Chapter 7

Mighty Need

"Nervous?"

Shouta Aizawa sighed as his wife worked to gently pull back his hair. Tying it up neatly. "Not really. I just don't want to deal with parents."

"I don't think you'll get much pushback. Its a good idea, moving them into dorms." She tilted back his head and applied drops to his eyes, ready with a tissue to dab the residual tears.

UA decided to build dormitory buildings on the school grounds. For now, it was exclusive to Class 1-A for the rest of the summer. Other buildings would be completed for other students, should their parents choose, when the school opened in the fall.

"Do you think your students will feel singled out? Being the only one's required in dorms for the summer?"

He closed his eyes and smirked, "I'm sure they'll feel the opposite, special even."

Cherushī stepped back to let her husband stand. She handed him his bag and jacket; adjusted his tie.

Aizawa gently grabbed her hand as she started to obsess a bit, "You look nervous."

"Yeah. I am."

He frowned, "I'm sorry I cant be with you. Nezu says we have to do this today."

It had been just under a week since One For All was defeated, the League of Villains got away, and All-Might retired. Since then Cherushī was working on becoming a Japanese citizen and hero. All that was left was going to the board of the Hero Commission and convincing them of her station. Where she wanted to be as a hero in Japan, what she wanted to accomplish.

"It's alright. I want you to focus on continuing to be a great teacher. I don't want to be in the way."

"You're my wife. You could never be in the way."

"I guess i'm just used to being thousands of miles away. Scheduled into each other's lives by phone-call." she laughed weakly.

He glanced at the clock on the wall and sat her down next to him, putting his bag back on the floor and giving her his attention, "Why are you nervous?"

She looked down at her hands, "I don't know what kind of hero to be without the military telling me. I gave them my whole life and they gave me direction." on the table before them there were books stacked high. Aizawa's own books, long forgotten until recently, on Japanese hero law and practices. Guidelines from the Hero Commission.

In the US, Cherushī was granted lethal use of her Quirk and freedom to go and do as she pleased. Free to carry out duties by any means necessary. She was a hero with a kill count. Not something one came across often.

"You have many options."

"I know. Doesn't make deciding easier."

Before he could elaborate, ease her fears, the phone rang. She jumped up to answer, greeting in english before chuckling nervously and switching to Japanese before hanging up.

"All-Might is here with the car."

With a sigh he picked up his bag and headed to the front door with her in tow. He was already annoyed and already ready for the day to be over.

His wife had a smile ready for the retired hero who she waved to as he stood by the car in his, now, normal form, arm in a sling. But it dropped when another car pulled up, a police car this time, and Naomasa emerged. "Shit."

Aizawa put himself between her and the car, leaning down to kiss her warmly. "Just be your honest self."

Cherushī was still misty eyed as he turned to leave, "Right, my honest self." she eyed the police car before returning inside for her things and sighing, "Let's hope that works out for me."

Getting into the backseat of a police car didn't feel very empowering. Naomasa sat in front with another officer driving. "When you said you'd come and get me, I didn't think it'd be in a police cruiser."

He chuckled nervously, "I'm very sorry about that. After the accident with the last car, the car we've leant to Eraser and All-Might…"

The woman took a deep breath, "It's ok. I guess I just still fear I could be arrested and sent away."

"We're not sending you away. We need and want you here."

She nodded and looked out the window at her new home passing by, "I haven't told Shouta, but someone called me a foreigner in the airport. I spoke up to defend him, during the press conference. 'What do you know foreigner?'" she recalled, "'We don't treat our children like soldiers here.'." Despite her clear Japanese, she did stick out as a foreigner. Thick curly hair, round nose, caramel brown skin and striking green eyes saw to that.

Naomasa frowned deeply.

Unknown to Japan though, unknown to the world, Jumper had saved said world plenty of times over. They were unaware of her sacrifice, even now, being brave enough to desert her own country in favor of theirs.

She had just arrived, to help, and was rebuked immediately.

"Today isn't a question of whether or not you are a hero, Jumper. Its a question of what kind of hero you'll be."

The car slowed to a halt. The hero commission building was tall and sparkling in the morning sun.

Cherushī looked up at it, squinting, "Therein lies the problem. I have no idea."

"May I ask you a question, Eraser?"

"Is it about meeting the parents?"

All-Might rubbed the back of his head nervously, "No. Uh, it's about your marriage."

Aizawa tried not to sigh too heavily. In the few days they'd had together, he and Cherushī didn't take the time to discuss whether or not they'd out their marriage. But with her here with him, with the end to her secret missions of various types all over the world…why not?

"Go ahead."

"How did you do it? I mean, I'm not sure how long you've been married, you don't wear a ring, she lived in a different country until now…"

He looked down at his hand. They hadn't exchanged rings, having rushed their wedding the day before she left five years ago. And they never found a need for such a symbol. "I knew I wanted to continue to know her after I met her. She was interesting to me." he rubbed his bare ring finger, "As I did, she was more than interesting, she was mine. She may not have been next to me for five years, but she was with me always."

"Five years!"

He chuckled, "Shocks me too sometimes."

"So, may I ask, why it's a secret?"

"She did a lot for her country, ours and others. Some things that not all heroes would understand. But I think it was ultimately to protect me."

"I've heard stories about heroes in the American military. It can be a brutal place." All-Might nodded to himself. "I'm glad she can be here for you."

Aizawa was a bit taken back, "Thank you All-Might. I'm glad too."

"Why now?"

Cherushī looked down at her hands folded in her lap. She sat across from a long table of decision-making men. The chief of police, the head of the hero commission, and even a man from immigration services. This was the last thing to do today, after taking physical tests for ability and written for understanding of laws and practices. She was tired, but determined. "Do you mean as opposed to five years ago?"

They all mumbled amongst themselves before an unidentified man spoke, "One would wonder if you waited for a moment that would best benefit you."

"I didn't wait for anything–"

"We beg to differ, Jumper." She was interrupted by the chief of police. "We're seeing unprecedented villain activity and have just lost our symbol of peace. We need every hero we can get and it's as if you knew this. A woman who since marrying one of our own has been to this country," he checked his papers and scoffed, "three times in five years."

"I keep being reassured that I wont be sent away. But with how you're drilling me I'd think you want to."

The men all cleared their throats and shuffled the folders before them. The head of the hero commission spoke evenly and almost gently, "That's not at all what this is. We just have to understand, as such a decorated US hero, why you deserted to be here."

Cherushī tried to make eye contact with each man before she spoke, "I'm sure it's obvious why I'd want to help." She alluded to her marriage, "But they wouldn't let me. You all do know what the US has done?"

They looked at each other, disappointment in their eyes, "We're aware, it's unfortunate but understandable."

"I didn't find it understandable at all. Quite frankly, it pissed me off." Her frankness caused stirring, "I've only been here three times because the country I decided to devote my life and my Quirk to made sure I wouldn't be able to. Of the three times I've been here I was formally reprimanded twice. The third was because my husband had been injured and even then I was allowed here for only two days."

"This still begs the question of why you didn't desert before."

"Because I am a loyal soldier, sir." It seemed obvious to her, "Because I agreed to an allotted time as a Hero with the US and I felt duty bound to finish it. Especially when my husband understood that and supported me."

"Are you saying Eraserhead shared some newfound distaste for your situation?"

"The opposite." She folded her hands up tight, "He never brought up my coming here for good again after the first time. But I never stopped considering it. I tried to serve my full term with the military. I tried very hard. But when I was told we'd be abandoning an ally in need…" she trailed off and sighed sadly, "I realized my country didn't stand for what I stood for."

They all seemed to be leaning into her words, interested. "What do you stand for, Jumper?"

"I like to think I stand for going where I'm needed, as a hero should. Not where it's politically correct to be or mutually beneficial."

There were unanimous nods. "Where do you think you're needed?"

"I don't know, sir. I won't say I didn't come with the intent of helping my husband, helping him protect his students. But beyond that, beyond him and beyond those kids, I understand and accept that what I want may not be what you all need."

Murmurs again. The head of the hero commission cleared his throat, "Have you at all researched our hero agencies here? There are several where you could be placed."

Cherushī's heart had already been pounding, but now moreso. "I have researched the best I could these last few days. I unfortunately don't know my best fit. You said yourselves that you need every hero you can get. Put me where you want me, please."

The next few moments were agonizing. Not quite silence but no one was asking her questions or even looking at her. They were trading papers and whispering amongst themselves. When the chief of police stood she found herself holding her breath.

"We planned to honor whichever agency you chose, Jumper. But, we've analyzed as much of your information as your country would allow us to and we know where we need you." There wasn't a long pause before he told her, but she hung there anyway, "You'll be reporting to the police anything you hear or see related to the League of Villains while you assist at UA. Principle Nezu will place you accordingly as he needs and we will call on you should things change."

The woman didn't realize her tears until an assistant approached with tissues, which she politely declined, "I-I can be with Shouta? I can help his kids?"

The man almost chuckled, "As well as the other students at UA, for now. We do need you, Jumper. And you'll be relied on for your full capabilities."

She stood to take a case brought to her by another assistant and barely heard them say what was inside. A new hero costume to be adjusted as she needed, a Hero License and paperwork solidifying her as a Japanese citizen. She thanked them, but continued to hear rushing water and she was escorted to the lobby of the building by Naomasa who chatted excitedly.

Outside Shouta Aizawa smiled at his wife, waiting patiently by the car he'd left in that morning.

"Well, how'd it go?"

For a moment it was as if the Cherushī of five years ago, Chelsea, stopped into herself. Her face broke into a wide smile, coloring the tips of her husband's ears, "Teacher Shouta, meet your new assistant."