Hey guys, here's another update. You might notice that things are moving a bit slow at first, that's just because I suck at starting stuff, so I usually take a little while to get going.

Still, if you feel like it's worth sticking around for more, thank you so much for reading, for all the favorites and especially the reviews, you don't know how motivating it is to have people telling you what they think. Don't be afraid to say you don't like some stuff either, improving comes from doing stuff wrong first.

Dab on, cunts

"Umm...portion control?" Inko would have said with a slightly worried expression plastered across her face as she rubbed her hands together a little awkwardly "I'm glad you're starting to eat more healthy, Izuku, but...these therms sound a little...scary…" he'd say with an embarrassed blush.

The young Midorya had to admit, it did sound a bit scary and complicated at first too and it took him some time to get used to it. The food wasn't too different from what he was used to, but knowing what to pick and how much was a little difficult. He was glad he dug below the surface level research, as he always did, or else he would have been stuck in a world made out of chicken breast and sweet potato.

"I-It's fine mom...really! It's just how it works." he'd say with a shrug of his shoulders as he stuffed another piece of chicken into his mouth. God, he was so lucky his mom was a great cook or else this would have been harder.

"B-But you're not even...you know…" the worried mother would make a grabbing motion at her own belly, her facial features curling into a disgruntled and annoyed expression at the bit of plumpness she gained and was always worried about making disappear, like every lady her age tended to be "A-Aren't you going to get too thin?"

That would have the green haired boy scratching the back of his head a bit awkwardly as he looked down at himself for a moment "I don't...think so. From what I read it's more about body fat percentage. I think I can lose a lot more from the looks of it." he would try his best to explain, but for some reason talking about this with his mother was very much one of the most awkward experiences he's had. "B-But, no need to worry about it! I won't get scrawny or anything. If nothing it'll just let my muscles show through!"

"Your muscles…?" the older Midorya woman would raise a brow for a moment before slowly covering her mouth with an inaudible gasp "O-Oh...are you worried about looking good so...girls notice you?"

Izuku froze, his cheeks puffed as he stopped mid chew as his face would suddenly flare red with embarrassment before slowly gulping the food in his mouth down "N-No! N-Not like t-that...I mean...M-Moooooooooooom!"

"Y-You're growing up so fast!" she would plead with teary eyes as her son began freaking the absolute crap out at the dinner table.

After a very awkward meal at his home and a well earned night of sleep, Izuku was already back at it. Five AM, at the park as scheduled and already finished his seventh lap as he waited for All Might to show up to meet him...if he even showed up. Truth be told, young Deku was still trying to figure out if that part had really happened or if he had just hallucinated it all from how tired he was.

Thankfully today was just a little bit easier, not enough for him to try and do more than ten, he didn't want to die, but he might not be trashed at the end of the final lap this time and he'd remembered to bring his own water bottle! Keeping hydrated really made a world of difference for the teen.

Of course, in his exercise induced trance-like state, Izuku would have jumped back on his spot and fell right onto his butt as from around the corner a towering visage of toned muscle dressed in workout clothing and carrying two cups of coffee slid into view with a bright, proud smile.

"Good morning, young Midorya!" All Might would announce before his expression shifted into one of slight embarrassment as he saw the state of the boy on the floor "Me and my dramatic entrances…"

"A-All Might...you really came!" Deku would immediately smile as he scampered back up to his feet, batting the dirt and dust from his pants.

"Of course! A true hero never goes back on his word!" the blond would say with his usual beaming smile as he extended a hand with a cup held in it towards the teen "I don't know if you drink coffee, but I brought you one anyway!"

"O-Oh...t-thanks…" Midorya would gulp as he took the cup in hand and took a sip from it, flinching slightly at the bitter flavor he wasn't too used to. Truth be told, Deku had never tried much coffee before, he had just never bothered with it, but this was coffee All Might had brought for him. He would consume it. "I-It's...uhh..tasty."

"Hehe, no need to lie, young Midorya, but it'll give you some energy." the number one hero would say as he patted the boy on the shoulder as he took a sip of his own cup, finalizing it with a steamy sigh "Let's cut your morning run a bit short today, I have some things to show you."

"A-Alright...is it about my training?" Izuku would ask shily as he slowly and shily sipped on his coffee, his tongue becoming used to the flavor bit by bit, at least enough to not make him flinch every time he drank it as he began to feel that buzz of energy slowly build inside him as the caffeine did its magic in his system

"Indeed!" All Might would proudly announce as he motioned for the kid to follow him as he took off walking to one side of the park, greeting some people and fans along the way as per usual, as he headed towards the crosswalk with his trainee "I have everything ready! After this you'll be in top shape in no time!"

"R-Right!" Izuku would attempt to reply with the same conviction as before as he followed the symbol of peace along, feeling a little out of place being seen with him and having to stop every few steps so that All Might could greet someone, snap a picture or sign an autograph, but that wasn't his fault, just a side effect from being the Symbol of Peace.

Eventually, though, he would notice his hero's pathing become a tad peculiar as he dodged out of public view after looking to both sides to make sure he wasn't seen, ducking into an alleyway that smelled of wet cement and the bad scent of the trash that filled up the bins by the wall. The walls were covered in discolored paint and graffiti, making the whole place look shady and uncomfortable for the pure cinnamon toast that was the young Midorya.

"U-Uhh...A-All Might…?" he'd ask with embarrassment as he shrunk down into himself as he followed his idol "W-Where are we?"

"Don't look so worried, young Midorya." The number one hero would say as he waved the teen off with a chuckle as he finally reached his objective. A red and blue colored, metallic door that was surprisingly well kept, like it had just received a new coat of paint. "I'm sure you'll understand, even someone like me needs some privacy and well...when you have a reputation, you need to go a little out of your way to get it." he would explain as he pulled a keychain from his pocket, Deku noticing that it was one of All Might's own merchandise, a golden metal plate in the shape of the words 'I am here!' with a few stars around them. The blond would flick through the few keys he had in the pack before finding the right one to unlock the door with a metallic click as it would open with a smooth creakless sound. Yeah, it was definitely a well kept door.

And as Deku slowly and shyly followed his idol in, his worried and embarrassed expression would shift into one of surprise and curiosity. Walking through that door was like stepping into an entirely new world as the alley would shift into a neat entryway made of polished wood, a place for him to leave his shoes and his coat as was the usual in Japan before he walked through another set of doors.

That was the real shocker. He saw what was once a rundown alleyway shift into a clean and brightly lit gym with equipments of the highest grade and of all kinds. The floor was half wood and half soft and rubbery surface, it had its own air conditioning system that seemed to bring with it a soft, but pleasant lime scent to the whole area and at the opposite wall Midorya could see a massive mirror that covered its entirety, letting him see how puny he looked in comparison to All Might, but also, all of the pictures and posters that riddled the place. Curiously, Deku could only see a few japanese athletes in them, most of them were american...but then again, this place belonged to a man who named all of his moves after american states, so it made sense the more he thought about it.

"W-Wow...what is this place?" Izuku would gulp as he stepped in, his eyes darting from side to side as he took in the ambient with wonder in his retina.

"Why, my personal gym, of course!" The hero would say as he flexed his muscles with a hearty laugh

"P-Personal gym?" Midorya would ask as he tried to contain his famboyism over being invited into All Might's second home "Why here? In a dirty, dark alley, I mean…"

"I can't build these muscles if I have to stop to give autographs or take pictures every five minutes!" The blond would explain as he crossed his arms "I love my fans, but sometimes, even I need some me time! And the best way to do that is to that is to...well...hide!" He'd say with a sweatdrop and a bit of an awkward shrug

"R-Right…!" Midorya would nod. "B-But, uhh...are you sure it's okay for me to..b-be here?"

"Of course, young man! I said I had something to show you, didn't I?" The hero would ask as he gave the kid a thumbs up "This is only part of it. Come with me!" he would motion for the green haired nerd to follow him as he gestured towards a door off to the side that seemed to lead into some sort of living area

And follow he would, past the doorway and into a rather small room. The place was a little cramped, just about enough space to have some comfort on the small and beat up couch that rested right beside the mini fridge. Deku could see even more posters inside along with shelves filled to the brim with video tapes and DVD cases, along with a decently sized television across the room. Izuku figured this is where the number one hero came to catch his breath after a round of training.

"H-Hey...what are all these tapes? Some sort of files on the villains you have faced before?" Midorya would ask as his mind raced on its own, creating a whole new situation without the need for clarification.

"Oh those? Those are boxing tapes!" All Might would say with a smile that looked slightly...embarrassed? "I guess I used to be a bit of a fanboy too, back in the day! Hehe…but, why don't you help yourself to a drink while I find what I was looking for!"

"S-Sure…" Izuku would stammer as he leaned down to be face to face with the mini fridge, pulling the doorway open to be greeted with a pleasant puff of cold, refrigerated air. "Alright, I guess a soda would be good to calm my...oh…"

No soda, just a few bottles of water and a few cups full of protein drinks. All Might didn't mess around. Izuku couldn't afford to mess around anymore either, so he took one of the protein drinks with a sigh and took a sip. It was nice and sweet, just had a strange flavor to it he'd have to get used to.

"There we go!" He would hear the blond announce as he pulled a particular video tape out of the shelf with a beaming smile after blowing some dust off of it "Say, young Midorya, ever wonder why all my attacks are named after the United States?"

Izuku didn't need to think twice, his knowledge of heroes, All Might above all, sprung forth nearly immediately "Because you were inspired by the culture and their sense of patriotism! You said so in your interview with Dato News back in 2009!" the green haired boy would blab out, catching himself in his own fanboyism as he quickly shut himself up with a blush "O-Or...s-something like that…"

Toshinori would laugh at the instant response as he gave the teen a thumbs up "You're right, I did great part of my training in America and I simply fell in love with the culture...but what I've never said in any interview is that what most inspired me." All Might would lean closer to the young man as he showed him the cover of the tape he held onto. It was old and a little washed out, but Midorya could still clearly make out the picture of a dark skinned man dressed in proper boxing attire "Boxing isn't just a sport. It's how you carry yourself, a philosophy and american boxing happens to be my absolute favorite!"

Izuku could only watch as the older man paced towards the television, inserting the tape into the old cassette player and once turned on, fast forwarding through the footage in search for something in specific "This one right here is really old, from a time when quirks weren't around yet."

Izuku could see that, from the stocky, low resolution image to the phonic sound that came from the TV screen every time the hero would stop to check at which part he was on, before finally he seemed to reach what he wanted as he stood back from the screen.

It was the gentleman from the cover, by the looks of it giving an interview. From the questions being asked, Midorya could figure that it was about an upcoming fight.

It seemed normal, nothing special, the fighter's responses were brief...until he really got started.

"Am I worried about the fight? The only worry I have is to miss it." he would say before making a brief pause as he rose from his seat with evident conviction "I've been working hard, you know? Since the start of my career I haven't missed a day, but this fight? I've done something new! I'm pushing myself in ways no other man has ever done! Did you know I can wrestle a bear?"

Izuku would quirk an eyebrow at the strange statement, as did most of the audience by the looks of it before he continued "Yeah...I can wrestle a bear. I can crush stones with my thumbs! I'm telling ya, people, these hands can bend steel! And once I step into that ring you'll all see how powerful I am!"

He was lying. Izuku knew that. If it was something a boxer said today he would probably believe it, quirks had been integrated into sports a long time ago. But this was from back then, where everyone was quirkless...yet the conviction the fighter had when he said those words…

"That's what it's about...the determination, the pride, the grit...what do you think? How do you feel about what he's saying?" his idol would ask him, making the teen gulp in his spot as he noticed how hard his heart was pumping after listening to the performance

"I...I know he was just exaggerating for dramatic effect but...the way he said everything...I wouldn't be surprised if you showed me a video of him actually doing all those things."

"But that man had no quirk. He was just a regular person like you…" Toshinori would say with an unconsciously fatherly smile as he placed a hand onto Izuku's shoulder "And he didn't need a quirk to be powerful...I feel that same grit in you, young Midorya. Some people are born with great quirks, but when the push comes to shove, they're truly powerless. It's only when you get into that mindset, when you find the power inside you, not your quirk, but your power…" he would say, pointing towards the television screen to show the fighter from before and the sheer tenacity on his face "Only then can you really become a great hero."

Midorya felt the sob climb up his throat again, he felt his eyes become warmer, but clenching them both he would swallow his insecurities down to instead replace them with a determined smile as he looked up at All Might.

"Where do we start?"

"Glad you asked!"

Izuku's smile would immediately shift into an expression of surprise as he had a stack of paper pushed into his face. It had a few sheets staples together and a quick read let him know it to be some sort of training plan.

"I had some time to spend, so I took the liberty of developing a meal and workout program for you!" the blond would poke young Deku on the head with his usual smile "It's not an easy one, I'll tell you right now, but if you're willing to put in the work, it'll get you results fast."

"Y-You can count on me!" Izuku would declare with a smile. There was a voice inside him screaming at him, that he couldn't do it, that he was a quirkless, useless nobody...but he fought it back down to the crevice it had come from, not with weapons, not with violence, but with a smile. If Izuku could hold his smile, nothing could stop him.

"Well then, I have a present for you!" the symbol of peace would say with excitement in his voice as he pushed a box onto his new apprentice's lap. He had even taken the time to wrap it much like a gift and make the bow on top look like his characteristic pair of antenna-like hair.

"A-A p-p-present?" Deku would stutter more than usual as he held it in his hands...a present...from All Might...he was lucky he didn't faint right then and there, but with shaky grip he would slowly peel the wrapping of the package apart to see what was hiding inside.

Inside Izuku would find three items.

The first and most evident one were a pair of green colored boxing gloves, most likely chosen in that tone to match his hair. Izuku would smile as he tried one on, finding the fabric flexible and comfortable, though it made his hand a bit hot, though he was sure it was just a matter of getting used to it...he already felt a bit stronger just having them on, it was like magic.

The second item was a signed wristband, the same red and blue pattern that was synonymous to All Might, with the words 'I am here' written along their length. Izuku smiled at that. His hero's catchphrase was starting to take new meanings now. In a way it made the teen feel like his hero was always there with him when he wore it...and in another, it felt like a reminder to oneself, if they ever got lost. Izuku was here and he was here to fight for what he wanted.

And the third item was the most curious one. It was a small keychain with a single key in it. It would have the boy eyeing it up with interest as he slowly turned to his mentor, asking a wordless question.

"Keys to this gym, of course! I can't be here to let you in all the time, so you should be able to come in on your own for your training!" All Might would explain with a laugh as he patted the teen on the head, making him blush red in response

"B-But this is y-your personal spot!" the teen would stammer with embarrassment

"I don't mind sharing it with one person, just don't go telling the media about it!" the symbol of peace would say with a laugh as he stepped towards the door "Now put those gloves on, young Midorya, let's see if you know how to use them!"

Izuku would smile to himself as he slipped the gloves in each hand, tightening them down with his teeth and briefly knocking them against one another as he smiled.

"I'll do my best!"