Paths Of A Hero
Summary: Hero or Vigilante? What is the difference? It used to be black and white, a boundary so sharp cut that many have found themselves in pieces just for approaching it. So why is it blurring now, as Eraserhead tries to keep his head low while unwittingly gaining 20+ kids, at least three Pro Hero friends and seems to have caught the eye of All Might himself, all the while his past is persistently trying to catch up to him?
The world is going bonkers!
That was the only thought circling through All Might's mind as he read the report Naomasa had made after questioning Native, Endeavor, Manual, Gran Torino, a few other Heroes and the three 1-A boys that had been involved in the Hosu incident with the Hero Killer.
It was like disaster after disaster piled upon one another these days and it all seemed to have started with the order to arrest Eraserhead. Not that All Might was blaming the Vigilante for these incidents.
It was more that he was actually suspecting karma paying them back for trying to repay the man's kindness with the kind of attitude and actions they've been taking against him these past few weeks. At this point, it was the only theory he had that made an iota of sense. Nothing else seemed logical at this point and he knew that was a sad fact indeed.
It was as if it wasn't bad enough to finally learn why Eraserhead had been around USJ in time to save the students, things just kept on coming. They'd already known Eraserhead's been investigating a villain similar to Nomu, only for test results of both villains to come back not declaring them family, but bioengineered monsters with multiple Quirks! This was further confirmed in Hosu on the same night that Stain was finally arrested, when three different Nomu were released to wreak havoc on the streets, attacking indiscriminately both Heroes and civilians alike. Only one had been arrested. Two had been killed, one by Endeavor by burning its head off, the other by Stain when he had, of all things, saved Midoriya-shounen!
What's more fascinating was that Eraserhead had helped in arresting the third Nomu before he'd run off to find Todoroki-shounen, Iida-shounen and Midoriya-shounen. He had arrived by the time their fight with Stain ended and had just helped in wrapping up their injuries given Midoriya-shounen had received a nasty cut to his leg. Native, as was per usual for any ... interactions he may have with Eraser, didn't try to interfere with the Vigilante and just carried the injured Midoriya-shounen out while Todorok-shounen and Iida-shounen dragged the unconscious villain behind them. Eraser had, as per the report, monitored them from the building above and watched out for any trouble.
Eraserhead only got more violently involved when a winged Nomu swooped in and tried to take Midoriya-shounen after the other Pros had arrived. Stain had managed to get his hands - or, well, tongue - on the Nomu's blood and paralyze it long enough to kill it in seconds, but Eraserhead had been just as swift to yank Midoriya-shounen out of its slack grip so Stain would have no potential hostages, even though the Hero Killer wasn't known to operate in such a way anyways.
All Might had watched the entire video, even before the by now infamous one was first posted online. He'd seen how no Hero had been able to move while Stain stood to face his adversaries. Only Eraserhead had sent his capture weapon out to grab the other two boys and drag them onto his rooftop. Whether he would have concentrated on protecting the injured students or if he would have joined the Pros in the potential fight was a mystery to them all, because Stain had ended up fainting standing up due to a broken rib digging into his lung, leaving him in critical health and in need of immediate medical attention.
Toshinori was ashamed of his fellow Heroes for all but forgetting about the children that had been in their care mere moments earlier for about five minutes as they fretted over dealing with the comatose villain. They'd been in safe hands, no doubt, as they'd been with Eraserhead, who had thoroughly chastised them for their actions and then, apparently, mother-henned them all over again.
The rest of the story was quite a sad one where aspiring Heroes were concerned. Those three boys had saved a life and detained one of the biggest threats of their generation and no one would ever know about it. They had also almost killed Stain in their efforts to stop him and that could have very easily ended in them being kicked out of the Hero Course for good. Thankfully, Detective Tsuragamae did not want to punish good deeds and they were mostly off the hook. Mostly. The rest of their first internships were spent in the hospital and even if they were released, they were not allowed to do any Hero work. Their mentors, too, were punished. Manuel's pay was docked and Gran Torino lost his teaching license.
It could have been so much worse ...
But, for the first time since his first turned in report, Eraserhead left an inked falsehood before all but disappearing from their radar for a solid week. He wasn't injured, everyone who'd been there had seen that in how he moved after it was all over. The three boys worried over it, even if Detective Tsuragamae assured them that Eraserhead was just busy with a lead he'd found.
And indeed he had found a lead, of sorts. Shigaraki and Kurogiri had been watching a few blocks away the whole time and left a bit after Stain killed the flying Nomu. Footage from a news camera confirmed as much. But Eraserhead brought in information saying the League of Villains was unlikely an ally to Stain because he said Shikaraki seemed to be in possession of a new wound, a knife wound to be precise, to his left shoulder.
Eraserhead then proved to be a bit of a blade expert, wherein he described what he'd managed to see of the wound. Forensics, just based on that description, could tell the wound was most probably caused by a weapon like the sword Stain's known for wielding.
Eraserhead proved to be more and more of a mystery.
Then Midoriya-shounen showed great progress during their first Hero Studies class, showing impeccable control over One For All and even being neck to neck with Sero-shounen at the finish! His control and mobility both have vastly improved and Toshinori had been so proud! He'd called Gran Torino right away to thank his old teacher for the help, only for the old man to inform him that he'd had almost no hand in it. Toshinori had been halfway to assuming Midoriya-shounen himself had somehow figured it out - all the better! - only for the old Hero to drop the bomb on him that, apparently, Midoriya-shounen had had a training session one night with a passing-by Eraserhead.
Questioning his successor only confirmed the story and the boy had been super excited to tell him all about the techniques Eraserhead had used to help him gain control of his Quirk.
Toshinori actually felt kind of irked that someone could teach his successor better how to use One For All than himself, but he was just glad Midoriya-shounen will finally stop hurting himself.
Though that wasn't the end of his woes.
As the final exams approached and the teaching staff discussed the best way to test the students, Toshinori finally ran into Eraserhead one early morning. He'd heard a cry for help as he was making his way to UA super early for one of the before-school meetings Principal Nezu insisted on and didn't even think twice about it before he rushed to the person's aid. However, by the time he arrived to apprehend the criminal, Eraserhead was already tying up the purse snatcher, looking up at him with what was probably a bored or unimpressed expression on what could be seen of his face.
"Shouldn't you be on your way to UA?" The Vigilante asked as he politely handed back the purse to the old lady he'd assisted with a small half bow. The woman returned it and even stretched up on her toes in an attempt to pinch his cheek like the kind of grandma that bakes cookies and pies all the time. Toshinori had to bite back chuckles at first and then had to fight to hold onto his muscular form due to overwhelming shock when Eraserhead actually indulged her by bending down just enough for her to reach. That seemed to please the woman more than anything and she bid the Vigilante goodbye, not sparing All Might a single glance.
He wasn't sure if he was amused or bemused by that.
"Shouldn't you be ending your patrol by now?" He asked in turn instead of answering, because Eraserhead wasn't exactly known for sticking around once the sun rose up above a certain point in the horizon. Regular Pro Heroes start patrolling the streets at around this time, so it would be a lot harder for the man to avoid notice.
"What would you know about my patrol?" Eraserhead asked with a snort, clearly amused. "For all you know, I patrol in daytime, too. You Pros just overlook me." The blond opened his mouth to say something about that but the dark haired man just shakes his head. "I guess I got carried away, though. I've been busy."
"Your absence from police reports supports that."
The shorter man snorted again. "Listen, about the League of Villains-"
"You should probably stop chasing them. I don't think you realize just what you are facing up against," Yagi felt the need to warn him, wishing almost desperately that this kind, brave man wouldn't get involved and end up being killed. Now that he knows without a doubt that All For One was alive and making a move again, he didn't want the Vigilante out on the front lines.
For some reason, he had the feeling the other was glaring at him something fierce. "We'll address the fact that you think you have the power to tell me when, where and how to move or act later, for now, before I break it down to you, I would like for you to tell me how the Problem Children are."
"Problem Children?" He echoed in confusion.
"Class 1-A," Eraser clarified. "Specifically Midoriya, Iida and Todoroki. You know, the ones who actually took down Stain? Got hurt pretty bad in the process."
"Ah, yes, um, they're doing as well as one can after such an experience. They're all more determined than ever to become stronger and better Heroes!" He proclaimed, striking his usual All Might pose, only to receive an almost condescending scoff from his 'audience'. He dropped it immediately in case he somehow managed to chase away the man. "Their injuries, at least, are all almost completely healed up. And Midoriya-shounen tells me you helped him a great deal last week, with controlling his Quirk."
"The boy acts almost as though he's had his Quirk only for a month or something."
Toshinori flinches but hopes his immediate laugh covers up the movement. Trust Eraserhead to hit the nail on the head. Dangerously observant, this one. Yagi will have to be more careful around this man. "It's quite a complicated case, actually! Midoriya-shounen was thought Quirkless until just a few months ago, because his Quirk was simply too powerful for his body to handle when he was younger, so it could only manifest once his body was strong enough not to kill him! Or so Recovery Girl theorized, anyway, since it first manifested at the entrance exam and she saw the damage it could still cause him first hand. It was just his body's way of preserving itself until he was ready!" He laughed his signature laugh, glad they'd come up with that lie in case Midoriya's records were ever looked up at some point in the future. The boy had registered as Quirkless, after all, and that had stayed on his record despite Nezu being perfectly capable of throwing it into obscurity.
Sometimes he really wondered what his former Principal and now boss was up to with some of his moves.
Was letting the Quirkless take the entrance exam really just a publicity stunt? If so, All Might is severely disappointed in his friend.
Eraserhead snorts, drawing his attention back to the man and making him stop laughing. "Don't do that."
"Do what, my man?"
"Lie to my face," the shorter of the two instantly replied. "It's unbecoming of a Hero, especially the one lauded as the Symbol of Peace and Pillar of Justice. Not to mention very insulting towards my intelligence. I don't need to have a Quirk like High Specs to know that what you just spouted is utter bullshit." Toshinori may or may not be on the edge of breaking out into a nervous sweat right about now. "I know one of the kids has probably told you about my visits to them. Midoriya, at the very least."
"Visits?" He couldn't help but echo, because what the hell was the Vigilante talking about? Did he mean the whole thing in Hosu?
"During their internships," Eraserhead said in a manner that implied he was rolling his eyes behind his goggles. "Those kids have decided to call me Sensei, for whatever reason, so I figured the least I could do was live up to it. Or has my little ... stunt at the Sports Festival not been enough of a giveaway."
"What did you do with those high grade Quirk suppression cuffs, anyway?"
"Wouldn't you like to know?" Well, that, at least, was a clear sign that Eraser wasn't going to give him an answer to that question. Though this probably meant he hadn't actually used them yet. Maybe. Had he seriously just impulsively taken the cuffs after freeing Bakugou-shounen?
"When did you manage to visit the kids during their internships? I know for a fact a good number of their temporary mentors are very anti-Vigilante opinionated!" Could Eraser seriously get past them with that much ease and long enough to have more meaningful interactions like he'd had with Midoriya-shounen and even Todoroki-shounen and Iida-shounen? "How did you even know which Heroes they were interning with!?"
Eraser shrugged. "Their schedules are easy to follow and the kids actually do know what I look like when not going out as Eraserhead. I could literally walk up to them and act like a Hero fan that'd watched the Sports Festival, for the Heroes that don't appreciate the hand I give them but still take all the credit for my share of the work. Not that I care about that, anyway, but it's still hypocritical. Oh, and the kids told me." He took out that same device he used as a phone but probably was much more than a phone because Yagi had researched the most advanced models and never came across one like it. "I gave them all a way to contact me when they visited me in Recovery Girl's recovery room after USJ, like I did with you and dozens of other Heroes. Why do you think I was there in time to at least immediately tend to their wounds in Hosu? I got there faster than any Hero, that's for damned sure."
There were a lot of things to process from that little information dump, like how the kids' trust in Eraserhead apparently wasn't one sided, nor was the affection and protectiveness. Not a single student had told anyone about the fact that they know what Eraserhead really looks like or that they had the means to contact him. Nor the fact that they'd gone to see him after he'd nearly died for them. Nor that he'd, in turn, visited them to make sure they were doing okay on their internships.
Why, exactly, couldn't have Eraserhead been a Hero so Nezu could boot Sensoji-kun out and bring him in instead to be 1-A's homeroom teacher? What is this injustice!?
"And, really, not that many Pros are actually outright anti-Vigilante. Definitely not as many as you think. Death Arms just ignores me. I think I might actually intimidate Gunhead a bit, but we had fun teaching hand to hand his newest class of interns. Uraraka certainly seemed to be having a blast. I definitely intimidate Uwabami. I guess you could say I bullied her into actually getting the girls she'd taken as interns experience some actual Hero work. Her managers protested, as you can imagine, but they were just as intimidated. I don't know why. I'd literally just stood there."
Yagi didn't blame them for being intimidated. Here he was, All Might, the supposedly strongest man on Earth, and he wouldn't be ashamed to say Eraserhead intimidated him, too. It was getting brighter and brighter outside, he had plenty of time in his form and Eraserhead was probably exhausted after a night of vigilantism and yet Yagi had this feeling that, should they fight, it might just be the pepper spray incident all over again.
(That had hurt like a bitch. He'd never been in as much agony except when All For One had all but ripped his lung out. He had a whole new level of respect for anyone who dares go out to protest anything while risking pepper spray as punishment because fuck, it takes balls to willingly risk exposing yourself to that pain. It probably didn't help that Eraser had great aim and had gotten it all straight in his eyes, nose and mouth. Good reaction time on the Vigilante's part, bad for All Might's ego and general health. Naomasa had at least had a good laugh.)
Eraserhead was simply not a person to take on lightly.
"Mt Lady, too. Though I think both she and Mineta deserve each other. She'd at least whipped some respect for women into him by making him do house chores and his ... less than adequate attitude and behavior towards the female sex has put her on her toes and made her more vigilant of her surroundings at all times. A little paranoia is good for this kind of job."
"Are you sure you're not just taking revenge for young Kamui Woods and his stolen debut?" He asked in good humor, because he knows Eraserhead had watched out for the wood Hero when he'd still been getting the hang of the ropes and that the Hero, in turn, respected him greatly for it.
Was Eraserhead going to treat the entirety of 1-A much the same?
"Hawks and Jeanist were fun to hassle," the black haired man continued as though Toshinori had not just teased him with what may actually be the truth. The Hero had to repress chuckles at that. "Hawks definitely doesn't like being dangled from the tallest building in Kyushu-" That, though, had him nearly hacking up blood in surprise because what the hell!? "But he should know better if he's going to take on an intern that he can't just do everything so fast that the student doesn't have a chance to learn anything. And he should know better than to try to get someone who clearly states they can't fly to 'try it out' just because they have a single bird feature."
"What the hell?!" This time, he intones his incredulity, though it is directed more towards Hawks than the Vigilante and his disciplinary measures.
"Yeah, Tokoyami had it rough for the first two days." But, judging from the man's smug tone and how satisfied Tokoyami-shounen was at the end of it, Hawks had taken Eraser's criticism to heart and heeded his warning. Tokoyami-shounen has a good future ahead of him as a successful Hero. "Jeanist needs to understand that stuffing people into jeans isn't the answer to the 'problems' he sees in their image or behaviors. Sometimes talking is more than enough."
"You're talking about Bakugou-shounen's internship?" Eraser nodded. "How did that go?"
"Good, once Jeanist stopped trying to force a certain image on the kid. Bakugou's not stupid, but he's temperamental. You want to cull his more wild side, it will only come back and bite you in the ass." Well, All Might could certainly attest to that. The explosive blond didn't appreciate people trying to change him how they thought a Hero should behave or look like. Hell, Endeavor wasn't the most popular of Heroes but he was still Number Two.
"How do you suggest dealing with his ... explosiveness instead?"
Eraser shrugged. "Give him a goal. Remind him being a Hero isn't all about combat. He should have taken an internship with someone like Thirteen."
"A rescue Hero?"
The man only nodded. "Explosions aren't very effective on disaster sites and scared civilians would cull his temper considerably. Especially children."
"Jeanist report suggests he actually scared some children during a patrol after the Stain thing."
"Wouldn't you be pissed if someone tap danced all over a touchy subject? Those kids should have been taught better than to antagonize anyone, let alone a Hero in training and one that's gone through enough shit as it was." So Eraserhead knew about the Sludge Villain incident? Which of that bastard's victims actually told him about it, Midoriya-shounen or Bakugou-shounen? Or has he simply watched the reports on TV?
"They're just kids-"
"They're kids living in a world where traumatic shit happens daily. I don't fault them, I fault the system. PTSD is more common now than Quirklessness and 20% of the whole population of the Earth isn't exactly a small number either, All Might-san. Every Hero out there suffers from some form of PTSD or another. Villains and victims, too."
"Vigilantes?"
"Oh, most definitely," the black haired man replied. "Have you ever watched a building fall and crush a friend, All Might-san? Right there, in front of you, mere feet away, and you couldn't do anything about it? And you can't even try to save that friend because a giant villain was still wrecking chaos and you're the only one there that can do anything to stop it? The Heroes on the scene had only been a hindrance." The last bit was said mournfully, but with frustration, and it was probably not meant for All Might to hear but hear he did.
'He must be talking about the Tasomiya incident!' Toshinori thought and realized, for the first time, just how young Eraserhead must have been back then. Probably still only a child, maybe the age of the students he now teaches. Present Mic had been only in his second year at UA, after all, and Eraserhead didn't seem to be much older than him. "So, what? You think their parents should teach them about PTSD?"
"No, but the educational system can at least hold bullet point presentations once a year to at least brief the public in general on how to help someone suffering through a panic attack. Some people can asphyxiate because they can't calm down fast enough and are breathing irregularly during such situations. In a world full of superpowered civilians, villains and Heroes, is it really such a good idea to let someone lose total control and beg whatever higher power may or may not exist that their Quirk won't devastated their surroundings?"
"You have a point! I shall try and talk with Principal Nezu about this! I am sure he will know what to do to implement such an idea into the general education of the populace!"
Toshinori wasn't sure, but the way Eraserhead's head actually snapped up to properly look up at him for the first time since this little interaction had started heavily suggested he'd finally managed to surprise this man! "Wait, you're actually going to bring that idea up with someone?"
"But of course! You are definitely right that it is unsafe and unfair to those who suffer from trauma not to get the adequate help they need in the most timely convenience! You'd be a fine educator, Eraserhead!"
"Tch. Me? A teacher? How irrational." Well, would you look at that - Eraserhead is embarrassed! A day for new surprises!
"But Eraserhead, you already are a Sensei, are you not?" He teased unashamedly and laughed when Eraser actually hissed at him like a disgruntled cat. Then he suddenly found his arms full of the criminal the Vigilante had stopped and he blinked up at the Vigilante scaling one of the alley's buildings towards the roof and sweet escape. "Uh, Eraser-"
"Report him in and head off, or you'll be late, All Might-san!" Called the other before disappearing from his view in a matter of seconds, leaving Toshinori with his catch and already very late for the staff meeting. To which he will be even more late now that he has to take this guy in.
"Cheeky brat."