What Heroes Would Choose

Chapter 19

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As soon as the bell rang signifying the end of their hero training, Midoriya set his plan into motion. It wasn't ideal for a variety of reasons, but now was the time to use his hidden ace. He slipped into the group his classmates had formed as they basically limped out of Class 1-B's way, everyone exhausted from the grueling work they'd put in.

Always having been good at blending in with the crowd, Midoriya did his absolute best to hide from Aizawa's piercing gaze while also seeking out All Might. Luckily the retired pro was heading off on his own, giving Midoriya the perfect opportunity to act.

"Uh, hey All Might!" He called, his voice loud enough to be heard but hushed as well; he didn't want his nosey classmates or other teachers involved yet. His mentor stopped and turned back to him, waving and nodding to come over despite being worn out from arguing with Aizawa all afternoon.

The past One for All user looked older, thinner, and more exhausted than he had since Midoriya had first seen him in the hospital after being held captive. Brutal were the repercussions of the horrors that had been dealt that night, not just for Midoriya himself, but apparently all those he was close to.

"Young Midoriya, what is it?" All Might questioned, looking his student up and down with increasing worry. "You—you're shaking. Is something wrong?"

"Could we go sit somewhere?" Midoriya responded, choosing not to answer his question. "Alone?"

Truthfully, he was hardly able to keep himself upright and doubted he'd be able to stand for much longer. His legs throbbed, the left even more so like a muscle had been pulled. Then there were his arms. Now that his adrenaline and endorphins were returning to normal levels as he cooled down from strenuous exercise, it was much easier to feel the crippling burn in his arms as they swung in stride with his feet. But he couldn't tell All Might that and it wasn't what he'd come here to say anyway.

However, it could be used to further manipulate his idol, something even his dulled sensitivity still reeled over. 'No, you can't back out now. This has to be done. Remember he smiled while 'lying' to everyone. This is no different. Don't feel. Stay focused.'

By the time they'd reached the bench All Might had led them to, Midoriya had thoroughly quelled the unease in his mind, ready to do whatever it took to keep moving forward and finally become someone everyone else could count on.

"You… You said I could tell you anything…" He murmured, keeping his head low and eyes turned away ashamedly. "That you wouldn't judge me… Did you really mean that?"

All Might's eyes widened slightly, wondering if being sent to the observation area had done more harm than he'd initially thought. Midoriya had seemed disappointed, but still just as determined as always; gentle and understanding of even the most frustrating situations.

"Of course, kid." All Might assured, reaching out to put a hand on his student's trembling shoulder. "You can trust me with anything."

Midoriya bit his lip, exuding fearful sadness and anxiety while letting his overused limbs shake freely, the movement adding to the distress he wanted to project. "I d-don't want to get in tr-trouble…"

All Might took a moment before responding, weighing his options. His proposal to give Midoriya an absolute free pass to speak his mind had been shut down. PTSD was serious; it wasn't something that could be ignored even for the noblest of reasons, especially not when throwing an overpowered multi-quirk into the mix.

But Midoriya wasn't just his student. He wasn't just his chosen successor and current wielder of One for All. Izuku Midoriya had become far more than that in the two years they'd known each other. To All Might, he was the son he'd never had, a cherished part of his heart that meant more to him than world peace itself.

The faculty didn't agree with him, but this conversation didn't feel like one between pupil and master—it felt like a son coming to his father for help. All Might refused to turn his back on Midoriya and would do whatever it took to ensure no negative repercussions occurred, regardless of what he was told.

"You won't. Whatever you say stays entirely between us unless you tell me otherwise." All Might promised, giving his best 'hero smile' despite remaining in his skeletal form. "I am here for YOU, young Midoriya."

Taking a deep, falsely calming breath, Midoriya hesitantly peered back up at his mentor. "I… I'm worried about Shoto and Kacchan…" he practically whimpered. "But I can't help them, All Might. It's like there's a wall between us and I can't tear it down without—"

He cut himself off, twisting his head back around as if to stifle the emotional strife he was consumed with. The hand on his shoulder tensed, just barely noticeable but evident all the same. Midoriya let the air become thick between them, refusing to say another word until he was sure All Might had been hooked.

"Without what?" the elder finally questioned, his own unease and uncertainty heavy in his tone. "What do you think needs to be done?"

"I—I know I'm not s-supposed to kn-know, but when I was h-h-hurt, it was... th-the people who did i-it…" Midoriya responded, mimicking the way he'd spoken when he'd bared his soul to Shinso months earlier, though this time he didn't have the crushing emotions breaking him down with each word.

He left the rest unspoken, knowing that All Might would catch on. Judging by the shock and nauseous expression visible in the farthest point of his peripheral, his mentor was reeling, jaw dropped, and wide-eyed with horrified understanding.

"But—how—who—" All Might sputtered, trying to figure out who had told Midoriya what was supposed to be a heavily guarded secret. The plan was still to let things 'play out as they would' but under strict observation, faculty ready to jump at the moment Midoriya 'stabilized enough to be told', whatever the hell that meant.

Yet somehow, the beans had been spilled and apparently had plenty of time to stew in Midoriya's head with no one the wiser. All Might's heart was in his throat, tears springing to his eyes with empathy and sadness. He was ready to swoop down and scoop up his adoptive son when a weak, cry-laugh crackled between Midoriya's chewed lips.

"I… I always knew…" the boy admitted, hunching his shoulders like he was about to be scolded for his deduction abilities.

Another more powerful pang reverberated in All Might's abdomen, shoulders dragged equally as low as his students with the weight of his failure. Why hadn't he just gone with his gut instinct and tried to talk to Midoriya about this very topic despite what Nezu's psychological panel had ordered?

"Young Midoriya… I'm so sorry…" He cried, letting his guilt-filled tears fall freely as he pulled his pupil in close and held him tightly. "I could see it was too soon when Tsukauchi and I came to see you at the hospital but I should've tried again after that. You've been carrying this burden alone for months, afraid of saying something because I was too much of a coward to start the conversation. Please, forgive my weakness."

What made it so much worse, however, was that this conversation hadn't even come about because Midoriya couldn't handle keeping the knowledge to himself. No, he was there asking for help on behalf of others who were hurting, his cherished friends. Because of the decisions made by the adults who were supposed to be taking care of them, Midoriya's hands had been tied.

"It's not your fault, All Might!" Midoriya assured, leaning into his master limply. "I could have said something at any time, but I was too scared that I'd be put back on leave if I did. I was prioritizing my desire to be a hero over the well-being of Shoto and Kacchan. I was selfish and wasn't acting like a hero at all. I failed to live up to being your successor again…"

"No, young Midoriya. No." All Might refuted, rocking gently to calm himself just as much as the whimpering teen in his arms. "None of this falls on you. I'm so proud of you, of your indomitable inner strength and selfless care for those around you. You're my student, yet you've managed to become the person who gives me the strength to keep going. You've already surpassed me, my boy, and become my personal hero."

Midoriya waited a few more minutes before responding, letting his mentor completely absorb what he'd been told. The poor man was still tremoring with wet, shame-filled sobs, tears dribbling endlessly into Midoriya's hair.

It certainly was a train wreck of a situation. What Midoriya believed he needed more than anything right then was breathing room, something that Aizawa was hyper-focused on refusing to give him. To get Aizawa off his back, he'd have to provide another, more concerning situation to deal with—namely, Todoroki and Bakugo.

But Midoriya also had to ensure he didn't get in trouble for deliberately lying by omission for months now. Aizawa wasn't likely to let such a massive lapse in oversight go unless he didn't have another choice. That's where All Might came in; he'd have to be the go-between and advocate, or, at the very least, his private trainer.

"What do I do, All Might?" Midoriya finally whimpered.

Sniffling roughly in an attempt to compose himself, All Might finally released his near-death grip on Midoriya and wiped his soggy eyes. "Don't worry about that, my boy. I'll figure something out."

Midoriya doubted it would be that simple, especially when it came to Aizawa. But this was just phase 1 of the plan and he was good at improvising when necessary. He'd just keep clawing his way forward, no matter what.

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Midoriya knocked back another pain reliever, taking a moment to switch out the full-arm-length ice packs he'd received from the support course earlier in the year. With the injuries he'd received during his fight with muscular and subsequent quirk mishaps, his arms were often sore even without going Plus Ultra during training. It was a silver lining now that he intended to overexert himself daily, he supposed.

Checking his watch, he found that it was almost time for dinner, and then directly following that would be his first session with Yaoyorozu, neither activity something he was really looking forward to. His talk with All Might has lasted far longer than he'd wanted, burning through the time he'd intended to spend studying and 'meditating'. The man had sobbed for what seemed like forever, apologizing and assuring him that everything would be okay.

Of course, he held no animosity towards his master. Despite what the retired pro believed, he wasn't responsible for the decisions made by the head of UA and even if he had been, Midoriya was aware that their secretiveness was a misguided attempt to help him and his friends.

He couldn't honestly say if they were right or wrong in their judgments either. Midoriya had attempted to predict how Bakugo and Todoroki would react to the news but hadn't come to any firm conclusions, especially after how estranged they'd become. For all he knew, this would destroy them.

Temporarily unnerved by the thought, Midoriya shook his head to clear it, refusing to be controlled by irrational feelings. Todoroki and Bakugo were powerful and would both become top heroes once they graduated, but that didn't make them the next Symbol of Peace; Midoriya was the one expected to right all the wrongs in the world, not them. If temporarily derailing their hero journey was the only way to get his own back on track, then Midoriya had to do it.

It wasn't like he was intentionally trying to wreck their dreams or anything. With a little squinting, one could even say that regardless of how Bakugo and Todoroki took the news, they'd end up in a better place than they were in now. After all, Midoriya was only able to use this topic to deflect attention from himself because his two friends actually were doing poorly.

They needed help and now they'd get it. Simple, true, necessary.

Midoriya bit his lip and got up to pace around, hoping that the sting in his legs would help ease the fluctuating guilt in his mind. It infuriated him that he could now talk about the worst things that had ever happened to him without a single blip in his emotional state and yet his nearly perfected apathy was repeatedly disrupted by a couple of stupid crushes.