A/N: Hey everyone! Hope today finds you well and not too bored. Lookie!! Updates two days in a row! Let's keep this streak up!! I'll do my best to help relieve your boredom and anxiety or stress through my stories while we bunker down for the Covid19 stuff, k?

Just found out that while my home state, California, issued a stay-at-home order, both my jobs remain unaffected. So I've still got to work. oof. Though one job modified their hours massively. Instead of the normal 6AM-10PM business hours, we're now 10AM-7PM. I'm actually somewhat relieved, even though it's cutting my pay more than before. I've saved up 6 months of rent just in case, so I should be good either way. :)

Bonus: Maybe I'll finally clean my disaster of a bedroom? (When it literally takes something that the world is treating like a psuedo apocalypse to get me to clean my room)... oof.

I'm working on Swan Dive, and I'll try to get that next chapter up tomorrow, so look forward to that!! :D As it's written right now, Chapter 21 of Swan Dive should see the U.A. Entrance Exams! ;) So look forward to that, k?

Though I may go back in and write some stuff with Nemuri... Just so you guys know, I was going to put her and Inko together before Chapter 9 happened. (which Chapter 9 was planned from the start, cause I'm a heartless bitch).

Stay safe out there, everyone! And please enjoy the chapter! Also!! If anyone has fanart of my stories, I'd love to see it!! I can't really draw worth shit, so seeing my writing come to life on a page is super inspiring to me!! I'll even feature your artwork on the relevant chapter for the sites that permit it.

~~~

Viridian looked around the office with an appreciative gaze. Naomasa had good taste. He'd been in here a few times before (by sneaking in through the window to leave notes and coffee), but this was his first time in the room as a guest.

It was painted in neutral colors with darker accents, giving the place a warm cozy feel. The couch pushed up against the wall looked well-loved and comfortable, while the rug had a few coffee spills.

There were six desks and a separate door that led to Naomasa's private office, which the man rarely used.

"Nice place." He smirked beneath his mask.

"Don't act like it's your first time in here." Naomasa huffed. "I can't remember how many times you've broken into my office."

"Twenty-seven." Viridian replied offhandedly. Someone nearby whistled.

"Sorry, didn't mean to startle ya." The man had light brown hair and yellow-gold eyes. Viridian spied a monkey's tail curling excitedly behind the man—likely his Quirk. He looked a little closer. His hairline spread a little below what most people would consider normal, and his upper lip protruded very slightly, indicating sharp canines. His shoes were custom-made; likely for the hand-like feet he sported.

Yep. He had a monkey-Quirk.

"I'm Tirogune, but you can call me Tiro~" He grinned, showing off the fangs that Viridian had already suspected him of possessing.

Naomasa sighed. "Tirogune, this is Viridian, he's going to be working with us from now on, so please be nice."

"V-Viridian?! As in the vigilante Viridian?! Like the guy the entire country's been after for over half a year?!"

Viridian leaned back against the wall with an easy smirk. "I see you've heard of me."

"Oh, I like him." Tirogune grinned.

"You're a tough guy to find." A feminine voice came around the corner.

"This is Aikure. She and Tirogune are part of my personal team. Ikibara, Sakamura, and Sansa are the three remaining members, but you'll meet them later today."

"I already know Sansa. He's the one with the cat Quirk." Viridian said off-handedly as he studied the new arrival.

Aikure was a very pretty woman. Her platinum blonde hair appeared to be natural, if those ice-blue eyes had anything to say about it. Likely of foreign descent. European, most probably. Her build was slender, but she had a sharpness about her. She seemed hyper aware of her surroundings, and... were those hearing aids? No, no, those were sound-filters. Custom-made for people with very sensitive hearing due to their Quirks. Super-hearing, then? Not necessarily enhanced senses all around, as she didn't seem to flinch at the copious amount of light in the room. Her ears were slightly bigger than the average person, but it wasn't overly noticeable. She fidgeted ever so slightly with her fingers, as if she was trying not to snap them.

More than likely, she had some sort of echolocation-based Quirk, then.

"You can stop staring, you know." She huffed.

"Sorry, sorry." Viridian chuckled. "It's a habit of mine—trying to figure out someone's Quirk."

"Oh?" Naomasa raised an eyebrow. "And what do you think?"

"Tirogune, yours is obviously a monkey Quirk. And Aikure... yours is a bit harder... Likely something to do with sound... perhaps something along the lines of echolocation? That's my best guess given the information I have, but I could be way off."

The three were staring at him.

"What?" Viridian asked. Their staring was unnerving.

"I've said all of two sentences to you, and you figured out my Quirk in less than five minutes?" She gaped. "You were right—my Quirk is called Sonar."

"You're a little too good at that." Naomasa decided. "That's a very useful skill."

"Why thank you." Viridian grinned. "Quirk Analysis is a hobby of mine."

"I'd say that's more than just a hobby." Tirogune chimed in.

"Perhaps you could help us analyze criminals out in the field, too." Naomasa suggested.

"Sure, if you want. It's nothing too extravagant, though. Like I said—it's a hobby—something I've been doing since I was a kid."

"All right, now here's what we know about our current case..."

Hi!Linekunhere.Linechansayshi,butI'mtheonehereforyoutoday.:)Whohasseenthenewbnhamovie?!It'samazing!Isawitacoupleofweeksago,andI'msogladIdid!!

As it turned out, bringing Viridian onto the team was more helpful than Naomasa had originally thought. The man had a wicked fast mind, and could piece together a case from the barest details.

The man wasn't bothered by bodies either, as he saw when he brought Viridian to a fresh crime scene. The vigilante hadn't been phased in the slightest by the blood or smell of a corpse—it was honestly a little worrying.

His team worked well with the vigilante, too. And if Naomasa thought Viridian's information network was good beforehand... well, let's just say that he was glad the man was on their side.

"Ahh... another case closed." Viridian leaned back against the brick wall as he watched a few of the officers haul away a murderer. He'd been working with Naomasa and his team for a couple of weeks, now, and he was finding himself enjoying the time spent around the detective and his team.

People had started to notice the vigilante helping out the police, and the detective wondered if the other man had seen the blogs lately. Still, not everyone was happy about Japan's most wanted vigilante suddenly being untouchable (as if he'd been 'touchable' beforehand. The man was far too good at slipping away). He tried his best to stay out of sight while on patrol. Just in case, he urged the other man to patrol alongside Eraserhead.

He'd made it abundantly clear that he was untouchable in Musutafu. Other areas of Japan would still try to bring him in—not that Naomasa thought they could. He'd heard from Toshinori himself that Viridian had given even him the slip. That was no easy feat.

If even All Might—the world's Number One Hero—couldn't catch Viridian, then it's no wonder that Tsuragamae had been allowed to bring him onto the team. Tsukauchi still wasn't entirely sure how Tsuragamae had managed that one and kept his badge, but he'd learned that his dog-headed superior had connections.

"I still have to file the paperwork." Naomasa groaned, rubbing his neck. God, even just the thought of paperwork made his hands cramp with phantom pains. Higher solve rate meant he got paperwork faster. He wasn't sure if he was grateful to the vigilante or not.

"I mean, sucks for you, but I can go grab you some coffee?" He sent said vigilante a glare for a moment before sighing with a tired smile.

"I've still got the grounds you gave me last week. The offer's appreciated though. You coming back with me?"

The vigilante had been on edge all day, and it was starting to make him edgy. He'd seen Eraserhead get like this once or twice—called it the Hero's Gut—an instinct experienced heroes developed over the course of their career. Many countries even accepted it as a valid reason to grant things like search warrants and the like to police. If Viridian had a bad gut feeling, then he was worried for him. It'd be safer for him to come back to the office with him.

"I would, but I'm going to patrol a bit before Eraser takes over. Something about today's got me on edge. Be careful, Masa."

So it was a gut feeling. Damn. "You too, Viridian." He sighed. Hopefully the man would be careful. "Message me tonight so I know you aren't dead."

"Psh. As if I'd die so easily! Ye of little faith, Detective. What's the worst thing that could happen?" Viridian laughed as he shoved his hands in his pockets and casually strolled away.

There was only two hours before Eraserhead started his shift, but... maybe the detective should call him in early?

He couldn't help but feellike Viridian jinxed it.

Sohere'sanothernewline~

I fucked up. It wasn't something that Viridian liked to admit. He'd fucking jinxed himself. What's the worst thing that could happen? I asked. Well, apparently running into motherfucking STAIN.

He'd been trying to steer clear of the alleged Hero Killer. He knew how dangerous the guy was. But somehow, Stain found him.

Now, Viridian was hurt badly, and left bleeding out in some back alleyway. He had no idea how, but he thought he might've managed to impress Stain... enough to keep him alive. At the very least, the Hero Killer didn't come back to finish him off. And Viridian was fairly certain that there was no permanent damage done, or at least, there would be none if he could manage to get out of this mess alive.

But the Hero Killer had (accidentally) broken his phone when he'd sliced Viridian's side open. And he was losing way too much blood. He couldn't even stand, let alone contact Naomasa. Eraserhead wouldn't start his shift for another half hour, and by that point, he'd be dead.

Shit... He struggled to keep his breathing calm. I can't afford to die here... He heard footsteps down the alleyway. For a moment, he feared that Stain had changed his mind and returned to finish the job.

"Holy shit." He groaned when he felt something press painfully against his injury. He blinked a few times to clear his vision. It was a... kid? No, he knew this guy... He was a young hero.

"Hawks?"

"Yeah. Hold still. You're hurt pretty badly. I'll fly you to a hospital, it'll be faster than an ambulance." He carefully scooped Viridian up in his arms, keeping pressure on the wound.

Hospitals were bad. Hospitals would unmask him and ruin his chances at U.A.—at getting to Shigaraki. He wouldn't be able to make it to the USJ Incident in time, and everything would be for nothing. The vigilante took a deep shuddering breath as he made his decision.

"No hospital." He ground out through bloodied teeth. The winged hero paused for a moment to look at him incredulously.

"I can't just let you die."

"I can stitch it up myself... Please." He looked up at the blond, and he could see the youngster's eyes flicker in indecision. "I need you to trust me."

"Why am I listening to you?" He muttered to himself. "Fine. Where are we going?" He spread his impressive wingspan and took to the skies. Viridian internally whooped at the feeling, though it was dampened by the blood loss.

"Take me to Dagoba Beach." Viridian forced out between gasps of pain. "Tell anyone where I live, and I'll pluck you." He added as an afterthought.

"That's a great way to thank the guy who's saving your life." Hawks huffed back, unamused.

"I'm kind of in a bit of pain, here, if you hadn't noticed, so please excuse my rudeness." Viridian hissed.

"Fine..." He tightened his grip as he altered course.

If Viridian liked hopping across the rooftops, then he loved flying. It was the most freeing experience he'd ever had. He smiled under his mask, and couldn't help the light laughter that bubbled up in his chest, even if it hurt like a bitch.

Allright,nowI'mreallytired,becauseWattpadisabitchtodothiswithbecauseLINES.

Takami Keigo, better known as the Pro Hero Hawks, looked down with his own soft smile, though it turned to a concerned frown when he realized how much blood the vigilante had lost.

He wasn't sure what to expect when he'd found the famed vigilante Viridian bleeding out in an alley. At first, he hadn't even believed that it was Japan's most elusive 'shadow-hero' (as they called him online), but the Hero Killer himself had found Keigo and pointed him in the direction of the alley.

"I'm not here for you, Hawks. I left Viridian in that alleyway back there. Don't let him die—he's got potential as a hero."

Before the winged man could do anything, the Hero Killer had vanished. If Keigo was being honest, he hadn't believed Stain when he said he left Viridian bleeding out in an alley, but... here he was saving the stubborn jerk who refused to go to a hospital.

Viridian was certainly an enigma. He was one of the most wanted men in all of Japan—the most wanted of all the vigilantes in the country—and yet he was also amongst the most peaceful. If Keigo didn't know any better, he'd assume the man a hero, not a vigilante. And recently, all the heroes in Musutafu got an alert from the Musutafu PD that Viridian was now working with them.

It was a first in a long time. The fact that he was elusive enough that the cops thought it was better to pull him onto their team spoke volumes. Because that hadn't happened since Quirks came about. The last time the cops had to ask for help from a vigilante consistently enough that they formed a partnership was the formation of the profession of Hero. He snapped back to reality when he realized they'd arrived.

"Honestly... You live in a dump?" Keigo asked as he carefully landed where the vigilante specified.

"Beggars can't be choosers, you know." Viridian shot back. "Not all of us are lucky enough to have families to go back to." He said the last part quietly, and Keigo was sure he wasn't meant to hear it. Either way, he filed the information away for later.

He carefully followed the vigilante's instructions, navigating an extremely specific pathway through the mountains of trash until he came to a clearing. There was a fire pit set a safe distance from an old beat up camper. Damn. He really does live here.

He went inside the camper and set the man down on the bed inside. The place was actually kind of nice, considering everything in there was likely salvaged from the junkyard outside. Though he idly wondered if letting the man heal up in here with such a gaping wound was a good idea. It couldn't be sanitary.

"I've scrubbed the place with bleach, don't look so apprehensive." Viridian scoffed, words a little slurred from blood loss. "Sit down, make yourself a cup of tea—yes the stove works. I've gotta get this stitched up."

Keigo was about to protest—surely he didn't mean to stitch himself up without any kind of pain medicine—but Viridian had already started stitching the wound closed with the kind of nonchalance and precision that came from years of experience.

The hero turned a little green, despite himself. How was he doing that so easily?! Keigo hated stitches.

"I'm done." Viridian finally said. From what Keigo could see, he was quite pale.

"Here. You need to stay hydrated." Keigo handed him a bottle of water he'd found in the fridge (which actually worked, which was shocking... he hadn't expected electricity in a literal dump).

"Not gonna arrest me?" Viridian cocked an eyebrow. Or at least, Keigo assumed he was cocking an eyebrow.

"Musutafu PD put out the word that you're on our side, now."

"Yeah, something tells me Naomasa wouldn't be too happy if you brought me in injured and all tied up." Viridian chuckled.

"You mean detective Tsukauchi?" Why was he on a first-name basis with the lead detective in Musutafu?

"Yep. Since I'm an informant for the Musutafu PD, they've stuck me with Naomasa's team. I've been helping them on investigations and stuff. You know, since they technically can't arrest me, as I've never used a Quirk during my vigilante work..." Viridian was smirking, Keigo was sure of it. Still, the man never used his Quirk? He had to be lying. Keigo was pretty damn sure the vigilante had some kind of evasive Quirk—he had to.

"So why trust me with your humble abode?" Keigo changed the topic.

"Like I had a choice? Between you or the hospital, I think I'll sooner take my chances with you. The hospital would likely drug me just to get the mask off."

"Most vigilantes aren't that protective of their identities—especially those who don't need to worry about being arrested."

"Most vigilantes don't plan to do something with their civilian persona."

"Oh? And why would being a vigilante impact that? Don't tell me you wanna join the cops?"

"No. I'm going to become a goddamned hero." Viridian snapped back. Keigo must've hit a nerve, because the man before him instantly shut his mouth, like he'd said something forbidden. "Fuck. I hate pain. I should not have said that."

"You technically already are a hero, you know."

"Shut up." Viridian glared, causing Keigo to raise his hands in surrender. "I'm not a hero. I'm a vigilante. There's a difference."

Keigo decided that tonight was not the night to argue the point. "Look, you need to get some rest. I've got nowhere to be."

Viridian gave a snort. "The #3 hero has nowhere to be? Somehow I find that hard to believe."

"You interest me. I can take a couple days to myself—my sidekicks can handle things while I'm gone."

"Fine, fine. Not like I'm in the state to kick you out, anyways." Viridian waved his hand. "Just don't go snooping or anything. And don't touch the mask."

Linekunagain!Istartedanothermyherofanfic!Thisone'sunderthepremiseof...'whatifAizawaisInko'smaidenname?'Sointhisnewfic,tentativelycalled'Protector',InkoisactuallyShouta'soldersister,andit'llstartoffwiththetwoaskidsandshowminishouandhowadorableheis!!It'lllatergoontoshowIzukugoingtoU.A.(likelystillwithOFA)andwe'llseeshitreallyhitthefantherewherehisUncleisteaching,yeah?Lemmeknowwhatyouguysthink!

Viridian groaned as he woke up. The previous nights' events slowly trickled into his mind as someone opened the door to his camper. His first instinct was to bolt upright, but a sharp pain had him immediately regretting that decision.

"Woah! Stay down, would'ya? You're badly hurt." Hawks reprimanded lightly.

"What're you, my mother?"

"I'm the hero who saved your life." He replied irritably as he placed his hands on his hips. The plastic bag from the convenience store hung on his wrist.

"Uh... what's with the bag?"

"You're out of food." Hawks replied like it was the simplest thing in the world. "Don't think I didn't notice how light you were when I carried you home two days ago."

"Two days ago?!" Shit! He'd missed school. Fucker.

"Yeah, you've been out. Not that I can blame you, that is." Hawks shrugged as he casually restocked Viridian's fridge with more food than the vigilante had seen in his life.

"I... how am I supposed to eat all that?"

"You know, most people have three meals a day."

"Most people also don't live in a dump." Viridian replied. "By the way, do you have a phone on you? I need to make a call."

"Don't you have one?" Hawks questioned with a raised eyebrow. Viridian fished the remains of his old phone—bloodstained and battered. It needed to be either salvaged or completely scrapped. He should be able to salvage it, though... if he could find the right pieces. "Right. Here, just make it fast."

Viridian took the hero's phone with a curious look. He'd always had to buy phones online to avoid Quirkless discrimination and unfair price spikes (especially with electronics), so he always got the cheapest models. Hero phones were expensive and incredibly durable. They could find a signal just about anywhere. He marveled at it for a moment before typing in the Musutafu PD's number—as he didn't have Naomasa or Eraserhead's numbers memorized.

"Musutafu Police Department, this is Suki."

"Hey! Suki!!" He greeted casually. "It's Viridian, think you could patch me through to Naomasa?"

There was a long pause before she sighed. "Yeah."

"Thanks." He waited exactly two and a half rings before the detective himself picked up.

"Viridian?" There was a clear worry in his voice that made the vigilante smile.

"Masa! How're you doing?"

"You haven't been answering us. Are you okay?"

"Er... my phone was kinda trashed, but I'm alive, so I just wanted to let you know that." He felt Hawks' phone vibrate indicating a new mission or message. "Anyhow, I'm borrowing someone else's phone, so I gotta go. I'm good, tho. Give me a few weeks and I'll be back out there in no time." He grinned. "Love ya, Masa!"

"A few weeks?! Viridian just ho—" He hung up on the detective and handed the phone back to a baffled hero.

"Was that a good idea to hang up on the detective?"

"I do it all the time." He grinned back. "Masa's used to it by now."

"... Right." Hawks sighed as he looked at whatever message had come through. "Eh, my sidekicks can handle that." He shrugged as he pocketed the device. "So what do you want for dinner? I'll cook."

"You can cook?" Viridian raised an impressed eyebrow.

Hawks didn't dignify that with a response.

Sohere'sanewcomer,huh?Wonderwhat'sgoingtocomeofthis?:)

Viridian sighed as he looked over at his new 'roommate'. It'd been ten days since he'd gotten injured, and his wound was healing nicely, thanks to Hawks.

"I brought you some more food." Hawks said as he set down the bag of groceries. "Seriously, what the hell did you eat before I came along? You're skin and bones, and your fridge was empty."

"I was working on that issue... mostly."

"Right." Hawks didn't look convinced.

Viridian stared at him for a moment. For the last week or so, Hawks had been flitting in and out of his little compound, checking up on him and bringing him food and even sometimes cooking him meals. Sometimes they talked, other times they just sat there and enjoyed one another's company. It was so weird.

"What do you want?" Viridian finally asked. It'd been bugging him for the last few days. He'd expected... something but... so far, Hawks hadn't seemed to have told anyone about where he lived. Which was a good thing, because while the Musutafu PD liked him, that didn't mean the Hero Commission would think the same. Plus, there were other police forces that'd love to filet him (Tokyo PD came to mind).

"I don't really want anything from you... I suppose... I just want you to keep doing what you've been doing. You do good." Hawks finally answered after a moment. He held his cup of coffee with both hands as he stared at the quickly setting sun.

"Come again?"

"You're not like the other vigilantes. You genuinely want to help people. I think that's admirable. You're a hero in your own way. I just don't understand why you'd subject yourself to this." Hawks gestured to the mountains of trash surrounding them.

"You make it sound like I've got a choice." Viridian chuckled.

"Someone like you... why not become a legal hero?"

Viridian snorted. "You think I'd be here if that was an option right now?" He resolutely shoved away the memory of Eraserhead offering to sponsor him. It wasn't an option right now. It wasn't. Because everything was riding on him killing Shigaraki, and his best shot was U.A.

"I'd vouch for you, you know." Viridian stared at the hero.

"If I were to fail, or become a villain, your reputation would be in tatters."

"You're not that kind of man."

"You haven't even known me for a month, and you've never even seen my face. How can you possibly know the kind of man I am?" Viridian glared.

"I like to think I've got good instincts." Hawks smiled as he leaned back against the old repaired lawn chair before the fire. The light of the flames danced in his eyes, and Viridian sighed.

"I can't believe I'm doing this." He reached up and loosened his mask, causing Hawks' eyes to widen in surprise. "I can't take the hero exam." He pulled the mask off. "I'm only 15."

The Hero blinked in shock. He stared, open-mouthed at the child before him. "Now that is a shock." He laughed in disbelief. "The most elusive vigilante in Japan is a fifteen-year-old kid!"

"I'm going to try out for U.A.'s Hero Course in a few months." Izuku smiled, holding out a hand. "Midoriya Izuku."

Hawks smirked and took the proffered hand. "Takami Keigo. You can just call me Keigo."

"Then call me Izuku."

"So why's a kid living in a trash dump as a vigilante?" Keigo raised an eyebrow. "Because it was strange when I thought you were an adult, but it's downright worrisome knowing you're a kid."

"I'm not a kid!" Izuku protested with a glare. He faltered when Keigo raised an eyebrow. "Okay... maybe I am technically a kid, but..." He sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "I'm Quirkless, okay? If you know anything about how we're treated by society, then you won't need any further explanation."

Keigo stared at Izuku for a long moment, processing that the most wanted vigilante didn't even have a Quirk. "Damn, was so sure about that stealth-Quirk." He muttered before speaking up. "Why not stay with me, then?"

"I can't. It's too dangerous." Izuku protested immediately. "I've got a lot of very dangerous people after me, as Viridian, and if word got out about you helping a vigilante..."

"Like I care about that." Keigo rolled his eyes. "Look, Izuku. I'm a hero, first and foremost. Meaning I help people. And whether you admit it or not, you need some help."

Okay, this was obviously not working the way Izuku needed it to work. He had to stay as far under the radar as Izuku as possible until U.A. He couldn't risk anything blowing this shot. And as awesome as it'd be to live with Keigo, it'd only put the man in danger. He couldn't do that to the kid (because Keigo was a kid compared to Izuku's mental age).

"You're the number 3 hero, right?" Izuku asked suddenly, causing Keigo's brows to furrow in confusion.

"Yes..."

"Have you ever heard of a villain called All For One?"

Keigo stiffened, and his entire demeanor changed. No longer was he so carefree and light. "How the hell did you learn that name?"

"Come on, surely you know Viridian has an extensive information network? I have my ways." Izuku answered with a mysterious smirk before returning to the more serious topic. "I'm not after him, per se, but I am after his protégé—Shigaraki Tomura."

"Listen, Izuku... Vigilante or not, I can't let you go anywhere near All for One. You've no idea how dangerous he is."

"On the contrary, I know precisely how dangerous he is. It's why I can't risk staying with you. Once I'm on his radar, he'll use whatever means available to get to me. And people will notice if the #3 hero gets a new roommate."

"Izuku—"

"Please, Keigo." Izuku looked the hero in the eye. "Please. Just... Trust me. I know what I'm doing."

There was a long pause. The two held a staring contest to test the other's will. Finally, Keigo relented with a sigh. "I'm still going to bring you food and make sure you're not killing yourself with this stupid vigilante shit."

Izuku snorted. "Careful. You make it sound like I'm a friend."

"Well, maybe you are."

"Huh?"

"You don't have many friends, do you?"

"Uhhh... I don't think I've ever had friends." Izuku replied dumbly. Even Shouta and Hizashi were more like brothers than friends.

"Yeah, I haven't really had many, either." He shrugged. "Guess we're in the same boat, then. Here, gimme your phone."

"Why?"

"So I can add my number." He paused. "Oh wait, Stain trashed yours, didn't he?"

"Yeah, my vigilante phone is still out of commission, so you'll have to make due with my civilian phone." Izuku smirked, tossing it at the blond.

"You live in a dump, but own two phones?"

"Correction! I live in a dump, so I fixed two phones and hacked them to be untraceable and free." He grinned. "My vigilante phone is almost repaired, though. Finally found the stupid parts I needed."

"You're unbelievable." Keigo shook his head with a fond smile.

Izuku laid back against the sand to watch the stars blink into view. "Aren't your sidekicks worried? You've been disappearing over here a lot lately."

"Nah, they're used to me just up and vanishing for a bit. I'm pretty free-spirited."

"I'm going to go get ready for my patrol." Izuku decided, pushing himself up.

"I wish you'd wait another week."

"Nope~! Sorry, no-can-do. While Masa and Eraser know I'm not dead, I still need to let 'em know what happened. Besides, Naomasa and the team's probably worried sick over me."

"I swear, if you end up bleeding out in an alleyway somewhere again, I'm going to stop bringing you coffee."

"No! Not the coffee!" Izuku gasped.

"Go on, or they'll get more worried than they already are." Keigo shook his head fondly, and Izuku just shot him a grin as he tied on his mask.

"Have fun~ Don't burn down my place while I'm gone!"

"I won't." Keigo promised.

Allright!SoHawksandIzukuarenowgoodfriends!Idkexactlyhowthishappened,butitdidandI'msuperhappywithit.:)

"You've been missing for ten days." Shouta glared at Viridian the moment he came into view. He, Tsukauchi and his team, and Tsuragamae had been growing increasingly concerned—especially when the vigilante had promised to text them, and never did. He always texted them when he promised to.

The phone call Naomasa had received from the vigilante two days after hadn't done much to alleviate their worries.

The vigilante had been a constant face around the police department since their partnership, and he always met up with Shouta during the start of his patrol.

So when the man just dropped off the map without warning, they'd assumed the worst. They'd been searching just about every crevice they could find in an attempt to contact or track down the vigilante. The call had helped a bit, but not much, especially considering the fact that he wouldn't respond to any calls or messages thereafter.

"Sorry. I sort of got hurt, and needed some recovery time. My phone was trashed in the incident." Viridian scratched the back of his head sheepishly, and Shouta felt a spike of worry.

"How badly are we talking, here?"

"Er... I ran into the Hero Killer, Stain, and he may have left me bleeding out in an alleyway halfway across town with a busted phone."

Shouta felt himself pale. "Show me." If he'd run into the Hero Killer, then it was a miracle he was still alive. That guy hardly ever let people live without some kind of permanent damage.

"Wh-what?!" The vigilante took a step back in surprise.

"The injury. I am not going to let you patrol if you're still in bad shape. I don't let my coworkers die."

"Aww~ You do care." Viridian smirked, and Shouta narrowed his eyes. "Fine, fine." Viridian lifted the edge of his shirt to show white bandages. With a sigh, the vigilante carefully unwrapped the injury, revealing a rather nasty gash that was stitched up. "Happy, now?"

"Who did the stitches?" Shouta asked as he helped the man rewrap the injury—it'd only been ten days, after all. He couldn't help but notice several other scars on what little skin he could see.

"What is this, 20 Questions? I stitched myself up, like I always do." He huffed, and the hero sighed. No official medical treatment. Wonderful.

"Look, Viridian. You're part of our team, now. That means you can actually get legally treated at hospitals without worry of being arrested." Shouta pinched the bridge of his nose to stave off an oncoming headache, as Viridian lowered his shirt. "And if push comes to shove, then I'll even call Recovery Girl. You can't keep doing this."

"I'm more worried about being unmasked, than arrested." He muttered.

"What's so important about your identity that you'd nearly die protecting it?" Shouta's gaze narrowed. Whether he wanted to admit it or not, the Erasure Hero had become rather fond of the immature vigilante. He was easy to talk to, and while mysterious, he was honest. It was refreshing for Shouta, and he often didn't find people who appreciated his dry sense of humor.

"I'll tell you one day." Viridian promised. "But right now, if I told you who I was, it'd cause more harm than good..." He smirked. "Listen to your elders." He chuckled, like he'd made a joke.

"Elders?" Shouta raised an eyebrow.

"For all you know, I could be older than you."

"For the information you've given us, you could be younger, too." Though Shouta highly doubted that was the case. The man moved with far too much experience and his eyes held far too many years.

"The world may never know." He smirked. "I think that was a slogan for a candy at some point."

"Tootsie pops." Shouta grunted. Definitely older. "My great grandfather loved those things."

"At any rate, since we're working together now, I thought it'd be nice to patrol with you, instead of making you run around after me."

"How thoughtful of you." Shouta twitched. "Let me inform the other two about your situation, though."

"Have you all been worried about me?"

"If we have, I wouldn't admit it."

He fished out his phone, the black case fitting nicely in his hand.

Eraserhead added Tsuragamae to Chaos Unlimited Group Chat

Eraserhead: I found Viridian. He's okay.

DetectiveHolmes: Thank god! How is he?! Is he hurt?!

Tsuragamae: I'm glad to know he's okay.

Eraserhead: Aww~ You guys do care about me! :D

Eraserhead: He's not hurt too badly, But if he steals my phone again, he might be...

DetectiveHolmes: So what happened?

Eraserhead: He ran into Stain, the Hero Killer. He's recovering nicely, but we'll be patrolling together until he's fully healed. It's a self-treated wound, but the stitches are passable.

Tsuragamae: Stain? Hand the phone to Viridian. I need information.

Eraserhead: Hold on, he's fiddling with a... flip phone? I thought those died out centuries ago?

ViridianChaos: HA! I FIWED IT!!

ViridianChaos: Wait... fiwed. Wwwwwwww DAMNIT, NOOOOO!! THE W KEW IS BROKEN!! TAT

DetectiveHolmes: Looks like it works just fine to me?

Eraserhead: He means the 'wxyz' key. It's a flip phone, so he can't type 'x' 'y' or 'z'. It comes out as a 'w'.

"Seriously, why do you have a flip phone? I didn't even know those still existed." Shouta stared at the small grayish device in the vigilante's hand. It looked like it'd seen better days, and even had welding marks on the back.

"Because they're durable as hell, and untraceable. Besides, it's what I found in the trash, so it was free—I'm not complaining."

"You got your phone from the trash? Why?" Shouta blinked. Was he one of those weirdoes who went dumpster diving to find 'useful' items? Strange.

"Oh shush. You're just jealous because I don't have a phone bill."

"I assure you, Viridian. I am not jealous."

ViridianChaos: He's totallw jealous that I can fiw up my phone and not paw a phone bill.

Eraserhead: Would you just let it drop?

ViridianChaos: ;) Nope.

DetectiveHolmes: I'm lost.

Eraserhead: Good.

ViridianChaos: We're all lost to the darkest corners of our deepest fears, lest we learn to stand and fight in our most desperate hour.

DetectiveHolmes: That was... surprisingly deep?

ViridianChaos: An old friend told me that once. I think he was drunk.

Shouta sighed. "Are we going to patrol or not?"

ViridianChaos: Gotta go patrol, now~! Oh! And that info on Stain. He's got some prettw serious ideals, so I'll tell wou about that in person, but I didn't reallw get a good gauge on his Quirk. He definitelw has one, though. It's got something to do with paralwsis—I didn't see what he did (he's so fast!!) but I found mwself unable to move for a short period of time. I recommend that nobodw patrol alone until we're sure he's left town.

ViridianChaos: Fuck, I hate the fact that this stupid kew is broken. :/

Tsuragamae: Noted. I'll put out the word for the Heroes. Thank you, Viridian. And I'm glad you're still with us.

DetectiveHolmes: Seriously, first you got shot (twice!!) and now you've gotten yourself stabbed by a man who's known for murdering heroes. I'm starting to think that maybe you're a trouble magnet.

ViridianChaos: Mawbe I am? That would ewplain a few things...

Tsuragamae: Viridian, your penchant for finding trouble is both invaluable and dangerous. For this reason, I'm going to ask Eraserhead to stick by you as often as possible.

Eraserhead: I'll make no promises—he's pretty damn slippery when he wants to be.

"You're just peeved because you couldn't catch me." Viridian smirked.

"Either way, we'll be working together a lot from this point forward." Shouta huffed, though he was actually rather pleased. It would put his mind at ease to be able to keep an eye on the vigilante during patrols.

Viridian went to put his phone back in his pocket, but a nearby pigeon nearly clipped his ear, causing the man to drop his mobile device.

"Fucking bird." He muttered as he bent down to pick it up. A small slip of paper fell out from one of his many hidden pockets.

"Hm?" Shouta picked up the paper that had landed by his feet. It looked like a business card. It was made of good quality paper and was black with silver letters.

'Chisaki Kai' Shouta paled.

"Viridian, where did you get this card?" The vigilante looked up, puzzled as he held out his hand for said card.

"Oh, Overhaul gave it to me when I met him a few months back. During that Quirk-destroying drug bust." He replied nonchalantly.

"Have you any idea how dangerous this man is?"

"I know quite well, which is why I played nice and took the business card. He offered me a position working for him, and when I politely declined, he instead offered me a partnership should I ever want it. Of course, I'm not stupid enough to dip my toes into that kind of web. I know my limits, thanks."

"Well, at least you know that much."

Shouta let the topic drop thereafter. He'd bring it up to Tsuragamae and Tsukauchi later, but for now, they had a patrol to do. And if he was being honest, the Erasure Hero was interested to see how the infamous Viridian worked. He always found trouble before the other heroes, and nobody's ever actually seen him in action. Most of the work he's been doing with Tsukauchi has been information gathering and whatnot. Nobody's actually seen him fight yet. The image of the vigilante flitting across the beams of that warehouse like a living shadow came to his mind.

"You comin' or what?" Viridian asked as he turned away from Shouta's route.

"The patrol ring is this way."

"Nuh uh. If you're gunna make me stay with you on patrol, then we're taking my patrol route, not yours."

"Why do I feel like I'm going to regret this?"

"Because you've never patrolled here." Viridian was smirking, Shouta knew it. But the other man's words confused him. Shouta had patrolled over nearly all of Musutafu and the surrounding territories. The only place he wasn't able to consistently patrol was...

"You don't mean the South Side?!" His eyes widened.

"What, is the brave Pro Hero afraid of a little ghost town?" The vigilante teased.

"I just don't see how patrolling that area is logical." Shouta twitched. "It's very poor, and there isn't much crime. The few times I have patrolled there have turned up nothing. Sometimes I doubt there are even people there."

"Oh, believe me—there are." There was a strange gleam to Viridian's eyes. "I patrol the South Side regularly. That's why you never see any crime. I stop it before it starts. It's actually quite a nasty piece of Musutafu—no other heroes bother with it, so people typically do as they please."

Shouta sighed as he made to follow after the vigilante. Today is going to be a long shift.

Anotherline,timeforourChatRoom~!:D

{Cult of Viridian Chat}

[GayAFanimeBoi is Online]

GayAFanimeBoi: Hey, has anyone seen Viridian lately? He's been MIA for a couple of weeks...

MoldiBroccli: I've been worried, too.

DragoninaDress: I'm sure he's fine.

Noiscardily: Rumors say that he got hurt and is recovering.

Ihavenoname: I saw him out on patrol again, he's fine. He's patrolling with Eraserhead, though.

DragoninaDress: With who?

GayAFanimeBoi: I think he's some underground hero.

Noiscardily: Eraserhead is a top ranked Underground Pro Hero. He's from Musutafu. Nobody really knows much about him because he's very private and hates the press. I've heard rumors that he's good with vigilantes, so that may be why he's with Viridian.

GayAFanimeBoi: I'm just glad Viridian's okay. :) I was really worried.

Barbieisawhore: My dad's a cop. I overheard something about Viridian being attacked by Stain. Idk if it's true, but if it is, then I'm glad he's all right.

TheCakeisaLie: You mean the HERO KILLER?! 0.0

Barbieisawhore: That's just what I've heard. Idk if it's tru tho.

GayAFanimeBoi: I'm gonna go, guys. My bro's gotta head to bed early for a test tomorrow—he's aiming for U.A.! Wish him luck!

DragoninaDress: Isn't the Entrance Exam next month?

GayAFanimeBoi: Yeah. He's working really hard to get in. I know he can do it!! He's so cool!

TheCakeisaLie: I wish him luck, then.

[Deku is online]

GayAFanimeBoi: New person?

TheCakeisaLie: Welcome back, Deku. Haven't seen you on here in a while.

Deku: Ah, I guess it has been a year or so, hasn't it?

Noiscardily: Deku's been part of this chatroom for years. He's a huge hero fan, and knows just about everything about all of them. Though he vanished suddenly about nine months ago...

Barbieisawhore: Were you pregnant?!

Deku: Wha?! No, I'm a guy!! >_<

TheCakeisaLie: So your girlfriend, then?

Deku: Bold of you to assume I could land a girlfriend. I could be gay for all you know.

Demonic-Gay-Microwave: 0_0 that wasn't a no

Deku: Bullying at school got really bad, and I've been through some serious life-changes. But anyways, I just wanted to check in and let you guys know that I'm still alive (I think) and still kicking (ass).

GayAFanimeBoi: Have you heard about Viridian?!

DragoninaDress: Who hasn't heard about Viridian.

MoldiBroccli: Well... I mean, we've kinda re-done the chat a bit so...

Deku: ............... Why is the chat named 'Cult of Viridian'? 0_o

MoldiBroccli: Because Viridian's the best hero ever, and he will prevail!

Deku: ... Okay, then. Uh... you all won't see me on much. I'm also trying for U.A. Wish me luck!

GayAFanimeBoi: Oh!! If you see my bro, say hi! He's got spiky red hair (just dyed it) and a shark-toothed smile. You can't miss 'em!

Deku: Will do. :) Tell him to look out for a plain kid with freckles and green hair.

Noiscardily: Red and green, you two will be like a walking Christmas ad.

Deku: I'm logging out, now. Bye~!

[Deku has logged out]

Izuku stared at the computer screen as Keigo chuckled behind him. "Oh, that's great! They idolize you!"

"I... really hadn't expected that at all." He opened a new tab and started typing in his vigilante name. He couldn't be that popular, right?

Wrong. Oh, he was so wrong. Keigo was busting his gut laughing so hard.

"You really have no idea, do you?! People love you, Izu! When you go pro, you'll already have a following."

"I think I should be scared."

"Oh, no." Keigo grinned. "Be terrified."