Endeavor had just returned from a mission the night previous. Shouto guessed it must have not gone well based on their training that night. When he woke up at 4:30 the next morning, he took the opportunity to get a head start to school. He was not eager to have morning training before class. He meandered along his usual route, arriving early to things wasn't quite his style. He knew the only classmate of his that would be at school that early was Iida Tenya. He only knew Iida's name because of his family legacy, the rest of his classmate's names were blanks.

His wandering paid off, at least. He was only about 20 minutes early. When he turned down the hallway, there was another student hanging around. Shouto didn't recognize him, but that didn't entirely rule out the possibility of being a classmate. The boy was just leaving before he caught sight of Shouto. His head turned so quickly, he felt his own neck hurt. He moved towards Shouto, a smile on his face and a hand waving.

"Hey, Shouto! How are you?"

He has long since mastered the art of keeping a blank face, but he couldn't quite keep his eyebrows from scrunching up a little. There was no one outside his family who called him Shouto. He doubted that most of his classmates even knew his given name. Yet here was this stranger, calling him Shouto with such a happy look on his face.

"Do I know you?"

The other student's smile fell for only a moment before returning, "Oh, well, you see, I'm a support student? And well, I want to get to know all the first years? For like, networking purposes. Yeah."

Shouto nodded minutely, still confused.

"Well, I should get going back to my class!" So not a classmate then, "See you around, Todoroki!"

Just as quickly as he had arrived, the other student left, jogging down the corridor. Shouto watched him until he turned the corner, to the other classrooms.

The networking excuse didn't really seem plausible. The student seemed too familiar with him. The only other idea was that the two had met before, but that couldn't be true. The only time Shouto ever left the Todoroki compound without his father was when he went to the hospital for his eye. He had at-home tutors and physicians. His entire childhood was simply a blur, the same monotonous routine every day. Wake up, train, eat, train, study, train, eat, study, sleep. Only really one memory stood out in particular, blank eyes and a screaming kettle.

He was sure he would remember meeting someone new, especially if that person was his age. If anyone noticed that he was distracted that day, no one said anything.

Izuku jogged down the hallway and back to 1-H. A few students were already at their desks or standing around in groups, but Hatsume wasn't there yet. This left him free to ponder what just happened.

It certainly was Shouto (or Todoroki, he guesses) that he just saw. Besides the fact that Todoroki has the most unique face and hair in the world, he also responded when Izuku called him Shouto. So either their encounter wasn't as important to Todoroki as it was to Izuku or Todoroki forgot for another reason. He would bet money on the latter. Izuku's own memories could be skewed, but their encounter 3 years ago seemed like the first time Todoroki had ever opened up to anyone. That's usually a memorable occurrence.

His psychology research had always been a bit slow. Books available to the public (and within his budget) were either introductory books or complex tomes written entirely in jargon. Thus, Izuku turned to his most trusted source: Wikipedia.

He found his answer on only the second article. Amnesia due to trauma. A lot of the article was written in, again, technical jargon, but he got the gist of it. You can't dwell on your traumatic experiences if you can't remember them.

Being at school was suddenly very difficult as all Izuku could think about was decking Endeavor in his stupid, flaming face. He could barely sit still during class, hands clenching and knee bouncing. If anyone noticed he was specifically focused on heat resistance materials during workshop, no one said anything.

Izuku had never been more relieved to start vigilante work. He had a stakeout planned for tonight and was really hoping to punch someone. While Izuku was out most nights, that was usually in a simple disguise for information gathering purposes. Nexus's appearances were carefully planned. He always knew what he was up against and prepared accordingly. He didn't have a quirk to help him out in tight situations, so he needed to use his brain as much as he could.

It was barely 5 pm when he left his apartment, his backpack slung over his shoulder. All the gear he would need for tonight was there (Suit, hand tape, gadgets to combat quirks, miscellaneous objects for fighting and escaping, and his small first aid kit) and he had left a note for his mom.

Out at the library and maybe the workshop, be back late. - Izuku

Even before the birth of Nexus, Izuku spent many late nights out. Midoriya Inko had long since stopped staying up for her son to return home.

Yamasaki was packed at 5 pm. He pushed through the throng of homegoing workers, his destination in mind. He threaded into the alleys, into the red-light district where he found somewhere to get changed and stash his bag.

Getting into the suit felt good. Something about the anonymity of it both thrilled and comforted him. It didn't take long for him to find a good vantage point. His target, a small bar, was next to an alley where Izuku perched on a fire escape, about 2 stories up.

Recently, a man with a fabric manipulation quirk had been preying on women in the area. Usually, bartenders and waitresses who step out into back alleys for a quick break. The man's name was Tomine. Izuku had been going around the neighborhood in different disguises to get information on him. A few women had even made police reports, but that rarely means much in areas like this. But he had, on good info, that he would be at this bar on this night.

It was several long hours before anything happened. First, the target stepped into the alley and took his own seat obscured by a dumpster. He was cocky enough (or dumb enough) that he didn't even bother to check his surroundings. Didn't even bother to look up. About 15 minutes later, the employees only door swung open. A tall woman in an apron walked out, cigarette already dangling from her lips.

Izuku shifted, ready to jump down. A single pebble fell from the rooftop above him and clanged against the metal fire escape. Tomine looked up. Tomine ran.

"Shit!" Izuku cursed under his breath, hopping the railing and running after him. He trailed a good distance behind his target, sticking to the shadows and making as little noise as possible. Hopefully Tomine would think he had lost his pursuer. The two weaved through alleys, Tomine always throwing glances over his shoulder. As the chase continued, his glaces became fewer and farther between. Tomine slowed to a walk and then a halt, leaning up against a wall and breathing heavily.

Izuku waited two beats before darting out from the shadows and tackling Tomine to the ground. Just as Tomine hit the concrete, Izuku heard another person land behind him. Tomine struggled underneath him, but couldn't break out of Izuku's hold. Keeping his ears trained on whoever was behind him, Izuku reached into one of his pouches and grabbed the small taser there. One press to Tomine's neck and he was out like a light. Izuku zip tied his hands together for good measure.

The person behind him still hadn't moved. Izuku rose to his feet slowly. Just as he straightened his back, there was a crunch of gravel. A single step forward.

The air whistled with how fast Izuku popped out his staff and whirled it around. The person didn't even flinch when the staff appeared right below their chin. They simply raised an eyebrow.

"Vigilantism is illegal you know." Pro Hero Eraserhead said to him.

They stood like that for a moment. Eraserhead staring down at Izuku and Izuku staring up at Eraserhead. Plans ran through Izuku's head like lightning. Eraserhead's quirk wouldn't work against him, but he had years more experience in a fight. One on one battle was Eraserhead's specialty. He didn't have a lot of his support equipment on him and he doubted he would be allowed close enough to use the small taser again.

Izuku's mind spun and spun until Eraserhead moved his arm minutely towards the capture weapon sitting on his neck. In half reflex and half realization, he jabbed his staff right into Eraserhead's throat before dashing forward, past the hero and back into the maze of alleys.

The slap of footfalls behind him came quicker than expected. Izuku turned corners and hopped fences, but his pursuer was relentless. He stumbled after landing wrong on a jump and something rushed past his ear. Eraserhead's capture weapon snagged his arm and Izuku fell. He twisted so that his back landed against the ground and Eraserhead was on him in a second, trying to get Izuku's hands behind his back. Elbows and hands flew everywhere during the struggle and he knew that these would definitely bruise.

When Eraserhead got a forearm against his throat and one hand on his arm, Izuku maneuvered something out of his glove and pressed it against the flesh of Eraserhead's wrist. One click and Eraserhead stiffened as electricity coursed through his body. To his credit, he didn't pass out, but he was dazed and disoriented just long enough for Izuku to make a quick exit.

He couldn't believe that actually worked.

Nexus had actually just escaped Pro Hero Eraserhead.

Shouta sighed as the little vigilante disappeared around the corner. He knew he wouldn't be able to catch up to her, not when his limbs were being uncooperative. He waited until he stopped twitching to make his way back towards the original criminal. The man was still knocked out cold against the concrete. He was barely even injured except for the bright red mark where the girl had stuck her taser.

Vigilantes weren't anything new or special. They weren't even too big of an issue most of the time. Either their own lives got in the way and the vigilante's activity decreased into nothing or the extremely thankless work made them bored and the vigilante just stopped. Vigilante's were never active for more than a few months before stopping. Or getting caught.

Shouta brought the criminal to the local police station.

The police officer behind the desk saw the unconscious criminal and snorted, "Did you have to be so hard on him, Eraser?"

"That wasn't me." Shouta said simply, "Just a little vigilante, nothing to be concerned about."

To his shock, the police officer groaned, "Were they wearing a green body suit?"

"Yes."

The officer tipped his head back and pinched his eyebrows, "That's Nexus. Well, that's what she calls herself. She's been active across several different areas for like, 8 months now. No reported quirk usage, just a shitton of homemade weapons."

Now that was interesting. A puzzle, a challenge, "Have you discerned any pattern to her movements?"

The officer looked at Shouta, "Not really, why?"

"It's just interesting, that's all." Shouta hummed.

Not only was it interesting, but it was also potentially frightening. Judging from her stature, she was only a teenager. A teenager who has good enough fighting skills to get criminals without a quirk and who is smart enough to make weapons by herself? Either she was very impressive or someone was out there, training and supplying weapons to children.

Shouta got back to his apartment that night with copies of the files on Nexus as well as the other branches who had reports of her. He was determined to figure out who she was. What he would do after that? He didn't know yet. If she was truly doing that stuff for herself, it would be a waste to arrest her.