Chapter fifteen

The cover of the night can help one with moving around and not getting caught. The howling wind can help cover up any noise. That much is known.

That is why the attacks are always at night. It's easier to get through with anything like stalking someone. A lot of murders and kidnappings happen that way, it's simple and barely anyone will see a thing. The lights of the city can help with a bit of visual, but sometimes it's never enough. Hell is empty and all the devils are here. William Shakespeare. How has one man sum up the earth in nine words such as these? A man who lived a long time ago with a way with words and works made famous. How one can even deny such truth, shall remain a mystery. These devils with minds so complex take advantage of the beautiful night.

Such a shame that the devils walk the streets in disguises of human skin, eyes that hold the same depth of a human's soul with emotions that can lure their victim, and sickly sweet voices that twists and turns the words of poison that beckons for the young victim to follow and let these devils to lead them to their end. If there is a way to identify these devils, then maybe one day such heinous crimes will come to a stop. Wishful thinking. If they haven't stopped in over many millennia, what makes one think they'll stop? This has been engraved in the world-cruelly carved into human minds with a blade of the purest metals that the devils can hide and not be found out.

The preying on the weak and innocent, it's something that Izuku never understands. Why does a person kill? That is the question that has never been answered, and it's a question that can never be answered. The human mind is complex and very, very complicated. It's first emotion that it sends out is curiosity due to a situation one can be placed in. Is that the first emotion we feel when we are born? Are we curious since creation? Does that mean our minds yearn to know--to want and to take information or is it on a few cases? While he contemplates the situation, he sends a new report to the police before going outside. Is it always the mind's first instinct to attain knowledge or is there something else? Something that people haven't thought of? While we want to attain knowledge, is it possible the drive for it cause us to go insane?

That we have to take it no matter how it's earned?

anyone could read his mind, they may drown from the onslaught waves of thinking. He switches between new information faster than switching tabs on a computer. They might even go mad from it-is it possible that that be a torture? The constant stream of thoughts isn't good for an unprepared brain. He's ponders the information that Gran Torino gave him about his usage of his quirk. /let my admiration for All Might shackle me?

That's why I can't use it well. There's something else, but he hasn't figured it out. I myself don't know what it might be. Izuku stares at the walls and he thinks, "What if I try to replicate Torino's movements?" His mind--his brain whirls with various of ideas that he can try, never relenting in their assault of his mind. The more intelligent one is, the more their mind and sanity suffers with the onslaught of ideas, thoughts, memories, knowledge.

A couple walking by quickens their pace when they hear the struggling in the alley. They believe not to get wrapped up in it at all. The devils that roam the night, they want nothing to do with them. The cover of darkness, they may not even see the attack coming so the best thing is to keep on.

Come morning, Gran Torino sees the state his student was in. He looks as if he battled with Death itself and didn't win. "Whoa kid, what happened to you?"

"I tried to work with One for All last night. It didn't work. I'm surprised I didn't break any bones so that's a plus." He drops himself onto the couch while Torino is opening the package he received. A new microwave since he broke the last one yesterday. "All night and no progress. A new revelation but it's irrelevant. My mind works too much," he mutters in the cushions is while his arms and legs fly up at random moments to emphasize his words.

Gran Torino stop for a moment before he bursts out laughing. His cackling brings the attention of the kid towards him. Those jade colored irises show his puzzlement and it sends the old geezer into more hysterics. This kid is quite the odd one.

"Oh boy! You're hilarious!"

Midoriya doesn't respond. His eyes shine with amusement sparkling with emotion that stands out in those deep pools of green. The kid doesn't even try to deny his own oddity or try to even pick at him like Toshinori once had-another show of differences between the two. A small smile is on his face as he walks over and helps him with the new microwave. Once it's set up, he heats up taikiyaki while Gran Torino goes upstairs to yell-to speak with Toshinori for a moment. He didn't call the night before, deciding to let the other sleep for a bit. "How could you not tell me the kid investigates murders?"

"Gran Torino-I, um, I forgot all about it!"

"How can you forget something like that? He's a kid! Who even allowed him to take the case of Stain?"

"Chief Kenji Tsurugamae did, and please make sure, if you get to Hosu that he stays with you.

Tsurugamae gave him authorization to actually physically act."

"He did what?" he shouts in disbelief, flabbergasted at the entire idea. How can someone even let a kid take on someone that's taking out adult heroes? Does the Chief even have any idea of how bad of an idea that is? "Okay, I'm going to make sure he doesn't leave my sight if we get anywhere near Hosu. Also, have someone work on his analyzation skills. He has so much potential but it rots away if he only focuses his mind on whatever ideas you put in his head."

"Yes, I know. I've been planning on getting him to take lessons from Aizawa or even Principal Nedzu."

"Well, do something about it. I need to get going.

That kid is going to need all the training he can get." He hangs up and heads down to see the platter of taikiyaki on the table and Izuku pouring over his notes. He glances over the kid's shoulder and sees the drawing of himself. He has a few detailed notes about him but some things have question marks beside it. If he didn't know any better, Gran Torino would've believed that the kid has been analyzing him for all his life. This boy, does he ever stop? How can he manage to see all of this in the small amount of time he's been with me? Just how fast does he work? How quickly can he pinpoint--come up with such detailed information? Does hypothesize depending on what has been seen or depending on how much common knowledge he knows?"What's that you have there, kid?"

The kid startles--Torino has to hold back a snort at how high he jumped-and looks up at him then down at the notebook. "Oh, it's my hero and villain analysis journal."

"'Analysis journal," he echoes staring at him. "May

I see it?" He gets a small nod and he takes it from the boy's hands. He flips through them, skimming a few of them. He has a lot of detailed notes for villains and heroes-some of his classmates (he notes that this is a newer version). Strengths, weaknesses, quirks. Personal information.

Additional notes that doesn't have much use. He recalls what was said to him. "It's better to have more information on someone than none at all." This kid. You shouldn't carry this around, kid. If this falls into the hands of villains, that'll doom us all."

Owlish eyes blinks at him. "You're right." He sucks in a breath through his teeth. "Gosh, I hadn't even thought that. I mean, there's not much that could benefit a villain -my notes aren't that great, but even if it's a little, that'll be enough for someone to use it."

He nods and hands the kid back his journal. Torino reaches over to grab a taikiyaki. When he bites into it, he winces. "This taikiyaki is half done."

"What?" For the next five minutes, he's scolded for his poor cooking skills. He stares at the pastry for a good five seconds before yelling out something that'll haunt him for the next few years, "This is me!" He holds up one of the half done taikiyakis.

The incredulous look that he receives is comical.

"You're a taikiyaki? Kid, I think you may need some sleep before our training." As he listens to the explanation, Torino stares at the kid. He thinks he has it figured out? As he watches him concentrate, he can see the green electricity that emits from his body. Wide eyes show his surprise before they narrow and a smirk crosses the aged face. "Alright, let's see what you've got."

The two fight. The house gets trashed in the process but Torino doesn't care. He wants to see just how much this kid has learned. At one point Izuku ends up underneath the sofa and uses it to his advantage. Gran Torino is left with staring at the kid, who's thinking deeply about his progress.

This kid, if he learned that in one day ... he can become a monster if he continues at this rate.

Stain is pissing the police off. But Endeavour is mad because of Shouto's little friend from school.

He pisses him off more than the hero killer. If he doesn't clean up his act, he will clean it up for him.

Shouto seems to not share the same line on thinking. Apparently, the twerp is still going through his rebel phase and the only reason he even used his left side was because of the green bean. How the hell was Shouto going to surpass All Might if he doesn't even try? No, that isn't the only prodem Enji is facing. That same green bean is apparently working on the same case as he, the Hero Killer case. That child doesn't know anything yet has the audacity to call him out? Just who does that kid think he is?

The day is a stressful one. They need to catch Stain, especially after what happened to Ingenium.

The hero has been paralyzed and Shouto is showing concern for the younger brother. He didn't say why=no, he barely has even looked his way, talking isn't even there. Oh, how Endeavour wants to scream and burn everything-like a raging rhino, a provoked bull. Everything just never goes his way. That punk just likes ruining things for him. The call that was shared the night before had been on speaker for all of the department to hear.

He was angry at Endeavour for second guessing him on where the Killer strikes his victims, and then he insulted him in front of many officers.

Shouto watches his father with a suspicious gaze.

He knows that he's mad for what happened yesterday and honestly, Shouto does not care. He can tell when one crosses the line and his father did. Yes, there could've been a day where Stain would strike in public but so far that doesn't seem to ever happen. He got the feeling that he was doing it only to face off with the killer himself and get all the glory but, at the same time, Todoroki isn't sure. One knows no horror until one ventures into the human mind. That's what Midoriya said and it cannot be truer. I fear for how my father will react when alone. Shout walks out of the building to get fresh air, staring at the fading sun. The pastel colors of the sunset hold a mystery behind them; they don't clash with the background of the earth, almost as if they were made perfectly for this time of day. While staring at the array of color, Shouto sighs. It would be nice to do something productive tonight. The internship isn't as fun or full of learning so far. His thoughts are on Midoriya and wondering what he's doing before switching his thought process onto lida and hoping he's okay. He was really mad the last I saw of him. He even snapped at his friends, but it's

understandable his brother had been paralyzed and isn't thinking right. Midoriya and Uraraka know more than me in the field of comforting people. I wish I could have said something.

Shouto glances at his phone wondering if he should text Midoriya for lida's number but he never gets the chance. His father comes out of the station, licking his lips. "Get ready, we're going out tonight. Villains are attacking."

That surprises him but he nods and follows him.

The villains are actually a group of Nomus. The creatures that they fought during the USJ but they seem to come in all shapes and sizes. The fact that they're here worries Todoroki. It means the League of Villains are behind this attack and are somewhere here in Hosu. As they work, Todoroki's phone beeps with a message. Glancing at it, he sees that Midoriya sent his location. "Shouto! Get off your phone and pay attention!"

He ignores his father before pivoting on his heel. "I have to go. My friend may be in trouble!" As he runs, a sudden and abrupt feeling of fear passes through him. It runs down his spine almost as if someone walked over his grave -or is it his dead relative's grave? He doesn't know-it doesn't matter at the moment. The hair on his nape rise, without second though, his pace quickens. Arriving to the scene-oh god, this can't be true.

"Midoriya!" calls Shouto announcing his arrival after sending a blast of fire to buy his friend some time to regain his composure.

"Todoroki!" he receives in response. He's relieved but he also sounds like he's about to cry. He glances around and sees the dead pro hero. "Get lida out of here!" Izuku says, smiling at his two friends before having to drop it to deflect a deadly blow from the sword. The killer is trained with the sword and he's able to disarm his opponent.

Sending a kick to Midoriya's side and throwing the kid to the wall, he makes his way over to lida.

Todoroki isn't fast enough to stop Stain.

"Midoriya!" shouts lida, his voice quivering with a huge amount of guilt, his eyes wide with regret.

Todoroki can't move himself. His mind just stopped working as the scene plays out before him. The two heroes-in-training watch with horror as their friend takes a blow that was meant for the paralyzed lida Tenya. The scream of agony that rips through the air-it'll haunt them for as long as the can ever remember. The sickening look on Stain's face almost causes Todoroki to puke. He focuses on Midoriya, the limp body that hangs off the blade of the sword is revolting. The blade sticks out of his back, having penetrated his heart.

No, no, no. No no no! This can't be real. This can't be real! Todoroki swallows the bile that rises up his throat-burning the flesh as he watches Stain rip out the sword from his friend's body, watches as everything becomes agonizingly slow as Izuku's body hits the ground. The blood pulls under him is alarming, he isn't moving. The crimson liquid paints a beautiful, ghastly, and dreary picture on the ground. It's as if the world lost its color--the display of tranquil color from the sunset is all gone now-leaving the world to be washed in black and white and that disgusting color of red. It tells the truth. Midoriya Izuku is dead and it's all lida's fault.