The evening sun began to set, shyly hiding behind the massive building that housed the Endeavor Hero Agency. "I'm glad you made the right choice for your internship." Endeavor said with a confident smile. "Prepare to proudly walk down the path of the mighty!"
"I have no intention of following any path that you've created. I will decide my own future." Shoto responded coldly.
"Heh. Is that so?" He asked, his smile never faultering.
"Excuse me, Mr. Endeavor?" Bulla chimed in, catching the attention of the father and son. "Our last encounter isn't what I would call positive. If it's alright, I'd like to know why you extended an offer to me."
"Hmph..." Crossing his arms over his chest, Endeavor turned to his window. "Brief, during our last encounter, I called you weak. However, you were the only one of two people who forced my son's flames. If I push you to new heights, you'll become the perfect obstacle for my Shoto to overcome."
With a sigh, Shoto held a hand over his mouth. "I'm sorry to drag you into my family matters..." He whispered.
"No, no, don't even worry about it!" She whispered back, fanning her hand to gesture for him to relax. "I'm happy for the experience, anyway." Regardless, I will not be a hero like this man. Clearly, there's something sinister beneath the surface of his façade, and Todoroki is a victim of it.
"Now then, get ready." Endeavor said as he walked to the door.
"Huh? But we just got here!" Bulla said.
"Where are we going?" Shoto asked as Endeavor turned to them with a smile.
"If the Hero Killer is following a pattern, then we know where he'll show up next. And we'll be there to stop him." As he turned back to open the door, he made an announcement into the hall. "We're taking a work trip to Hosu."
"Yes, Sir!" Several sidekicks said together as he left the room.
"Hosu... That's where Iida is interning!" Bulla said excitedly. "I bet we'll run into him over there!"
"Yeah..." Todoroki's gaze never left the door. Bulla could only wonder what was going on in his head that would keep him so fixated on what was ahead. Regardless, she pressed forward and changed into the second version of her costume, which more resembled her father's during the sinister Cell Games, removing the shoulder and thigh pads that hung from her chestplate, allowing her to quickly and easily grip her sword. Her body suit had now been redesigned to completely cover her legs, while leaving her arms exposed from the triceps downward.
"Alright! This feels great!" She said, taking a deep stretch while remaining careful as to not fall over from the weight of her sword. "I really need to give you a name! Every great sword has a name, after all!" She said to herself as she met Endeavor and Shoto downstairs.
In the midst of Hosu City, Endeavor patrolled the dark streets at night. By his side were his sidekicks, Onoma and Kido, as well as the interns that he had taken on. "Ugh, are we going to see any kind of action?!" Eschalot whispered to her classmate. "This is our third night patrolling in a row, and all we've done was stop petty crimes!"
"Well that's-" Before Shoto could continue, his father loudly chimed in.
"It's important to remember that you won't always see action! Hosu's less prone to crime than other bigger cities. Daily patrols not only give you the opportunity to keep an eye out for crime in the making, but it makes your presence known, therefore further halting potential crimes!" He explained angrily as his flames roared.
"You're right..." Shoto said solemnly as the group walked.
The air was now filled with an awkward silence. For several minutes, Eschalot just allowed her eyes to wander. That's weird... After what I'd seen, I didn't think Todoroki would take any interest in what his dad has to say... "Hey, Shoto-" All of a sudden, a building erupted into flames in the distance. As Eschalot's eyes widened, watching the plume of flames rise, her heart stopped.
"Come on!" Endeavor called out, gesturing for his crew to follow him. The Endeavor Agency team began to sprint past crowds of escaping civilians. "There's trouble ahead! I'll show you what it means to be a hero!"
Suddenly, Shoto stopepd running, looking at his phone. "Hey, Shoto!" Eschalot said. "We have to get go- hey where are you going?!" She called out once he ran in the opposite direction.
"Shoto?!" Endeavor called out. "Where the hell are you going?!"
"An alleyway at 4-2-10-Ekou Street. If you finish what you're doing or you see extra pros, send them there." He called back as he ran. "I'm leaving you here to take care of it. With you and the class rep, it shouldn't be a problem." The two looked back at the fleeting intern. "My friend might be in danger."
Clenching her fist, Eschalot called out to her friend. "Dammit, Shoto! You and whoever the hell that is better come back safe!"
Continuing their pursuit of the source of the chaos, their threat soon became clear, and everyone could see a creature crawling toward a couple, its brain exposed entirely. As a small elderly man rushed toward him, Endeavor stopped and threw his fist forward, engulfing the creature in flames. "I was looking for the Hero Killer, but I guess this thing will do." As he stepped closer, the yellow-clad hero's eyes widened. "I don't know who you are, honored elder, but your help is appreciated. I can handle this on my own from here on."
"You're-?!" The hero said as the couple watched in awe.
"Why is he in Hosu?!" The man asked.
With a cocky smile gazing over his burning foe, Endeavor gave them his answer. "
Isn't it obvious? It's because I'm a hero."
"Pfft!' Eschalot couldn't help but hold her hands over her mouth as she tried to remain quiet. "I'm sorry, Todoroki, your dad's so corny!"
"Stay focused, Eschalot!" Endeavor told his intern as she came back to her senses.
"Right!" She affirmed as she stood tall. The flames faded, leaving Endeavor's victim severely scorched, and Eschalot could now recognize the villain. "N-Nomu?!" She said as her eyes widened, memories of her fight flooding through her mind.
"That was only a low-temperature warning shot. But, still, it always KO's my opponent." Endeavor said as the hero began to stay on-edge.
"Something's not right! This guy is-!" In an instant, flames erupted in all directions. As the mysterious hero dodged, Eschalot threw her hands up, forming a shield around her party. Although it cracked in several place, it just barely remained standing.
"This is..." Endeavor turned around, seeing his protector as the shield faded. "Your Quirk is absorption and release, but you still took damage from my flame, didn't you?" He asked his opponent. "Not a very impressive power." Suddenly, the Nomu's arms began to writhe around as the creature suddenly bulked up.
"Watch it, Todoroki!" The mysterious hero called out. "I think this guy's got multiple Quirks!"
"Is that so?" As the Nomu leapt into the air, Endeavor raised an arm as he prepared to attack. Its mouth opened, and its tongue rapidly expanded into a tree-like form, branching out more and more before the yellow-clad hero rushed towards it, ripping through the attack, and dashing downward to slam the Nomu into the ground.
"I didn't mean to damage the road! I'm more out of practice than I thought!"
"Holy crap! Who is this guy?!" Eschalot asked.
"You've done well, honored elder." He said as the two looked towards the source of the chaos, barely lit above the buildings by the imminent destruction below. "That must be where the other heroes are gathered. It's been two or three minutes, already. They should have taken care of things by now." Endeavor informed them angrily.
I've got to tell him! "Endeavor, I think-!" Before Eschalot could inform him about the Nomu, her mentor cut her words short.
"Eschalot. Don't think for a second that I'm so weak that a child must protect me. As an intern, you are to be wary of danger more than any of us. So don't get in my way again."
"Y-Yes, Sir..."
"And furthermore, don't allow yourself to be so easily distracted just before a confrontation. Your mind needs to be ready and focused on the fight at hand!"
"R-Right!"
"Todoroki, we need to tie this guy up." The unnamed hero told him. "The cops can take him from there."
As he growled, Endeavor thought back to what his son had said. "Leave him for my sidekicks. They'll take care of him. In the meantime, there's an address I need you to investigate." As the hero's confused gaze turned to the number two hero, he looked up slightly. "I am Endeavor. I can handle the rest of this by myself." As he turned to his intern, his gaze was cold, so cold that it could snuff his own flames. "You go, too."
The heroes parted, and Eschalot dashed after Endeavor. "E-Endeavor!"
"I thought I told you to-!"
"These guys, they're called Nomu! They're just like the thing that attacked the USJ!" With slight shock, and mild discontent on his face, he returned his focused glare on the task at hand. "That one had multiple Quirks, like the one at the USJ, but it wasn't nearly as strong! They were saying the one from there was as strong as All Might!"
After several moments of silence, the Flame Hero simply smiled. "Hmph. Sounds like a thrilling challenge." He said. As the intersection came into view, a smokescreen faded, revealing a much larger Nomu than before, more similar in size to the one that Eschalot had faced before.
As it brought its hand down towards its victim, Eschalot blasted off. In a blur, she ripped through the fading dust and smoke and drew her sword, swinging it upward with all her might. It's heavy... Like my wrists will break if I don't put all my strength into each swing! I've learned how to begin to wield it, but I have a long way to go! Successfully, she severed the Nomu's hand, and spun with the weight of the blade. It's like the USJ... I couldn't just stand by then, and I certainly won't now! As she straightened out, she held an open palm, unleashing a massive Ki blast onto her opponent, but to no avail. The arm that she had severed had grown back already, reaching through the Ki blast and grabbing her face. The Nomu began to squeeze, and Eschalot clawed at its hands.
Before it had the chance to finish her, Endeavor dashed in, landing a flaming fist onto its arm. As it went flying, releasing Eschalot from its grasp, the hero in blue with the fin on his head gasped. "It's Endeavor!"
Eschalot coughed violently, her head now spinning. "Are you alright?" The woman in green asked her, kneeling by her side.
"Y-Yeah, I'm fine..." Holy shit, that was too close. I need to watch out for those black ones... They seem to be the stronger of the bunch...
"What did I tell you about getting in my way?!" Endeavor asked her angrily.
"I couldn't stand by and do nothing." She told him as she pulled herself to her feet, sheathing her sword. Trying to propel myself with this sword is insane! My blasts need extra power just to keep my airborne!
Although his attack seemed effective, the Nomu simply began to regenerate once again. "So you can regenerate?" He asked. "Well then," Endeavor charged, and met the monster head-on, grabbing it by the head, "let's see you come back from this!" The Nomu's head erupted in flames, first burning yellow before becoming more focused, forming a scorching blue flame. Within the seconds, it went limp, and the now-headless Nomu fell to its knees and crumbled lifelessly. "Incinerated cells can't regenerate." Endeavor said triumphantly.
"Above you, Endeavor!" Eschalot called out as a winged Nomu flew overhead. In his talons dangled another person, and Eschalot couldn't determine if it was a hero or a civilian. As the hero chucked a compressed ball of fire, missing the Nomu as it darted to the left, Eschalot blasted off towards it.
"Wait a minute! How many times do I have to tell you, dammit!" Endeavor called out with no success. "That reckless girl... She'll be a bad influence on Shoto if I don't discipline her..." As he began to run up the side of the building ahead, he watched as his second intern held two fingers towards her foe, firing a precision beam that struck the creature's eye.
"Endeavor killed that other one, so there's no warrant to show you any mercy, mindless monster!" She yelled as the Nomu dropped its hostage. Before she could initiate her follow-up attack, the Nomu swung its arm, prompting her to pull her blade out and block. With a crash, she flew against the wall behind her and jammed her blade into the wall behind her. As the beast began to flee, Eschalot remained hot on its trail. It ventured further, and Eschalot continued to chase until it descended onto an unsuspecting crowd. "Watch out!" She cried out as it clamped onto a boy in green. "What the- Izu- I mean, Deku?!" As she looked down, she could also see Tenya and Shoto below. No time to think about that! I need to-! Her eyes widened as she realized she was trapped. Damn it! It got too far, and if I use a widespread attack, I'll catch Izuku in the blast!
All of a sudden, the Nomu froze and began to descend, and meeting it midway towards the ground was a bound man with wild black hair. As he freed himself from his bindings, he leapt into the air and drove his knife into the Nomu's exposed brain, causing the three to crash to the ground. Eschalot near the heroes and watched as the dust settled. "Everything that I do...is to create a stronger society." The man said.
"Woah, is that-!?" Eschalot asked as the woman in green held her arm up protectively.
"The Hero Killer: Stain. You should stay back." The hero told her.
"Did he just save that kid?"
"He took him hostage, idiot."
"He killed that guy with no hesitation." The heroes spoke one after another.
"Everyone be on your guard, we've got a fight on our hands!" The woman who held her arm in front of Eschalot called out.
Suddenly, Endeavor's voice allowed a slight feeling of relief to sink in as he joined the scene. "Why are you all standing around like fools? The villain flew this way, didn't he?"
"You took care of the rest?" One of the heroes asked him.
"Mostly, but things got a little rough at the end." He explained as the situation became clear to him. "Wait, don't tell me that man is..."
"Endeavor..." Stain groaned. His voice sent chills down Eschalot's spine.
"Hero Killer!" Endeavor cried out as his fist engulfed in flames. As his arm winded back, his vision suddenly became tinted in blue. His eyes widened, and he looked to his side, where his intern now stood.
"Endeavor, he has a hostage. I tried to blow that villain out of the sky before, but it was the same problem." She explained as his flames faded.
With Eschalot shield fading as well, all eyes were now on Stain as he stepped away from his hostage. "You false heroes..." Eschalot's blood began to feel ice-cold, and the gaze that stared towards them rattled her to her very core.
W-What is this?! This sensation, this bloodlust... An intent to kill so strong that it leaves heroes paralyzed... It's even worse than back then. Even that monster's bloodlust doesn't compare. No, this is the intent to kill backed by a terrifying beacon of support: conviction.
"I'll make this right." Stain said as he stumbled forward. "These streets must run with the blood of hypocrites. Hero! Yes, I will reclaim that word!" As he took another step forward, his bloodlust fully washed over the crowd. "Come on! Just try and stop me, you fakes!" As Endeavor took a step back, Eschalot drew her blade. "There is only one man I'll let kill me. He is a true hero. All Might is worthy!"
In a flash of blue, with a dash of red, Eschalot closed the distance between her and her opponent. Closing in on the bloodthirsty sensation she was feeling, she prepared to unleash her strongest attack. "HAA!" As her hands were illuminated by the glow of her attack, she raised her hands above her head, and as she was about to unleash it, the sound of metal clashing with stone filled the air. And just like that, all of his bloodlust was gone. Eschalot watched closely, seeing that Stain was no longer responsive to the environment around him. "I... I think he's out-cold..." She said as touched the ground with a slight limp.
"Woah, Bulla, you're bleeding!" Deku pointed out as he limped to his friend. Looking over, Endeavor saw the blood on his intern's sword. She had cut herself with it before leaving it behind.
"Yeah, I had to break myself out of that trance. I never wanted to feel like that again." She told him as the female hero ran to give her a shoulder. With the arrival of the paramedics and police not far behind, it was with great relief that the era of the Hero Killer had been brought to an end.