The very next day I was released from jail. When I stepped out the door, I saw a tall woman with jet black hair, wearing a fitted pantsuit. She approached with a coy smile. "Marie, right? My name is Nemuri Kayama, but I go by Midnight."

"Hi," I said awkwardly. She was stunning, and I was more than a little intimidated.

"Principal Nezu asked me to pick you up. Are you ready?"

I felt underdressed. The jail had me change back into the clothes I'd been wearing when I got arrested, and nothing had been washed. I had no other belongings to my name.

Soon we were in the back of a huge car, driving towards Hero University. My stomach was in knots. What kind of place would want someone like me to work with children? When I was in school, they were highly selective about the superpowered people who taught their students.

"Your Japanese is flawless," Midnight praised. "I would never have guessed it wasn't your first language."

"Oh, thanks," I shrugged. "Sometimes I forget I'm not speaking English! I never actually learned Japanese; I just sort of picked it, thanks to my power. It makes it easier to go to new places."

As we drove up a steep hill, I peered out the window in awe. The place was huge. It looked more like an Ivy League college than a high school.

Midnight led me up the sidewalk to the main building. "We want you to feel at home here. Would you rather go to your room first, or can I show you around?"

Had she forgotten they had plucked me straight out of jail? She was treating me like some kind of VIP. "Um, I'd like to see the campus."

The school was so much fancier than I was expecting. It looked to be on par with the mutant academy I had attended as a teenager. Back then, Xavier Institute was the most extravagant place I had ever seen, and now this was a close second.

Since I was here for community service, I would not be getting paid. Yet, as Midnight explained, there were plenty of other perks. Not only were my room and board included, but I got my own laptop and phone, free meals from the school cafeteria, and reimbursement for any supplies I bought for my work.

Our last stop was the apartment where I'd be staying, on the third floor of a building for school faculty. My room seemed more like an expensive hotel suite. There was a full-size bed, work area, a modern bathroom, and a kitchenette with a microwave and mini fridge.

As I took it all in, something unexpected caught my eye. On a chair, was my tattered old leather bag. "No way," I laughed. "How did they ever find this?"

"The police recovered it from the villains' hideout. Nezu pulled some strings to get it back to you."

Having something familiar with me was a welcome surprise. I dumped out the bag's contents across the bed. Everything was still there. "This is too much. I need to thank him."

"Oh, but that's not the last of it." I looked at her, confused, and she held up a small plastic card. "Tomorrow I get to take you shopping. You'll be getting new clothes, personal supplies, as well as anything else I deem necessary." She winked. "Make a list, and don't skimp."

The following Monday was my first day with the students. I was a nervous wreck. A villain battle would be less scary. I was dressed in clothes that Midnight helped pick out. She had encouraged me to style my wardrobe around my favorite color, green, and told me it brought out my eyes. I also got a few more pairs of gloves, since mine were looking a little worse for wear.

After breakfast, Eraser came to collect me. He looked rough, with bags under his eyes and stubble on his cheeks.

As we walked to class, I tried not to stare at the students. The variety of appearances was startling. There were many with brightly colored skin or hair, and others had wings, a tail, or extra appendages. Some did not look entirely human. It made me think of my own childhood. Where I came from, most of these unique children would have been ostracized, and likely end up as villains.

I noticed a few kids staring at me curiously. Eraser ignored them. "Here at school, the students call me Aizawa. That's my real name."

"Okay," I said. "Hey, can I ask you something? Why did my ability not affect you?" The question had been bothering me since our first meeting.

"I can erase other people's quirks by looking at them."

People here used that word, quirk, to describe our special powers. It sounded nicer than other terms I was used to hearing, like curse. I had a million other questions, but we were already at the door to his classroom.

I swallowed down my anxiety as I stood before a room full of teenagers. Eraser waited for them to settle down. "Students, I want to introduce a new teacher who will be assisting with your training. Make her feel welcome." He turned to me. "They're all yours."

I had not expected to be put in charge so suddenly. "Hello," I said, and several of them responded politely. "My name is Anna Marie. Um… I've never taught before, but I'm here to help you out as best as I can." I had not prepared anything to say, and my mouth was dry. I turned to Eraser, but he had zipped himself into a sleeping bag and was already snoring. Great. I looked around at all the faces. "Do you have any questions for me?"

A hand went up. "What's your quirk?"

"Oh," I had forgotten to mention that. "I drain people's energy by touching them." There were a few murmurs around the room.

More hands in the air. "You don't look Japanese. Where are you from?"

I laughed in surprise. "Wow. Um, that is correct, I actually grew up in America."

"Have you fought any villains before?"

"Yes, uh, quite a lot actually."

"How long have you lived in Japan?"

"About… eight years, I think."

"Why do you have that stripe in your hair?"

"I overused my ability, and the stress turned this part white."

"Is it true that you guys don't pay your heroes?

"Yep. There's no official hero program like you have here, so they have to rely on private organizations, crowdfunding, or donations."

"Who's the worst villain you ever fought?"

"I would say Vargas." They all stared at me blankly. "Nobody's heard of him? Okay, what about Magneto? Still before your time?" I was feeling ancient.

"Isn't he the one who can bend metal, and use magnetic forces?" It was a green-haired boy with wide, eager eyes.

"That's right! You know your stuff."

I heard Eraser's muffled voice from his sleeping bag. "You'll find that Midoriya is a fountain of knowledge."

Other hands were up.

"Did you go to a hero school in America?"

"Kind of. When I was your age, people weren't very accepting of us, so we had to stay hidden. They saw our differences as a bad thing. We couldn't be open about it like you are here."

Eraser spoke again. "Students, does anyone remember the derogatory term that people in the United States used against those with quirks?" No one spoke.

"Mutants," I said. "They called us mutants."

A few of the kids gasped.

With a grunt, Eraser stood, and shuffled to my side, still wrapped in the sleeping bag. "This pertains to what I told you about the differences between Japan and other countries when quirks first started appearing. The United States was intolerant and bigoted, and they were slow to create laws and policy to address our changing world. They let fear drive their choices. That is why today, places like Japan are so advanced when it comes to hero funding, support technology, military cooperation, and villain control."

Listening to him speak, I wondered how different my life would have been if I had grown up in a place like this. These kids did not face the discrimination and hate that I was so familiar with. Here in Japan, over three quarters of people have extra abilities. Back home, mutants were still in the minority.

One hand timidly went up. It was the boy with green hair again. "You fought against Magneto, and you have that white streak in your hair. Are you… Rogue?"

My heart clenched. I tried not to let it show how much that one word had shaken me. "I used to go by that name, a long time ago."

His eyes flashed with excitement. "You were part of the X-Men! They were one of the original great hero team-ups! Professor X was amazing! He built Cerebro, which is the largest support object ever made! Hey, weren't you there when the Statue of Liberty almost got destroyed!"

"That's right." Was this kid a walking encyclopedia?

He wasn't done. "But the Ellis Island battle was over forty years ago. That would make you almost sixty years old!"

I gave an embarrassed laugh. "Yeah, I'm older than I look." The actual number was even higher, but I wasn't about to correct him.

Another boy leaned towards his classmate. "Dude, you're not supposed to talk about a lady's age, that's rude, bro!"

"I'm sorry, Miss Marie!" The kid panicked. "I didn't mean that you look old! You don't look any older than our other teachers!"

"But Mister Aizawa does look old," one of the girls whispered.

"That's not helping," said a boy with the face of a bird.

A girl with dark hair raised her hand. "Miss Marie, I thought you were like twenty-eight."

"Now you're just sucking up," said another girl, sticking out her long tongue.

A tall boy with glasses leapt to his feet. "Can we please just change the subject now and get back to actual questions for Miss Marie?" That shut everyone up.

While the students were working on their next subject, I changed into workout clothes and headed to the training center. Eraser already had several kids picked out who he wanted me to start with today. Eventually I would get to train with all the students from 1-A and 1-B.

I was amused that the kids had thought I was so young; most people guessed me to be in my mid- to late-thirties. I was never quite certain what kept me looking so fresh. One theory was that with every person I drained, I kept a tiny bit of their vitality. Nothing had ever been proven.

As I waited, I tried to warm up and stretch. I felt horribly out of practice. Though I appeared fit, I knew my stamina and flexibility were not what they used to be. I spent a lot of time over the weekend in the school's expansive gym, trying to jump back into my old workout habits, so now my muscles and joints were protesting. I was struggling with a low lunge twist when the kids started filing in.

The eight kids assigned to me circled around. I couldn't remember a single one of their names. They waited for me to take the lead. "So… you already know that some villains can copy your quirk or take it away. I'm here to help you prepare for that kind of fight."

A boy with spiky blond hair let out a frustrated huff. "Eraser already had us do this. What's the point?"

Smiling sweetly, I walked towards him. "Because there's always more to learn, even when you're as old as me." I put my hand on his bicep, and he froze in surprise as I began to drain his quirk.

My palms were growing warm and sweaty, as I gained an understanding of the kid's potential. I raised my free hand to show him the energy crackling across my hand. He fumed. Before I could cause him any actual harm, I let go.

I stepped back, flexing my hands and watching the sparks jump between my fingers. "Oh, I like this." His quirk was giving me a power high.

A red-haired boy was gaping at me. "You can steal other people's quirks?"

"Nah, I only borrow them. It doesn't last. But there are others out there who can do much worse! That's what I'm here for. Can you fight against your own power?" My hands were trembling with anticipation, and I clenched my fingers. I turned to face the blond boy. His shoulders were heaving with rage. I laughed. "Let's do this!"

He made a forward motion with his arms, intending to annihilate me, but nothing happened. In response I flung a small fireball the size of a watermelon, hitting him in the shoulder. It didn't knock him back, but he was clearly growing angrier by the second.

I was getting frustrated, impatient, and I braced to attack again. "Come on, kid, fight me!"

"This is stupid." He turned and stormed away. "Such a waste of time."

My arms felt hot and clammy. I paced, shaking off my hands as if I could get rid of the power that way. Finally I yelled for Aizawa across the room. "Hey, Eraser!" He looked in my direction, and I held out my arms, sparks collecting in my palms. "Hit me!" In an instant, the power was gone, and I was back to myself.

When I turned back to my group, their jaws hung open in shock and confusion.

I gave them a nervous smile. "I forgot to mention this, but when I borrow someone's quirk, I usually get a little something extra. It might be their emotions, a personality trait, maybe a song that's stuck in their head. It helps me understand them better. Okay, any volunteers?"

Out of nowhere, a short kid with a lumpy purple head was wrapped around my legs. "Me, I'm next!" he insisted.

"I don't remember you being in my group," I teased. He was already making more than enough contact, so I didn't have to do a thing. My scalp tingled as my hair began to change. "Ooh," I shivered. My hair was turning a rich shade of purple. It smelled like fruit punch. I reached up to touch it, and my fingers came away sticky. Curious, I brought a strand of hair to my mouth. It tasted like jelly. "Sweet," I laughed.

"Mineta, back to your assigned station," Aizawa scolded.

With a disappointed groan, the boy let go of me and shuffled away, complaining.

I tossed my purple hair. "What do you think?"

Aizawa erased it, then walked away.

I laughed. "Is he always such a party pooper?"

"Yes," they chimed.

When our training session was done and the students were preparing to head back to class, the green-haired boy approached me, looking bothered. "What's wrong?" I asked him.

"Miss Marie, I'm really sorry about earlier. When I realized who you were, I started thinking of all the heroes from the United States, and who you might have worked with. People tell me I get carried away sometimes. I never meant to be rude. I hope you can accept my apology."

"I was never upset with you," I assured him.

"Are you sure? I want to get off on the right foot."

"Of course. You just caught me off guard, that's all. Nobody has called me Rogue in ages! I usually just go by Marie. Your name is Midoriya, right?"

He finally smiled. "Izuku Midoriya, but please, call me Deku. That's my hero name. I would shake your hand, but All Might warned me not to."

I laughed. "That's perfectly fine!" All Might was a name I was already familiar with, since he was constantly on television for saving the day. He was now a teacher here as well, but I hadn't met him yet in person.

"If it's not too much to ask, I was hoping to talk to you sometime about the battles you were part of, and all the heroes you've known. But if you'd rather not, I totally understand. I don't want to invade your privacy."

What a thoughtful kid. "That actually sounds like fun. How about after school one day?"

He brightened. "Also, I was wondering, how long does it last when you borrow somebody's quirk?"

"It depends; the longer I touch them, the more I take and the longer it lasts."

"Can you absorb more than one quirk at a time?"

"Yes, but it gets tricky. Doing that can certainly give me a boost, but I can't use each power individually. They get sort of jumbled together."

"Maybe you can practice that while you're here! We're always working on honing our quirks."

I noticed that an invisible girl had approached us. All I could see were her clothes and shoes. She had not been in my group. "Excuse me, Miss Marie?"

"Yes?"

"Can you try your quirk on me?"

My heart melted a little. "Sure, if you want me to!" I thought for a second. "Let's go somewhere with a mirror." She led me to the girls locker room, and we stood by a wall of sinks with mirrors. I held out my hands. "If this starts to get uncomfortable, tell me. Okay, ready?"

"Ready," she said. I felt her hands touch mine.

We waited. It felt different than the other kids. After a moment, my arms started to look transparent, and her form was growing solid before me. Her face was coming into focus. She had big, round eyes and ash blond hair. "There you are," I said softly. "Hello."

"Look," I heard someone gasp.

"Toru, you're so pretty!" said another.

I let go as the other girls rushed around her. I left quietly, as they cooed and fawned, and someone pulled out a camera.

Outside, I ran into Aizawa, and he looked more than a little confused to not see me. "How did it go?" he asked.

"Really well. Those are some talented kids."

"What about you, how are you holding up?"

I had borrowed quirks from all eight kids in my group, plus Mineta and Toru. "Honestly, it's a little strange. Even after you erase it, I still feel kind of rattled."

"That must be exhausting."

"Well, it's kind of nice getting to touch people without hurting them. Sometimes I forget how much I miss it."

He held out his hand, palm up, and I stared at it blankly. He chuckled. "Go ahead, I've got this." I noticed that his hair had lifted up off his shoulders and was waving around his head as if we were underwater.

My stomach went all fluttery. This wasn't about training. It was for me. I reached out and lightly trailed my hand, now visible again, over his. His skin was cool and dry. I was hardly breathing as I focused on the sensations. His fingertips brushed the inside of my wrist. Getting a little bolder, I ran my hand up his forearm.

Suddenly he pulled away, but I felt the faintest hum of energy as we broke contact. His hair dropped back down, and he rubbed his eyelids. "Sorry, I do have to blink eventually."

The kids were now filing out of the building, and the moment was lost.