Midoriya wakes early to see Reo's face barely a hand's width from his. He's still asleep, peacefully lost in his exhaustion. But there's rustling behind him and he carefully tears his eyes away to roll himself over and see the source of it. He goes slowly, scared of waking Reo and finds Shinsou awake on the bed beside theirs. He looks lost in thought, brows furrowed as he stares down at his hands.

They'd watched someone die last night, someone they were both acquainted with after the sports festival. He must sense Izuku's eyes on him because he eventually turns to look at him. "Midoriya," the name seems to serve as some sort of confirmation for the boy, as if saying it will solidify his existence or clear his confusion.

"Izuku's fine," he murmurs quietly.

"Izuku," Shinsou tries again, more softly this time. "What did Stain mean... when he said he'd keep that other guy alive for Piper's sake?"

Izuku can only blink dumbly at the boy for a moment, heart rising in his throat. "What?"

"The detective that Stain spared," Shinsou repeats, eyes flickering towards the man, "Why did he

do that and why... Why did he say it like it was directed at you ?"

Izuku's eyes shift towards the floor, looking away. "Detective Tsukauchi was the one working Piper's case," he says after a while, "but I don't know anything more than that." Izuku's never been more thankful that the man himself is still asleep.

"He's related to Reo, right?"

"His uncle," Izuku confirms softly, glancing back at the boy just behind him. "Th–"

The room's door slides open, cutting Shinsou off. He falls silent as Recovery Girl hobbles inside, trailed closely by Dr. Sui. A notable somberness follows them in. Recovery Girl spares a glance at

the still sleeping Reo as she approaches but doesn't comment on the spectacle. "Good morning, boys."

An automatic 'good morning' dies on its way out Izuku's throat. Iida invades his head, what would the world without him look like?

"Midoriya, your wounds were stitches last night, but I didn't want to try and use my quirk after how much blood you lost. You thankfully didn't need any transfusions, but it was still better to let you sleep given your condition at that point."

"Right," Izuku murmurs, only half aware of the words she's saying.

Dr. Sui is watching him carefully, the concern on her face is clear though Izuku hardly so much as takes note of her as Recovery Girl approaches his side of the bed.

His hands feel dirty, caked with an invisible grime. He glances down at them, flexing his fingers. And there, in the light, he can see blood dried between the creases where skin meets nail; staining the edges of his nail beds rusty red. And suddenly he realizes the grime was not invisible. Anyone who looked close enough could see it.

He doesn't even know if it's his or not.

Recovery Girl takes his hand, prepared to gently press her lips against the back of it. Izuku jerks away, violently and without hesitation.

He has blood on his hands.

He has blood on his hands.

His breath hitches, caught where the lump in his throat has formed. He can hear his name being called, can feel Reo shift beside him. He keeps his hands close to his chest, out of reach of anyone trying to grab them.

"Izuku," Reo's murmurs from beside him, voice just as calm and grounding as it's always been, just as soft as the night he'd died. He sounds tired and groggy and Izuku really can't make sense of any of the words but he listens until he can understand; till his breathing slows and the knot in his throat dissolves. And he feels guilty . Because Reo had been there too . Had done what he could to tend to Iida's wounds and, in a last-ditch effort, had cast his body over Iida's to protect him. He shouldn't have to comfort Izuku, shouldn't have to talk him down from a panic attack immediately after waking. They'd fallen asleep in each other's eyes, drowned in each other's turmoil.

He didn't deserve this, didn't need anymore on his already full plate. The tides of panic in Izuku's chest ebb until he feels nothing but guilt. "Sorry," the word is nothing but a whisper on his lips.

Reo stays silent beside him, content instead to lean his head against Izuku's shoulder tiredly.

"There's no need to apologize," Recovery Girl assures him. She takes a step up on the seat between his and Shinsou's beds. She hesitates for a moment, giving him time to pull away again if he wants. He gives her a gentle nod and she leans over to press a gentle kiss to his forehead instead.

The tingles start-up violently throughout his body, his shoulder, his abdomen, his leg, all the scratches and bruises are eaten, swallowed whole in the face of such a powerful quirk.

There will be no scars left behind.

2 · Trending in Japan

Stain

12,583 Tweets

Trending with KIDS and Hero Killer

732 @squadgrimes · 3h THEY CAUGHT STAIN ???

Cypher @HollowTriangles · 5h

YOU'RE REALLY TELLING ME THREE KIDS HELD OFF STAIN UNTIL HEROES

SHOWED UP

Angst two raccoons in a trench coat @angstyBoodle · 3h

The name of Stain's last victim hasn't been released but their family has my condolences Technotwt Squid Games @PigSquidGames · 12m

UPDATE: The final victim of the Hero Killer Stain is confirmed to have been a hero student attending UA

ran!#722 @luzuru_ · 49m STAIN ???????(;)4:853/)8@),!

ShapesSpeak @shapeschat · 1h cant believe they finally caught Stain

( SAM ) @emerizard · 4h

Guys check lrt

this is what i was talking about earlier, like they caught Stain but at what cost

705 arney7 @arney_twt · 4h

so Stain really was in Musutafu, i thought it was just a rumor...

Leaf @LeafmeEalone · 1h

Bro... I know Stain like, isn't a good guy and kills people and stuff, but trying to kill kids is too far

Pebble Brain on the Brain @lov3joy · 2h

THEYRE JUST KIDS, THE PEOPLE WHO HELPED STOP STAIN ARE JUST KIDS

B u z @ B u z i i e e e e # · 7 3 0 m4 wait so who did stain kill???

Lyons @lyons_eyey · 3h

FUCK, YOU'RE TELLING ME STAIN GOT CAUGHT?? NOOOOOOO

The hospital keeps them all another night. Both Reo and Shinsou have already been fully healed from any wounds they had received, but Dr. Sui had explained that she's keeping them all for 'observation', which really, in Midoriya's opinion, feels more like she's making sure none of them have some sort of mental break as soon as her back's turned.

Reo's back in his bed for the night and though he's still facing Izuku, his eyes are closed, his breathing soft and slow. He's dreamless from the look of it.

Izuku looks away, staring out across the room. He'd woken to another nightmare an hour ago, heart fluttering with panic. His breakdown had been quiet though, had stifled it enough not to wake anyone around him. He's sitting up now, the bed elevated to keep him upright. He can feel sleep tugging at him but resists it in favor of watching the rise and fall of Naomasa's chest across from him. The man had evidently woken up for a short time earlier that day after sleep had reclaimed Izuku in the wake of Recovery Girl's quirk and Izuku had come to to find Reo's eyes red and puffy with the news. It'd instilled a sense of relief in him, at least they'd saved one person.

But there's something else in his chest, something dangerous building up. Stain knew he was Piper, Shinsou was questioning whether he was. Both Eraserhead and Present Mic had shown up just in time to see him fight with a bo staff in hand though neither had come to him bearing any suspicions. Mic had stopped by earlier to check in on them, but he'd yet to see even a glimpse of Aizawa.

The three of them had watched Iida die, but none of them had been particularly close with the boy. Aizawa, however, had been his teacher, had been one of the ones to personally train him in the pursuit of a better tomorrow.

Someone would have to tell the rest of the boy's class as well. He wonders if Aizawa would be the one to do it.

Izuku catches his lower lip between his teeth, biting down. He stares at Naomasa, brows furrowed in a pained grimace.

The man groans softly, turning over. His eyes flutter open groggily and he blinks them to adjust to the darkness. Naomasa looks around confusedly, still half-asleep and when his head finally turns in Izuku's directions, they lock eyes from across the room.

There's a moment of silence, then a, "Go back to sleep, Detective," as Izuku gently urges him back to bed. There's a pained sort of relief twisting the smile Izuku offers him.

Naomasa looks at him strangely for a moment before eventually conceding. His head falls back tiredly on his pillow.

He sleeps.

The next morning Naomasa wakes like he'd had a dream. Not necessarily a bad one, but a good one that turned out to be nothing more than his imagination. Izuku can tell from the disappointment in his eyes.

Sansa Tamakawa, someone he recognizes from his time as Piper, shows up not long after they wake to sit with him. The feline's shoulders are tense, stiff with a carefully hidden anxiety as he talks idly with Naomasa and Reo.

All of them are fully healed now, with only Naomasa bearing any scars to prove it'd even happened. But, Sansa still worries. The feline doesn't stay long, but Izuku can see the reluctance in the dejected swivel of his ears when he checks the time. There's a soft smile on Naomasas's face as he leaves and Izuku realizes rather violently that he doesn't actually know if anyone's told the man of Iida's death. He'd been unconscious for their entire fight with Stain. It's possible he wasn't even awake when Iida had arrived either.

He'd find out eventually if he didn't know already. Midoriya can only hope he's not there when he does.

They're all discharged later that day with little fanfare; sent home with well wishes and somber faces.

Izuku doesn't go to school for the next few days, but neither does Reo or Shinsou.

They all carefully skirt around the subject of Iida's death when they're together, but it's clear from the dark circles blooming beneath their eyes that they're all still haunted by sleepless nights. For now, it's enough for them to sit quietly in each other's presence, mourning in their own ways.

But where the others begin the slow process of healing, Izuku lets his wounds fester for days, eating him alive. He replays the events over again in his head, agonizing over everything he could've done. What he could've said to end it without bloodshed. He goes even further, rethinking the details of Piper's death now that he's seen the consequences. He wonders how he could've done it differently to prevent all of this.

Iida's death, in the end, was Stain's decision. He could've merely injured the boy, could've maimed him, could've done anything besides slam his blade through the fifteen-year-old's chest.

Reo knows this. Shinsou knows this. Even if there's a seed of guilt that eats at them they know the reality of what took place that night. They know not to blame themselves at the end of the day even if it's hard for them to accept.

Midoriya too knows this. But knowing doesn't change anything. Midoriya could've stopped it. If he'd been more patient, if he'd thought things out more, if he'd been stronger, faster, smarter, he could've saved him, could've prevented it all.

If Piper was still alive Naomasa wouldn't have been targeted in the first place.

Stain never would have come to Musustafu and Iida would have never run into him.

" Iida would've tracked Stain down no matter where he was, " the voice in his head sounds distinctly like Reo.

Izuku sighs, looking over at the boy. He's hunched over his work table, sketching out blueprints for something new he'd come up with some thirty minutes ago.

Shinsou had been over earlier, sprawled out on the bed next to Izuku while watching conspiracy theory videos, his extra earphone shoved in Izuku's direction when he'd shown an interest in one of the clips involving a nameless underworld cryptid.

Reo had distracted them both at one point towards the end of the video, intent on explaining his sudden idea for them before he'd started sketching the blueprints he's working on now. He'd been midway through telling them how he'd landed on the idea when the video ended and another one began auto-playing through their headphones in its place.

"The death of the vigilante Pied Piper surprised everyone," the narrator starts, "Thousands took to the internet to mourn in the wake of their death, all wondering what happened, why, how ? How did Piper die? That's the question on everyone's minds. But, it seems that even the police aren't sure w––," the voice cut out abruptly as Shinsou paused the video, a gentle flush rising to his cheeks.

The damage, however, had already been done.

Izuku's eyes held a far-off look, his muscles tensed, blood rushing loudly through his ears. Shinsou had slipped the phone back into his pocket, quickly turning his attention back to Reo. There was no evidence that either of them had noticed the molten core of distress that had suddenly bubbled up inside Izuku's chest.

Shinsou left soon after, leaving Izuku and Reo alone with nothing more than each other and their thoughts.

"You okay?" Reo does not look at Izuku as he asks it, continuing to work on his blueprints. Izuku swallows thickly, lowering himself back on the bed. "I'm fine."

Seems he did notice.

There's a moment of silence and the scritch of Reo's pencil slows before stilling completely.

"Izuku–" he starts.

Midoriya cuts him off, nerves tightening the muscles in his throat, "I'm sorry," he states quickly, "You went through the same thing I did and I'm still here making you play therapist."

"If I didn't want you to tell me I wouldn't have asked, Izuku," Reo responds quietly. "I'm your friend."

"But, it hurts you," Izuku says with a near whine.

"To live is to hurt others," Reo quotes, voice a low murmur, "and through others, to hurt oneself. If it's for you I'd do anything. I'd hurt a thousand times over just to save you from one. You'd do the same, wouldn't you?" It's not phrased like a question, but Izuku still answers it like one.

"Of course," he breathes.

"Friendship is a consensual agreement between two people to hurt and be hurt by one another. That's what caring for someone is all about. When they hurt you'll hurt as well. There's limits of course," Reo chuckles, "as with all things, but my point ," he emphasizes, "is that I'm always here for you." He turns then, finally looking back at Izuku. There's a sad sort of understanding in his eyes. "I'm the only one who knows," he whispers, "the only one you can come to when Piper's struggles overlap with yours. I can't pretend to know what you're going through, but I can listen. If it's for you I can listen."

" I'm the only one that knows... the only one you can come to when Piper's struggles overlap with yours. " The words loop viciously inside Izuku's head even days after Reo had said them. "... the only one that knows... the only one that knows. " Birthed like a new star, violent and impossible to ignore with its newfound luminosity, the words haunt him. What was meant to be something comforting had twisted within the context of everything that had come before it.

At therapy he'd avoided the subject of Iida's death; buried it deep inside him, let it harden beneath the slow-building pressure in his chest.

"... the only one that knows... "

Inko had booked him an emergency appointment for the day after he'd been released from the hospital. Oboro had already known about Iida's death before he'd arrived. Izuku's sure Inko had been the one to tell him about his involvement in Stain's capture. The man was gentle in alluding to the topic, but he hadn't forced the subject when Izuku tactfully ignored it and he hadn't shown any sort of disappointment when it became obvious that Izuku wasn't ready to talk about it just yet.

But now he can't get Reo's words out of his head. He'd been reliant on his friend for so long. It was just like Reo had said: he was the only one he was able to turn to about anything that was bothering him. Even now with a proper therapist at his disposal Izuku had been unable to talk about the things he actually needed to. Time and time again he'd been forced to burden Reo with things he shouldn't have to be.

" I'm the only one you can come to when Piper's struggles overlap with yours. "

Reo was right, but he shouldn't be . Izuku has a decision to make, one that could help both him and Reo if it went the way he hoped it would. But if it didn't ... if it didn't then Izuku would lose everything .

Izuku stands hesitantly outside of the LC Counseling Center, staring at the sign. This is the second time he's been here this week, but he's alone today; finally able to convince his mother that he could handle going alone. It's better this way , he thinks.

He has plans to meet up with Reo and Shinsou after this. He wonders if he'll be able to make it or not.

Oboro Shirakumo. He has two rings on his finger, and three scars over his eye, and hair that shifts cloud-like under the influence of what has to be a quirk. He likes the color blue and is good at listening and besides this Izuku knows next to nothing about the man.

"It's good to see you again," he greets as Izuku takes a step inside the office.

Izuku offers him a small smile in return but it's uncertain and barely there and now the man knows there's something on his mind. He takes a seat in his usual spot but doesn't say anything when Oboro asks how he's been since their last visit. Izuku sits in contemplative silence instead, staring at his hands.

" I'm the only one. " Izuku takes a deep breath.

"I'm quirkless," the words feel strange to say to someone who has logically already read all of his files. But, saying it takes a weight off of his chest. "That's why UA wouldn't let me into the hero course."

He thinks it's a good place to start, it's where it had all began after all. Midoriya's rejection from UA would become Piper's origin story.

Oboro listens to him without interruption. They're all things that the man knows, but it's important that Izuku says it first.

"Hero work is dangerous, especially when you don't have a quirk suited for it. But, I'd trained for so long," Izuku stresses. Sorrow eats at his chest, threatening to choke him up. "But they were right. Even with what training I'd done it wouldn't be enough to both save people and protect myself. Because that's the thing," he swallows thickly, voice strained, "as a hero you have to be able to protect yourself too. Anyone can save other people, but you have to be strong in order to keep saving people. And that's what no one tells you." He takes in a shuddering breath, collecting himself. "From a legal standpoint," he starts again, refusing to meet the man's eyes, looking pointedly at his hands, "you aren't allowed to contact any authorities if I were to ever, hypothetically, confess to any past crimes as long as neither myself nor anyone else is in any more potential danger, correct?"

Oboro watches the boy carefully, legs crossed. "That's correct, yes."

"So," Izuku murmurs softly, unsure, scared . This was the tipping point, the moment that would decide everything. "If I were to ever hypothetically admit to having been a vigilante in the past in order to cope with years worth of bullying and being outright rejected from UA's hero course, you wouldn't be allowed to tell anyone else, right?"

Shirakumo can feel himself tense but maintains his calm exterior. "That's oddly specific for a hypothetical."

"And that's not an answer," Izuku says quietly, he shifts his gaze up, meeting the man's eyes for only a brief second before looking down again.

The man sets his notepad to the side, leaning forward, opening his posture. "As long as you are, hypothetically of course, no longer participating in any illegal activities and neither you nor anyone else is in danger because of your past actions, then no. I would not be able to tell anyone."

Midoriya nods almost absentmindedly, head bowed over his lap. "That's good," he replies, voice cracking. He bites down on his lip, tears burning at the corners of his eyes.

Shirakumo specialized in adolescent therapy, as such he's watched many kids just like Midoriya Izuku break in front of him in similar fashions. Oboro himself had once broken like this in front of his own therapist at Midoriya's age, newly blind in one eye and pulled from UA's hero course by his parents for reasons beyond his control. He allows the boy a moment to gather himself again. Izuku swipes discreetly at the bottom of his nose.

"Say," Midoriya murmurs hoarsely, "You ever heard of the vigilante Pied Piper?"