I do not own My Hero Academia.
Chapter 2
The clangs of metal echoed throughout the stairwell as a boy slowly descended down the city building, which was quite the distance, given that he got there by grabbing onto the Number 1 Hero's leg in the middle of one of his jumps. For the average boy, not that he was average by any stretch of the imagination, this would be a fairly normal task, although still time consuming. However, that wasn't the case at the moment.
Izuku Midoriya felt perfectly fine after waking up from a strange vision on the building rooftop. Although he had one accidental power mishap, all that has caused him to do was trip over. He didn't think twice about that, after all, people did that all the time. The difference between that and what was happening to him now was that he didn't think this was…. normal. At all.
"Umm… Chronos-san, if you can still hear me like this, is this… supposed to happen? It's getting really difficult for me to keep my focus like this."
It wasn't every day your eyesight can fluctuate between completely normal to having an extremely strange issue instantaneously. One moment, he was seeing everything perfectly fine, and in the next, everything around him would dim in brightness, sometimes to the point where he couldn't even make out anything from that eye for moments on end. It would return back to normal after a bit, but the issue kept coming back.
"What are you talking about? Let me… oh, I see. Ah, yes, I am remembering all of this again. It's been much too long since this has last happened, so to be frank, I completely forgot this existed. If I may attempt to explain this in a way that you would understand, think of this as some form of, what's the word? Calibration, I would say. The mortal body is not used to a foreign power invading your system, and it needs some time to adjust to the changes. This is all part of the process of fully obtaining your power. But do not worry, Izuku. This should be temporary."
"Oh, is this all just calibration? That explains what happened earlier, then. But I might have to be careful while going back home to not accidentally use this again, because if I use any sort of quirk in public, I'd get in massive trouble."
Izuku could feel the scoff of the otherworldly entity reverberating through his head.
"Like that would be much of an issue. What we hold, it's nothing compared to what those elementary tricks they call "quirks" can do."
"I get that, Chronos-san, but I don't think anyone would believe that a power other than Quirks can exist. It's never been heard of before. If anyone notices this at first glance, they will immediately pass it off as a Quirk."
"Simply ridiculous. To speak of the Temporal Chronos so callously…"
The boy could feel the conversation steering into dangerous waters, and he really did not want to test the patience of someone like Chronos, so he opted to not continue it further, and instead focus on making his way back home safely.
A few close calls later, he made it safely down the stairwell on solid ground. Although the issue with his eyes was still prevalent, it was happening less frequently. He has been careful to walk as slowly and controlled as he could, as to not randomly spark any form of power in the public space.
Izuku stepped outside into the late afternoon air, and kept his head low as he mingled with the rest of the city populace. It was pretty typical of this area to be bustling with people at this time, as many people would start to get off work and begin their commute home, typically going towards the train station. His home wasn't all that far away, so he felt relatively comfortable covering that distance on foot from this area.
He had All Might to thank for not jumping him too far away from the city. With the type of power that he held, the current situation could have been so much worse. He would have been left alone, far away in unfamiliar areas, with no means to defend himself while his senses were bugging out.
Well, not exactly defenseless. He now had a reliable power that he could use to attempt to pursue his dreams, and much more. He had spent so much of his life quirkless that it was hard to even imagine that he had power now, and he would be considered "normal" by the rest of society.
His thoughts drifted towards what had happened earlier towards the end of the school day, when Kacchan had confronted him about his dream of getting into U.A in the future. The blonde has specifically told him that he wanted to "keep the perfect nature of a U.A graduate", and it would only hold if he, the quirkless one, were kept out of the picture altogether.
And it made sense for someone like Kacchan, who all his life was recognized for his amazing quirk, natural ability, and intelligence, to think that way. He had pretty much everything that was needed to get into U.A and become one of the best heroes out there, and he wasn't going to let someone else ruin that for him.
The young boy reached out into his backpack and took out the charred remains of the Hero Journal that his friend had burnt. Flipping through what pages could still be read, he realized that pretty much everything that was told to him, by his peers, Kacchan, and even All Might, made sense.
His vision, and along with it, the detailed outlines of the heroes he drew, once more flickered to darkness, and back to normal. To become a hero, one needed to have a power that would be useful enough in order to protect people. Mount Lady. Kamui Woods. Ingenium. They all had abilities that allowed them to do what the average person was unable to do as a hero, as well as have the drive for it.
He could hope to try to become the first "quirkless hero" all he wanted, but in order to try to reach the top, he first needed to have the qualifications to get to the starting line in the first place. And as he was before, he stood absolutely no chance at doing that. A regular kid, with nothing but deep wishes to his name couldn't produce results, no matter how hard he would have tried.
Maybe Kacchan and All Might were onto something when they told him to stray away from the path of a Hero. Maybe it wasn't just all made up of selfish desire. Obviously not in the case of All Might, he was probably one of the most selfless people out there, but more so in the case of Kacchan. Maybe it was because they didn't want to see him potentially hurt or even worse from something that could have been easily avoidable. Maybe it was because Kacchan knew how hard it would be to actually obtain the life of a Hero, he wanted to dissuade him from that path for his own good.
If that were the case, looking back on it, that might have been the right thing to do. As All Might had said, dreams are all good to have, but they need to be realistic.
But the things that have happened from then were anything but realistic. Meeting Chronos and obtaining his power was nothing short of an absolute miracle, a one on a million… no, maybe even less likely of an opportunity that was granted to him. It was unheard of for someone that was previously quirkless to suddenly manifest a power at this late of an age. Sure, there were some late manifestations that came up and about, but even those were rare, and typically appeared one or two years post the normal expected age.
But an entire decade past it? The idea alone was so far-fetched that not once had it appeared in his mind as a thought. Yet, because of that slim chance, the miracle that he had been granted, he now had something that could take him closer to his dream. He still didn't know all that much about his full capabilities, but a power was still a power, and it was all that Izuku ever had dreamed about.
Not even a powerful one, or anything specific in general. Just having something to work with. And now he had that.
Sorry, Kacchan. But even if you don't want to see me up there with you, even if you don't want me getting into the dangers of a hero, I still have to do it. Even if I have to work ten times harder than anyone else, I'll still become a Hero.
From the day he saw All Might on that monitor screen, with that blindingly bright smile on his face while he saved the lives of so many, he knew what his dream was. And nothing was going to stop him from chasing it, with everything he had.
Izuku was broken out of his thoughts upon registering a familiar street, and he could see a large congregation of people by the entrance of the street.
I usually come here by habit, because I've always wanted to see the heroes in action… but what's going on over here?
Making his way over to the commotion, he could immediately tell that something wasn't right. What would normally be the excited chatter of bystanders were now low and nervous murmurs. The area was a hotspot for heroes, and he knew that All Might was in the area. What could possibly go wrong that the heroes couldn't handle…?
Looking through the gaps of the many heads in front of him, he saw the scene that was unfolding in front of him, and his eyes widened.
That's the same sludge villain that All Might saved me from! But how is he here? How did he escape from him?
The familiar damp color of the villain was easily recognizable on the brighter surroundings, and this time, it wasn't alone with a defenseless, quirkless victim in front of him. Numerous heroes had it surrounded, yet none of them had the proper ability in order to take it down. And something even bigger was happening that held the sludge villain in its place.
Izuku took note of the conversations that were happening right next to him.
"Why are all the heroes just standing there?"
"Apparently they're holding some middle school kid hostage."
His heart rate skyrocketed. His hands reflexively clasped over his mouth, remembering the feeling of the villain attempting to take over his body through his mouth, as well as the pain that came with it.
He's got someone else? Will they manage to handle that type of pain?
"Wait, isn't that villain the same one that All Might was chasing earlier?"
"Huh? All Might is here!? Seriously!?"
The chatter around him as well as the general mood seemed to lighten the weight on everyone's shoulders, as a new flame of hope began to kindle in everyone at the mention of the Symbol of Peace.
"Yeah, I saw him a while ago."
"Then what's he doing now?"
It was then Izuku had a realization. He recalled the words that had been mentioned to him just hours earlier.
"I've been wasted away from the constant surgeries and the complications, and I've been reduced to a maximum of around 3 hours of heroics a day."
Which meant…
All Might can't do anything about it now! And it's all because of me! It's all my fault! If I hadn't held him up, then none of this wouldn't have happened!
His heart was positively pounding now as he looked towards the many heroes that surrounded the struggling boy. They couldn't even get close to him, because of all the fire the boy was generating as a byproduct of fighting off his captor.
Shoot! This isn't good! This isn't good at all! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! Someone will come, someone will come to save you soon!
He could hear a pained, yet familiar yell coming from ahead of him. Shoving his way towards the front of the crowd, he now had a much better look of everything in front of him. The prowess of the villain. The explosions. The boy that was held victim.
Hold on…
Explosions…
Middle Schooler…
The connections started to form in his mind as he looked for who it was, hoping and praying it wasn't who he thought it was. But even then, Izuku could see it clearly. The terror. The panic in his eyes.
His eyes…
"DON'T DO IT YOU IMPULSIVE BRAT!"
But even the immortal spirit couldn't stop him from moving.
"You idiot! Stop! STOP!"
"Do you want to kill yourself? You'll die for nothing!"
He heard the heroes behind him trying to get him to stop, desperately, but he paid them no heed. Rather, he couldn't. His legs continued to carry him forward, in the path of danger.
It all happened so fast, yet, it all seemed so… slow. Like he knew of every conscious decision he was making in that exact moment when making it. He was aware of everything that was going on around him, he could feel everyone's eyes on him. Every subtle movement, every yell, he was aware of.
In the same way, he knew the elongated arm of Kamui Woods was mere centimeters away from wrapping around his small form and pulling him away from the danger. He wouldn't be able to make it time. He wouldn't be able to outspeed the pro hero.
"Hopeless. You leave me no choice."
What followed was one of the strangest experiences in Izuku's life.
It all started with his vision. Every detail seemed to be enhanced, and the general color scheme seemed to have a light blue filter applied to it. He's always had close to 20/20 vision, yet everything felt like it snapped into place, and there wasn't a single place where he could say it was less clear than the other.
He wouldn't deny the moments leading up to this one, there was some sort of lasting vertigo that he felt from when he clinged onto All Might. After all, his power was anything but normal, and someone who was previously quirkless like himself wasn't at all built to handle that sort of speed. However, any sensation attributing to dizziness pretty much vanished at that instant, and the difference was instantly noticeable.
Not to mention the overall condition of his body. He had felt pretty weak and was incredibly nervous from the entire situation, as well as basically thrusting himself in front of everything. But at that moment, he could feel renewed energy course through him, almost as if he were having a sort of sugar high or adrenaline rush. He felt like he could do anything.
Right when he could feel Kamui Wood's quirk try to clamp over his body and stop him, he renewed his effort, pushing hard against the ground, and shot forward.
"Wha…"
"Woah, what's the kid doing?"
Izuku's surroundings were a blur. He didn't even take another step forward, and he was already way closer to the villain than he was a second ago.
What?
"FOCUS IZUKU! YOU DON'T HAVE TIME! JUMP NOW!"
"Ahhhh, yes sir!"
Startled by the sudden order, he launched himself in the air. Looking down, he could see that he was ways off of the ground, and approaching the sludge at a speed that he quite honestly was not at all ready for. He could see the protruding eyes staring at him getting closer, and what parts resembling a face grinning impassively at him, preparing to spell his doom.
"Throw your bag at him! As hard as you can! It will distract him, even if only for a moment!"
One side already loose from the jump, Izuku reached for the other strap, let it fall down his arm, and hurled it at their face as hard as he could.
What he didn't expect was for his arm to jet forward way faster than he expected it to, and the bag to collide with the villain like a bullet. It visibly recoiled, giving Izuku additional time to land, and grasp anything he could find to catch himself.
But when the substance he was landing on wasn't exactly the most solid thing ever, it made it a bit difficult to maintain balance. His hands reflexively attempted to make a grip, but the sludge just slipped through his fingers, and he slid down a bit further.
He tried scrabbling up as much as possible, to try to get a firmer hold, if only for just a moment. After a few tries, he felt like he had a decent grip, but the burning in his fingers told him it wouldn't last too long.
"You! Why you?!"
He could hear a yell from above him, and he looked up to see his friend glaring down at him, in a mixture of panic and anger.
Kacchan!
In reality, there were so many things that Izuku could have said right then, but he knew that all of them would be disingenuous. He knew the real reason why he did why he did, and it was because…
"Because your eyes… they were pleading for help!"
Izuku redoubled his efforts to climb the sludge in order to reach his friend. He dug his hands in, and right when he did that…
Lightning erupted from around his body. He could see visible sparks generating from his limbs and race along the villain's exterior. Goosebumps started to cover every inch of his skin, the unfamiliar feeling of energy crawling under his skin unnerving him greatly.
What the heck is going on? I didn't do that! When was I able to do that?
While it seemed like it was having an effect, as the sludge started to loosen around Kacchan, he could feel his strength slipping away by the second. His limbs were slowly turning limp, and as much as he wanted to hold on, he was starting to fall backwards, and it wasn't going to be a soft landing from the looks of it.
His fingers loosened, and he felt himself losing contact with the slippery surface. He closed his eyes, bracing himself for the inevitable impact, but he didn't even start falling.
He felt an immense grip on his wrist, preventing him from even moving, and he opened his eyes to see a bulging, taut fist, many times the size of his own. Looking back, he saw an all too familiar steaming form. The cloudy wisps of air dissipated to reveal the Symbol of Peace, yet with a gritted face filled with pain, as well as specks of blood on his mouth.
All Might? But I thought he said he had no time?
"I'm sorry, kid. I chewed you out for something I nearly didn't even put into practice just now!"
He cocked his fist back, winding up to throw a punch with all of the might that he could muster at the moment.
"A hero always puts his life on the line!"
With more blood now dripping down his face than before. He grabbed Bakugou's arm in the same hand that held Izuku's, and thrust his other fist down while yanking the two boys away from the villain.
"DETROIT SMASH!"
Everything shattered at the moment. The air picked up so violently that it ruptured Izuku's eardrums in an instant. All he could hear was the violent wind rushing against his face, forcing his eyes completely shut. It didn't help that All Might was holding him suspended in the air, which completely screwed with his orientation.
It held like that for a while longer, until the pressure started to die down, and he felt himself slow down and eventually dropped to the ground, along with his friend. Izuku thought he had experienced the strength of the Number 1 Hero firsthand already, but this? It was far greater than what he had imagined.
"So this is what this…. All Might…. can do…"
Even Chronos sounded surprised. This was his first taste of this sort of power as well, and he had no clue on why people, especially his vessel, held the man to such high esteem.
Until now, that was.
"Hahahahahaha, this is fascinating! How spectacular! Perhaps I was mistaken about my initial assessment on these quirks. He will serve as splendid competition for your future glory!"
He was too dizzy and disoriented to respond.
He could vaguely hear everyone around him marvel and celebrate at the heroic finish. Apparently the villain had been blown away so hard that their body was reduced to small droplets in the atmosphere, and it ended up coming back down to earth as rain, which the heroes promptly tried to collect.
He and Kacchan regained their senses a few moments later. It was safe to say that the heroes that were on the scene were trying to control the aftermath of the situation to the best of their ability. They began by addressing the two kids that had gotten themselves in the center of it, willingly or unwillingly.
While Kacchan had received the more favorable comments, Izuku….. didn't get the same treatment.
"There was no reason to get yourself into an obviously dangerous situation like that! Heroes are professionally trained to handle these situations, and some school kid who isn't qualified shouldn't be jumping headfirst into danger! You put so many other people, including yourself, at risk!"
Izuku kept his head down and didn't say anything. They weren't exactly wrong, to a degree. Yes, he wasn't trained, and he made it harder for all of the heroes on the scene to do something in response, but after seeing that expression in his eyes…
How could he not do anything?
How could he even think to call himself a Hero in the future if he let someone he cared about sit there and suffer right in front of him? Especially when he now had the power to do something about it?
While deep in his thoughts, another hero had come from somewhere and began talking to Izuku, this time noticeably kinder.
"It's admirable to want to save someone in need of help, but before doing so, it would be better to go through a Hero course. It would make you much stronger and much more capable of helping others, and it would also give you a Hero's license to do the things that we do. From what we've seen, you've got a pretty nice Quirk. I'm sure after receiving proper Heroics training, you would be an amazing hero!"
He couldn't help a smile stretch across his face when hearing those words. After more than a decade of constantly being belittled about chasing an impossible dream, he now had someone in that profession telling him that he could be one.
He had hoped that someone, anyone, would tell him that it was possible. Yet, no one would budge. People would tell him over and over that it wasn't going to happen, he should give up, and a plethora of rejections. And now, as soon as he proved that he had something, and that he had what it took, it finally happened.
"Thank you. I'll do my best, and become a Hero!"
"Yeah. After all, your best is all you can do. You have the potential and heart, and I believe in you!"
He nodded happily, and he watched as they went back to work with the other heroes. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a familiar spiky-blonde haired boy still preoccupied by many other heroes, and he immediately understood the situation. Given that he was in the center of the whole situation, they couldn't just leave him immediately after everything. The police needed to come and do an investigation on what had happened, and naturally, that would start with Kacchan.
At this point, the media started to arrive at the scene, and it took their entrance to realize what the time was. Izuku was so preoccupied with everything that just happened to realize how late it was. His mother was probably worried sick about him, and a massive villain attack near the city about to be broadcasted on the news certainly wouldn't ease that worry.
"Oh shoot! I really need to get out of here before I end up on the news. Mom's gonna really have it in for me if she sees me here!"
"You charged at a villain with no heed for your own well being, one that had already placed you in a sorry state, mind you, and your mother is what you worry about?"
Leave it to the immortal spirit in his head to not understand the ferocity of overprotective mothers.
A while later, Izuku found himself walking down a much quieter street, the horizon ahead tinted a light yet entrancing orange. The soft plods of his school boots on the road in contrast to the stillness around him was deafening, though it wasn't unwelcome. The culmination of all the insane events that had taken place today felt so much longer than they needed to be. What was supposed to feel like around less than 12 hours felt like multiple days to him.
Was this what Chronos felt?
"When you live as long as me, you feel quite the opposite, in fact. Years can go by, and they feel like minutes. Time changes your perspective on so many things. There's only one thing that can really affect that, and that's death. I started to feel that way when I felt myself slowly starting to disappear."
The horizon in front of Izuku shifted to a black and navy blue, and flickered back to normal. He continued to walk in silence, and listened to the voice inside of his head.
"When you become aware of the end, you long for the time that you have remaining. Becoming conscious of the time around you shifts that preset that you had before of time not even being a set function of the world anymore. It's like… breathing… for you humans. Become conscious of yourself breathing, and all of a sudden, you have to force yourself to breathe in and out, whereas before, your body does that automatically. Count the individual seconds, and you begin to realize that nothing ever changed. A second is still only ever one second. I could try to use my abilities to prolong it as much as I can, but that would end up using some of the precious energy that I had remaining. It was then that I realized nothing lasts… forever. We can get closer and closer to that concept, yet we will never reach it. Despite how powerful anyone can become, there's always a limit to everything."
Not for the first time today, Izuku was lost for words. All he could do was ponder over the information that he was given. Often, the message of Heroes was to break past whatever limits your body had, to become a bigger and better version of yourself. While it made sense, and he could tell what they were going for, everyone had their own limits. If everyone could keep on constantly breaking past their own limits, everyone would be all-powerful by now, and there would just be chaos everywhere. Hell, even All Might, who was the closest thing to that definition, had a limit. Izuku had seen it himself.
"I… AM… HERE!"
A cloud of dust suddenly masked his vision, and he could briefly make out a large, muscular silhouette, one that anyone could have recognized anywhere. The air cleared out to show the visage of a flexing All Might, in the flesh, before being immediately taken out of it and going back to being an almost sickly, frail man with haunting black and blue eyes.
Speak of him, and he shall appear.
"A- All Might? What… how did you… get here? I thought all of the reporters…"
"Haha, well, I'm glad you asked!" The Symbol of Peace buffed up once more to his iconic form, and held his signature peace sign in the air.
"I can avoid them if I want to! Because I'm All Migh-", he began to explain before promptly deflating and spitting out some droplets of blood in the process.
That sight never failed to freak Izuku out just a little bit on the inside.
All Might coughed to get air back into his throat and to regain his bearings. Izuku watched on, wondering what the Symbol of Peace could possibly seek him out for.
"Kid… I came here to give you a proposal. And also to make some corrections."
Huh?
"Back there, if it hadn't been for your personal story, your courage, your bravery, I may not have been able to act back there. To push myself in order to do my duty."
Because of… him? No, that couldn't be right! What did he even do! As a matter of fact…
"No, that's not true! This whole thing was entirely my fault! If I hadn't asked you such a silly question, and made you jump all the way to the city for no good reason and lose the villain you already captured… This whole situation happened because of me. There were so many heroes there that were more qualified, and I-"
"Yet you were the only one that moved. Out of everyone there, a shy boy with zero hero training, was the one to put themselves on the front lines. And for that, Izuku Midoriya, I admire you. The strength and will that you displayed today was truly befitting of a hero."
Izuku nodded, and on the inside, he was struggling to keep his composure. When the one you had idolized for your entire life comes to you and tells you that he "admires your strength"? Who could possibly keep it all together?
All Might continued. "If you ask the origin story of any hero, there is one that is common among all of them: their bodies moved on their own! This… this is what happened to you, is it not?"
Izuku nodded once more, and he felt his knees giving away. Tears started to form on his eyes, blurring his already impaired vision. He thought back to the words of his own mother, the day of when he received his quirk diagnosis…
He thought back to the words of Chronos, the moment he had received his power…
He thought back to the words of the hero back on the destroyed streets less than an hour ago that told him to chase his hero dream…
Then came the words that he always wanted to hear, from the one that he wanted to hear it the most from.
"Izuku Midoriya, you can become a hero!"
The emotional floodgates broke at that proclamation. His heart began to race, and his body was filled with joy, euphoria, and even some sense of fulfillment as well. His knees lost all of their strength, and his face was stretched into what could be described as a mixture between trying to smile while crying at the same time.
It was cathartic for him. Years of everyone around him telling him differently, that it wasn't possible. That he was chasing an impossibility. Even deep down himself, he knew what he was doing was foolish. Naivety. But when the pinnacle of Heroic society tells you that it isn't, that it's possible, it lifts a massive weight off of your subconscious.
And in the midst of all of that…
"And I deem you the most worthy to inherit my power!"
…
What?
"What?"
Both Izuku and Chronos were sent for a loop.
"Ahahahahah! What's that expression for? This is the proposal I was talking about earlier!"
Izuku stood up from his position on the ground, and looked at All Might with a serious expression, containing the remnants of the emotional outburst a few moments ago. Likewise, All Might's piercing blue eyes narrowed as he pointed at him.
"I'm asking you… if you want to try accepting my power!" A burst of blood from his mouth followed, garbling up some of the words at the end.
His power? What is he… saying? And why does this seem so familiar?
"He's about to explain."
"This concerns my quirk, kid. The media always likes to theorize what my quirk could be, and generally, people pass it off as some form of "super strength", or "muscular boost". And even I get this question asked in interviews and such about the specifics. I always try to avoid the question by making jokes and the like. Because the Symbol of Peace, All Might, has to come off as a natural-born hero."
"I see."
"But the truth is… my quirk was passed down to me. Like the olympic torch."
It was then that Izuku came to the realization.
"We're the same."
Chronos said it before he could.
This was exactly like the backstory that Chronos had given him. A power that could be utilized by other people that never had any sort of power before. Before today, Izuku wouldn't have believed such a thing was possible. But after what had happened to him…
"And now, the time has come for me to pass it off once more to the next generation. And it may be your turn."
Izuku's eyes widened at the insinuation. All Might passing down his power… now?
"That's right, young Midoriya. I have the ability to transfer power down… that is the quirk I inherited! Its name is One for All."
"One for… All…"
"The first person cultivates the power, then passes it on to the next, who then refines it, and then to the next, and the one after that, growing the power slowly but surely, so that the crying hearts of the ones who wish to be saved, and the ones with the hearts of heroes link to form a chain of power!"
"But why me? Surely there must be someone out there who could use this better than me…"
'Because I have been looking for a successor for a long time now, and I believe that you are worthy of the power! As I said, back there, where all other heroes stood still in the face of danger, your body was the one that moved! You showed more heroic spirit than anyone else!"
All Might clenched his fist. "But in the end, the decision is yours to make. Izuku Midoriya, what do you say?"
On the inside, the boy was torn. All Might had pretty much entrusted him to his greatest secret, something who knows how few people knew. He had chosen him to bear the torch of the power that he once had to become the Symbol of Peace. He couldn't will himself to refuse All Might.
But on the other end of the spectrum, there was the power that was already entrusted to him. Chronos had already given him the power that he would need to become a hero. He knew firsthand how incredible his power was, and to take multiple incredible powers? Something inside him didn't like the idea of that.
He felt like he was robbing someone else, someone more worthy than him of their own chance of becoming a hero.
"I…"
Suddenly, the world around him shifted.
"Do not accept his offer."
The wind stilled. His surroundings became eerily silent, more silent than they were before. Everything flashed a deep blue, and progressively became brighter and brighter. Izuku had to force his eyes shut. The pressure was too intense for him to handle.
However, a moment later, it subsided. Izuku reopened his eyes once more, and was greeted with a familiar sight. Familiar blue-violet backdrop, lightning racing down to the ground every few seconds. Floor almost like marble. This time, the only difference was that the atmosphere around him felt… heavier. The source of the pressure was immediately noticeable, and he looked towards where the visage of a large, looming figure was standing. It was different. Much stronger than it was before, yet that too was also familiar.
"Chronos… san?"
"You're still out there, don't worry. I just sped up your entire thought process as much as possible so that we can have a conversation here before you make any decision."
So was that what his power was? Time manipulation, or something similar? That was definitely an insanely powerful quirk, and that could be used to do so many things. Time quirks were actually quite rare, and the only notable Hero to have one would be Nighteye, with his Foresight ability, but…
"Brat, that's not what is important right now! The Symbol of Peace literally just gave you an offer to give you the strongest power that humans have seen. I brought you here to explain to you why you have to reject this offer."
Izuku probably expected this. Someone like Chronos would probably think that there would be no need for any power other than his own, and from what Izuku felt like he was capable of, he could definitely believe that Temporal Chronos could rival All Might's One for All when it comes to power…
"Have you truly already forgotten that I am now a part of you? Whatever you think of, I have access to. There is no hiding anything from me. Although, yes, that last part is indeed true. It is because Temporal Chronos is so powerful that giving yourself even more "stockpiled power" that cultivates, as that man put it, would do you more harm than good."
"Oh. But how?"
A small ball of energy formed between Izuku and the immortal spirit, with the power radiating from the tiny orb sending Izuku's hair standing on end.
"Allow me to demonstrate. Take this as the current amount of my power that your body is able to manifest. Yes, it's small, but given that you have just received it, you can barely handle anything more. Now, with every long-lasting form of energy, there needs to be some container, some vessel that needs to be able to store it."
A translucent orb formed directly outside of the energy ball, fitting itself snugly around the latter.
"Now, let us just say, as an analogy, that this is your body, or more accurately, what stores this energy. Everything inside of this storage orb, which the energy from Temporal Chronos, is currently running around inside of your body, and nothing adverse is happening, because your body is capable of handling this. No pressure is being placed on your body. Now as you continue to train and get used to this power…"
The orb covering the ball of energy expands, now double the volume of the energy ball. Izuku could tell where he was going with this, but kept silent so as to not irritate the one generating all of this power.
"You're able to store a bit more of this power. And as that happens, Temporal Chronos will fill you with the remaining power necessary in order to fill up your reserves." The ball of energy enlarged to fill up the volume of the orb, the pressure on Izuku increasing in proportion to it.
He took this moment to propose the question on his mind. "So this will never make me go over what I'm capable of using? WIll my power just stay at a constant level until I get stronger?"
"Yes and no. Until you improve, your general power will stay at this level. But if, given the situation, you need to call upon more," The spirit provides a little more energy to the ball, which places visible pressure on the orb attempting to contain it. "It will let you go above your general limit. However, go too far…"
More power ends up feeding into the tension, and after a moment, the orb shatters, releasing a great gust of force that nearly sends Izuku off of his feet. "And your body won't be able to handle it."
The wind dies down, and he is left bewildered. He was lost for words, which was then followed by a small "Yes…".
The looming mask of Chronos reappeared above Izuku, towering over him. "Now, do you understand a little more about the power that you wield? The balance is incredibly delicate, and needs to be maintained. The consequences of these are dire, and while it is the strongest there is, the road to it is long."
He nods. "So is this why I can't take in All Might's power? Because that would just overload what I'm able to store immediately?"
"Precisely. Because Temporal Chronos already fills you with as much as you can handle, handling anything extra onto that would throw your entire body into disarray. And even then, I highly doubt you would be able to handle that physical pushback. Compared to All Might, your body is significantly weaker. One storage cannot handle two vastly different powers at the same time. The risk is too great."
Izuku stood in silence, unsure of what to say. All Might's offer was already incredible, but asking for too much already made him feel uneasy on the inside. It makes perfect sense why he wasn't able to take both powers in, and if it were up to him, it was probably for the better.
"I… I understand…"
"Hahahaha! No need to fret, young blood. You aren't missing out on much by refusing. Temporal Chronos has much to offer you, and you'll be able to achieve far greater than mere brute strength! Alas, the natural time flow must continue. The decision needs to be made."
The air once more swirled around him, and his world flashed a blinding white. Izuku found himself back outside, facing the sunset. All Might's deflated form seemed to glow in the backdrop, giving it a bit of an ethereal feel.
"I'm sorry, but I… I'm going to have to say no," he managed to stammer out. It tore at his heart to say it, and he really didn't want to have to refuse his long-time idol.
"I see…" All Might's face didn't change at the refusal. He looked on with an expression that Izuku couldn't decipher. It was only until then that it really hit Izuku what he had just done.
"I… not that it was anything because of you, it really isn't! It's just…. me. It's all me. I don't think I'll be able to handle your power." The panic had overwhelmed him for a minute, and getting what he truly felt out made him feel a bit better. It still didn't make this any less nerve-wracking for him.
"To be quite honest, young Midoriya, it would be quite the surprise if you were able to. I was planning on devising a training regimen for you to build your body up for the task." All Might buffed up for a moment, and flexed his form. "After all, these muscles aren't here just for show, are they?"
Izuku watched as he deflated in a puff of smoke once more. "It's not that either. It's… quite hard to explain. I know I told you that I was quirkless earlier, but right after that… something happened."
All Might listened, beckoning him to continue. His face lost its humor, and took an impassive seriousness.
And Izuku regaled him with the tale of how he found the orb on the ground, and how a strange voice had spoken to him. He told him about Chronos, and how as soon as their encounter had wrapped up, he found himself with new mysterious abilities that he wasn't able to use before. Abilities that he had used in front of hundreds of people to save his friend.
All the while not noticing his idol's face becoming more and more grim by the second.
"He also told me that the power that I held was optimized to what I can currently hold, and if I were to hold anymore, my body would break under the pressure." Izuku fidgeted under All Might's glare. "I'm honored to be considered worthy of your power, but… it can't be me. I'm sorry. There must be someone else out there that's much more worthy than I am to inherit your quirk."
Neither one of them spoke for a few seconds. The silence felt like hours to Izuku. It seemed like forever had passed when All Might finally spoke up.
"While I would like to say that accepting a power that a complete stranger offers you is a foolish decision… I understand that I'm not one to talk. Especially when offered something so monumental, it's hard not to think of the possibilities of what you can achieve. I don't blame you for accepting what was given to you."
All Might steps forward. "I will tell no one of your circumstances and the power that you wield, as long as you do the same for me. There is a saying that I'm quite fond of that I picked up from my time in America. 'With great power comes great responsibility'. Normally, it would mean that if you have a quirk that allows you to help those who don't have the blessing of a strong quirk, you should strive to do so. However, I also like to take it another way. When you have great power, you have an obligation to use your power responsibly. You cannot afford to slip up and endanger those around you, those that you care about, and most of all, never use it for selfish reasons."
The seriousness in his voice intimidated the young student, but nevertheless, he listened. Words spoken directly from the Symbol of Peace himself, the greatest hero of all time, we're invaluable, after all.
"It's a shame, but I will respect your decision. However, if anything goes awry with your newfound power, do not be afraid to reach me. Contact Toshinori Yagi, working for All Might's agency. It might be a bit hard to find online, but that will lead directly to me."
Izuku nodded. Toshinori Yagi… Toshinori Yagi…
"Wait, you can work directly for your own agency? Do they not know your legal name? Or is that a fake name that you set up?" he asked.
"Well, things would get extremely problematic if there was a name that was associated with the number one hero in the country. With how big I am, if anything were to be revealed about my personal life, that would surely be overly scrutinized and targeted by… let's just say unfavorable people."
"Ah. I understand."
"Even then, I can't just erase Toshinori Yagi, he's still a person. It's much easier for me to have my "job" to be working in the agency of All Might, especially because it's glossed over by most."
He glanced up at the sky, prompting Izuku to follow his gaze. The sky was beginning to dim, and the orange tint of sunset was becoming more and more prevalent.
"It's getting late. I'm sure your family must be worried about you, young Midoriya. You best be getting home. I must go as well."
"Yes." Izuku pondered in his own thoughts for a bit, before realizing something. He inclined his head in a bow. "Thank you for everything, All Might. I'll be sure to live up to your words and become a hero that everyone can be proud of!"
Toshinori Yagi, or better known to the public by his world-famous alias All Might, has had his fair share of battles. Ever since he had received One For All at the age that he had, he threw himself into countless encounters in the front lines against incredibly powerful and dangerous villains, besting them completely and dominantly. Slowly but surely, his feats garnered him a reputation that not a single person didn't know: the Symbol of Peace. The protector of peaceful society. The ultimate deterrent to any and all forms of treachery and villainy.
All but one.
When he had taken the burden of One For All, he had also inherited an enemy. An enemy that, to many, held impossible power. An enemy that, if the public ever got wind of his capabilities and what he was willing to do, would instill the greatest fear in the hearts of everyone.
All For One.
If One For All was meant to pass down and cultivate for the greater goal of peace, All For One was its antithesis. It sought to take. To take all that that it could lay its hands on for his own use, and to give to only those of his choosing. To take from those who were worthy, and give to those undeserving. It was this insane ability that allowed him to amass so much power in the form of hundreds, if not thousands of quirks that he could use seamlessly from one to another, or even multiple at the same time. It made everything anyone could possibly throw at him completely pointless, and the more power he would gain, the more havoc he could ensue, and the more chaos and destruction he could cause.
He gained more and more power, and whenever the wielders of One For All would challenge him, he would strike them down. Over and over again this would repeat, continuing from generation to generation. It really seemed like the cycle couldn't ever be broken, that the wills of the ones that came before him would be left unfulfilled and shattered.
Until 5 years ago.
An All Might in his prime, an All Might at 100%, an All Might determined to avenge his master and the predecessors of One For All stood before the Symbol of Evil, fully intending on ending him then and there.
It was a long fought battle. Their surroundings were completely destroyed, and they both gave it everything that they had. In the end, Peace prevailed.
Although not completely.
All For One was defeated in the end, but All Might didn't come out of it in one piece. He had received a grave injury during the battle, one that nearly put his entire heroic career in jeopardy.
A blow to the right side of his ribcage collapsed most of his respiratory system, and his stomach needed to be removed because of it. He underwent surgery after surgery, but nothing could reverse the damage. As a result, the time he was able to enter his "muscle form", or the state he goes into to fully utilize One For All drastically shortened over time. Whereas before, he was able to hold it nearly all hours of the day if he really pushed it, now he could only hold it for three hours at most.
But to him, if it meant that the world would be rid of All For One for good, it was worth it to him. Sure, it was inconvenient to not have his full power to help keep society safe as much as he could, but that was just a testament to how truly dangerous All For One was.
That evil was gone, he was certain of it.
However, today, he had heard something today that nearly tore everything apart. A quirkless kid that had obtained a quirk. That was bestowed upon him from someone else.
Immediately, his mind went to All For One. How couldn't it? Giving quirks to others was what made him so dangerous in the first place, and the fact that there was someone who even remotely had any similar abilities to him was extremely alarming.
From the story that he was told, an individual named Chronos was the one to find Midoriya and bestow his power to him in exchange for keeping him alive. As a result, it gave Midoriya the powers that he had seen today, during the villain that had slipped his grasp, some type of super speed and lightning channeling.
He really, dearly wished that the story was exactly how the kid had told it, and that it had nothing to do with All For One. He really did. Otherwise, why would he go out of his way to save someone struggling from a villain when there were so many other heroes around him?
In his mind, there was only one answer: the hero inside of him couldn't let that happen. That was the trait that had made him offer to pass down One For All to him. But it has seemed that someone has got to him before he could.
It all led into an extremely tough situation for All Might. What was he supposed to do? Leave it all be in case that All For One wasn't tied into all of this, and let the heroic potential blossom? Or not take any risks whatsoever, and watch him in case something happened?
In the end, Toshinori knew the choice that he had to make. Too much was riding on this. Too much was lost because of All For One already. He would keep tabs on him, in case worst came to worst.
Any sign of his influence must be eradicated. For the safety of society as they knew it.
A/N All Might counter: bro I don't even know at this point lmao has to be over 100 or something
Thanks for reading!