( - )
(Last Time)
"I love you mom"
"I love you too sweetie"
Percy smiles, reminiscing about the happy moments he had that day with his mother, while also thinking about that crab, but shakes his thoughts away, instead now thinking about something on the topic of quirks.
'I wonder what Izuku and Bakugo's quirks are'
( - )
(Chapter 2)
( - )
"Hey…did you hear?
Deku doesn't have a quirk
Like none!"
"What, really?"
"Yeah, it's called being 'Quirkless'"
"That's dumb"
"What a loser"
"He's so lame!"
A crowd of young children made fun of the certain green haired boy sitting down on the floor, frozen in shock, who they were surrounding, as a ripple of laughter surged throughout the classroom, all directed at the young boy.
( - )
"Wh-Why are you being so mean?"
Izuku nervously stutters out, standing shakily, in front of a young boy, who was on the ground sobbing loudly with tears streaming down the boy's face.
"You're making him cry Kacchan!" Izuku says, shaking with fear, as tears start to form in his eyes.
The green haired boy put his arms up, clenching his fists tightly, as he spoke "If you keep on hurting him…"
"I-
I'll uh
I'll stop you myself!" Izuku closes his eyes, as he shouts these words out, in fear of the consequences, but still keeps his feet planted to the ground, not moving an inch.
Bakugo smirks, "You wanna pretend to be a hero?"
"You don't stand a chance without a quirk, useless Deku" Bakugo says, putting his fists together, as smoke begins to appear from his hands.
"Hey!" A stern voice shouts out, as a familiar sea green eyed boy stepped in, standing in front of Izuku to shield the green haired boy. Seeing Percy, Bakugo grits his teeth, as his demeanor softens.
"Leave them alone Katsuki" Percy says, his body not at all shaking, unlike his green haired friend behind him, as Percy looked into Bakugo's eyes.
"Tch! Fine" Bakugo says, as his two friends who were by his side, ready to hurt the young Izuku with their quirks, looked shocked, staring at Bakugo at disbelief.
"What? Why!?" The boy on Bakugo's left said, hovering in the air with red wings sticking out of his back.
"Just leave them alone. They're not worth it" Bakugo glares at the two, who decide not to question the blonde haired boy's decision and begin walking away, as Bakugo follows after them shortly, but not before turning to Percy one more time.
"Why are you protecting him? He's a worthless deku!" Bakugo says, as Percy glares at the blonde haired boy, before sighing.
"Leave" Percy says once again, as Bakugo walks away, leaving Izuku alone, for now. He turned around, seeing that the other kid wasn't there and had probably ran away, because Izuku was the only one behind him. Percy tilts his head in confusion, seeing Izuku with his head down.
"He's right you know…why are you helping me out? You and Kacchan have great quirks, why don't you forget about me?" Izuku says with his head down, as Percy bursts into laughter, making the green haired boy raise his head.
"I'm not like most idiots who turn on their friend the moment they find out their friend is quirkless. I don't think having a quirk or not measures a person's value," Izuku was five years old, so he did not understand most of the words Percy just said, and it seemed Percy didn't either "—I think…or something like that? I don't know, I just read that from somewhere"
"Anyway, the point is. You're my friend and I'm not leaving you behind, I'll always be here for you" Percy smiles, making Izuku crack a smile as well.
"There you go! Now—" Percy wraps an arm around the green haired boy, as they start walking into the distance.
"Let's go buy some ice cream to turn that frown upside down!"
"Yeah!"
( - )
(9 Years Later in Arudera Junior High)
We pick up nine years since that day in a classroom, usually bursting with noise, now silent, the class listening attentively, except for a specific trio in the back, as the teacher spoke.
"You guys are in your third year, so it's time to be serious about your future" The teacher's deep voice could be heard throughout the whole room.
"I'll pass out forms for your future plans," The teacher says, holding up a stack of paper, as a green haired boy in the second to last row, who was previously not paying attention, engrossed in the notebook he was currently holding, looked up from it and turns his attention to the teacher.
"But everyone…" The class began to activate their quirks, as the teacher spoke "Is taking the hero course right?"
"Yeah!"
The teacher threw the stack of papers into the air, as the class erupted into chaos. Everyone began shouting out, whooping, using their quirks and talking loudly, with the exception of three boys in the back.
"Great quirks everyone! But using your quirk at school isn't allowed okay?" The teacher says, as the class ignored him, continuing whatever they were doing, and the teacher didn't seem to mind it.
"Sensei!" A single familiar voice called out the attention of everyone in class, as the whole class went silent, looking at who the voice belonged to, it was none other than an ash blonde haired boy, who had his feet up on his desk and arms behind his head.
"Don't put Percy and I in the same category as everyone else here. We don't plan to aim low like all these—" Bakugo smirks.
"Quirk rejects" The blonde haired boy boldly announces, which results in the class erupting into madness, as a light chuckle can be heard from behind Bakugo, a boy with dishevelled jet black and sea green eyes, while the class were enraged at the arrogant boy.
"Can't believe you Katsuki!"
"Yeah!"
The class were all in rage, but Katsuki kept his arrogant smirk.
"You should all just shut—" Katsuki was stopped from talking any more, as a hand had rested on his shoulder, which belonged to the boy who was seated behind him and beside Izuku, Percy Jackson.
"That's enough Bakugo. Now sit down. And put your feet down" Percy calmly says, as Bakugo didn't argue any further, sitting down with his arms crossed, while grumbling like a child who had just been grounded by his parents. With the blonde haired boy silent, the teacher looked at the paper in his hand.
"Oh yes. Bakugo and Percy…"
"Is going to U.A High School?" The teacher says, as a wave of shock and disbelief appears on the whole class who all have their mouths agape. Everyone begins to murmur, while Izuku, who was seated beside Percy, slumped down on his seat, hiding his face behind his hands in nervousness. Percy imitated his green haired friend and hid behind his hands, obviously feeling uncomfortable from the stares and attention he was getting.
"The national school!?"
"It's standardized rank score is 79!"
"The competition is crazy!"
Everyone stared at the two in awe, as Percy slumped down even more into his seat, trying to hide from the stares, meanwhile Bakugo embraced the spotlight, smirking confidently.
"This is why you all are extras" Bakugo jumps up from his seat, standing on top of his desk.
"We aced the mock test. Percy and I are the only ones here qualified for U.A
We will even surpass All Might
And become the top heroes!
OUR NAMES WILL BE LISTED ON THE HIGHEST PAID LIST!"
"Oh. Midoriya wants to go to U.A too, right?" The teacher says out of the blue, as the green haired boy hides behind his arms from all the stares he was getting, as the whole class was speechless while staring at Izuku, before everyone, except for Percy, erupted into laughter.
"What, Midoriya? No way"
"You can't take the hero course, just by studying" A random classmate says, as Izuku stutters, trying to talk, but not being able to utter any words with all the laughter and ridicule he was getting.
"Hey!" An angry voice shouts out, making the whole class fall silent, mainly because of who the voice belonged to, Percy Jackson.
"Who are you all to decide whether Izuku could become a hero or not? Though Izuku doesn't have a quirk, he has the heart of a true hero, he truly cares about helping people with a fearless smile, and he's willing to work hard for it. That makes him more of a hero than anyone here. So everyone just mind your own business" Percy says, making everyone feel bad…well—
Almost everyone.
Meanwhile, Izuku was blushing profusely, flustered because of Percy's words, as Bakugo kept silent and the class continued without any disturbances, going smoothly.
( - )
"Wanna do some karaoke"
"Yeah, sure"
Footsteps can be heard leaving the classroom, as the class had come to an end, only Midoriya and a select few were left.
"This morning's incident is on the top page" Midoriya says, talking to himself, as he's looking at the news on his phone.
"I need to write it down on my notebook" Izuku smiles, putting his phone back into his pocket and was about to put his notebook back in his backpack, but a hand had reached in and took it from him, as he had not noticed Bakugo and his gang approaching him. Izuku looks up to see the blonde haired boy holding his notebook.
"We're not finished yet Deku" Bakugo says, having taken the opportunity, as Percy wasn't here to protect him anymore.
"Katsuki, what is that?" The guy on Bakugo's right says, as he reads the writing of the cover outloud.
"My hero analysis for the future?"
"Are you serious?" The guy says, as he and the other person on the opposite side of Bakugo laughs at the green haired boy.
"Midoriya"
Izuku stood up, reaching his hands out "Come on, give it back!"
Bakugo didn't give it back, and was about to burn it, smoke coming from his hands, when a hand went on his wrist.
"Give it back" Percy says, having come back, because he had forgotten something, so he went back to the classroom and saw the trio bullying Izuku again.
"Tch" Bakugo dropped the notebook on the floor, as Izuku went to get it, putting it in his backpack.
"Oi, let's get out of here" Bakugo instructed, as he walked towards the door, leaving the classroom with his gang following behind, which left Percy and Izuku the only ones in the room alone.
"Hey Izuku, we should be going as well," Percy says, as Izuku tilts his head in confusion.
"Hm?"
"You want to get into U.A right? So you should start training soon! We can train together!" Percy smiles, but the smile goes away, seeing Izuku's head down.
"What's the matter?" Percy says, concerned for his friend, which he saw like a little brother.
"You really think I can be a hero? Without a quirk?"
"Did you listen to anything I said earlier? Of course you can!
I've known you longer and better than anyone here!
You obviously can become a hero!" Percy says, as he notices Izuku had put a hand on his mouth, the green haired boy was reduced to tears.
"No one has ever told me that before…
Thank you so much!" Izuku ran to Percy on impulse, hugging the black haired boy tightly, but once Izuku noticed what he was doing, he tried to pull away, only to get pulled deeper into the hug, as Percy hugged back, embracing the shorter boy tightly, making Izuku cry into Percy's chest,
"Geez, you should stop being a crybaby you know" Percy teases, patting Izuku on the back, as the green haired boy stops crying, sniffling a bit, before pulling away from the hug.
"Sorry" Izuku chuckles lightly, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly, as the sunlight focused on his face, showing his cute face in all it's glory.
'Precious cinnamon roll. Must. Protect. At all costs' Percy narrowed his eyes, as the thought repeated in his mind several times, before snapping out of it and looking at the time.
"Ah shit
Look at the time, we should probably leave now" Percy says, wrapping an arm around Izuku, as they leave the classroom and head towards the school gate to leave.
The two childhood friends walked in silence, taking in the peaceful environment as they walked side by side, until it was time to part ways.
"This is where we split, so I just want to remind you—" Percy rests a hand on Izuku's shoulder.
"Don't listen to what Bakugo or anyone else says, okay? You have the potential to become a great hero with that big brain and heart of yours" Percy smiles.
"And stay safe! Don't do anything stupid…
Pretty much just don't do anything I would do, okay?" Percy asks, as Izuku chuckles.
"Okay!" Izuku says, as Percy parts ways first, walking into the opposite direction, while waving goodbye to Izuku.
"Bye Izuku!" Percy waves, as Izuku waves back, going his own way as well.
"Bye Percy!" Izuku waved goodbye, as Percy smiled, the two boys going their separate ways.
Percy walked back to his home in silence, when he came across a familiar looking electronic shop, the green eyed boy then stopped walking to look at the see through glass, where you could clearly see the TVs on sale. He looked at it intently, as he remembered a certain memory with his friends.
It was a normal day like any other, and in the exact place Percy was standing currently, stood three young boys who were watching All Might fight five villains at the same time on the tv screen.
Izuku and Bakugo both punched the air in excitement, cheering, as they saw All Might win, even when being outnumbered.
"That's why he's the greatest!
No matter how much trouble he's in, he's always the winner!" The younger Bakugo cheers, as he turns to a younger Izuku and Percy.
"One day we're going to be like that!"
"All three of us!"
"We're all going to be the best heroes ever! Even surpassing All Might!
I'm sure of it!" Bakugo smiles, as Izuku and Percy smile back, before suddenly all three of the young boys' felt hungry, their stomachs growling.
The younger looking Percy then grew a mischievous smirk, as he ran "First one to my house gets the most blue cookies!"
"Wha-
Hey!
No Fair!" The other two boys shout, as they run after Percy, who was busy laughing at them for being behind.
Back to the present, Percy chuckles, before contrasting the past memories and the more recent ones, seeing Bakugo bullying Izuku and sighs.
'Where did it all go wrong'
Percy's thoughts, however, were interrupted, as breaking news had appeared on the TVs he was currently looking at and saw a sludge villain with Bakugo and Izuku there!?
The green eyed boy did not waste any time at all, as he ran as fast as he could to find the two, going to where Izuku usually passes through to go home, finding only the aftermath of the event.
The new pro hero Mt. Lady, along with some other heroes like Death Arms and Kamui Woods were on the scene, surrounded by civilians and a flock of reporters and journalists who seemed about done and were already dispersing, about to leave.
Percy, though it was tricky, tried to look for his two childhood friends through the crowd, only to find that they were both gone, so he ran away from the scene, going elsewhere to look for them. He thought that they could be back in their homes, so he first went to Izuku's house, but on his way there found a slouched Katsuki, grumbling something inaudible. Percy quickly approached the blonde haired boy and hugged him.
"Oh thank god you're fine" Percy says, hugging Bakugo tightly, as the blonde haired boy blushed slightly, not expecting the sudden action, but warmy melts into the hug.
"Shut up, extra" Bakugo says, trying to sound mean, but Percy saw through him, chuckling lightly. He pulled away from the hug, as Katsuki didn't look at him, trying to hide the blush that had crept onto his face.
"Pfff-
You tsundere" Percy says, bursting into laughter, as Bakugo turns his head towards Percy and brings his arm up to hide his blush.
"What are you saying, you idiot" Bakugo says, as Percy continues laughing for another minute, before getting serious.
"Have you seen Izuku?" Percy asks, as Bakugo's face scrunches up.
"That useless nerd? Why do you want to know?"
"Because, he's my friend and I want to see if he's okay
Now tell me"
"Tch
He's around the corner, that's where I last saw him" Bakugo says, and without saying a word, walks past Percy, continuing his route back to his house, where his mother would be waiting for him, worried sick.
Percy gave Bakugo one last look, before running to where the blonde had pointed at, finding Izuku standing in front of what looked like a homeless man who hadn't eaten in weeks. He approached them, as Izuku and the man turned to him. Percy immediately went to hug Izuku, running to the green haired boy.
"Izuku! I'm so glad you're safe!" Percy says, hugging the shorter boy tightly.
"Wh-What are you doing here?" Izuku asks.
"I saw you and Katsuki in the news, so I went rushing to find you both" Percy says, as he pulls away from the hug to look at the human skeleton in front of him.
"And who are you?" Percy asks, skeptical of the stranger, as the man sighs, before muttering "I guess it can't be helped"
"Young man…whatever I'm about to tell you from here on out, should be kept a secret, can I trust you?" The man asked, as Percy seemed confused, but went with it.
"Uh sure dude, you can trust me"
"I'm actually All Might" The man says, resulting in Percy taking some time to really look at the man, seeing that he had the same hair colour as All Might, as well as having the same two tufts sticking out of his head. Putting the pieces together, Percy bursts into laughter.
"I-
I'm telling the truth" The man argues, thinking the green eyed boy didn't believe him, but stops once Percy waved his hands.
"No I-
I believe you, it's just—" Percy says, before laughing once more. "It's just, you look like a deflated balloon"
"Percy, you can't say that, that's All Might!" Izuku says, as he turns to the deflated All Might.
"I'm sorry about him sir! He did not mean that!" Izuku apologises, as All Might puts a hand up to stop the young man.
"No no it's understandable. There's no reason to apologise"
"All Might, what business do you have with my friend?" Percy asks, as All Might turns to Izuku.
"Young man, I've come here to thank you, correct myself and give advice.
If it wasn't for you…
If you didn't tell me your life story…
I would've been a 'fake'—" All Might gets interrupted however, being cut off by the young man he was talking to.
"No, it's my fault in the first place, I—" Izuku says, having his head down, but was cut off, as Percy had no idea what these two were even talking about.
"Hold on. Did I miss something?
Would you both care to fill me in on what happened?" Percy asks, as All Might began to explain the recent events, starting from the sludge villain, saving Izuku, until All Might and Izuku's first meeting where the pro hero told Izuku he couldn't be a hero, and it was at this moment where Percy did something that would shock anyone who has witnessed it.
Percy went over to the deflated version of the Symbol of Peace, the No.1 Hero, and…
Punched him
"Are you an idiot!?
Have you ever thought about how your words would affect a person!?
Have you ever thought about how Izuku was treated!?
Did you ever stop and think that maybe Izuku was bullied, discriminated against and treated unfairly all because he wanted to be a hero, though he was quirkless!?
Did you know how much he has looked up to you all his life!?
And when he finally got to meet you, his idol, you crushed his dream!" Percy snapped, reprimanding the man on the ground, not caring that he was the No.1 Hero. Both Izuku and All Might were shocked by his words, All Might felt guilt, as he hung his head low in disappointment at himself.
It took a few moments of Izuku trying to talk to Percy, until he had calmed down, helping All Might stand up, as the man bends over in front of Izuku.
"I'M
SO
SORRY!" All Might shouts, as Izuku makes the man stand up straight once more.
"No it's fine, I understood where you were coming from" Izuku says nervously, as All Might turns his attention to the green eyed boy, who was currently glaring at the man.
"I apologise for my actions young man
That's why I'm here
I'm here to make amends for my mistake" All Might says, as Percy sighs, not being able to hold a grudge at anyone at all, no matter how mad he was.
"Okay, I accept your apology" Percy says, as he really couldn't stay mad at anyone for long, but it didn't erase the fact that a considerable amount of respect he previously had for the hero was now gone. Percy then watched, as All Might turned back to look Izuku in the eyes.
"Back to what I was saying earlier…
It was no one other than you
A faint hearted and quirkless boy
Was what moved me
Top heroes leave legends from their school days
Many of them end it with these words,
'My body reacted, before I could think'" All Might says, making Izuku hang his head low, tears forming in his eyes, as he puts both his hands on his chest, clenching it tight.
"You thought the same way, didn't you?" All Might asks, already knowing the answer, as Izuku falls down to his knees, still clutching his heart, while sobbing openly.
"You can become a hero" The words hit Izuku right in the heart, as he continued sobbing, now even louder, because of those simple words. Meanwhile, Percy went closer to All Might, going to his side.
"Just saying, I said those words to him first" Percy whispers.
It took a few minutes, of course, for the green haired crybaby on the ground to stop sobbing, as he stood up straighter than before. Percy then went to stand beside his childhood friend, as All Might spoke.
"You deserve to inherit my power" All Might says, spreading his arms, as the two young men tilted their heads in confusion.
"Huh" The two boys say in unison, both not understanding what he meant, as they waited for the man to explain.
"Inherit your power?" Izuku asks, as All Might laughs.
"You should see your face" All Might chuckles, before walking closer towards the two boys.
"It's a suggestion. Now, let's talk"
"See you two,
What I'm saying is…" All Might says, as he raises his arm, pointing his finger at Izuku.
"Young man, do you want to accept my power!" All Might says, coughing out a mouthful of blood, while pointing at the green haired boy, before lowering his arm back down.
"What are you talking about?" Izuku asks curiously, as Percy keeps quiet, waiting for the hero to explain.
"I'm talking about my powers
The tabloids say my quirk is strength or boost.
I've evaded the question with a joke in interviews.
All Might, the Symbol of Peace, needed to be a natural born hero.
But, I'm going to tell you both the truth" All Might explains, as he stretches his arms out again.
"My quirk was passed on to me like a sacred torch"
"Passed on to you?" Izuku says, as the wind blows his air, the cold breeze blowing All Might's white shirt up, showing the pro hero's injury.
"Yes…and next,
It is your turn!" All Might says to the green haired boy, who still wasn't fully convinced, while Percy seemed to think about it, though not fully convinced as well, needing some proof as well.
"B-But wait!" Izuku interjects nervously, waving his arms.
"Your quirk has been debated as being one of the Seven Wonders of the World.
It's always on the net, but I don't understand what you mean by passing on a quirk.
Not only is it unheard of, but nobody's ever even brought it up.
Since the start of history, that kind of quirk has never been confirmed—" Izuku was about to continue rambling, but was nudged by Percy who, by now, has already adapted to the green haired boy's peculiar habit of saying what was on his mind, while also being completely oblivious to the fact that people could hear him, as he was too consumed in his thoughts, which the green eyed boy found adorable.
"You always start with denial…" All Might says, before looking up into the sky, uttering an English word which Izuku understood, but unfortunately, Percy didn't. "Nonsense!"
"I have a lot of secrets, but I never lie!" All Might argues, trying to convince the skeptical highschoolers.
"The power that transfers power.
That is the quirk I inherited.
It was crowned with the name, One For All" The symbol of peace says, holding up his right hand, opening it.
"One For All…" Izuku mutters, repeating what All Might said.
"Yes, one person gains power and passes it to another, who gains it and passes it again. This power is the fruit of the many voices seeking help and heroic hearts" All Might says, explaining the quirk, as he closes his fist.
"It's so important, so why?" Izuku says, believing the pro hero's words, but feeling doubtful as to why such an important power would be given to someone like him.
"Why would you do that for me?" Izuku asks, and as All Might was about to speak, Percy interjects.
"Are you kidding? If anyone deserves this power then it's obviously you Izuku!" Percy claims, as All Might nods in agreement with the green eyed boy.
"Your friend is right, young man" All Might says, as Izuku turns his attention back to the hero.
"I was originally looking for an heir, and I thought if it was you, I could give my powers. Though quirkless and just a hero fan—
At that moment, you were the only true hero" All Might says, as Izuku, once again, starts tearing up.
"Just kidding!" All Might jokes, as he pats his head.
"But, it's really up to you"
"How about it?" All Might offers, as Izuku grips his fists tightly, before rubbing his eyes, wiping his tears away and looking into the pro hero's blue eyes with a flame of passion and determination reflecting from his own.
"Yes, please!" The quick response made the hero along with Percy grin.
"What a quick reply, I knew you'd make the decision"
( - )
(Dagoba Municipal Park)
(Two Days later. Early Morning)
It was early in the morning, as the sun had just risen, lighting up the whole beach, which looked quite different to anyone who had lived there for a while now.
It had changed much from the last time young Percy Jackson had visited, now shrouded with garbage and trash, as the sound of loud groaning through gritted teeth could be heard. The beach was usually empty at this time, but there were two people there, unbeknownst to almost all of the fellow residents, the No.1 hero himself, the Symbol of Peace, All Might and his newly chosen successor, Midoriya Izuku.
Izuku was struggling, as he was trying to pull on a rope that was attached to his chest and wrapped around a huge refrigerator behind him. Of course, the large object did not budge an inch, as not only was it twice or even thrice the young man's height and weight, but none other than All Might himself, in his muscular form mind you, was sitting atop the object, making it infinitely harder to even make the object move at all.
"Hey hey hey! What a comfortable refrigerator to sit on" All Might says, smiling, as the green haired boy continued to struggle in trying to pull the huge object, but ultimately forced the young boy to collapse on the ground in exhaustion, his body quite evidently not used to the sudden strain on his muscles.
"Had it moved even a bit, it would've been more comfortable" All Might jokes, as Izuku pants heavily, raising his body up from the ground, sighing, before turning around to look at the hulk of a man on top of the object which he was trying so hard to budge.
"Well that is, because you weigh 274 kilos" Izuku pants, as he was out of breath.
"Nope, I lost weight and only weigh 255 kilos…in this form" All Might says, correcting the green haired fanboy, who sighs, before taking a look at his surroundings, seeing the garbage and trash piled up, looking like mountains.
"Why am I pulling trash at a beach park?" Izuku asks curiously, as the man in question laughs nonchalantly.
"Well that's because, you're not fit" All Might says, pulling out his phone taking photos of the scrawny green haired boy on the sandy ground, as Izuku whips his head around almost instantly to look at the hero.
"You didn't say that before!" Izuku shouts nervously, as he undergoes a panic attack, making All Might jump off the refrigerator and walking towards his successor.
"I'm talking about your body. My quirk, One For All, has many people's extreme physical powers compiled into one. A weak body can't support it all, so you may explode into pieces" All Might explains, as Izuku panics once again.
"Explode!?" Izuku shouts, as he shakes his head, effectively calming himself.
"So…you're saying I'm picking up trash to get buff?" Izuku asks, tilting his head at All Might.
"Yes!" All Might says, putting a thumbs up in affirmation.
"But, that's not all. Yesterday, I saw online, some parts of the coast of this beach park have been like this for years" All Might says, walking over to the refrigerator, nudging the top corner of the object, resulting in a huge dent appearing, because of the overwhelming strength coming from the pro hero.
"Yeah…due to the currents or something, objects drift to the shore and people use that as a reason for dumping trash. The local people don't come here" Izuku explains, as All Might walks over to the backside of the refrigerator.
"Heroes these days are so focused on their showy performance—" All Might rests his hand on top of the refrigerator.
"—but the core of hero work is volunteer work. Even though it may not seem fancy, we must not forget that" All Might finishes his sentence, as he crushes the large mobject easily with only one hand, punching it with one last blow to fully flatten it, resulting in a small shockwave which blows some of the nearby objects away, letting the sunlight reach them, which was previously being covered by the mountains of garbage.
"You will restore the horizon for this whole area. That's your first stop in becoming a hero" All Might says, as Izuku stares at his idol inspiringly, before a sudden shout disrupts his train of thought.
"Am I late!?" A voice shouts out, as a figure comes into the view of both the men, to see that the voice came from none other than Percy Jackson, who had just arrived, walking over to the two, wearing an orange tank top with blue shorts.
"Percy!? What are you doing here?" Izuku asks, shocked to see his friend here, as the green haired boy was standing in front of him.
"I should be asking you that
Didn't I tell you? Since both of us are going to U.A, we need to train hard!
I was previously planning on both of us training here to clean this place, because this beach was my favourite spot to go to when I was a kid, but after hearing you were going to train with All Might, I just thought I'd train alone—" Percy explains, looking around in disgust at how people could allow the situation at the beach reach the current state it was in.
"But, now you're here, we can train together!" Percy smiles, as Izuku smiles back.
"Yeah!" Izuku agreed enthusiastically, happy that he was going to train with his green eyed friend.
"I mean, if that is okay with you sir?" Percy asks the pro hero, who had been watching the green eyed boy closely ever since they have met, as All Might stares into the young man's sea green eyes, before shaking his head.
"Of course young man!" All Might says, giving Percy a thumbs up, before turning his attention to Izuku.
"So, young Izuku, you want to go to U.A right?" All Might asks, as Izuku answers immediately.
"Yes!
Because, U.A is the school you went to. I knew if I was going, I'd have to go to U.A" Izuku says, wanting to follow in his idol's footsteps.
"You're a proactive fanboy!" All Might exclaims, as Izuku blushes, not being used to getting praised, much less by the hero who he has been looking up to for as long as he could remember.
All Might turns around to look at the horizon, prompting the two young aspiring heroes to follow behind, looking at the peaceful sunrise together.
"But, as I said before, this job cannot be done without a quirk—" All Might gets interrupted by a certain black haired boy coughing.
"I think that you're wrong" Percy argues, as Izuku looks to his friend in shock for the green eyed boy saying the Symbol of Peace was wrong, but before Izuku could protest, Percy continued to speak, whilst looking at the sunrise.
"I think that people have forgotten what it means to be a hero nowadays. A hero is not something that needs a requirement like having a quirk, strength or intellect in my opinion, no I know. What does saving someone mean? It could mean many things, but I know for sure that anyone could be a hero. Even doing something as simple as comforting a crying child in the middle of a crowd, lost and alone without his mother. Doing a simple act of kindness like that deems you a hero in my opinion" Percy explains, not noticing what looked like a dawn of realisation setting on All Might's face.
After finishing his speech, of sorts, the three men stood there in silence for a few moments, before All Might broke it, asking Percy a question.
"Young man, if I may ask, what is your quirk?"
"Oh it's water manipulation" Percy answers.
"Do you know the full extent of your abilities?" All Might asks, as the green eyed boy thought about it for a moment.
"I don't think so, but I know I can control water, like lift it off the ground, shape it into pretty much anything. I can also freeze it, I made some ice cubes a few times and I can walk on water, the first time I did by accident, but I've gotten the hang of it now, kinda" Percy says, as All Might goes into his thoughts, humming silently, while of course the two boys just stood there, not knowing what the man was thinking.
"Young man, how would you like your very own training regimen? Specifically to fit your quirk" All Might offers, as Percy immediately answered.
"Yes! I'd love that! You would do that for me? I'm not your successor" Percy says, as All Might chuckles.
"Nonsense! Of course I would! This is the least I could do, consider it a token of my gratitude, but it will take a while for me to make it, so in the meantime you'll be following Izuku's training regimen!" All Might says, pulling out a stack of papers and giving it to Izuku, as Percy goes to look at it with his friend as well.
"This was my old training regimen that I have tweaked to fit you, so you can pass the exam! The American Dream Plan!
It's a training plan to make the trash cleanup more efficient!
You will adjust your life accordingly" All Might explains, as the two boys looked at the regiment with shock at the intensity of the training.
"Even my bedtime…" Izuku mutters, seeing the sleeping schedule was modified as well.
"To be honest these next ten months will be really tough…for both of you
Are you two up to it?" All Might asks, as the two boys aspiring to be heroes smile.
"YES!" Both Percy and Izuku say in unison, excited for their training to begin, but they would soon regret their words, as their ten months of hell have just begun.
Month 1 of Training
The first month started out slow, as Percy and Izuku began pulling and pushing some of the less heavier and smaller trash out like tires and compartments.
Percy lifted some of the heavier garbage, as he had worked out quite a fair amount in his spare time, while Izuku had not, giving him the heavier tasks to push his limits.
Each day got only harder and harder, as the two had to adapt to the strict regimen which their bodies were obviously not used to.
They had to wake up much earlier than usual each day to train. They also were given a specific diet for their workout, something that Izuku did not find much of a bother, but the same could not be said for Percy Jackson…
For he wasn't allowed to eat any blue pancakes nor cookies, devastating the young boy, but he wasn't about to give up and beared with it, eating the prescribed diet. This concerned his mother, Sally, as the green eyed boy just answered her worries by telling her he was training to get into U.A, which convinced her for the time being.
Whenever they weren't cleaning, they were working out their body to tone their muscles and to be able to lift more of the heavier trash around. They also ran a lot, doing quite a lot of cardio exercises to increase their stamina.
By the end of the month, Percy and Izuku were drained, quite literally. During class, Percy had fallen asleep due to exhaustion, before hearing the green haired boy sitting beside him, muttering aloud while writing on his notebook, taking the attention of the entire class.
Not wanting Izuku to get laughed at, Percy nudged his friend to tell him that he was muttering, making Izuku stop, thankfully, everyone seemed to just ignore the whole thing happened, even Katsuki, which made Percy skeptical, as Bakugo hasn't bullied or even spoken to Izuku in a while, but shook his thoughts away for he had more training ahead of him.
( - )
(Month 3)
Over the course of two months, the training had only gotten more intense. It was the usual invigorating routine with the two young men, exhausted and tired, they had just completed what they could for the day, as Izuku and Percy had bid their farewells to All Might, going to their homes.
Percy limped through the streets, drained after the training, as a voice called out to him from behind. Turning around, he saw All Might there in his deflated form, approaching him.
"Young Jackson"
"Uh yeah?" Percy asks, still panting heavily from being drained.
"I've come to apologise to you…"
"For what?"
"I want to apologise properly this time about what I did three months ago, when I had admonished young Midoriya and for saying that you need a quirk to be a hero. I was wrong, and for that I am sorry" All Might says, as Percy smiles slightly, seeing that the hero at least listened to what he said, not being arrogant like most heroes.
"And also, I want to thank you…
If you hadn't corrected my original way of thinking and perception of heroes, along with young Midoriya's courageous act, I would've become a 'fake', for that I thank you.
In these three months of training with you, I got to know you better as well, I saw the passion inside you. I have observed your selflessness and kindness. Just like young Midoriya, you too are a true hero.
If I hadn't met him, I would've chosen you to be my su—" Before All Might could finish, Percy had interrupted him, once again.
"Thank you for that, but I stand by what I said before. Izuku deserves to be your successor more than anyone else, he is worthy of it, believe me I know. I've known him ever since we were young. And even if you hadn't met him, I'd still tell you to choose him. Besides, I never really liked power, so if you did offer me your power, I'd have probably turned you down anyway" Percy says, as All Might smiles warmly in response.
"I was thinking you'd say that…
Young man, this may not matter much to you, but I just want to say you have earned my eternal respect and gratitude" All Might says smiling, as Percy shoots the hero a smile back.
"Oh and I almost forgot. I have finished your training regimen which is specifically targeted at your quirk. You will be starting it next month" All Might says.
"Great. Well, if that's all then if you excuse me I need to go and rest, I'm going to take a nap" Percy says, shooting the man one more smile, before turning around and walking away.
"It was you wasn't it? That boy!" All Might shouts out from behind Percy, who simply stood still for a second, slightly turning his head, before continuing his trek back to his home.
"See you tomorrow sir!" Percy says, walking away, as he left the man all alone deep in thought.
All Might watched the black haired boy until he was out of sight, before walking over to a nearby bench and looking at the bright sun. It was almost afternoon now, as people had started to leave their homes and go to work. Many civilians passed by the man, not having the faintest idea who he really was, but amidst all these random people, All Might couldn't care less what was happening around him, as he was deep in thought, though he couldn't stay there for too long. He shook his head, and stood from where he sat, walking away, for he still had hero work to do.
( - )
(Month 4-5)
"So you can manipulate water, correct?" All Might asks Percy, both away from Izuku, but still at the beach, as the hero was going to train the boy with his powers.
"Yes sir" Percy answers.
"Do you see this vast sea, young Jackson?" All Might asks, looking at the shore of the beach, the water flowing with the current, as Percy answers "Yes"
"By the time we're done, I want you to be able to lift this entire body of water within 10 miles, not leaving a droplet on the ground, and all done with ease. Understood?" All Might says, stating the goal for the young man as well as his bar of expectations, which were very high. Percy, however, had his mouth agape, staring at how much he'd have to have control over, which seemed impossible as the most he could do was probably like not even a tenth of that mass, not even close, but he wasn't going to give up, so with a extremely difficult goal set and a drive to become a hero, Percy looks at his teacher and grins.
"Yes sir!" Percy exclaims, as All Might smiles "Good! Now, let's begin"
Percy would soon of course regret those words, as he would be put in a different and more intense type of hell. He could control like a glass of water, make it float out of the glass and fly around, maybe shape it into a little circle or something, but that wasn't anywhere or remotely even close to what he had to accomplish in these two months.
Percy had to perfect his control over water, so it would be as if it was his own domain that only he could control. He had to feel and sense every droplet, every molecule of water, he had to make sure he could control it with little to no difficulty, but of course it wasn't going to be easy.
All Might had given him various challenges like throwing tons on tons of water, all at the same time and Percy had to make sure none would hit the ground, which proved to be quite a challenge for the young man, but he eventually perfected it.
Though by the end of the two months, he still couldn't carry the whole body of water within 10 miles, because of lack the of time, which All Might understood, but Percy's control over water had improved greatly, being able to at least do ¼ of that, which was enough and extraordinary for the hero, as this was all done within a span of two months. All Might saw greatness in Percy's future alongside Izuku, both having amazing growth and potential.
His growth in those two months were extraordinary, and it wasn't just him, Izuku as well. The two aspiring heroes continued to impress All Might each and every day they trained. And soon enough it was already time for the next part of Percy's special regimen.
( - )
(Month 6-9)
"Your next lesson is combat
And a good utilisation of your quirk when you're near water" All Might says, now in his muscular form, unlike last time.
"Young Jackson, you said that you were able to make ice cubes from water, solidifying it with your quirk. Could you do that with something you've shaped from water?" All Might asks, as Percy raises a brow.
"Yeah, I think so. Why?" Percy asks, as All Might grins.
"When you're fighting against a villain and you're in luck because you're near water, what are you going to do? Will the water to wet your opponent? You need something to make it more suitable for offensive combat" All Might explains, as the green eyed boy sees where it was going.
"So what should I make?" Percy asks.
"Anything! Make your imagination run wild, it could be chains or something to capture your opponent or maybe a weapon!" All Might explains, as Percy tries it out.
The green eyed boy, without lifting a finger, wills a portion of water to come to him, shaping it into a sword, before solidifying it and it was exactly at this moment did All Might immediately rush Percy, who in turn moved by reflex to block the punch with his newly forged sword. All Might didn't put much power into the punch, but it was still strong enough to make multiple, very visible, cracks on it. Seeing this, Percy throws the almost broken sword to the side.
"Hmm, that sword actually held up against your punch pretty well" Percy says, as All Might laughs.
"Yes! That was amazing! We're going to work on that. I need you to make your constructions sturdier, so by the end of this one of your own weapons or anything you make can withstand a punch from me at 100%, maybe even beyond that if you can" All Might says, as Percy grins, clenching his fists tightly, pumped and determined to get stronger, knowing that it was gonna be hard, but knew it would definitely be worth it.
And so, with that Percy had begun his combat training. The two months flew by with Percy training hard with his constructs, making them stronger, sharper and sturdier, while also working on his imagination with what he could create, expanding his imagination to a vast range. Meanwhile, Percy had also trained in the expertise and mastery of all sorts of weapons, from swords, daggers, guns, whips and even tridents!
Now, All Might had trained him in hand to hand combat along with martial arts, as the hero had knowledge in those fields, but it was quite obvious that he had no prior knowledge with those weapons, much less swords or daggers, so Percy's training was limited to the internet along with being self taught.
By the end of the ninth month, Percy was at the level of great to someone who could be mistaken for having been training for years, which was thanks to the green eyed boy's quick way to adapt to any situation as well as being a fast learner, but he still had a lot to learn, which wasn't such a big matter, as he would learn more at U.A.
( - )
(Month 10)
The last month for training and before the two childhood friends would go to the entrance exam for U.A had begun, and this last month would prove to be one of the more challenging parts of their training, as it would all be dedicated to showing the fruits of their training.
For Percy, he had to fight All Might at his 100% for the whole month to learn the movements of his opponents while also predicting their next moves. He had to also train with adapting to his surroundings and be able to think on his feet, like All Might said "The villain wouldn't give you a fair fight, you'll have to be prepared for anything that comes in your way, as you most probably won't have the luxury of being around a water source all the time"
As this was the last month, Percy gave it his all, going 150% and training hard to try to beat All Might. The hero had told Percy that he would not be holding back on the boy, and neither should he, so the green eyed boy could beat him. All Might had told him that his goal was to beat him, but he didn't mind if he couldn't beat him yet, as he was already proud of Percy, the green eyed boy had pushed his limits, thwarting the hero's expectations and surpassing them, there were multiple instances where the symbol of peace had to revise the regimen, making it harder and harder to fit Percy.
Overall, All Might only said it, so that Percy could do his best and push himself beyond his limits.
Now, it was the last day before the entrance exam and it was the last chance Percy had to beat All Might before the fateful day, as he had never won against the pro hero, but he was hoping that today would be it.
Percy and All Might stood a few feet away from each other, as All Might, in his muscular form, flips a coin into the air, the two men watched each other closely, while also keeping an eye on the coin, which would signal the beginning of the battle once it landed.
…Everything was quiet, until it landed.
Once it did, what happened next went by like a flash, as All Might had rushed Percy in an unimaginable speed, which to random civilians would look like a blur, but to Percy with his training, saw it with his own eyes, blocking the punch with a sword he had pulled out of nowhere after molding it from the sea, holding it with both hands to hold back the punch.
The collision of the fist and sword had created a small shockwave, as Percy immediately went to go on the offense, holding the sword with his right hand, going to hit All Might, as the hero dodges it, but the green eyed boy wasn't done, slashing and going for precise attacks, all of which the hero dodged, but not with ease, showing some struggle with the swordsmanship Percy was showing.
All Might didn't let Percy keep on going, finding an opening in one of his attacks and goes to exploit only to have Percy, who looked to have anticipated it, avoided what the hero was going for and quickly countered by slashing All Might on the side, having been told not to hold back. The pro hero clutched his side in pain, spitting out a mouthful of blood, but not at all angry, grinning proudly at Percy.
'Though I have a limit, I shouldn't show my eager student that his mentor is getting weak! He's giving it his all, I don't see any reason why I shouldn't too!'
All Might gripped his fists, as he rushed Percy, not giving the green eyed boy any time to react and threw a barrage of calculated punches, giving the young man trouble with dodging them, but he was able to avoid them, only sustaining a few bruises, as he retaliates by using his feet, doing a perfect roundhouse kick, forcing All Might to reel back from the hit.
The No.1 hero then decided to stop playing around, recovering quickly from the previous blow, rushes Percy at a speed that the green eyed boy couldn't anticipate, not having seen it before, while reeling his arm back. He was able to see him, but knowing he couldn't react quick enough, he used his free hand to reach out to the sea, before raising his hand up in front of the oncoming fist, courtesy of All Might.
"DETROITT SMASHHHHH!" All Might shouts, as a huge shockwave gets produced, result of the collision between the punch and shield?
Percy had constructed a shield from the water, using it to block All Might's punch, obviously with one of All Might's strongest super moves, it was shocking the shield hasn't broken yet, though having numerous cracks, but the recoil after the punch was something the green eyed boy did not foresee, being sent flying out onto the sea.
Percy stopped himself from being sent too far back, standing atop the water, a sight not everyone would see, as he turns the almost broken shield back into water, before getting ready once more, for All Might wasn't done yet, running at Percy, the water slowing him down slightly, but not much with his towering height.
Percy dropped his sword, reaching out his hands, while All Might gets closer and closer to him, running at a fast rate, as a swarm of swords lift off from the water, all pointed at the hero who was running at Percy, not deterred or intimidated at all by the swarm of edged blades, All Might doesn't halt his movements and faces the swords that were flying towards him, reeling his arm back.
"TEXAS SMASHHH!" All Might shouts, destroying the swarm of swords in an instant, which were apparently a distraction, as the next thing he saw was Percy almost right in front of him.
Looking like the young man was about to punch him, All Might puts up his arms in a defensive stance, only to not feel anything, seeing that he was tricked once more, as Percy was nowhere in sight, before feeling like he was sinking?
All Might looks down at his legs to see they were held captive by chains, presumably from Percy, but that was not all, as he looked back up to see a sight that the pro hero stood agape at. It was Percy alright, he was up in the air, falling rapidly with his right leg down, pointed at him, and all while the green eyed boy was showing a warm smile.
This made All Might smile proudly, accepting his defeat, as Percy landed on his chest, kicking him straight in the chest, the collision made such a huge shockwave that the whole area around Percy and All Might had no water, and before it came rushing back, Percy had willed the water not to move around them, making a small dry spot where Percy stood victoriously in front of the incapacitated All Might, wrapped around chains.
"Great Job" All Might says smiling warmly, praising Percy, as though the kick was very much incredible, it wasn't enough to injure the No.1 Hero, but it did bring him close to his limit, the hero having smoke emitting from him, beginning to revert back.
( - )
(6 A.M)
(Day of the Entrance Exam)
All Might, in his deflated form, walks to the beach, with the intention to check up on the boys before the entrance exam, but suddenly hears a loud and shrill scream coming from above him.
All Might looks up to see Izuku standing atop a pile of trash, gripping his fists tightly, while shouting at the top of his lungs, as we see the result from these past ten months of rigorous training. Izuku had bulked up quite a lot, having a muscular build with toned muscles, being taller now as well, looking much different from the skinny green haired boy that had appeared in front of All Might those months ago. And of course, you couldn't miss the sweat dripping down his entire body, all from exhaustion.
All Might quickly runs over to look over the beach in astonishment…
It was spotless, cleaned perfectly, almost like it was reverted back to its original state before all the garbage and trash that washed up on it's shore.
"Oi oi oi
They cleaned beyond what I instructed!
Are you serious!?
I don't see a single dust!?
Seriously!?
They both finished it last minute
It's more than perfect!" All Might exclaims, quaking with pride and joy for his two students.
"Oh my, oh my…"
"GOODNESS!" All Might shouts, transforming into his muscular form. Meanwhile, Izuku had drained himself, about to collapse and fall from the tall mountain of trash, All Might runs in and catches him, preventing the green haired boy from falling down.
"Good work" All Might says, praising the young man in his arms, as Izuku looks up to All Might weakly, his eyes struggling to stay open.
"All Might…" Izuku weakly lets out, shooting All Might the weakest smile he could muster.
"I…did it
I did it" Izuku says, which would've come out more cheerful if it wasn't for the lack of energy he had and exhaustion wearing his body out.
"Yes, you surprised me" All Might smiles, before gaining a questioning look on his face.
"Wait…"
"Where's young Jackson?" All Might asks, noticing that a black haired boy with sea green eyes was missing, and if by cue, the water in the ocean began fluctuating, bending to a certain someone's will, as the water began spreading out, making an opening for someone to walk out from the sea…
It was none other than Percy Jackson, as we take a look at the obvious change in his appearance as well. He has bulked up too, just like Izuku, though he had a different build, having a lean swimmer's style body, making him look very muscular, yet not too much, having very toned muscles and an amazingly toned six pack. Though, unlike Izuku, Percy wasn't sweating profusely, as the water had rejuvenated him.
"Hey guys!" Percy waves at the two, smiling, walking towards them, as All Might sets Izuku down on the ground slowly.
"Young Jackson! Great work! Both you and young Midoriya passed my expectations and even went far beyond it! I'm so proud" All Might says, shedding a tear, before pulling out his phone.
"Come here young Jackson, I want you to see this too!" All Might says, as Percy quickly walks closer to the two, going beside his childhood friend to look at the picture the hero was showing the two.
"Young Midoriya, this is you from ten months ago" All Might says, putting the phone in front of the two boys' faces, so that they could see the picture more clearly.
It was the picture from ten months ago, when their training had begun, it was Izuku, looking skinny, on the ground, having collapsed, not being able to pull the huge refrigerator behind him, and of course with All Might on top of it, didn't help at all, adding more weight onto it.
"You both did well! You both really did! I can't say that enough!" All Might says, taking another look at the two young men standing in front of him.
"It's still a faint mirage of the entrance…but young Midoriya, you've certainly become suitable to inherit One For All!" All Might announces, as Percy smiles widely, patting Izuku's green fluffy hair, very happy for his friend. Izuku smiles warmly as well, only being able to feel one emotion which is happiness.
"I feel like I'm cheating…
You've both done so much for me…
I'm so privileged" Izuku says to the two men by his side, and the only people who have believed in him from the beginning, tearing up, beginning to cry, as All Might laughs.
"You need to stop being a crybaby" All Might jokes, patting Izuku's back, as Percy laughs at the comment.
"Yeah, that's what I told him," Percy agrees.
"Now! Onto the award ceremony! First,
Midoriya Izuku!" All Might says, plucking out a strand of his blonde hair.
"I was once told this too, but the quality is different between ones who received it by luck and ones who earned it. Take that to heart. This is the power you, yourself, have earned" All Might says, as he reaches his hand out closer to Izuku.
"Eat this"
"Huh"
( - )
AN : Here's the second chapter of TLO for all of you to enjoy! I hope you like it!
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Sayonara Minna!