"Everything you can isn't enough," Endeavor interrupted. "That's why I'm here. This ends tonight."
Todoroki remained silent behind him. His father's confidence was the same. Nigh suffocating.
The coordinator cleared his throat. "We appreciate your assistance, of course. However, I should mention that Ingenium and his agency have also been heavily involved in the search. He's coordinating patrol routes in the residential sectors. Perhaps you'd like to—"
"I work alone," Endeavor said curtly. "Just point me toward the most recent sighting and stay out of my way."
"Actually," a new voice called from near the map, "I think coordination would be more effective."
Ingenium stood up. "Endeavor-san. I understand your... direct approach has merit. But the Hero Killer isn't like typical villains. He's been evading capture precisely because heroes underestimate his tactical awareness."
"You're telling me how to handle a villain?"
"I'm suggesting we pool our resources," Ingenium said evenly. "My team has been tracking his movements for two weeks. We have pattern analysis, predicted strike zones, optimal response formations. If we coordinate our patrol routes, we can cover more ground and respond faster if he strikes."
Endeavor studied him for a moment, then grunted. "Fine. Show me what you have."
As the two pros moved to the map, Tenya quietly approached Todoroki.
"Todoroki-kun," he said, his voice low. "I didn't expect to see you here."
"My father insisted," Todoroki said simply. "Apparently Hosu is the perfect training ground for 'real hero work.'"
"I see." Tenya adjusted his glasses. "The Hero Killer's has caused quite a stir to draw even your father here. I suppose it's for the best though."
Todoroki's brows narrowed.
"You really think so, huh?" He understood with Iida meant.
'Regardless of how overbearing he is, he's still the number two hero.' He set his sights on Endeavor amongst the others. Simmering with barely contained impatience. 'They'll endure him for that alone.'
"Todoroki-kun," Tenya said quietly, "are you... alright?"
Todoroki glanced at him. "Why do you ask?"
"You seem tense. More so than usual."
Todoroki was silent for a moment.
In the distance, Ingenium cleared his throat. "If we're going to coordinate efforts, we should establish clear communication protocols. The Hero Killer has proven capable of disrupting standard channels . "
"Which is why I'm not using them," Endeavor interrupted. "I'll patrol the high-priority zones. When I find him, I'll handle it. End of discussion."
"That's not ...." Ingenium started.
"Are you questioning my capability?" Endeavor's flames surged.
"I'm questioning your strategy," Ingenium said firmly. "And yes, if that strategy puts my team at risk by creating gaps in our coverage, then I will question it."
The two heroes stared at each other across the map table. The other pros in the room shrunk back, unwilling to get caught in the crossfire.
"Perhaps," the coordinator said nervously, "we could establish primary and secondary patrol zones? Endeavor-san could take the commercial district where the most recent sighting occurred, while Ingenium's team maintains coverage of ..."
"Fine," Endeavor said abruptly. "Assign your zones. I'll be in the commercial district. Just stay out of my way when I engage the target."
He turned toward the exit. "Shoto. We're leaving."
"Yes." Todoroki said.
As they moved toward the door, Tenya called out, "Todoroki. Be careful out there."
"You too, Iida."
The door closed behind them.
Ingenium exhaled, his hand moving to massage his temple. "That went about as well as expected."
"Captain, are we really going to let him operate independently? If he encounters Stain without backup ...."
"We can't stop him," Ingenium cut in. "He's the Number Two. He outranks everyone in this room. All we can do is maintain our own formations and hope ..."
Frantic static went through his Comms before he could finish. A frantic, high-pitched emergency override.
"Code Red! Code Red! Sector 4, warehouse district! Multiple pros down! It's him! It's the Hero—"
The audio cut into static, followed by a wet, sickening thud.
Then silence.
Everyone's expressions changed.
"All units, converge on Alley 4!" Ingenium was already moving. "Tenya, with me. Everyone else, standard combat formation. Do not engage alone. Repeat: do not engage the Hero Killer alone!"
[ALLEYWAY – SECTOR 4]
By the time the pros arrived, the alley was a slaughterhouse.
The pro heroes arrived, only to see the scene was worse than the reports suggested.
Native was pinned to the pavement, a serrated blade through his shoulder and an unmoving chest. Mirage was slumped against the brickwork ten feet away. She was awake, but her eyes were glazed, her breath coming in shallow gasps.
Two more pros were on the floor, their life or death unknown.
Blood pooled across the cracked pavement.
"Mirage!"
Tensei came to a halt at the sight before him.
Standing deeper into the alley, his body shielded in the darkness like a ghost in the night, was Stain.
"More pretenders,"
He looked at the influx of heroes. Ingenium, the interns, the local pros, and didn't flinch. "The false heroes arrive in a swarm."
"You Darn Bastard! What The Hell Have You Done!"
Blood dropped from Stain's blade.
"The era of the false hero ends tonight." He pointed his blade forward. "And it all starts with .. "
CRASH.
Flames exploded into the alley entrance, so bright and hot that the air itself seemed to scream. The heat wave forced Stain to leap backward.
Endeavor landed like a meteor, the pavement cracking beneath his boots. His flames roared higher, illuminating the entire alley in harsh orange light.
"Hero Killer!" His voice thundered. "Your rampage ends here."
"The Number Two Hero," Stain uttered. "How fitting."
"Surrender," Endeavor growled. "This is your only warning."
"Surrender?" His smile widened. "To someone like you? Never?"
He took a step backward.
Behind him, space distorted as a portal opened in the darkness.
"Wait ..." Ingenium's eyes widened. "That's not .."
Stain stepped backward into the void.
"All You Fakes Will Be Purged!"
"Don't you dare!" Endeavor lunged forward. A flame blast shot down the alley. The purple mist surged, engulfing stain like a defensive shield.
Stain vanished into the portal, and it snapped shut with a sound like tearing reality, swallowing endeavors blasts alongside it.
The alley fell into silence, broken only by Mirage's labored breathing and the crackling of Endeavor's flames.
"Damn it!" Endeavor snarled, his fists clenched. "DAMN IT!"
Tenya and Todoroki stood frozen near the entrance, staring at the spot where the portal had been.
"That was..." Tenya's voice was barely audible. "A warp quirk. Like the one from USJ."
"Someone's helping him," Ingenium said grimly, already moving toward the fallen heroes. "This wasn't a solo operation. Watchbird, medical status!"
One of the heroes was already kneeling beside Mirage's vitals, checking vitals. "She's alive. barely. Multiple stab wounds, significant blood loss. We need EMTs now!"
"Someone call for medical assistance."
"Two minutes out," another hero confirmed, speaking rapidly into their comm.
But before anyone could move further, the air shimmered again.
The portal reopened.
Every hero tensed, quirks activating, weapons drawn.
But it wasn't Stain who emerged.
It was massive. Easily three meters tall. With exposed musculature, its brain was visible through a translucent skull.
'No way ..' Todoroki's eyes widened.
'It can't be.'
Empty eyes stared at nothing and everything.
'Nomu.'
Todoroki's blood ran cold, memories of USJ flooding back vividly. "That's—"
"Like the one from the attack," Tenya finished, his voice shaking.
The Nomu stood in the center of the alley. Then its mouth opened.
Wider.
Impossibly wide.
And screamed.
The sound was devastating—a sonic blast that shattered windows, cracked pavement, and heroes stumbling backward with hands clamped over their ears.
Endeavor fired a blast midway, only for the fire to shoot backwards in a blaze of greater force.
The force of it rattled teeth and bones.
BOOM! An explosion resounded in sector 4.
____
[THE SHINKANSEN – EN ROUTE TO HOSU –]
'I guess I have something else to add to my list of problems.'
The interior of the Shinkansen was quiet. After the chaos of the morning, the steady hum of the tracks felt almost surreal. Yuta sat by the window, watching the landscape of Shizuoka dissolve into the sprawling urban outskirts of the Kanto region.
In reality, his mind was occupied by today's events. Awake-up call, reminding him of how reckless he had been and the fact that surviving a near death experience and lingering after injuries wasn't enough.
Honestly, being targeted by the remains of Shie Hassaikai was the last thing he expected to happen today.
He had been told a month prior that the Hassaikai had collapsed, and with the story of the Vigilante, who would believe a fifteen year old kid had managed to kill overhaul? Whatever worries he initially had faded with the appearance of the sports festival.
Well, he couldn't be blamed too much.
For him, too much had taken place in the short span of a month. So much so that his Jutsu development plan had stalled and his exercise plan to increase his chakra capacity still hadn't even kicked off yet.
His chakra pathways were almost fully healed at this point so he planned to deal with those after the Internships
Of course he wasn't complaining.
For the adorable ball of white sunshine that was Eri, temporary pathway damage was well worth it. As for The Hero Killer, he had no plans to seek him out the in the short term.
It had only been a week since his battle between Stain and his shadow clone, and his strength hadn't improved by any margin.
There would be no point seeking revenge now. Plus, with his actions changing Canon, he wasn't sure how much had changed. Ingenium wasn't crippled, Iida had no desire for revenge, and the Hero killer was injured.
Him still being in Hosu was uncertain at this point.
Hence, Yuta made no plans to base his internship in Hosu, nor did he bother sending a shadow clone. However, it seemed fate had other plans.
___
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