My Hero Academia

True Measure

The Hero and the Villain

(Many years earlier)

(Present)

"St-Stop it you guys… that's enough," the shaky, nervous voice of a five-year-old Midoriya, dressed in a white shirt, green pants and red shoes, spoke up as he stood at the defence of two scared children- a little boy and girl- who were crouching down behind a playground seesaw, looking beat up, burnt, and scared out of their wits. "They don't want to play with you guys anymore."

Standing in front of the terrified youngsters was a group of three boys. One of them was the adolescent, wild-haired form of Katsuki Bakugo, wearing a dark shirt and khaki shorts, a second, rotund boy in a white singlet and green shorts, and a skinny child in a yellow top, purple t-shirt, and baseball cap. When they heard Izuku's rather brave cry of defiance and kind request to back-off, the trio at first gave him a deadpanned look.

Valiantly maintaining his position and not moving an inch, the brave boy with the messy, green tinted hair scrunched his brow and exhaled deeply as he fixed his attention on the leader. "You're overdoing it again, Kacchan."

After a moment, a smirk spread across Bakugo's lips. "Really? I'm overdoing it?"

Expressing the same look of fear, the trembling youngster with wide eyes gave a much-needed gulp. "Yeah. Th-That's right."

Scoffing, the spiky haired bully then gave Izuku a menacing look. "Heh. That's funny. And I haven't even gotten started yet." He then threw out his hands and tilted his head. "Come on, Deku. Relax. I'm not going to hurt them. I just need a couple of live sandbags to practice using my quirk against, that's all." He then glanced back at his two pals behind him. "Right boys?"

"Yeah. That's right," the tubby youngster replied, at the same time producing a pair of large, devil-like wings from his back that lifted him off the ground with a single flap.

While his friend got airborne, the kid with the purple cap extended his fingers and watched them grow out to an impossible length. He then curled them in a sinister manner. "How else are we going to get better at using our abilities? Chucking cans? Knocking over signs? Jumping over boxes in an alleyway?"

Taking a deep breath as he heard the trio's answers, a rather outraged Izuku clenched his fists and shot back, "Still… that doesn't mean you can use your quirks against other kids whenever you feel like it. You guys are just being mean." Though he was saying all of this straight out to the three strong, intimidating looking boys, he was really just putting on a brave face.

From the way his body was shivering, he looked like he was ready to bolt, as did the two children cowering in the shadow of the seesaw over his shoulder. After all, this wasn't the first time he'd had to face off against Bakugo and his cronies.

"This is… just like before," Midoriya thought as memories of a similar encounter he'd had about a year earlier in the park began to resurface. He remembered it like it was yesterday.

He tried to protect a little boy whom Bakugo and his friends had roughed up while they were playing a game of heroes and gotten carried away. When Izuku stepped in to try and stop them from going any further and hurting the child, they all turned their attention on him and pummelled him into near unconsciousness with their respective powers.

Him. A young, four-year-old boy with no special abilities of his own or any way to defend himself, beaten up by those who had. In truth, that had been a really crappy day for Izuku.

And it looked like it was about to happen again. After trotting about the playground and keeping mostly to himself for the last hour, Izuku thought he was going to have another quiet day. But then Bakugo and his cronies rocked up, and the situation quickly boiled down to yet another confrontation.

Giving a frustrated sigh at how stubborn his classmate was being, an irked Kazuki brought his hands up and slapped a fist into his open palm. The act of which was followed by a loud bang, causing Izuku and the two children behind him to jump when a flash of sparks and smoke exploded against the delinquent's hand.

"Ah, Deku. You're just as annoying as ever- acting like some big-shot hero despite having no quirk at all." His statement prompted his two goons to flank him, as all of them quickly set their sights on the green haired boy standing between them and their quarry. "Alright then. Since you're not going to budge, how about this? Instead of practicing on those two... how about we beat you up instead?" A foreboding grin crossed Bakugo's face as he and his friends proceeded to advance on the child. "You can do that for us, right, tough guy? I mean... you should be more than used to this by now."

Izuku's face paled as he quickly stepped back and raised his fists higher, taking a defensive stance while he glanced back at the children behind him. Upon seeing their terrified faces, the youngster gritted his teeth and rounded back on Bakugo and his friends, who he could see were fired up and raring to go.

"F-Fine," Izuku stuttered, knowing full well what was going to happen next. "Bring it on. I'll s-s-stop you three myself!"

His statement was immediately followed by a round of laughs from the gang, whose leader then cracked his knuckles and prepared to land the opening blow. "Your funeral."

However, just when it looked like Midoriya was about to get swamped by Bakugo and his crew, and beaten to a bloody pulp once again, the two groups suddenly noticed a shadow appear on the ground between them. The shout that echoed out across the area afterwards stopped the kids and their 'game' dead in their tracks.

"Well, well, well… what do we have here?"

Blinking in confusion, the group of kids turned their gazes towards the top of the climbing dome standing nearby. When their eyes landed on the peak of the playground equipment, they spotted another child- arms crossed and what looked like a cape billowing behind them- with their figure silhouetted against the clear blue sky. However, when the kids got a better look at the newcomer through the sunlight, they saw that the person was wearing a slightly oversized purple hoodie, khaki shorts with tears and patches in them, and a white sheet tied into a knot around their neck in a makeshift cape.

Needless to say, the appearance was both adorable and corny at the same time.

It was enough to make the three delinquents stop their attack completely, with Bakugo dropping his arms to stare at the child in confusion. "What the-?"

He was cut off when the kid took a deep breath and laughed at the top of her lungs in a very forced and obnoxious manner. "Kya-ha-ha-ha-ha! A bunch of insignificant little bugs squabbling about with each other in the park! Well… if there is one thing I know about bugs…" Crouching down, the stranger then sprang off of the dome. The boys then watched in awe as the caped blonde performed a stylish flip through the air before landing on the ground directly beside them in a textbook superhero landing, a loud thud ringing out as a cloud of dust kicked up around them. When they stood up, the showboating weirdo then threw a wicked grin towards the entourage of delinquents. "When there are too many of them, they need to be exterminated!"

Silence fell as she stood before the boys, watching them blink as they stared at her in a mixture of confusion and bewilderment.

In that time, Izuku was able to get a much better look at the person with the bedsheet wrapped around their neck. At first the young man thought that this was some boy trying to act like a tough guy. But when he squinted at the face hiding under that purple hood, he recoiled in shock when he saw that the stranger was actually a little girl. She just sounded like a young boy and had a fierce appearance to match.

For a few seconds the children just stared at the grinning kid in the hoodie and sheet. That was until they saw sweat break out on her face, moments before she dropped to her knees, clutched her shins, and gave a startled cry of pain.

"Gaaaah! Pins and needles! Pins and needles!" the girl said to herself while rubbing her legs vigorously. "Idiot. Why did I jump from so high?! Aaaaahh..."

Watching the newcomer nursing her shins and babbling to herself brought a great amount of amusement to Kazuki and his friends, all of who shared a laugh before quickly turning their attention to her. As per their dynamic, the blond boy with the explosive hands was the first to break the ice. "Oi. Weirdo. What's up with that shitty costume? You pretending to be a hero as well?"

Hearing this had the blonde girl look up at Kazuki and his three friends. Upon processing the boy's question through a bewildered gaze, the newcomer quickly stood up, placed a hand on her hip and over her mouth, and gave another incredibly exaggerated laugh. "Kya-ha-ha-ha!" Her exclamation had the three bullies stop and look at her strangely once again. "A hero? Don't insult me. I'm nothing like those pathetic weaklings you see on T.V and the news. They're nothing compared to what I am."

Kazuki frowned. "Alright. Then what the hell are you supposed to be?"

Grin widening even more so, despite finding herself surrounded by all three boys- with Bakugo's cronies bearing their quirks at her- the girl reached up, gripped the top of her hood, and pulled it further over her face. The act of which caused the shadow created by it to fall over her eyes, giving her a much more menacing look when her irises dilated.

"The devil."

At this, the rotund boy with the wings on his back gave a harsh laugh, before leaping off the ground and flying right at the child from her right flank. "Yeah right! You're just some stupid girl!" He drew back his fist when he came within range, ready to deck her as he flew past. "What can you do against the three of us?"

Izuku gasped and raised a hand. "WATCH OUT!"

But then, just when it seemed like the newcomer in the hoodie was about to get pummelled, Izuku and the others suddenly saw the blonde step back, grab her cape, and throw it out, catching the boy while he was flying past like a cat jumping into a burlap sack. The airborne child only had enough time to give a muffled cry of surprise before the girl suddenly used his momentum to spin him around and throw him into the nearby Bakugo, who could only gape before he had his friend's body smash into him.

"OLE!" the girl shouted the moment she released her winged attacker.

The rest of the kids then watched the two boys tumble to the ground and form a crumpled heap several feet away.

Finding himself flattened out underneath his now out-cold classmate, a stunned Kazuki Bakugo gritted his teeth and shoved his hands into his pudgy friend's face. "OW! Get the hell off of me, dumbass!" the delinquent shouted, as he struggled to get out from under the body.

Grinning triumphantly at taking down her attacker, the young girl stood proudly on the spot with her hands at her sides, completely unaware of the third boy in the purple cap sneaking up behind her with his elongated fingers reaching for her throat.

Izuku however did and, not wanting to see the girl get hurt, sprang off the ground and charged at Bakugo's friend. "BEHIND YOU!" His shout caused the tiptoeing boy to turn to him with a start, his momentary surprise giving the five-year-old Midoriya the opportunity to tackle him.

Catching the taller child flush in the side and knocking him off his feet, the green haired youngster gave a cry of bravery as he carried the stunned bully across the yard and rammed him into the playground's climbing wall just a few yards away. The act of which rattled the equipment and knocked the air out of the delinquent's lungs.

Quickly recovering, the kid with the long fingers growled and slammed his hand into Midoriya's face, his digits wrapping around his head for extra leverage. "H-Hey! Let go of me, you quirkless moron!" A brief scuffle then ensued as Bakugo's friend attempted to pry the determined Midoriya off of him with his abnormal limbs, only for the desperate youngster to hold his ground and continue shoving him into the barrier.

"No! I won't!" Izuku shouted back, despite straining against the other boy's strong palm.

The blonde girl in the hoodie grinned when she saw the furious Midoriya jump to her aid. "Nice one!" She then snapped her attention back to her previous targets and immediately spotted an enraged Kazuki charging at her with his right palm pulled back and trailing sparks.

"I'm turning you into a pile of ash!" Bakugo bellowed, before lunging at the girl with his palm. "TAKE THIS!" The instant he was in range, he let off a small explosion to extend his reach and hit her.

However, the hooded girl easily telegraphed his movements and read his intent, allowing her to gracefully step around him and avoid the flash of his blast. Performing a spin, she shoved her hand into the back of the lunging Kazuki's head and pushed him forward, sending him stumbling to the ground to fall flat on his face. "Toro!"

As soon as Bakugo crashed in the dirt, the scuffed up boy growled, slammed his fist into the floor, and scrambled back to his feet. "Damn it! Come here!" He then spun and leapt at the girl a second time, lashing out at her with a series of wild punches that let off a loud 'bang' with every swing.

True to his character, Kazuki attempted to hit his target with the strongest hook and the biggest explosion he could produce from his pores so that he could floor her with one hit. But for some reason, no matter how many attacks he threw or how fast he moved, the girl in the cape simply kept slipping around him with ease; hands behind her back and a bright smile on her face.

Meanwhile, back over at the climbing wall, the bully that Midoriya was still pushing into the obstacle had just started shoving the child away with his massive hands and elongated fingers. Edging him out further and further, it looked as though the tides in their fight were about to turn.

Feeling himself beginning to lose ground, a desperate Izuku, glaring back at the boy with the ridiculously long limbs wrapped around his face, suddenly spotted an opening he could exploit. Realizing one of his hands against the kid's torso was free and that the other one was keeping him at bay, the youngster with messy hair gritted his teeth, drew back his hand, and thrust it upwards in a swift palm strike.

The blow struck the skinny boy beneath his nose with a sickening 'crack', causing the bully to release his hold on Midoriya and drop to the ground like a sack of potatoes. From there, he then clutched his face and cried out in agony as blood began trickling out from between the spaces of his fingers.

When Izuku stumbled away panting, he looked down to see the crying delinquent remove his hands from his face, showing off his now crooked nose, which was bent upwards and clearly broken.

"Gah… m-my nose…" the boy sobbed, his voice slightly slurred due to having his nostrils clogged with blood. "You broke it."

Rubbing his cheek from where the now downed bully had been shoving him, Izuku huffed. "Don't… pick on me… or anyone else ever again." He then raised his fist and stepped towards the bully threateningly, who scrambled away. "You hear me?!"

"I-I won't! I won't. Please, don't hit me again," the skinny child shouted back fearfully with tears in his eyes.

Satisfied, Izuku then turned his attention back to Kazuki and the girl again, concerned that something bad was about to happen to the newcomer. When his eyes eventually found them, a very astonishing sight awaited him.

After once again trying to nail his antagonist with a palm strike and a flash from his hand, an increasingly frustrated Bakugo then barked at the blonde girl skipping around him, and clenched his left hand angrily. "Stop moving!" He then threw a left hook at her, only to observe the blonde girl slip around it once again with a carefree giggle.

"Okay." She then stood in front of Kazuki, watching him stumble back around and glare at her. A couple seconds later, the whacky child lifted her right hand and waved at her attacker as if to say 'hello', confusing her opponent and causing him to freeze. It was then with that very same hand, the blonde girl swung out and cracked it across his left cheek with a loud, hard, and very painful…

SLAP!

Head cocked to the side from the surprisingly fast hit, a stunned Kazuki with the newly formed handprint on his cheek looked back at the smiling girl in a dazed manner. "Did you just… slap me?"

"I did," the girl laughed brightly, glancing across at an equally surprised Izuku and gesturing towards her opponent at the same time. "Weird, right?" She then turned back to the confounded delinquent and grinned. "Want me to do it again?"

Shaking himself out of his state of shock, Kazuki gave a bitter growl and swung out at the girl once more with another punch. "Don't screw with me, you dumb girl!" His hand sparked as he struck out, intent on nailing the irritating brat in the face with another blast of his quirk. But just before his arm could fully extend, the hooded blondie casually stepped to the boy's left, slapping him across the face a second time while simultaneously avoiding his explosion and shoving him aside. This allowed her to gracefully step around the delinquent while he stumbled away.

Once again the enraged Kazuki attempted to strike her again, only this time when he came at her, the girl began evading his swings and countering them with playful slaps to his face and body. Using superb evasiveness and elegance that would normally be unusual for someone of her age, the girl kept her unblinking gaze glued on her adversary, dodging his feral swings like a ballerina performing to an orchestra on stage. She even executed several flourishes akin to a Russian ballet between the boy's lunges, treating Bakugo like a dance partner as he charged at her from every angle like a wild animal.

Eventually after dodging the child for the twelfth time in a row, slapping him in the side and across the head as she stepped around him, the blonde girl giggled and took a bow to Izuku, who was watching from nearby with a somewhat slack jawed expression. "Thank you. Thank you." But then, the moment she straightened up from her gesture of victory, Midoriya saw Bakugo coming at the young hero from behind with both hands extended and murderous intent in his eyes.

Reacting in alarm and without any hesitation whatsoever, Izuku rushed forward.

"GOT YOU!" Kazuki shouted, lunging at the hooded freak as she was turning to face him. He could practically see the surprise in her eyes when his hands ignited and prepared to let off another blast.

But just before he could lash out at her and complete his assault, the wild-haired boy was suddenly shoved aside when Izuku leapt forward and rammed both hands into his ribs and shoulder. The act of which knocked Bakugo to the ground, where he crashed into the dirt in a cloud of dust. When it settled moments later, the stunned boy glanced up to see Izuku standing in front of the caped girl protectively, arms out and a serious yet worried look on his face.

"S-Stop this right now, Kacchan," Midoriya stuttered, steeling himself as he brought his fists up defensively. "There's no need to fight anymore. Please. N-No one else has to get hurt."

Growling at the boy's persistent demands to stand down, a physically and mentally bruised Kazuki leapt to his feet and snapped at his schoolmate. "Stop? Hell no!" Clenching his teeth tightly, he took a moment to inhale sharply, as if holding back the urge to cry. After which he then continued his belligerent rant. "I won't stop! Everyone in the school says I have an amazing quirk… and that I will become an amazing, super-strong hero some day! Just like All-Might!" He then seethed as his eyes locked onto the caped girl behind the interloper. "I will not be beaten by some stupid girl in a cape AND A QUIRKLESS IDIOT LIKE YOU!" With that final bellow, he then rushed forward with the intent of blasting both kids at once and finishing this fight.

Not taking his eyes off of the charging Kazuki, Izuku hissed back at the girl behind him. "When I say now… move to your left." Hearing her respond with a quiet 'right', the little boy counted quickly as Bakugo cranked back his right hand, preparing to take him first. Anticipating his wild haymaker, the curly haired boy braced himself until the last second, before… "NOW!" He stepped to the right while the girl leapt to the left, watching Kazuki's blow fly past him and unleash a small flash of an explosion where his face had previously been. The instant he did, Midoriya stuck his foot out and caught Bakugo's back leg, tripping the bully and sending him flying forward to crash face-first into the ground... hard.

Kazuki hit the floor with a yelp of pain, where he then curled up and moaned from the impact. Reaching up with his hands, the boy gently brushed it over his mug. When he pulled it away, he saw blood smeared over his palm, with more suddenly dripping to the floor in front of him. It took a moment for him to realize what had happened and, after rolling over to face the duo behind him, he showed them he had a broken nose and a missing tooth.

Immediately becoming concerned at his former friend's battered state, Izuku quickly rushed forward and squatted down. "Are you okay, Kacchan?" He then held a hand out to him. "I'm sorry I tripped you, but you just came running right at me. Come on. Let me help you up."

Staring back at Izuku for a moment and then across at the curious girl behind him, Kazuki's eyes suddenly watered. When tears started to trickle down his cheeks, the boy gritted his teeth and smacked Midoriya's hand away, at the same time scrambling to his feet. "NO! G-Get the hell away from me!" The boy hollered, jumping up and, through blood and tears, screamed at him. "I'm the strongest kid in our class… and I have the best quirk anyone has ever seen! H-How could I be beaten by a couple of worthless losers like you?!"

After glancing at each other, the blonde girl looked back at the sobbing Kazuki and shrugged. "What do you mean beaten? We were just having fun, right?"

"F-Fun?" Kazuki choked out, sniffling as he stared at the girl in a bewildered manner. "Fun? This was… FUN to you?" When he saw the girl nod and Izuku cringe, the outraged child huffed angrily before barking one last time in fury. "SCREW OFF!"

Unflinching in the face of the child's anger, the newcomer simply smiled and waved. "Bye! Let's play again sometime, Bang-bang!"

Unable to take it anymore, Bakugo turned tail and ran, covering his bleeding nose with his arm at the same time. "I'll get you two for this! Just you wait!" he yelled, doing his best to hide his sobbing while his two friends ran after him in similar states of defeat and dishevelment.

After seeing the trio scamper away and leave the park behind, Izuku and his saviour stood in place for several moments. Looking around and noticing the two younger children that he'd defended stand up from their hiding spot, the green haired boy with the bruise on his cheek sighed and smiled across at the girl in the hood.

"Thanks. You really saved me back there," Midoriya chirped, feeling relief wash over him as he offered his thanks and gratitude to the one who helped him out.

Expecting the girl to respond to his words in kind, it quickly came as a shock when he saw the stranger turn to him with a glare. "Hm? Oh, no, no, no. What are you talking about?" She then rounded on Izuku completely with her fists clenched and a foreboding shadow across her face. "You're going to die too."

At this, a still smiling Midoriya paled, with sweat quickly breaking out on his face. "Uhh… come again?"

Sighing, the girl raised a hand and pointed at him chidingly. "You're only kidding yourself if you think I saved you from those guys. I only wanted to get those pests off my turf. That's all." Moving her head to the side and cracking her neck, the girl then put on a very sinister smile as she saw the child in front of her start to tremble. "Now I'm going to move on to the real reason I came here."

Taking a step back when he felt the situation starting to become dangerous once again, Izuku gulped and clenched his fists in preparation for another scuffle. "B-B-But… aren't you… pretending to be a hero?"

The blonde girl blew a raspberry. "And what makes you think I'm a hero?" Raising a hand and tugging on the top of her hoodie once again, the menacing-looking girl then spoke in a very dramatic, villainous tone of voice. "Heroes always show up late. But monsters always make the first move. They appear out of nowhere and attack everything with no rhyme or reason." She then pointed at the boy in front of her and watched him take another shaky step back. "You're plain wrong if you think I'm on this side or that side. You and those little punks are on the human's side. But me… I'm on the monster's side."

"Uhh…" Midoriya trembled, suddenly feeling even more anxious as he saw the girl's expression become more murderous. "Th-The monster's side?" A cloud of dread suddenly pulled over the area, filling the hero with a sense of trepidation. "This is scary. Is… Is she going to beat me up?" What was going to happen to him?

He stood his ground, watching and waiting nervously for the moment the girl would lash out at him and knock him to the floor.

Grabbing her cape and pulling it over, the blonde child in the hoodie then took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Upon which she then spoke in a deep and raspy voice. "I am the one who strikes terror into the hearts of mortal men… a sorceress who lives in the darkest shadows, spreading evil and despair wherever she goes." As she spoke, Midoriya's expression slowly transformed from fear into one of bewilderment, as he watched the girl pause for a moment before continuing what he recognized as some kind of poorly rehearsed speech. "I am the cold, the fear, and the night… the strongest, most evilest, and most feared being in the world! Beware all heroes who face me… for I am…" She then unfurled her cape and struck a pose, with her hands moving behind her head, and hip cocking to the side. "Giren: The Human Monster."

For most people in this kind of situation, who were of an appropriate age and were wearing a costume, a pose like this would have normally been really cool.

But for this little girl, now identified as Giren, dressed in a slightly dirty jumper and wearing a sheet tied into a bow knot on the front… it looked kind of silly.

As the would-be enemy stood there in her striking and very 'original' villain pose, Midoriya stared at her for several seconds in a state that would be considered awe. Moments later however, as the strange girl gradually became more and more uncomfortable with the silence, the boy reset his jaw, tilted his head, and gave the caped blonde a strange look.

"Aren't… those the same lines used by the main villain from the cartoon Dragon Slayers?" the boy asked thoughtfully, watching the girl blink and a light blush spread across her cheeks. It took a moment for the starry-eyed youngster to think about it. But eventually a cheerful smile returned to his face. "Yeah. The Evil Sorceress Oriana; the most powerful dark mage in the story. Are you… pretending to be her?"

The blushing Giren then frowned and looked away. "Yeah. S-So what if I am?"

"Nothing," Midoriya replied, smile reappearing as he reached up and scratched his head. "I think it's… pretty cool that you're playing a character from a show that you really like…"

Rocking shyly on the spot while the boy in front of her beamed, the still hooded Giren then clenched her fists around the hem of her jumper tensely for a moment, before then throwing a glare back at him. "Well… since you now know my secret… I cannot allow you to leave here alive." Grabbing her cape and pulling it across her chest, she then paused for a moment before unfurling it dramatically. "By the power of the night… by Luna, Orion and Andromeda… I will cleanse this place of all witnesses and reclaim my territory." She then pointed a newly drawn weapon at Izuku.

Looking down at the "wand" being brandished at him, Midoriya cocked an eyebrow. "Is that a wooden spoon?"

Tensing her bottom lip as she continued pointing the kitchen utensil at the child, Giren then shot back at him. "NO! This is the Staff of Gargantia… the artefact once wielded by the Night Queen Celeste and the same weapon used to destroy the Empire of Draguna. Prepare yourself, hero… for you are about to be sent into the next world!" Grip tightening around her spoon, the young girl then took a deep breath and yelled. "DIE! ZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!"

Giren then proceeded to continue making her sound effect, with Izuku just standing there and staring at her in confusion. After several seconds and hearing the girl take a deep breath to continue her act, Izuku realized what she was trying to do and blinked back into life. "Oh. Ooh! Um… Aaaaahhh!" Deciding to play along, the child threw his hands up and pretended to stumble backwards, giving a fake cry of pain while collapsing to his knees. "No! I won't… ahh… I won't let you… win! Gaaaah-aaaah!"

"Kya-ha-ha!" Giren laughed obnoxiously while pretending to throw fake lightning bolts at her enemy. "Struggle all you want! It's useless! Nothing can stand up to the power of my magic!"

"Oh yeah?" Midoriya shouted back, clenching his fists before giving a playful bellow. "Raaaaaah! Not even All-Might?! The strongest hero in the world?!" He then grinned widely and faced off against his would be 'opponent', who took a step back with her wooden spoon still drawn. "I will defeat you with my own two hands, witch! I swear, in the name of justice and all that is good!"

Acting stunned, the girl then grinned and drew her "weapon" back. "Bring it on!" She then watched Izuku lunge at her in slow motion with a punch, which she playfully dodged and began blasting him with waves of magical spells. And from there they proceeded to play.

From their perspective, their game transformed into some kind of an epic battle, where Izuku- acting as the hero he admired most in the whole world- was standing up against Giren's pretend attacks and powering through them. However, judging the scene from a distance, it just looked like a couple of friends playing with each other and having a ball. From the way they were laughing, giggling and chasing each other in between bouts of running and fake-attacking, it was clear they were having the time of their lives.

Both Izuku and Giren were so caught up in their little game of hero-and-villain that they completely forgot about the two children that they had been protecting from Bakugo and his friends. In fact, after seeing the two older children begin to act out their big, flashy fantasy battle across the playground, the little boy and girl just left.

Obviously they would be at this for a while.

TO BE CONTINUED...

Author's Note: And so marks the beginning of what would be the strangest friendship ever, between a future hero and a future villain.

Giren is a really interesting character to me. Mixing in a character who openly wants to become the greatest villain in the world with a bunch of children who want to become great heroes gives the situation a lot of potential for great comedy. A villain failing to be a villain, but ending up mostly doing heroic acts instead. That's just gold.

Anyway, let me know what you guys think.