BNHA | A Bite-Sized Problem

† Chapter 1: A Bite-Sized Problem

The sun had set, casting long shadows over the crumbling alleyways of downtown Musutafu. Aizawa Shota, better known as Eraserhead, sighed as he adjusted his scarf, already dreading another patrol shift. Musutafu wasn't known for its peace and quiet, but tonight the reports were... strange.

"A little kid?" he muttered, squinting at the description on his phone. "Causing chaos in the streets..Biting people?"

Before he could ponder further, a loud crash echoed from the nearby market street. Aizawa turned the corner, and there he was.

Souto.

The kid stood atop a pile of upturned trash cans, his small figure cloaked in an oversized jacket that barely hung onto his narrow shoulders. His pale skin gleamed under the flickering streetlights, and his crimson eyes glared at a gang of equally baffled street thugs.

"I told you morons, *this* is my turf!" Souto snarled, baring his sharp, unmistakably vampiric fangs. "If you don't scram, I'll-"

"You'll what, kid?" sneered one of the older men. He took a step closer.

Big mistake.

Before anyone could react, Souto launched himself forward, his fangs sinking into the thug's forearm.

"AHHHH!" The man yelped and stumbled back, flailing his arm in an attempt to shake Souto off. "What the hell? Get this gremlin off me!"

Aizawa, watching this unfold from a safe distance, pinched the bridge of his nose. With a quick flick of his scarf, Souto was yanked mid-air, dangling upside down like a particularly unruly bat. The boy flailed his arms and legs, hissing and snarling.

"Let me go! I'm not done teaching those guys a lesson!"

"You've taught enough lessons for tonight," Aizawa replied dryly, his quirk activating to stop Souto's thrashing. "Calm down, kid. You're not in charge here."

Souto's crimson eyes narrowed as he finally stopped struggling. "Who are you supposed to be, anyway? Some old burglar?"

Aizawa resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "I'm Eraserhead. Pro Hero."

---

By the time they reached the police station, the officers were all too eager to hand Souto's case over to Aizawa. "He's too young for juvenile detention," one officer explained, looking more tired than sympathetic. "And he refuses to tell us anything about himself."

Aizawa glanced down at Souto, who was now busy chewing on the corner of his scarf.

"Fine," he said with a resigned sigh. "I'll take him."

"Take me where?" Souto piped up, finally looking a bit wary.

"To my house," Aizawa replied. "Looks like you're stuck with me, kid."

For a moment, Souto looked genuinely stunned. Then, like a storm cloud brewing, his defiance returned. "Hah! Good luck with that, 'Pro Hero.' You don't scare me!"

As the boy let out a triumphant laugh, Aizawa muttered under his breath, "I wasn't trying to scare you. Yet."

---

That same night at Aizawa's apartment was nothing short of chaotic.

Souto refused to sleep in the bed, opting instead to hang upside down from the curtain rod in the living room. When Aizawa tried to coax him down, Souto hissed and chucked a throw pillow at his head.

By the end of the night, Aizawa sat on the couch with his head in his hands. "What did I just sign up for?"

From the curtain rod, Souto snickered. "You should've thought of that before adopting the coolest, strongest vampire kid in Musutafu."