(The next afternoon at Hosu General Hospital (The police chief already came and they chose to go without punishment, not revealing what really happened to the public. I'm not writing it cause I don't want to, so deal with it.)
Izuku held his hand in front of him. He moved it towards his left, and cringed. His eye had been so damaged that the doctors had had to remove it to prevent infection from growing and spreading. It was heart wrenching for him. People had already given him looks of pity after the incident with Shigaraki, but now it was going to be even worse. Plus there was Monoma to add to the mix. The guy was insufferable. Ever since the festival the guy had been popping up in places to smear them however he could. Thankfully Kendo usually knocked him out and dragged him away.
But, what if everyone thought he was a monster now that he only had one eye. Plus with his scar, he could only imagine how horrible he looked. Everyone would probably be terrified of him. How could he ever be a hero like this?
"Oi, Deku," Katsuki said. "Stop worrying about it. Your muttering is getting annoying."
Izuku hadn't even realized he'd been muttering. "S-sorry, Kaachan."
"Midoriya," said Todoroki. "Are you really that worried about what others will think?"
Izuku hung his head in shame. He knew these thoughts were bad, heroes were supposed to save people, not worry about what they looked like. But could he really be a hero if the people he saved thought he looked like a monster?
"Midoriya!" Iida said abruptly. "Trust me, no one will think you're a monster. There are plenty of heroes who have accidents that leave them disfigured. No one judges them for it. But if anyone does say something like that, you have friends to rely on, right?" Iida flashed a big, bright smile and Izuku flashed one back, now very grateful to have the boy as a friend.
"Anyone who dares to say something like to you, will be killed by my hand!" Katsuki shouted, giving off small explosions in his palms to show how serious he was.
"Bakugou, you can't kill people if you want to be a hero," Todoroki said.
"Thank you, Todoroki," said Iida.
"However you are perfectly fine to seriously maim them," continued the two-toned boy. "In fact, I'll even help. So long as we don't land the first blow it'll be considered self-defense."
"Todoroki, no!" Iida yelled. "What is wrong with the two of you?!"
Izuku just found himself chuckling quietly to himself, not even realizing the soft looks his classmates and brothers were giving him.
(Just so you know the whole 'hand-crusher' event still happens, but again, I really don't want to write it.)
(Time skip)
Unlike Todoroki and Katsuki both Iida and Izuku had to stay in the hospital a little longer, though only Izuku stayed until the end of the internships. Thankfully the hospital was willing to allow the boy a few hours where he could leave and practice using Full Cowling. Since he'd lost his eye he'd noticed that his reactions were slower, sluggish. He hated it. He was also training his other senses as well.
When the hospital offered Izuku an eyepatch the boy turned them down saying, "This is the fault of my own foolishness, so I'm going to bear it with pride!" The doctors and nurses had cried just a little bit at the boys brightness. Izuku did however take them up on the offer of a glass eye. He really didn't want anything to happen to the empty socket. No thanks, plus it made him look at least a little normal.
When everyone returned to class Izuku was terrified. His earlier fears came rushing back, but he was confident that his brother and friends would help him get through anything.
As soon as he and Katsuki walked through the doors to the class they sat down in their seats Iida and Todoroki walked over to talk with them. Everyone was talking about their work study experiences. Izuku was surprised to see that Uraraka was now super "gung-ho".
"You know what I think though?" asked Kaminari. "The ones who went through the most changes, are you four." Kaminari pointed at the group of boys.
"That's right, you guys ran into the hero killer!" yelled Sero.
"I was worried for you," said Momo.
"I'm glad you're alive," said Kirishima. "No joke, that's the most important thing! They say you got rescued by Endeavor. That's the number two hero for you!"
"Yep, rescued." Izuku turned his head towards Todoroki who was now some what sulking and patted him on the back.
"I saw it on the news," Ojiro said. "How the hero killer and the league of villains are some how connected? I'm shaking just thinking of how the U.S.J. attack would have been if someone like him had been at the ambush."
"Right? He was super scary, but..." Kaminari said, "did you see the video Ojiro? I'm not sure if it was because of his one track mind or tenacity or whatever, but didn't you think he was kinda cool, too?"
"Oi, Dunce Face, shut it!" yelled Katsuki.
"Huh?" Kaminari looked to see Izuku with his left hand hovering over where his eye used to be, and Iida staring at his arms. "Ahh! I-iida, M-midoriya, I'm so sorry!"
"N-no, it's fine," Izuku said weakly lowering his hand.
Iida started to speak as well. "It's true. He was certainly a man of conviction... so I understand if people find him 'cool'." Iida raised an arm above his head. "However! He chose to advance his cause by means of a 'purge'. And whatever beliefs you may hold, that and that alone is in error." Iida brought the hand down, quickly and violently. "And so, in order too, that people like me may not hereafter multiply! I shall proceed down the path of a hero with new vigor!"
"I-iida," said Izuku in awe at his friend.
"Now class is almost upon us so take your seats!"
(Time skip)
The class changed into their costumes and met All Might at training field Gamma.
"Hello! FOR I AM HERE!" All Might bellowed out to the students. "...is usually how I start things off, but today we'll be jumping straight into foundational hero study time! It's been a while, boys and girls! In good spirits, I hope?!" The class muttered to themselves a little. "Right on the heels of all your workplace experience, this time we'll mix in an element of play. It's a rescue training race!"
"If its for rescue training, shouldn't we be at the U.S.J.?" asked Iida raising a hand.
"Not this time! The USJ is for disaster rescues." All Might announced. "What was I saying? Ah yes... a race! This is playing ground Gamma! Where densely packed lanes make this construction site seem more like a complex labyrinth! Make three groups of five and one of four! We'll do the training exercise one group at a time!"
All Might explained the rules. "When I've given the distress signal, somewhere in the area, you all start simultaneously from the outside limits! This is a competition to see who can aid me first! Of course, keep the damage to the surrounding buildings to a minimum!" All Might pointed and looked at Katsuki at that.
"Don't point fingers!" Katsuki yelled.
After the groups were formed All Might yelled for the first group to take their positions.
As soon as they were given the go ahead, Izuku was off, hopping around the field with Full Cowling activated. For him the training ground was just too perfect. He made sure to watch where he was jumping, not wanting to smash into anything or fall to the ground. Izuku was especially careful to keep any major obstacles within view of his single eye.
He was grateful that he'd asked Katsuki some tips on moving around that way while they were in the hospital. The blonde really knew what he was talking about, though honestly it did make sense.
Pretty quickly Izuku was passing his classmates, one by one, until he was in the lead. He could see All Might up ahead, a white and red banner in his hands. That must be the prize for the winner. It wasn't long before Izuku was at the finish, the first to arrive. Once the others arrived All Might put the sash around his shoulder.
"Thanks for saving me!" he said. Then he whispered. "When training is over, bring Young Bakugou and meet me in the break room."
"S-sure."
"I need to tell you about me, and One for All."
Izuku walked with Iida back to the group of their classmates while the next group (Katsuki, Koda, Todoroki, and Hagakure) headed to their positions.
"Wow, Midoriya!" Kaminari said coming up to Izuku and putting his arm around his shoulder. "You were really moving back there! It was just like watching Bakugou. I'm surprised!"
"H-huh? Oh yeah. I l-learned that during my work s-study," Izuku said, blushing a bit from the praise.
Kirishima walked up to them. "Hey, man, I was wondering, what's with the scar on your face? Did you get that from the hero killer? Also your left eye, it's a slightly different color than your right one. What is with that?"
"U-um, I... I uh..." Izuku stammered, struggling to find words to speak to the red haired teen.
"Kirishima, that is not something you should be asking right now," Iida said.
"N-no, it's okay, Iida. I was j-just caught off guard is a-all, promise," Izuku reassured his friend.
"Well, if you're sure then."
"I'm curious too, honestly," said Uraraka. "I mean a scar like that, how did you not lose your eye?"
"I d-did actually," Izuku replied putting his left hand over it. "This one is a g-glass eye. I didn't want to look r-really weird."
"Oh."
"Yeah. A-and um, to answer Kirishima's q-question, yeah, Stain did it to m-me. When I was t-trying to protect Iida from h-him."
The class settled into silence until Katsuki's group was finished and then it was only lively because when he saw the look on his brother's face he threatened to explode whoever had made him cry, even though Izuku never actually cried.
(Time skip to after the exercise)
Izuku and Katsuki walked into the room shutting the door behind them.
"Lock the door," said All Might who sat on the couch in his deflated form.
'What's with... this atmosphere?' Izuku asked himself.
"You've both been through a lot, I'm sorry I wasn't by your side," All Might said.
"N-no All Might, you don't need t-to apologize..." Izuku said trying to reassure his mentor.
"Tch," responded Katsuki. "So? What's this about One for All?"
"Young Midoriya, I heard that your blood got licked by the Hero Killer."
"O-oh, right. It was a q-quirk that could freeze anyone h-he swallowed the blood o-of. But what about i-it...?"
"Do you remember what I said to you when I granted you One for All?"
Katsuki and Izuku spoke together, Katsuki somewhat laughing and Izuku going out of his way to mimic All Might's muscular face, "EAT THIS!"
"No, not that," All Might deadpanned. "I must have told you something along the lines of, 'It doesn't matter how as long as you take in my DNA'."
A wave of realization crashed over Izuku. "W-wait, does this mean that S-stain has One for All?!"
"No, no. I just thought that you, being you, might be worried about it, but I guess you forgot," All Might said. "One for All won't be transferred unless the user wishes to. So it can't be forcibly taken, though it can be forcibly given. It's a special quirk you know. And the same goes for its origin."
'Origin?'
"One for All is derived from a separate quick which has existed since the beginning. 'All for One'," All Might said. "It's a quirk that robs others of their quirks and renders them the user's own. And it's also a quirk that can grant them to others."
Izuku and Katsuki shared a look at each other. All for One sounded just like Izuku's quirk.
All Might continued, not noticing the looks between the boys, "It started during the beginning of the phenomenon. When society hadn't adapted to the shift yet. There was a time when the norm for what it meant to be 'human' suddenly crumbled away. That's all it took. The law lost all meaning, and the advance of civilization came to a halt, spiraling down into all devastation."
"'Had the p-phenomenon never happened, t-then mankind might well have b-been enjoying interstellar t-travel by now.' Some famous guy from the past said that," said Izuku.
"Yes... and during that age of upheaval rose a figure who promptly gathered the people together. You must have heard of him, too. He stole people's quirks and through his overwhelming power his influence spread. He moved the people, his pawns, according to his plans and piled up malicious deeds to his satisfaction. Taking control of Japan in the blink of an eye as its evil ruler."
"I-i see rumors all the t-time surfing the net, but... Is it n-not just fiction? I mean, its not i-in any of our t-textbooks..."
"Of course it's not nerd," Katsuki said. "Things like the yakuza and the underground are never in textbooks. No one wants to talk about them."
"Young Bakugou is correct."
"T-then, how is that related to O-one for All?" Izuku asked.
"I just said it didn't I? All for One can also grant quirks," All Might said. "Either he trusted those he granted quirks to, or they were meant to submit them to his will, only the bodies of those whom he granted quirks to couldn't handle the strain. Many of them became virtual dolls without speech. Just like the Nomu..." Izuku remembered how the Nomu from Hosu seemed to have more than one quirk. Even the one at U.S.J., when it had been pinning him down Izuku had been able to determine that it had multiple quirks from his quirk. "On the other hand... among those who were granted quirks there were also cases where their quirks mutated and blended together.
"The man had a quirkless little brother. The little brother was small and frail, but he harbored a strong sense of justice. His brother's actions panged his heart, and he opposed him. The man forced upon his brother a quirk for stockpiling power, and whether it was out of kindness or to bend him to his will, we still don't know."
"N-no way," said both Izuku and Katsuki in shock.
"Yes... he was thought to be quirkless, but in fact he did possess one prior. Though neither he nor anyone else around him had ever noticed: the erstwhile meaningless quirk that could only grant itself to another! And so the quirk to stockpile power, and the quirk that could pass itself on, merged together. That is the origin of One for All!"
Izuku and Katsuki were both in shock from the revelation.
"It's pretty ironic. Justice is always born from the bowels of evil."
"W-wait, hold on... I u-uhhh... I understand how i-it was born, but... about that bad guy f-from so long ago... h-how could he still...?" Izuku questioned
"He's a man who steals quirks, remember? He probably took a quirk that stops him from aging, or something in that department," All Might explained. "He's a symbol of evil that will live on indefinitely... and the gap in might between him and his brother admitted no chance of toppling him, not to mention the state of society at the time... The brother who suffered defeat decided to pass it on to the next generation.
"Though he couldn't defeat him then... his power would accumulate, little by little... and one day be able to stop his evil once and for all! And I was the successor who finally managed to defeat him, or so I thought. But he's still alive and on the move again, this time as the mastermind behind the league of villains. One for All is the power handed down through the generations to defeat All for One, and someday you too might have to face that overwhelming power in a final show down.
"I'm afraid it's all too much too..."
"I-i'll do my best!" proclaimed Izuku standing up. "Whatever y-you task me with, I c-can do it! As long as y-you're by my side... I feel I can d-do anything!"
"...Thanks."
After Izuku left the room Katsuki stayed behind for a moment and looked All Might in the eye. "You won't be around for that, will you?" he asked the hero. "When you were talking, that was the feeling I got from you. Like if Deku is facing against him it means that you're dead."
All Might sighed before responding. "...Yes."
And there we go, another chapter finished. The next chapter will be about the finals, and then maybe the start of the summer camp. After that is when the canon plot really goes out the window, so be prepared.
Anyways, please comment on the story, and see you all next chapter!