The Hero's Daughter

The First Encounter

This airport is a goddamn nightmare. Deku’s practically glued to Todoroki’s side, muttering about something or other, probably some lame hero he read about. I’m trying to keep my cool, but these crowds… this humidity… it’s enough to make my quirk flare up. I’m practically vibrating with barely contained rage. Then, BAM! Some chick slams right into me.

“Whoa, watch it, four-eyes!” I snarl, already prepared to unleash a blast.

She looks up, a smirk playing on her lips. She’s… short. Like, seriously short. And her hair’s a mess of blonde, pulled back in a ponytail that’s threatening to unravel. She’s wearing a ridiculously oversized performing arts school hoodie, black leggings, and… are those Converse? Worn-out, name-brand Converse. Deku would have a heart attack. His are pristine, off-brand things. She’s got a black bag with rainbow straps – some AIDS awareness thing – and a bunch of pins plastered on it. Nerdy, but… different. Her eyes are this weird gray-blue, and she’s got black headphones around her neck. She looks… tired, but also weirdly energized. Like a caffeinated squirrel on a sugar rush.

“Sorry, hotshot,” she says, her voice surprisingly deep for someone so small. “Didn’t see you there. Too busy dodging these… people.” She gestures vaguely at the surrounding throng. “You wouldn’t believe the amount of elbow grease it takes to navigate this human obstacle course.”

I stare at her. She’s got this… attitude. A defiant, sarcastic attitude. It’s annoying, but… intriguing. She’s not scared of me. Not even a little.

“You’re gonna pay for that,” I growl, but my voice lacks its usual bite. Something about her is throwing me off.

“Oh, I’m so terrified,” she drawls, rolling her eyes. “You gonna blow me to smithereens? Go for it, big guy. I’ve got a pretty sweet life insurance policy.” She pauses, then adds with a completely straight face, “My dad’s Stars and Stripes.”

Stars and Stripes? The number one hero in America? Seriously? This… this tiny, sarcastic, quirkless girl is the daughter of the freaking number one hero? I’m speechless. For a second.

“Quirkless?” I manage to spit out, finally finding my voice. “You’re quirkless and you’re not cowering in front of me?”

She shrugs, shoving her hands into her hoodie pockets. “Quirkless doesn’t mean powerless, Kacchan. Besides, I’ve got other… talents.” She winks. “Let’s just say I’ve mastered the art of the well-placed insult and the perfectly timed trip.”

I scoff. “You think insults are gonna stop me?”

“Nope,” she says, grinning. “But they might buy me enough time to escape before you actually decide to incinerate me.” She pauses, then adds, “Unless you’re into that sort of thing. No judgment.”

I’m about to unleash a proper explosion of fury when Deku stumbles into my other side, nearly knocking me over. “K-Kacchan! W-we should… we should probably…” he stammers, looking utterly terrified.

Todoroki just stares at the girl, his expression unreadable. The usual calmness in his eyes is slightly… ruffled.

“Hey, Deku-kun! Todoroki-kun!” she chirps, completely ignoring my simmering rage. “Fancy meeting you here! I’m Charlie, by the way. What are you guys doing in the Big Apple?”

I glare at her. This girl… this infuriating, quirkless, sarcastic, surprisingly charming girl… is going to be the death of me. But somehow, I don’t hate it. Not yet, anyway. This trip is going to be a lot more interesting than I thought. Much, much more interesting.