Chapter Text
The air is alive with the hum of the crowd. Vendors call out over the hubbub, peddling peanuts and paper bags full of kettle corn. Children titter in excitement at the brightly colored fabrics and the lingering smell of butter and sugar.
Midoriya is not immune to the charged atmosphere, despite being packed in close on the hard metal stands. Truthfully, he is probably more excited than a man his age should be at the circus. But this isn't just any circus.
This is the UA Circus, a world renowned once in a lifetime experience. No two showings are ever the same, alternating acts to suit the whims of the ringleader. The identity of the ringleader is an urban legend in itself, despite the many pictures that exist of them in news articles and the thousands of people who have witnessed them in person. No one can seem to agree on the physical characteristics of the ringleader, even their gender is a point of contention. And this mysterious person will soon be Midoriya's employer.
Midoriya breathes out slowly to subdue the urge to squeal in excitement at the thought. Generally, running away to the circus would be considered foolish, but UA is different. Anyone fortunate enough to work under the famous red, white, and blue tent came away with endless opportunity and sometimes fame. His mother had cried when he got offered a position in the company under the recommendation of his old teacher. She was so happy that she paid for his ticket tonight. To "get a sense for his future place of employment" as she had put it as she pressed money into his hands. He'd have to remember to repay her as soon as he could, as well as his teacher.
"Mama, look up there!" a little girl cries from behind him.
Looking up, Midoriya sees a couple of trapeze artists swinging on the wires, occasionally flipping and tossing each other. It's clear that they're in the middle of warming up, as one of them simply flexes and stretches his shoulder muscles.
That's one of the other things that sets UA apart from other circuses. As a way of enticing the waiting the crowd and rewarding them for their patience, some of the performers are allowed to wander the premises. Even from where he sits, Midoriya can see the hulking figure of the strongman towering over a small group and two snow white horses galloping around the ring. There's so much to take in and the show hasn't even begun yet!
"You look excited," an amused voice says from beside him.
He turns his head and meets shining [e/c] eyes. The woman's painted lips curve upwards when he reddens and sputters unintelligibly.
"It's okay," she reassures with a gentle wave of her hand. "Actually I'm envious of you. A person's first UA performance is truly special."
"Ah, have you seen the show before?" Midoriya asks curiously.
The woman blinks and then laughs at a secret that he's not privy to. "You could say that."
It's only then that Midoriya takes in her full appearance. She's clad in a simple black corset with golden embellishments accentuating her bust, then continuing down her right side and around her waist. She wears bright white riding pants that are tucked into knee high black boots.
"You're a performer!" he blurts out.
She nods and mocks a bow.
"That, I am," she says, "it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."
"What's your act?" he asks excitedly.
"Aw, that would ruin the surprise," she says with a wink. "Is there a particular act you're hoping to see tonight?"
He doesn't even need to think about it. "The strongman! But the magician is supposed to be really amazing too. Oh! And the fire breather. The rumor is that he's actually part dragon! Oh, but I probably shouldn't get my hopes up too much."
The woman thinks for a moment and then smiles brightly. "You're in luck. All of those acts are on the schedule for tonight!"
Midoriya's eyes practically shimmer with delight. The woman hides her amusement behind her hand.
"What's your name?" she asks.
"Midoriya Izuku."
"Midoriya," she tests out slowly. A flash of recognition passes over her features, but Midoriya has no time to dwell on it as she speaks again. "How would you like to meet the rest of the crew?"
"Eh?"
The woman grins and stands from her seat. She seems to size up the audience before she nods to herself. She turns to him one more time.
"Hang back after the show," she instructs, ignoring his stunned flailing. "Just let the staff know that I invited you here."
The power of speech finally returns to Midoriya as the woman steps up onto the metal bench. Almost as if on cue, the lights go out inside the tent and all conversation dulls to scattered whispers.
"Wait! I don't know your name!"
She smiles cheekily. "You'll figure something out."
With that said, the woman whistles sharply. A spotlight turns on, traveling along the crowd until it lands on her. She blows a kiss to the light operator and the center ring is illuminated by a flare of orange flames. A shout sounds from the top of the tent and a tall black haired aerialist leaps off from the ledge. He swings from a rope over the heads of the audience, circling lower and lower until he nears where the woman stands. She spares Midoriya a jaunty salute before she is scooped up into the acrobat's arms.
The spotlight follows the pair for another circuit around the tent, then the acrobat shifts her so that he's dangling her by the arm. She makes a show of pedaling her legs in the air, completely trusting the acrobat to maintain his grip on her. The acrobat releases her when the rope swings back towards the center ring. The woman gracefully tucks her legs and does a single front flip. She sticks the landing and raises her arms to uproarious applause.
"If you liked that," she says over the crowd, quickly hushing them, "then just wait until you see the show we have in store for you."
A tall woman with her black hair styled into a ponytail comes forward holding a bedazzled red coat for the shorter woman. The [h/c] haired woman shrugs on the coat and graciously accepts the tall black hat, blowing a kiss to the already retreating taller woman. She opens her arms wide, standing tall during her presentation.
"Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls. Welcome to the UA Circus! Tonight, here in our own Big Top, right before your very eyes, a fabulous array of acts has been assembled for your delight." Her eyes drift over to where Midoriya sits transfixed. Her grin widens and she sets the hat on top of her head, completing her transformation from random acrobat to the Ringleader.
"We'll get the show started very soon," she promises, "but before that I need your help. It's a tradition that we have here at UA. Think of it as a pact between you, the audience, and us, the performers. It's a promise that we will give you our very best performance, while you will be the very best audience you can be. Everyone that enters this tent is family, so we hope you will love and respect us as such."
She pauses to survey the crowd, smiling softly when she sees that she has them hanging on her every word.
"Alright, so here's what I need you to do. When I say 'Plus' you say 'Ultra.' Let's try it out. Plus!"
The crowd responds to her call with a resounding "Ultra!" The woman grins wider.
"Very good. Alright for real this time. PLUS!"
"ULTRA!"
The call rings out through the tent, the crowd tittering with a new energy. Midoriya watches the Ringleader breathlessly as she lowers her arms. She seems to meet his eyes again and he feels a different kind of thrill.
"Excellent!" she calls. "Now we're truly ready to go beyond with you!"