Chapter Text
“I don't remember her face. I don’t think I know her name either ”
Truth.
“I met him a couple of blocks away. He was crying, and I asked him what was wrong.”
Truth.
“We went looking for his mom, but couldn't find her. He said she looks just like him, just a darker shade of hair. It felt as if we searched through the whole town. But, uh, we didn't succeed.”
Truth.
“Do you need help?” He asked as he approached the crying boy sitting on the pavement. The boy’s head whipped around, purple hair swaying. The boy focused his gaze on the other’s face, then sliding down to his tattered school uniform.
The boy's eyes were red, still wet with tears, with deep eye bags underneath them. His face was sore and irritated from the amount of scrubbing. It also had some weirdly shaped scars, he had no idea where they could have come from.
“Y-yeah… I don't know where I am or where my mom is.” The boy sobs and tears flood his face once again, “I just want my mom.” He cries. He was all dressed in black, baggy clothing, more resembling a dress that hid his figure, not fitting clothes that someone his age would normally wear. The boy had no shoes or socks on him. Now this was strange.
“My name is Shinsou Hitoshi.”
Truth.
“My name is Midoriya Izuku.”
Truth.
“Alright,” Tsukauchi concluded. He stretches his back and looks at his colleague, “Further investigation is required. Shinsou-kun was abandoned by his mother, who we have zero knowledge about, aside from her hair colour. He has clear muzzle scars and other wounds all over his body. And no father was mentioned. From Shinsou’s words, he and his mom are new to the city and they got lost. Shinsou’s mom went looking for directions, leaving him behind, never to be seen again.”
“Uh-huh, what a responsible thing to do,” Eraserhead hums. He scratches his stubble, looking unbothered, “You want me to find his mother.”
“Well, she couldn't have vanished into the thin air.” He gave a one-page file to Eraserhead. “I'll keep you updated.”
“Sure you will.” He grumbles in response, collecting the thin file. “I'll talk to the boy who found Shinsou, just in case.” Eraserhead turns back around towards the interrogation room.
“Ah,” Tsukauchi stops him, “forgot to tell you something.” Tsukauchi’s quick to open the file in Eraser’s hands. Eraserhead raises his eyebrow.
‘Shinsou Hitoshi’ never existed in the first place. There was no record to begin with.’ It read. Tsukauchi didn’t say it outloud, as if he was afraid of Shinsou overhearing. Shinsou’s still sitting in the interrogation room, looking around, sometimes staring at the one-way mirror. His leg is shaking, and since his arms are still on the table, it shakes, too.
Eraserhead went into the second interrogation room, where Midoriya still sat.
Midoriya Inko, the boy's mother, sat next to her son, on one side of the table, Eraserhead sat on the opposite. Eraserhead pulled out his wallet and then his license. He slid the card across the table. Midoriya-san gently took the card and read, Midoriya-kun was looking over her shoulder, eyes wide. Eraserhead assumed that it was the first time he had ever seen a hero license, given his reaction.
Aizawa Shouta
Pro-hero Eraserhead
She slides the card back to him.
Aizawa-san was asking him the same things Tsukauchi-san asked him before, which was annoying and a waste of time, in Izuku’s opinion. He and his mother were free to go after Izuku gave the same answers he gave to Tsukauchi-san. His mom’s holding his hand, her brows furrowed.
“Izuku,” His mom starts, voice trembling. She grips his hand harder, pulling him closer to her. She’s scared, Izuku concluded, scared and Izuku doesn’t know why. “Izuku,” now it sounded more desperate. “I will never, never, abandon you, you hear?” Tears are now streaming down her face. Ah. So that’s why. The situation took a toll on her.
“I know.” Is all he tells her. Simply because it’s true.
They continue the walk home in complete silence, because no words need to be shared. Izuku’s mom holds his hand the whole way.
Now at home, Izuku sits in front of his computer, staring at the black of the screen for far longer than he should. Izuku shakes his head and pushes the ‘on’ button on the computer under his desk. His set up is not expensive, nor is it a cheap one. It serves its purpose of aiding him with his research well, so Izuku sees no point in complaining. He has never been one to play games anyway.
The computer boots up, slowly, taking its time. Izuku types in the password and then opens a browser.
‘Eraserhead’ He types in the search box. It’s a hero he has never heard of. The rest of the internet, at the first glance, hasn’t heard of him either, apparently.
Izuku scrolls through all of the links and sites he finds. He stumbles upon an old forum, still full of discussions. While the post the discussion is under is a couple of years old, the latest reply has only been there for a couple of days.
Aizawa.S writes:
Delete this immediately.
Written eloquently and with no further explanation. It is written by Eraserhead himself, his brain supplies. He had taken a quick glance at the license, while he hadn’t remembered the identification number, he did remember the name.
He clicked the name and was transferred to Aizawa.S’ page on the forum. His page was filled with replies of similar demand. Izuku clicks one of the oldest replies. It leads to a video of two heroes, at least that’s what Izuku thinks, fighting each other. One of the heroes is Eraserhead, obviously, the other one is a complete mystery. Again.
Izuku scrolls through the comments. They all have similar questions.
Who is the one in a blue suit? I know Eraserhead, is the other one new or something?
> these goggles remind me of someone, i dont remember the name tho
>> Shame.
> the other one is not a hero, they are a vigilante. They saved my mom a while ago.
Izuku’s breath is taken away. A vigilante. He knows that they exist, logically, but he has never given it any deeper thought.
“A vigilante.” As it turns out, that word leaves a nice taste on his tongue as he says it.
A vigilante.
Izuku can’t contain his excitement. He has had an epiphany, for the first time in a while. A vigilante , that’s what he’ll be. Besides, he saved someone today already, which is a great start.
Today is a great day.
Today is the day someone else entirely disappeared and was then reborn completely.