AN: Before you read.
Forget canon, it cannot hep you here.
Please, don't ask questions about things that happen in canon, or about where x characters are.
Please, don't say you're excited for "X-characters" to make an appearance in this story.
I'm asking you those things not only to help you enjoy this story more, but to help me enjoy writing it.
Thank you for your time, now on with the show.
The view alone was breathtaking.
A sea of clouds weaved between the numerous sky-scrapers of the Tokyo skyline, though every single one paled compared to the sheer scale of the Tower of Might. In all the world, there was not a single building that could rival the Tower of Might. Part palace, part fortress, and a symbol of their great nation, it was as perfect as the man that stood at its helm.
The bright night sky above the clouds spoke of the time. Inko was waiting for him.
He hoped she wouldn't stay waiting.
Hisashi stopped a meter into the room. The large doors behind him shut with a tight click as he now stood in All Might's private study. Trophies lined the walls, many of which were won well before Hisashi was even born, and yet he knew each of their stories by heart. Such teachings were mandatory, after all. A modest bookshelf lined one wall, much of its contents likely dated before the era of quirks. Before the rise of All Might.
A large glass table sat against one of the walls, a warm sun-like glow emanating from it. Hisashi had heard of the table many times, and had often disregarded it as a myth; a myth that was made real by All Might's already impressive level of feats. Rumored to be a prison unlike any other, the table housed life of all kinds. Creatures both captured and created lived inside its glass surface, somehow thriving with an artificial ecosystem.
How it worked, Hisashi couldn't say, but just seeing that dreadful paradise was enough to make his throat run dry.
Was that why he had been called here?
"Impressive, is it not?" All Might asked as he turned from the window, his bright blue eyes shining as though to make it clear that All Might was simply above them. Above them all. And that they should be grateful for his protection.
Hisashi fell to one knee, fist crossed over his chest as he bowed in fealty to his lord for the thousandth time. But this was his first time doing it so close. "My Lord. Hisashi Midoriya, here. As you requested."
"I see that." All Might gave a cold laugh as he uncorked a bottle of red liquid. "You may stand."
It was not permission, it was a command.
"Tell me, Hisashi, do you drink?" All Might asked, two glasses of the same red liquid in his massive hands.
Never.
"When the occasion calls for it, My Lord,"
Again, All Might chuckled. It was unearthly, unpleasant, and inspired both awe and terror. A glass of red was extended to him; the massive hand that held it had more power in it than Hisashi had in his entire body. "And does the occasion call for it?"
"Meeting you in person, My Lord, is an occasion enough for anything." Hisashi accepted the cup and found that it smelled of cherry and alcohol. For a moment, Hisashi could do nothing but stare into that deep red liquid. The light from the starry night just beyond the wall-sized windows almost made it look like blood. "But, My Lord, can I ask why you—"
"There will be time for questions in a moment, but come, look and see the fruits of my empire." All Might chuckled and waved Hisashi over to the glass table.
Inside the table was an immaculate terrarium that looked more like an aerial photo of an idealyc valley. A large and healthy lake at its center held much of the water within the closed system. From a glance, it would be impossible to see it as more than just a simple piece of art and not the monument to science that it was. Living creatures resided within the space, moving under their own free will with no concept of the two gigantic beings looking over them. One would have expected insects, or other smaller creatures that would have limited impact on the space to call it their home.
But, for a pet project of All Might himself, no mere ant farm would suffice.
Livestock barricaded in large wooden fences grazed on the fertile rolling hills near several farms of various sizes, all maintained by people barely large enough to notice, but their infrastructure and primitive vehicles were clear to see near the lakeside town that looked like it was pulled from some western fantasy.
"They're all convicts, of course," All Might let out a low chuckle that caused the water within the table to shake. "Many of them were volunteers for this new form of freedom."
"It is impressive, My Lord," Hisashi kept his voice firm, trying to resist the urge to mumble. Though by all accounts, All Might could hear his heartbeat right now.
"I'm glad you think so, though it's far from perfect; still need a few more test runs before we can start utilizing it to its fullest." All Might stepped to the side, pressing a hidden button on the wall which revealed a sealed panel from which a cold white smoke billowed out. "But for now, let's have some fun. Hisashi, would you mind grabbing a specimen for me? My hands are a bit too large to handle such delicate creatures."
Hisashi nodded and looked at the rows upon rows of small glass tubes, many no wider than a pencil.
"Any will do," All Might encouraged him.
He grabbed a random vial. It was cold to the touch, and he could feel his sweat sticking to it.
"Good choice" All Might pressed another button, and a column rose up from the floor with a perfectly circular slot for the vial to be inserted.
Without being prompted to, Hiashi inserted the vial and watched as the mechanism melted away, revealing a miniature creature that was unlike any that had ever walked the earth. The column retreated back into floor, blending seamlessly with the wooden interior. A moment later, the creature emerged from the heavily-forested side of the table, a jet of fire shooting from its mouth as its wings expanded.
"I call them Nomu, the soldiers of tomorrow, creatures made from the ground." All Might placed a hand on the table and watched with a large grin as the Nomu charged towards the town, its body twisting in impossible ways through the air as the citizens of that town scrambled, some to meet the challenge, and some to hide in their shelters. "Everything you see here represents the peak of my empire."
All Might laughed as he focused on fight, his smile growing wider by the moment. "Tell me Hisashi, do you know why the Might Empire is the greatest power in the world?"
Hisashi felt his throat go dry. "Because of you, My Lord."
"Ha! Indeed! I am pretty great! And all you have ever seen has been because of me," All Might laughed and clapped Hisashi on the back hard. "But no, this," he gestured towards the table and the burning town, "this is because of all of my subjects. By taking the best of the best, those with quirks that could be useful to me and my empire, we were able to create wonders such as this."
And atrocities such as the Nomu.
If the people could be shrunk down to that size and forced to live in a glorified terrarium, then there was little that could stop All Might from doing the opposite with the Nomu.
"Outside of the Might Empire, people viewed quirks as a problem. It was only when I took charge that they started to realize that quirks were a solution! With quirks and science, I can create a utopia! We can travel the stars! There is not a single problem in this world that cannot be solved with quirks."
"My Lord?"
All Might held up his glass. "A toast, Hisashi! To my glorious empire and its marvelous future."
Hisashi nodded and held up the glass he had been holding for far too long. The still-cool glass stuck to his sweaty fingers. "A toast, to your empire, My Lord!"
All Might took a few large gulps of the drink, a bit of the red spilling on the side.
Hisashi brought the sweet-smelling drink to his lips and inspected the liquid for a moment. It was thicker than any drink he knew of, perhaps roughly the same consistency of tomato soup. Still, his lord had asked him to drink, and to refuse would be death. He glanced towards the table. Or worse.
The drink was sweeter than it smelled, with a tart, rich taste that was hard to place. Some kind of berry, or perhaps even cherry. The sting of alcohol was present as well, burning his throat as he swallowed the first few gulps of the liquid, followed by something he didn't expect to taste in the drink.
Iron.
Something lurched inside of him.
Something both physically and mentally.
He stumbled forward, the glass falling to the ground and spilling the red liquid as he grabbed at his throat. A burning sensation was spreading around him, and his mind felt like he was being swallowed up by some lurking beast.
"Try not to struggle so much," All Might's voice quickly lost its might, and he gave a short cough. "You'll have to get the mess cleaned up, after all."
Hisashi placed a hand on the ground, a massive muscular hand that didn't belong to him, as his uniform began to rip as his body twisted.
"What?" He glanced towards All Might, only to feel his voice stop. All Might, or what once was All Might, was deteriorating rapidly. His muscles faded like steam into the air as his form became that of a tall, gaunt man. "What's happening?"
The answer came from his own mouth. "You're becoming the next me."
Hisashi felt his head spin as memories that weren't his spilled into his mind.
Centuries ago, an act of kindness gave birth to this will that was now forcing Hisashi out of his own body. A will that was not human, but was human, the will of a quirk given form. Two quirks formed into one. A will to pass down, and the ability to gather power.
And gather power it did.
Passing through body after body, All Might began to take form. He conquered the crime lords, then the nation. And soon,
A chuckle escaped from Hisashi's mouth as his body stood on its own. What little remained of his mind was shocked to see his new reflection—that of All Might—staring back at him on the reflective surface of the table.
"Ahh, you had a family." He could feel the annoyance as his mouth spoke those words. All Might flexed his hands and rolled his neck as he examined his body. "Fear not, you're a part of me now, and I shall keep them safe."
Struggling with all his might, Hisashi could do nothing as he lost his body. His mind was being swallowed up by the quagmire of other lost souls that All Might had consumed. Countless bodies, countless peoples, all selected for some reason or another. Some for their quirks, others just because he needed a new body. Every ten to twenty years.
Why him?
A thought passed him by. All Might didn't even know who he was until that morning. He was selected because he met the requirements, and he was a nobody. Just another easy to replace cog in the machine.
Before his mind fell asleep for good, he was able to catch a glimpse of what All Might had planned for the future.
If the world knew, it would tremble.
But, there was a sliver of hope lurking in the world.
The one that had created All Might with that act of kindness all those years ago.
A quirk that had somehow managed to evade every attempt on it.
All for One.
"Is dead," All Might answered that final question of the soul fading within him. Hisashi had been chosen for many reasons. According to Shield's research, someone like Hisashi would be able to house him for several decades before he'd need to find a new body, and his lack of a personality would likewise do minimal damage going forward.
All Might glanced down at his now lifeless former body, that of Toshinori Yagi, and scoffed. Somehow, he had made that vessel work for nearly 30 years, and he even could have gone for another five, but the signs were starting to show. The shaking hands, the wrinkles, all those little imperfections were unbecoming of a being such as he.
He looked towards the Terrarium and frowned. The Nomu he had sent in there had died; not from any of the few surviving prisoners, but because it's genetic structure was too unstable.
He pressed on the comms on his desk. "David, send someone to retrieve a body. I want you to inspect it."
The spilled drink on the floor, a concoction made of his own blood that sped the transfer process up, was starting to dry. "And send someone to clean my office as well."
Still completely naked, All Might stood and faced Tokyo as the clouds began to part. Soon, he'd be able to shape this world in his own image. And once the entire earth belonged to All Might, it was time to look forward to the stars.
But before that, "I need to get rid of the dregs."
AN: I wanted something different.