AN: Thanks for reading and leaving reviews, everyone!
"Hey there!" Slidin'Go extended a friendly hand to Katsuki.
Katsuki was taken aback for a moment before he grabbed the gloved hand, returning the handshake. "Slidin'Go, 23rd ranked hero. I thought you looked familiar."
"That's right!" The hero offered a polite chuckle. "Although I'm hoping to move up in the rankings this year, if everything goes right! All Might's certainly left us all with plenty of work."
"All Might…" Katsuki breathed, remembering his promise.
"I see that his retirement's affecting you too," the hero said solemnly. "Well don't worry, we're out there keeping everyone safe!"
"It's not that," Katsuki muttered darkly.
Slidin'Go looked like he wanted to say more, but decided against it. Instead he looked at the principal. "Mind if I take your student for a little walk?"
"Students aren't permitted to leave the school grounds," The principal protested weakly.
"Not even with a hero escorting them? That's a shame." Slidin'Go said with an obvious look of disappointment on his face.
"I think," The principal looked between hero and student as his resolve crumbled. "An exception can be made. Just please have him back before school is out!"
"Oh, we won't be that long," The hero said cheerfully, already on his way to the door. "Come on, let's get some air."
Katsuki followed behind the hero, silently enjoying the spectacle. He always knew heroes were given a lot of leeway and were able to make their own rules, but seeing it firsthand was different. The two walked out of the school in silence, the hero not having much to say and Katsuki deciding to play along until they were out of the front gate.
"I know a lot of kids have been taking All Might's retirement pretty hard. They're scared for the future of Japan and all that," The hero began speaking as he led Katsuki away from the school. "But something's different with you, isn't it?"
"All Might was supposed to wait for me!" Katsuki said, frustration leaking into his words. "I'm supposed to be the next Number One Hero! As strong as he is! I've- I'm not even out of middle school yet, damn it! And All Might, he's-" Katsuki clenched his teeth. "All of the teachers at UA are still heroes, and other hero schools have full-time heroes as teachers too. So why can't All Might do both?"
"I see," The hero said. "So you're worried Japan's gonna fall apart before you graduate?"
"I've seen the history books. I'm not blind - I know what Japan was like before All Might," Katsuki explained. "I want to step up, to be the hero that is so strong villains don't even think twice about committing crime."
"That's a noble goal you've got there," Slidin'Go offered him a smile. "Do you think you've got the quirk for it?"
"Of course I do!" Katsuki snarled at the hero. "Everyone knows it! Just ask anyone at Aldera."
"Great! I want you to show me," The hero said, as they stopped at their destination - an abandoned lot near the train station.
Katsuki gave the hero a feral smile. "You sure about that?"
"Of course I'm sure!" Slidin'Go smiled back. "If you think you can surpass folks like me and Hawks, to say nothing of Endeavor, I want to see this quirk in action. Just don't do any property damage or hurt anybody," The hero chuckled. "I've given you authority to use your quirk in public, but I'm still gonna have to treat you like a villain if you hurt someone."
"Don't worry about that," Katsuki grinned. "I'm not some loser who can't control his quirk."
Walking to the center of the lot, Katsuki started small. He held up his hands and started unleashing a series of small pops as a warm-up. The heat from the explosions washed over his hands and arms, and he smiled as he felt the sweat start building up. Aiming his hand skyward, he took a deep breath.
"Die!" Katsuki bellowed as he ignited the sweat he had collected on his palms, sending a huge explosion skyward.
"Impressive!" Slidin'Go said from the side of the lot. "But raw power's nothing if you can't control it."
"Tch," Katsuki smirked. "Just watch this!"
Pointing his hands behind him, Katsuki began using his explosions to fly around the parking lot, throwing punches and kicks backed by explosive force as he danced around, making sure not to go anywhere near the walls of nearby buildings. Even the random trash can that was lying discarded in the lot was left untouched, despite his rapid movement.
Satisfied with himself, Katsuki launched himself skyward only to land right in front of the hero. "How's that for control?"
"Not bad, for a student," Slidin'Go smirked at the boy in front of him. "But you've got potential, and that's what really matters."
"Of course I've got potential!"
"Which comes to the matter of how you want to shape it."
"What do you mean?" Katsuki's eyes narrowed as he stared at the hero.
"We both know Aldera's just a backwater nothing. Did you know that despite its proximity to UA, it's never had any student make it in there?"
"Of course I did!" Katsuki threw a thumb to his chest. "And I'm going to be the first."
"An excellent ambition. However I'd like to propose another option."
Katsuki scoffed. "What could you possibly offer instead of UA? The school All Might went to!"
"How about interning with me?"
That caught Katsuki by surprise. "You can do that?"
"Oh, it wouldn't be anything official, sadly," Slidin'Go said, looking apologetic. "I primarily operate out of Deika after all, but we could arrange it so you're on patrol with me once or twice a week, and perhaps give you a chance to practice on your quirk with me and some other pros?"
Katsuki thought about it. While he wished he could ditch Aldera already and go to hero school early, he did need more practice, and he would need to be as strong as he could be right out of high school if he wanted to help Japan, because who knew what villains would do over the next four years. As a bonus, it would let him see what being a hero is actually like in practice, something that would also help immensely.
He would be a fool to refuse, and Katsuki wasn't foolish.
Smiling at the hero, Katsuki bobbed his head. "I'm in. So what now?"
"Excellent!" Slidin'Go smiled at his new charge. "Now we get you back to school, and I make some phone calls."
Once they returned to school, January passed quickly for Izuku, Ochako, and Melissa. They continued with their training, the last mountains of trash shrinking down to a single pile. Before they knew it, the final morning of their beachside training had arrived.
Ochako woke up early, excited to see the ceremony. Rushing into the bathroom, she quickly changed into her workout clothes. As she was putting on her shirt, she looked at herself in the mirror and gasped at what she saw. The changes had been so gradual, she never really noticed them before. Or perhaps she just wasn't paying attention.
The girl staring at her in the mirror was not the same one who moved to Mustafu last March. While she still had a layer of chub that gave her a soft appearance, underneath that she felt the toned muscles that rippled inside of her. She stared in awe at the girl in the mirror. In her mind's eye, she wrapped the image in a costume of black and pink, one of the designs she doodled in her notebook.
She liked what she saw.
Ochako's gaze shifted to her hands, worn and calloused from the training, the bright pink pads on her fingertips and thumbs a constant reminder of her quirk. Even though Izuku and Melissa assured her that she was strong enough, doubt still clung to her. Their quirk, One For All… how could she hope to keep up with that with just Zero Gravity? Closing her hands into fists, she looked back into the mirror.
"I won't let anyone down. I'll do whatever it takes!"
She quickly finished changing before rushing out the door, grabbing her jacket on the way. She didn't want to be late!
The three met up several blocks from the beach. Greeting each other with warm hugs, they continued onward as a group, finding Toshinori's pickup truck waiting for them. Continuing past the innocuous vehicle, the three saw the silhouette of their trainer and mentor as he waited for them, his emaciated form standing out in the morning sun.
The three approached only to see him disappear into a puff of smoke, shifting into his muscular form, his smile shining as radiant as the sun behind him.
"It is time!" All Might declared triumphantly.
"Today's really the day, isn't it?" Izuku asked excitedly.
"You did it, Izuku!" Ochako cheered.
"No, we did it," Melissa corrected her. She swept her arm to indicate the three kilometers of beach now free of garbage and debris. "We did this together."
"Indeed you did," All Might said. "And not only that, but you've already inspired others. Did you know that there's now a volunteer group that comes out every night and sweeps the beach to remove the debris that gets deposited on the shore?"
"No!" The three students exclaimed.
"I'm surprised you haven't seen them on your evening sojourns," All Might admitted. "But those people were all inspired by your dedication and hard work. If you were able to do that simply by cleaning a beach, imagine what you will be able to do in the future!"
Izuku and Ochako bobbed their heads enthusiastically while Melissa smiled at her uncle. The middle schoolers remembered Toshinori's words, but hearing about the very real effect of their actions was completely different!
All Might gave them a moment to celebrate before he reached into his pocket and withdrew an envelope with Ochako's name on it. "I know this isn't much compared to the reward I am about to give Young Midoriya, but I believe that this will help you all the same."
Ochako looked at the envelope in confusion as she took it, feeling the contents inside. Opening it, she saw a letter and a credit card with her name on it. As she read the letter her eyes grew wide, before she squeaked and looked at All Might. "This is- I can't accept this!"
"Why not?" All Might asked, genuinely confused.
"This is so much! A full scholarship to pay for UA along with a monthly stipend for food and housing?!"
"One of many such scholarships paid for by my agency," All Might explained.
"I- I don't need this! There must be someone more deserv-"
All Might cut her off with a wave of his hand. "Young Uraraka. It has nothing to do with need. I know your family is in a much better position now, but what if something were to happen to them? Your actions over the past ten months have shown you are more than deserving of receiving one of these prized scholarships." He placed a hand on Ochako's shoulder. "You wish to help your parents, don't you? Take this and become the best hero you can be, and make them proud."
"That's not fair…" Ochako grumbled as she swiped at her tears before she wrapped her arms around All Might. "Thank you! This- I promise I won't let you down!"
"That's the spirit!" All Might said as he placed a hand on her back. When she separated from him he turned toward Izuku. "Now then, Young Midoriya. You have shown yourself more than worthy to become my successor. It is time," Reaching up to his hair, All Might plucked a single golden strand and offered it to Izuku. "Eat this!"
"What?!"
"Eww!"
"You want me to what?!" Izuku asked, doing a double take.
"One For All is passed through the transfer of DNA. You must ingest some of my DNA, and once you process it, the quirk will pass on to you."
"I-Melissa?!" Izuku looked at his friend in panic.
"Sorry," Melissa said apologetically. "That's how it works."
Ochako was trying to stifle her laughter, feeling sorry for Izuku as he floundered there. "If it helps I've got my water bottle."
"T-thanks," Izuku said as he took the hair. He stared at it intently, but no matter how much he willed it otherwise, it didn't change into something more appetizing. With a resigned sigh, he opened his mouth and stuck the hair in. It tasted funny and he swore it got caught on his throat until he washed it down with Ochako's offered water, but he managed to get it down. "So now what?"
"Now, you go to school!" All Might said as he deflated back to the form of Toshinori. "And we wait for you to digest it."
"You'll know when it worked!" Melissa insisted. "And then you can try it out after school!"
Izuku tried to hide his disappointment as he bobbed his head. He couldn't help but feel guilty for his impatience. After all, he's spent ten months preparing himself for One For All, what's a few more hours?
Ochako, meanwhile, looked curiously at Melissa. "So Izuku and I got something, but what about Risa?"
Melissa gave the two a cheerful grin. "It's helped me build up my own tolerance for One For All!" As if to emphasize her point, she began to glow a warm golden color, the light emanating from her standing out brightly in the dawn's light. "Besides, I've been enjoying my reward for a while. I got my two best friends out of this!"
Izuku and Ochako both looked at each other, their faces heating up at her words. They were saved by Toshinori's laughter as he clapped a hand on each of their shoulders. "Sadly, there is nothing more for me to give Melissa."
"I understand," Ochako squeaked out as her grip tightened on her envelope, afraid to lose it. "I-I guess we should get ready for school then? And meet up afterward?"
"Yeah!" Izuku quickly added.
"Agreed," Toshinori said as he released the pair of teens. "I'll see you after school. And Young Midoriya - I must insist that you don't try using One For All at school!"
"I won't," Izuku said weakly, up at his mentor.
As the four walked back toward the road, Ochako fell in line next to Izuku and gently touched his arm. "For what it's worth, I thought there would be some big fancy ceremony instead of, well…"
Izuku gave her a weak smile. "Thanks. Melissa didn't prepare me for - that."
"Oh, I had to do something different," Melissa said as she fell back to join her companions. "I was given a vial of blood to drink."
"Eww!" Ochako exclaimed.
"I would have preferred that to hair!" Izuku sputtered.
"It wasn't my decision," Melissa shrugged, a playful smile on her face. "But I still wanted to see your reaction."
Ochako giggled. "You're right. If I knew what was coming, I wouldn't have told Izuku either!" With a bright smile on her face she looked at her friend. "The look on your face was priceless."
Izuku's face fell. "You're so mean!" He whined.
The girl's laughter carried them all the way back to the road as they began their journey home.
It happened during lunch.
Izuku and Ochako were eating lunch on the rooftop, discussing the upcoming Hero Smash game when Izuku felt something ignite within him. Like a spark on a pile of timber, Izuku suddenly felt a warmth in his chest. He gasped, his chopsticks clattering into his bento box.
"Izuku, are you okay?" Ochako asked, concerned for the sudden change.
"I- yeah!" Izuku looked down at his chest as he felt the warmth settling into his body, filling some previously unknown void in his very being. It wasn't an uncomfortable warmth. No - it felt more like a blanket, or a comforting hug than a painful fire.
Ochako's eyes lit up in recognition as she lowered her voice. "Does this mean what I think it does?"
Smiling at his friend, Izuku bobbed his head rapidly. "I feel it!"
"Yay!" Ochako leaned into her friend, throwing an arm around him in a side hug while carefully avoiding knocking over his lunch. "Now we just have to survive the rest of the school day!"
"I'm not looking forward to that," Izuku admitted, unable to contain his excitement.
"Me neither!" Ochako laughed. "But we'll be out of here soon."
"I can't wait," Izuku looked at his hands as he felt the warmth spreading to them.
He couldn't wait to try it out.
When Toshinori and Melissa arrived in his truck, they saw Izuku and Ochako were already standing on the beach waiting for them. Melissa couldn't help but smile as she watched Izuku and Ochako running toward them. She remembered her own excitement at using One For All for the first time… and the pain of using too much of it.
Looking down at the case in her lap, she hoped that they could avoid a repeat of that incident. She knew Recovery Girl would help if necessary, but everyone would prefer it didn't come to that.
"It worked!" Izuku exclaimed as the pair got out of the truck. "I-I feel it!"
"Wonderful!" Toshinori clapped his hands together. "Let's get closer to the shore, and Melissa can explain what to do next."
"Okay!" Izuku said as he turned around and rushed back down the beach, the other three following in his wake. There, sitting on the shore, was a small pile of appliances that Toshinori had insisted they leave behind for Izuku.
"So first thing's first," Melissa said as she approached. "The power, the warmth. It feels good. It's easy to think you can use more than you really can. But trust me, it hurts."
"R-right," Izuku said, remembering her horror stories. He'd like to avoid shattering his arm if he could help it.
Poking at Izuku's chest, Melissa continued. "The best way to think of this power is like a burner. Or a faucet! Right now you can only handle the barest trickle of power, but over time you'll be able to handle more. In the meantime," She smiled as she lifted the case. "My dad's got some equipment to help you out."
"And I shouldn't pay attention to your percentages," Izuku added automatically.
"Yep! Because my One For All has more strength accumulated, five percent of its strength is higher than yours. At some point we can try figuring out an exact scale but for now… Just try pushing the barest hint of power to your fist."
As resolve filled his face, Izuku bobbed his head. Looking at his hand, he began to concentrate… and saw a faint green glow wrap itself around his hand, much like the golden glow Melissa had demonstrated countless times before.
"Pretty," Ochako whispered from her vantage point.
"Young Uraraka, can you move that stove out for young Midoriya?" Toshinori asked.
"Of course!" Ochako said. Tapping the appliance, she removed its gravity and pushed it away from the rest, before releasing it from her quirk. She quickly backed away as it settled in the sand with a soft thud. "Show us what you can do Izuku!"
"Y-yeah!" Izuku said, excitement creeping into his voice. He stepped forward and dropped into a rudimentary stance, before pulling his arm back.
"Smash!"
Everyone heard the loud thud as Izuku punched the side of the stove, its side collapsing inward from the force of the blow.
"Is everything alright, young Midoriya?" Toshinori asked.
Izuku stared at his hand in awe, before looking up at his mentor. "Better than okay! I did it!"
"Yay!"
"You didn't break anything!"
Toshinori smiled at his successor. "That's wonderful news! Now let's figure out your limits. Then your training can really begin."
The four of them continued onward for the rest of the afternoon, Izuku experimenting with both his bare hands and the prototype Mid Gauntlet that David had delivered, to determine how far he could go. As the sun began to set, Izuku felt tired and sore, but exhilarated.
"You did it, Izuku!" Ochako cheered as he rested against the remains of a refrigerator.
"And you didn't mess up your arm like I did my first time!" Melissa added.
"I'm still sore though," Izuku admitted. "I probably need a few days to recover."
"I agree," Toshinori replied. "The three of you should take the rest of the week easy. Next week, we'll begin your training properly."
Once they all bobbed their heads in agreement, the three students looked at each other. Melissa saw the excitement on Izuku and Ochako's faces and found their smiles infectious. Sure, she was already a hero student and practiced with her quirk daily, but for Izuku and Ochako it was going to be a new and exciting experience.
She couldn't wait to get started.
AN: I'd like to announce I now have a pair of beta readers for my stories! Please thank SmallMightFan and Spaceman13 for helping me make my stories even better! ~SupportGrrl47