A/N: Party people! I hope y'all are having a great day or night whenever you read this story. Welcome back for another chapter of The Crimson Vanguard! Today's chapter will be action-packed as promised, we get to see Red Hood and Stain throw hands and the aftermath that follows these events. Thank you guys as always for the support it means a whole lot to the kid and makes me work even harder knowing some people are waiting for the next installment of the story. As of now I have some free time but work is slowly approaching so whenever I have a spark of an idea, I'll try to make sure that I write it down so I can get the chapters done faster. Enough of my little spill, let's get to the chapter renegades!

Disclaimer: If I honestly owned every property in the story, don't you think I'd try to make some money for it?

Chapter 3: Quirks, Bullets and Knives? Oh My!

(Hosu City Alleyway)

Jason felt the blood pumping in his veins as he finally got to his showdown with the supposed Hero Killer Stain, catching him in a back alley while chaos and pandemonium were happening in real-time in the city. Jason had just finished dealing with a mugging and was putting away the funds that he "borrowed" from his pals who were money laundering, how else do people think he gets the funds for all of his equipment for his nightly crusades as Red Hood? Better he use the illegal money than the actual criminals, the Boy Scouts would've probably put away for good in evidence and even then some of the corrupt cops on the force would take some away as pocket change. As soon as he started to count the money, explosions rocked the skyline of Hosu City and all hell broke loose, causing Jason to spring into action. Jason saw monster-like creatures that were causing mayhem and was about to switch to his explosive rounds before he saw the likes of Endeavor and other heroes join in on corralling them in. Feeling like this was a bit above his weight class, Jason started to make his way towards other parts of the city where his services were required. That is what he would've done if he didn't see a streak of green lightning pass right below heading towards a quieter part of the city…

Jason didn't need to put two and two together to realize that this was the perfect kind of distraction that Stain could use to go enact his weird sense of judgment on whatever poor schmuck was getting the short end of the stick. Jason's intuition to follow the green lightning trail was right on the money as he saw an unconscious hero against the wall and what seemed to be an Impersonator of Tensei on the ground about to get stabbed by the darling of the night, Stain. Jason would've made a move to pop the bastard until the green road runner sucker punched the shit out of Stain, which did just enough to buy his friend some more time. Jason took his time to make sure that he did his observations so he had enough info to see what made Stain such a pain in the ass. Back to the present time, Jason had his sights trained on Stain as they both stared each other down. People seem to think of them as the same type of people, which is way off and tonight would be proof of how different they are.

Stain looked on at Jason, eyes full of rage and aggression like he woke up pissed every day, Jason wondered if he was looking at a mirror. "On your shit list huh? Why should I listen to a fake hero who doesn't have the conviction to take out the problem at the source? All you're doing is just putting a bandage on a leaking gash, rather than going and rid the world of these fake heroes! All you're doing is protecting people who couldn't care less if you were to end up in a body bag the next morning." Stain ranted on to Jason who in return, mock yawned which only seemed to tick off Stain even more.

"Jeez Shitstain, you sound like every other villain of the week! Monologing and complaining about 'Woe is me' and 'Everyone will know my pain' bullshit. Do you think I give two fucks about what anyone else thinks about me? Especially those 'boy scout' heroes, I don't give a fuck what they think about me or how I handle business. Yeah, there are a lot of shit heroes out there that need to reconsider their life choices, but no one made you God to determine who's a fake hero and who's not. They might nut up one day and decide to save someone, and you with your bullshit, trying to determine who can be a hero." Each word that Jason said was laced with venom, the rage inside of him building from seeing this garbage in front of him, acting like the whole world owed him something and that it was his right to make it in his vision, "Tell me, was Ingenium a 'fake hero'? Did any of the lives that he saved or people he put away all smoke and mirrors? Because to me, If anyone needs to be culled, it's you." Jason said as he readied his pistols to unload on Stain, releasing an enormous amount of killer intent as well.

From Izuku and Iida's downed positions, all they could do was listen to the dialogue that was being traded between the two combatants. Both of them were wondering how someone who was so violent and seemed to be off the deep end would be qualified to be a protector of the people who were villains and criminals. The killer intent and the hate that was laced in his voice weren't something that would be associated with heroes. Iida was in more shock that he would mention his brother, making him wonder if Red Hood had a connection with Tensei.

Stain looked at Red Hood with what could only be called psychotic delight as a grin almost as big as his face appeared and took out two swords, seemingly ready for battle, "Well then," Stain said, "I think that was enough talking. You ready to kill each other?" He finished as he pulled out two blades ready to fight.

"Absolutely," was the final word Red Hood said before he started to unload at Stain. Because of the people in the surrounding area, He had to be careful with placing his shots when fighting against Stain. Stain himself was moving around from the first clip of bullets that Jason unloaded his way, Stain using his freakish speed to his advantage to get closer to Jason. Just as soon as the gunfire stopped, Stain shot toward Jason with the intent to gut the gunslinger with his blades ready to slash. Unfortunately for him, Jason's pistols weren't any regular run-of-the-mill weapons, he designed them with the intent of being very durable while also having close-range combat capability and Stain was going to find out the hard way. Just as Stain went to strike Jason, he was frustrated when Jason blocked his attack with his pistols before he turned one of his pistols around like a club while pressing a button on the side of the pistol that turned the bottom of his clips which had electricity sparking now from the small spike conduits. Jason used the momentum of Stain's gravity to swiftly move to the side while hitting Stain in the side with his taser, then executing a ground sweep to take him off his feet.

Stain let out a grunt of pain as he found himself in a dangerous position on the ground, with Red Hood now trying to rush him to the ground. Stain grabbed one of his knives and threw it towards Red Hood, who in return leaned to dodge it. Stain took advantage of this hiccup by rocking his body up, using the momentum to kick Red Hood in the chest. However, the buzz in Jason's head alerted him to the danger of Stain trying to stun him with his kick, allowing Jason to dive to his side while watching Stain fly by and land on his feet. Making sure that he wasn't left in a compromising position, Jason turned his dive into a roll as he sprung back up to his feet ready to continue the fight. Jason had to admit that the fight was truly getting his blood pumping and the adrenaline rush that came with it too wasn't terrible at all, maybe it's what prompted Jason to show his cockiness a little bit, "Say Stain," Jason said, "Since we're both having a good time, how bout I up the ante and join your little knife fight." Jason said arrogantly as he holstered his pistols for his combat knife as he showed off tossing from hand to hand before settling on handling it with a reverse grip.

Stain smirked in response to Red Hood's actions, "Hmm? You're getting real cocky, make sure you can back that up or you'll be a dead man for trying to put yourself at a disadvantage!" Exclaimed Stain as he made a mad dash towards Red Hood who met him halfway as they engaged in their battle with blades. As metal clashed with metal, sparks would fly as both combatants were considered elite with their physical traits and prowess in close-quarters combat. Both seemed not to let up as a constant movement on behalf of Jason's part was one of the only ways he would be able to keep up with Stain's crazy endurance by using two fully weighted katanas. Jason was able to connect an attack on Stain by first kicking the inside of his knee, then leading to a quick elbow to the face while effortlessly getting a slice on Stain's bicep, causing the Hero Killer to back up with a frustrated growl.

Stain was pissed, this wannabe crusader was able to keep up with him and able to land good hits on him as well. Even with all of the wounds on his body, Stain's undying will and conviction were keeping him in the fight as he was looking for some sort of opening to give him an advantage. Stain looked over at the two heroes in training that he fought before and had a manic smile on his face that caused Jason's eyes to narrow underneath his helmet. With a lick of the lips, Stain Javelin threw one of his swords towards Iida who still couldn't move at the moment. Thinking fast, Jason threw his knife at the sword to intercept it before it met Iida, which fortunately worked out as both items collided and stopped their trajectory.

This, however, left Jason open as he felt his quirk hard at work once again as he dodged a throwing knife being thrown his way, causing him to dodge this one as well, but left completely open to Stain's rapid advance with his other katana. "Shit! Don't have time to dodge this one!" Jason cursed himself as he could only brace himself and watch as he was left completely open for a strike by Stain. Jason's brain was working at a million miles per second trying to figure out a solution.

However, a fist covered with green streaks of lightning and strange energy was the solution to Jason's current conundrum as Izuku came flying in with a haymaker that sent Stain flying to the wall and making a painful impact that left cracks in the said wall as he slid down from it onto the floor, and he was absolution seething with anger. Jason looked towards Izuku as he had an unyielding look in his eyes, the one of someone willing to put it all on the line to protect. Jason went over and grabbed his knife as he looked back at the greenette, "Thanks for the save kid, how the hell did you break the hold of his quirk?" Jason questioned the young hero in training as he reloaded his pistols.

"I don't know, suddenly it felt like the pressure being held on me just evaporated and I had full control again" Izuku replied honestly.

"What about the other two, weren't they hit before you? How would you be free first?" Red Hood wondered as he prepared to stand up. Izuku's mind was racing as he was thinking about how Stain's quirk worked fully until he came up with the best possible hypothesis.

"I got it! It has to be off of the blood type! Nothing else could factor into how long I was down till I got free! Depending on the blood type is how long the paralysis will last!" Izuku exclaimed as his "eureka" moment was reached. Red Hood nodded his head in confirmation of the info that he was being given, readying himself for the next bout against the Hero Killer before he turned his head to speak with the One-For-All user.

"Look kid, get your friend and that hero outta here. I'll finish up with Shitstain over here and everyone can go their merry ways." Jason said as he cocked back both of his pistols.

"W-W-What? No! I'm ready and able to fight! If we both work togeth-"

"I work alone. You'll get in the way and end up in a bodybag, and I refuse to let that happen." Jason stated vehemently as Stain was readying himself for round 2.

"Unfortunately Mr. Red Hood, a hero always gets themselves involved even when others don't want their help!" Izuku exclaimed with determination burning in his eyes, causing Jason to growl in frustration.

"Fine! Only jump in when you see the opening. If we do it that way, he'll be down for the count. Ready kid?"

"Yes sir!"

"Alright! Let's fucking go!" Red Hood yelled out as he engaged in another bout with Stain.

Iid watched as Red Hood and Izuku prepared to fight Stain, a battle that he originally thought that only he could be the one to take down Stain. How truly wrong he was Iida thought of his selfish desires rather than trying to save the person in distress. Compared to Izuku whose whole objective was trying to rescue Iida and the other pro hero or Red Hood's elite combat skills when he was fighting Stain. Iida realizes that to truly become a hero, he needs to find the will to keep fighting, and that all starts with him standing up and helping in the fight.

Stain let out a guttural scream of rage as he started the second round with Red Hood. Gunshots and sparks were ringing out and flying everywhere as both men were locked in a bout to the death. Being an expert in Gun-Fu, Jason was able to pistol whip Stain in the face which temporarily stunned the Hero Killer. Knowing that he needed more to put the man down, Jason thought it was the perfect opportunity for the kid as he tripped up Stain so the Hero Killer landed on the bottom of Jason's boots he kicked with all of his might, sending Stain in the air.

"Now kid!" Red Hood yelled as Izuku nodded in return as he activated full cowling and jumped off the wall to reach Stain.

Stain's tenacity was yet on full display once again as he seemed to regain some control and brought out another knife that was ready to stab Izuku, getting a shocked reaction out of Izuku and Jason.

"Shit! He can't move!" Red Hood cursed as he also saw that he was out of ammo and couldn't only watch as Stain moved in for the kill.

"RECIPIO BURST!" were the words that left Iida's mouth as he slammed his leg into the ribs of the Hero Killer, not without coming unharmed as he took the knife to his arm as he protected Izuku. Izuku eyes widened in shock as he saw his friend up and running, saving him from mortal peril at the hands of Stain.

"Finish it Izuku!" Iida grunted out in pain from his wound as Izuku regained focus and used Iida as a springboard to get more air to deliver the coup de grace on Stain.

"SMAASHHH!" Izuku yelled out as he delivered a devastating sledgehammer move on Stain who cried out in pain as he was sent barreling to the ground.

Before the both of them could hit the ground, Jason sent out shurikens to pin both of the young heroes to the wall to stop them from meeting the hard concrete. Jason looked at both of the young heroes and gave them a thumbs-up before he started approaching Stain. Once he reached the Hero Killer who was defeated and in unbearable pain, Red Hood decided that it was time to finish the job. Once he pulled out his knife, he heard the surprised reactions that came from Izuku and Iida as they realized what he was about to do.

"Red Hood don't do it, he's already down for the count!" Izuku yelled, "We could tie him up and wait for the authorities and other pros to take him away!"

Iida felt the most conflicted because even with defeating Stain, would it be enough? Was it necessary to end his life or was it enough to put him away and throw the key away? Iida knew one thing for sure he wasn't the right person to ask at that moment.

"Put him away? And once he escapes and starts to go on another murdering crusade? Let's be real here kid, this sick bastard has a hard-on for "fake heroes" and the only way to stop him is to put him under, preferably six feet," Jason bluntly said, "So Shitstain! You ready to upgrade and get turned into a bloodstain?" no response but a groan came from the man, "Sounds like 'yes' to me!" Jason said as he raised his knife to end the life of Stain.

FWOOOSHHH

The ground towards Jason's feet was all covered in ice, Jason himself had ice up to his thigh while also having what seemed to be capture cloth around his right arm, restricting him from bringing the knife down onto Stain. As soon as he saw the capture cloth on his arm, he realized who the interloper was and let out a small sigh that everyone could hear, "Goddamn old man, you finally showed up? I had a feeling when my quirk didn't alert me to escape Popsicle Boy's ice. Even after all this time, you still seem to get the most batshit crazy students, eh Aizawa Sensei?" Red Hood spoke as he looked behind to see Aizawa and Todoroki, with Aizawa having a narrow scowl on his face and Todoroki a look of shock upon hearing what the vigilante said plus seeing his friends pinned on the wall.

"Sensei, how does the vigilante know you?" Shoto questioned Aizawa as the Erasure Hero responded with a death glare at the boy, letting him know that it wasn't a subject that he wanted to talk about.

"Todoroki, bring down Iida and Midoriya after that grab the Pro Hero as well before we apprehend Stain. Backup should be showing up soon," Aizawa stated before directing his attention toward Jason, "Red Hood, You're under arrest for Vigilantism. Wait for the authorities and don't make this harder than it has to be." The response from Red Hood was what seemed to be manic laughter.

"HAHAHAHA HAHAHA HAHA! Wow! So you're finally doing your job huh old man? This time do you think they'll put me under the prison and throw the key away? Or wait a minute, I'll go free because of all the BULLSHIT SYSTEM THAT PUTS AWAY CRIMINALS! ALL THESE YEARS LATER AND THOSE SICK FUCKS ARE OUT AND ABOUT, NEEDING SOME SORT OF 'EVIDENCE' TO PUT THEM AWAY?! FUCK THAT! AFTER EVERYTHING AND THEY STILL WALK! WELL COME ON, ARE YOU GOING TO ANSWER MY QUESTION SENSEI?!" Jason was screaming with hate as he reached with his left hand to pull out an explosive from one of his pouches, causing Aizawa and co. to tense up.

"Stand down Jason!" Aizawa ordered with a base in his voice that the students had never witnessed before.

"Jason?" was the name that was on the mind of the three students from Class 1-A, more or less confirming that Aizawa knows the vigilante on a much more personal level than they would've suspected.

Just as the moment seemed to spark violence once again, the group was interrupted by a screech from behind, everyone looking at the flying nomu who suddenly snatched Midoriya from where he was. Terror and shock ran through Iida and Todoroki, but they were ready to act for Jason and Aizawa. As soon as Aizawa let go of Jason he threw the explosive to Aizawa who then used his capture cloth to grab it and then rocket it back towards the flying nomu, with Jason finishing the Job by throwing a shuriken right at the explosive, causing it to detonate right by the brain of the nomu, killing it and causing it to drop Izuku. As soon as that happened, Todoroki created a ramp for Iida as he took off and propelled himself upward to Midoriya, catching him and using the ramp to disembark back to solid ground.

Aizawa was disrupted from checking on his students when a flashbang grenade was thrown in his direction, causing him to go blind temporarily. Aizawa's ears were ringing when his other senses felt smoke surround his body, causing him to cover his nose and mouth area to protect himself. He felt his hearing come back to him when he heard another small explosion and felt a small concussive force push him back and dispel the smoke from the area, showing the spot where Jason used to be. Looking up at the rooftops, Aizawa could see the retreating form of Jason as he made his escape to higher ground. Not wanting to lose the opportunity to stop him, Aizawa with no hesitation used his capture tool to propel him upward onto the rooftops as he made chase after Jason.

With every step, jump, and mantle, Aizawa was hot on Jason's tail as the chase seemed to intensify with every passing second. Aizawa cursed himself as Jason's maneuverability and agility were on a level above the one that he was at all those years ago, still will all of the stubbornness in him Aizawa wouldn't falter. Eventually, their chase led them to a rooftop that left Jason with nowhere else to go, as the drop below would be fatal for the vigilante. Jason turned around to face Aizawa. Both of the men locked in a staring contest, and what was only a few seconds seemed like an eternity. Aizawa was eventually the first one to break the silence, "Why Jason? Why come back now, after all these years? Everyone thought you were dead, it seemed like everyone's lives shattered the moment that we thought you were gone forever," Aizawa said as memories started to flash by in his mind, the aftermath of his battle with Nagant and Mr. Marrow. How devastated Keigo and Rumi were when Aizawa delivered the news, how lifeless Yuri seemed when they put the empty casket down on the ground

How much the rage consumed him following after.

Aizawa continued on, "It's not too late Jason, if you turn yourself in we can find a way to help you. So you can return on the right path and become a hero once again."

Jason felt his emotions intensify as Aizawa talked to him. Aizawa was one of the only people who saw all of the pain and suffering that Jason went through in his life, hell he was there at the beginning when his whole world was torn asunder. Yet, Jason's anger began to rise as he thought of old memories that involved a man who decided to take more from what little family he had left, showing him what must be done to protect others like him.

"Help? You really wanna help me Aizawa? You could start by telling me why the fuck is the Shie Hassaikai is still around. You can tell me why the HPSC isn't doing jack shit to get their heroes off their ass and make a difference. You can tell me why that bone marrow sack of shit isn't six feet underground!" Jason's temper rose with each line. The answers to his questions were answered just by simply looking at Aizawa's eyes, showing the shame and guilt that were held inside his irises.

Jason's words hung in the air like a thick fog, the weight of his accusation sinking deep into the pit of Aizawa's stomach. A moment of silence followed, charged with tension as the two men stared each other down on the rooftop, the city's chaos a distant roar beneath them.

"What are you talking about, Jason?" Aizawa's voice was steady, but his mind raced. The Shie Hassaikai? How did Jason know about them? And more importantly, why was he bringing them up now?

Jason's eyes blazed with a fury that had been simmering for years. "Don't play dumb with me, old man. The Shie Hassaikai, the same organization that should've been dismantled and destroyed after what they did. They were supposed to be finished, but I've seen their scum slithering back into the underworld. And you and your so-called heroes just let it happen."

Aizawa narrowed his eyes, trying to gauge the depth of Jason's anger. "You think I don't know what they've done? We're tracking them, Jason, but it's not as simple as wiping them out. There are laws, procedures—"

"Laws? Procedures?" Jason's voice was a harsh, mocking bark of laughter. "And where were those laws when they were ruining lives, Aizawa? Where were those procedures when they destroyed everything I had left?"

Aizawa clenched his jaw, the weight of Jason's words cutting deep. "I know it's not enough, Jason. But we're trying. We're doing everything we can within the system to stop them. You need to understand that."

Jason shook his head, his eyes filled with a deep, unyielding resolve. "No, what I understand is that the system failed. It failed me, it failed countless others, and it's going to keep failing unless someone does what's necessary."

"You think killing Stain, going after the Hassaikai on your own, is the answer? You're just playing into the same cycle of violence and destruction they thrive on, Jason." Aizawa's voice was sharp, a desperate edge to it as he tried to reach the boy he once knew.

"The difference is, I'm not doing this for revenge," Jason snapped back, his voice cold as steel. "I'm doing this to make sure no one else has to go through what I did. To make sure no one else loses everything because of the likes of them."

Aizawa could see the conviction in Jason's eyes, the deep, unshakable belief that what he was doing was right. And that's what scared him the most. "Jason, you're walking down a path you won't come back from. You don't have to do this. You can still choose to fight for something better."

Jason's grip tightened on the knife in his hand, the memories of the past flooding his mind like a tidal wave. The pain, the loss, the burning desire to never let it happen again. "I've already made my choice, Aizawa. And I'll see it through, no matter what."

Aizawa took a step forward, his gaze never leaving Jason's. "Then you leave me no choice, Jason. I won't let you go down this road alone. If you're determined to fight, then I'll fight with you. But not like this. Not as a vigilante."

Jason's eyes flickered with a brief moment of hesitation, the weight of Aizawa's words reaching a part of him he thought long buried. But it was only for a moment. His resolve hardened once more, and he took a step back, towards the edge of the rooftop.

"You can't stop me, Aizawa. Not anymore. This is my fight, and I'll finish it my way." With that, Jason turned and ran towards the edge, leaping off the building into the night, disappearing into the darkness below.

Aizawa rushed to the edge, but Jason was already gone, swallowed by the shadows of the city. He stood there, fists clenched, the cold wind biting at his skin. He had lost him again.

But this time, Aizawa knew it wasn't over. Jason was out there, waging his own war against the darkness, and Aizawa would be ready. He would find Jason again, and when he did, he would make sure that the boy he once knew wouldn't be lost forever.

Back on the ground, Izuku and Iida watched as Todoroki gently placed the injured hero on a stretcher, the sounds of sirens and approaching heroes filling the air. The fight was over, but the tension lingered, a reminder of the battle that had just taken place.

Izuku looked up at the rooftops, his mind racing with thoughts of the mysterious Red Hood. Who was he? How did he know Aizawa-sensei? And why did he seem so determined to take down Stain?

As he pondered these questions, Iida placed a hand on his shoulder, snapping him out of his thoughts. "Midoriya, are you alright?"

Izuku nodded, though his mind was still elsewhere. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just...thinking."

"About Red Hood?" Todoroki asked as he approached the two, his usual calm demeanor hiding the curiosity in his eyes.

"Yeah," Izuku admitted. "Who is he? And why did he seem so...angry?"

Iida looked down, his thoughts echoing Izuku's. "I don't know. But whoever he is, he's not like any hero I've ever seen."

Todoroki glanced up at the rooftop where Aizawa had chased after Red Hood, his expression thoughtful. "There's more to this story. And I have a feeling we're going to find out soon."

As the heroes began to arrive and the aftermath of the battle was dealt with, the three students couldn't shake the feeling that they had just witnessed the beginning of something much bigger. And as they looked out over the city, they knew that whatever it was, it was far from over.

To be continued…

Well that does it for chapter 3! Sorry about how long it took for the chapter to get to y'all, I just got a new job and finally got a new laptop so I was able to start working on it again, as well as going through some revisions for certain parts of the chapter and storyboarding for the rest of the story since the manga ended (btw the ending felt so rush I felt that they could've took more time to give it the ending it deserved). Thank you guys for following this story and for allowing me to give entertainment and play around with some of these ideas in my head. The next chapter will be the aftermath of the stain arc and also bringing in some important characters and some crucial plot points. As always leave a review, any type of constructive criticism is welcomed as it will only help further my skills as a writer. Thank you and stay blessed!

KTR signing off.