Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Warnings: Soulmates, soul parents, Izuku has a quirk, Hacker izuku, bullying, child abuse, bad inko, Eraserdeku

...

A bone-cracking yawn escaped him as he rubbed at his eyes. It had been a long night of hard work for the young hacker. On his computer were the reports he had made up for the newest gang that appeared in Musutafu. They weren't a big gang yet but they were using their quirks to cause trouble. Two nights before they attacked and almost killed one of his neighbors because she wouldn't pay protection on her shop. That was what got him moving rather than searching for higher-end villains.

Izuku Midoriya was fifteen years old and he acted as the Hacker by the name of Fox. For the last three years, he acted as an analyst and informer for the police. It took a few files for the police to trust his word but they came to him when trouble entered Musutafu.

Being able to help people was the only thing he ever wanted. While being a hacker wasn't the way he planned to do it he still enjoyed what he did. Criminals that would still be out on the streets without him were now in jail. Those on the south side of the city knew that they had a protector. Not a physical presence but one who was always watching.

Inside his head, he heard the rolling of dice and Izuku wanted to groan. His quirk decided to make itself known again. Something was going to happen but as long as the dice were going it hadn't happened yet. Ignoring the dice he sent the file to his detective.

Gambit's Run

Gambit: Here is the information on that new gang. file.exe

Pantsonfire: Thank you, Fox. Wait... what are you doing up? It's 3 in the morning.

Gambit: Sleep is for the weak.

Pantsonfire: That's not funny. It's not funny when Eraser says it either.

Needssleep: Fuck you, Tsukauchi. But seriously Gambit go to sleep.

Gambit: Nope I've got criminals to catch tonight.

Pantsonfire: I give up. Eraser are you prepared for the Entrance Exams tomorrow?

Izuku choked on air. The Entrance Exams were tomorrow? He pulled up the calendar on his phone and found it. Yep, tomorrow was the Entrance Exams that he was expected to participate in. Son of a bitch. The dice were still rolling about in his head.

Yep, he definitely needed to go to bed. But he couldn't just leave the chat for the night. It would be too suspicious. His phone buzzed again.

Pantsonfire: The two of you are incorrigible. I'm going offline for the night. Do not @ me unless it is an emergency.

Pantsonfire is now offline.

Needssleep: I think I have pushed him too much tonight.

Gambit: Anything I should be worried about?

Needssleep: Not yet. Will let you know if that changes.

Needssleep is now offline.

Izuku tapped his fingers on his desk as he stared at his phone. The dice were still rolling in his head. So whatever was going to happen that wasn't it. A part of him was tempted to dig through Tsukauchi's files and find out what was going on. Another part told him how stupid that idea was. Especially given how tired he was. He would make a stupid mistake and get caught.

So instead he closed the app put his phone on the charger and collapsed into bed. Continuously aware of the dice still rolling in his head. As they would still be when he woke up three and a half hours later. Groggily he came to and got ready for the exams.

Izuku was as prepared as he could be in his situation. He studied everything he could and took several practice exams for the Support Course. Almost every single practice exam he had passed with flying colors.

Growing up his dream had been to be a hero. That dream was crushed when he met All Might just over ten months ago. Izuku had tried to explain what his quirk was. How the dice rolled in his head and chance seemed to favor him. Like everyone else in his life, All Might didn't believe him. Instead, he told Izuku to not tell such unbelievable lies and to pick a more reachable goal. Like being a policeman or doctor.

Izuku refused. If he couldn't be a hero then he would continue his work as a hacker and go for Support Course. As such Izuku hadn't even attempted to apply to the Hero Course. Instead, he chose Support. Support was the only course that had a different written exam. It was meant to test their knowledge and ability to think on their feet early. If one couldn't pass that test they weren't right for Support.

Quickly he changed into a black t-shirt with white letters that said pants and a pair of cargo pants. Over his shirt went a grey worn jacket that had seen better days. The final thing to go on was the fox medallion he had found in the dump three years prior. It was cold to the touch and made from silver. Why anyone would throw it away he never understood. Since the day he found it he never went anywhere without it. Afraid that his mother would find it and sell it. She would if only to prove that nothing was his.

Once dressed he grabbed his blueprints and prototype Lectry. It was electrified putty that would interfere with any electronics it came in contact with. When he still believed he could be a hero he made it to help in the heroics exam. Now it would be his key into Support.

With that done he headed out the door of his room and towards the front door. Only paused for a moment to ensure his mother was asleep. He could hear her drunken snores coming from her bedroom. Good, maybe he wouldn't get back before she left for work.

On his way to UA, he stopped at his favorite cat cafe where he was wished luck on his exams and given a free coffee. The owners were an elderly couple who cared more about those who lived in the area than profit. More than once his only meal had come from them.

By seven-thirty Izuku had arrived at UA's gates where he was given a pass for the day. He was told under no circumstances was he to remove it. Then he was allowed to walk in with the other candidates. The dice were rolling in his head harder than ever.

A little ahead of him he could see his ex-friend Bakugo Katsuki. He was wearing a light t-shirt with a jacket over it and pants. It would allow for free movement and not inhibit his quirk use. There was little doubt in his mind that the other would succeed in his goal.

Izuku noticed as he followed directions to the Support exam rooms only a handful were heading that way. Support wasn't as big of an industry as Heroics but there should be more than this. He ground his teeth at the thought. Without this group, heroes would be far more likely to die in the line of duty. Support should be better respected.

With that, he reached the Support Exam rooms. And to his horror, the dice stopped.

Chapter Text

...

There were a dozen of kids the same age as him inside. Not a single one looked up at him as he stood there. Most had their heads bowed over their desk. The rest were looking dully at the front of the classroom. At the front was a short man with spiky ginger hair. He was on the skinny side but Izuku suspected he had more strength than most thought. His hands were what caught his attention. They were large and had an orange L-shaped piece at the end of each finger. A name immediately came to his mind. Power Loader. This was the Pro Hero that made support items for other heroes. His idol.

The man said looking up at him, "Take a seat. The test will begin soon."

Izuku swallowed thickly before he nodded and moved to one of the open seats. The person to the right of him had bright pink hair and yellow eyes. She gave him a grin that sent shivers down his spine. Why did he have the feeling that the dice stopping was because of her? He really hopes that feeling was wrong. Though he doubted that they were. Luck may favor him but Fate loved to fuck him over. None of the other students gave off any vibe that set off alarm bells in his head. If they ended up in the same class together it would be a very long three years.

At exactly 9 o'clock Power Loader went to the door and closed it. He said in a firm tone, "Welcome to the first part of the Support Class exams. Unlike the other Courses, we have three parts to our Exams. First is the written exam it covers the basics of Support that you should already be aware of as well as Gen Ed things. The second is turning your blueprints and prototypes in. Third and final part of the exam is making a piece of Support Gear and then being able to describe it to me with a demonstration. You must pass all three parts of the exam to be accepted into Support. Are there any questions?"

No one said a word. With that, he handed out the tests and gave them the go-ahead to begin. The Gen Ed parts of the exam were easy. Izuku breezed through them in less than an hour. When he got to the support part of the exam it was still fairly easy. It asked a lot about tools and measurements. In the questions were asked about thought processes as well. It wasn't just about the right answer but how you got to it. This took Izuku longer to get through.

The next portion was an analytical section about different heroes. Izuku dug into it with gusto. Not only writing but designing different ways to help with quirks. Only minimal information was given and if Izuku hadn't done his work as a vigilante he might not have been able to go into such detail. Especially with two of his analysis being about underground heroes. Finally, he was finished just in time as well. There were only ten minutes left of the written portion. Izuku used the remaining time to double-check his answers.

Then Power Loader said, "Time is up for the written portion of your exam. Stay seated while I come around to pick up the exams. You may also put the blueprints and prototypes on your desk for me to pick up."

Izuku heard mutterings. Most of them made him frown. Did these kids not read the special instructions? Support and Hero Courses both had special instructions for their exams. Support was to design an item using whatever they could. Blueprints could be of that item or one that would help in the field.

When Izuku's blueprints and prototype were taken up he saw a flicker of something in Power Loader's eyes. As if he was impressed by what Izuku had done. He was sure that he would pass this part of the exam.

Those who he had heard grumbling were led out of the classroom. The hateful looks were sent toward the remaining examinees. He noticed that one of the few remaining was the pink-haired girl. She noticed his attention almost immediately and gave him a grin. One he returned. Somehow he knew that she was different. He would have to keep an eye on her. Different was always interesting after all.

Power Loader said once all those who had not prepared properly were gone, "Now you have four hours to complete the last part of your exam. When you have completed your blueprints and support item you can raise your hand. Then you will explain and demonstrate it. Any questions? No? Begin."

As izuku began he felt the dice begin to roll in his head again. It made him frown as he didn't know what had caused the last set to stop. Against his better judgment, he ignored the rolling dice in favor of finishing his exam.

The first step was drawing out his blueprints. It had taken a lot of time and consideration for him to decide on what he was going to do. In the end, he chose a watch that monitored the heart rate and vitals of the person wearing it. It would send out an emergency signal should they fall below a certain point. Built-in was another signal that could be pressed if the hero thought they were in need of backup. A lot of hero deaths were caused by being unable to call for backup. This would hopefully lower the casualty rates of new heroes.

Twice the prototype exploded on him but given his usual success rate in the beginning stages, he counted it as a win. Especially given the girl beside him who it had blown up nine-time on and just before each explosion the dice would stop rolling. He had a sinking feeling that around her it was going to be a warning system. As if he didn't have enough to worry about.

After a few tests, he was sure he was ready to show it. With as much confidence as he could muster Izuku raised his hand shocking the entire classroom including Power Loader. Slowly as if unsure the man made his way over.

In a soft voice, he asked, "Are you sure you're ready? You still have time."

"I am!"

"Alright explain it to me," conceded the hero.

Chapter Text

...

Izuku felt good as he left the exams. Power Loader seemed genuinely interested and impressed by his ideas. They had spent far longer than the time limit going over the invention. It wasn't until the pink haired girl nearly exploded her table, again, and that Izuku stopped her just in time did they stop. Everyone seemed to stare at him with wide eyes.

To Izuku's horror the dice had begun in his head again. He didn't know what the dice were warning him about and he didn't want to know. Half the time the dice meant nothing but trouble and he had the feeling it was true in this case. That had eyes upon him including the girl's. Her eyes made him feel like a pinned insect.

When Power Loader allowed him to leave he felt unbelievably grateful. Something about that girl made him nervous. There was no need for him to risk his lifestyle. Leaving UA through the gates in turn brought about sadness. It was his dream school and he didn't want to leave. Staying any longer than necessary might however bring unwanted attention. So with squared shoulders he left.

Izuku made his way down the streets towards the train station. At every corner he checked that the cameras were there. Since his arrival as Fox more cameras had been added. Not just to the streets either. Locally owned shops that didn't have them before were adding them now. Word had gotten around that there was someone looking out for the citizens. Quirks or lack there of didn't have an impact on if they received help.

Rumors had been circulating online that people were starting to mark the walls of the city. An orange fox spray painted onto the walls of a building if the vigilante had aided a shop. So far Izuku hadn't found anything to prove that the rumor was true but neither had he found anything discounting it either.

Izuku felt unfriendly eyes upon him as he was walking. A shiver ran down his spine and if anything the dice began rolling even harder. They were warning him about these people he was sure. First step first. Get a look at who was watching him.

He stopped close to one shop pretending to peer into the window. In truth he was eyeing the group behind him. They were teenagers around the same age as him. One he immediately recognized as Bakugo. Unfortunately the others weren't his lackeys so he didn't know what their quirks were. Four on one. He did not like those odds. He didn't like them at all.

With one hand he set his phone to record from his pocket. It would only be sound but it was better than nothing. Knowing that if he didn't and a fight broke out it would be blamed on him. The way the world saw it, these teenagers would be in the right. Be more trustworthy than him and his mental quirk. At least that's what his quirk register said.

Once that was done he turned away from the window. Then he continued heading down the streets pretending not to notice the four. He kept one of his hands in a pocket. Every now and then he would stop to look in the windows and check the walls. With each stop he checked on his followers. Thankfully no one joined them but they had closed the distance.

On top of that Bakugo seemed to be itching for a fight. Did he not get enough of it at the Heroic's exam? Fighting might not be his specialty but that didn't mean he couldn't fight. He just chose not to and he was tired of being a punching bag.

In his head the dice were bouncing around and he wanted to growl with frustration. Most of the time he didn't mind his luck being strange. This was not one of those times however. He wanted to know what the dice rolling meant. Was he going to be attack? That seemed like the most likely event.

As Izuku turned onto the street where the train station was they made their move. An arm slung itself over his shoulders and pulled him close to a boy. Looking up he realized it was one of the boys that was with Bakugo. One who he didn't know what their quirk was. Damn it.

The boy said loud with a false cheerfulness, "Hey there! It's been awhile since we got to hang out," in Izuku's ear he hissed, "You better go along with it Deku."

"Are you threatening me?" Izuku questioned his voice as cold as ice.

It was that damn nickname again. The name that Bakugo had given him because his mother forced him to have a declared mild intelligence quirk. In the eyes of his once best friend that meant he was useless. Once upon a time it hurt. Now he was just numb to the bullying but there was no faster way to insight his anger however than to use that name.

Using his anger he slipped out from under the arm even as it tried to direct him into the nearest alley. Slipping under it was easy however the others and encircled him. Around them people ignored what was happening. To them it was just a group of friends having a talk. People saw what they wanted to see.

The boy growled, "You think you can just ignore what I tell you? Get over here, Deku. You have some explaining to do."

At the nickname a few people glanced over curious. When they saw it was just teenagers they shrugged and continued on.

Still ice cold Izuku said, "I think not. And stop calling me that name. Just because you made friends with Bakugo doesn't mean you can use it. Are you his new lackeys?"

"Lackey?!"

"Who the fuck do you think you are?!"

"Deku! I'm going to kill you."

This had Izuku rolling his eyes. Of course that would be their reactions. Stupid teenagers. Why did he have to deal with this?

Several passerbys stopped now. They heard the threat of murder and they were concerned. The only one who had not spoken was a mousy looking boy. He glanced nervously at the passersby and back at Izuku. Unlike the others he didn't show any real malice. Most likely he just went along with so not to be bullied himself. Internally Izuku shook his head in disappointment. People doing nothing allowed the bad to win.

Bakugo didn't say anything else however instead he flung himself at Izuku. A shower of sparks were coming off his right palm in the giant right hook he always started with. A hacker he might be but defenseless he was not. For two hours every weekday he went to a self defense gym. It was a charity gym that ran on donations. They accepted anyone as long as they had a quirk. Izuku had thanked his lucky stars that at the very least his mother marked him with the intelligence quirk and not as quirkless. If he had that stigma then it would have made his life much more difficult.

Blocking the attack easily he shoved Bakugo back, hard. The surprise made the blond stumble back and gave Izuku room. He breathed in slow and focused his mind. One of the boys suddenly grew spikes and lunged for Izuku. Immediately he jumped back avoiding being cut by the spikes. He wasn't given the chance to slow down as the other two came in.

Luck decided to favor him in the fight. Why it couldn't favor him by not forcing him to fight? He didn't have an answer for that. If he had his wish he would not be in this situation. Again he pushed away the attacker that came at him. People had gathered but no one seemed inclined to intervene. By the Kazoo God he hated people.

"Leave him alone," shouted someone from the crowd.

A pink haired person slammed into one of the bullies. This divided their focus between him and the newcomer. He gave her glance and realized it was the girl from the Support Course Exams. She glanced back at him and their two shades of green eyes locked for a moment. She gave him the briefest of nods. They then turned back to the bullies. Two on two was better than his previous odds.

Chapter Text

...

Izuku should have expected the exploding items given what he saw in the Entrance Exams. This girl was positively crazy but she was crazy enough to stand up for him. Izuku broke the nose of the one who didn't want to be there. This was enough for him to back out of the fight. 

Here Bakugo and Izuku face off. The rolling dice in his head suddenly stopped leaving him reeling. Taking a breath steadied himself waiting for Bakugo to make his first strike. It would be a wide right hook. Block and strike back in return it would throw off Bakugo's tempo. 

And just as he expected Bakugo lunged at him, a wide right hook. Izuku blocked the strike and shoved him back. Bakugo stumbled back and almost fell on his ass. Sadly he was able to right himself. 

"Deku!"

Izuku snapped, "Get better insults, Bakugo. I have met five year olds that have better insults."

And villains. They did not take kindly to his work online. Many villains had some interesting words to describe him. They really needed to use more secure servers. It was far too easy to break into them. 

Again Bakugo lunged at him choosing not to try any other insults. Once again he blocked and slipped around the other's guard. He landed two strikes to Bakugo's abdomen before retreating again. Once he was at a safe distance he glanced over at the girl. The girl who had both of her opponents on the ground and hogtied. His respect for her grew immensely.

Then to his horror and realization what it meant the dice began rolling in his head again. She had a feral grin on her face as she pulled something out of her pocket. The dice stopped and he threw himself to the side knowing what it meant. The girl threw what she had pulled out at Bakugo. As it hit him it exploded. Glitter and goo covered Bakugo's face and hands. 

Bakugo began screaming a string of curses making Izuku smile viciously. His hands kept sparking but it wouldn't completely go off. The first one Izuku knocked down was edging away from them. He just let the boy go. There was no reason to keep fighting. 

Izuku smirked, "Next time Bakugo maybe not bully someone. Even outnumbering someone does not guarantee you victory."

"Fuck you, Deku," he snarled, "I'll kill you."

"Sure you will," he waved the other off as he turned away. 

There now stood the pink haired girl and for fuck's sake the damned dice were rolling again. What was the girl? Chaos incarnate? Chaos and chance seemed to be what set his dice rolling. Even 11 years after it came in he still didn't understand it completely. 

The girl said happily, "Good job, Green Bean! You were awesome."

Izuku tilted his head to the side in curiosity as he asked, "Who are you? You were at the Entrance Exams."

The girl loudly replied, "Hatsume Mei. You can call me, Mei."

"Izuku Midoriya. Nice to meet you."

The dice were still rolling as they left the area but as they passed one alley Izuku spied something orange. On the edge of the building was an orange fox. It took everything in him not to react in front of Mei. 

She must have seen the flicker of his eyes because she commented, "That's the sign of Fox. He's a vigilante that looks after the city. So many people owe him."

Owe? 

...

That night he sat typing away at his computer with a dark look. On the screen showed a set of robbers attacking one of the few shops that didn't discriminate based on quirks. More than once Izuku would go out of his way to visit the shop knowing they would look after him. 

Gambit's Run: 

Gambit: Eraser how far out are you? Things aren't looking good.

Needssleep: Two minutes. 

Pantsonfire: I'll be there in three. 

Damn it. It was times like this Izuku wished he was more than just a hacker. Still he watched gathering as much information on the robbers as he could. His hands clenched tightly as he watched the robbers beat the older cashier. The cashier that always gave him more than he asked for. 

As promised Eraserhead arrived in two minutes and he didn't waste time attacking them. Izuku zoomed into the cashier to check on him. Thankfully the man was breathing and Izuku couldn't see any blood.

Eraser dispatched the villains just as Tsukauchi entered. The detective went straight for the cashier to check on him. To his relief they were able to help him up. Uninjured with just a few bumps and bruises.

Pantsonfire: The scene is secure. Did you know these guys were wanted?

Gambit: I figured something was up given their attire. Give me a second. 

Running facial recognition brought up their rap sheet. Well fuck. They had escaped from jail before they could be taken to Tartarus. There was no way they would have left the shopkeeper alive. Not with that rap sheet. 

Gambit: Fuck I'm glad we caught them when we did. The shop keeper could have died tonight. 

He would have died if Izuku wasn't working as a hacker. Damn it. He did good even if he wasn't out on the streets. 

Training his body was secondary to training his skills on the computer and support. Did that mean he neglected it? No. No he did not. Three times a week he went to a local gym that let him work out in exchange for cleaning up. The same deal was worked out of the martial arts dojo that accepted him. He worked hard and they respected him for it. 

Needssleep: Good work, Fox. A lot of lives will be saved thanks to this. 

Gambit: Just doing what is right, Eraser. No matter what this city is under my protection.

Pantsonfire: Try not to overdo it, Fox. 

Gambit: Oh detective it sounds like you care

 Needssleep: He does, Fox. 

Gambit: Sure sure.

Gambit is now offline. 

Chapter Text

...

Gambit's Run:

Gambit: Here are four more villains that I found.

Pantsonfire: Again? What are you still doing up?! Its four in the morning!

Gambit: Sleep is for the weak.

Pantsonfire: IT IS NOT. GO TO SLEEP.

Gambit: Nope have other things to do...

Pantsonfire: Fox?

Izuku froze. He was staring at the cameras with wide eyes. The appearance of a certain villain was... Unexpected. What was Stain doing in Musutafu?

He ignored his messages as he tried to bring up what heroes were out. Specifically he was looking for those within Musutafu. There weren't many heroes out and about. It was too early in the morning for the Daylighters.

Kage was near where Stain was. Eraserhead was on the complete other side of the city. Then there was Cain. Izuku didn't know much about Cain he was a lot like a vigilante. No set patrol route. No set patrol times. He would go to different cities as he was needed. Cain wasn't even a native hero to Musutafu. Most of the time he was in Hosu. It begged the question. Why was he here?

His phone buzzed again. He ignored it and focused on putting a program in to track Stain through the cameras. Then he returned his attention to the chat.

Gambit's Run:

Pantsonfire: Damn it. It shows Fox is still online but he isn't answering. What do you think, Eraser?

Needssleep: He could be working on something. He's a workaholic.

Gambit: Takes one to know one, Eraser. I'm fine if you must know. I caught sight of something worrying on the cameras.

Pantsonfire: What?

Gambit: Eraser is Kage patrolling alone, tonight? I can't really tell with how he's positioned in the cameras.

Needssleep: He's on his own tonight. A few of the younger Undergrounders he patrols with were called for a raid. Why what's going on?

Gambit: Get as many Undergrounders to his position as you can. Stain is stalking him.

Needssleep is now offline.

Pantsonfire: Stain?! I'll mobilize things on my end. Do you think he will attack Kage?

Gambit: I know he will. Whether tonight or another he is stalking Musutafu.

Pantsonfire is now offline.

Gambit is now offline.

Now that his allies were alerted to the need for aid he needed to warn Kage. If he remembered correctly Kage used the same brand of comms that Eraser did. It only took a few minutes for him to hack into the comms. Then he activated a voice modulator so that the man would not be able to recognize his voice.

"Kage," he said coldly as he connected with the man, "Don't interrupt. Do not cut me off this is important."

Kage he saw jumped a little at the sound of his voice. There wasn't any sign that Stain realized something was wrong however. Good. They might just be able to pull this off.

He ordered as he zoomed out on the camera with Stain, "Listen to me carefully, Kage. I am the vigilante Fox and right now I have you on the cameras. You are being stalked right now by the Hero Killer Stain. Don't turn around."

The last part came out harshly. He had seen the man start to turn his head. As soon as the harsh order came though he froze. At least the man had some sense. Too many heroes out there would have continued regardless of his warning.

In a rough gravelly whisper Kage asked, "What do you need me to do? No one knows what his quirk is or how to counteract it."

Izuku ran through on what little information he had on the man and said, "Stain is an ambush killer. He gets in close to his victims as he used a serrated sword and knife. This causes more bleeding than if it was a regular blade. It has to rely on blood. Whatever you do, do not get cut."

"Easier said than done," muttered the hero as he began walking again.

After two minutes Stain began walking as well in the same direction. He was definitely tracking Kage then. He sent the locations out to Eraserhead.

"Keep moving," ordered Izuku, "Stain is still following you. Do your normal actions on patrol. Help is on its way."

Kage didn't so much as twitch. He kept moving just as Izuku ordered. Inside his chest Izuku's heart beat wildly. Never before had it been so daunting to watch. Never before had he felt as if he was about to watch someone die. If they didn't make it in time that was exactly what would happen.

"Two minutes out," came Eraser's voice.

Izuku repeated it to Kage who gave a quiet acknowledgement. They weren't going to make it in time Izuku realized. Stain was closing in. Kage's best chance would be to face him head on rather than letting the killer get the drop on him.

Izuku barked, "Kage, listen to me. Stain is closing in on you now. He is coming in on your seven with his sword drawn. Eraserhead and your backup are still a little ways out. You need to hold him off until they arrive."

"Damn it," swore Kage, "I had hoped that he was just scouting me out. Alright. Thank you for the warning Fox."

"This isn't over yet, Kage," he growled, "Get ready. Here he comes."

Sure enough Stain chose that moment to attack Kage. Izuku alerted Eraserhead who was still a minute out. Other heroes were further away from the scene.

Kage deflected the sword in its first strike. There was a brief widening of Stain's eyes to show that he hadn't expected that. Good. It meant the man didn't know he had been found out.

The villain began his rant but Izuku ignored it choosing instead to examine the fighting style. It was a tight style that allowed Stain to get in close and use a sword in one hand and a knife in the other.

Izuku's heart beat even faster. It was hammering within his chest and he wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't audible to those around him. Thankfully he was alone in his room and his mother should still be asleep. He would rather not deal with that woman.

As promised Eraserhead arrived quickly and knocked the killer back. This gave Kage breathing room. Kage wasn't meant to fight head on. His quirk made it easy for quick escapes. Stain looked between them with hate filled red eyes. Then his eyes trailed up to cameras for the first time.

One word was mouthed in realization, "Fox."

So he was known even amongst a serial killer's circle. Then he dropped a pellet onto the ground, smoke filled the alley. Over the comms he could hear Eraserhead and Kage coughing. Izuku tried to follow Stain on the cameras but soon lost him. A growl escaped him. So close. They had been so close.

Chapter Text

...

Fox watch:

Purpleinsomniac: Did you guys see that Fox saved Kage the Underground Hero?

Redriot: You mean against Stain? I saw that before it was taken dowj. The fight was apparently brutal. If that other Underground Hero hadn't shown up Kage would have been another death.

Blue's Clues: That was Eraserhead. He's a bigshot in the Underground. Even villains have respect for the man.

AlienQueen: Seriously?! I didn't think villains respected anyone?

Blue's Clues: It's rare but it does happen. Usually to heroes like Eraserhead who don't care about quirks.

Redriot: How do you know that?

Blue's Clues: I know a few of the older vigilantes who like to pick fun with Eraserhead.

Purpleinsomniac: Blue's Clues you get more interesting every time you speak.

...

Two weeks passed quickly for Izuku. His vigilante work kept him busy. Stain arriving in Musutafu had caused quite the stir and it made the local heroes wary of going out alone. Izuku used a facial recognition program to try and find him on the streets. It was constantly running and set to alert Izuku no matter what time it was.

Kage and Eraser thankfully were going to be fine after being checked out by Recovery Girl. They had sent thank you messages to him in the chat. Somehow he permanently ended up in their chat.

Word had somehow gotten around to the media that there was a vigilante. Not only that there was one but that he had been around for awhile. Izuku knew there was a few forums talking about him here and there; but nothing official had been announced. Until two days after Kage and Eraserhead had fought Stain.

Media were calling out the police for being unable to find the mysterious vigilante. To Izuku's surprise the police had fought back against them. They had said that there wasn't any proof of illegal activity. That the so-called vigilante was acting as an informant for them. In a way they were publicly accepting his help.

Izuku had to wonder however. What had changed? Tsukauchi and Eraserhead weren't keen on him doing this from behind a screen. They wanted to know who he was and likely what drove him. His unsurity made him stay away from the chat unless it was to do with a case.

Arriving back at his house Izuku checked the mail and his heart stopped when he found an envelope from UA. It was heavier than what he expected and there was something circular in the middle. If it had only a letter in it then it wouldn't be so heavy.

To his horror the sound of dice rolling began in his head. Mother fucker it was times like these he wished got a hint of what important thing was about to happen. Not just that something was about to happen. They wouldn't send him a bomb for applying right? That was ridiculous. Right?

Cautiously Izuku moved into the living room and sat on the couch. Swallowing nervously he opened the envelope. A little metal disk fell out of the coffee table and a white projection appeared. It was Power Loader. Oh thank the Kazoo God. It wouldn't be a bomb.

"Midoriya Izuku," declared the man tiredly, "You took the Support Course Exam. Congratulations. Not only did you pass the exams. You made a perfect score on the written exam."

Izuku froze. He did what now?! UA never had anyone make a perfect score on their written exam. From what he understood they had a curve because Nezu purposely made them difficult and would change the curriculum based on the needs of the student.

A funny pit in his stomach formed. He had gotten the attention of the rat. Hadn't he? Fuck him UA was going to be interesting. More interesting than he bargained for if this was any indication.

Power Loader continued, "On top of your perfect written exam results you tied for top scores with another student in your practicals. Izuku Midoriya I am proud to welcome you into the Support Course."

He did it... He did it! Izuku grinned as he pulled the paper out of the envelope and looked it over. The dice stopped rolling in his head and a cold sweat feeling went down his spine. What? The metallic object began beeping. Oh fuck!

...

The teacher's conference room was full as they prepared for the incoming students. Vlad was talking with Nemuri. Plans were changing and they were deciding on what students went with who. Shouta was getting at least two problem children this year.

Bakugo Katsuki earned first place in the Heroics Practical Exam. 77 villain points for the kid but that wasn't what made him a problem child. Most of the time students unknowingly got rescue points. Helped another student who wasn't prepared for what they were going into and preventing an injury. That was the most common. Getting no rescue points was what made him an odd ball. His entire focus was on destroying robots with nothing else mattered.

It was students like that, that made Shouta say their exam was illogical. Robots were not a good indicator on those who could become heroes. Too many didn't have the flexibility to successfully work as heroes. It would end in their early deaths if it wasn't sorted out in hero schools. Last year Shouta expelled an entire class on day one because of their refusal change. Attitudes like that got people killed or made heroes like Endeavour. The world did not need a second Endeavour.

"Maijima," Shouta ignored the rat talking to Power Loader glad it wasn't him, "Has that student from your exams responded yet?"

There was a shuffling of papers before Power Loader answer, "Midoriya Izuku? Yes he has confirmed he will be attending Support Course. A strange kid."

"Oh?"

Now everyone had gone silent. Support Course kids were strange in most of their eyes. Only ten applicants on average were accepted every year. They had a lower rate than even the Hero Course. It had something to do with how Power Loader ran his exams. Shouta threw back his sweet coffee and stood to get more.

Only for Power Loader to continue, "He was able to stop another candidate, the girl he tied with in the practical from blowing up her project. It was almost as if he knew something was going to happen before it happened."

Hizashi was intrigued and questioned, "What's his quirk?"

Power Loader answered, "According to his file, Midoriya Izuku has a mild intelligence quirk. What do you think Nezu?"

Shouta turned his head to listen as he poured more coffee into his cup, "I think there is more to our young friend than meets the eye. Especially since he is the first person to ever pass my exam with perfect scores."

Chapter Text

...

Izuku was eating away at a bowl of cereal while scrolling through his phone when there was a knock on the front door. Immediately he stiffened unsure of who could be at his door. His mother was at work or out drinking somewhere so it wasn't her. That and she had her own key and never knocked on the door.

Cautiously he approached the door and looked out the peephole. To find Hatsume Mei there with her arms full of what appeared to be blueprints. She was wearing the same style of clothes she was wearing during the exams. Izuku glanced down at himself and frowned. He was still in his pajamas. Surely she wouldn't care? Especially since she arrived unannounced.

Opening the door he greeted, "Mei, what are you doing here?"

Mei held out the blueprints and declared, "I'm here to make beautiful babies with you."

Internally Izuku groaned. He was grateful that they didn't have any neighbors around during the day. Otherwise he was certain there would be uncomfortable questions to answer.

"Mei you can't say things around here," he chided and winced when the sound of dice began again, "I have neighbors who are too nosy for their own good."

"Bah," she waved off the idea, "They don't need to know the truth. Besides I think you're going to love my ideas."

Izuku felt the sudden urge to slam the door shut then run and hide. This girl was the oddest person he had ever met. Still she was interesting and the dice rolling within his head proved it. So he stepped aside and allowed Mei inside.

She didn't even give him a second glance despite the pajamas. Instead she headed straight for his kitchen table. Izuku followed her inside and picked up the bowl of cereal.

Mei laid out the first blueprint on the table and he examined it curiously. It was tactical gear made for a hero who specialized in the Underground. Scheme was all dark colors with light armor on the chest and around the elbow and knee joints. It offered protection but didn't hinder mobility. With it came a utility belt with plenty of pockets for extra support items. There were steel toe combat boots and tear resistant gloves. All in all it would make a hero very happy.

The color scheme was grey, silver, and black not a hero he was familiar with. It definitely wasn't for Eraserhead. The man hadn't changed his color scheme or general attire in over a decade. Izuku doubted he would go to a specialist not yet licensed. Unless... Unless it wasn't a hero but a vigilante.

"Noise? Noise is returning to vigilante work?" He asked somewhat excited about the prospect.

Noise was an older vigilante known to frequent Hosu with the occasional stops in Musutafu. Supposedly the vigilante had retired a few years prior but there were many who thought he had died. Fox didn't have any interaction with the other vigilante.

Despite this he knew of Noise's reputation. Criminals felt as if they were losing their minds when they were captured by him. Only his quirk was seen never the vigilante himself. His quirk was said to bring illusions to the mind it was used against. In truth Izuku looked up to the vigilante. He was someone who brought down criminals and villains without risking harm to himself or civilians.

"I'm surprised you thought of him, Green Bean," commented Mei with an odd look in her eye, "You know a lot about him."

Damn him and his mumbles. The only good thing about it was that he didn't go down the rabbit hole of his own work. That would be an interesting conversation. The sound of the dice stopped and with his stomach dropped.

Oh no. What now?

Izuku rubbed the back of his neck as he said, "I have an interest in heroes and their quirks. I see vigilantes who don't use unnecessary amounts of force to bring in criminals. Though I do wonder why Noise left the field for so long?"

"Few people remember Noise," she said not meeting his gaze, "I'm not sure why he's been gone for so long. The only reason I know of him was because my uncle made his first suit over a decade ago. Since my uncle passed he sought out my help."

That made sense. Odd but it did make some sense. Vigilantes needed gear if they were going to hit the streets. Regular clothing while light and accessible would only work to a certain point. It would not defend against an opponent who intended to kill. Or an over enthusiastic police officer or hero. It was how so many were caught or killed.

Throwing aside his thoughts for the moment he asked, "Why show me this? Why admit to someone you barely know about working with a vigilante?"

"You're interesting, Green Bean," she replied a smile breaking out across her face now, "But he is wanting weapons and I need someone to bounce ideas off of and of course test them."

Izuku had the sudden feeling he was going to be used as a guinea pig.

Chapter Text

...

A little after lunch, he was sitting at his computer in his room. A cup of coffee next to him with a plate of food. Hero Net was his first stop and his email was full. Many of the emails were from people he didn't know. He skimmed the emails quickly deleting those he had no interest in.

Most of the emails were about his work. Either wanting more or asking questions. Others were trying to blackmail him. Those he laughed at. Blackmail only worked if you had something on the person. With his life, the worse was a video of him hacking. There were no names mentioned and nothing incriminating.

While Izuku didn't have an official analysis page he checked the net for ongoing cases that might need his help. It wasn't long before he found a case that was in Musutafu. One of his own neighbors had been attacked and beaten by a new gang. The description they gave was vague. A group of four or five men wearing black and red hoodies.

This was a case he would need to keep an eye on. Gang activity was bad. They tended to target people who couldn't protect themselves. If this group didn't get the message soon then he would have to do something about them.

Chat name: Gambits Run

Gambit: hey @everyone what's happening?

Pantsonfire: we just finished talking about you, gambit.

Gambit: DIDN'T DO IT

Needssleep: kid.

Pantsonfire: not even gonna touch that one.

Gambit: what did I do?

Needssleep: I'm going to ignore that.

Pantsonfire: Gambit. Have you heard about the new gang?

Gambit: oh yeah! That's why I'm here.

Pantsonfire: we're having trouble identifying them.

Gambit: i'll see what I can find out.

Gambit has gone offline

Izuku's next step was to dig deeper into the gang. As Fox, he knew all the camera's in the city and had access to them. Not a single one had picked up the gang's faces. Whoever this group was they were smart.

He wondered if he could get in contact with Noise. They would be the only one that might have information. The question was would they want anything in return? Noise had never demanded a price for their information. 

The only way he knew to contact him was through Hatsume. He wasn't sure he wanted to ask Hatsume however. They didn't know each other too well yet. He knew she liked the thought of Fox but she didn't know he was Fox.

He scanned the cameras once more as he was thinking. They would have to wear black and red for him to catch them. He went through previous footage to see if he could get information on their quirks. CCTV footage was great if it was pointed in the right direction. 

Over the next two hours, he went over footage. In the end, he had a few quirks of the group. One guy had a minor telekinesis. Another was an enhancer. Another was an animal mimic. It was a start and a lead.

He scoured the footage from multiple angles to get as much information as he could on the quirks. After several hours of digging, he had a general idea. Animal mimic allowed the man to take on the physical traits of an animal. The telekinesis user was able to move things within 15 ft and not bigger than his fist. And the last user could increase the strength of his body and others but had a limit.

As soon as he had the information he sent it off to the detectives. It wouldn't do for the police force to be unprepared when they did something stupid. The heroes wouldn't be able to do much about them if they didn't have the information.

He was about to log out of the cameras when a message popped up in his chat. Someone wanted to chat with him. He frowned as he clicked on the message. Who was this?

Chaosincarnate: You are a lot more difficult to get a hold of than I thought you would be.

Fox: Who is this?

Chaosincarnate: Nezu

Izuku froze at the name. This was the rat bear dog that was the Principal of UA. His eyes flicked to the name and the dice in his head stopped. How had the Principal managed to get him into a chat? Izuku was very tempted to get rid of the phone and go to ground. 

As he stared at his phone in horror he felt the dice roll in his head. No... He wanted to groan and hide. Rolling dice meant that something big was going to happen.

Fox: Nezu? What does the UA principal was with me?

Nezu: Ah so you know of me. I must say your work as Fox is impressive.

Fox: Thank you

Chaosincarnate: As for why I am contacting you. You have caught my interest.

Fox: You do realize that I'm a vigilante and have been for three years?

Chaosincarnate: Correct. Which is why I would like to meet you.

Izuku choked on a laugh. Meet him? Oh no. He would not be meeting the Rat. There was no reason for him to.

In fact meeting the Rat would probably end with him in cuffs. Then it would all be over. He was too young for that to be his fate. So he sent a single reply to the Principal.

Fox: No. 

With that, he exited the chat and started searching for tracking programs. If the Principal did manage to track him he wanted a heads up. The dice was still rolling in his head. This wasn't over. He was sure of that. 

...

In a room deep within UA was the Principal who was grinning manically. Nezu had never thought someone would refuse him without even hearing him out. To be fair that was an interesting reaction. Now that the Principal had Fox's attention he would begin a new game. This was the most exciting thing that had happened in years.

A little over three years ago Shouta had come to him with an analysis to see what he thought about it. At the time Nezu had been very impressed. It was detailed and formated on a computer. He thought it had been written by a professional with the access to and hero archives. 

This was not the case. Shouta told him about the vigilante that was going under the name of Fox. That he was helping the Police force and the Heroes. Not many knew that the Fox was real at the time. Over the last three years his name was known by the civilians. He was their protector. 

Now however the Principal had Fox's attention. Nezu was determined to make a friend. One who could think the way that he could. Someone that wouldn't bore him.

Chapter Text

...

Izuku bit at his thumbnail as he watched the cameras. It was early morning and his mother was passed out drunk on the couch. After getting home late she had drank and then collapsed where she stood. With a sigh, he moved to grab a blanket to cover her with.

"I wonder if you even love me, Mother," muttered Izuku.

If his mother had truly loved him she would have tried to be a better parent. She would have tried to support him rather than constantly put him down. Inko would have been angry but happy when he brought home his grades. Instead, she was angry and disappointed.

Shaking his head, he tossed the blanket over her. He didn't expect her to get up anytime soon. Hopefully, her boss didn't call. That would mean the worst and she would go through the roof.

Once he had finished taking care of his mother he turned his attention back to his laptop. The dice had been rolling in his head since he got the message from Nezu. That had him on edge and worried. 

If he had to choose one person to be interested in him. Nezu would be his very last choice. He was a highly intelligent rodent. A rat to be exact. Nezu's IQ was over 200. He had been created by a scientist using animal and human DNA. That didn't stop him from becoming a hero or starting UA.

Izuku was not ready for Nezu's brand of chaos. Especially given how often the dice would roll when Nezu messaged him. If that wasn't a sign of trouble then he didn't know what was.

Chaosincarnate: Hello, Fox.

Gambler: hello?

Chaosincarnate: I have a proposition for you.

Gambler: ...

That was suspicious. Nezu was offering him something? Or was it a trap. The dice weren't giving him any sort of answer.

Chaoticbear: Fox are you still there?

Gambler: yeah, I'm here. Sorry I got lost in thought.

Chaosincarnate: Oh that is alright. Now back to my proposition.

Chaosincarnate: My offer is this: come work for me. You have proven to have a high level of intelligence. I am looking for an assistant who has a flexible mindset and you seem perfect.

Chaosincarnate: I don't expect an immediate response but think about it.

Izuku sat frozen on the spot. His breath was caught in his throat and the dice had begun spinning furiously.

What. The. Fuck?

Why would Nezu ask him of all people to be his assistant? Was this a trick question? It was no secret that his skills were top-notch. No other hacker would dare challenge his territory.

Gambit: why do you want me as your assistant?

Nezu had gone quiet. It made him feel slightly panicked. Why did his luck have to pick today of all days? He really should have known better.

Chaosincarnate: Why not? You are quite talented and it would give you access to things most hackers only dream of.

Well, fuck. That wasn't what he expected. Did he really want this kind of attention? If the dice had settled earlier it would be a different story.

Gambit: i'll consider your offer.

And of course thats when the dice stopped. 

With a sigh, he closed his computer. Then he stood up and looked in the mirror.

He looked like shit. Dark bags under his eyes and his skin was sickly pale. His hair was a complete mess and there were stains on his clothes. When was the last time he showered? Or slept properly? He couldn't remember.

With a sigh, he took a step towards his bathroom. The next second he was laying on the floor. How did he get there?

"I guess I haven't been eating," muttered Izuku.

He knew he had lost a lot of weight recently. So many late nights and his mother never having food in the house anymore didn't help. But he had also forgotten to eat a few times as well.

Standing up, he headed to the bathroom. In his mind, he tried to remember the last time he ate. Lunch at UA. Before that was the meal the owners of the cat cafe had sent him home with.

After a hot shower and changing into a fresh set of clothing. Then he went downstairs. His mom was already gone. Thank god.

In the fridge, there wasn't a single thing edible. Just beer, vodka, and an unidentifiable container. With a frown, he went to the cabinet. Not a single packet or box. Nothing was there.

"Son of a bitch," swore Izuku, "She didn't even leave money for food. And I can't take another day of freebies."

With a heavy sigh, he closed the cabinets and the fridge. At the front door, he pulled his worn and dirty shoes on. He had enough savings to buy a cheap breakfast. It would last him the morning and lunch.

His mother had a job she could have easily afforded basic necessities. Instead, she preferred alcohol. Her spending money was a luxury to her.

The walk down the stairs and out the building was short. Only one other resident had seen him. The landlord's grandson was the same age and his neighbor.

"You look terrible," he commented.

Izuku asked, "Do I want to know?"

"Your hair," pointed out the other.

"Of course it is," he groaned. 

He ran a hand through his hair as they walked. His hair had grown long and had begun falling into his eyes. Soon he would need a hair tie to pull it back.

"Do you need something to eat," the boy asked, "I think I have an apple. It might not taste good but it would hold you over."

Izuiu hesitated not wanting to be a burden. The other had his own troubles to deal with. But the growling in his stomach and dizziness convinced him.

"Just the apple please," requested Izuku, "Thank you."

"No problem," replied the other, "We gotta watch out for each other."

That was something Izuku would definitely agree with. Their parents were too busy to care about them. It was the responsibility of the young adults.

"Here you are," said the boy as he held the apple out.

"Thanks,"

The apple was a little shriveled but still edible. He hadn't noticed how hungry he was. Nor had he realized that it had been nearly three days since he last ate.

"Do you need some cash," asked the other, "My grandparents could lend you some."

Izuku shook his head and denied, "No, you don't have to do that."

He refused to burden them. They were good people and helped out the residents. But they didn't have a lot.

"But," tried the man. 

"No," Izuku denied again. 

"Fine," grumbled the man, "At least allow us to feed you dinner sometime."

Izuku was touched by the offer. So with a soft smile, he accepted. Maybe he'd actually get to eat.

"I'd like that," replied the young teen.

They walked together a bit longer before the other turned to enter the train station. He was on his way to the Middle School he would be attending.

"I'll see you tonight."

"See you then," Izuku replied. 

Izuku made his way slowly through the city towards a small coffee shop. In truth, he had been to this coffee shop often. Every time his mom spent the night out and didn't leave any money.

Once there the door rang announcing his presence. An older woman with brown hair and gray eyes greeted him.

"Ah, welcome back," she smiled.

"Hello," greeted the young adult.

"Are you hungry," she asked gently.

Izuku hesitated before he nodded. 

"Sit down and I'll get you something," ordered the woman, "Go on."

"Yes, Ma'am."

He did as instructed and sat down. A few moments later the woman returned with a large ham sandwich and a hot chocolate.

"Here you are, my dear."

"Thank you."

"Eat and stay warm. There's a storm moving in."

Izuku frowned as he looked outside. It was clear and the forecast said it would be for the week. Instead of replying to his confusion she smiled cryptically. 

Chapter Text

...

Nezu was an animal that was well aware of how people viewed him. To the police and most Heroes, he was an asset but a dangerous one. They would never say so of course. The school board believed him a genius, and an eccentric one at that. He would not disagree with that statement.

What they didn't realize was just how deep his knowledge and intellect went. When the Board approached him with the idea of bringing in new staff from different backgrounds he was reluctant. Until they gave him full discretion on who he brought in.

He had been looking for an analyst and a teacher with experience. Not an easy task especially with his criteria. There were no heroes or vigilantes that fit what he wanted. However, there was an individual going by the handle Gambit. They were a hacker. It took him a little bit of time to realize Gambit was in fact the vigilante Fox.

The first thing the white and grey animal had done was go digging. Nothing was hidden and he found the reports sent into the police. Each report had a level of detail and foresight. It was a little unsettling how accurate they were.

Fox was clearly intelligent and experienced in hacking. Which is why when they went looking for information the mouse knew they wouldn't find it. It took someone equally as intelligent and experienced. Nezu was intrigued and decided he wanted Fox on his staff.

Making the chat with Fox was easy. Getting a message was even easier. Now all the mouse had to do was wait and hope the boy accepted the invitation.

And he was sure Fox was young. His best guess was late teens, maybe early twenties. Either way the age was closer to the students than the staff.

"Sir," a voice came from his door.

"Enter."

The principal waited until the man entered the room. A tired-looking pro hero dressed in a yellow sleeping bag. Eraserhead the underground pro was the one person Nezu could depend on the most. He was Nezu's last personal student.

"Principal Nezu, is everything alright?" asked the hero.

"Quite, Aizawa. Everything is fine. In fact, everything is wonderful. We are getting new teachers and a new analyst. Though they may or may not join our staff."

"Analyst, that's good. But a new teacher, Sir? Isn't there a policy against bringing in non-pro's. Especially ones not already a member of the staff."

"Yes," nodded Nezu, "there is a policy. I am however given complete authority over hiring new members."

Aizawa frowned, "Why were you given that kind of authority?"

"The Board wants new blood in the school. It was the only way I'd agree," Nezu admitted with a shrug, "Beside the one I intend to bring in is an acquaintance of yours."

"An acquaintance," deadpanned Aizawa, "That could be a lot of people, Nezu. Most of whom I wouldnt trust with children."

"No need to worry," reassured Nezu, "You like this one."

"How many people did you approach with this?"

"One."

"One person?" questioned Aizawa.

Nezu smiled, "He had everything we needed. An analytical mind, computer skills, and the ability to think outside the box. He is the perfect choice for us. Now the only question is if he'll accept the job."

"What was the position, Sir?"

"Vigilante and Criminal Analyst. Someone who would track them, predict where and when they will strike. And someone who would ensure the Heroes aren't working against each other. I'm not asking him to stop the being a vigilante but to have a support system."

"Fox," groaned Aizawa making Nezu's grin turn feral, "Of all my associates, you chose the most annoying. Do you even know who he is?"

"Someone with the intelligence and abilities we need."

"And?"

"No I don't know his identity," conceded Nezu, "I'm hoping he will agree to a meeting."

"And what would you offer him for a meeting?"

"What do you suggest, Eraser? You know him better than I."

"We could start with protection. Make a deal. Help keep him on the right side and we'll ensure no one goes after him."

"Protection?"

"Fox is the only one that keeps the crime down," sighed Aizawa, "People are willing to risk it for him. However if there was an incentive not to they might not. He has enemies in high places, Principal. They'd jump at the opportunity to take him out."

"Are you sure, Aizawa?" he asked.

"Trust me," insisted Aizawa.

"Then we'll contact him tomorrow," Nezu decided, "It should give him time to decide whether or not he will talk to us."

"Sir," the tired hero was confused, "Tomorrow is a Sunday."

"Yes," agreed the chimera, "That's why the email should go out tonight. The earlier we have his decision the better."

"You can't be serious."

"Of course, I'm not," dismissed Nezu, "The email will be sent on Monday. We'll ask for his decision within the next three days."

Aizawa sighed, "Very well, sir. I'll see you Monday."

All their plans would change the next morning when bodies began to show up.

...

Izuku's head pounded and the dice was rolling in them. The last thing he wanted to do was have his head throbbing and his eyes burning. At the moment the world felt as if it was tilting sideways. With a groan he rubbed his head wishing it would go away.

His phone began to buzz and ring. For a moment he was tempted not to answer it. Then again the number was restricted. Which means it was probably one of his informants calling him. Groaning once more he rolled onto his side and snatched his phone off the nightstand.

With his head still pounding he answered the call. In a soft voice, he greeted, "Somebody had better be dying."

"Sorry for waking you, Fox," Detective Tsukauchi said sounding slightly apologetic, "We need your help."

"With what exactly?"

"Do you know the location of a gang known as the Disciples?"

Izuku frowned. Why would the police be looking for that particular group?

"Vaguely," admitted the teen, "They have been getting a little too bold lately. What's the occasion?"

"Three bodies were found outside a club early this morning."

Fuck.

"That was not an invitation detective," he growled but sat up, "How did you even get my number?"

He'd need to change his phone number and get a new phone. It was too dangerous not to do so. Not to mention how many times had this number been sold out and he was none the wiser?

"We got the information from UA," explained the man, "You don't have to worry about being identified though. We had it wiped. Besides everyone knows you as Fox and that's what the paperwork states. But we'll talk about this further when you arrive. Are you okay to meet me in an hour and a half?"

"I don't meet in person, Detective," Izuku informed him, "But I can have the info by the end of the day."

"It would be best if you come in person," argued the detective, "Nezu has already requested that you come in."

Of course it was fucking Nezu. The rat sold out his number. He was going to fucking strangle the rat.

Izuku growled, "With all due respect, Detective. Go fuck yourself. I'm hanging up. Don't calll this number again."

"Wait," protested the detective and Izuku paused, waiting.

Izuku didn't know why they were suddenly wanting a meeting. He hadn't even agreed to Nezu's offer. What changed since the email that morning?

The Disciples weren't a big enough threat to require a face to face meeting. Even with three dead. Unless there was a lot more going on behind the scenes. If that was the case it was definitely worth him meeting in person.

"Is something else going on that I don't know about, detective?"

"Fox..."

"Detective," growled the hacker, "If there's another reason you want me to come in then tell me. To put it frankly. I don't trust you or Nezu."

"Why not?"

"Because you've given me no reason to trust either of you," replied the boy, "Not only did Nezu give my personal information without asking. But you're lying to me."

"Nezu did not," Tsukauchi defended.

"Yes. Yes. He did. My personal cell was given to you without permission," growled the hacker, "Now you have two choices. You can tell me why Nezu wants me in the office. Or you can go fuck yourself and never contact me again. If you it's the latter I'll turn in everything I have currently and I'll refuse to take any cases from you again. Am I understood?"

As Izuku rubbed at his temples, he froze. The dice had stopped. And now as his hand brushed his fox medallion a strange sense of foreboding came over him. When had they stopped? The dice rolling and then stopping made him nervous. He should have been paying more attention.

Izuku could practically hear Tsukauchi's teeth grind. The older male didn't like having his own methods turned against him. Too damn bad. They couldn't force him to come into the office. If he had his way they wouldn't ever find him.

"Because," he finally bit out, "Fox, someone is targeting analysts who work with the police. All are being found dead and their computers taken. You are the last analyst we have working on the streets. Please, Fox, will you come into the station?"

What in the fuck? Someone was going after support analysts? That didn't make any sense. Those types were normally ignored unless they did something wrong. Why were they suddenly targets?

Even if he was a target he covered his tracks well. They wouldn't be able to trace his computers. Not even the government could crack the firewalls that he had created. No. the only people who would possibly be able to get past them was the group of people he had worked with.

But then, why would the others be killed? There were plenty of analysts. Ones who could do things that he could not. Should he risk it? If he could help them...

With a sigh, he knew that his choice had already been made. It wasn't his choice to help the police and heroes. That was the whimsy of his luck and the dice. If this was something he was going to be forced into because of his quirk then so be it.

He asked, "You swear this is the truth? Tsukauchi if you are fucking with me..."

Tsukauchi interrupted, "I'm telling the truth. Hide your identity if you must but we need you to come in."

Izuku took a long slow breath in and held it. Everything he knew about Tsukauchi said he wouldn't lie about this. But how much did he trust Tsukauchi? After a long few minutes, he let the air out.

"How do I know you won't arrest me?"

"We won't," a new voice came through the phone, "Tsukauchi may be a man of the law but that does not mean that he does not bend them when necessary."

"Nezu," the word was breathed and the principal could hear the fear in the boy's voice.

Izuku couldn't bring himself to trust them. So instead of saying anything else he hung up the phone, pulled the battery out, and then destroyed sim card. Everything important was backed up on his computer.

Chapter Text

...

That afternoon after he left Hatsume's house he went to get a new burned phone. While the burner phone wasn't the most advanced one it did have its perks. One being that it was cheap. The other was no one could track him with them.

Once he was a safe distance from the store, he pulled it out. He set Tsukauchi's and Erasehead's numbers as emergency contacts. A double tap to the side button would send his location to the men. If someone was really out there trying to kill analysts it couldn't hurt to be careful.

He could see the flashing dots meaning they were trying to contact him. His chat with them was once again active. After almost eight hours of no contact. Maybe they were worried. 

A snort escaped him. Yeah and maybe pigs would fly. He highly doubted that they would have any reason to worry. He would not be caught off guard and dead like the other Analysts.

As such he ignored the pinging phone and made his way towards his apartment. On his way, he saw an orange fox marking the wall of a shop. It brought a faint smile to his face.

At home, the news was running the story about the murders. Three had become five. All five analyst's bodies had been found over the last 12 hours. Whoever was killing these analysts wasn't letting up. There would be more.

The next day was when he learned just how right he was. When the police announced a seventh analyst had been found dead the night before. That the police had finally made a breakthrough. They were working on a suspect.

Izuku stopped leaving his apartment unnecessarily. Hatsume was disappointed by his lack of visits and began showing up there. At least her presence was a bit distracting. Especially when she blew herself and his living room up.

In his head the dice were rolling again. Something was coming and the closer they came the more the dice would roll. It was warning him.

"Greenie! Come help me with this!" Shouted Mei drawing him from his thoughts. 

It was another project. Mei was always working on ome project or another. She had told him that she was planning on opening her own Support Company after high school. With her ideas it would do well.

The two of them had grown close during the short period of time that had known each other. It wasn't unusual for him to call her by her given name, Mei. She had no problems calling him by his.

With a sigh, he pushed himself away from his desk. School started next week. He wouldn't be able to hide for much longer.

He asked, "What am I helping with, Mei?"

"The hoverboard."

Izuku raised a brow, "Hover board?"

Mei said nodding, "Yes. I got the idea a few days ago."

"Of course you did."

"Hey! Be nice, Greenie. Now help."

"How exactly do you expect me to help, Mei? You are the one that designed this thing. I only did the blueprints."

"Help."

"No, you don't need my help. Just my supervision."

"Same difference," she waved his concerns off.

He was about to tell her it wasn't the same but thought better of it. Mei was stubborn and wouldn't listen to him anyway. He had come to realize this and just let her go. It was better than getting dragged along anyway.

...

Izuku sipped at his coffee as he stared at the chat. Eraserhead and Tsukauchi had not taken his silence well. He was surprised that they cared that much. Not that he was going to say anything about the concern.

Gambit: detective are we doing a check in or can I leave.

Pantsonfire: are you okay?

Gambit: why wouldn't I be?

Needssleep: don't ignore the question. Are you okay, Fox.

Izuku froze as his heart leaped.

Gambit: I'm fine. Just ignoring your messages.

Gambit: is that all or can I leave?

Needssleep: I'm telling Nezu. 

Gambit: wait a damn minute. Don't get him involved.

Pantsonfire: what are you not telling us, Gambit?

Everything. 

Gambit: ...

Pantsonfire: Fox

Gambit: .....

Needssleep: kid are you sure everything is okay?

Gambit: I'm not a kid.

Needssleep: you are compared to me.

Needssleep: are you safe where you are?

Gambit: yeah, dad. If you keep nagging me, Eraserhead I'll change your name.

Needssleep: try it.

ChaoticBear: hello.

Gambit: Fuck.

ChaoticBear: now that isn't nice.

Pantsonfire: Hi Principal Nezu

Needssleep: why do we let you have the password?

Pantsonfire: because its Nezu.

Gambit: hi, Nezu.

Nezu: Hello, Fox. How are you today?

Gambit: i'm fine. I'm going to leave now. Don't want you giving out my number again.

Izuku didn't give anyone a chance to reply. Instead, he shut his laptop down and moved his phone off the charger. The device had a special case to prevent people from finding it. In addition to the encryption on the device. It should keep even the likes of Nezu out. At least for a while.

...

Monday came too soon for Izuku's liking. No matter how excited he was for the Support Course he knew he was walking into danger. UA was Nezu's terf and the principal had his ways. Like hacking his phone and email. He still hadn't figured out how Nezu had found his private accounts.

With his messenger bag slung over his shoulder he headed to UA. The train ride was uneventful and it felt like no time had passed when he got off. He had the entire train ride to mentally prepare himself for whatever Nezu would bring. He could not be caught unprepared.

Izuku walked through the front gates. The dice rolled and Izuku cursed under his breath. This was going to be a long day. 

Chapter Text

...

Izuku sat beside the pink haired girl during homeroom. Power Loader would be their main teacher. Homeroom would be spent learning about their classmates. Izuku only paid attention to them with half an ear. Instead, he was listening to his dice and checking his email and other programs.

Tsukauchi still wanted him to meet. Fat chance in hell. He'd rather meet with Nezu than the detective at this point. That's not saying much. He did not want to meet Nezu either.

Hatsume elbowed him in the ribs earning a low growl from him. He shot her a look daring her to do it again.

She said innocently, "Sorry, didn't mean to."

Bullshit. But he wouldn't say anything. Not yet at least.

Once their names were gone their teacher had a few announcements to make. Their classroom would be moving into the Development Studio. Everyone would be working in their own lab stations.

Once the safety rules were gone over, Power Loader gave them free reign. The dice rolled again in his head and he bit the inside of his cheek. Damn his luck.

To his surprise the pink haired girl, Hatsume, was the only one that followed him. Everyone else dispersed themselves to different areas of the room. She had her arms behind her back as she rocked back and forth on her feet. The movement reminded Izuku of an excited puppy.

Her smile was huge and he was sure she was plotting. Whatever she was planning did not bode well for his future sanity.

She said happily, "What should we do today?"

"We?" Asked Izuku.

Sure they were somewhat friendly but work together in class friendly? No, that didn't happen. Especially not on their first day.

"Yep," she practically shouted, "You interest me. Come on and let's get started."

He was practically dragged by her to the spare parts. Her grip on his wrist was surprisingly strong. There were many times that he could have escaped but the way she was bouncing. Almost like an excited child. It was hard not to get caught up in her energy.

They began to unroll blueprints of Hatsume's invention ideas. Izuku's eyes moved over them. It wasn't that the inventions were bad. Just that most had a flaw. Something that would have them breaking and possibly causing harm.

After looking at all of them Izuku pulled out a pen and began making changes. When Hatsume had a problem, he would explain his thinking.

It didn't take them long before they were both working. Every student had stripped out of the uniform jackets and rolled up their sleeves. Power Loader mentioned something about a different uniform and it being on their seats. No one acknowledged it.

...

The fifth explosion of the day, was Power Loader's breaking point apparently. Izuku and Hatsume were sent to watch over the hero students in class 3-A. Izuku brought his notebooks with them amd began taking notes on their quirks.

He wrote furiously while muttering about the possible support gear that would help. Hatsume leaned against his desk watching with amusement.

For her part Hatsume was sketching out potential support gear. She didn't have any plans for what to make. Just knew that she wanted it.

There were a handful of quirks that caught his attention. These were ones he wanted to analyze in-depth. Unfortunately his phone vibrated with a message.

Hatsume looked over his shoulder and frowned, "Who is the heroics teacher?"

"Not sure," distractedly muttered Izuku without looking up as he opened the message.

Gambit's Run:

ChaosBear: Fox I have a proposition for you.

Gambit: No.

Chaotic Bear: You didn't even hear it.

Gambit: Don't care. You betrayed any good will I had for you. Actions have consequences, rat. You gave out my number now you must face the consequences.

Pantsonfire: I didn't realize how cold you could be, Fox.

Izuku hissed at his phone. Both of them could fuck right off. He did not have the patience or time for them. Betrayal of trust and Izuku was slow to trust to begin with.

A crash made Izuku look up from his phone. He blinked in surprise at the scene. All Might, the Number 1 hero had just crashed into the room. What was he doing here?

A little voice in his head whispered that this wasn't just a random visit. But that was ridiculous, right?

Apparently not.

Chapter Text

...

Izuku was less than impressed by All Might as a teacher. Sure the man had done amazing things as a hero but teaching? He was horrible. Izuku was sure he'd be a better teacher.

Hatsume was in agreement. Her expression showed disgust and frustration. Neither had a high opinion of the number 1 hero. Especially after witnessing him teaching.

They were in agreement to just leave. Neither wanted to listen to the idiot. The rest of the students weren't impressed either.

So they headed down the hallway toward the lunchroom. Hatsume talked animatedly the whole time. Izuku listened with half an ear. He was busy thinking.

Then the dice stopped and Izuku felt ice run down his spine. He tried to look around with drawing attention to himself. Nezu was quickly approaching them.

Nope. Nope. Nope. Not today Satan.

The Principal was a creature of many names. Chimera was one of the more polite ones. To his friends and family, he was just Nezu. The animal had the power to bring down governments. It was best not to attract his attention.

So he grabbed Hatsume and ducked into the nearest empty classroom. Hopefully, the mouse-bear-dog wouldn't notice. Hatsume gave him an odd look but didn't comment.

Hiding from Nezu was going to become something of a game. Izuku wasn't sure how well he'd be able to hide himself if he and Nezu interacted face to face. Better not to take the risk at all. So here he was playing the dodge and hide game.

Once the rat was gone they continued their trek. They each grabbed trays of food and Lunch Rush gave them a small smile. As always it was amazing. How that pro had never gotten a higher ranking was beyond him.

The silence in his head was a little off putting. He was getting far to used to his dice. And the silence was almost deafening.

Mei and him sat in a corner of the cafeteria. They were the only first years in the school at this point in time. It was weird having no one their age there. Second years sat at tables paying no mind to them.

...

Nothing much happened at UA until lunch on his third day. Izuku and Mei skipped lunch in favor of working on their respective projects. Right up until the intruder alarms went off.

The dice that had been rolling about in his head for the day had stopped. Stopped about ten seconds before the alarms went off. On instinct he grabbed Mei's wrist thinking something was about to explode. Entirely unnecessary as the alarms went off.

Most of the school would be trying to escape. It would be chaotic at the exits. Izuku and Mei should realistically just stay where they were. Whatever the issues was it would be figured out after a time. It would be the smart thing to do.

No one ever accused Izuku of being smart. Oh, he was intelligent. Brilliant even. Not smart however. Smart would mean not doing something that would most likely be dangerous and stupid. The joys of being a vigilante. It was part of his job to do dangerous and stupid things.

So Izuku was curious about why the alarm went off. Mei gave him an odd look when he put down his work. He pushed himself up to sit on the desk and pulled out his phone.

"Green Bean?" She asked curious.

"I'm checking the cameras to see what the problem is," Was his simple reply.

"You can do that?" She asked.

"Can," he agreed.

Probably shouldn't in case the rat noticed but he could. Probably shouldn't wasn't going to stop him either. It took a few tries to break into the security system. When he did the dice started again. Now the question was. Why did they start rolling in his head? He really hoped it wasn't because he was drawing attention from the rat.

Izuku bit his lip as he ran through the security feeds. He traced the system alert to the front gate. It was... the press? That didn't make any sense.

He bit his thumbnail nervously. Press didn't have a reason to come to the school. Even the media was aware of UA's strict privacy policy. They had tried to get footage of All Might's first day as a teacher and failed miserably. So why had they pushed their luck now.

Unless... unless they weren't what actually set it off. Unless the actual preparator was using them for camouflage. He rewound the tapes to right before the alarm went off. Then he zoomed in on the entrance so that he could see what exactly happened.

A figure stood at the edge of the wall. Their hood was pulled low covering their face. They reached out and the door separating the reporters from UA disintegrated.

Woah. That wasn't a quirk you saw every day. Disintegration quirks were rare. Most of the time they were weak. Able to destroy paper or a single material. Very rarely could they destroy everything. What to do with this information?

"Find anything Green Bean?" Asked Mei looking up from her work briefly.

"Yeah," he breathed, "Someone with a disintegration quirk destroyed the doors. This allowed the reporters to break in."

She looked over his shoulder as he showed her the video. Understanding entered her gaze. She nodded her head. Her mind was whirling a mile a minute. Anyone that wasn't a complete idiot would understand what that meant.

"Who could that person have been?" Izuku questioned, "They have to have an idea of the type of security we have here. But I don't think that they are a student or staff. Security is too tight. So..."

Mei caught on and finished his sentence, "It has to have been a Villain or at least someone with connections to a villain. Izuku we need to show this to Nezu."

Uh no. That would bring out some very uncomfortable questions for Izuku. He had done his best to hide his online identity. As far as anyone knew he was a normal kid in the support department. Going to Nezu with this information would draw too much attention. Yet he couldn't just standby and do nothing.

The metallic taste of blood hit him as he bit too hard at his thumb. Hissing he pulled it into his mouth to try and stop the bleeding. He couldn't give it via his civilian identity. No. He needed to give it to Nezu as Fox. It would be taken more seriously that way.

"I've got a plan," declared Izuku, "I'll send it in a way that won't be traced back to me."

Hopefully.

Mei searched his expression for several long seconds. Then she nodded her acceptance and Izuku got to work. It took a few moments to prepare. He was careful in the wording. He could not risk giving away any information that could identify him. Once satisfied he sent the email.

No matter his disagreements with Nezu, he'd never risk children's lives.

...

Nezu stared at his computer screen. He spent the last half an hour trying to trace the hacking attempt. The person or persons were incredibly skilled. Fox level of skilled.

Normally he'd be amused by the attempts of hackers. They were an amusing challenge. However the timing of this was not. A breach at the gates made his temper shorter than normal. Reporters breaking into UA was unacceptable.

So he attempted to trace this hacker and put a stop to them. If they were the same ones that let the reporters in then they would pay. Dearly. He would see to that. Nothing would stand in the way of his goal.

During his tracing attmept he got an email from Fox. Unusual for the vigilante. Fox was still angry with him.

Going on a haunch he used the email to triangulate the hacker. Ding ding ding. The hacker was Fox. Who was in the main building of UA.

Fox was one of his students.

Chapter Text

...

A full body shudder and a sense of dread went through Izuku. What was that about? Something told him that whatever it was, was not going to end well. For him. It made Izuku hesitated as he was leaving the school for the day.

Hatsume paused alongside him with a look of curiosity. Her head tilted to the side and her bright pink hair fell to the side. Izuku frowned at her, unsure of how to explain his sudden hesitation. Just as suddenly, it was gone.

Whatever had caused his unease was no longer there. Had he imagined it? No, he hadn't. He hadn't imagined it. But he didn't know what it meant.

The walk to the train station was filled with chatter. Chatter from Hatsume and the other students. Izuku listened but didn't pay attention. His thoughts were preoccupied with the strange sensation. Could his luck have warned him of a threat?

He'd never experienced anything like that. So he wasn't sure what to think of it. Maybe it was just his paranoia that had him feeling uneasy.

...

Izuku sat on the roof as he searched through the camera feeds. He'd left backdoors to allow him easier access to UA security feed. He wanted to see if he could get a better look at the intruder. Or at least see if he could find if they got inside. Something told him, this was more than just a disintegrate the door operation.

Everything appeared to be correct as he brought it up to just as the door disintegrated. Then slowly he began rolling it back. He wanted to get a good shpt of the villain's face. Get a good image of their face to run against his database. See what kind of information he could gather on them.

Just as he was beginning his search the chat pinged. Someone was messaging him. There was no doubt in his mind that it was going to be the detective. God the man was being persistent.

Izuku was half tempted to stop using the group chat altogether. If only to teach him a lesson about boundaries. He could still send his analysis without taking to the man directly.

The idea wasn't a bad one. So he ignored it in favor of keeping his attention of his camera footage scouring. As he scanned the video footage he caught sight of something purple in the background. From the angle he was using he couldn't tell what it was.

Unfortunately he couldn't get a decent look at the villain either. They were wearing a black hoodie with the hood up concealing their face. On top of that their face was angled away from the camera.

Damn it!

Izuku hissed under his breath in annoyance. Whoever the Villain was, knew where the cameras were located. Not that it was a difficult feat to accomplish. Being mindful of one's surroundings would help with that. Still it annoyed him.

With a groan, he flopped onto his back and covered his face. Today had been a long day. He was tired and frustrated. Why was everything so complicated?

His phone pinged again. Go away detective. I'm ignoring you. Please and thank you. With that thought in mind, he turned his phone on silent and threw an arm over his eyes.

Sleeping on the roof was a bad idea. Eraserhead patrolled nearby and would likely be curious about a teenager sleeping on a roof. As he laid there though the dice decided to stop.

That had Izuku sitting up in a hurry. Why the fuck did his dice stop? Izuku turned to look behind him on the rooftop. Oh that'd be why. Fuck. His. Luck.

Eraserhead stared at him from the opposite edge of the roof. He was crouched with his arms crossed. His goggles were pushed up on his forehead revealing his dry unimpressed look. Izuku had to bite the urge to laugh hysterically. At least he looked better than that.

Carefully though Izuku reached over and shut his laptop. Tempt fate by allowing one of his teacher's to see his vigilante work he would not. He would also not engage in a fight with his teacher. Mainly because Izuku wasn't stupid. He would not win in a battle against the hero. A fighter Izuku was not.

"Hello," greeted Izuku with false cheer and nearly groaned when the dice started again, "How can I help you?"

Really quirk? Really? As if he didn't have enough to deal with.

"You can start with why you're on a roof," said Eraserhead coolly.

"I'm a creature of the night," said with a shrug Izuku, "Rooftops are my natural habitat."

Eraserhead blinked at him. Once. Twice. Thrice. Before his lips twitched. Amusement. Ha! He got the hard ass not to dislike him on sight like he did with most teenagers.

"Kid," he stated, his voice was flat.

"Adult," he returned cheekily.

"What are you doing up here, kid?" Asked the Pro once again.

"Sightseeing," was the smart answer from the teen.

This was his life now. To annoy the hell out of the pro in front of him. He was going to die. Probably at the hands of the hero. Or the detective. But he shall go out doing what he loved. Annoying adults that couldn't keep their noses out of his business.

Eraserhead pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance. Haha win for the vigilante. Izuku grinned in response.

"You're one of Power Loader's problem children, aren't you?" Sighed the hero.

"Who me?" He asked trying to sound offended, "Never. I'm a perfect little angel."

On paper. He was the perfect little angel on paper. In person however... Well... he was chaos.

"Uh huh," drawled the underground hero, "So you're not one of the two explosive duo, known as Izuku Midoriya?"

"Me and Hatsume are not an explosive duo!" Protested the teen, "We're just a couple of people that are interested in support gear. We make things that go boom. Occasionally. Not often!"

"Uh huh," repeated the hero, his tone disbelieving, "You realize teachers gossip about their problem children?"

Teachers gossip worse than old women he was sure. It didn't bother Izuku that they did. Honestly. Everyone gossiped. Izuku laid his chin on an open palm. This was getting ridiculous. His dice hadn't stopped since he realized Eraserhead was there. Which meant that the meeting was important. But why?

Slowly Eraserhead approached him. Almost like he was approaching a skittish animal. Then Izuku realizes how this must look. Did the man think he was going to jump off the roof?

"I'm not going to jump, Sensei," stated Izuku clearly.

"Are you okay, kid?" the hero asked, his tone genuinely concerned.

The question was unexpected and gave him pause. Was he okay? Yeah. Mostly. Just tired.

While he was distracted Eraserhead moved closer. Soon the hero was standing less than a foot from him. Close enough to grab him if needed. Izuku startled at the close presence and cursed his wandering thoughts. Eraserhead raised his hands palms up.

"Just me," the older male reassured, "Why don't we move away from the edge of the roof?"

"Why?"

"Because," sighed the tired man, "It's safer. You could fall."

"I'm not going to jump, Eraser," inisisted Izuku for a second time.

Eraserhead didn't say anything. He simply looked at him. The look was both pointed and unimpressed. Damn him.

"Fine," huffed Izuku and reluctantly pushed himself to his feet, "Happy now, Eraserhead?"

He nodded, "Yes. Now let's get you home, kid."

"No," protested Izuku, "This is my apartment building."

"Good," said Eraserhead and laid a hand on his shoulder, "Then I can walk you to your door."

"That's really not necessary," insisted Izuku.

"Kid, you were laying on the ground on the rooftop," argued the Hero, "Let's just call it a peace of mind, okay? Let's get you inside."

"Okay," relented Izuku, "But I was fine. Seriously. I'm not a child."

Eraserhead didn't have a verbal response to that. Instead, he squeezed his shoulder and gently directed him towards the stairs. Izuku stopped arguing and allowed it. As soon as the door was opened, the man followed him into the stairwell. They climbed the steps together, the hero never releasing his hold. Until they were standing outside his apartment.

"Thank you, Sensei," muttered Izuku, "For the escort, not that I needed it."

"Be careful, Problem Child," said Eraserhead, "If you ever need someone to talk call one of us. Do you have our numbers?"

"Power Loader handed them out," admitted the teenager, "I haven't memorized them yet though."

"Do that," ordered the Hero, "And if you have any problems don't hesitate to contact one of us, got it?"

"Yes, sir," replied Izuku, "See ya tomorrow, sensei."

Eraserhead squeezed his shoulder before he left. It was only once he was back in his room did he realize the dice was still rolling. Damn it!

Chapter Text

...

Izuku ducked behind the bus avoiding the Principal. Today had been strange, even by his standards. First, he'd had the run-in with the hero the previous night. Now, the rat was stalking around the school for him.

He had no desire to interact with the principal. Not after his betrayal. No, that did not sit well with him. So, instead of heading to class, he was playing hide-and-seek. At least that's what Mei was calling it. Izuku wanted to tell her to fuck right off.

Instead, he was hiding in a bus, praying the rodent would leave. To his surprise, the mouse-rat-bear-dog did exactly that. Until Hero Course students began filing on. Seeing Katsuki Bakugo as part of the group Izuku ducked down further.

Why was his luck leading him to the same place that the explosive blonde was? It made absolutely no sense to him. He didn't want to be anywhere near that asshole. Ever.

And for fuck's sake why was the dice still rolling?! Couldn't he catch a fucking break for a day or two?

No, of course not. That was too easy. Too simple. When did things go his way?

Eraserhead entered the bus a moment later and Izuku tried to hide even more. If he was caught then he'd have to explain. Explaining would cause issues. It was a vicious cycle. One that would hopefully not come to fruition.

The bus was quiet as the vehicle began to move. None of the Hero Students had noticed him. Yet.

Twenty minutes into the drive the bus slowed. They stopped in front of one of the Hero Course training buildings. The USJ, Unforseen Simulation Joint. Izuku recognized the dome immediately. It was the location of their rescue training.

Izuku was going to stick out here like a sour thumb. He had no idea how the hell he was supposed to blend in. Fuck his luck and everything else that lead to this. What was the damn point anyway?

"Sensei," spoke up Uraraka, "Is All Might not joining us today?"

"All Might's time is limited," replied Eraserhead, "He will be arriving later."

Izuku barely withheld a snort. Limited. The man was barely able to do any Hero work anymore. No doubt that was the reason he had joined UA. Izuku knew his secret thanks to some hacking and digging. Not that he'd ever tell anyone about it.

"Wait a minute," shouted an irritated Bakugo, "There's an extra student! Deku! What are you doing here?!"

All eyes turned to look at him. Damn it. Only Bakugo. Why couldn't it have been anyone but him?

A hand clamped down on the back of his uniform. Izuku didn't need to turn to know that the owner of said appendage was Eraserhead. With a sigh, he tilted his head back and looked at him from the corner of his eye.

"Hello, Sensei," greeted Izuku dryly, "How are you today?"

"Midoriya," growled Eraserhead, his tone was dangerous, "What are you doing here?"

"Learning?" Suggested Izuku with a grin them deflated at the look he received, "Avoiding Nezu."

That caused the man to pause. His expression went from irritation to curiosity. Ah. Yes. Curiosity killed the cat. Izuku was the cat. And he did not appreciate being killed. He would not tell him why though. Nope. Not a chance in hell.

"You were avoiding the Principal by sneaking onto the bus," repeated the man, his tone flat, "And coming to a Hero Class exercise. You're in the wrong field. I could expel you for this, kid."

"It was an accident," muttered Izuku, "I would've left for my class once he left."

Eraserhead let out an exhausted sigh before he said, "I don't have time to take you back. So you will stay close to me and listen to my orders. Understand?"

"Yes sir!" Said Izuku, snapping a salute and a bright smile on his face.

"Smartass," came the grumbled reply, "Follow me, Problem Child. Everyone else off the bus. Midoriya will be observing today."

Izuku's smile grew wider. He didn't know what the point was of him being there. But at least he could enjoy watching the chaos that would no doubt ensue. Especially with his luck. Besides, he could watch and analyze the quirks of the hero students. It would make a fascinating subject of study. Maybe his notes could help him in the future.

With a bounce in his step, he followed Eraserhead. They stepped off the bus and walked across the lawn to in front of the USJ entrance. Eraserhead was speaking to his students but Izuku wasn't listening. As they stepped inside the dice stopped.

...

"Hatsume where is the other demon child?" Asked Power Loader.

"Green Bean? Probably hiding from Nezu," she answered distractedly, "He was yesterday. Something about not wanting the rat to find him. Wouldn't tell me why though."

Of course he is. Why did he have to have the two problem children? Oh, yeah, because he told Nezu he could handle them. Just another thing to add to his list of regrets. Drinking, smoking. Telling the rat that he could handle the demon twins. He'd send the rat an email about it later.

"Of course," sighed the pro hero, "Alright, everyone. Let's begin. We will be working on our projects from yesterday. Get to work."

...

Naoamsa ran a hand down his face tiredly. Yagi had over done it again when using One For All. Now he had to rest in Nezu's office rather than help the first year students. Naomasa wanted to smack his friend upside the head for being stupid. Instead, he'd just have to settle for scolding him. Later. When the idiot was conscious. Again.

"Idiot," he murmured affectionately, "Why do you always have to push yourself past your limits?"

"It's hard not to help those in needs, Nao," insisted Yagi, "Surely you understand?"

"I'm a cop, Yagi. Of course, I get that," replied the detective, "You have to take care of yourself, or you won't be able to save anyone. You're a teacher now. You can't keep doing this."

The blonde was silent. His blue gaze was on the wall to his side. He was lost in thought, that much was obvious to the dark-haired man. Naomasa had known the symbol of peace for years. They'd worked together on many cases. It was through Yagi that Naomasa became friends with Mirai. A friendship that has lasted for years.

"Yagi," called Naomasa, getting his attention, "There are others that can take up the mantle. There is a world of Heroes that can help. You can't keep doing this to yourself. Remember Mirai's predictions?"

A shudder from the older male was all the answer he needed. Truthfully, both men were scared of the quirk that had given such a dire prediction. The words of the user were terrifying. Yagi would die at the hands of a monster.

"I am looking for my successor, Naomasa," insisted Yagi, "But I haven't found the right person yet. It's not something we can force."

Truth.

Naoamsa sighed. This conversation was going nowhere. However he hissed when the soulmark across his neck, a green river otter suddenly felt as if it was on fire. What in the world?

Chapter Text

...

Izuku stared at the villains in shock. Eraserhead's hand tightened on his shoulder. Slowly the villain's purple mist reappeared. In the center of the arena. He retrieved his phone from the inner part of his jacket and looked to see if he had a signal. There wasn't one. Did that mean the mist villain was causing the interference? Or was it one of the other villains?

Dozens of villains were coming out of the mist. Then the leader, the disintegrating one from the video feed, stepped forward. Izuku's breath caught in his throat as he realized the danger they were in. If the man had disintegrated the doors of UA then there was a high chance that his quirk was stronger than what they could see.

"Sensei," he whispered, "That's the guy that disintegrated the doors yesterday."

Eraserhead tensed behind him. Then he pushed him toward the door. Though the man couldn't use his quirk on multiple opponents. Izuku was well aware that the man's quirk had limitations. Dry eye and exhaustion.

"Midoriya, Iida," barked Eraserhead, "Get out of here. Go to the school and alert the teachers. Tell them that villains have invaded the USJ. Got it?"

"Yes, sensei," agreed the blue haired boy but Izuku hesitated.

His gaze darted back to the scene below. To the villains and his teacher. There was no way that he could defeat all of the villains by himself. Even if all of the Hero Students helped he doubted they could help that much. They were only first years and had no practical battle experience. Izuku didn't have any either. All of his came from behind a screen.

The blue haired boy ran towards the door and the other students hesitated around them. The dice began to roll within Izuku's head again. It was in warning and he saw the purple mist appear between them and the door. Izuku lunged for the boy and grabbed him by the back of his hero costume and yanked him back. Unfortunately that caused him and several other students to be caught in the mist.

It was like falling. Like a rollercoaster without a cart. Free-fall. Weightless. No control. Then he was crashing into water. Which was a problem because Izuku couldn't swim. He struggled in the water, desperate to reach the surface. Before the weight of his clothes dragged him down and his vision started to darken. Then a hand wrapped around his wrist and he was pulled to the surface.

He gasped in air, sucking in the fresh oxygen. His lungs ached and his heart raced. Once on shore he coughed up water, his body shaking. As soon as he could breathe without struggling, he turned to his rescuer. It was the frog girl. What was her name again?

"Thanks," he managed, "Uh, sorry. Your name?"

"Asui," she answered, "Call me Tsu. Are you alright, ribbit?"

"Yeah, fine," wheezed the teen, his breathing still harsh, "Thank you. Izuku Midoriya."

"Are you in the Hero's course too, kero?" She asked curiously, glancing at him from the corner of her eye.

"Nope, Support," he answered and saw as another person was dropped into the water too.

Asui dove in to rescue him. Izuku began to check his pockets to see which of his inventions he had with him today. He had his darts, a few of his discs, his phone, and a few of his smokebombs. The only really useful item was the Lectry and his phone. Which could not contact the outside world.

Asui came back over the side of the boat carrying a purple haired boy with balls on his head. He looked a little shaken, probably from almost drowning. Not that Izuku blamed him. His nerves were a little frayed at the edges too.

"Hey," greeted the frog girl, "This is Mineta. Mineta, Midoriya."

"Nice to meet you," said Izuku as he tried to get a good look at the villains' quirks.

Most of them had physical mutations that were easy to identify. All of which were geared to water. Izuku didn't think they knew anything about the students in 1A, otherwise they wouldn't have sent Asui here. Her quirk was perfectly suited to water environments. So their best option was to run. To escape and regroup.

"We can't stay here," he declared after a moment.

"Why not, ribbet?" Asked Asui, tilting her head to the side, "They aren't approaching us. And the ship is a defensible location. Ribbet."

"They've got the advantage," disagreed Mineta, "We should hide."

"I don't think so," argued Izuku, "They are trying to figure out if our quirks are dangerous to them. Right now they have the advantage of numbers and all of their quirks being water based."

"Which is why we should leave the area," continued the teen, "If they discover that your quirks are not meant for this environment, then the numbers game goes to them. Lectry should knock them out so that we can get to dry land. As long as there isn't more in the water where we can't see them. I just need a few minutes to adjust the strength of it. We need to get out of the USJ or find a way to signal Nezu. I wonder..."

It didn't make sense that the USJ was controlled only by one person. There had to be a sort of control room. So if they couldn't find the villain blocking their signal out maybe they could find the control room. If the villains hadn't destroyed the equipment that is.

Izuku looked back over his gear. If he adjusted the strength of his smoke bombs and used them all at once they might be enough to get attention outside. But would the staff of UA know it was an emergency? Probably. Power Loader knew what his inventions looked like. He would recognize his work.

"Hey," squeaked the short purple boy, "What are you doing?"

"I'm going to make improvised explosives," he answered, "And then send them up in the air. Hopefully, the teachers at the school will notice."

"Explosives!" Yelled the boy, "How is that a good idea?!"

"It's the best I've got, Mineta," replied the teen, "Unless you've got a better plan?"

Neither of the heroes in training had a reply to that. They exchanged looks before focusing back on their surroundings. He hoped this worked.

...

Shouta startled when an explosion came from the water area. Smoke of every color filled the air. What the hell? But looking up he could see the smoke rising up and out of the building. The Support Course kid was over there if he had to guess. Midoriya was probably the only one who carried around items to make improvised explosives.

He wasn't given the chance to consider this however. The villains had only been distracted for a moment. Not nearly long enough to let him recover. Instead, he fought even harder. He had to give his students time to get out.

...

The explosion worked. A conbination of making it stronger and throwing it up to blast a hole in the roof would horpfully bring help. He'd also thrown Lectry into the water knockingo ut the villaisn who were distracted by the explosion.

Asui was taking him back to the shore. He could see Eraserhead fighting a large group of villains. Then there was a... thing there. It was unlike anything he'd ever seen before. A new villain? Or was it something more?

Chapter Text

...

With a flick of his wrist, his capture weapon wrapped around a woman's ankle and threw her toward the nearest tree. The impact knocked her unconscious. Movement to his left caused Shouta to jump back on instinct. He narrowly avoided the leader of the villain's grabbing his throat. He remembered Midoriya's warning about the man's quirk.

Another two attacks and the underground hero was forced to retreat. Three of the villains had him surrounded and his dry eye was starting to become a problem. He wasn't sure how much longer he could keep this up.

"Sensei!" Called the familiar voice of the Problem Child, "Run!"

"Midoriya?" Questioned Shouta, "What are you-"

The green-haired menace didn't bother to answer. Instead, the teenager began to throw the silver discs at the villains. Each one made an electrical crackling noise and a handful of the criminals went down. Support Course, right. This kid was different from his students.

Well, his kids could fight. This one couldn't. So, instead of letting the Villains go after the student. He didn't get the chance to reply to Midoriya as the leader lunged for Shouta while the hulking beast that hadn't move yet did so.

"Eraserhead, Sensei, behind you," warned the boy and Shouta spun to face the creature.

It had an exposed brain and a beak-like jaw. Its body was mangled and covered in scars. Eyes that were blood-red stared back at him. It moved like lightning. There was no way that the Pro could dodge in time. So he closed his eyes and prepared for the pain.

Only it didn't happen. Confused, he opened his eyes. Midoriya threw another disk at the creature and was yelling at it. Drawing its attention to him rather than the Underground Hero. The villain with the disintegration quirk kept Shouta busy as the creature rushed Midoriya.

"You know," said the villain, "I really look up to you, Eraserhead. You're one of the few real heroes."

"Flattered," drawled the tired man, his hair floating from the use of his quirk, "Now fuck off. You're a criminal and I'm a pro. This ends here."

"I wouldn't say that," the villain taunted, "You're outnumbered, low on energy and this is all a distraction anyway. We've got you cornered. It's too bad. We were here for All Might but since he doesn't seem to be coming. We will make an example out of you and your students."

"Hey Dusty!" Called Midoriya.

They both turned to look at the Problem Child without any self preservation instinct. Who was holding three of his silver disks. His thumb pressed against the button on the top of each one. With a smirk, the teenage tossed the items at them. The second they hit the ground, they exploded in a shower of sparks. Both men stumbled and were blinded momentarily. Then the kid was next to him. Tugging his arm to follow him. He did so without a second thought.

"Midoriya," groaned the Pro, his vision was returning to normal, "What the fuck, kid?"

"You were slowing down," said Midoriya pointing at his side where Shouta found his shirt had been destroyed.

He hadn't felt the injury. No. He had, the adrenaline had made it so that he didn't notice the wound. Damn. How the hell did the kid think to grab him?

This kid was different he realized. More observant. Not just that, his mind worked differently. He couldn't decide if that was a good or a bad thing.

Suddenly Midoriya shoved Shouta away from him. He felt the air of the attack as it passed him by. An attack that would have hit them both most likely breaking several of Shouta's bones. Midoriya shoved him out of the way of the attack. He took the brunt of the attack.

The sound that followed was the worst part. A crunch. Bones cracking underneath the strength of the monster's punch. Then the sight. Of Midoriya's body flying through the air and slamming into the wall. Blood coated the stone from the impact and the boy dropped to the ground. Unmoving.

"Midoriya!" Bellowed the underground hero.

He would have gone to the kid's side if it wasn't for the creature turning its attention back to him. Midoriya wasn't even supposed to be here. Now he was hurt, possibly dead. Just because the idiot had to go and save him. Fucking problem children. Why were they always so damn reckless?

The door to the USJ entrance burst open. Finally. Help had arrived. In the form of All Might. Shouta wondered if he would be able to help. He was already nearing his limits. Shouta had no idea how the Symbol of Peace could pull himself out of the predicament.

"Have no fear," announced the blonde, "For I am here!"

He could hear the strain in his voice. There was a desperation in his tone that worried him. The students still lat the entrance looked relieved. Behind All Might came the rest of the teachers. Snipe took a shot at Shigaraki. Only to be blocked by the Nomu. Damn, the creature was fast.

All Might jumped in to engage the Nomu while Shigaraki chose that moment to retreat. Shouta stumbled a little and was caught by Hizashi. The loud mouthed hero was scanning his injuries and muttering under his breath. Probably cussing him out. He tried to push his best friend off of him but the overuse of his quirk caught up to him. Leaving him weak and shaky.

"Leave me," he ordered, "Check on Midoriya."

"Who's Midoriya?" Asked Hizashi confused as he looked around.

When his gaze landed on the unconscious teen his eyes widened. Horror filled his expression. Without hesitation, he called Recovery Girl and the EMT's. Both of which rushed to the injured teenager's side. Blood was pooling on the ground around him.

An EMT caught away Midoriya's shirt revealing soulmark. One that Shouta recognized immediately. A black cat with a white cloth around it's neck.

Pain like he never felt before rushed through him. Shouta gasped in pain. A soulbond even one that wasn't completed could cause immense emotional and physical pain when one was dying. He could hear Hizashi talking to him but his conscious was already fading. Darkness crept in on the edge of his vision and he didn't have the strength to fight it.

Chapter Text

...

Naomasa struggled to do his job through the pain of his fraying soulparent bond. He'd never met his soulchild, the one whose mark was on his neck. But that didn't mean that he didn't care for them. Like everyone with a soulchild mark, he wanted to know the child. As years passed however, the likelihood of that happening dwindled. For the mark to come alive without having met the child, that told him that his soulchild was badly injured or dying.

Still he had to take the statements of the students who survived a villain attack. Most of the students weren't injured and those who were it wasn't serious. Naomasa had been watching students exit before EMTs came rushing out with a single student on a stretcher. He didn't know the boy, a green haired youth that was covered in blood. His uniform however marked him as a Support Course student instead of a Hero Course. What in the world was a Support Course student doing in a Hero Course exercise?

Hizashi Yamada was the next to come out. He was half carrying Shouta Aizawa who was half unconscious. Recovery Girl rushed to the two men and began to treat Aizawa's injuries. However he couldn't focus on the Underground Hero. He needed to finish collecting statements so the students could go home.

Frantic parents began to appear just as he finished taking the statements. Students were being released to their guardians. Soon the only peopleleft was the principal, a handful of EMTs, and the police. It was at this point that his bond stopped burning. Relief washed through him and he almost collapsed. His soulchild was okay. They were alive. Whatever had happened must have been treated. Thank the gods.

"Detective are you well?" questioned Nezu as he appeared at Naomasa's side.

"Yes," answered the detective, "I'm fine. My Soulbond was in pain. What do you think about what happened today?"

"Something isn't right," admitted the mammal, "They knew too much. They were organized and prepared. Whoever planned this was smart and they knew our schedule. I believe there might be more working with them than what we saw today."

"You're saying that the villains were tipped off on what was going on," stated the dark-haired man, "That would mean that a leak is in UA or in the Commission. You can't possibly think..."

"Not just that either," interrupted Nezu, "Fox was in my school."

"What?" barked Naomasa.

"Fox was in my school," repeated the rat-mouse-dog-thing, "And was using his hacking skills to send me a message about the break in yesterday. I was able to trace it to the school. I believe that he's a student here."

The vigilante was a teenager? That was... unexpected. And concerning. If a kid could hack into UA what else could they do?

"Sir," came Power Loader's voice as he approached with a furrowed brow, "I can't get Mrs. Midoriya to answer her phone to tell her of her son's condition."

"Izuku Midoriya," read the detective, looking at the name, "That's the Support Course kid that was injured. You've tried multiple times and gotten no answer?"

"He is one of my students," agreed the Support Hero, "Yes. No matter what number I call or how many times, she doesn't pick up. She doesn't have any voicemail set up either."

Naomasa and Nezu exchanged a look. Ignoring one call or a few would have been understandable but that many? Something wasn't right about that.

...

Mei sat next to the Green Bean waiting for him to wake up. The hospital had been a blur of events and a lot of doctors. No one would tell her about what happened to him. They wouldn't tell her about his condition or even if he would wake up. Since she wasn't his family, and his mom was unreachable. So now, Mei sat by his side waiting.

It was strange to see the other inventor asleep. He was usually awake and moving. Never stopping, never slowing down. Just like her. To the pink and yellow-haired girl, that made Izuku a kindred spirit. Someone who understood her. Her best friend.

So, she waited. And hoped. Eventually, he would wake up. He had to.

Mei startled when the door to the hospital room opened. Power Loader sensei walked in looking like he aged years in just a few hours. Upon seeing her, he paused. Confusion filled his tired gaze and he looked from her to the sleeping teen on the bed. Then a resigned sigh slipped from his lips. As he rubbed a hand over his face.

"How are you doing, Hatsume?" he asked after a moment.

"Fine, Sensei," replied the teenage girl, "But they won't tell me anything. Is Green Bean going to be okay?"

Power Loader hesitated, glancing between the two of them. It was obvious to her that he was trying to figure something out. Then he gave her a reassuring smile.

"His injuries were severe," the teacher said, his tone gentle, "He should be okay after a few days of rest."

Mei sighed in relief. Finally, the information she needed and wanted. Her shoulders sagged and her head tilted forward. Thank the gods. He was going to live. Green bean was going to wake up and everything would be alright.

"Thank you, sensei," she whispered, tears stung her eyes.

"It's no problem, Hatsume," reassured her mentor as he approached and laid a hand on her shoulder, "Maybe you should go home and rest. I'll stay with him."

"But," she protested, looking at the unconscious boy again, "I can't he doesn't like hospitals. He'll panic when he wakes up in one. He needs someone he trusts here. Otherwise, he'll freak out and the nurses will sedate him. Then-"

"Okay," soothed the man, cutting her rant short, "I get the point. You can stay. Just until he wakes up though."

"Thank you, sensei," she responded quietly.

Chapter Text

...

Shouta groaned as his eyes opened. He was in the hospital. Again... Mic was going to kill him. He'd been in the hospital far too many times in the last year. His head ached fiercely and he didn't immediately remember how he ended up in the hospital this time. Although, the fact that he couldn't remember was a sign that he'd done something stupid. Very, very, stupid.

"Welcome back, Mr. Aizawa," greeted the nurse as she entered the room, "How are you feeling?"

"Like death," grumbled Shouta as he sat up pressing a hand to his temple, "Villains?"

He began to pat himself down checking over his injuries. There were a few bandages, mainly on his arm and elbow. One on his cheek and another on his forehead. His joints were stiff and a bit sore. There was a bandage to his side. He took a breath in and he didn't find it hard to breathe. So not his ribs. Good. That was the worst. But his chest ached. Like his soulbond was frayed. Specifically his soulmate bond. Then it all came back to him in a rush. The USJ, the Nomu, Midoriya. Midoriya had pushed him away from the attack that would have likely killed him. The sound of the impact on Midoriya's body haunted him.

"My students," he demanded grabbing her arm, "Where are they? Are they okay? What about Midoriya? He wasn't supposed to be there since he's a Support Course student."

"Eraserhead, please," pleaded the woman, pulling her arm free, "Your class is safe and no one is seriously injured. There were only three people brought in with serious injuries. Yourself, Thirteen, and a student that wasn't part of your class. I believe his name is Midoriya. I'm not part of the team that was treating him. I can check in on him and come back to update you. How does that sound?"

"Good," replied Shouta his tone relieved, "Thank you."

The nurse began to take his vitals and check his injuries. Once she finished, the woman left to retrieve a doctor and Hizashi entered. His friend was in his civilian clothing and his hair was a mess. The stress was clear in his friend's face. In his exhaustion and the bags under his eyes. Without a word, he flopped into the seat next to the bed.

"Finally," breathed the blonde, "You're awake. How are you feeling?"

"Like shit," repeated the underground hero, "And the kid? Midoriya? Is he okay?"

"The kid's not great," answered the voice hero, "He hasn't woken up yet. They're worried that he won't wake up. I'm not gonna lie. It doesn't look good, Sho. He's took a lot of damage and the doctors aren't sure how bad it is until he wakes up. Power Loader and one of his other students are sitting with him."

"He saved me," mumbled the tired man, his eyes drooping from the painkillers, "Problem child saved my life. I thought that the creature's punch would have killed me if it landed. Instead, it was him. Hizashi... he my soulmate."

"Wait," interrupted the blonde, "What?! How the hell do you figure that, Sho?"

"I felt it," continued Shouta, his gaze on his best friend, "Felt the pain of our soulbond being frayed as the paramedics worked on him. It was partially why I passed out. He's just a kid, Hizashi."

"We'll figure something out, Shou," promised the other, his expression was determined, "We'll make sure that the little listener is alright. I promise. Just rest for now. I'll keep an eye on Midoriya, okay?"

"Okay," agreed the dark-haired man, his eyes slipping closed, "Wake me if anything changes."

...

Nezu scanned the paperwork in front of him. He pulled Midoriya's files to see if he could find anything in it. Nothing about his UA file stood out since it was the first week of his first year. Though according to Majima, the boy was a brilliant inventor. One of the most gifted students to attend the support course in the last ten years and had a bright future if he continued down this path. Majima had two students that caught his eye this year and the other Hatsume Mei, came from a family of inventors. So, her genius was expected. Midoriya was a surprise and a talented one at that. Which is where his confusion lay.

Why was a student from the Support Course in the Hero's training exercise? He shouldn't have been there. Hatsume told Majima that Midoriya was avoiding him. Why was the question of the day? Avoiding the principal was nothing new. Many of his troublemaking students did the sapume. It was odd that this child had ended up at the unfortunate training exercise.

Could Midoriya have been working with the villains? Given his mortal injuries it was unlikely. If he had, Nezu doubted the villains would have injured him so badly. Or if they did, they'd have taken him with them. Instead, the boy had been hurt in the fight and was now laying in the hospital in critical condition. No. It was unlikely that the boy was a traitor even under coercion. However, the rat-mouse-dog-thing didn't believe in coincidences. There was a reason that the teenager had avoided him. Then appeared at the hero training exercise. He just didn't have any proof of what it could be.

He pulled the files from Midoriya's middle school. A frown crossed his face as he saw that the boy barely passed his classes. His grades were not nearly high enough to get him in to UA. Yet, his entrance exam score was near perfect. Even the written portion of the test, the portion that his grades suggested he would fail. This was a conundrum. If someone looked only at his Middle School grades and his Entrance Exam scores one might think he cheated to get in. However one couldn't fake the way that Majima praised the boy's inventions. So, he was obviously smart. Which meant they likely had faked Midoriya's records.

To what end? There were several possibilities. The most logical was that whoever had tampered with the documents wanted to hide the boy's intelligence. For what purpose was still a mystery. Nezu would have to ask the boy once he was awake and able to answer questions. The rat-mouse-dog-thing sent an email to Naomasa asking for the detective to look into the matter. Then he remembered that Tsukauchi was in the hospital from a bad reaction with his soul parent mark. So he'd be unable to help for the moment. He'd have to send Hound Dog to check on him. Soul bonds whether with soulmates or with soul children were a delicate thing. Sometimes deadly. One had to tread lightly.