AN: The more we got of MHA and the more we learned of other Heroes and All Might's past, the more this scene annoys me. So, here's how it should have gone!
Duh
-Izuku-
"Can I be a Hero even without a quirk?!" Izuku clenched his eyes tight as he shouted his question to the number one Hero. He wanted an answer, needed an answer, but was still terrified of what All Might say. Terrified that the number one Hero, his idol, would secretly be like everyone else and look at him with disdain or pity. When he heard a poof and felt smoke on his face, his eyes snapped open on reflex to see a skeletal blond man in All Might's place, coughing up blood.
"Imposter!" Izuku yelled in panic, eyes wide at the person who'd somehow impersonated the Symbol of Peace so flawlessly that even he hadn't been able to tell! Down to the…raw…power.
"Jeeze kid, you've got a set of lungs on ya." The fake(?) All Might dig a finger in his ear, "And I'm not an imposter. The form people usually see me as? That's just me using my quirk." The blond man gave a laugh that instantly made Izuku relax despite himself, "Think of it as the world's best 'flex', or the way guys at the pool puff out their chest to draw attention." As if to prove his point, the man pulled out a Hero ID, the image able to switch between the indomitable All Might and the skeleton that stood before him.
"H-how?" Izuku struggled to find words, struggled to process what his eyes were seeing.
"About five years ago, I got in a fight." All Might sighed, sitting on the ground with a thud as he raised his shirt, showing a nauseating scar on his side "Lost a long, and most of my intestines."
"Toxic Chainsaw did that?" Izuku gaped in horrified shock as he stared at the gruesome wound.
"Huh, you really know your stuff kid." All Might blinked in surprise before shaking his head, "But no, that runt couldn't even scratch me. This fight was kept 'off record'." The number one hero's eyes hardened, "I assume you already figured that this is a conversation that has to be kept secret. You can't go telling your friends or posting online about this. I'm telling you because I figured you deserved some explanation after what you saw." Which made sense, better to be given the truth and told not to share it than to risk his mind making crazy conspiracy theories and spreading them around.
"I promise!" Izuku nodded rapidly, "I won't tell anyone!" not that he even had friends to share the secret with to begin with, "But…but can you please answer my question?" with the fading of his shock, Izuku felt his desperation return "Can I be a Hero? Someone like you who makes people feel safe with a fearless smile?"
"Fearless huh?" All Might gave a sardonic chuckle, "That's where you're wrong kid. There's a lot of fear behind that smile."
"W-what?" Izuku felt his eyes widen, the idea that All Might was terrified behind his smile harder for him to believe than All Might's titanic form just being a quirk effect and not his 'true' state.
"Kid, nobody with a brain is really fearless." All Might shook his head, "Everyone, and I mean everyone is afraid of something. My worst fear is not being strong enough, or fast enough, and knowing there were people I failed to save. I smile despite my fear, to try and reassure those that I'm saving that right now, no matter how terrifying the situation they're in, that I'm going to do everything in my power to save them." Izuku felt his legs grow weak at the presence of his hero as All Might shared this truth, collapsing on the ground not to dissimilarly from the hero across from him.
"Now, as to your question." All Might shook his head with a chuckle, "To quote some friends of mine from America, 'Duh'."
"…Heh?" Izuku paused, brain trying to catch up at receiving an answer that wasn't a 'no'.
"Kid, do you know who my two sidekicks I've had in my time are?" All Might asked as Izuku answered without even having to think, years of fanboying showing themselves.
"David Shield from America and Sir Nighteye here in Japan." Izuku nodded as All Might grinned and nodded.
"Exactly, and do you know what their quirks are?" All Might nodded with a grin.
"I know Sir Nighteye has some sort of clairvoyance quirk, but the details have never been made clear." He admitted, having had to piece together most of his hero quirk knowledge through observation and analysis "And I've never heard anyone say what David Shield's quirk is."
"David's quirk lets him rotate and bend his fingers in any angle he wants." All Might explained the quirk that, to most, would be useless and never anything a sidekick, let alone a hero, would have, "He uses it to be able to better make support gear. Then there's Nighteye, his quirk has drawbacks on it, ones that are his to disclose or not, but he also tries to avoid using it whenever he can."
Izuku's eyes were widening as he got an inkling of where All Might was going "Nezu, principal of UA and his quirk is solely tied to his intelligence. There are heroes and heroines who's quirks just let them slide on straight lines or make bubbles containing smells. Recovery Girl doesn't have a combat quirk either, nor does Lunch Rush. Being a Hero isn't a matter of being able to simply 'beat up the bad guy'. A hero is defined, not by their quirk, but by their determination, by their heart. David focused on being a support and eventually made I-Island to help as many heroes as he could. Nezu and Nighteye found other ways to help themselves in combat when needed but their heroics focus more on the investigation and detective work. I can't even help in every area a hero could be in. There are heroes who can go to the bottom of the ocean, something I can't do. There are heroes who can help restore forests lost to wildfires, something I can't do. To use an example I made earlier, Recovery Girl can heal others, yet another thing that I can't do."
All Might grunted as he got up, offering Izuku a hand "Kid, anyone can be a hero. They just need the heart, the drive, and the willingness to put themselves on the line in service of others. If you don't have a quirk, then that's okay! Train yourself, find what areas you excel at and what you struggle in. The only one who can determine if you can't be a hero, is you." Izuku knew he was crying as he accepted the hand up, a burning determination surging through him like never before.
"There we go." All Might laughed, clapping a hand to Izuku's shoulder, "Now there's some fire in those eyes. You get home safe kid, and I look forward to seeing you in the field in a few years."
