Note: Hey! So I know that I haven't updated my other story, "My Hero Academia: Class 1-A Watches a Movie!", but I do have something in the works there. It's just taking time because I'm trying to figure out how to best deal with the whole "don't just copy and paste the entire movie into a story" problem. In the meantime, here's another story that I hope that at least one of you will enjoy.

Also, I'm not using Japanese honorifics because I'm honestly a little confused over it so I figured sticking with what I'm familiar would be the better move.

(-)

It had been a long, tiring day for Izuku Midoriya. First, he'd been ridiculed in class by his peers, even after Katsuki tried to deflect some of the attention from him. After class, he'd nearly been killed by a Sludge villain before his idol, All-Might, saved him. To top that all off, he'd discovered his hero's secret and then did something incredibly stupid- running straight at the very same Sludge villain from before to save his best friend.

'My mom is gonna kill me for that one,' he thought as he walked down an empty, narrow street on his way home.

"HEY DEKU!"

Turning around, the green-haired boy saw his best friend in question- Katsuki Bakugo, someone he'd known since… forever, basically.

"Kacchan! Are you o-"

"YOU'RE AN IDIOT, YOU KNOW THAT?" said the rapidly-approaching blonde, pointing his finger at him. "I NEVER ASKED YOU TO SAVE ME! YOU COULD'VE GOTTEN HURT, AND WE BOTH KNOW WHAT YOUR MOM AND MY MOM WOULD'VE DONE IF THAT HAPPENED!"

The two boys shuddered at the thought. Ever since their mothers had made them swear to look out for one another a few years ago, they knew that they'd be in a heap of trouble if either came home hurt.

"DAMNIT, DEKU. I KNOW YOU'RE BRAVER THAN THE SCRUBS IN OUR CLASS, BUT YOU REALLY GOTTA STOP BEING SO STUPID SOMETIMES!"

Izuku was taken aback by the words, taking a few moments to breathe before he replied.

"I know, I know!" he said apologetically, "B-but my legs just started moving before I could think!"

Katsuki grunted in response, before continuing. "That's no excuse. We both know that you're smarter than that, you nerd."

He took the clean notebook that Izuku held, pointing at it as he spoke. "LOOK AT THIS! You've come up with all this analysis and strategy, but like an idiot, you charged STRAIGHT AT THE VILLA-"

"I AM HERE!"

The two boys stopped their argument, both of them quickly turning their heads to the man that stood behind them. It was All-Might, Japan's number 1 pro hero; otherwise known as the Symbol of Peace.

"ALL-MIGHT!? WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE!?" yelled Izuku.

"Calm down Deku, you're gonna blow my eardrums out if you keep screeching like that!"

"Oh, you've got your friend here from earlier?" questioned All-Might, rather sheepishly. "YOUNG MIDORIYA, I NEED YOU TO-"

*COUGH*

Both Izuku and Katsuki were horrified at what they saw. Their idol had transformed from a 7'2" behemoth into a thin, short skeleton of a man.

"WHAT THE HELL!?" screeched Katsuki.

"I guess the cat's out of the bag now," mused the now-minuscule All-Might, scratching the back of his head. "I guess I'll have to clue your friend in on this now, huh?"

He turned to Katsuki, who had confusion written all over his face. "I know that this looks bad, but I AM All-Might. Let's just say that I had a fight a while back that really took the wind out of me."

"B-but, you don't lose!"

"My boy, I never said that I did, did I?" he replied, giving a hearty laugh as he did. "What's your name?"

"It's Katsuki Bakugo," he stated rather plainly. "I... I don't understand. How could someone do that to YOU?"

A look of discomfort briefly flashed on the man's face before he sighed. "I can see that you've probably got a lot of questions on your mind. I'll gladly answer them as best as I can, but before we do that, I have to speak to Izuku here."

He walked toward the boy, who was frozen in place, probably hoping that he'd be invisible to him. All-Might placed a hand on his shoulder to put him at ease.

"Kid, I've got an apology and a proposal for you. Katsuki here can't know about the exact details of that last one, at least not until you hear me out and give me an answer, alright?"

"W-wait, All-Might, you don't have to apologize for earlier!" said Izuku. "Everything that happened today was because of me... I shouldn't have held you up with my questions about being a quirkless hero, and I shouldn't have run into that fight; I put myself in danger and made the whole situation worse!"

All-Might saw that the boy was beginning to tear up, something that he suspected was a signature of his. 'If he does say yes to what I'm about to offer, I better train him to keep the waterworks to a minimum.'

'What's he talking about?' thought Katsuki. 'Did Deku run into him earlier…?'

The man kneeled, putting himself at eye level with Izuku. "I do. I'm sorry for what I said; I realize now that those words couldn't be farther from the truth. You were the only one to take action; not the pro heroes, but you, a quirkless boy! And you were the one who inspired me to act!"

All-Might stood up, as Izuku mulled over the words with an agape mouth. "Many people would say and believe that the top heroes show signs of greatness, even when they were children. And just like those heroes, your body moved before you could think!"

Izuku began to tear up again upon hearing those words, with Katsuki simply looking at the two of them, no doubt surprised at what he was hearing.

"Young Bakugo..."

Katsuki turned his head immediately to face the man. "You were brave out there as well. Your actions today, fighting back against the villain with everything you had, bought me the time I needed to act. I have no doubts in my mind that you will be a great hero."

All-Might turned back into his muscle form, surprising the two boys that stood in front of him. "...In fact, you will BOTH be great heroes!"

Izuku cried. Bakugo remained stoic. And All-Might looked at them both with his iconic smile.

(-)

A while later, Izuku was on his way home. He decided to walk the rest of the way there so that he could think over what All-Might's offer. By now, the tears of before were gone, replaced by a radiant smile.

After a silent Katsuki left for home, All-Might offered Izuku an opportunity; he wanted him to inherit his power as the ninth user of his quirk One-for-All as his successor. According to the hero, it was a very old quirk that could be passed on like a family heirloom, one that grew in strength as it went from wielder to wielder.

'And now, I'll be the next one to have it,' he thought. 'I just hope that I can live up to All-Might's expectations!'

Tomorrow would be the test of that. All-Might wanted him to meet up with him at Takoba Municipal Beach Park at 6 A.M. to take his first step towards becoming a hero. And better yet, Katsuki was told to tag along, too. After all, All-Might had promised the boy answers to his questions.

Thanks to all of that, Izuku was pumped up and ready for whatever tomorrow brought.

'This is my one shot, my one opportunity. I will be a hero!'

(-)

"Who might the two of you be?"

Izuku and Katsuki glanced at one another before they stared at the short, grey-haired man that sat before them. They hadn't expected to find him among the trash and junk that littered Takoba beach and were initially alarmed when they did. The fact that he seemed to be wearing some kind of hero costume didn't help matters, either.

"Well? Are you two just gonna stand there like statues or are you gonna answer me?" questioned the man as he pointed his cane.

Katsuki spoke for them both. "What the hell is a geezer like you doing out here?"

"Kacchan!" yelled Izuku, "You c-can't just call him that!"

"There's something off here, Deku! Why would an old guy like him be here, in the MIDDLE OF A DUMP, at 6 A.M.!?"

To their surprise, the man simply chuckled before standing up. "Well, you've definitely got me there. You can just call me Gran Torino."

He paused for a bit to let them process what he said. "I take it, then, based on your faces that you've never heard of me before. Not that I can blame you- I am a geezer, after all. But to answer your question, I'm here per the request of your mentor."

"What?" they replied. Neither of them were expecting that answer.

"He's right," said a familiar voice from behind. "We're here to get you both started on your hero training- cleaning up this park!"

"T-training?" questioned Izuku, as he looked around the piles of junk that filled the beach. "W-WAIT A SECOND, ARE YOU TELLING ME THAT WE'RE CLEANING UP THE WHOLE BEACH!?"

"Exactly, Young Midoriya. We have to build up your strength before you inherit my quirk!"

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN INHERIT YOUR QUIRK?!"

"...Ah, yes," replied All-Might, embarrassed as he reverted back to his normal form. "Izuku here is to be my successor!"

"THAT'S SUCH BULL-"

(-)

"-SHIT!"

"Language, Young Bakugo!" said All-Might. "Using foul words won't help you with your training!"

"AHHHH!"

Though it had only been a month since they started their training, it had been absolute hell, especially for Izuku. Under the instruction of All-Might and his former mentor, Gran Torino, they trained every day at 6 A.M. at Takoba beach, hauling away all of the garbage and junk for disposal. While it wasn't the most glamorous way for them to train, there were reasons why they chose this place.

For one, the beach had no passing traffic; it used to be a popular destination for the locals of Musutafu, but the garbage that had built up over the years from pollution had put many people off it. Because of that, they could train in peace, without fear of any passersby seeing them.

Second, the amount of garbage at Takoba was enough for just over 9 months of training. This lined up perfectly with the timetable of the so-called "American Dream Training Plan" that All-Might devised to prepare them for the U.A. Entrance Exam. After Izuku and Katsuki cleared out the beach for public use, they'd then move to a private location thanks to their mentor's connections.

Third, and most important (at least according to All-Might) was that clearing out the beach was what being a hero is all about- volunteer work! By restoring Takoba to its former glory, they'd be doing a public service (which they would rightly get credit for) and learning the value of doing community service.

"Good work, Toshinori," said Gran Torino to Izuku. "If you keep that effort up, this place'll be clear in no time!"

"M-my name isn't Toshinori!" yelled back Izuku.

He was pushing a few barrels full of scrap toward a truck that All-Might rented. It was almost at full capacity, a sign that today's session was almost over. Meanwhile, Katsuki was going through an obstacle course made from junk to work on his maneuverability with his explosive quirk.

The old man cleaned out his ears before he spoke. "Er, I'm sorry, what's your name again?"

"IT'S IZUKU!"

(-)

A few months passed by like a flash. During that time, Izuku and Katsuki trained hard and pushed beyond their limits. Though it was tiring, what kept them going was the guidance of their mentors and their support of one another.

All-Might was admittedly not the best teacher in the world. Had it just been him in charge of the two of them, his training plan wouldn't work with the 10 months they had to work with until the U.A. entrance exam. Thankfully, Gran Torino was there; he helped his former student make the plan more efficient, allowing for Izuku to receive One-for-All with a few weeks to spare. Additionally, All-Might was getting advice from his old mentor on being a good teacher, something that would prove useful once he took up his new teaching position at U.A.

'Man, he might be older now, but he's still a damn good teacher,' thought All-Might. 'Hopefully, I'll be able to learn from h-'

His train of thought was interrupted by Gran Torino's cane. This also caused All-Might to transform into his normal form. "Watch it, Toshi! I may be older but I am definitely not old!"

'How the hell did he even...'

"Focus on your students, you nitwit! Aren't you supposed to be a teacher at U.A.?"

"Y-YES, OF COURSE!" he said, as a drop of sweat fell down his face. Transforming back to his muscle form, he made his way over to his two pupils. The two of them were working together to get rid of the last stretch of junk, a testament to their months of hard work. Their progress made him smile, something that he needed after the scolding he just received.

"GOOD JOB, YOUNG MIDORIYA AND BAKUGO!" he yelled, catching the two off-guard. "I'M PROUD OF THE PROGRESS YOU'VE BOTH MADE, BUT WE'RE ONLY HALFWAY THROUGH THIS SESSION! KEEEP IT UP! PLUS ULTRA!"

Satisfied, he turned back and walked towards Gran Torino. The old hero was sitting on a repurposed beach chair, complete with shades as the morning sun continued to rise.

"Not bad. But you've still got some way to go if you want to be a top-tier teacher like me!"

All-Might nodded at him as he continued to make his way over, eventually pulling up another beach chair to sit beside the old hero. "I know, but I still appreciate your help."

"You've always been a sentimentalist, Toshinori. But I suppose that's what makes you you."

"It sounds like there's something else you wanted to add there."

Gran Torino smirked. "You know that I'm just saying that to push your buttons. You being you is what makes you a great hero and a passable teacher."

"Thank y- EXCUSE ME? PASSABLE!?"

(-)

"Oh my- OH MY GOODNESS!"

For once, Gran Torino actually agreed with his former student's sentiment. Izuku and Katsuki had finally done it- Takoba Municipal Beach Park was clean, and on time, too. Gone was the pollution of the past decade; in its place was a little stretch of heaven that would be soon appreciated by the people of Musutafu.

'I'm sure that the article that'll be released in the papers today by my friend will help with that, too.'

As he watched All-Might talk to the two exhausted but happy boys, he couldn't help but remember the old days, back when he and Nana trained Toshinori. Oddly enough, the circumstances were very similar; not only was he and a wielder of One-for-All present, but the successor was once again quirkless.

'The only real difference between then and now is the location and the number of students,' he thought. 'I do have to say though, Toshi's call on including that grenade of a kid was a good call. I can't imagine what it'd be like for Izuku to go through this alone.'

The memories of All-Might's training, especially in wake of Nana Shimura's death, came to mind. Though he had been there to support him, he could only do so much, as Toshinori largely kept his feelings and thoughts to himself. Sure, he smiled through it all, and sure, he was very sociable. But he never truly had a close friend at U.A.

'I can only hope that Izuku doesn't copy that characteristic of Toshi's.'

He watched as Izuku and Katsuki sped across the beach and into the water, celebrating their achievement before the real training began. There were only 3 weeks left until the Entrance Exam, after all.

'Seems like he's in good hands. Plus, with U.A. being a boarding school nowadays, it should give him chances to interact with and open up to others.'

"HEY YOU TWO! DON'T GO TOO FAR, I'VE STILL GOTTA EXPLAIN THE SECOND PART OF MY TRAINING PLAN!"

Gran Torino smiled once more. 'Ah, why not. I need a bit of a workout today anyways.'

"Don't worry Toshi," he said while he stood up and stretched. "I'll grab them for you."

(-)

Bakugo watched as Gran Torino landed awkwardly from his mid-air fight with Deku. Though they had only been sparring for 5 minutes, he could tell that his friend was giving it his all just to try and keep up with the retired pro hero. It wasn't half-bad for someone who just got their quirk, but...

'...Gran Torino isn't even breaking a sweat,' he observed. 'I know that Deku will work his ass off, but he's still got a lot of catching up to do- especially if he wants to be the 2nd best hero.'

"Young Bakugo! Are you ready for the obstacle course?"

He turned his attention toward All-Might, who stood by the start line with a stopwatch. Thanks to the fact that they were inside a private facility, the hero was in his normal form, allowing him to conserve his other form for his patrols later that day.

'I swear, whoever did that to All-Might is gonna DIE.'

"You don't even need to ask, All-Might," he answered, aggression now present on his face. "Just count me down and I'll set another record!"

"I told you that you should call me Mr. Yagi," stated All-Might. "Like I said before, I need you and Izuku to get used to that if you're seen in public with me in this form."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I got it, Mr. Miyagi!"

With a pair of explosions, Bakugo sped past the now-laughing man. "I understood that reference!"

Shaking his head at his mentor's remark, Bakugo focused on the obstacle course that faced him. The course itself wasn't difficult; pretty much anyone, quirk or no quirk, could get through it. However, when it came to setting the fastest time, it required precise control of your movements to master. In Bakugo's case, he'd need to make adjustments on the fly using his explosions, speeding down the straights and cornering as tight as he could.

'Deku said it was just like one of those Formula 1 cars or whatever.'

As he made his way through the cones, he could tell that he had a good lap this time around. He was taking the corners of the course with better lines than before, and he'd been able to maximize his speed through the rest of it. all of this was really helping him master maneuvering with his quirk, at least compared to before he started his training.

'Here comes the final turn and the finish line- better get ready to control these last few explosions!'

He took the final corner as close to the cones as he could, being only a few millimetres off from hitting them, showcasing how far he'd come in the past two weeks since they began quirk training. As soon as he cleared that, he let off a final pair of big explosions to propel him through the finish line. Upon crossing it, he fired off a few explosions to stop himself in his tracks, letting out a satisfying scream as he did.

"THAT WAS GREAT KATSUKI!" said his mentor, now in his muscle form. "You pulled in a 1:05.16, a solid 7 tenths better than before!"

Bakugo found himself being patted on the back by All-Might, which made him smile a little. "Thanks. But I think I could get a sub-1:05 time!"

"THAT'S THE SPIRIT! QUICKLY, LET'S GET BACK TO THE START!"

(-)

12:01 AM. The night before the Entrance Exam.

Izuku Midoriya still couldn't believe that he was now the 9th user of One-for-All. He was grateful for the opportunity, grateful for the past 10 months of training that he and Katsuki had just gone through.

While he was still uncertain about his chances of passing the practical portion of the exam, he knew that he had a solid shot. Thanks to the guidance of All-Might and Gran Torino, he could now manage to control up to 3% of One-for-All by channeling it through his whole body, granting him improved agility and strength. He achieved this because of the rigorous three weeks of quirk training that he was put through after Takoba, a process that had had absolutely exhausted him.

'But it was all worth it. If I had to, I'd do it over and over again,' he thought to himself. 'Even if it led to more than a few cuts and bruises.'

Izuku took a deep breath as he tried to clear his mind, and eventually, sleep. He knew that he was overthinking this, as usual.

'Kacchan would probably kick my ass and call me an idiot for having doubts about the exam,' he joked in his head. 'Besides, All-Might, Gran Torino, and my mom all believe in me, so why can't I do the same for myself?'

Ever since his mom had been told last week about One-for-All, his training, and his intention to enter U.A. by All-Might, she'd done nothing but constantly voice her support for him. She knew that becoming a hero had been his dream ever since he was a toddler, and now that he had a real chance, she was happy for him.

'She even apologized for the stuff she said about my dreams when I was quirkless, even though she didn't have to.'

He actually began to tear up a little, feeling bad from the fresh memory of seeing her cry for something that, in all honesty, wasn't in her control.

'No one could've known that I was going to be quirkless; what matters now is that I have the opportunity to become a pro hero.'

Wiping away the tears, he checked the time on his alarm clock and saw that it was now 12:04 AM. He knew that he needed to put his mind to rest; otherwise, he'd be up for all night long. He took a moment to get out of bed and stretch, helping him relax a little. After that, he tucked himself in under his sheets, sighing before he closed his eyes.

'I will pass tomorrow. I will get into U.A. And I will become the hero that I know that I can be.'

As the minutes passed by, he felt sleepier and sleepier, helped by the comforting thought that there were people out there who truly believed in him and his dream.

Before he knew it, he was finally asleep.

(-)

Note: And that's that! I have no idea when the next update will come out, but just keep an eye out for it. In the meantime, please leave a review and give me feedback; I'd love to see how I could improve my writing/the story.

And remember- wash your hands, stay at home, and take care of yourselves!