He thought things would be calm from now on, but that wasn't the case. He was quite surprised when his mother told him that she was called by All Might himself requesting to meet him for a conversation.
He had been one of the many heroes who participated in his search and also one of the two heroes who rescued him, but Izuku did not expect that someone so busy would take the time to come personally to talk to him. He always thought that someone like All Might should be busy with his hero activities or doing something else when he wasn't being a hero.
In any case, they both met in the living room of their house. his mother had placed some tea and some snacks in front of them. Ranni had locked herself in their shared room, giving him his space to deal with this alone, and his mother stayed by his side.
"I see you're recovering well," All Might uttered with a more measured smile than usual.
Izuku just raised his shoulders. "I guess," he said, trying to stay in his role as the traumatized boy. It's not really easy, but he's starting to feel more comfortable in the role.
"Sorry for not coming earlier, I thought it would be better to give you time, also because of the media," the hero explained. Two weeks had already passed since the rescue. The first week was quite heavy. The police had to arrest many journalists who were trying to get some information.
It was logical; His disappearance became national news and, consequently, his rescue did as well, especially due to the participation of Edgeshot and All Might in it. Added to the fact that at the press conference the police gave they did not say much, the journalists had tried to come talk to them, showing no respect for their privacy. Thinking about it, it makes sense that he wouldn't have approached until the reporters calmed down.
"I understand, I appreciate you taking that into consideration," Izuku said.
All Might let out a sigh scratching the back of his neck. "I... I'm sorry." The hero bowed his head in a typical Japanese sign of apology. Izuku had not seen such a movement for so long, partly because not many in the Lands Between knew its meaning and also because few really apologized.
Still, the gesture took Izuku by surprise. He looked towards his mother for some kind of explanation, but she looked even more confused than him and, noticing him looking at her, she just raised her shoulders.
"I...I don't know what you're apologizing for," Izuku said.
The man had not yet raised his head from his bowed position. "I failed you. On the day of your kidnapping, I was right there. I just had to move, I acted too late. I could have stopped all of this, but I didn't. I apologize, young Midoriya."
Part of Izuku would have liked to tell the man that he didn't have to apologize, that whether he had intervened or not, it wouldn't change the situation. He's pretty sure that whatever brought him to the Lands Between had little to no interest in the situation or the moment.
But that would be giving more information than necessary.
"I accept your apology," he said simply, presenting a simple smile to the hero.
All Might raised his face looking at the smile that Izuku offered him. It seems that the boy's words had not completely brought him peace, although they had dispersed some of his self-reproach if the slight relaxation in his shoulders is a good indication of that.
Izuku had become awfully good at reading people's body language, something normal when reading your enemy's movements is so vital in combat, especially when these enemies are generally more powerful than you. It also works wonderfully to reveal liars and manipulators.
"I thank you, young Midoriya, and about those words I said to you that day on the roof I was too harsh, and I think..."
"You were partly right," Izuku cut him off. That made the man look at him somewhat confused. "A person without a Quirk cannot become a hero... You were partly right," the boy said.
His mother inhaled in surprise, looking accusingly at All Might, surely displeased to know what the hero had said to her son.
A part of him wanted to point out to his mother that even though she never said the words clearly, she probably thought them her whole life, but that part of himself was dismissed with the force of a blow from Godfrey.
"You... what do you mean?" the hero asked, somewhat bewildered.
"Well... I had time to think. When I was away, thinking was a good distraction." The way he said those words made the hero feel ashamed and his mother put her hand on his shoulder as a sign of support. From All Might's point of view he may be referring to his kidnapping, but his mother knows what he's talking about. "The point is that I came to a conclusion: being a hero without Quirk is not impossible."
All Might seemed about to speak, possibly to support the words he had just said, but he paused him by raising his hand. Who would think that one day he would shut up All Might?
"Many heroes do not have powerful or especially combat-oriented Quirks, and not all heroes specialize in combat. Taking this reality into account, a Quirkless can become a hero, especially if he relies on technology to solve his deficiencies," Izuku explained.
Speaking from his own experience, his early days in Limgrave, when he had not yet been enhanced to inhuman levels by runes, he had managed to face dangers that equaled or surpassed the average villain through clever use of the tools at his disposal. And those were mostly basic tools like bombs and knives. What would I have been able to do with the high technology of this world?
"But it would be difficult. While it's nice to say that a person without a Quirk can become a hero, it's not the same as saying they can stay one. They would spend their entire salary on technological equipment to keep up. Most hero Agencies wouldn't want to have anything to do with him and in the long run he will probably end up retiring as he cannot sustain his standard of living, not forgetting the constant physical training to keep up," Izuku let out a heavy sigh. "You can be a hero being Quirkless, but... remaining one for long would be almost impossible."
And he too had realized the problem. When he ran out of tools and had to flee, when the obstacle was too big and he had to leave to come back later and stronger. But in this world, people without Quirk didn't have that option, to leave and come back a week later twice as strong.
There was also the problem that being a hero is a profession, with a salary, and that no matter how much heroes are idealized, they are still humans who must pay bills and make purchases.
There was a reason why heroes don't flood the streets. Sure, there are hundreds of heroes in the country, but for those hundreds of heroes there are thousands of police officers. Many heroes retire not because they want to but because their work is no longer financially sustainable. Heroes are paid for solved cases, they get extra money from sponsors they get and merchandise in their image, if they join an agency they would have a fixed salary, but that comes with their respective responsibilities. A hero without a Quirk may start out well because of the novelty, but as time goes by everything will get worse.
"So please, All Might, if you were about to tell me that you were wrong and that someone without a Quirk can be a hero... please don't," Izuku said, looking directly into the eyes of the number one hero.
The man let out a sigh and put a hand to the back of his neck. "I see even so... I... well." The man took a paper out of a pocket because he is not wearing his iconic hero suit. "Due to your nine-month absence at such an important moment in your schooling, I thought that everything probably became very complicated in that department for you. So I thought I would give you a hand. I will teach at UA and... well , students who enter by recommendation only need to pass a short exam."
Izuku took the paper, noting that it is a letter of recommendation signed by All Might. It's funny, ten years ago Izuku probably would have balled up with excitement at the fact that his idol was trying to recommend him to UA. Right now...this paper means less than nothing.
"I appreciate the intention, All Might but…" the man raised his hand in turn.
"Please, at least I ask you to think about it. I know what you're saying about a hero without a Quirk is true but, at least you can try if it doesn't work out, you can always be changed to general studies," Izuku made a gesture. slight grimace.
"I see... What's happen with Ranni?" the green-haired man asked without any shame.
"The young Caria? Well, as I understand it, she doesn't have any kind of education, but if possible I can arrange something for her."
"I see... then I'll think about it."
"Thank you is all I ask, young Midoriya."
After that, the hero said goodbye.
When Ranni felt that the conversation was over, she decided to leave the room. Her presence was not required, which is why she saw no point in participating. Besides, she didn't quite like being seen in the clothes she was wearing.
Throughout her life, Ranni had only worn certain types of clothing. First, the robes similar to those her mother wears, typical of a magician and in which she felt incredibly comfortable. Then, the dresses she usually wore for special occasions that required her to look good.
And finally, the snow witch's clothes that once belonged to her teacher. But none of those clothes were appropriate for this world, which is why Izuku had suggested that she dress more accordingly.
So she did it. Using her divine powers, she simply created the clothes and put them on. She had no qualms about copying the outfit of a girl she had seen from a distance, but she was still embarrassed.
Her current clothing consisted of a white long-sleeved shirt, on top of it a knitted vest with a diamond pattern in blue and white tones, a pair of light blue skinny jeans, and black sneakers with white soles.
According to Izuku and his mother, she was dressed very modestly. But, on earth, how could such tight pants be modest? she felt like she was completely naked from the waist down.
Ranni came to them and Izuku summarized what had happened. She looked at the paper that man had given him with obvious curiosity. "Why would he do such a thing?" she asked. The man's help baffled Ranni.
"I don't know, maybe it's just guilt," the green-haired man said.
"Or maybe he saw potential in you," his mother replied. "Besides, with your current powers you can be a hero," she said with a big smile.
Izuku only shared that half-smile. "I don't think it's wise to show that I got powers out of nowhere, much less to such a level."
"I don't think there would be a problem as long as you keep your levels low and anchor yourself to one thing," Ranni said, finishing reading the paper and watching as Izuku looked at her in confusion. "I'm pretty sure it's possible for someone without what you call a Quirk to develop one late in their life or even discover they have one, it just wasn't instinctive how to activate it. They probably have something planned for those cases."
"I... well, yes it's probable, but I still don't know whether to accept," he said, stroking the back of his neck.
"But... Izuku, being a hero has been your dream since you were a child," the Midoriya matriarch said.
They had told her some things, but not really much. Of course, she knows that her son was in another world, that although for her it was only nine months, for him it was ten years. She knows that he has power now, but she is not aware of everything Izuku had to go through and everything he had to do.
They both agreed that it was best to go little by little in terms of revelations.
"It's a dream I'm not so sure about anymore," Izuku said with a smile that didn't reach his eyes.
"Izuku..." his mother uttered, looking worried and sad. She probably still can't fully understand that her son was no longer the same boy he used to be.
Still, Ranni intervened. "Accept," she said, drawing both their gazes. "Even if you don't want to be a hero, based on what you said you can be demoted to general studies. I am a Caria, I know very well how important a good education is. Even as powerful as you are or as I am, it would be wise for both of us to have a good education to be able to fit into this society.
"That... well, that's true," Izuku said, letting out a small laugh.
He had probably forgotten what it was like to live in an organized society. Of course, Ranni was royalty, so from birth her life was settled. But as Caria royalty, she couldn't afford not to be an excellent mage. Even Radahn, who preferred the path of the warrior, ended up being an exceptional mage and that required study.
The thing is, even in the Lands Between before all the chaos, having a good education could make the difference between living well and living poorly. But in this world, unlike hers, access to education is not so restricted.
"Though you can probably make gold appear and make us rich," Izuku said jokingly.
"Wait, she can do that?" his mother asked, surprised.
"In theory, I haven't tested the full extent of my powers yet. Going by what Marika could do, creating gold should be simple. But it would be risky, wouldn't anyone ask where the gold I create comes from?" , asked the princess.
"Right... well, then I guess I'll have to accept," Izuku said, looking fakely sad.
"Wait...how can you create gold?" Madam Midoriya questioned.
"True, we hadn't revealed it yet. I am a goddess," Ranni replied simply.
Inko just opened and closed her mouth like a fish underwater, then let out a heavy sigh. "Why has my life gotten so crazy lately?"
Nezu let out a heavy sigh. All Might could sometimes give him headaches, usually because of how stubborn he was about being a hero. He had advised him to take a break many times, and had even suggested announcing his retirement some time ago; It was the best for him and his health.
But being a hero is in Toshinori Yagi's nature and he simply dismissed everything aside from the advice to take things slow. But that was nine months ago, and today he had discarded that advice as well.
He couldn't entirely blame the man; Humans are beings guided by their emotions, and he had received an emotional shock when the young Izuku Midoriya was kidnapped.
"If the media finds out about this," said the chimera.
"They will not. The boy promised he wouldn't talk about this. If he has not revealed my secret to the world, I can be sure that I can trust his word," Toshinori said.
True, the boy had accidentally learned of All Might's secret, of his injury and weakened state, and had simply not said anything to anyone, not even his family. Nezu knew heroes who were less trustworthy when it came to keeping a secret.
But he supposed it was normal, the boy himself seemed to keep quite a few secrets.
Maybe he was being paranoid, but when he received the complete report of the case he couldn't help but notice... something... everything seemed so perfect, although he doesn't even know why he has that feeling... a problem with his Quirk, guarantees him great intelligence that many times it allows him to think about things that others don't, and in this case he couldn't help but notice how perfect the disappearance of this Seluvis and his assistant was; They left no trace of where they went, no matter how minimal.
They simply disappeared as if they had never existed... Nezu dismissed the thought; It's not the time to think about that, now he should focus on Toshinori and his request.
"If you say so, I'll take your word for it, although the boy will have to study extra to catch up with his classmates, assuming he can even pass the entrance exam when it is in a few days," he said, taking his cup of tea to his mouth and taking a gentle sip.
"I understand, I'm not asking you to let them pass, just to give them the opportunity."
"Toshinori, be honest, why do you want to help this boy so much?" Nezu asked, putting aside his cup of tea.
Now it's true that he's help goes to young Midoriya and young Caria, but the girl comes more by association than anything else. It was because Izuku made helping her one of the conditions of accepting All Might's proposal, which was making this all that much more complicated. The boy thing wouldn't even have required this meeting, but the girl thing is much more complex.
She doesn't even have a birth certificate; he would have to move an enormous amount of contacts so that she can take the admission exam under recommendation on time.
"The truth… is for two reasons. First of all, my failure as a hero; The boy would not be in this situation if instead of standing and watching I had acted," the man said, clenching his fists. Despite being in his civilian form, Nezu could feel the air pressure change in place at that gesture, a testament to the power of the man sitting before him.
"That's assuming his kidnapper wouldn't have taken him even if you had intervened. There were many people in the place and a lot of chaos. It was the perfect time to kidnap anyone, especially with the power to teleport people. Also, the kidnapping of young Midoriya led to the rescue of young Caria, who we didn't even know was kidnapped," Nezu said, reminding him that not everything was that simple, something he had had to do many times with humans.
"I… I understand that," Nezu was able to detect a lie in his voice. "The second reason is... I think young Midoriya would be a good successor." Nezu was glad he wasn't drinking his cup of tea when he heard that, because he would have spit out his drink.
"W-what?" the chimera asked, confused.
"The boy threw himself into danger in search of saving the other boy, he did not think for a moment about his own well-being. That… That is the spirit of a great hero. At that moment he was even more heroic than me." Stupid would be the way Nezu would choose to describe it, not heroic... but heroism is stupid in itself.
"And is that enough for you to decide to make him your successor?" Nezu asked, bringing his cup of tea to his mouth.
"Isn't that the only thing that matters? Although I haven't decided just like that either; For some reason I suggested he enter the heroes course. Look at it as a test: if he proves that I am not wrong about him, before the festival I will give him my power," Toshinori said with the smile of a man who believes he has a master plan.
Nezu could only sigh. Thinking about giving the One for All to an unknown boy... the truth is, he would have bet on one of the third-year students, like the young Mirio Togata; he has great potential.
But I couldn't completely discount Toshinori's opinion on this either; It is his power and he will know better than anyone how to choose his successor. Furthermore, he assumed that his plan had merit. If young Midoriya, despite the adversities in his situation, manages to stay in the hero course until the festival, he will undoubtedly have proven himself partially worthy of receiving tremendous power.
"Okay, I will do what is necessary so that young Caria can take the exam, but don't get your hopes up. They still need to pass this exam to enter and even if they do... I will put them under Aizawa's supervision."
The number one hero, upon hearing that name, turned pale, something that made the chimera smile. "W-why him?"
"It is not obvious? If the boy is supposed to be your successor, then he needs the best of the best when it comes to UA professors, and we have no better asset than Aizawa. Our best students walked out of his class," he said, feigning innocence.
"He is also the teacher with the highest expulsion rate in all of Japan," All Might tried to counter.
"It is, but there is a reason why I approve of his expulsion proposals. Aizawa is a true bloodhound: he finds the rough diamonds and discards all the other minerals, and then through effort he refines them into beautiful pieces of jewelry," Nezu explained.
"But… it would be unfair; They already start at a disadvantage."
"Life is not fair. And again, if you want young Midoriya to be your successor, then he will have to prove himself worthy in the face of any adversity. Besides, it's the only way I would agree to make all these efforts. So, either you accept that they are Aizawa's students or we can leave this." It was clear that he had no choice here; the number one hero just let out a heavy sigh and nodded.
They had a deal.
Here is chapter five and man writing this was hard, my PC had problems so I spent several days without being able to write and when I finally got it back my mind convulsed a bit, I rewrote this chapter like four times.
In any case as always I thank you for reading this story and leaving your reviews time to answer questions.
fangs of death: As the story progresses you will understand why Izuku smiled when he killed Gideon.
DavenTheNomad: You caught me with the police thing, I tried to find out a bit before writing the episode but I couldn't quite understand how the process happened, as for Izuku's intelligence it will be seen in the exam chapter.
salva30: Izuku didn't do all the quests but most of them and not all of them ended exactly like in the canon because unlike the game here Izuku is a thinking person who can make decisions instead of just letting the narrative continue, now that doesn't mean that everything ended nice and rosy, as for the spirits they look like when they were alive, I'm guided here by the Elden Ring manwha where the MC when invoking his mimetic tear it looks the same as him without the white aura.
JawsOnYou67: That will be seen later, but Spoiler has to do with the DLC.