Chapter 22 is ready to go! could have got this out two days ago but I wanted to add a little more dialogue and a whole extra scene I didn't even consider in the beginning. This chapter will be a good blend between life for Izuku and a day as ONE. interactions will happen here that will play keys roles in setting up future events, connections will begin to be made and put on display all building up to what comes next. Enjoy!


Chapter 22 Connections

It was lunch time at the Midoriya house. It was the last full day before Hisashi had to go back to America for a while and he was truly enjoying his time. He and Eri had done a lot of bonding during his vacation, she's fully opened up to him and he was happy about that. It had been a peaceful three days since Izuku left and they were expecting him back some time today. Eri was feeling a little bummed she couldn't go with him so they decided to take a family trip to the zoo. There's an educational kids show that Eri likes to watch that features animals so they figured it would be good for her to see them in real life. It was a fun trip and they had a good time seeing all the animals. There was an incident where a tiger loudly roared against the glass, causing a frightened Eri to run into Hisashi's arms. It was a cute moment between the two.

The three sat down at the table and after giving thanks for the food they began to eat. Inko took a couple of bites of her rice before she turned to Eri, whose eyes were glued on the TV instead of eating. This has been a recurring problem over the past week or so. They would sit down to eat and Eri would sit in a chair where she could clearly see the TV. That wasn't the Issue, the issue was that she would zone out and completely forget about eating. Whether it be a kids show, a sports game or even the news, Eri would zone out and watch whatever was on as if she were in a trance. However there was a solution for moments like this, and it was Hisashi. He would sit next to her and when she zoned out like this he always smiles when he sees it. He would gently poke her squishy cheeks and it would bring her back to reality.

Hisashi took a bite of his pork croquettes and as if on cue Eri was holding her chopsticks while zoned in on the TV. A smile spread across his face as he gently poked his right index finger into her left cheek. Eri lightly jumped, coming back to reality before turning to her food. "Eri, I'm turning the TV off." Inko said sternly.

Eri's eyes widened, "No don't!" She cutely pleaded.

"Eat your food then." Eri lowly whimpered. Inko turned to her husband, "Hisashi, why don't you say something to her?"

Hisashi had a nonchalant smile, "Hmm, well I would~. But I'd hate to lose a reason to poke Eri's cheeks."

They heard the front door open and someone enter, "I'm back, family." Izuku stated as he entered.

Eri's face lit up as she bolted from the table, "Izu-Nii!" She happily exclaimed as she jumped into the boy's arms.

"Eri!" Izuku happily responded as he spun her like a princess before holding her up. "Did anything happen while I was gone?" He asked as he walked into the living room.

"Yeah! We went to the Zoo! We saw Pandas and Elephants and Giraffes." Eri continued to explain excitedly with the parents smiling from the kitchen.

"You did~! Izuku smiled, happy to hear she enjoyed herself.

Hisashi perked up, "Hey, Eri, remember the tiger?"

Eri had a look of discontent, something Izuku was curious about. "What tiger?"

"A tiger was a little fiery and its roar scared a couple kids, including Eri." His father explained.

"Oh, ok. Don't worry about it Eri, I'm sure the tiger was just in a bad mood." He put her down and walked into the kitchen.

Inko got up to give him a hug, "We're glad your back Izuku. How was your trip?"

Izuku rubbed his head, "It was fun, but It's kinda all over the news, I assumed you already knew."

"We saw. The whole worlds been talking about it. Was it as bad as they say?" Hisashi asked his son.

"They don't know the half of it.. It all worked out in the end but it could have been much much worse." He clapped his hands together, "But enough about that. I just had a long flight and I smell pork croquettes!" He happily exclaimed as he went to make himself a plate. Both parents laughed to themselves, proud of the man their son is becoming while also thankful of how some things never change.


Rising Sky Dojo

Shota Aizawa stood outside the gate, he looked up at the sign above the large double doors. "Well, I guess this is the place Yaoyorozu mentioned." He said aloud as he pushed the door open and entered. He looked around at the vast courtyard, he saw a two floor traditional Japanese house, behind that was another building akin to a dorm. There was another building on the right side that looked like a dojo to him, at least from the outside. And there was another building on the far end of the property. A man came out of the house and stood on the porch, he seemed to be getting some fresh air. He was wearing a white long sleeve shirt, black pants and black taichi slippers, he had long hair with a part in a small pony tail and bushy eyebrows. He turned to see him approaching and came to meet him.

"Hello sir, can I help you with something?" His purple eyes were welcoming as he asked his question with a smile.

The hero bowed his head, "Hello, my name is Shota Aizawa and I was told this is where I could find Michiko Tabihara."

Keizo nodded, "I'm Keizo Tabihara. Michiko is my sister, may I ask what this is regarding? Because if this is about a date I have an obligation to give you a fair warning to run while you still can." he joked with a smile.

Aizawa was slightly embarrassed, "No it's nothing like that. I'm a teacher at U.A, and I have a student who said she was a student of her's."

"You said you're a teacher at U.A. I assume you're a hero. If you don't mind telling me, what is your hero name and quirk?"

"I'm the Erasure Hero: Eraserhead, and my quirk is Erasure. I canerase someone's quirk by looking at them, but the effect stops when I blink."

"I see, an impressive power." The master said as he thought to himself. Keizo is a very sharp person, and his intuition is unparalleled. He could tell this was about Momo's physical abilities despite them being unrelated to her quirk. He didn't mind talking to Aizawa but he was certain his sister wouldn't. After all, she DID need to be restrained from killing the entire U.A faculty for what they did to Izuku. Honestly it's a disrespect even HE hasn't completely forgiven. Michiko was training with Rumi and Ryuko in the woods out back, they should be wrapping it up soon. Still, there was no harm in speaking to the man who had made the trip to their lovely dojo. "Mr Aizawa, would the student in question be Momo Yaoyorozu?"

"This guy is sharp." Aizawa thought as he answered, "Yes sir, she is."

"I figured as much. My sister is her master, but she's training in the back with two of her other disciples so she's a bit busy for the time being. I however don't have a problem answering any questions you may have." He said honestly with a smile.

"Okay~." Aizawa said as he took a couple steps and looked around the area, "What kind of martial arts do you teach here?"

"We teach various martial arts here. My sister and I have mastered several from all over the world, but we mainly teach various styles of hand to hand combat and self defense while also including several weapon based martial arts."

"So do all of the students who train here gain superhuman prowess or is it only a few?" He asked, testing a hunch.

Keizo could tell this wasn't the question he really wanted to ask, "Someone who comes here with a desire just to gain power will not be trained.. However, we push our students to be the best version of themselves both physically, mentally and spiritually. There's more to martial arts than just fighting, so naturally the students who adopt these things and push themselves the most benefit more than others. What do you REALLY want to know, Mr. Aizawa?" His words though calm, his gaze became serious for a moment.

"Nothing gets past this guy, does it." Aizawa thought to himself. "I suppose my real question is HOW is it possible? Quirks are one thing but how is it physically possible for someone to move at the speed of sound and have super strength just from training?" He asks, seriously wanting an answer to this question that's been on his mind since he met his student.

"You seem desperate for an answer. Why does this matter so much to you?" Keizo asked with a soul piercing look.

Aizawa sighed, "I apologize if that's how I seem." He said as he chose his next words wisely. Beating around the bush was pointless with this guy, so he figured just ask the questions he wanted to. Seeing the amazing physical feats Yaoyorozu has shown since starting school and the constant headache that is ONE he's had a theory in his head for a while now. One that by all accounts should be impossible. "I'm a pro hero, been one for a long time and I've thought I've seen it all. But I've been dealing with an individual that seems to defy all logic, and in a superhuman society that's saying a LOT. My student is just the same, so my main objective for coming here is to find if it really IS true." He answered honestly.

Keizo took in his words, he had frustration in his voice. Izuku has told him about many of his altercations with heroes, one that he clashes frequently with is Eraserhead. That same hero was now in front of him and asking questions about the limits of humanity. Keizo could tell from the moment he saw the hero that he was in great physical shape, (At least by normal standards). But if he can erase people's quirks, obviously it doesn't work on Izuku A.K.A ONE, who is clearly the person he was talking about. Keizo thought about what was said before answering. "To answer your question, yes.. It's possible to gain superhuman prowess just from training."

"How?" Aizawa asked in disbelief. "No disrespect sir but martial arts is just martial arts isn't it?"

Keizo crossed his arms, closed his eyes and smirked, "I'm not surprised you're having a hard time understanding, but It's no big secret. However in this world built up on quirks it's easy to forget there was a time before. And human beings have gained incredible power LONG since before they were born with it." He answered.

"So you're saying it's something anyone can achieve?"

"I won't say ANYONE. But there's power you're born with and power you earn. Earning power requires individuals to push themselves and go to extremes of training that most people just won't."

The hero took in the man's words, "I feel like I've heard something similar before but I can't recall where." The hero thought. He was surprised and amazed at how casual his answer was. Simply training your body can lead to incredible things and now he had confirmation of it. It still didn't make sense and even in hero training he used his quirk on Yaoyorozu but it did nothing to affect her speed and strength. But more importantly this made him think about ONE. He's used his quirk on the vigilante enough times to know that it has NO effect on him whatsoever. He can tell if he's erasing a quirk or if it's a mutation type, and all the times he's encountered ONE he's never ONCE felt a quirk. Could ONE truly be quirkless? It doesn't make a damn bit of sense. Even with superhuman prowess coupled with master martial arts skill, that doesn't explain everything else he can do. The flying, the phasing through walls, the fire, the invisibility, tornadoes, shockwaves and the cloning. That HAS to be a quirk or even several, even if it's a mutation type. But he would FEEL that, and he NEVER has. "I see." He answered.

"I have a question for you Mr. Aizawa. Did you come here because you want to gain that strength for yourself, or something else?" Keizo asked the hero. He suddenly heard a loud bang in the distance, turning around he could see a hulking figure with wings rise into the air seemingly being knocked from the woods behind the property. He could tell instantly who it was.

Aizawa looked up in surprise, "What in the world is that?"

"A reason for you to step back a little." Keizo said casually as he took a few steps and stretched his hands out, ready to catch the falling figure. As it fell towards the master's position the hukling figure began to shrink until it revealed the form of a short hair blonde woman in black sweatpants and a backless top that landed perfectly in Keizo's arms. "I see that the training's going well, huh Ryuko." He said with a smile.

The dragon lady groaned in his arms, she was covered in bruises from head to toe. "At the risk of sounding old. This used to be a lot easier." She said as she nursed her stomach as the pain was still fresh from Michiko kicking her just now.

Keizo's smile didn't fade, "Hmm, it's cute that you think that." He said as he held her up with one arm and used the other to flick a bruise on her cheek, making her flinch from the sting.

"Kinda wishing I had trained with you instead." She said looking at the master.

"Well you'll have to wait until tomorrow."

Ryuko looked around Keizo and could see Eraserhead in civilian clothes looking unsure. "Eraserhead?" She said, clearly surprised.

"Hello Ryukyu." He answered, also shocked to see her here.

Keizo allowed her to stand up and the two heroes looked at each other, "What are you doing here?" She asked.

"I had questions and I was told this is where I could get them. Why are YOU here?"

She rubbed her left shoulder that was hurting, "I'm training with my old masters." She answered honestly.

"You old masters?" Aizawa said, surprised.

Keizo put a hand on the blonde woman's head, "That's right. Ryuko here, was a student of ours back in the day. She was with us for most of highschool. Definitely one of our shining stars around here." Ryuko blushed a little at the praise.

"I didn't know you trained heroes." Aizawa said.

"Well I didn't think it was relevant, your questions didn't pertain to any of that. We've had several people come through here that would take the skills they acquired and use them for hero work. Speaking of." He turned back as he sensed two presences bolting towards them. He saw Michiko and Rumi rushing towards them, both were blurs to the erasure hero as they suddenly appeared before the group.

The women stopped in front of the trio, "Ha! I told you! She never hit the ground, Keizo must have caught her." Rumi deduced, smirking as she looked at the beaten up Ryuko.

"Yeah yeah Rumi you have good hearing who would have thought." Michiko said sarcastically before looking past her disciple and brother to see a tall man with long, scruffy black hair and a drowsy expression. "Hm, I didn't know we had a guest." She said with a smile.

Kezio gestured to the man, "This is Aizawa. He's a pro hero and a teacher at U.A and he had some questions about human limitations."

Rumi was surprised to see the other hero. There was only one reason for him to be here, but she doubted it. "Wow! I'm impressed, Eraserhead. Normally you'd never go looking for tips on how NOT to catch a beatdown?" She mocked jokingly.

"Hello Mirko." He said dryly. "I heard you were staying in the city, it seems this is where." He said dryly.

Rumi shrugged with her eyes closed and smirking, "Dry as ever I see. It's not like I was hiding or anything. I had a simple problem and came back to my old teacher for a simple solution."

"So you were trained here too. And did you ever solve that problem?"

Rumi waved an uninterested hand, "I don't have to answer that."

"What is this an interrogation?" Michiko perked up before giving Aizawa a piercing look that was more intimidating than Keizo's previously. "You're a teacher at U.A correct?"

"Yes ma'am, I am."

"Well, full disclosure, I don't like your institution." Her tone, though casual, her words had venom in them.

Aizawa was sweating, his hair began to stand on end and he suddenly got chills. The woman before him was by all means beautiful, but every fiber in his being was telling him she was VERY dangerous, and he should choose his next words very carefully. He took a deep breath, "I'm sorry to hear that. Is there a particular reason?"

"You've insulted me and my teachings, and you should consider yourselves lucky I was restrained from seeking retribution." She said calmly as her purple eyes pierced his soul.

Aizawa was finding it more difficult by the second to hide how afraid he was. He was forgetting to breathe and his chills wouldn't go away, and the feeling this woman would kill him if he said the wrong thing was consuming his every thought. Keizo looked at his sister and the other man who was trying to keep his composure. Michiko was releasing her power aura, just enough to scare him instead of knocking him out, and it was CLEARLY working. The master closed his eyes and sighed, "Relax sister." He said calmly. "He only came here because he saw the effectiveness of our training in YOUR disciple, who happens to be one of his students."

Purple eyes met purple as Michiko looked at her brother for a moment before stopping her technique. She looked back at the man, Aizawa's body visibly shifted as he began to take deep breaths. "This is about Momo?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

"What the hell was that? I forgot how to breathe and It was like if that didn't kill me SHE would have!" He looked between the two masters. "Who ARE these people?" He thought to himself as the pressure he'd been feeling suddenly faded and he was getting back to normal and in control of his breathing. He had goosebumps as he took a breath and looked at the woman, still scared to meet her gaze. "Yes ma'am. I'm Momo Yaoyorozu's homeroom teacher… I've been impressed by her physical abilities and she told me she trained with you, so I came here to speak with you."

Michiko narrowed her eyes, "Oh let me guess, you saw the girl's skills that have ZERO to do with her quirk and you want ME to help YOU train your students who have either terrible to no hand to hand skills at all?" She asked, clearly annoyed. His body language said all she needed to know. She turned to her students, "We're done for the day girls. Ryuko, kiss your own bumps and bruises. Rumi." She looked up and down at her disciple, "I guess go take a bath or something. Both of you enjoy the rest of your day off." She turned back to Aizawa, "And you, GET off my property." She said sternly before walking towards the house.

Rumi didn't care at all for the intense situation Aizawa was in, Izuku had told her why he was a vigilante. It truly made her empathize with the boy and understand why he so willingly walks his path with no trust for heroes. She just looked at the man in question who literally had no words. She smirked, "Whether intentionally or unintentionally, it's wise not to piss off certain people, Eraserhead." Her hair whipped behind her as she turned and walked towards the dorm. Ryuko gave him an empathetic look before apologizing for her master and following Rumi to the dorm.

Keizo sighed, "Sorry about that. My sister carries a lot of pride for what we do here." Keizo said warmly as the two walked towards the front door.

"It's fine. Still, that was intense." Aizawa said as they walked.

"As I said, she has a lot of pride in what we do, and when someone disrespects that, especially to the extent U.A did, there's no coming back from it." Keizo said.

Aizawa was shocked, his interaction with Keizo had been so peaceful, yet he was met with hostility immediately from the woman he came here to see. She has beef with U.A? How exactly was she going to make them pay for whatever they did? He wished he could have looked around and asked a few more questions, but it would probably be wise to never come back here. "What exactly did we do? Yaoyorozu spoke highly of her and never mentioned she may have an issue with the school."

Keizo crossed his arms and met the other man's eyes, "Despite our issues with the school we would never shun a disciple for choosing to attend there. We fully support and watch over our students on the roads they chose to take their strength, so we don't mind certain decisions. However, you should try to keep this firmly in mind.. Today's fantasy can be tomorrow's reality, and sheer ignorance is never acceptable, or an apology." His purple eyes were piercing as he spoke before nodding his head, "Have a good day Mr. Aizawa." Keizo turned, going back inside.

The hero was left to ponder the words of the master as he began to walk away, "That was cryptic… I'm getting the feeling he was trying to tell me something. I was hoping I could ask them to help train the student's in hand to hand combat but there's no chance of that now… So it's possible to gain superhuman prowess just by training, just how intense IS that training? Maybe I can ask Yaoyorozu to lead the first years to increase their hand to hand prowess?" He thought to himself. His thoughts then shifted to ONE. He was surprised to hear that he was responsible for stopping the crisis that happened on I-Island. The heroes from the joint assignment to take him down have gotten together and shared details but no one had anything to go on. Now because of the I-Island incident he's known internationally, if they don't get him licensed or unmasked it continues to look bad for Japan's heroes.

He doesn't hate the vigilante, but he can't understand him either. Why would someone like him not want to be a licensed pro, why wouldn't he get on the hero track? There are various ways one could go about becoming a licensed hero, but to reject them completely and operate without any credentials was something he just couldn't understand, especially given how effective is and the hero he words he spoke in the shipyard that day still echoed in his head, it was if it was playing on loop and it made him sad and upset from the pain in his words.. The more he thought about it the more he racked his brain, the way he spoke, and the pain in his words. He didn't say anything at the hero meeting, but the impossibility that he was quirkless kept entering his mind. Using Yaoyorozu was an example, even if she fought quirkless she'd still be on par with All Might. So with proper intense training could an actual quirkless person accomplish the same feats? There was plenty of video footage on ONE, he had to change his thinking and look at him outside the box. If he WAS quirkless, then there had to be an explanation for the powers he had outside of the physical prowess. He walked to his car, thoughts of the infamous vigilante in his head. They're numerous clashes and the back and forths between them, the two could never see eye to eye, they were too different in their ideals as heroes. Still, he learned a lot from coming here, he would fill Nezu in when he got back to school as they were preparing for the summer training camp in a few weeks.


The Midoriya house that night

Izuku had gotten off the phone with Momo, surprisingly he and Taku made it home first even though they left before they did. Momo told him about how the entire class was going shopping together for their summer training camp. She asked him if he wanted to come and he agreed. He left his room and found his mother cooking dinner and his father sitting on the couch while Eri was napping on his lap. Hisashi gently rubbed her head and stroked her hair, Izuku looked at the light haired girl, knowing she was faking it. She had done this a couple of times, she would pretend to be sleeping on the couch just to get someone she could get cuddles or snuggle up with someone, preferably his mom.

Izuku gripped his chin and smirked, "Hey dad, I bought some quirk grown apples from I-Island. Let's eat a couple while Eri's asleep?"

The young girl's ear twitched as her eyes shot open and she bolted up with a look of shock as she met Izuku's eyes. Hisashi smirked as he also knew she was faking it, "Eri~!" The father said as he swirled his index fingers into her cheeks causing Eri to cutely moan while Izuku and Inko to chuckle at the scene. The night came and went with the family eating dinner, Eri getting a bath and Izuku tucking her into her own bed tonight. He laid with her until she fell asleep, kissed her on her forehead and wished her good night before leaving the room. Inko had also gone to bed, so it was just him and Hisashi chilling in the living room. The father grabbed a beer and was watching a pro basketball game on TV. The living room was dark, only illuminated by the TV. Izuku sat down on the couch next to him and watched as well.

"Is this still your team?" Izuku asked as he watched the game.

"Of course. You know I could have gone pro back in the day if I wanted to." The father responded as he watched the game. "You still play don't you?"

"Sometimes. I still play every now and then, It's always fun to get out there and run a couple games. I still remember when you taught me how to play when I was little. I even played during the school's sports festival. My team won because I'm a sniper with a jump shot." Izuku grinned as he did his shooting form, "Actually the coach and players on the basketball team at school keep badgering me to play. I always politely decline though."

"Are they THAT bad?"

"They're not great~, but they're not terrible either. I think they took third in their last tournament.

"You've always had a lot of natural talent for the game Izuku. If I didn't know the reason why you couldn't, I'd encourage you to play. It's the best sport there is." Hisashi chuckled to himself, "I remember when you were little. I'd come home and we'd go play ball at the park, and you always had to train before we could. He said, smiling at his son.

Izuku chuckled, remembering those times. "Yeah I remember that. We'd go down there but I wouldn't touch the ball until I was done practicing my moves. Full disclosure basketball is still my favorite sport."

The two Midoriya's sat and continued to watch the game, both cheering and getting into the back and forth from both teams. The game ended with their team winning at the buzzer, Hisashi was about to go to bed as his flight was at 7AM and it was after 10PM. "Hey dad?" Izuku perked up before his father could leave.

"Yeah?" He responded.

"I'm really grateful you accepted and supported my life as a hero." He said with genuine honesty as his emerald eyes met his fathers red.

"Well I admit it's not ideal, but you've more than expressed what you've wanted to be. I never once asked you to think of a plan B, largely because I knew you WOULD be a hero. I'm disappointed that no school would give you a chance just because you're quirkless, but I couldn't be prouder of you for sticking to your guns and marching on like a true champ… I saw what you did the other day, with the suicide jumper."

Izuku was surprised to hear this, "You were there?"

"Some friends and I were passing by and saw the commotion. I saw you bring her down."

"I admit it was different from a normal case. But truthfully all she needed was some understanding. Sometimes that's all some people need, for others to understand instead of judging and spouting generic cliches. So I did that, and I meant everything I said."

"Like how you wish others would have done for you?" Hisashi's smile was comforting as Izuku nodded at his words. The father put a hand on his son's shoulder, "You're a good person Izuku. The world isn't all sunshine and rainbows, nothing is ever black and white and it can be complicated at the best of times. You understand that more anyone of your age should. I've always seen this spark in you and it's incredible…And it's YOURS. I've always believed in you, and I've always known you'd be great however you choose to use it." His words were warm, Izuku was happy to have the father he did. "Stay gold son."

Izuku hugged his father and the two embraced. After a while they let go of the hug and looked at each other. "One more thing, what do you think of Eri? You've had some time with her now, so what do you think?" Izuku asked.

"She's a good kid. You did a good thing saving her Izuku. Speaking of, do you know anything about the guy who was hurting her?"

"All I know is that their operation has stalled since losing Eri. It's only a matter of time before everything crumbles for them."

"Good." Hisashi said as he stretched. "I'm gonna call it a night. Gotta head to the airport in a couple hours you know… Oh, before I forget." He said as he went to he and Inko's room before coming out holding a white envelope with Izuku's name on it. "I know it's early, but I wanted to give you this before I left. Happy Birthday Izuku." He hands the envelope to his son.

Izuku took the envelope and looked at what was inside, his detective skills giving him an idea of what could be in it given how thin the contents was when he grabbed it. He opened it, a happy smile edged across his face as he took out two V.I.P tickets to "Hero Con". He was already planning to go, he was just glad he didn't already get tickets. "Thanks dad." He said with gratitude as he hugged his father.

"I knew you'd like it. I heard how you missed it last you because of double life, so go out and enjoy yourself this time around." The father and son shared a warm heartfelt moment before the father went to bed. Izuku went to bed, ready to continue enjoying his summer break to the fullest.


The next day

Izuku woke up early the next morning, he heard his father leave the house a few hours prior to head to the airport. He'd let them know when he made it back to America. After he left his room he found that Eri was already in the bathroom brushing her teeth and after exchanging good mornings Izuku joined her. After he finishes he gets himself dressed and he's ready to do his morning training, Eri wanted to come with him so he got her dressed and put on her green wig. They leave the apartment and do some stretches when they get downstairs. "Alright, let's go Eri." Izuku says as he puts the little girl on his back and goes into a run. Eri was having the time of her life as they ran across the city, Izuku added parkour to the mix, running on walls, flipping across buildings and triangle jumping. After a while they made it to Dagobah beach, Izuku ran to the far side of the beach before he let Eri off his back.

Izuku clasped his hands and began to take deep breaths, Eri stood beside him and did the same. Eri had recently begun to take an interest in martial arts, she had joined him in his morning training a few times now and she enjoyed doing this new thing with Izuku. The first time she joined him she was excited as she clung onto every word Izuku said to her. She was slowly understanding what tranquility meant as Izuku had said that's why they did this at the beach. Izuku then went into his motions, practicing punches, kicks and various strikes with Eri mirroring him as best she could and him giving pointers when needed. Izuku just wanted Eri to have fun with it, he never pushed her when she trained with him though it was clear she was learning and listening to everything he taught her.

After finishing the training they both head home and find Inko making breakfast as they enter the house. The mother greets them as they all sit down to eat. They talk amongst each other, with all of them eager for Hisashi to come back. Eri admitted she missed him and for the first time in a while she didn't zone out watching the TV, something both Izuku and Inko noticed. "Guess she only does that around "Dad", "Hisashi." The greenettes thought at the same time looking at the light haired girl. Inko turned to her son, "Izuku, how long do you plan on being out today?"

"Can't really give a straight answer, anything can happen. Why, what's up?"

"I'm going out with Mitsuki and some others for a girls night. So I'll need you here to watch Eri."

That's fine. When are you going out?"

"Mitsuki said she'll be here around eight o'clock."

"Okay, I'll be back by then."

"Izu-Nii?" Eri perked up.

"Yeah Eri."

"Where are you going?" She asked, innocently.

"Remember what I told you before? I go around and I help people and it's really important to me." He answered. A part of him did feel a little guilty for not cluing Eri in on his "hero" life, but for now it's for the best until she can legally be theirs.

"Can I come with you?" She asked excitedly with hope in her eyes.

He gave her a gentle smile, "Maybe when you're a little older ok."

Eri pouted at his answer before turning back to her food, both Midoriya's inwardly laughed at how cute Eri's pout is.

After handling everything at home Izuku left and slipped into a secluded spot and got into his Beta suit. He leaps on the roof of a building and looks out to the city, he pulls out his hero phone to check the app for any requests. There were none at the moment but it normally didn't take long for them to pile up. He put the phone back in his pocket, smiling as he took a breath, "Alright, let's see what's happening in the city." He spread his senses, picking up a disturbance before launching into the air.


In a rundown looking apartment in Yamanashi a short old man speaks on the phone with All Might. "So how are things going out there, Toshinori?"

"Well Melissa's obviously not doing well. Daves recovering quickly from his gunshot wound and true to form, they're speeding up his trial."

"Hmm, It's a tough situation… Still, It's hard to believe AFO was pulling the strings here."

"It's still a surprise to me.. I had hoped his influence had dwindled since the old days but it seems he still has connections." he said with frustration in his voice, stemming from his failure to kill the villain.

The old man sighed, "It's not your fault Toshinori." He said empathetically.

"I hear you sir. But still.. For him to survive such injuries.. I risked it all to defeat him but somehow I'm still lacking. It's my greatest failure." He said, clutching his side.

"You're being too hard on yourself. He's a worm.. Hiding away and leaving others to do his dirty work is what he's always been best at.

"Apparently the only reason he got involved in this was because he wanted a hand in my friend indulging in villainy.. Fortunately everything turned out alright."

Oh yeah, that ONE kid put a stop to everything right?" The old man asked.

All Might smiled, "Yeah, he did. I don't even want to think about what might have happened if he hadn't been there."

"What's the kid's story anyway? According to your biggest fan, Nighteye, he's nothing compared to you."

All Might took a moment to take in the older man's words. He was more than impressed by the abilities of the illegal hero, though they stopped the villain together he was pretty sure ONE didn't need his help. After all, HE was the one who needed saving. He never told Nighteye or young Togata about his fight with ONE and the failed operation. Since the meeting he's been working with Tusukachi to try and uncover ONE's quirk and anything that may lead to learning his identity as his words from the shipyard seemingly play on loop in his head. ONE was stronger than he was, whatever his power was it was greater than OFA, and his heart as a hero is something truly incredible. "If I'm being honest I don't know anything about him, he's completely shrouded in mystery. But what I can say for certain, is that he's the definition of a hero."

You're sounding pretty sentimental. I admit when I first heard of him I thought he was your successor, hell I'm pretty curious why he's a vigilante."

As I said, he's a mystery. He won't give a straight answer, and even when he implies a reason it's still hard to understand what he means."

"Hmm. Ok, Take care of everything over there Toshinori, I'll see you when you get back."

"Ok, goodbye sir." The hero said before hanging up.

The old man sat on the couch, thinking to himself for a moment when a face came out of the wall. "Hey Gran Torino, I disarmed all the fake bombs sir. This was my best time yet." Said Mirio Togata with a smile and his signature enthusiasm.

"Good kid, you're getting better and using OFA and your own quirk."

"Thanks. I can use 30% in a head on fight, but it's hard to control more than 20% combined with permeation." The blonde teen said, still smiling. Gran Torino blasted forward to kick the face in the wall only for his foot to hit the wall as Mirio's face became ghostly. "Woah! That one would have hurt." Mirio said with the hero's foot in his forehead.

The older hero kicked off the wall and landed, there's proof you're getting better." He smiled at the young man who closed his eyes and accepted the praise.

"I just got off the phone with All Might, I figure he'll be gone for a week or so give or take."

Mirio's body came out of the wall, "Man, I'm a little bummed out I didn't go with him to I-Island. Maybe things could have gone a little differently."

"He asked you to go with him right?"

"Yeah, I really wanted to go too. But Sir didn't think it was important, so for my summer break all I get to do is train and work."

"Nighteye's always been too rigid, all work and no play is a terrible combination."

"HAHAHA, well there is a lot of truth to that. Sir actually joked that I can relax all I want once I master One For All."

"Speaking of, what do you know about ONE?"

Mirio was surprised to hear his question, "ONE? Actually I think he's pretty cool. Though Sir REALLY doesn't like him that much." Mirio answered, rubbing the back of his head.

"Any reason why?" The pro asked.

"Don't know really, I think it's a combination of things. The biggest of which is that he's just as strong if not stronger than All Might. And if I'm being honest they're a lot alike in the sense of they're both the shining symbol types, the ones that even in dark moments can illuminate everything and assure everything will be alright."

A smile spread across the hero's face, "I've noticed that too. The guy basically came out of nowhere, but the similarities between him and All Might are apparent…Who do you think is stronger between them?" He asked the youth curiously.

"My heart wants me to say All Might, then again ONE did~ obliterate a meteor with one punch sooo…"

"That right.. Any idea what his quirk could be?"

"No clue. But I did hear from Eraserhead once that his quirk doesn't work on him."

"Eraserhead? That's the guy that erases people's quirks by looking at them right?"

"That's right." Mirio answered honestly.

Gran Torino took in the teen's words, he had heard of several feats of power shown by ONE and the various disasters he's prevented. Toshinori even confided in him that the vigilante defeated the blue villain that wrecked Musutafu, someone HE couldn't defeat and likened to AFO in terms of raw power. He remember's first seeing him in the media and scolding Toshinori for allowing his successor to be a vigilante only to learn he didn't and he wasn't. He wanted to meet this youngster, the younger generation of heroes were usually not in the least bit interesting, most didn't even fully carry the heroic ideals of the past. But his talk with Toshinori has piqued his interest in the vigilante. Whatever his power is, it's something greater than One For All. He looked seriously deep in thought, something that lightly concerned Mirio, "Everything okay, Gran Torino?"

"Yeah I'm fine kid, just had a thought. Hey, he has an app doesn't he?" The older man asked.

Mirio's face lit up, "Yeah! I got it right here!" He exclaimed as he pulled out his phone and showed the app to him, "Just don't tell Sir about this."

ONE stood in the middle of a bank as the five robbers he subdued were restrained and waiting for police to pick them up. He responded to police scanners telling of a bank robbery so he headed over and quickly took care of everything. ONE looked down at the robbers who all had looks of defeat on their faces, "Guys, it's called a job. Doing something as cliche as bank robbing is NOT a good use of your time. There's a difference between desperate for money and being too lazy to work."

Several of the villains groaned in annoyance, "Yeah yeah, shut up already ONE."

"Believe it or not I'm actually trying to help you, not judge." He said as the police came in and took the robbers away, he shook hands with several hostages, bank employees and surprisingly police before he took off. Another alert came through on the app, a situation in Yamanashi where someone had heard screams of distress coming from a building. He accepted the request and sped towards the location. He made it in a flash and found the place of the request was a four floor, rundown looking apartment with a busted welcome sign over the front door. There were several broken windows, cracks along the walls and the paint was chipped away from most of the building.

A call came through on the app, "Yo! This is ONE." He answered.

"ONE. Wow, I didn't think you'd answer so fast." The voice on the other line said, sounding vaguely familiar.

"What can I say, I'm always on the move. You reported hearing a scream that implied distress?"

"Yeah, I was passing by when I heard the scream. There weren't any heroes around so I called you."

"Ok, I've arrived at the building and I'll check things out."

"Wait, you're already there?!" The caller asked surprised."

"I'm fast, as a hero should be." He looked upward and caught a flash of white in an upper window. "You're not INSIDE the building are you?" He asked, becoming skeptical of the authenticity of the call.

"No, I'm at work. I was worried about something so I called a hero." He could hear the lie in those words.

"Ok. you'll know when I'm done here." He said before hanging up.

ONE looked up and down the building, he could sense two people inside and the faintness of whispering. "This is either a trap or a joke. Let's find out which." He thought as he opened the front door. To his surprise the first floor of the building was lit up with the look of a standard living room, but what was really surprising was the short man in a yellow and white hero costume face down in a pool of red. He was surprised for a moment as the scent of blood would have hit his nose even before he walked in here, then he recognized the smell, AND the hero. He looked quickly across the room and spread his senses before approaching the face down man. "Sir, are you alright?"

"Hello!" The man's head suddenly shot up showing that he was an elderly man wearing a black domino mask. He was clearly acting as he picked himself up revealing sausage links in the red pool.

"I came here to investigate a scream, it seems it was a misunderstanding."

The elderly hero was shaking as he smiled, "Oh I was making a big plate of ketchup and sausages when I slipped and fell down, clumsy me." He said as he patted himself off. He made eye contact with the vigilante, "So what's your name boy?" He asked with a smile."

The hero met his eyes, "I'm ONE. And can we please stop this charade Gran Torino, I DO have other things I could be doing right now."

"Who now?" He asked, sounding cenile.

"You're dealing with a hero fanatic here sir. On top of that you're acting and set up for this wasn't the best. ONE, I'm not the type to instantly believe what I see, and if you're going to use something red to mimic blood it better be blood because ketchup will always smell like ketchup. TWO, the way your body was positioned indicated that you laid yourself on the floor. THREE, your cenile performance isn't convincing, you may have sold it if you hunched while holding the cane, and the trembling is clearly intentional and your expression is clearly forced. FOUR, I sense no malice in this building, meaning the person upstairs is no killer, someone younger and most likely the one who called because older people don't usually contact a vigilante through an app." His expression was serious as he finished his deduction.

The goofy smile on The older man's face shifted into a serious one, "Well damn. You really are good." He then began to fly across the room at high speed with ONE's eyes following his every movement. He launched himself off the wall and landed above the hero with a grin on his face, "I want you to show me what you can do! Starting with–"

ONE suddenly sensed malice and turned just in tip to see Lemillion coming out of the wall on his right side ready to nail him with a punch. The vigilante brought his left hand up to catch the fist but as if he were a ghost the fist went through his hand heading for his face. ONE shifts his head back avoiding the punch and in that same motion throws a right palm strike at the blonde's face. Lemillion dodges the hit, shifts his body and brings up a kick to strike ONE who butterfly flips over the older teen. He lands and speed blitzes Lemillion who turns around just in time for ONE to drop and sweep his legs making him hit the ground hard. ONE jumps back to dodge a stomp from Gran Torino, the hero then launches himself at ONE who shifts his body causing the shorter man to fly by him, "What is this even about?" He asked as he prepared for another strike from the two.

Gran Torino slammed against a wall, "You don't listen DO you? I said I want to see what you can do!" He exclaimed with an excited grin as he jumped across the room.

"And he's not the only one." Said Lemillion who was sinking into the ground.

ONE was slightly annoyed with this. He hated those requests on the app that turned out to be some kind of B.S instead of someone in need or help with something. And THIS was one of them. Whether it was a trap or a joke he didn't care, he could be helping someone right now and these two were wasting his time so he decided to end this fast. Gran Torino launched off the wall and in a flash of speed was grabbed by ONE to his surprise, as he landed he sensed malice and back flipped into the air avoiding an uppercut from Lemillion who shot from the ground where he previously stood. The hero in training was surprised he missed, as ONE cocked back his right arm and tossed Gran Torino into the younger hero, sending them both flying back crashing through a door into the next room. ONE landed and walked into the darkly lit room and saw the both men sprawled against the wall which they crashed into and seemingly cracked.

"Ok are we done here? Because I DO have other important things I could be doing right now, and full disclosure, people who make up a situation just to get me somewhere are the absolute worst in my mind." He said sternly.

The two managed to pick themselves up, Gran Torino patted himself off, "Geez, Relax kid. It was just a little test."

"Well there is a simple way to do that, just ask. Speaking of which, why did you do this?"

Gran Torino brushed off his shoulder, "Well, I was curious about you and wanted to see if all I heard was true or not."

Lemillion picked himself up, closing his eyes as he rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry about this ONE."

The hero took in their words and sighed, "It's whatever. Next time just let me know of an actual situation, then we can speak after the facts… How have you been, Lemillion?"

"Meh, you know how it is, I'm training and working. Not the most favorable way to spend a summer break but it is what it is."

"All work and no play is a bad mix." ONE said.

"That's what HE said!" He laughed while gesturing to Gran Torino.

"Well it's safe to say you passed the test. That being said, you mind telling me what your quirk is? It must be pretty impressive with all that you've done." The old hero asked.

ONE faced the two as he registered the question, "My quirk is irrelevant sir, at the end of the day what's most important is the choice to help those in trouble, coupled with a little fire and desire." He responded.

Gran Torino narrowed his eyes slightly, "He's avoiding the question. Toshinori does the same thing when asked about his quirk." He thought to himself.

"I have a question for you Lemillion, why are YOU here? I thought you normally work with Sir Nighteye."

"Normally I do. I'm still working with him but he thought it would be a good idea for me to learn from an experienced hero like Gran Torino. Fun fact, he even trained All Might back in the day when he taught a UA!"

ONE's face lit up behind his cowl, "Wait, really?!" He asked in surprise as he looked down at the older man. "Woah, I totally didn't know that!" He said excitedly, his hero fanboy slipping out.

Gran Torino was surprised by this sudden excitement. He didn't expect ONE to be such a fanboy, clearly he was, as not many people knew a hero as old as he was. "That was a long time ago. I was only there for a year and most of our training sessions were me beating the crap out of him and him trying not to take a beating." He shrugged it off.

ONE chuckled, remembering similar training sessions he's had with his masters over the years. "I can definitely relate to that.. Still, I know you because I'm a huge hero fan but you'd think you'd be more well known since you trained the number one hero." He suddenly realized what he just said, his intuition telling him why he was actually called here. "Wait, is this about One For All?" He asked casually.

Lemillions eyes widened while Gran Torino narrowed his, "How do you know about that?" The old man asked in a serious tone.

ONE gave a sly smile, "I know a lot of things, Gran Torino. Don't worry, the secret's safe. But I AM curious, All Might doesn't have much time left as a hero let alone the symbol of peace, All For One is very much active with his hands in many underground operations. How are you planning to deal with it?" There was a silence before he continued, "Things are getting pretty crazy with villains lately and that's just what you can see. There are many things bubbling under the surface that you can't see that can turn into real problems. Whether you're physically, mentallly or emotionally ready is irrelevant because as All Might's successor and more importantly as a hero, you have a role to play in dealing with this. So what's the plan?" He asked looking right at Lemillion

Both men were surprised at his words, neither of them had any idea he knew about OFA. He knows about AFO and he knows that All Might is losing his strength and he knows Lemillion has it. He's clearly very aware of the current climate of society despite his current position in it, and he doesn't want to take it on by himself just because he's powerful. The blonde hero looked at the vigilante, taking his words as he formed his thoughts. Sir had asked him a similar question before but even he didn't sound as serious as ONE is now. But the answer he had when accepted the power is the same one he has now. He looked directly at the vigilante, "The plan is in the meaning of my name, to be a hero who can at the bare minimum save a million people. I'm working as hard as I can to master OFA in conjunction with my own quirk and be a worthy successor as soon as possible." He answered without any hesitation.

"Ok, I like that answer but I was thinking more of an immediate action. Like do we have any leads on the League Of Villains? Because find them and we find AFO."

"You seem very eager to track him down. DO you have any idea who you're dealing with?" Gran Torino asked seriously.

"Of course I do. I've beaten him once already, but he tricked me and was able to run away. I know what he is and what he wants and how he uses people, and the situation on I-Island is all the more reason to take him down ASAP."

The older man's face shifted in surprise in hearing he not only encountered AFO, but he BEAT him. Toshinori never mentioned it, just who exactly was this guy? The monster that's been ruling over the underworld for over a century was beaten by a vigilante? He wouldn't get a straight answer to his quirk but something that surpasses OFA isn't something that naturally comes around too often.

Everyone tensed up as the building began to rumble, "An earthquake?" Lemillion stated as the building shook.

ONE felt the tremors of the rumbling earth, "Seems stronger than the usual ones." The hero bolted from the building as he felt the quake getting stronger.

"ONE!" Gran Torino called out as the vigilante took off.

Once back on the street ONE could see the full impact of the ongoing earthquake. Stangly it was as if the tremors were originating from a specific point close by. People were ducking in cover, getting inside to safety. Cracks ran along the road as people in their cars tried to safely deal with the situation. He spread his senses and traced them back to the mountains just outside the city, he was surprised when they suddenly stopped. A wave of malice washed over him and the city itself, the source of which was originating from the mountains. His eyes narrowed as he looked past the city and into mountains seeing a giant reptilian creature as big as a mountain itself. It had horns on its head and spikes on its back and it was just colossal, at least three times the size of Mt. Lady.

As far away as it was, it was so big that it was clearly visible from the city, many people looked up and a mix of panic and fear spread across the faces of the people who saw it. Lemillion and Gran Torino arrived outside, "Seems the rumbling has stopped." Gran Torino stated.

Lemillion looked around and could sense the weird tension in the air, he also noted how everyone around including ONE was looking up. He followed everyone's gaze and his eyes widened at seeing what everyone else was seeing. A colossal reptilian-like creature that seemed to be looking down at the city from its vintage point in the mountains. "What the heck?" He said in a low voice with a hint of fear.

ONE quickly shifted and suddenly pointed at the creature, "RUN! It's Godzilla!" He yelled out dramatically.

Everyone who heard his words all turned in the direction of the voice and all eyes that fell on the vigilante had a look that said "Really Bro?" Gran Torino shook his head, "Were you even alive when that reference was ACTUALLY funny?"

ONE shrugged his shoulders, "Who knows, I was just trying to ease the situation."

The creature reared back its head and produced a mighty roar that cracked and shattered windows all throughout the city causing everyone to cover their ears to block out the noise. However in the midst of this there was one person who in a flash of speed took off into the air, unaffected and unintimidated by the roar. ONE kicked off the air and like a missile flew towards the creature. As he flew closer he had many questions going through his mind but they would have to wait until he neutralized it. If this was some kind of dinosaur that somehow survived until the modern day, for the sake of science hopefully he wouldn't have to kill it. As he ended his thoughts the creature seemed to notice him coming, its red eyes locked on him as it opened its mouth and a red light emitted from it.

"Crap!" ONE quickly thought as a giant energy beam was fired at him, his eyes quickly shifted to the city behind him as he noticed the angle of the blast. ONE kicks off the air and spins into an upward kick that redirects the blast upward creating a giant hole that parts the clouds. The hero turns back to the creature, "This thing's not playing around. That blast would have taken out half the city if I hadn't diverted it upwards." He thought as it let out another roar. "This thing's at least 70 m tall, it makes Mt. Lady look like a midget in comparison." He kicked off the air twice, launching himself forward and after a third kick performed an aerial spin to increase his speed, "So much for taking it alive." He thought as he shot forward with a powerful kick off the air. He created four flash clones that flew alongside him and they speed blitzed the monster.

The sound of powerful blows rang out as the hero and his clones attacked the monster's hard skin. He was surprised at how hard it was at first so he decided to put more power behind the attacks. The fives ONE's zipped around the monster, pummeling it with brutal hits from bottom to top. The effect of his blows showed as the monster roared in pain, after ten seconds his clones disappeared, he punched its stomach and in a flash he was in its face. Its red eyes locked on him menacingly, ONE faced him, meeting his gaze unflenching, "Huh, you really are Godzilla." He suddenly felt the creature's malice and crossed his arms as a giant claw slammed into his right side, he was sent flying and crashed through three mountains before he was able to correct himself and land, he tore through the ground as he skid back. He used his hand to help bring himself to a stop, he looked ahead at the distance he flew and the destruction it caused, "Damn, I let my guard down. Bastard's fast for how big he is." He sensed a presence and turned to his ten o'clock and saw a group of hikers looking at him in pure shock.

The hikers were in a group of two men and one woman, all looking in their early twenties. "Is that ONE?" The woman asked.

"Yeah that's him, what the heck are you doing man?!" One of the men asked.

We gave an assuring smile, "We kinda have a Kaiju situation going on right now, this mountain is NOT the safest place to be right now." He turned back to the monster and looking just past the mountains he could see it take a few steps before turning to his direction. ONE's eyes widened as it opened its mouth and fired an energy beam at the ground, the giant blast ran along the mountain range obliterating everything it touched and causing massive explosions as the creature raised its head. ONE turned to the hikers who panicked at the incoming light, ONE quickly stood in front of them, he formed his hand into a chop and tucked his arm back as if drawing a sword. "Iai Sword: Rising Sun!" He swung his hand in an upward, circular slash that split the beam before it could hit them. This left ONE, the hikers and the immediate area unharmed, but after that blast, everything changed.

"I don't know what this thing is, but it clearly has no regard for life. It's just senseless destruction and malice. Just a beast with no rational or reasoning." He thought as he looked at the destruction around him. He sighed, "This is definitely one of those "If I don't then WHO will" situations… I gotta end this now, or the lack of the country's gorgeous mountain landscape is only the beginning." He thought as he prepared himself.

"IT'S FIRING AGAIN!" The woman yelled out as she pointed in terror.

ONE had noticed and was undeterred, actually he was waiting for it to do this again. He formed both his hands into chops, crossed and tucked them at his side, he shifted his body, ready to rush forward. "Iai Sword: Nitoryu!" He called out as he sped blitzed forward. He slashed at another mountain and cut through it completely at the summit, he then used his right palm to pop the severed earth into the air. With two slashes he cut the mountain peak into four even pieces, he spun and pressed his foot against one of the chunks before he kicked, launching it off his foot with the speed of a bullet. He then skillfully did the same with the other three, the first chunk of rock flew at the face of the monster before it crashed into its glowing mouth. The others followed suit as the monster's mouth was full of rock, shock was written on the creature's face.

ONE flashed towards the monster, "Just as I suspected. The energy you build up comes from your stomach and concentrates in your mouth, blocking that off and energy is stuck in your stomach with nowhere to go." His theory was becoming more and more accurate as the monster's stomach began to glow red. He flashes in front of it's glowing stomach, "You're looking a little red there, big guy!" He threw an uppercut so powerful the colossal monster exploded. A giant beam of energy shot into the air, guided by the force of ONE's punch that could be seen from miles away. As the beam faded all that remained was a massive hole of burnt earth where a monster once stood. ONE crossed his arms as he floated, "Man, not even its bones remained? My and ITS power must have disintegrated them… It would have been a good contribution to science, hope no archaeologist holds this against me too much." He flew away to help anyone on the mountain before heading back to the city.

He made it back to the city and had answered any and all questions about the chaos that just unfolded. Fortunately no one died and though he was originally irritated with the situation he decided to stay in the city and help Lemillion train. The went to an empty lot where no one could disturb them, he ran the blonde through serious combat training while Gran Torino observed the two. Lemillion was thrown off as he'd never faced someone with an ability similar to his, before they started he thought he may have some sort of advantage but he learned very quickly ONE was built differently. He quickly figured out all his moves and saw through his every strategy, it was as if the vigilante was reading his mind, he couldn't touch him and he couldn't become permeable fast enough to avoid his attacks and become permeable and hold onto his full cowling. Training with ONE was more painful and mindracking than any he's done before.

Lemillion rushed at the vigilante, shrouded in yellow lightning he threw a flurry of punches that ONE blocked easily with a flat palm. ONE's hand goes through Lemillion's right hook as he tries to deflect his punch, the blonde's fist keeps going but to his shock his fist goes through his head. Before he could process he felt a hit to his right side and went crashing into a wall. The hero in training gripped his side as he looked to see what hit him, to his surprise he saw TWO ONE's.

ONE smiled at the blonde while Gran Torino just looked impressed, "I can see you're surprised Lemillion. What you thought was me becoming intangible was actually an afterimage I made."

"HOW? I never took my eyes off you!"

"It's all about speed my friend."

"Huh?" He asked, still not understanding.

What he means is that he did it when you became permeable to get around his blocking. That right hook you threw at the end there, that's when he did it." the old pro explained.

Lemillion had a smile as he picked himself up off the ground, "Geez ONE, just how fast are you?"

"Hm, pretty fast." He answered nonchalantly.

Anyway it's starting to get dark, I say we call it a day." Gran Torino suggested.

"Sweet. Let's go and grab some food, what's good in the area?" ONE asked.

"I passed by the Ramen shop that looked pretty good on patrol yesterday. The place was hopping!" Lemillion exclaimed.

"Then let's go!" ONE eagerly agreed.

After a while they were sitting at the counter at the ramen shop, all three of them ordered bowls of Miso Ramen and began to eat. The taste of the noodles and the flavors of the broth blended in perfectly. Lemillion slurps down a large mouthful of noodles and leans back exhaling, "Man I knew this place would be good. You can never go wrong with good ramen."

"This IS really good, you a fan of Ramen, Lemillion?" ONE asked.

"It's my favorite. Some think it's bland and simple but it's always been number one for me!" He answered confidently with a smile.

"I hear you on that. Katsudon's always been my favorite, but I've always been a fan of pretty much everything. My taste buds went on many adventures during my training." He said, smiling at the memories of the many different things he's eaten since knowing his masters.

"Speaking of, that's what I'm most curious about, ONE. Just what kind of training did you do?" Lemillion asks, genuinely curious.

"Lots of blood, sweat and agony with fire and desire being the only reason I survived. And I picked up a lot of skills along the way with the end goal to be the best hero I could be." He answered with a confident smirk.

"HAHAHA! Way to answer without answering!" The blonde laughed with the old man next to him thinking the same thing.

ONE merely chuckled and shrugged before he continued to eat. The night went on with Lemillion and ONE talking amongst each other, some people even asked for autographs and pictures with ONE, which he happily obliged. The word had quickly spread of how ONE took care of the giant monster that appeared today, it was so big that many were able to see the battle from the city and many had questions as to how it just suddenly blew up. Gran Torino and Lemillion were both impressed at how quickly he was able to spring into action. He took off and handled a threat that serious before any pro's could mobilize or arrive on the scene, they saw the devastation of the energy beams and there was no denying he saved the city and everyone in it from certain destruction. However as far as the old pro was concerned this only raised more questions regarding the vigilante.


They exit the ramen shop and step out onto the street. It was now dark outside and the city was fully lit, the three said their goodbyes and ONE went on his way. He leaped into the air and began to Sky Walk back to Musutafu, as he soared through the air he sensed a disturbance and headed over. He flew above to the roof of a building where a helicopter seemed to be ready to take off, the issue was that there were at least six guys on the ground tied up on the ground. Whoever was piloting the helicopter was clearly stealing it, he kicked off the air and landed on the roof with silent grace, his eyes locked onto the pilot and his face morphed into one of pure shock. In the pilot's seat, looking at him, was Takae Tachibana! She shot him a mischievous smile, "Hm, I was wondering when you'd show up." She said as she began to raise the chopper off the ground. "Now let's dance!" She dipped the chopper off the side of the building.

"The hell!" He said in surprise as he reached into his back pocket and pulled out a small EMP grenade. He set it off and tossed it into the chopper just as she abandoned the falling machine, jumping onto a nearby ledge. ONE dove off the roof, the emp grenade had knocked out the power in the helicopter so he was able to stop the blades with his bare hands. He then got under it, grabbing the landing gear skids and using Sky Walk to fly it back to the roof and gently put it back, much to the relief of the horrified public below. He could sense eyes on him and turn to face Tachibana who met his gaze from the next building over before she bolted along the edge of the building. ONE leaped onto the ledge and chased after her.

Tachibana jumps from her original building onto another building under construction, she flips through the air and lands on wooden boards. She slides down and runs along the edge with ONE doing the same not far behind her, she dips through a blue tarp sheet and slips in between wooden boards. ONE comes through the sheet just in time to see her grab a hydrogen tank and jumps through a glass window, as she falls she throws it up just as ONE makes it to the window. The hero sees the hydrogen tank and a bullet be shot into it, causing an explosion that he tanks. As the smoke cleared ONE's thoughts were firing, "Senpai down there but that shot came from the north," He quickly scanned the area of the shot but didn't see anyone. "Issues for later, I can't LOSE her!" He thought before diving after the ash haired woman.

He chased her onto another building under construction. Tachibana speed blitzed across the metal beams and made her way down, "Fast as ever senpai." ONE thought as he spotted her as he sped up and flipped down, putting his parkour repertoire on full display. Tachibana leaps across several buildings and triangle jumps before launching herself off a ledge, grabbing a cable and swinging across before crashing through the glass ceiling of a train station. ONE leaped from the ledge and kicked off the air once and then shot himself through the hole Tachibana made. He crouches as he lands and looks around, surprised that he lost sight of her when she came in here. He couldn't sense her eyes on him, implying she was hiding and as he closed his eyes and spread his senses he found her.

Opening his eyes he saw two metal boxes with wires attached to them taped to the wall in front of him.

"REALLY!" He thought as he quickly attempted to disarm the bombs. He felt the one he was touching suddenly vibrate and he jumped back just as the bombs went off. The blast was so strong it caused the metal tower over the station to fall over, small fires burned across the area. ONE stood on the track after avoiding the blast, he turned to his left and saw Tachibana looking at him. She had a sly grin as the two locked eyes, "You're better than I thought!" She said just as a train rounded her with ONE backflipping onto the platform to avoid the train and her disappearing when it passed. ONE looked to where she previously stood, he couldn't sense her presence anymore, she was gone. He didn't want to arrest her but he REALLY wanted to talk to her, as he left to clean up the mess made here his only thoughts were on the ash haired woman, "Tachibana senpai… What happened to you?.. How did you get here and where is Stain?"


As the police and pros showed up to the scene ONE simply explained he was chasing a villain who set off a bomb. He told of how the villain got away and that they were long gone. The police took his report while some heroes looked at him with judgment, he felt another presence and looked up to see a large pair of wings and the familiar hero they were attached to flying over him. "Hawks!" ONE called out, getting the attention of everyone.

The winged hero landed and walked up to the infamous vigilante, "Well well well, I see you've been pretty busy today." He said with a smile.

"I wouldn't go THAT far. It's been one of those right place, right time situations." ONE responded with a smirk.

Hawks smirked, "Well thank whatever god you subscribe to for that. Wanna go for a flight?" The blonde asked, giving a look that said that wasn't a question.

ONE took the hint, "Sure. Later guys." He waved to the others before taking off into the air with the winged hero.

ONE Sky Walked while Hawks flew, as they left Yamanashi seemingly heading in the direction of Musufafu. "Yo Hawks! Not that I mind the beauty of the night sky but what's this about? You wanted to ask me something you couldn't say in front of everyone else right?"

"Sharp as always ONE. Let me get right to the point. Someone wants to meet up with you, don't ask me what it's about, I was just asked to give you this?" He said while handing ONE a slip of paper.

ONE took the paper and unfolded it and it read, "ONE, Meet me in Musutafu Memorial park at 9pm in the castle-like area overlooking the pond. I have something I'm sure you'll be interested in."

"Hm, wildly inauspicious." ONE commented after reading the note.

"Ha, I know right. I always get stuck with these sketchy jobs… Still, I think you should at least check it out ONE."

"Well, I'm all for the opinion of springing an obvious trap so I guess this is no different."

"Eh, I'm pretty sure it's NOT that, but still check it out." He said before flying off.

ONE looked up and watched the hero fly away, (Who do you really work for Hawks? That's the third time you've implied that you answer to someone else…Thoughts for later) He ended his thoughts as he pulled out his hero phone and called Taku, after a couple of rings he picked up, "Yo what's up bro?"

"What's up? You called me man." The greynette responded on the other side.

"Yeah about that, I just got a meeting set up with somebody in Musutafu park at nine o'clock. Long story short, mom's going out at eight so can you hang out with Eri until I get home?" He asked his friend.

"HMMMMM. Yeah I can do that. Who are you meeting with anyway?"

"I don't even know that. Hawks just gave me a note with some anonymous person wanting me to meet them in the park. Hawks suggest this IS a good thing though."

"Well like my grandpa on my mom's side used to say, "A bird will never stir you wrong."

"Really?" ONE asked.

"Yep, he truly used to say that… God I miss him."

"Okay leaving that alone for now, but back to Eri."

"Yeah I got her, I'll head over to your place now."

"Good looking out Taku, I appreciate you."

" I'm enjoying my day off and everything. Still, I heard about the situation in Yamanashi, since I got you on the line, what the hell happened?" He asked, genuinely surprised that something this big just came out of nowhere.

"Don't really know myself. My biggest theory at this point is that some dinosaur-esk monster has been hibernating deep in the mountains outside of Yamanashi for literally millions of years before it suddenly woke up." He answered with his best deduction.

"That makes surprisingly too much sense." Taku huffed, thinking the same thing. "Anyway, I'll be at your place in a bit, let me know how this whatever meeting goes?"

"I will. See you later and thanks again for this." ONE hung up the phone, jumped and kicked off the air and flew like a bullet before doing it again and again while adding spins after every third kick. He arrived at the park and waited at the meeting place and waited for someone to show up. This spot was off by itself and the park was pretty much empty, making this the perfect place for an anonymous meeting. He had about forty minutes to wait, he could have gotten here earlier by running but he chose to fly because it's more fun. Musutafu memorial park was vast with several parks and ponds with ducks and koi fish inhabiting them. There were several walking trails that ran through the wilderness of the park with many people visiting it daily. He had no requests on the app and he sensed no immediate trouble in the area, so he could afford to just wait and take in the calming nature of the park.

It's a little before nine o'clock, ONE was feeding the fish in the pond when he sensed a presence approaching him. "So you've arrived." He thought as he tossed the fish food into the water, splashes immediately erupted as the fish fought over it. ONE had a small smile, "Hm, the fish are worse than the ducks apparently."

Hello ONE. A masculine voice said from behind him.

The hero turned around to see a tall man wearing a trench coat and a fedora. The lights around the area provided enough light for the vigilante to make out the man's face, and it shocked him. He bowed his head, "Hello to you as well. Today has been full of surprises, but I definitely wasn't expecting for YOU to be the one to set up an audience with me."

The man smiled as he approached, "Sorry for such sketchy formalities, but this is just the way it had to be. I'm happy you came though."

"When someone wants me to meet them somewhere it's usually an obvious trap, and I'm a fan of springing obvious traps.. But my friend Hawks assured this would be none of that so I figured I'd take him at his word and show up. Plus the fact that you came alone, and I sense no one else in the area on top of no malice it's a pretty safe bet this is genuine. So how can I help you?.. Prime Minister Naoe Yamato.

The older man smiled as he took off his fedora revealing his full head. He was a tall man at forty one years old, he had dark brown hair and eyes, his features were sharp and considered handsome. He was very popular with the public with his policies and legislation. He was also the youngest Prime Minister in the history of Japan, being elected at forty and has made significant strides in the country's infrastructure in just his first year on the job. "Hm, good to know you get right to the point. But before that let's have a quick talk." He said with a cool smile.

"Alright. But I kinda pawned off a responsibility of mine onto a good friend so we'll have to make it quick."

Fine. But first I want to thank you for taking care of the situation in Yamanashi today, nature is truly unpredictable."

"A seventy meter monster under the mountains of a nearby city, yeah~ that's not something you see everyday."

"I'm glad everything turned out alright. Still, it's concerning, the level of threats that have appeared in the past few months. There's been a shift in the world and not a positive one, and I fear Japan just may be headed for some dark times." He stood beside ONE and looked out to the pond. There was a pause before he spoke again, "You feel it don't you?.. The Blue Villain, this League Of Villains, the Hero Killer and the Meteor, and now a literal Kaiju… And every time these threats appeared, before they could truly do their worst, YOU were there." He turned to the slightly shorter vigilante.

ONE smiled confidently, "It's only natural a hero saves people right?"

Yamato closed his eyes and smiled at his answer, "You truly are a hero aren't you.. I admit I've gotten a bit of a headache from the media bombarding me with questions about you, on top of our representatives at the U.N facing their own drama. However." He bowed his head, "On behalf of the great nation of Japan, I thank you for everything you've done." He said with gratitude.

ONE was shocked. It wasn't every day he met a political figure and most of them never condoned his actions, (At least while the camera was on). But right now the most influential man in the country was acknowledging him with sincerity and respect. He had wondered who had Hawks deliver the message, and he wondered what they could want, but a chat with the prime minister was something he never expected. The older man lifted his head and locked eyes with the vigilante, "You honor me sir, but there's no need for thanks. I made a promise to myself a long time ago to become the kind of hero I always wanted to be.. And I have… Helping people in trouble, defending the weak and being someone who can help and change others lives for the better through kindness, understanding and respect is why I wear this suit."

ONE placed a hand on his chest. "I can't give you my whole backstory, but my life has been filled with many dark clouds. They could have broken me, I could be an entirely different person today." He chuckled to himself as he remembered the hard times in his past, "Realistically I probably shouldn't be the person I am… But I made it through those dark clouds. I made my life change when I put on this suit and now it feels sunny… I'm only here to help sir and It's all I ever wanted to do." He said with gentle sincerity.

Yamato was beyond impressed, the country's infamous vigilante was more than he originally thought. He's definitely kept up with the constant exploits of the vigilante, and it was an undeniable fact that he has saved millions. Many debate whether he's more powerful or greater than All Might, but he doesn't entertain those. He's fully aware of the fact that the symbol of peace has something going on with him, his number of cases and activity have been decreasing significantly over the past six years. He is still the most popular hero with the highest approval ratings which is why no one has really noticed it. And recently everytime the world's greatest hero is needed to save the day, he fails in case of the blue villain, or isn't around for whatever reason. He suspected the symbol of peace might not have much time left as a hero. Still, if that WAS the case he was more than glad someone like ONE was not only able, but WILLING to wear those shoes, as unconventional as his situation may be. He smiled at the hero upon fully taking in his words, "You have a lot of heart ONE, I admire your sense of justice."

"Thank you." ONE responded with a smile.

The prime minister reached into his pocket and pulled out two white laminated cards. "Here, I'm sure these will interest you." He said as he handed him the card.

ONE quickly scanned the cards and saw that there were no electronics in them whatsoever, so they seemed safe. He took one of the cards in his right hand and his eyes widened in shock as he looked at the card. It had a small photo of him on the right side and his hero name in the middle. The date it was issued was on it and the city he operated out of, that being Musutafu and an identification number as well as the seal of the public safety commission. He read the top of the card that read Independent Hero License. "Independent Hero License?" He asked in confusion, looking at the older man.

Yamato smiled, amused by his surprise. "That's right. Japan's hero laws and regulations are so dated it's not even funny. I was able to find a loophole in the rules that governed the original heroes that was basically an ultimatum."

"Which was~?" ONE asked curiously.

"Follow the rules we've established or you can do hero work without our services, systems AND the use of your quirk." He answered casually as his dark blue eyes seemed to pierce through the heroes lenses.

"What? So you're saying THIS license allows me to do everything I've been doing I just can't use my quirk?" He asked with fake discontentment.

"Correct." He answered casually. "That's not going to be a problem for you will it?"

"Of course not. What kind of hero is limited to just their quirk?" He said nonchalantly.

"Hm, I was hoping you'd say that." You're the first to receive this license ONE. It's been in the regulations from the beginning but no one's ever desired to obtain one. While this will make your hero operations legal, it's not exactly the same as being a pro. For example you won't receive any compensation by the government for your work, nor will you be allowed access to the Hero Network. You won't be entitled to the benefits or any programs that come with being a hero, you'll truly be going at it alone." He locked eyes with him as he explained.

ONE took in the man's words, He couldn't contain his excitement, he was LEGAL! He could dodge so much drama with the pros now, he didn't care one bit about the downsides of being independent. He had built a good system for himself thanks to Taku help, and he would only continue to do what he's always done, just with a few more steps. He locked eyes with the prime minister and bowed his head, "Thank you so much prime minister, I truly appreciate this." He said with sincerity.

"You're very welcome ONE. If it's not obvious this license doesn't go beyond Japan's borders, on the flip side you can make the hero rankings and keep your identity secret if you choose."

"Really? Won't the public hound for my real name?"

"Meh, yes and no I guess. I mean All Might and Edgeshot have their real names blank on THEIR licenses, hell pretty much any hero can have their real names a secret only accessible on the hero registry. By the way, you'll be on there by tomorrow."

"Okay. Thank you again sir, this really was interesting." He said with a smile. He then looked that he had two, "I have an idea why, but why did you give me two?" He asked, holding them up.

"Because I'm almost positive that a hero, most likely Endeavor or Death Arms, is not gonna believe it's genuine and destroy one when you show it to them."

"Reasonable foresight."

The older man nodded, "I really like the hero you are, so keep doing what you're doing." He began to walk away before stopping about ten paces from the vigilante, "Oh, and one more thing?" He began before to the hero's shock he disappeared before his eyes. ONE's eyes narrowed as he recognized the technique, "Tell Michiko and Keizo I said hello…And to not be strangers." Came the voice of Yamato from behind him.

ONE turned his head slightly, not fully turning to see the man behind him. "The Nukiashi. The hero said in a low voice.

"Correction, that was the Perfect Nukiashi. I admit you're good, you didn't sense me until you felt my eyes on you." The brunette said in a humbling tone.

ONE turned and faced the older man and narrowed his eyes behind his mask, "Who are you really? Prime Minister Yamato."

The man smiled and closed his eyes "Just a guy who dabbled in martial arts once upon a time.. Though I was better at using my head, that didn't mean I didn't learn my lessons well." He began to walk past the hero, "I may not know who you are under that cowl, but those who know Tobihara's form will see the connection. But I'm sure you already know that." He raised and waved, "Good night ONE, I expect great things from you." He said in a cool, assuring voice.

ONE watched him leave until he was out of sight, he then looked at his new licenses, excitement bubbling within him. Taku and Momo were going to be more shocked than he was when they saw this, his mom and dad would certainly be surprised but still supporting. He had to get home, Taku was hanging out with Eri and he had to review his chase with Tachibana senpai, several things about it seemed off to him and he needed answers. Today had surely been full of surprises and he had to agree with Yamato that things were changing, so much so he found a legal loophole just to make it so he could be a legal part of it. He found a secluded spot, got out of costume and headed home. Eri would hug him when he walked through the door as always, and he couldn't wait to see the look on Taku's face when he saw his new license Today… Was DEFINITELY an interesting day.


And that ends chapter 22. Damn! connections was the right title for this chapter. ONE is the first Independent Hero in the history of Japan. Full disclosure I was gonna call it the Amateur Hero License, but Independent just seemed more professional and they basically mean the same thing in a professional setting. What will Aizawa discover now that he knows human limits for far beyond what he knows? How will the world react to this new Independent hero and will it last? Will ONE have to adjust at all with the no quirk use stipulation that comes with his new license. come back next time to find out because it will surely become a THING. Leave a review on the chapter and any idea you may have? I do listen to you all and if it's a good idea and I think I can play with it I'll include it into the story, the prime minister stepping in and licensing ONE was one such suggestion and I really wish I had come up with it. Next time, Izuku finds several things disturbing in his chase with Tachibana, Izuku goes shopping with Class 1A and makes an interesting discovery, Izuku and Momo go to Hero Con and Nezu and Aizawa dissect ONE's moveset