"Holy crud," Izuku placed a hand on his stomach and let out a slight grunt as he walked alongside Ori, her blue eye shining in the artificial street lights that made the stars all but a distant memory. The burp that followed was accompanied by a deep blush. "I didn't think I was that hungry."

Was he stressed or something It would make sense, he was a teenager that effectively ran from home and was currently trying to figure out what he wanted to do with his life and having to deal with the fact that his grandmother ran a Yakuza group. But he had been eating a lot lately. Like, a lot a lot.

Was it his quirk?

"You can probably blame me for that," Ori took a lopsided step and bounced against his shoulder before stepping beside him. Her hand tapped his shoulder lightly, while the other touched his back where Raijin's resting state was located. "The first time I was inking you up, I thought it was a shame that this canvas was so small, so, I wanted to give you a boon that would help you grow a bit. Kind of pointless since I can ink you as much as I want because my babies move out of the way, but hey, you might as well enjoy it."

"Wait!" Izuku jumped away from her a second and glared at her for a second, though the pure joy and general aura of smugness she was radiated made him stop for just a moment. "So, you used your quirk to make me hungrier."

"No, I think that's just a side effect of you going through a growth spurt!" She cupped her boobs and Izuku forgot what they were talking about. "Like when I grew these babies! I ate as much as you did! Was kind of worried I was going to get fat, but I didn't! Well besides my tits!" She laughed and bounced over to him again, standing at her full height she gestured for him to do the same.

Her red eye was glowing like all the stars they couldn't see. "I mean, look, you're like half an inch taller already! And as someone that see's you shirtless a lot, you're getting a bit buffer."

"Huh?" Izuku looked at Ori, she didn't seem any less tall than normal, and he certainly didn't feel any buffer. "How can you tell? I haven't seen any change at all."

"You're my favorite canvas," Her fingers grazed his cheek as she gave a bubbly laugh. "It's only natural that I notice even the slightest change to you." She blinked and smiled at him. "That sounded far less creepy in my head, but it's the truth."

She pushed off him with a light shove and spun on her feet again, causing the hem of her dress to rise for just a moment.

"So, if that's true how tall will I get?"

She was going to give him a vague answer, wasn't she?

"Don't know, probably taller than me, but shorter than Tanaka," She stuck her hands behind her back and looked up at the night sky, a few clouds were roaming in. "Though, you should probably keep working out, Mostly because Wakan would be annoyed if you didn't. Not that he isn't always annoyed. I think he hates me. But that might be because I gave him a rabbit tattoo when I was little."

"A rabbit?"

"Yeah! It's supposed to make him faster!" Ori waved arms around and they continued on their way back to the compound. "But, really what did he expect to happen? I was like thirteen or something."

"Oh, I've been meaning to ask, if your boons are real why don't more of the members have a bunch of tattoos from you? I mean, I only really know of Tanaka's." Izuku scratched the back of his head and hoped to Ori's side, though he did stay a step behind her, mostly because he didn't know the way back.

And he really hoped Ori did.

"Ehh, most of them already have their own tattoos. You know the classic Yakuza stuff." Ori grabbed the air and made a gross face. "That and they have old and wrinkly skin and stuff. It's not fun to work with. And as for the guys like Ita and Sho, well, I did say that my quirk makes it extra painful right?"

Izuku nodded. "That's putting it lightly."

"Yep! You're the only person that actually wants more than one! Ita has a Hawk on his shoulder, and he still thinks that it was the worst thing he ever experienced. And Sho heard Ita's screams and decided he doesn't need one. I had to force Tanaka to let me put a second one on him." Ori gave him a light smile. "But you have a pretty high pain tolerance considering how you're putting up with me doodling in your arm by carving your skin off."

Izuku just shrugged. "It still hurts like hell, but, I've been wanting to get a tattoo for so long that I was willing to put up with some hot sadist chick pinning me down and carving a monkey into my back."

"Oh, so I'm hot am I?"

"That's what you're stuck on and not the sadist part?"

Ori moved in close, her red eye glowing as her smile spread into one that was so smug it could conquer the whole damn world. "But you think I'm hot."

Izuku let out a frustrated noise that was a bizarre fusion between grunt and sigh. "Yes, you're hot, but do you really need me to tell you that?"

"Nope! But it's nice to hear!" She gave a sly snicker that only made Izuku more embarrassed. It honestly felt like he was in middle school getting bullied by an upper-classman. But don't worry, your secret is safe with me."

"I really doubt anything is safe with you."

"Damn, no wonder you got into Tokyo U. you're pretty smart."

"Yeah," The light-hearted tone vanished in the silence that followed. "So, how did you get in? And, how did you decide your major and stuff, I mean, you're already great at art."

"Thanks!" Ori paused at a crossroad and flapped her arms twice before she took a turn towards the left. They were either lost or she was just wandering around aimlessly. He didn't know which one was worse. "But, are you just asking me how I made up my mind so you can make up yours?"

"Kind of, I'm also just curious."

"Hmm, I guess that's fair." She ran her hands through her snow-white hair and let out a sigh. "I can't really say there was much of a question about what I was passionate about, I mean, when Granny offered to pay my way through college I just kind of accepted it. And It's not like I can't improve my artistic abilities you know. Sorry, I don't think that me just knowing what I wanted to do is going to help you."

"No, it is, I'm kind of jealous that you have something like that though. I mean, like something you're super passionate about." He stared at the ground for a second and barely caught a glimpse of Ori taking a sharp turn down a side road without warning. He used to have something like that. Being a hero was what drove him, he did everything he could to make that dream come true.

But since he couldn't get into U.A. saying that was his goal felt like a half-truth.

He could have just waited until he was of age to get tattoos.

He could have taken the alternative routes towards becoming a hero once he had gotten his tattoos.

But he had wanted them now.

And they were beyond worth it.

Not only had that design brought him to his own family, but he had tattoos that were beyond simple tattoos, and he had met so many people that wanted to help him grow. And he had met Ori.

So what was it that was pushing him forward? Why wasn't he diving headfirst into courses that would help him as a hero at Tokyo U? Sure, they weren't a hero school, but they had plenty of classes that could help a would-be hero, or even just picking a subject with the hopes of one-day teaching at a hero school.

There were so many options.

"You make it sound so simple." Ori laughed and turned down another side corridor that snaked between the back streets of the buildings. The light here was dim, and the space was tight, it was starting to feel more and more like some kind of a passage to a hidden world. She paused at a large empty wall lit only by a single lamp post and pulled out a can of spray paint.

Graffiti was a crime.

But from the moment Ori began to paint with that red paint, Izuku was captivated. With lines more clear than what he could manage with pen and paper, she created a flaming bird rising into the sky, its body looked to be made of either ink or fire, maybe both.

It was the symbol of the Amagi. Only larger, more beautiful, and simple.

"I mean it kind of is. I have this constant desire to create, especially tattoos. And when I can't, it gets to me pretty hard. I spent years wanting and needing to create only to be unable to think of anything."

She spun to face him, her long white hair flowing behind her and catching the dim light of the streets. "I guess I never really thank you for saving me from myself, who knew a canvas could—"

Death dropped from the sky.

The shadows seemed to cling to the hulking figure with wild hair that was staring at the Amagi symbol with nothing but malice. He brought up a hand to his face and touched the white mask he wore around his face, specifically the nose. With a hiss like the gates of hell had opened up this man said one word. "Amagi."

Run.

He needed to run.

Why couldn't he run?

Ori! What was she doing?

She was staring at the man too, her face was devoid of color.

She was just as afraid.

"I made an oath." The man said in a harsh raspy voice as he drew a long jagged sword from his back. "Years ago. That I would rid this world of the trash. Maybe. Just for tonight. Stendhal will return, and finish what he started!"

Move.

Why won't he move!

Stendhal, or whoever the fuck this guy was swung his sword down towards Ori.

Move!

He wasn't going to let her get hurt!

He heard his pants leg rip as a large ape-like fist lit up the ally way, pushing Izuku forward. A roar escaped him, driving him forward as he slammed into Stendhal's side, it was like charging at a brick wall. But he managed to him into the Amagi symbol for just a moment.

"Ori!" He shouted even as Stendhal pushed him away. Izuku tackled him again. This space was too small to bring out Raijin. He'd have to rely on Hisashi. "Run! I'll hold him off."

"Hmph." The white-hot pain of a dagger digging into his shoulder blade made Izuku scream again. "It's a shame Stain's not here right now." Stendhal's voice was calm, cool, even. "He might let you live for trying being a hero!"

A knee slammed into Izuku's stomach as he felt the dagger get pulled out of his shoulder. "But, if you're saving Yakuza scum, then I need to kill you."

Hisashi! He wouldn't come out. Oh no. Did the stab to his shoulder kill his tattoo? Or stun him?

Stendhal held up his blood-soaked blade and ran a long red tongue from one end to the other. "Hmm, that tastes different."

His body wouldn't move again.

This time it wasn't from fear.

It was just he couldn't move.

A quirk?

It started when Stendhal licked his blade.

That wasn't good.

"I'll start with you first," Stendhal said in a calm voice. "Mostly because you remind me of someone I once killed. And I'm feeling nostalgic tonight."

Move! Rajin! Hisashi!

"Rahh!" Ori screamed, a knife in her hand as she charged at Stendhal. She cut along his arm, her red eye glowing and sealing the wound instantly. "Fuck off asshole!"

"Guh!" Stendhal hissed and slammed Ori with enough force to send her flying into some trash bins. He hissed in pain and grabbed at his arm, the long narrow wound along his arm had been sealed completely. Ori had given him a tattoo. A long jagged ugly tattoo filled with rage.

Izuku sure as hell hoped it hurt.

With a devil-like growl, Stendhal glared towards Ori, before returning his attention towards Izuku. "I don't like to play with my meal, so I'll end you now."

The sword that would end his life was raised high up into the air.

And then was brought down.

His arm moved on its own, and his sleeve tore, as Hisashi emerged from his skin, the inky black salamander glowed a warm red as it bit towards Stendhal's sword. The blade sunk into Hiashi's soft skin like a knife cutting through jello, but it never reached Izuku's skin. Hisashi lunged forward, swallowing the blade whole and aiming for Stendhal's hand. With a bite that sent embers flying Stendhal was forced to let go of his sword or lose his hand as well.

"Ink." Stendhal hissed as he grabbed another long jagged knife. "It tasted like Ink!"

Izuku felt his right arm. He could feel the numbness fading as he felt Raijin moving along his body. He might not be able to bring Rajiin out in such a small space. But, he could bring out a part of him.

Living Mural: Fist of the Thunder God.

With a roar that would make Raijin proud, he pulled back a fist clench before he swung forward. Izuku felt the other sleeve of his shirt explode as his arm was completely involved by one of Raijin's massive meaty fists. Sparks tingled as his fist slammed into Stendhal's stomach with the sound and force of thunder.

The brick wall Stendhal slammed into shattered, but he still stood, his eyes a pure milky white.

What the hell was it going to take to bring this guy down?

"Izuku!"

He looked away down the narrow street to see someone running towards them, but the voice was familiar. It was Sho.

Stendhal lunged to the side, running past Ori as she crawled out from the trash, before Izuku could even think to move his legs that monstrous murderer had vanished into the darkness. Sleep would not come easily knowing that he was still out there.

But, at the same time, Izuku couldn't help but smile.

He had won.

"Holy shit," Sho ran up to him and looked at his outfit. "I swear you're lucky I'm good at finding people. You both look terrible."

A few drops of rain caught Izuku's attention more than the already numbing pain in his shoulder. Then the down poor happened.

"Seriously you two, don't go running off again," Sho pulled out an umbrella and handed it to Ori. "Follow me, the car's not too far away."

AN: How'd I do for the Stain/Stendhal fight?