Chapter 18: Returns and Surprises
After Bakugo and his friends had their little 'intervention' with him, Izuku had tried, really tried, not to overwork himself. He had even been managing to eat most days, and had opened up with Hound Dog in their most recent session. His suspicions were confirmed when the counselor told him that he had known Izuku hadn't been telling him everything, but had simply been waiting for him to feel comfortable enough to confide his real feelings. It was still an alien concept to Izuku, being surrounded by actually competent teachers and counselors, ones who caredno less, and he had broken down in the hero's comfortable office for nearly half an hour at that prospect alone.
There were still things he couldn't talk about though; even though Mirio had told him the staff knew about All Might's injury and time limit, he didn't feel comfortable discussing it behind his idol's back. Besides that, the emptiness in him that seemed to ache from time to time had grown much worse since the USJ, and now with his work being evaluated in the hands of Recovery Girl and some team of anonymous doctors, he had very little to distract himself from the creeping phantom sensations that would pull at his soul.
He had tried simply flexing parts of his gear, even practicing with it during his free periods, but nothing seemed to dull the not-quite-pain that he felt inside. Then there were the nightmares, horrible half-visions of red and black lightning and the Nomu's gaping maw, mixing together and dissolving in a storm of dust and ash. They kept him up most nights now, despite his best efforts and some handy sleeping pills. Maybe I should try to synthesize a version of Midnight's gas, he thought as the last of the students trickled in and silently took their seats with three minutes until class began.
Currently his feeling of exhaustion was being held at bay by both excitement and fear; it was Wednesday morning and Aizawa was due to return to teaching. Despite his lack of sleep, he was determined to be wide awake to receive what he was sure would no doubt be the chewing out of a lifetime from his teacher for his actions at the USJ. Hopefully he would leave the room alive and still enrolled at UA, but with Aizawa, nothing was a certainty. That was part of what he found so engaging about his teacher and his drive to push them all to be better.
Izuku had been awed by Eraserhead ever since his diagnosis at four, holding the hero in almost equal measure to All Might, and though it seemed the man had little love for him, Izuku was overjoyed to be learning from him. His methods were harsh, his standards exacting, and his materials challenging. In short, the teacher Aizawa was every bit as competent as the hero Eraserhead, and the fact that he pushed Izuku to fulfill his potential was something no other teacher had ever been able to do. Even Saito-sensei, the one teacher he had trusted and liked at Aldera, had never been able to really teach him anything, or help him to discover something really new about himself.
With Aizawa however, things were different, better, and the fact that he had likely lost his idol's trust with his actions at the USJ stung badly. For all that and more, he would take whatever punishment and dressing-down his teacher would give him, and he would learn from it, and improve. He owed it to the man who saw potential in him, and who didn't treat him any differently than the others for his quirklessness.
Broken out of his thoughts by the door sliding open, Izuku met Aizawa's eyes as the hero stalked into the room, his red glare on full display as he smiled dangerously at the sight of a silent and orderly classroom. He now sported a small scar beneath one eye, but otherwise he seemed unharmed and more well-rested than any of the students had seen him before. He had even shaved.
"Morning. You're all ready before the bell rang, and you're sitting quietly. Good, seems you're picking up on how to be more rational. Take this as a lesson, by the way, it's important to take the proper time to recover if you've been injured. You're training to be heroes, not martyrs, so don't let me catch wind of any of you trying to hide injuries or trying to power through when you shouldn't. There's a time and a place for that, and it's on the battlefield and nowhere else. That being said, I trust Kayama-sensei has kept you all up to date, and has informed you all about the sports festival?" A chorus of assent and well-wishes rang out at that, and Aizawa gave a small smile to the inside of his scarf while he scowled with his eyes.
"Good, then I trust none of you have been slacking off in your studies either. Let's not waste any more time; we're starting today's heroics lecture early, so get your notes and pay attention."
Izuku listened dutifully as Aizawa gave the morning's lesson, copying down almost word for word what the man said into his notebook. The focus of the lecture primarily seemed to be on the importance of intelligence work and reconnaissance, as well as how privacy laws affected heroes' ability to operate in such a capacity. It seemed a number of more aggressive legal doctrines had been implemented during the past ten years which had further blurred the line between the police and heroes, and had somewhat eroded the necessity of warrants. Something about that sat poorly with Izuku, but he also found himself wondering if there might have been a subtext to the lesson that wasn't quite being conveyed.
Realization struck quickly, and Izuku pulled one of his analysis journals from his bag while continuing to listen to his teacher. Flicking through the pages carefully, he found the notes he had written during his tests for healing quirks, and paged through the many entries until he found the section for his fellow first years. A number of students from 1-B were recorded, notably Tokage and a boy named Shoga, as well as the American Tsunotori, but there were a few general studies students as well. This was only one journal, but it was likely that he had entries for a good number of the other students in some of his research notes. With any luck, Izuku would be able to use his analyses to his advantage during the sports festival, and by the same token, would be underestimated by his competitors for his quirklessness.
"Midoriya, the statute that established the professional hero system in America was called what?" intoned Aizawa, causing Izuku to look up at him.
"The Rhode Island New State Statute, sir," he replied. Aizawa nodded and turned to face the whiteboard, writing out the name of the law and a number of its key points.
"As most of you should be aware, the hero systems of today are derived from the early prototype in America, which recognized a number of vigilantes as professional heroes. What is more often overlooked is the establishment of the underground hero system. What we've covered so far, the laws on privacy and warrants and information gathering such as they are, that's how your spotlight heroes go about it, and that's who these rules apply to." He stepped back from the board and gave the class a once over, his eyes lingering on Koda, Hagakure, and Jirou in particular.
"Any of you who would want to avoid the spotlight for one reason or another should carefully consider if underground heroics might be a path you want to pursue. You'll lose out on the glitz and glamour but you'll be free to operate with fewer restrictions and you'll be able to work on issues that spotlight heroes never confront. I won't lie to you; it's dangerous, undervalued, ugly work, but if you can live with that and with not being recognized by the public, you can accomplish a lot. Just consider that while you're preparing for the sports festival, and think about the kind of attention you might attract during it." The chime signalling the end of their first period sounded then, and Izuku wondered if Aizawa had timed his speech to match for effect.
The rest of their classes for the day proceeded quite normally, and Izuku almost thought that Aizawa had decided to simply ignore him when he called out to him at the end of the final period before lunch. Receiving a number of worried looks, Izuku waved away his friends as they shuffled out before standing and making his way to his teacher's desk. Not wanting to seem like he was trying to avoid the consequences of his actions, Izuku held off on his apology so as not to preempt his teacher. The man was looking at him appraisingly, but not harshly.
"Problem Child," he drawled, sounding somehow both more energetic and more tired than normal. "Before I came back I was told you had been overworking yourself and that you had finally stopped; is there a reason you look more like the walking dead than I normally do?" Izuku stared at his teacher in confusion. Did he just make a joke? "Problem Child?" Izuku startled and looked at his teacher blankly for a moment before answering.
"I, uh, aren't you going to yell at me?" He mumbled out. It was Aizawa's turn to give him a blank look, before shaking his head and letting out a sigh.
"Problem Child, I'm not going to say what you did at the USJ wasn't stupid, but you're a hero student; I'd be more surprised if you hadn't jumped in, and for what it's worth, I probably would have done the same thing in your shoes. It's the school's duty to teach you how to engage in those kinds of situations, safely, and you shouldn't have been put into such a spot to begin with. On that front, UA has failed you, and I promise you that both I and the school will do better by all of you to make sure you're never put into danger like that again until you're trained and ready." Izuku looked at him dumbfounded. Of all the things he had expected, it was not to be on the receiving end of an apology.
"B-but I, y-you said to e-e-evacuate and I, I went b-back in…" Aizawa huffed before looking over him again.
"I didn't say what you did wasn't stupid, in fact, I believe I just said the opposite. What I'm telling you, Midoriya, is that any fault for what happened at the USJ is not yours to bear, and for what it's worth, I'm pretty sure you've been beating yourself up over it way too hard anyways." Izuku nodded mutely, something that was becoming a bit of a habit for him of late. "So that being said, why do you seem so tired? I recall giving a talk this morning about taking the time to recover, so why aren't you sleeping? Did you take up another project after you gave the first one to Recovery Girl?"
Izuku blanched, suddenly feeling the weight of both his teacher's concern, and his own exhaustion settling on his shoulders. He slumped forward a little bit, his backpack suddenly seeming much heavier, even with his higher than average strength.
"I, I'm doing b-better than I was, and I'm not o-overworking myself anymore. But I've been h-having nightmares, and w-when I get them, I feel sick f-for a while after. I'm t-talking about it w-with Hound Dog, and it's h-helping a bit, but it's taking a while. I'm sorry, Aizawa-sensei, I'll do better, I p-promise." The teacher stared at him for a moment, his expression unreadable before his eyes softened.
"You eat breakfast this morning, Problem Child?" Izuku shook his head, not trusting himself to speak in that moment. He felt ashamed at his weakness, and worse, he knew he was being irrational about it. And he was being irrational in front of one of his personal heroes no less, a man who valued rationality above all else! "Follow me kid, I think I've got something that'll help. Always helps me, anyways." With that the hero stood from his desk abruptly and strode purposefully out of the room, Izuku trailing close behind.
A minute's walk saw them arrive at the faculty office, with Aizawa ushering him inside and moving over to one of the desks and rummaging around inside it for a minute.
"C'mon, I know it's in here...son of a bitch Hizashi I swear if you took it...the hell is this? A note from Nemuri...ah, found you," he grumbled, tossing things behind him as he went. He bent up from the desk a moment later, a deep green bundle of nylon in his hands. He tossed it towards Izuku, who despite his tiredness caught it easily and looked down at it. It was a sleeping bag. "Go ahead and lie down on the couch for now, kid."
Slightly embarrassed but not daring to disagree or object, Izuku did as he was told, unfurling the sleeping bag and laying it down on one of the two couches that sat across from each other at a low table. He hesitated a moment before climbing inside and zipping it up, surprised at how warm, soft, and comfortable the thing was. Aizawa suddenly appeared in front of him, holding two of the gel pouches he favoured. He tore the top off one with his teeth before unscrewing the other properly and handing it to Izuku.
"What've you got after lunch, kid?" Izuku drank from the juice pack, surprised at the pleasant flavor and how easily it went down. He felt his eyelids begin to droop as he answered.
"Math with Ectoplasm-sensei," he mumbled. Aizawa smirked at him.
"Are you learning anything in that class right now?" Too tired to deflect, Izuku answered bluntly.
"No, just how other people do integrals. It's inefficient…" His teacher laughed at that, and Izuku noticed the man had cocooned himself in his own yellow sleeping bag at some point, and was sitting on the couch opposite him.
"Alright then, get some rest, I want you feeling alright for foundational heroics this afternoon. I think you'll like today's lesson."
"Okay...Thank you...Aizawa-sensei...I really appreci-" Izuku fell asleep mid-sentence, something Aizawa himself had done once or twice. Shaking his head, the pro smiled lightly before closing his eyes and leaning back. This kid , he thought, a touch fondly. Brat always thinks of others before himself, doesn't he? Shirakumo would have liked him. Hopefully I can teach him some self-preservation before his bad habits stick. He almost let himself fall asleep when a sudden thought struck him and his eyes slammed open.
The rat gave me that sleeping bag two months ago. How the hell did he know?
As it turned out, his afternoon heroics class focused on a topic Izuku held near and dear; information gathering and analysis. If Aizawa's point hadn't been made during the morning lecture, then the class that afternoon made it painfully obvious that his teacher wanted the class to scope out its competition before the festival. Even with All Might's reassurance that such practices were essential for heroes to be proficient in, some had seemed hesitant. An especially unwilling Kirishima had decried the idea as unmanly and Iida found himself questioning the sportsmanship of such a tactic. Still, there were a good few students who took the lesson to heart.
Izuku had considered trying to form some kind of mutually beneficial information sharing network with his like-minded peers, which included Shoji, Kaminari, Hagakure, and surprisingly Ashido. Ultimately however he had dropped the idea, knowing that each may have ended up being competition to the others, and that he stood relatively little to gain by partnering with any of his classmates.
Nejire had been serving as the class's TA that afternoon, demonstrating an adeptness for stealth and observation that many of the students were surprised by. Bakugo had snorted and reminded Izuku that he had caught the girl spying on them, but had otherwise been quietly attentive. While he certainly didn't have a comfortable relationship with Izuku's mentors, things were definitely less frosty between them after he had come to them for help with the boy.
On the subject of his mentors, it hadn't escaped him that they had all been more watchful around him lately, even going so far as to induct Iida and Uraraka into their unofficial inner circle. Nejire had maintained her quiet surveillance on his way to and from school, but had been a bit more touchy lately, playing with his hair when it was just the four of them together, and asking even more questions than was normal for her. It was pleasantly reassuring.
Tamaki had approached him at lunch once or twice despite the older boy's obvious discomfort at the crowded lunchroom, and offered him a bento that he had clearly put a lot of time into making. Pork had been the main attraction, but the vegetables and rice had obviously been prepared and arranged with a great deal of care. He had even made sure Izuku ate it all before he left, his almost-smile seeming quite genuine and not at all forced at the time.
Iida and Uraraka had begun asking him for more and more assistance after class, even though Izuku was sure the pair didn't really need it. He enjoyed their company however, and if he were being honest with himself, he would admit that the easy distraction of walking the two through their math lessons of the day kept his mind from straying to unhappy places. Iida especially put up a poor front of needing his help, but Izuku was still touched by his friend's sentiment.
Mirio and Mei had both been surprisingly absent the last week or so, Mei burrowed into the support lab working on something or other, and Mirio apparently wrapped up in training the new aspect of his quirk. From the few times Izuku had seen him, he had appeared frustrated, and had gained a number of scars on his arms. He hadn't been able to catch his friend to ask him about it properly yet, but he had been meaning to for a while. It came as some surprise then when Mirio had popped out of the ground in his hero suit just as the final bell rang for the day, and had wrapped him up in a bone crushing embrace. Izuku was still wearing his costume at the time however, armor and all, so Mirio had ended up setting him down gingerly and rubbing his arms from where they had pressed into the unyielding metal.
"Izuku, you're looking better little bro! Did you have a good day?" Izuku's blinding smile was answered by Mirio's own, and the students who hadn't immediately made for the locker rooms practically had to avert their gazes.
"Yeah, it was. I got a nap in today," he said, before adding quietly, "and I didn't have any nightmares this time." He resumed his normal speaking volume. "Between that and how helpful everyone's been this last week, I'm feeling like I've got most of my energy back!" He felt his face fall as he spoke, glancing at the pale marks that covered Mirio's hands. "I haven't seen you or Mei so much this week, I was wondering about what's going on, and if you're okay?"
"Ah Izuku, it's fine, don't worry, just training really hard is all! And besides, Mei has been super busy, which is why I'm here now, cause she's got a surprise that you're gonna love!"
"Don't deflect; you had to give me a talk about overworking, don't think I won't give you one." Mirio smiled at him and ruffled his hair good naturedly before he grabbed his arm and gently tugged him towards the support lab. Izuku's feeble protests about needing to change out of his costume were ignored as they continued on, passing a number of students from all three years as they went.
It seemed Mirio knew everyone as he called out warm greetings to people Izuku had never seen before, which was especially impressive considering he had been cataloguing the quirks of a good portion of the school not even two weeks prior. He resolved to ask his friend about it later, thinking it might be helpful to know how Mirio seemed to make friends with everyone so easily. There was no time for that at present, however, as they had arrived at the support classroom.
The poor door was more scorched than before, and was dented outwards in several places where it had been struck by student projects gone awry, with most of them likely having been Mei's. Still, the door was on its hinges and the sign above the classroom was in its proper place with only a modicum of scorch marks around it, so at least it seemed Mei was getting a better handle on not blowing things up.
"Hold on just a second Izuku," smirked Mirio, phasing his head and upper body through the wall. There were the sounds of a few muffled shrieks and what sounded like Power-Loader yelling before Izuku was able to make out the distant sound of Mei's voice. She yelled something unintelligible and suddenly Mirio was back beside him, grinning even wider than normal as he yanked the door to the support lab open.
"There you are," yelled Mei from across the room, slamming her hand down onto her workbench. The other support students dove for cover as a cable suddenly shot out from the inventor's direction, whistling as it flew through the lab. It exploded into a net that wrapped around Izuku entirely, and the boy found himself yanked off his feet and being reeled in towards the cackling girl. "Baby number two hundred fifteen point four, derived from my wire arrow, it's the new and improved capture cable!"
"Hatsume!" Yelled Power Loader, stomping over. "You cannot literally rope in clients...but thank you for not blowing anything up this time. Hey kid, did she hurt you - oh, hello again Midoriya. I don't suppose you're here to trade spots with the demon this time?"
"Uh, no, but I don't really know why I'm here at all, I was just trying to get changed after class and then Mirio came and got me." He struggled against the net, finding it surprisingly heavier than he would have at first assumed. It wouldn't have held him for long of course, but against someone of average strength, it would have proven quite inconvenient. Thankfully the point was moot, as Mei slapped a button on her workbench once again, and the net released its hold.
"Togata, care to explain why you're kidnapping first years and making it my problem?" With his face obscured by his helmet as it was, Izuku couldn't tell if the teacher was being serious or not, though the slight lilt in his voice made him think that the man was kidding.
"Sure," Mirio supplied energetically. "Hatsume-chan has been working on a special piece of equipment for Izuku's gear, and it's finally ready!" The boy in question perked up immediately, his curiosity winning out over his slight annoyance.
"Mei, you built a new piece without me? That's so cool! You must have worked really hard on your biology studies and quirk analysis skills to do that. Oh, what quirk did you use as the basis for it, did you use some of the new notes I took, I hope you didn't overwork yourself, I've already got to yell at Mirio later because he's being stupid like I was, and, oh, I'm muttering again aren't I, darn it, I thought I broke that habit already but-" a hand on his shoulder broke him out of his muttering. Mei looked at him critically, her yellow telescopic eyes zooming in towards his bright green ones, searching for something.
"Alright, you seem well enough for this, so brace yourself, for my best baby yet!" The calculating look disappeared to be replaced by the inventor's usual manic energy, a fire burning behind her eyes. She grabbed him by the wrist and dragged Izuku into one of the adjacent test rooms, a concrete cube covered in scorch marks filled with cameras, automated extinguishers, and blast padding everywhere. It seemed being dragged along by his friends was going to be his primary mode of transportation today, he thought with a weary sigh.
"Mei, can you please let me walk with you instead of dragging me along?" She shook her head at him.
"Nope, can't trust you not to bolt, you remember how we met at the beach after all, right Mr. Runaway?" He groaned in response.
"I thought we were past this Mei," he objected. She simply tightened her grip around his arm and led him over to a hard shelled crate resting atop a folding table at one end of the room. The table was dipping in the middle under the weight of whatever was in there, and Izuku suddenly was feeling both excited and nervous. "Mei...what did you make?" She turned on him, cackling as she did so.
"I present to you, a much deserved addition to your arsenal, and the reason I had Togata-kun kidnap you while you were still in costume!" She swept her free arm towards the case grandly, still cackling before releasing him and giving Izuku a playful shove towards the box. He reached out hesitantly for the lid, wary of both sudden explosions and the possibility that whatever was inside wouldn't explode, but would somehow be even more terrifying. Gingerly, taking it in both hands, he lifted the top off the container and stared inside, eyes widening at the sight of the gleaming objects within.
"Is that…" he trailed off, disbelieving. Mirio was looking on happily from the doorway, absolutely positive that Izuku would be forgetting about his own condition when faced with the reality of Hatsume's creation.
"Sure is little bro; you wouldn't believe how hard she worked on it. She even had me borrow some of your design books and quirk notes so she could 'fix your designs' and have it ready by the sports festival, since you weren't gonna be able to do it yourself in time." Mirio and Mei both barely had time to react as Izuku unconsciously activated the jets in his shoulder armor and blazed over to the two of them before he wrapped the pair up together as he sobbed out his gratitude.
"I, I don't know w-what I ever did to deserve you guys," he wailed, a happy, dopey look peeking out from behind the waterworks. Mei felt her breath begin to leave her as he squeezed his friends together even harder than before. Izuku had certainly become much more tactile recently, that was for sure. "T-thank you both, s-so much."
"So, you gonna stop being all mopey and shit now?" queried Mei, a smirk playing at her features, though her eyes were soft. "You're gonna have to practice with these a lot if you want to use them right. I've got my own design ready for the sports festival, so you better be ready by then to see who built it better!" Izuku nodded so fast his head became a blur of green as he made promise after promise to practice every day.
Mirio was content to leave after that, glad that Izuku would have something to occupy his mind before the festival. Before he could get out the door of the support lab however, he heard a sudden rush of wind behind him, and felt something grab hold of his cape. Turning sheepishly to look back at Izuku, he rubbed the back of his own head, unintentionally mirroring the younger boy's nervous gesture.
"We have not talked about what happened to your arms yet, Togata-san," said Izuku levelly, fixing him with a look that would have been intimidating if it was on anyone else. Unfortunately for Izuku, Mirio had the ultimate 'get-out-of-trouble-free' card, which he decided to use at that moment.
"Oh would you look at the time, Sir needs me...somewhere, to uh...POWER!" He phased, his cape going intangible in Izuku's grasp and falling through the floor along with the rest of him as Mirio gave off a cheeky salute before disappearing from view entirely.
Izuku sat back and huffed. They would be having words over that later, but Mirio had chosen an excellent time to run away. Even as concerned as he was for his friend, he knew the boy could handle himself, even if it was hurting him. Besides, he had more immediately pressing matters that required his attention. Pulling the door shut behind him, he walked back through the support lab towards the testing room, very eager to get started.
An hour later, and with several promises from Mei and even a slightly exasperated Power Loader that he would be able to come back as much as he needed before the sports festival to practice, a bruised and battered Izuku walked down the front steps of UA feeling positively giddy. The guilt was still there, even if he knew that feeling it as keenly as he was, was irrational. Logically, he knew that the attack and its consequences weren't his fault, but he wasn't a Vulcan. He couldn't just suppress his emotions; he had tried doing that with the work, and had only almost ended up hurting himself as a result.
The day's events coupled with his friends' efforts over the past week had certainly helped though, and with both his surprisingly restful nap and Mei's unexpected gift, he was feeling the best he had since the attack. His day only improved further when he spotted Iida and Uraraka waving at him from the bottom of the stairs, but he was puzzled as to why they were still at school nearly an hour after the final class.
"Midoriya, it is good to see you! We had hoped we might run into you before we headed home, as we have greatly enjoyed your company on our walks to the station!" Iida continued to move robotically, even after school, but he had seemed to relax at least a little bit. Uraraka meanwhile seemed much more at ease, and practically bounced over to Izuku as he reached the final steps.
"Deku-kun, it's really good to see you looking happy again - is that blood?" She peered up at his face for a moment before rustling in her bag and extracting a handkerchief. She stepped closer to him and he felt his face heat up as she splashed a bit of water from her bottle onto the cloth before dabbing tenderly at the cut on his face. She looked him over a bit longer, seemingly failing to notice his flustered state, before smiling and folding up the hankie. Iida it seemed was as unconcerned by her sudden closeness to Izuku as she herself was.
"Training even after school is most commendable Mirodirya! I am glad to see you devoting yourself wholeheartedly to your preparations for the sports festival!" The other boy's interjection seemed to draw him out of his confusion, and he regarded Iida quizzically.
"Wait, why are the both of you here so late? You weren't waiting for me were you?" Iida kept a straight face, but Uraraka looked away from him suspiciously quickly and began to tap her fingers together.
"Well, um, we both wanted to walk back with you like normal, but Bakugo said you wouldn't be done for a while, and well, Iida and I both wanted to get some extra work in on Japanese literature, so we decided to study for an hour and see if you would be done by then!" She waved her hands theatrically, now a little flustered herself. "But you shouldn't worry about it or anything, we wouldn't have stayed if we didn't have a reason to besides waiting, so please don't feel bad about it Deku-kun."
Izuku smiled, already feeling great despite being a bit banged up from testing his new equipment, touched by the sentiment on display. Secretly, he had feared that after his breakdown his friends would have begun to distance themselves from him, like the others had done at Aldera after he was outed as being quirkless. Instead, he had found that everyone had been understanding, only wanting to make him feel better after he had hit seeming rock-bottom. Unable to contain how happy he was, Izuku blurted out what he was thinking.
"You guys are gonna be the best heroes, you know that?" Uraraka blushed furiously and Iida beamed, though a dusting of pink also rose to his cheeks. Something occurred to Izuku then, and he was reminded of his own doubts as to his motivations. "Say, Uraraka, Iida, I don't think I've ever asked you. Why do you two want to be heroes?"
Uraraka immediately stiffened, one arm coming up to rub the back of her head while her brows knitted together as she glanced to the side, an altogether different blush suddenly covering her already rosy cheeks.
"W-well, ultimately I guess I want to be a hero because it...pays well." Izuku stared at her blankly while Iida seemed only a little confused as he spoke.
"You want to be a hero...for the money?"
"I mean, ultimately, yeah...I do." She brought her face to her hands then, eyes downcast as she seemingly awaited the judgement of her friends. "Sorry, I know how it seems," she said with a quaver to her voice, "and it's pretty embarrassing considering Iida's drive to help others like his brother…" Iida, it seemed, was having none of the doubt that Uraraka seemed to be feeling, and began wildly gesticulating in his signature stiff motions.
"Uraraka, please, there's nothing wrong with seeking a better lifestyle! Perhaps it is a tad unexpected, but when one considers that many heroes like my own family come from a...relatively privileged position, it becomes much easier to seem noble in our motives as a result!" Uraraka brought both hands up behind her head and played with her hair, refusing to meet the eyes of her friends as she continued.
"Well, you see, uhm, my family is in construction but...things aren't going too well. Originally, I wanted to get a license for my quirk to help my parents cut costs, but my dad didn't want me to. He told me that he'd be happier if I made my own dreams come true, and that someday we'd all go on a vacation to Hawaii together." She clutched at her uniform skirt, looking for all the world like a person troubled by a heart that cared too much, the echo of a watery eyed yet hopeful child shining through her suddenly determined expression. "And my dream changed a bit. Someday, I want to be a hero that saves other heroes! But I still want to be able to support my parents doing it, so I guess that makes me kind of selfish, huh?"
"That's not selfish at all, Uraraka!" Izuku shouted, in sudden awe of his classmate. She looked at him flabbergasted, while beside him Iida voiced his support for Izuku's claim. "Think about it, there's lots of ways you could make money; like you said, you could have done construction with your quirk, or you could have become a lawyer, or a real estate agent, or an office worker. But you didn't choose any of those careers, even though they also make a lot of money; you choose a career that lets you help other people! Who cares if you get paid to do it; firefighters, paramedics, police, doctors, all of them get paid really well, so why should it be any different for a hero!"
"I must concur with Midoriya, Uraraka!" clapped Iida beside him, an enormous smile splitting his usually serious face. "Your motivations for being compensated are not only completely understandable; they are downright inspiring as well! You have chosen to pursue a dangerous path when easier options presented themselves to you, because it is what both you and your parents wanted for you. It is hardly easy to choose a life of service to others, but the fact that you have done so is extremely laudable!"
Uraraka was practically vibrating at all the praise, her entire face turning crimson as she peeked out at the two between her hands, pinkies held away from her to avoid accidentally floating herself. Izuku felt his heart flutter a bit at the sight, and soon found himself giggling. Uraraka hesitantly joined him while Iida simply smiled at the two, and it was with a happy energy and easy conversation springing up between them that the trio finally departed the campus that day. Though Izuku missed the increasingly normal presence of Bakugo, he was glad that he could say his circle of friends had expanded to include the two he was walking with.
None of them noticed the black sedan that followed them from the gates of UA to the train station, or the government plates the vehicle sported.
Chapter 19: Lunchtime Chats and Personal Doubts
There was only one week remaining before the festival, and to say that Izuku was beginning to grow concerned was putting things mildly. He was improving his proficiency with his new gear, but at nowhere near the rate he had been hoping for. Most days, Iida and Uraraka had waited patiently for him to finish up his hour of extra training at the close of the school day, and had usually been able to refrain from commenting on the many cuts and bruises he emerged covered in every afternoon.
His lessons with Nezu and Yaoyorozu had been progressing as well, though in the week leading up to the festival, the principal had lightened both of their workloads considerably. Increasingly, he had found it much easier to talk to his fellow student, and her additions to his analysis were proving most insightful. In turn, he was able to assist her with potential quirk applications that she had not considered before, and it wasn't long before she had begun to join him and his expanding group of friends at their lunch table. Having another voice of quiet reason at their table was a plus too.
"Do you think Principal Nezu will have us do any more scouting, the kind Aizawa-sensei said we should be doing, before the festival, Midoriya?" He was walking with his friends to the cafeteria, Uraraka to his right and Bakugo to his left while Yaoyorozu and Iida walked a little ways behind them all. It was still strange, seeing Bakugo interact almost normally with his classmates, and it was even stranger thinking of him as his friend again, but it was evident that the boy was at least trying.
"Tch, don't see why principal rat-face thinks you two should be doing extra work before the festival, even if Deku is a fucking turbo-nerd. You two are gonna have to bring your all, same as everyone else."
"Bakugo, such language is unbecoming of a UA student," interjected Iida, his usual robotic motions taking over as he chastised the offender.
"Fuck you too, Glasses! Just cause you're not doing extra work doesn't mean it's right for brainiacs one and two to be at a disadvantage." Yaoyorozu seemed aghast at the exchange while Uraraka giggled into her hand and Izuku rolled his eyes and heaved a heavy sigh.
"Kacchan, you're third in marks and not that far off from Yaoyorozu-san, I'm sure principal Nezu would be willing to add you to the extra lessons if you wanted," Izuku offered, hoping to appease his irate friend somewhat. He had learned that putting himself down or even being modest about his own abilities as he had done so often in the past was something which Bakugo very much disliked. However, by the same token, acknowledging his friend's own strength and abilities on their own was something that was almost always well received.
"I just fucking said I don't need extra work before the fucking sports festival!" Small explosions crackled from his palms, and Izuku sighed again before just nodding his head in acceptance. "Tch, maybe I can help you with your fucking extra homework or whatever though, you god damn nerd. I can't have you using it as an excuse when I crush you in the sports festival."
Instinct told him to back down, to not challenge his friend. It was a bad instinct, he knew that now, ten years of hell having ingrained it into him. While Bakugo might have outwardly said he didn't want to be challenged, truthfully someone challenging him was one of the only things that would let the other boy and his ferocious pride grow to respect someone. Izuku smirked a bit at the thought, remembering how his former bully had begun to change after one particularly painful kick. If he wanted to help his friend to grow, as well as to grow himself, there was no room for running away anymore.
"Guess you better start coming up with a good excuse for when I beat you then, even with my extra homework, huh Kacchan?" Izuku leaned over and knocked his shoulder against his friend's, but not with too much force. He was shoved back a bit, and Bakugo cackled devilishly next to him as they continued on down the hall. The other three students paused momentarily in shock before they scampered to catch up.
"Fucking hell Deku, once you finish growing that spine we'll work on a pair of balls for you too," he laughed, and Izuku joined him. Despite looking a little scandalized, Yaoyorozu soon found herself giggling along with Uraraka and even Iida managed a smile at the antics on display.
"Oh, class president, vice president," said Iida, suddenly all business once again. "Please remember that we will be having an all-years student government meeting upon our return to the regular schedule after the sports festival."
"Of course we'll remember, Iida, you don't have to worry about getting us there like last time," reassured Yaoyorozu. Iida harrumphed a bit, but seemed satisfied. Izuku felt a bit of sweat trickle down his neck at the thought of being dragged into the student council room again. Granted, he had been unconscious when the first meeting had been announced, and no one had remembered to tell him once he had returned to class, but that had not stopped Iida from 'helping' him to fulfill his duties.
Before Izuku could respond however, a blur of golden hair and yellow pinstripes caused the group to take a step back as their mountain of a heroics teacher slid into view around a corner, striking a dramatic pose as he did so.
"Ah, young Midoriya, there you are!" All Might smiled hugely. "Ah, and young Yaoyorzu, Bakugo, Iida, and Uraraka as well. My my, quite a collection of young powerhouses you all make together! I apologize for the interruption, but," All Might shuffled a little bit and held up a wrapped bento in his large fingers. "Young Midoriya...you wanna eat lunch with me?"
Uraraka burst into a fit of giggles and muttered something about All Might acting like a schoolgirl while the others looked on in seeming shock. Izuku seemed the most stunned among them, and simply nodded after a minute, unable to comprehend the idea that All Might himself had packed, or at the very least purchased, a bento for him. The pro belted out a laugh and grabbed him by the wrist, yanking him forwards as he prepared to dash off.
"Apologies for absconding with your friend, but there are things which we need to discuss relating to that awful incident at the USJ." It was a good lie they had worked out with Mirio in the aftermath of his 'intervention' and Bakugo's insistence on knowing what was going on. Thankfully, it seemed All Might was just as capable of keeping up with it as Mirio was. "I'll look forward to seeing all of you this afternoon in your heroics class! And now, I shall beat a hasty retreat, and you should go eat!" Another golden blur accompanied his words, this time trailed by a line of disappearing green and grey as well as All Might's booming laughter. Bakugo was the first to recover, shaking his head and huffing before continuing his walk to the cafeteria, grumbling the whole way and not waiting for the others to join him. Some distance further down the hall, Todoroki narrowed his eyes at the scene, his expression schooling itself from one of confusion into one of contempt.
Fifteen minutes before All Might had left to fetch his little brother, Mirio had been conveying a number of concerns to his predecessor. Despite being assured that his physical condition should have been perfectly adequate to handle One for All at full power, he had begun to experience serious pain at around the forty percent threshold, and he had broken his limbs entirely at fifty percent. It was easy enough to get healing for his breakages of course, but besides leaving behind the scars, which had been picked up on by Izuku almost instantly, he couldn't shake the feeling that pushing beyond his limits like he had with his own quirk simply wouldn't work.
It was as if the new quirk was speaking to him subconsciously, letting him know what his tolerance was, and warning him about what would happen if he was to try and exceed it. Every time he let One for All flow through him, there was a nagging sensation in the pit of his stomach that he might break under the strain. Which, naturally, only made the expectations that had come along with the quirk all the heavier.
Given that he had already had to work so incredibly hard in order to master his own quirk, something he owed in no small part to Sir's careful guidance, it had left him feeling discouraged at the prospect of having to spend even more time devoted to learning this one. It was why he had brought up his idea to All Might in the first place, but the pro's reasonable response had left him feeling conflicted.
"You're thinking of passing One for All to young Midoriya?" he had wheezed, blood leaking from between his teeth. They had been sitting in the teacher's lounge, with All Might deflated in the relative privacy, and they had been discussing his concerns over the quirk when Mirio had brought the issue up.
"Yes, sir. I mentioned how I can't seem to access all of One for All safely, and that it's difficult to control. Between yourself, Sir, and Recovery Girl, none of us have been able to figure out why this is happening." He paused and scratched at his chin before continuing. "I think it might be because I already have a very involved quirk; with how much concentration Permeation takes to use effectively, I'm not sure I'll ever be able to pass the forty percent limit. Besides, I've spent three years learning my own quirk and I'm about to graduate with a power I can't fully control; Izuku doesn't have a quirk to conflict with One for All, and he'd have the time here to learn to use it properly, whereas I'll be out in the field and potentially endangering people with a power I can't completely handle."
All Might's blue eyes regarded him from beneath a troubled brow. There was a certain hesitation before he spoke, but finally the pro schooled his expression into a more neutral one and offered his reply.
"I...would not say this unless you had brought it up, Young Togata. The circumstances of my meeting with Young Midoriya were not the best; I said things to him, cruel things, that I regretted and have attempted to make amends for." Mirio was surprised; even if All Might was something of a stern teacher when he was learning to use One for All (nowhere near as bad as Gran Torino had been when the diminutive hero had shown up to train him on occasion), he had never seemed cruel.
"But you're All Might, what could you have possibly said to him?" The withered man before him looked away, embarrassed.
"Young Midoriya had asked me if he could become a hero without a quirk, and I told him no." Mirio was a little surprised, and a touch hurt that All Might hadn't believed in his kohai, but he withheld judgement. He had come around eventually of course, and besides, Izuku had proved everyone wrong. Taking his silence as a sign to continue, All Might pressed on.
"Young Togata, even with only some control over your power, you are an excellent successor and a more than worthy torchbearer of One for All. But I will not lie to you; when young Midoriya later demonstrated that he possessed the heart of a hero, even in the face of his idol telling him to give up, I too thought that he would have been a worthy inheritor." Mirio felt an easy smile rise as he heard All Might praise Izuku. His face fell a moment later.
"However, there are two reasons I would advise against giving young Midoriya One for All. The first is perhaps more sentimental than logical, but seeing as the young man has come so far as a quirkless hero already, would it be right of us to take that accomplishment away from him? I myself began life quirkless, you know." Mirio nodded, not quite agreeing with All Might's logic, but following it nonetheless. "Back then, I would have given anything to have a quirkless hero to look up to, to try and emulate. What if that is what young Midoriya will become?"
"I understand what you mean, but I disagree, sir. I think that Izuku's motivation as a hero is to save as many people as possible, to the best of his ability. If he had his original quirk, or if he were to receive One for All, they would simply be more tools for him to use. He's not becoming a hero to prove anything, he's doing it because saving others is what he wants to do!" All Might laughed, full of warmth and admiration.
"My boy, both you and young Midoriya continue to impress me with your dedication and heroic spirit. Even if I had never come into either of your lives, you both would have become excellent heroes in your own right." His face fell, and the serious expression returned a moment later.
"My second concern," he said, holding up two fingers, "is the burden that comes with bearing One for All. While it is true that you do not have complete mastery over One for All, the fact that you and Mirai have discovered All for One's recent reemergence, coupled with the attack at the USJ, means that the inevitable confrontation with him may occur sooner than you or I would hope. I promise you, young Togata, that I will do everything in my power to prevent him from harming you, and if possible, I will finish the job I started six years ago."
All Might leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes, dragging a bony hand over his gaunt features, already looking far too tired. He was a man who had given everything, Mirio thought, and who was prepared to give even more.
"But it is also prudent to consider the following; if I were to fall to him, and if you were to pass One for All onto young Midoriya, it would be up to him to face All for One in your and my place. When I passed my quirk to you, it was because I believed I had defeated him during our last battle, and that One for All would enable you to become the next Symbol of Peace. Now that he has come back to power, it means that your duty has become much more terrible, and much more dangerous. For what it is worth, I am sorry for having placed that burden upon you. Could you then put that on Young Midoriya, knowing that that monster has already hurt him? That he has already stolen his quirk from him?"
Mirio found himself uncertain at that, so much so that his signature smile could have done little to hide the fear that gripped him. His own life was an easy thing to promise; he had chosen to become a hero, and he knew that it always entailed that particular risk. He had accepted his duty as a holder of One for All, even if he had not initially known that it meant facing an ancient evil so terrible it had mortally wounded the greatest hero of all time.
No, his fear wasn't for himself, it was for Izuku. His junior, the boy who radiated kindness and excelled at everything he put his mind to, the boy he was so proud to call his little brother. He had broken through Tamaki's shell, kept up with Nejire's innumerable questions, and helped to rekindle the heroic spirit of a boy who may as easily have turned to villainy in his blind pursuit of strength. Could that same boy take up the burden of defeating All for One? Yes, Mirio knew he could, but would it be fair to him? And worse, would he be able to kill the villain if it became necessary?
There were no easy answers to these questions, and even making Izuku aware of the truth behind the quirk, much less offering it to him, would put him in even greater danger. They suspected that All for One had taken an interest in him already, the note from the quirk facility practically announcing as much, though why the villain had done so, it was impossible to say. To give Izuku the knowledge of the invisible battle that had raged across two hundred years, and to make him aware of his unwitting part in it, could cause him to do something even more reckless than normal.
That had been their reasoning behind not telling him about his stolen quirk in the first place, after all. Perhaps with the power of One for All, a power Izuku might be able to control better than even he could currently, he would be able to actually do something about his situation. It was shoddy reasoning at best, Mirio knew, and besides, All Might was right. Izuku wanted to be a hero, and definitely there were risks inherent to that prospect, but Mirio would never have been able to live with himself if he ended up putting Izuku in even more peril.
"I see you are considering things, Young Togata. Ultimately this will be your decision, but if I may make a suggestion for the time being?" Mirio nodded and All Might continued. "Young Midoriya is an excellent analyst, with a particular knack for understanding quirks and the biology behind them."
"Izuku's always been so determined to understand everything he could; but he never could figure out the mechanism behind Permeation or a way to reproduce it," Mirio said thoughtfully.
"Yes, the boy has a truly exceptional intellect. You are aware of the new treatment I have been taking, at Recovery Girl's suggestion? It is the drug Young Midoriya made during those two weeks he was isolating himself. Ah, please do not be alarmed," he said, cutting off Mirio's interjection as the boy began to rise from his seat. "Frankly, young Togata, with the state I am in, I am willing to try any cure with potential, even if it hasn't been thoroughly tested or fully understood yet. My time is fleeting, both with regard to my power, and with what remains of my natural life. Young Midoriya has at least offered me a chance to avoid the fate that Mirai foresaw. At worst, there will be some side effects that won't have time to really hamper me before my time is up; at best, it will work as he intended and I will be healed." That did get Mirio to shoot out of his chair.
"If it works, then you should be able to take One for All back and continue on as the Symbol of Peace! The whole reason you looked for a successor in the first place was because of your injuries, and unlike me, you've never had trouble with your power, right?" All Might shook his head, a sad smile crossing his lips.
"I am afraid not. One for All cannot be returned to previous holders once it has been passed on." Mirio deflated somewhat, but All Might reassured him. "Relax, my boy, if all goes well, I am hoping I may be able to enjoy a retirement while I watch the next generation of heroes rise. With or without One for All, that will include you and young Midoirya." He beamed and flashed a thumbs up before he continued.
"I must say though, both the notion of you wanting to pass the quirk on to young Midoriya and then your wanting to give it back to me has me somewhat concerned. Did Mirai pressure you into accepting this power without taking your consideration into account? Why do you seem to wish to let go of One for All?" Mirio grimaced at his teacher's words and carefully considered his reply.
"Besides...thinking that Izuku might be more worthy, and the frustration at not being able to surpass my limits like I was able to with Permeation...I don't know. There's just some kind of feeling I have that One for All just won't...how do I put this? I suppose it seems like it won't play nice with my own quirk. Almost like it would be more...hmmm...at home, I suppose, in someone who is quirkless. Like you were, and like Izuku is. Is that strange, sir?" All Might simply laughed and shook his head.
"My boy, let me tell you something; One for All is weird and that's putting it lightly. My own mentor once mentioned being able to see the past wielders in a vision, and I may have experienced something similar on occasion. If you feel like it is trying to tell you something, it very well could be. Still, the fact that it is communicating with you at all means that if nothing else, it likely sees you as worthy of wielding it. Well, that and you haven't exploded." Mirio nodded solemnly at that, staring down at his clenched fist. As if it were waving to him, a tendril of white lightning he had not consciously chosen to activate danced across his knuckles before flickering out.
"Thank you sir, I promise to think over everything you've said carefully. And it probably would be a good idea to tell Izuku about the problems I've been having, as you suggested." All Might clapped his hands and stood.
"Well then, I had intended to fetch him here today to thank him properly for the medicine," he reached down and picked up a wrapped bento, "but in regards to my suggestion; asking the young man for an analysis should be well within his capabilities. You need not reveal the nature of One for All to him, and I would advise against it for his safety, but perhaps you could explain your injuries as resulting from your quirk's 'mutation' being too strong for your body to handle, and see what he says? Besides, I would enjoy having the chance to have lunch with my two favorite proteges."
That got Mirio to laugh, imagining Izuku's reaction to being asked to have lunch with All Might himself, and he felt a pleasant warmth spread through him upon hearing the hero call him and his little brother his 'favorite' proteges. Granted, to his knowledge, the pair were the only students that All Might had taken under his wing, but as the man buffed up and disappeared out the door and down the hall with a flash, Mirio was hopeful that he might be able to master the power of One for All after all. If he could avoid it, he would never add to Izuku's already hefty burden, but he really did wonder what the boy could have done with All Might's power had things been different. Still, it was like All Might had said, there was plenty of time to think things over.
Izuku was vibrating in his seat as he ate with All Might and Mirio in the teacher's lounge, taking his time to savor the carefully assembled katsudon bento that his teacher had brought him. He was touched that the man had thought of him, but was also preparing himself for another scolding from one of the few authority figures he trusted in his life. What he got instead surprised him greatly.
"As you are aware, young Midoriya, besides being aware of my wound as one of the faculty, young Togata is someone I have taken a personal interest in the development of. The nature of his quirk's mutation means that the strength he now possesses is difficult to control, much like my own was at his age, and I had hoped to be able to guide him in learning to harness it properly." Izuku nodded along, already aware of most of the details from Mirio.
"The problem is," began his friend, cutting in, "like you've noticed the past few days, I've been injuring myself. The power that I can generate is beyond what my body can handle, which doesn't make sense considering that Recovery Girl's examination said I should be able to handle a level of force similar to All Might-sensei." Mirio looked vaguely troubled at that, and Izuku wondered if this was the reason behind the guilty looks that occasionally crossed his friend's face.
"How bad are you hurting yourself, Mirio? And please don't try to sugarcoat it, I've seen the scars you've started to collect," he said quietly. Mirio frowned at him, seemingly surprised that Izuku hadn't launched into his usual flurry of rapid style interrogation when it came to quirks.
"I can safely use about forty percent of what we think is the maximum output; at around that level I get deep tissue bruising and muscle strain with prolonged use. At fifty percent, my bones fracture." He held up his left forearm for Izuku to look at, a pale network of crisscrossing scars dancing across his skin. "Recovery Girl told me that if I injure myself too much, the healing will become less effective, and if I were to completely break my bones four or five times, I could end up losing the use of my arms."
The color drained from Izuku's face as his eyes widened, and he gently set down his chopsticks before putting the bento onto the table between them. He silently walked over to Mirio, not noticing All Might watching him intently, and reached out for Mirio's hand, taking it and turning it over in his grasp while he muttered critically.
"This could be really, really bad. Why can't aniki use permeation to cushion the impacts of his strikes? Is it the impacts that are causing this, or is it the energy itself being too strong for his body? Granted, Mirio is in great physical condition, but as we understand it this is a mutation of his quirk, letting him maybe draw on the energy from the atomic bonds he passes through while phasing, or something similar in nature."
"Young Midoriya? My boy?"
"If that were the case, he might be doing the equivalent of channeling a fusion reaction through his arms, though of course, the actual power output is much less than something like that. From what I've seen, Mirio is powerful enough to take on even S-rank villains with just the phasing part of his quirk, so why does he feel like he needs to exceed the forty percent limit on this new aspect so soon? And what about the injuries? Are they reinforcing his body as he recovers, or weakening it to further trauma? Damn it, if only my formula was done with testing, we could use it to strengthen his bones if they are getting weaker, well, restore them to their original condition anyways."
"Uh, Izuku, little bro? You in there?"
"All Might could be getting better too. I know I shouldn't have overworked myself like that, but it was necessary. If I can help him in any way, he might at least not have to live with his reopening injuries constantly making him spit blood. He's done and given so much for everyone, how has no one with a better quirk come along to try and help heal him? Which reminds me, Mirio chastised me for overworking and not sleeping or eating enough, while he was literally breaking his arms trying to get control over an already overwhelming power. Why aren't I mad at him about that?"
"Because you know that in his position you would be doing the same thing, my boy," said All Might, briefly powering up before dropping back into his seat with a flash of steam. The quick transformation was enough to snap Izuku out of his thoughts however, and he sheepishly let go of Mirio's hand before returning to his seat and beginning to pick at his bento again. His face burned a bit, but when Mirio and All Might both grinned at him Izuku felt like he was safe, and that they would tolerate his strange habits.
"Now, my young wards, there are two things I was hoping to discuss with you, besides the prospect of you helping young Togata with understanding this newer aspect of his quirk, young Midoriya."
Izuku nodded, waiting for the hero to continue.
"The first order of business is that I wish to thank you for what you have been trying to do for me. Recovery Girl informed me about the treatment you have devised, and after some careful thought, has given it to me as a sort of, err, non-clinical trial."
Izuku was out of his seat in a flash, waving his hands wildly as he made his objections.
"You can't do that All Might, it's untested; there's no way Recovery Girl could have run enough trials to move on to human testing! I know I said I thought I fixed the tumor problem, b-but it's still too dangerous for now."
"Midoriya my boy, please calm yourself. Chiyo has assured me that it should be safe, and given my condition, well, it really can't hurt to try. Even if it doesn't work, you have done what few others have tried to do for me; you have offered help to the number one hero, and for that I thank you."
Izuku stood in shock, unsure what to do now that one of his childhood idols was apparently thanking him for his work. That he was also willing to trust him enough to take the treatment despite his warnings, untested as it was, simply made the whole situation seem more impossible. There was simply no way he was worthy of someone like All Might's faith or gratitude. The man in question laughed, with Izuku having apparently muttered his thoughts out loud.
"Calm down my boy, you are indeed worthy of every good thing that happens to you. However, there is something more serious which I was hoping to discuss with you today. Young Togata is of course already aware of the importance of the sports festival, being a third year, but there was something more that I wished to impress upon you both."
Izuku looked over to Mirio who smiled and nodded at him.
"As you already know, students can petition for full-time access to support items if they are necessary for their quirks to function. In your case, I believe you have the upper torso portion of your gear available, correct?"
"Ah, yes, although with the rebuild I've been working on since the USJ, I'll need to get my forms re-approved."
"Then if I may make a suggestion, you may wish to do two things. The first would be to get access to as much of your gear as you can, especially considering how easily you seem to be able to conceal it." Izuku smiled and shrugged. He had already been planning on adding his leg armor into his next request.
"The second may strike you as strange, and of course, it is just a suggestion so feel free to disregard it. However, I'm sure you're aware of the importance of the sports festival in regard to not only your chance at securing internships, but also in showing the public the next generation of heroes." All Might leaned back in his chair, a look of fond recollection coming over his features.
"You are, both of you, filled with so much potential, more than even this old man ever was. I had thought, for a long time, that with my time fleeting as it is, that the next Symbol of Peace would need to rise as quickly as possible, to stand as seemingly unassailable as I have." He drew a hand over his face, something that he seemed to be doing increasingly often. "But I tell you both now that standing alone as I have, it is not enough. The future of this world cannot be left in the hands of only one individual, no matter how strong," he looked to Mirio then to Izuku, "nor how brilliant they may be."
Izuku glanced over to Mirio, noting the troubled expression he was sporting. Taking a cue from Bakugo, he held out his fist across the table. Mirio looked down at his arm, back to Izuku, back to the arm, and laughed as he returned the fist bump.
"What I am trying to say," continued All Might with a touch of sentimentality, "is that the world will need more than one Symbol of Peace once I have retired. I would like both of you to take this sports festival, your last in young Togata's case, as an opportunity to declare 'I am here' to the world. Show them the indomitable spirit and the bright smiles of the next generation of heroes, and leave no doubt that you will be the ones leading the charge!"
Izuku cried while Mirio laughed and slapped him on the back, each reacting as All Might had come to expect of them. For all the years of not really knowing his own, there was something indescribably reassuring to Izuku about having a father figure in his life, even if he would never be able to say as much to the man. With both Mirio and All Might believing in him, there was no way he could do anything less than his absolute best in the sports festival.
Shoto watched with shrewd eyes as Midoriya left the teacher's lounge beside the TA who had been with them at the USJ. The one that had almost died protecting the boy, as he recalled. They were talking animatedly, and the way Togata ruffled his junior's hair sent a pang of something unknown through him. A memory of gentle hands and kind words, and flames and screaming rose unbidden, but he pushed it down with little effort. He had learned that thinking about such things only brought pain.
No, the object of his interest was Midoriya, the defect who kept playing at being a hero. The boy was deluded, and the fact that he hadn't been moved down to a lower track after the USJ attack was incomprehensible. He was quirkless, a weakling who should have known his place before ever even thinking of coming to a hero school. And yet, there he was, talking with the one person regarded as closest to becoming the next All Might, with a sense of familiarity that bordered on the obscene.
The fact that his father's rival had seemed to take an interest in the boy as well as Togata didn't help either. Why someone so powerful as to be practically untouchable by even the mighty Endeavor would take an interest in a person like Midoriya was as confusing as the boy's continued presence in the hero course. Could it be pity, some kind of affirmative action as his father had suggested? Some plan to appease the lower elements? How had Midoriya managed to attach himself to so many of his betters? Worst of all, how had that quirkless invalid beaten him during the battle trial?
It clicked, suddenly, what exactly Midoriya was, and how he was able to worm his way into the hero course, into the sights of a hero like All Might and a student like Togata. The boy was a parasite, a leech that attached himself to the strong by appearing harmless and luring them in with pity. Much like a leech, he survived off of whatever lifeblood he could steal from them. Like he had stolen Bakugo's quirk through his toys, like he was probably going to try and do to the others. To his betters.
Shoto felt his rage bubble at the realization; that Midoriya would drag them all down to his level, that he would try to usurp the rightful way of the world, that he might succeed in all of this. If a parasite like him could rise to be his equal, even surpass him and the others blessed with strength, then what did it say about their worth, their usefulness? They had each been ordained with roles in a society that only functioned so long as those roles were respected; he strong protected the weak, and that was that. How would people react to the proper order being challenged by one of the lowest elements?
He was resolved, in that moment, that Midoriya would not be allowed to continue on in the hero course, to continue to disrespect the duties of the powerful and the obligations of the powerless. He would crush him in the sports festival, show him the futility of his abominable crusade before any other foolhardy persons fell victim to his trap like All Might and Togata seemed to have. It would only be a matter of time before he tried to copy their quirks as well, after all.
He walked down the hall and ducked into a bathroom, splashing some water onto his face as his scar throbbed at him. For the first time in as long as he could remember, Shoto had a drive, a desire to do something out of anything other than spite for his father. It should have felt good, liberating even, to feel this way. So why was he feeling sick, and why couldn't he raise his eyes to look at himself in the mirror? If he could have, he would have seen his father staring back at him, with a cruel smile on his face, ready to do what had to be done.