Apologies for taking so long.

Izuku managed, by his best estimate, about four and a half hours of sleep. That was better than he'd expected- not ideal, but better. With the benefit of a vaguely decent amount of sleep he'd been able to shake off his despondency from the night before and actually think about progressing. He'd done some more thinking about his nebulous plan to try and replicate Erasure, appropriately enough while he waited for Aizawa to come and pick him up, and he'd concluded that it wasn't feasible. Having seen Aizawa in action Izuku had formed two theories about Erasure's function. His first theory was that Erasure emitted some sort of radiation that caused a temporary alteration in the DNA of the target, preventing their Quirk from functioning. Izuku couldn't say how that would work, couldn't even begin to consider how to replicate it, which was hardly useful but more or less in line for Quirks. His second theory, the one Izuku thought more likely, was that it was more like an involuntary hypnosis. Rather than altering the DNA, it made the target mentally incapable of using their Quirk, which would explain why it didn't work on Mutant type Quirks. Not so much how it worked without needing eye contact or why the targets didn't know it was happening, but it had something of an angle to approach. In theory- assuming Quirks could be disabled by hypnosis- the right frequency of sound could possibly act as an artificial Erasure.

Izuku didn't have much hope, if he was honest. He wasn't much of a geneticist, and surely if it was plausible someone would have found it during the two-hundred odd years since Quirks had emerged. So, crippling his opponents was largely out. That left the second, theoretically easier option: increasing his own capabilities, beyond training his skills.

There were plenty of ways for Izuku to artificially enhance his combat abilities, even without resorting to something like an exoskeleton that would reduce his mobility in some ways. For example, Bruce's obsession with 'know your enemy' had spilled over into chemical analysis, as well as fighting styles and psychology. Put more simply…through Jason Izuku knew enough that he could synthesise at least one variant of Venom. And, if he really tried, he could possibly whip up a batch of fear toxin, maybe Joker toxin. But the Venom was more important. A batch of Venom- even the weaker version, diluted to take into account the fact that he wasn't quite in the peak physical state required to survive the full power drug- would give him a significant boost in strength. Not enough to put him on All Might's level, not anywhere close, but enough that he would be physically stronger than someone with a more run of the mill enhancing Quirk.

But that didn't mean it would be a good idea. Venom wasn't a pleasant wonder drug, by any stretch of the imagination. Apart from the obvious issues of almost complete physiological collapse if your body couldn't take the strain, it had side effects. Paranoia. Mood swings. Violent tendencies, delusions of grandeur- and those were only the most obvious. In addition, if Izuku remembered rightly, withdrawal symptoms in the event of addiction were nightmarish. And that was setting aside the nausea that roiled in his gut at the mere thought of taking a drug like that, nausea that set a cold sweat across his brow and put a shake into his flesh hand. No, best save that for a last resort. A very last resort, given that Venom getting onto the streets would be absolutely disastrous. And if all that wasn't enough, Venom required an almost constant supply to work at full effectiveness. No, Venom wasn't an answer to anything.

Izuku stretched, wincing as the scab on his side pulled at his bruises. Stain had really roughed him up, there was no argument there. Pettily, he hoped that Stain was hurting almost as much this morning. Unfortunately he doubted it. Most of the damage he'd done had been pretty temporary, although the shot to the arm Aizawa had managed and Shigaraki's decaying touch would probably be sore.

Izuku flexed the fingers of his prosthetic, rubbing at his shoulder with his other hand. Faint phantom pains chased themselves down his forearm, a reminder, and as he turned his wrist over he saw the long scratch that Stain's knife had left, bright silver against dull grey. He grimaced at the sight, fingers almost unconsciously picking up a sheet of paper, folding and refolding it without thinking.

"I can't really train that much," Izuku admitted aloud, free to do so in his empty apartment, "I'm still growing. In a few years maybe I'll have bulked enough to fight Stain head on. Until then…I can still work on my skills. Need to do more work on the pressure point techniques, if I'm going to really use them in live combat."

He glanced down, seeing the paper that he had folded. A shuriken, carefully folded and shaped. He laughed slightly, flicking it across the room and watching it sail into the bin. Jason had used shuriken as a distraction- throw a handful and people are too busy covering their eyes to notice the gun you were drawing, maybe. But for Izuku? Then again…Bruce had used those concussion batarangs, and while Hatsume and Izuku had designed concussion bullets…

"If I use the shuriken as miniature concussion grenades," he murmured, "I can keep the more useful ammo in my guns. Need to dial down the concussion a lot, though. But I can carry a lot of those…"

Hatsume was off on her own internship, of course, probably terrifying whoever she came across, but Izuku was fairly sure he could get access to the labs and whip up a few prototypes as proof of concept. Power Loader could probably be bribed with an offer of help watching Hatsume.

Izuku's phone rang and he muffled a groan as he leaned over and picked it up, unthinkingly putting pressure on his ribs. He was fairly sure that his assessment yesterday had been correct: they weren't broken or even fractured, but they were playing host to some very nasty bruises.

"Midoriya," he said into the phone. A faint sigh answered him.

"Midoriya. It's Aizawa. I'm outside."

"On my way, sir."

Izuku headed down from his apartment, limping just a little on his painful ankle. Aizawa was waiting, in the same car as last night, and Izuku briefly wondered if the man had sat outside all night, watching and waiting for Stain or Shigaraki to try to finish the job. Probably not, he concluded. Aizawa had a healthy level of paranoia, so he would probably have realised that it wasn't needed. Also, he didn't look sleep-deprived enough for that to be the case.

"Morning, Midoriya," Aizawa grunted as Izuku slipped into the passenger seat, "Sleep well?"

"Uh- well enough, sir. Did you?"

Aizawa snorted.

"Nedzu practically ordered me to," he said, "Told me he'd get someone else to keep an eye on your house. I guess Stain and Shigaraki haven't tracked you down."

"Hopefully not, sir."

"Although you avoided the Sports Festival," Aizawa continued, evidently expecting Izuku to follow his train of thought, "So your name might not be out there. Wouldn't be too hard for someone to work out who you are if they could get a class list, but those aren't out in the wild."

Avoided the Sports Festival, Izuku thought. That was a nice way of saying too injured to compete. But Aizawa had a point- it could be that neither Stain nor Shigaraki even knew who Izuku was under the hood, so to speak. Not that Izuku thought Stain was likely to care.

"Snipe's gone to fetch Shinsou- thought we might as well include him in the debrief. He'll need to know what he can't talk about. At least we have some actual footage of Stain now."

Personally, Izuku thought that more Heroes should try out bodycams. It wasn't as though it was a new technology, police forces had been using them for hundreds of years. But no, Heroes had to be special. Had to insist on skin-tight clothing and fashionable looks. But, then again, how much of Bruce's fondness for body-cams stemmed from his Rogue's Gallery's tendency to sprout new and dangerous villains? How many times had Bruce been forced to retreat by some new threat, only to analyse it from his cameras and win the second bout in decisive fashion? A lot. More than Izuku could even remember. Recurring villains here, on the other hand, were rare. At least the big, flashy villains that were likely to be caught on camera.

Then again, there were a lot more Heroes here. Izuku didn't think there had ever been more than half a dozen Bats or Bat-adjacent heroes in Gotham, against something like forty regular villains. You needed a lot more preparation when you were so heavily outnumbered.

"And I need to know if he decides he wants to quit," Aizawa continued, still talking about Shinsou, "He's been solid so far but now that he's had a second-hand taste of it, maybe he'll lose some spirit."

Maybe, Izuku supposed. That said, none of class 1-A had dropped out after the USJ, and Izuku was inclined to consider the USJ experience more traumatic than watching a fight against Stain, even for people who hadn't been violently disarmed. Shinsou had probably had a decent view of some actual combat from his stream. Better than his fight against Bakugo, at least. Aizawa quietened down after that and Izuku leaned into his seat, appreciating the softness of it. The car looked average from the outside, but someone had definitely put in the effort to make it comfortable. Very superhero of them.

Aizawa didn't speak again as they drove to UA, and Izuku was content to let the silence lie. It wasn't as though they had a lot to talk about, really, and Aizawa didn't strike him as the talkative type. Or the friendly type. Or the sociable type at all, really. But he was getting distracted, and his wandering thoughts had kept him occupied all the way to UA. Izuku followed Aizawa through the building, silently appreciative of the way the man slowed, just a little but enough that Izuku could keep up despite his still-present limp. It was a good thing that Recovery Girl was around, Izuku reflected. His ankle wasn't enough to put him down, but if he'd been back in Gotham it would have kept him off the streets for a couple of days. Going out with an injured leg was a recipe for disaster when parkour made up so much of the manoeuvring. Not that that had often stopped Bruce, but Bruce's survival had been a miracle in and of itself. The man just lacked self-preservation instincts, Izuku thought, ignoring the sharp pang of borrowed anguish with now-practiced ease. He followed Aizawa all the way to the room they had spoken to the other teachers in the night before, sinking gratefully into a seat when Aizawa waved at him. Izuku had barely leaned back and taken the weight off before the door opened and Principal Nedzu wandered in, waving a paw at Izuku as he braced himself to rise.

"No, no, don't worry about it Mr Midoriya," the Principal chirped, "No need for that. We don't stand on ceremony here."

Izuku let his hands fall from their braced position on the chair arms but didn't quite relax. There was something about Nedzu that set him on edge- some primal instinct that said 'there's danger here'. He didn't think he could even blame it on Jason. The Principal just gave off that vibe, despite his relentless friendliness. The next person to enter was Recovery Girl, bustling over to Izuku.

"Good morning, dear. How are you feeling today?" she asked. Izuku offered a slightly awkward shrug.

"I'm not too bad, Recovery Girl."

The school nurse pursed her lips at him, narrowing her eyes and shaking her head.

"Your prosthetic? No pain there? Numbness?"

Izuku shook his head.

"No, ma'am. A few phantom pains, but they've faded."

Recovery Girl nodded, prodding absently at his ribs. Izuku sucked in a sharp breath as his bruises protested and she clicked her tongue.

"Sorry, dear. Bruised. And your ankle?"

"I can walk on it."

She nodded again, looking thoughtful.

"Minor injuries then. That's alright."

She leaned in and pressed a kiss to the side of his head, papery lips against his temple, and Izuku squeezed his eyes shut as he felt his injuries heal. His ankle flared with a little more pain as it mended and Izuku bit back a grimace, although it was likely that Nedzu had noticed. It was better now, at least. He wondered briefly how Recovery Girl's power worked. Did it heal completely? If he badly broke his ankle would he suffer later in life, as though it had healed naturally? It had been something that Jason had been peripherally aware of, although there had been ways around it. Given the frequency and severity of the beatings Bruce had taken Izuku suspected that Kryptonian nano-tech had been in use well before Superman had rolled out the 5-U-93-R pills. Otherwise chronic injuries should have cut Bruce's career short well before he reached his late forties. Of course, it might not have been Kryptonian- Bruce was after all a billionaire, rich beyond the wildest of dreams. Wayne-Tech's R&D department could probably cook up something to ensure complete healing of otherwise debilitating injuries, and Bruce had never really cared about being a guinea-pig. Recovery Girl ruffled his hair, messing up his unruly curls even further, and stumped off towards Aizawa.

"If you have no objections, Mr Midoriya," Nedzu said, "I'd like to watch the footage of Stain taken from your helmet. It could prove very valuable to see Stain and Shigaraki in action, as it were, and I'm sure the staff could have useful insights. Especially as you seem to have made something of an enemy of both of them!"

Izuku didn't manage to resist the urge to pinch at the bridge of his nose and Nedzu laughed, the sound incongruously joyful. Izuku himself could barely believe it- maybe there really were deities around, because picking up two nemeses couldn't be anything less than bad karma from something Jason had done following him around.

"I hope it'll help, sir," he said instead. Izuku waiting patiently as the rest of the staff filed in- it looked like the entire teaching staff was present. Snipe arrived about half-way through, with Shinsou trailing nervously behind him. Shinsou looked slightly relieved when he saw Izuku, although Izuku thought that he might have seen a flash of jealousy too. Maybe it was Izuku's paranoia flaring up- but then, Shinsou seemed to hero-worship Aizawa, and his self esteem was probably fragile. Ah well, not like Izuku could do anything in this situation. The last to enter the room was All Might, his normal smile a little more subdued. Izuku wasn't surprised, when he thought about it- All Might only had a set time to be his larger self, and Shinsou didn't know about his injury. Arriving last would cut down on his active time as much as possible.

"Welcome, welcome," Nedzu had, waving a paw in an airy fashion, "I'm glad you could all make it! In case you weren't aware, yesterday Mr Midoriya had an encounter with Tomura Shigaraki and the Hero Killer, Stain."

All Might straightened abruptly, concern flashing over his expression, and the other teachers, those who hadn't been present at the debriefing last night, looked at Izuku as though to assure themselves that he was still alive. Nedzu continued.

"Although Mr Midoriya wasn't seriously hurt, I thought it would be informative for us to take a look at the helmet footage he's graciously provided!"

Silence. Snipe broke it, clearing his throat.

"Well," he said, "If the kid don't mind, I'd be happy to take a peek."

There was a low rumble of agreement from the other teachers, interested. Izuku guessed it wasn't surprising- Stain was racking up the killed and injured counts at an astonishing rate. Eighteen dead when he'd only been active for a year, at most, was almost frightening. Nedzu clapped his paws together again.

"Excellent, excellent. I admit I have not watched it myself- I wanted to go into this without bias, so to speak- so it will be exciting to see!"

Before anyone could comment on the almost unseemly enthusiasm Nedzu pressed a button on the table- Izuku was certain that it hadn't been there when he walked in, and his latent paranoia reared its head again, what else did Nedzu have hidden away- and the lights dimmed. The teachers turned in their seats, looking towards the side wall, where a projection had begun. The replay paused, showing the roof from Izuku's point of view, Aizawa a step in front of him.

"Aizawa?" Nedzu asked. Aizawa cleared his throat.

"Recording started just after leaving the Manual Agency. Midoriya and I were running a patrol, and I chose Hosu because I thought it was suspicious that Tenya Iida had taken an internship there. Given the attack on his brother by Stain, Midoriya had concerns that Iida might try to go after Stain. We went there to check on his mental state."

"And?" Midnight prompted after a brief silence. Aizawa looked at Izuku.

"Midoriya spoke to him."

Izuku took a deep breath as the teachers looked at him. Now was the balancing act, of explaining well enough without accidentally incriminating Iida.

"He…wanted to go after Stain," Izuku said, deciding that honestly was the best policy here, "But I don't think he'd realised how dangerous it would be. I managed to talk him down."

"Ah, de-escalation," Nedzu said, beaming. Midnight rolled her eyes.

"Couple of Heroes I know could do with trying that," she muttered, but she went quiet as the replay started again. It ran without pause until the Nomu snatched Izuku, freezing on the face of the Nomu, far too close to the camera for comfort. Izuku glanced at All Might as the hero smothered a cough- the man was frowning deeply and looked pale.

"That isn't the same as the one at the USJ," Aizawa observed, "Even taking into account the wings."

"Specialised for somethin'?" Snipe suggested, his mask not moving from the screen, "Although it weren't takin' hits as well as you said the USJ one was, All Might."

"No," All Might said, his normal boom subdued, "Midoriya's attack on the leg made it stumble. The USJ one was- apologies, Midoriya. You know what the USJ Nomu was like."

Shinsou was looking baffled, so Izuku caught his eye and tapped his left arm. Shinsou frowned for a moment before a look of horror settled over his features, and Izuku had to muffle an inappropriate laugh.

"It wasn't as strong or as fast, no," Izuku said in reply to All Might, "But it had some sort of enhancement."

"It shook off those bullets," Vlad King observed, "They weren't regular bullets, right?"

"I can answer that," Power Loader interrupted, "Since I was the one who authorised them. The bullets Midoriya's using there are his own Neural Disruptor Rounds. On a basic level, the bullets contain a capacitor and a packet of conductive gel, and they act like a small taser. Midoriya's are a little underpowered, but better those than the ones Hatsume whipped up. On a normal person, a solid hit leads to a short period of functional nervous system disruption around the affected area and a much longer period of numbness. The number of bullets Midoriya put into the Nomu would put someone down like being hit by a taser."

"Well, it couldn't keep a hold on him," Snipe drawled, "So I'd say it had some effect. Just weren't enough."

The footage rolled onwards again, until Shigaraki and Stain were both on the screen. Aizawa had sat up, his dark eyes narrow as he studied the two of them. Izuku looked over Stain, seeing again the blood that crusted on his skin, imagining the smell of it, steel and copper-iron. A grimace twisted his lips, but he didn't say anything. On the screen Shigaraki and Stain exchanged words, the camera shifting as Izuku backed away, and it paused again as Stain leapt into action.

"Looks like it's confirmed that Stain and Shigaraki aren't allied," Vlad King said, "Though I don't know why Shigaraki was there, in that case. We thought he might have been causing a distraction for Stain, but if they're enemies?"

"Maybe a distraction to try and hunt down Stain, and Midoriya was just unlucky," Power Loader suggested, "The Nomu grabbed him, but Shigaraki seemed surprised to see him. It wasn't a planned hit."

There was a degree of comfort in that, thin though it was. Izuku continued to watch, seeing the way Stain had moved when Izuku grabbed his arm- seeing the way Stain angled his sword. If his palm-strike had been a few seconds slower, if Izuku had tried to hang on rather than swinging an elbow strike, the sword would have come across Stain's body and thrust into Izuku's torso. He shivered slightly.

"Shigaraki ain't too well trained," Snipe said, "He's fast, yeah, but there's no skill in it. He's not got any martial arts training. Stain's got some, but he moves like he's experienced. He's picked up that sword, gone on out with a little bit of training and made it up as he went along, I reckon."

Izuku had to admit that his training with swords- well, to be more accurate Jason's training with swords- was limited. Jason had picked up a bit here and there, absorbed a degree of knowledge from the frankly alarming number of sword wielding lunatics that he encountered on a regular basis, but Bruce's training had focused on sticks or staffs and Jason had always preferred a knife. Still, even when just comparing Stain to his hazy memories of Damian Izuku could tell that Snipe was right: Stain wasn't a bad swordsman, but he lacked the flair of a man properly trained. The way Stain used his knife, Izuku thought, was similar: not unskilled, but self-taught.

"If we assume that the injury on Shigaraki's shoulder comes from Stain," Midnight said, "Then maybe Shigaraki was trying to draw Stain out, get revenge."

"The length of the injury does correspond to the knives Stain likes," Nedzu cheerily added, and Midnight nodded.

"So they fought earlier. But why? Shigaraki and Stain seem to share a hatred of heroes."

Nedzu stroked his chin, the thick scar over one eye wrinkling as he frowned.

"Maybe not," he mused, "We shall have to see. But I think that Stain and Shigaraki are only similar in the most superficial of ways, mysterious as Stains' motives have been."

Izuku watched as his arm came into view, blocking Stain's attack- a clumsy block, he recognised, leaving Stain's wrist free- and he suppressed a wince as the blade twisted around his gauntlet and dragged the saw-edged back across the inside of his wrist. At least one of the teachers made a noise of concern and Aizawa cleared his throat.

"Midoriya," he said, "That didn't damage your arm, did it?"

Izuku rolled up his sleeve and lifted his arm up, so they could all see the scratch.

"Just scratched, sir."

Aizawa nodded, eyes hooded and expression neutral.

"Shigaraki might have done you a favour at the USJ, Midoriya."

"Aizawa, what-"

"Look at where the mark is. How do you think that would have been on flesh and blood?" Aizawa interrupted, cutting over Present Mic without hesitation. Mic leaned closer to Izuku, pulling his sunglasses down slightly to see better.

"Jesus," he muttered. Aizawa nodded.

"Right across the wrist. Tendons and blood vessels. Pretty nasty injury, right?"

3989

Aizawa glanced at Izuku, and Izuku refused to bend under the weight of that dark gaze.

"Probably would have been fatal."

Izuku didn't think it would have been fatal, necessarily. Painful? Yes. Crippling? Certainly. Would have led to him passing out from blood loss, very likely, but he probably could have survived until Aizawa got there. Of course, he would have probably been killed by either Stain or Shigaraki well before he bled out, so the point was probably moot.

"He licked the blood," Vlad King said, "And Shigaraki went down. But he seemed to think he'd get Midoriya, so…"

"Mebbe he was thinkin' that he'd hurt Midoriya real bad?" Snipe suggested, although he didn't sound convinced. Vlad wrinkled his nose.

"Sure, he might have been going for the serial killer vibe. But Shigaraki went down in a heap after Stain licked the blade- that's not a coincidence."

Snipe nodded.

"Sure, sure. Just playin' Devil's Advocate."

Izuku watched as his perspective suddenly hit the ground, the Nomu charging past. Of course, the camera didn't really show what he was doing- smoke plumed thick and sudden, the camera moving and Izuku remembered what came next. Half the room sucked in a sudden breath as the camera showed him bursting into clear air before he hurled himself into empty space and turned.

"Midoriya, what the hell-"

The change in speed as his grapple caught- Izuku took a moment to appreciate how insane it must have looked, jumping off a roof and just trusting that he could hit his grapple without looking- and then concrete, asphalt, Stain and the Nomu and Izuku winced as Stain picked up his past self, the camera tilting closer to Stain's snarling face before it hit the ground rolling. They didn't pause the video again, watching as Izuku tried his best to hold Stain off and failed, not strong enough, watched as Aizawa arrived, only just visible as Izuku's head sagged, pointing the camera towards the ground before Stain's Quirk wore off. Watched Stain retreat and the Nomu fall and then, as Izuku collapsed after the fight, the video cut out.

"Well, that was enlightening!" Nedzu said. Aizawa shifted.

"So, Stain's Quirk," he said, "Blood-based paralysis."

"It certainly seems that way," Nedzu agreed, "And it would explain much of his attack method. He drops down, lands a single blow and then has free reign to finish off his trapped opponent! An ingenious method of dealing with a Quirk that initially seems lacklustre."

"And the way he moseyed on out when Aizawa got there," Snipe said, "I ain't too fond of bad guys with smarts. What d'you reckon, Aizawa? Think you could take him one on one?"

Aizawa leaned back, dark eyes fixed on the projection. Nedzu had rewound the film slightly, getting a good view of Stain as he faced down Aizawa and Izuku, and Aizawa frowned just a little.

"Don't know," he eventually said. Snipe coughed- choked, really- and Midnight whipped her head around. Izuku got the impression that Aizawa didn't do 'uncertain' very often.

"You don't know?" Midnight said incredulously, "How can you not know?"

Aizawa folded his arms across his chest.

"Did you see him? Midoriya managed as well as he did partly because he knows a bit about fighting, but mostly because he's wearing armour. Stain didn't have any good places to attack. I don't have that luxury, and I couldn't guarantee that I wouldn't get cut. Erasure can counter Stain's Quirk, but only if I can see him so if you're going to send me against Stain alone…I don't know if I could win."

Aizawa blew out a long breath, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Stain's dangerous, we already knew that. But we shouldn't get overconfident. Midoriya survived because his costume is well designed to protect him from what Stain could bring and because Shigaraki and Stain distracted each other. If it had just been Stain or Shigaraki we'd probably be down one student right now."

Izuku was of the opinion that it was a bit of a dick move to say it so bluntly, but Aizawa wasn't wrong, really. Once Stain had realised that he had a significant advantage in strength he had put Izuku on the back foot, and Izuku wasn't ashamed to admit it. If he faced Stain again, he was definitely taking the shot from as far away as possible.

All Might shifted, his chair creaking and breaking the fresh sombre silence, and they all looked at him.

"What Stain said," he started, sounding almost cautious, "About society. Am I- was I hearing things, or does he seem to think he's doing the right thing?"

Nedzu fiddled with something on his chair and the video rewound, Stain's rasping voice filling the room again.

"Money, fame, power…those are not worthy ambitions for a Hero!"

"A reformer," Nedzu said, looking at the projection and rubbing his paws together, "A revolutionary, even. Shigaraki seeks to tear down Hero society, Stain seeks to reshape it. No wonder they came to blows."

"So Shigaraki really might have been trying to draw out Stain," Midnight said, "More importantly, how much danger is Midoriya in? He escaped pretty much unhurt, how likely is it that Stain or Shigaraki'll try to finish the job?"

Everyone in the room went quiet. Aizawa sat up straight, his expression darkening, and All Might frowned.

"Shigaraki, maybe," Nedzu said in the end, "He seems to be holding a grudge. But Stain? Midoriya, you fought him. Do you think that Stain would take your escape personally?"

Izuku took a moment to think it over, mulling on it. He hadn't really been focusing on how Stain was acting, if he was honest- a little too busy trying to survive- but, all things considered, he stuck with the opinion he'd expressed to his Mom. Stain hadn't felt personal. If Izuku met him again there'd probably be another attempted murder or two, but he didn't think Stain was likely to try and hunt him down. Izuku said as much and Nedzu nodded thoughtfully.

"Yes, that seems likely. Shigaraki seems more volatile, but also less skilled in the art of tracking and ambushing heroes. Still, I will arrange protection for you and your family, at least for a week or two. The least we can do, Mr Midoriya."

Well, it was a lot better than nothing. Nedzu looked around, his paws pressed together.

"I think we've all seen how dangerous Stain and Shigaraki can be," he said, "Almost a miracle that Mr Midoriya managed to escape. I will be sharing the footage with the police and Heroes assigned to pursue Stain, of course, but I'd like you all to keep your eyes open and be wary. If you think of anything that could be important, my door is always open. Are there any other questions?"

Nobody spoke up and Nedzu nodded, satisfied.

"Good. Good. Well, I suppose that's all for now- I'll give you some time to chew that over before we have to speak again."

The meeting broke up, teachers filing out singly or in small clumps. Aizawa sighed deeply, gesturing to Izuku and Shinsou, and they followed him towards the door. They had just gotten into the corridor when someone cleared their throat and Izuku turned to see All Might, looking slightly apprehensive.

"Midoriya?" All Might said, "Could I have a word?"

Izuku glanced at Aizawa, who shrugged.

"You won't be doing any heavy training anyway," he said, "So sure. Meet Shinsou and I on the usual training ground when you're finished."

Izuku looked back to All Might.

"Alright, sir."

Aizawa wandered off with Shinsou and Izuku followed All Might into a staff room, wondering what exactly this was all about. It wasn't as though he had much in common with All Might, after all, other than maybe the grudge Shigaraki seemed to have against them- but there was a time for baseless speculation, and this wasn't it. All Might sighed once they were in the room and the door closed behind them, his bulky form shrinking in a cloud of steam to reveal the skeletal form that Izuku was somehow more comfortable with. He wasn't sure why- no. No, that was a lie. He knew exactly why he was more comfortable with the small, weakened form. Because there was always Jason's memory of Superman. Always the memory of how dangerous the unbeatable Hero could be if something broke them. Seeing All Might weaker…it soothed his paranoia, horrid as that was to think. It comforted him, knowing that All Might wasn't invincible.

"What did you want to talk about, sir?" Izuku asked. All Might took a seat on a sofa, waving for Izuku to sit. Izuku slipped slowly into a squashy chair, sinking gingerly into the padding.

"I suppose it has to do with Shigaraki," All Might said, sounding very old and tired. Izuku tensed.

"Sir?"

All Might smothered a cough in his sleeve.

"Sorry, sorry. I'm not used to telling this story. Well- I suppose that's where it starts. Uh, bear with me. So. Two hundred years ago, during the dawn of Quirks, a man was born. A particular man, obviously, a lot of men were born around that time, but this one was unusual."

Izuku blinked as All Might rambled before shaking himself.

"Anyway. This man had a Quirk. A Quirk that could…take. Take the Quirks of other people."

Izuku sat bolt upright and All Might chuckled wearily.

"I know. It's quite the thing to hear. Hear me out, hear me out. So this man, whose Quirk could take other Quirks and give them too, somehow he became a power in the underworld. I don't really know the whole story…it's been passed down in bits and pieces throughout the centuries."

Izuku almost wanted to scoff and deny it. He'd never heard of someone with a power like that. And yet- and yet, the Nomu had all seemed to have multiple Quirks. How had that happened? And All Might- surely All Might, the greatest Hero of Japan, wouldn't be given to wild flights of fancy. Izuku felt a coldness uncoil in his stomach, writhing and twisting around his spine and creeping up his ribcage, like misty fingers crawling along his bones.

Someone, five years ago, had nearly mortally wounded All Might and…and Izuku sucked in a sudden breath, a flashing horror of understanding coming upon him. All Might hummed, a faintly sardonic smile twisting his emaciated face.

"We'll get there, Young Midoriya, we'll get there. This man- he took the name All For One, after his Quirk- ruled the Japanese criminal underworld for hundreds of years, living through some…some longevity extending Quirk, I assume. He…he was the one who killed my mentor."

All Might looked down, his voice hitching slightly before he pulled himself back together.

"Five years ago, after years of tearing apart his operations, I finally confronted him. We fought- ah, we fought. The most terrible battle I've ever faced. In the end, though he tore me open, I crushed his head and staggered out of his lair, barely alive."

All Might sighed again, one long fingered hand pinching at the bridge of his nose and his eyes squeezing shut.

"Really, I- when I was younger, I didn't want to tell anyone about All For One. I thought it would cause a panic, or it would draw more people to him, or- I don't know what I was thinking. But it was stupid! So, so stupid. I fought him, alone, and he tore open my side before I crushed his skull and limped away. I got a signal out to Sir Nighteye- my Sidekick, I'm sure you've heard of him- before I passed out, but he just came to pick me up. We- Sir and I, and s-someone else- couldn't find a body afterwards."

Izuku listened, clamping his jaw shut to avoid gaping. They hadn't found a body? And they'd assumed that All For One was dead? He didn't say anything, but All Might must have seen it in his expression. He laughed, grim and harsh, the chuckle turning into a racking cough. All Might swiped blood away from his mouth, continuing.

"I know. I know, it was stupid. So stupid. We hoped he was dead, but it looks like we were wrong. I just- if I had called in favours, help. I could have called in Endeavour, the rest of the top ten Heroes, I could have called Stars and Stripes over from America. I could have made sure. But I didn't. I'm not going to repeat that mistake, not if I can help it, but that's not why I needed to talk to you. I suspect, given the way Shigaraki acts, that he is being used by All For One. A front, to rebuild All For One's powerbase while the villain himself stays in the shadows. And Shigaraki is…"

"Fixated on me," Izuku said, words hoarse through a suddenly dry throat. All Might visibly swallowed another cough and nodded.

"Yes, my boy. Fixated on you."

All Might frowned again, a long sigh coming out. It broke into a brief cough at the end before the man shook his head as though shaking off the effect and continued.

"I- I feel responsible, I suppose. If I had stopped All For One then, if I'd done my actual job, you wouldn't be in danger now. Wouldn't have Shigaraki here."

Izuku, almost despite himself, felt a flare of indignation on All Might's behalf. The Hero just looked so beaten down, sitting skeletal and weary on his sofa. He was well into middle age, Izuku could see- All Might deserved to spend these last years quietly, letting himself slowly fade away, his glory untarnished. He didn't deserve to spend them struggling, fighting, standing alone between society and some terrible villain. He didn't deserve the weight of the world that bent those once-proud shoulders.

"It's not your fault," Izuku said, and his voice sounded strange to him, "It's not your fault. Shigaraki- you can't know that Shigaraki wouldn't have become a villain anyway, and you said that- you said that you crushed All For One's skull? No-one should be able to survive something like that?"

All Might smiled, dry and weary.

"It's kind of you to say that, my boy," he said, "But I'm afraid it's a little too late for me to let go of my burden. But there's…something else, as well. Something else to tell you."

Izuku frowned, still sitting upright, but went obediently quiet. All Might rubbed at his chin with long fingers, chewing his lip in thought before he nodded again.

"I've been reluctant to speak of this, too," he said, "But I think- well, I don't think you'll go spreading the story around. And even if you do, I don't suppose it can hurt that much. This is another story- forgive an old man his ramblings, my boy, but this is important as well. It starts just as All For One's did, two hundred years ago."

All Might leaned back, his smile leavened now with nostalgia, his gaze fixed on nothing.

"All For One," he said, "Had a brother. His brother- younger brother- was quiet, and sickly, but All For One loved him anyway. Even monsters care, I suppose…but that isn't the point. All For One had been born with a Quirk of surpassing power- makes you wonder, doesn't it? The usual theory is that Quirks have been getting stronger throughout the years, but All For One is one of the first Quirks, and one of the most powerful. At least while it has other Quirks to take. But I'm getting distracted- the younger brother. He showed no signs of having a Quirk, but he still opposed All For One at every turn. He argued, he struggled, he did all he could to prevent All For One from sliding into darkness. In the end, in frustration, All For One decided that having a Quirk of his own might change his brother's mind."

All Might paused to take a breath. Izuku held his own breath, practically on the edge of his seat, as All Might continued.

"All For One went out and found a Quirk he thought suitable. A power-stockpiling Quirk, that built up a store of energy over time- not sure of the exact mechanics. But either way, he went back and forced that Quirk onto his brother, thinking that it was weak but still valuable. And he would have been right, if his younger brother had really been Quirkless."

All Might paused again, bringing his head back down to look directly at Izuku.

"This is the story my Master told to me," he said quietly, "And her master before her, and his master before him, all the way back to the First. Because the brother, sickly as he was, did have a Quirk. He had the ability to pass his Quirk along to others. Useless, at first glance, but when the stockpiling Quirk was forced upon him it combined with his own Quirk. A power-stockpiling Quirk that could be passed along. Equal and opposite to All For One."

Izuku almost leapt to his feet in sudden realisation, a cold sweat breaking out on his brow.

"It's-" he said, his voice nearly breaking. He swallowed, repeated himself more steadily despite his awe at the revelation.

"That's your Quirk," he whispered, "Passed down since the first."

All Might smiled, broader and brighter.

"Equal and opposite," he agreed, "One For All."

All Might brought up a fist, slowly clenching it.

"For two hundred years, All For One has hunted the holders of his brothers Quirk. For two hundred years we've fought, and ran, and passed the Quirk on, and died. Fought and died and fought and died until…until, five years ago, one of us finally won."

All Might sniffed, tears brightening his electric blue eyes before they trickled down his cheeks. He made no move to wipe them away, unashamed of his emotions.

"I can't even describe how it felt," he confessed, "To finally win. To bring down the monster, to avenge two hundred years of destruction. But now, I find I failed. I don't intend to fail again, but…Nighteye pressed me to find a successor. He was insistent on it, it drove us apart. But he was right. I shouldn't let One For All die with me, especially if it's fighting All For One. So…sudden as this is…"

All Might huffed out a harsh, coughing laugh.

"I'm sorry, Midoriya. I'm doing a terrible job of explaining this. What I'm saying, I suppose, is…"

No, Izuku thought. No. Surely not. He could see that All Might wasn't sure- wasn't committed- but the man pressed on.

"You've shown all the heart of a Hero," All Might said, solemnly, "You've demonstrated great strength of character. I suppose what I'm saying is- Izuku Midoriya, if I offered One For All, would you take it?"

The silence rang harsh in Izuku's ears. He could barely hear himself think through the ringing in his skull, the thick and uneven thump of his heart. Somehow he answered, although his voice sounded distant to himself.

"Do you mind," he said softly, "If I take a few minutes to think about it?"

All Might shook his head.

"Of course not, my boy," he said, "I'll just- I'll go to another staffroom. Leave you time to think."

Izuku slowly stood as All Might left, legs numb, brain feeling sluggish and heavy. He slowly walked over to the door, locking it with mechanical, clumsy movements before he sank onto the floor. Strength of character- the heart of a Hero-

Izuku laughed, the sound high pitched and hysterical, a short bark of mirthless noise before it caught in his throat and twisted itself into a sob, the numbness giving way to anger with a sudden, shocking brightness.

"Damnit," Izuku whispered, phantom pain spiking at his throat, emotions welling over and choking him before the abrupt anger overwhelmed all the rest.

"Fuck!"

He slammed his fist into the wall, feeling the impact reverberate dully up his prosthetic. Wasn't quite the same without the stinging pain of bruising and cut knuckles, but it diverted some of the aggression. Izuku ran his right hand through his hair, fingers curling and tugging at his locks as he turned and slumped against the wall, sliding to the ground.

"Fuck," he repeated, much more softly, the black fury passing as quickly as it had come and leaving him exhausted. The offer of a Quirk- not just a Quirk, one of the strongest Quirks in the world- two years ago it would have been a dream come true. A year ago, even, it would have been beyond Izuku's wildest dreams, a hand outstretched to pull him to his dreams. A year ago he would have taken the offer in an instant.

A year ago he had been Izuku Midoriya only, and he'd never even heard of Jason Todd.

A year ago, he'd been a different person.

"Fuck!" Izuku repeated, screaming the word into his muffling sleeve, scrubbing the material across his face. His fingers tangled briefly in his hair, pulling at it, before he forced himself to relax. No. No. An offer like that- this wasn't an offer he could make a decision on in haste. Izuku folded his arms, fingers digging into the material and flesh just above each elbow- his right hand felt it a lot more, perhaps unsurprisingly- and clenched his jaw until he no longer felt like screaming at the top of his lungs. He relaxed his grip, let out a long breath, and closed his eyes in a long, single blink.

"A stockpile Quirk," Izuku whispered to himself, "Pure energy. No wonder he's so strong. I wonder how it increases- does it take energy from the user? Does it increase based on the size of the stockpile?"

Would it blow his prosthetic off?

Izuku's prosthetic, of course, wasn't built for something like that. The surge of energy- would it interact with metal and plastic differently to flesh? A definite concern, that, but still not the most important. Izuku levered himself to his feet and shakily walked over to the window. He could see the faintest reflection of himself in the glass and, for a moment, an image of the Red Hood seemed to impose itself over him. A hallucination, brief but shocking. A single blink and it was gone. Just a memory.

"I'm a Hero," Izuku said to himself, softly, almost trying to convince himself, "I'm a Hero. Would having that sort of power be all that different? I'd be a Hero, all the same."

But it wouldn't be the same, would it? One For All thrived in the middle of battle, roaring and beaming and standing in front of the weaker, exchanging blows with mighty foes. Izuku could maybe integrate it into his fighting style, keep his guns, save the immense power of One For All for the moments when he was caught in the melee and…and it would be a waste. A year ago Izuku could have adapted to a frontline role, could have shaped himself in All Might's image. But now? Now, with Jason, with Bruce's lingering training, with the paranoia and the memories and the viewpoint…now, could he really do justice to the legacy that One For All demanded?

Izuku leaned his head forwards, against the cool, smooth glass of the window, and concentrated. A daydream, picturing himself as- as Mighty Boy, or All Might Junior, or- or Inheritor or whatever name he could come up with. Soaring through the streets, face uncovered and beaming, smiling in the face of danger, reassuring a crowd with a booming laugh and the inherent strength of his Quirk and…and he couldn't feel it. All he felt was…hollow. He shook his head, wondering instead- a rooftop, of course. Jacket and helmet and the comfortable weight of his guns, drizzle misting the air and nostalgia flooded his chest and he sighed. Of course. Familiarity, as much as anything else. But…Izuku didn't regret Jason's memories. Didn't regret his decision to become a second Red Hood. And he wouldn't regret the choice he was about to make. The choice that- well, maybe the choice that he'd always known he'd make, since All Might began his story. He might use One For All well- might do a decent job of succeeding All Might- but there could easily be someone out there who would truly do it justice. Who would really be the successor All Might deserved, who could carry the mantle of Symbol of Peace without hypocrisy or self-doubt. In another world, perhaps, it could have been Izuku. But in this one…in this one, he was himself. Izuku Midoriya. Red Hood. Legacy of a man who had no powers, just skill and determination and training- no. Legacy of two men, because for all Jason and Bruce had clashed Jason had never denied Bruce's role in making him the man he became. And speaking of that- Bruce. What would Bruce have said, the man too stubborn to leave his humanity behind? Izuku grimaced, closing his eyes again. Closing his eyes and- remembering-

"All these plans, Bruce, but I don't see one for you," Jason said, scoffing. Bruce shrugged, broad shoulders moving under the cape.

"If I go the same way Clark did, Jason, I doubt anyone would be able to access the plan for myself," he said, wry, "But I still have a plan. It's called the Justice League."

"The Justice League is dead, old man."

"Not yet, Jason. Not yet. Barry, maybe Hal, Harley, Red Arrow in Star City- even you, Jason. The Justice League isn't dead yet. But if I do turn…we both know that I'm a lot of things, but I'm only human. Bullets wouldn't work on Clark. I don't have that luxury."

Izuku went stiff.

"What are you-"

A heavy hand on his shoulder, squeezing as Bruce walked past.

"I trust you, Jason. If it comes to it…I know you'll do what needs to be done."

Izuku blinked, took a deep breath, locked his hands together to hide the shuddering in them. Good old Bruce, he thought, a man too afraid of himself to be anything other than human. Of course Izuku couldn't say for sure, but he didn't think Bruce would have taken the offer. Being human had been important to the man.

Question was, was it important to Izuku? Well, he supposed so. Being Quirkless didn't define him, but it was still part of him- and wouldn't it be a nuisance, having to cover up a new Quirk? There were plenty of people who knew he was Quirkless, if he suddenly developed a Quirk- an extremely powerful Quirk, at that- there would be questions. A lot of questions. Izuku could maybe explain super-strength away as an enormously powerful tactile telekinesis limited to his body, to relate it to his Mom's Quirk, but why would a Quirk appear now? Stress activation would have been the USJ, surely, and fitness levels would have been months ago. No, it would seem suspicious. And if the general public learned that Quirks could be taken and given away...anarchy, most likely. No, there was too much of a risk. And even if he'd been willing to take that risk, the very fact that he'd thought so much about it probably indicated that he was too cynical, too paranoid, too much Red Hood to be another All Might.

There it was, he knew. Memories and skills and all those changes, and a single unyielding reality. The Izuku Midoriya that would have taken One For All without regret, used it to the fullest, was gone. And he- Izuku Midoriya that was- was not the legacy of his own world. Not the legacy of All Might. He was the legacy of a hero willing to do what was needed. The legacy of a killer who tried to do the right thing. A legacy all of his own, even if it was written in crimson red.

Izuku opened his eyes and walked to the door, his tread steady. His heart was heavy- it was an easy thing, to say that he wouldn't regret casting aside this sort of power, but he knew in his heart of hears that it wasn't right for him anymore. There would be someone out there who could replace All Might, but- that someone wasn't Izuku Midoriya. Not anymore. He pushed the door open and went in search of All Might, finding him in a nearby classroom. The man- still massive in his skeletal form, nearly seven feet tall- smiled as Izuku entered and closed the door behind him.

"Izuku, my boy," he said, and Izuku smiled slightly. It was funny- from someone else, the epitaph might have seemed condescending. From All Might, it seemed like a friendliness.

"Have you made a decision?"

Izuku walked over to a desk, leaning against it and looking down. A long, slow blink and then he gathered himself and looked up again, meeting All Might's gaze.

"A year ago," he started, "I would have taken that offer in a moment."

All Might pursed his lips, nodding thoughtfully. He didn't seem surprised, almost as though he had expected what Izuku was about to say, and Izuku felt a knot of tension start to uncoil. Maybe he would do this without offending All Might.

"A year ago? What happened a year ago?" he asked, surprisingly softly. Izuku blinked slowly, the temptation biting at him. Someone told me to jump off a roof, and I don't know if I considered it, he nearly replied. His memories from then were…fuzzy. A side effect of whatever technological meltdown had launched Jason's memories into his head, he assumed, but what did it matter? It didn't. It never had.

"I decided that I wanted to see if I could become a Hero without a Quirk," Izuku said instead, quiet and honest, "And I still don't know that answer, but I think I'm getting close. And I think that if I accept your offer, I- well. I'm sorry, All Might. I'm flattered, but if I took your offer…it would be like admitting that I can't succeed without a Quirk. And- I know it's selfish, but…I want to know that I can really do it."

Izuku looked down again, squeezing his eyes shut. He almost expected shouting, cursing, All Might trying to persuade him otherwise, but instead…instead he heard soft, rueful laughter. He looked up again and found All Might smiling at him, tired but understanding.

"I'm sorry, my boy," All Might said, "For putting the question on you like that. It was- it was cruel of me, really. I see someone without a Quirk and- ah. No. That doesn't sound right. Well, another secret can't hurt. You see…"

Izuku frowned, confused. All Might's smile remained, bright and strong on his skeletal face, still defiant in the face of all lifes trials.

"You see, before I gained One For All, I was just a Quirkless boy with big dreams. I never really thought I could become a Hero without a Quirk, but sometimes I wish I did."

Izuku felt that familiar emotional clog at the back of his throat and blinked hard to clear away incipient tears.

"You- you were Quirkless?" he croaked. All Might nodded, his smile becoming nostalgic.

"Oh, yes. It was a wilder time, a more lawless time. I was convinced that the people just needed someone, someone to step up. Someone to say, 'no more'. Someone to symbolise a better future."

All Might glanced back down, his smile turning wry.

"Well, my Master- she liked my ambition, I suppose. She thought it was worth the power of One For All, and I took it without a second thought. Because, of course…I couldn't be a Hero any other way. I'd never thought it was possible. It's been a long time, but- I think I can understand why you would say no, young Midoriya, and I can't fault you for it. I've walked my path, but everyone else has to walk theirs, don't they? And for what it's worth, my boy, I think you're already well on the way to becoming a fine Hero."

Izuku was not going to cry in front of his idol, damnit. Even when his idol was here, being ridiculously heroic and chivalrous or whatever.

"I'm still sorry," Izuku said, shaking his head, "That I can't be the successor you need. To keep One For All safe."

All Might just laughed, rich and warm.

"Ah, don't worry about it! As you said- there'll be more successors, I hope, though you would undoubtedly have been an excellent one. And besides that, well…"

All Might's smile became smaller, something stronger, less brittle. An acceptance, Izuku suddenly realised, without resignation.

"Well, if I can't find a successor…it's been two hundred years, and there are all sorts of Quirks now. Strong Quirks, versatile Quirks, as many as you like. All For One and One For All have had a good long run opposing each other, but if it comes to it…"

All Might kept smiling, though his tone turned a little wistful.

"If it comes down to it, I suppose it would be fitting if they died together."

Izuku stared and All Might seemed to shake himself, the nostalgic melancholy splashing away from him like water from a duck's feathers.

"But there's no need to be so gloomy yet," All Might said, his voice raised to a passable imitation of the normal cheery boom he deployed in his Hero state, "Who knows what the future will hold? And speaking of the future, young Midoriya, I had best get you to Aizawa before he skins me alive for taking you away for too long!"

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to interrupt that, All Might," Principal Nedzu said, appearing so suddenly at the doorway that both Izuku and All Might twitched sharply away. Izuku peered at the Principal.

"Sir?" he asked. Nedzu gave All Might a thoughtful look before shaking himself in what seemed to be an approximation of a shrug.

"Our efforts to monitor the OMC seemed to have paid off, Mr Midoriya," he said, "They've arranged another meeting with some back of theirs, and I rather think that their U.A. mole is expected to attend. If you feel it's too dangerous, of course, I'll think no less of you if you say no."

Izuku looked Nedzu in the eyes and saw the cutting, cunning intellect there. It sent a frisson of fear through him, but the fear was quickly chased down by the thrill of the hunt, the excitement of seeing prey walk into a trap. This was what Izuku had become, he thought. Spies and infiltrations and rooftops in the dark. This was the legacy Jason had left behind- the legacy Izuku had chosen to embrace.

"Of course I'll attend, sir," he said, "When is it?"

Nedzu's smile was the stuff of nightmares but, for the moment, all Izuku could feel was the anticipation of the hunt. He let his own smile spread over his face, and as Nedzu began to cackle he couldn't help but feel- yes. Yes, no matter what might come, he'd made the right choice.

Just to make it clear, I don't really blame All Might for not making sure that All For One was dead. I mean, he was bleeding all over the place and most of his insides had become his outsides, anyone would get distracted. But it sure would have been useful to have someone like Endeavour as backup, just in case. Still- very different canon, that.

In the vein of the question asked a couple of chapters ago- Overhaul arc Mirio Togata vs Stain, who's your money on? And people with DC knowledge, you think any of Batman's Rogues could take Mirio? Personally I reckon the ones with gas attacks could area-denial him enough to catch him, but it'd be close. Plus the whole "If you permeate I'll hit the hostage behind you" thing, but I dunno if I'd really count that. Feels kinda situational.

And lastly, I'm hoping to publish the next chapter on Friday 16th September, in the hope that having a set deadline will help me with my motivation. We'll see how that goes- but, as ever, I hope you enjoyed, reviews are welcome and, of course, I'll see you all in the next chapter.