I hurled myself towards the villain, getting a good kick in before I landed, making him aware of my presence. I narrowed my eyes and looked at his noseless glory, glancing at everyone around me, Todoroki, Iida, and Midoriya.

"I'm here, Midoriya. I came to help everyone." My voice was absolutely dripping with determination, eyes reflecting the glare of the street light, hands clenched as I drew my weapon. Stain growled and started to look at me with a deathly stare.

"Oh, another friend? Just more fun." He started to advance, his sword dancing in the air, swinging back and forth, the jagged metal blade spiked, with ridges and scratches all over. Hopping into a starting stance, I gripped the hilt of my staff tightly and looked forwards, deflecting the attack and moving back, hitting metal against metal again and again.

"Are you going to do something or just stand there?" I roared to my classmates. "Do something!" They finally snapped out of a trance, but didn't move. I grunted in frustration and stepped back, standing face to face with the villain.

"We can't move!" Izuku called, voice straining, green eyes darting desperately to my figure. "He paralyzed us! Whatever you do, do not get blood on his blades!" I nodded at the advice, feeling my muscles tense as Stain's blade whizzed past my figure.

"Came here to save your friends, or to find me?" The villain's voice rang through my ears. I couldn't process any words before something sprang out of my mouth subconsciously.

"I knew that people were in danger. So that's why I came." 

"My, you didn't even take the time to think about your answer." He pulled out a pocketknife and threw it my way. I dodged, narrowly avoiding the attack. I felt a cut form on my skin, cursing mentally. I can't let him get to his throwing knife.

"Did anyone tell you that you kind of look like that bad guy from the Hori Patter books?" I teased, grabbing the weapon while he was dazed. "You both have no noses, right?" Stain grumbled and narrowed his eyes.

"Fool." He licked his finger. I felt everything in my body freeze as I almost landed on the knife I was holding. Stain smiled maliciously and chuckled. "Too bad you're out of condition." I collapsed onto the ground, leaning my back against a wall.

He walked calmly towards me, picking up the dagger in my hand, shoving it back into its sheath. 

"Society is purged with heroes that don't work to get everything. They yearn for more money, or power, completely destroying the ideals that we once held dear. Being a hero is now a profession in which people can benefit off of. All Might is the only one who is sane, who keeps those ideals or being a hero, he's the only one worthy of killing me!" I watched as he grabbed his sword, bringing it up to my neck, tongue hanging out of his mouth.

"Tell me a good reason why I should keep you alive." I didn't flinch under the steel eyes of the anti-hero. 

"I know what you think. I know that heroes aren't good. They aren't, but they're human. Humans have flaws. Everyone makes mistakes. Even... even I do. I don't know how, but somehow the universe gave me a golden opportunity to finally become a hero. I was excited. For myself. But it's not the reason why I wanted to become a hero." Stain was inclined, I could tell, but he didn't lower his blade. I gulped, my skin narrowly touching the shining silver metal.

"I'm quirkless. Everyone knows that, by now, or have suspicions about the matter. I don't want to be weak. I want to prove to everyone that I can be someone that they can look up to. I want to prove that the quirkless aren't weak, and people can finally feel safe when I'm around. I don't want any money, or fame, or power. I just don't want people to feel like they're in danger whenever a villain is around. If my presence alone can guarantee them safety, I sure am not going to die like this. I want to protect people, and you aren't going to make that not happen." My eyes burned with a passion, the red eyes of Stain becoming more and more amused. He lowered his blade, to my surprise.

"You're lucky I have some sense of mortality, since if you kept talking to a real villain, you'd already be dead with that blabber-mouth of yours." I was straining to move again, when fire blasted the villain's figure, completely engulfing him in flames.

"(L/N)!" I saw Todoroki move and keep on firing and icing the villain, in desperate attempts that Stain kept on evading. I groaned and tried to move, attempts futile, only being able to watch as my friends kept on fighting. After a minute, I saw Iida start to move, determination slapped onto his features, a sudden urge of wanting to move filling me to the brim. 

My eyes shimmered as Todoroki, Iida, and Deku held off Stain, finishing the villain with a kick, and a hit to the face and body. Once he was unconscious, I could feel the numbness in my limbs slipping away, a soreness replacing it, but I was able to move again. Todoroki held a hand out, looking at my figure more kindly than before.

"Need a hand?" I smiled, nodded, and clasped his forearm, hauling myself up. 

"Thanks."

__

I walked out of the alley with Iida leaning on me like a crutch.

"Hey," I murmured, tilting my head his way. "Are you alright?" He nodded, biting the inside of his cheek. I could visibly tell that he was discontented with something. I sighed and moved slower, so Iida could ease up.

"I'm just... I'm sorry for dragging everyone into this. I didn't realize that I would cause so much trouble, I let all the anger and hatred, taste for revenge blind me... After all of this, I realize my behavior was truly like a villain's." My heart ached at Iida's words, my eyes watering. 

"Look. It's not your fault. Being a hero doesn't mean you have to be perfect, Iida-kun. Being a hero means that you save others. And I think that you saved me, you had your brother in your heart while you were fighting. I should be thanking you." Tenya looked at me and smiled weakly, eyes tired.

"You never cease to surprise me, (L/N)-san." I grinned and gently nudged my head towards the crowd. 

"C'mon, let's go. People are waiting for us." Together, we limped to the group of heroes, and comrades that awaited our arrival. The first thing I heard after setting Iida down to rest was the booming voice of Gang Orca.

"What do you think you were doing?" I flinched and looked up. His face was menacing, yet his eyes showed concern and displeasure. "You could have gotten killed, and I was supposed to be your mentor, your teacher. This doesn't sit well with me, (L/N)." I bowed my head as I felt the stares from Team S, and the pro hero. I let out a shaky breath and tried to keep up my chin as everyone started to gather and talk about what had just happened, hearing scoldings from the pro heroes to their interns. 

I was in deep trouble, and I think Midoriya might've noticed that, when he came bounding over.

"Mister Gang Orca, may I speak to you about (L/N)-san?" The pro hero nodded hesitantly, looking at the green-haired male, providing his full attention. Deku cleared his throat, obviously nervous.

"Without (L/N)-kun here today, I don't know what we might've done. You see, they came in while we were all paralyzed, unable to move. If (L/N) wasn't here to hold Stain off and talk him out of something, the students and the hero might've been dead already. If being a hero is making others' businesses your own, I think that they've shown an immeasurable amount of that. Along with courage, strength, and intellect, they've assisted us in a lot of ways. I can't actually think of the right words to explain how I feel about everything." Izuku scratched his head and looked down sheepishly, trying to avoid the gaze of the lumbering pro hero. Gang Orca gave a sigh and turned to both of us.

"Well, what I can say is that you all were extremely reckless in your actions, jumping into a situation many pro heroes have found hard to deal with. That was a very fatal error that could've killed you both, and your parents, your mentors would have been extremely devastated if that were to happen." Deku and I held out heads down, nodding. Guilt was starting to build up in my chest. The pro hero continued.

"But, I can give you something. Today, despite being very young, both of you fought with a purpose that most pro heroes lack. To save others. And for that I thank you. Stain's ideology of being the old meaning of a hero wasn't wrong, but the way he carried the procedures out was rash and poisonous. You two are just kids, but you both have the developed mindset greater than most adults in society. Thank you." I looked up at the 200 centimeter tall animan, and pressed my lips together, mustering a smile within all the tears that wanted to flow freely. I could almost see the small grin that he gave me, the corners of his mouth turning up and red eyes not looking as fierce as before.

But before I could do anything, something grabbed Midoriya and started to fly away, until Stain shot out of a hero's grip, killed the monster, and technically saved Deku's life.

"All of you are fakes, everyone must be purged..." the anti-hero hissed, smiling. "Come at me! Show me what the hell you're made of, and I'll rip every single one of you apart, limb by limb!" He froze, eyes going completely white, and his knife clattered to the ground.

No one did anything. Everyone just stood, adrenaline rushing through their veins, wondering what might have happened if Stain didn't freeze up just now.