Rejected Stones

A New Foundation

A New Foundation

Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the Scriptures: "'The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes'?

The Gospel of Matthew 21:42

The stink was what stood out to Izuku the most. Night was approaching soon, but the air buzzed with flies, and crows and other carrion feeders that swarmed about, despite efforts to drive them off. It stank of blood, of excrement, of pain, and of death.

And of victory.

The PLF hadn't fled when Shigaraki had fallen. It had taken Togata popping up in their rear and killing Hanabata, finally ending that damned music, to make the enemy falter. But when Todoroki and Burnin had finally brought down Iceman and melted the flesh from his bones, the enemy had broken. With the quirk that had been inciting them to violence gone, and their last lieutenant dead, Spinner having apparently died in the missile barrage, and Gigomantia in an attack led by Aoyama and Tsu, the PLF had finally come apart. They had seen too much death, and routed.

Izuku just wished they had done it earlier. He reached down, gently closing Aoyama's eyes for the last time.

"Sparkle on forever," Izuku whispered. He didn't try to move Tsu from under Aoyama just then. He'd died atop her corpse, ripped in half by Gigantomachia after she'd been impaled by some blade quirk. There were a dozen dead around them, Gigantomachia included, but it didn't seem like enough. And yet, at the same time, it seemed like too much.

Izuku trudged back across the field, passing by corpses of friend and foe alike. He made it to the remains of the highway, and slumped down on the pavement, exhausted. A moment later, footsteps approached. He looked up, expecting Mei, but instead, Mr. Aizawa groaned and sat down with him.

"Ms. Joke?" Izuku asked, afraid to hear the answer.

"Fine. Both of us made it through," Aizawa said. He reached to his belt, and pulled out a canteen. He took a long swig, then passed it to Izuku. "Just sports drink. Sugar, electrolytes, and a few dissolved caffeine pills."

Izuku took it gratefully. He swished a little around in his mouth, spat to the side, then took a long swallow. He passed it back silently, staring out over the field. "You were right."

"I usually am," Aizawa sighed. "You'll have to be more specific."

"It cost more than we could ever know, what we did at Kamino" Izuku said quietly. "The price was too great for some of us."

Aizawa nodded, his red eyes filled with unshed tears. "Hizashi is dead. Took a blast for me. Son of a bitch never should have done it. He was always the better man."

"Present Mic won't be the only friend we'll have to bury today," Izuku said, feeling exhausted to his bones. He glanced over to where Bakugo had fallen. A small monument had been erected there, a simple section of iron railing, his body carried away. But people would want to remember, one day. Izuku just hoped there would be people to remember.

"I just pray Dabi doesn't reorganize them and come for us," Izuku said, closing his eyes. "We're down to under 100 combat effectives. We'll be overrun in minutes. And...and we don't have One For All."

"They don't have All For One," Aizawa pointed out. "We have a chance."

"Not much of one," Izuku said, grimacing. "Then again, I suppose we never did have much of a chance."

Aizawa nodded, taking another swig from his canteen and passing it back to Izuku. "Good never does seem to have much of a chance. But in the end, justice prevails."