They don't stay too much longer and soon enough the group begins to head their separate ways. Chee Sensei gives him one last congratulatory pat on the back and Reo's mother, surprisingly enough, pulls him into a short hug. There's a bright smile on her face.
"It's a shame my brother couldn't make it, you did amazing out there. Thank you for inviting us."
Izuku flushes a bright pink as she pulls away. "Thanks," he murmurs, scratching bashfully at the back of his neck. "I'm glad you guys could make it." He locks eyes with Reo and feels himself begin to mirror the smile on his face.
Shinsou leans against Reo's shoulder, whispering something in his ear before slipping over to Izuku's side.
"We'll be going then," Misaki says. The woman shoos him in the direction of the train. Not including Shinsou and the Midoriyas, the others had all come by car.
Izuku laughs as he and Shinsou break away from the others, waving goodbye.
"Take care of that gift!" Reo calls from behind, walking backward as he does so and nearly stumbling into his mother.
Izuku does the same, feeling for the staff inside his hoodie pocket. "I'll try not to lose it!"
"You better not!"
They make promises to see each other at school, but he and Shinsou have barely been walking alone a full minute when Reo catches up with them again. They both turn to find him running towards them, panting and out of breath. There's a stupid grin on his face. "I convinced her to let me take the train with you guys."
"I can't believe you're already out of breath," Izuku laughs. Reo slings an arm around his shoulders, pulling him into a headlock and playfully tussling his hair still damp with sweat.
It's not long before the three of them have completely abandoned what remained of the tournament crowd, opting for a station where they could hopefully avoid the hoard. The usually quiet streets are kept alive by their casual bickering. Izuku's quieter than the other two, more tired than he'd ever care to admit to them, but it shows itself in his decreasing amount of idle chatter. This creeping exhaustion is also the reason he's the first to notice. It's barely audible, nothing more than a whisper on the wind, fading in and out of existence.
"–member this name..."
Izuku pauses as the other two continue walking. It's distant, probably just another street away.
"–m Ingenium! The hero w..."
Reo stops as well, looking back at him. "Izuku?" He's understandably confused.
Izuku strains his ears, staring into the alley he's stopped in front of.
"–ake you down!"
He takes a step into the alley, feet dragging him closer to the noise. The shadows are spider-like, crawling up the sides of the buildings.
"Midoriya?" It's Shinsou's voice this time.
Izuku comes out the other side on another deserted street. He looks carefully each way. A hand settles on his shoulder and he looks back to see the other two have caught up with him again.
"Talk to me, Izuku," Reo says. His eyes are a mix of confusion and a careful caution. "There's someone," he murmurs.
"Hero Killer!" It's an eerily familiar voice to two of them, loud enough to be heard by the entire group.
Izuku's head whips to the left and his body wastes no time carrying him towards the source. "Call the police!" Izuku shouts behind him, reaching for the staff in his pocket on instinct rather than conscious thought.
"–genium's brother? He helped spread the word of my duty. But you're..." There's a cry of pain. "–so weak." There's another cry, louder this time.
His friends are hot on his trail as he dashes across the street, skidding to a stop at the mouth of a second alley.
"Hey!" Shinsou's shout, aimed at the villain, is a desperate one.
Stain looks up at their group carefully, poised dangerously over the body of someone donning armor. He yanks a katana out of their shoulder with a morbid squelch and brings the blade to his mouth. He cleans it with a swipe of his tongue in a way that turns Izuku's stomach in the same breath that it revives something inside of him he'd been trying to smother.
Izuku twists the staff in his hands, spinning it in one smooth motion as it extends out to its full size.
It's not until Izuku's already swung his staff that Stain finally responds to Shinsou's call. "More kids?" His eyes glaze over a split second before the end of Izuku's staff slams harshly into his cheekbone.
"Midoriya!"
It sends the villain stumbling back a few steps. It's not much, but it's enough to get him off of Iida. He shakes his head a bit, shaking off the effects of Shinsou's quirk like one would cobwebs.
"Shit, shit, shit, I don't know. Can't you just ping our location?" Reo curses, stationed at the mouth of the alley, a phone pressed to his ear.
It takes only a glance to confirm Iida's identity. Izuku takes a defensive stance in front of the boy. His glare is sharp as his eyes lock in on the villain. "Iida, can you stand?"
At first, there's only a grunt in response, but it's followed closely with a breathy, "No. He cut me, that's likely his quirk."
"Shinsou," Izuku barks, "Get him out of the way."
"But–"
Izuku cuts him off. "I don't want to trip over him."
"This isn't your fight," Iida grits out as Shinsou rushes over, doing his best to hoist the boy up.
Stain is only watching them at the moment, waiting to see what they'll do. "You've become a slave to your anger," he states instead, addressing Iida, "to the point where you're no longer driven by anything besides your own self-interest."
"My brother was a great hero!" Iida shouts back, "You took that from him, and for what!" He hangs limply from Shinsou's arms as he's dragged away. There are tears on his cheeks. "I'll kill you for what you did to him!"
Reo's voice rises again, "What do you mean you're having trouble! I'm telling you the hero ki–"
A blade flies past Izuku's cheek, too fast to so much as register. It slams into the phone in Reo's hand with scary accuracy. The older teen yelps in fear, dropping it and leaping away in fright.
Izuku whips around without thinking, the boy's name already on his lips, "Reo!"
"Tsukauchi!"
There's a scratch on Reo's cheek and a shallow cut dripping blood on the side of his hand. On the
ground, the phone he'd been using is absolutely destroyed, one of Stain's serrated blades stabbing through the middle. Its screen flickers once, twice, three times, before fading to black.
Midoriya waits with bated breath for something to happen. Nothing does. "I'm not done," Stain states ominously.
Izuku slowly turns back towards the villain.
"Those driven by self-interest," Stain continues, "are not heroes." He turns to Midoriya then. "My duty is to kill these two." His blade swings downwards, pointing back at a second body that they'd failed to notice in the dark.
Izuku freezes, recognition dawning like a sunless sunrise. His voice is nothing more than a quiet croak, " Detective ."
Reo's head snaps towards Izuku at the word, following his line of sight. He turns silent, distress wrapping a cruel hand around his throat, smothering any attempt at speech.
Sprawled behind the villain is the body of Detective Tsukauchi Naomasa. Blood stains his white shirt and pools on the ground around his shoulder. He's unmoving. His eyes are closed, and his face is blank, and in the darkness, it's hard to tell if the gentle rise and fall of his chest is an illusion or not.
"If we fight now, it's only natural that the weaker of us will be culled." Stain's eyes drift to the others behind Izuku, to Shinsou, to Reo. The look in his eyes is enough to strike fear into the hearts of those who have never experienced killing intent.
Determination settles in Izuku's eyes.
"Get out of here, Midoriya, Shinsou!" Iida shouts. "It's none of your business what happens here! You're not heroes! We're not even friends!"
Izuku's reluctant to admit that the words sting. "That's no excuse to abandon someone in need." "You'll die here!"
"So will you!" Izuku spits viciously. "Are you prepared to die like this?!" He keeps his eyes trained on Stain. "I can guess why you're here! Are you prepared to die for revenge?!"
"Yes!" Iida barks determinedly.
Something hot and fiery awakens inside Izuku's throat. "Then you're even stupider than I was," he hisses, "Don't tell me you're planning to have your brother attend your funeral."
"This isn't your battle, Midoriya!" Iida shouts back instead.
"You're right." Izuku shifts his stance, preparing to take the offensive. "But, If I listened to that kind of logic there'd be a lot more families mourning in Musutafu. Reo," he calls, "I'm sorry."
Reo lets out a mirthless half-laugh. "I think we can consider this an exception to your promise." Izuku is the first to attack. "Glad we're on the same page."
Reo has patched more wounds than he can remember on account of Izuku's nighttime heroism. Even so, his hands shake as he goes to help Shinsou lay Iida on the ground. He recognizes him from the sports festival, one of Izuku's teammates from the second round, the brother of Stain's most recent victim. Reo slips out of his button-up, using it to staunch the bleeding. He doesn't have any supplies and his quirk's sorting system is in shambles from nerves.
"Shinsou," Reo chokes out, trying to remember what he can, "Izuku's probably going to do whatever it takes to push that guy back. As soon as you see a safe chance to get that other man out of there, do it ."
Shinsou's eyes flicker towards where Midoriya's fighting, then towards the body still laying just behind Stain's feet. He gives a determined nod, pushing himself up. He takes a deep breath, gathering all of the fear inside his lungs. "Hey, Voldemort!"
It's a dance of sorts, a constant clash of steel that gives flight to brilliant sparks of light every time their weapons clash. In this bloody street brawl, there were no rules like there are in the ring and Izuku uses it to his advantage. Every dirty trick he's ever learned as a vigilante comes back to him like second nature. He swings at Stain's head, at his elbows, at his knees. He spies a plastic milk crate tucked beside a dumpster and uses one end of his staff to pick it up and fling it at the villain's face with a speed rivaling one of the man's blades. He does his best to drive Stain back, to get him away from where Naomasa's still bleeding out. He doesn't know how bad the detective's wounds are, but he can tell that time isn't on their side. Every few seconds he can hear Shinsou shouting something from behind him, trying and failing to get Stain's attention long enough to garner any sort of verbal response from the villain.
Izuku won't be able to beat him alone. He's not stupid enough to think otherwise. He doesn't even know if he'll be able to hold Stain off long enough for help to arrive. Shinsou was their only hope of capturing Stain without reinforcements. Midoriya feels a breath away from death at all times, every move he makes must be calculated and yet if he thinks too much he'll be overwhelmed.
One of Stain's spiked boots slip through his guard, barreling into Izuku's ribs. His eyes pinch closed in pain. But before Stain can pull away, Izuku wraps his arm around his ankle, firmly locking it in place. "Why is it always the right," Izuku coughs. The spikes dig deeper into his ribs, hot blood trickling down his side. He gives the villain no time to react as raises his other arm, slamming his elbow harshly into the side of his knee.
It's not enough to break it, but the man still grunts in pain. He swings his katana in retaliation, forcing Izuku to release his hold. He dodges the blade by an angel's breath, the force of it ruffling his hair as he falls backwards. Izuku rolls to the side, Stain's boot slamming into the concrete in pursuit of his shadow.
Iida had suggested that being cut by the man's blade was enough to cause whatever paralysis he'd fallen into. But, Stain had drawn blood from both Reo and Iida, and now, Izuku as well. Iida, however, was the only one of them that couldn't move.
Izuku throws himself back on his feet, once again falling into a fighting stance. He glances down at Stain's boots as the fight lulls for a moment. He looks back up. A smirk blooming on his face despite the fear in his throat. "Nice shoes. Seems like we've got similar taste. The spikes are pretty nice right?"
Stain's eyes narrow without a response.
It's possible that Stain could paralyze only one target at a time. But, Izuku remembers seeing it as soon as they'd stepped foot in the alley: the way Stain had cleaned the blood off his blade.
The fight resumes. Izuku swings his staff, throwing all his weight into the strike. The villain jumps back, avoiding the attack.
There's another desperate taunt from Shinsou. "I thought you were dead."
Izuku misses a beat, faltering at Stain's words, but continues fighting. "And I thought you were supposed to be in Hosu," the boy grunts in response, cursing when the katana passes inches from his arm.
The villain quiets.
Izuku gets in close, sparing a glance to the side. In his peripheral vision, he spots one of Naomasa's
hands. Just a little further.
"I heard why you're here," Midoriya growls. He clenches his fists around his staff, aiming a desperate strike at the knee he'd injured earlier. "If you want to respect Piper's wishes, then I'd try killing less people," he spits.
Stain blocks the attack, eyes narrowing. "I'm not here to avenge Piper ," he corrects, "I'm here to cull the rotten heroes of Musutafu."
"That man isn't even a hero," Izuku snarls, "He's a police officer." "And yet he failed his job all the same. He abandoned his post."
"He's grieving ," Izuku snaps, voice cracking. He clenches his jaw, refocusing on the fight though he feels all the more aware of Reo's presence behind him.
"Grief is nothing more than socially accepted greed and self-pity," Stain states between blows. "It's an excuse. The boy behind you wields his grief like a katana for the sake of revenge: defending his egocentrism by labeling it heroism."
Izuku tunes out the words and stabs forward with his staff, pushing the villain back. It's not much but it's all Izuku needs. "Shinsou, now!"
Shinsou hesitates for only a moment before rushing forward. There's fear in his eyes and fire in his chest as he darts towards the detective. He shoves his hands under the man's shoulders, wrapping them under his arms. Under better circumstances, Shinsou would've liked to avoid grabbing anywhere near the man's obvious injury, if only so he didn't have to know what fresh blood feels like beneath his palm, but there's no time for such formalities.
Izuku steps fully between Stain and Naomasa. He takes a defensive stance, fully prepared to do whatever he can to protect both Shinsou and the unconscious detective.
"Despite what you did, that call still went through," Izuku grunts, pushing back a swing of his blade, "People will be looking for us."
Izuku sees it happening before he's able to react: Stain's free hand wrapping around the second knife at his hip. He draws it, arching wide while Izuku's still in close.
"I'll have to finish this quickly then."
The serrated edge of the knife leaves a cut along the side of his abdomen. It's not deep, but it's enough to make him falter. Stain brings his katana back up while he's still recovering, slamming the blunt edge of it into Izuku's cheek before he can get his staff up to block it. The blow sends him reeling.
Stain uses the opening the slip around him. Izuku reaches out to stop him, hand outstretched to grab at something, anything, when Stain brings his bloodied blade up to his lips. Midoriya feels his muscles tense and freeze, legs stopping in their tracks. He lets out a word of warning, "Shinsou!"
The teen's head snaps up at his name, still only two-thirds of the way to Reo. Stain spares a glance at him, eyes flickering down towards the detective. He does not stop, continuing past them: straight towards Reo and Iida.
"Stop!"
Shinsou's eyes widen, rubberbanding between where Midoriya stands frozen and where Reo hovers protectively over Iida.
"Every decision you've made in your life has led you to this point. It is no one's fault but your own for what happens here."
Izuku's voice feels raw. "Don't touch them!"
Reo leaps up, covering Iida's body with his own in a desperate attempt to protect the boy. Stain aims a hellish kick at Reo's side, throwing him off. A pained shout escapes him as he curls into a ball where he lands.
Midoriya can do nothing but watch, tears of desperation building. "Reo!" "A heroic attempt."
Shinsou stands frozen where he is, shaking as he tightens his grip on Naomasa. "Iida get up," he chokes out. It's barely loud enough to be heard, but the words carry with it the entire weight of Hitoshi's quirk. "Get out of here!"
"I'm not leaving till he's dead!" Tenya snarls, face twisted with righteous fury unbefitting of a fifteen-year-old.
But, that response is all it takes for Iida's red eyes to glaze over. "Iida! Get! Up!" A headache explodes at Shinsou's temples, but Iida's arms move shakily beneath him, trembling as he pushes himself up. His face is blank, emotionless.
Stain watches it happen with mild interest. He, however, doesn't give the boy a chance to get his knees back under him. Stain slams his blade down.
Midoriya Izuku is only fifteen when he's forced to watch as Iida Tenya is impaled on the blade of the villain he failed to defeat. His frozen, outstretched hand reaches no one.
Iida's arms give out and he collapses back to the ground, the murky white of Shinsou quirk evaporating. Iida's eyes widen in slow motion as he regains himself, mouth parting like he wants to say something. There's no anger anymore, just fear and pain as Stain wrenches his sword out.
"A message must be sent," Stain states over the ringing in Izuku's ears before the blade is slammed back into Iida's chest. He feels numb.
Shinsou shouts something, dropping Naomasa and Reo shakily pushes himself back up to his hands and knees.
Iida grunts, blood coming up. He struggles to keep his eyes open and Midoriya's throat clamps shut on itself. They lock eyes with one another and for a moment it's like the rest of the alley disappears. There's a message in Iida's eyes, an apology.
"Keep your eyes open, Iida," Midoriya begs silently, "Keep them open. You can do it. Don't close your eyes. Please. Iida, please. Keep your eyes open. Iida, keep your eyes open. Iida–"
Iida's red eyes flutter shut. They don't reopen.
Midoriya's mouth parts silently. Blood is roaring through his ears, drowning out the sound of Stain wrenching his blade out of Iida's armor for a final time. His mouth closes, then opens, and closes again. Stain turns, wiping Iida's blood off his katana.
Izuku's mouth opens and a broken scream escapes him. " NO! " His fingers twitch. His chest shudders, sun roaring with an insufferable heat that chars his bones. It leaves the villain eyeing him cautiously.
It takes only a few moments more for Midoriya to realize he's regained control of his body and Stain takes a step back as the fifteen-year-old rushes over to the other boy, eyes bloodshot and blurred with tears, snot already working to clog his nose and his throat. Izuku rolls Iida onto his back, desperately watching for signs of life.
There's one crackling, wet breath. And then there's nothing. Shinsou hovers over his shoulder, staring on in disbelief.
The sun in his chest flickers out with the last, noiseless breath of the people he's failed to save, heroes with futures brighter than his.
"You killed him," Izuku croaks. "You killed him." His head turns jerkily towards Stain. "You," he croaks, standing on shaking legs. "You killed him."
That's how Aizawa Shouta finds them.