Chapter 5: Control
Toshinori Yagi really was pathetic, wasn't he? Here he was, the Symbol of Peace, Japan's hope as the number one hero, and he had to go ahead and lose a villain in the sewers. Sure, if he had just lost the villain, it wouldn't be so bad. In his powered-up state, he could probably catch back up in less than thirty seconds, give or take.
No, the problem was, he had run out of time! The day had been a bit strange, he'll admit. It seemed like everyone needed help today. Not that he's complaining! He would never! He lives to help those in need! But today, the moment he finished getting a cat out of a tree, or helping someone move their furniture, another person was calling out to him.
And while he was always happy to help, it came at the detriment of his three hour time limit. When he thought he finally had a moment, he deflated and took a trip to the grocery store, only for this villain to rob a bank! He had hoped to catch up to the, mud? Slime? To the villain quickly and secure him, but it was not to be. He had gotten away and that left Toshinori to where he was now. Running around the sewers in his emancipated form like a fool, trying to get Tsukauchi on the phone.
'What a great hero you are.' He thinks to himself while coughing blood into his hand. Toshinori took another deep breath and tried to call on One for All again. If he could just get something, anything, he knows he could end this quickly. He willed his quirk to work!…and nothing again.
What a disgrace. The old hero gripped his grocery bag tighter and pushed himself to keep running. His lungs were burning, the pain from his injury was white hot, and his mouth filled with more and more blood but he kept going. He would see this through to the end. He just had to hope no one got hurt before he did.
Izuku would be the first to admit that this situation wasn't exactly ideal.
"We ain't got all day kid."
It could be better.
The gears in Izuku's head spun. The easiest solution would be to turn the girl invisible and get them both out of there, but slight problem. He hadn't learned how to do that yet. So that's out. He could change her appearance and make her look completely different, but that wouldn't help either. They'd see it and if not, anyone traveling with him would obviously be her.
Then there were his opponents themselves. He couldn't get a read on what their quirks were. No physical part of their bodies was visible to analyze. He'd like to say they didn't have ranged quirks or else they would've used them but at the same time, they may not want to hurt the girl.
He has multiple daggers and knives physically on him now, plus he could conjure more if he needed, but they could be risky too because these villains, they're hurting this girl so villains, they could have skin or be wearing armor that's knife proof!
Could…could Kacchan have been right? Were his powers only good for tricks? Was he really usele-
No! Stop! You're letting what he said get to you. Relax. Breathe. You're the Prince of Mischief. Act like it! No situation is out of your control. They don't have you trapped. You have them.
Alright. Good. Save the girl now. Deal with what Kacchan said later. And possibly stab him for it. No, wait. Definitely stab him. But like, a light stab.
Izuku only takes seconds to process all those thoughts before feeling for his knives under his sleeves, getting ready to test how knife proof the villains were, before the manhole cover close to him began to shake violently.
Oh, what fresh hell was this?
The horned girl buries her face against him as some green liquid substance came out through the holes in the cover. Sludge if he had to guess. His only solace is the two men yelling in surprise, meaning whatever this was, wasn't with them.
The sludge twisted around for a second before forming what looked like arms and a face, complete with eyes and mouth. Izuku's hopes, albeit they were very slim, of the newcomer helping them were dashed when the sludge man looked down at him. His face was the one of a predator, and it looked like he had found his prey.
"Well, it looks like I got my choice of skin suit today." The sludge man says in a distorted voice.
Izuku doesn't know if there is a way to use 'skin suit' in a good context but this was not it. Let's see, the sludge around him is liquid, so most likely no pain receptors. He doesn't know about the teeth but those eyes make nice, big targets.
"Hey! Freak!" The sludge villain turns to look at the man calling him from the tunnel's entrance. "Do whatever you want with the boy, but the girl is ours!"
"Who the hell do you think you are?!" He calls back. This is Izuku's chance. The girl gives a small squeal as he picks her up, putting his left arm under her while she wraps her own arms around his neck.
Izuku can't make her invisible. But he can make more.
He creates ten decoys of himself around the sludge villain. But only five of them look like him. At the same time, he turns five of the decoys into copies of the girl. When the sludge villain looks back, there are six total pairs of kids, each looking the exact same as the originals.
"What the fuck is this?!" The villain roars. His eyes desperately scanning over them.
"Watch your mouth!" All six Izuku say together before laughing and taking off in different directions. Three pairs toward the exit of the tunnel and the other three toward the entrance.
"I don't have time for this!" The sludge villain extends both of his arms and swipes at both groups of retreating kids. Several dodge but he's still able to hit a pair of decoys on each side. One of the pairs running toward the entrance trips and falls. "Found you!" He lunges in their direction.
The real Izuku smirks as he runs toward the exit. That'll buy a little time. Now for…he adjusts his free arm and conjures two knives before throwing them at the last villain blocking their exit. He has his clone do the same so the goon thinks four knives are flying toward him. Each one aimed at one of his legs or shoulders.
"Shit!" The man creates what looks like mini shields in his hands, each the size of a palm and goes to block two of the knives. He guesses right on the one aimed for his shoulder. He does not on the legs. The knife skewers him in the right leg and he shrieks in pain, hunching over and putting both of his hands on either side of the injured leg.
"Pardon me!" Izuku jumps and drives his heel into the man's chest, using his momentum to take him to the ground before continuing his run. The sun had never looked so good. His victory is short-lived before Izuku's instincts go wild. He hugs his passenger with both hands and sends them rolling on the ground just in time for a sludge appendage to go sailing above them.
The teen looks up just in time to see the sludge villain barreling down on them. "You're mine!" Izuku doesn't even think. His arm moves in a slashing motion, the dagger being conjured mid-swing. His aim is true. Izuku slashes the villain across the eye, causing him to reel back in pain. Unfortunately, he backs up right into the path Izuku was running in. Even being outside the tunnel, the path they're on is a narrow one. With high walls lining the sides.
The half Asgardian has no choice but to try to turn around but when he does, his downed villain is ripping the knife out of his leg, and getting back on his feet. His partner running up to his side, pulling him the rest of the way up.
"You're gonna want to hang on," Izuku whispers to the girl, moving her to his back. She doesn't have to be told twice and wraps her legs around his back and her arms around his neck. It's a little too tight but he won't complain.
"Good try, kid! But we'll be taking Eri back now." The uninjured cloaked villain tells him.
'Eri, huh?'
"Like hell, you will!" Oh good, Mr. Sludge has recovered. "I still need a suit to hide in before he gets here!" Izuku turns his back to one of the walls so he can keep an eye on both sets of villains.
"We told you! We just want the girl! You can have the other one!"
The sludge villain growls. "So I get the boy and you get the girl? Fine, whatever!"
"Uh, guys?" The villains all turn to look at Izuku. "As wanted as all of this is making me feel. You have a slight problem." He lifts his hand and in a flash of green light, Izuku is gone. In his place, now stand a dozen terrified looking girls.
"Which one.."
"Is…"
"Eri?" Three different girls say.
"I have never wanted to kill a kid…more than I have today…" the injured villain grits out.
"Doesn't matter!" The sludge villain calls out. "I'll just attack them all!"
"You can't! We need the girl!" The uninjured villain forms a gun with his hand and shoots a bullet of compressed air in front of the advancing sludge villain. Unknown to any of them, a new person, panting at the mouth of the tunnel, begins to watch.
He turns his murderous glare from the dozen girls to the mask-wearing villains. "I don't give a-!"
"You're running out of time." One of the Eri's says.
"He'll be here before you know it." Says another.
"And they keep getting in your way."
The sludge villain bellows in frustration. "I'm done with this! I'm getting a skin suit, one way or another!" He jumps at the other two villains, both of them barely jumping out of the way in time. The goon with the injured leg stays on the ground, clutching his leg in pain. The sludge villain takes advantage, descending upon the man, ripping his mask off, and forcing his way down his throat.
The dozen Eri's take advantage. One girl grabs another and they all run back toward the tunnel. "I don't think so!" The villain not currently being possessed by the sludge from hell starts shooting air bullets at the Eri's, knowing it wouldn't kill her.
Several decoys are taken out before Izuku ends the illusion, throwing two more knives at the villain that he ultimately shoots out of the air. He points two finger guns at the pair while Eri hides behind Izuku. The villain tries to fire several shots at them but they're blocked by a pair of daggers. The two take a moment to stare each other down.
"You must be so relieved, kid. To have gotten a quirk. Means when I kill you, someone might actually care!" The man blasts a shot of compressed air from his foot, launching himself at the kids. He switches from a gun to an 'air sword' in his dominant hand and brings it down onto Izuku's head. He crosses his daggers in front of him, blocking the attack. The villain aims the air gun in his left hand at the boy's gut.
Before he can fire, Izuku twists, using the air sword caught in his daggers to drag the man with him, while at the same, using his leg to keep Eri out of the way. Izuku pushes the man off of him and throws another knife before the twist is done, feeling satisfied when it pierces the man's gun hand.
"Ah! You little shit!"
Izuku can't help the smile on his face. "And you wanna know the best part? I just did all of that without any powers!" The man snarls, raising his air sword, but another knife stabs that hand too. As the man stumbles, Izuku picks Eri back up, holding her close. "I didn't even need them to beat you! Because guess what?! Quirk or no quirk, nothing was going to stop me from saving Eri!"
A very loud stomp comes from behind Izuku. "Very well said, young man."
Izuku turns and was pretty sure if it wasn't for the adrenaline pumping through him, he would've fainted right there. "A-a-a-a-a-a-"
"You've done well. But let a pro handle it from here!"
Shit! No! I wasn't ready!" The sludge villain yells, abandoning his prey and lunging in a desperate attack.
"TEXAS…" All Might grabs Izuku and Eri with his other hand, positioning them behind him. "SMASH!" All Might punches right as the sludge villain attacks, creating a torrent of wind. Izuku holds Eri close to him while the wind roars around them.
"Damn youuuuuuuu!" The sludge villain is blown apart by the mighty punch, the other two villains being blasted away with him.
Once the wind dies down, the sound of sirens could be heard approaching. Izuku loosens his grip on the red-eyed girl a little. "Are you ok, Eri?"
She nods. "Y-yes. T-thank you s-sir."
Izuku makes a face. "Oh please don't call me that. My name's Midoriya."
"Midor-Midori-Mi-Midoriri-"
Izuku smiles. "How about you just call me Mido?" The girl answers by burying her face into his chest again.
"So, did this all go according to plan?"
Loki smirks from his spot on top of the building, watching the scene below them. "Oh, yes."
His companion rubs his chin with his wrinkled fingers. "You helped the girl escape her captors so your son could rescue her?"
"Correct."
"And this is part of your…grand plan for Earth?…"
"You were the one who demanded an update." Loki knows his smirk is infuriating the other so he keeps it up.
"Then answer me this. Why spend so much time delaying the buffoon beforehand, ensuring his power would run out? He would have saved the girl much quicker."
"It needed to be Izuku who rescued the girl. So they would grow attached."
The alien hums a bit before answering. "I still fail to see the point of this."
"The point is the same as it has always been." Green eyes zone in on Izuku, holding the girl close to him while talking excitedly with the hero. "Control."
"Ah yes, they're in room 318. Just head through those doors, and take the elevator at the end of the hall. It'll be the first one on your left."
Naomasa Tsukauchi tips his hat at the receptionist and makes his way toward the double doors he was directed towards.
"Tsukauchi." The police detective turns at the sound of his name to see Shota Aizawa walking to him.
"He's with me," Naomasa tells the receptionist who nods and buzzes the door for the two men.
They walk in step down the hallway. Aizawa waits for the doors to close behind them before staring. "So, what was so urgent you couldn't give me any details over the phone?"
"Kidnapping case. We got a little girl. Name, Eri. Age is between four to five. No birth certificate and no missing report cases match her." Naomasa lists off.
"Strange. But not as out of the ordinary as you implied over the phone."
"She was being walked when she managed to get away from her guard, and then rescued by a fourteen-year old. From what I've been told, he handled himself well."
"Who told you that?"
"All Might. He arrived at the end and finished the villains off."
Aizawa sighs. "Of course. He still here?"
Naomasa stops to press the button for the elevator. "No. He had other matters to attend too. He gave his statement and left. His secretary is here in his place." He looks over at Aizawa who gives him a nod. He got the message, Toshinori ran out of time.
Aizawa starts again. "While this is all fascinating, you haven't answered why you asked Nezu specifically for me."
"Officers haven't been able to get much from the girl. But from what they tell me, every time they brought up her quirk, she'd cry and tell them it was a 'curse' and to not get close or they would be 'erased.'"
The elevator door opens and they step in. "So I'm here as a precaution?"
"Yes, and hopefully with you around, she'll be comfortable enough to tell us more about her kidnappers."
"Fair enough. And the other kid? What's his situation?"
"He admitted to using his quirk but considering the amount of villains present, there seems to be sufficient evidence his life and the girls were in danger so we don't plan on charging him."
Aizawa's grunt was his only response.
"Apparently Eri, that's the girl's name, refuses to leave Midoriya's, the boy, side. So we'll be talking to them together." The elevator stops and the doors open, depositing them onto the floor.
Naomasa heads to the first door on the left, nodding to the officers standing outside, he opens the door and walks in.
The room was your standard hospital room, with two beds and curtains to separate for privacy. The kids laid next to one another on Eri's bed, probably not to disturb her IV drip. Eri had been changed into a hospital gown and had had her bandages changed. While he did close his eyes for her sake, apparently Midoriya was next to her the entire time. She wouldn't allow anyone to come near her without him according to the doctors.
When they entered, as he predicted, Eri scrunched up closer to Midoriya for protection. The boy was wearing a pair of basketball shorts and a long-sleeved red shirt that read 'unicorn' on it. Wait, shouldn't he be wearing a gown too? When did he get a change of clothes? Ah well, it doesn't matter.
Midoriya looks up at them and gives a polite smile before looking past the detective. His smile becomes more genuine. "Eraser!"
Naomasa turns, intending to ask how Aizawa knows the kid, but the look of horror on the pro hero's face stops him. Aizawa mutters something that suspiciously sounds like, "oh god, he's real," before schooling his expression back to vague disinterest. He tilts his head at Midoriya. "Hello again…Problem Child."
Midoriya whispers a few things to Eri before getting up and walking toward him. "Hi! I'm Izuku Midor-" the boy is interrupted by his own tripping on his feet. The detective easily catches him while he shakes his head. "Sorry about that, I can be a bit clumsy sometimes."
Truth.
Naomasa smiles. "You're alright, Midoriya." The kid smiles, straightening up. "We don't want to take up too much of your time. You should know, your mom is on her way and should be here soon. I'm just here to confirm some details with you about what happened. And I was hoping to talk to Eri too."
Midoriya's easy-going nature seems to slip. It's barely noticeable, Naomasa probably only can because of his experience. The kid's eyes narrow, looking him up and down before glancing at Aizawa. Just as quick as it was gone, Midoriya's relaxed nature returns. "Sure!"
Naomasa nods, pulling up a chair for both him and Aizawa. "We'll start with you, Midoriya. If you can just give me a recounting of everything that happened today with Eri. And I am obligated to inform you that I have a lie detector quirk. I can't turn it off. So I'll be able to tell if you're telling the truth or not."
Usually, when he tells someone about his quirk, they get nervous. No longer able to look him in the eye. Their responses become very slow, like they're thinking about every word they say, which they probably are. Not with Midoriya though. It's as if Christmas came early.
"Wow!" He hears a groan next to him from Aizawa. "That's so cool! Does someone have to directly respond to you for it to work? What about partial truths? Partial lies? Does it work over the phone? What about-"
"Problem Child." Naomasa doesn't have to know Aizawa as well as he does to know the man is contemplating several life choices right now. "You'll be answering the questions today."
And now Modoriya's face is as if Aizawa burned his early Christmas present. The detective chuckles a bit. "How about this? We'll get to more of your questions later once we finish with you and Eri. And no, my quirk doesn't work over the phone." The kid's mood brightens a bit. "So, what happened today?"
And so, Midoriya recounts what happened with Eri. How he was trapped in a tunnel, used decoys and throwing knives to get out, stabbed a villain in the eye, got trapped again, used more tricks to get the villains to fight each other, fought off the last one, and All Might finished them off. Everything rang true.
"You seem to have a very fine tune control of your quirk," Aizawa says once Midoriya is done. "You teach yourself that?"
"Uh, no," Midoriya says, scratching his cheek. "My dad taught me."
Truth.
"Well, just know, you were extremely lucky today. And you should not keep pushing it. Practice restraining yourself from using your quirk in public." Aizawa warns.
"Sounds like a story?" Naomasa asks, raising an eyebrow and looking between the two.
Aizawa shrugs. "Kid used his quirk to get out of my capture weapon."
Before he could get a response off, Midoriya quickly cut in, "I swear I did not use my quirk to get out of your capture weapon."
Truth.
"Huh, I got a truth." Aizawa frowns.
Oh, he does not like the look on Midoriya's face. "Of course, that's assuming I was ever actually tied up in your capture weapon in the first place, Eraser."
"Tsukauchi," Aizawa says in a strained voice. "Ask Eri your questions. Sooner, would be better."
Midoriya nods happily. "I'll let her know you guys are alright." He walks back over to the girl, who had been watching them apprehensively the entire time.
"Hey, Eri," Midoriya says in a lighter voice. "Those men there want to ask you some questions, if that's ok?"
Eri shook her head violently. "N-no! My curse could hurt them! T-they can't-"
"Shhhh." Midoriya gently shushes her, patting her head. "You see the one with long hair and scarf? That's Eraserhead. He's a hero who can turn off other people's quirks."
Eri's wide eyes somehow became even wider. "He…he can turn off my curse?"
Midoriya bends down a bit to look her in the eye. "Your quirk Eri. Your quirk. There is nothing wrong with you. Everything is because of the man who hurt you." She shudders but continues to look at him. "And, with a little practice, I just know you could learn to control your quirk! But Eraserhead can stop any accidents. You can't hurt anyone. Maybe he could show you?"
Midoriya looks at them for silent permission. Naomasa nods and Aizawa gets up and walks slowly over, stopping in the middle of the room. Midoriya waves his hand and an exact copy of him appears next to Aizawa, smiling and waving at Eri. "Hiya!" After a few seconds, Aizawa activates his quirk on Midoriya and the clone disappears.
"See?" Midoriya asks while the little girl looks at Aizawa in awe.
"O-okay. He can stay." Eri finally says.
"It's nice to meet you, Eri. My name is Shota Aizawa."
Midoriya looks like he's about to combust; he's so excited. "OhmygodIknowEraserhead'sname!" Aizawa clears his throat. "U-uh, I mean, g-great job Eri! You're doing so well. And the other man," Midoriya pulls something from his pocket and opens it in front of her, "his name is Naomasa Tsukauchi. And look. You see that? That's his police badge. He's a police officer who also wants to help you. And if Eraserhead likes him, then I think we can trust him." Midoriya smiles more and- wait.
His police badge? That's in his wallet which is…Naomasa gets up and feels around his pockets…which is gone. He looks over to see Aizawa giving him a look that says, 'see?' And he can't help but agree.
Naomasa walks over slowly until Eri nods. Both he and Aizawa walk over to the side of the bed, the detective raising an eyebrow and holding his hand out. The kid at least has the decency to look a bit sheepish. "Sorry." Midoriya apologizes while handing the wallet back. "I thought it would get her to trust you."
Naomasa sighs. "It's…fine kid. Just don't make a habit out of it." He pauses. "Your dad teach you that too?"
Midoriya's smile returns. "Nope!"
Truth.
Alright, not enough time to deal with whatever that means. "Oh, Midoriya. Before I forget. Mr. Yagi, All Might's secretary, wanted to talk to you in the empty room down the hall once we're done here." Midoriya gives him a confused look but nods. Aizawa gives him a look too, but chooses not to comment. "Alright Eri, we're gonna be asking you some questions about the men who took you, ok?" She curls up against Midoriya who holds her close. Eri looks up, and after a reassuring nod from her savior, Eri looks down and nods at the detective.
Toshinori is watching the slowly fading sunset from the empty hospital room he's in when he hears the door open behind him.
"U-um, hello, sir. You wanted to talk to me?" Toshinori turns around to see the young man he had requested to see. He was shaking slightly, his eyes darting around the room. But whenever they landed on him, he could tell they were studying him closely. "Ah, young Midoriya. Thank you for seeing me. How is young Eri?"
"As good as she could be I guess." Young Midoriya shrugs. "It's an honor you want to talk to me sir, but I only have a few minutes. Eri is with Mr. A-Aizawa and I told her I'd be back as quickly as I could."
The man gave a deep, short laugh and waved him off. "Of course of course. I wanted to ask you something. But first…" and in a puff of smoke, Mr. Yagi was gone. And in his place…
"A-A-A-A-A-A-!" All Might quickly runs over and places his hand over the teen's mouth, letting him scream to his heart's content.
"Heh, I probably could have done this better…"
After a minute of the boy's screaming being mixed with so many questions, Toshinori could never hope to keep up, he let go of the hyperventilating boy, and deflated, coughing up a bit of blood.
"I-I-I literally have so many questions I don't know where to start…"
"How about I start then, young man? Yes, I am All Might. And what you see is the result of a fight with a villain from five years ago."
"Five years? No way, Toxic Chainsaw did this?"
"You know your stuff. But no. This was a fight that was kept completely hidden from the media. I defeated the villain, but it cost me most of my respiratory system, and my stomach. So now, I can only do hero work three hours a day. And the rest of the day I'm…" he gestures to himself.
"W-wow…is that why you had to leave so fast after the police came?"
"That's right, young man." Young Midoriya's eyes continue to scan over him, his hands are twitching and moving, like he wants to write everything down.
"Wow…" the boy settles on again. Toshinori chuckles but before he could answer, the boy stops shaking and frowns down at his shoes. His face scrunches up. He looks up and opens his mouth, but no sound comes out. Young Midoriya goes back to frowning at his shoes.
"If you want to ask me a question, young man, go ahead. Just try to keep it to one at a time."
Young Midoriya chuckles, but there's no humor in it. "I have too many questions to count, but there's one I think I want to ask. I've wanted to ask you for a long time but now that you're actually here…"
Even though the teen is still looking down, Toshinori smiles. "Ask away."
Young Midoriya takes a deep breath, still looking at his shoes. "So you've heard the story by now about what happened?"
"I did. Detective Tsukauchi gave me the rundown. The use of your quirk was excellent."
Toshinori was hoping the compliment would help calm the boy down, but instead, he flinches. "W-well you see, the thing is, my, uh, quirk, came in a bit late. I actually thought I was going to be quirkless. But still…I wanted to be a hero…to save people like you and someone else…" Young Midoriya takes another breath and finally looks up at him. "Could I have been a hero without any powers?"
Toshinori takes a moment. The silence in the room is somehow louder than anything. "I won't lie to you young man. If you had asked me that this morning, I don't think you would have liked my answer." It's almost amusing how much the boy deflating reminds him of himself. "However." The kid's head snaps back up, eyes sparkling. "While the use of your quirk was impressive. What I saw, was even more."
"I saw a young boy, risking his life to protect an even younger girl. He fought the villain head-on, with no hesitation. Tell me, young Midoriya, at any point, did your body move before you had a chance to think?"
A nod.
"That's what I thought. Do you know what a lot of stories about great heroes have in common? Their bodies move before they can think."
Young Midoriya's body begins to tremble, tears falling from his eyes. Toshinori's not even sure he was aware of it.
"Today, you showed with or without your quirk, you could protect that girl. It's what inspired me to push past my own limits, and step in at the end!"
The boy falls to his knees, tears in full force now.
"Young man. Even without a quirk, you too, could become a hero."
The boy sobs harder. Toshinori smiles, kneeling and placing his hands on his shoulders to act as an anchor. He can hear a mixture of 'thank you's' blended in with the crying.
After another minute of crying, young Midoriya finally gains enough control of himself to try and stand. He was able to with Toshinori's help.
"Are you ok, my boy?"
Young Midoriya chuckles, trying and failing to wipe the rest of his tears off. "What? No, yeah I'm fine. Never better actually. Are you ok, All Might? It looked like you were getting a bit emotional there for a second."
The pro hero chuckles along. "Yes, I think I'll manage." He lets another few seconds pass between them. "Tell me, young Midoriya, what do you know about my quirk?"
As he hoped it would, that seems to sober the boy right up. "That's the thing, isn't it! No one really knows anything about it!"
"That's right. And what if I told you I could give you my abilities?"
"What? Like a present? That doesn't make any sense…"
"But it's true!" Toshinori cuts in, hoping to stop a question storm before it starts. "I could give you my awesome abilities. You see, my quirk is a sacred torch that is passed down from one person to another. And you can be next."
Young Midoriya looks like what he imagines a computer would look like if it was a person and crashing. Maybe he should've waited a bit before dumping this on the kid? He's had a long day. But it still felt right to do this now.
Toshinori realizes while in his thoughts that young Midoriya's mouth had started moving again. There's barely any sound but he probably couldn't understand even if he could hear it. "Stop nerding out!" That brings the boy back again. "You see, my quirk is a torch that is passed from user to user. One person improves the power before handing it to the next and so on. It is called, One for All."
"One…for…All…"
"Yes. I still meant what I said earlier. Without mine or your quirk, you could still be a great hero. But the truth is, I've been on the hunt for a new successor for a while now. And I think that person is you. What do you say?"
Young Midoriya smiles, a bright one. He looks down at his shoes before looking back up. "It means so much you'd give something like this to me. And I know if I was still truly quirkless I would've said yes immediately. But…" Toshinori tilts his head in curiosity. "I have powers already. And your quirk should go to someone who would need the help more than me. So thank you All Might, but…" another deep breath where young Midoriya looks away. "But no…"
Toshinori smiles and waits for the boy to chance a glance at him. He does a few seconds later and he's satisfied to see the relief wash over the kid. "S-sorry. I thought you might be mad…"
"Nonsense Young Midoriya!" Toshinori reassures. "A noble reason to decline that only serves to reaffirm me that you will make a great hero." The tears start to form again. "But we may have to work on the waterworks kid…"
Young Midoriya laughs. "Yeah I know, it's- w-wait. We?"
All Might laughs, he's never gonna get tired of seeing the kid's shocked face. "Yes, we! Just because I won't be passing my quirk onto you doesn't mean I don't want to help you become the best hero you could be!" The old pro smiles deviously, knowing what this will do. "We should exchange numbers."
As he thought, young Midoriya nearly falls over before nodding so fast, he's a blur. He probably can't form words right now. After switching phones, in which the green-haired boy holds his as if it's some lost treasure, Toshinori looks away coughing a bit into his hand. "You know, young Midoriya. When you were getting ready to ask me your question, I thought it'd be for a-" Toshinori looks back to see the boy nervously scratching the back of his neck holding a notebook and pen.
All Might smiles, taking the book.
Shota closes the hospital door behind him, sighing. He walks up to Tsukauchi as he is finishing a conversation with one of his officers. "How's it looking in there?" The detective asks him.
"Mother's in there. Had to leave before I drowned." The other man gives him a quizzical look but doesn't ask.
"Alright, next we should-" the man is interrupted by his phone ringing. "Oh, excuse me." Tsukauchi answers and Shota doesn't pay too close attention before the detective loudly exclaims, "what?! When?!" A pause. "Who authorized that?!" Another pause. "Alright, I'm coming down there." Tsukauchi trots over to the elevator and pushes the button, waiting impatiently for it to come.
"What happened?" Shota can't help himself.
"Those two mask-wearing villains? Apparently their paperwork was pushed through immediately and they were allowed to leave on bail."
"Smells dirty," Shota states the obvious.
"That's what I'm gonna figure out."
"Wait wait wait wait wai-!"
The man is cut off by his own body exploding, his blood joining his partners in painting the once pristine wall. Overhaul pants. The blood on his hands not so much dripping off, more shaking off due to his quivering rage. He had lost Eri. On top of that, having to soil his hands.
The yakuza boss is barely able to get his hands in the sink to wash them, while the ever loyal Chrono waits silently with towels.
"I want all of our contacts in the police force looking for Eri." Overhaul says while scrubbing his hands.
"Already done, sir." Overhaul knows the man well enough to know he wants to say more so he waits. "Sir, may I speak freely?"
Overhaul hums, taking the towels and wiping his arms. "Our businesses and reserves of Eri's blood won't keep us going forever. We may have to consider…looking for beneficiaries to fund us."
Overhaul knows this. Chrono does as well. But there's no reason to pretend like the possibility isn't there. "We focus on Eri for now. When I believe we should look for others to help us monetarily, we will. And not any sooner. Make sure everyone understands this." Chrono agrees.
"As for right now." He looks back over the blood splattered wall. "It appears I do not have as much control as I had thought. Get someone to clean this up, and bring me Nemoto. Let's see if any others in our ranks…share their opinion on quirklessness."
Chapter 6: The End Doesn't Justify the Means
"Ok, that's good, but keep your knees bent a little. There you go, now spread your feet just a smidge farther apart. Balance is important."
"Like this?"
"Yes! You're doing so well! Alright, now, just like we practiced, ready? Ok, lunge! Good. Lunge! Make sure your feet are planted firmly on the ground. Lunge! Better, but make sure to extend your arm as you're moving forward."
"Oh…what was I doing?"
"You're lunging and then after you're done, extending your arm. You have to do both at the same time."
"I'm sorry…"
"Don't be! You're getting it way faster than I did at your age! Keep learning this fast, and I might have to start taking lessons from you."
"Really?…"
"That's right! So ready to try again?"
"Yes!"
"Ok, now, lunge! Again, lunge! See, you're already nearly there!"
"Problem Child."
"Lunge! Oh, hi Eraser! When'd you get here?"
A sigh. "Problem Child, do I really need to tell you what's wrong here?"
Izuku tilts his head in confusion. What's wrong here? What does he mean?
It had been two weeks since Eri had been rescued. Most of that time had been spent with the little girl in the hospital, and subsequently, most of Izuku's out-of-school time had been spent at that hospital too.
Due to being attacked, Izuku was given an initial couple of days off of school. This had proved to be important since Eri wouldn't let any of the doctors near her, much less run any tests, without Izuku by her side giving her reassurances. The hospital showed their gratitude by not saying anything when the pair fell asleep next to each other for the first couple of nights.
They still didn't know what her quirk was. The only thing they knew was that it could 'erase you if you got too close.' There was also the problem of bringing up anything having to do with the girl's quirk that sent her spiraling so fast, that it sometimes took Izuku hours to bring her back. While the quirk counselors were eager to have her demonstrate, given what little they knew about this Overhaul guy, absolutely no one was forcing her to use it until she was ready. It was amazing how fast adults can leave a room when you start to roll a knife through your fingers like it's a poker chip.
Eraser said he didn't approve when Izuku did that. But the man had spent almost as much time in the hospital room as he did, and never stopped him. The pro hero didn't say much in that time, he usually just sat in the corner, or sometimes laid in a yellow sleeping bag. What Izuku could learn from him was that he patrolled at night, and apparently he was a teacher at UA (What?!) but for some reason didn't have a class to teach right now so his days were free to keep an eye on them.
After some time, they couldn't put off the discussion of where Eri was going to go after the hospital any longer. Orphanage and foster care were off the table before they even sat down. Eraser said it would be most logical if he used his emergency foster license and took her. He could prevent any quirk accidents, and the principal of UA had offered to let the hero live on campus with her, also meaning Eri would have protection from her kidnappers.
The principal had a teacher's dorm begin construction the moment he heard about what happened. Did he know what was going to happen? Izuku doesn't like to think about it.
Eraserhead's constant presence in the room, along with Izuku's continuous praise of the man, made Eri comfortable enough to agree to live with him. The hero's ability to stop her quirk, yes they finally got her to start calling it a quirk, probably played a part too. The only caveat was that she still wanted to see Izuku a lot.
In another turn of events that Izuku didn't want to think too much about either, UA's Principal Nezu had anticipated this and given Eraser a pass to get on campus to give to Izuku. And after a couple of tries, he was able to get it out of the man's hand.
And that leads to today. Where Izuku stands in Eri's room with her, he wears a brown long-sleeved shirt that says 'variant' in orange letters while Eri wears pink and light blue pajamas. A more tired than usual Eraserhead stares at him from the doorway. Something was wrong here? At least according to Eraser, what could it be? He looks around the room for anything wrong.
The toys were a mess on the ground, the bed wasn't made, Eri holding one of his daggers, her books were not put away on the shelf, or she hadn't changed yet?
Izuku shrugs. Nope. He just can't figure it out.
Eraser pinches the bridge of his nose. "The dagger, Midoriya. The dagger. Why is Eri holding a weapon?"
"Oh!" Izuku still doesn't see what's wrong but at least he knows what the man is talking about now. "We're training!"
"Training?" Eraser deadpans.
"P-please don't be mad, M-Mr. Aizawa," Eri starts. Eraser knows that Izuku knows the man softens when she speaks. They both also know Izuku would never call him out on it. "I-I want to help people, j-just like M-Mr. Mido. So…" she trails off.
"So she asked me for help and that's what I'm doing!" Izuku finishes with a bright smile on his face.
Eraserhead shifts his gaze between them for a few seconds before fixing a softer look on Eri. "There's nothing wrong with wanting to be trained. But from now on, it should be done with an actual," a quick glare at Izuku, "licensed hero present. And weapons should not be the first thing you learn."
"Oh, c'mon Eraser! I started learning at her age and look how great I turned out!"
Izuku's attempts to defend himself don't work out if the man's blank stare is any indication. "I am not going to even acknowledge that with a response," Eraser says. "And kid, I told you to call me Aizawa when I'm not on duty." He waits for a nod before continuing. "Either way, All Might and some of his friends are here. He's waiting for you outside."
"Ok ok." Izuku raises his arms in surrender. "Just one last thing before I go? You're here now so we have a hero present like you wanted."
Eras-Aizawa looks pained. "Fine. Make it quick."
"Great!" Izuku picks a teddy bear off the ground and places it on the bed, holding it upright by it's head. "Ok, Eri, now combine everything we learned today."
She nods, lowering herself into the stance Izuku showed her while narrowing her eyes and sticking her tongue out of one side of her mouth in concentration.
"And…go!" Eri lunges, stabbing the toy bear through the chest. "Good! Now twist it! Twist the dagger, Eri. There you go! That'll cause maximum-"
"That's enough." Much like a certain dagger is doing to a bear right now, Aizawa's voice cuts through their lesson. He comes over and plucks the weapon out of the little girl's grasp. "I'll be keeping this for the rest of the day. Say your goodbyes Problem Child and meet All Might outside." And with that, the two are alone again.
"I'm s-sorry I got you in t-trouble, Mr. Mido…" Eri says, looking down while her eyes begin to water.
Izuku puts an arm around her and uses his other hand to pat her head. "Nah, I'm not in trouble. And it's just Mido."
A pause. "I'll stop saying Mister…when you call Mr. Aizawa by his name…"
"Ehhhh?!" Izuku backs up a step to look at Eri. "Was…was that snark?!"
"I-I-I-I'm sorry!" Eri practically yells, shaking her head. "I was just-I've see you-and I thought-"
Izuku silences her with a hug, which she returns after getting over her shock. "Don't be sorry. I'm so proud of you." The hug becomes tighter. The two stay like that until Izuku eventually forces himself to let go. "Alright, I gotta go now. But I'll see you soon, ok?"
The little unicorn keeps a hold of his sleeve. "Before you go…c-can you…one more time…"
Izuku smiles, knowing what she wants. He kneels in front of her and opens his palm. From it, a mini fireworks display plays out in front of them. Eri's eyes widen as the different colors explode in the air between them. She leans closer, mouth agape, just like the first time he did it. And while he hadn't been able to get her to smile yet, seeing the corner of her mouth twitch just a little, Izuku knew it was only a matter of time.
"Young Midoriya!" Izuku smiles, jumping down the stairs and running up to All Might in his small form. He was wearing the same plain white shirt and green cargo pants he had been the day they met. A favorite outfit of his apparently.
"All Might!" Izuku waves back, joining the man. The two began to walk through campus with All Might leading the way. "So what's going on? Aizawa said you came to campus today with some other people?"
The veteran hero nods. "That's right. Although, they arrived before me. My former sidekick is here and-"
"Sir Nighteye is here?! Is it true-"
All Might chuckles, placing a gentle but firm hand on the boy's head to cut him off. "Yes, Sir Nighteye. He's here with a pupil of his, a second-year student here at UA named Mirio Togata. I plan on meeting with the boy to see…" he hesitates. "To see if I should give One for All to him." All Might doesn't look at him.
"That's so cool!" Izuku exclaims.
The hero should've gotten whiplash with how fast he turns his head. "You think so?"
"Well yeah!" Izuku says, nodding and waving his arms around him. "I mean it's not every day you get to see the next symbol of peace chosen. My only question is, why bring me along?"
Izuku has seen a lot of things he couldn't believe, but seeing All Might somehow look sheepish while rubbing the back of his neck, still somehow blows his mind. "To be honest my boy, if he accepts, then chances are I'll be helping to train you both together so I wanted to give you the chance to meet. As well…" he rubs his hands together. "I wanted to be sure there would be no…ill will…between the two of you…if you know what I mean…"
Izuku is not nearly as good at reading people as his dad is. But even he gets where this is going. "Don't worry, All Might." Izuku smiles. "I said no so someone else would have the chance. Wouldn't make much sense for me to get upset over it."
The number one hero smiles, visibly sagging his shoulders. "That's a great relief to hear." The two idly chat for a few minutes longer while All Might leads them through several winding halls in the main building of the school. Eventually, they come across two doors, side by side. All Might opens the one on the right and holds it open for Izuku to enter.
To put it simply, it was an observation room. The entire room was empty and blank, except for the left wall not being a wall, but instead, one big window to watch the next room over. The other room, where presumably the left door led too, was much bigger, with the walls and floor padded. Two figures stood in the other room, talking to each other.
One was a boy, Mirio Togata if Izuku had to guess, wearing a white, gold, and blue suit with a long red cape. He had blonde hair and was built pretty well.
The other person was a much smaller, older man wearing a white and yellow suit complete with a yellow cape and domino mask. He lifts his foot to scratch it and Izuku sees several holes on the bottom of his boot. His notebook nearly conjures itself with all the questions Izuku is bursting with.
"Ah, you're here. And you brought a guest." Izuku looks away from the people in front of him to look at the only other occupant of the room. He was tall, wearing a plain white suit with a red dotted tie. He wore triangular glasses and had dark green hair with three yellow streaks in it. It was only the thought of embarrassing himself in front of All Might, and probably embarrassing the man too, that kept Izuku from running up to the hero for an autograph. No, that can wait.
All Might places a hand on Izuku's shoulder. "Yes, I am here just like you wanted. And this is Izuku Midoriya. The boy I told you about over the phone."
"Midoriya." The man's sharp eyes locked onto Izuku and he knew from experience when he was being analyzed. The look was cold and calculating. The man might as well have yelled he didn't like him. Instinct told him to turn invisible and leave a clone, but he held the man's gaze. If he wanted to analyze him, then Izuku would return the favor. He wasn't one to back down. Especially from someone who was judging him without having even met him.
"Thank you for coming, All Might. I promise Togata is everything I said he is and more." Nighteye says without breaking eye contact with Izuku. "Would you mind if I spoke with Midoriya here alone for a moment?"
"A-are you sure about that? I wouldn't mind staying on this side of the glass…" something in All Might's voice made Izuku break the staring contest to look at his favorite hero, only to see him slightly trembling as he watched the other pair through the glass. "You didn't mention Torino-sensei would be here…"
"Oh, I didn't? Must have slipped my mind," Nighteye says in a way that suggests it in fact, did not slip his mind. "Well, this will give you the chance to become acquainted with Togata and Gran says he's been wanting to discuss your…lack of calls."
All Might…whimpers? No, that can't be right. Either way, after a brief coughing fit, the man leaves to the other room, leaving Izuku and Nighteye alone.
"Izuku Midoriya." The man starts, adjusting his glasses. "You are even more unimpressive to look at than I thought you'd be."
…huh? Wait, he must've misheard because…no, he heard right. Huh? Who just insults someone like that to their face?
"Be that as it may," Nighteye continues, choosing not to acknowledge what must've been a bewildered look on Izuku's face. "There must be, some intelligence in you to turn down the quirk. Not many would know they were unworthy of it. So I thank you for allowing someone truly deserving of the quirk like Togata to receive it. That is all." And with that, Nighteye strolls past him toward the door, completely unbothered by anything he just said.
"Wait."
Mirai raises an eyebrow and turns to face the boy, his hand still on the doorknob. Midoriya's head was lowered, his hair covering his eyes and fists clenched. What could possibly be the problem? He had already thanked the unremarkable boy, what more could there be?
"Who are you to decide…" the boy says quietly.
Mirai scoffs. "If you're trying to have a conversation with someone, the least you can do is speak loud enough to be heard."
Midoriya looks up, anger set in the face Mirai didn't think possible in someone so young. "I said, who are you to decide who's worthy of All Might's quirk? It's his quirk, not yours! The decision is his and only his!"
Mirai only offers to narrow his eyes. "You are a child, with a very limited view of the world. You shouldn't talk about things you know nothing about."
Midoriya's glare doesn't cease. "Did All Might tell you how exactly we met?"
The bi-spectacled man took his hand off the doorknob and fully turned around, crossing his arms. He didn't know where this was going but it didn't seem like it would be done soon. "He told me he met you after you rescued a little girl from her kidnappers."
"Right. And do you want to know what I've been doing since?"
"Hopefully getting to the point," Mirai replies dryly.
"I've been helping her recover!" Midoriya waves his arms in the air in frustration. "Because some evil man kept her and used her for her quirk for years!"
"While that is horrible, I fail to see what that has to do with-"
"Because you're doing the same thing!" Midoriya yells, taking a step forward.
That causes Mirai to stop, his arms unfolding. "What?"
Midoriya takes a breath. Then another. His glare lessening. "I'm sorry. That's too far. But the point is, she was used for her quirk because the man who had her thought he could play god with it. And it feels like you're doing the same thing with Togata and All Might."
Mirai's mind races, trying to find any correlation and these accusations but before he can respond, Midoriya continues. "The girl and her quirk were used to further that man's goals, and it just feels like to me you're doing the same thing. You're pulling the strings on both All Might and Togata so his quirk goes where you want. Regardless of what's best for anyone involved. Have you ever considered that Togata might not even want the quirk?"
Had he? All of his plans had included when Mirio would accept the quirk. He hadn't even considered the possibility of his student not accepting. He saw it as a certainty, like his visions.
Midoriya continues to stare at him, glare almost completely gone. "I'm sorry again. You're not as bad as that man, and whatever your goals are for Togata getting the quirk I'm sure are noble. But whatever you're working toward, using and manipulating people to get there, will just taint it. The end doesn't justify the means."
The former sidekick stilled for a moment. Is that what he had been doing? He certainly didn't see it that way, but from a certain point of view…he had initially recruited Togata with the sole purpose of preparing him for One for All…but it was all to save the life of his friend! And make sure society still has a symbol to continue to look up too! Surely, these goals were worth him doing whatever he had to…at least he thought so. He'd have to continue to think on this.
Nighteye walks up to Midoriya. "You have given me much to think about. I can see why All Might took an interest in you. Your future is certain to be interesting." He held out his hand. "Normally, I wouldn't ask, but after what you've said, I'd like to use my quirk to see into yours."
Midoriya's face forms one of confusion. "My future?"
Mirai nods. "Yes. But be warned. My visions are never wrong. Whatever I see will come to pass."
Midoriya smiles, shaking his head. "You can look if you want, but I don't want you to tell me whatever it is."
"No?"
"Yeah!" The smile somehow gets brighter. "The future's whatever we make it to be. Nothing's set in stone. I don't wanna know because even if it's bad, I'll twist that future!"
The hero chuckles a bit, holding his hand out further. "If that's what you believe." Midoriya nods vigorously, taking his hand and Mirai looks him in the eye.
Fire. As far as can be seen, everything is on fire. Wherever they are, there's no power so it's dark. The only light coming from the raging flames around them. Izuku Midoriya is on his hands and knees, coughing on the ground. A dark green cloak with a hood is draped over him, covering the rest of his body.
The fire moves, the heat increases and for a moment, so does the light. Midoriya's face can be seen. It's covered in equal parts soot, bruises, and blood. His hair is drenched in sweat that flows down his face and mixes with his tears. He coughs more.
Slow, methodical footsteps make their way toward the boy from the shadows. It's a man. He wears armor, has a cloak as well, and a horned helmet on his head. He stops next to the boy.
"I know. I know you won't understand." The man says. "But what I do, I do for the benefit of the entire universe."
"And…" Midoriya's voice can barely be heard over the fire. It's low and hoarse. "And all of the people you've killed…"
"Necessary sacrifices for the greater good." The man replies, matter of factly. "I know you can see the logic in my actions. What has-." The man stops. The fire illuminates a look of realization. "Ah, it's those friends of yours, isn't it?"
Midoriya immediately tries, and fails, to get on his feet several times. The man doesn't seem to notice. "No, it makes sense. They've made you soft. Well, no matter." The man looks back down at Midoriya. "I'll see to them myself."
"Over my dead body!" Midoriya shouts. The man suddenly turns, reaching his arm out to grab at seemingly nothing, but that wasn't the case. A second Midoriya appears behind the man trying to stab him, but he's stopped when his target grabs his wrist.
They struggle for a moment before the man tightens his grip on the wrist. Midoriya cries out in pain, dropping his dagger. "I told you to always watch what you say." The man says before grabbing Midoriya by the throat with his left hand and lifting him effortlessly.
Midoriya kicks violently as he's raised into the air. He grabs onto the man's arms and thrashes around as hard as he can, throwing his body in any direction he can. The only sounds now are the crackling of the fires, and Midoriya's choking.
The man looks at something in the distance before looking back. His face turns to anguish before saying in a low voice, "Izuku, there was no other way." Midoriya's struggle begins to slow. His legs and arms still and fall to his side. His face is blue, and his eyes bloodshot while he stares at his killer. A loud crack, and the world fades.
Mirai backs up a step. His vision returns instantly but he gives his head a second to digest what he saw before looking at the boy in front of him. No longer blue in the face and having the life choked out of him, now he just stares at him with concern in his thankfully not bloodshot eyes.
"Midoriya…"
"That bad huh?" He says with a little too nonchalance for his liking. "Well still. Don't tell me. I don't wanna know." Midoriya gives him one more smile before leaving for the other room, leaving Mirai alone with his thoughts.
Toshinori is probably a bit too relieved to see young Midoriya but still relieved nonetheless. "Come here my boy for introductions!" He calls over. Midoriya has an unreadable expression on his face when he first comes in but quickly transitions to his easy-going smile as he walks over to them.
The glass window of the observation room is tinted so people on this side can't see past it, adding in the fact the other room is soundproof and he has no idea what went on between Midoriya and Mirai. He hopes it wasn't anything too bad. He knows from his phone call that his old friend was…not pleased to hear he offered One for All to somebody else.
At least things had been going alright on this side of the glass. He had already shown young Togata his 'small' form, eliciting a scream from the young man. Not gonna lie, he was kind of hoping that reaction was exclusive to Midoriya but he had never been very lucky. On a more positive note, he had only been whacked by Gran three times so far.
Young Midoriya comes up to them and shakes the hands of the other two as they all introduce themselves, Toshinori suppresses a chuckle at the young man's grimace as he shakes Gran Torino's hand. They couldn't get much farther however before Mirai walks into the room, looking a bit more disheveled than he's used to seeing the man.
"C'mon boy." Gran growls to Midoriya. "Let's give them some privacy for this part."
"Ok!" Young Midoriya agrees easily, walking toward the door with the older man, notebook in hand. "So I couldn't help but notice the holes on the bottom of your shoes, so you shoot air out of them? Can you control the velocity? How about selecting which holes the air comes out of, or is it all or nothing? Are they anywhere else on your body? When did you-"
Toshinori knew the man liked to joke about dropping dead at any moment, but as the door closed behind them, it looked like Gran wanted nothing more than to drop right at that moment.
All Might shakes his head in amusement before turning back to Togata and Mirai. It's the young man who speaks first. "It's truly an honor to meet you All Might. Sir talks about you all the time!" Huh, Toshinori didn't know Mirai could look embarrassed, even if it's only a little.
He gives the boy a warm smile. "I'm sure he does. But tell me, young Togata, what do you know of my quirk?" And Toshinori tells him about One for All. Just like he did with Midoriya. That it's a powerful stockpiling quirk passed from generation to generation since the dawn of quirks. And now he wanted him to be the next user.
Togata points at himself, blue eyes wide and disbelieving. "M-me? You want me to inherit something so..so…me? The kid who lost all of his clothes on live television?"
Toshinori lets out a good natured laugh. "Yes, you! From what Mirai tells me, my own conversation with you, and it seems even Gran Torino has taken a liking to you! And I must tell you, that is no easy feat." He calms down a bit before continuing. "I know this is a big decision young man, so do not feel pressured to answer now or even say yes." Mirai's eyes flicker to him. "I will not be upset either way."
Young Togata looks back and forth between the two men for a minute before closing his eyes and rocking his head side to side. He stops for a long breath before looking back up, staring the hero in the eye. "I can never thank you enough for this opportunity All Might. But I'm sorry, I can't accept."
Nighteye's jaw drops but All Might gives a small nod, still smiling. "And that's perfectly alright."
"Mirio…" Nighteye sounds like the boy just refused his own quirk. "Why?…"
Togata looks his mentor in the eye as well. "I understand you wanted me to accept sir…it's probably why you chose me as an intern in the first place right?" Togata's voice cracks a little while his body sags. "But it just wouldn't be right. I still have so much to learn with my quirk and adding another on top of that would leave me stuck trying to master two quirks when I could be out there saving lives." Another deep breath. "I…I still think I can be Lemillion even with just my Permeation. And One for All should go to someone who needs it. I understand if you don't want to mentor me anymore, Sir."
Mirai has a contemplative look on his face while he looks at his student. Each second feels like an hour as it drags by. Finally, the hero straightens up and bows at a full ninety degrees in front of Togata.
"S-Sir?!"
"I apologize, Mirio. It is true I initially scouted you because I thought you would be a good vessel for One for All. However, after watching you grow this past year and having a…different perspective shown to me recently, I realize that it was wrong of me to use you in that way and I apologize again. Even without One for All, you will make a great hero and I understand if you don't want me to mentor you any longer."
Togata looks stunned. Toshinori can't blame him, he feels the same. Finally, the blonde-haired boy finds his words. "I-if you're willing to be more open with me in the future Sir, then I'd be honored to stay under your tutelage." Mirai stands back up with a small smile on his face and agrees.
"Well!" Toshinori claps his hands. "I think this went well. Young Togata, if you could retrieve Young Midoriya and Gran Torino for us?" The boy heartily agrees and runs over to the door. All Might turns to his former sidekick. "So what did you and young Midoriya speak about?"
Mirai opens his mouth but before he can reply, Togata's scream from the doorway interrupts him. Toshinori quickly buffs up and speeds over to the door, ready for whatever danger, only to see Togata on his knees, hands on his head. In front of him, Midoriya and Gran Torino lay in a pool of blood. Several wounds decorate both their bodies, and entrails lay across them and the floor. Hands, arms, legs, and other appendages are twisted in the wrong direction.
Toshinori connects the dots immediately and quickly lets his buff form go as Mirai joins him, raising a questioning eyebrow at him.
"How could this happen?!" Togata yells. "We need to alert the school, there's a villain on the loose. All Might, can we-"
Toshinori places a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I think everything will be alright, Young Togata."
"Alright?! How can-" he's interrupted by Midoriya and Gran's roaring laughter. The two hold their respective stomachs, laughing and rolling on the ground. The blood and body parts do not seem to bother them any. Togata looks like he's going to be sick.
The two practical jokers finally sit up with Gran Torino giving Midoriya's arm a good natured slap. "I like this one too! With his quirk, I don't have to waste any more food for my pranks! I'll take him!" Midoriya laughs beside him, waving his hand so the gory scene in front of them disappears in a green glow.
"I-b-but-how? Wait-what? I-"
While Togata attempts to reclaim his thoughts, Toshinori laughs, pulling young Midoriya up while Mirai does the same for Gran. "You should learn to take care of the ward you already have before getting another one," Mirai says without any heat behind it.
"Bah!"
Toshinori looks around their small group. Gran is still chuckling, Mirai handing him back his cane while Midoriya attempts to explain his quirk to a Togata that was starting to question his reality. At that moment, it felt like everything was going to be ok.
Thor stares down the dark cave apprehensively. The waves of the beach they're next to crash against the rocks. He tries to calm himself down with a few long breaths, salty air filling his lungs. "You do realize," Loki comments beside him, "that caves are unable to move on their own? You must go in there yourself."
Thor nods, letting the snide remark pass. "Yes, I realize…and you are sure there is no way you can come with me?" Thor turns to his brother.
Loki gives a half-smile. "We both know this is something you have to do yourself."
Thor shakes his head. "Yes, yes I know you're right. It's just…what if they…"
"Thor," Loki calls his brother with resolve. "This won't be something you can fix overnight. It will take time. A lot of it. And you will make mistakes. You're going to have to take things slow and go at their pace." The God of Mischief smirks at his brother. "Not every problem can be solved by throwing your hammer at it."
Thor snickers. "The only ones who say such things, are the ones who have never thrown a magical hammer at their problems." Both brothers take a second to laugh together.
"You'll be fine. It's all going to work, you'll see." Thor smiles at his brother for his words and the two quickly hug before the Thunder God faces the tunnel again. He steels himself and walks in. Rainbow lights, much like the Bifrost, begin to flash around him as he nears the end of the tunnel and with one final bright light, he's gone.