Sorry about the late update!

School has been crazy!

I hope you guys are still enjoying my story!

Toshinori heard a faint knock on his door. Jumping up frantically, he blew up into his muscular form. "COME ON IN!" He yelled in what dramatics he could muster. Even with his morning coffee, he really hadn't been feeling well. His meeting with RegNinja was still on his mind.

"It's just me, All-Might." Midoriya's voice muffled through the door before he walked inside, shutting it behind him. It sounded sullen, but he knew something was wrong once Toshinori had seen his face. His eyes looked swollen as if he had been crying for quite some time. The black marks underneath them accented this further. "I need your advice…"

The pro-hero frowned, his body deflating. "I could tell—" He gestured to the couch in his office. "I think sitting will help." Toshinori watched as the boy practically flopped onto the sofa. All-Might sat next to the boy, staying silent. He looked at the boy, waiting for him to speak first.

"All-Might, what's the point of trying something if you know that you will succeed? What's the point of living if there's no challenge–no effort needed?" The usual stuttering of Young Midoriya was nowhere to be heard. The questions had honestly shocked Toshinori. They spoke of a deeper, underlying issue.

"Midoriya, if you are thinking about taking your own life–"

The young boy's eyes suddenly sparked at his response, as if startled. "NO!" He waved his hands. "I'm not thinking about anything that—I'm sorry."

Toshinori let out a sigh of relief. "I'm glad–you do seem depressed though, Young Midoriya."

"I'm having a hard time justifying doing the Sports Festival, All-Might… After all, I'll just win, or unlock a new power that no one has ever seen before. It's not worth ruining everyone's future careers."

All-Might placed a hand to see his chin. "I see… Although it's quite different, I felt the same way during my years at school. Given a power that was cultivated by others… It felt wrong–like I had gotten a headstart among my peers." He looked at his student, his piercing blue eyes looking into green spheres. "When I felt that uneasiness, my teacher would always say to look where I had started, rather than where I was going. 'Toshi, why did you want to become a hero?', she would say," A smile crept across his face slowly. "Becoming a Symbol of Peace was my goal. You just need to find yours, Young Midoriya…"

"Find my goal…" Izuku repeated, looking at his red shoes. "I think I understand All-Might." His expression slowly brightened. "Thank you."

Uraraka watched as Midoriya looked over his notes again, muttering to himself for the fifth time today. She chuckled, taking a bite of her chicken soon after. She never thought that Midoriya would have to worry about the Sports Festival. After all, he was the strongest person in their class. Not to mention, it was starting in an hour! They had decided to get some snacks—or in Midoriya's case, lunch, at the small food court inside the building.

"Midoriya–" Iida's voice pulled her classmate away from his notebook. He was always looking into that thing. "It would be most beneficial if you ate something before the festival!" He waved his arms like a robot. "A hero's health is most important!"

Midoriya cracked a smile, putting the notebook aside. "Sorry—" He put some beef in his mouth with a fork. "I'd been working on Plot Armor's capabilities over the weekend—" He stuck another piece in his mouth. "-And I wanted to make sure I had everything written down. How did you guys train?"

"Mainly just lifting things, moving with them, or levitating them. Ever since…" Her voice suddenly trailed off as she remembered to keep All-Might's power a secret."…I got stronger after middle school, it's been harder to feel normal." She watched as the two guys had looks of sympathy. "But enough about me!" She smiled. "What did you do, Iida?"

"I ran several miles during training and focused my energy on how I maneuver at high speeds… My Quirk, Speed Machine usually handles that with its database, but I don't want to rely on it, especially when I overheat due to overuse of my speed. My goal is to defeat you, Midoriya."

Uraraka watched Izuku's lack of expression at the statement. Midoriya stuck another piece of food in his mouth. Her eyes widened. This came out of nowhere! They were all just becoming friends and now the sports festival put everyone on edge. It was understandable though. Uraraka herself wanted to win—She wanted to work hard so her parents could live easier lives. Iida's declaration of war seemed serious. Why wasn't Midoriya giving it any weight? He was strong, but Iida was in a family of heroes. Raw power could only do so much.

Undaunted by the silence, Iida continued. "Your Quirk is beyond my comprehension, but I will not lose. I want to be just like my brother, Ingenium! If I keep working with you, I will be outshined by you." Midoriya took a swig of water, swallowing soon after, still not responding to his classmates.

"Midoriya?" Uraraka asked, hearing some concern inflect from her own voice.

Midoriya had a look on his face that she had never seen before. His eyes had the same glimmer that Bakugo did, but his mouth was stagnant. "I'm sorry, Iida, but that's not possible. My Quirk is definitively stronger than yours. It's already given me everything that I've asked for. I could probably even copy your Quirk without touching you—then combine it with my enhanced strength and knock you unconscious before you even realize the match has started. You don't understand what you're up against."

"How could you speak so arrogantly?!" Iida exclaimed, pressing his hands against the table. Uraraka saw the pain in the blue-haired boy's eyes. She wished they would stop, but she knew she had to let it play. "You might be strong, Midoriya, but overcoming the impossible is everything that a hero does!"

"I wish that we were true." His eyes seemed to lose their shimmer as he took another bite of his food. All of their phones began to vibrate, the sign of a text message. "It's time."