Chapter 3

Roaring Muscles, Mastered Mind

Dagobah Municipal Beach Park. All Might can remember when this place had been gorgeous. Clear waters, stunning white sands, wide open space to truly embrace the ocean and be at peace.

Now, it's a junk-laden waste piled to the brim with all manner of garbage and old appliances. A good number of trashed cars has been left here as well, some of which All Might swore he could recall a few fights he's been in that resulted in their damages. Now they sit abandoned among refrigerators, ovens, desks, TVs, and even busted power tools like belt sanders and buzz saws. There was even an entire CNC machine tucked in here, likely from a nearby garage.

And now, All Might stands amongst the wreckage watching his new protegee hefting tires and lugging them about. The pile atop the steps just off the beach is growing steadily, but not very fast just yet. This first morning has already proven a few of his theories, though.

For one, the physical nature of Midoriya's quirk makes him adapt and heal faster than average. The damage he received in his fight with the slime villain was already recovered, despite considerable bruises on his knees that should have taken at least two more days. On the adaptation side, he unconsciously adapted to the proper positions and methods for hefting various objects with the least strain. No direction was required, and Midoriya still managed to figure them out in seconds and take the most efficient method. Unconscious effects of quirks are a dime a dozen, but the flexibility of this one in particular strikes him as something incredibly abusable- especially paired with the rest of his quirk. That adaptation paired with the need to learn to utilize borrowed quirks on the fly streamlines the process to ensure successful adaptation even with abilities of unfamiliar types. At least, that's his running theory, but he has a few plans on how to test it.

A few weeks into his training on a quiet Sunday afternoon, the first test comes in the form of a surprise guest to his training regimen. Among All Might's many contacts includes a wide range of heroes with various talents and quirks, many of whom already know his condition thanks to his upcoming position at UA. As such, he chose to bring one whose unique talent would be marvelous to see Izuku adapt to.

"O-Oh my god, I can't believe you're actually here!" He bows until his forehead is nearly in the sand to thank the cloaked and hat-clad hero known as Snipe.

"No need to thank me, lad. When All Might told me he was training a unique up-and-comer like yourself, I just knew I had to get a look at you." He peers around the beach to the plethora of trash surrounding him, and the decent clearing that's been made in it by the young man before him. "Quite the dent you've made so far. No wonder Power Loader's been in such a good mood, getting all of this scrap to tinker with." He tilts his head and returns his gaze to Izuku. "So, you've already gotten a decent workout. How about you show me how that quirk works, and we give you a decent test?" He reaches into a pouch on his left hip and pulls out a fluid vial with an attached hypodermic needle, much like an EpiPen.

Izuku barely manages to catch it, but after a few moments, he grins and pops the cap off. "So Power Loader's already working on my support gear?"

"Yessir." He tips his hat upwards with his pistol, then flips it around to hand over to the young man. "Since that sample's mine, you'll need this. While I've had you distracted, All Might's been sticking targets all over this junk yard for you to home in on." Izuku looks up and around the scrapyard, seeing a few spots of red and white scattered about, tucked into difficult locations. A few grab his attention of only being viewable through broken mirrors and car windows. "So, give if your best shot."

After a few moments, he grins and raises the capsule to inject himself. "Right… I've studied your quirk more than enough to know exactly what to do with it!" He pops the cap off with his pinkie and jabs it into his right bicep. After it sinks into his bloodstream for a second, he tosses the capsule back at Snipe and braces himself. "SUIT UP!"

His skin splits as the suit begins to form, snapping into place around him with a burst of steam. The horns atop his helmet part and aim sideways before forming a brim and capping his crown off with a mimicry of Snipe's hat. The brim and front of the hat glow with a rust-like energy, channeling the psychokinetic functions of his quirk in place of modifying Izuku's brain. "Snipe Mode." He twirls the gun he was handed on one finger before aiming towards the nearest target to his right. Although his aim was off-center, Snipe's homing quirk got a bullseye regardless. He then reaches behind his head and fires it upside-down, getting one to his left that's half hidden by a junk car's hood. She starts to turn and take multiple shots at once. Secondary shots end up missing their mark. Having more than one homing bullet flying at once proves difficult for him. He'd seen Snipe do it countless times, but he's too much of a fledgling with this quirk. He hums and slows his pace, testing versatility by trying to aim in the opposite direction and still home in. This proves successful, including with one of the targets only visible around a corner through a mirror.

In a matter of a minute, he's torn through twenty-five targets with perfect accuracy, and five stray bullets puncturing random appliances when he'd attempted too many shots at once. For the last one, he tries something unconventional and kicks up a pebble, then throws it and produces the same homing effect to strike a target blocked by windows. "Huh… always wondered if your quirk worked with other projectiles."

"Yeah, but bullets are faster and can manage shortcuts through windows in most cases, and the larger the projectile is, the less effective my quirk is." He reaches out for his gun and Izuku gladly passes it back. "You learn fast, kid. Your quirk's adaptability is sure to be critical to your success. Although you're not as strong as the quirks you copy and can't use them for long, versatility is one of the most important skills of any hero, and you've got it in spades as long as you can keep a decent stock of samples on hand."

"R-Right!" Izuku loses loses an inch in height as his suit sublimates to steam and fades away. "Keeping samples might take a while to manage, b-but I was hoping to meet with some other heroes through All Might to ask them to donate samples. Just a hair or two would work!"

"Certainly." Snipe nods. "For the sample you just used, they apparently only needed one hair off my head and it took only an eighth of it to make a large enough sample to give you a five minute dose. You just ask donors to collect hair any time they cut it, and you can get all the samples you'll ever need to use their quirks four or five times a day for a month."

"Well, your hair is a decent length, so I can see that being an issue with some people's quirks." He grumbles and crosses his arms. "Especially quirks that keep them from growing hair, in which case I'll need skin or blood samples instead."

All Might steps up with a box full of shattered target parts. "A fair assessment. I can think of a few who'd be willing to donate more samples, if you're up for it. But you should use them sparingly, and only use quirks you already understand."

Izuku nods and clenches his fists. "Any you wanna test me with, I'm ready for!"

"Well…" All Might rubs his chin. "If that's the case, I have another who can be here to test you in about three weeks. Until then, we keep up our normal plan." Now." He slaps the car next to him. "Work on dismantling this and getting the parts up off the beach."

The next few weeks were uneventful save for the occasional slip-up with finding wild animals living in some of the garbage and one chest freezer that apparently had a lot of rotted food in it. Those days were particularly bad.

But soon before the second guest, All Might's dropping Izuku off after another training session when Inko decides to really interrogate the man.

It has just started to rain particularly hard on the way home, and neither of them had been prepared, being soaked to the bone by the time they arrived at the Kidoriya household. Just after her son steps past to dry off and wash up before dinner, Inko turns and jabs at All Might's left side. She stops before making contact, but reaching there to begin with startles the man into flinching away, causing her eyes to narrow further. "So what's the story here, then?"

He stares for a few moments, his hero persona's constant smile slowly fading. "I don't suppose you're willing to let this slide without an answer, are you?"

She shakes her head. "I spent five years as a nurse before my boy was born. I know a life-changing injury when I see one." She sighs deeply as her eyes lock onto it. "… Is that why you're so eager to train my son? Because you'll need to retire soon?"

Moments of silence pass before he can manage so drop his guard and nod. "I was looking for a successor, yes… and your son has proven the heart and strength of will to be worthy of it."

Inko takes a deep, shaky breath to calm herself. "… How much has that injury weakened you?" She peeks up into his shrouded eyes. "How long do you have left?"

All Might can only stare for a few moments, but soon closes his eyes and tilts his head back in thought before shrugging noncommittally. "Well… I suppose I see no reason not to trust you with this." He shakes his head and starts to steam. "Please try to keep calm regarding what you're about to see. Very few people know, your son included." Inko steps back as the steam builds, and a sudden burst of it leaves her blinded for just a moment. As it fades, the true form of All Might stands slouched and rain-soaked, a wet kitten with a shaggy lion's mane.

Inko stammers aimlessly at the sight of the hero fallen from his former grace. Her thoughts are cut short by the sound of her son gasping from the end of the hall.

"A-All Might! Oh god, d-did you run out of time?!" He rushes up to check on him, looking about for potential spatters of blood.

He sighs and hangs his head. "No, not at all, young man. Your mother simply happened to spot my injury through my soaked shirt, and I decided I had no reason to hide this from her." His eyes meet hers. "You've already been gracious and careful enough to not let it slip that I've been training your son this past two months. I feel you're more than trustworthy enough to reveal my condition."

Inko stares for a few moments, slowly steeling herself as she soaks in what she's heard and seen. It then become clear where Izuku got his attention to detail. "My son said something about a time limit. You can't use your quirk for too long now because of that injury, can you?"

He nods. "I see you're as perceptive as your son. Yes, ever since that battle and repeated surgeries that followed, my time limit tends to be about three hours a day. It's flexible depending on how much power I'm actively using and the severity of combat, but that's where it tends to average out before I start hurting myself by maintaining that form."

Silence falls as she starts running through evidence in her head, biting her thumb as her eyes dart about. She eventually lets go and looks him in the eyes again. "You're training my son because you know you don't have long as the #1 Hero. You're looking for a successor."

After a few moments, he nods and bows to her. "If you would allow me to continue training him, even knowing this, I'd be forever in your debt. Your son has the most heroic spirit I've ever seen. I trust him to take up the mantle one day to become a far greater hero than even I have been."

She takes a few deep breaths, watching the world's greatest hero prostrate himself to a single mother for the sake of her son. His weakness in this moment, the honesty and heart in every word, shakes her to her core, then sets it ablaze. She slowly reaches down and lifts him back up by his shoulder. "All Might… I'm honored that you see my son as someone so great. As someone worthy of taking your place." She slowly develops a wide and tearful smile. "I could never say no to such a request. My son is yours to train however you see fit. I know you'll help make his dream a reality, and I know he won't let you down."

His sunken eyes lock onto hers, and as hopeful as her words make him, he can't help but instantly pump up into his muscle form as he uprights himself. "YES! Just as you son had done! No hesitance, no regrets! Inko, you incredible woman, I could kiss y-" He deflates in another burst of steam and sputters a bit of blood. "Ugh… Ok, I was kinda close to my limit."

"O-Oh dear, hold on!" Inko rushes to get something to clean his blood with, while Izuku leads him into the dining room.

The remainder of the night is rather peaceful. All Might's comfortable in his weakened form, in this home at least. No need to hide, no need to fake anything. Just himself, his protegee, and his incredible mother. Her cooking is fantastic as always, but somehow it just tastes better when he's not trying to maintain his hero form.

The rain slows to a stop around nine, at which point, he's nearly exhausted himself purely through the conversation that followed dinner. Details of Izuku's training, some hilarious incidents stemming from it, some of All Might's more embarrassing moments on the job that're just a riot in hindsight, and a few of Inko's tales of meeting other heroes throughout her life, usually resulting in All Might having a story or two about them himself.

When all is said and done, Izuku turns in for the night and gives his mentor one last passing high-five on the way to his room, leaving his mentor and mother alone for a bit. All Might turns to her with a gentle smile. "You're truly raised and incredible young man, Inko. You should be proud of yourself."

"O-oh, no, Izuku's just a great kid." She fiddles with the hem of her dress. "A-Actually… I've always felt I'm not that great of a mother…" She sighs and hands her head in shame. "You… you gave him hope. You have him his dream. But me?... I supported him, yes, but I've always been too scared to really push him. Especially after the first time he used his quirk became so… traumatic." Tears start to flow. Within seconds, All Might can see exactly where the boy got his waterworks from. "I was terrified the first time he used it. I couldn't see my boy anymore! All I saw was him bleeding, and then… some scorpion monster that took his place! And when the suit fell apart… oh god, he never stopped bleeding inside it." She stumbles backwards and collapses into one of the dining chairs. "There was so much when it came off. I've never been able to get that out of my head, All Might. I…" She looks to her trembling hands and buries her face into them. "I can't stand the thought of seeing my boy like that again. I don't think I'm strong enough."

All through her confession, All Might walks at a gentle pace and in silent steps, until he's kneeling before her and gently taking her hand. "Inko… as he's an aspiring hero, I can't tell you that won't happen. We're always risking our lives for others." He looks down to himself, and the injury hidden beneath his shirt. "You've seen tonight just what that can mean, even for the best of us." He sighs and hangs his head. "But your son is the kind of person who would do this regardless of training or not. No matter what either of us does, being a hero is his future. He's too determined to allow anything else. He's too determined to save lives and be everything he admired as a child. But most importantly…" He raises his head and gently lifts her chin to look her in the eyes. "Your son is strong, and I know he'll be an even greater hero than myself one day. And I'll give everything I have to ensure it."

Inko's tears slow to a stop as her eyes lock onto his. Moments of comfortable silence pass as she's overcome with a smile that All Might feels dwarfs even his. It's softer, toothless, but so genuine you can't help but feel appreciation rolling off her. "Thank you, All Might. I know you'll take good care of my son."

He shakes his head. "We both will. And please… just call me Toshinori. It'd be nice to hear someone call me by my actual name who isn't my old mentor or Recovery Girl." He chuckles softly.

Inko sighs and nods. "Very well… Toshinori. So, what will you be doing now?"

He hums and thinks it over for a moment. "Well, it is a bit late, and frankly that amazing meal is weighing me down a bit. I'll be training with Izuku regardless tomorrow morning, so it's best I get some sleep myself as soon as possible." He sighs. "But before I bulk up and sprint home, I think it's best you know that in another month, I'll be disappearing for a week on a research expedition with a friend of mine on the police force. During that week, I'll have a different hero meeting with him at the beach every day. Some upcomers that he's already got some experience with, two right out of UA's own staff, and a few more professionals with impeccable records that owe me some favors."

"Really?" Inko can't help but get a bit giddy. "Oh my, I might have to go out to watch some of his training that week to meet some of them myself." She jumps and almost squeaks. "Oh I can't wait! I know my boy is biggest hero fanboy you'll ever meet, but he got it from somewhere!"

All Might can't help but laugh. "You're more than welcome to come out to our training sessions! Just be careful not to interfere, alright? It might look like it's too much, but I put a lot of care into balancing his regimen to be safe and healthy, though certainly taxing."

"Dear, I've already seen the results, if you can make my boy as strong as he is now without exhausting him to death, I can manage to sit by and watch."

He bulks up and presents and eager thumbs-up. "Just what I want to hear! Now, I best be off. Have a wonderful night Inko, and I'll be sure to bring a few ingredients for dinner next time!"

"Tomorrow then, seafood night. I need some calamari to fry up!"

"Wow, I don't think I've ever wanted a time travel quirk more." His grin somehow manages to get wider on his way out the door and onto the apartment complex walkway. "Tomorrow night then. Goodnight, Inko."

She flashes one last ear-to-ear grin. Damn, he's found a smile that can overthrow his own. "Goodnight, Toshinori."
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A.N.: How are ya'll doin today? Sorry for the delay, but I have a few other projects in the works as well! A lot of recording and editing for a youtube channel, job hunts, and another fic I wanna get ahead on before I start posting it. I plan to release this new one shortly after my channel is running, and I'll cross-post everything to AO3 as well. As a hint of what to look forward to, it's very different from what you've seen me write so far, is based on a single indie game from 2017, and it's a hell of a lot darker and more emotional of a game than it's cartoony style looks.