Chapter Summary: Toshinori gives Izuku his first lesson with One For All.

Toshinori had barely been able to catch a wink when he finally managed to get home and into bed, his night spent in quiet contemplation of the morning to come and the challenges it would no doubt bring. His eyes bore endlessly into his ceiling for what felt like an eternity before they startled open at the sound of his custom alarm that simply proclaimed "I am awake!" over and over again until he finally stirred enough to snooze it. He dragged himself out of bed with a sigh and got dressed, not even bothering to spare a look in the mirror on his way out. Toshinori had never liked looking at his reflection.

The drive down to Takoba was a quiet, albeit tense trip for him as he mentally prepared himself for his lesson with young Midoriya. He tried to keep his focus on the road, but with his anxiety creeping deep into the place where his stomach used to reside, he found it hard to keep his mind from wandering. Despite all the discussions he and Nedzu had about his protege, Toshinori would be a liar if he said he felt completely prepared for everything that was to come with their next phase of training. He could only hope that he could measure up to what young Midoriya needed.

'Master, I pray that the wisdom you imparted onto me will allow me to aid him the same way it did me,' Toshinori mused, 'may your light shine down on him this morning…'

Once he pulled into the parking lot and put it in park, he was greeted by the familiar silhouette of the heaps of trash that littered the beach. Toshinori could only wonder how the beach was allowed to get to such a state and how long it would have taken for someone else to take action were it not for young Midoriya's efforts. A small smile tugged at his lips when he stepped outside and saw his protege standing at the top of the steps, practically dancing on his feet while he stared out into the small section of the horizon he restored. The light of the rising sun cast a gentle glow across the young boy's head as he turned to look at Toshinori, his smile bright and his eyes practically shining with excitement.

"You got here early," Toshinori observed, walking closer to meet up with him. He arched his brow when he noted the lines beneath Midoriya's eyes. "Did you even sleep last night?"

Midoriya chuckled and rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, but only a bit! I was just excited, you know?"

Toshinori's smile grew. "Well, I'm glad that you're pumped to start your next phase of training."

"How could I not be?" Midoriya exclaimed. He closed his eyes and started rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet. "I've been waiting for this day!" He stopped and opened his eyes with a beaming smile. "I promise, I won't let you down, All Might!"

"I'm certain you won't," Toshinori told him. He nodded towards the stairs. "Let's go ahead and head down so we can get started, shall we?"

Midoriya practically darted down the stairs, forgoing the last few steps in an enthusiastic leap that sent sand everywhere upon impact. Toshinori snorted mirthfully and stepped down to join him. A cloud escaped his lips, causing him to draw his coat further in on himself. Meanwhile, Midoriya danced on his feet a bit in anticipation and seemed mostly unbothered by the cold air despite being only in a tracksuit.

"So what are we starting on first?" Midoriya asked. "Are we going to be covering your State Smashes? Or are we going to go over some lesser-known attacks?" He gasped with sparkling eyes. "Are we going to make a whole new attack just for me? "

Toshinori chuckled. "Settle down, my boy. We'll cover all of those things in due time. But, for now, we need to set a solid foundation for you to even use your Quirk." He held up his index finger. "You may have had months of training under your belt to prepare your body, but today is day one , my boy. We can't have you firing if you don't know how to load the cylinders first."

Midoriya nodded, still bouncing from foot to foot. "Makes sense!"

"Indeed," Toshinori replied, "now… let's try to see if you can activate it."

"Right!" Midoriya acknowledged. Then, he paused in his footwork. "Uh… How exactly do I do that?"

"It's something you feel deep within you that you call upon," Toshinori answered, "once you grab ahold of it…" He placed a hand over his heart. "You just know ."

Midoriya tilted his head curiously. "Is that how it felt the first time you used it? Was it hard to do?"

Toshinori shook his head. "Not really. It came naturally to me. One For All felt less like a superpower and more like… an extension of myself." His fingers clutched the fabric of his jacket. "It felt as natural as my own heartbeat… As if it was always a part of me. It felt as simple as breathing."

"Wow," Midoriya said, "so it's this intuitive thing you don't even have to think about?" He brought a hand to his chin in thought. "I see… It makes sense, considering you've had it for so long… Thinking about it probably makes it harder to use it, too." He perked up. "And with breathing, if you focus on it too much, then it can actually make it harder to breathe. Is it the same way with One For All?"

"It is," Toshinori answered, "it's just… Well, I can't put it into words. It feels kind of like—" He swept his hand through the air sharply. "Whoosh!"

"Whoosh?" Midoriya repeated.

Toshinori blinked and stared at his hand before retracting it with a sigh. "That… probably doesn't make much sense, does it?"

Midoriya shook his head and waved his hands frantically. "N-No, it does! I mean, it's just like—" He pumped his fist into the air. "Kapow!" His eyes met with Toshinori's. "That's how you do your smashes, right?"

"In… a sense," Toshinori replied, trying not to let his anxiety show. He held back the urge to sigh. Why was this so hard? When he was with his own master, everything just made sense . Why couldn't he do the same for his protege? "It's like… It's this thing inside of you that's a part of you, but you still have to control it." He placed his hand back over his chest. "Once you bring it out, you know the feeling deep down to your very core… Like this heat that spreads throughout your body anytime you use it." His eyes fell to a close and he clutched his jacket. "But if you don't keep it contained, you run the risk of letting it run wild."

One For All's beginnings may have been humble, but that had just been the spark to ignite the flame that had been passed down for generations. The seven holders that came before Toshinori all held the torch and added onto its flame, his own mentor imparting words of wisdom to not only help it grow but keep it controlled. Sometimes, it felt like the only thing keeping Toshinori alive was that flame inside of him and that all he could do was sit beside it for warmth in the midst of the storm growing around him. He knew more than anyone how dangerous that flame could be, however, should he not be careful. Using One For All was simply not enough; it had to be controlled and measured.

"Just like an egg in the microwave!" Midoriya proclaimed.

Toshinori nearly choked. "What?"

"An egg in the microwave!" Midoriya repeated. "If you put it in for too long, then it can explode!" He held his index finger up. "But, if you balance it just right, then the heat spreads evenly throughout and you make something great!"

Toshinori stared in silence. He was certain that if he had said something like that in front of Gran Torino back when he was a student, the old man would have laughed in his face for such an absurd comparison, if not be outright offended by comparing such power to something as mundane as food.

"Sounds like your eggs are a little scrambled , kiddo," his voice echoed in his head, almost as if he were speaking to Toshinori in person. Gran would have cuffed his ear for good measure, too, knowing him.

'It's… not what I would have thought of,' Toshinori thought to himself. Then, his mind traced back to what Nedzu said to him the other day:

"The best teachers know when and how to adapt, All Might. Sticking to one method isn't always going to cut it and can sometimes slow progress."

With Midoriya still smiling, Toshinori managed to mirror it back to him. "If that's what makes the most sense to you, then sure." He brought a hand to his chin in thought. "Just, uh, think of activating it like pressing the microwave start button."

Midoriya nodded. "Got it! And if I'm having trouble balancing it, I can just adjust the wattage or the cook time!"

"Now you're getting it," Toshinori said, "that's the key to controlling One For All: balance . You have to make sure to keep a focus on how you use it so you don't lose control of it." His smile widened. "We don't want that egg exploding, now do we?"

"Nope!" Midoriya replied. He made a fist and held it up. "Should I try to imagine my fist as the egg to start?"

Toshinori nodded. "That's a good place to begin. We can work our way up as you learn to control certain limbs."

"Awesome!" Midoriya proclaimed. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "Just pretend you're the microwave, Izuku…"

Toshinori bit his bottom lip to hold back the urge to smile. 'C'mon, Toshi, keep it together. Can't make him lose focus.'

"You're the microwave," Midoriya repeated, inhaling deeply through his nose. Toshinori tried his best not to snort. Had he been like that when he was a teenager? "You're the microwave and you have the egg in your hand…" He clenched his fist tighter. "Now just make sure it doesn't explode."

There was a definitive crackle of energy in the air and Toshinori went still. He stared with wide eyes as Midoriya's fist seemed to come aglow with power, causing him to bring his hand to his mouth with surprise. By God, had that done it? Had he really summoned One For All for the first time?

"Don't let it explode," Midoriya whispered, "don't let it explode ."

Then, the glow started to spread from his fist all the way up his arm. Panicked, Toshinori's hands clasped together in front of his chest. Was he struggling to control it? In an instant, the energy went away and Midoriya gasped aloud. He grabbed his forearm with a heaving breath, his eyes wide as he stared down at it.

Toshinori's brows furrowed when Midoriya winced. "My boy, are you alright?"

"I…" he began, his voice soft. Then, Midoriya's eyes shot up to meet with Toshinori's and they practically sparkled . "I did it! I summoned it! And it didn't explode! " He breathed out a laugh when he looked down at his hand and flexed it, only to wince again. " Ow… But why did it hurt? "

"How much energy did you use?" Toshinori questioned. His brows furrowed with worry. "Did you try firing off at full power?"

"No!" Midoriya answered quickly. His resolve faltered when his mentor didn't appear convinced. "But… maybe I bit off a bit more than I could chew."

Toshinori offered him a soft smile. "Well, now you know that was too much for you for now. I'm just happy you didn't try to fire off at all cylinders."

Midoriya blinked. "Wait… So that wasn't even full power?" He flexed out his fingers. "But… I was trying so hard to contain it… How close was I to achieving full power?"

Toshinori shrugged. "It's hard to say. One For All is stronger now that it's been passed down to you, my boy. You're going to struggle to reach full power at the beginning." He crossed his arms over his chest. "Right now, it's better to focus on more manageable goals. You can't just jump to 100%."

"So… what's a good percentage for me to start at?" Midoriya asked.

"Well, when I first started, I worked at about…" Toshinori drawled, looking up as he searched the recesses of his mind. He snapped his fingers when it clicked. "I'd say about 5%."

"5%?" Midoriya repeated.

"Your body still isn't used to it, remember?" Toshinori reminded him. "You're not going to be able to go at full power just yet."

Midoriya's brows furrowed. "Well, how long until I am able to use it at full power?"

"It's a process , my boy," Toshinori replied, "you're not going to have it down pat the first day, you know."

Midoriya frowned. "I guess you're right…"

Toshinori arched his brow. "What is it? Is something bothering you?"

"It's nothing," Midoriya answered, far too fast for Toshinori's liking. When he didn't let up his stare, however, Midoriya let out a sigh. "Well, it's just… I… I always wanted a Quirk, you know? And now that I have one, I guess I thought it would be… different, somehow?" He held his hands up. "N-Not that I'm ungrateful, it's just— I've seen so many different Quirks from my classmates and they can do amazing things with them." He looked down at his hand and flexed his fingers again with a frown. "But it feels like I'm not measuring up to them…"

A tug of pain hit Toshinori's chest upon hearing that. While it had been about forty years since he had been Quirkless, he could still viscerally recall how it felt to be a young lad without a power to his name. Quirklessness may not have been a rarity while he was growing up, but it was still a trait that made him a prime target for any who wished to do him harm, whether they be peers or criminals. Now, with Quirklessness growing increasingly uncommon with each passing generation and Quirks becoming more powerful than ever, he could only wonder how it felt to be a young lad sitting on the sidelines while everyone ran a race he would never get to experience.

'That's why you like to write them down, isn't it, young Midoriya?' Toshinori mused. 'You wanted to learn everything you can about what you thought you'd never have.'

Toshinori placed a hand on his shoulder, causing the young boy to jump. " Hey . I know that this might not have been what you were expecting… But you have to remember that your peers have had years to hone in their power." He gave his shoulder a squeeze. "Meanwhile, you've only had a couple of months to prepare your body for it and you're only on day one of actually using it." Midoriya blinked when Toshinori smiled and tapped him on the nose. "Don't pay them any mind. You're still playing catch up."

A weak smile spread across Midoriya's lips. "I guess so."

"Besides, that was only your first try ," Toshinori stressed, "and I know you're not ready to give up after that." He nodded towards the rising sun. "We've still got a whole day ahead of us, my boy. Let's not put it to waste."

Midoriya's smile brightened back up. "Alright, yeah!" He pumped his fist into the air. "My egg isn't cooked yet!"

Toshinori snorted. "It sure isn't, my boy. It sure isn't."

Izuku had barely been able to catch a wink when he finally managed to get home and into bed, his limbs still aching from training and his mind racing. His eyes bore endlessly into the ceiling while he waited for sleep to take him, but despite his exhaustion, he just couldn't seem to get his eyes to close. Even with a full belly and a shower to reward him for his efforts, Izuku was unable to shake the thoughts that ran rampant through his mind.

'All those months,' he thought, 'all those months on the beach to train for One For All…' Izuku lifted his hand up and stared at his palm. 'And I can barely do a thing with it.'

Logistically, Izuku knew that he couldn't expect to jump to All Might's level on his first day. Still, he couldn't quite shake the feeling of disappointment in knowing that he wasn't capable of doing much more than call forth his power, let alone control it. Despite the oddity of having to swallow All Might's hair, he had been raring to go on training his newfound ability and had launched off into asking a litany of questions about the logistics of it, how they would train for it, and what came next. His momentum came to a screeching halt when All Might had to inform him that it would take a couple of hours minimum for his body to process his DNA and, in turn, integrate with his own system. As disappointed as he was, All Might lessened the blow by telling him they would be getting a fresh start in the morning, when it was guaranteed to have finally processed through his system. Izuku returned to his house in time for dinner, only for his mother to nearly drop the dish entirely when he broke the news of his graduation to her. After she managed to set the dish down on the table, she tackled him in a hug and lifted him up by a mere inch out of sheer excitement and pride, her cheeks wet with tears.

"My baby's going to be a hero!" she exclaimed, the memory of which still made Izuku's heart swell.

Dinner may have been small, but it was a celebration nonetheless. She asked him for all the details of his graduation and Izuku was met with wonder and awe as he recounted the speech All Might gave to him while he stood before him with tears in his eyes. Then, when he showed her the notebook All Might got him, tears flooded her eyes and she broke down all over again. Izuku couldn't really blame her, considering he hadn't fared much better when he got it just a couple hours prior.

Bedtime came faster than he expected and although his heart felt light, he found himself unable to sleep well into the night. It was so strange to think of how different his life was in just a few months' time and how what could have been the worst day of his life quickly turned into the beginning of something great. Less than a year ago, he had been Quirkless and left to the mercy of whatever the world threw at him; the night before, he was mere hours away from being able to exercise a power of his own to combat the chaotic forces that threatened the safety of their world.

Now, he felt like he didn't deserve the fanfare at all.

"Don't pay them any mind," All Might's voice echoed in his head, "you're still playing catch up."

Izuku snorted. That was easy for him to say, wasn't it? All Might didn't have to grow up as the only Quirkless kid at his elementary school and watch as everyone around him got their Quirks while Izuku had to stand by and wonder why his hadn't come in yet. All Might didn't have to overhear his mother talk on the phone with Auntie Mitsuki and tearfully tell her that the doctor said he wouldn't ever develop a Quirk. All Might didn't have to watch as everyone in his life started to shift their tone around him as if he were a fragile little thing that could break at any given moment if someone so much as breathed on him too hard. All Might didn't have to play the citizen or helpless bystander anytime his classmates played Heroes, and that was if he was invited to play at all. All Might didn't have to watch as his friends started to drift away from him while he was helpless to do anything but ask "Why?" over and over again, only to be met with the simple answer of, "You know why."

"Worthless Deku."

Izuku closed his eyes with a frown. Although Kacchan had backed off of him in light of the incident with the sludge villain, that didn't mean that he had exactly been warm towards Izuku, either. Judging by the intensity of his gaze anytime they crossed paths in the hallway at school, it was still very clear that Kacchan had yet to let go of his grudge against Izuku for wanting to try out for U.A.

'How is he going to respond when he sees me with my new power?' Izuku wondered. His hands clutched his covers tightly. 'What if I'm not able to control it and I fail?'

He could hear the taunts already, loud and clear. Kacchan always did have a way of reminding him of the long-growing distance between the two of them. Izuku could almost consider it a talent how he managed to find new ways to insult him and discredit everything he did, no matter how big or small it was.

"Fought your way just to get to the bottom," he could hear Kacchan say, "well, at least you proved us all right, eh, Deku?"

Izuku hated that it was instinctive for him to duck his head down at just the thought of Kacchan's voice. He knew deep down that he didn't mean the things he said — who on Earth would actually say something like that to someone and mean it? — but it still hurt to hear, nonetheless. Still, he knew that it wasn't his fault, he was just stressed because he was trying to get into U.A. and Izuku knew how Auntie Mitsuki was, so he couldn't blame Kacchan for being so frustrated all the time. Kacchan had bigger things to worry about than Izuku's feelings, so he wasted no time in mincing words to get his point across. Usually, it didn't bother him. He may not have always liked what Kacchan had to say, but he got pretty used to hearing it with time. Besides, Kacchan was naturally talented and Izuku could stand to learn a lot from him — that was why he had multiple sections on him throughout his different volumes detailing his growth and evolution. It wasn't his fault that Izuku was so sensitive sometimes.

'I just need to do better,' Izuku told himself, 'I need to work harder to gain control.'

When Izuku sat up and swung his feet over the edge of the bed to stand up and stride over to his closet, he wasn't sure what his plan was. It wasn't until he slipped on his tracksuit and his red sneakers before making his way out of the house without his mother hearing that he realized where his feet were carrying him. The light of the moon cast a soft glow across Takoba when he arrived, illuminating the silhouette of the heaps of trash that were still left behind. Despite the ache in his bones and the burn in his tired eyes, Izuku still made a break for the beach once it came into his sights.

"One foot after the other and you'll get there in due time."

"I know you're not ready to give up after that."

'I have to earn this power,' Izuku thought, 'I need to be more than just a vessel for it to use.' He cracked his knuckles and readied his stance. 'I need to be the one using it.'

He stared at the heap before him and dug his heels into the sand to steady himself. As much as he wanted to summon One For All to come to his aid, he kept the flame inside of him down to a simmer.

"My egg isn't cooked yet," Izuku told himself, "time for me to turn up the wattage."

A/N: Fun fact- next chapter contains one of my favorite scenes in this series thus far.