"The realization of ignorance

is the first act of knowing."

-Jean Toomer

"...Then give it up. It's not logical to continue doing something wrong just because you've invested a lot in it. You don't want to do it, right?"

It was a concept so simple, yet it wasn't at the same time. It's hard to keep an objective view on things, to cut your losses while you were ahead when you were in the thick of things. A good example would be a horror movie; when you're on the outside observing in, you aren't afraid-afraid. You know that you are safe and the thing on the screen is simply a fake produced by modern CGI and special effects. You can mock a certain character's dumbness, stare disinterestedly at the jump scares, cry when the dog inevitably dies, and even laugh as characters are being killed because you aren't there. You aren't being affected by the mind-numbing terror of real supernatural killers out for your throat.

It allows you to be objective, and recognize the simple solutions that may not immediately spring to mind like calling the police, or in more supernatural cases, standing your ground and stabbing the heinous monster with fire. Or maybe a talisman. Whatever floats your boat and stops you from plummeting into the sea below. In any case, it's because you aren't in the thick of it, that you can think.

And while the actual scenario is certainly not horror, the same principles apply.

'...Don't do it? It's not logical to continue doing something when it has already been proven wrong? ...To think it was that simple the whole time. I know revenge is not worth murder, I've been yelling at myself the whole time in fact, but stopping... Why did it never cross my mind? Still, if this is my ultimate decision... I may not be able to get true revenge for you. Although, I doubt you would have wished for it in the first place. I warped your ideals and wishes to have a reason to live. Now... No, this isn't the issue right now.'

An incredibly complicated look resurfaced on his face. Matters were never that simple, after all.

'...Can I even stop? While I've taken extensive steps to prevent Shigaraki from learning my identity, All for One does know who I am. To a certain extent, even Kurogiri knows as well. They need decently skilled combatants more than ever; they'd never let me go at any cost. I wouldn't put it past them to try and kill mom. Even if I can put up a fight, it wouldn't last very long... No matter what, I can't put mom at risk. I've already given her enough grief over the years. Is-... Is there really nothing that I can do?'

It was not easy to rescind a deal with the devil once it has already been made. But that does not mean that it is impossible. One just had to get... creative. No contract, even the otherwordly sort, has no loopholes available for the desperate to take advantage of.

'I'll have to think about it a little more, but there should be something. It's just a game of chess, in the end. There are just some extra rules.'

He looked up with eyes shining with the stars. If before they had a sense of hopelessness to them, they still had that, but now... There was direction. A magical dose of wisdom couldn't wash away all of the hardships, choices, and events that had shaped his personality into what it was today, but what it did do... It was enough.

"What you say is correct. Although my circumstances severely limit my options, there is a small chance."

"Then-"

Deku wryly shook his head back and forth at the ecstatic, robotic motions of the boy. Somehow, it looked like the speedy teen had grown attached to him. It might have been because of the whole rescue thing, but he needed higher standards as to who he chooses to look up to.

Seriously, a villain?

"The situation is never that simple, unfortunately. Even if I do manage to break away from it, it won't happen easily. Or in the near future. "

"I see... Thank you for helping me."

It was a simple phrase, but it was one that Deku hadn't heard in quite a long time. A genuine one, nonetheless. He couldn't help the small smile that blossomed on his face, shredding his previous indifferent and cruel impression in a second. It... was nice. It felt like he was finding something that he'd wanted to do for a very long time, and it had only just fallen into his grasp. Helping people.

(He never thought that he could have put the two words together and mean it. While referring to himself, even.)

"What do you plan on doing with... him?"

He caught the meaning of his words instantaneously, the smile unknowingly fading from his mouth. Stain... There was no correct answer with him. He was a murderer, nothing would change that. But he also killed for a cause, one that a person could argue the disadvantages of, as well as the advantages. His ideology made sense, in fact, it was a real issue that was glazed over before Stain came along. The corruption of the ideal hero.

Still, was that enough to justify murder? No matter how much these 'fakes' differed from the true hero, they were still saving people. Helping people. To kill simply because they didn't match your inner-most fantasies... What kind of person did you have to be to do that?

'No, I don't have any right to judge him. I'm clearly biased. Stain, you won't receive your judgment from me, or from heaven, but from a court of law. That is the best solution I can offer you... You'll be waking people up, although it won't be the way you envisioned it. I promise you that.'

"Turn him into the police. His fate will be decided by the court."

It was a minute twitch, but Deku had caught it. He had a great deal of experience when it came to unconscious opponents, seeing as that was his primary method of incapacitation. Before All for One had discovered his attempts, that is. Nowadays, every enemy was eliminated with a slash across the throat, but that didn't mean that he had lost his touch. Although he suspected he would have continued to be fooled if what he just said wasn't so shocking to the bloody killer.

"I know that you're awake."

The whole alleyway exploded into motion as a stab rushed up at breakneck speed. They had removed all of the Hero Killer's weapons from his unconscious self, but that didn't change the fact that he was dangerous. If a specific area of the body was hit with an impact of that level of strength and speed, it made no difference that he had no weapon. But that was only if it was an actual hit.

He lightly lowered his center of gravity, posturing his body in a horse stance, and swung. His interlocked joints and fingers came down faster than that of the stab and descended like a lightning bolt from the heavens. The impact forced whatever spit in his mouth to come out. The look of panic on his face when he realized that he couldn't breathe was almost amusing; for all the trouble Stain had caused, Deku wasn't a sadist.

"Calm down, you're only winded. I was forced to take more... extreme measures than I normally would, but you won't die."

"...Winded?"

The puzzled look on Iida's face gave him the urge to facepalm. The fact that Heroes (even ones in training) didn't know basic martial arts when they also refused to use guns was incredibly stupid, to Deku at least. Even if they weren't going to learn martial arts, couldn't they study up on some basic first aid and common injuries? The medical workers weren't exactly renowned for their speed.

"Well, to put it simply, it's a hard impact near the diaphragm. If you know anything about anatomy, you'll know that the diaphragm basically expands and contracts your lungs. That punch I just gave him targeted the nerves in his stomach. Right about now, it should be spasming rather painfully. I'm sure you can guess the rest."

"He can't breathe at all?!"

Deku's eyes narrowed. He really was a hero, wasn't he? To get concerned about an opponent he wanted to kill just a few moments ago.

(That was a part of him that would probably never return. It was sad that despite returning to the right path, he could never be the same again. At the same time, it was... relieving. He couldn't forget or run from his crimes. If he eventually devolved into someone like that, he wouldn't be able to handle it.)

"Don't get too excited, but yes, that's the gist of it. It's one of the most unpleasant things a human can experience because there is no actual problem with your esophagus. You breathe and breathe, but it doesn't matter since your lungs hardly inflate. Gradually, you begin to panic because you can't breathe well, despite how much air you're inhaling. But he's committed murder. Surely this much is withstandable."

The look of betrayal Iida sent his way was almost a sucker punch on its own. He suddenly felt like it was hard to breathe.

"...It seems I don't match up to your idealistic fantasy of me, huh?" He didn't mean to say it like that, but he always had been incredibly blunt when he shouldn't be. He felt like a scumbag when Iida got a 'sucker punch' of his own. "Sorry, I could have phrased that better. It's just... I'm not a good person. I ceased to be that a long time ago, and to be honest, it's probably not going to change. It's a bit too late for that."

He drew closer to the now almost hyperventilating killer. He threw out a few rudimentary stabs, but Deku easily avoided them. No matter how 'elite' a person was, when encountering something out of their depth, the response was almost always the same. Panic. The debilitating feeling of not being able to breathe was terrifying. Sometimes, though, people managed to get their act together. Deku wasn't one to loosen his guard, however, and he certainly wasn't going to start doing so now.

"If you want to breathe, get in a crouching position. Your muscles will relax with time, and your diaphragm should begin to work again in no sooner than 15 minutes. If it's longer than that, we'll be in trouble. Still, I doubt that blow was enough to severely damage your respiratory or abdominal muscles. Once you can breathe, I'll be taking you to the police. I'm sure you're aware of how much mercy I'm giving you, right?"

His shaking form crouched down to the ground. Relief flooded his body as he felt the spasms slightly decrease in intensity.

Deku's eyes flashed a brilliant shade of red, not quite the shade of blood, but more of a binding promise. A red string.

"Normally, you'd be dead, no questions asked. If you put up a fuss on the way there, I don't mind sending you on a VIP tour of hell. Permanently, of course. Needless to say, if you're dead, you can't wake up the world. There are still many things you can do from a prison cell, but if I kill you now, no-one will know. Your life will be a waste as your legacy fades into obscurity. I'm sure you know the right answer."

A shaky nod, one that might have just been caused by his current condition plaguing him was his only reply. He took it as his answer anyway. He slowly moved away from the Hero Killer, not particularly inclined on staying near him longer than necessary. He was still incredibly dangerous, even in the condition he was currently in. Still, his weapons were confiscated. He wasn't nearly as threatening as before. Deku sighed.

"...Were you really going to kill him?"

The question, which was more of whisper to oneself, was barely caught by Deku's ears. He answered anyway.

"No. I don't like killing, and if it's not life or death, I don't do it."

"Then-..."

"Yup, it was just a bluff. I do have to turn him in, after all. If I can reduce the fuss to a minimum, I might as well."

Minutes passed by, only occasionally interrupted by wheezing coughs and desperate gasps of air. It was a melody of maladies and ailments. It was not your usual music by any stretch of the imagination, and listening only brought unease, not joy. This 'concert' was amplified by the silence, as each unspoken word or hesitant glance augmented the discomfort. It was in this ensemble that an audience member stood up, and lept onto the stage.

"You're breathing is normal. I'll have to knock you out now, Stain."

The man struggled like a beast; thrashing and fumbling around, mad bloodlust circling in the air. If this were a novel, Stain would miraculously regain his strength and put up a final stand. But that wasn't the case here. Stain, while having an excellent physique, was only human and had a finite amount of stamina. Fighting a long and tiring battle, then having to deal with an inability to breathe would exhaust anyone beyond all compare. Furthermore, his muscles were oxygen-starved, only a bare amount saved that was capable of supporting his brain and other vital organs. Of course, a cornered beast was still dangerous, so Deku waded through the bloodlust with intense caution.

In the end, it was almost anti-climatic with how easily he was felled via a simple chop to the neck, but all Deku felt was relief.

It was then that Iida chose to spoke the words that he had carefully selected and pondered over for the entire duration of the wait.

"...I believe that you are a good person. A little rough around the edges, a little rotten in places, but ultimately... Ultimately, you do not give yourself enough credit, that is what I believe. You made the best of a bad situation, and I believe that is commendable. Even... Even if you do not align with justice. I have only realized this recently, but the world isn't cleanly separated into good and evil. Nor hero or villain. I myself am a particularly good example, although it hurts to admit it."

He lightly paused, a certain phrase stuck to the tip of his tongue. Regardless, he choked them out anyway.

"I apologize for all of the physical and mental anguish you have dealt with while helping me."

A warm feeling blossomed in his heart, a feeling of relief. To think that despite his blunted words, he chose to rid himself of his ego and pride to pursue what he simply thought was right? Although he was not deserving of such praise, to be fully honest. Regardless, the nice feeling made a return. If he had to put a word to it... Fulfiled? Gracious? None really matched, but he couldn't bring himself to care.

If he had to pick then-

"You're welcome. To be honest, it was only what a hero-, no, a decent human being should have done... Farewell."

-at peace, perhaps?