Chapter 30 - The Status Quo

Nightwing and the creature from the train were tumbling fast towards the ground below. The creature was strong. Very strong. Even at maximum setting, the creature barely reacted to the electric bursts of his stun batons. He began to wonder if the creature could feel pain at all. They were approaching the ground fast, and the creature had a tight grip on him, preventing him from getting away. Thinking quickly, he thrust his batons into the creatures gaping mouth, powerful electricity reverberating throughout its body. Nightwing's suit was shock-resistant, so he wasn't affected, and the creature let go long enough so he could grapple away.

The creature hit the ground with a sickening splat. It lay there motionless, and at first Nightwing thought that it was dead, but after a moment, the creature slowly pulled itself up. Nightwing winced as its limbs grotesquely cracked as it repositioned them. The creature then turned away from Nightwing, seeming to lose interest, and started attacking the civilian bystanders around it.

"Leave them alone!" Shouted Nightwing, leaping towards the creature. Before he could reach it, a huge burst of flames engulfed the creature, causing Nightwing to stop in his tracks. He turned to see a large man walking towards him. He was wearing a dark blue jumpsuit, heavy boots and gauntlets, both blazing with red flames, extending to his chest and shoulders. Even his hair and beard was alight with these flames. Nightwing recognized him as Endeavor, the Number 2 Hero.

"Thanks for the assist, kid," Said Endeavor. He paused. "Wait, I recognize you. You're the Bat's sidekick, aren't you?"

"No, I'm not," said Nightwing, not bothering to hide his annoyance. "My name is Nightwing, I'm with the Justice League."

"Right," said Endeavor. He obviously didn't care. "Well, thank you for the assist, but I'll take it from here." He looked back at the creature as the flames died away. It seemed unharmed by the blast of fire. "That was a low-temp warning shot. But even still, it always K. O.'s my opponent." He launched a more powerful blast at the creature. It took more damage, but remained largely unharmed. This time, however, it seemed to grow in size. It doubled over on its haunches, and launched itself into the air towards Endeavor.

"Watch it!" Shouted Nightwing. "It's got more than one quirk!" The creature opened its mouth and large tendrils began to form from inside it before immediately thrusting towards Endeavor. Nightwing drew a capsule from his belt and threw it into the gaping maw of the creature, which caused it to swallow. In a second, the creature's chest exploded from the inside out. The creature fell to the ground in a heap, it's breath rattling before finally ceasing.

"Not too bad, kid," said Endeavor, impressed despite himself. He looked over the horizon, towards the red haze past the buildings. Yells and explosions echoed from that location towards them. "That must be where the other heroes are. It's been several minutes, they should have wrapped things up by now." He paused, suddenly realizing that a pager on his belt was going off. With all the chaos, he didn't notice it before. It was an alert for assistance needed at an alleyway at 4-2-10 Ekou street. Realization dawned on him. A few minutes ago, Shoto had run off towards that location, saying that there was something he needed to see there. He turned to Nightwing. "Leave this creature to my sidekicks, they'll see to it that the police get to it. There's an address I need you to investigate for me."

Izuku, Iida and Todoroki began to tie up the unconscious Stain, removing his assorted blades and weapons. Native had regained his ability to move, and was assisting them. "I should apologize," He said. "I'm supposed to be a pro, but I was totally helpless back there."

"No," said Izuku. "With his training, and his quirk, I don't think any one hero could take him on and win."

"The three of us barely won," said Todoroki. "And even then it was because of his own mistakes. He was getting riled up and desperate. Still," he turned to Izuku. "You were able to overcome his quirk, without even having to wait for the recovery time. Even he was surprised." He motioned to Stain. "It's just like back at the sports festival. If it wasn't for your indomitable will, we'd all be dead."

"Well, let's get him to the police as fast as we can," said Native. "We can -"

"Kid!"

They all looked to see Nightwing running towards them. "I thought I told you to stay back!" He shouted. "These creatures are strong, you could get hurt! Remember what I said about being reckless. . ." He trailed off, his eyes falling on the unconscious figure dragging behind them. "Is that who I think it is?" He said quietly.

"Depends on who you think it is?" Said Izuku slowly.

"What's going on?" Several more heroes came running towards them. "Endeavor told us there was trouble here."

"Kids?" Said one of the heroes, surprised. "Those injuries look bad, let's get you some help."

One of them gasped. "Look at this!"

"The Hero Killer?!" Said another. "Did you take him down, Native?"

"No," said Native, gesturing towards the boys. "It was them."

The heroes all began fussing over the boys, tending to their injuries and asking them about the fight. Several were impressed, some chastised them about going after the Hero Killer alone.

"It's my fault," said Iida shamefully. "They were both hurt because of me." The other heroes began busying themselves about, preparing for the arrival of the police. Izuku, Todoroki and Iida nursed their wounds, waiting for the ambulance to arrive to take them to the hospital. "I'm sorry," Said Iid, turning towards Izuku and Todoroki. He sunk into a deep bow, and Izuku saw tears dropping to the ground below him. "I'm truly sorry. I was so angry. I couldn't see anything else."

Izuku lifted his friend from his bow. "I'm sorry too, Iida," He said. "The truth is, I know -"

Izuku was interrupted by collective shouts in surprise. Something had grabbed him hard on the back, and in a moment's notice he was lifted into the air and away from his friends. He looked back to see he was being spirited away by the flying Nomu. It was bleeding profusely from the side of its head, a gaping hole from where it's eye used to be.

"Put me down!" He shouted, wrestling to get free. The creature continued to climb higher and higher, but in an instant, it went rigid, and began to lose altitude. Izuku saw a red blur out of the corner of his eye, bearing down on the Nomu. He heard a sickening sound, like a knife being plunged into flesh, and he and the Nomu fell to the ground below. Izuku's body screamed in pain from the fall, and struggled to look up. When he did, the Hero Killer was standing over him and the Nomu. He had escaped his bindings. Because the creature's blood was everywhere, he had used his quirk against the creature and seized his chance to kill it, saving Izuku.

"Not today, boy wonder," He said to Izuku. His eyes burned with an intensity that would make even the bravest of men falter. His mask had fallen, revealing a disfigured face lined with cuts and scars, and a hole where once was a nose. He was like a living skeleton, an embodiment of death itself. "Everything I do, I do to create a stronger society," He continued, blood and drool dripping from his face.

"What's going on?" Came a booming voice. Endeavor came running towards the group of heroes. He stopped short at the scene in front of him. "Hold on, is that. . . Hero Killer!" Endeavor's flames grew, and he formed them into a spear that only he could throw, one of his special moves, the one he used to take out the eye of the Nomu before it got away.

"Endeavor, wait!" Shouted Nightwing. "He's got a hostage!"

Stain turned to face the Heroes at the sound of Endeavor's name. "You," He growled, deep and guttural. The whole world around them seemed to change, as if everything at once had turned blood red, burning with the intensity of hell itself. The passion of a madman. "You false hero! I'll make this right! These streets must run with the blood of hypocrites!"

He began to advance on the heroes before him. Many of them were frozen in fear of his intense hatred. Nightwing put himself between Izuku's classmates and Stain, ready to defend them.

"Hero!" Shouted Stain. "I will reclaim that word! Only the worthy shall be a Hero!"

Stain stopped in his tracks, dropping the bloodied knife in his hand, and finally, collapsed in a heap. Behind him, a tall, dark figure had suddenly appeared, and in an instant had knocked him unconscious again. Swiftly, he bent down, producing large handcuffs and placing them on the Hero Killer's wrists.

"That's enough," said Batman. "You're finished, assassin."

Izuku, Iida and Todoroki all sat on their beds at the Hosu hospital. It was morning, but neither of them slept much. The events from the previous night still ran freshly through their minds. One could argue that it was a miracle that they were even still alive. Stain didn't seem to want to kill Izuku, perhaps out of some perverse form of kinship. He had an uneasy feeling that it wasn't the last he would see of the Hero Killer.

Izuku was impressed with Todoroki and Iida. They had fought so hard, and he was proud to have fought alongside them. He had commended Todoroki's use of his quirk, and Iida's strength to fight back despite his blood loss. Iida did not feel as proud as Izuku felt for him, however. He still blamed himself for the whole situation, especially his friends getting hurt.

The door to their room opened suddenly, with Nightwing, Manual, and Batman walking through the door. "The youngbloods are awake," said Nightwing. He walked over to Izuku and sat on the edge of the bed.

"Nightwing," said Izuku. "Batman, I'm sorry. I know I shouldn't have gone off by myself. I didn't mean to worry -"

"Someone is here to see you," said Batman, interrupting Izuku. Behind him, a large man wearing a three-piece suit walked into the room. He stood at least a foot over the already immensely tall Batman, and instead of a human head he bore the face of a bloodhound. "This is Hosu's chief of police, Kenji Tsuragamae."

The boys began to stand in respect, but the chief let out a small, bark-like cough. "Please, stay seated," He said. "So, you're the U. A. students who brought down the Hero Killer, huh?"

"We are," said Todoroki.

"Stain has some serious injuries," said the Chief. "Severe burns and several broken bones. Right now he is under strict guard." He let out another bark-like cough. "Here's a lesson you should have already learned: when quirks became the norm, the police force sought to maintain the status quo. They decided we wouldn't use quirks as weapons. That's when heroes came in. They could do what we couldn't, if they were licensed, of course. It would be impossible for the police to condone the use of deadly quirks. After all, we're here to stop such harm from being done. The only reason pros can use their powers now is because of the strict code of ethics that the early heroes chose to abide by. That's why it's against the law for uncertified people to use their quirks to cause injury. Whether you were up against the Hero Killer or not, unlicensed heroes don't have the authority to harm the villain." He turned to the heroes present with him. "The law states that you and your supervisors should receive harsh punishments for this gross abuse of your powers."

"Wait a minute!" Said Todoroki. "If Iida had not stepped in, Native would have been murdered! And if not for Midoriya, they'd both be dead!"

"Todoroki. . ." began Iida.

"Listen to what he has to say, Todoroki," Said Batman. Despite his indignation, Batman's intimidating nature was enough to inspire silence. The Police Chief coughed again and continued.

"It is not okay to break the law as long as it goes your way," He said. "This is the official stance of the Police Department. But any punishment would only be necessary if this went public." He tapped his dog-like nose knowingly. "As it stands, there are two options available to you that mitigate that punishment: one, you can give the credit of the capture to Endeavor. Stain's burns would support the story and we could say that you weren't involved. It would mean no one would know about you, and you would receive no acclaim at all, but it would be the last you would hear about any punishments."

"And the other option?" Asked Todoroki.

"In all technicality, the punishment would only fall to you and young Iida, as well as your direct supervisors," replied the Chief. He turned to Izuku. "As I understand it, you don't have a quirk. While it was irresponsible to pursue the Hero Killer at all, even without the use of superpowers, we cannot legally hold you to a law that regulates quirks. It could be argued that you were acting as a concerned citizen, operating in self defense. It is a technicality, but a viable one."

"What are you saying?" Asked Izuku.

"I'm saying that the credit for the takedown could go to you," said the Chief. "There are many pros and cons to this stance however: you are still a Pro Hero in training. You used tools at your disposal to help take down the Hero Killer, but you did not use a quirk to take down the hero killer. This would reflect well on yourself as well as UA, a student who upholds the law and still is able to save the day. However," said the Chief warningly. "You would no longer be an agent unto yourself. This would place a huge responsibility on your shoulders, one that many in your shoes would not be ready to take on at such an early age. The public spotlight would glare down upon you more so than ever before. Many would applaud you, many would condemn you for borderline vigilantism. But one thing would be clear: you did not use a quirk, you did not break any hero laws, and no punishment would befall your friends."

"No, I don't want that," said Izuku immediately. "We took down Stain together. I'm not taking all the credit. I don't even want to be in the spotlight. I did what I did to save my friend."

"Are you sure?" Said the Chief. "The choice is yours."

"I'm sure," said Izuku. "Right guys?" He added, turning to Todoroki and Iida. They were silent.

"Guys?" Izuku said, puzzled.

"Midoriya," said Iida. "You fought the hardest against the Hero Killer than any of us. If it wasn't for you, I would be dead."

"I agree," said Todoroki. "You were the one to find Iida and the Hero Killer. You were the one who fought the hardest against him. In the end, we were all helpless to his quirk, and you fought through it to save us. In all reality, the victory goes to you."

"No," Said Izuku. "I won't accept that. If it wasn't for you -"

"Think about it, Midoriya," said Iida. "Stain didn't want to kill you. He said himself you were worthy. You acted as a true hero should. You should get the credit."

"I don't care," said Midoriya. "The credit goes to Endeavor."

"If that is your choice, then so be it," said the Chief. "I don't want to damage any promising young careers over a mistake like this. I know it's not fair, you won't enjoy any of the fame and praise you probably would have received otherwise." He sunk into a deep bow. "At least, allow me, as the Chief of Police, to thank you."

The Chief of Police departed, and Iida and Todoroki left the room as well, Iida to speak with Manual, and Todoroki went to order breakfast for them, leaving Izuku alone with Batman and Nightwing.

"Since this guy is so sparing with his praise, I'll just go ahead and say it," Said Nightwing, gesturing to Batman. "You did a good thing there. A hero doesn't look for praise and acknowledgement. But still, you better remember what I told you about taking unnecessary risks. If something had happened to you, Batman would have painted the walls of the Batcave with my insides."

"Wrong," said Batman. "I would have made you paint the walls of the Batcave with your insides."

Nightwing shuddered slightly. "Well, in any sense, it all worked out for the best."

"You learned something from this experience that you're not saying," said Batman, staring Izuku down. "Haven't you?"

Izuku averted his eyes. "Iida was nearly killed because of his hatred for Stain," he said quietly.

"You now see where the path of revenge leads, and its consequences," said Batman. "True vengeance lies in justice, and justice alone."

"I guess you were right," said Izuku. "I'm not ready to fight the sludge villain, even if we did know where he was."

"I wouldn't say that," said Bruce.

Izuku looked up sharply. "What do you mean?"

"I haven't stopped looking for the villain since he escaped," Said Batman. "And last night, my network finally picked up a lead." He turned to leave, pausing at the door. "You're willingness to spare the life of one who would not hesitate to end another has proven your growth. Be ready, for when your wounds heal, we will finally bring this creature to justice. Once and for all."

Later that evening, Izuku's mind was racing, swirling with thoughts and implications about Bruce's news. It was only a lead, but it was the first one they had in over a year. He had waited for this moment for so long, and now it may be upon him. With his fight with the Hero Killer still fresh in his mind, he felt a new sense of confidence in his skills and abilities, but images of his last encounter with the villain also circled through his mind: the fear he felt, as palpable as the muck that had encased him when the villain tried to suffocate him. He tried to push it away. After all, he had the World's Greatest Detective with him now. But no matter how hard he tried, the fear would bubble back.

He nearly jumped out of his skin as he felt his phone go off next to him, causing Todoroki and Iida, who had returned earlier, to look at him curiously. Looking at his phone, Izuku saw the message was from Bruce, and it consisted of only one line:

Channel 5. Right now.

Confused, Izuku turned on the TV and turned it to Channel 30. Two news anchors were reporting on the attack in Hosu City, including the involvement and capture of the Nomu, and their connection to the League of Villains, and then moved onto the capture of the Hero Killer Stain.

"The Hero Killer Stain claimed many lives," said one anchor. "In fact, he has more victims than any other criminal since All Might burst into the scene. With his arrest, everyone in the country can rest a little easier tonight."

"And we have one person in particular to thank for that," said the other Anchor. "Young Izuku Midoriya, first-year hero academy student at UA High school."

Izuku felt his stomach drop to his feet as they threw his picture up on screen. They began to go on about how a hero student was able to bring down the Hero Killer without the use of a quirk, obeying the law while protecting citizens, and how he represents an underserved population of heroes and citizens alike. He turned to Iida and Todoroki. "Guys," he stammered, struggling to find the words. "I didn't - I didn't. . ." But he paused. They were both smiling at him.

"What?" He said. "What's going on?"

"We know you didn't, Midoriya," said Todoroki. "We did."

"What do you mean?" Said Izuku.

"After the Chief of Police left, Todoroki and I caught up with him," Said Iida. "We insisted that you get the credit for the capture."

"But why?" Said Izuku, hardly able to believe what he was hearing.

"Because you deserve it, Midoriya," Said Iida. "I owe you my life, you and Todoroki. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you. For that, I can never repay you."

"People have told me I'm strong all my life," said Todoroki. "Especially my worthless father, always telling me I was different from everyone else, and how I was destined to surpass All Might. But even I wasn't able to hold against Stain on my own. Ever since our fight during the battle training, I have been chasing to catch up with you. It's time the world recognized your strength as well, and the strength of those like you, instead of just focusing on flashy quirks like ours."

"You guys," said Izuku, tearing up. "I don't know what to say."

"You don't need to say anything," said Iida, he looked down at his injured arms. "I got my test results back earlier today. My left hand might have damage that's permanent. Most of the damage was to my brachial plexus, which basically means I'll have trouble moving my fingers." He looked back up at Izuku. "But that's a small price to pay for my negligence. You were the whole reason that I survived. I was too blind to see past my anger and desire for revenge. This is all I deserve."

"That's not true, Iida," said Izuku. "I told you before, I know what it's like to want revenge. I haven't told many people this, but before I came to UA high. . ." he paused, the words choking in his throat. "I was responsible for my friend being killed by a villain."

Todoroki and Iida started in shock. "For a while, I gave up my dreams of being a Hero," Izuku continued. "How could I possibly become a hero when I was responsible for the death of my best friend? But that was when Batman found me. He told me that he could help me bring my friend's killer to justice, and to do so I would need to become a hero. But it wasn't until recently that I learned how much I wanted revenge against the villain. For a while, I wasn't able to think of anything else." He placed a hand on Iida's shoulder. "Then I saw how much you were suffering, and how you were suffering alone. I at least have my mentor to help me, but you were dealing with this all on your own. It made me realize that I never wanted to suffer like this again, and I didn't want others to suffer like this either." He looked between Iida and Todoroki, stretching his hand outward. "Let's get stronger together, guys. That way, others won't have to suffer like we did."

"You got it, Midoriya," Said Iida, placing his hand on Izuku's

"Let's do it," Said Todoroki, doing the same.

Izuku felt his phone go off again. He pulled it out, and noticed he had several text messages from his classmates, several from his mother, and even from some he didn't recognize. The phone didn't stop vibrating.

5 messages.

10 messages.

15 messages.

They just kept coming. Izuku had the feeling that he had a lot of explaining to do once he got back to school.

"A phone call is here! A phone call is here!"

All Might forgot to put his phone on silent, slightly embarrassed by the looks he got from Aizawa and Present Mic as he answered his phone. "Yes, hello?"

"Toshinori?" The voice that came from the other end of the phone caused him to shoot straight up out of his chair, startling his coworkers. Even though Gran Torino hadn't been his teacher for many years, he was still quite nervous around him.

"Wha- ? Hi sir!" He sputtered, attempting to wipe the blood away that dripped down his chin. He excused himself from his desk and found a quiet place to talk. "What do I owe this pleasure?"

"It's been a while since we last talked," said Gran Torino. "Why don't you come visit me more often?"

"Sorry, sir!" Said All Might. "It's just that my new life as a teacher has me so busy!"

"Well, that's not the reason I called anyway," said Gran Torino. "It's in light of these recent events that I thought it best that I tell you, Batman came to see me the other day."

"What?" Said All Might, surprised.

"He's been investigating the League of Villains, as you know," Gran Torino continued. "And he came to me for confirmation on his findings. He didn't want me to tell you at first, because he wasn't entirely sure, but after the recent events, I don't think there is a doubt in my mind anymore. First of all, the Hero Killer's ideology is one that rivals yours. People are going to find out about him, and there are going to be people throughout the globe who will be inspired by his ideals."

"If that's true, and he does inspire copycat villains, they'll probably strike out on their own," said All Might. "The heroes will stop them, just like they did this time."

"That's where the League of Villains come in," Said Gran Torino. "The Hosu incident suggested that Stain and the League are connected somehow. That means the League will go from a bunch of juvenile delinquents that attacked UA to being recognized as a group with an ideology. These new converts will seek them out."

All Might was silent. If this was true, this meant that even if each individual is insignificant, if that evil gathers under one banner, it will swell to unstoppable proportions.

"If the villain in charge knew this would happen from the beginning," Gran Torino continued. "Then he is a brilliant strategist. He's steadily getting rid of any obstacles, one-by-one, trying to create conditions that will favor his own purpose."

When All Might faced the Nomu at the USJ, learning that he had multiple quirks gave him a bad feeling. He went to his friend on the police force, Tsukauchi, who confirmed that Nomu did indeed have multiple quirks, and that he bore all the signs of a man who had those quirks forced upon him, it did little to quell All Might's fears.

"What if he's back?" Said All Might. "Could he have survived his injuries?"

"I don't know, Toshinori," said Gran Torino. "But you need to be ready. Batman is concerned. I can sense it. And you and I both know that means something big is on the horizon. We both need to be ready for whatever happens."