Beta'd by kylekatarn77 and Poliamida

64. The Endgame

War never changes. Only weapons are new. Yet it is not the weapons, but the men who handle them, who win victories.

-Arthur W. Page, The Conduct Of War

Izuku's breath misted in front of his face, and snow crunched under his boots as he scrambled out of the cab of the truck, which was parked at the end of a gravel road. Birds were just beginning to call, and the sky was still grey and dark with low overhanging clouds. The trees were shrouded in mists and snow, the convoy of trucks hiding amidst them, and the noise of the idling engines and slamming doors was muffled.

Mei had the back open, and Izuku hurried inside, starting the bootup sequence for the Power Suit as Mei worked on the Ultra Armor. Hari swung in, swearing under her breath and helping Izuku into the Power Suit. They had painted both it and the Ultra Armor in Urban Warfare digital camo patterns, and Izuku hoped that would blend in with the winter colors of the forest as well. The pines held on to their green, but most trees were barren and lifeless.

"Izuku, I love you, be safe," Mei said, coming over with his helmet. She kissed him on the cheek, drawing the moment out, and he let himself be lost in her warmth.

Then she separated, placing the helmet upon his head and sealing it. His HUD flared to life, and Izuku checked the levels. "Energy levels at full, all weapons systems online."

"Right, this one's ready too," Hari said, popping the canopy on the Ultra Armor. "Guess this is the part where you fuse the mecha together."

"It's fine, we've practiced it before," Izuku assured her, then climbed in. The two suits' systems synched up, and Izuku stood up, the larger Ultra Armor coming to life. "Synch is good, all systems integrated. We're ready."

"Be safe out there, Izuku," Hari said, rapping the breastplate with her knuckles. "Mei'll take good care of you. Come on sis, let's go get the HQ comms up and running."

Mei moved to go, then stopped, turning back and wrapping her arms around the Ultra Armor's arm. "Take care of Izuku, OK? He has to come back. He's the most important." Then she looked up at Izuku. "And you tell Destro that his babies are ugly, and ours are much cuter, and quirks don't matter!"

With that, Mei hurried off after Hari. Izuku smiled after her, then centered himself.

Taking a deep breath, Izuku clambered out of the truck, looking around. He spotted Togata hurrying over, his expression grim. "Where's Hari?"

"Hari, hold up," Izuku called, then winced. His voice was amplified by the suit's speaker system, and he worried it would carry.

Hari's head appeared on the other side of a truck, looking at Izuku with a concerned expression, and Mei's head popped up beside her a moment later. Togata walked through the truck, and Hari let out a squawk. Her head vanished, and Mei looked down at her, grinning. Then she looked at Izuku and gave him a thumbs up. "First base!" she called.

Shaking his head and smiling, Izuku turned away, heading for the rally point. It was easy to see- even in the mists Endeavor's flames were hard to miss. He made his way into the clearing, standing at the back of the group. In the Ultra Armor, he was easily the tallest one there at over three and a half meters.

"There's Midoriya. Where's Togata?" Endeavor barked.

"Here!" Togata called, popping up out of the ground next to Endeavor. There was a notable smear of pink lipstick on his cheek, which he rubbed at absently. "Sorry, had to take care of something. Wouldn't want to start this with any regrets."

Endeavor didn't comment on that, instead looking around at the assembled heroes. "You all know why we're here. This is the MLA's main base of operations. Re-Destro, Curious, and the rest of the MLA's bigwigs, will all be here. That includes some of our former friends. Slindin' Go. Shishido. Even one of my former sidekicks, Backblast."

"Traitorous son of a bitch," Burnin growled. "I'll kill that bastard."

Endeavor hesitated, then slowly nodded. "This isn't like a normal fight. We've seen the MLA's tactics. If they surrender, fine. But, I have these documents from the HPSC, delivered by Hawks this morning. Nezu, if you would?"

"A moment, please," Nezu said. He motioned Aizawa, Kan, and the instructors from the other hero courses forward. "Students of the UA hero course. As of now, you are no longer considered students at UA highschool."

"What?" Izuku gasped, along with the others. A mutter arose, but everyone fell silent when Nezu raised his paws for silence.

"I'm afraid we don't have time for a formal ceremony, nor did we bring certificates. But as of now, you are all formally graduated from the UA hero program. Congratulations. You are all full Pro Heroes."

Aizawa stepped towards his class, handing Iida a stack of envelopes. "Pass these out."

Iida did so, and there was a quick rustling of paper as the students cracked open the envelopes. Izuku had to have Shinso open it for him. Inside was a full hero license, freshly printed. Delicately, Izuku took the small plastic rectangle in his hand, holding it up and scanning it. It was true. He'd done it. He was a real hero. With a start, he looked up, raising his hand.

Aizawa looked up, frowning. "Midoriya, we just told you you're not a student. No need to raise your hand."

"Um, sorry sir. But what about Mei?"

"Yeah, what about her and Hari?" Ashido agreed. "They're heroes too, right?"

"They're fully licensed supports. Power Loader's delivering theirs now," Aizawa answered.

Izuku looked back to Endeavor, but he was standing beside Shoto, talking to him quietly. He embraced his son, tears in his eyes. Izuku's suit automatically activated his long range microphone, and he heard, "I'm proud of you, son."

"Thank you, father," Shoto answered, wiping away a tear. "I...I know you care. And, I do love you. I want you to know that."

"I love you too, Shoto," Endeavor said, resting his hand on his son's head. "You are my greatest achievement. Never forget that."

Wincing, Izuku temporarily disabled the mic, not wishing to further intrude on the private moment. After another embrace and a few more words, Endeavor stepped back to the center of the semi-circle of heroes, wiping at his eyes. "My apologies. I had forgotten you'd asked for a moment, Nezu. Well, I suppose congratulations are in order. Quietly."

There was polite applause, and the older pros saluted the younger heroes, smiling. A few of the former students let out quiet cheers, though even Hagakure was subdued. Izuku bowed awkwardly, though he could normally manage the gesture easily in the Ultra Armor, he felt nervous and embarrassed at the moment.

Clearing his throat, Endeavor nodded. "Well, Nezu, the other documents?"

"Right, of course." Nezu picked up a pile of sealed documents, taking the top one and slitting it open with a claw. He removed the document, clearing his throat, and read, "Due to extraordinary circumstances, the Hero Public Safety Committee is temporarily suspending Article 1 Section 1 of the Hero Code for the action in Aichi, on the morning of January 27th,-"

Nezu had to pause, as bedlam erupted.

"Article 1, Section 1? That's what governs the use of lethal force!" Edgeshot roared. "Not all of us are like you, Endeavor! We're not going to simply-"

"-against everything we stand for as rescue heroes!" Mandaly snarled, shaking her fist. "None of us are going to-"

"SHUT THE HELL UP!" Bakugo roared, jumping up on top of Izuku's armor. Izuku carefully reached up, lifting Bakugo further up into the air.

The older pros fell silent, and Bakugo glared down at them. "Shit. I don't remember the line. Tenya, what's article 1 section 1 again?"

Iida coughed once, then answered, "'A hero shall not use lethal force, save under the most extreme of circumstances, and only as a last resort to save their life, the life of a fellow hero, or that of an innocent bystander or hostage.' It goes on, but that's the main thrust of it."

"Right, yeah. So, which of you assholes hasn't killed anyone yet. Hands?"

Isuku raised his hand, along with most of the other students and shockingly, a few of the pros, including Mount Lady and Mandalay.

"Congratulations. Today, you get your cherries popped," Bakugo informed them. "So listen up. These MLA bastards are vicious. I've seen them slaughter innocents without a second thought." Bakugo pointed to Iida. "He saw them raping the shit out of people. Literally. And these asswipes we're fighting today are cut from the same cloth. They won't hesitate to kill you. So don't you dare tell me you're too good to kill them. Because if you are, go sit in the trucks, you spineless cowards. Because the rest of us know what has to be done. Midoriya, are you willing to use lethal force today?"

"I loaded HE rounds," Izuku answered, forcing himself to say it loudly. "I...I know what that means. If they surrender, fine. But...but this time, I won't hesitate. Not when my friends' lives are on the line. I...I don't want to kill anyone. But I will if I have to. Mei's here. My friends are here. And these people are evil."

"You don't compromise with evil," Bakugo declared, pointing into the mists. "You don't sweet talk evil. You don't try to get evil to surrender, or bargain with it. You exterminate it. And that's we are today. We're exterminators. Any questions?"

"That's...that's not what being a hero is about," Mandaly protested, her voice choked.

Then Tiger put a massive hand on her shoulder. "Shino...they took Tomoko's quirk. They were going to kill her. No, they did something worse. They were going to turn her into a Nomu."

"But...but that was the League of Villains, not-" Mandaly stopped, gasping for breath. She closed her eyes, then nodded, putting a hand on top of Tiger's. "I...I understand. They're trying to ally with the MLA. They're cut from the same cloth."

"This isn't about saving anyone. These people are already lost," Tiger growled. "If there are innocent civilians, we'll evacuate them. But that's not what I expect to find. We all saw the reports from Feel Good. Sixty-three percent. That's how many of them were MLA members or sympathisers. And nearly all of them perpetrated the same horrific crimes. What do you think they'll do if they get their hands on Tomoko now? Will they hang her, or rape her first? That's the only question."

"I'll kill every one of the bastards myself," Pixie Bob snarled, raising her claws. They didn't look ornamental anymore, but like razors that gleamed in the growing light. "That's why we're here."

"Correct," Endeavor said. He nodded to Bakugo, who hopped down off Izuku and went over to Uraraka. She put her arms around him, and he returned the embrace, leaning on her slightly as if his speech had weakened him. "Bakugo has the right of it. These are, to use the old phrase, licenses to kill. There is no police presence here. It was deemed likely to leak if we involved that many people. We are the only ones who can stop the MLA. And while I will not tell you to kill indiscriminately, and indeed I urge you to save those you can, for if you hesitate at the wrong moment, it will cost you your life."

"Captain Flamebeard's right," Hawks' voice called, and he swooped down out of the sky. "Best get moving, people. City's waking up. Conference starts in an hour, and if you want to get the drop on them, time's a-wastin."

Izuku nodded, looking through the thinning mists towards the valley below them. "Then let's do this. We end this. Once and for all. Mei, can you hear me?"

"Load and clear, Izuku!" Mei answered. "Hari and I have got the comms set up, and Mandalay and Nezu will be here soon."

"Move out!" Endeavor ordered. "Make for the edge of the trees! We'll attack on my signal."

The heroes moved out, falling into units. The older pros moved in pairs or in triads with their old comrades, while the UA classes grouped up, Togata falling in with his own year. That seemed strangely odd for some reason to Izuku, but he didn't let it worry him. The teachers had formed a group of their own, and each moved to their designated jumping off point. Izuku moved to the edge of the trees, crouching behind a large boulder.

"Drones are deployed, live feed is coming to you now," Mei told Izuku.

A picture of a quiet city, just waking up, filled a corner of Izuku's screen. Deika city had a population of nearly 50,000 people, most of them employed at the Detnerat plant located near the center of the town.

"Everything looks normal, they haven't spotted us yet. The cloud cover's hiding my drones for now, but that won't last much longer," Mei warned.

"In position," Izuku informed her. "Waiting on Endeavor's signal."

Now! Mandalay's voice spoke in Izuku's mind, and he charged forward, matching Iida for speed as they dashed across the rolling hills at the head of Class 1A. Below him, he could see the town spread out, people moving about, a few cars on the street. He gritted his teeth, activating his missile pods, but not firing yet. Perhaps, he hoped, there were innocents down there.

He and Iida stormed into the town, but they were not the first to arrive. Togata moved like a blur of lighting, streaking through the streets, heading for the massive tower at the heart of the city that housed the Detnerat HQ.

"I'm moving ahead!" Togata called over the radio. "I'll take care of this!"

"Dammit Togata, not alone!" Bakugo snarled. "I tried that shit!"

"I am One for All! This is my task!" Togata responded.

"I can't keep up with him," Iida panted. "Not unless I use my recipro burst, and if I do that I'll be useless in the fight ahead. Let's just secure this area."

"Agreed." Izuku hurried amidst the houses and storefronts, scanning the area. To his surprise, people didn't seem to respond to him. A few looked up and stopped what they were doing, but no one tried to stop him or Iida. They made it to the first rally point with no resistance.

"At the first objective, no resistance," Izuku said, looking around, palms up and raised with lasers out and primed, but he had no targets. Behind him, the rest of Class 1A hurried up.

"Everyone's made it OK, there doesn't seem to be-" Mei began, but suddenly music began to play, blaring out of loudspeakers attached to light poles. Izuku recognized the tune, though it was more instrumental, with a choir instead of a metal band singing.

"That damn song again!" Bakugo snarled. He raised a hand, pointing his grenade launcher at one, but then hesitated and lowered it, spitting to the side. "Waste of ammunition."

The song ended after the first verse, and Izuku and the others took cover behind a brick wall, looking around. The cars and people had stopped, standing still. There was something off about them, but Izuku couldn't quite put his finger on it.

"Ah, heroes, welcome to the Meta Liberation Army's Revival Celebration!" a cheery voice called over the speakers. Izuku recognized it as Rikiya Yotsubashi's, and he bared his teeth in a feral grimace. "You are, of course, the stars of the show! Thank you ever so much for coming. We've put together a special ceremony, just for you!"

"It's a trap!" Kaminari gasped. "We have to move!"

"Right," Izuku agreed, and he charged forward, right towards a parked car. He ripped the door open, revealing the person inside.

The cold, metallic eyes of a robot looked back at him. It was dressed in clothes and wore a mask on its face, that from a distance looked human enough, but up close, it was obvious: it was nothing more than an automaton.

"The civilians are robots!" Izuku warned. He reached in and crushed the robot with one hand. No need to leave it behind if it were armed or dangerous.

"Keep moving!" Endeavor's voice barked over the radio. "We have to find Yotsubashi and capture or eliminate him!"

"Endeavor, I think it may be wise to retreat, they are obviously waiting for us," Nezu's voice warned.

"This is our only chance, we have the strongest heroes in the nation here, we'll be able to make it," Endeavor snarled. "Where did Hawks go? Does anyone see him? Damn the man!"

Hawks? A traitor? That made Izuku's blood run cold.

"I see him!" Mei called. "He's landing on top of the tower! And he's...melting?"

An image of Hawks appeared on Izuku's screen, or what had been Hawks. The wings and red feathers were dissolving into goop, and a moment later, a naked girl stepped out, grinning and waving to the drone. A moment later, a bright object flashed through the air, and the drone's feed was cut.

"My baby!" Mei gasped.

"That was Himiko Toga," Nezu said, his voice sounding strained. "Endeavor, get out of there!"

"Ah, I see the Heir of One for All has arrived at my tower," Yotsubashi's voice said over the loudspeaker as Class 1A hesitsted, taking cover inside of some empty homes. "I'll deal with him shortly. But don't worry. I'll also deal with those supports you left behind. I've always wanted the head of a stuffed animal mounted on my desk, and it will be good to put those worthless quirkless freaks out of their misery."

"Oh shit!" Hari called. "We've got movement all around us! Mei! Get your flamethrower! Shit, where did they all-"

The radio went silent.

"NO!" Togata's voice shrieked. There was a deafening boom, and then a blur flashed back across the town and field, and into the forest, the air crackling with thunder as Togata raced back to where they had come from.

Izuku said a quiet prayer of thanks that someone was going to look out for Mei. He considered going after Togata, and that was when the bolt of energy slammed into his armor. He looked up, turning towards the fire, and his blood ran cold. A howling mass of people were boiling out of a nearby subway station, and fire from their quirks was raining towards him. Togata was going to have to save Mei. Because Izuku was not about to abandon his friends.

"We stand and fight!" Endeavor's voice roared as the battle was joined. "We don't have another option! We'll burn our way out!"