Chapter two-

I would like to thank you all for the support! Anyway, after discussing with one of the reviewers, I have decided to bump the word count in these chapters up. I'm not saying any certain amount, but most chapters will have a word count of at least 2k.

I do not own My Hero Academia or any of the characters in it.

"I have to clean up all of this?" Ochaco exclaimed as the beach was brought into view. "That must be at least a year of work!"

"With your gravity quirk, it should be easy. Also, you better take less than a year on this, you only have ten months." All Might replied. His face then fell. "Y'know, I was planning on somebody else to clean up this beach so I could see if he was worthy." All Might clenched his fists. "He died in a villain attack, the same villain who attacked you."

"What was his name?" Ochaco asked, trying to comfort the strong hero.

"His name was Izuku. He was quirkless, but he had that fire in him. Pity that cursed sludge villain ended his young life."

Ochaco was upset on the inside, but she hid her emotions. So I guess I was only a backup because that Izuku kid died. She walked to the edge of the beach, taking notice of the kinds of garbage littered around the landscape. Most was metal, which could be sold for a cheap but steady price. There were some old parts for cars, and surprisingly there were lots she could sell.

All Might saw the business-like look in her eyes and shook his head. "Don't think about selling any of this! Hero work used to be all volunteer! Now hurry up! Those ten months will be over before you know it!"

Ochaco nodded and ran off, starting to move garbage bags and other small items.

"Pile the trash over there. I will load it into the truck." All Might said. He amended his past statement. "Don't use any of your quirk for this. It's all physical, your quirk training will come later."

"Got it!" Ochaco resumed moving the trash, sometimes having to use her whole body to push large things(Such as fridges and big crates). After a good few hours of working, All Might gestured for ochaco to take a break. He was in his true form, his face sharp and pointed.

"I need to explain...this." He said, gesturing to his thin, frail body. "I know it caught you off guard last night, and I would like to explain it more so you understand."

Ochaco sat down, nodding for him to continue.

"About five years ago I was in a big fight, and I was hurt very badly. Half of my respiratory organs were destroyed, and my quirk started to fade. Now I can only be in my buff form for a few hours a day. If I overextend myself in any way, the time limit decreases. That's also why I needed to find a successor, so my quirk would continue."

"Who gave you your quirk?" Ochaco asked. "Because I'm pretty sure I'm not the first one to get it from another person."

"I did get my quirk from somebody, Nana Shimura. She always taught me to smile, no matter how bad something was. Her quirk was similar to yours, and it let her float in the air."

"So does the power stay the same with whoever gets it?" Ochaco said.

"The first person cultivates the power, and then passes it on to another. The next refines it and passes it on again. In this way, those crying out to be saved and those with brave and true hearts link to form a crystalline network of power!" He replied, throwing his head back.

Ochaco was shocked. She had expected for the power to stay the same, and the idea of it being improved was beyond her.

"Well, I should get back to cleaning." Ochaco said as she got up. "I only have 10 months, and I need to be ready."

"Good girl." All Might said. "I would like to test something. Follow me."

Together, both of them walked down the beach, avoiding scraps of metal and other trash. Soon they came upon a large metal box, presumably some sort of shipping crate used on boats. It was huge, especially when compared to Ochaco. It towered about two meters up in the air, it's edges lined with rust and cracks.

"Lift this." All Might said as he buffed up. He then jumped on the top of it, causing a large dent in the metal. "With me on top!"

"How?!" Ochaco exclaimed. "That must weigh so much, especially that it's full! Not to mention how you're on top!"

"Use your quirk. I want to see how strong you are with your powers."

Ochaco took multiple deep breaths, preparing herself for the immense strain she was about to take.

"Any time before lunch would be ok." All Might urged.

"Okay fine!" Ochaco snapped. "Let me concentrate!"

"Okay, okay sure. I'm certain that a villain wanting to kill you will give you time to concentrate."

Ochaco bit her lips in an effort not to reply. It must be another test. She thought. He wants to see how well I can focus under pressure!

Ochaco walked to the front of the crate, and pressed her fingers against it. There was an alarming groan as the box started to float, and it gathered speed until it was over two meters in the air.

Ochaco held back waves of queasiness as she tried to maintain her hold on the box. She felt her grip loosen and the box fell, it's sides bending out from the collision. She instantly put her hands to her mouth in surprise and gasped out.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't know that it would fall so hard!"

"It's okay, young Ochaco." All Might grinned and shrunk down to his true form, blood spitting from his mouth. "I've taken much worse in my life."

He jumped down from the crate, his feet landing firmly in the sand. He cleared his throat and spoke up. "Now, you have ten months, so you better hurry up. I'm letting you use your quirk, but only for heavy objects."

"Got it. I won't let you down!"

"By the way, here is a plan I made for you. Follow it accordingly and you will have a week or so to spare before the entrance exams."

Ochaco dropped the final chunk of trash in the back of a truck and smiled in happiness. The beach was clear, not a speck of trash left. The volunteer work had done wonders for both her quirk and her body, increasing the strength of both.

By now her muscles could only be compared to a sports magazine, and she had changed her hair as well. All Might had made a small comment to himself about a 'real haircut' and Ochaco had decided to try a new style. It was more cost efficient and it made her seem more grown up. She liked it, and she could promise her parents could say the same.

All Might clapped from the side, a smile lighting up his face. "You have exceeded my expectations, and I underestimated your quirk."

"I guess you're not always right." Ochaco said teasingly.

"Not always right? Heck, you still have a month left before the exams. I thought you would have a week."

"So what now?" Ochaco asked. "Will I just train with you for the next bit or..?"

Her voice trailed off as All Might realised what he had to say.

"If by saying 'or' I assume you are wondering about inheriting my quirk. I think you are ready, but I want you to do one more test before I give it to you."

"What do you need?"

All Might passed her a handful of bills and gestured toward a nearby food stand. "I'm hungry. Get me a number 7 large, a big belly burger without cheese, two salads and get something for yourself. You have earned it."

Ochaco smiled and ran off, using a new trick she had come up with (but never told All Might) to run faster.

Once she came back, they both sat down at a table. "So what's that new trick you were using just now?" He asked after he swallowed a bite of food.

"I call it 'gravity skip'. I activate then deactivate my quirk at certain times so I float for a bit in the air."

"Smart. I think your quirk is probably the most powerful, aside from mine and a few others."

"What makes you think so?"

"Well, if you chose to, you could knock a planet out of orbit or lift entire continents." All Might explained. "Humanity is lucky somebody with your quirk isn't a villain."

"Thanks, I guess." She replied. "I never understood why my parents didn't become heroes. Both of them have good quirks, but they chose to do construction."

"Being a hero is tough, but villains are not even the worst part." All Might said as he unwrapped his second burger. "If you do one wrong thing, the media could paint you in a bad light. Sometimes it can get so bad your agency drops you. It's never happened to me, but that's why some ex-heroes chose to be villains. Some villains can pose a threat, but they seem to be pretty rare nowadays."

Ochaco nodded and looked around. She turned back to All Might when she heard him rumble around in his pocket. He took out his phone and showed her a picture.

"Who's that?" Ochaco asked, the glare from the midday sun blocking the screen.

"It's you on the first day of cleaning. You were trying to pull a washing machine when you slipped and fell on your face."

Ochaco snorted and laughed. "I guess I have gotten much stronger."

"Don't guess. You know that already. I'm pretty sure the Ochaco that was here nine months ago wasn't as well muscled as you."

"You think?"

"I know." All Might stood up and wiped his hands on a napkin.

"I have a question and you don't have to answer." Ochaco said, her voice lowering into a sadder tone. "What happened to that izuku kid?"

"I already told you. The sludge villain killed him."

"If you're about to be my mentor you have to tell me the details. We have to trust each other."

All Might ran his hands down his face and looked down, tears pricking at his eyes. "I was chasing a sludge villain that robbed a store. I followed him through the sewer and when I popped up." He took a deep breath, his body shuddering with emotion. "I saw the sludge villain, choking him and encasing his body. When I tried to use my quirk, I lost my concentration and I shrunk down to my true form. The one you see now." He added as an afterthought. "Even then, I tried to stop him from being killed. But….I couldn't. I wasn't strong enough. I was hit in the head, and the next thing I know is waking up, sitting across from his body. I've never seen him up until that moment, and if I didn't look at that notebook he had I couldn't have learned his name. I called in the cops and they dealt with the rest."

"That must've been terrible." Ochaco said after some silence. "I feel bad for you."

"It's just part of the harsh reality we live in." All Might said. "I know you may be thinking this, but I have to admit it. You were a replacement for him, but now...but now I see that you have exceeded my expectations. I'm glad you came into my life."

Ochaco smiled. "Ditto."

And that is the end of chapter 2! Thanks to all of you who have reviewed, favorited and followed. If you guys are asking "Why is All Might so cold about Izuku dieing?"

Well, he is a pro hero and has seen many die. Plus, he didn't know Izuku. He just thought he would be a good One For All user based on how he fought and tried to escape.

I hope I explained his death well, and please, please PM me if you have any questions.

See you all next time!