Woo! Chapter 20! I've already written more in this year than the entirety of 2019. Whoops.

But man I'm having a ton of fun with this story! I haven't felt this creatively driven since I started and it's delightful. Can't tell if it's the MCAT or breakup but this last week has been so enjoyable, I'm smiling like an idiot.

Chapter's a bit shorter for plot purposes but I've already started on the next one. No promises, of course (that's worked out well for me in the past), but I hope to continue this momentum for as long as I can.

S/o Blake Tourdner for being the first person to catch two separate jokes in chapters 18 and 19. Don't know if I should commend you or chastise myself for stealing bits. Whoops.

Side note: New cover art. Idk about it so I might switch back but I felt like a change

Q/A

- Huh…it's empty...time to talk about how the Prequel Trilogy is the best part of Star Wa- wait, where you going?

Chapter 20: Dialectics

"Be honest, you only chose my agency because of my ranking, yes?"

Bakugou, grit his teeth and looked away in a huff, unable to lock eyes with the Number 4 Hero and those piercing Baby Blues.

Best Jeanist chuckled softly, "I'll take that as a resounding yes, then. It's fine, of course. I did send you the offer after all. Someone so…untamed and matted like yourself is exactly who I've been looking for.

"Heroes and villains blur together more often than most of the higher ups care to admit, but you know how they initially drew the line between the two? This is many generations ago, back in the United States."

"Tsk," Bakugou glared, "Just say it so we can move on."

One of the nearby sidekicks hollered, "Mind your manners, dammit! That's the most stylish hero in the country you're speaking to! Voted People's Choice three years running!"

With a smirk obscured by his costume and a raised hand, Best Jeanist quieted his impassioned employee, "Appreciated, but the boy's just bark." Turning back to Bakugou, he explained, "It was the citizens' perception that informed lawmakers how to draw the line between heroes and villains. Even the vigilantes that operated in gray areas got swept away by the court of public opinion. So then, what's the takeaway from this history lesson?"

"That this is a waste of time."

"YOU BASTARD!"

Jeanist chuckled once more, "Funny. No, the answer I'm looking for is much simpler." He reached into a pocket and pulled out a fresh comb, "Appearance matters."

Yaoyorozu sweatdropped at her new mentor's antics, spending well over an hour in hair and makeup for a photoshoot on their very first day of the internship. Please don't let this be representative of what's to come.

To her left, Itsuka Kendo seemed to be undergoing a similar level of turmoil, albeit a touch more casually based on her embarrassed smile, "W-well, at least we can say our internship is unique."

Uwabami smiled, smacking her lips together one last time, "There, perfect! When you're a Pro as popular as me, appearance is one of the most important things to maintain. It gives everyone that sense of awe they love to see in their idols."

…maybe I should try to pick up on her confidence. Momo sweatdropped when Uwabami decided to try combing her hair in a different direction, much to her snakes' dismay. Seems I have nothing else to do for a while.

Izuku dusted himself off and straightened his uniform out, "Sir, Izuku Midoriya reporting for the internship. Thank you for having me." He bowed to the elderly hero on the stoop, earning a dry laugh.

"Heh," Gran Torino waved the boy inside, "Well ye' got manners down. Now hurry up and show me what you got."

Nodding and moving into the dilapidated apartment with haste, Izuku quickly threw his blazer onto a musty chair and rolled his sleeves up, "Sharingan!" His eyes took on the iconic red glow as the three tomoe spun out from his pupils. "One For All: Full Cowling!" His body took on a faint glow, green lightning crackling around his silhouette while an emerald shine rimmed his irises.

The retired Pro locked his door and examined the boy closely, "Hmm…I see. You activate them in tandem. Enhanced perception and physicality. That's a deadly combo, am I right?"

Izuku nodded with a grin, "Yes sir!"

"Wrong!"

In a flash, Gran Torino vanished, replaced by dozens of wind trails skirting around the living room walls, floor and ceiling. Objects went flying, as did some drywall, and even the appliances weren't spared from the show of power, if the crumpling microwave was any indication. Then, Izuku felt a kick to the back of his head. Then one to his arm. Then to his chest again.

"Gah!" He recoiled, falling onto the ground, aches already forming along his body.

"Tired already? Come on kid, the warm up's over." Gran Torino smirked as a jet of wind shot from his feet, sending him flying even faster than earlier.

He's way faster than Iida! The Sharingan can barely keep him in sight. And then moving itself is a problem since he'll outspeed me. I have to analyze his movements if I want to counterattack.

Through the hits and bruises, Izuku started to visualize Torino's pattern, the predicted paths appearing as lines in the world like some sort of augmented reality game. It's like playing Whack-a-Mole, but – "Oww!" – it's from the perspective of inside the machine! Gradually, his flailing became less random and more targeted, going from completely fumbling his grabs and jabs towards the elderly speedster to missing him by a quarter of a second to just barely grazing the hero's costume.

As he jet around the apartment, lightly pelting the newbie with attacks from every direction possible, the slightest of smirks formed on Gran Torino's face. He's learning. The more he perceives, the clearer his movements become. Soon, he'll probably be able to predict my attacks and land a decent counter.

Okay, after this hit – Izuku winced as another kick landed on his upper arm – he's gonna rocket to the couch and jump towards me. For a brief window, he'll be within my reach, which means…

Suddenly, the couch shot back from the recoil of Torino's jump. On cue, Izuku leapt forward, his fist cocked back for a Detroit Smash.

I love these Quirks!

Unfortunately for him, the timing and force of the jump was off, causing him to barely graze the hero's cheek with a poorly prepped punch.

I hate these Quirks.

Sneering, Torino suddenly increased his speed, flipping in mid-air and kicking both legs into Izuku's side, using the jets on his boots to amplify the force and knock the student into the crumbling wall, cracking both the foundation and his ribs. Izuku groaned as both of his Quirks involuntarily deactivated while he rubbed his side from that last hit. He could go even faster?! This really is the world of Pros!

Huh, so that's the problem. "That was pitiful. You barely even started your wind up by the time you reached me."

"Sorry, my timing's been off since my Sharingan matured or…evolved…it basically improved." He dusted himself free of paint chips, wincing at the little tears in his dress shirt. Probably should've asked to change first. "Like events used to play pretty slow already, but now it feels around twice as slow. And then I can predict opponent movements earlier and with more detail."

Gran Torino guffawed, "So you get an Awakening and yet you're worse off than you were before? Heh, that's promising."

"Well, it's more complicated than that. I got used to the Sharingan over the last year so having it suddenly become more powerful is really discombobulating, especially with One For All since my movement operates at a different scale than my perception. My insight's gotten much stronger, so it's actually a lot easier to come up with strategies, but of course I'm so locked onto the old speed that I'm not following through correctly and – ow!" He rubbed the top of his head, more out of shock than actual pain.

The old man angrily threw his cane to the side, "That muttering might be the single most annoying thing I've ever heard, and I've had to listen to Toshinori practice catchphrases." He sat down at the table and gestured for his student to follow.

"Sorry. It's a force of habit," Izuku obliged, "But I was hoping that maybe you could teach me how to improve how much of One For All I can handle so then I'd compensate for this issue. And of course, just generally getting closer to All Might's level."

"So that's your goal for the week? Become so adept with One For All that you can just brute force your way through problems?"

"W-well, that's not exactly how I'd put it, bu-"

"Then explain it better. I hear you're smart so I'm expecting more than impassioned speeches."

Izuku looked at his lap and gripped his knees, "…I lost at the Sports Festival. And not even because of my Quirk. I just got so…obsessed with making Todoroki use his left side that I couldn't even think about what was important."

"And what's that?" Gran Torino crossed his hands and stared intently at the boy.

"What do you mean? I couldn't live up to All Might's expectations and I let him down. I injured myself and lost the finals."

"Heh, so?" Torino smirked, "Sure, injuring yourself was an idiotic move, but what's the big deal if you don't meet his expectations? What're your expectations?"

Izuku stood up with a start, "Of course it's a big deal! All Might entrusted me with this power so I could become his successor and the next Symbol of P-" He was cut off by the tip of Gran Torino's cane on his mouth. Umm…gross.

"Would you stop trying to be like All Might?"

There was a tense silence before Izuku fell into his seat, "W-wha…Stop trying to be like him?"

"I didn't say to not be like him. But you're trying to be him; it's a set-up for disappointment. I know your generation was practically groomed to worship the guy, especially some loner like you who was too thick-headed to realize he had a Quirk-"

"The doctor tol-"

"-but you can't confuse being a hero with being All Might. His trademark is that he wins and saves people, but that's because he actively wants to be an inspiration for others. He's the product of growing up in an unsure time when villains outmatched the heroes and people were actively craving a beacon to latch onto.

"His actions and story can inspire you but trying to emulate him when you're so different is just setting yourself up for failure. Hell, I bet you only signed on to intern with me because you found out I taught him."

Taking Izuku's stunned silence as confirmation, Gran Torino continued, "You know, his predecessors are all very different people from each other. Sure, they were all true heroes, but they had different motivations behind their actions and applications for their power, aside from the common goal, of course."

"Common goal?"

Huh, you've really told him nothing, Toshinori. "That's a story for your mentor to tell, but the point is that all of them were totally different people. Hell, the only thing All Might really has in common with his mentor is that annoying smile! Even their fighting styles are distinct." Torino thrust his cane at Izuku's chest, "But not you! You put him on such a pedestal that you're even using One For All exactly like him. For all intents and purposes, you treat it like you were Quirkless!"

"Like him? I don't understand, isn't it a power-up emitter-type Qu-"

Gran Torino barked, slamming his foot into Midoriya's face again, "Wrong! One For All isn't a Power Quirk, it's power, plain and simple. For All Might, sure he had nothing to work with, but you do. So use that big brain of yours."

The teen looked away, stunned and more than a little confused.

Sighing, Torino stood up and grabbed his cane, "That's enough for now. I'm going to grab some food. See if you can clean up." Wordlessly, Izuku obliged while his mentor left the apartment.

While walking down the street to the grocery store, Gran Torino reflected. Sorry kid, but you won't improve if I just tell you. Take it from me: you gotta come to terms with who you are before you can think about what you're supposed to be.

But still… He rubbed his cheek where Izuku had just barely struck him. …not a bad starting point.

"You want me to join the League of Villains, is that it?" Stain growled, leaning against the bar.

Tomura Shigaraki relaxed on his stool, idly scratching his neck, "That's the idea. You're about as renegade as they come. I need that in my party."

Stain narrowed his gaze, "For what? Besides attempted child murder, what're you after?"

Shigaraki smiled behind his hand mask, "Kill All Might. Then maybe some other people I hate."

There was a moment of deafening silence before Stain burst into laughter so grating, it must've sent all the bird in the neighborhood into a frenzy, "Heh, you want my help and yet…heh…you're what I hate most."

"…eh?" Shigaraki cocked his head, his fingers growing more frenetic, "You wanna try that again?"

The young villain moved to stand up, but before he knew it, he was thrown to the floor, his barstool clattering aside while Stain's studded boot pulled back. Shigaraki took a second to collect his bearings before charging forward, his hand outstretched towards the Hero Killer's face, only for the latter to seemingly vanish while connecting a punishing hook, sending the former crumpling to the ground.

Kurogiri tensed at the sight and turned to the screen to his right, "Master, should I intervene?"

If a response was coming, it fell on deaf ears since Stain grabbed the teleporter's metal brace with intense speed and locked eyes with him, "Sleep." He then slammed the pommel of his katana into the neck guard so hard, the bar was filled with a shrill ringing as Kurogiri fell over limply.

But the battle wasn't over yet as Stain saw a blur of movement in his periphery. He released the katana and leapt back instinctively, just in time to avoid a swipe from Shigaraki, whose temple was bleeding fairly heavily from the earlier punch that also knocked his mask askew.

Shigaraki flicked the blood away to the best of his ability, causing the mask to fall off. Gritting his teeth angrily, Shigaraki grabbed the discarded katana with both hands and grinned as his Decay spread along the serrated blade. "Hahaha…that hurt, you know."

"Probably not as bad as that." Stain gestured to the shiny red streaks along Shigaraki's lower jaw.

Tomura dragged a finger across the burn, "Courtesy of some UA brat. Nobody wants to play healer so…"

"Then this is really going to suck." Two knives instantly buried themselves in the young adult's shoulders before another side kick to the chest sent him reeling and coughing onto the floor, unable to move his arms without searing agony.

Stain was instantly there, kneeling down and pulling the left knife out – which made Shigaraki roar – to hold it against his opponent's throat, "I could kill you now, but for scum like you, heroes and villains who throw themselves around without aim or purpose, I have something special."

Shigaraki desperately tried to move, his anger building and building, until he locked gazes with Stain and remembered the very same look of fury, determination, and self-righteousness that he recognized in that pest from UA. Those eyes…those eyes!

With another roar, Shigaraki willed his left hand to grab onto Stain's forearm, instantly causing some of the bandages to fall away and cracking some of the skin beneath. The Hero Killer hissed before using his other fist to crack the younger man's head into the hardwood.

Standing up, Stain began applying spare bandages to the wound before the sound of clapping sent him back into battle mode. Curiously, however the sound was emanating from the same TV that Kurogiri had called to earlier.

Then a chuckle filled the air and every fiber in Stain's being, every instinct, told him to run.

"Well done. Efficient. I'd expect nothing less from someone of your abilities."

Stain held another blade up to the screen and cautiously stepped back, "Who are you? What would you know of my abilities?"

The blue static gave way momentarily, revealing some obscured outline vaguely resembling a human form, but it was contorted and twisted beyond recognition, "Oh, I've been paying special attention to you for a long time. I'm particularly fond of your career as Stendhal, though I also enjoyed your lobbying."

"…who are you?"

"Hehe, that's a story we don't have time for, but needless to say, I'd greatly appreciate it if you could spare my young pupil's life. At least until you hear him out."

"There's nothing to listen to. He's a child throwing a tantrum, treating society like a game. He has no plan, no ideology, no conviction. He's a stain that I need to remove!" The Hero Killer held his blade up and stepped back in preparation to swing down, only to stop on something unexpected. Huh? Oh it's that hand from earlier. He kicked aside before narrowly moving his arms around of Shigaraki's reach. He's got spirit at least.

"Not that one." Shigaraki growled, swiping the severed hand off of the ground before replacing it on his face, "I'll kill you if you do that again."

The contempt in his voice wasn't as terrifying as whatever master was watching them from that screen, but it still made Stain shudder.

"You have a weird fixation on my convictions. Thing is, I don't have any. I just wanna destroy the Symbol of Peace and the society that let him get so big while the rest of us got smaller and smaller."

Shigaraki smiled so widely, the corners of his mouth poked out from behind his mask, "I just wanna turn them all to dust!"

Silence fell in the bar, the hum of the cathode ray tube reverberating in the background.

"Our goals aren't the same at all." Stain growled before sheathing his weapon and collecting the fallen ones, "But we both want to destroy the society we live in. That'll be enough for now."

"Eh? Go to hell. What happened to hating me, huh?" Shigaraki pulled the other blade out of his shoulder with a grunt and threw it onto the ground, flexing his fingers, "So much for conviction."

Stain picked up the discarded knife before moving behind the bar towards the fallen Kurogiri, "That was to make you reveal your true colors. Death has a way of making intentions clear." He turned back to face Shigaraki, "There's a spark of conviction in you and once I see it grow, I'll decide what to do about you. For now, just send me back to Hosu."

He bent over Kurogiri's body and prodded him, "Wake up."

Nearly immediately, the black cloud flared to life, "W-what? What happened? Tomura, are you hurt?"

"No shit."

"Heh heh. Kurogiri, please send Stain back. We'll contact him when we're ready to move."

"S-sure." He opened a warp gate and allowed the assassin to move through. What was that Quirk? He barely did anything and yet I couldn't move or speak.

Shigaraki sighed exasperatedly, "Great, now this is going to be a whole thing. Might as well stitch myself up." He moved through the back door of the bar, leaving his stunned associate behind.

"Do me a favor and take care of those wounds for him. He's liable to make things worse."

"…"

"Kurogiri."

The smoke man snapped back to reality, "Sorry, master. Just a little shaken after that encounter."

The man behind the screen laughed softly, "I can't say I blame you. He's got a powerful ability on his hands."

Kurogiri cocked his head, "You know it, then?"

"Of course. For that matter, so do you. It wasn't as powerful, but I'm guessing Tomura doesn't care about that detail. Heh, he probably hated Stain the second he saw him."

"I do? Where ha-"

"I don't like repeating myself. Go to Tomura. Now."

"Y-yes, of course. Sorry, master." Kurogiri bowed to the monitor and walked after the latter's apprentice.

"…I should hire some extra staff. It's always a special event when one of my children comes home."

That Night

After a silent dinner of uncooked instant noodles – and searching for a new microwave online – Gran Torino retired to his bed, leaving a very awake and very frazzled Izuku to his own thoughts.

I can't imitate All Might…I have no sense of self…Act like I'm Quirkless… "Heh, I kinda get why All Might was so scared of him. He definitely gives it to you straight." In more ways than one, Izuku thought as he rubbed his sore ribs.

"But what can I do? I feel like the answer's so obvious but I'm just not getting it!" He rubbed his head out of frustration. Okay, think Izuku. Use that big brain of yours. On cue, he pulled out his notebook and began jotting down notes. Let's list what Gran Torino said.

1. One For All is just power

2. Use what I have

3. I can't emulate someone different from me

Hmm…this is woefully unhelpful. Izuku groaned as he sat back on the musty couch, "How will this help me match One For All with the Sharingan? Or get used to a higher percentage?"

Gran Torino's words rang in Izuku's mind, "Your approach to One For All is exactly like his and it's terrible!"

"Wait, so I should try changing how I use One For All?" He flipped back to his notes from early in the year, "…egg in the microwave…glass filled with water…these are all analogies!" Izuku turned page after page until, "Ah here we go: 'clench your buttocks and yell smash'."

…Gran Torino might've been right about All Might as a teacher

Flipping through his notebook, Izuku opened Todoroki's profile, "He's probably the only person I know with a similar situation to mine. His left and right sides are practically separate Quirks, but they counteract each other, so using them in tandem allows him to avoid the adverse side effects of either." But I've been using the Sharingan and One For All concurrently for months now. How can I make them work any closer? That'd be like asking Todoroki to use both sides at the very same time! You can't just force two separate things to work together!

He stewed on the problem for a while, even digging through the older notebooks he brought with him. It wasn't until he was halfway through 'Hero Analysis for the Future, No. 4' that Izuku stumbled onto something useful. Carefully deciphering his childhood scribbled handwriting, he read aloud,

"Quirks are, in reality, no different than a limb or a muscle" – R. Yotsubashi of the Detnerat Company

Hmm, I said something like this to All Might when we found out I had the Sharingan during the Slime incident. I said it was probably activated by reflex…

"Oh shit!" Of course! For everyone else, using their Quirk is no different than flexing their arm. But since I got them so late, I've been treating One For All and Sharingan like switches to be turned off and on instead of extensions of myself.

Izuku put aside his journals and cracked his knuckles, warming his body up for what he had to do. Those switches used to control different things. He silently opened the backdoor – which was impressive considering there was enough rust on the hinges to forge a sword – and stepped out into the hot June air.

But now, the only way to go forward is to adapt!

A tall man in a black trench coat sat in a filthy alley near Roppongi, the overwhelming glow of Might Tower only barely illuminating his long, unkempt red hair and steely yellow eyes. He idly chewed on some sort of meat – he thought it was jerky or maybe an old piece of dried fish – that he found discarded in the trash.

He then raised his fist in time to grab a hold of the person sneaking up on him, pulling them off their feet and onto the ground, "You'll have to do better than that."

Ken Ude just laughed, not seeming to mind how his pink hair picked up the filth – and smell – off of the alleyway floor. "Heh, sorry Koseki, but it's always worth a shot."

"Hmm." Koseki smirked as he released his grip on his friend, allowing him to sit normally – and brush the month-old rainwater from his hair, "Anyways, what'd you want?

Ken held up an old flip phone, "We got a call about the job. Said he wanted to speak with you."

Wordlessly accepting the phone, Koseki stood up. "They called us?"

"Yup."

"Hmm." He pressed the green phone button twice and held it to his ear. Within moments, a familiar voice sounded from the line, "Ah, Mr. Hagane! I was hoping you'd call back soon, but this is especially quick. I appreciate your professionalism."

"Well you're paying me." Koseki scratched his unshaven chin, the rough and unmanaged skin flaking away, "What do you need?"

"Ah you see, I was hoping we could make an alteration to our arrangement."

Tensing, Koseki tightened his fist, "Does this mean you're out?" From behind, Ken groaned, wordlessly leaning his head against the brick wall. Figures.

"Haha! No, actually to the contrary. I'd like you to help me on another job as well."

Koseki Hagane fell silent, out of shock and surprise more than anything. Once he heard no reply, his employer added, "Of course, you will be handsomely compensated for both the difficulty of the task and the short notice."

"How short notice?"

"I'll need you in Hosu City in two nights. Some associates of mine are hosting an event of sorts and I'd like you to help serve as entertainment."

"Tsk, civilian targets are messy. It's one thing on an island, but this is Tokyo we're talking about."

"I will provide you all the transport you need to get in and out safely. And you don't need to inflict any causalities. It's about sending a message, in whichever form that takes. I'll leave it to your professional discretion."

"And if I refuse?"

"Then I'll have to kill you." It was stated matter-of-fact with no room for misinterpretation or ambiguity. And Koseki believed him completely.

"Heh, fair enough."

"Don't worry. Your compensation will extend beyond just money for you and your team. I'll also add on to our other transaction. I'm sure that'll appeal to a man such as yourself?"

Koseki smiled so widely that half of the people in the area felt a chill run down their spine, "Sounds like a deal."

The Next Morning

Stretching comfortably, Sorahiko eased himself off his old mattress and grabbed a hold of his cane. Looking down, he noticed the futon was neatly folded against the wall, almost exactly where he left it for the intern. Speaking of Midoriya, he was also conspicuously absent, though the soft muttering coming from downstairs gave a strong hint as to his whereabouts.

At least his work ethic's solid. Gran Torino noted, readjusting the mask he slept in to properly cover his face. He's got a decent head on his shoulders too, so hopefully he's gotten a little farther along.

Walking down the stairs, all hope was quickly squashed as he saw his newest pupil in the fetal position, frantically muttering whatever deranged scripture he had in those journals.

Well, his mind's lost. "Oi, neophyte!"

Snapping out his trance, Izuku looked up from his notebooks, "Oh, Gran Torino. Good morning." His voice was hoarse and quiet, carrying his fatigue so well, the elderly man questioned the need for those eye bags.

"Christ, what's wrong with you?"

"W-well I was thinking a lot and then I thought I had a breakthrough with the Quirks…but I was wrong and by the time I realized that, it was morning."

Quirks…he's not getting it yet. "Alright, lemme see what you got there." Seizing the journal out of his hand, Gran Torino sped through the notes, "Hmm…well at least you're trying. Your mentor might've had them in spades, but speed and strength is really all he had going for him. I know it's been a change adapting to your power, but it's about shifting your way of thinking more than anything else."

"You said All Might's predecessors had different applications for One For All. What did you mean by that?"

"Heh?" Gran Torino huffed, "They had different powers, didn't they? Why would someone who could fly use One For All like someone who couldn't?"

"I can't emulate someone different from me."

That's what he said earlier. "But I thought that-" The doorbell interrupted Midoriya.

"That's probably the new microwave. Go set that up for me and we'll have breakfast."

"Right." Signing for the package, he quickly unboxed and plugged in the fresh appliance. Then he threw some taiyaki on a plate and set it to cook while meditating on Gran Torino's words. They had different powers…I've been using One For All like I'm Quirkless…

"Use what I have"

"Oh!" Izuku pounded his fist into his palm like a gavel, "So I need to use One For All to enhance the Sharingan! The past users of One For All must've had their own Quirks, right? So they would've had abilities besides the physical enhancement that could benefit from One For All."

Gran Torino drummed and fidgeted while his taiyaki heated, but he smiled slyly. Almost there, kid. Just need a little push.

The microwave dinged and Izuku removed the hot plate, setting it down on the table. But then how do I use One For All like that? It's not as simple as just imagining it. And even if I could do that, wouldn't enhancing the Sharingan just make my problem worse? Frustrations aside, it's better to be more in sync instead of more powerful.

"Gah!" Torino spat out some of his taiyaki, dropping the steaming piece with contempt, "You didn't pump it with red bean paste?"

"…what?" Izuku bit into one, "It didn't come with it filled in? I mean, it's pretty good, bu-"

"Pretty good? It's disgusting! It's just dough like this! Go get the red bean paste from the fridge."

"R-right!" Izuku grabbed a bottle of the maroon filling and started squirting some on the side like a dip.

"What're you doing, you savage?!"

He jumped back with a start, "W-what?"

Torino angrily waved the bottle around, "You need to pump it in! It's not taiyaki if it's not filled! It's just bread with shitty jam!"

"I-I think it would taste fine wit-"

"No!" Izuku winced. "They're not fit to be eaten separately! You need to put them together to get something palatable!" As demonstration, Torino stabbed a fish pastry with the bottle and squeezed in paste until it was dripping out the sides, "See? Try it."

Taking it nervously, Izuku bit into the pastry and raised his eyebrows in surprise. Huh. It is…better…

"One For All is just power"

He dropped the taiyaki. Quirks are like limbs…mine aren't separate…they're two halves of a whole! Most people have a single muscle that makes up their Quirks. But then Todoroki's hot and cold are like an antagonistic pair that counter each other but come together to form an arm or a shoulder.

But then the Sharingan and One For All aren't Quirks to themselves…they're like two muscles coming together to form a muscle group that's way better than them individually!

Izuku grabbed the pastry off the floor and held it up proudly, "Gran Torino, I'm the taiyaki!"

"…go get some sleep, kid."

"N-no, just look!" Izuku widened his stance and clenched his fists. I did have to change my way of thinking! It was never about putting the two together; they should never have been separated! The Sharingan and One For All are connected now, so I need to think of them like it!

Green lightning arced across Izuku's body, which began to glow as normal. However, his eyes began to spark before roaring to life with a borderline-blinding shine.

Shielding his eyes, Torino smiled. Now this, I can work with.

The glow dimmed slightly, revealing two luminous jade eyes with three tomoe each, revolving around his pupil rapidly like planets to a sun. It's slower than before, but if I increase my output… The lightning picked up a bit of speed. It gets faster. But then if I take it down a notch… The lightning subsided, leaving only a faint aura around the teenager. …it's even slower than before.

This is my real quirk. "Sharingan: True Cowling!"

Omake

An old man in a yellow onesie and cape walked up to the cashier at the grocery store, "Excuse me, can you point me in the direction of the taiyaki?"

"Of course, sir! It's all the way in the back, next to the ice cream on the right." The worker smiled at the cute elderly gentleman in his loose-fitting hero costume.

"Thank you. But, do you have any taiyaki that comes without the filling?"

The employee raised her eyebrow in confusion, "You mean just the dough?"

The old man nodded.

The employee shook her head no.

"Then, can you get me some?"

"E-excuse me, sir?"

"I said go get me some."

Sweating, the cashier reiterated, "Sorry, but we really don't ha- AH!" She yelped as he suddenly appeared on the counter in a burst of speed.

"I already asked you if you had it. I told you to go get me some plain taiyaki."

"B-but we don't ca-carry it!"

He sighed, "Then go make some and package it nicely for me."

"S-s-sir, I don't k-know h-"

"Now."

Yelping, she dashed to the back of the store, frantically scanning the aisles for ingredients while Gran Torino just sat down with a smug smile. It's the simple things in life.

I like Gran Torino. Turns out, I also like writing him.

Since I'm feeling strangely impassioned to write for some reason, part of me wants to go back and see if there's anything in the early chapters that I can improve upon. If you have any ideas for that, please let me know (I also realize that would make it harder for you to keep track of story beats, but I felt I should ask).

As always, let me know if you have any comments, critiques, or just thoughts about the story.

See you (hopefully) soon.