Chapter 11: Brighter Future
Hawks Agency, End of the Next Day
It was late afternoon, the Sun was beginning its set over the horizon, letting the artificial lights of Japan's cities to illuminate the dark. The day so far had been filled with as much crime as the two days prior; honestly, it was a bit concerning just how much crime was in Fukuoka, but no one seemed to pay it any mind.
Right now, Hawks sat in his agency's briefing room with his two students, soon to be heading towards Hosu City for their manhunt. The rest of the agency was staying behind to watch the city and all knew the drill, leaving their boss to drill into the newbies what they were doing.
"Remember, you two are sticking strictly to the north sector of the city unless someone else spots Stain." The red-winged hero stated with a serious look in his eyes. "You have your patrol routes, you coordinate with the HPD on any other small crimes in our area, and you call in anything suspicious, got it?"
"We understand." Fumikage responded, Dark Shadow already out and rubbing his claws together. "Engage on all threats but only pursue Stain until backup arrives."
Hawks raised his eyebrow. "Unless?"
"It's a matter of life and death and you find your body moving without telling it to." Izuku finished, a smile on his face. "In that case, any and use of force – both lethal and not – are permitted."
"As well as quirks." Hawks responded with his own smile. "Alright, now that I know you two know what to do..." Before walking over to the elevator and dropping down. "Let's get going; we'll miss the train in five minutes!"
Bullet Train, An Hour Later
"This kind of feels weird." Izuku said, sitting on top of the bullet train and watching as Tokyo city became visible to them. "I mean, I know it makes sense, and I shouldn't think otherwise, but…"
Hawks stuck his head in front of the greenette with a quizzical look. "But…?"
"I don't know, heroes on public transport?" Izuku replied with a shrug. "I guess I always thought heroes either ran or flew to wherever they needed to go, never really thought about them using transport unless it was a part of their gear."
A laugh came from the red-winged hero and he fell on his back, feathers shooting off him before he did so. "Ha! You think this is bad? Wait until you see Kamui Woods and Mt. Lady getting stuck in rush hour traffic trying to get to their next patrol sector."
Fumikage raised an eyebrow at that. "They drive?" At the hero's nod, the bird-boy tilted his head. "But both are more than capable of traversing their cities with ease."
Hawks shrugged his shoulders and sat back up. "Eh, I don't know why they don't just run around but I'm not gonna ask either." His feathers shot back to him and he started playing with them. "As long as it's not happening in my city, all's good."
"I've been meaning to ask about that actually." Izuku said, poking back in. "What exactly is your criteria when choosing sidekicks? And how do Tsukuyomi and I fit into it?"
"Oh, that's easy." Hawks started. "Every hero in my agency needs to be fast, disciplined, determined, and most importantly." His eyes widened and grabbed both of his students by the back of their costumes, pulling them off of the bullet train just in time for a grey blur to rush past them. "Adaptable."
"Grah! Arghh!" Said grey blur stopped in the air and revealed itself to be a flying Nomu; lean in build and suspending itself in the air with some kind of jet quirk on its shoulders and calves. "Ragh!" And it wasn't alone.
"Look out!" This time, Izuku activated 20% of One For All before swinging back at an incoming winged Nomu with a kick.
"Wagh!" However, this yellow-skinned Nomu flapped its dragon-like wings hard, stopping itself short and letting the greenette's hit miss. "Zagho!" Then proceeded to vibrate a bit and then flash out of sight before immediately reappearing next to its fellow Nomu. "Madhaya!"
Guess what time it is? Nomu classification time! A-Class Nomu Rocket and Dragon! These two flying monstrosities have been tearing it up with their fellow Nomu brothers and causing absolute chaos! Not to mention their quirks make them incredibly annoying to fight!
Rocket – Original Name: Tsuyoi Fukase; 侃 浮械 (Literal Meaning: Strong Floating Machine)
Quirks:
· Charge Jets: A transformation quirk? Fun! This quirk lets Rocket sprout four jet boosters at a time on any part of their body! He can even overheat them for an extra boost! (Original Quirk)
· Mini-Bombs: A truly destructive emitter quirk that makes Rocket's name! It lets the Nomu create pellet-sized bombs that can cause a lot of mayhem when there's enough of them!
· Nitro-Boost: This fun emitter quirk lets Rocket flood his body with a gas that has nitrous oxide properties, allowing him to push his jet and bomb quirks to their limits!
Dragon – Original Name: Ko Tsubasa; 厚 翼 (Literal Meaning: Thick Wings)
Quirks:
· Dragon Wings: This is a cool one, kind of familiar as well; this transformation quirk lets Dragon sprout and retract dragon-like wings from their back that lets them fly! (Original Quirk)
· Dragon's Breath: Another dragon quirk? This guy is insane! This emitter quirk lets Dragon spew out a flammable gas from his mouth and spark it with his uvula to make flames!
· Afterimage Flash: A bit out of style with his whole aesthetic but whatever! An emitter quirk that lets Dragon immediately transport himself to anywhere within a ten-metre radius around him while leaving behind an afterimage!
An explosion and the sounds of screams tore the three hero's attention away from the two monsters in front of them and they all looked down to the city below them.
More Nomu.
'Great.' Watching as the two flying Nomu flashed out of sight, Hawks grimaced. "Izuku, Tsukuyomi, this is no longer a manhunt; forget the manhunt." He ordered, getting nods from the two teens in response. "Assist the heroes down on the ground with their Nomu, I'll deal with the flyers; move!"
In a flash, the red-winged hero was on a chase, tracking the Nomu through the city by their trail of destruction and explosions.
This left his students by themselves to deal with the Nomu they could see down on the ground. And their first order of business, even though it could potentially result in disastrous consequences, was to analyse what they were about to go up against.
So, landing on one of the buildings, the two students watched as all of Hosu's heroes struggled to fight off the three Nomu before them. Multiple well-known hero teams of the city and even more popular solo heroes worked in tandem against the monstrous creatures, their quirks combining and complimenting each other in ways never seen before.
Fire and water combined to make a steam that clouded a large, dark-skinned Nomu's vision before a hero with a strength quirk threw another hero with a strength quirk at it like a cannonball.
Crimson bands tore up from the ground and ensnared themselves around a turquoise-skinned Nomu's six arms before multiple heroes with sharp weapons slashed at its now trapped weaponised arms with vigour.
And a yellow-skinned Nomu found its body on the receiving end of a large water jet before it froze and was presented with a hail of bullets, explosives, and pure energy from several long-ranged support heroes.
Each hero was bringing out their best for these Nomu, the top of their special moves list, attacks that they save for last as to not tire themselves out. The brutality of their attacks – spraying blood across the street, tearing limb off body, breaking the bones of their enemies – was also a rarity for all heroes present.
All of this… And yet the damage they wrought may as well have been only a single well-placed hit.
The Nomu all roared and most effects or visible mark left upon them by the hero's previous attacks all disappeared; torn limbs regenerated, slowly forming back into existence in a few moments and anything that held them down fell.
This was when Izuku and Fumikage made their moves.
One For All, powerful as ever, washed across Izuku's body and he glowed like the Sun, making himself seem like a shooting star as he fell upon the large and burly dark Nomu with the force and pressure of a bomb; the result being multiple broken ribs.
Dark Shadow, empowered by the night, ever growing in the absence of light, coated Fumikage and depicted the visage of a dark God to the heroes when he picked up the turquoise and yellow Nomu before crushing them together and throwing them towards a fountain.
And the heroes, while grateful – and slightly surprised – for the respite they were provided, focused mostly on the fact of who provided them said respite.
"Hey, kids! What in the world are you doing out here?" One pro, seemingly ignoring the hero costumes the two were wearing, immediately called out to them. "This isn't a place for kids; get out of here now before you get hurt!"
Now, while the pro was most certainly doing the right thing in telling two random kids she didn't know to run from the scene, she was ultimately ignored as Izuku and Fumikage stopped in front of the Nomu to complete their analysis of the beasts.
What the hell; I'm back already? Wow! Looks like whoever is making these Nomu decided to really put in the hours! Let's see here… Aha! A-Class Nomu, Beast! A-Class Nomu, Saw! B-Class Nomu, Morphy!
Golem – Original Name: Unknown
Quirks:
· Reflective Coat: Golem's original quirk that lets him create a very thin energy field above his skin that has powerful reflective properties! You hit him with blunt force trauma or an energy form of attack and it'll come right back at ya! Best to get him while he isn't looking! (Original Quirk)
· Power: A crude duplication of the strength quirk the USJ Nomu had! It's not as powerful as a weakened All Might, but this Nomu can still pack a whopper strong enough to smash through boulders and cars with ease!
· Patch Up: A fun regeneration quirk that will stitch together and slowly heal any damage done to Golem before covering it with a band-aid! He can't regenerate cut off limbs though, that's a plus!
Chainsaw – Original Name: Unknown
Quirks:
· Chainsaw: Chainsaw's original and infamous quirk that assisted him in his days as a serial killer! It lets him sprout chainsaws out from the back of his hands and another chainsaw atop his head; gnarly! (Original Quirk)
· Four Arms: A simple mutation quirk that gives Chainsaw an extra pair of arms! That means more chainsaws and more blood spilt!
· Restoration: A powerful regeneration quirk that restores any loss of limb and blood that Chainsaw suffers! It doesn't seem to work on anything else aside from those two though; oh well, whatever the reason, better for the heroes!
Morphy – Original Name: Unknown
Quirks:
· Stretch: Morphy's original quirk that lets him stretch out his limbs to whatever length he wants! He can even buff himself up by a small portion if he tries really hard! (Original Quirk)
· Webbed-Tongue: A weird transformation quirk that lets Morphy's tongue stretch itself out like a web that can create either a surprisingly sturdy shield in front of him or a protective dome around him!
Well, analysis complete.
"Shit, they're moving again!"
And just in time as well.
The beaten Nomu's bodies, as expected, rose from their previous defeat before eyeing their new target wearily. Of the three, the dark Nomu was the first to rise.
And the first to attack.
Golem was on Izuku quickly and struck down hard at him. "Ragh?" Only to look at the small green bean confusedly as his fist was caught with what seemed like little struggle. "Gagh!" Worse, a pair of dark claws from behind him suddenly ripped his back open.
Next was Morphy, undeterred, – and also being designed to feel no fear or self-preservation – the yellow Nomu's stretchy limbs shot him high up into the air before he was sending down a powerful right leg directly towards the hero students. "Bugh-"
That went as well as it could've; Izuku caught Morphy's leg and heaved him down to the ground, getting him in position for Fumikage to uppercut him with a dark claw that left three large gashes on his chest.
Finally, the last one was running at Fumikage on all fours… Sixes, roaring and revving their chainsaw arms before thrusting them all at the bird boy. Chainsaw hadn't even finished his thrusting moment when Izuku swung Morphy back around at him and sent them both – once again – crashing into a fountain.
"Wait…" This time, the heroes decided to take a quick second to actually think about what happened before moving to reprimand the hero students. "No…" And realised in said second that they had been outclassed by two kids.
"We've been struggling just to hold those things still for the past ten minutes." Honestly, their reactions weren't unwarranted; these kids were coming for their jobs and they knew they couldn't do anything about it. "How in the fu-"
"Gugh…" Never mind, job not done yet.
Golem was slowly standing up from where he had been slashed at by Fumikage. Luckily for the Nomu, his regeneration quirk has slowly stitched up his wounds before they became a problem.
Unluckily…
"Flashfire Fist!" A large pillar of flame jetted towards the dark Nomu and it was sent barrelling down the street while screaming. "What is going on here?" Endeavour was stalking towards the gathered heroes with a raised eyebrow.
And it was a happy sight for the gathered heroes. "Thank God!"
"It's Endeavour!"
"We'll have these things packed up in no time now!"
Ignoring the heroes, Endeavour quickly analysed the situation around him. "Ah, Young Midoriya, it is you!" Before immediately smiling upon seeing Izuku's face. "After hearing you were interning with Hawks, I hoped to find you here! I must thank you for-"
"Dad. Please, not here." However, before the flame hero could start thanking the greenette, Shoto skated right by him and slid next to his friends. "Izuku, Tsukuyomi, it's nice to see you; please ignore my Father."
"Shoto, I must thank him! Your Mother was very adamant on-" Endeavour suddenly grabbed a stretched-out limb and pulled it toward him before clotheslining Morphy and burning his face. "On thanking this young man for what he has done for us!"
Shoto simply sighed at that and threw up a pillar of ice as Chainsaw tried to stab at them. "I'm sorry about him, Izuku, Mum wants you over for dinner and Dad agrees." He could see the awkward look on his friend's face and could guess what it was about. "I know you don't do well with-"
"No, it's fine, Shoto!" Izuku jumped over the ice pillar and broke all of the turquoise Nomu's arms. "Really, I'm not opposed at all!" Before throwing a 30% uppercut to Chainsaw's face, shattering its jaw and chainsaw atop its head. "I just think we could've discussed this somewhere more… Not the battlefield."
"Oh, has he agreed?" Endeavour seemed to have overheard their conversation as he looked over to them with a smile on his face. "Shoto! Did he agree?" While holding off Golem and lighting himself on fire.
"Yes, Dad!" Shoto shouted, exasperation in his tone and clear embarrassment all over his face as he saw the other heroes watching their interaction. "He agreed!"
Endeavour obviously didn't notice or didn't care about either Shoto's embarrassment or the Nomu he was holding off as he simply laughed. "Yes! Very nice!" And his flames grew hotter and brighter as he hugged Golem tight to him. "Thank you for agreeing, Midoriya! We shall prepare a great dinner for you!" Before flying into the air and exploding like a firework, demolishing the last Nomu.
"…Damn." And, deciding to forego his usual Victorian speech, Fumikage just watched the fire show with large, impressed eyes. "That was incredible."
"Yeah, even though we were doing pretty well, Endeavour really-" However, Izuku couldn't admire the flame hero's finishing move for long as he saw a hero he'd been wanting to talk to. "Manual!"
Said hero was taken aback but quickly looked away from the fire show to address the greenette. "Ah, I know you, you're that kid from the festival!" There seemed to be a small undertone of worry in his voice as his eyes darted around the street. "What can I help you with, Midoriya?"
"Iida!" Well, no wasting time it seems. "I need to see him; do you know where he is?" Izuku's question was laced with trepidation as he couldn't spot his blue-haired friend anywhere.
The water hero's smile switching to an expression of panic didn't help that one bit. "I don't know where he went!" He whisper-shouted, starting to pace in place. "He was here with me at the start of the battle – doing pretty fricken well – before he darted off somewhere!"
"Do you have any idea where he could have-" Danger Sense rung in his head, hard. 'This feeling…' And it was worse than any other ping the quirk had ever given him so far.
"What's wro-"
Immediately, before Manual could finishing asking what was wrong, before any other hero could realise, and faster than either of his friends could see, Izuku was gone. Following Danger Sense closely, the greenette surged through the city as his mind raced. Stain was on the loose; Stain hurt Iida's older brother; Iida was missing.
'Wait, the streets… Not here!' Punching in front of himself, Izuku was able to force himself to make a hard right and immediately started bouncing through the back alleys of Hosu. 'Every attack has been a street chase leading into alleyways where he manages to get the better of the heroes!'
Most alleys were empty, some alleys had small crimes where Izuku's mere presence dispersed them, then there was this one specific alley where a young teenager in a strange homemade costume was climbing into what seemed to be his apartment.
Then he felt it.
A looming pressure over his mind that made him feel like there were eyes all over him. Danger Sense was completely overwhelmed but he didn't even need it, the pressure around him pointed to a single direction, and he followed.
Upon arriving to the source, he momentarily paused at the scene playing before him. Blood was splattered all over the alleyway and three figures occupied it; one in a white suit stained red, one dressed in an incredibly controversial costume, and a dark figure dressed in rags. It didn't take long for Izuku to guess who each figure was and the sudden moonlight hitting the alley revealed his worst fears true while adding another.
Stain was holding a bloodstained katana over an already bleeding Iida, eyes glowing red and the full Moon becoming the same colour behind him. "You come here, seeking revenge over the life of another, rather than to save the endangered one before you…" His words had Izuku moving towards Stain fast. "All blood shed here…" And the anti-hero knew it. "Is an offering to a brighter future!"
Stain swung out towards Izuku just as the greenette's foot was about to land in his face, stopping the teen dead in the air as iron-soled shoes met his blade. 'Wait… I'm at 20%, how is he holding me off?'
"You…" The killing intent surrounding the man and the area dropped considerably and his eyes – as well as the Moon's light – no longer glowed a blood red. "Izuku Midoriya… Shigaraki wants you dead."
30% of One For All spiked within Izuku before the greenette could even think about it and a powerful blast of air sent the anti-hero surging into a wall. "Iida!" And deciding to ignore his premature power up, Izuku let it completely fade away and immediately picked up his downed classmate before placing him up against a wall. "No, no, no… Are you okay?"
"M-Midoriya…" Iida opened his eyes and hated that he couldn't move his head at that moment as he looked into his friend's emerald eyes with shame and embarrassment. "I… He paralysed me with his blades; I am unable to move."
"Be happy you're still talking, kid; I was just about to kill you." Stain's voice interrupted them and the hero students looked to see that he was standing there, perfectly fine, with two foot-shaped dents in the wall behind him. "And you… Midoriya, I was hoping to meet you."
Izuku looked at the two dents with a raised eyebrow and a slight sense of trepidation. 'That was 30%, even a few Nomu would find it hard to fight against that… And he just caught himself on the wall.' However, he let that slide and instead hardened his eyes before looking into those of the man in front of him. "Stain…" A small movement from just in front of Stain reminded Izuku that Native was here and he mentally cursed. "Whatever your reasons, I will not allow you to kill my friend or Native."
The greenette's word and battle stance made Iida try to move. "Midoriya, no!" His shouts were accompanied by failed thrashing movements that knocked him over onto the floor. "You can't fight him; it must be me! Get out of here while you still can and just-"
A hollow laugh echoed throughout the alley as Stain held his blade up. "Are you so blinded by rage and filled with pride that you cannot let your friend save you, Ingenium?" Venom laced his voice and he turned his focus back to Izuku. "It is my duty to kill these two, heroes undeserving of their title… But you don't seem to be like them; I won't hold it against you if you run away."
"I'd hold it against myself if I did." Izuku's response was instant and he started to let One For All back into his body. "A real hero wouldn't run away from a fight just because they thought they couldn't win, so why should I?" His eyes began to glow and a pressure began to build around him as One For All was raised back to 30%. "Even if it scares me, I'm putting my life on the line to save others, because that's what heroes do."
If Stain was surprised by the pressure and the voices of nine that came from the greenette, he hid it well behind a manic smile. "Yes… Yes! You have it!" His own pressure built back up again as his eyes and the Moon once more glowed a blood red. "The only other hero to have it in my lifetime… Has been All Might!" Then he seemed to vanish out of sight as his blade was instantly in his opponent's face. "Now let your conviction be tested."
A blade that was kicked away as Izuku got into his. "Let it."
The clash between the two could barely be processed by Iida and Native; all they saw were flashes of red and green bouncing between the alley walls. But they didn't need to see it, they could feel it; the sound of metal clashing as Stain's sword met Izuku's iron-soled feet, the sheer air pressure from each of their movements leaving dents on the walls.
And the pressure.
Stain's bloodthirsty, predatory bloodlust and Izuku's awe inspiring, powerful presence went back and forth in both the hero's minds and the surrounding area. Even the environment itself felt their pressure as the air buzzed, lights began to flicker, and certain objects began to crack without them even touching it.
And it was both inspiring and terrifying for Native. 'Jesus Christ! What the hell are they feeding these kids at Yuuei!' The grace of their movements was not lost on the man, he was a warrior hero; he took pride in his fighting capabilities. 'They're strong.'
'He's strong!' Izuku flipped over a horizontal slash and tried to bring an axe kick down on Stain, only for the man to use the momentum of his swing to dodge out of the way and line up a downwards strike. 'No wonder so many pros have died to him; whatever he is, it isn't normal!'
'He's strong!' Meanwhile, Stain shared similar thoughts as he watched the greenette dodge away from his downwards slash. 'The pressure of his power, his mere presence! He has it!'
Then they both stopped.
Izuku landed on Stain's side of the alley and the man landed right next to Iida. 'Shit!'
Luckily for the greenette, the man didn't make a move against the blue-haired teen. "I never thought I'd meet another with what we have… Much less in a child." Stain checked his blade and smiled at the fact that there was absolutely no blood on it. "Only All Might has ever displayed it."
"It?" Izuku raised his eyebrow at the man as smoke began to pour off him, shaping itself to wrap around the greenette almost protectively. "What could we possibly have in common?"
"The qualities of a hero!" Stain shouted, letting his arms out in a dramatic fashion. "The indomitable will and strength of those profoundly dedicated to their goals of creating a better society!"
Izuku's eyes squinted and his pressure seemed to intensify. "Let me be clear, you may have a strong will…" His smoke began to form itself into eight figures and they all stood behind the greenette as the Moon's light momentarily shifted away from red and back to a shining white. "But you do not possess the qualities of a hero! You, who divines judgement on those without authority, cannot claim to be heroic!"
Stain's smile remained on his face and he clashed with his opponent once more, bridging the gap between them in under a second. "I judge those I deem unworthy without authority, yes, but wouldn't you?" The Moon once more turned red as he pushed off the greenette and slid right back next to Iida. "You see a group attempt assault or even murder upon an innocent, you have the power to stop it, but you are not a hero; are you to tell me you wouldn't try save the innocent?"
"Of course I would save them!" Izuku answers without a beat of hesitation.
"Then we are the same!" So does Stain. "The innocent is hero society as a whole; the very concept of heroism itself! The attackers are heroes that besmirch the title they hold! I am merely stepping in to save heroism by ridding the world of those that would bring it DISHONOUR!"
There is silence for a moment as Izuku digests the man's words, but it does not last long. "You're wrong." The figures around him place their hands on the greenette's shoulders as he speaks. "You do not kill them for attacking, as there is always another chance for someone to be turned towards the light. To kill them is to believe yourself a judge; we are not judges." White light filled the alleyway as the Moon finally returned to its regular colour and Izuku's presence overtook Stain's. "Even in this situation, I will not kill you, I will simply turn you in and allow the system to decide your fate."
This time, the smile did leave Stain's face. "That is where YOU are mistaken; you leave the judgement to those without the qualities of a true hero, to a flawed system!" His presence pushed back but did not take over. "That is why I do what I do! Judgement cannot be left to those who do not know what a true hero is!"
"I agree." Izuku's eye hardened and the eyes of the smoke figures around them each glowed their own colour; green, orange, crimson, yellow, red, pink, purple, gold.
Before either side could make a move though, noise from behind Stain interrupted them. "Midoriya!" Fumikage and Shoto stood behind the Hero Killer, quirks activated and snarls on their face.
"Hmmm… Hahaha…" And Stain's smile returned. "Let's see if what you speak rings true." Before he flashed out of sight, sword aiming right at the two hero students behind him.
"NO!" But Izuku was faster. 'Damnit! Damnit! Damnit!' If only barely. 'I have to!' However, he knew he wasn't fast enough to make a counter, only fast enough to take the hit. 'Screw it.' "Agh!"
"Midoriya!" Fumikage, Shoto, and Iida all watched with shock as Izuku stood, arms wide and expression defiant, in front of Stain's sword just as it was brought down, slashing his chest open and spreading his blood across the floor. "No!"
"Yes!" Stain didn't even register being frozen in a pillar of ice and being smashed away by a giant dark claw as he let himself be lost in his manic laugh. "You! Izuku Midoriya! Are true!" Before licking his blade, locking Izuku in place. "I will let you live… But I won't let you stop this!"
'Damnit, body! Move! Move!' Izuku struggled as he watched Fumikage and Shoto struggle to defend Iida and Native from Stain's onslaught of attacks. 'Come on!'
Meanwhile, Stain's presence once more covered the alley and a red light shone down on all of them as he attacked. Every slice smashed ice apart as if it weren't even there, flame parted around his blade, unable to handle the wind pressure, and not even darkness could overpower it.
"How is he doing this?" Shoto could barely keep up with the man and found himself actually struggling. "The reports said his quirk only froze people by cutting them!"
"Ignorance." A small knife suddenly shot past Shoto's face and cut his cheek before he suddenly felt himself freezing up. "Quirks do not dictate strength, boy! It is the indomitable will and conviction of those working towards their goals that does!" Fumikage then found himself overwhelmed before he also froze, falling down next to his friends. "It is my job to remind those that believe otherwise… And PURGE those that cannot accept it!" He slowly lifted his blade and began to chant in a strange unknown language to everyone present.
That was his biggest mistake.
"No more." The light of the alley switched from red to regular moonlight and Izuku was behind Stain before the man could even react.
'Shit!' Stain struck backwards at the teen but his sword was caught. "Got you-" Before being shattered into a million pieces. "What?!"
Izuku grabbed the man in front of him and pulled him right in as he kneed him in the stomach, knocking the air out of him. Not wanting him to get a moment, the greenette attacked; left backhand to the chest, right backhand to the stomach, left elbow to the jaw, left shoulder to the chest.
Right uppercut.
Stain suddenly found himself high up in the air and barely was able to get his bearings before Izuku was on him one last time. "Judgement!" The voices of nine spoke through one and struck true on their foe, sending him back down to Earth at blistering speeds, but not so fast that Izuku couldn't follow to catch the man from hitting the ground. "It is done."
And with the final hit, Stain, the Hero Killer, S-Class Villain, was defeated; everyone present could barely believe it.
"Holy shit, you did it." Native looked at the hero student in front of him with slight envy but mostly awe.
"Holy shit, you did it." Fumikage looked at his fellow hero in training with appreciation.
"Holy shit, you did it." Shoto looked at his friend as if he was just seeing him for the first time.
"…You did it." And Iida could barely find it in himself to look his hero in the eyes.
However, they all soon found themselves moving as Izuku fell to the ground, the glow of his eyes disappearing and his presence dissipating as One For All left his body. "Please tell me one of you has rope?" The greenette groggily said, pointing at Stain. "We've gotta restrain him."
Smiling, Native held up a lasso. "Don't worry, kid, you've done more than enough, I'll take it from here." Before moving to tie up Stain and gather all his weapons for evidence.
As he did, Iida moved to help him while Fumikage and Shoto took a side of Izuku and went to move him out of the alleyway; both were trying their best to put pressure on the chest wound the greenette suffered.
Luckily for them, they were soon approached by a running group of heroes.
"Hey, kids!" One of them asked as they all ran even faster. "Wait right there!" The group quickly arrived at the scene and they screeched to a halt as one. "We had heard a lot of fighting around here-"
"Heard? Try felt it!" A female hero cut off her fellow hero. "We would've gotten here sooner but every now and then we could barely move and-SHIT! It's the Hero Killer!"
All the heroes immediately tensed at her statement and looked towards Native and Iida dragging the unconscious anti-hero out of the alley. "Quickly! Call the police!" A hero with a red helmet shouted before looking over to Izuku. "And an ambulance! As fast as possible!"
"Right!"
Soon, the heroes were all around Native, securing Stain's belongings and ensuring that the man was properly tied up as they waited for the authorities. This let the four hero students gather together and rest.
Well, three of them tried to, the last, however, got in front of the three and immediately put himself in a seiza position.
"Iida, what are you doing?" Fumikage was quick to try and get the blue-haired teen off his knees, looking around in worry to see if anyone was watching. "You can't just-"
"I am sorry, my friends." Iida's words, though, quickly served to silence his friend. "Tokoyami, Todoroki…" He lifted his head and looked Izuku in his eyes. "Midoriya." Tears fell from his own eyes and he took away his glasses. "I was blinded by rage, filled with pride, desiring revenge… It got you all hurt; for that, I can never atone enough, but know that I will endeavour to-"
Izuku held up a hand, silencing his friend. "I accept your apology, Iida, and I offer my own as well." His statement got a confused look from the blue-haired teen and he sighed. "I let you off too easy at the train station three days ago; I knew something was wrong but didn't push hard enough."
Shoto nodded as he looked at Iida with sympathy. "I also know what it feels like to resent those that hurt a family member." He slowly lifted a hand to his scar and took a breath. "It can lead to poor choices."
"Worry not, friend." Fumikage put his hands on Iida's shoulder with a smile. "Everyone has their demons, but they only win if you do not fight them with others at your side." Before lifting him up from his position.
Iida let him with a sad smile. "Thank you, my friends." He wiped his tears and nodded at them. "I promise, I will become a hero that deserves the title."
Izuku smiled back at his friend but suddenly felt Danger Sense ring in his head; something was coming, fast. "Look out!" The greenette quickly pushed outwards, shoving Fumikage and Shoto away with him, before holding his chest in pain. "Agh!"
That was when a bleeding, screeching Nomu arrived, grabbing at Izuku before quickly flying away.
"Midoriya!" Fumikage, Shoto, and Iida immediately activated their quirk and started chasing after their friend.
Meanwhile, the other heroes looked at the Nomu with horror, unable to move.
"It's one of the monsters!"
"Shit, this one flies!"
"It's bleeding! Did it just get here from a fight?!"
However, they didn't need to move, as Stain had reawakened and watched Izuku be taken. 'Fakes, the lot of them.' Freeing himself from his restraints, the black-haired man took one of his knives out before licking the Nomu's blood off one the female hero's cheek, causing the creature to freeze and fall to the ground.
That was when Izuku finally regained his senses and enough strength to move. "Crap, crap, crap!" Though, the Nomu's tight hold on him, combined with it being frozen in stance, made that a bit hard. "Crap!"
Stain was sprinting much faster than the three hero students chasing after their friend and was immediately on the frozen Nomu with his dagger raised high. But just as he brought down his judgement, a second form blurred through the Nomu, grabbing Izuku.
The winged creature fell to Earth, shattering the road on its impact, and Stain stood above it with a disgusted look on his face. 'Unnatural spawn of hell… Shigaraki undeservedly plays God.'
Meanwhile, the second figure that crashed into the Nomu calmly secured Izuku in his red wings. "You alright, Izuku?" Hawks looked down at his young student with a smile, pride clearly lacing his tone.
"You all stood and did nothing." The red-winged hero couldn't focus on that for long though as Stain seemed to regain his strength and a pressure began to build around him. "A true hero was in danger and the fakes merely stood and watched!" The man pulled his dagger out of the dead Nomu's brain and pointed it at the heroes. "You must all be purged!"
Hawks' left wing protectively wrapped itself around Izuku while his right wing's feathers all shot off him and positioned themselves around Stain. "Watch yourself there, Stain, don't do anything you might regret." He spoke with a cold tone his students hadn't heard before and he held onto both his feather blades tight. "I'd hate to-"
"Shoto!" The sound of flames suddenly filled everyone's ears and Endeavour soon landed in front of his Son, checking him for injuries. "I lost you there for a second! Are you alright?" Before seeing everyone else. "What are you all standing around for; there still may be villains in this-"
"Endeavour!" Stain's mask fell off his face and the flame hero became very aware of the bloodthirsty presence that filled the air around him and the bloodstained Moon behind the Hero Killer. "You… I can feel the weight of your sins around you! You must be purged!"
However, the red-haired man obviously didn't care as he stood up and protectively put his arms in front of Shoto and the others. "Stain." His flames rose around him and his eyes seemed to glow orange as a relentless, defensive pressure rose around him. "Did you attack my Son?"
The power of the man's voice disturbed Stain and he involuntarily took a step back. "No…" Before holding up his knife with fury. "How can you have it? You're not a true hero!" He pointed back towards Izuku, making Hawks snarl. "The only true heroes I have seen… Are this child! AND ALL MIGHT!" His blade once again went to the flame hero as an aura of red began to surround him. "Only they may end my life!"
Undeterred by the bleeding red moon enlarging itself behind Stain and the man's red aura, Endeavour stood strong as his own presence washed out the Hero Killer's. "You hurt my Son and his friends…"
…
…
…
Clang!
Stain's knife suddenly dropped to the floor and all the other heroes were able to regain the senses they had lost. The Moon's light was back to its fluorescent white, the air was still with the sounds of the city instead of buzzing, and they no longer felt the killing intent of someone that could kill them five times over without hesitation or effort.
"He is…" Fumikage began, watching the man wearily before lowering his guard. "Unconscious."
The Hero Killer's eyes were rolled over into the back of his head, leaving only the whites of his eyes to gaze upon everyone as he lost his conscious, but he never fell. He stood, defiant, drooling from his mouth and muscles still somewhat tense, but he stood, nonetheless.
"Alright, everyone." And had Hawks not spoken in that moment, who knows how long they could have stood their admiring the man's form for. "That's enough standing around, I want to know where those ambulances are right now."
Hosu General Hospital, The Next Morning
Iida sighed and tiredly rubbed his eyes as the Sun's rays invaded the hospital room he and his friends occupied. "Good morning, friends." His voice was hoarse and monotone. "Did anyone actually get any sleep?"
"Ha!" Izuku's laugh was also hoarse – and seemed to hurt him – and he was half on the bed half sprawled over his bed's railing. "Barely."
Fumikage huffed out a breath in annoyance and dragged his hands across his face. "Someone decided they needed to converse on last night's bout." Dark Shadow sheepishly chuckled at him and the bird boy just sighed. "So, unfortunately, no."
"Me neither." Shoto said, sitting up and cracking his neck before holding his right hand to his forehead with a small layer of frost. "After whatever my Father did last night with Stain… My fire's been going haywire; I spent the entire night cooling myself down."
"Quirk problems; mood." Izuku activated Float and let his quirk put him back into his bed properly. "Every time I use close to 30% of my quirk, I have a chance of blacking out; I kind of remember everything I did but don't at the same time." He sighed and rolled onto his stomach. "I'm surprised we're all alive."
Fumikage shot his friend an incredulous look as he sat up. "I am surprised you still live, Midoriya; while you only sustained one injury, it is quite the large one and of no laughing matter."
Iida nodded at that. "I too was stabbed but it was nowhere near as major as the injury you received." He held his stab wound and sighed while looking down. "Midoriya, once more, I am truly sorr-"
"Oh, thank God! You're awake!" Hawks exclaimed as he poked his head into the room before fully flying in, wings stretching out wide. "I thought one of you might've died in your sleep! But I was wrong; wasn't I, Manual?"
Said hero walked in behind the man with a stern look on his face, contrasting that of his fellow hero. "Yes, that would've been the exploding cherry on top of the death cake."
"Manual…" Iida's eyes darted to everywhere but his mentor hero and a light red dusted his face. "I-"
"I have so much that I want to say to you right now, kid." Manual said, cutting his temporary student off with a harsh voice. "However, I will abstain from that, as you all have a visitor who takes priority." Before stepping out of the doorway.
Leaving room for a large, bipedal dog man in a matte-black suit to walk in and address them. "Good morning, young hero students, I am Kenji Tsuragamae, woof." The man bowed to them. "Hosu's Chief of Police." He watched the four students scramble to get out of their beds but held his hand up with a small chuckle. "No need for formalities, you may stay seated, woof."
The four stayed in their beds but looked at the man with tilted heads. 'Woof? He's just like Tsu!'
Unaware – or uncaring – of the student's faces, the man went onto the purpose of his visit. "You are the Yuuei students who brought down the Hero Killer, correct? Woof."
"It was mostly Midoriya, if we're being honest." Shoto said, hands up in mock surrender. "We only got one hit on him at the start, and he shrugged it off like we gave him a love tap."
"Indeed." Fumikage held up his arms and revealed the knife cuts over them. "He even cut through Dark Shadow while enhanced by the night; Midoriya was the only one to land any valuable hits on him."
Kenji seemed slightly surprised at that snippet of information but nodded and pressed on. "Either way, you all participated in the takedown of Stain, woof." The four nodded. "Good; now I take it you all know that any unregistered individual's use of their quirk against another without permission from a licensed body, is a clear violation of our-"
"Woah, hold it right there, Tsuragamae." Hawks quickly held up his wings, seeing where the Chief was going with his triad. "We must have had different thoughts walking into this room; I wasn't aware you were here to talk legal problems." The blonde suddenly flashed out of sight and was right next to both of his students, a wing in front of both of them. "I gave these two here explicit permission to use their quirks in order to defend themselves, others, or even to pursue criminals; it's the whole reason I brought them to Hosu."
"Oh." Turning away from the two protected hero students, Kenji looked at Shoto and Iida. "Well, in that case, you two were outside of your jurisdiction and performing acts of vi-"
"Actually." This time, Izuku was the one to cut in, peeking over Hawks' wing and holding his hand up. "They both still acted within the law; just like us, Todoroki was brought here by his Dad for the sake of finding the Hero Killer, so he's exempt from whatever punishment you're trying to give him."
Deciding to just go with the flow – he was still waking up and couldn't think properly, letting Izuku handle it seemed easier – Shoto nodded. "It's true, I was."
Smiling, Izuku continued. "And as for Iida; while it is true that the Quirk/Meta Ability Constitution (2200) states, 'Any individual using a quirk on another while unregistered or without permission can and will be tried for quirked assault,' there was an addendum added 48 years ago."
Kenji's lips curled just the slightest bit upwards for a fraction of a second before he raised an eyebrow. "And what does that addendum state? Woof?"
"An individual may employ the use of their quirk in the defence of themselves of others if good enough reason – such as life-or-death situations – is provided." Izuku finished his explanation with a shit-eating grin that was matched by Hawks. "And since Native would've died without Iida's interference, he falls within the addendum's leniency."
There was a small moment of silence before Kenji let out a howl of laughter. "Yes! It is wonderful to see a hero student so committed to their theory! Woof!" He then promptly bowed, and they all saw his tail wagging behind him. "On behalf of the city of Hosu, I thank you four for your brave actions; I wish you all a smooth recovery, woof."
Hours Later
It didn't take the doctors long after the Chief left to finish healing the four hero student's injuries and they were all released from the hospital in just a couple of hours.
Iida was taken aside by Manual and properly chastised before being grabbed in a bone-crushing hug.
Similarly, Shoto was also chastised by both his visiting Father and Mother before the flame hero cried and hugged his Son hard. Shoto's Mother, Rei, even had to partially hug Endeavour just to get the man to cease crying in front of everyone. Then they got taken away by a very loud and aggressive limo driver.
Finally, Izuku and Fumikage got back into their hero costumes before jumping on top of the closest bullet train to Fukuoka with Hawks in tow.
And as the train took them back, Hawks watched them with small smiles. 'It hasn't even been the full week yet and they're basically semi-pros already.' His smile faltered for a moment as he reminded himself of how quickly he became a pro, but let it rise as he watched the two fist bump each other. "The world's got a brighter future with you two." The man said aloud, but not loud enough for them to hear him. "They won't know what him 'em."