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Chapter Text

There was something strange about that girl.

Shouta saw her sat in the interrogation room. Both her hands rested on the table, the tips of her fingers calmly laced together. The glint of quirk-suppressing handcuffs coiled around her pale white wrists, sending dangerous vibrations throughout her body language. The lighting in the interrogation room didn't provide much illumination, but Shouta could see that the girl was young — clearly a teenager, what the?—and looked like she needed a shower and perhaps a thick blanket.

She wore a sleeveless turtleneck, it's black color already dull like second-hand clothing. Her pants were dark gray, the hem folded and hung awkwardly on her calves. Tsukauchi said they had disarmed all the weapons, two short katanas, twelve knives, and twenty-four long needles coated in a mild paralyzing poison .

Even if all the weapons were disarmed and her quirk restrained, Shouta knew the girl was still very dangerous.

The unclothed surface of her skin spoke of combat and training. All the toned muscles in her lean body and the traces of wounds all over her body were an open book on how the girl could probably break a table without blinking.

Then there was her face.

Shouta wasn't interested in children, nor was he interested in women, or human at all. But for all the trained killer poise and tough fighter body the girl had, her face told a different story.

Shouta wouldn't lie, the girl was beautiful in a very graceful way. Although her clothes looked as homeless as Shouta's, she was still very beautiful. Her hair was long until it touched her back, adorned only with loose ties at the ends. Her bangs were flat and framed her doll-like face. Shouta squinted to get a better look, the girl's hair color looked like dark blue, or perhaps purple.

Well, the girl's hair was somewhat similar to Nemuri's. Only darker and more organized. They were somewhat similar, Shouta thought. But if Nemuri was beautiful in a wild, dangerous, and ferocious way, the girl in the interrogation room was beautiful in a graceful, calm, and deadly way.

There was something strange about that girl.

She looked like a doll with her eyes closed. Like a porcelain doll dressed up in shabby clothes. Like a noble princess who escaped from her palace and disguised herself as a commoner. But at the same time, she was also like a trained assassin who used to kill without blinking an eye.

Shouta observed quietly. Trying to read what was hidden behind the girl's calm expression. She might be locked up in a cold interrogation room that smelled of rusty iron, but the calmness that pervaded her body was too unnatural for someone in custody.

Then there were her eyes. Shouta still didn't understand why the girl had closed her eyes for so long.

"Is her quirk," Shouta said, broke the silence in the observation room, "related to her eyes?"

Shouta turned his head to the side. Tsukauchi stood to his right, faced the interrogation room through the one-way mirror.

"If she activates her quirk, she can see up to twenty kilometers." Tsukauchi turned his head, the glint in his tired eyes a rare twinkle of interest. "Through walls, through solid objects, through anything. She can see anything as long as it's within her line of sight, Eraser."

Shouta raised an eyebrow. "X-ray?"

Tsukauchi shrugged. "Something like that."

Shouta saw Tsukauchi pacing the room, collected files and documents scattered on the table.

"I've asked the officer to confirm the data she provided, I've confirmed her words with my own quirk." Tsukauchi paused, handed over a stack of documents in a single manila folder. "She didn't lie about her identity."

Shouta accepted the folder, flipped through the contents. There were birth records, documents from the orphanage, school, and a slip of paper stated that Hyuuga Hinata was an intern at a small clinic.

Shouta looked at the page with the girl's identity and frowned.

"She's eighteen years old."

Tsukauchi hummed softly. "I checked with the clinic. Ms. Hyuuga has helped many patients with her quirk. She's been training under skilled medical professionals. She has her own license, at least for first aid and emergencies. We can call her an apprentice nurse. At least until three month ago."

Shouta gave Tsukauchi a long suspicious look. Tsukauchi replied, his tired eyes sprinkled with desperate honesty.

Shouta turned to the one-way mirror, looking at the girl who sat at the interrogation table with her eyes closed. "She looks more like an assassin."

"Or a noble princess." Tsukauchi offered.

"Or assassin." Shouta insisted on the first guess, though he could not dismissed the possibility that the noble princess was right. "Are you sure she's from the orphanage?"

Shouta turned his head, just in time to see a grin bloomed on Tsukauchi's face like a flower. This was strange. Tsukauchi doesn't grin. He was more often tired and weary.

"Are you familiar with Lavender, Eraserhead?"

Shouta snorted. "I've heard of her, but lately I've been busy protecting my class from exploding."

Or protecting himself from exploding, Shouta continued inwardly.

Tsukauchi tilted his head, his expression became more serious along with a lowered tone of voice. "Lavender could be considered a vigilante, but she's more often an illegal informant for police."

Tsukauchi began to launched a story about the vigilante that often operated in the eastern part of Japan. Lavender had never operated too far away to force the police to prioritize her arrest. In fact, the information Lavender provided was always very useful and accurate. It seemed that the police preferred to turn a blind eye and pretend they hadn't received a tip from an obviously illegal vigilante. Lavender's identity is as mysterious as how her information was obtained. Once again, the police would rather look the other way than lose their valuable source of information.

A wise move, Shouta could agree. Except for the part that what if Lavender turned out to be an eighteen-year-old girl?

"Hyuuga Hinata is Lavender." Tsukauchi confirmed Shouta's suspicions, gave him a headache.

Shouta stared at the girl in the interrogation room. Hyuuga stared back at him, as if she could see through the one-way mirror that separated the interrogation room and the small room where Shouta and Tsukauchi were.

Shouta gasped, she really could.

"Are you sure the quirk suppressor is useful?" Shouta asked as Hyuuga still focused her face on Shouta. With her eyes closed.

Tsukauchi laughed, despair and amusement mixed in his voice. "I saw how it was when the quirk was active, Aizawa. Trust me, she's not activating her byakugan right now."

Byakugan. All-seeing White Eye. Shouta read again the quirk name on Hyuuga's ID and sighed mentally. What a great name. And a bit creepy.

"Is this what you asked me to come for?"

"She specifically asked you to come."

Shouta was started to dislike all of this. Everything about Hyuuga Hinata was too hard to predict. Shouta could make assumptions. But the rational, super-realistic side of him just wanted the truth.

Tsukauchi, bless his generous soul, handed over another document. It was thinner than before, but Shouta could felt the urgency and the extremely high level of secrecy. God, he hated getting involved in troublesome things.

Shouta accepted the folder Tsukauchi handed him dejectedly, flipped through it with the speed of a hero on a mission, then stared at the ceiling of the room in despair.

"I miss my hell spawn children."

Tsukauchi laughed, dry and resigned. Shouta could see why the detective had acted differently with the Hyuuga case. Why Shouta was pulled from his class this morning and why for the sake of damnation Nedzu and All Might themselves accompanied him to the police station, even though they would have preferred to wait in another room.

Shouta could imagine Nedzu spilling tea with maniacal laughter and Yagi's blood cough.

Anyone who had League of Villains information in their hands deserved the highest priority.

"You'll like her, Aizawa." Tsukauchi spoke in a soft tone. The smile on his face looked like that of a caring father. "Hyuuga is not stupid like your children. Or Toshinori."

Shouta raised an eyebrow. That was quite an interesting comparison. While Shouta willingly sold his soul to keep his children safe, they still made him want to pull out every hair on his head because of their stupidity. And Yagi. God bless heroes and their bleeding hearts. If Tsukauchi, who was a close friend of Yagi himself, guaranteed that this Hyuuga girl was better than Yagi, maybe Shouta could work with her.

"Should I go in?"

Tsukauchi smiled amusedly. "She's waiting for you."

Shouta looked at Hyuuga. The girl acknowledged his gaze with a polite nod. Shouta had a strange desire to break the mirror and force Hyuuga to just fucking open her eyes. Hyuuga could see her with her eyes closed as if she had other eyes everywhere.

Or eyes that could see anything.

All-seeing, indeed.

Shouta opened the interrogation room door.

Hyuuga Hinata opened her eyes.

Lavender eyes stared at Shouta.

The eyes, they are not white.

Chapter Text

The girl's eyes were not white. They were lavender, so pale that they could be mistaken for white under minimal lighting. But Shouta was proud of his eyesight, he was also proud of how he did not flinch once he was stared directly by Hyuuga.

Though still, he got goosebumps. All-seeing was a good name, pretty accurate. Because Shouta could feel the feeling of being read when Hyuuga gazed at him. This was different from Nedzu's omniscient gaze, or one of Midoriya's analytical gaze when the boy was focused. Hyuuga's gaze was more like two eyes looking directly into Shouta's soul and reading everything in an instant. There was no pretentious smirk, no analytical mumbling that was too fast for an ordinary person's brain. Just a pair of eyes that could see everything.

Shouta understood why Hyuuga closed her eyes before.

Ironically, the girl seemed to understand Shouta's train of thought and closed her eyes again. A polite smile that did not reach her eyes graced the pale white face, bloomed on her chapped lips.

"Good morning, Aizawa-san." Hyuuga greeted as Shouta sat down. Shouta noted the politeness and grace in her voice. "I apologize for withdrawing you from school. I understand how important your job as a teacher is. I hope your class doesn't mind too much."

Shouta snorted, seeking comfort in the warmth of his capture weapon. "They are very happy." Shouta would never forget the spark of excitement in Kaminari's eyes, or the excited shiver in Ashido's shoulders when they heard Shouta would be absent for the rest of today's class. "And Aizawa isn't the name I use when working as a hero."

The smile of the girl in front of him did not falter at all. Her eyes were still closed perfectly.

"I'm sure Tsukauchi-san has already given the details of my other jobs."

"Vigilante is illegal, Kid."

"I'm aware." Hyuuga replied carefully. Her hands were slightly raised, emphasizing the quirk-suppressing cuffs that hindered her movement. "That's why I'm here."

Shouta did not understand what the girl wanted with him.

"The League of Villains is a dangerous enemy." Hyuuga explained as if she understood Shouta's confusion. "I realized my lack of ability to face them alone."

Interesting. Most vigilantes felt they did not need the law or professionals to help them. Lavender was different because she realized her limits. Something Shouta was trying to teach his foolish and overly bleeding-heart children.

Shouta found himself intrigued, the anticipation making his body leaned closer towards the girl.

"And what exactly makes you believe Tsukauchi will trust you?" Shouta asked. "You could be lying. And don't talk about Tsukauchi's quirk, I'm pretty sure you know how to sneak past it."

Hyuuga smiled, slow and unoffended. Sarcasm did not faze her easily, Shouta noted that to add to his observations.

"Tsukauchi-san values honesty above all else, even if he always knows when someone is lying with their words." Hyuuga explained calmly, as if she did not make Tsukauchi flinch in the next room. "I lied a lot, on paper."

Well, Shouta could understand the girl. Hyuuga Hinata lied about many things, on paper. Her quirk was noted with a range of one kilometer, Tsukauchi said her visibility reached twenty kilometers. The photo in her ID card was different from her real appearance. Hyuuga practically admitted that she was Lavender, one of the vigilantes favored by the police. Then there was information about the League of Villains. Shouta understood that the girl was trying to make the police trust her by offering her honesty and information.

Another question, then.

"I understand you have the entire police force wrapped around your fingers." Shouta leaned back in the chair, suddenly missing his soft sleeping bag. "I just don't understand why you chose me over everyone."

Hyuuga opened her eyes, and Shouta got the feeling of being seen, read, and stared directly into the soul again. All-seeing was a strange quirk even if it wasn't on.

"You'd rather see all the cards on the table, Aizawa-san." Hyuuga spoke in a very calm tone. "And this is about your class. The information I have will attract Tsukauchi, Nedzu, All Might and Nighteye easily."

Shouta raised an eyebrow at the last name. Nighteye was a capable hero. One that used his brain more than other heroes and their blinding quirk. Although his competence was not in doubt, Shouta hadn't found a common thread between Nighteye and the League of Villains.

Hyuuga gave him one of those looks that Shouta hated. The look that people have who know something that Shouta doesn't know. Something that Shouta should have known .

"I'm not the only one who is lying here." Hyuuga smiled, Shouta knew it was manipulative, knew that Hyuuga was about to provoke his emotions out. "After all, this case involves one of your students, Aizawa-san. I'm sure you're very curious about what they're facing."

Hyuuga looked at the CCTV in the corner of the room, ignoring Shouta who sat tensely like a cat whose fur was all standing up in anger and protectiveness.

"My terms," Hyuuga spoke to the CCTV in the corner of the room, spoke to All Might, Nedzu, and whoever was watched the interrogation room, "is that we involve Eraserhead in this investigation and trust him with all the information. If you can't trust me completely, you should at least trust Eraserhead properly."

Tsukauchi was right. Shouta will like this girl.

***

Shouta didn't like what he heard.

Hyuuga's provocation forced Yagi to spent fifteen minutes telling him about All for One, One for All, and Midoriya Izuku who was the ninth holder. And shouldn't Shouta have seen this coming? Midoriya and Yagi looked like carbon copies of each other. They had that overly bright smile, and the habit of moving as soon as someone needed help, and don't forget their fuckin' bleedin' heart. Heck, they looked like father and son with different hair colors. Still, Shouta didn't like this.

He spent the next fifteen minutes yelled at Yagi, yelled at Nedzu, yelled at Tsukauchi, then yelled at the newly arrived Midoriya and Bakugou who came with him.

Yagi and Midoriya looked like kicked puppies, Nedzu was cheerful as usual, Tsukauchi seemed embarrassed, and Bakugou just looked impressed by Shouta's ability to yell.

Shouta let out a long breath. His patience was paper-thin, he don't need anyone to put more. "Does anyone else know about this?"

Or translated as : is there anyone else Shouta needs to yell at?

"Nighteye, but he's busy with a case." Tsukauchi replied, sounded jealous of Nighteye's absence. "Recovery Girl also knows."

Good. At least they had medical professionals and sane people in the middle of a bunch of idiots. Shouta can relate with Chiyo's mechanism to always cursed Yagi when Midoriya broke his bones.

Shouta turned his gaze to Yagi. "We will talk," he said, satisfied with the defeated look on Yagi's face. Shouta turned his gaze to his two most problematic students. Midoriya was stared at his shoes, so Shouta was forced to look into Bakugou's angry eyes. "Bakugou, I trust you to keep an eye on Midoriya."

Shouta knew he sounded disappointed. Shouta also knew he sounded very strange for trusting Bakugou of all people to watch over Midoriya. But for all the unclear dynamics Bakugou and Midoriya had, they practically had each other's backs. Hizashi called it true friendship, Nemuri called it youthful passion, Shouta preferred to call them problem children.

"Hell, I can't always prevent Deku from breaking his own bones. Nerd is practically born as idiot who constantly get into stupid things." Bakugou replied with sharp tone as usual

"Kacchan!"

Shouta massaged his temples as Midoriya and Bakugou argued again. Yagi tried to mediate, but to no avail. So Shouta activated his quirk and forced the two problem children into silence.

"We'll set up a new training regimen for you, Midoriya." Shouta made sure to pour all of his teacher's firmness into his gaze. Midoriya flinched and withered under his gaze. "All Might and Bakugou will help. Now, get out of my sight before I strangle you with my capture weapon."

Midoriya nodded very quickly. Shouta was worried that the boy would break his neck at any moment. But Midoriya and Bakugou didn't leave, they stared at him with a look that said Shouta wouldn't like anything they said.

Shouta sighed. This was going to be a very long and annoying day.

Forced all of his remained patience, Shouta asked his two students, "Do you have anything to say?"

Midoriya nodded, this time shyly. "Is Lavender-san okay?"

Shouta glared at Yagi, but the skeletal man shook his head frantically. Nedzu was watched everything with interest, so it was obvious he didn't know about how Midoriya knew Hyuuga either. Tsukauchi just shrugged, equally confused.

"And how did you get to know a vigilante, Kid?"

It wasn't Midoriya who answered, but Bakugou who sounded sour and looked inexplicably red. "Nerd and I met her when we were six years old. She also helped us at the USJ, don't ask me how she escaped. She's just cool like that."

Shouta gave Bakugou a look that asked why-didn't-you-tell-me-before? Which Bakugou returned with a why-the-fuck-should-i-tell-you look.

They remained glaring like that.

"Uh, Aizawa Sensei," Midoriya's soft voice interrupted. "Kacchan and I were thinking that since Lavender-san is now a vigilante, the police might arrest her if we told them of her presence in the USJ. I can assure you that Lavender-san is a good person, Sir."

Then Midoriya looked at Shouta, and all the adults in the room, with a disappointed look in his big green eyes. It was like being stared at with a disappointed look by your own mother.

"I don't understand why you're handcuffing someone who has done a good job at catching many criminals."

You guys can do better than this, left unsaid but felt.

Shouta, because he refused to look irresponsible in front of his student, completely threw the blame on Tsukauchi. The poor man got the combined gaze of three adults who refused to take responsibility for a child's disappointment.

Tsukauchi sighed. "It's the protocol," he said, forced a smile at Midoriya. "Although her activities as a vigilante need to be prosecuted, the urgency of the information Hyuuga-san is bringing can justify a truce."

"She could be under UA surveillance!" Nedzu cut in with too much carefree cheerfulness. The animalistic smile and sharp beads made everyone silent. "And I'll make sure Ms. Hyuuga's vigilante activities stay under the table."

Tsukauchi, because he was wise and didn't want to die, chose to pretend he didn't understand the implicit meaning of Nedzu's sentence. "Fine, then." The man seemed to be considering something. "There's only one problem left. Who will be Miss Hyuuga's guardian?"

There was a brief silence and exchange of glances before everyone gazed at Shouta, even Bakugou.

Shouta returned their gazes with a glare, a deadly one. Because no fucking fucking way they will choose him over anyone. He's not capable enough to guard himself, and they ask him to guard a teenager?

Before Shouta could speak, one of the officers broke into Tsukauchi's office and reported that Hyuuga Hinata had collapsed.

Shouta found his legs already move before he could think.

Chapter Text

Shouta would admit that he had been negligent.

In his defense, while the USJ attack didn't have too much damage, it still had an impact . There was the press to deal with, the children to check up on, the counseling schedule to arrange. Then there is the sports festival that will be held in the next two weeks. Shouta admits that he understands what message UA is trying to send by still holding the festival, but can't they relax a little? The USJ attack only happened like two days ago.

Then Tsukauchi contacted him in the morning and asked Shouta to meet the key to the failure of the USJ Attack.

The warning that Lavender gave Nedzu really helped All Might and the others to arrive faster. If Bakugou and Midoriya were to be believed, then Hyuuga's help eliminated at least half the villains who attacked the USJ. That was a huge favor.

Shouta owed Hyuuga his life. The UA Council should give the girl a few percent of their shares. The police department should build a monument to recognize Lavender's service and her valuable information.

But for all the enthusiasm of gaining a valuable ally to fight the League of Villains, they neglected to pay attention to the fact that Lavender was the exhausted eighteen-year-old girl. The girl who had spent the past three months wandering the alleys and culverts to gather information. To paraphrase Chiyo, God knows how long that girl had her quirk activated while she was working as Lavender.

All-seeing is an amazing quirk, but all quirks come with a price.

Hyuuga Hinata lied in a hospital bed with a bandaged eye was proof that the quirk had limits.

"She needs a good rest." Chiyo told Shouta with her usual frown. Her voice was full of disagreement. "And you need sleep."

"I've been needing sleep since my quirk appeared." Shouta replied dryly.

Chiyo returned it with a sad look that made Shouta itch on the spot.

"I want to sleep." Shouta was finally honest, because it was better to keep talking than to be stared at with pity. "But I have to make sure the princess over there doesn't wake up in a state of shock and stab people."

Chiyo shook her head, looking both exasperated and desperate. "Just give her some leniency, Shouta. Kid spent the past three months hunched over in a den of villains. You're her guardian, for God's sake, set a good example by taking a proper rest."

Chiyo left before Shouta could give his rebuttal. So Shouta pulled out a chair and sat beside Hyuuga's bed.

Observing Hyuuga, Shouta realized that he had been blinded by Lavender's exterior as a capable informant. The interrogation room framed Hyuuga's figure in a mysterious and dangerous aura. The hospital bed and bandaged eyes made Hyuuga look very young and vulnerable.

"I thought you were smart, Kid." Shouta whispered in the quiet room.

He tried not to imagine what would have happened if Hyuuga had not come to them and asked for help.

***

It turned out that Chiyo was right, Shouta needed sleep.

Shouta was right too. Someone needed to make sure Hyuuga wasn't alone when she woke up.

Hyuuga hadn't woken up for hours. Shouta had gone back and forth checking Hyuuga's vitals, shooed away the worried Midoriya and Bakugou, and shooed away the curious Nemuri and Hizashi.

The time had already reached nightfall when Shouta jolted awake in his chair. The first sight he saw was Hyuuga already sat on the bed and touch her eyes. Shouta glanced to the side and found the bandage that had been covering Hyuuga's eye lied on the floor.

Shouta turned to Hyuuga and held his breath.

There was something almost eerie and heart-breaking about saw Hyuuga, sat on the bed in the moonlight from the window, touch her eyes with a care that made Shouta's heart squeeze.

The girl was making sure that she still had her eyes.

Shouta felt the anger that was began to build up in his stomach, burned in his chest, and trembled in his hands. The theory Nedzu had presented when they discussed Hyuuga's situation was correct, the girl was asking for help. Because a capable informant like Lavender doesn't just throw away the whole mystery-persona to come to the police with her hands on her head.

Shouta didn't know what Hyuuga had seen to freak out and come to the hero. But if there was anyone out there threatening to take out a child's eyes, Shouta would make sure to punch their own eyes out with both hands.

Shouta watched quietly as Hyuuga stopped touch her eyes. The girl let out a sigh of relief and Shouta released the breath he had been holding.

Then Hyuuga turned to him and Shouta understood why Hyuuga had listed Byakugan: All-seeing White Eyes as her real quirk to Tsukauchi instead of just giving a name like X-ray that she registered to the document.

There was something both marvelous and frightening about how the blood vessels bulged around Hyuuga's eyes. The white pupils dilated until Shouta no longer saw lavender and no longer felt read.

It was like being hit. Like being peeled and torn apart. And even though Shouta knew Hyuuga's quirk made the world around her transparent, Shouta still felt that Byakugan was more than that. Like he could die if he allowed Hyuuga to see through him any longer.

Hyuuga's quirk activated for just a split second and it took Shouta a few more seconds to notice the heat in his eyes, to realize that he had unknowingly activated his own quirk and his capture weapon was already moving to block Hyuuga's palm that was heading for his throat.

"My name is Aizawa Shouta. Code name, Eraserhead." Shouta tried hard to project the calm, non-threatening voice he had learned from Hizashi. "You're in UA. Tsukauchi brought you to Recovery Girl because you fainted in the interrogation room."

Shouta let the silence stretched between them. Let Hyuuga soak in the information Shouta offered. The girl stopped glaring and slowly, the realization entered her vision. Hyuuga made an impressive movement to remove her hand from the capture weapon. Then the girl looked at Shouta with obvious horror and embarrassment.

"Aizawa-san, I'm sorry. I-"

"Just finished a three-month scouting mission." Shouta cut in calmly, felt the relief in his eyes as he blinked and his hair came back down. "I'm an underground hero, Kid. I understand the effects of prolonged missions."

Hyuuga clenched her mouth shut, and Shouta could see that the girl was thinking before she nodded.

"I still apologize for almost cracking your throat."

Shouta grimaced. "I thought you were going to strangle me."

Hyuuga smiled, and for the first time Shouta realized that Hyuuga's smile with both eyes not forced to close was more attractive to look at. Too bad, Shouta always had a special talent for ruining the atmosphere.

"You might have to close your eyes for a while." Shouta picked up the bandage on the floor and threw it into the trash can under the bed. "I don't know how long you've had your quirk activated over the past three months, but Chiyo asked me to make sure you close it at least untill the morning."

Hyuuga moved restlessly. "It's just that... it feels safer if my quirk is activated."

"I see." Shouta replied calmly, sitting back in his chair.

Shouta let Hyuuga's eyes dart around the room. Let the girl map out the location she was in and cataloged the exits that Shouta used to do when he was in an unfamiliar place during a mission. Shouta just sat there, letting his hands be seen and making sure his body language didn't scream threatening signals.

Then Hyuuga let out a breath, relieved and short. The girl immediately set her expression into something close to the military, like a soldier awaiting orders.

"Did they assign you to be my supervisor ?"

Shouta hummed. "Supervisor is a heavy word, I'm here as your guardian. You know, the one who makes sure you don't vandalize public property or drink alcohol."

Hyuuga stared at him, patient and unimpressed. "I'm eighteen years old."

"An eighteen-year-old who is very good at lying on official documents and working part-time as a vigilante." Shouta was satisfied to see that Hyuuga at least had the decency to look embarrassed. "Your track record is rather unusual, Kid. I'm here to keep you from danger."

Silence stretched between them. Hyuuga seemed conflicted for a moment, like she was trying to reconcile the concept of a guardian that Shouta had offered her.

That child was Lavender. If the police knew her identity, they would scramble to make her their bloodhound. If criminals knew her identity, Shouta did not dare to imagine what kind of situation would occur.

Hyuuga sat up a little straighter and bowed. "Thank you."

Shouta snorted. "Get some sleep. Tomorrow will be a long day."

***

"SHOUTA!!! I heard you were guarding that girl all night?"

Shouta sighed sadly. It was too early in the morning to deal with Hizashi and his overly noisy antics. Shouta hadn't even get his coffee yet.

"Uh, Shou? Are you okay?" Hizashi sat beside him worriedly.

Shouta forcefully turned his head. "Can't you at least give me some coffee, 'Zashi?"

Hizashi's smile became ten times brighter, but Shouta would forgive him because the man gave him a glass of still-hot coffee.

"Dark like your soul, Shou."

"My favorite." Shouta drank his coffee and sighed in relief. "Is my house ready? And before you ask, I know you and Nemuri broke into my house last night."

Hizashi did not look guilty at all, instead, the man smiled cheerfully as if the sun was rising on his face. "Take it easy, Shou! Nemuri and I are working hard to make your house fit for teenagers to live in. Nemuri already remodeled the guest room and made it a girl's room."

"Please don't."

"She and Hitoshi bonded over their love of purple. And the girl you adopted has lavender eyes!"

"I didn't adopt her."

"Whatever! I'm sure she'll love her new room!"

Shouta really hoped Nemuri curbed her sadistic side and Hitoshi didn't contaminate Hyuuga with the darkness of emo teenage life. They were both bad influences.

"Thank you." Shouta stood up and threw away his empty coffee cup. "I'll see you guys tomorrow. Now, I have to go see Chiyo."

"Have fun, Shou! Make sure you call me if you need help dealing with emo teens!"

"Hyuuga is not an emo teenager like your son." Shouta growled when he saw the dopey smile on Hizashi's face. "You better pray Hyuuga doesn't live on jelly pouches and coffee for the rest of her life."

"SHOUTA! YOU CAN'T RUIN A GIRL LIKE THAT!"

Shouta ignored Hizashi and his plaintive cries. He turned to the right and headed towards Chiyo's room. Recovery Girl wanted to do a final check before allowing Hyuuga to go home.

Shouta arrived in time to see Hyuuga bowing and Chiyo slipping gum into the girl's hand. There was an unusual motherly smile on Chiyo's face. Although the woman loved children, she more often appeared as a grumpy grandmotherly figure. Then there was the remnant of a beaming smile on Hyuuga's face as the girl walked towards Shouta.

Shouta decided not to ask. He gave Chiyo a nod and gestured for Hyuuga to follow him to the parking lot.

It was time to see the results of Nemuri and Hitoshi's work.

Chapter Text

Shouta should send his friends a gift basket.

Hizashi was doing a good job with his apartment. The man had filled the kitchen with something other than jelly pouches and coffee, taken care of the cats, and made sure the apartment was livable for the arrival of a teenage girl. Even with all of Shouta's worries, Nemuri and Hitoshi had remodeled Shouta's guest room into something close to a girl's room. And no chains, no punk accessories, no gothic or rock 'n roll band posters. Shouta was grateful his friends still had some common sense left.

There was still too much purple, but at least it was pastel. If Hizashi could handle the emo shades in Hitoshi's room, then Shouta could handle the pastel colors and fur rugs.

On the other hand, Hyuuga seemed to be having trouble accepting her new room.

Hyuuga repeatedly refused, cheeks red and eyes panicked. But Shouta said that Nemuri couldn't take no for an answer. If Hyuuga wanted to reject Nemuri's work, she could try. Shouta refused to handle work that was far above his salary.

Hyuuga had a thoughtful expression that Shouta had seen many times today. It would be nice to have someone like Hyuuga in his class. Think before you act, Hyuuga followed the advice.

"Alright." Hyuuga finally agreed. She was also good at acceptance, Shouta noticed. "But I'll make the dinner for tomorrow."

Shouta didn't ask where Hyuuga knew, maybe it was Hizashi's work or just informant stuff. Shouta didn't know Hyuuga's cooking skills, but she looked like someone who would survive in the kitchen.

"The kitchen is yours." Shouta agreed wisely. "I only know how to burn it."

Hyuuga smiled, the kind of gentle smile that was better than a smile in an interrogation room. Shouta would try to shake off the image of Lavender in his head and recognize Hyuuga Hinata, Hizashi had already drilled that thought into his head repeatedly. Hizashi's sanity was doubtful, but Shouta knew his friend was good with children. Hitoshi was proof that Hizashi was a good father.

"Are you going on patrol tonight?"

Shouta snapped out of his thoughts, Hyuuga was gazed at him with something like expectation. Shouta immediately understood the true meaning of the girl's question.

"No."

The light in Hyuuga's eyes dimmed, Shouta felt a bit guilty. But Shouta had a good reason, he could definitely handle that look.

"I won't take you out when the League of Villains suspects your involvement in thwarting their attack." They had already spoken. With Tsukauchi, Nedzu, and All Might. It took some effort, but Hyuuga was finally honest that the League was aware of her involvement. Although there was no information that they would make another move anytime soon, it was always better to be on guard.

Hyuuga pursed her lips, but his job as a teacher allowed Shouta to see the look of defiance on the girl's face.

"Listen, Kid." Shouta leaned his shoulder against the door frame. All this guard duty was going to give him gray hair before long. "Tsukauchi has already put together the necessary task force to take care of the League. Nedzu will join, everyone knows Nedzu is terrible. You've given us all the information you know. That's enough help."

"I'm not thinking about the League right now," Hyuuga cut in quickly, agitated as always when it came to the League. "I was late enough to prevent the USJ. There are many other cases I've been tracking for the past three months. One of them... has a high degree of urgency."

Shouta tilted his head, interested. "And what case are we talking about now?"

"Hero Killer."

Shouta stood up straight. Shouta had heard the rumors, he knew who the Hero Killer was.

"Don't tell me you-"

"I've tracked his trail." Hyuuga confirmed. Then the girl continued as if she had not made Shouta's heart slide into his stomach. "There's not much we can do about Stain. He's a fanatic, he views all heroes other than All Might as fake. Then he considers himself the executioner for all the heroes he considers fake. In other words, everyone except All Might."

Shouta felt some of his hair start to turn white. He needed to punch something or scream. "You talk with a fanatic?"

Hyuuga looked into his eyes, reading. Shouta knew the girl was trying to read his expression. So Shouta made sure Hyuuga could see all his frustrations.

"I keep a safe distance." Hyuuga defended herself, almost like she was afraid of being scolded. "I understand some of Stain's reasons. But his ideology is twisted, Eraserhead. I've come to the point where I think that Stain just wants to get his hands dirty with blood. He's not God, he has no right to play around with someone's life."

Shouta looked at Lavender, ferocious and protective. It was as if she was ready to tear apart Stain in order to protect the lives of heroes who might not know her. Shouta was reminded that while Hyuuga Hinata came willingly to the heroes, Lavender was still someone who could not be underestimated. Lavender built her reputation not overnight, she understood her game.

That was the problem, Lavender was too good at her job. It would be even better if she wasn't a teenager.

Shouta hated this. He always hated working as Eraserhead with kids. He hated having to chase crazy killers or psychopaths with the children he was supposed to protect. Shouta didn't like to admit it, but Hyuuga wasn't Hyuuga now and she wasn't expect Aizawa Shouta.

Hyuuga was Lavender and Shouta was Eraserhead.

Shouta closed his eyes, pulled his entire Eraserhead persona out and hid the worried Aizawa Shouta in the box. Shouta would deal with the box later, right now he had more big problems to deal with.

Shouta opened his eyes, Hyuuga was still firmly in front of him. Shouta could do this. He could be a responsible hero and an even more responsible guardian.

"I will not allow you to wander around hunting crazy psychopaths with knives in the streets." Shouta stated scathingly, it was final and irrefutable. From the stone expression on Hyuuga's face, she at least understood. "But, I'll listen to what you know about the Hero Killer other than what the police have accepted now."

Hyuuga did not even look surprised by Shouta's sentence. That girl was too smart.

"He usually operates in dark alleys or out of sight of people. A place that is hard to reach and a terrain that makes it easy for him to fight, by the way, I have already sent the analysis of Stain's fighting methods to the police." Hyuuga hardened her expression. A pair of lavender eyes stared at Shouta with the steely confidence and command of a veteran. "My sources smell traces of Stain in Hosu. You must ask the police and hero agencies in Hosu to be on alert. Emphasize the urgency of this situation to them. Heroes should not patrol alone, they should be in pairs. Organize routes that are not too far apart from each other. Use flares or other codes as emergency signals. Make sure everyone is on standby. So when anyone is in danger, help can come as quickly as possible."

Shouta frowned. "When?"

"I don't like predicting, Eraserhead." Hyuuga said grimly. "But Stain has a pattern, and a strong belief in ridding the world of the taint. Even if we cut off both his hands, he will still kill people with a knife in his mouth."

That was a specific description for a killer, and a horrible one. Shouta also could not sleep peacefully knowing the Hero Killer was somewhere out there killing people.

Shouta sighed tiredly. "I'll relay this information to the Hosu Police and Tensei. Ingenium operates in Hosu, you should have known. And thank you for your information. Now, can you go to sleep or something? I'm still trying to accept the fact that Lavender is eighteen years old. It makes me questioning my existence."

Hyuuga smiled, Shouta swore it looked like a grin. Her eyes sparkled with a childlike gleam that Shouta had never seen before.

"You should get used to it, Aizawa-san."

***

Hyuuga was right. Shouta had to get used to all this shits.

Shouta stumbled in his window at five in the morning. He had spent until midnight acting as a courier of sorts for Lavender. Hosu Police wanted to officially include Lavender into the operation, Shouta said they could fuck and go to hell. Then there was the patrol. This was one of those nights where criminals seemed eager to get out and make sure Shouta didn't get his sleep. They weren't big criminals, but the numbers were so sickening that Shouta wanted to throw something and scream.

So, he was tired and wanted to cuddle with his cats right away. The window seemed like a more attractive option than entering from the front door like any normal person.

Unfortunately, Shouta neglected to remember the fact that he didn't live alone anymore.

Shouta had just jumped down from his window when a knife suddenly shot towards him. Only his trained reflexes as a hero saved him from getting stabbed in the head. Those same reflexes made Shouta automatically activate his quirk to deal with his attacker.

Hyuuga stood in front of him, eyes bulged despite her quirk being extinguished. And didn't this feel familiar? Shouta should get used to this.

"Hyuuga." Shouta greeted tiredly.

Hyuuga blinked, then her face flushed with embarrassment. "Aizawa-san. Sorry for trying to stab you."

Shouta turned off his quirk. "At least I don't have to teach you to never let strangers into the house," he said as he picked up the knife stuck in the wall.

Hyuuga accepted the knife Shouta handed her calmly. Her hand was steady even though the girl still looked embarrassed. "I'm sorry."

"No problem. It's my fault for not entering through the front door like normal people do." Shouta buried himself deeper into his capture weapon. "Can you sleep?"

Hyuuga nodded. "I got enough sleep."

Shouta didn't question Hyuuga's definition of enough, because that would be biased. Shouta never got enough sleep. He turned around and closed the window. Hyuuga watched him quietly, and Shouta realized that there were two balls of fur moving towards them and stuck to Hyuuga's legs.

Hyuuga looked at the cats at her feet. "They don't want to leave me."

"Of course." Shouta sneered at his cats. "Those bastards sure do like girls. They're like sap, be prepared."

Hyuuga laughed softly. "No problem. They're cute. Are you going to rest now?"

Shouta nodded. "I'll be heading to UA at nine. Can't let Midoriya break his bones again." Then Shouta thought, Hyuuga and his two students were quite close. "You can come. Midoriya and Bakugou will be happy to see you."

And Yagi developed a kind of mother hen affection for the child who knew All for One.

Hyuuga's eyes lit up. Pale lavender in the moonlight. Shouta began to think that the girl's eyes would make someone write poetry out of fascination. Midoriya and Hizashi would.

"Can I meet Recovery Girl at UA?" Hyuuga asked excitedly. "She said she'll teach me some things."

Huh, so Chiyo is trying to take on an apprentice.

"Sure." Shouta agreed easily. "I'll go to bed, good night, or morning."

Hyuuga bowed politely and murmured a soft 'good rest'. Shouta simply waved his hand, heading down the hallway with mixed feelings.

He didn't hear Hyuuga coming, not until a knife shot towards him.

The girl had never even trained as a hero. Shouta wondered where she learned all those ninja skills.

***

Hyuuga activated her quirk. Shouta stood beside her and prepared to activate his own quirk.

"Get ready, Midoriya." Shouta instructed the green-haired boy in front of them. "Try not to break too many bones."

"Yes, Sensei!"

Shouta gave a sign, then green sparks crackled around Midoriya's hands. Shouta winced at the bone-breaking power. At least Midoriya's hand hadn't turned a sickening shade of purple.

"COME TO ME, DEKU!"

"Stop."

Midoriya was already bent his knees to leap at Bakugou, who was already prepared with an aggressive attack. But Shouta moved faster by activated his quirk, the capture weapon wrap around his two students. Ignored Midoriya's choking sounds and Bakugou's grumbled, Shouta turned to Hyuuga who was still turn on her quirk.

"What's wrong, Hyuuga?"

"Izuku is using his quirk in the wrong way."

"Excuse me, can you explain it further, Young Hyuuga?"

Shouta was amazed by how Yagi didn't flinch when Hyuuga turned to him, quirk still on and all.

Hyuuga blinked, her quirk off and the thinking expression on her face back again. "Izuku concentrated One for All in his hands, correct?"

"Five percent." Came the muffled reply from Midoriya.

Hyuuga nodded in acknowledgment. "But One for All is too strong for his hands to handle. I don't think the principle is to expend a little power in a certain area, the buildup will cause stress that fractures bones. The spread of power will be uneven."

"Then spread it throughout the body." Midoriya and Yagi continued, almost in sync. Shouta admitted that at least Yagi was not as stupid as he thought. In the background, Bakugou grunted something akin to approval.

Hyuuga smiled softly, her pupils dilating along with her bulged veins. "Sit down, Izuku. Try meditating and flow One for All through your body."

Shouta would admit, saw Hyuuga guide the successor of the Symbol of Peace made him question what else the girl knew.

Perhaps the All-seeing did see everything.

***

"So," Nemuri rested her elbows on the balcony railing, the seductive smile and mischievous glint in her eyes. "What about your new daughter?"

"She's not my daughter."

Hizashi snorted from where he stood. With his glasses hanging loosely on the bridge of his nose, and a stupid smile on his face, he looked foolish instead of fashionable as usual.

"Come on, Shou. Give us some stories."

Shouta rolled his eyes, finding it hard to face Nemuri and Hizashi when they decided to unite. "I failed to make her life dependent on jelly pouches and coffee."

Hizashi made a disapproved sound, Nemuri scrunched her nose in disgust.

"Seriously? You're going to make a kid live like a homeless person?"

"The good news is, I failed," Shouta said defensively. "You guys have tasted her cooking, Hyuuga is a great chef. She made me something decent for breakfast after all these months."

Nemuri smiled, sweet and poisonous. "I know I can save a lot of interesting information by keeping you talking about Hyuuga and her cuteness, but Shouta, that's not what you want to talk about, is it?"

Shouta leaned his back against the balcony railing, stared through the glass doors where Hyuuga was busy with Hitoshi and the two troublemakers from Hell Class.

"She barely made a sound." Shouta spoke without removing his gaze from Hyuuga and his three students. He pray that the glass doors of his balcony and the noise of the problem children were enough to prevent Hyuuga from hearing them. "Her footsteps, her breath, even the air of her being. It can barely be heard or felt unless I focus myself."

Nemuri frowned. "I thought you said she is an informant? Not in a legal way, but doesn't that demand a lot of skill?"

"She's eighteen," Shouta hissed, rather harshly. "And she almost killed me twice. One blow to the throat, the other a knife thrown at my head. All because I startled her."

His friend's expressions turned to understanding, then horror. Hizashi was the first to react, his eyes widened in disbelief. "Are you saying Hyuuga is suffering from some sort of PTSD?"

"Or the effects of prolonged missions," Nemuri continued. The woman had a pained expression on her face. "I always ask for break after a draining mission. Nedzu always advises us to take time off after difficult missions."

"That's the problem," Shouta said, calm even as he wanted to shout out his concern. "Hyuuga is not a hero. She never received proper legal training except for basic medical training. There should be no dangerous mission for her."

Hizashi was silent, but Shouta could see his mind moving quickly. People were fooled by his loud personality, but Hizashi was intelligent in his own way.

"Are you going to say, she's one of the... HPSC programs?

Hizashi's tone was low and cautious, Nemuri's shoulders were tense, Shouta held his breath for a moment because the abomination of the HPSC was an open secret among heroes. Whatever was behind the door, it wasn't good. But no one dared to find out because the HPSC's grip on the heroes was too strong.

Imagined Hyuuga as one of the HPSC's vile programs made Shouta sick. Shouta had seen Number Three, Hawks and his shiny red wings. His confident grin and layers of easy-going personality would deceive the eyes of an ordinary person. But Shouta saw the tension, he saw the way Hawks became hesitant and uncomfortable in the spotlight. Saw the way his wings moved to protect his own body when Hawks felt threatened. Saw the blood on his teeth and the fear in his claws. The only time Hawks' expression looked honest was when he wasn't smiling, or grinning.

He thought about Hyuuga, hunched over in the villain's lair. Needles all over her body and knives in both hands. Hyuuga who always looked alert, vigilant, and watchful as if she was a veteran who had just returned to normal life. A former vigilante trying to get used to normal life when she's only eighteen years old.

Aren't Hawks still very young? Too young to develop high-level skills as if he had been trained from a young age. Too young to climb the peaks with both wings that could break at any moment.

"Shouta?"

Shouta released the breath he had been hold, Hizashi and Nemuri gave him worried looks. Shouta shook his head, broke the common thread that connected Hyuuga and HPSC.

"Hyuuga never moved as if there was someone else behind her. She always acts independently. Lavender never meddles with politics, she is only on the side of justice, she hardly needs a hero." Shouta explained. "As Lavender, I think only one person made Hyuuga ask for hero protection."

"League." Nemuri finished grimly.

"To be precise, whoever the real leader of the League is. Because it's clear that Shigaraki is just one of the pawns." Shouta knew about All for One, but his two friends did not. National secrets were highly restricted.

"I'm glad Little Listener knows when to call for help." Hizashi looked gloomily at Hyuuga and Shouta's students. "It's just that … it's still heartbreaking that an eighteen-year-old acts like a retired hero rather than an average teenager."

The image of Hyuuga checking his eyes on the hospital bed still haunted Shouta until now.

"But we have her now, don't we?" Nemuri, an optimistic and confident soul, smiled reassuringly. "We can introduce the girl to the real world of adolescence. And didn't Chiyo appoint her as a nurse at the Sports Festival?"

"That's better than the informer's life." Shouta agreed, glad he'd rejected Hyuuga's direct involvement in the Hero Killer case. "I just pray that girl isn't a trouble magnet like Midoriya. God knows I don't need another problem child to add to my list."

Chapter Text

"I'm curious."

Shouta looked sadly at the meal on the table. Hyuuga's cooking looked delicious as usual, full of nutrition and healthy. However, the number of plates that filled the dining table was too much for two people.

"What are you curious about, Sensei? If I may ask." A nervous voice came from in front of him. Midoriya filled his mouth with pancakes and swallowed them. "Do you want me to explain the origin of pancakes? I need something to take my focus off the Sports Festival today. God knows I'll break the table if I get too nervous."

"Your endless babbling will make me break the table, Nerd." Bakugou growled from his seat beside Midoriya. Ignoring the gagging Midoriya, Bakugou continued to scrutinized the pancakes in front of him with the precision of a Michelin's inspector. "I will uncover the secret of these pancakes one day."

Shouta already felt a headache in the morning. "Why are you guys here?" He asked tiredly, pushing a glass of milk towards Midoriya.

Midoriya finished his drink in one impressive gulp. Then he looked at Shouta with something akin to resignation. "My mom is very nervous about the Sports Festival. My nervous mom made me more nervous and we will have our house destroyed. I escaped here as a precaution."

"You came just to eat Hyuuga-san's pancakes." Hitoshi said from beside Shouta. The boy was sipped coffee from a mug with a picture of a cat that Shouta liked very much. It was his favorite mug. "And this Angry Pomeranian here has come to uncover the secrets of the universe."

"I swear I followed the recipe guide in as much detail as possible." Bakugou cut his pancakes with a care and gentleness that was almost impossible to emerge from a Bakugou. "But my pancakes are not as good as Ninja Girl's."

Bakugou still called others by his own nicknames, but Bakugou not exploding at being called Angry Pomeranian was proof that Bakugou was focused on something else. In this situation, Hyuuga's pancakes.

"Hinata-san's pancakes are the secret of the universe." Midoriya nodded wisely. "It's as mysterious as how my Mom's katsudon is always so good. I swear Mom puts in ingredients that aren't in the recipe."

"Maybe it's love." Hyuuga placed a plate with a stack of still-hot pancakes on the table. The girl sat quietly at the end of the table. Shouta gave her the empty plate out of habit. "Mothers' cooking is always the best because they make it with affection and love."

Bakugou grimaced, seemingly conflicted by the idea of cooking with love. "We can't eat love. It's disgusting."

"Why are you guys here anyway?" Shouta asked before his three students started arguing about love. His students had shamelessly barged in early in the morning and asked for breakfast. They didn't even look as guilty or obedient as they did in class.

"I've already stated my reasons." Midoriya replied with a straight face.

"Eye bags have already stated my reasons."

Shouta turned to Hitoshi, the only one who had not answered.

"Pops has been getting very excited about being a commentator at the Sports Festival." Hitoshi explained in a desperate tone. "I love Pops, but his enthusiasm is too much to handle in the morning."

Shouta nodded, he could understand Hitoshi's reason. Perhaps he could also forgive Hitoshi for stealing his favorite coffee and mug.

"Just don't make this a habit." Shouta cast a stern look at his students. "My house is not a kid shelter."

His three students stubbornly averted their eyes. Shouta sighed, resigned. He decided to talk to the only sane kid in the room. Hyuuga was eating her breakfast with an elegance similar to Yaoyorozu, in other words, the elegance of a noble princess.

"Are you going to stay with Chiyo throughout the festival?" he asked. "Nemuri has already usurped my position as referee, so I'll be patrolling around the stadium."

Hyuuga nodded calmly. "The Principal already gave me an official letter stating that I'm the Recovery Girl's assistant to take care of the injured students during the festival. Recovery Girl sure needs an assistant since it's a festival. According to her, today will be hell for the medics."

"Nerd will break a bone, I bet."

"Kacchan!"

Then an argument started at the dining table and Shouta had to activate his quirk to keep his students quiet. But Hyuuga was laughing, loose and happy. Shouta thought having an extra chair and plate at mealtime wasn't that bad. God knew Hyuuga needed another teenager close to her age. The girl also needed to laugh a lot.

***

Shouta met Hyuuga in the hallway leading to the stadium exit. The girl was stared at the podium that now contained the winner with her quirk active.

Her eyeglasses was nowhere to be found, but at least that girl still wore her contact lenses. At least she still looked like common girl with dark brown hair and black eyes instead of striking out with her unique appearance. But her simple disguise was not very useful when Hyuuga activated her quirk and gave off an aura of rage that could make All Might take a step back.

Two weeks of getting used to living with Hyuuga, eating a healthy breakfast in the morning and glaring at each other at night, Shouta could say he had a good guess why Hyuuga activated her quirk in this hallway. 1) There was something or someone that made her wary, and 2) There was something or someone she wanted to destroy.

Shouta deliberately made the sound of his steps audible, but Hyuuga didn't even acknowledge his presence with a smile or a throw of the knife. Reason number two, then. Shouta sighed and prepared himself for a headache.

"You could set the whole stadium on fire with a stare like that." Shouta greeted by stood beside Hyuuga. He frowned when he saw All Might presented the medal to Midoriya with a not-so-furtive excess of pride. Shouta had to sit them both down and emphasize that no, they couldn't do a father and son show in public. That would invite a lot of suspicion. "Midoriya only broke a few bones today. Except for when he fought with Todoroki, I swear I can't understand the way children think."

Hyuuga did not acknowledge Shouta's dry humor, which offended him somewhat. Shouta was not used to being the talkative party, nor was he used to making jokes. But Hyuuga looked like she was about to stab someone with a knife and Shouta was her guard. It was his job to make sure Hyuuga didn't wander the streets and become a serial killer.

"Eraserhead." Hyuuga finally spoke, quirk still active and seeing who knows what. "I'm sure you came here with information. I also have something important to say. Can I hear the information from you first?"

Shouta could work with pretense. He could ignore the bloodlust in Hyuuga's aura and act casual. "Police call me. Ingenium almost died at Stain's hands, but another hero came quickly after seeing the danger signal. Tensei wants to give you flowers."

And dinner, but Shouta would punch Tensei in the face first before he could ask Hyuuga.

Hyuuga at least smiled at Shouta's last sentence. "I'm glad to hear he wasn't killed. But, can you define what 'almost killed' means?"

Shouta could understand Hyuuga's concern. Most of Stain's victims ended up bleeding out on the streets or paralyzed for life. "He's fine. His arms and legs are broken, but it's nothing the doctors can't fix. There's a head injury that makes him a bit of a moron, but that's Tensei for you, he'll be fine."

"Stain?"

"Managed to escape like a slippery eel."

Even from the side, Shouta could see Hyuuga clenched her jaw and glare wider. Shouta was getting annoyed with how the girl's quirk was still active in her eyes. He was also bothered by how Hyuuga did not take her eyes off the podium.

"Are you going to tell me the information you have or is this one line I can't cross?"

Hyuuga finally turned to Shouta, somehow managed to look sad with the quirk still active and the veins bulged around her eyes.

"You know I won't hide information related to your student, Aizawa-san."

Shouta fell back in the interrogation room again. He felt his entire body was trembled with anger and protectiveness as soon as Hyuuga mentioned his students. Hyuuga faced Shouta fully and turned off her quirk, her pale lavender eyes looked extremely heartbroken and ferocious at the same time.

"Aizawa-san, Shouto is a victim of child abuse."

Shouta did not need to ask why Hyuuga mentioned Shouto instead of Todoroki. He knew, he just knew that Hyuuga refused to mention Todoroki's name and why .

Shouta turned his gaze to the entire stadium. Hyuuga had funky eyes that could see everything. Shouta didn't need All-seeing to see Todoroki Enji stood up with all his swagger, flames blazing and a disappointed gaze directed at the podium.

Shouta wanted to burn the man to ashes because how dare he hurt his student ? How dare he?

***

The entire room fell into a sickening silence after Shouta outlined the reason for their emergency meeting.

Nedzu brought his claws together with a serious expression, no doubt already devised a plan to destroy Endeavor to his roots. Yagi looked like he wanted to punch Endeavor with his skeletal form. Hizashi did not shout, he had a killing expression that matched Nemuri's. Hound Dog growled. Kan looked bloodthirsty. Snipe's fingers curled around the gun. Thirteen and Power Loader looked grim. Ectoplasm and Lunch Rush looked like they wanted to say something unusually harsh. Cementoss looked horrified.

"I know you guys are dying to punch Endeavor in the face right now." Chiyo was the first to open her voice, like an eldest sister reprimanding her younger siblings. "But I want you to understand that our first priority is Shouto's safety."

Chiyo had also developed some sort of unwritten agreement with Hyuuga to refuse to mention Todoroki's name, as if it was a contagious disease or something. The other faculty members obediently complied. Because you know, even the most powerful heroes like All Might are helpless in front of healers.

"I've made sure Endeavor can't see Shouto now!" Nedzu put his cell phone aside, the others wisely not questioning what kind of power made Nedzu able to get rid of Endeavor so easily. "Now, what are we going to do with Shouto?"

"Shouto-san is with Midoriya-san right now." Hyuuga interjected in a soft voice. In the eyes of the faculty members, she was Chiyo's apprentice. Therefore no one questioned her involvement. "Midoriya-san was the first to know about Shouto's condition. I thought they were involved in some kind of unwritten agreement not to talk to adults. But it's seems like Midoriya-san always good at implying something when there was an emergency."

And informants like Hyuuga were nothing if not adept at picking up on even the most obscure information. Shouta didn't realize he had a satisfied smile on his face until he caught the dopey grin on Yagi's face, who was undoubtedly felt so proud of Midoriya.

Shouta shook his thoughts. "So, our first step is to get Shouto to be honest and make sure he believes that UA will help."

"That's where you and Little Listener come in." Hizashi had found the right volume in the room, and wasn't that terrible? "Midoriya is his friend now, and you're his homeroom teacher. You're the two closest people he can trust."

"Do it slowly." Nedzu nodded and brought his claws together. There was an animalistic smile on his face that looked delighted. "I already have a plan to destroy the Endeavor. But I'm always open to other input. Perhaps you have a suggestion, Hyuuga-san?"

"I think we should ask Shouto's opinion first." Hyuuga replied. "The victims of Endeavor's atrocities are not just Shouto. There is his mother and his siblings. It's up to them to decide whether we'll publicize this case openly or whether we'll quietly punch Endeavour in the back alley."

Shouta could imagine Yagi, in his All Might form, punching Endeavor in a back alley and making him beg for mercy.

It would be a pleasant sight.

"A very acceptable reason, Hyuuga-san!" Nedzu replied cheerfully. "Even without the harassment and domestic violence cases, we can always revoke Endeavour's license and make sure the public hates him."

All the faculty members, including Shouta, had matched cruel smiles on their faces. Sometimes they didn't get along, but if anyone dared to hurt what was theirs, Shouta knew they would join forces and fight back.

Shouta neglected to realize that Hyuuga did not include herself in their plans.

Shouta was so caught up in his anger that he forgot about the Hero Killer and other information about Endeavor that Hyuuga might not have shared.

Shouta realized this when he saw the note Hyuuga had posted on the fridge the next morning.

I think I know someone else who is very happy if we take down Endeavor, I'll go meet them. See you in Hosu during Internship Week, Aizawa-san.

PS: Please don't let your students go out with bad hero names, I beg you very much.

Shouta massaged his forehead in frustration. Hyuuga was officially a problem child now.

Chapter Text

Shouta closed his eyes, but the sound of his student's nervous enthusiasm and Nemuri's anticipation buzzed around him. Hyuuga begged Shouta to not let his students go out with bad hero names, but who is he to judge? Eraserhead came from Hizashi's unserious mouth.

Speaking about Hyuuga.

Shouta crawled into his sleeping bag, sought comfort from his safe place when his students were busy with their hero names. There was something almost unbelievable and nearly betrayal about Hyuuga's sudden runaway. It's like … everything was right for two weeks before Stain and Shouto happened. He thought Hyuuga already trusts him, but her letter says otherwise.

Maybe he don't know that girl at all

Hizashi called him an unstable teenager. Nemuri said Shouta just used his Sulking Card. Tsukauchi just gave him a long sympathetic look that said at least you kept her for two weeks, Aizawa, and finished his coffee.

"I choose Deku as my hero name." A soft-unserious voice came from Midoriya. Shouta can feel a headache. "You know, when we were kid, Kacchan used to call me Deku because he can't read properly—"

"LET'S DIE TOGETHER YOU FUCKING MORON!"

"Aww!! Just their life-mate's thing!"

Shouta already jumped out from his sleeping bag, pulled his capture weapon to stop Bakugou from kill Midoriya and turned to Nemuri with a disappointed look in his eyes. Nemuri grinned, like she was aware of what she did. And Shouta came with a realization that she planned all this shits.

"Alright." Shouta turned his gaze to his students. "I will give my sleep time to guide you guys with your hero names. If someone ever dare come with unaccepted, silly, stupid, nonsense name," Shouta turned his quirk on, smiled at how his students got silent automatically. "I'll make sure you get the stupidest hero name ever."

Nemuri giggled shamelessly. How dare she.

***

Shouta waited at the station with his famous tired face. Watched as his students go to the agencies they had chosen before. He blinked and almost fell asleep when Midoriya's green hair came and filled his view.

"What do you want, Problem Child?" Shouta asked, filled his voice with tiredness as much as he could. "You said you can't wait to meet someone who made All Might shaking in fear. You want his signature, don't you?"

Midoriya smiled ear to ear and Shouta feels an urge to wear sunglasses. Just because, it's too bright for eight in the morning.

"I will give you the copy, Sensei! But it's not the thing I want to talk about."

"Make it fast, I need to sleep."

"To be honest, Hinata-san left me a message." Shouta can felt his eyes wide awake now, anticipated Midoriya's next words. "A specific message to make sure everyone got the best agency for their development. I was so disappointed when Yaoyorozu-san want to choose Uwabami, can you believe that, Sensei? Uwabami has her own agenda about teaching intern, but that's not what Yaoyorozu-san needs right now."

Shouta knew he lost his excitement, and Midoriya saw that. He let out a sigh and made sure his voice was not full of disappointment. "You're the one who banned Iida from Hosu, right?"

Midoriya nodded. "He wants to stab Stain because his brother lost fifty percent of his mouth filter now. I told him his brother used his condition as an excuse to act like a moron. Don't get me wrong, I love Ingenium. But his civil persona—"

"Tensei is so unbearable." Shouta finished, fully aware of how insufferable and exhausting dealing with a person like that. "You did a good job there, Kid. You and Hyuuga."

Midoriya smiled, this time softly and tactical. "You know, Sensei. If she has time to make sure our internship can go as well as possible, she has time to fully understand what she did out there." Midoriya stops, emphasizing how serious he was. "She's Lavender. You, as one of most-capable underground heroes ever, should know her capabilities to not die easily."

Silence stretched around them. Midoriya still smiled at him like he knew how right he was. Shouta is reminded by the fact that Midoriya has known Hyuuga since he was six. It's longer than two weeks.

"Huh, no wonder my mind is always asking about this." Shouta said calmly, ignored how Midoriya flinched with awareness. "How did you guys meet before?"

Midoriya didn't smile softly this time. He smiled like Hyuuga's mysterious smile. Somewhat it seems so scary to see Midoriya smile like that.

"Let's say, Sensei." Midoriya's voice sounds threatening. Like he was holding any secrets that were too dark to handle. "If we never met her before, Kacchan and I will never get along like this."

Shouta let his eyes widen for one second, then fixed it to his normal gaze. Whatever Midoriya implied by his words, Shouta chose to not interfere. His job as hero for years taught him there's time where he can't bite. Two weeks with Hyuuga confirmed how valuable that lesson was.

There's a sound from the loudspeaker, but Midoriya was still stood up, threats in his eyes and tremors in his hands.

"Your train." Shouta reminded his student softly.

Midoriya's flinched, his expression changed so drastically to his normal expression, anxious and bright. He bowed to Shouta before running away to his train. Shouta watched till the train took his students out of his sight.

Hitoshi came with two cups of iced coffee, stood aside Shouta as he offered one of his drinks. "You look like you regret all of your decisions." He said without giving Shouta a look.

"I am." Shouta accepted the coffee and turned back to his car. "Let's go. You have an internship to face starting from this day."

"What's the plan anyways?" Hitoshi followed his steps.

"Take a nap."

"Best internship ever."

Little did they know, it wasn't.

***

It's all Hitoshi's fault. Or Tensei's. Or Midoriya's. Or whoever can take responsibility for this mess except Shouta. Hosu almost burned to ashes. There's three fucking nomus that filled the sky with their inhuman behavior and someone talk about Hero Killer. Just what?

"I didn't sign up for this." He grumbled when he reached the location Hitoshi was sent to just five minutes ago. "I will need a raise."

There's Hero Killer. Tangled with a rope and ice prison that fully confirmed Shouto was involved in this mess. Shouta should never have given his permission to let that kid join Endeavour's former agency. No matter how honorable his intention to rebuild his shitty dad's former agency, he's still unstable. And there's Midoriya, returned Hitoshi's fist with a satisfied smile on his face.

Shouta saved the question about how his students were able to take down one of the most wanted serial killers in this country. He double checked that Stain was still prisoned and his kids didn't get any life-threatening wounds. Then he gave them a glare that usually made them pee in their pants.

"Problem Children —"

"I will kick you, you Fucking Zigot."

Shouta turned his head, met the unimpressed look from a short-old man with an old-fashioned hero costume. Shouta doesn't know who this man is, but Midoriya's pale face it's all he needs.

"Gran Torino-san?"

Gran Torino shook his head, and it seemed like he also recognized Shouta by his knowledge. "You're Midoriya's homeroom teacher?"

Shouta nodded. "Unfortunately."

"You should kick them harder." Gran Torino suggested him harshly. "Kids these days don't know how to listen, or how important it is to use their brain."

"They're stupid." Shouta agreed with a sigh, ignored the look of betrayal in Hitoshi's eyes. "I'm sorry for all the troubles that Midoriya brings to you. He will take his lessons."

Gran Torino snorted. "It was Toshinori's fault."

Shouta didn't pray for Yagi's safety. He wishes that man all the worse. If Midoriya has stupid cell in his body, it was Yagi's. Shouta only taught his students about rational and logical thinking.

Maybe Shouta should triple-check Stain. Because before he could yell at his students, a winged nomu swooped down and grabbed Midoriya. Police and Heroes yelled, Shouto's ice crunched, and Shouta moved his capture weapon to catch Midoriya. But Stain was faster, amazingly nimble out of his prison of ice and rope, licked the nomu blood off Hitoshi's cheek and leaving the creature frozen in midair. Before the others could move, Stain had already dropped the nomu with a knife plunged straight into the brain.

He's cruel, Shouta gasped.

Midoriya was thrown to the ground, but the boy seemed fine and Shouta had no chance to think further. Not when Stain released an aura that made everyone around him feel paralyzed and unable to move.

"All heroes are fake." Stain said, his voice cold and bloody and Shouta did not know why he felt frozen. "This world must be cleansed. All—"

Shouta would call what happened next as a miracle.

Someone jumped off the building and kicked Stain right in the neck. Before Shouta could think further, the assailant crouched over Stain and plugged a katana an inch beside Stain's face.

"Don't move. Don't you dare." The voices were soft and distorted, but Shouta recognized the katana all too well. He had almost been killed several times with that weapon.

"Lavender-san."

Midoriya was the first to speak. Shouta was grateful that the boy called Hyuuga by her code name rather than her real name. Hyuuga stood up from her squat and there was movement too fast to follow. Next, several needles were stuck in Stain's body. From the way the man became limp and motionless, Shouta was sure Hyuuga had just paralyzed him.

Hyuuga looks more like the girl Shouta met in the interrogation room than the girl that filled his house for the past two weeks.

She wore something that looked like a hero costume. A lavender sleeveless kimono with turtlenecks and black obi around her waist, maybe full of needles. She uses short pants right now, with knee-high boots and black gloves that close her elbows. She ties the end of her hair with loose ties like before. That girl is also wearing a lavender mask, the mask that only protects her eye's area. A wise move because it will cover her quirk.

Hyuuga is like Shouta's first impressions of her, a skilled assassin. And by how she acted just before, Shouta could fully understand why Bakugou called her Ninja Girl.

"Lavender." Shouta greeted, almost desperate. "You're late to the party."

"I apologize, Eraserhead." Hyuuga pulled her katana and wiped the blood that stained it with a handkerchief that she got out of nowhere. With her face was just half-seen, there's something strangely unbothered in her expression. "Some nomus stopped me in the middle on the way to get here. I was busy fighting them."

"I see." Shouta replied.

"I've paid my debt." Hyuuga kicks Stain's head and it makes Shouta grimaced by how cruel that girl was. "I got your favorite serial killer, he's like a slippery eel. It took longer for me to hunt him down."

Then Hyuuga turned her head and Shouta somewhat knew that girl activated her quirk. There's something suffocating in the air and Shouta can't breathe and the air just feels too heavy and he was too afraid to move — and there's Hyuuga. Stood like she's the center of this dark intent and Shouta understand that it was her killing intent that made everyone crawl into fear. From the horror in Midoriya's eyes, he is also fully aware of that fact.

They don't know about this side of Hyuuga.

For a moment of fear, Shouta can see their life flashes before their eyes. He doesn't know how long it was, but it feels like hours. Then Hyuuga snorted, like she didn't spread her killing intent just before.

"They're running away." Hyuuga said, looking at God knows where. Then she smiled, softly and full of insinuations. "Pretty sure Stain doesn't have nomu soldiers inside his basement."

"I know who has that." Shouta replied when he got his power back. "Thanks for your help, Lavender."

Lavender nodded, saving her katana on the back of her costume. "I lost one of my katanas, so I should search for it. See you next time, Eraserhead."

Then there's a smoke bomb, and when it disappears, Shouta can't see Hyuuga anywhere. And there was a lavender scent in the air. All these ninja-things were both impressive and terrifying.

"Is that Lavender?" One of the heroes asked unbelievably after everyone healed from shock.

"Such a goddess." Hitoshi said shamelessly.

Shouta turned his head and gave his intern a glare.

"What? Just a compliment."

"So," Gran Torino interrupted before Shouta could speak. "She's the girl that Toshinori can't stop talking about?"

"He can't what?"

***

It's not Hyuuga who greeted him when he was home.

It was a young man, with blue eyes and dark hair. His body was closed with medical staples that made him look like a retired hero or just stray kids. He sat on Shouta's couch and watched the news on television. Only Shouta's cat that sleeps comfortably on his laps made Shouta don't kill him.

"Yo." The young man put one his hand up, a grin lazily bloomed on his face. "You're late, Eraserhead. Busy fixing the mess that my Shouto left?"

"Who are you to call my student like that?" Shouta asked fiercely.

"Guess who?" The young man smiled in amusement, and didn't even look bothered by Shouta's threat.

Then the news turned to one Endeavour's scandal and the intruder seemed so happy by that. A realization fills Shouta's mind when he observes the young men before him. He has blue eyes that are somewhat similar to Shouto's. Not Enji's because Shouta will be damned if he ever make any relation about Enji to Shouto or—

"Touya." Shouta smiles when he can connect all the dots. The long lost child from Todoroki that reportedly died years ago. Who else will be so happy if Endeavour goes down? "Hyuuga told me that she's going to meet you."

"Eh, it's been a long time since I heard that name." Touya has a nostalgic expression on his face. "And yes, I have met her. Before she makes her public appearance as Lavender at Hosu. You know, the incident."

"I still don't understand her." Shouta said with a dry tone. "She came to heroes and now, where's she?"

There's something behind Touya's smile. Seemed like he knows something that Shouta doesn't. And it made Shouta question if every person who is related to Hyuuga has a smile like that. Or it's just an informant thing?

"You know, an informant like her can find anything." There's something strange in the air, like the smell of burning. "But if she didn't want to be found, none can, Eraserhead. Lucky for you, she decided to make an appearance."

Shouta can play like this all night. He can act like he is unknowledgeable. Despite how sickening it feels.

"What's the purpose?" Shouta asked. "It seems like everybody might have heard about her, but Lavender never makes a public appearance like that.'

"To show the world that Lavender is on the hero's side." Touya answered unhesitatingly. "She took the risk, Eraserhead."

Ignored the increase of heat in the air, Shouta sighed. "So, she's officially a problem child right now. The real problem child would be so proud."

Touya smiled, this time filled with mysteries and proudness "Wait until you know what she's been planning. She's more than a problem child."

Shouta didn't like this, he didn't like what's hidden behind Touya's smile. Shouta really wants to ask, but he is wise enough to understand that Touya wouldn't answer his question. No matter how knowledgeable they are, informants don't like sharing for free. Hyuuga was a special case. Touya came because UA tore Endeavour to pieces, he came to pay the debt.

There's a silence stretched between them for a while. Something like agreement flashed on Touya's face. So, the option to not ask anything was right from the first.

"Keep an eye on her, Eraserhead." Touya waved his hand, creating a glimpse of blue fire in the air. "That's the best thing you can do for now."

Shouta clenched his jaw, held himself to not shake Touya so he can speak with clear words rather than something unclear or full of threats. If Hyuuga is a mystery castle, then Touya is a wall of flames. Neither of them can be penetrated so easily.

"Ah, Eraserhead?" Touya called, a grin bloomed on his face. "Next time, I'm not Touya anymore. Call me Dabi and I'm not on your side."

Fucking great.

***

Shouta tried to not look surprised at all. But damn, Hyuuga did not make a single sound this time.

That girl was prepared the meal for their breakfast, acts so natural like she didn't just run from home before. Shouta can sympathize with every parent out there who barely knows how to deal with their unstable teenager. And Hyuuga wasn't a common teenager. It's hard to deal with a teenager who holds most of the information in underground life.

"So," Shouta said while looking for a way to start the conversation. The meal on the table seems like a fair option. "Is this your way to apologize?"

"Good morning, Aizawa-san." Hyuuga greeted politely, unconsciously pointed out how impolite Shouta was. "Some little birdie told me that you didn't eat a proper meal lately."

"Huh." Shouta can't hold an amused smile on his face. "You learn to make a joke out there."

"I have practiced how to impersonate any persona, making a joke is one of the skills I've learned before." Hyuuga replied with a calm tone as usual, but there's smile on her face. "For your question, Aizawa-san, yes, this is my way to apologize."

Shouta pulled a chair. "You know, I usually demand an explanation if I want to accept someone's apologies."

Hyuuga looked contemplating for a while, then she sat in front of Shouta and began to explain.

"My source said something about Stain's impacts." Shouta raised an eyebrow and Hyuuga had a dry smile on her face. "While we both agree that Stain's ideology was twisted and sick, some people agree with him and follow him. League is looking for an ally, Stain was one of their candidates."

"So, you tried to catch him before he could join the League." Shouta concluded, then realized. "But, Stain admires All Might fanatically. The League wants to kill the Symbol of Peace. Last time I checked, they're the same person."

Hyuuga nodded. "We didn't have to worry about Stain joining the League. But, Hero Killer still made some impacts. For some morally gray people, it's easier to accept Stain's ideology than Shigaraki's ambition."

Shouta remembered Hosu, the sky that burned with fire and flying nomu. "The League wants the public to believe that Stain works with them." Then he looked into Hyuuga's eyes, the pair of lavender pale was hard to read as usual. "But you, you choose to make an appearance to make sure the public knows that Lavender is on the hero's side."

"I want vigilantes out there to think twice before they join League of Villains under the name of Stain's ideology." Hyuuga replied harshly. "If I can't prevent Stain's impacts, then I will reduce them."

What a good explanation. Shouta will accept Hyuuga's reason if only she's not eighteen years old.

"Why didn't you ask for help?" He asked, almost desperately. "You've been to UA before, there's multiple heroes who will help if you ask them. I will help if you ask, Hyuuga."

Hyuuga's expression was something near to stone. "You said you will not allow me to wander around hunting crazy psychopaths with knives in the streets." She replied without any humor in her tone. "I really appreciate your care, Eraserhead. You're right, I'm only eighteen years old. But, I'm Lavender. An informant. And there's a few things out there that should be done with Lavender."

Shouta looked at Hyuuga's stone expression and realized what she was implied by that. Maybe he was too busy protecting Hyuuga Hinata and forgot that the girl was Lavender, a skilled informant. Shouta starts to think he doesn't suit this guardian job, God knows he always had an aversion to working with kids.

"Fine, you're right." Shouta finally admitted his mistake. "I will let you go if it's necessary and if we don't have any better options. But, you should let me know everytime you want to do something like … chase a psychopath or make a public enemy. Let's make this easy for us, Kid. I'm your guardian, it's my job to guard you. If you're in my shoes, I'm pretty sure you will do the same, right? You will never let Midoriya or Bakugou be left unsupervised no matter how skilled and talented they are."

Midoriya and Bakugou seemed like the right choice to be mentioned. Hyuuga looked like she finally began to understand that she didn't have to do all her informant or saving-the-world things all alone. At first, Shouta admired her capability to know her limits. But kids will be kids, they still make dumb and reckless choices.

"I understood, Sir." Hyuuga replied softly, good at acceptance as always.

"Good." Shouta let the topic slip away because he had a feeling that things would turn emotional if they continued on with the same topic. "You can come to UA today, right? Chiyo told me to ask you and my student's been asking about you since Hosu's Incident. They said they want to meet the girl that kicked Stain's head."

Hyuuga looked so embarrassed.

She also looked more like Hyuuga Hinata than Lavender who had strangled everyone with intense killing intent.

Chapter Text

Shouta tilted his head, curious about Hyuuga's appearance this morning. As Recovery Girl's temporary assistant, she used her civil persona as Hyuuga Hinata. Dark brown hair and black eyes with glasses. Today, Shouta already made a personal request for her to show herself as Lavender. Lavender smearing her persona with mystery, disguise is one of her brands. And this morning the girl has messy black hair and red eyes that match her lips.

Shouta was curious where her inspiration comes from.

"Who's that?" He said without thinking for too long. Curiosity won before he could think about the pros and cons by asking Hyuuga. "I know you change your appearance like a thousand times, but sometimes it seems like you're a different person every time you wear a wig or contact lens."

Hyuuga turned her head and smiled softly. It's a little bit strange with her red eyes, something about her eyes just screams tactic and domination. If Hyuuga's lavender eyes can see everything, her red eyes seem like she can control and manipulate anything.

"My Sensei." Hyuuga replied, her smile became melancholic and nostalgic. Shouta noticed sadness and grief, but Hyuuga smiles like it's okay to talk. "You're the one who said I should teach your students some lessons. I dressed as the best teacher I ever knew."

"Yeah." Shouta nodded, and didn't know what to say after Hyuuga's emotional answer. He chose a safe place. "They sound like a great teacher."

Hyuuga frowned, and it seemed like she hesitated about something. Her fingers lingered each other, contemplation filled her face. Shouta just waited as he finished his coffee, knowing it was better to not interrupt.

"She's like my mother," Hyuuga said when Shouta put his mug. "The most motherly figure I ever had."

Shouta would like to ask more. To learn about the woman who acted like Hyuuga's mom. To understand why Hyuuga mimicked her appearance like fans dressed as their favorite heroes. To see the red eyes directly and ask her; Who's hurt Hyuuga Hinata? How to deal with Hyuuga without hurting her in the process?

But something about Hyuuga's voice doesn't feel right. It's not like how Midoriya talks about All Might. It's more like how Shouta talks about Oboro. Hyuuga talked about her teacher like how Shouta always talks about his dead friend, anger lingered with grief.He was a good friend. He was the reason why I will do everything to keep my students safe.

Shouta didn't answer with any words. He let the silence strettch between him and Hyuuga. It's never easy to deal with grief, Shouta knows how overwhelming it could be. And Hyuuga didn't need any words, she just needed time to finish her tea in peace.

Their breakfast was never felt this melancholic.

***

"Congrats for your internship, I will evaluate the report." Shouta let out a silence, enjoyed how frustrated his students were. "Another congratulations, you have an exam in two weeks."

His class exploded with nervousness, excitement, anticipation, and whatever the teenagers had in their blood system. Shouta activated his quirk just because it's very effective. His students calm down for a bit, and Shouta likes to throw up something unexpectedly.

"I said I will evaluate your internship." Shouta filled his voice with firmness. "And I know you have heard about Hosu."

Midoriya, Hitoshi, and Todoroki turned their gaze to anything except Shouta eyes. What makes it more stressful is that Iida Tenya smiled like a proud father. And other students didn't show any rational reaction, they seemed so interested.

"We will talk about it later." Shouta made a mental note to talk about their tendency to break the rules. "Now, I have someone to introduce. Lavender, please come in."

Read the sign, Hyuuga came into the class and stole the attention.

It is just her aura, Shouta thought about how Hyuuga has an amazing skill to make her presence either unrecognizable or very recognizable. When she stepped into the classroom, Hyuuga practically stole all breaths just with her footsteps. The tapping of her heels echoed steadily in the classroom.

She likes kimonos, Shouta decided as Hyuuga walked into the class in a kimono with only one red sleeve. Hyuuga had a charm smile on her red lips and eyes that matched in color. She looked so confident. Everything about her body language screamed an impossible harmonious blend of Miruko's fierce persona and Midnight's sensuality.

What the hell.

Hyuuga wasn't dressed like this before. His girl didn't strut like that. Hyuuga was a sweet girl with a polite demeanor that rivaled any noble. She wasn't… ah, impersonation. Shouta pushed all his questions to the back for later.

Unfortunately, while he was having a crisis, one of his students decided to do something crazy. Just a normal Tuesday thing, really. But witnessing Shouto of all people, kneeling before the girl Shouta allowed to live in his house, was enough to upset Shouta.

Shouto reached into his pocket and took out a ring. What the fuck?

"Lavender-san." Shouto had a serious expression on his face, his tone as flat as a concrete. "My family owes you deep gratitude for your help in ... putting the trash where it belongs. However, I must precede Natsuo before he proposes to you. Will you marry me, Lavender-san?"

Shouta slowly adjusted his expression to something far from shock or a sense of wanting to kill. The class, on the contrary, exploded blindly in shocked chaos. Bakugou growled like a wild dog, Midoriya blinked extremely hard, Hitoshi giggled maniacally, the girls gawked and the boys chuckled. Hyuuga smiled.

Tenya was the first to react, hands cutting the air and his usual trademark lecture. "Shouto-san! While we all understand how much Lavender-san helped with your family problems, it's still rude to propose to her so suddenly." Then Tenya stopped, straightened his glasses, and Shouta saw a glimpse of Tensei's madness on his face. "At the very least, you should invite a girl to dinner before proposing to her."

"Lavender-san, has Aizawa Sensei delivered the dinner invitation from the Iida family? I would love to be able to invite you personally."

"Enough." Shouta gritted his teeth to refrain from messing with the minors. His active quirk was enough to silence his students, even Bakugou who was on the verge of exploding. "No marriage proposal and no invitation to a date."

"A formal dinner invitation," Tenya corrected, but Shouta's sharp gaze silenced him. Tenya sat down and obediently said nothing more.

"I repeat, there is no marriage proposal or dinner invitation. Return to your seat, Shouto."

Shouto pouted, but he obediently returned to his seat without much more drama. Shouta had to ask Nedzu for holiday, the one that was long and involved uninterrupted naps.

Shouta sighed. "Lavender didn't come here to be your date. She came to teach."

There was the sound of an explosion, and of course Bakugou had to explode at least three times in one day.

"I've been waiting for years." The explodo boy stood up from his chair and pointed at Hyuuga with pure challenge in his crazy eyes. "It's about time we had a match, Ninja!"

Shouta turned to Hyuuga who had been silent all along, enjoyed the chaos with her lips curled in a thin grin. It would be interesting to see how Hyuuga handled one of the noisiest boys in his class.

"While it would be interesting to drop your arrogant ass on the floor," Hyuuga said with the calmness of a monk. Bakugou choked, Midoriya failed to contain his laughter and snorted. But Hyuuga just maintained the uncanny calm she had gotten out of nowhere. "I didn't come here to make you swallow blood between your teeth, Bakugou-san. I came because Aizawa-san invited me."

Either because he heard the urgency in Hyuuga's tone, or because he was impressed by Hyuuga's choice of words, Bakugou sat down and received Hyuuga's reply with a grumble, but no explosion.

Amazing. Shouta would borrow a page from Hyuuga's book and make it the official guide.

Yaoyorozu raised her hand.

"Then why is Lavender-san in our class?" she asked after Shouta gave her permission to speak.

Shouta snorted, straightened his body so he seemed more serious. "You all have watched the news about Hosu, seen Stain and read articles about the ideology that led him to killing and maiming the heroes."

Shouta's students fell into a solemn silence. Some had brooded expressions on their faces, some just looked sad and angry. Iida in particular gripped his desk tightly.

Shouta made sure his face was carved in pure seriousness. "I won't lie. The world of heroes is not sparkling and shiny like beautiful porcelain. It is built on blood and polished in such a way as to appear heroic and thrilling."

"I hate to say this, but Stain is right, there are a lot of heroes who don't fit the standards or break the rules out there. The system we have is pretty rubbish too." Shouta frowned as she said it. Nedzu had asked him to minimize the revolutionary speech about overthrowing the HPSC. "It's our job as teachers to make sure you don't get off track or end up becoming serial killers with knives and twisted ideologies."

Shouta turned to the girl she had brought into the classroom. "I'm sure you've heard about Lavender."

As if on cue, Hyuuga took a step forward to introduce herself. Shouta stood closer to the student desks so he could see Hyuuga's expression.

"I have many names. But you probably know me better as Lavender." Hyuuga introduced herself with a smile, sweet and forbidding anyone to interrupt. "I don't have much to say about myself. I'm an informant, and I helped the police in a few cases and stabbed Stain until he was paralyzed. So, the HPSC made a compromise even though they wanted to put a dog leash around my neck."

Then Hyuuga stopped smiling, there was a sharpness to her eyes that made people shut up.

"I'm here to talk about what kind of reality is out there." Hyuuga paused, gave the effect of an oppressive pause that made people gasped. Her red eyes glistened in sharp seriousness. "Not as a hero or villain, but as someone who sees everything."

Hyuuga was a stern teacher. She did not sugarcoat the truth in sweet talk and lies. Nor did she speak like an eighteen year old. She more like someone who had watched society burn and bleed and perish under a system that was so chaotic.

Like someone who has survived the horrors of war and refuses to see history repeat itself.

Shouta accompanied Hyuuga to 1-B, watched her give the same speech like pouring a bucket of cold water.

Kan approached Shouta, shivered. "She's not a kid," he whispered sadly. "I suggest you to not trust her blindly, Eraserhead."

Shouta didn't answer.

***

"Something about her doesn't feel right." Shouta said softly when he sat at Nedzu's office. "She's like a veteran. She talks about grief and losing someone like a child soldier who lost their family in war. She talks about system and how fucked society and had this old eyes that rivaled Yagi."

"She's full of mysteries." Nedzu replied with a tone that nearly sounded sad. He put his tea on the table. "She is still hiding something from us. She's an informant, we can't trust her blindly."

You can't trust someone you don't know.

"And we thought she came for help." Shouta filled his voice with dry powerlessness. "You guys ask me to guard her, I don't fucking know what to do with her most of the times."

There's a silence, and Shouta can feel the weight of Nedzu's gaze like it was a brick.

"Aizawa-kun," Nedzu started and Shouta knew he would hate their conversation. "Hyuuga-san came to my office to discuss UA's curriculum. She had some interesting opinions and … some suggestions."

"Explain, please." Shouta could feel a headache coming.

"She focused on the heroic classes, but didn't leave other departemen in the dirt." Nedzu had his cheerful tone as usual, but his words were full of indications. "She suggested some changes about our next exam. My opinion about her idea? Interesting."

Shouta groaned, but Nedzu didn't bother to stop or just give him a break.

"She suggested War Simulation."

"Excuse me, what?"

"War, Aizawa-kun." Nedzu laughed maniacally, like he was so happy that he found someone who was crazier than him. "Not a duel or battle, but war."

Shouta took a deep breath, his hair will turn gray before long. "And what makes you even consider a War Simulation?"

Nedzu smiled like he just won the lottery. "Her strategies." He replied excitedly. "She suggests dividing students into two major groups, based on their capabilities and specialities. And by students she means it's not for heroic class only. Hyuuga didn't ask every student to fight by hand, but to use whatever their special skill is."

Shouta didn't say anything, so Nedzu continued his story.

"First, Support. Support will contain some subdivisions like medical and logistic, intelligence and strategies, surprise attack, and communication." Shouta took a deep breath, but Nedzu didn't. "Second, the Battle Team. Based on their range, we will have mid-range, short-range, short to mid range, long range, and special attack. I almost think she had faced war before!"

Finally, Nedzu let Shouta breathe for a moment. Shouta gathered every information he just heard and let out a sigh of frustration.

"That's not how teenagers think."

"I think we both agree that Hyuuga is not your typical teenager." Nedzu didn't help at all. "Like you said, she's a veteran."

"Thats—"

"Nonsense? Irrationally? Illogically?" Nedzu offered with a crazy smile.

"Impossible." Shouta's hesitation betrayed his words. "She's eighteen years old." And there's no major wars in the past ten years.

Nedzu looked at him with that look. The look that contains his omniscient and unexpected mind. Continuingly being the one who accepted that look made Shouta want to crawl into a hole.

"Perhaps," Nedzu said with a soft tone, "All-seeing did see everything."

Shouta didn't like how serious Nedzu was. There's no pride, no tactic, not a single trap. So he let the silence stretched before changed the topic.

"You didn't mean to use her suggestion, right? Exam is near."

Nedzu smiled. "We need better preparation for that amazing plan! Instead of war, I suggested something else."

"Please tell me you didn't include Hyuuga in the Practical Exam."

"I did."

Fuck his life.

Chapter Text

Of all people, of course it should be Kan Sekijiro who approached Shouta after the meeting. While he didn't say much when Nedzu explained his idea to include Hyuuga for Practical Exam, Vlad King is still a teacher, 1-B homeroom teacher specifically.

Just like Shouta, Kan values his students more than his life, more than his pride.

"Can I trust her, Eraserhead?" Kan asked straight to the point. He might have already swallowed his pride to come and talk like this.

Shouta, on the other side, didn't know how to respond.

"There's a lot of things that don't add up about her." Shouta said carefully. "For example, her skills are not suitable for her age."

"She's sure acted older than her age." Kan replied, didn't question why Shouta was the one who forced the small talk.

"She almost killed me, like, several times." Shouta admitted randomly because he didn't know what to say again.

Kan's eyes widened for a second, then an understanding lit up in his eyes. He was there when Hyuuga talked with students like a veteran talks with young and amateur soldiers.

"That's why I ask you, Aizawa." Kan emphasized his words with seriousness. "Can I trust her? Can I trust her with my students?"

Before he could answer, Shouta's phone rang with a message, he opened it and read the message. Then he looked up, faced Kan who was still waiting for his answer.

Shouta had an urge to scream. "I can't answer your question," he admitted softly.

Kan raised his eyebrow. Of course. His patience might have run out because Shouta didn't answer his question.

"But," Shouta had a strange urge to bite his lip till it bled, but the message on his phone required him to speak. So Shouta let out a long breath, bracing himself. "But you can come to Gym Beta and decide for yourself."

The expression on Kan's face was one of pure confusion. For once, Shouta couldn't even blame him.

That's how they ended up in the gym.

Hyuuga was in the middle of stretching, already changed into the tracksuit she had probably borrowed from Nemuri. Kan stood in front of the girl, looking unsure with huge muscles and height that towered over Hyuuga's small body. Moreover, Kan seemed unsure how to react to Hyuuga's changed appearance.

“Is that… your real appearance?” Kan asked in a doubtful voice.

Hyuuga made one slow jump to straighten her body, then smiled the way he usually did to Midoriya or Bakugou. A smile that is more like Hyuuga Hinata than any of the other personas she often uses.

"I trust you with my real appearance." Hyuuga spoke casually, but there was a seriousness in her voice. There was a form of trust that she offered to Kan.

This is the same tactic Hyuuga used on the police before. Offer your trust so others can trust you too. Offer information so that people are willing to share their information. Shouta was a bit wondering if this is a tactic that Hyuuga always uses to get something? Fair exchange is an effective strategy.

The proof of the effectiveness of Hyuuga's tactics was in Kan who stood still, responding to Hyuuga's trust with respectful and serious silence. Then the Pro nodded, his expression becoming more open.

"I'll try to believe you too," he said, ready to stretch. "You know how my quirk works, right?"

Hyuuga nodded, then she activated her quirk without a warning. Shouta felt satisfied when Kan jumped back a step.

"All-seeing allows me to see through anything. I can adjust the distance and the scope to my liking." Hyuuga explained calmly, then turned off her quirk. "As of now, my limit is twenty kilometers."

Kan looked thrown off by the sudden explanation, but he quickly covered his expression. "Can your range be extended?" he asked, interested.

Hyuuga smiled. "We're going to analyze quirk right now?" she asked back.

Kan recognized the deflection, shrugged his shoulders casually. Then he looked at Shouta subtly, looked back at Hyuuga. "You know, blood-based quirks are a bit gruesome and disgusting for some people. Is there something I need to avoid in our fight?"

Is a more subtle way of asking if there is anything that could be a trigger for trauma you may or may not have?

Shouta stopped himself from look directly at Hyuuga, but he was still kept an eye on the girl. Shouta noticed how Hyuuga's expression turned into something hard and bitter.

"I don't have a problem with your quirk, Vlad King. You have an excellent quirk." Hyuuga's voice turned low until it was barely audible. "If possible, please don't stab me in the back with anything like a stick or sharp object. I might react badly."

Kan's expression turned gloomy. Shouta noticed that his own hands were clenched into fists with anger and disbelief.

"I'll try my best." Kan answered dryly.

Shouta, who was presented as the supervisor as well as the referee, raised his hand and asked the two to get ready. Both Kan and Hyuuga's quirk was activated.

"You guys can start." Shouta announced.

Then they fight. Kan threw out an aggressive first strike, predictable with his large and intimidating build. On the other hand, Hyuuga answered with the serenity of a monk and movements as sharp as a trained dancer.

Shouta narrowed his eyes to get a clearer vision. Even without his quirk, Kan is fast and strong. Kan's strength might be obvious from the large muscles on his exposed arms, but many people were already surprised by how fast Kan could move with such a large body. His speed is not something that can be underestimated, even by Shouta who is used to using the strategy of ambush and immobilize. Someone didn't become the homeroom teacher of a pack of hero students without the proper skills to land them in that position.

Meanwhile, Hyuuga looks like an assassin ninja with the grace of a goddess. Her attack appears in a simple form and looks gentle, but the effect is lethal. Her open palms attack vital points with the purpose of crippling. She dodged and parried Vlad's attacks with fluid and flexible movements. Then there are the eyes. All-seeing may indeed see everything. Because Hyuuga fights like she has eyes on the back of his head. None of Vlad's attacks went unnoticed.

Hyuuga does fight gracefully, but the informant job must have gotten her to taste some street fighting. That's why when the fight got more intense, when Kan started to attack harder, when his fighting style turned dirtier, when Shouta was ready to intervene, Hyuuga proved her adroitness by the same fire.

Shouta watched the fight between his co-worker and his ward, stunned by Kan's near-absurd speed and Hyuuga's surprising power.

The spar ended with Hyuuga's two fingers stopping just inches from Kan's eyes. Shouta's capture weapon was already coiled around both Hyuuga's and Kan's arms, but it was useless interference as Kan had already grabbed Hyuuga's wrist to stop her from gouging out the pro hero's eye.

Kan was the first to break the silence. "You fought well," he praised in the same way he once praised Shouta. An accolade from a pro hero for an equal. "Though I must ask you not to attempt to gouge out my students' eyes on a regular basis."

Hyuuga withdrew her hand quickly, her face turned red. Shouta pulled back his capture weapon as Hyuuga bent down in panic. "I'm sorry, Vlad King. This was supposed to be a friendly spar."

Kan hummed softly. "I'm the one who should apologize for changing the rhythm till the match feels endangering. I'm sorry."

Shouta covered his face with his capture weapon, detaining himself from giving Kan credit for being nice to Hyuuga. Putting aside the differences, Kan was indeed a good teacher. That was why Shouta agreed to let her fight with Hyuuga.

"Have you ever fought with Aizawa before?"

"What?" Shouta interrupted at the mention of his name, and didn't like the smirk on Kan's face. "I don't fight with my ward, Kan."

Furthermore, Shouta had dodged Hyuuga's sudden attack too many times when the girl was surprised by his sudden advent.

"I'm not asking you to beat her up, Aizawa. This is just friendly sparring." Kan looked at Hyuuga and Shouta in turn, as if trying to emphasize something. "Besides, your fighting styles are quite compatible."

"I don't—"

"If Aizawa-san doesn't mind."

Shouta turned to Hyuuga, who immediately blushed and looked awkward.

"I-I mean, if you don't mind." The girl almost squeaked, but could not hide the excitement. "You're a great fighter, and I've been wanting to spar with you for a long time."

Shouta hummed softly, trying to hide the feeling of pride in his chest.

"I don't mind, Kiddo," he said warmly. This was strange, Shouta was almost never warm. "But don't expect me to go easy on you."

Hyuuga smiled, slow and endangered. "Please, Aizawa-san. I'll feel humiliated if you don't take our fight seriously."

Shouta grinned, his girl did have a backbone.

***

Shouta watched his students fight with his wards. He had pain all over his body (the remnants of intense sparring with Hyuuga) and a sinister grin on his face (because Shouta was proud of his ward).

Nedzu laughed, tea spilled all over his cup, thoroughly enjoy torturing the poor students with an extra session for their First Term Final Exam: hand-to-hand combat with no quirk, plus Hyuuga spilling random information about the student she was fighting in the middle of the fight.

The reason for this was to teach the kids the importance of hand-to-hand combat skill and to not rely too much on their quirk. Also, they can find out what information Hyuuga has about the students. To quote Nedzu, according to the proverb of kill two birds with one stone.

Shouta knew Nedzu only wanted to append his students' torture after forcing them to fight against the teachers.

Shouta let Nedzu have his fun, because he was also a heartless bastard who enjoyed seeing Hyuuga kick his students' asses. Serves you right, Shouto. He better improve his fighting skills before propose his ward.

Somewhat surprisingly but predictably, Midoriya and Bakugou were excellent quirkless fighters despite having very noticeable quirks. Perhaps it has something to do with Midoriya being born quirkless and Bakugou being his best friend since they're born. Hitoshi was also above average, because Shouta did not leave his nephew without self-defense skills. Uraraka proved the result of her internship with Gunhead. His students weren't too bad at hand-to-hand combat, but Hyuuga kept kicking them out of line or forcing them to give up before three minutes.

Ojiro was the only one who reached four minutes, the longest of all.

That boy did not immediately attack like his more aggressive and reckless friends. Ojiro stood facing Hyuuga for a long time and had a calculating look in his eyes. It was as if he was visualizing their fight in his head.

"I will lose." Ojiro ended the silence with a soft confession. Shouta thought Ojiro was self-deprecating, but the look in his eyes was wise. It was as if he already knew the outcome of their match even though it hadn't started yet.

Hyuuga's expression was unseeable due to the mask she wore, but Shouta bet the girl was smiling gently at her opponent.

"I anticipate a good fight, Ojiro-san."

Ojiro flinched at Hyuuga's reply, Hyuuga still held her serious composure. A rare grin appeared on Ojiro's face and he set up a fighting stance. His confidence exuded from a solid and practiced stance.

"I can guarantee that one."

They did serve a good fight. Watched Hyuuga and Ojiro fight was like watching two different martial arts collide in a beautiful, almost artistic way. Ojiro is sturdy and agile, while Hyuuga is serene and deadly. Both fought ferociously and mercilessly, but strangely there was a kind of mutual respect between the two.

Someone whistled as Hyuuga turned and threw an impressive kick that pushed Ojiro out of bounds. Ojiro was wheezed weary, but he looked up at Hyuuga with a smile that seemed demented and gratified.

Shouta stared at the screen unblinkingly until he realized that Hyuuga's mask was cracked and broken around her mouth, there was a fascinated grin that was somehow familiar.

"That's the same grin that Aizawa-kun once gave to Young Midoriya on the first day." Yagi whispered softly, but was still clearly heard in the noiseless observation room.

An awkward silence surrounded them, until Hizashi reacted dramatically as usual.

"Is it the right time to say, like father, like daughter?"

"Shut your mouth, Hizashi."

Shouta had never thought about having a child before. Nor did he think he would be so attached to his class.

One phone call from Tsukauchi made him realize he was already tied up so tightly. His students met Shigaraki while they are hanging out at the mall. His class (and his ward) have to faced crazy villain while they're enjoying a normal teenage life.

He saw Midoriya, who looked traumatized with the strangulation marks on his neck. And Hyuuga who was stood up beside him, protective and forbade anyone from getting close. They look like wounded animals, desperately protect each other.

All Shouta felt was rage. How dare they? How dare they touch his class and his daughter?

Chapter Text

"They invited you to go to the mall with them." Shouta repeated what he just heard from Hyuuga carefully. A disbelief look must be described clearly on his face.

Hyuuga nodded.

"After what you did to them in the Final Exam?"

"That was an extra test, it was necessary." Hyuuga defended herself with an uncertain tone. "The Principal asked me to."

"You've beat them up mercilessly." Shouta replied amusedly, enjoyed how his ward turned red. "But, my class always doesn't make sense like that. Sure, you can go with them."

"Really?" Hyuuga seemed flabbergasted with Shouta's reply. "But you have to prepare for the Training Camp. You won't be able to supervise me."

Shouta lent his back to the wall. "I don't know much about teenagers nowadays. But I'm pretty sure they aren't going to hang out while their parents watch over them like they're prisoners."

Hyuuga still looked unsure. "But I kind of … under house arrest?" She asked hesitantly. "I mean, I'm under your custody?"

Shouta blinked, couldn't believe what he just heard. He stared at Hyuuga and made sure his voice was full of honesty. "Kid, I'm your guardian. I guard you, not restrain you."

Hyuuga held her gaze. Something like disbelief and gladness flashed through her eyes.

"Thank you, Aizawa-san." Her voice trembled with tears.

Shouta waved his hand, refused to face another emotional moment. He had enough this week. "Go with your new friends. Buy something nice to fill your room. Oh, that reminds me."

Shouta threw his credit card and Hyuuga didn't even blink when she catched the card. Her reflex was amazing as usual.

"You can use my credit card to buy anything." Shouta explained when Hyuuga gave him a confused look.

"I won't use your money—"

"Hyuuga," Shouta interrupted Hyuuga before she can finished her sentence. "I don't buy anything except coffee, jelly pouches, and food for my cats. Tsukauchi said I look less like a homeless person since you came. You know how to use my money better than me."

Hyuuga blinked, seemed like she accepted Shouta's reasons reluctantly. "I will buy food for us." she bargained.

Shouta replied with a disapproved hum. "No. We had enough. Buy some dresses, make up, or whatever teenagers love in general."

"Thank you," Hyuuga whispered, still confused by Shouta's action.

"Can I ask you a favor?" Because Shouta knows it'll make Hyuuga feel better if she can do something in return. Hyuuga's eyes lit up to prove how right Shouta was. "Can you watch my class? They will need your help to not be involved in any incident."

Hyuuga laughed, finally relaxed. "It'll be hard, since Izuku was the one who invited me."

"He's sure a problem child."

It was supposed to be a joke. Problem Child was a nickname that Shouta gave to Midoriya because of his tendency to attract problems. Shouta didn't expect to prove how accurate the nickname was.

Shouta didn't expect Tsukauchi to call him with the news that a villain had appeared in the middle of the mall. Shigaraki had threatened Midoriya with four fingers in his neck and Hyuuga, his daughter reacted like a wild animal whose cub was attacked by a predator.

Such a cute reaction, if only Hyuuga hadn't activated her quirk and spread a killing intent that was as suffocating as what happened in Hosu. Tsukauchi didn't give any further details, but Shouta had already felt Hyuuga's knife edge nearly kill him several times. He knew how it was when the girl reacted badly to something.

Shouta broke through the crowd of people to make sure his children were safe. Uraraka looked a bit shocked, but she was fine and calm enough to give a statement to the police. She looked very relieved once she saw Shouta's face, as if her homeroom teacher's presence felt safer than the police.

"Aizawa Sensei!" Uraraka shouted, eyes filled with relief and gratitude. The girl gripped the hem of Shouta's sleeve tightly, an unexpected contact despite Uraraka's reputation for being very friendly and social. "Please, Sensei. They are very frightened. One wrong step and Shigaraki will turn 'Zuku into ashes. Lavender-san asked me to stay away and call the police. But Shigaraki was gone before the police came."

Shouta put his hand on Uraraka's shoulder. "You did well." Shouta emphasized his words with respectful and proud gaze. "Your parents have been contacted, they must be here soon. I'm sorry, but I have to check Midoriya and my ward now. Is that fine for you?"

Uraraka nodded quickly. Shouta called Tenya and Asui who were waiting in the front row of the crowd, and asked them to take care of Uraraka. The rest of his class were watching worriedly, staying close to the cops Tsukauchi has assigned to guard them.

Shouta broke through the police force that was surrounding Midoriya and Hyuuga. He saw his problem child and his ward clung to each other in alarming vigilance.

Shouta forgets how to breathe for a few seconds.

He saw Midoriya, who looked traumatized with the strangulation marks on his neck. And Hyuuga who was stood yp beside him, protective and forbade anyone from getting close. They look like wounded animals, desperately protecting each other.

All Shouta felt was rage. How dare they? How dare they touch his class and his daughter?

"Yagi will come with Ms. Midoriya." Tsukauchi mumbled beside Shouta. "But, I think your children need you the most."

Shouta took a deep breath, loosened all the pressures on his body language. He attempts to reflect a calm and open demeanor. Shouta approached his children slowly, as quietly and clearly as possible so they would realize his arrival.

"Kids." Was the first word out of his damn mouth.

Midoriya was the first to look up. His green eyes widened in recognition and relief upon seeing his teacher. Shouta didn't know what he had done to get those reactions.

"Sensei," Midoriya called softly. There was a sob and Shouta winced as tears flooded Midoriya's face. "You came, Sensei."

Shouta unconsciously placed his hand on Midoriya's head, giving him a gentle pat. "It's safe, Kid. You're safe now."

Midoriya just cries harder, but it was a relief compared to the emptiness. Like the emptiness in Hyuuga's eyes who stood behind Midoriya, one hand intertwined with Midoriya's hand. Just above the pulse.

Her quirk was still activated, Shouta belatedly noticed the veins protruded behind the girl's glasses. Hyuuga titled his head, saw something behind Shouta. Shouta turned his head because he didn't have All-seeing or any eyes in the back of his head.

Yagi came in with a woman who was very clearly Inko Midoriya. Midoriya cried harder as the two mother hens began to fuss over him. Realized that Midoriya was safe, Shouta focused on Hyuuga. She fell to her knees in relief. Her quirk was off, but it allowed Shouta to clearly see the horror that still filled her eyes.

"Safe." Hyuuga whispered, looking alternately between Shouta, Midoriya, and Yagi. "The heroes are safe." She repeated with a crack voice.

Hyuuga was still clutched one of Midoriya's hands, wrapped her fingers around his vein. Shouta felt something snap in his chest as he realized that Hyuuga was check Midoriya's pulse. To make sure the boy was still alive.

Shouta wanted nothing more but to chase Shigaraki to the ends of the world and punch his face ruthlessly. If only that bastard wasn't run by Kurogiri's warp.

When Shouta kneeled before his girl, he knew that Shigaraki should be his last worry.

Hyuuga wasn't the girl he met in the interrogation room, looking mysterious and dangerous. She was the girl Shouta met once beneath the moonlight in the hospital room, very young and vulnerable.

Shouta hugged his daughter.

"It's okay, Hinata," he muttered, fingers stroked his daughter's silky hair. "You're safe too."

***

The incident at the mall left Shouta to deal with the fallout. It was Hyuuga who locked herself in her room for a few days. At least she didn't run away this time. But her absence created a thick empty space in their apartment.

Instead of breakfast and dinner with his daughter, Shouta found himself desperately frying omelets and heating up store-bought food. Instead of washing the dishes because his daughter cooked their meal, Shouta found himself throwing pizza boxes into the trash bag.

Shouta knew he looked so pathetic. Even Nedzu showed a sympathy when they had a meeting about Training Camp.

Shouta tried, he really did. He tried to talk with his daughter, but it was clear that the girl needed space. She would talk when she felt ready. All Shouta had to do was wait.

Shouta didn't expect that his waiting would lead him to see Hyuuga, looking disheveled on the sofa in the middle of the night.

Hyuuga looked like a mess. Her hair was tied in a low bun and she still wore the dark purple pajamas Nemuri had given her. Her eyes were swollen, probably from crying. Her face was flushed because who knows what. Shouta smelled a familiar scent, he petrified when he saw a bottle of alcohol on the table.

Damn, Nemuri.

Contrary to popular belief, Shouta tried to never set a bad example in front of his ward. Sure, he was an adult who sometimes needed a stress release. But Hizashi had confiscated his cigarettes. Demons like Nemuri smuggled in expensive alcohol to enjoy on occasion.

Shouta certainly didn't expect the same alcohol to be lying on the table, the bottle cap removed and its content partially depleted. At least Hyuga drank in a small glass that was not empty yet. Still, to find his ward, his sweet and well-behaved daughter, slumped on the sofa with a half-empty bottle of alcohol … Shouta felt he couldn't face this.

He wanted to run away. Maybe go on patrol or let his cats watch Hyuuga while he questioning the world. But, Hyuuga looked so lonely. She looked like Shouta on those random nights where everything felt too painful and exhausting. Hizashi would yell at him if Shouta left Hyuuga alone.

"Hyuuga." Shouta greeted as he sat at the end of the same sofa, keeping his distance but not shying away from Hyuuga who looked drunk and heartbroken.

"Shouta-san." Hyuuga greeted him back, head leaned against the back of the sofa. She hugged her knees while leaned on her side, made her body look small and fragile. "You called me Hinata at the mall before. I haven't heard someone call me Hinata in a long time. Except for 'Zuku."

Shouta looked at Hyuuga, pain in her eyes and tears in her cheeks. Shouta saw a girl with eyes that looked older than Shouta himself. It was painful, an eighteen-year-old girl have eyes that looked at the world wearily.

"Hinata." Shouta circulated his gaze over the alcohol and chaos called Hyuuga Hinata. He stopped at the girl's eyes, all nagging about underage drinking wiped away like it had never been there before. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Hyuuga—no, Hinata. Hinata smiled weakly. "Alcohol helps," she said softly. "Kiba said alcohol can help with grief. He and Shino promised to get me drunk after … all the shits we went through was over."

Shouta didn't miss the bitterness in Hinata's voice. Didn't miss the grief and wound that was still wet in the way his daughter stared at the empty spot in the corner of their apartment. He didn't miss the girl's hands hugging her knees tight and tighter.

"Shouta-san, have you ever lost someone?" Hinata whispered.

Shouta thought about the way Hinata was always aware of her surroundings. He thought about her skills that didn't match her age. He thought about the eyes that were too old for an eighteen year old girl. Shouta thought about Hyuuga Hinata and couldn't match the age of eighteen with a girl who seemed to carry a burden of a hundred years of life on her shoulder.

Shouta thought about Oboro. His bright smile and their promise to set up an agency together. Shouta thought about the collapsed building and his friend's corpse under the rubble. Shouta thought about the feeling of losing someone and grief, the painful experience that made him open his eyes to the real world of heroism.

Shouta thought about the pale lavender eyes, peered at him with sadness.

Shouta-san, have you ever lost someone?

"I have, Kid," Shouta replied, unable to swallow the tremble in his voice. His eyes felt hot and Shouta had a strong urge to gulp down some alcohol before he could speak again. "He was a great hero. He would have been a better hero than me."

If only he hadn't been buried under collapsed buildings and died with their dreams.

Hinata rewarded him with silence. It was not a tense or heavy silence, but more like calm and appreciative silence. A silence where Hinata allowed Shouta to take a breath.

Then Hyuuga shattered that peace with a sentence that broke Shouta's heart.

"Sometimes .. I wonder why I'm the one living." She picked up the glass of alcohol and gulped down till it was empty.

Shouta thought he was the one who was drunk, because Hinata seemed so old and hurt and all Shouta wanted was to erase that image from his head. He wanted to snatch the glass from her daughter and ask her, why was she acting like an old man who had lost too much? Like a soldier with the horrors of war behind their back and bloody corpses under their feet?

He wanted to ask.

"But," Hinata breathed, her eyes was watering in the dim lights of their apartment, "but i guess i did live to protect heroes."

"Heroes?"

Hinata had a stupid smile on her face. Drunk like a teenage girl with a crush on someone. "Have you ever met a hero, Shouta-san? Not just any hero. A hero whose presence makes you feel warm and safe. And all you want is to stand next to him. A dumb blonde boy with a stupid grin and hella pretty blue eyes. Someone like the sun in the bright blue sky."

Hinata continued her sermon about a true hero who could change the world. But all Shouta could think of was a dumb blonde, stupid grin, and blue eyes and Shouta couldn't handle this.He had spent all his sanity not yelling at his drunk daughter. He had no sanity left to deal with his daughter's crush.

"Hinata." Shouta cut Hinata off in the middle of her sentence, already feeling all his energy draining away just by talking. "Please tell me you don't have a crush on All Might."

Hinata looked at him, blinked a few times with obvious confusion. Then she chuckled, politely and covered her mouth with her hand. Shouta would have found her habit cute if only he wasn't in the middle of a crisis.

"Shouta-san," Hyuuga had a smile on her face, it was better from grief. "I respect All Might, but he's not the one I'm talking about. Although All Might is an equally great hero, a legend actually."

"I met a hero before." Hinata smiled, her expression was filled with nostalgia. And love, ugh. "Someone we know reminds me of him. A lot." Her voice became soft and sad.

Shouta wanted to ask which boy his daughter had fallen in love with. He wanted to ask who Kiba and Shino were and what kind of war Hinata had gone through. But Shouta had learned to not interrupt when a quiet person decided to start talking. After all, no matter how much alcohol entered her system, there was something about Hinata that convinced Shouta alcohol could not force out what she didn't want to say.

Hinata offered a thin and desperate trust, Shouta did not want to break that trust.

"I'm talking about Izuku, Shouta-san." Hinata's drunken babbling brought Shouta back to the worn couch in their apartment. "You know, Midoriya Izuku will be a great hero. A hero who brings hope and change."

"He's technically All Might's successor," Shouta's response came in a dry tone.

Hinata shook her head vigorously, alcohol did make her more expressive. "Midoriya Izuku will surpass All Might. Dekiru will give hope and lead many changes to this damn society. That's why he can't die. I will not let him die."

Heard Hinata swear was shocking enough. Heard her talk about one of Shouta's students with such a high level of trust, was rather confusing if not unsettling. Then Shouta remembered how Hinata reacted so badly at the mall. He remembered how Hinata's fingers wrapped around Midoriya's wrist, making sure his pulse was still beating.

"You're not going to let him die either, aren't you?" Hinata asked. "I know you'll protect your class with all strengths. I can die in peace if you're there for them, that's why i chose you, Shouta-san."

Shouta blinked, the temptation to drink alcohol growing bigger than before.

"You make it sound like the lives of Midoriya or anyone are worth more than your own." Shouta spoke without thinking much, because that was what he could conclude from Hinata's words. "You are just as valuable as Midoriya or my other students, or anyone, Hinata. I hope you understand that."

Hinata smiled, slow and unsettled. "You'll do the same exact thing, Shouta-san. You would cut off your legs and give up your soul to protect your students or anyone else."

Shouta understood sacrifice. Shouta understands that sometimes one must die so that others can live. He understand that the essence of being a hero is to save. It was just that sacrifice was a heavy concept for teenagers. And Hyuuga didn't sound like she was talking about sacrifice. Young people shouldn't think about giving up their lives that easily.

But Hinata didn't look young now. She looked twice as old as her actual age. Like an old hero who was ready to die at any time. She also had a determination in her eyes that couldn't be shaken. Shouta knew that whatever he said would not change Hyuuga's stance easily.

God, he really couldn't handle this in a sober state.

Shouta grabbed the bottle of alcohol and gulped it down till empty.

"You know," he said as the alcohol began to enter his consciousness. Getting drunk was quite a helpful when everything was too painful to deal with in a sober state. "I'm still going to punish you for drinking when you're still underage."

Hinata blinked at him, didn't look afraid at all. As if she was sure Shouta wouldn't punish her too harsh.

Shouta did have a soft side for his daughter, but he had to maintain his image as a cold and stern adult. He must provide a detterent effect before his daughter falls further into the valley of juvenile delinquency.

Shouta's punishment lay in the Training Camp that UA held the next day.

Hinata was immediately alert when the bus stopped at the edge of the cliff, just like Hitoshi, she could read Shouta's logical ruse faster than others students. But Shouta wouldn't playing favorites, he caught Hinata before the girl could escape.

Pixie-Bob made the ground collapse and threw the class down the cliff. Shouta threw Hinata at Hitoshi and forced the two to follow their other friends.

The expression Hinata gave when Shouta threw them off the cliff was one of pure menace.

Of course his daughter was able to quickly regain her composure. She used Hitoshi's back as a foothold before performing a very impressive backflip. Shouta didn't have to look down to make sure Hinata used his students as ladders and landed safely.

Shouta would have gladly given her a hundred points for her cunning and cruelty.

"You're a terrible dad." Kan said beside him. The man lost the bet and had to follow Shouta's method of making his students taste hell.

Shouta turned to his friend, not even bothering to hide the grin that splitting his face.

"You don't even know half of it."

Chapter Text

The children needed time shorter than Pixie-Bob expected. Shouta raised an eyebrow when he saw his kids had something like … satisfied expression on their face.

"Your ward lead them like a War Commander, Eraserhead." Shouta didn't know how Ragdoll seemed both interested and confused, but that was understandable when problem children involved. "Some kittens show great potential, but your ward are on another level. Did she get her hero license yet?"

"License what?"
"Nedzu had been working on it."

Shouta turned to Kan, who reflected Shouta's confused face. Then they reached a similar understanding that … Nedzu would do anything he wanted to.

"Maybe Nedzu wants to surprise you." Kan told him, with an uncertain expression on his face. "But I think your ward will pass the License Exam easily. With her case, HPSC could create special license just for someone like her."

Shouta wasn't sure about letting HPSC lay their finger on his daughter, but Kan had the point. HPSC had gave his ward convenience, almost like they were afraid of her. At first, Shouta thought it was Nedzu's work, but dispensation like that needs to be reached with bloody teeth and a maniac smile. HPSC turned their face in Lavender's case just like how the Police Department closed their eyes about Lavender's illegal status. The police need Lavender's information, Shouta didn't know the reason that made HPSC avoid Hinata like a plague when they realized they can't make her as their doll.

"I think HPSC will be nice to her." Or i will punch them in the face. Shouta know that not every hero out there got their license in the normal way. Some of them who were involved in specific cases, especially the underground hero, had passed through a different tunnel from another hero. "Public will react badly if she doesn't get her license soon."

"They better give her the license," Ragdoll said softly, there was a calculated light in her eyes. "I don't know much about Lavender, except what she did with Stain and Nedzu recruited her to work with UA as a freelancer. But I'm sure about one thing, Eraserhead, is that we better keep her on our side than let her go to the other."

Shouta turned his gaze to Hyuuga, whose cheeks reddened because of Pixie-Bob compliment. He thought about the eyes that can see anything and the ability to fight that will make every martial artist ashamed. He thought about the potential like Hyuuga Hinata if she chose the dark side. Shouta imagined Hyuuga Hinata as a villain.

Maybe she will not become the greatest villain out there, but she will be the kind of villain that Shouta avoids to deal with.

***

Shouta used his capture weapon to climb upon the roof and perched beside his ward. Hinata gave him a gentle smile. She had taken off any kind of disguise and was letting people see her true appearance.

"Will that be okay?" Shouta asked while looking at the courtyard. The poor kids were stuck making their own dinner after hell of training. Bakugou was the absolute chef, Midoriya tried to talk with Kouta, and Monoma ran away from Kendou. "Your real appearance is important for you, right?"

Hinata sat next to Shouta, the scent of Yayorozu's expensive perfume filled the air between them. "My plan is to be more like Hyuuga Hinata. Nedzu talks about licenses, and Chiyo Sensei told me she will always open her door for me." Hinata stopped, took a deep breath and exhaled softly. "Izuku said i should decide my hero's name soon."

Shouta absorbed all the information and decided he had to talk with Nedzu right away. "Lavender is a pretty good name, Kid. It's already attached to you, isn't it?"

Hinaya giggled beside him. "That's my informant's code name. I didn't get it the way I wanted." Shouta turned his head and saw Hinata smiled, an amused expression on her beautiful face. "A police officer called me Lavender because he saw my true eye color. I wear a variety of colors, you know. But the first impression is always special."

Shouta had not expected Hinata would felt comfortable shared her past with him.

"I got my hero name from Hizashi," he admitted. Because if Hinata was willing to talk about her past, Shouta would repay her trust in the same way.

"For some reason I feel compelled to say, I know." Hinata mocked him, kindly of course. "You're really bad at naming your cats."

Shouta responded to her daughter's joke with eyes rolled. "I don't care as long as it works."

Shouta stared at his ward, observing the hair that was the same color as the night sky and the moon-like eyes. He thought about All-seeing that observed everything like the moon watched the night from up there in the sky.

"Tsukuyomi is a bit taken," he said. "But I guess you could find another God or Goddess of the moon to use as your hero name. The moon matches your appearance, especially your eyes."

Hinata's pale lavender eyes widened with shock, then dimmed with a glimpse of heart-breaking light. Shouta smacked his head mentally, realized that he had inadvertently brought up something that made his ward sad.

"You're the second person to say it," Hinata muttered softly. She smiled, and Shouta couldn't help but admire how the girl could stay sane with all the signs of trauma and sadness lingered all over her body.

Shouta could not reply to Hinata's words. Not when Hinata looked so sad and vulnerable and fragile and Shouta wanted to ask why.

But as it was, Shouta knew Hyuuga Hinata was a layer of mystery wrapped up in a sweet and kind little girl who could flatten the entire city if she was determined. Shouta had to handle this all with patience and caution.

He could only pray that what he found out later was not something that would break his heart.

***

There was an attack on the Training Camp.

Mandalay's panic alert rang in his head. There was the smell of smoke and panic in the air and Shouta had to grit his teeth to force himself to remain calm. He handed the children to Kan and ran out of the building, only to be met with a familiar face and a condescended crooked grin.

"I told you, Eraser," Dabi's voice roared like a blaze, heat in his eyes and minacious in the curve of his lips. "I'm not on your side."

Shouta could felt something like disbelief and betrayal crept into his chest, but he stubbornly ignored as he faced Dabi with red eyes and clenched fist.

He was quick enough to punch the vile smile on Dabi's face, but it was useless as Dabi melted into a disgusting black blob on the ground.

A clone.

Shouta forced his mind to remain calm as he stepped further into the forest. He almost cried in relief when he saw the green bush moving along with Kouta's distinctive red hat followed behind. Midoriya was safe, Kouta too. Shouta would temporarily forgive the blood and sickened bruises in Midoriya's body as long as the children were safe.

"Eraserhead!" Midoriya jumped at him, apparently calm enough to use Shouta's hero name instead of his real name. "There's a villain named Muscular and he's trying to kill Kouta and I kinda dropped a mountain on him God i didn't mean to kill—"

"Breathe, Dekiru." Shouta cut in, saving the question of how Midoriya could defeat such a dangerous villain for later. "You did a good job. Now, quickly go inside with Kouta. Vlad King is in there."

Midoriya set down Kouta, smoothly pushing him towards Shouta. Shouta's eyes widened when he saw a certain expression on Midoriya's face. His green eyes flashed with determination and his jaw was clenched in a stern expression.

"Problem Child—"

"The villains are planning to kidnap Kacchan and Shouto," said Midoriya calmy, almost coldly. "I'm faster than you, Eraser. It would be more logical to let me relay this information to Mandalay while you guard Kouta. His quirk is very useful for putting out fires."

"Did you just use my favorite word against me?" Shouta asked his student with a disbelief and heartbreak in his voice. God, he always hated work with children who were forced to mature prematurely.

"He's right, Eraser."

Shouta turned around and threw a knife at the tree. Hinata casually caught the knife with her left hand. The other hand held a figure that looked like Ragdoll, bloody and unconscious.

Hinata jumped nimbly, Ragdoll remained safely on her back. As Hinata stood balanced on the ground, Shouta could see her condition clearly.

Hinata resembled danger beneath the moonlight, her quirk was activated with a dead look, her body washed in blood.

"It's League," she explained calmly as she returned Shouta's knife. "It seems like they're planning to take Ragdoll's quirk too."

Midoriya moved restlessly, green sparks danced on his feet and his hands. "Please, Sensei. We must hurry before the villains can take Kacchan or Shouto."

"I'll accompany him." Hinata offered. "Logically, I'm faster than you too."

At any other time, Shouta would have accepted Hinata's offer because he knew the girl could take care of his students. But Shouta had seen Dabi and his smirk and he can't.

"I can't trust you with my student," he said.

He couldn't trust Hyuuga Hinata when he didn't know who the girl really was.

Hinata's eyes widened in disbelief, Midoriya made a strangled sound and Kouta hid behind his legs.

Shouta gulped, he didn't like their conversation at all. "I meet Dabi just a minute ago. I meet the guy who sat in my house one time and claimed that he knew you."

Technically, he only met Dabi's clone. But if the glimpse of blue flames and the smell of smoke in the air were any indication, Shouta was willing to bet all his money that Dabi was involved in this whole mess.

Pale lavender eyes dimmed, then Hinata's expression changed to something hard and unreadable. But Shouta knows Hyuuga long enough to see the betrayed glint in her eyes. Although she immediately activated her quirk and the glint disappeared.

"Understood." Hinata said like a soldier. She turned to Izuku. "You should stay here. I'll find Katsuki and Shouto."

"Hinata-san, I—"

"Izuku." Hinata smiled softly, but there was steel in her voice and Midoriya closed his mouth. "I will never go back on my words. I'll make sure you guys stay safe, okay?"

Shouta watched the exchange in silence. When Izuku nodded, Hinata turned to Shouta and her expression turned stiff. Shouta understands why. He kind of deserved it after what he said.

Hinata gently handed the still unconscious Ragdoll to Shouta. "I'll make sure your students are safe, Eraserhead. I'll also warn others, Mandalay isn't far from here."

Shouta nodded stiffly. "Tell her that I give the students my permission to fight and use their quirk for their safety." He clenched his jaw. "I'll take full responsibility for that."

With a nod, Hinata disappeared into the trees. Shouta observed the girl's back and felt that he had just made a very big mistake. From the disappointed look Midoriya gave him, Shouta knew it was true.

"I'll follow her, Sensei."

Shouta didn't stop him. He doesn't stand a chance as Midoriya immediately left with a green spark and a determination to protect his friends.

"Is Dek-Dekiru, will he be safe?" Kouta asked quietly.

Shouta sighed. "Did you hear what that girl said before, kid? I don't know much about her, but I think we can trust her words."

Shouta should have trusted his daughter's words.

When he saw his students returned with grim expressions on their face, and Midoriya who seemed like he had lost his soul. When he couldn't find Bakugou or his daughter among the students. When he realized, in horror, that the League had kidnapped Bakugou and his daughter, Shouta felt like a mountain had just collapsed on top of his head.

He should have trusted his daughter.

Chapter Text

Hospitals were frustating places.

Shouta despised hospitals. He despised the helplessness that crawled up the walls. He despised the heavy stench of dread in the air. He despised the dull white tone of the wall and the dismal emotions on people's faces. Shouta despised waking up in a hospital bed and realizing he was on his way to recovery. He despised it even more when he sat in a room full of injured individuals and understood he couldn't undo the harm.

Nedzu had insisted on a full medical checkup before the students were allowed to go home. Hound Dog growled at anyone who based injuries on physical form only. Chiyo was a force of nature that couldn't be resisted. The entire UA staff gathered into one absolute force to protect their students. Shouta almost cried at the loyalty and responsibility of his colleagues. Kan did shed tears, but Shouta preferred to stare at the ceiling stubbornly.

His students had also become closer. Shouta didn't see a dividing line between Class A and Class B. They had all gathered in the same room, except for the unconscious and seriously injured students. Hitoshi stood beside Monoma, their shoulders touched as the two of them exchanged trembling sarcasms. Awase spoke with Tenya. the former worried about Yaoyorozu's condition, while the latter assured that their versatile class vice president would be fine. Tokage and Ashido exchanged some sort of gossip, but Shouta saw their smiles tremble, hiding the worry behind false cheerfulness.

Shouta and Kan were proud of them. Awase risked his life to save Yaoyorozu. Shouto and Shouji take turns looking after the unconscious Tsuburaba. Tiger said that Monoma and Hitoshi somehow make an excellent combo to distract the villains. The competitive attitude they displayed during the sport festival before had disappeared completely when the attack occurred. The heroic department of UA worked together as one, protecting each other fiercely and protectively.

Even Kan, who had originally shown a kind of bitterness and competition because class 1-A was favored at the Sports Festival, had come to Shouta and apologized for what Shouta's students had gone through at the USJ. No sane homeroom teacher would be proud to see their students attacked by villains.

Then there was Hinata, his ward, his daughter, whom Shouta had not trusted, who turned out to have made a significant contribution to fighting the villains in the training camp. Just like she did when USJ was attacked, and Shouta still said he didn't trust her.

Shouta kept the guilty feelings in a box to deal with them later.

He slumped against the wall wearily, watched his students begin to nod off under the moonlight that slipped in from the hospital room window. No one asked why Shouta did not sleep this time.

He couldn't. Not when one of his students and his daughter were in the hands of villains.

***

Shouta picked up the coffee can from the vending machine and was just about to open the lid when his cell phone rang. Hitoshi and Tenya rarely texted him, so Shouta was a little worried.

Hitoshi's message was short, but the urgency was clear. Come to Midoriya's room. Don't let him drag me to flatten LoV, even though I really want to.

Tenya's message was much clearer and sent a lot of worry as Shouta scrolled through the screen. Shouta-san, I will ask as your most sane nephew for a favor. As Aizawa Sensei, please stop my friends from committing foolish acts that could potentially threaten their careers. I admired Midoriya's devotion to his friends, but I was so close to punching him in the face so he would realize the risk he was taking by infiltrating a den of criminals. Midoriya seems to have trouble trusting adults, but he just might trust you.

Shouta put away his cell phone, pressed the cold can to his forehead, and sighed.

He had failed as a guardian, and it seemed he had also failed to be the teacher his children needed.

Shouta straightened up, the open coffee can clutched in one hand as he walked towards the room where Midoriya was being treated. He could wallow in guilt and feelings of unworthiness later; for now, he had to make sure his students were safe.

Midoriya's room was surprisingly empty of visitors. Shouta expected at least one person to be there, but there was no one, and Shouta wondered if Midoriya had been waiting for him.

"They told you, didn't they, Sensei?" Midoriya didn't turn his head as Shouta opened the door and made his presence known. The boy was engrossed in staring at the ceiling of the room, his emerald-green eyes blinked tiredly. "Shinsou and Iida must know you more than just their Sensei."

Shouta pulled out a chair and sat down, the coffee can was placed on the table. He was not surprised by Midoriya's knowledge. That kid had an amazing ability to analyze things, God forbid Nedzu take him as his student.

"Are you disappointed with them?" Shouta observed Midoriya's two broken and bandaged hands. Chiyo must have gone berserk when she saw it.

"No." Midoriya answered without hesitation. "Actually, I'm kind of glad they tried to stop me. Because deep down, I trust you, you know. I trust you and UA to save my friends."

Shouta was confronted with green eyes that looked at him intensely. The air was tense around them. Shouta was tempted to put on his yellow glasses so Midoriya couldn't see the pain in his eyes.

"Thank you." Shouta looked down, his capture weapon feeling warm against his neck. "I know UA disappointed you more than once, I know I disappointed you many times."

"Do you trust Hinata-san, Sensei?" Midoriya did not accept his apology, but it was close. Shouta would take anything.

"I should." Shouta clenched his jaw. "I owe her an apology."

Midoriya had an understanding look in his eyes. "I know Hinata-san is too full of mystery to trust just like that, but I'm glad you decided to trust. You'll get a chance to apologize to her properly, Sensei."

Midoriya smiled warmly, and it felt like being forgiven by a god. Shouta understood more and more why Yagi had chosen Midoriya as his successor; they were so similar. Careless, strong, and too kind. Too forgiving and too willing to sacrifice. Too close to the true definition of a hero.

"I don't know why the League took Kacchan, but they won't get their purpose." Midoriya had fire in his eyes and a determination that made the entire class obedient under his command. "Because Hinata-san is there."

Then, just like that, Shouta knew the true meaning of Midoriya's belief. "You trusted her. You trusted Hinata." Not Shouta, not UA, but Hinata.

Midoriya's smile was soft, and the freckles on his cheeks glistened in the sunlight. "And Hinata-san trusts UA. Then I'll trust you guys too."

Shouta was too stunned, thrown into the moment where Hinata stared at the CCTV camera and requested that the people who held the One for All secret trust Shouta. If you can't trust me completely, you should at least trust Eraserhead properly.

If he can't trust her completely, he should at least trust his student properly.

Shouta picked up his coffee and gulped it down. The can was thrown into the trash with frustrated accuracy. Midoriya said nothing, letting Shouta wallow in guilt.

"They'll survive, right?" Shouta asked, too tired to understand that Midoriya was just a student. He shouldn't ask something like that of his student.

Surprisingly, Midoriya responded calmly. "Kacchan still has a debt he has to pay me. I forbid him to die."

Shouta hummed, refusing to understand what kind of dynamic Midoriya and Bakugou had. After all, Midoriya had made it clear at the station back then that he didn't want Shouta to step into their problems just yet.

"What about Hinata?"

Midoriya smiled, maniacal light in his eyes and blood between his teeth. Shouta was reminded why he didn't want this kid to be a villain. "Do you think she'll die at the League's hands that easily?"

Shouta remembered Hinata, covered in blood under the moonlight. He remembered his students' stories that Hinata cut off Compress's hand without a single doubt just to save Tokoyami. He remembered how Shouto had described her killing intent as a cold crackle of icy rage. He remembered Uraraka telling him that the villains retreated to the warp gate because of Hinata's killing intent, but his daughter stepped in without hesitation because they were holding Bakugou hostage.

She would not die easily, Shouta agreed with Midoriya.

Only at what cost?

***

"We have formalized her license."

Shouta stared at the woman in front of him. HPSC sent one of their agents, a woman who introduced herself as Mitsuri. She looked like a typical government agent, with her hair in a neat bun and an unreadable expression. Her quirk was not mentioned, but Shouta would guess it had something to do with her eyes. There was something intense in the way the woman looked at Shouta.

"Did you not hear what I just said?" Shouta did not hide that Hinata was brutal in her fight against the villains; Nedzu suggested this tactic to find out how far the HPSC trusted Hyuuga Hinata. "She fights like a trained killer, not a hero with a glow and a dazzling smile."

"You're not that kind of hero either."

Shouta blinked, but stubbornly maintained his flat expression. "So, you want my ward to be an underground hero? Or do you want her to be one that is more than just an underground hero?"

Shouta released a small part of his threatening aura. It was not something as pressing as Stain's or Hinata's killing intent, but it was usually enough to make anyone take a step back.

Mitsuri was unaffected, or she simply hid behind a slow, innocent blink.

"It would be easier for all of us if Hyuuga Hinata was listed as an official pro hero." Mitsuri took out a brown folder from her briefcase. Shouta raised one eyebrow as he read the title on the cover. "Some agencies have Vigilante Rehabilitation programs; HPSC inaugurated this program years ago. Nedzu wanted to start this program a long time ago. Coincidentally, Hyuuga Hinata was helped us in the USJ attack and has been under UA's supervision ever since."

Okay, so that's the cover story they want to use. But Shouta was not going to go down easily. He leaned forward, savoring how unease began to creep into Mitsuri's eyes.

"Mitsuri-san, my ward, cut off the hand of the villain named Compress without hesitation and almost killed me many times because I surprised her." Shouta slowed his voice and maintained eye contact with Mitsuri, who flinched. "I know the HPSC was watching her all this time. She is a kid who seems to have survived the war, not an orphaned little boy you can pick up at will and force to become your doll. HPSC can dream; I'll make sure you guys eat the ashes off the soles of my feet, that is, if my ward hasn't slit your throat for daring to try to control her."

Mitsuri was silent, and Shouta didn't blink to make sure HPSC understood what it meant if they dared to touch his daughter. Shouta didn't mind threatening the government if it meant he could make sure his daughter was safe from dirty hands.

"Message received, Eraserhead." Mitsuri's dark eyes flashed with recognition before they returned unreadable. "HPSC will treat Hinata Hyuuga like any other pro hero. For now, we consider UA to be her agency."

Shouta leaned back, satisfied with Mitsuri's answer. "Who should I thank?"

Because he's not stupid. HPSC hadn't become this soft for no reason. Something must have made them loosen up the rules for his daughter.

"UA faculty vouch for Hyuuga; that's enough numbers to vouch for a former informant and guard." Mitsuri seemed impressed by the amount of support Hinata had. "Idaten Agency and Musutafu Police Department vouch for her; Tsuragamae from Hosu Police personally vouch for her. The Wild Wild Pussycats are ready to risk their license for Hyuuga. Even All Might and Nighteye themselves vouch for Hyuuga; that's enough to overthrow the Japanese government."

Shouta blinked; he didn't expect Hinata to have that much support behind her back. But he would not be caught off guard by Mitsuri's tactics; his experience in the underground forbade him to let his guard down.

"Don't beat around the bush, Mitsuri-san." Shouta deliberately suppressed his voice to be cold and threatening. "I asked who I should thank. Who in the HPSC do I owe for this enormous favor?"

Mitsuri looked at him, and then the woman blinked. Shouta could see at a glance that Mitsuri's eyes turned completely black; the absence of threatening intent was the only thing that kept Shouta from immediately activating his quirk. In one blink, the room they were in turned completely black, and Shouta saw nothing but Mitsuri's figure standing in front of him. She was just a luminous figure, but somehow Shouta knew that it was Mitsuri.

"This is my mind." Mitsuri explained, her voice clear and calm. "I only have ten seconds at most; you will repay your debt by helping Hawks when it is needed. Just for the record, we will take down the HPSC."

Shouta put everything together quickly. Interesting. So HPSC had rebels inside their building. The fact that the rebellion came from their number two hero, whom they prided themselves on like a golden egg, was an irony in itself.

"Aizawa-san, if you want to know why the HPSC can't touch Hyuuga, come to the Red Light District in Shinjuku." Mitsuri's voice interrupted his thoughts. "Meet a woman named Lily. She will meet you if you manage to save Hyuuga."

Then the black landscape disappeared. Shouta blinked, and he returned to reality. Mitsuri was already standing in front of him, a briefcase held in front of her stomach. An impressive professional demeanor considering she had just pulled Shouta into her mindscape.

"Goodbye, Eraserhead." Mitsuri bowed, was polite and professional. Then she left without waiting for Shouta's reply.

Shouta stared at the pure white envelope placed on the table. There was a lily flower decoration on the edge, engraved with an elegant and mysterious impression.

It looked like one of Lavender's ways of providing information.

Except Lavender didn't ask for payment at all.

***

"The tracker Creati implanted will only take us to Nomu's storage warehouse, All Might must be sent elsewhere." Shouta was well aware that all the heroes and Tsukauchi in the room turned to him, their expressions ranged from shock to confusion. "The League's real headquarters is in a seedy bar. That's where we need more heroes."

Yagi was the first to recover from the shock; it seemed he was number one for a reason. "Would you mind explaining where this information came from, Eraserhead?"

"From a district."

"Excuse me?" Yagi looked confused for a moment, then a dawn realization bloomed on his face, and he looked horrified. "Eraser—"

"YOU CAN'T!" It was Nemuri who shouted; of course she understood because, other than Shouta himself, Nemuri was the most familiar with the Red Light District in this room. "You can't. No, you didn't do it, did you?"

Shouta looked at Nemuri, her beautiful face worried and desperate. Hizashi beside her seemed to want to say something, but he had no idea what was going on. The Red Light District was a high-level underground secret, and the fact that Yagi knew about it was quite surprising. It seems that Number One really makes you different from most other heroes.

"We'll talk about it later." Shouta gave Nemuri his usual stubborn look, and the woman sat back down in despair. Shouta looked around the room, very self-conscious that everyone was wondering. "I can guarantee that the information I have comes from reliable sources."

"What is the guarantee?" Someone asked, and Shouta did not bother to identify who.

"My head." Shouta answered without hesitation, hissing at the questioner, who immediately flinched. "After all, it's my student and daughter we're risking. Do you think I would give false information?"

The hero looked so embarrassed. Nedzu took over the room quickly, bringing his claws together and smiled like the crazed maniac he was supposed to be.

"So, here's our plan."

***

Shouta slammed the door angrily. He didn't bother to see who was following him; Hizashi's anxious buzz and Nemuri's high heels tapping can be recognized easily.

"Shouta." Hizashi tried to call out to him, but Shouta ignored him with sheer determination. Hizashi pulled his hand away and forced him to turn around. "Aizawa Shouta, talk to me."

Shouta almost brushed off Hizashi's hand, but something in his voice made Shouta shut up. It was not his usual high-pitched shout; Hizashi's voice was low and commanding. The voice he always used when Shouta did something stupid and illogical

Except he wasn't stupid now; he was angry.

"They're asking me to attend a damn press conference while my daughter and student are held captive." Shouta hissed, his fingers moving wildly in frustration. "I don't mind giving up my head to save them, but I want to be there for—"

Shouta did not continue his words. He couldn't let things get any worse. It had been hard enough holding everything in since the incident at the training camp; he couldn't break down now. Not when his kids were still in the hands of the villains.

"Hey, Bud, why don't we sit down and talk?" Hizashi suggested, and his hand kindly wrapped around Shouta's shoulder. "You look pretty broken."

Shouta shook his head stubbornly. "I'm so close to hysteria right now, I don't need to sit down. I need a topic diversion."

Fortunately, his friends understood. Nemuri, who had been silent, opened her mouth, and Shouta instantly knew what she wanted to say.

"Why are you involved with the Red Light District, Shouta?"

Shouta sighed. This was not the topic he wanted to talk about, but he had promised Nemuri. "I didn't seek or ask; they just gave me the information."

"What?" Nemuri's eyes widened in disbelief. "District, they don't operate like that."

"That's what I want to know," Shouta replied in frustration. "But we're so desperate right now. I'll accept any help that comes along."

Nemuri was silent, seemingly not knowing what to say. Shouta didn't either.

"Mind telling me what you mean by Red Light District?" Hizashi waved his hand, panicked, and started his nonsense. "I mean, I understand working underground means doing dirty and secret things. I don't mind if you occasionally sleep with people to get information—"

Nemuri stepped on Hizashi's foot before the man could continue. "It's not like that, you idiot," she hissed angrily. "The Red Light District is known for prostitutes, but for us, it's a place to get information."

"That reminds me." Nemuri suddenly looked at Shouta, seemed both doubtful and curious. "Some of the informant prostitutes there use the code name based on flowers."

Silence, then broken.

"WHAT?" Hizashi shouted and ignored Shouta, who was forced to activate Erasure to stop his scream. "You mean, Hinata — Lavender, Little Listener will never! SHE'S EIGHTEEN!"

"That answers a few things, actually." Nemuri ignored Hizashi's meltdown and looked at Shouta critically. "Now we know where that girl got her information."

"Why didn't anyone put that together before?" asked Hizashi, when he had regained his sanity. "Isn't Lavender quite famous among the police? Some who work underground like you guys should have a guess!"

"The modus operandi is different." It was Shouta who answered, as he knew very well how information was traded in the Red Light District. "A piece of information is worth a lot in the Red Light District, and they're like loan sharks. They demand more than the normal price of the information itself."

"Lavender doesn't charge." Hizashi concluded quickly. "God, no wonder the police love her so much. Your daughter is truly a blessing, Shou. I wonder how she got all that information from the district."

Shouta didn't reply, he didn't know what to say. But he was sure of one thing: if the Red Light District was forced Hinata to become a child soldier with a thousand traumas, he would paint the district with true shade of red.

With fire and blood.

"We have more pressing issues here," Nemuri reminded, cutting off Shouta's train of thought. "The Red Light District gave Shouta the information without him asking; they can demand payment at any time."

"Their request is for Hinata to be saved." Shouta interrupted before Hizashi started to panic and shout again. "For now, that's the fee they're charging me. Let's focus on saving the kids, okay? I'm really going to explode if I have to focus on anything else right now."

Hizashi and Nemuri looked at each other and exchanged thoughts. Then they turned to Shouta in despair, and nodded helplessly in agreement that they would save the crisis to deal with later.

"We should prepare for the conference," Shouta said, he remembered something important. "Shit. I don't have any decent suit to wear."

***

The suit Hizashi bought him felt too soft on his body, and Shouta was also uncomfortable with all the makeup Nemuri put on him. He's an underground hero; he tends to avoid the media rather than face them. But Shouta will do anything to save his children, even if it means standing up with Kan in front of a raging media storm.

UA has bowed in public and admitted its mistakes sincerely. Let the children be kidnapped; it was their fault, no matter the reason. Reporters barked, this time more like a pack of dogs than vultures. They asked if the villains were about to take Bakugou under their wing. Shouta laughed and asserted that Bakugou Katsuki was training to be a hero; he would never step on the path of villains. Then the reporters asked the same thing about Hinata. It was Kan who growled and spread the fact that Hyuuga Hinata saved more children than he and Shouta combined.

"Anyway," Shouta took over the microphone, his eyes roaming the room lazily. He wanted to hiss, growl, and threaten the reporters, but Hizashi and Nemuri taught him better. So he grinned, enjoying how the reporters gasped and wondered at his grin. "My ward is an officially registered hero, guaranteed by the HPSC itself."

What can you question when my daughter is just a hero who does her job better than all of UA combined?

Shouta's grin grew wider and wider as the crowd of reporters went wild. Shouta backed off as he sensed some pretty impressive killing intent, and Mitsuri came forward and took over the crowd. Of course, after she gave Shouta one of her very menacing side glances.

Shouta let Mitsuri and Nedzu handle the press with the skill of a professional and an absolute god. He backed away anxiously, the rescue team must have stormed the League headquarters by now.

Shouta's anxiety must have been obvious. He was usually good at hiding his feelings, but Nedzu noticed and ended the conference sooner than expected. Kan's hand was on Shouta's back, gently guiding him to an empty room where they could watch the news. Apparently, the media was somehow able to record the heroes' rescue action.

Shouta watched All Might fight a faceless man who must have been All for One. The world watched as their hero was crushed by the mad villain until his emaciated form was revealed to the world. It was a moment that was both silent and sacred. Shouta would forever remember the feeling of all the blood being drained out of his body. The mixed feelings of realizing that the hero who had been holding the world back for them was just a skinny, sickly man. It felt like the sky was collapsing and the sun was falling.

Shouta wanted to close his eyes, but he forced himself to keep watching. He watched All Might stand still in his emaciated form and, for the first time, seemed so defeated and resigned. A civilian was trapped in the rubble; Shouta couldn't hear her words, but All Might bulged into his muscular form, and Shouta was reminded why All Might was their Number One Hero. That man could be crushed, broken, and bleeding, but he would always save. He was the reason why people felt safe and children ran through the streets with dreams of becoming heroes.

However, it was still painful to watch All Might fight. Shouta couldn't shake the feeling that All Might could die, and he prayed to God that All Might wouldn't die. All of Japan would be ruined if All Might died in the middle of a live broadcast.

In a decisive moment, someone shouted.

The camera moved quickly, and Shouta gasped as his daughter's face appeared on the screen. Hinata stood with a majesty that Shouta had seen for the first time. Hawks were stood behind her with wings spread, like a knight behind his queen. Shouta knew that if Hinata was alive, Bakugou Katsuki was safe out there. His daughter looked a mess with all the wounds and short, disheveled hair. But her beautiful face was set in a stern and commanding expression, something Shouta had seen many times on All Might.

She shouted.

Shouta could not hear clearly. But he could read Hinata's lips and somehow hear his daughter's voice echoing in his ears.

TRUST YOUR HERO!!

It was delivered hoarsely by a girl who was full of wounds and seemed a second away from collapsing. But there was something about Hinata, in the way her hands were clenched and the conviction in her entire body language. It was like a gentle slap in the middle of the horrors of war. Like someone who still has faith when everyone else has given up hope.

The effect reached everyone.

Shouta felt the blood flowing through his body again. People screamed. The heroes, civilians, even the cameraman filming All Might's fight. Everyone shouted and cheered for their most glorious hero. A wave of confidence from everyone flowed and sent power to All Might. The hero sent the villain flying away with his iconic smash.

Then everything went silent.

People waited with bated breath. All Might stood with his skinny form, and Shouta knew that he had no strength left if the villain rose. But the villain didn't rise; hope splashed in the air and sent a wave of relief. All Might raised one hand into the air and shapeshifted into a muscular figure for one second. Smoke billowed and dissipated, revealing All Might's thin form. Still raising his hand, still with his usual majestic and heroic aura.

Still their number-one hero. Their Symbol of Peace.

Then people shouted, this time in emotion and triumph. Shouta did not shout; he slumped wearily and fell to his knees on the floor. All Might's victory seemed like permission for Shouta to break.

The underground hero fell into silence and painful realization. All the burdens he had carried from the moment the kidnapping occurred seemed to collapse and bury him six feet under. Waves of feelings crashed over him like a tsunami, like a dam breaking, like pieces of the sky crashing down and burying him in a heap.

He remembered his daughter on the screen. Remember her beautiful scarred face and her short hair. Shouta remembered the burn in Hinata's eye spreading wider than the wound in Shouto's eye. It was a fresh wound, a burns that looked so severe till his daughter's eyes seemed to be unable to function anymore.

Oh, God.

They burned his daughter's eyes. Burned them until Shouta barely recognized her. Burned them until her pale lavender eyes turned to sickening milky white.

Despair and remorse were replaced with rage. It burned away what was left of his sanity. Sent him into a fury of vengeance and a roar of wrath.

Shouta saw red.

Erasure exploded in his eyes.

Chapter Text

Everything feels like deja vu .

Shouta sat beside Hinata's bed, watching the sleeping girl with both her eyes bandaged. Moonlight slipped in from the window, illuminating his daughter's unconscious figure.

Shouta noted that Hinata still retains the same aura of majesty, elegance in her face and something aristocratic in her aura of being. She is beautiful, and will always be beautiful. But here, with both eyes bandaged and scars all over her body, Shouta couldn't think of her as a princess from a castle in the middle of nowhere; Hinata looked more like a soldier who had just returned from the battlefield. And Shouta is a parent who waits by the bedside of his war-wounded child.

Shouta didn't cry. His eyes actually felt very dry. The explosion of his quirk a moment ago had caused a commotion. Kan said Shouta's power increases until it becomes unbearable. They were desperate to ask Midnight to knock Shouta unconscious safely. Thankfully, Shouta had a little control left to calm himself down. Nemuri did come and check on him,
Hizashi followed beside her with an anxious hum.

Later, Shouta said to his friends.

He would handle everything later.

For now, he has children to take care of.

His priorities haven't shifted at all, his children will always be at the top of his list. Hyuuga Hinata is also not much different, she prioritizes students above herself. She kept her promise to look after Bakugou Katsuki when Shouta failed. Failed to act as a proper guardian to Hinata and a competent teacher to Bakugou.

Shouta stood up, Hinata was left in the silence of the room and the sickening smell of medicine. There wasn't much Shouta could do about Hinata, Chiyo had drugged him and healing took a lot of the girl's energy. He might wake up as early as tomorrow morning. There are too many scars that take a long time to heal, some may leave traces that cannot be removed.

Her eyes could barely be saved.

Shouta sucked in a breath, trying to banish the image of Hinata checking her eyes at the hospital, but failing spectacularly. The image still haunted him as he walked out, down the halls to find Bakugou Katsuki.

Bakugou's room was noisy with the sound of arguing, Midoriya was definitely in there. They bickered in low voices that became increasingly high, with emotions spilling out and Bakugou openly vulnerable.

"All Might retired because I was too weak and Senpai almost lost her eye because I couldn't do anything about it."

Bakugou didn't scream, but his voice was so thick with guilt and self-contempt that Shouta couldn't stand it. The underground hero opened the door to Bakugou's room, not surprised that the problem childs didn't even flinch at his presence.

He was greeted with Bakugou and Midoriya staring at each other, stubbornness reflected in both of their attitudes.

Shouta sighed, feeling older in an instant. "Midoriya, I'll take over from here."

Midoriya gritted his teeth, stubbornness radiating from his sharp eyes as he stared back at Shouta. Shouta would back down another time, but for now, he had to be more stubborn than Midoriya.

"Go talk to Yagi, he needs company. I'll accompany Bakugou." Shouta forced a smile, learning it from Nedzu and the years spent teaching hard-headed kids. "I insist, Midoriya."

Midoriya stepped back, although he still managed to shoot Bakugou a threatening look. Shouta doesn't understand the dynamic between the two, he probably never will. Almost like he doesn't want to.

Shouta sat in the available chair. Bakugou leaned his body against the pillows arranged in such a way, there was no arrogant or proud smile on his face. Bakugou's expression was one of extreme bitterness, it was heartbreaking to see on a teenager's face. His mouth was pulled down in a sad pout, his eyes red and glassy.

"Are you going to say that All Might's retirement wasn't my fault?" Bakugou hissed, shaking at the end of his sentence. "Because it was my fault, you know. All Might and Senpai got hurt because I wasn't strong enough."

Senpai , Shouta noted. While Midoriya saw Hinata as an older sister, Bakugou saw her as a senior that he respected. Hinata's situation must have devastated him, especially since he was there and witnessed what happened.

Shouta hummed, mentally forming the right sentence. If Bakugou Katsuki were an ordinary child, Shouta would explain that children are just victims inside this incident, all responsibility lies with the adults. But Shouta has learned that Bakugou is different from most kids. Shouta learned from Hinata who doesn't give a single drop of mercy when she sparring with Bakugou or Midoriya. How she doesn't hide anything, is honest and considers both equals even though she would die for one or both.

Some kids just grow up too fast, and sometimes the best way is to treat them like any other adult.

"Are you going to keep looking at me with your eyes that will be blind for a second?"

Shouta automatically blinked, able to feel the relief in his dry eyes. "You know," he said, gauging Bakugou's reaction, "we could do therapy together. You and me. We could wallow in guilt and let our therapist retire because we're too much to handle."

Bakugou stared at him, silently for a long time. "Pathetic." The boys looked away. His sneer didn't contain the usual disdain, it almost sounded resigned. "Growing up really sucks. A hero's life is a horrible piece of crap with a lot of trauma."

Shouta wanted to correct him. Bakugou was still very young for those bitterness. But Shouta remembered himself, still a teenager and witnessing the death of his best friend before his own eyes. Bakugou wasn't much different, he was forced to see the horrific reality of the hero's life before he even officially became one.

Shouta wonders what Bakugou went through when he was held captive. UA has decided to prioritize Bakugou's health over information about the League. Shouta wouldn't be so cruel as to force his student to tell him about his trauma. But Bakugou is a smart kid, he gives without being asked.

"Burning Face burned Senpai's eyes." Bakugou said softly, Shouta's heart thundering in anger. "Senpai took all the torture for me, skillfully using her tongue to make the criminals focus on her, but they made me witness it."

Shouta sucked in a sharp breath, Bakugou continued, his voice cracking and shaking.

"They made me watch with my eyes open as they tortured Senpai for interrogation. Senpai wouldn't open her mouth unless it was to drip insults, she kept fighting even though her blood stained the floor like a damn fountain. Never slipped, no matter how cruelly they tortured her." Bakugou's expression changed. What was previously anger turned into fear so intense that Shouta felt paralyzed in both legs. "Then that bastard they called Sensei was about to take her eyes, Senpai fought back and Dabi burned her eyes and that was the first time I saw Senpai scared."

Bakugou sucked in a breath, the terror in his eyes sharp and disarming. "I still can hear her screams."

Shouta could imagine it, however much he didn't want to. Torturing teenagers is a disgusting act, and having other teenagers witness it? Shouta doesn't care what the League's ideals or All for One's ideology are, he will make them pay for their mistakes. Dare to touch his children, Shouta will make them taste true anger.

Revenge could wait, Shouta realized as he looked at Bakugou's face. The expression on the blonde's face was thick with guilt and despair. Shouta looks at himself, years ago. Blame yourself in helplessness and anger. Shouta remembers how miserable it was to be in that hole. He still goes there sometimes.

Grief, people say, is often buried beneath anger. Shouta was too familiar with grief to see it hidden beneath his student's scathing words and clenched fists. And Bakugou was almost as bad as Shouta at calling for help, they practically ran away.

"You're going to therapy, aren't you?" Shouta asked after a long silence. Because even though he's not good with emotions, he'll be damned if he neglects making sure his students get professional help. "Getting help is not a sign that you are weak."

Bakugou was silent, his head tilted in a rare expression of amusement. "I'd definitely prefer therapy to one of Nerd's disappointed looks. No, thanks. I'm not putting up with that one."

The way Bakugou tries to improve the mood with humor was a bit pathetic, but Shouta finds his statement to be logical and understandable. Hizashi's disappointed look was one of the big reasons why he went to therapy. It would be better to squirm under his therapist's understanding gaze than face one of Hizashi's disappointed expressions.

"How did you do that?"

Shouta looked up, and met red eyes filled with familiar emotions.

"What?" He asked, even though he already had his own suspicions.

"Overcoming guilt."

You carried it on your back like a sack of rocks, dragging it across your legs like a loop of chain with an iron ball at the end, Shouta's mind answered automatically, but his mouth was wiser. He will not teach his students destructive coping mechanisms.

"Keep going," Shouta answered, short and simple. It was the truth, Shouta dragged himself to continue even though he wanted to wallow in guilt forever. Giving up will get him nowhere. It hurts to stay alive, but giving up is an insult to Oboro who entrusted his dream to Shouta.

Bakugou blinked, his red eyes filled with something like realization. Then he smiled, sharp and jagged.

"That's what I'm going to do." He added, with more anger and bitterness, "qnd I will take revenge, Sensei. You won't stop me on that one, right?"

Shouta would be a bad teacher if he let his student slip into blind rage, but he also knew that the determination in Bakugou's eyes was as fierce as Midoriya's own. Even All Might would have a hard time breaking it. Shouta will only direct that anger into something that is not self-destructive.

"Only if you don't lose yourself in the process," he said, and that was a promise he made to himself, and a belief that Bakugou Katsuki would not let anger consume him to destruction.

The layer of force in Shouta's words was hard to resist, he could tell by the way Bakugou jolted into realization. "And if you leave some revenge for me, kid. Won't let you have all the fun alone. I'm sure Midoriya wouldn't want to miss out either."

Bakugou smiled again, this time fiercer and full of fire, but not in a dark way. Shouta almost called him excited, if not a little crazy.

"I think I can let you join, Old Man."

Shouta replied with an equally crazy grin.

* * *

Shouta entered the Red Light District in Shinjuku.

Everything is a festive shade of red. Shouta was tempted to close his eyes and go home. His neck felt cold with the night breeze, he felt naked without his usual capture weapons. The black shirt that Nemuri gave him feels too thin and exposed his chest, but Shouta knew he couldn't wear his hero uniform here.

Coming into an enemy's lair without complete self-defense is a very dangerous act. But the rules in the Red Light District must be obeyed if you don't want to die in a ditch. After all, Shouta still has his quirk, his body that he trained to such an extent, his instincts honed through hundreds of experiences, and a good head on his shoulders. And Hinata's fingers, which moved weakly in her unconsciousness, held Shouta's hand as if the girl was reassuring Shouta that everything would be okay.

Shouta has a task he must complete.

Following the cryptic directions Lily gave in her letter, Shouta walked into a bar that looked much nicer than his apartment. Hinata had made many changes to her empty and boring apartment, but it couldn't reach the luxury of shiny marble floors and gold carved walls.

The bar looked like something only rich people could enter. Shouta looked around, blinking as he saw the table with the number reserved for him. Projecting his usual lazy attitude, Shouta put one hand in his pocket and started walking to the table meant for him.

As soon as he sat down, a waiter approached him. Yagi will vomit blood if he saw the clothes the maid was wearing, but Shouta just blinked lazily. He had Nemuri as his best friend. Hot women in overly sensual clothes don't catch him off guard easily.

A glass of drink in a tall glass cup was given to him without asking. Shouta stared at the suspicious purple color and intoxicating aroma. The waiter smiled at him, patiently waiting for Shouta to make a decision.

It's a rule that few people know. Lily would never reveal her hiding location. Drinking anesthetics was a gentler method, Shouta had heard of other people being beaten unconscious or held in such a way.

Personally, he preferred Midnight's quirk, but beggars can't be choosers.

Ignoring all his senses screaming for escape, Shouta raised the glass and drank from it. It only took one gulp and he immediately saw darkness.

* * *

Realization came to him subtly.

Shouta opened his eyes and realized he was sitting on a soft pillow, his back resting on something equally soft. Looking around, Shouta realized he was in a room with a strong traditional feel. Sliding doors and a low-legged table, and a woman in a luxurious kimono in front of him.

Shouta observed. Irritation crept across his body as soon as he saw the appearance of the woman. Her kimono is white with red lilies on the sleeves. Messy black hair and lips covered in dark red lipstick. As soon as the woman looked at him under her eyelashes, a pair of red eyes stared at him with a seductive glint.

However genuine the woman in front of him looked, something in a corner of Shouta's mind wanted to throw up at the fakeness.

Shouta activated his quirk, flashing red as Erasure growled angrily.

"Don't." Shouta emphasized all the words with firmness and threat. "Don't pretend to be the person she really loves."

Lily, the insolent woman who took the form of Hinata's Sensei, blinked. Her black hair instantly turned silver and her facial structure changed to reveal her original appearance.

She's enchanting.

She had a beauty that is alluring and seems to come from another world. Her silver hair flowed smoothly and looked radiant. Her face was much more beautiful than the painting of the goddess Shouta had seen in the museum. A beauty that made Shouta blink in a daze and hold his breath involuntarily.

Shouta noticed, with some bitterness, that her eyes were still red. Maybe there is a melancholic reason why Hinata can relate to a woman like Lily.

"So that's your quirk." He stated carelessly. Besides, Lily must have prepared the entire stage to welcome him. Shouta didn't know what her goal was, but Lily showing off her quirk was in the woman's plan.

"Yeah, and your quirk is just as great as anything in our records." Lily replied calmly.

Shouta watched the smooth hand pour the tea into the cup. Lily's movements had a gentleness and grace that could only be associated with an aura of royalty. Her voice was calm, filled with collected confidence. The message was very clear: the Red Light District holds information about him.

Shouta has to be careful.

Lily finished pouring tea into an antique porcelain cup. Shouta stared at the green liquid and saw nothing but regular green tea that was probably very expensive, and poisonous. His gut told him to be careful.

"I know you don't like small talk." Lily opened the conversation smoothly. "Just keep it short, you could ask."

Shouta prepared himself to be asked for payment. After all, the price of information in the Red Light District was usually very expensive. Shouta found it hard to believe that the only payment they were asking for was Hinata's safety. Is that still called a successful save? Is he succeed when Hinata is still lying in the hospital bed and almost losing his sight? Why did Lily say he could ask?

"Eraserhead."

Lily's voice broke through the haze of his thoughts. Shouta flinched when he saw a pair of red eyes looking at him with a damning intensity. If All Seeing made you feel stripped down to the deepest layers, Lily's red eyes made Shouta feel suffocated because he knew he would die if he tried to hide anything from that eyes.

But in contrast to her gaze, Lily smiled softly, and Shouta almost let his guard down. "Hinata's safety is more than enough payment. That girl is very precious to me."

Shouta felt a chill creep through his bones. The Red Light District, as Nemuri tells him, is known for being very strict and possessive of their members. You didn't want to touch what belonged to Lily, unless you wanted your hands cut off and your head ripped off your neck.

Shouta took a breath, getting a new fact. "Hinata was once yours."

Lily smiled from behind her cup of tea, not at all bothered by Shouta's emphasis on the word was. Because there was no way that Hinata could still belong to Lily. No with the way she operates and acts. The girl stood on her own two feet before she came to Tsukauchi for help.

Lily tilted her head at Shouta's reaction, her silky hair falling with a confused look on her deceptive face. "Is she yours now?"

"Hinata belongs to herself." Shouta replied without hesitation. This wasn't the first time Shouta had met someone like Lily. Someone who claims ownership of someone's life and controls them like a puppet. Someone like that never failed to make him feel angry to the point of wanting to vomit.

Lily smiled slightly, not at all bothered by the hatred in Shouta's eyes. "Really? That's nice to hear."

For a moment, Shouta caught nothing but sincerity. But the honesty in Lily's voice faded as quickly as it came. Shouta stared at the red eyes that glowed under the dim lighting, showing a mysterious and false glint.

Her quirk was an invaluable weapon, but Lily's own abilities are what make her even more dangerous. Giving a physical appearance-altering quirk to someone who was so adept at controlling expressions down to the most micro level, Shouta couldn't imagine what would happen if Lily was on the side of the villains.

But she wasn't on the hero's side either. An information broker like Lily is on whoever's side which gives her more profits.

Not that Shouta is in a bad position right now. If there was something Shouta was very proud of, it was his eyes. Almost nothing escapes that pair of lazy eyes and the sharp brain behind them. For now, the lucky cards are in his hands.

"You said I could ask." Shouta changed his attitude, sitting cross-legged lazily in front of the expressionless Lily. "Does that mean you're going to force me to pay again? I don't think the Red Light District operates that dirty."

Lily didn't immediately strangle him, and it made Shouta admire how calm the woman was. But her expression turned stern, her red eyes burning with an intensity that put Endeavor to shame.

"Be careful, Eraserhead." Lily's warning was like sparks, dancing around her fingers, threatening to burn everything down. "We are in the middle of a very fragile ceasefire."

"You were the first to reach out with information." Shouta responded with a hiss, refusing to submit under Lily's dominance. "Saving Hinata is a payment that we should both agree on."

Lily tilted her head, beautiful face with a deceptive expression. "Then why did you come here?" She asked innocently, as if she hadn't forced Shouta to come. As if Shouta had the choice not to come.

What can you do if the Red Light District invites you to come? Accepting the Red Light District's invitation did not guarantee absolute safety, but ignoring them was the same as asking for death. Shouta has been an underground hero long enough to understand that fact.

"I will not owe the Red Light District and pay for it with my life." Shouta forced himself to remain calm, but anger was already boiling inside his chest. The heat still came out at the end of his sentence, burning the calm bridge that had originally formed between him and Lily.

Lily was silent. Her face was completely expressionless. Shouta couldn't guess what was going on in the woman's head. Every muscle on her face seemed to be forced to become flat, almost like he was staring at a blank wall and finding nothing.

"My mistake." Lily spoke up, her apology was so unexpected. "If you know how we work, you will know that I don't like being in debt. I invited you so that I could pay off the debt."

Shouta was dazed. He didn't expect this at all. Even when he reasoned with Nemuri, they agreed that Shouta should be the one to come to make the payment. But Lily sat in front of him, looking docile and apologetic. Shouta was in a very advantageous position because Lily was the one who owed him.

You could ask.

Apparently it wasn't a complicated ploy or manipulation. That is the truth. Lily gave him the information because she asked Shouta for help in saving Hinata. Red Light District pays it forward by giving Shouta one chance to ask for free information. This was a very rare, as well as unexpected, opportunity. So Lily definitely thinks Hinata is very valuable. It made Shouta want to vomit.

"Is it really free?" Shouta asked dryly.

Lily smiled gently, looking like an ordinary graceful woman instead of an information broker who controlled the world with her fists.

"I don't like lying to someone Hinata considers valuable."

Shouta thought about Lily's payment. Such a golden opportunity. Once in a lifetime. Shouta can ask about All for One. About Shigaraki's plan. About Hinata. The Red Light District is almost like a complete information library. Shouta could ask anything, and even if Lily didn't have a definite answer, she would give the closest answer.

Information that may have to be achieved with bloody battles and risking lives.

"Which side are you standing on?"

In the end, that's what Shouta chose to propose. The question caught Lily off guard, the surprise in her red eyes was so clear. Shouta didn't know why he chose to ask something less crucial, but he trusted his judgment. There were plenty of things to regret later, but for now, Shouta had to know whose side Lily was on.

Shouta can't predict the future, but he can read patterns. The League of Villains is appearing more and more frequently, this means something like a trial or declaration. Whatever their goal, Shouta knows there's a great battle coming.

Did Hinata suggest War Simulation because she also read the League's movements?

Shouta didn't like the thought of war, but it was a pretty high possibility of it happening. Even though the Red Light District is known to be quite neutral in various competitions, that doesn't rule out the possibility that they will lean to one side. Shouta didn't dare imagine if Lily was on All for One's side.

Did the attack on USJ happen with District's help?

Shouta closed the door of suspicion. Lily was in front of him now. Her white kimono looked pale under the dim lighting. The red color of the floral decoration looks the opposite, threatening and domineering. Shouta looked into Lily's red eyes. Calculation, realization, then a slight tingle. Shouta prides himself on being very observant, but Lily's micro-reactions are so well controlled that Shouta doesn't catch her meaning. He had a guess, but Lily kept him from guessing.

Lily grinned, her red lips looked beautiful with a seductive pull. "Do you think I would give out information about the League if I was on their side?"

The information is vague and has too many meanings to be interpreted. But that's enough. Enough to make Shouta convinced that the Red Light District is not joining the League. So, will the Red Light District help the heroes? Will they remain neutral like before? Shouta didn't ask, nor did he know the answer. Because Shouta only had one chance, and he used it well.

Shouta lowered his head, carefully showing his gratitude as sincerely as possible.

Their business was finished.

When Shouta lifted his head, Lily's smile was wide, and if Shouta wasn't observant, he would have missed the amused frown at the corner of the woman's lips.

"You are a very interesting person, Aizawa Shouta."

Shouta didn't answer, watching silently as Lily pushed aside the cup of tea that was starting to get cold. Shouta took the hint in stride.

It's time to go back.

The medicine in the tea didn't work immediately as Shouta expected. It lulled him into a drowsiness strong enough to make his vision blurry. Lily used her quirk. Shouta could tell from the way Lily 'changed' into a figure Shouta recognized. It was a clue, Shouta forced the clue into his head as his consciousness began to fade.

Shouta wasn't surprised when he woke up in a chair in the hospital garden. He also wasn't surprised to see Sir Nighteye standing next to Hinata's bed. His thin and tall figure seemed towering in the dim lighting.

Nighteye turned his head, the lenses of his glasses reflected the moonlight. His eyes were unreadable as usual, but Shouta imagined sadness. Something that didn't match the serious image of Nighteye that he had always known.

"I think I recognize this girl, Eraserhead." Nighteye said, his tone somber.

Shouta knew he was getting closer to finding out Hinata's secret,

but he didn't like it.

Chapter Text

The first thing Shouta did after making sure Hinata was safe was to meet Chiyo and Nemuri.

The two women berated him for not coming sooner. The usual protocol after infiltrating an enemy’s lair, even if in Shouta’s case he had come by invitation, was to get checked out before reporting. It was a protocol that Chiyo had insisted on and Nedzu had agreed to. Shouta was an underground hero with no agency, but everyone knew that the entire UA was in Nedzu’s grip. Unofficially, Shouta and Hinata belonged to UA, and so he had to report to Nedzu. With the HPSC being so corrupt, Shouta would rather be just another one of Nedzu’s chess pieces. Contrary to popular belief, the rat had morals. He guarded his chess pieces with the ferocity of someone who wanted to win without losing at all.

“You’re fine.” Chiyo stated after an overly thorough examination, snapping Shouta out of his reverie. “Too sleep-deprived and you're shaking, but from the seriousness in your eyes, I’m sure you wouldn’t want to stop by Inui’s office.”

“I'll save it for rainy days.”

Shouta hadn't seen his regular therapist in a while, with all the League and Hinata cases, it was hard to get an appointment. But the idea of sitting on Inui's office couch and whining for hours sounded more and more tempting by the minute. It was weird. Shouta didn't like therapy, he tended to hate every session, though he didn't deny its benefits. But this whole situation made him want to bang his head against the nearest wall and scream. Or whining to his therapist.

“The District didn’t leave any traces either.” Nemuri’s words pulled Shouta out of his thoughts. There was a thoughtful expression on his former senior’s beautiful face. “Why they trust you so much is beyond my imagination.”

“Not having a tracker on me doesn’t mean they’re not watching me.” Shouta put his clothes back on. Being naked in front of Nemuri had been embarrassing in the past. But they had worked together too many times and Nemuri was one of the best at infiltration. “I’m pretty sure Lily’s been watching my every move. We can trust her to just keep an eye on me.”

“Not interrupting?”

Shouta almost cursed. Fuck Yagi and his Number One Hero title. The man was indeed in Chiyo's office for a checkup, but he was so quiet that Shouta forgot about his presence. It was hard to equate the loud, big, and flashy All Might with the quiet, skinny, and sickly Yagi. And the presence trace was almost as thin as Hinata's. Guess the Number One thing wasn't all about smiling and punching bad guys into submission.

“Warn a woman, Yagi.” Nemuri hissed, her hands dropping from their fighting stance. “I swear you’re looking less and less like All Might by the day.”

Yagi rubbed his neck and chuckled awkwardly. “After Kamino, I think we can say that All Might is dead.” His voice was filled with a worried sense of self-deprecation.

“You’re going to see a therapist, Toshinori.” Chiyo stated before Shouta could speak. She gave the three pro heroes a disapproving look. “Discuss the mission outside of my office. I have other patients.”

Shouta pulled Yagi outside, earning a questioning look from Nemuri. But Shouta squinted and Nemuri recognized the code. Yagi clearly had knowledge of the District. The three of them walked down the hall to Nedzu's office. Yagi didn't even ask why they had brought him.

“So,” Nemuri started off casually, her grin widening with a flirtatious glint. “Is Lily really as pretty as the rumors I heard once said?”

Shouta snorted, automatically imagining the ethereal beauty on Lily's face.

“She does look like a Goddess.” That statement came out of Yagi’s mouth. His skeletal face was much harder to read than All Might’s usual appearance. “Having seen her real face once, I almost vomited blood because she was too beautiful.”

Shouta didn't expect Yagi to be this easy to talk to. But there was an amused glint in Yagi's blue eyes and an expression like a senior laughing at his cute juniors' attempts to extract information. Yagi had to know that Nemuri and Shouta were willing to be cute juniors if it meant they could get information.

“Are you in love with her?” Nemuri asked with the thirst of a gossip. “I won’t talk about a woman’s age, but Lily has been around for quite some time, probably half your hero career. If you fall in love, this could be the epic love story of the century. The Number One Information Broker and the Number One Former Hero.”

But Yagi just turned around and smiled. It wasn't All Might's wide, blinding smile. It was Yagi Toshinori's bloodthirsty, vengeful smile. Smiling like that, in front of the towering door of Nedzu's office and the gripping presence of Yagi himself, Shouta could see the blood between Yagi's teeth and the promise of death in his electric blue eyes.

“It would be nice if I fell in love with her,” Yagi said, turning toward the door and an optical illusion made his shadow appear towering over them. “But the only thing I want is to destroy her beautiful face even if I have to use all the strength left in my body.”

Shouta didn't need to see Yagi's face to see the promise of death on his face. Even without seeing his face, Yagi's killing intent was enough to make the two pro heroes freeze on their feet. Shouta was pretty sure Nedzu had purposely delayed opening the door a few seconds longer just to let Shouta and Nemuri shiver.

Sadistic bastard.

Luckily, the sadistic bastard in question promptly opened the door. Yagi calmly walked in as if he hadn’t just revealed that he had plans to assassinate one of the most influential figures in the underworld.

Sitting on the couch and drinking his favorite coffee, Shouta automatically shifted the Red District extermination plan one notch down. He certainly wasn’t stupid enough to steal whatever revenge Yagi had on the district.

All Might or not, Yagi Toshinori is a truly terrifying man.

The man in question sat across from Shouta with a cup of tea in his hand. Come to think of it, Yagi seemed healthier than the last time Shouta had seen him. But he was also keeping a safe distance from Nighteye who was sitting on the same couch. Seeing as Tsukauchi had chosen to move to sit next to Shouta, it was clear that there was a noticeable tension between All Might and Nighteye.

Nemuri, who was sitting on a single sofa, seemed to be shaking with excitement. However, the woman managed to hold back her desire to tease the two pros who looked like a divorced couple. Maybe the urgency was in the case they were working on. Or after witnessing Yagi's murder promise, Nemuri was being careful.

“Alright.” Nedzu clasped his claws together with fake cheerfulness. “The agenda for this meeting is to discuss one of the heroes in the UA ward, Hyuuga Hinata.”

No one blinked at the use of the term pro hero. It was all officially out there and Shouta was pretty sure the girl's fan club was starting to form with the UA Heroics Department First Years as its center.

“First, we have a new addition to the case.” Nedzu turned to Nighteye. “To quote Eraser, you are saying that you knew Hyuuga-san long before this?”

“Before she became Hyuuga Hinata, yes.” Nighteye glanced around, pausing a little too long on Nemuri. For a moment, Shouta thought the man was going to question Midnight’s involvement. To his surprise, Nighteye nodded in agreement. “Midnight-san, I trust you are familiar with the higher-level, officially classified victim and witness protection programs?”

Midnight's eyes narrowed for a moment, then flashed with realization. "You mean, the one that involves faking death and creating a completely new identity, all done officially and under tight seal?"

Nighteye nodded. “I don’t know Hyuuga Hinata. But I knew her before she was Hyuuga Hinata.”

“That’s why I feel like her birth records up until the age of eight are a bit vague.” Tsukauchi piped up from beside Shouta. “Of course, everything is official and clean. Given Hyuuga-san’s mysteriousness, I would have wanted to investigate further if only my senior hadn’t stopped me. He said there’s a reason the police and social care keep things secret, and it’s usually not always with bad intentions.”

To the others, Nighteye explained. “Usually, this is top secret and only accessible to those involved.” The man adjusted his glasses calmly. “I’m not actually involved in the case, but I was asked to come at the request of an acquaintance.”

“That’s why I can’t think of any high-profile cases involving Young Hyuuga.” Yagi replied. “Sir was still working with me around that time.”

Nighteye nodded. “I just came to meet the victim.”

Shouta couldn't hold himself back any longer. "What case is Hinata involved in that requires the country to officially change her identity?"

Nighteye didn't answer right away, and the gloom on Nemuri's expression was enough to make Shouta grip his thighs tightly.

“I am his guardian,” Shouta hissed through gritted teeth in anger. “I have the right to know everything about her because it seems like the girl is hiding too much.”

“The HPSC training child soldiers is a well-known secret. But think about it: where do they find those kids?” Silence hung in the air, everyone knowing the sickening implications behind Nighteye’s question. “It’s not every day that a kid like Hawk happens to show up.”

Sasaki Mirai suddenly looked ten years older than his age. “In more primitive times, there was something called a slave trade system that wasn’t even considered illegal. Long before quirks existed, there was human trafficking. Now that we know about Quirks, such crimes still exist, only on a much more alarming scale.”

“Child trafficking with conspicuous quirks.” Nedzu finished Nighteye’s sentence with teeth gleaming with anger. “An organized crime system that is difficult to eradicate. There are too many parties involved. Too deep-rooted and widespread. The orphanage where Hyuuga-san was first raised must be involved.”

“I hate to say this because I’ll sound like a quirk fanatic, but All-seeing is a very potential quirk.” Nemuri interrupted in frustration. “Hinata has a quirk that’s perfect for covert work. The HPSC must be drooling over her to make her their agent.”

“Over my cold dead body.” Shouta hissed.

“Gosh, calm down.” Nemuri winked playfully, but her grin was sharp. “I won’t let anyone touch my sweet, dangerous niece either.”

“Which begs the question.” Nighteye easily stopped their argument. “There’s a reason why I only recognized Hyuuga now. Aside from her changed appearance, I’m pretty sure our country doesn’t have the resources to trade someone’s uniqueness.”

Shouta held his breath. He didn't like the implications at alll.

“All for One can do that.”

Everyone turned to Nemuri, including Shouta. Even if All for One's name had been officially announced, the HPSC was still drafting a proper statement to inform the public that the supervillain was a man with the ability to steal quirks. There was a lot of debate about it, but Shouta would leave that headache to Tsukauchi and Nedzu.

Nemuri, because she was Nemuri, preened under everyone's attention. “I often work underground and it's quite a famous rumor, you know. A ruler of the underworld who trades quirks at high prices. Some desperate people were tempted by the rumors and most of them returned as corpses, or worse, as slaves.”

“Young Hyuuga has developed a fear of the League, especially All for One.” Yagi gave Shouta an apologetic look, but Shouta knew the man was only being objective. “Based on Young Bakugou’s statement, All for One was about to take Young Hyuuga’s quirk before Dabi burned her eyes. I think that’s enough evidence to guarantee that Young Hyuuga is not on the League’s side.”

Shouta unconsciously let out the breath he had been holding. He had made a mistake by not trusting Hinata, glad no one intended to repeat his mistake.

“That’s why I recognized her.” Nighteye replied. There was a bitter seriousness in his voice and gaze. “The first time I met Hyuuga, the girl’s eyes were burned and blind.”

Shouta took a deep breath, trying to erase the image of Hinata screaming with her eyes filled with burns. “Why are you involved with Hinata’s case? No. You have to explain what the case is first. All these leaps of deduction are making my head hurt.”

“The orphanage has long been suspected of trafficking children.” Nighteye began his story calmly. “I still remember the story because it was so horrifying. The children in the orphanage were not treated as humans, but as livestock ready to be sold. They didn’t even give the children names, just numbers.”

The sound of a cup breaking was heard. Nedzu smiled with bloody teeth and the remains of the cup in his hand. “I’m sorry. That was a horrible story. It reminded me of a horrible experience.”

Nighteye blinked, but took Nedzu's gesture as a signal to continue. Shouta suppressed his anger with all the restraint he had, knowing that Nemuri and Tsukauchi and even Yagi were doing the same.

“Contrary to what you might assume, this is not a case of rescue.” Sasaki looked sick with guilt and sadness. “Those kids did it all on their own. They’re smart kids, you know. Some are already teenagers and have long since realized that the orphanage is raising them to sell them. That’s why they rebelled on the day they were to be transferred.”

“By blowing up the transportation.” Tsukauchi replied, his expression was cold and hard. “I remember that case. Ten years ago. Five orphanage staff members died, may they rot in hell. Eleven children died, that was so tragic."

“One person survived, the youngest.” Nighteye continued, his tone thick with bitterness. “That’s how I met Hyuuga Hinata. I will never forget the despair in her eyes, blinded by the burning scar. I will never forget her asking me, can the future be changed?”

The moment of realization about Hinata's old quirk was broken by a high-pitched, gasping laugh. Nedzu was practically giggling with a new cup of tea in his hand. No one dared to interrupt the moment, not when Nedzu looked so manic with tea spilled everywhere.

"I am right."

“We all know that, Sensei.” Yagi replied as if he was not afraid of death. "You're always right."

“No, I was right before,” Nedzu grinned maniacally. “Discard all your speculations about Hyuuga-san going to All for One to ask for a new quirk. Hyuuga-san only had one quirk to begin with, it was hers from the start.”

“I feel so lost.” Nemuri humbly admitted her stupidness. Nedzu in his moment of realization was a Nedzu who should be left to reveal the truth for himself. “How did the vision of the future turn into something like an X-ray?”

“Think about it.” Nedzu explained with the patience of a genius in front of a slow and stupid commoner. “Why is it called All Seeing? Because Hyuuga-san knows that her quirk does see everything.”

Shouta was thrown back to another moment in Nedzu's office, when Nedzu smirks at him and says that maybe All Seeing does see everything.

“Hysteria and the evolution of quirks.” Nedzu’s manic scientist expression shifted to Yagi, who now had a sort of manic frenzy in his electric blue eyes. “I owe David and his drunken ramblings a hundred bucks.”

“Hysteria and the evolution of quirks.” Nedzu echoed with agreement. “Back before humans had quirks, there was research highlighting how a mother was able to lift a car to get her trapped child out. In the quirk era, there are quite a few studies that try to explain how someone’s quirk suddenly gets stronger, even having secondary effects when they are in certain conditions.”

“Is not enough to see through objects, but Hinata also has eyes that can see through time?” Nemuri leaned back with her arms crossed. “The scientists’ talk about quirk evolution is making more and more sense.”

“Hyuuga-san has quite a bit of control over her quirk, I mean the another aspect." Nedzu took a sip of his tea, this time with an elegant attitude. “We were discussing match footage and Hyuuga-san admitted that if she was in a very focused state, she could actually see her opponent’s movements before it happened. But, uh, it would hurt her eyes a lot. That’s why she avoided using that ability.”

Nedzu turned his gaze to Shouta. “Pretty sure your quirk tantrum after the press conference was one of those hysterical moments, Aizawa-kun. You made Vlad King unable to activate his quirk.”

Shouta refuses to remember the moment while Nemuri giggles, that brat.

“The death of her siblings at the orphanage must have caused the side effects of Hyuuga-san’s quirk to activate for the first time.” Nighteye clasped his hands together and frowned. “I wonder what she saw because she seemed so heartbroken when I told her no, the future can’t be changed. I’ve never seen a future that I’ve witnessed change.”

Yagi unsubtly looked away, which of course didn't escape the observant Nemuri's notice. But Nemuri seemed kind because the woman had decided to bother Sir instead of Yagi.

“Why don’t you ask Hinata what she saw?” Midnight might present herself as a sadist, but Shouta has known Nemuri long enough to know that she has morals.

“I wouldn't ask a child, who had clearly just experienced something extremely traumatic, to repeat the horrors of what she saw with her quirk, Midnight-san.”

Nemuri whistled. “You truly are All Might’s just and upright sidekick.” The woman clapped her hands together once. “Then, the next question: how did Hinata regain her sight? Because as you said, Sir, the kid was blind.”

The sound of a cup shattering caught everyone's attention. Shouta began to think this was becoming a pattern in their meeting. But that thought was dashed when he saw Yagi Toshinori shaking with a broken teacup and a smoking body. The man appeared to be in the middle of a transformation with blood all over his mouth. Shouta almost activated his quirk if he hadn't seen the flash of realization on Yagi's face.

“That’s where the Districts come in.” All Might always seemed hopeful and reliable. Yagi tended to be more calm and kind. No one expected Yagi to have such a disgusted expression on his face that Shouta wanted to wish safety to whoever was the target of the old hero’s disgust. “That’s how Lily recruits her troops: she manipulates them.”

“He tried to do that to you.” Nedzu always managed to find out things without being told. “That’s why you hate him so much.”

The flash of pain and hatred in Yagi's eyes was so overwhelming that it was paralyzing. Remembering how Yagi had sworn to kill Lily, Shouta didn't want to imagine what kind of woman Lily was beyond what she had shown him.

“She has someone with a transfer quirk under her control,” Yagi explained slowly. “Transferring wounds and pain. A woman who can transfer any wounds and illnesses from another person’s body to her own. She can also transfer any illnesses and injuries from her body to another person. But not from one person to another, her body has to be the medium.”

“The offer was, the woman would transfer the wound on my stomach to her own body.” Yagi’s teeth gritted in anger, Shouta stared at the broken cup in his partner’s bloody hand. “To quote Lily, the body of a hero who bears the burden of the world is far more valuable than the body of a mere human who is nothing.”

“I won’t do that.” Yagi hissed like a promise, like an oath. “There is no level of worthiness in a human life. The feeling that you have the right to decide which lives are worthy to keep and which are not just because you can, not because you were forced to choose, that is a feeling that humans should not have.”

Shouta understands. He understands why Yagi Toshinori was a hero loved by everyone. He understands why Stain, who wants to kill all heroes, excluded Yagi from the list. Unfortunately, that was the main reason why Stain's actions will be unforgivable for Yagi. Forever.

“One who carries the world will not sacrifice any part of the world he carries.” Nighteye continued Yagi’s words, his tone filled with both annoyance and admiration. “Such principles will kill you one day, Toshinori.”

Yagi smiled faintly. “I’d rather die as a good human, Mirai.”

Nighteye sighed, instead of looking annoyed, he looked more like he was resigned.

“I’m sorry to ruin your moment of reconciliation, but I have a thought to confirm.” Shouta interrupted without any guilt. “What you mean, Yagi, is that Lily made the same offer to Hinata.”

“I’m going to sound very biased.” Tsukauchi, who had been silent all this time, replied. “But the profile we made of Hyuuga Hinata and my own assessment of her will reject the thought that she agreed to transfer her blindness to someone else.”

“That’s why, my friend, I said that Lily’s tactic in recruiting her troops was through manipulation.” Yagi smiled gloomily. “I’m pretty sure Lily knew Young Hyuuga’s moral value and took advantage of it. The woman she brought to the hospital had burns on both of her eyes that left her blind.”

"Lily could have told her subordinates to transfer the burns and blindness to someone else, say, a stranger that Hinata wouldn't meet at all." Nemuri placed a finger on her chin, her eyes sharp and hard. “But Lily, she deliberately multiplied Hinata's guilt with the aim of controlling her. What a vicious woman.”

“We also have to consider the possibility that Young Hyuuga didn’t know about the transfer quirk in the first place.” Yagi’s expression turned grim once more. “When I refused her offer, Lily sneered and said I was the same as my mentor in her dying moments.”

Smoke billowed around Yagi, but that wasn't what made Shouta shiver. The intensity of the anger and hatred emanating from Yagi was so strong that Shouta was sure someone was going to pee. Nemuri looked like she was about to rip off her hero costume and unleash her quirk. Shouta himself was already gripping his capture weapon nervously.

“How dare she, sullying Master’s final moments with such a vile offer.”

Yagi's moment of rage was cut short by the sound of a cup hitting a saucer. Nedzu's smile was small but menacing until Yagi withdrew his killing intent.

“Are you indicating that Lily is involved with All for One, Toshinori?”

“I'm pretty sure All for One can afford the high price the District has set, Nedzu Sensei. Or say, force them.”

“I have another opinion on that.” Shouta interrupted, remembering his meeting with Lily. He recalled all of Lily’s oddities when it came to Hyuuga Hinata. “Hinata seems to be Lily’s favorite somehow.”

No one concluded that as an advantage. If anything, everyone's expressions darkened with worry. Even Nedzu, who was usually cheerful and optimistic.

“Report, Eraserhead.”

Shouta recounts his interactions with Lily from start. Including how Lily changed her appearance to Nighteye’s when Shouta was about to lose consciousness.

“She knew I would recognize Hinata.” Nighteye said.

“She has the District operating as the most credible and expensive source of information. And she has been after Hinata from the start.” Tsukauchi laughed in frustration. “She must know about Hinata’s quirk, I mean, another aspect.”

"Imagine if All for One knew about another aspect of Hinata's quirk." Nemuri muttered darkly. "Actually, that might have something to do with why Hinata is so afraid of All for One."

“All Seeing must not fall into the wrong hands.” Nedzu clasped his claws together, his cheerful expression returning. “I would very much like to have a long chat with your ward, Eraser!”

“You won’t be picking at my ward’s head, Nedzu.”

Nedzu just laughed. Then Nedzu was distracted by the sound of his cellphone. Whatever he read there made him laugh even harder.

“The hospital said Hawks requested an audience with your ward, Eraser.” Nedzu’s laughter grew increasingly annoying and alarming. “To quote Hawks, a man should bring flowers when visiting a woman who fought alongside him on the battlefield. To quote the nurse, Hawks sounded like an idiot when he said that, and he smelled like expensive whiskey.”

“He’s drunk.” Nemuri concluded, giggling uncontrollably. “Gosh. What kind of crazy guy visits Shouta’s daughter while drunk?”

“In his defense, he also brought flowers.”

“That doesn’t matter, Yagi.” Nemuri laughed again. “You should find a new Number One, because it’s clear that Hawks won’t last long after this.”

“Someone send congratulations to Best Jeanist.”

Shouta didn't hear the rest of their argument. He was already halfway through his journey to kill the bird. Nemuri was right, Yagi needed to find a new Number One Hero since Midoriya was clearly not old enough. Best Jeanist was going to receive a lot of congratulations tonight. Shouta considered sending him a fruit basket as an apology.

On the other hand, Hawks deserved to be sent flowers.

The kind of flower that people send to funeral homes.

.

.

.

When Shouta arrived at the hospital, Hinata was already awake. The girl was sitting on a hospital bed with her eyes bandaged, someone insane decided to let her peel an apple with her eyes closed. Given the neatly cut apple on the plate and Hawks sitting upright next to the hospital bed, it seemed like a good decision to give Hinata the knife.

Shouta let out a sigh of relief. He had worried too much. Hinata was more than capable of dealing with one bird boy.

“Eraser!” Hawks looked very happy to see him. “I’ve been waiting for you. Hinata let me in because you took too long.”

“I’m letting you in on the condition that you behave, Takami-san.” Hinata stopped peeling the apple, the knife glinting ominously in her hand. “You’ve been flirting with the nurses coming in and out.”

That punk dared to tease the nurses in front of Hinata?

“Hinata-chan, I told you to call me Keigo Senpai.” The remnants of drunkenness were still audible in Hawk’s hoarse voice, and were they on a first name basis now? “And I wasn’t flirting with the nurses! Just winking.”

Shouta was pretty sure Hinata would roll her eyes under better circumstances.

“It’s the same,” she said patiently. Hinata looked up and smiled at Shouta. It was amazing how her situational awareness remained intact despite the severe injury to her eye. “Nice to meet you again, Eraser-san.”

“Call me Shouta, Hime.” Shouta shamelessly asked when he should have been begging Hinata for forgiveness. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there when you woke up. I had a lot to talk to you about, too bad we have an intruder here.”

The intruder in question choked on the apple he was eating. Hawks' grin was just as charming as they showed on TV. Add to that the vulnerable expression on his goofy, drunk face, anyone would melt and adopt the guy. Unfortunately for Hawks, Shouta's heart was made of stone.

“Takami-san said we owe him a debt, for HPSC’s help in clearing my name.” Hinata tilted her head. “Is that true?”

“Half true.” Shouta pulled up a chair and sat down next to Hawks. “I am the one who owes the HPSC. Tell me your request, Hawks. I will grant it as long as it doesn’t involve national chaos.”

“Will killing a hero cause national chaos?”

Shouta turned his head a little too fast and nearly broke his neck. The knife in Hinata's hand stopped moving. Hawks took in both of their reactions with a loud laugh, which sounded both frustrated and hysterical. Nemuri was right, this kid was drunk.

“I thought you were planning a revolution at HPSC.” Shouta decided on a diversionary tactic. “I’m pretty sure Nedzu would join, all you have to do is ask.”

“That was the plan, a revolution, rebellion.” Hawks rested his head on the edge of the bed, Shouta moving him so he wasn’t too close to Hinata. “But the HPSC decided to plan something with the League: an infiltration.”

"What?"

“I have to postpone the revolution and start to infiltrate.” Hawks straightened up, looking like a moronic maniac crowing in frustration. “Infiltrate the League, gain their trust, stab them in the back. The infiltration and backstabbing part is easy enough, this isn’t the first dirty mission I’ve been on. I’m just worried about gaining the League’s trust.”

Shouta had a bad feeling. “What do they want from you so they can trust you?”

“The usual: proof of loyalty!” Hawks replied too cheerfully. Shouta doubted whiskey was the only substance flowing in the man’s blood, perhaps one of the nurses had given him morphine. “I have to kill one of the top ten heroes. Do you think Best Jeanist would be willing to be the sacrifice?”

Great, now Shouta has to order two bouquets.

Of course, after All Might retired as Number One, the new Number One planned to assassinate the Number Two. It was typical chaos in the Japanese Hero Industry that was on the verge of collapse.

“Is HPSC getting more and more stupid?” Shouta asked in frustration.

“They’re so desperate about the whole League thing.” Hawks looked so pathetic, like a kicked chick. “It was bad enough suddenly becoming Number One, now I’m being asked to be a traitor.”

“Can’t you just refuse?” Shouta tried to negotiate. “No matter how you look at it, being a traitor is bad for Number One’s image.”

“That’s what Mitsuri said.” Hawks smiled bitterly. “But they’ll just get someone else to do it. Their argument is that the League has become a very real threat. War is almost inevitable, we can all see it before our eyes. It makes sense to infiltrate the enemy’s lair for information.”

“I think I can help with that, Takami-san.”

“No.” Shouta interrupted. “It’s too dangerous for you to infiltrate the League. I won’t allow it even if you infiltrate under a different identity. Or ask for help from a large organization.”

It was a low blow to bring up Hyuuga's past. But Hinata's smile didn't waver, proof that she didn't mind Shouta's newfound knowledge of her past.

“I didn’t say I would infiltrate or sacrifice myself, I just said I could help,” Hinata said.

“Do you have ears in the League?” Hawks’ question sounded more reasonable, perhaps he was less drunk now. “But they told me to get closer to Shigaraki and his gang. I guess it’s pretty hard to get new people in there.”

Hinata's smile was filled with a mysteriousness that reminded Shouta of the first time they met.

“Someone from so called Shigaraki’s gang slyly prevented All for One from taking my quirk,” Hinata explained, and the realization made Shouta’s eyes widen. “No offense, but he’s a more suitable spy than you, Takami-san.”

Hawks stood up, the chair falling behind him. The new Number One Hero began to chirp about how Hinata planned such madness and how she could even do it, lying in front of the League and burning out her eyes willingly.

Shouta stared at the ceiling and imagined the damn smile on Dabi's face.

Wait until you know what she's been planning. She's more than a problem child.

Dabi was right.

She was a mega problem child.