Chapter 28 - U.A. Shutting Down, Internships Begin!
"So… we lost All Might." Nezu stated, "And one of our students, Izuku Midoriya, has gotten a bounty placed on his head by the World Government."
Yesterday, shortly after Izuku Midoriya had left U.A., the teachers of the high school were called to have an emergency meeting regarding recent events.
"Yeah… seems to be the case." Aizawa replied.
"All Might's disappearance is sure to be disastrous… society has relied on him as a Symbol of Peace for quite some time. His disappearance will surely cause an unprecedented surge in villainous activity." Nezu surmised, "On top of that… we've also lost a teacher from our ranks. I must ask you homeroom teachers to additionally take up heroics classes if you can fit it into your schedules."
"Will do, man." Present Mic stated, being uncharacteristically quiet.
"Let's also discuss the more pressing issue." Aizawa stated, "The World Government was trying to shut us down even back when Dragon ended up becoming a bountied criminal… now, we've raised a second with Midoriya. Plus, I have it on good authority that All Might's defeat was orchestrated by the World Government... and you all know what that means."
Midnight nodded.
"Yeah, and the World Government's sure to find that we've housed Chopper at U.A. as well… even if his bounty is only 50 berries." Midnight added.
"Yes. There's no doubt that this will be the last year that U.A. High continues to run." Nezu responded.
"It's quite a shame." Vlad King added, "Classes 1-A and 1-B are the most gifted we've had in years…"
"Yes… even the weakest members of Class 1-A are on par with my second years." Ectoplasm commented.
"Hey! Don't imply that Class 1-B is weaker than Class 1-A!" Vlad King shouted, mildly upset.
"Well… if U.A. is gonna get shut down by the end of the year…" Aizawa began, "Then Vlad… we'll have to use the Plus Ultra program."
Vlad grunted.
"Yes… I'm not a big fan of that program, but I know Class 1-B can take it." Vlad noted.
"What are you guys talking about?" Midnight questioned.
"Classes 1-A and 1-B… we'll fast-track their growth." Aizawa responded, "The curriculum of first, second, and third year students will be merged into just their first year."
"What? That's ridiculous!" Power Loader interjected.
"Don't underestimate them, Higari." Vlad said to Power Loader, "We'll still let them go through their internships as planned, and then... we'll put them through hell."
"If any of you don't have your costumes, speak up now." Aizawa stated. The entirety of Class 1-A, who were all behind him, stayed silent, "Remember: wearing them in public is prohibited unless you're given permission, but don't drop them off anywhere just because they're inconvenient. Got that, brats?"
"Yes sir!" the students of Class 1-A said in unison.
It had been five days since that aforementioned staff meeting, and now, the hero internships for Class 1-A were about to begin. The group were presently together at a train station in Mustafu, where they would ride to their respective agencies that they'd be interning at.
"This is gonna be fun!" Toru said, speaking to Ojiro.
"Oh Tokoyami, you're heading to Kyushu, right?" Kirishima questioned, "It's the other way!"
Among the excitement that accompanied the internships, there was also a slight coldness to the air.
Two days ago, the students of Class 1-A had learnt of the story behind Izuku Midoriya's bounty, a story which each student took a different meaning from. For some, it was a warning that a war was coming which they had to prepare for. For others, it was a story which reminded them just how large the gap was between them and the top of the class… whatever, the case, life still went on.
"Hey, Shoto!" a girl with a singular red strand of hair called out to the boy in front of her.
Shoto looked behind himself to find none other than Ryuko Matoi behind himself.
"You're heading over to Hosu as well, right?"
"Yeah, I've decided to do my internship with my old man."
"Hah, we must both be sadists or something then, because I did the same thing." Ryuko admitted with a sly smile, "You wanna go over together?"
"Yeah…" Shoto said, "That'd be fine with me."
"Ida!"
Looking behind himself, Ida saw Ochaco and Tsuyu. The pair had heard about what had happened to Ingenium, Ida's brother, on the news a decent bit ago, and how he had been almost murdered by the Hero Killer: Stain. Up to this point, he had murdered 21 heroes and put 34 out of commission… a staggering amount which left him marked as highly dangerous.
Despite this however, Stain hadn't been mentioned in the news at all recently due to the recent global incidents that were Deku being granted a bounty and All Might's disappearance.
Because of this and more, Ida never told anyone anything about what happened to his brother, something which brought concern to Ochaco… he needn't be alone now.
"About everything that's happened lately…" Ochaco began, "If you ever need someone to talk to, just know that me and all of your other friends are all here for you!"
Turning back to face Ochaco, Ida's face changed from the expression he previously bore, as if he was trying to hide what the true expression he wore was.
"Sure."
Ochaco wasn't entirely convinced by Ida's statement, a drop of sweat falling down her face being proof of this. Nonetheless, she had no choice but to accept it... and allow a series of unfortunate events to play out.
"I've been waiting for you, Shoto." Endeavor stated, talking to Shoto, who stood across from him, "Are you finally ready to walk the path of the mighty?"
"I have no intention of following down any path you've created. Only I can decide my future." Shoto responded.
"Hmph." Endeavor replied, maintaining a smile on his face, "And you too have decided to intern at my agency."
"Yep." Ryuko responded, "Don't worry, I ain't here to pay off a grudge or anything like that."
"I see... whatever the case, you two should get ready." Endeavor asserted, "We're going to head out."
"Where to?" Shoto questioned.
"Before your internships really kick off… I'll show you both what it means to be a hero."
Taking both Ryuko and Shoto outside of the office building, Endeavor was intent on showcasing to both of them just what the Number One hero could do.
Due to All Might's recent disappearance, villainy was on an upsurge, meaning that more incidents were occurring all over Japan… one of the only cities which was able to counteract such an upsurge was Hosu, all because of Endeavor.
As for their hero costumes, Shoto was currently wearing his hero costume beta, while meanwhile, Ryuko finally had the chance to wear her own hero costume.
On her face, Ryuko wore a pair of yellow sunglasses, designed to help her block out the sun, as well as a red scarf below that which looked identical to Aizawa's, beyond the color.
As for her general outfit, she, at the very least, still possessed her trademark guitar case on her back; the one which contained her Scissor Blade. As for her general outfit, while she planned to wear a red tracksuit during winter seasons, it was almost summer, so that would be far too warm. Instead, she wore a black crop top, as well as black shorts, held up firmly by a utility belt containing all sorts of goodies.
"Try and keep up, Shoto!" Endeavor shouted, utilizing his quirk to set off a fire behind himself, sort of like a jet engine, "And Matoi, quit using Shoto's power to keep up with me!"
Behind Endeavor, Shoto and Ryuko both attempted to keep up with the hero as best they could, as Shoto was forming an ice path ahead of himself so he could move faster than usual. Not having any way to maneuver quickly herself, Ryuko merely relegated herself to running alongside Shoto's ice.
"I'm quirkless y'know! I can't exactly run at supersonic speeds!" Ryuko argued.
"That's not an excuse!" Endeavor replied, "You're the one who chose to be a hero despite that, so you have to be prepared to conquer any obstacle with absolute strength!"
"Yeah, yeah, I know!" Ryuko managed to get out.
Suddenly, a warning alarm of sorts from a bank or some other type of building began to go off. Before Ryuko or Shoto could even react, Endeavor adjusted his trajectory and began shooting off to the alarm at speeds Ryuko and Shoto analyzed were more than triple his previous output.
"He puts the Nomu back at USJ to shame with that speed of his!" Ryuko commented.
"Yeah… he's the Number One for a reason." Shoto added.
"Let's catch up, Shoto!" Ryuko said, as she bolted onto the street that Endeavor previously went on.
"Right!" Shoto responded, creating a pathway of ice beneath himself.
Taking Endeavor's advice, Ryuko decided to run by herself instead of relying on Shoto's quirk. Surprisingly, Ryuko noted that she was just about as fast as Shoto, even without a quirk of her own.
"Heh. Try and keep up!" Ryuko mockingly said, as Shoto, believing that Ryuko was serious, did just that, instantly overtaking her, "Hey, I was kidding!"
Even despite Ryuko and Shoto making their way to the scene quite swiftly, by the time they did, Endeavor had already defeated all the criminals.
One had a quirk that made him look like a manta ray, the other was sparking a faint electrical aura around her person, and the largest of the group had the top half of his clothes burnt off, more likely from his own quirk rather than Endeavor's due to the heroes excellent control.
"You both need to be faster!" Endeavor ordered, "I cleaned up this scene before either of you even arrived!"
Not having a snappy quip to retort with, Ryuko simply muttered, "Tch."
"How do you expect us to catch up with you?" Shoto asked.
"You both have the capability to do so, you just aren't utilizing your abilities properly." Endeavor commented, "Remember Shoto, there's nothing my fire can do that yours can't with enough training. And Matoi, even if you don't have a quirk, you still have absurd physical ability. All you need to do is think of a way to use that strength to make up for your weaknesses."
Without leaving the pair behind him so much as a moment to reflect on what they had just been taught, Endeavor shot off to the next incident, forcing Ryuko and Shoto to instantly start rushing to keep up with the Todoroki ahead of them.
"He seems a lot less like a jerk than he was at the Sports Festival." Ryuko commented.
"It's not like my father's without merits; he does run a successful hero agency, and is used to giving out pointers." Shoto replied, "But… yeah, he has changed a lot recently."
Beyond beginning to recognize Shoto as his own person, All Might's sudden disappearance also caused a massive change in Enji Todoroki. For as long as he could remember, the Todoroki had been obsessed with chasing after All Might… his desperation to become Number One, it had consumed him for so long... and now that he finally had that title, he finally had his first chance to take a look at himself and who he had become.
"Well, whatever the case, we ought to do as he says and show him just how fast we are!" Ryuko shouted, "Let's try to keep up with him, Shoto!"
"Let's!" Shoto replied, as he sped up to the full speed he could handle with his ice.
"Hey, let me on!" Ryuko shouted, as she was about to be overtaken by both Endeavor and Shoto.
With the solemn breeze battering his face, a masked 'hero' stared down at the city below him.
He had a sort of crooked face, at least, that's the best way one could describe it… it wasn't off putting, just distinctly different, almost as if it was taking what a face could be to the extreme. He wore a beige mask, with slits of white breaking it, seemingly being his eyes. Above that, he wore a red headband, and below he additionally possessed a long, red scarf.
His hair was a mess, as it was clear that he didn't take much care of himself, but that wasn't the only indication, as his arms were bandaged up the wazoo as well.
Beyond that, he had a sturdy set of clothes, almost looking militaristic in a way. He had a gray torso and black pants, with there being fortifications all around, notably on his large black shoes, which had spikes on the end of them. The area which lent itself his greatest intimidating factor however was the katana on his back.
This man was one of the most dangerous criminals in the world, the Hero Killer, 'Stain'.
"All Might…" Stain thought, "You were meant to be an indomitable symbol… but now, it seems you left the world in a worse place than you found it in."
Going into his pocket, Stain began to pull out a piece of paper.
"Of course, I don't take you to be a man who gets taken out without a plan." Stain noted, as he brought the piece of paper into his line of sight, "This boy… he must be someone special."
In front of himself, Stain was holding up a Grand Line bounty poster… one which held the name of none other than Izuku Midoriya… the boy he theorized that All Might might've acknowledged as a true hero.
"You're a wanted criminal… and yet you still try to be a hero." Stain muttered under his breath, "You are the one who will benefit most from the results of my purge."
"That's it. We're done."
The moonlit night sky faintly illuminated the scene before them, seemingly being the root of Endeavor's order.
"No way!" Ryuko argued, panting from physical exhaustion, "We haven't even watched you fight a single guy yet-"
"That's your own damn fault." Endeavor responded, "You have to get faster if you wish to keep up with me."
Continuing to pant, Ryuko said nothing. While she wished to argue against Endeavor's words, she was too tired to insist on doing so… and she knew that it would be pointless to resist.
"So, where will we be staying the night?" Shoto asked, his face mildly succumbing to frostbite due to how much he had used his right side today.
"Don't get any funny ideas, you two won't be staying together." Endeavor replied, to the confusion of Shoto and embarrassment of Ryuko, "We've got sleeping quarters in my agency. Come on, let's get some rest."
Before Ryuko or Shoto could even blink, Endeavor turned around and took off. Both Ryuko and Shoto took a second to respond, but then both began chasing after Endeavor.
"Old pervert…" Ryuko muttered under her breath.
Two days later, just outside of Hosu, a boy camped in a forest just outside of the city.
"Hosu… the location of the Hero Killer." the boy noted.
Having heard about the Hero Killer only two days prior from a newspaper, the boy had spent all of yesterday gathering resources to track the Hero Killer down. Finding that the Hero Killer would usually kill or severely injure five pro heroes before moving locations, it seemed that he would still be in Hosu. After all, he had only attacked three pro heroes at this point.
Even if not for the fact that a mass murder like Stain needed to be captured, the fact that he was killing pro heroes was still concerning. At a time like this where villainous activity was occurring more frequently than ever, the world needed as many heroes as they could get.
"The fact that he was able to kill as many pro heroes as he did suggests he's dangerous." the boy thought, "I'll have to be careful."
An electrical aura sparking around him, the boy leaped into a tree beside himself, and decided to rest for the night.
"What the hell are we doing?!" Ryuko shouted.
It had been three days since Ryuko and Shoto began to chase Endeavor, and the sun was beginning to fall on said third day.
Shoto currently had himself set ablaze with his left side in order to continuously compensate for the constant activity on his right, and Ryuko was sweating a small amount herself, yet wasn't nearly as tired as she was at this time yesterday.
"I mean, still trying to catch my father, I guess." Shoto replied.
"No shit, but why?" Ryuko questioned, "I came here to get stronger, yet all we've been doing is chasing your old man!"
"We're getting faster, at the very least." Shoto argued.
"You might be, but I don't think he's plannin' for that. I just think that he's doing hero work, and forcing us to come along so he can tell the school that he's 'teaching us'." Ryuko shouted.
"Whatever the case, I think we should still follow him." Shoto said, "We can still catch up."
"Yeah, well, good luck with that." Ryuko said, "'Cause I'm done."
"Huh?" Shoto let out, as he turned around, seeing Ryuko walk away from him, "Ryuko!"
"What? I ain't so intent on wasting my time like this!" Ryuko shouted, "I've gotta get stronger!"
"I do as well… but…" Shoto began, as Ryuko gave him a second to finish his response, "But still, you shouldn't just leave like this…"
"Quit worrying about me." Ryuko said, with a slightly less aggressive tone, "I'll be fine."
Ryuko began to walk off, and Shoto looked down at the ground, unsure of just what to say to her.
"If you ever need someone to talk to about anything… just know that I'm more than willing to listen." Shoto said, as Ryuko stood still to listen to him, "You helped me a lot back at the Sports Festival… even before then too. It's only right that I return the favor."
Unsure of how to respond herself now, Ryuko took a deep breath in, almost like a sigh.
"Thanks Todoroki." Ryuko said with a melancholic smile on her face, "But I just need to be by myself for a bit… be back soon."
Ryuko then began to walk away, going into a nearby alleyway. Shoto watched on at Ryuko, unsure of just what he could do to help her, as he knew that she clearly carried a weight of sorts; he could tell from that smile of hers that she was hiding something like he once did.
Having wrapped up the mission ahead, Endeavor had begun backtracking upon seeing that Ryuko and Shoto had stopped following him, and now, he arrived where Shoto was.
"Where's Matoi?" Endeavor quickly asked, shooting fire out of his feet to slowly deaccelerate and make his way to the ground.
"She went into a nearby alleyway." Shoto answered, "She told me she needs some time alone."
Endeavor was instantly ticked off, "That little brat…"
"So… why have we been chasing you around all day?" Shoto asked, turning to face Endeavor with his piercing blue eyes.
Endeavor considered hiding his true motive for a second, but decided to give it out plainly. He scoffed.
"Why else do you think?" Endeavor questioned, "So that both of you can find ways to catch up with me. That's the only decent training I can give you as interns."
"Hm." Shoto responded.
Endeavor wasn't exactly sure how to approach Shoto from here. Was he annoyed because he thought the day was a waste of time? Or was that a doubt implanted into him by Ryuko Matoi? The Todoroki wasn't exactly sure… but, maybe he made a mistake by letting Matoi into his internship if this was the weight she crumbled under.
By her lonesome, Ryuko took off her sunglasses and put them into a pouch on her utility belt. Having been walking up to this point, she stopped when she realized she had gone far deeper into the alleyway than she had intended.
Wallowing in her own thoughts and doubts for a moment, the very next moment, she let out a noise of agony, and punched the wall ahead of her, leaving a decent sized dent within it.
"Dad…" Ryuko whispered to herself.
Meanwhile, in a nearby alleyway, the Hero Killer Stain had just heard a noise. Turning his head towards it, he tried to see if anything was coming.
"...Hm." he muttered, "Now then, where were we, hero?"
Turning his attention straight ahead, Stain appeared to have a hero against the wall. The man he was holding back was wearing a blue costume, one which possessed a fin on its head; currently, his purge was targeted onto the pro hero, Manual.
"Let… let me go!" Manual muttered, his voice being muffled since Stain's hand was over his mouth.
"If you're a hero, you better choose more impactful last words to be remembered by." Stain said, a sinister smile on his face forming as he licked his lips with his oddly long tongue, "Now-"
Before Stain could get out another word, however, a blade slashed down onto him. Having noticed the figure just before they struck, Stain jumped to the side in order to dodge, being forced to let go of Manual in the process.
"I don't know who the hell you are…" the person who had slashed at Stain said, "But you better scram before I kick your ass!"
The person in question was none other than Ryuko Matoi, who pointed her Scissor Blade at Stain.
"Kid…" Manual began, falling onto the ground and beginning to breathe heavily after being choked so much, "Get out of here… that's the Hero Killer!"
"You should do as he says." the Hero Killer added, "This is no place for children."
"No way in hell!" Ryuko shouted, "I've been lookin' for someone to take my anger out on, and a scumbag like you is just the perfect fit!"
Hearing Ryuko say this, Stain merely scoffed… this girl, she was just a child after all.
"You're bleeding, right?" Ryuko whispered behind herself, "You should get out of here… I'll cover you."
"That… even if I wanted to, as a hero, I can't!" Manual responded with a whisper of his own.
"It's alright… I don't got a quirk, so I can fight without-"
Before another instant passed, Stain disappeared. Passing by Ryuko without her even being able to see him, Stain reached Manual and launched a swift kick to his side. Pierced by the sharp spikes on Stain's shoes, Manual coughed up blood and was launched away from Ryuko, leaving Stain to do what he wished with the pro hero.
"You have spirit, so I'll spare you." Stain said to Ryuko, holding his sword above his head while on top of Manual, "But… a sacrifice must still be made on this day."
"Did you think I'd let you do that?!" Ryuko shouted, launching a slash straight at Stain's side, which he effortlessly blocked with his own blade. Launching his first offensive move against Ryuko in this fight, Stain pulled out a knife from his person with his left hand, slashing it at Ryuko, a blow she was barely able to dodge by jumping back, though Stain's knife still grazed her.
"Shit! He almost got me!" Ryuko thought, landing on the ground and realizing that she now had a small cut on her face, "But his speed… it's nothing compared to Endeavor's! If I-"
Taking his knife to his mouth, Stain licked Ryuko's blood… and the next moment, her body went numb, and she fell to her knees.
"W-what the hell?!" Ryuko thought, as her body fell down a moment later, "I… I can't move!"
"Your movements lack speed and finesse." the Hero Killer commented, "But you held power within your blows. You're worth keeping alive."
"Tch… that bastard…" Ryuko thought, "This must be his quirk!"
"Nonetheless, I cannot stop my purge for you." Stain said, moving to the now unconscious Manual once more, "Your sacrifice will be for the sake of a brighter future… you should-"
Before Stain could get out another word, however, he was interrupted again.
Shooting onto the scene with unparalleled speed, a boy in armor akin to a knight zoomed straight to Stain. He attempted to launch a kick onto the Hero Killer, but Stain merely ducked his head forwards in order to dodge it, leaving the boy to shoot off into the alleyway.
"Wait… is that Ida?!"
Ignoring any of his surroundings, Ida shot straight back to the Hero Killer once more. Before he could even reach him, however, Stain launched his sword straight at Ida's head, knocking off his mask and revealing Ida's face.
"Psh… another kid." Stain scoffed, "Go home, and take that other brat with you."
"I can do no such thing!" Ida shouted, "I am Ingenium, and I have come to-"
Before Ida could say another word, Stain had brought his blade to Ida's neck.
"Don't say another word." Stain said, as he had read the boy's intentions from his eyes; he was here for revenge, "Otherwise… your age won't be enough to save you."
Quickly spinning around, Ida activated his engines, blasting himself just outside of the Hero Killer's range. Keeping his engines activated and spinning around to face the Hero Killer, Ida launched yet another kick at Stain.
"Predictable." Stain said, dodging Ida's kick by bending his body to the side. This time, he wasn't so intent on letting the boy counterattack yet again, as Stain thrusted his entire body forwards, pushing his hand against Ida and pinning him to the ground.
"I used your brother to start up rumors… but this…" Stain began, before being interrupted.
"Shut up… you… you VILLAIN!" Ida shouted through gritted teeth, "I will… AVENGE MY BROTHER!"
"Yet again, you're too predictable." Stain stated. While on the ground, Ida attempted to spin around by flaring up his engines in order to kick Stain in the legs, but Stain countered by stabbing Ida in the arm, causing the boy to let out a scream of agony and cease his action.
"You aren't able to do anything because of your faulty convictions." Stain stated plainly, "Both you and your brother were fake heroes, that's why you can't-"
"How dare you call him that!" Ida shouted, still pinned against the ground, "My brother… he was a true hero! He saved so many people… he's a leader, and a great hero! THERE ISN'T A SINGLE REASON THAT YOU SHOULD HAVE-"
"Save them first."
Pointing his blade in the direction of an unconscious Manual and a Ryuko shaking with fury, Ida's eyes widened.
"You're acting out of pure self interest; nothing but vengeance." Stain stated, "If this is how you act, then you're the furthest thing from a hero."
Ida stayed silent for a second, processing Stain's words.
"That all doesn't matter." Ida said through gritted teeth, "You're a villain… A VILLAIN WHO HURT MY BROTHER"
Stain raised his blade above Ida, as the eyes of Ida widened yet again. No more words were to be shared between the pair, as only bloodlust remained in Stain's eyes.
Only a second later, Stain's blade fell… but, catching it in midair was a sort of red cloth which wrapped around it. Stain was confused, but looking to his side, he saw none other than Ryuko Matoi, who tugged on the red cloth and stole the blade straight out of Stain's hands.
"What?! That was her?" Stain questioned, "But… my quirk… it shouldn't have worn off that fast!"
"Matoi?!" Ida muttered.
"Shit! I was aimin' for his arm…" Ryuko muttered to herself, "Gotta get closer!"
"Whatever… I still have her blood." Stain thought to himself, taking out his knife he had slashed Ryuko with earlier and licking Ryuko's blood on it… but, nothing happened!
"Can't get enough of my blood, huh?!" Ryuko shouted, continuing to rush towards Stain, "Well how about you get a taste of your own for a change!"
"Paper Art." Stain thought nonchalantly, as Ryuko launched an overhead slash on Stain which he effortlessly dodged.
Ryuko attempted to follow up by flicking her scarf at Stain in an attempt to put him in a bind, but all she was able to do was lightly move her scarf towards the villain. This allowed Stain to grab the scarf and pull Ryuko to the ground, knocking Ryuko's Scissor Blade away the moment after. He then placed a foot on top of her to make sure she couldn't move.
"Aw, crap!" Ryuko shouted.
"That move of yours lacks practice." Stain noted, bringing a blade up to Ryuko and lightly grazing her with it to get her blood, "This is your last chance to surrender."
Now being held still by Stain's quirk yet again, Ryuko clenched her teeth together.
"You bastard… I ain't gonna surrender until I'm dead!"
"Seems you're just a kid after all." Stain said, taking his foot off of Ryuko and moving on to his other targets, "Use this as an opportunity to grow. And maybe someday-"
Before Stain could let out another word, Ryuko had already launched herself back at Stain, readying a punch. Stain merely stood still, and once Ryuko's blow reached him… well, Stain certainly wasn't the one that was hurt by it.
Recoiling her hand backwards, Ryuko clenched her teeth to deal with her pain, "What the hell is this guy's body made out of... iron?!"
"I commend your heroic spirit, and the use of your quirk to deactivate my Bloodcurdle." Stain repeated, turning back around to face Ryuko, "But you stand no chance here. Leave, before the weaker of us is to be culled."
"You think that I-"
"Matoi! Run away!" Ida shouted, "This fight… it's none of your business!"
Ryuko looked down at Ida, who Stain was previously approaching. She clenched her teeth together.
"You're kidding right?!" Ryuko shouted, "None of my business?! You sayin' I should just let him kill you?"
Ryuko then rushed towards Stain yet again, this time, sporting a greater fire in her eyes. Still not possessing her Scissor Blade, she countered with her Binding Scarf the second Stain seemed to want to make a move to his knife, this time, successfully wrapping it around his arm. Stain pulled Ryuko's scarf after this, but after last time, Ryuko was ready. Placing her feet ahead of herself, Ryuko launched a fierce dropkick onto Stain's body, this time being able to knock him back, unlike when it seemed like she hit steel when she last tried to punch him.
"This guy… he's killed too many people!" Ryuko shouted, recalling her own father's death at the hands of the person who held the other half of her Scissor Blade, "I can't let him kill anyone else!"
"...Matoi…" Ida muttered, as he clenched his teeth together, embarrassed at his own weakness.
Before Ryuko could make another move on Stain, he used his distance from Ryuko and proximity to Ida to his advantage. Throwing a knife into Ida's hand, Ryuko's eyes grew wide.
Now with a bloodthirsty expression on his face, Stain rushed towards Ida, pulling out another knife from his person, ready to kill him… but an approaching fire interrupted him from doing so, which Stain narrowly dodged.
"So many interruptions today…" Stain commented, as the floor below him froze over, and an ice wall began to bring both Manual and Ida towards Ryuko, plus her Scissor Blade.
"Sorry I'm late, Ryuko." said the voice of none other than Shoto Todoroki, "The pros will be here soon."
Authors Note
Wow... I forgot just how much I covered in this chapter. We went from the internships barely beginning to being midway through the fight against the Hero Killer. Now that's density!
There's a lot of cool stuff in this chapter too. We get to see U.A.'s reaction to All Might's retirement and Izuku getting a bounty on his head, which prompts Aizawa and Vlad to instate massive changes into Class 1-A and 1-B's curriculum. Stuff like Final Exams and the Summer Training Camp, for the record, will still be occurring in this fanfic, just not in the same way, shape, or form. Additionally, there was a mention of a person named 'Dragon', who seems to have been affiliated with U.A. before getting a bounty placed on his head... very interesting.
Beyond that, Ryuko is revealed to have taken her internships with Endeavor, and the core characters of focus for the Hero Killer arc are revealed; Ida and Shoto are still going to be focused on like in canon, but Ryuko is also added to the fray, plus, Manual is the hero Stain decided to assault instead of Native.
The Stain fight is quite the enjoyable one, and it's main purpose is to be a introductory arc to the Vigilante Deku saga, kickstarting narrative arcs for Deku and Ryuko specifically. I hope you all enjoy the rest of the Hero Killer arc, and now onto the...
SHOCKING REVIEW SHOWCASE
Thank you both for your reviews Infinity Prime and hdzalex084. I will address the points in your review in the order they were posted.
Thank you for your praise on the series Infinity Prime. The only thing I will note within your review is in regards to Marineford being revealed to Japan. Technically, this already happened in Chapter 7, where it was reported that a big battle between Whitebeard and the Marines took place, but a lot of the other events weren't reported.
What I'll say for now is this: the core of the first half of this series is the Seven Continents vs the Grand Line, with the plot involving the Kiryuin Conglomerate brewing in the background. If the true events of Marineford were revealed to Japan... well, let's just say that's not the only thing that would be revealed.
Thank you to hdzalex084 for your review as well. I'm very glad to know that the big plot twists I've been dying to release to the public have been a success, especially since this series is quite a bit slower. It will continue to be this way by virtue of how I'm writing it, but I hope you and everyone else reading will enjoy what I have cooking.