My Hokuto Academia
AN: Just a fair bit of warning, there will be SPOILERS for both My Hero Academia [Vigilantes too], Hokuto no Ken, and Souten no Ken (and its continuation, Regenesis).
I DO NOT own Hokuto no Ken or My Hero Academia, they belong to their respective creators, Tetsuo Hara, Buronson, and Kohei Horikoshi. Support the official releases, especially of Souten no Ken. Support the official release! Mainly for emphasis!
Italics = Flashback
"Italics" = Speaking in a Different Language
'Italics' = Inner Thoughts
Italics = Flashback
"BOLD" = All-Might's tone or Present Mic [excited]
Chapter Forty-Eight: A Time of Healing
"Why... why?"
Iida turned away immediately, almost ashamed to look Uraraka in the eye. Kiryu, on the other hand, wasn't having it.
"Look my sister in the eye..." snarled Kiryu, but Iida didn't budge. "I SAID FUCKING LOOK!"
A loud slam into the wall made Iida jump a bit, now facing Uraraka.
"Okay..." Iida forced himself to say, "What do you want to know...?"
"D-Did y-you really intend on going after the Hero Killer?"
Iida did not want to answer that.
However...
Kiryu's murderous aura was making him buckle, but the blue-haired boy finally spat it out.
"Yes... I did. I wanted to find him..."
"And...?"
"And kill him... but first make him suffer everything my brother was put through. Then end him."
Ochako had to step back while Kiryu stepped in closer, close to his face.
"So... tell me. What was your next step after killing Stain?" asked Kiryu but the deathly calm tone of his voice made Iida too afraid to even mutter. "You have 30 seconds to answer."
Through gritted teeth, whether it was desperation or grief pouring out of him, he answered.
"I didn't care... I did not care how I ended him. If it meant imprisonment, so be it. If it meant being crippled in the aftermath, so be it..." Iida said, but his voice grew more intense. "If it meant that my life would be ruined, so be it. As long as he was avenged, that's all it mattered."
As he finished... the whole room was stunned into silence.
Until...
"You... You are... a fucking idiot! Are you serious?! THAT'S YOUR ANSWER?!" Kiryu outright yelled, but he stepped closer. "So, you didn't care what happened to yourself? What about your friends, your classmates, and most of all, your brother? What would he think, huh?!"
The moment he mentioned 'brother', Iida clenched his fists.
"How dare you... HOW FUCK-ghack!"
Kiryu had his grip around his Iida's neck, snarling even.
"I wasn't done talking, you wang ba dan! Look at your classmates!" Kiryu replied, but he had to force Iida to look. "Iida, I SAID. LOOK!"
Iida finally caved but he saw the looks on his classmates... Kiryu let go of his throat.
Uraraka was crying, sniffling, requiring Momo to hang onto her.
Shoto was glaring a bit at him, mouthing 'look what you fucking did. To your own friend even!'
Mina and Izuku still looked at him, their stares being a mix of shame and disappointment too.
Iida could feel it... he was responsible for this, his own selfishness did all this, the death of Native was just the tip of the iceberg, why? Why? Why? Why? Why?
"... I'm responsible for this..." muttered the blue-haired boy, his hands clenching his bedsheets.
Kiryu lowered his aura, adopting a softer tone, "Good. That emotion you're feeling all over, it's shame. List-"
"Kill me. Just... fucking kill me."
Momo snapped her head at that response, saying: "No, don't you-"
"I should have died that night!" yelled Iida. "My own actions lead to the death of a hero! I willingly pursued the Hero-"
SMACK!
A collective gasp was heard.
Tears still flowed down Ochako's cheeks as she gave Iida another smack.
"D-Dummy..."
"I pushed all of you away..." Iida said, starting to form tears.
"Iida..." muttered Momo. "Listen, you're still hurt-"
"I don't deserve your friendship... I deserved that beating from Midoriya... I... I... just..."
Iida went from tearing to outright sobbing... begging that everything he did could be reversed. Him snapping at his classmates, cutting himself off from his parents, the beatdown at Midoriya's hands, and his near-death at the hands of the Hero Killer.
"I just... wish to take it all back..." Iida said between sobs. "Is there... any chance?"
Kiryu softened, Iida was feeling tons of regret at what he did, he let his sis comfort him at the very least. He did not have the energy to glare at him, the kid needed this moment.
'My baby sister cares for you, maybe more than you deserve.'
As Kiryu walked over to Midoriya's bed, he said the following:
"You care for her, do you?" Kiryu asked, pointing out Ashido.
"Y-Yes, she was one of the only friends I made prior to U.A."
The older brother picked up on this, wondering if he was bullied or worse. However, that's a topic for another time.
"That might explain why you snapped at Stain. However, she's not the only one, is she?"
"Uhh... y-y-yes. I-Itsuka Kendo from 1-B."
"Crap... add that with the violent side... crap," Kiryu said, running his head through his hair. "You," pointing out Kensei. "After that first-hand account, I'm thinking your violent side rubbed off on him."
"If I didn't know better, you're saying that I'm a bad influence," Kensei responded with a slight smirk.
"To a degree... but you're not my enemy, so that's good enough for me."
As they were conversing, Ochako was by Iida, wanting to know if he could have talked to anyone. His sobs stopped briefly, saying: "I-I-I did not, I-I ignored them. All the texts. I was focused on revenge..."
"You were suffering all this time... you dummy..." Ochako said, sniffling.
"I don't deserve to be your fri-"
SLAP
It was a soft slap to the face.
"Y-You m-may h-have been s-stupid, b-but you can m-make up f-for it..."
Iida's response was a pained smile but he held her hand tight. All to reassure her that he'll try to make this up to her, Midoriya, and the people he hurt, but the question is, where would he start?
"Just let us help you, Tenya... you were keeping this all to yourself... and look where it got you..." Ochako said, the tears slowly stopping.
Tenya just nodded, but said this:
"I might as well call you Ochako."
The girl gave him a small hug despite his bed-ridden status.
"Is there a counselor at your school?" spoke up Gunhead. Iida nodded, though he can't recall the name for the moment.
"If you want my honest opinion, go to him or her after you get released from the hospital."
Iida nodded, muttering a yes.
"Hey... if you're still nervous, I'll walk with you, that's the least I can do, right?" Ochako asked.
Near the corner, Ryuki motioned for Shoto to come along, wondering if there's a vending machine. Momo, on the other, hand wanted to come with.
"You know what, why not?"
As the three walked outside, Miruko walked to Kensei, looking at him for a bit, but asked the following:
"How long have you been training Suiken?"
"Since middle school."
"Wait a minute... so around two years under you?"
Kensei nodded.
"Oh, shit. If you don't mind, you mind telling me the names of said underground fighters?"
"Wait, why?" Kensei asked, eyes narrowing.
"Well... I moonlight as an underground fighter every now and then. I might recognize them if you-"
Kensei sighed, really hoping this won't bite him.
"Their names are Summer Blaire, Wild Diamond, and Kenshin Hikino."
Miruko's eyes widen for a bit, then break out into a grin. "Ah, I remember her! We actually fought each other in a tag-team tourney! Wild Diamond to be specific!"
As soon as this left her mouth, Ashido was shocked by this revelation, mouth gaping, and stammering being the first part.
'Wait a minute, the Rabbit Heroine... a-wait, it's starting to click. The hero agency looking like a gym. That 'initiation'. The reason, or at least part of it...'
She was muttering in her head, but her mouth was gaping open...
"Ashido?"
...
"Ashido," replied Midoriya.
...
"Oi, Pinky," said Miruko.
...
Kensei snapped his fingers to get Ashido out of her dazed state, but he said: "... you were muttering in your head, were you?"
"Hehehehe..." replied Ashido, twirling one of her horns in some embarrassment. "Can neither confirm nor deny, heheheh..."
"You're handling the revelation of Miruko being an underground fighter better than I thought."
"Uhh... well... I mean... it's still shocking," sputtered out Ashido.
"If it's any consolation, Ashido, the above fighters I mentioned are very nice people. One of them is a gamer too."
It helped a bit, but Miruko said this.
"Listen, none of the fights I fought in ever ended in death."
"But..."
"One of my closest fights ended in a bloodbath... almost. It was a vampire heroine from Eastern Europe..." Miruko said but winced a bit. "... but damn, she hits like a truck... wait, no. tank would be more accurate."
In a few seconds, it clicks.
"Wait, Carmilla?!"
Miruko smirked, saying: "Yup. The same one."
"The same one that beat Yaobitch?!"
Some of the group looked at her, their faces saying 'Really?'
"... how bad is it between you and Yaoyorozu, I'm serious," asked Miruko.
"Sensei, there was something off about Kensei's story..." said Shoto, walking alongside Ryuki and Momo.
"In what way, Icey-Hot?"
"The way that Kensei fought and used pressure points, it's..." Shoto paused, an uncomfortable conclusion going through his mind, but it had to be said. "...similar to how Midoriya fights."
"That's obvious enough. However, there's something else, is there?"
Momo had to narrow her eyes at that statement, but there was an inkling of truth to it.
Shoto did not want to say it out in the open like that, motioning to find a more private place. Luckily, there was a small clearing in which there were two vending machines nearby.
"So... what are you implying?"
"Could Midoriya have been Quirkless the entire time?"
"... A bit of a bold statement, don't you think?"
"Todoroki... are you actually considering that?" asked Momo. "I mean, it could be a low-level physical enhancer Quirk."
"Maybe you're right, but there's just too much that's being left out."
Momo had to look at Shoto, wondering what he meant.
"Yaoyorozu, how much of what Midoriya uses, how sure are you that it's just his Quirk and not just Hokuto Shinken?"
This actually causes her to stumble a bit, that's the million-yen question, making her think.
'Where does the Quirk begin or end? Or does it work in tandem with Hokuto Shinken?'
"Let's just say that's it's true, Icey-Hot. Are you angered by that?"
Shoto shook his head.
"No, I'm just surprised," Shoto paused for a bit. "If anything, Midoriya has gained more of my respect."
Ryuki grinned for a bit, then asked Yaoyorozu.
"If you think I'm lowering my opinion of him because he might be Quirkless. I'm not. But that's the thing I have difficulty wrapping my head around..."
"Quirks aren't the only way to gain power, be sure to remember that, Babaiwan and Icey-Hot," Ryuki said. However, he adopted a more serious tone next. "There's a whole world out there. What my cousin and the Xiaozi demonstrated? That's just a sample of our world."
This just raised more questions in Shoto's head, but the one at the forefront.
'What type of monsters did you fight in your life, Ryuki-Sensei?'
This also raised questions in Yaoyorozu's head too, but the one at the front of the line.
'Are there other heroes that have secrets as Edgeshot does?'
"Oh, before I forget... who wants caffeine-free?" asked Ryuki, pointing out the soda options on the vending machine.
Cog Hive Detention House
"Was he comatose for how long?" asked a police chief with a dog head.
"Reports say he went into a coma as of last night. However, the damage? Ooh boy..." said the accompanying doctor. "Destroyed kneecaps, rib cage, internal bleeding, fractured fingers, and definitely a missing nose."
"The Hero Killer was brought down so viciously..." muttered the chief.
"Chief Tsugumarae, you seem conflicted," asked the doctor.
The comatose Stain, who was feared, now relegated to a hospital unit... in a way, it was poetic.
"Any next of kin?"
"Nope, Chief. Parents died in a car accident after he dropped out of high school; no known siblings and relatives; However, there was a known associate..."
The police chief's ears perked up, saying: "Who, woof?"
"Well, I'm not sure of his current status. However, here's the description: he was definitely ex-military by the way he carried himself; an eye patch over his left eye; buzzcut-style brown hair with some grey developing at the back."
The chief thought this was something random but it might answer a question about Stain: who trained him?
"You had a name?"
"Truth be told, I thought this was a fake name..."
"Just say it, woof."
"Jonathan. Jonathan Kagehama."
The name sounded strange to him but the chief would send one of his own to find out info about this Kagehama character. Whether he's alive or not, any sort of information could clear the air about Stain.
"If anything, this Kagehama was likely Stain's teacher and guardian."
As he walked away from the scene, that sentence got him thinking, but these three came at the forefront.
'Was Kagehama just as fanatical as Stain was?
Why train a hero school dropout?
Was Stain the only student he had?'
AN: Iida's punishment is just starting... but the Stain Arc has come to a close.
Xiaozi = Brat [Chinese]
Wang Ba dan = Son of a bitch [Chinese]
Babaiwan = eight million [the kanji of Yaoyorozu's surname can be read this way; Chinese]
The original idea for Iida: crippling him for life, leaving him bitter, and showing off the consequences of how recklessness can result in far-reaching consequences. It was either that or turn him into the next Jagi with elements of Reverse-Flash. If anyone wants to know my original ideas for how the Stain Arc could have gone, feel free to PM me.
Stay tuned for the next chapter!