Chapter 5: Making a Difference

The first thing Izuku did when he got home was have another shower. Between the stinking brine of the beach and the trash filled city streets, he smelled like a wet dumpster. As he scrubbed the soles of his feet with dish soap-soaked sponge, he couldn't help but consider what Weasel had told him.

I always wanted to be a hero, to help people. But maybe being a pro hero isn't what I should be aiming for. There are no professional hero's in the slums.. There's no money or fame in it, so why would they risk themselves? But I bet I could make a real difference in those people's lives! If I disguise myself, nobody would even know I was down there.

He frowned to himself as he noticed an off-putting orange stain on his heel. Redoubling his efforts, he scrubbed harder.

Then again, if I put on a costume and head out to fight crime without a licence, I'll be a vigilante! If I'm caught, I could end up in prison!

He paused and brushed a wet strand of hair out of his face.

On the other hand, I'm already a fugitive. I have so much power. Should I really waste all my strength hiding? I could be saving people! I have a responsibility to do the right thing. I was given these powers for a reason.

His feet finally clean. He stood up and looked at himself in the mirror. Everything was happening so fast.

If I'm going to do this, I'm going to do this the smart way. No more messing around. It's not just my life on the line. I have to think about Mom and Dad too.

He looked into his reflection's eyes and nodded. The somber moment was undone somewhat by his mother's voice calling him from the kitchen.

'Izu-Bun! Din-Din is done!'

He groaned and hung his head in embarrassment.

'…coming Mom….' he replied in a pained voice.

His mind made up, Izuku devoted every waking moment outside of school to understanding his powers. He was even able to leverage his position as a mod at the Hero Board website to brainstorm with thousands of other nerds like him the exact limitations and applications that his "hypothetical" quirk had. From his research, he was able to determine that while he had immense physical strength, speed, agility, and sensory awareness (including his illusive sixth sense) he was still vulnerable to specific elemental attacks.

This was true for most heroes though. It was difficult to fight against someone like Endeavour who could just incinerate you. To that end, he decided that his best strategy was to fight like an ambush predator, like many species of spider incidentally. Using his superior senses and physical abilities, he would get as close to his enemies as possible before rushing them down and pummelling them before they could react. To increase his versatility, he could make use of gadgets and his suit. That was the theory anyway.

He had always loved the idea of using gadgets in a fight. When he was a little kid, in lieu of a quirk he used to make "devices" to help him defeat "evil doers". But one day after accidentally setting fire to his mother's wardrobe, he had been forced to surrender his arsenal and promise to never build any more destructive gadgets again.

But now that he was arguably wiser, he was certain that he could come up with something to compliment his natural abilities. The only question was what could he build? Izuku was no slouch when it came to engineering. He may not have built anything destructive in a while, but he had still tinkered with every piece of usable technology he could get his hands on. On the other hand, for all his technical expertise he was only fourteen years old.

Beyond his technical limitations, he wasn't exactly swimming in cash either. He and his mother depended on the income of his father (who worked abroad) to sustain themselves and although they lived comfortably enough, they still had to manage their means. For the moment, any gadgets he could think of would have to wait.

As for the outfit itself, Izuku had been making his own costumes for years. They were only made of cloth, not the hardened Kevlar and high strength polymers that proper superhero costumes were made of. But, when it came to design, Izuku was convinced he had good taste. The costume he had settled on was red and blue with a tight, full mask. He had chosen his costume design based on two primary sources. Firstly, to pay homage to All Might's costume, choosing the same shades that his hero had worn in his silver age costume. And secondly, to reference the strange colouration of the spider that had given him his powers in the first place.

There was just one small problem. When he was sewing the gloves, he had discovered that he had to use a very thin material in his suits construction or else he would lose the ability to crawl up surfaces. Additionally, he needed to have as much movement as possible to make full use of his superior agility. Taking this into account he was forced to use spandex for his costume.

Now, it wasn't unheard of for some heroes to fight in tight bodysuits. It was just that the only heroes that did, tended to do so to capitalize on their sex appeal ala Mt. Lady. Izuku convinced himself that if he wanted to be the best hero he could, he would just have to bite the bullet and use spandex for his costume. What was a little discomfort if it saved his life?

If only I had access to a proper workshop, I could build my dream costume! Heat resistant, electrically grounded, bullet proof! Maybe one day. He thought wistfully as he looked over the concept drawing for his costume.

The next day after school, he prepared for a long night of work. After convincing his mother that he was starting on his Halloween costume early, he busied himself with her sewing kit. She was much better at this sort of thing than he was, but he couldn't risk her becoming too familiar with his new suit. Thankfully because the colour scheme matched All Might's she didn't spare his costume a second glance.

After many frustrating hours of work leading into the wee hours of morning, he finally finished. Donning his costume, he looked at himself in the mirror.

It looks like a pair of red and blue pajamas. But under the circumstances it's the best I could do. He thought with mild disappointment as he compared his drawing to what he had created. The simpler it is, the easier it will be for me to repair, I guess.

As he had feared, the costume clung tightly to his body, outlining his musculature and leaving very little to the imagination. Izuku blushed as he turned and looked at his back.

Thank god I'm wearing a mask.

He shook his head. He'd just have to get over himself. If all it took to beat him was making fun of his costume, he'd be a goner for sure. Changing out of his costume and hiding it deep in the back of his closet, he climbed into bed.

Tomorrow at midnight I'll get started.

Izuku watched as the sun slowly rose over Musutafu. Last night he could barely sleep a wink. Getting out of bed, he had a shower and got dressed. He felt so nervous that he could hardly touch his breakfast. As he pushed his eggs around his plate, his mother looked over at him with concern.

'Izu, what's wrong? Are you worried about Bakugo?' she asked.

He looked up in surprise. He had completely forgotten that today was the day that Bakugo's suspension ended.

'N-No. I just feel a little sick I guess.'

'Well if anything happens, call me. Okay?'

He nodded.

How could I forget about Kacchan? I hope he doesn't have any hard feelings…

He snorted at the thought. Bakugo was the most stubborn person he had ever known. He would never forget about their little scuffle, of that he was certain.

After nervously pacing around his room for a while, he grabbed his backpack and headed out for school. He had no idea how Bakugo would react. He still felt guilty for provoking him that day. The more that he understood his powers, the more he was convinced that if he hadn't redirected his punch, he probably would have killed him.

He debated whether or not he should take a different route to school to avoid a confrontation altogether, but he figured that would only make things worse. If Bakugo was going to confront him, it would be better if he did it outside of school property, for both of their sakes.

Sure enough the blonde haired boy was waiting for him on the sidewalk in front of his house. As he drew close, Bakugo hefted his backpack and fell in step beside him.

'Deku.'

'Bakugo.'

The two walked for a while before Bakugo spoke.

'I promised my parents that I would apologize to you. I'm sorry.' Bakugo said plainly, clearly not meaning a word.

'I'm sorry too. F-For provoking you, I mean.' Izuku returned earnestly.

Bakugo's nostrils flared as he exhaled.

'It's my fault for letting your dumbass get to me.'

They resumed walking in silence. For a moment, Izuku started to believe that the worst was over, but then Bakugo spoke again.

'Don't think I don't know what you're doing, Deku.' he said, looking over at him.

'W-What I'm doing?' asked Izuku.

'You think that if I lose control, get angry or whatever, I'll do something stupid and be ineligible to attend UA.'

'Huh?'

"You heard me.' Bakugo replied calmly, 'You know how to get under my skin better than anyone else, Deku. Well I'm telling you right now that no matter what you do or say, I will be getting into UA. You can count on it.'

'K-Kacchan, I-' Bakugo narrowed his eyes, '-Er, Bakugo, I didn't mean to try and get you expelled or anything! I just wasn't feeling like myself that day, that's all.'

Bakugo said nothing so he continued.

'Really, I hope you get into UA. You'll do great! I know you will.'

Bakugo sneered, but didn't respond. Instead, he looked over at Izuku, his eyes carefully travelling down his uniform.

'W-What?' Izuku said, sweating slightly.

'Since when did you get so fit, Deku? I know you don't work out. All you do is daydream and jerk off to hero's all day.'

'I-I do too work out.' Izuku said quickly, trying his best not to sound too defensive, 'I've been working out for a while now.'

Bakugo looked at him skeptically and Izuku couldn't help but look away.

'Why? Trying to compensate for your disability?'

Izuku felt a flash of anger. For someone who was apparently committed to avoiding trouble so he could get into UA, Bakugo sure was committed to being an ass.

'B-Because you're not the only one who might try to get admitted to UA!'

Izuku saw Bakugo's temple throb dangerously. The one thing that drove Bakugo into a rage faster than anything else was his refusal to give up his dream of becoming a hero. To Izuku's amazement however, Bakugo was able to reign himself in.

'You don't have a quirk. You can't be a hero. Get over yourself.' Bakugo said tersely through clenched teeth.

'Th-There are other programs at UA. I could enter general education.' Izuku said and Bakugo snorted.

'And you need muscles for that, why exactly? If you were smart, you'd choose a high school that specializes in education, not their hero program, dumbass.'

Despite himself, Izuku felt his anger well up again.

'I could join the support hero program.' he said impulsively and Bakugo glared at him.

'Support…'

'Yeah, why not! They have applicants that don't always have combat applicable quirks. I could build some gadgets and-'

'Argh, you and your fucking toys. Being a hero isn't like entering a damn science fair!'

'We'll see.' Izuku muttered, glaring back at Bakugo.

The two stopped and faced each other. Bakugo opened his mouth to say something, however after a moment of intense struggle he managed to restrain himself. Snapping his jaw shut, he resumed walking and the two spent the rest of the trip in silence as they headed into school.

Class had been strange without Bakugo's imposing presence, but now that he seemed to be ignoring everyone it felt downright bizarre. To the outside observer, Bakugo was acting like the ideal student. He didn't disrupt class once and he promptly turned in his homework when asked. He didn't even say anything when Ruriko's phone went off, interrupting him during his English practice.

It almost seemed as though he had turned over a new leaf, but Izuku wasn't fooled. He could tell that Bakugo was as angry as ever. Sitting next to him felt like being beside a ticking time bomb. However, to his amazement, the day passed without incident. As soon as school ended, Bakugo immediately packed up his things and left without saying a word to anybody.

I hope the next few months pass as smoothly as today did. But I doubt it. Someone or something is going to set Kacchan off. It's just a matter of time. Izuku thought grimly as he watched Bakugo disappear through the door.

Packing up his things, Izuku started home. Rather than tempt fate on the eve of his big night, he avoided Bakugo's street and went through the alleys instead. Upon arriving home, he attempted to pass the time until midnight but he was so nervous he could hardly sit still. After finishing his homework and browsing the internet for a while he gave up and settled back on his bed. As he lay there, he repeated his plans to himself.

At midnight I'll climb out the window and head over to the slums where I first met Weasel. Weasel said something about the area being controlled by some guy named "Shocker". He didn't show up tagged in any Hero Board posts so he must be some two-bit gang leader. Seems like the perfect candidate for me to test my strength on.

He stretched out on the bed and looked at all his All Might figurines surrounding him.

I doubt All Might would approve of what I'm doing. But I can't just sit by while people suffer! If I could I would go through the proper channels, get my license, and become a pro hero. But thanks to Dr. Akatani, I'm going to have to do what I can as a vigilante.

He looked over at his closet where his costume was waiting for him. Suddenly a different thought entered his mind.

What about becoming a support hero?

He frowned. He had really only been trying to get under Bakugo's skin. Support heroes worked largely in the background of the hero world, offering repairs, gadgets, and technical expertise to hero agencies while also assisting in disaster response and with the collateral damage caused by villain attacks. Izuku had immense respect for them, but he always wanted to be like All Might, directly helping those in need. Most support heroes worked in a lab or behind a computer screen, far from the front lines.

Still if I were to apply to UA in the Support Hero program I would gain access to the means and training to construct my own gadgets and maybe even get a more professional costume. At the same time, I would be working towards a good career path. Support hero's get paid well after all. Lord knows that will make Mom and Dad happy.

His train of thought was interrupted by his mother calling him to supper. Pushing the thoughts about UA out of his mind, he went to the dinner table.

Izuku stood stock-still by his door, listening carefully. From the sound of his mother's breathing, he guessed she was asleep. Donning the plain grey backpack he had bought at a thrift store to contain his costume, he tiptoed over to his window. Sliding the glass pane back, he tentatively crawled outside. Clinging to the exterior wall of the building he quickly started to scurry towards the ground. Though he didn't live in a high-rise, he was still several stories above street level.

For some reason heights didn't bother him anymore. He knew he should be scared out of his wits crawling down a building with nothing but his fingers and feet keeping him from falling to his death but he had such a good grip, and such a keen sense of balance that vertigo and fear of heights didn't even enter his mind. Additionally, his sixth sense was telling him that he was perfectly safe on the side of the building and he had learned to trust those instincts.

Upon reaching the ground, he furtively glanced around the block to see if he was noticed. It was late enough that the street was empty, but he knew that would change as he left the peaceful residential neighbourhoods. Musutafu was a big city, and downtown there was always traffic.

After hearing and seeing nothing, he drew his hood over his head and started to jog. Keeping to the shadows as best he could, he made his way to the subway station and after a short train ride he entered the slums.

The streets were quiet as he neared the alley he had first met Weasel. Occasionally he would see a cluster of people, usually young men, walking together. Every time they drew close, Izuku's heart would race as they passed but each time nothing would happen and he would scold himself for being too paranoid, but he couldn't help himself. He was out of his element and he found himself thinking that the natives could smell an outsider like him coming a mile away.

Eventually he decided that he was in far enough, and he ducked into an empty alleyway to change into his costume.

Once he had slipped on his mask, he stuffed his casual clothes in his backpack and crawled up to the roof of a pawnshop. Stashing it, he was reasonably sure that no one would find his stuff. Looking around, he regarded the shabby buildings and city streets before him.

So…now what?

Tuning in his ears to his surroundings, all he could hear was the sounds of distant traffic and electrical humming.

I should find some people.

Running and leaping across the rooftops, he eventually heard a scuffling sound coming from an alleyway. Peering below, he saw a pair of homeless people picking through a dumpster.

My first couple of nights are probably going to be pretty slow. Thought Izuku lifting his eyes to study the skyline. He sighed as he watched a distant helicopter flying over the highway above a line of flashing emergency vehicles.

I'm in over my head. I should find some sort of criminal statistics map of the city.

Pulling out his phone he was about to search for crime hotspots when he heard voices coming from the street below.

'Alright let's get going. I don't want to be the last guy coming in the room.' said a man's voice.

'Claw still pissed?' asked a second man.

'Yeah. He's walking around with three shots in his pocket. Motherfucker's crazy.'

Izuku quickly ducked down and crept to the edge of the roof. Coming out of a convenience store were two young men with bottles in their hands. As Izuku looked at them he felt his back twitch.

Claw sounds like it could be a villain name!

Watching the two from across the street, Izuku leapt from rooftop to rooftop, keeping pace with the men as he eavesdropped.

'Yo, if the cops frisk him when he's carrying that shit, he'll be slapped with a mandatory life sentence.'

'Whatever. It's his ass.'

'I just want this done with. After you wanna' come with me to Pole Cats?'

'Sure.'

The pairs conversation continued as they walked for a few blocks. Izuku barely understood a word they were saying, though he tried to remember as much of it as he could. Before long they stopped before a run-down looking apartment building. Ringing the buzzer, they entered, slamming the barred door rattling shut behind them.

Izuku studied the building. There was no rooftop access and all of the windows except one near the top was boarded up with plywood. Bracing his legs, he leapt across the street. Landing lightly on the roof, he crawled over the edge of the building and to the open window. Slipping in, he immediately understood why the window was left open. Inside was perhaps the smelliest, dirtiest, most foul bathroom of all time. Even though he was clinging to the ceiling, he felt unclean.

Holding his breath, he pressed his ear to the wall of the washroom and listened for any movement. He could hear faint voices talking, but he didn't hear anyone in the hallway. Still hanging onto the ceiling, he carefully opened the door and poked his head outside. The bathroom was at the end of the hallway. Between himself and the stairs on the opposite end there were two doors.

As he considered his next move he heard heavy footsteps climbing up the stairs. Drawing his head back, he waited. From out in the hall he heard a door open.

'You're late.' said a gravelly voice irritably, 'Come in and sit down.'

The two men entered and shut the door behind them.

I've definitely heard that voice before.

Izuku remembered the man with the clawed hand from when he saved Weasel.

These guys must work for Claw! Or maybe they work for the guy Weasel mentioned. Shocker? Ugh! I need more information. I should go in for a closer look.

Dropping down to the stained carpet below, Izuku followed the sounds to the closest door. Sweating profusely, he grabbed the door handle and slowly turned. Once the door was open a crack, he peered inside. There were three men sitting on a couch, smoking and drinking while they watched a muted television. Izuku didn't recognize any of them.

So if I'm right about that guy from the alley with a rough voice being Claw, and those two guys from the street are in there too, there are at least six people in that room! I don't know if I could handle even one guy, let alone six!

While Izuku crouched down by the door, the man with the gravely voice spoke.

'Alright, count time. Who's short?'

'I'm shy forty.' said one of the men on the couch.

'Oh?' the speaker was clearly unimpressed.

'Yeah, I don't think I got a good spot. How'em I supposed to advertise when I'm under that overpass? Cops and shit driving by-'

'You don't need to advertise. The stuff sells itself.'

'Well yeah, but its not like there isn't competition. Let me set up by that club on 80th.'

'You go over there its your ass. That Neanderthal Knuckleduster goes there time to time and If he catches you, you'll be breathing through a tube.' the man with the gravelly voice paused, 'Look you're short forty this week. Next week you owe me a hundred and sixty.'

The man shook his head, muttering under his breath.

'Hey! Money goes up. Your short to me, so I'm short to Shocker. I'm covering for you for now. But next week, you better have my hundred-sixty.'

The man on the couch said nothing so the gravelly voiced man continued.

'Now, any word on that green haired punk?'

The men on the couch looked at each other.

'Claw, man, he's long gone.' said a man Izuku couldn't see but he recognized his voice as belonging to one of the pair he tailed.

'Yeah.' said the other member of the pair, 'He's probably just some spazed out junky. Hell, I get ten or fifteen a week coming to me with green-black hair.'

Claw snarled, 'I say find him, so you find him! You know how it makes us look, getting rolled on by some Mowgli looking fucker? Haze is still in the hospital for Christ's sake. If these Trigger freakers start thinking they can just take what they want, we're going to have a civil war on our hands!'

'I can't be making you you're hundred sixty while also looking around for some fiend.'

'Then have one of your boys check the schools! Dark green hair, green eyes, freckles,-'

Izuku gulped.

'-he's got a speed related quirk. Ask around. Someone has to know something. Got it? Good.'

There was some mumbling of discontent but everyone rose all the same. As Izuku heard them approach the doorway, he quickly leapt up and scurried back to the bathroom. After a moment he heard the door in the hallway swing open. As Claw's goons traipsed out, Izuku stealthily crawled out the window and back to the rooftop.

Looking down, he saw five men walk out the apartment. They broke off into two groups and headed off in different directions.

These guys seem like small fry. I should wait and follow Claw.

After a moment, he saw a sixth man exit the apartment. From his leather jacket, Izuku recognized him as the man he slapped the day he saved Weasel.

That has to be Claw.

The man walked over to a parked SUV and entered it. It's engine starting, Izuku watched as it pulled out into the street.

Taking off in pursuit, Izuku ran along the top of the rooftops to keep up with the driving car. Every so often he would have to leap across the street as the SUV turned or crawl alongside a building too tall for him to leap over but he managed to keep his eyes on his target. After a short drive, the SUV stopped in front of a nondescript, dull grey, brick building. Exiting his vehicle, Claw walked inside.

How can I get in there? Izuku wondered as he studied the building.

There were no windows and he could only see one door. Looking on the roof top, he noticed large ventilation shafts connected to a rusted-out AC system. Jumping over to the roof, he examined the vents. They were just large enough for him to crawl into.

This is crazy! I feel like I'm in an action movie. He thought as he popped the vent covering off. Wiggling his way inside, the vent buckled noisily under his weight. Wincing at the sound, he crawled forward on his hands and fingers in an attempt to spread his body weight out as much as possible. Unfortunately, the interior of the air duct was covered in a thick layer of dust and he was quickly covered.

I hope spandex is machine washable. He thought as he stifled a sneeze.

Eventually he came by a grated opening. Peering through, he saw that he was in some sort of warehouse. Below him was a concrete floor lined with industrial steel shelving filled with cardboard boxes. In the center of the room a group of men were sitting around a table. Beside each one was a pile of boxes filled with stuffed animals.

Izuku watched as the men grabbed the stuffed animals, tore into them, and extracted a small white packet from the body of each one. They would then place the packet into a waiting tray while tossing the stuffed toy into a giant heap on the floor.

Is that Trigger?

Trigger was the latest drug craze that was sweeping across Japan. When consumed, it boosted a person's quirk to far higher levels then what they had normally. However, there were many adverse side effects. Apart from being highly addictive, it also reduced your ability to make rational decisions, blackened your tongue, caused sores in the mouth and body, and if the cheesy anti-rug PSAs were to be believed, you could even lose your quirk completely if you used it long enough. Trigger was nasty business but it was worth its weight in gold. Judging by the sheer volume of white packets that he could see, he had just discovered a veritable goldmine.

There must be tens of millions of yen worth of drugs on that table!

As he shifted to get a better look, Izuku felt the vent shudder a little. The back of his head started tingling.

Careful now. I doubt this vent was designed to hold a fourteen-year-old.

As he watched, he heard a door on the other side of the room open and Claw entered. Walking around the giant mound of discarded toys, Claw approached a costumed man who was supervising the operation. He was wearing a suit of dull yellow metal armour that was crisscrossed with a grid of diagonal black lines. His face was obscured by a full helmet with a face mask. The mask was featureless except for two white lenses which served as his eyes. In his crossed arms, Izuku saw that he was wearing some sort of gauntlets. The air around them appeared to shimmer, like a mirage. The man turned from the workers.

'Claw.' he said in an even, deep voice, 'Were there any complications?'

'No, boss. Everything's going smoothly enough.' Claw said, passing a thick yellow envelope to the costumed man.

'Hm. Was Fuun short again?' asked the costumed man, weighing the envelope in his hands.

'Yes. I gave him another week to make up the difference.'

The costumed man nodded.

'This will be his last chance.'

Izuku felt a shiver run up his spine as the costumed man dropped the envelope on the table.

'One more thing, I heard you've been having your crew chase after that boy who ambushed you and Haze.'

Claw stiffened and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

'Can't let people think we're weak. If someone puts a hand on us-'

'Let it go.' interrupted the armoured man coolly, 'I want you and your people focused on making money, not running after some junkie.'

'But Weasel-'

'Weasel is a degenerate. Sooner or later he'll show up with some new scam and we'll deal with him then. But this kid your chasing? He's probably already OD'd in a vacant somewhere.'

'Boss, with all due respect Haze won't be back on his feet for another month. If we don't make an effort to look after our own, then we're just making ourselves vulnerable.'

'Risk comes with the territory. Nobody's died, nothing was even stolen. The only way people will know that anything happened is if you go around asking questions. I do not want anybody to think-'

Before he could continue however, he was interrupted by a man bursting into the room.

'Shocker!' the man shouted.

'What is it?' said the man in the yellow costume.

'Boss, we've just heard that the Eight Precepts are calling for a meeting!'

'When?' Shocker asked, uncrossing his arms, a tone of alarm in his voice.

'Right now! Speed Demon is already there! He's-'

Before the man could finish, Shocker was moving to the door.

'Claw! Clean up here and see that this gets distributed to the safe houses! Once it's done, stay here until you here from me!'

A second later Izuku heard the door slam shut. Sighing, Claw grabbed a chair and sat at the table by the mountain of drugs.

I should keep working my way up the ladder. That Shocker guy seemed like he was important. I'll have to hurry if I want to catch up to him. I'll just…twist around here…

As Izuku contorted himself, he suddenly felt the vent shudder and jerk downwards.

My weight isn't distributed enough! If I can just…

The vent shook again and Izuku heard alarmed shouts from the warehouse below.

'Uh oh.'

At that the entire vent lurched and fell from the ceiling. Before it could hit the floor, Izuku dove, flying out of the plummeting vent and landing in the pile of disembowelled toys. With a crash the vent collapsed into the warehouse floor, knocking over some of the loaded shelves and showering the room in decades old plaster.

Loose debris still falling from the ceiling, Izuku clambered his way out of the pile. The thugs all looked at him, mouths open in surprise.

'I've uh…gained a bit of weight recently.' Izuku admitted sheepishly.

'Kill him!' screamed Claw as he transformed his hands into sharp blades.

While the rest of the smugglers were still recovering, Izuku moved to engage Claw. Closing the distance before Claw could react, Izuku kicked the man in the stomach, knocking him backwards. Smashing into the table, he was flung into two thugs who all collapsed into a moaning heap.

Swearing and shouting, the other thugs rushed forward. Time seemed to slow for Izuku as he looked at his oncoming foes. One of the thugs was puffing up his cheeks as though to spit on him, three others had their toy slicing knives in their hands and were charging him, and the remaining two seemed to be hanging back.

Izuku pounced. Jumping on the thug with the inflated cheeks first, he gripped the man with his right hand and punched him in the face with left. The thug's shirt tore free as he was knocked down, his mouth spewing steaming hot salvia.

'Ugh!' exclaimed Izuku in disgust, as he ducked beneath the scalding hot spit.

Turning on his heels, he faced the other two thugs that were hanging back. One was creating a ball of what looked like tar in his hands while the other was sprouting a spiky protrusion from his palm. Dashing between them he slammed their heads together, knocking them both unconscious.

Just three left!

The three thugs were whirling on their feet, knives in hand, trying to follow his movements. Before they could get a fix on his position, Izuku pounced again. With a kick to the chest he sent one flying backwards and into a cardboard box filled shelf. The other two rushed to face him but Izuku was too fast. With a punch apiece, they were sent tumbling across the floor.

Izuku spun around the room. All of his enemies were sprawled on the concrete, moaning unconscious. He put a gloved hand to his chest. His heart was thumping like a jackhammer! Blood pounding in his ears, he took a few gulping breaths.

Don't lose focus Izuku! First, I need to secure the perps.

Reaching into his leg pocket with trembling hands, he grabbed a handful of zip ties that he had bought at the hardware store. Going over to each thug, he took their cell phone and wallet, before tying their hands behind their back. The last person he approached was Claw. As Izuku reached down to grab his hands, he suddenly felt his sixth sense go crazy. In that instant Claw flexed his razer tipped fingers and suddenly slashed at him. Without thinking Izuku sidestepped the attack before countering with a punch to Claw's chin, knocking him out cold.

Izuku stood motionless over the unconscious man before he groaned.

I should have left one standing to interrogate!

Securing Claw as best he could with his zip ties, Izuku confiscated his phone and wallet then heaped it with all the others.

Now…what exactly was going on here?

Looking through the criminal's wallets, Izuku was surprised to see that besides cash, condoms, and strip club membership cards, there was no ID to be found. Flipping through their phones was much the same. Not even their text messages had any information about their gang, or it was in a code?

Walking over to the table, he inspected the small baggies filled with white powder.

This might not be Trigger now that I think about it. Maybe this is cocaine or something. I wish I knew how to tell the difference.

Amidst the baggies, trays, and torn animals, he spotted the cash filled yellow envelope that Claw had delivered to Shocker. With barely contained excitement, he grabbed the envelope and turned it over. Tumbling out the end were five, thick wads of cash. Izuku had never seen so much money. Quickly he swept it back into the envelope.

What should I do with this?

Izuku thought about all the expenses he had been accumulating.

I sure could use a cash injection right about now. If I were to take this, I could invest in a better costume, maybe even buy some materials and make some gadgets! And there is so much here a new clock and a pair of shoes wouldn't be asking for too much either, right?

Just as he was about to stuff the envelope into his pocket he felt a twang of guilt.

This isn't like winning the lottery. This is drug money. How many people suffered over this? How many people died? If I take this, how could I call myself a hero?

Shaking his head, he dropped the envelope back to the floor. He didn't need dirty money.

Seeing as how nobody can talk, I should look for some clues. Maybe I can discover where they get this stuff.

Izuku paced around the warehouse. He wasn't sure what he was looking for exactly, but any information he could get about the gang or their leader was a start. Examining the carboard boxes he couldn't find any shipping invoices, receipts, or any clue whatsoever as to where the drug filled animals had come from. There was a backroom office, but all he found was some old porno mags, a loaded handgun, and a bottle of gin.

My time is almost up. I'd better call the police and get out of here.

After looking around the place one last time, he carefully stepped outside. Climbing up to a neighbouring rooftop, he used Claw's cellphone to call the police.

'911 emergency response.'

'Uh, yeah Hi. I-I discovered a cache of drugs and-and stuff and I was wanting to report it to the police.' Izuku said, trying to disguise his voice as best he could.

The dispatcher was silent for a moment.

'Just one moment please I'm going to transfer you to the Narcotics Division.'

'Oh, Tha-' Izuku was cut off. The other phone line was already ringing. Scratching his leg, he looked down at his costume.

This material itches. It's probably from all that dust in the vents. I hope I don't have to hand wash this. That would su-

Suddenly a woman's voice spoke through the phone.

'Hello, this is Detective Naruku speaking, Musutafu Narcotics Division. How may I be of assistance?'

Izuku hastily cleared his throat and put on a gruff voice.

'Hi, I discovered a drug cache and I want to, um, report it?'

The detective was silent for a moment. Izuku heard a drawer open and a pen click.

'Name.'

'Uh, this is an anonymous tip.'

He heard the scribbling of pen on paper.

'Okay, location?'

'The drugs are at 83rd street, 288. It's a grey, brick warehouse with no windows.'

He heard more writing.

'Would you be willing to meet with a police officer at or nearby to the scene? At this time you would not need to divulge any personnel information or-'

'No thank you. I've said everything I need to say.' Izuku said quickly.

Heart pounding, he hung up. Checking the time, he set the phone down on the roof.

3:30 am already. I need to wrap this up. It will take me at least forty-five minutes to get home. If the cops don't get here in the next ten minutes, I'll have to bail.

Minutes past but there was no sign of the police. While he was sitting on the rooftop, he suddenly saw the warehouse door bust open. Crouching low, he watched in disbelief as his prisoners escaped. Stumbling and cursing, Claw and the others exited. Looking around wildly while they cradled their wounds they walked off in separate directions. Izuku gritted his teeth and punched his knee.

Damn it! How did they get free so fast? I was so careful. Maybe one of them has a quirk that I didn't know about…

Izuku exhaled in frustration as the criminals scattered. Where were the police? Did they not believe him, or did they not care? He checked the time again. Fifteen minutes had passed since he had dialed 911. Shaking his head, he set the phone down on the rooftop and started to run back to where he had stashed his clothes.

Next time.

The sun was already rising as Izuku entered his apartment. Carefully closing the door behind him, he walked over to his bedroom and shut the door. Sitting on his bed, he considered everything that had just happened.

That went almost flawlessly! If Claw and those goons hadn't escaped, I'm sure I would have made a major dent in Shocker's operation! I wonder if the police ever showed up to collect the evidence? Even if they didn't, at least I took apart a distribution center.

As he thought about his prisoners escaping, he remembered the yellow envelope full of money.

No doubt they took the money with them before they left. Maybe I should have taken that cash after all.

He briefly reconsidered his decision before shaking his head.

No, I did the right thing. Taking dirty money is a slippery slope. Besides how would I ever explain where I got the cash? Mom would find out eventually. I might be penniless, but at least I've got my integrity.

Changing into his pajamas, he stashed his costume in an old shoe box before laying back in his bed. It was Saturday so he didn't have to worry about getting ready for school. He let himself relax as he considered everything that had happened.

He thought back to what he had heard Shocker say. Who was Speed Demon? What was the Eight Precepts? Why were they meeting? Truthfully, he hadn't learned much, but still. Considering how this was his first time donning the costume, he felt he would have done All Might himself proud.

Before he knew it, he drifted off to sleep. His dreams filled with cheesy one liners and hapless villains.