A/N: Hey everyone! Sorry it's been a bit. Things are getting a little crazy at work.

Quick thing. I know shit's really hitting the fan worldwide with this whole Coronavirus thing, and I wanted to let you guys know to stay safe. I'm thinking of all of you. The state I live in (California) just declared a State of Emergency, and they've found 8 cases in my county thus far. (And literally EVERYONE is buying toilet paper, for some odd reason. Like, every single store, Walmart, and Costco is sold out. like, wtf? Why toilet paper. As far as I know explosive defecation is not a symptom.)

Hope you all stay safe, wash your hands for 20 seconds under HOT water (100 Degrees F) and use hand sanitizer that's minimum 60% alcohol. Don't touch your face, and stay 6 ft away from people. You know, live like an introvert (or Eraserhead).

This chapter is dedicated to everyone who's struggling with current world events. I hope you all stay safe and healthy, and that for those of you under quarantine or lock-down this chapter helps relieve some boredom.

Chapter 3: Eraserhead

Izuku sighed as he casually strolled through the back alleyways leading to Dagoba. He'd already gotten into a few smaller fistfights with the local homeless thugs who'd been trying to sleep on his beach. He'd been homeless enough times in the First Run—how he'd started referring to his original timeline—that he understood the importance of protecting your territory. If he just let any old homeless beggar sleep on his beach, then he'd find himself dead fairly quickly. Or they'd take his stuff, which could lead him to death.

Either way, there wasn't much trust amongst the homeless. He couldn't afford to be nice. Especially when any little injury had a fairly high risk of getting infected and putting him out of commission. That was something he could not afford. He had to get into U.A.—no ands ifs or buts.

His unwanted neighbors—those who slept in the alleyways and parks surrounding the beach—were learning fairly quickly not to mess with the seemingly defenseless child.

And after last week's incident where he coolly stared down a beggar with a gun, well... let's just say that he was not only earning their respect but their fear, too. He didn't mind—so long as they left him alone.

He was now officially out of money, though. He'd made it last as long as he could, but it wasn't like he had any income. He'd gotten lucky with those chocolate coins in the treasure hunting gig he pulled—but what else was he supposed to do after winning a year's supply of chocolate coins? He sure as hell couldn't eat all that!

Besides, the recording of Naomasa losing his shit was priceless and still made him chuckle. Ah~ one day, he and the detective would look back on that video and laugh.

Probably.

But his most pressing issue now was food. He was able to shower at the local gym—the locks were dreadfully easy to pick—and he'd five-finger discounted all the hygiene items he'd needed. He did the same with light snacks and the like, but he felt bad stealing like that.

Water was easy enough to come by—the parks had plenty of water fountains that he could rehydrate at. Plus the dented hydroflask he'd found in his dump was perfect after he'd bleached it out. Seriously, the previous owner had somehow grown mold and decided to toss it thereafter. It just needed a good soak in bleach and hot water. People were so lazy these days!

Oh well, more for him.

But he couldn't keep stealing loafs of bread like some discount Aladdin. He needed to actually find a way to buy food. Actual groceries and stuff. He couldn't survive off bread and jerky forever. Especially since he was still recovering from his near-starvation in the apocalypse, and all his vigilante activities.

He couldn't get a job, though. He had to be at least 15 to work at any real establishment, and even then he had to have his school's permission. No way Aldera would grant him that. Never mind the fact that he was Quirkless, he'd have to pay them to hire him.

So getting a job was out. He briefly considered Chisaki, but quickly shuddered. No. Hell no. He'd worked under the guy once, and swore to never make the same mistake again.

So where did that leave him? Food from the shelters? No, too many questions. Homeless adults were one thing, but a homeless kid with no parental supervision? He'd get CPS called on his ass faster than he could outrun Tsukauchi.

And Izuku did not want to get chucked into the system or be sent back to his mother. Besides, the food banks required you to register yourself, which included a Quirk—something that would instantly disqualify him, as he'd learned from experience.

Fucking Quirkless Discrimination.

"Whelp... what do ya think, Shou?" He turned to look at an old photo he'd found at the bottom of his bag. It'd been taken within the first few years of the apocalypse. Shouta stood, a hand on Izuku's shoulder as Hizashi had an arm flung around the both of them. Nemuri stood on Izuku's other side, ruffling his hair. Power Loader stood in the background, smiling fondly beside Dabi and Tamaki.

Good Time, he missed his family.

Tears pricked the edges of his eye as he looked away. "I know... I know... I'm being stupid." He chuckled humorlessly to himself. "I dunno, guys... maybe it's the hunger talking? At any rate, I'm open to suggestions."

Silence.

He scuffed his foot against the carpet of the camper. It was too quiet. He couldn't take the quiet any longer. Abruptly, he stood. "Okay." He clapped his hands. "Since the food issue is too much for me right now, let's just... erm... do something else!"

He glanced out the window where the late afternoon sun shone through. "It's too early for patrol." He pouted. "Buuut...." He reached over and pulled out the laptop he'd salvaged from the dump.

Well... salvaged was a bit of a stretch, considering the fact that he'd practically built the damn thing from scratch. He booted it up. He grinned as he played some music. "Let's get hacking, then."

Hilinekunhere!how'severybodydoing?!welcometotoday'slivepreformance!!EVERYBODYSAYHEY!

Viridian had just finished tying up some unsavory thugs. One man glared at him, and he chuckled. This guy's glare had nothing on Shigaraki. He'd never really been concerned about villains seeing him. Or heroes or cops, for that matter. It was more of a game, really. He wanted to see how long he could go before they sighted him. So far, it'd been four months, and no hero or cop had actually laid eyes on him.

"So you're that fucking Viridian guy."

"Yep." He smirked.

"You're shitting me! You're Japan's most elusive Vigilante?!" Another guy scoffed.

"Oh, so I'm the most elusive now? I got an upgrade!" He grinned, waiting for the telltale sound of sirens in the distance. He paused, sensing something else.

Quick as a shadow and quiet as snow, he ducked out of the sights of the villains as he scaled the side of the alleyway before perching atop the roof. Not a moment later a very familiar figure entered the alleyway. Shouta... He blinked back tears, ducking behind the ledge so as not to be seen.

Viridian ducked behind the edge of the alleyway just as a man rounded the corner. He had a strange scarf wrapped around his neck that seemed to hide something yellow, and was dressed in black. The messy unkempt hair and perpetually exhausted look lead him to believe that this was the hero Eraserhead—famous among vigilantes. The man was rumored to be sharp and quick, so he had to get out of there before he—

"Who's there?!" Eraserhead demanded as he immediately ran towards Viridian's hiding spot.

Shit!! Viridian quickly climbed the fire escape just as the man found him. He felt something wrap around his left ankle and yank him down to street level. "Aw, come on! That's cheating! I thought you had a normal scarf!" Viridian complained. He didn't care that it made him look childish—he'd had a very long night. Before he had much more time to complain, the man had him wrapped tightly and securely in the bindings.

"Who are you?"

"Viridian."

"So you're that vigilante? Huh. You're shorter than I expected."

"Well, excuse me for growing up neglected and half-starved! Not my fault my growth was stunted."

"I'm going to have to take you back to the station."

"For what?! I haven't broken any laws." Viridian huffed. He tried to cross his arms, but the scarf was too tight, so he settled for a pouting look.

"Nice try, kid, but—"

"I'm an adult, I'll have you know!"

"You're a kid to me." Eraserhead glared. "Vigilantism is a crime. So I'm placing you under arrest."

"You have no proof that I used a Quirk. Vigilantism is defined as a person who uses their Quirk illegally to take down crime."

"I've got a friend that can help me with that." He yanked on the scarf, making Viridian stumble after him. "Now come on—you're wasting my time. I want to sleep tonight, thanks."

Viridian was glad—not for the first time—that he was a paranoid bastard. He waited until Eraserhead turned away to lead him from the alleyway before he grinned. He slipped off the caps he kept on his canines, revealing very sharp fangs.

Years ago, he'd asked a good friend who had a transmutation Quirk and happened to be a dentist, to file down his teeth into fangs (just the canines) and reinforce them with the strongest metal he could. The guy happened to owe Izuku a favor, so he did so without raising a fuss (though he did charge him a small fortune).

Now, Viridian was very grateful for this decision as he silently tore through the bindings with said fangs.

Eraserhead looked behind him just in time to see Viridian disappear over the rooftop. He cursed.

Viridian shook himself out of his flashback, tongue absently running over the exposed fangs (he figured he should keep them out as Viridian and hide them as Izuku). He hadn't realized how hard this would be. He wanted nothing more than to jump down into that alleyway and hug him. But... He doesn't know you. You're nothing but a vigilante to him... he's not Shouta—he's Eraserhead. They aren't the same person, now. He took a deep breath. Luckily, he'd had a few weeks of experience with Nemuri, so this was a lot easier than it would've been without.

He shook his head and looked back over the edge, watching as Eraserhead scoured the area for him. Viridian barely dodged out of sight as Eraserhead looked up, and he heard the Capture Weapon wrapping around the nearby fire escape.

Well, Viridian had no intentions of replicating how they met in the original timeline. He wasted no time in making his own escape. He leapt over rooftops with as much grace and practice as the man behind him. Eraserhead was fast, but Viridian had had plenty of practice running across rooftops while trying to outrun dangerous and hungry monsters. Compared to that, this was a leisurely jog.

He locked eyes with Eraserhead over his shoulder as he finally shook him off his tail.

That made Eraserhead the first person to actually see him. Naomasa was going to flip his shit. But first...

He smirked, knowing that Eraserhead would still be looking for him. Now that he'd had a breather to calm down and really process his situation, he found himself giddy. He knew how to get under Aizawa Shouta's skin like nobody else, and he was going to have fun this go around (okay, so maybe he was a little bitter at how the man had captured him in the original timeline).

ViridianChaos: Hello Eraserhead. Nice night we're having!

Watson: How the hell did you get this number?

ViridianChaos: I have my ways.

Watson changed their name to Eraserhead

ViridianChaos added DetectiveHolmes to the chat

DetectiveHolmes: Viridian. What are you up to now?

Eraserhead: You mean he does this a lot?

DetectiveHolmes: More than you know.

ViridianChaos: I just thought you'd be happy to know that Eraserhead here is the first person to officially see me~!

DetectiveHolmes: You're shitting me! You really saw him!?

Eraserhead: Yeah. He's shorter than I expected.

ViridianChaos: Hey! That's mean! I'll have you know my growth was stunted due to a neglectful childhood and malnutrition!

DetectiveHolmes: Mind giving us a name?

ViridianChaos: Viridian~ ;)

Eraserhead: Perhaps something more to go on? Like an age or birthdate?

ViridianChaos: How about no? Look, I'm a vigilante, not stupid. I text you guys to mess with you because I'm bored. There're no villains out tonight, so I'm talking with you instead.

ViridianChaos: Eraserhead, I hear your sigh from over here. I left you some coffee three rooftops to your left. The bags under your eyes tell me you need it.

He watched with a low chuckle as the hero immediately headed to said location only to find a bag of his favorite coffee grounds from his favorite café. The hero's head whipped around, startled. He growled when he couldn't find the vigilante.

Eraserhead: How the hell did you know my favorite coffee?!

DetectiveHolmes: He has his ways. He knows everyone's favorite coffee, snack, sandwich and doughnut. I have no idea how he does it, but he does.

Eraserhead: I'm going to lose a lot of sleep over you, aren't I?

ViridianChaos: Yep! :D

Allright,linekunhere.Hopingeveryone'ssafeandhealthyandthateveryone'slovedonesaresafe.EspeciallythoseofyouinEurope,whereshit'sreallyhittingthefan.

Izuku chuckled as he checked the 'group chat' that he'd created. It had himself, Naomasa, and Eraserhead. He'd probably add Present Mic eventually. Possibly Midnight.

The U.A. Entrance exams were steadily creeping up, and Izuku had reluctantly kept attending Aldera Jr. High. He could just hack the system and leave U.A. none the wiser, but he'd heard stories of Nezu's intelligence—that was one basket of hornets he did not want to poke.

It was easier for him to simply stay in school, patrol at night, and sleep in his refurbished camper whenever he had the chance. It wasn't like the schoolwork was hard, either. But Bakugo was a fucking pain in his ass.

It wasn't that the brat was strong or intimidating to him (anymore). But Izuku had once physically defended himself against Bakugo, only for Izuku to nearly be suspended for defending himself. He couldn't risk a mark on his record. He had to get into U.A. No matter what.

So as much as he hated it, he had to suck it up and take Bakugo's shit. Though he tossed his own verbal remarks right back at the little brat, causing the blond to blink in angered shock every time (which was rather entertaining). Especially when Izuku tossed in some profanity (when the teachers couldn't hear, of course). It actually made things somewhat interesting for him, as he had to find new and creative ways to outmaneuver Bakugo so he didn't get beat up after school. (Besides—Izuku wasn't known for his fighting skills, so that was just another thing to separate Izuku from Viridian.)

By the six-month mark, Viridian had been listed as one of the most wanted vigilantes in all of Japan. Not because he was that dangerous (he was, but they didn't need to know that), but because he was just that difficult to catch. And even after six months, the only people who he'd let see him were Eraserhead and Naomasa. There was once or twice where he'd let his silhouette be spotted on a rooftop, but Naomasa and Eraserhead were the only two he'd actually let fully see him in person (aside from the people he'd rescued and villains).

He'd done some work in a few other towns, too, deciding to branch out to search for any sign of the League of Villains. Even in Tokyo—which had some of Japan's most prevalent and talented Heroes—nobody had really gotten a good look at him, let alone gotten close enough to catch him.

But now, he was back in Musutafu. He grinned at the thought of Tsukauchi and Eraserhead. They still had no idea that the guy they were chasing was a now 15-year-old middle-schooler who didn't even have a Quirk.

He still left puzzles, riddles, and other games for his favorite detective and hero to solve whenever he had the chance. It ticked them both off, but he could tell he was growing on them.

Eatlotsofgarlic,it'llhelpboostyourimmunesystem.Americansarefreakingoutandbuyingoutallthetoiletpaperforsomereasonthisisgettingridiculous.

Aizawa Shouta honestly wasn't sure what to make of the newest vigilante, Viridian. The man was more elusive than smoke, and more annoying than Hizashi (something he wasn't sure was possible until he met Viridian). Somehow, though, the man was growing on him (like a fungus. An unwanted, irritating, disgusting fungus). Even after all these months (they were going on month 6, now, since Viridian started his vigilante career), they knew next to nothing about the man, and it was incredibly frustrating.

They'd had a nice break these last few weeks where Viridian had been bothering the heroes and police in other cities (mostly Tokyo and Kyoto). The man was infuriatingly good at slipping away. Not a single hero had gotten close enough to even see him, let alone capture him.

That meant that he and Tsukauchi were still the only people who'd had the honor of seeing the man in the flesh.

He scowled at his phone in his pocket when it quietly vibrated, letting him know that the very irritation he'd been thinking of was also thinking of him. Wonderful.

ViridianChaos: Eraser~ What's up?

Eraserhead: Viridian.

ViridianChaos: You're no fun!

DetectiveHolmes: Any reason you two decided to distract me from my paperwork with this?

Eraserhead: You could just silence the chat.

DetectiveHolmes: ...

ViridianChaos: Oh this is rich! You don't know how! Hahahahaha! You're such an old man! ;)

Shouta had to admit, the fact that the detective didn't know how to silence the chat was kind of funny. Though he'd never tell Viridian that. Ever.

Eraserhead: Was there a reason why you contacted me?

ViridianChaos: Oh yeah! Wanted to let you know I'm back in town. :)

Eraserhead: Damn. Here I thought I'd have a longer vacation.

ViridianChaos: You know you love me~

Eraserhead: Love? I think you misspelled loathe.

ViridianChaos: :P Don't be a grouch, you tsundere! By the by, you've got that drug bust tonight, right?

DetectiveHolmes: I don't know why I even question how you know so much anymore. Yes, Eraserhead and I have a drug bust tonight. Why?

ViridianChaos: Don't go. It's a setup. They know you're coming—you'll get hurt.

Eraserhead stared at the phone for a full minute. This... was not what he was expecting.

Eraserhead: Do you have any evidence to back up your claim?

ViridianChaos: Nothing physical. I overheard a few things, and now I'm seriously worried about you guys.

DetectiveHolmes: That's cute, but we've got jobs to do.

ViridianChaos: I mean it, Naomasa! Don't go. You too, Shouta!

Eraserhead stiffened at his given name. How the hell had this guy gotten his civilian name?!

Eraserhead: I did not give you permission to call me by my name.

ViridianChaos: Sorry, Aizawa. Is that better?

Eraserhead: No.

ViridianChaos: Too bad. :P Either way, don't go.

Eraserhead: Sorry, but we've got a drug ring to bust.

ViridianChaos: Eraserhead?!

ViridianChaos: Aizawa?

ViridianChaos: Shouta? Damnit, Shou, you'd better make it out of there alive. You too, Naomasa.

Shouta would admit that he was a bit bothered by the way this man was using their given names so freely, but he didn't have much time to worry. They both needed to be at the top of their game for the bust tonight.

linekunhere.Ifyou'rewondering,I'mdoingallright.I'lltrytoupdatealittlemorefrequentlytohelpthoseofyouwho'restuckathomeandthelike,sokeepaneyeoutforthose~!

Twenty minutes into saidbust, and he was cursing himself for not listening to Viridian. Here he was, Tsukauchi at his side, held at gunpoint (and Quirkpoint) by twenty armed men. He'd been right—it was a trap. A trap set up to capture a hero and take out as many cops as they could.

Nearly all the men Tsukauchi had brought with him were dead or too injured to do anything. Shouta's Capture Weapon was confiscated, as were his knives and the detective's gun. They were defenseless, and Shouta was cursing himself internally.

He didn't see how this situation could get much worse.

"An interesting little catch, we've made." The man grinned as he looked at the hero-detective duo that was tied up to a nearby support pillar in the warehouse. The man then turned to some of his men, barking at them to watch their prisoners before gathering the drugs they'd originally come to take.

Shouta glared at the man, but didn't activate his Quirk. Erasing this man's Quirk wouldn't help him or Tsukauchi get out of their literal bind—if anything, they'd just blindfold him and then he'd be completely useless.

"Any ideas how to get us out of this, Eraser?" Tsukauchi whispered through bloodied teeth. Shouta grimaced at the taste of blood in his own mouth.

"Nothing yet." He bit back a groan at his screaming ribs. He'd taken a rather nasty blow to his torso earlier that'd sent him flying into the detective. They were both injured rather nicely, with nothing to show for their pain.

He saw something moving quickly through the shadows, but brushed it off as a trick of the light. Or possibly a concussion. He eyed the table that held their weapons on the far side of the room. If only we could get our stuff...

Shouta blinked. Once, twice. No, he was sure his Capture Weapon had been there a moment ago. But suddenly, the familiar fabric was missing from the table. His eyes darted around the room as he tried to find who may have taken it.

Tsukauchi nudged him gently and discreetly gestured for Shouta to look up. There, in the rafters was a small dark figure. They were crouched, and Shouta easily recognized the scarf-like outline of his Capture Weapon. He prayed that this was another Hero that'd come to back them up. Before he could do much else, the figure dashed almost too quickly to follow. They threw out his Capture Weapon with an ease and grace that took Shouta years to achieve.

What the?! Nobody could use his Capture Weapon like him. He'd made sure of that when he'd asked the Support Course to design it while he was still a teenager. But here this stranger was, using it like they'd been training with it for decades. Who the hell are you?

One by one, the grunts were quietly hoisted up into the rafters and silenced without drawing attention. It was masterfully done, and Shouta found himself admiring their technique.

"Hm? Hey, Garou, where's the...?" One of the men stopped and looked around. "Hey, where'd everybody—" He was quickly cut off as the figure threw down a smoke bomb, alerting the rest of the room to their presence. They then jumped down from the rafters and vanished into the thick haze.

"Stay still and stay calm." He heard a voice whisper from behind him.

"Viridian? What are you doing here?" Tsukauchi whispered back. Shouta jolted. This was Viridian? The most elusive vigilante in Japan was right behind him, and he couldn't do anything.

"Saving your asses, what does it look like? I told you not to come."

Shouta felt the bindings around his hands fall away and the familiar fabric of his Capture Weapon grace his hand. Judging from the look on the detective's face, the man must've also freed Tsukauchi and returned his weapon.

"You're one crazy vigilante, you know that? Most of you guys would celebrate this situation." Tsukauchi hummed as he flicked the safety off of his gun.

"You don't hear me complaining." Shouta huffed, readying himself for the attack. But how the hell did Viridian learn to use my Capture Weapon? Shouta wondered to himself.

"I'm not like most vigilantes."

"Yeah, we've noticed." Tsukauchi smirked as the three of them ran into the dissipating smoke. Shouta was used to fighting with low visibility, and it seemed that Viridian was, too. The two of them managed to take out the remaining men just as the smoke completely vanished.

The Vigilante, Detective, and Hero all shared an uneasy and awkward look.

"I suppose we owe you a thanks." Tsukauchi had a sour look on his face as he said it.

Shouta realized that this was the first time they'd really gotten a proper look at the vigilante. He was... a lot shorter than Shouta thought he'd be. He was decked out in what looked like a ninja costume, complete with a short sword strapped to his back, and had brilliant emerald green eyes that shone like gemstones.

He opened his mouth to say something, when the man's bright green eyes widened in fear. He shoved Shouta aside roughly just as a loud BANG echoed around the warehouse. Tsukauchi reacted quickly, firing off his own shot, killing the leader of the gang who'd shot at them.

A wet cough made Shouta's eyes widen as he realized what occurred. "Hey! Viridian!" He caught the (probably) older man as he staggered. He was bleeding heavily from his chest, where the bullet got him. He took a bullet for me... Shouta realized. That would've killed me.

"I'll be fine."

"No, we need to get you to a hospital." Tsukauchi quickly balled up some fabric and pressed it against the vigilante's wound.

Viridian chuckled. "As much as I appreciate the concern, I've dealt with worse before. Besides, it's not as bad as it looks."

Before Shouta or Tsukauchi could do anything, Viridian roughly shoved them both away. "I'll text you guys tomorrow so you know I'm not dead." He winked before escaping out the window faster than either of them could give chase, leaving the two staring dumbfounded after him.

They'd never admit just how grateful and relieved they were when Viridian texted them the next morning.

Iknowit'sreallyselfishofme,butI'mhopingthatthevirusthingblowsoverbyJulysoIcanstillgotomyanimeconventionthatIalreadypaidfor.Oof.Eventsofmorethan250peopleareclosedrn.

Viridian laughed as he leapt across the rooftops like some old-school comic book hero. He'd been leading around his favorite hero and detective duo all night. Again. He'd been a little off his game when he'd started this vigilante work again seven months ago, but now he was back in full swing, and ready to go!

He'd been following any little whisper of the League of Villains. Maybe, if he could find Shigaraki, he could kill the bastard before ever taking the U.A. exams! Crisis would be averted and the USJ incident wouldn't even happen.

Then, they'd just need to worry about All for One, but that was really more of All Might's major problem anyhow. At the very least, All for One wasn't about to bring about the end of humanity as they knew it—at worst he'd forcefully take over Japan as a dictator again. But even that would be better than what he'd already lived through.

He smirked as he landed down in an alleyway. This was their reward for all the crap they'd gone through—he knew his little games were beyond annoying, but they entertained him. Besides, at least he was helping them rather than hurting them. His games were usually to protect them, anyhow.

Viridian was finally going to let Detective Tsukauchi have a face-to-face conversation with him. (The warehouse didn't count, because that was more battle-banter than an actual conversation).

Well, it was also a thank-you for worrying about him. After he'd been shot a few weeks ago, he'd proceeded to return home, fix himself up, and pass out.

And damn they'd blown up their group chat while he'd been taking his little power nap. Izuku had been so touched when he'd awoken to fifty worried notifications, and had quickly replied to let them know he was alive and well.

Or as well as one can be when they were shot the night before a major exam. Bakugo had been hell to avoid that next day.

The two warily stepped into the alleyway. He'd been careful to stay under the radar for the last few weeks (mostly due to his recovering injury). Viridian's note had explicitly told them to show up alone, no other cops. He smirked as he stepped out of the shadows, a tray of coffee cups in his hand.

"Naomasa. Aizawa. Good to see you two again." He smiled, though they could only see his bright green eyes.

The two gave barely-noticeable sighs of relief. "Glad to see you're alive. How's your injury?" Tsukauchi asked.

"It's doing much better, now. Thanks for asking." Viridian grinned. Tsukauchi nodded to Eraserhead, acknowledging the truth of the statement.

"Why did you lead us here?" Eraserhead asked.

"I got bored, and thought that, after the games I've put you two through, the least I owed you was a face-to-face conversation." He shrugged, leaning against the brick wall casually. "Plus, I figured you were still worried about the whole gunshot thing."

He handed over the coffee, to which the hero and detective didn't even blink. Eraserhead quickly started drinking his.

"You do realize that we have a legal obligation to arrest you, right?" Tsukauchi asked in disbelief.

"Yep. But not tonight. I'm simply here to talk for as long as you want, but the moment you make a move to arrest me, I'm gone. So if you've got any burning questions, ask them now." He knew his green eyes were sparkling with amusement, because Eraserhead scowled.

"Who are you?" Eraserhead growled.

"I am Viridian."

"Your real name."

"Something you'll have to figure out on your own—good luck with that, though."

"How old are you?" Tsukauchi asked.

"Somewhere between the ages of six and fifty." He smirked.

"Are you Japanese?"

"Yes." They blinked at the straightforward answer. "Born and raised."

"Why are you a vigilante?" Tsukauchi asked again.

"Hm... Tough question, detective." He tapped his chin for a moment as he thought. "I suppose... I've always wanted to be a hero. But I failed every Hero School Entrance exam I took as a young teenager. I tried to live a normal, boring life, but..." He looked off for a moment. "I can't help but want to help people. I just can't not help them. And if I have to do so as a vigilante instead of a hero, then at least I'm still helping others. At least I'm still saving lives."

"He's telling the truth." Tsukauchi blinked incredulously.

"What, is that uncommon for vigilantes?" Viridian tilted his head, confused.

"Most of the ones I've met just want to use their Quirks in public." Tsukauchi shook his head.

"Well, then, Mr. Lie Detector, let me let you in on a little secret~" He chuckled again, a grin spreading across his face. "I, Viridian, have never used a Quirk during my vigilante activities."

"Y-you're shitting me. Tell me he's lying." Eraserhead choked.

"I... He's telling the truth."

"D-doesn't that mean...?" Eraserhead looked like he wanted to bash his head against the brick wall.

"We can still get you for assault." Tsukauchi glared.

"Ah, ah, ah~ Section 24 subsection C states that assault charges are valid only when the accused party struck first. I always let my enemies strike first, even if said strike doesn't hit. You can ask any single one of the villains I've turned in to you."

"Then..."

"By the law, I've done nothing illegal." Viridian laughed lowly. Besides, the laws technically don't even affect a Quirkless person. Even child custody laws don't matter. That's why Tsunogami-chan's son was put in the foster care system, even though she was alive, able, and had stable income. After her husband died, she was invisible to the law, and her son was taken away. He clenched a fist in anger, making a mental note to keep her husband from dying this go around, before taking a deep breath. "You legally can't arrest me."

"I'm so fucking done." Eraserhead leaned against the brick wall next to him.

"Come, now, Eraserhead, don't be like that. And here I've come with an opportunity for you both." The two men stiffened.

"Opportunity?"

"Yes. Now that we've established that, while I'm a vigilante—sort of—I'm not technically doing anything illegal, I'd like to extend an offer of alliance with the two of you. Namely, I know a lot of things that go around—I've got an extensive information network. I can provide you with information. Be your eyes and ears beyond the police and Hero networks. I'll be your grey area."

"You realize that we can't actually do that, right?" Tsukauchi didn't look impressed.

"Unless under extenuating circumstances." Viridian nodded. "But fortunately for me, these are." He tossed a folder at Tsukauchi's feet, and the man warily bent down to pick it up. His eyes went wide as he flipped through it.

"This case has been cold for weeks."

"I've been looking into it for you. I'm 98% sure that's where they're keeping the missing children." He locked eyes with the two. "Look. I'm not asking you to trust me. I'm not asking you to like me. But the three of us have one thing in common—we want to save lives. And if I can help you do so, then why would you throw me away?" He shoved his hands in his pocket. "You know how to get a hold of me. Think about my offer, and shoot me a text if you want my help on anything. I also gave you my burner phone's number if you feel like dropping me a call—though I usually don't answer those. Just a warning." He glanced at the two.

"And for your own peace of mind, detective, I have no intentions of hurting you, your men, or any heroes. Eraserhead, I don't mean you, your students—if you have any this year—or your coworkers any harm. If anything, I just want to protect everyone I can."

"What do you want in return?" Eraserhead's eyes narrowed.

He hesitated for a moment. "There's a man I'm after. His name is Shigaraki Tomura. If you find his information, please let me know. He's about as nasty a villain as they come. I don't want him to kill anyone else."

"You know we can't—"

"Fine." Eraserhead cut off Tsukauchi mid-sentence.

"Eraserhead, what do you mean, 'fine'?!"

"If you really mean what you say, and you help us save people, then we'll keep our ears open for any tell of this 'Shigaraki Tomura' person."

"Thank you." With that, Viridian vanished into the night.

Soyeah,I'veaddedquiteabittothestory,ifyoucouldn'talreadytell.:3EditswerepostedonJuly12of2020,bytheway.

Tsukauchi Naomasa smiled softly as he reunited the last missing child with their family. Viridian's information had been right on the money, and the vigilante himself had shown up and kept the kids safe until police arrived. He was starting to think that this offer might not be such a bad thing. Unfortunately, it wasn't a call he was allowed to make.

"You called?" Tsuragamae stepped into his office, nose likely picking up on Viridian's unfamiliar scent. The dog-headed man kept a steady gaze on his subordinate.

"Yes, sir. It's about Viridian." Naomasa sighed as he gestured for his boss to close the door behind him.

It took an hour and a half to fully explain the situation, along with the new information that the vigilante had never once used his Quirk during his nightly activities.

The police chief sat for a very long time, thinking over the information that the detective had provided him with. "This is quite the conundrum." He hummed.

"Should we work with him, sir? The information he provided to me is what got those thirty-six children home safely."

"Well, it's not like trying to capture him has gotten anyone anywhere." He sighed as he scratched the back of his ear. "All right. Any information he shares with you is shared with me. That is your condition. And I would like to meet with him, myself."

Naomasa smiled in relief. "I'll arrange the meeting."

Haveanotherline,becauseIcan'tthinkofanythingtoputhere.

MoldiBroccli: Guys!! Viridian's got a webpage, now!!

Ihavenoname: Yeah, I saw. Apparently, he's getting really popular. Nobody's really seen him aside from the people he's rescued or arrested.

DragoninaDress: There r some pics online, now, tho. Looks like a ninja.

Noiscardily: I actually found some Viridian merch at my local hero store today.

MoldiBroccli: what?! I must haVE IT!!!!!

ForsakenEmoBoi: Isn't he just a vigilante, though? I mean, why would a VIGILANTE have merch?

Noiscardily: No idea. Maybe someone mistook him for a hero? Hold on, I'll send a pic.

Noiscardily: viridian_merch.jpg

MoldiBroccli: Wow!! It's his vigilante outfit!

ForsakenEmoBoi: How do you know that? It looks just like a halloween costume to me?

MoldiBroccli: He saved me once, a few months ago. I saw Viridian in action, and it was SO COOL!!

GayAFanimeBoi: I saw him, too.

DragoninaDress: How do you know he didn't just buy his vigilante outfit from that same costume store? -_-

MoldiBroccli: You DID?!

DragoninaDress: Aaaaand I'm ignored. Cool.

GayAFanimeBoi: Yeah. I was kidnapped a while back and was held with a bunch of other kids. We really thought we were going to die, but Viridian came by and saved our asses before they could kill us or ship us off somewhere. The police came in just ten minutes or so later. I think he tipped off the cops, because they sure as hell didn't find us on their own. Either way, I owe Viridian my life. I think my whole family's a Viridian supporter, now. :3

MoldiBroccli: Yes! Our cult is growing! >:3

DragoninaDress: Cult?

MoldiBroccli: The Cult of Viridian, duh.

Noiscardily: *Sigh*

Noiscardily has changed the chat name to 'Cult of Viridian'

MoldiBroccli: YES! THANK YOU NOI!!

GayAFanimeBoi: I'm gonna logout. My bro's callin' me for dinner. Bye.

Kenji scratched his head, blowing the black bangs out of his eyes irritably. Maybe he should spike up his hair? It'd probably look cool. He sighed as he closed out of the chat.

"Kenji! Dinner!" His brother poked his head into his bedroom. "C'mon, bro! You've been glued to that computer for hours. Aren't you hungry?"

"Sorry... I just... wanted to..."

"Looking up stuff about Viridian again?" Eijiro grinned easily. "He's so manly!"

"I know! Everyone's talking about him, and since there're only about six photos and videos of him online, some people have taken to drawing him based off descriptions of his rescues!" Kenji bounced in his chair like the excitable twelve-year-old he was.

"He's really getting popular, isn't he?" Eijiro tilted his head.

"Yeah! He's got a fanpage, now, too. There's several thousand members, and it's growing by the day."

"For a guy without a license and no calling card, he's really getting a lot of attention."

"That's because he helps the people that really need it." Kenji smiled. "He's even been seen patrolling Tokyo, Kyoto, Hosu and Musutafu! I heard a rumor that he patrols the South Side of Musutafu, too!"

"You mean the lawless area?" Eijiro winced. "Man, he's got guts to patrol there."

"You should've seen him..." Kenji became quiet as he remembered. "They were going to kill this one kid..." They were going to kill me for protecting that girl... "but then Viridian appeared out of no where and saved me." He missed his brother's flinch at the accidental slip.

He shook as he stared down the barrel of the gun. So this was how he was going to die? He was only twelve... He didn't have a hardening Quirk like his brother. He couldn't stop the bullet that was aimed firmly between his eyes. Kenji heard the gun cock and several of the other kids whimpered.

He wouldn't be the first kid killed for stepping out of line, but he really hoped he'd be the last. He closed his eyes as he waited.

BANG!

Suddenly, he realized that there was no pain. Was death really this painless?

"You okay, kid?" He opened his eyes and saw bright green staring back at him from what looked like a ninja mask. The man held him firmly in his arms, and...

"You... saved me?"

"Yep." The man grinned. "Name's Viridian. Don't worry. The police are almost here. It's over, kid. You're going to be just fine. All of you are." Viridian gently set him down on the ground. "You're safe. It's over. I'll protect you."

For the first time in his life, he felt like he understood why All Might said 'I am here'. When All Might rescued people, he said his catchphrase and you just knew that you would be okay.

Viridian's words... 'I'll Protect You' sounded the same, in his ears. It rung with a surety and truth that nearly left him quaking in relief. Because now he knew that nothing would hurt him. He'd be safe. He was safe.

And suddenly, as he watched Viridian take down the criminals that'd been their captors for the last two months, he realized something.

All Might was a symbol. A ward against evil and a mantra people chanted to make themselves feel safe.

But Viridian was more than that, somehow. He was... more concrete. More real. Viridian was his Hero.

"Kenji?" Eijiro's gentle voice shook him out of his flashback.

"S-sorry... just... remembering the rescue. Viridian was so cool." He smiled softly.

"No worries, bro." His brother came over and gently pulled him into a hug. "I'm just glad you're safe and home."

"Thanks, Eiji." He smiled into his older brother's shoulder.

"Eijiro! Kenji! If you boys don't get your butts down here, I'm going to let your father eat all the desert!"

"C'mon, best get down there before dad eats everything." Eijiro grinned, showing off sharp, shark-like teeth.

I hope I meet Viridian again.

Linekunhere.No,there'snomorestorybelowmethistime,butIwantedtoreallyletyouguysknowthatIcarealotaboutyouallandIreallytrulyhopeyouallstaysafe.pleasepleasepleasestayhealthyandsafeandtakeprecautions,k?lotsoflovefromyourfavoritelinekunandlinechan.