"Hey Toshinori, how are you doing?" Izuku said, speaking into his phone. On the other end was a deflated Toshinori, who quickly answered.
"I'm good my boy, just checking on you." With a joyous voice. Izuku smiled, even though the caller couldn't see it, as he said.
"It's quite alright, me and Todoroki are about to leave for Endeavour right now." With the same voice as before.
"I see, it's all going well then... " Toshinori then said, making it clear in his voice that he was about to talk about secret things. Izuku changed into a serious expression, as he carefully listened to the blonde man on the other end.
"I've gotten the help of Tsukaichi. We contacted Hosu police, told them that Brawler would make an appearance." With a hushed voice. Izuku lowered his voice slightly, as he asked.
"Did they ask why?" And Toshinori replied.
"Yeah, told them it was Brawler business... But they can put two and two together, they probably know that he's hunting... "
Izuku wasn't concerned with this, it just meant that he might have to spend more energy on dodging the police. All that worry, however, was removed when Toshinori spoke again.
"Also, we made special arrangements. During this week, Brawler will have the full support of the Hosu Police... " With the voice he's been holding up so far.
Izuku was a little relieved, for now he could focus all of his energy on doing what Brawler does best... Catch crooks....
Izuku looked over to his left, and saw both Rachel and Uraraka talking to each other. She was hiding it, but Izuku could tell. Rachel was glancing over at the green-haired boy, as if she knew what the phone call was about and tried to distract their classmates from hearing any of it.
Izuku turned his attention back to the phone, as he said.
"That ought to make things a whole lot easier." His voice was hushed. Toshinori answered quickly.
"Indeed my boy... The police will also make sure that the media can't speak to Brawler, unless he allows it... "
Izuku didn't answer with an actual word, he just gave a noise and showed that he was responsive. Toshinori then went on to a different matter.
"There's another thing... Two things actually... No, make that three... " He said, until Izuku grew impatient.
"Come on now... " He said, with a serious voice. Toshinori gathered himself, as he said.
"First, you've got a fan in Hosu. He's a pro hero, and he asked to meet you. Said something about exchanging information, and a favor... " With the same voice as before, then he sent the time and location for that said meeting. Izuku checked it, then he asked.
"Did he say who he was?" With the same voice.
"No, but he gave us a code-word he would use to confirm himself... 'Aquakinesis'... " Toshinori then said, confusing Izuku slightly.
"What was the second one?" The green-haired boy then asked, and Toshinori replied.
"Both me and Tsukaichi suspect that young Iida might try to go after The Hero Killer by himself... Please keep an eye on him while you're there... "
"Will do... " Izuku said, then Toshinori continued.
"Also. Take good care of Young Organ. She would be sad if you got injured... " And Izuku responded by saying.
"Got it... " With a calm voice.
"Take care, my boy... " Toshinori then said, his voice showing that he was slightly worried for Izuku's sake.
"I will, thanks Toshinori... " Izuku then said. Toshinori was about to hang up the phone, until Izuku spoke again.
"Hey Toshinori." He said, and the old man was brought to attention.
"Tell Tsukaichi to look up a vigilante who went by the name of Stendhal." Izuku said. Toshinori was confused, so Izuku continued to explain.
"He and Stain are the same person... Tell Tsukaichi to start making the connections."
Toshinori was shocked by this, but he didn't question it. He knew that Izuku was a good detective, and the fact that they could find more info on Stain just makes things easier.
"That's good, take care Young Midoriya." Toshinori then said, before he hung up the phone.
Izuku placed the phone back into his pocket, and Rachel noticed that she didn't have to do any more distracting.
"Who called you?" Kirishima asked, as he walked up to Izuku. The green-haired boy smiled as he answered.
"Toshinori, he told me to deliver you a message." With a joyful voice. Kirishima looked confused, as Izuku continued.
"God Bless You!"
Kirishima was just shocked by this. It wasn't just that All Might had shown some weird behavior when talking about his old master, but he now went as far as to tell Izuku to send him that message.
Toshinori didn't actually say that, though. Izuku just made something up that he knew would match with Toshinori's previous behavior.
The group kept chitchatting, with Todoroki giving the occasional cold responses. Then a train rolled up, and it announced its path to a station near Hosu.
"Well. That's ours, Todoroki." Izuku said, as he looked over at Todoroki. The ice-user nodded at him, before he picked his bag up and walked towards the train.
Izuku turned towards his other classmates, and waved goodbye. They waved back, wishing him a safe trip.
Izuku was about to leave, but was stopped when Rachel hugged him from the side. She then kissed him on the cheek, before she said.
"Be careful, okay." With a worried tone. Izuku knew where this worry came from, he was about to go and face off against Stain after all. Izuku gave Rachel a kiss on the lips, before he said.
"I will. I'll see you in a week." With a reassuring voice. Izuku then sprinted towards the train, as he waved goodbye to his girlfriend.
He and Todoroki got themselves some seats next to each other, and they made themselves comfortable for the following trip.
Izuku looked out the window, where he saw Rachel with Kirishima and his other classmates. This wasn't new to him, telling Rachel that he would do something reckless and then feel bad when leaving. However, there was a strange feeling within himself. He felt that he missed his friends more than ever before. More importantly, he longed for Rachel more than anything else.
Izuku clenched his fist, as he made his resolve inside his head.
Once this is over... I will gather what little courage I have... and I will ask you... He spoke in his head, and determined himself to end the madness that he has endured with Stain...
. . .
After about an hour long train ride Izuku and Todoroki got off. They knew exactly where to go, and thus it didn't take long to reach the agency.
The two teens walked up to the door of the agency, before they walked through them. What they saw on the other side was a bunch of pros all having a discussion with one of Endeavor's sidekicks, Burnin.
The attention was drawn to them, and the hero smiled as she approached them both.
"You must be the interns, we've been expecting you." She said, her voice holding fire within it. Todoroki was as cold as ever, but Izuku smiled as he responded.
"Glad to see a warm welcome!" He said, a smile on his face. Burnin didn't know whether to facepalm or not, because she didn't know if Izuku was simply greeting her or making the worst pun in human history.
"Well, you could say that." She then said, her voice showing how bad it was. Izuku didn't care, he just enjoyed the chaos.
He intended to make Burnin feel both angry and awkward with that greeting, it was his way of enjoying people's suffering... Terrible puns...
Burnin managed to recover after a few seconds, and she immediately turned to Todoroki.
"Your father is waiting for you in his office." She said, and Todoroki nodded before he began walking in that direction. Izuku was about to follow the ice-user, but was stopped by Burnin.
"Endeavor requested to only see his son. I'll escort you directly to your quarters, then you will head straight to training with me." She said, her voice being very formal. Izuku was both shocked and annoyed by this.
The flaming trash can straight up didn't want to see Izuku, yet he invited him to his agency. This was mistreatment at the highest level, a disrespect that makes Izuku's blood boil.
The green-haired boy was about to say something nasty about the number two hero, but didn't get to when Todoroki said.
"If Midoriya doesn't get greeted by my father I don't want to be greeted either. Take me straight to my quarters as well." With his cold voice, that showed an anger similar to the green-haired boy's.
Izuku was surprised by this, but he didn't question it. He only smiled as a very shocked Burnin escorted them both to their quarters.
They all walked through some doorways, entered a few hallways, and simply kept walking through most of the agency building.
"So, what did you do to piss the flame man off?" Burnin asked, while still walking ahead of them. Izuku didn't exactly expect this question, but he collected himself and answered.
"I shared a piece of my mind with him... Then I put him in his place." He said, not having a care with his voice. Burnin was slightly surprised, but she then scoffed at it as she said.
"You, put the number two hero in his place? Please, you're still a kid." With a tomboyish voice. Izuku was unfazed by this, as he said.
"Did you watch the final of the sports festival?" With a quiet voice.
It was a simple question, but it was enough to shake Burnin. She had seen the final, and she wished that she hadn't. The brutality and violence shown in those minutes of fighting still scared her. What haunted her the most, above all the things that Izuku did to Katsuki, was The Warpaint. It was terrifying, it was violent, it was gruesome, and it was beautiful. That scared her, it was as dangerous as it was beautiful.
Burnin turned her now sweat drenched face to Izuku, before she heard him say.
"I doubt there's anything of value that anyone here can teach me, and I believe that you just lost your spirit to supervise me. I'll be training on my own, undisturbed by anyone." With a cold voice.
Burnin didn't argue with this in any way. To a certain extent she was relieved, now she didn't have to deal with the so-called Demon of UA. Todoroki wanted to say that he would train with Izuku, but decided against it when he realised that only his father could teach him how to use his flames.
After a few more minutes of silent walking they eventually reached two doors. It didn't take a genius to know that this was Izuku and Todoroki's living quarters. Burnin left them to their own devices, thinking of a way to explain Todoroki's decision without making Endeavor furious.
Izuku walked into his room, and immediately began unpacking. He had his hero costume with him, but that was just a cover for his true intentions. He quickly scanned the room for any cameras or things alike, then he went to work after making sure that there weren't any.
He rooted through his bag, and grabbed a yellow file. But right as he was about to open it, he heard a knock on his door. Izuku panicked slightly, as he hid the file before walking up to the door.
He opened it, and was surprised by what he saw. Todoroki was behind the door, and he looked concerned.
"What's up Icy-hot?" Izuku asked, wondering what was going on. Todoroki didn't change his look of concern, as he asked.
"Can I come in?"
Izuku was a little shocked, but he didn't deny his friend's request. He let Todoroki in, and then closed the door behind him. Izuku then faced the ice-user, as he asked.
"So what's bothering you?"
Todoroki froze for a second, not answering Izuku's question. The ice-user then began to tremble, as if he had been hit with frostbite, as he spoke.
"I'm scared... " He said, his voice almost trembling. Izuku didn't understand what he meant, but he could tell that Todoroki was upset.
"Scared of what?" The green-haired boy asked. Todoroki kept trembling as he spoke.
"Of facing my father, especially after what happened in the sports festival."
Izuku was shocked by this answer, but at the same time he wasn't. Endeavor had placed high expectations on Todoroki ever since birth, of course it would make him angry that he lost to a quirkless. Not only that, but Endeavor could use this as an excuse to push Todoroki even harder than before.
Izuku took a deep breath, before he slowly walked up to his friend. Todoroki needed someone he could lean on, someone who could confidently tell him that things would be okay. Izuku can never be that person, but he knows someone who can. Unfortunately, as much as he hates it, that person is The Guardian.
Izuku placed one of his hands on Todoroki's shoulder. He then spoke, but the person who spoke was the identity that the world didn't let him bury.
"It's all going to be fine. That burning trash can won't dare to do a thing as long as I am here. Even when I'm not around, it'll be alright. It's okay to be afraid, no one is without it. Just don't let it stop you from doing what you love." Izuku said, reassurance present in his voice.
Todoroki stopped trembling. The warm reassurance that he felt from Izuku's words, it was almost too good to be true. It was unlike the kind of hope that All Might would give anyone. It was like... That man...
Todoroki then turned to face Izuku. He had some tears in his eyes, and he was now smiling.
"You think you can face your father now?" Izuku asked casually. Todoroki wiped the tears from his eyes, as he answered.
"Yeah, absolutely."
Izuku smiled at this as he walked Todoroki to the door. He opened it for him, then he said.
"Ask your old man a question for me." As Todoroki stood in the doorway. The ice-user stopped and listened to what Izuku had to say.
"Ask him if he calls it hot chocolate, or just chocolate." The green-haired boy said, smile still on his face. Todoroki couldn't hold it in, as he laughed his ass off. He then took a deep breath, as he said.
"Can't wait to see his expression after hearing that. Thanks Midoriya." With a wide smile, thanking him for both the talk and the laugh. Izuku smiled back, as he said.
"You're welcome Todoroki." Before Todoroki walked back into his quarters.
Izuku kept his smile while walking back into his room, then it faded when he closed the door. He went back to the file, and opened it.
The papers inside was information that he had gathered, and information that the police managed to get their hands on. He scanned through many of the pictures and papers, making more and more connections.
He already knew that the person in question was in Hosu, he just needed to figure out when he would strike next.
Izuku closed the file once more, before he rooted in his back again. Eventually he dug out his Brawler outfit, and decided that it was time to head out.
He had to find Stain as soon as possible, but he also had to meet this secret admirer first.
. . .
The streets of Hosu were pretty lively, nothing bad seemed to be happening. That was all false, for The Hero Killer was lurking in the shadows, and this hero knew it well.
Manual patrolled his streets with a smile, bringing safety and ease to the people around him. Behind him was his intern, code named Tenya. Manual had picked his intern because he thought that they were similar in some way, but there was also something far more important. He knew that Tenya was the little brother of Ingenium, a true hero role model, but he was made incapacitated just recently. Manual had hoped to prevent Tenya from doing what he came here to do, find The Hero Killer.
Manual turned to his intern, and said.
"Tenya, I know why you chose my agency... You're after the hero killer." With a straight voice. Tenya froze in his place, for he didn't think he would be found out.
The teen's expression was enough to confirm the hero's suspicion, as he proceeded to say.
"I know that you're angry, but vengeance is not the way of a hero. Also, you should leave The Hero Killer to somebody who's more capable." With the same voice as before. Tenya was shocked by these words, and it only made him angry. Why wasn't he allowed to avenge his own brother? and who is this so-called more capable person?
Manual could barely see the reaction of his intern, for an alarm had gone off on his phone. It was reading a scheduled meeting, one that will take place in an odd area. Manual got both nervous and excited, for if this went as planned he would meet someone he always wanted to meet.
The hero lifted his gaze up to Tenya, right as he heard a slightly annoyed.
"Manual, who is that more capable person you're referring to?" Coming from the intern. Manual only gave him a gentle smile, as he said.
"Well. If he received my letters, we'll be meeting him now."
Manual had said those words with confidence, but there wasn't any behind it. He really didn't know if this individual had received his messages, or if he even bothered to read them. Not only that, but he didn't know if that person would actually come to the meeting ground. If he does, Manual will need to try and keep it together.
The hero and the intern walked up the stairs of a building, all the way up to the roof. The sun was still shining, so the chance of the special person coming was slim. Manual hung on to whatever hope there was of meeting him, as he pulled the door open.
The roof was revealed. Concrete ledges, steel fences, and a ground covered in gravel. It was just any other roof, but it was also the meeting place.
Manual walked out, searching with his eyes across the entire roof. It was time for the meeting, so he felt a little disappointed when he at first saw nothing. Then he was both shocked and surprised.
At the edge of the roof, on one of the concrete ledges, was a man. He was wearing a dark coat, dark boots, gloves, and a white mask that covered the top part of his face.
The man was just lying on the ledge, as if he was resting or sleeping. Manual thought about the confidence and power that this man must possess. When a predator in the wild decides that it needs to rest, it often goes to a shelter. It goes to a place that will protect it from any rivals that try to attack it. If this man is a predator, he's either the cockiest or the strongest.
He's sleeping in the open, not even trying to defend himself. He's sleeping as peacefully as a human would in his own bed, but he does it in the open. Surrounded by an environment with people that could easily decide to attack him, he sleeps as if he is king of this land.
Another thought went into Manual's head, and this one was much simpler. The hero got a little nervous, for what he wanted had come true. The person he wanted to see, was right in front of him.
The man woke up, seemingly from the commotion of the door opening. He sat himself up on the ledge, before he stood up and looked at both Manual and Tenya. He then cracked his neck, as he said.
"I'm expecting someone, may that be you?" With a calm voice. Manual almost had a nervous breakdown, but he calmed himself. He then opened his mouth, and spoke the code word.
"... Aquakinesis... "
The man's eyes widened in surprise, before a smile formed on his face.
"Who would've thought that Manual is my secret admirer." He said, as he raised his hand for a handshake. The hero shook the man's hand nervously, as he responded.
"It's a great honor to finally meet you, Mister Brawler." With an equally nervous voice. The Brawler just looked at Manual confused, as he said.
"Please, just call me Brawler."
Manual could feel a little of his tension disappear, as his shoulders slumped and relaxed. The Brawler smiled at him, as he asked.
"So, why did you want to see me?"
Manual was a little shocked, as he slowly pulled a paper and a pen out of his pocket.
"First... Can I get your autograph?" The hero asked excitedly, as he reached the pen and paper towards The Brawler. The vigilante looked confused at first, until he grabbed the pen and signed the paper in one smooth motion.
The pro then took the signed paper, as he jumped around like a joyous rabbit. Brawler looked at this in astonishment, as he said.
"If there ever was a definition of a fangirl, it has to be you." With a calm voice. Manual felt embarrassed after hearing this, before he returned to a neutral stance and said.
"So, the info." With an awkward voice. Brawler simply waited patiently, as Manual brought out a list and handed it to the vigilante.
"These are all the places that people have claimed to see The Hero Killer, although it was brief and he wasn't doing anything. We also can't confirm if it is true or not." Manual then said, his voice having returned to its normal demeanour.
Brawler read through the list, scratching his chin as he did so. He was being skeptical, because some of these locations are way too public for a Stain sighting, but the information still proved to be useful.
"I can use this to triangulate his location, thanks." The Brawler then said, bringing a smile to Manual's face. The hero was about to say something, but was interrupted by the third person that they had forgotten all about.
"SIR! WHY AREN'T WE ARRESTING HIM?! HE'S A WANTED VIGILANTE!" Tenya shouted, frustration being present in his voice. Both Manual Brawler looked at the intern in shock, for they had not expected this to come out of his mouth.
The pro was about to say something to Iida, but Brawler beat him to it.
"Because this wanted vigilante has All Might backing him up, as such he has a ceasefire with the police." He said, voice being as calm as before.
Manual was shocked by Brawler's wording. He wasn't wrong, everything he just said was true, but the way he said it was as if he was trying to prove a point.
Tenya was shocked, and he didn't know how to react. Someone that he always viewed as a lawbreaking scum of the earth actually had the full support of both the police and the number one hero. Has the world fallen so low that it needs to rely on a lawbreaking vigilante?
Brawler walked closer to Tenya, as he said.
"You're Tenya Iida, Ingenium's little brother."
Both the hero and the intern were shocked now, how did Brawler know exactly who this was?
"Come on now. I'm a detective, and I happen to be great friends with one of your teachers." Brawler then added, answering their question before they asked it.
The vigilante just stared cooly at Tenya as he then asked.
"What? Do you hate me because I'm a vigilante?" With a calm voice. Tenya just looked angered, as he said.
"Of course I do! You're breaking the law, you're no better than a villain!" With a very angered voice. Manual was shocked by this, and feared that Brawler would be angered by the insult. But the vigilante just brushed it off, as he said.
"You're not the first person to think that, and you most certainly won't be the last."
Manual was relieved that Brawler didn't lash out at his intern, for that would have ended badly, but he was also shocked. Brawler spoke as if he was used to the life of a vigilante. He had only been around for a year or so, yet he speaks as if he has many years of experience.
The vigilante then walked towards the edge of the building, as he said.
"You should leave The Hero Killer to me and the pros, I'm sure that your brother wouldn't want you to do something stupid." With a calm voice. Tenya was just infuriated by this, as he shouted.
"Don't you dare speak about my brother! You know nothing about him!" With nothing but sheer anger in his voice. Brawler just stood still, as if he had been frozen.
He remained frozen for multiple seconds, until a slight breeze blew by, and he spoke.
"You're right, I don't know anything about Tensei Iida. But I know enough about Ingenium to say that he wouldn't be happy to see you like this." Before he jumped over the ledge and disappeared completely.
Manual was shocked by the sudden exit, but Tenya was frozen for a different reason. Brawler's last words stuck with him, and it made him realise something. It made him realise that heroes are icons, praised for being flawless, and therefore they must act. They must pretend to be perfect and fearless in order to inspire hope, and that logic applied to even his brother.
Brawler was right, to a certain extent. Tensei is who he normally is when patrolling, therefore facts about Ingenium are genuine facts about Tensei. This, however, didn't change his view on things.
Tenya still wanted to chase The Hero Killer, and he still disliked vigilantes. He still disliked The Brawler and he, unlike most of the public, disliked The Guardian for the same reason.
. . .
Patrolling could get tiring really quickly. Sometimes one goes out and finds nothing happening, which is actually a good thing. If you're actively chasing someone, it's even worse. Now you constantly look out for just one person, and you most likely won't find that person.
This was the case for Izuku, The Brawler, as he wandered the rooftops of Hosu City in the middle of the night. It had already been a few days of the internship, and Endeavor neither suspects nor tries to teach Izuku anything... He doesn't even look at him for more than three seconds at a time.
The internship only works in Izuku's favor, for the flaming garbage-can doesn't ever get in the way of his patrolls. Not even Burnin gets in the way at this point, both she and Endeavor are focused on training Todoroki.
The flame hero was also too afraid to do anything too harsh with his son. He feared that Izuku would pound his bones into flour if he did.
Izuku still hasn't found Stain, and it's starting to annoy him. He knows that The Hero Killer is out there, he just can't find him.
The hunt has almost turned into an unhealthy obsession for Izuku. He felt that Stain was almost the same as him, in so many ways. They both started off as a vigilante that wanted to save people, then they had to change their vigilante identity when pursuing a new goal. The only real difference between them is that Stain kills people, and Izuku is entirely against that idea.
When the green-haired boy was little he swore an oath to never claim a single life, no matter what happened.This started off as a simple idea he wanted to embody when he was little, but the incident turned it into something more. By watching his mother burn alive he felt something grow inside him, something dark. The young boy knew what it was, and made it his goal to suppress it. The ideals he set up before the incident became a list he could always return to whenever he felt that he was losing his mind, and it worked.
It worked so well that it might as well be part of his genetic code. So now Izuku, a questionably unstable person, can't even kill his brother's murderer.
Izuku had ended up sitting on a rooftop during this long thought process, but it was broken by a certain smell stinging his nostrils. This smell brought him to attention, for it was a painful reminder of that horrible day.
Smoke, he could smell smoke, and when he looked for where it came from he could see the faint light of fire. Izuku didn't wait, he just ran off at full speed. Something was happening, and Brawler needed to see what was going on.
It took a few minutes, but eventually the vigilante made it to the scene. What he saw was a sea of rubble and orange flames, surrounding a group of nomus that looked similar to the ones in the USJ. The Brawler didn't wait for any signal, he just jumped into the scene.
The pros that were there, one of them being Manual, watched as Brawler landed and proceeded to use strange techniques to beat one of the bigger nomus. He then threw another weaker nomu into the ground, incapacitating it.
The vigilante then turned to Manual, expression being cool, as he asked.
"What's the situation?"
Manual was still shocked, but he knocked himself out of it before saying.
"Those monsters started appearing out of nowhere, we have no clue where they came from." With a somewhat strained voice. Brawler just nodded, as he said.
"We need to clear the area, extinguish the flames, and deal with th-" With a calm voice, but stopped himself. He noticed something behind Manual, or rather, he noticed something that wasn't behind Manual. The vigilante's expression turned panicked, as he shouted.
"Manual! Where's your intern?!"
The hero looked behind himself, only to be struck with panic. He then gave Brawler a look, one that said; I don't know.
The vigilante clenched his fist in frustration. He knew that Tenya was going after Stain, but he couldn't just abandon the scene to go looking for them. Brawler gritted his teeth as he turned his expression back to the flames.
"Go get him!" Manual shouted. Brawler was surprised, as he turned his expression back to the hero.
"He's probably after The Hero Killer. So please, find him!" The hero then shouted.
Brawler was in shock, not expecting this from a hero. That shock quickly turned into relief, as he nodded and then took off.
The vigilante was back on the rooftops, searching for both Tenya and Stain. He couldn't afford to miss them, or be too late, Manual was trusting him and he couldn't betray that trust.
He ran over the rooftops for many agonising minutes, searching the most secluded alleyways to find his target. That is when he heard a scream of pain, followed by a cold and maniacal monologue. The vigilante quickly turned his attention towards them, and saw what he was looking for.
He saw both Tenya and the pro hero Native bleeding on the floor, and Stain slowly approaching them both.
The Brawler didn't waste a single second, he just leaped into the scene. He swiftly landed, and surprise kicked Stain away from the injured people.
Both Native and Tenya were shocked to see the vigilante, but the intern was just angry.
"Why are you here villain?! Leave! This is my fight!" He shouted in anger. Brawler didn't even look at Tenya, as he coldly answered.
"Then why are you just lying there? And why in hell did you decide to fight The Hero Killer instead of saving his victim?"
Tenya was in shock, because he was right. Stain had said the exact same thing just moments before. He should've prioritised Native's well being instead of his vengeance.
Brawler turned his full attention to Stain, as he secretly alarmed the police behind his back. The Hero Killer seemed to wear a conflicted smile on his face, as Brawler spoke.
"Stain, you don't have to do this. Turn yourself in, don't let anyone else get hurt." With a soft and friendly voice. Stain shook, as he answered.
"I can't. I must purge this society of fakes!" With a conflicted voice. Brawler's voice became a little more aggressive, as he said.
"What about Ingenium?! I'm pretty sure he was a good hero!"
These words made Stain shivver. He could feel the truth behind them, but he wasn't ready to give up.
The Hero Killer raised his sword, as he donned a murderous glare. Brawler raised his fists as a response, giving off a cool air.
The two then stared at each other, not moving... Until Stain charged.
The Hero Killer tried to slice the vigilante with his sword, but Brawler swayed back with only a millimeter to spare. The vigilante then twisted his torque, giving a powerful hook to Stain's arm.
The two continued like this, Brawler swaying away and dodging Stain's attacks while delivering powerful ones from his own core.
Tenya was awestruck by this. What Brawler did was nothing short of beautiful. He was almost dancing, while also delivering fierce blows. Native was in even more shock, however. He recognised this fighting style. He remembered it as a great combat sport from the west, Boxing. This wasn't just any kind of boxing either. This form was one that only the legend himself used in the ring.
Guard lowered, swayed back, and powerful hits. This all followed the mantra of that one boxing legend... Float like a butterfly, Sting like a bee... So Tenya's observation wasn't far off. This was a dance, a combat dance from the west.
Brawler kept pushing, looking more and more like Ali as the fight progressed. Stain was struggling to keep up, and he looked ready to quit. Brawler was hoping for something like this. He was prolonging the fight so that Stain could surrender. He knew that if he simply knocked Stain out immediately he wouldn't be saved, so he prolonged it until Stain realised that he was wrong.
Brawler then swayed back once more, before throwing another punch. This punch was different. It was a regular straight... In other words, it was a mistake.
Stain used this opportunity to sweep Brawler's legs. The momentum used to throw that straight shifted his center of gravity, therefore Stain just needed to dodge before sweeping him.
Brawler slowly fell towards the ground, while Stain raised his sword to attack. The Hero Killer then swung towards the vigilante, going for the kill, but then the impossible happened... Brawler caught himself.
He placed the palm of his hand on the ground, using it as a supporting beam, before he flung his foot up in an arching diagonal kick. The Hero Killer took it to the cheek, before Brawler shifted to his other hand and kicked with his other foot.
The fight then proceeded with Brawler pushing Stain back with acrobatic kicks, looking like a dance that a gymnast would do. He was flipping and doing all kinds of acrobats, all while attacking Stain using nothing but his feet.
Native was in even more shock now, for he recognised this as well. This was a martial art developed by slaves in Brazil. It was said that they developed it while wearing handcuffs, and therefore it involves so many kicks. It was also said that they hid it as a dance, so that their slave owners wouldn't know that they tried to defend themselves... It was called Capoeira...
Brawler continued his fierce capoeira assault onto The Hero Killer, who looked ready to pass out by now. That is when he shifted back to boxing, and proceeded to punch instead.
Stain was battered, shifting in and out of consciousness. Brawler was superior to him in every way, even as a hero. He couldn't accept it... ONLY ALL MIGHT... ONLY THE GUARDIAN CAN CALL THEMSELVES HEROES!!!
"HYAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!!!" Stain bellowed furiously, like a wild animal, shocking even Brawler. He then clenched the handle of his sword so tightly that his hand spewed blood, before he thrusted it towards his opponent.
Brawler was still stunned by the scream, so wasn't fast enough. Both Native and Tenya looked in horror, as Stain's sword went straight into Brawler's chest... Aiming for his heart....
Blood flowed and splattered onto The Hero Killer's cheek, and Stain thought that he had won, but then he realised something. It was stuck, his sword was stuck. He couldn't push it any deeper, or pull it out. Stain also realised that the sword hadn't even gone through Brawler's entire body, it was stuck half way through his chest.
Stain looked up in shock, as The Brawler pushed him back. The vigilante then grabbed the sword by the blade, and slowly pulled it out.
Stain was even more shocked than before. He could clearly see Brawler's wound, but he isn't bleeding anymore. It was as if he clenched it shut.
The vigilante then held the sword with one hand, while winding a punch with the other. Then he threw it, shattering the sword into millions of pieces.
Stain couldn't even move anymore. What Brawler just did was an act of true herculean strength. He has seen it before, only once. That once was with... That man...
The Hero Killer looked at Brawler, teary eyed, as he asked.
"It's you... You're him, aren't you?" With a trembling voice. Brawler was slightly surprised by this, but he knew what Stain was talking about. The vigilante held a stern face, as he nodded.
Stain started to tremble, unsure of what to do or say. The person he looked up to more than anything, the person he wanted to be, was standing right in front of him... he was still alive.
In the middle of this moment, a spotlight illuminated the alleyway. Everyone looked up, and saw a news helicopter filming the entire scene. Shortly after they all could hear police sirens behind them, with many officers gathering.
Brawler turned his expression back to Stain, as he said.
"Please, Stendhal.... End this madness, once and for all." As he held his hand out. Stain trembled even more. He knew what he needed to do, but it was so hard.
He lowered his head in shame, as if admitting that he was wrong from the very beginning, while raising both of his hands and saying.
"You win... I-... I- .... I surrender!" With a broken voice, struggling to get the words out.
Brawler exhaled in relief, as he walked over to Stain. Tenya and Native had already been taken to an ambulance, so the path was clear. The police then offered to escort The Hero Killer into a police van, but Brawler refused. Stain was his responsibility, so he had to be with him to the very end.
Brawler escorted Stain to the van, where he put handcuffs on him. He then looked the villain in the eyes, as he said.
"You did well... Let me take it from here... "
Stain could barely keep it together, he was on the verge of tears. But he didn't cry, he refused to do so in front of his idol.
The police then proceeded to take Stain away, while Brawler slowly stepped away from the van.
"Mister Brawler!" A voice shouted. The vigilante turned towards it, and noticed that it was a reporter who tried to break through the line of police. Brawler was about to ignore it and leave, until he heard the reported say something that ticked him off.
"How does it feel to have finally captured the villain known as Stain?"
Brawler just stood still, he was angry. The only reason that Stain was a villain was because of them. Society took a wrong turn, and it made Stain into a villain because he tried to set it straight.
"Villain?" The vigilante muttered, before he walked over to the reporter. He then ripped the mic from her hands, as he stared straight into the camera and said.
"Listen to me clearly now! I didn't fight a villain tonight! I fought a very sick man who was denied proper help! And his illness is you! This broken society who are so blinded by money and fame that they can't see the innocent lives being lost behind it!" With a furious voice. Everyone, from police to hero and even reporter, was shocked, then Brawler continued.
"Fakes, I know that you're watching this! Get your shit together! If you simply had been proper heroes from the start, this wouldn't have happened! You are to blame for whatever damages that Stain brought! So get your shit together, or else another Stain will come around!... And I will have to do your job again!"
Brawler then dropped the mic onto the ground, before he leaped up onto a building.
Through the crowd a flaming figure was witnessing the entire speech, so was his son. The figure himself was furious, but his son seemed to be smiling.
. . .
It took nearly twenty minutes for Izuku to get back to the agency and change to his normal clothes. He put on a tracksuit to try and hide the massive wound in his chest.
He then got out into the common area, where he saw that Todoroki and Endeavor had already returned... the latter being furious.
Brawler's angry speech was playing on one of the TV's, and the heroes that were present felt conflicted about it.
The flame hero then threw a chair in anger, as he shouted.
"That damn Brawler, who the hell does he think he is?! Calling us fakes, we're the real heroes! He's just a law breaking vigilante!"
Everyone in the agency was silent, afraid to say anything. They knew that if they did as much as say hi, they would be incinerated.
"Then why didn't you capture The Hero Killer?" Izuku then asked, angrily. Everyone turned to him in shock, and Endeavor was furious.
"Was the danger not real enough? Not enough attention to the case? Or wasn't there enough money to be made?" Izuku then continued, unafraid of anything that was in front of him.
Endeavor looked at the green-haired boy, eyes almost boiling from the heat, as he asked.
"So, you think that I am a fake?! Huh?!" With fury in his voice. Izuku was just cool and calm, as he answered.
"You know what I think, no... I know what I know?"
Endeavor waited for Izuku to continue, ready to just burn him.
"I know that you're just a brat, who refuses to accept that a vigilante is far more heroic than you ever will be."
Everyone froze upon hearing this, but Endeavor just lost it. He threw a punch towards Izuku's face, ready to seriously hurt him. But he was surprised to find that the green-haired boy just caught it with no issue.
"See, this is what I'm talking about." He said, before he applied pressure to Endeavor's fist. The flame hero grunted in pain, as he almost felt his hand get pulverized.
Izuku was about to break the flame hero, until he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked over and saw Todoroki, shaking his head. Izuku then calmed down, and released Endeavor.
"We're going to get some fresh air." Todoroki then said, before he led Izuku outside.
The teens got out and leaned against a wall, that is when Todoroki asked.
"Are you okay?" With a calm voice. Izuku just nodded, as he answered.
"Yea, just a little angry." As calmly as he could.
The two were completely silent afterwards, unsure of what to talk about. That is when Izuku got a phone call. He pulled his phone up, walked away from Todoroki, as he answered.
"Hey Izuku... " The caller said, and the green-haired boy already knew who it was.
"Hey Rachel." Izuku responded, with a calm voice.
"I just saw your speech on the TV, are you okay?" She then asked, voice filled with concern. Izuku sighed, as he answered.
"Yeah, just a little angry." With a calm voice. Racherl then breathed a sigh of relief, glad that Izuku was okay.
There was then a silence between them, until Izuku broke it.
"I did it Rachel. I saved him, I sa-" He said but suddenly stopped.
"Izuku?" Rachel asked through the phone, but didn't get a response. Izuku began to choke, for no apparent reason, and Rachel was able to hear it through the phone.
"Izuku answer me!" She shouted, worry and panic entering her voice. Todoroki also began to notice something in the green-haired boy, he started having a seizure.
Izuku then let out a cry of pain, before he fell to the ground. Todoroki panicked, as he ran over to his green-haired friend. What he then noticed, that also horrified him, was something underneath him.
Blood, a pool of blood. Izuku was oozing blood, and it showed no sign of stopping.
As if on time, a few sidekicks came through the door. Todoroki turned to them in a panic, as he bellowed.
"HEY!!! CALL AN AMBULANCE!!!"
The sidekicks turned their gazes towards him, only to be horrified when seeing the green-haired boy. They quickly rushed in to do what the teen had told them.
"IZUKU!!!" Rachel shouted through the phone, and Todoroki noticed. He picked it up, and spoke.
"Organ, is that you?" He said, panic being clear in his voice. Rachel wasn't expecting that voice, as she said.
"Todoroki? What happened?" With a cold voice. Todoroki's voice began to tremble, as he answered.
"I don't know. He started to tremble and choke out of nowhere... Now he's on the ground, and he's bleeding a lot."
Rachel was heartbroken, and she almost began to cry. Todoroki could hear her light sobs through the phone, as he said.
"We've called an ambulance, he'll be fine. I'll call you back when I know where they'll transfer him." Voice trembling. Rachel kept sobbing, as she quietly muttered.
"O- Okay... " Before Todoroki hung up.
He then placed both of his hands on Izuku, attempting to use his ice quirk to freeze the wound. But it didn't work, as Izuku just kept bleeding.
"Hang in there buddy... Help is on the way... " He muttered, as a frozen tear formed on his cheek....