(A/N: Heyo! We're getting a double update as a special treat! Because I just had so much to unpack in this meeting with All Might. But I'm sure there are no complaints for more content. ^_^ Enjoy!)
...
It didn't take Izuku long to find the room where Yagi had texted to meet him. There were several meeting rooms available near the teachers' room to hold, well, meetings but also to receive guests like parents or other officials. Izuku found the one specified in the text and quietly knocked on the door to announce his presence. From behind it he heard a muffled 'come in' before he opened the door.
Upon entering the room, Izuku was met with Yagi in his skeletal form dressed in an oversized dark blue business suit with a white button up shirt and blue tie. He was seated on a green couch that had a table next to it and a stool on the other side. On the table was a hot water dispenser, a box of tea bags, and two tea cups.
"Ah, young Midoriya, please come in and take a seat," Yagi said with a beckoning gesture.
The greenette nodded as he closed the door behind him and then went to sit on the stool so he wouldn't get the couch dirty with his overalls. The Hero busied himself with making them both tea as he did so and placed his backpack next to him. Once settled the teen accepted the steaming cup from the man and blew on the tea before taking a careful sip.
"Thank you for agreeing to meet with me, young Midoriya," Yagi said after taking a drink of his own tea. "I know you are very busy and are probably going to be working in the studio judging by your attire."
"Yes, sir," Izuku replied with a nod. "Mei-chan and I are working on rebuilding my Support Items so I'll be ready for the upcoming internships."
"Ah, yes," the man said. "I, uh, heard about what happened during the festival. I'm sorry you had to go through that, my boy."
"It's…fine," the teen replied hesitantly because truthfully it wasn't but there wasn't anything he could do about the past. All he could do was keep moving forward. "This just gives me the opportunity to improve them."
"A good view to have on the situation," Yagi responded with an approving nod. "Speaking of your Support Items, I meant to ask you about a certain one of yours."
"Oh? Which one?" Izuku asked curiously.
"The shoes," the man replied between sips of tea. "They reminded me of something but I couldn't figure out what exactly. So, I was wondering what inspired them."
"Oh, those," Izuku said with a smile and a small chuckle. "Well, I've been basing a lot of my Support Items on the Quirks I've observed. Many of them on some of the students. But others are based on Quirks I've analyzed before UA. Like my mask is a replication of my dad's Fire Breath Quirk. As for the shoes, they're based off the Quirk of an older Hero. Have you heard of Gran Torino?"
Yagi was mid drink when Izuku asked that question. At the utterance of the last two words, the skeletal man was startled into a spit-take much to the teen's surprise. Izuku started asking if he was okay as Yagi coughed and sputtered out that he was fine. He pulled out a small hand towel and wiped up split tea intermixed with droplets of blood. The sight of which made the greenette doubt the blonde was actually fine and reminded him that the Hero before him was still suffering from injuries from a huge fight about six years ago now.
It took the skeletal man a few minutes to compose himself before asking, "H-how do you of Gran Torino?"
"I've been fascinated by Quirks even before I found out I didn't have one," Izuku explained as he eyed the trembling skeletal form of the Number One Hero. "Over the years, my research skills developed more from trial and error. Eventually I was able to find information on Heroes who didn't have as much media coverage through forums and such. At some point I learned about a Hero who had an air manipulation Quirk and I sort of fell into a researching hole to find out all I could about him. Why? Do you know him?"
The Hero before him was shaking for some reason as he replied, "Yes, I do."
"Really? How?" the teen asked, green eyes wide with curiosity.
"He used to teach at UA and in fact was my homeroom teacher," Yagi answered, still shaking. "But only for one year and he's retired now. He was also a sworn friend of my mentor and helped train me after she…passed away."
All Might's mentor?
"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that," Izuku said solemnly. "If you don't mind me asking, who was she?"
The shaking lessened in intensity as the man replied, "Her name was Shimura Nana."
A gleam of admiration shined in the Hero's eyes as he talked about his mentor. How she was kind and beautiful with a strong sense of justice. That she had taken him under her wing and helped him on his chosen path to become the Symbol of Peace. That he had adopted her philosophy that a true Hero would smile no matter how grim the situation was. It was kind of adorable to be honest to see the man before him gushing over his own personal Hero. Reminding the greenette of himself in a way.
Shimura Nana, huh? I'll have to research her later.
"She sounds like a great person," Izuku said after a sip of tea.
"She was," Yagi replied with a warm but sad smile. "After she passed, Gran Torino took over my training. He was more…intense than Nana had been."
A shiver shot down his boney back as the man remembered the harsh training he had been through. Recalling a particular experience where the elder Hero had punched him so hard in the gut that he puked. Then had been given no chance to recover receiving an uppercut to the jaw immediately after. The school nurse had not been pleased when he had arrived to her office covered in bruises after that particular training.
"Even to this day he still terrifies me," the skeletal man admitted. "But I know now it was necessary to make me the Hero I am today. My Quirk is a lot to handle after all. By the way, since you analyze Quirks, what do you think of mine?"
"Your Quirk?" the greenette said bringing a thoughtful hand to his chin.
There had never been anything in the media saying what exactly it was or at least that Izuku haven't been able to find. Which was saying something because his research was thorough after years of practice. The press would ask but the Hero had always seemed to sidestep answering in some way or another. Never giving a straight answer and rather vagaries about strength or even giving joke answers. Plus, as for the Quirk registry, it was mostly kept confidential but even then, the labeling of Quirks hadn't been as specific as it was today. Quirks back then weren't named but merely labeled by what type mostly with brief notes of their characteristics.
"Well, I know it gives you great strength that you use to fight and maneuver," Izuku continued, mentally recalling all he had seen and read of the Hero. Along with personal experience with the Sludge Villain. "And apparently has a transformative element since you have two different forms. This and your bluffed up one. But other than your various moves, I don't know much else about it."
The fact the teen didn't know any more than that reassured the man that his secret was safe. That the public had no idea of what his Quirk was which was good because knowledge of One For All could challenge everything they knew of Quirks. Because One For All was unique in that it could be passed on like traits from parent to child, but without the necessity of a genetic connection. Instead, the Quirk could be passed on to anyone as long as the current holder wished to do so. Which the one sitting on the green couch very much wanted to.
"I see," Yagi said as his tone turning serious. "Tell me, young Midoriya, can I trust you?"
"O-of course, All Might!" Izuku replied quickly. At least, he thought so though he had no idea where this was going.
"My Quirk is a long-guarded secret and it is one I would like to share with you," the Hero said, gaunt blue eyes staring earnestly into curious green. "But you must promise to keep this secret for me and tell no one else. Can you do that, my boy?"
A secret about All Might's Quirk? I wonder what it could be. It must be serious to be so secretive about it.
Whatever it was, his need to learn and understand outweighed his worry as he said, "Yes, Yagi-sensei."
The skeletal man let out a pleased hum before he began.
"My Quirk is called One For All," he said. "And it was not originally mine. It was passed on to me by my mentor before she passed away making me the eighth holder of this power."
Eighth? No way.
"One For All has origins from when Quirks were first starting to manifest in our society. It was a time of turmoil and chaos as society tried to adjust to a world that suddenly had superpowers. This was before the role of Pro Hero was established and the unregulated use of Quirks was rampant."
Izuku knew some about the beginnings of Quirks. In his research of Heroes and their origins he knew that the first had been Vigilantes who had been captured and then rehabilitated. Making them the first Heroes who preceded the ones they had today.
"Within that chaos were two brothers. The younger one, Yoichi, was the first holder of One For All and the elder, whose name has been lost to history, was known as All For One."
One for All and All For One…it's like the Three Musketeers.
"Yoichi was born weak and seemingly Quirkless while his brother was born with a powerful Quirk. All For One allowed him to steal and transfer Quirks as he desired. A power he used to draw in and indebt hundreds of thousands of people to him as he took and gave Quirks as either reward or punishment. Eventually he became a sort of king to the hordes of people who flocked to him. Ruling over them through manipulation and oppressive power."
A shiver shot down Izuku's spine because he had never heard of that part of history. But it did sound similar to a sort of Underground boogey man he had read about a few times. In the dark corners of the internet were rumors of a man with a similar power but nothing concrete. As if he didn't really exist or, as some speculated, got rid of anyone who could confirm his existence. But there was no way they could be the same person if this All For One was from the beginning of Quirks.
"All For One saw himself as a god among men. Controlling those under him to form the world in his desired image while the people praised him for his 'blessings'. But his brother knew that All For One held no love for them and only wanted power. That he used those 'blessings' to control the people as his own personal puppets to play with. A game Yoichi had refused to play for years leading to All For One forcing a Quirk on his weaker younger brother."
Izuku listened intently at the tale even though he wasn't sure why All Might was telling him all this.
"In an effort to gain control over his brother, All For One forcibly gave him a stockpiling Quirk to give him strength. But as it turned out Yoichi wasn't actually Quirkless. He actually did have a Quirk but it was a passive one that only gave him the power to pass on a Quirk to another person. This power fused with the stockpiling Quirk forming One For All."
The fact that there had been a man who could give and take Quirks was shocking enough, but for Quirks to be fused together like that was insane. It was Izuku's first-time hearing anything like that was possible. Typically, Quirks would fuse or mutate from parent to child genetically. Like Shouto and his combination of fire and ice. Before this, Izuku was under the assumption that was the only way to get a Quirk. But now he knew there had been not one but two people with the ability to pass on a Quirk outside of genetics.
"Yoichi had a strong sense of justice and attempted to defeat his brother, but All For One was stronger and won. Ever since then, One For All has been passed on from person to person in hopes that one day it can be used to defeat All For One."
"Wait, wait," Izuku interjected while gesturing for the Hero to slow down. "You're talking as if he's still around. But that's not possible, right?"
"All For One can steal any Quirk he desires," Yagi replied with an even serious tone. "Over the many many years, he managed to find either healing or life lengthening Quirks to keep himself very much alive after all these years. Every successor of this power has tried and failed to defeat All For One so far. That is how my mentor died and even I went up against the Villain. It was how I got this."
A gaunt hand gestured towards his torso where the greenette knew a twisted scar marked the Hero's gut. A morbid souvenir from a fight All Might had kept secret for the betterment of society. An injury that was slowly sapping the strength of the Symbol of Peace and shortening his time as a Hero. Learning more about the origins of his injury was horrifying. But he was still alive which means…
"You won, right?" Izuku asked hesitantly.
"I survived, yes," the skeletal man replied, not inspiring much hope. "And I had thought I had won for many years because any trace of All For One had disappeared after our fight. But recently, I'm not so sure. Do you remember the Noumu?"
Of course, Izuku remembered the Noumu. The creature was the stuff of nightmares. Powerful and brainless despite its brain being every much exposed. Just a mindless being with multiple Quirks who had taken orders from a man child throwing a very violent temper tantrum. Who had crushed Aizawa as if he was made of paper and had withstood against All Might punch for punch until his Shock Absorption was overwhelmed. Instead of answering, the greenette merely nodded in fear that he might puke if he opened his mouth.
"The Noumu had multiple Quirks as you and that Villain, Shigaraki, had revealed during the attack. Naturally that is not possible which leads me to believe that All For One may still be out there somewhere. As to where I don't know but if he is alive, he may have connections with the League of Villains."
The greenette nodded because the theory made sense considering the circumstances and evidence leading to such a conclusion. But he still didn't know what all this had to do with him.
"Why are you telling me all this?" Izuku asked, green eyes filled with apprehensive curiosity.
"As you know, my time in my Hero form is extremely limited," Yagi answered, steepling his boney fingers in front of him with his elbows on his knees. "The time is drawing near for me to choose my own successor much like my mentor did with me. It's the reason why I came to work at UA in the first place on Principal Nezu's invitation."
That made sense. It would be a lot easier to find a good successor among the Hero students. Perhaps someone with similar values and a Quirk that could potentially have a latent strength element to explain the change in power. Because if this has been a secret for so long then it would be important to give it to someone who's sudden gaining of All Might's strength didn't draw too much attention to the Quirk itself.
Is that why he's sharing this with me? Maybe he wants to pick my analytical brain to choose the right person? Which would be an honor to help continue on the legacy the Hero had worked so hard for.
"I have thought long and hard about this decision," Yagi said as he lowered his hands. "And I believe I have found the one destined to be the next holder of One For All."
Oh, so that's a 'no' to asking my advice.
"Who?" Izuku asked, again confused as to why he was here.
"You, young Midoriya," the Number One Hero declared as he nodded his head towards the teen. "I choose you to be my successor."
Something in the Quirkless boy's brain short circuited much like Kaminari when he used too much electricity. He sat there wide green eyes blinking owlishly and mouth open in shock as his brain tried to process what the man had said. All Might, the Number One Hero and Symbol of Peace, wanted to give him a Quirk, his Quirk, and make him a successor.
What.
The.
Fuck.
In the flip of a switch, his brain went from stunned silence to a cacophony of questions. Did he mean it? What made him decided on him of all people? What about others who would make great successors? He could think of a fair few good candidates in his new class alone. Also, how in the world would they explain a Quirkless boy suddenly gaining a Quirk at fifteen? But the most important question with an infinite number of possible answers was the one that slipped out of his mouth.
"Why?"
The skeletal man chuckled at his shocked open mouth expression. He could see the gears turning behind those wide green eyes, but his shock was understandable considering the situation. It wasn't every day that you learn all you knew about Quirks was missing an important bit of information. That not all Quirks were transferred genetically through family, but that there was one that could be passed on outside of that bond. As well as that there was a man possibly out there, still potentially alive after all these years, who could take and hand out Quirks like candy. Some of which were sweet while others could secretly hold the bitter almond taste of cyanide.
"When I first met you, I saw a Quirkless boy with dreams of being a Hero," Yagi said. "Who desperately asked me if you could be a Hero like me without a Quirk. At the time, I was harsh when I told you it wasn't possible."
Green eyes cast down sadly at the reminder.
"But," the man added, causing the greenette to look up at him. "I didn't know you outside of those small bits of information. It had just been a boy asking a Hero if he could be one just like him. Of joining a dangerous profession without a Quirk to rely on. I was harsh, but I said what I did to protect you from reaching too far only to get hurt."
"I-I know that's why you said it," Izuku said, tears threatening to form in his eyes. Because even though he had done that for those reasons, his words still very much hurt him.
"While I stand by what I said that day, I would like to make an amendment," the Hero continued. "I didn't know you then. Didn't know the strength of your person or your skills and values. Didn't know what motivated you or how far that motivation would carry you. But, after the Sports Festival, I believe I understand you better."
Green eyes widened again as he waited to see what the Number One Hero thought of him now. Wishing and hoping that maybe his childhood idol finally believed that he could actually become the first ever Quirkless Hero. That he had proven himself to the man who had first inspired his dream.
"Being a Hero takes hard work and you certainly are willing to put that effort into your actions. Pushing yourself to come out on top. But you also are willing to place others above yourself and help those around you whenever possible. You were efficient and effective against whatever challenge you were faced with. All are the makings of a great Hero."
Izuku beamed at the praise from the Number One Hero. He was on cloud nine with the satisfaction that All Might saw Heroic potential in him. Could now see what the Quirkless boy had all along after having proven himself through the Sports Festival. Acknowledged his skills and values as a person who has the 'makings of a great Hero'. It was a moment he would treasure forever.
But it was only a moment.
"I commend you on your use of Support Items in place of a Quirk, young Midoriya," Yagi stated with an acknowledging nod. "However, those will only get you so far."
Eh?
"W-what do you mean?" the greenette asked as the moment of euphoria began to fade away.
"Using gear to reinforce one's power is smart," the skeletal man replied. "I myself attempted to use Support Items in the past but ultimately stopped because they kept breaking. But many Heroes incorporate Support Items into their work as Heroes. However, as helpful as they are, they can also be a trap."
"Trap?" the Quirkless boy parroted back.
"A Hero can become too reliant on their Support Items," Yagi explained. "Quickly becoming lost and unable to hold their own in a fight after losing them. I've seen too many Heroes fall into that trap and I fear with you it would be worse."
Izuku's eyebrows furrowed in confusion but also in anger at an inkling of what the Hero might be leading to.
"…how so?" the teen asked hesitantly.
"In your final match, you proved to be strong in an essentially Quirkless fight," the man admitted. "Whatever trick you had up your sleeve allowed you to counter young Shinsou's Quirk. But without that, what else could you use to break out of his hold?"
If I didn't, I wouldn't have answered him in the first place. But I wanted us both to show off what we could do. To make it a fair fight. Quirk versus Support Item.
"What are you getting at?" Izuku pressed, growing frustrated as his inkling was solidifying.
"You have the conviction and dedication to be a Hero," Yagi said. "There's no doubt about that. You are physically strong and smart with a drive to help others. But, despite all that, there is something you are lacking to be the kind of Hero you asked me if it was possible for you to become."
"So, you still…," the greenette uttered before taking a steadying breath. Knowing exactly what he was 'lacking' but not wanting his childhood idol to still think such a thing. "…you still don't believe I can be a Hero without a…?"
The teen's voice faded not wanting to say it out loud but the Hero finished it for him as he said, "Without a Quirk? No."
Something inside of Izuku cracked at that two-letter word. A pinprick of pain within his heart that the man, the Hero, in front of him still didn't believe. That he admittedly saw the potential in him but was still 'lacking'. As if he was nothing without a Quirk.
"The life of a Hero is dangerous," the man continued. "Especially the higher up in the rankings you are. I myself have gone up against the strongest Villains and had almost lost to the worst of them. Only able to survive because of the power given to me by One For All. Without that, all would have been lost."
Green eyes brimming with unshed tears just stared at the Hero who was once again breaking his heart.
"You are skillful with your Support Items," Yagi commented. "No doubt about that. But without them, I fear you would be left defenseless in a fight. Because this world is one of Quirks and the Quirkless will always be at a disadvantage."
The greenette looked down at his lap as the first of his tears began to fall.
"It is also very different fighting in the real world and winning a school sanctioned event," the Hero stated. "You did ultimately win the Sports Festival, but there were rules in place to keep everything fair and in order. But out there, despite all the laws and regulations, there are no rules. Villains will do anything to win and will not hesitate to take advantage in any way they can. Including ridding you of any and all Support Items and using their Quirks to overpower you."
Izuku knew that. He had experienced that when Bakugou had destroyed his gear. Because the blonde had been his personal Villain growing up even though his intentions were to 'protect' him. If only he could have protected him from himself.
"But I see the potential in you, young Midoriya," Yagi said, staring at the boy who jerked his head up slightly but still refused to meet the Hero's eyes. "Your Support Items are impressive and you use them well. But without them, you are at a disadvantage. Which is why I want to offer my Quirk to you so that you can become the Hero you want to be."
The Hero I want to be?
Izuku knew the kind of Hero he wanted to be. One that would help. He had said as much when he had presented his Hero name. He wanted to be Edge. The Hero who was there where ever and for who ever he could. Helping turn a fight no matter how big or small of an effort it took. Which is what he had done so far.
Sometimes it was with words. Like when he had told Hitoshi that he wasn't a Villain just because of his 'Villainous' Quirk. Or when he had talked to Mei about friendship and helped her realize she had more friends than just Hitoshi and him. Or even when he had helped coordinate during the USJ attack over the earpieces or PA system. Not to mention reporting Mineta for being a creepy pervert trying to take advantage of the girls in 1-A.
Other times it was with actions. Cleaning the beach. Building that electricity bomb to protect Tsuyu and him in the Flood Zone. Comforting Shouto whenever they would share friendly touches. Also physically helping other students during the Obstacle Course or checking in on those he defeated during the one-on-ones.
And sometimes it was even a combination of words and actions. Such as his fight against Shouto trying to do anything he could to help his friend realize that it was his fire. Not his father's but his and only his. Or giving Shouto a reprieve from his father by invited him to the sleepover. Or even just his offer to help create a Support Item for the element wielder even though he wasn't able to finish it.
His friends believed in him. His classmates and teachers did too. And his mom. Even the Hero Killer himself believed in him. All of them saw what All Might admitted that he saw as well. But unlike all of them, the Hero before him still believed that he needed a Quirk in order to follow in his footsteps. That he clearly had the potential but he was 'lacking'. But why? Why was having a Quirk so crucial for the type of Hero Izuku wanted to be?
"Let me get this straight," the Quirkless boy said, hoping to clear his confusion. "What you're saying is that despite me making it through the Obstacle Course in the top 20 on purpose, making it through the second round and landing in fourth on purpose, and fighting my way through the one-on-one battles to come out in first place on purpose…even then you still don't believe I can be a Hero without a Quirk?"
"Not if you want to be Number One," Yagi replied with a shake of his head. "Not if you want to be a Hero like me."
...
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