Gran Torino quietly opens the door to the boy's room and peeks inside. There he is, as peaceful as a babe with his arms tucked neatly under his pillow and his legs all askew. Midoriya's face is serene as he breathes softly, the picture of contentment. It's nostalgic, having a boy in this room again. Toshinori had never looked as serene as Midoriya did now but both boys laid pretty much the same way. It's nice, Torino decides. Almost as nice as what he was about to do.
"What the hell are you still doing in bed? It's already 4 in the morning and daylight will be here soon! Get up or go home, ya bum!" Torino shouts, bouncing off the ceiling and onto the mattress. Midoriya sits up with a jump, his eyes wide. He starts to go for an instinctual punch but Torino grabs the wild fist and pushes the boy back down.
"If you're not downstairs in your hero costume in 5 minutes, you're out, do you hear me?" Bright green eyes stare up at him as he leans in real close. Torino jumps off the bed and stalks proudly out of the room, ignoring the frantic scrambling behind him.
Yes, it sure is nice having a boy in the house again.
"Torino-san," Midoriya asks some time later when they've arrived at their destination. He looks tired and confused but ready for whatever hell he's going to be put through. "Why are we at a junkyard? I thought we were going to work more on my martial arts like we have the past few days. Is this about using my environment to my advantage?"
"Good guess but no. Two days of fighting one person will give you bad habits. We're doing something different today. See that?" Torino points at a dilapidated refrigerator. "Move it over there by that broken car," he says, gesturing to an old car about 20 meters away.
"What? That's got to be a 100 kg, I can't move it that far!" Midoriya says, looking between the fridge and him.
"Then what kind of hero do you expect to be?" The boy just blinks, good grief does he gotta explain everything? "You've got brains and you've got skill but what you need at this point is the muscle to back that up." He kicks at Midoriya's skinny little leg. "Look 'atcha, you've hardly got any meat on your bones; villains would break you in two. You can't only practice what you're good at, ya gotta work on the other things if you want to be a well-rounded hero."
Midoriya straightens at that and looks down at his hands, deep in thought. Torino takes a moment to look over the boy's costume. It's plain to be sure, like the kid, but his experienced eye can see the practicality of it. It's green and black material with some dark grey soft armor plating covering his shoulders, chest and elbows. There's a mouth guard hanging around his neck. He has a belt with several pouches strapped securely around his waist and Torino can see the boy's staff poking from behind his back. He's got on gloves similar to what he wore in the Sports Festival and sturdy looking knee high boots. Gotta admit, the boy is actually starting to look like a hero.
"Don't be a one-trick pony," Midoriya mutters to himself before steeling himself. "I understand. So you want it over by that car?"
"If you please," Torino grins, this kid is a riot. Midoriya works quickly through a few warm-up stretches before silently making his way over to the old fridge. He walks around it for a minute, probably thinking of the best way to move it. Torino patiently waits for him to ask about the rope and other tools they'd packed up this morning. Oh well, let the kid suffer a bit first.
He chuckles as Midoriya gets behind the fridge and attempts to move it only to lose traction and fall flat on his face. To his credit, the kid gets right back up and tries again, this time succeeding in moving the fridge a few centimeters. Not bad for a skinny little thing.
"You're almost there," Torino can't help but tease. "Just a little bit more there, sonny."
"Laugh now but I'll get that fridge over there," Midoriya responds with determination lighting up his eyes. "I'll get it over there and move anything else you need. If that's what it takes to get stronger, then I'll do anything I have to." He says before saving his breath for moving that fridge.
Torino lets out an amused snort. The kid has stones, he has to give him that. It's really more amusing than it ought to be, watching the boy struggle and slowly, oh so slowly, make progress. Eventually he does figure out about the supplies and the work goes much quicker after that.
He'd lied a little bit earlier, the boy has muscles all right but they were lean and toned from rigorous martial arts training. If Midoriya is going to inherit One for All, he needs to bulk up a bit more to ensure the quirk didn't blow him to pieces.
The sun rises and Midoriya has moved that fridge a little more than halfway, he's sweaty and his face is red from exertion but he doesn't look like he's slowing down any time soon. Torino thinks about calling Toshinori and telling him to come watch this immensely entertaining display but in the end he decides not to. It's that idiot's own fault for not seeing the perfect candidate right under his nose.
Torino is going to have his fun but already he's planning on how to convince both knuckleheads that Midoriya is the best person to inherit All Might's power.
XxX
"Oh look, a new microwave. My old one stopped working on me suddenly so I had this one delivered." Izuku hears Gran Torino say cheerily as he unpacks the new microwave. Or at least he can only assume that's what the old man's doing. Izuku himself is lying face down on the kitchen table, fairly certain he'll never move again.
He thought he knew pain from his sessions with Rikimaru-shishou, but that's nothing compared to the bone deep ache he feels everywhere from all his pushing and heavy lifting. He'd been so invigorated by the challenge his sponsor had put before him that Izuku probably went a little overboard. Still, there'd been a proud feeling in his gut when he'd seen just how much he'd been able to move with his own two hands. Not bad for a quirkless Deku.
"Here ya are lad, wake up, I got a nutritious lunch for you." Izuku groans as he sits up and is greeted with a large plate of taiyaki and a glass of milk. He squints, the milk he can understand but taiyaki? "Go on, unless you'd rather take the afternoon on with an empty stomach." Izuku takes the offered plate and munches into it without thinking. It's sweet but the sensation reminds him how hungry he is.
"So what is the afternoon plan?" Izuku asks, finishing the first fish pastry and starting on his second when his mentor joins him at the table with his own plate.
"Well no more moving garbage if that's what you're asking, not today anyway." Gran Torino says and he begins his lunch. "Strength building doesn't happen in one day as I'm sure you're aware. We'll continue to do exercises like that every morning for the rest of the week and, when you leave, I'll give you a training regimen to follow so you can continue to work at it." Izuku nods as he stuffs another pastry in his mouth.
"For the first part of the afternoon, I want to pick your brain on your strategy and work on that some. You already show promise and, even with the strength training, your brain will always be your most important asset. All Might sometimes forgot that and just solved things with his fists. I expect better than that from you, ya got that boy?"
"Yes, I understand," Izuku says before nervously looking down at his plate. "So um you taught All Might in school, right?"
"He told ya that, did he?" Torino says with an amused smirk. "What else did he say?"
"Just that you were his homeroom teacher. He said you were tough and impatient but that I'd learn a lot from you. He uh also seemed pretty afraid of you."
"Ha!" Torino barks, slapping his hand on the table. "That kid always was a complainer. You know he used to sleep in that same room upstairs? Had to curl up just to keep his stupidly long legs on the bed. You both startle the same though, like little rabbits." Izuku's mouth drops open. All Might was close enough to Torino to sleep here? He slept in that dirty old room too? Izuku's heart stops, he'd possibly been sleeping in the same bed as All Might? That sweat he smelled, had that been-? He feels dizzy with euphoria.
"Close your mouth boy before you choke," Torino grumbles. "I take it you're a fan of his?"
"I know everything about him," Izuku says before he can stop. "He's been my hero for as long as I can remember, All Might's been as much a constant in my life as my own mother. He's the reason I wanted to be a hero, everything about him is just perfect. The way he's so strong and powerful but also is so open and friendly with everyone he meets. He's both an unreachable pillar and the warmest person I've ever met. Since working with him at Yuuei, my admiration has only grown, he's-"
"Right, I get the picture," Torino waves him off with an exaggerated eye roll. "Go on, eat up, there's more where that came from if ya need it."
"So how do you know him so well?" Izuku asks through a mouthful of food; Torino gives him a look and Izuku swallows before speaking again. "I mean, All Might mentioned you were his homeroom teacher but for him to be here long enough that he needed to stay the night, clearly there was more to the relationship."
"Nothing gets by you, does it kid?" Torino says in a, dare he say, almost fond voice. "But you're right, I knew him before he even started at Yuuei. To be honest, I only took the position so I could teach him. He slept here because I was training him outside of school and sometimes he was too tired to leave, the bum. There's a great deal I can't explain, not now at least, but I can say that your hero started off something of a disaster. He was a firecracker, spirited like you, but angry and directionless." Torino sighs and looks past Izuku's shoulder at memories only he can see.
"But I had a friend who believed in him, convinced me to believe in him too. She put everything good into that boy's thick skull and then up and died, leaving him all alone with a power he couldn't hope to control." Izuku looks down at his now empty plate, trying to imagine the Number One being, well, a little bit like him. "The last thing she did was wrestle a promise from me that I'd turn that knucklehead into a hero. Took plenty of lessons where I left him puking, but he got there eventually."
"So that's why he's scared of you," Izuku says with a sad smile. It's weird, getting such a personal insight into his hero. It makes him feel like if All Might of all people could have such humble origins then maybe even he could-
"Well that's enough of boring old people talk," Torino announces with a flourish as he stands up. "We're here to help you improve, so you don't make the same mistakes your teachers did."
"Uh I actually was really enjoying it but ok," Izuku says as Torino takes his plate. "You mentioned we'd be working on strategy for the first part of the afternoon, what about tonight?"
"We're going out," Torino says with a grin. "You and me are going to head into the city and fight some criminals. You sure pounded on those boys in the Sports Festival, you'll do just fine."
"What!" Izuku yelps, his anxiety spiking. "Is-isn't that illegal? I know you're a licensed hero but I don't even have a provisional license and I've only been in the hero program for about a week and-"
"Quit your bellyaching," the older hero scolds. "You can't grow if you keep standing in one place. You either gotta man up or head back to Gen Ed with your tail between your legs." He points his finger right in Izuku's face. "So what's it gonna be?" Izuku frowns at the accusatory finger, so reminiscent of teachers and bullies in the past, pointing out the useless quirkless kid. He's tired of standing still, the only way now is forward. "Yeah, that's what I thought."
Izuku ends up falling asleep about five minutes into Torino's lecture on improving his strategy. He'd been horribly embarrassed at first only to realize the old man had put a blanket over him sometime while he'd slept and overall didn't seem too bothered by his impromptu nap. Izuku had the sneaking suspicion that the hero had deliberately set him up so he'd fall asleep and maybe, just maybe, Gran Torino was a bit of a softie himself underneath his gruff exterior. Not that Izuku would ever say that out loud, he liked his face arranged the way it was.
By the time he wakes up, it's almost twilight and Torino is still insisting they head into the city and fight villains. Izuku still isn't sure about this. Yes, he was able to perform well in the Sports Festival but that's a lot different than actual villains. As much as he wants to move forward, he couldn't help but feel like he's being thrown in without adequate prep-
"Will you stop it with your damn muttering boy? I'm old, not deaf!" Torino snaps at him, leveling a punch to Izuku's hip as they board the bullet train. "You need some damn confidence boy and this will help. Don't get too worked up over this, I'm asking you to take down small time thugs not the Hero Killer." The old man grumbles as the train begins to speed forward. "Relax, it'll be fun, kid."
"You sound like my master," Izuku sighs as he looks out the window. As fast as the train is, they likely won't arrive in the city until after sunset. He frowns at the mention of the Hero Killer and pulls out his phone.
"He sounds like a good man then," Torino adds with a grin. "Typical teenager, playing on your phone the moment you get a scrap of free time." The man teases but Izuku isn't listening.
He's got Iida's contact information out. The last exchange had been last Friday night when Izuku questioned where Iida was going for his internship. He'd only responded with the agency's name and hasn't said anything since. There have been so many moments these past few days when Izuku has wanted to text the other boy, just to see how he's doing. He worries his lip as he debates if it'd be okay to bother Iida.
'Please hold on, we will be making an emergency stop' the intercom announces just as the train is shaken by a loud crash and a costumed man breaks open a hole in the side and lands unconscious in the seats. A second later, a hideous beast with long, ungainly limbs, multiple eyes and an exposed brain screeches from the open hole. Izuku freezes up, staring at the monster. What the hell is that thing?
"It's a Noumu, stay back kid," Torino yells, holding his arm out to stop Izuku from getting out of his seat. Izuku starts, a Noumu? Like the creature that attacked 1-A at USJ, what was it doing all the way out here? He grabs his sponsor's cape to ask more questions when the hero jumps out of his seat and speeds towards the monster... with Izuku still holding onto his cape.
His eyes water from the immense speed as he clutches onto the thin material for dear life. He can see the city up ahead is on fire and the sounds of chaos can be heard even this far away. What was going on? Were there more of these creatures? Gran Torino curses as he wrestles with the monster.
"Let go for a second kid!" Izuku is pretty sure this is the exact wrong time to make a joke. "I'm serious, just trust me!" Izuku squeezes his eyes shut and releases his grip on the cape. The sensation of falling is the most terrifying thing he's ever felt. He instinctually scrambles at the air in a blind panic.
Torino is still fighting the Noumu but he slams into the monster, forcing the screaming creature down to the ground which, speaking of which, is approaching very, very quickly. When Torino hits the asphalt, he leaps back up and grabs Izuku about 3 or 4 meters above the ground. The hero cracks the pavement beneath him as they land.
Izuku slides bonelessly out of Torino's arms and is shaking on the ground. Everything is dull and muted around him and he feels about ready to throw up. The only thing he can hear is the pounding sound of his own heart in his ears, reminding him that he's still alive.
"What the hell did you think you're doing, kid?" Torino shouts, pulling back to reality. The smoke, the screams, and the monster are suddenly all back in his peripheral vision. "Shit, I don't have time to deal with you right now." Torino shouts, speeding off and crashing back into the Noumu. "Go find an evacuation center and stay put! I'll find you when this is done!"
"I thought we came here to fight villains." He mouths off, still dazed as he shakily gets back to his feet.
"Does this look like a damn purse snatcher to ya?" Torino yells back and he gets in a few good kicks to the creature's face. As if to prove his point, the Noumu pulls back and screeches something that sounds inhuman. "Find the local heroes and let them escort you to safety."
"But-"
"Just go!" Torino shouts as the Noumu dives forward, looking to grab at Izuku but Torino forces it back. His mentor is too busy protecting him to effectively take on the creature. Izuku is just getting in his way standing here gaping like an idiot. He spins around and races back towards the center of the city where, hopefully, he can get some help. He feels sick, running from a fight and leaving an old man in his place but his presence was just making things worse. Izuku may be stubborn but even he knows that some things are too big for him.
"What are you doing here, boy? Don't you know it's graceful for someone like you wear a hero's uniform in public?" Izuku feels the heat from Endeavor before he actually sees the man himself, looking as angry and imposing as always.
"You have to help Gran Torino!" Izuku says in a rush, there's no time for anger or indignity. Endeavor is still the Number Two Hero and Torino is a retired old man. Who knows how long he can fight that creature alone? "He's a pro hero and he's fighting a monster about a couple of blocks that way. I think it's one of those creatures from USJ."
"Another one huh?" the flame hero says with an annoyed sneer. "We've seen a couple of those monsters running around tonight." He glares down at Izuku, "Well? What are you waiting for? Get to one of the shelters. No one, not my son and especially not me, has the time to cater to a quirkless boy pretending to be a hero." Ouch, that hurt.
"Todoroki-kun is here?" Izuku asks.
"Yes, but he's actually contributing to rescue efforts instead of wasting valuable heroes' time," valuable heroes? "Don't seek him out, you'll only distract him again." Endeavors growls as he storms off, thankfully, in the direction where Gran Torino had been fighting. "Follow Arakawa street north, there's an open shelter still accepting civilians last I checked." With that said, Endeavor begins to jog over towards the commotion caused by Torino and the Noumu.
Izuku pulls out his bō and scans the area. Both Torino and Endeavor had told him to go to a safe shelter. But there are probably still people who need help, people the pros didn't have time to deal with. This is why he decided to become a hero in the first place and no way is he going to hide when he has the power to do something. The sound of a scream propels him forward.
If anyone asks, he just got lost.
He finds a young woman and her child being backed into a corner by some thugs, clearly looking to take advantage of the chaos to cause trouble. Well what do you know, he gets to fight purse snatchers after all.
"Give me your bag, lady and I won't have to scar up your pretty face," one guy sneers as he pulls out a knife. "Or even your cute little daugh-" Izuku cuts him off by whipping the bō in his face. He ducks down to avoid a retaliatory blow as the creep glares down at him with his broken nose.
Izuku freezes as his fear level is dialed up from 1 to 100. His hands start trembling and he's pretty sure his heart is going to explode out of his chest. Someone grabs his shoulder and he responds with a vicious elbow into his attacker that definitely breaks some ribs. He tries to calm down the panic button but it keeps on going up.
His mind goes hazy with adrenaline as he begins to beat in on the hoodlums, only vaguely aware of the damage he's causing. He swipes left, knocking one in the knee and using him to topple one of the others. Another tries to rush him with smoke filled hands but Izuku slams the bō hard into his groin, putting the man on the ground and out of the fight.
"S-shit, let's get out of here, a couple of yen isn't worth it!" One guy says, speeding off. Izuku can't afford to pay attention to him while he's still fighting, trying to keep his head clear through the distracting, choking feeling of fear.
The last thug standing is tall and mean looking as he attacks with the knife. A few of the hits glance off him but Izuku's armor protects him. He avoids another swipe from the knife and jumps using his staff so his foot knocks into the thug's face. Izuku lets gravity carry them down until he slams the man's head into the ground. Izuku can tell he's unconscious by the fear suddenly letting up like a bubble popping.
"Are you," Izuku begins hoarsely, "are you both okay?" He asks, turning to the young family. The woman is shaking and nods slowly, pulling her daughter behind her. "There's uh a shelter, on Arakawa, was it? You should probably go now while it's clear." He says, leaning heavily on his staff. The adrenaline is wearing off reminding him that he's been through three exhausting days of training. Still, he thinks with a bit of pride, not bad for his first official fight. Maybe he'll be able to pull this hero thing off after all.
"Th-thank you," the woman whispers in a hush, pulling her daughter into her arms and running away. Izuku looks down at the two men on the ground. He pulls some zipties from one of his pockets and restrains them so they don't start harassing anyone else. "Watch out for the Hero Killer!" He hears the woman call back hesitantly before continuing on.
The Hero Killer? That's right, the train was derailed early so they were probably in Hosu. Is he responsible for this? Izuku looks around at the fire and sound of raging monsters in the distance. No, this isn't the Hero Killer's style, he was about death and dismemberment in darkened alleys, like with Iida's bro- Izuku freezes, the vestiges of the thug's quirk pounding loud in his ears as his mind jumps to the worst case scenario.
Iida's brother was the first person attacked by the Hero Killer in Hosu who usually killed multiple heroes before moving cities. Iida had chosen quiet Hosu, out of all of the agencies that had nominated him, to spend his internship. He thinks of how off Iida has been the last week, how unsettling he'd looked when they'd separated at the train station. No, he wouldn't, he... Izuku thinks of his mother and what he would do if someone ever hurt her.
Goddammit Iida.
Izuku stands up and looks around at all the potentially dangerous alleyways where Iida might be hiding. Where something evil could be lying in wait. It was just a theory, a crazy theory probably caused by lingering fear, but he can't let it go.
This is too big for him, Izuku pulls out his phone and types a quick message to the only other person he knows in the area. He stashes his bō behind his back and starts running despite the exhaustion. There's got to be a hundred alleyways in Hosu; he can't search them all but he can search some. Maybe he'll run into Iida doing normal, hero work. Maybe he'll find the Hero Killer has broken his pattern and left Hosu. Maybe-
XxX
Tenya had imagined many times his encounter with the Hero Killer during this past week but somehow he never envisioned this. He's being held down on the ground, both by the killer's boot and by the katana imbedded in his shoulder. The pain is intense, unlike anything he's ever felt but he's too full of anger to properly acknowledge it.
"My brother gave me a dream! He was an amazing hero and you took that away from him!" Tenya screams himself raw, "I'm going to make you pay for what you did!"
"If you're such a great hero, then why didn't you save him first?" The Hero Killer grinds out in a raspy voice. Tenya turns to see the hero Native still slumped up against the side of the building. Oh. He'd... forgotten that the other hero was there, that he'd interrupted Stain's attempted murder.
"A real hero wouldn't act for his own sake, he'd prioritize the rescue of others above all else. Instead you let your anger overwhelm you and you turned to selfish desires. You're just as much trash as all the other so called heroes." Stain rips the katana out of his shoulder and drags his tongue along it. Tenya feels his whole body freeze up, he can't even move his fingers. What is this? Is this his quirk?
"And that's why you'll die right here, before you can infect the masses." Stain brings up his blade again and it glints in the pale moonlight. True terror seizes Tenya. He didn't tell anyone where he was going. There's some other disaster happening out in the streets so no one would be looking for him. He's really going to die here. The blade comes down and slashes open his cheek, just barely missing splitting his skull, and imbeds in his prone left hand. He yells but his body won't respond to him, won't allow him to run from the agonizing pain.
"Actually, before I kill you, I want you to see something. I want you to see that your selfishness has a cost, child." Stain turns towards Native, a sadistic grin visible in the pale moonlight. "Look at what you could have prevented, had you not let rage blind you."
"N-no, stop," Tenya wheezes as the killer steps closer to the limp hero.
"G-get up, kid, run away while he's distracted. Go, get help," Native whimpers softly as Stain hovers over him. He screams when Stain stabs the katana into his gut and it freezes Tenya's blood. On an ordinary day, the noise would draw attention but with the chaos happening outside of this alley, it might as well be silent.
"Stop it! He's done nothing to you! Please!" Tenya begs, tears watering his vision as he watches the agony play across the pro hero's face and the growing bloodstain blossom on his uniform as the blade is pulled out with agonizing slowness.
"He's just another symptom of the disease, a no good hero who uses the oppression of a marginalized people as a damned costume." With another quick slice, the katana cuts through Native's neck causing a gush of blood to spill out. Native eyes widen and then dull as his head falls unnaturally to the side.
Tenya can't contain the force of his horrified sobbing. That man is dead because of him, because he couldn't control his anger long enough to see the danger the other hero was in. He squeezes his eyes shut. He's tossed aside everything his brother stood for. He doesn't deserve his name or costume, maybe he doesn't even deserve his own life.
"Now it's your turn, boy," Stain says. "It's not truly your fault, you're just another product of his unholy society that worships power above all else. Because you are young, I will make it quick. Then I will see what hell that Shigaraki child has been causing." Native's blood dribbles into his hair as Stain holds the blade just above the crown of his head. "Goodbye, Ingenium."
"Iida! Move!" A shout comes from outside of the alley and Tenya hears Stain step back a few paces as he observes the newcomer who has dashed protectively in front of Tenya. It takes him a moment or two to place the familiarity of the voice, when he does, his heart sinks.
"Midoriya! You need to leave right now! You don't stand a chance! Go get help, tell them the Hero Killer is here!" He shouts. Tenya likes the other boy but no amount of cleverness will protect his quirkless classmate from the Hero Killer's wrath. He's already watched one person die today, he won't let his friend be another victim of his own ineptitude.
"The Hero K-" Midoriya's breath catches as he spots Native's body. This close, Tenya can see him shaking but, instead of running like a sensible person, Midoriya stands his ground. "No," He begins resolutely, "I'm not leaving without you."
"Midoriya huh?" Stain drawls out lazily, "I know you, you're one of the Yuuei students Shigaraki wants to kill. The quirkless kid who showed everyone up at the Sports Festival." The man grins something vicious, "I was impressed by your determination to stand up to the corrupt system. Tell me, do you think that by fighting me you can continue to crawl your way up the blood soaked ladder of pro heroes?"
"This has nothing to do with you, just go!" Tenya screams again, wondering how Midoriya could be so smart and so foolish all at once. He should know that he doesn't stand a chance without a quirk.
"Shut up Iida!" Midoriya shouts with more venom than he's ever heard from the boy before. "I know you think I'm crazy, trying to fight. But you're my friend and I'm not going to leave you at the mercy of a killer." He falls into one of his fighting stances. "If this is it and this is my last battle then so be it but I am not going to let him hurt you or anyone else as long as I can still fight. Even someone useless like me can make a difference if I can save even one life!" He screams with such tenacity that Tenya almost believes it.
He looks up at Midoriya's back, he's scared, yes, but he's also strong.
Todoroki's words from the train station come back to him with sudden intensity. How had Todoroki described him? Right, Todoroki had said Midoriya made him feel safe. Lying on the ground, probably moments away from being killed, Tenya can almost believe in the quirkless boy from the sheer conviction in his voice. He hears a light tapping sound and he can see from this angle that Midoriya is typing on his phone behind his back.
For the first time since he was pinned down, Tenya feels hope.
"Look at you!" Stain shouts gleefully. "I misjudged you, hero! I thought you were just another attention seeker but you!" He points his bloodied katana at Midoriya. "You, who've been mistreated by the system more than most, have more heroism in you than all of the pros I've had the misfortune of meeting. It would be a waste to cut down someone with so much promise," he says with sickening sincerity. "But your friend is already lost and it is my duty to eliminate him from this world. If you get in my way, I will make sure that you join him."
"You're not going to touch him, not as long as I'm alive," Midoriya shouts, racing forward with his staff poised to strike. Tenya watches with horror as Midoriya and Stain begin exchanging blows, moving quicker than he can accurately track. He can only hope Midoriya's message gets out soon. Stain is only going to humor them for so long before he gets serious.
What a chapter, we go from Torino good-naturedly beating on Izuku to a battle of strength and resolve with a serial killer. After a few chapters of relative peace we jump right back into the action, but unlike the Sports Festival, lives are on the line here and there's no guarantee that anyone here will make it out in one piece. Oh! I doodled Izuku's costume, it's up on my tumblr under the tag fic: The Long Way Around if anyone is interested. I love hearing your thoughts so thanks so much for every review, happy Easter everyone!