Izuku trudged up to his front door, soaked from head to toe. Dawn would soon be upon him and he was about ready to pass out from exhaustion and blood loss. He'd gone to an old safe house he'd shared with Stain, and found some old clothes and bandages. Not much else though, he'd have to go back with a duffel bag and retrieve his armor and wakizashi. He had kept Sasakura's katana though, both for any impromptu defense, but also because it hadn't felt right leaving it behind. He had certainly drawn strange looks, even some fearful ones that he might be a criminal or villain. Not that he blamed them, he certainly looked the part.

Izuku gripped the doorknob and immediately noticed it wasn't locked. Every muscle in his body tensed and he slowly opened it, keeping a hand on his katana. As the door opened, he noticed the lights were on, and sound was coming from the living room.

"Is the TV on?" Izuku thought, confused.

As he opened the door completely he took a few tentative steps inside and he saw sure the TV was on now. He closed the door silently, then he removed his shoes just as silently. He slowly crept down the hallway until he was at the point where if he moved forward anymore and he'd be visible. He tensed, crouched, then leaped from the hallway and rolled across the floor. Drawing his sword at the same time, he came out of his roll only to see a glowering Bakugo staring back at him.

Izuku blinked, and his brain stopped working as he tried to process the scene in front of him. Bakugo was on his couch, a can of beer in one hand, feet propped up on the table, and watching the news.

Izuku glanced at the news and he felt his stomach drop.

"During the night, a battle was reported occurring on the top of the local MS&AD Insurance Group building. The battle seems to have taken place between the Hero Killer Stain and an unknown individual, which ended with Stain falling from the top of the building onto an empty vehicle. Hero Killer Stain was reported dead on impact, while his opponent is still at large. An investigation is underway, but due to the rain, authorities are not confident that they will be able to find much evidence of who Stain's opponent was. Though initial speculation points to a villain or vigilante fighting Stain for dominance." Said a reporter, standing next to a car with its roof dented in.

The news report then switched to another person who started outlining Stain's history of terror. Throughout the entire initial report, Bakug just continued to glare at Izuku.

Izuku stood up, eyes not able to meet Bakugo's eyes.

"I should arrest you," Bakugo said at last.

"I didn't kill him. He jumped off on his own after the fight was over," Izuku said.

Bakugo didn't say anything at first, just continued to glare at Izuku before sighing and settling back on the couch.

"Whatever, even if you did kill him, I wouldn't arrest you anyways. Stain had it coming one way or another. Would have preferred a hero either to take him down or bring him in, but you work just as well." Bakugo said, reaching down and grabbing a beer, and tossing it to Izuku.

Izuku caught it, looked at the can, then he tossed the katana onto a chair, and then plopped down on the sofa with Bakugo. He opened the can the took a long drink before letting out a sigh.

"You and Ochako together?" Bakugo asked after a long silence of them just watching the TV.

"She surprised me," Izuku said.

"The two of you are annoyingly similar, and you both deserve this, but neither of you will actually believe that. You'll also take forever to get anywhere, so don't be a wimp about all this." Bakugo said bluntly.

Maybe it was the way he said it, or maybe it was because he was saying it at all, but just as bluntly as Bakugo, he responded. "You love her don't you?"

Bakugo didn't respond immediately, but his eyes narrowed as he seemed to mull it over in his mind.

"Not in the way you feel about her, she's like family to me, all of 1A is. I respect her as much as I respect All Might because I don't think anyone except you or myself could have done what she did and come out in one piece. That's why the two of you are so annoyingly similar. The two of you could be the children of All Might and I wouldn't bat an eye." Bakugo said.

Izuku felt a little embarrassed, he hadn't expected Bakugo to be so forthright. Izuku leaned forward a little bit and looked at the floor next to Bakugo. Sure enough, he saw several empty cans. Bakugo was likely tipsy, which explained a lot.

They fell silent again and the two of them continued to just watch the TV. At some point, Izuku fell asleep, and when he woke the next morning, Bakugo was gone.


Later that night, Izuku left his apartment with a duffel bag. In the dead of night, he knew he probably looked suspicious at the very least. Yet there was still the matter of his bloody armor lying in Stain's old safe house. Not to mention the other material Stain left behind. That alone would have warranted a trip back anyways.

Stain had several of these safe houses across the city, and he knew he'd have to check them all eventually. If only to ensure Stain hadn't left any more material lying about where other criminals could get their hands on them.

There were few people on the roads, but to his own surprise, the taxis were running. Getting himself a ride cut his travel time down immensely, so by the time he got to the safehouse location he hadn't lost much time.

He clambered over the partially collapsed wall and squeezed through the collapsed entrance of the old business. He navigated his way through the debris and darkness until he got to a completely empty room minus a step ladder laying on the floor. He stood it upright and put it against the far wall and climbed up to the ceiling. He put his hands on the ceiling and pushed, revealing that the ceiling wasn't entirely in one piece. He hauled the piece out of the way and climbed into the small storage room. He turned on the battery-powered lamp to reveal his blood-stained armor, torn bandages, and other medical equipment he'd taken from the overturned container. He started stuffing anything with his blood into the duffel, then tossed it down to the room below. Then he went to the crate in one corner and opened it.

After ensuring that nothing inside it was broken and that the padding was still good, he resealed it and dragged it to the hole. It took a bit of careful maneuvering but he eventually got it down safely. He breathed a sigh of relief as he moved the piece of ceiling back into place, folded the ladder, then tossed it out into the hallway.

He hauled his now heavy duffel and crate out of the building the checked the time. The night was still young so he called for a taxi and waited until it arrived. After putting everything into the trunk he got into the passenger seat. He told the driver where to take him and they were off.

After ten minutes of relatively uninterrupted driving, the taxi parked in front of the gates to U.A. Izuku hauled his stuff out of the trunk and put them on the sidewalk before paying the fare.

The taxi drove off and Izuku went to the front gates and looked them over. He couldn't see any intercom or easy way to open them but his instincts told him he was being watched.

"Nezu! Please open the gates!" He shouted at the gate.

There was a minute of silence where nothing happened, then the gates swung open. Izuku put his duffel bag around him, then grabbed the crate, and started walking. He hadn't gotten far when two figures emerged from the darkness. Two copies of Ectoplasm stood in his way.

"Nezu says you are to be escorted to him, follow me." One of the clones said.

"Would you like some help with that?" the other clone said, gesturing to the crate.

"Yes please," Izuku said gratefully, handing the crate over to him.

The three walked the rest of the way to U.A., and didn't encounter anyone else on the way. As they entered the entryway of the main building, Izuku paused at the site of the devastation and the obvious large blood stain along one wall.

"We haven't had time to devote to cleaning." Ectoplasm said in explanation.

They continued on their way, and after a few minutes, Izuku arrived at Nezu's office. Ectoplasm opened the door and Izuku entered, followed by the clone carrying the crate. Izuku put his duffel bag down and the clone put the crate down. Then the clones left, leaving Izuku alone with Nezu who had a cup of some steaming drink in front of him and working on his computer.

When the door closed, Nezu turned to face Izuku.

"Can I offer you a cup of tea or coffee?" Nezu asked.

"Tea please," Izuku said, taking a seat in front of the desk.

Nezu poured Izuku a cup of tea and handed it to him. Izuku took it gratefully and took a long drink.

"I was told by Mr. Katsuki and Ms. Uraraka that you were not involved with Stain's death. If you are still worried, rest assured that the matter is settled." Nezu said, eyeing the crate and duffel bag.

"Thank you, but I'm not here about that. I'm here because of this." Izuku said, then he went to the crate and opened it. Then he lifted out one of the padded trays and placed it on the desk.

Nezu looked at it and Izuku could the shift in his demenor as he recognized the contents.

"Where did you get this?" He asked, his tone sharp.

"Stain had it in one of his safehouses. I found it by accident when I went there for the stash of medical equipment he keeps in every safehouse. I thought you'd want to have it." Izuku said.

"I see... We did find some of it on his body, but we have had little luck in tracking down where he had hidden it. I appreciate you bringing this to me, I will keep this tray but you have best keep the rest yourself. We are still vulnerable and weak, should a foreign criminal group discover we have it, there is a real possibility that they may try to steal it. I will use this for research purposes, and I may request more from you in the future. Should more of the quirk suppressing or quirk destroying drug come into existence, then having a countermeasure will be necessary." Nezu said, removing one of the vials and examining it.

"Me?" Izuku asked surprised.

"Yes, I assume you have told no one else?" Nezu asked.

"No."

"Good, keep the crate with you and under lock and key. No one would investigate you for anything relating to the drug, and as we both know you are more than capable of protecting it." Nezu said.

Izuku nodded and sealed the crate back up.

"Before you go, I would like to see you again. Next Friday at around 3 o'clock, and come well dressed." Nezu said.

"What for?" Izuku asked.

"I would rather that remain a surprise, a pleasant one I would hope," Nezu said smiling.


Ochako waited at the park entrance, staring up into the clouds as they drifted lazily by. Few people were around, most not having the luxury of visiting parks, even All Might park. The day's heat was brutal, and she was already sweating quite a bit.

She was brought out of her reverie by the sounds of footsteps near her. She looked down and saw Izuku standing awkwardly. Ochako herself immediately started to feel a bit self-conscious and suddenly became very aware of how much she had sweat. She'd just been too nervous for her own good and left the apartment too early.

She noticed how Izuku walked with a noticeable limp, and the clear signs of bandages wrapped across his body. It only brought to mind what she had been constantly thinking about recently.

"Hey." said Izuku,

"Hey." Ochako said back, shifting in place.

They stood around for a few more seconds before Izuku took a breath and gestured to the park gates.

"We should get going, there will be better shade in the park," Izuku said.

Together they stepped through the gate and started down the path. They said nothing for a while, just walked in amicable silence. Eventually, though, Ochako couldn't bear another second of the silence and said what had been on her mind for the past two days.

"Did you kill Stain?" she asked, and inwardly winced at the desperation that snuck into her voice.

Izuku took a moment to respond, which ratcheted up her anxiety.

"No. He lept from the building on his own terms. Death was preferable to imprisonment I guess. Or..." Izuku said before trailing, leaving the thought unfinished.

"Or...?" Ochako asked after a few moments, some of the tension leaving her body.

"I... I think he chose death over the imprisonment and eventual execution because it was me. So... in a way, I did kill him." He said, sounding pained.

Ochako stopped walking and reached over and took his hand.

"I know it's easy to say, but... Stain made the choice to leap from the building. Maybe he changed his mind because it was you, but that doesn't make you responsible. It might not feel like it, but don't let his death weigh on you so heavily. He isn't worth it." She said.

Izuku seemed to deflate some but he eventually nodded.

"I... I'll try," he said.

Ochako guessed that's all he'd be able to manage at this point, so he continued walking, his hand in hers and her now gently leading him through the park.

"I know he was a horrible person, he killed so many people, but... before he jumped... I couldn't help but pity him. He was right, at least partially. A lot of heroes weren't actually heroes. It took a war for us to see that though." Izuku said, eyes looking ahead at the statue of All Might far ahead of them.

"A lot of heroes had good intentions, but there were a few who were just like what Stain talked about. It was never publicized, but some even defected after it looked like the League was too powerful to stop." Ochako said quietly.

They fell into silence again and tried to enjoy the present atmosphere. Now that she had started talking about it, she found it hard to stop.

"I'm afraid." She said quietly, coming to a stop and staring into a pond.

"Of what?" Izuku asked.

"Of what future heroes will be. During the war, the League killed a lot of people. Zeus killed students during his attack on U.A., how many students at U.A., and in schools across the country will become heroes, driven by vengeance? I've seen that kind of motivation get people killed, I've seen it kill others by happenstance, and I've seen it drive people to become the very thing they swore to destroy. What kind of people will the next generation of heroes be?" She said, watching a fish swim close to the surface.

"I wish I could say that it will all be okay, but there will be some who will be driven by vengeance. The best you can do is set an example, and teach them the best you can. We can't solve their internal crises for them. It's something they need to work through themselves." Izuku said, painfully aware how that same motivation had driven him to the edge of becoming just like Stain.

"Yeah... I guess so." Ochako said.

They continued walking but didn't say much. Not until they reached the small plaza with the twin statues of All Might and Endeavour. They stood looking up at them, lost in their own thoughts.

"What was he like?" Izuku asked suddenly.

Ochako cast her mind back to her school days, recalling what she could.

"He... was passionate. He believed in justice and in heroes more than anyone else and in the potential of everyone to do or be something great." Ochako said.

"Though I will admit, he had his fair share of challenges as a teacher. Any time he was in the classroom itself, he seemed to struggle in comparison to practical lessons. He was always a man of action, of the physical. He did outdoor classes as often as possible. When he could animate what he wanted to communicate with his body, or set up a physical challenge for us to overcome he seemed much more comfortable. Course people like Bakugo didn't make it any easier for him." She said smiling a little at that last thought.

Izuku smiled as well as he could envision a young Bakugo testing All Might's patience.

They moved on from the statues, though Ochako avoided the memorials. She didn't want to think about their recent losses more than she had to.
The rest of their time was spent wandering the park, trying to enjoy each other's company as best they could. When their time was coming to a close, it was half past four. They each had their own business to attend to, and while neither wanted to, it was work that needed doing.

Before they parted, however, Izuku held Ochako back, a look of concern on his face.

"I really enjoyed our time today, but aren't you a bit concerned? I mean... I know it's probably a stupid thing to worry about given present circumstances, but I know the media isn't exactly kind to a hero's private life." Izuku said.

"If I were on the rankings maybe, but the H.A. has kept all the angels off the rankings ever since the programs start. If I were Bakugo then the news would probably spread pretty fast, but so far as records are concerned I don't exist. Of course, that'll probably change when things calm down and I get back to work, but that's a later problem. For now, I just want to make to most of this time." Ochako said, before leaning forward, embracing him, and giving him a quick kiss.

"This might sound weird... but I feel... good when I'm with you. Like..." Ochako said trailing off, trying to find the words.

"Like your whole?" Izuku suggested softly.

"Yes!" she said beaming.

"I feel the same," Izuku said smiling as well.

They stood there in each other's loose embrace, just being happy.

Ochako let out a contented sigh, she hadn't felt so happy in a long time.