As the sun was beginning to set, Izuku returned to the dorms where many of his classmates were either coming back from their work studies or resting after a full day of training. Walking through the front door, he smiled and waved. "Hey guys, how's it going?" Some of them simply raised a hand since they were too exhausted to do much else, while others greeted him normally. Ida looked over and asked how his day had gone, and Izuku shrugged. "It was pretty good. I'm actually just here to take a quick shower, grab something to eat, and then I'll be heading out again."
Diana tilted her head curiously. "You're leaving again this late?" Izuku nodded and explained, "The American branch of the HPSC is giving me a license to work in the United States. It's going to be a huge public event, so I'll be in America for a few hours before coming back for class tomorrow." Uraraka blinked at him before laughing. "Only you could make going to the other side of the world sound like you're just running to the store for a snack." The room erupted into laughter at that.
Izuku then looked over at Momo, who was preparing food in the kitchen. "Hey, could you make me something to eat?" Momo nodded with a small smile. "Only if you bring me something back from the States." Raising an eyebrow, Izuku asked what she wanted, and Momo immediately answered, "I want the legendary pastrami and corned beef sandwich from Kat'z Delicatessen in New York." Izuku laughed. "I'll be in L.A. for the ceremony, but I can fly there afterward. When you wake up tomorrow, it'll be waiting for you on the kitchen island."
About twenty minutes later, Izuku returned after showering, quickly ate the food Momo had prepared, and started heading toward the door. As he passed through the common room, he noticed all the girls subtly looking toward Diana while motioning for her to go after him. Confused, Izuku continued outside and walked down the path leading away from the dorms. He was just about to take off when he heard Diana call out, "Wait!"
As Izuku turned around, he noticed the girls crowded together behind the dorm windows trying—and failing—to hide themselves. Diana finally reached him and looked a little nervous. "I know we haven't had a lot of time to get to know each other, and I'm thankful you've kept Themyscira a secret. But seeing everything you do... helping people simply because you want to... it makes me want to fight beside you." She brushed a strand of hair behind her ear before continuing, "So... I was wondering if maybe you'd like to do something together when you have some free time?"
Izuku blinked for a moment before smiling. "Sure thing, Diana. And don't worry, I'll take that secret to the grave." Diana's face softened into a smile as she stepped closer. Standing on her tiptoes, she gently kissed him on the cheek. "I'll be watching the event on the news," she said before turning around and walking back toward the dorms.
The entire dorm shook slightly as a thunderous sonic boom echoed across the sky, instantly telling everyone that Izuku had taken off. Several students wandered over to the windows and stared at the fading streak of red and blue disappearing into the distance. Inside the girls' group, Diana quietly smiled to herself while trying very hard to ignore all the teasing directed at her.
Izuku knew it was only around four in the morning in the States and that the event wasn't scheduled until ten, so he spent the next five hours patrolling Musutafu. It turned out to be a fairly slow night, mostly involving small-time criminals and minor incidents. Along the way he also helped a few heroes on patrol, and at one point even stopped to help a man change a flat tire.
Around one in the morning, Izuku finally took off toward America. The trip only took him about an hour, and soon the western coast came into view beneath him. As he flew closer, he spotted fishing boats out on the ocean and surfers already riding the waves near the shore. Despite his speed, he slowed down slightly, taking a moment to appreciate the view.
Once he reached Los Angeles, Izuku pulled out his phone and searched for the American HPSC headquarters before flying toward it. As soon as he landed and walked into the building, several people immediately recognized him and whispered among themselves. Reaching the front desk, Izuku smiled politely and asked the receptionist how her day was going before explaining why he was there.
She led him through the building and into a conference room where the president of the American branch of the HPSC soon entered and greeted him with a handshake. "Midoriya, it's a pleasure to finally meet you," he said with a smile before explaining the schedule. "I'll begin with a speech, and at the end you'll walk out onto the stage. We'll shake hands, you'll wave to the crowd, I'll present your American hero license, and then we'll take a few pictures together."
By the time the event officially began, the area outside the American HPSC headquarters was packed with reporters, civilians, and local heroes. Massive screens had been set up around the stage while helicopters hovered overhead broadcasting the event live across the country. Nearly every major American news station was present, all eagerly talking about Japan's rising hero, Superman.
As the president of the American HPSC walked onto the stage, the crowd erupted into applause. Behind him, giant screens began playing footage of Superman's heroics. Clips from Kamino Ward showed Izuku carrying civilians out of collapsing buildings at impossible speeds, while another video displayed the burning oil rig incident where he had frozen the flames with his cold breath before rescuing the trapped workers. The crowd watched calmly, many already familiar with the footage from international broadcasts and social media clips that had spread around the world weeks ago.
"Today," the president began, his voice echoing across the plaza, "we welcome a hero who has already inspired millions across the globe. A young man whose actions have repeatedly demonstrated courage, restraint, and selflessness. Though he originates from Japan, his actions have proven that heroism transcends borders." He paused dramatically before smiling. "It is my honor to officially welcome Superman."
The moment Izuku stepped onto the stage, cameras immediately began flashing from every direction. Dressed in his hero costume, with his cape gently moving in the breeze, he waved awkwardly to the crowd while trying not to look overwhelmed by the sheer number of people staring at him. The president shook his hand firmly before holding up the newly issued American hero license for the cameras to see.
The applause grew louder as reporters rapidly shouted questions from below the stage. Some asked if he planned to patrol in America regularly, while others questioned how quickly he could respond to disasters across the country. A few local heroes standing nearby watched him carefully, curious about the young hero whose reputation had spread across the world so quickly.
Izuku gave a nervous smile as microphones were pushed toward him. "I'm really honored to be here," he said honestly. "I don't really care where someone is from. If people need help, then I want to help them. That's all there is to it." His simple answer caused parts of the crowd to cheer loudly while several reporters immediately started scribbling notes down.
After the event, Izuku stayed around for a while speaking with a few American heroes and reporters before finally heading toward New York to pick up the sandwiches Momo wanted. As he flew past the Brooklyn Bridge, a massive section of the bridge suddenly began collapsing toward the water below after an attack by a group of villains. Civilians screamed in panic as cars started sliding toward the opening.
Without hesitation, Izuku shot downward in a blur of red and blue and positioned himself beneath the falling chunk of bridge. Muscles straining slightly, he pushed the massive section back into place before using his heat vision to weld the damaged supports together. The repairs were temporary at best, but it would hold long enough for the city to properly fix it. By the time he finished, several local heroes had already captured the villains responsible. Izuku explained what he had done and warned them that engineers would still need to inspect the structure immediately.
After that, he finally made it to Katz's Delicatessen and waited in line like everyone else. A few people recognized him from the news and offered to let him skip ahead, but Izuku politely refused and stayed near the back of the line with his cape draped over his shoulders. About thirty minutes later, he walked back out carrying several bags of sandwiches in one hand before taking off toward Japan.
By the time Izuku returned to the dorms, the building was dark and quiet with almost everyone asleep. As he stepped inside, Shota Aizawa cracked his door open to see who had entered. "Sorry, Mr. Aizawa," Izuku whispered awkwardly. "Didn't mean to wake you up." Aizawa yawned tiredly before asking how America was. Izuku chuckled softly. "Honestly? Kinda overwhelming. I'm glad to be back." He then asked if anything important was happening the next day.
Aizawa explained, "Me, Tsuyu, Uraraka, Kirishima, and the Big Three are attending a briefing about the Shie Hassaikai. A yakuza group connected to Quirk-erasing bullets." Izuku immediately raised an eyebrow. "Can I join the briefing? Sounds like something I could help with." Aizawa told him he'd ask first before immediately crawling back into his yellow sleeping bag and falling asleep almost instantly.
Izuku placed the sandwich bags on the kitchen island before heading to his room. Laying on his bed, he stared at the ceiling while thinking about how much his life had changed over the past few months. He had gone from a student trying to control his powers to a professional hero now operating internationally. "Hopefully the American license convinces other countries too," he muttered quietly before eventually falling asleep.
The next morning, Izuku woke up to knocking on his door. Sitting up, he told Aizawa to come in. "Nighteye said you're welcome at the briefing," Aizawa explained. Izuku nodded and quickly got ready before heading downstairs where he found Diana and Momo happily eating the sandwiches he brought back. On the TV behind them, an American news station replayed footage of Superman holding the Brooklyn Bridge together while reporters talked excitedly about him.
Noticing Uraraka, Tsuyu, and Kirishima heading out the door, Izuku quickly followed after them. "Hey guys, wait up!" he called while jogging over. As they walked toward the train station together, all three looked surprised when they realized he was also attending the briefing. Izuku laughed lightly. "I figured I'd ride with you guys. I've been so busy lately that I haven't really had time to hang out with everyone."
When the four finally reached their destination, they spotted the Big Three waiting outside and greeted them before heading in together. The moment they stepped through the entrance, Izuku's eyes widened slightly. The room was filled with both well-known and lesser-known heroes including Rock Lock, Fat Gum, and Ryukyu along with several others.
Seeing the sheer number of heroes gathered in one place immediately told Izuku that this was much more serious than he had first assumed. A moment later, Sir Nighteye walked into the room and addressed everyone. "Thanks to the information all of you have provided, our investigation has progressed substantially. We've invited you here for a joint conference to share the intelligence we've acquired regarding the Shie Hassaikai and what we believe they are planning."
Everyone followed him into a large conference room and took their seats. Izuku sat beside Uraraka and Kirishima while quietly looking around the room at all the heroes gathered together. Bubble Girl walked toward the front and activated a projector. "Alright, let's begin at the beginning. For the past several weeks, those of us at Nighteye Agency have been investigating the Shie Hassaikai, a small but highly organized yakuza group."
Kesagiri man asked bubble girl "what prompted this? buble girl responded by saying " an accident involving a gang of thieves called the reservoir dogs. the police thought the whole thing was an accident but there were a number of detail that didnt add up, so we began tailing them
Centipeder, one of Nighteye's sidekicks, stood up and adjusted his glasses before speaking. "In my capacity as a Nighteye Agency sidekick, I began following leads to see what I could uncover. I found that over the past year, members of the Shie Hassaikai have had increased contact with outside groups, including organizations involved in less than reputable business dealings. Their goal appeared to be expanding their influence and increasing their funds."
He pressed a button and several photos appeared on the screen behind him. "Shortly after our investigation began, they made contact with a member of the League of Villains. They were cautious about being followed, so I was unable to tail them directly, but with police assistance we confirmed that some kind of conflict occurred between the two groups."
Bubble Girl stepped forward again. "After everything that happened, we posted a notice on the HN requesting assistance—" Centipeder immediately interrupted her. "You can skip explaining that part." Uraraka tilted her head. "Wait... what's the HN?" Nejire answered cheerfully, "It stands for the Hero Network. It's an online service only pro heroes can access."
Rock Lock let out an annoyed sigh. "Why are a bunch of kids even in this meeting if they don't know basic stuff like that?" Before the atmosphere could get worse, Izuku spoke up. "It might be basic knowledge to you guys, but I had no idea what the HN was either. I'm sure my classmates are here for a reason we just haven't heard yet." That caused a few heroes to glance at him in surprise while Fat Gum laughed loudly. "The kid's got a point."
Fat Gum then explained the encounter involving Kirishima and Tamaki. "During the fight, Tamaki got shot with a strange bullet. It didn't physically hurt him, but his Quirk disappeared for a few hours." The room immediately grew more tense. Rock Lock crossed his arms. "At least it wore off." Nighteye nodded before gesturing toward Aizawa. "Eraser Head has additional insight regarding Quirks."
Aizawa leaned back in his chair. "My Quirk doesn't damage the Quirk factor itself. I temporarily suppress it, making it unusable. But this drug is different." Fat Gum continued grimly, "Thanks to Kirishima blocking one of the bullets, we recovered a sample. After testing it... we discovered it contained human blood and cells."
Ryukyu's expression hardened. "So the effect came from a person. Someone with a Quirk capable of destroying other Quirks." A masked hero near the back of the room frowned. "I'm still not connecting the dots here. How does this tie back to the Hassaikai?" Fat Gum answered immediately. "The guy who shot Tamaki also used an illegal Quirk-enhancing drug while fighting Kirishima. Distribution channels for drugs like that are complicated, but we confirmed the Hassaikai interacted with one of the middlemen responsible for moving it."
Nighteye spoke up after the room settled down. "Ryukyu's team recently broke up a fight between two villain groups. One of those groups was controlled by the intermediary organization Fat Gum mentioned." Another hero cut in, adding that gang-related crimes had increased lately and that many of them could be traced back to the Hassaikai if someone looked hard enough.
Nighteye then switched the projector to a photo of Chisaki. "The current head of the Hassaikai, Kai Chisaki. His Quirk, Overhaul, allows him to disassemble matter and then reconstruct it." He paused for a moment as the image remained on screen. "A Quirk that can break down matter... and bullets capable of breaking down Quirks."
Izuku suddenly noticed Mirio stiffen in his chair like something had clicked in his head, but before he could ask about it Nighteye continued. "Chisaki also has a daughter named Eri. We have no records regarding her birth or history, but during Mirio's encounter with her he noticed bandages covering much of her body."
SLAM!
Izuku's hand struck the table hard enough to make Uraraka and Tsuyu jump slightly in their seats. "Are you telling me that he's torturing a little girl?!" The room immediately went silent. "If that's true then why are we still sitting here?! We need to go save her!"
Nighteye narrowed his eyes. "Midoriya, calm down."
"No." Izuku immediately shot back, standing up from his chair. "I don't need to calm down right now. There's a little girl out there and we have no idea what she's going through! If you want to sit here talking strategy and making charts then you can, but I'm going to go find her."
Aizawa looked over at Nighteye before speaking calmly. "The logical approach would be giving Midoriya possible locations and having him scan them. If his abilities work the way he described, he could search without exposing us." Izuku quickly nodded. "As long as their base isn't lined with lead, I can see through it."
Nighteye sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Our original plan was to have the heroes continue their normal patrols to avoid tipping them off."
Izuku folded his arms. "That's fine. They won't even know I'm there. I can stay above the clouds and scan from up there."
One of the lesser-known heroes blinked in confusion and stared at him. "Hold on... exactly how many powers do you have?"
The serious atmosphere cracked a little as Izuku awkwardly rubbed the back of his head and laughed. "Uh... my body absorbs sunlight, and doing that gives me access to a lot of abilities."
After that, Nighteye pressed a button and the screen changed to display several possible Hassaikai locations across the city. "These are the most likely compounds and safe houses currently tied to—" Before he could even finish the sentence, Izuku vanished from his chair in a blur of red and blue. A split second later, a thunderous sonic boom rattled the building.
Several heroes instantly stood up, thinking an explosion had gone off nearby, but Aizawa barely reacted. "Relax," he said tiredly. "That was just Midoriya breaking the sound barrier." The room fell quiet for a second before the meeting awkwardly continued like that was somehow normal.
Over the next hour, the heroes continued discussing strategy, patrol routes, and possible police support for the operation. Then, just as the conference was wrapping up, the doors suddenly swung open and Izuku casually walked back into the room like he had only stepped outside for fresh air.
"I found their main compound," he said immediately. Every hero in the room turned toward him. "There's a huge underground facility beneath it too." He walked over to the whiteboard and quickly began sketching out an incredibly detailed map from memory. Hallways, security checkpoints, underground chambers, escape routes—he mapped everything with terrifying accuracy. Several heroes stared at him in disbelief while Bubble Girl hurriedly started taking notes.
When he finished drawing, Izuku circled one specific room underground. "This room looked different from the others. It had toys, medical equipment, and a bed small enough for a child." His expression darkened slightly. "I didn't find Eri there, but while scanning the compound I overheard Chisaki talking to one of his men. He said she's currently being kept at one of their black sites and that she'll be brought back to the compound in a couple of days."
The room immediately became tense again. Nighteye adjusted his glasses before speaking. "Midoriya... this information saves us an enormous amount of time." He looked around at the gathered heroes. "I'll contact the police immediately. In a few days we'll reconvene two blocks from the compound and launch a coordinated raid alongside law enforcement. Our top priority will be securing Eri."
Izuku nodded before stepping back from the board. "I'll do my best to be there too," he said honestly. "But I can't promise anything. If something major happens somewhere else, I may have to respond to it first."
The room grew quiet for a few seconds before one of the heroes frowned. "What do you mean you can't promise you'll be there?" Another hero crossed his arms with irritation. "You're the one who found the place and gathered most of this information. You should be there." A few others nodded in agreement while some remained silent, watching Izuku carefully.
Izuku looked around the room before taking a slow breath. "I want to save Eri just as much as anyone here." His voice was calm, but serious. "But if something major happens somewhere else in the world, then I have to respond. I trust all of you to save that little girl." He looked at the map he had drawn. "I've told reporters before that all I want to do is save people."
He lowered his eyes slightly before continuing. "As dark as this sounds... one little girl's life doesn't equal the lives of thousands. Eraser Head taught us that the world isn't fair." The room went completely silent after that.
Izuku clenched his fist slightly. "That doesn't mean Eri isn't important. It doesn't mean I'm abandoning her either. If I'm free, I'll be there without hesitation. But if an earthquake hits another country, or a city starts collapsing, or people are dying somewhere else..."
After the meeting came to an end, Izuku finally had a moment to breathe. He returned to the U.A. dorms, changing out of his hero costume and into some more comfortable regular clothes. Despite having the strength to move planets and hearing cries for help across the world, moments like this made him feel like a normal teenager again. As he walked into the common room, his bright blue eyes immediately searched the area, looking for one person in particular, Diana.
Not seeing her anywhere, Izuku walked over to Momo, who was sitting with several of the other girls in the common room. "Hey Momo, have you seen Diana? I was hoping to talk with her for a minute," Izuku asked, trying to sound casual even though the slight nervousness in his voice gave him away. The moment he said Diana's name, all the girls in the room slowly turned their heads toward him with knowing smiles forming on their faces.
Momo fought back a small laugh before answering, "She's in Gym Gamma right now training. Why? Did the world's greatest hero need something from her?" she teased with a playful smile. Izuku's face immediately turned pink as the other girls started whispering among themselves, causing him to awkwardly rub the back of his neck. "I was just wondering if she wanted to hang out or something," he muttered, which only made their smiles grow wider.
"Well, why don't you call her?" Momo asked innocently. Izuku froze for a second before admitting, "That's the problem. I… actually don't have her phone number." The room went completely silent for a moment before several of the girls exchanged surprised looks. Momo smiled and pulled out her phone, dialing Diana's number before handing it over to him.
Izuku took the phone carefully, but as he looked up he saw every girl in the room leaning forward with eager expressions, clearly wanting to listen to every single word. "Do you guys really need to watch me like I'm about to fight a villain?" Izuku asked, earning a few giggles. Looking at Momo, he asked, "Would it be alright if I stepped outside?" She simply nodded, still smiling like she knew exactly what was happening.
The moment Izuku stepped outside, he took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. He had faced villains that could destroy cities, stood in front of disasters without hesitation, and had even gone against some of the most dangerous criminals in the world. Yet somehow asking a girl to spend time with him was making his heart race more than any battle ever had.
A few seconds later the line connected. "Hi, Momo," Diana's voice said from the other side of the phone. "Did something happen? Why are you calling me while I'm training?" Izuku immediately became flustered and gave a small cough. "Actually, it's me. Izuku. I'm using Momo's phone because I realized I don't have your number."
For a brief moment there was silence on the other end, which only made Izuku more nervous. His face grew brighter red as he stumbled over his words. "I was wondering if maybe you wanted to go on a date… or just hang out or something. I finally have some free time, and I thought it would be nice to spend it with you."
Inside Gym Gamma, Diana's eyes widened and her face quickly turned red. Although Izuku couldn't see her expression, he could hear the sudden silence that followed. After several seconds passed with no answer, his confidence began to disappear. "Oh, okay. I understand. You're probably busy with training. We can just hang out another time," he said sadly as he started to move the phone away.
"Wait!" Diana suddenly called out, making Izuku instantly stop. She took a moment to collect herself before speaking again. "I was just caught off guard by you calling me so suddenly. I would love to go on a date with you, Izuku. I just need an hour or two to finish training and get ready. I'll meet you in the common room when I'm done."
A huge smile spread across Izuku's face, one so bright that anyone who saw him would have thought he had just saved the world. "Okay. I'll see you then," he said before ending the call. When he walked back inside the dorm, however, he immediately noticed the suspicious silence from the girls before they all burst into quiet giggling.
Jiro was completely surrounded by the others as they whispered excitedly while stealing glances at Izuku. He handed Momo her phone back while trying his best to hide the embarrassed expression on his face. "Thanks for letting me borrow it," he said quietly before quickly walking over and sitting down on the couch, knowing full well that he was going to be teased later.
About ten minutes passed, and just as Izuku started to relax, the front door opened. Diana stepped into the common room, still wearing her training clothes, but before she could even say hello, every girl in the room rushed toward her with excited smiles.
Diana barely had time to react before the girls grabbed her by the arms and dragged her toward her room, leaving Izuku sitting on the couch completely confused as he watched her disappear down the hallway.