Chapter 29 - The Hero Killer

"You want me to be a part of your crumbling little league," said the Hero Killer Stain. "But you won't accomplish anything if you don't have conviction and desire." Stain was standing over Shigaraki, his dagger buried deeply into the villain's shoulder. The pain didn't even seem to phase Shigaraki, who simply stared back at him with quiet contempt.

"You're being a little rough, aren't you?" Shigaraki said. "Kurogiri, take this guy back."

The warp villain didn't move. Blood was dripping down his arm from a deep gash left by the Hero Killer. "I'm sorry, I can't move," said Kurogiri. "It must be the Hero Killer's quirk at work."

Stain spat on the ground. "The word 'hero' has lost all meaning in this society," he said. "The world is overrun with fakes and criminals like you who chase petty dreams. They must all be purged." He moved his second dagger closer to Shigaraki's neck, but the villain grabbed the blade with his bare hand. Before his eyes, Stain's blade began to disintegrate into dust. Stain leaped backward in alarm, still clutching his damaged dagger.

"You sure talk a lot 'Hero Killer,'" Said Shigaraki. "Conviction? Maybe I don't have anything as loaded as that. If I had to choose a desire, though, it'd be killing All Might. This world wants to worship trash like him, I'll destroy their beloved Symbol of Peace and crush them while they're in shock."

Stain paused. "I see your true nature," he said finally. "It seems our goals fundamentally oppose each other. However, this wasn't in vain. We agree that we need to destroy the present."

"I thought I was the person who hated most," said Shigaraki.

"I was testing your motives," Said Stain, sheathing his remaining dagger. "People always reveal their true colors on the verge of death. It's abnormal, but there is a desire, a warped sprout of conviction, inside of you. How will it bloom, I wonder? Maybe I'll let you grow, and If you don't turn out well, I'll take care of you later."

Shigaraki rolled his eyes. "Kurogiri," He said, looking behind him as the warp villain began to move again. "A man as crazy as this would be nothing but trouble for the League of Villains."

"Please reconsider," said Kurogiri. "This man will be a great asset if he joins us."

"I'd say this was a success," Said Stain. "My business here is done. Now, you will return me to Hosu." He licked his lips quickly, his eyes shining with a red glare. "There are many more false heroes I must attend to there."

Izuku stood waiting on a bench at the train station near his house. Dick had gone off to get their tickets, as they would be traveling outside of the city. He still couldn't believe that he was working with Nightwing, Bruce's first protegee, the first Robin. He hadn't had the chance to meet him previously, as his base of operations was in Bludhaven, back in the USA. Bruce was very sparing about bringing up the past, and so he hadn't mentioned him often. But Nightwing was one of the largest advocates for quirkless heros, being quirkless himself, and Izuku had followed his activities from a young age, since he formed the Teen Titans. After he struck out on his own as Nightwing, his time in the spotlight had declined. Dick had explained that this was due to the nature of crime in Bludhaven, as it was considered to be one of the worst cities in the United States, and in many ways was worse than Gotham City. Many of the things that went on there were better off staying in the shadows where they belonged.

"This place is great!" Said Nightwing, approaching Izuku. He was carrying their tickets, but also two drink cans. "You can purchase beer from the vending machines! Can't do that back home."

"Aren't we on duty?" Asked Izuku. He had Izuku gear up before they left, as they would be heading out on patrol as soon as they reached their destination.

"You sound like Bruce," Nightwing said, laughing. He handed Izuku one of the cans. "I got you a melon soda. We got a ways to go, so we might as well be comfortable."

"Where are we going?" Said Izuku.

"Hosu city," said Nightwing. "The Justice League wanted someone to investigate the Hero killings, and Bruce volunteered me for the job. He said it was a good chance for you to get your feet wet, and told me to bring you along."

"We're going after the Hero Killer?!" Said Izuku surprised.

"No," Said Nightwing. "We're only going to assist with the investigation. We'll be meeting up with the Endeavor and Manual Hero agencies when we get there, as well as several other ones. Until this killer is caught, it's all hands on deck."

"You mentioned the Justice League," Said Izuku as they approached their train. "I thought I was interning with the Teen Titans."

"You are," said Nightwing. "Technically, you're interning with both. The Titans are an extension of the Justice League, and though I'm not a teen anymore, I'm still the de facto leader of the Titans, and serve as an advisory role with new recruits. Several other former Titans also serve as advisors, like Beast Boy and Raven. Since you're still a young blood, you're officially an intern of the Titans, and one day you'll take your place as a member of the Justice League, if that's where you would like to go with your career." Izuku's eyes widened. The idea of becoming a member of the Justice League filled him with a wonder and excitement he hadn't felt since All Might.

All Might. Izuku's heart sank to his stomach. He still thought often about their last meeting. He was so angry and upset that he had lost complete control of the situation. He didn't want to hear what All Might had to say to him, and he refused to take the second place medal from him. For all he knew, All Might still had it.

"I don't know if you saw, but I was with Bruce and Alfred during the Sports Festival," Said Nightwing, as if reading his mind. "I gotta say, that was one badass performance."

Izuku flushed. He wasn't quite used to the candor displayed by Nightwing. It was different from Bruce's. It was much less reserved, and much more flamboyant. Bruce was a man of little words, no matter how direct they were, but with Nightwing there seemed to be nothing he wouldn't say. It wasn't off-putting, but it was overwhelming. "I wasn't that impressive," was all he managed to say.

"I gotta say though, it was rather reckless for a sporting event," said Nightwing. He wasn't chastising Izuku, just stating a fact. "Bruce was worried sick about you."

"Bruce was worried about me?" Said Izuku, surprised. Bruce was still his reserved and silent self when he had awoken in Recovery Girl's hospital ward. He was chiefly worried that he had disappointed his mentor, and didn't consider that he was genuinely worried about him.

"Yeah," said Nightwing. "He may not be good at showing it, but Bruce cares very deeply. He leaped from the bleachers and carried you off to meet with Recovery Girl before any of us could react. The look on his face was one I haven't seen since. . ." He trailed off, going silent suddenly. He paused for a moment before clearing his throat. "Regardless, it was an impossible situation. Had it been a real battle, the best option would have been to retreat."

"I wasn't about to give up," said Izuku, slightly indignant.

"Tactical retreats are not the same as giving up," said Nightwing. "Sometimes, you are faced with situations where there is no escape, and fighting your way out is the only viable solution. But you need to learn to gauge those situations carefully, so you can best avoid them. If you give up your tactical advantage, you'll find yourself in an impossible situation that could have been avoided. Even if it means making a retreat, you can regroup and attack the situation again."

Izuku never thought of it that way. "But what about when you can't escape?" Asked Izuku.

"Fight till your last breath," said Nightwing. "But do so wisely, or it may very well be your last breath." He looked as if he spoke from experience, but Izuku didn't press the matter. They sat in silence for a while, and Izuku found his mind wandering on Iida. He had taken his internship with the Manual Hero agency in Hosu, so he imagined they would be meeting up when he got there. This eased his mind a little, as he was getting increasingly worried about Iida's sudden change in personality, and the fact he went to Hosu specifically to intern was too much of a coincidence, and Izuku didn't believe in coincidence to begin with.

An hour passed, and they began to approach Hosu city, when the side of the bullet train, directly in front of them, exploded. Someone was thrown through the side of the train with incredible speed and force, as they were going over 200 miles per hour. A moment later, something began to bend back the broken metal of the train. Even though it was smaller and a different color, Izuku recognized the lifeless eyes set inside the giant exposed brain immediately.

Nomu!

"Stay back, kid!" Said Nightwing, springing into action immediately. He drew two retractable batons from his utility belt, launching him forward towards the Nomu. His batons crackled and exploded with electricity upon making contact with the Nomu, and they both flew out of the train and hurtling towards the ground below.

"Nightwing!" Izuku cried, but in a matter of seconds the train had already travelled out of range of Nightwing and his quarry. Izuku acted instinctively, leaping out of the bullet train, drawing his grapple gun from his utility belt, and propelled himself towards his friends location. He only hoped he would be ok.

Tenya Iida continued his patrol with Manual, the Normal Hero. They had been patrolling most of the evening, and although he knew it was foolish to get his hopes up, Iida desperately wanted to find the Hero Killer. Manual had already figured out the reason that he came to his agency in Hosu, and had warned him against the idea of pursuing him out of thoughts of revenge, not only for moral and ethical reasons, but for the legality of it as well. Heroes don't have the jurisdiction or authority to make arrests or to use their Quirks any way they want. They are mostly incident response: rescue, evacuation and suppression of villain incidents. They can only assist with criminal investigations when invited by the police, and even then they were kept on a short leash. Strictly speaking, they couldn't just do what they wanted.

Normally, Tenya would agree with him. He had always honored the Hero code to the letter, trying to shape himself into a hero worthy of the Iida name. But the burning hatred in his heart would not falter. No adherence to rules, regulations or ideals would quench it. He had made up his mind. He had to find his brother's attacker. He had to take him down.

He was going to kill the Hero Killer.

Manual stopped suddenly. Several people before them began to panic. They could hear large explosions off in the distance, followed by screams. Manual put a finger to his earpiece inside his helmet.

"What's going on?" He said to the radio. "Villain attack? Don't worry. I'm heading that way right now." He turned to Tenya. "Stay with me, we're running!"

Tenya's mind was running a mile a minute. This couldn't be the Hero Killer. The attack was too flashy. It had to be someone else -

Tenya froze mid stride. He had almost missed it, but he caught a glimpse of light reflecting off something metal, something shiny. Looking down the alleyway, he was able to see it clearly.

A sword.

Tenya made a mad dash towards the alleyway. He found the Hero Killer.

The Hero Killer looked in disdain in the direction of the chaos caused by the Nomu. The idiot Shigaraki had made his move, but was being so noisy about it. He would have to dispose of him later. He turned back to the false hero he had pinned against the wall. They called him "Native", but that mattered little to Stain. He would soon be dead.

"My body, I can't move," said Native angrily, his voice muffled from Stain's hand covering his mouth. "You bastard, I'll kill you!"

Stain scowled, raising his blade. "If you call yourself a hero, you should choose your last words with care."

Something came hurtling towards him at intense speed. Stain barely had enough time to raise his sword in defense, which connected with his attacker. It was a heavily-armored hero, and his sword had knocked his helmet off his head, causing the hero to come crashing down to the floor. Stain realized that his attacker was only a child, no older than 15, wearing the suit. "Who are you?" he said as the boy hoisted himself from the ground. "Run away from here. This is not a place for children."

"You're carrying blades all over your body," Said the boy. "And you're wearing a blood-red scarf. You must be the Hero Killer, Stain. I've been looking for you, but I didn't think I would find you so soon. I am - "

Stain raised his sword, stopping inches from the boy's face. "Your eyes are searing with vengeance," he said. "Be careful what you say next. If need be, even someone your age can be my target."

The boy grew angrier. "Are you saying I'm not even a threat to you?" He snarled. "You listen to me, criminal. I am the brother of an incredible hero who you attacked. I have come to stop you because he can't anymore. You are going to remember my name for as long as you live. I am Ingenium, and I will defeat you! That I promise!"

"Then, so be it," said Stain. "Die."

Izuku ran throughout the streets, desperately trying to find Nightwing. His mind was racing. The creature looked like Nomu, but it was smaller, and looked different, if it had the power that the Nomu had back at the USJ, it could be really bad news. Not just for Nightwing, but for the whole city. He had to think. He was faced with another impossible situation, just as Nightwing said, but he couldn't just stay back and do nothing.

"Tenya!"

Izuku stopped. Someone was yelling a familiar name. Following the voice, he was shocked to see the streets besieged with not just one, but two Nomu-like creatures facing off against several heroes. Each one of them was different: one was flying with leathery wings attached to its back, carrying civilians in its large clutches. The other was large, muscular and colored like the Nomu at the USJ, but lacked the bird-like beak, and had no eyes of its own. Fire blazed around them as they continued their onslaught.

What are these things?! Thought Izuku.

Izuku saw Manual, the normal hero, using his quirk the control the water from a broken fire hydrant to douse the fire around them. "Why did you have to run off on your own?" He said angrily. "Where the hell are you, Tenya?!"

Izuku's stomach dropped to his feet. Iida had gone off on his own. This was grossly uncharacteristic of him, and very, very bad. Izuku pulled the control panel on his gauntlet computer, checking the homing beacon he placed on Iida's armor. He was several clicks away, hidden in an alleyway. He wasn't moving. Izuku calibrated his cowl-vision to zero in on his location. He saw three faint outlines off in the distance. One of them was brandishing a long object, difficult to make out in the distance. It was sword.

Shit.

Izuku launched his grapple gun heading in the direction of the three figures. He only hoped he wasn't too late.

Tomura Shigaraki cackled with glee as the Nomu continued their wanton destruction. He and Kurogiri watched from a water tower in the distance, safe from the damage, but perfect for a birds-eye view. "The Nomu make such excellent playthings!" Shigaraki said happily.

"Are you not going to participate in the fight?" Asked Kurogiri.

Shigaraki reached for his shoulder. "Don't be stupid, I'm still injured," he said. "That's why I brought these pets."

He had to convince his Master to let him have the Nomu. They weren't as strong as the one from the USJ, but he and the doctor had managed to finish adjusting the behavior of six of them. The Master had only let him have three of them, but even if they were weaker than his last Nomu, they would be more than enough to see their mission through.

Shigaraki hated that arrogant Hero Killer that the Master had brought in. He wanted to destroy anything that he hated. It was his right to do so, his very reason for existing. The Master wouldn't deny him this, though he encouraged him to use this as a learning experience. Whether he learned or not, Shigaraki didn't care. Once this night was over, the world would have forgotten the Hero Killer ever existed.

"Then, so be it," said the Hero Killer. "Die."

"For Tensei!" Shouted Tenya, activating his engine quirk. Even with his impressive speed, Tenya was too slow for Stain, who moved faster than he could have calculated.

"Ingenium. So you're his brother?" Said Stain calmly, as if they were discussing the matter over drinks. "I let him live so he could spread the good word -- word of me." He slammed his spiked boot into Tenya's shoulder, forcing him to the ground below. "You're a weakling, just like he was." Stain immediately plunged his sword into Tenya's other shoulder, blood spurting from the gaping wound. Tenya shrieked in pain. "You aren't heroes," continued Stain. "You have no right to be called that. Both of you are nothing but fakes."

"Shut up, Villain!" snarled Tenya. "You damaged his spine and paralyzed him from the waist down. He's never going to be able to work as a Pro Hero again. My brother was incredible. A caring person who saved many lives. Someone people looked up to. You had no right to take that all away from him! I won't forgive you. I'll kill you!"

Stain pointed to the injured Native, slumped against the wall. "Shouldn't you be concerned about saving that guy?" He said. "You're so busy with your grudge that you forgot about him. You plan on using your quirk only for yourself. You're completely blinded by your selfish desire for revenge. You're about as far away from being a hero as I can imagine." Stain ripped his sword from Tenya's shoulder and bringing it to his mouth, perversely licked his blood from the blade. Tenya immediately felt a paralytic force spread throughout his body. He couldn't move, not even an inch. "And that's why you'll die tonight," finished Stain. "Goodbye, child."

Not like this, thought Tenya. He was afraid. He had failed. The Hero Killer would live on, and Tensei would now lose his legs and his brother. It was over.

Stain paused, his sword inches from Tenya's back. A faint whistling sound could be heard in the distance. It was getting louder. Something was approaching, fast. He brought his sword up just in time for something hard and metal to collide with it, nearly missing his head. Three more objects were hurtled towards him again, causing him to leap away from the inured Tenya and out of the way of their trajectory. They embedded themselves in the side of the building behind him, and stain had a moment to see they were shurikens, but shaped in an odd way. But before he could get a good look, he ducked under a swift kick, narrowly missing his head by inches. He leaped backward again, getting out of the way. Another child, clad in black armor and mask. He had three blades attached to each gauntlet, and the goggles he wore under his black hood glowed an intense white.

"Midoriya?" Said Tenya, incredulously. "How?"

"Don't worry, Iida," said Izuku. "I'm here to save you."

Izuku made it just in time. He was afraid he was too late, seeing Iida laying before him. He stared the Hero Killer down. Every inch of him was armed to the teeth, and his very presence inspired an unholy aura of death that was palpable in the air.

"How did you find me?" Said Iida.

"I'm sorry," said Izuku. "I placed a tracking device on your armor. I was afraid you would try to go after the Hero Killer yourself." He chuckled slightly. "That's what I would have done." He surveyed his surroundings. Stain was on a whole nother level than he was. He remembered Nightwing's words about a tactical retreat. "We have to get out of here, get help from the pros."

"I can't move my body," said Iida. "It must be his quirk."

Shit, thought Izuku. That complicated things. If he left now, Iida would surely be killed, as well as the other hero. If it had just been Iida, he could have carried him away, but now he couldn't just leave this other hero to his fate either. Nightwings other words came to his mind as well: 'fight to your last breath,' he said. 'But do so wisely, or it may very well be your last breath.' He had to find a tactical advantage. Right now, taking care of two immobilized heroes against an experienced serial murderer didn't do him any favors.

"Please Midoriya, don't get involved," Said Iida. "This doesn't have anything to do with you!"

Izuku was shocked. "I'm not just going to leave you here!" He said.

"You showed up to save your friend's life," said Stain. "But I have a duty to kill him and this so-called pro. When your friend chose to fight me, it guaranteed that the weaker of us would be culled." He ripped one of the batarangs Izuku threw at him off the wall. He paused. He recognized this shape after getting a good look at it. "Wait," he said. "This. . . this is a batarang!" He turned his attention back to Izuku. "Who are you?!" He said sharply.

Izuku didn't answer. He had to act fast. Behind his back, he activated a small datapad from his utility belt. It would send out a broadcast of his location to any authority within a five mile radius. He had to make sure that Stain didn't see him send it. It was his only advantage. He only hoped that someone would be listening, what with the chaos going on around them. He didn't know how long he could hold the Hero Killer off. He also had no idea where Nightwing was, or if he was able to defeat the Nomu. For now, he was on his own, and he would fight to his last breath to protect his friend.

"Listen to me, Midoriya!" Said Iida desperately. "Stand down, run away! I told you this has nothing to do with you!"

"If you really think that," said Izuku angrily. "Then why are you even trying to become a hero in the first place?!" He had more he wanted to say, but the truth was, that he was ashamed. Not but a week ago he was searching for the sludge villain with intense, burning hatred in his heart, determined to do anything to find him. But now he saw the truth. If he had found the villain, even with Bruce's training, he very well could have been in the same position Iida was in now. Izuku stood tall, raising his fist towards the Hero Killer.

"I am Deku, Hero-in-training, protegee of the Batman," said Izuku. "And you will harm no one today, Hero Killer. So long as there are lives to be saved, I will fight to my very last breath to save them."

A perverse smile broke across Stain's gaunt face, and he threw back his head in a cackle that shook Izuku to his core. "Yes!" He shouted. "YES!! This is more than I could have ever hoped for!"

"What are you talking about?" Said Izuku, alarmed.

"Our meeting tonight is destiny!" Stain replied happily. "You and I are two sides of the same coin: opposed in every way, but fighting for a better world. For you see, boy wonder, as you were trained at the feet of the Dark Knight, I was trained by the Head of the Demon himself."

"'Head of the Demon?'" Izuku repeated.

"Yes, the very man you Master is destined to supplant," said Stain. "But he dishonors his destiny by refusing such a gift."

Realization dawned on Izuku. "Ra's Al Ghul," he whispered. "You're League of Shadows!"

"Do not speak his name, whelp!" Said Stain angrily. "He is a god among men, the master who gave me the power to fulfil my noble work, to do what needs to be done to purge the world of criminals and false heroes!" He drew his sword, dropping into a fighting stance. "And now, we will see if you will do what needs to be done too. Fight me, Son of Batman!"

Izuku launched into an attack, throwing Batarangs towards his enemy, who deflected and dodged them readily. Izuku had to get in close, avoiding his blades. Stain swung his sword towards Izuku, who caught it in his gauntlet blades.

"Watch the knives!" He heard Iida say. Stain attempted to slash him with the dagger in his other hand, but Izuku parried it, and seized his chance to deliver a kick to Stain's chest. The Hero Killer flew backward, but remained on his feet. "That's the spirit," he said, smiling. He lifted his dagger to his lips and licked the blade. Izuku felt as if an immense weight dropped on his back. He couldn't move.

"Disappointing," said Stain disdainfully. "Letting yourself be overcome after such bravado." He began to approach Izuku. "The Batman has much to teach you. Still, there are countless heroes around here that are all talk, but you are worthy of staying alive to fight me again another day. You are different from these two." He began to walk back towards Iida. Izuku noticed the blood dripping from the knife in his hand, and it came to him. That was why he licked his blades. It was the blood. That was the secret to his quirk!

"Don't!" Shouted Izuku as Stain lifted his blade, ready to plunge his blade into the helpless Iida. "Stop!"

Before he could attack, a large burst of flames came flying towards the Hero Killer, forcing him to dodge at the last second. "Someone else to stand in my way?" He said angrily. "Today has been full of distractions." Down at the end of the alleyway, flames burning brightly on his left side, stood Shoto Todoroki.

"Midoriya," said Todoroki, holding up his phone. "I got your message. The Pros are on their way." He launched an ice path towards Stain, lifting Izuku as well as the injured Native and Iida out of the Hero Killer's way. He ignited his flaimes again and rushed forward, throwing flame attacks towards his enemy. Stain leaped from side to side to avoid the blasts. "You won't be taking any more lives, Hero Killer," said Todoroki, continuing his attack.

"Todoroki, don't let him get your blood!" Said Izuku. He still struggled against the Hero Killer's quirk and it still continued to restrain him. "I think he controls his enemy's actions by swallowing it." Stain didn't hesitate, leaping towards Todoroki, who threw up a wall of ice to shield himself. Stain cut through the wall with ease.

"You blocked your own field of vision against an opponent who is faster than you," Stain said. "Rookie mistake." Stain threw two daggers towards Todoroki, which embedded themselves into his arm. "You're good, kid," said Stain. "Unlike him." He leaped into the air, and instead of going towards Todoroki, he bore down upon the injured Native. In a few seconds, he would be upon him.

Stain flew to his side as a heavy kick landed against him. Izuku had used his grapple gun to launch himself towards the Hero Killer, knocking him out of his path. He had control of himself now. The killer's quirk was losing its hold.

"Midoriya?" Said Todoroki in shock.

"I can move again," said Izuku. "I'm not sure how!"

"Does he have a time limit?" Said Todoroki, more to himself. He looked at Native and Iida, who were still immobilized. Izuku should have been the last one freed if that were the case. Then it occurred to him. "What is your blood type?!"

"Type O," Shouted Izuku, locking himself in combat with the Hero Killer. "That must be the secret! His quirk could be less effective against the type of blood he uses it on."

"Very impressive," Said Stain. "Your strength and intelligence are exactly what I expected of the student of the World's Greatest Detective." Stain swung his sword at Izuku's head, who dodged narrowly. Todoroki seized his moment to launch another ice attack towards him, sending him backwards to dodge.

"He's too fast," Said Todoroki. "He can avoid my ice and fire. If I try to carry these two away, I'd leave myself exposed." He gestured to the injured Iida and Native. "We have to hold off until the Pros come, and avoid close combat."

Izuku charged his explosive gauntlets. He wanted to avoid using them, as they were fighting in an enclosed space, and was afraid of hurting Native and Iida, but now he had no choice. He had to keep Stain at a distance.

"You've lost too much blood," said Izuku, looking at Todoroki's injured arm. "You need to stay back and protect them." He gestured to Native and Iida. "I'll take care of Stain."

"You're taking a big risk, Midoriya," said Todoroki. But he couldn't deny that he was right. If he lost any more blood, he would be just as useless to Izuku as the other two. "All right. Be careful."

"Come on, boy wonder," said Stain. "Show me what you've really got."

Iida continued to fight against the quirk that restrained him, but it was no use. This wasn't what he wanted. He didn't want his classmates to risk their lives to save him. This was his fight. The words of Stain and Midoriya played over in his head as if through a loop.

Shouldn't you be worried about saving that guy?

Don't worry, Iida. I'm here to save you!

"You have to run," he said to Todoroki, tears streaming down his eyes. "I can't watch this."

"You want to make your brother proud?!" Said Todoroki, throwing more ice and fire at Stain as Izuku fought him off. "Then stand up and become Ingenium! Become the hero you wanted to be!"

Izuku yelled as Stain sliced at his leg. He was immobile again. But instead of cutting him down, Stain rushed towards Todoroki. His fighting style had changed. His attacks were wild, like a wounded animal fighting against predators. This sudden aggression made him much more frightening, and much more dangerous.

Todoroki threw his fire and ice against Stain, desperately trying to keep him back, but the Hero Killer got past his barrage. He managed to reach his left arm, and ripped out one of the daggers that was embedded in it. Todoroki yelled in pain, but soon froze as Stain licked the blood, leaving him helpless. They were all down. The tide had turned in Stain's favor.

"It was a valiant effort," said Stain. "But a fruitless one. You may soon be free of my quirk soon, boy wonder, but they'll all be dead by the time you are." He drew his blade, ready to strike Iida once again. "Starting with him."

"Stop!" Shouted Izuku as Stain drew his sword, ready to plunge it into the helpless Iida. Izuku strained against the weight of Stain's quirk. He had to stop him before he murdered his friends, but he still had minutes left before he could move again. He thought back to his fight with Shinso. There had to be a fundamental similarity, as they both worked on controlling their enemies. He desperately recalled his training with Bruce, all the physical and mental conditioning he put him through. He focused his mind, remembering the words that Bruce had told him:

Your body is your own, he had said. No power or quirk can overpower your force of will. It can only confuse the mind, or overwhelm your senses. Focus is the key. Focus, and no trap, no power, no restraint can hold you.

Izuku had to focus. He only had seconds. Get up, Deku, Izuku screamed at himself internally. You are a hero, and you need to save them. Get up, now!!

Izuku's muscles began to budge. Slowly, he strained as he lifted himself off the ground. Stain turned back to him, shocked. "Impossible," he said. "You managed to summon the will to fight against my quirk." He drew his sword back on Izuku. "What. Are. You?"

"I told you, Hero Killer, I am the Hero Deku," Izuku said dropping back into a hero stance. "I won't let you kill them. I will save them, no matter what."

"You may be able to stand," said Stain. "But there's no way you can fight against me and my quirk at the same time!" He charged Izuku again, locking his sword in Izuku's gauntlet blades. Izuku used his explosive gauntlets, connecting the against the Hero Killer's chest. Stain yelled in pain as the explosion sent him backwards and against the wall of the alleyway. After a moment, he rallied, and continued his attack, but Izuku was ready for him. He caught his sword again, this time in both his gauntlet spikes, and used the explosions to give him extra force as he snapped the sword into pieces. Stain roared in anger and kicked Izuku in the solar plexus, sending him backwards. Izuku was winded, but otherwise okay. He could feel the quirk's hold wearing off, and his movements were faster, but he was fatigued. He didn't know how much longer he could last. But he had to fight, for the sake of his friends.

Stain launched himself atop of Midoriya, trying to drive his daggers into his chest. "Come on, boy wonder!" He shouted at Izuku. "Fight me with everything you have! Show me you are worthy of killing me!"

Izuku kicked into Stain's chest, flipping him over. He threw a barrage of explosions at the Hero Killer from his gauntlets, but Stain was too fast. He dodged the attacks and threw himself back onto Izuku, using his momentum to throw him into the wall. Izuku moved just in time as a dagger plunged into the wall behind him where his chest was before. Izuku countered with a spinning kick against Stain's head. He rolled from the force of the kick, but sprung back to his feet. They're fight continued, and Izuku felt himself growing weary. The Hero Killer's attacks seemed endless, and he didn't know how much longer he could fight.

Out of nowhere, something large came flying towards them at blinding speed, connecting with Stain in his side, sending him hurtling into one of the walls of the building. It was Iida. He was standing.

"Are you all right, Midoriya?" Said Iida.

"I'm fine," Said Izuku. He looked down at the blood dripping down Iida's arm. "You've lost a lot of blood!"

"I'm fine," said Iida. "I'll stand by you."

"Such tenacity!" said Stain ferociously. "Why won't you stay down!?"

"Now, Midoriya!" said Iida. "Let's finish this."

As Stain rushed towards them, all thoughts of self preservation forgotten, Izuku charged his explosive gauntlets, and Iida let lose a reciproburst kick. With they're combined attack, they struck the Hero Killer down, who hit the ground hard in a heap, and lay there motionless.

Izuku began to breathe a sigh of relief, which was halted as he saw the Hero Killer slowly struggle to his knees. "Well done, boy wonder," he said to Izuku. "You have bested me, almost single-handedly." He pushed his discarded dagger towards Izuku. "You are worthy," he said. "End it. Kill me. It's the only way. I will never stop my crusade. Do what your master won't. Do what needs to be done!"

Izuku froze, looking at Iida, who hung his head in shame. It all made sense to him now. None of this would have happened if he hadn't foolishly tried to face Stain alone. He endangered himself and his friends, and they all could have lost their lives today. Now that the moment has come, the desire for revenge had left him, replaced only with regret. It made him think of his own thoughts of revenge, the burning hatred inside of him for the sludge villain. He now understood Bruce's words to him.

"No," said Izuku, turning back to Stain. "I will never kill. Not even you." He kicked the Hero Killer upside the head, knocking him unconscious.

It was over. The Hero Killer was down. They won.