A/N: Wow, I wish I was this consistent with my works that are actually in progress

Monster King: I appreciate it. For the time being, I will. But the story will stay as discontinued as I am not sure if I will keep updating.

I do not own MHA, so let's just get the chapter going.

"We're here."

Iida looked up towards the lowest window the back alley building had. It was higher up than a window should be for the first floor, but was within reach if someone stood on his shoulders.

"Let me check it out. Get ready to run if anything happens."

As soon as everyone acknowledged her request, Uraraka used her quirk on herself and floated upwards. Once within reach she grabbed the window sill and looked in, scanning left to right.

"Oh no…"

"What's wrong?" Todoroki inquired. He absolutely hated the terror that her voice held. He could see Inko pale beside him, and hoped that him keeping calm would encourage the mother to do the same.

The girl pulled her phone from her pocket and aimed it through the window. The lighting was terrible, but just good enough for her to get a video as she panned her phone from side to side.

"Take a look."

Her phone was surrounded by a faint green hue, and the device transferred itself towards Inko. She and the four other teens crowded the phone and selected the most recent saved video.

At least a dozen tanks with hoses and machinery pumping fluids in and out resided in the room. Each of the large boxes had a brain sticking just above the surface of the liquids, and a monstrous face was pressed against a wall.

Nomus. A small army worth.

"Guys!" Uraraka whisper-shouted. "One of them is moving."

The girl watched in terror as one of the monsters stood up. The slimy substance it had been submerged in rolled off its skin in clumps.

The thing opened its mouth and a thick gray substance spewed from the orifice before swallowing the Nomu whole. It disappeared, only a shaking gray circle stood where the creature had been.

Uraraka watched with bated breath as she awaited another to move. Only a minute later the Nomu returned through the gray matter and sunk into the tank, not making any note of the vanishing portal.

Just as she was preparing to drop herself down and warn the others, a slight hint of movement caught her eye. Whatever it was was quick, dashing between the many shadows the dim lights provided.

The person, still unidentifiable, drew a large knife from beneath a robe and raised it.

The knife came down and dug into the exposed brain of the nearest Nomu. The person unceremoniously grabbed the organ and used the blade to cut it out. As if by second nature, the being dropped the brain onto the floor and stomped it to a pulp.

Feeling nauseous not just because of her quirk, Uraraka could only watch as the person quickly repeated the process for every tank in the room.

Then they turned to face the window, staring down the spying girl with bloodlust oozing off them.

Uraraka did not dare to stick around to see what they had planned for her, and dropped herself as quickly as possible.

"We have to leave, now!"

She grabbed Iida and Todoroki and pulled, but neither gave way under their confusion.

The five that had been down below her asked what had happened, but her mind was racing and her heart felt like it could blow a hole in her chest if it did not slow down. She could not find a way to answer outside of pleading to get away from the building.

"What are a bunch of kids doing here?"

Somehow, despite the quiet of the empty alleys, the same figure Uraraka had just seen through the window had silently snuck out of the building and stood between them and the way they had entered.

A large hood covered his face, with only his mouth visible. Bakugo immediately began screaming threats and obscenities at the man, but stopped when Iida walked past and approached the man.

The boy's hands were balled into fists, and everyone present could see him shaking to his core. But he stood strong between him and his classmates, willing to be the first if the man attacked.

But he knew that voice. It was the only voice he had learned to fear; the voice that occasionally haunted his nightmares.

He wanted to rush the man and do something, anything, to bring him pain. But he could not. Not when he had a suspicion as to why a murderer that should be locked up was roaming a random building in an empty segment of town.

"What are you doing here, Stain?"

He prayed that the man would give the answer he hoped for.

"A student has been taken by the League of Villains, and you want us to hold a press conference?"

Aizawa could only stare at the small being that was the principal. While it was true that Nezu was always thinking, the mouse-like creature had admitted a handful of times that even he was far from foolproof.

But a press conference?

"I understand your surprise, Aizawa, but please let me explain."

Aizawa took a seat on the other side of the massive desk, hoping for a logical reason for the demand.

"The villains are likely watching us, trying to figure out what our play is. It's not a guarantee, but if we pretend to still be forming a plan while other teams work in the shadows, we might…just might…be able to catch them off guard. Of course, there's so much that could go wrong, but it's the tactic I see most likely to succeed."

Aizawa nodded, then turned around when he heard the door to the room open.

"Nezu, sir. I just heard back from the undercover investigators. They might have a lead on where the hideout is."

"Very good. Thank you Vlad." Nezu accepted a folder that the other teacher handed and read through it quickly.

"Hmm. I do believe Midoriya mentioned that Stain had warned him about the villains hiding in a bar of sorts. This does look promising." The chimerical principal closed the folder and sat in thought.

"We have to do it tonight. If we wait any longer, the villains might move him, or somehow find out what we are planning. I will schedule the conference for later tonight while organizing a rescue team."

"How many heroes are you calling in?" Vlad questioned from behind his coworker.

"As many as would be able to join without raising suspicion. At the moment, I have already reached out to Mt. Lady and Kamui Woods. Tsukauchi is working on convincing Endeavor to join as well. More heroes will be contacted, I assure you."

Aizawa opened his mouth to speak, but said nothing. There were doubts in his mind about what he planned to suggest, but decided anything would be worth rescuing a student.

"What if we recruited a less savory individual?"

"Aizawa?"

"You and I both know what I'm suggesting, Vlad. We've already gotten him out of Tartarus once for something much less important. But right now we need any card we can play. Even if it means asking him for assistance."

"And you think the'll let him out? Getting him here was nearly impossible, and that was with Nezu reminding the supervisors of Tartarus that he'd be confined to school grounds and monitored by every available teacher."

"I'll contact them," Nezu declared, cutting off any potential argument between the teachers. "I still have a favor or two I can cash in with those that run the prison. And maybe, just maybe, he'll be willing to comply if we fill him in on Midoriya's situation. It'll be a longshot, but Aizawa is right. If anyone would be of use, it's him."

Nezu grabbed his cell phone from his desk and dialed an unusually long number.

"You two should start preparing for the conference. I will be getting ready soon as well."

Izuku watched the news, curiosity flaring. He could tell something was wrong, but the exact reason eluded him. Aizawa managed to answer a question while somehow avoiding the question in a seemingly practiced fashion.

As did Nezu and Vlad King. A small glimmer of hope started settling in his chest. Were they closer to finding him than they let on?

But he quickly pushed down the hope and fell into his natural demeanor. He had a part to play, and anything that could get in the way could get him killed.

"It's funny, isn't it? These heroes that have been entrusted with your wellbeing admitted to all of Japan that they have no clue what they're doing! It's so perfect! The hero society that everyone has come to worship is slowly crumbling as we speak!"

Shigaraki began laughing a maniacal laugh at the thought of being in charge of the events that started the avalanche. Breaking into the school, attacking the USJ, showing up at the training camp and kidnapping a student? He was absolutely ecstatic.

"Best be careful, Shigaraki. The heroes are sneakier than you might think. I'm sure they're planning something right now," Izuku warned, hoping his advice would do anything to gain more trust.

"By the way, Spinner? Mind if I steal a blade or two?"

The reptile-like man clutched his collection with almost caring tenderness. "These are the swords that I use to carry out Stain's mission. Even if you're his apprentice, why should I give any away?"

Izuku chuckled, both at the sight of the man cradling a massive heap of swords and a little for show. "Because, in exchange for a mere two blades tops, I can give you some insight of how he worked to further his goal. Isn't that a deal of a lifetime?"

Before the man could respond, Toga popped up inches from Izuku's face and brandished a small knife. "Here! Here! Take this and tell me about Stain!"

The boy could admit that he had forgotten Toga considered herself a follower of his mentor. In his mind, she was much more of a fangirl that had found a music group than a believer that would dedicate her life to Stain's ideologies, but he also knew something was better than nothing.

Izuku grasped the offered knife and gave it a few practice swings and jabs. "Not bad, I must say." The boy slipped the knife into his pocket and gestured for her to lean close. The rest of the League could make out that he was whispering something, but the details were far from coherent.

Toga pulled away and squealed, then hopped around the bar in excitement that felt off in a room of killers.

"What did you tell her?" Spinner requested. Izuku simply held out a hand in response.

Spinner looked back to his sword of swords, and back to the open hand. With a sigh, he grabbed one of the smaller blades and pulled it from the bundle. With a little hesitation he handed it to his new teammate, who once again swung it a few times to practice.

"I told her that Stain would have been proud now. Sure, he may be known as the Hero Killer, but he is willing to kill villains for the same reason he kills heroes. Instead of being greedy, you allowed yourself some humility of giving away what you hold dear."

"I see. Even the little things are, in his eyes, worthy of judgement. Thank you, Midoriya. I shall remember this teaching and use it to aid his pursuit of a better society."

"Anyways, I never got an answer. What're we planning next?"

Almost like fate decided he was not to get an answer again, four knocks came from the main door. A door to a building in the middle of a nigh empty town.

"Hello? We had an order for a pizza delivery here!"

"Man, I was just thinking about how good pizza would taste. Who ordered pizza? You know I hate it!"

Just in time for the League to process that someone was at the door, the wall right behind Spinner was shattered with unforgiving force, a loud "Smash!" announcing the presence of an unforgettable hero.

The moment the wall was fully down, Kamui Woods charged in with his Lacquered Chains Prison. Close behind was Edgeshot, who compressed himself into a paper thin strand that shot from Kurogiri to Dabi to Twice, effectively eliminating the most troublesome members in a fraction of a second. All three fell limp under the bindings that had yet to loosen around them.

"Don't worry about you comrades, they will live. However, seeing as I just punctured their lungs, I would recommend they sit still."

Edgeshot glared at Magne and Toga, as if daring them to give him a reason to do the same to them.

"Shigaraki, where is your boss?"

Izuku, having watched the entire string of events unfold, looked at the short man that made the demand. He recognized him from Hosu, but knew little else about him.

"Midoriya, are you alright?" All Might stepped forward to hold the boy, but his student instead stepped back, procuring as much anger as he could.

"For all you know, I wasn't. I could have been dead, or tortured beyond breaking by now. And now you heroes are making a dramatic display of 'rescuing' me?"

All Might's smile wavered, just enough for Izuku to see and fell guilt for.

"My boy, ever since your classmates notified Aizawa of your capture, we have been tirelessly working to bring you home. Please, forgive us for taking so long."

Izuku once again did everything he could to dig up past memories. Belittlement, rejection, abuse, all of it. He forced himself to rehear all the times he was told he had no future for being quirkless. He recalled as many times that his dreams were snuffed out by his middle school classmates as he could. He relived the day Stain of all people told him that there was potential inside the weak little boy.

"What if I am home?" He asked with as much venom as he could. "What if I want to stay with the people that will accept me for who I am instead of worrying that I might turn on them someday?"

"This is bullshit. Master, send in the reinforcements!"

Three portals, just like the one that the healing Nomu had used, appeared inside the bar. Three Nomu appeared, but only one stood on its own. The other two slumped through the portals, their brains missing from their already lifeless bodies.

Sounds of gunfire erupted from outside the hidden bar, and orders were mixed with screams as more Nomu, some dead and some alive, appeared outside.

"Master!"

Izuku began to choke. Thick slime erupted from his mouth unannounced and coated his body. The last thing he saw was All Might, desperately reaching out to him before he disappeared.

"What am I doing here?" Stain laughed. He pulled away his hood to reveal his face which sported his infamous mask. There was an ever-present glint of insanity in his eyes that almost brought Iida to his knees. "Simple, I'm aiding the heroes in Izuku's rescue."

The man's eyes fell on Inko. She knew who Stain was, and what he had done in the past. Fear began to rise at the thought of him deeming the children around her fakes and taking matters into his own hands.

Contrary to what she expected, the man approached her, holding his hands away from his body as if letting her knew he was not reaching for any weapons.

"You are Izuku's mother, are you not?"

Inko nodded, unable to speak.

"Your boy is strong. He is persistent and he is resourceful. He will be okay."

The earth around them shook, incredibly violently for how quiet it had been all night. Stain peered around the corner, catching a glimpse of Mt. Lady tearing off the roofs of the nearby building with Best Jeanist behind her.

"So much damage that the people will have to pay for. Some heroes truly are too destructive for their own good." The man shook his head with clear disgust.

"So this is what happened to my Nomu."

For a brief moment, everything froze. Pure, unadulterated fear stopped everyone's hearts as the presence of a man they could not even see spoke from within the damaged building.

Flashes of death, anguish, and suffering filled everyone's vision. Stain, ever resilient, only stumbled at the figments of his imagination.

The rest, so unaccustomed to the real world, stood stiller than statues. They awaited the visions to come true; they awaited their gruesome ends.

Izuku appeared in a crater with the rest of the League beside him. Not too far away, an unconscious and bleeding Best Jeanist lay in a heap with Mt. Lady trying to get him to move away from the man who had leveled so much land with hardly any effort.

"It would appear the heroes were one step ahead of you yet again, Tomura."

The speaker, his voice a mix of organic and synthetic, stepped from the shadows of the now ruined building. A large mask encompassing his entire head glinted in the moonlight, and a suit that was too formal for the situation allowed his massive frame to make itself known.

"But things like this happen. All you can do is learn and try again."

The man with an aura unlike anything Izuku experienced stretched a hand to his successor.

And in the blink of an eye, All Might was there.

"I won't let you get away again!" the hero declared stoically. "All For One!"

"Oh? Perfect timing for a final battle." the declared All For One mused. Red and black extensions shot from his fingers and dug into the large hero's back, then flung him away into a nearby structure.

"Kurogiri, I need to borrow your quirk." The extensions plunged into the unconscious gate's body and twitched erratically. A familiar purple haze exploded into existence above the body.

"Go now, Tomura. If this is where I die, then I will have died teaching you everything I can."

"They're going to get away," Uraraka warned from behind the large pile of debris. "And they're going to take Deku with them."

"There has to be a way to get him, right?" Todoroki questioned. He noticed Stain start to leave, but came eye to eye with the man. No words were spoken, and the man leapt away to join the battle.

"Come on, we all have quirks that are incredibly useful! He would think of a way with no trouble." Kirishima racked his brains for any plans, but came to the realization that he was nowhere near as smart as the friend they had come to rescue.

"Round Cheeks, make me, Four Eyes and Inko weightless. I don't think any of these losers can fly, so if we take to the air we can get over the battlefield farther than they can reach."

"Okay, but how do we get him separated from the others?"

"Half-and-Half can deal with that. All he needs to do is make a display with his quirk. That should be enough of a distraction to give us a chance."

"And what about me?" Kirishima asked. "How can I help?"

"You're our backup. If we fail to get the nerd out of there, the last hope we have will be for you to charge in and drag him by the neck if you have to."

Uraraka could tell Kirishima wanted to do more than act as a fallback plan, but she could also tell Bakugo was trying to make sure the redhead was not left out entirely.

"Okay. Here goes." She touched her fingertips to each of the three that would fly over the field and lifted them to a vantage point that would allow them an unobstructed takeoff.

"Bakugo, I need to ask. Why did you include me and Mrs. Midoriya?"

Bakugo sneered as if the answer should have been obvious. "You're best suited for long stretches of higher speeds, but you can't navigate worth a damn yet. I'll provide us with some extra power and mobility. As for her…"

Inko could take a guess as to why she was in such a perilous position. But Bakugo was smarter than his brash and violent attitude let on.

"That damned nerd won't just let us save him. If there's any chance that someone he considers a friend will get hurt, he'll take the path that puts himself in danger first. Doesn't matter how close you or Round Cheeks or Half-and-Half are to him; he'll just let you fly overhead and out of the way. But he'll come to Inko. I know he will."

So many buildings had been destroyed in the fight. All Might and All For One, two absolute titans of power, clashed with unwavering ferocity around the League. Izuku did his best to stay clear of the action, but noted a slight change in All Might's abilities.

For whatever reason, he was getting weaker. If something did not change, the Number One hero, the Symbol of Peace, would die here.

The two powerhouses continued their brawl. All For One had the edge in absolute versatility, but All Might had an unbreakable will and raw power on his side for the time being.

Both foes came to a standstill in the crater vying for an opening, and Midoriya made his move.

"Young Midoriya, you must get out of here!"

But Izuku kept approaching, brandishing both a knife and sword with malicious intent.

"Sir, allow me to help. Let me show this society what even a quirkless nobody can do."

All For One's Rivet Stabs pierced into All Might's sides, one of which was the weak spot he had kept hidden for so long. More red and black streaks wrapped around the hero, immobilizing him and holding him out towards the boy like a sacrificial lamb.

"Midoriya. I give you one chance to prove your loyalty once and for all. Show me that you truly believe in the failures of the hero system that has plagued the world."

Izuku smiled the most evil smile he could, staring into All Might's eyes with killing intent.

"Tell me, All Might, can a quirkless boy be a hero?"

All Might was silent, uncharacteristically silent.

"You have shown me time after time that anyone can, regardless of their quirk."

Izuku raised the knife in his right hand, pointing the tip at the man he had adored for so many years of his life.

"It's too late for that," he sneered, then put as much power into his arm as he could muster.

The blade, moments before pointed at the hero, flipped in his hand and flew at the villain that had hurt so many heroes in the past. The blade sliced through one of the pipes of the giant mask and stole enough attention for the rivets to loosen around the hero.

"Better late than never, though."

All Might was not given a chance to reply. Between All For One recovering and the League that had witnessed the betrayal, he had no choice but to leap back into action. He and All For One resumed their vicious fight, leaving Izuku to stare down Toga, Magne and Compress.

"Sorry, but there truly is no honor among villains."

Izuku prepared the sword that was given to him and waited for another battle to begin.