Eraserhead: Year One

Chapter Fifteen - A Hero's Rise

After Aizawa incapacitated Matsumoto, the raid on his mansion was an astounding success. The task force of Heros and law enforcement overwhelmed the gangsters. As Matsumoto's gang was rounded up, Aizawa carries the unconscious Matsumoto to Kenji.

Kenji: Well I'll be damned. Kira Matsumoto. Good job, Eraserhead. Looks like that tip paid off.

Aizawa: I trust you found all the evidence you need to put him away.

Kenji: More than enough. With all the evidence we've collected, Matsumoto is done.

Present Mic: What about the assassins  thus guy hired?

Aizawa: When they hear about what happened to their client, they'll back off. There's no point in going after a bounty if they're not getting paid for it.

With that, the task force continued collecting the evidence needed to put Matsumoto away. In the weeks that followed, Matsumoto's criminal syndicate was dismantled. In the ensuing trial, due to the overwhelming evidence against him, Kira Matsumoto was sentenced to life in prison. With Matsumoto behind bars, the bounty on Aizawa's head was abandoned. With the bounty abandoned, the surviving assassins abandoned their hunt for Aizawa. The assassins managed to create out of prison and fled the country. As news of Kira Matsumoto's arrest spread across the country, Giran watched all this with a smile on his face. As Giran watches the news report on Matsumoto's imprisonment, a man wearing a black suit and a magenta plague mask walks into Giran's office. 

Giran: I was wondering when you would show up.

???: I had more pressing matters to attend to. The Boss has fallen ill. 

Giran: My condolences. Times are hard for men of....vice like us. 

As Giran extends his hand to his contact, the man looks upon Giran's hand in disgust. Though he was annoyed by this display, Giran maintained his professionalism. 

Giran: You won't have to worry about Matsumoto no more. It looks like he'll be spending the rest of his life in prison. And even if he were to let's say, arrange his escape, he's got nothing to go back to. All his enterprises have been dismantled, his assets have been frozen and all his contacts are either jailed or have gone into hiding. 

???: You've done well, Giran. Kira Matsumoto was a thorn in my boss's side. With Matsumoto taken care of, we can move forward with our operations. 

Giran: Glad I could be of assistance. I trust my payment will reflect on my information?

The contact then hands Giran a briefcase. Giran opens the briefcase to find a large sum of money. Giran smiles as he closes the briefcase. 

Giran: Pleasure doing business with you, Overhaul. 

As Giran takes his reward, Overhaul exits out of Giran's office. Once Overhaul is gone, Giran picks up his phone and calls someone. 

Giran: Kurogiri? It's me. I got something I think you'll want to hear. 

With that, Giran begins communications with a group that would soon become a dangerous threat in the near future. For now, both factions would continue moving from the shadows until the time was right. As all of this happened, life had seemed to go back to normal. Aizawa was on one of his nightly patrols. For the first time in weeks since Matsumoto's imprisonment, Aizawa no longer had to watch his back for any assassins. Aizawa's reputation as a Pro Hero grows to the point where some Villain groups wish to recruit him. But as he stands over a rooftop, Present Mic approaches him. 

Present Mic: Still on your rounds, eh Eraser? 

Aizawa: Matsumoto may behind bars, but there's still work to be done. 

Present Mic: Then it looks like you'll have your hands full when you start your teaching job at UA. Congrats by the way!

Aizawa: At least I won't have to worry about assassins coming after me or my new students whoever they may be. 

Present Mic: Not gonna lie, that whole situation was pretty crazy. Never thought you'd be dealing with assassins. 

Aizawa: I knew what I signed up for the moment I took up this profession. We all knew the risks of this profession. 

As Aizawa said this, his thoughts fell on the day that his close friend Oboro Shirakumo died in the line of duty. Aizawa's encounters with the assassins had made Aizawa think about that day. It was on that day that Aizawa truly felt and understood what it means to be a Hero. 

Aizawa: Remember Oboro? 

Present Mic: Of course I do. How could I not?

Aizawa: My encounters with these assassins reminded me of what happened to him. I could have easily ended up just like Oboro. But then I remembered what I promised myself that day. That I would be the kind of Hero I could be proud of. The kind of Hero Oboro knew I could be. There are times that I miss Oboro, but I keep on trying to be the best Hero I can be in honor of his memory. It was because of him that my Hero ideals were shaped they way they are.

Present Mic was left speechless by Aizawa's words. Even Aizawa himself found himself getting choked up. Despite this, Aizawa keeps his composure.

Aizawa: Being a Hero means putting your life on the line for ideals you believe in. But being a Hero doesn't always end well. But that's why we do it. We do it not because it's fun, but it's something we chose to do. 

With that, Aizawa's intentions became known. With Matsumoto and the assassins defeated, Aizawa now had the drive and ability to become the best Pro Hero he could be. In that moment, Shota Aizawa had now taken the first steps into becoming a well renowned Pro Hero. For Shota Aizawa, his story was just beginning.