Invictus
Several days after that fateful meeting with the Number One Hero, Izuku found himself at Dagobah beach It was supposed to be a tourist hot spot, but nature of the currents had led to a lot of trash to pile up. Leaving it something akin to a junkyard. With him, was Toshinori. The man was in his normal form, and was staring out to the sea.
"Um...Yagi-san?" Izuku probed.
"Hm? Oh, my apologies, young Midoriya," Toshinori rubbed his neck sheepishly as he answered, "I was reminiscing."
"A-Ah...Okay...But...I have a question," Izuku said.
"Shoot, my boy."
"What did you mean by 'successor'? You phrased that as though you meant more than just as the Symbol of Peace."
"Well...I suppose I should explain in more detail," Toshinori began. "You see, unlike the general populace, my Quirk is a power not unlike a sacred torch of Olympic fire. It can be passed down from one bearer to the next."
"Huh?!" Izuku frowned. "It's...a power that you can inherit?"
"That's right, my boy," the blond man nodded, "And I have chosen you to be the next in line."
"W-Wait! Just hold on! Wait a minute!" Izuku spluttered, his mind working fast. "It's true that your Quirk has been a topic of heated discussion as one of the world's greatest mysteries. So much so that there isn't a day when there isn't someone talking about it on the net. But...Well, I don't really understand how a Quirk can be inherited...I mean, children can inherit Quirks similar, if not the same, as their parents. But that's not what you mean is it? Because offspring still have their own uniqueness..."
The pre-teen devolved into mindless mumbling, much to he exasperation of All Might, "You...Always start with denial, huh?" he noted. "NONSENSE!"
"Wh-?!" Izuku flinched in surprise.
"I may hide a lot, but one thing I never do is outright lie," the blond hero declared. He then held out a hand. "The power to transfer power...That is indeed the Quirk that I inherited!
"I was crowned with 'One For All'!" Toshinori revealed, smiling widely. It might have been Izuku's imagination, but the hand of hero in disguise appeared to be glowing as Toshinori spoke.
"One For...All?" Izuku echoed, staring in wonder.
"That's right," Toshinori nodded. "One person cultivates their strength. That person then passes it on to another, who also cultivates it and passes it on, themselves...It is this crystallisation of strength that fuels the courageous heart of he who would save those who cry out in help."
"...Why are you...Why are you giving me something so great?" Izuku couldn't help but ask. "Why me?"
Toshinori then lifted up his shirt, and showed Izuku a horrific scar on his chest.
"About three years ago, I was severely injured in a fight," the hero explained. "One which has left me permanently crippled."
"Three years...? The fight against Toxic Chainsaw?" Izuku enquired, recalling one such fight that was pretty devastating.
"Ahaha, not quite," Toshinori smiled. "This fight I refer to was never televised, nor revealed to the public at large. Anyway, since that fight, I was encouraged to find a successor. I had thought I could last longer, but meeting you has changed my mind."
Izuku blushed at the veiled praise.
"I chose you, young Midoriya, because I believe it is your fate," Toshinori declared. "You are a Quirkless fan boy, yet you took a bullet for me. Without any belief that you would survive, you selflessly committed an act of heroism. That is why I have chosen you."
Izuku's eyes widened, and tears pooled in his eyes. However, his emotional state was brought to an end by Toshinori's sudden change in mood.
"Never mind!" the man said, smacking his forehead. "Well, it's up to you! What will you do?"
Izuku tightly clenched a fist, voices echoed in his mind. From when the doctor diagnosed him as Quirkless, to his mother repetitively apologising in the aftermath of his diagnosis, to Katsuki's constant cruel words. The harsh comments from his eldest sister, and the distinct lack of support from his other one.
'He said all that to encourage me, and even told me his secret,' he thought, furiously wiping away the tears. 'Is there...? Of course there isn't another answer...Why should I even consider turning him down?'
He turned to face Toshinori with an expression of sheer steadfast resolve.
"I'll do it! I'll become your successor! I'll become the next Symbol of Peace!"
"Heh. Such dedication," Toshinori remarked. "That's what I thought you'd say!"
"Mn!" Izuku nodded. "But...Why are we here?"
"Well, my boy. This is your starting line," Toshinori explained.
"Starting...line?"
The hero then expanded into the form of All Might. Fortunately, the beach was empty, so no bystanders witnessed the transformation.
"There were high hopes for this beach," the hero remarked. "But instead, it's potential has been wasted. However! All is not lost! In order to prepare your body for One For All, you shall clear this beach up entirely!"
"W-W-W-WHAT!" Izuku yelled.
"AHAHAHAHAHA!" All Might laughed. "It's all right! You won't be starting that until next year. For now, we shall be building up your stamina and some light resistance training. You are too young to be doing such strenuous training as of now."
"Right..." Izuku gulped. 'This is not going to be easy.'
"All Might...I have another question," he then said, thinking about something.
"Go ahead, my boy," All Might said, before deflating back into his civilian self.
"Um...I know you didn't have to tell my mom the truth," Izuku said. "You could have approached me when I was on my own, and told me to tell my mom some story about latent development, but..."
"Go on," Toshinori encouraged.
"Can I tell my sisters?" the pre-teen asked. "They're both going to become heroes, and they're too smart to believe some cover story."
"You're sisters...Hm..." the blond hero considered, as he stroked his chin in thought. "Ah, of course. I can see the resemblance now. Yes, I believe it would be best if we did. But what about your father?"
"I haven't seen him in years," Izuku said, dismissively. "He works overseas, so I don't think it would matter much."
"Well, all right then," Toshinori grinned. "Let's start!"
"Right!"
It had been six months since Izuku began training with Toshinori. Over that period, he had improved his fitness, along with some light resistance training. Toshinori had explained that his body was still in a developmental stage, and it would have been detrimental to Izuku's growth if he began serious weight training before he was well into puberty.
"All Might, why are we here?" Izuku asked. Currently, both he and All Might were stood in front of a dojo. It was known to Izuku; the dojo belonged to the Battle Hero, Gunhead, and doubled up as the hero's agency.
"Well, my boy, we've come here to teach you martial arts," All Might explained. "Given the disparity between our relative sizes, my combat style would not fit you at all. Alas, as I am not well suited to teaching combat styles, especially when heroes are expected to develop their own, we have come here to see to your needs."
Izuku gulped in apprehension. Not that he wasn't eager to train with a well-known hero, but the nerves still remained.
"O-Oh...O-Okay then," he stammered.
"Buck up, kid, we have no time for nerves," All Might chided, though not unkindly. The hero patted Izuku on back, but the strength of the blow nearly sent him tumbling. "Ah, sorry, my boy!"
"Um...It's fine!"
"Then let's go!"
All Might then led Izuku into the building and down some corridors. Eventually, they made into a training room of sorts, where Gunhead was teaching some of his sidekicks. Upon seeing who entered the room, the hero and sidekicks immediately halted what they were doing.
"All Might!" the hero cheerfully welcomed. He then dismissed his sidekicks before walking up to the duo. "Hello!"
"Greetings, Gunhead," All Might nodded. "Thank you for seeing us."
"Not at all! It's the least I could do for the country's number one hero!" Gunhead assured, in the same cheery tone. The contrast in the appearance of the hero and the tone of his voice left Izuku rather bemused.
"Nevertheless, you have my appreciation," Izuku's mentor insisted. "Anyway, as I told you over the phone, this is my...well, this is Midoriya Izuku. He's an aspiring hero who's a little behind the usual learning curve. My own combat style doesn't suit young Midoriya's body type, so I was hoping that you could teach him a thing or two."
"Or more besides!" Gunhead chirped. Yes, chirped, if Izuku wasn't mistaken. "It should be simple enough."
The hero then cupped his chin and hummed in apparent thought, "His frame is rather slim. That said, with some developed muscles, he could grow into a swimmer's build. Not a strength-type such as yourself, All Might, but maybe...A speed-type? Grapples, throws, jabs and kicks..."
"Ah...Young Midoriya's Quirk is a strength-enhancement type. His body is just incapable of handling it," All Might quickly interjected. "He'll have some power behind his hits."
Gunhead made a vague noise of acknowledgement, as he started to circle Izuku. Said teen was beginning to feel slightly uncomfortable by the scrutiny.
"Yes...But he doesn't have the physical strength to tank heavy blows in return," Gunhead sagely, yet cutely, explained. "Midoriya-kun will need to learn how to dodge, duck, and weave. After all, there is a difference between having powers, and having precision."
"You are the expert, Gunhead, not me," All Might said. "I leave young Midoriya in your capable hands."
"Yes...I think I can make a hero out of him," Gunhead assured.
Izuku was nervous, but eager to begin. Basic cardio and resistance training was one thing, but learning how to properly fight? That was a different beast entirely. It was progress, though, which Izuku couldn't deny.
"I am ready, sensei."
Gunhead's mask was in the way, but Izuku swore he could feel the happiness radiating from a wide smile.
"Good. Then let us begin!"
"GRRRRK!" Izuku grunted, while he strained to pull a refrigerator across the beach. With All Might in hero form sat on top.
"Hey, hey, hey!" the hero called out. "This is such a comfy fridge to sit on!"
Unable to actually move the household appliance, Izuku slipped on the sand and fell flat on his face.
"If you could move it even a small amount, it would be a little easier," All Might helpfully supplied.
"Well yeah, I mean, you weigh about two hundred and seventy-four kilograms, right?" Izuku groaned, rolling onto his back.
"No, I lost weight," All Might corrected. "I now weigh two hundred and fifty-five kilograms! At least, in this form."
Izuku sighed. He then gazed at all the trash he had yet to move. It had been a year since his training with All Might began, and Seventh Grade passed without incident. Izuku had, by and large, stayed under the radar. The one key change was that his paperwork had a Quirk listed. Thanks to some letters that Toshinori had procured from U.A High, of all places, Izuku was officially no longer Quirkless. It meant that the callous remarks from his fellow students has stopped, and people no longer ridiculed him for his aspirations. All except for Katsuki. When the exploding Quirk user heard that Izuku was no longer Quirkless, the teen had attempted to goad Izuku into using said Quirk. Izuku, naturally, refused. One; because he had yet to receive One For All. And two; he wouldn't have used a destructive Quirk on another person, anyway. The result was Katsuki attempting to physically assault Izuku, which led to their parents getting involved. Bakugo Mitsuki was incredibly apologetic, but whatever friendship that existed between the friends was completely severed.
"But All Might, you never did explain why I have to do this," Izuku commented, deciding to halt his train of thought.
"No. I suppose I did not," All Might chuckled, and began taking photos on his mobile phone. "It's because your body is not yet a proper vessel."
"What you're saying now is the complete opposite of what you said before!" Izuku burst into hysterical tears, while All Might's chuckles evolved into outright laughter.
"I'm talking about your body," All Might corrected, not unkindly. "Despite spending the last year training it, your body is still not ready to withstand the power output One For All can deal out."
"I don't follow."
"One For All is the combined physical peak of each and every bearer gathered into one single vessel," the hero explained. "If an unprepared body were to use the Quirk then...Well, think of a balloon with too much air."
"Urk!" Izuku choked upon imagining the metaphor.
"Not nice, is it?"
The teen rapidly shook his head.
"We spent the last year working on your combat skills, and light training," All Might went on. "Now, the heavy duty lifting begins. You have two years to clear this beach. At the end of this year, if you progress well, I will grant you One For All. Otherwise, we will wait until you finish Middle School."
"Right!" Izuku nodded.
Izuku stared at the strangely shaped person that stood before him. His eyes sparkled in wonder, as Toshinori shook his head in fond exasperation. Eighth Grade had gone by, with barely a whimper, and the blond hero had made good on his promise to grant Izuku One For All. The method of granting the Quirk wasn't the most pleasant. Izuku had to swallow a strand of Toshinori's hair. It could have been anything, so long as it contained only Toshinori's DNA, but the symbol of peace had decided that blood or skin was on the disgusting side.
Currently, the mentor-student duo were at U.A High. Toshinori had explained that they would be using the facilities to stress test Izuku's capabilities with One For All.
"Cementoss! I didn't know you were a teacher at U.A!" Izuku exclaimed.
The hero had a queer look on his face, as he threw Toshinori a sideways glance, "Is he always like this?"
"He'll get over it. Just let him get it out of his system," Toshinori, who had since transformed into All Might, chuckled.
"Right...Anyway, welcome to U.A High, Midoriya-kun," Cementoss gave Izuku a kindly smile. "As you can see, I am a teacher here, on top of being a pro hero."
Izuku politely bowed, "It's a real honour to meet you...But...Why am I here?"
The building they were in was plain by U.A's usual standards. The room itself consisted of an empty field. Given the lack of...anything, Izuku had to wonder what exactly was going on.
"This facility is one of my own making. I call it the TDL," Cementoss explained. "Or Training Dream Land, in full. Using my Quirk, I can create terrains and environments personalised to whatever each student requires."
The hero then knelt down, and placed his palm on the ground. A slight tremor shook the floor, as several concrete pillars rose up.
"In the second semester of your first year, you will come here to work developing special moves tailored to your Quirk," a new voice supplied. "But that's not why you're here."
Izuku jumped in surprise as a bipedal animal in a a dress shirt, waistcoat, and pinstriped trousers approached, with a man with long black hair and tired eyes.
"Hello there!" the animal greeted. "I am Nezu, the headmaster of U.A High. This is Aizawa Shota."
"H-Headmaster!?" Izuku yelped, before his manners kicked in, "Ah...Nice to meet you, both!"
"To you as well," Nezu returned, neatly hopping on to All Might's shoulder. "Now...You must be wondering why you are here?"
"T-Th...The thought did cross my mind," Izuku shakily admitted.
Nezu amiably smiled, "The staff at U.A are well aware of the situation involving All Might and his declining health. Rest assured, Midoriya-san, we are fully invested in seeing you flourish and become the next Symbol of Peace."
Izuku blushed at the praise. Despite it being two years since he was taken under All Might's wing, positive comments directed towards him were still something Izuku was unused too. However, the nascent smile on his lips was smothered by Aizawa's blunt comment.
"It remains to be seen if you flourish," the exhausted looking man droned. "Just because he has powers, doesn't mean he's a hero."
"Aizawa-kun!" All Might protested.
"Now, now. Shota-kun," Nezu chided at the same time, "Keep such comments to yourself."
The teacher merely shrugged, before resuming his apathetic stare in to space. Izuku swallowed a gulp and then turned to face the headmaster.
"So...What now?" Izuku asked.
"Well...Now, we'll see how you handle using One For All," Nezu said. "Cementoss will provide you with a target to hit, while the rest of us shall observe from the gangway overhead.
Izuku nodded, as Cementoss knelt down to put away the pillars and instead create a large, thick wall for Izuku to practise against.
All Might, who had yet to follow Nezu, turned to Izuku and gave the teen a confident look.
"Now...I know you might not yet feel the presence of One For All, but I can assure you that it is there," the hero said. "The power you possess with respond to your desires."
Izuku's brow, however, creased in thought, "But how do I bring that power out?"
"Well! That's the easy part!" All Might boomed. "All you have to do is just squeeze your buttocks and yell out with all your heart 'SMASH!'."
The hero in-training just stared All Might with a deadpan expression. Said hero looked dead serious in his explanation, which just served to make Izuku even more bemused.
"That's it?" he asked.
"What?"
"You've clearly never taught before, have you," Izuku remarked, with a deadpan expression.
All Might looked genuinely offended, but his over-the-top manner took the possible edge off his voice.
"I assure you, young Midoriya, that is how I first used One For All!" All Might declared.
Izuku looked slightly unconvinced, but conceded that he had no reason to doubt his mentor.
"All right, let's do this," he waited for All Might to retreat a suitable distance, before he drew his arm back. He then punched, and punched hard, while clenching his behind, "Smash!"
The wall that Cementoss created was immediately blown away by the sheer force behind Izuku's punch. However, that wasn't all that happened. Izuku fell to the floor, and let loose a scream of sheer agony. Involuntarily, his head turned towards the source of the pain, and his eyes widened in horror. His right arm was hanging from his shoulder by mere sinew. A good chunk of his muscles were simply missing, and the bones of the joint were just gone. Once his mind processed what he saw, Izuku fainted.
Izuku awakened all at once with a surge of adrenaline still coursing through his body. He shot into a sitting position, breathing hard; it was a bad idea to move so quickly, and he gritted his teeth and shut his eyes, reaching up to clutch his pulsating, aching arm.
His fingers grazed thick gauze, and after the throbbing in his shoulder finally diminished enough, he cracked his eyes open.
He knew where he was in an instant. It was U.A's infirmary; he recognised the place from when he was first given One For All. He idly scratched around the IV in his arm, as his thoughts began to wonder.
'What...happened?' he thought, trying to recall what had happened.
As soon as the thought entered his mind, he remembered everything. Conversing with Aizawa, going through kata with Toshinori, and then getting ready to use his powers for the first time.
Izuku slumped back on his bed. If his memories were true, then he had very nearly tore his own arm off when he first use his Quirk. The thought was sobering. At the very beginning of his training, the word excited didn't even come close to how Izuku felt. He was finally getting a Quirk! His dream was about become reality! Now though...Aizawa's words made more sense. Just because he had powers, it didn't mean he was a hero.
"Oh, are you awake?" the kindly voice of Recovery Girl called out from behind the screen. Said screen was pulled back, revealing Toshinori in his civilian form, and the school nurse. "Yes, yes, it seems you've recovered nicely. Now...This one has something to say to you."
She then whacked Toshinori on the ankle with her syringe-walking stick. The thin man winced in pain, before speaking.
"I am sincerely sorry, young Midoriya," Toshinori apologised. "I am entirely at fault for what happened."
"What? Wait, All Might!" Izuku protested. "How is it your fault? I was the one who didn't use One For All like you told me?"
Recovery Girl snorted in disgust, while Toshinori weakly chuckled.
"Actually, my boy, it has been made aware to me, rather painfully I might add, that I have been remiss in my duties," the blond hero explained, rubbing the back of his neck.
"I...I don't understand? You told me to clench my buttocks and...Let go. I did that?" Izuku was utterly confused. He didn't think he did anything wrong. Those instructions were simple.
"Yes...And...Well, you did do that. Exactly as I explained," the hero replied. "Just...Not how I expected."
"Well, I'll do better next time!" Izuku declared, not wanting to upset his mentor. "I won't let you down, I promise!"
Immediately, Recovery Girl smacked Toshinori again, much to Izuku's own shock.
"Do you see what you've done!" the nurse chastised. "Fix it! Fix it now!"
"Young Midoriya, please, let me explain further!" Toshinori implored, looking exceedingly alarmed. "The fault lies not with you! As I said, I am to blame!"
Izuku frowned. He still didn't understand where Toshinori was coming from. There was something he was missing, and for the life of him, he couldn't figure out what. His lack of experience with having his own Quirk was clearly showing itself, as there was something intrinsic about Quirks that he didn't know.
"What exactly are you saying?" Izuku asked, still frowning.
"He's telling you that he's a bad teacher, Midoriya-chan," Recovery Girl stated, after seeing enough of Toshinori's hesitance.
"What? But he has taught me. He-"
"Hasn't taught you anything of substance," the nurse interrupted, and then carried on when Izuku tried to dispute that statement. "Let me finish! Apart from directing you on some muscle and stamina training, and handing you off to Gunhead to learn how to fight, what has Toshinori taught you?"
Izuku immediately opened his mouth to answer, but fell short when he realised that Recovery Girl wasn't wrong. He closed his mouth and sat back on his bed in surprise.
"You see?" Recovery Girl rhetorically asked. She then turned to Toshinori. "It might be best if you go see that old grump. Gran Torio will fix this mess."
Within seconds, Toshinori's expression blanched, and he began to shiver in fear. Recovery Girl shook her head in exasperation upon seeing the blond hero's reaction, but Izuku's eyes widened in shock at seeing the normally unflappable man on the verge of having a nervous breakdown.
'Who is this person that the mere mention of the name sends All Might into a mess?' he wondered.
"He is not that bad, Toshinori," Recovery Girl tutted. "Get over yourself."
Having said her final piece, the nurse left the infirmary to do go about whatever business she had. Izuku's gaze followed her leave, before he turned back to Toshinori. Said blond had gotten a hold of himself, and coughed in embarrassment.
"Well. Recovery Girl is not wrong with her summary," he said. "I have not been teaching you properly. As you guessed earlier, I have never actually taught before. So, again, I apologise for being remiss in by duties.
"Nevertheless, I will strive to be better from now on!" Toshinori boldly declared, before sobering. He looked away, outside, before continuing. "However, as it has been stated, I am not quite yet suited to teaching. Which is why I shall enlist the help of the one who taught me; Gran Torino."
"Gran who?" Izuku tilted his head in puzzlement.
"Ah, you wouldn't know him," Toshinori explained. "Gran Torino-sensei is retired now. Though, even when he was hero, he preferred to keep out of the limelight and didn't care much for attention or personal accolades."
"So cool," Izuku whispered.
"He is, as Recovery Girl put it, a bit...Hm 'grumpy' at times, but he is an excellent instructor," the hero carried. "Between the three of us, I am sure we will figure out the problem with you using One For All! He'll also want to meet you, I am certain."
'Why do I have this foreboding feeling that this won't be as All Might expects it?' Izuku wondered.
"You chose this boy as your successor and you didn't think to TELL ME about it until TWO YEARS LATER!?"
The brat winced at the reprimand, and immediately gave heart-felt apologies that were significantly less important to Gran Torino than seeing his once-student squirm in discomfort.
The retired hero wasn't actually as angry as he had let on, mostly because Toshinori had to good sense to wait a couple of years before giving the zygote One For All. At least he had the mind to know better than to give an twelve-year-old something so dangerous. Yet despite that, he had a feeling that the brat had brought Midoriya for a reason; one that involved the bandaged arm.
He was still somewhat angry though, and the day he let his student, number one hero or not, forget his respect for him was the day that he finally kicked the bucket...That, and he had hoped to scare this 'Midoriya Izuku', just a bit.
But as he glanced over to the boy mid-rant, he caught sight of a quiet, but bemused smile as he watched his teacher be mercilessly yelled at. Which was a little odd, but Torino put it out of his mind.
Still, Gran Torino continued his lecture on respect and not forgetting all that he'd done for a decently long-winded amount of time, deciding that he had made his point when a good thirty minutes or so had passed.
He snorted at the tired look Toshinori aimed at him before gesturing to the door.
"All right, brat. How about you tell me why you're here, then? 'Cause I doubt this is a social call," He glared at Toshinori. "I'm guessin' you screwed up somewhere when teaching the zygote, and now you're here for my help. Figures you'd be lost without me."
Toshinori coughed into a fist, as Torino just about caught a fleck of blood, "Er, well...young Midoriya was given the Quirk around a week ago. I instructed him to use One For All as I do, but the end result was him nearly tearing his own arm off."
Gran Torino clicked his tongue in irritation, "I thought you were better than that! Did you honestly forget that your predecessor used One For All much differently that you do? Of course the zygote wouldn't use it like you do. Stupid brat!"
"What, but Sensei!"
"Brat, I've had the privilege of witnessing three, and soon to be four I suppose, bearers of One For All," Torino grunted, as he pottered around his home and made some tea. "Your predecessor's predecessor manifested it passively. He had to learn restraint! Your predecessor, Nana, could channel One For All into whatever part of the body she needed to! You simply transformed into the ridiculously over-sized ham!"
"I...Well..." the brat stumbled over his words.
"What? Did you honestly think there were two ways to go about it?" Torino snorted derisively.
Toshinori, to his credit, looked suitably abashed, while the boy had a worried expression. Not for himself, but for...Toshinori?
'Interesting,' Gran Torino mused.
He then gave Midoriya a more appraising look. The boy was decently built for his age. Evidently, Toshinori had spent time conditioning the boy's body before granted One For All. Good. At least the brat had some sense, small as it might have been, when it came to training a successor. He then made eye-contact with the zygote. The boy squirmed in discomfort, but held his gaze. Torino stared, and found conviction. Oh, it was hidden behind a veil of shyness and uncertainty, but there was steel in the boy's gaze. Steel that Torino hadn't seen since he last saw Nana.
"You've picked a good zygote, brat," Torino noted.
"Did you just-Did you just compliment me?" Toshinori asked. "I-OW!"
"Don't get ahead of yourself, brat!" the retired hero barked, smacking Toshinori on the head with his cane. "He's still got a long way to go! Good thing I'm here, or you'd screw up somehow."
He then regarded Midoriya with a thoughtful eye.
'Yes,' he thought, smirking all the while. 'I can work with this.'
It taken them the better part of five months for Izuku to properly learn how to channel One For All. Not for a lack of trying, but Gran Torino wasn't the type of teacher to spoon feed his students. Which Izuku learnt the hard way. For some utterly bizarre reason, the elderly hero insist on a strange facade of being extremely quirky and supposedly deaf. However, through some strange sequence of events, one that involved a broken microwave oven and half-cooked frozen food, Izuku had managed to work out what it was that he was doing wrong. Rather than channel One For All to the part that he required it, which was why he had nearly blown his arm off, Izuku instead learnt to channel One For All throughout his entire body. He even succeeded, and a natural limited of three percent was in place. Since then, Izuku had been slowly building up his tolerance for his new Quirk by using it to clear up Dagobah Beach.
"I'm not complaining about the results, but the methods leave a lot to be desired," Izuku mumbled, while he dragged a large tire that was tied around his torso. Sweat clung to his body as he ran, while his legs burned with effort.
It was the morning before the Entrance Exam, and Izuku was just about done with the task Toshinori had set for him. It was much to Izuku's relief that the Number One Hero had stretched out Izuku's task over two years. He dreaded to think how it would have been to do them in the original eleven months Toshinori had planned. Granted Izuku would have done everything within his ability to do it, but it was tough to imagine.
THUMP
The tire landing with a thud, as Izuku untied himself. He breathed heavily, as he took in his handy work. The entire beach was clear. It was spotless, from one end to the other. Not a single speck of trash was visible, as the waves gently broke against the soft sand. With how the sun was rising, the orange glow across the beach made for a perfect postcard image.
Suddenly, a shot of adrenaline surged through his body, as Izuku channelled One For All. He leapt to the top of the trash pile. Taking as deep a breath as he could, Izuku leaned back and let loose a victorious roar.
"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!" the sun rose, just as Izuku began to roar, causing a majestic glow to shine around him. "ERRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!"
"Hey, hey, hey..."
From across the way, Izuku heard the whisper of Toshinori, who had evidently arrived. 'See All Might. See what I've become!'
The adrenaline wore of just as fast as it came, as Izuku felt himself stumble off the side of the pile. Though, before he landed on the ground, and possibly injure himself, Izuku was caught by All Might.
"Good work," he simply said.
"All Might...I...I did it," Izuku whispered. "I did it!"
"Yeah, you even surprised me, my boy!" All Might praised, letting Izuku down onto his feet. "Teenagers sure are amazing!"
He then took out his phone, "Here, take a look."
Izuku did so. It was a photo dated back to about two years ago. Back before he had even begun to clear away the trash.
"This is..."
"It's you, from two years ago," All Might stated. He then fiddled around with the phone to show Izuku with the camera. "And this is you, now."
Izuku saw. He saw how defined his muscles were. The contours. The rigidity. If Izuku didn't know it was actually a mirror, and not a photo, he wouldn't have believed that the body shown was his own.
"You did good," All Might told him. "You really did! The finish line is finally visible, if only just barely, but you've done the first leg! I'm proud of you, young Midoriya."
Izuku weakly lifted an arm to look at it, "I fee like...I'm cheating..."
"Hm?"
"You did this, all for me..." Izuku said, as he began to cry. "I'm so blessed!"
All Might merely chuckled, "We'll have to fix those leaky eyes of yours."
Izuku wiped his eyes, and weakly chuckled, "Sorry. It's just who I am."
"Very true, young Midoriya," All Might admitted. "Now...I believe you have an exam to attend?"
Izuku's eyes widened, "Right, the Entrance Exam! I better get home and get ready! Thanks All Might! For everything!"
With that, Izuku ran off, but not before he was stopped by All Might once more.
"Young Midoriya!" the hero called out.
Izuku stopped and looked over his shoulder, "What's wrong?"
All Might simply raised an arm, and clenched his hand into a fist, "Win, my boy."
Izuku grinned widely, "Yeah!"
And he ran towards the next leg of his journey to become the next number one hero.
Author's Note: So there we have it. Izuku's training is complete, and he's now ready to take the Entrance Exam. His current level is a little under what it was during the Summer Camp. His body hasn't quite acclimatised to One For All's enhancement. Also, as you can see, it was not all smooth sailing. Izuku's arm blew off. Nearly. I figured if at 14-15, his arm would be utterly destroyed then at a slightly younger age it wouldn't be too far a stretch to assume that his arm could have blown off completely. Hopefully, I've managed to show that Izuku's not OP.
Now, I skirted through the training, because it was pretty dry. It basically amounted to; sleep, school, training. And as for the Goo monster that nearly killed Katsuki. Well, without Izuku clinging on to All Might's leg, the latter was able to hand of the criminal to the police without much fuss.
Also, I've one again referred to Izuku's non-canon older sisters. As none of you have managed to guess as to their identity, the only clue I'll give you is to consider Inko's hair and Quirk. If no one manages to figure it out, it'll be revealed around about then Iida talks about Ingenium.
As always, follow, favourite, and review! And if you spot any mistakes, please let me know!