Chapter 1: An Old Question/A New Answer
Yagi Toshinori, the Symbol of Peace, looks at the boy on the rooftop in front of him. A boy who just wants to save others. A boy without a quirk. A scrawny, untrained, twig of a child. And Toshinori sees himself. He thinks back to his childhood, the pitying glances he received and the laughter that accompanied discussion of his heroic aspirations. He thinks of how he never could have become a hero until Shimura Nana took a chance on him and offered him a sacred torch. He thinks of the monster who tore out his stomach and lung; of the gnarled flesh stretching across his side, where he's lifted his shirt to show the boy. And Toshinori knows what he should say:
Without power can one become a hero? No, I should think not.
It dies on his tongue. Minutes ago, he had seen the boys tattered notebook, 'Hero Analysis for My Future' scrawled on the cover. He had gone to sign it while waiting for the boy to awaken when the contents caught his eye. Each page detailed a hero, their Quirk, fighting style, costume, equipment, everything you could possibly analyze. As All Might, Toshinori never needed much help with analysis. Few villains could rival One for All. Even so, Toshinori had seen the work of analysts before. Toshinori trained his body to compensate for his lack of Quirk, a choice that served him well when he received One for All. This boy clearly trained his mind. Were the boy a few years older his work would be called unfocused and amateurish, but for an untaught middle schooler it was highly impressive.
Untaught, huh? thinks Toshinori. Don't I still have some paperwork to fill out with Nedzu about my upcoming employment? Perhaps he would be interested.
"My boy," he says, "what is your name?" The boy's green eyes dart up to meet Toshinori's for a moment before darting away.
"It's, ah, Midoriya Izuku." Young Midoriya's knuckles are white in his lap.
"Young Midoriya, you can be a hero." It's a short, simple phrase. It's all Toshinori wanted to hear growing up. And, seeing the tears flowing freely from the crouched child in front of him, he is not alone in that desire.
"Please, All Might," the boy chokes out. "Don't, don't lie to me. Please, tell me, tell me you mean it." Young Midoriya pulls his head up to look at him. "Please don't just, just say what I want to hear." And doesn't that break Toshinori's jaded heart. Has the world grown so cruel that a child would think having his dream reaffirmed was a mere platitude? What Symbol of Peace allowed such a world?
"I mean what I say, Young Midoriya. You said you wish to be a hero like me, who saves everyone with a fearless smile." Toshinori pauses. "And you are… mistaken. On two counts." He kneels in front of Young Midoriya. "The reason I smile as All Might… is to stave off the overwhelming fear that comes with being a hero."
"You, you're afraid?"
"Always," Toshinori nods. "If not for myself, then for the civilians whose lives are in peril. Heroes risk their lives every day. My smile is not fearless at all, Young Midoriya. But it is reassuring all the same, don't you think?" He grins at the boy to prove his point, and despite being in his emaciated civilian form it seems to cheer Young Midoriya enough for him to return a wobbly smile of his own.
"And, the- the other thing?"
"You should not be a hero like me." Young Midoriya gasps inaudibly. Shakingly, the boy stands.
"I see… thank you, All Might." Young Midoriya turns to the door leading inside the building. Toshinori sighs quietly, ignoring the taste of blood. It would seem he was not delicate enough. The scorch marks and waterlogging on Young Midoriya's prized notebook tell an unpleasant tale, and his reaction to reassurance wasn't much better.
"You should be a hero like you." Young Midoriya whirls so fast, he nearly falls over. Toshinori holds in a chuckle. "Think of the other heroes, my boy. Is Endeavor a hero like me? Is Hawks? Best Jeanist, perhaps?" He walks to the trembling young man and gently squeezes his shoulder. "No two heroes are alike. Do not think that being a hero means you must be the next me." Not that being me was enough against All For One. "Being the Number One Hero has put me on a pedestal. I am still but a man, Young Midoriya. Learn from me, take inspiration from me by all means. But do not try to be me. You will be a much greater hero as yourself than as an imitation."
Young Midoriya's whole body is wracked by his sobbing. Toshinori gently pulls the boy in, rubs circles on his back, lets him clutch at his chest and tuck his face into his oversized shirt. Young Midoriya's breath hitches, but his eyes have dried. Toshinori's gentle reassurances have done their job, and he pushes himself away from the hero.
"'m sorry about your shirt," he mumbles, wiping his face. Toshinori chuckles.
"Nonsense, my boy. What hero would I be if I could not comfort a child in front of me?" He gives the boy a soft smile. This boy said himself that he wants to save others because he's picked on by his peers. He called saving others the greatest thing someone could do. And he was denied because he wasn't born 'right.' Such pointless cruelty, hurting this boy for wanting to help others, Toshinori Yagi, the Symbol of Peace thinks, but he won't be hurt again. Because I am here.
Izuku walks home in a daze. He clutches his phone so tightly his knuckles are white, his vision focused on the screen where 'ALL MIGHT' is written above a phone number in his contact list.
Holy. Shit.
Not only did the All Might tell him that he could be a hero, but he complimented Izuku's analysis hobby? And he was apparently going to talk to Nedzu, the principal of his dream school about it? And then exchanged numbers so he could schedule a meeting? Izuku had to be dreaming. He never woke up after the sludge villain nearly drowned him. There's no other explanation.
A low booming sound drags him out of his thoughts. He pales. Izuku knows that sound well.
"Kacchan!"
Izuku darts down the street towards the explosions, turning a corner and nearly running smack into a crowd of gawking civilians. Izuku spots Mt. Lady at the back. She can't control her gigantification enough to get through the buildings? Is that a limit of her Quirk or her training? A Pro Hero whose weakness was alleys. Incredible. He weaves through to find Kamui Woods and Death Arms keeping civilians away from-
No.
No, it can't be.
Izuku instinctively covers his mouth, the feeling of suffocation fresh in his mind. Because the sludge villain that nearly killed him not an hour before is right there.
And now he has Kacchan.
And while the feeling may not be mutual, he certainly doesn't want Kacchan to die.
"This is my fault," Izuku says to himself. If I hadn't grabbed him, if I hadn't needed to ask, if I hadn't wasted his time-
He said you could be a hero.
Well with the heroes on site as a comparison, it didn't seem that hard. Put on a costume and stand around doing nothing. Not the time, Izuku. Focus! What does he have on him? His pens would make for a weapon in a pinch. He could throw his bag or notebooks, but blunt force won't do much to the villain's body. Only the teeth and eyes look solid. Huh. That's an idea.
Okay.
Okay.
This is the dumbest thing he'll ever do.
"My smile is not fearless at all."
Izuku smiles.
He pushes past the crowd, ignoring the heroes yelling at him, yanks his bag off his back and hurriedly reaches around the front pocket for- there! His pen! Izuku doubted he would get more than one shot at this, so he'd have to be closer. He was still 20 steps away. 15.
"It's that kid," the villain spits.
10 steps.
"Deku?"
5 steps. Now.
Izuku flings the pen directly at the villain's exposed, solid eye peering out from above Kacchan's ear. The villain roars and Izuku grabs Kacchan as the slime recedes.
"We're clear!" he yells, dragging a sputtering Kacchan off to the side. Izuku glances back in time to see Kamui Wood's Preemptive Binding: Lacquered Chain Prison create a wooden cocoon around the villain.
"Tch. That won't hold the bastard with a body like that," Kacchan glares past Izuku for once.
"He can't fit his eyes or teeth through, though," Izuku mumbles, more out of habit than a desire to contradict the explosive blonde. Kacchan scoffs but doesn't dispute him. The two sit there in silence until the paramedics arrive to check on them.
"There was absolutely no need for you to put yourself in danger!" Death Arms rants. Yesterday, Izuku would have apologized for getting in their way. Today, All Might told him he could be a hero, he watched as a gang of Pro Heroes sat on their hands, and his adrenaline high hasn't waned yet.
"You're right," Izuku says, voice ice cold and stutter free. "I shouldn't have had to run in there at all." He narrows his eyebrows at the strong-armed hero. "I threw a pen at the villain's eye. Why didn't you? There's enough rubble to use lying around." He turns to Kamui Woods. "Why didn't such an up-and-coming hero think to move around the villain to where Kacchan wasn't exploding? Or come from above? You could've pulled him out easily. Backdraft, putting out the fires didn't matter because Kacchan was making more. You should've focused on the villain to prevent more fires in the long run." Izuku sighs. He dusts off his pants as he stands, unable to see the look on Kacchan's face. "Mt. Lady, if your Quirk makes you too big to maneuver in streets like this, you should've learned how to evacuate citizens at your normal size." Izuku walks past them to where the paramedics are checking on Kacchan to make sure nothing got in his lungs.
"Where're you going, kid?" Death Arms says.
"Seeing as this villain nearly drowned me, like, half an hour ago? I'm getting myself checked out." Izuku is too busy shooting a glance at the heroes and misses Kacchan jerk at his words.
Well, the paramedics think he'll be fine. Nothing got in either of their lungs, thank god. They gave him some anti-biotics to be safe and told him to go to a hospital if he got sick. At least someone there was competent. So, for the third time today, Izuku is on his way home. Maybe this time he'll actually get there without-
"Hey, Deku!"
God. Fucking. Damn it.
"That bastard. He really attacked you too?" Kacchan asks. Well. That's not what Izuku was expecting.
"Yeah," Izuku says slowly. "Jumped me under a bridge. All- a hero saved me." It's probably for the best that Kacchan never find out he met All Might. Kacchan scoffs.
"I never asked for your help. I could've beaten him!" There it is. Izuku was worried the villain had actually taken Kacchan's body and was trying to act friendly as cover there for a moment. Kacchan spins on his heel. "At least you didn't get in the way. Shitty nerd." Probably the closest thing Izuku was going to get to a 'glad you didn't die after I told you to fling yourself off our school,' so he'd take it. Izuku watches Kacchan storm off until he turns a corner and goes out of sight.
"A… spirited… young man," says a familiar voice behind Izuku. He turns to see All Might in his emaciated form. Izuku straightens, then bows.
"I- I'm sorry!" he says. "If I hadn't grabbed you earlier, the villain never would have- and he got Kacchan- and I-"
"No," says All Might sharply. He takes a breath and starts again, gentler. "I was careless. I was too focused on my time limit instead of securing the villain. Even if you hadn't hitched a ride, I would likely still have dropped the bottle. As I said, my boy, I am only human." Izuku flails his arms, trying to think of a rebuttal because there's no way All Mightmade such a serious mistake. All Might raises a hand to stop him. "I was in the crowd, you know. My time limit was up, so I didn't act even though I told you Pro Heroes risk their lives every day. I'm just as bad as those heroes you chastised earlier."
"Oh my god, I told off heroes on live TV," Izuku mutters. All Might laughs, but there's no malice.
"Most of the top heroes show signs of greatness, even as children. Many of them claim that their bodies simply moved before they could think. That's what happened to you back there yes?" Izuku shakes his head rapidly.
"Actually… I was thinking. About- about what you said on the roof? About how you- your smile wasn't fearless? How- how you liked my analysis hobby? So I- I smiled and tried to analyze the situation." Izuku clenches his fists. "And- and Quirkless me saved someone's life. Today- today I wasn't a weak, worthless, pathetic, Deku, I- I was a hero!" He beams at All Might even through his tears. All Might smiles back.
"You certainly were, my boy."
Toshinori would offer him One for All. But not now. Not when this clearly means so much.