Chapter 10
The vigilante is cool, isn't he?"
Uraraka sat next to Iida and Tsuyu, who were discussing the USJ results. Knowing that each of the three received good scores from the training, they were in high spirits.
"I do have to agree, Ochako. He is a well mannered vigilante, even though he isn't technically a hero." Iida was rubbing his chin in thought. "Though I believe I have heard stories of a benevolent vigilante from my brother. I could ask Mr. Quirkless to confirm them." He rose to approach the vigilante, who was enjoying a conversation with Jirou and Kaminari.
The vigilante looked up to see the speedster holding onto a railing. "Ah, Tenya Iida, right?" The hero in training nodded.
Izuku noticed the teen had a rigid, an almost unsure stance, which was out of the norm for the teen. Izuku smiled with his eyes. "You performed spectacularly. No corrections needed."
Iida stumbled a bit. "Are you sure? I'm pretty sure I messed up somewhere."
Izuku laughed, a weird sight for the students on the bus. "No, Iida, you performed an exact job of assisting those at a greater advantage than you. Even though you couldn't move often, you adjusted, which is an excellent way to do things in a rescue operation." He finished his "teacher mode" as Naomasa called it.
Iida was in tears. He saluted the vigilante. "Thank you sir! Now I have my confirmation!"
Izuku rose an eyebrow. "Confirmation?"
Iida nodded vigilantly. "Yes sir! My brother says all these stories about you! He called you the "Benevolent underground", where you don't go to the public, but you do hero work and involve yourself in some pretty harsh and evil cases."
Izuku was speechless. It wasn't everyday that a hero compliments your work. He smiled, an idea forming in mind. "Hey Iida."
The other teen stood stiffly. "Yes sir?"
Izuku laughed. "At ease, soldier. I just want to know if Ingenium is your brother?"
Iida relaxed. "Yes! He is The best hero!" Iida walked away, talking himself about other heroes, and eventually sitting back in his seat.
Izuku chuckled. "I'm gonna have to meet up with ol' Ten. It's gonna be good to catch up." He didn't realize that two other students heard him.
Kaminari looked towards Izuku. "How do you know his brother?" Jirou nodded, curious as well.
She wanted to know as much about heroes as possible.
Izuku hummed. "Well I guess it was a couple years ago. I was getting used to my job when I ran into a local gang. I was stationed in Hosu at the time, which is where Ingenium was located. I was surrounded and couldn't get out, but Ingenium was there to help. From then on I haven't lost contact with the guy." Izuku finished his explanation
Kaminari was stunned. "Wow! Only two years ago? I was only twelve! and you were fighting criminals. That's so cool!" He punched the air, reenergized.
Izuku chuckled. It wasn't cool for me. I was twelve too.
The noise in the bus halted, every student staring at him, completely gobsmacked. Not one student could believe what they heard.
Izuku looked around, visibly confused. What? Do I have a paintball on my forehead?
The silence broke with Kaminari. "You were twelve too?!"
Shit. Was that out loud?
The bus was chattering at a sped up pace now. The students couldn't believe that a hero/vigilante was the same age as them. For one student, it made him angrier.
"Bullshit."
Everyone but Izuku looked towards the source of the curse.
Sero glanced at Izuku, then turned towards the Ashen Blonde. "Bakugo, what do you mean?"
The Ashen Blonde huffed, glaring at the vigilante. "There is no fucking way a Quirkless was twelve fucking years old when he was fighting crime. He's a god damned quirkless, for fucks sake! He's nothing but a-" His eyes flew open, memories rushing in like a speeding car.
No, it can't be.
He died years ago.
He died with his mom, he remembered the moron never coming back.
It didn't make sense. Only one person he knew of wanted to be a hero.
That could only mean-
"DEKUUUUU!" The Ashen Blonde violently broke from his thoughts, whipping his face to the vigilante.
The figure in black lowered his face covering as he turned towards the ashen blonde, his face neutral. He wasn't smiling. He knew what was coming next.
"Hey, Kacchan."
Aizawa rolled his eyes. Of course the vigilante revealed that he's the student's age. It didn't matter if it was an accident. Of course he had to restrict the angry boy from getting hurt. Bakugo wasn't going to win anyways.
They had arrived at the school, everyone had left the bus, still speechless. Aizawa saw it best to address them when they were finally quiet. Peace like this come only once a blue moon, so he might as well take advantage of it.
"Class, be sure to not spread the information you learned about Quirkless to your other students and the public. No one knows about him, so it's best we keep it that way."
The students nodded.
"Ok. head off to class. Those that scored lower than eighty points please meet me in the classroom after school. I will have something ready for you."
The students that were addressed nodded.
Aizawa turned to the vigilante, who had placed his covering back on. "You're with me. Let's go." The two left to go see Nezu.
Watching the two walk away, the 1-A students still speechless. Tsuyu spoke up, her voice quiet.
"He's our age, fighting criminals we struggle to even last ten seconds to." Each student found it hard to speak. Questions forming and breaking down as fast as their blood cells were created and killed off. Every student had the same questions in mind though.
What happened in his life to take this path?
How did he know Bakugo?
Why did the vigilante help them out today?
In the back, Mina clenched her fists. He was their age? And he risked his life for hers? This wasn't right. She needed answers.
She ran in the direction of the vigilante and hero.
Kirishima noticed. Yet, he didn't stop her. He knew what she planned to do. She needed the closure. He knew he'd be there for her if she needed him. After all, she needed some space.
Bakugo stood in the back as well, and unlike the other students, he knew the vigilante before the car accident. The incident in the bus made him think.
Was I the cause for his efforts? For him to become a vigilante? Of course, he didn't voice this. However, seeing the rage and pain flash in the vigilante's eyes reminded him of their childhood.
The pain in Deku's eyes when Bakugo slammed an exploding palm onto him. The rage in his eyes when Bakugo targetted someone else. Was he the cause?
Bakugo couldn't stand there. He needed to talk to his mother, the only one he could talk to.
"Welcome back, you two! How was the trip?"
Nezu stood in his seat rather enthusiastically. He was grateful the two made it back in one piece. He trusted the students were in the same shape.
Izuku nodded. "Great, Nez. It was as enlightening for me as it was for them. I am in full confidence that the school will bring about such excellent heroes." He smiled brightly at the principal, not that the animal would know.
Aizawa groaned. "On top of that, he may have revealed his identity to them, by "accident". He revealed his age to them, and one of the students recognized him."
Nezu tilted his head. "Which student was this?"
"Bakugo Katsuki."
Izuku chuckled. "That's just Bakugo. I know he won't tell anyone. If he were to tell anyone he'd have spread it by now just to spite me."
Nezu sighed in relief. "Well then, we won't worry about it. I Won't address it unless it becomes a problem." He looked at the two. "Anything else?"
Aizawa sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "We may need to expel or suspend a student on account of suspected sexual harassment or worse."
Nezu wasn't surprised. He always had at least one of these students every year. He took it in stride. "Which student was it?"
"Minoru Mineta."
"Ah, the small one. Yes, I know just what to do."
Izuku and Aizawa looked puzzled. They didn't like the tone the principal used. Aizawa hesitantly asked. "What shall we do sir?"
"Send him to Midnight, and call his parents. We're transferring him to general studies. No offenders can ever be a hero."
Aizawa and Izuku shuddered, both having worked with the bombshell. Aizawa knew her longer than Izuku had, but they both knew exactly what she'd do.
Aizawa turned around walking to the door. "Yes sir." Turning his head to Izuku, he smirked. "Looking forward to working with you more, kid." The eraser hero walked out.
Nezu looked at Izuku, while the latter mentally cheered that Eraserhead praised him.
"Quirkless?"
Out of his musings Izuku's attention was on the principal.
"How would you feel about a job?"
Mina Ashido had sprinted to the principal's office, and nervously waited for anyone to leave. She was hoping to catch the vigilante before he left. She listened, and waited for half an hour, when she heard a door open.
"Quirkless!-" She stopped, noting that it was her homeroom teacher exiting the room of the animal. He had just called out something to the vigilante when he noticed the pinkette. "Ashido, what do you need?"
Mina, looked down, a little bit ashamed. "I just want to talk to Quirkless for a minute. I'm sorry for skipping class but I just need to talk to him abo-". She stoped her rant when she felt a calloused hand on her shoulder.
Aizawa looked down at the pink girl, his gaze softened. It was almost like he knew what to do for people in situations like this.
"Ashido." Aizawa calmed her down. "I know. just wait out here for the vigilante. I won't hold this against you." Mina looked relieved.
"This time."
Mina's face scrunched up a bit. She knew this was coming. Same old Aizawa.
She sat in a chair as Aizawa walked away, and looked at her hands. She tried to play on her phone, but she was too anxious to really focus. She needed to speak with him, now.
She jolted up from her position when she heard a door open.
"I'll think about the offer, Nez. Don't worry. Thanks for the opportunity!"
A higher pitched voice called out after him. "Don't hesitate to call when you've made up your mind! I trust you won't regret it!"
Izuku closed the door, shaking his head. Of all people, he wants me? I didn't do much and-"
He noticed a small pink person in a chair.
"Ashido?" He bent down, looking at the person in the eyes. "Whats going on?"
Mina was shaking. She was so close to the guy that saved her! Why was she such a coward? Why couldn't she just say thank you! Why?
"Hey, Mina," his voice cooed "Until you say what you need to say, I'll just sit right here." He proved his point by slumping on the ground next to her chair, and brought out a gameboy from a pocket.
Mina didn't know what to do. She could just run and leave him hanging, but she couldn't even muster the will to move! Was he seriously playing a console that was so outdated?
Izuku smiled at her, lowering his face covering. He did this a lot to people that attempted suicide. It was a category that he focused on as well. As a result, it comforted those he helped, because by showing them that he's human too, it made them all feel better.
"Have you ever played Pokémon?"
Mina stared at him for a second, and then it started.
A small tickle in her throat, which led to a giggle. Her giggle led to small laughs, and now she just couldn't stop her laughter.
Why had she been so afraid of him? Right now, he looked nothing like the character that messed Mineta up. He looked nothing like the soldier she'd seen in the classroom, or when he saved her.
He looked like a fourteen year old boy who likes videogames.
Izuku smiled. He was glad he got her to open up, even for a little bit. He hadn't the slightest idea why she was laughing, but he was glad that she was.
Mina wiped her eyes. She glanced at the boy next to her, and barely whispered "Thank you." It was quiet, but Izuku heard it.
It helped him come to his decision.
"You're very welcome, Mina. Remember, I'm right here if you want to talk about whatever." He slipped her a business card. "Just text me if you're feeling blue. I'm always up at four in the morning, so don't worry about waking me up."
He helped her off her chair, pulling her to her feet. "Are you ok?" He was mildly concerned now. She looked like she was going to break down again.
She halted her shivering, and looked at him. Her voice was quiet, but she managed. "I'm okay."
Izuku smiled, walking her to a corner. "I'm glad you're okay, Mina. Now, I do believe a friend is waiting for you." He waved to Kirishima. The readhead had only just noticed them.
Kirishima relaxed when he saw who Mina was with. He knew he could trust Quirkless.
Mina gasped when she saw the read head. She had completely forgotten about him! Turning to Quirkless, she gave him a brief hug, then ran to Kirishima.
Izuku wasn't expecting the hug, but embraced it. He knew she needed it. Letting her go, he shot Kirishima a text.
After school, training at the dojo. I'll send you the address later.
He walked off, and out of the school, pretty sure no one saw what transpired outside Nezu's realm.
A pair of black, beady eyes was watching, and the figure smiled.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone