"Poor kid has enough going on already.. I can't just throw a load more onto him!" Dimple wandered the dark streets. The damp road he traveled along was more trashed than usual, but the shops functioned like normal. Though some were closed for the night, a few stayed open, their neon signs sparsely illuminating the patchy road. "I mean, what am I supposed to say?! 'Hey, Mob, remember that school you attended last year? Well it's trashed now! And one of your classmates just lost his arms and another's in a coma!..' Yeah! No doubt he'll take that well.... ughh." His arms hung limply from his green, ghostly form. The storm was about passed by now. Only a weak drizzle lingered in the sky. "Can't go back until I have at least some good news..."

     The spirit turned right and phased through the window of a brightly lit ice cream mochi bar. All of the walls were white, which helped brighten the place up a bit. It was a little run down, but so was every other place in this part of town. This still remained Dimple's favorite place to turn to when he had nowhere else to go.

     Ice cream, ice cream mochi, and an assortment of other frosted treats sat in neat rows behind a glass display counter. Dimple checked his surroundings after entering. A small group of teenagers sat together laughing in the distant corner. Other than that there were only two other lonely figures, one of whom being the young woman who worked there.

     Dimple eyed the wide array of options as he waited for the woman at the counter to leave. As she turned to the kitchen to grab something, the spirit swooped in and picked out a singular mochi ball that caught his eye. He stuffed the thing in his mouth, a grin adding to his face.

     "Never met a cursed spirit with a sweet tooth before~" A man with long black hair half tied up stood leaning his arms against the glass, smiling pleasantly down at the spirit. Dimple gulped and gasped.

     "You can see me?!" Now that he was face to face with this stranger, Dimple could sense an immense amount of spiritual energy coming from him.

     The stranger in question had small, naturally squinting dark eyes and a decent build, and a deep red ribbon tied around his forehead. He wore a black sweater tucked into loose baggy pants that tightened at the ankles. He chuckled softly and pushed himself off of the glass. Tucking his hands into his pockets, "Yeah, I used to be an exorcist, but I've grown more fond of spirits as of lately. Especially the ones with big plans." His voice was deep and calm. A welcoming trait contrasted to the panicked screeching and or mumbling the spirit was often subjected to. "You're a Cursed Spirit, right? A pretty powerful one too by the looks of it... Strange. You don't appear to be based off of a natural disaster or anything.." The curious man leaned his elbows on the glass countertop again. "Is it perhaps that you were created from the fear of authority.. or the fear of manipulation? That would make sense for your skill set, at least."

     Dimple rose a brow. "Alright, so what all do you know about me?.. I'm assuming you didn't just happen to walk into the same place as me if you know so much about what I am and what I can do." The hovering spirit crossed his arms.

     "Sir? So you need anything?" The young woman hurried out of the kitchen. Caught, the man calmly pointed down at the first Mochi he saw and asked for that one. After making his purchase, he gestured for Dimple to follow him to the table.

     The two (sorta) sat across from each other at a small round table beside the store front windows. The stranger offered Dimple a few Mochi from the pack he bought. "Thanks." The spirit gobbled his pieces up quickly, leaving crumbs around his mouth. The man ate his a lot slower and with more care put into each bite. "So anyways, how do you know about me?.. You wouldn't happen to be a friend of Moyi Ashi, would you?" The green one withered.

     The stranger wiped his lips with a napkin and smiled. "On the contrary... I'm at odds with her as well. That is why I decided to find you, since you and I are the only ones to betray the Power Broker and survive this long!" Grinning cheekily, he watched the green one sink a little lower.

     "...Well, d###, man, what did you do to get on bad terms with them??"

     "Long story. But you wanted to know how I knew of you? Simple. I heard about how you tore yourself off from their union a few months ago, declaring yourself a god for a little bit. Where'd all that extra power go, by the way?.. I'd assume you would still have a lot of it even without that broccoli."

    "Eh, I've been exorcized since then."

     ... o_o ... "And you came back all on your own??"

     "Well, not entirely I guess. As you said. Long story.. Now, how do you remember all this stuff?? I wiped everyone's memories clean regarding my influence months ago!" The green spirit frowned.

     "...Hmm.. How do I explain this exactly..?" The black haired guy leaned back in his chair, hanging his arms over it. "Guess the best way to put this would be that I am somewhat of a hybrid between spirit and human. And while all of the mortals may have forgotten..us spirits never forget." He smirked, reminding Dimple that indeed, his problems were far from being solved.

     "Hhh, I get the feeling you want something from me."

     "Eh, not really... can't say I have any goals, exactly. I just want to ensure I have a little fun with my life is all. ..You get the feeling, right?"

     Dimple rolled his eyes. "In that case, I'm going to head out. Didn't exactly come here to make friends."

     "But~" ...Leaning forward, the man rested his arms on the table as Dimple began to wander off. "I was thinking I could be of service to you if you like..~" His smile inched a little higher as the spirit stopped. "I have a hard time believing you dropped any and all plans of yours. I understand you may not be in the mood, but I say we should form a pact of some kind. An agreement to have each other's backs should The Power Broker find one of us... It is a small world, after all. Who's to say she hasn't found one of us already and is simply waiting for the perfect time to strike?" He clasped his hands together, chin resting on his fingers. Dimple had turned to face him by now, his full attention in this offer. "In the meantime, to prove my loyalty I would be more than happy to assist you with whatever world conquering schemes you may have~"

     "Eheh.. Thanks, but I'm over trying to become a god."

     "Then do you have another plan?"

     "Nn-not-not really, no. I'm just hanging out with Shigeo for now--" Crap!

     ^‿^ ... ◉⁠‿⁠◉ "So the boy is alive~?"

     Dimple sweat-dropped. "Hehh, yeah, but can you keep that secret between the two of us please? He's in hiding right now, and I really don't want him getting into any more trouble at the moment!"

     "Aw, so you care about your little master, hm~?"

     "He's NOT my master!.. More like a friend. A-and he needs all the help he can get."

     "Then why don't you just make all his problems go away...if he is so troubled?"

     "I-- huh?" Dimple turned fully to the man again.

     "You mean you haven't thought of it before?? You have the power of mass hypnosis and yet you never considered using it to help your friend?!. Hm, not as bright as I thought you'd be..."

     "Hey, I HAVE thought of that already, several times! But to do something that big, I would need a MOUNTAIN of spiritual energy! And-and it's more complicated now! There is still countless documentation and video footage I would need to destroy! Not to mention, there's so much physical evidence now that everyone would just piece it back together anyways!"

     "Oh I'm sure we can find a way to weave around all of that.. Why don't you leave the schemes to me? Then, you can simply ask your friend for enough power and~ voila~ ...All of your buddy's problems will be solved."

     Dimple stared down at the table for a little bit. "...Doubt it'll work, but I guess it wouldn't hurt to give it a shot... What's your name, by the way?"

     "Ope.. Sorry." Placing his hand on his chest, the man bowed slightly. "It's Kenjaku... And unlike you, I am rather optimistic that this plan will work."

     "Huh? Why?" ...And where did he recognize that name from~?

    "Because, well, simply put.. I'm not the kind of person to give up on something that peaks my interest."

     Ohhhhhh, Reigen that slimy liar!

     Lying to him about the whereabouts of that precious Kageyama boy~? How dare he.

     Good thing he had a real lead now..

--------------

     Now that the rain had finally settled, the gentle tapping against her bedroom window at last slipping away, Mei was somewhat optimistic that she might be able to finally get some sleep. It wasn't the sound that bothered her, of course. In fact, she couldn't even blame the occasional flash of lightning overhead, really. Even as it's bright light was cast momentarily over her bed from the window to the right.

     Her heart was...unsettled. She'd struggled with insomnia for as long as she could remember. Yes, as a little kid. She used to snuggle with her brothers every night to help with that, but... well, that option left her ages ago.

     She'd adjusted to this schedule, though, taking both shifts in the day and night. Her sleep schedule was a sporadic one not even she could predict. And she'd gained comfort, maybe even a little pride, in the simple fact that this made her a little more useful of an asset in the end.

     Sleeping was for the weak, after all...

     And oh.. but now she was very...very weak.

     She wanted to sleep now. For no other reason than to let this day pass her so that she could forget about the last.

     Haunted...she was. By the prospect of putting her evil brother over her own mission. Over what was right for humanity. Over the only community that gave her a place to belong; that needed her!

     And oh how her heart longed to be needed.

     If she was so easily swayed in a moment of mayhem like that...then who's to say she wouldn't mess up and put more lives at risk in the future? ...How many lives did she indirectly end by saving her brother?

     As she lay there wallowing, arguing with herself the many reasons to go to sleep, since it WAS 3AM already, a shadow suddenly appeared to break the light pouring in through her window.

     The woman lay still, having to remind herself to breathe normally. Her eyes slipped open, peering at the dark silhouette at her right with a great yet tired intensity.

     ' 'Sleep paralysis demon?.. That you?' '

     The creature sputtered a laugh, hunching slightly as he covered his mouth. He stepped a little to the side, allowing the city light to illuminate half of his face.

     Mei gasped at once and activated the mind reading part of her quirk, since she hadn't thought that would be necessary with a demon. Really wasn't that different from a sleep paralysis demon in her eyes. Maybe even a little worse. Her older brother leaned against her window ledge and turned his face as if to look through it.

     ' 'Get out. I will kill you myself if I have to.' ' The young woman threatened. Ryo sighed.

     'With what? The switch-blade under your pillow or the gun under your mattress?' Mei forced herself to sit up, though her body was in no such mood. Her heart thumped wildly, but there was nothing she could think to do at the moment. Not against him at least! 'Relax a little. I'm not here to kill you or remove your quirk.'

     Mei's left brow rose. ' 'Huh? Then..why are you here?' ' Ryo teleported away for a few seconds, then reappeared with a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. He unlatched the woman's window and swung the glass open to give him some fresh air. ' 'Hey! This is my room!' '

     'I know.' The man lit a cigar as it hung loosely in his mouth. He opened the window enough to pick himself up and slip onto the window ledge, where he sat casually. 'Since my boss relies on me a lot more, I have the freedom to do whatever I want with my free time.'

     ' 'Sooo...why track me down? What are you doing here?' '

     'What does it look like I'm doing? I'm relaxing.' Following, the man exhaled a puff of smoke out the window, then coughed a little. 'Ugh, I never know which brand to buy.. Suzuki always used to buy them for me.'

     Mei's eyes widened a little as she got an idea. ' 'Where is your current boss hiding?' '

     'Don't tell her it--' Ryo teleported away. Mei huffed. Guess he was the one person she couldn't get information out of this way. After a few seconds had passed, he returned again in the window frame. 'Please don't do that... I have to be on my toes constantly everywhere else.' The man hummed tiredly.

     ' 'So you just came for the peace and quiet then?' '

     '...Yeah...' He nodded.

     "Hmm..." Guess Mei could understand that... But then why come here?! She understood this feeling, though, perhaps better than most. And seeing as she couldn't exactly kill or interrogate him, Mei thought that maybe for a change letting her brother simply have his alone time might be the best move. "Yip!" The younger one suddenly hiccupped. Again, out of nowhere. Ryo was at first startled, but then he turned his head her way with a small smile.

    'Hungry?'

    Mei frowned across her tiny room at him. ' 'What?' '

     'You always used to hiccup when you were hungry... I'd completely forgotten about that detail until now. And your hiccups are still so cute!' Suddenly, the man dropped his smile and turned his blushing face away. 'Stupid. Stupid. She can still hear you!' Mei snorted. Her audible laughs sounded painfully unpracticed. '..So, how did Mom die? Never got the end to that story.' That caught the woman off guard. She sat there frozen for a second.

     ' '...Wait, so you're not in denial about this all being fake anymore?' '

. . .

     Ryo leaned his head against the wood trimming and slid the cigarette out of his mouth with one hand. 'I don't really know. I've always questioned my beliefs, just never cared to prove or disprove them. To be honest, I'm having a hard time grasping what reality even is right now. Like, what is the point of any of this? Why does any of it matter? And do I have to care at all about the past or can I simply let it all go..?.. Shigaraki seemed to get it..before he was taken over by that weird demon guy. He was so...free... He obtained loss! You can call me crazy if you want, but I can't help but envy the guy for that. It sure would be great...if I simply let go and stopped caring. Then...I'd be truly free."

     ' '...Doesn't sound very healthy.' '

     'And what is the point of 'health' anyways? As a kid fighter I was put on so many strict diets, yet those same people would drug me so heavily I could hardly think half the time. So the whole idea seems real counter intuitive to me I guess... I dunno. How was your childhood?'

     Mei, even as a mind reader, couldn't tell if he was genuinely asking that or trying to prove a point. Maybe it was both! Who knows??

     "Um.." ' 'Well.... Mom just put a purple veil over her face and left one day. To be honest, even now I don't know if she's dead or alive. Probably dead.' '

     "M.." 'Hopefully...'

     ' 'And so I kinda just wandered out into the streets for a little bit. It was about that time that my quirk finally activated, so I remember being really overwhelmed while being taken to an orphanage. By the time I was adopted, though, I had figured most of it out.' '

     'Cool cool cool, very cool.' Ryo stared bordely out the window, watching the occasional cars pass using his quirk. '...Were they nice people?'

     ' 'Who?' '

     'The people that adopted your idiot a##!'

     ' 'Hey!' ' Mei hiccuped again. ' 'Not cool, man! ... But, yeah. I still keep in touch with them... I've actually been pretty down on myself lately for not trying to hang with them more often. Just...demotivated. Time flies... But, yeah, they were really nice to me. Have an adopted sister too, but we don't get along very well.' '

     "Hm..." Ryo tossed his cigar out the window and teleported away. He returned about a minute later with a bowl of instant noodles. 'Eat it, alright? There's no poison.' He set the thing down in his sister's lap before returning to his perching spot. Mei groaned in protest, but eventually gave in and started to stir the noodles. The hot water had already been poured in, so there wasn't much left to do with it.

     ' 'Aren't you able to steal more quality food?' '

     'Like I'd steal anything tasteful for you.' Both siblings scowled. But that slowly faded as the seconds turned to minutes. Mei started to eat the noodles using the fork she had been given. '...I don't usually steal anyways.' Ryo added that last part on so late Mei had to backtrack to remember why. 'I've always, even when I was certain everything was fake, made sure that everything I had actually felt like it was mine.. Maybe that's just because I never actually owned anything growing up. Not really sure about that. That's just how I've been.'

     ' 'Ah... So you're just broke then.' '

     Twisting his head around. "Hey, like I said before, I don't care enough to give you expensive stuff!" The young woman snickered at her brother's defensive expression, nearly choking on the noodles in her mouth. Both leaned back against their respective posts, lazily looking around. ... 'So how do you wake up anyways?'

     Mei lifted her left wrist. On it was a thin smart bracelet. ' 'It vibrates to wake me up. How do you watch TV?' '

     'I just listen to it. That, or I figure out where the game is so I can watch in person.'

     ' 'You like watching sports?' '

      'Mainly baseball. In fact, my old boss is actually the descendant of a really popular baseball player. I used to be real into boxing too, but then I noticed how that negatively affected my mood the rest of the day; not being IN said fights made me really angsty.'

     The two continued this questionnaire of theirs, jumping from one topic to the next for a solid hour. Mei had set her empty cup of noodles on the desk beside her bed, which was presently covered in paperwork, and laid back down in bed. She was starting to relax again, oddly enough. Clearly, her brother was here with no malicious intent. Reading his mind told her that much.

     Funnily enough, though Mei was a well known pessimist regarding most things, her rare abilities allowed her to be very trusting of the people around her. And I mean who wouldn't? When you know someone's true motives right off the bat, it's pretty easy.

     Ryo yawned as he slipped from the window sill and ambled toward his sister's bed. 'Alright. Get out. Nap time.'

     Mei threw up her hands. ' 'No! My bed!' '

     'Uhuh, sure. Scooch at least.' Mei slipped the knife from under her pillow before rolling away and nearly falling out of bed. Her brother face planted into her pillow and sighed tiredly. 'Don't touch me. I sleep.'

     Mei growled. Her bed was hardly a queen size, leaving very little room for herself! ' 'You kidding me? This was your plan all along?' '

     "Mmmno.." ...Well that checked out. Mei fidgeted with the switch blade in her hand a little while longer, sitting up in bed as her brother's breaths deepened beside her.

     ' 'Hey... Ryo?' '

     "Mm?"

     ' '...Why do you...trust me so much?' ' She asked while flicking in and out the blade from its handle. Her brother hummed again tiredly.

     '...I don't. Not really at least. But.. Now that I think about it...you're probably the only reason I didn't turn out like Shigaraki.. I don't know exactly why ..but yeah. Seems about right.'

     ' 'Wait, what?? How?' '

     'I dunno, really. Just..ever since I left you all those years ago, the one thing that kept me from going off the rails completely was thinking.. what would Jay and Mei think..? Wasn't much, but I guess it helped.'

     Mei sat in silence, not knowing how to take that for quite a while. She didn't even know how to feel until warm tears slipped down her cheeks. Rubbing them away, she realized just how important this little comment of his must mean to her. She reached out slowly and rubbed her brother's shoulder blade. The man flinched and withered away from her touch.

     'I said don't touch me, creep.'

     ' 'Says the one who's in my bed!' '

     Ryo wheezed, his face making another brief appearance as he rolled over to turn his back on his sister. Settling down, Mei slid the knife away and laid down with her back to him as well.

. . .

     '...I'm sorry for leaving you...' The man apologized. Mei had to replay that a couple times in her head for it to really sink in.

     ' '..You really mean it?' '

     'Even if I find out none of this is real after all...I still shouldn't have abandoned you like I did. So, yeah, I do.'

     More tears crawled into the young woman's eyes. She sniffed and wiped her eyes clean swiftly. ' 'The only reason I even became an underground hero like this was to find you.. And now that I have...?

     I'm ashamed to admit it, but I'd do anything to protect you... as long as it doesn't mean losing my job, of course.' '

     'Really?? Because, well, I would do anything to protect you too... as long as long as it doesn't lead to me losing my quirk, that is.'

     Mei chuckled softly. ' 'Yeahhh, sorry about that.' '

     'Still hate you for it..'

     ' 'And I still hate you for being..well, you I guess.' '

     Both went to sleep with a couple tears in their eyes...right as the morning sunlight dawned.

----------

BRAP! BRAP! BRAP!

     "Fffffrack me!" Elyse rolled over in bed, rubbing her crusty morning eyes as she checked the time. 9:30. Great. Looks like sleeping in didn't help any. Laying on her back, the woman draped her arms over her face as her mind began to map out the layout of her house.

     'Alright. My slippers are on the floor beside my bed and my robe hanging on the door. If I am quick, I can exit my room in optimal comfort conditions. By taking my notebook, laptop, and contact handbook on my bedside table with me, I shouldn't have to make a round trip back to my room. Once I make my exit, I'll simply take a right down the hall then a left into the kitchen. If Zeya is sleeping on top of the fridge again, I have the spray bottle readily available beside it for proper use. If she hid it, I have a spare under the sink. If Zeya is elsewhere, I will simply continue on to make my morning energy drink, using the time it takes to blend all the ingredients to boot up my laptop. Once it is booted up and my drink is ready -- might need to make a little extra in case Reigen wants a sip -- I'll carry my drink in my right hand and everything else under my left arm to the couch where I can sit down and start going through contacts for work. Alright!... Now, to get up.'

     Even with Elyse's whole morning planned out before her, it still took a couple extra minutes to hype herself up to do any of that.

     As she rehearsed again and again in her head, Elyse slid out of bed, tidied up her blankets to look a little neater, slid on her slippers, crossed the room, threw the fluffy robe over herself, and tied it up as she exited the room.

     "Oh thank goodness you're awake!" Jin came stumbling up to the woman. Her eyes widened a little, still not used to seeing him as a blond. The man clasped his hands together and pouted before the housemaster. "I'm sorry! I had to sleep on the couch last night! I couldn't find anything in the notes to myself about where my apartment is! You gotta help me!" Elyse leaned back to create a little more space.

     "Um... You live here...in the room down the hall to the right."

     "Wait, really?!" He pulled out a tiny notebook and flipped through it wildly. On the cover read " 'To myself in case I die' " "Oh wow! I'm so sorry! This page makes so much more sense now! Thanks!"

     "Uhuh, definitely." Elyse, the non morning person, was too drained to say anything more than that. As Jin pranced away to reach his room, Elyse continued with her morning plan.

     She was somewhat surprised, turning around the corner, to find her gremlin of a niece not sleeping on the fridge. The teen was certainly strange when it came to sleeping arrangements. She never slept in her bed like a normal kid, instead choosing to create a nest in the corner consisting of dirty laundry, blankets, and other random objects lying around. When finally confronting her about this, Elyse discovered that the teen's mattress was stuffed with money, which Zeya refused to admit where it all came from. And unfortunately but also fortunately for the woman, she had no way of proving it was stolen money. But that meant there would be no more mattresses for Zeya. She would just have to stuff all that cash into her little dragon hord of a nest.

     And as for why she so often found her teenage niece curled on up top of the fridge...she hadn't a clue!

     On one shelf were all the things she needed to make her energy drink. Collecting those into her arms, the woman set them down on the counter by the blender and started to drop the perfect measurements in. The only one who showed any interest in these drinks was Reigen. They had a bitterness to them that takes a lot of time getting used to, but drinking one of these was like having five cups of coffee...without all the downsides.

     The woman set everything into the blender and pulled up her laptop. However, a strange sound outside stole her attention yet again. At first she merely dismissed it as a flock of angry birds, but now.. it sounded more like people. The woman groaned and hauled her morning routine, shuffling quickly to the front door. As she swung the door open, her eyes landed on a crowd that had gathered outside the metal gate that barred off the citizens from her house. It was a mob. An angry one at that. Half of the people held signs above their heads and or screamed and changed as one.

   "You defend yourselves better than your own people!!"
   "Who do you heroes think you are!?"
   "You're not even trying to hide how little you care about us any more!!"

     A silver haired girl climbed up the back of a large fellow and stood on his shoulders with a microphone in her hand. "F###-YOU-HE-ROES!!!" She started to chant. Didn't take long for a few others to join her.

   "F###-YOU-HE-ROES!!!"
   "F###-YOU-HE-ROES!!!"
   "F###-YOU-HE-ROES!!!"

     Wait... Elyse recognized that child.. Ugh. She dragged a hand down her face.

     "What's going on out there? O!" Jin eeped, hiding from the doorway.

     "Hey, do you know how to make a microphone by any chance?"

     "Um, sorry, no? If I did learn how to do that, then the information would have died with the other me.. Bu- but I can probably buy one for ya!"

     "Hhhh, no. Check Zeya's room. If she has one now, then that hoarder's gotta have a spare." Jin ran deeper into the house and after only a minute returned with one just like Elyse said. "Thanks." The woman smiled politely as she took it. That smile immediately dropped as she turned the thing on and started hollered through it. "ZEYA, YOU LITERALLY LIVE HERE! WHAT THE F### ARE YOU DOING?!"

     The teen standing high above the others among all the signs paused for a bit. "..To be honest, I don't really know!! ... F### YOU ANYWAYS!!"

     "You're a UA student! Stop protesting heroes!!.. Ugh, this child!" She was starting to regret letting Zeya stay with her over the summer.

     "What do we do now?" Asked the worried Jin. This was the worst case scenario for him. He had no escape if a mob was surrounding the house! And if he was caught, that would only make things worse for Elyse and the others!

     "Calm down." Elyse assured him dryly. The woman patted his shoulder. "At least the protest is a peaceful one. Just be on the look-out for weapons or arsonists."

     "Ah, alright."

     "Where's Reigen anyways?"

     "He and Serizawa went to the store to buy me a new suit and hair dye. Why?"

     "Oh?" Right on cue, the men already dressed for work arrived. Walking along the sidewalk toward the house, the two stopped at the large crowd that had formed.

     "Mmmaybe we should sneak around to the back door.." Reigen whispered to his associate. He got flashbacks from when the press chased him down last year.

     As more eyes turned to the business men, the attitude of the crowd completely changed.

   "Woah look, it's Reigen Arataka!!"
   "No way!"
   "Someone get a camera!!"
   "Wait, are we on the news now or something?! Why is he here?!"

     "A- aA~ a!" Reigen dropped the bag of groceries by his feet as the crowds gathered around him, blocking off any escape routes for he and Serizawa. The brunette picked the dropped bag up with his telekinesis and held it along with his own close to his chest. At least the crowd was generally positive toward them, for a start. "I- I'm sorry. I'm just trying to get through. What is going on?" The blond held his hands up defensively regardless, wary not to make a wrong move as letters of sweat rolled down his forehead.

     "Mr. Arataka! What do you have to say about the heroes who failed to help you stop Kageyama?!"

     "Surely you have some resentment for receiving no help from the people who make it their job to do just that!!"

     "Should the heroes give their houses to families in need?!"

     "Do you agree that heroes are obsolete in today's society?!"

     "What is this? A press conference??" His voice shook. Reigen's eyes darted around from face to face. But, as the situation settled in, he inhaled a large breath and settled his nerves. "Listen, I don't know where you got it on your head that I did everything on my own. I wouldn't have had a chance if it weren't for the help of a few heroes in training I sadly can't name. Not to mention my associate here, Serizawa, helped a lot as well." Patting the brunette's shoulder. He was more than alright with sharing the spotlight.

     "You telling us the fate of Japan was left to a couple citizens and children?! What were the heroes doing?!"

     Another in the crowd, "I'll tell you!! Saving their OWN a##es!!" That spurred on the jeering cheers of many in the crowd. Reigen shrank back a little. But seeing as he was trapped, he cleared his throat and tried again, speaking louder this time.

     "Alright, everyone, we're all human! We all have our problems, and we all have made mistakes before! If we were to play the blame game, we would be here forever! Some heroes may have given up for selfish reasons, but for the most part everyone fought until they were defeated! And to blame someone for being too weak to fix everything is just childish!" Agitation showing, he reached his arm out and shoved someone aside. "Now will you please let me through? The hero you are ridiculing for still having her house just so happens to be a close friend of mine who is kindly allowing refugees such as myself to live here!" A path started to clear out of Reigen's way as he headed toward the gate, Serizawa following closely behind. The masses were quiet now, staring bewildered, some even amazed. Once they reached the entrance point, the man in a gray suit spun around to face them all. "And in the future, do yourselves a favor by researching these matters before forming a mob and harassing the very people trying to help you!.. Oi, Zeya, what are you doing in there?!" Waving his hand over his head to signal her closer. "Leave these juvenile delinquents alone!"

     Zeya quietly pushed through the crowd, head hung low like a puppy with its tail between its legs. Serizawa opened the gate for the three with a key and they together squeezed through. Elyse met them outside on the path to the front door. She wrapped her arms around the blond's shoulders.

     "LORD, am I happy you showed up!" Her chin resting on the man's shoulder, she glared at the girl behind him, pointing accusingly at the child. "Zeya, you better have a good explanation for behaving like that."

     "Yeah yeah..." The teen kicked at the ground and rolled her eyes, face downcast. Elyse's expert posture reading skills could tell something was off. Her arms slipped away from Reigen. The men continued past the woman, Zeya following with her hands entrenched into her pockets until Elyse stopped her by tugging the lass' hood.

    "Ay! Ay~ What's the matter, young lady?"

     The teen mumbled. "Urmom'sthematter oldhag."

     "Now is that the right way to speak to your caretaker?" Elyse gripped both the girl's shoulders, leaning in to pry a look at her sullen eyes. They held a hollow sadness to them. "I mean it. What's wrong?"

     Zeya squeezed her eyes shut and tipped forward until her forehead landed on her aunt's collarbone. "...My boyfriend dumped me..." Genuine sadness peeked through.

     "Mineta???"

     "Mhm..."

     "D###.. That is tragic."

     "Heyyyuh..." Whining. Elyse chuckled and kissed the top of the girl's head.

     "So that's what all this is about? You just want some attention?"

     "Nohhh... mmmaybe..... yeah. M' lonely."

     The woman sighed and rubbed the girl's back. "Alright... I have some work today, but after that, how about we watch a movie? Star Wars sound good?"

     "Ooo~ Yeh!"

----------

     As if the villains running rampant wasn't a challenge enough. Now the kid had these monsters to contend with!

BAM!

     The boy dressed in a frilled, stained, and worn down green hero costume stood over the fresh corpse of another Nomu, who had made his job doubly easier by attacking and wounding a group of thugs.

     These monsters weren't picky when it came to prey. Any and all flesh was theirs to consume. So Deku simply had to be merciless with them.

     The boy turned, the dark holes in his mask bearing down on the group of injured thugs caught smuggling crates of Trigger.

     "Are you from Tartarus?" The teen stepped forward, his voice rough, metal shoes leaving footprints of blood. The five injured men stumbled and scurried back, breaths frantic and lively.

     "N-n-no, sir! We're just common thieves! Please have mercy on us!"

     "Good.." The teen shot a glance at the sky. He didn't want to turn-in anyone a B-rank villain or above. At least not now while that law was still in effect. For now, he was glad most of his encounters were either Nomu he could kill or thugs that would be allowed in a cell instead of instantly executed... He just..didn't want that kind of guilt on his conscience, were he to bring in a villain he knew would be given no more chances.

     The heroes were under a lot of stress right now. People were demanding Endeavor go on trial for his past actions. Said he deserved to be listed as a B-rank villain at the very least, which would of course lead to his immediate execution. An army of lawyers fought on the number one's defense right now while he was allowed to fight crime in the meantime.

     Hawks was unfortunately under very similar accusations, except to a lesser extent. The HPSC was slowly being revealed for what it really was. All the chaos and collapse of their main building had led to a lot of unwanted information escaping. Hawks was one of the heroes discovered to do much of the corporation's dirty work; the kind of stuff purposefully hidden from the public for this exact reason. Lucky, the winged hero was seen more as a victim of the HPSC in this case, so the chances were he would be let off without a death sentence.

     The quirk name One For All, was floating around the public as well, ziplining from news station to news station. Apparently, Shigaraki or All For One had slipped a brief message requesting the quirk in exchange for peace moments before the attack, which when leaked led to a lot of theories. A few successfully assumed the quirk belonged to none other than Deku himself.

     And, of course, there was the very idea of heroism under fire. Countless blame, judgement, and ridicule.

     Deku left the five injured thugs in front of the police station and took off, flying through the air occasionally using dark whips of energy to redirect his movements. He stayed moving, constantly, hoping that someday, somebody would show up with some useful information. The dark side essentially had a bounty on his back, meaning he was the emerald eye of the whole underworld. If there was anyone who could draw All For One out of the shadows...it was him.

     After a full day of patrolling, Deku slipped between two buildings and hopped onto the ground.

     "There you are!" The tall, skinny blond jogged up to the boy with a bag in hand. "Here's a newly charged tracker, earpiece, and phone." The two exchanged old for new devices. "Oh, and here's your dinner!.. I suggest you get some sleep too, young man."

     Deku took the wrapped box offered to him and tilted his head happily. "Thanks.." He croaked. It was nothing like his usual voice. This was much more drained, overwhelmed.. and overworked. He shrugged the backpack off of his shoulders from under the short yellow cape and slid the box inside. "I'll have to eat it later."

     "You sound tired. Why don't you sleep on the back seat row in my car for a little bit? I'm sure you'll be safe and out of sight." The mentor offered.

      "Too dangerous." Deku looked up, whipping out two black whips with both hands onto the ledge of the building. All Might's eyes widened.

     "But, Young Midoriya, you must not forget to take care of yourself--!"

Sheewwww!

     The boy slingshot himself right out of the alleyway. The older man groaned, staring down at his thin hands. How useless he had become.

     It looked like the boy was trying to follow a little too closely in his footsteps. No, beyond that. He was following in the retired hero's past flawless image. The idol everyone worshiped; not the man who flaunted the costume.

      Sometimes All Might wondered if there was anyone who saw him as more than a symbol. Anyone who saw him as the human he was. ..Because even Deku struggled with that. ..Maybe becoming a symbol wasn't the best idea in the world...

----------

     It was night. Deku stood on the beams of a water tower, leaning/hanging by one arm. The other fed fish files into his mouth as his eyes scanned over the city.

     He hadn't even been out here for very long and already the public was starting to give his new image a name. "The Human Bullet." Now a feared symbol of Vigilantism; a rising trend in crime heavy areas such as the half restored ruins of this city.

     The people feared the sight of him... which, wasn't all that hard to imagine, considering he was drenched in Nomu blood.

     He was enjoying himself a snack when suddenly something new caught his attention. A racing figure sprinting along the tops of buildings, jumping and flipping from flat to flat as it pleased. From what he could tell from this far away, the stranger sported a hint of green as well. Deku watched curiously from his post, wondering if this skilled parkourist could be considered a friend or foe.

     Curiosity got the better of him in the end. Deku shoved the other half of his lunch onto his bag again and flew from the beams to follow after this stranger. He floated above it all with his back to the low hanging blanket of clouds. This stranger hopped and skipped, seeming to be patrolling very similarly to Deku. So, perhaps this was another vigilante? The stranger turned suddenly, no longer meandering, they followed a straight path that would lead them to their target as swiftly as possible. Deku lowered himself, gaining slowly on the stranger in baggy, checkered green clothes.

     The stranger suddenly jumped into an alleyway instead of over it. Deku shot Black Whip out to latch onto the roofs, tugging his body close. He landed and rolled over the roof and peeked down into the alley. There, he leaned over the edge to get a look. A Nomu roared. Its eight uneven legs helped the thing to climb up the wall at an incredible speed, charging right for the teen!

     "LOOK OUT!!!" A new voice shouted from behind the spider-like Nomu. Deku, panicked, falling back onto his bum and scooting backwards as the terrifying beast climbed up onto the roof with him. A pocket of clouds cleared away so that the moonlight revealed the monster's back full of long, prickly hairs. It's toothy mouth taunted the boy, already bloodied with innocent lives. Deku activated OFA, preparing to use it in this moment of sudden peril.

     Behind the spider, a green blur shot from the gap. That shadowy green figure, lit well by the moonlight, flipped in the air. A katana held between the man's hands started to burn. "YYHHAAAAAA!!!" It was the same voice which had just warned him! The young man spun with a firey blade, until with great elegance, ferocity, and most of all skill unmatched, sliced the blade cleanly through the spider-like Nomu's head, killing it instantly! The monster's skull splattered. It's body collapsed, immediately after breaking away into little flakes of ash as though burning up on the spot.

     Deku gained the strength to stand. He fell back a few steps as the swordsman landed before the disintegrating Nomu. Though the night made it a little harder to see, the moonlight revealed the shape of a young man with long, wild reddish brown hair and deep, cherry red eyes. A scar was plastered over the left side of his forehead. His clothes were somewhat basic and black, save for a green and black checkered coat, which hung over him loosely. Just as striking as the perfect blade the swordsman once again sheathed, were the large white and red rectangular earrings that hung loosely; a fashion statement unlike anything Deku had seen in this era.

     The glint in the stranger's eyes gave off the illusion that they were subtly glowing, which surprisingly, in this case, was more of a beauty than something to strike fear.

     After the stranger's sword had been sheathed, he turned fully to the younger one with wider, friendlier eyes. "Are you alright?? That demon didn't hurt you, did it??"

      Deku brushed himself off. Danger Sense wasn't going off, so chances were this was an ally. "Yeah... Who are you? A new vigilante?" This stranger sure wasn't a hero he recognized.

     "Vigilante?" The man stood a little straighter. "Guess you could call me that, but, I don't exactly fight crime."

     Deku looked up suddenly. "..Huh?"

      The long haired man bowed politely. "I am Tanjiro Kamado... I am what in my time would be referred to as a 'Demon Slayer.'" He stood straight again and scanned over the city around them. "And, um, it seems to me that you guys are having a bit of a demon problem right now..."

     ಠಿ⁠_⁠ಠಿ "...Did you say 'demons?'"