Izuku moved as fast as his body would carry him, desperately extending his arm to reach the fire escape that connected the roof where he was to the ground below. The sounds of fighting beneath him escalated and he could feel panic clawing up his throat.

The knife on his waist felt heavy as he hastily made his way down, his mind going a mile a minute to try to find a solution to their current problem that didn't end with both of them being arrested. But with every passing second, he realized that there was only one way out of this, and he didn't know if he could do it.

How had this happened? Had it been a trap? A hit of misfortune? What was he supposed to do now?

He made his way to the ground and peeked over the corner of the building, scarcely missing the knife that flew over his head at top speed. One of the heroes fighting Stain turned, narrowing his eyes as soon as he saw Izuku.

"So you really have a little apprentice, Hero Killer." He said, making Izuku swallow.

This was bad.

Earlier that day, Izuku and Stain had been perched on a billboard without functioning lights, a few brick buildings below them. They were on a not-so-nice part of town, far from where Stain had last attacked, and were waiting for a patrolling hero to cross their path.

Izuku always enjoyed their vantage points since he got a nice look at the city and the people that inhabited it. There were always people walking about from one place to another and Izuku liked to imagine what those people did in their regular lives. Sometimes he even tried guessing what their quirks were, just to entertain himself.

He had his legs crossed and his head tilted to the side, enjoying the soft breeze that ruffled his hair. It was still very cold outside, but he was slowly getting used to it. Stain's mask and scarf waved in the air like thin flags, red and white looking burnt in the evening light.

By now they could stay in silence for hours without the need for small talk. Izuku could speak to Stain perfectly now, don't get it wrong, but the teen liked to save his questions for when he had something actually important to say or inquire about. Little by little, he'd managed to get Stain to speak about random topics every once in a while, and he liked it.

He was just about to start talking about nothing when there was movement under them, and Stain got ready to strike the poor hero that had made the mistake of walking right below them. Izuku recognized the costume but had no time to speak as Stain maneuvered his way down gracefully. The teen wished he'd had the time to say something because just as Stain was about to slash the hero on the back, a second figure appeared next to Izuku up on the billboard.

"Midoriya Izuku, right?" The sidekick questioned, a sad look on her face.

Izuku had his knife in hand in an instant, knowing who this sidekick was and what her flying quirk could let her do. He glanced below him and fortunately Stain was about done with the other hero, but it'd take him a good moment to reach Izuku again.

You're on your own, Izuku thought, adopting a defensive stance.

"You're too young to be doing this, you know?" She told him softly, clearly pitying Izuku to some length but still tensing for the upcoming fight. The teen said nothing.

She lunged at him, her quirk not limiting her movement to the small platform where Izuku was standing and came closer to landing a kick on him than he would've liked. He just hoped the noise was enough to get Stain's attention. He evaded the hit and twisted his body, using her forward momentum to get closer to her and try to get a hold of her arm to pin her down. But she expected as much, and she jumped high before trying to land another kick on Izuku, this time aiming for his head.

He reacted in time, jumping back and throwing himself forward when he saw the smallest of openings. Her arm was slightly raised, leaving the lower half of her ribcage unprotected just enough for Izuku to get her with his knife. He held the knife blade forward, ready to strike.

But then he hesitated. It was just an instant, but it was enough for her to get the upper hand and hit him square on the chest. He would have gone flying off the platform if it hadn't been for Stain catching him at the same time as he slashed at the young sidekick with a knife. She stumbled back and tripped over the edge, her body landing not that far from her partner's on the ground below.

Izuku gasped for air, shocked. He was just about to thank Stain for saving him when his elder picked him up by his hoodie roughly. He did not look happy.

"What was that?" Stain asked, his voice an angry hiss.

"I… what?" Izuku mumbled. Their faces were uncomfortably close together and his feet didn't touch the ground.

"You were going to spare her? Why? Because she was young?"

"Stain, no I-"

"Because you recognized her?"

"What, no!"

"Then why?!"

Izuku flinched. It was incredibly rare for Stain to raise his voice, especially when they were still so close to a fallen target. Stain pulled him even closer, his eyes burning with anger.

"I don't know what happened, I…"

"Can you not do what needs to be done, Midoriya? Can you not stain your own hands with blood?"

Izuku could feel his hands and legs shaking as, for the first time in months, he felt fear towards his mentor. He'd seen him angry before, sure, but never like this. Stain had never outright questioned Izuku's resolve like this, with so much rage.

Stain let him go and the teen landed on the metal platform roughly. His mentor was already making his way down the ladder before Izuku could feel a knot forming in his throat. He climbed down from the metal structure and followed Stain back to their hiding place in silence.

For the rest of the night, Stain had been completely silent and Izuku had been unable to find his own voice. Not that he would know what to say anyway. The moment he'd found himself unable to harm that hero, he'd prayed and hoped that Stain wouldn't be able to notice such a falter. He'd felt ready to defend himself and make Stain proud, but when all was said and done he hadn't been able to go through with it.

He'd gotten used to Stain killing people around them, he could face the corpses without recoiling at the sight, but he'd doubted when it had mattered most. Stain had been forced not only to save Izuku but to finish the job as well.

Izuku felt ashamed. He truly did. He never thought he'd feel bad about not hurting someone else, but he felt like a small child that needed their parents to do things for them at the moment.

The sun set eventually and when Stain got ready to head out, Izuku made a move for his shoes but the glare he received was enough to keep him rooted to the ground. His mentor left on his own, and Izuku was left alone with nothing but his thoughts.

He rubbed his arm on his face, wiping away the frustrated tears that threatened to fall.

He'd been doing so well up until now. He'd learned, he'd helped, he'd adapted. He'd done everything he'd been told, but he'd faltered when it had mattered most. He felt helpless and lost, unworthy even. Stain had put up with him all this time just for Izuku to prove that he didn't have what it took.

Why didn't I just stab her? He told himself, surprised at his own bitterness. Had he actually just thought that? Was he actually wishing he'd hurt her? She'd called him by his name, she'd looked at him with so much sorrow in her eyes but she'd still fought him regardless. She'd pushed him off the billboard to his probable death without a second thought the moment that he attacked her.

He took his knife in his hands and examined it, looking for an answer in the black metal but finding nothing other than uncomfortable emotions. He shook his head, placed the knife on the floor, and curled up in his hoodie. He eventually fell asleep.

Izuku was outside his school building, shielding his eyes against the blinding sunlight. Classes were over, his classmates had all flooded past him hours ago, but he was still here. His backpack was gone and he couldn't leave without it. He'd searched everywhere, he was sure, but there was no sign of his yellow bag anywhere.

So he sat outside the school, tapping his foot nervously and unable to move for what felt like an eternity until a small leaf floated down in front of his face. He watched the small green pad make its way towards the ground and then he looked up. His backpack was hanging from a tree branch just above his head.

Had it always been there? No, it was swinging back and forth on the branch, like someone had thrown it there just seconds ago. But a glance around told him that he was alone and that no one could have done such a thing.

Izuku stood, trying to touch his bag but finding it far beyond his reach. He couldn't find the strength to jump and so he just stared at the bag as it swung on the branch, the leaves above it gone and allowing him to see the roof of the school. He saw shadows up there.

The horrible light wouldn't let him see clearly, but he could see someone moving around on the roof. He tried to call out but found his voice gone, a raspy gasp barely managing to escape his lips.

He wasn't sure when, but he'd made his way up the stairs in a flash, the door to the roof greeting him blankly. Was his school still open? He still needed to get his bag.

Maybe I can reach it from up here, he thought. Yes. That was possible. He pushed the heavy door open and covered his face with his arm. The light was even worse up here, everything looking completely white in a way that made his eyes sting painfully. He squinted, only making out the edge of the roof and two red dots next to the railing.

He walked forward, arm outstretched and eyes barely open until he had those two red spots right at his feet. He crouched and picked up one of the red objects, recognizing the shoe in his hand vaguely. They were his. But what were they doing up here? He grabbed the railing and pulled himself forward to look down and then-

The sound of fireworks tore him away from his dream. He sat up in a panic, his muscles tense and a cold sweat clinging to his skin. He'd been having the same dream for so long that he'd gotten used to the uneasy feeling that came with it, but the loud booming noise coming from outside had caught him off guard.

He looked around and saw Stain by the window, his red eyes unreadable in the dark. Izuku opened and closed his mouth like a fish out of water, trying to say something but finding no appropriate words. Stain glanced at his watch and then out the window.

"It's midnight." He said just as another distant explosion echoed outside their little hiding place. Izuku blinked, confused for a moment until he remembered what day it was. He quietly settled next to his mentor and looked outside, the bright colors of pyrotechnics illuminating the dark sky.

"Happy new year," Izuku murmured, feeling a horrible weight in his chest. Stain did not respond and Izuku half wished the ground would open up and swallow him. Unlike the comfortable silence that they usually shared, this felt tense. Like the calm before the storm. Izuku bit his lip, breathing deeply and trying to push himself to say something that might magically make things right.

But Stain beat him to it.

"So? You have an explanation for earlier?" Stain's voice was cold and distant.

Izuku looked down at his hands, terrified and remorseful.

"I… I've never hurt anyone before, and I-"

"You said you were willing." Stain bit back, and the teen felt small, "You said you would do anything. Was that a lie?"

"No!" He practically yelled, facing Stain for the first time in hours with wide eyes. He couldn't let Stain lose his faith in him, he wouldn't know what to do if that happened.

"You said you understood what you had to do." Stain continued, and Izuku started to become frantic.

"I do! I… I don't know what happened. I was ready, I…"

"Cut the crap, kid." Stain interrupted, looking as serious as ever. Izuku had to blink back tears just to keep his composure. What was he supposed to say?

"...I'm sorry."

Stain scoffed, and the teen felt his hopes cracking in his chest. They stayed in silence until the last few fireworks illuminated the sky. Stain glanced at his watch once more and got to his feet.

"I've been too lenient with you," Stain started, his eyes digging into Izuku like daggers, "But that ends right now. If you come with me tonight, you will act. If you're not ready for that, then leave. I'm not dragging your ass around for nothing."

Izuku felt the world around him freeze. He felt the cold sweat return and the floor at his feet seemed to tilt to the right. Stain was giving him a chance, which was far more than he'd expected, but he found himself hesitating again.

If he followed this man out there and he was once again unable to do what he needed to do, what would happen then? Would Stain abandon him? Would he kill Izuku? The teen found himself dreading the first option far more than the second one, much to his surprise. If he couldn't do this, then what was he supposed to do?

Stain gave him another pointed look.

"So?"

Izuku swallowed, forcing his feet to carry him towards his things and picking up his knife with determination. He remembered everything he'd felt when he'd decided to follow Stain out of his city, what they'd talked about, the promises he'd made. He took a deep breath and looked Stain in the eye.

"Please, I… I can do this." He said, finding very little hesitation in his own voice. Stain gave him a long, calculated look before he nodded.

"Then we're heading out."

"Okay," Izuku replied softly.

They left the small, dirty space as it was and headed out into the night.

He followed Stain in silence, mimicking the other man's practiced movements to make his way from one building to the next easily. If he hadn't been so preoccupied about everything else at the time, he might have felt proud of how well he was keeping up with Stain.

They stopped on a roof a few blocks away from a crowded bar, the music sounding muddied by the distance. They took their places by the edge, one next to the other, and watched in diligent silence. More than once, random civilians passed by under them in sweet ignorance but no one noticed them.

In the silence, Izuku's mind started to race. He wondered if Stain would force him to take part in the fight, or if he'd simply ask Izuku to kill their target. He counted to a hundred in his mind, trying to calm his nerves and telling himself that he could do this. He'd trained for months knowing fully well that this moment would arrive and now he wanted nothing more than to prove to himself that he was more than just words.

Months ago, Stain had told him that his life was no longer his, that what he did to make this world better would be the only proof of his existence.

And he was ready to act on his words, for better or for worse.

Stain's sudden movement brought him back to reality. There was someone on the alley below, a hero if the costume was any indication. Izuku watched as Stain let himself fall on top of the other man, easily knocking him down and preparing to land a final strike with his katana. The sword swung down but stopped mid-air with a clanging sound, held in place by some invisible force.

The other two heroes stepped out of the shadows just then.

Izuku ran towards the end of the roof, jumping down the fire escape as fast as he could. Stain was inhumanely fast and strong, but depending on the heroes' quirks he could have a hard time against so many enemies at once. The teen reached the ground and stopped, unsure. He couldn't just jump in, could he?

You'll just become another victim, he thought. He pressed his back against the wall and peeked over the side to assess the situation more carefully.

The hero Stain had struck down was still on the floor, the wound on his side telling Izuku that he was being paralyzed by Stain at the moment. The other two heroes were a man and a woman and they were holding their ground against Stain. One of them seemed to produce invisible barriers wherever he wanted, effectively blocking most of Stain's ranged attacks with ease, and the other seemed to control a group of chains attached to her waist as if they were arms.

Stain threw one of his knives at the woman, but a shield deflected it and sent it flying straight towards Izuku's face. The blade hurled past him, smashing against a nearby wall with such force that the teen was amazed it didn't break.

That's when Izuku got noticed by the heroes. Crap. So much for a surprise attack. Stain wasn't hurt yet, but he wasn't making any progress with these two heroes and it was only a matter of time before the third one snapped out of his paralysis and joined in the fray.

If that happened, it would only be a matter of time before more backup arrived and they got caught. Stain was avoiding hits swiftly, only giving Izuku the briefest of looks before he tried to land a stab on one of the heroes.

Think, Izuku, think! His mind started going a mile a minute. He was trying to figure out a way to turn the tables, some way to help Stain, but everything was happening so fast and an approaching chain forced him to jump back in a hurry. The female hero was coming for him.

There was no time to think, only to act.

For better or for worse.

Izuku rolled towards the knife that had flown past him earlier, grabbing it in one hand at the same time he took his own knife in his other hand. He stood, letting out a deep breath and steadying himself. He tossed the first knife towards the female hero, straight at the leg where she was putting all her weight, forcing her to move to the right. The knife opened a wound on her thigh and she hissed.

"So you are helping him!" She said, sounding surprised and looking at Izuku with wide eyes. The second knife he threw flew by her, grazing the skin of her neck and opening the tiniest of wounds. She was quick to recover, wrapping Izuku in one of her chains and lifting the teen off the ground with enough force to hurt him.

The knife had enough momentum to reach the other hero, but he easily blocked the projectile and sent it flying to the side.

"You missed," The hero said, jumping towards his partner now that they had Izuku in their grasp.

But his confident expression changed to one of terror when the woman fell on the ground limply. Several feet away, Stain had the knife Izuku had thrown in his hand, his tongue pressed against the blade. The injury on her neck had been tiny, but it'd been more than enough.

"No, I didn't," Izuku said, matter-of-factly. With two heroes down, Stain was more than capable of taking out the third, and the first hero they'd attacked was already dead by the time Izuku untangled himself from the chain around his waist.

He was sure he'd have a huge bruise around his torso in the morning, but at least she hadn't snapped any of his ribs in the process.

The other hero on the ground gritted his teeth.

"Why are you doing this?!" He asked Izuku, his voice betraying his anger, "Your mother is worried sick, you know! You're just a child! Why would you join a man that's been killing heroes for years?"

Stain's brow raised, his eyes on Izuku. The teen was torn between being angry and sad. This was the second hero that had attempted to connect with him that day and it was at that moment that he realized that these people who called his name and mentioned his mother not only didn't know him but had also struck him down at the slightest hint of resistance.

Their words were empty. This man couldn't possibly know how Izuku's mother felt and the girl earlier had no say in how old Izuku could be to act upon his beliefs. They were just like everyone else, quick to assume when it came to the boy. Stain words burned in Izuku's chest intensely.

"Heroes?" Izuku echoed, his eyes narrowed, "What, like you? Don't flatter yourselves."

The hero looked like he'd been kicked in the stomach for a moment, his eyes flashing with grief and rage but Izuku matched his stare. The woman on the ground was visibly shocked. He reached for the knife at his hip but only found the sheath, suddenly remembering that he'd thrown the blade earlier. Stain had it in his hand, but he didn't offer it to the teen right away.

"Are you hurt?" Stain asked simply, scanning Izuku with his eyes for a good moment before he nonchalantly stabbed the male hero in the neck.

"I'm fine," Izuku said, the adrenaline in his body slowly disappearing and making the pain in his torso worse. He touched his ribs with a gentle hand, flinching just enough for Stain to notice.

"I'll finish here. You can head back."

"But… I thought you'd..."

"You're a terrible liar, kid. I'll catch up to y-"

"Akaguro?"

The female hero's tiny voice rang out, her eyes looking panicked. She couldn't turn her head, but she was clearly trying to get a better look at Stain's face.

"It's you, isn't it? Akaguro Chizome?"

Izuku could only stare. His mentor looked calm, but there was something in the way he frowned that told Izuku that he was just as surprised as the teen.

"I… you sound similar and your quirk works just the same." She laughed nervously, her eyes glossy, "You probably don't even remember me."

Stain stepped closer, looking down at the fallen hero in the same manner you would look at a dead animal on the side of the road. She swallowed, an undeniable hint of hope in her eyes despite the situation.

"Who told you that name?" Stain asked, his voice as cold as ice.

"You were in my class for one semester in high school. I sat right next to you, remember? We were… we…"

Friends? Izuku finished for her in his mind. He had absolutely no words for what was happening before him. To the world, Stain was simply known as the Hero Killer. There was no name, no backstory, no face to attach to the perpetrator of so many crimes. And Izuku knew that Stain wanted it that way.

By the way his mentor's shoulders tensed, he knew this wasn't headed anywhere good.

"I can't believe it's you doing all this," She started in a sad tone, but Stain cut her off with a stab on the thigh, right next to the wound Izuku had inflicted earlier.

"You can't? Then that just proves you never even knew me." Stain replied, his very aura feeling murderous at this point. Izuku had to take a step back. The villain pulled down his mask and crouched down next to the helpless hero, her eyes wide and scared. Stain gave her a proper glare.

"You know, this is the first time one of your kind tries to connect with me by speaking about my past," Stain twirled the blade in the woman's leg and Izuku was amazed by how tiny her whimper of pain was, considering how gruesome the sight was. Stain ripped the blade out in one swift move and the plunged it deep in the hero's chest, her eyes closing in pain as Stain glacially told her,

"It has to be the most disgusting thing I've ever seen."

Once her breathing stopped, Stain recovered his knife and cleaned it on the hero's uniform carelessly. He pulled his mask back up and started heading back towards their hiding place without another word.

Izuku had called out to him twice but had eventually decided to simply walk behind the other man. He was incredibly tired and his mind was still processing everything that had happened. They reached the tiny house right before dawn and they stayed in silence for what felt like ages.

The teen examined his mentor in search of any of the anger that had been there before, but when he found none he dared to speak.

"Stain?"

Stain looked at the boy and Izuku took that as a sign to continue.

"Did… Did you really know her?"

"Beats me," Stain answered, sighing, and finally allowing his shoulders to relax slightly.

"You don't know?"

"She might have known me since my information isn't public. But I don't remember anyone from back then too well."

"Why?"

"They were all the same, attention-seeking, self-absorbed people that only wanted to become heroes so they could become rich or famous. They were the people that showed me just how deep the problem goes. So I didn't bother learning their names or faces before I left that place."

It was good to hear Stain speak normally once more, especially after such a difficult day. Izuku could feel his own body relaxing and he let out a sigh that he didn't know he'd been holding, relishing in his teacher's voice.

After a long pause, Stain patted Izuku on the shoulder gently and the teen almost started crying in relief. He hadn't killed anyone, not yet at least, but he'd proven that he was willing to fight for Stain's ideals when needed.

They're your ideals, too, Izuku reminded himself with a trembling smile. Stain almost rolled his eyes at Izuku's expression, but the teen did catch the amused tone in his voice when he spoke.

"You're a crybaby."

"Guess I am," Izuku chuckled happily. Then, after a pause, his smile turned into a curious little grin.

"So… Akaguro, huh?"

"Don't push your luck kid."

"I'm just saying I didn't know your name before and-"

"I will cut you."

"Okay, okay! Sorry!"