Chapter 2: Making a Hero Out of You
Izuku scrambled to his feet, waving his hands around. "Wait, seriously, what? Inherit your Quirk? What does that even mean?"
All Might tilted his head, expression slightly bashful. "I guess that is a lot to take in all at once. Sorry, I got caught up in the moment!" He laughed sheepishly, then held his hand palm up, not unlike how Bakugou held out his hands to showcase his explosions. Izuku pulled a face at the subconscious comparison. "To start," All Might's palm began glowing softly, then brighter and brighter until it was almost as if he was holding a small star. "The name of my Quirk is One for All. Tell me, fanboy, do you know what kind of Quirk I have?"
Furrowing his brow and pinching his bottom lip, Izuku thought about it. "Well, your strength, speed, and durability imply that you have an Emitter-type Quirk; you likely have an overall enhancing ability, something that increases your physical performance... but considering that you have two forms, it would make more sense for you to have a Transformation-type Quirk. But Transformation Quirks don't have the same level of power as Emitters, so if it is... ah, wait, could you constantly look like 'All Might' before you got injured, or was there a time limit then too? Because if you constantly looked like All Might before, then it might be an Emitter-type Quirk turning into a Transformation-type! And that isn't even considering-"
"Wow, you can talk." All Might clenched his fist, the light he held dimming until it was completely out. "Those are great questions, but I wasn't looking for an in-depth analysis." Embarrassed, Izuku slapped his hands over his mouth and nodded. "Oh, don't be so dramatic, they really are good questions. I'll just get to the point- my Quirk is unique because it isn't mine at all! Indeed, there was a time when I was just like you."
Izuku gaped like a dead fish. "I'm sorry, just like me? You mean... you-?"
"Geez, you're gonna make me come out and say it? I was Quirkless, just like you. Maybe that's why..." All Might shook his head, sighing. "I told you I had to hear something like what I said on the rooftop for myself, right? I received this power from my mentor and predecessor, Shimura Nana; she's the one who encouraged me to become a Symbol of Peace as I'd always dreamed."
"So, then... what kind of Quirk is One for All?"
All Might scratched his head. "It is simultaneously the most complex and most simple Quirk ever. Very, very basically, it's an Emitter with the ability to stockpile energy and to be passed on to another user with the stockpile attached. I worked very hard to make it look like something I was born with, but the truth is that One for All is a sacred torch, a power to be received and cultivated from one Hero to another. Young man, will you accept this awesome power and cultivate it as well?"
Izuku's gaze fell to the ground as he thought. All my life, I've dreamed of getting a Quirk to call my own, but when I do, it's the ability to use other people's Quirks. All Might has trusted me with the secret of his Quirk, and now he's offering me an opportunity to wield the unique power of a Hero for myself...! Why am I even debating this? Locking eyes with the Hero, he clenched his fists and nodded roughly, channeling a little bit of Bakugou to make himself seem more confident than he felt, hopefully. "Yes! I accept!"
At the very least, All Might seemed to buy it. His eyes glittered, and he huffed. "Hardly any hesitation… for such a verbose fanboy, you really know how to act cool, young Midoriya!" All Might pulled out a slip of paper and pen from one of his pants pockets, writing something down before finally handing it to the green-haired Hero wannabe.
Gingerly, Izuku took it in his grasp, reading it to himself before sucking in a shocked breath. "Is this your phone number?! And i-is this your real name? Yagi Toshinori?"
All Might smacked Izuku on the back with a surprising amount of force, considering his emaciated state, laughing boisterously. "Gosh, and right after I call you cool! Yes, young Midoriya, that is my real name and phone number! I can't go calling myself All Might in this form, and neither can you. Just call me Yagi, got it?"
Izuku nodded immediately, bowing his head. "Thank you so much!"
Yagi shook his head, sighing good-naturedly. "Fanboys…"
"S-sorry!"
-
"I'm home!" Izuku called out as he stepped through the door. He had barely managed to slip his shoes off and step into his house slippers before his mother tackled him in a hug.
"Izukuuu!" she wailed into his shoulder, clutching him tightly to her plump frame.
Ever since Izuku was diagnosed Quirkless, his mother had stressed over him incessantly. She eventually took to eating as a means, or at least an attempt, to relieve some of the stress. This stress eating eventually left her rather homely and didn't help her height either; it made Izuku worried for her health, and he still felt incredibly guilty to have driven her to it.
He placed a gentle hand on the back of her head. "Hey, Mom." She looked up at him with teary eyes. Despite her tears, they were hardened into a glare.
"You had me scared half to death!" she grumbled. "School's been out for hours now, and you're normally good at getting home on time… I was beginning to think..."
She seemed shocked as Izuku laughed softly, smiling a tiny smile. He stroked her hair placatingly. "I'm sorry I worried you. I got held up."
His mother scrunched her nose, obviously trying hard to maintain her glare and failing. "You stink like a sewer. And your sleeves are all torn up!" Izuku flinched, his throat suddenly feeling very sore. His mother squinted at him. "Go take a shower and get changed. We can talk when you're done." He nodded slightly, stepping around his mom and through the entranceway.
Opening his door to fling his backpack into his room, he made a beeline for the shower. He made it fast; the shower felt cold even though it was practically boiling, and the soak he took in the bath made his skin crawl. Shivering at the temperature dichotomy, Izuku toweled himself dry and shuffled to his room, throwing on some comfortable clothes. They didn't feel all that comfortable.
-
Dressed in a white t-shirt, grey sweatpants, and the top half of a green jinbei set, Izuku took a seat beside his mother on their living room couch. He was sweating a little, nervous at the prospect of explaining the day's events; from the strings of her Quirklight attaching and unlatching from various objects in the room, he knew his mom was barely holding it together. She was a very emotional woman, after all, and her Quirk often overreacted when she did, but nothing started actually floating this time. Izuku suddenly admired her self control.
Now all they had to do was wait.
Izuku had texted Yagi when he had been panicking in his room after his shower, hoping to come up with some excuse, but his new mentor had decided coming clean was probably for the best. When Izuku had told his mom he had met someone who he needed to introduce to explain himself better, she had been reasonably suspicious. After a bit of interrogating Yagi over the phone, Inko eventually agreed to meet him.
The wait for Yagi to arrive was silent and tense. Both Midoriyas jumped at the doorbell ringing; ultimately, Izuku stood up to get the door. Yagi, shuffling behind Izuku in a pair of guest slippers, bowed slightly as he stepped into the living room. "Sorry for the intrusion."
Inko was up in an instant, bowing as well. "It's fine, Mr. Yagi! Ah, I'm sorry, I forgot to to put some tea on! Just a moment...!"
Toshinori held out a hand. "That's fine, ma'am. I hope to keep this short." Nodding slightly, Inko sat back down shakily. Izuku reclaimed his seat next to his mother, who scooted noticeably closer to him, and Yagi sat down in the chair to the right of the couch with a heavy sigh.
Sullen silence filled the room for a moment before Yagi coughed into his hand, sitting slightly straighter. "Ma'am, I would like to introduce myself formally. My name is Yagi Toshinori, and I-" He stood up, and in a burst of that white smoke, the multicolored tendrils latched onto his limbs as they stretched; where Yagi Toshinori stood only a moment prior, there stood All Might. "I AM HERE!" Inko sputtered for a moment, then promptly passed out, falling back into her seat.
"Ah! Mom!" Izuku fanned her face, checking her pulse and breathing. Yagi transformed back, sputtering blood and shuffling in a panic. Thankfully, she had just fainted and came to only a few moments later.
Sitting up and blinking in confusion, she stared at Izuku for a moment. "I just had the weirdest dream about..." She paused, catching sight of Yagi with widening eyes. "All Might..."
Yagi sighed, shaking his head as he retook his seat. "Please, call me Yagi. If you feel so inclined, you may call me Toshinori. But when I look like this, I'm not All Might. I'm just an average salaryman." He steepled his fingers together, elbows resting on his thighs as he leaned forward. "Allow me to explain myself. First, I have to give a little context. Around six years ago now, I got into a fight with a real piece of work. The fight was never made common knowledge because I was gravely injured at the hands of the Villain."
Inko gasped. "A Villain strong enough to hurt even you… what happened to them?"
Yagi grimaced at the question, his Quirklight suddenly condensing further while glowing yet brighter in what could only be agitation. Izuku almost had to squint at the sight. Finally, the man sighed, resting his head against his steepled fingers as though he were in prayer. In a quiet voice, he admitted, "I killed him."
The heavy statement hung over the room for a long moment. Izuku leaned back. All Might... the All Might who's adamant about never doing unreasonable harm or damage... killed someone?
"But as I was saying," Yagi finally continued, "I was injured by this Villain, and because of it, I can only maintain my form as All Might for three hours a day. And... due to the degradation of my body, there will come a time where I won't be able to handle the strain at all. At the rate I'm going, I only have a few years left, and that's if I don't exceed my three-hour limit the entire time."
Izuku leaped out of his seat, making his mother jump in surprise. "You didn't tell me that!" If he cared to look, he would see the drumbeat tentacles of his Quirklight shoot outwards in reaction to his temper flaring, but he was too busy glaring at a suddenly meek Yagi to care. He balled up his fists, lowering his head to stare at the coffee table so that no one could see the wetness of his eyes. "Why didn't you tell me that...?"
Yagi stared at his shoes while formulating an answer. His mouth opened and closed a few times before he finally looked back up, face partially hidden by his bangs. "My boy... if you accept my offer, I won't be able to be All Might anymore after less than a year. Even less if I have to overdo it. I will once more be Quirkless."
Izuku sat back down, clenching and unclenching his hands in anger and frustration towards himself. I hadn't even considered...! How utterly selfish of me...!
"My boy," Yagi continued softly, seemingly reading Izuku's expression, "what did I just say? I would lose this power regardless of what I do. Don't think I regret my decision already."
"Wait, Al- er, Yagi, what are you talking about? What do you mean, 'this power'? And... Quirkless? You?" Both Yagi and Izuku turned to the Midoriya matriarch. The older man smiled kindly.
"I forgot that I was supposed to explain myself. Apologies." He held his hand out, the star of energy that he had shown Izuku earlier reforming over his palm. "The name of my Quirk is One for All. Ms. Midoriya, surely you've noticed I've never answered questions about my Quirk, yes? Newspapers and gossip magazines call it a strength Quirk or a general enhancement Quirk, but I've always deflected the questions because the truth is far stranger. You see, the truth of One for All is that I wasn't born with it. I received my Quirk from a woman named Shimura Nana, who received it from someone else herself."
Inko gaped uncannily, similar to an earlier Izuku.
"And, today," Yagi stood, spreading his arms wide, "I saw a glimpse of the Hero that resides in your son and offered him the opportunity to wield the awesome power of One for All for himself."
Inko turned hesitantly to stare at her son. He scratched his cheek nervously, but he was smiling giddily regardless. Even if there was now another level to accepting this Quirk, just the thought of All Might finding him worthy was pretty cool.
"I see..." Tears falling from her eyes, she took Izuku's hand in a vice grip. "This isn't some sick joke, is it? You're not some imposter tricking my baby with false hope? Is someone paying you to do this?!" She was interrupted by Izuku giving her hand a gentle squeeze.
"Mom." She sniffled as he spoke in a calm, quiet tone. "I was surprised too, but Yagi's telling the truth." Tears of his own fell down his cheeks, only to frame the smile creasing the corners of his eyes. "Mom, I can be a Hero too! Like All Might!"
They held each other as they cried. Finally, Inko pulled away from her son, trying to harden her expression into a worrisome glare.
"Now, young man, tell me why you came home stinking to high heaven in a uniform torn to shreds!"
"Ah, well, you see…"
-
After another crying bout, an explanation of his newly awakened Quirk, another crying bout, a visit to the hospital, and a long night's rest, Izuku found himself at Dagobah Municipal Beach Park… where he was eating sand after the ropes he was straining against slipped out from under his arms.
"Hey, what's the matter?" All Might, sitting on top of the fridge Izuku had been attempting to pull, was snapping pictures of the boy as he lay there. "You're getting that nice tracksuit all dirty! You do realize people lift these all the time without strength Quirks, right?"
Resting on his forearms and knees, Izuku turned his head to look back at his mentor with a rueful smile. "I'm pretty sure you weigh more than the fridge, All Might."
"HA HA HA! That's pretty harsh! I've lost weight, ya know?" He hopped off of the fridge and poofed back into his civilian form, still snapping pictures. "It's probably because, y'know, you're not a proper vessel."
Izuku's eyes widened, already overflowing with tears at the harsh words. "W-what? But you said..."
"Not like that!" Izuku blinked away his tears. "I'm talking about your physical state. You're not in bad shape for a kid your age, but you're also not nearly strong enough to handle the power of One for All. Most of the people who received One for All supplemented their usage of it with their natural Quirk since they were more used to it than to One for All. However, I've been using One for All as my only Quirk for decades! If you tried to use it at full power in your current state, the stockpile would take the opportunity and burst outwards. Your limbs could very well blow off if you forced such power through them!"
Blow off…?! Izuku gulped at the graphic imagery that popped into his head at the words. A chill went up his spine, and he rubbed his arms. "So that's why we're here, then? To train my body up?"
Yagi nodded solemnly, looking around with a melancholy air about him. His Quirklight, too, dimmed slightly. He sighed, poofed back up into Hero form and crushed the fridge like a tin can with one hand. The force of the blow sent all of the trash around them flying as well. "There's another reason as well." He paused to choke up some blood as he reverted once again. "This beach is very sentimental for me. It used to be gorgeous. I... I came here with my own mentor when I did well in our training. She always bought us ice cream at a nearby stand. I got vanilla, and she got double chocolate. The kind with the chocolate chunks, and then we'd just watch the waves and talk..."
Izuku didn't respond as he turned to look at the suddenly available view. "Huh..."
Yagi suddenly clapped his hands together, a strained smile coming to his face. "Well, anyway, that's where you come in! Nowadays, Heroes focus too much on the celebrity aspect of Heroism, but the true heart of being a Hero is devotion to the community. Therefore, your strength training will also act as community service." His smile shifted into something more genuine. "Pretty fitting, huh?"
Izuku nodded, dusting the sand off his teal track pants as he looked around. "The U.A. Entrance Exam is in 10 months. I have to have it done before it, maybe a month or two before."
Yagi nodded in agreement, whipping out some folded sheets of paper from his back pocket. "I figured you would be trying for U.A., you fanboy," he said, unfolding the papers. "That's why I made this for you." He handed the stack to Izuku, who glanced over some of the pages.
"Aim to Pass: American Dream Plan?" he read, grinning slightly. "Corny..."
Yagi laughed. "Sorry, but I figured something on brand like that would motivate you. Here, see," he tapped out some things written down on the front, "I've made a scheduled plan to help you maximize your overall efficiency. I've written down workout times, what exercises to do and when, and even proper times to sleep on different days. The back page is a meal plan I've created based on my estimation of your budget." Izuku turned to the back page, his eyes popping wide open at the sheer quantity of food per meal. "If it needs adjusting, let me know as soon as possible. If you need money for it, let me know that too. And remember, just a banana in the morning is fine. And make sure not to use your heater in winter, nor your A/C in summer!" Izuku wiped his slightly watery eyes with the back of his hand, smiling giddily.
"Yagi, this is incredible. I can't even begin to thank you enough."
"That's just fine, my boy," Yagi replied placatingly. He placed a gentle hand on the top of Izuku's curls, a small, pleasant grin on his face. Normally, Izuku didn't like people touching his hair, but he found he didn't mind when Yagi did it. He actually found it oddly comforting. "I'll get my gratitude when you become Number One, got it?"
Sniffling just a bit, Izuku nodded fiercely. "Yes, sir!"
"Great, now get to work!"
"Yes, sir!"
-
"A meal plan...? Oh, for your training with All Might? Goodness, you two are getting into it!" Inko stirred the pot some more with a hum, then left the lid on the stew to let it simmer. Her gracious smile fell slightly. "Izuku..."
Izuku looked up from where he was writing in his notebook at the table, with a pencil in one hand and the other curling a 7.5-kilogram weight. His forearm and biceps were starting to bulge ever so slightly. Inko sighed, looking away from him. He raised an eyebrow at her tone and expression.
"Have I... am I not supportive enough?" she finally asked in a voice barely above a whisper. "Does... does it feel like I don't care...? About you? Us? Your Quirk, or lack thereof?" Izuku stared at her, genuinely surprised at the out-of-nowhere questioning.
"M-Mom? What's this about...?" He set the weight down gently on the floor and the pencil similarly in the crease of his notebook. Standing up, he walked around the table and pulled his mother into a hug, which she practically melted into.
"My sweet boy... I'm sorry." She sniffled into his shoulder, arms tightly wrapped around him as if he would pull away at any moment. "When you so desperately needed someone in your corner... the only thing I could think to do..."
I'm sorry! Izuku, I'm so sorry! I'm sorry!
Izuku grimaced at the unbidden memory.
"I'm sorry if it felt like I gave up on you. I was only ever worried about you, but I see now that I was holding you back. When you came home with All Might the other day, the look on your face... made me realize that I needed to make it right. Izuku!" She stepped back from him, a suddenly fierce glint in her still-teary eyes. "I'll support you with everything I have. I'll make it up to you, I promise!" She held a fist up in a very All Might-esque pose, evoking confidence.
Izuku smiled softly. "I'd already forgiven you," he lied, "but I'm glad to hear it. Thank you, Mom."
"Of course, baby. Now," she turned back to her pot, scooped out a bowlful with the extra-large ladle, and brandished a huge bowl of beef stew at him. "Eat up! It might not be on the meal plan, but there's nothing better for getting big and strong than beef and potatoes! Make sure you get seconds!"
Izuku gulped. "Y-yes, ma'am!"
-
"The individual's 'Quirklight' appears to be a visual representation of their given Quirk, taking visual cues from the aspects and effects of said Quirk..." Izuku muttered and wrote neatly in one of his newer notebooks, keeping the characters lined adequately to maximize the space he could write in.
For example, he wrote, Bakugou Katsuki's Quirk, Explosion (see: Hero Analysis for the Future No. 1), quite literally looks like an explosion: the 'Core' of the Quirklight is focused on his heart, the same as everyone else; however, the secondary Cores are located on his palms, where he releases his explosions. The edges of his light are constantly moving: sharp and isometric, jutting outwards much the same way as his explosions. These movements increase in frequency and size based on Quirk usage or emotion.
Izuku stared at himself for a moment before continuing to write.
My own Quirk, on the other hand, does not appear representative. The color it exudes, gray, does not hold any special meaning to me or the nature of the Quirk. My Quirklight moves like a drum in time with my heartbeat, which also has no significance but is unique to the Quirk regardless. For my Quirk to be the only exception to its rules is both fitting and frustrating. Izuku sighed heavily as he thought, struggling to think of what to write. He had never had problems doing so before.
The only other exception I can think of is All Might's Quirk. It seems to exude outward from his Core like a parasite, as though it's trying to control him and not the other way around. And when he's not using it, it's so bright and shines so brilliantly with so many colors as to astound me. It is also an outlier in that it isn't represented by a single color but rather by a whole rainbow.
Tapping the page with his pencil, Izuku concluded simply with, Much to learn.
-
Katsuki glanced back at Deku, examining the bandaged fingers he was using to hold his mouth shut physically, a little thing he did whenever he was thinking about something interesting that he didn't want to divulge to everyone within earshot accidentally. His gaze lingered on the falling cuff of his uniform, catching sight of the barely-there muscle of his forearm. It stuck out as he turned his wrist, flexing accidentally. There wasn't much of anything, but that was still more than what there had been before.
Grumbling, Katsuki glared harder, studying the expression on Deku's face. The sheer confidence that he suddenly started carrying himself with was unprecedented, a night and day difference. Katsuki wondered if it had anything to do with what All Might had said during the Sludge Villain incident.
I know I said I would keep the spot warm for you, but right now, I'm the Symbol of Peace.
The mere implication of those words was almost enough to set Katsuki off; the mere thought of someone like Deku becoming the Symbol of Peace was enough to make him sick. Gritting his teeth, he looked down at what Izuku was writing in his notebook. The one he'd scorched. More notes, more pictures, more Heroes and Hero wannabes. But without any power to back them up, they weren't anything more than fantasies. Heroes needed strong Quirks- hell, All Might himself had the strongest Quirk in the country, if not the world. Deku didn't have anything.
If you really want to be a Hero so bad, you should take a swan dive off the roof and pray for a Quirk in your next life.
The calm look in Deku's eye as he wrote, focused so intently on those notes as if they alone could make him a Hero, was infuriating.
What kind of Hero would say something like that?!
Katsuki finally turned around, biting his lip hard enough to draw blood.
Why start now, Deku?
-
Midoriya sat cross-legged in his room, resting his forearms on his thighs. He used some of the techniques he had researched to locate the feeling of his Quirklight, not just the visual of it, but the actual physical feeling of it.
Breathing deeply, he slowly extended the tendrils of his Quirklight. After some practice and the accidental use of Mr. Aoki's Paper Manipulation- Izuku had barely managed to make it seem natural- he realized that his Quirk actively sought out Quirks to use in the immediate area, with or without his active consent. He extended the tendrils as far as they could go- fifteen meters, by his estimation- getting a feeling for the Quirks in the area.
His mom was in the living room, her dark green Core floaty and bouncy, with strings attaching to objects near her that she could grasp. Using it felt like sewing.
There were the downstairs neighbors, the Koike family:
The father, Keisuke, had a water manipulation Quirk, though he couldn't produce water himself. Using it felt like holding an invisible garden hose.
Chiaki, the mother, had a durability Quirk with hard edges and a rubbery look. It made his skin feel tight when he used it, and it left a bitter taste in his mouth.
Then there was their son, Doi, with his bouncy and liquid Slime Quirk. It felt lightweight and carefree, though it made Izuku's skin itch, and he felt particularly tired after using it.
Beyond that was the edge of the street, with countless generic Quirks and several outstanding ones sitting right on the edge of his detection. Exhaling, he collapsed onto his back, wiping sweat from his brow.
Okay, one more time…
-
"Wake up, nerd!" Izuku's half-closed eyes snapped open, and he shot out of his seat. This definitely would have been embarrassing in the middle of class, but the only people actually in the classroom were himself and Bakugou.
Tiredly, Izuki rubbed his eyes with balled-up fists, yawning. "Kacchan? Did you need something?"
"What the hell do you mean?! Class is over, but you were about to spend the whole fucking night writing shit in your notebook all weird and half asleep! It was pissing me off, so I woke your ass up." Bakugou folded his arms, looking away from Izuku.
"Oh, thanks, Kacchan."
"Whatever, damn it. Why have you been so tired lately, anyway? It's annoying."
"Is Kacchan worried about me?"
Bakugou had the good graces to look as embarrassed as he was enraged- he put his hands on his hips and glared directly at Izuku. "Like I'd ever worry about you. Go die. And quit saying 'Kacchan' so much!"
Izuku laughed, pulling his bag onto his shoulder. "Sorry, sorry. To answer your question, I've been working out in preparation for U.A., but I've had to study late into the night to keep up with my academics too." He threw up a lazy peace sign, waving it around with faux enthusiasm. "I've got a lot of catching up to do on the physical front, but it's not so bad academically."
Bakugou's eyes narrowed slightly, an angry blush still tinting his cheeks, and Izuku's breath hitched in his throat. "Deku... you're still trying to get into U.A.? Even after what I said?"
Izuku took a moment to catch his breath, finally giving a simple nod. "It's been my dream for as long as it has been yours," he whispered furtively, not wanting to provoke this strangely calm Bakugou. "I'm not going to give it up just because you said something mean. If I did that, I probably would have killed myself already..." He laughed weakly, shaking his head. "No, sorry, I shouldn't say that so casually."
Bakugou chewed his cheek and examined Izuku, even taking a step closer. "That's one thing you're good at, then," he finally grumbled, stomping away. As soon as the classroom door slammed shut behind him, Izuku took a deep breath, clutching his chest.
He was totally worried about me! That's so unlike weird...
-
"Oh, Izuku, could you hand me the recipe? I left it on the table and can't get it from here." Izuku looked up from the fridge at his mother, who was stirring something in a pan on the stove. Indeed, from where she stood, she wasn't able to see the part of the dining table that the recipe book was on. Izuku could, though, so he copied his mother's Quirk and pulled it over. It only strained him a little bit, the book approaching but not quite at the weight limit.
He turned to his mother again as he grabbed the book out of the air. "Here, Mom- whoa, are you okay?!" He jolted forward and almost dropped the cookbook at the sight of his mother crying. She laughed wetly as she wiped at her eyes, shaking her head.
"Yes, of course," she said, smiling. "It's just... seeing you use my Quirk..."
Izuku smiled solemnly as he passed off the cookbook to her, looking down at his hand. "Yeah."
If I had a Quirk like Mom's... could I be a Hero?
It was a strange thought. He went back to rummaging in the fridge, deciding to ignore it.
-
Izuku threw a jab with his right hand, then with his left, followed by a straight kick with his right leg. "152," he gasped.
Yagi nodded approvingly, then set up his own fighting stance, showing off a few more punches. Izuku copied the punches Yagi showed, spun into a roundhouse kick, then launched another straight kick. "153!"
"Your kicks look much better than when we started," Yagi complimented, patting Izuku's back. "What have you been researching?" Izuku stretched his legs while contemplating. Because Yagi only had formal training in boxing, Izuku had to learn other fighting styles from observing old tournament videos, which meant that everything other than his punches was sloppy.
"Well," he started, taking a sip of water, "I've been watching some old fighters, especially kickboxers; I thought it made the most sense to be a jack-of-all-trades for right now, so I've been practicing a few different styles."
Yagi nodded again. "That's smart to watch old fights; the development of fighting has stagnated with the advent of Quirks. Honestly, the only big sports events are tournaments like the Sports Festival at U.A., and maybe the Olympics. Now, show me a few more of those kicks, and then we can look at some hooks."
-
With a thud, Izuku fell shoulder-first into the ground, dropping the safe he had been carrying as he ran. Yagi looked back at him, frowning as he jogged in place. "Do you need a rest day today? No, wait, yesterday was a rest day..." His frown sharpened, his sallow eyes teeming with frustration. "Young Midoriya, are you overexerting yourself?"
"Well, m-maybe I've been, uh... s-skipping some rest days, hah..." Yagi shook his head and held out his hands as if asking the universe what he was going to do with this kid. Izuku sniffled, shaking his head as he tried to get up off his hands and knees. Too winded to move up, he simply kneeled where he had fallen. "I've got a serious game of catch-up to play. If I don't push myself hard enough, I won't have- have earned your power or a spot in the world of Heroes. I want to be the greatest Hero...! So that's why I have to- have to... do this...!"
"You and your damn martyr complex!" Yagi took him by the elbow and helped him stand upright. The green-haired boy managed a thankful smile, despite his shaky knees and teary eyes.
"My boy," Yagi bent down and grabbed Izuku by both shoulders, forcing the boy to face him head-on. "If you overexert yourself, then you won't grow properly, and I won't be able to entrust One for All to you in time for the Exam. Please take better care of yourself." Tears flowed down his cheeks, and Izuku managed a weak nod. "Worry not, my boy. Trust an old man to get you back on track. I'll make sure that you get that time you wanted to train, believe me."
"Thanks, Yagi... and you're not old..."
"Ha ha ha! You flatterer, you!"
-
Sighing, Toshinori hobbled out of his beat-up pickup truck, pulling his scarf higher against his mouth to dissuade the cold pervading his bones. Even considering that it was still January, it had gotten much colder in Japan since he was a child. At least, it felt like it sometimes, but that might just be his rickety bones protesting. Fighting back a shiver, he started walking his way toward the usual meeting spot. Squinting through the rising sun, Toshinori stopped in surprise.
"Oh... Oh my..." Toshinori, in a moment of sheer reflex at the sight before him, buffed up into his Hero form and put his hands on his hips. "OH MY GOODNESS!"
The beach was almost entirely cleared. The only thing left on the entire coastline was a single large pile of refuse. And there, on top of the pile, wearing only his teal track pants was sweating, screaming Izuku. Toshinori smiled gently, looking up at the boy as the sun backed up his ethereal image.
I didn't expect him to actually manage it! Even before his slip-up, I wasn't sure he would have time to train with it; but to make up that time in its entirety?! Incredible!
Belatedly, Toshinori realized Midoriya had stopped screaming, the exhaustion surely hitting him if the fact he was starting to stumble towards the edge of the pile was anything to go by. Finally, he seemed to pass out, and Toshinori was glad he had accidentally buffed up. It made it that much easier to rush forward and catch the boy as he fell. Izuku, still semi-conscious enough to register Toshinori's face, smiled up at him. "I did it, Yagi...!"
"Young Midoriya... You did incredibly well. You got close to messing it up, but you really pulled through." Midoriya nodded, still smiling softly. Toshinori helped set him on his feet, then threw his arms wide. "You know what comes next, right?"
"Y-yes! Yes sir!"
-
All Might smiled softly, an oddly strange expression on him, despite the fact he always seemed to be smiling as a Hero.
"Midoriya. Take a look at this." Izuku wiped the sweat from his brows, blinking a few times to readjust his vision. All Might was holding his phone out with a picture of... him? Oh, that was the first day on the beach, when All Might had been incessantly snapping pictures of the boy while he sobbed in the sand. Geez, his arms were scrawny then. His neck too.
"And, here," All Might snapped a picture of him again, then held out his phone once more. The sight of himself made him suck in a breath. Holy shit.
He had already known his arms had gotten large compared to before, but actually looking back and seeing the difference was astounding. And that's not even mentioning his chest, which, while still relatively thin and flat, was obviously chiseled with muscle. His shoulders had grown broader, and he estimated that he could probably grate cheese on those new abs.
"And that's not even mentioning how much taller you have gotten, my boy! You must've grown at least 15 centimeters in these past months. You look like an entirely different young man- I'm incredibly proud. You've really started to unlock that potential of yours." All Might tucked his phone into his coat pocket, his already soft smile turning into something softer.
"No matter how many times you say it..." Izuku put a hand against his heavily beating heart, barely holding onto the tears threatening to fall. "I still feel like I'm cheating... I'm so blessed. By everyone..."
"While I wish you thought more highly of your own efforts, I can't correct you. All I can do is reaffirm that you've earned this." He reached up to one of his bangs and plucked a hair from it. To Izuku, it looked like the string of destiny. "Someone once told me this: 'There's a difference between being lucky and being deserving. Luck is an accident, but to deserve something means you've worked for it. Don't discredit your effort by assuming that it's luck.' Take those words to heart- you've earned this opportunity. Don't forget it. Now!"
He held the hair clutched between his fingers outwards, towards his protégé.
"Eat this."
All Might, will you knock that off already?!
Reluctantly, Izuku took the strand of hair in his hand. He glanced back up at All Might. "And I have to eat your hair to get One for All?"
All Might de-buffed back into Yagi, swiping at the blood that inevitably dribbled down his chin with a handkerchief. "One for All, like any Quirk, has much to do with DNA. Once you receive One for All, it... well, it kind of latches onto your Quirk Factor and tries to become part of it. If I'm being honest, it's a lot like a parasite in that regard, but it also means you need to ingest DNA containing it to receive it. Hair is probably the best option. Unless you'd rather drink my spit or my blood?"
Izuku swallowed down bile at the thought. Grinning shakily, he slipped the hair into his mouth and managed to swallow it after dry swallowing a few times. He clenched his fists and waited for the overwhelming power to hit him... and waited... and waited...
"You need to digest it first, my boy," Yagi laughed. "It will take time."
Izuku nodded a little, embarrassed to have been so easily called out. He looked down at himself, at the drumbeat thrum of his Quirklight, suddenly realizing that he was about to cry. "Yagi… thank you so much. I can't even begin to thank you.
"Call me Toshi."
Izuku looked back up in shock, dropping his fists. "Huh?"
The blond man scratched his head, smiling and staring somewhere in the middle distance, either far away or long ago. He finally dropped his gaze to his mentee. "It's just... my mentor. She called me Toshi. I... I've missed hearing it. Now that we're bound by One for All, I think you should call me that." He laughed nervously, shaking his head. "Sorry, I know it's weird."
"No, I would be honored to call you that. Thank you, Toshi. Call me Izuku, okay?"
Toshinori blinked in surprise, then laughed again wholeheartedly. "You got it, young Izuku!"
"Close enough..." Glancing back at the pile of trash he had gathered, Izuku smiled, then went to get his stuff. He came back properly dressed to find Toshinori leaning against his truck. The man promptly jabbed a thumb at the passenger side.
"I know you normally run back, but I'll drive you home to shower." Nodding, Izuku jumped into the passenger seat, tossing his bag in the back seat. Climbing in and turning the key in the ignition, Toshinori gripped the wheel tightly as he pulled out onto the road. The road was relatively empty this early, at least in this part of town; most people took the train to work nowadays.
Toshinori seemed to be thinking about something if his knuckles growing white were anything to go by; Izuku watched him but kept quiet, trying not to distract him. Finally, he turned slightly to Izuku, eyes glancing back and forth between the boy and the road. "Young Izuku, regarding you using One for All... I don't know how much help I can be. Using it always came naturally to me, and it was much weaker when I received it. Hm... oh, I've got it!" He pointed a finger upwards, a smile stretching across his face. "Think of your body like an egg and One for All as a microwave. If you turn the microwave up too high or leave the egg in too long, the egg will explode!"
"Toshi..." Izuku smiled at his mentor, scratching his cheek. "That's super lame..."
"I'm being serious. In the state you're in physically, I'd say anything above 10% of One for All's true power would shatter your bones." Izuku gulped at Toshinori's tone, the smile dropping off of his face. After a moment, Toshinori burst out laughing, nodding slightly. "Okay, the metaphor itself is a little lame, but I still think it might help if you think simply like that. If you try to overcomplicate it, all you'll end up doing is hurting yourself. Remember that, got it?!"
"Y-yeah, got it!"
"Right." The truck stopped, and Toshinori put it in park- they had reached the apartment complex where Izuku lived without him even noticing. "Go in and take a quick shower. I want to bring you around to U.A. and have you train a little. You only have one month, one vital month to make this power your own. Got it?" Izuku grabbed his bag from the back seat, stepping out of the old vehicle.
"I got it, Toshi. I'll be right out." He waved, already mentally preparing himself for their training.
-
So this is U.A.!
It was an insane sight; The building was composed of practical skyscrapers, with hallways interlinking them at varying heights, making an "H" shape when viewed from the entrance. It was the tallest building around, as U.A. owned several acres surrounding the school building itself. Izuku was rooted to the spot, trying not to die of an excitement-induced heart attack. Toshinori slapped Izuku on the back, driving him forward through the mammoth gate.
"Come now, my boy, don't panic too much," he laughed. "I need you focused on this."
Izuku nodded shakily, looking around at the sights as they walked. He shied behind Toshinori when they passed students and staff, but that didn't stop them from staring at the odd pair. Why didn't we do this on a weekend...? After more than a few minutes of this nerve-wracking ordeal, Toshinori stopped in front of a large building, and Izuku stopped with him.
Toshinori opened the door, gesturing for Izuku to enter. "This is Gym Gamma, also called the TDL. When you become a student here, you will use it to work on your Special and Ultimate Moves. For now, though, it will work just fine as a training ground for One for All."
Gym Gamma was long and largely empty, especially in the middle. There was nothing in particular that was interesting about it except for its cement flooring, obviously designed to be manipulated by Cementoss, who was a teacher at U.A. To what extent? Pillars, walls, dummies? Just to what extentcan Cementoss manipulate cement? Izuku shook his head to clear it of the unimportant speculation, instead focusing back on his teacher.
Toshinori led Izuku out to the middle of the gym before coming to a stop, nodding while placing his hands on his hips. "Here's good. My boy, can you feel One for All yet?"
"Oh, uh..." Izuku looked down at himself and realized that the change had occurred without him even noticing. The drumbeat thrums of Quirk Copy had grown wilder and even disregarding the naturally vibrant colors of One for All, his original Quirklight had gone from just gray to gray with crimson edges. Oddly enough, it looked like his Quirk had become part of One for All, where the opposite might be expected. He shook his head, leaving those thoughts for later note-taking. "Yeah. I have it."
"Excellent. Now, my boy, I do not expect you to be able to use the power like me. However! Remember the egg in a microwave! Have you ever seen a microwave with dials?" Izuku nodded, huffing a little at the silly question. "Imagine One for All as the microwave and your body as the egg. You must set the power low enough so that the egg does not explode, but regardless of the power, you also must be careful not to leave it in too long. I want you to do this: set this dial to 5% and hold it for ten seconds if you can, or for as long as you can comfortably."
"Alright..." He clenched his fists, closed his eyes, and visualized his arms with dials on the shoulders. He turned both up to 5% with a click-click-click and felt the power gush in, One for All's Quirklight latching onto his arms just like it did to Toshinori. The air around his skin hissed and crackled in response to the sheer power being held within, and Izuku gritted his teeth as he felt his bones shake with the effort, but they didn't pop off as Tosinori had warned. He had done it- he had become a proper vessel. Idly, he wondered why he didn't buff up like Toshinori... maybe latent Quirk genetics affecting the manifestation of an unrelated Quirk?
Either way, after he counted to ten in his head, he turned the dials back down to 0% and sighed in relief when One for All willingly retreated at his command.
Toshinori smiled brightly, eyes shining. "Brilliant. You're a prodigy."
Izuku blushed at that, shaking his head. "N-no, I've just kept up with my training." He gripped his bottom lip as he lost himself in the thought. "It could simply be that I've acclimated to using different Quirks, seeing as how I do so as part of my training, but it's also possible that I can use Quirks so easily due to the nature of my Quirk itself... but I don't know enough to be sure. Considering that I copy the entire Plus Alpha Element- as far as I can tell, anyway- my body naturally develops resistance to the copied Quirk. That in and of itself doesn't make the Quirk easy to use, though, just possible..."
"Well, either way..." Toshinori buffed up and held his palms out. "Hit me with all ya got! Er, not literally! That would be bad."
Nodding, Izuku turned the dial up to 10% in just one arm, groaning at the feeling. He held it there for a moment just in case he needed to pull back, but his arm reluctantly settled, getting used to the power. Sighing in relief, Izuku got into a boxing stance, and, with a shout of exertion, threw a straight jab into Toshinori's massive palm. He yelped indignantly as the backlash of his own power knocked him flat on his ass, staring in shock at his own fist before bursting out laughing. "I... I did it!"
"That you did." The Hero helped the boy to his feet. "Young Izuku... you asked me if you could be a Hero like me. I'm proud that I can confidently say that you can."
Izuku sniffled, covering his mouth to stop from blubbering.
"In fact," Toshinori continued, spreading his arms out dramatically, "you have the potential to be even greater than me!"
"Yes, sir!"
"Although, maybe you ought to reel back on the crying a bit, first..."
"A-ah! Yes, sir!"