Chapter 16: Volume 7, pt 1 VS Hero Killer
Final Night of Internships
It's time.
That boy… he was somewhere in this town. Enji should have never given him permission to use his Quirk however he liked, and then let him run off with those weaklings he called friends. He was wasting his potential, his training, this opportunity to see a Pro. at work and understand the true sacrifices required to be a Hero.
But no matter. The boy was learning evasion at least, and had kept away from him for two days. He was in for a thorough punishment, but his time hadn't been utterly wasted. Perhaps he would do better in another school? No. That was the sleep deprivation talking. U.A. was the only school that would carry the needed prestige.
A pair of other Heroes on patrol or hunting nodded to Endeavor as he passed, but he didn't acknowledge them. He'd come here to show Shoto the truth of villain hunting, while they'd come for glory or out of some sense of duty to their corporate masters. They were all hollow, and weak.
Stomping further toward the outskirts, Endeavor tried to avoid the lot of them. Shoto would come to him before long. Yes. He just had to find a way to draw him out. If he could catch Stain, Shoto would come to see his victory. Or, perhaps if he started a fire in the abandoned districts and he was called in to stop it with his fire? No. No, he couldn't be so blatant, nor risk the civilians that might be using it. No… he simply needed to find the Hero Killer. His battle would be swift, but draw attention. Shoto would have no choice but to come and observe, or at least be present during the interview of the event. If he didn't come, he could make an announcement to the other Heroes that his intern vanished earlier and that was why he was so determined to catch the villain. Yes…
"Your eyes hold insanity and evil in them, fake… your time is not long for this world."
Endeavor spun around, leveling his arm at the spot where the voice had originated from, intent on incinerating the insulter. He paused. No one was there.
"Had I encountered you on any other day, in any other state, you would not see me."
He whirled again, this time not waiting to start releasing gouts of dull red flames to rake across the wall of the nearest building. Again: nothing. The fire didn't even catch on anything but the trash-bins.
"What sort of Hero lashes out at their surroundings without thought?" the voice sneered, "Risking damage to those you're supposed to protect, merely to strike down an unknown voice?"
"Silence yourself and let me kill you!" Endeavor roared, managing orange flames this time as he sent a wave through the entire street, expanding from his body in a circular pattern, trying to catch the annoyance.
For a moment, all was silent, and he thought he might have caught him. Then it came again, right behind him.
"I have no intention of dying to a fraud like you, Enji Todoroki, Endeavor, the #2 Hero…"
Endeavor didn't bother turning, instead blasting out a thin stream from between his shoulder blades. He heard the glass of a nearby window crack from the heat.
"You're slow tonight," it continued, almost cackling, "You've been awake too long, wasting time chasing someone who doesn't wish to be found. Your son may yet escape your curse. Would you deprive him of that right?"
"I don't need a single hour's sleep to destroy a gnat like you!"
"They why have you failed to even see me?"
Blasting some fire from his boots, Endeavor tried to gain the height to see the figure, but his leap barely cleared the rooftops. He wasn't at his peak, as he should have been. He would have to find a way to mitigate his weaknesses. But first he needed to identify his blasted target!
"Fight me like a man, you coward! If I'm a fake, say it to my face!"
"...Very well."
As Endeavor landed, a figure stepped out of the shadows. He wore blades and steel across his body, with waving and drifting fabrics giving him an ethereal appearance. It could be no other, the red scarf and pale mask cementing his identity.
"Speak what you will, that I may kill you and prove to the world the might of my righteous crusade."
A long, ragged tongue swept out to hang in the air, but oddly enough, his speaking didn't suffer from it. Or it did, and Endeavor was just that tired.
"You would have been spared, had I met you in another time and way," he repeated, "You are strong, Endeavor. You perform more acts of villain removal and mass rescues than any other Hero, and even All Might. Yet your motivations and acts show that you are not a Hero for others, but for your own desires. Not merely to provide to your family the safety and security of your livelihood and in case of your passing, but excess you have squandered on your own desires. A successor you forged in fire and quenched in the blood of his siblings. A family you crafted rather than built. You act correctly, but your heart is corrupt, and where the center is rotten: the whole will soon follow. So I will cut you down now as a martyr, rather than a fallen symbol. Be this my one and final gift to you, for your service."
His little speech infuriated Endeavor, but he couldn't bring himself to move or contradict him. Once he shut up though, Endeavor was able to flare up his arm fire and growl a response.
"You talk too much. Prepare to join the rest of those who've tried to kill me. Tartarus or Hell, I don't care which underworld you pick."
Flinging his arms behind him, keeping his eyes on the villain, he fired blue-white jets from his palms, rocketing forward and impacting the fool. He was just fast enough to catch the villain as he tried to dodge, his head impacting the Hero Killer's sternum and launching him into the air. Endeavor followed, leaping up and after him.
But Stain didn't take the attack or try to counter. He simply landed a boot on Endeavor's face and pushed off, gaining more height. Roaring in fury at the dismissive and disgusting attack, Endeavor continued to jet after him.
Going for a right hook, Endeavor twisted at the last second as the long, curved blade came toward his arm. The man's tongue was a dead give-away that it was more than an affectation. His dexterity with it, the ragged appearance, they told Endeavor a story he could hear clearly even when on the edge of death. That tongue had been calloused by the touch of blades, and he'd developed it with the use of a Quirk in mind. Which meant his intent was to cut and then taste the blood. What it did after that he didn't know, but denying an enemy their toolset was critical to such a battle.
Of course, that meant… going on the defensive.
"I'll incinerate you… bastard."
"You will try."
Tsunagu sighed, pressing his forehead with a pair of fingers as he tried to rationalize what to do with his interns. Had he known the true extent of their foolery, he would have taken only one of them.
Monoma's superiority complex led him to assume he was simply better than those around him, and continually antagonize those around him in order to prove that he was not only better but significantly so. While an understanding of one's own abilities was a crucial step in being a Hero, underestimating others and overestimating one's own side were failings which would end up getting someone killed. But humbling him seemed only to drive him to further wish to prove his place.
He had to be placed in a situation where he would be able to see the plainness of his world and how he truly fit into it. Empathy and understanding of others beyond bias were abilities his Quirk couldn't grant him, but he needed to attain.
Bakugo meanwhile, was almost the opposite issue. He claimed he was the best and would be the best, yes, but he took the time to back those claims with proof and training. He accepted where he was inferior to others and took flying leaps to surpass them. Yet, he was also terribly socially inept. He fought with anyone he perceived as insulting him, even when the slight was merely a confused glance. He was more stubborn than Monoma, who at least had a fluidity to his arguments and biases that could shift when met with fact.
Tsunagu needed to show him how wide the gap truly existed between himself and the dangers he couldn't simply blow up, but at the same time he had to push Bakugo to be more than a fighter. The world didn't need another Endeavor or purely combat-oriented Pro.. He needed to experience it himself…
"I've decided to give you two free rein tonight," Best Jeanist informed them, finally looking up at the pair.
They were sitting in their usual spots across his desk, both refusing to remove their Hero Costumes, even to don his required jeans. Both had worn them the first few days, but… well, they'd started ignoring the mandate at one point, and he hadn't pushed the issue. Fashion could come second with these two.
"Free rein, sir?" Monoma asked, respectfully.
"He means I get to go out and blast some mooks tonight!" Bakugo grinned, popping a few explosions in his hands.
"No."
Both of them blinked at him, confused.
"You do not get to fight," Jeanist clarified.
Standing up and stepping around, he pointed to the pair.
"You have the next 24 hours to use your Quirk as you would like, and go where you would like. You have that time to impress me."
He raised his finger up to show a point.
"However, you're only allowed to use your Quirk for propulsion or support for other Heroes," he continued, "No combat, not evasion of attacks, nothing related to other people whatsoever."
Leaning against his desk, Tsunagu folded his arms and sighed.
"You two have yet to show me you are capable of growth. Of achieving the title of Hero. Perhaps I have given you a size too small, and constrained your ability to act well? Perhaps the size has been too large and left you with a need to hold your belt? But now you are free. Let us see what you can accomplish."
With that, he stepped away, heading towards the door. He knew they would have questions, but they'd failed to ask any of the right ones thus far, or to listen when he provided the answers. He would simply have to wait and see.
Stepping out of his office, he gestured for one of his sidekicks to come close.
"Watch Monoma tonight. Don't interfere with whatever he does, and make sure he doesn't see you," he whispered.
Receiving a nod, Tsunagu slipped into a side room to avoid his interns. They couldn't realize he was planning to follow them and watch. They had to assume they really were free to act.
The sound of the door slamming open a moment later was all the proof he needed they'd bought it. Jeanist slid an earpiece out of a pocket, glad he'd thought to place a tracker and microphone on Bakugo's headpiece a few days earlier when they'd stopped wearing his jeans.
["...said he wants to be impressed? Fine. I'll show him exactly what a real Hero ought to be doing right now."] Bakugo was spouting.
["You don't consider Best Jeanist a real Hero?"]
["Have you not been paying attention?! The Hero Killer's only a city away, and we're not over there helping take him down! So I'm gonna show all those Pros. wasting their time: what it takes to get a job done! I'm gonna take on the villain even the #4 Hero won't face down! If he's not impressed by that, then he's more of a denim-obsessed idiot than I thought!"]
["When will you learn…? I take it you're going to use your Quirk against him? Directly disobey Best Jeanist's orders? Assume it's a logical ruse?"] Monoma asked, sounding very tired.
["Nah,"] Bakugo growled, surprising Tsunagu, ["He knows I'm able to break rules when it's time to get shit done. What he doesn't know is that I can bend 'em too. See, there's this rarely used loophole in the law that's never been removed. "Civilian Arrests." So long as the capture is handed over to the police without the use of a Quirk, and is performed after directly observing a crime, anyone can take down a criminal. I'll show everyone I'm better than any Hero, even All Might. I'll take down the Hero Killer with my fists, not my Quirk!"]
Monoma sighed, a hiss of static on the earpiece.
["Well, as for me: I'm going to start patrolling some of the rowdier parts of town. With all the other Pros. in Hosu, there's more crime heading up in this area. I'll show you what a real Hero does when a major villain is bothering another city."]
Bakugo just snorted and walked away, the mic unable to pick up anything else Monoma said.
So… Bakugo was going to actually follow the rules, but he was going to stay on his own path? Interesting. He'd have to be careful about how far behind he trailed. If Bakugo suspected he was being followed, he wouldn't act differently, but he would absolutely be more inclined to try tempting Best Jeanist into changing the rules for him by guilting him with how dangerous his opponents were. But if he remained too distant, he wouldn't be able to react quickly enough should he get close to death.
Exiting the room, Best Jeanist strolled casually after Bakugo's stomping feet. He passed Monoma in a hall, adamantly not looking at him or acknowledging him as he tried to ask where he was going. He would have to go after Bakugo in a roundabout fashion, in order not to give away his intent. Problematic, given how quickly Bakugo was learning to fly.
Lassoing the nearest building with a fiber from his sleeve, Jeanist pulled himself toward his usual patrol route, hoping to lose Monoma's inevitable attempt at pursuit. He would have a very long night ahead of him. All of them would.
"He's really that bad?" Jiro asked, a bit of warriness in her voice.
"The HPSC seems to think so," Uwabami sighed, "We were supposed to get a preview of the commercial I got for the three of us, but now we'll have to wait until we say our goodbyes in the morning. I was hoping to take you dress shopping too… What do you say to a big breakfast and a little bit of overtime tomorrow? I can fly you back before your train would be setting in. Make a show of it?"
"I'm not opposed," Kendo yawned, "Just promise that after we catch this guy: we'll get a motel or something? I'm kind of pooped."
"Same," Jiro agreed, trying to stretch a little in the seat behind her.
Uwabami laughed. These girls were starting to grow on her more than she'd been prepared to admit. Kendo especially. She'd shown potential, but Uwabami hadn't expected her to blossom so suddenly and so fully under the tutelage of Jiro. Perhaps for their Work-Study in a year or so, she could teach them the deeper aspects of her job.
As the Hood came over Hosu, Uwabami began to look for somewhere to set down quietly. She'd need a place where no one would recognize her craft, even while in stealth mode. The problem was, not a lot of buildings were built to hold something as wide as the Hood landing on them.
Heading over the train line, she tried to locate maybe a pair of close buildings or a tower where she could park quietly.
"Hey," Kendo called up, pointing to a pair of apartment buildings which were closer together than was probably rational, "That's not bad. No one would really be looking there either, since it's below the train line."
"Nice eye, Kendo!" Uwabami praised, tilting and easing her way over.
She tried to position either end of the Hood so it would balance between them without drawing attention or sliding around. It wasn't particularly difficult, but it was quite time-consuming.
With the cabin sealed, Uwabami never felt the attack coming from her snakes, but years of Hero activity meant she was attuned to all of her senses. She saw the flash of orange to her left, and threw her stick to the side on instinct. It was only just enough.
An object smashed through her port wing, shattering it just shy of the propeller. Had she not moved, it would have gone right through and been shredded alongside them as the debris blasted out. As it was, they were still crashing, but had time to react.
"Jiro, Kendo: Eject!" she screamed, pulling her own lever.
The canopy burst and the three of them were launched into the air. For a moment, she had to readjust to the air, but almost instantly Uwabami recognized what was happening.
"Endeavor?!" she called, seeing the #2 Hero fly past the oncoming train.
Her blood chilled and boiled as she saw why he'd been smashed through her beloved Hood. Stain was leaping after him, bouncing off the carcass of the Hood as he pursued his prey.
"Uwabami, the Hood!" Jiro called, pointing to the craft as it spun out of control, the unexpected weight throwing off the crash sensors.
Unstrapping from her chair and fast-action parachute, Uwabami tried to get back onto it and control the mechanical beast, but she was too late. It smashed into the rail and grazed the train, tearing through the vehicle and sending it into a writhing sprawl, barely still on the rails thanks to the magnetic safety systems. She could hear the screams with her ears as well as her snakes.
"Girls: help the civilians! I'm going after Stain!" she called, jumping free and catching the edge of the concrete barrier between the buildings and the line.
"Uwabami, wait!" one of them called, but she didn't have time to figure out which.
Endeavor should have been able to take this guy with ease. Something was wrong, and she couldn't let him try any more ultra-risk gambles. She managed to jump over the entire train, spotting the falling, flaming body of her coworker. Leaping down after them, she was glad she'd taken her leggings for this fight.
Using one of her snakes, Uwabami managed to get a little swing off the edge of a passing building, landing on a fire escape and sliding down to the ground. It would be slower and easier to lose them, but she couldn't just leap around like flashier Heroes and not hurt herself. Her snakes didn't have the range for swinging, anyway.
Sprinting the moment she hit the ground, Uwabami hoped her interns would be alright.
"Oy, Midoriya?" Sorahiko called, gliding over to where the boy was drifting on his back.
He'd insisted Midoriya train flying on instinct in open air, even though he'd started picking up on how quite nicely. One of his various sets was to fly on his back, identifying constellations instead of looking ahead, which Sorahiko found he was able to do well and never fell during, even if it was after hours of flying. It proved his time limit was purely mental.
"Hm? Oh! Yes, Gran Torino?" he responded, clearly caught up in his training.
"What's up with your arm there?" he pointed to the various stripes along his bracer, "They distract the eyes well in a fight, but you've only got them on the one arm."
Midoriya touched his arm, smiling.
"These are kind of a memento to my past," he explained, "I've marked the colors of my personal Heroes. People who've helped me to grow."
"I see. And what about the sizes?"
"Well," he said, pointing to them from the shoulder down and explaining, "This top one is my Mom's. It's the color of her hair. She's… she's the one who's always believed in me and will always be my #1. Then this is All Might's in gold. He gave me this Quirk, so he got a thick one. This Pink is for Senchan- ah, Uraraka. She won the Sports Festival. I think her Quirk interacted with mine, and when I saw her in danger during the Entrance Exam: I first used Float. I think she helped unlock that ability, so I gave her and the color of her costume and the same breadth as All Might's. The Blue is for my first real friend other than her: Ida. I think he's in the city below us somewhere right now, actually. He didn't unlock a Quirk, so he gets a thin one like the stripe on his armor. Not to say he isn't important, but the others, well… it was really special to unlock a Quirk with them."
"Then… you've already unlocked a third Quirk?" Sorahiko clarified, pointing to the third thick band.
"Yeah! During the Sports Festival, Tokoyami let me shake his Quirk's hand. He had the dark bird shadow thing. Apparently letting him fly was a really important connection, because he unlocked this odd shadow thing which spread along my hand. It actually held me together during the fight against Todoroki."
"Ah, which is why it's black. And you've been smart enough not to mess with it until you've got a better handle on what you can do with Float and your energy?"
"Yes, sir! Which is actually what these last three represent!" Midoriya grinned, "They're the three people who helped me unlock the Stockpile. Shinso here in Indigo like his hair, Nana in Violet like her lightning, and Todoroki in Red like his scar."
He seemed to pale and waved his hands around in panic.
"O-of course, y-you'll be the next color I put on! You helped me get a hold of it too, so I'm thinking medium yellow, like your cape!"
"I don't care if you put me on your arm," Sorahiko grumbled, looking away and trying not to feel soft about having a new kid who looked up to him, "Just don't let people find out. Villains love using little touches like that against Heroes."
Midoriya nodded, before looking at his hand and clenching his fist.
"I know, but I won't let myself forget where I've come from. I'll keep adding colors to this arm until it's a brilliant flag of my past, so everyone can see how many people build a true Hero before they can be a Symbol."
"You're all kinds of sentimental, kid. You'll be lucky if it doesn't get you killed," he sighed.
"Yeah…"
They flew on for a bit. Sorahiko decided to test one of the theories he had on why Midoriya fell while flying.
"When you stargaze, do you think about any of them?"
"Hm? Well… sometimes. Why?"
"Do you think of anyone else while you fly?"
Midoriya frowned, glancing at the ground and sighing.
"Yeah. My old friend. He- whoa!"
So it was this person, Sorahiko thought, noticing Midoriya's flight fail him as he thought about this "old friend."
He managed to recover, but only barely.
"When was the last you saw this "friend"?" Gran Torino asked.
"When we all left for our internships, why?"
Sorahiko sighed.
"When you think about him, your emotions weigh you down. That feeling in your stomach that you're feeling when you fall: it's interfering with your ability to Float. You have to fix this connection or destroy it, or you'll never truly break free from the ground!"
"But Kacchan is-"
"He's a weakness!" Gran Torino insisted, "Unless you can make him a strength or a non-entity, you'll always be restrained by this relationship. I'm not able to give homework anymore, but you're gonna do this for me next time you see him: you're going to take a long look at him and ask yourself: "Is this person worth anchoring myself to ineptitude?""
Midoriya nodded, seeming to hate himself for doing so.
"Good, then we'll have no more of-"
An explosion shot through the air, and the two turned to see something wracking the train as it passed. Midoriya would already be moving towards it, his instinct to save people without thinking probably still too strong to override with will alone. Sadly… it was also an action Gran Torino would be taking.
They shot toward the train at breakneck speeds, Midoriya falling slightly behind.
"Evacuate anyone close to the explosion or who's close to falling debris, I'll check inside!" he shouted, shooting toward the breach and zipping inside.
"Right!"
He'd given Midoriya a clear objective, which would hopefully keep him occupied for at least a few minutes.
Punching up to the front of the train, Gran Torino made sure not to hit anyone as he checked the engineer's compartment to identify the safeties were active and the other Heroes in the area had been alerted. There were a lot of bruises… too many bloody heads from quick impacts… this was going to be a long night.
I just hope whatever hit the train doesn't come back for a second pass...
"Todoroki! Tailman!" Ingenium (V) called, chopping his arm down from his helmet, "I've received word from Indelible! A train has just been struck by some kind of aircraft! Endeavor was seen nearby, but he looked injured! They're calling on us!"
Tailman looked over from the other side of the street, readying his tail and bouncing over.
"Of course, the old man did something stupid and got hit by a train," Shoto sighed, "Well, at least we'll get to show him up too."
"Now is no time for frivolity, Todoroki!" his armored friend chopped, "We must save the civilians!"
They nodded, and got into motion. Shoto summoned his ice slide, heading to arc up over the buildings and go straight there. Tailman was already on the rooftops, leaping toward the glow of fire. It wouldn't take them long to intercept, but the few seconds between then and now could be critical.
"Tailman: Give me a boost!" he shouted, seeing the train was still moving a little.
"Right!"
Leaping off his ice, Shoto braced himself in a crouched position as Tailman whipped around. His tail swung with full force, and Shoto pushed off. He was launched toward the line at tear-jerking speed, and would have been paste if not for his ice. He managed to create a looping spiral around it, slowing him and guiding him up to the front.
Shoto slid onto the nose, seeing some old Hero up in the front trying to wake up the conductor and engineer. Well, that wasn't going to be helpful anytime soon.
Kicking his right foot into the steel, Shoto shot a beam out from the nose, along with various supports down to each cross-beam. They weren't terribly sturdy, but the ice proved enough of a hurdle that each one broken would slow the train. He needed to get it to slow down more easily now, but he did need it to stop.
The first few structures snapped and crumbled with ease, but as they continued to impact them: the massive construct started to jostle and reduce speed. By the time it was starting to grind to a halt, Ingenium (V) had managed to race up somewhere and was approaching atop one of the dividers.
"Oy, kid! What are you doin' out there?!" an elderly voice growled.
Shoto looked up from where he was continuing to make arctic brakes. The yellow-and-white Hero was leaning out of one of the windows, glaring across at him.
"Trying to slow this train for you!"
"And who are you, using your Quirk publicly at your age?!"
"We're the U.A. Improvised Rescue Squad!" Ingenium (V) called, saluting as he passed, "We'll take care of the civilians, Honored Elder! There are reports that Endeavor was seen close to this accident, and might have seen the cause! Please see to his aid while we handle this!"
"You kids ever help a train-crash before?"
"No, sir, but we're ready anyway!" Shoto called, starting to send a wave of ice down either side to start giving the train some extra friction brakes.
"Fine! Just try not to make things worse!" the old Hero called, slipping back inside and vanishing.
"Todoroki!" Ingenium (V) called, "Can you make us a platform or slide from the sides to one of those buildings? We need to start evacuating the wounded and clearing the train before any more damage can occur!"
The armored student leapt onto the side, gesturing out at the forest of rooftops they were passing by, even as they slowed.
"We need to get this thing stopped, or it'll just be left behind!" he shouted, shaking his head, "The old guy didn't seem to be able to stop it, so I don't know if I can do much more than hold it down!"
Ingenium (V) nodded.
"We'll start evacuating who we can then, getting them behind the train. I'll send anyone up to help as we go."
Giving him a short salute, Ingenium (V) leapt back off the train and raced down the side to the open portion. Shoto watched him go, seeing a pair of figures already working on removing people. One of them seemed to have a large hand quirk, which was similar to one of their classmates. She even seemed about as tall as Tailman beside her. Huh. Maybe it was Kendo. But then… where was Jiro?
Shaking his head, Shoto prepared to continue slowing the train, but paused. Something felt… off. But what was it? He closed his eyes and tried to figure out what had caused his hesitation. Nothing looked different. The sounds were unfamiliar but consistent. His ice was forming just-
Shoto looked at his foot. Then his hand. He wasn't frosting up. But he was using massive amounts of ice. Why wasn't he cold? He hadn't used his fire yet.
His eyes fell on his grip. The train's engine was still running. It would be fighting to make up speed, fuel still burning. Even if he stopped it, it wouldn't do them any good!
Forming himself an ice bridge, Shoto ran around the side to the window, still open after the elderly Hero had gone back in. It was too small for either of them to enter, but that wasn't a factor anymore. Forming a layer of frost, Shoto lit up his flames and smashed through the glass and thin steel.
Getting inside, he grabbed one of the operators and ran them to the back of the engine. He kicked in the door to the next car, throwing them onto the other side before going back to get the others. They weren't too heavy, and he was done in only a few minutes.
Slamming the doors closed, Shoto got back outside and prayed his plan would work. Readying a ball of fire in his hands, he slid over to the coupler and tried to melt it. The metal was thick, but he figured it would be. Once it was warm, he froze it, then heated it again. He went back and forth, as fast as he could regulate, until the clip seemed brittle and soft. With a final arctic blast, he snapped the line in half.
The engine started to pull ahead instantly, while the other cars started slowing to his previous effort. He shot off a final glacial spout to cover the front in a little extra weight, before it left his range and Shoto was left to try and stop the runaway engine.
Always the fun jobs...
"Two grand fakes in one night!" Stain laughed, looking down on the black-garbed woman who'd caught up to him and his little bout with Endeavor, "Soon the world will come to fear my very image, and those who take up the name of Hero will be only the pure and mighty, those worthy of the title!"
Leaping from his perch, Stain swung at the woman, noticing some confusion in her eyes as he attacked directly. Was her Quirk something to do with causing hesitation? He didn't know her on sight, but the outfit said she was at least a somewhat popular Hero.
His blades snapped forward, and her vipers pushed them aside, but that was his intent. He'd already scraped one of them, which meant he just needed a taste of the leftmost snake to finish his battle. Stain brought the animal close, giving it a quick lap with what remained of his oral limb, feeling his Quirk activate as the woman tensed, falling to the ground.
"One of fame, the other of glory," he cackled, grinning with evident rage, "You will be culled in the name of a brighter future."
Stepping over to Endeavor, he held up his katana and plunged it down.
A yellow and white blur whipped through his weapon, knocking Stain's balance off as his blade snapped. He wasn't able to react quickly enough to stop the attack, but once he saw it: he knew what he was dealing with. A speedster of some kind. Difficult, but not unstoppable.
Another impact hit him in the chest, knocking him aside. He shifted his grip to a reverse hold, preparing to use his weapon's remains as a knife. He couldn't track the movements of the attacker, but he could hear the way the thing bounced off the walls of the alley. He wasn't a flier, or at least not used to self-propulsion. Which meant he would be deflecting off them.
Enduring a dozen light hits, Stain waited until he felt the boots push off his back, then threw his sword up into the air. The steel caught a touch of the light, and he heard the body hesitate. Throwing six of his blades in a desperate move, he heard the grunt of one striking home.
Not worrying about what the attacker would do, Stain rushed his fallen weapons. He saw two of them had blood, so he went for one that was clean. His ploy worked, and as the enemy kicked the blades back at him, Stain extended his tongue.
The bloodied blade pierced his tongue, but that had been the plan. The Pro. froze in mid-kick, crumpling to the ground and growling something obscene which Stain was fairly certain meant very mean things, but he was actually quite confused why "non-Taiyaki-flavored" was part of the repertoire of insults.
Ripping the dagger out of his tongue, careful not to activate his Quirk on himself, Stain swallowed and groaned.
"Not bad, old man," he applauded gruffly, "You would've had me beat on another day. Sadly for you, this B.G. Witch decided to piss me off, and I was willing to risk my weapons to finish this quickly."
He glanced over the old fool who'd opposed him. He seemed even more elderly than Stain had expected. He might keel over and die without Stain's having to do anything. Not to mention, a Hero fighting this long after retirement…
"I'll let you live, Honored Elder," he decided, "You may yet pass on your wisdom of this day and others to those who are not yet corrupted."
"I'll… pass on… how I beat you… villainous punk…" the old Hero growled, trying to get up and failing, "You're too much trouble to be around my student…"
"If your student is true, I will pave a path to true glory for your student. A world they will be able to live in freely."
"It's not… because you're a danger to him."
That caught Stain's attention.
"Oh?"
"He's… too impulsive," the elder said, scowling up at him, "He has to save everyone… or so he believes. He throws himself into situations he's not ready for. Which means… as long as you're around: he'll have no choice but to be ready to fight you, for the sake of those he cares about."
Stain grinned, before laughing, throwing his head back and letting it out.
"A True Hero indeed!" he roared in triumph, "Then perhaps, if All Might is unable to halt me: I will let this student of yours kill me!"
Something smashed into Stain's back, hard and metallic. He crashed into the nearest wall, rounding on the new offender with what remained of his sword and his last open knife in hand. It was… a kid. A kid wearing a green suit, with white arms and black leggings.
"Is this your "student"?" he asked the old one.
"He also needed a distraction," the Hero confirmed, "I'm gonna have to knock his head for this, but until I can get up: he's got permission to throw you around a bit. Should be good practice for if a real villain shows up someday."
Growling for the old man to be silent, Stain leveled his blades at the newcomer.
"And what do they call you, Student?"
The boy didn't answer, his eyes darting to each of the three Pros. on the ground around him, and then to the various walls, weapons, and finally to Stain himself. The kid was ignoring him… good. He didn't know what Stain's quirk was, so he'd be inclined to act cautiously.
"Gran Torino," the boy said, suddenly, looking down at the old one, "If I fight him in this space, there's a chance I could break his bones."
"Better his than yours," Gran Torino coughed, "Go nuts."
"Yes, Sir!"
Suddenly, the boy was gone. He was almost as fast as the old man! The green bolt rocketed around, sometimes shifting direction in unnatural ways as he deflected off various places. Stain held his guard, ready to slash the kid's arm or something and just put him with his mentor. He was an unknown, and Endeavor would be getting up any time now.
But the boy didn't attack. He just kept moving around, his pattern indiscernible. What was he doing? Buying time? He'd been told he could only fight until Gran Torino got back up, so did that imply he didn't want to fight at all?
My blades! Stain realized, suddenly noticing what the kid was doing.
He'd systematically distracted Stain by making himself the target of focus, and while the Hero Killer had been working to figure out his enemy, he'd been free to pick up and somehow vanish all of the spare weapons in the alley, including some of the more freely available debris. This kid was good, he'd give him that.
"A Hero cannot fear a villain…" he hissed, stepping toward Gran Torino.
He had no intent to kill the man before, nor now, but if it would make the kid act rashly: he could leave a few scars.
Another blow smashed into him, this time on his left arm, the one holding his knife. He'd been aiming to stab with his sword, and his grip was loose, so the impact made him release it, but in the moment the boy's hand went to grab the last of his intact weapons, Stain's fingers twirled the blade and managed to catch his glove.
In a rush of air and pain, the boy kicked Stain in the ribs, leaping back and away from a deeper cut. But the tiny drop was all he needed. Loosing his tongue and being careful to keep the tip up so he could distinguish the blood, he licked his blade and froze the boy.
"Not bad," he admitted, as the student crashed into a bin and froze up, "In fact, I'd even say your potential is formidable. But you lack true experience, and even my limited training shows me you're restraining yourself. Afraid, Student? Perhaps wary of harming another? Fear can have no place in your profession. Conquer it, lest I cull you when next we meet."
Now, finally, he could kill Endeavor.
Stepping over to the burning body, he brought his blade to the man's neck. There was a twitch of finger, and Stain recoiled with practiced ease, crouching and readying his weapons. But Endeavor didn't stand.
He might be playing possum… Stain rationalized, I should freeze him again, just to be certain.
Easing back towards the #2, he slid his sword forward and grazed the man's wrist. He groaned and sluggishly tried to retaliate. So, just sleep-deprived then. Stain sighed in relief as he re-paralyzed him, stepping up to stab him a final time.
He knew what to listen for now, and dodged the Hero Student's attack, but only just.
"So… I only have a few seconds with you, huh?" he muttered.
He'd never had the chance to extensively check out his Quirk's limitations. He knew he could choose when it activated and deactivated, so long as there was time left, but he didn't know if the amount of blood could vary things. Based on this kid already being up: he must have an O-type blood and some combination of minimal consumption to prevent his staying down. He could deal with that.
"It's blood type then," the boy confirmed, gritting his teeth.
"Perhaps. Or maybe I just got tired of holding them all down and decided you weren't a threat?"
The boy shook his head.
"I saw you snag Gran Torino. He had only a bit more blood than me when you got it, and he's still frozen. Plus, you just got more of Endeavor's, meaning it's timed. There might be other factors, but the reason I'm free has to be blood type."
Stain's eyes lit up. Clever kid.
"True. You have wit, Student."
"I also have a name," he challenged, getting back into his ready stance, "One I can tell you, now that I know it won't put me at a disadvantage."
"Then name yourself, Hero Student," Stain offered, "And let us conclude this battle. I may prefer to use my Quirk to leave those alive who I deem worthy, but I can still use traditional methods to ensure you don't bother me again tonight."
"My name is: Deku!" he shouted, crouching as if to spring, "And I won't stop bothering you until the day you're locked up for good!"
Stain grinned broadly, glad to have found at least one true Hero in this city. He lunged, and the boy leapt into the air. He should have come back down right into Stain's stabbing motion, but instead he spun in midair and grabbed Gran Torino. He pulled the old man towards the others, almost faster than Stain could track.
He turned to pursue, but stopped short at the new figure standing there.
"Hey. Name's Earphone Jack," she said, smirking, "You can go to sleep now."
Then Stain's ears began to bleed, sheer agony rushing through his head.
Deku slid to a stop beside the other two Heroes, setting Gran Torino back down. None of them seemed to have more than a scratch, but they were all still down and out. He'd have to hold Stain off until they could either support him or get the others out of there.
"I'll be back," he promised.
"Go on," his mentor sighed, "Back up your friend. We'll be fine. Have fun..."
Ignoring the old man's sarcasm, Deku leapt back over to Earphone Jack's side, catching her as she fell to one knee. She'd poured everything into a sonic blast that had shattered every window in her way and cracked many of the bricks. It was an effective signal flare, as well as a way to keep the killer down for a few seconds.
"Nice timing, Jack," Deku said softly, helping her regain her balance, "You think you can get in a few smaller ones?"
She swallowed and nodded.
"Just… buy me a few seconds."
That he could do.
One-for-All: Full Cowl!
The emerald lightning danced along his skin, leaping to 5% as he regulated it through his body. Taking up his stance, he leapt at the villain without hesitation. He had to ensure he stopped getting up, or else that he not be given time to plan.
Stain was good alright. He'd pulled his mask off and tied it around his head like a bonnet, sealing off his ears entirely and packing the canals with the excess to help prevent the pain. He ground his teeth, leaping at Deku with murder in his eyes. Deku knew this would be the hardest part. If he attacked close in, the blades would get him, but he couldn't just wait Stain out without risking Jiro.
Looks like it's time to play defense, he decided.
He positioned himself just out of range of Stain's blades, leaning just slightly as the weapon came whistling through the air. Just like he'd been doing with Edgeshot, he punched the flat as it came by, knocking it aside. Deku continued dodging, deflecting where he could, careful not to let Stain twist at the last moment and nail him.
Deku saw one swing coming overly far, and noticed the knife slipping down where it would be blocked from his vision by the other arm for a moment. He wouldn't fall for something so simple, and Stain had to know that. He did the only thing that came to mind: he retreated an extra foot.
"Move!"
He acted without thinking, flying back and over Earphone Jack as she sent out another, smaller wave of sound. He caught sight of Stain, who simply grinned and started walking through the pulsating waves of Jiro's heartbeat.
"Shit, I think I broke his eardrums! He's not gonna flinch at me now!" Earphone Jack shouted, bringing her jacks out and behind her back.
"So much for that plan," Deku sighed, flying back in to keep the villain off her, "Any last-minute strategies?"
Earphone Jack didn't answer. Deku didn't have time to look back at her, but he did notice something about Stain. The Hero Killer was unsteady on his feet. He continually tilted and stumbled unexpectedly, but clearly not intentionally.
"I think you got his inner ear too!" Deku called back, "He's off-balance!"
"Balance…"
Deku almost thought he'd imagined her whisper, but the way she'd caught onto that word caught his attention in turn. Leaning back, Deku managed a two-legged kick directly into Stain's stomach, launching him back a bit.
"Any last minute, last-minute strategies?" he checked, starting to feel a bit sore.
He could dodge Stain's attacks just fine now, and he was getting in a few blows, but with the imminent need not to receive even a glancing blow: he had to fight harder than Stain was, and he wasn't nearly as attuned to combat.
"Just one," Jiro sighed, clenching her fists and stepping up beside him, "Came up with it… 'bout now-ish, so we'll see how it goes. You think you could knock him out if you can get one hit in, unobstructed?"
Deku flexed his fingers. He could gauge the punishment this guy could take about now. If he could somehow hit with around 8%, he'd be out cold, but Deku could only safely fly that fast, not strike.
"Yeah, I think I might be able to make it work," he decided, praying his gambit would pay off.
"Good. When I give the word: you take him out. You'll only get one second or so, so don't screw it up."
"On it."
He took off into the air, swinging around to float behind Stain. The Hero Killer didn't even hesitate. He sprinted for Earphone Jack, tongue and blades extended.
Deku tensed and flew after him, worry gnawing at him as he prepared for their gambit.
Stain would make it to her first, which had to be real or else he wouldn't attack. But when he slashed, Deku felt his heart freeze up. She hadn't even moved to attack! She was just standing there, shaking in her stance.
As his blade came close, she suddenly dropped into a crouch, or more like a terrified ball. She held her hands over her cheeks, like she was trying to cover her ears and eyes at once, and panicked.
"WAIT!" she screamed, her voice filled with the broken emotions of a terrified girl who was about to be killed.
Deku felt everything slow down. Stain stumbled at that very moment, his blade straight-up whiffing. He tried to twist back, but as he caught his footing again, one of Jiro's Jacks lashed out from behind her head, invisible right up until it struck him in the back. Her terror was gone, as if it had never been. Deku hadn't known someone could control their own aura to that degree without a Quirk! Stain went rigid, the vibrations rushing up his spine too much for anyone to ignore in the first moment.
Curling up his legs, Deku eased 3% into them, struggling to keep the lower power in check, and 3% into boosting his Float.
Faux 9%: "Torino-style: Bryce Canyon SMASH!" he screamed, extending his legs and crashing into Stain's head.
The villain choked out a half-scream of rage, then fell over. He hit the ground hard, out for the count.
Deku slammed into the road beside him, breathing hard as he tried to keep his balance. He swung around as quickly as possible, getting back into a fighting stance like Edgeshot had shown him, wary of the Hero Killer. Was he… was he really done?
"I think… I think we got him," Deku sighed, breathing a bit heavily, "Earphone Jack, you don't happen to have any rope, do you?"
"I've got some spare restraint chord," came a new voice.
Deku glanced back at the sound, blinking as Uwabami and Gran Torino sat up and stretched a little. Evidently the Quirk had run its course, or his defeat had caused it to deactivate. Either way, he snapped his eyes back to the villain, not wanting to be caught off-guard again.
Uwabami patted his arm, stepping passed and starting to wind up Stain's arms and legs. Only then did Izuku relax.
"That was a pretty cool trick, Jiro-sa-" he caught himself, noticing she was back to a curled up state.
But she didn't seem scared. She seemed… almost to be crying.
Stupid Hero Killer. Just had to go and pull something fancy at the last second. Now she- now she was only going to be half a Hero. It didn't hurt that the blasted thing hurt to Jigoku and back.
"Jiro-san?" a voice cut into her thoughts.
Drying her eyes with an arm, Kyoka blinked up at who it was. Oh, it was just Midoriya. He looked so concerned for her. He was always so sincere like that.
"Y-yeah, I'm good," she lied, closing her hands so he wouldn't see.
Midoriya's eyes were too quick though, and he caught how she was holding her right hand. He knelt down beside her, taking her hand in his gloves. His frown deepened as she flinched a bit.
"Jiro… are you hurt?"
"Y-yeah…"
Why couldn't she just lie to him again? Say it was none of his business? He couldn't do anything! By the time Recovery Girl saw it, it'd be too late.
He eased her fingers apart, and gasped. There was so much empathetic pain in his voice, and in his eyes. She could see why Ochako was into him. He'd probably take her pain onto himself, if he could. Just pick it right up and walk away with her pain, so she couldn't be bothered by it anymore.
"Jiro… I have some first aid tape in my belt. If we-"
"Stop."
He blinked at her, shocked.
"It's already dead, Midoriya," she sighed, looking down at what remained of her right jack.
It was almost completely cut off. The barest hint of skin held the end onto her tendril, the exposed flesh showing both the red of muscle and the hint of metallic nerves. She brought her left jack over, tapping the metal tip and showing how it had no reaction. Even if it healed, it would be useless.
Midoriya stared at it, his eyes so full of an intense fire that she almost wondered if he was trying to fuse the thing back together with his eyes. Then he looked down at his right hand, clenched the fingers, and began to tug it off.
"Jiro… I might be able to help," he said, hesitation laced through his tone, "I- Do you trust me?"
"Not like you can really make it worse," she sighed, holding it up, "I shouldn't- It's just… I've had it as long as I can remember, ya know?"
He held his fingers over the cut, his expression strained. Midoriya stayed in place for a moment, not moving. Sweat dripped down his forehead, and she wondered what he was attempting.
Then, out of nowhere, he made his hand into the scissors shape, two fingers out and the others curled in. To her utter amazement, something else moved too. A pair of dark, smokey tendrils slid out of his fingers, mimicking them and holding a pair of fine points.
Placing his free hand under hers, he held the injury up just a bit more. Bringing the tendrils closer, he steadied his breathing and touched them to the first piece of metal he could find. Kyoka gasped as the two pieces were brought back together, and an electric bold shot through it. She forced herself to remain still, twinging a little as the smoke things sealed the pieces somehow, possibly by twisting their individual edges together.
He moved onto another, then another, until her cut seemed like an exposed electrical line, rather than a piece of flesh. As the last two connected, she felt sensation start to return to the jack's tip, though distant and very much like it had fallen asleep. A few tears welled up into her eyes as she realized she could at least make it to a doctor before giving up hope.
Midoriya pulled over his medical tape, wrapping the bits of flesh together tightly, so they wouldn't tug apart easily. He also wound her entire jack up, as if to be certain it wasn't bumped or jostled too much.
Once he was done, Midoriya sat back, evidently exhausted. His smoke stuff vanished, and he slumped against the wall.
"I hope that… at least it's not gonna fall off…" he managed, a tint of apology in his voice.
Kyoka couldn't let him simply get off that easily though. He'd just… he'd just given her more than anyone ever had. He'd given her back her jack!
Rushing the boy, she hugged him tighter than pretty much everyone but her family had ever experienced. Her tears hit his shoulder, and he tentatively hugged back.
"Thanks, Izuku," she whispered, unable to control her emotions like Uwabami would have wanted.
"S-sure thing!" he squeaked.
She grinned and pulled back. Leaning around, Kyoka placed a short, sweet kiss on his cheek. He seemed to turn more scarlet than Endeavor could manage on a good day, sputtering and making adorable noises not unlike a confused mouse.
Or maybe a bunny? Kyoka mused to herself, seeing his hood on his back still had the ear things.
"When you see Ochako next, tell her to get a move on, or I'll steal you for myself, yeah?" she managed, pulling on her training for one last time that night to not become a flustered mess.
Midoriya managed to nod once before going full limp and sagging against the wall. She giggled at his innocence, before turning to check on her mentor. The short yellow one, Gran Torino she thought, stepped past to start lecturing Midoriya, so she figured he was busy anyway.
"What'dya think?" she asked honestly, a little worried she'd be told her actions were incorrect.
Uwabami smiled at her like a proud mother.
"Jiro, no: Earphone Jack," she said, addressing her by her Hero title, "You applied my lessons perfectly. Viper-style? Flawless. Aura, vocal, and body control? Laser precise. You be sure to update me on your love life, young miss, because I have a lot to teach you."
She kicked Stain's leg, frowning a little at him.
"This one knew what I was doing, and was able to catch me pretty easily, so I had to shift to combat. Not to mention, Endeavor's life was on the line, so I couldn't play the slow game. But had I found him alone, I could have given you a show. Oh, the things I have yet to explain. Reading minds, suggestion implantation, presence suppression… oh, Jack: you're gonna be just overflowing with tricks when you graduate."
"Y-yeah…" Kyoka blushed, looking away.
It was a tender moment. Truly. If he hadn't been ready to throw down, he might have even mocked it. But instead, he was being cut off from his big win, all because Deku and Headphones had decided to suddenly pull out a new bag of tricks each and double-team the villain.
Katsuki clenched his fist. He wouldn't let them get away with this.
Soon enough, other Heroes started arriving, along with a police squad. At this rate, he'd have nothing left to do but watch the bastard go, and have to fly back to Best Jeanist with his tail between his legs and nothing to show for it. He wouldn't accept that!
As the Heroes began to talk about Endeavor, who was being loaded towards an ambulance, he noticed the villain starting to shift a little. Were they all idiots?! He was playing coy or coming around, and they were just letting him!
Suddenly, the ropes around his wrists snapped, and the Hero Killer leapt towards the civilians. He landed atop Endeavor, holding a pocket knife to the man's throat, crouched over his chest on the stretcher. All of the Pros stepped forward at once, but then he screamed and everyone froze.
"You Fakes!" he bellowed, "All so busy patting yourselves on the back, showing the hollow shams you are! Only three of you are worthy of life tonight, and soon only three of you will remain!"
The entire crowd seemed to be frozen, and even Katsuki felt a tightness in his chest. The guy just emitted this… aura. He felt like All Might, but instead of Hope and Coolness, he exuded Malice and Fear.
"My Purge shall cleanse this society of the weaklings who pretend to be Heroes, and the villains who act based on whims rather than the conviction of their hearts! For a better society tomorrow, clean of the grime of false Heroes!"
He held his free hand to his chest, his expression a wash of emotions so complex Katsuki didn't know where the rage began and the dedication ended.
"If not me, then someone after me will take up my name and my quest. I am the one stained with the blood! The one who will restore the ideals and true ideas of Heroes! Come! Just Try Me! Let's see your conviction matched against mine: you fakes! Not one of you will kill me, not tonight, nor any other! The only Hero who will be allowed to end my path is: THE SYMBOL OF PEACE: ALL MIGHT!"
No one was moving, and Katsuki took his chance, before the knife plunged. He leapt from the building, raising his arm and angling for behind the bastard.
"I Say You Die Anyways!" he shouted, swinging his gauntlet down as hard as he could and clubbing the villain across the back of the head.
He landed hard on his legs, unable to use his Quirk to stop himself, but the imparted energy to his foe had managed to help ease the impact. The Hero Killer fell to his side, a blank expression on his face as he gurgled something. Stain was defeated, but… something told him that the blow wasn't what had taken care of it.
Everyone seemed to gasp and come unfrozen, a few of the Heroes actually falling over. He sniffed at them, disappointed. They shouldn't flinch so easily if they were Pros..
"Villains always say annoying crap like that," he grumbled, trying to get up but wincing as the pain lanced up his knees, "It got on my nerves."
Some of the police officers came over, bringing a large body collar to secure Stain's arms with. One glanced to Katsuki, frowning in confusion.
"Um… young man? I'm afraid you'll have to come too. Illegal use of a Quirk, even in this situation, requires we have you brought in to-"
"You blind?! Do these things look like Quirks to you?!" he telled, swinging his gauntlets around, "I clubbed him with a brick! This ain't no vigilante nonsense, it's called Civilian Arrest! Get yourself outta my face!"
The officer backed off, clearly alarmed at his anger, despite the inability to stand.
"K-Kacchan?"
Katsuki glowered over at Deku.
"Yeah?!"
"N-nothing!" the nerd squeaked, "J-just, um… how did you get here? I thought you were with Best Jeanist over in-"
"He should have been," a painfully familiar voice said, descending behind Katsuki.
"Yeah… Kuso…" he swore.
Best Jeanist's hand swung down, cracking against Katsuki's skull.
"I told him to impress me by the end of the internship. Namely a deadline which is in… ah, six hours," he said, checking his watch, "Naturally, I followed him to be sure he didn't do something reckless, like attempt to fight an A-Rank villain without a Quirk. However… he acted when I could not."
The other Pros. seemed to shudder at the idea.
"You think I need a Quirk to take down a moron like that?!" Katsuki protested, rubbing his head, "Deku was gonna get into U.A. quirkless, and you think I couldn't do the same?!"
"I think you have an over-inflated opinion of yourself after getting in a-"
"I know I didn't beat him," Katsuki cut him off.
The group seemed stunned at that too. Bunch of amateurs, the lot of them.
"Way he was beat up? No way he could stand up to more than one attack," Katsuki grumbled, "I just finished him. Heck, his chest is so crushed I probably just jolted one of his ribs into a lung or something. Next time there's a villain that pulls this tawagoto, I'll beat 'em with my Quirk in a real battle, so you can all see: I'm gonna be the Hero who surpasses even All Might!"
A sigh came from Jeanist, but he didn't say anything. The rest blinked at him, surprised or something. Pansies.
"Now, will one of you all help me up? I broke my knees pulling you extras out of the fire, and I have to get back to Jeanist's place before dawn to rub this in Monoma's face!"