BNHA: I am Reiji Toga

It was almost two in the morning, and in this forgotten district of Musutafu, the law rarely had a presence... except when something stank too much.

Reiji moved through the narrow corridors of a deactivated industrial area. His steps were light, barely audible. He was wearing a baggy, dark jacket, a hood covering his face. A black mask covered his lower half. His communicator was silent. He didn't need instructions.

He already knew this place.

It was the same one where he had seen that boy a few weeks ago; he had been tasked with following the case to its source and solving it himself.

Tonight, everything was different. He didn't just go there to watch. If the situation demanded it, he would act.

The warehouse was brighter than he expected. Voices could be heard: many. Adults arguing with each other, old machinery being dragged, the dull clatter of tools, and... children's voices. Soft shouts. Orders given roughly.

"The shipment is going this way. We only have 20 more minutes. Hurry!"

Reiji observed what was inside. He managed to infiltrate using his Quirk as a platform and observed everything from a safe vantage point, where people normally wouldn't look. A dozen men, armed and dressed in ordinary clothes, directed several children in organizing boxes and products. Some boys wore bandages on their wrists, others had fresh burn marks. Among them, he saw him: the same boy he had observed days before, with the same sunken eyes, now carrying boxes with his legs constantly trembling.

Although he recognized him, he didn't react and remained alert. If everything went as planned, he could deactivate the facility without having to fight.

But before he could move, something slithered in front of him. A figure jumped silently from the ceiling and fell with almost inhuman fluidity onto one of the guards. A thud, a black scarf that moved like a whip, and the body fell to the ground without another sound. It had been quite silent, and no one had managed to see him. Reiji narrowed his eyes. He managed to faintly see the shadowy figure perfectly hidden in the darkness once again. He had already seen it in confidential files and added it to his memories from his previous life.

Erased Hear, or better known as Aizawa.

The hero infiltrated from the other side, as silent as he was deadly. Reiji observed every movement, every precise attack, how he disarmed and knocked down men without any of the other men raising the alarm. He was a specter in the darkness.

Reiji went down silently. He slipped through a side slit and entered the back of the warehouse. With the hero's presence here, things had changed radically, and he would have to act to prevent things from getting out of control.

Aizawa had already begun to act with surgical precision, moving between the shelves like a living shadow. A spin, a kick, an intense gaze that nullified Quirks instantly. His scarf wrapped around necks, disarmed the armed men, and dropped unconscious bodies with terrifying fluidity.

One of the criminals barely caught a glimpse of a silhouette before being brought down by an elbow to the neck. Another fell after receiving a direct kick to the stomach, colliding with a generator that crackled with a spark.

But the stealth didn't last. From the north wing of the warehouse, someone shouted:

"They're attacking us, damn it!! Klaster, where are the enemies?!"

Another responded from the back:

"There are two of them! The first is fighting, and the other is hiding among the tools!"

An electric hum filled the air as an old engine started, activating emergency lights and making the steel pillars vibrate. The warehouse was half-lit in a sickly red.

Then a booming voice swept the room, alerting anyone who wasn't aware of the situation.

"WE'RE BEING ATTACKED! STOP MAKING KIDS CHARGE AND GET THEIR QUIRKS, DAMN IT!"

Chaos spread like a plague. Some criminals started shooting. Others launched flames or arcs of energy. Aizawa's cover, effective against one or two, began to waver in the face of the stampede.

A flash of flame grazed his left shoulder, and he was forced back. At least five men had surrounded him, two of them combining Quirks: one launched debris like projectiles, another coated them in an acidic layer.

Aizawa gasped, activated his Quirk, but couldn't stop them all. He spun around, whipped out his scarf, caught one... but a spiked chain grazed his leg, staggering him.

And then, from above, an explosion of red blood erupted like a flare.

Curved whips lashed out from a beam, striking the enemy's flanks with precise force. Two fell before they understood what was happening. Another tried to defend himself, but was impaled by a spear of hardened blood that pinned his arm to the wall.

"Looks like you need help."

Aizawa, covered in dust and light blood, gave him a cold look, but not one of reproach. Only recognition.

"Who are you?"

"It doesn't matter now. We have to take care of this."

And the real fight began.

The man saw him. He screamed. And in less than a second, the entire warehouse became a battlefield.

"All units assemble, all units to the back!" the man shouted into his communicator, raising his weapon.

Shots. Screams. Chaos erupted like wildfire.

Reiji reacted instinctively as he saw them about to be riddled with bullets. His arm swung, and a whip of blood erupted from his palm, solid and dark red, blocking all incoming bullets and slamming the guard into a pile of crates.

His blood could stop bullets, but that required a greater density, and in other words, it turned out that the decrease in his blood was greater than the recovery.

But he wasn't alone.

Aizawa appeared next to him, moving forward to protect himself from two approaching men. The first reached out his hands trying to throw something, but Erased erased his Quirk, and the ribbons tied the other, forcing him to pull him down.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, dodging an attack and using his Quirk to deactivate the attack of an enemy trying to set everything on fire.

"Probably the same as you," Reiji answered without thinking.

There was no more time to talk. Two enemies approached them from opposite sides. Aizawa spun around and used his scarf to catch the first, while Reiji launched himself at the second, using his hardened blood to create a short spear that pierced his leg without killing him.

They fought uncoordinated... but in sync. Reiji coordinated with Erased thanks to what he knew about him, while the hero adapted to Reiji's direct style. As if something in both of them understood the urgency. Aizawa deactivated Quirks. Reiji engaged them hand-to-hand.

One of the children ran toward them, calling for help. Reiji turned to protect him just as an explosion collapsed part of the ceiling.

Aizawa shouted,

"Take cover!"

Reiji extended his arm and generated a dome of dense blood to protect the trio. Debris rained down on them. The hero observed it for a long second.

"You have quite a useful Quirk."

"Just like yours, Erased."

They both smiled knowingly. They probably hadn't met before today, but in a life-or-death situation, relationships are formed almost instantly.

Reiji released the blood to destabilize all the criminals waiting for him to leave. Aizawa understood this perfectly and took down the furthest ones, who could cause him more trouble, while Reiji defended them from the larger ones.

The battle lasted almost five more minutes. When it ended, the criminals were all on the ground. Some unconscious, others with broken bones. The children, hiding in a corner, were trembling. But they were alive.

Aizawa walked among the bodies; he had some wounds and burns on his body, but nothing serious. He moved around the area, making sure everything was under control. Reiji didn't move. He remained beside the child, breathing heavily.

He could feel his body regenerating blood, and that in itself prevented the many wounds on his body from healing, which caused him to lose more blood. It was a cycle that would soon end; by then, he would probably be somewhere safe.

He was fatigued, and his instincts were kicking in... But he could still control it.

"I don't know you," Aizawa finally said. Facing Reiji, he could tell he was in much better condition than the boy in front of him.

"And you shouldn't. That's my job." Reiji was dressed entirely in black, his hair a dark tint, and his orange eyes were hidden behind contact lenses. His only clue was his Quirk. But it didn't matter; as long as he didn't use it directly in front of Aizawa, being a civilian, he wouldn't have any problems...

"Are you a vigilante?" He asked bluntly, the question seeming more to satisfy his own curiosity than anything else. Reiji narrowed his eyes at this reaction.

"I wouldn't call it that... As my partner would say, I'm just someone with free time who works for people who have free time," he said neutrally.

Aizawa watched him for a long time. Then he simply nodded.

"Do what you have to. I don't see any ulterior motives."

And with that, he turned and walked toward the children. Reiji looked at his back and sighed.

'I didn't think it would be like this... Hawks was pretty similar to what I saw in the original story, but Aizawa... He has a unique vibe. I thought I'd stop as soon as it was all over. Did I misjudge them, or have some things changed again?'

He turned his gaze to the boy at his side, clinging to him tightly. As if separating meant he'd return to his old life.

"Kid, I can't stay here. But I promise you, he'll make sure you don't go through what you've been through until now again. It must have been hard, right?" He crouched down to his level and looked into his eyes. He could see that glimmer of hope beneath the large, lifeless stain he displayed.

The boy nodded slowly, starting to walk before running to Aizawa, who was already calmly organizing them, one by one. He didn't say anything, but somehow his actions conveyed a certain calm to the children.

"I have to go back. This isn't over... Unfortunately, I wasn't able to find out about the boss of all this." This place will be filled with police and heroes, so it's best to stay away.'

With that thought, Reiji turned around and started walking out of the shed. He didn't care that he'd left all his blood behind. Once it left his body and oxidized in the air, it changed his genetic makeup and made him impossible to trace.

'Tsk, I need blood soon. I've used my Quirk too much...'

***

Only the dim glow of a holographic screen suspended in the air illuminated the dark streets. Reiji stood before it, his clothes still bloodied, his body marked by fatigue. He had changed his mask for a simpler one, but his eyes were still hidden by dark contact lenses. He had left the shed behind, sating his bloodlust with the bird at his side.

The voice that emerged from the communicator soon broke the silence.

"Full assessment received. Good work, officer. Your intervention prevented a major catastrophe."

Reiji didn't respond immediately. He simply stared at the projection with the same cold gaze as always, but his fingers tapped tensely against his thigh.

"The operation was improvised. Aizawa appeared in the area, and a confrontation became inevitable," he finally said, his tone neutral.

"We know. We're monitoring him as well," the voice replied. He didn't show much emotion, but Reiji was used to it. When dealing with the commission, he didn't show much either. "Your presence was discreet. He didn't identify you."

"Not yet," Reiji adjusted his hood. "But if this continues to escalate, it'll only be a matter of time. He was able to identify the qualities of my Quirk and synchronize his combat style quite quickly. He's capable."

"The important thing is that you completed the visible part of the mission. However, the gang leader didn't appear. There's no trace of the subject we linked to the Quirk-modifying shipments."

"He couldn't have been far away. These kinds of operations require direct supervision."

"Then find him."

Reiji raised an eyebrow. It wasn't fitting that once someone was involved, he would immediately continue on the same mission. Normally, he would wait until someone else had done their part and he was notified.

"Alone?"

"You've had a chance to prove your efficiency. We're now giving you limited autonomy. But what you do from now on will be under greater supervision. Don't forget who gave you the tools to be here."

"As if I could forget…"

"Understood," he replied, but his voice sounded drier than usual.

There was a pause. Then, like someone casually dropping something prepared, he added:

"I want to request a transfer."

"Excuse me?" Puzzlement. The voice showed bewilderment at the question; Reiji understood that quite well. It meant they weren't keeping as close an eye on him as they claimed.

"To Musutafu. The epicenter of Quirk-linked criminal activity has been shifting. This operation confirms it. If we want to catch the ringleader, I have to get closer."

Silence.

Reiji continued, leaving no room for refusal.

"Besides, Himiko will be entering U.A. next semester. If I keep acting in Tokyo, they'll eventually notice my absences. I'd have more leeway if my family moves."

"And what will you do if you compromise them?"

"They're already compromised from the moment they used me. But as long as I'm around… I can protect them," he said with a bitter edge.

Another pause. A longer one. Then the voice spoke with a considered calm.

"We'll discuss it with the Board. But your argument is valid. In light of your recent results, a relocation could be beneficial."

"Then let that be stated." Reiji cut the connection before receiving the final answer.

The hologram disappeared.

Reiji stood for a few seconds in the darkness, listening only to the hum of his blood regenerating in silence.

Musutafu…

Everything would move there. Not only this case, but a lot of the story happened here... Now he too, there would undoubtedly be many defining changes.