Chapter 4

"Urgh…"

Joshua had yawned for the nth time that morning. He was clearly not used to having a younger body despite having the mind of a fully grown adult. Why he was feeling dead tired right now was simple. He had stayed up all night researching all he can about the world and asking questions to his less than awake guardian until three in the morning. There was much that he learned and much more to be learned.

One thing that he found fascinating throughout his lengthy research session was the existence of the "internet." He was thoroughly amazed at how almost every single information about the world he was in was there. And to think all he had to do to use a device that could access it, something that Aizawa had provided for him as a sign of gratitude for saving the man's life. A cellphone is what it was called and allowed him to not only use the internet but allowed him to make calls or text messages to someone even if they were far away. Gone are the days that he had to walk from one point to the other just to deliver a message.

Another thing that he found fascinating was of course, the existence of quirks. He had learned that these quirks are some form/s of mutation/s on the human body that allowed them to exhibit certain types of abilities or change their appearances. There were three types: emitter, transformation, and mutant. The first one was easy, all it needed for the quirk-user to do is will his/her quirk to appear and it would. The second was slightly akin to the first, allowing the user to turn themselves into anything depending on what their quirk is. Kind of like a shapeshifter. And the last one, mutant, simply turns the user into, what else, a mutant that combines the characteristics of animals in the world with the user's human body and was permanent, unlike the first two types. Joshua never thought that that would have become of humanity much less be the first person in their world to experience multiple versions of reality.

Aside from the general questions about quirks and what they entail, Joshua had also familiarized himself with the hierarchies of this world's society, its rules, regulations, and all of its current events. Several news outlets showcased the attack in U.A. and has been content of the news ever since. Joshua had also learned the current ranking of heroes to further familiarize himself who the role models of this current society is and to understand what makes them great. It was all a fruitful and productive night for Joshua. Though, there was something that he took notice of. Throughout his research, he had never once heard of a hero intentional killing a villain to save others. Most of the ones he read were instances of accidental killings and deaths, as though they find the necessity of ridding the world of evil people a taboo. There may have been laws regarding the prohibition of taking another's life, but what would happen if they faced someone where they had no choice other than to claim that life?

Joshua frowned internally. In the Mojave and even in Zion, people killed each other out of necessity to survive. Why, the last time he had been in Zion, he was busy wiping out the White-Legs for disturbing the peace. He supposed that these heroes were taught that everyone could have a second chance and were ingrained to detain villains and evildoers instead. However, as his thoughts drifted back into the USJ attack, those villains clearly had the purpose of ending innocent children's lives, especially the one who proposed himself as the ringleader. That man only wanted to destroy everything around him and watch the world burn as he stood on top of it. Even after hearing his lengthy speech about how heroes and villains were following black-and-white morals, Joshua found that man as a rather pompous hypocrite. Preaching about what is right and what is wrong despite harming others? How preposterous. The next time he meets that man, he would put a bullet through his head and end his heinous reign.

Joshua yawns again. He should have slept instead and asked his questions the next morning but sadly, his curiosity got the better of him. He had to arm himself with knowledge about an unknown place to survive after all. Adding to that, his vow to protect the many innocent lives of this world and rain God's judgement upon the evils of his world also made him sacrifice his hours of sleep for knowledge. Eh… he could have at least planned wisely before pulling an all-nighter.

Right beside him, Aizawa also yawned deeply. Answering his charge's questions was a bit taxing but nonetheless, a necessity. If it was true that this boy beside him now was an old man in another world, then he would scour every bit of place to gain information and learn about his new surroundings. That would take some time though, but at least he acted quite maturely as he claims. Unlike some of his students, however. Hm, what if he made that one problem child be put under Joshua's care? The teen clearly has an experience with dealing with rather explosive people so maybe… hm, no, no, better plan this out some more.

Back to the teen's story. He does act like a full-grown adult indeed. With the way he acts, you could easily compare him with any pro hero, and you'll find that he's much more experienced and rational than others (just like a certain flaming asshole). The way he dealt with the villains is an action that Aizawa only sees in vigilantes. Swift and efficient, albeit brutal and merciless. The slaughter of the villains was what drove Aizawa to believe that this boy beside him is who he says he is and he was not a man to be trifled with. Aizawa yawns again. Too much thinking and not enough sleep.

"We should have slept more than we had stayed up," he said as he drawled, the lack of sleep taking a toll on his body.

"Agreed. I apologize for making you stay up that late. I am not familiar with this world nor do I know anything about it. Your assistance has proven to be quite beneficial and the sacrifice you have made is appreciated. Thank you," replied the bandaged teen, yawning a bit as he went.

"Don't mention it. Just... don't do it so often, I guess," said Aizawa.

They went silent for a few moments before Aizawa spoke again.

"It's not my habit to ask too many questions but as my job as a teacher and a hero, I am inclined to do so. There are some that I want to ask but I suppose those can wait. This one, however, is simply a curious question." Joshua turned to meet the man's face and waited. Seeing this as permission to go on, Aizawa said, "How is it that you're speaking Japanese? From what you've said, you're American."

"New Canaanite but yes." Joshua stifled a yawn before replying again. "I am not sure. I do not recall having the ability to speak in the Japanese tongue. It is most probably the cause of my… reincarnation in your world that allowed me to do so."

Aizawa hummed in reply, neither indicating that he was satisfied nor unsatisfied with the answer. "I see."

The two tired men were currently aboard a train going towards U.A. They had gotten off a bit late due to one of them oversleeping and now they had to hurry a bit. Luckily for them, the train sped rather quickly through each station and cut back some time for them. As the train slowed as it approached the station near U.A., Joshua and Aizawa stood up and made their way to the door and exited once the train had stopped. Aizawa walked out first and was followed by Joshua until they stopped in front of a vending machine.

"Hang on. Let's get ourselves something to drink. Just a bit of energy to keep us awake," Aizawa said. He inserted 200¥ inside the machine and selected two bottles of coffee for the both of them. He takes one and hands the other to the bandaged teen.

"I… don't think coffee would have much of an effect on me. I had long since realized that I am immune to any form of addictives or chems so drinking coffee will be lost on me," said Joshua. When Aizawa raised an eyebrow, the bandaged teen then said, "It's mostly because of not intaking drugs as part of my tribe's culture. Due to that, I believe that my body has developed a form of immunity that stops the effects of any drug to act onto my body. Only certain items, such as the stimpak that I have shown you yesterday, exhibit their effects."

Aizawa continued sipping his coffee to register everything Joshua had just said. "I… see. Well, just drink it. It may not give you the boost of energy that caffeine gives you, but at least it would give you some energy like eating food. If what you say is true, then I'll have Recovery Girl run some tests on you, just to see what medications will work or what won't. Truthfully, this is the first time that I have heard of someone being immune to drugs, but then again, the universe is a big place." He takes another swig from the bottles before giving the other coffee bottle again. "Take it."

Joshua took the bottle gratefully and takes a swig out of it. And almost immediately, his whole body turned awake as though the effects of the coffee's caffeine had thoroughly coursed through his veins. Seeing how the teen is looking more awake than before, Aizawa smiled. "Heh, told you. I guess your body's a coffee lover too huh?"

"It would appear so," Joshua replied, chuckling a bit. "Life sure is full of surprises."

"You're telling me. Come on, we're going to be late for class and I don't want that to happen," Aizawa said, turning towards the direction of the school.

"Lead the way."

Class 1-A was a rather energetic class. Well, any class could be if the previous day had been one hectic experience. It was the first time they had to deal with villains and boy was that something. At least they now know what they're working against. Several members of the class had been chatting amongst themselves about the prior day's events.

"Whoo… man, what a crazy day that was huh? To think a simple rescue exercise would turn into a combat zone," a dopey faced teen called Sero said.

"Yeah. Did you see the news? The USJ attack was the talk of the town! We were all featured there," replied spiky, red-haired teen called Kirishima.

"The darkness has fallen upon the land, yet the light has come to shine on it. How fortuitous," agreed a raven-headed teen named Tokoyami, earning a few glances over his direction.

"A bit cryptic with that Tokoyami-kun," replied a pink-skinned girl named Mina. "But yeah, same thoughts, same thoughts. On another note, hey Tsu! Who do you think is going to teach homeroom today? I heard Aizawa-sensei got injured pretty badly back then."

The frog-girl croaked as she gave her response. "It would probably be still Aizawa-sensei, kero. He did get heavily injured, yes, but from what I remember, Joshua-san healed him using a strange syringe that contained a fast-acting medication that healed up most of Aizawa-sensei's injuries."

"For real?" the pinkette said, surprise evident on her face. "Just who is this guy anyway? Is he like, a really mysterious third year that we don't know that came in to save you guys' lives? Is he like, James Bond, swooping in to save the day like a modern knight in shining armor? Who is he?! Come on Tsu, tell meee!" The pinkette then shook the frog-girl by her shoulders.

"I… Am… Not… Sure," Asui said in-between shakes. The pinkette then stopped shaking her friend in order to let her speak. "Again, I am not sure. I can't really agree with your analogy of him as James Bond. He's kinda more like… hm… Batman? Batman but more brutal. As in, killing-machine brutal."

"He's like the Terminator! The Terminator I tell you! He was all like, bang bang! Pew pew! And the villains went arrghhh! Guhhaacckk! Blegghhh!" said Mineta, clearly going overboard with his descriptions.

"GODDAMMIT SHUT THE FUCK UP PERVERT GRAPE OR I'M GONNA BEAT YOU SIX WAYS TILL SUNDAY!" yelled out Bakugo in a furious rage at the purple midget, who shrunk several sizes in his seat. "Ain't no fuckin' way that this gun-totin' freak's Terminator! He's obviously the T-1000!"

"Sorry about t-that. But, as K-Kacchan had said, I-I don't think that's how it went, Mineta-san," said Midoriya, scratching the back of his head. "Though in truth, he was definitely r-ruthless to those villains. I guess you could say we got lucky that we managed to talk him down…" Midoriya looked a bit sullen and then suddenly, brightened up almost instantly. "B-but, he's not like that t-though! When I-I was called in by the p-principal into his office, he was brought there too! A-and, when we talked to him, h-he's not all what he seems to be! I genuinely think that h-he's a good person and I think he could be a great hero too!"

"Really, kero? All I got from my impression of him was that he has no regard for human life by how he just executed those villains without a second thought."

"W-well… there are some certain things that he t-told us that made him like that actually. And um… I g-guess I can't really blame him? We j-just have to help him adjust to our c-class and society, that's all!"

Silence. Bakugo looked at Midoriya as he had just grown a second head. Asui raised an eyebrow at the greenette and Mineta narrowed his eyes upon hearing those particular words.

"What do you mean, 'adjust to our class'?" inquired the explosive blonde, calmly.

Midoriya had realized his mistake. He had been specifically told not to break this bit of news to anyone and was to be kept at utmost secrecy until the other party arrives. He gulped the lump forming in his throat and said, "I… I mean, h-he's going to learn f-from his mistakes and h-heed the words we said back in the USJ?"

Unfortunately for him, there was no turning back.

"Oi, Deku. You better spit it out or I'll make you," said Bakugo menacingly as small explosions started popping off on his hand.

"That's enough."

The class suddenly went silent, and their attentions were brought to the front. Standing by the board was their homeroom advisor, Shota Aizawa, and right beside him was the same person they were all talking about just this moment.

"Bakugo, I don't think I have to remind you to keep your temper in check. You're not a baby anymore."

The ashen-blonde teen huffed grumpily as he folds his arms over his chest. He then threw a glare at the teen beside Aizawa, who only returned it with a quirked eyebrow.

"As for the rest of you who had heard Midoriya's slip-up," Aizawa said, looking at Midoriya briefly, causing the greenette to shrink in his seat even further. "Those are all true. Class, meet your new classmate, Joshua Graham. You and I owe it to him for giving the other heroes and All Might enough time to arrive and save my life and three of your classmates. I expect you treat him with the respect he deserves and welcome him." He turns towards Joshua and motions for him to stand in his place, presumably to introduce himself, then he walks to a corner and curls himself up using his sleeping bag and starts dozing.

The class was obviously holding themselves in from reacting in any kind or asking any question. Joshua realized this and decided to make his introduction short.

"Greetings. I'm sure all of you have a lot to ask me so I will keep this short. My name is Joshua Graham, I am a New Canaanite. I have been transferred here through an exchange program from the United States and will be joining your class from here on out. Please treat me well," he said, bowing as per Japanese tradition. Behind his bow, Joshua was recalling the words Nezu had instructed him to say.

Flashback to yesterday.

"Since you are a special case, Joshua Graham, I believe we should provide you with a believable backstory that would serve to cover up your true origins. As I've said, having a interdimensional student is not a common occurrence in this world and many would freak, so to speak. As such, I have prepared a small script for you to use to pass off as a viable reason."

Joshua took the small notepad given by Nezu and scans the contents briefly. "An exchange student? What is that?"

"It's where two students from two different countries are given the opportunity to study in another country other than their own. It could be to study the culture, create more opportunities, or to in this instance, pursue hero studies in top schools. These are quite common in this day and age, and it would suffice as your cover when you are asked." The mouse-bear explained.

Joshua hummed in thought. It would definitely be troublesome if someone were to know his true origin. Aside from the people in the room, having someone else who knew about him would serve to cause him no end of trouble and perhaps a term of violence caused by him.

"Thank you."

"No need to thank me. As our student, it is our duty to look out for their best interests," Nezu said, smiling kindly at the boy.

Return to present.

Joshua returned from his bow and said, "If you have questions, I suppose I can entertain a few of them. I would not want to be in the way of your progre-"

"Bullshit."

Eh?

"Excuse me?"

"I said… BULLSHIT!"

Bakugo got up from his seat and was walking towards Joshua. Aizawa was woken from his slumber by the outburst and took a few moments to regain his composure. When he saw who it was, he immediately got up.

"Bakugo, take your seat this instant. What did I just tell you?"

"I know what you said, dammit! No, no. I'm not gonna let this one slide! What the fuck is this huh?! Some kind of prank that U.A. created for training?" taunted Bakugo.

"Bakugo! It is not befitting of U.A. student to slander its own school's name! Watch your language!" yelled out Iida at the back.

"Can it Four-Eyes!" the blonde yelled back. "And you huh?! How the hell do you think you are? You think you can just casually stroll in here after what you did, villain?" Bakugo stabbed a finger on Joshua's chest. "He's a killer for fuck's sakes! How can U.A. just casually let this one get in? I already had to deal with a bunch of extras and now this bullshit?" Turning back to Joshua, the blonde teen said, "Tell you what, why don't you walk out of here right now and surrender yourself to the police huh? That way, I don't have to drag your ass out of here with several burns and bruises."

Aizawa was about to intervene when he noticed Joshua holding up a finger down below. The older man then stopped and waited. He was about to see just what this man-turned -boy is capable of.

In that moment, Joshua was equal parts irritated and amused. Irritated, because this rude teen before him is accusing him of things and throwing threats like it's nothing. Must be because he's never had someone tell him off. Who does HE think he is too? Someone has to teach this brat a lesson. On the other hand, he was amused because the teenager inside of him wanted to taunt him back. In a flash of inspiration, he had an idea, one that could kill two birds with one stone.

He then said, "Make me."

The class went silent, their reactions a varying collection of horrified, amused, and surprised. Aizawa raised an amused eyebrow. Shit was about to go down.

Bakugo was obviously not amused. "What did you say, punk?"

Joshua then drew near until there were only a few inches between them. "I said, make me."

Bakugo's eye twitched and he grinned menacingly. "Alright then. Don't blame me if you get sent to the hospital after this!" He raised a hand, and an explosion was charging up, he brought it down as it increased in intensity and he yelled out, "DIE!"

And it was at that moment, he fucked up.

His arm was swatted aside quickly, causing Bakugo to set off the explosion prematurely. It flashed brightly in the classroom and the shockwave was felt across the room but thankfully enough, the blast radius was a bit small and was meant to impact over a shorter surface.

"What the…?!" was all he said when a fist was thrown to his cheek, making him stumble back a bit. Before he fell over to his back, his arm was grabbed this time and pulled him back until he came face to face with a cold, metal, tube pointed at his face. It all happened so fast that when he finally registered what had happened, he froze.

Silence permeated the room as the audience were equal parts shocked, amazed, or appalled. Those who wished for Bakugo to shut up instantly were going batshit crazy in their minds while those who thought that the blonde teen was going to cause a mess were absolutely thrown off their feet at what they're seeing. Those who were appalled were simply so because of Bakugo and seeing the rumors become true. They all waited with bated breath as the two stared at each other intently.

Bakugo was petrified. In an instant, the bandaged teen before him had performed a reversal where he was now the one in harm's way. Suffice to say, that was going to take a dip in his pride and ego.

"Hmph. As I have expected. You act rather rashly than cautiously. You chose to let your emotions get the better of you and failed to see the danger you are now in. Tell me, why is it that you are here in this hero school?" Joshua inquired. "From what I heard, this is a place where future heroes are trained to fight, protect, and pacify the people around them. You… are not. There is a fire in your eyes that I have once held in my soul. Take care that it does not burn others around you in your quest for domination and conquest. For that fire can easily destroy everything you know and love." He removes his grip from Bakugo and holsters back his gun. "That may not be important to you now, but it is the most important thing that I have said."

Bakugo shook himself off and could only glare back at the teen. "This… this isn't over! I'll kill you, you bitch!" he said, shaking slightly as he stormed out of the room.

The room was then rendered silent. Many of the onlookers were too stunned or were either petrified out of shock and fear at the sight before them. It was surprising that someone who looked like he just walked out of the hospital easily swatted Bakugo down and defeat him in a stand-off. On another note, they were equal parts horrified and impressed at how quickly he did just that. The rumors about him were definitely not exaggerated. This boy before them is a stone-cold killer thick and through. As for the amount of mercy the boy holds, that remains to be seen. While there were some in the class that wanted to voice out their concerns, they held themselves back for fear that they might be the ones on the receiving end of the barrel.

Joshua set his eyes before the class. He observed their many faces, the expressions they hold, and the thoughts they have of him. He could already tell that a good amount of them is terrified of him.

"I apologize for that. That was not a good first impression of me to you. I'm sure you've all heard of the rumors of my actions since yesterday and I admit, I did not think my actions through. I can only hope that your perception of me would improve over the time we work together as future heroes of this society. That is all."

Aizawa was impressed. To already make a name for himself as early on in the year and to inspire fear and admiration from others around him was no easy feat to achieve. While he was not approving of threatening the life of his students, he did approve his choice towards Bakugo. The short-tempered boy did have much to learn on how to control himself in these situations. He'll have a talk with him and Joshua later. For now, the day must move on.

"Alright. That's enough. Your gun please, Graham. I am impressed by how you defused the situation, but I will not tolerate this kind of threat towards your fellow classmates. Am I understood?" the scruffy man tiredly said.

"Of course. My apologies once more." With that, he unclipped his holster and hands it over to Aizawa.

"Good. Take the empty seat next to Midoriya," Aizawa said, motioning towards the chair. The bandaged teen walked towards his destination and felt 19 pairs of eyes following him as he sat down. There was much to work with to increase their trust towards him.

When all of them had finally settled down, Aizawa took his position by the front and began. "I'm sure all of you have questions as to why this is happening. In truth, I do not approve of it fully either. However, you owe it to him for saving multiple lives yesterday, including mine. The school believes that he would become a proper hero should he be enrolled here. I know that his methods are unorthodox, but if it would help mold him into one of societies lawbringers then it is our job to train him and likewise, you. And so, again, I need not remind you but for the sake of everything, treat him with respect." He sighed a bit and looked towards the door, expecting a certain someone to enter the classroom again. "As for Bakugo, I will have a word with him. He may need a few moments to fume."

When he found no qualms, Aizawa continued. "Now, onto different matters. You may think that what happened yesterday has already finished, but that is only the beginning. Your fight… isn't over."

That caught the attention of the class sufficiently to move their stares from Joshua.

"Fight?" muttered Kirishima.

"Don't tell me… more villains?" said Jiro, uncertainty etching onto her face.

"Whatever it is, we will be ready," said Yaoyorozu confidently.

They went silent again when Aizawa cleared his throat. In an unceremonious, bored, and drawled out manner accompanied with a strange smile, he said:

"The U.A. Sports Festival… is about to begin."

Three. Two. One. Annndd…

"THAT'S A TOTALLY NORMAL SCHOOL EVENT!"

Joshua almost got his eardrums shattered. The synchronized chorus of replies from the class was deafeningly loud and ear-piercing. At least they no longer had their attention on him.

"WHOO! HELL YEAH! I get to show-off the skills I learned this summer!" yelled out Kirishima, clearly excited.

"Hang on, wait," called out Jiro, getting the attention of the class. "Is it really a good idea to hold the Sports Festival so soon? We just got attacked by villains for crying out loud! Not to mention, there is literally a guy that popped out of nowhere and went on a killing-spree here in U.A.! And he's our classmate." When Jiro realized that Joshua was looking at her, she sheepishly then said, "Uhm… no offense."

"I for one agree with Jiro-san too. It's a bit too early for this given the situation. Would it not be beneficial to let the situation simmer down and investigate it?" agreed Yaoyorozu.

That garnered a chorus of agreement from the others around her. It was definitely too early for the Sports Festival to be held.

Aizawa glares at the class once more to silence them. When they did, he stopped using his quirk and pinched his eyes. "Seriously… could you let me finish? My eyes are getting drier by the moment…" He then applied eyedrops to his eyes and blinked a few times to get them lubricated. "That's better…" he muttered. He pocketed the eye drops then turns to face the class.

"I understand most of your concerns. Likewise, I find the decision to hold the Sports Festival in the next two days a bit fast, but the reasoning behind it is sound. According to Principal Nezu, holding the Sports Festival as is would show to the public that U.A.'s security is as solid as ever and that a villain attack would not be enough to stop it from functioning. No, this event will calm the public of the recent villain attack and allow us to maintain the trust we have with them. This is to show them that we heroes are not easily toppled by evildoers." He took out a box of apple juice and starts drinking it. He takes a a small sip before speaking again. "On another note, this serves as an opportunity for all of you."

"That's right!" Yaoyorozu suddenly cried. "Several agencies and pro heroes would be keeping an eye out for anyone who would strike their eye and perform well in the Sports Festival. It would be a great opportunity for us since we get to train with them after it!"

"Then that means… even if we're just first years, we can become famous already?! Aw heck yeah!" exclaimed Kaminari rather excitedly.

"Heh, you'll probably just be a third-rate sidekick, jamming-whey. You know, you getting dumber if you use your quirk," teased Jiro, causing the electric-quirk user to slump gloomily.

"Huh, almost forgot about that part of the Sports Festival. Guess I'll be going after all, kero," muttered Asui.

Nodding to confirm what the raven-haired girl had just said, Aizawa then continued the explanation. "Precisely. That is why you cannot miss this opportunity. And so, the lessons and training exercises that will be given to you in the next few days will be catered to teaching you these things and how to give your all in the Sports Festival. Plus ultra, so to speak."

With the whole class now finally pumped up, they have forgotten all about what happened just this morning as the tense atmosphere was replaced with enthusiasm. Luckily for Joshua too.

Tun, ten, tun, tuunnn… Tun, tunn, ten, tuunnn…

As the chime sounded signifying the start of lunch, classes from different sections and year levels in U.A. had all gathered into the lunchroom to grab a bite of Lunch Rush's famous signature dishes. Suffice to say, it was jampacked with students.

Joshua was walking by his lonesome in the corridors of U.A. After being reprimanded once more by Aizawa, he had been reflecting on his actions on the past few hours and of yesterday.

'Hm… I have to remind myself that I am dealing with children. These children are by no means like the White-Legs or the inhabitants of the Mojave. I must be careful not to traumatize them even further given how I have already gained a reputation as a ruthless individual,' he mused. As he was lost in his thoughts, he felt a hand grab him by the shoulders. Lifting his head out of the clouds, he turned to look at the hand's owner.

From there he saw a tall, blue-haired, bespectacled teen. Beside him was a short, brown-haired, bubbly-looking girl and Midoriya.

"Graham-san, was it?" asked the bespectacled teen.

"Yes?" replied Joshua.

Drawing himself to full height, the bespectacled teen suddenly began chopping the air.

"You, good sir, have the nerve to be here and terrorize my classmates with your actions and your presence! Why I ought to teach you a thing or two about basic human manners! That way, you could at least understand the wrongs in your ways!" berated the teen.

Ah, so that's what it was about.

"And to use a weapon as barbaric as a gun! Do you not know the laws of our society that dictates that the use of guns by minors is illegal unless you are a law enforcer or a pro hero?! And to claim lives at that! You sir are nothing, but a troublemaker and I hope you realize that!" continued the teen.

Joshua just stood there and fought the urge to slap this guy in the face. It's like the kid had a stick up his ass and couldn't figure out how to remove it. It's like talking to one of those Mr. Handy models back in the Mojave.

"I-Iida-kun! *pant* one sec… you run too fast…!"

Joshua and Iida turned to face the direction of the sound and found Midoriya panting as he tried to regain his breath. Beside him, was a bubbly, brown, bob-haired girl that patted Midoriya on the back. Once Midoriya caught his breath, he stood up.

"That was tiring…" Midoriya said. "Uhm… I figured you were going to do this once you found Joshua-san, Iida-kun. A-and, I came to tell you that he isn't all who you think he is! He's just adjusting, that's all!"

Aghast, Iida then said, "What? Adjusting? I don't know what rules they have in America, but I'm pretty sure that killing is still a violation of the law!"

Nodding rapidly, Midoriya said, "I know, I know! B-but, if you just listen to what he says, I'm sure you'll understand why he had to do what he had to do back in the USJ!"

"Yeah, Iida-kun! You always tell us not to judge a book by its cover so maybe Joshua-san is actually nicer than we think he is! Isn't that right, Joshua-san?" agreed Uraraka, beaming at the bandaged teen.

Joshua only fell silent because of those words. Well, that was certainly something. While he could have defended himself easily, it was nice having others to defend him and his reputation.

"Hm, you two are good neighbors to those around you. I must admit, I did not expect to be defended by another person besides Midoriya. Thank you," he said, earning a smile from Uraraka. "I suppose I have a lot of explaining to do. But, I don't think it would be could to digest a lot of information on an empty stomach. Shall we?"

Iida removed his grasp from the bandaged teen and reluctantly followed the teen. "Ah… right. Of course."

"So… because you were quirkless, you were taught from an early age how to use guns and use it to combat others who wish to harm you?"

"Precisely."

"But… you don't necessarily have to use it unless needed, quite commendable by the way, as you are also trained in the ways of speech and pacification?"

"Correct. Our religion as New Canaanites has taught us that everyone is God's children, whether they are good or evil. However, if they continue to harm others and claim innocent lives, it is my job to step in and purge them from God's creation."

"But if you say God is the ultimate judge, why do you assume that position then?"

"Hm… that is a good question. One that I do not have to answer to just yet. All I know is that one day, our Lord will return to judge each and every one of us and deem us worthy of his kingdom. Until then, we must honor his laws and start others along the path of salvation if we can. Think of it this way, He is the ultimate judge, and I am the one who sets up the appointments for him."

"It feels as though you are contradicting yourself, however. Does it not stipulate that you shouldn't kill in His commandments?"

Joshua thought about that. The boy was right.

"Hm… you're right. He did command us to never claim a life as He is the one that can do that. However, there were such times that the Lord had acted differently when He had lived amongst us as humans. When He found that the temple was polluted with moneychangers and beasts, did he walk away? Did he cry? No… he drove them out."

The tension in the air suddenly doubled as Joshua spoke those words. It was as if God himself had gone down from heaven and put his wrath into one man and allowed him to deliver it.

"It is one thing to forgive a slap across my cheek, but an insult to the Lord requires… no, it demands correction. You've seen what these villains are prepared to do to bring about chaos into your world. If the Lord has brought me here, then it is for a reason. I don't enjoy killing, but when done righteously, it is a chore, like any other."

There was a saying, fear the man who speaks calmly yet holds a raging fire in his soul. And for good measure. That was exactly what Iida, Midoriya, and Uraraka were feeling right now. And in the next coming of days, they will learn the many nuances of morality and to show the true colors of the world.

"Ah, I almost forgot. The Lord commands us to never commit unjustifiable killing of others around us. That is what he meant by 'Thou shall not kill.' For there are others who kill for the sake of killing and others who take pleasure in it. I am no such person. My mission is to simply cleanse this world of others who slaughters others like animals and those who have abandoned all reason and joined themselves with the forces of evil and the animals who form them. I will be the Lord's right-hand man in delivering his wrath. And to those that I shall strike, will know His name."

Welp, that about does it. Here's chapter 4. Some filler chapters to let the BNHA characters that he means business. Oh, that part with Bakugo? Yeah, just saying, that guy had it coming.

So uhm... after this, I'll be writing the U.A. Sports Festival arc and it's going to take me a while. I'll be adding a bit of filler before the actual thing like a paragraph or three of some stuff before the Sports Festival just to make the story seem coherent.

With that said, I hope you like what I did with Joshua in this chapter and of course, leave a review of your thoughts and suggestions.

This is Arbiter101, and I'll see you in the next one. Buh-bye.

Edit: For the guy who pointed out the cut off lines (Degenweeb, was it?), I checked and yeah, my mistake haha. Thanks for pointing that out. Cheers lad.

And big thanks for Lord Aurelian (?) for pointing out that one thing. Now I know what was missing from the last part of Chapter 4.

-Arbiter101