearly upset at his presence.
"So you can talk after all!" All Might exclaimed. "Since you can speak, why don't we just settle this with words? Just calm down, there's no need for violence—"
All Might shifted his head just in time to avoid a powerful haymaker, followed by a high kick that scythed though the air and inches away from his nose. He heard Nana yelling in the background, but couldn't quite hear her when he was busy dodging. He'd never seen the girl so emotional before, why was it that she could express herself so much it here?
The hero blocked an impressive overhead strike, his bones creaking from the impact. Wasn't too bad, he'd fought stronger and faster villains. He caught Valkyrie's extended arm and twisted to catch her in an armlock, pinning her down. Since he was much stronger than her, she wouldn't be able to break out of it by brute force.
"Sorry about this young lady, but you need to calm down."
Valkyrie responded almost instantaneously, shrinking down to her child form to slip out of the armlock; her tiny fist rocketed into his chin as she executed a perfect uppercut. All Might was sent flying a second time, this time recovering mid-air. He angled downward, unsure if he could bring himself to attack someone that looked like an innocent kid. His opponent didn't have the same dilemma, still tiny as she leapt into the air after him.
"Stop! Don't fight her!" Nana cried from the ground, watching as the two clashed in a thunderous impact. The pair crashed straight through a wall of stone, chunks of solid rock trailing behind them as the diminutive fighter rained down small but powerful blows on All Might's guard. They finally landed facing each other, the girl changing back into her older combat form as her feet touched the ground.
"I'm not trying to! She just keeps attacking." The hero blocked another combo consisting of multiple swings and kicks. "Hang on, I'll end this quickly!"
"What? Wai—"
His fist raced towards Valkyrie, speed and power manifest... until she caught it with an open palm. Visible shockwaves exploded from the point of impact, a waft of steam sizzling from where their hands met. In all his years of heroism, he could count the number of people who had actually stopped a punch from him on one hand. The girl had a murderous expression on her face, but her eyes shone with a sorrowful desperation. Something in those eyes made the hero pause, reminding him of what Nana had said earlier.
"Won't let you... take. Mine." Valkyrie whispered, glaring at her opponent. All Might eyes widened in stunned surprise. What did she even mean by that?
"We're not trying to steal your home! You're misunderstanding-" he tried, watching the girl grit her teeth as she began to push against his strength. To his amazement he found himself putting more and more effort just to stop his fist from moving back. He'd seen her fight before and had never seen her this strong before. Had she been holding back in the real world?
"Upset that she'll no longer be needed..." The words echoed hauntingly. His gut feeling told him he was misunderstanding something, but what?
All Might didn't get a chance to contemplate any further when she tightened her grip around his fist, dragging him close. To his shock, the girl moved forward and slammed her forehead against his face in a vicious headbutt. Whoever taught this girl how to fight must have been quite the savage. His fists flew, crashing against her body to no avail. He was fast and strong enough to dodge or block the incoming blows, but realized that he couldn't do enough damage to take her down. Just as his power here was the same as the real world, she too had her strange nigh-invulnerability. He wasn't a fool: he'd read the reports, ran the simulations regarding her. They were locked in a stalemate, with both of them unable to take the other down.
Unstoppable Force versus Immovable Object.
Logic versus Emotion.
All Might versus Valkyrie.
"Stop fighting her, Toshinori! You're only making things worse!" Nana shouted, powerless to stop the two juggernauts. Since she shared power with All Might, moving in to engage would effectively halve his strength.
"I'm—" There was an earsplitting crack that echoed through the air. "—trying!" All Might argued, blocking another blow."She's really upset! Is it because we're taking up her living space?"
"You don't understand, you big oaf! I've figured it out: she isn't a split personality; she's a mental projection! That'show she can be in the real world and the mindscape!"
"Huh?" The ground beneath him buckled from the impact of her kick. "So she takes naps in people's heads—"
"Think back to when Midoriya met her after the sludge attack in the tunnel! Remember her reaction?" the woman yelled, her eyes tracking the two fighters as they cut a swathe of carnage throughout the environment.
Water and dirt exploded up in enormous volumes as Valkyrie missed her swing, her fist slamming into the riverbed where he had stood just moments before. All Might quickly thought back to when the two had met, how the vigilante had paid extra care and attention to the young boy... something she never did before for anyone. She evensmiled. Young Midoriya was special to her?
"What does that have to do with anything?" The hero narrowly dodged Valkyrie's reverse heel kick, followed by a quick swipe. He countered by ramming his fist into her face, which did absolutely nothing except make her angrier.
"Why do you think she cares about him, a completely ordinary boy? She's not just any mental projection... she's his mental projection! That's why she's in here. Midoriya Izuku isn't Quirkless; Valkyrie is his Quirk!"
The realization shocked All Might to the core, stunning the hero. But that meant-
All Might's train of thought was derailed when Valkyrie took advantage of his temporary state of confusion, a knee catching him in the midsection, followed by a backflip to create some distance between them. Emerald light blazed from the girl's eyes and she roared with fury, her arm cocking back in a horrifyingly familiar fashion. One that he'd seen hundreds of times before. All Might's eyes widened for the umpteenth time. Impossible. She couldn't be—
"DETROIT—" Valkyrie howled, already leaping high up into the air as her fist angled downwards. She was.
All Might grinned, feeling the power of One For All surging through his body. How long since he had a real challenge? This would be fun, even if it was in a mental landscape instead of the real world. A mighty arm reared back, immense raw power coursing through muscle and bone. The strength of eight different individuals over several different generations compiled into a single punch.
"TEXAS—" Power against Power. Hero against Vigilante. The excitement he felt made him feel alive again, just like when he'd first wielded One For All. So what if he wasn't the real Toshinori? This was real enough for him.
"—SMAAAAAAAAAASH!" The both of them finished simultaneously, their fists crashing together with a deafening boom. A thunderclap of pure energy resonated through the air as the ground itself splintered and cracked.
The resulting explosion of light, sound and pressure shattered the landscape, chunks of rocks and trees sent flying from the shockwave alone. The earth shook, tectonic layers shattering and rupturing upward like a blooming flower. Every tree nearby was uprooted, every faraway body of water rippled roughly.
When the smoke cleared, All Might was the one left standing... Valkyrie sat on the broken ground in her child form, blinking in confusion. Nana was beside the girl, the seven motes of light that circled her head previously now wrapped tightly around the girl's body. The vigilante struggled in vain, trying her best to get out of the binding, but to no avail. Nana sighed in relief, rubbing her temples in little circles. It was only natural that All Might would win, even if you used his own moves against him. The girl still had a lot to learn. Valkyrie may be an immovable object, but All Might was both the unstoppable force and the immovable object.
"Thanks to your little clash, I was able to seal her with the help of One For All... temporarily, anyway. Now we can get her to calm down and just talk. Time out, little lady."
"Nn. Nnnn! It's not fair!" Valkyrie squeaked angrily, her feet trashing around and teeth snapping at one of the lights. All Might thought she looked kind of cute when she wasn't trying to tear his head off.
"Annnnnnd now she's throwing a tantrum. Perfect. A contrast of how she's usually like in the real world. Just great." the ex-heroine groaned, waving him over. "Why don't you talk to her, Toshinori?"
All Might knelt down, lowering himself so that he was almost eye to eye with the smaller girl. She pouted, turning away and refusing to look at him. He tried giving her another trademark smile, to which she replied with by sticking her tongue out at him. What a brat.
"Hello, Miss Valkyrie. Now why did you attack me? I assure you we're not trying to take over young Midoriya's mind, if that's what you're worried about. One For All doesn't work like that. Why were you so angry at us?"
"Minenotyours."
"Can you repeat that?"
"Mine! Onii-chan's mine! But with your power..." The girl wore a crestfallen expression now, looking like she was about to cry. "You'll take him away from me. Onii-chan won't want me any more."
"You're talking about young Midoriya! Why won't he want you anymore?" All Might puzzled. "You're a great hero, even if your methods are a bit... unorthodox. I'm sure young Midoriya is very proud of you."
"Onii-chan doesn't know about me. About us. Too dangerous." Valkyrie shook her head slowly. "With your power, he'll be a hero on his own- won't need me to be a hero any more." A loud sniffle, followed by a choking sob. "Won't want me."
Doesn't know about me-
Won't need me to be a hero any more-
Upset that she'll no longer be needed...
The decade long mystery of Valkyrie's origin was starting unravel now now. Young Midoriya was the missing link, and the cause of everything. The unaware Master of the Projection. Valkyrie had appeared what, roughly 10 years ago? All Might blanched. That would have made her an actual kid! He felt horrible now, like he had just bullied the now helpless child before him.
"Uwaaaaaaah! Onii-chaaaaaaan~!" The tiny girl began to cry, large tears streaming down her soft cheeks once again. Nana knelt down to comfort her, patting her on the back softly.
Well, that was upsetting. He never was good with crying girls so he'd leave that part for his mentor to handle. So Midoriya really does think he's Quirkless, and Valkyrie was unwilling to involve her creator in danger... poor girl had probably been trying her best to be a hero because of him, following his ideal image of a hero ever since he inadvertently created her. That's the best or closest scenario he could come up with. But why did she keep referring to him as "Onii-chan"? Brother?
Before he could confirm his theory the sky turned blood red, alarming all three people. "Nana, what's-"
The sky lit up like a screen, depicting a humongous green robot smack dab in the middle. All Might instantly recognized the machine as one of the zero-pointer bots that were used for the U.A entrance exam. That means- this was... what Midoriya was seeing now.
The captured girl started struggling even harder, clearly panicking and worried for Izuku's safety. "No, no, no!"
To everyone's shock, instead of running away from the massive threat the boy started running towards the zero-pointer, evidenced by the view closing in on the robot. Midoriya Izuku leaped high in the air, his voice echoing through the mindscape like the roar of a tornado. The lights binding Valkyrie flickered with an unearthly glow.
"SMAAAAAAAAAAASH!"
The metal behemoth's face crumpled under the force of Izuku's attack, rocking back as multiple explosions bloomed across its body. He had done it! All Might felt a strange sense of pride, a grin already forming on his face. Nana chuckled, watching the scene with a nostalgic look. Valkyrie watched, transfixed and eyes wide with wonder.
Then Izuku fell, the ground racing up to meet him. The sky darkened to a deeper red as his fear magnified tenfold. All of them watched in horror, helpless as as the ground came closer and closer until—
Smack! The "camera" panned right all of a sudden as somebody hit Izuku right across the face. Miraculously, his momentum stalled just a few meters off the ground, floating as though in zero gravity. A girl perched on a piece of broken robot came into view, a nauseated look on her face as she shakily touched her fingertips together.
"R-release."
Both of them collapsed onto the ground gently, the girl who saved Izuku starting to throw up her breakfast from the effort of using her Quirk. The camera panned straight forward, moving slowly but surely. What was- Oh. Izuku was dragging himself against the ground with his remaining good arm.
"If I could just get... one point!"
"TIMEEEESSS UP!"
With that announcement, the "screen" blacked out as Izuku, well, blacked out. All Might sighed, relieved that the boy would be okay. He could barely even control the power, but he had potential; with some training he might be able to wield it properly in time. Valkyrie still couldn't stop squirming, her worry obviously apparent. She only calmed down a little later when she suddenly looked skyward once more, sensing something. What she'd sensed was her brother's limbs mending themselves as a healing power was applied, but the two intruders didn't need to know that.
"Alright, Miss Valkyrie. Let's try this again from the top." All Might exhaled, satisfied that everything was calmer now. "I'm All Might, as you already know, and this wonderful woman is Shimura Nana, the previous wielder of One For All."
Nana waved sheepishly, whispering to All Might. "You sure picked a great successor, huh? It's a two-for-one deal, buy one get one free!"
The hero ignored her teasing, opting to address the captured vigilante again. "Young lady, do you know why we're here?"
The girl answered by blowing a raspberry at him, sticking her tongue out in defiance. Nana chuckled, a hand to her mouth as she attempted to stifle her laughter. "Ask stupid questions, get stupid answers. Of course she knows why we're here, you dummy."
All Might sighed, resisting the urge to facepalm. "This is going to be harder than I thought."