Here it is, the twenty-seventh full chapter of Miraculous Quirks released earlier because I am a master at underestimating my productivity when I'm really into a story I'm writing. I know I said I'd be slowing down to weekly but turns out I am much more productive this week than usual and have already drafted a few more chapters so I can edit and upload this chapter now and then edit more as I near the end of the next arc in my draft. However, that is all the administrative stuff I have for now and there are no questions or guest reviews to address here, though do keep the reviews coming as I enjoy hearing from y'all, so I will leave this note here. That means that it is time to sit back, relax, and enjoy the 27th full chapter of Miraculous Quirks.
Disclaimer: I do not own either of these great works of fiction.
Chapter 27: Stain vs Cat Noir
Adrien was on Stain long before the villain could reach the pro hero on the ground that he was trying to kill and surprised the man with his sudden arrival. Adrien used his staff in a shorter than usual length, though longer than it was as a baton, to deflect the katana away with a clang as he shoulder charged Stain hard in the chest while in midair.
Then, as Adrien's attack pushed Stain back, he grabbed the front of his tank top thing and the red scarf the villain wore with his right hand before he spun in the air and threw the villain away, adding to it with a kick that he used to back flip off him and back to his friends and classmates. As he did, Stain hit the ground hard and bounced off it though he twisted in the air so that he landed on his feet and slid back along the ground until he came to a stop further down the alleyway.
Meanwhile, Adrien landed right in front of Todoroki and Midoriya, or Shoto and Deku as he should address them here, with the latter having regained mobility and was now standing next to Shoto. Both were staring in surprise at yet another classmate's arrival.
"What's the situation?" Adrien asked without preamble as he tossed his staff to his right hand and flicked his wrist to extend it to the length he liked and needed to counter Stain's sword. "That's the Hero Killer, isn't it?"
"It is and you can't let him get your blood." Deku said still trying to process how Agreste had ended up here but glad he was here regardless as he caught his friend up to what he'd deduced about Stain. "He ingests it to paralyze his opponents, that's his Quirk but I was the first one to be free of it."
"So, he has a time limit then." Shoto said understanding now.
"No, that kid should be the last one free if that's the case." The pro said from the ground. "I still can't move, and I was the first to be taken down by the Hero Killer."
"Then I have 3 theories as to why I was the first to be freed." Deku said. "One it loses efficiency the more people he uses it on. Two the quantity could play a factor as it was only a drop for me. Lastly, it could be based on blood type."
"If it's the latter then I'm type B." The pro said and Adrien, who wasn't taking his eyes off Stain, saw a flicker in the man's eyes and realized that it was in deed based on blood type.
"I'm type A." Tenya said from behind them.
"Bravo, you figured it out." Stain said with a slight grin at the skill of the green one to deduce his Quirk so fast. "Not that it will do much."
"Deku, Shoto, what are your blood types?" Adrien asked sticking with their hero names as that was what they were supposed to use when in costume. "It's blood type so we should all be aware of the time limit."
"O." Deku said.
"Same." Shoto added
"Alright then I am certain the duration limit will be tied to his own blood type, that's makes the most sense." Adrien said noting the surprise on Stain's face at his deduction though it wasn't good for him. "Which is shit for me. I'm AB so I'm either the same as him or second worst regardless of what type he is but he's definitely not O. Good thing this suit will deflect blades."
"It will?" Deku asked surprised.
"It should but I am not sure about piercing damage." Adrien said switching to English knowing that his classmates could understand it and hoping that Stain didn't. "Alright what's the run down of the situation? All I got was Deku's location, nothing more but I came right away as I knew there had to be a reason for it."
"Same here, Deku isn't one to be cryptic." Shoto said in lightly accented English and following Agreste's lead on the hero names as it was a good idea. "I was the last to arrive before you, Cat Noir was it?"
"Yes and stick to the hero names." Adrien said. "We are currently interns so we should use the code names."
"I came because I was on the bullet train to Shinjuku when it was attacked by something like Nomu from the USJ though this one was gray/green and had 4 eyes." Deku said in Japanese, and Adrien knew that while the boy could speak passable English, his fluency needed work so he likely couldn't use it in a situation like this just yet. "My supervisor and I were about to patrol when it was attacked. I came to help, saw the chaos that two more Nomu-like creatures were causing, but I was in the way and Ida was missing. I figured he'd be after Stain and knew that the Hero Killer would be in a back alley based on his previous attacks and that's where I found this situation. He was about to kill Ida and Native."
"Please, leave, Stain is mine." Ida said from the ground his voice filled with a mix of desperation and hatred. "I inherited my brother's name; I should be the one to defeat him."
"Rage and vengeance are not attributes of a hero Tenya." Adrien said coolly, his words in Japanese and being picked up by Stain who was giving them time to talk to regain his strength as that throw had hurt him more then he let on. "You cannot allow your personal feelings cloud your judgement lest you become the very thing you seek to bring to justice. I know this monster crippled your brother but if Ingenium is anything like the hero you look up to then he'd not want this for you. The best thing you can do now is let someone with a clear head and experience handle this. Thank the gods I am here."
"Agre… Cat Noir, between the three of us we can take him." Deku said though he was a little confused by the final few words Agreste had just said but decided to ignore them given the situation. "You and I can get in close for melee while Shoto provides cover for us from range as we wait for the pros."
"The pros are coming but they won't get here in time and no offense Deku, you don't have the best control of your Quirk at the moment." Adrien said. "Can you use it yet without breaking yourself?"
"Yes but only at 5% power." Deku said surprising Adrien. "I can move and fight."
"It's true, Deku saved me the first time." Ida admitted. "And his moves, they're fluid and good."
"Alright then here's what you two will do." Adrien said making his mind up and knowing that Stain wouldn't give him all day to plan so he had to speed this up. "Take Tenya and Native and get them to safety, preferably a main road as Stain won't follow there."
"He's determined to kill them." Shoto said. "He's a fanatic, driven by a zealot ideology."
"So that's what's driving him, well a serial killer would have some reason for his actions." Adrien said looking at Stain and shocked the man had yet to attack but it was as if he was waiting to see what Adrien was going to do, almost like he was assessing Adrien. "Still, he won't go to an open area, too risky with the chaos and amount of heroes currently in Hosu. You two take those who can't move and get them clear, hopefully one can move by the end of it. I'll stay and hold him off until you get back."
"Cat Noir, he's fast and skilled with many blades that you can' see." Shoto said. "Without my Quirk I'd have already been defeated."
"You forget Shoto, my own Quirk will be a good counter for him, and I am trained in western fencing." Adrien said with a grin. "Most Japanese aren't used to a western sword style. I can also match his speed and strength thanks to my enhancements, so I am the best to stay and hold him. You've lost a fair bit of blood Shoto and Deku doesn't have the protections I have. Go. Get them clear and then come aid me. Seal me in Shoto. I got this."
Before Todoroki or Deku could act, Adrien charged rather than let Stain come to him. He wasn't going to give them an option. He was the best for this fight. They needed to get the others clear, get back up if possible, and then they could help him out. It was what a hero would do.
Stain for his part grinned wide and his long tongue flashed out as he rushed to meet the black suited kid who was charging him. This guy was like the green one, he was worthy of being kept alive. He came in hard and fast, saved his friends, assessed the situation, and made the right call given the numbers and injuries. He was even willing to sacrifice himself against a villain for the others to rescue the false hero and the kid who didn't deserve to be one. It would be dishonorable not to give the kid a fight and see how worthy he truly was.
The pair met in the center of the alleyway and Stain brought his katana to bear as fast as he could to the kid's left side. However, Adrien saw it and as soon as he did, he pulled up and swung his staff around in his right hand, extending it to catch the sword and deflect it upwards. As he did, Adrien lowered his he and slammed it into Stain's chest to force him back. Their fight had begun.
As much as Todoroki wanted to stay and watch it, and he did because he was seeing Agreste fight and the boy knew how in a way that was beyond what his age would imply, he knew he couldn't. It was the same with Dupain-Cheng and Todoroki was now curious as to how their training had been to be able to match his and in some ways exceed it.
Agreste was easily holding his own against Stain as their weapons danced and clashed in the alleyway, the French boy easily keeping up with the villain's blade and speed in a way neither he nor Midoriya could. Add in the fact that Agreste's orders had been the right ones and it showed that the boy had an experience that was beyond what the rest of the class had. Well, except Dupain-Cheng who'd shown similar foresight and assessment skills during the final part of the USJ incident when she was part of the group that held the center with All Might.
"Cat Noir is right." Todoroki said as he slammed his right fist into the side wall and created a line of ice along it until it past the combatants when he shot it out to block off the back of the alley with a wall of ice. "We need to get these two out of the alley now."
With that Todoroki placed his right palm on the ground and created a second massive ice wall to seal the combatants in. He didn't like doing this, but it was the right call and he and Midoriya could get through it later.
"Right." Izuku said as he powered up and began sparking with green lighting for some reason. "I'll carry Native, you get Ida."
"I was going to say the same thing." Todoroki said as he used his right foot to encase Ida in ice and began moving, pushing the ice ahead of him as he did.
Izuku just nodded as he picked up Native in his arms with ease and they hurried out of the alleyway. Thankfully they weren't too far from the main road, so they were able to reach it quickly and once there Izuku rested Native against the wall in the sitting position that he frozen in while Todoroki began to melt the ice on Ida.
"Please, let me go and help Cat Noir." Ida said as he began to feel his movement coming back. "I can move soon."
"You can barely move your arms and Agreste is right, you can't continue." Todoroki said to Ida before realizing that he had a chance to get through to him the way that Midoriya had managed for him during the Sports Festival. "Listen Ida, I have been keeping an eye on you since I heard what happened to your brother and I can see now that it was worth it. I just wish I had acted sooner and for that I am sorry."
"What do you mean?" Ida asked confused.
"I know the look of a person drowning in resentment." Todoroki said seriously. "That was me all the way until the Sports Festival and it wasn't until I saw my dad there after my quarterfinal match did I realize it. Midoriya opened my eyes when he fought me, he said what I needed to hear and then seeing what my fire can do when I used it on Dupain-Cheng and the way she too pushed me to use all of my Quirk made me realize what I had to do. I was too conflicted, too driven by rage and hate at my scumbag of an old man to see straight until then. It was thanks to Midoriya and Dupain-Cheng that I had the courage to finally address something in my past that I didn't realize was holding me back until then."
"Todoroki." Izuku said never seeing this side of the boy before, but it was good to see him finally loosen up a bit and using his fire was a sign of that.
"No, let me finish, you need to hear this as well." Todoroki said knowing that time was short and not wanting to leave Agreste alone for too long. "Ida, I got the forgiveness I needed and thanks to that and my classmates I was able to choose my father's agency and it is because of his instincts that I am here to help. Right now, another of our class, one who is a lot better and skilled then any of us realized, is currently going toe to toe with Stain in a one-on-one fight despite knowing what Stain's Quirk is so that we can get you and Native to safety. Do not waste what Agreste is doing for you by rushing in there and getting yourself killed."
"I…" Ida said as he thought on Todoroki's words and what Agreste was doing for him.
"If you can move then your blood type is the next on the list to clear which is good." Todoroki said looking at the wounds on Ida's arms that were starting to bleed freely again. "You can't move your arms but you fight with your legs so that is good. Get up, be the hero your brother wants you to be and guard Native until he can move as well. Any pros who come, send them to the alleyway but don't come until Native is healed, understood. You are not in the right state of mind to help us but you're too good to discard so do what you can here and begin your own redemption."
"Yes, I understand." Ida said as he felt his body unfreeze and slowly he got to his feet. "I will do what you said. Stain was right, I was clouded by rage and vengeance, I don't deserve to be called a hero. Agreste was right, I can't be in the fight, but I will begin my redemption by protecting Native until he can help you out as well."
"Good, Midoriya, let's go." Todoroki said. "Agreste needs us. Even with his Quirk and skills, Stain will be a challenge, but he is the best of us to hold him."
"Agreed." Izuku said as they headed off to help their classmate and hoped that he was doing alright.
"Not bad kid, you made the right call and put others ahead of yourself the way a Hero would while not expecting anything in return." Stain said as the ice closed in and he backed up, this kid had to have some form of enhancement-based Quirk as he could easily match him for speed which meant that it was time to change things up. "But I'll still beat you and continue to purge the world of those false heroes."
"You will have to get through me first villain." Adrien said as he charged again. "And I won't be some pushover kid, I'm more experienced then you'll ever know."
Stain just grinned as he met Adrien's charge and deflected an attack from Adrien's staff before he lunged a stab at him. Adrien leap back and then as Stain pulled back his sword he stepped forward and swung his staff in his right hand at Stain's side. That was when Stain changed his fighting style, however, and drew the large knife at his back to intercept the staff with it in his off hand and hold it there. He used that lock to bring his katana high, aiming to cut the kid's face but not kill him, this kid deserved to live.
That was the moment that Adrien had been waiting for. Instantly he activated his Quirk in his left hand and raised it up to grab the katana a little over halfway down it, using his enhanced reflexes to manage it. Only when he touched it did Stain realize that Adrien's hand was glowing with a strange, unnatural, black energy but by then it was too late.
Cataclysm was active and Adrien focused on it to keep it so as the metal blade turned brownish black and then disintegrated into dust but only the metal was effected and as soon as the part Adrien had grabbed with his hand was gone Stain swung his arm and the handle of the katana past his eyes wide at what the would-be hero's Quirk actually was. He'd done well to hide it just as a hero should do.
However, Adrien wasn't done as he pressed his advantage and swept his left hand in a claw shape at Stain. The villain was good, but his shock allowed for Adrien to get in close and rake his fingers along the sheathes on his right ribs, the handle of the one knife there, the metal brace that held the sheathes, his black tank top and the upper portion of the wrappings on his left arm in a diagonal slash across the Hero Killer's torso.
Stain pulled his arm back as the sheathes with two more knives and the metal of the one knife left on the right side fell to the ground with the destruction of the brace. Adrien wasn't done though as he backflipped and kicked Stain under the chin with his right foot, snapping his head back and causing him to arc backwards and away from him before he landed hard on his back a few feet away.
Adrien wasn't idle as he fell to a knee as he landed on the ground and kept his eye on the Hero Killer while sweeping his left hand over the ground. Sure, he cracked it which he shouldn't have done but he was able to destroy the 3 combat knives, well two and a blade, that had fallen, in the process thus destroying more of Stain's weapons. He managed all this and to get to his feet before Stain recovered but recover he did.
Stain for his part grinned as he slowly got to his feet and spat out a tooth that Adrien had knocked out, blood running down his chin. He was now shirtless with the tank top and left arm wrappings gone but he still the lower wrist cuff thing there still on as it wasn't part of the wrappings there. This kid had really impressed him with his skills and quick thinking. He'd hidden his Quirk, one similar to Shigaraki's but that didn't seem to affect flesh which made it great for a hero and used it to surprise Stain and land the blows while disarming him.
"Bravo, you've got some real talent kid, more than all the others who have faced me tonight combined." Stain said as he had to reassess the situation, he doubted he could flee now as this kid could match his speed and he still needed to purge that false hero and kid to help bring about a better world, so he needed to find a way to get this kid's blood to activate his Quirk and get out of her. "You hit that Quirk well and it's just like Shigaraki's so it can counter my blades well."
"Shigaraki, so you are in cahoots with the League of Villains." Adrien said his eyes narrowing. "That's why there is chaos here, you two are working together."
"We have similar goals, sure, but we have different methods and his are too childish." Stain said. "I will deal with him later, once I am done with what I was planning to do tonight."
"Not if I take you down first." Adrien said. "A villain can't be allowed to remain free. I will stop you tonight."
"I look forward to you trying kid." Stain said as he charged. "But now that I know your last trick, I can beat you."
Adrien didn't respond as he rushed forward again to meet Stain in combat. This time though he kept his Cataclysm active though he didn't know how much longer it would last and Stain was clearly wary of it now as he kept his one good blade left in his left hand to counter Adrien's staff and keep it away from Adrien's glowing hand of destruction.
Well, Adrien could use that to his advantage as he shrunk his staff to a size that was better to counter the knife and deflected it away. He then extended his staff using that feature to his advantage as he swung it around to catch Stain in the right side of his face along his jaw. The blow staggered the Hero Killer and Adrien followed it up with a kick from his right leg, spinning on his left heel as he'd been trained to put more power into the blow and slammed it with all his strength into Stain's left side, hard.
Adrien heard the crack of ribs breaking as Stain gasped out in shock from the blow and Adrien push through the kick and launched Stain sideways and into one of the ice walls with a crash. The villain hit it with enough force to crack it and slid to the ground in a daze, his right arm holding his injured left side. Adrien didn't let his guard down though as he lowered his staff to his side in his right hand, left glowing with power still, and he began to walk towards the Hero Killer ready to knock him out and restrain him until the pros arrived to help.
"End of the road Stain." Adrien said calmly as he approached. "Surrender peacefully now, there is no need for further bloodshed. You're reign of terror has come to an end."
"Oh kid, you are good, but you should know that in a one-on-one situation I'm always better." Stain grunted out and before Adrien could reach the man thrust his right arm outwards revealing that he'd not been holding his side at all but two knives, one the standard folding kind and the other a small throwing one. "Never assume an enemy is out until he can't move or is actually restrained."
Adrien didn't get his staff up in time as the folding knife struck him point first in his upper right pec, just below his armpit and above his lung so all it hit was muscle. It was a piercing attack and Adrien knew at once that his suit wasn't made to withstand those as it went through the magical material and into his body, lodging deeply in there and causing him to stagger back in shock as the blood flowed down his right side from the wound and that was before the throwing knife hit.
Thanks to his reflexes Adrien had turned his head to the side so blade just scored a line along his cheek in an upward angle from just above his lip to the edge of his face, taking a small notch out of the top of his right ear as it flew past and lodged high into the ice behind him. Blood instantly flowed down his cheek from the relatively deep wound there as Adrien staggered back, the pain breaking any focus he had and causing his Cataclysm to end.
Stain used this to follow up by lunging forward at Adrien with his knife that he still held in his left hand that he brought around as if to slash at Adrien and Adrien instinctively stumbled back to avoid it before he fell on his ass from the move. However, it was just a feint and Stain used the lunge to land on his knees were Adrien had been standing and lap his tongue along the ground where some of Adrien's blood had already fallen. The moment the villain's tongue tasted Adrien's blood it was over.
Adrien couldn't describe the experience other than like it he was suddenly hit by pins and needles all over his body only 10 times worse and more painful as he suddenly froze up, completely paralyzed. He fell to the side from that and groaned as he lay on his side in some odd sitting position as Stain got up slowly and walked over to him. Great. Adrien had failed and it looked like he was going to be killed here in some back alley if his friends didn't show up in time and all he could think about was Marinette and how this would break her.
"I love you my lady, I'm so sorry." Adrien whispered in French from where he was as Stain slowly approached, his spiked boots thudding and the chains on them clinking as he walked. "Please, go on without me if I fall. You are strong, I know you can do it. Be the symbol you were in Paris, Ladybug."
"There are many false heroes in this world, but you are not one of them." Stain said breaking Adrien from his thoughts as he approached and looked down on Adrien without any hate in his eyes. "You are worthy of living kid, not only to spread my message to the false heroes that I will purge from this earth but because you have the chance to become a true hero like All Might who is the only hero actually worthy. Don't take my mercy lightly though. If you become false then I will take your head from your shoulders without hesitation."
Adrien just looked up as best he could in shock at what Stain was saying to him as the villain looked down at him. The Hero Killer was sparing him because he was worthy. Well, at least he wasn't dying but still, this wasn't good as he'd failed to stop the madman.
"Now I must leave, you've done well and saved the false hero and that kid with vengeance in his eyes." Stain continued. "You destroyed my main weapons, and now I must replace them. The world needs more heroes like you kid. Until…"
Stain didn't get to finish his sentence before a gout of flames hit him in the side of the face and staggered him back as they washed over him. It burned his face and damaged his mask as his eyes wide and a little vacant. It was a moment of stunning, but it was all Deku needed.
"5%, Detroit Smash!" Deku yelled, his right fist glowing as he came down from above, green lighting on his body, before he drove his fist into the side of Stain's face with a crack.
Deku fell to the ground with a yell of pain as the crack had been his hand breaking from using too much power that he hadn't realized he was using in his desperation to knock out Stain. However, Stain just crumpled from the blow as blood sprayed from his mouth. Before he hit the ground though, a spike of ice shot up and rose, filling the alleyway and sending Deku and Adrien sliding down it to hit the ice wall that Shoto had erected at the start, Shoto himself standing between them in a ready position.
"Come on, get up." Shoto said. "Keep fighting."
"Kinda cant, I'm paralyzed." Adrien said simply from the ground. "He got me at the end."
"And Todoroki, look." Izuku said and Todoroki did to see Stain unconscious and out cold at the top of his ice. "We got him with that final combo."
"Good." Todoroki said before looking down at Adrien. "I see, you were defeated in the end, but you did well Agreste, you held him long enough for us to come and stop him. Thank you."
"Barely, my mistake but he was going to spare me which was a surprise." Adrien said from his position. "Still, I'm glad you guys came back for me."
"That's what heroes and friends do." Todoroki said simply. "We hurried back and saw you on the ground from the top of my ice, so I hit him with flames to stun him and get him away from you and then Midoriya came down for the punch."
That was basically how it had gone down. As soon as Todoroki and Midoriya had returned to the ice he'd taken them both to the top on another pillar as that was fastest. As soon as the were there they saw an odd scene below them. Stain was standing shirtless over Adrien and missing several weapons and his left arm wrappings. They didn't think as they acted with fire and force from Todoroki and Midoriya respectively and now they had Stain out cold and captured.
"Take down your ice before he suffers frostbite and bind him." Adrien said. "While disarming him as well because he's bound to have several more knives on him. I'm out for a bit."
"Right." Todoroki said as he went to work melting the ice that held Stain and Izuku looked for rope or something to use to bind Stain. "I take it you used your Quirk Agreste. That's the only reason why he's in that state of dress and his katana isn't anywhere to be seen."
"Yup, destroyed his katana and several knives, along with his top, brace/harness thing, and the wrappings on his arm." Adrien said. "That should be useful but disarm him all the same."
Todoroki just nodded as he went to work. Thankfully someone had thrown out a good amount of rope that Izuku found in a small dumpster as Todoroki disarmed the remaining weapons on Stain and then bound him as he was the only one of them who could do that. They bound his upper arms to his chest and his wrists behind his back as they sat the Hero Killer up in a sitting position on the icy, cracked ground.
After that Izuku checked on Adrien as Todoroki melted the ice on the ends of the alleyway and Adrien explained how his fight with Stain had gone down. They would leave the blade in, though for some reason he wasn't bleeding while paralyzed so that was good, but they had no idea how long Adrien would be like that other than that it was going to be a while. Someone was going to have to carry him to the road.
As the ice melted, it revealed Ida and Native there waiting, both standing and bleeding but having come back to help and checkup on the others. Immediately they saw Stain captured and that it was over, but that Adrien and Midoriya were injured. They would have to get Stain to the road but for the moment they took stock and assessed the situation.
The battle had only lasted at most 10 minutes but for the 4 U.A. students it had felt like a lifetime. However, it was over now, and they had won. It was time to regroup and get Stain to the police to finally end his reign of terror. Little did they know that it was not over yet.
A nice little bit of foreshadowing because I can't resist it. That was tense and different as Adrien took on Stain alone and did well until the end. It was a close one, but I do feel like Adrien would be deemed worthy by Stain thanks to his time as Cat Noir. For anyone wondering, there is a reason why I made Adrien's blood type and I will reveal that reason when it comes up though if anyone can guess it I'll be damned impressed by it as Adrien doesn't have a blood type listed in Miraculous, so he needed one for this fight. The battle is over but there is still more and two more chapters in this arc so plenty more to enjoy. However, that is all I have for now so I will end this chapter here. If you like it or have any questions please let me know in reviews or PMs, I will try to answer them as best I could and post any questions asked between uploads at the start of the next chapter and do follow and favorite this, so you are alerted to future uploads. Do keep the reviews coming as I like hearing from y'all as you enjoy my work, it motivates me to keep producing the best work I can for y'all to enjoy. Until next time.
Stringdog
