"An angel? Really?" Tsukauchi said, his pistol pointed at Zadkiel. He kept his eyes focused on the beetle-like man, while All Might stayed in front of Izuku. "Do you honestly believe that we'd buy something like that?"
"Actually, it's only one of the names you humans call us by," Zadkiel admitted, as he began to count off names on his fingers. "Cherubs, Hashmals, Uthras, watchers... two I'm particularly fond of are Unknowns and Lords. Those are good ones, you guys came up with those names in like, the early 2000s or something."
"I see..." Tsukauchi said, his eyes narrowing. For some reason, his Quirk wasn't reacting to Zadkiel's words at all. It was the same earlier with Ursus Torus; he couldn't tell whether the villain was telling the truth or not-
"Don't bother with trying to determine the validity of my words with your Quirk, Mr. Tsukauchi," Zadkiel said, holding his hands up. "Quirks don't really work on us Lords or Agitos. But hey, do you mind if I change back to my human identity? I feel like you three are a little tense with this form."
The three eyed each other before nodding hesitantly. Light covered Zadkiel and once it faded away, he was back in his human form, though Tsukauchi kept his pistol pointed at the angel.
"So let's say I believe that you're an... angel," All Might said, his teeth gritted. "Just what is your goal?"
"Well, can't say we all have the same 'goals'," Zadkiel said, shrugging. "But we all do have the same order; to kill all Agitos."
"And I'm... I'm one of those Agitos?" Izuku asked, peeking around All Might. "Just what is an Agito?"
"An Agito is, well, hm... I'd say the true form of Quirks? They come from the same source, the Seed of Agito," Zadkiel explained, rubbing his chin in thought. "Quirks are a mutation of the Seed, while Agitos are the true forms."
"So what makes Young Midoriya so special that your ilk needs to kill him?" All Might said, his fist tightening as he prepared himself for a fight. "What makes an Agito so different from a regular Quirk user?"
"I said that Quirks are mutations of the Seed, right? Well, those mutations, as strong as they can get, don't actually evolve beyond what they can already do. Even the most impressive ones can't reach the levels of us Lords," Zadkiel clarified. "Meanwhile, Agitos can evolve further and further. Which is what necessitates the Overlord's order to kill them."
"And this Overlord, he's-?" Tsukauchi said. If what Zadkiel's saying is true, and that he is an angel, does that mean that-
"A god. In some religions, he's the lead god. Lots of things get lost in translation at times, but in the end, the Overlord's the creator of humanity."
"But if he's a god, why would he want to kill me for something he gave me!?" Izuku said, aghast that a god of all things would want him dead.
"Well, that's because he didn't. Humans were given the Seeds of Agito by his brother. The two had disagreements over humanity, and fought. His brother died in the fight, but to keep challenging the Overlord, he granted humans something that must never be granted to mortals; the potential of divinity in the form of the Seeds of Agito. Hence the Overlord's decree that all Agitos must be killed."
"And people with Quirks are off that list?" Tsukauchi asked. He mildly regretted getting his nose into this. Ancient conspiracies were one thing, but ancient godly conspiracies wasn't something he was prepared for.
"Yep. Another order of the Overlord's, actually. No normal human is to be killed by us," Zadkiel stated. "That's why Ursus Torus wasn't trying to hurt you two. Harsh penalties for Lords who do. Usually in the form of forced psychic suicide."
"Even if you negate them like your ally did with All Might's?"
"Hey, that's precisely how we can negate them. The fact that they're no longer divine means that we can enforce our 'divine will' onto them and 'lock' them. They're still human, so it's not like that changes."
"So how come I became an Agito? I'd think that having a Quirk would make it more likely, since they're so much stronger..." Izuku pointed out.
"Like I said, Quirks can't get any stronger. They're Seeds that lost their divinity. People can only become Agitos if they're Quirkless since their Seeds are unmutated," Zadkiel answered. Izuku's eyes widened. So the reason why he got this power was because he was Quirkless? That he wasn't like the rest of his peers? And it's potentially stronger than a Quirk? How ironic. "But even then, not every Quirkless person will become an Agito. Becoming an Agito was a lot more 'common' before Quirks, but with so many Seeds mutating and becoming Quirks, Agito awakenings are very rare now. So most of us Lords have been just minding our own business until we sense an Agito awakening."
"But you have killed Agitos before, right?" Tsukauchi said.
"That's right," Zadkiel admitted, a bit too matter-of-fact for the three's taste. "Won't beat around the bush and say I didn't. Though I imagine the next part I'm going to say will throw you three off."
"Which is-?"
"I want to train you, Izuku Midoriya."
Silence overcome the group as they stared at the divine messenger.
"What for?" Tsukauchi said, becoming a little more incensed than he would admit. "You just admitted to being a serial murderer! I've seen and read all those case files! They go back as far as the 1980s! And if you really look for a god, than that means you've been killing since biblical times!"
"I also said that us Lords have different goals but the same order," Zadkiel said, shrugging. "That order is to kill Agitos. That's it. No 'when' should they be killed, no 'how' should they be killed, just that they be killed. Not to mention I don't kill young Agitos, and I'm on break. Not like I enjoy killing to begin with, unlike some Lords I know, as well as some of the quite frankly over-the-top ways they choose to kill..."
"B-But why would you want to train me!?" Izuku said.
"I was there on the day you charged in to save Katsuki Bakugo, mosshead," Zadkiel explained. "There, I read your subconscious after you passed out. And you've impressed me. Not only did you run in to save someone who's bullied you for all of your life because of your Quirklessness, but you sincerely want to help people. Most of the modern Agitos I've had to fight tended to be on power highs because they finally got their 'Quirks' or had selfish desires. Though if your selfish desire is to become a hero, then by every metric it's one of the least selfish desires I've ever seen."
"Bullied?" All Might thought, as he looked down to Izuku. "I... suppose I should've seen that coming. With how meek and timid he can be, he's certainly an easy target. And from what I've seen of Young Bakugo, he's quite temperamental... I should keep an eye on these two in case..."
"You... you really think I could be a hero?" Izuku whispered.
"That's right, mosshead. And I want to help you become the best hero you can be," Zadkiel said. "Us Lords and Agitos share some similar powers since we both have divine abilities, so it shouldn't be too hard to teach you. Though I'm not allowed to stop other Lords from targeting you to kill. No infighting between us and all."
"If you think I'm about to let some admitted serial murderer train someone who wants to be a hero, you're out of your mind," Tsukauchi hissed, his finger close to pulling his pistol's trigger.
"And he has me," All Might said. Izuku's eyes snapped up and looked at the Number One Hero with shock. "I fully intend on training him to become the next Symbol of Peace, and he has no need for you to-"
"Oh, I should really tell you right now, that One for All and his Seed of Agito won't work together," Zadkiel said, stopping All Might in his tracks. "You see, you were pretty much on the fast track to becoming an Agito yourself until your mentor passed her Quirk onto you. After that, your Seed went dormant."
"H-How do you know about One for All-" All Might stuttered, being completely caught off guard. Tsukauchi was as well, though that didn't stop him from keeping his pistol pointed at the Lord. Izuku meanwhile was terribly confused by what they were saying.
"First off, I can read minds, remember? Otherwise I wouldn't have known about the kid's subconscious thoughts. Secondly, the Lord that was posed to kill you reported it, about how the second you ingested your mentor's DNA, your Seed stopped shining. Don't know why that happened, but because it became dormant, you weren't a viable target anymore."
"Wait, you don't know why that happened?" Tsukauchi asked.
"Just because we're divine, doesn't mean we're all-knowing. Personally I still have trouble understanding sitcoms, but that's besides the point... We're not entirely sure what caused Seeds to mutate into Quirks, but the fact of the matter is that Quirks have no divine energy to speak of, and therefore aren't threats. The Overlord doesn't seem willing to give out those details, either. Probably isn't concerned with it either, since Quirks can't regain that lost divinity."
"A-All Might's Quirk is inheritable!?" Izuku said, finally processing what Zadkiel had just revealed.
"Yep, and he wants to give it to you after seeing how you saved Bakugo," he added. "He wants to give you the chance to become a hero just like him."
"... Yes, that is correct. Ideally, I would've rather told you about it without your life being in danger," All Might answered. "But it is the truth... my Quirk, One for All, is a Quirk that can be passed down, user to user. Each one polishes it, letting it become stronger! For that reason, I had to keep it secret, for there's far too many who'd want a power like it. It is a Quirk that's been around since the Dawn of Quirks. I am the eighth, and I want you to be the ninth, Young Midoriya."
"That's... that's incredible!" Izuku said, his eyes threatening to pop out of his skull. He opened his mouth to say yes, that he will become All Might's successor, when he thought to what Zadkiel just told him. That he had the true form of Quirks, Agito. As much as he wanted to learn and gain All Might's Quirk-
"I... I think I'll take up your offer, Mr. Zadkiel."
"Are you serious!?" Tsukauchi admonished.
"What!?" All Might said, looking down at the boy in shock.
"I-It's nothing against you, All Might sir! I would love to have your Quirk! It's just... I have this ability that almost no one else has, right? I... I want to hone it! Make it my own! Maybe if I use it to save people, that Overlord person might see that an Agito can use their power for good, and retract that order to kill them all!"
All Might's eyes were still wide at the words, but what Izuku said... was striking a cord with him. Wanting to show that the power he has can help people (even if the person he wanted to prove it to was a god), regardless of its origins. Zadkiel smiled as he looked at Izuku, and crossed his arms. "I'll admit, I don't know what he'd think of it, but, who knows?"
"Out of the question," Tsukauchi stated. "You've admitted to being a serial murder, so if you think I'd just let that go-"
"If you want to train Young Midoriya, then I'll have to be there with you," All Might said, to Tsukauchi's chagrin and Izuku's surprise.
"Excuse me, All Might!?"
"Think about it, Tsukauchi. If Young Midoriya was a target simply for having this power, this means that many more Quirkless people are targets as well... And going by how this fight went, not even One for All might beat them. But if one of them is willing to teach Young Midoriya how to use his powers as Agito, we should take that chance! If these Lords are all as strong as that one-"
"Actually not all of us as strong," Zadkiel interjected.
"Well that's good-" Izuku said.
"There's a lot more that are stronger."
"What?"
"Us Lords are pretty much divided into three groups," Zadkiel explained. "Lower Lords, like Ursus Torus, the one you just fought. They're divided into different Clans based on what 'animal' they are. But they all answer to the High Lords, who're in charge of the Lower Lords, regardless of Clan, and are much stronger. And then there are the El Lords, who're the direct subordinates of the Overlord himself that stand above the High Lords. And I don't need to explain the Overlord's position, do I?"
"So that Lord was... one of the weaker ones?" All Might said, aghast. This was far worst than he thought. To think, that not only was Ursus Torus tougher than he thought, he was also in the weakest tier of Lords. "Then I suppose it's all the more pertinent that you teach Young Midoriya... But."
"But-?"
"If you choose to rein in on your promise, that you kill Young Midoriya in the middle of training him... Lord or not, you WILL face my own retribution," the Number One Hero glowered.
"Alright by me, I won't resist if that comes to be," Zadkiel responded. "And you're welcomed to join in watching mosshead train. The more, the merrier. Plus, whoever you're going to choose as the next user of One for All could help out."
Tsukauchi shifted his gaze between his friend and Zadkiel. There was something else that Zadkiel wasn't telling them, but he couldn't tell what it was. Regardless, he knew that that even if he was against it, they'd probably go through with the plan anyways. He sighed and lowered his gun.
"I suppose you're right, All Might," Tsukauchi muttered. "We're not fully equipped to handle something like this, and I don't have any intentions of backing out of this now. So I'm going to need to be kept in the loop about everything that happens here. That way, I can try and use my connections to help out."
"Sounds like a plan to me, Tsukauchi," Zadkiel said, nodding. He smiled as he looked at Izuku once again. "So kid, are you ready to take your first steps? Because I've already got some ideas on how to get started."
Dagobah Beach, the Next Morning
Izuku grunted as he lifted some of the discarded garbage on Dagoba Beach to the truck that All Might had rented. All Might, in his skeletal form, was sitting in the truck's cab in, while Zadkiel, in his human identity, leaned against the truck's hood, looking through a stack of papers that All Might had given him.
"So why am I cleaning up the trash on this beach?" Izuku asked, panting as he wiped some sweat off his forehead.
"Well, my plan was initially for you to build up muscle to become a more suitable vessel for One for All. As well as learning that heroes aren't all about the glitz and glimmer, but that community service is a big thing, too," All Might explained. "And well, if you didn't, there was the possibility of your body exploding the second I passed it onto you."
"Explode!?" Izuku shouted.
"Yes, but now that you're going to be training your Seed's powers, there shouldn't be a problem!" All Might assured him. "But that isn't to say we can't use my 'Pass The Test! American Dream Plan' schedule that I created for you!"
"This is a very thorough plan, I've got to say," Zadkiel said. "Sleep, meals, studying, exercise... you've really maxed out all the time that he'd need to do to prepare himself."
"Of course! You want to go to UA, don't you?" All Might said, as Izuku nodded vigorously. "He'll need to spend as much time as possible to hone his body and powers!"
"Well it's a good thing with his Seed, he'll be cutting that time significantly," Zadkiel said. "Not only will this strengthen his Seed, his Seed will speed up his growth, so mosshead's gonna be hitting that point a lot sooner than you think now."
"Really? Outstanding!" All Might said, rubbing his chin. "Is there anything else we need to know about the Seed?"
"Not at the moment, really," Zadkiel answered.
"To think, I had this power all this time..." Izuku said, looking at his hands and flexing them.
"And that's what we'll be focusing on with the freed up time. Training that power. First step, learning how to access it," Zadkiel said, as he handed the papers back to All Might. "You remember how you've transformed in the past?"
"You mean how I enter a trance and don't remember anything during it?" Izuku replied.
"Exactly," Zadkiel answered. "Your subconscious is running the show instead of you. So we'll be doing some meditative exercises and martial arts to help you gain the ability to consciously, so that you don't go on autopilot."
"I... think I get," Izuku muttered. "It would be dangerous if I could only use my powers if I was in a trancelike state..."
"Yep, exactly. Right now though, you can focus on building that muscle mass of yours," Zadkiel said, walking over and kicking over a discarded washing machine like it was just a tin can. "Because it's still a good idea to be able to fight without immediately resorting to your Seed's full power."
"Right, of course, Zadkiel sir."
"Hey, when I'm in my human identity, call me Mr. Tenjin," Zadkiel teased.
"S-Sorry, Za- I mean, Mr. Tenjin, sir," Izuku said, bowing quickly before resuming picking up garbage. Zadkiel chuckled, before facing All Might.
"Hey, you're going to meet up with that Togata kid later this week, right?" the Lord asked.
"... Indeed," All Might sighed, shifting his gaze away.
"You don't want to give him that power of yours?"
"Read my mind?"
"Read your face."
All Might shook his head. "It's not... exactly that I don't want to give him One for All, really. It's just... from what Nighteye told me, it seems like Young Togata had been working nonstop to improve his Quirk within such a short amount of time. So how will he feel about me offering One for All to him? Will he feel like it's me looking down on the effort he's been making? I don't know..."
"Hm... even if he turns down the offer, I think it might be a good idea to bring him into this regardless," Zadkiel said, rubbing his chin. "He'll find out about One for All whether he accepts it or not, so why not tell him about us Lords and Agitos? Plus, mosshead's gonna need someone to spar against. Probably could get a couple other of his friends in on this, too. Give him variety."
"Why not you?" All Might asked.
"If I fight him, it's going to be considered my 'duty' to kill him. The second I raise my blade at him, there'd be no going back," Zadkiel said, grimly. "And since mosshead's going to finish building up his body way before the UA entrance exams, he'll need to sharpen up his fighting technique."
"I see... I'll talk to them about it," All Might replied, rubbing his head as Izuku came back, dragging a discarded locker towards the truck bed.
For the next couple of days, Izuku began on making the necessary changes for his training. He gave his mother the diet plan, got the home equipment All Might and Zadkiel suggested, and began to train his muscles every single second he could spend when not studying or asleep. To his surprise, the physical exercises were a lot less stressful than he anticipated. Probably had something to do with his Seed of Agito like Zadkiel said. Granted, lifting the garbage and muscle training was still no easy task, so he didn't want to imagine how hard it would've been if he hadn't developed his Seed.
The meditative exercises on the other hand-
"Agh, this is so slow!" Izuku grumbled, falling over onto the sand at Dagobah Beach after spending what felt like hours doing tai chi and yoga exercises.
"Calm down, and take a breath," Zadkiel reminded him. "Meditation is supposed to help with you focusing and clearing your mind. Don't think about it as being 'slow'."
"I know, but this... this feels like I'm not maximizing my time correctly," Izuku said, sitting up. "I know you said that training my physical body would be the easiest part thanks to my Seed, but it still doesn't feel like I'm doing enough."
"I understand, mosshead, but if you're unable to consciously change into your Agito form, you could be a danger to yourself and others without intending to. And heroes need to keep a level head, too," Zadkiel said. "This isn't something you should be too worried about, honestly. All the Agitos I've met have had different ways and ideas on how to transform."
"Really? What's one of them?" Izuku asked, in the hopes that he'd get something he could work with.
"Well, some focus on a specific thing as they transform," Zadkiel answered, rubbing his chin in thought. "Like how in your subconscious thoughts you wanted to save others. If focusing on that helps you, it's worth trying."
"Focus on saving and helping others..." Izuku said, standing up. "I think that will help..."
"Good. Now you should get back to it. It might be slow, but soon enough it'll be as easy as taking a breath," Zadkiel said, as Izuku sighed and resumed his exercises. "Because it shouldn't be the only thing on your mind when you're transformed."
As his young charge did, Zadkiel sensed something in the distance, and turned to the right. Though Izuku was unable to see it, Zadkiel spotted two figures in the distance. "Hm, seems like mosshead's going to get into some trouble soon..."
Later that week, at Aldera Junior High
Izuku rubbed his chin in thought, as he listen in to the teacher's lecture while he read over the schedule All Might and Zadkiel had made for him. It was good, but he was going to need to try and adjust it for his own needs (especially since those meditative exercises took up time that he could use to train his strength, and just focusing on that one thought wasn't enough right now). While it optimized as much time as necessary to train and study, he wanted to become just as, if not greater than All Might quickly. He was going to have a disadvantage against everyone else at the UA entrance exams, since he just got his powers compared to everyone else who've had them since they were little, and-
"- Midoriya! Pay attention and quit mumbling!" the teacher scolded, catching the green haired teen's attention. "Listen, just because you got a Quirk now, doesn't mean you can let your mind drift away from class."
"Pft, as if he can catch up to any of us with his Quirk," one of his classmates said, as others shook their heads.
"S-Sorry sir," Izuku replied, his face red as more people chuckled. The only one who didn't was Katsuki, who simply glowered at him.
"Just what the hell is that power of his?" the explosive teen thought, his grip on his pencil threatening to snap the poor wooden stick in two. "It can't be a Quirk, it defies everything we've studied about them. It doesn't match Auntie Inko's or Uncle Hisashi's Quirks, or anyone else in their family. It manifested way too late, and something about it tells me he's got more than just that bug transformation... Just what the hell is it!? I'm going to find out, and-"
"Bakugo, are you not paying attention?" the teacher said, surprising the class and catching Katsuki's attention. "I know that's something that Midoriya does a lot, but not you."
"The guy's probably shocked that Deku stood up to him," someone muttered, with others nodding and mumbling in agreement. "I mean, I'm still shocked too..."
"Sorry sir, it won't happen again," Katsuki grumbled, as his pencil finally snapped, forcing him to dig through his pencil box and pull out a new one. His questions and frustrations were going to have to wait, but make no mistake, he was going to get to the bottom of this somehow. Just as long as it didn't cut into his own training time.
Meanwhile, at the Teacher's Lounge in UA
"Wow, I really can't believe I'm meeting All Might himself!" a blond pie-eyed teen laughed, rubbing the back of his head. A lean man pushed his glasses up as he sat next to him, while All Might in his muscle form was sitting across from them, a coffee table separating them.
"Indeed! Sir Nighteye has talked quite a bit about you, and I wanted to meet you for myself!" All Might said, also laughing. He could see why his former sidekick wanted him to meet his young protégé. The blond 2nd year was very similar to him.
A bit too similar if he were being honest. But with Izuku intent on utilizing the power of Agito to become a hero, and his time as the Symbol of Peace growing short, he was running out of options in terms for successors.
"Indeed, I've always wanted to introduce you to him due to my past as his sidekick, but it wasn't until recently that we could get together to do so, among... other things,," Sir Nighteye stated, a little more laxed than usual. While there was bump in the road with that Izuku Midoriya, he was glad that All Might saw the error of his judgement (though something about it seemed a little off). "Now, Togata, what we're about to talk about cannot leave these doors."
"Oh, um, alright Sir Nighteye sir," Mirio answered.
"Alright then," All Might said, taking a deep breath. A cloud of steam burst from the Number One Hero, and when in cleared up, Mirio was stunned by the skeletal man that was sitting in All Might's place. "Now... this is my true appearance. And precisely why I'm here to talk to you today."
From there, All Might told him everything about the truth of his Quirk One for All, the injuries that he had accumulated catching up to him, the fact that he was looking for a successor to not only his Quirk but his position as the Symbol of Peace, and how Sir Nighteye believed that Mirio was a worthy successor. Mirio paid attention to each and every single word that the man said, nodding along.
"I see..." Mirio said, as All Might finished. "I'm honored that you chose me-"
"Good," Sir Nighteye said. "Now then, I think that we have enough time to help you acclimate to One for All, and-"
"- but I have to decline the offer," Mirio finished.
"Excuse me!?" Sir Nighteye said, aghast at what his pupil had just said. All Might stared at him with surprise (and relief, with a side of guilt), as the blond rubbed the back of his head.
"I've been working on improving my usage of my Quirk for so long, and I feel like there's so much more that I still yet to master with it," Mirio explained. "But as incredible as having One for All and becoming your successor sounds... I want to get to being a top ranked hero on my own terms."
"I see..." All Might said, rubbing his chin in thought. "As much as I need to find a successor, I don't want to force the position onto you if you-"
"No! Togata, you heard about how important One for All is, don't you realize that it needs to be passed down?" Sir Nighteye said, standing up. This was the first time Mirio was seeing the stoic man getting so heated. "All Might's time is nearing an end, and he needs a successor!"
"But does it need to me?" Mirio asked. "I mean, even with all the progress I've been making, I'm still not the best student. I've got a long way to go."
"Of course! You're the perfect person to take All Might's place as the Symbol of Peace! Togata, you-"
"Sir, is this why you picked me?" Mirio said, as he began to connect the dots.
"I- Well... yes," Sir Nighteye admitted. "But you have to understand, Togata-"
"Did... did you not really believe in me being able to become my own hero?" Mirio asked, making All Might's former sidekick freeze. "Was all of that training just to prep me to become All Might's successor?"
"It's... It's not like that. I'm looking out for your future and for All Might. The world needs a Symbol of Peace, and I thought that-"
"- that I couldn't reach that on my own?" Mirio said, his eyes now glued to the floor. "Even though you've been training me?"
Sir Nighteye stood there, silent as he tried to think what he could say.
"H-Honestly, I don't blame you," All Might said, rubbing the back of his head. "Even though I inherited One for All, I respect the desire to become a hero on your own terms..."
"Thank you, All Might," Mirio said, looking up before giving All Might a polite bow. "So... are you going to erase my memory about this, or-?"
"Oh, no, I have no intention of doing anything like that," All Might said, shaking his head. "Not like I know anyone with a powerful memory changing Quirk to begin with... Though, I do have a question for you."
"Really? What is it?"
"Would you mind help train another student that is looking to join UA next year?" All Might asked. "This student also knows about my secret, and well-"
"They also turned down your offer?" Mirio said, raising an eyebrow.
"Indeed. Though their reasons for it are a bit more... complex," All Might admitted. "Either way, he still needs guidance and help."
"Help, huh?... I don't see why not!" Mirio laughed, rubbing the back of his head. "Might cut into my school time, but I don't think that should be a problem!"
"What? Togata, what are you talking about? You have your internship with me-" Sir Nighteye interjected.
"Actually, could we put that on hold for a while?" Mirio said. "I... need some space to think."
Sir Nighteye stared at Mirio for a bit before coughing into his right hand. "... Very well, Togata. I'll inform Centipeder and Bubble Girl of your decision. You can come back at any time."
He looked at his watch, and sighed. "Speaking of which, it's about time that I head back there."
Sir Nighteye walked towards the door, though he had paused and stood in front of it for a while. "I'm not lying when I'm saying that I'm thinking for both of your futures. So I'd like for you two to think about it as well. Take care."
With that, he slid the door open and closed it behind him immediately. Mirio looked down to the ground, his hands together as he sighed.
"I'm... I'm sorry about Sir Nighteye," All Might said. "I truly appreciated his help during his time as my sidekick, but he's sometimes... difficult to work with."
"N-No, it's fine, I've been interning him since the second semester last year, so I've gotten used to that part of him," Mirio replied. "I just... wasn't expecting something like this."
"Trust me, I don't blame you. I've recently gotten surprised by quite a few new things myself, and it's still something I'm trying to get used to."
"Does it have anything to do with that other guy who rejected your offer?"
"Indeed," All Might said, taking a deep breath. "What that entails... isn't mine to say. God forbid me telling someone else's secret without them present or their permission."
"Makes sense. Though that just makes me a lot more curious about him!" Mirio laughed, catching All Might off guard. "I thought I'd be the exception in not wanting the Number One Hero's Quirk, but hey, I guess there're more oddballs in the world like me! Can't wait to meet him!"
All Might chuckled, being rather impressed by how Mirio bounced back enough to be excited about meeting Izuku (though not without some strain behind that smile), before thinking back to what Zadkiel suggested. "Oh, and can you bring a couple of your friends along as well? An... acquaintance of mine suggested it would be a good idea."
"Hm... yea, I can! I think both Hado and Tamaki are off from their internships today."
"Good, the young man could use some more friends," All Might said, thinking back to what Zadkiel said about Izuku being bullied by that blond boy he tried saving. He wasn't really too sure about their relationship, but he felt like he was going to need to keep an eye on it. "And you can tell them about One for All as well."
"Really? Are you sure? I turned down the offer," Mirio said, puzzled.
"Well, it's less that I'm personally fine with it, and more that it would be impractical to try and keep them in the dark about it when everyone else around them would be in the know," All Might explained, shaking his head.
Elsewhere
Zadkiel walked past a kindergarten building where children were running around and playing under the watchful eyes of their teachers (some of whom had to take aside a couple of kids to scold them for using their Quirks to roughhouse). He smiled and gave a quick wave to some when he took a turn down the street and found himself face to face with a scowling green haired man with black stripes under his eyes. He was dressed in disheveled clothes, with tears in his green shirt along his long sleeves and midriff, worn-out patches in his jeans (which were faded to the point of being almost white), and scuffed black leather shoes. The man motioned Zadkiel to follow him into an alleyway, which the Lord obliged.
"Viridis," Zadkiel greeted, giving a polite wave to him as they entered the alleyway. He spotted a long blue-haired woman who wore a gray tube top underneath an unbuttoned blue vest, black jeans, and blue heels. "Catena."
"Why are you hesitating, Armatus?" the man, Viridis, asked.
"Wow, cutting to the chase as always. Should've known that it was you two that day," Zadkiel laughed. "But I should remind you that my name is Zadkiel now. After all, the Overlord himself gave me that name."
"Then you should get rid of that Agito," Catena stated. "As a High Lord, it is your duty to kill all Agitos."
"Yes, but not 'when', remember?" Zadkiel shook his head. "And I don't kill young inexperienced Agitos."
"They're all young," Viridis grumbled.
"You both know I mean ones that're under twenty one years old. We're thousands of years old, get the hint."
"They're all dangerous to the natural order!"
"I know that."
"Then why-"
"If I'm going to do my job as a Lord, then I want to make sure that the Agitos I fight have a fair chance," Zadkiel said, coolly. "That's how I do things. You Wolf Lords like using your claws to carve out their hearts and leave three claw marks on their faces, the Bear Lords like using brute strength to chop them up, Jaguar Lords snap necks, you know how it is."
"Only YOU fight them with a 'fair chance'!" Viridis said, stomping over and grabbing Zadkiel by the collar. "By doing so, you risk them becoming too strong! You're spitting in the face of everything we stand for!"
"If that's the case, then why hasn't the Overlord stopped me from doing this before?"
"You think that you can hide behind him like that-"
"No, but at least I'm not scared of a little Agito like you."
Viridis scowled, as Zadkiel grabbed his wrist very firmly, making the green-haired man wince at how tight it was. It didn't help that the air around Zadkiel became heavier and heavier. "Don't forget, I didn't rise to my position as High Lord and held onto it for nothing. My methods may not be immediate, but they work for me like yours work for you. Be lucky that infighting between Lords isn't allowed, because I would've reminded you in less pleasant ways."
Zadkiel released his grip on Viridis's wrist as he rubbed it and shot a glare at the High Lord. Zadkiel turned around and walked off, his hands in his pockets, though he glanced back into the alleyway. "But if you and the other Lords want to, go ahead and target him. I won't stop you."
"Hmph, and why is that?" Catena asked, crossing her arms and tapping her foot impatiently.
"I haven't 'laid claim' to killing him yet, so he's technically open game for any other Lord. And I won't interfere with other Lords."
"And if I successfully kill your little protégé?" Viridis asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Well, it'd be unfortunate that he died, but you know, I guess it is what it is," Zadkiel answered, shrugging. "Though I think it would be a little embarrassing if it took two Lords like you to kill a kid in this day and age."
"You dare insult us like-" Viridis shouted, stomping towards Zadkiel when Catena laid a hand on his shoulder.
"It's unbecoming for a High Lord to taunt their subordinates," she said, calmly.
"And it's unbecoming for a Lower Lord to make demands with a High Lord," Zadkiel retorted. "I am one of the High Lords that your clan leader Luna answers to."
Viridis scowled and opened his mouth, but was once again held back by Catena who spoke over him. "You have a point, and for that, I apologize. But do you really think that it is wise to let young Agitos grow simply because of your own honor code?"
"We're living in a world where not only is the number of potential Agitos shrinking, but a world where the majority of humans have powers. They know more about responsibility then ever before," he answered. Zadkiel turned around, and looked to the sun. "And it wouldn't hurt to let the young Agitos live out an impossible dream for just a moment."
"How ridiculous..." Catena muttered, shaking her head. "I'll never understand that."
"Explore the world a little more, then you will," Zadkiel suggested.
"I'll think about that when all those damned Agitos are gone," Viridis scoffed, as he walked away, further into the darkness. Catena moved to join him, but not before shooting one more look at the High Lord.
"You're lucky that the majority of humanity's Seeds have mutated into Quirks, Zadkiel," she said harshly. "If you were actually vigilant, we could get truly be rid of the Agito threat and peace can be achieved."
Zadkiel sighed as his fellow Lord disappeared, and shook his head.
"How narrowminded."
Later, Dagobah Beach
Izuku took a deep breath as he looked at the garbage around him. While he was supposed to do some meditative exercises at the moment, he decided that instead he should do some physical training instead. He was making better progress on that side of things to begin with, even with that focusing thought of saving others. Then again, he might be making progress with the meditative side but just couldn't tell from how slow it felt to him. Either way, it wasn't like Zadkiel was there to tell him otherwise. He bent down to grab a discarded tire-
"Aren't you supposed to be doing tai chi, Young Midoriya?" All Might said, making the green haired boy yelp as he dropped the tire. Izuku whipped around and saw the Number One Hero approaching him.
"Oh, y-yea, but I figured that it would be better if I prioritize building up my muscles, since I've been having trouble with the meditative exercises..." Izuku replied, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.
"Young Midoriya, you do know that the schedule that we came up with was as best as we could come up with," All Might chided, shaking his head.
"I know, it's just... it's just that I need to catch up with so many people," Izuku muttered. "I'm going to compete with so many people with amazing Quirks, Quirks that they've trained for years, while I've got a power that I still barely understand..."
"There's no shame in acknowledging that you're having a difficult time with certain things. Just take a step back and breathe," All Might assured him, patting him on the back. "Even when making decisions on the fly, a hero will need to keep a cool head."
"Really? So did you have any trouble with One for All?"
"Er... well, I actually got used to One for All pretty quickly," All Might admitted, to Izuku's shock. "But there were plenty of other things that I had trouble with! I wasn't the best fighter, and my reflexes weren't great at the start."
"Really? How did you get better?"
All Might began shuddering, as he recalled the dreadful days and nights he spent training with his predecessor's friend and his teacher. How there was never a peaceful moment, even when he was sleeping. "It's better if you don't know for now," the pro hero said, slapping his quivering thighs. "Though I'm going to have to tell Gran Torino about this Agito business soon..."
"Either way, we'll make sure that you make full use of the ten months before the UA entrance exams-"
"You won't have ten months to do anything," a stranger snarled. The two turned around and saw a shabbily dressed man with green hair and black stripes underneath his eyes. "You won't even have ten minutes to live."
The second Izuku and All Might realized who this man could be, a bright light shone over him, and when it died down, a wolf-like man with greenish gray fur and yellow eyes was standing in his place. He was shirtless with an emerald green scarf around his neck and two leather shoulder pads, the left have a wing-like decoration on it much like Ursus Torus and Zadkiel. The tips of his fingers were clawed, with silver rings around each finger and silver bracelets around his wrists. Instead of pants he wore a dark green loincloth that was held up by a silver buckle, and brown leather sandals.
"You life shall end by my hands, Agito," the wolf-like Lord said, holding his right hand over the left side of his chest before moving it downwards. With his left hand, he stuck out his index and middle fingers, and drew a Z over his right hand. A circle of light formed over his head, and he reached into it to pull out a glaive. "I, Lupus Viridis, will end your miserable existence."
"Hm, how ridiculous," Catena said, standing atop a pillar of garbage some distance away. Her superior eyesight allowed her to watch as the Agito ran away while the skeletal blond man (he was called All Might, if she remembered right) bulked up into a muscular form and got in Viridis's way. Her fellow Lord had been incensed by Zadkiel's words, and insisted that he handle this fight on his own. Never mind that Zadkiel was clearly baiting him to so (at times she wonders if the High Lord really was a Lord and not just some human). The only reason she agreed to do was to observe not only the Agito, but this All Might as well. How far had this former potential Agito had gotten with that mutated Seed of his?
The blond man punched Viridis a few times before leaping away, avoiding the green Wolf Lord's touch before throwing powerful punches that created blasts of air that pushed him back. That was smart, using hit and run tactics and long ranged attacks to keep Viridis from negating his Quirk. Must've learned about that trick from fighting Ursus Torus and Zadkiel.
Still, it wasn't like All Might would have the advantage for too long, even with the impressive power of his Quirk. Viridis wasn't using the sharp side of his glaive's blade, relegating to the flat side or the opposite end of the pole, and even then he rarely used it against the hero. As bullheaded and impulsive as her fellow Wolf Lord was, he wasn't an idiot and knew better than to risk the anger of the Overlord.
"Sorry about this, mosshead," Zadkiel said, having taken a seat on top of a tower of trash somewhere else. While he wasn't really itching to kill Izuku, he wasn't really against it, either. After all, he, like any of the Lords, still had to follow the Overlord's decree, no matter what personal objections they might have. Sure, he might've given them more freedom in recent years thanks to the majority of Seeds mutating into Quirks, but being divine messengers still meant being obligated to carry out his will. There wasn't much he could do to help Izuku in situations like this, but at the same time, he couldn't afford to fully let himself become connected to the green-haired kid.
He sighed and shook as he watched Viridis and All Might fight. Viridis might not be the strongest or smartest, but he was definitely one of the more devoted (and impulsive) to the decree, even with the emergence of Quirks. Well, the Wolf Lords generally were, as were their sibling clans the Hound and Jackal Lords. All stubborn and persistent to a fault and despise humans with Quirks as much as Agitos, but so loyal to the Overlord that they won't go after them too. Loyalty that easily blinded them to everything else in the world.
"Going to be a tough first fight, so let's see how you do..."
Viridis growled as he was knocked back by the wind that All Might's swings created. Despite the fact that for every step pushed back he'd take three more, it was annoying to deal with, especially with the Agito so close in killing range. Still, there weren't many openings for him to get close to All Might and negate his Quirk, especially since he was using long-ranged attacks. Of course, this fight would've gone differently if All Might was still a potential Agito and not... whatever he could be considered now.
"Get out of my waaaaay!" Viridis roared, as he tried to rush towards Izuku, though All Might was having none of it.
"TEXAS SMAAAAAASH!" he cried out, releasing another gust of wind that slammed against the Lord and knocked him into a pile of trash.
"Gaaaaaaah-! Alright, calm down, Viridis..." he thought to himself. He pulled himself out of the garbage and eyed All Might and the escaping Izuku, and rubbed his chin. "You have to think... if trying to brute force my way around isn't working, I need to be more... sneaky..."
He looked at all of the sand and trash, and immediately realized what he could do. All Might raised his fist and threw another punch that generated a blast of wind, and Viridis swung down his glaive at the sand and garbage around him, knocking it all into the air and obscuring the surrounding area.
"Shit-!" All Might said, as the cloud of sand forced him to close his eyes, lest the grains blind him. He threw another punch, and found that the Lord had disappeared. Though he had a sneaking suspicion that he knew where he went. "Young Midoriya-!"
"So you really turned down All Might's offer?" Nejire asked, the long blue-haired girl staring at Mirio. As they walked through the trash-filled coast of Dagobah Beach, the blond teen had told her and Tamaki everything about the conversation he had with Sir Nighteye and All Might (while making sure that there wouldn't be anyone else that could overhear of course).
Mirio sighed and nodded, shaking his head. "I feel bad for turning him down like that, but at the same time, I still want to earn my right as a top-ranking hero on my own."
"Getting the attention of the Symbol of Peace alone shows how bright you shine," Tamaki muttered, his gaze squarely on the ground as they walked. "Though it's intriguing that he would ask you to help train someone else who turned down his offer..."
"Yea, that's pretty much why I wanna meet him!" Mirio laughed a little. "I mean, not everyone would be willing to turn down an offer like that like I did. It really makes me wonder what this guy's like-"
All of a sudden, the three friends heard someone running towards them. They looked and saw a green-haired teen in a white T-shirt and green track pants running away from something as if he were being chased. He was looking behind him, and hadn't had the chance to see Mirio and the others right in front of him. He would've ran straight threw Mirio if he hadn't turned intangible out of instinct, though that meant the loss of his clothes as the middle schooler tumbled into them and tripped.
"Gah, what was- WHY ARE YOU NAKED!?" the green-haired teen shouted, pulling off Mirio's uniform from his face only to be greeted by his nudity. He looked at the three and then at the uniform in his hands. "Wait, are you UA students!?"
"Yep! Hahaha, sorry about that!" Mirio said, grabbing his clothes and slipping them back right on, having gotten used to the necessary motions needed to be swift. "I didn't want you to run into me, but I guess that might've not been the best idea!"
"Y-Yea, sorry about that-"
"There you are!"
A wolf-like man with greenish gray fur landed in their way, glaive in hand. He raised it above his head. "It's time for you to die, wretched Agito!"
Before he could swing it down onto the green-haired teen's head, the wolf-like man was hit by a blast of spiral-shaped energy from Nejire's hands, knocking him away.
"You alright, kid?" Mirio asked, helping him up as he and the other two prepared themselves. "Don't worry, we won't let this villain get to you."
"Y-Yea, but you should run, too!" he answered, as got onto his feet.
"Don't worry, we've got our temporary licenses! Any trouble we'll get into will be slightly mitigated by that!" Mirio assured him.
"No, it's not that, it's-"
"You brats stay out of this!" the wolf man shouted, charging at them. "I just want to kill and rip out the Agito's heart!"
"I dunno who you are, but you're not hurting Agito here!" Nejire held her hands out and fired another energy spiral, though he dodged to the left and kept going. Tamaki transformed his arm into a tentacle and grabbed him by the waist, but recoiled in pain when the wolf man touched him. He felt backwards as his tentacle changed back to normal, though he was quick to recover until he attempted to use his Quirk again.
"What the- my Quirk-!" Tamaki looked down at his hand, flexing it and tensing it up to activate his Quirk, but to no avail.
"I negated it, so sit down, and let me kill the Agito! Then maybe I might undo it!" the wolf man stated, when Nejire blasted him again with another energy spiral. While it pushed him back, it did little to deter him, forcing Nejire to keep hitting him with spiral after spiral. Mirio phased into the ground, and seconds later shot up from beneath the wolf man, uppercutting him in the snout before kicking him away and falling into the ground once more. The second the wolf man attempted to recover, Mirio flew out of the ground again and punched him in the gut.
"Are you alright Amajiki?" Nejire asked, landing close to him while Mirio kept the villain busy. "Is your Quirk really negated?"
"Y-Yea, s-so right now, I'm not any help..." the raven-haired teen mumbled, though he grabbed Agito by the wrist. "Come on, er..."
"I-Izuku Midoriya," the green-haired teen replied.
"What? But he said your name was Agito," Nejire pointed out.
"I-It's a little complicated-"
"Do not worry Young Midoriya, because I AM HERE!" a bombastic voice boomed. Nejire, Tamaki, and Izuku looked up and saw All Might soaring from the air. The wolf man also saw him coming, and blocked the Number One Hero's punch with his glaive's pole, though he was still forced back a few meters back due to not firmly planting his feet onto the ground.
"I told you to stay out of my way!" he shouted, charging towards Izuku.
"You're not going to lay a single finger on him!" All Might shouted back, grabbing him by his scarf and swinging him away.
"Come on..." Tamaki said, grabbing Izuku's wrist and pulled him. The green-haired teen did not budge, however, most likely in shock from what was happening. Before he could bring him back to reality, the wolf man got between the two of them, ready to kill Izuku, but not before All Might tackled him, the wind from the impact knocking everyone around back and separating Izuku from Tamaki.
Izuku's chest heaved in and out as he watched the UA students and All Might fight against the Lord. While they were holding up well against Viridis, it was clear that he wasn't fighting them seriously due to the Lords' code. If only he could be of help here, that he could access his powers as Agito-!
"Calm down." Zadkiel's words from earlier that week invaded into Izuku's head. "And take a breath."
Izuku thought back to the things that he had talked about with Zadkiel and All Might before. He needed to stay calm. If he hoped to use his powers as Agito consciously, he couldn't afford to become stressed out. While the meditation wasn't exactly working out for him, if he could just focus on that one thought, maybe it'll work out.
"Breathe, and focus..." Izuku thought, as he attempted to tune out all of the noise from the fight around him. He held his right hand out in front of his face, and his left rested near his waist. He took in deep breaths, and closed his eyes, with the only thought in his mind was to help the four people in front of him.
"Young Midoriya! Get out of here!" All Might ordered, seeing the young junior high student attempting to take a 'zen' mindset. He and the two UA students kept Viridis occupied while Tamaki kept trying to get close to Izuku to pull him away, but the fighting kept him from making any progress as trash piles and sand were kicked up. "This isn't the time to attempt to use your powers!"
However, to his (and Mirio and his friends') surprise, a red belt with a yellow gem appeared around his waist. All Might took one look at Izuku's eyes, and saw a clear focus, unlike the glazed stare he saw the boy have before. His hands trembled, as he kept his thoughts focused on one thing.
"I'm... I'm going to use this power... to help everyone!" Izuku declared, as he slammed his hands onto the sides of his belt.
"Like I'd let that happen!" Viridis shouted. He slammed his glaive into the ground, knocking sand into the air and obscuring the area. In a split second, he charged towards Izuku. Mirio sprinted towards them, ready to intercept Viridis when he saw a bright light piercing through the sand cloud.
Viridis swung down his glaive, parting the sand cloud away with the force of its wind, and revealed an golden armored insect-like humanoid standing where Izuku once was. His left forearm had blocked the glaive's blade, which shook as Viridis attempted to bring it down onto his head.
"I'll... I'll stop you from hurting anyone else like me!" Izuku said, his glowing red eyes flickering as he struggled to keep control over his consciousness. He knocked the polearm away, only to grab its shaft to pull Viridis in, and socked him across the mouth. Viridis grunted as spittle flew out, but he regained his composure and kicked Izuku in the knee. He buckled for a split second, allowing Viridis to slash him with his glaive, the blade sparking against the golden torso armor and knocking Izuku back. Before he could get any closer to Izuku, Mirio flew out of the ground and punched Viridis in the caught, though that attack hadn't fazed the wolf man.
"Stay out of this!" he barked, though this opened him up to Izuku punching him again. Mirio attempted to go after Viridis, when he found All Might standing right next to him.
"No, it's best that we let him handle this now," All Might said, his teeth gritted.
"What are you saying, All Might sir? This is-"
"Much bigger than you know, Young Togata," All Might sighed. Mirio stared at him for a second before nodding, understanding that whatever was happening right now, that it had something to do with that other One for All candidate's secret. Nejire and Tamaki joined the two quickly to observe the fight as well.
Izuku grabbed Viridis's glaive and pulled it away from him before using it to slash him across the chest. He then snapped it in half on his knee, tossing the broken weapon aside. Now deprived of his main weapon, Viridis resorted to using his hands and claws to attack Izuku, though it was clear that he wasn't used to hand-to-hand combat. Though Izuku's wide-arcing swings and awkward footwork would show that this wasn't as big of an advantage for him. Viridis's claws scratched Izuku's chest armor, making sparks flew for a moment, though Izuku put him in his place with an uppercut to the jaw, sending the Lord staggering backwards. With this opening, Izuku kept throwing punch after punch into Viridis's face and chest until the wolf man had backed up far enough that his arms were out of reach.
Viridis coughed and wiped the spittle that was dripping down from the corners of his mouth before charging towards Izuku. He attempted to grab him by the horns, but Izuku had lowered himself and used his horns to stab Viridis in the gut. Viridis shoved Izuku away, clutching his bleeding wounds.
"Damn you..." he spat out, as he glared at Izuku. He raised an eyebrow, however, when Izuku lowered his fists.
"I'm... I'm going to give you one chance!" Izuku said. "If you leave right now, and... and never hurt another Agito, then you can-"
"You think a little wound like this will stop me!?" Viridis roared. He slammed his hands into his wounds, forcing more blood to ooze out. All Might grimaced and clutched his side, his own old scars twitching at the sight. "I won't rest, until every single Agito is dead!"
Viridis grabbed the bladed half of his broken glaive from the ground, and charged once more towards Izuku. The bug-like teen took a deep breath, and concentrated as a light projection of his unfurled horns formed behind him. He moved his right fist towards it, and the light flowed into his hand. The second Viridis got close to him, he landed a punch into his gut, sending the Lord backwards.
A flickering halo of light formed over Viridis, but the Lord grunted and forced it to vanish. "A half-hearted attack like that won't be enough to finish me!"
"W-What? I don't want to kill you!" Izuku said. He clutched his head, feeling his steady focus on helping All Might and the UA students falter. "I... I'm going to be a hero who-"
"Agitos can't be heroes! All they can do is disrupt the order that the Overlord has spent his entire life protecting!" Viridis screamed. He took advantage of Izuku's wavering focus and punched him across the chin, before slashing him multiple times with his glaive, each one sparking against his chest. "And I won't rest until every single Agito is dead!"
Izuku fell onto the ground, groaning from the onslaught of attacks. Viridis raised his broken glaive above his head, and in a moment of panic, Izuku forgot all about helping others, and only thought of one thing: survival.
"G-Get away from me!" Izuku yelled, as the light projection formed underneath him and entered his right foot. He kicked Viridis in the stomach, causing blood to spray out of his wounds, and launched the Lord backwards. The halo of light formed over Viridis once again, only this time it held steady. All Might grabbed the three teens and leaped out of the way, letting Viridis land against the garbage piles. With a final scream, the Lord exploded, igniting the trash he had landed in.
"Wait, what-?" Tamaki said, as the flames flickered and sparks floated.
"Is... is he dead?" Nejire asked, looking between Izuku and the burning trash. Light covered him, and soon enough he was back to normal, though he fell to his knees, quivering.
"I... I didn't mean to!" he sobbed, teeth gritted as he struggled to hold his tears in. "I... I wanted to let him go, but he-"
"It's alright, Young Midoriya," All Might said, rushing to his side, and patting him on the back in order to comfort him. "He... he wasn't giving you much of a choice in the matter. It was either he died, or you-"
"But a hero shouldn't take someone's life!" Izuku cried out. "I... I-"
"Really didn't have a choice," a voice said. All Might looked up, and saw Zadkiel approaching them, the sand crunching underneath his footsteps. "It really was you or Viridis."
"You- Did you know what was happening?" All Might said, his smile twitching as it threatened to turn into a rare frown in this state. "You stood by and-"
"Hands are tied, no infighting, no matter what, remember?" Zadkiel said plainly, shaking his head. "Not like I approve of Viridis's actions, but like all Lords, his actions are approved by the Overlord."
"That doesn't matter! You said that you would teach Young Midoriya-"
"And this is one of those lessons," Zadkiel said. He stood over the quivering boy, hands in his pockets. "It's not a pleasant one, but it's an important one. Mosshead, the life of an Agito isn't a peaceful one. You're going to have to make hard decisions constantly in fights against Lords. Many Lords aren't going to even consider your desire to use your powers as Agito for heroism. They'll only see something that the Overlord wants gone."
He lowered himself to the ground, and waited for Izuku to look at him in the eyes. "It's the same as being a hero, really. You're going to need to make some hard decisions when it comes to that. Sometimes, taking the life of the villain is the only way to make sure that the lives of innocents are spared. Many pro heroes have to make this decision, you know."
"It's true, Young Midoriya," All Might said, as a steam cloud exploded from him and he had changed into his skeletal form. He lifted up his shirt, revealing his old scars once again to the green-haired teen. "Remember what I told you? About how I had to give it my all to permanently end a villain's threat? If I hadn't made that choice, I might've likely been killed, as well as many more people. I understand how heavily this weighs on the soul, but if I was faced with it a second time, I would do it again."
"A-All Might-"
"Besides, mosshead, you're not alone in carrying this weight now," Zadkiel said, pointing to the three UA students. Izuku's eyes widened as they shifted between All Might and the three.
"It's alright, Young Togata already knows, and I'm sure that he's made his friends aware," All Might sighed, still unsure of having so many people know about this secret now.
"Yea, but we have a lot of questions now..." Tamaki said, gazing away once he saw the three looking at his direction.
"Yea! Like who're you? What's a Lord? Why did that guy keep calling him Agito even if that's not his name? Just what is going on-?" Nejire began to ask.
"Sorry about her! She's just naturally curious!" Mirio laughed, trying to elevate the atmosphere, though even that fell a bit flat. "Though those are some good questions to get answered. All Might?"
"Is it alright if I tell them? I think you could use some time to breathe," All Might asked. Izuku nodded, and the skeletal man began telling the UA students of Agitos, the Lords and Overlord, and their relationship to Quirks and humans. As the three's eyes grew wider and wider with each word, Zadkiel gave Izuku a reassuring smile.
"And this is another lesson, mosshead," he said gently. "You're going to need friends that're in on your secret. You can't tell everyone, of course, but heroes only get stronger when they help each other out."
"... but won't they get hurt?" Izuku finally asked, as he mulled over Zadkiel's words.
"Hey, you want to be a hero. Getting hurt is part of the job," Zadkiel shrugged. "That's why you gotta help them when they help you."
"That fool," Catena sighed, shaking her head as she turned around and jumped off the pile of garbage she was on. "I warned him that he shouldn't have fought that Agito on his own. Though the presence of those 'normal' humans did complicate things."
As she walked away, she rubbed her chin in thought. She could've taken advantage of the fact that he was worn down from the fight and kill him, but there were other potential Agitos to take care of, ones that weren't as close to awakening like the green-haired one. Might as well kill them first before going after him for the moment. No sense in getting killed without at least ensuring other Seeds were snuffed out. And there were other foolhardy Lords like Viridis that would go after him.
And if all else fails, Zadkiel would finish his 'apprentice' off either way. And may the Overlord have mercy on the green-haired Agito if it comes down to that.
"- so God exists?" Tamaki said, jaw slacked and gobsmacked.
"Believe me, I was caught off guard when I found out, too," All Might said, rubbing his forehead. "Didn't think that there would be a bigger secret than mine in the world, but here we are..."
"I can see why he would want to use that Agito power, though!" Mirio said, laughing a bit. "Something that will keep evolving within a person unlike a Quirk? That's impressive!"
"And only Quirkless people get it? Weird," Nejire said, trying to wrap her head around it.
"And it's why he needs your help," All Might explained. "He's not going to be as familiar to using powers like you three would be. There're children younger than him that would know more about using their Quirks than him."
"And if he wants to enter UA, he's going to face a lot of stiff competition from other applicants," Mirio surmised. "Well, don't worry, you can count on us to help him out! Plus, we might find out a bit more about our own Quirks compared to something as ancient as Agito!"
"Yea! We'll help him show that Overlord guy that there's nothing to worry about now!" Nejire added. "Oooh, maybe if we do, humans and Lords can live together!"
"I suppose I should help, too..." Tamaki said, rubbing the back of his head while his gaze was pointed at the ground. "Though I don't know how much help I can be..."
"Oh, we should properly introduce ourselves to Midoriya!" Nejire said, rushing over to Izuku and Zadkiel with the other two trailing behind her. All Might watched as the three talked to the young Agito and Lord (who removed Viridis's seal on Tamaki's Quirk), and chuckled. Despite his reservations about letting people in on this secret, he felt somewhat relieved too that Izuku won't be as alone as he was.
Because he knew that the road that Izuku was on would face far more tribulations than he ever did.
ORIGINAL AO3 NOTES:
- Welcome to the second chapter of 'My Hero, Agito', everyone! I know I said that I wanted to get to BUAH! and UHA, and I am, but I felt like I could squeeze out a 'My Hero, Agito' chapter out, too (at least until RL hit me hard). Working on other chapters as we speak, but I think I'm going to go UHA first, BUAH! second, and 'My Hero, Agito' and SaS last from now on. Not necessarily happy with this chapter (especially the ending), but whatever.
- Sorry if my output for making new chapters is really slow compared to before. Like I said before, Master Duel has taken up a lot of my focus 'cuz whenever I fall back into the TCG hole I fall back hard. RL also has been pretty busy. Also just been reading other peoples' fanfics. Side note, been reading a lot of RWBY fanfics, and I got a couple of RWBY ideas (and a Revice/MHA one too), so I might make pilots for them in the future, but for now, UHA and BUAH! take priority.
- So Mirio's not going to be All Might's successor here. Who is it going to be? That'll be a surprise.
- While it might seem like Mirio and the others got kinda curb-stomped easily, remember that this is them early in their second year. They're not quite the Big Three yet here. That, and the Lords are divine beings, they're going to be at a disadvantage regardless. At the very least the Lords are still not allowed to kill regular humans, which includes people with Quirks, so they deliberately trying to avoid fighting with them, or at the very least avoid using lethal attacks or hold back a lot in their presence.
- Are things moving along a bit too quickly? Maybe, but that's because I think I'm going to have this series be a lot shorter than UHA or BUAH!.