Queen Of The Torrent (BNHA/MHA OC)

Prologue Part Two

"Here we are! Welcome to my apartment!" Nemuri said proudly.

Mirei held her hand, nodding quietly. The girl had been quiet ever since she'd taken her, and it honestly concerned Nemuri. Mirei hopped onto the couch, looking up at her.

"So, dear...." Nemuri slowly began. "Do you like cartoons or.... Something?"

Way to go, Nemuri. Totally a great way to start a conversation with a fucking toddler.

"I like singing...." Mirei mumbled in response, looking down.

"Oh! You probably would like Steven Universe then!"

"What's Steven Universe?"

Nemuri immediately grabbed the remote, wordlessly scrolling through Hulu.

"I am about to blow your tiny mind."

.

Shouta and Hizashi entered Nemuri's apartment, both of them surprised to hear the loud giggles and squeals of the four year old. The sight they walked in to was one they would remember for years to come.

Mirei sat on Nemuri lap, rambling happily about a cartoon she'd watched as the older of the two put her hair into braids. Upon spotting the two, Mirei gasped, hopping off Nemuri's lap to go over to them.

"Hi, Eraserhead!" She said happily, causing Shouta to blush from how bright she was.

"Hey, kid. Nice to see you're holding up alright." Shouta said, grinning.

Mirei then turned to Hizashi, took a deep breath and raised her voice as she loudly said "Hi, Present Mic!"

Hizashi felt his heart squeeze. One, because this was the most innocent thing he'd ever seen. Two, this tiny human had purposely raised her voice because Hizashi himself was not a quiet human being (and also because his hearing is pretty fucked, but he won't tell her that yet).

"Hey, little listener!" Hizashi responded, ruffling her hair.

"Hey, boys." Nemuri waved, approaching them. "What brings you to my humble abode?"

"Wish it was just for a visit, but it's about the case." Shouta informed her. "We were hoping to ask Mirei about her quirk-"

"Does her skin look dry to you?"

Both adults whirled, facing Mirei as Hizashi held one of her arms. True to his word, the scales on her little body had turned a dulled and more faded teal from their usual bright color, and her skin appeared dried out and ashy.

"Mirei," Nemuri said, causing the girl to look up at her. "What exactly do you know about your quirk?"

"Oh! My quirk is called Siren!" She happily said. "My parents always kept me around water though...."

"Sweetheart.... Do you recall why they did that?" Nemuri pressed, frowning.

"Oh."

Hizashi facepalmed, wondering how none of them had figured it out sooner. That's why she was on a boat. Her skin required hydration, otherwise....

"Come on. There's a pool nearby." Nemuri ultimately decided.

*A few minutes later....*

Getting her changed into a pair of swimming trunks and a small t-shirt, Nemuri calmly guided Mirei to the pool.

Once they got to the edge of it, she said "Now, ground rules. Number one, stay where I can see you. Number two, no running on the edge."

She then turned to Hizashi and Shouta, who were both giving her a questioning look, sitting in some chairs. Nemuri smirked, crossing her arms in smugness.

"See? I can be a firm mother! Just ask my sidekicks!"

A small splash made them all pause, and Nemuri felt all the color drain from her face. She whipped around, and sure enough, Mirei was no longer in her original spot.

"Firm mother, huh?" Shouta replied smugly.

"MIREI!"

Panic swelled within her. Fuck. Shit. Balls. Her child was in the water. Could she even swim?!

That's when Mirei poked her head out, and Nemuri noticed a few differences. First off, the sides of her neck had teal colored gills on them, three small slits on each side. Her lower half had switched into a tail (like a mermaid, which was absolutely fucking adorable), teal scales covering it. She also had small little fins poking out near her ears, the curved appendages resting right above them.

"D- did I do something wrong?" Mirei asked.

Nemuri snapped out of her shock, remember that, yes, this was still a very traumatized toddler.

"No! No, sweetie, you did nothing wrong, I just.... Wasn't expecting my princess to look this good in the water!" Nemuri quickly responded.

She turned her head, flashing a steely glare at Hizashi, ignoring how Shouta's shoulders shook as he suppressed his own laughter.

"Princess?" Mirei repeated, confused at the term.

"Oh! A princess is a charming little lady like yourself who.... Well, I'll explain more later. For now, just enjoy yourself, baby, okay?"

Mirei then ducked back under the water, swimming around the pool with ease and happiness, giggling happily as she went around.

"You know," Hizashi said, glancing at Nemuri. "Her quirk, Siren, really does give an interesting perspective on mutation quirks."

"I noticed as well." Nemuri responded. "I think it's part of her quirk. When she felt threatened, she hissed and growled at the other heroes and the villains, even biting Shouta. And when she was seeking comfort and protection from me, she made those little clicks...."

"We should probably work on that." Shouta stated. "The biting part, I mean. Seriously, she is strong for a toddler...."

Nemuri smiled, glancing back over at Mirei. She felt warmth surge in her heart as she watched her play around and have fun, feeling proud of herself.

"She's been through a lot. I just want to keep her happy." The woman calmly said.

"Good. Then surely you can take care of her without any issues." Shouta responded. "Just make sure you come to us if there's any issues, okay?"

Hizashi grinned saying "Yeah! Can't have anything happening to our favorite little listener!"

Nemuri rolled her eyes, reporting "Right, because she would be crushed if anything happened to her favorite uncles."

"We're her only uncles." Shouta pointed out.

"Don't forget Tensei!" Hizashi reminded him. "He's probably going to lose his mind once he meets her! She's about Tenya's age too!"

Nemuri smiled at the thought. Surely, being a mother wouldn't be so hard, right?