A Working Man

So I've become obsessed (again) with Epithet Erased (with the Prison of Plastic Kickstarter wrapping up during the time of writing) and I've got a lot of ideas about how they could work in the world of My Hero. I have a problem, but you people keep feeding it by reading my stories, so you are a part of it. However, I feel the need to explain how I am going to be integrating the powers of Epithet Erased with My Hero.

In Epithet Erased, everyone speaks the same language, and it is for this reason that Epithets appeared. In this and future EE and MHA crossovers, I am bending the rules so that there is the chance that you are born with the ability to understand and read any language. There is no biological reason for this. These are referred to as Mundies who have the capabilities to become stronger or more skilled than most quirked users though few put in the effort to do so. You can't be a Mundie and have a quirk either. A small fraction randomly gets Epithets, words etched into their souls that give them powers based on their own understanding of the word's definition(s). These are called Inscribed. Inscribed and Mundies do not take damage like a regular human unless done through a RAGD (Real ass, g*ddamm) weapon. Instead, any damage affects a stamina pool that they also pull from to use abilities. This makes it substantially harder to deal damage to most Mundies or Inscribed unless the given attack deals a high enough damage on a focused area or specifically affects the body. It also means that Mundies/Inscribed can't really kill anyone unless they have RAGD weapons.

In this one, Izuku is a Mundie but is only 15. Consequently, this change in the world also means that the population is about 60% quirked, 20% quirkless, and 20% Mundie/Inscribed. Last rule, Mundie/Inscribed are drawn to each other. Therefore, it is not uncommon for whole towns to be made of them without a single quirked user in sight.

Side note, I'm going to be using italics to emphasize when a past event is happening while normal text is to represent current discussion.

I do not own Epithet Erased or My Hero Academia. I am fully encouraging you to give it a go by watching it on Jelloapocalypse's YouTube channel. I would highly recommend watching the show before reading this chapter to better understand the plot. I kind of wrote this chapter to get people to watch this amazing show.

Chapter Start

*Clang Clang Clang*

The sounds of metal hitting metal echoed through the air as a police car parked at the entrance to a large domed building. On the side of the building, scaffolding could be seen around a large hole with several men in blue overalls, light blue shirts, and yellow construction hats working on it. Near the entrance, police cars and several ambulances were parked near it.

"This place is a little too fancy for my tastes," a rat-faced man with a golden eye in a Hawaiian t-shirt commented, stretching his arms as he stepped out of the car. A set of disconnected handcuffs jingled on his wrists with a faint glow. "I never understood the need for such excessive buildings."

"This is the Unforeseen Simulation Joint. A training ground under UA's management that focuses on teaching students how to deal with natural disasters and rescue," a composed officer spoke as they exited the driver's seat of the car. She had short, slightly unkempt blond hair, noticeable eyebrows and freckles, and narrowed blue eyes. Around her waist was a RAGD Sword. "A hero has to deal with all kinds of disasters. Fires, landslides, earthquakes, and storms are just some of the dangers that they may face aside from villain attacks. This building has the capability to replicate all of those dangers in a safe, controlled environment."

"You certainly know a lot about this, Percy," the gerbil man commented.

"As you know, Ramsey, I work as a consultant on the side. About two years ago, I applied to work on this building and learned quite a few things about this building. Unfortunately I did not get the chance to do so because they were looking for a more longtime contractor for UA as a whole. I could not do this, so it fell to Howie and his Worker Bees. I believe his apprentice has since started a permanent branch in the area. It's been doing quite well from what I heard," Percy explained, pointing to the main worker who was leading the repair. At a breakneck speed, the hole began to be filled as paneling was removed, cut and replaced.

"Wow, who would be crazy enough to apprentice under that guy?" Ramsey commented.

"His nephew. I'll introduce you to him if possible. He's helped me out on a few jobs, the past for no extra charge. He's almost as good as Howie," Percy commented, getting a gulp from Ramsey. "Now come, we have much work to do." With their piece said, she led Ramsey towards the trenchcoated man who seemed to be leading the officers.

"Detective Naomasa, I'm Detective Percival King from the Sweet Jazz Police. I was called in due to the nature of the crime," Percy introduced herself to the lead detective with an outstretched hand.

"Detective King, it's good to meet you," Naomasa replied, taking her hand. "I've heard great things about your work. I'm glad you were able to retrieve the Arsene Amulet without too many issues."

"Well, I wouldn't have been able to accomplish it without the help of my partner," Percy stated, gesturing to Ramsey.

"Ramsey Murdoch," Naomasa said, staring at the former criminal. "I've heard rumors that you were working with the police, but I didn't think that I would be seeing you free so soon."

"Easy with the glare there, officer. I'm still doing my time," Ramsey said, fiddling with the cuffs. "These Eraser Cuffs won't be removed for a while. I'm just here because I am knowledgeable about what goes on behind the scenes. I've got a bit of an eye for these things." Ramsey's golden eye gleamed as he said this.

"Alright, then perhaps you can shed some light onto what happened here," Naomasa said, leading them towards the building and taking a notepad out. "About three hours ago, the students of hero class 1-A arrived at the USJ for their first rescue class. At the same time, the Worker Bees were about to do some repairs on some of the areas of the USJ. From what I gathered, there was some conflict with one of the students being unwelcoming to the construction workers, and the leader of the Worker Bees dealt with it. Before anything else could come from it, a black portal opened up and a crowd of villains appeared."

"Did you say a black portal?" Ramsey asked. "Was it made by a guy who seemed to be made up of black mist?"

"Yes," Naomasa said, taking a look at his notes. "He was dressed in a nice suit, and it was noted that he spoke politely."

"That is interesting," Ramsey said.

"Do you recognize him?" Percy asked.

"Yeah, though mainly by association. Kurogiri is one of the best smugglers in the underground. I've dealt with him a few times, and I got introduced to his boss once," Ramsey said. "Scary guy, and he has a lot of pull in the underworld despite no one knowing who he is. He needed my Epithet for some sort of machine, though I can't remember what. I think his quirk lets him modify memory since all I remember is an eyeless face."

"That is very concerning," Percy commented, placing her hand on her chin. "It seems like we are facing someone quite dangerous. Please continue." As they said this, they reached the bottom of the scaffolding. From there, they could see several students being checked up by the emergency workers. Notably, a shabbily dressed man was getting a head wound checked out while a blond, spiky-haired teenager with crushed gauntlets was trying and failing to resist help. Behind them, a line of villains were being loaded into several police transport vans.

"The main responder is a Mundie. It is why we called you here. I believe his name is…" Naomasa started before a voice interrupted.

"Percival King, what are you doing here?" a deep, though boyish voice cut through the air. From the top of the scaffolding, the lead builder looked down without stopping his work. They could see that he had light skin, freckles in a diamond pattern, emerald eyes, and green, fluffy hair poking out of a construction hat. His outfit had a few tears in it, but nothing too concerning. "Are you here to take another job from my uncle? We won the rights to work here fair and square." He brandished his oversized wrench as he said this.

"Izuku Midoriya, stand down. I'm here on police business," Percy said, placing her hand on her sword.

"This feels familiar," Ramsey mumbled, peeking over the cop's shoulder.

"We heard that you were caught up in some sort of villain attack. We were hoping that you could shed some light on what happened," Percy requested.

"Very well. Boys, take five and grab some honeyed snacks. In 15 minutes, get back to work," Izuku commanded, getting salutes from all his underlings. With a small bit of exertion, Izuku jumped down from the scaffolding with his large wrench and a small bag. He landed gracefully. "Now, what do you want me to start?"

"The beginning would be best," Naomasa cut in.

"Very well. It started when Nezu gave us a call asking us to do some repair work. He told us about the hero class that was happening today, so he wanted us to get the work done quickly. It was supposed to be a nice, relaxing day of work," Izuku started, reaching into the bag and pulling out a screw with honey covering it. He started eating it with a noticeable crunch. "We got here right as 13 was finishing her speech, though we were met with…"

"What are you doing here?" The shabbily dressed man demanded, looking at the group of construction workers. Behind him, about nineteen teenagers dressed in various styles of clothes and one spacewoman.

"Hello to you too, Eraserhead. It is always a pleasure to see you, 13," Izuku blandly stated to the hobo while he smiled happily at the spacewoman, resting on his wrench. With how he was standing, you could only make out the general shape of his body. His hardhat managed to cover his face. "In case you slept through another meeting, we are here to do some quick repairs on a couple of the zones at the USJ. We won't be in your hair very long."

"Excellent. I apologize for the short notice and my colleague's rudeness…again," 13 sighed before she straightened up. "The downpour and conflagration zone have been acting up again. The water pressure has been weakening these past few days, while we have spotted a few leaks in the piping of the fire zone. We've already prepared and noted the specific areas that we are concerned about."

"Thank you, 13. We'll have them finished in time for your students to run them. See you in a few hours," Izuku said, motioning for his workers to follow him.

"Who were those guys?" One of the boys asked.

"Those were the Worker Bees! One of the best cleanup crews for quirk and Epithet related crime. They travel all over the country repairing the property damage caused by villain fights. No matter how damaged, they have been able to quickly repair and, in some cases, improve the damaged area in record time without crazy expenses," a round cheeked brunette excitedly proclaimed.

"That's super manly," a spiky red head cheered.

"How do you know all this, Ochako?" A frog-like girl asked.

"My parents are a part of the Worker Bees," Ochako said with pride. "They are currently in the process of transferring over to the Musutafu branch to be closer to UA. I haven't met who is in charge, but apparently he is our age."

"You just met him," Eraserhead growled. "That was Izuku Midoriya, one of the most disrespectful people you will ever meet."

"Did he really say that? You seem like a nice kid," Ramsey asked.

"Yeah, he did," Izuku confirmed, getting a nod from Naomasa. "He's still salty about the fact that I poked some holes in his "logic" about how he teaches his students. That and the fact that I've effortlessly defeated him one time when Nezu had us spar to prove a point. I've seen him teach if you could call it that, and it pisses me off. In the two years that I have worked with UA, he has shown time and time again why he should not be a teacher. He is always napping in the middle of his class when he should be teaching them, he never helps students out with their problems with combat or quirk use, he expels students just because he didn't think they had potential, and he always had that one student in his class that could be completely awful to other people but was made out to be the one to look out for. It makes me so mad! It makes it hard for me to words!"

"Okay, now I know you are related to Howie," Ramsey chimed in. "But that last part is kind of concerning. I've seen plenty of criminals made from both sides of the story, and it sounds like you have personal experience with this kind of situation. You want to talk about it?"

"We'll have to continue this talk another time," Naomasa cut in. "We still need to figure out what happened next. What happened next?"

"Next, Aizawa's star student attacked me," Izuku said dryly. "Katsuki Bakugo, quirk Explosion. The sweat on his palms is like nitroglycerin which he can detonate at will. A decent fighter, but a construction worker's worst nightmare. We went to the same school until I was 10 or so, and he had it out for me because I was a Mundie who wanted to be a hero and go to UA. He didn't like that and constantly tried to remind me "of my place as a pebble" as he would put it. Got a lot of my stuff destroyed before I began working for my uncle. He hardly had the power or stamina to hurt me."

"What about your dream to be a hero? The Fleecity's don't have quirks, but they are one of the oldest families in the biz," Ramsey asked.

"Found out you didn't need to have a fancy license to be a hero. I could help whoever I wanted to while I did my own job with my uncle. I've helped a few villains turn over a new leaf, and I've helped catch some as well," Izuku said. He took another "snack" out of the bag and began to eat it.

"Which one attacked you? As an officer of the law, I cannot abide when someone assaults another," Percy said, cocking her sword (This is legitimately something that is said in Episode 5). "This goes double for hero students. They are training to uphold the law, but this means that they are under the full force of the law despite being in high school."

"While I don't think I would phrase it quite like Percy, what you just described is grounds for arrest for assault, assault with deadly force, and the illegal use of a quirk with the intent to harm at the very least. We will need to have a talk with him when we are done," Naomasa grunted, writing what he heard down. "What happened to the student?"

"I am legally allowed to defend myself with whatever force I feel is necessary as stated in my contract. So…"

"DEKU!" Bakugo screamed as he blasted his way towards the now revealed Izuku. His gauntlet covered hand glowed as he swiped it towards Izuku, an explosion rippling out of his palm causing smoke to block their view.

"You always lead with the same right hook," Izuku stated. A wrench could be seen swiping through the smoke before it began to dissipate. When it cleared, you could see Izuku holding Bakugo by his right gauntlet unharmed. The same could not be said about the gauntlet as it was beginning to deform from the strength of Izuku's grip. "Though I do have to wonder why you think it was okay to just attack someone for doing their job! I'm going to have a long talk with Nezu about this."

"I don't give a damn about your fucking job. Your Mundie ass is probably fucking terrible, you worthless Deku," Bakugo said, trying to bring his other arm up. Izuku wasn't having it as he dropped his wrench to grab the attacking limb and forced the palm to face away from him. As Bakugo continued to try to resist, Izuku's grip on the gauntlets began to grow stronger. The gauntlets began to tremble and warp as Izuku's fingers dug into the metal. Bakugo screamed in pain as the force of the grip began to transfer to him.

"Put my student down!" Aizawa demanded, eyes glowing red and scarf floating above his head.

"Turn those things off! You should be well aware that those damned eyes don't do squat against a Mundie like me!" Izuku roared. "I'm well within my rights to detain any attackers to myself or my employees as long as I'm on UA grounds. He just attacked me for no reason!"

"Whatever issues you have had with Bakugo in the past don't matter now. You will put Bakugo down now, Midoriya, or I will make you!" Aizawa continued.

"I've made my point, now let me get to my damn job," Izuku said, throwing Bakugo at Aizawa. Aizawa manipulated the capture scarf to gently catch and lower the boy. Aside from the destroyed gauntlets, Bakugo had no other injuries.

"I'm going to be speaking to Nezu about this," Aizawa threatened.

"Go ahead. I'm certain he would love to hear my side of the story where I defended myself against an attack from one of your students," Izuku said, picking up his wrench. "Now come on boys, let's get to work."

"After that, we went to head down to get to work," Izuku said. "Before we could get far the villains appeared before we could make it much further than the entrance. I had to stop Aizawa from going to fight all the villains."

"I don't understand. Eraserhead is an ambush fighter who specializes in quick, efficient takedowns. Why on earth would he think that fighting a veritable army of scallywags and thugs is a good idea?" Percy spoke, getting a shrug from Izuku.

"Hold on a second, Kurogiri was there, right?" Ramsey asked.

"I do believe that the leader called the teleporter by that name. That was the man made of mist, right?" Izuku confirmed.

"Then you definitely made the right choice stopping Eraserhead," Ramsey said, pacing back and forth. "I've only seen Kurogiri deal with combat once, and it was against a pretty large number of people. His response was to force all his attackers to be teleported somewhere. They were some of the bigger names in the business, too, so a bunch of untrained teenagers would be easy pickings." Ramsey shook his head.

"This would fit with all villains that we arrested. They were scattered all over the USJ," Naomasa spoke. "Luckily we were able to catch the ringleaders too."

"That was due to me. Since…" Izuku said.

"You need to stay here. You cannot handle fighting all those villains at once. I know your MO," Izuku said, holding Eraserhead back.

"No hero can be a one trick pony," Eraserhead shot back, trying, and failing to escape from the young man's grip.

"One trick pony or not, you should be focused on protecting your students," Izuku said, tossing Aizawa back towards his students. Aizawa landed in the middle of them so that they surrounded him from view. "Boys, make certain that they don't do anything to stupid."

"Yes, sir," the Worker Bees all saluted before they formed a small circle around the students. They each pulled out oversized construction tools ranging from screwdrivers, nails, hammers, and saws. It was just in time because a portal opened up from which the well-dressed mist man stepped out of.

"Good morning. My name is Kurogiri. We are the League of Villains," Kurogiri greeted politely. He scanned over the crowd. "There are quite a few more than we expected, but no matter." Izuku heard a brief scuffle behind him. A very brief glance told him that Bakugo and a redhead were being held back by some of the Worker Bees.

"Stay away from the students," 13 said, stepping in beside Izuku. Her suit's fingers popped open before a large pulling force began to pull Kurogiri towards them and pull in the smoke.

"Black Hole, a truly dangerous quirk, but not suitable for combat," Kurogiri said. He made a small gesture, and portals formed between the attack and behind 13. Or at least, he tried to make the portals, but they dispersed before they were the size of a plate. The black hole also dispersed. "Eraserhead, I was under the impression that you had already left to subdue the villains." In the crowd, Eraserhead could be seen with hair floating. He was holding his head in place.

"He was gonna, but I stopped him. I'm glad I did," a voice spoke from behind Kurogiri. Izuku stood menacingly behind Kurogiri with his wrench. With a powerful, backhanded swing, Izuku struck the metal collar of the man, warping it and launching him headfirst into the ground. "Now, let me do my job."

Izuku Midoriya

MUNDIE - Just doing my job

Stamina - 14

Proficiency - 8

Creativity - 10

"That was manly," the red headed boy breathed out, only to get a fist to his head from Izuku who suddenly appeared next to him. Bakugo also received one that knocked him out.

"13, get some Eraser Cuffs around him!" Izuku shouted. His presence began to overwhelm the students as his shadow towered over them. He turned to the red head. "Now what were you thinking? I know Bakugo is stupid enough to think that attacking when more trained and qualified people who can act. It took us less than a minute to take out the villain, but if you went and attacked, you would have given him the chance to fight back!"

"I've seen quite a few heroes and hero students who act without thinking when heroes already have things well in hand. They're the ones who cause the most amount of property damage. While they provide a lot of work, I don't appreciate the harm that they cause to others," Izuku grumbled.

"But you managed to take out Kurogiri. That is impressive," Ramsey spoke.

"That explains why none of the villains could get away," Naomasa noted. He looked over his notes. "But it said that you also managed to take down what is called Nomu. How?"

"I took him out with one of these," Izuku said, pulling out a honeyed snack.

"I've been meaning to ask about that. Isn't that just a screw covered in honey?" Naomasa asked.

"It's a honeyed snack," Izuku's voice turned chipper. "It's a working man's food. It puts a grin on your chin. I had a much larger sack of these when Shigaraki, the overgrown man child who claimed to be the leader, decided it would be a good idea to attack me after he didn't return. At this point, 13 and I had taken out all of the villains that were waiting in the center."

"And that's the last of them," Izuku said as he tossed an unconscious body away with his wrench. Aside from a few rips on his uniform, he stood unaffected from the small army that they just defeated.

"Good," 13 said. Her body heaved as the caps on her fingers closed shut. "I don't think that I could fight much longer."

"Then don't. If Aizawa was wise, he would have evacuated the students by now and gotten help," Izuku said. He rested his wrench on his shoulder. "Now that just leaves those two." He gestured to the hand covered man and the hulking, beaked monstrosity.

"Where the hell is Kurogiri!" The hand man screamed. He scraped his hand against his neck. "And who the hell are you!"

"If you're talking about the mist man, he's currently indisposed," Izuku said.

"First, All Might is a no show, and then all this NPC comes along and takes out all the minions. Finally, Kurogiri couldn't even accomplish the simple task of scattering the other NPC's," He shrieked. "This just became a lot harder, and my teleportation relic has been disabled. Nomu, get me out of here!" The monster picked the male up, put it on its back, and began to run at speeds almost too fast for the eye to see.

"Oh no you don't!" Izuku shouted. He squeezed his wrench around the middle, so it bent. Then he chucked it at the Nomu. It flew through the air like a boomerang hitting the fleeing Nomu in the back of the knee before flying back to Izuku. Izuku caught it and straightened the wrench. Nomu fell over, and the hand man flew off the creature. As he crash landed, the hand that rested on his face fell off.

"Nomu!" The man screeched. He picked himself off the ground and cradled his face. "Kill him!" Nomu suddenly bolted forward at greater speeds.

"Move!" Izuku shouted to 13. He placed his wrench in front of himself which absorbed the blow from the Nomu and caused him to slide back a few feet. He righted himself and swung upward with the wrench. It connected with the charging Nomu and lifted it into the air. Acting before it could recover, Izuku planted his wrench in the ground and used the momentum to kick Nomu higher in the air. "Nails!" He shouted as he jumped up to meet Nomu.

"Yes, sir!" One of the Worker Bees responded. He grabbed a bundle of oversized nails and tossed them up at his boss while Nomu reached the apex of his impromptu flight. Without pausing, Izuku effortlessly caught them and undid the straps holding them.

"Take this," Izuku said. Faster than you could blink, he began to strike the nails into Nomu's body in its shoulders, knees and wrists and drove it down into the ground. "That takes care of that." He wiped his hands against his overalls as he turned to the lead villain.

"You think that is enough to take out Nomu! He was made to defeat All Might with shock absorption and super regeneration!" The lead villain yelled as he placed the hand back onto his face.

"And how is that going to help it when it can't move?" Izuku asked casually.

"Behind you!" 13 shouted. Izuku turned around just in time to take a fist to the face. It was Nomu with several holes in his body the size of the nail head that were rapidly filling with new muscle, flesh, and bones. He flew back creating a 10 feet long ditch. Izuku started to get up using his wrench as a crutch.

"Nomu, pin him!" Before Izuku could respond, Nomu had appeared in front of him. Its large arms pressed against Izuku's neck and shoulders preventing him from moving. "Now kill him!" Nomu's mouth unhinged as he went to bite Izuku's head off.

"Get off me!" Izuku grunted. Due to his position, he could not swing his wrench at the Nomu. He frantically reached around for something he could use. He managed to find a bag and shoved it into Nomu's mouth. Nomu tried to close his mouth, but the bag was too large and whatever was in it prevented it from closing. Finally, it managed to do so, but it pushed the entirety of the bag into its throat. It stood there for a moment before it suddenly fell over on its back.

"What the fuck did you do to my Nomu?" The leader shouted. Izuku carefully inspected Nomu. He peeked inside the mouth and found that the bag was leaking honey.

"My honeyed snacks!" Izuku cried out. He fell on his knees and wailed as he realized his favorite snack saved him.

"It was a worthy sacrifice," Izuku solemnly stated with tears in his eyes and his helmet held over his chest. By this point, the other Worker Bees had returned and were copying his pose.

"It shall be remembered," Percy continued to the bewildered stares of Ramsey and Naomasa. "Oh Danny boy, oh Danny boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling."

"Okay," Ramsey said. He stared at the two with blank eyes before pulling himself together. "I'm a little curious. I've never had one of your "honeyed snacks." Are they really that good?" Izuku looked a little offended before he grabbed one of the snacks from his bag. He flicked it down to Ramsey.

"Why don't you try one for yourself?" Izuku offered. Ramsey looked at the "snack" suspiciously and cautiously licked the honey covering the screw.

"This is some fine honey, a nice golden color," Ramsey appraised. He took a bite into the top of the screw. "Despite appearances, it isn't that hard to eat and has a good crunch to it. Can really taste the iron but it is mixed with a nice bready flavor." He tossed the rest of the snack into his mouth. He chewed it a few times with a smile growing on his face. "Ooh, ooh! There is a little bit of chocolate in the center. It adds just a little bit of bitterness to balance out the sweetness of the honey. I wouldn't mind having more of these. Can I know your supplier? I would love more of your honeyed snacks."

"I make all my honeyed snacks myself from scratch. Adds more energy to the happiness of my uncle. Now he can work longer. I'll send some up to Percy's office later if you are willing to pay for it. Just call this number," Izuku stated, handing him a slip of paper.

"I'll see what I can do," Ramsey said.

"Getting back on track, Midoriya, what about the leader?" Naomasa asked.

"Oh him," Izuku grunted. "He was easy to take out. Kept going on about how great his quirk was, and how he was going to disintegrate me. He tried to attack me with it. He was decently fast before I broke his hands. Turns out he was using his quirk to disintegrate the air in front of him without realizing it. It was around that time that the other heroes showed up. They would have been here sooner if Aizawa evacuated the students."

"Wait, he didn't evacuate the students? I don't understand. He should have prioritized their safety and led them away from danger. They are students not heroes," Percy asked.

"Nezu and I will be having words about this," Naomasa said, finishing his notes. "Thank you for your time, Midoriya. I will make certain your contribution will be noted." He bowed before he went to go talk to his officers.

"It was good to see you, Izuku. I have to go now. If you ever need help, do not be afraid to call," Percy bid farewell getting a nod from Izuku.

"You're a good kid, kid. I'll try to get my order in soon," Ramsey said.

"It was nice to meet you, Ramsey," Izuku said. Suddenly, a ringing interrupted the farewell. "Excuse me." He pulled out a flip phone. "This is Izuku of the Worker Bees." A voice can be heard through the phone. "Yes, we'll finish this as soon as possible and rush over. I love you too." He closed the phone.

"Not to pry, but what was that about?" Ramsey asked.

"That would be my cousin, Molly Blyndeff. She is the only respectable member from my father's side of the family. She needs some help with something at the store since her worthless father won't help," Izuku grumbled.

"Should I tell Percy about this?" Ramsey asked.

"That would be appreciated. I don't know how, but somehow my uncle," he spat out the word uncle like it was poison, "managed to find whatever loopholes to keep my cousin from school and friends so she could work at the family store."

"I'll be certain to talk to her," Ramsey said. "I'll leave you to finish your work. From a professional appraisers and forger's perspective, you are doing a fantastic job."

"Thank you." Izuku said. He picked up his bag of honeyed snacks and tossed them to Ramsey. "Make certain that Percy and the others look into it. My cousin deserves better, but I've been so busy that I couldn't do more than buy from the family store and donate them to charity."

"Your heart's in the right place. I wish my family looked after me," Ramsey said.

Chapter End

Surprise, Izuku is Howie's nephew (on his mother's side) and apprentice, so he can fight and is monstrously strong. He is also no nonsense and as a Mundie, has experience fighting monsters so he did not hesitate when taking out the Nomu. He's just as skilled, slightly weaker strength wise, but a lot more creative than his uncle. He is not as vocal about his need to work himself to death, but he does express a lot of care doing his job due to Howie's influence. This has also led him to be vocal and angry with things he doesn't like, notably heroes and hero-related employees not being suited to their jobs. Still a big hero nerd for the ones he respects like All Might and 13. Hence why he was so angry at Aizawa who really should not be a teacher. Also, Aizawa was monumentally stupid when he went to go fight a horde of villains when he knew that there was a villain with the ability to warp. It would have been better for 13 to fight since her quirk deals with area of effect. Yeah, Aizawa is getting fired or at least, required to take remedial lessons. He is not a good teacher and should not teach. Not told, but Izuku did hit Aizawa on the head for his move of not evacuating.

Percy is an ambiguously written character, so it is open to whether they are nonbinary, trans, on the spectrum or more. She is open to interpretation, but I decided to keep it simple more for the ease of writing and decide that she is nonbinary (she/them) with limited social abilities. Side note, since I didn't actually write this out, Percy did arrest Bakugo because he straight up attacked Izuku with deadly force. He also got banned from becoming a hero as a result. While I have not hidden my distaste for Bakugo, no one could deny that he has assaulted Izuku with deadly force on several occasions because his ego got hurt with zero consequences, which in universe, means that he broke the law using his quirk illegally. In this instance, and I will generally hold this thought process for future chapters of all my stories, hero students are held to a higher standard under the law. In other words, being a part of the hero program will mean that students are treated like adults in the eyes of the law.

Epithet Erased has three scales of power with each having 5 subranks, Star (Ranks 1 - 5), Orbit (Ranks 5 - 10) and Nova (Ranks 11 - 15). I'm kind of scaling it to this, Star is Civilian and Hero Student. They are able to stand up to the average thug. Orbit is a trained hero level where they can fight on the same level as a trained hero without issue. When they are on the cusp of Nova Class, they are on the same level of the top 10-20 heroes. Nova Class are at the level of All Might or higher. Depending on the power, a Star rank could instantly defeat a top 10 or even All for One (Take Molly's power for example. Her Epithet is Dumb, and she can use it to instantly dumb down the intelligence of an opponent leaving them completely open to suggestion and defeat). They're hacks in other words. Keep in mind that this is a general power scaling for Epithets. Mundies are kind of a mixed bag. Izuku's stamina is in the Nova class, but this really means that he can act for an extremely large amount of time without becoming exhausted and hit harder than practically any hero sans All Might in pure raw muscle strength once you scale up Howie's feats to My Hero world. Though, Nomu's defeat was a bit more of exploiting logical weaknesses because anyone is weak to choking no matter their strength, and a Honeyed Snack is literally a screw covered in honey. Also, Nomu is an extremely straightforward fighter as a mindless beast, so it was easy for Izuku to predict what it was going to do.

I'm debating on whether I'm going to make a continuation of this thread for events at I-Island. I think it would be an interesting concept with the Shields being a part of the story since Melissa is quirkless (though I would probably make her a Mundie because I can). It would make some interesting points because with how Mundies are able to communicate regardless of language, it makes them the ideal people for mobile work, and I think that the chemistry between Izuku and Melissa is interesting. Though I will probably have one where Izuku has an Epithet because I think they are an amazing power system. They are such a simple but creative power set that quirks just aren't.

Merry Christmas!