Keeping my eyes and ears open over the next couple of days, I managed to stop dozens of crimes while also interrogating the criminals involved for information on the League. I'd learned a good way to do so was float way up high, and dangle them using blackwhip.
I'd also managed to find a couple of good quirks from some truly terrible villains. Some who had been caught in the act of taking advantage of people, others who were cold-blooded killers. Their crimes were unforgivable, and they ended up powerless because of it. Even the mostly useless quirks were stolen. I could always find a hero who needed this power more than they did and give them a boost.
From what I'd heard, my friends were doing okay. U.A. had built dorms to keep them all close and safe together. Whether it was because of the League attacking us in public, the fall of All Might, or because they considered me a threat, I didn't know.
Whatever the case, I'd been using Search to watch them all. If they ever got kidnapped like Bakugou had been, I'd know when one of my stars moved.
"What's that?" I questioned out loud.
My danger sense wasn't going off, I didn't hear or see anything, so where were my classmates going?
I kept an eye on them, expanding Search to look for Aizawa and Dad, but the only one who moved was Aizawa. Wherever they were going, it was an official trip.
My attention was stolen when I heard a crash from below, a thief trying to run off with some guys purse, stopping his body from moving entirely with telekinesis. Of all my quirks, that one was the easiest to train. Maybe my body knew it was mine, that i was made specifically for that quirk.
"Oi, what are you doing down there, dude?" I called, floating down and looking at him. He was dirty, covered in scratches and bruises, with bags under his eyes. But he didn't seem much older than I was.
"Why steal? Come on, you didn't even hurt the guy you took the purse from."
"It's a handbag, and it's my girlfriends!" The man he'd stolen it from yelled defensively.
"Great. Next time, I'll ask." I replied, my attention turning back to the thief.
"First, give the man his purse back." I instructed the thief, letting my telekinetic hold on him go, and watching him return it before he came back. Fear was a good teacher.
"Now, you got a name?" I asked him, and he swallowed nervously before finally answering.
"Yuki." He answered, sounding tired. I wondered when he'd last slept.
"Come on, Yuki." I told him, walking ahead a bit and leading the way since people recognized me, and moved out of the way to avoid me.
"Where are you taking me?" He asked, fear in his voice.
"Get some lunch." I told him simply, leading through the crowds of people who were now being shielded by both the police and small-time heroes who'd shown up.
"Lunch? Really? You mean you aren't going to turn me in?" He asked, and I turned back with a smile.
"You're a good person with bad luck. You didn't hurt anyone, and the purse was returned. Besides, I'm one of the most wanted people in the country." I told him, laughing heartily at the idea of me walking up to a police officer with anyone.
"There's a soup kitchen, about two blocks down, that serves food in half an hour, plus they offer resources to help with housing you until you get back on your feet." I told him, and he was silent for a moment.
When he spoke again, I could hear confusion in his voice. "Why?"
That was easy. "Because you looked like you needed help." I told as our walk became silent until we arrived.
"Here we are. They'll help you out from here. I should probably go, but the police might still charge you with a minor offense, so here's some information you can make a deal with." I told him, heroes and police both ready to move in as I whispered to Yuki.
"I'm going to be at the Kamino Ward to continue my search for the League."
With that, I waved goodbye and walked towards the heroes. Wow. Big names. They pulled from the top one hundred for little old me?
Cracking a joke, I put my hands out and smiled. "Fat Gum and Mt.Lady? You'd think I was some sort of criminal."
Fat Gum was a good man from all accounts. Mt.Lady, while a little fame obsessed, was still a good woman, fighting evil. Besides, we all had to pay the bills.
"This isn't the time to be joking, Midoriya. Fighting here, someone could get hurt." Fat Gum told me, as I walked closer to the two of them.
"They could, if you could catch me." I replied, squatting and rising, over and over, pretending to be working out, Mt.Lady growing as I did. She'd be a little harder to avoid, but if I had to, I could always find new clothes and go invisible.
"You little twerp! Causing all these problems, and you won't even take responsibility!" She yelled, much louder now that she was bigger than most of the surrounding buildings.
"Before we do this, did anyone tell ya the gift my old man gave me?" I asked them, showing them the holes in my palms of my hands. They were disgusting, and getting dirt in them sucked, but they were a necessity if I was going to crush the League.
"Midoriya, don't do this. There's still a place for you at U.A., but if you throw away your opportunity, then the next heroes they send won't be as nice. And even if we can't stop you, they can." Fat Gum reasoned, and while it was good reasoning, it wasn't enough to make me think I could be caught, using float and a One-For-All powered jump to headbutt Mt.Lady in the left side of her jaw from the bottom, kicking off her throat while using telekinesis to make an invisible platform for me to stand on and watch as the woman was thrown back, shrinking to avoid major damage as Fat Gum caught her in his stomach.
"That was a sliver of what I can do, and I really don't want to have to steal your quirks." I called from above, making my point known by aiming my fingers and using one of the weaker quirks I'd stolen. Even boosted with One-For-All, it wasn't that powerful, but it was a nice distraction.
"Fourth of July - Explosive Blowout!" I screamed out, small but bright colorful lights shooting out, covering my exit as I stretched out black whip and used it to slingshot myself away, boosting float with an occasional kickoff from a platform I'd make with telekinesis.
"I think I'll have the canned hamburger for lunch since mine was interrupted." I decided, and now that I was safely away, I could use Search again, my friends all in one area, all of them moving around a lot.
One star on the grid that search showed me was moving around and jumping from one place to another. I watched it for a minute, hoping she didn't hate me for leaving. It was just something I needed to do.
"Okay, my interest is peaked, and I can't get into more legal trouble than I am now." I decided when I finished my lunch, floating up lazily and heading off towards where their stars were moving around.
Whistling, I admired the place they all hanging around. "Woah, Takoba National Stadium. Fancy."
Watching for a little from afar, I stayed far enough away that I wouldn't be spotted. After a little while, I moved closer, noticing my friends were staying still, all lined up. Whatever they were doing, they seemed to be almost done.
Finally, they all broke rank, heading out to the parking lot together, and I could see them. Not stars on a mental graph, but them in the flesh. I'd missed them more than I would admit, but I didn't go down to greet them. I couldn't. People would spread rumors, and then they'd be labeled villains by association.
But maybe I didn't have to talk to them to get a message across, spying more schools and teachers. Shiketsu, Ketsubutsu, Seiai, Seijin. This must have been the hero license exam. Damn. If I'd waited a little longer, I'd have made gotten an actual license.
Floating up high, I used firework and Telekinesis to keep the lights from falling down, spelling out a message for the hero course student and the League of Villains.
"HEROES NEVER GIVE UP! PLUS ULTRA!"
Simple and to the point, letting them get a look at me before floating off, mostly to avoid Aizawas gaze. He'd bring me down, and I'd be captured. Then who'd stop the League?
The next few days were spent watching out for a particularly hard to evade hero, one who'd had me leave my clothes and run with my tail between my legs several times. It seemed like no matter where I went, he'd come following after, shouting his stupid catchphrase of "Power!"
"Man, you just don't let up, do you!? Well, guess what!? I've figured out your power; and you can't hit me now!" I yelled, spikes I'd stolen from a villain protruding from all over my body, my hair turning to sharp quills, and finally, Fangs protruding from my mouth. I was protected from all sides now.
"You've stolen those quirks. They aren't your power to use!" The blonde yelled back, and I sneered at him.
"They were powers being abused by robbers and would be rapist! When I give them out, they'll go to people who deserve them!" I yelled, using fa jin to get behind him, putting my hand on the back of his head, activating my All-For-One and grinning. What good was his power when I could steal and copy it?
Before I could, he went right through me, and my grin fell. How on earth? The pain should have stopped him in his tracks, but he activated his quirk!?
"I see... that's the resolve of a hero, is it? How could I miss it when I used to possess it..."
The idea that I could forget what a true hero looked like blindsided me a bit, but resolve was something I had in spades.
Buffing up, I looked the young hero in the eyes. "If you continue to struggle, then I'll continue to fight! This time, I'm not the one running away!"
Full power, adding fa jin, and I could see myself getting close enough to touch him. Except he was always two steps ahead of me... so i needed to be three ahead of him, turning and aiming at the ground, shooting a powerful display of lights before moving two steps to the right and then two back
As soon as he popped up, from the ground, he was blinded, my hand on his face now, starting the transfer as I looked him in the eyes. In a flash, his quirk was mine, and then copied, the original returned, and he was let go.
"Wow. This'll go great with my others." I told him before letting go of his face and turning away, the hero falling to the ground and gasping for breath. Even taking his quirk and returning it hadn't been enough to knock him out.
"You're an interesting person, that's for sure, but really, what good is a one quirk compared to twenty-six?" I asked him, turning on my heel and activating his quirk, awkwardly falling halfway through the roof and shooting a few feet up.
"Oh, this requires finesse and skill to master. It makes all the work you put in more impressive. Keep improving. I'm sure that if I'm ever caught, it'll be you." I turned and looked out on the city, a thump telling me he'd finally given in to his exhaustion.
"If you ever need help, call for me, and I'll come. You'd do the same for me, wouldn't you, Lemillion?"