I spent forever on this chapter for some reason. Also I realized ¾ the way through i made a plot hole that I am fixing by the power of the author
[In this au since interns are older they are given more responsibility and trust. They can fight villains as long as they are with a licensed pro or a senior intern that has a provisional license. ]
Their plot hole duct taped shut. Enjoy the chapter
Chapter 32: First Patrol and First Fan
The next morning came too quickly.
Cid stood outside the Nighteye Agency in his updated hero costume, The new armor plating protected his vitals more thoroughly than the simpler version he'd worn at the USJ and hero training. He adjusted the high collar and rolled his shoulders once, shifting to get a feeling for the weight.
Before stepping off with Mirio, he pulled out his phone and sent a quick text to Yui.
[Cid] :Heading out for my first patrol. Stay safe on yours.
Her reply came almost instantly.
[Yui] : Good luck! I hope it goes well. Stay safe out there ❤️
Attached was a photo of her in her own hero outfit — the fitted red-and-white design hugging her figure, her short hair neatly styled under the small visor. She looked confident and ready. Cid stared at the picture for a long second, a small smile tugging at his lips. He saved it, then typed back.
[Cid] : You look good. I'll text when I'm back.
He slipped the phone away just as Mirio bounded up beside him, already in his full hero costume, bright and energetic as ever.
"Ready, Ratio?" Mirio asked with a wide grin.
Cid gave a small nod. "Yeah. Let's go."
The two of them headed out into the Osaka streets together. The patrol started calm — standard route, checking alleys and keeping an eye on foot traffic. For the first hour or so, nothing happened. Mirio, as expected, filled the quiet easily.
"So, Ratio," Mirio started cheerfully, hands behind his head as they walked. "How's the first patrol treating you so far? Feeling nervous yet?"
Cid gave a small huff, the corner of his mouth twitching upward into a faint smile. "It's calmer than I thought it'd be."
Mirio grinned wider. "That's the spirit! You know, when I first started interning with Sir, I wasn't good with my quirk, I was all over the place. My type Permeation means I fall through everything, the floor, my clothes, even light, if I'm not careful I could easily get hurt or worse when using it. but sir taught me patiently and made me what I am today."
Mirio went on and talked about his own early mistakes, his friendship with Tamaki and Nejire, and how Sir Nighteye's strict training had shaped him. Cid listened more than he spoke at first, but Mirio's easy energy slowly pulled him in. He found himself answering more openly than usual mentioning how the USJ was like a wake-up call, how it changed him, making him want to be better.
Mirio's smile softened a bit. "Sounds like you've been through a lot. But you're here now, pushing forward. That's pretty cool, man."
Cid gave a small shrug, but the words landed. For the first time in a long while, talking to someone his own age didn't feel like a chore, besides a select few people. Mirio wasn't immature like some of his classmates, nor did he feel like an adult supervisor with an agenda. He just… talked a lot, but also listened.
They continued the patrol, turning a corner into a busier street. A young boy suddenly darted into the road after a ball, right in front of an oncoming car. Cid reacted instantly and appeared next to the child in an instant. He scooped the kid up and appeared back on the sidewalk just as the car swerved past, horn blaring.
The boy's parents rushed over, faces pale with fear, as they checked on him, thanking cid the whole time. "Thank you! Oh god, thank you so much!"
The child, once he calmed down, looked up at Cid with wide, excited eyes. "You're a hero! Can I have your autograph? Please?" he said while holding out a note book his mom handed him.
Cid froze for half a second. He wasn't prepared for this. No signature planned, no hero name stamp. He quickly pulled out a small pen, then scribbled a messy "Ratio" with a bit of flare to it , and handed it over awkwardly.
The kid's face lit up like he'd been given treasure. "This is the best! I'm gonna be your biggest fan!!!! I'll keep it forever!"
Cid managed a small, awkward smile. "Yeah… take care, kid."
As the family walked away, Mirio clapped him on the back with a laugh. "Look at you, already making fans! That was smooth."
Cid rubbed the back of his neck, a faint blush on his cheeks. "Didn't expect that I've never even thought about a signature before."
"You'll get used to it pretty quick and even learn to enjoy it, it's part of the job after all." Mirio said brightly
The patrol went on for another few hours
As they neared the end of the patrol route, a sudden commotion broke out a block ahead of them, someone smashing stuff in a jewelry store.
Mirio grinned. "Looks like our cue. Ready, Ratio?"
Cid nodded, eyes sharpening. "Yeah. Let's handle it."
Cid took one step and In an instant they appeared fifteen feet away from the storefront, positioned behind a parked car for quick cover. Both scanned the area for threats before committing.
Inside the store, a single villain with enhanced strength was smashing display cases and stuffing jewelry into a large duffel bag. No immediate signs of others. No backup visible on the street.
Cid didn't hesitate. He focused, shrinking the villain down to the size of a finger in a single thought. The man let out a startled yelp as he dropped to the floor like a toy. Cid walked forward calmly, stepping into the store to secure him.
The moment his foot crossed the threshold, everything changed.
6 more villains burst out from behind the shelves inside the store, weapons drawn. At the same time, 6 others emerged from the alleys on either side of the building, cutting off the exit and boxing them in.
Cid and Mirio exchanged a quick glance.
Mirio smirked, energy crackling. "Well, junior, let's see who finishes first."
The fight was fast and decisive.
Mirio phased through the first attacker's swing and delivered a solid punch to the jaw, dropping him instantly. He moved like a ghost, slipping through attacks and countering with precise, powerful strikes. "One down!"
Cid didn't waste movement. He looked at the next villain, shrinking him to finger size and making him appear in the palm of his hand. Two more followed the same fate in rapid succession. The remaining three tried to swarm him, but Cid simply stepped back, the distance shifting so their attacks passed harmlessly through empty air and were shrunk and deposited into Cid's hand.
The villains started complaining loudly as they were collected.
"Hey! What the hell is this?! This isn't fair!"
One of them looked over at Mirio, who had just knocked out another with a clean uppercut. The thug's eyes widened in horror at the sight of his friends being pummeled by the cheerful blonde.
The complaining stopped immediately. The captured villains went quiet, mentally thanking whatever luck had let them get taken down by the guy in black instead of the grinning maniac who was phasing through punches and hitting like a truck.
Within moments it was over. All thitrteen villains were secured, seven were in Cid's palm, the rest were knocked unconscious or restrained by Mirio.
Not long after the police arrived and took the villains into custody and took an incident report from the two before leaving.
Mirio dusted his hands off with a bright laugh. "Not bad teamwork, Ratio! You made it look easy like you were a pro."
Cid just shrugged, a faint smile tugging at his lips as they walked away. "You weren't half bad yourself, Lemillion."
Mirio's grin widened. "High praise coming from you. Come on, let's hand these guys off and finish the patrol. I'll buy you a drink after — non-alcoholic, of course. Sir would kill me if I corrupted his new favorite intern."
Cid huffed a quiet laugh, the small smile staying on his face as they started walking again.
The rest of the route passed without further incident. By the time they returned to the agency, the sun was beginning to set. Mirio clapped him on the back one last time.
"Same time tomorrow? We make a pretty good team."
Cid nodded, while smiling. "Yeah. We do."