Izuku was freaking out and to be honest, could you blame him? After all, it's not every day you see your hero deflate into a skeletal shadow of himself.
"WHAT?! HOW?! WHY?! I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIOOOOOOOOOOOONS!"
Izuku began hyperventilating, his eyes spiraling. All-Might could only sigh before walking over and slapping the kid hard across the face to snap him out of it.
"Thanks..." Izuku winced, rubbing his cheek.
"Don't mention it," All-Might said, shaking his head. "Suppose I should start with the obvious, huh? What you're seeing is the effect of my Quirk. It increases muscle mass, and subsequently physical ability. I can hold it for maybe about six or seven hours at a time. It would have been three hours per day, but luckily a friend of mine was able to heal a few injuries I got battling a dangerous villain."
"That's...that's a lot to take in..." Izuku said, still reeling from the shocking revelation. "How did an injury like that even happen?"
All-Might sighed as he lifted up his shirt, revealing a crater-like scar tha stretched across the left side of his torso. Izuku could only cringe at the sight of such a gruesome wound.
"Ugly isn't it? Five years ago, this had my guts spilling out of it. I was in a fight with the villain to end all villains. I still won, but it nearly cost me my life. Luckily, I was backed up by a few friends. One of them being Sister Sage."
Izuku perked up. "Sister Sage? Do you mean Tsunade Senju? She practically has one of the best Healing-type Quirks around and is able to combine that with her physical abilities to generate unrivaled strength!"
All-Might chuckled. "Wow, you really do know your stuff. I'm gonna take a wild guess and say you got a sketch of her in one of your journals?"
"Yeah! Vol. 5, to be exact!" Izuku beamed before realizing something. "Wait, you said you got that injury five years ago, right? Was it the fight with Toxic Chainsaw?"
All-Might blinked but laughed softly and shook his head.
"Nah, that low-life couldn't even hope to deal this kind of damage to me. Sure, he got some hits in, but I've faced far tougher." The skeletal Symbol of Peace then sighed. "No, my boy, this was actually a fight most of the world never even heard of. A villain known only to me, and a select few individuals. Even among the top personnel of the Heroics Committee, it's a closely guarded secret."
Izuku looked deep in thought. "I guess even the Symbol of Peace can feel fear, huh?"
"That's the mark of being a hero; Smiling even through the tough times. It's not an easy job, I'll give you that." All-Might said. "And please, when I'm like this, just call me Toshinori Yagi."
"Wow...on a real name basis with All-Might..." Izuku breathed. "This has to be a dream."
"Well, enough about me, what about you?" Toshinori asked. "I saw you floating earlier to give me back the bottles and you obviously did something to knock the Sludge Villain out when he attacked you."
Izuku rubbed the back of his head. "Well, about that...This is kind of my own big secret."
Izuku then proceeded to explain to Toshinori about how he got his powers; from eating the Fruit of the Devil to being trained by Silvers Rayleigh, to all the skills he had picked up along the way.
"Huh, I heard from Rayleigh about a wide-eyed kid he was training who had great power pushed onto him by fate..." Toshinori noted. "Can't believe that kid is you."
"Wait, you know Rayleigh-Sensei?" Izuku asked.
"The old geezer trained me too, kid." Toshinori chuckled. "You know, you seem like just the kind of guy I'd entrust something very important to but I figure you've got everything handled with what you have now."
Izuku was now confused. "What do you mean?"
Toshinori was about to explain when an explosion suddenly went off from the other side of the district. Confused, Toshinori checked his pockets to see the bottles holding the Sludge Villain were still safely holstered.
"Guess Villainy never rests in this town..." Toshinori sighed before buffing back up into his All-Might Form. "Don't worry, Young Midoriya! I still have plenty of time!"
"Wait, let me come with you!" Izuku said. "I don't know why, but I feel like I need to be there too!"
All-Might nodded and quickly leaped off. Izuku, steeling his nerves, jumped over the railings and began free-falling off the side of the building before transforming with the [Bird-Bird Fruit: Model Falcon] and flying after the Symbol of Peace.
Superalloy Darkshine, having gotten sidetracked from chasing the Sludge Villain after All-Might showed up, had decided to resume patrolling to make sure no other crimes were going on in the area. Of course, he was lucky or rather unlucky enough to run into a crime in progress right now, one that was giving even a seasoned Pro like him a hard time.
"Hahahah! You puny heroes can't beat me! I'm INVINCIBLE!"
The Villain in question was a truly repulsive man. He was bald and stood at over eight feet tall with dark green-blue skin and glowing yellow eyes.
This was Gus the Ogre, a B-Rank Villain who had amassed quite a reputation and was responsible for felony assault, several counts of rape, larceny, and murder. His Quirk, [Ogre Arms], gave him twelve arms, three on his left, three on his right, and six coming out of his back.
Izuku and All-Might both arrived at the scene of the crime. Other heroes were there, including Death Arms, Backdraft, Kamui Woods, Metal Bat, and Mount Lady. Metal Bat looked to be nursing a head wound with Kamui Woods checking up on him while Death Arms was trying to see a way through the flames that had formed in the chaos.
"We need to do something!" Metal Bat said, getting up despite his bleeding head. "He's going to kill that kid otherwise!"
"Izuku!"
Izuku perked up and turned to see Hilda, a worried look on her face. The two friends rushed over to each other, wanting to make sure they were okay.
"Hilda, what are you doing here?!"
"I should ask you the same thing! I was with my girls when we heard explosions going on and went to see another Villain Attack happening!"
Wanting to get a better idea of what was going on, the two friends moved through the crowds to get a better look at Gu, who had turned around just in time for them to see Katsuki Bakugo, a one-time childhood friend to someone whom Izuku heavily disliked, trapped within the villain, struggling to get out of the villain's ironclad grip.
What really caught Izuku and Hilda's eyes was the look on his face; No longer an expression of arrogance and contempt but filled with desperation, fear, and pain, begging for someone to help him.
Neither Izuku nor Hilda even thought about what they were going to do next. As if possessed, the two dashed out of the crowds and toward Gus, who was wrestling with Superalloy Darkshine, the latter trying to free Katsuki from his hold.
All-Might had been prepared to jump into the fray when he saw Izuku and Hilda running toward Gus, who noticed them approaching and sneered as the Heroes tried to stop them.
"Get back here! It's too dangerous!" Death Arms called out, too shocked to reach and grab them.
Izuku and Hilda, at speeds that could rival seasoned ninjas, leaped into the air appearing above Gus as Hilda raised her leg and delivered a powerful Axe Kick to his head while Izuku stretched his leg with the [Gum-Gum Fruit] to kick Gus in the face, giving Superalloy Darkshine a chance to push back and make a grab for Katsuki.
The explosive blonde, as he was being pulled away, looked shocked seeing Izuku and Hilda rushing the villain without hesitation or fear. Hilda then gracefully backflipped through the air and landed on her feet as Izuku dashed back to her side, both teens glaring at Gus as he regained his composure.
"You brats shouldn't have gotten in my way! Now I'm gonna fucking kill the green-haired prick and fuck the bitches dead body!"
"Wow, do you practice being disgusting?" Hilda asked, wrinkling her nose.
Like a raging bull, Gus charged forward and delivered a rapid-fire barrage of blows with all of his fists. The force of his punches was so great, it kicked up a dust cloud as red splattered across the villain's vision, thinking he had just eviscerated the two youths.
"NO!" Kamui Woods cried in fury and sorrow as he prepared to send a tree trunk-like spear from his arm to attack the villain before something amazing happened.
Gus suddenly screamed in agony, his once arrogant face filled with shock and pain as he stumbled back, looking at his hands...or what used to be them. Now all the once lethal weapons were a bunch of bloody gushing stumps.
"MY HANDS! OH MY GOD, MY HANDS!"
As the dust cloud settled, everyone gazed in awe to see Izuku standing protectively in front of Hilda, his entire body covered in pure diamonds via the [Twinkle-Twinkle Fruit].
"You know I could have dodged that, right?" Hilda playfully said with a smirk as Izuku gave her a dry look through his diamond face. "Alright, alright, but at least let me get a crack at him."
"He's all yours."
Hilda grinned playfully as she dashed forward and reared her leg back, covering it in [Armament Haki], having also managed to learn the ancient spiritual art, and used it to kick Gus right in his groin. A sickening CRACK echoed through the district as every male in the nearby vicinity winced and unconsciously protected their privates.
Gus fell to his knees, unable to clutch his devastated nuts since he no longer had any hands. His cheeks then bulged before he spat up an iron ball that Hilda quickly backed away from.
"You...Bitch...!" Gus choked out before a sudden impact slamming down nearby alerted everyone.
"You kids are the craziest I've ever seen!" All-Might laughed. "Not just anyone would rush headlong into danger like that! And overwhelm a dangerous villain so casually!"
The Symbol of Peace then rushed forward, Gus shedding tears of terror and pain as he could do nothing to stop the incoming fist heading his way.
"DETROIT SMASH!"
With a massive punch, he created a shockwave tornado that sent Gus blasting into a nearby building like a gunshot and buried by the subsequent rubble. A sudden rainfall occurred, created by the tornado when it caused the clouds to move.
"Whoa... I had no idea All Might was strong enough to change the weather." Hilda whistled.
Izuku's mind was racing. Not even improving one's muscle mass and physical strength could account for what All-Might had just done. There was another force at work here. Still, with a smile on his face and his fist raised to the heavens, All-Might was able to reassure the people that the danger had passed, as the onlookers cheered.
"You idiots!" Death Arms scolded while Kamui Woods and Metal Bat stood next to him. "There was no reason for you to risk your lives like that!"
"Still, that took major balls." Metal Bat said. "It would have been a bit tough for us to handle a guy like him. Even Superalloy Darkshine was having a hard time until you two came along."
"Well, Bat does have a point." Death Arms said in a conspiring tone. "With skills like those, the two of you will go Pro in no time. And listen, hit up my agency if you two wanna learn some efficient punching and grappling styles."
"Nah, I'm good." Hilda shrugged. "I already have some good teachers."
Izuku nodded. "Same."
"Hey Hey!" Kamui Wood said, slapping the back of his hand onto Death Arm's chest, "If anything, those two should come to my agency. Their skills can complement mine perfectly, and the green-haired kid can learn some restraining tricks."
Metal Bat rolled his eyes as his colleagues ended up arguing with each other, letting Izuku and Hilda feel better already. The heroes had to put up the act of setting the law down even if the two teens had helped, to avoid other people from having the wrong idea and leading to vigilantism.
With everything looking to be cleaned up, Izuku and Hilda decided to head home. Izuku sighed as he sent a quick text to Rayleigh to inform him that he might not be able to make it to training today.
"Ugh, guess I gotta cancel my training day too..." Hilda groaned, having gotten some Taiyaki for herself and Izuku to share.
"Oy! Deku!"
The two turned to see Katsuki glaring at them but what surprised them was that his gaze seemed more subdued than normal.
"I didn't need your help, y'know! I could have easily handled that creep!"
"Sure, Bakugou, sure..." Hilda said dryly with a smirk.
Katsuki opened his mouth to retort but then closed it as he turned and sulked off, his hands in his pockets. Izuku frowned as he watched his former friend leave, something told him that this experience had changed the explosive blonde in more ways than one...Not by much, but any change no matter how small counted.
"Come on, let's head on home and see if I can whip your butt at Super Smash Bros. Ultimate." Hilda grinned as the two friends began to turn a corner, only...
"I AM HERE!"
"All-Might!" Izuku gasped in shock as Hilda nearly fell on her ass as well. "What are you doing here?"
"Holy crap is that literally All-Might?!" Hilda gawked. "And wait, why are you sounding like you've met him before?!"
"I actually wanted to speak with you kids!" All-Might laughed. "And Young Midoriya, I know you've already seen my secret, but your friend here, best have her be prepared."
"Prepared for what?" Hilda asked.
As if to answer her question, All-Might deflated in a puff of smoke, turning back into Toshinori Yagi. Hilda's jaw dropped literally to the floor when she saw the Symbol of Peace turn into a skeletal state.
"It's a long story..." Izuku said weakly to his friend.
After Hilda had gotten over the shock, Toshinori took her and Izuku to a place away from prying eyes before speaking to them. Izuku and Toshinori had filled in Hilda on how their first meeting went before Toshinori got to the main subject at hand.
"By now I'm sure you've realized... a simple Quirk alone cannot accomplish what I did today. I normally wouldn't be saying this, but there's a reason I'm explaining everything. You see... Five years ago, I decided to contemplate retirement."
"RETIREMENT?! THE SYMBOL OF PEACE?!" Izuku and Hila screamed in unison as Toshinori plugged his ears, having expected that response.
"The villain who nearly ended my career and life is one that has been fought before. And only I have ever come close to truly ending his threat. But my closest friends and allies have warned me that he may not be gone for good and I only just barely survived against him the first time, even with help." Toshinori explained as he sighed. "Which means I need to pass the torch so that my successor might have greater success."
"And why are you telling us all this?" Hilda asked.
"Young Midoriya told me about his powers and though he has what it takes, I feel like what I'm offering would be too much. So, Young Yakisani, I was wondering if you, from your actions alongside Midoriya, would like the honor of being my successor and inheriting my true power."
"Is that you were gonna tell me earlier before the Villain Attack distracted us?" Izuku asked as Toshinori nodded.
"There are stories behind every hero. How they become great. Rising up from adversity, or just finding a reason to fight evil. But most have one thing in common... Their bodies moved before they could have a chance to think. Tell me something... Did either of you think when you raced to save that boy?"
Izuku and Hilda shook their heads.
"No, it was all purely instinct. Bakugou may not be our friend but we couldn't let him die." Hilda said.
"The only thoughts we did have were how we were going to distract that villain so Superalloy Darkshine could get Bakugou away from him," Izuku added.
Toshinori smiled. "I thought so. I saw your eyes only seeing forward, towards your intended path. I need someone to take up my mantle when I retire, and I think you'd both make the perfect heroes to do so."
"But I thought only I was the one you wanted me to inherit whatever true power you have." Hilda pointed out.
Toshinori chuckled. "I can have more than one successor, my girl. One who can continue carrying the power I currently wield when I inevitably retire and another who can properly represent the virtues of heroism and justice."
"That means two symbols..." Izuku noted. "I guess it's probably for the best that there be more than one symbol society can look up to."
"That's exactly it, my boy. There needs to be more than one symbol, not just a Symbol of Peace." Toshinori smiled. "And believe it or not, I was born Quirkless. The power I gained is from another, who inherited it themself as well. The strength I have is my own power, alongside the power of seven predecessors."
"All-Might used to be Quirkless...?!" Izuku and Hilda gawked.
Toshinori just shook his head playfully at the two teens' reaction before holding out his palm, glowing energy coming from it.
"The name of this power... This ultimate Quirk... is [One For All]!"
Because Izuku already has the Devil Fruits, I decided to give Hilda One For All to compensate. Also, I needed a different villain to attack Katsuki since the Sludge Villain was already captured.
How will Izuku and Hilda deal with the knowledge of One For All and All-Might's offer to make them both his successors? Will Katsuki end up taking his experience and slowly begin improving himself? How else is the story gonna go? Find out in the next chapter!