"STAIN!"

The shout barely phased the man as he blocked the sloppy kick, knocking the Fake away with his sword. In the background, explosions and screams filled the air as Shigaraki's apparent ploy to get the "monster" to show up continued. Not that that mattered much to Stain.

"Do not interrupt me," the man grunted, pointing his sword at Native, "Or you shall share his fate."

"You…YOU CRIPPLED MY BROTHER!" the boy yelled as he staggered to his feet, "I HAVE COME TO TAKE YOU DOWN!"

"Huh?" Stain muttered, looking up at the Ingenium clone, "A child? Run now, brat. Or I will cull you like the rest."

"Shut up!" the Fake screamed, charging forwards as Stain ran his tongue along the wet blade, swallowing as the teen collapsed to the ground, "I will-what?!"

"Exactly," the Hero Killer growled as he walked slowly over to the teen, "You will what, little Fake? Let me tell you…"

Stain trailed off as he lifted his sword before stabbing it down into the teen's arm, making him cry out in pain.

"You will die."

Earlier that week…

"So, how have you been?"

"Okay, considering," Izuku replied, Hound Dog nodding in understanding.

"It can't be easy, going through all that," the councillor hummed, "In which case, we can talk about something else for now if you want to."

"Yeah, I'd like that," the teen muttered, looking around the nicely decorated office.

"So, anything you want to talk about in specific? Or do you just want to have some small talk?"

"Small talk," Izuku replied.

"Okay, how's your schoolwork going?"

"Fine," Izuku said as he flopped back on the couch, "I'm on top of all of it, it's just a little weird to be away from everyone."

"I see," Hound Dog nodded, "And home? How's your mother doing?"

"Same as always," Izuku chuckled, wiping an eye as he teared up slightly, "Still cries at every little thing. It's kind of comforting, you know?"

"Oh? How so?"

"To see someone able to release their emotions so easily like that," the teen mumbled, his eyes narrowing slightly as he sat forwards, "Emotions, just like the ones I feel…really extreme emotions…but does that mean…?"

"Midoriya?" Hound Dog called gently, startling the teen slightly, "Sorry to distract you, but you were mumbling."

"Oh, no problem!" Izuku said, his eyes sharper now, "I think I may have an idea about what my big problem is right now!"

"Really?" Hound Dog asked, the teen nodding, "Are you comfortable enough to talk about it?"

"I…I think so," Izuku nodded.

"Emotions!" Izuku shouted as he burst into the gym, the two men looking up at him as he walked excitedly over to them, "The Darkness! I think it's a manifestation of my emotions!"

"What?" Aizawa grunted as he looked at the other man in confusion, Sire blinking in surprise.

"That…that actually makes some sense, young one," he replied, "I had never thought of it like that."

"Really?" the teen gasped, looking at the man excitedly, "But then how did you learn to control your own inner self, Sire?...Wait, SIRE? You're awake?! And here?!"

"I simply fought against it in any way I could," the man replied, "Eventually finding that staying as calm as possible in all situations helped the most. Though your viewpoint is rather enlightening. And yes, I was deemed fit enough to leave Shuzenji-san's care this morning."

"I…you…Sire…" the teen blundered through his words, before simply wrapping his arms around the cloaked figure's waist and letting out a loud sob.

"It is fine, young one," the man crooned as he stroked Izuku's unruly hair, "I am perfectly fine. It will take far more than the acts of a fledgling to slay me."

"It's just…I'm sorry!" the teen wailed, clinging tighter to the man.

"And I accept your apology," Sire chuckled, gently pulling the teen off him, "But now is not the time for apologies. Come, show me what you have learned in the last week."

"Y-yes…" Izuku sniffed, wiping his eyes on the back of his arm, "Yes, Sire!"

"And we are welcoming back Midoriya after he had to take some time for personal matters," Kan said as the green-haired teen sat awkwardly in the seat.

"You mean the fact he killed a guy?" one of the other students muttered.

"Ketsueki!" the teacher growled.

"What?" the ink blooded teen shot back, "We all saw it! It was all over the news! He stabbed his arm right through that guy's chest!"

"It wasn't intentional-," Vlad King tried to say, the boy jumping up from his seat and shouting over him.

"Yeah, well I don't care! I don't want to be part of any group involved with a murderer!"

"I've warned you before, Ketsueki. Any more of that and-."

"It's fine, Vlad King-sensei," Izuku interrupted, standing as the rest of the group watched silently, "If it makes others uncomfortable, I'll leave."

"Damn right," Ketsueki grunted.

"No," Vlad King said sharply, placing his hand on Izuku's shoulder, "Ketsueki, I've given you enough warnings about discriminating against the other members. Leave, now."

"Whatever," the teen huffed as he stood up, making his way to the door, "I never needed this stupid group anyway! And anyone with half a brain will leave with me!"

He paused at the door, looking back at the rest of the teen's as they fidgeted slightly, none of them getting out of their seats.

"Seriously?" he muttered, slamming the door on his way out.

"I'm sorry you all had to see that," Kan sighed as he sat back down in his seat, "I'll make sure to talk to him privately later. But for now, let's talk about our weeks!"

"Yes, Sensei," the group called.

"Midoriya," the man said as the group began to file out of the room, having completed their meeting, "I just wanted to apologise about Ketsueki's actions earlier again."

"It's okay, Sensei," Izuku nodded, "I…I guess I'm just going to have to get used to it."

"No, you shouldn't," the man grunted, "What happened was an accident. I believe that. If there's any way I can help you out, just let me know."

"Help me?" Izuku blinked back the slight tears, before nodding, "Yes Sensei, thank you Sensei."

"There is perhaps a method by which you could assist the young one at this moment," the regal voice called as the two turned to see the cloaked figure enter the room, "A way to strengthen him as well."

"W-wait!" Izuku squeaked, "Sire! You can't mean that?!"

"Of course I mean that, young one," the man hummed, looking at Vlad King, "Vlad King-san's quirk is almost certainly perfect for the situation."

"Uhm…" the silver-haired man said slowly, "Sorry, but what am I missing here?"

"The young one has been going through intensive training as of late," Sire explained, "And has recently made exceptional progress. I feel it is time to further strengthen the tools he has at his disposal."

"Tools?" Vlad King blinked, "And I'm involved how?"

"Blood," Sire said, "We are asking if the young one may partake of your blood."

"Oh? OH!" Kan gasped, "Of course! If it's to help a student, I don't see a problem."

"Thank you," Sire nodded, "Then let us go see Shuzenji-san, she will almost certainly wish for us to perform the act in her sight."

"Right," Kan nodded, "So, what? She draws the blood and Midoriya drinks it?"

"Not quite," Sire chuckled, "For the process to be most effective, the young one must draw the blood from the source."

"Wait, you mean…?" Kan blinked.

"I have to drink it straight from you, Sensei," Izuku muttered as they arrived at the nurse's office door, knocking gently on it.

"So, this is Hosu," Shigaraki cackled as they stood on top of the water tower, "Pathetic."

"You say that with such conviction, Tomura Shigaraki," Kurogiri hummed, looking down at the cell phone is his hand, "Perhaps you are maturing."

"Shut up, Kurogiri," the man snorted, "Now hurry up and send out the Nomu Sensei gave us."

"Yes, Tomura Shigaraki," the mist Villain replied, keeping his eyes firmly on the phone even as he opened the warp gates, five grotesque figures emerging onto the roof below them, "There they are, all five of the prepared Nomus we have at hand."

"Excellent," Shigaraki cackled, "Now, Nomu! Go and destroy everything! Kill everyone! Sow chaos and draw every Hero towards you!"

The creatures let out a keening wail as they immediately leapt off the building, crashing into the street below or flying into the air and starting to attack.

"Now then," Shigaraki said as he turned to look at Kurogiri, the man still staring at the phone, "How long until the special guest arrives?"

"What's going on?" Izuku asked as Aizawa paused, looking down at his phone as they stood outside Gym Gamma.

"Emergency in Hosu," the man growled, immediately turning back the way they'd come, "It's all hands on deck, there have been reports of Nomu in the area."

"Nomu?" Izuku gasped, looking between Sire and the teacher, "Then…then let me go with! I can fight a Nomu!"

"What? Absolutely not!" Aizawa shouted, spinning around to glare at the teen, "You've barely managed to learn to control your quirk, I'm not letting you go out into another life-threatening situation!"

"But Sensei," the teen tried, falling silent as the arm dropped in front of him.

"No, young one, he is right," Sire hummed, turning Izuku back around to face the Gym, "Come, let us continue our practice tonight without Eraser-san. Perhaps investigate the new power you received from Vlad King-san some more."

"But I…!" the teen trailed off as he looked into the shimmering eyes of his Sire, finally letting out a breath, "Yes, Sire."

"Excellent," the man nodded as Aizawa hurried off, "Now, let us-."

The floor vanished beneath them as the portal opened up, both dropping through in surprise. Izuku almost shrieked as he appeared above the alley, managing to catch himself and slow his fall as he settled on the dirty brick.

"What's going o-?" he started to say, his eyes going wide as the scent of fresh blood hit his nose, the teen turning slowly to look at the looming figure stood over the armoured teen, "I-Iida?"

"It would seem that he was true to his word," the skinny man growled, lifting his sword with a wet pop from the back of the blue-haired boy, the puddle of blood beneath him only growing larger, "I shall now slay you, so called "monster"."

Sire looked around the cramped room, the walls lined with thick cables and devices, his eyes drawn to the point where they all converged, the figure sitting in the chair smiling widely from behind the breathing mask.

"Thought you could escape me, did you?"