-Sunset Meeting-
Toshinori Yagi, or All-Might to almost the entire world, stood in his skeletal form, staring out over the ocean in quiet contemplation. He had a cup of coffee in his hand, a habit he had picked up in America; his teacher there always had a cup. Toshi thought it was unpleasant until a particularly pretty girl introduced him to different varieties of espresso drinks. Soon, the coffee had a different taste, a different aroma, if you will. She was sweet, gorgeous, and so very tender. Sarah was everything he could have dreamed of, but she didn't want him to be a hero. That was the first hard choice that led him to where he now stood.
She eventually married, had a few kids, and opened a small independent coffee shop. She had a good life, a happy life, a life that he was pleased to see unfold and flourish. But not without pains of regret or what ifs, he knew he made the right choice, and he understood the assignment. Yet, coming home to emptiness was never a good feeling. He wondered if there was still a chance for that life, that after Izuku had graduated and emerged on the scene when he finally stepped away for good, would he be able to enjoy just a taste of it? A warm cooked meal waiting for him when he came home, a kiss from someone who loved him, sitting on the couch enjoying a movie or a show, and falling asleep with them in his arms, knowing they would be able to do it all again tomorrow.
A sudden coughing fit jolted the man and pro back to reality and out of the lucid daydream. His time was limited; his abilities were dwindling, and his quality of life was a holding pattern of keeping things steady. Maintaining steady things was a way of life for him now. But it was still life; he had things to do, some necessary and final things that he had to see through, the most important things he would ever do.
"Hello, Mr. Yagi," a familiar voice called to him.
Without looking back, he replied. "Hello Young Midoriya." His protégé came to stand beside him, a cup of tea in his hands. Toshi smiled at the boy who came to stand next to him, adopting a similar pose as he just looked out over the water. "Shall we sit?" he finally said, motioning to a nearby bench.
"I'm sorry I wasn't strong enough…" Izuku began his voice breaking some.
"None of that, Young Midoriya," Toshi interrupted. "The truth is I should have been preparing for this after I received my injury. I wish I had stumbled upon you all those years ago and saw what a great hero you would be."
"You may have found someone better," he said quietly.
"There is no one better, Izuku," the boy stopped hearing his name. "I have found that you find the people you are meant to find when you are meant to find them. I may have found someone more physically ready to accept One for All, but not someone with a better heart or mind. You figured out how to use it without my help, and after the USJ, you have also been granted the gifts of the other bearers. No, Izuku, you are the perfect choice because you understand what it means to be powerless. Now that you have power, I know you will do everything possible to defend those around you."
"I still feel like I should be better, that I should… I don't know." He said, sounding a little lost.
"That is because you have been put down and tossed aside for so long," Toshi said, turning his coffee cup around. "That I didn't even see your true quirk, your heart. I heard about your speech in class and the hallway. That is a true hero. I am sure you picked up your entire class, and your words in the hallway reached some of those who had gathered there. The sports festival is a chance to stand up and say, 'I AM HERE.' For years, it has been exactly that, but you understood that this time it is different."
"We are here," he said.
"Exactly," Toshi said, smiling. "There is no reason that you and your classmates cannot work together to advance to the final round; the final round is always a tournament of 1v1 combat. That is the stage to show your personal growth and talent. Showing you can reach that stage together by lifting each other and putting aside your personal goals to carry someone else will show the world. "WE ARE HERE."
"I am afraid I am going to fail," Izuku said, his gaze going back out over the water.
"Then you fail," Toshi said simply. "You fall, dust yourself off, and then get back up. Everyone fails, everyone falters, but are you going to choose to have your life defined by your failure."
"But…"
"There is no but Izuku," Toshi said warmly. "Go out there and do your best, show the world that it can be done differently, that society will have more than one pillar to hold it up, that those that lurk in the shadows will not just have to worry about the 'A' symbol of peace but a whole army of them. That is what I want. That is what I will commit to doing, training all of you, class 1-A and class 1-B."
"But your time limit," Izuku said concerned.
"That is my worry, Izuku," he said, placing a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Mine, you need not fret about that."
"Can I suggest something?" Izuku said quietly.
"Go ahead," Toshi said, squeezing the boy's shoulder.
"General Studies should have training as well," Izuku said, looking at his tea. "Some want to be heroes like us; they just didn't pass the exam. It doesn't mean they don't have gifts that wouldn't be useful for heroics."
"How would you do it," Toshi said, curious about how his protégé would respond.
"It's too late to add a third heroics class, and with your time limit, that would be next to impossible. But I would offer an after-school class/club where anyone could come to get weight training, basic combat, and quirk training. There also would need to be an extra class they could take for heroic law and application. I would propose to Nezu that there be a new class/course next year, like 1-C, for those looking to go into heroics where they still get some of what the primary hero class gets regarding training. Maybe you could put together a general workout guide for people to offer guidance without physically being there. You could adapt them to a more personal one the longer they are in the club; they could send you whatever you need so you can help direct them. Maybe hero classification could be a possibility. Not everyone can be a combat hero, but someone with a specialized quirk can be certified and given a license to be called in during emergencies. But they would need combat training, maybe a cross between a hero and law enforcement. Something to help bridge that gap instead of being either this or that they could be the bridge between both. There are so many uses for different quirks that just shutting the door on people seems like a waste of talent, and you should never waste talent." Izuku had started his reply coherently before quickly decaying into a muttering mess. Toshi smiled fondly at him. This was just who Izuku was, making the number one hero confident in his choice. The ideas that would flow out of Izuku were amazing.
Toshi knew he needed to teach him how to harness this ability and talent, and he knew who he had to talk to. He had a meeting with him later that evening. He had already reached out to his sensei before the news conference. He shuddered at the hell that would be unleashed upon the students, but he was serious about teaching them, giving them the absolute best chance; he was going to do all he could make sure they succeeded, and he was going to start cashing in some favors earned over a lifetime of heroics.
"Breath, Izuku," he said, gently snapping his protégé out of his ramble; he had a hearty chuckle as Izuku started blushing and looking at his tea earnestly. "Those are great ideas, my boy. Now get on home; a leader doesn't only spout a pretty speech and leave. They have to put a plan of action together."
"I won't let you down," Izuku said, the fire and passion coming to his voice. "When it is all over, not only will we say we are here, I will show the whole world that I AM HERE."
Toshi watched with pride as Izuku took his leave; he could hear the boy thinking about plans and things he could present to his class. The number one hero felt a warmth in his chest that seemed to lighten his burden while watching the boy leave. "I never had a child of my own, but if I ever did, I hope they were just a fraction as wonderful as you are, Izuku." He whispered into the night air.
He pulled out his phone and dialed.
"Toshi, it has been years," a strong, steady voice rang out. "I saw the press conference. I was going to call you in a few days. I figured you would be busy."
"I appreciate that, Abel," Toshi said. "I am calling because I need your and Issabelle's help."
"Well, we have both been retired for a while now, but I still have contacts in the Department of Heroics; why didn't you call Star? She may be able to help you more than I can?" Abel said.
"It's not that kind of help," Toshi replied lightly. "I would like you two to help me train my current crop of students, and I would like Izzy to help teach me how to teach."
"We have our teaching licenses still, but I don't know if that would translate to Japan?" he replied.
"I will get it sorted out, but I need you, old friend; I need you both," Toshi said with a sad note.
"Then we will be there; I will talk to Izzy when she gets home; she and Racheal are out tonight," Abel said.
"Give Racheal and all of them my love; I will see you soon," Toshi said, ending the call. Now for a conversation with my former sidekick. He thought.
-Izuku & Tsu-
When he walked in the door, not only was he greeted by the smell of food, he was greeted by the most beautiful sight in the cosmos. Tsu was doing homework at the coffee table in one of his sweatshirts with her notebooks open.
When he entered, she immediately had him sit as she went and served them dinner. Inko was out for the evening, and Tsu had insisted on coming home with him in case his conversation with All-Might didn't go well.
She had them stop by the local store so she could cook for him; the image of her in an apron as he left for his meeting was forever burned into his memory, quickly accompanied by the nice, hearty Nabe being set in front of him. A fish soup that was chock-full of Mushrooms, Fish, shrimp, noodles, and vegetables.
He could feel the anticipation from her as he brought the spoon to his lips; she could feel the way it washed over him and the happiness swell. "Tsu, this is wonderful," he said, taking a fish bite. "Tsu, I mean, this is just amazing," he dug in for another bite. Tsu smiled broadly before she took a bite; hearing the satisfied sounds of her mate eating just did things to her. Izuku listened to her little happy ribbits and saw her lightly moving in her seat in happiness, and he could feel it in his soul.
It was a beautiful dinner; Izuku did the dishes as Tsu packed up a bowl for Inko to heat and eat. When she came home, she just watched him move about the kitchen. She waited till he finished, and she collected her reward. He had just finished washing the dishes and turned to face her; leaning back against the sink, she glided over and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him into a tender but passionate kiss.
It left them both a little breathless as they broke apart. The whispered words of love from each were music to the other's ears. Tsu took his hand and pulled him to the coffee table to finish their homework; once done, she climbed into his lap, and they lost themselves in each other's kisses. Tenderness and passion, fire and electricity, hands tangled in hair, arms wrapped around each other. Tongues danced, nibbles upon necks, ribbits, and light moans filled them. Her phone ringing, letting her know her father was downstairs, pulled them sadly back into the real world.
"I liked that," Tsu said. "I want to do that more."
"Which part?" he said.
"All of it, cooking for you, doing homework, kissing you," Tsu said, lightly kissing his lips. "I will dream of you and miss you till tomorrow." She stood, ensuring she looked okay, before heading towards the door. "I am enacting girlfriend privileges and now claim this sweatshirt as MINE."
He went and stopped her from leaving quite yet and kissed her tenderly, careful not to let their teenage hormones take over. "As long as I get to do that daily, you can take anything you want." He whispered as he opened the door.
"I'll remember that," she said, blushing as she walked out.
It was strange feeling her leave, the distance getting farther between them; it was not pleasant. One they both knew would only be temporary, but still. Of course, as soon as she got home and was able to, she called him, and they talked until they fell asleep; after all, they were two teenagers in love.
-Plans-
Izuku was walking towards class when he found Mr. Aizawa standing outside the room, leaning against the wall. "Come here, Mr. Midoriya." Izuku suddenly panicked when a parent or teacher wanted to talk to you. Coupled with that, Mr. Aizawa seemed alert and awake; no sleeping bag was in sight.
"Yes, Sensei," Izuku said, cursing the slight voice crack.
"That was quite the interesting speech you gave not only in class but also in the hallway after class," Aizawa began, raising an eyebrow. "Do you have a follow-up plan, or are you just talk?"
"I have a plan," Izuku said confidently. "I am not sure everyone will follow it, but I have a plan."
"Good. Now go convince your classmates to follow you." He said, pointing to the door as the bell rang. The class turned when the door opened, and they saw Aizawa and Izuku walk in; their curiosity peaked when their teacher stood by the door as Izuku went to the podium at the front of the class. Momo rose from her seat and went to stand behind him, off to the side.
"I support you," she whispered, making him smile.
He took a deep breath. "Yesterday was not just talk after All-Might's announcement or when those other classes came and called us out. This sports festival is about more than personal glory. It is our chance to say that We are Here. Every year, the first two events are either some race or a team event; there is always a team event if not two. The final event is a tournament, a one-on-one fight to declare a single winner. I want us all to work together to reach that final stage."
"I DON'T NEED ANY DAMN HELP!" Bakugo roared.
"No one said you did," Izuku replied, keeping calm. "I am not saying any of you do; what I am saying is this is our opportunity to show that the next generation can and will work together to uphold what All-Might and others have shouldered for so long. The first events will allow us to work together and show our flexibility and teamwork. The third event is where we can show our abilities as we fight to stand on top of that podium."
"What are you proposing?" Denki asked.
"I would like us to train together and learn how to work as teams to destroy those that stood outside our class yesterday. I want to show them what it means to be a team and work towards the same goal. We all want to be heroes, yes?" the class nodded. "We all have our reasons?" they nodded again. "But we all want to do it to make the world better and things safer, correct?" the class nodded.
"But won't training together mean we learn each other's weaknesses?" Ida called out.
"Yes," he said flatly, "but that is inevitable; once we get more heroic classes together, that will happen anyway. And I am sure there will be team-ups in future heroic classes. Why not learn how to work together sooner?"
Shoto stood up, "Aside from myself, I believe you are the strongest in the class, and I want to defeat you to show that I am stronger than you."
"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU JUST SAY ICY HOT!" Bakugo growled.
"That's nice, Todoroki. Do you want to defeat me in a team exercise because I know I sure as hell won't lose to you in a race, how do you want to prove that idea you have of superiority? Do you want to do it one-on-one where there will be no doubt? The same goes for you, Bakugo, a team where some will say that it was who you had around you that granted the victory or where there can be no doubt that you won."
"I DON'T WANT ANY DOUBT IN YOURS, THESE EXTRAS, OR ANYONE ELSE WHO THE BEST IS WHEN I BEAT YOUR ASS, AND SAME GOES FOR YOU ICY HOT.!" He spat.
Shoto thought about it, "I want no doubt."
"That is what I expected," he said, grabbing both sides of the podium. "What about the rest of you? I am offering for all of us to prove to the world that the next generation is not like any generation that came before it and the opportunity for all of us to shine."
"And if we say no? Are you going to knock us out before the final round?" Sero asked.
"Nope." He said. "I will still do what I can to help you get to the finals. Let me know where you stand by the end of the day. Thank you. Oh, and Todoroki, you better come at me or anyone else here with all you got. If you come at any of them with half measures, you will find that you have much more than me to worry about in this class." He went to his seat, but Momo stopped him.
"I am with you," she said. "I would much rather fall by the waistside with a friend than stand on the mountaintop alone."
"Friend?" he said.
"Friend." She replied firmly.
"Of course, you can count on me, Kero," Tsu called out.
"You shall not escape the dragon so easily, Izuku; I'm in," Ochaco said from her seat.
"I believe that you were the right person to lead this class, and you have proven my faith was well placed," Ida said, standing up. "I am with you, my friend."
"You and Tsu inspired me to be better than I was," Mineta said, climbing onto this desk. "I will follow you guys into any battle."
"Dude, MANLY AS FUCK!" Eiji said. "Count me in."
"I hate training alone," Toru called out.
"If Eiji is in, then count me in, too," Mina added, smiling. "Horn buddies for life."
Soon, the rest of the class chimed in with their agreement. Izuku looked to Shoto and Bakugo.
"I will join just so I can ensure your defeat in the finals," Shoto said, standing up as well.
"I AM DOING IT JUST TO MAKE SURE YOU AREN'T TRYING TO PULL A FAST ONE BEHIND MY BACK."
"Very good class. Now that you have all made your decision, I expect you all to follow through," Aizawa said, taking his spot at the front. "A little bit of incentive for you all: if all of you make it to the finals, you will get no homework for a week, and I will buy Pizza for everyone."
The class started cheering.
-Two Weeks-
The students got a chuckle when they walked into heroics class, and standing there was an older man with a cane; when All-Might wished them well and vacated the area, they began to worry. 15 Minutes later, they were sure that an Oni had been unleashed. 1-A and 1-B meet the devil that day, and his name is Gran Torino. When they thought they had him, he would go faster and harder. The two classes would disagree about most things, but they all agreed that Gran Torino was the devil.
The Class Training started that very afternoon; as soon as class ended, they all changed into their gym uniforms and reported to the training ground theta. Izuku was nervous when the class turned to him to start. Still, Momo stepped up and started them all in simple warm-up exercises, Izuku pulling on his memories of his training with All-Might to start them in physical training while pulling individuals aside with a bundle of nerves and showing them his notebook on their quirks. Most of his classmates were amazed at the questions and ideas he put forth. Of course, Bakugo and Shoto declined his advice.
Ojiro was happy to step up and help teach hand-to-hand combat along with Mezo. Quirk training was done for one hour after an hour of physical exercise; that was when groups would break off on their own, trying to develop new moves they could work on at home and others to share with the group.
Ochaco was concentrating her hand on a boulder she had been trying to do, something that Izuku had pointed out in his notebook. She could be heard cackling across the training ground when the boulder suddenly cracked.
They would spend an hour reviewing previous events and working out strategies for dealing with them and different team compositions to put together. Three hours every day they worked. Izuku could even swear he heard Bakugo use Ejiro's name a few times, but that would be just madness.
That was how it was for two weeks, 3 hours every day after school, with everyone training on their own over the weekends except for Tsu and Izuku.
For the young couple, it was great; they got to spend an incredible amount of time around each other, constantly training and working together. With their bond, it was easy for them to learn how to move as a team, and the rewards of kisses were a great motivator.
"What are you going to do if we have to fight each other?" Tsu asked him.
"Give you all I got because I love and respect you too much not to do so." He spoke. "Though the thought hurts."
"Good, I feel the same." Tsu cuddled into his lap. "After the festival, can we go on a date again?"
"I can think of nothing I would want more." He said, kissing her forehead.
-Opening Day-
Class 1-A were in their locker room dressed and ready; nervous excitement permeated it.
"Hey, Prez, got any words for us?" Eijiro called out.
Izuku looked to Momo, who held up three fingers. "We have trained our butts off for this, we have fought Gran Torino."
"More like got our butts kicked by him," Denki called out, getting a laugh.
"True that," Izuku said, smiling. "I have to give a speech in a few minutes, so that I won't make a long one here. The USJ brought us together; our training has prepared us for this moment. I don't know about the rest of you, but No Homework for a week sounds like music to my ears, not to mention Pizza.!" The class chanted no homework. "If a bunch of villains couldn't stop us, then I am sure that class 1-B or anyone from General studies will stop us. We will show them and the world what we can do together; then, we will show them what we can do on our own. In the end, we will show them…" he threw his fist into the air.
"WE ARE HERE!" they yelled.
They all heard the buzzer as Momo and Izuku formed them into their lines and exited together. As they took their place, the other course came and lined up; 1-A could feel the stares boring into the back of their heads, but they never looked back. When they heard their class call, they walked into the stadium. The crowd's roar bombarded them, and Kyoka was grateful for the headphones Momo had given her. Their eyes slowly adjusted to the packed stadium as the cheers rained down along with the flashes of the cameras.
Izuku heard the cheers quietly dip as 1-B entered, then even more as other courses were introduced. Midnight immediately commanded the attention of the crowd and the students with a crack of her whip.
"Ok, I want to be good, but this has already been worth it for me," Mineta said to the chuckles of those around him; the girls rolled their eyes.
"Good Boys and Girls," she purred. "Now that I have all your attention, I would like to welcome you all to the First Year Sports Festival." The crowd and students cheered. "I will be your Master of Ceremonies," she purred the word master. "And you referee for all of today's events, so before we begin, I would like to welcome Izuku Midoriya to the stage to give this year's student address."
Izuku took a deep breath as he walked up on the stage, a million thoughts of what would go wrong flooding his mind, then he found her face, and all the noise and all the static disappeared. Her smile chased it away and whispered I love you empowered him.
"Greetings to my fellow classmates, all those in attendance, and those watching us around the world. My name is Izuku Midoriya, and I am a member of Class 1-A. I have been chosen to represent our first-year class and am honored to share a few words with you today. Thank you for being here." He paused as the crowd cheered.
"All our lives, and from the day we are born, we are told that everyone is created equal, but that isn't true. Some are born with extraordinary quirks and powerful abilities that can shake the ground we stand on or bring the rain to parched and dried lands. Doesn't sound very equal?" he said, looking over the class and crowd. "Some people are told their quirk is weak, useless, or even criminal, but is that true? Does your quirk define who you are as a person? I don't believe so. In my own experience, my quirk manifested very late in life, and for many years, everyone around me believed that I was quirkless and, therefore, useless. But I don't think that's right, and I don't believe that someone's worth should be determined by the strength or usefulness of their quirk."
"There are heroes here right now," he said, pointing to the VIP section. "I bet if you asked every single one of them, they were told they could never be a hero. That a fire quirk user could never break into the top ten, that woman with a rabbit quirk would never break into the top ten, that a man with a smile and a lot of muscles would never be the top hero in the country."
Chants of All-Might began to echo throughout the stadium.
"In my class, they told a girl with Pink skin that she couldn't be a hero, that girl with a frog quirk couldn't be a hero, that boy whose quirk is to harden his skin could never be a hero, that boy with weird elbows or a tail could never be a hero or that a once quirkless boy could never be a hero. Yet here we are. Yet there those heroes sit."
"A quirk is neither evil nor useless; the person behind the quirk makes it that way. Your quirk should never define you; you should be defined by your heart. What type of person are you when the chips are down, when your back is against the wall, or when villains decide to attack you during rescue training."
"I found out what kind of people I have around me; I hope they found out who I am. We fought villains that day; we fought to survive because they didn't come there for fun; they came to hurt us, and they came to kill."
"They failed because WE ARE HERE. They failed because not a single member of my class stepped down, because not a single member of my class would be cowed or beaten into submission by a bunch of cowards who decided that the only way they could make a name for themselves was to attack children. That grown adults thought the only way they could succeed was to attack children. That is the definition of a villain, a coward who felt the only way they could win was against children in their first week of class, and guess what? They failed!"
The crowd broke into cheers.
"Then we all saw All-Might's news conference, we all heard his words, and those words crept into my soul and my classmates' souls. And we took those words and knew what we had to do, what we would do. For decades, the world has lived on three words: "I AM HERE," They kept us safe, comforted us in the night, and chased the villains farther into the darkness. While those words are still here to do all that, my class and I have a new word to add: "WE ARE HERE!" None of us would dare to say we could fill All-Might's shoes, but together we can, we can ensure that his decision to step back and teach us will be remembered for ALL TIME. This is all of your chances to fulfill the dreams of the child inside of you or the one next to you, be a hero in your own right, step up and show the cowards hiding in the darkness that this world is not theirs for the taking, that this world is ALL OF OURS BECAUSE, WE ARE HERE. TO SHOW THEM THAT WHAT ALL MIGHT, AND ALL THE HEROES OUT THERE ARE FIGHTING FOR, IS NOT THEIRS FOR THE TAKING, THAT WE WILL NOT BOW DOWN TO COWARDS, AND THAT WE WILL NOT FEAR THE DARK. I AM IZUKU MIDORIYA OF CLASS 1-A, AND WE ARE HERE!"
His class called it out with him, as did a large portion of the stadium. The other courses were stunned, some questioning their actions. All-Might sat back in his seat and smiled; Inko wiped away the tears; in a dive bar, a television crumbled to dust, and a girl with messy hair in buns giggled in excitement.
Midnight took the stage, "Such youth, vigor, passion. Now let us see how that translates into our first challenge, THE OBSTACLE COURSE!"