(Hahaha! Life said "screw you" and i didn't get much writing done. Anyway, enjoy the chapter i did get written)
The next day started off great, getting a good laugh at Bakugous hair, but nowhere near as good of a laugh as Sero and Kirishima.
"Bwa ha ha ha ha! Really? Really, Bakugou?!" They taunted in unison, a pretty impressive feat for what was an unexpected taunting session.
Bakugou didn't think it was nearly as funny, rage plastered on his face as he yelled at them.
"Stop laughing! It's just stuck like this, even after a good washing. Keep it up, and I'll murder both of you."
It did little to stop the teasing as the two of them gave him more crap.
"Look at that hair!! It's a perfect two to eight hair ratio! Bwa ha ha ha ha!"
I could hear snippets of conversations from the rest of the class while Iida, Todoroki, and I were just standing in the back, unsure of what we should be saying. Without privacy, we couldn't speak freely about our shared experience.
"Wow, so you got to take out some villains? I'm jealous!"
"That sounds amazing!"
"She was with the battle hero, right?"
"All women... hide their demonic natures deep inside them!!"
There wasn't really much need to pay attention, not until Kaminari looked over at the three of us.
"That'd be the one you three had!"
Now I was confused, wondering what I'd missed.
"Wait, what?"
My question was drowned out in a sea of comments, a few of them moving in close to speak with us.
"Yeah, yeah, the Hero Killer!!" Came from the left of me Sero currently in the hands of Bakugou for his previous jokes about him.
"I was so worried." Yaoyorozu told us, and I was grateful to have people who cared for us so much.
"I'm just glad you're all still alive." Kirishima spoke, wriggling in Bakugous other hand. "But Endeavor came and saved you, right? That's our number two for you!"
"Right... we were saved." Todoroki muttered, not unusual for him, but I could hear notes of bitterness in his voice.
Ojiro moved the conversation forward for us, leaving me thankful since I didn't want to speak to about it at all.
"So I saw on the news that... they think the Hero Killers connected to the League of Villains? I hate to think how things could've turned out if a scary guy like him had showed up at the USJ that time."
Kaminari didn't seem to realize the mood, speaking in a thoughtless manner. "Hold on. Sure, he's scary... but did you watch that video, Ojiro? You can really see his tenacity. His onetrack mind. Kind of cool, don't you think?"
"Has your quirk finally fried your brain dip-shit?"
The words weren't what I'd normally say to him, or anyone else for that matter, but in the moment, I just felt too angry to care. Seventeen were dead, and twenty-four were permanently disabled. Iidas brother was among them, Iida could be one of them. They weren't there that night. He didn't get to say Stain was cool because he had been committed to the idea of slaughtering heroes.
"Huh? Oh... Iida... sorry!" He quickly apologized, but I was still furious. He didn't know what it was like to think you were going to die and have to watch others die because you failed.
Looking at his arm, a focused, serious look on his face, Iida looked like he was thinking about every word before he spoke them.
"No... it's fine. He's certainly a man of conviction, so if some people think he's cool... I get that. But his convictions have led him to conclude that society requires a purge. And no matter what one's motives are, that's just wrong."
Bringing his arm up, angling, we all knew what was coming, pointing his arm out as he made a declaration.
"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." I told them as I threw around the little power class president gave me.
"I AM HERE!" And the reason for that is... your basic hero training! It's been a while, boys and girls! How is everyone?!" All Might called, his golden age costume looking so cool and sleek on him, the others whispering loudly.
"Not much of an entrance."
"I'd expect more after a break."
"Maybe he ran out of shticks?"
Lifting a finger, I could see a playful hint in his eyes.
"Run out? Never. My supply of shticks is inexhaustible. However, as an immediate follow-up to your internships, today's activity is a playful one. A rescue-training race!!
"Shouldn't rescue training be conducted at USJ?" Iida asked, and I wondered how he, Todoroki, and I had managed to stand around each other again.
"That place is for disaster rescues in particular. But what did I say? That's right... a race. This is Field Gamma! It's a dense spread of factories that wind together to create an intricate network of mazelike alleys! You'll split into four teams of five, with each team going one at a time! I'll send up a distress signal from somewhere inside, and you will all start at the border! It's a race to see who can reach and rescue me first!! Naturally, keep the destruction of property to a minimum!"
Turning to Bakugou, he waved his finger, which bugged the younger blonde.
"Stop pointing at me." He mumbled, looking away, annoyed with the hero.
"Okay, group one, to your marks."
Group one was compromised of Iida, Mina, Sero, Ojiro, and myself, and all of us lined up and prepared to do our best to win. But I couldn't lose. I refused.
As soon as All Might had us start, I started to run, building speed before jumping up high past an industrial chimney. As much as I wanted to go easy, this wasn't a fair race. They didn't have to be the next All Might.
I mistook a jump, my foot slipping until a black and teal tendril shot out and kept me from falling.
"Was that me, or you?" I asked, getting silence in return. Great. The quirk ghost didn't want to talk today.
There wasn't time to think about it, moving forward still and landing on the roof next to Sero. Wait, I'd, come in second? But I'd pushed myself, used all my skills to be number one. How could I lose?
As the others caught up, I was left wondering how we'd all been so close to one another. I was faster and stronger. I could do better. I had to do better.
All Might stood there looking triumphant, like both an immovable object and an unstoppable force.
"Sero may have taken first place, but... you've all figured out new and better ways to use your quirks since starting school!! Keep up the good work as you prepare for your final exams!!"
I'd still lost, but with all that happened, I'd forgotten about finals, and the thought of losing was pushed out of my head.
"Incredible, I barely recognized you." All Might whispered, and with his praise, I felt a little more ready. At least for the physical portion of finals.
"Come see me... after class. The time has come for an important discussion. About me... and One-For-All."
Woah, that changed things. Did he think I was ready to learn more? Had I done more to push myself than I thought?
In the locker room, the noise from everyone else seemed like a buzzing in my ears, too focused on what All Might had said. An important discussion about All Might and One-For-All. He was so serious, whatever it was, I was a little scared.
"Hey, Midoriya! I just made the discovery of the century! Get over here!!" Mineta called, drawing me out of my head and over to a wall.
"Lookit this hole! Just like in Shaw-Shank! Our predacesors must've worked real hard to make it!! And next door is... you know what, right? THE GIRLS LOCKER ROOM!"
"Stop that Mineta! Peeking is considered a major offense!" Iida told him, but for the time, he hadn't technically done anything wrong, even if he was planning on it.
I looked at him, then the hole, then I brought my fist down on his head. Not only was my girlfriend and one of my best friends one of the people he planned to creep on, but there were four more girls who deserved privacy.
"Mineta, back away from the wall, or you'll regret living this long." I threatened, but he didn't listen, instead ripping his pants off.
"Mineta Jr. here's ready to go on the offensive!!" He called, going on a gross rant about what parts he wanted to see from each girl and drooling as he looked through the hole, something poking him in the eye immediately.
Using Black Whip and pulling him back, I dangled him upside down and looked at him.
"Jiro's earphone jack... its accuracy and stealth factor make for a deadly combo." I mused, holding up the pained boy before dropping him on the floor, finishing changing and getting ready for our next class.
After classes, I sent a text to the group chat that I would be late, heading for my meeting with All Might. Whatever it was, I had to be able to handle it.
Toshinori was sitting there, looking at the floor as I walked in and not looking up as he gave an order.
"Take a seat."
As I walked towards a stool, he continued.
"You've been through a lot, lately. And I'm sorry... I wasn't there to help."
There was no need for him to apologize. He couldn't have expected any of what had happened.
"That's okay... you really don't have to apologize... I'm more curious... about One-For-All..."
"I heard... the Hero Killer licked your blood."
"His quirk let's him paralyze anyone whose blood he ingests... but what about it?"
"When I granted you my power... do you remember what I said?"
My face scrunched up, and I did my best All Might face, trying to deepen my voice like his. "Eat this!"
"No, not that. Really doesn't matter what you eat. As long as you get my DNA."
I froze, thinking about what it implied. Had Stain stolen my quirk? Is that why I was so slow today?
"Wait, don't tell me... The Hero Killer has One-For-All now?!"
I didn't mean to yell as I stood, the stool falling to the ground, but the thought of that monster with that kind of power, It made me shake in fear.
"No. But I thought you might be worried about that... since I forgot to explain it fully. 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. Become 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."
Woah, that was... insane. How could anyone take a steal power like that? But, similar quirks weren't rare. Monoma from 1-B had a quirk that let him use other people's quirks. As I sat the stool up and sat, I had to know more.
"All for... meaning... everything was for this guy to take?" I questioned, watching him hand his head and look down.
"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 the extraordinary, humanity would be enjoying interstellar travel right now." Some Important guy said that once." I quoted thinking about the image of the man, but I couldn't remember his name.
He nodded and continued, looking in my eyes. "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."
It rang a bell, but it wasn't really true, right? "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 what the Yakuza are up to either, do they? When a person has power, they instinctively seek a way to use it." He countered, leaving me without understanding still.
"But how's this connected to One-For-All?"
"I mentioned that All-For-One could grant quirks 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."
Thinking of the Nomu, I wondered if he was going where I thought he was, but I stayed silent.
"On the other hand, there was a case... where his granting of a quirk resulted in a mutation. A blending. 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 older 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..." The pieces started to fall into place, and I wasn't sure I liked the picture they showed me.
"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 quirkless quirk. One that let him pass his quirk itself to others!! But then, the power-stocker quirk... and the transferring quirk quirk were fused! That's how One-For-All came to be."
He spread his arms wide as he finished his story with a flourish, almost flapping them as the silence fell over as I thought about it. I didn't understand how it happened. The science was beyond me, but I knew the story behind it so I could move to my questions.
"Hold on... I... don't really get how it happened, but... This old story about that villain... why're you telling me?"
Another pause, and he answered.
"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 but 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 the League of Villains. One-For-All is power that's inherited for the sole purpose of beating All-For-One! Which means that someday you will fight against the ultimate evil... perhaps."
All I could do was stare, his words weighing heavy on my mind.
"I know this got a little dark..." but I interrupted him, ready to accept the responsibility that came with this power.
"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!!"
He looked at me, his expression changing, his hand moving to his mouth as he looked down, eyes closed, moving it away to open his mouth to say something
"... Thanks."
By the next morning, any anxiety attached to the news of All-For-One was gone. Sure, it would end up my problem with the League, but right now, I needed to put all my concentration into training One-For-All.
Mr. Aizawa brought me out of my head, speaking to the whole class.
"Uh... summer vacation's close at hand. Of course, it would be completely irrational for all of you to take a whole month off."
"Don't tell me..." Kaminari muttered under his breath, loud enough we all heard him.
"You'll be doing a summer training camp in the woods."
Kirishima pumped his arm, excited about the propect of training. "I freaking knew it. Nice!!"
"Truth or dare!!" Mina cheered, one hand raised high, and it occurred to me that even though we'd been eating lunch and hanging out after class, I hadn't done anything nice for her lately.
"Bathhouses!" Mineta screamed, and I opted to ignore that for now.
"Fireworks." Tsu spoke thoughtfully, a finger to her chin.
"Bathhouses!" Mineta hollered, others looking a little unnerved at him now.
"Curry, yes!" Iida exclaimed, the situation almost normal again.
"Open-air baths!" Mineta yelled, getting a good jab from Jiro, shutting him up for now.
As I tried not to laugh, others brought up good points.
"Since we'll be out in nature, our training activities will probably be different too." Shoji pointed out, the words coming out of a mouth-tentacle.
"So it's all about making the right decisions regardless of environment... cool." Sero spoke, his toothy grin a reminder of just how friendly he was.
"All of us living together!! I'm pumped!! Mina cheered, and the world seemed to be in slow motion as I watched her.
"Hot springs!" Mineta cried, getting a second jab from Jiro. That guy just didn't know when to stop.
"However..." Mr. Aizawa took back control of the conversation, his expression unchanged like always. I wondered if we'd ever see him smile.
"Anyone who doesn't pass the upcoming final exams... is in for summer school hell, right here."
Kirishima looked back at the rest of us. "Do your best, guys!" He encouraged, looking a bit worried himself.
"Do your best, girls." Mineta mumbled, and I didn't know if anyone heard him this time. If they did, no one seemed to care.
"So freaking stupid." Bakugou grumbled, and I wondered if he meant Mineta, Kirishima, or the idea of summer school in general.
It was weird. Even after speaking with All Might and hearing that earth-shattering story, life still had to go on as normal.
As I thought about it, I realized All Might had never gotten around to "about me" part of the talk, the rest of class spent wondering what secrets he had left for me.