Here's the next chapter. Hope you enjoy it.
wellingtonlucas282 - Thanks so much as always.
Blaze1992 - And you can bet that Lewis will used that to his advantage. Thanks for reading.
Lelouch of Zero - Yeah, more or less. What I was thinking (despite my limited knowledge on how the brain works) is that he uses his senses to, as you say, fill in the blanks. He would still need to see an image (for now anyway) and know the exact location. It's also not a fast process, but it's another step up the ladder. Glad you like the Cheshire Cat reference and yes, Lewis will be in massive trouble when Nighteye finds out. Thanks for reading.
Djinn - Thanks so much. I thought it would be fun to include him a bit early. Turns out he's quite fun character to write. I suppose he did technically get permission, but I don't think it would be quite so simple. Hope you'll enjoy the next chapter.
Irish Potatoes17 - Alright, I'll make sure to tone it down in future chapters. Thanks for reading.
Neo Infinity- No problem, it's definitely going to be tough for Lewis. Especially since he's quirk is not suited for fighting. Hope you'll enjoy the next chapter.
Doctor Doofenschmirtz - Good question. Let me explain:
1) Lewis sees the edge of a building
2) He takes a run up and disappears right next to the edge
3) He places his foot on the building and uses the momentum to push himself up the rest of the way
4) Alternatively he could appear just above the building and look at the top of the building and teleport onto it.
5) He made it onto the skyscraper
Sorry, should have explained at the time. For you other question please refer to the review replies on chapter 19. I believe TheKwertyOne has already asked that. Thanks for reading.
Guest - Thanks so much. I guess I've been stealing a few ideas from the original story accident. Hope you enjoy the next chapter.
Parsee Jelly - Love to hear all the reviews. I thought it would be funny for Mirko to try and get an intern. Lewis might even intern with her in the future. Thanks for reading.
F6Lion - Thanks so much, you're too kind. Hope to hear from you again.
Thanks for all the reviews. Onto the story :)
Chapter 21: Blood Stained
Nighteye Agency
Sir Nighteye rapped his fingers upon his desk and stared at the clock on the wall in irritation.
Cheshire has been gone for too long and the pro hero was becoming angrier and more worried by the second. He told his sidekicks that they can leave for the night, but they insisted that they stayed, even when he told them he can't pay them for the overtime. They were just as concerned as he was and were waiting in the foyer.
Nighteye looked at the phone on his desk and considered calling his intern and demanding what is keeping him. However he decided against it, he knew that Cheshire wasn't the sort to slack off. Maybe Manual's Agency must be taking its time processing the report or he was recovering after his exhaustive training.
The pro hero looked away from the phone and glared at the clock once again.
'I give him ten more minutes,' Nighteye thought, 'any longer and I'll drag him back to here myself.'
Suddenly the door slammed open and Bubble Girl ran in with her phone in her hand, closely followed by Centipeder. Both sidekicks had panicked stricken expressions on their faces, causing Nighteye to automatically stand up in attention, ready to deal with the serious problem that had obviously occurred.
"What is it?" Nighteye demanded.
"Sir, Hosu is being attacked by...these things," Bubble Girl quickly explained, showing her boss a live news broadcast that she had on her phone, "Cheshire is still there."
Nighteye's yellow eyes widened as he looked at the broadcast. The broadcast was too shaky to see the 'things' that Bubble Girl was describing and so he went to TV he had in his office and switched it on. He flicked through the channels trying to find a better news broadcast to watch it on. He didn't have to look for long since as it seemed every news channel was documenting Hosu.
"Bubble Girl check if there are any open routes into Hosu. Centipeder try and contact Cheshire now!" he ordered before his sidekicks immediately did what he said. Bubble Girl used her phone while Centipeder reach for Nighteye's desk phone.
Nighteye watched the broadcast intensely. He instantly recognised the creatures that the heroes were trying to subdue. They looked similar to the one which attacked the USJ not too long ago, the one that the League of Villains had in their arsenal. He had tried to get more information on the attack a while ago, but both UA and the police were keeping it under wraps. Even his status as a hero couldn't make them budge. However, their appearance indicate that the League of Villains have more then one of those monsters.
This could be troublesome.
However, Nighteye can think about that later. Right now, he needed to know if his intern was safe and away from the Nomu.
"Master Cheshire!" Centipeder suddenly cried, making the other two heroes look around, "Thank goodness you're alright."
Bubble Girl sighed in relief, "Oh thank God," she muttered as Nighteye briskly made his way to the phone.
Centipeder gave him the phone and Nighteye immediately pressed it against his ear.
"Cheshire, where the hell are you?"
Rooftops, Hosu City
Fair to say, today has been a rather productive for Cheshire.
Showing Nighteye his new ability, train his quirk, have some lunch...being chased by an abomination across the rooftops of Japanese city whilst listening to a Deep Purple song. That last one was rather unexpected, but not entirely surprising, knowing his luck.
Cheshire, once again, leapt from one building below followed closely behind by the Nomu. His objective was to lead it back to the plaza where a licensed hero can deal with it. If he uses his quirk to go too far ahead, the Nomu would get bored with him and probably go after the vulnerable citizens down in the streets. If he gets to close, then he would instantly pierced by the Nomu's scorpion tail. He was able to athletically flip over, skip and jump over any obstacles and Cheshire was lucky that the buildings were close together. Despite this, the Nomu had six powerful limbs that could easily chase him without any trouble.
He landed on another roof and instantly ran again, the Nomu not far behind him. He was getting tired, but he knew he couldn't give up no matter how much his legs were hurting.
[You're lazy you just stay in bed / Oh you're lazy just stay in bed / Don't want no money you don't-] Ring Ring. Ring Ring.
"Huh," Cheshire hummed in surprise as Ian Gillian singing voice was replaced by a phone ringing.
Still running, he felt one of the sides of his cat ears headphones, found a button and pressed it. The ringing stopped and Centipeder's concerned voice came through the speakers.
"Master Cheshire!"
'Oh Hatsume, must have paired the cat ears to my phone as well,' Cheshire thought, making a note to thank her later, "Centipeder, I'm here," he replied.
"Thank goodness you're alright," Centipeder sighed in relief. Cheshire heard shuffling on the other end before a new voice spoke to him.
"Cheshire, where the hell are you?"
The hero in training leaped of another building, performed a foreword roll and ran again, "I'm still in Hosu. Sorry I got caught up in something."
The Nomu roared angrily behind him.
"You're not fighting a Nomu, are you?" Nighteye fiercely demanded, hearing the roar.
"...Not exactly."
"Sir," Bubble Girl's voice said in the background, "The police have blocked all the roads and stopped all the trains."
"Damn it," Nighteye muttered, "Cheshire get out of there now! There are other heroes who can take care of this!"
"I know, Sir. But I can't. If I leave now the Nomu would go after the citizens," he urgently explained, "I'm going to lead it back to the plaza and then-" he glanced back and gasped when he didn't see the Nomu. He stopped and looked around frantically for it, "-Oh no, I lost it."
Screams erupted from the streets below and Cheshire immediately ran towards the side of the building.
"Sorry, I've got to go! Bye!" Cheshire rapidly said before pressing the button again and hanging up the call.
Nighteye's Office
Sir Nighteye looked shocked as he pulled the phone away from his ear and looked down at it.
Bubble Girl and Centipeder shared a look.
"Sir...is everything alright?" she asked nervously.
The hero stared blackly at the phone before uttering, "He... hung up on me."
Hosu City
'Bugger, I hung up on him. I'm so dead,' Cheshire thought in despair.
But he couldn't worry about that now. He raced to edge of the building and saw the hulking figure of the Nomu crawled down the side of the building towards the bystanders. He disappeared just above the Nomu and dropped down onto its tail, making sure he wrapped his arms just below the stinger. The Nomu, feeling the extra weight, turned back and roared at him, swinging his tail back and forth to knock him off. However, Cheshire clung on and wrapped his legs around it to get a better hold. The monster decided that it wasn't enough, held its tail in the air before slamming it into the building, trying to squash the passenger.
Cheshire disappeared before he could make contact and appeared just next to its head. He kicked the Nomu in the head when it was distracted and disappeared again before it could look around. He appeared on the other side of the monster's head and kicked once again. Using one of its front legs, the Nomu grabbed Cheshire's leg and threw him across the street. He would have fallen onto the hard road if Cheshire didn't disappear in midair and appear just above the Nomu.
'That was close,' he thought as he produced three exploding cards appear in his hand and fling them at the creature's back.
The cards hit their marks and exploded across its spine, causing it to squeal in pain. Cheshire disappeared again onto the edge of the building, looked down and sighed when he saw the Nomu start to climb up the building towards him. Judging by the look in its eyes, it was beyond furious and it was now focused solely on him.
"And it's back to running," Cheshire groaned taking off just as soon as it climbed to the edge.
He sprinted across the roof and was about to jump to the next one, but stopped short when he realised that the space between the buildings was wider then the other ones. He looked down the at the alleyway below and then to the building several meters away. He couldn't jump over. This shouldn't be a problem with his quirk, but Cheshire didn't know if the Nomu would follow him, let alone jump that far. He looked back at the Nomu and saw that it stopped a few feet away.
Something was different. Why wasn't it attacking?
The Nomu suddenly opened its mouth wide and spewed out a green mist which slowly covered the area, coming closer towards him. Cheshire took a step backwards, almost gagging when the sulphuric smell seeped through his mask. His eyes widened when he saw that anything the mist touched, like the roof and the chimnies, started to smoke and melt like it was sprayed with acid.
'It has multiple quirks,' Cheshire realised, taking another step back so his heels hung over the edge, 'just like the Nomu from the USJ...now that's just cheating.'
The mist was coming closer and closer, but it didn't seem to effect the Nomu in the slightest. He had no choice but to jump backwards and disappear as he goes down. As soon as the mist touched the edge of the building, Cheshire leaned back and fell off head first of the building and disappeared. He knew that he wouldn't be able to reappear on an opposite building as the momentum of him falling will probably injure him as he landed, so he decided to reappear next to the building head up. As planned, he reappeared just below the edge of the building and rocketed up just over the Nomu before gravity took hold and he plummeted. He stretched out both his legs ready to smash into his brain, however it must have learned from last time, because the Nomu twisted around, raised an arm and swatted Cheshire away.
He was sent hurtling across the air, landing roughly on the roof of the next building before skidding to a halt. Cheshire groaned and rolled onto his back, just in time to see the Nomu leaping over him with the scorpion tail aimed at his stomach. He rolled away as the stinger pierced the ground and jumped out of the way of its arms as it tried to grab at him. He opened his mouth at him and spewed more of its mist at him, but by then he had already teleported behind a concrete cabin that acted as the entrance to the roof.
He peeked around and saw the Nomu frantically looking around for him before he moved back and leaned against the wall in fatigue. The music was, thankfully, doing its job and his mind was only feeling a little fuzzy. However, physically, he was exhausted. Running, jumping, dodging and using his quirk was becoming a strain, his muscles screaming at him to take a rest.
Cheshire sighed and peeked around the corner again, 'Huh, it seemed to have spewed less acid mist this time. Maybe it has a limit,' he thought to himself, 'If this thing has multiple quirks then I need to be careful. So it's abnormally strong, has scorpion-like features and can spray acid out of its mouth. What else can it-"
However, when he moved his leg he accidentally nudged an empty beer can that was at his feet. It wasn't very loud, but it was enough for the Nomu to snap its head around to his position and roar.
'Okay, so it has super hearing,' Cheshire mentally groaned, disappearing before the Nomu could grab him and appearing on the edge of the building behind it.
However, he stopped short when he realised that it was the same roof that the Nomu spread with its acid mist. The entire was still submerged in the stuff, making it impossible to go that way. He was about to disappear to another building, but it was too late. The Nomu pounced on him, grabbing both of his arms and holding Cheshire before its horrifying face. Cheshire yelled out in pain as he was stretched tightly before looking up at the Nomu's blank eyes.
'Wait a minute,' Cheshire realised, 'I was able to use my quirk with the other Nomu, because it wasn't technically alive. That means I can do the same for-'
But before he could finish the thought, the Nomu used one of its other arms and pulled down his mask before another pair of eyes snapped open right behind the first ones. These pair of eyes were different. Instead of looking blank and lifeless, these ones seemed more human with bright red irises. Instantly, the familiar feeling of his quirk working vanished and Cheshire's heart sank in dread.
'Was...this Nomu designed just for me?' he thought as he saw the scorpion tail rear back ready to strike, 'I'm going to die.'
Alleyway, Hosu City
Meanwhile, in a dark alley Iida was pinned under the foot of Stain
He had been researching for weeks. Using the news and various websites to predict where Stain will strike next. That's why he did his work study in Hosu, so he could be close to Stain's hunting grounds and enact revenge on the Hero Killer for paralysing his brother. He used the Nomu attacks as an opportunity to get away from the Normal Hero Manual and find Stain among the numerous twisting alleys.
And he found him.
Stain was in the middle of attacking a pro hero known as Native, a man in his thirties whose costume was influenced by a native American warrior, when Iida used his quirk to attack the Hero Killer. Unfortunately, Iida was no match for Stain and, after a short skirmish, the villain had him down. Laying face down on the hard ground with his right arm bleeding from a stab wound, his left shoulder pierced all the way through with a katana and finally his head pinned down by the villain's boot, Iida could no longer oppose Stain.
The villain sighed as he looked down at the teen beneath him, "So you're Ingenium's brother, huh. You're both weak...It's because you're fakes," he hissed.
"Shut up, you scum!" Iida yelled through pain and anguish, "The damage you caused to his lower half of his body is paralysed. He will never be able work as a hero again. My brother has saved so many people...and guided them. He has done nothing wrong! He gave me a dream to work towards but you destroyed it," he cried as tears welled in his eyes, "I'LL KILL YOU!"
"And what about him," Stain hissed, referring to Native who was still slumped against the wall and stopping Iida's rant, "Did you even see him? Or were you so focused on trying to kill me. Becoming seized by hatred for the enemy before your eyes merely to satisfy your own selfish desires...that is an act furthest from the title of 'hero'. That is why..." he lifted the sword out of Iida's arm, making the teen cry out in pain, "you die here."
Lifting the sword to his face, Stain licked the Iida's blood with his long tongue. Suddenly, Iida's body became stiff as if his muscles had seized up on him.
'My body won't move,' Iida thought in shock.
Stain lifted the katana with the point aimed at Iida's neck, ready to bring it down and end his life.
"You shall be an offering to a just world," Stain whispered menacingly.
'No shut up! SHUT UP!' Iida thought in rage, thinking of his brother's smiling face and then him fighting for his life in his hospital bed, 'NO MATTER WHAT YOU SAY, YOU'RE JUST A CRIMINAL WHO KILLED MY BROTHER!'
As Stain was about to bring down the katana, a flash of green light flickered in the corner of his eye. He was unable to move in time as somebody, their body lit up with electricity came shooting down the alleyway and punched him in the jaw, throwing him off Iida and saving his life. Iida's eyes widened when he saw Midoryia or Deku standing above him, ready to battle the Hero Killer.
"I came to save you Iida," Deku declared boldly.
Rooftops
As the scorpion-tail reared back Cheshire thought he was done for…
…until. He came up with an idea.
'It's going to be risky, but I can do this. I just need to focus,' he thought to himself.
First he made a card appear in his left and flicked at left side of his cat ear headphones. Hatsume had showed him the button that would moved the cat ear clips so it released his hat and was aiming at it. The card hit its mark and clips detached themselves from his hat. He tipped his head sharply forwards so that his hat fall of his head and raised his legs up so he can catch it with the top facing his stomach.
Now was the tricky bit. He didn't have much time, but he focused and focused.
That was when the scorpion tail shot towards him. Cheshire closed his eyes tightly.
He couldn't bare to watch.
Crack! Squelch!
Cheshire heard the sickening sounds. Sounds you might expect from somebody pierced by a stinger. However, he didn't feel any pain and he didn't cry out in shock. If anything the hands that held him up seemed a little looser then before.
He opened his eyes and took in the sight before him. The scorpion tail was a few centimetres before his face with the stinger entering his hat. Cheshire had guessed that it would piece his stomach which was why he held his hat there. He looked up and saw a slightly faded version of himself in the exact same position just above the Nomu's head. It took a lot of effort, but Cheshire had managed to fade 50% of his body to create Cheshire Beta. It was just lucky that he has been practicing all day. Cheshire Beta also had a hat on his raised knees, but because they were both connected when the scorpion tail entered Cheshire Alpha's hat, it exited Beta's hat.
And the hat was just behind the Nomu's head.
The Nomu's stinger pierced right through its own brain and entered through its jaw. The eyes twitched and the whole of its body spasmed, taking a few seconds to process that the brain was no longer sending it signals. Finally, the Nomu collapsed, slumping onto the roof lifelessly. The hands holding him released him and he too fell onto his back, causing him to go back to his complete form. Because the tail was still split up by the two hats, part of it was disconnected from the rest. The stinger still embedded in its head and the base of the tail flopping next to the Nomu.
Cheshire, lying on his back, took deep breaths, trying to process what just happened. The music, which was still playing, switched to a slower song ('Heroes' by David Bowie) now that he was no longer moving. Once he had calmed down, he sat up and shuffled away from the dead Nomu. Placing his goggles on his forehead, Cheshire stared at the monster in shock. Its blood seeping across the ground, its mouth slightly open in a gape, its four eyes looking at nothing.
"I… killed it," he uttered in slight disbelief as tears started to form in his eyes, "I killed it."
He knew that it was trying to kill him and it was not technically alive. It hasn't been alive for a very long time. But Lewis was still upset. This was the complete opposite of why he wanted to be a hero and nobody or thing deserved to die.
Nothing.
Cheshire stood up and took a few steps back from the Nomu and sat on the edge of the building, holding his head in hands.
"I'm sorry. I'm really sorry," he murmured, trying to figure out what to do.
He decided that the best call was to phone the police and they can deal with it. Taking out his phone, he was about to dial 110 when a notification pinged up on his screen. He wiped the tears from his eyes and tapped the notification to see it was from Midoryia who had sent him coordinates. There was no other information, but after copy and pasting the coordinates into Maps he discovered that they were not too far away.
"Why did he send this to me? Is he in trouble? I better investigate," he told himself, standing up and putting his mask, hat and goggles back on, "But I don't know this area. I don't even have a photo reference. I suppose I have to walk there," he told himself, before he realised something, "unless…"
Since Cheshire has never really used his quirk out in public, he never really experimented before with ways he could travel. However, something he did earlier gave him an idea. If he jumped head first down to build up momentum and teleported in mid-air head up, he could use the momentum to essentially jump across great distance, rather like how a dolphin swims. He had to be sure to keep to dark or secluded areas so an onlooker wouldn't happen to spot him, but theoretically it could work.
He used his phone to see which direction the coordinates Midoryia had sent him and prepared to jump when he stopped and looked back at the Nomu with a sad look. He really didn't want to leave it behind, but he knew he couldn't stay. Instead, he jumped down, took off his hat, rummaged through it for a moment before he pulled out a white sheet and draped it over the Nomu. The sheet was large but it was only enough to cover the top part of the Nomu.
"It will have to do," he said out loud, "sorry. That's all I could think of…at least your head…is covered. That's the important part," he sighed before making his way back to roof edge.
Cheshire took a deep breath and fell towards off the building, making sure that he was head down. He let himself drop for a few seconds before he disappeared and appeared in midair, shooting into the night sky.
"Whoa! Whoa! WHOA!" he yelled, waving his arms wildly as he sailed through over a building and a street.
He soon felt gravity pull him down and made sure to he was in the right position to make another jump. He repeated the process over and over. Fall, disappear, reappear, glide, fall, repeat. After a few goes, he was starting to get used to it. He even did a flip in the air. He looked down at the people below and saw that they didn't notice him at all. Too occupied with the Nomu attacks or they simply couldn't see him against the dark sky.
'I should really give this a name,' Cheshire thought, 'like the cat leap of the flying cat or…wow I really suck at coming up with names. Oh right! I should probably focus,' he berated himself.
Despite the elation of traveling across the city, the weight of the Nomu's death still weighed heavily on his mind. But he can't focus on that now.
Midoriya might need him.
Alleyway
Deku was on his hands and knees, trying his best to move. He had fought off Stain's attempt to murder his classmate, but it wasn't long until he too was paralysed just like Iida and Native.
It didn't make sense. It was only a small cut, no where near as damaging as the other two, so how did Stain stop him from moving. That's when he noticed Stain pull his long tongue away from the blade that he cut him with, his blood being absorbed into it.
'No that's not it,' Deku realised, 'It's the blood."
"Your power doesn't cut it," Stain told Deku as he walked past him, "You didn't surpass my movements. From the way I read your moves, you'd planned to slip my line of sight...and bring me down with a surefire hit. Folks who are all talk are a dime a dozen,,,but with you there is worth in keeping you alive," he approached the still paralysed Iida, his katana poised above him once again, "As for these two, not so much."
"Damn it!" Deku yelled helplessly from the side, "Stop!"
That was all he was able to do, there's no way he could stop the Hero Killer in time.
Before Stain could deal the final blow, his instincts screamed at him to move now. He jumped back just in time as three projectiles zoomed past him and embedded in the ground that he had previously stood. Stain, who had jump back further down the allay, frowned in confusion as he noticed that the projectiles were actually playing cards. However, Deku and Iida instantly recognised who they belonged to.
"Fleetwood," they gasped.
As if by magic, Cheshire jump down from the roof and landed before Iida, standing protectively before him.
"Not another one," Stain muttered angrily as he gripped his sword tightly in his hand.
"Deku, Iida, are you two alright?" Cheshire questioned, not taking his eyes off the Hero Killer who was hidden in the shadows.
"What are you doing here Fleetwood?" Iida asked in shock.
Stain's raised an eyebrow curiously and he loosened his grip on the katana, 'Fleetwood? Where have I heard that name?'
"I was in the area when I got Deku's message," Cheshire explained, taking a brief moment to glance at his classmates and the pro hero, "I need to deal with your wounds now."
"Wait stop!" Deku cried, "You need to be careful of Stain. He can paralyse you just by ingesting your blood orally. I think that's his quirk."
'Damn, what do I do,' Cheshire thought, 'Iida's and the pro's wounds need to be tended to, but I might get attacked if I try. I suppose the injured can wait for now since they're not hit anywhere vital. I have to keep Stain here until the police arrive.'
His plan decided, Cheshire was about to call out to Stain, but the villain beat him to it.
"Fleetwood," Stain chuckled, stepping into the light, "Fleetwood Lewis. I remember you."
Cheshire took in Stain's appearance. His long black hair, the bandages that acted as an eye mask, his vicious grin and, of course, the assortment of razor sharp knives strapped onto him. The first thought that ran through Cheshire's head was...well actually it was the second thought. The first thought was 'Where was his nose?' but that seemed a little rude. The second thought was acknowledging the terrifying aura around the villain. It was a mixture of blood lust and determination. It was as if he truly believed that what he was doing was right and Cheshire couldn't help but feel a little sick about it.
"You do?" Cheshire replied back.
"Yes. From the Sports Festival. You're the one who gave the opening speech and the interview at the end," Stain explained, "I didn't watch it live, but I saw the news reports and I was curious. You made a bold statement."
"It wasn't planned. I didn't want to do those speeches."
Stain chuckled, "That's good to hear. I used to be a hero in training as well. Ages ago, before I realised how tainted the life off a hero was. Greed, pride and fame has turned today's hero society into a rotting mess hidden behind a gilded visage. The world is filled with fakes who think that just because they have a power and wear a costume that it gives them a right to be money-grabbing celebrities. And you see it too," Stain said, making Cheshire wince slightly, "At first I thought you were just as much as a fake, but then I saw it. You had the same determination in your eyes, the drive that all heroes lack these days. You truly meant everything, didn't you? You are exactly like me."
"I am nothing like you," Cheshire firmly denied, "Yes, I did mean everything that day, but I don't go around killing people. Besides it's mainly the media that is at fault. They nit-pick at everybody who catches their attention and sometimes the hero has no choice but to exaggerate."
"But there are those heroes who like the limelight. Many of them want to become heroes in the first place because they desire attention in their insignificant lives. The media portrays them as valiant individuals who risk their lives, but I see them for what they are: disease. Disease which pisses on the true values of heroism. And you know what you have to do with a disease ridden arm?" he snarled, brandishing his katana menacingly, "You have to amputate it before it kills the rest of the body."
"Or you can use antibiotics," Cheshire argued, "Gradual change through laws and acts that don't harm anybody. You're not the first person who has tried to change the world too quickly. Maximilien Robespierre in France, Vladimir Lenin in Russia, Mao Zedong in China. They all thought they were doing the right thing. I mean how many people have you killed so far and how many more will it take? 10? 100? 1000?"
"I will slaughter as many heroes as it takes," Stain growled, "I don't kill randomly. I decide through my own unbiased judgement who will survive the purge," he said, nodding his head towards Native who was slowly regaining consciousness.
"Then what about my brother!?" Iida yelled suddenly, "He never desired fame or fortune, but you still attacked him."
Stain bloodshot eyes glanced over at him, "He got in my way. Just be thankful that I didn't do more damage."
"YOU BASTARD!" Iida shouted at him.
"Iida please come down," Deku said, worried that he would harm himself.
Cheshire glanced back at the injured once again, 'Where are the police?' he thought desperately before he turned back to the Hero Killer, "Please, I need to tend to their wounds. They are both losing a lot of blood."
Stain grunted, "The so-called hero was originally my target, but that boy decided to get in my way. They are now both my pray and I will stop at nothing to vanquish them."
"That was a mistake," Cheshire said, "People are allowed to make mistakes."
"Some mistakes are more fatal then others," Stain argued as he raised his katana before him, "Now get out of my way. I can't allow you to heal them."
"And I can't allow you to not allow me to heal them," Cheshire said, standing before his classmates and the hero.
Stain sighed, "How disappointing. I felt like we would become great allies."
As quick as a flash, Stain pounced at Cheshire. His sword glinting in the moonlight as he brought it down at his head.
"I'll make sure they'll remember you, Fleetwood!" Stain cried as he prepared to cut him down.
Deku, Iida and Native were helpless. Deku tried to use One For All and try and tackle Cheshire, but he was still under Stain's paralysing influence. Iida tried his best to get up as well. It was his fault. He was the reason they came here and now he was going to see his own classmate slaughtered before him. Cheshire still stood in front of the victims. He was too tired from using his quirk all day and now he could barely move. Even if he was capable, it was unlikely that he would want to get out of the way.
This was for his classmates.
The katana swung down but then something interrupted Stain for the fourth time tonight. He leaped out of the way just as flames roared over Cheshire's head, saving the teen's life. Cheshire looked around in shock and almost laughed in joy as he saw Shoko or Elduris down the alley. Her left side covered in flames while her right was covered in ice.
"Midoryia, you need to be more accurate when giving SOS messages. I was almost too late" she dryly remarked as she walked over, stopping beside Cheshire in concern, "Are you hurt?"
"Just exhausted that's all," he reassured, her concern softening slightly, "I should be fine in a moment."
"No," she firmly ordered, "You stay behind me while I deal with him."
"But I-"
Elduris had already pushed him back before he could complain. She glared at Stain challengingly, her right arm enrobed with flames, "I won't let you harm him, Hero Killer," she coldly told him.
Cheshire blushed slightly at what she said, "What about the others?"
"They've already been harmed," she countered.
"...Fair enough."
"Todoroki," Deku piped up, "Don't show that guy any blood. It's likely that he can rob a person's freedom by ingesting their blood orally."
Elduris hummed, "Might explain the blades. I just need to keep my distan-"
Suddenly, Elduris had to move her head to the side as a knife thrown by Stain. She had managed to dodge it, but not before the blade nicked her cheek just below her burn scar. The knife had been a distraction as Stain swiftly ran up to her, another blade in his left hand, but Elduris was able to block it by producing a block of ice. However, Stain looked up and, on instinct she looked up as well to see a katana heading towards her.
'He must have thrown it at the same time as the blade,' she thought.
However, the katana had been another distraction as Stain caught it and pulled on her collar. His tongue shot out to lick the blood coming from a cut cheek. However, before he could ingest her blood, Cheshire appeared in mid-air and kicked Stain in the face, sending him back down the alleyway. Elduris turned to Cheshire who had now landed on his feet beside her.
"I told you to stay to stay out of this. I can't use my quirk if you're in the way. Don't worry about protecting me," she ordered crossly.
"Right of course," Cheshire told her, although he had other motivations why he helped out, 'I didn't even think about it. I just really didn't want him licking her cheek with his gross tongue.'
"Why..." Iida groaned from behind them, "Why...why you three...please stop," he looked up at them with a fierce look in his eye, something that seemed out of place with Iida, "I inherited my brother's name... I'm the one that has to do it! THAT MAN, I... I'M THE ONE WHO..."
"You inherited it?" Elduris coldly interrupted, "That's funny..." she said before casting a wall of ice as wide and the alley to stop Stain's approach, "The Ingenium I once saw never made a face like that. I know there must be all sorts of stuff going on behind the scenes in your family life."
Her words seemed to soften the hatred in his eyes, but he still wasn't convinced by what she said. Cheshire made his way over to him, making a First Aid kit from appear from his hat, and he got to work on his stab wounds.
"Now stay still," he told Iida, "you're going to make it worse," he looked over to Deku who was gritting his teeth, forcing himself to move, "Deku, I know you're not as injured but don't strain yourself," he scolded.
"Yeah but-" he began to complain before the ice wall broke apart in a shower of icy shards.
"Attempting to block view of oneself from an opponent that's faster than you," the voice of Stain said mockingly to the shocked Elduris, "How inane."
She growled as her left hand became encase with her fire, "We'll see about that!"
"ELDURIS ABOVE YOU!" Cheshire shouted, causing to her look up, shouting in pain as two knives were embedded in in her left arm. Stain came towards her from above, his sword aimed at her head.
Cheshire would have reacted, but a green blur got there before him. Deku tackled Stain away from his target, grabbing one of his scarfs down to the ground.
"What the- Deku you can move now!?" Cheshire cried as he rushed over to Elduris to remove the knives in her arm. Luckily they weren't too deep.
"I dunno why, but I'm able to move normally again!" he shouted back back before crying in pain as Stain kneed him in the kidneys forcing Deku to drop him.
After the two dropped to the hard ground, Elduris put up an ice wall between them just so Stain couldn't immediately attack them.
"Fall back for now," Elduris ordered him before glancing back at Cheshire, "You think there's a time limit on how long he paralyses people?"
Cheshire shook his head, "Deku was the last to be effected. If that was true then the pro should have been released. Maybe it has to do with how many targets there are. The more he attacks the shorter their paralysed."
"That can't be either," Deku said, recovering from his fall, "Then all of us would have been freed. It could be how much he ingested."
"Or the type of blood," Elduris added.
"If it's blood types," Native gasped out, regaining consciousness, "then I'm type B."
"I'm... A," Iida said.
Deku nodded, "My blood type is O."
"So is mine," Elduris said.
"O-," Cheshire answered proudly, "I remember when I found out. I was so happy."
Stain, overhearing their conversation, chucked darkly, "Blood type. Yeah that's right."
Blood Curdle - Allows the user to temporarily paralyse an opponent by ingesting samples of their blood. The amount of time a victim remains paralysed depends on their blood type.
"That's great and all, but knowing his quirk doesn't help us. We need to move the two and evacuate ASAP," Deku said in a low voice so Elduris and Cheshire could hear.
"We're not moving them until I'm finished patching them up," Cheshire told them in an equally low voice.
"I agree," Elduris said, holding her bleeding arm, Cheshire would have tended to her wounds as well, but he knew that she would unintentionally burn the bandages off, "Besides his reactions are too fast. He won't give us an opening."
"Right," Deku said, "We'll keep him occupied until the pros arrive. We have to avoid close quarters with him. Cheshire stay back and heal the others. Elduris and I will handle him."
"Agreed," Elduris and Cheshire said.
"By the way, love the new costumes you two," Cheshire added, noting the redesigns they had made.
"Thanks," they both replied before he hurried back to Iida.
"Right let's sort you out," Cheshire muttered as he got back to dressing up Iida's wounds.
"It should be me," Iida murmured, "the Hero Killer is my enemy. Please just leave."
Cheshire sighed and looked down at his fellow classmate, "Iida, in the words of Hugh Cornwall, 'get a grip on yourself'," he firmly told him, surprising the teen slightly, "Do you know how much you've worried everybody. Yaoyorozu, Midoriya, Shoko, me. Yes, I know your brother was injured, but do you really think this is what he wanted. Avoiding your duties, isolating yourself, abandoning your work study, enacting revenge on a serial killer. And where did it all lead to? Paralysed face down in dark alley with a stab wound in your shoulder."
"Ow!" Iida cried as Cheshire pulled the bandages tightly.
He ignored him and picked up his First Aid kit, ready to move to Native, "You want to be a hero. Then start acting like one. Go and make your brother proud of you," he told him as he moved to the second injured person.
Iida listened to his words, tears starting to roll down his face. He was right. He wasn't acting like a hero. Needing protecting and healed, letting others get hurt all so he could take revenge. He used his brother's name for his own selfish gains. He remembered when his brother gave him a tour of his hero agency a few years back. He asked him what drove him to become a hero. His first response of wanting to be cool didn't impress the young Iida at first, but after he explained that heroes who do simple but impactful tasks like helping a lost child were the coolest, Iida started to understand. He then said something that he would never forget.
'If you admire me, Tenya. Then I must just be an amazing hero after all!'
He thought his brother was indestructible. That was a mistake. Now he had led his classmates, his friends, into danger. Ignoring Lewis because he only gave his opinion. He was distraught and hurt and he took out his anger on his friends and everybody else and he himself believed he was indestructible. But now he had a chance. He can makes things right. He can now fight and catch up those running ahead of him.
He wanted to be a hero. A hero that his brother would be proud of being.
Iida felt his strength return to him. Stain's paralysing quirk has worn off and now he can stand. He can fight.
Cheshire was just about finished with Native's wound when something zoomed past him. He looked up and behind him to see, to his shock, Iida rushing towards Stain who was currently attacking Elduris. The exhaust pipes on his legs were ablaze as he aimed a kick at the Hero Killer's stomach/
"RECIPRO-BURST!" he yelled as he kicked Stain away from Elduris, breaking his katana in the process.
Stain flew back a few feet before flipping and standing on two feet, his glared up at them. Fury clear on his face.
"Iida!" Deku cried in joy.
"So the effect faded," Elduris observed, "Bastard's quirk ended up being no big deal, surprisingly."
"Please be careful of your bandages," Cheshire scolded from behind.
Iida breathed heavily, slouching a little in exhaustion, "For wrapping you three up in something you have nothing to do with...I truly apologise. And that's why," he said, glaring up at enemy before him, "I cannot allow you three to spill any more blood."
Stain snarled and threw away his broken sword, "Trying to make me think you've had a change of heart is futile. A man's true character doesn't change so easily. You are nothing more then a fake who prioritises his own selfish desires. You are a cancer of society, warping the word 'hero'. And someone neds to correct that."
"Oh and what gives you the right for you to decide who lives and dies!?" Cheshire shouted, "You're nothing but a delusional anarchist. Iida don't listen to him."
"No," Iida firmly said, clenching his fists tightly, "It's just as he said. I'm not qualified to bear the name...of a hero. Nevertheless...I can't afford to fold here...for I were to fold then Ingenium would die."
Stain grinned manically, "That's out of the question."
Elduris lifted her left arm and shot a burst of flames at him, hoping to distract the Hero Killer enough to come up with a plan. Native, who was now fully awake, turned to the four students.
"You idiots! The Hero Killer is only after me and white armour over there! Don't fight back. Just run!"
"Do you see him giving us an opening to do so," Elduris shot back as she continued to fill the alley with fire, "Cheshire, clearly the pros are having trouble finding this place. You need to bring them here."
Cheshire didn't like the idea of leaving them, but he knew she was right. He finally patched up Native and stood to his feet.
"I'll be as quick as I can," he told them before using his coat to swish around and disappear.
Cheshire appeared on the roofs and ran along the edge, trying to spot any hero that can help.
'Come on, come on. There has to be a hero somewhere, he desperately thought, 'maybe if I head closer to the centre of the city, there will be more-'
He thoughts were stopped when he saw somebody down the streets below. He was short, really short, and, judging by the white hair and scraggly beard, he was old. He wore a white body suit, yellow gloves, boots and cape and had a black domino mask covering his eyes. Cheshire could tell he was a hero, but he didn't recognise him from the Hero Billboards. He seemed to be looking for somebody or something as he walked through the deserted streets. Cheshire appeared behind him and calmly called out to him.
"Excus-"
"HAH!" the elderly hero shouted in shock before turning around and shaking his gloved fist at him, "WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING, HUH!? SCARING AN OLD MAN LIKE THAT! DO YOU WANT ME TO HAVE A HEART ATTACK!?"
"No sorry!" Cheshire hastily apologised, "I just thought it was rude to appear in front of you."
"HONESTLY THE YOUTH THESE DAYS! NO RESPECT, I TELL YA, NO RESPECT!"
"Please stop yelling at me, sir," Cheshire said before remembering why he was here, "We found the Hero Killer. Please you need to help us."
The elderly man's eyes widened, "Show me," he demanded.
Cheshire took off running with the old hero following closely. He was briefly surprised how he was keeping up with him with his age and height, but he can't let it distract him now. He led him down an alleyway to a main road when he spotted them, coming out of the alley on the other side of the street. Elduris had tied up an unconscious Stain and dragged him along the ground as Native carried Deku on his back. Iida walked behind them, his head bowed sadly. Cheshire was about to call out to them, but the elderly hero got there before him.
(A.N Please read the end note)
"Wha- WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE, BOY!?" he roared.
Deku's face paled as he saw the man, "GRAN TORINO!" he yelped in fear.
The now named Gran Torino shot across the street, using bursts of air coming out of the soles of his boots, and slammed his foot into Deku's face.
"I TOLD YOU TO SIT DOWN, DIDN'T I!?" he yelled in fury as he jumped back down on the ground, as Deku rubbed his aching face, "Well, I don't know what happened but... for the time being I'm glad you're all right," he told him, acting more calmly then he was before.
Deku hummed, "I'm sorry," he whispered to his mentor.
"You already defeated him," Cheshire said, catching the two's attention. The hero in training was already dressing Elduris left arm without hesitation, "I guess you didn't need me after all."
Elduris shook her head as she let him clean her wounds, "That's not true. You treated the hero's and Iida's wounds. You may not have fought, but we still needed you. Anyway it was Iida and Midoryia who dealt the finishing blow...perhaps Stain was right, maybe I do rely heavily on my quirk."
"That's great," Cheshire cheerily said, "That's something you can work on and try improve yourself. How exciting."
Elduris hummed, the corners of her mouth lifting slightly, "I suppose."
"So is that him?" Gran Torino asked Deku, "the one you told me about."
Deku nodded in confirmation.
The old man observed Cheshire, "He looks trustworthy enough. Just make sure nobody else knows about Toshinori."
"I promise."
They turned when they heard rapid footsteps quickly approach. Several heroes came running down the streets and instantly swarmed them. Cheshire couldn't help but mutter bitterly. Where have they been?
"We received a command from Mr. Endeavour to come provide assistance but... kids!?" one of the heroes urgently cried.
"They've got wounds! I'm going to call an ambulance!"
"Hey, is that...the Hero Killer!?" one of shouted in shock as she noticed Stain being Elduris.
"Are they with you?" Cheshire asked jokingly.
"Unfortunately," she muttered crossly, "and they're late. Endeavour isn't here does that mean he's still in the middle of a fight back there?"
Deku gasped as jumped of Native's back, "Of course, the Nomus."
Cheshire winced slightly as he remembered the Nomu he kil...defeated.
The hero who noticed Stain, tore her eyes away from the figure to address her boss' daughter, "Yeah! We came here because we don't have any guys with quirks among us that'd work against those villains."
"Midoryia, Todoroki, Fleetwood," Iida said with his head bowed sadly, "I put your lives at risk. I'm truly sorry," he apologised with tears in his eyes, "I..I became so blind...I couldn't see anything..."
"I'm sorry too," Deku gravely said, "I should have made sure you were alright sooner."
Lewis nodded in agreement, "I think we all- LOOK OUT!" he suddenly shouted as he spotted something very large flying their way.
The winged Nomu swooped down, snatched Deku by the back of his costume and flew off with him. It happened so fast that nobody registered that it happened until it was too late. Cheshire would have used his quirk, but something was holding him back. It wasn't as if anybody was looking at him. It was just the thought of attacking the Nomu made him think about the scorpion tailed one. Its blood pouring onto the roof. I brains scattered everywhere. The blank look in its dead eyes. It flashed through Cheshire's mind, preventing him from moving an inch.
Luckily, he didn't have to. Stain, who they had thought was knocked out, somehow cut through his bindings and swift like the wind, licked a speck of blood the Nomu had left behind on one of hero's cheek and paralysed the Nomu. Cheshire barely saw him move as the Nomu dropped Deku and Stain pounced at the Nomu, spearing its brain with a knife. It happened so fast that Cheshire could be convinced that Stain had temporarily stolen his quirk. Now the Hero Killer was crouched over the dead Nomu, Midoryia still in his arm from when he caught him in the air. An eerie silence fell. The only sounds made was Stain's heavy breathing.
"The phonies that have overrun society," Stain spat, "and the criminals who so aimlessly sprinkle around their 'power'. Those are the targets of my purge, haah... haah... all of this...is for the sake of...a just world."
The heroes didn't know what to do. They bickered with each other, trying to come with a plan to deal with whatever was going. However, they didn't have a chance to do anything as Endeavour stepped out of the alleyway, barking loudly at them.
"Why are you all standing around!?" he roared, "He must have fled over there by now!" that was when he saw the scene in front of him, his eyes widening when he caught sight of the Hero Killer pinning down Deku, "That man is he really..."
Stain who had overheard his shouting, snarled menacingly as he recognised the voice, "Endeavour," he muttered, his mask starting to peel off.
"THE HERO KILLER!" Endeavour shouted as he ready to attack.
Gran Torino saw what was going on and held his gloved hand out at him, "WAIT TODOROKI!"
That was when Stain snapped his head towards them and everybody stopped and gasped in horror. The mask covering the top half of Stain's face had fallen away, revealing a terrifying face. His nose was nothing but a bony stump, his eyes were wide with bloodshot, his face was wrinkled and his sharp teeth were bared at them.
"Another fake!" Stain howled as he stood to his feet, "The fake must be rectified! Someone...someone must stain themselves in blood! The word 'hero' must be restored! Come! Just try it you pretenders! The only one who's allowed to kill me is ALL MIGHT!"
Stain was radiation pure bloodlust. Every step he took towards them intensified tenfold. Everything about him scared the heroes, even the more experienced pros like Endeavour and Gran Torino couldn't help but fear the man. He stomped towards them slowly, his voice was filled with rage which pieced their souls, his eyes were wide and turning white. At that moment they saw the anger of man who believed in his morals. Stain was ready to take the entire world on, even if it killed him. And they were all terrified.
All except for Lewis Fleetwood. Years of practising basic medicine and learning how heal minor injuries made him look at Stain differently. To him, Stain didn't stomp, he staggered. He ignored his terrible voice and noticed his erratic breathing. His eyes were rolling to back of his head.
Nine heroes. Eighteen pairs of eyes. And Lewis was the only one who looked past the bloodlust and the fury and he saw...
...a man who was in pain.
And that was something Lewis couldn't stand.
That is why, instead of cowering with the others, Cheshire ran up to Stain and stopped him from taking another step. He held him by the shoulders and pushed him back gently, just enough to stop him in his tracks.
"Stop," he whispered to him, "You're going to kill yourself if you keep on moving. Just stop now."
Stain didn't look down at him when he held his shoulder or when he spoke. Even though he couldn't see, he somehow fixed his glare on Endeavour.
"Get...out...of...my way," he growled.
"No," Lewis firmly denied, looking up into his blank eyes, "I'm a hero and I'm not going to let anyone else die tonight."
Despite his annoyed growl and his eyes still glaring at Endeavour, Stain couldn't help but smile.
"I...knew I...had a...good feeling...about you..."
And at that, Stain collapsed and Cheshire laid him on the pavement, making sure he was safe for when the ambulance arrived.
Hosu General Hospital
The next morning, Lewis walked down the hospital corridor towards the room where Midoriya, Iida and Shoko were staying. He had not changed out of his hero costume, but decided to put away his hat, goggles, and mask. Finding the right room, he balanced the tray holding three paper cups of tea onto one arm and knocked on the door.
"Come in," Midoriya voice called out from inside and Lewis opened the door.
He greeted his classmates with a cheerful smile, despite the tired bags under his eyes. His three friends were dressed in hospital gowns, their injuries bandaged up properly. They sat on three of the six hospital beds with Iida and Shoko nearest to the window and Midoriya in the best next to Shoko.
"Good morning," he said with a small yawn.
"Fleetwood," Iida uttered in surprise, "I thought you got a clean bill of health. What are you doing here?"
"You didn't think I leave you guys," Lewis said as he placed the tray on a bedside table, "Although the chairs in the waiting room are by far the most uncomfortable thing I've slept on," he murmured as he handed them each a cup of tea.
"What!? Midoriya cried, "You didn't have to do that."
"I know. I wanted to."
Shoko sat on the edge of her bed and pointed the place beside her, "Sit," she demanded.
Lewis did what she said and groaned when he finally sat on something comfortable. Last night was kind of a blur for them. They remember the Nomus being taken away and Stain were picked up by an ambulance where he will be treated under close surveillance. The teens gave their statements to the police before they were transported to the nearest hospital. Lewis, who didn't suffer any injuries during the attack, was released almost immediately but the others had to be cared for. He also made sure to tell the police about the Nomu on top of the building. He wouldn't want anybody accidentally stumbling upon it.
"We were just talking about how lucky we were to survive," Midoriya told Lewis before he looked down at his bandages arm and leg, "It's a miracle we're still alive. I think if he wanted to kill me..,he probably could have."
"I agree," Shoko said, "He let us live," she turned to Lewis on her left, "How were you able to face such intense bloodlust. I could barely move."
Lewis laughed, "You call that terrifying. You should see my uncle when Wimbledon FC loses a match," he joked.
Iida, who had been staring down at his bed, looked up at Lewis sadly, "Fleetwood, I-"
Before he could say anything, the door slid open and three men stepped in. One of the was Gran Torino who was not holding a wooden cane, but the other two Lewis didn't know. One had messy brown hair and black eyes. His hero costume consists of a blue and white, skin-tight, long-sleeved shirt that tucks into his orange gloves. He wears dark pants, white boots, and wore a helmet that features a fish-like fin and blue visor. The other was a tall man with the head of a beagle. He wore a black suit with a white and black spotted tie. Lewis was pretty sure his uncle had mentioned the dog headed man, but his name escaped him. What he did know was that he was an important member of the police.
"Looks like you all awake," Gran Torino grumbled.
"Gran Torino," Midoriya gasped,
"Manual," Iida uttered in surprise, referring to the helmeted man.
"I want to introduce to you, the chief of the Hosu police precinct, Mr Tsuragamae Kenji," Gran Torino continued, gesturing to tall man.
Tsuragamae waved his casually at them, "Don't worry you can remain seated, I know you had it quite ruff!" he told the students, "So you're the ones who put a stop to the Hero Killer. You're U.A kids all right. I especially recognise you. You must be Lewis Fleetwood, your uncle has told me all about you."
"It's nice to finally meet you, sir," Lewis politely greeted, 'So he actually has the head of a dog. I thought my uncle was just insulting him.'
Tsuragamae continued, "Actually regarding the Hero Killer...he sustained several burns, bone fractures and other serious injuries and is presently undergoing treatment for them, woof. Since the dawning if the phenomenon...the police have emphasised leadership and protocol and made it a point not to wield the quirks of individuals as weapons. So then heroes rose up to fill that gap, becoming a profession of equal validity. Of course such individual weaponisation...is a force that can cause injury very easily. So the reason that the public can fully recognise such a prospect that, normally, would face due censure is because their forebears adhered strictly to rules and morals, and the like," he sighed, "On the other paw, woof, those who aren't qualified yet might harm others through the use of their quirks without the direction of their guardians or supervisors. Even if their opponent were, say, the Hero Killer himself. This is nevertheless a top caller violation of the rules. You four pups, and all the the pro heroes, which is to say, Endeavour, Manual, Gran Torino And Sir Nighteye- you six must all be handed down an adequately impartial punishment."
"Wait, hold on Sir," Shoko said as she stood up sharply, "If Iida hadn't moved in on him then Native would've gotten killed. And if Fleetwood and Midoriya hadn't arrived then the both of them wouldn't died! At that time nobody had noticed the Hero Killer's appearance yet, Sir. Are you suggesting that we should have followed the rules and let everyone die!?"
Tsuragamae woofed, "So if the end results turn out all right you think we should just fudge the rules, is that it?"
Shoko frowned angrily as she glared at the police chief, "Saving people is what heroes do! It's their job!"
"Good grief... this is why they call you 'eggs'. Your education at U.A- and from Endeavour- is hatching well," Tsuragamae barked.
"You damn mutt-"
"Hold on, Shoko," Lewis quickly said, getting in front of her before she could take out her anger on the chief, "let's just listen to what he has to say, okay?"
Shoko glared at Tsuragamae over his shoulder, but calmed down as Lewis led her back onto the bed. He sat down beside her and she automatically held onto his wrist for extra comfort.
"Well," Tsuragamae continued, "that was my opinion as police. As for the rest of what I have to say... well, at the end of the day, punishment or what have you is only meted upon official disclosure. A public announcement would invite the praise and admiration of the people for you...but it would also necessitate punishment. If, however, I were to fail to go public with the true dirt of the affair, then it could be concluded from the Hero Killer' burns that Endeavour was the man of merit who took him down and back up that version of events. Fortunately, the number of witnessed was extremely limited. What I'm saying is that we can bury your violation like a bone in the yard, woof," he told them much to their astonishment, "However, this means no one can ever know of your dogged decisions and fetching feats. So which will it be!? Personally...I don't want anybody barking at you for such a glorious 'misstep'. Especially since you youngsters still have a promising road ahead of you," he said, giving them a thumbs up.
The U.A students shared a look, before nodding in agreement.
"I'm up for not sticking out," Lewis happily said.
"Me too," Midoriya agreed.
"You could have lead with that last part," Shoko muttered bitterly.
Lewis gave her a kind smile, "It was sweet of you for defending us. It reminds me of when I shouted at Aizawa...twice. I really need to work on that."
Manual hummed and nodded his head, "At any rate, we need to take responsibility for our negligence as supervisors," he admitted.
Iida stood up and bowed before his mentor, "I'm so sorry, sir-"
Manual responded with a sharp karate chop to his head, "All right! You caused other people a heap of trouble! So if you understand then never do it again!" he scolded.
The U.A students bowed to the police chief in thanks, glad that they were being let off almost Scott free. Tsuragamae barked lightly at their thanks.
"Through the cheats of the higher-ups, the calls of praise you should have received are no more...but at the very least," he said before bowing at them, "I, as a human who keeps the peace...give you my thanks."
And with that, everything was sorted for the U.A students. They can go back to their (sort of) normal lives and let the encounter with Stain be a past nightmare...
However, it was not completely over for one particular person.
"There is one small issue, however, that we need to straighten," Tsuragamae said before he turned to Fleetwood, "Fleetwood can we speak to you in private, woof."
Lewis eyes widened slightly in surprise, but nodded in agreement. He turned to his classmates concerned looks and gave them a reassuring smile.
"It's fine. I'll be back in a moment," he told them and turned to leave when he felt Shoko still holding his wrist tightly, "Shoko. I'll be fine. They probably want to talk about my side of the story a bit more."
Shoko stared blankly up at him for a few seconds, gave the dog headed man a glare before nodding at Lewis, releasing his wrist. Lewis smiled and said thank you to her before following the police chief and Grant Torino out of the room, down the hall and into a private room. They all took a seat around a coffee table and Lewis waited patiently for the two men to speak.
"Well, let's cut to the chase," Gran Torino muttered, "we found the Nomu you told us about."
Lewis heart sank when he said that.
"Oh...right," Lewis stammered.
Tsuragamae leaned forwards in his chair, "We're sorry to bring this up, woof. It must have been difficult. However, we need you to tell us what happened."
Lewis sighed and told them everything. Going after the Nomu, trying to lead it back to the plaza, fighting it...killing it. By the end, Lewis looked so distraught that Gran Torino And Tsuragamae thought he was going to faint. However, Lewis stayed calm and kept his posture. The event may have been traumatic but he was a hero in training. He can worry about it later.
"I see, thank you Mr Fleetwood," the police chief told him, putting away his notepad that he was taking notes on, "I would love to say that was that and you're free to go, but unfortunately, unlike your classmates, your case is more...problematic, woof. You didn't receive permission to go after the Nomu and therefore, in the eyes of the law, your actions can be considered as vigilantism."
"Well...actually I did," Lewis said, surprising the two men, "I wouldn't have gone after it if I didn't."
Gran Torino grunted, "Who in their right mind would give a hero in training permission to do that?"
"It was Endeavour, sir,"
...
...
...
"Really?" Tsuragamae questioned.
"Really," Lewis answered.
"You don't mind if I contact Endeavour to confirm this."
"Not at all."
The police chief took out his phone and tapped the screen a few times. Eventually, the phone started to ring as it tried to make contact with Endeavour. It took a couple of seconds, but soon somebody picked up the video call and Tsuragamae lifted the screen to his dog face.
"What is it?" the impatient voice of Endeavour sounded from the phone, "Is it about Shoko? Tell her that I've sent her a car to pick her up."
"Actually, woof, I was hoping to confirm something with you, Endeavour," Tsuragamae, "Did you give permission for Lewis Fleetwood to go after the scorpion tailed Nomu during the incident last night?"
"Who? Never heard of him," the hero snapped.
Lewis sweat dropped, 'Oh come on. You could have at least learned my name.'
Tsuragamae coughed awkwardly and pointed the screen towards Lewis. The screen showed the hero, his flames still lit around his face, while he rode in the back of a car. Endeavour's eyes widened in fury, his flames becoming bigger at the mere sight of Lewis.
"YOU!" he roared.
"Hello again," Lewis calmly greeted with a small smile and a wave, "It's been a while."
"HOW DARE YOU-"
"Endeavour, please," Tsuragamae interrupted, "Did you give permission for Lewis Fleetwood to go after the Nomu?"
"OF COURSE I DIDN'T! DO YOU THINK I'M STUPID ENOUGH TO-"
"Hold on one moment," Lewis said.
He lifted his hand over his head before swiping his arm down in front of his face. Before their eyes, Lewis' hat, goggles, and mask appeared on his head.
"What about now?"
Endeavour growled when he finally recognised him, the flames on his head were getting wilder.
"Damn it, that was you," he realised as Lewis dispelled his accessories.
"Well, Endeavour?" Tsuragamae pressed.
Endeavour snarled and leaned back in his seat, "Yes, fine. I did give him permission."
"Really Todoroki?" Gran Torino sighed as the chief jotted the information down, "You sent a first year."
"How was I suppose to know. His face was covered. I assumed he was some low ranking hero," Endeavour argued, "Besides I was busy dealing with the other Nomus to ask. He should have said. Why were even you there, boy?"
"I tried to tell you but you didn't listen to me," Lewis told him, "And the reason I was there was because I was doing an errand. When I saw what was going on I helped people evacuate from the area. You know, what a hero should be doing instead of burning everything in sight."
"You watch your mouth, boy."
"Being threatened through a video call. Ohh how scary. What you going to do? Send me an emoji?"
Before Endeavour could shout back at him, Tsuragamae turned the phone away from Lewis, "Thank you, Endeavour, woof, we'll talk about this later," he told him before hanging up the phone, "well, Mr Fleetwood, it would seem you did get permission after all. However, you're not out of the woods yet, woof. You are completely enable to understand the consequences of your actions. Permission or not, you knew you shouldn't have followed the Nomu, but intended to do so anyway. Since, there was no witnesses and no harm done, I will give you a formal warning this time and I will have to inform your guardian and your home room teacher. Do you understand, Mr Fleetwood?"
"Yes sir," Lewis said, standing up and bowing to the police chief, "Thank you, sir."
Lewis had honestly got off lightly. He should be thankful that the police chief was so understanding.
"Good," Tsuragamae said, "Now, Mr Fleetwood, if you don't mind but I like to ask you a few questions about what happened when the Hero Killer attacked."
"Oh yeah, of course."
"What did you know about Stain before the incident?"
Lewis shrugged, "Not much. Before I came to Japan I never even heard of him. Then Iida's brother was attacked and I knew he targeted heroes, but I was too occupied to properly look into him more. Why do you ask?"
The police chief hummed, "For some, Stain could be considered… a revolutionary for villains. I wanted to know your stance on his views, that's all, woof."
Lewis frowned irritably, "Stain is a murderer. Not a revolutionary. Sure, I agree with some of his policies, but that's it."
"Is that why you stopped him from attacking Endeavour?" Gran Torino inquired.
"No," Lewis firmly denied, "I stopped him because I was worried he will injure himself more."
Gran Torino and Tsuragamae shared a curious look, "Injure himself more?"
"Yes," Lewis said in annoyance, "Iida had kicked him in the chest and an attack like that is likely to brake his ribs. If he continued walking towards us, there was a chance that one of his ribs would puncture his lungs or rapture his aorta. If I didn't stop him, he could have died."
"So, let me get this straight, woof. Despite murdering a number of heroes, injuring your classmates's brother, attacking your friends and being of the most notorious villain in today's society, you were worried about his health," the chief said.
Lewis nodded, "Villain or not. Stain is a human and therefore deserves medical treatment as much as anybody. Why do people find it so hard to understand?" he muttered bitterly.
Tsuragamae nodded in understanding, "I see, that's good to hear, Mr Fleetwood."
"We're only just curious," Gran Torino told him, waving his hand at him reassuringly, "The truth is we have something worrying to tell you."
Tsuragamae hummed and leaned closer to him, "Stain woke up this morning and the first thing he did was request a pen and paper. He wanted to write a letter…to you."
"To me?" Lewis uttered, feeling a chill go down his spine.
"He wouldn't tell us the message to us verbally, but he allowed us to read it after her wrote it. To reassure us that it was not threatening or anything. Mr Fleetwood, I have that latter in my pocket right now, woof. If you don't want to read it then-"
"No," Lewis interrupted, "I'll read it. After what happened last night, I doubt some ink will scare me away," he told him.
Tsuragamae looked uneasy with his decision. Giving a minor a letter from a serial killer will make anybody hesitate. However, the dog headed man reached into his suit pocket, pulled out a folded piece of paper and handed it to Lewis. The teen expected the paper for a moment, but didn't open it yet. Instead he placed it on his lap and said thank you to the police chief.
"Thank you for you time, Mr Fleetwood," Tsuragamae said as he rose to his feet, "Be sure to stay out of trouble from now on."
"I usually try and avoid trouble, chief Tsuragamae."
The police chief chuckled as headed to the door, "Tell your uncle I said hello. Goodbye, woof," he barked as he left the room.
"Bye, thanks again," Lewis called out after him.
"I better be heading off as well," Gran Torino said, jumping down from his chair and hobbling to the door, "I've got a taiyaki with my name on it in the canteen. So long, kid."
Lewis was about to say goodbye to him, but he then remembered something, "Gran Torinio," he called out, stopping the hero, "about the Nomu. What are they? Were they made?"
Gran Torinio grunted "I'm not the person you should be speaking to about that."
"I see. I just thought you would know something."
The elderly man sighed, "I'll be sure to keep my ear to the ground. If the police make a breakthrough I'll make sure to contact you."
"Thank you, sir," Lewis said gratefully.
Gran Torino nodded with a small grunt before leaving the room as well. Lewis sighed and leaned back in his chair. The past few hours have been hell for him and he was just glad it was all over for now. He looked down at the piece of paper still in his lap and hesitantly picked it up as if would burn his fingers. Slowly, he unfolded the paper and read the message that Stain had written:
'We walk on two different paths.
One paved with hope and promise,
The other stained with blood.
Our meeting was short, but eventful,
And I hope we will meet once more,
When we both meet at our shared destination.'
Lewis read it once more, before he folded it back up and stuffed it into his pocket. He really didn't want to think about what he was implying.
Hospital Room
Lewis walked back into the shared hospital room and saw Shoko sitting on her bed. She was alone and was calmly sipping her tea in peace, but looked up when Lewis entered.
"Hi, where are the other two?" Lewis asked.
"They went down to make phone calls. They should be back in a moment," she answered, "What did the chief and Gran Torino want?"
Lewis sighed and sat beside her the bed, "They...wanted to confirm some things. Nothing to serious. How's your arm and cut on your cheek?"
She lifted her arm to show him the bandages, "The arm feels stiff, but can't complain. The other cut is fine as well. Not like my face can be ruined anymore."
"Don't say that," Lewis calmly said, "I think your face looks perfect the way it is. Scar and all," he said, hoping he didn't push his luck.
"Thanks," she softly said, "I think you're face is agreeable."
Lewis chuckled lightly. To his surprise, Shoko slowly leaned her head on his shoulder, sighing gently when she found a comfy spot. Lewis tried not to freak out, but it was difficult not to. A girl was leaning her head on his shoulder.
"Fleetwood," Shoko softly said, "I wasn't expecting you to run up to the Hero Killer. If it went wrong I wouldn't be able to protect you. Don't scare me like that again," she pleaded.
Lewis looked down at her red and white hair, sensing the emotion behind her words. He laid his hand over hers reassuringly, feeling her warm but soft hand.
"I'm sorry, I promise to be careful next time," he told her.
Shoko hummed at his promise, but Lewis knew that she really appreciated it.
"So how's your work study coming along?" Lewis asked, feeling like he should change the subject.
"..."
"That well, huh."
"He's infuriating, but necessary," she admitted, "this week is going to be hell. What are you doing in Hosu? I thought you were based somewhere else."
"Oh right, I was actually doing an errand for-"
The words were caught in his mouth. His eyes went wide and he started to sweat nervously.
"Oh God!" he yelled when he remembered, making Shoko jump and sit up straight.
"What's wrong?" she questioned.
SLAM!
The door to their room slid open violently and Bubble Girl walked stomped in. This was the first time he had ever seen her angry and, fair to say, Lewis was absolutely terrified.
"You hung up on, Sir Nighteye!" she shouted at him, "You are in big trouble, kid!"
And cut.
First of all, I know it looked ridiculous that Lewis left the fight with Stain and then when he returned everything was sorted out. However, I did that for a few reasons. First of all, I couldn't see where Lewis would be of any use during that fight so it was just stupid to leave him hanging about doing nothing. Secondly, I'm willing to bet that we've all read or watched all before. You really don't need me telling you again. Thirdly, I was just tired. This is one of the longest chapter I've written and I really want to get on with another story.
Sorry if it seemed kind of weird. I tried my best.
Anyway, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed it :)
Omake
Hi everyone, Lewis Fleetwood here. Victor mentioned in the last chapter that he will do a playlist of the music I listen to so I don't...you know...get brain damage. He has categorised these songs into two lists: Resting (60-100 BPM) and Running (100-160 BPM). Victor has a wide taste of music covering many genres between 1963 to 2006 - because he's mentally an old man - and so that's why there's a weird assortment of music smashed together. For example he's put 'Crazy' by Gnarls Barkley and 'I Was Kaiser Bill's Batman' by Whistling Jack Smith (Yes, that's a real song. Look it up.) in the same category. A feat that no sane person has done for. Hope you like the playlist.
Resting:
Chain of Fools - Aretha Franklin
The Edge - David McCallum
Mandy - Barry Manilow
Jean Genie - David Bowie
Sunshine Superman - Donavon
Electric Avenue - Eddy Grant
Lover Her Madly - The Doors
Crazy - Gnarls Barkley
I Was Kaiser Bill's Batman by Whistling Jack Smith
Twelve Thirty - Mamas and the Papas
Just One Look - Doris Troy
Heroes - David Bowie
Ghost Town - The Specials
Good Love 6-9-9-6-9 - Issac Hayes
Ballrooms Of Mars - T. Rex
Maybe Tomorrow - Stereophonics
Hold On - Wilson Philips
Champagne Supernova - Oasis
Who Could It Be Now? - Men At Work
Golden Brown - The Stranglers
Running:
'A' Bomb in Wardour Street - The Jam
Cross Eyed Mary - Jethro Tull
It Came Out Of The Sky - Creedence Clearwater Revival
Rubber Bullets - 10cc
Lazy - Deep Purple
Queen Bitch - David Bowie
Sultans Of Swing - Dire Straits
I'll Melt With You - Modern English
Lust For Life - Iggy Pop
Rocks - Primal Scream
Turn To Stone - ELO
Edge Of Seventeen - Stevie Nicks
Love Spreads - The Stone Roses
Step On - The Happy Mondays
20 Seconds To Comply - Silver Bullet
Saturday Night Alright (For Fighting) - Elton John
Two Tribes - Frankie Goes To Hollywood
Let's Go Crazy - Prince And The Revolution
Dance Dance - Fall Out Boy
Born Slippy - Underworld