An Unexpected Lunch

"Hurry, we have to follow that boy!" Nezu scrambled up onto Aizawa's shoulder.

"I got it." Aizawa grumbled. He adjusted his scarf to make a more comfortable position for the principal.

Aizawa ran towards the alleyway the boy had disappeared into. The boy was already at the end of the alley when Aizawa reached the entrance. "He sure moves fast for a kid."

"We can't lose him!" Nezu said.

Aizawa nodded and picked up his pace.

---

I had felt two pair of eyes land on me the moment I revealed my Quirk. How troublesome, but there isn't anything I can do about it. I dashed through the dark alleyway. At the same time, I took off my white jacket, flipped it inside out, and put the black side back on. I put on my hood and quickened my footsteps.

I needed to shake the two off. I listened for my pursuers as I rounded the corner.

Strange. I only hear one set of footsteps, but there are two different breaths. A movement Quirk perhaps?

I continued to weave through the crowd on the street. Thankfully, it was lunch time, so there were plenty of people on the sidewalks. I ducked my head down and slipped into the crowd.

I crossed the street and took a right. Running into another alleyway, I wondered why the people were following me. Clearly, they weren't amateurs, or else I would have lost them by now.

Exiting the alley, I made for my destination: the park. Since shaking them off without using my Quirk wasn't working, I needed to prepare for a head-on confrontation. My Quirk worked best in open spaces, so I surveyed my surroundings. A clearing in the park, no civilians nearby, dense enough trees for cover if I needed to make a escape. Perfect.

I jumped up and used the momentum to land on a low-hanging branch of a tree. Then, I waited for my followers to show themselves.

---

"Did we lose him?" Nezu asked Aizawa as they burst into the clearing.

"No. That's not possible. I wasn't that far behind the boy to lose him. He must be hiding close by."

Nezu hopped down from Aizawa's shoulder. "Well, I suppose two strangers following a child doesn't make the best first impressions."

"Mmm." Aizawa agreed, scanning his eyes around the area for the boy.

The two heard a young voice rang out from around them. "You know, if I haven't recognized you from TV, I would have been long gone already."

Rey dropped down from the tree and landed behind the duo. Aizawa immediately spun around and took a fighting stance. Rey glanced at Aizawa, unfazed.

"Hello! I'm Nezu, the one who could be a dog or a mouse or a bear, but more importantly... I'm the principal of UA!" Nezu introduced himself. "This is Shota Aizawa, my fellow colleague and teacher at UA."

Rey's gaze landed on Nezu, moved over to Aizawa, and drifted over to the scarf floating around Aizawa. He nodded politely in greeting. "I'm Rey. Nice to meet you, Mr. Nezu and Mr. Aizawa."

"Nice to meet you too, Rey!" Nezu said with his signature smile. Aizawa gave a nod in reply.

"I saw your battle with the two villains just a while ago. You did amazing, I must say. You successfully neutralized all the threats in the most efficient matter with your Quirk, helped the wounded, and made sure the villains could be handed over to the police. Not many of the students of UA could that as swiftly as you!" Nezu complimented the boy.

"Thank you, Mr. Nezu." Rey replied politely. "But, I'm sure you're not here to give me compliments. What do you want from me?"

"Oh! You are quite correct, Rey. I'm indeed not here just to compliment you, but it is getting close to lunch time. How about you join us for lunch? I know a good ramen place nearby. It will be my treat!"

Rey looked at the principal, contemplating his offer. He looked at Aizawa, but he couldn't read his expression.

"Alright. I suppose it would be impolite to turn down such an invitation."