New day, new chapter. A bit faster than last time and, hopefully, just a bit better than before. Still learning how to properly write action scenes, so please give me your thoughts on how I handled it. I mean, a lot of people wanted a confrontation between Izuku and teachers si I want to know if it is up to your liking.

Once again, I want to thank not only all who followed, favorited and reviewed the story, but also Walk The Max Planck for helping me with it. You guys are what drives me to continue writing.

Nedzu wasn't a stranger to the ugly side of humanity. Having spent most of his early years as mere lab rat, he witnessed some of the worse aspects of people.

Greed. Apathy. Pride. Those were the only things he saw in the faces of men and women in charge of him and his fellow rats.

Back then, he believed that those were the only things humans were capable of. He lived in constant fear of humans. As he helplessly watched the other rats be experimented on and thrown away like yesterday's trash day after day, his fear became frustration. And that feeling of helplessness slowly festered into hatred.

By the time he had awakened the High Specs, that hatred was all he felt towards the humanity. Needless to say, his first act as an evolved species was seeking revenge on his captors and tormentors.

The people in charge tried to contain him. Animals who developed Quirks weren't unheard of but were certainly rare. And one to possess such a wonderful Quirk. They couldn't wait to sink their claws and fangs in him and pick him apart for the sake of their curiosity.

Unfortunately, as smart as they were, his tormentors found themselves outmatched and inadequate in the face of his highly advanced brain. They found that the only way he'd allow: the hard and painful way.

Systematically, he had torn down the entire facility and the monsters in lab coats that worked there. The facility was shut down. The staff were thrown behind bars. For the first time in years, Nedzu felt genuinely happy. The feeling of having those sadists at his mercy filled him with pride and purpose. It felt great. He knew he was right.

But it wasn't enough. Why stop at a couple of lab assistants when he could punish the entire society of apathetic and self-important people?

And so, without any shred of doubt, he continued down that path. In his eyes, all of humanity was just as rotten and cruel. Thus, all of them deserved the same fate as his handlers. Humiliation at the hands of a single rat.

It didn't take long before he drew the attention of heroes, of course. The righteous self-appointed enforcers of government who only existed to be thrown at the enemies like attack dogs.

He was proud to say he wasn't easy to catch. Heroes might have had the advantage in power and numbers, but they had underestimated him. After all, what trouble could a single rat cause, right?

Quite a lot, as many of them found out. He prepared for each and every ambush and attack. For all the flare and hype, heroes were still people. Flaws and weaknesses and all. Which is how he always got away unscathed while heroes left hurt and humiliated.

Alas, nothing could last forever. His reign of terror had to come to an end eventually.

He had a good run. Did all sorts of nasty stuff and made his name known through the country. It was good while it lasted. He was ready to face the music and his demise at the hands of the hero who bested him. And yet she refused to kill him. Even after everything he had done, someone was willing to see good in him.

He thought it absurd and laughed in the hero's face.

"You know you are being stupid, right?" he sneered at the extended hand. "You think just this is going to change my view of you humans? You all are the same! So quit playing the compassionate hero and just end me! Go ahead, hero! You are not fooling me with your pity!"

She still refused to take his life. He was taken in and tried as a human villain. His cell was designed specifically for someone of his size and intelligence. He thought it ironic, having spent all the time to prove better than an animal and a man only to end up caged once again. He thought it would be the end. That he would face the death in a small cold cage like another mouse.

She wouldn't have it though.

As if she had nothing better to do, the heroine visited him every single day. Not to gain something from him. Not to strike a bargain. Not for anything that could benefit her. That was confusing. After all, weren't all people just as greedy and selfish as his tormentors? Weren't all heroes just glorified celebrities who did good only for money and fame? Why would that woman spend her time with a caged rat who would never be of any use to her?

"Because I know you can do better, Nedzu." she smiled. "Because, deep down, you want to do better."

He scoffed and screamed at her. Do better?

He did his best. His best work was in punishing humans for what they had done. And he felt proud of his work. He wasn't sure why he was yelling so loud at that time. Now he knew that the only one he tried to convince of it was himself. It was only years later that he realized that only wanted to push that woman away.

She didn't let that happen. It was during her visits that Nedzu saw the other side of humanity. Compassion. Kindness. Selflessness. Empathy. Was she a special one? The only good human out there in the world of monsters and predators? He asked her if her kindness was supposed to teach him people were good. Her answer, delivered after a long laugh, surprised him.

"We are a mess, Nedzu. We lie. We cheat. We hurt each other. Dog eats a dog? Survival of the fittest? All of those were said by us. And many of us say it as if it is some great wisdom. Sometimes, it feels as if the world is broken and you are just a fool for trying to be better." Her voice was void of any condescension or anger. Even if her words were harsh, she didn't sound like it. She was like a teacher, seeking to impart some lesson to a lost student. "That's why we need hope. That's why we need dreams. They guide us through the darkest times. And, who knows, maybe, one day, those dreams will be a reality."

Humans weren't good, she later said. But neither were they evil. In the end, all people were complicated. Too complicated to slap a label on everyone and segregate the entire society into bad and good.

But what if they had someone to guide them? To serve as a beacon through despair and anger?

"That's why we need heroes." Nana pointed at the symbol on her chest. "To remind us that we can be better."

Eventually, he got an early release. A single rat with no purpose and words of the heroine refusing to leave him alone. He wasn't sure how or why he was at the entrance of Yuuei a few weeks later. Or why he accepted the position of a teacher.

And yet, it felt right.

If someone like him - who used to have nothing but disdain for humanity - could change, then maybe hope wasn't lost on all of them. All that it took to change someone's life sometimes was just a benefit of doubt and a little push in the right direction.

Everyone had some good in them.

Even if some made it all that much harder to see.

T

"You have to smile more, Mr. Midoriya!"

Because heroes smiled no matter what. Even if they were hated and feared. Even if they felt like crap. Even if the world was falling apart.

No matter what, heroes like him - the Capes and Flying Bricks - needed to smile all the time. Not to inspire hope, but to build up the positive reputation among the public. It was an image the state-hired PR team carefully crafted for him specifically. A young and idealistic kid who smiled no matter what danger he had to face. The kind of hero who always prevailed, not because of good strategy or skills, but because he never gave up.

It was a simple image. It didn't bother with deeper aspects of who heroes were or how they felt. It was a generic copy of a human being, stripped of any complexity and issues that made real people different from fictional characters.

Still, he played along.

It was a necessity, he understood that. The public was still largely anti-deviant, and any official giving the superhumans even a semblance of power was as good as them resigning from the office. Which is why heroes had to be as close to perfection as they could. They had to do their job as fast as they could, and as clean as the public wanted it done.

Each and every mistake they made, all of it would reflect on the entire deviant community. And even the slightest of offences - the smallest sign of hostility or negativity - would be examined, picked apart and used to throw the innocent deviants into cages and tried as criminals. In their case, imperfection wasn't an option but a potential cause for more violence and unrest.

And it worked.

It was small and slow steps, but they were making difference. People accepted them, even if they never bothered to learn about the real people behind masks and capes. It was a necessary sacrifice, Izuku used to tell his fellow heroes. He knew he was right, as sad as it was.

The fewer people feared superhumans, the more rights and freedom deviants like him had. And though the masquerade made him feel like a sellout, he reminded himself of the bigger picture. If building a better society for all cost him his integrity, then he was willing to foot the bill.

It wasn't about the personal dignity. It was about keeping people from tearing each other apart.

But that was then and there. When powers were new and feared. When heroes were vilified and hated. This age was different. Confusing and loud, complicated and unknown, but not without its own advantages.

As much as hated his current situation, freedom from all the charade was liberating. He didn't need to smile when insulted or verbally attacked. No more joking off assault and harassment as a mild prank. And, more importantly, no sitting on his hands when being falsely imprisoned.

He could show his anger and distress.

And right now that was exactly how he felt.

"Snipe, take him down!"

Bullets whistled though the air and fly past him. For a marksman, it was too far off the mark to be an actual shot instead of a distraction. He raised the steel door had torn off earlier to block the rounds that took a U-turn from behind him. Some kind of telekinesis, it seemed, possibly limited only to his own bullets. He tested the theory by hurling the makeshift shield at the sniper. It slammed into him, knocking him out. That confirmed it.

"You leave us no choice, Mr. Midoriya," the weird creature of grey stone glared as he slammed his palms into the floor. He could feel the floor shake and shift, turning soft and liquid. "Know that this is for your own good!"

'I will be a judge to that,' He lunged forward, just as the stone swallowed the place where he stood. Was it a move to incapacitate him? Or crush him in stone? He had no time to ask for clarification, drawing his fist back and smashing the fist into the man's massive face. It felt like actual stone and the man stood like a wall. Not that Izuku didn't expect that.

He moved fast and struck hard. The man's power was quite versatile. An ability to manipulate stone and its states by his will. A powerful ability, especially in city jungle of today, but it was suited more for long-range combat in wide area rather than combat in narrow space of a corridor.

With a series of kicks and punches, hopping and jumping around the man, Izuku was slowly wearing the man out. His skin might have been as hard as stone, but his fists were as strong as steel. But he had no time to stick around any further. He had taken down two of them – a sniper and gas lady – but there was no doubt more would arrive soon.

The power surged through his veins into his fist ready to send him flying. His fist drawn back and pulsing with energy, Izuku smashed the man into the ground.

And shattered his bones in the process. But how? His powers were working properly, even if it wouldn't last for long. There was no way his hand could break just like that, unless-

"YEEEEEEEAAAAAAAH!" His cry of pain was promptly drowned by much louder scream. The intense soundwave knocked him off the ground and sent him rolling down the floor.

As he recovered from the sudden assault, he managed to get a look at his assailants. A lean blonde with weird mustache was the one who attacked him. The device around his neck was either an amplifier or the source of his power. "Jeez, that's some mess you made here, Midoriya! How about you calm down for a second and we talk this out?"

But it wasn't the screamer that Izuku was concerned with. But rather, it was his partner. Tall, with dark hair and eyes that burned from behind the goggles on his face. Izuku recognized him instantly.

The same man he had seen together with the sleep-inducing lady and the weird blonde skeleton before he was abducted.

"Stand down, Midoriya. You are in no danger." His bleeding ears and broken wrist said otherwise. The man's gruff voice and sharp eyes didn't do anything to earn his trust either. "Surrender before you make things worse."

"Sorry," he scoffed. "I am always a bit difficult after getting drugged and kidnapped by a bunch of strangers."

He still couldn't feel his power. The rest of heroes here were unconscious. The blonde was only a screamer. So the brunette man probably had some nullifying power. And, unlike him, both were well-rested and uninjured. That was not good.

Not good at all.

"Look here, Mr. Midoriya!" the blonde spoke up. "I know this looks bad, but we are the good guys!"

Drugged. Kidnapped. Shot. So far, those were the only things they had done to him or tried to do, at least.

"My friend Aizawa is just really awkward and shy. Kidnapping people and locking them up is just his way of making friends!"

The man didn't stop looking at him. Not even for a second. He never blinked or averted his gaze either. Did he need to keep eye contact for the power to work?

He needed to see. But the blonde would hit him with another soundwave if he made it too obvious. Without his powers, he wasn't sure he could even take another attack without losing it.

"Why should I trust you?"

"Because we are telling the truth," Aizawa said with a shrug. "We wouldn't heal you if we were after your head, right?"

"You would if you needed me healthy though," he countered. Crazy scientists. Human Supremacists. Religious zealots. He had seen them all. And each one tried to rip him open to see what made him tick. "Not the first time I was kidnapped, so find a better reason."

He was running out of time. The woman - Midnight - was incapacitated but she could wake up any moment. Unlike these guys, her Quirk was much harder to predict or anticipate. He needed to get out of here now. "You wouldn't believe me if I said we are heroes and want to help, would you?" Aizawa's tone showed he didn't expect any cooperation. The man was sharp. "I doubt anything is going to make you trust us."

He was right. Trust wasn't something you could throw around in an unknown territory. Especially, in unknown era.

"You are stalling, right?" the man asked with a hint of amusement. He moved his foot, feeling the floor for anything to use as a distraction. "Waiting for my Quirk to reach its limit before attacking?"

"That's right. But time limit is a tricky thing," he admitted, not seeing a reason to lie with his ruse uncovered. Playing dumb seemed like a waste of effort. "So I think I will settle for this!"

A small pebble flew towards Aizawa's head. It mattered little what the man did after that. He could dodge or let it him, but not without breaking the nullifying gaze for, at least, a second or two. His powers returned almost instantly, coursing through his body like blood.

Taking a deep breath in, Izuku blew the stream of air, kicking up the dirt and dust. Neither he nor his opponents could see each other, but he still had an advantage of superior hearing and higher speed.

His partner would attack him in seconds so he needed to go down first. Through the dust veil, he saw the shape of the blonde's ridiculous hair and went after him. Like a bullet, he cut the distance and smashed his fist into the guy's chest, knocking whatever breath he had gathered.

"Not so fast!"

Aizawa's fist connected with his face. Despite his tough skin, Izuku actually felt it. Something coiled around his arm before he could throw a punch, followed by the man delivering a vicious kick to his face. Both of them knew that Izuku was stronger, in terms of both raw physical power and endurance.

And Aizawa knew it.

His hand still broken and body not fully recovered from sonic attack, Izuku was much slower to react. Which is why Aizawa did the same thing Izuku had done to the stone man before. He stayed close but moved fast around him, always going for the head and other weak spots.

As the dust settled, he saw the weird bandages around his neck loosen and coil around him. In a few moments, he would be bound and gagged unless he did something drastic or stupid. Or, in this case, a mixture of both.

Rolling out of the bandages' way, Izuku grabbed the half-conscious screamer, hands firmly pressed on the device around his neck. Aizawa stopped. The blonde gulped. Izuku grinned, having finally found his way out of this mess.

"So you are taking a hostage now?"

"I don't think the guy would make a good one," Izuku chuckled, ignoring the blonde's protesting mumbling. "But this device on his neck? This one, I think I can use."

The metal collar shattered under his hands.

"You idiot," Aizawa's eyes widened in panic. "What the hell d-"

Izuku didn't let him finish, instead kneeing the blonde in the back. Despite struggling to keep his mouth shut, Mic grunted in pain. And that single grunt sent a devastating wave of sound at his friend, embedding the nullifier in the wall.

So that collar was a limiter, after all. He would save that knowledge for later.

"Damn it..." Izuku grunted. "You guys are tough... Let's not see each other any time soon."

Before the blonde could do anything, Izuku shoved his face into the wall, knocking him out cold. A bit more rough than he would have wanted, but that had to do.

The holding facilities like this never had an open access door so it probably needed a key of some sort. With that in rummaged through the man's jacket until he found a plastic keycard, the man's grinning face on it. There was not telling how soon more reinforcement would arrive. So he ran towards the miraculously undamaged door, swiped the keycard and-

"Hello."

- met a girl with pink hair and a pair of goggles. In her hand, she held a small device of unknown purpose. After the bomb, however, he would rather not find out what it was for.

"You have to be kidding me." He groaned, knocking the weapon aside. He grabbed her wrist and looked her dead in the eye. "Look, kid, I am not ion the mood. So if you just get out of the w- Wait, what is that sound?"

A weird beeping sound came from the discarded device. Judging by the girl's grin, it was some sort of trap. He tried to remove his hand but found it stuck to the weird bracelet on the girl's wrist.

"Sorry, sir," she said, not sounding sincere at all. Rather, she sounded outright maniacal as the goggles transformed into a mask. "But thank you for testing out my new baby!"

He saw the purple gas stream from the device, the familiar scent driving him into panic. He moved to take the girl's mask but the effects of the gas already kicked in. His hand stopped and dropped, a good couple of inches away from the pinkette's head. His body followed shortly after. As his consciousness slowly slipped away, he heard the girl sigh in disappointment.

"I really wanted to test out my new taser gun though... Well, there is always next time!"

If there was a God in this world, he was definitely not on his side.

T

"Are you sure about that, Nedzu?" Chiyo asked, walking by his side. "Faith in him aside, that man only recently took down some of our colleagues? He might still be dangerous to properly talk with."

"I don't think keeping him in the dark will make it any better either," he said. "If anything, properly filling him in might make him less hostile and more open to a dialogue."

Chiyo said something beneath her breath. Something about Midoriya still being untrustworthy and a wild card. Those were all true. The man was unpredictable and quite dangerous. However, he wasn't a bad person.

Would a bad man hide while the world cheered him on? Why would a selfish and opportunistic man, as some people had accused him of, run away from companies tripping over each other to offer him sponsorship and endorsement deals? He could have taken any of those and, without any actual effort, live a luxurious and carefree life.

And, what's more important, even when hiding away from the entire country, he still helped. A couple of girls saved from a mugging in a dark alley. A hijacking of Soumei High school bus averted. Fifteen people rescued from the burning building in one of the city's less developed areas.

All of those cases and more, ranging from a store robbery to attempted murder, all led to Izuku Midoriya. He was smart about it, concealing his identity with a makeshift mask and hood. He acted fast, making sure to always leave before anyone could identify him. And it worked, with media not paying much attention to the actions of a mysterious vigilante.

But Nedzu knew it was Midoriya. And he followed the trail to Musutafu's local construction company, where he found the man working under a false name. Over the course of several days, he observed the ancient hero, analyzing how he interacted with the others. Judging every action and preparing to meet with him.

It seemed like a cruel joke that the same day Nedzu was going to properly introduce himself Midoriya. And yet, it wasn't a total disaster. Whether he understood it or not, but Shigaraki proved to Nedzu that Midoriya deserved their trust. The man who compromised his own secrecy and was willing to sacrifice his life for complete strangers was definitely a hero.

He could have done without Midoriya rampaging through their facility though.

Only eight hours after his arrest, he successfully broke out of his cell, took out Midnight and tore his way through several of his colleagues, accomplished and respected heroes in their own right. Even if said colleagues had to hold back under his orders, that still was quite an impressive feat. Though, Nedzu heard, Yamada had some less pleasant ways to describe the attempted escape.

As did almost everyone, save for Aizawa and Khan. He would need to have a more in-depth discussion with some of them later on. For now, however, he needed to make sure they avoided another corridor fight.

"You have made quite a mess. A very impressive display of power, combat skills and creativity," he genuinely praised the green hero. The latter stayed silent, expression still hard to read. "Though hardly a necessary one. Mr. Midoriya, if you wanted to get some fresh air, all you needed was just ask."

The ancient hero still remained silent, his hand on the glass wall as his eyes scanned every inch of it. He was probably searching for some way to take it down. Seeing that the cell was made to contain All Might himself, it would be a difficult feat to accomplish.

"Difficult but, by no means, impossible," Nedzu reminded himself.

Considering who they were talking about and how little they knew about his Quirk, the principal had all the more reason to reach an understanding with Midoriya as soon as possible. Preferably, before they needed to call in other heroes as backup. "I assure you, Mr. Midoriya, there is no reason to resort to violence. You have nothing to fear from me or any member of my staff. We are here to help."

Midoriya stared at him, with non-concealed bewilderment. The first change in expression since Nedzu had entered.

"You kidnapped me," his tone was blunt and dry. He sounded more annoyed than angry. "Right after some weirdo tried to blow up half the block, that woman drugged me," he pointed at Midnight. "And then I woke up, strapped to my bed with the same woman and a guy with a bunch of guns watching over me. Not exactly the way to make someone feel welcome. Or safe."

In hindsight, using Midnight's Quirk wasn't exactly the best tool in earning the young man's trust. Getting attacked by Shigaraki pushed him further onto the edge. And being kidnapped in such vulnerable state of mind was only expected to worsen it.

However, they had little choice in that. Shigaraki's attack only proved his worries and it was unlikely Midoriya would agree to talk to them after that attack.

"I don't even know who you guys are!" Midoriya said, slamming fist against the wall. Aizawa insisted on putting a power-nullifying collar on him this time. "How am I supposed to trust any of you?"

"Pardon me then. Allow me to introduce myself," he walked up to the wall. He gestured for Power Loader to remove the wall. Though reluctant and cautious, the technician did as asked and now he was standing face to face with the first generation hero. "My name is Nedzu. I am the principal of Yuuei University, Japan's current top school for the future heroes. Our main purpose is to ensure that every single graduate of ours becomes a person worthy of the title of a hero."

The glass walls around them lightened up, displaying the feed from several news channels. All verified and showing him and other members of the faculty. During their interviews with the press or the famous Yuuei Sports Festival.

"And I think you would fit in greatly with our faculty."

T

Izuku took a moment to look at all the gathered teachers. Most of them still had marks from his failed escape. Judging from their faces, they knew about the offer the principal had in mind.

They knew about it but definitely weren't as enthusiastic as the miniature headmaster.

The headmaster himself kept smiling. If Izuku wanted to escape, now was the perfect time and opportunity. Even without his powers, he could definitely take the miniature principal hostage and use him to get out.

But if these people were who they said they were, he couldn't refuse their help. The fact that their employer stood utterly defenseless and unarmed next to him and none of them looked ready to attack showed a certain degree of trust.

"Didn't I just rampage through your school?" he asked, genuinely confused. "Or is it how you interview your employees? Kidnap them and watch how much damage they can do?"

Honestly, he wouldn't be surprised if such was true. It wouldn't be any crazier than whatever his situation was.

"If it was so, you would get a job right away," the principal joked. "But we need you for more than your combat skills. I believe that someone from the Golden Age of Heroes can provide our students with a new perspective and knowledge one could gain only from your experiences. Of course, you wouldn't go unrewarded."

The man - or animal - proceeded to list all the benefits of throwing his lot in with them. And, he had to admit, it did sound quite tempting. A training facility for someone with his power. His own apartment. Stable and nice salary. However, despite the honeyed words, Izuku didn't let his guard down, listening carefully to not miss any crucial information.

"We can provide you with all the necessities," the principal continued. "While we cannot promise you that we will find your way home, we can make sure your stay here is comfortable enough. As well as give you an opportunity to catch up on all that you have missed during your absence. All done so that we could-"

Izuku interrupted him, voice calm. He didn't feel angry or upset. He just wanted to straighten facts out.

"You want to keep me under surveillance." The room went silent, eyes widening into full they seriously think he was that dumb? "Please, you can't honestly expect me to believe you trust me to be free?"

Health insurance went together with regular check-ups. His own place was on campus, somewhere where teachers could keep an eye on him. He wouldn't be surprised if his apartment went with a few hidden cameras and other surveillance devices.

Still, he understood it. None of those angered him. He was only annoyed that they didn't even try to be straight with him on that.

"I mean," he gestured at himself. "I am the guy from two centuries back. Unchecked. Potentially unstable. I am a liability to you all."

Especially since so many people admired him and his generation. It wasn't anything new. People hated the idea of their history being wrong. A traitor in the past had to be a traitor today. And, similarly, a knight in shining armor had to be as clean and flawless as the public remembered him. Disrupting that image wouldn't send society into chaos. But it would certainly cause some tensions.

Tensions that could be used to stock the fire of conflict if used properly.

"Not to mention the nature of my arrival," Izuku continued. "I mean, if someone got their hands on me and prodded just enough, they could possibly find the way to repeat the process, right? And time travel isn't something just anyone can toy with."

Travelling through time was an opportunity all too tempting to not give it a try.

Become rich. Become famous. Correct a mistake. Save your loved ones. Prevent a tragedy. Kill a dictator. There were many ways a person could use something like that, both good and bad. But, regardless of the reason for it, it still remained too unpredictable and dangerous.

Too risky to simply let him go unsupervised.

"I can see where you are coming from though," Izuku said, gaining a few surprised looks in return. "I didn't say any of it because I want to threaten or intimidate you. I just think that, if we are going to work together, might as well clear a few things up."

He didn't mind them distrusting him. In fact, he understood completely why someone like him would need to be under their watch. He just wanted them to be open about it rather than hide behind fake smiles and pretty words.

He had enough of that back in his time.

He could always fight his way out. But then where would he go? Could he just spend the rest of his days in this age, hiding and fighting I guess the shadows? It didn't sound too bad. But it hardly sounded like what he could do either.

"So you agree to our terms?" Nedzu asked, a bit more cautiously. "You will work here with us, mostly assisting other teachers with their classes and combat training of our students. All the while being checked on by Ms. Shuzenji and accompanied by one of our faculty when leaving the facility. Is that really alright with you?"

This time, Nedzu didn't try to sugarcoat anything. "Yes," he nodded in response, a small if reluctant smile on his face. "That would be alright."

"Very well," Nedzu pressed a button on the remote. "Before we continue any further though, there is one more thing we need to discuss with you. "

"What is it?"

The principal's smile promised nothing good.

"We need you to become a hero."

T

What made a hero?

Was it a strong and brave heart? Was it an amazing superpower? It was a question that used to be constantly discussed among the public during Izuku's days. It was simply in human's nature to try and rationalize everything around them. To pick any subject and object apart and create a system around it. Last time he heard, no one had yet come up with an answer to that question.

In the world of the future, to be a hero, you needed a license. The fact that the line between a hunted vigilante and a praised hero was a simple plastic card rubbed him the wrong way. From what Aizawa had told him earlier, simply using your Quirk in public was already breaking the law. The stance on the issue and response to it, of course, varied depending on the Quirk itself and nature of its usage.

A girl who changed her hair color would probably go ignored. A man who lit his cigarette with pyrokinesis would be issued a light warning. And, finally, a person who committed a crime using a Quirk, no matter how small it was, graduated from a criminal into a villain and was to be stopped by a hero.

At the same time, there was also the fourth group, the vigilantes.

Those who did hero's work without license. Not unlike how Izuku and his allies used to operate in the early years. Despite this, the public treated vigilantes as if they were just as bad as villains. If not worse.

"It isn't that simple, Midoriya," Aizawa said, wrapped up in a cocoon-like sleeping bag. Despite their encounter days prior, the man seemed to hold no hostile feelings towards him. "The laws exist for a reason, after all. Nobody just woke up one day and decided to make the system the way it is. The laws regarding the usage of Quirks were no different."

There had to be a precedent. Something that was big enough to demand the laws made to prevent incidents from happening.

"There were a lot of people who used to play heroes. No training. Un understanding of their own Quirk. Just foolish bravado and lethal stupidity," the words were harsh yet bore no anger. Not towards the people, at least. "Letting civilians with no training engage in the work of heroes is no different from letting a random person perform tracheotomy surgery."

"I know," he grunted, placing the heavy book back down. The Code of Hero Legislation was filled with exceptions, special cases and other if's and but's. "But what about those who have training? There must be a lot of people who practiced with their powers, right? What if they want to help but can't? Should we really punish people who want to help others? And why, because they don't have some plastic card on them?"

"We shouldn't," the man agreed. "But the world has changed in the last two centuries. It isn't about a handful group of people with powers anymore. Today, around eighty percent of the population have Quirks. Powers that, left unchecked could tear the society apart. Hero laws aren't here to prevent people from or punish them for helping. They are in place to make sure we don't end up going back to the dark age where might makes right."

The teacher looked him dead in the eye, his gaze tired yet sharp.

"The reason why the laws are hard on vigilantes isn't because of what they do but what kind of message they are sending."

What kind of message…

"That you can do anything," Izuku muttered, catching on. "as long as you are doing it for the right cause."

Or rather, as long as you think you are doing it for the right cause.

It was a lot like the message his teammates were trying to spread through the society. Back then, when it was much easier to lash out in anger, they did their best to remind people that their powers could be used for good. Doing everything that you could to help as long as you were doing it for the greater good.

But then again, what was this greater good?

Was killing your friend's murderer a greater good? Would kidnapping and torturing a corrupt politician into confessing be considered one? Those were the extreme yet possible reasons for becoming a vigilante. People seeking revenge on perpetrators instead of justice for their victims.

"Heroes make mistakes too, don't think we don't. But the laws make sure that we are held accountable for it. We are responsible for any collateral damage that happened because of our mistakes. The same applies to cases involving a hero killing someone." Aizawa caught his surprised expression. His expression didn't change yet there was a grim sense to it now. "Each instance is examined by the special committee. They analyze the situation, taking into account the threat presented, degree of control over the situation and other variables."

"Then what makes a hero different from a vigilante?" Izuku countered. "Heroes are allowed to keep their identities secret from the public, sans the certain authorities. Heroes are allowed to kill. Heroes can take sponsorship deals. Don't take it the wrong way, Aizawa, but it sounds like the only difference between heroes and vigilantes is having a permission slip from the government officials."

And wasn't that ironic of him to say? He could remember having the same conversation with some of his former allies back then. Only at that time, he was in Aizawa's place, reasoning why working with the government was a good thing. He still believed cooperation with authorities was a better alternative to running uncontrolled and chased by the police.

But the way the modern world took that idea, it felt wrong.

"There is one more difference," Aizawa said, completely unaffected by the challenge in Izuku's tone. "As I said before, heroes are liable for their failures. That means that heroes face their failures and make up for them. Vigilantes run away from responsibility and their mistakes, leaving others to deal with them."

He moved to protest. But there was no way to counter that argument. Not when he used to run at the first sign of the sirens. The circumstances were different, true, but he and the others still left after the fight or disaster and faced responsibilities for their mistakes only years later. Only after they had gone public.

"So this test," Izuku picked up a nearby pamphlet. On it, there was a picture of a nice and clean center, smiling and brave heroes pictured in the background. "I take it, mine isn't going to be the same as the others', right?"

"Correct," Aizawa nodded. "These were given to you to make sure you had the general idea of what the current society demands from its heroes. Your exam, however, will be conducted differently, considering your unique position."

"Any chance you will tell me?"

"No."

Well, it was worth a try. He doubted it would be any worse than what they put normal applicants through. Maybe they would ajust difficulty according to his own powers and experience. Though the exam didn;t worry him as much as it should have, there was another matter. One that concerned him a great deal. "What about the media?"

For the last few weeks, he had been the main talk of the news. How did he end up here? What was he like in real life? What was he going to do during his stay? If there was one thing that hardly changed, it was how relentless certain reporters could be in the pursuit of the fresh news.

"Don't worry," Aizawa shrugged. "We made sure nobody will know about your exam until you have passed it."

"Thanks."

The last thing he needed was any more of unnecessary attention.

T

Mitsumi wasn't what you'd call a people person. She was very career-oriented and barely interacted with her colleagues unless she needed something. Not that anyone cared for it. Her Quirk, Phantom, was the ability to be unnoticed to the people unless they focused their attention on her. It was quite the issue-maker during her childhood but an undeniably useful tool for a reporter like her.

She could sneak past anyone and get to the juiciest of news before the others in record time. She wasn;t a very outspoken person out of camera, but she made up for it with her determination and viciousness for getting what she wanted. A good reporter went out and hunted their news down like a prey. The news were like meat, most delicious when caught on your own.

Sometimes, however, they simply fell into your lap, begging to be delivered to the masses.

Yuuei has always been a major figure of interest. But for the past few weeks, the entire country had its eyes on the famous university. Not only did All Might choose it as the place to work in after his retirement but his supposed successor, Lemillion from Big Three, was set to graduate from the same place this year. And now?

It appeared that Izuku Midoriya - the mystery man and focus of many news channels - was about to take the teaching position there as well. And she would be the first one to report it. She already had quite a few accomplishments under her belt. But if she were to get the interview out of the time-displaced hero? It would definitely give her reputation a much needed boost.

Still, one question remained.

Who was her mysterious benefactor?

She wasn't new to the inside sources. Over the course of her career, she had worked with many different people who wished to share their stories with her and the world. She even managed to create a small but trustworthy network of contacts, always ready to help her with investigation. This one, however, was not someone she had seen or heard of before.

"Ms Yanagi?" the secretary called out for her. "Mr Setsuzo is ready for you."

She would look into that contact later. She would find who helped her and why. It would be good to have someone inside Yuuei, especially since they were so secretive. But not today.

She had a story to write.

And she would make sure it was on everyone's lips by tomorrow's morning.

And that's a wrap! So Izuku aced his job interview in the best way possible: Beating up the other workers to prove who is the top dog! Jokes aside, I believe that all major hero schools have some sort of holding facility. You know, with villains attacking and needing to be imprisoned until actual police arrives.

And yeah, vigilantism. One of the central themes of the story will, of course, be the clash between values. I like to think that MHA world represents the society of superheroes we rarely see in fiction, that is, a functioning one. Like, in western media, works with superheroes always have heroes unbound by laws. And, when they are, it always turns Garth Ennis level of cynical.

What I liked about MHA was how nothing here is pure black and white. Like, Endeavor is a major asshole and domestic abuser. But he is a damn good hero and still tries to change after some time. And then you have Stain, whose ideals of Pure Hero are taken to extreme. And even Ochako who wants to provide for her family, so she pursues hero work for money.

This is the same thing I am aiming for with this story.