The line between hero and vigilante is as thin as the will to do what's right, even when the world may not understand.

- Author

Izuku's POV

It's been two months since I arrived in this world, and my progress feels remarkable. My body has transformed—lean, strong, and agile. I stay flexible with daily stretches and challenging workouts. Each morning starts with dynamic stretching, then moves into high-intensity interval training and strength exercises that push me to my limits.

My mind is also buzzing with ideas, one of which is an advanced computer capable of hacking nearly any security system. With two PhDs in computer science and engineering from my previous life, I have the knowledge. However, the materials I need are too expensive to simply buy.

"I need to make money," I muttered, pacing in my room. Thoughts of... unorthodox methods have crossed my mind. Stealing from corrupt people, like those involved in the underground, feels like a justified choice. Think of it as 'robbing the rich to give to the poor.' And by poor, I mean me.

Armed with newfound fighting skills, I devised a plan to infiltrate My Hero Academia's underworld. The Underground Masquerade seemed like a perfect place to start—an event hosting illegal tournaments and attended by criminals dealing in Quirk-boosting drugs and other shady activities. All For One once ran these events to scout Quirks and expand his operations. Though All Might shut down one event, I doubt it was the only one.

After selling all my All Might memorabilia (to my mom's confusion), I bought the perfect outfit: a black jacket with a hood, black cargo pants, combat boots, gloves, and a full-face mask with lenses to block flashbangs. I equipped myself with a belt carrying a first-aid kit, combat knife, batons, throwing knives, flashbangs, smoke bombs, rope, and a small expandable sling backpack.

I even made a portable 22TB hard drive to store data, another for transferring untraceable funds, and portable jammers to shut down security systems.

"Let's dig up the underworld's secrets," I murmured, anticipation bubbling inside me.

After weeks of scouting, I finally found a promising target: an abandoned building with two guards stationed at the entrance. Both looked tough, clearly no strangers to physical confrontations, and stood with their arms folded, scanning the area for any signs of trouble.

I crouched in the shadows, reaching into my backpack to grab a flashbang. With precise timing, I tossed it just a few feet from their position. The flashbang exploded, bathing the area in blinding white light.

As they staggered, hands raised to shield their eyes, I sprinted forward. The first guard swung wildly, trying to regain his bearings, but I ducked under his arm and landed a solid elbow strike to his ribs. His eyes widened in shock as I quickly followed up with a knee to his gut, and he collapsed, gasping for air.

The second guard, still disoriented, tried to draw a weapon from his waistband. Before he could react, I whipped out my baton, extending it with a flick of my wrist. With a swift movement, I struck his wrist, causing him to drop his weapon. He winced, barely able to react before I spun, landing a quick, precise blow to his jaw that sent him sprawling to the ground.

Both guards lay unconscious. I quickly bound their hands and feet with the rope I'd brought along, securing them behind a nearby dumpster, well out of sight.

Inside, the air was thick with mold. I crept up to the third floor, where muffled voices echoed. Peering around the corner, I saw six men in a dimly lit office, engaged in a drug deal. A suitcase filled with 15 million yen lay open in front of them.

'That money is mine,' I thought, my muscles tensing.

I pulled out a smoke bomb and tossed it into the room. The thick cloud immediately filled the space, making them cough and shout in confusion. While they were distracted, I grabbed a police baton in one hand and a throwing knife in the other, moving in with precision and stealth.

A man with finger guns blinked through the smoke, squinting. "Hey, finger guns!" I called out. "Neat trick, but not exactly… hands-on, huh?" I said, twisting my body and landing a precise side-kick to his ribcage. He grunted and fell back, clutching his side.

Another thug lunged at me, his hands igniting in flames. "Really? Pyro hands?" I ducked under his fiery punch, sidestepping his next attack. Grabbing his arm, I twisted it behind his back, forcing him to his knees, then knocked him out with a precise strike from my baton. "Maybe save the fireworks for your next birthday."

The next guy had reptilian features—scales along his arms, sharp claws, and glowing yellow eyes. He snarled, charging with his claws ready to swipe. I sidestepped his first swing, then dropped into a low stance, sweeping his legs out from under him with a swift kick. He hit the ground hard, but I quickly pressed my knee into his back, pinning him down before delivering a final knockout blow with my baton.

A thug with a gun saw his opening, aiming directly at me. "Whoa there, pal!" I called, throwing a knife his way. It sliced through the air, pinning his sleeve to the wall. "Guns? Real original. Got any other tricks?"

The final thug, a muscle-bound man with brass knuckles, stepped forward, cracking his neck. "So you think you're some big-shot, huh?" he sneered.

"Actually, no. That was your friend with the muscle Quirk," I replied, smirking.

He came at me with a wide, powerful punch, but I dodged, feeling the air whoosh past my face. His brute force was impressive, but I could tell he was slow to recover. He swung again, but I sidestepped and used his momentum against him, twisting his arm into a lock. As he staggered, I delivered a swift jab to his side, then pivoted and landed a spinning back-kick to his stomach, knocking the wind out of him. He staggered back, trying to catch his breath, before I swept his legs from under him, sending him sprawling to the floor.

Finally, the fat man behind the deal reached for a gun, desperation in his eyes. I threw a flashbang right at his feet, and the room burst into another blinding flash. When the light faded, I was standing over him, his eyes wide with fear.

"I am Silent," I said in a cold, final tone.

The man's hand scrambled for his fallen gun, but I was faster. I kicked the weapon out of reach and knocked him unconscious with a swift jab to his temple.

With the room quiet, I tied up each thug and used one of their phones to call the cops, leaving an anonymous tip. I grabbed the suitcase of cash, checked their wallets for extra money, and slipped back out into the shadows.

Back in my hideout, I tossed the suitcase onto my desk, a grin spreading across my face.

"Hahahaha! Perfect execution," I laughed, adrenaline still surging through me.

Though I knew better than to get overconfident, the success of my first heist filled me with a new sense of purpose. These guys were low-level thugs, but the payoff had been substantial, and the mission had gone smoothly.

As I stashed the money in a hidden compartment in my basement, I debated what to do next. Should I invest in high-tech materials or save for the future? My excitement was still buzzing, but I needed to get home before my mom woke up.

After carefully securing the money, I changed out of my costume, hid my gear, and returned to my room, exhaustion beginning to set in. The night's events replayed in my mind as I drifted off, my muscles aching in a satisfying way.

The next morning, my alarm blared, snapping me out of a deep, dreamless sleep. Groggy from the night's activities, I dragged myself out of bed, showered, and headed to the kitchen. The smell of freshly brewed coffee perked me up, and I decided to make breakfast for my mom and me.

When she walked in, rubbing her eyes, she was greeted with a spread of miso soup, grilled fish, and tamagoyaki.

"Good morning, Mom!" I greeted her with a smile.

She looked surprised. "Good morning, Izuku! Did you make all this?"

"Yep. Sit down, let's eat."

As we ate, she complimented my cooking, and I could feel her pride radiating. "Izuku, this is amazing! Your food is delicious!" she beamed.

I laughed. "It's just a basic breakfast, Mom. Nothing compared to your cooking."

"Well, it's worthy of praise because you made it," she replied, her eyes warm.

Moments like this felt grounding—almost surreal, considering the double life I'd begun to live. After breakfast, I settled onto the couch to watch the news, curious if last night's escapades had made any waves.

The report mentioned a drug bust at an abandoned building, with six criminals taken into custody. The newscaster referred to a vigilante named "Silent" who had supposedly incapacitated the men before vanishing. They didn't mention anything about stolen money, but I noticed a slight frown on the hero they interviewed, who dismissed the vigilante as another lawbreaker.

I wasn't surprised. I never expected heroes to understand my mission. I was here to steal from the bad and use their resources for something better. The world I came from needed heroes like All Might, but this world needed a Silent.

As the news faded into background noise, I leaned back, thinking about my next move.

And this was only the beginning.

Thank you for reading the new chapter!

See you on the next one!