Katsuki grimaced as he walked through a back alley, barely listening to the two other teens behind him.
"Bunch of fucking losers," he grumbled under his breath as he finished off his canned soda, glancing back at 'Long-Fingers' as he pulled out a pack of cigarettes, eyeing both of the boys with contempt.
Long-Fingers started to pull out a cigarette as he spoke up, "So Bakugo, what do you want to do? We could hit up the arcade, or maybe check out one of the local bars? I bet we can find some nic-"
"You idiots!" Bakugo shouted back at them, "If we get caught," he spun in place and swiped the cigarettes from Long-Finger's hand and launched them at a nearby trash can with a small explosion, "then my chances of getting into UA are shot!" He turned to stare at both of them, "And I'm not letting anyone get in my way!"
Both boys leaned back in fear as Katsuki's anger radiated out from him. He eyed them angrily, before spinning again, kicking a soda bottle down the alley, where it hit a wall and exploded in a shower of green goo.
All three of them stood in surprise and fear as the sludge villain rose up, tendrils waving in the air as his huge eyes focused on the blonde haired boy in front of him.
"Another body with such a powerful quirk!" the villain's voice gurgled out.
Izuku and Ochako continued on their walk home, chatting animatedly about the day's events, the both of them immersed in their conversation as they turned a corner, walking onto one of the main streets through Musutafu.
But when a young man in professional attire bumped into them as he ran, both were alerted that something wasn't quite right. A large group of people standing around the entrance to an alleyway market ahead drew their attention as the man uttered his apologies and took off again.
"Hey," Ochako said, grabbing onto Izuku's sleeve as a large explosion burst out from a nearby alley. Izuku glanced down at her hand, up to her face, a look of concern painted on her face, and then he turned to the crowd.
"Let's check it out. Could be some good hero action," Izuku said with a smile, walking forward steadily.
They approached the rear of the crowd, Izuku's height giving him plenty of clearance to see Death Arms, Kamui Woods, and Backdraft in the thick of a fight with green sludge as more explosions went off, setting fire to the street.
"Wait… That's the sludge villain! But...," he said in a low voice, his eyes going wide.
"But where's All Might?" Ochako asked, looking around, her eyes full of worry, "He didn't…"
"No. There's no way. He'll show up." Izuku said, shaking his head, watching the fight with concern. If his dad lost the villain, then something must have happened.
"Weak."
"Pathetic."
"Useless."
Toshinori muttered to himself as he loped down the street, following the sounds of the explosions and calls from the bystanders. He clutched his chest, gripping his shirt as his body fought against his will, the pain inside boiling up within him.
He approached the rear of the crowd, wheezing as his breath grew short, grabbing onto a light post to support himself. As he caught his breath, he looked up and horror struck him as he saw the sludge villain fighting against the three heroes in the alley.
'Stupid, pathetic. GET UP AND FIGHT!' he screamed in his mind, willing his body to fight longer, but the steam wouldn't come.
"Useless," he said weakly, hanging his head in shame.
Izuku watched on as the explosions got bigger and more frequent, until Death Arms called back, "He's got a hostage! Everyone stay back! We need a different hero to help!"
Izuku's gaze turned from the muscular hero back to the villain, the manic grin and wild eyes of the sludge spreading wide as another explosion burst out of the body of goo.
'Wait a minute. Out of the sludge? Not from…'
Izuku's eyes went wide with realization. His gaze fell on a familiar mop of blonde hair and a set of red eyes, a terrified look in them. A chill ran down his spine.
"No," Izuku said, his fists clenched by his side.
The next thing he felt was uncontrollable heat rising within him, and he leapt forward, passing above the crowd with a blast of air behind him. Ochako covered her eyes from the blast and reached out after him, calling out, "'Zuku, no!" but he was already out of her reach.
As he crossed the distance to the villain, the fire rose to its new master, Izuku's body sucking in the heat and energy as he extended his fist, a ring of green light building around his bicep.
Toshinori turned in surprise as he watched his son launch himself forward, the fire in the streets leaping towards Izuku, wrapping around his body as it devoured the energy. Surprise turned to awe and horror as Izuku got closer.
"Pathetic, Toshi," he muttered under his breath, as steam began to flow from his body, his frail form filling out slowly. "Now, save the boys!"
"YOU CAN'T HAVE HIM!" Izuku shouted as he rapidly approached the villain, his power reaching its limit, a thick green ring around his arm flashing brightly.
He landed a meter from the sludge villain with an almighty crash and thrust his fist forward as the villain turned to look at Izuku.
"You again!?" he called out. "Stop getting in my way!"
Izuku's fist made contact and the bright green ring flashed down to his fist, exploding into the villain's body. A titanic shockwave erupted from Izuku's fist, punching a massive hole right through the villain, freeing Katsuki's arm as the villain fought against the massive amount of wind pressure.
Izuku grabbed his friend's outstretched arm, and yelled, "NOW, KACCHAN!", spinning on his heel. Katsuki's eyes shut as he focused and unleashed his biggest explosion yet, the bright fireball erupting within the green sludge, bulging it out like a balloon. It popped and sent huge chunks of slime and sludge across the alleyway as Izuku finished his spin and shut his eyes, pulling Katsuki with him, shielding him from the incoming deluge.
"YOU FUCKING BRATS ARE GONNA DIE!" the villain screamed as he pulled himself together.
Izuku's eyes snapped open as he felt the energy of the slime behind them coalesce and reform, fear bolting through him as the villain was made whole, unharmed by either of the boys' attacks.
"NOT ON MY WATCH!"
There was a heavy thud to Izuku and Katsuki's left, prompting them to glance at the sound, All Might stood between them and the villain, his head down, fists clenched tightly.
"FUCK YOU, ALL MIGHT!" the sludge villain shouted, his sludge rising up, "I'll take you on, right now!"
"You'll lose. Again," All Might said, a wide smile on his face as he pulled back his right fist.
The villain's face changed from angry and determined to terrified in a heartbeat.
"DETROIT SMASH!" All Might called out as he swung his fist into a finishing move, swatting the villain across the entire alleyway with a colossal blast of wind that ripped through the alley like a monsoon.
There was a shocked pause as everyone around processed what just happened. The sky grew dark, and a light pattering of rain began to fall.
"Eiko, just breathe," Momo said calmly, giving her long time friend a friendly smile, trying her hardest to help Eiko relax. If she was this nervous with just the idea of practicing then it was for the best that they did practice. Her bedroom was a safe space for them, Momo's parents were gone on a business trip, and the family waitstaff was tending to dinner a floor or two below.
"We're alone here, no one is watching us, no one is going to judge us and you're not going to bite my face off," Momo stated, brushing her hair out with a large silver brush, before placing it on her bedside table.
"Ehh! But it's a kiss! It's my first kiss! It's your first ki- I think it's your first kiss? Is it your first kiss? Did you have a boyfriend without me knowing?" Eiko's cheeks were a vibrant shade of red, matching her bright eyes.
"For a tomboy, you sure are fickle about kisses." Momo laughed and scooted closer to Eiko on the bed, her soft, pillowy mattress making even the slightest movement that much more noticeable. "But, no, I've never had a boyfriend."
"Then aren't you worried about your first kiss? Like, that's important or something right?"
Momo just rolled her eyes and reached out to touch Eiko's cheek. It was rough, much like Eiko herself, but also warm. "This won't be my first kiss though. And it won't be yours."
"Ehhhh?" Eiko's eyes went wide and she leaned back so far she nearly fell off the bed, recoiling from the shock of Momo's touch. Panicked, she tucked and rolled off the bed, looking up at Momo from the floor with wide red eyes. "I kissed someone before? Who? When? Why?"
"I want you to think about that question." Momo flopped down onto the bed in front of Eiko and poked her on the forehead. She smiled at her friend and then let out a long sigh as Eiko's face only grew more perplexed. Momo expected as much; she was stretching the truth after all, but only so that Eiko would feel better. "Us."
"Us?" Eiko asked, blinking rapidly.
It was so much fun watching her normally well put together friend freak out over something so small. It was just a kiss. "Yes. Us. We've kissed before. A few times in fact."
Eiko's brow furrowed, her fingers gripping the edge of Momo's sheets while she looked lost in thought. "We did?"
"Yes, it was back when we played princess and knight all the time. I'm surprised you don't remember." Momo smiled. It wasn't lying per se, so much as it was motivational storytelling . "I remember you rescuing me and then giving me a big kiss on the lips saying that it was your 'knightly' reward."
Eiko blinked, then her face lit up. "Really?"
"Yes, really. So you see, it's no big deal if we kiss." Momo moved her hand down to Eiko's chin and lifted the girl's head up. She scooted closer towards the edge of the bed, nearly falling off, to bring her head level with Eiko's. "Now, we're just practicing okay, so there's no need to worry, right?"
"Right!" Eiko returned, her head tilting to the side as she let Momo pull her in. "We've done this before. There's nothing to worry about."
Nothing at all.
Their lips met.
A jolt shot through Momo that forced her eyes to open wide. All at once, Eiko went from her best friend in the whole wide world to the most beautiful woman in the whole wide world. She was stunning, beautiful, kind, loving, amazing, and just so many wonderful things all rolled into the woman she called her best friend. Her best friend that she was now kissing.
Her best friend that she now very much enjoyed kissing.
How long had she been this way? Why? She thought she liked guys. She had never been attracted to a woman before. But she had never kissed one before either.
They parted. Far too soon for Momo's liking. Far, far too soon. She wanted nothing more than to go back in and keep kissing her friend. Her very straight friend.
"See?" Momo asked, trying to keep it together in front of Eiko. The girl didn't need to worry more. "Nothing to it."
"Yeah," Eiko muttered, her cheeks a light pink. "Nothing to it."
Silence lingered between them, Momo's fingers still holding onto Eiko's chin.
"So, I think we should do it like in the play a few times. Just to make sure we're comfortable with it, right?" Eiko asked, standing up.
More kissing? "Oh, umm, well sure. If you think you need more practice."
It took everything Momo had to contain herself.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Ochako asked Izuku for the fourth time as they finished walking home, brushing off some dirt from the shoulder of Izuku's jacket. She had watched as he freed Katsuki, leaping into the fight without a second thought. She had watched as the Heroes berated him for jumping recklessly into the fight, though she was happy that All Might stopped them.
"He is a bigger hero than most of us today, jumping into the fight to save his friend," All Might had said, before escorting Izuku to the paramedics and talking to the press. Izuku was released shortly after, and silently met up with Ochako.
He nodded for the fourth time, giving her no other answer, a simple smile on his face as they walked home.
"Okay, it's just you've been quiet this whole time," Ochako said, poking Izuku on the arm.
He blinked and looked over at her, his smile never fading, "Sorry, 'Chako. Just lots on my mind. Dad said that he would catch up with us. He has something to tell me."
Ochako looked surprised, "Why couldn't he just say it when you get home? We're almost there," she said, looking up towards their apartment complex rising above the rest of the buildings around them.
Izuku shrugged, giving her an unknowing smirk. "All I know is that it's important. I just hope I'm not in too much trouble," he said, rubbing the back of his head, his fluffy green hair dancing in the wind. He stiffened as he felt his father's familiar energy approaching from behind them.
"Here he comes," Izuku said, stopping and looking back. "Let's hope it's nothing too bad."
Ochako looked up at Izuku and back, and saw the tall figure of All Might rushing towards them down the street. He came to a stop right in front of them, panting slightly, before a cough rose up within him, bringing blood with it. He exploded in a burst of steam, coughing as he sank to his knees. Izuku rushed forward to catch him, but Toshinori held up his hand, stopping him.
"I'm fine, just exhausted. I really pushed it today," Toshinori said, clambering to his feet. He glanced between Ochako and Izuku, smiling softly.
"You two did wonderfully today. I'm proud of you both." Both of the teens beamed at Toshinori as he turned to Izuku. "But, you were reckless. I can appreciate what you did, but you need to understand that you can't just run into a fight like that."
Izuku hung his head and nodded solemnly. Ochako's smile faded, and she opened her mouth to speak, but a hand up from Toshinori stopped her.
"But what I'm curious about, is why you jumped in. What were you thinking?" Toshinori finished, eyeing Izuku curiously.
Izuku looked at his father and thought about the question.
"I...I guess I wasn't. I just moved. I needed to save Kacchan," Izuku said firmly.
Toshinori smiled broadly. "I thought it might be something like that. That settles it then."
"Settles what, sir?" Ochako asked, her head cocked to the side.
"There is something Izuku and I need to talk about, Young Ochako," Toshinori said, patting her on the shoulder with his large hand. "Go ahead and go home, and I'm sure Izuku will fill you in later."
She blinked and nodded, bowing to her sensei, and turned to leave, giving Izuku a warm smile, before walking towards their apartment complex. Izuku watched her turn the corner, and felt out with his quirk, watching her energy fade as she passed beyond his range.
"Walk with me, son," Toshinori said, turning away from the apartments, gesturing for Izuku to follow. "We have a great many things to discuss."
Izuku nodded and caught up to his father, both men taking long steps, their height allowing them to travel quickly.
"Before I start, I want you to know. No matter what, everything that is said between us is right now a secret." Toshinori said, head high as they walked along the empty street. Izuku didn't respond, just nodding as he walked with his father.
"I also need you to know that I love you more than anything, and I would do anything in my power to keep you and your mother safe," Toshinori said, looking at his son, his sincerity coming through his piercing gaze.
Izuku smiled softly and nodded. "Love you too, Dad."
Toshinori smiled and turned back to focus on the road they were walking. "What I'm about to tell you will change the way you view hero society and quirks."
Izuku's eyes went wide, but he said nothing else, his excitement and curiosity focusing his attention fully.
"I wasn't born with my power. I was quirkless, a statistical anomaly," Toshinori said, glancing at Izuku's shocked expression. He chuckled lightly. "My power was passed down to me from another. It is a sacred torch, handed down from Hero to Hero." He held out a hand in front of him, both men glancing at it as small sparks of golden light and steam emanated from his palm.
"My quirk is called One For All," Toshinori continued, before looking up at the beach they had been walking towards. They approached the hand rails and Toshinori leaned against the railing, resting his frame, sighing as he sagged against the cool metal. He looked across the pungent and disgusting trash heap, and an idea came to his mind. He smiled and filed it away for later.
He looked up at Izuku, a surprised and thoughtful look on his face. Izuku pondered the information for a second longer. "So, when you said your power is stockpiling power? But then, how did my quirk become this? I can absorb energy and redirect it, but nothing like that… and I've never heard of a quirk that can be passed down, how does that even work?"
"Izuku, stop," Toshinori said softly, placing a hand on his son's shoulder, breaking him out of the mutter storm.
"You will have to accept this. But the important thing you need to know is that I'm now passing this torch to you," Toshinori said, pointing to Izuku's chest. "You proved yourself a true hero by throwing all thoughts of your own safety to the side to save another. A true Hero has an unbendable, unbreakable will to save those that need it most, the strength to carry the burdens of those who cannot bear them themselves, and above all, a heart stronger than the toughest of metals, an unwavering conviction to do the right thing."
Toshinori lowered his arms and regarded his son, who was staring at him with rapt attention. "Now, Izuku Midoriya, I offer to you my power. One for All, a crystallization of power, passed down from generation to generation. In this case, quite literally." Toshinori said with a chuckle.
Izuku's face broke out into a wide smile. "I accept," he said shortly, bowing slightly to his master and father.
"No hesitation. Good." Toshinori smirked. "Now, you are almost ready to get my power. We just need to do a quick test of that new ability of yours, and then we'll decide what to do."
Izuku nodded, getting excited to explore his power more. Toshinori gestured for him to follow, and walked down the stairs to the sand, Izuku right behind him after setting his backpack on the ground.
"It's such a shame. This beach used to be beautiful. I used to bring your mother here. But it's fallen into such a dump," Toshinori said as he kicked a can aside. "Part of your training for my power will be cleaning this beach," he said to Izuku, who was looking around at all of the junk with surprise.
"What kind of training?" Izuku asked, his head snapping to his father.
"Discipline and control," Toshinori said, smiling broadly. "My power will enhance your own, so you will need to learn to control everything properly. I have a feeling that with your quirk already being part One For All, when the rest is added, it will supercharge your abilities beyond anything we can imagine. And with that, you will need to learn to totally command your power."
Toshinori turned to a pile and picked out a dented and broken toaster, and handed it to Izuku. "We've known that you can take in energy. We now know that you can also release it. I want you to focus on pushing energy into this, but in a controlled manner so it doesn't explode," Toshinori directed, stepping back as Izuku grasped the toaster with both hands.
Izuku studied it for a second, before focusing on the heat he felt inside of him. He tugged on the heat gently, and it listened, flowing up into his arms, into his hands, small rings of light pulsing down his arms as the toaster started to warm up. The plastic melted, dripping off of the toaster as the heat rose. Smoke started to rise next, the electronics inside the device melting and oxidizing. Finally, the chrome exterior started to glow, the heat pulsing into it, overwhelming the thermal capacity of the device, chrome steel glowing red, then orange. Past yellow, to white hot, and finally dripping out of Izuku's hands onto the sand, sizzling in the moist grit.
Toshinori watched in awe as Izuku slagged the toaster in front of him. "Very good, son. Energy control, check." He turned and looked around and spotted a large fridge. He smirked and pointed, "Pick up the fridge and let's move it to the waterfront," he ordered.
Izuku nodded, and jogged over to the rusted fridge, picking it up easily.
Toshinori smiled, "I figured that fridge would be easy for you, considering your current weight limit."
Izuku grinned over his shoulder at Toshinori and lifted the fridge onto his shoulder with one arm. "This is nothing compared to the lead drum."
Toshinori chuckled, "Set it down near the water, and we'll do one more test."
They navigated the maze of trash until they reached the water, where Izuku set the fridge on the sand with a heavy thud, the heavy appliance sinking in the damp beach slightly.
"Now, I want you to recreate that punch you threw at the sludge villain. I saw it for myself, and I think you and Ochako are right. It's very similar to my own punches, but yours is definitely different," Toshinori said, pointing at Izuku's fists. Izuku brought them up and examined them closely. "Your arm channeled power into your fist, which then exploded out. So," he turned to look at the fridge, "Do it again, Izuku." Toshinori finished in his teaching voice, pointing at the fridge.
"Yes Sensei," Izuku said, bowing slightly before moving into position, squaring up to the fridge.
"Remember to focus on the feeling of your power, and your emotions when you acted. Your emotions guide you and your power. Mastering your emotions will lead to greater control of your power," Toshinori said as he stepped back again, pulling out his phone to record what was about to happen.
Izuku nodded, and closed his eyes, focusing deep. He searched for the heat inside of him and poked it gently. It responded in kind, rising up rapidly. With his power at hand, he focused on his emotions.
'When I fired the punch, what did I feel?' He thought to himself.
The answer came to him easier than he thought.
'Courage… Anger… Fear.'
He opened his eyes at the last one and took another breath, shaking the idea from his head, before closing his eyes again.
'What did I feel? I was scared. Of losing Kacchan. Of failing.'
"Of not being able to save someone?" Toshinori said softly, beside him.
Izuku looked up at his father and nodded slowly.
"You know, son, when I took this hit," Toshinori said, gently rubbing his injury, "I was worried for a while. What if I was unable to save you or your mother if something were to happen? What if I couldn't save anyone else? What then?"
Toshinori sighed and smiled, "But then I saw something later that banished my doubt. Do you know what it was?"
Izuku shook his head, his eyes never wavering from his father. He had never heard his father talk about this. It was never brought up at home.
Toshinori looked Izuku straight in the eyes, smiling as he saw the fire behind the sparkling green irises, so much like his beloved Inko's. His son's strength shined through them fiercely.
"When I woke up and you and your mother were visiting, you had this fear about you, like you were scared to lose me. But then I told you that I would always back you up, and that you being strong for your mom is what I needed to get stronger. Do you remember that?" Toshinori said, grasping his son's shoulder tightly.
Izuku nodded, a couple of tears sliding down his face as the memory hit him hard.
"That fire in your eyes, that determination is what got me back up. You showed me that I didn't have anything to worry about. You chased my doubts away and showed me that I wasn't alone. You showed me that you and your mother would be safe."
His father's words hit Izuku like a truck, a tight feeling rising up from his throat, the tears flowing freely now, a heavy sob racking his body. Toshinori wiped his eyes as he pulled his son into a tight hug as they shared the moment, patting Izuku's back as the fatherly pride and joy flowed through him, his feelings for Izuku being made clear.
Izuku's breathing slowed as he caught his breath, and he pulled back, wiping his eyes.
"Thanks, Dad," he said, settling his body, taking a deep breath.
"You are my pride and joy, Izuku. Now, show me what you can do. Give me that determination." Toshinori said, stepping back once more.
Izuku nodded, and mind clear now, he focused, pulling on the power.
'Determination.' He focused on his determination to succeed.
He pushed the power up and loaded it into his arm. He opened his eyes, the fires behind them blazing brightly, and tensed his stance, shifting his feet in the sand.
He took a breath and kicked off, taking three long strides in a flash, swinging his fist back. The bright green ring burst into existence on his bicep as he rushed at the fridge. He swung his fist forward with a shout, and then flesh met metal. The ring of light burst down his arm in a split second and exploded out his fist into a huge shockwave.
In slow motion, the heat and pressure from his burst of power pushed on the metal, warping it in an expanding circle, forcing it away from his fist. The metal plates of the fridge buckled, each one pushing on its neighbors in a cascade of pressure and heat. The pressure created a ripple in the metal that echoed around it as the fridge began to move away from its assailant.
The fridge kicked up a tail of sand as it sailed through the air, landing on the water in the bay, skipping twice before slamming into the water, finally sinking a football field away from the shore.
Izuku and Toshinori stared in awe as the fridge hit the water with a tremendous splash. Izuku blinked and glanced back at his father, "So...uh...do I need to go get it?"
Toshinori looked at Izuku and laughed, "Ha ha, no my boy. That was excellent. Now I know where we stand. But before I give you One for All, we need to rest."
He turned away from the water and waved, "Come, Izuku. Tomorrow is going to be a big day," he said over his shoulder, "Let's hope your mother made something hearty for dinner."
Izuku smiled as he ran after Toshinori. It was going to be a long night of waiting; the excitement was already building.