Izuku woke up early but Todoroki had already tidied his bed and left for his morning run. Izuku wished Todoroki had woke him so they could have gone together. Izuku ran into Todoroki in the hallway when he stepped out of the shower. Todoroki's siblings were in the kitchen making breakfast when they stepped down.

"Morning. Sleep well?" Todoroki's sister said.

"… yeah. Thank you." Izuku said.

Todoroki's brother gave them a vulgar grin.

"Shouto didn't keep you up all night?"

"Piss off, Natsuo." Todoroki said while sitting down.

Mei was the last to join them and she looked… shell-shocked.

"… Mei?" Izuku said.

"Seito is dead. They… they just found his body." Mei said.

"Who?" Todoroki's brother said.

"Seito Kawada. He wrote the article… about All-Might." Todoroki's sister said.

"Oh. Good riddance then." Todoroki's brother said.

"He was my dad's friend." Mei said.

Todoroki's sister gave her younger brother a stern look. Izuku got up and tried to figure out what he was supposed to do. Hug her? Pat her on the shoulder? Before he could make up his mind Mei sat down.

"What happened?" Todoroki said.

"Stain." Mei said.

Izuku shuddered. He'd heard what Stain did to his victims… before he killed them.

"… are you alright?" Izuku said.

"Been better." Mei said.

"Maybe… maybe I should talk to… dad. Maybe Hosu is a bad idea." Todoroki's sister said.

There it was again. That strange feeling. Whenever Endeavor's children mentioned their father the room felt… colder.

"No. I want to be there when they catch him." Mei said.

"They will." Todoroki said.

No one in the table missed the way Mei looked at Todoroki.

"Yeah. Assholes always get caught."

They ate in silence. Todoroki's sister was the first to leave for work and Todoroki's brother left soon after her for college. It didn't take long for Endeavor's agency's car to come pick them up and they headed to Hosu.

Izuku didn't want to admit it but when Mei had told them that Seito Kawada was dead… for a moment… the briefest moment… he'd been glad. Kawada had humiliated All-Might. Dying served him right. For a moment he'd forgotten that behind the article had been a human being. A human being who had died alone and scared with only his killer for company. All-Might wouldn't have felt like that. All-Might would have never forgotten that Kawada was a human first and foremost.

Endeavor was waiting for them at his office's branch in Hosu.

"Why the long faces? Isn't the number two hero good enough for you?" Endeavor said.

"Seito Kawada is dead." Todoroki said.

Endeavor was silent for a moment before his face turned into an emotionless mask.

"I see."

They spent the rest of the day getting lectured on proper field safety and how interns should always listen to the pro they were patrolling with. Endless scenarios were run through on what they should do in case of an emergency and how they should only use their Quirks when the pro authorized it. Izuku wondered what kind of legislation the Indestructible armor would spark. It wasn't a Quirk but just as dangerous.

When the clock hit five PM they were finally done. Izuku felt physically and emotionally drained. No one should have to listen such dull lectures hours to an end.

"Finally, am I right?" Endeavor said and grinned: "Who's ready to go out on the field?"

"Still?" Mei said.

"That lecture was just an empty formality we had to get out of the way. It's all real hero work from here on out. And it's in the evening when the villains come out. You'll get the mornings off from here on out and join me for evening patrols for the rest of the week." Endeavor said.

Mei set herself up in the Hosu branch office, so she could monitor the armor at a distance. Izuku put on the armor but he didn't feel Indestructible. All the other times it had made him feel like… a hero but now… all he could think about was Kawada. Even when his face was hidden by the helmet, Endeavor could sense his mood.

"Too bad this started on such downer note but Kawada wasn't a great guy. He had a way of… twisting the truth. When he wasn't just lying." Endeavor said when they headed out.

Sagan growled.

"He was grandpa's friend!" Sagan said loud enough for Endeavor and Todoroki to hear her.

Endeavor and Todoroki stopped to stare at him.

"What was that?" Todoroki said.

"… oh her? Say hi, Sagan." Izuku said.

"Hi, Sagan." Sagan said.

"… smartass." Izuku muttered.

"What is it?" Todoroki said.

"… she. Not it. She's the A.I that helps me run the armor and come up with battle strategies." Izuku said.

"That last part could use some work." Endeavor said.

"Or dad could start following instructions. If he had gone for your knees like I told him, he would've won." Sagan said.

"Really?" Endeavor said and laughed: "Sounds like the armor does all the work. What's there left for you to do?"

"He made it to the finals without the armor. Would you have been able to do that without your Quirk?" Todoroki said.

What the hell was going on? The barb in Todoroki's words was just a bit too venomous. Did he really blame his father that much for… what his mother had done? Izuku tried to change the subject as fast as he could. He didn't want to be the reason for Endeavor and Todoroki to have an argument.

"… do… do you still go patrolling often, sir?" Izuku said.

Endeavor seemed grateful for a chance to drop the matter.

"I wouldn't be much of a hero if I didn't. Even when you run an agency you need to have a feel for the streets." Endeavor said.

"Endeavor!"

When someone called his name, Endeavor turned quickly and Todoroki… flinched. And he didn't just flinch. Todoroki tensed up. Almost like… he'd been steeling himself for a… hit?

Everyone makes mistakes.

Power is the ultimate test of man. Endeavor failed his.

Dad… sues a lot people.

I actually bought the man's house, so he could cover his legal bills. I was thinking about renovating it, but Endeavor advised me to tear it down.

Stop. You won. He's not family.

When Todoroki had visited him in the hospital… there had been bruise on his face. Even though Izuku had never hit him in the face.

If Izuku hadn't been wearing his helmet, Endeavor and Todoroki could have seen his world crumble. His whole body was shaking and despite how much he was sweating he was shivering. He turned slowly to see who was calling for Endeavor and saw the hero Manual. With Iida.

Endeavor walked to meet Manual and they shook hands.

"Any luck?" Endeavor said.

"Been a quiet day. This is my intern. Tenya Iida."

Endeavor shook Iida's hand too. Izuku felt like slapping his hand away.

"Sorry to hear what happened to your brother. He was a fine hero." Endeavor said.

"Thank you, sir." Iida said.

Endeavor introduced them but Izuku barely heard a word he said. He could only mumble a greeting when Manual shook his hand.

"We were just finishing our patrol. Looks like you just started yours." Manual said.

They left Endeavor and Manual talk in peace while Todoroki talked with Iida. Iida sounded so tired. Like he hadn't slept in days. Izuku just nodded in agreement to everything they said to fool them into thinking he was part of the conversation. There had to be a mistake. Something he'd missed. There had to be an explanation! Endeavor was a hero. The number two hero in Japan! He wouldn't… he couldn't…

Izuku dropped his voice so he couldn't be heard through the helmet.

"… Sagan?"

"Yes, dad?" Sagan said.

"… can you do a quick search on Endeavor? Anything related to his family and lawsuits."

Sagan did hours of research in seconds. Hundreds of hits appeared on the helmet's screen. Too much for him to read now.

"… give me the highlights on the lawsuits." Izuku whispered.

"The most famous one is grandpa's. The rest are about excessive force, pissed off ex-employees and threats towards reporters." Sagan said.

"… okay. And his family?"

"His wife is in a psychiatric ward. They have four children." Sagan said.

"… four?"

"Yes. Fuyumi, Toya, Natsuo and Shouto."

"… Toya? Never heard of him." Izuku said.

"He's a ghost. No mentions of him anywhere after he was expelled from U.A."

"… I see."

"Midoriya?" Todoroki said.

"… huh?"

"I said we're going. You alright?" Todoroki said.

"I… yeah."

They waved Manual and Iida goodbye before continuing their patrol. It was a quiet evening. After Stain had claimed Hosu as his territory, heroes and villains alike were afraid to come out. When the clock hit eleven, they returned to the office to pick up Mei and took the car back to the Todorokis'. Todoroki's older siblings were still up waiting for them with food.

"So? How did it go?" Todoroki's sister said.

"We didn't have much to do." Todoroki said.

"I was expecting there to be more punching." Mei said while sounding listless.

"Dad… isn't the kind of guy you start a fight with." Todoroki's brother said.

"I know." Mei said.

"… where's Toya?" Izuku said.

The table fell quiet. The bad kind of quiet. The last thing he wanted was to hear this silence. Endeavor's children were supposed to tell him that all the bad rumors were just that. Rumors. Despite his flaws Endeavor was a good man. And Toya just appreciated his privacy.

"How…" Todoroki's brother said.

"He moved out." Todoroki said.

"Yeah. You shouldn't mention him to dad. They… haven't really been talking since he was expelled." Todoroki's sister said.

Mei had forgotten about Kawada for a moment and looked at everyone in the table suspiciously. After a very awkward, silent dinner Izuku followed Mei to her room and helped her hook up the armor to her computer for schematics.

"… Mei?" Izuku said after a while.

"Yeah?"

Mei's phone started ringing. She looked who was calling and sighed.

"Not a word about Endeavor." Mei said and put the call on loudspeaker: "Hi, dad."

"Hi, Mei. How was your first day?" Blacksmith said.

"It was great. We learned a lot." Mei said.

"That's great. Hey, can you tell me why I saw Izuku on TV? With Endeavor? In Hosu?!"

"Aw, shit." Mei said.

"What the hell where you thinking?! You goddamn idiot! And you Midoriya! Yeah! I know you're there! I thought you at least would know better!" Blacksmith roared.

"That bastard killed Seito! Someone has to…!" Mei said.

"Seito wouldn't want you to die because of him!" Blacksmith yelled back.

"… does Endeavor beat his kids?" Izuku said.

Izuku muted the room with a single question.

"… what?" Mei and Blacksmith said.

"… I said…"

"I heard what you said. What… what did you see?" Blacksmith said.

Blacksmith. A former pro hero who'd stood his ground with yakuza sounded… scared.

"… he does. Doesn't he?" Izuku said.

Mei turned pale and Blacksmith fell quiet. The silence spoke volumes and told Izuku everything he didn't want to know.

"… we… we need to tell someone. We…" Izuku said.

"Why isn't Shouto telling us this?" Blacksmith said.

"… what?"

"Why isn't Shouto telling us this? Believe me. That will be the first thing Endeavor's lawyer will be asking you in court. And by then it won't matter. Endeavor will already have ruined your reputation." Blacksmith said.

"… dad?" Mei said.

"Shut up, Mei. This is what you idiots will do. You'll finish your internship and you'll play nice. All the way through. Understood, Mei? Don't piss Endeavor off and don't sign anything he puts in front of you." Blacksmith said.

"… but… but he beats his kids! We… I can't just let him get away with it!" Izuku said.

"People like Endeavor get away with it all the time! He has more money than you do. You can't…" Blacksmith said.

"Maybe he got away with it is because you gave up." Mei said and hung up.

When Blacksmith tried to call back, Mei blocked him. Mei was quiet. Too quiet and lost in thought.

"… Mei?"

"Izuku… could you… leave me alone? I… I need to think." Mei said.

"… okay."

Hot sweat ran down his back and his feet were ready to give out under him when he stepped into the hallway. Where Todoroki was waiting for him. His arms were crossed, and his good eye was smoldering.

"I don't know what she told you, but…" Todoroki said.

"… she didn't need to. Todo… Shouto… look… I…"

"Come." Shouto said.

Izuku didn't know what else to do and followed him to a training room. Shouto kicked off his shoes before entering and Izuku followed suit. Shouto locked the door behind them and started doing warm ups. Izuku just stood there too scared to move.

"Your form needs polishing. Let me help you with that." Shouto said after he was done with the warm ups.

"… are you going to beat me up? So, I won't… tell anyone?" Izuku said.

"Midoriya." Shouto growled.

This reminded him of the antagonism between them during the tournament. But now there was something… even worse mixed in with Shouto's anger.

"… Shouto… I'm your friend. Not your enemy. Please. Let me help you." Izuku said.

Shouto grabbed his shirt and Izuku saw a flash of Bakugou. He was angry. Way beyond angry and needed someone to vent it on.

"Help me with what? What do you think you can do? Huh? What?!"

"… I… I can listen…"

"How does that help?!"

Shouto clenched his fist and Izuku closed his eyes, steeling himself for a punch. A punch that never came. When he dared to open his eyes, Shouto looked lost… and horrified by what he had almost done. Shouto let go of him.

"I… I'm sorry. I didn't mean to… I have to go." Shouto said.

The world seemed to slow down as he watched Shouto go. What was he supposed to do? What?! Nothing in U.A had prepared him for this. All he could do was follow his instincts.

"Wait!" Izuku said and grabbed Shouto's hand.

Shouto tried to shake himself free but all strength had left his limbs.

"Let go." He said weakly.

Izuku did.

"… Shouto. Please. Talk to me." Izuku said and turned on the puppy dog eyes.

Recovery Girl and Hisashi had been powerless before his puppy dog eyes. Shouto didn't fare any better. Izuku was scared but his fear had made him stay quiet about Bakugou until the secret had grown big enough to hurt Eijirou. He wouldn't screw up like that again.

Shouto bowed his head.

"Have you heard of… Quirk marriages?" Shouto said.

Izuku listened in mounting horror as Shouto told him of the things Endeavor had done to create a hero who could surpass All-Might. How Endeavor had married Shouto's mother to produce children with both of their Quirks. And after every failure the child was cast aside, and he would try again. All of it had grinded Shouto's mother down until she couldn't take it anymore and… Shouto would be carrying the mark for the rest of his life.

They sat quiet for a long time unable to look each other in the eyes.

"Midoriya… Izuku. Thank you for listening." Shouto said.

"… you're welcome, Shouto." Izuku said.

Izuku didn't sleep much that night and when he met Endeavor the next evening, he hid behind his helmet.


Rappa of Shi Hassaikai walked around Hosu looking for Eri. Or to make sure that no one else would find her. Overhole had been foaming from the mouth ever since she had gone missing and he was certain that Spinner and Mustard had been Stain's spies from get go. If that were the case, Mustard had to be the greatest method actor in human history. He'd played the role of a spineless coward to a perfection. He was lucky to have Spinner. At least he had some brain and backbone.

What did Overhole expect him to do? Walk around until Stain showed up? Loss of an arm made sure he'd be hiding in his hole for a long time. Few people got their nerves back after losing a limb. This was a waste of…

There was an explosion that almost knocked Rappa off his feet.

Creatures… monsters appeared in the streets of Hosu. Three of them. One was a pale, winged gargoyle. The second a spindly thing with too many eyes. The third was the worst of the lot. A behemoth with no eyes but even then, he could feel it glaring at him.

Like everyone else, the sight of the monsters made Rappa freeze. Him. One of the fighters of Shi Hassaikai who'd fought Overhole more times than anyone. He was frozen by fear. Then the eyeless beast let out a howl and the spell broke. People screamed and started running away from the monsters. Only Rappa stood his ground.

That thing… had made him… scared! It would die for that.

The eyeless beast felt his intent and ignored all the civilians and came at him. Rappa walked to meet it. He activated his Quirk Strong Shoulder and threw a flurry of punches. His fists could send cars flying and turn people into red mist.

The eyeless monster didn't even flinch and threw itself on Rappa.

Sharp teeth dug into his shoulder and tore out a chunk of him. Rappa screamed and tried to knock the thing off him but without any ground under his feet his punches were powerless. The monster ate a part of his shoulder and then prepared to tear off his face.

Hellfire made the thing scream in pain.

The creature fled and Rappa saw someone approach him and offer him his hand. Even when he was delirious from the pain, Rappa recognized the number two hero in Japan.

"Can you stand?" Endeavor said.

Rappa nodded and let Endeavor pull him on his feet.

"Follow the others to safety. We'll take care of this." Endeavor said.

The monster had fled to the roofs and Endeavor followed it by burning himself foothold in the walls. Rappa ran away with the others. Hosu had turned into a scene from hell.


Tomura stood on the roof of the tallest building in Hosu and couldn't suppress a giggle when he saw the city burn.

"Are you happy now?" Kurogiri said.

"Yes! After tonight no one is going to remember that noseless bastard."

"Are you sure?" Kurogiri said.

Tomura looked at him annoyed.

"What do you mean?" Tomura said.

"What is the purpose of all this?"

"To mess up Stain. To show people he ain't anything special." Tomura said.

"So, you're throwing a tantrum? Random violence happens every day." Kurogiri said.

Tomura scratched his neck.

"Well, if you know everything, what should I be doing?"

"You have to figure that out yourself. Call me when you've had your fun." Kurogiri said and stepped through one of his portals.

Tomura sat down and had another look at the burning city. The chaos had lost its appeal. What did Stain have that he didn't? Why were all eyes on Stain instead of him? What did Project: Indestructible have? Why did they get all the attention? Why?!


Shuichi and Mustard were still reeling from Stain's training. Stain had ditched real swords for wooden ones but with his new mechanical arm even a piece of wood was a deadly weapon. Shuichi had made sure he took the worst of Stain's methods, but he feared some of his ribs were broken despite his scales and he wasn't sure if his enhanced healing could mend them in time for the next training session.

Bruised and miserable he and Mustard started preparing lunch for Eri. The girl was closed off and jumping at shadows, but the worst was how she wasn't scared of Stain. What the hell had Overhaul done to her to make Stain look normal?

"Eri?" Shuichi said.

Eri looked up from the iPad.

"… yeah?"

"It's… about Overhaul. What was he doing?"

Every time Overhaul was mentioned Eri flinched and Shuichi hated himself for probing at the matter.

"You don't have to tell us if you don't want to." Shuichi said.

Eri shook her head.

"… I was helping him… so mommy would come back." Eri said.

Mustard stopped dicing the vegetables.

"Why did she leave?" Mustard said.

"… I killed daddy." Eri said.

Shuichi and Mustard forgot about the food and shared a look.

"What?" Mustard said.

"… he said she'd come back if I was a good girl and proved… I wasn't a monster." Eri said.

Shuichi put down the kitchen knife and knelled in front of Eri.

"You're not a monster, Eri." Shuichi said.

"… but Mr. Chisaki said…"

"Overhaul is full of s… baloney." Shuichi said.

Eri giggled and turned back to the iPad. Shuichi continued cooking. Mustard leaned closer to him.

"Have you noticed that her horn is growing?" Mustard whispered.

"Yeah." Shuichi said.

Eri couldn't be separated from the iPad even when they were eating, and Shuichi finally understood why his caretakers had been so cross with him for playing with his phone in the dinner table. When they were washing the dishes, Stain entered. He was… way too excited.

"Spinner! Mustard! It's time!" Stain said.

"Time for what?" Shuichi said fearing the worst.

"The Hatsume girl is here and it's chaos out there. It's time you showed what you're made of." Stain said.

"I think… Mustard should stay here to look after Eri." Shuichi said.

"She'll be fine as long as she doesn't leave this place. Won't you, girl?" Stain said.

"… yes, Mr. Stain." Eri said.

"Good girl." Stain said.

Shuichi and Mustard followed Stain reluctantly. Stain hadn't been kidding. Hosu had turned into a warzone. Buildings were on fire and people were screaming in the night. He could hear beast bellow just out of sight. Shuichi and Mustard looked around horrified.

"What… what the hell is going on?" Shuichi said.

"It's the fool Tomura. After we've saved Indestructible, we'll make him pay." Stain said.

"… are we really doing this?" Mustard said.

Stain laughed his mad laugh.

"Don't worry. I'll distract Indestructible. You'll just have to kill Hatsume." Stain said.

Stain led them through the chaos to Endeavor's Hosu branch office.

"Make me proud, my disciples." Stain said before disappearing.


Endeavor told them to take a small breather from patrolling. Izuku simply nodded in response and waited until Endeavor was gone before taking off his helmet. If Endeavor saw his face, maybe he could figure out that Izuku knew everything. How was Shouto able to be so calm around his father? Every time Endeavor spoke chills ran down Izuku's spine.

"Izuku. Relax." Shouto said and threw him a towel.

"… thanks." Izuku said.

Izuku wiped the sweat off his face. The cooling system in the armor needed work. Shouto was playing with his phone. Izuku couldn't quite name it but… he felt a bond with Shouto now. And not just with Shouto but with his family too. A bond that came from sharing a terrible secret. Maybe that was the key to make them reveal the truth about Endeavor. Despite how much his children feared him, Endeavor was still just a man.

"Tsu is in the news." Shouto said.

"What?! Did… did something happen to her?" Izuku said.

"She helped take out this Cthulhu looking motherfucker with Selkie." Shouto said and showed Izuku a picture on his phone: "Or she took him down while Selkie was nearby. There are talks about giving her a medal."

Izuku laughed.

"… maybe I picked the wrong agency."

An explosion turned the night into day. He heard a howl that he had tried to forget. The black monster that had attacked U.A, Noumu, had screamed like that. The sound was animalistic but beneath it all was something terribly human.

Then he saw them.

There were three of them this time. They looked different then the behemoth that had faced All-Might, but they were Noumus. The same inhuman aura surrounded them. Suddenly Endeavor was standing between them and the Noumus. Izuku pulled his helmet back on quickly before Endeavor could spot the disgust on his face.

"Both of you. Go back to pick up Hatsume and get the hell out of here." Endeavor said without taking his eyes off the monsters.

"But…" Shouto said.

Endeavor growled and Shouto fell back in line immediately. Other heroes appeared from alleyways and formed a line of defense between the Noumus and the rest of the city. Izuku and Shouto started running. He was careful to slow his pace so Shouto wasn't left behind.

He got a call on the helmet's intercom.

"Izuku!" Mei yelled.

"Mei? Are you alright?" Izuku said while running.

"Some guys are trying to break in here!"

Izuku's blood turned cold.

"Hold on! We're on our way! It will…!"

"Help! Somebody! Please help!"

Despite the heroes' best efforts, the violence had spread to the rest of Hosu. A woman was screaming in front of a burning building. And you could hear a child crying through the top floor's window. Izuku's mind blanked. What… what was he supposed to do? He couldn't leave a child to die but if he didn't hurry, Mei would… she would…

Shouto smacked his helmet.

"Izuku. Go help Mei. I'll save the kid." Shouto said.

"… are you…?"

"Go! I've got this." Shouto said and rushed towards the crying woman: "Don't worry. We're here now. We'll…"

A howl cut through the chaos. A heavy shadow fell over them. A Noumu shaped like a pale gargoyle floated above them and every blow from its wings send out a gust of strong wind. Both mother and child let out a scream. Shouto threw ice at it on pure instinct but the Noumu dodged it almost contemptuously and… gave a mighty flap with its wings.

The rush of wind knocked Shouto and the woman off their feet. Only all the armor's extra weight allowed Izuku to hold his ground and then…he knew what to do.

"Shouto! Save the child! I'll distract the Noumu. Then go save Mei!" Indestructible said.

Shouto didn't waste time with questions and just got to it, trusting Indestructible to know what he was doing. Unlike Shouto, Indestructible could outrun the Noumu. He just had to keep it busy until Shouto had evacuated the civilians. Mei would have to hold on just a bit longer. Just a bit. Indestructible prayed that wasn't too long.

The Noumu attacked.

Sagan did a series of calculations and pointed out where the Noumu was vulnerable and where he should strike first. A sweeping kick in the knee would have taken an ordinary man's leg off but the Noumu barely stumbled. Next Indestructible kneed it in the crotch only to find that it didn't have any genitals despite wearing pants.

The Noumu grabbed him and flew off. It fought like an animal relying purely on its instincts, so he would have to turn that against it. Indestructible managed to squeeze his arm free and grab the Noumu's face.

"Shock!"

Getting electrocuted didn't hurt the monster as much as Indestructible had hoped but the sudden flash of light blinded it temporarily. The Noumu dropped him and Indestructible managed to land on the burning buildings roof. From there he could see Shouto taking the mother and her child to safety. Now, all he had to do was…

A momentary distraction gave the Noumu an opening and it lunged at Indestructible They went straight through the roof and crashed into a burning room. The armor warned him about the heat and toxic fumes, but they were still well within the armors ability to handle. This was a stroke of luck. Judging from the Noumu's bellows it wasn't fireproof like him.

Could… could he actually beat the monster? Like All-Might? Could he be like All-Might?

The Noumu looked at him. Then it spoke.

"Ii… zuu… kuuh… pain… hurts…"

"… what?" Indestructible gasped.


"Fuck! Fucking fuck!" Mei screamed when the pounding on the door intensified.

Someone was very desperate to get in and they would come in even if they had to smash their way through all the crap she'd dragged in front of the door. Where the hell was Izuku?! Mei looked out the window, but she didn't see the green armor rushing in to bail her out. Had something happened to him after their call ended? Was Izuku… alright?

Guess she had to keep herself safe until Izuku made it here. She picked up the stun gun and played the waiting game. When the door finally broke… she saw the two Shi Hassaikai morons. Scaly and… Ketchup?

"Alright, Hatsume. We…" Scaly said.

Mei shot Ketchup first. Ketchup went down with a single hit. When he hit the ground and started convulsing, Mei smiled. Then it was Scaly's turn. Scaly took a hit but it only slowed him down.

Go down, you bastard! Why won't you go down, Mei thought desperately.

The next bolt tag made his knees buckle but it didn't drop him. One more shot might have done the trick, but she was out of bolt tags.

Scaly yanked the stun gun out her hands and crushed it in his grip. Mei backed away until she hit her work table. Without taking her eyes off Scaly she felt the table out for weapons and found a screwdriver. Hot sweat was running down her face. She wasn't going to die here! There was so much to do! She didn't want to die!

"Hatsume…" Scaly said.

Mei tried stabbing him. Scaly's hide was too tough for her to pierce it with a screwdriver.

"Ow! Motherfucker!" Scaly screamed and grabbed her.

"Izuku! Dad! Sagan! Help!" Mei screamed.

Scaly looked around.

"Sagan? Who's Sagan? Is there someone else in here?" Scaly said.

Ketchup had managed to sit up.

"It's some… girl… who lives in a… computer." Ketchup said.

Mei blinked. How did the little bastard reeking of piss know that? She hadn't mentioned Sagan yet in Project: Indestructible. Then the realization hit her like lightning.

"You son of a bitch! It was you! You're the one who busted the armor! You gave Sagan brain damage!"

Ketchup reeled away when Mei tried to throw herself at him and Scaly had to hold her at bay. Mei tried to reach Ketchup with kicks but the bastard was just out of reach.

"Yeah, yeah. He's guilty as charged. Now, both of you. Hush." Scaly said.

Scaly pushed her away from Ketchup and stood between them.

"Stain sent us to kill you." Scaly said.

Shivers ran down Mei's spine.

"… Stain?"

"Yeah. Long stupid story. Normally we'd just make a run for it but… now we have a kid to worry about."

"Ketchup is pregnant?" Mei said.

"What?! No, I'm not! And my name is Mustard!" Ketchup yelled.

"Hush, Ketchup. Now, I don't want to kill you, but I also don't want Stain to kill me because I didn't kill you." Scaly said.

"Why… would Stain want to kill me?" Mei said.

"He thinks you are kind of a bitch." Scaly said.

"Truth hurts, doesn't it?" Ketchup said.

"Luckily, I have a plan were no one has to die." Scaly said.

"Really?" Ketchup said.

"Yeah. You're not going to like it." Scaly said and slapped Ketchup.

Ketchup yelped and held his bleeding nose.

"What the shit, Shuichi?!" Ketchup said while crying.

Scaly didn't listen and started punching himself in the face. Hard. He kept doing it until he spat out a tooth.

"We ran into a hero and had to make a run for it. After putting up a fight of course. Was nice seeing you, Hatsume. Huge fan of Project: Indestructible. Eri loves it too." Scaly said.

When Scaly and Ketchup tried to leave, Mei grabbed the hem of Scaly's leatherjacket.

"Is Eri the kid you're looking after?" Mei said.

"Yeah. And she's waiting for us to come home." Scaly said.

Scaly pulled himself free and helped Ketchup up. When she was sure they were gone, Mei fell down and took long, panicked breaths. After she had managed to calm herself down, she took out her phone. The tracker she'd planted on Scaly's jacket worked perfectly. Then she tried calling Izuku again. When there was no answer, she opened the 1-A group chat and posted her location there accompanied with two words.

Help. Stain.

Then she ran. Izuku would come. He was a survivor.


The Noumu looked at him. Then it spoke.

"Ii… zuu… kuuh… pain… hurts…"

"… what?" Indestructible gasped.

The Noumu rushed him and they went through a brick wall. Indestructible's panicked punched had no effect on it and the Noumu got a hold of his throat.

"Pain! Hurts! Iizuukuuh! Hurt you!"

The Noumu tied to bite him but the armor proved to be stronger than its teeth and they broke against the plating. The pain made it reel backwards and gave Indestructible enough room to punch it in the mouth.

"Dad! New plan!" Sagan said.

Sagan pointed the structural weaknesses in the building and Indestructible nodded. When the Noumu dropped him, Indestructible punched the ground. The flames had already weakened the structure and single punch from him was enough to make the floor crumble under the Noumu. It fell into the inferno.

Indestructible jumped out of the burning house. The armor was smoking and scratched but he was unharmed. He'd faced a monster and come out on top. Like All-Might! He'd beaten a monster like All-Might!

A monster that knew his name. How did it know his name? How did it know his goddamn name?! There was no time to think about that now. He had to get to Mei. He had to make sure she was alright.

The Noumu broke out of the house. Its pale skin was charred, and its leathery wings were ruined but madness had pushed it beyond pain.

"Iizuukuuh! Hurt! Your fault! Kill you!"

A dark figure jumped out of the shadows and plunged its sword into the Noumu's back. The beast howled in pain. One look at its attacker made it decide to flee and it ran into the night. Indestructible stared at his savior. A tall, sinewy man with a mask that hid his mutilated face.

"… Stain?" Indestructible said.

"You've heard of me." Stain said and sounded pleased.

All too much. Indestructible bared his teeth behind his helmet and made a judgement call. The Noumu was dying and wouldn't get far but Stain… if he brought the lunatic in, maybe Iida would get some closure. Indestructible pulled out his baton and extended it.

"You're under arrest." Indestructible said.

Stain pointed his sword at him.

"Am I? Then arrest me." Stain said.

They fought. Baton against sword. Indestructible knew that Stain would not be an easy opponent. He'd beaten Ingenium and dozens of others but… he was still just human. DNA analysis had revealed Stain to be Chizome Akaguro. He had a paralysis Quirk but no physical enhancements. Indestructible should have been able to crush him easily.

So, how was Stain able to match him blow for blow?

Sagan pointed out all the weak points in Stain's body but every time he tried to strike them, Stain's sword was there to block him. Fighting Stain reminded him of his spar matches with Momo and Ojiro. After a lifetime of practice Indestructible could have sworn they were superhuman, but Stain had pushed himself even further. That just meant he would have to tire him out. Even the world's finest martial artist was still just flesh and blood. Flesh and blood would fold before steel did.

Stain swung his sword down and Indestructible raised his baton to block it.

The sword cut through the baton and then through the armor. It was nothing more than a scratch but… Stain had still broken through his armor. What… what was going on?! This couldn't be happening!

Stain licked his sword and Indestructible fell over paralyzed.

When Stain grabbed his helmet, Indestructible saw the secret of his strength. Stain's right arm was not flesh and blood. Stain started to pull and tore off the helmet while Indestructible could only lie there helplessly. Stain looked him in the eyes and the look he gave him was… adoring.

"So, young and already a hero. Why can't there be more like you?" Stain said and ruffled his hair with his mechanical arm: "You can rest now. When that devil Hatsume is gone, you'll grow even more heroic."

"… what?" Indestructible managed.

Indestructible… Izuku's phone let him know there was a new message. Stain reached into the pouch on his waist and pulled out his phone. When Stain opened the message, he smiled.

"It seems… my disciples have failed. She's asking for your help. And she even sent her location." Stain said.

Stain dragged Izuku into an alleyway and left him there. Izuku fought against his paralyzed body.

Move! Why couldn't he move?! He had to move, or Mei would…! It couldn't end like this! Stain would not hurt anyone else! He had to move! Get a word to Mei!

Stain was coming!