Rewind

Chapter IX: Overcomers

"I must admit, I was surprised to hear from you," the hero stated. "I thought you might try one of the other agencies, one that wasn't so closely connected to your father."

"You're one of the top heroes in Japan, of course I'd want to intern with you. You may be focused on rescue, but you are also inventive with your quirk," Shoto stated. "Why wouldn't I be interested in interning with you?"

"Well, I'm glad, and I hope you're prepared for some action. I've been asked to hunt someone down, and you're going to help, as is one of your classmates."


Best Jeanist was surprised when his attempt at styling his new intern's hair was cut off by an explosion. "And what was that about?" he asked.

"Listen, I came here for one reason: you're one of the most popular heroes, and I need to learn how to become one. But if the only way you know how to do that is to turn your interns and sidekicks into you, then I'm in the wrong place. I need to learn how to be popular and still be me, temper and all," Katsuki growled out.

Best Jeanist stared at the young hot-head in shock for a few minutes before starting to laugh. "I don't believe it! Of all the interns and sidekicks I've had, it's the hothead first-year intern that gets it! Ground Zero, you just might make it." Everyone stared in shock before one of his senior sidekicks managed to ask what he meant. "To be a good hero, you can't try to force yourself into being another hero, you must embrace what makes you an individual and what makes you special. I've been waiting five years for someone to actually stand up and say 'This is who I am.' Now, let's get to work. To be honest though, Endeavor would have probably been a better choice." Bakugou just growled at that, remembering what he had overheard Icy-Hot and Deku talking about at the Sports Festival.


Fortunately, Izuku was prepared to meet Gran Torino again, so while he played the senile old geezer, Izuku just played along, never letting the smile leave his face. (Not that it was hard, now that he knew what to expect, he could easily find the amusement in the act.) "You're not too bad at handling your power, based on what I saw at the Sports Festival, so why are you here?" he finally asked.

"Because I want to refine my edge, and you seem like a good person to do that," Izuku replied.

"Good, then let's see what you've got!" The two of them sparred for the rest of the day, with Gran Torino being surprised when Izuku moved just like he did. By the end, both had several bruises over their bodies, and Gran Torino was out like a light. While Izuku was also ready to collapse in bed, first he made sure to check on how the other internships were going. Fortunately, all of them seemed to be going well. Uraraka was enjoying her training with Gunhead, Iida was silent, Momo was getting back to her old self thanks to Midnight and Kacchan was even enjoying his work with Best Jeanist. Izuku was honestly a little confused by Iida's silence. Was Iida still trying to get vengeance on Stain, or was he just that busy? He really hoped it was the latter, but even with Tensei doing much better than his first life, Iida just wasn't talking.


"This is kind of hard to ask, but you're after the hero killer, aren't you?" Manual asked. "I honestly couldn't think of any other reason why you'd come to my agency of all places. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad you came, but you shouldn't be pursuing personal grudges."

"It's not like that at all!" Iida stated. "I'll admit that I was very upset when I learned what happened to my brother, but he's doing very well, despite his forced retirement. No, while I am hoping to defeat the hero killer and it is the reason I came here, it's only because I don't feel right taking up my brother's name while his last case remains open. It's unfinished business, nothing more, and I would let you know if I see him before doing anything else. Also, a good friend reminded me that a hero pursues criminals because of their crimes against others, not for personal reasons like revenge," Iida finished, a soft smile on his face as he remembered Midoriya's gentle reproach. He had kept that in mind while making his decision, and thinking about what Midoriya would do kept his desire for vengeance in check.

"Oh, well, that's a relief," Manual stated.


It had been ten days since the end of UA's Sports Festival, and Watanabe Yuuma was bored. "How long are we going to have to sit here, Kima?" he asked. "This place has nice coffee, I'll give you that, but it's boring and it's starting to get dark."

"Until we get the story, Yuuma. Come on, when has my quirk ever been wrong?" she asked her photographer friend.

Yuuma had to give her that, every time they had made it before her quirk shut down, they had broken a story that everyone else had completely missed. "What do you think is going to happen, then?"

"I'm not certain, but if I had to guess, I'd say something with Stain. He's only hit Ingenium so far, and he always hits at least four pros before moving on." Just then, there was a large explosion in the distance, and Yuuma shot up, grabbing his camera. "Don't bother, that's probably the story that will distract everyone else from this one. I'm telling you, it's going to go down in that alley," she finished, pointing down a seemingly random alley off Ekou Street.

Just then, two heroes ran by, only for one of them to suddenly stop and call out to the other. "Manual, Native is down. I'm going to go help him!"

"But the explosion-"

"You go on, your powers are more suited to dealing with the fire! But if I don't go, Native is going to die!" The Normal Hero nodded and went off towards the fire, while the armored hero (who kind of looked like Ingenium) charged off the very alley that Kima had pointed out.

"Well, that's our cue, let's go!" Yuuma just groaned, once again missing his life as a well-paid voyeur. Unfortunately, the second Kima had found out about his quirk, she had practically forced him to join her and her hunt for the big stories.

They got there just as Stain knocked the helmet off the … teen? Both reporters were quick to recognize him as one of the students from UA's class 1-A … and the younger brother of Ingenium.

Yuuma immediately started first his quirk, then his camera, and when the camera was rolling, Kima took over. "This is Tanaka Kima for Yomiuri Shimbun reporting live from Hosu City, and the location of the latest attack by the Hero Killer: Stain. He has just attacked Native, and was only stopped by the appearance of the new Engine Hero: Ingenium, Iida Tenya, younger brother of the first Ingenium and current first year student at UA."

"Who are you?" Stain asked the boy, clearly confused. "Whoever you are, this isn't a place for children."

"No, it's a place for heroes. Hero Killer Stain, I was hoping to find you. My brother sought to take you down for all the murders you've committed. Now I am here to finish the job, or at least save Native."

Stain looked at him, confused. "I see a seed of vengeance in your eyes, but only a seed. Why are you not consumed by rage if I did kill your brother?"

"You didn't kill him, only forced him into retirement. Also, a good friend reminded me that a hero does not seek revenge, but justice. We don't seek to take life, but to protect it! That is why I must defeat you!" Ingenium answered.

Something seemed to change in Stain's eyes at that statement. "This friend of yours may be worthy, but you aren't. Die." With that, the fight began, but it was quickly ended when Stain drove a spike into his shoulder then his katana into Iida's arm. "You and your brother were weak because you're fakes."

"Fake?" Ingenium demanded. "Say what you will about me, I'm still just a student, but NEVER call my brother a fake! He didn't become a hero because he wanted fame or fortune, he did it because he honestly wanted nothing more than to help people!"

Stain raised his blade to kill the teen, but then he was hit by a blast of air pressure. Immediately, Yuuma swung the camera around to the source. "Iida, I'm here to help, I hope you don't mind." The voice came from another familiar teen dressed in green with a smile on his face.

"Ingenium was just saved by one of his classmates, the Can-Do Hero: Valiant, also known as Midoriya Izuku, who tied for third place in the Sports Festival," Kima commentated.

"Midoriya, please, don't get involved. This has nothing to do with you, and I don't want to be the one responsible for ending your career when you have such a bright one ahead of you!"

"Meddling where you don't have to is the essence of being a hero! Besides, what kind of hero would I be if I couldn't even save a friend?" Valiant replied, still smiling. The Hero Killer looked surprised at the response, then smiled at the answer. This kid …

"He could paralyze you though!"

"Then I guess I'll just have to make sure he doesn't get my blood." With that, Valiant started bouncing off the buildings, and when Stain lost track of him, Valiant delivered a kick to the shoulder, one that clearly popped his arm out of its' socket. Just then, Valiant collapsed on the ground. "Damn, you still got me, huh?"

"Only barely, hero." The Hero Killer slammed his shoulder into one of the buildings, putting his arm back into its' socket. "You're good, much better than I was expecting, but you still fell short. And despite all the false heroes that are nothing but talk, you almost seem worthy. There's something special about you, something that reminds me of All Might." With that, he stepped back over Ingenium and raised his blade, only for a spear of ice to stab into his other shoulder. "Great, another distraction. Today's been full of them."

"Midoriya, I thought I told you to give more details than just your location," Shoto called out. "It's a good thing we discussed this beforehand, or it may have taken me longer to get here," he stated as he slid the paralyzed trio behind him via his ice.

"Sorry, just keep him busy long enough for his quirk to wear off," Valiant replied.

"I don't suppose you know how long that will be, do you?"

"No, but I'm pretty sure his quirk works based on blood type." With that, the reporters returned their focus to commenting on the fight between the teens and the infamous vigilante turned villain. Stain often attempted to get at Shoto's blood, but between the ice walls and his flaming left side, he was unable to do so before Valiant recovered and rejoined the battle a minute after being cut.

Between Valiant's constant movement and Shoto's elemental coverage, they were able to keep the madman busy long enough for Ingenium to rejoin the fight and save Shoto from getting sliced by the madman again. "Todoroki, Midoriya, even though this wasn't your fight, you got involved anyways, I thank you for that. However, I will not let you shed any more blood for my sake!"

While his heroic words may have touched the hearts of Kiima and Yuuma, it only enraged the Hero Killer. "It's no use trying to be reformed for appearance's sake. A person's true nature does not change so easily. You'll never be anything but a fraud who prioritized his own selfish desires! You're a cancer on society that warps the very essence of what it means to be a hero! Someone must teach you a lesson and correct the system!"

"And an anachronistic fundamentalist like yourself is the one to do it?" Shoto demanded. "I don't think so." Stain roared in fury and charged at him, intent on killing the kid who challenged him.

"You idiots!" Native called out as Shoto sent a wave of fire at the Hero Killer to protect himself. "He's only after me and the kid in the white armor. Forget fighting back, just get out of here and save yourselves!"

"And leave you two to die? I don't think so, we could hardly be called heroes if we don't risk our lives to save those in danger. Besides, it doesn't look like he'd let me run even if I wanted to."

"Shoto's right, he even took the words out of my mouth for what our job is," Valiant called out as he smashed Stain's jaw. "Besides, as All Might said, a real hero will always find a way for justice to be served!" Then, with two mighty kicks, one to his chest by Valiant and the other to his leg by Ingenium, the three teen heroes brought down and captured the Hero Killer. It was only after they had stripped the man of more than a dozen blades and tied him up that Native recovered from Stain's quirk, and as thanks, he helped Ingenium to the street. Shoto created an ice pole so that he and Valiant could carry Stain out to the street.

What no one, not even the reporters expected was the reaction when they walked out of the alley and onto the street. As soon as the heroes came out with Stain hanging like a roast chicken, everyone started cheering their accomplishment. When they started cheering for Native, he stopped them. "No, I deserve none of the praise. If it weren't for these brave young heroes, I would be dead by now. They saved my life, and they are the ones who captured the Hero Killer."

"What the hell are you doing here?!" a voice called out. Yuuma just barely managed to catch a glimpse of a man in a white and yellow costume before he slammed a foot into Valiant's face. "I told you to stay on the train!" Valiant was quick to introduce him as Gran Torino, the hero he'd been interning with. Once the introduction was over, several people started calling the police and a local hospital.

Ingenium then bowed to his friends and begged forgiveness. "Although I hadn't realized it, my rage had made me short-sighted and overconfident. I should have called for help instead of trying to take him on my own, and you were injured as a result. I am truly sorry."

"Hey, what are friends for?" Valiant asked with a smile. Then, without warning, he froze, and as Gran Torino called out, he jumped into the air and landed on a monster with pale yellow skin and wings. Yuuma followed it with his camera as it flew off, only for Valiant to pull one of Stain's knives out of his belt and stab it into its exposed brain. Only after it started falling did Valiant seem to realize that he had no safe way to the ground, then he was taken off the creature by a single red feather which then brought him back to the group.

"Hope I'm not too late. These Nomus are tough customers, and my quirk really isn't suited to fighting them. Sure made me wish Endeavor or All Might were here tonight," the winged pro stated. "Shoto, next time you leave, at least take a sidekick with you. Remember, legally you're not supposed to be fighting villains without supervision."

"Yes, sir," Shoto said with a bow. "However, my friend required my help and there was no time to ask for more. If I had delayed even that much, Iida and probably Native would be dead right now."

"You're interning with Hawks?!" Valiant gasped.

"Iida, please tell me that you didn't let your inner darkness drag down Midoriya and Todoroki," Tsukoyomi asked. Ingenium just rubbed the back of his neck at that.

Then the atmosphere changed. "False hero!" Stain called out. Even tied up, his fanaticism and blood lust froze the entire group. "I must make things right! Someone must be stained with the blood of the hypocrites, this sham-filled society and the criminals who wield their power in the name of mischief! I must take back what it means-" With that, Valiant hit him on the back of the head, silencing the hero killer once again.

Elsewhere, Shigaraki and Kurogiri were watching things play out. "Are you satisfied with the results, Shigaraki Tomura?"

"That depends on tomorrow's headlines, baka."


The next morning, Shoto and Izuku shared a smile. They had successfully changed at least a little of their fight with Stain and kept him from even attempting to escape. Even better, Iida and Izuku had taken far less damage than the first time, which meant that they'd be able to get out sooner and spend more time with their current mentors. When the door opened, Izuku was a little surprised to see that Hawks had come with the other mentors, and the Hosu chief of police. Honestly, what Izuku was most curious about here was how things were going to change now that Endeavor wasn't around to take the credit for their accomplishment.

Fortunately, Chief Tsuragamae was about to start talking, so he paid close attention. "You're the UA students who took down the Hero Killer, right? Woof." When Shoto confirmed it, he went on. "Stain has some serious injuries, including second degree burns and multiple broken bones. He's in the hospital under strict guard, woof. Since you are UA students, I'm sure you already know when quirks started becoming normal, the police attached high importance to leadership and standards, seeking to maintain the status quo. As such they decided not to use their quirks as weapons. That's where the hero profession came in to fill the gap, woof. It would be impossible for the police to condone the use of deadly quirks such as yours if it weren't for the strict code of ethics that your predecessors chose to abide by. Even up against deadly villains like the Hero Killer, for uncertified individuals to cause injury with their quirks without specific instructions from their guardians or supervisors is completely illegal. As a result, your actions were completely illegal, and all six of you must receive strict punishment for this gross abuse of your powers. If circumstances had been right, we might have been able to sweep this under the rug by claiming Endeavor was responsible. However, that is clearly impossible," he said, tossing the paper in front of the trio.

Curious, Shoto picked it up, holding it so that Iida and Izuku could also read it. The front page of the Tama Tokyo Nippo showed it all. Overcomers! dominated the page, alongside a picture of the three of them facing Stain, with the article calling them some of the most promising UA students in years. "It's not a bad name," Shoto stated with a small smile.

"No, it's not. I kind of like it," Izuku agreed.

"And here I hoped my idea would at least get considered," Iida grumbled.

The four adults were utterly confused, but only one actually asked the question on their minds. "What the hell are you going on about?" Gran Torino demanded.

Izuku launched into a quick explanation of his plan for the future before stating "We'd been discussing names for the team before the Sports Festival, but couldn't settle on one. Still, it's not a bad start for us. Do you mind if I keep this?"

Tsuragamae was so shocked at the response that he simply shook his head. "Now, onto the subject of your punishment- "

But before he could say anything, Shoto spoke up. "Hold on! If Iida hadn't stepped in, Native would have been murdered, and if Midoriya hadn't, then Iida would also be dead! No one else even knew the hero killer had struck. What else should we have done, just stood by and watched people die and guarantee that others would die in the future?"

"So, it's okay to break the law so long as it turns out your way?"

"Don't try and lecture me, I've been studying the quirk usage laws for years. That law was put in place so that civilians wouldn't interfere in police or hero work, and so that civilians wouldn't be put at risk. Who was put at risk except us? At worst, we would have made no difference, Stain would go on killing and you'd have four bodies to bury instead of one or two. Besides, it's our job to save people, no matter the risk to ourselves! Also, Hawks shouldn't be reprimanded at all, he gave me permission to check on Midoriya."

Izuku also spoke up. "Shoto's right about the laws. Why should we get punished for doing our jobs as heroes, whether we're licensed or not right now?"

Now Tsuragamae was getting mad and he started growling at the teens. "I had intended this to be an easy punishment, seeing as you did do us a service, but I've changed my mind! I'm going to recommend immediate expulsion and I'm charging you a fine of ¥1,000,000!"

Izuku paled at the amount. There was no way his mom could pay that kind of fine, and there was no way he'd ask Toshinori-sensei to pay, not with what would be coming all too soon. Shoto noticed and immediately said "I'll pay Midoriya's fine." Iida also offered to do so as he blamed himself for getting them involved. Izuku tried to talk them out of it, only for Shoto to state "Midoriya, we're both from rich families, we can cover this. If it helps, think of it as us thanking you for being a good friend." Izuku reluctantly gave in just as the two decided to split the fine 50/50.


Two days after the defeat of Stain, the media had slowed their coverage of the students and moved on to obsessing over Stain. They went over his life, his ideology, training, everything they could possibly find, and soon it became apparent that his little speech had also been found, resulting in millions of people watching it and being inspired by it. Izuku started groaning every time they heard the news talk about Stain. "Let me guess, you were hoping to avoid this, right?" Shoto asked. When Izuku nodded, Shoto stated "Well, you also said that Dabi joined the League after Stain, right? Maybe this is the universe's way of making sure that happens and I can find out if your theory is right."

Izuku shrugged at that before remembering a question. "Hey Shoto, if you don't mind me asking, where are you staying right now since your dad's been arrested?"

"I'm still at home, actually. My sister, Fuyumi never moved out, she has this notion that we can still be a happy family even with everything the old man's done to us. I think she's being naïve, but who knows the future?" Izuku just laughed at that, happy to see his friend making jokes.

A/N: Now that that's done, I need to give credit where it may be due. Tanaka Kiima's quirk may have been inspired by yellowio's story spite is a pretty good motivator, a story where Izuku has a fairly similar quirk, and is discovered by All Might a year early. Now, a quirk explanation. Kiima's quirk is an information quirk that she calls Big Scoop. Kiima gets a warning that SOMETHING is going to happen at a certain location, and it's always something that is missed by everyone else because something big is happening at the same time. As a result, Kiima has become one of the most famous reporters in Japan. Watanabe Yuuma on the other hand has a quirk called Voyeur, and it creates a shield about five feet in diameter. That shield makes it so no one notices him or anything else in the shield, and it protects the interior from any kind of harm. Yuuma as a result, used it to become the ultimate perv and celebrity stalker … until Kiima found and blackmailed him into becoming her personal cameraman.