Izuku woke up the next morning with a knot in his stomach and no desire to go to school. He had no idea how he was supposed to keep a straight face in front of his classmates and teachers after last night. He'd made it home only half an hour late and had made a beeline towards his bedroom, telling his mom it'd been a "long day" but she'd seen the cut on his cheek and freaked out. There was a small bandage over it now, though the cut was very thin and not even that deep. Like a paper cut. That's how sharp the knife was, he guessed.

He yawned and reached under his pillow, pulling out his burnt notebook, the number 13 underlined multiple times. He flipped to the last page and reread the unfamiliar address scribbled in rushed writing for what felt like the hundred time. Would he really have the guts to show up that afternoon? Would Stain even be there? He had seemed serious when he told him where to meet.

"It's abandoned and there's a broken window on the back. Be there at five sharp. You get it?"

"Yes! I'll be there, um…"

"Stain."

"I'll be there, Stain-san!"

"Just Stain. And don't be late."

Izuku rolled around, getting tangled in his sheets. He intended to keep his word of not backing out (he was neck-deep in this already) but he was unsure of what exactly he would be backing out of if he did. He entertained the idea of the Hero Killer wanting to talk further but he doubted that was the case. This didn't seem like the type of man that would waste his time just talking to a kid. But then what?

His alarm started blaring and he grunted. He only kept going to classes so that his school wouldn't notify his mother about any absences but he was getting tired of it. Every lecture was like fog and by the end of the day, he could remember almost nothing of what had happened.

"Come on," He told himself, "You can do this."

The teen dragged himself out of bed and got in the shower, covering his cast with a plastic bag and trying hard not to fall asleep on his feet.

He got to the agreed meeting point at around 4:30. It was a tall, grey building with no paint and chains at the front door. The place had been abandoned before it was even finished, Izuku noted, the top floor lacking a roof.

The area was far from where Stain's last victim had been found and so there were barely any heroes around. These people, who Izuku would have died to meet just weeks ago, now gave him an odd sense of anxiety and he feared that he would run into one.

But he sighed and took his backpack's straps tightly. He had already met the Hero Killer once willingly, he could do it again without running into trouble. He walked around the structure and located the broken window easily, but he hesitated there. Was he supposed to climb in or wait outside? Some pieces of glass still hung onto the window frame, shining like fangs in the evening light.

"If I smashed those last pieces in then I could climb in easily but that could make more noise than I would like. But staying outside could be a risk as well if a hero decides to patrol around here. I wouldn't have an excuse for being on an abandoned place, besid-"

"Your mumbling better not be a recurring thing, kid."

Izuku's soul left his body for a good second. Stain was standing right behind him, knife in hand, and his voice had been the first noise he'd made since however long he'd been there. He was a tall man with a red scarf and a katana, how had Izuku not seen him?!

"And don't scream like that."

Izuku blushed, covering his mouth with his good hand. Stain was being too generous, calling whatever pitiful noise he'd made a scream. It sounded more like a hamster. The teen fumbled for words, moving his hands around to try to explain himself.

"Sorry! I'm sorry, you just came out of nowhere."

"No, you were distracted talking to yourself."

"It's a b-bad habit, sorry..."

"Then you better work on breaking it. Come on, we don't have all day." Stain wasted no time, already walking off down a small alley. Izuku stared at the place where the villain had been for a moment before running after him. He walked behind the taller figure in silence for a few blocks, unsure if he was supposed to talk or just follow.

"Um, Stain-san, where…?"

"Quiet."

Izuku swallowed and looked at his feet. They moved in silence for the better part of twenty minutes and Izuku's skin was itching with the need to ask questions. Thankfully their trip seemed to end in front of a large, abandoned storage space. There were many like this one around them, all different colors but covered in the same orange rust everywhere.

A nonresidential area, with no houses nearby and a small field at the end of the road to their right. Izuku had never been here before.

"Follow me." Stain said simply, walking around the corner. Izuku followed as fast as he could but by the time he turned the corner himself, Stain had already climbed a ladder and was making his way inside via a hole in the wall where a ventilation system must have been before. He must have a speed quirk, Izuku thought. He climbed the decrepit ladder as fast as he dared, the metal groaning and threatening to separate from the wall at any second, and reached the top with shaking legs. The hole was a good three feet away from the ladder and he'd have to reach out and balance his weight if he wanted to get there without falling.

"Move it, kid!" Came the echoey voice from somewhere within the metal structure. Izuku was sweating nervously, hugging the ladder. But he had to move. He couldn't just stay here, even if he wanted. With great care, he stretched his right arm and got a solid hold of the metal frame, following slowly with his right leg and throwing himself at the opening in terror. The ground stayed solid beneath him and he heaved a sigh of relief.

He crawled through a small passage and climbed out on the other side. He was on the second floor of the space, a staircase to his left and a big, empty space below him. Stain was sitting at the foot of the stairs, cleaning his katana calmly.

"You're slow." The man stated, not looking up from his task. Izuku's face heated up.

"I'm sorry!"

"And you apologize too much."

"I.. um…" Izuku coughed awkwardly, making it down the metal steps and standing next to Stain in uncomfortable silence. He placed his backpack in the nearest corner and waited. Minutes passed by with neither of them saying anything and Izuku was already picking at his cast. What now? Was he allowed to speak? He stared at Stain but the man seemed to have forgotten that Izuku was even there with him.

"Um… Stain-san?"

"I told you, just Stain."

Izuku blinked. His skin felt like it was on fire. "I, uh, what exactly are we doing?"

Stain's hand stopped moving and he slowly focused his eyes on Izuku, who stiffened under the gaze. His red eyes were cold, calculating and Izuku already knew he was in for something.

"You ever wielded a blade before, Midoriya?"

"Like… Like a sword?"

"Or a knife." Stain pulled a hunting knife from the side of his leg, the metal glinting even in the poor light that the place offered. The blade alone was almost as long as Izuku's forearm and it looked sharp beyond belief. The other man twirled the knife around in his hand before offering it at the teen, handle first. "Something like this."

Izuku swallowed and took the smallest step back. "N-no. Never."

Stain hummed thoughtfully and then tossed the knife at the boy. It was slow and the handle was still facing him, but Izuku was scared of somehow closing his hand around the blade and cutting off his fingers. He yelped when the knife hit the concrete floor with a loud clang.

Izuku looked up at Stain, terrified that the man would get angry, but he seemed calm. Then he got up, pulling out another knife and narrowing his eyes at Izuku.

"I'd pick that up if I were you."

"Why?!"

"I'm testing you, kid." Stain cracked his neck loudly "I want to see what you can do."

"But I've never-"

"Doesn't matter. I want to see where you're at."

Was Stain serious? Of course, he was. Izuku scrambled to get the knife on the ground, standing as straight as he could once the handle was secure between his hands.

But it did him almost no good. In two seconds he was on the ground, his knife who-knows-where and Stain's boot square on his back. The air was knocked right out of his lungs and Izuku couldn't even make a noise.

"You're scared." Stain said, removing the weight off Izuku's back and dropping the missing knife next to him. "Again."

Coughing, Izuku got on his hands and knees. He could see Stain's feet next to him. Of course, he was scared; this wasn't what he'd thought would happen today. But as the air came back to him, he took the knife and got up once more. He'd been in fights before (lost of all them, thanks for asking) but this felt different than when his classmates picked on him. Stain had given him a weapon and a chance; he expected something from Izuku. And that lit a small flame in the kid's heart.

He readied himself and planted his feet on the ground, ready for the next attack. When Stain lunged forward, Izuku managed to move slightly out of the way but his feet still got kicked from under him and he went down again.

"Too slow. Again."

Izuku hissed and got back up. The break on his arm had been minimal but he was still afraid of making it worse. What would he even tell his mother? After yesterday's wound on his cheek, she would go berserk.

Are you sure you want to keep this up?

He hesitated. Was he up for this?

"You done, kid?" Stain asked, twirling his knife expertly between his fingers. He sounded serious but Izuku could see the mocking look in his eyes. The teen knew what he probably looked like: Small, sweaty, tired already, cast on his arm, and with a knife that was comically big for him in his hands.

Pathetic.

He could have easily given up and let the knife go, he could have cried and gone home, he could have done a million things. But instead, he straightened his back, pushed back his tears, and held the knife up defiantly. He looked at Stain in the eyes, feeling determination burning in his heart.

"No. I'm ok."

Stain gave Izuku a twisted grin.

For the next thirty minutes, the teen forced himself to get back on his feet every time he got shoved to the ground. Stain was fast and strong, but he was also being careful. Izuku's broken arm had only slammed on the ground twice in all this time. And still, Izuku hadn't come close to landing a hit once. The most he'd done was getting out of the way for a second or two.

"You're indecisive, kid. Focus."

"You're holding back." Izuku spat, frustrated with himself.

"If I didn't, you'd be dead."

"I want to get stronger," The teen said, grunting as he pushed himself back up "But I can't do that if no one will take me seriously. Even if I don't have a quirk, even if I'm just a kid, I want to know what the world is like!"

Stain stared him down.

"You want me to really attack you?" Stain's voice was low and his posture had shifted to a more tense one. Izuku swallowed roughly, but his frustration spoke before his mind could.

"Yes! I wan-"

Stain moved so fast the he became a blur. Izuku felt a burning sensation on his good arm and then he felt a hard blow on the head. Stain then hit Izuku on the stomach and flipped him over his back. He landed on the ground face first, Stain holding his arm back at an uncomfortable angle and pushing down enough that Izuku had to let go of his knife. If Stain wanted, he could break the kid's arm easily like this. Deku could slowly feel liquid trickling down his arm and towards his neck and face. Stain had cut him.

"You want me to treat you like a target?"

Deku didn't answer. He couldn't see the villain's face but he could imagine the crazed look in his eyes just by his voice. Stain released some of the pressure on Izuku's arm but the relief was only momentary. His arm landed on the ground limply before Izuku could move and even when Stain moved away from him, the boy stayed on the ground.

He panicked. He was trying his hardest to move, but his body wouldn't respond. He was paralyzed. What happened. Was this…

"Well, since you're so obsessed with quirks." Stain crouched down next to Izuku, turning his head to the side so they could look at each other in the eye. "You can surely tell me what just happened."

Green eyes wide in terror, the boy stammered to speak with difficulty.

"I… You… You used your quirk on me."

"Good. And how did that happen?"

"I… I don't know-"

"Take a guess." Stain waved his knife in front of Izuku's face, a small amount of blood still on the blade.

"You c-cut me. Is that it?"

"Try again." Stain took the blade closer to his face, looking at the red on the glinting metal. And then he opened his mouth a licked the knife.

Izuku gaped at him.

"You… You consumed my blood."

"Smart kid." Stain said coldly. He tapped Izuku's nose with the tip of the knife almost jokingly but the teen was about ready to cry. He could see his partial reflection on the blade.

"You can paralyze others once you've ingested their blood."

"I can." Stain got up and walked around Izuku. The boy could only hear the steps echoing in the open space. "But what does that mean, kid?"

Izuku thought. What on Earth was he supposed to say?

"It m-means that once you've hit them with a knife you can use y-"

"Wrong." Stain's voice came closer and Izuku had to close his eyes. "What have I used my quirk for since we've met?"

"I…" Izuku wracked his brain. He could now see why the first hero he had seen with Stain had been unable to move. He had seen Stain after he had used his quirk, though. He'd seen him jump up buildings, he'd seen him fight very briefly, he'd seen the way he could use a katana and the way he tossed knives.

And then it clicked.

"You haven't used your quirk in front of me until right now." His voice betrayed the awe he felt at that moment. All of his guesses had been wrong so far. "Everything you've done…"

"Was just me. Relying on your quirk to do everything for you makes you weak, kid. And you should get that in your head."

Izuku felt foolish, somehow. He scrunched up his eyes tight and gritted his teeth.

"How am I supposed to even beat someone like you, though?"

"With training. You think I learned everything I did in half an hour?" Stain scoffed. "If you're impatient, if you don't prepare, then you'll never be able to do anything more than talk."

At last Izuku's paralysis faded. He turned on his side and examined the wound on his arm. It was long but superficial and it was barely bleeding at all. It stung, but not terribly. Thank God he'd had the foresight to take off his jacket halfway through their sparring or he'd have a lot of explaining to do back at home.

Stain eyed the watch on his wrist briefly.

"Out there, you don't get to choose who you fight. And most of the time, you don't know what they're capable of. You have to be able to function under any circumstance. And to do that, you need to forget about quirks, kid. You're weak right now but that won't be forever."

The teen got up to a sitting position, wiping furiously at his eyes with the lower part of his shirt. He'd been dumb to think he could just improve in one afternoon. He'd let his eagerness get the better of him. He had wanted for someone to not underestimate him for so long that he'd jumped into something he couldn't win.

He really was reckless.

The boy cradled his aching arm against his chest. He wondered what Stain would be able to do when he pushed himself. Well, he hadn't gotten away with everything he'd done by pure luck, that was obvious from the beginning, but just how much could this man do at full power?

His backpack landing next to him made him jump.

"You're done for today." Informed Stain.

"W-what? But why?"

"You're pale as a ghost. You have nothing more to give, kid." The mention of that made Izuku feel like he might actually pass out "Besides, I have things to do."

"What about tomorrow?" The teen asked hopefully even though he was terrified of the answer "Should I meet you in the same place?"

"No."

Izuku clenched his fist, dread crawling up his throat. He'd blown his chances. His fighting and attitude had been so rash that the villain just couldn't be bothered with him anymore. He'd had his opportunity to learn, to figure out just what the feeling he'd had since meeting Stain was, but he'd been careless. Now the villain wanted nothing to do with him an-

"I'll give you a different address. I don't want to risk anyone following you."

Oh, thank God. Izuku held back a sigh of relief and instead smiled like an idiot, even when Stain returned none of his happiness. This man hadn't given up on him yet, and that was more than enough for Izuku at the time.

They both climbed out of the storage place and climbed down the ladder, Izuku with far more difficulty, and went their separate ways from there. There was no "see you tomorrow" or "Nice job today!" but the teen went home in high spirits. The ride back home was spent writing down everything that had happened on a new notebook and that night at home was spent looking at videos on how to hold and use knives properly.

Izuku was excited. His mother asked no questions over the weekend (he excused himself with wanting to go buy some new manga) and on Monday he told her that he had decided on joining a literature club at school to "make friends and use his afternoons productively". His mom was happy with how he was handling his apparent crushed dreams and, apparently, suspected nothing.

Taking classes was more tedious now and Izuku had to pinch himself to stay awake. He would sleep a little on the bus and an hour or two at night but classes made his eyes close without permission. Still, he'd much prefer falling asleep in class than when training with Stain.

Day after day they would meet somewhere different and would train somewhere new. Stain wasn't keen on using the same place twice and Izuku could understand why. News of his last kill had spread around like wildfire and everyone was worried about who the Hero Killer might attack next. Both his mother and classmates had been talking about it for days and it made Izuku uneasy. Like someone could read his mind and figure out what he'd been doing.

"Let them talk," Said Stain once after one of their training sessions "Perhaps a few will see what I'm doing. Pay the rest of them no mind."

Everyday Izuku made sure to listen to Stain carefully, taking notes whenever he found the chance and trying with all his might not to push himself too hard. He did as he was told and he paid close attention.

After two weeks of training, Izuku felt a little more capable of what he was doing. By now he could train for a full hour without feeling like he was going to puke and he could even stay on his feet for two minutes before Stain decided to take him down. It was obvious that Stain was still holding back, but he'd taken to commenting on Izuku's performance. A few times already he'd given the teen very constructive advice, which Izuku had taken greedily.

One time, when Stain was teaching Izuku how to dodge a punch, his phone had started ringing loudly. No one ever called him except for his mom and he immediately got distracted, getting a hit straight on the chest.

"You get distracted too easily."

"Sorry," Izuku gasped, looking at his backpack. "That's just probably… my mom…"

"...And?"

Izuku blushed like an idiot. "I well, no one else ever calls me and she usually only contacts me when it's important and I always answer, so it'd be weird if I just let her go to voicemail and-"

"You talk too much." Stain grunted. But he moved aside to let Izuku pass and get his phone. He seemed even more annoyed by the stupid ringtone than he did of Izuku's excuses, and the teen was quick to answer.

"Izuku, I hope I didn't interrupt your club meeting!" Greeted his mom on the other side. Izuklu blinked for a second before his own lies started clicking in place.

"Oh! N-no mom, it's ok. We're on a break! What's up?"

"Oh, I'm so glad! Well, your doctor called earlier and he told me that they have an intern with a healing quirk right now, and since you have your check-up tomorrow, they might be able to fix your arm up completely!"

"Really!" Izuku all but yelled. He lowered his voice again when he caught Stain's annoyed look. "T-that's great! Thanks, mom!"

"Well, I'll let you go back to your meeting. Good luck, baby!"

"Bye, mom." He hung up and the phone immediately disappeared from his hand. Stain held it up high and put his face inches away from Izuku's.

"If you don't silence this thing, it's going out the window next time."

"Sorry! I'm sorry! My mom just wanted to remind me that I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow."

"So you're skipping training?" the man sounded unimpressed. Izuku could feel the thin ice under his feet cracking a bit. His face must have been as red as a tomato when he tried to justify himself.

"Yes, but! They're taking my cast off! So that's good, right? I can push myself harder! We don't have to worry about my arm anymore!"

"I wasn't worried about your arm." came the flat reply. Izuku twitched a bit and gave a nervous laugh. The skin under his cast felt like molten lava and his face felt even worse. He was just babbling at this point, unable to give a good answer, but Stain just sighed.

"Fine. But you're staying late tonight."

"But, my mom will…"

"Make something up, smart boy." Stain hit Izuku on the head lightly, walking back to where they were before the call. They want straight back to training.

Izuku got home almost two hours late but he'd been calling his mom on the way, telling her that his friends from club wanted to go out for dinner and he'd agreed. It was good that he was making friends, right? She was worried at first, but she was happy in the end. Izuku never mentioned any friends (mostly because he had none) and she was glad to see his social life take flight. She asked a ton of questions but thankfully he was getting better at lying.

It was weird to not meet Stain the next day, but the doctor held true to his word and his cast was gone. At last. The muscles in his left arm felt a little numb, but he was sure that with some practice he'd feel better in no time. The doctor had asked about the small injuries around his face, but Izuku brushed it off on his clumsiness. It wasn't a lie, he thought. He had gotten a weird look, but he'd smiled widely and gotten away with it.

He was bruised and filled with tiny cuts, but Izuku was happy.

He felt good about himself when he woke up the next morning and headed to school with his usual goodbye to his mom. His cast had been removed and Stain had hinted at Izuku being able to train harder soon. He was tired but alert during class and he even managed to answer a few questions correctly. Even Kacchan seemed put off by his recent good mood, which made Izuku strangely satisfied. He got a passing grade on his homework and ate lunch in peace. At 3:30 he excitedly made it to the bus stop, ready to meet Stain and get to work.

Izuku was happy.

Maybe had he known what would happen that day, he might have given his mother a tighter hug before heading out. Maybe he would have packed another set of clothes or finally had the guts to tell Kacchan just how much he had missed their friendship over the years. But he didn't know. He couldn't have known.

And so Izuku stayed happy for a while.