Shuichi sat in the small room he shared with Mustard and slime boy in the Shi Hassaikai mansion. He checked the news with his iPad and then… stopped.
"Oh… shit." Shuichi said.
"What?" Mustard said
"Kawada is dead."
Mustard looked up.
"Who?"
"The guy who exposed All-Might. They think it was Stain. I mean… his name was written in the wall." Shuichi said.
Mustard shuddered, and Shuichi didn't blame him. Every small hoodlum who'd heard about him, was terrified of Stain. A lunatic who killed criminals and heroes alike. Sometimes he tortured them first.
"You… you think he'd come after us?" Mustard said.
Slime boy grinned inside his bottle.
"What's wrong? Scared?" Slime boy said.
"If you're not, you're a fool." Shuichi said and got up: "Hold the fort. I'm going to take a leak."
Shuichi had to use his phone as a flashlight in the dark manor. Overhaul being the penny pincher he was, didn't like them turning on the lights at this hour.
He stepped into something wet.
When Shuichi looked down, he saw two of the Eight Bullets lying on the floor. Katsukame and Hojo. Two of the scariest people he'd ever met had been turned into Pez dispensers and were lying in a pool of their own blood. Blood that was still hot! Which meant…!
Strong fingers grabbed Shuichi's hair and yanked his head back. Something sharp clawed at his throat but couldn't quite pierce his scales. The only thing that came out was a few drops of blood. When Shuichi popped out his spikes, his would-be killer let go and Shuichi tried to make a run for it.
He fell over. Paralyzed. The dead men's blood smeared his clothes.
The attacker kicked him over on his back and Shuichi saw the assailant's face. His heart started racing like a wild horse. All pictures of Stain were unfocused and smudgy but all the survivors from his rampages described the same thing. A monster who hid his mutilated face under a mask.
"You're a tough one." Stain said and raised his sword: "Die."
"Kill me… and you'll never get to Overhaul."
The words flowed out of him without thought but with perfect confidence. He was convincing enough that Stain lowered his sword. For the moment.
"How so?"
"I know his Quirk and all his lieutenants Quirks. Mimic can control objects. His room is next to Overhaul's and Sakaki… just follow the stench of booze. As for Overhaul…" Shuichi said.
Stain clicked his tongue impatiently.
"Yes?"
"Promise me… you'll make enough noise for us to run." Shuichi said.
Stain pressed his sword on Shuichi's throat.
"You think you can make demands? What about the man in black? With the scarred face?"
"Out on… business. Take that… fucking sword out of my face." Shuichi said.
Stain grinned and pulled his sword back.
"I like you. We have a deal."
Whatever Stain's Quirk was he released it and Shuichi could move again.
"What's Overhaul's Quirk?" Stain said.
Shuichi rubbed his throat.
"Whatever he touches… blows up."
"Does it now? Thank you. Be ready to run when the noise starts."
Stain disappeared into the darkness. Shuichi waited for a moment among the corpses to see if this was a ruse to make him drop his guard and Stain would return to finish him off. When he was sure he was alone Shuichi ran back to his room. Mustard grew pale when he saw his bloodstained clothes.
"Shuichi?... your shirt…"
"No time. Grab your shit. We're leaving." Shuichi whispered.
The alarm went off. Shuichi threw his iPad and slime boy inside his bag and rushed out of the room with Mustard who was still pulling his pants up. Instead of the exit Shuichi ran deeper into the mansion.
"What are you…?!" Mustard said.
"I'm not leaving without Eri."
Mustard followed him unhappily, but he followed all the same.
The leader of Shi Hassaikai, Kai Chisaki, better known as Overhaul sat in his office. He could hear Eri weeping in the room next to his. He liked hearing her cry. It meant she was close by and obedient. He smiled behind his mask and studied the single bullet his scientists had produced. With the help of Eri's rewinding Quirk they'd already been able to produce bullets that suppressed Quirks but this… this took them away permanently. It would still take time before they could mass-produce them, but the hard part was behind them.
Who should lose their Quirk first? All-Might? Although his glory days were over he still had clout. Or maybe he should just let his adoring fans tear him to pieces and wait to see who took his place. The poor fools didn't know this wasn't their world anymore. A man who could take and give Quirks ruled the land. He would do what the First Symbol of Peace had done two-hundred years ago and save the world from itself. The disease called Quirks had been running rampant for far too long. He would…
Kai looked around. Someone was here. There was killing intent in the air.
After locking the bullet in his safe, Kai approached the door. Did Rappa want to have another go and was getting sneakier?
When he pulled the door open someone crashed through the window.
Kai tried to grab the intruder and blow him to kingdom come… and saw his arm go flying. There was no time to scream and he hit the ground with his remaining hand. His Quirk turned to floorboards into spears and impaled the…
Impossible!
The intruder dodged his spears! All of them! Not even Rappa was that fast. What the hell was going…?
A throwing knife hit Kai in the eye.
This time he did have time to scream. This bastard was dead! He was fucking dead! He'd make the bastard scream and then he'd die! He'd mount the bastard's head on his wall as warning to the others and then…!
Why can't I move?
Kai fell over.
With his remaining eye he finally got a good look at the intruder. He'd never met him or even seen his face, but he knew him all the same. Stain. The Hero Killer.
"You think someone with such weak ideals could beat me? All you vultures are the same. Only good preying on better men then yourselves." Stain said while approaching him.
Where the hell was Mimic?! Or Sakaki?! They were supposed to guard him! Where had the rest of his men gone?! What was going on?! There was an… unpleasant feeling growing at the pit of his stomach. Was… was this fear? Was this how he made others feel? No! He caused fear! He didn't feel it!
He couldn't move but he could still use his Quirk. He overhauled his entire body and reconstructed his eye but there weren't enough materials to restore his arm. Then he purged Stain's infection from his body. When he could move again, Stain was too close to get away from his reach. Kai grabbed his sword arm and blew it off.
Stain didn't even flinch. He just grabbed another sword with his remaining hand and tried to take Kai's head off.
"Kai!"
Chronostasis rushed into the room. Kai smiled behind his mask. He could always trust Chrono to watch his back. Arrows grew out of Chrono's body and flew at Stain. The bastard avoided them handily but now… the flow of the battle had shifted.
They fought. Losing an arm had fazed Stain more than it had affected Kai. His balance was off, and his movement were wobbly. Stain was no longer looking for a way to win but an escape route. They didn't let him leave. Not when the real fun was going to start. He'd scream. He'd beg and then…
Foul mist filled the room.
All they could see was green smoke and Kai pulled Chrono closer. Using his Quirk, he filled the room with spikes. One of them had to get the bastard. They had to! Then he crafted them an escape route. They fell to the ground in the yard and coughed out the smoke. He was feeling lightheaded. Drugged out.
"Who the hell was that?! And what was that mist?!" Chrono said between the coughs.
"The Hero Killer… Stain…" Kai said.
Chrono looked at his stump.
"Seems to have gotten your arm."
"I'll get a new one." Kai said.
"Why wait?" Chrono said and offered his hand: "You need it more than I do."
Kai hesitated but then took Chrono's hand.
"Thank you." Kai said and activated his Quirk.
When Kai was testing his new hand, a horrifying thought came to him.
"Where's Eri?!"
When Shuichi sneaked deeper into the mansion, he could see Stain's handiwork. Stain had visited Overhaul's top fighters before moving on to the final boss. Mimic had been asleep when Stain came and Sakaki had been too drunk to fight back. Overhaul was the scariest thing Shuichi had met after Toga, but Stain had forced even him on the defensive. They didn't notice them when they slipped into Eri's room.
They hadn't gotten there first. The living lie detector Shin was trying to drag Eri with him. He was so infuriated that he didn't even notice them until it was too late.
"Come here, you stupid little…"
Shuichi knocked him out with a single punch. Shin fell over without a word. Mustard looked at the unconscious man horrified. Eri was too numbed for all of it to feel anything. Shuichi knelled in front of her.
"Hi. Sorry you had to wait. Wanna get out of here?" Shuichi said.
"… Mr. Chisaki… he'll find us." Eri said.
"He just ran into someone worse than himself. He won't touch you again. I promise." Shuichi said.
Eri hesitated but Shuichi's smile made her take his hand. Shuichi threw the girl on his back and started running for the exit. Mustard kept up the pace as well as he could. Fear was a hell of a motivator. In a perfect world they would have made it to the exit without a problem, but the world was ruled by a very cruel god.
They almost crashed into Rappa.
Mustard looked ready to wet himself and Shuichi prayed that Rappa's first punch was enough to finish him off. He didn't want to find out what Overhaul had in store for traitors.
Rappa didn't finish them off. He just looked at them. Finally, he spoke.
"Run. I didn't see anything." Rappa said.
Shuichi and Mustard stared at him shocked. Eri hugged Shuichi tighter.
"… thank you." Mustard said.
Rappa handed Mustard his credit card.
"Use that and run as far as you can." Rappa said.
They kept running. When they were finally out Shuichi turned to look at the mansion.
"Mustard. Flood the house. That should give them something to do while we run." Shuichi said.
Mustard nodded, and poisonous gas started flowing out of his fingertips into the Shi Hassaikai manor.
Manual had his people watching the hotel Tenya Iida was staying in. They tried their hardest to go unseen but Tenya could sense them a mile away. Someone was always camped outside his door to ensure he couldn't leave his room without being noticed.
Like that would stop him.
It was no accident that he'd been given a room at the top floor in the hotel. It would have stopped most people from moving freely but he wasn't like most people. He turned off the lights and then opened his window. He revved up the engines in his legs and jumped. When he was going at full speed he could even run on walls. Just before he hit the ground, he let out a burst of steam from his legs to stop his fall.
Then he started his search for Stain. No one could cover more ground in a single night than him.
Once he wouldn't have even considered this. Breaking the rules. The one thing that separated heroes from villains. But that was before he saw his big brother strapped to a hospital bed clinging to his life. That was before he heard his mother's broken crying. That was before the doctor told them how Tensei would never walk again.
Villain or vigilante. He didn't care anymore.
Until Stain was dead, he wouldn't stop or rest. He would spend his days playing a hero with Manual. At night he would search. Until he found Stain, he'd do what he had to. And when he found the bastard, only one of them would walk away.
Even when Shuichi was carrying Eri, Mustard lagged behind him. They kept running until Mustard couldn't keep up anymore. Fear could only push someone so far. Mustard fell on his knees and gasped for air. Shuichi dragged him into an alleyway that offered them some secrecy. Eri was yawning and could barely keep her eyes open.
"What… now?" Mustard said while panting.
That was a good question. Shuichi had never planned further than getting out of the mansion. He'd have to wing it.
"We will…"
Something landed in the alleyway with them. Eri let out a terrified gasp and Mustard came close to losing the control of his bladder. Again. Shuichi had just enough time to stop himself from popping out his spikes on instinct and skewering Eri. Stain looked at them. One of his arms was gone but there wasn't even a scar on the stump. The missing arm didn't stop him from being as scary as Toga.
"We meet again, my friend." Stain said.
"… friend?" Mustard said and crawled away from Stain: "… are you going to kill us?"
"Mustard. Hush. You're scaring Eri." Shuichi said without taking his eyes off Stain.
"… your arm… did Mr. Chisaki hurt you too?" Eri said.
Stain smiled.
"I got careless and paid the price. I can still swing a sword." Stain said and looked around: "Overhaul will come after you. You'll need a place to hide." Stain said.
"With you?" Shuichi said.
"Perhaps." Stain said.
Shuichi licked his lips.
"What's the catch?"
"I don't stomach freeloaders. I expect you to pull your weight." Stain said.
Shuichi and Mustard glanced at each other. This was a bad idea but… what choice did they have?
"Deal." Shuichi said.
Stain smiled.
"Follow me."
Stain pulled off a sewer lid and led them beneath the city. It didn't look like any sewer Shuichi had ever seen. It was more like a passageway or a labyrinth.
"What is this place?" Shuichi said.
"The First Symbol of Peace carved these out two-hundred years ago when the Quirk violence hit its peak. To give people a safe way to move. I've claimed them for myself." Stain said.
That explained how Stain could appear and disappear at will. They followed Stain for well over an hour in the underground city during which Eri finally fell asleep. When Shuichi started suspecting that Stain was lost, they arrived at his hideout. It could have been an army barrack if not for the weapons on the walls. Spears. Bows. Swords. And knives. Lots of knives. They looked self-made and deadly.
Shuichi was careful not to wake Eri up when he tugged her in on the cleanest mattress he could find. Then he turned to look at Stain. Stain was untying his mask with his remaining hand. Neither Shuichi or Mustard could suppress a shudder when they saw the hole where Stain's nose should have been. Shuichi's eyes drifted between Stain's missing nose and his new stump.
"… uh… should we have that looked at?" Shuichi said.
"Have what looked at?" Stain said.
"Your… your hand." Shuichi said.
"Why? Overhaul was kind enough to close the wound. He'll live to regret it when I go back to finish him off."
"You want to… fight him again?" Mustard said.
"I'm going to kill him." Stain said plainly.
Shuichi and Mustard shared a look. Great. They had just traded one lunatic for another.
"You… uh… wanted us to pull our weight. What did you mean?" Shuichi said.
"Come. We'll have a test." Stain said.
They followed Stain reluctantly to his training room. It was littered with weights, ropes and punching bags. It reeked of old sweat. Stain threw Shuichi a sword and then picked one for himself.
"Come at me. Show me what you've got." Stain said.
"… what?"
Stain didn't repeat himself and attacked. Mustard scampered out of the way and Shuichi had barely enough time to block Stain's swing. He'd never seen anyone move like that. Shuichi's mutation Quirk granted him enhanced speed and strength, but he was no match for Stain. There were no unnecessary movements in him and he knew how to get everything out of his muscles. Shuichi had always thought that he could hold his own in a fight but now he had to admit that he'd only been in two real fights. The rest had been schoolyard skirmishes. The first time had been with Overhaul and now with Stain. And even Overhaul hadn't pressured him like this. Shuichi threw everything he had at Stain but the crazy noseless bastard wasn't fazed by anything.
"Wait! Stop! Enough! You win!" Shuichi said and dropped his sword.
Stain slashed him across the chest. Even the tough scales couldn't protect him, and Shuichi's blood spilled on the floor.
"Wait? Stop? Enough? There is no stopping or waiting in a fight. In a fight you win, or you die." Stain said and spat at him: "What a pity. Here I thought you had some promise."
Stain licked the blood of his sword and once again Shuichi lost control of his body. Stain raised his sword.
"No!"
Mustard threw himself on top of Shuichi.
"Stop! Don't!" Mustard said.
A ghost of a smile floated on Stain's lips. He put down his sword.
"Guess you have some backbone after all. You pass, Mustard. Rest well my disciples. There is great work to be done."
Stain left them, and Mustard laid on top of Shuichi until he could move again.
"Thanks." Shuichi said.
"That's' what friends do." Mustard said and leaned closer to whisper in Shuichi's ear: "You need to get us the fuck out of here."
"Agreed but… I don't know how to navigate here… in the… sewers?"
They looked at each other.
"Slime boy!" They said.
Shuichi rushed to his bag and pulled out slime boy's bottle. His empty bottle.
"Where… where is he?" Mustard said.
"… oh shit."
Mei got her own room at the Todoroki residence while Izuku agreed to bunk with Todoroki. A mattress was laid on the floor and Izuku made himself comfortable. While Todoroki was taking a shower, Izuku pulled out his phone and started going through medical articles from two-hundred years ago.
Todoroki entered the room while drying his hair.
"What are you reading?" Todoroki said.
"… old medical articles on how to treat spinal cord injuries." Izuku said.
Todoroki sat on his bed.
"Found anything?"
"… a lot of money and time was put into stem cell research and cybernetics but… it was lost."
So much had been lost on those chaotic days after Quirks first appeared. For a time, it had looked like humanity would descend back into Stone Age barbarism until the First Symbol of Peace had appeared and restored order but even the First couldn't undo the damage that had already been done. But still… something didn't add up.
"… it's almost like… someone was making all of it disappear on purpose." Izuku said.
"Why would anyone do that?"
"… I don't know."
"If that stuff hadn't been lost… could All-Might have been healed?" Todoroki said.
"… maybe."
Todoroki layed back.
"There's been talks that dad would take All-Might's place as number one."
Todoroki didn't sound pleased and Izuku could understand why. Being the number one hero was… it was All-Might's thing. It felt like sacrilege that anyone else would even be considered for the position.
"Dad has always dreamed of beating All-Might. That's why he created me but… I don't think this is how he wanted to win." Todoroki said.
Created? That was a weird way to put it. So many things about Todoroki felt weird. Off somehow.
"… Todoroki. Is… if something's wrong you can talk to me." Izuku said.
For a moment it looked like Todoroki was about to confess something. Something big but then… he backed off.
"Just being the number two is… stressful. And not just for dad." Todoroki said.
"… okay."
"We… should get some sleep. We'll be going to Hosu tomorrow to take part in the search for Stain." Todoroki said and turned off the lights.
"… never thought the internship would be so… intense." Izuku said.
"Dad doesn't believe in half measures. Good night." Todoroki said.
"… good night."
Izuku tugged under the covers.
"Midoriya?"
"… yeah?"
"Thanks. For not making me do this alone." Todoroki said.
Shuichi kept guard of the hideout with Stain while Mustard and Eri slept. Every rat that scampered in the darkness made Shuichi flinch. He was sure any moment now slime boy would lead Overhaul to them and then Overhaul would give a new meaning to pain.
"Calm down." Stain said.
Shuichi clutched his new sword tighter.
"How?"
"The First Symbol of Peace designed these passages to be a maze. And I have boobytrapped them. And if Overhaul gets past them, he'll have to face us." Stain said.
"I'm sure he's already pissing his pants." Shuichi said.
Stain let out a sound that might have been laughter.
"Maybe this will teach you to pick your friends better." Stain said.
"Me and slime boy are not friends. He's a psycho that was useful to sic on other people."
Stain gave him nasty glare.
"Real warriors fight their own battles. Like All-Might."
"You… uh… you really look up to him." Shuichi said.
"He's the only hero who can kill me. The only real hero. The rest are fakers. Everyone who smeared him will die."
Shuichi felt like crying.
"… yeah."
Stain tensed up.
"Someone's coming."
Black mist started forming in the hideout and from it a man dressed like a bartender with his face hidden behind a cloak of smoke stepped through.
"Everyone up!" Shuichi yelled.
Mustard was on his feet in a heartbeat and holding a stiletto. Eri hid behind Mustard. Shuichi and Stain got ready to fight. The man covered in mist put up his hands.
"Worry not, gentlemen and young lady. I'm not here to fight. My name is Kurogiri."
"You… You're not with Overhaul?" Shuichi said.
"Indeed, I am not. I represent the League of Villains. I've come to offer you an invitation to meet our leader, Mr. Stain." Kurogiri said.
Stain kept his sword pointed at Kurogiri.
"And what if I don't want to meet him?" Stain said.
"Our leader could make it worth your time." Kurogiri said and glanced at Stain's stump: "Perhaps he could even do something about that hand."
Stain weighed his options. He weighed them for a long time. Finally, he put down his sword.
"Fine. Spinner. With me. Mustard. Girl. You stay here."
Eri looked at Shuichi, scared.
"… will you come back?"
Shuichi smiled.
"Of course, I will. I promise."
"You better keep that promise." Mustard said.
"I always keep my promises. Look after Eri." Shuichi said.
Kurogiri stuck his hand into another portal of dark mist and pulled out a gift basket that he handed to Mustard.
"Entertain yourselves with that. You both look like you could use some food."
"… thanks." Mustard said.
"My pleasure."
Shuichi and Stain followed Kurogiri through a portal and… found themselves in a bar. A very nice bar although you couldn't say the same for the sole customer. A tall, lanky young man with grey hair and… a hand covering his face like a mask. The weirdo was keeping his hand on slime boy's new glass jar.
"Traitor." Shuichi said.
"Sorry, Spinner. Gotta look out for number one." Slime boy said.
"No honor among thieves. Sucks to be you." Face hand said.
Kurogiri stepped behind the bar table.
"I think his plan was to sell you out. Too bad we're not interested in buying. Would anyone like a drink?" Kurogiri said.
"Water." Stain said.
"I could have a beer." Shuichi said.
"My disciple will have water too." Stain said.
Face hand laughed.
"Disciple? What are you a cult leader?"
"Tomura. Remember what we talked about." Kurogiri said sounding like an over-patient mother.
"Tch. Fine. Wouldn't want to hurt stumpy's feelings." Tomura said.
Shuichi drank his water unhappily while trying to kill slime boy with an angry look.
"Why didn't you go to Overhaul?"
"He wouldn't take me back after that. Decided to try my luck with the League." Slime boy said.
Tomura patted the jar.
"Welcome to the winning team."
"I don't have time for this. Where's your leader?"
Tomura bared his teeth behind his mask.
"I am the leader."
"You?" Stain said and smirked: "So, you're the fool who staged that ridiculous attack in U.A."
"They had All-Might…" Tomura said.
"And a brat with weak ideals could never beat All-Might." Stain said.
Tomura's eyes narrowed and he got up. Stain drew his sword. Shuichi did the dumbest thing of his life and got between them.
"Guys… we're parlaying here. You don't fight in a parlay. Like… hasn't anyone here played D&D?" Shuichi said.
Tomura… stopped? And looked at Shuichi with new eyes.
"I've never had anyone to play it with." Tomura said.
"That's why I tell you to be more social." Kurogiri said and nodded to Shuichi: "Thank you."
"… my pleasure."
"Aren't you too old for games?" Slime boy said.
Kurogiri picked up slime boy's jar.
"I think it is time for you to go to your room." Kurogiri said and whisked slime boy away.
Stain put his sword away.
"Say your piece… leader, so we can leave."
"I think we got off on the wrong foot. Maybe we should start by proving out goodwill." Kurogiri said and picked up a phone: "Doctor? Are you busy? Yes. He's here and… yes. Bring it with you. Thank you. I'll open a portal to you now."
A new portal opened and a short, portly man with a shaved head, thick glasses and even thicker mustache stepped in. He looked like every child's favorite grandfather. Except for the eyes. The eyes gave him away. They were hard as stone and cold as a corpse. He was carrying a heavy looking suitcase with him. The doctor nodded to them as a greeting.
"Tomura. Kurogiri. Stain… and…?"
"Shu… Spinner." Shuichi said.
"My pleasure." The doctor said and lifted the suitcase on the bar table with a heavy oomph: "I have something here that might interest you, Stain."
The doctor opened the suitcase. Inside it was a mechanical arm. It looked sleek and strong.
"What is that?" Stain said.
"Your new arm. Once I connect the nerves it can do anything your flesh and bone one could. Just better." The doctor said.
"Connect the nerves? That technology was lost." Shuichi said.
The doctor looked at him surprised.
"How do you know that?"
"I… watch Project: Indestructible." Shuichi said.
"Me too." Tomura admitted.
"Project… Indestructible?" The doctor said.
"You're cooped in your laboratory too much, doctor. It's a web series. They even made it to the finals in the U.A tournament. If you're a fan, Mr. Shuichi, I have good news. Team Indestructible is coming to Hosu." Kurogiri said.
"I see. But the technology wasn't lost. Thanks to Sensei." The doctor said.
"Who's this Sensei?" Stain said.
"None of your business." Tomura said.
Stain looked at the mechanical arm and then at his stump.
"I'll take it. On one condition. I won't be put under during the operation." Stain said.
The doctor's eyes widened and even Tomura looked shocked.
"Are you mad? The pain…" The doctor said.
"Doesn't scare me. Let's do this. Spinner will keep watch." Stain said.
"If that's how he wants it, that's how he gets it." Kurogiri said.
"I… don't think this is a good idea." Shuichi said.
"If I want your opinion, I'll ask for it." Stain said.
"Don't talk to him like that." Tomura said.
"Children should learn when to keep their mouths shut." Stain said.
"Tomura." Kurogiri said calmly.
Tomura backed off reluctantly.
Another portal took them to what looked like a cutting-edge hospital. The doctor tied Stain down for the operation.
"You sure about this?" The doctor said.
Hell no, Shuichi thought.
"Do it." Stain said.
The doctor did, and Shuichi was forced to watch. Whenever he tried to avert his gaze, Stain would glare at him. He was brought there to watch and watch he would. The following hour was the longest of his life. Stain never made a sound. He grinded his teeth but he never let out a peep. Sometimes Shuichi and the doctor had to share looks just to make sure they were really seeing this. Stain's whole body convulsed when the doctor connected the nerves one at a time to the new arm, but he never screamed. There weren't even tears in his eyes.
When the operation was over, Shuichi and the doctor looked worse than Stain.
"Try… try moving your fingers." The doctor said.
Stain did. Then he picked up one of the scalpels and crushed it in his new hand like it was plastic.
"Good." Stain said.
"I… I'm happy you're pleased with it." The doctor said.
Kurogiri took them back to the bar and the doctor ordered himself a drink. Shuichi could have drunk the bar dry just to forget what he'd seen. Tomura and Kurogiri looked at Stain's new arm fascinated.
"You had a proposition for me." Stain said.
"Yes. We'd like you and your disciple to join us…" Kurogiri said.
"Not interested. Take us back to Hosu." Stain said.
Tomura got up.
"Look, you…"
"We don't involve with fools with no ideals. As a thank you for my new weapon, I'll let you live. Don't test me on this." Stain said.
"Tomura. If he doesn't want to join us, we won't force him. He's obviously a lone wolf." Kurogiri said and turned to the doctor: "Doctor. Give Mr. Shuichi your card."
The doctor did, and Shuichi took it. The card only had a phone number on it.
Kurogiri's portal took them back to the hideout. Mustard and Eri had fallen asleep on the mattress while watching Shuichi's iPad. But not before eating the gift basket empty. Shuichi didn't care. After Stain's operation, he wasn't in the mood to eat. Ever again.
"You like Project: Indestructible?" Stain said while studying his new arm.
"Yeah." Shuichi said.
"I like Indestructible. He has the makings of a hero. But the Hatsume girl… she's evil. She'll corrupt him. We need to stop her before that happens." Stain said and smiled: "And now they're coming to Hosu. This is destiny. We'll kill her here."
All For One turned on his phone with a voice command and put it on loudspeaker.
"So, Kurogiri. How did it go?" All For One said.
"Not as well as we would have liked. He took the hand and left. I think he also threatened to kill us if we met again. The young man Shuichi had promise, though." Kurogiri said.
"He was insane." The doctor said in the background.
"Yes. He did seem like the type. Tomura? You alright there? You're awfully quiet." All For One said.
"He called me a fool. And a brat!" Tomura said.
"Really? What are you going to do about it?" All For One said.
"How many Noumus do we have?" Tomura said.
"Good question. Doctor?"
"Six are functional. The rest are… defective." The doctor said.
All For One leaned back in his chair and pondered. Stain was too crazy to be a useful soldier but if people thought that he was part of the League… who knew? Maybe it would reinvigorate interest in them. Nothing bought publicity like chaos.
"Sensei?" Tomura said.
"You can have three." All For One said.
"Yes! Thank you, Sensei." Tomura said.
Through his phone All For One could hear Tomura rushing out of the bar.
"Are you sure that was wise, master?" Kurogiri said.
"Let him make mistakes. You always learn the most from mistakes. We'll be here to clean up after him. Also, I'm curious about Izuku Midoriya." All For One said.
"Midoriya?" The doctor said.
"The other half of Team… Wait? You know him?" All For One said.
"I was his family doctor. I diagnosed him Quirkless myself. He was… friends with my… grandson."
"Interesting. Bet you never thought he'd make it to Heroics. And with All-Might's recommendation of all things. Isn't that something? All-Might taking a Quirkless kid under his wing." All For One said.
All For One rubbed his jaw. One of the few spots left in him not covered in scars after his fight with Toshinori.
"How is your grandson?" All For One said.
"He's... stable." The doctor said.
"Good. Include him in the mission. I'm sure he'd love to meet his old friend." All For One said.
