Good in Evil
By: SomeRandomPerson648
Chapter 7: Resolve
A/N: Hey guys! So I should mention that I've begun to tweak my writing style a bit to be more descriptive, which is something I hope can improve in the future
For Izuku, the following day felt like his first true step towards his ultimate goals, the real initiation that would make or break his future. What came before was only the training but here and now was the real deal, the start of his life. And it all began on a seemingly simple school day
Once the final bell rang and hordes of teenagers evacuated all that remained were the stragglers. Among them, Izuku slowly made his way out of the building, creeping through. The nervous wreck of a boy was made even more anxious by his promise he made the other day, to give that girl his blood after school. Yet as simple as the thought was he was still made anxious by his own thoughts, seemingly anything could spook him as his eyes shifted every which way
He couldn't stop thinking about Toga, what she would do to him or what he would do to her. As frightening as she was he was more daunted by the task at hand, to help save her. The simple objective was only complicated by endless thoughts, answers to questions which only led to more doubt and despair. What if he couldn't save her? What if he wasn't enough to save her?
"Baby steps...baby steps..." He calmed himself. But as he walked forward his knees began to buckle under his own self inflicted pressure
Rather than outright leaving the school he instead went to the back of the school, situated in a shadowy area that was hard to see, more convenient for him to meet with Toga. But as he entered the shady end of campus his heart began thumping louder and louder from the anxiety that plagued his mind. It felt like his body was on overdrive, picking up on the faintest of sounds, spotting the most distant movements. Izuku waited what felt like eternity for the blonde girl, snapping towards every sound that he heard as though he were an animal in the wild. It felt almost illegal what he was doing, and probably looked the part too, but in reality it was all in his head
Eventually there came the soft sounds of footsteps, scaring Midoriya enough to cower behind the small shrub that he stood beside. He tried to cover his mouth and settle his breathing, but his panic rose to unbearable heights as the footsteps grew closer and closer...
"Boo!"
"Ahhh!" Izuku yelped, leaping back onto his feet in a catlike manner
Standing in front of him was none other than Toga, laughing hysterically and wiping tears from her eyes. For a moment he felt as though he was meeting All for One for the first time again, but afterwards the mountain of anxiety was quickly replaced by embarrassment. He could guess that he looked ridiculous in that moment, but some of the nervousness lingered regardless of the fact
"You look so funny Izuku! Like a little kid!!" Toga exclaimed with tears
"R-right. Sorry..." Midoriya apologized. "I just got nervous again."
"You're always a little nervous when you're around me. Am I really that pretty?~" Toga teased, not letting up
After a few more playful jabs Toga finally breathed a sigh of relief before pulling out her backpack and placing it in front of her
"What's that?" Izuku asked, curiously observing as the teenager pulled out what seemed like medical equipment
"You like it? I stole this from a hospital a little while ago, thought it'd be useful!" She almost congratulated herself as she made a makeshift drain. Her 'equipment' consisted of a syringe attached to a tube leading to an I.V bag. Beside her she also pulled out a large book for basics on medical and surgical techniques
"Let's see...roll up the sleeve and insert the needle directly in the vein..." She red aloud as she stitched together the parts needed
With unease Izuku sat still as the girl rolled up his sleeve and poked the needle into his arm. Unlike the normal, professional way that blood was extracted this process was a little more painful. The stabbing sensation that he felt remained as Himeko used a miniature pump to shift the blood out of the boy, forcing him to feel the blood leave his body in a rather irritating way. To say he was uncomfortable was an understatement. From the dirt he sat on to the cold needle that he was injected with he couldn't help but feel his heart race a little more
But rather than focus on the terrible sensations Izuku tried his best to distract himself. He thought up a few subjects for small talk before giving up halfway and instead asked the questions that were on his mind
"Since when did you know how to do this?" He asked rather abruptly, catching the girl off guard
"Eh? Since today!" She admitted proudly, making the boy's heart sink. "I thought I should do my best to drain every last drop of you for myself, and cutting a hole into you wouldn't be my best bet. So I thought I should steal a few supplies and make this a bit more...profesional!"
"Figures, a girl like her wouldn't know a thing about medicine." Izuku realized. "Still, at least she's trying...as strange as this is."
"Well...what about your quirk?" He shot back
"What about my quirk?"
"I just want to know more about it." He admitted. "If you can drink blood to look like other people then why do you want my blood?"
As the girl used her hands to squeeze the miniature pump to extract the blood she stopped for a moment to think of an answer before resuming
"My quirk doesn't need me to drink so much but...it's like eating sweets! The taste, the texture, the texture! I can't get enough of it!" She explained with a crazed demeanor
With every reaction and response Midoriya could feel his blood pressure rising. Slowly his small sense of security was being stripped away the more he discovered about the strange girl that sat before him. But on the bright side he now knew the truth behind her lust for blood
"She's crazy!" He thought. It took every fiber of his being not to let his rising panic show. Instead he had to chuckle to himself and push through
"...What about my blood? How does it taste to you?"
"Hmm...I'd say it's sweet like chocolate, but a little bitter." She replied. "But it's better than most others."
"Most others?" He thought, struggling not to think further ahead on that sentiment
"Say you never told me about your quirk? What's yours about?" She asked
"My quirk? Well, I don't really ha-" He began but cut himself off, realizing his mistake. "Um, actually mine's pretty boring..."
"Come on tell me!"
"It's...it's called Survivor. It lets me grow and adapt to certain things. Aside from letting me heal faster my body grows faster than normal too. But...I'm still learning more about it myself."
"Ooh. So you're really hard to kill?" She asked with a blush and a promising look in her eyes
"Kind of?"
"That's so cool!" She replied, amazed by the concept alone
"Is it really?"
"Of course! It won't matter how much you're stabbed, you won't die on me now matter what I do!" She fantasized, losing the pacing on the mini pump
"Thanks..." Midoriya thanked, his worry skyrocketing. He never imagined that he'd receive a quirk related compliment, it was almost unbelievable if it weren't for how deranged it was. Yet the complement felt woefully undeserved, fake even
"You know your quirk is cool too." He complimented in return
"Really?"
"Yeah, really. It's useful for impersonation or infiltration, and I still have so many questions about it. Like how does the change go when you transform? If it's all the way then what happens to your private parts when you turn into a guy? Can you just rub off your new body? If you turn into someone shorter do you get shorter too? Is the reverse true as well?"
At the flip of a coin Izuku's worry was no longer at the forefront of his mind. Instead he became obsessed with the questions that desperately needed answers, many of which Toga had never thought of or even worried about. Yet as the boy mumbled away with his own form of craziness the blonde girl smiled happily, half paying attention to what was being asked and half admiring the passion that went into his concerns. It took all her strength not to stab him out of how cute he was
"You're pretty cute when you do that you know.~" She stated, saying the first thing that came to mind. Her smile grew as Midoriya was immediately at a loss for words
"T-Thanks..."
Eventually the I.V bag was finally filled to the brim with Izuku's blood, and after the needle was removed his world seemed to shift rather oddly, a dizzy feeling overtaking him
"Aww, that took so long just for so little. Can stab you instead? I promise I'll be gentle.~" She half complained and half teased as she held her hands behind her back, likely holding a knife. But Midoriya found himself struggling to word a response
"Please...don't..."
"What's wrong? Did I take too much?"
"Yeah...I think that's it." He responded, wobbling to his feet. "And also...please don't stab me..."
Taking a moment to stare at her new friend Toga smiled to herself before wrapping him in a crushing hug. The action itself confused the young boy, even more so when she kissed him on the cheek
"Mmmwwaahh!~"
"Eh?! What was that about!?" Izuku panicked, finally exploding out of nervousness. His cherry red face gave away the true awkwardness that he's been trying to hide the whole time
"You're my first real friend you know that? I just wanted to thank you again. It's...been nice having someone to talk to." She confessed with rosy cheeks and an unyielding smile, however he also noticed the small box cutter knife in her hands. She was likely on the verge of going through with stabbing the boy. "See you tomorrow Izuku!!"
While the girl happily skipped out of sight the boy slumped against the wall, breathing a little heavily. His mind felt sluggish, his thoughts were now delayed and his body felt weak. It was clear only now that he wasn't yet used to getting his blood drained. Now missing a pint of blood he felt like he hadn't eaten in days, the nutrients in his body disappearing in a matter of seconds
Standing beside him suddenly was none other than Kurogiri, who observed the defeated boy with patience
"That looked painful." He commented as Midoriya could only nod, slowly falling to the floor again as he tried to keep the world from spinning
"I suggest taking the day off. Plenty of rest should fix you again. Maybe refrain from allowing her to remove so much blood again." He suggested, Izuku nodding in acknowledgement. "This should help too" He said as he gave Izuku a cookie
"Thanks..."
"It's no problem."
Within a corner of the Musutafu district a young boy vigorously trained his body. Along the filthy beachside a field of shrapnel and ruined metal covered the sand, created by the destructive force of the young prospect
Bakugo, now having changed into his usual black tank top and grey shorts, continued to train his quirk at his usual spot. With the bright sun above his body was coated with a layer of sweat and his hands sparkled constantly with mini explosions. In front of him were a few metal appliances scattered in different positions, targets for his new trick that he's developing
Wordlessly he outstretched his right arm and took aim, firing what seemed like a shining tennis ball. In an instant the ball burned a hole through the cheap microwave and detonated the target, metal scattering in the sky before falling to the soft sand below
"I can make it smaller." He thought as he took a look at his sore red palm
Again he took aim, this time making the shape of a finger gun and launching a projectile the size of a pebble. The effect was a smoking hole on the front side of a broken AC unit, scorch marks still sizzling loudly
Through his efforts in training every morning and after school his quirk had become hundreds of times more powerful than what it was before. He's learned that he can make his explosions smaller and more precise and with more practice he can use this skill more effectively. In the future he just might end up launching miniature rockets or a storm of pellets at his future enemies, crushing them in millions of different ways. The moves he could use and name were almost endless, and all because of the effort he was putting in now
With a wide smirk plastered over his face he strolled over to the largest piece of scrap he could find and placed both hands on it
"Hah!!" He yelled as a bright flash emanated from his hands and a loud boom rang inside his skull. Proudly he observed the ruined box before him, cracked wide open as though a monster had peeled it apart
"So, you're the one that's been cleaning up the beach huh?"
Snapping his head behind him in panic he saw a strange man wearing a colored tracksuit observing his surroundings. Carefully the boy turned to face the mysterious man with apprehension. He eyed the skinny man with sad yellow hair curiously, trying to figure out the reason as to why he'd confront him
"Who the hell're you?" He demanded to know, but the man remained unbothered
"I'm just a stranger passing through." He avoided the question casually. "When I saw you blowing up all this scrap metal I thought I had to see who it was."
"So? Are you gonna report me or something?" He asked, a small bit of worry infecting his otherwise proud and brash demeanor
"No, especially not when you're doing this town a favor." He responded, picking up a piece of charred sheet metal that laid beside him. "And you, what's your name? You must be pretty strong if you can tear this place apart by yourself."
"Like hell I'd tell you! And I'm not doing anyone any favors got that?!" Bakugo yelled angrily. "If you're here to watch then piss off, I'm only here to get stronger."
"Get stronger? For what?" The strange man asked as the boy proceeded to grab the ruined scrap metal before him and toss it to the side
"That's none of your business. Screw off."
"Hm...if I didn't know any better I'd say you're trying to become a hero aren't you?" The man asked, but received no response as the boy grabbed a glass bottle
Without warning he threw it high into the sky and pointed his hand towards the falling object. Waiting a few seconds he shot a projectile after the falling bottle, but rather than destroy it the blast missed and fizzled out of existence soon after
"Tch, damnit." Katsuki complained as the bottle smashed against the beach shore, the water only pushing the remains further inwards
"That's a pretty dangerous way of training you know."
"Can it, I know what I'm doing." He shot back as he grabbed another glass bottle, repeating the same process
The tired man watched as the boy threw more bottles up in the air, each one smashing on the shore. With each failure the boy became more frustrated until he finally yelled out in furry, kicking a soda can into a pile of trash that gathered a few steps away from him
"You're getting better."
"Shut up."
Sitting down to rest his hands the man stared intensely at him, trying to know more about the peculiar kid
"I'm impressed. A few months ago I remember this place being nothing more than a scrapheap. But now you can at least see the sand."
Curiously, Bakugo looked around his surroundings to see the shinning wasteland that he created. Every inch of the place had a buried piece of metal or glass hidden by the sand. All that really remained of the garbage dump was just a handful of appliances and some more trash
"It's no better anyway, just a big trash heap like it was before." Bakugo shrewdly replied. He didn't know what the stranger's deal was but it was starting to get on his nerves
"Even then, I can see the effort that you've placed in cleaning the beach."
"As if! I didn't do this for the damn people I did it for me!"
"And why's that?" The man asked, finally hitting the question he's been dying to ask
"'Cause I'm training to be the best damn hero there ever was that's why! Happy?!" The frustrated boy shot back
Smiling the man took another glance at the beach. Even with the mess, there was still a tinge of hope for the place. In no time a cleaning crew could take a day or two to throw out what remained of the trash. Or better yet...
"It's no difference to me but...I think you can do better than smash up some debris and call it 'training.' Anyone with a wrecking ball can do what you did in a few days." He taunted ruthlessly, infuriating the blonde kid
"The hell did you just say?"
"If you're trying to be the best of the best then this place would've been spotless by now, but since your heart isn't in it I guess your just some kid playing in a sandbox." He continued to berate the boy, insulting the amount of effort and growth that he's undergone
"Fuck off! I don't need to prove anything to you!"
"Really? I thought you were trying to be the best hero? I haven't heard of any hero that goes around making a mess of things like you have."
"Fuck off asshole!!!" He screamed, but he only glared at the disappointed expression from the sorry excuse of a man
"You know I'm right. If your trying to go above and beyond than aren't you going to go the extra mile?"
The blonde hissed in retaliation. He knew that he was being tricked into cleaning the beach, the stranger was only pushing his buttons. But his pride and ego were seemingly in danger by this random man who wandered in. He's going to be the best hero around, there was no competition for that!
But in spite of that last thought the image of the white and red haired boy popped into his head, his arrogant face staring directly at him in place of the tired man
"Just what are you going to do about it?" Bakugo asked, both angry and curious
"I'll be jogging around this area tomorrow afternoon. I'd like to see this place clean of all the trash for once."
"And if it's not?"
"Then I guess you really are a pushover."
"Fuck off!!!" The boy yelled yet again, but to his surprise the man began jogging away, not another word out of him
"Like hell I'm gonna clean this damn place. I'm no one's pawn!" He yelled to the sky, but his ego said otherwise
He remembered the burning hatred he felt towards Icy Boy when he aced the exercise with no effort. It drew all of the attention he won over, and rather than have him as the talk of the class it was that kid that got the spotlight. He thought thought that he was better than him! That shit just won't slide, not now, not ever!
Yet as he looked around he realized that he had no feat of his own that could trump that. The best he's done, aside from easily kicking ass on the first day, was make a hazardous field of sandy shrapnel on a beach no one uses. Quite pathetic when he put it like that. And add to it the words of that asshole...
"...I'm gonna clean this damn beach." He decided, looking at the time to see that he still had plenty of daylight left. "I'll show him. I'm not some pushover!"
Making haste he made his way out of the area and towards the nearest market. If he was going to do things right then he needed proper tools for the job
"I'll shatter his damn expectations! Like the best damn cleaner he's ever seen!!"
Elsewhere, inside of the Nighteye agency, Mirio continued his basic training with the clairvoyant hero. Within the cold concrete room the two exchanged blows with such speed that any normal person would have a hard time tracking them
Sir Nighteye bobbed and weaved through the string of jabs and punches while returning the attacks. Likewise Mirio used his quirk to avoid the attacks. Attacking and counterattacking, dodging and phasing, all of this was done at a near inhuman pace that Mirio was just about able to keep up with
The blonde haired boy observed with awe as the man easily avoided two of his jabs and returned the favor with a punch to the gut, only for the counter to phase through and leave him open for a counterattack
Instinctively the teen capitalized, throwing a kick to the legs but watching as Sir jumped and spun in the air. But rather than hitting air, his leg instead slammed against Mirio's raised arm, suspending him in the air. But in the exact same instance his other foot came crashing down onto Mirio's chest, forcing the air to escape from his lungs
Having seen his opening Sir Nighteye recovered and delivered a blow to the face, ending the fight as Mirio fell to the floor in defeat
"You're still far too slow to keep up with me. And you're still having trouble phasing through my moves." Nighteye stated, fixing his glasses
"Yeah..." Mirio wheezed, "but I'm getting better aren't I?"
"That's true, but your skills need more refining." Nighteye lectured sternly. He never stopped to acknowledge Mirio's improvements, only criticized him for his failures. But it's through his customized teachings that Mirio was able to learn from his mistakes and continue to grow from the hardship he endured
Sitting up from the floor and recovering his breath again he thought of a strange question, a side of his that he wasn't quite trained for. With his rigorous physical training there was one other aspect that needed more training...and that was his leadership skills
"Sir...can I ask you a question?"
"Is it important enough that it must interrupt our training?" He asked, to which the boy nodded. "Then what's your question."
For a brief second Mirio wondered how to phrase his question. It was such a strangely broad topic with a biased answer yet he knew that he was the right man to ask
"How can I look more like a leader?" He asked sincerely, receiving a puzzled expression
"Explain."
"Well, All Might wants me to become a figure head for the top freshman class at UA. He said it was part of my training but part of me thinks he wants to skip out on some work." He joked casually, but unable to fish for any laughs
"Are you unable to ask him yourself as his pupil?"
"Not really..." He confessed, inwardly shocking Nighteye. "Between his hero work and his teaching work I haven't seen him since the day before yesterday. So I thought that you'd know something about being a leader too."
"Is All Might not making time for his pupil?!" Sir Nighteye wondered. He'd imagined with the two being in the same place for hours at a time that they'd get more time for each other. But the likely impediment was All Might's overuse of his limited time
"Come to think about it, he hasn't even revealed his natural form yet has he?" He continued to wonder with concern
"That's an easy question." Nighteye replied. "As a leader you must become a beacon of hope for the younger generation. Through becoming that beacon the rest would be compelled to follow your instruction."
"R-right... But how do you become a beacon of hope?" Mirio asked, making the subject tricker for the number one All Might fan
"Hm...then you must become more like All Might himself."
"Huh?"
"You must mirror All Might's best qualities," Nighteye lectured, "for example you must be funny, a trait that you sorely lack."
"What? I'm funny!" Mirio replied, almost baffled
"Then tell me a joke."
"Um...why did the chicken cross the road?"
"That's not funny."
"It's hard when you put me on the spot." Mirio sighed
"Secondly," Nighteye continued, "you must be calm and collected during every situation. Both of these traits can give others a sense of calm."
At seeing Mirio's expression the man only sighed, shaming himself for not having lectured the boy in what seemed like common sense to him. All of this time he'd been so focused on training the teen's body and mind for All Might's even rougher training that he failed to instruct him to the best of his ability. In part he also expected All Might to take care of the more practical issues, but never did he think that he'd neglect the boy's training
"But...as your instructor I strongly recommend that you take your advice from All Might, your true teacher." He stated, inwardly punishing himself for his lack of hindsight. "As much as I've taught you, all of my advice stems from the lessons he's taught me and the things I've learned as his sidekick. If he's telling you to guide those younger than you then it's because he believes you to be more than capable of doing so."
"...You really think so?"
"I know so."
With answers at hand Mirio's bright and cocky smile returned to him yet again. He sprung to his feet and readied his fist for more action
"By the way...has All Might given you any of his hair recently?"
"Huh? No? Why would he do that?" Mirio questioned
"No reason. Now, back to training." Nighteye swept the question under the rug as fast as possible. But the answer seemed to create more questions as well
"Why hasn't All Might given him One for All yet? Mirio's body is already a suitable vessel so why hesitate in giving it to him?"
The very next day held substantial improvements for Izuku, who grew both physically and mentally from the day prior. Waiting idly by for the school day to end he was yet again absorbed by his relationship with Toga and where it might go. The crippling fear of the future was a consistent pain of his, this new variable in his life being no different
For one his body still felt a bit strange after losing so much blood, but with a fixed diet his body could return to normal. Who knows, maybe even his quirk can help him produce more blood? It was also an aspect he wanted to focus on. But more importantly, Izuku wasn't as nervous as he was before
Waiting behind the building after school Izuku stood tall and firm, trying his best to conquer his unease. His heart still beat at a faster rate while waiting in the sketchy area, but the slightest noise wasn't going to scare him anymore. In his hands he also ate a chocolate chip cookie in hopes that the extra sugar could compensate for the thinning blood that he may get, but part of him felt as though he was going overboard
Eventually the person he was waiting for arrived, now with an even chipper attitude than the one she left with
"Hey."
"Hey~!" She replied, almost blushing at the sight of the boy. For a moment it looked as though she was gripping something behind her back, but when she calmed herself she seemed to let go of the mysterious object
"You look a lot happier today. Did something happen?" He casually asked, noticing her unwavering happiness ooze out of her
"Of course! That blood of yours lasted the whooooole day! I didn't even feel hungry this morning!!" She exclaimed with a passionate enthusiasm that even brought a smile to Izuku
"At least that means I'm doing something right."
"Speaking of which...are you gonna use the same needle you used yesterday?"
"Yep! But don't worry, I cleaned it in the public bathroom!"
"There's so much wrong with that sentence." He sighed, but was unable react. If he wanted to remain friends with Toga then he had to get along with her for the time being. And at least a sort-of clean needle would be better than another box cutter knife to the palm again
Soon the two got into position, sitting on the soft, warm grass as yet another I.V bag was slowly filled with blood that looked a tad brighter than normal
"Have you been eating too many sweets!? This blood looks different!" Toga interrogated
"Sorry, I tried to eat more to recover the blood I lost yesterday. I um...hope it doesn't taste worse." He apologized for the rather strange concern. For a moment the lunatic stared deep into his eyes, making her feelings crystal clear to him
"And um...would you like a cookie? My mom made them and they're pretty good." He offered. He had to do something to ease the tension
In return she hesitated. For a few moments she had to deeply consider the offer before accepting it cautiously. Izuku didn't know why she was suddenly so careful, but once she took a bite her cheeks went redder than normal
"Mmm! So good!"
In response she suddenly pulled out her boxcutter knife and used it to quickly slash a thin wound onto the boy's palm, shocking him more than it pained him. "Ow! What was that for?"
"It's my thank you for being so nice! I just couldn't help myself this time!" She said with a smile so bright that it thoroughly confused him. Why would she do something so...weird?
But as quickly as the interaction happened he was left wondering as she mindlessly drained the blood from his body. He had no words and neither did she, leaving the two in awkward silence. Or at least awkward to him, for Toga was stuck humming a tune to herself with a near-permanent blush. Midoriya could tell that she was enjoying herself, a warm energy radiating from her. It was clear in her cheeks, her tone and her permanent smile that she was loving every bit of this day. And that made him all the more confused
"Does she really love blood that much?"
But the teen was careful not to push his luck this time around. A friendship, at least by what he knew, wasn't made in one or two days, especially not a deep one. He wanted desperately to know more about Toga, her past, her quirk, her need for blood. It fascinated as well as horrified him to wonder these things. Yet he practiced his own restraint by not blurting out these burning questions. Overtime he'll learn...by becoming her friend
"Yeah...I'll be her friend...that doesn't sound so hard." He thought as he glanced at her warm smile. Little did he realize that he too was blushing, thinking that he brought her that kind smile. She almost looked normal were it not for her firmly holding a needle on one hand and an I.V full of blood in the other
Finally came the time for them to leave. The girl's smile never faltered as she waved goodbye and left the drained boy on the ground. His wooziness was much less of a problem than before but the ground vibrated nonetheless
But rather than worry about his current physical state he instead smiled to himself, staring at the clear blue sky above him. As he laid flat on the grass Toga's smile remained copied and pasted onto his own face, his heart fluttering as well. From the many things he imagined would happen once he became a villain he never thought that he'd be making someone smile so much
Inside he felt a strangely warm feeling in his stomach that overshadowed his looming hunger. It was a burning sensation of feeling accomplished, like his whole life had led up to this very moment. A warmth that was hotter than any summer day but more pleasant than any meal he's ever eaten. It was the feeling...of finally achieving his dreams
And it felt wonderful
Elsewhere inside of a cool, crisp room was an office space devoid of people save for one man. A familiar thin, yellow haired man was busy completing important paperwork for his teaching duties
Toshinori Yagi, still wearing his usual bright yellow stripped suit, sifted through the abnormal stack of paper before him. In front of him were the scheduled lesson plans that needed to be taken care of before they're promptly forgotten of. Future lessons, subjects, topics and exercises needed to be planned out as much as a year in advance, but for a busy and tired man as Yagi...these obligations only piled on
For a moment the teacher rolled away from the daunting paperwork and stretched. With all the work he's put in he's only been able to plan out roughly ten percent of his work, which wasn't at all a good sign of progress
"I really wish I was good at this." He thought to himself, staring at the sheets of paper that only had messy scribbles on them. "In all my days of heroing I've never been able to complete the paperwork that came after. Only Nighteye was able to keep up with it."
On cue a ring from his cellphone distracted him from his thoughts. Looking at his phone and seeing the caller I.D a sense of awkwardness entered his mind as he answered
"Hello Nighteye. It's not often that I get a phone call from you nowadays."
"Hello All Might, and yes I'm aware this is a strange occurrence."
Sitting upright and fully serious Toshinori couldn't help but wonder what he was being called for. Save for the call from months ago the two hadn't spoken in years, and even then they'd only ever discussed more immediate and pressing matters. If someone as serious as he were to call then there was definitely something wrong
"Is something wrong?"
"Nothing at all." He responded, surprising the thin man
"Nothing?"
"No. I only wanted to ask if you were preoccupied."
"Am I occupied? For what?" He wondered
"Hm...well I'm trying to complete my teaching lesson plans for the year before I forget. But since I'm not well versed in paperwork I'm struggling to meet my deadlines."
"I see. Could it also be that you struggle with planning ahead?" Nighteye wondered, further confusing Yagi
"What?"
"I'm sorry to say this but even as a hero you've never been one to keep track of your civic duties. As per law you're required to report and file your dutiful actions, but your lightning speed response times left you, and promptly me, with hundreds of reports per day." The man recalled. "Speaking of which...who does your paperwork now?"
"That would be Naomasa Tsukauchi from the police department. Nearly a year ago we agreed that all of my paperwork would go to him and his office...since he learned who I was and all."
"I see." The former sidekick responded, receiving the answer to his question
"So...did you call to see what I was doing?" Toshinori wondered, knowing that there was much more to it than that
"No, but I wanted to see what might be occupying you this time. Because only a while ago Mirio called me, saying that he'll be appearing at my agency for training again."
Upon hearing that statement a wave of anxiety and realization crashed into Toshinori all at once, nearly making him fall from his rolling chair. He knew that he was forgetting something throughout his day. It wasn't since yesterday that he wondered what sort of training he'll do once the boy grows
"Ah, is that so."
"Yes. And pardon my intrusion but I was also wondering what sort of plans you had for him, seeing as how you're lesson planning at the moment."
"Well...for the moment I gave him a goal. To teach the top freshman class a few lessons he's learned." He replied, receiving only temporary silence
"And then?"
"And then...I'll have to think of something."
"I see..."
A tense silence befell the two. The teacher could feel the judgment radiating from the other side, a quiet moment of contemplation that only left him more anxious
"...It has recently come to my attention," Sir Nighteye began, "that you've been rather absent from Mirio's life. And of the faults you have...I never considered you to be so neglectful."
"Neglectful?"
"Teachers do not leave their students with mere substitutes for longer than needed." He explained. "And as his new teacher...I find it disgraceful that your student comes to me for advice rather than you."
Now less confused Yagi's heart sank, knowing the type of mistake he was making. With his busy schedule he wasn't able to properly integrate Mirio into his schedule like he wanted to, instead being restricted by the time limit on his transformation
"Furthermore I get the feeling that you're not taking your role as a teacher seriously enough."
"I understand your concerns but I promise that I'm doing what I can for Mirio." He replied, hearing a sigh at the other end
"Then why doesn't he have One for All yet?"
"Excuse me?"
"Our agreement was that I'd help train your new pupil and mold him into the perfect candidate for One for All. But not only have you failed to properly make him your own pupil you've also failed to bestow him with your power."
"That's because...his body isn't ready yet." He made the excuse but received a swift counter
"That's false. His body is primed for your quirk. Frankly I believe his physical strength is above average for his age."
"Well...his mind isn't properly suited to take on the power."
"Hence the training." Nighteye replied, a little more irritated this time. "But he'll never receive that training if you don't make him aware of it."
"Even still, he hasn't been able to fully realize the meaning of being number one."
"Something I'm sure will happen once he's been thrown into action."
With that another sigh was heard, making Toshinori sweat a little. It was hard to explain why he refrained from Mirio's training, and it was something he couldn't disclose to his former sidekick either
"If anything it seems as though you're avoiding the entire reason for our collaboration. You give me the new wielder for One for All and I prepare his body for it. What is taking you so long to accept that?" He questioned, demanding to know the answer
"He's just not ready yet."
Raising his voice and slamming his desk Sir Nighteye exploded with a confrontational anger. "Why can't you accept that I've already given you the perfect vessel?!"
"He's not yet ready!" Yagi responded with equal ferocity
"Why?!"
"Because he doesn't know anything about being the symbol of peace!"
Silence fell yet again, the sidekick finally getting the answer he was looking for with much struggle. All Might's stubbornnesses was an incredible obstacle to topple, but finally he knew the crux of the problem
"As the number one hero," Toshinori began, "I became increasingly more aware of the things I can and can't do in this world, as well as the things that the world needed me to give up. I cannot, under any circumstances, push my own ideology onto a boy and force him to become the new face of the world without knowing if he can handle it. I need to entrust the future into the hands of the next person, and to fail in doing that can only mean disaster for this world."
With a big huff Toshinori revealed the true dilemma that he faced, the main reason for his hesitance
"There are certain things that require more than a strong body and mind in order to keep One for All away from All for One...and that's a strong will." He confessed. "I need to see the full extent of the boy's capabilities before I entrust him with my power. I need to know for certain that he'll be able to change the world for the better. Like I and many have before me...and like many will after."
Yet again silence enveloped the two, Toshinori feeling relieved yet guilty for revealing his true feelings. He knew that the young Togata wasn't malicious in any sense, however, he has yet to know what his true character was, what his real hopes were or whether he's capable of bearing such responsibility. But most importantly...he doesn't know if he could truly accept this position
"This is no easy burden to carry. It comes at a steep price...and whether Mirio can pay it is still up in the air." He thought
Cutting away the silence Sir Nighteye finally responded, firm and attentive
"I understand completely." He said. "But just know that you don't have as much time as you think. With every day that passes you miss out on more time you could be spending teaching the boy."
"I know...and that's why I'm taking my job seriously."
Without anything else to say or ask Nighteye hung up, allowing Toshinori to breathe a large sigh of relief. He laid his head just beside the stacks of paper and rested for just a moment
"I need to focus on what's important...and that's the future of the world."
Likewise, many miles away, Sir Nighteye rested his head over his two fists in silence. While staring at the familiar looking stacks of paper he sighed to himself
"If only things were simpler."
The waning sun rested over the horizon once more as Toshinori Yagi set off for his jog. The calm, warm air contradicted his current state of anxiety. The phone call from many hours ago still affected him as he casually jogged through the outskirts of the city
Even with a tired body his mind never rested, reminding him of his mistakes that he's made in being a mentor. He shamed himself for not taking greater care of his student, but in the end he knew in his heart that Mirio wasn't yet ready for the responsibility that was ahead of him
"Is this what Nana and Gran Torino thought when training me?" He wondered. Of the few lessons he's taught Mirio all of them were derived from things he's learned from his two masters way back when. Lessons and values he's acquired from the tutelage of those greater than him were things that he needed to pass down again, but he failed to imagine what else he could give
But his biggest and most prominent fear was leaving the world defenseless and without a proper guardian. It was a world that couldn't rely on him for protection, a world that needed a new symbol of peace. A world that needed Mirio...
Preparing for this eventuality was meant to be his only task now, but for every cry for help he always found himself jumping into action. While before his thoughtless actions of justice were a benefit, now they were seemingly a liability. And when the thought of that future came to mind he could only shame himself for doing the right thing
These fears and contradictions created an anxiety that made his heart pound harder than the jogging itself. He had to fight himself on the matter of whether to prepare for the future, or to continue fighting with every fiber of his being
However, midway into his jog he spotted a glimmer of hope in his dilemma in the form of a beach. He'd forgotten how clean the roughed up sands used to look like, and seeing them for the first time in ages caught him off guard
"I am in the north side aren't I?" He asked himself, looking around the familiar structures and answering his question. But the beachside was so clean, so pristine that they shone brighter than the aging buildings around him
The further he went the cleaner the area got, and with them appeared large trash bags the size of boulders. As he jogged these bags became more frequent until soon there was a sea of plastic blackness as vast as the ocean in front of them. And in the middle of it all was a lone blonde teen who slaved away
The shock was clear on his face upon seeing the boy. Had he done all of this? Was he responsible for cleaning the area? The curiosity forced Toshinori to enter the beach himself. Up-close he could see the contents of the bags more clearly, hundreds of shards of metal, glass, rubber and plastic filled the inside of the many bags stuffed with trash. It was amazing how much garbage was stored away under the many black trash bags, but more amazing was seeing the young Bakugo at work
Wearing his usual black tank top and black shorts he also had a cart beside him. He was equipped with many rolls of trash bags, rakes and shovels. But the most important features were the battery powered lamp and headlamp that laid in the cart as well. Had this boy stayed up all night working as well?
His answer came the second the irate boy turned to face him. His clear, confident smirk disguised the dark eye bags and radiated a determination that Yagi hadn't ever seen before
"I completed your damn challenge old man." He stated with a hint of victory and exhaustion in his voice. But Toshinori could only look around in bewilderment at his surroundings
"You were really able to clean this place in one morning?"
"Fuck yeah I did. I stayed up all night to do twice the work. Goes to show that I'm no pushover!" The boy exclaimed with pride and confidence
"You stayed up the whole night? What about your parents? They must've worried about you?"
"They don't care, I can do whatever the hell I want as long as I don't get myself killed."
Taking one more look around him Toshinori was flabbergasted by what this teenage boy could do in one day. He didn't even notice the eye bags during school until now, revealing just how hard he worked to prove himself
"So...you really are trying to be number one huh?" He asked, now having seen the extent of the boy's convictions
"Sure am. And there's not a damn thing that can stop me. Not this beach, not that damn Icy Hot, no one!"
"Icy Hot? Could he be referring to Shoto Todoroki?"
With one thought Toshinori was able to piece together the true reason for this whole event. He remembered the first day of class how Endeavor's son was able to complete the exercise instantly, outshining Bakugo's feat of taking out two students at once. And for a kid who claims to be the future number one, it must've ruined his ego
"I see. He needed to show that he's not to be underestimated." He realized, answering his own hidden question
Smiling, Toshinori could only admire the boy's tenacity. Cleaning a sea of trash in a day's time was no easy feat, especially for a teenager. It goes to show why he's in the best class at UA
"I'm proud of you, you're more bite than bark it seems."
"Shut up, I don't need your stupid praises. I'm showing this damn neighborhood what I'm made of and nothing else!"
"Still, you've done a great service to this city. I'm sure they'll thank you greatly."
"I said I'm not here for praises! I'm here on my own terms got that?" He adamantly refused. Toshinori couldn't understand why this boy was so against being thanked, but he knew that he couldn't change that
"Regardless, I thank you on behalf of everyone around. Whether you believe it or not you've done something that no one else has bothered to do. That alone is a great feat."
"I said shut it!"
Smiling, the man walked away without another word. For someone of such strong integrity his pride was just as strong. Perhaps it was because he refused to follow Yagi's advice before that he refuses to admit to helping the town. Or perhaps he really was only thinking about himself, either-or seemed to be likely answers. But in the end Toshinori could only admire the tenacity he's displayed, no matter how much he wants to deny it
"And all by just pointing him in the right direction." He thought, rounding back to his own dilemma
Contrary to Mirio, Bakugo was able to accomplish so much with a little teasing and an ultimatum, never did Toshi have to guide his hand and hammer in lessons that he needed to instill. With a little test he was able to reveal his true character that, while it didn't quite make an admirable hero, certainly made for a remarkable one
"Maybe that's it. Maybe all he needs is a little push in the right direction."
Mirio was a well meaning young lad, but Toshi had yet to see the strength of his resolve. One sparring match certainly wasn't going to cut it, and neither was another simple test going to do it. Because as well meaning as he was, Yagi had to be certain that he was making the right decision, that Togata was capable of becoming the symbol of peace like many have before
Now relieved the tired blonde man had his answer, the root of his problem. And in knowing that, solving it would be easier than ever. As he jogged away he brainstormed more tests for his pupil, each one trickier than the last
Meanwhile, Katsuki Bakugo sat still on the beachside. Surrounded by trash bags he could no longer remember the trash heap from yesterday, only seeing hundreds of trash bags instead. It was hard work, raking and shoveling through the coarse sand and even harder having to go through school with no sleep or energy. But his pride wouldn't allow anything less than that, and seeing the lack of exposed trash made his confident smirk return
It was through his own efforts that the stupid beach was shinning, and although there was still the trouble of having to notify the garbage crew of their laziness he was still proud of his own work
Staring off at the vast ocean his tired body finally rested. In place of his fiery tenacity was now a wave of fatigue unlike anything he's felt before. Shutting his eyes and laying in the sand he decided to envelope himself in the calm atmosphere. The warm wind pressed against his cheek, the crashing waves of the ocean in front of him, the distant sun hanging onto the horizon. All of these things filled the boy with peace and tranquility, rewarding his efforts with a unique experience he'd never felt before
"They'd better be grateful I helped them out, otherwise no one in this damn neighborhood would get to see this." He thought as his eyes closed and his mind slowed to a grinding halt. His mind soon began to drift away at sea, his body having fallen asleep from fatigue