- Midoriya Residence -
8:50 AM
As Izuku walked into the main den area, with a simple red shirt and some jeans, with red and white sneakers, he saw that his mother, Inko...was still sitting on their couch watching their television. She even looked like she was wearing the same attire she wore yesterday.
...Has she been sitting there in that same place the whole time after I went to bed?
"Um...morning, Mom," Izuku greeted her, a little curious and worried as to whether she, in fact, had just sat there the whole night.
Inko jumped at her son's voice, directing her attention to him, "Oh! Izuku-Honey! G-Good morning! Uh, Mr. Gran Torino had to go meet up with someone. A detective, I heard him say?" she got up from her spot off the couch, "E-Either way, are you hungry right now, Sweetie? Do you want me to make breakfast?"
"...Mom, question here, but did you stay up all night to watch the news?" Izuku asked up front as he walked over to his mother.
"Huh?" Inko blinked. Izuku also noticed that her eyes did have some bags under them as he got a little closer, "Oh, well, um...well, I'll admit, I did stay up late to watch the news to see if anything has changed regarding All Might, but I'd fallen asleep on the couch while doing so. I don't know when I drifted off, but I think it was around...4:00 AM-ish?"
Seeing her son's surprised look on her face, Inko quickly defended herself, "N-No worries, though! When I decided to go to sleep, I was out like a light, so I've gotten my rest in!"
"...Mom, when did you wake up?" Izuku asked the other dreaded question to his mother.
"...Um...about...8-ish?" Inko answered in the most sheepish way possible.
"...Four hours of sleep?" Izuku asked with a deadpan look and with a raised eyebrow of disbelief.
"...Now, Sweetheart, don't lecture your mother, I have my reasons for staying up late. In fact, you should blame Mr. Gran Torino! He woke me up from my sleep as he was trying to get ready to meet up with this detective!"
"..." Izuku sighed, "Mom, why were you even up that late?"
"Well..." Inko twiddled her index fingers together as she looked slightly embarrassed, "It's just that...well, I wanted to know if All Might, your mentor, is actually alright. I was kind of being the lookout for you in case something happened to your Hero, you know?"
Izuku couldn't help but smile at his mother's persistence in watching over him, "Mom...I really do appreciate it, but you can't just waste sleep because of me."
"But, the story that Mr. Gran Torino told us," Inko began to explain, "about your Quirk, this One for All. it's certainly an important thing to not lose, and from what you told me, you've been close to All Might throughout training and teaching without me even knowing it! Why, I wish to give him my utmost gratitude that he saw you like I always saw you; a young man with a great Heroic spirit. I would think he picked a great successor and holder for his Quirk!" she smiled at her son, "So think of this as trying to help you out on your journey to becoming a great Hero."
Now, Izuku couldn't help but tear up a bit as he smiled warmly at his mother, "Wow...you really are the best mom I could ever ask for."
Inko smiled with such joy, "Well, I meant what I said, Izuku."
Nodding to that, and not wanting to start crying so early in the morning, Izuku just gave his mother a hug, which lasted for about five seconds until he released it and asked her, "So, what did you say about Gran Torino meeting up with a detective? I think I might know who you're talking about. Is he in the Musutafu Police Department?"
"Oh, why, yes! Do you know of him?"
"Well, this detective is a friend of All Might and knows his secret identity. His name is Tsukauchi Naomasa. I met him, he's a pretty good guy," Izuku explains. He lowered his head to ponder, though, "Though, I wonder what Gran Torino and Tsukauchi will talk about."
I haven't even told Gran Torino about All for One being alive...
"Well, until then, why not I fix you breakfast, Sweetheart?" Inko offered.
Izuku lifted his head up to look at his mother, "Huh? Really? I mean, you have to be tired..."
"Oh nonsense! I still have some energy left! It's the least I could do!"
Before Izuku could object any further, his stomach growled rather loudly...
"...Um..." Izuku blushed a bit, not expecting that.
Inko gave out an 'I-told-you-so' look, and said with a smile, "How about some bacon and flapjacks?"
"...That does sound good right now," Izuku said sheepishly.
Well, maybe I can tell Gran Torino about All for One being alive when he comes back from speaking to Detective Tsukauchi, maybe? ...Although, I have to meet up with Kacchan at my old middle school Aldera...man, I'm not looking forward to that.
- Musutafu Police Department -
9:00 AM
"So, you're Gran Torino, then," Tsukauchi stated as he sat at his desk in his office.
Torino nodded, still in his attire from yesterday as he sat on a chair across from Tsukauchi's desk, the man sitting behind it. "Indeed, Young Sir. And you must be this detective guy I heard about from Toshi, Detective Tsukauchi."
"That's me," Tsukauchi also nodded, "I heard from Toshi that he had a pretty brutal teacher who trained him in his UA days. You must be him. It's great to finally meet you at last, Mr. Sorahiko."
"Likewise to meet you as well. And I'm glad I still got an effect on Toshi with him referring to my teachings that way, heh," Torino smirked, but soon went down as he went down to business, "Now usually I'm in my Hero costume, but right now I'm out of it since this is a very dire situation."
"'Dire' doesn't seem to fit this entire thing," Tsukauchi muttered, "The whole department here, plus myself, barely had any sleep with everything happening as of right now. We had a total of thirty dead officers, a dozen of them being terribly wounded, along with my partner who is in critical condition at the hospital. This whole set of circumstances seriously just went from bad to absolutely worse in a short period of time, and with having All Might and Endeavor kidnapped by this League of Villains along with this Joker Villain and his crew, we're on the clock to try and find them before anything happens to those two."
"...Wait a minute, Endeavor was taken too!?" Torino asked in shock.
"Hm?" Tsukauchi blinked, "You didn't see the news yesterday?"
"I just ran here when I saw Toshi basically being shrunk to size by a bullet! I must've missed that other part...that and I don't keep up with the news nowadays. The news can be dreadful at times."
"Well...either way, the news reported that Endeavor has been kidnapped as well, his Quirk also taken away."
"What!? It's been taken away too!?" Torino's eyes widened in surprise, "...Damn, this Joker guy is...well, no pun intended, but he's no joke. My goodness...and that Endeavor is a strong fellow. Worked with him during the Stain Incident. This Joker maniac is about as ruthless as that bastard All for One."
"Actually...it wasn't Joker who took away his Quirk," Tsukauchi said with a serious frown.
"Eh? He didn't? Well then, who did? One of his henchmen?"
Tsukauchi was silent for a couple of seconds, until he revealed, "Eyewitnesses and video reports state that the shooter who took away Endeavor's Quirk yesterday...looked like his eldest son."
"Huh?" Torino raised his eyebrow, "Eldest son? Whaddya mean?"
Tsukauchi narrowed his eyes as he glanced down at his desk, "...Endeavor had a son, the oldest of the Todoroki children. Reports said that his son, Touya was his name, committed suicide. No one knows why he did; it could be from a strong depression he was suffering from. It wasn't all really clear...but people saw who shot Endeavor with that Quirk-erasing bullet...we looked up the files of Touya's death certificate, but even then, the certificate didn't seem to make much sense...if that guy who shot Endeavor really was his eldest son, Touya, then..."
"...Then Endeavor is hiding more than just his son's supposed death..." Torino looked down in thought, "Hrrmm...I honestly don't want to think and believe Endeavor is capable of doing such dirty corrupted deeds and tactics, like bribing people to hush anyone and the news about it. From the time I was working with him back at Hosu City when we fought Stain and those monsters, he seemed pretty good at his job...and he seemed to take the Hero job very seriously," he then muttered, "I hope he wasn't putting up a facade."
"Well, we might not know what happened behind closed doors with the Todoroki family, but at the end of the day, all that matters is that we rescue All Might and Endeavor from Joker and his crew, as well as these other people," Tsukauchi reminded, "Which by the way, these other people that are with Joker right now are being led by that Shigaraki fellow. Have you heard of him?"
"Shigaraki?" Torino lowered his head and hummed, "...I think I heard that name before. Was he in the news months ago? Something about a USJ incident?"
"That's the one," confirmed Tsukauchi with a nod, "Witnesses yesterday said they saw a Villain with multiple hands all over his body aiding Joker. The same person from the USJ incident."
"Hrm...what does he have in connection with Joker?"
"That's what we're trying to find out. But when the Hosu City Police apprehended Stain, he mentioned Shigaraki in passing, the man being the one who sent that giant monster in USJ to try and kill All Might. The monsters at Hosu City that day were the same ones that came with that Shigaraki at the USJ, the monsters being called Nomus. Only this time, they were a lot different than that single massive hulking one All Might had fought. Basically, the point I'm trying to make here is that from other eyewitnesses, and from our officers' as well as my personal experience yesterday, it seemed that same Shigaraki has gotten a lot of stronger new recruits in this League of Villains."
"League of Villains?"
"That's the name of their organization..." Tsukauchi went quiet for a second, and asked Torino, "How much do you know about All for One?"
Now Torino's posture went stiff, his expression looking the same, but having a more worried aura around him, "What do you mean? I just know he's a very evil Villain."
"Hm. That's true. However, from past records, All for One was alive during Toshi's days at UA. He said he defeated All for One by ripping his head off...but from what we learn as we try to track down information on Shigaraki and this League of Villains, it seems we learned some interesting things about this League..."
Not liking where this was going, Torino dreadfully asked, "Like what?"
Tsukauchi was quiet for a short moment, until he said, "We have reason to believe this League of Villains is being operated by someone behind the scenes, someone who is leading this organization besides Shigaraki. A leader in the shadows, so to speak...which we happen to believe this leader is none other than All for One himself."
Torino's eyes widened in shock, "...What? You mean...that monster is still living? Even after what Toshi did to him?"
"We think so...maybe Toshi may already know who is behind the League at this point when he was kidnapped by Joker, Shigraki, and their respective crews. Either way, he and Endeavor are in danger, which is why we have to work fast on finding them."
"But...are Joker, this Shigaraki character, this League of Villains, hell, even All for One working in cahoots with each other?"
"That's still up in the air. Things have gotten so crazy, that we're still trying to form some kind of a plan."
"Well, I'm basically here for that anyway. We can try to form some kind of tactic before we hear any breaking news about All Might and Endeavor."
"Hm. I do appreciate you coming all this way to help out. We definitely need all the help we can get. I don't know what we'll be facing from here on in, but one thing's for certain; we will bring each and every one of these Villains to justice," Tsukauchi said resolutely, his eyes narrowed in determination.
"...I certainly hope we can. What with Toshi losing...his Quirk, there will be a future uproar not only in Musutafu and Tokyo, but in all of Japan. I can basically already feel the uncertainty of this town while coming down here." Torino muttered as he glanced down at his lap with his arms crossed.
"Hmm..." A thought came to Tsukauchi as he asked, "Excuse me, Mr. Sorahiko?"
"Hm?" Torino looked up at the detective, "Yeah?"
"...Do you happen to know a boy named Izuku Midoriya?"
Torino blinked, "Izuku? Why, yes, I do. I taught him in his internship around a month ago back at Hosu City."
"Ah, right. Well...let me also ask, do you know the truth behind Toshi's Quirk?" Tsukauchi asked the older man.
"...One for All?" Torino decided to say it straight.
Seeing they were on the same page, Tsukauchi nodded, "Yeah...I guess you know, then?"
"Of course I do. I was with the woman who gave One for All to the boy."
"Hmm...Toshi spoke highly of this Hero. her name being Sylph, aka Shimura Nana."
"Yeah...that's her...she was a very good friend of mine," Torino said as he glanced at the floor, remembering as one would say, the 'good ol' days'.
"...Well, I know for a fact that the only bearer for One for All now would be Izuku Midoriya...we can only hope he can answer the call from this point on..."
"...Hm..." Torino narrowed his eyes solemnly, "...The boy's got a lot cut out for him. Everything will have to ride on his shoulders from here...he may be the only link to One for All now..."
Tsukauchi nodded with a thoughtful hum, "...I actually feel bad for that kid. Being so young, attacked by a bunch of ruthless thugs, seeing his Hero be reduced to nothing, and now...he has to carry a legacy."
"...Yeah...kids should be kids these days, you know?" Torino commented.
"...Indeed..." Tsukauchi also narrowed his eyes at the reality of it all.
Don't worry, Izuku...we'll get All Might back...we'll get Toshi back...and we're gonna stop all this madness that's happening right now. Just hold onto One for All as much as you can.
- Midoriya Residence -
10:00 AM
Back at the Midoriya residence, Izuku and Inko ate breakfast, and are now sitting on the couch watching the television and waiting for any news about All Might and Endeavor. Despite sleeping soundly, Izuku is a little nervous...well, 'little' could be exaggerated. He's very anxious at the moment, the reality coming back to him that All Might that he lost not only All for One Quirk, but is held captive by these maniacs. He feels like it would only be a matter of time before all this sinks in Japan that All Might is actually in serious danger. He just wonders how he could've slept so peacefully when all of this was going on...
Well...maybe it was the whole talking to Nana in the Vestige World thing? Maybe time didn't flow as normally when I was...there? Or asleep? Either way, One for All surely is something else...however, I just kind of wish this wasn't the day I face Kacchan and tell him everything about my Quirk...
"Izuku?" Inko's voice interrupted his thoughts...or so he hoped, not wanting to actually mumble his concerns out loud.
"Wha-uh, y-yeah, Mom?" Izuku asked, dreading what she might say next if he mumbled things out without realizing it again.
"You look a little bothered..." Inko frowned a little sorrowfully, "Oh Dear, we don't have to watch the news if you're feeling anxious about it."
"Oh! Uh, n-no, I'm just...I mean..." Izuku sighed, and went to a different topic, "Mom, you should really rest. You stayed up too late and made breakfast for me and yourself. I don't know how you can function through all that."
"Oh, Izuku, please, I'm a mother, I can do anything that would involve the wellbeing of my own son."
Izuku smiled slightly, "Heh...well, Mom, now I'm gonna look out for your wellbeing. Just relax for a bit, I'll look out for any news on All Might and other happenings on the TV and my phone."
Inko frowned, "But-"
"No buts, Mom. Just rest and relax. I'll even get a pillow and a blanket for you to sleep with."
"...Oh Izuku-Dear, you're so good to me," Inko said with a sweet smile.
"Anything for you, Mom," Izuku smiled sweetly as well.
As Izuku got a pillow and a blanket for his mother, Inko rested on the couch while the TV was still going. After getting comfortable as she lay on the couch, Inko drifted off to sleep, while Izuku looked on at the TV to hear any breaking news.
He waited for about twenty minutes until he decided to go to the bathroom...
...As soon as he was done, he was about to leave the room when all sudden, his phone started to ring.
I-I-I-I-I AM HERE! I-I-I-I-I AM HERE! I-I-I-I-I AM HERE!
The catchy ringtone remix caught Izuku off guard. Getting his phone out, he read who it was on the caller ID.
Yaoyorozu Momo
...Oh shit.
Should...he take this call? What would Yaoyorozu be calling him for?
...Izuku realized the stupidity of those questions.
Oh, man...what is she going to say? I...I hope I didn't...
Sucking it up, and deciding to get this whole thing over with, he pushed the 'answer' button and put the phone to his ear.
"Uh, h-hello?"
"Oh! I-Izu-uh...M-Midoriya! I, um...just...w-wanted to know how you're doing?"
...Okay, so, she's just checking up on me. That's...a good sign...no awkward tension there...
"Oh, um, I'm doing, uh, I'm doing great! I-I mean, all things considering, since, you know, um...All Might and...Endeavor are captured and...y-yeah."
"Yes...I can't believe things have gone so bad in this amount of time."
"Yeah..."
...Izuku and Momo, who was on the other line, were silent...
...Okay, stay calm, Yaoyorozu hasn't mentioned...what happened yesterday, so it's all cool...just try to come up with somethi-
"Midoriya?"
"U-Uh, yeah? I mean, y-yes, Yaoyorozu?"
Oh PLEASE don't bring up the almost kiss...
"...Are you really going to face Bakugou today?"
Oh, thank good-...oh...well...crap.
"...Yeah...I...it's something I have to do," Izuku said solemnly with narrowed eyes.
"I mean...do you have to? Bakugou has been very hostile lately, and you seem to have a history with him...how far back do you know him?"
"...I..."
...Hm...I guess I can tell her some bits and parts about me and Kacchan…
"...When...I guess when we were kids. About four years old."
"Four years old? What on Earth did you do to Bakugou at that age?"
"...Our relationship is kind of complicated...basically the shorter version is, I...followed him around because I thought he had a cool Quirk, but he was...a-annoyed by following him around. And when I was pronounced Quirkless, which I, uh, guess the doctor was wrong since I got it later on in life, he...basically took that as an insult...and maybe an excuse to bully me..."
"...That's...That's horrible..."
"...It...It kind of is."
"Kind of is!? That's beyond 'kind of', it's despicable!"
"Wha-no, I mean, don't be mad at Kacchan, he-"
"And why do you keep preferring him as 'Kacchan'!? From what you said, he doesn't deserve any kind of nickname...although, I may have a few...crude, maybe vulgar, nicknames for him at this point."
Izuku blinked, "Whoa, Yaoyorozu."
"I can break being civil when I want to. But really, you must've realized he was nothing but a jerk at that point! In fact, what is he even doing at UA in the first place!? The school is for upcoming great Heroes, not upcoming absolute assholes!"
"WHOA! YAOYOROZU!"
"...Sorry...I, uh, I guess I got worked up there...but Bakugou is nothing more than a hypocrite! He says he wants to be a Hero, but he goes into having a record of treating people with disrespect and outright bullying the good ones who want to be an actual Hero, like you, Midoriya!"
"...Well...he...he tries..."
"...Midoriya, you sound like you have a deeper understanding of Bakugou...more than you actually let on..."
"...It's...It's complicated, okay? I-I really don't want to dive into it...not just yet."
"...Well, you have to know one thing, Midoriya. Whatever happened between you and him, Bakugou doesn't deserve your respect. He's basically a bully, he's rude and arrogant, and I still think he shouldn't be in UA."
"...He..."
"Midoriya, whatever relationship you had with Bakugou, just know that you are the true example of a real Hero. Don't ever look up to someone like him."
"..." Izuku sighed, "...I still got to talk to him, though."
"Why? You don't have to explain anything to him."
"...I know...but I usually keep my promises."
"..."
Silence from each teenager on the other lines...
...A sigh came from Yaoyorozu's side, "You really are gonna see him, are you?"
"...Yeah. I just...I'm actually kind of..."
"...Actually, Bakugou said you told him something differently than what you told us. What does he mean by that?"
...Damn it.
"Look, Yaoyorozu, I...well, what I said was...half the truth."
"Half the truth? What do you mean?"
"..."
Should I...tell her?
"...I..."
I mean, All Might's Quirk is gone...maybe...maybe I could...not only tell Yaoyorozu but...my friends also?
"..."
Will they really understand? ...I think they confirmed they would be my friend either way, but...what about...what about-
"Midoriya?"
...I can't tell them yet. Maybe when we go back to school on Monday.
"Sorry, I'm...I'm here. Look, Yaoyorozu, I...maybe...maybe I can tell you and everyone else in the gang everything, from how my Quirk...uh, from how it manifested and from what Kacchan said in the classroom. In the meantime, I...I just got to face him today."
"...Okay...you seem really intent on it...I don't know why you have to see Bakugou, but...it sounds like I can't change your mind."
Izuku frowned, "Yeah. I'm sorry..."
"No...don't be. If it's something you have to do, then it's something you need to do...just don't let him get to you. In fact, if he strikes first, then strike him back. Show him that you are the real deal."
Now Izuku smiled, "I mean..." he chuckled, "You know what? I'll try."
He could hear the giggle on the other line, "That's good enough for me. Just...be careful, okay?"
"I will...thank you, Yaoyorozu."
"Anytime...um...Midoriya?"
"Hm? Yes, Yaoyorozu?"
"...I...um...well...you..." he heard an anxious sigh coming from the other line, "Just know that I meant it."
"Huh?" Izuku blinked.
"I...meant it...u-um, th-that's all! Uh, again, just be careful against Bakugou! Uh, b-bye!"
And then, she hung up.
...Midoriya still stood there dumbfounded, with the phone still up to his ear...
"...She...meant it?" Izuku said dumbly.
...That could mean anything...right? I mean...she was just...uh...she was...just saying...
...
...Deciding not to delve into that any further (although he did feel...somewhat a little giddy, whether she meant it that way or not), Midoriya checked the time on his phone as he lowered it to his eye level. The talk about Kacchan actually reminded him of the task at hand.
10:50 AM
...Hm...I should probably leave at eleven-thirty so I can meet up with Kacchan around twelve.
Putting his phone back in his pocket, he exited the bathroom. Upon entering the den area again, he sees that his mother is still sleeping on the couch.
Izuku frowned at the thought of leaving his mother here while confronting Kacchan about One for All.
...It has to be done.
In the meantime, he had to wait...
11:20 AM
After watching two videos on his computer, one video being about All Might, while the other was a news video about recent events, Izuku looked at the time on his phone.
...Maybe I should go now.
Getting up from his chair, he exited his room and made his way to the front door of their apartment. Once he laid his hand on the doorknob, he took a glance back at the couch where his mother was sleeping, the TV still blaring the news as there was nothing to report as of now.
...Izuku frowned.
Sorry, Mom...I'll be back though. No worries.
He directed his attention forward, turned the knob, and exited the apartment.
Closing the door silently so as not to wake up his mother, Izuku took a deep breath and walked onward to the level balcony where his apartment and all the neighboring rooms reside.
As he was about to reach the staircase, he was stopped as an older man came up the staircase.
"Eh? Midoriya? Kid?" Torino asked with a surprised tone along with a raised eyebrow.
"Ah! Uh, G-Gran Tori-I-I mean, Mr. Sorahiko! Uh, you're-um, you're back!" Izuku said, mentally kicking himself as he forgot about Gran Torino and when he would come back.
"Yeah. I spoke with Detective Tsukauchi. You seem to know the guy, right?"
"Huh? Oh! Uh...yeah. I...guess he told you that he knew mine and Mr. Yagi's secret as well?"
Torino nodded, "Hm. I mean, I know that he told Chiyo...Recovery Girl's name, by the way."
"Oh. Uh, okay...y-you know Recovery Girl?"
"...Yes. Yes, I do," Torino said with a slight pink dusting on his cheeks.
...Not wanting to actually go into that topic from the look of Torino's face, Izuku desperately thought of something else to ask, "Uh, so, what did you and Detective Tsukauchi talk about?"
"Hm? Well, basically, what our next plan is. They also informed me that UA will have you kids from Class 1-A to Class 1-B accompanying Pro Heroes in finding these Villains, to Shigaraki, to Joker, to all of their henchmen."
"Oh...UA told the police that?" Izuku blinked in surprise.
"Yeah. I don't necessarily agree with it, but I haven't seen ol' Nedzu make any bad choices before."
"Well...we're really determined to bring All Might and Endeavor back," then he blinked, "Oh, uh, did you know about Endeavor being kidnapped?"
"Yeah, that I did. Tsukauchi filled me in..." Torino looked out at the boy, "He also wants you to be careful on going to this mission."
Izuku frowned, his expression turning somber, "I know...this could be a big challenge for all of us."
"Hmm..." Torino was silent for a moment, "...Did you...know that All for One..."
Blinking at the faltering sentence, Izuku looked at the older man as he connected the puzzle pieces of what he was trying to say.
...I don't think I can tell him I already knew...I don't know if he knows about the Vestige World.
"...Did I know what about...All for One?" Izuku feigned ignorance.
"...Did you know All for One is actually back?" Torino outright said to Izuku.
Izuku, as best as he could...told the half-truth, "Uh...I-I kind of...figured."
Torino's eyes widened in surprise. "Y-You did? How did you know?"
"Uh...I just...had a feeling..." Izuku answered lamely.
The old man raised an eyebrow, looking at him dubiously.
"...Well, you were talking about All for One yesterday, that I, uh, just felt like it would make the most logical sense that he's...still around?" Izuku said, trying hard to not look uncertain.
"...Hm," Surprisingly, Torino nodded, "Right. Of course..."
That's right. I haven't told the boy that All for One was defeated by All Might one time. Torino thought.
"Uh...yeah," Izuku nodded, a little baffled that he took the excuse.
Better not say anything else about it, just let it slide.
"So, where are you headin', Sonny?" Torino asked him suddenly.
"Huh? Oh, uh..." Izuku paused for a second.
Aw, man. I can't really tell Gran Torino about Kacchan...
Speaking of, he needs to go. He has to make something up, anything...
"I...got to go to a friend's."
Sort of true...if you count he was once my childhood friend.
"Hm? In the middle of this national emergency?" Torino asked him a little curiously.
"Uh..." Izuku dug into his jeans pocket and looked at the time on his phone.
11:30 AM
Ah, crap! I got to go!
"Um, s-sorry, Mr. Sorahiko, I got to go. I, uh, I can't keep m-my friend waiting. I'll see you later!" Izuku ran past Torino quickly, running down the stairs, maybe even putting in a little of that 8% in his legs to run as fast as he could to escape the conversation with the old man.
Torino looked at the boy with suspicion...
"...Hmm...eh, kids these days," Torino muttered.
After using 8% of One for All going down the stairs, he cooled down his Quirk for the time being and ran normally to the train station, which would be mostly packed by people making the commute to lunch or wherever.
However...he noticed that the streets were quiet as usual when he ran over to the train station with only a couple of cars passing by. Not many people were walking on the sidewalks as the hustle and bustle of this part of town just felt...empty. He didn't even have any trouble getting from point A to point B, since there wasn't any traffic on the roads.
It wasn't a big change, per se, but it certainly felt...odd...and it was a Saturday, too.
And if that wasn't enough...there were other people that were on the sidewalks...
As Izuku ran over to the station, some people were on the sidewalks holding out signs that said some rather...disturbing messages.
Things like, "Joker is Quirkless! The Quirkless WILL RISE!", "All Might is All Talk! Beaten by a Quirkless Man!", "Heroes are Doomed! Our Voices Shall Be Heard! We Are The QUIRKLESS!".
It seemed that these people looked like to be Quirkless individuals, their normal appearances evident while some of them had raggedy clothes on, obviously homeless...
Izuku had to stop for one moment to see these Qurikless people holding these signs.
While it shocked him that these individuals were rooting for someone who was clearly crazy, he also thought about how a Quirkless person actually did take down the almighty All Might by himself. Granted, he used a weapon and some kind of formula, but...he took him down, regardless.
He stood there, in slight shock and horror of how anyone can support this maniac.
Then, he thought back to his previous handicap...
He thought about the irony...the irony that a Quirkless person was being praised...just by being Quirkless and taking down what people considered an unstoppable god-like being.
...This was all so very wrong.
Or is it?
The dark thought went through Izuku's head, his eyes widening at the audacity of ever thinking that in his mind.
At least Joker is doing the cause a lot better than you. One Quirkless man strips down a powerful Quirked man into a weakling, even killing some Heroes in the process with the help of his followers.
...He needs to stop thinking these thoughts.
Also, his Quirked crew respects him. And that's what you wanted, right? To be respected? To show people with Quirks that you have what it takes to be someone that's strong? Stronger than them? Stronger than All Might? ...Stronger than Kacchan?
...
...In fact...are you jealous?
...
...Am I...jealous?
...He...He needs to keep moving. He's got to hurry and meet up with Kacchan. And he certainly can't let this dreadfully dark and...and sinister part of him allude him into think-
"Hey, kid. What are you doing standing there?"
Snapping out of his daze, Izuku looked at a man who was wearing raggedy clothing. He was carrying a sign in front of him, another sign that had words on it.
And these words had the most horrific message that Izuku had ever read:
The words said:
Joker is Our SAVIOUR!
His words were choked in his throat, unable to say anything, the sheer horror on his face.
"Say, why you lookin' like that? You on drugs?" asked the Quirkless man.
"...I...I just remembered something that I needed to do. S-Sorry!" Izuku then ran away from these poor delusional people...ran away and not once looking back.
He ran and ran, almost close to the train station. Once he arrived at Musutafu train station, he realized...that the station had but a few people in it.
In fact, there were around just five people inside...which was definitely not a lot if you live in Japan and are going somewhere by train commute.
This...everything, to the streets, the sidewalks, the Quirkless rooting for Joker, to the few people here in the train station...
It was all very worrisome to Izuku.
As soon as the train came, Izuku went inside and took a seat in one of the seats to calm himself down. The train signaled its departure and it moved to its next destination...
Izuku sat there...thinking about all that'd happened in this short amount of time.
He never thought that things could really get this bad...
Not only that, but he also felt like...he neglected the people that he tried to represent. In his journey to perfecting his Quirk, he basically almost (almost, he would never say that he did, that's just not who he is) turned a blind eye to those who had nothing...nothing to make them the 'new' normal.
The same people...that he once was...
But...am I any different?
Just because he has a Quirk now...does that make him still qualified in the Qurikless category?
Is he still...Quirkless?
...Or is he not?
Is he just some boy using a power he can't control fully? Or is he just...a normal Quirkless boy?
...Does him having a Quirk actually...make him a hypocrite?
...I...I don't need these thoughts. Not now. I'm trying to get to my old middle school and confront Kacchan about what my Quirk really is, and I-...I'm not...I'm not some kind of...some kind of fak
"You okay, kid?"
Izuku looked up at who spoke...
...It was a tall and very strong-looking man who had black short hair and a black-shaven beard. His attire consisted of a green jacket, a black turtleneck shirt underneath the jacket, and blue jeans completed with brown boots. He was also carrying a black duffel bag.
But on the man's face was...a scar that ran across his left side, across the bridge of his nose, and under his left eye. His face had a very stoic expression as well, which didn't help his look at all...
...Izuku had to admit, the man looked...pretty scary.
Also, he and this man looked to be the only ones on this train.
"H-Huh?" Izuku uttered with a blink.
"I said you okay?" the man said gruffly.
"...Uh..." Izuku was quiet for a second as he diverted his gaze onto his lap. "...I...don't know..."
The man looked down at the boy, silent for the time being...
"...If I were to guess, you're probably feeling uncertain about all that's happening right now," the man asked Izuku.
"...Yeah..." Izuku said with a nod, his face for certain looking unsure.
"...I saw you looking at those signs that those people were carrying," the man mentioned.
"...They're probably Quirkless..." Izuku stated.
"...Be as it may, no one, whether they're Quirkless or even Quirked, should ever support that psychopath," the man said with a slight scowl as he thought about that said psychopath.
Izuku also scowled, "...Yeah. You're right..."
"...All Might didn't deserve that defeat..." the man lowered his gaze at the train's floor, scowl still on his face, "Not because he was defeated by a Quirkless man, no...he just simply didn't deserve it."
"..." Izuku glanced up at the man, and suddenly asked, "Would it be strange if a person who's been Quirkless their whole life really wanted a Quirk to prove something?"
...The man looked at the young man again, his face still stoic, "...Very interesting question, kid."
Izuku turned his gaze down at his lap again, "Yeah...it's just...I've been thinking a lot about...Quirks and the Quirkless lately..."
"...Are you Qurikless, kid?" the man asked him in curiosity.
...Is he?
Am I?
"...I...I thought I was...but...my Quirk came to me in due time," answered Izuku, now staring at the empty seat that was across and in front of him on the train. "I...kind of led a tough life when I was younger..."
Why am I pouring out my whole life story to this stranger? Why would he even care about what I had to say? I don't even know him. He probably wouldn't want to bother with me now once I said I was Quirkless one time...
...
...But maybe he actually came up to help? Why else would he come up to me? He's not a beggar, is he?
The man stood there as he looked at Izuku sitting there...
"...Well, just so you know, I'm Quirkless," the man told the boy.
Izuku's head snapped back up to look at the man in shock.
"Wh-What?" Izuku uttered, the surprise on his face.
The man nodded, "I'm Quirkless. Have been for...a long time."
The boy just stared at the man, his mouth a little agape as his eyes were wide with what looked like a glimpse of hope.
"R-...Really?" Izuku asked.
The man nodded.
"...What, uh...What happened to your face? U-Uh, if you don't mind me asking!" Izuku asked, quickly trying to back what he said.
For the first time since Izuku met this man, he gave out a smirk, not a cocky smirk, but one filled with mirth. "Had a couple of fights with some rough people."
"...Oh..." Izuku blinked, "Um..."
Before the boy could say anything for him, the man spoke up and said, "To answer your question, kid, let me ask you this: Do you rely on the Quirk? Or do you rely on your morals, ethics, and most of all, your strengths?"
"...Wha?" Izuku looked confused.
"Simply put, kid, a Quirk is nothing but an extra tool. It doesn't define who you are. You define who you are. Sure, you may be born with it, but in the end, it's to help people. You use it however you see fit. If you don't have a Quirk, your extra tool, then you go with the next best thing; your true tool: Your will. Using your intellect, your strength, your whole body power, basically your entire all. And if your will is as hard as iron, whether it be like an iron bat, a crowbar, or some other blunt object, then you definitely have what it takes to help any person. Your will is your real tool. But the most important thing about these 'tools', is that they meld with your beliefs and ambition. They apply to all of your strengths, into your very being. And that's what makes us all the same, with or without a Quirk."
...Izuku sat there in stunned silence, completely speechless as he listened to the man and his encouragement.
"Let me ask you this, are you in a Hero school right now?" the man asked him.
"Uh...yeah. UA."
"Ah. That's a very good school," the man nodded, "Just know that whether you were born Quirkless, or if you somehow have a Quirk inserted into you, or...you got your Quirk taken from you, just know that you are a human being through and through. It's not the power that makes the person. It's you and your will. And this should apply to all of us."
"...Thank you...really, thank you," Izuku said sincerely with a smile.
Smiling slightly back, the bearded man nodded his head back at the boy.
I...I almost lost sight of that... Izuku thought.
"...What's your name?" Izuku asked.
The man smirked, "My name? Well, if you really want to know, kid, my full name is Oguro Iwao."
"Ah. Okay..."
"...May I ask what your name is also, kid?"
"...Uh..."
Should I? I mean...
"...Izuku. Midoriya Izuku," the boy told him.
"Hm," Iwao nodded, "Well, don't ever lose hope in people, Midoriya. Just believe in justice and the people who fight for it. Also...whatever you're facing, never give up. Don't let anything stand in your way and keep going. Believe in yourself."
Izuku smiled again and nodded, "Thank you."
The train then came to a gradual stop, indicating that Izuku's next stop was here.
"Oh...I guess this is my stop," Izuku got up from his seat. He then turned to Iwao and bowed, "Really, thank you for your words of encouragement, Mr. Oguro."
"No problem, Midoriya. However...I have to ask, what are you doing out here during this dangerous time right now?" Iwao asked him, a little curious.
"...I'm...I'm meeting up with someone," Izuku said, his eyes filled with determination, "An old...friend..."
"...Hm," Iwao hummed.
The doors of the train opened, signaling for the passengers to exit to their destination.
"...Well, I got to go. Thanks for the talk again!" Izuku said as he waved, passing by Iwao and exiting the train.
Iwao looked back at the kid he spoke to, saying nothing as he left...
...That Midoriya kid looks to be hiding something...he seems like a nice kid, but I can't be too sure.
...He walked off the train before the doors could close.
...I should probably follow him, just in case. But if I'm going to follow him, I need to get to a bathroom or someplace empty to change...hm. Thank goodness no one is around these parts at this time...makes things a lot easier for me.
Okay, I apologize, the confrontation between Izuku and Katsuki will happen next chapter. I just want to update this before the month ends. XP
But hey! You got yourselves some inner drama and a surprise guest! :D Tell me what you all think so far! :) I hope I did really well with the whole 'surprise guest' reassuring Izuku's inner turmoil and whatnot. :O
And I promise, once Izukua and Katsuki meet up at Aldera Middle School, things will get...quite out of hand...in the best way possible. …Or maybe the worst way possible? You'll just have to see! ;D
Thank you all for reading! Tell me how it is with a fave, follow, and review! No stupid jerk-ass reviews like some people that I got blocked! They will be humiliated and laughed at. Kind of like THOTSLAYER9000, the hapless stooge. XD
See you all next time and keep on rocking everybody! :)
-TSP