Usagiyama hopped from rooftop to rooftop as the moon beamed down on the city. She decided to leave Midoriya to rest in the medical ward as she wandered the night- her own "wardrive" not sated from the gang fight the previous day. As she traveled, the same words echoed in her head: "Kill me". Did Midoriya never change? Or maybe was he more like her than she thought? From what she could recall, he gave up on his ideals of becoming a hero or even self-sacrifice for the world that shunned him. Was there still a possibility that he kept his idea of heroism intact while he fought?
She wasn't one to think this much about someone, or even people in general. Usagiyama understood that even she was influenced by All Might- although through unconditional means of adrenal smiling opposed to the Symbol of Peace's once courageous smile. It bothered her how much she was thinking about the green man's stupid freckled smile. She didn't know why, but she just wanted to grab his cheeks and squish them. The rabbit woman still hasn't lost that itch to slug him in the face again too. Midoriya just looked so… Clobberable. Now, her partner was clobbered- and not by her! Really hasn't been her month.
A few moments of jumping and thinking, the rabbit woman eventually stopped and sat at the edge of a rooftop, gazing out at the cityscape. It was peaceful as the bright lights within the city blinked like stars. The woman had too much information to cycle through from the past events, she was trying to piece everything together but kept finding that she was missing a link somewhere- no matter who's story. Horizon, Midoriya, the Hero Killer, and at this point, herself too. During her trance, her nose started to pick up the scent of blood, a few kilometers away from her position. A smile growing on her face, she brought herself away from the structure's edge and pulsed into the air- making her way towards the position.
Like a bloodhound, or in this case, a very aggressive rabbit- Mirko tracked the scent with pinpoint precision. Instantly she found the location and scanned the area. It was a dark alleyway surprisingly close to Midoriya's home- the woman spotting a wounded hero and a man that she didn't really recognize- but due to context clues with his serrated weaponry and mixed red and black clothing, she knew: the Hero Killer.
"You're back after you got lucky, Ingenium?" The slouching man threw a dagger at the hero's leg, "Your anger doesn't cease."
"I'm… Going to kill you, Stain!" The younger hero looked up at the assailant, his left eye shut due to a previous wound that the Hero Killer dealt to him.
Usagiyama was confused, Ingenium wasn't standing or perhaps was unable to stand. Positioning herself accordingly, the rabbit woman prepared to engage the combat taking a leap into the air and crashing down between the young hero and Stain, the Hero Killer pivoting and stepping backwards away from her.
"Another hero for the slaughter."
"Nah, I'm gonna send your ass flying." Mirko responded, cracking her knuckles.
"You should save this one, first." The Hero Killer glared at the rabbit woman, "Fake hero."
The rabbit hero wasn't sure what the Hero Killer's quirk was, but seeing the now vengeful Ingenium on the floor was enough to tell her that it had something to do with stunning. Taking two quick hops and bringing her upper body to a lower position, she used the strength in her legs to rush into a sliding attack- the Hero Killer leaping into the air and grasping at a hanging conditioning unit, throwing a dagger at the woman. Usagiyama spun herself and continued sliding back, the knife narrowly missing her hands. Another pulse forward, the woman decided to show off some footwork and hopped off the ground at least three times to generate momentum, the last jump was more explosive as she ended her momentum into a brutal jackknife kick.
The Hero Killer swiftly pulled himself up and pressed his feet off of the air conditioning unit in order to get away from the visibly destructive attack. Tumbling into a recovery, the black haired murderer glared at Usagiyama who responded with her signature adrenaline smile. Looking at the floor, Ingenium was struggling to move. Stain looked down at him with murderous intent which caused Mirko to kick off the ground in reaction: The Hero Killer was about to live up to his name. Using her exceptionally fast speed and abilities, the rabbit hero used her left hand to guide the serrated blade away from the incapacitated man- her right hand pulling him off the ground and expanding the distance between the villain. The ripping sensation she felt against her palm was a sacrifice she could afford as Ingenium was kept away from instant death.
"That hurt!" The rabbit woman was grinning ear to ear as she prepared to go in again- a slight confusion as the man licked the blood against his weapon.
"You've lost." Stain watched as Usagiyama fell onto her knees and struggled to move- her smile instantly disappearing, "The heroes of this world grow weak and unjust. I will fix that."
Taking steps towards Mirko, the Hero Killer looked down at her- for the first time, she didn't feel like smiling. This wasn't strength, this was an underhanded quirk. She wasn't supposed to die here- she still had more to do than to get murdered by an underground villain. The black haired murderer raised his hand and reversed his grip once again- a condemning gaze as he glared down at the rabbit woman.
"Any last words, fake hero?"
Before Usagiyama could speak, lightning struck the villain as a bullet ripped through his right hand and caused him to stumble, turning towards the assailant. Staring down from an elevated position was a man donned in makeshift armor wielding a submachine gun in his hands. His visor gleamed a bright green as he hopped off the edge and stared at the Hero Killer.
"Horizon! You fool."
"Sorry, friend. You're not allowed to kill that one."
Humans are frail creatures. Made of material that could be damaged extremely easily by puncture, bludgeon, laceration, fire, cold, poisons, acids, electricity, and even water. If you drink too much water, your body's blood values change and you die. If you bleed heavily, you become weak and die. If you're poisoned, the poisoned blood cycles through your system and then your organs, then you die. If you are shocked with too many volts of energy, your heart stops and you die. If your body struggles to replicate its own cells, you get cancer and die.
Yet, Humans are resilient creatures. The wide expanse of the world was determined to be the human's world the moment that we knew how to make tools and fire. Being intrigued by the danger- we made more and more, invested more and more into the future. Stories of mothers and fathers going being their means of capable strength when seeing their child in danger. Stories of people coming together to move whole trains for some stuck between the tracks. Stories of philanthropists fueling who reform programs from the money they worked hard for. Stories of people at death's door driven only by adrenaline and bloodlust- living for hours. Oftentimes, it is thought that death comes to the sick man. The truth is that the sick man only calls death when he's ready to give up.
Midoriya stared out at the darkness. There was nothing but a gray hue with white fractals along the sky. The green haired man clenched his teeth as he started to walk into the vast nothingness, he didn't know why he was getting so angry. He was furious. Everything hurt, it was suffocating as he continued to walk. The green haired man had to ask himself: Why was living so painful, why was change such a struggle?
"Because you can't handle it anymore."
'And what if I can't handle it anymore? Does that mean I want to stop? No, I want to keep going, I want to keep fighting- I need to keep fighting!'
"Fight for what? The world that hates you, the world that left you behind to die at the whims of people who go berserk? A child is more dangerous than you, a mere child with a quirk poses more of a threat than you ever will to anyone."
'I don't need to be a threat or a danger to a criminal. I just need to do what I can with the best of my ability- quirk or not.'
"The best of your ability is nothing- do you remember the Kamino Incident? When All Might was officially dethroned and you stood there- a bystander!? This is why he said you couldn't be a hero! You're afraid, you think you will lose something- but look at you, you have nothing to lose!"
Midoriya was arguing with a voice that was extremely similar to his own. It was the reason why he was often found drinking alone- because a person with dark thoughts left alone is them fighting a mental war on their own. The alcohol was a sedative but whenever he drank, he couldn't look at himself. He was supposed to be someone in the world, not an alcoholic police officer who struggled to do his job.
"You are nothing."
'I'm…'
"Absolutely, nothing. You can't save anyone, you can't communicate with people, you're teetering on the edge of insanity. You're a broken man with a broken existence. You know it. You live it. Everyday."
'No…'
"You thought you changed. Here we are, at square one."
He was frustrated. He felt like crying as he stopped in his tracks and fell to the ground. Why does life hurt people who try their best? Why are some people not allowed to follow or chase their dreams? When you're a child, you get asked: 'What do you want to be when you grow up?' When you're a child, you get told: 'Do your best!' Parents do anything to make their kid feel better, they would help them achieve their dreams, they would teach them how to live life.
"I'm sorry, Izuku. I'm sorry."
"If you want to help others, then you could also become a police officer."
"You should've come with a hero, cop."
Balling up and struggling for air in his mental prison, Midoriya felt his blood run red like a cascade of lava. Although he left his sadness out in the open, the rage that he held back for an eternity was coursing through his body like a wildfire- burning everything in its path.
"What did I do to deserve this?"
'I was born without a quirk.'
"Why was I the odd one out?"
'Because I was unlucky.'
"I could've been able to breathe fire."
'I got nothing.'
"I could've dragged small objects."
'It would've been more than nothing.'
"I keep losing."
Midoriya wanted to destroy something, anything, lifting himself up to see his reflection in this abyss. He covered up all of his mirrors because the one thing he hated most in this world was him. All of the mirrors that held his reflection, he felt the need to destroy it. Looking into the hazed reflection, Midoriya started to punch the man that stared back, over and over- his fist quickly became bloody as he grunted and roared with true violence.
"You're afraid. You're afraid of what the future holds for someone like you- that's why you don't want to see it. In fact, you can't muster the strength to see the future. You know you will be like all the other bystanders- but worse."
The green haired man was crying out of frustration, the energy in his body fading after his vengeful attack against his own visage. He didn't want to respond because, well, he was right. The man in his head has always been right.
"Who would want to hear the lament of a dying quirkless man? Who would want to hear the unbridled rage of a weak, disgusting coward? Who would live their days out with a criminal- a murderer?"
Midoriya felt his body go cold- the savagery inside him dissipating like a mild flame.
"That's why you created me, Midoriya. I'm the reason why you haven't successfully killed yourself- I'm your mad creation that kept you from losing your fucking job by psych eval."
Slowly looking up to see an armored figure approach Midoriya, his heart sank as he felt a wave of despair hit him near instantly.
"You couldn't give up your dream because you were desperate. Even with All Might saying that you couldn't be a fucking hero! So you fucking made me!"
171 cm, the same height as Midoriya. 70kg in weight, the same weight as Midoriya. Makeshift armor made to combat quirks from a pilfered material he stole from a police weapons facility. Advanced Hydraulics to increase mobility and over all power. Tactical helmet that was linked to the police database to mark his next target. Interwoven with black kevlar fabric to protect the hydraulics and array of machinery ripping in and out of the armor.
"You made Horizon, your way of being a hero! The name originates from the point in which the sky meets the earth- what you want to be: the fine line of a boy playing hero. You're out of your depth."
Midoriya looked down at his shaking hands.
"You want to be a hero, Green? Bring it, Hero." Horizon watched as Green lifted himself from the ground, "Kill me!"
Midoriya didn't know why he was moving. Why was he fighting himself? He could just let Horizon take over and step away from the world for good, but he wanted to fight. He wanted to be a hero- how could he ever renounce something like that? The green haired man remembered why he wanted to be a hero- because he was inspired, to which he was crushed. Yet people still reached out to him- people he knew and those he grew to care about. Perhaps, he was still locked up inside.
"From what I can tell, she's trying real hard."
The green haired man took a deep breath and rushed at Horizon, clenching his teeth and preparing himself for a fight that would hurt him more than he had ever felt before. Pain from stabs, punches, bullets, fire, quirks. They would be nothing compared to the internal tempest that he was currently feeling. Midoriya was willing to fight for an eternity just so he could wake up again and see the people he cared about.
"Sorry, he doesn't really like heroes."
Midoriya knew that that wasn't true. At the time, he couldn't muster the words because he had believed for so many years that he was nothing. He wanted to tell Nozomi that he wanted to become a hero- that he respected heroes. Horizon held an insane grin as he swung his right fist, Midoriya parrying it with his left forearm and riposting with his right fist into the man's armored body. The throbbing sensation of his fist striking pure metal was incredible, but Midoriya wasn't prepared to give up.
"Don't die captain, I love you man!"
The SAT captain clenched his teeth, he wanted to tell Ren that he would never die. He wanted to tell Ren that he would be his captain forever. Deep down, Midoriya knew that if he lost this fight with himself- he would never be the same. He was tired, he was frustrated, he was depressed, he was losing his mind. It was because of this dream that he manifested- and there was no one else to blame but him. The green haired man was willing to kill himself just to forget, so here he is. Horizon- the imagination of a young boy led astray, the reality of Midoriya Izuku.
"More! More! Come on, Green! Hit me harder!" Horizon grabbed Midoriya's head and slammed him into the ground, "You're not trying hard enough!"
Midoriya brought his right hand up and clenched Horizon's wrist and brought his foot from underneath the armored man, slamming it against his stomach and throwing him back. Taking heavy breaths, the green haired man rushed forward while Horizon was attempting to get back up, jumping into a kick against the helmet and scurrying into a mount.
"Yes! You want to be a hero, right!? I'll be your first villain!" The SAT captain brought his right hand back and tried to strike at Horizon's face, the mirror image bringing his left hand up and catching it, returning the favor with a right hook to Midoriya's side.
The green haired man took the strike and grimaced, drawing his left hand back to strike at the armored man's head again- the attack connecting. Horizon smiled as his face was struck, the armored man throwing Midoriya's fist and causing him to go off balance. The green haired man found himself becoming victim to a reversal as Horizon brought his right hand to push Midoriya over and his left knee as a fulcrum, allowing the armored figure to take position and send a heavy slam against the SAT captain's face. It was agonizing, but Midoriya was full of adrenaline as brought his right hand forward and pushed Horizon's shoulder, kicking him in the chest and throwing him off once again.
"This is fun! Usually I'm at a disadvantage!" Horizon stood up from his position and watched Midoriya recollect himself.
Midoriya was bleeding from his nose and was struggling to breathe- his right was probably broken. He found it odd that this pain within his mind felt so humanly real- but that's what made him feel the most alive.
"Even if you win! Even if you reclaim yourself!" Horizon held both of his arms out in an insane laughter, "You're still a criminal! I'm you, Green! You know this and you still fight! I bring the most justice that you will ever feel, I'm the closest thing you'll get to being a Hero!"
The green haired man was trying to calm himself as he stared at his mirror image- a sickly visage of his reality.
"You think that the actions of a vigilante go unnoticed!? You'll just get sentenced to jail!" Horizon was now visibly angry, taking steps and building into a stride, "Society doesn't care if you're a hero or not- they don't care if you saved others! Society has determined you as a criminal the moment you got blood on your hands, Green!"
"I don't care anymore!" Midoriya responded, dodging Horizon's right hook and guiding it past him with his left hand, "So what!?"
"You're quirkless, devoid of power in a world that exists because of power!" Horizon dodged Midoriya's attempt at grappling him and tried to return the favor, "You know that you don't belong! You know that you're not normal in this society!"
"If the repercussions are conviction, I'll accept it!" The green haired man ducked beneath the grapple and ran between Horizon's legs, grabbing both of his legs and lifting himself, angling and forcibly dropping both of them to the ground, "I'm…"
He didn't know why, but he remembered Usagiyama's face. The soft smile she gave him after she saved his life. He never really thought about it, but she never brought up his quirk after their very first interaction. Whenever he was going to do something self destructive, she stopped him- in fact, it was the only time she ever waived her power over him. The rabbit woman spoke to him like a subordinate, a comrade, something that she herself was not a fan of. When there was no one around to hear him scream, she was there.
"If you've been fighting people with quirks this whole time- If you were quirkless this whole time…"
The number 1 hero didn't believe in him. All Might didn't believe in his ability and so Midoriya thought she wouldn't either. She would demean him- destroy him and crush him until he was nothing but dust. Yet… She didn't. Usagiyama believed in his strength- and she helped him understand that he wasn't meaningless. The green haired man knew that he had more to live for- on that fateful day where he could've lost everything, she saved him. She was willing to pick up the pieces.
"Then you must be one of the strongest- if not the strongest person I know."
Midoriya stood up and grabbed Horizon by the collar and threw him again. He was struggling to stand as he dragged his feet towards the equally struggling mirror image.
"I'm…" The green haired man's breathing was raspy, "...willing…"
Reaching down and slightly lifting Horizon by the collar with his left hand, Midoriya threw a right punch into his head- the effect in which caused the back of the mirror image to hit the black floor and yank at his neck.
"To kill myself for this…" The green haired man struck again and again- a horrifying cracking and tearing noise echoing in the darkness, "...Horizon."
"I still want to be a hero."
"...the boy who couldn't give up…"
Horizon took two steps forward, the Hero Killer glaring at him. The armored man took a deep breath and took his helmet off- returning the stare. Stain's eyes widened as he realized that his once comrade was finally willing to throw away everything.
"Do you remember when I first met you, Chizome? You were nothing like you are now." Midoriya looked at the man, Usagiyama's eyes widening, "It's been years since I felt like this- Chizome."
"Midoriya…?"
"Sorry, Usagiyama. You might have to lock me up after this." The green haired man's eyes were littered with regrets as he raised his Vector at Stain, "Some people… They just wanted to be heroes, right Stendhal?"
"Die, Horizon." The Hero Killer threw two knives with his left hand and prepared another, rushing towards Midoriya.
The pressure of his hydraulics echoed the hallway as he sidestepped and dodged the thrown weapons, taking a step back and donning his helmet once again. The Hero Killer closed the gap between him and the armored man- striking at his chest. Midoriya brought his submachine gun up and sacrificed it to block the man's ravenous assault. Staying vigilant, the armored man watched the Vector become destroyed by Stain's incredible strength, making sure to watch for any other attacks he had. From what he could tell, the Hero Killer was refraining from using his damaged right hand- or perhaps he couldn't. Using his footwork, Midoriya kept dodging attack after attack- pushing his makeshift exoskeleton to the test. Eventually, the armored man spotted an opening as Stain aimed to deal a shallow strike against his abdomen.
Midoriya already knew about Chizome Akaguro's quirk. Bloodcurdle, the ingestion of a person's blood causes them to become paralyzed, the length differs depending on ingested blood type. Stain was looking to make a cut, any cut- just so he could stun the armored man and kill him simply. That was fine. The green haired man caught the Hero Killer's arm with his right hand- pulling it past his right side and using his right leg to knee the man in the stomach- the slamming of internal pistons increasing the overall damage. The Hero Killer clenched his teeth and responded to the attack by spinning the knife in his hand and implanting it in Midoriya's back- the armored man having his own counterattack by slugging the man's cheek- granting some breathing room. The knife was still embedded in Midoriya's back so he pulled it out and cleaned it with his glove- tossing it reversed into his left hand and drawing a holstered pistol with his right.
"I've been fighting myself for years, Chizome. I've walked through hell and back- dying doesn't mean shit here." The green haired man took a deep breath as the pain from multiple stab wounds in his back, both previous and current, started to flare.
"I had high hopes for you, Horizon." Stain replied, drawing his last knife and bending down to pick up his longsword in his right hand, "You were willing to do anything for a more just society. Why must it change now?"
"Because even if this world hates me- even if the world loathes my existence…" Midoriya took a deep breath and aligned Chizome's head with his pistol's iron sights, "There are a few that still care for someone like me."
"I won't die to you here, Horizon." The Hero Killer's presence instantly became more pronounced, "I will only die to All Might."
"Then you better be prepared to give up your dream."
Midoriya pulled the trigger and sent a projectile towards the man, but his keen instincts kicked in and he narrowly managed to block it with his sword- pulsing forward and prepared to rip the green haired man in half. The armored man lowered his stance and fired more rounds at the Hero Killer, the nimble and dextrous figure dodging an incredible amount and only taking small grazes of damage. Closing the gap, the green haired man took a step back and felt his life flash before his eyes as the serrated longsword drew closer and closer to his neck. He was caught off guard when he was instantly repositioned by a bright blue light blaring the noise of a jet engine.
"Ingenium?" Midoriya looked at the damaged figure, the young man looked down at him and stared with a sense of solemnness.
"Seems like the paralysis wore off." To his surprise, the silver armored figure didn't seem to detest the fact that Midoriya was clinically a psychopath, "It's over, Hero Killer."
"I took too long-" The Hero Killer spat- quickly being struck in the chest by the incredibly fast beam.
Returning the favor of saving his life, Midoriya fired two rounds at Stain, the man having no choice but to soak the damage into his right arm- effectively rendering it useless. Ingenium proceeded to cycle back and forth- the Hero Killer narrowly dodging most of the attacks and attempting to return some of the damage but he was swiftly stopped by the armored man's long range support. The young hero eventually found himself slowing down and struggling to keep up due to overheating and his attacks became more sluggish and legible to the Hero Killer. In Midoriya's case, his ammunition was starting to run dry and he would eventually have to go into melee combat with someone he struggled to find openings with.
"I feel a bit angry…" The rabbit woman slowly stood up from her paralyzed position and glared at the Hero Killer who was now starting to slow down and run low on stamina, "You're having all this fun without me."
Pulsing off the ground into an incredible kick- the impact slamming into the Hero Killer and throwing him into a wall. Ingenium followed up into a jumping side kick dealing a sizable amount of blunt trauma and rendering Stain stunned for a few moments- to which Midoriya aimed carefully and shot out his knees- forcing him to fall forward. The green haired man didn't think if it would hit an artery- which the odds were really not in his favor. Ingenium then proceeded to retrieve a rope and wrap it around the Hero Killer's wrists and body.
"Hero Killer, Stain. You're under arrest for the murder of seventeen heroes and the assault and decomissioning of twenty three- including Ingenium."
Midoriya stood far from the scene, taking off his helmet and leaning back into a wall, staring up at the night sky. The green haired man for once felt like he had accomplished something, as if he was even a hero. He knew that this was a one time sensation- he was most definitely going to be locked away forever after killing countless criminals and committing countless crimes. Slowly, he turned his head and spotted Usagiyama, the rabbit woman walking towards him with the angriest gaze he ever saw. Was he frightened? Absolutely. Did he deserve this? Absolutely. Slowly turning his whole body towards her, he pressed his hands together and aligned his wrists.
"You caught me, pro he-" An incredible amount of pain was felt in his cheek as he felt the cold hard floor.
"Are ya fuckin' with me?" Usagiyama looked down at Midoriya, the green haired man averting his eyes, "You got a lot to tell me, Izuku Midoriya."
Audibly exhaling and lifting himself up from the ground, he looked up at her. He was trying his hardest not to lose himself again and Usagiyama could see it in her eyes.
"No matter what happens here, I'm going to get locked up- I'm sure Ingenium over there would have a few good words to put in when I'm behind bars."
"Is that so?" The tanned woman turned and roared out at Ingenium, "Hey! This shit head saved your life and helped you get your revenge! You don't know him, deal!?"
The silver armored man stopped for a moment. To be fair, she did have a point- and technically, he still wasn't a full fledged hero. Minimize the damage.
"Deal."
"...What?" Midoriya was stunned by the odd turn of events.
"Ya got a lot to tell me, Green." Usagiyama leaned downwards and gazed into his dark green pupils, "Do you understand me?"
Props to uh... LoverOfArtemis for figuring out that Midoriya was Horizon. I didn't do a very good job at hiding it, but that tends to happen when you write at 2 am in the morning. Good job :^)