After Iida and Todoroki had left the hospital, it left only Midoriya and Kageyama to spend time together. As they were alone in the hospital room, the fanboy asked his friend about the incident he'd been referring to when he said he was ready to burn the entire world to ashes, and Mob explained how they were simply dummies put by the son of Toichiro in order to give Shigeo a reason to fight Claw, whose invasion was poised to begin shortly.
In the hospital, they also took note of Stain's popularity rising due to his beliefs and convictions. Shigeo decided to look at some of his past videos of when he tried to convince society to change the definition of the word "hero". The esper listened to his words and his messages and found them to be very important, giving a new perspective on what being a hero meant with the utmost passion in his voice while labelling All Might as a prime example of what a hero should be, reflecting the same deep admiration he held for All Might in the ways that both Midoriya and Todoroki admired him. His speech had given more food for thought in Shigeo's mind, not only making him look more deeply into what made a hero, but also making him extremely confused and bothered about something.
Stain's words carried an impactful message, but people had completely ignored him. It was only now after he'd been arrested, after he'd committed murders against "false" heroes that people were starting to actually bother paying attention to these words. Why? Mob was having a difficult time coming up with the answer to this question.
While he was at the hospital, Mob decided to make good use of his time by looking up the anatomy of the skin as well as the structure of the human spine, intending to heal Shoto's scar and Ingenium's spin. The layers of the skin weren't so difficult to understand, but the anatomy of the spine was proving to be much more mind-numbing read for the esper, and he was being introduced to several new terms and concepts he couldn't understand. He'd have to ask Recovery Girl for assistance with this later on.
After the news of Mob's involvement with the Hero Killer, he'd received a phone call from a very concerned Yaoyorozu, who wanted to know whether or not he'd sustained any serious injuries and if he was mentally sound after such a traumatic experience. Kendo, who was also interning with Momo, also talked to Mob to see if he was alright. The call was a very unexpected surprise for the esper, and he felt a fluttery feeling in his chest hearing the tone of worry and concern in her voice. Mob assured her that everything went fine, and sincerely thanked her for calling. When he hung up, his hands began to shake up while his cheeks burned up, for this was the first time a girl had talked to him over the phone.
The teenager had been sent back to Hawks' agency the same day that his friend had gone back to Gran Torino, which was around the sixth day of internships. After having settled things with the police and attending a press conference to give the details of his "victory" over the Hero Killer, he decided to take Tokoyami back to his agency and ordered a first-class train ticket for Shigeo. After a several hour train ride full of more research on the human anatomy, the esper made it back to the number three hero's agency, where Hawks and Tokoyami were waiting for him near the entrance.
"Hey Mob! Glad you made it back!" Hawks said with vibrant energy, "Sorry I couldn't stay in Hosu City with you, but there were a ton of things I needed to take care of here." The esper paid no mind to this, and was just glad to be back at the hero agency with his injuries basically healed.
"Since it's pretty late and this is our last day of internships, I thought we could just relax and hang out in my private lounge area." The two teenagers did not see any reason to object to the hero's proposal and followed him up to the elevator. When they entered the lounge area, they found a large, black couch, along with multiple couch chairs, a large television, and a ping pong table. The number three hero kicked back on the couch, while the two interns followed suit and seated themselves next to the golden ash-haired hero.
"Things've gotten pretty crazy around here ever since Stain's arrest. A ton of reporters came to the agency the day after the police made the public announcement of his arrest and I went up there to explain how I "beat" him. Then, when I got here, all my sidekicks and employees applauded me for arresting him. Hell, they even threw me a little celebration. And I've been forced to act like I'm some hotshot who took down the Hero Killer, even though I don't deserve it at all."
The number three hero's gaze went toward the esper, for there were still several questions that he had regarding Stain's surrender. "Mob, there're still things that don't add up with why Stain gave up. You talked about how you got Stain to realize that people could change, but that doesn't explain why he talked about you so highly, why he spoke of you as if he knew everything about you. So tell me the rest of the story of what happened that night."
Shigeo shifted uncomfortably in his seat, not expecting Hawks to investigate the issue. He'd been really lucky that Stain hadn't spilled his secret or mentioned how he'd seen his memories at all, but he couldn't let Hawks or Tokoyami find out the truth about him. He had to find a way to come up with a plausible explanation for what Stain had said, for every part of Stain's speech about Mob to make sense.
"Well, when I first made it to the scene, I asked Stain why he was trying to kill Iida and the other pro hero. He explained his mission of trying to reclaim the word "hero" and killing people he viewed as "false" heroes. When I got a better idea of how he thought, my first reaction was to try and talk to him and explain how people could change instead of trying to fight. When that didn't work, I realized I would have to fight, but because of all the training we'd done before, I had no energy to fight. Even though I was out of power, I still felt I had to protect my friends, so I did whatever I could to fight him. Unfortunately, my inexperience in hand-to-hand combat let him overpower and paralyze me. After that, Todoroki came to help us, but I managed to regain some of my power and fight back. I then tried to keep on insisting that people could change if we lifted each other up to support one another. But it still wasn't enough, and he made that speech Native talked about, where he talked about his previous attempt to change society through his speeches on the street and how it failed, that killing false heroes was the only way to fix society."
Now here was going to be a bit trickier. "Stain kept on trying to kill Iida, so I landed a powerful blow on him. I landed the attack and dealt some pretty serious damage. But when I saw him lying there on the ground, wounded and injured, I tried to continue with my approach to talk to him. I decided to let him know about what I thought about everything he'd said, because it had left a big impact on me. I explained how I am who I am today because of everyone around me, and that living in the darkness of this world made me see that. I told him how he changed my view of what being a hero meant, how he made me realize that I wanted to be a hero so I could help people. I thought that he had a really meaningful message to convey, so I offered him a hand of support to help him convey that message. That's when you came and Tokoyami came in."
Both listeners were visibly astonished by the decisions Mob had made during the fight, that the first thing he'd tried to do when face-to-face with a serial killer was to talk to him to try and change him. Neither of them would've chosen diplomacy as the first option against the Hero Killer, and they definitely wouldn't have gone so far as to actually try to help Stain like that.
The number three hero began to relax in his chair while resting his fingers under his chin. "That would basically fit everything he said about you, trying to help your friends even without your quirk, your desire to support others, the fact that you tried to help Stain even after attacking you and trying to kill your friends. It all adds up..." The esper took a huge internal sigh of relief: it looked like Hawks had been convinced by his explanation.
Tokoyami remarked on the esper's willingness to talk with the enemy, recalling another moment when Shigeo had tried this course of action. "During the U.S.J. attack, I remember you initially tried to reason with the criminals as well. What compels you to do this, to try and find another way to confront villains?"
"I guess there're a few pretty simple reasons. One, is that I don't like hurt other people. Over time, I've learned that this is sometimes unavoidable, and that there will be instances in which fighting is necessary, but if I can find any way to settle things nonviolently and come to an understanding, then I'll gladly choose that option. The other reason is what I mentioned before: I believe in a person's ability to change, to grow from the interactions with others even if the person I'm trying to change is a villain. And you saw this truth with your own eyes.
"But part of me is just as confused as you are about why he thought I was so special."
"Mob, don't you see how incredible your actions were?" The number three hero openly objected to Shigeo's insistence that he wasn't special, "You were able to completely turn his mind around and end that fight in a non-violent way. In my mind, I'd always imagined that a fight between a hero and a villain who both refuse to give up would inevitably end up with one side killed or defeated. But that didn't happen that night: you found a way to reach out to Stain with your kindness and make him see why he was wrong in killing pro heroes. I would've never been able to reach out to him and change him like that."
The esper felt Hawks' words carry the same weight and admiration of All Might whenever he complimented Mob for his character, and his lips curved up into a shaky smile of appreciation. The number three hero's smile widened in response, and Tokoyami also felt his mouth form a smile of its own.
Hawks walked over to the ping pong table, wanting to have some fun with his interns. "How 'bout we play us some ping pong, two against one?"
"Oh. I've only played it a few times before, so I'm not really that good at it," replied Shigeo.
"Well then this is the night you'll learn, the final lesson that both of you will learn for the last day of your internships. Now come on, grab some paddles." The two teenagers nodded in agreement, and the three of them started their final night together with even more laughs and fun time with one another.
The last day of internships had come, which meant it was time for the interns and heroes to part ways. It was very early in the morning for Shigeo and Fumikage, for they had another very long train ride to take. The two had hurried to get themselves ready and had already packed their belongings, though their hair was still disheveled and their school uniforms slightly crumpled. Now, standing near the exit with their school uniforms, Shigeo and Fumikage were bidding farewell to the number three hero, whose normally calm and jovial expression was nominally dampened.
"Well, looks like this is where we'll split," the hero said, "Now you go on, fly back to U.A. High and show'em what you learned here."
The two teenagers bowed in respect for the hero. "Thank you for all the guidance you've imparted upon us," Tokoyami said.
"I really enjoyed the time I spent here," Mob said, feeling a sense of melancholy knowing that he'd have to part ways with Hawks, "More importantly than just honing my skills, you reminded me that life is a precious thing, that it's full of small but important moments that you shouldn't be afraid to fully embrace, and that I shouldn't be afraid to feel exhilaration or happiness during those moments."
The number three hero's face brightened up like a light bulb, and he tussled the young teenager's hair in a final act of compassion. "Glad I could help. You know, you showed me some pretty amazing things too, so I'm also pretty dang happy that you came here to my agency."
Tokoyami was expecting the number three hero to ignore him and not give him any final compliments, but he was proven wrong when Hawks also tussled his hair as well, deciding to act with the same sense of kindness that Shigeo did. "You too, Tokoyami. Even though you might not've been able to soar as highly as you might've hoped, I still know you've got tons of potential. You just gotta keep working hard, finding ways to focus on your strengths, think outside the box in how to use your quirk. Do that, and you'll soar like an eagle."
The avian teenager was inspired by the hero's touching words, and nodded his head. "Yes, sir. I'll do my best."
The two teenagers gave the hero their final smiles before walking out of the building to return to their school. Watching the two interns leave the building, Hawks felt himself swell up with a sense of pride.
"Those two're gonna fly higher than anyone else, I'm sure of it."
As the students all returned home, Shoto Todoroki was on his way to meet his mother. It was unusual for him to go see her on a weekday, even if it happened to be a Friday, but he felt that he needed her help with understanding what had happened this week with Kageyama. He'd played the scenes of those moments with Stain and Endeavor over and over in his mind, wondering how it was possible that they could be changed so easily, but he could not find a proper answer to this question. It was why he was going to go see his mother: maybe she could help him figure out the answer to Kageyama's secret of changing people.
Upon entering the mental hospital, the receptionist, someone who was familiar with Shoto and his mother, observed how unusual it was for him to be there. The teenager was confused by her statement, but thought little of it, and went up the elevator to the third floor. As he silently stood there, he noticed how nervous he was as he stared at the floor display ticking up. Though it hadn't been as bad as the first time reuniting with her, he still couldn't shake this uneasy feeling within him.
Arriving at his mother's room, the teenager took a small sigh before opening the door. "Hey Mom."
Rei turned her face to look at her son at the door, and a smile quickly spread across her face. "Shoto." However, the smile disappeared, for she remembered seeing the news broadcast regarding the Hero Killer's capture. "I heard on the news that you were with a group of heroes and you came across the Hero Killer. Are you alright? Did he hurt you?"
"Oh, don't worry about it," he replied, "I'm fine."
The doting mother composed herself and returned to her bright and cheerful demeanor. "What a relief. Come, sit down." The teenager took a seat beside her mother, who was still glowing. "You know, I haven't had the chance to see you on a school day. You're growing up so fast..."
The twinkle in her eyes caused Shoto to be flushed and look downward. Now he understood what the nurse was talking about when she said it was unusual for him to be here: this was the first time he'd ever come to visit her on a school day.
"I'm sorry for coming here unannounced."
"Don't worry. I'm always happy to see you." The mother tried to settle her son in. "Would you like anything to drink?" Rei went to her mini-fridge and opened it to go through the variety of options. While rummaging through the fridge, she found a small bottle of yogurt with a cartoon cow on the side, obviously meant for children.
"You remember this? Your old favorite yogurt, Mr. Cow. I saw they were selling it, so I thought..."
Shoto froze, vaguely recalling a time when he'd enjoyed this yogurt, though he couldn't pinpoint a specific memory, since those times had been so long ago, drowned out by too many memories of harsh training and pain. The teenager did not want to reject it after seeing how far she'd gone in anticipation for his visit, and decided to take the yogurt. The nominally sweet drink brought back a familiar sensation, though he still couldn't pinpoint an exact memory.
The hospital room grew quiet: the years spent apart had distanced their relationship, and Shoto didn't know how to bring up the real reason he'd come today, how he'd possibly bring "him" up to his mother. Even so, this deliberate silence gave both of them time to think about what they would say next.
"So how has school been?" Rei asked.
"It's been pretty good. I joined a new club that was formed by Kageyama."
"A new club?"
"It's the Body Improvement Club, dedicated to improving our physical strength while also working together. It's brand-new, so we've only had one practice so far, but the one practice that I had was still enjoyable for me, and it let me meet some new people."
"That's great. I'm glad to see you getting more involved with your classmates," replied Rei, "And you said that Kageyama started the club?"
"Yea, and he seems pretty committed to the club. Apparently, he was part of the same club in middle school and decided to restart it here." Now that his mom had mentioned Kageyama, the teenager decided to veer the conversation toward the question most prevalent in his mind.
"Mom, I've got your laundry right here, and... Shoto? It's a surprise to see you here." Coming through the door was Shoto's older sister, Fuyumi Todoroki, carrying a load of her mother's laundry in her arms. She resembled her mother in some ways, though Fuyumi emitted a more upbeat and jolly demeanor in comparison to her mother, dimmed by her time spent alone in this mental hospital. "I heard of your run-in with the Hero Killer on the news, but thankfully you don't seem hurt.
"Mom, I'll leave your laundry here, if that's ok?"
"Thank you, honey." Fuyumi placed the bundle of clothes onto a shelf as she'd done so many times.
"Is there any special reason you're here today, Shoto?" Fuyumi asked.
"Actually..." The dual quirk-wielding teenager's head lowered as he prepared himself for what he was going to say. "I came here because I wanted you to help me try to make sense of something that happened this week."
Rei and Fuyumi immediately noticed the shifting atmosphere around Shoto, the expression of conflict and uncertainty in his face. Fuyumi took a seat opposite of Shoto and beside her mother to listen, their ears fully opened.
"It has to do with Kageyama."
"Kageyama? You mean Shigeo Kageyama? I remember how well he did during the sports festival," she said. Fuyumi smiled at her first impression of him. "And it was pretty surprising to find how shy he was when he made the opening speech, but he still gave a really good message."
"Shigeo is a really good friend of Shoto too," Rei stated, "But what exactly happened with him?"
The young teenager vividly recalled the conversation his friend had with his father in the hospital. "Apparently, "he" talked with Kageyama during the sports festival." The teenager refused to even refer to Endeavor as "father", though Rei and Fuyumi picked up on who he meant. "I'm not sure exactly what it is they talked about, but after that conversation, something changed with him. When I went to intern at his agency, he wasn't his usual self, and it seemed like what Kageyama said had left a small impact on him. Then, a few days ago, Kageyama had another talk with "him", though I managed to listen in on this conversation."
The two women leaned forward in anticipation. "Kageyama talked with him, told him the way he hasn't been a good father and how he's only been focused on his goal of being the number one hero. Later on, he brought me into his office at his agency to talk with him, and... he promised that he'd become a better father." Rei and Fuyumi's eyes widened.
"I could tell by the look in his eyes that he felt sincere regret for what he had done. Through that one conversation, Kageyama was able to completely change him, make him reflect on his actions and realize how he'd been wrong."
Both women jerked their heads back while their mouthes gaped open. They also knew how committed Endeavor was to that goal, and to think he'd actually take his eyes off of that goal so easily was astonishing. It was an accomplishment that none of them could ever hope of making, something neither of them were even sure was possible, but somehow, Kageyama actually did it?
"That's amazing..." muttered Fuyumi.
"You think that's amazing? That's nothing compared to the next thing I'm about to tell you." Rei and Fuyumi looked at one another with confused expressions. "Since you both saw the report of the Hero Killer's arrest, you know the details of his arrest and who he was, right?"
"I've seen some of the videos put online about his past," Fuyumi said, "How he dropped out of the hero course in high school because he didn't like the "fundamental decay" of that course, and also how he went out onto the streets to try and convince society to remember what the word "hero" really means."
Rei continued. "And regarding his arrest, apparently, you were with your friends and other heroes when you came across the Hero Killer, and the number three hero, Hawks, came in to rescue you and apprehended him."
"...That's a lie. The truth is, I fought the Hero Killer along with Kageyama and two of my other friends by ourselves. We were sent to the hospital for the injuries we got while fighting him, which is also where Kageyama talked with "him". The reason the police lied was that we weren't legally allowed to hurt the Hero Killer, so if the truth had come out, we would've been reprimanded by the authorities. "
The two women had not expected Shoto to have actually fought the Hero Killer himself, and felt relieved that he had managed to escape that fight alive, but they still couldn't see where this was going.
"What are you trying to get at?" Fuyumi asked.
"Fighting the Hero Killer, I remember how unbelievably determined he was to fulfill his objective. He wanted to kill a pro hero Native, as well as Iida, another classmate of mine and the younger brother of Ingenium, Stain's latest victim. During the battle, he openly stated his desire to reclaim the word "hero" by killing the people he thought didn't earn the title in order to fix this "corrupt" society, and he thought that Iida was one of those false heroes because of how he wanted to get revenge on Stain for hurting Ingenium. I was more than ready to fight the Hero Killer and defeat him to protect the others, but Kageyama... he talked to Stain. He made the effort to try and get Stain to stop his mission, to make him see that killing heroes wasn't the right way to fix society." The teenager looked into the eyes of his family members with a high intensity.
"And it worked. The battle was interrupted by the arrival of Hawks, but as soon as he arrived, Stain instantly surrendered. Even though Hawks was exhausted and probably could've been easily taken out, Stain didn't even bother putting up a fight and willingly turned himself in. All of the indomitable willpower that had fueled him during the fight had vanished. Then... Stain apologized to Iida for hurting his older brother. He expressed sincere guilt and remorse for all the people he killed, for how far he'd fallen and not being a good hero the way he wanted to be when he was younger, and it was all because of Kageyama."
The teenager raised his voice and held a finger in the air. "Through a SINGLE conversation, Kageyama was able to change a serial killer like Stain."
The two women felt their entire bodies jerk back, while their eyes widened like saucers. This story sounded something straight out of a child's crazy imagination: to think that such a man could turn over a new leaf so quickly was such a strikingly tall tale.
"That's impossible," muttered Fuyumi.
"I know. Even having seen it all happen before my eyes, a part of me still doesn't believe it. That's why I came here today, to see if you could help me figure this out. Mom, how do you think Kageyama's able to completely change people's mindsets through just his words, in such a short amount of time?"
The stricken mother took a few seconds to recover from the shock. She was amazed by the things that this young child had accomplished, the seemingly inconceivable changes of heart that had taken place, and in order to properly understand how he'd done it, Rei had to know how Mob went about changing them.
"You were there to listen to Shigeo: what exactly did he say to both of them?"
"Well, with Stain, I came in halfway through the fight, so there are some things that he said that I wasn't there to hear, but..." The teenager could remember everything, every word that Kageyama had spoken that night in the alley and that day in the hospital. "During the fight, Kageyama and I tried to get through to Iida, who was still consumed with revenge and wanted us to leave so he could take down the Hero Killer himself. Kageyama told Iida not to allow his anger and hatred to consume him, how he believed Iida to be better than that, while I reminded him that he wanted to make his older brother proud, to become the hero Ingenium wanted him to be. Thankfully, we were able to get him to abandon his desire for vengeance, but Stain didn't accept this, and thought that Iida would never change, that he'd always be infecting society.
"Kageyama disagreed: he explained how through our words and our support, we were able to change Iida, make him into a better person and steer him on a better path. He went on by saying that we could steer other people on the right path in the same way we'd done for Iida, but Stain fiercely rejected Kageyama's statement. He decided to tell us about his past, which you're already familiar with, as well as the way he thought the word "hero" was earned through action, how too many people were only driven to become heroes because of fame and money. After Stain's speech, Kageyama charged up an attack and managed to get him on the ground. But instead of trying to knock him out, Kageyama walked up to him and started talking again.
"He spoke of how he became the person he was thanks to the people around him, through their support and wisdom, and actually said that Stain had changed him too. Kageyama had actually taken his words into consideration, reflected to Stain how he'd made him understand that the word "hero" was earned through one's actions. He went further than that, talking about the internal struggle he was having about not finding a reason to be a hero, but because of Stain, he realized that he wanted to be a hero in order to help other people the ways others had helped him. Kageyama thanked Stain for helping him understanding these things, and actually lent him his hand, offered to help Stain try to resume his previous efforts of changing society through his speeches and words. But before he could say anything more, Hawks came in." The two women let out faint gasps, while their eyes began to slowly brighten with fascination.
"With "him", half of the conversation wasn't even talking about how he'd failed as a father. Instead, Kageyama just talked about the ways he found meaning in his life apart from becoming the number one hero. For him, he enjoyed himself even before attending U.A. High because he had friends and family around him, and how they helped give his life meaning. He gave examples of how he found new meaning to his life at U.A. High, and one of those examples... was actually me. He said that his life had meaning knowing that he'd helped me with my internal struggle and allowed myself to open up more to others."
Fuyumi didn't understand what Shoto was referring to, and arched her eyebrows up with confusion. "What do you mean when you say he helped you?"
"During the sports festival, Shigeo went to talk with Shoto." Fuyumi turned her head to face her mother, and was surprised when she saw Rei's eyes beginning to water up, "He understood the dilemma Shoto was having in using his left side, told him that it was okay if he didn't use his fire if they fought in the final rounds, and reminded him that he could make his own choices in his life."
"Wow..." Fuyumi's eyes suddenly began to lighten up, and a smile spread across her cheeks as she gained a newfound respect for Shigeo.
"Anyway, he also used the new Body Improvement Club that he started as something that gave his life meaning, since it was the opportunity to help our classmates become stronger and create a deeper sense of unity while also creating fond memories. After that, Kageyama made "him" see that he'd completely isolated himself from us by working solely to become the number one hero, but encouraged him by saying if he put the same effort into being a father the way he did into being a hero, then he could do great things."
The teenager went silent, and he waited for Rei to give her interpretation of what it all meant. He looked into his mother's eyes, which were glowing with amazement, having gained a true understanding of Mob's character.
"I see it now, I see how he's able to do it," she replied with a widening smile. "When he speaks to others to try and change them, he doesn't just lecture them and tell them why they're wrong. Instead, he does something much more than that: he weaves his words with sincerity and emotion.
"What makes Shigeo truly amazing, one of a kind, is his ability to tell people exactly how he feels, even his enemies, and that speaks to their hearts far more than anything else could. By expressing those feelings, Shigeo's honest nature helps others to be honest with themselves, to dig deep into their own hearts and remember what really matters to them."
Rei chuckled to herself. "And to think, this openness, honesty, and kindness could come from someone born with such incredible power. That only gives his words even greater strength.
"Shoto, if it's possible, the next time you come visit me, do you think you could ask Shigeo to come with you?"
This request came out of nowhere for the teenager. "You want to meet him?"
"I'd like to thank him for everything that he's done for you and for Enji, and I also want to see what he's really like in-person, if he's as incredible as you say he is."
Though unexpected, Shoto saw no reason to object to his mother's request. He was sure that Mob would take a liking to her, since they both shared the same kind heart. "Sure thing."
"Shigeo definitely sounds like an incredible person," Fuyumi added, her generally bright demeanor shining even brighter than usual, "He was able to do something with dad that none of us could for so many years. Who knows the kind of good that could come from this..."
"Yes," Rei said, mimicking her daughter's glowing expression. She couldn't wait to meet him, to see the kind of amazing human she pictured him to be.
By the time Shigeo and Fumikage had made it back to Musutafu, it was mid-afternoon and the school had already ended, so the two of them parted ways at the train station and went back to their homes. They also knew that everyone was just coming back from their internships, so there'd be no meeting for the Body Improvement Club. Since it was also Friday, that meant that the class could rest after the intense week of internships, but not Shigeo. For the esper, he went back to his apartment with a rather quick pace in his steps, for there were once again several things he needed to do, several things he needed to discuss with All Might.
Speaking of the number one hero, while Shigeo was hurriedly trying to get home, All Might was anxiously waiting for the esper in the main living room. He'd seen the news report on Stain's arrest and how Kageyama, Midoriya, and a few other students were involved with the situation. He'd also received a call from Gran Torino informing the hero about what had happened, how his two disciples had gone to save their friends and gotten badly injured in the process, though this call had been made before he'd heard about Stain's surrender and how Kageyama had changed him. The elderly hero had also advised All Might to tell the full truth about One For All and it's history to Midoriya, to reveal the secrets he'd been hiding from his successor.
For Toshinori, this also made him reflect upon the things he'd hidden from Kageyama for several months now. Even though it had been to protect Shigeo from the pain of this revelation, the hero felt guilty of keeping this secret from him, especially after the esper had been so open and honest with All Might with so many things, how he'd put his complete faith in the hero. It felt unfair that the number one hero wasn't reciprocating that honesty with him, putting that same kind of trust in Shigeo. Well, that ended today. As soon as the esper got here, he'd tell him everything.
The symbol of peace heard the door open, and in came Shigeo, who was not expecting to see someone else in the apartment with All Might.
"Midoriya?" The number one hero had decided not to waste any time telling them the truth, and called his successor over to his apartment so he'd be there to listen to the full story of One For All.
"Hey Kageyama! Glad you made it!"
"What're you doing here?"
"All Might sent me a text and told me to come to his apartment to talk." Izuku's face was absolutely ecstatic, and his eyes were teeming with excitement. His inner fanboy was screaming out at where he was right now. The teenager let out a short yelp of enthusiasm. "I still can't believe I'm actually in All Might's home!"
A comedic sweat bead fell down All Might's face, though the number one hero's expression quickly turned serious. Izuku had felt that same seriousness when he arrived a few minutes ago, but was too focused on the fact he was in All Might's home to notice it. However, the teenager was now able to pick up on this tension surrounding him, and his happy-go-lucky face vanished. Mob also saw the expression on All Might's face and took a seat next to his friend.
"First off, I'd like to apologize to both of you for not being there to help you against the Hero Killer," he said.
"You don't have to apologize for that," replied Shigeo.
"Yea, you shouldn't blame yourself for that All Might," added Izuku, "So what did you want to talk to us about? Since you actually asked me to come here to your home, I'm sure that it's gotta be something extremely important."
"Sharp as always, Midoriya." The number one hero sighed and leaned his body forward, exchanging glances with his two disciples. "Both of you have placed your full trust in me for all these months, confided all of your thoughts and emotions with me, and I realized that you deserve that same kind of openness from me, which is why it's now time to tell you what I've been concealing from both of you."
Toshinori decided to get the more difficult subject out of the way first, which was what happened with the esper and the Sludge Villain on the day that he first arrived in this reality. "Kageyama, there's something important that you must know happened on the first day we met, about the Sludge Villain, though it's going to be hard for you to hear." The fanboy gasped: was All Might really going to come forward with that after all this time, even after the hero himself had told Midoriya to keep quiet about the incident?
"When you lost control of your power, you-"
"I accidentally sent the Sludge Villain flying away in the process." The number one hero was shocked that the esper had finished the sentence. This was not the scenario the hero had envisioned.
"Wait... you mean you've known this whole time?" he said. The esper nodded while his friend felt himself shift uncomfortably in his seat. "Then how come you didn't say anything about it? Aren't you upset that I hid this from you?"
"I mean, at first I was surprised and I did want to ask you about this, but I didn't feel it was right to bring it up after everything you've done to help me. Besides, I'm sure you just lied to try and protect me." The esper gave the hero a reassuring smile. "So please don't feel guilty about keeping it a secret. Trust me, I'm fine."
All Might and Izuku felt themselves beam, being shown once again how kind and understanding Shigeo was with basically everything. All Might had expected this to be a much more shocking, saddening conversation with a sincere apology from the hero, but instead, Mob merely brushed it aside and accepted it as something All Might had done with good intentions. "I'm appreciate you being so understanding, Kageyama. But if you're ready to move that out of the way, then we can get to the other reason I brought you both here today." he said. Tnumber one hero returned to his serious demeanor, for what came next was going to be a much longer, more detailed secret. The hero now focused his eyes on his successor.
"The quirk you bear is one of unique and untold power, and I believe that now is the time you know of its origin. And the same goes for you, Kageyama, for I also believe you have the right to know the truth about your friend's power. One For All is derived from another quirk, a power that is very old."
"It used to be something different?" said Midoriya.
All Might nodded. "The name of that quirk is All For One. It allowed its user to take quirks from others, while the user could keep those quirks or give them to someone else. It bears many similarities to the power of Toichiro Suzuki, the boss of the esper organization Claw. This all began back when quirks were first starting to appear, before society knew how to deal with these newly empowered people. Suddenly, it was impossible to say what it meant to be a normal person, civil rights were heavily debated, the progress of civilization stalled, and society decayed. During that chaotic period of change, a single person managed to rally many people together. He went by the name of his quirk, All For One. He stole quirks from others, and with his overwhelming power, he spread his influence across the country. He manipulated people to serve his purposes, committing evil acts with little resistance. While you may have been able to stop your version of All For One, Kageyama, this heinous villain unfortunately succeeded in his plans of conquest, and in the blink of an eye, he became the ruler of Japan."
"I don't get it, though," Shigeo interjected, "I never saw any of this ever mentioned during my online history class."
"Because it's the kind of shameful history that people like to ignore. Anyway, when people gain true power, they enjoy showing it off to others."
"But how does this all tie together? And what about One For All?" Midoriya said.
"I said that All For One could give quirks to others, remember? He made people submit to his will by altering their abilities, but sadly, there were poor souls who were unable to bear the burden of the quirks they were given. They became mindless dolls, incapable of speaking, just like the Nomu. Meanwhile, some quirks actually evolved as they were passed on, with a few actually managing to combine with other power sets. This evil man had a quirkless younger brother."
"A younger brother?" the esper said.
"Yes. He was small and frail, but he had a strong sense of justice. The two brothers couldn't have been more different. It pained the brother to see All For One's deeds, so he kept resisting his will." This revelation brought a particular impact for the esper, who was immediately beginning to draw parallels between himself and All For One, the fear that Ritsu had towards him for so long.
"Then, All For One transferred a quirk to his sibling, one that would allow him to stockpile power. We don't know whether it was a gift or whether it was to force his brother to submit."
Midoriya was starting to see the picture being painted here. "Don't tell me..."
"Yes. Even though everyone thought he was quirkless, it turned out he did have a quirk, though even he didn't realize this to be the case. He had a useless power that only allowed him to pass on his quirk!" The hero spread his arms out, "And so, the stockpiling ability merged with the younger brother's power, and that's how One For All came to be." Both teenagers were baffled by the unexpected way such a strong power was born.
"I've always found it ironic that justice so often spawns from evil," All Might remarked.
"Hold on, I get now how One For All was created, but the villain you're talking about should be long dead by this point. Why bring him up now?"
"One who steals quirks has no limits. There are quirks that halt aging, so it's almost certain he has something like that. The Symbol of Evil seemed basically immortal. With the state of the world and the huge gap in their abilities, the younger brother decided to entrust this quirk to future generations. Even though he failed to defeat All For One, he hoped One For All would continue to grow in power until it was strong enough to defeat his older brother. Eventually, it was my turn, and I managed to defeat the Symbol of Evil. At least, that's what I thought. But he survived, and he's now back in action as the mastermind behind the League of Villains."
The hero got up from his seat and walked to the window. "So now you both know the truth. As the next holder of One For All, Midoriya, and as someone who has already defeated a villain of such caliber, Kageyama, you may both have to face this great evil one day, because I failed. I know it's a lot to ask, but-"
"We'll do our best!" Izuku shot out of his seat, undeterred by the battle he would have to fight one day, "We'll do whatever you ask, no matter what it takes!"
"Right." The esper followed his friend's lead and gave his mentor a look of confidence, "As long as you're here to help us, we'll overcome anything! Because we both know you'll be there for us, just like you've always been." The two friends exchanged glances before giving each other reassuring smiles.
The number one hero felt his stomach twist into knots while he felt a sweat bead trickle down his face. The truth was, that may very well not have been the case, that in the near future, it was more than likely they would have to face off against All For One by themselves. All Might opened his mouth, ready to tell them both the whole story of his impending fate, but at the last second, he stopped himself.
Izuku and Shigeo could see the tension and unease in All Might's face, the way something was eating him from inside. "All Might? What is it?" Shigeo said.
The hero felt he was at a crossroads. A part of him felt that he still owed it to both of them to tell them everything and continue placing the same confidence in them the way they did in him, but at the same time, revealing such a truth so soon... just didn't feel right. Not only did Midoriya depend on All Might for guidance, but Kageyama depended on him for basically everything else too as his mentor and one of the only adults in this world who knew the truth about him. So... what should he say?
"There's... something else that I want to tell you both, but..." Toshinori fumbled with his words, trying to find some sort of middle ground here between the two choices he had, "I'm not ready to tell you yet. I'm... not strong enough. That's all I can say."
The two disciples of All Might were unable to grasp what the hero was trying to tell them. What sort of secret was left that he hadn't confided in them? Izuku was about to persist on knowing the truth, but before he could speak up, Shigeo stepped in.
"This must be a really tough thing for you to say, huh? Come on, Midoriya, let's not force him to say anything he's not ready to tell us. After all, we both owe almost everything to him. I'm sure he'll tell us when he feels it's right." The green-eyed student understood what his friend was saying, and while still curious about what All Might was keeping from them, decided to respect the hero's privacy and nodded at Mob in agreement. All Might was immensely relieved by the esper's support and grateful of how considerate he was being of his emotions.
Midoriya took out his phone to check the time, and panicked when he realized the time. "Crap, it's so late! I really wish I could stay longer, but my mom's waiting for me at home, and she's probably really anxious for me to get back." The teenager grabbed his things and walked to the door. "I'll see you back at school, Kageyama, All Might."
The two waved Midoriya farewell and watched as he exited the apartment. After the teenager left, the air in the room remained tense for a few seconds from the story of One For All and the secret that All Might was keeping from the two of them. However, Mob decided to ignore this tension and get back to other matters, for right now, the esper needed All Might's guidance and answers to the questions that were most prevalent in his mind. "All Might, there's something else that I'd like to talk to you about, if it's alright with you."
"Of course." Toshinori had become very keen at figuring out Mob's expressions, the times when he was confused or lost about something, and he could tell that there was something very urgent on the esper's mind. All Might quickly took his seat again and leaned forward. "What did you want to talk to me about?"
"I was just wondering... Why do so many people admire and listen to you?" All Might was thrown off by this question, as any regular person would probably find the answer to this question blatantly obvious. "I've noticed how so many people like Midoriya, Todoroki, and even the Hero Killer look up to you. Is it just because you're the Symbol of Peace? Because you have the power of One For All that gave you such incredible strength?
"I admire you because of everything you've done for me. I listen to you because you were the only person who helped me in this world. Like my master, you've been able to guide me and give me the answers to important questions while also acting as an amazing supporting figure. I hope I don't offend you by saying this, but the fact that you're the Symbol of Peace really doesn't matter to me."
Contrary to Mob's belief, the number one hero did not feel hurt by his statement, and a smile spread across his face. "I'm not offended at all. If anything, I'm happy to know that you admire me just because of my character. It means that I've been doing a good job as your mentor and guardian. Still, what's this all about? What made you want to ask me this?"
The esper pulled his phone out from his pocket and began to search for videos of Stain online. "You've probably noticed the huge support the Hero Killer's been getting ever since his arrest. A lot of people like him because he wanted to create a society where people were more deserving of the word "hero". Here's a speech that he made when he was younger." Mob showed the screen to All Might and hit the play button.
"People, I ask you to heed my words! Our society has fallen from grace! The word "hero" has become distorted and twisted! Too many people have started to carry that title with only themselves in mind! But a hero is not one who acts for himself! A hero is someone who acts solely for the good of the people, to protect the citizens and ensure them a brighter future! A hero like All Might, who has brought forth an era of peace with his strength and his love of the people! He is a man who embodies the true meaning of a hero, with only the love of justice and the citizens driving him! So I ask you all today to follow his example! Let us all unite to ensure that the word "hero" doesn't lose all meaning in this society! Will you join me in my cause?"
All Might could hear the passion and dedication in Stain's voice and couldn't help feel slightly flattered by the utmost devotion this man held for him. "I'm not saying that what he did was right, but I still think these words carry a really important message. All he asked was for heroes to be better people, to not think just of themselves when choosing to become a hero. And yet... his words were ignored by everyone. It's only now, after he became a serial killer and took the lives of pro heroes, that people are actually starting to notice his words and see the message they carry. In other words, it's only after he became stronger that people started listening to him...
"Then I thought about myself. I've realized that a lot of my classmates at U.A. have begun to listen to me too, but is that only because of my psychic powers? I guess the main question I have is... if power is the only thing that people will listen to. If I didn't have these powers, would people even care what I have to say? Would they ignore me the same way they ignored Stain? Can the same words really have such a big difference to people if they come out a person with power or a person without power?"
The number one hero could see the points that Mob was bringing up, how much the idea of power influencing people disturbed him. After all, he was someone who never really cared about power, never really seen the importance of it in his life because he chose not to use it. It made sense to him why he'd be asking these questions now. All Might knew he had to think really hard before giving Kageyama an answer. The hero took a deep breath and rested himself, clamping his hands together in front of his chest.
"People admire those with power because they view them as dependable. They know they can count on those people to help them when they're in trouble, to protect them when they can't protect themselves. That's the reason I wanted to be the Symbol of Peace: in an era of crime and hopelessness, I wanted to be someone strong that the people could depend on, someone they could lean on for support and protection in the same way that you lean on me for wisdom and guidance. And with the power of One For All, I was able to clean up the crime-filled streets and put an end to All For One's criminal empire and shine light on a country shrouded in darkness. It's because the people know that I'll be there to protect them that they look up to me.
"However," All Might raised his finger, "It's important for you to understand that what is more important than having power is how you use it, who you choose to be with that power. That's precisely what makes you so special.
"I said before that when people gain true power, they enjoy showing it off to others." Toshinori extended his pointed finger toward Kageyama while his smile started to reappear. "You are the TREMENDOUS exception to this rule. Even though you were born with the unimaginable power and you had no one to stop you or match you in strength, you've chosen not to rely on that power, not let it define who you are. Instead, you chose to live a regular life and commit to becoming a better person. That is the reason why your classmates admire you so much. Not because of how strong your powers are, but because of who you are in spite of your amazing power. Never underestimate how special that is.
"But in regards to your question, the answer is... yes. While it is not the sole or most important factor, power will always have a certain degree of influence in whether or not people will listen to you, and many people will not view certain words with the same importance if they come from a regular person like Stain. It's unfortunate, but that's life. It's up to us to comprehend what meaning certain words have, no matter who they might come from."
Mob was processing everything All Might had told him with careful thought and detail. So it was true that people with power may have the potential to have greater voices in society, it was still not everything that people valued. He still had the potential to reach the hearts of many people in this society and get them to change. That was the mission that Stain had entrusted him with, to improve this society. Even though he was a serial killer, Stain chose to turn himself in, surrendered because he put his faith in Kageyama to continue his mission and make people understand what being a hero meant. Mob would not dishonor Stain's request! He'd continue his mission and complete it however he could!
"All Might, you remember I said that I didn't have a drive, a reason to be a hero?"
"Yes."
"Well now I do. I've realized that I want to be a hero not only so I can help people when they're in need, but so that I can try to change society. Even if Stain did terrible things and killed people, he still had something valuable to teach society, and I hope I'll be able to properly express that message to people, make them understand what it means to be a hero and remind them that even with quirks, we're all just human. And even though my passion for that goal isn't nearly as strong as Midoriya's is, it's still a start."
All Might transformed into his muscular state and clapped his hands together in approval. "That's a fantastic goal to have, and with your strength of character, I have no doubt that you'll make a big impact, show the world what it means to be a hero and what it means to fight on to improve yourself."
"Fight..." That word instantly reminded him of the other thing that he had planned on asking All Might, and the teenager rushed into his room.
"Hey, what're you doing in there?" said All Might.
"I'm changing into a t-shirt and some shorts! If it's alright with you, I'd like for the the two of us to go to the training site we went to for the Sports Festival! There's something else I need your help with!"
"Oh, well..." Though put off by Shigeo's sudden desire to go to the training site, All Might didn't really see a reason to object and speedily went into his room to get himself into similarly comfortable clothing. But what exactly did Mob want to do at an hour like this?
After getting dressed, Toshinori and Shigeo made their way to the desolate training site in less than a minute. The sun was starting to set, and the large rocks of this wasteland casted very long, wide shadows over the barren valley. As they approached the site, the esper decided to take several paces away from the hero, until they were both standing face-to-face with one another.
"So what exactly did you want us to do out here?" All Might asked.
"I want you to teach me how to fight." The number one hero's eyes widened from this unexpected request. Shigeo could see why the hero was surprised by this, and began to explain his reasoning.
"All this time, I've never really seen the need to learn how to fight since I had my psychic powers to help me, but my fight with the Hero Killer made me see how wrong that was. When I arrived to help my friends, I had run out of energy, and eventually, it was just me and Stain. Without my power, I was at his mercy, and he told me the truth about how I've relied too much on my powers to help me with fights. In fact, the only reason I'm still alive is because he let me live. Stain made me realize that I'm going to need more than just my power if I want to be a hero. So that's why I want you to teach me how to fight, so I won't have to be so dependent on my psychic powers to protect people."
21%
"I see..." All Might definitely understood Mob's point. If he happened to come across All For One in the future, he would need to know how to handle himself properly in a fight against a man with more than one hundred years of fighting experience. The hero cracked his knuckles and twisted his neck around to get ready for some sparring.
"Well, you're in luck, because fighting is probably the only thing that I know how to teach, since..." The number one hero's body began to shiver when he remembered the painful memories of his sparring sessions with Gran Torino, how the hero had etched those lessons and fighting instincts into Toshinori's mind. "Anyway, since the sun's going to set soon, let's not waste any time and get straight into it. And if we're going to do this, it's not going to be soft. The best way to learn how to fight is if you feel you're in an actual fight, if you're giving it you're all, so come on and hit me with everything you've got. Don't be shy; whatever you dish out at me, I can definitely take it."
The esper hesitated for a moment, fully realizing that he would have to hurt All Might in this training session. He didn't like the idea, especially considering how much he respected the hero, but he was asking him to give it his all. Mob closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He could do this. Shigeo decided to start things off with some intensity and unpredictability, so he used erratic motions with his telekinesis. Thanks to the training with Hawks, this kind of movement was no longer an issue for him.
"Impressive movements! Using your telekinesis to stay out of my line of sight, make it more difficult for me to track you! Are you sure you don't know how to fight?"
"Well, I've copied these movements from Hanazawa, the other teenage esper I told you about!"
"This would definitely confuse any normal opponent, but what if..." The hero disappeared from Mob's sight and instantly popped up behind him. "Your opponent can match that speed?"
Shigeo put up a barrier to defend himself, but the hero easily broke through the barrier and hit the esper square in the face. Mob was sent flying through the air but stopped himself with his telekinesis. All Might gave the teenager little time to recover and rushed toward him. Shigeo put another barrier around himself, but it shattered like the one before, and the esper was dug deep into the rock.
"You're too dependent on those barriers to protect yourself. They're definitely useful, but against an enemy who can break them, not only will you leave yourself open to attack, but you'll waste energy putting up so many barriers," the hero said, watching as the esper dug himself out of the ground.
"Alright, I'm going to make a new rule: from now on, you're forbidden from using barriers. You're only allowed to fight using fists. You need to learn how to dodge, anticipate your opponent's movements and know how to counter. Now show me more!" Mob raced forward and attempted to strike the hero with a series of punches, but they were easy for All Might to read and avoid, who was also analyzing the esper's sloppy technique.
"When punching, you need to keep your fists up. Don't drop them down every time you throw a punch; that just wastes time and momentum. And your body is facing me: when punching, your chest should be facing the side so it'll be harder for your enemy to deal any damage to your organs." The esper attempted to do as the hero said, but was unable to properly do everything that was asked of him. As Mob threw another punch, the hero effortlessly caught his fist.
"Looks like we've got a lot of work to do."