It was time to return to UA. Izuku was outside with Gran Torino holding his suitcase with his hero costume. "It may have been brief, but I appreciate everything."
"I don't feel I did much for you… And that happened while you were out training on the job," Gran Torino yawned.
"No really thanks to your advice and sparring. I managed to hold my own against the Hero Killer." Gran Torino hits Izuku in the leg with his cane.
"Against a Hero Killer who was just toying with you maybe! Anyway, I guess all's well that ends well… But that arm! It's fractured, right? You went over your five percent limit at the last second, HUH? You still get nervous and overdo it. When you're careless, you lose control. Find a way to calm those nerves under pressure. If you really wanna become the greatest hero, like All Might. Then you still got a lot to learn.
Izuku looks down for a moment remembering how he would be more injured if Youta hadn't arrived when he did. He then looks back up at Gran Torino who is at the top of the stairs to the building, "Right!"
Gran Torino turns around to the door, "Hmph! Goodbye then."
"Ah, one last thing if you don't mind. I hope this doesn't come off rude… But I've been meaning to ask… and just couldn't find the right time to ask."
"Spit it out!" Gran Torino turns his head back. "I've got taiyaki that needs eating."
"You're so strong. And you're the one who trained All Might, but you're not famous at all. I'm wondering. Is there a reason for that?"
"Ah… It's cuz I never cared about being a hero in the first place. There was a time when I needed to be able to use my quirk freely and legally. That's the only reason I picked up my license. If you want to know more, you'd be better off asking Toshi… Asking All Might. We're done here! Stay strong."
"Oh, ok! Thanks for everything!" Izuku bowed his head.
As Izuku walked away Gran Torino compared Izuku to All Might. Although Izuku doesn't look or act like Toshinori he still sees Toshinori in Izuku. "Hey, Kid!" Gran Torino Shouts at Izuku, "Who are you again?!"
Izuku turns around and looks back "Seriously?! Like I've told you I'm Izuku…"
"That's not what I mean," Gran Torino interrupts.
"Oh." Izuku realized what he meant, "It's Deku!" Gran Torino, satisfied with his answer, smiled, turned back around to the door, and waved Izuku goodbye without looking back.
Izuku then turned and began walking towards home. As he continues walking he remembers to stop by the hospital that Youta was in. Traveling back to Hosu City was no trouble but when he arrived back at the hospital, Youta was nowhere to be found. Asking the nearby nurses about his location all he got was that after Youta healed he went back to his internship.
Relieved that Youta was safe and sound and recovered enough to move around. Izuku calls Youta on his phone but Youta doesn't answer. Thinking he might be busy with something he continues his trip back home. Getting on the subway train he thinks about his sister and how she is doing. The last time they saw each other she looked like she was doing well, but how was she really feeling? Then Izuku remembers that Akari is in UA and she can help with that. Izuku smiles to himself as the train comes to his stop.
(The Next Day At UA)
Sero and Kirishima are laughing at Bakugo's combed-down hair. "Stop laughing! It's just stuck like this, even after I washed them," Bakugo grits his teeth, barely able to hold his anger. "Keep it up and I'll murder you both."
"Look at that hair! It's a perfect two to eight hair ratio!" Kirishima and Sero continue laughing. Bakugo's hair then exploded back into his regular spiky hair.
"Wow, so you got to take out some villains? I'm so jealous!" Ashido envied.
"It was just evacuation procedures and logistical support. No real fighting," said Jiro.
"That's still awesome!"
"Just some training and patrol for me. Though one time, we did catch some foreign smugglers," Tsuyu added.
"How'd the past week go for you Ochako," asked Ashido.
"It was very… Instructive." An ominous Ochako was standing up like she was possessed by a martial arts master.
"She was with the battle hero, right?" Jiro questioned. Uraraka then breathed out through her mouth and visualized steam came out. She suddenly throws a straight punch.
"Such a transformation in just one week…" Kaminari commented.
"Transformation? Wrong Kaminari." Mineta waves his index finger at Kaminari. Then biting his fingernail he says, "All women… hide their demonic natures deep with them!"
"What happened to you with MT. Lady," Kaminari grabs hold of Mineta's arm to stop him from biting his nail. "I, on the other hand, was pretty spoiled. It was tons of fun. Now if you want to talk about the most transformative. That'd be the one you three had!" Kaminari looks over at Izuku, Ida, and Todoroki who were together.
"Yeah, the Hero Killer!" Sero said while Bakugo held the back of his collar.
"I'm just glad you're all still alive." Kirishima is also being held by Bakugo.
"I was so worried," Yaoyorozu said. "But endeavor came and saved you, right? That's our number two for you!"
"Right we were saved," Todoroki monotony nodded his head.
"So I saw on the news that they think the Hero Killer is connected to the league of villains? Hate to think how things could've turned out if a guy like him showed up at the USJ that time," Ojiro changed the topic.
"Hold on. Sure, He's scary… But didn't you watch that video? You can really see his tenacity. Kind of cool don't you think?" Kaminari comments but quickly realizing Ida's brother and Izuku's friend was severely injured because of the hero killer he apologized.
Ida looks at his arm. "No… It's fine. He's certainly a man of conviction, so if some people think he's cool… I get that." Then raising one up, "But his conviction has led him to conclude that society requires a purge. And no matter what one's motives are, that's just wrong." He swings his arm down chipping the air, "So that no others like myself emerge and suffer my fate… I will correct my course and walk the path of a true hero! Class is about to start. Get to your seats!"
With his words, all the students did as instructed with the only trouble being Bakugo not being seated until the bell had rung. Aizawa walked in and the golden question on everyone's mind was… Where was Akumi?
After getting to the front of the class Aizawa states, "Now… You all may be wondering where one of your classmates is right about now. All I can say is that she has regained consciousness and is still recovering."
Izuku raised his hand and without waiting to be called on he asked, "Is this related to the recent incident?"
"I can't confirm if it's related to or not but know that she is in safe hands." Ida and Todoroki had their own question to ask but figured that now isn't the time to do it with all their classmates around. It wouldn't be suspicious that Izuku would be told about her condition because he was her brother but if either of them asked something the others would definitely know something was up. The others who are not in the know, especially Bakugo, are already suspicious of what might be going on behind the scenes. But this was coming from Aizawa so most of them let go of their suspicions. The class then resumed as usual.
(Basic hero training with All Might)
A race to see who can rescue him first from inside a dense spread of factories that wind together to create an intricate network of maze-like alleys. They will be split into four teams of five each team going one at a time. Izuku was matched in group one with Sero, Ashida, Ida, and Ojiro.
"Ida's still not totally recovered. Maybe he should've sat this one out." Mineta says.
"It's like all of the class's mobility experts are on this one team," commented Kirishima.
"Yeah. If I had to say, I think Midoriya's at a huge disadvantage," added Kaminari.
"To be honest, I could almost be sold on his power. Seeing that his sister could do something like him but chooses not to. If he could control it." Jiro wonders.
"Right, Izuku's sister can basically fly with minimal effort. I did hear once from her that Izuku has only recently gotten his quirk." Yaoyorozu added.
"I wonder who she would put her bets on. She was on fire on betting who was going to win during the sports festival... I place my bet on Sero," Kirishima points to Kaminari.
"Yeah but don't count Ojiro out."
"I'm rooting for Ashido! Her reflexes are nuts," Mineta argues.
"I know Deku will come in last," Bakugo joined in.
"I vote for Ida. Even with his injury, I've got a good feeling about Ida." Tsuyu nods in agreement.
A start was heard through the area and the race was on. To no one's surprise, Sero was taking the lead going up and staying air-born by swinging himself with his tape. But to everyone's surprise, Izuku is leaping from pipe to pipe quickly overtaking Sero in distance to the finish line. Bakugo is taking this moment the hardest because the way Izuku was moving was the same as him.
On Izuku's end, he was focused. Not on where he was going but at keeping his control at five percent. And because of this, he slips on a pipe losing the lead by a landslide after falling. At the end of it, Sero comes in first place.
"Sero May Have Taken First Place But… You've All Figured Out New And Better Ways To Use Your Quirk Since Starting School! Keep Up The Good Work As You Prepare For Your Final Exams!" All Might told them and after Sero, Ashida, Ida, and Ojiro were far enough away he whispered to Izuku, "Come see me after class."
"Huh?"
"The time has come for an important discussion. About me and one for all." Izuku nods his head understanding what this entails.
(After School)
Izuku walks into a break room and All Might is sitting on the couch inside the break room in his unmuscular form. "Take a seat," All might said sternly. Izuku goes to take a seat on the chair opposite of All Might. "You've been through a lot lately. And I'm sorry… I wasn't there to help."
"That's okay… You really don't have to apologize. I'm more curious about One For All," Izuku said as he sat on the chair.
"I heard the Hero Killer Licked your blood."
"His quirk lets him paralyze anyone whose blood he ingests. But what about it?"
"When I granted you my power. Do you remember what I said?"
"Eat This," Izuku changed his face to look like All Might for a moment when he was in his muscular form.
"No, not that. Really doesn't matter what it is you eat. As long as you get my DNA."
Izuku stood up, panicked, "Uh… Wait, don't tell me… The Hero Killer has One For All now."
"No. But I thought you might be worried about that… Since I forgot to explain it fully." Izuku sits back down. "One For All can only transfer if its holder wills it to. Though it can't be stolen forcibly, it can be given to an unwilling recipient. It's a unique quirk, in that sense… With a unique origin story. Because One For All was originally derived from a different quirk altogether. All For One… A quirk that lets its user steal other quirks. As well as grant quirks to others."
"All For… Meaning everything was for this guy to take…?" Izuku asked.
"This was back at the advent of the exceptional. A time when society still hadn't managed to adapt to the changes. Back then… The norms of what it meant to be human suddenly collapsed, and with that. Laws became meaningless. Societal progress halted. It was catastrophic."
"Without the advent of extraordinary, humanity would be enjoying interstellar travel right now. Some important guy once said that," Izuku commented.
"Yes, and in that age of confusion and disorder. One man took the initiative and brought people together. You may have heard about this. He would steal quirks from other people. And with his overwhelming power. Spread the influence of his organization. He was responsible for manipulating so many into committing wicked acts, which was his intent. Before long, he had taken over Japan. A true lord of evil."
"I've seen rumors about this on the internet. But I thought it was all made-up. There's nothing in the textbooks about him."
"The textbooks don't tell you about what the yakuza are up to either do they? When a person has power, they instinctively seek a way to use it."
"But how's this connected to One For All?"
"I mentioned that all for one could grant quarks too. With that ability, he could instill trust in others or at least get them to submit. However, the load was too much to bear for those who received it. Many would end up becoming mere puppets, unable even to speak. Just like that nomu. On the other hand, there was one case… Where his granting of a quirk resulted in a mutation a blend. The man had a quirkless younger brother. This brother was small and fragile, but he had a strong sense of justice! And the deeds of his big brother pained him… So he opposed the tyrant. But the elder brother gave his younger brother a power-stocker quirk by force. We still don't know whether that was out of kindness or if it was to force his brother to submit."
"Wait, so…"
"Yes… It turned out he hadn't actually been quirkless from the start. Though neither he nor anyone else had known it. He possessed a totally useless quirk. One that let him pass his quirk itself to others. But then, the power-stocking quirk and the transferring quirk were fused! That's how One For All came to be. An ironic tale, no? Justice is always born from evil."
Hold on… I… Don't really get how it happened, but… This old story about that villain… Why're you telling me now?"
"We're talking about someone who steals quirks. He could acquire any kind. Such as ones to stop the aging process and he did. Making him a near-immortal symbol of evil… Given the man's indefatigable strength and the state of society at the time. His defeated younger brother decided to pass the mission on to future generations. Though it was a shadow of what it is today… The power he passed on grew and grew… All in the hope that it could one day stop the older brother… And it was my generation that finally brought the villain down! Or so we thought… He survived and now he's on the move again as the brains behind this League of Villains. One For All is a power that's inherited for the sole purpose of beating All For One! Which means that someday you will fight against that ultimate evil… Perhaps. I realize this got a little dark…"
"I'll do my best! Whatever you say, All Might… I'll step up to the challenge! As long as you're by my side, I can do anything… That's how I feel, anyway!"
All Might cover his mouth. Hesitant to tell him when that day comes he won't be there for him anymore. Choosing not to say it he says, "Thanks…"
The room was quiet for a moment then Izuku said, "I do have one question. It's not related to One For All."
"Y-yes what is it," All Might said, taken aback by the sudden question.
"Do you know what happened to my sister?" All Might, unsure of how to answer, stays silent. "Do you at least know where she is? It worries me because she told Ida, Todoroki, and me that she is staying at the UA dorms and that her schedule won't be changed, yet she's not in class. Did something happen?"
"Do you want the honest truth…" All Might with an ominous aura, interlock his fingers together in front of his face and a shadow cast over his eyes. Izuku had a cold sweat looking into All Might's eyes as he swallowed his fears and nodded yes. "We have reasons to believe your sister might be a nomu created by the League of Villains."
Izuku's eyes widened in disbelief, "That can't be true… She could still think and talk. You said so yourself that nomu can't even speak."
"Since she claims the body she's in isn't her original body. This could mean that the body that hosts her consciousness is similar to someone playing a character in a video game. The body can speak and think because she is in control."
"Then at the sports festival when she said all of that in her fight with Todoroki… You're telling me that was all her doing?"
"That's if she was in control… You already noticed how different she acted in the way she used her quirk in her fight with Todoroki. Like in a video game different people play the same character but their playstyle is different. There seems to be more than just your sister who has control over that body. And they have all the memories and experiences she has and more because they can block your sister's memory to help us but it looks like your sister has more control over what the body does."
"Then where is her original body...? You don't think this is related to All For One… Do you," Izuku said, looking for All Might's reassurance that everything will be okay.
"I… All For One loves to play with people's emotions. He likes to get underneath your skin and break your will to fight. I can't say for sure that this isn't entirely related to All For One… But if it is, be prepared for the worst-case scenario."
"If it's All For One. I know I can help you defeat him but if it's her… Is this the real reason behind her saying I'm her hero? Because she knows that I'm the one who has to stop her if she loses control?!"
"Calm down Midoriya." All Might puts his hands on his lap as he lets out a sigh. "That's only the worst-case scenario. Think about it. Why is she saying you're her hero? It may be because she knows you can stop her before she loses control."
Doubt fills Izuku's head. "But what if I can't? And she lost complete control. What if she doesn't come back? She's my hero just as much as I am to her. Just how do I help her? It was because of me in the first place that she ever lost control. We had that argument right before her match."
"What happened at the sports festival isn't your fault. Some of the blame could be put on us for not noticing sooner. What we found out about her losing control is if she becomes emotionally unstable."
"So it was my fault she lost control. She was already stressed enough about her match then I just had to add in all of what I said…"
All Might look at Izuku as Izuku went silent with his head down as a shadow seemed to cast over him, "Midoriya, you don't—"
"You're my hero," Izuku interrupts. "From the beginning, I thought those words she spoke were shallow. And after getting this quirk. After finally getting into UA. I thought I finally understood what she meant by those words. I thought I could truly be her hero. But now I know why she didn't want to rely on the me of now and only look towards the future me. She probably knew the way I am now wouldn't be able to stop her." Izuku raised his head. Determination burned in his eyes as he looked All Might in the eye and the shadow he had cast disappeared. "Just like how I'm not ready to handle All For One at my current state without your help, I'm also not ready to help my sister without their help. Akari, Youta. They've placed their faith in me to bring her back just like you placed your faith in me to defeat All For One."
All Might a bit hesitant speaks, "Y-yeah, that's right. I have full faith that when the time comes you'll be ready."
