"Inherit…? Inherit what?" Asked Izuku in confusion.
Toshinori let out a wheezing laugh. "You should see your face right now! Don't worry, I'm not gonna force this thing on you." He walked closer before pointing his finger at the sky. "Listen well young man! This is your choice." He then began vomiting blood again, but that didn't stop him from talking. "Do you wanna accept my awesome power or not?"
Izuku still wasn't getting it. "What is he talking about?" He wondered as Toshinori wiped his mouth clean.
"There are a couple of things you should know about my abilities." He said. "Journalists usually guess my Quirk is something like super strength or invulnerability. In interviews I rely on jokes and question dodging so I don't have to give a straight answer. That's because everyone needs to believe that their symbol of peace is a natural born Quirk user, like any of them. But I'm not, and there's nothing natural about my abilities." He spread his arms and continued talking in a very dramatic fashion. "I wasn't born with this power, it's a sacred torch that was passed onto me from someone else."
Guess Izuku wasn't done getting his world rocked today. "Someone else?" He asked. "Your Quirk was given to you? Impossible."
"Very possible, especially in a world of Quirks like this." Countered Toshinori. "And you're next. I can give you my abilities."
"Wait, hold on, I need a second." Said Izuku. "Yes there's a lot of debate on what your Quirk actually is, nobody has ever figured it out, it's one of the world's greatest mysteries. People constantly talk about it online. ThoughtheideaofpassingonaQuirkorinheritingitjustdoesntmakeanysensetomeIveneverheardanythinglikethatbeforepowersaresupposedtobeuniquetoeachindividualimeansincethefirstQuirksnooneseverbeenabletojustgivesomeoneelsetheirpowerlikeapresentthatscrazyifthisistruethiswillcauseadramaticchangeineverythingweknowaboutQuirksand-." Toshinori watched the kid continue to mumble up a storm, he could barely follow along.
"Uh, sounds like you're overthinking this whole deal." Said Toshinori. Izuku didn't stop rambling though. "Stop nerding out!" He shouted. That did the trick, and Izuku returned to reality.
"Huh? Oh, sorry." Said Izuku.
"Just adjust your reality and accept this fact." Instructed Toshinori. "I can transfer my Quirk to someone else, and that's just the tip of the iceberg that is my power. This is the power, of One For All!"
"One… For All?" Asked Izuku quietly.
"Yes. One person takes the power, improves it, and then passes it on. It continues to grow through each generation. It is the accumulation of this power that lets me save those in need. It's the truth behind my strength." Explained All Might.
"I see… but if this is such a big responsibility, then why give it to a Qu-... to someone like me?" Asked Izuku. "What if I can't live up to it? What if I can't use it properly?"
"I spent a lot of time hunting for a successor, and then I saw you act while all others could not. Despite your status as a fan boy with a Quirk that had yet to awaken, you tried to save that boy. You acted like a hero." Explained Toshinori. And Izuku was tearing up again. "Seriously." Laughed the older man. "You need to stop crying so much if you want my Quirk. C'mon kid."
Izuku clenched his fists. All Might had put so much faith in him, telling him about his secrets and encouraging him to become a hero. The choice was obvious. "I accept your offer!" He said with a determined expression.
Toshinori chuckled. "No reluctance huh? I figured as much." He said. And thus began the quest to earn One For All.
"Why are we here again?" Asked Izuku with a shiver. It was the next day, the sun just barely peeking over the horizon. The duo was currently standing in the, quite literally, trashed Dagobah beach.
"IT'S SIMPLE, YOU'RE NOT READY FOR ONE FOR ALL YET." Said All Might.
"What do you mean? You said I was worthy!" Said Izuku, feeling upset and a little betrayed.
"THERE'S A DIFFERENCE AND WORTHINESS AND READINESS." Explained All Might. "YOU HAVE THE SOUL OF A HERO, THAT GOES WITHOUT SAYING, AND YOUR PHYSICAL BUILD ISN'T HALF BAD, BUT," He then gave Izuku a slap on the back, which ended with the unprepared boy face down in the sand. "HALF BAD ISN'T GOOD ENOUGH. ONE FOR ALL IS A LOT TO HANDLE, TOO MUCH EVEN FOR YOU. LIKE I SAID, IT COMBINES THE PHYSICAL ABILITIES OF ALL ITS PREVIOUS USERS. IT'S A HURRICANE OF PURE FORCE. YOU CAN HARDLY EVEN LIFT THAT SWORD, IF I TRIED GIVING IT TO YOU NOW, AT BEST YOU'D BE SUFFERING FROM BROKEN BONES AND TORN MUSCLES EVERYWHERE, AND AT WORST YOU'D BASICALLY EXPLODE." And now Izuku was feeling queasy thanks to that wonderful mental imagery.
Izuku shook his head to clear the images away from his mind. "So… this whole thing is just a hardcore workout and you're my gym trainer, right?" He asked.
"YOU GOT IT!" Said All Might as he gave his successor a thumbs up. "BUT THERE'S ANOTHER REASON TOO." HE APPROACHED A FRIDGE. "AFTER DOING SOME ONLINE RESEARCH YESTERDAY, I LEARNED THAT HIS BEACH USED TO BE BEAUTIFUL, BUT OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS, IT BECAME THE WASTELAND WE'RE STANDING IN NOW."
"Oh yeah…" Said Izuku as he looked around. "Because of the currents, all the junk dropped into the water gets washed up here, a fact that illegal dumpers took advantage of… now people avoid this place."
"HEROES ONLY CARE ABOUT SHOWING OFF THEIR FLASHY POWERS AND CAPTURING VILLAINS. BUT BEFORE THE ERA OF QUIRKS, THINGS WERE DIFFERENT." Said All Might as he slapped the top of the fridge, and then started crushing the thing with one hand. Izuku watched in shock at the power move. "HEROES BACK THEN WERE ALL ABOUT SERVICE! THEY HELPED THE COMMUNITY! EVEN IF IT WAS KINDA BORING!" Once the fridge was flattened, the force of All Might's crushing caused an explosion that knocked down a wall of garbage, letting rays from the rising sunshine on Izuku. "YOUR GOAL IS TO RESTORE THE COASTLINE OF THIS SECTION OF THE BEACH. SAVING THAT BOY WAS WHAT BROUGHT YOU TO YOUR PATH TOWARDS BEING A HERO, AND THIS QUEST WILL BE THE FIRST STEP ON THAT PATH."
Izuku looked around. "All of this…? Is that even possible?!" He exclaimed.
"WHETHER OR NOT THIS TASK IS WITHIN THE REALM OF POSSIBILITY IS UP TO YOU AND ONLY YOU YOUNG MIDORIYA." Stated All Might. "YOU WISH TO ATTEND U.A., RIGHT?"
"Well, of course." Said Izuku. "You went there, so that school must be the best. It's a long shot, but I might as well shoot for the moon, and if I miss, then I'll land amongst the stars."
All Might let out a hearty laugh. "MY MY! QUITE THE ANALOGY, DID YOU READ THAT IN A FORTUNE COOKIE?"
Izuku became flustered. "Wh-what? No! ...maybe…" He said in embarrassment.
All Might continued to laugh. "NO NEED TO FEEL EMBARRASSED MY BOY! THE PHRASE DOES HOLD SOME WEIGHT AFTER ALL!" He turned and dramatically looked into the sunrise. "HEROING ISN'T EASY TO DO WITHOUT A QUIRK. A SAD FACT, BUT A FACT REGARDLESS. AND SINCE U.A. IS THE HARDEST HERO COURSE TO ENTER…"
"Then I need to get ready for your Quirk as soon as possible." Said Izuku. "And the exams are in ten months…"
"NEVER FEAR!" Said All Might as he pulled out a small stack of papers. "I'VE GOT YOU COVERED! WITH THE HELP OF MY "AIM TO PASS: AMERICAN DREAM" PLAN!" Izuku started looking through the papers. "FOLLOW THIS TO THE LETTER AND THE BEACH WILL BE CLEANED JUST IN TIME! I ALSO DETAILED OTHER ASPECTS OF YOUR LIFE THAT WILL NEED MODIFICATIONS TO HELP AS WELL."
"Even my sleep schedule is on here…" Izuku said weakly.
"IT WON'T BE EASY, BUT IF WE GIVE IT OUR ALL, WE'LL BE ABLE TO PULL IT OFF." Said All Might.
Izuku swallowed nervously. "Let's do it." He said.
It was a tedious process. Scratch that, it was hell. Izuku relied on different muscle groups to carry, drag, or push different types of trash off the beach and to the specified area for Toshinori to take away. Coupled with him still having to go to school, and Izuku was having a rough time. Fast forward four months, and Izuku was actually noticing a change. He stared into the mirror, and it was a little difficult to recognize the version of himself staring back. Sure he had a decent amount of muscle going in, but he was really starting to bulk up. Deciding that he'd wasted enough time admiring himself, he finished getting dressed and started making his way to Dagobah Beach.
He'd started going outside the standard training schedule, much to All Mights chagrin. It had started small, adding a little extra distance to the designated running distances, picking up a few extra pieces of trash. But it escalated over time to now he was arriving half an hour before the scheduled meet up time. He knew the risks of doing so, but if he wanted to become as great as All Might, he'd need to go beyond their initial plan.
All Might didn't like it, but he didn't stop Izuku either. Either Izuku would rise to the challenge he set for himself, or he'd fall and learn from the experience. Worst case scenario he could call in a favor from Recovery Girl. He shuddered to think of her reaction though.
Izuku arrived at the beach, and as he approached a trash pile to start carrying, he stopped when he heard the sound of something rustling. Izuku was about to approach the source of the sound, but learning from his experience with the sludge villain, he decided to summon the Demon Slayer Sword first. It still took some practice adapting to the sword's weight, but he was quickly getting used to it. His increase in muscle mass was useful too.
Upon further use of the sword, Izuku had noticed something. Whenever he brought the sword out, it seemed like his senses would skyrocket. If he focused, he became far more aware of everyone and everything around him. "Just like Asta's ki sensing technique." Izuku had realized. He aimed the tip of the sword at the trash pile, which he now realized had a person moving around within it. He could sense a strange type of ki from this person. There was so much… energy, just radiating off of them. "Whoever's in there, please step out." He called. He didn't want a fight, but he wasn't sure if this other person held the same sentiments.
A mess of pink dreadlocks burst from the trash pile. "Huh!? WAS'AT!?" He heard a girl's voice shout. Despite his preparedness, the sudden movement caught Izuku off guard, causing him to jolt backwards, and the extra weight of his sword threw him off balance, ending him landing on his rear. Izuku groaned as he stood up, rubbing his sore tush, before looking at the girl who was sitting in the pile of trash. "Can I help you green?" She asked.
"A girl…" Thought Izuku. He was being talked to by a girl. In a way that wasn't mocking. He was very much out of his element. "I-I'm Izuku Midoriya and-."
"Nice to meet you!" The girl cut him off. "Now if you'll excuse me!" And she then sunk back into the trash.
Izuku moved over, looking into the hole she'd sunk into. "This pile isn't even that large, where did she go?" He wondered. "Excuse me, can I ask what you're doing?"
"I'M GLAD YOU ASKED!" She shot out of the hole, the top of her head slamming into Izuku's chin, knocking him on his rear again. He rolled around on the ground while he held his aching jaw. "I'm looking for materials to help with building my babies and… hey, what're you doing?" She just now noticed the pained Izuku on the ground
Izuku stood up, his mouth in intense pain. "I- ow. I come here for training. I carry trash out. The beach gets cleaned, I get stronger, everyone wins."
"Not me! I've been wondering why my scrap supply had gotten so small!" Protested the pink haired girl.
"Scrap supply?" Asked Izuku.
"Yup! I use this place to find parts for my babies!" Exclaimed the girl.
"Babies? I'm not uh, judging… but aren't you a little young to have children?" Asked Izuku.
The girl laughed. "I never said they were human babies green! When I mean babies, I mean things like this!" She said before rocketing out of the trash pile. At first Izuku thought it was her Quirk, until he noticed that the cause was the pair of boots she was wearing. She then landed in front of him. "The name's Mei Hatsume! Remember it because I'll be known across the world for my babies." Not that she was practically in his face, Izuku could see her eyes, which were yellow and had crosshairs.
Deciding to grow some confidence, Izuku responded. "I'm Izuku Midoriya, remember it because I'm gonna be the number one hero one day!"
Mei let out a boisterous laugh. "I like you Green! And if you want to be the number one hero, then you're gonna need my babies to do it!" She said.
"Wait Green?" Asked Izuku in confusion.
"Isn't that what you said?" Asked Mei.
"N-no, Hatsume, my name is Midoriya, no Green." Said Izuku.
"Well, Green fits and it's easier to remember, so we're sticking with that!" Said Mei. Izuku realized that this was a fight he wasn't going to win.
"Green it is…" Said Izuku with a sigh.
Mei cackled. "Well! If we're gonna make babies for you, I'm gonna need to know your Quirk! So, what can you do?" She asked.
"Huh? Oh." Said Izuku as he brought the sword back out. "I can summon this. It cuts Quirks I guess."
"You guess?" Asked Mei.
"W-well, I've only used it once, and it cut a guy who's Quirk made it so his body was made of sludge, so it cut… his Quirk… I guess?" Izuku was sounding less and less sure of himself.
"Here, let me give it a look." Said Mei as she held her hand out.
"Uh, are you sure? It's pretty heavy…" Said Izuku.
"Sure I'm sure! Lemme see!" Said Mei as she reached out and grabbed it. Immediately her eyes widened in shock and she pulled her hand away.
"H-Hatsume? Are you alright?" Asked Izuku worriedly.
"Y-yeah…" Said Mei, who seemed to have lost all of her usual energy in one fell swoop. "It… definitely negates Quirks…" She said.
"How can you tell?" Asked Izuku.
"Well, my Quirk should be pretty obvious, but it's called Zoom, it lets me see things that are far away, or zoom in on them. And when I touched the sword, suddenly everything seemed really far away." Said Mei, who looked very disturbed from her Quirk being turned off.
"O-oh, I'm so sorry." Said Izuku.
"I-it's fine." Said Mei before regaining some of her lost energy. "Well, we know how your Quirk works, we can get started on that baby making!"
"Please don't phrase it like that…" Groaned Izuku.
Mei cackled. "Don't have such a dirty mind then!"
"Wha- I don't-!" Izuku stuttered, only to be cut off by the sound of loud laughter.
"I AM- HRK!" The heads of the duo whipped to see the steaming form of Toshinori Yagi. Izuku's heart froze, him being seen with All Might would have certainly been bad, but this wasn't much better.
"Youn- er… Izuku." It was very weird hearing his first name from his teacher's mouth. "I see you've made a friend…"
"Do you know this guy Green?" Mei "whispered" to Izuku.
"Er, yeah! This is my, uh… uncle! Yeah, my uncle…" Izuku looked to Toshinori for help.
"Nice to meet you young lady… my name is Toshinori Yagi. I am Izuku's uncle and the one in charge of preparing him for the U.A. entrance exam." Said Toshinori.
"Wait, you're aiming for U.A. too!?" Exclaimed Mei.
"This is gonna be fun…" Thought Izuku tiredly.
AN:
So someone suggested Mei, and I liked that, so she's gonna be Izuku's pre-U.A. friend, but there's still time to determine the ship and the status of the other classes, so drop your comments before the opportunity to make a difference passes you by!
4 months down, 6 more to go until the exam, what will happen in that time? Let's see...
So until next time, see you around!
And don't forget: Go Beyond! Pluuus Ultraaa!