Deku the Anti-Hero

Teacher and Student

It was a simple sentence; nothing more than an everyday greeting.

But that one sentence threw the rest of Iida's world upside down.

"Hello Izuku. It's been a while."

"Midoriya? How does he know you?" he asked, fearing the answer.

"Look Iida, now's not the time. You and Native are out of commission, so I need you to be quiet," Izuku shot back.

"But this has nothing to do with you! This is between me and him! For what he did to Tensei!" Iida cried out.

"Iida, you're one of my best friends, which is why I didn't want something like this to happen. But it is happening, so let me take care of it." He turned away from Iida and focused on the Hero Killer.

"Before you attack, I need to ask you something," Izuku said to Stain. "What if I told you I had a friend who's training to be a hero for money?"

"I would find them and teach them a lesson as soon as I could. Greed has taken over far too many of the heroes that roam the streets today." Just as Izuku predicted, Stain only took the fact at face value, discarding any deeper details.

"That's where you're wrong. Yes, she wants to be a hero for the money, but not for herself. She's told me about her parents, who are in deep financial troubles. They give whatever they can to pay for her attendance at UA. Because of that, they have little to no money to spend on themselves. But once she becomes a hero, she's going to pay off their debts and give them the life they've given her."

The two stared with intensity beyond anything Iida had witnessed before. He could do nothing other than lay there and observe, and hope for the best.

"That's the problem Stain, you only look long enough to see what you hate. But the truth is many people are better than they appear. Take my friend for example. Yes, he's acting out of revenge and may not be the embodiment of heroism you strive to mold, but he's a fifteen-year-old boy who lost the greatest inspiration in his life. He's not thinking straight and hasn't had time to properly come to terms with the fact that his brother is a paraplegic."

If he didn't know better, Tenya could have sworn Stain faltered, if not for just a moment. Then he sighed.

"You never were one to follow my ideals. But I could live with that. I figured you'd become the hero I imagine everyone to be because you knew I'd come for you otherwise. But I won't just stop because you want to help your friend. Heroes go through suffering every day, and one who acts on a grudge is not a true hero." He aimed his sword at the green-haired teen, clearly intent on fighting.

"Stain, don't make me do this," Izuku pleaded as he prepared his dual chains, oblivious to Iida's questioning. The paralysis over Iida's body faded, and he and Native struggled to their feet.

"Izuku, I taught you everything you know. I guess it's fitting that it comes down to the two of us now," Stain replied.

The two lunged at each other and Native and Iida could only watch as they clashed with blinding speed. The paralysis would randomly come over them again and then fade, which Iida recalled being an effect of the goggles being used against such a quick opponent.

"You're rusty Izuku. When's the last time you fought for real? When's the last time you had to fight with your life on the line?" his mentor mocked with a toss of two knives.

One of them embedded itself in Izuku's lower arm, which Stain suddenly appeared in front of him to pull out.

Izuku quickly knocked the knife out of Stain's hand and went for a counter, which his teacher avoided before putting distance between him and his student.