Wings of Awakening

Part 39

As Izuku and the others exited the alley, he retracted his wings, catching his breath. The chaos of the attack had died down, and nearby heroes glanced at him, their expressions bewildered as they took in the scene: Stain, unconscious and suspended by Izuku's quirk, and an injured Native supported by Iida. Among the gathering heroes stood Endeavor, with Shoto just behind him.

"Aether, are you all right?" Shoto asked, his eyes filled with concern.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Izuku replied, giving a quick nod. Just then, paramedics arrived to assist Iida and Native, guiding them to an ambulance for a check-up. Meanwhile, police officers moved in to secure Stain. Izuku released his telekinetic hold, letting the officers take him.

Suddenly, a shout filled the air, and before he could react, Izuku was lifted off his feet. His surroundings blurred as he was carried skyward, and cries of alarm echoed from below.

"How did I get up here?" Izuku thought, the sharp pain in his side snapping him to attention. He looked up and found himself in the clutches of a winged Nomu. It must have evaded capture in the chaos and taken him by surprise.

Back on the ground, Shoto turned, realizing Izuku was gone. Spotting the Nomu high above with Izuku, he instinctively launched a blast of ice toward them, but the attack fell short. At the same moment, Stain broke free of his restraints, using Shoto's ice as a foothold to sprint toward the Nomu.

With a powerful leap, Stain reached the Nomu, plunging a knife into its brain. The creature faltered, and Izuku felt gravity take over as they started to fall. He braced himself, but to his shock, Stain shielded him from the impact, positioning himself beneath Izuku as they hit the ground. Izuku landed on top of Stain, who took the brunt of the fall.

Dazed, Izuku scrambled to his feet, staring in surprise at Stain, who was still standing, albeit unsteady.

"All these heroes around me," Stain's voice rang out, filled with disdain, "and none of you moved to save this kid." He glared at the heroes surrounding them, bloodlust in his eyes. "You're all fakes. Only All Might... and this kid here are worthy." With those words, Stain fainted, still standing, before collapsing into the arms of the officers.

The following moments were a blur. The police moved in quickly to restrain Stain once more, securing him before he was taken away in another ambulance.

Izuku blinked, slowly taking in the white walls of the hospital room. His body ached as he tried to sit up, and he let out a small groan. From his left, he saw Iida awake on his own hospital bed, while a familiar voice to his right spoke up.

"Don't move too much, Midoriya," Shoto said, helping Izuku settle back comfortably. Izuku glanced down and noticed bandages wrapped tightly around his torso.

"What... happened?" he asked, still groggy.

Shoto gave him a nod. "You were injured by a winged Nomu."

Memories of the previous day flooded back in a rush—fighting Stain to protect Iida, the Nomu snatching him afterward, the piercing pain in his sides, and finally, Stain's unexpected intervention.

Izuku turned toward Iida, who was looking down, visibly ashamed. With a hesitant look, Iida bowed his head. "Thank you, Midoriya. For stopping me from doing something foolish and for saving both me and Native."

"Good thing you realize what you did wrong," Izuku replied, unable to mask the disappointment in his voice. "What were you thinking, acting so carelessly? We were all worried about you after the Sports Festival, but we didn't want to pry." Izuku's eyes started to water. "I should have noticed something sooner. I should've done something."

"Midoriya, it's not your fault," Iida said quickly. "I should've relied on my friends instead of acting alone. Thank you for bringing me back to my senses."

Izuku took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. "Just... promise you'll lean on us next time." He took a glass of water that Shoto handed him. "Thanks, Shoto."

As he drank, the door to the room opened. Hawks, Aizawa, Manual, and a police officer with a dog mutation entered, each one wearing a mixture of relief and seriousness.

Aizawa was the first to speak. "Glad to see you're awake, Midoriya. We have a few things to discuss, but first, how are you feeling?"

"Better," Izuku said, putting the glass down and straightening up. "Just... a little sore."

Aizawa introduced the man with a somber tone, "This is Kenji Tsuragamae, the chief of police. He's here to discuss your involvement with the Hero Killer."

The room grew tense as Chief Tsuragamae stepped forward, his expression serious. "I'm here to review your statements regarding the fight with Stain and to discuss the consequences for your actions," he began. "Hawks has informed me that Midoriya received permission to use his quirk under special circumstances, given the situation."

Before he could finish, Iida interrupted, bowing his head deeply. "I will accept any punishment given."

Aizawa gave a nod. "The police have decided that U.A. will oversee your punishment, Iida." He turned back to Chief Tsuragamae.

The chief continued, "With Stain's defeat, another matter has surfaced—who will be credited for his capture. Given that you, Midoriya, were seen by civilians with Stain restrained, and considering the attention drawn by his speech, it's been decided that the credit will go to you."

"Eh?!" Izuku exclaimed, caught completely off guard.

Hawks stepped closer, giving Izuku a playful smirk, though his eyes showed concern. "You sure know how to get into trouble, don't you, Aether?"

After that, both Izuku and Iida gave a detailed account of their fight with Stain. Manual gave Iida a stern scolding, emphasizing the importance of thinking carefully before rushing into situations.

As the police officers and teachers began to leave, Hawks lingered a moment longer. "Call me when you're discharged, okay, Aether?" he said before heading out.

Once the three teens were alone, Izuku glanced at Shoto, who was still by his bedside. "Shouldn't you be at your internship?" he asked.

Shoto shrugged, crossing his arms. "I told Endeavor it could wait until I knew you'd woken up. Now I have to go back and deal with him again," he said, his expression sour.

After another day in the hospital, they were finally discharged. Hawks came to pick up Izuku, taking him back to his agency to gather his belongings. The one-week internship had come to an end, and though it hadn't gone as planned, Izuku knew he'd learned valuable lessons he wouldn't soon forget.