It felt good to say what he'd wanted to say to this monster ever since he saw what had become of his brother in the hospital.
Stain's tone as he spoke was unimpressed.
"That so? Time to die."
...
Iida felt his legs explode, as they always did when he kicked off, with a burst of flames from his exhaust pipes.
His kick produced a sonic boom as it came straight at Stain's chest.
It was a savage blow, the kind that would have caved in a normal man's lung.
Stain was in the air before it was halfway towards reaching him.
Iida blinked. Fast. Stain was really, damnably fast.
His thoughts about the ludicrous speed of his opponent, however, were suddenly interrupted, as Stains spiked boots slammed straight into his left arm with a wicked force.
Most of it was deflected by the armored parts of his costume. The rightmost spike though slammed straight into his soft, cloth-covered flesh.
The pain shot through Iida's and he instinctively moved in reaction to the blow… Which allowed Stain to easily slam the heel of his other for straight down, slamming him into the floor.
"Gaaahhh!"
"So weak."
The tone was harsh and contemptuous, and he followed it up by placing his foot upon Iida's head.
Then, as if to hammer in the point, he slammed his sword straight down into Iida's shoulder.
"ARGHH!!!"
The pain was insane, worse than anything Iida had ever experienced. He felt the moisture at the edge of his eyes. He blinked the emerging tears away bitterly, biting down the pain. This was no time to cry dammit!
"Both you… And your brother are weak… I did my research on him… A real poser he was… Just like you…"
Iida froze.
Then felt his anger and rage rise up once more, like the furnaces of hell! Despite the insane pain in his shoulder, and the boot planted firmly upon his head, he tried to force his face up just so that he could glare at his foe.
It didn't work though, as Iida's face was to the left, while the ne'er do well was standing on the opposite side of him, as all he got was a good look down the alley he had come down from.
"THAT'S why you attacked him? Because you didn't like his style?!"
Stain snorted.
"Fame... Glory… Cash… Your family is built upon your boundless greed for both recognition and money… A perfect example of-" "SHUT UP EVILDOER!"
Iida heard his voice break as he screamed, but he didn't care.
The idea that THIS was the reason why his brother had ended up as he had, overrode any sense of fear, reservation, or self-preservation he had left.
An image of his brother as he laid there, in that bed, his strong, amazing big brother…
"THE DAMAGE YOU DID TO HIS SPINAL CORD MEANS HE'S PROBABLY GONNA BE CRIPPLED FOR LIFE! EVEN IF HE GETS OUT OF A WHEELCHAIR, HE'LL NEVER BE A HERO AGAIN!"
To his great shame, he felt tears come to his eyes as he screamed. As he continued, he did so, desperately trying to hold back the tears with nothing but will alone.
"My brother… My brother saved so many people in his life…. He's a leader... He's a great hero."
Iida recalled memories of older days. Better days. Days of seeing his brother help others, both on tv, and in person.
Images of Iida Tensei in the prime of his life.
As Tenya would always remember him.
The man who had inspired him to be all he could be.
"He's my hero…" He felt his tears of rage and frustration just… Break through.
This man… This… ANIMAL… Had destroyed that man, for petty, stupid reasons.
"HE'S A GREAT HERO… WHO INSPIRED ALL MY DREAMS! I'LL KILL YOU FOR WHAT YOU DID TO HIM!!!"
"Try saving that guy first."
...What?
He blinked.
Though Iida couldn't see it, his enemy was now dramatically pointing at the third person involved in this little drama in this Japanese alleyway.
A pro hero called Native, who was currently lying paralyzed up against the wall.
"Forget about yourself for a second, and try saving others. That's what a hero does. Instead of trying to save this guy, you came into this alley set on murder and revenge."
Stain's tone, which was already pretty contemptuous, turned even more venomous as he continued.
"Getting trapped by your own selfish hate and personal needs… That makes you the furthest thing from a hero…"
Iida's mind spun. Was… Was this guy… This Monster was seriously trying to lecture him about what it meant to be a hero!? The very idea just made his anger burn even more intensely.
"S-SHUT UP!"
"And that… Is why you have to die."
In one surprisingly elegant motion, Stain ripped out the sword from Tenya's arm and brought it up so that the back end of the tip of the blade was right in front of his lips.
Iida was hit by such pain, that it made the previous pain seem like stubbing his toe, as the sharp blade was ripped out of all the nerve centers in his shoulder.
Then… Nothing. The pain ceased, along with any sense of touch in his body, as a force suddenly came over him. It was like weights suddenly were placed over his body, anchoring him in place, as absolutely everything below his neck suddenly became completely, and totally incapable of motion.
"Consider yourself a humble offering… To the betterment of society…"
"Thwack!"
Suddenly, the weight of Stains foot upon his head disappeared.
Iida blinked.
Behind him, he heard the sounds of Stain moving about.
Iida blinked through his tears of frustration, as his head was as if glued to one direction, his only line of sight being down the alleyway, from which he had come.
Down the corridor, flanked by bricks on both sides, and with a burning fire from the building on the opposite side of the street, walked a figure.
Tall, wide, contrasted by the light of the flames behind him, the man was dressed in armor lean as sin, the color a mixture of black as coal and red as blood.
Over his head, he had a cowl-like helmet of red, with blank, scarlet pupils, and over his forehead, two devil-like horns.
In his hand, he held a set of weird sticks, and though he didn't catch what it was that had caused it, he distinctly heard a "Click" from one of them.
"I'm going to have to ask you to step away from the lads."
His voice was growly, like concrete. His expression however was more neutral, as he looked at something behind Iida.
A Hero was Iida's first thought. Another hero had stumbled onto the scene of this crime, just as he had.
He had no idea who he was though. He had never seen this man before in his life. He certainly was not a ranked hero then.
"Daredevil… The Devil of Hell's Kitchen."
Stain's voice was… If not exactly revering, it was far, far more respectful than anything Iida had heard from his lips before now.
"Oh, you know me then? That would be a first for Nippon."
"Of course I know you… We were Kin once you and I… You were one of the greatest of our kind… Relics of this age... But I was weak… Indecisive and without conviction… You though… You were one of the great heroes of the clone saga… You helped save the world. And yet you sought no credit, no reward, no fame. A real hero."
Was that… Admiration in his voice? How could this… This bastard possibly feel admiration for a hero? And what did he mean by saying this man helped save the world? Iida had read up enough on the Clone Saga, and the players in that confusing drama that almost brought about the apocalypse, and he was certain that he had never once come across the name Daredevil.
The man snorted.
"Ranks, fame, and fortune have never interested me. Beating up those who prey on those weaker than themselves though…"
Then he charged.
...
If you want to read ahead of the public release, or just want to support me.
You can join my p atreon :
[email protected]/Huvnn