On the evening of the second day, Gran Torino announced that they'd be catching a train to Tokyo in order to get some practical experience with bigger villains because it was more fun. Izuku messaged Iida while they sat on the train, hoping that, perhaps, things would have changed, but his texts were left unanswered. Twilight oozed over the landscape as they passed near Hosu city, and the boy couldn't help but grow more tense by the second, fiddling with his gloves and glancing out the window repeatedly and scanning the buildings as they zoomed past.

"What's up with you?" Torino asked gruffly.

"Hey, look at that!" Another passenger hissed, gaining the attention of everyone in the carriage. "That building just exploded!"

Izuku pressed himself back into his seat, looking vaguely ill as he focused on breathing.

"Kid...? Oh no, don't tell me..."

The train screeched to a halt that threw them forwards, and at the same time a Pro Hero was slammed through the side of the train, landing in the middle of the aisle and trying to get back up. A large hand shoved through the hole torn through the metal, grabbing his face and shoving the hero into the floor. Fingers curved around the edge of the gap, folding back more of the train as easily as if it were tin foil, and a Noumu with four eyes set in its exposed brain peered inside.

"Sit down!" Torino shot up from his seat, kicking the beast in the head and freeing the hero.

"You know I can't do that!" Izuku snapped back, already standing as he spoke.

"Alright, just... Don't die, got it?" The elderly man didn't wait for an answer, slamming his palms into the Noumu's torso and sending them both careening out of the car.

Izuku dashed to the tear, gripping the edge of it and gasping in a breath at the fire glowing in the centre of Hosu, wreathed with thick, black smoke. He hesitated for a moment longer before igniting One for All and launching himself out the moving carriage, not wasting a single moment as he dropped down onto the street and started sprinting the moment his boots hit the ground. The Pro Heroes could handle the Noumus, even if they got injured in the process – but that was all part of the job. It was his task to stop his stubborn friend and the hero Native from getting killed by Stain.

He took a few wrong turns but was quick to realign himself, remembering the alley's location almost perfectly since he'd had so many nightmares about the place. As he was within range of the street, already hearing the Hero Killer's haunting voice taunting his friend, he grabbed his phone and sent his location to Todoroki, who was interning with his father in the city. Izuku heard a choked cry of pain from his classmate, and he threw himself around the corner at top speed, springing off a wall and jamming his feet into the villain's ribs, sending him flying backwards. The sword fell from his grasp, clattering against the ground.

"Mi-Midoriya-kun..." Iida ground out, his tone etched with disbelief.

"I told you I'd be there when you needed me," Izuku quipped, glancing over his shoulder at where his friend was, sprawled out on his front with hot blood pooling under his left shoulder.

"Don't get involved, Midoriya-kun..." The boy muttered, squeezing his eyes shut. "This has nothing to do with you!"

"Tenya-kun, I'm saying this as your friend – don't be stupid." Izuku darted forwards, gently lifting Native and placing him next to his classmate. "You okay, Native-san?"

"I- I'm fine... But, his Quirk, you need to be careful..." The Pro Hero whispered.

"Don't let him cut you, or else you'll be paralysed," Iida added quietly, his brow furrowed and his face pale with panic and pain. "Just run, Midoriya. You can't win this fight. Please, go."

Izuku probably could've managed to carry both people and dart away to the main street, but fighting the Hero Killer had brought him, Iida, and Todoroki so much closer, and taught them a lot about facing a powerful villain, so he had to stay in place while keeping up the ruse of being a mere student who could barely use his Quirk. Stain picked himself up at the other end of the alley, looking vaguely interested behind his mask.

"Your friend came to save you..." He said lowly. "But I have a duty to kill him. If we clash, of course, the weaker will be culled. Now... what will you do?"

The fear from last time settled heavily upon the boy, crushing down on his lungs. Izuku pushed it back, because he'd been through far worse, and at this point Stain was a little more than an annoyance – or at least, that's what he repeated to himself to fabricate some courage. He shifted one foot back, flaring up 5% of his Quirk and standing protectively in front of the two paralysed heroes, his face set into a threatening smile as his eyes glimmered a radioactive green.

"Stop it! Run away!" Iida snarled, fury undermined by blatant fear. "I told you, didn't I? It has nothing to do with you!"

"You're my friend, Tenya-kun, which means it has everything to do with me," Izuku shot back heatedly. "And if you weren't, I'd still fight, because it's a hero's job to protect people! It's like All Might-san said... Meddling when you don't need to is the essence of being a hero."

Stain's expression flickered into surprise before he let out a rasp of a laugh, mouth open wide and displaying both rows of teeth and a rough tongue. Izuku rushed forwards, lightning crackling over his body, and the villain unsheathed another sword, also leaping ahead with an unsettling smile. The boy feinted a punch and dodged a knife, sliding between the Hero Killer's legs and leaping back up in one smooth motion, whipping around with a brutal kick to the side of Stain's skull that knocked him to the ground.

Last time, he'd been paralysed because he wasn't fast enough, but this time he knew the villain's tricks and moved too fast to be hit. He grinned wider, eyes narrowing as he watched Stain pick himself back up, glancing at his blade as if he expected blood to be there.

"You're powerful and fast... You left my field of vision and manoeuvred so that you'd definitely be able to bring me down..." The villain mused quietly. "People who are all talk are a dime a dozen, but you are worth letting live. You're different from these guys."

"I can't let you kill them," Izuku stated firmly, an almost terrifying amount of determined confidence spilling into his stance and speech, revealing a ghost of the Pro Hero Deku.

"I thought that would be the case..." He said, sounding a little disappointed. "It's a shame to kill you, but I do what I must."

Stain surged forwards again, but the boy merely ducked, letting a concentrated twist of scorching flames soar over his head. The villain only just dodged, landing in a crouch with one knee on the ground and sharp weapons in both hands.

"One after another..." He grumbled. "There are a lot of people getting in my way today."

"Welcome to the party, Shouto-kun!" Izuku exclaimed with a brightness that didn't quite match his intense look, not even needing to glance back to know who had arrived.

There was a pause. "Midoriya. You need to give more details in times like this. You made me late."

"T-Todoroki-kun, you too?" Iida whispered frustratedly. "Why are you here...?"

"It took me a few moments to work out what you meant, since you sent just your location info." The street darkened a few shades as he extinguished his fire. "You're not really one to send that for no reason."

Izuku hopped to one side, anticipating the boy's next move without even having to see him place his foot down. A sheet of ice slid across the concrete, forcing the Hero Killer to jump up and back away.

"You meant that you were in trouble and to call for help, right?" Todoroki rushed to his classmate's side, a sphere of flames writhing in his palm. "Don't worry. The Pros will also get here in a few minutes." He flung the fire forward, knocking Stain off a wall and putting the man on full defensive as he moved further away. "I won't let you kill these guys, Hero Killer."

"Sho- uh, Todoroki-kun, don't let this guy cut you," Izuku informed, his voice a few tones lower than usual. "If he tastes your blood, you'll be paralysed."

"I'll keep my distance and-" He cut himself off with a faint gasp of shock as he was yanked to one side by the green-haired boy, safely out of the path of a throwing knife.

Stain was inches from them in an instant, in the air with a blade in one hand and his blood-red scarf rippling with the movement. "You have good friends, Ingenium!"

Todoroki threw up a spike of ice to block the knife aiming for his face, his gaze trailing upwards as he saw a katana spinning down towards him. The Hero Killer grabbed the front of the boy's shirt, pulling him in close and swiping another dagger towards the kid. A flash of emerald sparkled in the air for a moment as Izuku launched skyward, snatching the sword and landing behind the villain. He slashed it against the wall, causing a horrible scraping noise before the metal gave and shattered into pieces from the sheer force behind the hit. Todoroki sparked up his left side, forcing Stain back before any injuries occurred.

Izuku was back by his friends in a blink, growing careless with his power moderation as his fierce desire to protect his friends overcame logic. It wouldn't matter too much, as long as they defeated the villain once more and got him locked up, meaning no other enemies could catch wind of the terrifyingly powerful kid.

Stain growled animalistically, cutting out with his knife and breaking through ice with ease. Todoroki flicked a hand, sending forth a huge wave of frozen spikes that blocked them from view and allowed them a few moments to recuperate.

"Why are you two... Why... Please, stop!" Iida hissed, sweat dripping down his stressed face. "I've inherited my brother's name. I have to do it... That guy's mine!"

"You inherited it? That's strange." Todoroki's flaming hand extinguished once the final remnants of his wall had melted, rapidly switching to his other side to slam down an even more impressive barricade that glinted in the moonlight, forcing Stain to retreat further. "The Ingenium I saw before didn't have that look on his face, though. You've got a lot going on behind the scenes in your family, too, huh?"

In a quick succession of violent slashes, the ice was torn to shreds like paper, revealing Stain in the air once more, his head lowered. Izuku stepped in front of those paralysed, parrying any shards that his friend couldn't quite melt in time.

"To block your own view against an opponent faster than you... What a foolish plan," The Hero Killer snarled.

"I wonder about that." Todoroki flared up his left side, throwing out an arm.

Izuku reached through the flames, jolting down his friend's arm just enough to make the knaves only cut lightly across his skin, as opposed to biting deep into his flesh. His gloves scorched and flaked away, but the fire died down before any real damage could be caused, feeling his friend's alarmed gaze on him even as he leapt forward, snatching a handful of the Hero Killer's clothes as the villain descended. He tugged him off course, slamming him into a wall and dragging him along the concrete until the momentum of his jump wore off, planting his feet on the surface and kicking himself sideways to avoid a punch aimed for his face.

Todoroki shoved another trail of ice forwards, stalling for time as Izuku leapt back. After a few moments of standing tensely, he squinted in confusion, wondering why another attack wasn't coming. The Hero Killer stood in the shadows, shredded cloths floating behind him as his eyes seemed to glow faintly with his murderous intent. A smile, slow and deliberate, crawled across his face like a spider as he slowly raised a knife to his mouth.

There was a splatter of blood was smeared across the serrated edge, and Izuku found himself looking down at his abdomen, finally noticing a sharp sting of pain. Tearing across his torso was a long cut, digging an inch deep at his side and tapering off into a scratch across his stomach. Stain ran his tongue along the blade, and the boy crumpled down at his friend's side, letting out a choked gasp of shock as he was suddenly on the cold concrete.

"Midoriya!" Todoroki exclaimed, fueled by terror to build another thick barrier of ice that curved a little over their heads, protecting them from the villain.

"I-I'm okay!" He reassured, despite his insides twisting with fear and the feeling of hot blood slick against his skin, every instinct telling him to press his hands to the injury but finding himself totally catatonic.

Izuku waded through his memories of the previous incident. At the time, it felt like he was paralysed for hours because he was so useless, but realistically it was likely only minutes. Iida had been immobile for a while, and it would be a little bit longer before he could move again.

"I don't know how long I can stall for," Todoroki admitted in little more than a whisper, his tone tight and his hands tensed by his sides. "He can react so fast and avoid ice and fire. The best option is to hold out until Pros get here."

"I know you can do it, Todoroki-kun." The boy dropped his voice, keeping quiet so only his allies could hear his next words. "His Quirk works differently depending on blood type. I'll be able to move again within a few minutes because I'm blood type O. I think Iida-kun will be up soon after. Just keep Stain away until we're back in the fight so we can support you again."

"Alright. I'll... I can do it."

Todoroki kicked it up a gear, pushing through on sheer desperation. He flung up lines of jagged ice to force the Hero Killer back, swiftly switching to his left side and sending out a blistering blast that filled half the alley. The seconds ticked by agonisingly slowly, each moment stretching out into a lifetime whenever there was a close call, but eventually Izuku could twitch his fingers, feeling the numbness in his limbs gradually recede until he could struggle back to his feet, pressing his charred gloves against his wound and watching grimly as the white fabric became dyed with red.

"Todoroki-kun, you're not as fast as me. We've both shed blood, but I think I can avoid him quickly enough that I won't get paralysed again," the boy said with a ferocious grin as he called upon One for All. "I'll distract him, so you support me from behind!"

His classmate stared at him for a moment before turning back to the enemy. "That's a pretty big risk, but yeah... The two of us will protect him."

"Two against one, huh? It won't be easy." Stain lowered his stance, with bloodshot, red eyes glaring at them from behind the folds of the pale mask.

An inferno surged forward from one hand, the heat disturbing the air and tousling Todoroki's hair as he gritted his teeth, resolve steeled. Izuku darted behind, taking the villain's attention. He twisted mid-air to avoid a glinting blade, pulling off his soaked gloves and flinging them back towards his allies to remove another chance of paralysis. The Hero Killer was moving rapidly, every attack calculatedly brutal and every dodge crushingly effective as he unveiled why he was such a feared criminal, with a blazing gaze and his wide mouth pulled into an open smile.

"Please stop..." Iida whispered, tears gathering. "I'm ...already..."

Todoroki huffed through his teeth, firelight bathing his features in hot hues. "If you want us to stop, then stand up!" He yelled, shifting to cold as the enemy approached and kicking up a trail of spears. "The only words I can say to you are: look properly at who you want to be!"

Izuku grabbed a ripple of crimson fabric, tugging on it to force the villain to stop and swinging it around before releasing, sending him flying down the alleyway and crashing into the concrete. It barely seemed to faze Stain as he leapt right back up, a crazed expression on his visible face and knives sparkling with deceptive innocence. Just a little longer... Any second now...

Iida was back in action, a blast of blue light coming from the exhaust pipes on his calves as he darted forwards, swinging up a leg to counter a swipe and completely knocking the knife from the villain's grasp. He didn't waste a single second, already twisting around with another Recipro Burst kick that Stain attempted to block with his bandaged forearms, but he was quickly overpowered and sent skidding backwards, unsheathing another dagger and stabbing it into the concrete to slow his acceleration.

"Todoroki-kun, Midoriya-kun, this has nothing to do with you two, and I apologise." He raised his torso back up from the solemn bow, his face set into something violently fierce. "That's why I can't allow you two to bleed any more than this!"

"It's no use trying to be reformed for appearance's sake," Stain said, his voice hoarse and edging on something dangerous. "A person's essence does not change so easily. You will never be anything but a fake who-"

"Ignorance is not intelligence, Akaguro," Izuku stated sharply, ignoring the pain in his abdomen as he straightened up to his full height, taking a confident step forwards and glaring down at the villain, who gritted his teeth, making as if to talk again before being cut off. "Only a fool believes that people stay the same their whole lives. Humans are always learning and growing, making mistakes and finding ways to fix them. We're lots of things... We can be stupid and stubborn, but we can also be intelligent and understanding – however, we never stay the same." The boy paused for breath, exhaling slowly and letting his tone warm with affection. "Tenya-kun is my friend, and he's admitted his mistakes and is willing to make up for them, and that's... That makes him so, so incredible."

Admittedly, most of the speech hadn't been off the top of his head: he'd spent years reminiscing about this day and contemplating how he would've done things differently. Now he got the chance to, and it was indescribably satisfying, bringing a tight smile to his lips. Stain was completely still, half his face wreathed in shadow that concealed most of his expression. Behind him, his classmates and Native were dead silent, barely even breathing.

For a brief, exhilarating moment, Izuku thought he might've inspired the villain to change his ways.

"Hero..." Stain rasped. "Are you not afraid?"

He hesitated, smile briefly shifting into a frown before being fixed back in place. "No, I'm not afraid, because my friends are here with me and we're going to beat you."

"No, no... That's not right." He barked out a scratchy laugh, wild eyes glinting in a flash of moonlight as he stepped closer, expression fascinated and calculating. "You're not afraid because you're the frightening one. You're very similar to All Might – I respect you, hero. What is your name?"

"Don't," Todoroki muttered, reaching forwards as if to pull his friend back before terminating the action and instead staying still.

"My name is Deku." Izuku whispered, tilting his head a little and staring down the villain with such intensity he seemed to dwarf everything around him, illuminated in emerald with hair catching in a breeze.

"Deku... You're a true hero, but I know you won't stop protecting these fakes until you're dead." Stain heaved a breath similar to a sigh, dashing forwards in a blink and slashing out with a dagger.

The boy jumped backwards, heart pounding in his chest as the adrenaline kicked back in, blocking out everything but the need to survive. He dodged and avoided, green sparks coiling around his limbs as he leapt and punched, landing a brutal jab to the Hero Killer's stomach before backing up. Todoroki stepped in, pushing out a wave of ice that the villain was quick to sidestep, coming in too close for comfort only to be blasted back with a blaze to fire to his face. The student obliged his friend's muttered request, reaching down with his other hand to cast Iida's calves in ice, cooling his engines after they'd sputtered out following Recipro Burst.

He called upon another one, electric azure fire spewing from the vents as he shot into the air. Izuku fired up One for All, springing off the ground. Stain couldn't move fast enough as a glittering fist slammed into his cheek and an armour-clad leg ploughed into his ribs on the opposite side. He started to fall, dazed for a moment before his crimson eyes snapped open and he snatched a falling knife, whipping it around to slam the handle on Izuku's head before he could move.

Iida twisted in the air, pale steam hissing from his engines as he turned around for another overpowering kick to the villain's back. Todoroki flung out a hand, putting his whole bodyweight behind the blaze that shot from his palm, encompassing the Hero Killer in glowing flames. Izuku grabbed Iida as his engines stalled once more, bringing them safely back to the ground as their other classmate stamped down a tower of ice, hoisting up Stain. The three of them stayed vigilant for a moment longer before blinking with the realisation that the villain was unconscious, sprawled forwards over a frozen ledge.

Izuku returned to his senses first. He and Todoroki collected up all the weapons, laying them neatly on the concrete and finding a length of rope in a nearby bin to restrain Stain. Native walked with them once he had regained his mobility, and they dragged the Hero Killer to the entrance of the alleyway.

Gran Torino shot onto the scene, looking as if he was planning on scolding his student before thinking better of it. Multiple other Pro Heroes rushed down the street, coming to a stop in front of them and gasping with shock once they realised who had been captured. Everyone but the elderly hero were too preoccupied with phone calls or medical care to notice the winged beast swooping down from the sky.

The Noumu skimmed the ground, wrapping one taloned foot around Izuku who choked back a cry of pain as the claws dug directly into the slash across his torso, briefly blinding him with white-hot agony as a fresh spurt of blood spilled through the air. He was lifted into the sky, hanging limply from the creature's grasp in a daze. It suddenly stopped flapping its leathery wings, plunging downwards. Stain sprinted forwards, grabbing Izuku's costume and stabbing a knife into the Noumu's brain, sending it crashing to the ground with a sickening thud.

He twisted the blade before pulling it out, spraying blood over the pavement below as he wheezed for breath, mouth open with drool spilling over his teeth. The mask flaked off his burnt face as he haltingly straightened up, glaring at Endeavour as the man arrived.

"You fake..." He snarled like a wild animal, saliva trailing down his chin. "I must make things right..."

Izuku dragged himself back to his feet, placing a palm gingerly over his injury. He glanced over the crowd of heroes, noticing that all of them were frozen with looks of utter horror marring their features. The boy shifted his weight to one foot, raising his chin and pushing back his shoulders, embracing his unexpected fearlessness as he realised what was going to happen.

"Someone must be dyed in blood..." Stain continued, dragging one foot after the other in a hauntingly crooked hobble. "I must take back what it means to be a hero." He slammed down a spiked boot, hunched over with bared teeth and glowing eyes. "Come! Try and get me, you fakes!"

Endeavour instinctively took a step back, flames around his face flickering. Izuku felt the bizarre urge to smile at the sight, finding a grim sort of satisfaction from seeing the man flinch away in fear.

"The only ones I'll let kill me are the true heroes..." His voice was frantic and crazed, face torn in two by a wicked, open-mouthed grin. "All Might..." He moved a shaking arm behind him, using the point of the bloodied knife to highlight the boy as Stain snapped his head to one side, peering over his shoulder with one, eerie eye. "...and Deku!"

The intensity of his conviction was almost overwhelming. One of the Pro Heroes fell back, grazing her palms on the concrete, but she was unable to move further or take her gaze off the villain. Izuku gritted his teeth to prevent himself from blurting out comfort to his friends, narrowing his eyes at Stain.

As if on cue, the knife slipped from his grasp, clinking against the ground. The Hero Killer's gaze blanked and he froze in place, passed out from a broken rib puncturing his lung.

Todoroki and Iida both collapsed onto the ground, faces pallid with fear. Izuku blinked suspiciously at the unmoving statue of his enemy for a moment before darting over to his friends, placing hands lightly on their shoulders and letting out a breath.

"It's okay, now," he muttered, dropping to one knee and sparing a glance at the catatonic Hero Killer. "It's okay..."