Chapter 4: What it takes to be a Hero
Though time was still early, tension seemed to be at its highest. The sun hadn't risen and the air seemed to be somewhat cold due to the time. However, with all of that, Izuku was the least caring about them. He was staring with shaky eyes that held concern and fear due to what he was watching. It only seemed like a seconds since Tatsumaki had arrived, with things not looking good.
"Ta-Tatsumaki, wait!" Izuku shouted.
The teen took the first action. He could've stayed down and watched what would happen, however that would go against his character. Hence, Izuku could now be seen standing between Tatsumaki and All Might with his arms spread far apart.
Tatsumaki was unfazed though. Izuku's courage was admirable, but it did nothing to change the girl's mind. It also didn't help that she became a bit more frustrated upon seeing what the teen was doing.
"Get out of the way, Midoriya!" Tatsumaki yelled.
"N-No, I won't!" Izuku refused. The teen was somewhat nervous though, just the look on his face and his breathing pattern. However, he didn't back down. "Listen...All Might just –"
"I don't want to hear!" Tatsumaki yelled angrily. "All Might this, All Might that! Can't you see he's using you! And that just pisses me off! Anyone who uses the weak like they did to you deserve no sympathy! Now out of the way!"
"No!" Izuku yelled back.
Tatsumaki paused and seemed to mellow down a bit. It was weird, as even Izuku noticed and became confused. But then, the teenage boy was suddenly covered in a green aura and lifted up to the air where he then expressed shock. As for Tatsumaki, she had a cold ice look on her face as she stared at you.
"You seem to misunderstand, Midoriya…it wasn't your choice from the start." She said.
Izuku was suddenly levitated away and placed at the sidewalks by the seaside park. Now, the only ones who stood by with the levitating trashes were All Might and Tatsumaki, both of whom were staring at each other.
"You care about him, don't you?" The Pro Hero asked.
All Might was surprisingly relaxed despite his situation. In fact, if Tatsumaki was thinking well, she would've found it odd. However, rather than think on it, Tatsumaki suddenly snapped and forwarded some of the levitating trashes at All Might.
"Drop dead, fake hero!" The girl yelled.
Though not all the trashes were being used, the number of them heading for All Might was much. They ranged from couches, kitchen appliances, TV sets and almost just about anything that could be dumped away.
So upon seeing them, All Might reacted quickly. He used his incredible speed to move backwards and maneuver away from any of the trashes heading for him; they were a lot. However, Tatsumaki didn't give up. If anything, All Might being able to dodge her attacks frustrated her so much that she let out a cry of anger and sent all of the trashes at him.
Meanwhile, there was Izuku who was watching. A part of him was amazed at how All Might was able to dodge so many of Tatsumaki's attacks. Unfortunately, with each missed shot by Tatsumaki, dust clouds were being formed.
"I have to stop this." Izuku determined immediately.
Back at the fight, things seemed to have settled down. The reason was somewhat clear just by looking at Tatsumaki, who was now panting a bit. At this point, she had thrown all the trashes at All Might, who couldn't be seen due to a huge dust cloud, which was now dissipating. Hence, when everywhere was cleared, Tatsumaki got a clear look of things.
Most of the things Tatsumaki had thrown were either in a pile, in pieces or just about both. However, that was not what the esper was looking for. She was looking for any sign of All Might, who seemed to have disappeared, much to her annoyance.
"Where the hell are you?" Tatsumaki snarled.
"Right here."
All Might's hand softly touched Tatsumaki's small shoulder. His action surprised her, as well as the fact that he had spoken behind her before she could've noticed his presence. But that didn't matter to the pro hero. He had something to say.
"I don't want to fight you. Let's talk for a bit, okay?"
Tatsumaki suddenly snapped in response. The pro hero didn't know it, but Tatsumaki was deadlock on beating him right there. Hence, in that instant, the esper released a burst of psychic energy that immediately sent him back, but not falling. All Might was able to land on his feet just distance from the esper.
However, the fight wasn't over. Tatsumaki had something else in mind, which she revealed. Hence, All Might found a huge strain on his body as he was covered by a green aura, courtesy of the green haired esper. He couldn't move so easily.
'Amazing…So this is the girl's power.' All Might thought. 'But I have to end this fight quick…By the way she's been reacting, she's pushing herself…and that's not good.'
Back at the esper, the girl was having the upper hand. All Might was unable to move while she stood there with her quirk working. However, all that changed when All Might began to walk forward even if it wasn't so freely. It was clear by his strained movement that Tatsumaki's quirk was working on him, but not to the level to stop his incredible strength.
This only frustrated Tatsumaki even further, though. The thing All Might had said before about Tatsumaki was now proving to be true. However, Tatsumaki didn't seem like she would back down. She kept trying to stop All Might's movement, with a bit more success. However, All Might kept pushing himself, which didn't decrease the girl's situation.
"GRRRR! DON'T LOOK DOWN ON ME!" Tatsumaki cried out angrily.
The esper suddenly switched tactic. She could've chosen to keep stopping his movement; however she chose a different approach. She stopped her assault on the pro hero, which immediately surprised him and caused him to stumble a bit, before then stretching her hand to the sand below him. Hence, in the moment the pro hero stumbled, his legs were caught in the sand which immediately forced him to his arms and knees.
"I GOT YOU!" Tatsumaki yelled.
The esper then did something else. She stretched her hand to the open sea and felt the presence of something huge. It wasn't known on what it was until the thing was levitated out of the bottom of the water, revealing itself to be an old cruise linear.
'That cruise linear…I remember it.' All Might thought. 'Two years ago I saved the people on it when it was sinking…but now she was able to lift it with one hand?'
"I'VE WON, IDIOT HERO!" Tatsumaki proclaimed loudly. She didn't sound proud of it, rather she just seemed relieved. Hence, she levitated the thing over to All Might and got ready to send it down on him. "NOW STAY DOWN AND GET –"
"Tatsumaki, stop!"
The esper was suddenly taken aback. A second ago, it had appeared that the esper would win. But now, the girl found a pair of arms wrapped around her mid-section, startling her. And to add to that it was Izuku, who was now holding her.
"M-Midoriya?" Tatsumaki expressed in shock.
The male teen held her tightly. His action further surprised Tatsumaki, who immediately lost her concentration on the cruise linear. Fortunately, before the thing could crash on all of them, All Might immediately got on his feet and held the huge ship with both hands and with ease.
"Safe!" He said.
Tatsumaki said nothing, but stared in awe. It would seem that All Might's feat at that moment made her realize something. Unfortunately, before the teen could figure it out, her mind suddenly gave in into her weakness, thus causing her to black out.
"Ta-Tatsumaki?" Midoriya called out. He was shocked by how the girl suddenly became limped. Fortunately, his reaction didn't last.
"Relax, boy, she's fine." All Might stated in assurance. "I noticed from the battle and it seems she was pushing herself. She should be fine after a good rest; don't worry."
"Oh…Okay." Izuku replied.
Just then, a realization came to the young boy. It made his cheeks to quickly heat up before then looking at a certain unconscious girl in his hands, which immediately made his arms shake. Fortunately, All Might didn't notice because he was now staring to the sky.
"Before Tatsumaki came, I recall I was about to tell you something. So listen up!" All Might stated. "The reason I had you pull that fridge earlier was because of your body, buddy."
"My body?" Izuku questioned. His mind was now focused on All Might.
"Yes." All Might answered. He then turned to the young boy. "Think of All For One is the convergence of the peak of strength of countless men. A body that's too weak wouldn't be able to withstand such raw power. Your limbs would fly off and you'll be blown to bits!"
"What?! My limbs?!" Izuku screamed.
The teen's reaction was expected. All Might honestly found it funny even as he stood there. However, because of the teen's shock, he almost let go of Tatsumaki, who he was then fortunate to grab on time.
"S-Sorry, Tatsumaki." Izuku apologized. The teenage girl though, so Izuku faced All Might again. "S-So…in order to build my body up to that level…I have to collect trash?"
"Yes." All Might said and paused. He then took that moment to look around, just in time to see how rough the area was due to Tatsumaki's action. "Huh…Looks like you have your work cut out for you."
"That's not really assuring." Izuku frowned.
"Anyway…" All Might continued. "For now you should get the girl home. This shall be your first training."
"Eh?!" Izuku was shocked. His eyes were widened, as well as his mouth as he looked at Tatsumaki and the pro hero repeatedly until then at him. "B-But I don't know where she lives! I-I haven't been to a girl's –"
"Here!"
Izuku's eyes widened. In All Might's hand was a Smartphone which had an address on the screen.
"Wai-Wait! You have her address?!" Izuku questioned. "Hold on, I thought Tatsumaki took your phone?!"
"I have another one. You can't be too careful."
"B-But why do you have a schoolgirl's home address on your –"
"You'll find out when you get there. Now get going." All Might calmly said.
In response, Izuku had no other choice. All Might, despite his smile, handed him his phone before shoving him away from behind. Hence, with nothing to say, Izuku carefully placed Tatsumaki on his back and began walking away. Meanwhile, there was the pro hero, who was now watching the teen go with a smile on his face.
"That girl sure is something. Hopefully, we'll meet again in better circumstances." He said. Then a thought came to him that made him look away. "Wait...Where is anyway?"
Unknown to All Might, his phone was far beyond saving.
_(LINE BREAK)_
Minutes passed before becoming a whole hour in the day. During that range on time, Izuku was carrying Tatsumaki on his back with some difficulty. Sure, the girl was light to carry, however the distance from the seaside park and her home was much. So there was no way out of his situation.
Hence, the walking continued for the teenage boy. The teen could already see the sun rising from the horizon while entering an abandoned part of town. It surprised Izuku since he didn't expect Tatsumaki to live in that direction. But after sometime of getting to an apartment building and getting to a floor, he was over his shock and drawing close to a door with the designated number on All Might's phone.
However, something suddenly caught the teen's attention. It wasn't something that he had seen before, but someone that he knew on the media. So, with wide eyes, the teen saw Saitama in his hero costume and about to opening his door.
"C-Cape Baldy?! You live here?!"
Saitama suddenly stumbled upon. Not surprising, by his reaction, he was clearly caught off guard. But that didn't stop him from turning to Izuku's direction with a comedic upset look on his face.
"Oi! Don't go about calling me by –" Saitama stopped. He had been upset, however seeing Tatsumaki's unconscious body immediately made him to have a numb look on his face. "Oh…Tatsumaki…"
_(LINE BREAK)_
FEW MINUTES LATER
Both Izuku and Saitama were seated in Satiama's apartment on the floor. The two of them had taken Tatsumaki to her apartment, where she was now being attended by her little sister, Fubuki. Now it was just Izuku and Saitama, the former of which was clearly nervous as Saitama poured a cup of tea for the teen and handed it to him.
"Uh…thank you." Izuku said nervously. "I hope I'm not too much trouble for a Pro Hero like yourself."
"Not at all." Saitama assured him. However, it was hard to take him seriously with that stoic look on his face. "You brought Tatsumaki safely." He said. "That was pretty nice."
"Y-Yeah, it was." Izuku smiled.
A sense of relief came over the teen upon being praised. Sure, it was nice being praised by All Might, however to get praised by yet another hero was great as well. However, a thought came to the teen that made him to look around confused.
"I've never been to the home of a hero…I never expected it to be so small." He said. Then another thought came that immediately made him apologize to Saitama. "S-Sorry, Caped Baldy. I didn't mean –"
Saitama roughly sighed. "It's fine…J-Just don't call me that. Call me Saitama, that's my name." He said.
"U-Uh right…Saitama."
Izuku was somewhat relieved. However, he couldn't help but feel puzzled by Saitama's reaction.
"Sorry…I hope I'm not overstepping things, but uh…can I ask why you don't want to be called Caped Baldy? And why do you live here?"
"The name's stupid." Saitama said straightforwardly. It was now clear by the annoyed look on his face that he didn't like the hero name one bit. "That's the last time I let the public decide a name for me. Sure, I wasn't bothered because…well I couldn't care, but now I think I should've."
"Oh…"
Saitama then sighed and relaxed. "Well there's nothing to do about that…As for why I live here, I kind of like the seclusion. Being in town, I always get crowded by a bunch of fans who want to touch me or get an autograph and a bunch of thugs who think they can beat me. It's kind of annoying…That's why I don't have my address posted to the public like some heroes do these days."
"That's so cool." Izuku said in mild astonishment. "I knew you were strong, but I didn't think you were so modest."
"Modesty has nothing to do with it, it's who I am. But thanks." Saitama replied. "So might I ask how you got here? I don't recall ever seeing you around here."
"Oh right…" Izuku said and then displayed All Might's phone. "This is All Might's phone…You see, Tatsumaki came at a bad time and fought him and well…she became unconscious."
"I see…" Saitama said. "I guess that clears up what that cyborg was talking about."
"Cyborg?"
"Yeah." Saitama answered. "He's name is Genos and he wants to be my disciple…Anyway, let me not get sidetrack. From what he told me, he drew Tatsumaki to a fight and strapped something to her forehead to suppress her quirk concentration…I guess that thing put a big strain on her even after the fight."
"Oh…I had no idea." Izuku replied with a small frown.
"Yeah. But there's no helping it now. She'll be fine. Don't worry."
Izuku nodded in response. He could've said something; however he couldn't put it into words. Hence, as he sat there and drank the tea the hero gave him, he became silent until Saitama brought up another topic.
"So about All Might. You're the kid he's training, right?" He asked.
Izuku's eyes widened and he dropped the cup. "Y-You know?"
"Yeah…He's a good colleague of mine." Saitama plainly said.
"I had no idea!" Izuku exclaimed cheerfully. "To think, two of the best heroes out there are close. This is something even your fanbase don't know."
"Well…they don't know where I live so…" Saitama said and shrugged his shoulders. He then continued. "Yeah, All Might and I are close to being friends. I don't see how that's interesting. He attended U.A and I attended years later when he graduated. Since then we've known each other. He actually was one of my main inspirations to become a strong hero."
"Wow." Izuku was astonishment. The expression on his face clearly showed his fascination of the heroes' backstory even though it was short. But then a thought came to him.
It was not a secret that All Might attended U.A High. The Pro Hero was number one on the hero chart and the symbol of peace, justice and just about anything. However, now that Izuku thought of, the fact that Saitama actually attended U.A made him realize a thought he had since come to term with.
"Huh…I guess you really have to have a quirk to be there." Izuku said deeply. The smile he had on his face then disappeared as he became serious and tightened his fists on his legs. "It's a good thing All Might has given me a chance to be a vessel for One For All. I won't fail him."
"That's nice." Saitama commented. "But who says a person without a quirk can't be there? I attended U.A and made it out just fine."
"Huh?" Izuku was confused. "Sorry, but…what do you mean? You have a quirk, Ca…I mean Saitama."
Saitama suddenly smirked, which surprised Izuku. It was a known knowledge among fans of heroes that Saitama rarely showed an expression. As such, while Izuku stared at the Pro Hero, he could sense some form of confidence and pride coming from Saitama.
"What if I tell you I'm actually quirkless?" Saitama asked. "I once heard that years ago, before having a quirk became a thing, nothing seemed impossible if you put your mind and body into it. And that is what I did in order to become as strong as I am today."
"What?! Really?!" Izuku questioned excitedly.
Something about Saitama gave Izuku some added boost of hope. For years, he had been quirkless and ridiculed for dreaming to be something he couldn't be. But now, here he was, before one of the greatest heroes in Japan and hearing he's actually quirkless.
"Yes." Saitama confirmed. "You're going to train with All Might soon, right? Then listen. Trying to become strong isn't easy. That's why you must be at your most seriousness to be strong. That is how I became strong after doing an intense training workout plan."
Izuku's eyes now seemed to be sparkled. The teen's expression was so bright that even Saitama could notice it. Hence, it was with that confidence that Saitama revealed his secret.
"ONE HUNDRED PUSH UPS! ONE HUNDRED SITUPS! AND ONE HUNDRED SQUATS!"
Izuku was totally surprised.
"THEN A TEN KILOMETER RUN! EVERY SINGLE DAY!"
Saitama didn't stop there though. He seemed to be in his moment, whether Izuku was believing him or not.
"And of course, I made sure to eat three meals daily. Just a banana in the morning was fine. But I never ever used the air conditioner in the summer or heat in the winter so I could strength my mind. In the beginning, if you did this, you'll wish you were dead. You might start thinking 'What's the harm of taking a day off?' But for me, in order to be a strong hero, even if I was spitting blood I never stopped. I tucked it out and endured the pain. I did squats even when my legs felt like they couldn't move. Even when my arms started making weird clicking noises, I kept doing pushups. A year and a half later I started to notice a difference…I was bald! And I had become stronger! In other words, you got to train like hell to the point that where your hair falls out! That's the only way to become truly strong. Guys fooling around with their quirk and wanting fame and fortune, they can only go so little far. Human beings are strong because we can always change ourselves."
Izuku was speechless, with the same for his expression. It had only been a second since Saitama had said all those words and come to an end. Hence, upon seeing the teen's face, Saitama's serious face deflated with a sigh as he came to a conclusion.
"It's okay if you don't believe me. All Might thought I was playing some joke on him at the –"
'T-That's so cool!" Izuku exclaimed brightly.
Saitama was surprised. A second ago he had been certain that the teen thought he was joking or lying. But now, the thought was gone, especially as he saw the teen's eyes sparkling brightly like the stars at night. It was assuring, but at the same time odd until he spoke again, this time a bit sheepishly.
"Ha…ha. Um…sorry about that." Izuku apologized. "I just think it's pretty cool to know I'm not alone. So…if you don't mind…can I try your training workout plan?"
Saitama smiled a bit. "Sure. Go for it."
"Yes! Thank you!" Izuku exclaimed happily.
"But…" Saitama suddenly added. His response right there caught Izuku by surprise and got his attention at him again. And it was good because the Pro Hero was serious again. "You can use my training workout plan, but don't do it to the extent I did. There was a price for becoming this strong and I don't want a teenager with a bright future like yourself to go through the anti-social life I went through at your age. Understood?"
"Understood." Izuku nodded.
"And another thing." Saitama added. "All Might is your teacher, so listen to him well. He may joke around a bit too much, but he means well. As for the training workout plan…how about doing it till the day of the entrance exam? That sounds good, right?"
"Yes, It does." Izuku answered.
Just then a thought entered the teen's mind. It didn't concern the Pro Hero before him, but rather another thing that immediately made him to widen his eyes in shock. As a result, realization dawned on the teen and made him panic to his feet.
"Oh no! I'm going to be late for school!" He screamed.
Saitama blinked with a stoic expression. He understood the teen's situation, but for his own reasons did not react anywhere close to him. Hence, he watched as the teen ran to his shoes, which were at the door, while blabbering about how he wouldn't be able to make it to school on time. But then, after giving it a thought, the Pro Hero finally reacted by casually walking to Izuku and lifting him off from the ground and onto his back.
"Caped Bal…I mean Saitama, what are you -?" Izuku asked. The teen had grabbed on to the Pro Hero's back on instinct, but was now surprised and nervous.
"I'm helping you out. Now hold on." Saitama replied.
Izuku nodded in response. He was still nervous from Saitama's action, but not to the point that he would feel uncertain of him. Thus, with his hands still holding on to the hero, he was led outside of the hero's apartment, where he then let out a loud scream when Saitama ran off in high speed.
_(LINE BREAK)_
IZUKU'S MIDDLE SCHOOL: SOMETIME AFTER NOON
A sigh escaped Izuku's mouth as he stood up from his desk. He was now in his school uniform after what felt like a long day. And honestly, who could blame him? He was going to be trained by the No. 1 Pro Hero after having met the No. 3 hero, Saitama, who just so happened to be close with the other hero. But if that wasn't enough, the teen had been given a ride by that hero, which by itself had been scary and frightening moment.
Fortunately, the ordeal the teen went through didn't matter. It was currently lunchtime, which meant that Izuku would be heading to the cafeteria. However, before he could move the classroom's back room, two girls called him by his last name, which immediately got him curious to them.
"You were calling me?" Izuku questioned. The expression on his face showed his confusion, which was something to expect.
The teenage boy knew the girls somewhat well. One of them was a foreign blonde girl with blue eyes while the other was an average Japanese girl with black hair, but shorter than the foreigner in height.
"Yup, we called ya." said the foreign girl.
"And we have a reason." Added the other girl. "Is it true that Tatsumaki isn't doing well…? We were hoping to catch up with her today since she's freaking popular now."
"Okay." Izuku replied. He wasn't certain of the girl's intention. But rather than speak on it, he added some assurance. "Well…I think you might get a chance tomorrow. I took her home when she collapsed and –"
The teen suddenly stopped talking. He realized at that moment that he had crossed something he shouldn't have said. Now he was regretting it when a look of mild dread was on his face.
"W-Wait, I didn't mean it like that –" He tried to say.
"That's so cool!" exclaimed the Japanese girl.
"Totally cool!" exclaimed the foreigner. "You know, I've dated a whole bunch of guys, but they've never been so thoughtful like you. Tatsumaki is so lucky…even though you're a quirkless wimp."
"H-Huh?!" Izuku uttered in shock.
In response the two girls giggled. It was obvious they had mistaken what Izuku was saying just recent. However, there was no stopping them now. Izuku was still shaken by their misunderstanding when they walked out the class laughing. Now it was just Izuku standing in place and watching the door they left, with widened eyes.
"W-What just happened?" He questioned.
Indeed, the question was right to be used. Izuku knew very well that he and Tatsumaki didn't have that type of a relationship that the girls were implying. However, being the guy that he was, he was slow in processing the misunderstanding, and thus was taken aback when Katsuki brushed past him without glancing at him.
"Watch it, Deku." The teen said.
"Oh…Uh…Sorry, Kacchan." Izuku apologized.
_(LINE BREAK)_
IZUKU'S MIDDLE SCHOOL: CLOSING HOUR
School had come to an end once again, and with it the beginning of the weekend. But that didn't mean a certain green haired teen was mentally fine. Izuku was the kind of guy to think too much of things, even as he could be seen walking pass the school gate and muttering to himself, which got some weird out stares.
"What do I do? It's all a misunderstanding."Izuku said to himself. "Tatsumaki and I are nothing like that. But men I wish I could have told them that before leaving the school. Now I…Huh?"
The teenage boy stopped when he felt a familiar sensation. This sensation wasn't just at one part of his body but all over it, before he was then levitated off the ground. It was then that the teen knew who was responsible, before letting out a scream as he was flown from the area and headed to a particular building that he was also familiar with.
Not too surprising Tatsumaki was responsible. The esper was currently by herself with her green aura activated, while standing in a new set of casual clothes. These clothes, of course, consisted of a black skirt with a white tank top underneath a green jacket, with her hair tied into a ponytail again and wearing black shoes.
It was obvious by Tatsumaki's face that she wasn't in her best mood. Hence, when Izuku was made to land on his feet, the teen only had a moment of confusion before the girl marched towards him and poked his chest.
"T-Tatsumaki?" Izuku said in mild shock.
"Talk, Midoriya. Now!" Tatsumaki demanded. "I came to that seaside park to save your ass and next thing I know I'm waking up in my futon! So if you don't want to end up kissing the street from a high place, you'll tell me everything!"
Izuku gulped with a terrified expression. There were times Tatsumaki was a good person, however that wasn't the case now. And though Izuku could refuse, he didn't want to test Tatsumaki's patience. Thus, with hesitation, the teen told her what happened. He told her about One For All and the reason he was at the seaside park and training for the power. The only thing he didn't tell her was All Might's injury and the reason the Pro Hero was giving him that power.
Unfortunately, there was always one thing bound to go wrong. Tatsumaki did hear him out, but it didn't take her long to let out a frustrated scream.
"SO YOU'RE TELLING ME I WENT THROUGH ALL THAT FOR NOTHING?!"
"I…I wouldn't say for nothing…" Izuku nervously said. He had winced when the girl had screamed, but surprisingly still spoke. "I actually thought it was pretty cool that you decided to defend me…It was…nice of you."
Tatsumaki shot a scowl at him. "I don't care about your opinion. Besides, I only did it because I don't like wimps being mistreated by those jerks."
"Jerks?"
"Hmph!" Tatsumaki snubbed and turned her back at him. "I call them jerks and attention-seekers, but the rest of you people call them…heroes."
Something within Izuku felt a sharp pierce. It was no secret to him that Tatsumaki dislike heroes, however that moment was different. Maybe it had to do with the fact that Izuku had met two Pro Heroes that were nice. As such, it then came to a mild surprise to even himself when he spoke back at Tatsumaki.
"They're not jerks! And they're not attention-seekers!" Izuku yelled. "All Might is a great guy! He risks his life everyday just to protect and save people! I know I'm just a kid, but –"
"Sure. Whatever." Tatsumaki interjected. Then she turned to the teen with a dull look on her face. "I'll be honest with you. I don't want to hear some long ass speech about them because whatever you say wouldn't change what I feel. In exchange I won't try to change your opinion of them. To me it's a waste of time on both our sides, alright?"
"Uh…right." Izuku replied.
The teenage boy was taken aback by Tatsumaki's interjection. A bit of him had expected something much harsher from the girl, but he was proven wrong. The look on Tatsumaki's face clearly showed it, and as such there was nothing left to say. Tatsumaki, this time, levitated him and herself to the closest sidewalk before walking away.
"I'll probably see you on Monday. Bye." She said.
"Uh…Bye." Izuku said back. Something about Tatsumaki felt off, even for her, and he didn't feel at ease with it.
_(LINE BREAK)_
AT SOME CAFÉ
11:30 AM
The day was at normalcy as people went about using the weekend to their own ways. Some people had work while others had fun or relaxing times to use it. Fortunately, the latter applied to the esper sisters as they sat out at a café, at an umbrella table enjoying some sweets.
"I love this! Thank you, sister!" Fubuki said happily.
Tatsumaki smiled a bit as she took a bite of her candy apple. Today wasn't really a special day, but it was still something occasional. So presently, the big sister watched as her little sister was eating some sweets she had brought for her some time ago with a feeling of goodness.
"You're welcome, Fubuki." Tatsumaki said casually. "But don't go overboard with this. I just thought today would be good to thank you for taking care of your sister at a weak moment."
"Sure." Fubuki smiled brightly. "But you're not weak, sister. In fact, I think you're pretty strong! You beat that mud villain very quickly!"
Tatsumaki giggled a bit with a sense of relief. It was moments like these that she enjoyed with her sister and not felt so conflicted with herself. This was expected from a big sister, fortunately. Tatsumaki had always cared for her sister, and as such would do anything to ensure she had a normal life.
Unfortunately, peaceful moments like these sometimes had their interruptions. Fortunately, this interruption only came in a sense of using the bathroom, which Tatsumaki excused herself and went to the bathroom instead the café. Not long after the esper emerged from the bathroom where she then began to head outside, the place where her table with her sister was.
However, something then happened. It happened in the form of a strange skinny man in unfitting clothes nudging past her unexpectedly. As a result, Tatsumaki became upset and turned to the direction of the man.
"Hey! Watch where you're –" The esper suddenly stopped. The reason was because she didn't see the man there. "Odd…" Tatsumaki said. "I thought I…Huh?"
The esper just then noticed something. It was surprising, but a piece of paper was in her hand, which shouldn't be there. However, rather than letting fear dominate her, the girl lifted the paper to her face and opened it to read the content.
Meet me on top of the café's rooftop. I'll be waiting for you.
-A.M
"A.M?" Tatsumaki questioned.
A thought then sprung into the esper's mind. She had a flashback of her battle with Genos and the outcome of it. Hence, with a bit of frustration, she crumbled the paper in her fist and became serious.
"This better not be a trap." She said.
_(LINEBREAK)_
Tatsumaki walked out of the rooftop's door where she then got a sight of a familiar figure. It was the man who had pushed her aside earlier. So far there wasn't any indication of a trap, especially with the way his body physique was like. For one, his back was turned at her, and second he was so skinny that the clothes he wore seemed baggy.
"I see you made it." said the man casually. He didn't seem to sense any danger from the esper, especially as he turned his head to her with a grin. "Nice to meet you again, Tatsumaki."
"Right." Tatsumaki said plainly. Then she reached her hand at him and let her body be encased in the usual green aura. "I'm going to restrain you now." She said.
"What?!" The guy's eyes were widened.
However, there was no stopping Tatsumaki. The girl already had the man encased in the usual green aura, before sending his body slammed to the wall next to the rooftop door.
"So…who are you supposed to be? Are you with that damn cyborg from yesterday?" She asked.
"Cyborg?" The man was confused.
"Never mind." Tatsumaki said. "I'll just hurt you very bad so you never bother me again."
The man's eyes widened. It didn't take a genius to know that things won't end well for him. Fortunately, just as the shock came, the expression was replaced with a grin, which was then followed with a surprising turn of event.
"You're quite feisty one, Tatsumaki." He said.
Tatsumaki said nothing back to him, not that it would matter. However, something unexpected happened. The man's body began to increase in weight and size against Tatsumaki's psychic restrain. Then, before the girl knew it, the man was free from her grip and flexing his muscles. However, that wasn't the only surprising part of it. No, the most surprising of the moment was the fact that the man was now standing as…
"All Might?!" Tatsumaki expressed in shock.
"Yes! It is I!" The Pro Hero exclaimed.
Tatsumaki shook her head in response. She was seeing the Pro Hero, All Might; however she had her doubts a second later.
"No way! You must be a shapeshifter!" Tatsumaki shouted.
Once again, All Might found that his body was restrained. It wasn't to the wall like last time, as now Tatsumaki's psychic quirk was pressuring the Pro Hero down to his knee. Not surprising, this was unexpected for All Might, who now was fighting back against it to stand straight.
'Incredible! This girl can hold me down at such a young age!' All Might thought. Then he grinned a bit wider. 'Now I see why the boy fancies her! Let's go!'
With that, All Might added some of his strength. He let out a small groan, as his grin never seemed to disappear despite the situation he was in. At the same time, there was Tatsumaki who was slightly surprised by his strength, but not at all willing to give up. Thus, with every second that passed, the pressure on All Might increased and caused the ground he was on to have huge cracks until finally he broke free from Tatsumaki, with a stretch of his arms.
"YEEEESSSS!" He cried out.
Tatsumaki said nothing, but shot a scolding glare. She could try to restrain the hero again with more power than she did before, however the main purpose of doing that to him in the first place was now defeated. Hence, the girl dropped her arm to her side and said. "So you really are All Might."
"Indeed, I am!" All Might replied.
"Hmph!" Tatsumaki said and turned away. "Whatever! I'm leaving now! Don't follow me!"
"Hold on, missy!" All Might suddenly said.
Tatsumaki was then mildly taken back by what happened next. All Might seemed to have used his speed, which resulted in him standing before Tatsumaki almost in a blink of an eye. However, it didn't faze Tatsumaki at all. If anything, it just annoyed her.
"What do you want?!" Tatsumaki yelled.
"Nothing in particular." All Might said. "You know, kids your age will be thrilled to have met someone like me."
"Hmph! Like I should care!" Tatsumaki yelled. "Now out of my way! I'm not afraid to fight you in my full power!"
"Is that so?" All Might questioned. He didn't seem to be serious; however he also wasn't one to be casual. Hence, he continued. "Last time, you almost put your friend and yourself in harm's way. Are you certain you want to do the same for innocent bystanders?"
Tatsumaki said nothing back. However, the same couldn't be said about her reaction, which was obvious when she disgustedly turned her head from him. She knew the Pro Hero was right, whether she liked it or not, but she still had something to say.
"Midoriya isn't my friend, idiot." She said.
"I know." All Might said calmly. "You should've seen him today at the seaside park. He was giving it his all today after I got him some helpful speech and my schedule plan that I deem 'Aim to Pass! American Dream Plan'."
"Whatever. Can you go now?" Tatsumaki asked rudely. She then crossed her arms over her chest and refused to look back at the hero.
Fortunately, All Might was an understanding person. He could understand to a perspective about the girl and how he should approach her now. Thus, he decided to be forward with his intention at that moment.
"You really are something huh, Tatsumaki." All Might said smugly. "I can see why the boy talks so fondly of you."
"Wh-What?!" Tatsumaki suddenly blushed.
All Might chuckled and then continued. "I can see why he thinks well of you. You're so mysterious and yet very short tempered, easy to violence, not very bright –"
Tatsumaki turned and angrily glared at him. "Hey! What the hell?!" Tatsumaki snapped.
However, the girl's anger didn't faze the Pro Hero. In fact he continued.
"But yet…despite all those flaws, you mean well for people." All Might added. He surprised Tatsumaki just by saying that, even as he continued. "You can deny it, but from what I've seen and from what the boy has told me, you're a remarkable person with a good heart…right here." All Might pointed at her chest.
Tatsumaki suddenly flustered and looked to the ground. This encounter and what had happened was beyond what the teenage girl would've expected. Hence, she said nothing, especially as All Might changed his direction.
"By the way, the boy told you about One For all. But he didn't tell you everything." All Might said.
Tatsumaki's eyes widened. It came as a mild shock that Izuku had kept certain details from her. Fortunately, All Might was able to add to that before a misunderstanding arose.
"Don't take it the hard way." The Pro Hero then said. "One For All has to remain a secret between few people for the safety of others. That is why I will tell you everything about it because if someone as worthy as the boy can trust you then I find no problem with you."
Tatsumaki said nothing back in response. She did hear him, but couldn't find anything else to say. As such, she just stood there and listened to the hero explain the concept of One For All. She was surprised by it, of course, as just hearing about it sounded farfetched and yet believable. Hence, when the hero explained about his scar, Tatsumaki couldn't help but look at it when he revealed it, only to then be shocked.
"Holy…Shit…" Tatsumaki muttered in shock. Her eyes were widened as she stared at it. 'What kind of villain could do that?' She thought.
"So…" All Might suddenly said. He put his shirt down. "I guess I should get going. Don't let the scar scare you. A hero makes sacrifices for others, so I don't regret what happened those years ago in the slightest."
"Huh?" Tatsumaki questioned. She was now staring at All Might's face in mild astonishment. 'That's impossible…There shouldn't be heroes like that and yet…I don't sense any lie from him, not an ounce of it.'
A new conflicting feeling was now in Tatsumaki. In one side, she wanted to believe that all the heroes are the same, and at the other she was finding that almost hard to keep up. However, before she could say anything, All Might began to walk away, which made her watch him go.
"By the way, you're going to U.A High, right?" All Might casually. He then stopped and grinned at the girl. "That's where I graduated from and became the man I am today. I look forward to seeing how you and the boy grow to become full heroes. Live on!"
Tatsumaki said nothing. She could've, but again found nothing to say. As a result, the girl watched as the hero leapt from the rooftop and landed another one, where he then did the same time continuously until she couldn't see him.
However, something dawned on Tatsumaki then resulted to a different feeling. This was obvious when a frown and a sad look casted on her face as she stared at the open sky with a conclusion.
"Idiot…I don't…want to be a hero." She said.
_(LINE BREAK)_
And so the days became hardening for Izuku Midoriyah. All Might's schedule plan 'Aim to Pass! American Dream Plan!' demanded a lot for the teenage boy to do. As such, each day Izuku spent had him engage in rigorous and stressful training, whether it was still caring the seaside park, running, swimming and any other exercises one can imagine. And this was only added to Saitama's training regime, which the teen did in secret from All Might when he had the time.
However, unknown to the green haired teen, he was occasionally watched. He was not only being watched by All Might though, but by Saitama and Tatsumaki. Of course, the latter of the both of them were unaware of the other's presence since their location and timing were inconsistent with one another. As such, they too watched Izuku's progress and had their own opinion.
Unfortunately, no matter how you looked at it, Izuku was still a teenage boy. He had his limits that he was trying to overcome, as well as other life commitment. So one day, during class, the teen was on his own during a teaching, he was dwelling with the training he'll have to go through.
'Ten months of this? Good God…' Izuku thought a tired expression. His mood then changed when he became deeply in thought. 'He wasn't kidding about the difficulty level. I've got my training laid out, along with Saitama's own, until the week leading to the entrance exam. That means I've got 294 days left…and I have to push my muscles to the brink in intervals of once every two days…Even at an ideal pace, that base of training, with Saitama's training, would take around 99 days plus…And if we're thinking roughly five hours of training day and night for All Might, and one or two hours for Saitama, the total would then be less than 490 hours just by doing All Might's training alone.'
And then this is when things became noticeable. Izuku was so deep in his thoughts that he began to stressfully mutter about the training, all the while catching the attention of the class. Fortunately, before the teacher could react, Izuku suddenly found him mouth shut against his will, which caught him by surprised.
'Huh…!? What?' Izuku thought with a surprised look.
That was when the situation sunk in. The teen could see that all eyes were on him until they silently turned away. Hence, when that happened, he noticed his mouth was free to move, before turning to Tatsumaki as the one responsible.
"Tatsumaki…uh thank you." The teen said sheepishly and nervously.
"Whatever." Tatsumaki replied. "Try not to be a laughing stock next time, okay?"
"Uh…okay." Izuku nodded.
Hence, the day went by smoothly. Izuku's training continued in its furiousness, with each day counting for it. In fact, months even passed by as All Might engaged the teen in other types of exercises to help build up his muscles. His primary objective was still to clear the seaside park, with Saitama's training regime being another objective of his.
But then again, the human body was still limited. Izuku was tasking himself heavily, and thus fell to the ground during a run with All Might, who was in his normal form and on a scooter. Not surprising, Izuku's collapse surprised and got to the Pro Hero emotionally.
"Hey! Hey! What's the matter?!" There's only three months left! There's no way you'll make it at this rate, boy?! You wanna quit!? You wanna take a day off, maybe get some beauty sleep!?"
Izuku said nothing back. It wasn't that he didn't want to, but rather because he couldn't. He could feel how bad his body was hurting from the inside and out, even as he tried to get off from the ground. But sadly, his hands and feet were shaky and his condition became worse when he spat out blood, which surprised All Might.
'Over work?' All Might questioned. He then shook his head. 'This is something else…something more…and I think I know just it.'
"Hey, kid." All Might called with a stern. "You haven't by some chance been doing Saitama's workout training by any chance have you? The 'Aim to pass. American Dream Plan' was supposed to get you to take stock of and adjust your athletic capabilities in time for the entrance exam. If you're doing Saitama's training regime, then that means you're not following the plan. Overworking yourself leads to negative results! Do you not want to pass?!"
"I-I want to follow it…I do." Izuku said.
However, the condition the teen was in was not easy. Every fiber of his body was hurting terribly, with each breathe he took making his body feel like his lungs was on fire. But surprising, despite the tension he was feeling, he struggled to rise to his feet while looking at All Might with a tearful determined face.
"But it's not enough to just pass the sam..!" Izuku stated determinedly. "If I don't work a dozen times harder than everyone else, I'll stumble and fall….! I want to be a hero like you…like you and Saitama…! I want to be as strong as the strongest heroes!"
A new realization dawned on All Might. It made him feel surprised and at the same time impressed by the teenage boy, while staring at him trying to get back on his feet.
'I see! So all this time, he's been focusing on…his ultimate path, farther down the line!' All Might thought brilliantly.
And with that, the Pro Hero was completely impressed. In fact, he was so impressed that he changed into his muscular self and lifted the tired teen off the ground with one hand.
"You cheek…! You really are obsessive!" All Might exclaimed proudly. "But you know something?! I can't say I don't like it! All the same, it's no good to be too impatient with your training! I understand where you're coming from now, though! No worry…this old man will revise the plan to fit in Saitama's training for you!"
"You're not an old man…All Might…" Izuku said exhaustedly.
_(LINE BREAK)_
Time went by in its own way, though it seemed fast to some. Minutes turned to hours and hours turned to days, with days turning into weeks and that into months. So it didn't come as any surprising that the day of U.A Academy's entrance exam had arrived, but not the hour.
Hence, at the time of six o'clock, All Might and Tatsumaki found themselves walking side by side in clothes to shield them from the cold. They were heading to the seaside park to see Izuku, who should be rounding up his training at this point.
"So you're finally going to see your friend in person huh?" All Might said with a cheeky smile. That wasn't to say it was pleasing, however, The Pro Hero was as his skinny self, which just made his smile look mildly scary.
"Hmph! He's not my friend!" Tatsumaki replied. "He promised to take responsibility, so shut up!"
"Responsibility?" All Might questioned. Now he was puzzled. "Hey…you two by some chance haven't done –"
"Of course not!" Tatsumaki yelled angrily. "Besides, it's none of your business to know, you walking undead!"
"Walking undead!?" All Might was surprised. "Hold it I'm not –"
The Pro Hero was suddenly interrupted. It wasn't by Tatsumaki's doing but by a strong and loud male cry that filled the air. Hence, it caught both All Might and Tatsumaki's attention as they turned to the source just in time to see Izuku standing at the top of a lone pile of various trashes shirtless.
"Oh my…" Tatsumaki suddenly felt her cheeks heat up. From her view, she could see that the teenage boy had developed very well at his upper body.
However, All Might had his own reaction. First, he was surprised and astonished, especially as he moved forward and noticed the entire seaside park was cleared off trash. It was truly a new sight to see.
'Whoa there now! He even hauled away the garbage past the designated area! I can scarcely believe it! The kid didn't overlook the tiniest scrap! I…can't believe it!'
The Pro Hero's shock didn't end there, though. If anything, he then expressed it openly as he stared at the teenage boy.
"You ended up completing it at the very last second! You've crossed the finish line!" He stated. And then he transformed into his muscular self. "Goodness!" He grinned.
Izuku finally succumbed to his exhaustion. He had admirably achieved an impressive feat, however, that didn't stop him from then exhaustedly falling to the ground. Fortunately, Tatsumaki reacted quick by slowing his descent and letting him land on his feet instead.
"You've earned a rest!" All Might proudly said. He then followed this by patting the teen softly on the back.
Izuku panted heavily as he stared at the Pro Hero. At the same time, his eyes showed how tired he was, especially as his arms rested on his knees to give him support.
"I did it…All Might, I…did it…!" The teen muttered.
"Hmph! You sure did, Midoriya." Tatsumaki said. She had a small smile on her face, which surprised Izuku, as well as the fact that she was there next to him.
"Ta-Tatsumaki…? You're…here?" He questioned.
"Of course, I'm here." Tatsumaki said. "To be honest with you, I didn't think you'll make it. I guess I was wrong. Now maybe you can keep to your promise."
Izuku smiled a bit. "Right…I will."
Just then, All Might spoke. "You did an astonishing job here too, especially for a teenager! Here, have a look-see at this!"
Both Tatsumaki and Izuku looked at what All Might presented. It was his phone and on it was an image of Izuku months ago, weeping on the ground.
"What's this…?" Izuku asked tiredly.
"That's you, dummy." Tatsumaki informed him. Then a reminder came to the girl's mind as she turned to the Pro Hero. "Wait, didn't I destroy the phone?"
"HAHA! I know a guy." All Might laughed. "Boy, this picture was ten months ago. You did really, really good."
Tatsumaki smiled a bit. She didn't notice it though, mostly because it was a subconscious action. However, when her eyes went back to his chest, she couldn't help but blush a bit and immediately stare at his face with a flushed expression.
"We-wear a shirt already! You're too expo-" The esper suddenly stopped.
Something at that moment then caught the esper's attention. It wasn't Izuku's face though, but actually a few strands of the teen's hair falling to the ground. But just for certainty, the girl grabbed a bit of his hair and pulled it rather easily, much to the teen's surprise.
"What the…Are you losing hair now?" Tatsumaki asked, confused.
Izuku smirked a bit. For some reason, a flashback of Saitama went into his head that immediately made him feel a sense of accomplishment.
Unknown to the trio, however, they were being watched. Fortunately, it wasn't by a set of bad guys or anything like that. In fact, the ones watching them were a Pro Hero and a certain cyborg, both of whom were sitting at the edge of the closet building to the seaside park.
"The boy is truly amazing as you said, Sensei." Genos stated.
"Yeah, he really is." Saitama responded. The Pro Hero then rubbed his bald head and then chuckling a bit. "That kid sure reminds me of myself when I started that training workout when I was his age…so determined to be strong…Now he's got my interest."
Back at the trio, All Might was speaking again with a boosting tone.
"We've only just reached the faintest mirage of the path that lies ahead…" The Pro Hero stated. "But you're a bona fide vessel now!"
Izuku puffed a bit of air with a bit of a smile on his face. All Might's words were encouraging, but there was an inner conflict in the boy that made him to tear up.
"I feel like…I've cheated somehow…" The teen said softly. "I…You went so far for me, All Might, and I feel…too blessed!"
Tatsumaki rolled her eyes in mild disgust. The scene prior to Izuku speaking about his moment had been fine, but even the girl wasn't one to find things all well. As such, she crossed her arms and said her mind.
"Even with all you've went through, you're still an idiot huh, Midoriya?" The esper said with no regret. Of course, she got the attention of Izuku and All Might and continued. "You busted your ass to get this far, right? There's no cheating if you asked me. I was born with my quirk and didn't have to work for it…so if anything, I'm a cheat. But if you must know, what you plan to do with the power you have is what really matters, a cheat or not."
All Might was impressed. "Spoken like a true hero, Tatsumaki." He said. Then he turned back to Izuku. "She is right, you know? Puff out your chest and be proud! This is the power you earned fair and square, kid."
Izuku felt fully resolved. His inner conflict was gone and it was thanks to the two people around him. Hence, with a strong and determined face, he was staring at the Pro Hero, All Might, who had a strand of his blond hair in his hand.
"Now eat this." The Pro Hero said suddenly. He was talking about the long strand of hair he was holding.
Both Izuku and Tatsumaki were surprised and taken aback.
"Come again?" Both teens said in unison.
All Might continued. "Technically, the way you take in my DNA doesn't really matter. But time's running out!"
"This isn't really what I had in mind…" Izuku said.
Tatsumaki felt a bit green, and it wasn't from her hair.
"I think I'm going to be sick." She muttered.