AN: Thanks for reading and leaving reviews!
If Izuku had to choose a word for returning to school, it would be surreal.
He knew there was going to be fallout after the Sludge Villain incident. Even though both he and Katsuki were minors, and therefore they wouldn't be identified, it wasn't hard to figure out who was involved in the attack. Two students in Aldera uniforms, one with an Explosion quirk and the other with distinctive green hair? For their classmates, it was obvious who was involved.
As Izuku walked through the school the next day, he felt the eyes on him and heard the hushed whispers. But they weren't the usual whispers that followed him around whenever Katsuki got involved - quite the opposite. People looked at him with new eyes, and a few people even appeared genuinely impressed. Then there was his homeroom. The first day back three of his classmates came up to him and told him that what he did was really heroic, risking his life like that. He responded with a nervous grin and a 'thanks'.
If only they knew the full story.
And then there was Bakugo's response. Apparently he wasn't taking it well - at all. No matter how much Izuku tried to avoid him, Bakugo felt like he was everywhere, going out of his way to ensure everyone knew just how strong he was. That he had everything under control. That he didn't need any help. Considering his behavior, Izuku couldn't help but worry that Bakugo was going to confront him - to find some way to blame the incident on him.
But he didn't.
By the end of the day, Izuku had begun to realize that Bakugo was trying his hardest to ignore his very existence. As he packed his bag at the end of the day he felt the knot in his stomach slowly coming undone as he realized he was safe from the school bully - for now. Thinking it over, Izuku realized that Bakugo didn't want anyone else drawing the connection between them and the attack - and to confront Izuku meant acknowledging that he tried to help him. Knowing Bakugo, that's the last thing he wanted to do.
It may be a small victory, but it was one Izuku would gladly accept as the week continued. He had more important matters to attend to, after all! During the day he redoubled his focus on school work in preparation for UA's entrance exam. According to Himiko the entrance exam was the hardest thing she has ever done, but he refused to back down.
And in the evenings, Izuku traded text messages and phone calls with All Might. The hero did his best to assess Izuku's current state to prepare him for eventually receiving One For All. However, when Izuku laid it all out for the hero, he felt like he had so far to go. He was always small and wiry, and most of his training had been focused on speed, agility, and technique because that was Himiko's focus. He had neglected his strength training, and despite All Might's assurances, he couldn't help but worry that he would disappoint his idol-turned-mentor.
At the end of every phone call, Izuku couldn't help but look at the photo on his desk. It was one Himiko insisted on taking on the first day of their training, and he remembered the promise they made that day.
"Izu," Himiko said, biting her lip. "Promise me - promise me we're going to make it into UA together!"
"Huh?" Izuku asked, confused by her uncharacteristic nervousness.
"I'm… scared," Himiko admitted. "That I'm going to let Kan down. That I'm going to let you down-"
"Himi," Izuku cut the girl off. "You won't let me down."
"See! That, right there!" Himiko pointed a finger at him. "That confidence. I- if you have that confidence in me I feel like I can do anything. But I don't want to do it alone. If I make it to UA - then you have to too! So promise me we'll both go to UA - and we'll both become heroes together!"
Izuku stared at the girl in awe. He took a moment to recover, he couldn't help but offer her a reassuring smile. "Himi, you'll make it to UA! And then next year I'll join you there!"
Himiko broke out into a wide smile as she jumped on him, wrapping her arms around him. "Thank you, Izu!"
Remembering his words, Izuku clenched his fist.
"Don't worry Himi, I'll join you at UA soon!"
"I'm going to talk to her," Atsuko declared.
"Wait, seriously?" Himiko asked her friend.
Today was their first time visiting the USJ, and they currently waited in line along with their classmates to board the shuttle that would take them to the massive complex to learn about rescue heroics.
"Yes, seriously," Atsuko turned toward her friend. "You've seen it - when she's not barging in on other conversations she's always by herself."
"Maybe if she was less of a jerk people would be more interested in talking to her," Himiko grumbled, as she watched Emily board the bus.
"Or maybe she just needs some friends to help her out."
Himiko gasped and whirled around, glaring daggers at her friend. "Don't you-"
Atsuko merely crossed her arms and stared back. She'd spent enough time around Himiko that she was immune to her best friend's methods. "I know you don't like it, but I need to know for sure."
Himiko groaned and turned away, facing the front of the line. The two boarded the bus in silence, with Atsuko slipping into the seat next to Emily at the front of the bus while Himiko continued to where her friends were sitting.
"Did something happen between you and Hotoko?" Tomoe asked as Himiko sat down next to her on the shuttle.
Himiko glared toward the front of the bus, letting out a small huff. "She's being 'Suko is what's going on."
"Can you translate that to Japanese for us?" Habiki asked.
Himiko turned her glare toward the boy before she let out a frustrated sigh. "Suko she-" Himiko bit her lip. "-finds the best in people and tries to draw it out."
"That sounds-" Habiki looked momentarily awestruck. "Really cool, actually!"
"So what's the problem?" Tomoe asked.
"Besides the obvious?" Himiko replied, her voice full of resentment.
"Maybe she was just nervous?" Habiki asked as he looked toward the front of the bus. "She did just move from I-Island to Japan, after all."
Himiko crossed her arms. "There's nerves and then there's… whatever her attitude was."
Habiki and Tomoe looked at each other in defeat and decided to drop the topic. Himiko meanwhile continued to stare at the front of the bus, her eyes narrowing as she watched the two girls.
If you're wearing a mask, Song, why did you choose one that reminds me of Izu's old bully?
After surviving the week, Izuku woke up bright and early on Sunday.
Today he was finally going to begin training! As he looked up at his collection of All Might models, part of him worried that this was just a dream - that he could wake up at any moment and would just be his usual quirkless self.
"Stop thinking like that!" A voice in his head yelled at him, sounding suspiciously like Himiko's.
"Right," Izuku shook his head and shifted his gaze to a poster of All Might. Looking down at his hand, he closed it into a fist. "Today my real training begins!"
But first, they had to survive giving the cover story to his family.
As the clock rolled over to 8 AM, Izuku was busy typing out a message thanking Froppy: he had told his friend that he found a new person to train him and they had wished him good luck on his first day. He was suddenly interrupted by the sound of a knock at the door.
Rushing over he opened it, revealing the form of All Might. Or rather, of the emaciated skeleton of Toshinori Yagi, a retired hero who worked at Might Tower. Smiling up at his idol, Izuku let him in. Toshinori was busy taking off his shoes when Inko finally arrived to meet their guest. Pausing to examine the woman, Toshinori bowed.
"Good morning ma'am, do you happen to be young Midoriya's mother?"
"I am. My name is Inko Midoriya. And you are?" Inko skeptically examined the man. She knew Izuku was expecting his trainer, but she wasn't expecting him to look like- like- that!
"I am Toshinori Yagi, one of All Might's assistants at Might Tower. As young Midoriya has hopefully explained, I was asked to assist him in his training."
"I'm sorry, I know you're supposed to be a retired hero," Inko said apologetically. "So I need to know - what happened to you?"
Toshinori smiled nervously at Izuku as he rubbed the back of his head. "I was injured in the line of duty, and the resulting years have not been kind to me."
"I see that," Inko said somberly.
"But don't worry!" Toshinori quickly said. "Young Midoriya won't have to worry about such dangerous criminals! All Might is working hard to ensure foes like the one I faced can't threaten Japan anymore."
Inko softened slightly at that. "I keep forgetting how dangerous Japan was when I was young."
"You still remember those dark times?" Toshinori asked cautiously.
"I try not to," Inko admitted. "Not with two children seeking to become heroes themselves."
Toshinori's eyes shifted down to young Midoriya. "Which is precisely why All Might has done what he has. He wished to make Japan a better place - one where everyone can feel safe and children can pursue their dreams. And eventually, those very children will rise up to build upon the legacy he left them."
"And I'm forever grateful for that," Inko said as she looked at her son. "Izu and Himi. They're both trying so hard to become heroes to help others." She looked at Toshinori and bowed deeply. "Please take care of my son and train him to become a great hero!"
"Mom you didn't tell me-" Himiko's voice came from around the corner, only to suddenly cut off as she saw Toshinori for the first time. "You're Izu's trainer?!"
"Y-yes Himi," Izuku said quickly. "Meet Toshinori Yagi."
"Is he really associated with All Might?" Himiko asked skeptically as she examined him. "I was expecting someone a little more… muscular?"
"Himi!" Izuku tried to protest, but her name came out too high-pitched and strangled.
"It's alright, young Midoriya," Toshinori assured him as he offered Himiko a bright smile. "I understand the impression I can give off thanks to my appearance, but I have many years of experience working as a hero!"
Himiko examined him critically before she saw Izuku's face silently pleading with her. It was enough to get her to back down. After all, if Izuku was willing to trust him, who was she to argue? Her expression softened, she closed her eyes and gave him a warm smile. "Please take care of my brother!"
"I promise I will young er… Midoriya?" Toshinori said awkwardly before looking at Izuku. "Your brother is in good hands!"
"Great!" Himiko's eyes opened slightly as her smile turned into a predatory grin. "Because if anything happens to Izu I will find you, and you won't like what happens when I do."
Toshinori let out a bellowing laugh. "Young Midoriya, I like her! You should have told me your sister was this enthusiastic!"
Izuku rubbed the back of his head as he laughed nervously. Holy shit! Himiko was actually threatening to take on All Might if anything happened to him.
"I think we've been rubbing off on each other. Oh! I don't think I told you, but Himi's actually attending UA too! She's a first-year!"
"Oh really?" Toshinori turned toward Himiko. "That's wonderful news! Japan's future will surely be in good hands with people like you and your younger brother protecting it!"
"Why don't we go sit down?" Inko asked in an attempt to steer the topic of conversation back to the original topic.
"Of course!" Toshinori allowed himself to be led to the living room, where he sat down in the recliner while the Midoriya family sat down on the couch.
"So what will his training entail?" Inko asked. "I already know what Vlad King taught them - will it be like that?"
"It will be similar, yes," Toshinori explained. "But much more frequent. While Vlad King only trained him one day a week, I will be training him a full five, with two rest days. In addition, the majority of my training will be focusing on strength and endurance."
"What about his martial arts lessons?"
"I have accounted for those in the schedule," Toshinori continued. "On days when he attends his lessons, he will have a reduced training schedule in the afternoon, and a full schedule on days that he doesn't."
"And what do you need from us?" Inko asked, relaxing slightly at the answers.
"The primary thing is your permission to train him, of course. As well as moral support - I will be pushing him hard during his training. Oh! And one more thing!" Toshinori held a finger in the air before he opened his briefcase and handed a packet of papers to Inko. "I have also prepared a meal plan for you, to ensure that he is getting proper protein and nutrients during his training."
Inko's brow furrowed as she looked through the meal plan, examining its contents before looking up at Toshinori. "If it's for Izu, we can follow this."
"Excellent!" Toshinori clapped his hands together. "So do I have permission to begin training your son?"
Inko looked at Himiko to see if she had any complaints before turning her fond gaze toward her son. "Izu's always been chasing his dream of becoming a hero. No matter how hard things got, he never let his dream go. Of course you can train him."
Izuku started tearing up. "Thank you, Mom! I know it's going to be hard, but I'll make you proud! I promise!"
Inko turned her gaze toward Himiko. "You already have."
After reviewing the meal plan, Toshinori and Izuku were finally able to leave the apartment. As the door closed behind them, Izuku breathed a sigh of relief. "Sorry about Himi, she means well."
"You don't have anything to worry about," Toshinori laughed. "You're lucky to have such a supportive family!"
"Thanks," Izuku said softly. "I don't know where I'd be without them."
"Now then," Toshinori placed a hand on Izuku's shoulder. "We've wasted enough time on formalities, it's time to begin your training!"
Twenty minutes later a pickup truck pulled up to Takoba Municipal Beach Park. Although given its current state, Izuku decided landfill was a more accurate name for the place. When his mentor parked the truck they both got out and Izuku followed All Might down into the mountains of trash.
"What are we doing here?" Izuku asked, his head darting back and forth as he took in the piles of scrap that surrounded him.
Toshinori suddenly stopped and laughed, disappearing in a puff of smoke as he switched to his muscle form. Jumping to the top of a nearby pile, he spun around and looked down at Izuku. "Why, training of course!"
"We're training here!?"
"Precisely!" Toshinori jumped back down with a laugh before poking Izuku's arm. "This will offer us the perfect place to build your body up and prepare yourself to hold One For All!"
"How?" Izuku asked.
Toshinori picked up the briefcase he had abandoned and opened it, handing Izuku a stack of papers. "The sheer variety of objects on the beach means it's the perfect place to train. As you can see, I have tailored exercises that will allow you to develop all of the muscle groups you will need!"
Izuku quickly leafed past the various diagrams that explained what he would be doing and found the schedule and milestones. As he scanned the page his eyes went wide before he looked up at Toshinori. "Y-you want me to clear this entire beach?"
"Not the entire beach!" Toshinori chuckled. "Merely a single kilometer of it!" Toshinori looked out at the tainted view and let out a weary sigh. "Don't think of this as training. Think of this as your first lesson in heroics!"
"How so?" Izuku asked, confusion lacing his words.
"Something many modern heroes have forgotten is that being a hero isn't just about defeating villains. There are other aspects as well. Such as community service!" Toshinori exclaimed with a sweep of his arm. "That is just as important."
Izuku nodded along to his idol's words, thinking about Bakugo - how he's exactly the type of person All Might is describing. How he keeps berating Izuku because he didn't fit that mold. He almost wished he was able to record this conversation - perhaps hearing All Might say such things would change his mind.
"And by cleaning this beach, I am helping the community," Izuku put his thumb on his chin. "While this doesn't directly help people, the whole community benefits. It gives people a place to gather and build a community just like my forums…" His face lit up as he looked up at Toshinori. "I think I get it!"
"Excellent! This used to be a beautiful beach, years ago when I was a student," Toshinori spoke with a nostalgic fondness in his voice. "However, over time the ocean currents deposited trash here, and it soon fell into neglect. As the trash began to pile up, people made it worse by quietly adding their own trash and well, here we are." He swept his hand to emphasize the amount of garbage that littered the beach.
Izuku looked down at the papers in his hand and reviewed them. "And I have ten months to clear one kilometer of beach."
"Yes! That should be sufficient time to build your body up enough to use One For All. However," Toshinori gave him a grave look. "You will only be able to use a fraction of its power at the end of this training. Unfortunately, ten months is simply not enough time to get you into proper shape to use One For All at its full power. But, we have a deadline to meet!"
Izuku nodded. "The UA entrance exam."
"Exactly!" Toshinori beamed at him. "Once you take the exam, there will be plenty of time and opportunity to gain full mastery over its power. And then when the time is right I can step down and you will take my place."
"Just like you stepped up forty years ago…" Izuku spoke with a sense of awe in his voice.
"Indeed."
It was only one word, but Izuku felt the weight behind it. Looking down the beach, he tried to get a sense of just how much stuff covered even one hundred meters and already felt like he was carrying the weight of all that detritus on his shoulders.
But he refused to give up! This was his starting line, and he was determined to see it to the end. Himi, mom, even the mysterious Froppy- he'd become a great hero, for their sake. He turned to All Might.
"So, where do we begin?"
Toshinori gave him a warm smile before he dashed off to his truck, only to return carrying a bundle of rope. "First things first, we are going to load that fridge onto my truck!"
Several hours later, Izuku collapsed onto a recently cleared patch of sand. He lay there as Toshinori disappeared from view, only to return with a pair of bento boxes and several large bottles of water.
Gratefully taking one of the offered bottles, Izuku drank half of it immediately, before finally accepting the meal from the hero. Retrieving his bag, he sat down in the sand and made himself comfortable, fishing out his notebook between bites of the meal.
"All Might, I know there's still a lot you haven't told me about your quirk. Could I…?"
Toshinori chuckled and gave his protegee a warm smile. "You never stop, do you?"
Izuku blushed and looked down at his notebook. "I just- quirks are so cool! I've spent so long thinking about other people's quirks, and now-" Izuku looked at his mentor. "-if I'm to inherit One For All, I want to learn everything I can about it!"
"Of course!" Toshinori bobbed his head. Holding up his hand, a warm glow began to emanate from his palm. "Its origin lies at the dawn of quirks, almost two hundred years ago. Back then, there were two quirks - one that accumulated strength, and another that simply allowed itself to be passed on. Those two quirks were combined in the body of who would become the first bearer to become One For All. A quirk that gathers the strength from each user and stores it within itself. And then when the time is right? That collective strength is passed onto the next generation, growing stronger with each."
"That means-" Izuku dropped his pen. "That I'm going to be even stronger than you?!"
"Yes," Toshinori grinned at his successor. "When you unlock One For All's full power and master it, you will be even stronger than I was at my prime."
Izuku stared reverently at Toshinori. "Two hundred years of strength… No wonder you're so strong! Any normal physical enhancement quirk couldn't explain the feats you've accomplished!"
"Indeed. I have the power of seven generations of holders behind me. And you will be the ninth holder."
Izuku swallowed the lump in his throat as he looked down at his hands. "And you chose me as your successor."
"I did, young Midoriya. And I did not make that decision lightly - as you are aware," Toshinori rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. "I hope someday you can properly forgive me for what I said on that roof."
"There's nothing to forgive," Izuku said earnestly. "I- I get it. What Himi and I want- what we're setting out to do- it's going to be hard. But the hardest fights are the ones most worth it, right?"
Toshinori let out a fond sigh. For the second time, he felt like he truly understood how Nana must have felt training him. "And every day you show me why my choice was the correct one. Thank you, young Midoriya."
As they resumed lunch, Izuku continued to pepper Toshinori with questions between bites, his burning curiosity about his future quirk barely satiated by the answers he was provided.
It was mid-afternoon by the time he was done. Despite his legs feeling like jelly, he said goodbye to Toshinori and began the long journey home, each step sluggish. But the promise of a hot shower and his mom's cooking kept him going, and before he knew it he had arrived back at his apartment.
"I'm home," Izuku called out, waiting nervously for one of his family members to ambush him.
"Welcome home," Inko said as she approached him. "How was your training?"
"Exhausting," Izuku admitted.
Inko gave her son a fond smile as she held out her hand. Izuku gave her a grateful look as he gave her his bag. "Why don't you clean up, and then you can rest on the couch and tell us about it?"
"That sounds great," Izuku said, mustering as much enthusiasm as he could.
Twenty minutes later Izuku emerged from the shower, feeling some of his energy coming back to him. Returning to his bedroom, he sat down at his computer and caught up on his messages. He smiled at Froppy's words of encouragement and sent them a quick message saying that he survived as well as a promise to tell them all about it later.
Grabbing his phone, Izuku returned to the living room, where his family was waiting for them. Even though he was tired, he was already looking forward to telling them all about his training.