Chapter 3: The Line.
Stain's POV:
They say the line between light and dark...good and evil is very thin. Harshly thin. Somtimes people drift without even realizing it. Good people can drift to do bad things because they believe it's right. Some villains who commit their vile acts believe they are in the right.
How do we truly know what side we're really on? That's the true question. Can you stay on your path without straying? Midoriya will come face to face with this question one day. I'm sure of it...and...I'd like him to be able to answer the question for himself.
Speaking if Midoryida...the words he spoke to me yesterday...they actually got to me. They still echo in my head. How intensely he spoke to me...he was always so passive and respective of my words but for the first time...he actually spoke back and called me out.
I was honestly taken back...but however he doesn't understand his concept of heroes lost it's true meaning so long ago...Heroes of this generation only care about the spot light. The money and influence they have. I won't say there aren't ANY true heroes out there...but the number fakes overshadow them. Soon those numbers with dwindle more and more until the title of hero becomes nothing more then a business brand.
It was never about fame...money or position. It was simply doing the right thing for right sake without expecting anything in return. To put your life on the line for any stranger if they needed help because it was right and nothing else. These...these new heroes...they must be purged before they forever kill the good all the other true heroes died to make.
I do admire Izuku's devotion but...he's too naive to understand this...heh..it's funny...even after all he's been through he still wants to see the good in everything. Keeping that level of innocence is a rare thing it is.
Sigh...but still...even so...why do his words just...bother me so much? I can't stop thinking about them.
...No matter. His training is more important right now. I can't get side tracked by this. I can't falter.
3 months later
No one POV:
"HIYA! SYA!" Izuku thrusted his short kodachi sword forward in a stabbing motion at Stain only for him to parry it with his sword and Izuku followed up with a lower sweep spin kick.
Stain back flipped away but as he landed Izuku was already upon him with outstanding speed and leaped at him with a 360 spin slash aimed at Stain's face. Stain rose his sword and blocked it but Izuku half way into the swing and spin, spun his leg around for a round house kick. Stain was caught off guard and Izuku's kick connected with his side. Stain grunted but quickly countered by slamming his palm into Izuku's side sending him flying back but he quickly recovered and back flipped 3 times before flipping onto a tree trunk and kicking off it and launching himself at Stain again.
Izuku swung his sword horizontally at Stain's face but he dodged it and headbutted Izuku back. Izuku quickly flipped his blade backwards and swung it down in a stabbing motion, Stain quickly reeled back to dodge it and swung his sword in a diagonal slash. Izuku swiftly threw his sword in the other hand and caught Stain's wrist mid swing and slashed upward with his free hand that now held his blade. Stain swung his foot up kicking Izuku's wrist and knocking the sword out of his hand and high into the air. Izuku grit his teeth and yanked Stain's wrist outward and swung his foot up at Stain's wrist gaining the same affect as he did him. Stain's blade flew up high in the airs like Izuku's.
They both headbutt each other at the same time and slide back. Feeling their blood boil both ran at each other and engaged in a brief but furious barrage of hand to hand melee. Exchanging blow after blow, each connecting, dodging and parrying both crossed fists and both's connected with each other's jaws. The two warriors reeled and spun back just in time to catch their blades from falling and clash together one last time before pressing both blades against one another.
"Huff...huff..." Izuku panted with his hearth pounding in his chest.
"Huff...heheeh...VERY GOOD! You anticipate my moves and your accuracy and ability to adapt is uncanny. You are truly a prodigy." Stain spoke proudly.
"Hehe...I just go with what I feel a-!" Izuku's instincts kicked again as Stain swiftly took out a throwing knife and tossed it straight at him but he responded with turning his body into sludge, having the knife pass through him.
"Nice try."He scoffed with a smirk.
"Just making sure. Your reaction time with that quirk is getting better." He sighed sheaving his sword.
"Yeah...feels almost second nature now. Like...I always had this quirk..." The boy smiled looking at his hand.
"Well you do adapt extremely quickly. Which is your most powerful skill over all."
"Yeah I agree...I just...go with what I feel...hehe...not the most intelligent answer but hey..." He shyly rubbed his arm.
"It's fine...Midoriya."
"Y-Yes sir?" He straightened up at his sudden voice change.
"I thought about what you said to me back then...and I'm curious."
"The line between light and dark is so thin...right and wrong...selfish and noble..." Stain said crossing his arms.
"You believe this new generation is simply misguided. Tell me...how would you help them see what it truly means to be a hero?" Asked Stain.
"..." The boy looked down at his feet no blinking...he looked deep within himself for the answer...
"...Well? Nothing to sa-" He was cut off.
"I would show them." Izuku said raising his head.
"Hm?"
"I would show them what it truly means. Through my own actions I'll reteach the world the true meaning of hero." He spoke with unyielding spirit.
"...Hmph. Very well. I'll humor this."
"Huh?..." He tilted his head in confusion.
"I'll humor this. I want to see how far you can take this. I'm curious to see how far your devotion will take you boy."
"So...prove me wrong Izuku."
"Ah...I will!" He beamed with joy.
Stain let out a soft chuckle.
"Now then...I believe you've got the basics of combat down and mastered. Now for for the final month...we will be powering up your quirk."
"Yeah! I honestly like this Sludge quirk." Izuku smirked.
"Not that. Your original quirk. The quirk that allowed you to take that to begin with." He crossed his arms.
"O-Oh...but...I would need to...steal quirks...I can't go around taking people's quirks..."
"True...that's why we're going to do a little vigilante night work."
"W-What?! But...but...that's against the law..." Izuku became nervous.
"Keeping your city clean and safe is against the law? I understand the law against unlicensed use of quirks but might I say it's a rather moronic law."
"I can't tell you how many tragic events I've seen and read about where people are killed due to this law preventing them from saving themselves or another. You could be attacked by a villain and if you use your quirk even to defend yourself, your still in danger of getting in trouble with the law. Or if you save someone when no hero was around to do anything. Does that seem fair?"
...He had a point...Izuku was always indifferent about that law...he would be somewhat okay with it, if there was a law protecting people who did it out of self defense or to save another due to the absence of a hero but no...There just...wasn't.
"O-Okay b-but...what are we supposed to be doing?"
"Testing your quirk. We can test if you can take and hold more then one quirk and so on."
"S-So...I would be depowering villains?...That...does sound pretty good...making sure they can't use their quirks to hurt anyone anymore by taking them away...does seem pretty fitting for villains..." Izuku felt an odd chill of excitement go down his spine.
"Okay! I'll do it! But...only one night...okay? I still wanna be a good hero so I can't break the law too much..but...I do believe in doing bad to do good...at times...hehe..."
"Very good. Sometimes heroes have to go against rules to do some good. The thing is about true heroes...they're willing to take on darker roles for the greater good and even willing to shoulder the burdens that come with it. True heroes take on this gauntlet so no one else has too."
"Yeah...they shoulder burdens that are too much for others..." The green haired boy said.
"That is correct...sigh...if only that philosophy was still as strong as it was back then."He sighed...
"It will be again! Just...have hope. Hope is the best thing we've got believe it or not..."
Stain couldn't help but smile at Izuku's charisma.
"Very well, I shall. Now then head home and rest up. Come back here at midnight."
"Right...I'm sure I can sneak out without waking my mom."
"Good. Farewell for now Midoriya...and thank you. It's been a while since I had hope in this generation..."He turned.
"Y-Your welcome I-AAAND he's gone..." Before Izuku could even finish his sentence Stain had leaped up into the trees and out of sight.
"...Hehehe...Sensei." The boy smiled warmly to himself as he turned walk home.
*Some where 9 months earlier...*
?'s POV:
Aaagghh...My head was killing me...I slowly open my eyes to be met with a white ceiling...I look around to see I'm in a hospital room...siiigh...Your probably wondering who I am and why I'm here. Well...first off...my name is Minoru Mineta...and as for why I'm here well...I nearly died trying to save Mt. Lady from this psycho knife throwing crow guy...
...YEAAAAAAH...I know that all sounds a bit crazy but I assure you this DID happen...the only reason me or her are still alive right now is because All Might came and swooped in a saved us..however crow dude got away...as All Might told me when I finally came too yesterday...
My mom was crying her eyes out when I woke up yesterday...apparently that knife the crow guy hit me with was poisoned...but I'm okay...Mt. Lady too...then...well..the luckiest thing happened for me...All Might was actually moved that I risked my life for Mt. Lady even though I knew I was probably gonna fail...and then he showed me his big secret...and PHEW...
Was it a HUGE secret...he told me about his quirk and his injury...and that he can only be the symbol of peace for a short amount of time...so long story short...his time is running out and he needs a successor and he asked me...ME...of all people...
Now people don't really have a high opinion of me and I'm well aware of this. Half of it is well deserved and the other half is because I'm just to easy to make fun of...to be honest...the only reason I wanted to be a hero is because I wanted girls to like me...and saying it now...it does sound pretty pathetic...compared to other heroes reasoning for being what they are...after my near death experience and ALL MIGHT of all people offering me the chance to change...
I think I have a foggy image of my new reasoning to be a hero...I still wanna be cool but...I'll become cool so...people like me...losers...people who are small and believe they can never amount to anything...CAN become cool too if they try hard enough...yeah...that sounds noble enough!
I know it's only a step...but...a step is better then nothing at all. I have a LONG way to go before I become the person I want to be...siiigh...I should be free to go today. Other then the knife wound leaving a nasty scar on my chest and the poison, healing quirks are really something. Gotta say the scar looks kinda badass. Ah well...live and learn am I right?
I then heard the door open. I expecting to see my mom but it turned out to be All Might himself...and in his um...deflated form as I'm calling it...he smiled lightly and came to sit next to my bed.
"Heya kid...you doing okay?" All Might came in and put a hand on my shoulder.
"Yeah...minor pain in the chest but I can deal with it. You?"
All Might then buffed up into his beef cake form and have a hardy laugh.
"Never better! Hahahaha-BLAH!" He then quickly deflated again and coughed up some blood.
"AH! Dude seriously stop doing that..." I sighed...
"Cough...sorry sorry. Ahem...well I heard from the doctors, you may be released today! That's good! I'm sure your mother will be relieved." He smiled.
"Yeah oh boy it took a lot for the staff to make her go home to let me rest..."
"It just shows how much she loves you. Hmm...what of your father? Did he hear what happened?"
"Never knew em." I say very flatly.
"Oh...um...sorry..." His shoulders slumped down.
"It's okay. I've just come to terms with it."
"Yes...well ahem. Moving on..once your released I understand if you'd like a little time before we get into training. That was a very traumatic expe-
"Naw. I'm good. We can get right too it after I get outta here." I stretch.
"...Um...Are...are you sure? I mean...you did almost die Mineta..."
"Heh...one thing you should know about me...I'm glutton for punishment. I can take on and keep going. Trust me."
"...Hahahaha...oh man. I got a real trooper here." He chuckled running a hand through his hair.
"Eh just been through a lot already. I'm use to it." I shrugged.
"Well they say experience is the best teacher."
"Yeah...sigh...( Yet I'm still stuck in this state of self regression.)"
"You okay there?" He asked looking concerned.
"Yeah yeah, just a bit groggy from waking up." I rubbed the back of my neck.
"Hmph. Happy to know your all okay. When you get released today come to the beach. I'll be waiting."
"Pfff if my mom doesn't drag me home and lock me in my room." I joked a bit given how protective my mom can get at times.
"Hahaha...well that's hope that doesn't happen." He smiled and left the room.
With that I let my head plop back onto the pillow of my hospital bed.
"Sigh...This is really happening huh?...Mineta...PLEASE for once in your life...don't mess thus up..." I shut my eyes again letting sleep take over.
*Back to the present day.*
Izuku's POV:
I managed to sneak out of the house around midnight. Mom is usually passed out by this time and she's become a very heavy sleeper as of late. Which is great for me in this scenario. After I made it to our meeting place Stain was waiting for me of course and he was holding something...it looked like clothes.
"Teacher?" I walked up smiling.
"There you are. Here, change into this. Gonna wanna keep your identity secret for this." He said handing me an outfit.
"Yes sir!"I then went to change into what he brought for me.
It was close looking to his, but he gave me a long red cloak and a white mask. I then place the hood on.
"Huh..this looks pretty cool! Like the cloak and mask..."I smile to myself strapping my Kodachi to my waist.
"Siiiigh...This for a good cause...this is for a good cause..." I breath to steel myself.
I then returned to Stain.
"Does it fit okay?"
"Yeah it does. Perfectly really." I smile stretching around in my outfit.
"Okay that's a relief." He smiled at me.
"How did you know my size though?" I asked rather curious.
"Shut up. Let's go." He spoke dismissively and walks off.
"Okay..." I shrug it off and follow. "( Jeez, now I don't even WANT to know. )"
No one's POV:
Stain and Izuku are running and hopping onto roof tops with Stain is leading.
"So you think we'll find anything around here?"
"Yes, there aren't many heroes who patrol around here so thugs like to meet up in the allies here."
"Makes sense...so I guess we're doing good by taking care of the criminals that go under the radar..."
"Yeah think of it like that."
Izuku smiled behind his mask and eagerly followed Stain until he came to a stop on the side of a roof top staring down. He stopped behind him and gazed down with him down into an ally way. Three thugs stood in the ally way speaking.
"Aggh...What a pain." One thug groaned.
"Yeah, we defiantly would have nabbed that kid if that fucking Backdraft hadn't shown up." Another spoke.
"Would have been easy ransom money." Said the third thug.
Izuku's eye twitched hearing this. He already hated people who hurt innocent people for their own benefit, but children?!
"Okay their quirks are mine..." He hissed in a low voice.
"Calm yourself. In anger you defeat only yourself." Stain spoke lowly as well
"Siiiigh...Yes teacher...let's do this."He unsheaved his kodachi.
Stain nodded and unsheaved his sword and jumped down on the entrance to the ally way and Izuku landed next to him.
"What the shit?! A hero?!" The first thug spoke.
"He's got a fucking kid with em..." The second thug said.
"Go for the kid!" The third thug pointed his arm Izuku and it began to morph...
His hand receded back, his arm expanded and cannon barrels formed around his his arm and one in the middle.
"Wow...!" Izuku jumps high up to avoid the missiles that launched from the arm barrels.
Stain dodged out the way as well.
"( Good Midoriya...let's see how you handle this. )" He thought taking to the roof tops.
"( Okay missile launcher arms! That's super cool and I want it! BUT um...only because it would be dangerous for him to keep it...yeah..)" He thought landing on the wall of the ally way and bouncing off it and at the missile arm thug.
Izuku then spun and twisted in mid air to dodge 3 more missiles the thug sent at him. Izuku then spun kicked the thug across the the face, as the thug spun around staggered Izuku landed and leg swept the thug down and impaled his kodachi through his leg. Izuku smirked and ducked an attack from one of the other thugs. Izuku was surprised to see a werewolf like creature wearing the thugs clothes...
Izuku: "( A werewolf transformation quirk? Awesome! )"
He back flipped backwards and sprinted forward and slashed the wold thugs side then ducked another swing then stabbed his blade into his arm before flip kicking him in the jaw sending him flying and onto his back.
Izuku then locked eyes onto the last thug and he was banging his fist against the ally wall and with each bang a purple glow radiated off him.
"( Hmmm...Kinetic absorption? )" Izuku thought.
The thug then sprinted at Izuku and threw a punch. Izuku dodged left and slashed his side but his blade didn't damage him as much...it still cut but not as much as it should have. The thug then swung his arm and Izuku rose his arm up to block and placed his other free hand against his blocking arm for more support. The thug's strike was a lot stronger then he thought ad Izuku felt a painful sting as his strike connect with his arm and the force was great enough to make him slide back.
"Agghh...( Yeah it's definitely something with Kinetic energy...not only can he amp his strikes he can use it to tank himself up a bit...)"
The thug started banging his fist against the wall again.
"( Oh no you don't! )" Izuku quickly sprinted at him at stop speed.
The thug readied himself for Izuku's attack, Izuku then lunges forward and turned into sludge and engulfed the thug. The thug struggled and struggled but it was all in vain as Izuku suffocated him enough to knock him out. Izuku then released him and reverted back to normal. Izuku smiled triumphantly and stomped the other two thugs unconscious.
"Hehehe...well that was easy." He smiled sheaving his blade.
Stain dropped down and started clapping.
"Color me impressed. You didn't slip up or hesitate despite this being a real actually battle."
"It's like you said...hesitation leads to ruin."
"Happy to you see you took that to heart."
"Of course teacher! Why would I not?"
"Right, well then good job Midoriya. Now then...claim your prizes."
Izuku chuckled as he went from thug to thug stealing their quirks. Izuku felt an odd wave of satisfaction feeling their power be added to his...he could feel the power surge within him.
"Now let's see..." His morphed his hand into the missile launcher, then a werewolf arm, then banged his fist on the ground to see a green aura radiate off him.
"Amazing! I can hold multiple quirks!"
"You could become quite the power house."
"Yeah I could but for justice!"
Stain chuckled.
"Come. That's all for tonight, let's get out of here before any Heroes show up."
"Oh right...yeah let's scram!"
Izuku and Stain the climbed up the the roof tops and hopped from building to building onto the night.
Izuku's POV:
It was misty star filled moonlit night. The city's melody filled the night, the occasional swoosh of a car...the crickets chirping and every so often the sound of police sirens echoing in the distance. The lights of the city lit up the place like the stars did the sky. The hours seem to drag on like a state hero society double header. Me and my mentor Stain sat and watched the devils dance in the pale moon light. Stain had always been a complex mystery to me but over all he was a good guy...even if he wouldn't admit it...why he chose to teach a average Joe like me is beyond me but...I'm not really complaining. Before all this I was just some murk you'd never really notice. Within the black and white painting known as the crowd, I honestly didn't stand out that much. Yet somehow lady luck finally swung my way. Luck can be cruel or merciful...I've been on both ends of her and I gotta say she's a real riot and-WHY am I talking like a detective in some black and white movie?
Agghh...Well either way today went well! I got new powers and my training is just about done! I'm well on my way to becoming a hero! All thanks to Stain...I swear...I will thank him for this somehow...but for now...I got a goal to strive for!
Too be continued...
**Bam, and yes it was Mineta. Bite me. I actually like him...if you don't that's fine but leave your hate somewhere else. For those of you who don't mind don't worry he'll get better as time goes on. Okay hope you enjoyed more to come! If you have questions just private message me. Okay be good! Or not.~**