Note: I had a new idea for a new ghost power that is similar to Danny but is totally different if that makes sense. So there are a few minor edits to the previous chapter. But you don't need to reread since the plot is still the same. All you got to know is that when Midoriya's ghost sense activates, it is steam or hot air rather than a cool mist.
Eraserhead was tired.
Granted this wasn't anything new to him by now, but the headache that went along with it made it much worse. As he was heading towards Nezu's office in UA to discuss the incident involving the lady controlling the meat.
When he entered, he already saw the rodent sitting on his chair as he brewed some tea for his guests. Frankly, he never understood the appeal of the beverage as he would much rather have coffee. Yet that didn't seem to stop the other heroes from getting a cup from the rodent(?).
Along with him, there were numerous other heroes in the room as well.
There was Kamui Woods, who sat there looking at his steaming tea in confusion like he was asked to solve a difficult puzzle. Death Arms sat next to the wooden hero looking at him in concern.
The number 3 hero, Hawks, was back in his seat with a carefree smile like this was just got back from a good stroll somewhere, though the underground pro could tell by the way he looked at others from time to time that he trying to get as much info as he could before the meeting started. He concluded that the other heroes probably didn't personally encounter the villain or they had somewhere else to be if they weren't a part of this meeting.
Eraserhead knew why these people were here, as they were actually at the scene when the whole attack had occurred. It was the other two people that threw him off when he entered.
The giant form of Endeavor took up a large area on the other side of the table with an agitated look on his flaming face, impatient to get this meeting started. While he didn't know why the number 2 hero was here, he guessed that it would probably be cleared up during the meeting.
Two seats down from the erupting hero sat another person, a thin man with two long blonde bangs of hair sat where his sunken eyes had a speck of blue. The clothes on his body were a couple of sizes too big like they were going to slip off of him at any given moment. He stood out like a sore thumb compared to the heavily trained pro heroes that surrounded him.
And at the head of the table was the rodent himself: Nezu. Who gave the tired guest a beaming smile that never seemed to go away.
"Ah, Eraserhead! I'm so happy that you were able to attend this meeting after all. Please have a seat and we can get started right away."
The hero grunted as he made his way to sit in between the scorching hero and the frail blond as a steaming cup of black coffee was handed to him. He looked at Nezu for a moment and wondered if he had brewed a cup for him earlier with his tea before shrugging it off.
"Hold on a second, before we continue this meeting. I need to ask why this guy is joining in this supposedly private meeting in the first place?", Endeavour grunted with a nod towards the frail blond. Shouta couldn't help but turn to the person in question with a raised eyebrow while he sipped the beverage, as he also wondered why this person was at the meeting.
The person didn't seem a bit shy about the question as he cleared his throat and gave them each a card, "I'm All Might's personal assistant: Toshinori Yagi. If there is ever an incident that requires his assistant you can go through me.", a frown grew on his face as he looked down, "I'm sorry that All Might wasn't able to assist on the incident on Friday as he had some... personal conflict."
Shouta looked at the card in suspicion, but a quick glance towards Nezu who gave him a nod let him know that this man could be trusted. Endeavor huffed as he burned the card with his hand, now visibly done with waiting around. Nezu took this as his cue to get started.
"First, I want to let you know that this meeting will be recorded for the hero commission. As they wanted to know more details about the incident after seeing so many pros hero struggle to take down this villain."
The underground pro's eyes widened; any drowsiness that was in him now blown away by the sudden admittance.
The hero commission getting involved in hero incidents was not unheard of, though it didn't happen enough that it was still a shock to hear. And he could tell that the others heroes thought the same based on the way their eyes widened as well, though Hawks seemed to already know as he didn't give much of a reaction.
"Ok," Endeavour said without missing a beat, "I would like to know what happened as I only arrived after the incident was corrected. I heard that it was a vigilante that was able to take down the villain?"
Eraserhead raised a brow as he quietly sipped his mug, content with just listening until he was able to speak. Though he didn't know how the number 2 hero was able to come to that conclusion, as he wasn't there when the supposed vigilante was there on the scene.
Nezu nodded towards the flame hero before he turned to the rest of the group, "Yes, the public had found out based on the clip of his entrance in the middle of town and the store a couple of blocks away from the incident. Though the camera was either too far away or too fuzzy to get a good look.", the rodent's eyes shifted to Death Arms and Kamui Woods, "The villain should have been taken down when she showed up at the school. Would any of you too like to shed some light on the situation?"
The two who were involved at the school jumped at the sudden attention, but quickly calmed down as they gave their statements with Death Arms clearing his throat.
"Yes, when we arrived on the scene, she had a boy with green hair in her grip and pinned against the wall about to attack. Kamui Woods was able to separate the two and handed the boy off to me, where I carried him off to the ambulance outside. I don't know what happen after that though, as when I went back to the scene the lady was already gone."
All eyes shifted to the new and upcoming hero as he looked down at his drink with narrowed eyes, tapping the side of his cup calmly. He seemed to be trying to get his thoughts in order. "She started to run away the moment I arrived, with her floating herself and the meat she had on as I started to give chase. But when the chase moved to the outside, she just... phased through the wall!", he ended with a frustrated yell.
Nezu's eyes narrowed, seemingly trying to understand what had happened to cause the upcoming hero so much stress. The rest of the heroes had contemplative looks on their faces as well. Hawks stroked his chin as an eyebrow was raised in realization.
"You know, I thought I was going crazy after seeing a couple of my feathers go through her body during the fight. But you're saying she was able to phase through a wall as well?"
Kamui woods nodded, "I thought her quirk was some sort of telekinesis or psychic ability after seeing her float and move the meat around. But phasing through walls and creating meat monsters? Those abilities are not related to each other at all." The hero shook his head in disbelief before looking at the others with wide eyes as a new thought entered his mind, "Is it possible for someone to have multiple quirks?"
The others heroes' eyes widened at the thought, unable to fathom the concept of a person having more than one quirk. All except for two people.
Nezu's eyes narrowed, wondering if he was making a return. Though he didn't want to make any drastic assumptions based on the little amount of information that was gathered so far. The rodent took a glance at the frail blonde who gritted his teeth and clutched his side in agitation. It seemed like he had the same thought as he did.
"I don't think so.", Eraserhead spoke after a moment of startled silence that gained the attention of the other heroes, "I couldn't erase whatever ability she was using at the time. At first, I thought the meat acted as some kind of shield that prevented me from erasing her abilities, but it still didn't work even when Hawks managed to cut open the face with his feathers. So whatever it is, I don't think it's a quirk."
The group of heroes was uneasy with the revelation, with even Endeavor looking a bit disturbed at the notion of a person having an ability that Eraserhead couldn't erase. Nezu's eyes had narrowed on the table as thoughts and ideas were being processed at an alarming rate. These characteristics and abilities sounded familiar to him, but at the moment he couldn't think of the answer. Further research would have to be conducted at a later time.
"I'm kind of interested in the vigilante that was able to defeat a foe that had so many pro heroes struggling.", Nezu shifted to a new topic as he looked at the heroes before him, "Did anyone else get a good look at the person?"
The heroes remained silent as they tried to recall the incident, but Shouta cleared his throat to gain the other heroes' attention once more as Nezu perked up.
"I actually gave chase to the two when they moved away from the scene, but when I got there the lady was already gone. I would hate to say that she escaped, but I didn't hear about her making another attack elsewhere. I did manage to get a bit of a look at the person who intervened though. But not enough to fully reveal his identity."
Nezu couldn't be more excited as his grin started to widen, though he ignored the smidge of disappointment of not being able to know the identity of the supposed helper.
"He had a bit of a glow on his entire body, kind of like the lady who attacked the town. He also had messy curly white hair and he was wearing a jumpsuit of some kind. But the thing that caught my eye the most was that he had the same abilities as the woman who attacked. As he was able to fly and phase through objects as well. Though I don't know if he was able to make things float."
"He had some of the same powers? You think the two are related?", the wood-based hero asked.
"Biologically? Maybe.", Eraserhead shrugged, "It would explain why he let her escape. We would have to keep an eye out for both of them if they make an appearance again."
The heroes didn't look too satisfied with the information gathered, and even the underground pro felt the same. As they didn't know who they were dealing with or if they were going to make a return.
Endeavour just huffed in irritation, "It doesn't matter why this person decided to get involved, he's not a hero and doesn't have a license to intervene. That should be enough of a reason to bring him down by any means necessary."
The flame-based hero stood up from his seat and made his way out the door with a scowl on his face. Leaving the remaining heroes to look at each other in slight nervousness as they knew how brash and intense he could get when it came to dealing with villains. Nonetheless, Nezu clapped his two paws together as he bid the remaining heroes farewell, as he did have a school to run after all.
Eraserhead begrudgingly left the comfort of his chair as he made his way to his own class, watching the unsatisfied furrowed brows of the other heroes as they left the room one by one. He had dealt with vigilantes before, and more often than not they were likely to show up again. It was only a matter of time.
It was still morning when his tired eyes managed to glance outside of the window of the long hallway that led to his class, and he could only wonder who the vigilante was and what was he doing now.
"Man, did you see the person who stopped that giant monster? It looked like it only took one hit!"
"I heard it wasn't even a hero that took her down."
"Whoa..."
Midoriya kept his head down on his desk as he listened to his classmates talk about the recent villain attack, trying hard to not show a reaction to the numerous praises and show of awe over his feat.
After he lost sight of the hero, he quickly flew to the lab and went to deposit the ghost back in the supposed 'Ghost Zone' that Danny told him about. It took him a while to figure out and he was worried that his mother would beat him home before he could accomplish the task, but he didn't have much to worry as the trains were still stalled from the thousand's pounds of meat that the ghost left behind.
He was able to get home and transform back to his human form before his mother came back home, but that didn't stop her from fretting over him the moment she came through the door. After a quick look over his body and a homecooked meal, the boy quickly went to bed exhausted over the battle he had a couple of hours beforehand.
While a couple of bruises and cuts came from the fight, he was surprised to find that most of the cuts were closed up and the swelling had gone down on some of the bruises. Which happened to be a small blessing in disguise, since it allowed him to convince his mother to go out that weekend to go explore the lab some more.
Though he really spent most of the weekend cleaning up the building and testing out his powers. With him now knowing activation, it was only a matter of fine-tuning. Though that didn't stop him from hearing people's reactions on the news and the internet.
Apparently someone in the crowd was recording the incident for a good while, which he supposed wasn't that big of a surprise with so many pro heroes on the scene. Yet, that also meant that they saw and heard his battle cry and knock the ghost off to the side as the meat started to fall.
At first, the heroes tried to take credit and avoid the fact that it wasn't a hero that stopped the supposed villain. But eventually, people kept asking about the identity of the hero was and the pros were forced to admit that they had no idea who the person was that defeated the villain. The only two images they got of the half-ghost were the initial appearance with the giant meat monster and a grainy video feed from the convenience store that Midoriya was thrown into.
Midoriya realized that while he didn't get caught yesterday by either the media or the hero that had managed to give chase, he would probably have to wear some sort of disguise whenever he went was fighting in his ghost form.
After all, it's not like a color change in the hair and eyes was enough to throw anyone off, right?
The bell rang for the students to be released for lunch. Though he didn't know when the next ghost would show up, he figured that he didn't have anything to worry about as long as he had the Fenton thermos with him. He was so lost in thought that he missed two people tailing him from behind.
Sidney Poindexter thought he had it all figured out. Ever since his confrontation with Danny, his area was actually pretty pleasant to hang around in. He was happy to stay in his section of the ghost zone without any problems with the occasional visit to the mortal realm.
Though after he heard that Danny had closed off all the portals connecting their realm to his, he had to admit that he was a bit hurt. Even when the ghosts had helped him save the entire planet, he just... locked them all away.
He wasn't even a ghost that attacked him that often! Sure, he possessed him for a while when he saw him bully that one kid with his ghost powers... and maybe tried to trap him in his world to take his place...
…
Ok, he could admit that that wasn't the smartest move on his part now that he thought about it, but he never attacked him again after that!
Now there were talks in the Ghost Zone about a new halfa, and after hearing thathe just had to see what all the talk was about. The first thing that he noticed when he got out of the Ghost Zone was that he wasn't anywhere near Amity Park, as the style of buildings was different than what he was used to seeing. There was also something that changed in the appearance of people, with them having various different forms. Some had animal-like bodies and faces, while others had hair that was a wide variety of different colors and shapes.
He saw all of these things the past few hours he drifted along the city while invisible, but he really wanted to get a look at the new phantom as soon as possible. And based on the descriptions from the rumors he heard, he knew that the person was a young teen.
After a bit of searching, he finally made it to a place called 'Aldera Junior high'.
He debated going there for a second before ultimately shaking his head and phasing inside the building.
The layout was more of what he was used to seeing, with the halls being filled with students as they went towards the cafeteria. However, there was something that had caught his eye. Two kids were picking on a green-haired teen that was backed up against a wall, causing the ghost's eyes to narrow in anger.
"Bullies..."
It seemed even in a strange new town there were still people picking on the little guy. The halfa would have to wait, Poindexter puffed up his chest as he headed towards the person in need.
Midoriya looked down at the ground with shaky eyes as he kept tightly closed fists below, cornered by two of Bakugo's lackies before he was able to walk inside the lunchroom. He should've known that things wouldn't have changed even if he did switch career paths from the hero course. Though he was a bit caught off guard when he noticed that the explosive blonde was not involved in this little encounter.
The greenette's eyes widened when a small bit of steam hot exhale escaped from his mouth, making him panic as he frantically looked around for the arrival of another ghost. Though the two in front of him seem to have taken it as a showing of fear.
What they didn't notice was the sudden glow of the fire extinguisher behind them as it was lifted in the air and turned so that the nozzle was facing them. Suddenly spraying the two bullies with foam and they both stumbled back in surprise.
"What the heck?!"
"I think some of it got in my mouth!", one of them gags.
They also didn't notice when their shoelaces suddenly gained an eerie green glow before getting tangled with each other. Making the two fall as they tried to back away from the green-haired teen with the foam covering their faces. They both scrambled to their feet with a look of fear before leaving as fast as their tied shoes could take them.
Midoriya could hear the soft snickers of someone near him as the two who confronted him scrambled to get away. After the two left, he took a quick glance down the hall from both sides to check if the coast was clear before he changed into his ghost form, complete with snow-white hair and glowing green eyes.
"W-Who's there?", Midoriya called out as he dug out the thermos from his backpack and uncapped it, "I know there's a ghost here, so you can drop the act!"
Poindexter's eyes widened, realizing that the boy he just helped was the halfa that the Ghost Zone was all talking about. He also noticed that he was carrying the infamous thermos that was the bane of every ghost's exploit, making him shake in fear as he turned visible.
"W-Wait! I'm sorry! Don't shove me back to the Ghost Zone! I promise that I won't possess your body!"
This made Midoriya take a step back in slight shock, as he was suddenly looking at a ghost wearing a large bow tie, wire-frame glasses, and a white-sleeved t-shirt with tweed-styled pants, all while he was black and white. If Midoriya had to describe someone him, he would probably go with 'nerdy' or 'geek'. But the thing that caught him off guard the most was how afraid he looked, even though he didn't do anything to him yet.
"I-I'm Izuku Midoriya. W-Who are you?", the green-haired boy questioned as he kept the thermos pointed towards the sudden specter, "What do you want from me?"
The ghost put his hands up in a show of surrender, "My name is Sidney Poindexter. I-I just saw that you were in trouble when those guys cornered you. And wanted to drive them off your back.", then gained a bit of a bitter look as he looked off to the side, "I know what it feels like to be picked on."
Midoriya's gaze had softened after hearing the plea from the ghost, and slowly lowered the thermos away from the ghost he now knew as Poindexter. He remembered that Danny had said there were a couple of ghosts that were friendly, and put the cap back on the thermos for the time being. Though he still kept it in hand in case the other tried anything funny.
"Why were you so afraid of me? I haven't even gotten my powers for a week. Am I really that popular in the Ghost Zone?"
Poindexter was a bit surprised by the halfa's confusion but didn't find it all that strange seeing how new he was to learning about ghosts. He bit his lip nervously as he tried "Danny... lied to us. He said that he wouldn't bother any ghost that didn't cause problems with him or the town. But...", Poindexter slumped down in a small display of sadness and betrayal, "He still caught us and put us back to trap us in the Ghost Zone..."
Midoriya didn't know how to respond to that, as he was unaware of any promises or deeds that Danny had done when he first encountered the video from a couple of days ago.
Meanwhile, the ghost fidgeted in place as Midoriya decided on his next move. While the safest option would probably be to capture the ghost or maybe draw him away from his school, he had to admit he was curious about what the ghoulish boy had to say and why he was so afraid of him.
"Wait for me on the roof...", Midoriya said uncertainly at the ghost's frightful appearance, "We can keep talking up there if you want..."
Poindexter debated whether he should take the offer or bolt from this school as fast as he can while he had the chance, yet paused whenever he saw the sight of his eyes. While they were just as green as Danny's, there was something about them that made him reconsider his plan of fleeing. Something that made him consider trusting the new phantom in front of him.
"O-Ok... I'll... wait for you up on the roof.", Poindexter said before going intangible and floating upwards and passing through the ceiling.
Midoriya waited for a few seconds before turning back to his normal form and heading to the cafeteria with a slight frown on his face. He didn't know why the ghost had such a dislike for his predecessor but was determined to find out.
Making it to the roof with a tray of food in his hand, he opened the door slightly to take a peek at what the ghost was doing. And saw the specter was floating anxiously with his eyes darting to the sides, probably considering whether or not he should leave. Though he didn't know why he was so nervous about meeting up with him.
He knocked on the door softly to alert his presence, which made the ghost slightly jump in surprise before he slowly opened the door. The boy didn't say anything as he slowly made his way next to the ghost before sitting next to him.
A tense, awkward atmosphere took place in place as Midoriya slowly ate his lunch while he took glances at the specter. Though it seemed that the ghost was just as uncomfortable in this scenario as he was.
Midoriya changed into his ghost form thinking that maybe if he was a ghost, he would be more willing to talk to him. Though was disappointed when the other yelped at the sudden change, making them both still.
It took a few minutes of awkward staring at one another when Midoriya finally decided that there was enough silence and decided to speak up.
"You...", Midoriya said a bit hesitant on finding out the reason, "You said Danny locked you guys in the Ghost Zone?"
The ghost shifted awkwardly above the ground near him, before starting with a sad and confused frown, "I don't when the change happened exactly, but one day all the portals around the Ghost Zone stopped working. The only ones that worked were time periods that went too far backward or forwards. Whenever we tried to go to the real world from the Ghost Zone, it would be like running into a brick wall. Even going intangible didn't seem to work."
Midoriya was shocked at the amount of information that he had received from the ghost, the numerous other portals that showed up in this supposed Ghost Zone certainly surprised him. But the thing that stood up to him the most was apparently him locking all the other ghosts in the zone.
Why? Was it because of the constant attacks? But even Danny said there were numerous friendly ghosts in the zone. So why the sudden change?
"A lot of ghosts are mighty mad at you...", Poindexter said softly as he took a glance at the halfa, breaking Midoriya's thoughts, "You and what that symbol represents..."
Midoriya winced at the jab, though couldn't fault him if that was what Danny did to the numerous Ghosts in the Ghost Zone. Trapping them in another dimension for a long time. The green-haired boy didn't even know how Danny was able to do it. But assumed that it had to be one of the numerous gadgets that lay about the lab. The real question is: What should he do with this information?
Does he turn the lab upside down to search for the device that locked all of the ghouls in their dimension? It would certainly get rid of incidents like the lunch lady. But that idea made his stomach in disgust since it reminded him a lot of the way others treated him.
Something to be cast aside, seen only as an annoyance.
Something unwanted.
Something to be rejected.
He didn't want to do that to them, not if he could help it. Midoriya clenched his hands as he turned towards Poindexter. Wanting to say something that he felt was right.
"I'm sorry for what Danny did to you. But I promise you that I won't do the same thing to you or any other ghosts that come from the Ghost Zone as long as you don't cause any problems."
Pondexter frowned as his eyes narrowed suspiciously at him.
"That's what Danny said..."
Midoriya raised his hands in surrender, understanding the doubt that he had when it came to hearing promises from halfas.
"I-I know, but trust me. I don't want to hurt someone if I can help it.", Midoriya then turned his gaze towards the city beyond them, "I wanted to be a hero, so I still want to help as many people as I can. Even if it now involves ghosts."
Poindexter looked at Midoriya with an intrigued gaze before he also turned his gaze towards the city, admiring the new location that was vastly different from where he was from and Amity Park.
While his first encounter with the new phantom was going vastly better than his first encounter with Danny, he couldn't help but compare the two to one each other.
When he first encountered Danny, he had caught him picking on another kid with his ghost powers and found him to be selfish when it came to properly wielding them. Using them for his benefit and to pull off pranks on others. Thankfully, Danny seemed to have gotten better as time went on.
Yet as he looked at the bushy white-haired teen beside him, he thought about how different his encounter with him has been so far. How kind he was to him even if he was about to put him inside the thermos at first glance. Which made him question why the greenette didn't use his powers to defend himself despite having the perfect opportunity to do so. Since it was what Danny would've done if he was in the same position.
"...Is that why you didn't use your powers on the kids bullying you?"
The now white-haired boy winced at the question but knew it wasn't meant to be a hostile one.
Ever since he first saw All Might save a group of people from a fiery disaster as a kid, he knew what he wanted to be. A hero that saved everyone with a smile on his face that showed that everything was ok. The thought of using it as a means to get back at those who wronged him never went through his mind since that just wasn't the type of person he was. While he couldn't do anything about it before, the powers he received now allowed him to save others from danger. Even if...
Even if no one believed in him...
Sure, Danny believed in him. But while Midoriya had his support through the use of videos tutorials and lab equipment, he didn't have anyone here that really supported his dream.
Bakugo, who he was once friends with in his childhood, tried to put him down whenever he even demonstrated a glimpse of his passion for heroics. Belittling him at every opportunity for not having power.
And while he loved his mother to pieces and was thankful for supporting his hobby by suppling him with notebooks, he didn't fail to notice how hesitant she was about him going around to watch hero fights for his notes and how worried she was whenever he returned to one of them.
Even All Might, the person he looked up to the most, said that his dream was impossible to do without a quirk and tried to steer him into a different type of career. While he could never hate the man for what he said, he would be lying if he said it didn't crush his spirit.
Really, it's because of Danny that Midoriya even had a chance to help others in need, even if he wasn't here to help him. So while he didn't know what was going on with the relationship between him and ghosts, he was still going to keep following in his footsteps.
He felt his eyes water a bit as tears threatened to break at the revelation and quickly looked away before rubbing them away with the sleeves of his jumpsuit. Though by the looks of Poindexter's frown he didn't really do a good job at it.
He quickly cleared his throat before looking at the specter with a steady look.
"I want to help people with my powers. Even if no one notices me or gives me praise for it, I will be there to help those in need. And while I don't hate the ghosts that come here, if they start harming people, I will put them back in the ghost zone", he turned his gaze back to the city, "But as long as you don't bother anyone, I don't really care what you do."
Poindexter stared a bit in surprise before turning his gaze back to the city.
While he was still hesitant about believing the new halfa about his promise to the other ghosts that might show up here, he felt a small part of him that had a bit of faith in his declaration.
At least until he the halfa spoke up again.
"While I appreciated you helping me back there, can you not pull those pranks on them anymore? I don't want anyone to get hurt."
Poindexter's eyes widened in surprise before leveling a harsh glare at Midoriya. Not believing the statement that he just heard due to the treatment he saw and what he had been through.
"You expect me to just stand aside and let those bullies pick on you again?!"
Midoriya stood up and gave a glare of his own, "If you do then you are no better than them!"
Poindexter flinched before looking off to the side in a bit of shame.
He... He never thought of it like that before.
He just hated how often he was picked on when he was just going through his day of school. Always looking over his shoulder and finding spitballs in his hair. Or having his belongings knocked out of his hands. Or even getting stuffed into that locker. And while he was treated much better in the ghost zone now due to his encounter with Danny, he still didn't want anyone to go through what he did.
Without realizing it, Poindexter glared at the ground with tears building up in his eyes as he continued to remember his treatment of himself in his past life. Something that Midoriya was surprised to see.
He really didn't know how to make the other ghost feel better, but one thing that always helped was his mother's comforting hugs whenever he was down.
So he slowly and awkwardly wrapped his arms around him and wrapped him in a hug, one that made the ghost flinch at first contact, but slowly eased into.
Maybe because it was how similar their positions were in school. Always having been picked on for some quality or characteristic that they seemed to lack compared to the rest of their peers. For Poindexter, it was his nerdy personality and looks. And while the ghost didn't know why others were picking on the new phantom, he bet it was something that he couldn't control.
"If you are really adamant about helping others who are in trouble, I can think of a way for you to help."
Poindexter looked at him with a confused yet intrigued gaze. Wondering what the halfa could want with a ghost if he wasn't going to capture those that are friendly. Though he couldn't help but feel a bit uncertain at the sheepish look on the boy's freckled face.
"I was wondering you maybe want to... help me out whenever I am out and about. Since I plan on helping a bunch of other people."
Poindexter blinked for a moment before looking at him in slight bewilderment, surprised that he wanted his help of all people. Since even Danny never made the offer for him to help out on any of his expenditures.
It sounded... kind of exciting to be honest.
But any other conversation was stopped when a bell rang throughout the school, letting the two know that the lunch period had just ended. With Midoriya shifting back to his school uniform and green hair as he hurriedly at the last of his meal.
But as he went towards the stairway, he turned to Poindexter and said, "You can follow me, but try not to cause any more trouble."
Poindexter nodded as he followed Midoriya back inside the school while remaining invisible, still wary about the ways others might treat his new friend. But to his surprise and mild amusement, he saw that everyone gave the now green-haired teen wary looks and hushed whispers. No doubt talking about the incident in the hallway.
The ghost was taken back at how odd and different the people looked from one another, with various different types of hair and colors in each person. Each with their own distinct styles and... wait did that guy have rocks for hair?
He didn't get a chance to think about it before the teacher finally started the lesson for the day and all the students started taking notes. Though there was one person that was looking at Midoriya funny, a kid with red eyes and ashen-blond hair that had a scowl on his face along with a small furrowed brow. Eventually, he huffed and focused his attention on the teacher, causing Poindexter to question how much has changed since he was last was in the mortal realm. Perhaps he should ask Midoriya later.
Midoriya finally closed his notebook with a sigh as the bell for dismissal finally rang, making all the students gather their things as they talked to one another. Though he still noticed the few that gave him odd looks and hushed whispers. He knew that Poindexter was probably still near him though, as his ghost sense didn't show up again even with the changes of subjects throughout the day.
He managed to walk home without any suspicions though, even if he did get an odd look from Kacchan on the way out.
With a quick hello from his mother and a promise that he would show up for dinner after some 'homework', he quickly entered his room as a sigh of relief escaped his lips. Though that's when Poindexter decided to make himself visible once more. Startling Izuku with a yelp and making Inko call out in concern.
"Izuku? Are you ok?"
The two winced at the call, but Midoriya managed to pull himself together and answer back.
"Y-Yeah mom, I'm fine."
They didn't hear anything else after that, with managed to get a sigh of relief from the two as Midoriya took a glance at the ghost in front of him. Who looked at Midoriya with a confused, yet intrigued expression.
"How come everyone looks so...", he paused as he searched for the right word, "peculiar here? The only place that I saw this many differences in individuals was in the Ghost Zone."
The greenete blinked in confusion for a moment before realizing that most ghosts probably didn't know what was up with humanity now that their dimension has been freed. With the subjects of quirks and heroes being such a new concept for them.
So while he couldn't fit the entire history of quirks into a single conversation, he tried to get most of the basics down. Like how it started with a glowing baby in China and eventually continued to spread as generations continued. With most people are born with an ability called 'quirks' and how some use them to help others in need.
"Jeepers... To think humans changed that much...", Poindexter mumbled in amazement before realizing something important, "Then it must be really nifty for you to have one of these quirks and be a halfa at the same time!"
Midoriya flinched at the mention and awkwardly shifted his eyes elsewhere, gaining a confused frown from the ghost. While Midoriya still hated sharing his quirk status with anyone, he felt a bit better knowing that Poindexter didn't know much about quirks to judge him on it.
"The thing is... I... don't have a quirk."
Poindexter blinked in confusion as he didn't get it at first, since having no abilities or powers didn't seem like that big idea to him. Though that could've been because he didn't really have to deal with that kind of thing before when he was alive. Heck, it was still kind of the same when he showed up to Danny. Though Danny was really the only one to have powers now that he thought about it.
It must have been really nifty to have some sort of special ability growing up. That way there was something unique and awesome about everyone. Even if it was some mildly odd thing like making your hair grow longer or being able to make your limbs stretch.
In retrospect, it did make his new friend seem kind of... odd. Being the only one not being able to perform any cool tricks or doodads on his own. Ironically making him stand out negatively, kind of like a black sheep now that he thought about it. But if everyone had something special and not Midoriya...
And that was the moment when it suddenly clicked for the ghost.
"Oh... I see...", the ghost said coldly as he looked off to the side with a narrowed gaze that made Midoriya jump.
It seems like even in the future there were still others that picked on people just because there was something different about them. For Poindexter, it was his nerdy disposition that made him a target for numerous pranks and stuffings inside his locker. He couldn't imagine what the new halfa went through if superpowers were suddenly through into the mix.
Though that still made him recall their earlier conversation on the roof of his school, one made Poindexter look a bit in awe.
"And you still didn't use your powers on them?"
While the boy's shoulders tensed at the accusation, his eyes still remained resolved as he looked back at Poindexter with a steady gaze.
"That's not what a hero would do."
Poindexter's smile slowly turned into a grin as he looked at the strong-willed boy in front of him. Finally acknowledging the fact that this new halfa wasn't anything like Danny. Someone who didn't bend to anyone's whims on what he thought was the right thing to do. Someone who knew what it's like to be the little guy.
Someone who would make a great hero.
With the grin still remaining on his face, Poindexter slowly floated up and towards the wall facing away from Midoriya's door, baffling the green-haired teen.
"I think I will see a bit more of the city for now. But I will think about what you said about me helping in your activities Phantom."
While Midoriya didn't say anything, the way the ghost had said his name was different than the way the Lunch Lady said it whenever they fought in the school cafeteria. Which was said in rage and irritation as she continued to attack with meat.
If he was not mistaken, the way Poindexter said it was almost like...
Pride.
The teen watched as the ghost phased out of his bedroom, leaving him alone with his thoughts after his second encounter with a ghost.
He frowned when he recalled the way Poindexter looked whenever he mentioned his predecessor. The way that Danny supposedly betrayed the ghosts whenever he supposedly locked them into the Ghost Zone. Midoriya looked at his computer with firm eyes before making his way onto the seat and turning it on.
While it only had been a couple of days since he got his powers, he still didn't know a whole lot about Danny. The information from Poindexter only making him more curious and intrigued. It was about time that he did some research of his own, and started to type on the search bar of his computer when it finally finished booting up.
What happened to Danny Phantom?
Next time: A first look into the life of Danny Phantom after his ghost career is over.