A new day approached for Eri and myself, and as she had asked last night, we started making our way to U.A. High. I thought it would be the best place for her to meet the heroes, Midoriya and Togata.
It didn't take long for us to reach the school, with Eri sitting on my shoulders. 'How do I get around the security?' Then I remembered that a mustache villain once used a forest to get close to the school. 'What was his name again?' I shrugged, then spoke to Eri. "We'll go through a forest. You okay with that?" I looked up to see her give me a nervous nod. I followed a path that would hopefully lead us there.
A couple of hours later, we were officially at the start of the forest. Walking through it felt nice, peaceful even. 'I should do this more often.' It didn't take long for me to sense other signatures, all fairly weak, which meant we were close to either a class or an ambush. 'Wouldn't be surprised if Hound Dog found me.' But nothing happened the further we walked. Eri was busy looking at the different sights from atop my shoulders. "Having fun, Eri?" She froze, then gave a small nod. "We're almost there. Is there a hero you'd like to see?" I had a feeling I knew the answer, but still asked her.
"U-uhm, there was one in g-green, and one w-with a red cape. C-can we see them?"
I nodded. "We'll see the green one first, yeah?" I got another small nod in response. The closer we got to the weak signatures, the more I recognized one, Izuku Midoriya. I remembered the calming aura he had.
We soon spotted a building beyond the forest, which I recognized as the dorms. 'How am I going to do this without it turning into a fight?' I really wanted this to go peacefully. 'Maybe I should've talk to Nezu first.' But that wouldn't be necessary, as I felt several signatures approaching. Turning slightly, I saw them. Hound Dog, Midnight, Eraser Head, Present Mic, and Nezu, who was perched on Eraser's shoulder. I felt Eri tense up at the sight.
Remaining calm, I waited as Nezu spoke. "I do wonder what a wanted person is doing here. Care to enlighten me, Sasaki-san?" 'Considering I brought Eri here, I wouldn't be surprised if he knew why.' The other heroes spread out slightly, closing off escape routes.
"I thought our disguise was perfect." I took off the cap I was wearing and tossed it aside. "But to answer your question, which I'm sure you already know, I'm here to let Eri meet a hero."
I saw slightly surprised expressions on their faces and felt Eri grip me tighter. "Oh? And who would that be?" Nezu asked.
I stared directly at Eraser Head. "Deku and Lemillion."
Eraser tried to hide a twitch at the mention of Midoriya's hero name. Nezu chuckled slightly. "And why would we let you get close to a student, considering what you've done so far?"
I hummed as I noticed Midnight inching closer. "I offered Eri some options." I felt Eri twitch again. "She could either stay with me, or go with some heroes. We spent a day together, and now she wants to see the heroes."
I could hear Midnight slowly ripping her suit, preparing to use her quirk. "You've probably heard this before in your career Midnight, but your quirk won't work on me. Neither will Eraser's."
She stopped moving and looked at Nezu, who shook his head. Then Nezu spoke. "Do you plan on doing anything to the students?"
I tilted my head. "As far as I'm aware, no. I'm quite enjoying not needing to fight."
I couldn't tell if Nezu was pleased with my answer or not, but then he said. "Very well. Midnight and Eraser Head will be watching over you while you and Eri meet with the two young heroes. But be warned, I'm always watching."
We walked in silence. Eri was nervous, gripping me tightly around the neck. Midnight was watching me with subtle interest, while Eraser Head glared at me like I'd just kicked his cat. We were heading toward one of the gyms, and the tension was growing.
Eventually, Midnight broke the silence. "Why blonde?" Her question was likely meant to calm Eri, who seemed more anxious by the minute. I could feel her quirk starting to bubble up. 'How did I forget about that?'
I turned to Midnight. "Didn't really know what color to pick. You think I did a good job?" I tilted my head toward her.
"Looks pretty good, but you could touch up the tips," she replied with a casual shrug.
I hummed in response, tilting my head back. "Yeah, maybe."
I glanced up at Eri. She was still clinging to me tightly, her nerves clearly getting the better of her. "Don't be nervous, Eri. You'll meet the green hero and red-caped hero soon."
She didn't respond, just held on tighter as the gym came into view.
I set Eri down as we entered, following behind her with the heroes close behind me. We were greeted by a few familiar faces. Nezu, Recovery Girl, and All Might. 'He gives off Heracles vibes for some reason.' And then there were the two we came to see, Midoriya and Togata.
Eri glanced at me, uncertain, and I gave her a reassuring nod. I watched as she nervously waddled over to them, forming a small group of three while the rest of us stood back, observing in silence.
It wasn't long before All Might spoke, breaking the stillness. "Why did you kill them?" His question was simple but heavy.
I hummed, considering my response while still watching the quiet reunion in front of me. "The first group died because I needed information. The others? I didn't want to waste time."
Frowns appeared all around, except for Nezu, who remained unreadable, as always.
"That's no excuse for killing, Young Sasaki." All Might said sternly.
I nodded. "You're right, it's not. I'm not the judge." He didn't expect that answer, I could see it in his face.
"I'm not above the law." I continued. "When the time comes for someone to bring me down for "justice" for the things I've done, I'll fight back. But that time hasn't come yet."
All Might frowned deeper, turning his attention to the group of three. Nezu was the next to speak. "If Eri chooses to stay with the heroes, will you interfere?"
I shook my head. "No. I'll leave, hopefully without causing any trouble."
He hummed thoughtfully. "Very well. No one will act against you, so long as you leave Japan."
Midnight broke the silence that followed. "Do you think she'll stay with us?"
No one had an answer.
We continued watching the tearful, emotional reunion between Eri, Midoriya, and Togata. After a while, I turned to Nezu with a question that had been bothering me. "Why did you allow us to meet your students? Aren't you usually protective of them?"
He chuckled lightly. "Sometimes, you need to take a leap of faith, even when you don't know where you'll land."
I hummed in response.
Finally, the three of them. Eri, Midoriya, and Togata approached us. Both young heroes looked at me intently, probably confused as to why I wasn't behind bars already.
I knelt down to Eri's level as she stood in front of me. "Have you made your choice?"
There was silence as we all waited, giving her time to gather her thoughts. Then, in her small shy voice, she finally answered.