I don't own anything except any original characters (including the Reader's concept) and/or any original plot

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Chapter Three - One Man's Ideals

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"I don't like this," Tomura complained, itching his neck while you sat next to him sipping a pop.

"You don't get to complain. I spent a week tracking down the sightings of him to figure out his location so we could transport him here. All of that was on top of my online schooling," you frowned.

"Then drop out."

Scowling, you turned to Tomura to explain to him that being a villain wasn't excuse to drop out of school - you'd had to make the argument to All for One himself years ago, just as you had to make a plea for a phone - but before you could begin the tangent, Kurogiri appeared in the bar.

"Stain, aka Akaguro Chizome," you greeted, pushing the fear that festered in your gut down. The former vigilante-turned-villain stared you and Tomura down with a look that made your base instincts as a mammal beg you to run. But you got the same feeling from AFO, and you'd worked under him for three years.

"The League of Villains," Stain greeted in kind, "The home matches your image, I suppose."

Tomura scowled so deeply that you could see it under the hand on his face. You yourself were wearing your mask, you could never be too safe, but that was the extent of your costumes. Stain wasn't one to be intimidated by one hand or twenty, or a mask and a cape.

Still scowling, Tomura bit out, "We'd like to offer-"

With impeccable speed, Tomura was knocked out of his chair and to the ground. Jumping to your feet, you watch with wide eyes as your brain caught up with what you were seeing. Stain had a knife through Tomura's shoulder and the other next to his head. When you took a step forward, a knife skimmed your leg just deep enough to hurt with a passion. Hissing under your breath, you fought to stay standing.

"So you want me to be a part of your crumbling little league. But you won't accomplish anything if you don't have conviction and desire. Without those, you'll always be an aimless weakling, achieving nothing. That's how you got here."

"The quirkless!" You burst out, drawing everyone's attention to you. Stain looked ready to kill you, so you kept going, "Pushed down and ridiculed for a genetic disposition because of a society that prides strong Quirks over anything else."

Picking up on what you were saying, Stain gave a feral grin. He attacked because as far as he knew, the League didn't have any ambition. It didn't help that Tomura wanted to kill All Might and Stain saw him as the only worthy hero. Divert and distract, that was the best you could do without outright attacking. Kurogiri was frozen in place, and you didn't know if it was hesitation or the man's Quirk - there was a cut on his arm, when did he get that?

"A world in which fake heroes with strong Quirks corrupt society." Stain agreed, and you nodded frantically. Tomura was bleeding out on the floor again. That was the second time in a month.

"Hey, now. You're being a bit rough, aren't you? Kurogiri, take this guy back."

"I... can't move. It must be the Hero Killer's Quirk at work."

"The word 'hero' has lost all meaning in this society. The world is overrun by fakes and criminals like you who chase petty dreams," Stain made sure to look your way when he said that, and you jumped when a knife appeared out of nowhere and embedded itself into the world next to your shoe. An acknowledgment, but still a show that he was better, "They must all be purged."

You took a step forward when Stain moved the sword closer to Tomura's neck, but he was already ahead of you.

"What do you think you're doing?" Tomura grabbed the sword by the blade, "If you touch this palm... I'll kill you." The sword began to crumble, "You sure talk a lot 'Hero Killer.' Conviction? Maybe I don't have anything as loaded as that. If I had to choose a desire, though... it'd be killing All Might. If this world wants to worship trash like him, I'll destroy their beloved Symbol of Peace, and then crush them when they're in shock."

Stain jumped back when Tomura swiped at him. You stepped between the two, hesitantly albeit, with your hands held out in a motion of peace.

"So much work put into healing my injuries, and now this," Tomura told you, as if it'd make you side with him against Stain, "You should learn not to play with knives."

"Tomura," you hissed in warning. Kurogiri was still incapacitated, and if your group truly wanted to work with Stain then antagonizing him wasn't the way to do it. You weren't afraid to manipulate. You'd been putting on masks since you were a child.

"I see your nature. It seems our goals fundamentally oppose each other," Stain mused, not lowering his defensive stance.

"Whether or not our views oppose each other isn't the point. Neither of us have the influence we could. Working together, however temporary, could change that," you soothed. Stain finally put his sword away.

"People always reveal their true natures while facing death. I was testing your intentions," Stain revealed, "It's abnormal, but there is desire, a warped sprout of conviction within you. And you, you're a child with a worthy cause and dark methods."

Holding back all the words you wanted to say in response, you instead said "I'm not a child."

"Yes," Stain wasn't convinced, "Perhaps I'll let the sprouts within you grow. If I decide not, I'll simply take care of you later."

That wasn't the proper phrasing. You winced when hearing it, and Tomura growled, "You think you could get rid of me."

"I'm free," Kurogiri stated, moving again.

"(Y/n), someone as insane as this would be nothing but a problem for the League of Villains. Your idea was wrong."

"It wasn't. What did I say earlier? However temporary, both of us can reap the benefits of working together."

"My business here is done. Now, you will return me to Hosu. There are still several false heroes I must attend to there."

Kurogiri did so without question under Tomura's intense glare. Stain didn't spare your group a glance as he stepped through. When the portal closed, you sighed and sat on one of the bar stools with a wince. Kurogiri set the first aid kit on the counter without prompting.

"How lucky we are to have a healer in our party," Tomura sighed, sitting on the stool across from you, "Our HP would have depleted by now."

"You know what's really depleting? Your shirt supply. This is the second one I've had to cut in a month," you complained, getting out the scissors to cut around the wound. It was right where his previous bullet wound was, which was both a blessing and a curse.

"You're the one who was falling on your knees to worship him," Tomura growled as you cleaned the wound.

"I wasn't worshipping him, Tomura, I was being smart. He claimed he attacked you because we didn't have a clear goal for the league. I distracted him and kept his attention on me while also showing him that at least some of the league had reasons for being here. Trying to attack everyone we want to recruit isn't going to help anything. This is why I should be in charge of recruitment."

"You aren't leading this party, I am. And I don't need someone who's useless joining the league."

Choosing to stay silent, you finished with his wound and turned to Kurogiri. It was harder to figure out his wound, considering you couldn't see his physical body, but you were quick to figure it out and take care of it. Then you treated your own wound, frowning as you had to cut around your pants. The cut hurt like a bitch, and you mentally cursed Stain for feeling the need to stab you when it was obvious you weren't going to try to kill him.

"Kurogiri, contact the doctor. We'll need some Nomu for a quest in Hosu."

You didn't question it, nor did you try to argue or agree with what Tomura said. Instead you stood, gladly took the glass of wine that Kurogiri set out for you, and went to your room. You needed new pants. The whole "half shorts half jeans" style didn't suit you very well.

~*~

The doctor didn't actually approve and move forward with Tomura's request until three days later. The Hero Killer hadn't hurt any more heroes at that point, which meant he was still in the city stalking potential prey.

"Put me in Hosu, I'll track him down and send the coordinates," you ordered, securing your mask over your face, "Once we see what his plans are, Tomura can come through and speak to him. Then we'll send the Nomu."

"Don't die," Tomura seemed bored, "You'd be weak to not win against that scum."

Knowing it was Tomura's way of saying he was concerned, you nodded and stepped through the portal Kurogiri opened up. You were on a rooftop in Hosu, high enough to have a clear view of the city. It was nice, suburban, and there was a darkness just waiting to sink its claws into the naivety sinking out of every crack on the sidewalk. But where that darkness was, you weren't sure.

Closing your eyes, you pushed away the sounds of the city and focused on the blackness you saw. Then, one by one, little dots showed up. Energy signatures. There were millions of them, each one unique to the source. When you squinted, you saw something embedded in the energy signature - a color, almost. But some of the colors were things you couldn't describe with words. Quirks. You weren't sure how, but you were seeing people's Quirks within their life energy. It was overwhelming, a method you rarely used because you lived with two other people exclusively, yet above the millions of sources of power calling out for you, you felt an intense energy drawing near. Closer... closer...

"Only an idiot would come here and close their eyes whilst I'm hunting," Stain claimed, crouching down next to your standing form, "I could have killed you."

Biting your cheek to stop yourself from jumping, you managed "I wouldn't give you the chance. Your energy is obvious, intense. I sensed you coming."

"The other two were obvious about their Quirks." The unspoken question hung in the air.

"I manipulate energy. Solar, nuclear, electricity, life. Stuff like that. It's not obvious, and you didn't give me the chance to attack you at the bar. It's dangerous when I want it to be. If you truly tried to attack you then I would have sucked the life out of you before you could get any of my blood. That's your Quirk, right? Something related to blood and paralyzing someone."

Stain stayed silent. Pulling out your phone, you sent your location to Tomura. Seconds later a portal opened behind us and Tomura stepped through, "Huh. Hosu City is nicer than I expected. So, what are you gonna do?"

"I will reform it. In order to do so, blood must spill."

"You have a clear goal. Your dedication is admirable," Kurogiri complimented.

Stain stood to his full height, "Ah, finally someone who understands."

"I get the feeling you enjoy picking on me," Tomura reached up to touch his injured shoulder.

"'Hero' is a title for those that have accomplished great deeds! This city is full of false champions. All they care about is money and fame. Until this world realizes its mistakes, I will continue my work."

You nodded, agreeing with him. Whilst his case was an extreme one, there were plenty of people who weren't happy with lots of heroes who were obviously in it for the money based on how they treated civilians and victims. You didn't think those heroes should die necessarily - though if it came down to it, you'd protect yourself without mercy against one of them - and not on the scale Stain was putting on. Just because a hero wasn't as legendary as All Might, didn't mean they didn't genuinely want to do something good.

Jumping down from the water tower our group presided on, Stain entered the city below.

"He talks all high and mighty and stuff, but he's wasting his time on a small stage. He's so noble I could cry."

"You shouldn't spurn his methods."

"Kurogiri's right. I joined for 'noble methods'. Not all of us are insufferable serial killers who take things too far." Tomura shot you a look, and you could sense the meaning even from behind the hand, "I'm not a serial killer."

"And you don't make me want to kill you. Most of the time... Kurogiri, bring out the Nomus. I'm bored."

From the portal below you, three Nomu stepped out. Each was different and powerful in its own right. They'd cause trouble and be a thorn in Stain's side, which was exactly what Tomura wanted.

"How about I crush your honor and pride first? What do you say, big bad hero killer? Nomu!"

The three freaks of nature took off, their roars ringing through the air. Almost immediately, their arrival caused panic in the streets. Turning to Tomura, your silent question hung in the air - tension joining it as you waited for his answer. Finally, he lamented.

"Be back here in two hours. If you aren't, we'll leave without you."

Resisting the urge to jump with joy like the teen you were, you nodded enthusiastically instead and jumped off of the water tower, using periodic bursts of energy to keep your footfalls light. When you reached the sidewalk, the chaos was wonderful. The Nomu were doing their jobs nicely, and already there were fires around the city from sparked power lines and explosions caused by the destruction.

"Pure mindless vandalism," you beamed, avoiding the panicked people in favor or destroying anything you came across. On top of it being fun, it would show that the League of Villains was behind the attack. Not only that, but it was good stamina training. You were in no imminent danger until you ran into a hero, and even then as long as you got away you'd be fine.

Sucking all of the power out of the areas close to you, you grunted under the force of it. Despite the building pressure in your body, and the mental image of being a bomb ready to blow, you grinned. You hadn't been let of your leash since the USJ, and you were much more concerned with gaining information and keeping the casualties low.

Throwing your arms down, you relished in the destruction around you. Normally, you weren't one for mindless attacks - they were pointless and a waste of energy, but you'd been cooped up for what felt like decades, training and harnessing your power to make it your own. The city could suffer a little in favor of your training. You'd let them know who they should truly fear, and that the winds of change were blowing.

Stepping over shattered glass from the broken windows around you, a small part of you was thankful that the streets were nearly empty because of the Nomu attacks. All that remained were heroes.

"Stop!"

Turning around, a male hero dressed in purple stood across from you. Humming under your breath, you held out your hand and gave a small jerk of your wrist. The hero fell to his knees, panting heavily as if the fight had already occurred. Feeling rejuvenated, you continued on.

The Nomu were doing well in the center of the city. You blasted yourself up to a rooftop to make your way over there and observe. With a start, you realized that the Number Two Hero Endeavor was fighting. Scowling, you held back the urge to jump down and fight him. That was a fight you were ready for. Although, it was another explanation for the mass amounts of fire in the area.

Peeking down at the fight occurring between Endeavor and the lower level Nomu, you realized with a start that Shouto Todoroki was there as well. That meant UA was likely doing some sort of internship. Why did your brain want to connect that to Stain?

Stain... UA students... recent attacks included Ingenium... Tenya Iida from the Sports Festival!

If he wanted revenge then he would have chosen to intern with one of the agencies in Hosu. You didn't see another kid that resembled the youngest Iida, so if your hunch was correct then he'd already gone off on his own.

He was desperate for revenge, and that blinded him to the reality that he would be able to beat Stain. He'd signed his own death warrant, and despite being easily moldable and holding the potential to be a worthy hero, you wouldn't get in the way of the impending execution. It was Stain's business, and you'd be dead right next to Tenya if you interfered.

Jumping to the ground, you snuck around the battle in front of you to survey the city and see if you could find Stain.

"When you're finished with the Nomu, send heroes to this location!"

You paused when Shouto Todoroki yelled at his father and then sprinted away. He quickly was out of sight because of the angle you were watching him from, but you were quick to follow from the shadows.

Block away from the Nomu, in an area where you could barely hear the fighting, three figures were in an alley. Two of them were motionless but not dead, and the third was fighting. What looked like electricity was bouncing around his body. Because his Quirk seemed so different from before, you didn't realize that it was Izuku Midoriya. The same Izuku Midoriya that broke his fingers at both the USJ and the Sports Festival. It was a quick change that shocked you.

Crouching down on the rooftop above the battle, you were intrigued by the group's dynamic. Despite it being so early in the school year, all of them were obviously close. The trauma they had gone through together likely helped, so you gave yourself a pat on the back for that.

Stain was an extremely skilled fighter. You knew that already just from his casualty count and his attack in the bar, but to see him against three of the most powerful students of Class 1A was something else. Izuku and Shouto worked well together, all things considered, and their survival instincts were incredible.

Their scolding of Tenya was interesting too. You fully expected them to agree with him, or exclusively encourage him. But they were encouraging growth, showing him his wrongs instead of encouraging them. What a group.

Multiple times, they were close to having their blood consumed. And more than once they were frozen in place, but Izuku presented an argument you didn't think of. Blood type determined how quickly they recovered. Every Quirk had its drawbacks, after all.

Pulling out your phone, you gave Tomura a vague update explaining you were observing what Stain was doing. Izuku Midoriya was on a kill list, and Tomura didn't need to tear his stitches if it meant killing the kid.

Despite Stain's obvious skill and all the experience he held over the kids, he couldn't beat their raw power. It was impressive, and the climax of the situation ended in an ice attack large enough that you had to jump back to avoid the brunt of it.

Things calmed down after that. You knew that logically, you should have jumped in and saved a potential ally, but at the same time you knew that Tomura would have killed Stain as soon as he lost his purpose - and vice versa. Stain matched your ideals better than Tomura and the League, yet you felt no sympathy as he was disarmed and tied up.

By the time they were finished, the pro heroes started arriving and were quick to catch onto the situation. It felt like you were watching a movie, but in reality, the entire battle had only taken around fifteen minutes and you'd seen even less of it.

With a deafening screech, a winged Nomu swung down and plucked Izuku up from the ground. They weren't smart enough to follow complicated orders like tracking someone down and killing them, so whatever this Nomu was following was a base instinct that led to Izuku for whatever reason. You didn't know how the abominations worked, just that they followed simple orders.

Lighting up your hands, you waited for the Nomu to pass by the roof you were resting on so you could either strike or order.

"Drop!" You yelled, but before the Nomu could loosen its claws, a knife was through its brain, "Shit."

Stain had woken up, broken out of his restraints, and killed the Nomu in one foul swoop. You were stuck dumbstruck on the roof. Why the hell would he save Izuku? He was fixated on the idea of all unworthy heroes dying. It was what he was screaming about when fighting the others. So why-

Stain had deemed him worthy.

On the Nomu's descent, Stain turned and our eyes met. Something wrapped around my heart and squeezed until I lost my breath. For a split second, I wondered if Stain had a second Quirk related to intimidation. But it was more than that. Stain stood for an idea in society that wasn't dark, and wasn't evil, and that was the fear he created. He may have been a villain, but his ideals weren't villainous. Just like me.

The Nomu and Stain crashed to the ground, "You must all be purged. Everything that I do," with a bloody trail left behind, Stain yanked the knife out of the Nomu's brain, "is for a better society."

Your phone was buzzing insistently in your pocket. Eyes stuck on Stain, you pulled it out.

why didnt you stop him from killing the nomu??

it would have killed that kidd for us

come back before your ass gets caught

Tomura was watching, then. He'd be all pissy for a while, then. Great, just what you wanted to deal with. The heroes below you were frozen in fear and you didn't blame them, you were just in the same boat. You were quick to start recording when you realized the effect Stain would have on the underworld. You'd send it to Giran so he could upload it without a trace, and then the internet would take over from there.

"Everyone be on your guard, we've got a fight on our hands!" One of the heroes yelled.

"Why are you all standing around like fools? The villain must have flown this way, right? Hold on- don't tell me that man is-"

"Endeavor."

"Hero killer!"

Stain stood and turned around to face the heroes, letting Izuku go in the process, "You false hero! I'll make this right. These streets must run with the blood of hypocrites. Hero! I will reclaim that word! Come on! Just try and stop me, you fakes. There is only one man I'll let kill me. He is a true hero. All Might is worthy!"

Then Stain froze, seemingly unconscious again. Ending the recording, you couldn't help but chuckle. What an anti-climactic ending for such a dramatic night. Standing to your full height, some of the eyes below made their way to you. There were some words exchanged you couldn't make out, but none of them moved. They couldn't. So you waved and left.

I've got something interesting for you to upload. Maybe you can put some feelers out in exchange?

You attached the video to your text from Giran. With such a video out there, it would inspire new villains - and they'd find their way to the League.

Tomura was still on the water tower when you got back to him. He was scratching his neck, growling under his breath. Above, a helicopter was passing. Looking up, you raised a hand and absorbed the energy coming from the camera inside. A news copter. They'd get more ratings from a "direct attack", so in a way you were helping them.

"Let's go home, Tomura. The news will be reporting on this for the next week at least," you put a hand on his good shoulder, leading him through Kurogiri's freshly opened portal.

Despite all the action that occurred, and the large scale use of your Quirk, you knew you wouldn't be sleeping that night. Adrenaline pumped through your veins. You had fun.