AN: I figured with the cliffhanger last chapter I might as well give an early chapter this week. It will most likely be several weeks before the next chapter is released since this ends the current 'arc' of this story.
The reception of the last chapter was understandably controversial. I can understand some of the complaints, while others I wholeheartedly disagree with. But either way I figured having the whole picture with this chapter would be the best situation for everyone. If those of you who mentioned dropping the story still feel that way after this chapter, then I wish you the best. I'm sorry my story didn't quite hold up to your expectations.
There are minor changes with phrasing in the previous chapter to make some of the more ambiguous action easier to follow.
Enjoy!
Chapter 13
The Torch
oooOo Katsumi oOooo
"De…ku?"
He wasn't moving…
"Deku! G-get the fuck up, you damn nerd!"
He wasn't listening. He always listened.
"Hehehahahah! Anything to save a comrade, eh All Might!?"
Katsumi's eyes snapped to the source of the taunt.
"What might have happened to my Nomu if I'd let that kid get off his special move?! Hah?! But violence in the name of saving others is admirable? Isn't it!? Hero?"
It was him.
He did this.
All Might was standing between the disgusting onyx-skinned creature and Izuku's crumpled form.
Tomura was wide open.
Katsumi swung an explosive fist into Kurogiri's collar, ignoring the villain's howl of pain as she crushed the armor into a misshapen hunk of metal. Hopefully that would delay his teleportation for a few seconds.
A moment was all she'd need.
Katsumi exploded across the distance in a blink, getting a vicious thrill at the spike of fear in the blue-haired freak's eyes. She swung a blazing palm of fire at the villain, but he ducked with a speed she'd only seen from Izuku and other pros.
But that was no matter, she'd expected that much from a villain of his caliber. The first strike was a feint, a decoy for the knee that slammed up into the freak's lowered head.
The explosion she'd added from the bottom of her foot gave it that extra burst of speed needed to catch him off guard.
Katsumi's knee cracked into where his nose was probably hidden under that fucking hand mask of his.
The crunch of snapping bones was music to her ears. Though whether it was the sound of his nose breaking or the hands themselves she wasn't sure. Nor did she care.
Katsumi didn't let up her assault, slipping past the bony hand of the villain as it grasped desperately. She slammed two fiery jabs, one after the other into his exposed left flank.
That time she heard the telltale snap of ribs caving under her blows.
Good, he was almost dead then…
Her right palm lit up with a screeching white flame, swinging in a wide arc before slamming past Tomura's already faltering guard.
That was the first time Katsumi had felt human flesh truly melt away under the power of her quirk.
She couldn't find it in herself to care.
By all accounts the attack should have ended him. But once again Katsumi was reminded of the headache-inducing reality of dealing with a warp-quirk.
"Fuck!" She should have fucking stayed on his ass. Glancing back to the last place she'd seen Kurogiri, Katsumi's eyes widened at the sight of the villain's mangled collar encased completely in ice.
So icy-hot wasn't dropping the ball after all… Kurogiri probably couldn't move with that collar restrained as it was, but that apparently didn't stop him from warping others.
The inky dark purple vortex swallowed Tomura, preventing Katsumi from dealing any further blows, but the damage was already done.
Sure enough, when Tomura swirled back into existence across the plaza, he was not on his feet, but curled in on himself in agony. He clamped a hand over his other arm, clearly burned and bloodied even from the distance between them.
"How's that for violence, fucker?" Katsumi hissed spitefully, but her eyes were already searching out Izuku where he lay guarded by All Might. He was still frighteningly still, and way too close to the two titans about to do battle.
"These fucking UA brats?!" Tomura wailed pitifully. "Look at that right there! Heroes and villains both thrive on violence, but we're still categorized! You're good, we're evil. That's how it is right?!"
Tomura was working himself into a frenzy, though Katsumi hoped it was a delirium brought on by the pain.
"Symbol of Peace? Hah! In the end you're just a tool for violence, made to keep us down! But violence only breeds more violence, I'll show th—"
"I'll stop you right there, young man. The idealistic criminals you're imitating so poorly have a different sort of fire in their eyes." All Might stared down the villain. "But you're just a petulant child, aren't you?"
…
"Hoh? You saw right through me huh?" Tomura's righteous act drained away, "Nomu, It's time to complete the objective you were designed for! Kill the symbol of peace!" A cruel grin stretched over his features.
Once we've done that, we can take our time with the kids."
Katsumi hopped back towards their group. "Icy-Hot, get Deku away from All Might and bird-brain!"
"Fine."
She didn't even bother to respond to the dismissive tone, there were more important matters to deal with.
Todoroki's ice crawled along the ground to where Izuku lay unconscious. A platform molded underneath his body, before dragging him along the already created ice to where they stood with Aizawa.
Katsumi let out a heavy breath of relief at the sight of quicksteel floating alongside his unconscious body, only for her blood to run cold at the bloody stump of what was once his left hand.
"D-deku?!" Was this a joke?! All the time's he'd been there to protect her and she lets that fucking man-child take his hand?! The first time he needed her help?
Worthless.
"If All Might can hold the Nomu in place again, we can—"
"No! You two need to keep an eye on Aizawa and Midoriya-shonen," All Might cut over Icy-hot before he'd even finished. "I'll take care of things here."
"Oh yeah!? Where the fuck was that attitude before Deku got h-hurt!? Huh? All Might?" Her voice cracked with despair.
Katsumi didn't know whether to be satisfied or not at the violent flinch the hero gave in response.
"Quite right, young Bakugo, it pains me that you've all had to see me in such a pitiful state," He said, ginning grimly. "Please allow me to make up for such unforgivable failures! Everything will be ok!" he turned to face Nomu.
"Why? Because I Am… The Symbol of Peace!"
Her senses weren't quite as fine-tuned as Izuku's, but even Katsumi could feel the change in the air.
All Might leaped, rocking the floor of the USJ with his thunderous power. But when the Nomu met the hero midway with its own devastating charge, Katsumi was given the first taste of exactly how far away the number one spot truely was. She ducked low over Izuku's downed form as shockwaves buffeted them even where they huddled meters away from the two clashing titans.
A second later the light from above began to be partially obscured, initially scaring the shit out her. But as she identified it as quicksteel slowly forming into a protective dome over their little group she let out a breath of relief.
"K-Kacchan? W-what'd I miss?" he groaned deliriously
She really had to hold herself back from smacking him silly. "S-shut the fuck up! Can you make a tourniquet with your quirk, nerd?"
"A tourn...? For wh—Oh… OW."
Another round of deafening shockwaves thundered against the dome Izuku had managed to erect over their small group. Katsumi winced at the obvious distress it was causing him even to use his quirk this much. Her scowl deepened at the grunt of pain he let out as he stemmed the bleeding of his left arm with his own quirk.
"It's 'absorbtion,' not 'negation'! So he must have a limit, no?!" All Might's voice echoed grandly throughout the USJ, even eclipsing the howling wind. "Built to counter me you say!? Made to withstand everything I've got!?"
Katsumi felt very small in that moment, hunkered down behind Deku's quicksteel while a practical warzone raged on the other side. The explosions reached a fever pitch, every devastating blow delivered kicking up dust and debris and sending it careening over the plaza every which way.
She didn't fear for her safety though, Izuku would probably die before letting his barrier drop. In fact, as a sizable chunk of concrete rung against his shield, Katsumi was beginning to think that outcome was probably more likely than anything at this point.
That she did fear.
"A hero's always ready to smash through trouble!" The shockwaves paused for a single moment.
"Tell me, Villain! Do you know the meaning of… Plus…
ULTRA!"
It was perhaps the greatest force she'd born witness to in her short life. The impact from All Might's final strike was something she could feel in the deepest parts of her being. The kickback, even hunkered down behind a barrier as she was, ironically, was like a punch to the chest.
The shattering of ice filled Katsumi's ears as the shockwave shook the ground of the USJ. That was probably Kurogiri being freed, not that he could do anything to save Nomu from its fate at this point.
The fact that All Might's city-leveling blows were still considered punches at all was the real joke here.
But as the Nomu was launched like a rocket through the distant ceiling of the USJ, Katsumi couldn't help but acknowledge All Might's overwhelming strength.
And more importantly, the Symbol of Peace had taken out the greatest threat to their lives, leaving only the broken pair of villains standing before them.
Izuku's shield folded in on itself, returning to its default form, though the thick band of metal he'd capped around the stump of his wrist stayed firmly in place.
They had to finish this up, they didn't have time. Izuku was down for the count and every second wasted would only worsen the lasting damage from his injuries…
"Y-you cheated!" Tomura burst out, once the shock of seeing his 'Anti Symbol' get launched to fuckin mars. "You were supposed to be weakened! But I can see now that that was a lie… we're completely out-matched. How dare you do that to my Nomu…"
"Well? Coming to get me?!" All Might stood in a cloud of billowing white smoke, looking bruised and battered himself, but as triumphant as ever. "What happened to clearing the game? If you can take me, then bring it on!"
"Calm yourself, Shigaraki Tomura. It's apparent that All Might will not simply walk off the damage dealt by Nomu, besides, my chassis has been damaged leaving my quirk unstable. With you injured and the teachers and police most likely a few minutes away it would be prudent to escape while we are still able…" Kurogiri trailed off, letting t the connections himself. The words had a visible effect on the younger villain's hysteria.
"Right…right, right. Yes... right, okay. We escape then… All Might's injured, we can always kill him another day… Like a save point…"
Or maybe he was just fucking insane the whole time…
The decision was taken out of the villain's hands a moment later as the doors to the USJ Burst open with an echoing explosion. The rapid-fire cracks of gunfire carried across the plaza as bullets rained down on the villains below, slicing through the exposed flesh of Tomura's already injured shoulder. Any further shots were warped away by his comrade, but it was clear the villain wouldn't be moving that arm any time soon.
Or preferably, ever.
"Just in time," Izuku grunted out from beneath her.
"Enjoy your precious peace while it lasts, heroes," Tomura cried. He reached down to scoop something off the ground.
Katsumi's stomach turned once she'd realized what it was.
"I don't usually wear the living, but for you," he leveled a bloodshot crimson eye towards Izuku. "I'll make an exception."
Tomura slipped into the waning portal, taking his prize along with him.
Katsumi glanced back to Izuku, unsure for once about what exactly she should say to someone who'd just had their hand stolen. But he was still once more, apparently having passed out from the blood loss.
"Hey! All Might! We gotta get Deku out of here! The fuck are you waiting for?!"
But All Might stayed in the crater caused by his final punch, heaving great lungfuls of air. Clouds of unnaturally white smoke still billowed around his form obscuring the injuries she'd seen previously.
Something was wrong.
Katsumi hopped into the shallow crater, sliding down the side on the balls of her feet.
"No! Young Bakugo, stay back!"
"We don't have fucking time for that, All Might! Deku's missing a fucking hand, what are you w—All... Might?"
This had to be a joke.
All Might, at least she thought it was All Might, stood before her. Streamlined, Olympian musculature gave way to a frail, hunched form. The steaming intensified as the once-grand hero practically deflated before her eyes.
W-what the hell was up with that puny body?! All Might?!
"Young Bakug-ackgh" All Might was wracked by hacking coughs, spewing blood over a fisted hand.
The implications of such a sight raced through her mind, but one thing was obvious. No one could know about this.
Katsumi leveled an explosion to the dusty ground, kicking up another cloud of dust up around the pair, obscuring the crater from view. "I don't know what that pathetic body of yours is, All Might," she growled, meeting the hero's widening eyes. "But it'd be bad if anyone found out about this, right? I don't have time for this shit. Deku's hurt and I don't have time to baby your ass."
Katsumi leaped out of the crater, landing in a crouch next to Izuku's still form. She didn't want to risk moving him any more than they'd had to, just in case there was any damage to his spine.
"What was that all about?" Icy-hot asked emotionlessly.
"Don't fucking worry about it."
oooOoOoOooo
The teachers had stuck Izuku into an ambulance and she'd nearly blasted the paramedic across the road when he'd tried to block her from following. Curiously, it was a plainly dressed detective that had granted her access. All it took was him laying a gentle hand on the man's shoulder and a whispered word and the paramedic had immediately backed off.
The hell was that all about anyway?
Katsumi hopped into back of the ambulance, racing to the utterly still form of her best friend and… lover? She'd barely had any time to figure that shit out before he went and got himself fucking chopped up.
Protecting her.
Katsumi's vision blurred, the unfamiliar sting of tears pricking at the corners of her eyes.
She let out a gasp as warm fingers clasped around her own, though the grip was frighteningly weak for someone she knew to be so strong.
"Don't cry, Kacchan," he said softly.
"Who's fucking crying, nerd?!" she bit out hoarsely.
He let out a weak chuckle, "Everyone okay?"
"As if you have any time to worry about anyone else!"
"So yes, then?"
Katsumi's mind immediately shot to the emaciated form of the number one hero.
"…Yeah." This was hardly the time to drop a bomb like that on someone in such an unstable condition. But until she got an explanation from the man himself…
"I'm glad," he sighed, closing his eyes as the painkillers the paramedics gave him started kicking in.
"That fucker took your hand, Deku! The fuck do you have to be glad about?!" She shouted, consciously restraining herself from smacking him along with her words.
"I'm sure I'll figure something out…" he said. The quicksteel floating above their head rippled before a section of it separated from the main mass, flexing into reasonable replication of a human hand.
It gave her a fucking thumbs up.
The bark of laughter she gave in response may have bordered hysterical, but at least she knew he wasn't all broken up about it.
Now she just needed to get her own head on straight.
oooOoOoOooo
They'd made good time back to the main campus of UA and the automated robots that helped run the school transported Izuku to Recovery girl's office as soon as they'd arrived.
So now, Katsumi stood to one side, feeling utterly useless as the 'youthful' heroine examined her best friend.
"Hmm, oh dear… several cracked ribs… severe lacerations to the back and right flank…" She mused clinically as if this wasn't the most harrowing event Katsumi'd ever experienced. "Minor concussion… it's a miracle the boy's spine is still intact…"
"And… h-his hand!?" Katsumi finally bit out, chewing on the tip of her thumb in agitation.
Recovery girl leveled her with a grave look that left a pit in the center of her stomach. "My quirk lets me speed of the body's natural healing, dearie. You did well to slow the bleeding as much as you did, even if you'd recovered the hand itself, I doubt I'd be able to do anything about it.
"Dammit!" Katsumi roared, slamming a flaming fist into the nearest wall, scorching the ugly yellow paint with smoking embers.
"I understand you're upset, but this is as close to a hospital as UA's going to get. So if you can't control yourself I expect you to leave." Recovery Girl didn't yell, but her tone allowed for zero protest, and Katsumi once again returned to her nervous pacing.
"Good," the diminutive nurse said, returning to her work. "I've healed the most immediate injuries, but he needs to recover naturally for a day or so. After he regains a bit of stamina, I'll be able to heal the rest. Disregarding his hand of course… Whether he wants to continue hero work after all this is up to—"
"You fucking joking?! Deku? Quit being a hero from something like this?" This time the laughter was undoubtedly hysterical, echoing off the walls of the small infirmary. Katsumi leveled a narrowed glare on the woman who'd dared suggest such a thing. "This is nothing."
It didn't feel like nothing…
"I can't help but agree, young Bakugo!"
The sunken, frail face of the symbol of peace's emaciated form was less of a shock the second time. But seeing the man up close like this, without the billowing smoke obscuring his entire frame was startling in other ways.
This was the strongest person in existence?! Was he just a shrunken man playing hero this whole time?
"I'm sure you have questions, young Bakugo," he said, following Recovery girl's orders and dragging himself over to the cot next to Izuku. "However, we'd best wait for young Midoriya to awaken. This conversation concern's him more than anyone.
oooOo Izuku oOooo
Izuku's senses were foggy as he returned to the world of the living. He vaguely recalled the way Uraraka had described the effects of recovery girl's quirk. This seemed to be something of a similar nature.
Though, judging by the throbbing pain centered around his left wrist, his injuries hadn't been healed completely. Luckily, that all-consuming pain that had wracked his body while the wound was fresh was blessedly absent. The current throbbing was a mere irritant in comparison.
At least through this pain he could think.
The USJ had obviously been a clusterfuck from the start, but until he'd been dismembered and ragdolled by Tomura and his Nomu, only Aizawa had been seriously injured.
Had their Aizawa gotten medical attention in time?
All Might had beaten Nomu, right?
That sounded right. Izuku vaguely recalled fading in and of consciousness at several points after the fact. The details however, eluded him.
Kacchan was safe, he remembered that much. But the rest of their class? And All Might hadn't looked so good when they'd bailed him out of Kurogiri's warp gate. The man obviously had internal bleeding at the least. He'd gone blow for blow with that Nomu even after that point.
That couldn't have been too healthy.
Any further thought on the subject would be pointless speculation. Izuku had a feeling it was about time for him to face the aftermath of that disastrous training exercise.
His eyelids were like iron doors with how hard they were to pry open, but eventually he managed.
The first thing that registered was the spiky strands of ash blonde hair preventing him from seeing anything at all. But at his vision focused, and Katsumi's dozing face came into view, the warmth that blanketed his form started to make more and more sense.
She snoozed comfortably, her features softening noticeably without that ever-present scowl of hers in place.
Just as he'd had the thought, she twitched, nose scrunching at whatever specter plagued her dreams. Considering recent events, it wasn't hard to guess what.
Katsumi snuggled closer to his side, burrowing her nose into the crook of his neck. She inhaled deeply, as if committing his scent to memory before relaxing once more. Despite his injuries Izuku still couldn't help but shiver at the attention of his girlfriend even if it was unconscious.
After so long pining after her, it was so very refreshing to have his feelings returned even if it was an unconscious reaction from the girl. Even coming out of the most harrowing experience of his short life, Kacchan still managed to fill him with an overwhelming sense of belonging.
Was there something wrong with him? This couldn't be a natural reaction, right? He'd lost a hand for fuck's sake, should he really be concerning himself with the giddy feelings of a new relationship?
Oh well… who could really decide what's right and wrong when it came to emotions.
Izuku yearned for some news about his classmates, but he also knew his best friend. This was most likely the first bit of sleep she'd gotten since…
How long had it been since the USJ? It couldn't have been more than a day or two judging from the freshness of his injuries. But the rosy light peeking through the window of recovery girl's infirmary indicated it was either dawn or dusk. The lack of activity around the room pointed towards the former of the two.
His eyes returned to Katsumi. She'd shifted so her ashy blonde hair obscured her face completely. It really was getting pretty long lately. A few more inches and she'd look even more like her mother than she already did. Even now, she'd probably be able to pull it back into a short ponytail.
As the image appeared in his mind, Izuku found that he quite liked the idea…
"I can practically hear your brain working, nerd." The vibration of Katsumi's whispered words tickled his neck, bringing a smile to his lips. She squirmed impossibly closer, though clearly kept his recent injuries in mind.
"I love you."
Katsumi stiffened.
Oops.
He certainly hadn't meant to say that out loud, but he couldn't quite bring himself to regret the words.
"You makin fun of me, nerd?" she seemed to curl in on herself.
What? Not exactly the reaction he was expecting. He wouldn't blame her if she'd been a bit weirded out by his moment of honesty. But she hadn't shown any adverse reactions to the idea, not even shifting her body from its place by his side.
What was this aura of self-doubt?
It was an emotion he hadn't felt from Kacchan in years.
"I may have no filter… but I wouldn't joke about something like that…"
She remained silent.
"Do you not believe me?"
Dexterous fingertips trailed underneath the blanket down his left forearm pausing slightly as she reached the bandaged area. Katsumi ever so gently traced the rough cloth careful to apply as little pressure as possible. He'd never seen her be so delicate before…
She gasped lightly as her fingers dropped over the edge of his wrist, burying herself even further into his side.
Oh.
"It wasn't yo—"
"It was!"
He paused for a moment, unsure of how to respond. If Kacchan was dead set in her belief of guilt, there wasn't much he could say to change her mind.
Izuku ran through the events of the previous day in his mind as best he could remember. Some of the details eluded him, but he'd be hard-pressed to forget blocking the first hit from that nomu. It was probably the reason why Katsumi was even blaming herself in the first place.
"I moved initially because I care for you." Izuku said frankly. A pair of crimson irises peeked out through pale blonde bangs. They were so much more emotive and full of life than he remembered Tomura's beings, despite the similar color.
To compare them beyond that would be insulting to Kacchan.
"Let's consider the situation from an objective point of view. You had already restrained the warp gate, Kurogiri, right?"
She frowned in thought. "What about it…"
"Their plan to kill All Might hinged on abusing the warp gate to cut him in half, so keeping Kurogiri out of commission was our highest priority at that point. Especially with All Might so beat up from whatever happened before we got there."
Katsumi shifted uncomfortably, but otherwise made no other comment.
"Like I said before, I moved to block Nomu because I care about you." He grinned as she flushed under the cover of her bangs. "But it was still the correct decision for that specific situation. My mistake was trying to lock down something so much stronger me with other enemies around."
Echoes of the searing pain caused by Tomura's insidious quirk lanced up his arm at the thought. They faded after a moment, but the crease in his brow remained.
"We were outmatched, blaming yourself for my mistake is just dumb."
…
"Whatever…" she whispered. "D-did you really mean it… what you said before?"
A hot flush rushed to his face. She wasn't letting him get away with this huh?
"Y-yeah."
"Mmm. Same." Her eyes were hidden again, but that was ok.
Everything was ok.
oooOoOoOooo
"I am… going to be quiet so I don't get yelled at!"
"That was still too loud, Toshinori! You really don't know the meaning of restraint, do you?!"
While Recovery girl berated the number one hero, Izuku tried to come to terms that he'd just learned All Might's name.
Had they meant to give him that information? He wasn't exactly pretending to be asleep, but it wouldn't be unreasonable to expect him to be unaware with the ordeal he'd just been through.
But a moment later when they both turned to address him there was no surprise or alarm in their eyes.
"Midoriya-shonen! It is good to see you up about once more!"
Izuku paused, frowning down at Katsumi as she stiffened in his arms. She had fixed All Might with a suspicious stare the minute he'd walked into the room. It gave Izuku the impression that he was missing something.
He turned back to the symbol of Peace. "Not exactly up," he shrugged. "But I'm getting there. Hardly worthy of a hospital visit from the symbol of peace himself, though."
"Nonsense, my boy. First and foremost, my priority is to my… students, though I find myself falling short on that expectation lately!" The man said, shifting uncomfortably.
"Kacchan?" She still hadn't let up with her stare. It was starting to become seriously concerning. "Everything ok?"
"I don't know," she said slowly. "Is everything ok?" her gaze hadn't shifted, directing the question at the Symbol of peace himself.
All Might sighed, then he began to steam.
"I can't say I blame you for being suspicious, young Bakugo, especially considering the consequences of my moment of weakness."
A glance to Katsumi's unchanging expression told him that All Might's shrinking form was nothing new to the girl. And indeed even to Izuku, the steam looked vaguely familiar. It had been pouring off the hero when he'd pulled him away from Nomu.
Along with the bloody hacking coughs that had wracked his frame.
The white vapor billowed around the number one hero's body until the shadowed pits of his eyes were the only thing visible.
"That's twice now that you've both suffered for my own shortcomings, and for that I offer my sincerest apologies." The voice was raspy, though it still carried that grand undertone that was so iconic to All Might's persona.
But when the smoke cleared, it was not the massive figure of the symbol of peace that stood before them.
Was he dreaming? Or perhaps a nightmare?
This was the man standing between their current peace and a society saturated with villainy?
The eyes were perhaps the most recognizable feature of the man before him. They were sunken and shadowed, with those same baby-blue irises that Izuku could recognize anywhere.
This… was undeniably All Might.
But his body…
Powerful, unyielding muscle became a sickly emaciated frame. The suit he wore, custom made for the man's titanic size, hung off his frame like a circus tent. The dual upward sweeping bangs as well as the rest of his normally immaculately styled hairdo hung lankly around his angular face.
Izuku could feel his own eyes watering slightly at the sight before him. Beyond what this meant for society as a whole, All Might was a role model who Izuku had aspired to emulate since even before he'd gotten his quirk. To see him taken so low…
"You think an apology, is gonna make up fo—"
"Kacchan!" She fell silent, cowed by the sheer rarity of Izuku raising his voice at her. He'd apologize later, but the flash of unbridled self-revulsion that had appeared in All Might's eyes in that moment had spurred him to act.
"No, Midoriya-shonen. She's right to blame me for your most recent injury. If only I'd had just a bit more time… Petty crimes and joyriders," he spat self-deprecatingly. "Was I just trying to fool myself?"
Izuku's arm twinged painfully at the reminder. He was sure to keep the discomfort off of his features, but it seemed that recovery girl's eyes were still quite sharp in her old age.
"All-right, deary, time to peel yourself away from my patient, he's due for another round of treatment." Katsumi grumbled petulantly but otherwise followed the diminutive heroine's instructions. She knew better than to argue with the woman that bossed All Might around.
Recovery girl tapped her way over to his bedside, dropping her tiny clipboard at the edge. She hopped up onto a conveniently placed stool before her lips extended to comical proportions, connecting with the crest of his forehead a moment later.
The lancing pain he'd been compartmentalizing the whole time immediately began to trickle away. The expected exhaustion came to replace it almost immediately afterwards, an indication of his own body's temporarily boosted healing factor working to repair the damaged tissue around the stump of his left wrist.
Izuku pulled the bandaged appendage out from under his blanket, inspecting it under the light of Recovery girl's infirmary. The bandages had clearly been changed since the nurse's first round of quirk treatment. They were pristine, giving no indication of the gruesome injury that they'd held just a day earlier. Izuku prodded lightly at the bandages, finding the site still a bit tender to the touch, but obviously well on the way to healing, at least superficially.
Katsumi visibly winced at the sight of his missing hand, and All Might's emaciated expression wasn't much better.
"I was only half-joking before, Kacchan." Izuku willed a small mass of quicksteel to separate from the main orb floating idly over their heads. "It'll obviously take some getting used to, but there's something to be said about muscle memory…"
The smaller mass shuddered as Izuku meticulously sculpted a replica of his left hand, drawing reference from the thousands of times he'd coated the real thing with his quirk. Satisfied with the construct, Izuku plunged his wrist into quicksteel prosthetic, latching tendrils of the material so they ran in spidery strands almost up to his elbow.
Moving it without real flesh beneath would clearly take practice. But when the alternative was fighting at half power…
The decision was obvious.
"W-will that truly be a suitable substitute, Midoriya-shonen?" The genuine hope that came to All Might's expression in that moment was incredibly flattering. To think that the symbol of peace himself cared so much about his situation, even if it may have been out of a sense of guilt.
"It won't be the same," Izuku said frankly. "But a side effect of my quirk makes me hyperaware of outside factors effecting quicksteel itself. It won't be exactly the same, but my sense of touch may be even more sensitive once I get used to it." He paused, slowly reaching with a metallic hand to take Katsumi's where it rested just out of reach. "The warmth of another's touch is still well within reach"
"Too bad it's cold as shit for me…" Katsumi's soft tone didn't reflect the harshness of her words at all. Despite her complaint, her own hand shook as she wrapped it around his in what would have been a bone crushing grip. A tiny little smile pierced that despair that had been so dominant in her expression from the moment he woke up.
"What astounding resolve, Midoriya-shonen!" All Might shouted, buffing up into the form Izuku knew so well. "It seems my decision for a successor was the correct one!"
Izuku untangled his metallic digits from Katsumi's, turning his full attention to the man before him. "I'm sorry… what was that?"
"Indeed, Midoriya-sho—gaghrk"
Izuku jerked an arm out to help him, realizing a second later that the motion was pointless. Izuku recalled All Might coughing in a similar way when he fought the Nomu… But it wasn't like he could do anything to help the man.
"All Might… a-are you alright?"
"Quite alright, young man," he said, settling into a chair by Izuku's bedside. What normally would have collapsed under the man's massive weight, now fit his frame perfectly. How did that work anyway? Did the mass just disappear? All Might's hero form clearly wasn't just for show, the gaping hole in the USJ roof was a testament to that.
Here was yet another quirk that breaks every law of physics without a thought.
Katsumi sat on the edge of his cot, arms crossed and staring down All Might as she waited for the answers he'd clearly promised.
Recovery girl snatched her clipboard off his bedside table, then tapped her way over to the doorway. "Don't take too long now, Toshinori, this is an infirmary not your secret clubhouse."
"Many thanks! We'll be out in a jiffy!"
Izuku grinned. Even with that frail body, All Might's personality hadn't diminished in the slightest.
His smile fell as the man pulled up his shirt, exposing a grotesque scar twisting across the majority of his lower torso.
Izuku didn't quite know where to start. "W-what the…"
"Fuck." Katsumi cursed.
"Not a pretty sight, eh?" All Might said. "Five years ago, an… enemy did this to me."
Izuku met Katsumi's eyes as they darted to his own. "That was… the Toxic Chainsaw…" Izuku mused, turning back to All Might. "But that can't be right…"
All Might snapped a finger towards Izuku. "You've got a good eye, kid, and you're right. The Saw was nothing but a murderer. Cruel, brutal, and terrifying in his own right, but in terms of power he didn't really pose a threat to someone like me."
"We'd have heard about some shit like that, or at least the nerd over here would…" Katsumi said.
"Correct, Bakugo-chan, this particular battle was never made public, by my request of course. I was dealt a near-lethal blow, losing my stomach and most of my respiratory system." All Might dropped his shirt to cover the wound. "I've wasted away because of the aftereffects of all the surgeries, and I'm stuck in this weakened state for all but three hours a day, though that time is probably significantly lower now..." He sighed, "A symbol of peace who saves people with a smile…"
"Undaunted by evil…" Izuku said, the words ghosting from his lips without a thought. Of course, All Might couldn't let anyone know about this. But then… "Why tell me?"
All Might leaned back in his chair, propping his head up with his hands. "The easy answer would be that you already caught a glimpse of my weakened form, but Bakugo-chan here is more guilty of that than you are, my boy. You have my thanks for the cover yesterday, by the way." He said, grinning at Katsumi.
She scowled. "Whatever, All Might, it'd be a shit situation all around if people found out, right?"
"Erm, right… You know, heroes have to have appeal as well!" All Might said, buffing up and flexing his lats. "You've obviously got the skill, young Bakugo, but you might want to curb that mouth a bit."
She fixed him with narrowed eyes. "The fuck's wrong with the way I talk?"
Gods damn it, Kacchan…
Though Izuku had to admit seeing the musclebound hero looking so flummoxed was amusing to say the least. "So… what's the real answer then? And shouldn't you be saving your time if you're limited to three hours a day?"
"Right you are, Midoriya-shonen! Normally I'd have approached you alone to discuss such a sensitive topic… but everyone deserves someone in their corner."
Izuku frowned, glancing over at Katsumi. "I… don't follow."
"Midoriya-kun, Bakugo-chan, I've had my eye on the both of you since I met you all those months ago. You both have the potential to be top heroes straight out of school, but when it comes to inspiring society as a whole… It is you, Midoriya-shonen, that I deem worthy of inheriting my power.
…
Katsumi wedged a pinky into her ear, exaggeratingly twisting it back and forth as if cleaning her ear out. "I'm sorry, All Might, run that shit past me again. I thought you said you were gonna give away your power. As if that were even fucking possible."
She'd obviously heard the man correctly the first time, but Izuku was in the same state of disbelief. The idea of passing on a quirk was something that had never been documented before. However, the source of All Might's near-unmatched strength had always been even more of a mystery...
"Haahaahaah!" All Might laughed grandly. "You shoulda seen the look on both of your faces!"
A tick sprouted on Katsumi's forehead. "You're the one spouting some fuckin' fantasy about inheriting fucking quirks, All Might!"
"Fantastic? You betcha! But that makes it no less real, young Bakugo! The media always tries to guess my power, assuming it's super-strength, or some kind of boosting quirk—"
"There go half of my theories…"
"But I've never confirmed or denied any of their guesses, always dodging the question with some kind of joke or inspirational one liner."
"Yeah, we know, it's fucking annoying."
Izuku grinned. He and Katsumi had spent many afternoons after a hard day's training discussing this very topic. The way the symbol of peace always happened to divert attention away from his quirk was always particularly infuriating for the two of them. Having it confirmed that it was purposeful only inflamed his explosive girlfriend further.
"My apologies, Bakugo-chan, but I'm sure you could imagine the potential rioting if it got out that The Nation's Symbol of Peace wasn't a natural born hero…"
He… wasn't wrong.
All Might rose to his feet. Despite the hero's emaciated frame, he still stood a good few inches taller than Izuku himself and absolutely towered over Katsumi. Even frail and broken, All Might still cut a particularly striking figure. He spread his arms grandly, mimicking a pose he'd taken countless times in his buff form. "But my quirk… was passed down to me like the Olympic torch!"
"Passed… down?"
"Correct! The ability to cultivate and transfer power, that is the truth behind my mysterious quirk." All Might stuck out a hand as if physically grasping it. "Its name…. One for All."
Izuku's eyes widened, shooting over to Katsumi's. "Kacchan! It's a stockpiler! One like I've never even heard of before, but still. This—this changes everything!"
Izuku hopped up out of bed, feeling restless and unwilling to stay sitting with such monumental news being delivered. "Disregarding the common side effects of overuse, stockpiling quirks are usually gated by either a maximum amount of whatever is being gathered… or a particularly rare fuel source…"
He paused his pacing, peering at All Might curiously. He ignored the slightly overwhelmed look on his idol's face for the moment, his curiosity suitably rustled. "But it's so versatile… Speed, power, vitality, dexterity…" He began ticking off each point with his quicksteel prosthetic, slowly getting used to the more complex contortions of the human hand. "What could be stockpiled that would grant all that and more?"
Katsumi rested a hand on his shoulder, pulling him to sit beside her on the cot. She flushed lightly. "Sit down, nerd, you'll wear a hole in the floor." Katsumi fixed All Might with a glare. "Besides, you're not asking the right questions…"
"A-and what would those be, Bakugo-chan?" All Might was clearly unprepared for the sudden interrogation. Izuku didn't really blame him for that. He knew better than most how overwhelming Katsumi and he could be at times. But both of them at the same time? It might have been too much for even the Symbol of Peace to handle…
"If this fuckery isn't some wild fever dream, then why hasn't there ever been a hero like you before, hah?"
She was right… Generations of heroes had come and gone ever since quirks became the norm instead of the exception. Every crop had its gems, those that stood out among the ordinary. But there had never been an undisputed number one like All Might before… Unless...
"I see you've figured it out a bit, Midoriya-shonen."
Katsumi snapped her head back and forth between the two of them.
"Well!?"
All Might chuckled lightly. "You're being deceived by the frail form you see before you. One for All is indeed a formidable power on its own, but the previous holders all used it in their own way. My way just happened to rely on years of backbreaking effort! Make no mistake, the holder of One for All and the pillar of society are not mutually inclusive statuses. The former was gifted to me because of my ambition to become the latter."
Izuku slumped back into the bed with a gust of air. This was… too much to take in at once. "But… why me?" He glanced at Katsumi. "I'm sure there are better—"
"There aren't." She said, cutting him off immediately. Her hair shadowed her eyes, but a bloodthirsty grin slowly crept across her lips. "Let's be honest, I'm pretty fuckin badass—"
"—and humble."
"—but you have this charisma about you… You make m-people want to follow you." Her eyes darted implicatively at All Might. "Remind you of someone?"
"Funny, I don't recall ever being as popular as you say…" Izuku said, frowning over at her as they sat shoulder to shoulder.
"Not the fuckin extras, nerd!" Katsumi looked away with a pout. "Haven't you noticed? Ever since we got to UA, everyone's wanted a piece of you…"
"Hoh? So our friends aren't extras anymore, Kacchan?"
"Fuck off, you know what I meant." By this point she'd gotten all up in his face, specks of gold visible in crimson eyes. They narrowed dangerously and Izuku barely felt the puff of her breath on his face.
"You're gonna take this damn power." Katsumi grinned, "You'll need it if you even want a chance of taking the number one spot from me."
"Uh… Midoriya-shonen?"
Izuku flinched slightly at the sound of All Might's voice, while Katsumi grinned at him, pulling away. He turned back to the symbol of peace, squaring his shoulders and fixing him with an unblinking stare. "I'll do it."
"That's what I like to hear, young man!" All might shouted, buffing up and smiling grandly. "It seems that you too have friends you can rely on, no?"
Izuku grinned at the reminder of the first time he'd come face to face with the hero. His battle with the sludge villain seemed so long ago now…
"One for All requires a suitable vessel to be safely passed on, but you've passed that threshold long ago have you not?"
Izuku frowned. "I'm sure you'd have a better idea than I would, All Might." He paused, glancing down at the metallic construct replacing his left hand. "Can you give me some time? I'd rather not have to get used to this hand and another ability simultaneously…"
"That would be most prudent, Midoriya-shonen! I'd intended to wait out your recovery anyways, but I should have known you'd be eager to be back at the grindstone!" He stuck out a massive fist. "However, we don't have much time to spare! Plus, there's that coming up..."
oooOo—
"No, no, no! Don't just drop some shit like that and then cut the scene! What the f—"
End of Part II