MHA Paragon 2.0 Chapter 53: Internship Pt. 2

"So, just to clarify again—you got an internship with Mirko," I asked Bakugo for the fifth time, though at this point, it was mostly for my own amusement.

"Yes," Bakugo growled, standing at the very opposite end of the ferry, trying to put as much space between us as possible. Not that it helped—the ferry wasn’t exactly the size of a cruise ship. If anything, it had about as much room as a mid-size sedan, which made her efforts even funnier.

"The Rabbit Hero: Mirko," I clarified, my shit-eating grin hidden behind years of practiced ease.

Bakugo’s eye twitched.

"Ask me another question and I will blow your ass overboard!" she roared, vaulting over the railing and perching on the edge of the boat. Her palms glowed, crackling with unrestrained explosive energy, just daring me to test her patience.

I raised my hands in mock surrender.

"I just wanted to make sure there wasn’t some mistake on your end."

Bakugo grunted, but otherwise said nothing, shoving her hands into her pockets as she snuffed out her stored-up explosions.

Seeing as Firecracker wasn’t going to entertain me further, I turned my attention to the island that had been steadily growing larger on the horizon.

Now that we were closer, the details of the landmass came into focus.

The island itself wasn’t large, but for a population of one, it was more than enough. A dense, dark green pine forest covered the majority of the land, broken only by a lone mountain that rose sharply at the center.

I squinted, my gaze zeroing in on the very top of the mountain, where a lone structure stood, its silhouetted spires revealing traditional Buddhist architecture.

"Is that Mirko’s house?" I muttered under my breath. "It’s gotta be pretty big if I can see it from this far away."

I glanced at Bakugo, who was locked onto the same sight, her brows furrowed in thought.

"Why did Mirko even take her on?" I wondered absently. "She barely tolerated the idea of taking me as an intern."

A second later, I shrugged.

The last thing I wanted to do was make sense of Mirko’s thought process.

"Pretty sure that woman is more insane than not."

---

A few minutes later, the ferry docked, then immediately peeled away, leaving Bakugo and me standing on a rickety wooden pier, staring at the dense wall of trees ahead.

Only a single trail wound through the forest, barely wide enough for one person at a time.

For a moment, we just stood there.

Neither of us moved.

Neither of us spoke.

I checked my watch, frowning.

"All the instructions said was to arrive on time… Did I get the date wrong?"

I was just about to reach into my duffel bag to double-check the contract when—

My head shot up and my eyes widened. Bakugo reacted at the exact same time. We dove to the side, instincts screaming just as a white-and-brown blur slammed into the pier.

The impact shattered the wood into splinters. A geyser of water exploded into the air, drenching the dock in a shockwave of mist and force.

Bakugo and I landed side by side on solid ground, my body vibrating with lightning, her palms rippling with explosive energy.

For a moment, the only sound was the hissing of steam rising from the wreckage of the pier. Then a shadow stirred in the impact crater.

"Mhm. Not bad."

Mirko rose from the wreckage, standing casually, as if she hadn’t just obliterated part of the dock with her entrance.

"But," she continued, rolling her shoulders, "you two should’ve been able to see that coming from a mile away."

Bakugo’s face twisted with rage.

"ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL US?!" she screamed, her voice cracking the air as she stormed forward, hands blazing.

Mirko just grinned, unbothered.

"That’s not the goal," she admitted, cracking her neck. "But it’s a possible outcome if you can’t meet my standards."

I blinked, then let out a slow, controlled exhale.

"Oh yeah. Definitely insane."

I was starting to realize that the contract I signed should have been a bigger red flag than it already was.

"WHAT KIND OF STATEMENT IS THAT?!" Bakugo shouted, stomping the ground hard enough that the wooden planks beneath her groaned in protest.

Mirko just grinned, a sharp, almost sadistic glint in her crimson eyes as she casually jerked a thumb over her shoulder.

"One you have to live with… until you’re strong enough to leave."

There was a beat of silence before she added, far too cheerfully:

"Oh, and by the way—that ferry? Only comes once a month with supplies."

Bakugo stiffened.

I, on the other hand, had already come to expect this level of unhinged behavior from Mirko, but even then…

"But our internship is only set to last two weeks," I pointed out, though I had a very strong suspicion Mirko hadn’t forgotten that detail.

Sure enough, she just shrugged, her grin unwavering.

"Well then, you’ve got two weeks to get strong enough to either swim or fly your way back there."

Bakugo snapped her head toward her, disbelief plain on her face.

"Are you CRAZY?! We’re at least ten miles from the mainland!"

"Fifteen, to be precise," Mirko corrected smoothly, her expression downright amused. "You both came here to get stronger, and I only offered because I think the two of you have the right mindset to meet my standards. Now—are you going to keep wasting the little time you have, or do you actually want to improve?"

Bakugo and I exchanged glances.

Neither of us spoke.

Then, after a moment, we simultaneously deactivated our quirks.

"I still say you’re nuts."

Mirko laughed, tossing her long, wild hair over her shoulder, "Ah, it’s like looking in a damn mirror."

Then, without missing a beat, she pointed past us.

I turned—immediately regretting it.

Mirko’s finger was aimed directly at the lone manor, sitting like a monastic fortress near the very top of the mountain face.

"You have until nightfall to make it to my house before I lock the doors. You don’t make it in time? You sleep outside."

Then, as if that wasn’t bad enough—

"Oh, and you can’t use your quirks."

Before either of us could react—

BANG.

The ground shook beneath us.

The wind rushed past, rustling the treetops violently as Mirko launched herself into the air, her legs a blur of sheer explosive power.

She sailed over our heads, covering half the island in seconds, before vanishing over the horizon.

For a moment, neither of us spoke.

Then, I let out a low whistle, shifting my duffle bag onto my back, and tightening the straps against my body.

"Well, I guess we figured out how she makes it back to the mainland without the ferry."

Bakugo snorted, still glaring at the distant mountain as if she could set it on fire through sheer rage alone.

"I think that damn bunny’s thighs are taking up all the blood that should be going to her brain," she growled, rolling her shoulders.

I smirked, "Careful. I’m pretty sure she can hear the whole island with those ears of hers."

"Good," Bakugo snarled, securing her backpack in place. "I want her to hear me curse her out with every step I take."

Then, without another word, she took off, heading straight for the narrow dirt trail leading into the forest and I was a step right behind her.