Wednesday Noontime, Hosu
"So far, so good," Hiroshi thought, as he, Denki, Kosei, Minoru, and Mt. Lady patrolled around Hosu again. So far, things have been peaceful. No criminal activity in sight and no Stain in sight. "Not a disturbance in sight. Guess the police and pros scared off those 4A guys."
"Not to mention that criminals might be afraid to make a move with you and I around," Hero added. "Probably don't want to risk facing us."
"Man, I'm getting all antsy," Kosei said, as he shifted his eyes around. "I feel like something big's gonna happen today..."
"Yea, I get what you mean," Denki said, his hands behind his head. "Things have basically been going too smoothly for us, hasn't it? Only things that happened had been helping a lost kid, Furinji getting harassed by those 4A dudes, and just a lot of walking. It feels like we're due for something major soon."
"Don't say that!" Minoru said, his teeth clattering. "If you do, something scary's gonna happen, like in those shows!"
"Mineta, scary things can happen at any time, regardless of what you say," Hiroshi pointed out.
"Still! It's just an invitation to something bad!"
"Yea, sure... Hey, Mt. Lady," Hiroshi said, turning his attention to their workplace mentor. "I've been wondering, how exactly do you fight in a city environment with your gigantification Quirk? I've been wanting to know since we've started our workplace training."
"Oh, of course! Tips on fighting in the city with giant powers..." Mt. Lady said, as she tried to think of something. "Well... you see... um... you have to be really careful where you step, since stepping on trees or cars can be painful since protective footwear made for gigantification don't exist-"
"Hero's feet don't get hurt by stepping on objects that easily, though," Hiroshi said, thoughtfully. "We've stepped on all sorts of trees and rocks, and our feet have never been particularly in pain unless it's been directly attacked, like when Bekarus grabbed our ankle."
"Really? Lucky..." Mt. Lady mumbled, before getting back to her advice. "Single-lane roads are difficult to get through, since they're not wide enough to walk through-"
"Actually, Hero's able to grow between his giant size and his human size."
"Wait, really!?" Mt. Lady, Denki, Kosei, and Minoru asked.
"Yea, there's just never really been a time that we need to use the in-between sizes. Apparently some Ultras have the ability to shrink down to microscopic size, but Hero hasn't mastered that."
Mt. Lady bit her thumbnail. That wasn't fair, she couldn't use a size that's in between her human size and giant size. It was one or the other. "In that case... Um... You have to be really observant of your surroundings. You have to absolutely make sure that you don't crash into buildings, or step on people... stuff like that."
"Yea, that makes sense," Hiroshi said, shrugging.
"... Sorry I'm not much help," Mt. Lady sighed, scratching her head. "Truth is, I don't think I've got a lot to teach you. I mean, Hero's way more versatile than I am. Size changing, lasers, flight, durability, alternate forms... I just grow between my human size and giant size, and that's it. No in between, and no additional abilities. Can't wear actual protective gear, that can't grow with me, which is one of the reasons I wear these super stretchy tights. And in the heat of things, I cause a lot of property damage, which is why my agency's in a pretty cramped building..."
"Don't feel bad," Hiroshi said, flipping his helmet's visor up. "I do think that you're pretty admirable for deciding to operate in a city, since there can be situations where a giant hero is needed, like that guy who you help apprehend during your debut. But why did you pick a city?"
"Well, it's to get a lot of money from being a hero," Mt. Lady admitted. "But I also wanted to get noticed and praised..."
"Why's that?" Hiroshi asked.
"When you've got a Quirk like mine, you don't exactly get looked upon fondly growing up... Schools rarely liked to accommodate for me, since my Quirk can be pretty destructive, especially if I'm upset. And being a teen, that was often... Didn't really get to learn well, and there weren't that many hero schools that agreed to take me on in the first place," she sadly reminisced. "Not to mention the times I accidentally grew and ended up naked in front of everyone. Lots of people made fun of me for it, and I was always the laughingstock growing up."
Minoru's eyes widened at the mention of Mt. Lady's youthful nudity, though Hiroshi lightly kicked his butt.
"Becoming a hero would allow me to get noticed by others, without the ridicule, and to get something that could actually grow with me so that I don't end up being naked in front of people. If people are gonna see me and my giant body, I'm want to do it on my own terms. I want that popularity that I didn't get to enjoy growing up!" she said, starting to tear up a bit, remembering all the jabs that everyone gave her. "Judge me all you want, but I-"
"I think it's perfectly fine."
"What?" everyone said, looking at Hiroshi.
"You want to be noticed, and that's fine," Hiroshi reiterated. "Not everyone needs some big deep meaningful reason to become a hero."
"Really, Furinji? I thought you of all people would take an issue with heroism like that," Denki replied. "Like, you don't like Bakugo at all, and you talked about the issues of the current hero system-"
"I don't like heroes like Bakugo because they're generally terrible people that can get away with what they do. Apologizing to him about what I did isn't gonna change my opinion of that," Hiroshi shrugged. "But it's a totally separate thing from just wanting to be a hero to get money or attention. It's not exactly wrong to look for that. Heroism today's just advanced governmental work with extra persk, you know? Altruism is admirable and a lot of people still do it because they do want to do something good, but at the end of the day, it's a job like policework, firefighting, and medical work. Important and valuable work that needs to be properly compensated. The current hero system isn't perfect, don't get me wrong, but it's better than just letting everything go to chaos, and it's better to fix issues than trying to tear everything down recklessly."
"Sorry for going on like that, we should get back to patrolling, right?" Hiroshi finished, rubbing the base of his neck.
"Yea, we should," Mt. Lady said, as they resumed their walking. She felt the huge weight of mentoring Hiroshi and Hero lift off her shoulders. Still, she had to at least do her best to teach him and his classmates. Even if she's out of her element with teaching others, maybe she'll impart something else onto them.
"Alright you two, I think we've done enough martial arts training for now," Gunhead said, as Pony and Ochako took a moment to catch their breaths. "Let's go patrol Hosu today, shall we? After all that's still a big part of hero work."
"Y-yes sir!" the two girls said, nodding. As he turned around and walked out, Pony and Ochako gave each other affirmative nods before following him out. Hopefully nothing bad will happen while they're there, but in the worst case scenario-
"Excellent job you three!" Uwabami complimented, as they watched the filmed parts of the video ad they were in. "This will take a while to get out to the public, since they still need to edit in effects and cuts, so it's not finished. But this is the general idea of what they're going for."
"Yep, definitely not feeling the modelling career," Itsuka muttered, as Momo nodded silently in agreement.
"Can't wait to be on screens again!" Setsuna laughed.
"So now that this is done, how about we go patrol around Hosu, girls?" Uwabami asked. "After all, a hero's presence helps assure people of their safety."
"Yes ma'am!" the three girls said, as they walked out of the room.
"Hopefully nothing's gonna happen," Itsuka said out of the pro heroine's earshot.
"Yea, but we gotta be prepared just in case," Setsuna replied. "There's no guarantee that Stain won't appear at all this week."
"I just hope Iida won't go through with his plan," Momo muttered.
Kyoka sighed as she followed Death Arms on his patrol. She's started to become acclimated to the running and jogging, so she wasn't breathing as hard as before. Still, that didn't mean she wasn't feeling her legs becoming sore.
"Good job, Earphone Jack!" Death Arms complimented. "Just one more and-"
A radio on Death Arms' belt started to vibrate. He picked it up. "Death Arms... a hostage situation? Of course we'll be there! Don't rush in yet, though!"
"Hostages?" Kyoka asked as Death Arms hung up.
"A group of robbers took a room full of businesspeople hostage. My sidekicks are already sneaking their way in, and we're close by. We'll meet them there! Come on, let's hustle it!"
Kyoka nodded, and ran after Death Arms. "Well, if I can't be there to help Iida out, I'll at least help those hostages out..."
"So why did you pick me and Tokoyami?" Fuka asked. Today was Hawks' day off, though it was more for going over paperwork with his sidekicks. They were standing behind the couch he was sitting on.
"I have also been very curious myself. What would lead you to pick me?" Fumikage asked.
"It's 'cuz we're birds of a feather!" Hawks said, without a hint of irony.
"... Is that supposed to be a joke on how I can fly and how Tokoyami's got a bird head?"
"Are you trying to be funny?"
"Nope, I'm at least 20% serious," Hawks said, turning around on the couch to face them. "I'm also 50% curious. You see, I've been wanting to chat with a UA student for a while, about that 'Unearthly League' that attacked you all at the USJ. And wouldn't you know it? There you were, Tokoyami, looking sharp, skilled, and determined, even if you didn't make it to the semifinals, and you, Furinji, soaring over the competition, literally. So I thought, 'Why not get these fellow birds to chat with me'?"
"That's it?" Fuka asked, raising an eyebrow while Fumikage started to silently seethe. "You... just wanted to talk to us?"
"Sorta! So since we're on the topic-"
Izuku was on the ground against the wall, upside down, after sparring with Gran Torino again for the day. The fights he had with Gran Torino weren't like the ones he had during the Sports Festival. Not even the fight against Hiroshi was this tiring, though that was probably because it was just one fight. This was several fights within the span of hours and days.
"Welp, I think it's about time we changed things up a bit," Gran Torino said, looking at the beaten boy. "Can't keep fighting me forever, otherwise you'll only be getting used to fighting me. Which was one of the reasons why I wanted those friends of yours here, too. I guess we'll have to do the next best thing. Get dressed in your costume, kid! We're going on patrol in Shibuya!"
"S-Shibuya!?" Izuku stuttered, getting up.
"Yep, Shibuya's a bigger and denser place than here," Gran Torino explained. "Areas like that are like a hive for villains and criminals, so we'll be-"
"H-How about Hosu!?" Izuku asked.
"Hosu? Well that is on the way there, but we're more likely to find crimes in Shibuya than-"
"P-Please! It has to be Hosu!"
"... Why?"
"Well, um, you see..." Izuku said. He began telling Gran Torino about Tenya, how his brother was injured by the Hero Killer and possibly a second accomplice, how Tenya's been acting because of it, that they realized that he might be looking for the Hero Killer in Hosu, since he was still at large, and that they were trying to help him out by having as many of them be around to keep an eye on him.
"I see..." Gran Torino said, before whacking Izuku in the leg with his cane. "So why didn't you try telling your teachers!?"
"W-we couldn't! It was too late when we found out! This was the best we could come up with on short notice!"
"Tch, you really are All Might's disciple... Fine, I get it. We'll go to Hosu instead. Not sure if we'll see any action there, but if you think it'll help your friend, we'll do it."
"Thank you, Gran Torino! You won't regret it!" Izuku said, smiling.
"Yea yea... now get dressed! We'll need to catch the train to Hosu!"
Tenya looked around as he followed Manual around. He scanned the alleys that they passed, every dark corner, his eye out for the Hero Killer.
"Sorry these patrols haven't been that exciting," Manual apologized, smiling. "Seems like with all of us heroes out, and your friend Furinji around that criminals are probably laying low now."
"No, it's alright... honestly it might be better that way..." Tenya said, his gaze hitting another alley.
"... Hey, I know this might sound rude, and I hate to ask," Manual said, turning around to face Tenya. "But you're looking for the Hero Killer, aren't you?"
Tenya stared at him, blankly. "Well..."
"I hadn't been able to come up with another reason why you'd do choose my agency out of all the ones you got," Manual stated. "And that's probably why your friend's here, huh? He found out about your plan and convinced Mt. Lady to answer the calls for more heroes to patrol Hosu, right? Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled you picked me."
"I just want to let you know that you shouldn't be motivated by a personal grudge. Even if we're authorized to use our Quirks, we're not given the ability to arrest people or hand out punishment. Vigilantism like that is against the rule, and if you get caught going off on your own, it's going to be treated as a major crime," Manual said, giving Tenya a very serious stare before he tried giving the boy a reassuring smile. "Not that I don't think the Hero Killer shouldn't be punished! You've just been having this serious look in your eyes each time I see them, and well, I'm just concerned about you too."
"I see. I appreciate the warning," Tenya said, as they resumed their patrol. His fist tightened, however. "But I... But I need to do this! How else will my brother get his justice!?"
That Evening...
"So, this is Hosu," Tomura said, as he followed Stain out of Kurogiri's portal. "Livelier than I thought it'd be."
"This place... needs to be reformed," Stain said, his tongue out in anticipation. "Sacrifices must be made in order to do so..."
"I can't wait to see this bloodbath," Virus said, stepping out to join them with Illne behind him. "Just how many more shall we see?"
"As many as there needs to be," Stain answered. "The word 'hero' should only be reserved for those who perform great feats! Money-worshipping greedy bastards and those that see themselves as gods shall be removed by my own hand! You say that my efforts are in vain, but I know that I'm making a difference! So just wait and see, alien."
Stain leaped down from the water tower, and disappeared into the alleyways below. Tomura scoffed. "He really thinks that he can change the world like this?"
"From what I've read, there's actually been a decrease in criminal activity in the cities he's been in," Kurogiri said, recalling what he read in the newspapers. "Some say his activities have actually raised awareness in heroes."
"So he's a Hero Breeder rather than a Hero Killer, huh? What a pain..." Tomura said, scratching his neck.
"That means nothing in the end," Virus cheerfully said. "If there was a malicious mass murdering maniac with an established pattern of victims that was on the loose, why wouldn't they be on high alert? I bet that if they weren't heroes, that he'd get notoriety either way."
"Well, if he wants to cause some trouble, why not get in on that action?" Tomura muttered. "Kurogiri, bring in the Nomus that Teacher promised to let me have."
Kurogiri obliged, and soon, three Nomus came out of his portal. One was black and muscular much like the one from the USJ, but instead of a beaked mouth, it had only a lower jaw, as most of its eyeless head was occupied by a large exposed brain. The other two were white, though one had wings and a gas mask over its mouth, while the other one had long gangly limbs and four eyes.
"Let's see who can cause more destruction, Stain!" Tomura laughed, as the Nomus leaped down from the tower, descending into the city.
"If we're making this a competition, there should be a penalty for the 'loser'," Virus said, popping his knuckles. "I best go prepare for my entry. Come now, Illne, we should decide which giant alien we'll use!"
Virus and Illne turned into shadow and disappeared by leaping onto the ground, leaving Tomura and Kurogiri alone. "Finally, more time away from them... Cannot stand seeing any more of those fucking aliens..."
"Well, I think we can make one more round before we head back to my office," Mt. Lady said, as the sun began to set and some streetlights flickered to life.
"Man, I'd kill for some more excitement for today," Denki said, yawning a bit, when they heard screaming and panic nearby. "Oh man, I didn't actually mean that..."
The four students and Mt. Lady ran to check what was happening. They looked up a tall building, and saw two window washers hanging onto their platform's railing for dear life as one of the cables had broken, and the other one was threatening to break as well.
"Help! Someone!" one of the window washers said, when the other cable broke. The platform began falling down from the height as everyone began to scream.
"Hold your hand and call out-!"
"HEROOOOO!"
Hero appeared in his Flash Hermes form, and flew into the air as fast as he could, grabbing the platform from underneath. However, he struggled to slow down the fall, though he kept the platform leveled.
"Dammit, how can we slow this fall down!?" Hiroshi said.
"Flash Movement would be a risky move, since it essentially freezes time, and it wouldn't stop the fall when it resumes! And we can't easily decelerate like this!" Hero replied. The alien struggled to think, when a giant pair of hands managed to catch them, helping them slow down the fall as they moved with them. Eventually, Hero and the window washer's platform came to a stop in Mt. Lady's hands.
"Phew, safe," Mt. Lady said, as she lowered the alien and the window washers onto the ground. "Are you two alright?"
"Y-yes! Thank you so much!" one of the window washers said, as Hero set the platform onto the ground and they climbed out of it. Light covered Hero and Hiroshi was standing in his place. A group of people had started taking pictures of him and the two window washers.
"It was a lucky thing we were passing by for patrol," Hiroshi said, when one of the window washers grabbed his hand and shook it.
"I really can't believe I got to be saved by you and your alien! I knew you were in Hosu, but to think that I was actually saved-"
"It wasn't just me, my workplace mentor Mt. Lady helped out a lot, much more than me or Hero, really," Hiroshi said, pointing at her. "If it weren't for her helping us by slowing down the descent with her hands, it could've been a lot worse."
"T-that's right! Thank you, Mt. Lady!" the window washer said, turning to Mt. Lady and shaking her hand. Cameras flashed as Mt. Lady shook it back, unsure of how to react before smiling.
"Any time, it's what a hero does," she replied, as officers and rescue workers came to the scene. After letting people take a few more pictures of her and her workplace students, she turned to face Hiroshi. "Why'd do you do that?"
"What, you mean give you all the credit? 'Cuz it's true, you slowing down our descent like that helped out a lot," Hiroshi said, shrugging. "Most me and Hero did was to make sure that the platform was level so that neither of the window washers would fall off."
"But you could've taken all of the credit. I don't-"
"I like attention, sure, who wouldn't? Thing is, I'm not gonna take all the credit when there are other people who deserve it too," Hiroshi answered. "Besides, I couldn't do anything if you weren't my workplace mentor, right? I may have special permissions, but I have a lot of stipulations for them. You deserve it more than me, really."
Before Mt. Lady could come up with a response, there was a loud explosion several streets away.
"What was that!?" Minoru shouted, as screams and shouts started to fill the air.
"We need to go check that out, come on you four!" Mt. Lady said, as they began running to check out what was going on.
"I told you not to say anything! You jinxed us!" Minoru said.
"We're heroes-in-training, Mineta, we'd get involved with something bad eventually!" Kosei scolded. "I just really hoped it wouldn't be soon!"
"Dammit, so much for hoping that this week would go by without any trouble!" Hiroshi thought.
"Do you think it might be related to the Hero Killer?"
"I don't know, but whatever it is, it can't be good! And I have no idea where Tenya could be!"
"So far, so good," Setsuna said, as she, Momo, and Itsuka trailed behind Uwabami, who had changed into a version of her costume where the dress ended at the knees instead of the calves, and fashionable low wedge shoes so that she could walk more easily. "Man, can't believe we haven't ran into the others yet."
"Hosu is pretty big," Itsuka replied, as they looked around the streets. "Figures we wouldn't have ran into anyone yet."
"I hope that this means that Iida hasn't encountered Stain as well," Momo muttered.
"Seems like everything's been calm," Uwabami said, when someone saw her.
"Uwabami! Uwabami can I have a picture!?" they said, approaching the snake heroine. Uwabami obliged, and gave them a quick kicking pose. "Thank you so much!"
"Anytime!" she said, waving them off. Another person passed by them, but stopped when he saw the three UA students.
"Hey, you three are from UA? 'Cuz I recognize at least one of you!" he said, pointing to Momo. "You're that girl who broke that kid's junk!"
"It was an accident," Momo said, blushing.
"Yep, we're all UA students! Uwabami's our workplace mentor," Setsuna said, smiling.
"Cool! I've been seeing a lot of you around! Like that Ultraman Hero kid!" he said. "Just a while ago he and Mt. Lady just saved some window washers earlier from a few streets over."
"No way, really!? Hiroshi did that?" Setsuna said, eyes wide.
"Yea, he-"
An explosion went off close by a few blocks away, startling everyone as giant smoke clouds poured into the air.
"What was that!?" Itsuka yelled, as they looked around for the source. The snakes on Uwabami's head began to point towards the left, hissing.
"It's from over there! Let's hurry! There might be people who need to be evacuated!" Uwabami said, running as her three workplace trainees followed her.
"Guess we're getting that hero work after all..." Itsuka said, as they ran.
"I hope it's nothing related to the Hero Killer," Momo replied.
"Knowing our luck, it might be..." Setsuna muttered. "Hopefully the others are close by enough to stop him..."
"Wow, everything's been pretty calm, hasn't it?" Ochako said, as she, Pony, and Gunhead walked through Hosu. Some kids walked by the heroes and waved at them, with Pony returning the waving enthusiastically.
"That's good. It means that there aren't any villains or criminals going around causing trouble," Gunhead said. "A calm day is better than an exciting day."
All of a sudden, an explosion went off from a few blocks away.
"Uh oh, sounds like this just became an exciting day," Pony said, as the three began running towards the source of the explosion.
"Hmph, figures that there wouldn't be much going on in Hosu..." Gran Torino complained, walking with Izuku through the streets of Hosu. "Too many heroes are out and about, scaring off all the thugs..."
"W-well, that's a good thing!"
"The whole reason we're on patrol was so you could fight people that weren't just me."
Izuku sighed; Gran Torino had a point, but this meant that the Hero Killer wasn't out killing people, meaning that any chance of Tenya encountering him was minimal. Before either of them could take another step, an explosion went off a couple blocks away, catching their attention.
"Looks like I spoke too soon," Gran Torino said, turning around towards the source. "Let's go, kid!"
Gran Torino took a deep breath, and flew off. Izuku activated One for All, and followed him.
"An explosion!? That's not in the Hero Killer's M.O.! Is it someone else!? Just who!?" Izuku thought, leaping through the air.
"What was that!?" Manual said, turning towards the explosion as a smoke cloud loomed near him and Tenya. The two were about to head back to the hero agency when it happened nearby. "Come on, we have to go check!"
Before he could take another step to follow his workplace mentor, he turned his head to look at an alley. Something was moving in the shadows, and he noticed a blade's glimmer. His eyes opened wide, before they furrowed in fury.
He found him.
"Come on, we're almost there!" Hiroshi said, as they reached the chaos. Fire and smoke was erupting from broken cars and buildings, windows, walls, sidewalks, and roads were fractured, and heroes were everywhere, fighting three villains.
Three villains who looked awfully familiar.
"Are those Nomu!?" Kosei said, paling at the sight. Mt. Lady wasted no time in growing gigantic, deciding to deal with the flying one while other heroes fought against the two other ones.
"There are more of them!?" Denki said, sweating heavily. Minoru was busy shaking in fear at the sight of the three monster.
"But why are they here!?" Hiroshi said, struggling to think.
"Do you think that they could have something to do with the Hero Killer!?" Hero said.
"The Hero Killer? Wait... could that mean-"
"I have to find Iida," Hiroshi said, to the others' shock. "Mt. Lady, I think there might be more trouble nearby! I'll go ahead and check!"
"Uh, sure!" Mt. Lady said, as she tried to swat the flying Nomu. "Just stay safe and stay together, alright!? I'll catch up to you as soon as I take care of this guy!"
"Got it! You three, follow me and help with evacuating any civilians nearby! Get them out of here!" Hiroshi said, flipping his helmet's visor down and running off.
"Wait, what's this about finding Iida!? What's going on, Furinji!?" Kosei shouted.
"Eugh... Let's follow him! She said stay together after all!" Denki pointed out, as they ran after Hiroshi, with only Minoru hesitating.
"Oh man, why does Furinji attract so much trouble!?" he whined, before running after them. "I'd rather have cleaned Mt. Lady's office than risking my life like this!"
"Holy shit, Nomus!?" Setsuna said, watching the chaos unfurl in front of her. Mt. Lady was busy trying to smack a flying one in the air, meaning that Hiroshi, Denki, Kosei, and Minoru must be nearby somewhere.
"Why are they here!? What reason would the Unearthly League have to release them here!?" Momo said, horrified.
"Wait... if they're here, and the Hero Killer's been in Hosu-" Itsuka said, coming to a conclusion.
"- then is he a part of the Unearthly League now!?" Setsuna and Momo said unified.
"You three, go look for any straggling civilians! Lead them out of here!" Uwabami said, having not heard them as she went into a collapsing building. "Stay safe and only use your Quirks if necessary!"
"Got it!" the three girls said, when they spotted a helmeted figure running past on the other side, with Denki, Kosei, and Minoru following him.
"That's Hiroshi!" Setsuna said, as they broke into a run after him. "I guess he came to the same idea!"
"Stand back, Uravity, Rocketti!" Gunhead shouted, as he punched the long-limbed Nomu, sending it flying back with a blast from his Quirk. "Go and help people evacuate if there needs to be! Don't use your Quirks, though! And stay nearby if possible!"
"Yes sir!" Ochako and Pony cried out, as they ran off to look for people who needed to be evacuated.
"I can't believe that there are Nomus here!" Ochako said.
"Do you think that the Hero Killer's a part of the Unearthly League!?" Pony asked, as they scanned the area. Since they could see Mt. Lady, they had a feeling that Hiroshi and the perverted trio were in the area too, which was proven to be correct when they saw the three chasing after a helmeted figure. On the other side they saw Setsuna, Momo, and Itsuka running towards them.
"Let's meet up with them!" Ochako said, with Pony nodding.
"Dammit Iida, where are you!?" Hiroshi said, looking around. He saw Manual in the distance, dousing out fire using water from a fire hydrant, while also using it to blast a black-skinned Nomu away. Tenya had to be here somewhere.
"Hiroshi!"
"Furinji!"
Hiroshi turned around and saw Setsuna, Momo, and Itsuka coming towards him, as well as Ochako and Pony. Denki and the others were still behind him, but were surprised to see the five girls.
"What are you guys doing here!?" Kosei asked.
"We had patrols around here with our workplace mentors," Itsuka said, before Setsuna and Momo turned to face Hiroshi.
"Do you know where Iida is?" Momo said gravely.
"Okay, what is going on!?" Denki demanded, pointing at Hiroshi. "Why are you guys so worried about Iida!?"
"Wait you didn't tell them!?" Setsuna said. "I thought you would've by now!"
"I didn't want to make them worried!" Hiroshi defended, though he sighed. "But in retrospect, I should've been honest. Lies through omission is still lying..."
He turned towards them, and told them, "One of the reasons why I suggested to go to Hosu, well, besides the very real fact that they've been asking for some outside help for hero patrols, was to keep an eye on Iida. His brother got injured in Hosu by the Hero Killer, and he's trying to get revenge."
"You should've told us! We could've helped!" Kosei said, shocked that Hiroshi didn't trust them enough.
"Don't bring me into your crazy plans!" Minoru said at the same time.
"You see, that's exactly why I didn't want to say anything at first," Hiroshi said, as Kosei and Denki glared at Minoru. "But I should've said it anyway."
The three looked at each, before looking back to Hiroshi.
"Well what're we wasting time for!? Let's find Iida!" Denki said, cracking his fists.
"What type of classmates would we be if we didn't help him out!?" Kosei stated.
"At this point there's no choice, is there?" Minoru sighed. "Better staying with you guys than here!"
"Good, let's get going!" Hiroshi said, when everyone's phones vibrated. They checked it. "A message from Midoriya in the Hero Course chat group?"
"It's just a location pin, but it's nearby..." Ochako said, raising an eyebrow.
"Wait, do you think-!?" Pony started to say, when Hiroshi started to run.
"Come on, guys! We gotta hurry!" he shouted, as everyone followed him.
Minutes Earlier...
"Nomu!?" Izuku said, his eyes wide as he and Gran Torino arrived to the scene of the explosion. There were heroes everywhere, fighting three beings that looked eerily similar to Nomu. A flying Nomu swooped down, lifting a hero before dropping them, though someone managed to catch them before they hit the ground. A long limbed one threw debris everywhere, while a black-skinned one with only an exposed brain and lower jaw for a face fought and tossed heroes like ragdolls. "T-there's more than just one Nomu!?"
"Sigma Speed! Sigma Speed! Tenya where are you!?" Manual shouted, looking around for his workplace trainee, when another car was thrown into a building, bursting into flames. "Dammit, he was just behind me too! Why did he run off now of all times!?"
"Iida... ran off? It can't be-!" Izuku said, as he began to connect the dots. "If there are these Nomu lookalikes in Hosu, and the Hero Killer's here too, does that mean that they're working together!?"
"Let's get to it, kid, those creatures aren't-" Gran Torino started to say.
"I need to go find Iida! The Hero Killer... The Hero Killer might be nearby!" Izuku said, leaping off.
"What-!? Dammit, don't run off on your own!" Gran Torino said, following his trainee. "He really is your successor, Toshinori! Just as troublesome as you are!"
"Damn that brat and alien," Stain seethed, as he held the pro hero Native by his face. The man struggled to move his body, though he was paralyzed somehow.
"Dammit... you won't get away with this! I'll get you and-"
"If you're really a hero, choose your words carefully. Be grateful that I'm only going to cripple you, so you can spread my message," Stain stated, as he readied to plunge his knife into Native, when he felt a presence behind him. He swung his knife to struck him, but missed as Tenya dodged by moving backwards. Stain scowled, curse that alien for breaking his katana, he lost its range.
"I've been looking for you. I didn't expect to see you so soon..." Tenya growled. "You'll pay for what you've done!"
"Another fake, huh... Your eyes are filled to the brim with vengeance," Stain said, releasing his grip on Native. "How unheroic. Seems like I'll have to take care of you too."
He pointed his knife at the newcomer. "That armor of yours... it looks like that fake, Ingenium."
"'Fake'?" he spat out. "'Fake'!? How dare you! Ingenium is a hero who saved lives! Ingenium is a hero to me! I... am Sigma Speed, Ingenium's brother, and the hero that'll take you down!"
"Oh? Even more reason to take care of you, then. You'll be my messenger then," Stain said, as that fake's brother charged at him, swinging his leg for a kick. He jumped over him, kicking him in the back and threw his knife into Tenya's arm. He cried out as the blade pierced through his costume and flesh, before Stain rushed him, pulling the knife out while knocking him onto the ground. He kept his foot on the hero-in-training's back, and licked the blood off his knife's blade. Tenya immediately felt his body going stiff. "Hmph, so weak... Both you and your brother. It's because you're both fakes that you're weak!"
"I... I can't move! Dammit, it's just like what Tensei said! I knew about this, yet I rushed in so carelessly! Dammit!" Tenya cursed in his mind. "You... you won't get away with this! My brother is a hero! He saved lives and lead so many rescues! There was no reason that you needed to injure him! He was the person who inspired my dreams-"
"Then save that fake over there."
Tenya took pause at the words. "Hmph. Exactly. Fakes like you that get trapped in seeking vengeance and hatred... are the furthest thing from being heroes. You only wield your powers for yourselves, which is why you need to die-"
All of a sudden, something knocked Stain off of Tenya. Tenya looked as best as he could, and saw an old man in white spandex with yellow boots, gloves, and cape kicking the Hero Killer before using him as a springboard to land near him.
"You must be Iida, right?" the old man asked. "Your friend's been looking for you."
"Iida!" a familiar voice shouted, landing next to him.
"M-Midoriya?"
"Iida, are you alright!? Thank god that we found you! All of the Hero Killer's murders and attacks happened in dark blind corners out of view, so Gran Torino and I looked at all the nearby alleyways since Manual lost sight of you recently! Let's get going!" Izuku said.
"I... I can't move. He cut me and licked the blood off... It has to be his Quirk that's doing it," Tenya said. "But please... I need to do this alone! I can't let you or anyone else get involved! It's my fight!"
"Hmph, your friend comes in to help you, and that's what you have to say? How ungrateful," Stain growled, as he twirled the knife in his hand. "I have a duty to kill one of them and leave the other as a witness to my message... though I suppose I can kill them both now and leave one of you alive instead..."
"Kid, take your friend and that other hero right now, I'll handle fighting the Hero Killer," Gran Torino said, taking a deep breath before rocketing around the alleyway, keeping Stain occupied. The two were surprisingly matched in speed, both of them dodging each others' attacks.
"Alright! Come on, Iida, let's go-"
"No, I need to stay! I need to fight Stain!" Tenya said, struggling to get up on his own. "This is- I-!"
"Get going already!" Gran Torino shouted, when Stain threw a hidden knife at him. He dodged it, though it left a slight nick on his cheek. Stain grinned as he rolled out of Gran Torino's way, grabbed the knife, and licked the tiny specks of blood off. Gran Torino felt his body stiffen as he fell onto the ground. "Shit-!"
"I'll deal with you later. Right now, I have two heroes to-"
"You're not going to touch either of them!" Izuku said, as he stood up. He held his phone in one of his pouches, and sent a location pin to one of the three chat groups he was in (hopefully it was the 'Help Iida Out' one, he couldn't tell which one he used). "Not while I'm here!"
"No! Run away, kid!" Native said. "He's only after me and your friend, just take him and run!"
"Just go already, Midoriya! This is my business, you don't need to get involved!" Tenya said.
"What good is a hero who doesn't stick his nose into others' business? It's like All Might says, 'giving help to others is a mark of a true hero'," Izuku said. "I'm here right now, and I'll do what I can to help!"
Stain stared at Izuku before grinning. "Oh? Sounds like there's a real hero that's going to help you out. Not like it matters. My goal hasn't changed in the slightest..."
Izuku let One for All run through his body, and charged at Stain. He dodged Stain's knife swipes by going underneath him between his legs. As Stain turned around, he realized that Izuku had leaped into the air, and struck him hard in the head. He grunted as Izuku landed, though he stuck his tongue out and licked his knife, having gotten a small speck of it from scratching Izuku's arm with it. Izuku's body stiffened, as Stain walked past him.
"No way-! Just a little nick like that is enough-!? Iida!"
"You're good, kid, but you lack power. So many fakes don't put the effort into working and are nothing but talk, but you... you're worth keeping alive," Stain said, approaching Tenya. "Unlike these two. I'll-"
All of a sudden, a red and blue blur flew into Stain, knocking him away before he pulled out a canister gun and fired it into Stain's chest, releasing a small pocket of tear gas that flooded Stain's eyes and nostrils making him yell.
"Mr. Iida, Mr. Midoriya, are you two alright!?" Hero/Hiroshi asked, his visor aglow with two green eyes as the others joined him.
"We got your location pin, man!" Denki said, holding out his phone.
"So that's the Hero Killer... who's that behind him?" Setsuna said, noticing Gran Torino off a few yards away.
"T-that's my workplace mentor, Gran Torino!" Izuku said. "We have to help him!"
"No, just take your friends and get out of here!" Gran Torino yelled to them.
"F-Furinji!? Everyone!? Why are you all doing here!?" Tenya said, aghast that his friends, plus Itsuka, Kosei, Denki, and Minoru, were here. Only Kyoka and Fuka were missing.
"It's like I told you," Hiroshi said, as Hero ceded control back to him. "We're all here to cover your back! We're not about to let you handle the Hero Killer alone!"
"When we realized what you were planning, we figured that we'd convince our workplace mentors to patrol around Hosu with you!" Ochako said. "But we didn't really tell them about that part..."
"Yea, and we were reeeeeeally hoping that you wouldn't even encounter the Hero Killer at all with how big Hosu is," Pony added.
"N-no! This is my fight! Furinji, you of all people have to understand-"
"I do, but in the case of a serial killer like Stain, you're gonna need help!" Hiroshi stated. "We're going to take the Hero Killer down together! Your brother's gonna get the justice he deserves!"
"Gah, fakes protecting fakes!" Stain yelled, regaining his composure. He reached into his pouches, and threw knives at the group. "Begone, all of you!"
Kosei instinctively stepped in front of everyone, inhaled, and blew out a barrier of solid air, blocking all the throwing knives he tossed. Stain leaped into the air, ready to throw more knives down at them.
"Don't let him ingest your blood! His Quirk uses it to paralyze people!" Izuku shouted.
"Explains all the blades then!" Denki shouted. Everyone moved out of the thrown knives, with Hiroshi grabbing Iida and lifting him away.
"If I can't get that fake of a hero-" Stain refocused his attention onto Native as he landed, "- I'll take care of him!"
"Shit!" Denki shouted, when they heard a voice behind him.
"Move."
Everyone obeyed, and a blast of fire and ice flew towards Stain, who was forced to leap into the air again to avoid his feet getting frozen or getting burnt. A wall of ice formed behind Gran Torino, trapping him between it and the group of teens. Another wave formed underneath Native, Izuku, and Gran Torino, making them roll towards them. Everyone looked behind them, and saw Shoto, whose hero costume was now a navy blue with a big belt with pouches around his waist, and smaller ones around his shoulders. Fire was bellowing out of his left hand, while ice was emerging from his right foot. Behind him was a woman with flaming yellow hair, a black mask, and a light gray jacket-like dress with a fire extinguisher on the back of her belt.
"So this is what you guys were up to. You should've sent more details than just the location, Midoriya," Shoto said.
"Todoroki!? You're using your fire!" Izuku said, seeing the flames coming off the red-and-white haired teen.
"That's the Hero Killer!" the woman said, recognizing Stain from the reports. "You were right to go here, kid! I'll take it from here!"
"More fakes!? How many are going to come here!?" Stain yelled, growing frustrated. "No matter how many of you appear, I shall cull this society of you all!"
"Fake? I'll have you know that I'm a real hero, Hero Killer! I'm Burnin', and I'm gonna take you in!" she said, stepping in front of the teens. "Take your friends, that pro, and that old man, kids! Let me handle this!"
"S-stop... just leave me alone! T-this is my duty! I have to be the one to take him down! I'm Sigma Speed, Ingenium's brother-"
"Did Ingenium ever work on his own, Iida!?" Hiroshi said, lifting him up over his shoulder. Tenya looked at him as best as he could.
"That's right! You said that he employs a bunch of sidekicks, right!?" Setsuna added. "We're your friends, so think of us as your sidekicks!"
"Tch, precisely why I wanted to use him as my message!" Stain yelled. This wasn't good. There were too many people. He knew he needed to escape, but he needed to get those two fakes first. He couldn't give up on his mission.
"What?" Hiroshi said, staring at him.
"Real heroes stand on their own! Real heroes don't rely on others to bolster their strength! The only real hero in this day and age... is All Might! And all you fakes makes it harder for real ones to appear! Money worshipping, attention seeking, and weaklings who rely on others are all fakes!"
The alleyway grew silent at hearing Stain's conviction. Hiroshi's free hand tightened in anger, though his visor hid his anger.
"So that's it? You're killing heroes... because they don't fit your definition!? You've been killing heroes because some just see this as a job and want to be compensated for it!? Or want to be famous!? All based on a guy that you don't even know personally!?"
"Exactly!"
Stain froze, and turned around. A shadow stepped off the wall, and formed into a figure familiar to most of the people there.
"Virus!" the teens shouted.
"Oh, you all remember me! How thoughtful," Virus laughed.
"You-!" Tenya said, growling. "You're the one that injured my brother!"
"Wait, Virus is the one who injured your brother!?" Setsuna said.
"Yes I am! He was in the way of my desire to meet the Hero Killer, and he was to be a message of sorts, so I helped out by breaking his arms and kicking him in the stomach," Virus said, as he focused his attention onto Stain. "Speaking of, it seems like you're outnumbered, Mr. Hero Killer. I guess coming with a gift for you was a smart choice, after all."
Virus reached into his trench coat, and pulled a sheathed katana that couldn't have possibly fit in it. He tossed it to Stain, who caught it.
"I don't need your gifts, you alien! I refuse to work with you!"
"Aw, and after I went ahead and chipped and wore out that sword just for you!" Virus said, feigning hurt. "Oh, and these as well."
Virus reached into a pocket, and pulled out a remote. He pressed a button, and a circular portal formed behind the teens, blocking their exit, as a handful of Valis Raiders appeared from it.
"Valis Raiders!? So that Alien Barossa and Autogedon attack was related to you!" Hiroshi said.
"That is correct! We went on without a giant alien attack for so long, that I thought we could use some more entertainment here!" Virus laughed. "Speaking of which-"
Virus pointed the remote to the sky and pressed another button. A big dark blue portal appeared in the sky, and from it fell a giant red birdlike monster with two heads, rocky-like flesh and spikey stone-like feathers, and two pincher-like hands. It screeched as it started to rampage around Hosu, breathing fire onto the buildings around it.
"What is that!?" Minoru screamed, pointing at the giant alien.
"That, my grape-haired lad, is Pandon!" Virus explained. "As you can see, he's a fire-breathing bird who has a love for destruction!"
"You-! I didn't need you to spill any needless blood!" Stain shouted, pointing his new katana at Virus. "How dare you mock my conviction!"
"Oh you and your 'convictions' again! How amusing!" Virus said, shaking his head. "You humans love to justify your silly little ego trips with anything."
"My goal has nothing to do with my ego! I am doing what's necessary for a better society-"
"And there you go again! Making yourself a martyr for a cause that no one asked you to do! You truly know no bounds of hilarity, Mr. Stain!" Virus laughed. "Must be nice to delude yourself into thinking that you have a grander purpose!"
"Dammit! Setsuna, take Iida!" Hiroshi said, handing the paralyzed teen to her.
"Hold your hand and call out-!"
"HEROOOOO!"
A sphere of light formed around Hiroshi, and flew towards Pandon.
At the Water Tower...
"Yep, this is a job well done, my Nomus," Tomura said, watching the chaos unfurl through his binoculars. "Cause as much chaos as you can in this hypocritical world! By the end of this, the world will forget about the Hero Killer and remember our Unearthly-"
Several blocks away from him and Kurogiri, a giant red birdlike alien came out of nowhere, and began stomping around Hosu, breathing fire. "What the fuck is that!?"
"Seems like our ally has found an alien to let loose," Kurogiri observed. "I suppose you're right about our Unearthly League being remembered-"
"NOT LIKE THIS! NOT THROUGH THOSE ALIENS" Tomura shouted, as he scratched at his neck. "DAMMIT ALL!"
"A giant alien!? Right now of all times!?" one of the heroes yelled, as a giant bird-like alien appeared from nowhere. This distraction opened him up for an attack from the long-limbed Nomu, when a blast of fire came from the left, consuming the Nomu. It yelled and rolled onto its side as its flesh was burned, and heroes managed to capture the burnt creature before it could recover.
"I was looking for the Hero Killer, but these things will do," Endeavor said, as he and his sidekicks joined in on the fight.
"That son of mine, though... running off with Burnin' instead of following me. I suppose that's what I get for agreeing to let him be her trainee rather than mine..."
It frustrated the Number 2 Hero as he remembered back to earlier this week...
Monday, the Start of Workplace Training...
" I'm surprised, Shoto," Endeavor said, with a smug chuckle. "To think that you'd pick my agency for your workplace training. You've finally-"
"I'm not here for you," Shoto said, cutting him off. "I want one of your sidekicks to be my workplace mentor over you."
"... What," Endeavor said, scowling.
"You may be the Number 2 Hero, and I might be getting some valuable advice if I follow you, but I... I want to see what other fire heroes are like, and since you employ sidekicks that usually have fire-based Quirks, I figured it' be easier to find a good hero here instead."
"Are you kidding me-"
"That's my only condition to be here. Unless you don't think or trust your sidekicks enough to teach me a thing or two about using fire."
Endeavor gritted his teeth. "... Alright, fine. Burnin'!"
"Yes sir?" Burnin' said, walking towards them as she heard her name.
"You're one of my top sidekicks, and my son has asked me to assign one of them as his workplace mentor. Are you willing to take him under your wing for this week?"
"Of course I can! You can trust me to do it! Hope you're ready for some hot-blooded lessons, kid!" Burnin' said, with a wide toothy grin.
"Even if I'm not your workplace mentor, you will be at least patrolling around with me and other sidekicks of mine," Endeavor said, crossing his arms. "We'll be using this week to patrol Hosu for Hero Killer Stain. He hasn't made a move for some time, so there's a chance that he'll still be there."
"I gotta get there!" Mt. Lady said, as she finally smacked the flying Nomu, knocking it down on the ground. She ran off to face off against the giant alien, leaving behind the scene. Before it could get up, Endeavor created javelins of fire, threw them, and speared its wings. It screeched as the fire burned through its wings' membranes, and heroes descended onto the downed creature, pinning it down and allowing someone to use their Quirk to tie it in metal. Endeavor turned around, and was greeted by an attack by the faceless Nomu, though he managed to punch it in the gut and send it flying back with a blast of fire. He watched as the creature's burnt exposed abdominal muscles healed instantly and new skin grew over them.
"So, you have super regeneration, do you... Troublesome, and no doubt the most dangerous of these monsters judging by your strength. Can't let you leave alive... So let's see you recover from this!" Endeavor said, as he grabbed the faceless Nomu's head, and blasted it with fire, which he kept focusing and intensifying until his flames became blue. The Nomu screamed until its limbs stopped moving. When Endeavor released his grip, the Nomu fell over, its head carbonized from the intense flame. He looked up at the giant alien, which was spewing out fire from its beaks while it rampaged away from where they all were. "I suppose that alien and his host will be arriving soon..."
In Hero's mental dimension, Hiroshi held out his right arm as he turned the Hero Hand's dial. "ORIGINAL! FLASH! MUSCLE! BURST!"
"Fire that blazes brighter than a sunburst!" Hiroshi cried out, slamming his left hand onto the stylized H. He reared his arm back, threw his hand into the air, and yelled, "Burn UP! HEROOOO!"
"BURST HELIOS!"
Hero's body formed around the light sphere, and he appeared in his Burst Helios form. Pandon turned to face him, and the two began to fight. Hero absorbed the flames that Pandon fired out of its mouth, as well as from the surrounding areas, using them to coat his right hand in fire to punch Pandon's left head. As the giants fought on, everyone refocused their attention onto Virus.
"Well, with him out of the way, let's get this fight started again, shall we?" Virus said, as the Valis Raiders' eyes lit up. "Oh, and Raiders? Since the Hero Killer doesn't want any of our help, you're welcomed to fight him, too. So make it a spectacle! Consider this a consequence for turning it down!"
The Valis Raiders sprung to life, and soon enough, everyone was dodging their attacks, with Burnin' being the only one who was fighting back. She pulled the fire that made her hair, and threw it at the robots, melting some of their armors slightly. Stain was fighting as well, parrying all the Valis Raiders' swords. Virus created a stool made of shadows, and sat down on it, watching them all fight.
"What should we do!?" Kosei said, as he ducked from a Valis Raider's sword swipe. Itsuka had grabbed Izuku while Momo had grabbed Gran Torino, and Denki grabbed Native. Everyone was busy running around to avoid the Valis Raiders' attacks.
"Can we use our Quirks!? We don't have licenses yet, but these alien robot guys aren't really giving us space to escape!" Denki said, seeing the wall of Valis Raiders blocking the exit. "Does the law say anything about using Quirks against alien robots!?"
"None of you kids do anything! If none of you had permission to use your Quirks from your mentors, you'll get into big trouble!" Burnin' said. "Todoroki, as your workplace mentor, I'm giving you permission to use yours! No offensive tactics, only defensive!"
Shoto nodded, and as soon as some Valis Raiders got close to Itsuka, Setsuna, and Izuku, created a small ice wall that blocked their swords.
Two Valis Raiders that were facing off against Ochako and Pony ran towards them, ready to stab them, only for the two girls to move to the side, grabbing their weapon-holding hands, and pulling them to the ground. They twisted the robot's wrists, trying to pry their weapons out of their hands.
"Dang it, they're making this really hard!" Pony said, as the Valis Raider she was on refused to let go of its sword.
"I guess robots don't work the same way as humans with this technique!" Ochako said, as two other Valis Raiders charged at them, forcing them to run away. The Valis Raiders they tried to disarm got up and rejoined the fight.
"You insufferable alien!" Stain said, slashing through the robots. "Quit messing around! All that power of yours, and you're wasting it without a real conviction!"
"Oh on the contrary, Mr. Stain, I'm not wasting my power at all," Virus said, hitting the button again. The Valis Raiders stopped moving, but this was far from comforting when everyone felt a heavy aura radiating from Virus. They all struggled to stay standing (those that weren't paralyzed at least); even Stain planted his katana into the ground to steady himself. "The reason why I get to do what I want is because I have so much power. When you belong to a race of higher beings, you realize that because you're so strong, that there isn't anything to challenge you. And that you can get away with doing whatever you want with it. Who's going to stop me? Who's going to understand? What am I going to do with all this power? The answer, is whatever I want with it."
"I suppose if you want one of my convictions and goals, it's 'to get what I want at the moment'. And what I want right now... is a show."
The pressure disappeared, as everyone could breath again. Virus pressed a button, and the Valis Raiders stiffened, before disappearing into portals. "I suppose I had my share of fun for now, so I'll leave. You can go on with your business if that's your wish. But remember; you can delude yourselves into believing that you're serving some greater purpose, but at the end of the day, you're nothing more but an insignificant speck on a backwater planet, with powers that stand no chance against truly strong beings."
"No! Come back! You-" Tenya shouted.
"- will pay for what I've done, I'm familiar with those words," Virus said, shrugging him off. "If you want to face off against me, grow stronger. Maybe then I'll be interested in you, like with All Might's heir and Ultraman Hero's host."
The SiDE Team members froze when they heard him say that, even the paralyzed Tenya. Gran Torino's eyes were equally wide at what he said. Kosei, Denki, Minoru, and Itsuka rose their eyebrows, confused by what he meant by that. Shoto glanced at Izuku (Did Virus mean him? Izuku was certainly one of the few who resembled All Might in power). Stain glared at him, wondering what he meant by 'All Might's heir'. "Well, no sense in waiting around! Goodbye, and good luck to you all! And remember, grow truly stronger, and you'll get my attention."
As Virus disappeared into the shadows, Stain turned around and charged at Burnin', having zero hesitation once the alien was gone. But before he could swing the sword down, Izuku had sprung to action, kicking Stain in the gut to knock him away from the heroine.
"Midoriya!" Itsuka shouted, surprised that he was up and moving again.
"Your paralysis is over?" Momo said, looking at him. "Does this mean that it's time-based?"
"Can't be, he was the last of us four to get paralyzed," Native said, as he still struggled to move.
"It's one of three things then..." Izuku said thoughtfully. "His Quirk's effect weakens on the more people he uses it, or how much blood he gets, since he got so little from me, or it's based on blood type..."
"I'm B..." Native said.
"Same..." Gran Torino followed up.
"I'm A," Tenya added.
"Dammit..." Stain cursed under his breath. Thanks to that alien wasting his time, these fakes-in-training and that one real hero knew his weakness. "I'll give you credit for figuring it out, though... Yes, my Quirk, Bloodcurdle, lets me paralyze people up to eight minutes when I ingest their blood, and blood types affect its effectiveness..."
"So I'm guessing it goes from B, the most, to O, the least," Setsuna said, as she and the others began to back up, the wall of Valis Raiders gone.
"Another good guess..." Stain said. "But it's not like it'll help you now!"
Stain threw another throwing knife, managing to graze Burnin''s cheek. He leaped over them, grabbing the thrown knife and licking it, paralyzing her. But before he could bring his sword down again, Izuku kicked him, sending him flying back into a wall.
"Dammit!" Burnin' said, as she slumped over. "Kids! Get out of here!"
"I guess I'm out of the action for a while, then..." Gran Torino grumbled. "Hey kid! I'm giving you my full permission to fight back! Take him out!"
"Alright, Gran Torino!" Izuku said. He took a deep breath, and began to blitz Stain, who struggled to keep up with him.
"F-fast! How fast is he!?" he thought, as he was forced into the defensive. Even if his Quirk didn't enhance his own physical abilities, he's never been overpowered like this by anyone. "Is this what that alien meant when he said 'All Might's heir'!? Dammit, I can't let him stop me! As much as he's a real hero... I need to get rid of all the fakes!"
Stain jumped into the air, and threw more knives at the teens. Todoroki created a wall of ice that blocked the knives, but Stain began to swing his katana down, until Izuku kicked him, knocking him out of the air.
"Guys, run! I got this!" Izuku said. Todoroki nodded, and picked up Burnin', and they all ran out of the alleyway.
"No! No, I won't let this happen!" Stain screamed. He began to give chase, but was tackled by Izuku, who kept him in the alleyway.
"Dammit, Pandon's a lot tougher to fight than I thought!" Hiroshi said. "He can take the heat and dish it out, too!"
"Indeed. We're at a stalemate here," Hero noted. "We might need to cycle through some forms to deal with him..."
Hero slugged Pandon's right head with an uppercut, making it stagger back a bit before it swung its pinchers at him. He moved back, and Pandon fired another breath of flame at him. Hero absorbed the fire, and punched Pandon again. Before Pandon could do anything else, a purple blur came, kicking it in the gut and knocking it down. "Canyon CANNON!"
"Mt. Lady?" Hero said, as the heroine got up.
"I'm not letting you do this alone now! Especially since there isn't a forested area nearby for you to take him to!" Mt. Lady said. "After all, I'm your workplace mentor, aren't I?"
"Of course!" Hero said, nodding.
"Good. I'll let you finish this guy off when you're ready, since I definitely don't have anything that could destroy him," she answered, as Pandon got back up. It screeched and breathed fire at Mt. Lady. Hero intercepted the fire, absorbing it as Mt. Lady took this chance to punch Pandon's beak.
"Plateau Uppercut!"
Pandon staggered back, but before it could recover, Hero leaped over it and Mt. Lady to grab it in a Full Nelson hold, changing into Muscle Hercules to keep a better grip on it. It struggled to get out of his grip, but it was pointless as this opened up for Mt. Lady to strike the giant alien in the gut with several punches. After she finished punching it, Hero slammed it onto the street, punching it in its faces before changing into his Original form and fired a stream of water into its beaks, drowning it before it could launch another blast of fire. He gurgled as he knocked Hero off of himself, and struggled to get back up. Hero crossed his arms in front of him. "Herorum Bolas Binding!"
The giant swept his arms away, creating a wave of energy that wrapped itself around Pandon, pinning its arms to its sides.
"We really need to remember we can do that," Hiroshi said.
It didn't take too long for Pandon to snap the energy binds, though he was a second too late as both Mt. Lady and Hero punched him in both its faces. Hero created a small energy blade from his right hand. He slashed at the giant alien, creating sparks as its ran across its rock-like flesh as it cried. It stood still, exhausted from the fighting.
"Looks like it's time to wrap it up! Go for it!" Mt. Lady said. Hero nodded, and slammed his forearms together. He pulled them apart, energy gathering between them in the form of an H.
"Herorum CROSS!" Hero shouted, firing the energy into Pandon. With a final cry, it exploded into a fiery cloud of dust, leaving nothing behind but a H-shaped mark of light. "Thanks for the assistance, Mt. Lady. But you need to come with me. Hiroshi and the others found the Hero Killer."
"What!?" Mt. Lady said, taken aback by what Hero said.
"Shrink down, I'll take you there," Hero said, holding his hand out. Mt. Lady obliged, and shrunk down, climbing into his open palm. Hero then began to shrink down to a more manageable size to walk through Hosu, hoping that within the 7 minutes he spent fighting Pandon that nothing had gotten too serious. His Color Timer started to flash red, though he paid no mind to it for the moment so that he could get back to the others quickly.
"... Why? Why are all of you going through all of this trouble for me?" Tenya whimpered, as they ran off from the alleyway.
"It's 'cuz you're our friend, Iida!" Ochako said, looking at him. "We want to help you out, and, well, stop you from getting hurt."
"... You're all so much better than me..." Tenya muttered, to the confusion of his friends. "The Hero Killer's right, I'm just a selfish vengeful idiot who thinks-"
"Hey, don't listen to that guy! He's a serial killer who's deluding himself that he's doing something right!" Setsuna said, slightly smacking him in the arm (the one that wasn't obviously bleeding). "You wanted justice for your brother! Who wouldn't want to do that!?"
"He's got a point about some heroes being just in it for the money and fame," Denki said, remembering his original motivations to his shame. "Not saying we should kill people like that, but-"
"Kaminari, heroism these days is just a job," Itsuka stated. "What you say if he was after police officers or doctors?"
"You got a point there..."
Tenya tightened his hand. Even if they had a point, he was just so far behind, in principle and in ability. Izuku, just after a few days training with Gran Torino, was so much stronger now, especially after he was given permission to use his Quirk. Shoto was finally opened to using both his flames and ice. And Hiroshi and Hero were still on a whole another level altogether. And the more he thought about it, he failed to live up to Tensei's standard. He needed to grow. He needed to-
He tightened his hand again. He can move. He pulled himself from Setsuna's shoulder.
"Hey, your paralysis is gone!" Setsuna said, smiling. "Let's-"
"I'm sorry everyone, for dragging you all into this," Tenya apologized. "Right now... right now I need to fix my mistake."
Tenya turned around, and ran back towards the alleyway. Not to beat Stain, but to help Izuku escape as well. He couldn't leave him behind.
"Iida, where are you going!? Come back!" Denki shouted, as their surprised and concerned voices grew distant.
Stain growled with frustration as he tried to find an opening to escape. Everything had gone wrong, ever since those aliens have begun appearing. His goals were just! It didn't matter if the world didn't see it that way, he'll cure this sick society of its fakes!
"You're done hurting others! I'm not letting you spill anymore blood!" Izuku said, as Stain kept being forced back.
"The blood I spill is necessary! It's all for a-"
"I don't want to hear your excuses!"
Izuku's eyes narrowed as he thought back to past conversations with his friends, how Ochako talked about how she wanted to earn a lot of money so that she could give her parents a more comfortable life. By Stain's standards, she would've been one of his victims. But she was one of the most unequivocally heroic people he knew. And it's just like what Hiroshi said, too; wanting to become a hero for money isn't wrong. "You don't know why people would want the money or fame of being a hero! Everyone has a different reason for being a hero! A true hero would understand that!"
"SHUT IT! All those fakes want is to live in luxury and hedonism-"
"NO YOU SHUT IT!"
Izuku slugged Stain in the gut, knocking him back. Stain wheezed and coughed as he struggled to regain his bearings, when he noticed Ultraman Hero coming to a stop in front of the alleyway before letting that super fake Mt. Lady down from his hands, before changing back into the teen from earlier, who fell to his knees exhausted. He scowled. If Virus was a sign of anything, Hero and his host are going to be one of the biggest obstacles in his way. He dug through his pockets for the last of his throwing knives, and tossed them as hard as he could at Izuku. He dodged them all, but Stain took this momentary distraction to leap over him, his katana drawn as he landed and ran towards Hiroshi.
"HIROSHI!" Izuku shouted, as he sprung to follow Stain. Hiroshi turned and glared at Stain as he raised his katana over his head.
"YOU'LL BE THE SACRIFICE FOR THIS WORLD, ALIEN SCUM!" Stain shouted. Mt. Lady moved in front of Hiroshi to take Stain's katana, when a white-and-blue blur came out of nowhere, kicking Stain in the gut. Once again, the air was knocked out of Stain, and he was sent flying backwards, allowing Izuku to punch the Hero Killer's face. Stain fell to the ground, unconscious and finally worn out from the beatings he's taken from Izuku, Gran Torino, and the Valis Raiders. Strange black spittle dripped down from his lips. Izuku, Hiroshi, and Mt. Lady looked at who just saved him.
"Iida!?" Izuku said, staring at his friend. "Why did you come back!?"
"I... I couldn't let you take care of my mistake on your own! I wanted to find the Hero Killer, and I thought that by leaving you all out of this, that I wouldn't drag you down... I should've been honest, I should've been willing to-"
"It's alright, Iida," Hiroshi said, as Izuku and Mt. Lady helped him up. "You needed to find justice for your sibling like I did. And right now, I think we got it for you."
"Wait, what's all this about?" Mt. Lady said, raising an eyebrow.
"I... I have a lot of explaining to do for you," Hiroshi admitted, sighing.
"Iida! Midoriya!"
The four turned and saw Setsuna and the others jogging towards them. Native had finally gotten out of his paralysis, though Gran Torino was still unmoving, being carried by Kosei, with Burnin' hanging off of Shoto's shoulders. "So you finished off that alien off already?"
"Yea, I did," Hiroshi said, sighing. "Got a bit worn out from fighting Pandon, but Mt. Lady helped out a lot."
"You guys took out the Hero Killer!" Native said, as everyone went over to examine the unconscious villain.
"It was all Midoriya and Iida who did it, I just got here with Mt. Lady," Hiroshi said. "Though I'm not sure how legal doing this was..."
"No worries, I gave the kid my permission to fight," Gran Torino said. "So any legal repercussions should be light."
"Hopefully that'll be the case," Burnin' added. "Still, the fact that a bunch of teens got involved with a serious matter like this won't be overlooked too easily..."
"Let's worry about that later," Hiroshi said. "Right now we should make sure that Stain's disarmed of everything and he's restrained. We have to be thorough, he could be hiding blades in his clothes."
"Wait, you don't mean-" Kosei began to say.
"Yea, we gotta strip him."
Everyone stared at Hiroshi.
"I'm out," Setsuna said, stepping backwards.
"Same," Itsuka said.
"Ew," Ochako and Pony said at the same time.
"I'll do it, I'm a pro," Native said, sighing. "It's the least I can do for being paralyzed for most of the time."
"That should be it," Native said, finishing putting the clothes back onto the unconscious Stain. "No more blades in sight. Does anyone have rope or something to tie him up?"
"I do!" Pony said, pulling her costume's lasso off and handing it to Native. She helped him tie it around the Hero Killer, and soon he was hoisted onto Native's shoulders.
"Let's take him to the station, I'm sure that everyone will be glad to see this guy finally behind bars," Burnin' said.
Meanwhile, Hiroshi had just finished telling Mt. Lady everything about the plan. He was leaning against the wall, still exhausted from using Hero's full size and shifting around through different forms in a single round.
"So you've been planning this since the beginning?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. It kinda stung, being used like that.
"Not necessarily. I did choose your agency to genuinely learn from you, but when I found out about what my friend was doing, and that I knew how there were calls for more heroes to patrol Hosu, well..."
"... We'll talk about this later, it's getting late," Mt. Lady sighed, shaking her head. "You should really trust us adults to help out more, you know..."
Hiroshi sighed, and turned his gaze onto the floor.
"Yea, you could've trusted us, too," Denki added, still a little hurt from finding out earlier.
"I'm sorry about that," Hiroshi muttered, as they began to walk towards the police station near Manual's agency. As they arrived, Manual, Uwabami, and Gunhead came running towards them.
"There you are!" the three said at the same time, before turning to look at each other.
"Wait, so you were missing your workplace trainees too?" Manual said, raising an eyebrow.
"Sort of, I told them to help evacuate people if there weren't any around," Uwabami answered.
"I did as well," Gunhead admitted, before shaking his head. "Enough about that, what were you all doing? And who's that-"
"It's the Hero Killer, and, well, that's kind of a long story..." Setsuna said, scratching the back of her head.
"The Hero Killer!? You guys encountered him!? And beat him!?" Uwabami said, eyes wide open.
"Is that why you went off on your own, Iida!?" Manual said, looking at him.
"I'm... I'm sorry, it was a rash move, and-"
"So my son found the Hero Killer, did he?"
Everyone looked behind the three pros, and saw Endeavor walking towards them. Hiroshi narrowed his eyes, while the rest of SiDE Team stiffened a bit upon seeing him. "And it looks like he took him down... did you give him permission to do it, Burnin'?"
"Not quite, sir," Burnin' said. "I gave him permission to defend himself and his friends, but-"
"I see... in any case, there's going to be a lot of paperwork and explaining needed to be done," Endeavor said, eyeing the Hero Killer. He growled; he wanted to take him down himself, but at least that's one villainous scum off the streets.
"So you went and got yourself caught, did you Mr. Hero Killer?"
The teens froze at the voice, and turned behind them. From the wall of a nearby building, a shadow stepped off and formed into Virus, with Illne soon following him. "Can't say I'm surprised. I offered you some help, and look where denying it got you."
"Why are you here again!?" Izuku said, instinctively readying himself to fight, with the others following his lead.
"Who's that!?" Mt. Lady asked. She didn't know why, but something about this guy was just... frightening.
"Oh my, where are my matters? I hadn't introduced myself to you all yet, have I? I am Virus, and this is Illne. We're aliens," Virus said, chuckling. "No need to introduce yourselves to me, I know who you all are. Manual, Uwabami, Gunhead, Endeavor, and Mt. Lady. Or should I say Masaki Mizushima, Sana Hebikura, Danji Daiho, Enji Todoroki, and Yu Takeyama."
The heroes stiffened when he said their names. While it was required that the government knows your real name, it wasn't necessarily common knowledge amongst civilians.
"How did you-"
"Oh, and I can't forget Sorahiko Torino," Virus added. This caused Gran Torino to stiffen as well. Out of all of them, his name was certainly not common knowledge.
"Just who are you!? And how did you learn our names!?" Endeavor demanded.
"Your shadows told me when I was just arriving here. They tell me a lot of things. Things that you keep close to your heart. Things that you don't want to let anyone else know," Virus stated. "Such as your failures with your son."
"I'm not a failure-" Shoto growled. He hated being called the one 'success' in his family, but he certainly wasn't a-
"Not you. The one that's dead. Gone. Poof. Just like the cloud of smoke he burned in."
Shoto's face dropped. The teens turned to look at him. His eyes had gone wide, as if he had seen a ghost.
"Todoroki-?" Tenya asked, looking at him.
"You-! How-!?" Endeavor said, shaking with fury while he glared at the alien.
"Like I said, your shadows love to talk."
"SILENCE!" Endeavor shouted, throwing a spear of fire towards Virus. It didn't reach him at all, as a new figure appeared from the wall to grab it. She was as tall as Virus, though with a much fuller figure than Illne, dressed with in clothes that exposed the pitch black skin of her abdomen and limbs, metal bracelets, armlets, and anklets, a belt with a pouch on her waist, and a long red scarf around her neck and mouth, which made it look like she had long red hair. Like her companions, she wore the same type of helmet.
"Oh, Ceteria, thank you for the interception," Virus said, as the fire spear turned into a small ball of flames in her hands. "Though I could've handled that myself."
"Any time, my dear Virus," she said, throwing the fireball up into the air, letting it explode in the sky as if it were a firework. "I simply wanted to see the fire of the second strongest man in Japan. What a weak, lukewarm flame that was, though..."
"There's a third one!?" Minoru trembled, biting at the tips of his gloves' fingers.
"Oh, there's many more of us that you don't know about," Virus said cheerfully. "But enough of that. I'm not just here to talk. I'm here to deliver a sort of... penalty to the Hero Killer. After all, he was the only one of us that was actually caught. Oh Illne? Grab Mr. Stain for us. You're welcomed to rough him up a bit."
Illne's mask flashed its red I, and in a split second, she had appeared between the heroes and teens, startling them before grabbing the captive Stain. She tossed the man into the air, and in seconds, was blitzing him similarly to how Gran Torino or Izuku was doing earlier, though it seemed like her impacts were harder, as everyone could hear his bones cracking in the seconds she was moving at. Stain was awoken by the assault, as he screamed in sheer agony.
"That's enough, Illne. I think it's time for his real penalty," Virus said. Illne stopped and grabbed the broken and beaten Stain, and reappeared in front of Virus, tossing the man onto the ground in front of him. "Now then..."
Virus kicked Stain over so he was flat on his stomach, and placed his foot onto the base of his spine.
"Stop him!" Manual shouted, as the pros around began charging towards them. Virus simply glanced up, pointed his hand at them, and a wave of black shadowy energy radiated from his arm, knocking them all back. He stepped onto Stain's spine, and a loud sickening crunch could be heard. Stain screamed for what felt like hours before passing out again.
"There we go, that's what I like to hear," Virus laughed. "Penalty delivered. Well, you all can take in this broken thing in now."
Virus kicked Stain away, who rolled like a ragdoll.
"Why!? What was the point of this!?" Mt. Lady said, aghast at Virus's depravity.
"Because I can," Virus said simply. "For all of his talk about will and conviction, I'm sure that his goal of 'restoring the true meaning of hero' is going to be difficult without the use of his legs. And I want to see the despair consume him. That will certainly be entertaining, don't you think so?"
"I suppose it will, my dear Virus," Ceteria said, as Illne nodded.
"Now that we're done here, we'll be off on our way," Virus said, as if he didn't just snap a man's back in half. "Tell Mr. Stain to enjoy early retirement! Goodbye!"
Virus and his companions turned into shadows and disappeared, leaving behind the pros, the teens, and the broken Stain in what felt like an eternity of silence before Kosei finally said something.
"What the fuck was all this about!?"
ORIGINAL AO3 NOTES:
- Wow this ended up being a pretty long chapter didn't it? It didn't feel right to try and split this one into parts, which is why it's long.
-I tried to figure out how to write a flashback for Mt. Lady's schoolyears, but none of them felt right, which is why I chose to omit it and have it as a simple and quick explanation. I know it's not a great decision, but nothing really clicked with me.
- While I was writing, I decided that a cool detail that could be used for Hero and Hiroshi while Hero possesses Hiroshi was that his visor would get two green eyes like a Gundam's, since his own eyes grow green.
- Didn't always intend for Burnin' to make an appearance as Shoto's "workplace mentor", but I like her design, so I figured, why not? Admittedly, I did not do much with her...
- I'll admit, I don't necessarily remember why exactly Stain targeted Ingenium to be his 'message' in canon. Tried looking for it through my manga volumes and online, but I didn't really find anything. I figured that it might've been because Tensei hired a bunch of sidekicks, and that Stain saw that as being weak. Could've totally just been a coincidence that he picked him. I chose to go with the former for UHA, though.
- Why did Izuku overpower Stain so easily when in canon Stain kept up with him? That was 'cuz Izuku in UHA is above 10% at using One for All, whereas in canon at this point he was at 5%, which Stain was keeping up with. I figured that with the fact that he was drawing out more of One for All, that Stain would be having a harder time fighting Izuku one-on-one.
- Sorry if none of the teens really got to do much. I was thinking of letting them do more, but I felt like that since their main goal was to get Tenya and the other paralyzed people out of there, that they wouldn't be actually trying to fight and all. And the fact that there were a significantly larger amount of them around, it would make the whole "we need to stay and fight" thing moot because they have enough people to help the paralyzed people escape.
- I know this is going to sound real selfish, but I'd appreciate hearing more of my readers' thoughts about these chapters. Like it's nice having some consistent reviewers and readers saying them, but I'd like to hear more from others. Especially since on all three websites I post to, I get an average of three-four comments total.