The Hero Killer was used to facing many difficulties when it came to his work. Obstacles and inconveniences were par for the course in his line of work, and he'd grown accustomed to a variety of issues. Disease, hunger, dehydration, injuries, blood, those were all friends to the Hero Killer. He'd had over 15 years to get used to those things and, in a sense, they made him feel grounded. Alive.
In the past year and a half, he'd had to half force himself to get used to a whole new set of variables. Company, teaching, emotions, things that hadn't been part of his code before and that suddenly meant more to him than he cared to admit. But he'd managed. He adapted to and embraced the new aspects of his work, had found a new sense of peace in the thought that he could share his views openly rather than having to hope for someone to understand him. He'd even adapted to the annoying group of strays that Izuku had adopted, if only because he could see the benefits of having more people on the side of his cause as well as knowing that Izuku was… happier, this way. He could compromise in that aspect.
What he didn't care much for, the one thing he refused to admit, was that he needed the four kids inside that damn van.
He glared at the dirty vehicle, wishing the thing would just catch on fire so he could get rid of his newest mental conundrum. He wouldn't say it, wouldn't admit it even to himself, but he could feel the undeniable sting of shame coursing through his veins.
He'd allowed Izuku to give himself up to a crazed addict, a situation he was all too familiar with and had no desire to relive. He'd been bested by two fakes with disgusting ease, had only been able to watch as the one person he gave any fucks about in the world was tossed off a building, had been unable to help Eraser Head as he was attacked, had been unable to identify the car with his student in it and thus, had let those bastards get away.
But those caused him more anger than they did shame. No, what truly had him seething with self-loathing was the fact that, when Eraser had left him hanging from the side of the building by his arm before most of the chaos had even unfolded, Stain had fallen prey to the weakness of fear. He'd seen himself unable to defeat Eraser Head, a hero he refused to kill or maim permanently, and he'd seen Izuku been taken away either to a mental hospital or jail. The image had been enough, just enough, to get him to reach for the phone in his pocket and send out his location in the hopes—and that word disgusted him even more—that the rest of their little excuse of a team would get there in time to help Izuku. To help him.
He gripped the handle of his katana with almost enough strength to crush bone, his knuckles white, and every muscle in his arm tense. He had to fight back the urge to stab the side of the van, knowing full well that killing one of his followers at random would destroy the shaky peace that he held with Eraser Head at the moment. He took a silent, deep breath through what remained of his nose to try and calm himself, forcefully placing all of his attention on the hero standing a healthy distance away from him. It'd taken a few hours, but the man finally could stand on his own. His capture tool was in the back of the van, around Spinner's neck for safekeeping, and one of their two phones was in Aizawa's hand.
Stain had decided that there was no need for Eraser Head to be bound, not when the man had no intention of leaving without Shoto and Izuku by his side. But that didn't mean the Hero Killer was stupid enough to give Eraser the one tool he needed to subdue them all.
They were waiting for a call, had been for the past hour and a half, and it was clear the hero had nothing to say to him until All Might contacted them again. He'd only been able to listen to a general summary of what had happened and then he'd been forced to leave them, promising that he'd call again once it was safe for him to speak openly. Stain cursed inwardly, hating how much he wanted that damn phone to start ringing already. He wanted something to happen, a plan to be made, a location to be given so he could go get Izuku back once and for all. Every second that passed, Stain's emotions threatened to explode out of the barriers he'd set up around himself, barriers that, unsurprisingly, only ever threatened to crumble when it came to the green-haired teen.
I never should have set foot in Musutafu, Stain told himself bitterly, not liking how utterly unconvinced he sounded even in his head. Why couldn't he just stay the unfeeling, cold man he'd been before meeting Izuku? Staying alone hadn't failed him in fifteen years and now, in just a matter of months, his life had become an unending parade of chaos and surprises and things he didn't like at all. The thought that his life had also been peppered with some really valuable moments he never thought he'd get the chance to have crossed his mind, and he scoffed at himself.
When he got Izuku back, he was gonna punch the kid square in the face for causing him so much trouble. And he was getting his kid back. No matter what.
Stain closed his eyes and inhaled, stretching his overly tense back. He gave himself a much-needed moment of peace, pointedly ignoring the way the back doors of the van opened and the grass shifted under awkward feet. Stain kept his eyes closed, hoping childishly that if he ignored it hard enough, the presence at his side would just disappear. But the kid opened his mouth and made a tiny noise of hesitation and Stain exhaled deeply.
"What?" He asked, patience already wearing thin.
"I…" Spinner's voice hitched and the mutant cleared his throat before trying again. "I've been listening to the news on the radio and I have something to report."
Stain cracked open one eye, watching the green reptile with a clear lack of interest. Spinner held his head high and, Stain had to hand it to the kid, he was getting better at acting bravely.
"And?"
"Eraser Head's body has been identified, alongside Medusa's and Luminesce's. At this moment, the Hero Killer is being blamed for those three murders, and those three murders alone."
Stain turned to look at Eraser Head, fully knowing that the man had heard the whole thing. Sure enough, Aizawa was glaring at the ground, his knitted brows betraying how conflicted he actually felt. For once, Stain wasn't in a huge hurry to point out he'd been right all along.
"You know what this means, hero." Stain stated with as much tact as he could. He kept all mockery out of his voice, knowing full well that the words alone felt like salt being rubbed into the hero's wounds. Eraser looked up, black eyes meeting red, and Stain was slightly surprised at the understanding he saw in the other man's eyes. It was the same reluctant and strained compromise the man had showed when he'd offered his initial deal to the Hero Killer, and Stain held the gaze evenly.
Eraser wasn't an idiot. If anything, the man was far more intuitive than most people Stain had ever encountered. They both knew that the Hero Commission, as laughable and disgusting as it was, held close tabs on all of their workers. They had their information, profiles, and, sure enough, dental records. True, Dabi's idea of a subtle rescue had been to pretty much torch every single person on the rooftop besides Stain and Eraser (though the latter had been thanks to Shoto's ice) and thus no body was 100% recognizable, but they hadn't smashed any faces. Any decent coroner would have been able to tell that Eraser Head was not amongst the dead bodies. Sure there was blood and a phone, but that wasn't enough to close the case. Not to mention that they had left behind far more than the three bodies reported by the media.
And yet, here they were. Eraser was officially dead to the world, and everyone had been led to believe that Stain was to blame.
This wasn't a mistake. It wasn't a coincidence or an attempt to keep the public calm. No. This was a very meticulous cover-up to make people think that Eraser was already dead, killed alongside his fellow heroes by a horrible evil. The news had probably been made public for one reason, and one reason alone; to make sure no one went out looking for Eraser. At the end of the day, it's far easier to get rid of someone who's already dead.
"They'll probably come looking for you to finish the job." Spinner tensed at the words, his hand reaching for his katana in a subconscious need for reassurance that they wouldn't get caught off guard. Had it been Izuku doing it, Stain might have found it endearing.
"Not every hero in Japan is in on this thing, Hero Killer." Eraser defied, his voice still demanding respect despite everything. Stain didn't know if he wanted to smile or roll his eyes, but he did neither.
"Just enough to kill you, Eraser." Stain argued back and the other man scoffed. "Are you really willing to trust a probable traitor?"
The last question was serious, measured, and Eraser's frown deepened even more. The hero straightened, his eyes flashing that neon red that gave way to his hair flowing off his head as if he was underwater.
"Don't you dare call them that. These are good people."
Stain shrugged, not willing to go back on his part of the agreement. In the end, whoever All Might approved of would end up joining them, and Stain trusted the Number 1 Hero to make a sensible decision when it came to choosing allies. Still, he was curious of who the two heroes would deem worthy.
"Stain!" Shoto called from inside the van and Eraser immediately tensed. Protective, the hero approached the source of the scream, more than ready to protect his old student. Stain, on the other hand, only turned his body so he could face the teen as he jumped out of the car. The kid's hands were covered in blood and that alone was enough for Eraser to throw himself at Shoto like an animal protecting their young.
"What happened? Who hurt you?" He asked, livid, but Shoto only shook his head. He turned to look at Stain.
"It's To… I mean, Dabi." The kid murmured, still not comfortable with sharing all of his story with Eraser. Stain nodded and walked past them, resting his hand on the roof of the van and looking inside with a neutral expression. He was met by quite the sight, one that might have made someone else cringe.
Dabi had removed his shirt halfway, the left side of his torso exposed to the world. His arm was raised as he examined himself, blood dripping down from three staples that had ripped clean through the very skin they were supposed to hold together. Two of the staples were on the floor of the van, the last one still dangling from the broken skin. Toga was carefully handing him clean gauze, her eyes surprisingly steady.
Great, Stain sighed.
"I told you I'm fine," Dabi told his brother, cleaning the wound with some bottled water. "This happens all the time. I just stretched too far." The young man added for the rest of them, his calm demeanor unnatural in such a situation.
Stain had been wary of Dabi's condition ever since he'd first laid eyes on the kid. He'd gotten clear glimpses of the damaged skin throughout the weeks, not being one to avert his eyes at the sight of wounds, and he knew that it was just a matter of time before the small discomforts became full-blown problems for everyone. So much dead skin, burns growing every time he used his quirk, would eventually leave the eldest Todoroki out of commission entirely, and Stain didn't want to have to be the one to carry dead weight in the future.
"How old are you?" Stain asked. Behind him, Spinner gasped at the sight of the wounded Dabi.
"23, I think. 24?" Dabi responded, carefully pulling off the last dangling staple off his side.
Yeah, no, this kid wasn't making it to 35. Not a chance.
Stain sighed, running a hand down his face. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he could hear Izuku freaking out, asking about medical supplies to keep the wound from getting infected.
He was gonna punch Izuku not once, but twice when he got the chance.
"So, what's the drill?" Stain asked as uninterestedly as he could manage.
"I need new staples in a lot of places. You think there's a hardware store anywhere nearby?" Dabi wondered out loud. Yellow eyes narrowed incredulously, Toga looking at the wound on Dabi's side as if the thing had talked shit about her.
"You really use generic, wood-purposed staples, huh?"
"Yeah, why?"
"There's medical staples, you dumbass!" Spinner yelled in shock.
Dabi gave the thought all of five seconds of his time before shaking his head.
"They're expensive."
"No, they're not." Toga bit back.
Stain groaned, tempted to just let Dabi succumb to his slow demise, but Izuku's voice once more echoed in his head.
"We have money, right?" Shoto asked, his eyes landing square on Stain. The man raised a brow, almost amused at how unafraid the kid was of him. With his backstory, Stain would have expected Shoto to be a soft-spoken, shy child, but his hardships had only turned him cold and unapologetic. Not the worst defense mechanism, in his opinion.
" We? I didn't open a communal fund, brat." Stain responded. Dabi and Spinner exchanged a very meaningful look, but Stain ignored them.
In all honesty, he wasn't one to argue over money at all. He didn't care about the stuff and he'd only been careful enough to divide it upon different accounts in case of his identity becoming public knowledge. He didn't need to buy much, but he wasn't stupid enough to dismiss the fact that money got you many, many things in this world. Medical supplies, food, and clothing being the top picks for the Hero Killer.
He knew that if Izuku asked, he'd hand the money over with only mild annoyance, and thus he knew that putting up a fight right now wasn't an objective decision. But how was he supposed to just… agree, with these kids? Patching up Dabi didn't place him anywhere closer to Izuku.
Shoto narrowed his eyes, taking a very deliberate step forward. Aizawa tried to hold the teen back, but that did nothing.
"He's hurt." Shoto half growled.
"I'm fine," Dabi tried to intervene.
"No, you're not." Shoto told him sternly, "We need those supplies."
Stain glared at the kid. By Shoto's foot, ice started eating away at the grass and Spinner started to look a little scared. Stain considered his options carefully, if only because that was what he always did.
Killing Shoto—hell, hurting him—was undeniably out of the question. That kid alone was keeping up most of the civilized atmosphere between Eraser and Stain, regardless of whether he realized it or not—Stain had a feeling he didn't. In a more selfish aspect, the kid was incredibly strong and his loyalty towards Dabi made up, in part, for his total lack of loyalty towards the Hero Killer. And in a more selfless, annoying aspect, the kid was acting way too much like Izuku and that made Stain want to scream and kill everyone around him.
"And who's gonna go get them, exactly?" Stain finally asked, too prideful to just give in like that. He had an image to uphold in front of these people, after all.
Shoto had the decency to think about that, his eyes passing over every person around him in search of a good candidate. His eyes rested on Eraser for a moment, but Stain immediately shot down the idea. Eraser couldn't, under any circumstance, go anywhere by himself at the time. Not without All Might telling them how the situation looked from his side. After a few moments, bi-colored eyes landed on the one girl in the group and Toga shrugged.
"I can go."
"You have no blood to disguise yourself." Dabi pointed out.
"She can take mine." Shoto immediately offered, always ready to give everything for the sake of his brother, but Toga shook her head.
"You're too tall for us to wear the same clothes convincingly. I'll be fine."
"I though you could clone the clothes." Shoto said, the smallest hint of embarastment crossing over his face.
"Yeah, but if I recognized as you I have to drop the image and that not something I'm willing to just do." Toga said in distaste. "I'll be fine by myself as myself."
"Are you sure? I can go with you." Spinner offered hopefully.
"I don't see anyone else driving," Rolling her eyes, Toga stretched out her arms. Spinner mumbled something before nodding, already spinning the car keys on his index finger.
"We're all going," Stain added, the words feeling like sandpaper in his throat. He wanted nothing more than to separate himself from the crazed blonde, but the results of the last time they split into groups were still far too fresh in his mind for him to ignore. Eraser gave the man a look that mirrored his emotions, but in the end, no one had a real argument to not get in the van. If Stain was going, then so was Shoto, which meant Eraser had no other choice but to comply. Stain could imagine Dabi waiting for them to come back on the side of the road, hidden between some dry bushes in the outskirts of town, but there was no point in just leaving him behind.
The van the had was big enough to maybe transport furniture, but it always felt cramped once they were all inside. It was a horrible mix of body odor, blood, and dampness that made the vehicle feel so dank, almost like they were sitting in the most disgusting cup of tea in the world. Everything seeped into your skin and you couldn't stretch out comfortably without knocking into someone else, something that not a single person inside the car, besides Dabi and Shoto, was willing to do. It did help that the two brothers had no qualms in resting against one another, oftentimes sleeping pressed to each other's side, but it did make the denial of touching amongst the others all the more obvious.
Stain was pressed against the door, one leg stretched and katana pressed against his chest. Eraser was opposite to him, sitting close to the center of the space to act as a sort of barrier between the Hero Killer and Shoto. Stain bit back a smile at that, choosing to focus his gaze on a random spot on the wall.
It was a slow, silent ride back towards the city. Toga looked up somewhere to get everything they needed on the phone, something that still made Stain nervous even if he couldn't deny how convenient it was, and thus they wasted no time driving around in circles, going into a thousand pharmacies in an attempt to get what Dabi needed. Not that he'd die without them, Stain noted silently, seeing that the wound had already stopped bleeding. Dabi had taken off his shirt all together at this point, looking for other staples that needed replacing, meaning about 75% of the staples on his chest and arms. The dead skin was all about half an inch above or below the staples already in place, thus rendering the metal stitching useless. It was bizarre, how healthy skin turned red only for a few milimiters before turning black and purple, the division so clean that it looked deliberate.
Dabi looked up, nodded at Stain, and then went back to checking the areas of his body he was willing to show to others. Stain looked away, trying to keep an ear on the sounds of cars around them. They were nowhere near the most commercial areas of town, and he was glad for that.
Twenty minutes later they arrived at a medical supply store, the outside gray and unappealing. Toga covered her mouth and nose with a face mask, turning to look at Dabi. She looked at all the scars, all the wounds, and then nodded to herself. She took some money, the phone Spinner had, and got out of the van. Spinner parked the transport a few yards away, where they could still see the front of the store.
The moment the engine died, the air became tense. Stain wasn't sure if it was the sudden lack of movement, the sounds of the city or the company in close quarters, but he did know that in these types of situations silence was golden. There was no need to fill in the blank, it was much better to just let time pass until Toga came back and they could get out of there. Funny, disgusting and annoyingly so, that he'd be waiting for Toga of all people to come back so they could get this over with. He inhaled slowly, cracking his back with a slow movement of the shoulders. They just had to wait, just had to-
"Oi, Eraser, you don't need anything for your wounds?" Dabi asked, the cheerful tone laced with sarcasm. "You look pretty rough still."
God fucking dammit.
Eraser narrowed his eyes, facing Stain rather than the young man. Izuku would have given the hero a panicked apologetic look, but Stain only looked at the other man with emotionless red eyes.
Shoto looked down at his brother with a slight frown, but Dabi just smiled, picking off another staple from his arm that was barely holding on.
"Getting stabbed must hurt, huh?"
"Knock it off," Stain warned, despising the panicked look that Spinner gave him over his seat. Anything but thankful, Aizawa narrowed his eyes at the Hero Killer.
"Yes, boss," Dabi drawled, leaning back against Shoto with a pleased grin. Shoto looked between his brother and his old teacher, his eyes clouded by that sad, heavy emotion that often overcame him.
"...Are you okay, Mr. Aizawa? Toga can get you something if you need it."
"I'm fine, Todoroki." The hero said, his voice so much softer than when he spoke to anyone else. It was no surprise, but it was still very noticeable. "My wounds have scarred."
"You're welcome, Eraser," Dabi said, having the audacity to wink at the hero's back and Stain had to fight back the intense desire to kick the kid in the middle of his smug, disrespectful face.
Calm as the sea before a hurricane, Eraser didn't give any sign that he'd even heard Dabi. It was one of those moments in which Stain was reminded of the fact that Aizawa had been a teacher, a mentor of sorts to a whole class of aspiring heroes. The one thing that stung about the U.A falling was the fact that Eraser Head had been denied the right to pass on his ideas to future generations.
The phone ringing made them all jump somewhat, though the pro hero and serial killer barely moved visibly. Toga had one of the phones on her and Eraser had the other. There was only one call they were expecting, but the hero still took the time to read the number flashing on the screen in full to see if he recognized it. After a moment he answer, placing the phone on the floor and turning on the speaker.
"They're out of cream in the breakroom." The voice over the phone said, deep and steady.
"Which kind?" Eraser asked.
"Hazelnut."
"What have you found?" The code out of the way, both heroes felt free enough to speak, even if neither of them was willing to address the other by name.
"Nothing. Those two women had nothing in common; different ages, places of birth, schools from where they graduated. There is no real link to them thus far. I also haven't been able to locate any suspicious cars or activity anywhere that would point me towards the young boy."
Stain noticed how Eraser's hand clenched into fists, his perfect act of calmness crumbling ever so slightly. Stain found himself feeling the same.
"I will keep digging."
"Thank you." Then, after a pause, "Have you thought of who we could contact?"
"...I have a few people in mind. Though I'd like to wait for the right moment to approach a few of them." Stain narrowed his eyes, not liking the odd hesitance in the hero's voice. "Though I have a feeling that at least two of my choices will match yours."
"How are they taking all of this?" Aizawa asked as if he already knew who they were talking about. He sounded almost... Guilty?
"Badly. We haven't seen either of them since you were pronounced dead."
Aizawa cursed under his breath, his eyes shifting to the side. Stain was itching to ask who they were talking about, but he wasn't stupid enough to speak up at the moment. Anyone could be listening.
"Will you look for them? I have a feeling I know where they are, but I can't exactly…"
"Of course. I'll find them soon, don't worry."
"Thank you. Is there anything else?"
There was a long moment of silence, only the crackling of the speaker audible.
"Is he listening?"
Even without names, Stain could guess that All Might was talking about him. There was something in the tense, low tone that just told him. Aizawa and Stain exchanged a measured glance, both of them attempting to read the other man but coming back with nothing. Not wanting to interrupt, Stain allowed Eraser to respond.
"Yes. He is."
"Then I'd like to address him for a moment."
Stain raised a brow, both unsurprised and slightly anxious. He cleared his throat, his only indication that he was listening. On the other end of the line, All Might exhaled slowly, deliberately.
"I will not rest until those kids are back where they belong, and I will hunt you down to the ends of the Earth if you as much as think about taking them after this. This changes nothing about that. Are we clear?"
Stain surprised himself by relaxing. His shoulders fell and shook as if he were laughing, but no noise escaped past his lips. He looked at the phone with the same reverence and respect he would give the Number 1 Hero, but he shook his head in a useless gesture of amusement.
"I expected nothing else from you and I promise not to sway them in any way. But I will say that, in the end, they both get to decide their own paths in life. They deserve that much."
Stain felt a familiar look landing upon his form and he looked up to meet Shoto's gaze, mismatched eyes flashing with something painful and deep, but also with a very small amount of confusion and who knows what else. Suddenly Stain realized that the look felt familiar because it was the same type of look Izuku had given him once before, that look of desperation and sadness and hope he'd gotten when he'd offered his hand to Midoriya Izuku for the first time. Emotions hit him like a bag of bricks and he had to force himself to look away. He barely even registered the way All Might told them he'd stay in touch and the call was already over by the time he snapped back to his senses.
Aizawa and Dabi both noticed the odd exchange, and while the former frowned in suspicion and doubt, the latter smirked like a person that could accomplish anything in this life. Spinner looked at all of them with a cautious expression, never the one to easily read the emotions in the room.
"We're not leaving these kids with you, Hero Killer." Aizawa stated plainly and Stain swallowed forcefully.
He felt wounded somehow and he was just about to tell the others that he needed some air when there was a small knock on the passenger side window. Toga opened the door, raising a brow at the mood inside the vehicle, but she tactfully asked no questions. She was generally not interested in anything that wasn't Izuku or blood.
"I got everything, let's go." She said and, after a moment of hesitation, Spinner started the van and drove away.