Izuku walks down the street in silence toward the tunnel that he normally uses when getting home. His pace was leisurely and casual. A light breeze tickles his skin as Izuku walks. His tail swayed slowly, lazily behind his back. With each step he took, the wind rustled his hair, gently brushing strands aside as it blew through him.

Movement echoes behind him and Izuku tenses, whirling around, tilting his head upon seeing what's behind him. A mass of green gooey sludge that towered over him:

A Villain.

"You'll make a perfect skin suit for me to hide in, kid!"

Slime villain pounced towards Izuku with incredible speed. But to the villain's shock, he only grabbed air. His eyes blinked rapidly as he looked around.

"Where did he go?" Slime villain shouted, glancing around frantically.

"You know, if you're going to sneak up on someone, try being more silent than that."

The villain whirls around, finding Izuku outside of the tunnel. Arms crossed, smirking at him, his tail swayed calmly behind his back.

"You little punk," Slime villain seethed.

"What's wrong? Feeling inadequate?" Izuku questioned mockingly. "Didn't expect someone with such poor stealth skills to get to where I am. What happened? Did some teacher get to you during class and make you feel stupid? Well, yikes, that must have sucked."

The slime villain growled. Ready to grab this boy again and not miss. This little brat was acting so overconfident, thinking he was no threat to him at all! Well, he'll make sure to put him in his—

"Don't worry, child!" A voice suddenly sounds from behind.

"What? No, how did you…?" The sludge villain exclaims, rolling his body around to stare in horror.

"Why?" His sentence punctuated by the sound of heavy weight crashing into pavement. Midoriya, meanwhile, stared in awe at the person in front of him. That muscular build, those blue eyes hidden in dark shadows, that blonde hair stylised into antennae. It was weird that he was dressed in such a casual T-shirt and jeans and holding a plastic shopping bag, but there was no mistake about this.

"Because I am here!"

There was no mistake that this was All Might, the number one Hero in the world.

"Oh, no!"

"Texas-"

"No, no no no-"

"SMASH!" All Might reeled back an arm and let loose a punch in the direction of the Sludge Villain. He didn't actually touch it, though, instead punching the air with so much force that a massive shockwave was sent forward. The shockwave hit the Sludge Villain dead on, and its body was completely broken apart and scattered around the street.

All Midoriya could do was stand there in awe at his idol. Said idol, meanwhile, took a bottle of water out of his shopping bag and emptied it out onto the street. Once it was emptied out, he sped around the area to every spot that pieces of the Sludge Villain ended up. Midoriya wondered what he was doing, but after a few seconds, he saw that the street was spotless and the entirety of the Sludge Villain was contained in the water bottle. With that, he returned to standing in awe.

"All Might…" Izuku muttered in awe before shaking himself out of it. He shook his head. He mustn't allow himself to show weakness. Sure, he's a big fan of All Might; he has been since he was a child, and his overwhelming power is what motivated him to get stronger. But his pride wouldn't let him show any sort of soft emotions.

Izuku blinked, realizing that All Might was hovering over him, his big smile still stretched across his lips.

"Oh good, you're okay," he says, giving Izuku a thumbs up. "No need to worry, young man. I have captured the evil-doer!" All Might says, reaching into his pockets and pulling out two bottles filled with the unconscious sludge villain. "He is sealed away and will be delivered to the police!"

Izuku nods, his eyes trailing after All Might who starts walking away.

"Well, I've gotta get this guy to the police so they can take care of him. Stay out of trouble, see you around!" All Might calls over his shoulder. Izuku lowered his head slightly, glancing at the ground.

He didn't know why, but the thought of asking him was making his chest constrict painfully. He hated it. It was affecting his game and pride as a warrior. It's not just because he's curious, of course! It's more like….he's hoping All Might would say yes. Even though Izuku had given up his dream of becoming a hero a long time ago due to him being Quirk-less, a-part of him can't help but hope. Hope that if there is such a possibility, then…maybe…

Izuku lifted his head up in time to see All Might bent his body into a crouching position before jumping up and propelling himself far into the air, the pavement cracking as an after effect.

"Stop right there!" Izuku shouted, his eyes narrowing.

Sensing his opportunity slipping away, Midoriya made a calculated decision. With utmost care, he executed a superhuman leap, mirroring All Might's angle, and securely grasped onto the hero's leg, ensuring no harm would befall it.

"Hey, what gives?!" All Might shouted as Midoriya latched onto him. "Young man, as much fun as I love my fans, I really need to get going!"

"I know that, damn it! But I have a question for you! And I'm not leaving you alone until you answer me!"

All Might blinked in surprise. What's with this kid? Where did that attitude come from? He sighed whilst shaking his head.

"Okay, okay! I'll set us down!" Shout All Might.

"Good!" Izuku shouted back.

Despite the boy's tone, All Might couldn't help but chuckle.

"Man… you sound just like him." All Might muttered under his breath, a small smile graced his lips. Izuku perked his head up.

"Huh?" Izuku was confused.

"Oh, uh, pay me no mind, hahahaha." All Might said, emitting a laugh.

Midoriya stared at All Might with a raised brow.

Katsuki Bakugou started down the alley with the two peons following behind him. He clicked his tongue out of anger as he could still feel the stinging pain that Deku inflicted on him with a punch. Though it was indeed painful, Katsuki could tell that Deku was holding back; and that alone only infuriated him.

"Man, you really pissed Midoriya off, Bakugou!"

"I thought he was gonna kick your ass, for sure!"

The two peons trailing him around certainly didn't help dealing with it.

"Seriously, the guy could probably beat you with one blow, and you keep starting crap with him," Peon #1 laughed as Peon #2 handed him a cigarette.

Bakugou didn't respond. He turned around, grabbed the cigarettes from Peons #1 and 2, and disintegrated them with his Quirk.

"Hey!" Peon #2 shouted.

"I told you morons not to smoke when I'm around! If you're caught, it'll go on my record, too, dipshits!

The peons' mouths dropped. Their bodies started shaking. Bakugou blinked in bewilderment. These two had clung to his sides long enough to not get like that when he went off on them, so that didn't make any sense.

Bakugou turned back around and saw a giant mass of sludge with jagged teeth glaring at him.

"A body with a good Quirk."

His eyes bulge in internal fear.

After being in the air for several more seconds, All Might landed on top of a nearby building. Midoriya landed gracefully on the ground. Looking over to his Hero, Midoriya saw that All Might had his back completely turned away from him.

"I wasn't lying when I said I was in a hurry, so what's so important?" All Might asked. "Do you want my autograph, or something?"

Izuku crossed his arms and scoffed.

"An autograph? Don't make me laugh, All Might. What good is having your name written in my book, when all it'll be is a thing collecting dust." Izuku remarked, closing his eyes.

If Izuku had to be honest, he was lying. He really would've loved to have an autograph from his idol. But again, his pride and sense of a warrior crossed that thought out. All Might turned to face Izuku with an arched brow.

"You don't want my autograph?" All Might asked with genuine surprise.

Izuku glanced at All Might with a glare.

"Okay, okay, you don't want my autograph. I get it." All Might said, nervously chuckling while waving his raised hands before clenching them and placing them on his hips. "If not an autograph then what?"

Izuku rolled his body around to fully face All Might.

"I'm a normal kid without a Quirk," Izuku began. "Though I am stronger than any kid, that's besides the point. And it's not that I care…I'm just curious. Is it possible to be a Hero without a Quirk? Could I ever hope to be someone greater and stronger like you?"

Be a hero like me without a Quirk?

This boy's Quirkless. And he wants to know if he can still be a hero?

Toshinori acknowledges the appeal of the dream but understands the inherent dangers of being a hero. The life of a hero is fraught with constant peril, where their lives are always at stake. Toshinori recognizes that having a special ability is crucial for surviving these treacherous situations while still fulfilling their duty to save lives.

"What's your name?" All Might asked. Izuku blinked in confusion.

"Midoriya Izuku." Izuku replied.

"Young Midoriya… I had a friend who received a major injury five years ago by the attack of a villain," All Might began. "The result is the semi-destruction of his respiratory system and total removal of his stomach. Despite the doctor's efforts… they couldn't save him."

"Really?" Midoriya responded. "I assume you fought against Toxic Chainsaw?"

"You know your subject well," Toshinori comments. "The guy was tough, but not even he could take me down."

"Then what purpose does it serve for you to bring that story up?" Izuku inquired, raising his brow at him.

All Might slightly narrowed his eyes at Izuku.

"Professionals must always put their lives at stake. I can't openly say that being a hero is possible without a Quirk because it may not be possible." All Might folded his arms. "If you want to save people then you can become a policeman; the job may be ridiculed and disparaged but it is still admirable. It's not a bad thing to dream but be careful not to obscure the facts, kid."

All Might felt his heart sank for having to tell this to the poor boy. He really didn't want to crush his dreams but he couldn't lie to him. But to his surprise, the boy wasn't sad nor was he shocked. His countenance remained neutral.

"Well, it was worth the shot." Izuku said, turning away to the roof's precipice. All Might blinked as he watched Midoriya walk towards the roof's edge.

"Wait, you're not…sad?" All Might asked, his tone laced with bewilderment. Izuku looks at All Might over his shoulder and shrugs.

"Nah, I expected this." Izuku turned away from All Might and stepped up on the roof's edge.

Before All Might could ask, his eyes shot wide when Midoriya leapt off the edge without hesitation. His hand stretched out towards the boy, his lips parted to scream his name, until he halted in his tracks. His countenance transformed from horror to shock when he saw Midoriya…hovering.

He can fly?! All Might thought.

It was then that All Might realized: his pocket felt light.

Just to hopefully quell his paranoia away, All Might reaches for the bottle containing the sludge villain, only to find that they aren't in either of his pockets. Horror floods his face as he realizes that he doesn't have the contained villain on him anymore.

An explosion erupts in the distance and he whirls around, fear flooding his face.

Midoriya gracefully landed on the ground whilst wrapping his tail around his waist. He shoved his hands in his pocket and started forward down the sidewalk. He dodged a few individuals that passed by him while settling his gaze on the floor as he walked.

Izuku clicked his tongue. Meeting with All Might was such a stupid decision. He knew deep down that was the kind of reply he'd given, so talking to All Might was unnecessary. But even so, a part of him wanted to hold on to some semblance of hope that maybe it was possible to become a hero without a quirk. This is what he gets for deluding himself for thinking so and not facing the reality in front of him.

Izuku shook his head. He needs to take his mind off it. There was no point focusing on a forgotten dream that was far out of his reach.

Midoriya paused in his tracks when he heard an explosion sound off through the air. There was a large crowd of people across the street, it must have come from over there. The crowd kept getting larger, and with his enhanced sight, it looked like a lot of people were smiling.

There must have been Heroes and Villains fighting over there.

Midoriya gave a shrug and started crossing the street. Something like this probably wouldn't do much, but he did make it a habit of watching Heroes fight whenever it happened near him. Not only that, but it could be interesting to see what Villain was being taken down.

That thought left him when he saw said Villain from afar.

The Villain causing a ruckus was, without a doubt, the Sludge Villain All Might had apprehended earlier. Midoriya couldn't forget that slimy body of his, and the roaring flames only served to make it look even more threatening. Listening in on the chatter of the other onlookers, Midoriya learned that the Sludge Villain had taken someone hostage and was manipulating their body. The hostage must have had a fire-based Quirk, and that was where the flames had come from.

Damn it! I must have knocked the bottle loose when I grabbed All Might's leg! It must have fallen out of his pants, and the Villain got free! Midoriya thought to himself.

Despite the presence of Heroes at the scene, their abilities were rendered ineffective. Kamui Woods, a plant-based Hero, was limited in movement due to the risk of his body catching fire and turning to ash. Backdraft, a Rescue Specialist, was occupied extinguishing the fires caused by Kamui Woods, leaving no opportunity to confront the Sludge Villain. Mt. Lady, a novice Hero, possessed the ability to transform into a giant, but was unable to navigate the crowded street. Desutegoro, the only Hero unaffected by the environment, was restricted by his reliance on physical combat, as any action would endanger the hostage.

Regrettably, the most disheartening reality was the absence of All Might. Reports circulated of his pursuit of the Sludge Villain, leaving people bewildered by his sudden disappearance. However, only Midoriya possessed the knowledge that All Might intentionally distanced himself due to Midoriya's incessant and unproductive inquiries. Consequently, the Sludge Villain remained at large, orchestrating havoc instead of being incarcerated.

Thoughts began to appear in overdrive.

Damn it! All of this is happening because I was such a fool. Because of me, innocent people are going to get hurt! This is my fault!

Midoriya loathes himself for what he just did. He hated this with every fiber of his being. Hated that people were getting hurt. Hated that All Might told him he can't be a Hero without a Quirk. Hated that people were suffering because of his carelessness.

In an incredible moment of happenstance, the Sludge Villain's body shifted around just slightly enough for Midoriya to see that the hostage was… Bakugou.

He looked like he was going to cry.

For a brief moment, Izuku's eyes widened in shock before transforming into a determined glare.

Before Midoriya knew what he was doing, he had jumped away from the crowd and was sprinting towards the Sludge Villain.

"Hey, kid! What the hell are you doing?! Get back here!" Desutegoro was yelling at Midoriya to stop, but he didn't listen. He couldn't listen. Nothing in his body was allowing him to listen.

"You, again?!" The Sludge Villain, a hint of anger in his voice.

Midoriya swiftly reacted to the Sludge Villain's presence, leaping onto both the villain and Bakugou. He located Bakugou's arm amidst the sludge and exerted all his strength to free him. With a resounding shout, Izuku successfully pulled Bakugou out of the clutches of the Sludge Villain. In a display of impeccable timing, Mt. Lady activated her Quirk and skillfully caught Bakugou mid-air, akin to an outfielder at Koshien.

The crowd erupted with excitement and enthusiasm.

"Goddammit! Why do you keep getting in my way, brat?!" The Sludge Villain shouted. "Not this time! I'm taking you out, for go—"

The Sludge Villain gasped in shock. Fear filled every pour of his slimy body when he met Midoriya's eye glaring at him. Hovering in front of him, his arms to his sides, his clenched fist shaking with rage.

He brought up his right hand in front of the Sludge Villain's face. Right palm charging a violent green energy. The Sludge Villain cowered in fear, retreating backwards to get away from sphere signature as it grew slowly bigger.

"And where do you think you're going?!" A new, familiar voice shouted.

Midoriya's disbelief was palpable as he witnessed the energy ball in his hand dissipate. Despite his direct observation, he struggled to accept the reality before him. However, All Might's presence, appearing exactly as anticipated, instilled fear in the Sludge Villain, leaving no room for doubt.

"I told you the traits that make a great champion, but I see now I wasn't living up to my own ideal," All Might declares, then adds. "Pros are always risking their lives! That's the true test of a hero!!"

All Might anchored his arm back. His hand clamped to a fist.

"Detroit SMASH!"

Before the Sludge Villain could even move, All Might hit him with a downward punch with so much force that three things happened as a result: the Sludge Villain's body was completely broken apart, the resulting air pressure extinguished all of the fires on the street, and that same air pressure created a rising air current so powerful that it started raining.

Midoriya watched as the crowd cheered.

He landed on the ground next to Katsuki then folded his arms with a huff.

A/N: Hope you guys enjoyed today's chapter! I know what you guys might be wondering: how come he didn't deflate to his normal state when he was in front of Izuku? Well, that's because in this timeline, All Might didn't receive his major injury from All For One. Which means he's still kicking it at one-hundred percent of his strength, he's still partnered with Sir Nighteye, and on top of that he has no reason to look for a successor or give Deku One for All.

At least not yet.

But at this time he's not looking for one. But what do you guys think? What do you think will happen next in the next chapter? Until then, I'll be going now. Cya in the next chapter my little shimmerings!