"Do you have to go?" Miku grabbed her mom's hand and gently tugged on it. Childish of her, yes, but it was a tactic that'd proven effective in the past. "It can't be too important, right? Plus, you're the vice-principal of the school! What are they gonna talk about in that faculty meeting that you don't already know?"

For once, Elle wasn't letting her daughter hang out at U.A. during her faculty meeting, and Miku was doing her best to change her mind. It was so boring at home! She'd much prefer going to the gym at the hero school and training there for a bit, but apparently Miku had to grab groceries instead. It was unfair.

"Gosh, you act so much like Aki sometimes, I almost wonder if you're her kid," Elle grumbled, though she really didn't look annoyed. "Especially with your black hair. And your entire personality. Only thing tipping me off that you're my daughter is your silver strands of hair in the front."

"Uh, and the fact that Dad is too disgustingly in love with you to ever consider cheating on you," Miku pointed out. "And stop changing the subject! You should stay here, with me. We never finished watching Heartstopper! We could do that now, and Dad can tell you all about whatever happens in the meeting."

"Correction: I never finished watching Heartstopper. You went ahead and watched it without me. And no, I have to attend the meeting. It's about Toshinori and whether or not he should become a teacher at U.A. next year."

Why would he want to teach at U.A.? Miku frowned. Uncle Tori is kinda scared of kids my age. Unless...

"Oh, he wants to find a successor for One For All there, doesn't he?" Miku asked. "He decided he didn't want it to be Inasa or Airi?"

The thought of a new One For All user had always scared Miku. As a child, her parents had wondered if she should be the successor, but quickly decided against it when they realized just how out of control her Quirk could get. If she managed to go insane from Windsweep while also holding the power of what was probably the most powerful Quirk in existence... well, it wouldn't be pretty. Now, she was being trained to 'assist the next Symbol of Peace,' just as Aki and Elle had done for their brother, All Might. She was supposed to be a behind-the-scenes kind of hero; ensuring that the One For All successor never failed and was always in the spotlight.

She didn't even mind it. Miku was well aware that some people in her position might be annoyed that they couldn't be the main hero, but she understood why. The public needed someone to look up to, someone to make them feel safe, and it was the easiest for someone with One For All to do so.

However, it was a bit difficult to assist someone who didn't even exist yet, as Toshinori hadn't even picked a new successor. That's what scared Miku. What if she didn't like who he chose? Even worse, what if they didn't like her? Of course, this was irrational, since he promised she'd get a say in who would inherit his power, but still. If she was supposed to stick by the side of someone for the rest of her life, it was only natural to worry about it.

Not to mention she didn't know how she was supposed to stay near his successor once she graduated, since the Hero Public Safety Commission... well, it was best not to think about that. It was still almost four years into the future, after all.

Honestly, Miku was hoping that he'd choose Togata Mirio, a second-year in U.A. and one of Elle and Shota's favourite students. He was a truly good guy with pure intentions, determination, and an extremely powerful Quirk. Not to mention he was funny and didn't mind sparring with Miku, despite their age difference. He reminded her a lot of All Might, which was a good thing.

Elle shook her head. "Inasa said he'd prefer to become a hero by only using his Quirk, and Airi still occasionally has second thoughts about being a hero. Makes sense, though. Who expects a thirteen-year-old to choose their future already?"

I mean, you chose my career for me when I was five, Miku thought. Not that she was complaining--she enjoyed hero work a lot. But occasionally, she wondered what she could've become under different circumstances.

"Anyways, I need to go vouch for Nori at the meeting. Could you get something for dinner from the grocery store when I'm gone?" Elle opened the door. She ran a hand through her silver pixie cut, straightening it. "And take care of yourself, alright?"

"Mom, I'm literally fourteen and have a provisional hero license," Miku deadpanned. "I've been training in combat for almost ten years." She softened under her mom's worried gaze. "But yeah, I'll be safe."

"Bye!" Elle almost completely closed the door. All Miku could see were her silver eyes and pale pink lips. "See you soon! Don't forget the groceries! My wallet's in my jacket pocket. Love you!"

"Love you," Miku echoed. She watched out the window until her mother had safely flown away, then prepared for her errand.

Hmm, do I need my capture bracelets? She gazed at the bracelets her dad had given her as an eleventh birthday present. Nah, that's overkill for a ten-minute walk. My phone's charging right now, but I don't need to bring it. If there's an emergency, I can just use my Quirk to contact Mom.

While zipping up her sky-blue sweater, Miku looked around for anything else she might want. Deciding she needed nothing more, she grabbed her mom's wallet, scratched one of her cats behind the ear, and left the house.

As she exited the property, Miku hummed the chorus of her newest favourite song, "High Hopes" by Panic! At The Disco. Her pace was fairly slow, each footstep landing on tempo for the song. After a while, she got bored of how slow she was walking, so she sped up her humming to match her steps.

A gust of wind whooshed around her, playing with the ends of her hair. She giggled as it pushed her farther onto the sidewalk, away from the road. "Overprotective today, huh?"

It was weird how her Quirk, her greatest curse, was also a gift that she treasured so dearly. See, Windsweep wasn't exactly the average, run-of-the-mill Quirk. Instead of merely allowing Miku to control or create the wind, she made it semi-sentient. It had a preference for her, and, after vigorous training, she was able to have it under control. Usually. Miku still had to stay inside during some storms, for fear that the wind would take over her mind, but it really wasn't that big of a deal, especially when her dad had a Quirk that could cancel out hers in a second.

It was powerful as heck, though, and very friendly and affectionate when the weather permitted, hence the nudging her away from the sidewalk. Sometimes, when her sanity was quite literally thinning and/or there was a bad storm that forced Miku indoors, she wished for a different Quirk. However, when she was outside, defeating villains as a fourteen-year-old, she took it all back. As long as she helped people, as long as she made a change in her life, she was happy. Mostly.

The gust of wind ruffled her long black hair once more before flying high up to its usual spot, where it extended her senses to check for any nearby danger. Usually, Miku's neighborhood was fairly safe, and this was merely a precaution, but today it actually picked up a... strange conversation, to say the least.

"Perfect!" a deep voice chuckled. "I like a skin suit with some fire! You'll do perfect, boy."

"Well, shoot, that doesn't sound like something a civilian would say," Miku muttered dryly, pausing on the sidewalk and earning a strange look from a nearby lady. "Any heroes close to us? I know Death Arms usually patrols this area around this time..."

She thinned her senses, getting the wind to stretch them and extend them as far as possible. It seemed that no pros were patrolling the vicinity, though.

I've never fought without at least one other pro before... Miku cast a nervous glance in the direction the deep voice had come from. But someone has to interfere before it gets bad.

Miku's body didn't give her a choice in what she did, acting on its own and making her sprint to where she felt there was a struggle going on. She darted into an alley, using her Quirk to leap over a wall then taking a left turn. After two more turns, she was stopped by a hulking mass of green sludge.

"And where exactly do you think you're going, young lady?" the pile of goo asked, turning its head a full 180 degrees to face her. He had horrible, drooping yellow eyes that were each the size of Miku's head.

Calm your nerves. Your heart is pumping and your adrenaline is racing, which is good but also makes you more impulsive, Miku reminded herself, shifting into a fighting stance. Analyze the situation like how Keigo taught you.

The sound of muffled hyperventilation drew her attention immediately. Without even acknowledging the villain's words, Miku fully activated Windsweep and flew in front of the sludge monster, trying to get a better understanding of what was happening.

A teenage boy with spiky, ash blonde hair was struggling against strands of sludge, trying to get free. The muck covered his mouth and nose, not allowing him to breathe. His hands were glowing orange, emitting smoke from the fingertips. Miku wondered if he had a fire-type Quirk. Was it strong? However, she quickly pushed the thought down, knowing it wasn't the time.

That doesn't matter, Miku, she reminded herself. What matters is getting you and this poor boy to safety. And taking down this villain. By yourself, apparently. But there's a first for everything, right? Oh, I just hope he's okay...

"Hey, everything will be alright," Miku promised, switching her gaze to him but keeping the villain in her peripheral vision. "In a few minutes, this guy will be in prison, so there's no need to panic."

I hope. She flexed her hands, trying to find the best path to the boy. He needed oxygen, and fast. Tears were flowing out of his red eyes--either from lack of air, or fear. She couldn't tell. She was also very aware that she, a random girl who looked to be his age, probably wasn't very reassuring to the poor boy.

Come on, Miku, think! Should you stall until a pro gets here, or would it be better to get that boy out of the villain's clutches? Well, obviously the latter, but how am I supposed to do that?

"What do you think you're doing, girl?" the villain growled, tightening his hold on the blonde. "Are you trying to fight me? You're just a child."

Quickly deciding to abandon her thoughts of merely stalling, Miku gave the villain a totally fake smirk that she'd copied and pasted from Keigo. While he stared at her in confusion, probably wondering just how dumb she really was, she called a gale of wind over. It blew into the sludge, almost freeing the boy in the process. It certainly went on long enough for him to get more oxygen in his system.

As the monster caved in on itself, trying its best not to get ripped away from the scene, Miku spoke.

"Mom, there's a villain near Third, in an alley. You'll recognize my wind once you get close enough. I need backup, and fast." After a quick check-in with her power, she knew she was nowhere near her limits, but it was better safe than sorry. "Send Dad, too, before my Quirk goes out of my control."

She sent the gale up, making sure it took off in the direction that Elle had been going in earlier: U.A. Miku could only hope that it'd actually carry her message that far.

I need to free that boy, first and foremost, she thought. Soon enough, the villain will realize he's a bargaining tool, and then it'll be all over. Plus, I can't use the full extent of my power with him there.

While trying to figure out just how to free him, Miku almost absent-mindedly dodged the tendril of sludge that was making its way toward her. It got too close to her liking, though. She needed a bit more time to think and oversee the situation, so she flew up out of the villain's range.

"Coward!" the sludge villain screeched. "Get back here!"

"You're attacking two children, but I'm the coward?" Miku asked incredulously. 

The villain didn't respond, opting to envelop the boy in his sludge.  "Look, girl. Here's what's going to happen: you're gonna slowly land in front of me with your hands up. If you don't comply, this boy will die of asphyxiation."

Miku clenched her jaw, knowing the supervillain was right. The boy had already been struggling to breathe earlier; it wouldn't take much longer to suffocate. He was also definitely panicking, which would make the suffocation process much quicker. She ordered the wind to slowly take her down to the ground, raising her shaking hands up in surrender. The second her feet hit the ground, she was grabbed by its slimy hand. It wrapped around her waist and brought her near, trying to place her beside the boy.

Big mistake, buddy. 

Right before she could get fully trapped in his slime prison, Miku activated Windsweep and made a punching motion. A gust of wind swirled around her fist and expelled outward, hitting the sludge villain square in the jaw.

"You bitch!" it cried, falling to the ground.

Ignoring him for the moment, Miku grabbed the boy. She took him in her arms, ripping the sludge off him and jumping. The wind picked them up and carried them a few metres away from the villain.

"Stay behind me," Miku told the spiky-haired boy, placing his feet back on the ground. He was slightly bent over with his hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath. "Only escape routes are behind and above him, and my Quirk isn't strong enough to carry both of us above him."

"I don't need your damn help," he insisted between ragged breaths. His crimson eyes were wide, though Miku couldn't tell if it was from anger or panic. "I should be in front of you!"

Mom, please hurry, Miku thought, desperately glancing up for any signs of abnormal winds that would hint at the arrival of Elle. The only wind present was the gust she'd called over earlier, and even that was dying down. I don't know how this boy manages to be this idiotic, but I don't think I can deal with it for long.

"Look, do you have a license to fight this guy?" Miku asked. She stepped in front of him and held her arms out in a defensive stance, ready to protect him. "I didn't think so. Let me handle it."

Remember, sound confident. It'd be better if he wasn't scared. Scared people do dumb, impulsive things because they feel like cornered animals. You need to sound reassuring. Miku went over all the things Elle and Keigo had taught her. Maybe add some warmth to your voice.

Before she could try, the villain's fearful look changed into one of triumph. He stood up and slowly moved toward them, holding his chin--if you could call it that--up. "Look behind you."

"Not falling for--" Miku paused as she sensed the wind behind the boy change directions slightly, as if there was an obstacle.

Another villain, her senses told her. Smells just like this one, so they're probably related and have the same Quirk. 

Miku grabbed the boy's arm and yanked him out of the way as both villains lunged for them. However, the second one managed to grab her ankle and began to drag her back toward him.

"Run!" Miku ordered, her hands digging into the bare gravel as she tried to escape. They scraped the ground, just barely slowing her. "Call for help!"

The boy merely clenched his jaw, shook his head--further proving his stupidity--and grabbed her wrist. Much to her surprise, he managed to yank her out of the villain's grip.

Shoot. Miku stumbled to her feet and got into a protective position in front of the civilian. She turned to face the villains, taking in the second one's full appearance. He looked exactly like the first, but with hazel eyes instead of yellow. Why didn't I bring my capture bracelets with me? Or a single weapon? I'm such an idiot. What even are my options now? Fight these obviously powerful supervillains by myself or try to escape? Is that it? Not to mention I've gotta protect this boy who has no survival instinct whatsoever.

Before she could decide on what to do, the villains expanded in a burst of sludge, completely surrounding the pair. They must've learned from her previous attempt to stall, as they even covered the area above her.

Miku couldn't even fight back; it all happened too fast. She couldn't see anything, as her eyes chose that exact moment to dry up, but her other senses showed that the boy was grabbed by one villain and she by the other. 

"I've got you now," the first villain smirked triumphantly, and it pulled her into his slimy chest.

Hello! How are all of you?

Word count: 2.9k

Tbh I'm not that proud of this chapter--I kinda suck at writing fighting scenes.

I have a question for y'all though. Do you prefer short (1k-2k words), medium-length (3k-4k words), long (5k-6k words), or extra long (7k+ words) chapters? 

Personally I prefer writing medium-length to long chapters with occasional extra long chapters sprinkled in but whatever you guys prefer.

Anyways, I hope you all have a great day.

~Aspen<3