Chapter 26 - Fight On

The sky was dark with clouds and rain, pouring down on the solemn procession below. People dressed from head to toe in black, gathering around to pay respects to the slim tombstone, representing all that was left on this earth of Katsuki Bakugou.

The parents of the young Bakugou stood silently by the grave, thanking those who came to pray for their son's spirit, for fortune in his next life, and that he may finally find rest.

Izuku had strongly considered not going to the funeral of his friend. It was his fault that the villain who killed him had escaped. News about Izuku or All Might's involvement in the attack had not reached the media. He had assumed that since no one had seen All Might rescue him from the villain, that he simply had escaped the Hero's pursuit before managing to get himself cornered by the other heroes. He figured that since Izuku knew about his secret, he wanted to keep him away from the press at all costs.

It continuously played in his head, as if on a loop. He had caused the villain to get away from All Might. If he hadn't had grabbed onto him as he jumped away, the creature would have been in police custody already. How was he supposed to live with this? With himself?

"Izuku."

Izuku was brought back to the present by Bakugou's mother. He had reached the front of the viewing line without even realizing it. "Mrs. Bakugou," Said Izuku.

"Thank you for coming, Izuku," Said Mrs. Bakugou. "I know that you and he weren't exactly friends in the end. He was always picking on you. But I had hoped one day he would. . . that you two could be friends again." She finished, choking up. Bakugou's mother was a strong woman. Although she tried not to show it, Izuku could see the heartbreak in her eyes. It made his stomach twist even more. He hung his head to avoid her gaze.

"I'm sorry," he said, his voice cracking. "I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault," she said. Izuku could feel his stomach wretching inside of him. He didn't know how much more of this he could take. "I swear to you," said Izuku finally. "I'm going to become a hero. And when I do, I will find the monster who did this."

"Oh, Izuku," He felt a hand placed on his shoulder. He looked up, but jumped back in startled surprise. Mrs. Bakugou was gone. Instead, she was replaced by the sickly, withered form of All Might.

"Some villains can't be beaten without a quirk, young man," he said, his voice garbled and distorted. He opened his wide gaping mouth, and a foul, green substance began to spew from his maw. It quickly wrapped itself around Izuku, covering his mouth to prevent him from screaming. "Don't worry kid," said the distorted voice. The voice of the Sludge Villain. "You can still be my hero."

His wicked laughter rang out throughout his mind. He felt as if it would crack in two. He struggled to break free, but it was useless. He was suffocating.

Please, he tried to cry out. Someone help me!

The sludge drifted away, and he found himself staring at his reflection. But it was different than what he was used to. He was wearing a red suit, a golden cape, and a black domino mask. He heard a cry in the distance

Izuku!

A crater opened beneath him. He began to fall. He reached for his utility belt, but nothing was there. The cries continued to ring out.

Izuku!!

Still he fell, his voice caught in his throat, preventing his screams. Falling deeper and deeper into the darkness.

Izuku!!

Izuku gasped, awaking from his dream with a start. He lay in the hospital bed in Recovery Girl's trauma center. His arms, legs and hands were wrapped up and bandaged heavily. He was shivering, not from cold, but from the pain of his injuries. He struggled to sit up, but something was holding him down. He turned to see Bruce gently holding him back, keeping him from moving further. Both Bruce and Alfred were standing beside Izuku.

"Thank God," Said Alfred. "You had us worried, young man."

"How long was I out?" Asked Izuku groggily.

"At least thirty minutes," Said Recovery Girl, standing at the edge of his bed. "The bones in your right arm were shattered," She said solemnly. "As were the fingers in both your hands. Your arms, face and torso have suffered severe third degree burns, and you have destroyed roughly 20% of your outer epidermal-layer from the explosions. Your body will never be the same as it was before."

"Where do you want to start?" Asked Alfred, rolling up his sleeves.

"The most important thing right now is to remove the broken bone fragments in his limbs or they will get stuck in his joints," Replied Recovery Girl. "After that, we'll focus on healing." She sighed deeply and turned to Bruce. "You lit a fire under this child and pushed him too hard, Bruce," she said. "Look at what he's done to make you proud. I don't like it one bit. And you!" She added back to Alfred. "Why haven't you done anything about that?"

"Among their vast arsenal, neither of them manage to carry with them the ability to listen to reason," replied Alfred.

"You and the boy are going too far," continued Recovery Girl. "Don't you praise him for what he's done today, Bruce."

Bruce didn't respond. They were interrupted by a large bang as the door behind them opened, with Uraraka, Iida, Mineta and Tsuyu piling into the room with a loud "Midoriya!"

"Are you okay?" Said Uraraka worriedly. She paused in surprise seeing Alfred and Bruce.

"Oh! Hello again, Miss Uraraka," Said Alfred pleasantly.

"Hello, Alfred," She said, bowing. "And it's nice to meet you, sir." She added, bowing to Bruce as well. He nodded, but said nothing.

"He's in no state for visitors," Said Recovery Girl.

"Hey guys."

Everyone turned back to face Izuku. "Shouldn't you be attending the award ceremony?" He said weakly.

"The stage was far too damaged," said Iida. "They're taking a break to repair it before the ceremony."

"That match was the scariest thing I've ever seen in my life, Midoriya," said Mineta. "What Hero agency would want someone who hurts themselves like that?!"

"I think you're rubbing salt in the wounds," said Tsuyu.

"You're much too noisy!" Said Recovery Girl, herding them out of the room. "I know you're worried, but we have to prepare for surgery."

"SURGERY?!" They all shouted in unison again. They all continued to ask questions about Izuku's condition as Recovery Girl rushed them out the door. Izuku heard one final sad "ribbit" from Tsuyu before the door closed to silence. Alfred and Recovery Girl went into the back room to scrub up, leaving Bruce and Izuku alone.

"I'm sorry," said Izuku, breaking the long silence between them.

"For what?" Asked Bruce.

"I thought I could do it," Said Izuku, tears welling in his eyes. "If I had shut up, not said anything..."

"You saw your classmate's suffering and you acted in a way you thought best would help him," said Bruce. "And in doing so, you lost the tournament, but you succeeded where it truly counts."

Izuku turned away. "All Might was right," he said sadly. "Some people can't be beaten without a quirk."

"You still believe that?" Asked Bruce. "After all this time?"

"I don't know," Said Izuku. Before Bruce could reply, recovery Girl and Alfred returned and shooed him out the door so they could perform Izuku's surgery.

Uraraka, Iida, Mineta and Tsuyu were walking back to the stadium. They had finished the repairs to the stadium from Izuku and Todoroki's match, and they would be starting award ceremony soon. Uraraka was withdrawn and distant, not speaking the entire way. She had never been so worried about Izuku as she was now. He had hurt himself so much during the battle to keep up with Todoroki. She had seen him do so many amazing things, but this was the first time she had seen him lose, and get hurt so badly in the process.

Tsuyu seemed to notice Uraraka's demeanor. "Are you still worried about Midoriya?" She asked.

Uraraka nodded. "She said she had to perform surgery." The very thought of what that meant filled her with dread. What if the damage was permanent, and they had to send him home?

"Recovery girl is the best," said Mineta. "You've got nothin' to worry about!"

"That's right," said Iida. "I'm sure she will take great care of him. He will -" Iida paused, reaching into his pocket. It was his phone. His mother was calling him. "Please excuse me," he said, walking away.

"Hello, mom," said Iida. "I hate to tell you this, but I lost my match."

"No, son, I'm not calling about that," said his mother. She sounded almost frantic. "I mean, I'm sorry, but Tenya, please listen carefully."

"What's wrong?" Said Iida, alarmed.

"It's your brother," his mother replied, her voice breaking. "A villain got Tensei."

Iida let the phone drop from his ear. He vaguely heard his mother calling his name from the earpiece. His world was crumbling. His brother was one of the top heroes in the profession. To him, he could do no wrong. Sure, he knew he was human, but he always thought of Tensei as unbeatable. To think that he could be hurt, or worse, was unfathomable to Iida.

Who could have done this to him?

Standing high upon the rooftops, glaring down upon the scene below him with an eerie smile, the Hero-Killer Stain licked the Turbo Hero's blood from his chipped blade. He wasn't sure if the Hero was dead or not. He didn't have the time to check before he heard the police sirens draw closer. It didn't matter. His wounds were grievous, and Stain's blows struck true. If he survived the night, there was a high chance that the "hero" would no longer be able to walk, much less use his quirk.

"You haven't even noticed it, have you?" He growled, watching as the Emergency Technicians worked to stabilize their patient. "This warped society mired by hypocrisy and vanity. That's fine, I'll open your eyes 'heroes.' You will see the world that you have created."

Suddenly, Stain thrust his sword behind him. Someone was trying to sneak up on him. It would be their last act on this Earth. But the tip of his sword did not bury itself in flesh, but in a strange purple and black smoke. "Please remain calm," said the smoke, two jagged yellow eyes staring down at him. "We are of the same mind. I have been searching for you, Hero Killer Stain. I heard of your exploits and wanted to meet you in person. I think you'll be interested in what I have to offer."

Bruce Wayne stood in the hallway outside the medical center. Alfred and Recovery Girl were still performing Midoriya's surgery. He couldn't help but feel a slight sense of nostalgia considering how many times he was patched up by Alfred and Dr. Leslie Thompkins. Every time they would lecture him about pushing himself beyond his limits, and each time he would return in worse shape than before. His back was broken by Bane, his mind nearly damaged beyond repair by Hush, overexposure to Joker Venom or Fear Gas, he had been through a lot. But no matter how hurt he was, no matter how long it took him to recover, it never stopped him. A true hero never stopped. And he knew Midoriya would never stop either.

"Bruce!" Came a voice from down the hall. He turned to see the thin form of All Might running towards him. A coughing fit overtook him, and Bruce handed him a handkerchief while he waited for him to regain composure.

"Thank you," said All Might. "How is he?"

"He'll live," said Bruce. "Alfred and Recovery Girl are working on him now."

"That's good," All Might replied. A small, awkward silence stretched between them.

"I'm sorry," said All Might quietly.

"Pardon?"

"I'm sorry," All Might repeated, exasperated. "I said it, okay? I'm sorry. You obviously saw something in Midoriya that I didn't. You're instincts were right. You were right! Okay?"

"I usually am," said Bruce. "But that's not what's bothering you."

All Might sighed deeply, leaning against the wall next to Bruce. "Ever since All For One, ever since my injury, I've been losing sight of things. Important things that I never should have forgotten," He said. "I feel like I"ve forgotten what it truly means to be a Hero. On top of that, the fight with Nomu and the League of Villains has reduced my time to only about an hour. The Symbol of Peace, the man who keeps society together, is literally on borrowed time. And now, I don't know what to do."

"About One For All?" Said Bruce. All Might nodded, but said nothing. He pulled a silver medallion from his pocket. "The closing ceremonies are over," said All Might. "I wanted to bring this to him myself. I never would have thought that he could have made it this far." His voice was strange. It was a mix between pride and regret.

"You already know who the right choice is, Toshinori," said Bruce.

"He hates me, Bruce," said All Might. "He won't accept."

"Maybe not. But he's had other people telling him what he can and can't do, or should or shouldn't accept his entire life," said Bruce. "Why don't you let him make that choice for himself?"

All Might didn't answer right away. He continued to stare at the medallion, remember a time from his youth. It felt like an eternity ago, when Nana Shimura took a chance on him, another quirkless weakling, and helped to shape him into the hero he is today. The same situation from all those years ago crossed his path, and he let it fumble through his fingers. He lost sight of what's important. He wondered if she could see him now if she would be proud, or ashamed.

"Why are you helping me, Bruce?" Asked All Might. "We aren't exactly friends."

"We're not exactly enemies either, Toshinori," said Bruce, turning to walk away.

"Before you go, I have to tell you something," said All Might, remembering suddenly. "Endeavor let it slip about Jason to Midoriya,. "Before the match. I tried to stop him, but I don't know how much he said before I got there. I'm sorry, Bruce."

Bruce stopped, pondering All Might's words. After a minute or so, he sighed deeply. "Learning about Jason's fate was inevitable," he said. "But it does complicate things."

Izuku lay in bed as Alfred and Recovery Girl finished their healing. After the surgery, the healing process took no time at all, thanks to their quirks, but it left Izuku feeling drained and exhausted. His arm and fingers were no longer burned or broken, but had left several scars. His hand was also gnarled and crooked from the damage of the battle. Recovery Girl said that would be a reminder to him to keep him from overdoing it in the future.

Alfred stayed by his side after Recovery Girl left to attend to other matters. A long silence stretched between them before Alfred cleared his throat. "Penny for your thoughts, Master Midoriya?" He asked.

Izuku didn't answer, looking away. Alfred sighed. "You mustn't be so hard on yourself, Izuku," he said. "You did so well, you should be proud."

"I failed, Alfred," said Izuku. "And it's my own damn fault I did. I know I could have beaten him, but I had to get involved."

"You were already involved," said Alfred. "And intervening where it is not necessarily your place to is part of what being a hero is about. You did what you thought was necessary. Master Bruce even feels so."

"I tried so hard, Alfred," said Izuku. "I couldn't stop the League of Villains, I couldn't beat the Nomu, and I couldn't beat Todoroki. How can I possibly live up to the Batman legacy?"

"Master Midoriya, everyone suffers defeat," Said Alfred. "No one is exempt from this. Not even the Batman." Izuku didn't reply, and silence stretched between them again for ten minutes before there was a knock at the door.

"Come in," Said Alfred, before Izuku could object. Izuku groaned as he saw the tall, thin image of All Might enter the room from the corner of his eye.

"Hello," All Might said, shuffling in awkwardly. "I hope I'm not intruding."

"Not at all, Master Yagi," said Alfred pleasantly. "I should really check on Master Bruce. Perhaps you two can catch up a bit." He abruptly stood and left the room, leaving the two of them alone.

"Young Midoriya," Said All Might. "How are you feeling?" Izuku didn't answer. He had nothing to say to him. All Might cleared his throat and pulled a silver medallion from his pocket.

"The Awards Ceremony is over, and I wanted to bring you this," he said, offering it to Izuku.

"I don't want it," said Izuku flatly.

All Might hesitated slightly. "You did very well out there," he said. "It's something to be proud of, really, how far you made it, considering -" All Might stopped himself, but it was too late. Izuku finally turned to him, an intense glare meeting his eyes.

"Considering I don't have a quirk?!" He snarled.

"That's not what I -" All Might began hastily.

"So you came here to gloat, is that it?" Izuku continued. "Came to tell me you were right all along? Some villains just can't be beaten without a quirk, right?"

"I didn't -"

"Don't you get it?!" Shouted Izuku. "I don't want anything to do with you! No matter how clear I make that, you still keep coming back! Do you find it funny?"

"God, no!" Said All Might.

"Are you still trying to get me to quit?" Izuku continued, sitting up, even though it pained him to do so. "To give up on my unrealistic dreams?"

"Young Midoriya, please," All Might said, trying to calm him down. "I'm just trying to help."

"I don't want your help!" Izuku screamed, tears streaming down his eyes. "I don't need you. I don't need anyone! I can be a hero on my own. Get out. Get out!!"

All Might obliged, putting his medal on Izuku's bed, and exiting the room. He could still hear Izuku's yells as he left the room. His heart was pounding. He supposed he should have expected this kind of reaction, but it still pained him. It was his fault: the damage done, the reason he was pushing himself so hard, everything because of what he said to him. He had been fighting it for months now, but he could no longer deny what was right in front of him. Midoriya was worthy. More worthy than he could have ever imagined, and he screwed up his chance to pass on his legacy.

He had to make this right. Somehow.