Aizawa Shouta was not unfamiliar with problem children, so it was no surprise to him when Nemuri came knocking at his door with you trailing behind her.
“Hey Eraser, can I ask you a favor?” she grinned as his eyes narrowed, staring holes straight into you.
“I don’t know Midnight, I’ve ended up at UA grading papers because of the last favor you asked of me” Shouta replied, lazily blinking his attention away.
Two years ago…..
“Come on Eraser, think of it as a favor to me!” Nemuri begged Shouta for the fourth time that week, perched atop a tall building where they were staking out the warehouse opposite.
The Hero Public Safety Commission had called on both Shouta and Midnight to spy on, and if required stop, a crime syndicate that seemed to be clanking around at odd hours of the night inside of that warehouse. After enough missing persons cases, occasional screams and heaping noise complaints from the elderly folk around, the HPSC had no choice but to investigate. Given that no one knew of the quirks of these villains, they decided to play it safe and involve Shouta.
“I’m not interested in teaching at UA, Midnight. Too many” Shouta sighed, looking for a kinder word than neanderthalls, “problem children running around playing hero.”
Underground hero work suited Shouta. Working in the shadows aligned with his skillset, he was particularly efficient in the way he captured villains in the dark. A simple erasure of quirks and quite immobilization of his enemy with his binding cloth usually did the job.
Now, standing here, enjoying the lingering chill in the spring air at an ungodly hour of night, he truly appreciates his choices in life. No limelight, no press and no taxing social interactions.
Well, occasional taxing social interactions.
“Mic starts this term you know, wouldn’t it be great to work together again? Just like in high school?” Ms Midnight presses on.
“If you can stop him from raving up every high school graduation, I’ll think about it” Shouta scoffs, catching movement from the corner of his eye.
A middle school student is approaching the building they’ve been monitoring, looking exactly like one of those children Shouta is so desperate to avoid, someone who looks like they want to help, regardless of the consequences to themselves.
“Honestly I don’t think Nedzu would mind-” Midnight starts but Shouta cuts her off.
“What is she doing there?”
Before Nemuri can respond, Shouta is swinging to action, apprehending the villains that have intercepted the girl and are rapidly getting angrier. One with rocks covering all of him is cornering her into the alley next to the building.
“Think you can stop us all by your lonesome, little girl? Want to be a hero, do you? Pretty little girls like you need a strong man like me to fight your battles” the villain croons.
“No, stop it! This is an elderly neighbourhood, you can’t keep making a ruckus at this time of night.” she rambles, trembling but holding her ground. “They haven't been getting any sleep, and they really need that, you know, it's really not healthy to skip sleep that many nights in a row. In fact I’m sure you’re not doing too well either, not getting any sleep. Look at those ginormous eyebags! Is it because you have insomnia? You know my nana makes this amazing herbal tea, it puts me right to sleep. If you agree to not making so much noise anymore, I can maybe bring you some? I’m sure she won’t mind-”
“Shut up! Herbal tea? I don’t need your nanas stupid tea. I’m about to teach you a lesson on prancing about, all alone at night.” the villain hisses, reaching an ominous hand towards the girl.
“Yes, yes, enough out of you,” Shouta mutters, landing harshly on top of the villain, “both of you”. He dismisses the girl entirely in favor of binding the villain while erasing the quirk of another nearby.
“Go home! This is no time to be wandering around” Numuri yells while putting the rest of the perpetrators to sleep.
The girl flinches.
“I’m -”, she hiccups, holding back tears, “I’m sorry, Midnight, I just wanted to help. But thank you” the girl says, already turning around to run home, but stops midway, “and thanks for saving me Mr Eraserhead, sir”. With that she jogs away, hopefully heading home.
Knocking the villain in his grasp out, Shouta turns to the receding figure and grouses “and you want me to teach someone like that?”
“That is exactly the kind of person I want you to teach,” Nemuri replies. She holds his eyes with an intensely serious expression. “People like her are going to throw themselves in danger regardless of if they’re prepared or not. You can teach them how to get out of these situations with their lives.”
Shouta thinks back to a different building but a familiar set of trembling fingers grasping the same ideals. A boy with pale hair that tried to help innocents and got himself killed in the process.
“Maybe.”
“I’m sure it’ll be nothing like that all, isn't that right?” Midnight drawls, pushing you further into the room. “We were actually hoping you could help us out with some training ?”
Shouta raises an eyebrow, moving his attention back to you. “With training what?” he questions.
“Me” you interrupt. “Mr Eraserserhead, sir”. Midnight nudges you. “I mean Aizawa sensei”.
“And what exactly would you like me to train you in, problem child?” Shouta questions.
“Expanding my attack range, sensei. Ms Midnight mentioned you had some experience with quirks similar to mine, teleportation.” At this Shouta’s eyes widen and then glare at Nemuri. “I can usually visualize the object or person I want to go to and take myself, or whoever I’m holding, to it but my range is very small in stressful situations. Sometimes I can’t escape the danger zone, and obviously that isn’t the best, considering -”
“I’m sorry, I don’t think I’ll be of any use to you” Shouta responds before you can finish, turning back to his pile of papers to grade.
“Come on, Shouta. You trained for this with Shirakumo - ” Nemuri protests.
“I can’t help her!” Shouta snaps.
Sensing the deteriorating situation you rush to say, “that’s okay! You’re busy, right? Of course you’re busy. I’m sorry for disturbing you. Please forget about this and have a nice day!”
With this you sprint back to class, face a little hot from embarrassment.
“You’re going to have to work through this at some point you know, or it will start hindering more than just your life.” Nemuri sighs, leaving him with that lingering thought.
Shouta inhales sharply, contemplating her words. He just - doesn’t have time for this. But if his inaction weighs on him and he slouches a little further, it’s no one's business but his.
