Syntax:

'Thoughts'

"Speech"

Emphasis

{Something New}

[Quirks]

Sound effects

'It's so dark... I hate it here.'

'I wish one of those heroes came for me... The ones he always talks about with such disdain.'

'If he hates heroes so much he has to be a villain, right? That's just logical...'

'Not to mention all the things I've seen and heard him do.'

'I don't want to be like him... I want to help people not hurt them, not take what's so important to them...'

'He wants me to be his protege, to take his place when he's gone.'

'I just wish that I turn out quirkless.'

'But then what stops him from making another? One that will do his bidding, one that won't oppose him like me.'

'No, I can't let that happen.'

'Another him would be too much for the heroes to handle...'

Later that same day the Villain's hideout was busted by no other than All Might, the top hero himself.

"Your reign of terror ends today, All For One!, you'll pay for all you've done, my Master will have her vengeance!"

Something seemed off... All Might wasn't smiling and his tone was dead serious and downright murderous... This is nothing like what he'd imagine him like.

"Hahaha, you're still caught up over Nana?" All For One's tone was jovial, almost. Like meeting an old friend.

"You should forget about her, she left you all alone, Toshinori. An unprepared successor facing the travesties of a hero."

"All because she was weak."

All Might suddenly got a lot more menacing.

Fury washing over him.

"Oh? Struck a chord?" All For One continues riling up All Might

'No...He's going to anger him into making a mistake. And I can't do anything...'

{Yes you can.}

That was new. A voice in his head.

Maybe he was going insane?

{All Might isn't thinking rationally. But if you made him realise he has to focus on the fight. That he has someone to save. He'll pull through. He will win.}

{Call out Izuku.}

{Call for help. For his help}

And so he did.

"Help, please, All Might!"

The shadows that were cast on All Might's face shifted away, his gaze remained steeled and sharp but in a focused manner rather than a furious one. He was All Might again.

'Goddamnit Toshinori, you're the Symbol Of Peace, don't let yourself get lead by the nose like that!'

"You've somehow fallen even lower All For One... Kidnapping a child. That's not in your style!"

"Who says I kidnapped him, All Might?"

The hero's face convulsed in shock.

"HAHAHA, that's right. He's mine."

'No... This monster intends to make a child his successor. The Symbol Of Chaos. I will not allow it. I will save that child from whatever dastardly plans have been put in motion. Even if in doing so I take my last breath.'

"Listen to me carefully. I'm only going to say this once."

He looked first directly in All For One's eyes.

"I will stop you, no matter the price I will have to pay."

And then at Izuku and his gaze softened, the sneer he had addressed All For One with gone without a trace. Eyes, devoid of disdain, the bluest, most calming blue. They just screamed You'll be okay, leave it to me. Izuku let go a breath he didn't even realise he was holding.

"It's okay now. Because I am here."

"You won't need to hurt any longer."

"I will save you."

Tears ran free from Izuku's eyes.

"Don't make promises you won't be able to keep All Might!" A sentence perfectly punctuated with a ball of red energy, roughly double the size of All Might, one he formed in an instant.

"It's not an empty promise All For One. I WILL END YOU IF THAT'S WHAT IT TAKES!" All Might retaliates by stopping said ball of energy in its tracks and launching it upward, far away from the child, far away from anyone.

"That's an oddly villainous threat for the No.1 Hero, don't you think?"

"Shut up!" All Might snarls as he runs at All For One.

Their fists clash.

And the memory ends, after all Izuku hadn't seen the rest of the fight so there's no way he could remember it.

In its place appears the next key memory in Izuku's life.

The aftermath of that fight, All Might fighting for his life at the hospital. Having lost many of his internal organs in the fight prior.

All Might taking care of him for a month or so while he looked for an orphanage he deemed fit to take Izuku off his hands.

During that time Izuku had seen the damage take its toll on All Might's civilian form, true form.

He declined until he was skeletal and looked like he'd collapse at every step.

Oh, and he vomited blood several times a day.

That was probably worth mentioning.

"Ugh."

Izuku grunted as he turned in his bed.

That is until his mom knocking at his bedroom door fully woke him up.

"Izuku! There's someone from U.A here to meet you! He says his name is Aizawa."

'Oh shit... I forgot all about that.'

"Alright, thanks mom, I'll be right out!"

And so he went dressing at speed so that he would at least look presentable.

Shirt, hoodie, pants, socks, shoes.

Hold on.

'Damnit! I forgot my trousers...'

After fixing his mishap the green haired boy stepped out to meet his potential co-worker.

"Morning Midoriya."

"M-Morning Aizawa-sensei."

"Just Aizawa, or Eraserhead, remember we're going to be co-workers soon."

"W-What?" Inko gasped.

'Oh... He's really not going to make this any easier, huh?'

"Your son is going to become a teacher at U.A, Miss. Midoriya."

"B-B-But don't you need to be a pro to teach at U.A?"

A nod.

"H-How could my Izuku become a pro-hero and a teacher at U.A if he's quirkless?"

Aizawa's blank expression was the closest he was capable of a jaw drop.

"Midoriya?" Izuku grimaced "You haven't told your own Mom?

"W-Well, you see, I-I..." 'Calm down Izuku, you can't keep stuttering like this if you're going to become a pro-hero. Deep breaths, just like that time with Kacchan.' "I was scared of telling you about my quirk mom... Which is why I just pretended to be quirkless. Truth is. I can steal quirks. I've stolen around 23 by now."

"I-I-Izuku? B-But, how could you steal quirks like that, you know that would be b-"

"Which is why all 23 of them were taken from villains and thugs." he interrupted.

Realisation dawned slowly on Inko's face.

"N-No."

"Y-Yeah, I was the Headhunter this whole time, mom."

"It's why I never let you do my laundry or go snooping in my wardrobe."

"I-Izuku!"

She ran up to him and grasped him in a tight hug.

"How could you put yourself in danger like that? Going after villains like that, with no proper training!"

"I-I taught myself how to fight mom, I wasn't completely helpless."

"A-And... If you've got powers like mine. And you don't do anything. Then the bad things that happen. It feels like they happened because of you. Because you didn't do anything."

"So... I did the only thing I knew how."

"Sorry for interrupting, but I have something to say too."

'Oh great, what is he gonna do now?'

"In his defence, the kid really can fight. And the control he has over his stolen quirks. It's immense. Maybe he shouldn't be going after villains like Muscular," (A tiny, sadistic smirk can be seen on Aizawa's face) "Without any extensive training or equipment, but he certainly is more qualified than some pro-heroes I've seen running around during my career."

"Not to mention the fact that he saved my life."

"That's why Nezu specifically gave him this offer."

"Anyway, enough of the sappy stuff."

"Matter is, he is, technically speaking, a criminal. A well respected one. But a criminal. We're going to change that by getting him a hero license," He turns to Izuku "For which the exam is today if you've forgotten, so we need to get a move on unless you want to be late."

"Pardon the intrusion Miss Midoriya, I'll make sure to get your son back safe and sound after the exam. Hero license in hand." Aizawa said as he pulled Izuku toward the door by his shirt collar.

"I can walk myself, you know!"

"I am aware."

"Let me go then!"

"No."

And that is all Inko hears before the door is shut by Aizawa.

While Aizawa drove him to the exam venue, which was 2 hours away, Izuku dreamt.

More memories dancing around in his head.

He's in a hospital.

His disguise quirk is on, and he's disguised as a doctor who works in said hospital.

He's following his quirk sense to a room that he knows is housing a child patient.

A quirkless child patient.

He can tell by the lack of glow or emotion coming from the room. Normally Izuku was able to at least tell whether the person was quirkless or not by his quirk sense.

When he felt nothing, he knew the person he was looking at must be quirkless.

And so he visited hospitals every week, put on a disguise and got rid of excess quirks.

He's never cared to find out what would happen if he hoarded quirks, he assumed there would be a limit but he didn't want to hoard quirks.

He wanted to give them to others, who might become great heroes.

They were his legacy.

Just how All For One wanted Izuku to become his.

Just like All Might was to his predecessor.

Izuku, disguised, knocks on the door.

"Come in!" A woman's voice, presumably the child's mother.

He walked in.

"Hello, I'm just here for a final check-up, you're about to leave if, I'm not mistaken?"

"Oh, yes, we were about to leave."

"Ah, I'll make this quick then, do you mind me using my quirk to boost your daughter's immune system and healing?"

"No, by all means, go ahead."

"It does have a backlash, but it affects me not your daughter, you can rest assured. She'll leave healthy as a horse." He smiled.

He placed a hand on the teen girl's forehead.

'Focus.'

'You can't afford to mess this up.'

'This girl, Mirai. Came in with bruises and fractures. She was probably beaten by some bullies. Maybe even some older men. She deserves a brighter future, a power to ward off the evil. A quirk springs into his memory, and almost tears itself from his body. It chose the girl.'

'This quirk... It manipulates light, it can even weaponise it. Bolts, swords, armour and so much more. [Aurora].'

'The aspect it lost when I stole it...Stability. Creations made with it only last a limited amount of time.'

'Here comes the tough part.'

"Amplify!"

'Remember the original form of the quirk. Reconstruct it. No. Make it stronger, better, faster.'

'Stability and power.'

'There!'

And so he passed [Aurora] on to Mirai, the light fading from within him, and flowing into the girl.

Light brimming inside of her. Bright, warm, kind.

Yes. She was the perfect successor.

"I have good news." He said as he turned with a smile.

"It seems something was inhibiting her quirk factor, that is to say."

"She wasn't actually quirkless" His smile grows wider, his eyes closing.

Her mother tears up.

Mirai gasps.

"I've fixed it, she's bound to develop her quirk any day now."

Now both, mother and daughter have massive smiles on their faces.

"I do hope you use it carefully, young Mirai." (Some of All Might's speech patterns had rubbed off on him and remained ingrained in his mind.)

"If she injures herself or anyone else when her quirk manifests, please make sure to get the injured individual to the nearest hospital or qualified healer."

"Yes! Thank you, doctor!"

He felt something run into him from behind.

Mirai had latched onto him in a hug.

'W-Well, this was definitely unexpected.'

Her mother had joined in.

'O-Oh...G-Guess this is my life now.'

And the warm, fuzzy memory fades as he falls into a deeper sleep.

"Oi, Midoriya!"

"Waah-!?"

"It's time, kid. You're exam starts soon, go into that building, ask for the exam at the reception, they'll point you in the right direction."

"H-Hold on, you're not going in with me?"

"It would be unprofessional and suspicious for a pro-hero to walk into an exam venue with someone taking the exam."

"T-That does make sense..." he says with a slight pout.

"I will be observing though, you are strong and your skills are higher level than most. But that just means you have to drain to make them as close to perfect as you can. I will be strict with your training."

Izuku, recoiled in fear, he hated when Aizawa got this imposing, he even managed to scare Kacchan. Well, the explosive boy would never admit it, but Izuku could tell.

"Anyway, run along, it's your time to shine, Midoriya."

"O-Okay, if you think I can do it."

He got out the car and jogged up halfway to the door.

"Midoriya!"

Izuku turns back.

To a strange image.

Aizawa was smiling.

Not a smirk, not a micro-smile.

Full on smiling.

Talk about out of character.

"Good Luck, Midoriya."

Izuku couldn't help it.

He smiled too.

The widest smile possible.

Ear to ear would be an understatement.

Tears brimmed in the corners of his eyes.

"Thank you Aizawa-sensei!"

'Goddamnit Midoriya, that whole-hearted smile of yours is terrifying. Villains will quiver just at the sight of it...'

'Hold on, sneaky brat, he used the honorific again.'

'AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA'

'I'M GONNA BE LATE.'

'THEY WOULDN'T TELL ME WHERE THE EXAM WAS BEING HELD SINCE THEY DIDN'T BELIEVE I WAS A CANDIDATE, DAMNIT!'

'RUN IZUKU RUN, YOUR FUTURE DEPENDS ON IT!'

He skidded into the class where the heroes were being briefed on the exam just as the instructor, Best Jeanist, started speaking.

"How'd you get in here, fanboy?" he spoke in that collected and esteemed tone of his that he was so popular for "These are the hero license exams, you shouldn't be here."

"I-I..." he struggled to catch his breath "I-I'm here," huff, "For the hero exam."

Jeanist looks down to the short green haired boy with something akin to an angry surprise, he thinks he's making this out to be a joke.

"Kid-"

"No, I mean it! I'm here to become a hero."

"Kid, this is really getting on my nerves, I want to start the brief, so would you please get ou-"

"Eraserhead?!"

'Wha-?'

"Yeah, I thought this would happen, thankfully I decided to check up on you." he looked at Izuku "Midoriya is here to take the hero license exam, Nezu, All Might and I all personally recommend him."

With ever pro hero's name he dropped the jaws of everyone in the room, including Best Jeanist's, dropped. Especially at the mention of All Might.

"Are you sure about this, Eraser? He looks like a first-year, no school would recommend their first-year hero students to take their Pro-Hero license exam."

"He's a different case, I would hazard to say he's the closest to a pro-hero U.A has at the moment, including the third years."

Again, everyone just gets more and more surprised, their eyes seem to be almost popping out of their sockets.

"Anyway, I won't bother you any longer Jeanist, let his aptitude speak for itself."

He walks back toward the door of the classroom.

"Oh, I need to correct you on one thing," Aizawa says, facing them, a shit-eating grin plastered on his face.

'No, please. You've done enough, the spotlight is already completely on m-'

"Midoriya isn't a hero course student, he's in general education."

He closes the door as he leaves.

Everyone is staring daggers at Izuku as they realise their most dangerous competition is a 15-year-old recommended by U.A's principal, the Symbol Of Peace and the top underground hero.

And Izuku just wants to sink into the ground.

'Why haven't I found a permeation quirk yet...'

'Why must Aizawa-sensei do this to me...'

'My face is heating up, I might just evaporate...'

Sorry this took so long .

I've been exhausted and sapped of most creativity due to exams, but I've got a week's break now so I might actually get back on top of posting chapters earlier, I might make the next post a Concrete Angel chapter but that depends on two things:
Whether anyone actually wants another CA chapter

What I feel more like writing

Anyhow I've taken the liberty of making Eraserhead the top underground hero because I love his character just as much as All Might if not more. Although I feel like the way I write him is very lacklustre compared to some fics which get his character like 100% on point.