Hey guys… it's been a while, hasn't it? About *checks* wait, it's only been two months? Weird, it felt longer than that. Especially since I was working on something else for the first two weeks. I'll actually try to get the next one out around Halloween, even if I finish it earlier than I expected (As unlikely as that is). One year anniversary and all that. But as we're getting into canon events, I have higher hopes.

Side note, the story hit 100k views. And 200 reviews. That's pretty neat. I actually appreciate reviews quite a bit, so as long as it's not just a general 'love to see more' or 'where's next chapter', leave a review.

Anyways, I know. I said I was going to work on Wish Upon a Star, but I couldn't figure out how to start it out. I rewrote the first several paragraphs like 5 times. And I'm not even sure I want to write about Danmachi. While I do like the series, I don't think it's what I want to crossover with right now. That's why I removed it from my profile for now. Maybe I'll figure it out later, but right now the idea's in the bin.

I did figure out what I wanted to do instead, but I'm keeping that a surprise until the first chapter is ready. With that said…

Chapter 7: A Far Cry From Normalcy

Shirou collapsed onto his bed, looking straight up at the ceiling tiredly. While he didn't have a special connection to this bland apartment, he still much preferred it to the one they all stayed in for the duration of their protection. And the bed was much more comfortable.

After that large scale brawl with the Shie Hassaikai, most likely an all-or-nothing chance to get Eri back, it was deemed safe enough for him and his sisters to return to their original apartment. There were a few protests saying that they should've stayed a bit longer, but they got veto'ed. And in a few days, they could start going back to school. That did leave a few complications, though.

Namely, Eri.

She was still nervous around people, though not to the same degree as before. She could hold a conversation if she's met someone at least once before, but she couldn't handle complete strangers. So going to a school would be difficult for her. Shirou considered homeschooling her, but he had his own education to worry about. He also considered online classes, but she barely knew how to use the TV without his help. Understandable, considering that she was only a toddler when she was taken into the Shie Hassaikai. She's only about half as old as Miyu, after all. Hell, when he was her age…

Well, he didn't exactly remember, but it was probably something along the lines of macaroni faces on paper plates. That was a normal thing little kids did, right?

Shirou picked his main phone off of his nightstand, noting the alarm clock that read 20:41, and raising it over his head as he scrolled through his messages. Arno and Issei were fairly restrained when he texted them back after he returned home, a quick explanation enough to satisfy them. Hakuno, on the other hand? He counted over a hundred messages in their chat, without including any of his replies. A good bit of it was random gibberish and presumably keyboard spam (strange, considering the fact that they were texting each other by phone), but there were a few coherent statements and questions. Mostly 'where were you?', 'how was it?', and 'I missed you!'.

Though, that last one had an excessive number of exclamation points. And emojis. So many emojis.

His phone buzzed again, and Shirou saw that he received another message from the brunette.

'When do you think you can come back?' It read. She quickly tacked on 'To school, I mean?'

'Sometime next week, I think. It's been a while since I've seen you in person, so I'm kind of looking forward to it.' He replied. Not even two seconds later, he got her reply.

'GASP! Doth mine ears deceive me? Senpai's actually looking forward to seeing me again!?' Was her dramatic reply. Turns out that her Quirk's name, 'Program', was a bit misleading. It didn't just make her really good at coding, though she could do that too. Essentially, she was a living Computer Program that could interface with any piece of technology she got her hands on. She used it all the time when messaging him, usually conveying her thoughts directly into words rather than typing them out like he did. So she could reply the moment she finished reading his own messages. 'Oh, I think I've fallen for you all over again! When do you want the marriage papers ready?' Unfortunately, it meant that nothing that she messaged him was filtered or thought through.

Shirou stared at the words blankly, letting out a dry chuckle. 'All joking aside, I did actually miss talking to you. It was usually just us, a couple bodyguards, and the occasional Pro, so it's not like I got to chat with anyone else my age.' He admitted, frowning at the memory. An entire month wasted, just like that. 'And all I could really do was watch TV or fiddle with my Quirk. It got old fast.'

'Yeah, that does sound pretty boring. But you got to meet some Heroes too! Which ones, and what were they like? Did you get any dirt on them?'

'Kamui Woods, Mt. Lady, Smile Man, Native, Blue Flare, and Sir Nighteye are some of the more popular ones I met. Most of them seemed pretty okay with the arrangement, though Kamui looked like he'd rather be fighting Villains. Mt. Lady was… just like the media portrayed her. I didn't talk with them that much, especially not Mt. Lady.'

'Bleh, Mt. Lady. A lot of the guys in my class just won't shut up about her. She's not even that great.'

'I have two little sisters, Hakuno. I didn't want them anywhere NEAR that walking obscenity.' He cut off that conversation before it even began. He didn't have the best impression of tall older blondes, considering his battle with Not-Gilgamesh. The spandex-clad Pro's seeming lack of shame wasn't doing much to raise his opinion on her in the slightest. 'Can we talk about something else? It wasn't even that special.'

'Wait, you had two little sisters? I thought you only had one. Well, more in-laws for me!'

'Miyu's the older one, she turns 11 in June. Eri's only five, turning six.' Shirou completely ignored the latter half of her message, otherwise glad for a change in subject. 'I've mentioned Miyu more often because I've known her longer, and she's blood related. Eri's a recent addition to the family, and she still hasn't opened up to us quite yet.'

'Is she adopted?'

'Yeah. And her last family…' Shirou paused for a moment, narrowing his eyes at the word. Family his ass, they were her captors. 'Her last family was pretty neglectful of her, so she's not in the best place mentally or emotionally. We're doing what we can.' He stopped texting there when he noticed the girl in question standing at his door in duck pajamas. He nodded at her, and she waddled off to her room on the other side of the hall. There was a joke there, but he didn't see it. 'Sorry, it's getting late and I need to tuck them in. See you Monday?'

'Bye-bye, Senpai! Prepare to be glomped come Monday morning!' With that, she left the chat. Shirou made a mental note to look up what a 'glomp' was, it sounded like a threat to his well-being. He pushed that note to the back of his mind, and got up from his bed. He stepped out into the hallway, which connected the front door to the living/dining room, and had all the bedrooms on the sides. He crossed the hall and stepped to the left, then stepped into Eri's room. The walls were the same shade of white as the rest of the house. There were dolls scattered around the floor (a few were actually his projections), so he had to watch his feet.

Shirou flicked her light off, but kneeled down by the outlet next to him and turned on her nightlight, a weak pink glow being emitted from the bulb. He walked up to her bed, adjusted her blankets, and tucked her stuffed animal next to her. It was a white unicorn with a light blue mane, and big buttons for eyes. She called it Nei-Nei, as adorably uncreative as the name was. He ruffled her hair slightly. "Goodnight, Eri." He whispered, before stepping away and slowly closing her door. The click of her doorknob was just barely loud enough for him to hear. Next was Miyu's room, it was right across his own and adjacent to Eri's.

Miyu's room was more tidy than Eri's, and the toys were replaced with books. She didn't have a nightlight though, because 'she was a big girl, and she didn't need one.' She didn't need one back in Fuyuki either, but she kept sneaking into his room anyways. She didn't do it (as often) here, so he took her word for it. He flipped off her lights as well, and bent down when he got to her bed, planting a light peck on her forehead. "Goodnight, Miyu."

"Nighties, Nii-chan…" She muttered tiredly, already snug under her blanket. He smiled softly at that, and stepped back out into the hall after he closed her door. He walked to the end of the hall, flipped those lights off too, and the apartment fell silent. He wished he could go straight to bed as well, but it was not to be. It'd been over a month, and he needed to catch up on work. He needed to make money somehow, and this was the best way for him to do so, considering his talents. Well, cooking was another option for him, but he was apparently too young and didn't have the credentials. He was also fairly experienced in this as well. So this was what he went with. The fact that it helped the community was a small bonus.

Perhaps it was a bit risky to do this only a few days after his release from Witness Protection, but that just meant he'd have to be more cautious than before. He already had to hide his existence as a Magus from society, this wasn't too different. Granted, there weren't that many people to expose Magecraft to, but the point still stands.

He stepped back into his room and silently shut the door, and slid open the door to his closet. He pushed aside some small boxes, noting the fact that some of them had moved slightly, and smiled when he found a large one at the bottom, about the size of a cello case without the neck. A couple enchantments were applied to the box, simultaneously making it seem unremarkable and undetectable to anyone without active Circuits. It had been untouched since his departure, even building up a bit of dust. Clearly, they tried digging through his stuff while they were gone, but didn't find the box. Good, considering the fact that it was the only thing in there that could be considered incriminating. He opened the box.

Inside were several articles of clothing, custom made by him, for him. Modified to look casual, in case he needed to slip into a crowd, while still durable enough to protect him from an Anti-Tank bullet, just in case. He grabbed the clothing from the case, and started changing. When he finished, he stood up and looked at himself in the mirror.

A dark gray turtleneck under a navy blue overcoat. A neck warmer pulled over his nose, serving as a mask. Dark jeans and brown boots with hard toes. Black gloves with hard knuckles. He also threw on a beanie the same color of the sweater, since his hair color stood out. Everything was enchanted with Runes to increase durability and reduce weight, also applying light resistance to elemental attacks. Runes weren't his strongest magic, even before his contract with EMIYA, but he could get by.

He could almost feel the ghost of Kiritsugu looming behind him, nodding in approval of his attire.

Shirou opened his window, before jumping out and shutting it behind him in one swift action. He landed on the sidewalk quietly, crouching on the ground to reduce the impact out of habit. "It's a bit chilly tonight, isn't it?" He thought out loud, rubbing his hands together. It made sense, considering that it was the first month of Autumn. The days were getting shorter and the nights were getting colder. Of course, longer nights meant more time to stargaze.

He looked straight up into the sky, trying to identify the constellations. It took him a moment due to the light pollution (Honestly, he was surprised he could see them at all, this was about a century into the future after all), but he identified Perseus and Pegasus, and found the rest soon after. He pulled his mask down and took a deep breath of the cool winter air. "It's a perfect night…" He pulled his mask back on and stuffed his right hand into his pocket, and summoned a certain knife into his hand.

His form seemed to meld into the shadows as he walked into the alleyway, the sounds of his footsteps echoing through the night. It was a perfect night for a hunt. He pulled out a burner phone, and dialed a number.

"Giran, it's me. Where's the nearest Trigger Deal taking place?"

Eraserhead frowned, pulling his scarf over his mouth. He watched as the investigators, well, investigated the crime scene, while the police officers taped off the area from the public. Several bodies were found behind an old warehouse in one of the less populated parts of the city, likely during the middle of a drug deal, if the confiscated canisters of Trigger were any indication. It was likely one of many that occurred last night, though they typically didn't end with both sides getting wiped out. That wasn't including all the other criminals that were dispatched by this mysterious hunter.

And they knew it was the same guy every time, because all the victims died in the same way; A single stab wound between the eyebrows, and came out on the opposite side. It was very clean too, as if the victims had no chance to fight back before their life was cut short. It was done with a really thin blade, most likely a rapier or an estoc.

Granted, that was based on the assumptions of the doctors who perform the autopsies. Aizawa didn't know much about blades, excluding knives. Normal swords weren't that common in the modern day. There were a handful of Heroes that used them, a few of them even local to the Land of Rising Sun, but most street thugs preferred their Quirks or a simple gun over a steel blade.

"Eraserhead." A voice called out from behind him, ducking under the police tape. Aizawa turned around to glance at the newcomer. Garbed in a black combat sweater, pants, and boots. Several straps and pouches attached to carry his equipment, including two holsters at his thighs. A red waist cape held up with a grey belt, and a cowl of the same color over his head and shoulders. Several bandages were wrapped around his nose and mouth to cover his face.

His senior Underground Hero, Kiritsugu Emiya. Under the pseudonym of Sever. He was a veteran compared to Aizawa, with nearly a decade of experience over him. He might have to go into early retirement in the near future, considering the nature of his Quirk. He also had a loving wife and two daughters, both still in primary school if his memory served him correctly. How the man managed to balance his work life and family life without collapsing in exhaustion was beyond the cat lover, Aizawa was running himself ragged with both his Hero work and his job at Yuuei. Not to mention the fact that his wife was… well, put it like this. He'd met Irisviel once, and he decided that he'd rather deal with two Jokes at the same time. And Emiya was married to this woman. He wasn't sure whether to pity the man or applaud him.

He was getting off track. "Sever." The younger Hero returned, turning back to the bodies. "It's the same guy as last time, going by the MO. Single stab wound that went straight through the head. He still didn't take any of the Trigger, but he took all the money from the buyers again. If the police force was more determined in catching this guy, we probably would've found him by now."

"No one cares what happens to criminals. 'They're getting what they deserve', or so they say. Not to mention the fact that this hunter has been disrupting the flow of Trigger, and no civilians are getting involved, essentially doing the police's work for them. This is as low priority as it can get for them, right next to Speeding and Jaywalking." Sever replied, shaking his head under his hood while inspecting what little evidence they had. With the large number of typical Villains taking top priority, and more treacherous dealings like Quirk Trafficking taking a close second, a normal deal like this was mostly ignored.

But murder was murder, regardless of the victims involved. That made the person who killed these men a murderer on the loose with a body count presumably in the triple digits. They could've been a person who decided to take justice into their own hands and took things too far, or maybe they were a bloodthirsty killer that made other criminals their targets. Either way, they were someone that needed to be apprehended.

"Do we have anything to call this guy? He's definitely earned a title beyond 'the vigilante'." Aizawa asked dismissively. Sever shook his head.

"Nothing official. A few names are being tossed around in the media despite the gag order. Hunter, Executioner, Spectre, Ghost, some simply call him The Shadow. A few people have spoken up that he's saved them from thieves and assailants in the past, but we're not sure if they have any ground to stand on."

"Great, we're dealing with a Vigilante that's out for blood, and the media's already blowing this up for headlines. Damn Vultures." Aizawa shook his head, once again annoyed at the press. He went underground so he wouldn't have to deal with them, and yet here he was. Hopefully his name didn't end up getting dropped as one of the Heroes investigating, that would be a pain. "And no idea who this Vigilante really is. We don't have a description, nothing to make a police sketch of, and the only lead we have is that he uses a thin blade, and he aims right between the eyebrows."

"That's one of the thickest parts of the skull. A low caliber bullet would bounce right off. Assuming he's been throwing them, that's a testament to both his strength and accuracy." Sever noted, inspecting one of the bodies. "I don't think even Snipe would be able to manage that. His Quirk lets him lock on to a target, but he doesn't control where it will hit. I think the only one who could manage this was Kaina, and she's been in Tartarus for years. Not to mention the fact that she uses her rifle, not whatever blade this Vigilante's been using."

Aizawa's frown deepened at the mention of the former Pro-Hero. Kaina Tsutsumi, also known as Lady Nagant. She answered directly to the Commission, essentially working as their private assassin. She eliminated rogue Heroes and terrorists alike, essentially keeping society in check. But she was thrown into Tartarus for killing a fellow Hero. It was obviously a cover-up, but there wasn't anything Aizawa could do about it.

And if Aizawa was bothered by it, then Emiya was distraught. They were essentially partners back in the day, though Emiya wasn't working serving the Commission like she was, and he didn't have nearly as much blood on his hands. And when she got jailed, he couldn't believe it. He stepped out of the spotlight and threw himself into Underground work for years, at least until Irisviel managed to pull him out of that dark place he was in. They got married and had kids on the way not a year later.

He wouldn't say that Emiya loved Tsutsumi, but he definitely cared for her. For a moment, his mind trailed to Oboro… He was getting distracted. "This kind of accuracy is abnormal. Do you think we can start looking into people with Accuracy-based Quirks?"

The sun was only just rising over the horizon, light slowly enveloping all of Japan. This was a time when most people were still asleep, or just only waking up. Some of the more athletic people, and most Pros, were already up and wide awake. And of course, some people hadn't slept at all. Shirou was in that last group, and his nocturnal friend Arno was too. Hakuno might've been up all night, but she'd probably crash the moment the sun started to rise.

Shirou stepped out of his bedroom, wearing a white T-shirt and sweatpants. He yawned into his hand tiredly, before collapsing onto the couch in the living room. He didn't reach to grab the remote, it was too early and he didn't want to wake the girls. Instead, he pulled out his phone and checked the news there. As expected, there were a few headlines that read 'Drug deal gone wrong, several found dead!', 'Pro-Hero Heartache was murdered', and 'Hero Killer strikes again?' He raised an eyebrow at those last two. It seemed that the Hero Killer struck again.

The Hero Killer. One of the few people who argued that the modern Pros were greedy and selfish, and calling themselves 'Heroes' was an insult to the title. Granted, he was much more extreme in his methods, killing any Pro-Hero that he deemed 'unworthy' of their title. Which was basically all of them, since they didn't fit his standards. While Shirou wasn't that pleased at the fact that they were using the name 'Hero' for fame and fortune, he at least accepted that the large majority of them were still keeping the peace. Although he felt a lot more strongly about it during the first few months, he just didn't care anymore. At least they were still saving lives.

His phone buzzed as a notification popped up at the top of the screen, distracting him from his thoughts. An anonymous source deposited several million yen to his alternate account, which was much more private and much larger than his main one. Well, it wasn't really his second account. It was actually Zelretch's account in this world, which raised less questions when a lot of money came in randomly, and why so much of it was getting transferred to his account on a monthly basis. Of course, Shirou was the one doing all the work for it, just under the Fourth's name and signature.

Again, thank you Kiritsugu, very cool.

Shirou put his phone down and rolled his neck, satisfied by the loud pops. He stretched his arms over his head, letting out a grunt. "Now, what should I do for the next hour and a half…" He muttered quietly. It was too early for anyone he knew to be awake, and that was the reason he wasn't on the TV. He didn't like sitting around doing nothing for hours on end either, so… Oh, right. "Might as well check on Dagobah." It wasn't like he had anything else to do this early in the morning.

A minute later, the front door was shut and locked, with one less person inside the apartment.

Shirou walked through the city of Musutafu once again that morning, the sun only just beginning to peek out from beyond the ocean. Speaking of, the ocean was looking a lot cleaner than it was a few months ago. Of course, some of that was through his efforts, though most of it was through All Might and Broccoli Boy. Speaking of…

The emerald-haired boy jogged past him in a tracksuit with an old toaster over his shoulder, the skeleton that is the Symbol of Peace guiding him on a segway. Neither of them seemed to pay him any mind, so he reciprocated the feeling by ignoring them as well. They wouldn't go to the beach for another hour, and he planned on going back home around the same time, so they probably wouldn't interact today, either. He did note that the kid's body seemed really worn out. From what he had seen, his normal workout shouldn't have stressed his body enough to do that, so he either wasn't getting enough calories to make up for the ones he's burning (Unlikely, the kid had replaced his tracksuit twice to his knowledge), or he was overworking himself. Of course, it was none of his business, so he didn't really care. He shook his head and resumed his stroll to Dagobah.

If he had stuck around any longer, Shirou would've seen the boy trip and fall from exhaustion. He would have seen All Might chide him for overworking himself, the green boy arguing that he needed to work harder than anyone else, and that he wanted to become as great as All Might. He might've even seen the Number One transform back and encourage the kid. But Shirou didn't stick around, so he didn't see any of it. He probably wouldn't have cared that much, either.

Shirou arrived at Dagobah. Even though only a month had passed, it had changed fairly significantly. Well, the area around his apartment did. The junk off to the ends of the beach was still there, untouched. Still, the beach wouldn't be completely cleaned off for a while. Shirou stretched his arms out, his fingers intertwined and palms out. "Well, time to get to work." He thought out loud, walking up to a broken washing machine and hefting it over his head with ease. A small part of him couldn't wait to get home and wash away the smell. Another small part couldn't wait to see the beach after it was all cleaned up.

While she'd already been here, he wanted to make sure that Miyu got a proper look at the ocean.

Izuku Midoriya felt exhausted. In fact, he collapsed only an hour ago, though that was because he overworked himself to that point. But he had to work harder than anyone else if he wanted to become the next Symbol of Peace. So he would do whatever it took in order to do that.

He couldn't help but feel grateful that All Might was taking so much time to supervise his training. Of course, he wasn't taking out any of his time for Hero Work, since the man could only work for three hours. And wasn't that a shock? The greatest Hero of all time could only work as a Hero for so little time. Thankfully, there were so many other Heroes out there to pick up the slack.

Izuku nearly tripped on a rock, but adjusted the toaster on his shoulder and continued his jog. All Might got back on his segway and led him through the city, their final destination being the very same beach his training started. Initially, Izuku didn't have any hope of clearing the entire section of the beach, but now he was a bit more sure of himself. It wasn't weird that he was posing in front of the Mirror, right? All teenage boys his age did it, right?

All Might almost turned right onto the road, but stopped and turned back to the sidewalk ahead of them instead. Izuku noticed this, and wondered why. 'We always went down this path, didn't we? What could've changed-' He remembered the moment he saw the street. Roads and buildings were torn, broken glass was still being cleaned, dozens of men were already at work, even at such an early hour, to repair the street. While damaged streets weren't super uncommon, it was just the nature of their society nowadays, this one stuck around in his head a bit longer.

This was where the all-out war between the Heroes and the Villains took place. Izuku didn't know that much about it, he didn't have the clearance for any of it and he wasn't involved in it, either. He only knew about as much as basically anyone else, though he did take a lot of notes on the Quirks of Heroes and the Villains from the footage they got. The news helicopter couldn't have gotten super close, but they used a special camera to catch it all at a high quality despite that. The camera hadn't been able to catch everything, obviously, but it did catch most of the fighting. It couldn't catch the tail end of the battle though, the news helicopter was forced to fly away when the giant guy nearly hit it after throwing a car at it. Izuku saw enough to spend most of the night speculating on Quirks though, so he didn't really mind.

"Young Midoriya, don't lag behind." All Might called from ahead, and Izuku snapped out of his trance and picked up his pace to catch up. "It's not like you to space out during exercises like this, kid. Are you sure you're okay?"

"Y-Yes, All Might! I'm doing alright, I just… I saw the road back there and thought about what happened last week." He admitted nervously, remembering the live footage. There were so many police cars lined up, dozens of officers and Heroes working together, but so many villains… This was the kind of stuff he would deal with when he was a Hero, so he had to be prepared for this. But still…

"Ah yes, the Shie Hassaikai, our very own modern day Yakuza." All Might slowed slightly. "I'm sure you already know since this is already public knowledge, but about a month prior to that battle you just spoke of, the police force teamed up with several Heroes in order to raid the Shie Hassaikai's main base. We've been trying to find a reason to arrest them and eradicate the Yakuza once and for all, but we never had a justifiable cause." All Might leaned forward even more, Izuku picked up his pace.

"Then what changed? What did they find that let the Heroes take them down?" The younger boy asked, his breathing getting a bit heavier.

"Not what, Young Midoriya. Who." All Might corrected. Izuku stumbled in surprise, but picked himself up and continued running. "Even further back, about two weeks before the raid, a small child fled their complex, less than half your age. From her, we learned that Overhaul was manufacturing an illegal drug that was able to disable a Quirk. We were even able to take a few samples during the raid." Okay, that caused Izuku to trip and nearly fall over. All Might caught him, thankfully.

"D-Disable a Quirk!?" He shouted in shock, pulling himself back up slowly. "How is that even possible? No combination of chemicals, elements, metals, or anything else has ever been produced. Sure, we have medication that helps weaken Quirks, but those are usually for little kids that can't control their Quirks! To disable a Quirk entirely, the only thing that could do that is another Quirk! Like Eraserhead's Quirk!"

"I'm surprised you know about Eraserhead, he went underground for a reason." All Might noted, making another turn. Izuku followed him. He couldn't see his face. "And you're right. The only thing that can disable a Quirk is another Quirk."

"But enough about that, Young Midoriya. Are you sure you don't want a short break? You collapsed earlier." All Might gave him a pensive look. Izuku nodded determinedly, not considering the idea for even a second. If he wanted to get into Yuuei, he couldn't afford to take breaks or slack off. He needed to go Plus Ultra!

Taking his look as a yes, All Might didn't press the issue. They were nearly at the beach again, the piles and piles of trash and junk having changed very little since he started. But he cleared out almost everything on the floor, and did a few other things too. He once tried to set up a barbell with two wheels and an axle, but All Might stopped him before he hurt himself.

Strangely enough, one or two piles would disappear overnight, so it proved that someone else was cleaning up, too. Maybe they were using this place to exercise as well? For the past month, it stopped, but it resumed a few days ago. For a while, he was worried that something happened to the mysterious stranger. And he let out a sigh of relief when he learned that the person was back, disregarding the fact that he was worrying over a person he wasn't even sure existed.

The sound of grinding and banging brought both student and teacher to a halt. Obviously, it was coming from Dagobah. Izuku ran straight, bumping into the guard rails and looking for the source. He did see that several of the piles were missing stuff from the top, and a lot of the bigger stuff he had no hopes of dragging were gone, too. Maybe it was that mysterious person who was cleaning up the beach? But why would they be here at this hour, when they'd never done so before?

One of the piles of garbage collapsed suddenly, the loud crash followed by a shout. Izuku threw away any hesitation and ran straight towards the rubble, All Might ditching his segway to follow. Despite his earlier fatigue, Izuku ran like the wind, adrenaline pumping through his veins. What if someone got hurt? What if that collapsed pile crushed someone under it? It wasn't already too late, right? No, they would be okay. He was sure of it!

Izuku turned around the corner in a rush… only to stumble when he found someone completely unharmed, scratching the back of their head and talking to themself quietly. The stranger seemed to hear him, and turned around. Izuku was able to get a good look at the stranger, and he was shocked by what he saw. Red hair with a patch of white. A long scar over his left eye. Dark, heavy bags under both eyes. For half a second, the green-haired boy thought he was looking at a villain or a vigilante.

His face flushed when he realized that he was staring without saying anything. "U-Um, sorry! I-I didn't mean to stare, but I heard a loud crash and then I heard someone scream, and I was already onmywayhereandIwasalreadymovingbeforeIrealizedit-" Izuku broke into another fit of stuttering, making various gestures with his hands as he tried to explain. The stranger just looked at him blankly, as if he was waiting for him to stop. Eventually, All Might caught up to his green haired successor, still in his skinny form. "Oh, All Mi-I mean, uh, um…" Izuku panicked, not knowing how else to address his mentor. It wasn't like All Might gave him his real name. All Might was also trying to cover for him. Neither of them were being very convincing.

"…Hello." The stranger greeted after a moment. No one said anything after that, so the stranger just turned back to the pile and started picking things up. Things that looked way too large for him to carry, considering his physique. Maybe it was his Quirk? "I'm just going to drop these off at the recycling center… Sorry for the inconvenience." He gestured to the junk that just collapsed.

"Ah, no, it's fine. I'm just glad you're alright." Izuku explained with a nervous smile, glad he didn't press. He didn't speak to people that often, so his social skills were a bit lacking. He held a hand out. "I'm Izuku Midoriya. I've been training here for a few months now. It's nice to meet you."

The stranger held out his own, now holding up the junk with one hand, and they shook. "Shirou Sakatsuki. To be honest, I'm just killing some time. Figured that I might as well do it to help the community." Sakatsuki pulled back, looking up at All Might. "And this is… Your personal trainer, or something?"

"Erm… Or something?" Izuku tried to laugh off, scratching the back of his head nervously. Sakatsuki stared at him a bit longer, before readjusting the junk slung over his shoulder and shaking his head in dismissal. Izuku couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief, glad that he still didn't press.

"Well, it was nice to meet you two. Maybe we'll see each other again. But I need to get home." With that, Sakatsuki turned around and left, carrying hundreds of pounds of trash with him as he went.

All Might coughed into his hand after the redhead left. Thankfully, it wasn't a bloody one this time. "Well, it's nice to know that others have a heroic spirit. But let's continue your training, Young Midoriya." The Symbol of Peace clenched a fist with his signature grin. Izuku nodded, but even as he began hauling trash, he couldn't help but let his mind drift.

Maybe he'd see Sakatsuki again in Yuuei.

Miyu sat on the couch watching TV, the reporter explaining a recent killing that happened last night. Apparently, a slightly famous Pro-Hero was killed overnight, and her body was discovered by a passerby around two in the morning. It wasn't too far from where they lived, but she wasn't worried. Her brother had been teaching her how to better protect herself with Sapphire, and she could use the Class Cards in an emergency. So even if he wasn't around, she could protect herself.

But hearing of a dead Hero… for some reason, her mind drifted to her adoptive father's last moments. She was always curious about him. Why were his eyes were always so cold and tired? Why was he so sick all of the time? She wanted to learn more about him back then. Eventually, she did learn something.

The night he died, Kiritsugu-san called her brother over for a chat. That night, she was wandering the house looking for them, and overheard the end of their conversation. Kiritsugu-san said that he wanted to be an Ally of Justice when he was young. He would save as many people as he could. But every time he tried, he made a mistake, and things got worse. Eventually, he decided that couldn't take it anymore, and he wanted to take the easy way out. Trying to become a Hero was like 'chasing after a clouded moon on a pitch black night'. Her brother's response to such a heartfelt confession?

'Even if you can't see the moon, the stars are still shining. Chasing after what's right could never be a mistake. I will never let it be a mistake!'

After that, they remained silent until her brother turned around to go back to sleep. But Kiritsugu-san didn't move an inch from his spot. Shirou walked back and shook his shoulder, but he did not wake up. He tried calling out to him, but Kiritsugu-san did not wake up. He didn't even realize that the man wasn't breathing until the sun began to rise.

She didn't cry when Kiritsugu-san died. They weren't close, not at all. He never looked at her warmly. He never said kind things to her. He never saw her as anything but his tool for saving the world. Why would she cry for him?

Shirou didn't cry either. He was the one to take his father's body, and cremate it until only ashes remained. They weren't placed in an urn, or scattered into the sea. He just took them into that shed behind the house and she never saw them again. But from that moment on, her brother changed. For a while, the only word she could describe him with was 'conflicted'. Now she knew why.

She lifted her feet off the floor and hugged her knees.

That wasn't a problem anymore, right? They were in a new world, where superheroes were completely normal and the world wasn't in danger. With warm, sunny days and an ocean that reached far beyond the horizon. Kind people they could trust and rely on. He could fulfill his promise to Kiritsugu-san, just like he wanted to all those years ago. The clouds had parted, and the moon was shining brighter than ever, so to speak.

At the very least, he was happier here than he was back in their world. He had friends who he could laugh with (She read his text messages, and she really wanted to meet this 'Hakuno'), he had a place he could call home, a family who loved him. She knew that part of her wish came true.

But he didn't want to be a Hero anymore, regardless of the world they lived in. He didn't even want to try, even though he was more than capable of it. His heart was in the right place, he had the skills and power to do it, and he knew what a proper Hero looked like. She was absolutely certain that he could be one of the greatest Heroes to exist. And despite all that… he expressed no desire to fulfill his old dream.

Why?

The ringing of the doorbell distracted her from that train of thought. She raised her head in surprise, looking right at the door at the end of the hall. "Sapphire, was Onii-chan expecting any guests?" She asked, the wand flying out from under her hair.

"If he was, then I'm sure he would've mentioned it to you, Miyu-sama. But he wouldn't invite people into his home this early into the day, not to mention the fact that he is currently resting. They are most likely unexpected guests." Replied the Mystic Code. "I shall wake up Shirou-sama. Check to see who our visitors are, but leave the door shut unless you know who they are." With that, Sapphire floated towards her brother's room, which was actually the first door on the left from the entrance. It was right across her room, and next to the bathroom. Eri's room was right next to hers, though it was originally a guest room.

She stepped up to the door, but couldn't see through the peephole. Rather than try and find the stool, she began to open the door, but left the chain on as insurance. If it was an intruder, they might try cutting the chain with bolt cutters and force their way in, but Sapphire was grabbing her brother at the moment. When she opened the door fully, she saw a familiar-looking detective. Apparently, he was expecting her brother, because he looked confused when he saw no one at his eye level. "Mr. Tsukauchi, I'm down here." She said softly, causing the man to look down at her.

"Oh. Sorry about that, but I was expecting your brother. Can you go grab him?" The detective replied, looking down at her level. She was about to reply that Sapphire was grabbing him, when a third voice spoke up. It was her brother, though he sounded tired.

"Sorry, I'll be out in a minute. Miyu, you can let him in, take him to the living room." He called out, a noticeable exhaustion in his voice. He was already up when she woke up this morning, but he went back to bed the moment he finished taking a shower. Miyu tried taking the chain off, but she couldn't figure it out. "Miyu, you have to close the door first, then take the chain off." Her brother called out again, somehow knowing that she was struggling with the door's lock. Thankfully, the chain was low enough for her to remove, though she had to stand on her toes to reach it.

When she opened the door fully, she saw Mr. Tsukauchi in his detective coat, but there were two other people with him. One was a short old lady in a lab coat carrying a giant syringe, and… an animal? It was even shorter, less than a meter tall, and it had a scar over its left eye. It was dressed in relatively formal clothing, though it also wore a pair of brown sneakers. When it caught Miyu staring, it tilted its head with a smile. "Is something wrong, young lady?" It asked politely.

"…I can't tell what species you are." She answered honestly. He had the head of a mouse, but the ears of a bear, the paws of a dog, and the tail of a cat. What was the term for that? Chimera? The 'Chimera' laughed it off.

"You and many others, Miss Sakatsuki. A few have tried to figure it out, none have succeeded. May we come in as well?" It asked, gesturing to himself and the old lady. Miyu nodded, and led all three guests to the main room. When she gestured for them to sit on the couch, it smiled at her… well, as much as she could read its expressions. "We can stand just fine." The old lady looked like she wanted to protest, but held her tongue.

"Wasn't there a second couch here? Did you move it somewhere?" Mr. Tsukauchi asked, looking around the apartment for anywhere the other couch could be. Before Miyu could explain, a flash of light temporarily blinded her, and a second couch appeared opposite of the first. Mr. Tsukauchi looked surprised, but the animal and the old lady didn't. A voice followed the sudden appearance of a second couch.

"Sorry about that, I dismissed it after you left last time." Shirou stepped into the living room dressed in a plain white shirt and sweatpants, Sapphire and Eri following him. He sat down on the second couch, gesturing for the guests to sit down on the real one. Miyu scooted next to her brother, Sapphire floated in the air beside her. Eri sat on his other side.

"Fascinating. But I thought you only made weapons?" The animal asked, though he didn't look all that confused. "Perhaps a Quirk Evolution?"

"My Quirk doesn't work on things that have too many moving parts in them, like a clock or a gun. The Commission told me to do what I felt comfortable with, and sharp weapons are easiest for me. But I could've made a pillow, a mattress, a paperclip, a ball of yarn, or even a cotton candy machine with a bit more effort." Shirou replied, scratching the back of his head with a wry smile. Miyu knew that grin, he used it whenever he was half-lying. He changed the topic before they could ask him any more about his Quirk. "I met Detective Tsukauchi a bit before we were put into Witness Protection, but I don't think I've met either of you. And I'm sure you already know who we are, considering the fact that you already knew my Quirk."

"You would be correct. I am Nezu. Am I a mouse? A dog? A bear? Regardless, I'm the Principal of Yuuei. This is our head nurse Chiyo Shuzenji, also known as Recovery Girl. As I'm sure you can imagine, a Hero School tends to result in a lot of injuries. It's her job to treat them, though we have other doctors and nurses to assist her. There are also students who train under her on occasion." The animal-Nezu, she corrected herself, introduced himself. Shuzenji-san nodded slightly when Nezu introduced her.

"Principal of Yuuei…" Miyu heard her brother say quietly. Wait, Yuuei? As in Yuuei Academy? The biggest Hero School in Japan, and one of the biggest in the world? She was just thinking about her brother's old ideal! "Can I ask the reason for your visit?" Mr. Tsukauchi raised his hand before Nezu could reply. Nezu gestured for him to speak.

"I'm not sure about these two, but I'm here to check in on you three. Or is it four?" Mr. Tsukauchi turned to look right beside Miyu, where Sapphire was floating. She was hiding behind Miyu's hair at all times of day during the Witness Protection, something about 'not wanting to be witnessed by the unworthy'. He shook his head. "Regardless, I'm just here to make sure you've all settled in. Were there any issues?" Miyu and Eri shook their heads, they didn't have any problems. But Shirou nodded, surprising Miyu.

"Someone went through my stuff while we were gone. A lot of the boxes in my closet were moved, and they weren't put back properly. I know it wasn't me because we weren't in a rush when we left, and I made sure to put everything away properly. Nothing was stolen, but they left a few gifts." With a smirk, he pulled out a plastic bag from his pocket, and inside was some kind of device. Miyu didn't know what it was, there were two wires connecting the parts. Mr. Tsukauchi seemed to recognize it though, and he didn't like it, going off of his expression.

"I… see. This isn't something I can ignore. I'll make sure to look into it." Mr. Tsukauchi decided, taking the small electronics from her brother as he left. He took his hat off and bowed slightly. "Thank you for your time." He said with a small smile, before putting his hat back on and leaving.

Miyu turned her attention back to the other two guests, who looked like they were waiting patiently. Her brother started the conversation again. "So, what could Yuuei's principal and head nurse want with us?" He asked, taking on a slightly different tone. Not upset or giddy, just… different. Slightly more… apathetic?

Miss Recovery Girl pointed her walking stick at Eri. "Her Quirk. It allows her to return any living being back to a previous state. She has no control over it. I'm sure you understand why I'm concerned?"

"I wouldn't say she has no control over it. I've been taking apple cores and having her try to turn them back into full apples. I've also taken a few old and wilting plants, and had her turn them back into buds. She usually turned both back into seeds, but she's been getting better." Her brother explained, though he looked a bit miffed. "I've had her use her Quirk more often as she's eating more. She looks less pale and her whole body is a bit fuller, but her horn is getting bigger. I think that's what her Quirk is accumulating so it can rewind things. Early on, her horn sparked occasionally and she said it felt 'itchy'. I don't want to know what happens if she builds up too much." He stroked Eri's hair, while she held her horn with a sad expression.

"Oh, dearie." Miss Recovery Girl said with a bit of a sad tone. She looked back up at Miyu's older brother. "If it's learning control, then there's no better place she could learn than Yuuei. We have facilities if something goes wrong. And I'm not getting any younger. If she was up for it, she could be my successor."

Shirou leaned back into the sofa and crossed his arms. Miyu could tell that he wasn't that upset, but his mood was slightly spoiled. Though it was much less extreme than when he was contacted by the HPSC the first time. "…I see. Did Nezu-san come here for the same reason?"

"Not quite, and just call me Nezu." The principal stuffed his paws into his pocket, and pulled out a letter. "I'm here to inform you that you were recommended for Yuuei's recommendation exams, and ask if you wished to participate."

"…What?" It had been a long time since Miyu heard such surprise in her brother's voice. But she didn't pay much attention to that. She was too shocked at the revelation, as well.

Alright, this chapter is finally done. I'll try and get the next chapter done soon, it should go by quicker than normally since we're starting to break into Canon. After that, we should get the recommendation exams. And in terms of timeline, Shirou and Miyu arrived six months ago. So about the time for their apartment's lease to run out.

This one was supposed to come out sooner, but I got really sick last weekend. Couldn't even get out of bed, let alone work on this. I'm doing okay now, so I'll work even harder on this next one. Then, I'm working on my new story. Maybe.

Side note, I'm hoping to be a plague doctor this Halloween. It would make for an interesting omake here… maybe in the next chapter.

Speaking of, I got one for you guys this time, taking place around the beginning of the story in terms of timeline. I'll also be marking them as Canon or Non-Canon from now on, so no one complains to me about that kind of stuff. Enjoy!

Omake (Canon): Hardly Family Friendly

Shirou took a sip of his drink, looking out the window as several cars drove by. Across from him, Miyu was coloring in the back of a paper menu with some crayons that the restaurant provided. They only just ordered, so it would probably be a bit before it arrived. Thankfully, it was fairly early into the morning, so it wouldn't be too long, either.

They were eating at a diner not too far from their new apartment. While Shirou could just project all the cookware he needed, they didn't have any ingredients to cook with, so they would have to make do with eating out until they got their feet on the ground. Thankfully, Miyu wasn't opposed to this, even though she liked his cooking much more. Not that he disagreed.

Shirou ruled out fast food pretty quickly, which was a decision supported by Miyu. She only had it once, and decided she didn't like it. Too salty and oily, too much sugar, really high in cholesterol and saturated fat. None of these traits were ones that Miyu enjoyed, contrary to most kids her age. So places like this were preferable to the siblings. It helped that the cooks were competent, instead of teenagers his age hoping to make some money. With that said, Shirou thought he would look into chef work a bit, maybe get a job in that profession. But not at fast food places, that's where he drew the line.

Shirou looked away from the street and back at Miyu, paying close attention to her drawings. The back of the menu was blank, so it was easy for her to draw whatever she wanted. Granted, she could only do so much with cheap crayons, but she wasn't exactly a master artist, either. She was really good for her age though. And he didn't say that as her older brother, he said it as someone who had seen quite a bit of impressive art (Granted, some of it was through EMIYA's memories, and part of it was from his new underclassman Kishinami. She was… interesting). While he wouldn't call it a masterpiece, it was fairly well done.

One of the waitresses, her name tag read 'Mary', stepped up to their table with an empty tray and an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry for the delay, there was a mixup with some of the orders and we're trying to figure it out." She explained, her smile turning a bit nervous when Shirou raised an eyebrow.

He shook his head with a sigh. "No, it's fine, we can wait." He replied evenly, Miyu nodding her head and going back to her coloring. The waitress visibly dropped her shoulders in relief. "Were you expecting me to blow up at you or something?"

"If I'm being honest sir… a little bit. I mean no offense, but you look a little…" She trailed off, trying to think of a word that wasn't offensive-sounding. Shirou realized she was referring to the scar, and probably the eyebags too. He knew he looked a bit intimidating, but so far, it didn't bother anyone majorly.

"Intimidating?" He offered, in a completely unoffended tone. Mary seemed to shrink a bit at that, and he waved it off. "It's fine, I'm perfectly aware of how I look. Just because I'm comfortable with it doesn't mean everyone else is." She let out a sigh of relief, glad that this customer was so understanding.

"I'm sorry, I'm fairly new to the job, and I keep worrying that someone's going to get mad at me if I screw up, so I've been doing my best." Mary admitted, taking one hand away from the empty tray and scratching the back of her head. Shirou nodded in understanding, it didn't take a lot for Julian to switch from tired and annoyed to loud and annoying. "No one's been terrible, but I have had a few people that looked really irritated at me if I brought them their orders late. It's usually really early in the morning though, so it's probably because they're tired. Or at least, that's what I tell myself." Shirou gave her a strange look when he heard her mutterings.

The sound of distant police sirens distracted the two teens from their conversation. "Another Villain attack… is that normal here? We're new to the area." Shirou asked, looking out the windows.

"Yes, actually. It was usually a daily thing, though it was something the local Heroes could manage. Now it's much more common, and a bit more extreme than we had before All Might came to town. But things are still very manageable." Mary explained, looking out the front windows. "…Strange, they're coming awfully close by."

"Is there anything important nearby? A Hero Agency, a store, maybe a bank?" Miyu asked, stopping her coloring to look up at the waitress.

"There is a bank nearby, but it's a fairly small one. I stop by occasionally to use the ATMs, but I've never really needed to go inside for any other reason." Mary replied, before shaking her head. "I'm sure it's nothing the police can't handle, and if not them, then Heroes can take care of it." Shirou nodded along, taking another sip of his drink. "Ah, I should get back to work. It was nice talking to you!" With her piece said, she turned back around and walked back into the kitchen. The relative peace only lasted a moment, though.

A man in a cheap ski mask burst through the door, a beast's claw taking the place of his right hand. "Nobody move!" In his spare hand, he held a gun, specifically a M1911, America's sidearm of choice since… well, 1911. He grabbed the person closest to him, dragging them to the front of the store… Unfortunately, the one he grabbed was Shirou.

Whether it was unfortunate for the red-headed Magus, or the man who grabbed that red-headed Magus, was up for debate. The man's claws didn't even dig into his skin, for root's sake! But Shirou wasn't fighting back at the moment. He could say it was because he didn't want the man to accidentally shoot someone else, he could even say it was because he was waiting for the man to let his guard down. But the truth was, he was just too surprised.

Of all the people he could've grabbed in that restaurant, it was him. Him, who best knew how to deal with this situation. Him, who could turn this man into paste on the ground with a touch (Reinforcement was terrifying if one used it wrong enough). Him, who could have freed himself with the least amount of effort possible. At the moment, none of that mattered, because Shirou was still trying to comprehend the situation, which was, at least from his perspective, just too funny. That made it relatively easy for the robber to drag him out front.

The assumed bank robber held Shirou to his right with his clawed hand, pressing the gun against his left with the normal one. Several police cars stopped not ten feet away, and several officers stepped out and pointed their own guns at the criminal and his 'hostage'. One of the Pro-Heroes from nearby, a young woman with black hair in a white and blue bodysuit, took a fighting stance. What did she plan on doing, punching the guy out after he shot his hostage? "That's enough, Villain! Put the boy down, and I might even go easy on you!" She declared confidently, a wry smirk plastered on her face.

'Who is she calling 'boy'? She's what, five years older than me?' Shirou argued in his head, forgetting that he currently had a gun held to it. He was promptly reminded when the bank robber pressed the gun's barrel against his temple.

"Yeah right, Moonlight! You take one step from that spot, and I'm putting a hole in this brat's head!" The robber insisted, pulling the slide back to chamber a round. That single moment, when the robber had both hands on his gun and neither on him, was optimal for Shirou to counterattack. So he did. How?

Shirou rammed his elbow right below the man's ribs, roughly where his liver would be. When the man doubled over in pain, Shirou did not let up, raising a knee to the man's chin and knocking him over. He let go of his gun, and it was tossed into the air. Shirou caught it, stepping on the man's chest as he removed the magazine and ejected the chambered bullet. He tossed the magazine and gun away from each other, but held onto the spare bullet. He turned to the police and 'Moonlight', who stood in place out of shock.

"Um… You can arrest him now." Shirou called out, pinning the man's right wrist to the ground to prevent him from clawing at his pants. He damaged his clothes enough as is, going by the slashes on his left shoulder. He was fine, his sleeves were not. Without waiting for any of them to respond, he stepped back into the diner, where everyone else was also staring at him in awe. Well, not including Miyu, who was just smiling at him. After mentally groaning, he turned towards one of the waitresses. "Do you think we can get our food to go?"

Truly, there was no rest for the weary.