Chapter Summary: Izuku's two worlds collide.

A/N: As said in the notes last chapter, this installment includes one of my favorite scenes. I hope you enjoy.

Inko would be lying if she said she wasn't a little nervous when the day of the entrance exam finally approached. As happy as she was to finally see how Izuku would fare after months of hard work and determination, it was in her nature to worry about him. She wanted to believe that the past two months of training with All Might had been enough to prepare him, but with the way he struggled to get out of bed on some mornings, Inko's anxieties often robbed her of a good night's rest.

'It's so strange to think he has a Quirk now,' Inko thought as she went to bed on the eve of the exam, 'so much has changed these past few months…'

Just ten years ago, Inko had held Izuku in her arms and shed tears alongside him as she apologized for the hand he had been dealt and prayed that things could be different for him somehow. That dreaded night felt like such a distant memory when he returned the night of his graduation and she held him in her arms with teary eyes, thanking the gods above that her prayers were finally answered after all those years of turmoil. The shy, timid boy she watched grow up had started to blossom into a more confident and determined young man whose smile had turned as bright as when he was just a toddler running around the living room in a little All Might onesie.

'I'm so proud of you, Izuku,' she thought, 'I feel like I don't say that enough.'

Those were her final thoughts before she drifted off into a deep sleep that she would later stir from once her alarm finally went off. With a bounce in her step, Inko climbed out of bed and rushed into the kitchen in her pajamas to make breakfast for Izuku while he slept off his training session from yesterday. His alarm wasn't set to go off for another hour or so, giving her ample time to make him his favorite breakfast dish before the exam. He had been working so hard and she knew that he had been stressed with how training for his new Quirk was coming along, so she wanted to alleviate as much stress as possible in whatever way she could, even if it was something as small as making him a nice meal. She wanted him to have a full stomach and a bright smile on his face when he finally went down to show U.A. what he was made of. Inko carried on as quickly and as quietly as she could so that he wouldn't have to rush to eat, ignoring the growl of her own stomach to focus on meal prep.

'He needs as much rest as he can get,' Inko thought, 'he looks like hasn't been sleeping so well these past couple weeks…'

Ever since Izuku returned home from his first lesson after his graduation ceremony, there had been an undeniable shift in the way her son carried himself. As soon as he stepped inside, she babbled a litany of questions about his lesson and what he learned, only to be taken aback by how reserved his response was. At first, she thought it was because he was tired and figured that he would be in better spirits in the morning when he got some rest. However, when Izuku stepped out of his room the following morning with heavy feet, it became pretty clear that there was more to it than what he let on.

"We still have a lot of work to do," he told her while scooping up his breakfast, "I just need to keep practicing until I get it right."

She supposed it couldn't be helped. Working with a Quirk when he didn't have one for the first fourteen years of his life was sure to lead to some trial and error, so perhaps she should be thankful that the worst thing to come out of it thus far was lack of sleep. Besides, it wasn't like Izuku set the gold standard for healthy sleeping habits prior to having a Quirk, especially considering he used to stay up late and read All Might comics and magazines under the light of his flashlight as if she couldn't see the light peeking out from the bottom of his door.

Inko snorted and shook her head with a smile. That boy was going to be the absolute death of her.

Once she finally finished up breakfast and set it down on the table, Inko tossed aside her dirty apron with a relieved sigh. She turned towards the wall clock to check the time and went still, noting it was a couple minutes past when Izuku's alarm was supposed to go off. Had he forgotten to turn it on the night before? Frowning, she tiptoed down the hall until she reached his door and leaned in to listen for the sound of his All Might alarm. When she didn't hear it, she gave his door a light knock.

"Izuku?" she sang out softly. "Did your alarm go off?"

No answer.

"Izuku?" Inko said, her brows furrowing a bit. "Are you awake, dear?"

Again, no answer.

Inko sighed and grabbed the doorknob. "Alright, honey, I know you're probably tired, but you have to get up—"

Then, as she opened the door to her son's room, she froze. The bed where he should have been sound asleep in was left unoccupied, the blankets and sheets still made up nicely. Inko blinked as if her eyes were playing tricks on her, only for them to widen with terror when it only confirmed her worst fears.

"Izuku," she breathed, panic creeping into her voice, "Izuku, where are you, sweetie?"

She rushed into his room and opened up the closet doors, only to be met with his clothes and shoes, but not him. With a shuddering breath, she ran out of his room and down the hall to the bathroom, nearly swinging the door off its hinges when she stepped inside.

"Izuku!" Inko exclaimed. "This isn't funny, where are you?"

Once again, she wasn't given an answer.

"Oh, God," Inko whispered, "oh, God, where is he?"

Her feet carried her before she knew it. She grabbed her coat off from the coat rack and slung on her scarf over her pajamas, deciding to forgo actual shoes in favor of her bunny slippers. They may not have been the most practical choice, but Inko didn't have the time to think about it. She grabbed her phone from the counter and fumbled for a moment when searching through her contacts before she tapped on Mitsuki's profile.

"C'mon, 'Suki, pick up," Inko stressed, "I need you to pick up ." Then, to her dismay, it went straight to voicemail. "Oh, you've got to be kidding me!"

Frustrated, she went back to her contact list and tapped onto Izuku's profile. As the first round of rings started to make their way through her speaker, she wrapped her jacket tighter around herself and made a beeline straight for the front door. The scent of the breakfast she had made brought an unexpected sting to her eyes and she tried desperately to blink back the tears she knew were coming as she made her way outside.

'Come on, baby,' Inko thought as she locked the door to the apartment, 'where have you gone off to?'

Toshinori wasn't sure what he was expecting to see when he came to Takoba on that cold February day to meet up with young Midoriya. After the past couple of months of training, he was hoping that he would come face to face with his young apprentice on the day of the exam to offer him words of wisdom and encouragement like his own mentor had all those decades ago. The night before, he kept cycling through his speech over and over again until he felt he got it down right, not wanting to set a poor tone for young Midoriya's day. He felt like the boy could use the boost after all the hard work he had been doing.

The past two months of training with One For All felt both long and yet like not enough time at all. So far, Toshinori and Midoriya had worked on honing in on his control and ability to summon forth his new power so that it became less of a chore. Now, young Midoriya could summon One For All to both of his arms and was capable of using his newfound strength to his advantage. Still, Toshinori knew that they were just barely scratching the surface of his potential, considering he was just scraping by with 5% or less.

'You're about to reach the light at the end of the tunnel,' Toshinori mused as he laid in bed the eve of the exam, 'from here on out, your light will only continue to grow.'

Just forty years ago, Toshinori himself had stood in front of his mentor on the day of his entrance exam at U.A. with burning eyes and looked into her sterling gray orbs as she rested both of her hands on his shoulders and gave him that bright smile that always seemed to ease his anxieties on even his hardest days. That day still felt so fresh in his memory as he stepped out of his car and made his way down to the beachline to meet with his own protege, hopeful that he could give the young boy the same feeling of assurance in his chest that his own mentor did. The shy, timid boy he came to know had started to blossom into a more confident and determined young man whose smile shone bright throughout his long journey.

'You've come so far, my boy,' Toshinori thought, 'now's the time for you to go the distance.'

Then again, his young successor always seemed to have a way of surprising him, and nowhere was that more apparent than when he arrived to see the young lad standing atop a trash heap while screaming at the top of his lungs. His shirt was gone from sight as he stood in the light of the rising sun, his back arched forward while he screamed to the high heavens. Startled beyond words, Toshinori ran towards the railing just as Midoriya's cry finally died off with a shuddering gasp and stared off in wonder at his protege's handiwork.

"Holy crap," Toshinori blurted out, his eyes sweeping across the coast, "you cleaned up the entire beach ."

The coastline that had become a dump seemed like such a far-off nightmare in comparison to the image of perfection that laid before him. With wide eyes, Toshinori could only gape as he searched for any sign of the litter that had robbed so many locals of the horizon, only to find that there was none. His lips pulled up into a stunned smile and he huffed out a laugh through his nose.

"There isn't a single speck of trash on the beach," he breathed, still in disbelief, "and on the day of the entrance exam, no less…" Toshinori's hand went to his heart without thought as he trembled in the cold morning air. "Holy… Stinking…" His excitement practically erupted from his being when he took on his muscular form. "Supercrap!"

As the young lad collapsed from the top of the heap, Toshinori found himself in the sand just in time to catch the boy out of the air with a beaming smile. By God, was this kid insane?

" Excellent work!" Toshinori proclaimed, barely able to contain himself.

With tired eyes, young Midoriya managed to smile back at him. "I finished everything… All Might… I did it."

Toshinori let out a loud, booming laugh. "You sure did , fanboy! You really went all out, didn't you?"

Part of him knew that he should have been stern with the boy for working himself so hard the night before the exam, but at the same time, he couldn't help but feel prideful. The young lad went out of his way to show his dedication and exceeded his expectations multiple times over by clearing out the entire beach. Heavens above, how did he do this?

Then, he went still. How did he do this?

"Were you training your Quirk on your own out here?" Toshinori questioned. He set Midoriya down on the sand and made sure he was steady before letting go. "Did you manage to do this with just 5%?"

Midoriya shook his head. "N-No… I didn't use One For All at all."

Toshinori blinked. "You didn't? "

"No," Midoriya affirmed, and it was then that Toshinori saw the way his body trembled. What happened to his coat and shoes? How long had he not been wearing those? "I-I wanted to prove I could handle it…"

Then, the young boy looked at him with teary eyes. Still shaking, Midoriya choked back a small hiccup and met Toshinori's gaze with determination.

"I-I wanted to p-prove I d-deserve this," he continued, his voice wavering, "y-you put s-so much time and w-work into h-helping me…" Midoriya let out a choked sob and swiped at his cheeks furiously. "S-So I d-did this all by myself to p-prove I can d-do it…" He put on a warbling smile. "I-I wanted to s-show that I-I'm not h-helpless— "

When Midoriya let out another shuddering sob, Toshinori's heart tugged in his chest. Had he really been worried about that all this time? Did he really think that Toshinori would have any doubts after everything he had shown him already?

'Oh, my boy,' Toshinori thought, 'how can I prove to you that you're already more than enough?'

The boy jumped when Toshinori's jacket landed on his shoulders. He blinked with surprise and stared up at Toshinori, who crouched down to meet his level with a beaming smile.

"Look at this," Toshinori told him, holding up his phone for Midoriya to see, "this is a photo of you back when we first started all those months ago, my boy…" He rested a hand on his shoulder and chuckled. "And now look at you! You've come so far! "

Midoriya's smile returned. "You… really think so?"

"I do!" Toshinori affirmed. He stood upright and planted his fists on his hips. "You may still have a long road ahead of you before you're ready to take on my full power and claim it as your own…" Then, he held his arms up and gestured to the heap that stood behind him. "But you've proven that you'll be able to handle any hurdle that you come across when it comes your way! And that , young Midoriya, is what makes you a worthy successor and hero!"

A sniffle escaped Midoriya and he drew Toshinori's coat tighter around himself. "I-I don't know what t-to say…"

Toshinori let out a brassy laugh. "Well, my boy, I'm sure that you can—"

"Izukuuuuuuuuu!" exclaimed a shrill voice.

Startled, Toshinori turned in time to spot a woman he hadn't seen before come barreling down the stairs and onto the beach. Her green hair was pulled back into a messy bun and her pink coat was haphazardly buttoned over a pair of lavender pajamas that were adorned with little bunny rabbits that matched her bunny slippers. After she stumbled upon hitting the sand, she looked left and right frantically before her emerald eyes locked onto Midoriya, who froze beneath her gaze. Tears practically flooded from the woman's eyes and she charged towards them with a choked sob.

"Izuku!" she repeated, her voice breaking. She all but tackled Midoriya into a tight embrace and buried her face in Toshinori's coat. "Honey, I was worried sick about you! You scared Mommy so bad when she couldn't find you!"

'Mommy?' Toshinori thought.

"M-Mom—" Midoriya tried to say, his eyes darting between Toshinori and the crying woman.

With a blink, Toshinori very quickly noted how Midoriya's cheeks went scarlet red and the way his messy hair matched the woman's.

Oh.

His mother pulled back and slapped her hands onto the young boy's cheeks so she could look at him. "Sweetie, why did you leave the house so early in the morning without telling me? You scared me half to death when I couldn't find you!"

"Mom—" Midoriya sputtered out through squished lips.

"And you didn't pick up your phone, either!" she continued. "I thought that something bad happened to you! For all I knew, you could have gotten into an accident or been kidnapped by some villains!" She squeezed his cheeks with a sniffle. "I don't know what I'd do if someone tried to hurt my baby boy—"

"Mom!" Midoriya exclaimed, pulling her hands away from his face. "Look, I'm sorry I left without telling you, alright? I didn't mean to scare you." He let out a small sigh and released her hands to rest his palms on her shoulders. "I just came out here because I was working on a surprise before the exam."

His mother blinked. "Surprise? What kind of surpr—"

Then, she went still. Her eyes widened and her head snapped left and right, as if she just noticed her surroundings. She spun around in a circle to look behind her and back to Midoriya with her mouth still agape. Before Toshinori could think of what to say or do, she screamed so loud that it almost made him jump out of his muscle form.

"You cleared out the beach!" she exclaimed. Her lips pulled up into a bright smile and she clapped her hands excitedly. "Oh, my God, Izuku, you cleared out the whole beach by yourself!" Then, her smile dropped and her eyes widened. "Oh, my God, Izuku, you cleared out the whole beach by yourself?! Are you insane?! "

Midoriya wilted beneath her gaze. "I-I was j-just—"

His mother gasped aloud. "Baby, where is your shirt?! " She did a quick once over and gasped again when she landed on his feet. "Are you barefoot? Izuku, we're on a beach, that's so dangerous! "

"I got hot while I was working!" Midoriya protested. "Besides, the sand got in my socks and it was rubbing my feet raw—"

"There could be glass out here!" his mother replied. "You could have cut your feet!"

'Should…' Toshinori thought, his head turning back and forth as each of them took turns speaking. 'Should I stay here or…?'

"Mom, I was just trying to—" Midoriya tried to say.

" Izuku Midoriya , you promised me you wouldn't be keeping any more secrets!" she interjected. Secrets? What secrets was she talking about? "And today, you decided to sneak out on the day of the entrance exam without telling me just to clean up the beach?! "

Midoriya grinned a bit sheepishly. "Would you be mad if I told you that I've been working on it for the past couple of months?"

She gasped. "Izuku!"

"It was supposed to be a surprise! " Midoriya told her. "I wasn't trying to sneak around, I just wanted to—" He let out a defeated sigh. "I just wanted to show you what I could do…"

Almost instantly, her gaze softened. "Aw… Izuku, sweetie, I think it's nice that you wanted to finish doing your work out here on the beach." She placed her hand on his shoulder and smiled. "I know how hard you've been working to clean this place these past few months…" Then, she frowned at him sternly. "But you scared me this morning. I mean, I had no idea where you were. I didn't know if you were with All Might or—"

Toshinori was certain he tasted iron when he coughed. "What?"

Midoriya's mother blinked and she turned quizzically to regard Toshinori. Her confusion lasted for only a moment before a gasp startled out of her throat and she clapped both of her hands over her gaping mouth, her eyes wide with shock. Midoriya, meanwhile, looked as though he wanted the world to swallow him whole and tucked himself further into Toshinori's jacket. Unsure of what to do, Toshinori slowly lifted his hand up in a little wave.

"Hello, there!" he greeted, trying to hide his discomfort. "I don't believe we've met before! I am—"

"All Might," Midoriya cut in, his voice incredibly small, "I don't think now's a good time for that."

"You're…" she began softly, her eyes still wide. Slowly, her hands dropped down from her face and she gulped heavily. "You're…"

"Yes!" Toshinori proclaimed, laughing a bit. He held his arms up in a flex, deciding to settle back into his public persona. "Fear not, for I am—"

"You told my son to keep a secret from me!" she exclaimed suddenly.

Toshinori froze mid-pose. "I… beg your pardon?"

"You're darn right you do!" Midoriya's mother shouted, causing him to blink. She set her hands on her hips and stared up at him defiantly. "What kind of a hero tells a boy to keep a secret from his mother? I have a right to know what goes on in my son's life, especially when his well-being comes into question!"

"Mom—" Midoriya tried to interject.

"Not now , sweetie, Mommy is talking," she replied, holding a hand up to silence him. While Midoriya burrowed deeper into Toshinori's coat, she raised an accusatory finger and stared Toshinori down with such an intensity that it almost put Gran Torino's staredown to shame. "I get that you're the Number One Hero and the Symbol of Peace, but that doesn't mean you can just do as you please!"

"Oh, well, I—" Toshinori began. He chuckled uncomfortably. "How, uh… How much did your son tell you—"

"Oh, I'm not done yet!" she cut in. Toshinori found himself stepping back when she took a step towards him. "It really bothers me that you would bring a change as big as giving my son a Quirk and decide that he shouldn't tell his mother about it. While I trust in my son's judgment and his ability to make decisions, I don't like being kept in the dark when it comes to his safety!" Another step caused Toshinori to back up again. "And the fact that you're so surprised that he told me only bothers me more!"

Toshinori's hands went up as soon as his back hit the beach wall. "Now, now, I wasn't trying to—"

"Mom!" Midoriya blurted out. It took all of Toshinori's self control not to slump with relief when his protege stepped into his mother's sights. "Oh, my God , can you please stop?"

The fire in her eyes dimmed a bit, but didn't fade. "Izuku—"

"Mom, please ," Midoriya protested, "please don't yell at him over that, OK? I-It's my fault for not telling you sooner… I should have told you as soon as possible."

Despite the way his form shivered beneath Toshinori's coat, Midoriya's resolve was apparent. He had to be absolutely exhausted and yet, he had put himself at the epicenter of his mother's ire to take the heat off of Toshinori and take the brunt of her anger.

'You truly are a brave kid, my boy,' Toshinori mused.

Still, he also knew that his mother raised a very solid point. He hadn't taken her into consideration when he offered his Quirk up to young Midoriya nor had he thought about the consequences of what would come once Midoriya made it into U.A. She raised the boy for his entire life and was present when it became clear he wouldn't develop a Quirk, of course she would have questions about how he managed to acquire a power like One For All.

The memory of all the lunches that young Midoriya would bring to their training sessions caused a weight to settle where Toshinori's stomach used to be. Having to eat the meals his mother made for him while she was left unaware of what her son was training for was likely a cause for stress and inner conflict for the young boy, especially on top of all his training. Toshinori could only imagine how that felt; he didn't have any parents to worry about when it came time for him to inherit One For All all those decades ago.

Resisting the urge to sigh, Toshinori placed both of his hands onto his protege's shoulders and nudged him to the side.

"I appreciate the gesture, my boy," Toshinori told him softly, "but… your mother has a point." Once he was in Mrs. Midoriya's line of sight, he bowed his head. "My apologies, ma'am… You have every right to be upset with me."

She blinked. "I… what?"

"It was a lapse of judgment on my part," he continued. When Toshinori lifted his head, he placed his hand over his heart. "While I never actively encouraged your son to keep things a secret, I also didn't encourage him to tell you, either. And for that, I do apologize."

"All Might," Midoriya breathed.

Toshinori's eyes drifted towards his protege. "I never meant to put you in such a difficult position, young Midoriya. I imagine that keeping such a secret from your mother weighed heavy on your heart." He turned back to Mrs. Midoriya. "I never meant to come between you and your son, ma'am. I do hope you can forgive me."

"Oh," she said, clearly taken aback, "I…" She shook her head and resumed her glare. "You still had my son up late the night before an exam cleaning up a beach! "

"That wasn't his fault!" Midoriya protested. He pulled the coat around his shoulders tighter as another shiver ran through his body. "I-I did this all on my own… He only ever asked me to do that one section."

"Trust me, I was just as surprised as you," Toshinori told her, causing her to turn back to him, "I mean, there's not a single speck of trash on this beach." He nearly knocked Midoriya over when he clapped his hand down on his shoulder. "You raised quite the hard worker!"

A light hue of pink went across Mrs. Midoriya's cheeks. "O-Oh… W-Well, I don't know if I can take credit for that… Izuku has always been determined when it comes to his goals. That's why he's so intent on going to U.A." Then, she perked up. "Oh, heavens , Izuku, your exam! You still have to get ready!"

Midoriya's eyes practically bugged out of his head. "Oh, crap , what time is it? Do I have time to eat? Oh, I still gotta shower and make sure I don't miss the train—"

"I can drive you two," Toshinori offered, causing them to both turn to him, "it'd probably be quicker than walking back." His eyes trailed over Mrs. Midoriya. "Besides, I'm sure you're freezing in that."

Mrs. Midoriya arched her brow in confusion before she looked down and froze. Her cheeks bloomed into a rosy shade of red and she clutched her coat tightly. "Oh, I'm still in my jammies! " She clapped a hand over her eyes. "Of all days to look like a hot mess and I run into All Might… "

Toshinori managed a chuckle. "Oh, you're quite alright! You should see how I look when I first wake up in the morning!" He pulled his keys out of his pocket and jingled them. "How about we get you two home so you can get nice and ready? We've got a big day ahead of us!"

"R-Right," Midoriya stammered, "lemme just grab my shoes and my shirt…"

His mother tutted. "Izuku, honestly , you're going to catch a cold if you aren't more careful…"

As Toshinori made his way up the steps with his protege and his mother in tow, he huffed a sigh out through his nose. He was going to have to have a word with Midoriya once he got the chance. For now, however, he was going to make sure that the boy was primed and focused on the exam.

'It all comes down to today,' he thought as he ascended the stairs, 'all those months of training are finally going to culminate into this test of strength and agility.' He managed a small chuckle. 'Besides, after this, there's no way that this day can go wrong.'

A/N: Oh, Toshinori... You have no *idea* what you're in for.