One For All: First Man!

"Hello." - Dialogue

"I am here!" - All Might/Special Character Speaking

"Detroit Smash!" - Special/Signature Move

What's happening?- Character Thinking

"Izuku!"- Phone call/Flashback Dialogue

Random Location – Random Time…– Time and Place

Chapter 6: Izuku Snaps! Hisashi's Sudden Return!?

AN: Hey, hey, hey! What's good, readers! Not this story, that's for sure! Nah, I kid. I got a new chapter for ya. Hope you enjoy it.

This is the list of songs that you should listen to to enhance the reading experience. Make sure you have them ready in a separate tab for easy access:

My Hero Academia OST – Mukosei Anguish

1:30 PM – On the Streets of Musutafu…

My conversation with my mom was a little tense, to say the least. I could tell that she was not messing around at all. She wanted to meet her, today. I told her that it was not possible.

"Izuku! I must speak with her as soon as possible!" Her sharp tone quite frankly terrified me a little. She never spoke to me like this, so whatever was going on certainly affected my mom.

"M-Mom! You can't, she's too busy today… maybe to-"

"No! Listen! Tell her to make time!" Her interruption startled me with her biting speech. "You cannot keep her a secret from me! I know who she is!" This was something I already knew, but it seemed that she didn't want to meet her as an old friend. Rather, she was like talking about her like some enemy.

What happened between them? Why does she seem to… hate her? It was not a very pleasant feeling to find out your mom had bad blood with your favorite Hero. It was also not very pleasant to be facing the brunt of that resentment. To be honest, I wanted to cry. It was a stab to my heart to hear my mom sound so bitter and angry. She was never like this before. Something strange, however, was going on within me during this harrowing phone call. While my heart was breaking, another feeling started to swell within me. As it formed, I really couldn't understand what it was, but I did know something else. I was getting frustrated. Sure hearing my mom be so resentful was upsetting, of course, but it was also frustrating. If she knew that my trainer was All Might, she should know that she would be busy being a Hero; however, she didn't want to hear it. She was stubbornly ignoring what I was telling her. I wasn't trying to tell her not to meet All Might at all. I was trying to tell her that she couldn't meet today, yet she wouldn't listen. She was demanding to meet her in spite of the importance of All Might's job.

This feeling began to build up higher and higher as my mom continued to demand in toxic anger. More and more was it bubbling to the surface as I tried over and over to get through to her. Tears began to fall from my eyes, but not in sadness. My heart started to pound against my chest and my muscles tensed. My teeth were grinding as my breathing became heavy. More and more did this feeling rise while my free hand clenched into a fist. I felt my veins start to pop out. Up, up up. The feeling didn't stop rising. Mom kept yelling, my blood began to boil, my breathing intensified, and my voice turned into a low growl. The feeling. Higher, higher, higher, higher, until…

"WILL YOU JUST SHUT UP ALREADY AND LISTEN TO ME, WOMAN!?"

…Silence. A deeply unsettling silence followed my yell. I couldn't take note of that, however, because I was too busy feeling this catharsis from my yell. It was an oddly satisfying feeling. It was as if I had released years and years of stress. This relief I felt was suddenly interrupted when I heard my mom on the phone.

"Izuku…" she sobbed. When I heard this, I was thrust into despair. My heart sank deep into my stomach. Her cry dropped me into a deeply troubling reality. I yelled at my own mother! Not only did I yell at her, but I did it so bitterly. I ended up matching her own anger and threw it back at her. I couldn't believe what I had just done.

Another sob could be heard on the phone. Then another. Then a cacophony of sobs started to come from the other side of my phone. If my heart wasn't broken before, it was now. My heart was also filled with a deep sense of fear. There was something in me that was just brought out that, quite frankly, terrified me. I started to ask myself where this came from. What was happening to me? Why did I just lash out at my own mother of all people? Why? Why?

"I'm sorry…" Before I could give any response, she ended the call. The only that was clear to me at that moment was that I made my mom cry. I had hurt her… This time, the tears in my eyes were of great sorrow. I could only feel deep regret. The only solace I could possibly have was the Pro Hero that was standing right there this entire time, so I turned my head to face her. I held this look of desperation, wanting something, anything from the great All Might! She's a Hero, right? The Number One Hero! She's supposed to save everyone with a smile on her face, right? Right…?

(Song: My Hero Academia OST – Mukosei Anguish)

My hopes were crushed. It wasn't too different from that same feeling I had when my dreams were crushed by her on that day. I didn't blame her for doing that, she was simply telling me the reality of the situation; though, that situation changed. This time my hopes were dashed, not by her telling me the truth, but rather because she couldn't help me. All she did was give me this look.

Her eyes were pried open and seemed to never want to shut. Shock was not the only feeling her eyes revealed, rather they were mixed with a mire of sadness and fear. Whatever was just unleashed from me, mortified her. I couldn't blame her, not for one second. Terror filled my own heart because of this terrible scene that played out. Yet, I wanted her to be a beacon of hope. I wanted her to help me make sense of any of this mess. I wanted her to help me, but she didn't. She couldn't. All I could see was All Might, paralyzed in fear. My heart fell to the lowest pit in my stomach that it could go. All of my hope was completely gone. There was nothing that could help me. In this pit of despair, I could only do one thing. I ran.

I simply ran away. I didn't know where I was going, but that hardly mattered. All I could think at that moment was to just run. My mind was so laser-focused on getting away, that I couldn't hear All Might calling out to me. Even if I did hear her, I would've still run.

There was no easy way to tell how much time had passed since I ran away from the beach. Neither was there a way to tell where I was going. All I did was simply move. I wasn't thinking about where I was going, but I was going somewhere particular. My subconscious was dragging me to a certain place. The place where it all started.

It was the tunnel. The very same place I had my chance encounter with All Might. To be honest, though, none of that came to my mind. The only thing I could think of was how awful I was back there. Despair and shame crushed me with their heavy weight and caused me to sit down against the curved walls of this tunnel. My arms embraced my knees. They gave me a place to hide my face in shame. All I could do was let out this pain and cry.

Sniffles, sobs, and wails were heard in this small tunnel. They echoed slightly against the tunnel walls. My mind began to repeat what I spat to my mom. Over, over, and over did my mind regurgitate those harsh and terrible words. Over, over, and over again were the sobs of my mom replayed. It was a grim reminder of what I did.

"I-I'm… S-s-so sorry, Mom… I'm so…" I barely let out my mournful apology. It was nearly impossible because of my sobbing. "Mom…"

(Song End)

My sobs drowned out the sound of feet shuffling off the dirt. The crunch as a pair of feet paced across the tunnel to my seat of sorrow fell on my own deaf ears. The rhythmic pattern of footsteps stopped. Then I felt a warmth appear on my shoulder. This startled me out of my misery and forced me to look up.

"Hey there, kid…" It was none other than All Might! She was on both of her knees. Her hand rested on my shoulder in an attempt to comfort me. Instead of holding this mixed expression, she held a warm smile. "I knew I'd find you here." All I could do was turn away. I only wanted to hide away.

"Go away," I managed between sniffles. "I want to be alone."

"I can't do that. Y'know why?"

"No."

"It's 'cause I'm a Hero. I'm supposed to meddle." My eyes opened up in shock. When I turned to face her, I saw nothing but this bright smile – her iconic one. In spite of her more ragged look in her normal form, her smile still felt the same.

"But, All Might…"

"Listen to me, Izuku. That anger you showed there was the result of years of resentment. I've seen this before."

"W-Why would I…"

"Why wouldn't you? You of all people would know why… I want to be honest with you. You did make a mistake."

"A mistake? No, It's far wo-"

"Izuku, it was a mistake. Please don't beat yourself up about this."

"…" All I could do was sit there. I was trying to ignore her. I felt that what I did was the worse thing I could've done. I felt that I should just shrivel up in a dark corner. That was all that I could think about until All Might spoke up once again.

"If you keep wallowing in your guilt and shame, then you cannot be a Hero." That certainly got my attention.

"Every great Hero fails at some point. Some failures are small and others are devastating, but every time they made them, they got back up and tried to make up for those mistakes. Sometimes they fix the mistakes, and other times all they can do is apologize and try better next time. A Hero can only truly fail when they give up." She looked me in my eyes. "When a Hero refuses to get back up and make things right, then, and only then, can the Villains win."

That was when everything finally reached me. I wanted her to save me, and she did. It wasn't immediately, but she came to me. It was probably very difficult for her to come to herself when she witnessed my outburst, but she still came. When I thought about it that way, everything she said made even more sense. Instead of just staying at the beach and feeling sorry for herself for not helping at that moment, she went after me. If she couldn't save me then, she could now. She never gave up on me. The tears that escaped my eyes were now of joy.

"You understand now?" Struggling to hold in my tears, I nodded. "Good! Besides, you don't have to worry! Why?" Then, All Might stood up and suddenly transformed before my eyes. All Might assumed her iconic pose in her Hero Form. That amazing smile shone a bright light in the tunnel.

"Because I am Here!"

Later That Afternoon – At the Front Door to Izuku's Apartment…

"Okay. Breathe in, breathe out… Okay…" This was my attempt at calming my anxiety. Could you really blame me? I was confronting my mom after a terrible outburst, and I didn't really know what was going to happen. Whatever was going to happen, I would have to deal with it. After all, a Hero always overcame these sorts of trials.

After I calmed myself down, I took the next step and opened the door to my place. The door gave out this groan that reverberated across the two-bedroom apartment. There was an eerie silence that came afterward. I took a few more steps inside and wondered if my mom was even home. Thankfully, I did not need to wonder anymore as I heard muted footsteps approach me. My mom then appeared at the doorway.

The first thing I noticed was her eyes. There was so much red in her eyes. It was difficult to look at because it was a clear reminder of what I had done. I could see the tear stains on her cheeks as she stood there silently. Her frown matched the sadness in her eyes. It was utterly clear. I made my mom cry. Not it was up to me to fix this. I took a deep breath and began to speak.

"Mom, I–" Before I could let out my apology, my mother dashed to me, knelt down, and tightly embraced me. My eyes widened in shock. While I was still trying to process what happened, my mom tightened her hug on me. I felt her body shake as she let out sobs.

"Izuku, I'm so sorry."

…What? That was all I could come up with in my mind. It was difficult enough to comprehend my mom suddenly embracing me, but now I was given an apology from my mom. She wasn't supposed to be apologizing, I was.

"Mom, wh-"

"Izuku… I'm so sorry. I had no right to yell at you like that. I just threw onto you years of old drama on you. I shouldn't have gotten like that with you."

"Mom, no! I shouldn't have yelled at you. I don't know why I got so angry, but it was wrong of me to do that." Both of us were apologizing to each other, with each of us thinking we did something wrong. We both scrambled over our words trying to apologize to each other and constantly kept interrupting each other. In hindsight, this was probably what was going to happen. After our attempts at seeking forgiveness from each other, we decided to just be silent for a moment.

"Izuku…" My mom then let go of me and looked me in the eyes. This time her eyes regained some of their whiteness, but they were still somewhat bloodshot. She didn't try to say anything else. No endless apologies, no frantic words, nothing. It was simply silence. I couldn't find anything to say, myself. After what felt like minutes of silence, she sighed and closed her eyes. Then she opened her eyes and smiled.

"Forgive?" I couldn't help but chuckle a little, regaining a smile on my face. It was kind of funny how she just simply said that, but it was probably the best thing that she could've done. Looking back, I wouldn't have had it any other way.

"Forgive."

8 in the Morning – In an Apartment Nestled in the Streets of Miami.

"What do you mean I need to book a flight to Japan ASAP!?" If you were to tell me my boss would call me in the morning to tell me to get back to Japan immediately, right when I told my family that I wouldn't be back for seven months, I wouldn't believe you. Surprisingly enough, that was the exact scenario I was placed in.

"I mean exactly what I said, Hisashi-sama. Get back to Japan as soon as you can." This confused me greatly. My mission here in the U.S. wasn't supposed to end until seven months from now. They just told me that that would be the case.

"Okay, first you say seven months. Then suddenly you change your mind and say I gotta leave now!? Explain yourself, woman!"

"Oh, of course," she said in this calm voice. "We have been informed of the next successor of One For All about a week ago." Okay, that was certainly enough to suddenly change plans. "We have spent the last week figuring out what to do regarding your mission. We will send in someone to take your place on your mission."So that was why they hadn't informed me as soon as they found out. The thing is, though, I wasn't sure why it was I that needed to return. Wouldn't Nana be dealing with the training and stuff? What would they need me for? Then I suddenly remembered my conversation with Inko last night.

Right, Nana most likely picked Izuku as her successor. Even though I have a good feeling that Izuku is the successor she mentioned, I should still ask… I thought it would be important to make sure without any doubts regarding this situation.

"So, who's the successor?" She took some time to pause before she answered my question. She breathed in, then breathed out.

"Your son." There was the confirmation. She really did pick him. All I could do was grunt in response. "You don't seem too shocked. Why is that?" I proceeded to inform my boss of the talk I had with my wife last night.

"So, yeah… I kinda already knew that…" She hummed before continuing. "My wife told me that a certain Nana Shimura was my son's… personal trainer."

"Interesting… Either way, we need you to go back to Japan because we want you to help Nana-sama train your son." This immediately raised my interest and excitement.

"No way! You're telling me that I get to train my son!? Let's go!" I really couldn't contain myself. So much so that I kinda reverted to being a teen. In hindsight, it was embarrassing. I didn't care, however, and started pacing my room. "This is awesome!" Then I realized something and stopped myself in my tracks. "Wait, are you telling me to go because he's my son?"

"It is one reason. The other reason is that you are an experienced fighter and trainer. You are one of the greatest that we have. Were it not for the fact that you had no Quirk, you could go toe to toe with many Villains. In fact, I believe that you still could go against many of them, despite that." That made sense to me and decided that no further questioning was needed, at least from her. I was definitely gonna have an… interview with Nana.

"Alright, I'll book the soonest flight for Japan."

"Great! I assume you are happy to reunite with your family?"

"You bet!" I was about to end the call when I suddenly remembered a crucial detail in the change of plans. "Wait! What about the lease on the apartment?"

"We will take care of that, so don't worry." I was relieved at this since I wasn't sure how I was gonna just end the lease so suddenly. That landlady was certainly no nice lady.

"See ya, then."

"We shall see you later, Hisashi-sama." With the call finished, I immediately started to pack my bags and book the flight. Luckily, the only things that I had with me were some clothes, souvenirs from Miami, some other personal stuff, and some documents. Those will, thankfully, be taken care of by the agents that will come by later.

"Let's see what we have here…" I opened up my laptop to book my flight back. Thankfully, there was a flight available tomorrow. It was tonight. I felt confident that I could pack up quickly enough to catch the flight on time.

Hmm… Should I let them know? I pondered on whether I should give them a surprise. Maybe my wife would enjoy the surprise. Maybe I can even get her a bouquet of her favorite flowers! The more I sat on it, the more the idea of giving them a surprise sounded good to me.

"Alrighty, then. Izuku. Inko. I'm coming home."

AN: I hope you enjoyed this chapter. The main point was to reveal an important aspect of Izuku's character in this story. This is essential for his character development and for some of the overall themes of this story. Themes in a fanfic!? Yeah, I know, but hey! I want to improve my writing, so I must take this a little bit seriously. I hope you don't mind.

I bet some of you are waiting for Izuku to meet some of the other girls, and I hope next chapter I can do that. It will happen if I think it flows well from the previous chapter. I want this story to be a good reading experience.

I want to include more songs in the story, but I have trouble thinking of songs that fit certain scenes. If you have songs that you feel would fit in certain scenes, then you can listen to them. You can do that even if I already have a suggested song for a scene. Let me tell you this: I will be mainly using the OSTs from MHA, Hajime no Ippo, and One Piece. These will be my main source of songs, but I will use others.

Remember to do that thing where you read the story and give that good ol' criticism that builds rather than destroys.

Have a good day!

Posted on: 5/31/2023

PS: I'm a man.