Chapter Five

One For All


"You've seen the news, haven't you?" The boss asked. There was a stretch of silence.

"Yeah… 'course I have…" the voice replied, gruff and annoyed.

"That boy seems to be everywhere you look now, I've heard a great deal about him… Izuku… oh, forgive me, my memory abandons me in my old age, what was his last name again?"

"...Midoriya… Izuku Midoriya…" there was hostility in his tone now. The boss was mocking him.

"Ah, yes. The boy seems to have come a long way since the last time you saw him…"

"Yeah, seems the little shit has."

"You know, after this, he may well try and become a hero. Imagine, if you had to reunite with him under such conditions."

"I'd kill him. You know I would."

"Without second thought?"

"...If the kid wants to wear the costume so badly, he can get buried in it."


"Hey, Midoriya! Mr. Aizawa told me the good news!" Her voice seemed to cut the boy from his thoughts. "You'll be a part of my class! I'd love to show you the ropes."

Izuku looked up from his bed, giving her a shy smile. "So, you really think I'm cut out for it?"

Ochako blinked twice. "Well, yeah. You already have the drive and instincts, as well as an extremely powerful quirk, if you could get a handle on it. I'd say it could one day become stronger than almost anyone's in my class, including my own."

Izuku perked up immediately. "Oh yeah, I've been meaning to ask! What exactly is your quirk?" He didn't miss how her eyes fell. Slowly, she rested all five of her fingers on a cup before holding it over their heads and letting go. There it remained, suspended in air.

"It's called 'Zero Gravity'. Pretty self-explanatory, I guess," she said softly, her stance tightening.

"That's… You're so cool!" Izuku said, excitedly.

"Eh?"

"Zero Gravity! I mean, that has to be super great for rescue operations and the like, right? Is there a limit to the weight of the objects you can use it on?" He asked, completely missing how shellshocked she appeared to be.

"I-... Uh-... About six t-tons?" She said, clearly flustered.

Well, clearly to everyone save this boy.

"That's amazing! There are so many uses for something like that!" He began.

"Um, th-thanks…? B-but i-i-it really isn't that impr-"

"Just imagine the possibilities! Rescues, natural disasters, anything in between! Oh does it work on people?! Holy whoa imagine how good it could be for villain apprehension! There's so many possibi-"

"Midoriya!" Her voice cut him off. She had a slight blush, though she couldn't seem to meet his eyes.

"I-I'm glad you think so highly of it, but my quirk really isn't special. It isn't powerful, or good for fighting. It can be used on people, yeah, but it isn't nearly as strong as some others," she said. Her tone wasn't so much sad as it was… accepting. Something about that struck Izuku badly.

"I… disagree," she looked up, questioning, and suddenly he now found it hard to meet her eyes. "I just… Well… Your quirk may not be powerful in the traditional sense, but it seems to me that it's because it's not as straightforward as some others, and I think that's an advantage."

"How do you mean?" She asked.

"Well, for one, I think it'd be great for rescue situations. The ability to move debris could be very useful. But in something like a fight against a villain, well… essentially, if you can touch them, you win. I'm guessing the quirk activates when all five of your fingers make contact."

"Y-yes. How did you know that?"

"Well, for the past week, you never put all five of your fingers on anything you touched. You did it just now on that cup and it began to float," he said with a shrug.

Hmm, she thought. He's perceptive

"It just seems like there may be a lot of applications most people wouldn't even think to consider. Sure, it may not have the raw power of some others, but most serious villains have probably dealt with a lot of quirk types before. The really bad ones have experience against strength and enhancement types, and other more common, stereotypically powerful ones. Yours is one that most people are sure to have never encountered before, and that is a huge advantage for you," he spoke quickly, in the way she'd found him keen to do, but for once she didn't cut him off. She took in every single word.

"You… You really think so?" She asked, eyes wide.

"For what it's worth, yeah. You have a unique quirk, one that has a lot of varied uses!" He said, a smile bright on his face. "Besides, in my opinion, what quirk you have doesn't matter. What matters is how you use it. Any quirk can be powerful, if you use it right."

Ochako stood stock still for a moment, almost in a daze. Whether she would like to admit it or not, she'd always housed insecurity over her quirk, for as long as she could remember. Especially compared to the two top students of her class, and their ridiculously powerful quirks, and even some of her friends, like Yaoyarozu and Iida.

It took Izuku a few minutes. A few minutes to turn her insecurity on its head. It wasn't erased completely, it still lingered, but she found it to have weakened greatly. She watched as the boy turned to face the window, muttering about quirk applications to himself, holding his hand over his mouth, lost in thought and utterly unaware of the effect his words had on her. He didn't revel in her expression, nor did he seem to derive any sense of superiority from trying to help her. He simply seemed happy to see her feel better.

This boy, in his gown, with his messy hair and freckles…

"Hey, De-... Midoriya?" She called. He turned to face her, to find a smile on her face

"Thank you."


"Izuku Midoriya?" A voice called from the doorway to the room. Both the occupants turned to find a nurse peering in. "You have a visitor. Someone from UA? Would you like us to send him in?"

"Oh, uh… sure?" He responded, rubbing his neck, suddenly nervous. The nurse smiled kindly before leaving the room. Izuku turned to face Ochako, a face of terror donning his features. "Ummmm… do you have any idea who this will be?"

Ochako gave him a friendly, if apologetic, smile. "Sorry, Midoriya… I'm afraid I have no idea." Izuku nodded acceptingly.

"Oh well. Eraserhe-... Mr. Aizawa said something about someone else coming by, I've been wondering," Izuku began. The door opening cut him off.

Both teens donned confused faces. Izuku hadn't known who to expect in the first place, and Ochako imagined it could have been the principal, or perhaps one of the other heroics teacher, hell, maybe even All Might himself, but she had no clue who this was.

The man who'd entered was… extremely tall. He had to be at least seven feet tall, though his slouch made him appear somewhat shorter. Even so, he towered over both of them. Yet, he was gaunt, almost skeletal. His eyes and cheeks were sunken in, his clothes hang loosely from his body, and his hair was ratty. He looked like he would blow away with a light breeze.

Thinking about it, she realized that she had seen this man around UA, though she supposed he just hadn't stood out to her before… something about this man did strike Ochako as… strikingly familiar.

"Ah, Uraraka, right? Your teacher told me I'd probably see you here too," the man said. Despite his frame, his voice had a certain strength to it, and like the rest of him, she found it oddly familiar.

"Oh, um… it's good to see you, sir, but um, do we know each other?" She asked, trying not to offend him. Luckily, he seemed to take humor from it.

"I doubt you would know me, but I do know of you. After all, you got third place in the entrance exams for heroics. Believe it or not, score like that gets you some renown, kid," he said, smiling good naturedly. Before Ochako could muster a flustered response, the man turned his attention to Izuku.

"Now, you two can call me Mr. Yagi, and Midoriya, I would like the chance to speak with you," he said.

"O-oh! By… by all means, Mr. Yagi!" Izuku said, rather loudly. The lanky man chuckled good-naturedly.

"Ah, no need to be nervous, kid. I'd just like to ask you something, is all. I'm not someone you'd consider terribly important at UA anyhow, so try to relax," he said, though not unkindly.

"Now, I only really have one question," he continued. "When you charged in, throwing yourself in front of a blow that, as far as you knew, was going to kill you, just to save Uraraka here. I just want to know, what were you thinking? What was going through your head?" Yagi asked.

"I…" Izuku began, before trailing off. Both of his visitors were watching him intently, Ochako having wondered the same question to herself already, and curious to see his answer.

"I don't really know, sir," he said, looking down sheepishly. "I'm sorry if that's not the best answer, but honestly, I… I don't think I had a single thought in my mind. It's like… it's like my body… just started-"

"Just started moving?" Toshinori finished for the boy. Izuku nodded, and he continued. "Young man, you may not realize it, but every hero's rise to greatness, every one of their stories begins the same way; their bodies' move before they have a chance to think about it."

Toshinori watched this boy look up at him, as though struck by wonder. Even after a week, it seemed the kid wasn't used to his dream being affirmed.

"Here," he said, giving the boy a small parcel. "I baked it myself. Think of it as a get well present."

Izuku took the parcel to find a cookie inside. "Oh, thank you, sir!" Without a second thought, he bit into it, just to be struck. Something about it was off… the taste wasn't bad, perhaps a little bland, but the second he bit in, it was like… It was like the wool from his eyes lifted. Suddenly, he could see the world in a new light, and it was surreal.

"Ms. Uraraka, I'm sorry to ask this of you, but there are a few things I would like to talk to the boy about one on one," Yagi began, looking at her imploringly. Ochako nodded.

"Yeah, sure! I get it!" She answered, before turning to Izuku. "I'll see you soon, 'K Midoriya?"

"O-ok-kay…" he answered, still shaken from the odd effects of this cookie. Ochako looked concerned for a moment, but she stepped out, giving the boy a friendly smile as she exited.

"Young man…" Something about Yagi's tone was different. Izuku turned his head up. He could make out every detail in the man's eyes.

"Wh-... what's happening? What did… what did you do to me?" Izuku asked.

"It's like the world's always been black and white, and you're just now seeing it in color, yeah?" He asked, taking a seat in Ochako's chair beside the bed. "Suddenly, everything seems so much brighter. I've found that sight tends to be the first thing to catch on. The rest of your senses follow closely after. Your body may take longer."

"Mr… Mr. Yagi, that… that doesn't answer any… anything," Izuku said, his voice harder this time.

"I should have asked you, kid. I should have, and I'm sorry, but you have no idea how long… how long I've searched for someone like you. Ever since I heard about your sacrifice, ever since I saw what you did, just to help others… I knew that you weren't just some mere candidate. Something… deep in my heart, something told me it had to be you," Yagi said, his expression making him suddenly seem far older than he had been a few minutes ago. "I had no right to choose this path for you, and if you choose to give it up, I'll understand, that's your choice, but-"

"SIR!" Izuku cut him off. "I don't understand… what did you choose for me? What did you do?"

Yagi was silent for a time, as though finding the best way to word it.

"Young man, tell me. What do you think of All Might?" He asked. Izuku scrunched his brows.

"I… I've always admired him. Emulated him too, honestly. Wanted to be like him. But, what does that have to do with anything?" Izuku questioned.

"'Wanted to be like him', huh? Y'know, All Might's path is filled with blood. He's sacrificed a great deal to do what he does," Yagi posed.

"But he's saved countless people. When people see him, they feel safe. He… he can save people in a way few others can. He saves their lives and their souls. I'd give anything to do what he does," Izuku answered,

"...I have given you the power to succeed All Might himself, and one day, even surpass him."

There were moments of silence. It stretched on for quite some time, Izuku's vacant stare aimed at Yagi all the while.

"...W-w-wh-wha…?" He stuttered out, after about a minute. Toshinori took a breath.

"Kid, I am about to show you something, but I need you to stay quiet. Can you do that?" The boy nodded silently, his face still white with disbelief.

All at once, Toshinori's body began to shift. It grew, skinny limbs gaining muscle mass, his shoulders growing broader, his posture straightening and his hair following suit. Suddenly, his clothes didn't look so comically, oversized. Toshinori no longer stood in front of the young Izuku. He was staring at the greatest hero there had ever been.

All Might

"U-u-u-u-u-u-um-umm-uh….." Izuku found it hard to speak, his voice shaking and stuttering.

"Young Midoriya," The voice was booming, even when it was spoken in a soft tone. "I have chosen you to be my heir. I want you to go on to replace me. Become the next Symbol of Peace, greater than the current one could ever be. With your own amazing power, paired with my quirk enhancing your physical abilities, as well as supercharging your own quirk… I believe you are more than worthy of replacing me someday."

"B-b-b-bu-but…" Izuku took a long, deep breath. "I don't… I don't understand. What was in that cookie? How could I have your quirk? Why were you shrunk down earlier?"

"To put it simply, my own power is diminished, and fading fast. I went against a villain a few years ago, and even though I won, I ultimately lost most of my stomach. Long story short, I can only maintain this form for about three hours a day," before the boy's eyes, the giant of a man shrunk back down to his skeletal, and apparently, true form. "Rest of the time, I look like this. Some day, I won't be able to maintain my muscle form for any significant amount of time. My power is fading, and frankly, it'll be fading faster now that I've passed it on."

"...I knew so much about you, and yet…"

"Yeah, you wouldn't know about this. Only the staff at UA and a few others know about this form. To be frank, I'm telling you this in trust. This is… an important secret to keep. The Symbol of Peace has to be maintained, has to be this ideal. If people knew it actually looked like this… there'd be lasting repercussions. People have to know that they can trust in All Might, and who'd trust a body like this?"

"I would!" Izuku's voice rang out, getting him a wide eyed look from Toshinori. "S-sorry… It's just… bulked up or frail looking, you're still the hero that's saved thousands, if not millions of lives! What you look like does nothing to change that!" He sounded rather fired up now. "And… and I would be honored to have the chance to follow in your footsteps, no matter what it costs me!"

"Just like that?"

"...Just like that. Though, I'm sure there has to be people who are better-"

"I chose you. I know that it's a hefty torch that I'm passing, Young Midoriya, but it's one I firmly believe you can bear. Don't go questioning your own legitimacy before your path even begins!"

Izuku looked unsure still, but he gave a nod regardless. One thing still made no sense to him.

"You… you said you could pass on your quirk…?" He said, a curious tone to his voice.

"Right… It's time you come to know of my quirk. It's a secret that even those who know of this body are unaware of. Only six people know of this, not including the two of us," he said, sitting down and taking a breath. "The name of my quirk is… One For All. It is an old power, able to be passed through generations, gaining strength with each inheritance. Izuku Midoriya, of this sacred torch, you are the Ninth to bear it. And with you, it will burn brighter than ever it has in the past."

"...One… For… All…?"

"That's why the cookie made your sight all odd. One For All enhances all of your physical capabilities while in use, including things such as senses and reflexes. It will also greatly enhance Lazarus… Young Midoriya, in time, you could be a real terror to behold for the villains." Izuku nodded, though he appeared to be mostly in a daze.

"All… All Might?" He asked, distantly.

"Yeah? What's the matter?"

"Why… why me?" Izuku looked down at his hand. "Maybe I did something good, sure, but do you really feel comfortable entrusting something so… so monumental to a kid who didn't have a quirk until a week ago?"

"In truth, the second I heard your story from Young Bakugo, I knew… I even went through the trouble of putting a strand of my hair in that cookie on the same night as the incident, because I knew. I can't explain how, but I know you will surpass me." Izuku looked like he'd be sick after the comment regarding the cookie, but chose not to focus on it.

"I… you really think so?" He asked, looking at this man, this pillar, this idol. Toshinori looked back, seeing the fire in his successor's eyes.

"With every fiber in my being," Toshinori answered, truthfully. "You'll have to keep One For All a secret, whoever knows is instantly in danger. And, well… it's going to take you a long time before you can even use it, much less wield it properly. You're going to have to shape your body into peak condition… you may not be out of shape by any means, but you're much too slender to handle the repercussions of One For All currently. UA will help a lot in that regard, and you and I are going to spend a significant amount of time independently working on it. For now, think of it as more of a buff to Lazarus, as you'll still be able to use it."

Izuku nodded, and once again it occurred to him that he had no idea what he was in for with UA. Still, he would simply have to give it his all. He was done fretting about whether or not he could, he simply decided that he would succeed, no matter the cost.

And so the two talked, Izuku trying to normalize himself with speaking casually to the man he viewed as a legend, and Toshinori normalizing himself with the geekiness, nerdiness, and dorkiness of his chosen heir. Yet despite it all, he knew he had made the right choice.

Young Midoriya, my fire is fading, and one day, it will flicker out. But when the darkness takes me, I will rest knowing that your flames shine brighter than mine ever had.