A/N: HA-HA-HA-HA-HA! There is no need to worry now! Because I am here! ...With the MHA story, that is. It's been a long while since I worked on anything with MHA. But with the series coming to an end and the manga getting everything done with Final Volume part 2 getting released in December, I think it's time I gave Tenko some needed attention. After seeing Tenko Shimura's origin story, I was wanting to do a story with him as a hero for quite some time. I was hesitant on the part of how it would affect Izuku as a character. But after seeing his story go the way it has, I decided to take a chance. I hope everyone likes the effort I put into the beginning. If you want to get the gist of how Tenko was saved form his tragic fate at childhood, feel free to look at "Holding Out For a Hero". It is Rated M as it contains lemon, but you can skip over the lemon to your leisure. I hope you all have a Plus Ultra Day. :)
Prologue: Origin
In a playground, a small boy with black-green messy hair was trembling as he stood in defense of a young man with spiky red hair who was picked on. He was just as scared as the poor kid, but he still tried to stand up for him.
"Why are you being so mean? You're making Mikkun cry, Kacchan!" The green-haired boy trembled as he stood in defiance. "If you keep on hurting him, uh, I'll, uh… I'll stop you myself!" In front of him was the one called Kacchan, a spiky-haired blond boy with as stupefied a glance as two of his cronies. But he didn't pay any attention to Izuku's words at all; he simply scoffed.
"You wanna pretend to be a hero?" Kacchan smirked. One of his two cronies grew dragon wings and the other stretched his long fingers. Kacchan smashed his fist into his palm, making a small explosion poof out from it. "You don't stand a chance without a quirk, Deku." The boy gasped as the trio jumped him. However…
"His name is IZUKU!" Another voice shouted. The trio were caught completely by surprise when suddenly, a big blast of sand shot up in front of their faces! The sudden burst blinded them and they fell to the ground. They tried to get the sand out of their eyes, rubbing them intensely as Izuku and the boy he stood up for were staring in awe. Izuku saw the young boy with black hair, in a dark blue polo shirt his size, and jeans that went close to his heels. And his hand was touching the sand, right at the tip of the line where the sand erupted.
"And you're not gonna hurt them." The raven-haired boy warned. "Why? Because I am here!" He stood triumphantly with his fists on his hips.
"Tenko!" Izuku called out with adoration.
"What's going on? Did Bakugou hurt you and Mikkun?" Tenko asked, showing concern for Izuku.
"Almost. But that was really cool, Tenko!" Izuku said in adoration.
"Yeah! You're getting really better with your quirk!" Mikkun added. Tenko laughed gently at his compliment. It was nice to hear that he noticed how he was working out his quirk. But before they could have another moment…
"Hey!" Bakugou shouted. Tenko and Izuku turned to Bakugou, his eyes red with rage (and bits of sand all over them). "Don't go thinking you've won because you made a cheap shot! YOU'RE DEAD!" Ever the hothead, Bakugou lunged once again, this time aiming for Tenko. It made him cautious. The second Bakugou would attack, he'd have to defend himself. But with what?
His quirk was a dangerous one. One that could've taken him to a bad end if he didn't have someone looking out for him that day. If only he were here now… But as he expected the impact and braced for it, nothing came. Tenko lifted his head up to see Bakugou… floating in the air?
His cronies were just as stumped by the development as he was. No one on record has ever had two quirks at once. "H-Hey! What the heck's going on?!" Bakugou shouted. A deep clear of his throat sent a chilling answer that made his cronies gulp in fear. But Izuku and Tenko knew who it was.
"Did I just hear you threaten to murder my children?" He asked. In the shadow of the trees, he had a dark, scary silhouette, and that image alone was enough to send them running away, much to Bakugou's anger and dismay. "Hey! Get back here and help, you cowards!" Bakugou shouted. He was brought closer to the man, who walked out of the shadows. The man had neat, chin-length brown hair, and hazel-colored eyes to go with them. He was also wearing a plain white shirt with a black suit over it, followed by black pants. He was no different than an ordinary man.
"Because if you are, you are in very deep trouble." He said with a stern tone, his hand stretched out as if he was holding a water bottle that wasn't there. "What's the big idea?! You're not my dad!" Bakugou retorted.
"No, but I'm going to have a very long talk with your parents if I catch you mistreating them again, young man. Do I make myself clear?" He questioned with authority. Bakugou won't deny that he was feeling really nervous going against him. All he could do was nod as he was set down on the ground gently.
"Now, what do you have to say for yourself?" He questioned. But Bakugou was trembling with anger. How could anyone stop him from showing his best? What was the point of his quirk otherwise? He turned his head to Izuku and Tenko.
"Don't get too comfortable…! Y-You just got lucky, that's all…!" Bakugou said with a glare, his tone sounding scared, but he was more upset than anything. He stormed off and left in a hurry as he panted heavily. Izuku and Tenko were left rather puzzled at his response. But the father sighed in defeat. "I was talking about an apology…" he said exhaustedly. He took a deep breath and turned his attention to Tenko. "And you. I saw you use your Decay."
Tenko gulped, feeling anxious about his response. But he got down on his knee and was level with him. He put his hand on his shoulder.
"Nice job." He said proudly. Tenko was puzzled. "You really knew how to hold it back, didn't you? I was worried for a minute, but you must've been working so hard." Tenko smiled back at him and nodded. "Yeah. Thanks for noticing, Mr. Kashi."
Kashi blinked his eyes and became embarrassed. "I told you before. Just call me dad." Kashi turned next to Izuku and put the other hand on him. "And of course, I noticed how you stood up for Mikkun, and without a quirk, too. That was really amazing, Izuku."
"Thanks, dad!" Izuku chuckled with a smile. Kashi brought his boys close to him and hugged them close. "Let's head back home, huh? Your sister's waiting, Tenko."
"Alright!" Tenko said with a smile. Since Kashi became a surrogate father for Izuku Midoriya and simultaneously took in the Shimura children, things were a bit easier for Tenko. But his Decay quirk was really scary to deal with. That day he took a gamble to stop them from hurting Izuku, and it paid off, at least so far. He can only hope it will last.
The unfortunate truth was no man is created equal. Some kids have more power than others. It was made clear to Izuku when he was 4 years old. Tenko was only a little older than him at 6 years old, but he learned the same lesson in a different way. Tenko's quirk, if handled with anger, can kill. And it scared him to think of it. That's why it was more important to him than ever to be a hero.
Over a decade later, Izuku and Tenko were running through the street together. The brothers were dressed in black uniforms with white cufflinks and golden buttons. When they reached the stoplight, Izuku was consistently pacing in place. Tenko was watching the stoplight with his hands in his pocket. When it turned green, they continued to run across the stoplight and saw a massive scene up ahead. A giant villain was on the rampage atop a subway bridge at Tattooin Station. Izuku had an excited look on his face while Tenko was cautious.
"That's one huge supervillain!" Izuku said excitedly.
"I don't know how you could be that excited about it, Izuku. You know how mom feels about that." Tenko said with worry. "At least Mikkun and Tomo aren't gonna be late…" And frankly, everyone else seemed to be of the same mind. They weren't running in terror as civilians were expected to in comic books. Instead, they seem rather annoyed at the inconvenience.
"This guy must be pretty desperate to go full monster in the middle of the city." One bystander said. "Do you know what happened?"
"Just some amateur." The second answered. "Stole someone's bag and got himself cornered."
"A quirk like that, and he's just a petty thief." Tenko and Izuku tried to sneak past the crowd for their own motives. Izuku wanted an up-close look at the action while Tenko just wanted to get to class and keep the two of them from being late.
"I got held up." The third bystander said. He was on the phone with his boss. "Train's out. Another villain. I'm not sure when I'm gonna make it to the office." Suddenly, a large shadow came over him as a heroic figure zipped in the air. In turn, a chorus of fangirls oohed and awed in front of Izuku and Tenko as a hero clad in a dark blue suit with wooden arms and legs jumped into the fray.
"It's Kamui! We're your biggest fans!" They shouted with glee. He scaled up onto the stoplight and jumped onto the bridge to confront the desperate villain.
"Get away from me, or I'll break you, toothpick!" He shouted at Kamui as Izuku and Tenko got up to the front and saw the action for themselves.
"Oh, this is gonna be good!" Izuku said with excitement written on his face. "It's Kamui Woods!"
"Geez, for real?" Tenko asked. The big villain tried to swing at him, only for Kamui to pull himself back with his hand wrapped around the metal scaffolding. His arm retracted once he was in the air, and he clutched his hand.
"He may be new, but he's making a good name for himself!" Izuku proudly said. One of the people on standby saw him and smirked. He had three star-like prongs on his head, one on top, the second on the left near his ear, and the third on the right.
"One look at that dopey grin, and I already know what you are: a fanboy." he said. Izuku got self-conscious. "Uh, sorta…" Izuku answered and turned his head, showing a look that showed he was pretty embarrassed. During the fight, Kamui jumped on the villain's colossal hand and raced up on it. He jumped into the air and launched his hand around the villain's wrist, forcing him to fling him away. Kamui used the momentum to swing around him and leapt above him, recoiling his arm back to him as he landed on the cover above where the trains would go.
"Assault, robbery, and the illegal use of powers during Rush Hour traffic. You are the incarnation of evil!" Kamui Woods called out to the villain before his arm turned itself into a makeshift branch with several of them following suit. Izuku took great fascination in what was about to take place.
"There! His special move!" Izuku said.
"Hey, Tree man, show us something flashy!" The bystander near Izuku said, while Tenko just watched the scene with interest. His concern for Izuku aside, he was into them as much as Izuku was. Although, his main inspiration was All Might himself… in which Tenko lacked. He had respect for him due to his true heart in saving as many people as he could over the fame and glory he constantly received because of it, but that was all Tenko could give him. To him, his true hero was the man who took him in and gave him and Hana a new family to change their direction: his father, Kashi. That said, he knew what his move ws gonna be called.
"His special move, huh? That means he's using…" Tenko thought aloud.
"The preemptive…" Izuku said in conjunction with him.
"Binding…" Kamui began before him, Izuku, and Tenko spoke simultaneously. "Lacquered Chain Prison!" The villain took cover, holding his hand over his face, not that it would do any good. Suddenly, a giantess came charging in from the air. "CANYON CANNON!" With a supercharged kick, she intercepted Kamui's special move, kicking the villain right off the station! Tenko, Izuku, Kamui, and the bystanders, including the heroes who prevented further casualties, stood in complete dumbfoundment.
The giantess who kicked him to the curb was a curvaceous young woman who had purple eyes with white pupils and elegantly long eyelashes. She also had prolonged, voluminous, creamy blonde hair reaching down to her waist with two shorter strands curled to frame her face, parted slightly to her right.
Her hero costume was composed of a purple and pale tan-colored skintight bodysuit, which is accented with orange stripes. The suit appeared to have a pair of purple gloves with orange accents on the edge of the cuff. The design is similar for her "boots" which were cut off at the thigh in a deep v-shape. The suit also had three peculiar orange diamond-shaped dots on the purple top that are located under her chest, and she also wore a purple domino mask with horn-like protrusions on the sides. Izuku and Tenko found themselves caught in a crowd taking multiple pictures at once of the Giantess. Given her curvaceous figure, it wasn't hard for Tenko to know why.
"Piece of cake for the world's next hottest hero." the Giantess said with a smirk. "Hey, there, everyone. I'm Mount Lady. And you don't have to worry about this bum anymore." As she said this, she twerked her butt in front of them. Tenko grumbled at her display. She was acting shameless around the cameras… Fortunately, her lewd behavior was lost on Izuku, for better or worse. He was too busy furrowing in his backpack for his notebook. As for Kamui, he was grievously upset.
"Hey. She's getting all the credit?" Kamui said to himself. Mount Lady waved to everyone as she shrunk down. Tenko didn't need to stick around for the celebration. "Battle's over. Come on, Izuku. Let's get to School before we end up late." Tenko suggested, grabbing Izuku's arm and rushing past the crowd to get to the building.
Thanks to Tenko, they arrived at their Junior High School, just early enough to meet up with Hana, Mikkun, and Tomo, who were both waiting by the gate. It was Izuku's first year there to spend with Tenko, and after a week, Izuku seemed less scared of it, and he was more hopeful. Hana's raven hair was tied up in a low ponytail. Mikkun had spiky red hair that was slicked back, dressed up in the same uniform as Izuku and Tenko, and had blue eyes. And Tomo had dark brown hair at shoulder length with red eyes. Her and Hana's uniforms had a black plaid skirt and a red ribbon scarf tied around their necks.
"They should be here, right?" Mikkun asked his companion.
"Knowing Izuku, he's probably geeking out along the way." Tomo said with a shrug. "Honestly, I don't envy Tenko one bit trying to keep him in one piece."
"Hey, give Izuku some credit, Tomo." Hana insisted. "He's not that much of a nerd." Just then, they heard Izuku's mumbling far away. He was writing down in the notebook as Tenko walked along with him.
"Gigantification, huh?" Izuku said to himself, still scribbling in the notes about Mount Lady. "Well, she's definitely got the looks and attitude to be a crowd favorite, and her quirk really is showing, but it'd be a lot harder to get around the city without damaging some things. That means she might not be very useful…"
"I rest my case." Tomo said with a smirk to her, making Mikkun laugh sheepishly as Hana grumbled. Tenko gave his brother a pat on the back, happy to see him at work. "You really want to be a hero, don't you, Izuku?" Izuku looked up to his brother and smiled. "Yes! More than anything." He said proudly.
"Well, you better head inside before the first bell." Tomo suggested, pointing to the school building behind her. "You kept us waiting long enough."
"Right!" Tenko and Izuku said simultaneously. That was the story of how the two brothers began their journey to become the greatest heroes.
In the classroom, Izuku, Tenko, Mikkun, and Tomo were sitting in their chairs. Hana had a different class than them, so she couldn't sit with them. The whole class was paying attention to their teacher, which one would've thought was especially rare in a superhuman society.
"So… as third-year students, it's time to start thinking seriously about your futures and what you want to do with your lives." The teacher told the class. Izuku was still drawing in his notebook while Tenko glanced at him. "I could pass out some career aptitude tests, but…" Suddenly, he snatched the papers off the desk and had a big smirk. "...why bother?" the teacher tossed the paper behind him and had a joyful expression. "I know you want to go on the Hero Track!"
The children erupted with joy all at once. Among many examples of quirks used were the common water type and fire type quirks. Others were bizarre, long fingers for example. Even Mikkun and Tomo got excited. Mikkun absorbed the wood on the desk and turned his hand wooden as he made a thumbs-up. As for Tomo, she had a kitten's paw on her left hand, and her whole body had gained red fur like she was a catgirl! The only ones who weren't cheering were Tenko and Izuku. Tenko knew how to behave himself, especially when his quirk was so dangerous. But in Izuku's case, he felt like an outcast, even with the support of his brother and his friends. Not everyone in school believed he could apply for UA with him being quirkless. Least of all, Bakugou.
"Hey, teach." He mockingly spoke with a massive ego inflation. Even with his parents and Kashi always getting on his case, it seemed his ego remained. If anything, it seemed like his pride got worse. "Don't lob me in with this bunch of losers. I'm the real deal, but these guys will be lucky to end up as sidekicks to some busted D-Lister."
It was no surprise that right away, he got the whole class turned against him. "You think you're better than us, Katsuki?!" One classmate shouted.
"Let's go, I'll take you all on!" Bakugou mocked boastfully. Mikkun frowned at him while Tomo looked like she was going to maul him with a fierce look. Tenko just looked at him with disdain as Izuku sighed. But the teacher looked at his paper and hardly found anything incriminating to the reason why he couldn't go in the first place. Prideful as he was, at least he was wise enough to do his homework.
"You've got impressive test results," he said. "Maybe you will get into UA high." The whole class murmured in disbelief. He really did have the skill to back it up after all.
"He's gonna try for the national school…?!" Tomo turned to Mikkun in shock.
"No way… That school has a .2 acceptance rate." Mikkun said. "It's almost impossible to get into." That fact didn't make Izuku feel any better, especially not Tenko. He knew how hard the pressure was on him. Knowing Bakugou was going there, too, it didn't help it get any better at all. But if there was one thing to take comfort in, it's that it was almost impossible. There's still a chance for them, but they have to give it their all.
"That's exactly why it's the only place worthy of me." Bakugou proudly spoke. He kicked himself up from where he slouched and stood on top of his desk. "I aced all the Mach tests. I'm the only one in this school who stands a chance of getting in. I'll end up more popular than All Might himself, and be the richest hero of all time! People from all across the world will know who I am, and it all starts with UA High!" But for all his boasts, Tenko was far from impressed.
"Please." Tenko said disgustedly. "The only thing you're gonna be known for is being a villain." Tenko murmured against him, making Izuku gasp in worry as the whole class ooh'd at his comeback. Bakugou turned around and stared daggers right at Tenko.
"You wanna say that again, scratchy hands?" Bakugou scowled. Tenko stood up from his desk and spoke against him, trying hard not to scratch himself.
"It's one thing to have talent and potential." Tenko said. "But if you constantly use it to look down on people and make them feel worthless, then you've got no right to apply for UA!"
"HAHAHAHAHA! And what? You do?!" Bakugou laughed, mocking Tenko's words. "What exactly could you do with a villainous quirk like yours against a big shot like me?!" Tenko snarled like a rabid dog. He knew Tenko was very sensitive to the subject of his quirk. Once people understood what it was, it became regarded as something villainous, something no one should ever go near because it could destroy them.
"If that's how you really think, then you don't know the first thing about being a hero! No way they'll let in trash like you!" Tenko shouted. Every fiber in his being wanted to use decay on him and turn him to dust. But Mikkun and Tomo tried to keep him out of that mindset.
"Hey, settle down, Tenko." Mikkun urged.
"He's not worth it." Tomo concurred. The teacher spoke up to the group as he read further into the tests.
"Oh, yeah. Midoriya. Didn't you and Shimura want to apply, too?" The teacher asked, stunting Bakugou, especially Izuku, who hid his head in his arms. The whole class looked upon Izuku with curiosity for a brief moment. But after that moment of silence, most of the student body erupted in laughter and jeers.
"Midoriya?! You're kidding, right?!" One of the students asked mockingly. "There's no way you're getting into a hero course without a quirk!" Izuku stood up and tried to defend himself.
"Well, actually, they got rid of that rule!" Izuku said. "I could be the first one."
Suddenly, before Izuku knew it, Bakugou launched himself at his desk and used his quirk on his desk, knocking Izuku back, only for Mikkun and Tomo to catch him. Tenko glared worse at the bully as Bakugou trampled on his dreams.
"Listen up, Deku!" Bakugou scolded. "You're even worse than those damn rejects, you quirkless wannabe! You really think they'll let someone like you in when they can have me?!"
"I know I do!" Tenko spoke with venom, getting all up in Bakugou's face. "He's got a lot more potential than you'll ever have!" But Izuku didn't want things to escalate.
"W-Wait, no, I don't!" Izuku shouted with panic. "I'm not trying to compete against you, Kacchan, really!"
"Yeah, lay off him!" Mikkun shouted.
"He's willing to try his hardest despite the fact that he doesn't have a quirk!" Tomo shouted. "You should be ashamed for making fun of him! Especially you, Bakugou!" The class talked amongst themselves, others feeling guilty for laughing at him for trying his best. But Bakugou didn't change his stance on Izuku's chances.
"Bitch, please!" Bakugou scolded. "He'd never be able to hang with the best of the best! He'll die in the exams!" Izuku's head started to hang low as Tenko gritted his teeth. And with it, every throbbing sense in his skin irritated him. The only time it got that bad was before he met Kashi, and before he took him in… when he was forced to be outside all alone.
"Defenseless Izuku!" Bakugou teased. "This school's already crappy! You really wanna embarrass it more by failing so hard?" That was the last straw. Tenko clenched his hand on Bakugou's desk. The whole class fell deaf silent and turned to his desk in horror as it had turned a dusty gray color. Not long after, his desk turned into a literal pile of dust. Even Bakugou wasn't laughing so much anymore. Mikkun and Tomo knew what happened.
"Oh, no…" Tomo gulped.
"Tenko's cracked…!" Mikkun trembled.
"You're right on one thing, Bakugou. This school is crappy." Tenko said with a vicious scowl. "But the only one making it worse… is you!"
Tenko reached his hand out to Bakugou. He wasn't going to let Bakugou spew one more insult at Izuku's face. That bastard deserved to die for how he treated him…! Why should anyone care if he's dead?! He'll get what he deserved, just like his father! But he stopped.
The second he thought of him, he heard Kashi's voice speaking to him.
"Yeah, he's messed up in the head for treating you this way. But as much as I hate your father's abuse… I just hope he can be better."
Tenko's hand stopped just inches from Bakugou's arm and pulled it back. Calming himself down with a deep breath, he scowled at Bakugou. He wasn't going to let Bakugou turn him into a monster just to be rid of him. Besides, despite it all, Izuku still looked up to him for whatever bizarre reason.
"But you know what? You're not even worth it." Tenko glared. The whole class was stunned by his words. He just turned a desk into dust, but he drew the line at Bakugou? "What…?" Bakugou said in disbelief and shock. Izuku took a breath of relief, along with Mikkun and Tomo. But the teacher was livid.
"Tenko!" He shouted. "That was the fifth desk you destroyed this month! Do you want me to hold you back another year?!" Tenko looked up at the teacher and felt sheepish.
"Sorry about that..." Tenko apologized with deep regret. He really needed to have better control. He'd destroyed them before with his quirk, most of the time by accident. But this time, just like any other time involving Bakugou, it was personal. That bully was the reason Tenko was held back a couple of grades, keeping him from going to any normal high school by now. And now, Bakugou was left sitting on a desk of dust for the rest of the school day.
Three hours had passed since then, and it was 3:30. The other students were leaving and talking with their friends.
"Hey, we should go to karaoke tonight." one of the girls said to a boy.
"Yeah, let's go." He replied. Mikkun and Tomo stretched themselves after sitting in their desks for three hours. "You know, after today, a karaoke place sounds good right now." Mikkun said.
"Yeah. We can always study later today." Tomo said. "You coming with us, guys?"
"No thanks." Izuku replied. "I gotta write down my notes from the battle we saw this morning."
"And I'm staying here with him to wait for Hana." Tenko said. Suddenly, no sooner had he said that, Bakugou snatched Izuku's notes right from his hand.
"Hey!" Tomo shouted.
Tenko glared at him. He could take it back, but he didn't want to risk using decay on his book. Again…
"I don't know what you're thinking, Deku, but we're not done." Bakugou told him with a glare. Tenko had a feeling about why.
"If you've got a problem, leave him out of it, Bakugou." Tenko told him. "I'm the one who destroyed your desk, remember?"
"I'm not dense, idiot." Bakugou said. He wasn't even being prideful about it. He didn't even seem angry altogether. Just pissed. Why wouldn't he be? He was covered head to toe in dust from Tenko's use of decay. "Whatcha got? His diary?" One of his cronies asked. Bakugou only responded by holding it up for them to see, much to Izuku's concerns. The book was titled "Hero Analysis for the Future". "Don't tell me you're taking notes on how to be a hero."
In the span of a few seconds, they were quick to mock him. "It's so pathetic!"
"He's delusional!" The second one laughed. Mikkun and Tomo grumbled at the two of them for their mockery.
"Okay, real funny." Tenko said, completely ticked off. "Give it back, Bakugou." Bakugou didn't bother hearing him out. Instead, he punched his fist on the notebook and set it off, making Tenko and Izuku scream in panic. Of all the things to do, not even Tenko thought he'd do that. To top it off, he tossed out the open window behind him.
"What the hell is wrong with you, Bakugou?!" Tenko shouted as Izuku screamed in fear.
"You think it's that easy to be a hero when you have morals like yours." Bakugou said with a scowl. "But most first-string heroes show potential early on. People just look at them and they know they're destined for greatness. When I'm the only student from this garbage Junior High to get into UA, people will start talking about me like that. They'll realize I'm legit, the next big thing."
"That's why you destroyed his book? To protect your fragile ego?!" Tenko said with venom.
"That's not ego talking, scratchy hands. I just know I'm good." Bakugou retorted with a knowing smile. But one of his cronies knew differently. "Ego…" He said with an awkward smile. Bakugou put his hand on Tenko's shoulder, and smoke began to seep out of his fingers. Tenko was feeling the burn. He was likely trying to mirror him using his quirk.
"Here's a little word of advice, scratchy hands." Bakugou said with a belying smile. "Don't even think of applying, or else." Tenko snarled at him despite the burn he's feeling. Adding to that, his face started to itch even worse again. He couldn't ignore it anymore; he had to scratch that itch. But when Tenko tried to reach one of his arms near his face to do it, Bakugou caught his other hand and began to smoke it, too! "Am I clear?" Bakugou simply said. Izuku, Mikkun, and Tomo were stuck worrying about what he'd do to him. They knew Tenko wouldn't take this even if he did restrain himself back then. But once more, he surprised them.
"Crystal…" Was all he said before Bakugou released him. There was a red imprint where Bakugou's hand was. Thankfully, the burn didn't last long, but it was still hard to deal with. Immediately, Mikkun and Tomo went to Tenko and checked on him, alongside Izuku, who stared at the burns Tenko was forced to endure. His years of constant bullying were hard enough to endure, but to see it inflicted on Tenko struck a whole different nerve in him. He didn't even move.
"That's just sad." One crony said. "I thought you'd at least have some fight in you."
"He finally gets it." the other inferred. "He'll never be a hero. Better to find out now instead of later, I guess."
Just then, Bakugou stopped in front of the door and turned to the group. "You know, if you really want to be a hero that badly, there actually might be another way." Bakugou said. "Just pray that you'll be born with a quirk in your next life, and take a swan dive off the roof of a building."
Suddenly, Izuku growled and turned right at Bakugou with a vicious glare. But Bakugou countered with a simple explosion in his palm with a smirk. "Something wrong?" He asked knowingly. But Izuku stood silently. Tenko, on the other hand, was about to go off on him.
"Of course something's wrong! You're breathing!" Tomo shouted. She was about to attack him, turning her hands into a White Tiger's claws, but Izuku stopped her, holding her arm over his chest. Tenko, Tomo, and Mikkun was stunned to see Izuku hold her back. And they became even more so when he saw the look on his face. He looked genuinely angry. Mikkun and Tomo hadn't ever seen it on him before, and it made them just as scared. But Izuku wasn't the kind of person to lash out in his anger like Tenko was. He kept these words in mind from Kashi.
"You can be a hero, too, Izuku. No matter what anyone else says. Even if All Might himself would say otherwise."
Izuku took a deep breath and sighed. "Tenko was right on one thing. You're not worth this… Bakugou."
Bakugou, his cronies, Mikkun, Tomo, and Tenko alike were too stunned for words.
"It's ridiculous." Izuku said with a scowl. "It's one thing to tell me I'm not good enough to be a hero, but it's another thing entirely to tell me to kill myself. You've been doing the same bully routine since Kindergarten. It's tired. And after all that, I can't believe I still look up to you. Look around. We've all grown up. But you're still the same person who wants to put other people down to feel good about himself. If you still want to go to UA, that's fine. I'm not against you being a hero at all. If anything, I'd be proud of you. But it wouldn't matter if you don't act like one. So until you do, just leave me alone."
Izuku walked past Bakugou with bitterness and disgust, leaving him utterly speechless. The cronies were just as flabbergasted, but they tried to counter his words with their own jabs as Mikkun and Tomo, who were impressed with how Izuku handled himself, followed closely with Tenko and made teasing faces at his cronies.
"Oh, yeah?! W-Well… He doesn't need your opinion to know what being a hero means!" one of them said.
"Yeah! He knows plenty without you, Deku!" the other said. But it struck a nerve in Bakugou. He had no words to prepare himself for what Izuku told him. He couldn't let him get away with saying that to his face. His pride was basically insulted by someone he viewed as inferior. Suddenly, he felt Tenko's hand on his shoulder as well. Bakugou looked up to see him with a smile.
"Sorry to break it to you, Bakugou." Tenko said. "But we don't even need to think about applying." He clenched his hand on his jacket, making Bakugou grunt, expecting the worst to come. But instead, nothing happened. Bakugou cautiously looked at Tenko's hand, seeing his hand still pressed on his jacket. A few seconds later, he removed it, seeing a handlike patch that exposed his white shirt underneath it. Tenko walked away from Bakugou, who stood completely stymied, wondering why he hadn't died from his quirk. In trying to deter them from applying, Tenko retaliated with his own warning.
He saw what happened to his desk three hours earlier. After the burn he put him through, he was surprised he wasn't a pile of dust, too. His mood was different on both counts. Yet, the message was clear. If he ever thought of hurting Izuku ever again, he won't be held responsible for what happens next. As angry as he was, it was the first time he felt… afraid.
Not much later, Izuku, Tenko, Mikkun, and Tomo were walking outside together. It was pretty clear that they were all surprised by the way Izuku spoke out to him.
"Wow, I never thought you had that in you, Izuku. Tenko, maybe." Mikkun admitted.
"But that was pretty bold of you to say that to him. How did it feel to stick it to him for once?" Tomo asked. Izuku ended up trembling, still filled with shock. "I felt like I was gonna die…"
"Didn't look that way where I stood." Tenko said. It wasn't the first time he'd heard Izuku say that reaction. As a kid, it was understandable. He stood up against a full-grown adult. But against a bully, he felt it was a long time coming. "You looked like you finally had enough."
"Well, I did." Izuku admitted. "I mean, he can't just go telling people to kill themselves. What if I actually jumped? What would he do then? But… it doesn't change the fact that he really worked hard for UA. I just told him what I think a hero should be, that's all."
"Yeah, and left him frozen like a statue!" Mikkun interjected.
"I'll say. That's the first time you've ever called him Bakugou." Tenko added.
"About time he got a taste of his own medicine." Tomo smirked. Izuku sighed as he looked farther ahead. "Yeah. But it still wouldn't bring my notes back." Just then, he saw someone sitting at a nearby koi pond looking at the charred notebook. She was dressed in the same uniform as Tomo, but she had a fairly dark tan skin color, and she had black hair in a peek-a-boo bang with a green hoodie over her head and brown eyes. She seemed to be intrigued by what was written into it.
"Hey… that's my notebook." Izuku realized. The girl paused her reading and turned to the young man. "Hmm? This yours?" the girl said. "Dunno why you kept a charred notebook around, but here you go." She handed it back to Izuku, who immediately expressed gratitude.
"Oh, thank you so much, ms… uh…" He stammered. "Sorry, what's your name?"
"It's Keemia." she answered. "And for the record, I don't plan on being a hero anytime soon."
"But then, why were you looking at my notes?" Izuku asked with confusion.
"Because it landed on my damn face, okay?!" she snapped, a vein popping in her forehead.
"And because of that, you had to keep reading?" Tenko asked with doubt on his face.
"Just take the goddamn notes…" Keemia sharply spoke, turning around and walking away. While she did, the group became confused.
"Well… that was odd." Tomo said to herself. "At least your dreams didn't turn into fish food. Right, Mikkun?" Mikkun was too busy staring at Keemia to listen. Everything about her was beautiful to him. In spite of wearing the same outfit as Tomo, her boobs were a Double-D bust, and her haunches matched them in thickness. It was official. He had a crush on her.
"She looks so amazing…" Mikkun said breathlessly.
"Oh, boy. Mikkun's having a crush…" Tomo said in exhaustion.
"I wonder where that girl came from?" Tenko asked openly.
"You didn't hear?" Tomo turned to her friend in surprise. "She's a transfer from America."
"America? Really?" Izuku asked with interest.
"Our dad was in America before. You think he'd know about her?" Tenko added.
"Dunno. He's your dad, not mine." Tomo shrugged, waving her hand in front of Mikkun to get him to focus.
"Hmm… I wonder if Hana's ever met her before. Or maybe she's heard about her." Tenko theorized. Then, he heard Izuku trembling.
"Stupid jerk…" Izuku grumbled, staring at the charred notebook in his hands. He stood up for himself, yes, but at what cost. Bakugou still blew his dreams up in smoke, literally. Tenko tried to cheer him up with a gentle nudge.
"It's okay. You got a backup on your phone, right?" Tenko reminded him. "He can try all he wants, but he's not gonna crush your dreams that easily; we won't let him. Understand?" Whenever Tenko accidentally decayed his research (often on account of being driven mad by Bakugou), a photo would be taken in advance. While he still kept his dreams in his phone, Izuku was still hurt. Why would he go out of his way to keep him from fulfilling his dream? Did Bakugou really hate him that much? Whatever the answer is, he's just glad that he had people to help him. They're probably the only people in the world who would.
EIGHT YEARS AGO
"Mom, dad, hurry!" Izuku shouted. He was holding an All Might figure in his hand. Tenko and Hana were sitting on the couch watching TV when he rushed into the room. Mon, Tenko and Hana's pet corgi rushed to Izuku, who ended up running to his parents, Inko and Kashi Midoriya.
Kashi had neat, chin-length brown hair, and hazel-colored eyes to go with them. He was also wearing a plain white shirt, followed by black pants. Inko was dressed in a pink long-sleeved shirt with a white apron around her, a blue skirt, and white slippers. Underneath the apron was a big bump in her belly: her and Kashi's first daughter, Aiko. Izuku, Tenko, and Hana were very accepting of their new sibling, eagerly anticipating her arrival. Although, there was one thing Izuku was most excited for.
"Come on, Mom and Dad! It's computer time!" Izuku told them, hopping up and down.
"Already?" Inko asked, turning off the sink water as Kashi walked with him.
"You really get hopped up over this, don't you?" Kashi added with a smile. In the computer room, there were two posters of All Might, the number one hero of Japan. He was often dressed in a blue jumpsuit with red and white on the chest and arms, standing proudly with two bangs of his blonde hair sticking up in slanted angles. And his eyes couldn't be seen, as if he was an unknown figure. Tenko and Hana joined in with Izuku as he rocked back and forth on the computer chair.
"Faster! Let's go!" Izuku shouted with anticipation. Kashi took a knee and helped Tenko and Hana up to his shoulders to see the screen with Izuku while Mon hopped up in the chair to sit next to the young boy as Inko unlocked the password. She had a big smile on her face to see him so happy.
"Geez, I think you've added 10,000 views to this one yourself, Izuku. I don't know why you like it; I think it's scary." Inko said with a soft smile.
"Yeah. But things don't look so bad when people help out. Right, Tenko?" Kashi grinned at the young boy, who nodded back in return. The video Izuku adored so much was an old one, disaster footage from when All Might first appeared. And this was something Tenko and Hana took interest in as well.
"Who is he?" The reporter in the footage asked. The camera was showing the chaos and carnage of a destroyed building. The fire was blazing, and a bus was toppled over as a result. Several people were injured as a result. "That guy's already saved 100 people at least, and it hasn't even been ten minutes! This is… this is crazy! I can't believe it!"
They all heard footsteps walking up on the bus next. Izuku knew very well who it was, and he beamed in anticipation. Tenko and Hana looked at the figure in the shadows with interest. As the figure walked up, he laughed boisterously as the reporter spoke.
"Look! He's got more!" He said. The figure was carrying a total of 10 people on his massive bulky body. Izuku grinned widely once he saw him. Tenko and Hana gasped in wonderment as All Might declared, "Fear not, citizens! Hope has arrived, because I am here!"
Izuku was on cloud nine hearing him declare this speech. Tenko and Hana felt the energy radiating from All Might. No wonder he was his favorite. Kashi saw their reactions and smiled.
"Wow, he's really cool, huh?" Kashi said. It was clear to Izuku what his goal was.
"Of course he is!" Izuku answered. "He's the coolest in the universe! And once I get my quirk, I'm gonna be a hero just like him!" Izuku started to laugh just like All Might while Tenko and Hana giggled at his impersonation. Inko was smiling, too. But she had a feeling it wouldn't be that simple…
The next day at the hospital, her fears were proven right.
"Sorry, kid, it's not gonna happen." The doctor said. The answer stunned Izuku to the core. He dropped his All Might action figure in his stupefied state. Kashi and Inko were beside him, worried about what the news would do to him.
"Oh, dear." Inko said.
"But how?" Kashi asked with shock. "Most of the other kindergartners in his class have shown signs already. What do you mean it won't happen?"
"My records say you two are fourth-generation quirk users." The doctor said. "What powers do you two have?"
Inko went first, using her quirk to levitate All Might's figure to her palm.
"Nothing too special from me." She answered. "I can float small objects towards me. But Kashi's quirk is a little more advanced than mine." To prove that, Kashi levitated the All Might figure from her grasp and set it on Izuku's lap.
"And our old friend, Hisashi… he could breathe fire like a dragon." Kashi answered next, having a reverent moment for their lost friend. He'd died overseas from a storm incident. They didn't feel comfortable bringing that up around him after they'd told him about it. Izuku had enough to deal with.
"Izuku should've already manifested one of these quirks or a combination of both, but after viewing his x-rays, I don't think he's going to."
"Why not?" Kashi asked once more.
"You see, when superpowers first began appearing, there were many research studies conducted and doctors discovered a link between the bones in a person's foot, and their likelihood of developing a quirk." The doctor replied. "People with powers have only one joint in their pinky toes. Their bodies have evolved into a more streamlined version of the human form."
The doctor pulled up an opposing x-Ray from Tenko to verify it. "You can see here that while Tenko has the one joint, Izuku has two joints in his pinky, like roughly 20% of the population these days, and that's including the former's sister, Hana. Based on the research that's available, it's safe to say your son isn't going to develop a quirk."
That was the last thing he needed to hear. His whole dream was built around having a quirk of his own. Without one, what chance did he have?
Later that day, the stormy rain poured down over the apartments. Izuku was sadly watching the footage he loved, trying to find the comfort he'd lost. Tenko and Hana were snug in their blankets back then, but they couldn't help but worry for their brother.
"Is Izuku gonna be okay?" Hana asked her parents. Inko and Kashi were just as worried over his condition. They could hear the audio from outside.
"Don't worry. We'll take care of it." Kashi assured Hana before they walked into the computer room as All Might shouted.
"Fear not, citizens! Hope has arrived, because I am here!" All Might shouted. Izuku paused the footage with his smile. Hoping that could help them answer his question about his worth as a hero.
"See that, guys?" Izuku asked. "There's always a smile on his face, no matter how bad things get. Even when things seem impossible, he never gives up." Izuku turned the chair around to face his parents. Inko nearly broke down from seeing his eyes watering with tears, pointing meekly at the monitor. Kashi felt just as bad for him. He could only imagine how much he must be lamenting for his dream.
"Do you think… I can be a hero, too?" Izuku asked. Inko slowly walked toward him, but Kashi held up his arm in front of her, confusing her. He gave her a gentle smile, letting her know things will turn out okay. Inko was confused as Kashi walked closer to Izuku and knelt down, hugging him.
"Of course you can." Kashi told him. "You can be a hero, too, Izuku. No matter what anyone else says. Even if All Might himself would say otherwise."
"Huh? But… I don't have a quirk." Izuku said, having doubts about himself and his worth.
"So? If I didn't have a quirk, I still wouldn't give up." Kashi answered with a grin. "I'd still be there for you, Tenko, and Hana, and for Aiko." Kashi rested his hand on Inko's big bump. "Maybe you won't be a traditional hero, but if you ask me? I'd say the best hero is someone who helps people, and they don't even need a quirk to do that."
"But I wanted to do hero work!" Izuku griped. "To save people with a smile just like him!"
"I know, Izuku." Kashi sighed, resting his head gently on Izuku. "But there are some dangers even heroes themselves wouldn't be aware of, until they're too late. For instance, if we hadn't come along to Kotaro's place, let's just say Tenko and Hana wouldn't be here."
Izuku gasped. He hadn't thought the situation was that dire. Then again, Kotaro was really scary when he stood up for Tenko back then. "That's why you shouldn't give up, Izuku. The day you stood up for Tenko, you became a hero. You put his well being over your own, and you gave me enough time to act because of it. And I know Aiko would be so proud of her big brother, just like we're both proud of you."
Izuku started to sniffle uncontrollably before he started to cry into Kashi's chest, the father holding him close as he sobbed. Inko joined in on the hug, sobbing along with him. Kashi smiled at the mother and son as he spoke softly.
"I promise you. It'll be okay. Because I'm here." Kashi said, grinning just like All Might would.
EIGHT YEARS LATER
Outside the apartment, a little girl was literally running circles all over the place. She had brown hair like her father, except it was in a ponytail like her mother's. She was dressed in a green shirt with long sleeves, black shoes with white socks under them, and a dark blue skirt. Inko and Kashi were watching her zip by them like a rocket. Inko was looking left and right as she spun around them. The girl even started to fly in the air in front of them, giggling with glee.
"Aiko seems really excited, doesn't she, Kashi?" Inko asked.
"Why wouldn't she be? She just discovered her quirk not too long ago." Kashi grinned. But as happy as he was for her, he couldn't help but worry for Izuku. Inko was of the same mind. "I just hope it doesn't upset Izuku too much…"
"Me, too." Inko concurred. Aiko stopped flying around and floated for a moment, seeing the worried looks on their faces. She hovered down close to them and landed near them on the bench.
"Did I do something wrong, Papa?" Aiko asked with worry.
"Oh, no. You're fine." Kashi assured, brushing the hair of her ponytail down by her head. "We're just worried about Izuku."
"But why? He can still be a hero without a quirk, right?" Aiko asked.
"Yes, but… there's not a lot of people in Japan who really believe it's possible." Inko added.
"He keeps getting picked on in class for that reason. Especially by Bakugou. One would've thought that after all the scolding we gave him, he'd learn his lesson…" Kashi said with a sigh.
Aiko had a cute thought bubble pop up in her head as Izuku tried to plead, "Please don't be mad, Kacchan!" only for Bakugou to send him flying with his explosion quirk. "Get out of here, Deku!"
"It's kinda hard to imagine Izuku in a fight, though." Aiko admitted.
"Yeah. You're right… It's one thing that the rule's done away with. But he'll need an edge if he's gonna keep up with a lot of those applicants…" Kashi mused.
"Maybe he needs a super suit." Aiko guessed.
"A super suit?" Inko asked.
"Yeah. Lots of heroes have super suits." Aiko said.
"But those heroes already had quirks to begin with." Inko told her. "Besides, what suit could we even get for him?"
Hearing that from her daughter's mouth, it gave him food for thought. It wasn't that he hadn't thought of it, but it was absurdly expensive. And even if he could convince Dave to go along with it, he needed the exact measurements tailored to Izuku's body type, and even then, he hadn't started training. Even if they started now, it'll take a long time for him to measure up to it. But on the other hand, knowing the requirement beforehand should be a good enough start to get a rundown of how much he should improve.
"Speaking of super suits, I think I'm gonna call a friend," Kashi said. He turned to his wife and daughter. "Oh, but don't tell this to Izuku, okay? It's a secret." He winked at Aiko, who giggled. "'Kay." Aiko said with a grin and a wink as her mother smiled softly at him. Inko knew where he was going with it. And while she has a right to be concerned, Inko knew that he'd do anything to see Izuku's dream come true. And with his connection to Dave, that just might be possible.
Meanwhile, Izuku, Tenko, and Hana were walking together. She was caught up to speed on what happened during class, especially what came after. It was a classic Bakugou shenanigan up until he burned Tenko's arms. And worse, he basically encouraged Izuku's suicide, not that he even considered it to begin with.
"What?! Bakugou really did that to you guys?!" Hana said in disbelief.
"He did." Tenko nodded. "But then, Izuku did something that surprised us. He told him off."
"And?" Hana asked, assuming there was more to the story. But Izuku cleared up the pretense.
"That's it. We just walked out of class to get my notes." Izuku said.
"Seriously? And Bakugou just stood there?" Hana asked, finding it hard to believe that Bakugou would've taken it sitting down..
"He thought about hurting him, but…" Tenko said, holding his hand out. "I gave him something else to think about."
"Should I even know what that means?" Hana asked a little worriedly.
"Nothing that would get me expelled, if that's what you're worried about." Tenko answered, giving his sister relief with a sigh. However, she still can't wrap her head around Bakugou being that reprehensible. "Still, I can't believe Bakugou's that threatened by Izuku to tell you guys not to apply. He really needs a reality check if he thinks a quirk means he's meant to be a hero."
The trio stopped at a darkened tunnel. Above it was a small, blue bridge with a sign that said, "Watch your head". Izuku stopped for a moment with his head down. Tenko and Hana noticed how distant he looked. He still had his charred notebook in hand. Despite his family's support, Izuku's doubts had always remained. It was because of Bakugou. At every turn, he put him down for being quirkless. And so did everyone else. Everyone except his friends and his family. But they could only support him for so long with how this world was. He had to wonder. What would All Might think of his position?
"Hey, are you alright?" Hana asked with concern. Izuku answered by lifting his head up and putting on a determined look, pumping his fist in the air.
"Just fine, Hana." Izuku boldly said in All Might's tone. "Maybe I don't have a quirk, but what's important is that I have to believe in myself! And I'll keep smiling just like All Might!" Hana smiled with her surrogate brother and held her own arm high with a grin.
"Yeah! Screw what Bakugou says! You can be a hero, too!" Hana encouraged him. She and Izuku walked under the tunnel, laughing just like All Might would. Tenko didn't engage with them in that matter. He just followed closely and smiled at them warmly. But as much as he would've liked to watch that moment for longer, he saw something ugly come out of the sewer manhole cover.
There were small tendrils coming out of the little holes it had. Tenko gasped with worry as it grew bigger and bigger. Tenko's first instinct was to Hana and Izuku.
"Izuku! Hana! Get out of here now!" Tenko shouted. Puzzled, the siblings turned around to ask why, only to see the reason firsthand.
"Izuku… is that…?" Hana trembled, worried about what was materializing. In front of them.
"A villain…?! Yeah…!" Izuku trembled with fright as he told her the answer. The slime villain leered at his prey, smirking devilishly.
"You kids will make a fine skinsuit for me to hide in." The villain said with a hungry look in his eyes. Tenko wasn't going to let it happen. He lunged at the slime tendrils to stop him, only for it to slip through his fingers. Izuku and Hana's first instinct was to run. But while Izuku could only get so far, Hana used her quirk to push Izuku out of the way, only to get swallowed up by the villain. Tenko and Izuku watched in horror as the villain was forcing itself deep in Hana's throat!
"HANA!" The siblings cried out. It had her in a chokehold, holding her arms apart to keep her from pulling the slime off of her. Hana muffled her yells and pleas for help.
"Don't worry. I'm just taking over your body." the villain said. "It'll be easier for both of us if you don't fight back. It'll only hurt for a minute. You'll feel better soon. Thanks for the help. You're a real hero to me, kid."
Hana couldn't fight back, even if she wanted to. He was suffocating her! Tenko gritted his teeth with anger.
"Get out of my sister right now!" Tenko roared. He picked up the manhole cover, leaving his pinky out to keep from decaying it too quickly. He was about to throw it, but the villain held Hana out in front of him. Tenko froze before he could throw it. He couldn't risk hurting his sister, even if it was to stop him.
"I wouldn't try it. Not unless you want her to look like a pizza!" the slime villain mocked. Tenko grunted with frustration as Izuku stood there, completely helpless, watching his sister get used as a body bag.
"Hana… she's being used as a hostage, and I can't do anything…!" Izuku thought to himself. This reminded him of what Bakugou told him earlier.
"Defenseless Izuku! This school's already crappy! You really wanna embarrass it more by failing so hard?!"
"It's because I was quirkless! If I just had one, she never would've had to …!" Izuku was about to blame himself, but he stopped when he realized his notebook was left out in the open. It had fallen from him when Hana pushed him out of the way. It was showing the hero costume he'd drawn for himself. The beta design also had signatures on it, belonging to Tenko, Hana, and Aiko. Izuku glanced back at Hana, who struggled against the villain to break herself out, moaning with disgust and pain as the villain went in her throat.
"It's so gross… so foul… Why can't I move…?! Someone… please help me…!" Hana thought to herself, her tears falling from her open eyes.
"What am I thinking…? Hana's the one in trouble!" Izuku thought to himself. "I have to help her!" Izuku grunted with further aggravation seeing how sad his sister was. If he kept up any longer, she'd die before he'd even use her!
"Let go…! OF MY SISTER!" Izuku roared once again, gripping onto the villain, desperate to pull off the slime on her. But his fingers slipped against the greasy matter. "What?!"
"Grab all you want. My body's made of fluid." the villain said. But Tenko noticed what he was trying to do. He looked back at his own hands, the same hands that destroy whatever they touched. "What was I thinking?" Tenko fixed his eyes on the slime forcing its way into Hana. "Maybe it's fluid, but he's still solid. And that means he can still be touched. I have to make this count…!"
Tenko lunged at the slime villain like a tiger and shouted out as he gripped his hands on the appendage and clenched, making a harsh click with them. Izuku, Hana, Tenko, and the villain both gasped when suddenly, the fluid started to harden. And it had turned to a lifeless gunmetal gray. Tenko and Izuku knew what happened: it was Decay.
And it was spreading through the arm that had forced itself into Hana's throat. Tenko saw the decay spreading to the arm deep in Hana's throat, getting closer to her mouth. Thinking quickly, Tenko pulled on the decayed arm away from Hana and scattered it to dust while pulling the slime away from Hana, who coughed out the slime violently before the rest of the appendage decayed to dust. The villain was in extreme agony from Tenko's quirk. He held Hana's arm over his shoulder as she recovered.
"Are you alright?" Tenko asked, to which Hana nodded to him.
"Barely…" She answered. Izuku helped Hana up with the other arm over his shoulders.
"Thanks for the help, Tenko!" Izuku said to him.
"It's nothing! But we've got to go!" Tenko shouted. The trio tried to escape, but the villain was persistent. His slime had completely cut off any chance of escape, creating an impenetrable wall!
"Not so fast, kids!" the villain growled. "I'm not leaving without at least one meatsuit! And you're it!" The villain lunged at Tenko, who got ready to defend himself with his quirk again. If he had to decay the whole villain for his family to be left alone, then so be it. But suddenly, that same manhole cover was launched up in the air with a tremendous force. The slime villain knew that force all too well. The moment he turned around, his fears were confirmed. The trio looked behind him with awe to see their savior in front of them. He was dressed in a white shirt and cargo pants. But they recognized him. His hair, that imposing aura of peace that struck at the hearts of those who would see it destroyed. It was him…!
"Have no fear. You're safe." he said, taking a bold step forward. "Now that I am here, that is." In that great moment, the slime villain retaliated with a swing of his arm, forcing him to doge underneath it before propelling himself forward to the villain, who tried to block him with his other fluidlike arm. But All Might wasn't going to let him make a move.
"Texas… SMASH!" All Might cried out, throwing a large punch that blew a huge gust of wind, so powerful it came apart on contact! The slime villain found himself caught against the tide of air, the tide he was quickly drowning in.
"I can't… hold… together…!" Before he knew it, the slime villain disintegrated into a puddle, along with his impenetrable wall. Izuku, Tenko, and Hana looked at All Might with astonishment, their eyes lighting up with hope.
"No way…!" Hana beamed with a wide smile.
"Is that… really him?" Tenko said to himself in disbelief.
"It's him… All Might…!" Izuku said breathlessly. Suddenly, Izuku fainted and he fell backwards, puzzling Tenko and Hana. The whole catastrophe made them forget that at heart, he was still a fanboy.
"Izuku!" Tenko and Hana cried out.
Some time later, Hana and Tenko were sitting down near him as All Might patted his cheek with his bulky hand. "Hey! Wake up! Hey!" He called out. When Izuku came to, he saw his siblings in front of him.
"Oh, thank goodness." Tenko sighed.
"Are you okay?" Hana asked, holding her hands together. "Do you need anything?"
"Uh, no, I'm okay…" Izuku answered, albeit a little woozy. But All Might's triumphant laughter jolted him awake.
"Thought we lost you there!" All Might spoke to the boy in a bold, heroic way. Izuku went dead-eyed immediately and backed away as he screamed in excitement. "Looks like you're moving around alright. Sorry about that back there. I didn't mean to get you caught up in my justicing."
"Your justicing?" Tenko and Hana asked simultaneously to themselves. "Usually I pay more attention to keeping bystanders safe, but it turns out, this city's sewer system is pretty difficult to navigate!" All Might laughed mightily in spite of the hand on his forehead. Tenko furrowed his eyebrows while Hana stared at him with confusion and Izuku stood in awe.
"That's a weird thing to laugh about…" Tenko thought.
"Is he normally like that?" Hana asked herself.
"Anyway, you kids were a big help. Thank you!" All Might said, giving his thumbs up to the trio of siblings, one of which was still in disbelief that he'd actually meet him in person.
"The most amazing hero in the entire world, All Might, the real thing, in the flesh, standing right in front of me…! HE LOOKS SO MUCH COOLER IN PERSON!" Izuku praised All Might in his head, still overcome with shock over seeing his personal hero.
"Uh… you're welcome?" Tenko said, not sure what to make of him.
"But what about the slime villain?" Hana asked.
"I've captured him!" All Might held the slime villain in an otherwise empty soda bottle, his teeth flashing in the sunlight. That sunlight got in Izuku's eyes and snapped him out of his trance, realizing that he had something to ask of him.
"Holy crap!" Izuku blurted out. "I gotta get an autograph! I got a pen on here somewhere!" Tenko and Hana saw him looking for his notebook with adrenalized excitement. Tenko held up the notebook with his pinky sticking out.
"Looking for this?" Tenko asked. The notebook was quickly accepted by Izuku, who snatched it from his hand. "Thank you!" he told his brother. "Please sign my notebook!" But when Izuku opened it up… He found All Might's signature on it already, symbol and all! "HE ALREADY DID!" Izuku nodded his head up and down so fast, he was almost going hyperspeed. "Thank you so much! This will be an heirloom, a treasure passed down for generations to come!"
Tenko and Hana laughed sheepishly, feeling embarrassed about how he came off to All Might with his praises. "Well, uh, yeah. Seriously. Thanks for saving us back there." Hana said, to which All Might gave them a thumbs up.
"Well, I've got to get this guy to the police so they can take care of him," All Might said. Stay out of trouble. See you around!" He began to squat on the ground, perplexing Izuku the most.
"Wait. You're leaving? Already?" Izuku asked.
"Pro heroes are constantly fighting time as well as enemies!" All Might replied. Tenko and Hana turned to their brother.
"Well, I hate to say it, but he's right." Hana concurred.
"Yeah. They're always busy these days." Tenko added. He glanced behind his back to see All Might mid squats. He didn't know why, but seeing him in person… is making him itch.
He was a symbol of peace, wasn't he? And he just saved their lives. He even bothered to stay with them to make sure Izuku was alright. So why was he having to itch now, of all times? What about him could possibly bug him that much? That's when he looked at his hands.
Izuku wasn't the only one who had a rough time growing up. For all the times he was there for Izuku, like that boy was here for him when they met, people talked about his decay quirk all the time. He could still hear the disdain in their voices.
You've got to be kidding.
How would you save that person's life? By disintegrating them?!
Good luck holding on to that hand!
What could someone with a villainous quirk like you do against a big shot like me?!
Tenko's anxious scratching didn't go unnoticed by Izuku. Hana tried to check on him, too.
"Are you okay, Tenko?" Hana worried. Tenko felt his sister's hand on his shoulder. The itching was usually a lot less worrying with her and Izuku around to support him. But not now. And Izuku knew it. All Might turned behind him to see Tenko scratching himself like he had chicken pox.
"Are you alright, young man?" All Might asked. Tenko stopped scratching for a moment when All Might asked him. Did he possibly notice what was going on with him?
"Uh… I'm fine. I'm just still recovering from the villain attack." Tenko fibbed. He didn't want to keep All Might away for too long. "Alright. Just go easy on your arm."
Izuku saw right through the ruse. He was brushing off All Might's help. All Might! Even when he asked what was going on with him. Izuku had something he needed to ask. Not just for his sake… but for his brother's.
"Stand back! I'm taking off!" All Might warned. Suddenly, All Might was in the air as he shouted, "Thanks for your continued support!" The large gust of wind followed right after, nearly blowing Tenko and Hana away, the latter holding down her skirt to keep her underwear from being seen. When the gust was gone, the siblings looked up at the air.
"Wow… to think we got to be saved by All Might." Hana beamed with wonder.
"Yeah. How was that for your first meet—?" Tenko stopped when there was an empty space where Izuku used to be. Immediately, he became very concerned. "Uh, Hana… where's Izuku?!"
In the air, Izuku was clutching tightly onto All Might's leg, his face flapping in the wind! All Might himself was utterly shocked.
"Hey, hey, hey, what do you think you're doing?!" All Might shouted in alarm. "Let go! I love my fans, but this is too much!"
"No way! We're flying! If I let go now, I'll die!" Izuku shouted fearfully.
"Oh. That's a good point." All Might realized. And as if that wasn't enough…
"IZUKU!" Tenko shouted. All Might looked behind him, only to see Hana and Tenko flying after them! Hana was carrying Tenko on her back, the brother wrapping his arm around her and keeping his pinky out.
"What the—?! You kids, too?! What is this, some kind of free-flying session?!" All Might asked, appalled by the situation.
"Sorry, All Might, but our brother just took off in the air! What else were we supposed to do?!" Hana asked.
"You could've waited for him!" All Might shouted.
"And let mom get worried sick about how he ended up on the other side of the country?!" Tenko retorted.
"Oh. Another good point…" All Might sighed in defeat.
"Seriously, what were you thinking, Izuku?!" Tenko shouted.
"I'm sorry! But I just have a lot of important things to ask him personally!" Izuku explained with a flappy face. "You're my all-time favorite hero, All Might, please!"
"Okay, okay! I get it! Just keep your eyes and mouth shut!" All Might told him. Izuku did as he said and buried his face in All Might's shorts. He kept his hand on Izuku's shirt to keep him in position as Tenko and Hana flew by All Might. The boy was one thing, but seeing those two was another matter entirely.
"And you two. You know there are laws against quirk usage without a license, don't you?" All Might said.
"You know there's also laws against kidnapping, right?" Hana smirked. All Might was stunted about how it got construed into this.
"But I wasn't—!" All Might tried to correct her, but he couldn't find any room to talk. He wasn't aware at the moment, but that was no excuse. He sighed in defeat as he looked upon them.
"Well… we all have off days…" All Might said in defeat. He glanced back at the two children in midair with him and Midoriya. "Say, now that you're up here, is it too much trouble if you can take care of him, too?"
"Sorry. I'm already carrying the maximum load. Guess we'll just have to land together." Hana answered with a wide smile. He stared closely at Hana as she grinned, her smile mirroring a familiar presence he used to know.
"That smile… where have I seen that before…?" All Might pondered to himself. But before he could think any more, he started to cough. He held his free hand up to his mouth to block it out. But a second later, a small drop of blood escaped through his teeth and dripped out.
"Shit…" All Might cursed himself. He was running out of time. But not to chase after another villain. This was personal…
After a moment of flying, All Might and Izuku finally landed on top of a building with Hana and Tenko. But while Hana and Tenko were used to the flight, Izuku was shaking like crazy, having endured the first takeoff of All Might as a passenger.
"It's a good thing I knew how to carry you, Tenko." Hana said to her brother with a grin.
"I'm just glad Izuku didn't die." Tenko crossed his arms, glancing at Izuku, who was shaking like a leaf at this point. His face looked as though it'd seen death.
"My whole life just flashed before my eyes…" Izuku wheezed.
"Not a very smart move." All Might interjected. "Bang on the door for a while. Someone will let you in. Now, I have to go. See you on the flipside." All Might turned around and was about to walk away. But Izuku piped up. He'd shaken off the whiplash of the sudden flight and remembered at the last minute that he had something important to ask.
"Wait, not yet. One second!" Izuku requested.
"No! I don't have any time!" All Might refused.
"I have to know! Is it possible to become a hero even without a quirk?!" Izuku cried out. Those words made All Might stop before he could jump. "And if it's possible for someone with a dangerous quirk?!" Tenko was just as surprised.
"I'm a normal kid without any powers. But I have friends, a family, who believe in me. And so does Tenko… but he never asked for a quirk that could destroy. Me… and my brother… can we ever hope to be someone like you?!"
All Might turned his head slightly to the right, still standing where he would jump off. He saw Izuku's waiting and anxious face while Tenko's was one of surprise and awe. Of course Izuku would think of him. He's always been known for that. Hana had a curious look on her face, wondering what his answer would be.
"Without a quirk?" All Might asked to be sure he heard right.
"Yeah. You heard right." Tenko added, stepping beside his brother. "People think we don't have a chance. That all my quirk can do is hurt people."
"And that not having any powers makes me some kind of weakling." Izuku continued. "My classmates like to make fun of me. And they're scared to death of my brother."
"But you know what? That makes us want to prove them wrong." Tenko continued.
"Ever since I was a kid, I always thought that saving a person's life is the coolest thing you can do. Just like my dad did for Tenko and Hana." Izuku interjected.
"That's true." Hana chimed. "I was there when he saved Tenko and Izuku."
"And that's what I want to do: to follow his example and to be there for everyone." Tenko said proudly.
"And I want people to see my fearless smile and feel safe, and be the kind of hero everyone in the world looks up to." Izuku added.
"Just like you!" Tenko and Izuku said simultaneously. All Might gasped softly for a moment, staring at the trio of children. He had to admit, a part of him was touched by their resolve. And then, suddenly, a sharp pain stabbed All Might in the back, making him grunt in pain. Tenko, Izuku, and Hana gasped in worry. What happened to him? Before either one of them could reach out to him, a large excess of steam came out of his body.
"Oh, no…! Not now, dammit…! Not here…!" All Might groaned. All the trio could see was a fog of steam that covered All Might entirely.
"Huh?" Izuku puzzled.
"What the hell?" Tenko blurted aloud.
"What's going on? Are you okay, All Might?" Hana asked with worry. And she was right to be concerned… When the dust cleared, their idol, their hero, the symbol of peace, was gone. And in his place… was a scrawny shrimp lookalike. His arms and legs were so skinny, his shirt couldn't fit him. Izuku, Tenko, and Hana gasped with wide googly eyes, distraught by what they'd seen. Was All Might… a fake? Their only rational response to such a mind-blowing shock… was a symphony of shocked screams that echoed around the city. They didn't know back then, but what they discovered next will change the course of Hero Society and the world.
A/N: And so ends the first chapter of MHA: A Hero's Legacy with many more to come. I'm sure you're wondering about the angle I have for One For All. Well, that'll come in the next chapter.
Now, let's move on the age for Tenko in MHA. In this AU, to clear any misconceptions in the air, I've had him aged down just a couple of years older than Izuku. But for the case of him not being in any high school already, he's been held back due to his temper towards Bakugou. Though well-intentioned, he still has a long way to go to control himself. And All Might himself will know it soon.
Before anyone decides to spam me with "you got Izuku all wrong!" Allow me to tell you what I know to be his core character: selflessness. Izuku was a boy that never thought about himself, just like in canon. He was literally seen in the beginning standing up for someone other than him. And while it's true that he didn't have much of a spine in canon, he had grown one here, because this time, he had the support of his family and friends (though mainly Tenko's friends) by his side. And if they got hurt, he's always there for them.
Speaking of friends, Mikkun (voiced by Robert McCollum) and Tomo (Erica Mendez) were both mentioned in the show, but neither have made an appearance, so I decided to flesh them out as characters in their own right with their own quirks. And Keemia is based on Sand Girl from Spider-Man. Yes, the 2017 series. I was interested in her character exclusively when she debuted, but she was underdeveloped, so I decided to take a chance with this one as well.
And of course, there's the addition to the family, Aiko (voiced by Jeanine Tirado), the daughter of Inko and Kashi Midoriya. To keep it short, Kashi is paired with Inko after a tragic disaster happened to Hisashi. And thanks to Kashi, him saving Tenko from his abusive father Kotaro, has triggered a chain reaction that will echo in Hero Society. Perhaps not in immediately noticeable ways, but those shifts will weigh the outcome of this story. I hope you'll look forward to see where this chain goes. Until then, Go Beyond! Plus Ultra!