Chapter 6, we're hitting manga content, folks!
You Can Become a Hero!
"Wow, Kacchan, check it out!" Izuku shouted, pointing to the fighting on the overpass ahead.
Izuku and Katsuki were walking to school together, just as they had been the last two years; after finally growing to understand one another, they rekindled their friendship. It was awkward, at first; one couldn't expect them to go from practically strangers to best friends again immediately, but they quickly found that, once past that initial hurdle, they clicked like few people did.
It certainly helped that Katsuki, for his part, had calmed down considerably; he wasn't perfect, and was still liable to explode on people, but was much better at keeping his temper in check. He also didn't outright torment those he saw as "beneath him" anymore, although he still had that competitive edge, that drive to "be the best," not to mention his liberal use of profanity. He stood at an above average 5'8", and in much better shape than many of his peers.
That can be attributed to Izuku; when their friendship finally found its swing, Katsuki insisted that Izuku train with him; "Just you wait, I'll surpass you eventually!" he had said. Izuku was happy to oblige, exercising with Katsuki whenever he was available; the results weren't at swift, or remarkable, for him as they had been for Izuku; he had grown to be 5'11", with a hefty build sporting "muscles for days," as a female peer told him. Izuku still blushed when thinking of that conversation.
"Damn, that's Kamui Woods!" Katsuki exclaimed, making his way as close as he could to the action, only to be stopped.
"Stay back, everyone, its dangerous!" commanded Backdraft, a pro hero with the power to control water and dressed like a fireman. He had spigots placed over his hands, allowing him to quickly have access to water.
"Ah man, I wanted to get closer! C'mon Izuku… Izuku?"
Izuku had been too busy writing to hear his best friend, quickly filling out any and all information he could on Kamui Woods; he had never stopped writing his hero journals, now on number thirteen; they kept his mine sharp, and helped him in battle.
"C'mon nerd, we gotta get to class!" Katsuki teased, "no time for another one of your diaries!"
"Just a minute, Kacchan, its almost over!" Izuku insisted, "besides, we can always run if we need to!"
"Tch, fine, but if we're late, its on you!" Katsuki relented.
A bald man with spikes on his head overheard them; "Risking being late to watch a fight… you two are a couple of fanboys, ain't ya?!"
Both boys looked at the man; before they could respond, they heard Kamui address the villain; "Illegal use of powers during rush hour and robbery resulting in bodily injury…" he listed, preparing an attack.
"You are the incarnation of evil!"
"Ooh, Kacchan, he's about to do it, his special move!" He pointed to Kamui, "Pre-emptive…"
"…Binding Chain Prison!" the hero screamed, unleashing his attack.
Unfortunately for him, the attack never landed; "CANYON CANNON!" yelled a giant woman, delivering a dropkick to the villain, knocking him clean off the overpass.
"…Huh?" Kamui questioned.
Suddenly, several men began taking photographs of the new heroine; "Hello everyone!" she said, "Today is the day of my debut; My name is Mt. Lady…" she introduced, "..pleasure to meet your ass-quaintance…" she teased with a wink.
Even Katsuki was blushing at that.
Izuku, meanwhile, was writing furiously in his notebook, "Gigantification, that's an amazing Quirk, huh Kacchan?" he asked
"It's powerful, yea, but with all the damage she caused, she'll be lucky if she gets paid at all!" he pointed out.
"You two're still here?" the man from before asked, "You must really wanna be heroes! You can do it!" He gave a thumbs up.
Izuku blushed, "Thank you, sir!" he said, quickly elbowing Katsuki, "huh? Oh, right, thanks." He turned to Izuku, "ready to go yet, or still writing your novel?"
Izuku checked his watch; they were gonna be late! "Race you there?" he challenged.
"Oh, hell yea!"
VVV
Izuku and Katsuki managed to get to class just on time; upon the bell ringing, their teacher immediately began lecturing.
"Since you're all in your third year, its time to start seriously thinking about your future…" he began, picking up a stack of papers, "normally, I'd give you all these career sheets, but…"
He threw all the papers into the air; "You all wanna be heroes, don't you!"
At the mention of heroes, the whole class became animalistic, hollering and cheering, with many even activating their Quirks. Izuku shot a smile at Katsuki, who gave him a thumbs up.
"Yes, yes, you all have wonderful Quirks, just remember that you're not allowed to use at school!" the teacher lightly scolded.
"Aw c'mon, teach, there's only two people in this room who're got what it takes to be pros!"
Izuku smiled, despite himself; he knew he shouldn't approve of such boasting, but it felt he had to admit it felt nice for Katsuki to believe in him.
"Yea! You're talking about me, right Bakugo?" one student asked.
"No, you idiot, he's obviously talking about me!" another argued.
"Oi! Shut up, all of you! I'm talking about Izuku!"
Suddenly all eyes turned to him; "Midoriya?" one said, "But he's Quirkless!" Another finished.
"Yea, and he could still beat all your asses with his eyes closed!" Katsuki insisted, earning a glare from Izuku; "What, its true!"
'Even if it is, isn't that going a bit far!' Izuku thought.
"Right," the teacher said, calming his students, "Midoriya, you and Bakugo are the only ones shooting to UA, right?"
"That's right sir!" he said; him and Katsuki were planning on applying on the same day. It was also the only school either were bothering to do so for.
"What!" one student exclaimed, "their acceptance rate is less than one percent, what hope do they have of getting in!"
"Hey!" Katsuki argued, "Him and I are aced the mock tests, and we're the only ones here who had the balls to even try for UA, so until that changes you can shut your mouth!"
"Still, he's Quirkless, do they even let Quirkless kids apply?" another student questioned.
"Actually," Izuku spoke up, "they got rid of that rule years ago, there just hasn't been anyone that's done it; I intend to be the first!"
Katsuki smiled; 'You're damn right you are!'
The arguments dried up after that; Izuku was applying to UA, whether they liked it or not!
VVV
Meanwhile in another part of the city, a robbery had just occurred!
"Help, somebody, thief!" a storeowner screamed, trying to get the attention of a hero.
"Catch me if you can!" the villain yelled back.
The criminal in question was a grotesque collection of green sludge, no doubt the product of a Quirk. He wore no shirt, instead opting for only jeans and a belt, money stuffed into his body.
"Are there really no heroes around?!" a woman asked aloud.
"Some people seem to have no idea what to do with their Quirks… it's like there's no end to the crime here!" another man said.
No one noticed a man, almost skeletal in appearance, exit a nearby grocery store. Quickly, he began getting bigger, stronger…
"There is an end," he announced, commanding the attention of nearby civilians., "Why?"
The Sludge Villain turned around, eyes widening at the sight before him.
All Might, the number one hero, flashed a wide smile, "because I am here!"
VVV
It was now the end of the school day, and Izuku and Bakugo were getting ready to leave.
"Oh wow, the incident from earlier is already all over the news!" Izuku said excitedly, "I'm gonna hurry home so I can write about it in my journal; you coming, Kacchan?"
"Can't today," he replied, "Got some errands mom wanted me to do."
"Oh, well I can come with you, if you want?" Izuku offered.
Katsuki waved him off; "Nah, go write your nerd shit, I can handle picking up some groceries. See you tomorrow?" he asked, fist outstretched.
"For sure!" Izuku beamed, giving his friend a fist bump, "stay safe, Kacchan!"
"I'm sure I will!"
VVV
Izuku walked home; normally he would run, but it was a nice day out, and he wanted to enjoy some air!
He passed under a bridge on his path home; 'man, there's so much I wanna write about! Mt. Lady's Quirk seems basic, but there's so many possibilities based on-'
*CLANG*
He stopped. 'What was that?' he wondered, turning around; 'it sounded like it came from-'
Suddenly, the manhole in front of him busted open, a mass of green sludge pouring out; 'There!' Izuku thought, getting into a defensive position.
"Ooh, what a fine invisibility cloak, nice and big…" the villain taunted, inching closer, "I bet you have a real nice Quirk…"
The villain lunged towards Izuku; quickly, he dived forward to where the villain had just been, avoiding him.
"What the- Stand still you!" he demanded, swiping at Izuku with his tentacles.
Izuku managed to dodge everyone, even going in for a few kicks, only for his legs to pass right through him!
'No use, physical attacks are useless; I gotta get help!"
"C'mon, kid! I just wanna take your body! It'll only hurt for forty-five seconds!" the villain said, ramping up is attacks.
Just as Izuku was about to make a break for it, a massive figure leaped up from the manhole; 'Who the… No way!'
"Thanks for keeping him busy, kid!" All Might, praised.
"ALL MIGHT!" the Sludge Villain yelled, throwing a tentacle at him.
"TEXAS…" All Might started, reeling back his fist, "SMASHHHHHHHH!" he yelled, letting lose a huge haymaker.
While his fist didn't actually connect with the villain, the wind pressure the punch produced literally blew him to pieces, knocking him unconscious in the process.
'What power!' Izuku thought.
All Might turned to him; "Nice job, kid! Not many could've held out as long as you did!"
"Oh! Thank you All Might! Really though, you did all the work!" Izuku insisted, giddy at getting to meet the number one hero.
"Nonsense, you were a big help!" he replied, eyeing Izuku, "Hey kid, just out of curiosity, how old are you?"
"Hm? I'm fourteen," Izuku answered, "why?"
'FOURTEEN?!He's almost as big as I was at his age!' All Might thought; "Well I must say kid, you're in impeccable shape! Have you been training?" he asked.
"Yes!" Izuku replied, "everyday for the last nine years, I've been training to be a hero!"
All Might's eyes widened; "Well, you've certainly got the determination for it!" He gave Izuku a thumbs up, "What's your name, kid?"
"Izuku Midoriya!" he answered.
"Well, young Midoriya," All Might said, holding up two bottles, "How would you like to do some hero work?"
Needless to say, he accepted without question.
VVV
After scraping the villain into the bottles, All Might prepared his departure.
"Here you go kid!" All Might said, handing Izuku his newly signed notebook, "and might I say, those are some impressive notes you have in there! You have a bright future, young man!"
"Wow, thanks All Might! I'll cherish it forever!"
"No problem! You stay safe now, you hear?!" All Might asked.
"Of course!"
All Might began stretching his legs, ignoring the searing pain in his side; 'Damn, I'm almost at my limit. Better get this guy to the police, and fast!'
Izuku looked down at his notebook; he couldn't believe it! An autograph from his favorite hero! He couldn't wait to tell-
'Kacchan!' he realized, 'I completely forgot to get him one!'
He turned around and quickly approached All Might; he was too distracted by his pain to hear him coming, to feel him grab his arm…
And off he went.
'What the? I don't remember being this heavy!' All Might thought, looking down to see an unwanted passenger on his arm.
"A-ALL MIGHT," Izuku screamed, "I'D REALLY APPRECIATE IT IF YOU LANDED NOW!"
"Midoriya! What're you doing? Let go of me!"
"IF I DID THAT I'D DIE!" Izuku pointed out.
"Oh… right!" All Might realized, looking for a place to land.
As he flew through the air, All Might brought fist to his mouth, coughing as subtly as he could. 'Shit…'he thought, tasting the blood pooling in his mouth.
When they finally landed, Izuku breathed a sigh of relief; "Thank you, All Might! I'm sorry I latched on like that!"
All Might was less than please; "That was a dangerous choice, young man. You could have easily been hurt" he began, "No matter how strong your Quirk, one reckless move can mean your end. You'd do well to remember that."
He began to walk off; Izuku looked on, confused; "Quirk? What're you talking about All Might? I don't have Quirk."
He froze, looking back at Izuku; "No Quirk?..."
"Well yea, I'm Quirkless," he looked off to the city's skyline; "I know, it's unusual for someone like me to want to be a hero but… its all I've ever wanted since I was a kid…" Izuku smiled to himself, "I've been so lucky… my mom… my sensei… my best friend… even some total strangers, they've all believed in me… and have pushed me to be a hero who can save everyone with a smile, just like you! Right, All Might?"
He looked back to the number one hero, only to see a cloud of smoke; "Huh? All Might?"
When the smoked cleared, where previously the number one hero stood was a small, sickly looking man with blonde hair, heavy shadows obscuring his eyes.
Izuku immediately got into a defensive position; "Who are you, and what've you done with All Might?" he demanded.
He rolled his eyes; "I am All Might," he answered, blood pouring from his mouth.
Izuku eased a bit; he wasn't sure if he believed him, but this man was clearly ill; he needed help.
"Here, let me help you," Izuku said, approaching the man; he eased him down to the floor, much to his relief.
"So… if you're All Might, why're you so… Skinny?" he questioned.
All Might sighed; "You know those guys who flex and suck in their gut at the beach?" Izuku nodded, "it's like that…"
"Ah!" Izuku exclaimed, "So its part of your Quirk?"
"No," he replied, "a villain did this to me."
Izuku's eyes widened; "A villain?! But you're All Might, you save everyone with a fearless smile…"
All Might laughed; "A fearless smile, huh?..."
He looked to Izuku; "Now that you've seen me like this, don't go posting it online, or telling your friends," he paused, lifting his shirt.
What Izuku saw made him gag; on All Might's left side was a massive wound, still bruised even, as if he had been punctured by something. His skin twisted and contorted around it unnaturally; it was horrifying.
"A-a villain did that to you?" he hesitantly asked.
"Yep, five years ago now. Half my respiratory system was destroyed, along with my entire stomach. I haven't been the same sense. Nowadays, I can only work three hours a day as a hero, and even that's pushing it," All Might explained.
'Five years…' "Toxic Chainsaw?"
'Damn, this kid knows his stuff!' All Might thought; "No, no, that punk could never… this fight wasn't made public…"
"Why?" Izuku questioned, "If people knew they could-"
All Might stopped him; "It's like you said, I save everyone with a fearless smile; that's what they," he motioned towards the city, "need to believe. I smile to calm their fears… and my own."
Izuku stared, processing the information just given to him… If even All Might can fall…
"I hope now, knowing this, you understand what I am about to tell you," All Might said, standing up.
Izuku looked up at him, "W-what do you mean?" he stuttered; 'Old habits die hard…'
"Your dedication is admirable, but…" he looked down, "I simply can't condone someone without a Quirk becoming a hero; we put our lives on the line every day, its simply too dangerous…" All Might explained; 'I take no joy in this, Young Midoriya; believe me, I understand but… I can't let you throw your life away.'
"I… I see…" was all Izuku could respond with.
All Might took that as his cue to leave; "If you really wish to help people, become a police officer, or work at a heroes agency… that notebook of yours could make you very valuable to a pro…"
He paused at the door; "Its fine to dream, young man, but try to keep them realistic."
And with that, All Might left, leaving Izuku alone.
'All right, time to get this guy-" he reached down to his pockets, only to find them empty; 'What th-' hearing an explosion, he quickly looked out a nearby window to see a large plume of smoke.
'Oh no…'
VVV
Katsuki Bakugo walked down an alley in that Tatooin Shopping District, idly kicking a bottle as he went.
'Alright, got all mom's stuff, time to head home,' he thought, pulling out his phone.
'Huh, Izuku usually texts me by now, wonder if something happened on his way home…'
Izuku assured Katsuki that bullies had never been a real problem for him, but that didn't stop him from worrying; he'd blow the face of anyone who touched him!
'It's the least I can do.' he thought; it had been years since he and Izuku reconciled, but he still felt pangs of guilt every now and again.
Not that he'd ever tell him that.
'Damn nerd would probably get all worried…' he thought.
Suddenly, he heard a loud sloshing sound coming from behind; "What the…" he turned around and froze at the sight.
"A new invisibility cloak!"
VVV
Izuku saw the explosion from the rooftop; 'Another villain? I wonder what hero wi-' he stopped, remembering All Might's words.
Of course, people had told Izuku he'd never be a hero before; hell, his own best friend told him that, once upon a time. But this was All Might, if anyone knew about being a hero, it was him.
His thoughts turned to Shota, his mentor; he was a hero too, and he believed in him… 'But he probably didn't know about All Might… if he did…'
Izuku looked down; 'What if they were all wrong about me?..."
For the first time in a long time, Izuku Midoriya was doubting himself.
He trudged forward, forcing himself down the stairs, 'best if I just go home for now… think about some things.'
VVV
All Might ran towards the direction of the explosions, down the Tatooin Shopping District; panicked screams could be heard the whole way.
The sight before him horrified him; the Sludge Villain had broken free and taken a child hostage!
When he arrived, a group of pro-heroes was already on the scene; "They've taken a child hostage!" a burly hero, Death Arms, yelled, rushing towards the Sludge Villain.
He delivered the strongest punch he could to the villain, to no effect; his fist simply sunk into the sludge.
"What the- I can't get a grip!" Death Arms screamed, trying to pry his arm free before being slapped away by a tentacle.
"Don't come near me!" the villain warned; quickly, Katsuki momentarily broke free, "I won't let sewage like this take me!" he shouted, shooting off more explosions from his palms.
"What power!" the Sludge Villain praised, "I've really hit the jackpot with you! With your power, I could even take revenge on that guy and his little helper!"
Meanwhile, civilians looked on with horror; "Is this guy some kind of big shot villain?" one asked.
"Hey look," a woman exclaimed, "its that new hero, Mt. Lady! She'll stop him!"
The gargantuan heroine made her way to the scene, only to stop dead in her tracks; "H-hey, the street's gotta be at least two lanes! I can't fit!"
Back at the scene, Kamui Woods was rapidly plucking civilians off the road; "I don't do good with fire! Best if I stick to rounding up bystanders!" he reasoned.
"I'm a little busy fighting these fires!" Backdraft yelled, "how're things over there?!"
"This guy's sticky, I can't grab him!" Death Arms answered, "Plus a kid with a strong Quirk is struggling against him, it's a minefield!"
The villain suddenly slammed a tentacle down, forcing the heroes to back up; "It's no use! We'll just have to wait until a hero with a suitable Quirk arrives!"
'Damnit… if only I had the power to blow this villain away!' Death Arms lamented.
All Might looked; 'It must've been in the air… I was too focused on my time limit, I didn't notice…' he admonished himself, 'I can't believe I made this kind of mistake after what I told Young Midoriya… I am really am pathetic…"
All Might grasped at his injury; 'Pathetic…'
VVV
Izuku idly flipped through his hero notebook, mulling over All Might's words.
'Maybe… maybe I could work for a hero agency, doing analysis work… that wouldn't be too bad… I could even work with Kacchan!" He cringed, 'oh Kacchan… what am I gonna tell him!'
Izuku looked up, only to see a mass of people surrounding an alley; 'Oh… I must have unconsciously walked towards the incident… well, may as well have a look, since I'm here…'
Izuku pushed his way passed some bystanders and to the front; what he say froze him solid.
'T-The sludge guy? But I thought All Might and I captured him… he must've fallen out of his pocket in midair! If that's true, then…' Izuku shuddered, 'then its my fault…'
"Why haven't the heroes done anything," Izuku overheard one civilian say.
"They can't, the villain's got a junior high schooler; its been like this for a while," another replied.
'A while? Whoever he has must be strong…'
"Anyway… wasn't that the villain All Might was chasing?" he continued.
"No way… All Might's here?"
The hero in question could also over hear their conversation; 'God I'm so pathetic…'
'It's all my fault…' Izuku thought, 'All we can do is wait for a hero… I'm sorry, do your best!'
'Pathetic…'
'Help will be here soon…'
'Pathetic!'
'Someone… soon…' Izuku looked up, meeting the scared eyes of the sludge villain's captive, and his stomach dropped.
'Kacchan!'
He didn't hesitate.
As fast as his legs could carry him, Izuku rushed forward towards his friend.
'What the- Midoriya! What is he doing!'
"Kid, STOP, HE'LL KILL YOU!" Death Arms screamed, reaching for Izuku.
He ignored him, moving faster; 'Gotta think of a plan!" Quickly, he analyzed the villain; 'his entire body is made of sludge! Everything except…'
The Sludge Villain glared at Izuku; "This brat again…"
'Izuku?...' Katsuki thought, beginning to fade out of consciousness, 'is that…'
Quickly, Izuku rummaged in his backpack, pulling out a binder; with as much force as he could muster, he launched it at the Sludge villain's exposed eye, hitting his target dead on.
"GAH! YOU SON OF A BITCH!" he yelled, involuntary shutting his eye closed and reeling back, allowing Katsuki to breathe.
'He's stunned, now's my chance!' Izuku thought, reaching for his friend, "Kacchan!"
"Izuku! What're you doing here!" he demanded, "this guy could kill you!"
Izuku only had one response for him; "You look like you needed help!"
'This boy!…' All Might thought, looking on.
With that, Izuku grabbed Katsuki's arm, and with all his might, pulled. He was sure he pulled several muscles in his shoulder, but it got the job done; Katsuki was freed!
'Pathetic… Pathetic!' All Might thought, feeling a familiar power flow through him.
Katsuki tumbled to the floor, coughing; "great job, now what!" he demanded.
"YOU BASTARDS," the sludge villain yelled, raising a tentacle, I'll kill you both!"
Izuku didn't think; his body moved to shield Katsuki from the blow; he closed his eyes and accepted the inevitable.
'At least I saved him!'
Izuku waited; when no pain came, he peeked his eyes open; "I really am pathetic, aren't I?"
"All Might…"
There stood the number one hero, holding back the tentacle meant for Izuku!
"Even after admonishing you, I didn't practice what I preached!"
He pulled his fist free; "Heroes are always putting their lives on the line!"
"ALL MIGHT!" the sludge villain screamed, preparing another attack.
"DETROIT…" he reeled back his fist, "SMASHHHHHHHH!" and let lose a massive right hook, creating a massive updraft.
All the nearby onlookers struggled to stay standing, even behind the protective arms of Mt. Lady.
Just as before, the wind pressure was too much for the criminal to handle; "DAMN YOU ALL MIG-" he managed before falling apart.
Izuku looked on in amazement, then felt a drop of rain on his cheek; 'No way… did All Might's punch… change the weather?!"
Katsuki stared, jaw agape; 'Holy shit… no wonder he's number one…'
The crowd nearby broke into cheers; All Might had done it again! He saved the day!
All with his signature smile.
VVV
Both Izuku and Katsuki were forced to stay to be checked by EMTs, much to one of their annoyance.
"I told you, I'm fine!" he insisted as the doctor checked him over.
"Hey kid," said an approaching hero, "you did great out there! You've got a great Quirk! Y'know if you ever go pro, I'd love to have you as my sidekick!"
Katsuki gritted his teeth; 'Did great? DID GREAT?! I'd be dead if it weren't for…'
Izuku could not be getting more different treatment.
"What you did was very dangerous, young man! You could've been hurt or killed! You should leave the heroism to the professionals!" Death Arms scolded.
'Right… the professionals who were gonna sit there and watch my friend die… so reliable…'
He didn't mean that, of course, he knew they had done their best; he was just frustrated.
VVV
They had let Izuku go first; he was uninjured, save for some pulled muscles. He would have waited for Katsuki, but he was quickly shooed away by the police.
He had caught a glimpse of All Might as he left, swarmed by reporters. He almost tried to go talk to him but decided against it.
As he walked down his street, Izuku heard a voice behind him "Izuku, wait up!"
He turned around; "Kacchan! They let you go?"
"Yea, finally," Katsuki replied, out of breath, "Had to haul ass to catch up with you."
He continued; "You saved me back there, y'know? I was just about done when you pulled me out…"
Izuku shuttered, thinking of just how close he came to too late… "I didn't do anything, Kacchan, All Might's the one that defeated the villain!"
"Yea, but I wouldn't have lasted until he got there without you!" he retorted, "Damnit, not even in high school yet and you're kicking my ass as a hero!"
Izuku smiled; "Well, I'm sure you'll catch up… eventually," he teased.
"You're God damn right I will!" Katsuki declared; "I gotta get home, my mom's probably having an aneurism. See you tomorrow?"
"Of course!"
After a quick fist bump, the two parted ways, Izuku in much higher spirits.
"I can still do this… I can't let Kacchan and everyone else down!"
Suddenly, he was forced to a halt by a large figure and boisterous voice, "I am here!"
Izuku jumped back in surprise; "All Might?" he asked.
'Oh no, is he hear to scold me too?'
He didn't know if he could take hearing his hero crush his dreams twice in one day.
Izuku continued; "Why are you here? Last I checked you were swarmed by reporters!"
"HAHAHAHA," All Might laughed, "I stand for justice, not soundbites! Getting away from them was easy, why? Because I am All Mi-ACK!" he sputtered, suddenly reverting to his skinny form.
"Are you alright?!" Izuku questioned.
All Might coughed int his fist; "Yes, yes, I'm fine…"
All Might continued; "Young man, I came to thank you… and to apologize."
He paused, "If I hadn't met you, if you hadn't told me about your life, I wouldn't have had the courage to save that boy today."
"Oh, no, All Might," Izuku insisted, "it was my fault the villain got free, if I hadn't been distracting you in the first place, bothering you about my stupid questions…"
All Might stopped him; "And yet it was because of you, a Quirkless boy, that I was able to act."
Izuku locked eyes with All Might, unable to find the words to respond.
"Top heroes have stories, from their school days," All Might explained, "most of them have one thing in common: their bodies moved, before they could even think. That's what happened today, isn't it?"
Izuku gaped; "Yes! Yes, that happens every time!"
"So this isn't the first time then…"
'All the more reason to be confident in my decision.'
Izuku shook his head, if what All Might said was true…
"Yes… yes Izuku, of course you can be a hero!"
"For what it's worth, Midoriya-kun, I think you'll be an excellent hero one day."
"You have the makings of a fantastic hero."
"You can be a hero."
Then they all weren't wrong about him.
Tears pooled in Izuku's eyes; not of sadness, but joy.
"I apologize for my earlier haste in judging you,"
All Might locked eyes with Izuku.
"Young man, you can become a hero."
The tears fell; "I know All Might…" he croaked… "I've always known…"
'Thanks to them…'
All Might grinned; "You are worthy! I choose you to inherit my Quirk!"
Izuku's face went blank, cheeks still wet with tears; "Wha?"
And that's a wrap!
Man, what a rollercoaster this chapter was! I was listening to "You Can Become a Hero" off the OST, and man if I did music recommendations in the middle of fics, that'd be here somewhere! I was tearing up near the end!
I hope Izuku and Katsuki's relationship was believable; they both clearly like teasing one another, even if Katsuki is still a bit regretful about his actions; point is, they don't tip toe around each other.
All Might is super fun to write, both in my head and on paper; he just brings such an energy to every scene he's in.
Stuck fairly close to canon this chapter, that'll be changing next time :)
Now, onto the reviews!
AnimeA55Kicker: Hey, sometimes a good punch (or kick) is all you need to be set straight!
fencer29: We'll just have to see, won't we! I don't know how well it came across here, but judging on how Katsuki talks about his mother, their relationship clearly isn't as… strained :)
maxridelover: Thank you, I did as well!
Bob: Izuku won't be getting THAT broken… or will he?
Mazongian: Thank you so much! You have no idea how happy it made me to read this, I was super worried about where I was taking Katsuki's fall!
chadcalebt: Not quite! Good guess, though!
Anc1ienT: Yea, I'm pretty sure that's the case; I know it's hurting my exposure, but I can't help it, if a chapter is ready, I just gotta post it!
SolSunFanfics: No my friend, YOU are awesome!
Eminated: Me too! I just hope I handled it realistically!
And that about covers it! As always, if you enjoyed, drop a review, follow, and favorite! It's the best way to tell a writer "I want move of this and I want it now!"
Next chapter: A wild Quirk appears, finally!