The warehouse was dark, the air thick with the stench of mildew and desperation. I moved silently through the shadows, my capture weapon coiled around my neck like a serpent ready to strike. The mission was clear: dismantle the black market ring trafficking children. Intel had led me here, to this crumbling building on the outskirts of the city. I didn’t need backup. I never did. Underground heroes worked best alone.I could hear muffled voices ahead, low and guttural, punctuated by the occasional bark of laughter. My jaw tightened. These scum didn’t deserve to breathe the same air as their victims. I crept closer, my boots barely making a sound against the concrete floor. Peering around a stack of crates, I saw them—three men, huddled around a table littered with cash and weapons. And then, in the corner, a small figure curled up on a dirty mattress.A child. A girl.Her face was hidden behind a tangle of dark hair, but I could see the way her shoulders trembled. My chest tightened. Focus, Shouta. Get her out first. I stepped into the light, my voice cutting through the room like a blade.“You’re under arrest.”The men spun around, their eyes wide with shock. One of them lunged for a gun on the table, but I was faster. My capture weapon shot out, wrapping around his wrist and yanking him off his feet. The other two scrambled, but they were no match for me. Within moments, they were unconscious on the floor, bound and helpless.I turned to the girl. She hadn’t moved, her body still curled into a tight ball. I approached slowly, crouching down a few feet away so I wouldn’t startle her.“Hey,” I said, my voice softer now. “It’s okay. You’re safe now.”She lifted her head slightly, her eyes peeking out from behind her hair. They were wide, filled with fear and something else—something that made my chest ache. Hope.“Are you… a hero?” she whispered, her voice trembling.I nodded. “Yeah. My name’s Aizawa Shouta. I’m here to get you out of this place.”She hesitated for a moment before slowly uncurling herself. She couldn’t have been more than twelve, her clothes torn and dirty, her face smudged with grime. But there was a strength in her eyes, a resilience that surprised me.“Layna,” she said softly. “My name’s Layna.”“Nice to meet you, Layna,” I replied, offering her a hand. “Let’s get you out of here.”She took my hand, her grip surprisingly firm for someone so small. I led her out of the warehouse, keeping her close as we navigated the maze of crates and debris. The night air was cool when we finally stepped outside, and I could feel her shivering beside me.“Where are we going?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.I paused, looking down at her. She had nowhere to go—no family, no home. The thought of leaving her in the system, where she’d be just another lost kid, made my stomach churn. Before I could second-guess myself, I spoke.“You’re coming with me.”Her eyes widened. “With you?”“Yeah,” I said, my tone firm but gentle. “If that’s okay with you.”For the first time, I saw a flicker of something in her eyes—relief, maybe even gratitude. She nodded quickly, her grip on my hand tightening.“Okay.”---Weeks passed, and Layna settled into my apartment with surprising ease. She was quiet at first, always watching me with those big, curious eyes. But slowly, she began to open up. She loved books, especially ones about heroes, and would spend hours curled up on the couch reading. I caught her sketching in a notebook once—rough drawings of people in costumes, some of them eerily similar to pro heroes I knew.One afternoon, I took her to the park. It was a rare day off for me, and I thought it would do her good to get some fresh air. She wandered off to explore while I sat on a bench, keeping an eye on her from a distance. That’s when I noticed the green-haired boy sitting alone on a nearby swing.Layna approached him cautiously, her hands tucked into the pockets of her hoodie. I couldn’t hear what they were saying, but I saw the way the boy’s face lit up when she started talking. Then, she pointed in my direction, and I heard her voice carry across the park.“That’s my dad,” she said proudly. “He’s a super cool underground hero.”My chest tightened at her words. Dad. It wasn’t a title I ever thought I’d have, but hearing her say it… it felt right.The boy—Izuku Midoriya, as I later learned—looked over at me with wide eyes. “Your dad’s a hero? That’s amazing!”Layna grinned, and for the first time since I’d met her, it reached her eyes. “Yeah. He’s the best.”I watched as they continued to talk, their conversation animated and full of laughter. For a moment, I let myself imagine what it might be like—having a family, being someone’s father. It was a strange thought, but not an unwelcome one.As the sun began to set, I called Layna over. She ran to me, her cheeks flushed with excitement.“Did you have fun?” I asked.She nodded eagerly. “Izuku’s really nice. He wants to be a hero too.”“That’s good,” I said, ruffling her hair. “Ready to head home?”She hesitated for a moment before looking up at me with those big, hopeful eyes. “Can we… can we come back tomorrow?”I smiled faintly. “Sure. We can come back tomorrow.”As we walked home together, Layna chattered about her new friend and all the things they’d talked about. I listened quietly, my mind racing with thoughts of the future. What kind of father would I be? Could I really give her the life she deserved?But then she reached for my hand, her small fingers curling around mine, and I knew—no matter what happened, I’d do whatever it took to keep her safe. To make her smile like that again.“Dad?” she said suddenly, pulling me from my thoughts.“Yeah?”“Thank you… for everything.”I squeezed her hand gently. “You don’t have to thank me, Layna. That’s what family’s for.”She smiled up at me, and for the first time in a long time, I felt like maybe… just maybe… I was doing something right.

In the grimy warehouse, I, Aizawa Shouta, took down three traffickers and rescued a girl named Layna. Weeks later, I took Layna to the park where she met Izuku Midoriya and proudly called me her dad.

The warehouse was dark, the air thick with the stench of mildew and desperation. I moved silently through the shadows, my capture weapon coiled around my neck like a serpent ready to strike. The mission was clear: dismantle the black market ring trafficking children. Intel had led me here, to this crumbling building on the outskirts of the city. I didn’t need backup. I never did. Underground heroes worked best alone.

I could hear muffled voices ahead, low and guttural, punctuated by the occasional bark of laughter. My jaw tightened. _These scum didn’t deserve to breathe the same air as their victims._ I crept closer, my boots barely making a sound against the concrete floor. Peering around a stack of crates, I saw them—three men, huddled around a table littered with cash and weapons. And then, in the corner, a small figure curled up on a dirty mattress.

A child. A girl.

Her face was hidden behind a tangle of dark hair, but I could see the way her shoulders trembled. My chest tightened. _Focus, Shouta. Get her out first._ I stepped into the light, my voice cutting through the room like a blade.

“You’re under arrest.”

The men spun around, their eyes wide with shock. One of them lunged for a gun on the table, but I was faster. My capture weapon shot out, wrapping around his wrist and yanking him off his feet. The other two scrambled, but they were no match for me. Within moments, they were unconscious on the floor, bound and helpless.

I turned to the girl. She hadn’t moved, her body still curled into a tight ball. I approached slowly, crouching down a few feet away so I wouldn’t startle her.

“Hey,” I said, my voice softer now. “It’s okay. You’re safe now.”

She lifted her head slightly, her eyes peeking out from behind her hair. They were wide, filled with fear and something else—something that made my chest ache. _Hope._

“Are you… a hero?” she whispered, her voice trembling.

I nodded. “Yeah. My name’s Aizawa Shouta. I’m here to get you out of this place.”

She hesitated for a moment before slowly uncurling herself. She couldn’t have been more than twelve, her clothes torn and dirty, her face smudged with grime. But there was a strength in her eyes, a resilience that surprised me.

“Layna,” she said softly. “My name’s Layna.”

“Nice to meet you, Layna,” I replied, offering her a hand. “Let’s get you out of here.”

She took my hand, her grip surprisingly firm for someone so small. I led her out of the warehouse, keeping her close as we navigated the maze of crates and debris. The night air was cool when we finally stepped outside, and I could feel her shivering beside me.

“Where are we going?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

I paused, looking down at her. She had nowhere to go—no family, no home. The thought of leaving her in the system, where she’d be just another lost kid, made my stomach churn. Before I could second-guess myself, I spoke.

“You’re coming with me.”

Her eyes widened. “With you?”

“Yeah,” I said, my tone firm but gentle. “If that’s okay with you.”

For the first time, I saw a flicker of something in her eyes—relief, maybe even gratitude. She nodded quickly, her grip on my hand tightening.

“Okay.”

---

Weeks passed, and Layna settled into my apartment with surprising ease. She was quiet at first, always watching me with those big, curious eyes. But slowly, she began to open up. She loved books, especially ones about heroes, and would spend hours curled up on the couch reading. I caught her sketching in a notebook once—rough drawings of people in costumes, some of them eerily similar to pro heroes I knew.

One afternoon, I took her to the park. It was a rare day off for me, and I thought it would do her good to get some fresh air. She wandered off to explore while I sat on a bench, keeping an eye on her from a distance. That’s when I noticed the green-haired boy sitting alone on a nearby swing.

Layna approached him cautiously, her hands tucked into the pockets of her hoodie. I couldn’t hear what they were saying, but I saw the way the boy’s face lit up when she started talking. Then, she pointed in my direction, and I heard her voice carry across the park.

“That’s my dad,” she said proudly. “He’s a super cool underground hero.”

My chest tightened at her words. _Dad._ It wasn’t a title I ever thought I’d have, but hearing her say it… it felt right.

The boy—Izuku Midoriya, as I later learned—looked over at me with wide eyes. “Your dad’s a hero? That’s amazing!”

Layna grinned, and for the first time since I’d met her, it reached her eyes. “Yeah. He’s the best.”

I watched as they continued to talk, their conversation animated and full of laughter. For a moment, I let myself imagine what it might be like—having a family, being someone’s father. It was a strange thought, but not an unwelcome one.

As the sun began to set, I called Layna over. She ran to me, her cheeks flushed with excitement.

“Did you have fun?” I asked.

She nodded eagerly. “Izuku’s really nice. He wants to be a hero too.”

“That’s good,” I said, ruffling her hair. “Ready to head home?”

She hesitated for a moment before looking up at me with those big, hopeful eyes. “Can we… can we come back tomorrow?”

I smiled faintly. “Sure. We can come back tomorrow.”

As we walked home together, Layna chattered about her new friend and all the things they’d talked about. I listened quietly, my mind racing with thoughts of the future. _What kind of father would I be? Could I really give her the life she deserved?_

But then she reached for my hand, her small fingers curling around mine, and I knew—no matter what happened, I’d do whatever it took to keep her safe. To make her smile like that again.

“Dad?” she said suddenly, pulling me from my thoughts.

“Yeah?”

“Thank you… for everything.”

I squeezed her hand gently. “You don’t have to thank me, Layna. That’s what family’s for.”

She smiled up at me, and for the first time in a long time, I felt like maybe… just maybe… I was doing something right.

Aizawa Shouta, the underground hero known as Eraserhead, rescues a young girl named Layna from a black market trafficking children and decides to take her in as his own.

The two form a strong bond as Layna adjusts to her new life, with Shouta becoming a loving and protective father figure to her.

Layna meets Izuku Midoriya at a park and proudly announces that Shouta is her father, who is a super cool underground hero.

Layna's life takes a turn when she is bullied at school by a boy named Kenta, who makes her feel unwanted and alone.

After Layna is injured by Kenta, Shouta steps in to protect her and confronts the situation head-on.

Shouta and Layna work together to overcome the challenges they face, with Shouta going to great lengths to ensure Layna's safety and happiness.

Not by blood, but you're my dad

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