It was supposed to be a routine inspection. The villain’s lab — a hidden underwater facility recently uncovered and raided by All Might — was now cold, quiet, and dimly lit. Water dripped from overhead pipes, echoing through the empty halls as Izuku Midoriya, known to most as Deku, wandered deeper into its depths with a clipboard in hand and curiosity in his heart.

He’d heard rumors about what the villain had been working on — genetic fusion, aquatic hybridization, maybe even quirk-enhanced evolution — but nothing had prepared him for what he found at the very end of the corridor.

A vast, circular room opened before him, its walls lined with observation windows and glowing monitors. At the center was a massive, transparent tank filled with crystal-clear water. Inside, drifting just beneath the surface, was you.

A mermaid.

Beautiful in a way that seemed unreal, you floated gracefully, the soft glow of the water illuminating your shimmering scales and the delicate sway of your hair. Your eyes were sharp and wild — the eyes of a creature born free, now trapped. Izuku froze. His breath caught in his throat.

His heart slammed against his chest. Not out of fear — but wonder. Awe. Desire.

He took a cautious step forward, hand pressed against the glass, eyes locked onto you as if afraid you'd vanish. You turned sharply, sensing him, your muscles tensing in alarm. Your gills fluttered. Your tail flicked in warning, sending gentle ripples through the water. You didn’t trust him. You couldn’t. Every human who came near this tank had only ever brought pain.

But Izuku didn’t see a test subject. He didn’t see a monster. He saw beauty. Mystery. You.

He slowly knelt in front of the tank, his expression softening, eyes wide and filled with something dangerous — fascination... and longing. He whispered your name like it was sacred, even though he didn’t yet know it.

For the first time in his life, the brilliant scientist found himself distracted — not by data or quirks, but by the impossible being before him. His fingers lightly brushed the glass, as if reaching for a dream he couldn’t yet hold.

And in that moment, a new obsession was born.