Mendax Virtus

Most of the rest of the recording sessions were thankfully pretty short, but one more of them stood out to me.

Young Uraraka's.

It was hard to do so fortunately, Cementoss helped me get a few basic points down before I started on the last acceptance video.

"Good day Young Uraraka!" All Might beamed at her warmly.

"So, I'm sure your mind is racing and you're worried about your score." The smile faded slightly.

"You did reasonably well on the entrance exam's written portion, scoring in the top twenty percent of all applicants. You must have studied hard!" I allowed a brief moment to pass, bowing All Might's head slightly.

"That being said, in the physical, you scored a total of twenty points in takedowns. That I'm afraid is a far cry from the forty points required. However, it would be a poor excuse to simply judge on this category." A few clips showed of her helping pull other students back to their feet.

"How you act in a crisis is important too." The smile returned, but it remained somewhat dim.

"Your heroic actions pushed your total to thirty-five points. As you surmised, that too isn't enough." All Might's smile dimmed a bit more as I stared at the camera solemnly.

"In any normal situation, this is the point I'd invite you into the general education course and encourage you to try to enter the heroics course by doing well in the sports festival. However, there was something remarkable you did earlier on exam day that caught my attention that needs to be addressed." A clip of her practically leaping over to save Midorya from smashing into the ground face first.

And I offered her a warm All Might smile.

"We can train a student how to fight a villain. We can train a student on how to be stronger. That's why UA exists. To train young men and women into being great heroes. When you reacted to help another, knowing there was zero benefit for yourself and doing it simply because he needed a hand, you showed me something: that you have the right heart to be a hero. So… I advocated for you." Cementoss nodded in approval.

He'd been the one to encourage me to let her know that I'd gone to bat for her.

"Principle Nezu and the other teachers didn't take much convincing mind you, so he and I reached an agreement. Congratulations, you've made it! It does come with a key stipulation. You're going to have to show major improvement and you're going to have to work incredibly hard as you're starting on academic probation. But that being said: Welcome to your hero academia Young Uraraka!"

And soon enough, the last video was sent out.

Of course, being a new instructor meant that I had a lot of work to do and each day I could taste blood. Damn it, despite me taking it easier during Midorya's training, I was still disintegrating bit by bit. One-For-All was getting to be too powerful to house but…

I had to hold on for the sake of my potential successors.

Lemillion could probably handle it but….

A vicious cough, coupled with blood dripping down pale lips caused me to softly curse in English and I dabbed the mix of saliva, blood and mucus away.

"That cough has been getting worse the last few days All Might." Midnight laid her hand on a shaking shoulder.

"I'll be alright."

Her hand moved to touch a clammy forehead.

"Liar, you're falling apart."

No, more like One-For-All was reaching a point I wasn't able to handle it so well anymore and if anything hurt it was that.

"I'll take a breather once school starts. I should…"Another racking, agonizing beatdown for a single lung left me gasping for a bit as an emaciated body shook.

"I'll probably show up as Toshinori for most classes but popping in for observation as All Might. Maybe… Since I've never taught before I'm taking a mostly back seat and learning from others."

"I do want to do a few of the 1A classes as myself though." I admitted, head collapsing on the desk I'd been assigned.

Midnight squeezed a still weak shoulder before she knelt next to me and surprisingly, shifted so an arm wrapped around her shoulders and she gently lifted me up.

"You're going to rest in the break room and then once I've finished my work, as well as the stuff you were working on, I'm taking you home."

I went to protest but she silenced me with a finger to formerly bloody lips.

"Don't make me get Recovery Girl involved. You know who's side she'll take."

Why was Midnight of all people bullying me?

I let out a sigh in defeat.

"Fine, I'll let you drag me along." She gently patted this body's emaciated right cheek.

"There's a good boy."

Damn it, she was treating me like a baby! Talk about humiliating.

I unwillingly let her drag me to the break room and she firmly pushed me onto a couch before pulling a blanket off the back and throwing it over me.

"Do try to sleep a bit. You look way too close to dead for me to be at ease." I let out a sigh before waving her off with a half-hearted confirmation.

The next few days, Nezu had me taken off the shifts at UA, citing my current health and urged me to stay at home and rest.

It was hard but I somehow listened to him. Instead, I spent most my time watching heroflix and listening to Izuku when he called.

Yagi-Sensei! I got in! Midora practically squealed in excitement in return a soft laugh echoed from deep within this frame.

"Yes, you did, my boy. Just like I knew you would. You're getting stronger day-by-day. Keep growing stronger young Midorya. Speaking of… I'd like to place phase three in front of you. The rest of the beach needs cleaned up. Can you pull it off in four months while attending UA?" I knew that UA was going to be demanding but…

If he could do that on the side…

Yeah, he could inherit One-For-All.

All Might, I'll do it in two!

"Don't overtax yourself." I warned seriously.

I want to do this! I can tell you're pushing me and I'm feeling strong enough to overcome this in two months.

I let out a small sigh before nodding a bit, despite the fact we were on the phone.

"Alright, I'll trust you to not overdo it and hurt yourself. If you do, I'll be disappointed." I warned as gently as I could.

Got it. Izuku's voice was hushed and before he could spiral into depressed apologies, I continued.

"Izuku, er, young Midorya, being disappointed isn't the same as being ashamed of you. I'll still be proud of you even if that happens. You're growing into a great man, but you're prone to overdoing it and look what that's done to me. I've worked myself one foot into the grave at this point. I don't want you to do that too." I kept my tone soft and reassuring.

Yagi-San…

"I'm alright now, I just have to remember my limits nowadays," I reassured him, "But if I had been more careful I likely would still be rescuing and protecting people like I used to and who knows for how many more years?"

Izuku fell silent as he considered my words.

"I'm far from perfect, young man. Learn from both my victories and my failures. You can glow far brighter than I ever did."

I'll never be you though-!

"Of course you won't. I don't expect you to be either. You're you. Just as you are. Be yourself young man. Use your strengths to be your own kind of hero. Don't look to me to be the one-for-one blueprint on what kind of hero you're going to be. Use your mind and heart to be you. Your passion, kindness, and gentle nature naturally draw people to you. Meanwhile I stood alone. Without a friend." Hopefully Izuku would accept that I was not perfect.

No. I might have been the 'Number one hero' on paper but in truth…

I'd never been so great or grand as that.

I was simply a broken shell of a man pretending to be worthy of the ideal of All Might.

All I could do now was hold on long enough for the next generation to be ready for the weight I'd pass down to them…

And hope I didn't condemn them like Nana had been…

One-For-All deserved far better than I and yet… Until Midorya was ready… It would stay with me. I… Had chosen hadn't I…? But thankfully, Nighteye had grown somewhat fond of the passionate young teen so…

Even so, it didn't change the reality that I had been unable to uphold One-For-All's legacy, I had failed to uphold the icon of being All Might.

I could practically feel Nana slap the back of the emaciated skull I inhabited at that and I mentally winced.

Nana, you deserved better and we both know it.

I could practically feel her disappointment at that. Yeah, I understood all too well.

Shaking aside the thoughts, I looked over at the TV as it continued onto the next show.

"Young Midorya, you'll be an incredible hero." And when his body could reasonably withstand One-For-All…

It would be time for All Might's time to end… Even if I wasn't really ready for my time to draw to a close. But death waits for no man. It claims all at the end of the day. I was waiting for him… Then, I'd be no longer needed.

I shook aside my morose thoughts once again thanks to Izuku asking his first questions about UA.

Yagi-San, what should I expect from my first day? How can I make a good impression and start showing the world that there's hope?

I let out a soft chuckle.

"My boy, it's like I've been saying all this time: it's your heart. The kindness and love you share is something that will draw people to you. Not everyone since some people are so angry or hurt that they'd rather hate, but for those willing to connect with others? You'll shine like the sun. Approach your classmates as an equal. You've earned your spot and you work hard to keep it. And remember: if anyone can shake your dream, you won't be a hero, but if you have the heart to keep going forward, you will be a hero. It's all about your spirit. Start believing in yourself. As I do. You convinced me ten months ago through that heart of yours. Keep letting it shine brightly and the world will start to see the same thing that I've seen. Even if it's just one person at a time."

I could hear Midorya sobbing softly and I felt my heart contort. This poor boy… I felt the irrational urge to hold him and reassure him that I was here for him. That it was going to be okay. That he was lov- Oh damn it all, where had that come from?

AN: When I started writing this, I did not expect a side of dadmight. Well, dadmight lovers have fun with it! I guess Izuku is just one character that's impossible not to care for! Also, can anyone blame Nighteye for being upset with All Might when he's like this now? Not the bombshell I've alluded to before but it's still a fact of life that Toshinori lives with day to day.