EraserJoke | In The Beginning

Chapter 1

It's a slow shift tonight, which means he doesn't have to patrol the area a fifth time. Great. He's exhausted, and it's been a rough few days. 

Apparently he's wanted as a teacher at UA, his former high school. It's ridiculous, because he hates children and children hate him and there's just a mutual dislike between them. 

And now the principal of UA, a mouse-bear-dog-thing named Nezu, is bothering him during his shifts. Or, well, has been bothering him. It's too quiet today. Maybe the mammal abomination finally gave up. 

Or maybe he's plotting something big to try and swing Shouta over there. Ugh, he hopes not.

He crouches down on the ledge of a building, and once he knows there's no one around, he lays down for a minute to catch his breath. He closes his eyes and focuses on relaxing, but keeps his guard up. There's been more crime in the past few months, and he will not be surprised by an idiot doing what he needs to for drug money, thank you very much. 

He doesn't have to wait more than five minutes before someone tries sneaking up on him. The person in question is so loud that Shouta knows they're approaching for a while before they say anything. 

It's a feminine voice he finds as she says, "sir, are you okay?" He can tell from the fake confidence and barely-hidden worry that she's probably a sidekick or relatively new hero. Probably from that new agency a few kilometres away from his. 

He sighs and gets up. "I'm fine. Continue with your patrol, and see if you can get it moved, because this area is currently being patrolled by sidekick Eraserhead, of the Midnight Shadows Hero Agency."

He finally looks at her, and is surprised when he sees her bright costume. Why would someone working in underground heroics wear such bright colors? It's a good way to be identified and targeted from villains with a grudge. 

She perks up when he says that. "Oh, nice! I'm Ms Joke, from the newly opened Siren's Voice Agency! it's called that because all of our quirks include something akin to mind control!" She winks and flashes him finger guns. "I've heard that our agency SOUNDS amazing so far!" She burst into laughter at her own joke. 

Shouta sighs and turns away from her. 

"Hey, perk up, old man! I'm just making fun." He levels her with a glare. "Okay, okay! Anyway, I'm a sidekick, too. How old are you? I'm 22. hey, that rhymed! HAHAHA!!" he makes a face like someone forced lemon juice down his throat. 

"Are you always this loud," he grumbles at her. 

She just winks and flashes a peace sign. "You know it!"

She gasps like she just got the best idea ever. "Oh! Eraser--can I call you that? I'm calling you that--let's get married!" She looks at his face and laughs before continuing, "no, hear me out! We're both sidekicks, so we both get crappy pay, and if we get married then taxes are easier and we can split rent and payments in general! That would be so amazing, wouldn't it, Eraser?!"

He looks at her for a few more seconds, before deciding to patrol the area a fifth, maybe even sixth time. 

He can hear her shouting at him from a few building rooftops away, but he can't make out what she's saying and doesn't want to so that's the end of that. He sighs. Why did annoying people have to keep bothering him? Hopefully he doesn't see her ever again. Boy, that would be nice.

If only fate worked that way. Alas, the universe isn't rational. Not with Aizawa, anyway. Not with him and Ms Joke. Not them.