Scaly and Ketchup had a head start to her, but Mei was gaining on them. If they got too far she would lose the signal and whatever kid they had would be trapped with them. And Stain. All she had to do was go alone until Izuku joined her. Indestructible would make short work of Scaly and Ketchup. And Stain.
Hosu was on fire and the night was full of monsters. Mei stuck to the small alleyways for cover and avoided the big streets. She would save the kid, but she wasn't going to die doing it. There was still so much to do. She had to save science. She had to make Izuku the next Symbol of Peace. And destroy Endeavor.
And… apologize to Endeavor's and Rei's children. They… weren't guilty of their parents' crimes. Endeavor and Rei were to blame.
Until then she would live.
Someone jumped off the roof and landed behind her. For a moment she let herself think it was Izuku. The she saw him. It.
"Hatsume." Stain said.
There were no clear pictures of Stain but there was no mistaking about him. A mask hid his mutilated face and his eyes… Stain had the eyes of a demon from Hell. Just one look in those eyes made everything seem so… pointless.
I'm going to die, Mei realized.
That thing was going to kill her. Just like it had killed Seito and countless others. She would never see Izuku become the Symbol of Peace. Science would be put down like wounded animal and savages like Endeavor and Bakugou would inherit the Earth.
Yeah. Fuck that, Mei thought.
She wasn't dead yet and Stain would have to try his damn hardest if he wanted to change that. She was Mei fucking Hatsume! The greatest wonder in the world! And she still had one weapon left.
When Stain came at her, Mei took out the stun grenade and threw it. Then she ran. Even when she covered her ears, the bang echoed in her skull and rocked her brain. The flash was so bright that she could taste it. She didn't even want to know what it felt like to have one go off in front of your face.
Any human would have been too stunned to even move.
Stain wasn't human.
A throwing knife struck her thigh. The surprise was worse than the pain and made her stumble. It was enough for Stain to close distance the between them. A strong hand grabbed her hair and slammed her against a wall. Stain pulled out the knife from her leg and… licked it. Someone robbed all her muscles. She couldn't move! Why couldn't she move?!
"… what… did you do… to me?"
Stain drew his sword. His eyes were bloodshot, and water ran down his cheeks after the stun grenade. Just keeping his eyes open had to be agony. Then she noticed his right hand. It was sculpted from black steel but moved like a real one. Where had he gotten something like that? Where?!
"The same thing I've done to all you sinners. You can die now." Stain said.
"Stain!"
There was a rush of wind when someone ran into the alleyway almost too quickly for the eyes to see and hit Stain like a freight train. Stain was thrown off his feet and slammed into a wall. Even then the bastard got up almost immediately. What did it take for the beast to die?!
Even with the hero outfit Mei recognized Iida. Of course! Iida was part of the group chat. If anyone would rush here because of Stain, it would be him! Goddamn she was smart! Her plans had layers even she didn't know of. God! It hurt to be this sharp! Now, all Iida had to do was grab her and run.
Why wasn't Iida grabbing her and running? Why?! Why did he only have eyes for Stain?! What the hell was he doing?! They were going to die!
Iida's voice was quivering with rage.
"Stain! I'm Tenya Iida! Brother of Ingenium! The hero you crippled!"
Stain smiled.
"Faker."
Iida was frozen completely still, and his voice became the crack of a whip.
"What?"
"He was no hero. That's why I crippled him." Stain said.
Iida fell quiet and then let out an inhuman roar. The engines in his legs revved up and he rushed at Stain with all his super speed. The attack was fast, ruthless and deadly.
And utterly predictable.
All Stain had to do was raise his sword at the right moment and Iida practically skewered himself. Iida fell on his knees grasping at his side. Stain licked the blood on his sword and Iida was left paralyzed like her. Stain tore off Iida's helmet. Iida was crying from rage and pain while he struggled against the paralysis.
"A boy?" Stain said and shook his head: "That won't save you."
"Kill you! I'll kill you! Because of you… because you… Because of you my brother can't be a hero anymore! He can't even walk! I'll kill you!" Iida screamed.
For a moment it looked like Iida would be able to force his way back up but then his body betrayed him. He was screaming and crying. Frothing at the mouth. Somehow it was more terrifying than Stain.
"Ingenium was no hero. Just another glory hound." Stain said.
"You think you know what a hero is?!" Iida yelled.
"Do you?" Stain said and pointed his sword at Mei: "Did you even notice she was here?"
Iida managed to turn his head … and Mei realized Iida hadn't even realized she had been here until now.
"A hero would have saved her. Unworthy as she may be. But you only tried to kill me. That faker Ingenium would have approved."
Iida couldn't think of anything to say and started just crying broken sobs. Stain looked at them.
"This is good. Two revenge obsessed fools. You can die together." Stain said and raised his sword.
"… wait." Mei said.
Stain's sword hovered in the air for a moment. Sadistic prick. He loved this moment too much to ruin it with haste. Just another thrill killer that got off on his own self-righteousness.
"Why?" Stain said.
"Your hand… I want to see it." Mei said.
Stain looked at his mechanical hand. It was a miracle that he had tainted by using it as a weapon. She hoped he would burn in science hell.
"… I'm an… engineer. Please. That… it is all I've ever wanted to build."
Stain knelled next to her and let her have a good look at it. The hand was beautiful. A work of art. It was connected to his flesh and blood stump and worked just like the real thing.
"… where did you… get it?" Mei said.
"That's for me to know." Stain said.
"… who'll… fix it… if it gets busted?" Mei said.
Stain laughed.
"Could you do it? Are you begging for your life?"
"… no. Buying… time." Mei said.
Pillars of ice hit Stain and drove him away. Shouto ran into the alleyway and made a quick assessment of the situation. Less than a day ago she would have rather died than accept help from a Todoroki but that was before she'd learned a harsh truth. Shouto wasn't her enemy but her brother in pain caused by Endeavor. It would take some time to get used to the idea.
"Sorry I'm late but I'm here now. Stain, you're under arrest." Shouto said.
Stain just laughed.
"Am I? Indestructible said the same thing." Stain said.
A chill ran down Mei's spine.
"Izuku?! What… what did you do to him?!"
Stain pulled out Izuku's phone. The All-Might sticker was impossible to mistake.
"I judged him."
Iida stopped crying or maybe Mei just couldn't hear him anymore. End of the world had to feel like this. You were just… helpless. Alone. The air froze around Shouto and hail began to fall. Stain's grin was wide enough to split his cheeks when he saw the look on Shouto's face.
"Yes! That's what I thought! You're no hero, son of Endeavor! Just a brute! Come! Kill me if you can!"
Even with his obvious anger Shouto could think strategically. His flames would have made a short work of Stain, but they would have also fried her and Iida. Mei was far beyond caring at that point. Stain had killed Seito and her best friend. She would die if she could take Stain with her. The fury on Iida's face told her he was thinking of the same thing.
Shouto tried to trap Stain with ice but Stain moved unlike anyone Mei had ever seen. Only Eraserhead came close but even he wouldn't have been able to keep up with Stain. The worst part was that he wasn't even trying. Stain was toying with Shouto. He wanted to keep the game going. Ending things too soon would have ruined the fun.
But it would end soon.
Shouto was tired and using his Quirk like that was wearing him down. His own ice was making him sluggish and Mei could make out the beginnings of a frostbite in Shouto's fingers. Worn down prey was no fun and Stain cut his way through the ice. He grabbed Shouto by the throat and lifted him off the ground. Shouto clutched the mechanical arm before his neck broke.
"Die now, son of Endeavor." Stain said.
Shouto grinned and super-heated his hand. The mechanical arm turned crimson from the heat and… Mei tried not to think how it felt to have something like that strapped to yourself. For the first time Stain screamed. Where flesh and steel met started smoking and then the flesh burned black.
When he was free Shouto formed an ice glove around his fist and punched Stain in the face. Stain's mechanical arm had turned into a useless lump of metal, but it could still be used as a club. He hit Shouto in the face with it and Stain hit a lot harder than Shouto did.
"Stain!"
Tears filled her eyes when she heard his voice. Then she saw Izuku. His helmet was gone, and the armor was scratched and seared but Izuku was alright. No. Not just alright. There was steel in his eyes that hadn't been there earlier. Stain was even happier to see him.
"Indestructible. Come to watch the fakers die?" Stain said.
Desperation drove Izuku to make the same mistake Iida had. Izuku rushed Stain at full speed.
But Izuku had Shouto.
When Stain tried to greet Izuku with a swing of his sword, Shouto trapped him in ice. Stain barely had time to be surprised before Izuku hit him at full force and drove him to a wall. When Stain tried to punch him, Izuku grabbed his fist and… crushed it in his grip. Then Izuku started punching him. He kept punching until Stain had gone limp.
For a moment she thought Stain was crying. Then she realized he was laughing. It was a raspy insane cackle like the last hurrah of some broken-down machine.
"Yes… good… very good, hero… You… you are worthy. Like All-Might. Now… kill me." Stain said.
Do it, Mei thought. Kill the bastard like he killed Seito. Like he would have killed me and Iida.
Izuku didn't kill him. He looked around to make sure they were all still breathing and then got up.
"All-Might wouldn't kill you and neither will I. Stain. You're under arrest." Izuku said.
This made Stain laugh even harder. He laughed until he lost consciousness. Shouto limped towards Izuku. His nose was broken and one of his teeth was chipped.
"I have some wire on me. It should hold… even someone like him." Shouto said.
After they'd tied up Stain, Izuku rushed to her side while Shouto looked after Iida. With Stain down for the count the paralysis started easing.
"Are you… are you alright?" Izuku said.
"Just a flesh wound. I… couldn't move." Mei said.
"… it will pass."
Mei grinned and managed to wipe the tears from her eyes.
"I thought you were dead." Mei said.
"… I couldn't die when my partner needed me." Izuku said.
Mei smiled.
"Thanks, partner."
Iida managed to stand up first even with the wound on his side and despite Shouto's protests. He picked up Stain's fallen sword.
"Iida?" Shouto said.
"He crippled my brother! He dies now!" Iida yelled.
"Iida! Stop!" Izuku said.
Izuku and Shouto ran between Iida and the unconscious Stain but Iida was far beyond stopping. Anger and rage had given him strength he didn't even knew he had and he pushed Izuku and Shouto aside like they were children. Mei tried to get up, but feeling hadn't yet returned to her legs. Should… should she say something or let Iida do what Stain would've done to them.
Iida raised the sword.
"Iida! It won't change anything!" Izuku said desperately.
"He'll be dead." Iida said behind clenched teeth.
"And you'll go to jail. Your brother already lost his legs. Will he lose you too? Are you really that cruel?" Shouto said.
Iida stopped and stood frozen there for a long time with the sword ready for a swing. Then he dropped the sword and fell on his knees. He cried like a lost child. Izuku let out a relieved sigh and then hugged him. Mei and Shouto followed suite. They held him until the worst was over. Finally, they sat around the knocked-out Stain. Hosu had began to calm down and the worst of the fighting was over, but you could still hear the howls of the Noumus and the shouts of heroes trying to restrain them.
"I have bad news, but the night isn't over yet." Mei said and took out her phone: "Stain has disciples now and they have a kid stashed somewhere. We'll lose the signal if we don't hurry."
Mei gave them a condensed version of what had happened with Scaly and Ketchup. How they'd attacked her and how she'd managed to bug Scaly.
"We have to hurry." Mei said.
"Izuku." Shouto said.
"… yeah?"
"Can you still fight?" Shouto said.
"… yeah."
"I… I'll come too. If you'll have me." Iida said.
"Normally yeah but you're wounded. Someone has to stay here and watch over Mei… and Stain." Shouto said.
"He's right." Mei said and handed her phone to Izuku: "Izuku."
"… yeah?"
"It was Ketchup who broke the armor. He hurt Sagan. Beat him within an inch of his life." Mei said.
Izuku nodded and Mei turned towards Shouto.
"Shouto."
"Yes?"
"I… was wrong. I was wrong about you. When you come back… I'll apologize properly."
Shouto nodded.
"Until then."
The transmission led them underground. Izuku looked at the underground passageways. He couldn't quite explain it but… it felt like they'd entered a holy place.
"… what is this place?" Izuku said.
"The First Symbol of Peace carved these two-hundred years ago." Shouto said.
"… alone?"
"So, the story goes."
Izuku looked around. Legend had it that the First had been the most powerful Quirk user in history. Not even All-Might could've built something like this alone. When they followed the signal through the passages Izuku felt like he was standing in the shadow of a god.
Soon they didn't need to follow the transmission. Scaly and Mustard had left them footprints that they hadn't even tried to hide. The footprints…
"… stop." Izuku said.
Shouto stopped.
"What is it?"
"… look."
The footprints had gone in a straight line until they'd made a sudden halt. Then they'd moved close to a wall and continued walking very slowly and carefully. Shouto knelled to check the floor. Then he covered it in ice. The floor gave out and fell into a pit filled with spikes.
"… oh… shit." Izuku said.
"Maybe… we should move a bit slower." Shouto said.
"… agreed." Izuku said.
They kept their eyes peeled for more traps which there were plenty. Stain hadn't much cared for visitors but finally they reached his hideout. Light shone under a wooden door and Shouto checked it quickly for more traps. The fact they didn't see any was even more frightening than finding them. How should they do this? Just barge in or…?
"I know you're there. Come in."
Izuku and Shouto glanced at each other and then stepped through the door. Scaly was sitting on a bunk in what looked like an abandoned army bunker. He'd changed since the last time they'd met a half a year ago. He looked thinner. Tired.
Scaly put his hands up.
"You win. I give up. Just… please. Don't make a ruckus. Eri is asleep and she scares easily." Scaly said.
"Where's the other one?" Shouto said.
"Mustard is taking a massive terror dump. He won't put up a fight." Scaly said and smiled a tired smile: "I guess Stain got his ass kicked."
"… yeah." Izuku said.
"Good. Mustard. The red head." Scaly said.
They'd made a rookie mistake by not checking the corners when they'd walked in. Mustard stepped up to Shouto and shot green gas on his face from his fingers. Shouto fell over listlessly.
"Sh…!"
Izuku made another mistake by taking his eyes off Scaly. A scaled hand covered his mouth and he saw a flash of steel. There were weak points in the armor. Mainly in the joints. Scaly jammed his knife in the knee joint. It pierced through the shock fiber and then cut the ligaments in Izuku's knee. When he tried to scream, Scaly blocked the sound with his hand. Izuku's leg gave out under him and he crashed on the floor.
"Hush now, Indestructible. Hush. Let's not scare Eri. Listen to me, Indestructible. This is what will happen. Me and Mustard will leave. You and your friend will stay here and wait for help. With Eri. She's safer with you. Is that what we'll do?" Scaly said.
"You son of…!"
Scaly twisted the knife.
"Is that what we'll be doing? Or will we leave you here to bleed out?" Scaly said.
Izuku looked at Scaly. Then at Mustard who stood over the unconscious Shouto.
"… you can go." Izuku said.
"Smart man. Mustard." Scaly said.
"Shuichi." Mustard said.
"Wake up Eri. Tell her… we must leave for a while. To… fight bad people. Tell her Indestructible will look after her till then." Scaly… Shuichi said.
Mustard nodded and went to wake up Eri. Izuku turned to look at Shouto.
"… will he be okay?" Izuku said.
"He'll wake up in a half an hour. Hopefully, he won't hate Mustard too much when the headache kicks in." Shuichi said.
A small albino girl with a large horn growing out of her head stepped in with Mustard. She was rubbing sleep out of her eyes and holding an iPad.
"Hi, Eri. Look who came to see you." Shuichi said.
When Eri saw him, she hid behind Mustard.
"Don't worry. He's a nice guy. He's a hero after all." Shuichi said.
Izuku forced himself to smile despite the pain.
"… hi."
Eri glanced worriedly at Shouto.
"Don't worry. He's just sleepy. He's been heroing all day. Ain't that right, Indestructible?" Shuichi said.
"… yeah." Izuku said.
Eri approached him nervously. Then she ran to hug Shuichi.
"… I don't want you to go." Eri said.
Shuichi wrapped his arms around her.
"I don't want to go either but there are bad people to fight. We'll see each other again." Shuichi said.
"… you promise?" Eri said.
"I promise, and you know me. I keep my promises." Shuichi said.
Eri hugged Mustard too and waved them goodbye as they began to run in the opposite direction. Izuku sent their location to Iida and messaged for help. Eri sat next to him.
"… hi." Eri said.
"… hi." Izuku said.
"… I'm Eri."
Izuku grinned.
"Indestructible but you can call me Izuku. That's Shouto."
"… he's the champion. It was stupid how you won but still lost." Eri said.
"… yeah. It was pretty dumb." Izuku agreed.
Eri fiddled her fingers.
"… do you think…?"
"… yeah?"
"… could I get one of your t-shirts? Where you punch a dinosaur?" Eri said.
"… sure. I can even sign it."
The ground grumbled when something approached. Something big. And angry.
"Iizuukuuh!"
No!
"Eri! Get behind me!" Izuku yelled.
The burned Noumu burst through a wall. It howled from pain and rage. Then it noticed the sleeping Shouto. It opened its maw.
"No!" Izuku screamed.
He tried to stand and fight, but his knee wasn't any less useless. Then Eri stepped towards the Noumu. For a moment the Noumu forgot about Shouto and looked at Eri confused. Eri touched the Noumu.
There was a blinding flash of light.
Then… nothing.
Where the Noumu had stood was just a pillar of fading smoke. Eri's horn had shrunk to a stump. She wavered on her feet and then fell over. Despite the pain on his busted knee Izuku managed to catch her. Eri was asleep and too exhausted to wake up even when he shook her. He held her until help arrived.
"Did you have to stab him?" Mustard said while they ran.
"Didn't have much of a choice. I don't want to know what they'll do to Stain's disciples." Shuichi said.
Mustard wiped the sweat off his brow.
"I don't wanna go to jail."
"Mustard. Look at me. No one's going to jail. I'll keep you safe. I promise." Shuichi said.
When they'd ran far enough for Shuichi to feel safe he pulled out his phone and the card the doctor had given him. He made a call. Time slowed down until seconds felt like an eternity. Why wasn't anyone answering the goddamn phone?! They needed help!
"Hello, Mr. Shuichi. I've been waiting for your call." Kurogiri said.
"Kurogiri? I thought that this was the doctor's number." Shuichi said.
"The good doctor just lost his grandson and is… distraught. What can I do for you?" Kurogiri said.
"You… you wouldn't have a couch for us to crash on?" Shuichi said.
"You can have your own rooms. Send me your location and I'll come pick you up." Kurogiri said.
Shuichi did. Seconds later a black portal opened, and they stepped through it. Kurogiri waited for them at the bar.
"Shuichi. Mustard. Welcome. Care for a drink?" Kurogiri said.
