A/N: I haven't written in awhile; I was inspired by the lot of fan fiction I've read recently and it gave me the idea to create my own. I don't usually write mature stories so this story is rated T unless it transpires into something more appropriate for that level. I hope you enjoy.
*FYI: I don't read the manga, but unfortunately I've been spoiled enough to have an idea of what will happen. My story will only include what's occurred in the anime thus far. The time period takes place shortly after our favorite heroes move into Heights Alliance.*
~Reviews are greatly appreciated~
Disclaimer: I don't own My Hero Academia.
The Essence of A Hero
Chapter 1: Aftermath
There was something in the darkness that was like a promise, like the world before dawn. It was a room as a canvas rather than a finished work of art, and to Izuku, it was like a place out of time, a place to rest without consequence. The darkness in that way was a sanctuary, a place to recharge and forget the things the world said had to be done.
The U.A. student walked forward noticing a glimpse of light ahead. It became more evident as he drew closer and discovered a campfire. Sitting across from the warm orange flames was a well-built woman with black hair. Her gray eyes shifted from the wild flickering dance of the flames to Izuku, who stared at her in awe, wonder, and curiosity.
"So you must be him," the woman smiled, waving a hand at the wooden log across from her.
Izuku took a seat and felt the pulsating, glowing embers of the fire emanate its heat between him and the mysterious woman. He glanced at her timidly and watched the light of the flames twirl across the dark background, twisting and curling in obscure shapes, providing a large radius of light.
"Do I know you?" he asked after a few minutes of silence.
The woman giggled. "I doubt it. Toshinori most likely hasn't told you about me just yet."
Izuku's eyes widened in surprise from hearing the familiar name. "All Might? You know All Might?!" he chirped in excitement.
"Well…I did choose him as a successor so I would think so," the woman replied, placing a palm under her chin.
The green-haired student leaned forward, mouth agape and fisted hands raised to his chest.
"My name is Nana Shimura," the woman identified herself, giving a proud and wide grin. "Nice to finally meet you Izuku Midoriya!" she said as she reached out a hand.
"M-my fr-friends call m-me Deku," he stammered out of excitement and lifted a shaky hand, feeling his weak arms flop up and down against the former hero's firm grip. 'I'm dreaming. I most definitely am in a dream,' the One For All user yelled inwardly as he remembered going to bed before the encounter, realizing he was still in his light blue pajamas.
"I've been watching you," Nana informed, returning to her seat, mentally noting the wounds on the boy's arm and frowned in concern. It went unnoticed by Deku whose face twisted and contorted into different and odd expressions. 'What a cute boy,' she commented to herself, watching the student in amusement.
Deku couldn't handle what he just heard. 'What does she mean she was watching me?!' he plopped on the wooden log, mouth still agape from shock.
"I didn't mean it in the way you're thinking," the dark-haired woman laughed, waving a hand at Deku dismissively.
The male teen nearly fell backwards, eyes now bulging white. "I-I wasn't thinking a-anything!" he defended, frantically tossing his arms side to side in embarrassment.
The seventh One For All user continued to laugh, clasping her stomach with both arms as she leaned forward. Her eyes began to water from the incessant laughter so she breathed in deeply in attempt to recollect herself.
"Oh my, your reactions are hilarious! No wonder why Toshinori picked you," she remarked as she wiped a tear away. She took another deep breath before continuing. "I was only joking. You seem like a good kid. I can tell from the moments I've seen you use One For All. I have to admit, you're pretty clever at how you use the Quirk," Nana stated, observing the confused look on the student's face.
"It hasn't been long, but I've been able to 'see' you whenever you activate your power; it's like I'm looking at the world through a window but with your eyes. It's unlike anything I've experienced before – the previous hosts haven't had this type of mental connection either. It's very random so I can't tell you when it will occur or if you're even aware of it if it does happen again…but…" the seventh host paused, feeling her smile slowly disappear. Her shoulders buckled inward, placing her hands on the wooden log so her forearms could support her disheartened posture.
"I may have an idea to why this is happening. It has to do with...Toshinori," she said softly, casting her gaze at the bright and vivid flames of the fire, breaking eye contact with the student.
Deku shifted uncomfortably in his seat and felt a heavy weight on his chest. He noticed the sudden change in the former Pro Hero's mood, failing to give him any assurance that he was going to hear good news. The ninth host of One For All frowned, lowering his gaze at the nothingness below his feet. He shifted his attention to his right arm which was painted with various scars that marked his recent fight with Muscular. At that moment, Deku suddenly recalled All Might's words and lifted his head to look straight at the woman.
"A hero always knows how to get out of a tough situation," declared the U.A. student, startling his company which interrupted her thoughts. Nana shot her head up, gray eyes meeting with emerald ones. She blinked in awe, taking in the boy's determined expression.
"That's what All Might always says no matter what situation he's in. Despite the odds, he will push through so whatever is concerning you, I believe All Might will rise above it. As his predecessor, you should know this better than anyone," Deku expressed confidently, earning a small grin from the former hero.
"How much do you even know of Toshinori and One For All?" Nana asked, a little unsure about her question. She clasped her hands together and placed them in-between her thighs and leaned forward for more comfort. "Your words are strong and I'm sure anyone who hears them will be encouraged. Unfortunately, that alone isn't enough."
Deku nodded. "I know…I know that actions are important too," he replied with the idea of Stain in mind, "I admit I don't know much about All Might, his past, and One For All. Talking big is useless unless you can support it. That's why I want to become stronger and increase my Quirk's percentage so I can do more. I want to support All Might as much as I can, however I can, with the power he passed down to me," Deku stated as he stood up. He clenched his wrist firmly, raising it to show the two scars on the side of his right hand before forming a tight fist. "Please help me achieve this."
Nana inhaled deeply before letting out a breath. She pursed her lips together and nodded, knowing she couldn't refuse the boy's request after seeing his passionate display.
"Alright then. I'll share everything I know about Toshinori and One For All in the hopes that this will help you."
Deku smiled in determination. Before he could take a seat, his vision started to become blurry and Nana's voice slowly started drifting into the distance as if she was moving further and further away.
Within moments, Deku felt the hard floor on his cheek. He propped himself up with a hand to take note of his surroundings only to discover he was back in his room. The digital numbers on the clock greeted him as it was the first thing his eyes settled on. It was 12:01 AM, a few hours after curfew. Deku exhaled in disappointment, eyeing the disheveled blanket laying on his bedroom floor.
"I guess it really was just a dream," the green-haired student said aloud. He looked down at his hands, opening and closing them repeatedly to get a grasp of his current reality. He frowned, feeling at the bottom of his heart that it was more than just a dream – it felt real to him.
He lazily got up grabbing his blanket on the way. He placed the item on the bed unable to forget the events of his dream which made him feel all the more unsatisfied and at a loss.
Glancing at the clock, Deku thought the best way to clear his mind was to train. Even if it was past curfew, if he was careful enough then he wouldn't get caught.
Making up his mind, Deku quickly got dressed in his training attire and opened the windows. His entire body lit up brightly with red thin sparks emerging from the soles of his feet, spiraling upwards to his face until his body was covered in it.
"One For All: Full Cowl," the student yelled all too familiar words as he jumped out of the window with lightning speed.
The screen flashed silver and white hues against the pale walls of the room, outlining six silhouetted figures occupying the leather seats mounted on the dark carpeted floor. The monitor played the cinematic battle between All Might and All For One. Shouts of excitement and concern echoed in the background as the reporter captioned the unfolding events, making sure to record every action of the duo.
The audience in the room was silent, watching the fight develop until it reached a point where a loud explosion appeared on scene, clouding the camera's view.
"This is where we temporarily lose sight of All Might," a member of the group spoke as he rewinded the video to pause at the part before the explosion. He clicked on the remote and enlarged the still frame for better viewing, aiming a small red dot on the screen to reference the mentioned person. "Minutes later, his student escapes. We have no footage to tell us how this happened. Not only did we lose a valuable clue, one of our greatest assets is now in prison," he glanced at his colleagues, narrowing his eyes at a specific member who sat directly across the table from him.
"Inferno, this was your case. You were instructed to retrieve the boy from Shigaraki's possession."
The named associate said nothing at first, focused on the inside of his pockets to find a pack of cigarettes itching to be smoked. He gladly fetched the item, taking a small role of tobacco from the carton and blew on the tip. Red hot flames emitted from his mouth, burning the end just enough to trigger the tobacco's effects. He slipped the cigarette in-between his parted lips and inhaled deeply, embracing the cancerous substances entering his body.
"What the hell Inferno – there's no smoking in here," a female coworker lectured.
"Let him be," the main presenter said, maintaining focus on his subordinate. "You better have a damn good reason for coming back empty-handed."
Inferno shrugged nonchalantly, ignoring the menacing glares from his peers.
"I don't really have much to say, boss. I messed up," Inferno confessed, failing to show any signs of apology or remorse. "It's stupid to risk my ass for some kid who may not even be the one we're looking for," he scoffed as he scratched the stubbles of hair on his chin.
Upon hearing this, the other members talked amongst each other and came to a unanimous decision to object Inferno's theory.
"What evidence do you have?" "You didn't even see the boy – we could've gotten information from him." "You shouldn't be here right now." "You're a dumbass!"
Inferno's colleagues didn't hesitate to fire slander and threatening remarks at him. He waited it out, continuing to puff on his cigarette as he eyed his boss through dark shades, seemingly indifferent to the opinion of others.
"Is everyone finished?!" the boss shouted, competing with the growing noise in the room. Not a moment later, the comments stopped and the focus was on the two men once more.
"My resources say the reason the U.A. student was abducted was to try and persuade him to join the League of Villains. Obviously we know how that turned out," Inferno began, "It's logical to assume his friends were the ones who helped him. Once I identify them, I can narrow it down from there," he said before exhaling a cloud of smoke into the air.
One of Inferno's coworkers moved several seats away to avoid the second hand smoke, calling him an 'asshole' afterwards.
"What's your plan?" the boss inquired, raising a curious brow and remained aloof to the pungent smell of tobacco.
"Pop a xan and spend fifty thousand in Japan," Inferno comically replied, chuckling as he did so.
His boss was unamused.
"Do not return until your mission is complete. I don't have to tell you what happens if you fail again."
"Yes boss," the fire breather nodded in a facetious manner before tapping the edge of the table to ash his cigarette. He stood up and waved goodbye to his direct report and coworkers who, in turn, flicked their middle fingers to him in response.
Inferno shrugged it off, unfazed, and flashed them a grin before leaving the room. His focus was now on the mission. Contrary to what his colleagues believed, Inferno was actually concerned because he felt the odds were against him this time. He ran a hand through his green disheveled hair and began to brainstorm. Deep in thought, he started to mumble his plans aloud, paying no mind to the passing bystanders who gave him odd looks.
The fire breather snapped his fingers once he determined his next action.
'Time to visit an old friend,' Inferno noted inwardly and grabbed his phone to call a former comrade.
In an effort to gain the approval of the Hero Public Safety Commission to build a housing facility within school grounds, certain conditions needed to be met prior to its consideration from the board. When the idea was initially proposed, it received a lot of negative criticism with a majority dissenting against the concept. Expecting this response, countermeasures were immediately taken.
Principal Nezu discussed the importance of the student and faculty's well-being, safety and the actions of those involved to enforce this as priority. Although there were unfortunate, unforeseen circumstances that swayed public opinion about heroes and U.A., the school continued to operate and did not waver when faced with challenges.
"This display of resolve is what founded 'Plus Ultra' – go beyond! If we stop here, we are proving how weak and fragile we truly are to our enemies," Principal Nezu declared, using his knowledge, authority, and emotional awareness as a strong proponent to shift the opinions of the committee members.
In the end, the Principal received favor for his plans. Before proceeding forward, the aforementioned conditions required Nezu to change U.A.'s academic program, mandate a contractual 'limitation of liability' agreement between the parents and faculty, revise tuition rates, and employ additional staff for instructing the program's amended courses.
The Principal of U.A. agreed to the terms knowing he had little time and authority for further negotiations. To effectively implement the changes, he requested assistance of other Pro Heroes. Within three days, Heights Alliance was built becoming U.A.'s first student dormitory.
When Mt. Lady heard the news, she quickly jumped at the opportunity. Dismissing the fact she had no previous experience in teaching, Mt. Lady happily obliged to Principal Nezu's request.
Three days later the blonde heroine was assigned a role. She cursed under her breath and fiercely pulled on a lever to open the sliding door for entry. The pro hero was greeted by empty desks and chairs housed in a dimly lit room, punctuated only by a pale band of silver formed by the moon's light.
"Clear," Mt. Lady said in a flat voice and shut the door seconds after finding nothing, denying her companion a chance to look on his own.
"Yu don't forget this." The heroine quickly caught the object thrown at her, narrowing her eyes at the flashlight after realizing what it was.
"I don't need it Shinji," she said aiming to throw it back at him.
Shinji, also known as the Pro Hero, Kamui Woods, ignored the woman. He slid the door open to check the room for himself, waving a flashlight at the dark to get a better view.
"I already looked in there," Yu remarked in annoyance, her attitude growing worse by the minute.
Kamui Woods shot a glare at Mt. Lady. "What the hell is your problem?! You've been like this since our shift started," he yelled as he slammed the door.
The blonde heroine raised a hand to her chest, slightly taken aback by her colleague's response.
"This isn't what I signed up for! I thought I would be teaching," Mt. Lady expressed.
Shinji raised a brow. "Teacher? But…you have no experience."
Yu rolled her eyes. "Ugh, that's not the point! I didn't expect to be playing security guard for the school!"
"Then quit," Kamui stated bluntly.
The size shifter grumbled in frustration, shaking her head vigorously. "No!" she argued, "I've always wanted to be a teacher way before I became a Pro Hero." 'It just didn't pay as much.'
"Oh…well I didn't know that," the seventh ranked hero was surprised. "What subject would you teach if you could do it now?"
Mt. Lady blinked and then shifted her gaze to the ceiling in wonder. "I actually haven't thought that far. This security gig is just part-time. If I do get the chance then I'll consider my options," she admitted, returning her focus on Shinji.
"Guess you're stuck with me for now," Kamui joked, walking past the blonde to check the next classroom.
"For now," the size shifter laughed, following suit. "Although night shift sucks. It's so boring!"
"Better get used to it. We have several hours to go."
Yu let out a groan. "Can we skip them? Let's patrol another area. No one is going to sneak in here; let's mark this building complete," she suggested, waving her hand for the list.
Shinji felt around his pockets to search for the requested item. "How are you so sure?"
"Are you kidding – there's nothing exciting about breaking and entering a classroom. If I was a teenager again I would rather go to the faculty lounge and grab a couple bottles of alcohol and get shit-faced."
"How is that any different from what you're doing now?" He handed the list over, laughing at his own joke.
"Hilarious," Yu scoffed sarcastically as she snatched the paper from Kamui. She unfolded it, eyes moving side to side, a smile slowly forming on her lips.
"What's next?" Shinji curiously asked as he watched the female's change in expression.
Mt. Lady chuckled, glancing up at her companion. "Heights Alliance."
This was the fourth night she had trouble sleeping. Ochaco tugged on the ends of her pink sweatshirt so her head could fit through the opening. She lightly pulled on the drawstring to tighten the hood before adjusting her brown locks.
The gravity manipulator walked to her desk to grab her room key passing a tall mirror on the way. She retraced her steps to look at her reflection. Along with her sweatshirt, Ochaco wore fitted black leggings and comfortable running sneakers. Instead of dressing in her usual costume, the petite girl thought to clothe herself in regular attire. If she was going to overcome the drawbacks of her Quirk, she needed to get used to floating in the air without the aid of any equipment.
'I can't always rely on my costume's acupuncture points to reduce my nausea. I have to counter this side effect on my own,' the brunette said to her reflection.
It was already past midnight so Ochaco assumed her classmates were asleep. Regardless, she didn't want to risk bumping into anyone especially after curfew so she decided against taking the hallway. Her only option was the window.
Ochaco's eyes beamed in excitement. It was the perfect opportunity to practice her move. The gravity user left her keys on the desk and skipped over to the window. She swiftly unlatched the handles to open both panes, feeling the cool evening breeze brush against her cheeks.
Round brown eyes peered downwards. The fourth floor seemed so much higher from her perspective than she imagined. Taking a deep breath, Ochaco carefully stepped on the ledge. Once she was sure she had proper footing, the brunette pressed her fingertips together and jumped off.
Deku raised his right leg for a roundhouse kick to practice his One For All: Full Cowl – Shoot Style in order to get used to moving his torso and legs more frequently and aggressively. He repeated this motion on his left leg, feeling a slight shift of power in his kick.
The freckled teen cursed inwardly, wiping the sweat dripping on his forehead.
"Again! I have to make sure I have equal strength in both my legs," Deku noted, getting into a fighting stance once more.
The world felt like it was spinning. Ochaco couldn't differentiate between up and down as her body floated in mid-air. Brown eyes shot above to find the stars in the night sky gazing down at her, but the gravity user had no time to indulge at the pretty sights when her vision suddenly became blurry and her stomach churned in discomfort.
'Oh no!' Ochaco cried, feeling like she was about to lose consciousness. Within seconds, her body lost its floating capability and was now falling towards the ground, quickly gaining speed.
"Uraraka-san!" a voice yelled from a distance. The gravity manipulator forced her eyes open, trying to pinpoint the sound. She pressed her fingertips together again in attempt to make her body float, but the nausea was too much to bear. In fear of vomiting, Ochaco instinctively covered her mouth with both hands, foregoing any actions to save herself from colliding with the ground.
Preparing for a hard impact, the brunette closed her eyes in fear, cursing her stupidity and expecting the worst.
"Uraraka-san!" yelled the voice again. This time it was closer and much more familiar to her. Ochaco gasped, feeling warm brawny arms embrace her petite form, preventing her from hitting the pavement. The brunette opened an eye to meet her savior.
"D-Deku?!" Ochaco cried, eyes widening in alarm.
The One For All user was training when he saw a figure fall from the fourth floor. Quickly calculating its location, Deku immediately deduced it was Ochaco. He powered up his legs and used Full Cowling to catch up to her. He thankfully made it in time, holding the girl's body closely to his chest as he leapt forward to safety.
"Are you hurt?! What were you doing jumping out your window?! Were you training? Uraraka-san! Uraraka-san?! Uraraka-" Deku shouted question after question out of concern for the girl. Ochaco didn't comprehend anything and instead was focused at their close proximity to each other. She could see small droplets of sweat on his forehead and cheeks like he just came from a hard workout. His body heat was comforting against her own as he held her with his toned, ripped arms which Ochaco had admired from a distance for what seemed like a very long time.
She gently placed a hand on her friend's arm before looking up at him with hazy eyes. Deku immediately stopped talking, feeling the hair on his arms spike up when he felt the girl's soft touch. Deku's cheeks flushed red, finding himself unable to move.
"Deku," Ochaco whispered just loud enough for him to hear.
"Uraraka-san?" he whispered back, motioning for her to continue.
"I'm…I'm," she stuttered, face turning a bright shade of red.
Deku held his breath, waiting to hear what the beauty had to say to him.
"I'm sorry," Ochaco whimpered, surprising the green-haired student. Before Deku could ask why the brunette apologized, Ochaco hurled forward, spewing all of her stomach's contents onto Deku's shirt.
"Wow…that was unexpected!" Mt. Lady reveled in shock, appearing out of nowhere, followed by an equally surprised Kamui Woods who avoided eye contact with the teenagers.
The sound of the alarm penetrated the hallway of the underground containment facility as the heavy doors slowly opened to welcome its lone inhabitant.
Tartarus, the special prison for villain criminals, was isolated in an island, location disclosed only to few select people and organizations. Only those whom the death penalty is insufficient as punishment were held below ground and kept in a private room separate from other criminals.
All For One embraced the 'specialized' treatment reserved for his kind. Despite the leather restraints that locked his movements, he sought comfort from the results of his recent fight with the Symbol of Peace. Their long time conflict ended with the hero's irrevocable retirement. A conniving smile appeared on his burnt face as he heard footsteps approaching his room.
"I'm surprised you came to see me after all these years. You must be desperate Inferno," All For One greeted expectantly, sensing the familiar presence of a former acquaintance.
"I wanted to see an old friend," Inferno replied, looking at the thick glass encasing the Quirk thief through his pair of dark shades. He stepped closer to get a better view.
"How the hell do you even eat?" the fire breather curiously asked.
All For One didn't answer, finding the question a mockery of his current predicament. "State your business. I have no time for your terrible jokes, Inferno," he commanded, tugging forcefully on the restraints to indicate his lack of patience.
"Really? No time?" the visitor retorted, inserting a hand in his pocket. "It doesn't look that way to me, old friend."
All For One grimaced. "You've either grown more bold or more stupid over the years. It's easy to find my situation comical considering I'm locked up and secured in these chains."
Inferno shook his head knowing it went unnoticed by his old friend. He unpocketed a hand revealing a cigarette between his thumb and pointer finger.
"I'm not your enemy. If I had a choice I wouldn't be here, but whose damn fault is that?" Inferno scoffed before he blew on the cigarette, watching the tip ignite in flames. "You're not the only asshole whose lost something," he said, placing the cancer stick in his mouth.
All For One laughed, the chains rattling against his shaking chest. Inferno raised a brow, uncomfortable with the villain's response.
"You're a fool if you believe this is the end. My influence goes beyond this cage. Enlighten me Inferno, you're here because you want to know the name of the next successor, don't you?"
The fire breather exhaled deeply, the smoke dispersing from his nostrils and mouth. He narrowed his eyes at the villain, annoyed he lost the vantage.
All For One laughed again when he received no response for the visitor, confirming his theory. "What a tough predicament you're in," he said in a low sarcastic voice.
Inferno cursed inwardly, pressing his lips harder on the cigarette.
"Damn."
To Be Continued
A/N: This first chapter took longer to finish than I originally expected. I wanted to add a lot of content so I ended up re-writing a couple of things. I hope you enjoyed the finished product.
Also, before anyone asks, Inferno is actually not an OC. I only gave him that hero/villain name because the Canon didn't provide him one and only time will tell if he will ever be introduced.
~Reviews are greatly appreciated~