Izuku and Eraserhead walked down the street, heading toward some place the latter wanted to show the former. Izuku wondered what it was, but reasoned that he'd find out soon enough. Eraserhead had told him that it was only a block or two away, so it was probably something to do with Hero work. Izuku knew that it was something to do with his training, but he just didn't know what.
An overwhelming urge to do something spread through Izuku's body, and he looked around. Izuku knew this feeling was Danger Sense, having felt it when Eraserhead tossed him his suitcase at the apartment. It was telling him that something was happening, he just didn't know what. Izuku looked around, but didn't see anything. He felt a pull in one direction, and he reasoned that the supercharged version Danger Sense must include an intuitive sense for what direction the danger is coming from, not just knowing that it is coming.
"What's wrong?" Eraserhead asked, observant as ever.
"Danger Sense. That way," Izuku said, pointing at what Eraserhead quickly found was north-west.
"Is the danger toward you, or someone else?" Eraserhead asked, following as Izuku started to walk toward the source of the danger.
"It's definitely not toward me. It would've passed by now if it was," Izuku said, holding his head and hissing in pain.
Izuku took off, though not using his Quirk, at top speed. He sprinted down the street, a look that was equal parts pained and panicked on his face. Eraserhead knew that it was bad if the pain Izuku was feeling was that intense. The student and teacher ran down the street, in the opposite direction of Eraserhead's 'surprise'. He sighed, but went along with his student, knowing that the danger had to be real and physical for Danger Sense to trigger.
The two ran past an alley, but Izuku stopped. Eraserhead slowed to a stop a few metres from him, and saw as his eyes widened and his jaw dropped. Eraserhead looked around the corner to see a mugging taking place at the end of the alley, just barely visible through the darkness. The mugger had a blade protruding from the palm of their hand, and was holding it against the side of their victim's head.
Izuku leaned forward and breathed in, preparing to shout out to the mugger to stop. Eraserhead, however, slapped a hand over his mouth and shushed him. The two made eye contact, and Izuku relented. Eraserhead then lifted his hand off Izuku's face, trusting him to stay quiet.
"Are you going to do anything?" Izuku whispered.
"Yes. You might've startled the mugger with your shout, causing him to accidentally stab the victim, though. You need to take him by surprise while also removing the threat to the civilian. While you hide yourself, I'll show you how you do that," Eraserhead, slipping his goggles up onto his face.
Eraserhead stepped away from Izuku, grabbing onto a strand of his binding scarf. While Izuku hid most of his body behind the corner of the alley, Eraserhead threw the scarf out toward the roof, and it caught on the corner. Eraserhead yanked on the scarf, pulling it hard enough to launch himself up onto the rooftop.
Izuku watched in amazement as Eraserhead pulled off the maneuver in two clean movements, with more efficiency than Izuku did with Blackwhip. It was to be expected, as Eraserhead was a Pro Hero with more than a decade on the job, but Blackwhip was a part of his body, and the binding scarf was an external support item; it was an incredible show of ability from the Hero.
Eraserhead crept along the rooftop's edge, getting closer to the mugger and his victim, quieter than Izuku thought was possible. As soon as he lined himself up with the mugger, Eraserhead threw out two strands of his binding scarf and immediately moved his arms to be further apart, sending a ripple through the scarf as it travelled toward the mugger.
As the ripple moved down the scarf, Izuku realized the purpose of such a move. The ripple of the scarf reached the tips, which then curled in on the mugger's arms, where they would've simply passed by and hit the wall if Eraserhead hadn't whipped the strands to the side. It was brilliant, seeing Eraserhead's perfect control of his binding scarf in action and up close like he was.
The binding scarf was yanked back to Eraserhead, and it took the mugger with it, slamming him into the wall opposite him, hanging from the scarf. Eraserhead jumped from the ledge of the rooftop, catching his binding scarf on a piece of scaffolding near the top of the wall, keeping the mugger in the air and slowing Eraserhead's descent.
As he landed on the ground, Eraserhead signalled for Izuku to join him. The boy ran up to his teacher, grinning all the while.
"That was amazing!" Izuku said, reaching Eraserhead's position between the mugger and his would-be victim.
"Make sure the civilian's alright before anything else," Eraserhead said, not taking his eyes off the mugger.
"Oh! Are you okay? Did he hurt you?" Izuku asked, turning to the smaller man still leaning against the wall and watching them with wide eyes.
"No. I mean, 'no', he didn't hurt me, not 'no', I'm not okay. I'm alright. Sorry, I'm just really freaked out!" the man said, laughing at himself.
"That's good! What's your name?" Izuku asked.
"Ken Takahashi. Who are you guys?" he answered.
"Nice to meet you, Takahashi. I'm Nexus, and … are you cool with people knowing your name? I mean, you're a public figure since you teach at UA, but since you don't really like the spotlight, and anonymity is kind of an Underground Hero's thing, I figure I should ask first," Izuku rambled, turning to Eraserhead.
Eraserhead looked at Izuku with a tired expression, but turned to Takahashi with a more passive, though fake, look.
"Eraserhead. We're glad you're safe, but I'm sure you have somewhere to be," Eraserhead said.
"Yes! Thank you, Heroes!" Takahashi said, before running out of the alley and into the street.
The two turned to the mugger and saw that he had begun to struggle in the binding scarf. He was trying to get out, but the scarf was just too strong for him to break or cut with his Quirk. It looked like his Quirk allowed him to produce blades from the palms of his hands, letting him use them as knives or to fire them off as projectiles. If Izuku had his notebook on him, he'd definitely be writing this down, so he settled for quietly mumbling about it to himself.
A police car pulled up at the curb in front of the alley, and Izuku wondered who had called them. He gave Eraserhead a look, at which he pulled out his phone and showed him the screen, which read 'police notified'.
"I reported it as soon as we started running," Eraserhead said, smirking at the bewildered look of his student.
A man in a beige trenchcoat stepped out of the police car and made his way over to them. He had a matching hat, and Izuku briefly wondered if he was going for a theme, or if he just liked that coat and hat combination. The man smiled at Eraserhead, who nodded back, so maybe the two knew each other? Eraserhead worked with the police, so it was possible.
"What do we have here, Eraser?" the man asked.
"A mugger. His Quirk lets him manifest blades from his hands. You can take him from here, Detective," Eraserhead said, unhooking his binding scarf from the scaffolding keeping the mugger airborne.
The Detective immediately slapped some handcuffs on the mugger, allowing Aizawa to reel his binding scarf back in. Izuku breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that the particular brand of handcuffs the police were given often included some Quirk cancelling technology, not unlike the tech in Hagakure's new costume.
"You've got a kid with you?" the Detective asked Eraserhead.
"One of my students," Eraserhead explained, and the Detective turned to Izuku.
"Hey. I'm Naomasa Tsukauchi, a detective with the police. Judging by that hair, you must be the one All Might told me about," Tsukauchi introduced himself.
"Uh, right. My Hero alias is 'Nexus'. Nice to meet you, sir," Izuku said, shaking Tsukauchi's hand.
Just then, Izuku felt another pang from Danger Sense. It was weaker than the first, but still sent a shock through his system. He snapped his gaze to the direction Danger Sense was telling him to go, but resisted the pull. He clenched his fist, trying to push the feeling of urgency down.
"Nexus. There's another one nearby, isn't there?" Eraserhead asked.
"Yeah. I can resist this one, though," Izuku said, gritting his teeth.
"What are you talking about?" Tsukauchi asked.
"The kid can sense danger now. To himself and others. That's how we found this lowlife," Eraserhead explained.
"Sheesh. That'll be rough," Tsukauchi muttered.
"Let's just-" Izuku tried to say, but was cut off by a spike in pain, Danger Sense screaming at him to move.
Izuku ducked, and heard a blade flying above his head. He spun around to see a man standing at the entrance of the alley, his hand aimed at the three the same way the mugger had. He saw that the man was distraught, and based on the clattering of metal he heard below him, Izuku would guess that the mugger was his partner, and likely his brother as well. They clearly had very similar Quirks, which wouldn't normally happen unless they shared a common ancestor, and a close one at that.
He stood up and shot out a strand of Blackwhip, letting it ball up at the end as it flew toward the man. The balled up end functioned as the ball of a flail, and hit him in the chest with a loud thumping sound. He fell to the ground from the hit, but quickly propped himself back up on his elbow to fire at the Heroes again, but the man's Quirk stopped working.
Izuku looked back to see a slight red glow under Eraserhead's goggles, and breathed a sigh of relief once again.
"Wrap him up," Eraserhead said.
Obeying his teacher's command, Izuku summoned Blackwhip once again, mimicking Eraserhead's technique from earlier to make the curling motion more efficient, and had two thicker strands wrap around the man, while Eraserhead took another pair of handcuffs from Tsukauchi and made his way over to the mugger's partner. Once the cuffs were on, Izuku released Blackwhip, letting it sink back into his arms and leaving the man to Eraserhead, who kept him on his feet.
"That was good. You're already putting what you've learned from me into practise," Eraserhead said, hiding a smirk with his scarf.
Eraserhead pushed the mugger and his partner into Tsukauchi's car, letting his Quirk fade as he blinked. The two were cuffed, so they weren't making trouble any time soon. Tsukauchi quickly thanked the Heroes and drove off toward the precinct with the two criminals.
Izuku held his head at Danger Sense returning, the quieter throb of the distant danger still being present.
"You still want to go after that other crime," Eraserhead said, more like a fact than a question.
"Yeah. I can't just not do anything while I know people could suffer because of it," Izuku said.
"I knew you'd say that. Come on. If we're going to do this, remember the rules. Don't use your Quirk on another person unless I say so, or if it's self-defence, got it?" Eraserhead clarified.
"Yes, sir," Izuku said.
"Alright. Let's go," Eraserhead said, pulling himself up onto the rooftops with his binding scarf.
Izuku cracked a large smile and followed.
Two hours later, there were no more pangs from Danger Sense. He had taken down two of the ten criminals the two had faced, and only because they had attacked him, but Izuku considered that to be pretty good. Eraserhead barely seemed to be out of breath each time they fought another criminal, but it was definitely taking its toll on Izuku's stamina.
"Danger Sense has settled down?" Eraserhead asked, an almost amused tone to his voice.
"Finally, I can think," Izuku said, only half joking.
"Do you see why that kind of Heroism is unsustainable? It'll just tire you out before you can really save anyone," Eraserhead said.
"I don't think that's entirely right," Izuku huffed, catching his breath.
"How so?" Eraserhead asked, letting his goggles hang.
"We helped people today. We might've saved lives. We definitely saved their days. I think every little thing is worth it; don't you?" Izuku countered.
Eraserhead sighed. He sat on the ledge of the rooftop the two were on, rubbing his temples.
"Kid, you've got to realize that you can't think at such a small scale anymore. You're All Might's successor. Not just in terms of having his Quirk; he's trusting you to be the next Symbol. I don't know how much faith I have in that idea, but I know that you could do it if you wanted; which I know you do," Eraserhead said.
"All Might stops and helps with little stuff," Izuku said, recalling the reason for All Might being late to the USJ being that he had run out his time limit that morning helping on the way to school.
"Yes, but he's an idiot. You shouldn't do it like he did; all alone. All Might has carried the world on his shoulders for forty years. You may have a greater potential than he did, but you'll need to share the burden with your friends and fellow Heroes, otherwise you'll burn out just like he did," Eraserhead explained.
Izuku supposed that was right. He did say that he was going to be different from All Might, he just hadn't said how yet. He knew he wasn't going to be another All Might, but he hadn't considered just what he was willing to do to make that a reality. Eraserhead was really opening his eyes, and he now had a clearer picture of what he wanted his future to be; a whole group of his friends, protecting Japan with smiles on their faces.
"Thanks, Eraser. I think I needed that," Izuku said.
"I know you did. Now, come on. We still need to get your actual training for the day over and done with," Eraserhead said, standing up from his sitting position.
"What? We just spent the last two hours running around the city!" Izuku whined.
"No excuses," Eraserhead said, smirking.
Izuku groaned as he stood, his muscles sore from constant use. He was used to it by now, and it wasn't as painful as it would have been had he not trained to receive One for All for ten months, but it still hurt. He got up and followed Eraserhead back in the direction they had originally been heading that morning, finally getting to Eraser's 'surprise'.
When the two arrived at the place they had intended to visit, Izuku was puzzled. It was a gym, called 'The Concrete Jungle', judging by the lettering along the front wall. Was it a gym specifically for Heroes? What kind of benefit did it offer other than specifically Quirk-centric exercises, like most gyms? Why this gym? Izuku looked at Eraserhead, but the man didn't glance at his student, simply staring ahead at the door.
A man exited the gym, dressed in a sleeveless compression shirt and black shorts. He was tall, muscular, and laughing. The man looked to be about forty years old, but he didn't look to be any Pro Hero that Izuku knew, and that was saying something.
"Ah, Shota! I thought we set our time for the morning!" the man cried.
"Sorry. We got distracted," Eraserhead said.
"This must be the boy!" the man said, examining Izuku.
"Yes. Izuku Midoriya, meet Muryoku Senshi, the owner of this gym," Eraserhead said, gesturing to the man before him lamely.
"Um, it's nice to meet you, sir. I hope you don't mind me asking, but are you a Hero? I don't recognize you," Izuku asked.
"Nah, I'm not a Hero. I couldn't get into any of the schools on account of my Quirklessness," Senshi said, never losing his sly smile.
Izuku almost gasped out loud. This man was Quirkless? Yet, Eraserhead knew this man well enough to be on a first name basis? How did they know each other? Senshi looked far older than Eraserhead, so they couldn't have been school buddies. Maybe they were extended family?
"I'm sleeping in your office," Eraserhead said, walking inside without ceremony.
"Let's go inside, and I'll explain to you what you're doing here," Senshi said, winking at Izuku playfully.
"Uh, okay," Izuku mumbled, following the tall man into the building.
The inside was beautiful. It was a massive parkour course, and Izuku could see multiple people running it, using their own styles and moves to get around the mess of different environments and paths skillfully. He saw some beginners, practising some basic vaults and tumbles in one of the only parts of the gym with solid ground, but looked at Senshi when he sat down at a desk, Eraserhead already asleep on the couch to the side. Izuku sat down and joined him.
"When Shota told me that he'd taken an intern, I didn't believe him. Look at you, though! I dig the green," Senshi said.
"Uh, thanks! I'm here to learn parkour?" Izuku asked.
"That's right! When it comes to movement, I'm your guy. I taught Shota everything he knows about how to move," Senshi said.
"Wait, everything? You're the reason he can move so fast even though he doesn't have a speed enhancing Quirk?" Izuku asked.
"Yep! Let me let you in on a little secret, though," Senshi said, and Izuku leaned in closer to hear. "I'm faster," he whispered, and Izuku's soul nearly left his body.
"Are you going to teach me like you did for Eraser?" Izuku asked.
"Not quite like Eraser, since you have a Quirk that allows you to increase your speed, correct?" Senshi asked, his expression hardening somewhat, though he was still smiling.
"Uh, yeah. I can increase my strength and speed, though too much hurts my body. I'm only able to use six percent of my power for any meaningful amount of time," Izuku explained.
"Good. Whole body enhancement?" Senshi asked.
"Yes, sir," Izuku replied.
"What's your speed like at six percent?" Senshi asked.
"I've calculated that Eraser is equivalent to about ten percent of my maximum speed," Izuku said.
"Good. That gives me a good enough grasp of your speed, but I want you to give me a demonstration so that I can judge for myself," Senshi said, standing from his seat.
The two walked over to a specific part of the gym, a simulation of a small urban environment. It was a few dozen square metres, and it looked like the perfect place for Izuku to practise moving around while using his Full Cowling. He looked over at Senshi, and the man nodded, gesturing to the entrance to the area, a small door in the glass wall.
Izuku walked through the door and called on One for All, feeling the power of his Quirk flow through him. As the lightning started flowing, Izuku recalled a time from those two hours where he had almost been too slow to summon his Quirk, and had almost been attacked. Eraserhead had stopped that attack, but he had to work on the time lag One for All had at the moment, or he'd be caught with his pants down.
He made the first move by taking a run-up and leaping into the fray, crossing a sizable gap from the platform at the entrance and the first foothold of the course, a metallic pipe. Izuku landed on it and pushed off it, gaining more height than he thought he would. He flew upward, feeling his speed diminish as he got higher and higher, almost hitting the ceiling before he stopped climbing into the air.
Izuku started falling, but he wasn't worried. For one thing, he was in a controlled environment. It'd be likely that most things were padded, or made from a material that gave slightly as opposed to being able to break bones. Another thing was that Izuku had Float. As he got closer to a small landing a few obstacles into the course, Izuku called on Float and began to slow his descent until he landed on it harmlessly.
"Do you see what happened there?" Senshi called out.
"Yeah. I put too much effort into the height aspect of the jump and not distance," Izuku said.
"Tell me; are you a fan of All Might?" Senshi asked, suddenly next to Izuku.
"Yeah," Izuku muttered, shocked at the speed, and silence, of the man.
"That'd be it. You're trying to emulate him. I get it; All Might is cool, but nobody can do what he does," Senshi said.
"Yeah," Izuku replied, feeling the irony in his bones.
"What was that other power; that hovering ability you just used?" Senshi asked.
"Uh, right. I guess I should've explained my Quirk better. My Quirk isn't Super Strength. It's energy manipulation that I can use for a variety of effects, one of them being Super Strength. I can also generate black energy tendrils that I call Blackwhip, I can Float, and I can sense danger. I'm expecting to find more uses as I grow into my power, but that's all for now," Izuku explained.
"Huh. Some Quirk you got," Senshi said, a hesitant look on his face.
"Yeah. I'm really lucky," Izuku laughed, feeling awkward now.
"Alright, go again. Use what just happened to guide your next attempt," Senshi called out, back over at the entrance platform.
Izuku used Blackwhip to latch onto a panel of the ceiling and swing over to the platform, entertaining Senshi immensely. He took a deep breath, and let the power of One for All flood his body once more, intent on getting it right this time.
He ran toward the ledge and leapt, soaring through the air toward the same pipe as before. Izuku hit it, and waited a moment more than before. He passed over the pipe, and kicked off it as he did, letting his momentum do most of the work. Izuku immediately saw the results, but they were too fast for him to register anything. His momentum and his leap combined to become blinding speed that was far too fast for Izuku's brain to keep up with.
Feeling the edge of the platform bend under his weight slightly, Izuku's suspicions were proven correct at the cost of his run. He pulled himself up and knelt on the platform, winded from having slammed into the edge of it stomach-first. Izuku caught his breath, but felt the platform shift slightly, telling him that Senshi had moved to be next to him once again.
"This time?" Senshi asked, sounding far too amused than should be normal.
"I put too much into the speed, and tripped myself up. So far, I've done it slower, and left myself open for an attack while I'm in the air, or I've gone too fast and overloaded my brain. I'm guessing the reason I'm here is to learn an 'in between'," Izuku said, standing to meet Senshi.
"That's right. You have four days with me to begin learning how to coordinate yourself while using your powers. Let's see what I can do with you," Senshi said.
"Let's," Izuku said, already feeling sore.
The two moved back to the starting platform, and Izuku took off again. Senshi watched him, and heard the door open. He knew it was Eraserhead, and smiled at his former student's presence.
"The kid's a quick study," Senshi praised.
"It's why I took him on. I knew I wouldn't have to explain most things to him more than once," Eraserhead said.
The two watched as Izuku straight up missed the pipe with his foot, falling into the foam blocks about ten meters below the obstacles. He bounced back quickly, but the two men would pretend they hadn't heard the string of, though fairly middle-ish as far as curses go, profane mumbles from the pit. Eraserhead even smirked at his student's agitation. It was good that Izuku was annoyed by his failures; it'd motivate him even more.
Izuku made his way back to the start and tried again. Seeing as Izuku seemed to be giving himself self-evaluations, and probably correct ones judging by the kid's smarts and attitude so far, Senshi decided that he'd let him try as many times as he wanted before asking for advice. Seeing a chance for it, he struck up a conversation with Eraserhead.
"So, Shota. How are you these days?" Senshi asked.
"I'm well enough. I've gotten a few scars since we last talked, but I've managed," Eraser replied.
"I've noticed," Senshi said, tracing his finger over the skin under his right eye.
"I'm sure you heard about what happened on the news," Eraser said, frowning at the memory.
"I did. I want to hear your side of it, though. It's not like you to get caught," Senshi said.
"We were ambushed. They brought enough power to kill All Might, so we were screwed. A few of the kids, like Midoriya, fought back with me, even though I ordered them to run. He's too courageous for his own good. The fodder wasn't all that powerful, but the thing that gave me this …" Eraser pointed to the scar under his eye. "… was made for All Might. I couldn't cancel the thing's Quirk, and it didn't respond to one of my students' mental Quirks, so it got me," Eraser recalled.
"I'm guessing that's how the kid got his scars as well," Senshi said.
"Yeah. Their leader had a Quirk that could disintegrate anything he touched. Midoriya attacked him, and got in a hit that put him out of commission, but the bastard managed to meet the requirements for his Quirk to activate. It seems to require sustained contact to do any real damage, but we're lucky it does. That whole incident was far too close for my liking," Eraser said, his eyes tracking Izuku as he tried and tried to get the perfect first jump.
"I haven't seen you like this in years!" Senshi said, smirking.
"Like what?" Eraser asked.
"Passionate. You really care about that class, huh?" Senshi asked.
"I care about all my students," Eraser said.
"Even the ones you expel?" Senshi asked.
"That's why I do it. It's cruel to let a child's dream end halfway. You know why I do it. You know who I do it for. It's as simple as that," Eraser countered.
"Fair enough," Senshi said, tuning back into Izuku's frustrated groaning.
Izuku landed back on the starting platform, breathing hard. He was clearly tiring himself out, but it didn't seem as bad as it was back at the apartment. Eraserhead looked over at him, seeing that Izuku was suffering from regular muscle fatigue, and not the intense energy drain he had experienced before. That was a start in figuring out what it was; it was situational.
"Have a break. You exerted yourself more than I thought you would have before coming here, and that's no good for exercise. If you do it when you're already tired, you'll just burn out. There's a free collection of water bottles and nutritional bars in the resting area. Make sure to keep stretching while you rest," Senshi said, sending Izuku on his way.
The two watched as he stumbled over to the water and snack bar, where he grabbed one of each and collapsed onto a chair, where he started digging into the nutritional bar. Senshi watched him with concern, watching the way he tore into the bar with such fervor. If he didn't know Eraserhead, he'd think the boy was being starved.
"He eats like a madman due to the training he went through to be ready for UA. His trainer is the height of irrationality," Eraser groaned.
"Right. You know, you weren't a slouch either in your younger years. Are you still fixed on those energy gel pouches?" Senshi said.
"That's different. I'm an Underground Hero on top of being a teacher. I don't get to sleep most nights. They keep me awake and alert. Besides, they're pineapple flavored," Eraser grumbled.
"Sure. So, you've got a mental type in your class. That's rare for UA's oddly combat oriented program," Senshi said.
"Yeah. His name's Hitoshi Shinso. I wasn't sure that he would pass the entrance exam, but he showed his willingness to rescue those in need. He earned his place. I think he has more potential than most," Eraser said, with the rarely shown full-blown smile spreading on his face.
"That's high praise coming from you," Senshi marvelled.
"Oh, I know. I've seen this kid's heroic streak for myself, and it's a sight to behold. He faced down three Villains that were intending and able to kill All Might by himself, and he's only fifteen. He's constantly put himself in situations he didn't need to be in, just for the sake of helping others. He's a true hero in every definition of the word. He'll be great," Eraser said.
"Well, I'd be glad to take this kid on as well if you want, since I'll only have Midoriya for four days. Maybe he could be a full time member, go the way you did," Senshi suggested.
"Maybe. The next round of internships, I'm going to offer to take him, so you'll probably meet him anyway. He's actually interning with Kayama right now," Eraser considered.
"Really? You'd think Kayama being alone with a child would violate some law or something," Senshi laughed.
"You know 'Midnight' is put on. Those two are actually more alike than I realized before now," Eraser said, checking his watch.
"Give him five more minutes," Senshi said, answering Eraser's question prematurely.
"You really are as fast as ever," Eraser said, sighing under his breath.