Izuku stood in front of the bathroom mirror, just staring at his reflection. As he stared at his reflection he recalled all the times he had stood in front of a mirror like this one. Every occurrence was heralded as a night of violence. He'd been going on these nighttime excursions for so long, it was strange to think that this would be the last time. He always knew this time would come though, he just hadn't expected to be alive for this part. He always thought he'd be dead and gone, either from some powerful villain or in an attempt to kill Zeus.
He grabbed the small container of makeup and started applying it, obscuring his freckles and any other potentially identifying marks. Then he closed it and set it aside, picking up the small case next. He popped it open and the bioluminescent contacts shone with a red light. He carefully put them in, then looked at himself in the mirror once more. His jet-black hair and red eyes greeted him and a shiver ran down his spine. Yet, unlike all the times before he didn't feel the shift in mentality. Previously, his changing of appearance came with his shift in mentality to that of the Hunter. All in an attempt to disconnect himself from what he had done. It had been easier that way, he could pretend that the Hunter was a different person altogether, blame it all on "him".
But no more.
He was done pretending.
He went to the living room, where he had laid out all his combat gear. It was still in good condition since he'd used a completely different kit when fighting Zeus, but all that gear was scrap now.
He pulled on the body armor, ensuring it was firmly on then attached the arm pieces, followed by the legs. He equipped his weapons next, all of his small knives were snugly in their sheathes, followed by his katana strapped to his back and his wakizashi on his hip. He pulled on his gloves and was halfway done opening the window when he stopped. He turned back to the room and after another few moments of thought, he grabbed Sasakura's katana. He slung it around his body with a strap then he opened the window. He clambered out, closed the window then quickly scaled the wall until he got to the ground. He was about to turn and head toward the city when a shadow along the wall moved.
Izuku immediately went to draw his Wakizashi when he recognized the figure.
"Hawks..." he whispered to himself, surprised.
"Hey there, your Izuku right? A pleasure to meet you!" Hawks said upbeat, extending a hand.
Izuku stared at the hand, then at Hawk's lazy smile, and slowly shook it.
"I'd love to stick around and chat, but we're both in a bit of a hurry. You're going after Stain yeah?" Hawks asked, but it was clear he already knew the answer.
Izuku didn't bother answering, opting to stare instead.
"Nezu figured you'd try it so he asked me to swing by every few nights and keep an eye on you, and if I caught you heading out, then I'm to give you a lift." He said, still smiling.
"... what?" Izuku asked, not sure if he'd heard right.
"Look, just because Nezu runs a hero school doesn't mean he's a hero himself. He's the one that was giving Sasakura all that tech you've been rocking. Nezu's been in on your little crusade from the beginning. Which by extension included me and a few others, including your old mentor Naomasa." Hawks, said his smile fading as he took on a more serious attitude.
"We want to keep this nation together and keep heroism alive, and if that means bending rules then we're okay with that. So you can either let me give you a lift to where we think Stain is located, or you can go at it solo." Hawks said.
Izuku took a few moments to digest that revelation, before nodding. The next thing he knew, feathers from what remained of Hawk's wings latched on to key points in his armor and they were both flying across the night sky.
Above them, the sky rumbled with thunder, and eventually, it started sprinkling, but it would definitely be picking up before long. As they sailed over more and more of the city, Izuku got a better picture of everything. He could see farther than he had ever been able to before, and his brain started identifying possible hideouts for Stain.
"Stop here!" Izuku shouted over the sound of rushing air.
"What's wrong?" Hawks shouted back.
"Stain is near here!" Izuku shouted.
Hawks pulled up short and looked down. Nothing but businesses and high rises.
"One of his safehouses was near here, and if he isn't at it then I can guess where he might have gone." Izuku insisted.
"All right... any spot in particular?" Hawks asked.
"There," Izuku said, pointing at a collection of moderately tall businesses.
Hawks and Izuku flew down to a random roof where Izuku was released.
"You sure?" Hawks asked, floating above Izuku.
"Yes, thank you," Izuku said.
Hawks shrugged and started to fly off.
"Don't get yourself killed." Hawks called back as he flew off silently.
When Hawks had flown off Izuku turned and strode to one of the edges of the building and looked out. He couldn't see it from here, but he remembered the spot. The last place he and Stain had visited before leaving Mufustafu. There was another roll of thunder, closer this time, and the sprinkling rain into a steady drizzle.
It took him ten minutes of leaping from roof to roof, climbing down, navigating alleyways then climbing back up. His birdseye perspective had thrown off his perception of distance, he found himself wishing he had directed Hawks to drop him off closer. Finally, he could see the building he was after. Another five minutes of travel and he hoisted himself up onto the roof.
It was a small building in comparison to the others, but still very high up, at least six stories high. He strode to the edge and looked out at the ground in front.
All Might Park. From here he could see the statue of All Might in his final victor pose in the distance and beside him that of Endeavor.
Izuku looked down at the park, the building offering a perfect view without being too high up. After looking down he turned around and he could see Stain on the roof's opposite edge from him.
The two just stared each down, until at last Stain broke the silence.
"You have gotten stronger." He said approvingly, his crazed smile forming on his face.
"I... had good teachers," Izuku said.
Suddenly there was a crack of thunder and lightning arced across the clouds. The rain started to come down harder.
"There is still much to be done, come." Stain said, still smiling.
"... No." Izuku said.
Stain's smile faded and he narrowed his eyes instead.
"I told you when we first met, that when it was all over... that I would hunt you down," Izuku said.
Stain said nothing, but his stance shifted subtly.
"Your lessons were very pragmatic, even now I see the wisdom in them. Killing your opponent is smart, and it prevents future problems from arising. Yet... I have seen what your beliefs do, what it turns people into... what I almost became..." Izuku said, looking at the ground.
Then Izuku bowed deeply to Stain.
"Thank you, for all you have done for me," Izuku said, before slowly straightening.
"This will be my final hunt." He continued, shifting his stance to mirror Stains.
"Then it ends here." Stain said, drawing his jagged and serrated katana.
Izuku said nothing, but he removed the loosely hanging katana of Sasakura's and tossed it aside, then he drew his own katana.
The two of them mirrored the other each crouching slightly, and they started circling the other.
The lightning flashed once more and the thunder boomed overhead, and the two ran at the other.
Steel flashed in their hands as they each threw knives at the other, only to have them collide with each other in mid-air. Before the knives even hit the ground, Stain brought his blade swinging at his side, intent on only scoring a shallow blow so long as it drew blood.
Izuku twisted to avoid the blow while bringing his blade up, intending to score a gash across Stain's front. Stain's blade scrapped against his body armor, putting a nasty gash in it but not penetrating; Stain meanwhile leaned just far back enough to avoid Izuku's blade by millimeters.
Izuku completed his twist and spun back round to face Stain, using his momentum to carry his blade into a follow-up horizontal slice. Stain deflected the blow with his own blade and threw a knife, underarm at Izuku. Expecting the attack, however, Izuku grabbed the knife out of the air since it had little speed behind it due to Stain not having enough room for a good throw. Izuku promptly threw the knife back at Stain while closing in for another series of cuts. To Izuku's minor annoyance, Stain managed to deflect the knife with the but POMMEL of his sword while simultaneously blocking Izuku's own sword stroke.
Keeping Stain's blade locked with his own, he reached down and tried to bring out his wakizashi to strike a blow to Stain's waist, only for Stain to have thought the same thing and have both smaller blades also lock together. The two kept their weapons locked together, pushing against each other in a contest of strength. Each side tried to overpower the other, only to find themselves equal.
Izuku let one of his legs give out, and as Stain went to adjust his balance, Izuku headbutted him causing him to reel back and slip on the ground. Izuku went to jump on him, but Stain kicked him in the chest. As Izuku stumbled backward, trying not to slip himself, Stain got back to his feet. Stain made to throw his wakizashi, but Izuku did the same thing, the clumsy attacks colliding in mid-air and sending the blades to the sides.
He saw Stain reach to his waist and throw another knife, which he dodged. Then Stain made a jerking motion and the knife returned to him. This time Izuku saw the wire attached to the end of the knife. Stain built some speed by swinging around, before running at Izuku swinging his sword in the other hand. Forced to deflect the cuts, he was forced to dodge as the swinging knife came at him at odd angles. Izuku felt the knife graze his cheek, and so redoubled his attack, not giving Stain the time to lick the blood off.
Stain immediately backed off and after a few moments of weathering Izuku's furious assault, managed to find a moment to lick the knife. Except nothing happened and was forced to desperately defend himself once more, as his surprise gave Izuku an opening.
Izuku kept up the relentless assault, using raw power in place of finesse to try and batter through Stain's defense. Unable to resist he smiled.
"You should pay attention to the weather more often." He managed to get out before executing a rapid series of cuts, a combination of strikes he'd long ago devised under Stain's tutelage.
Stain managed to deflect three of the attacks, and dodge another two before Izuku put all his weight and strength on one leg and did a stationary sideways spin. His last downward swing seamlessly flowed into another, stronger downward strike. Stain tried to block it, but he had compromised the integrity of the blade by serrating it, and the blade was cut in half. Yet it did redirect the strike and he only received a minor wound. Izuku landed on all fours and threw himself sideways into Stain's legs.
Stain pitched forward, on top of Izuku, immediately drawing a knife and trying to stab downward, but missing. Izuku, underneath Stain, grabbed him and while standing threw him into the air as Stain flailed wildly, he threw his arm into Stain's face in an albeit weak lariat. Still, the blow disoriented and rattled Stain, and he stumbled trying to stand upright. Izuku launched himself at Stain once more, grabbing his sword from the ground and bringing it up to land a decisive blow. Yet to his utter shock, Stain slammed one hand into the side of the blade, pushing it sideways into his other hand. Not intending to kill Stain, Izuku's attack lacked enough power and so was deflected and its movement was arrested by Stain's technique.
Due to his shock, he was slow in defending from the kick that forced him to let go of the sword. Expecting a follow-up strike from Stain, Izuku jumped backward yet no follow-up came. Instead, Stain jammed it into an air conditioning unit and pushed. The air conditioner proved more solid than Izuku's own blade and the blade snapped in half.
Stain tossed the hilt aside and grinned at Izuku before rushing him, swinging two knives around him on wires and trying to slice him from a distance. Izuku drew two knives of his own and tried to use them to fight off the attacks but they proved too small for his purposes and before long, a knife wrapped around one of his arms. The blade cut into his arm and he grunted in pain, he grabbed the wire in his gloved hand and used it to tangle the other knife's wire. Stain immediately released his grip on the wire, and severed it from its holster. Izuku used the time to free himself from the wire, remembering all too well the time Stain had first showcased his new weapon. The scars on his right hand and arm were a constant reminder.
"Your convictions are still lacking! You will not survive showing mercy to your foes!" Stain screamed and drew his last two short knives, rushing at Izuku, his mania in full force.
Izuku grit his teeth, refusing to listen but he couldn't deny the temptation he felt. He raised his fists and let Stain come to him. As Stain came at him with a flurry of attacks, Izuku focused on defense and attacking when he saw gaps in his defense. By now Stain was beyond using his quirk, focused solely on bringing down Izuku through ferocity and skill alone. Stain came at him with a flurry of blows, Izuku doing his best to either deflect the knives with his armored gloves or else block Stain's arms.
Izuku blocked a double slice from Stain by impeding his arms, then he grabbed Stain's arms, restraining him. Izuku pulled him close and sent a knee into his stomach. Suddenly Izuku felt an intense pain in his leg, the sudden pain weakened his grip and Stain sent his skull into Izuku's chin, snapping his head back as he reflexively stepped back and his wounded leg gave out. Izuku looked down and saw a knife extending out of Stain's shoe, then Stain was on him, knives coming at his face. Izuku grabbed his wrists and tried to hold him back, but Stain's full weight now bearing down meant Izuku could not hold out long.
The knives came steadily closer and his arms started to shake from the strain. With little choice left, Izuku jerked his right hand causing the knife to swing up and to the right, at the same moment Izuku released his grip on the knife causing it to slam down and put a huge gash into his shoulder. Izuku reached over to his left hand and with both hands forced the knife to plunge down into Stain's left arm.
As Izuku let out a growling cry of pain, Stain roared in anger and pain as well. The fight turned into a grappling match, Stains left arm was weakened by the knife wound while Izuku's right shoulder screamed in pain. This was where Izuku excelled however, his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu was adept at grappling. As Stain went to try and use his weight and strangle him, Izuku took advantage of his weakened arm and destabilized his position. In a flash, Izuku had flipped Stain over and tried to wrap an arm around his neck. As he moved his arm toward Stain's face, Stain lunged forward with his head and tried to bite his hand. Izuku jerked it out of the way, all too aware that bloodcurdle would mean his death. Yet this was all Stain needed to slam his elbow into Izuku's face and get off of him.
Stunned, Izuku went to get up but Stain grabbed him by the front of his armor and slammed a fist into his face, slamming him into the concrete. As Stain moved closer, Izuku kicked him in the chest and forced him away. Then he scrambled to his feet and took a few steps back.
Stain was slow in getting up and Izuku's foot brushed up against something. He looked down and saw Sasakura's sword lying there. He reached down and picked it up, looking at Stain. Stain had retrieved both his own and Izuku's Wakizashi, and held them ready. Izuku grabbed the hilt of the blade and withdrew it in one smooth motion.
Using Sasakura's sword felt different, and as he held it, he recalled the lessons Sasakura had given him about proper swordsmanship. He hadn't taught him long, and he'd never beaten him in a duel but he had been taught nonetheless. Izuku shifted his footing, putting his right leg forward, and lowered the katana into a geden stance.
He patiently waited, knowing Stain would break first. Sure enough, Stain ran at him. As Stain closed the distance, he stopped running, instead using his momentum to slide across the rainy rooftop toward Izuku. The twin blade attacks came at a blinding speed, but Izuku held firm and using the absolute minimum amount of movement, deflected the blows rather than block them entirely. A few deflects in and Izuku had created the opening he needed. He shimmied forward and with a quick stroke cut Stain across the same arm he had impaled earlier.
Stain staggered backward, the wakizashi dropping from his weak grip, and instead tried using his strong hand and knife boot to try and break through Izuku's guard. Izuku had to give ground as the unorthodox attack made deflecting all the attacks difficult. He kept back peddling, forcing Stain to move after him, restricting his ability to use his knife boot, but it also restricted Izuku's ability to make a counterstroke.
Ever patient though, Izuku waited until Stain's attack slowed, the exhaustion hitting him first. Izuku rushed forward, forcing Stain onto the defensive. He couldn't block or deflect all the attacks, and Izuku's longer reach made dodging almost impossible. He landed shallow blows all over Stain. Sensing the end was close, Izuku stopped his barrage and instead lunged forward. Expecting another sword stroke, Stain didn't manage to avoid Izuku's grab. Izuku grabbed Stain by the wrist and twisted, forcing stains arm to twist with it. Izuku threw his katana at Stain's face pommel first, hitting him square in the eye. Stain roared in pain both from the eye and then from the sensation of his wrist breaking. Stain staggered backward, both arms useless, and fell to his knees.
When Stain made no move other than to cradle his hand, Izuku relaxed.
"It would appear... that I was the one hunted in the end..." Stain said quietly.
"Your convictions... were stronger than my own..." Stain continued, not looking up at Izuku.
"You taught me a lot, lessons that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. But it wasn't just you. Bakugo, Naomasa, Ahmya, Ochako, All Might, and Sasakura all taught me things as well, beyond just fighting. Without them, I never would have found myself, without them I would be like you." Izuku said, the rain running down his face, his hair plastered to his head.
"I don't know what bent your life so out of shape, but maybe I've been there too. If the man Chizome Akaguro still exists, then maybe we can find common ground. Maybe there's still hope for you." Izuku said.
Now that it was all over, now that he faced Stain, helpless before him, he couldn't help but feel some level of pity.
Stain started laughing, he threw his head back and laughed uncontrollably, standing straight and letting his arms hang at his side. It took a bit, but when he got control of himself he stared Izuku in the eyes. Izuku felt chills wash over him at the clarity in Stain's eyes.
"We both know there's no saving me. Meaninglessly offering mercy, offering hope will do nothing but weaken you and others. Do not let your optimism blind you to the truth. Your convictions are strong, do not compromise them." Stain said, steadily walking backward.
"You've done well, but there can be only one Hunter, and we both know who it will be." Stain said, smiling, but the mania in it was gone and Izuku thought it might be one of pride.
Then it struck Izuku, and he ran forward.
"Stop!" He screamed reaching out for Stain.
Yet Stain, still smiling, let himself fall backward and off the edge of the building.
Izuku ran to the edge and looked down, just in time to see the dark form of Stain slam into the top of the small vehicle and a car alarm started blaring. A few seconds later he heard screaming far below.
Clenching his hands, Izuku turned away and retrieved Sasakura's katana and scabbard, sheathing it, and putting it over his shoulders. He retrieved his wakizashi and sheathed it as well, but left the broken blades lying in the rain.