Chapter 7
The Calm Before the Storm
I still have a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that All Might is together with Mom.
I sure as hell don't, I knew they'd hook up after seeing them together that one time we got home early.
In any case, we still supported the relationship.
Oh yeah, a hundred percent. However, there was one glaring issue at the start of their relationship.
Ariden and Izuku
"Who... the hell..." Ariden grunted as he strained. "Dumped... A fucking safe here!"
Ariden and Izuku toiled in the midday sun, the skin on their hands blistered and raw from the friction of the ropes. Their muscles bulged as they pulled with all their might. Like beasts of burdens connected to a plow, they pulled the man-sized safe behind them. The safe dug a furrow into the sand as they trudged along.
"I... need... a break!" Izuku gasped as he let go of the ropes. "I don't think... I could go... another inch."
"I think... my legs... are about to fall off." Ariden groaned as he sat down with a thud.
But before they could relax, the crunch of shoes on the sand made both boys stand up at attention. Both boys turned around to see who was coming. Their blood ran cold when they saw Toshinori approaching them.
"We're sorry!" Izuku said as he bowed from the waste. "I know we shouldn't be resting but-"
"Relax kid," Toshinori said as he held up a placating hand. "I was actually going to pull the two of you away from training so that I could have a word in private."
"Why?" Ariden asked.
Toshinori gestured a thumb behind him, both boys looked past his shoulder and saw Inko hard at work moving a recliner with little effort.
"This is something I'd rather not have her overhear."
"Lead the way," Ariden said.
Ariden and Izuku noticed that Toshinori started to sweat more and more as they walked. Both boys looked at one another with trepidation written plain across their faces. Eventually, Toshinori led them to an alcove surrounded on all sides by heaps of trash.
"So, um..." Toshinori said, "I wanted to talk in private with you 'cause..." He trailed off.
Both boys looked at him silently.
"You see the thing is..." Toshinori said as he nervously rubbed the back of his neck.
"Is this about you and mom going out?" Ariden asked bluntly.
"You know!? Oh, thank god!" Toshinori sighed in relief.
"Yeah, Mom told us about it before she invited you over for your birthday." Izuku explained.
"And you're okay with it?"
"One, you don't need our approval," Ariden said. "and two, we are more than fine with it."
"Well, I am glad that isn't going to be an issue," Toshinori said
"Actually there is an issue," Izuku said. "A major one in fact."
"I know," Toshinori nodded gravely. "I know that not telling her who I truly am will bite me in the ass if I don't tell her, but..." Toshinori sighed bitterly. "I'm scared."
Both boys looked at Toshinori in surprise.
"Why are you scared?" Ariden asked.
"Cause I don't know how she'll react." Toshinori said, "Will she get angry? Will she treat me differently? Will she leave? This relationship is new and I don't want to ruin it right off the bat by having her bear the burden of knowing who I am."
"We understand your reasoning," Izuku said. "But I think that your secret will be revealed eventually. And that it would be best if you told her while you still have the choice to do so."
"There is wisdom in what you say young Izuku," Toshinori nodded somberly. "I do need to tell her, I just need to find the right moment."
"In any case, I think I speak for both of us..." Izuku gestured to Ariden, who nodded. "When I say that we are glad that you and mom have each other now."
"Thank you, boys. That means a lot."
"However," Ariden interjected. "Do anything to hurt her, and we will be having words. Got it?"
Toshinori recoiled a little from the fiery glare Ariden gave him.
"I- I understand." He stuttered a little. "The last thing I want to do is hurt her, and I promise I will protect her from whatever trouble may come."
"Good," Ariden nodded. "Now then," He rubbed his hands mischievously. "Since you and mom are going out, does that earn us any leeway?"
Toshinori erupted into laughter, he laughed for almost a minute before he abruptly stopped and looked at the boys, deadpan.
"No, now get back to training,"
Toshinori wasn't kidding when he said he wouldn't give us any leeway, my bones still ache sometimes.
Ariden are you sure your aches aren't from the fireworks we set off during Mom's birthday?
Oh yeah! I remember that! Good times, I'll never forget the smell of all that burnt hair, or how it felt to have no eyebrows.
Also am I the only one who notices just how much stuff happens on someone's birthday when we're around?
You aren't, but I choose to ignore it. Makes life more fun that way.
It was an unusual day, due to the fact that Ariden and Izuku would normally be at the beach training. However, it was July 4th, which All Might seemed to hold in such high regard he scheduled it as a rest day. When Izuku had asked him why, All Might just said, "Everyone should be free on the fourth." Both boys still had no idea what he meant.
It had been quiet so far, as Ariden and Izuku sat at desks in their bedroom a worked. Izuku quietly scribbled away at his desk, going over notes and schematics. Whenever an idea for a new invention or a modification formed in his mind, He'd quickly write it down before resuming his original task.
Ariden tinkered away at an oddly shaped drone that he had invented on his own. He had been inspired by the modified version of the hover boots they had helped Mei make. The body of the drone was spherical with five indents equidistant from each other.
He meticulously attached rings mounted on small tripods to each indent. Once the final one was attached he reached for a small remote with two joysticks off to the side. He tilted one of the sticks and grinned. The tripods shifted and twisted, aiming the rings into the position he desired.
Ariden was elated at the results but felt trepidation as his finger hovered over the power button. He looked around to see if anything flammable was close, but nothing was close save for his notebook. While Ariden knew nothing he used could create a huge explosion he had witnessed Mei blow up things up that didn't even have any form of combustible in them. He didn't want to take any chances. He tossed the notebook off to the side, catching Izuku's attention.
"You finished it?!" Izuku turned in his chair with excited curiosity.
"Don't know. Haven't turned it on yet," Ariden said. "Let's find out together."
When Ariden's finger pushed the button all five rings started to glow a pale white.
"So far, so good," Ariden commented.
"Shouldn't it be making noise?" Izuku asked
"Not if I did everything correctly."
Ariden moved one of the levers. The spherical drone rose noiselessly into the air.
"That's amazing!" Izuku said, awed by the floating sphere.
"Let's just hope it can steer properly," Ariden said
He shifted the levers and smiled as the drone flew smoothly through the air without a sound.
"Try not to go over my desk, I just organized all the papers."
"Oh? Go over your desk? Odd request but I can do that." Ariden smirked.
"Hey!"
Izuku scrambled to catch the drone but it effortlessly dodged his clumsy attempts. Much to Izuku's dismay he watched as it quietly passed over his desk, Ariden making it do a barrel roll for added effect. Izuku was both confused and amazed when not even a single sheaf of paper was disturbed by the sphere's passing.
"How is that possible?" Izuku quirked an eyebrow.
"It's all thanks to these rings," Ariden said as he steered the drone into his open hand. "They are actually small fans that are designed in such a way that they don't disturb anything outside its immediate area and are completely noiseless."
"Did you invent them?" Izuku asked.
"God no, Mei told me about them a while ago and I wanted to see what I could do with them."
"And you decided on a drone?" Izuku asked
"Yeah, I was busy looking up just what all the rings could be used and saw that they were mainly used for support gear and not much else." Ariden explained, "Something about helping heroes with flight quirks achieve better maneuverability."
"Then why not make a piece of support gear?"
"Well that wouldn't be very creative now would it?" Ariden said sardonically
"In any case, great job!" Izuku clapped Ariden on the shoulder. "I know you've been working on it for the past month or so."
"Tell me about it!" Ariden groaned. "It took me forever to find the right balance between the thrust power and the weight."
"Well, I know that Hatsume will be proud of you when you present it to her."
"And then give me an earful about how long it took me right after." Ariden snorted. "But at least it's done." He sighed contentedly.
"what are you going to do now?" Izuku asked.
"I don't know," Ariden shrugged. "Maybe practice on the guitar? It's been half a year since either of us touched it."
"While that option is fine, might I suggest another?"
"Sure."
"Why not figure out what to do for Mom's birthday. She'll be back in a few hours so you have plenty of time to come up with something." Izuku said.
"We could just cook her a nice birthday dinner, easy and simple."
"The only food either of us knows how to make is Katsudon and Gyudon." Izuku pointed out.
"Good point." Ariden grimaced. "Then why don't we just buy her a gift?"
"With what money?" Izuku asked. "You spent your months' allowance on buying parts for your drone, and I may have... spent it all... on All Might merch."
"Why am I not surprised?" Ariden said as he rubbed at his temples. "Then why not just make her a card?"
"Too impersonal, We got to do something for her that requires an honest effort."
"Christ! We don't have money and we can't half-ass it, so what the fuck can we do?!" Ariden swore. "It's not like we could ask... for... help..." He trailed off.
"You alright?" Izuku asked.
"I have an idea!" Ariden exclaimed as he snapped his fingers and grinned.
Toshinori
All Might wiped a bead of sweat from his brow as he got up from the rubble. All around him was chaos, shop windows busted, roads pock-marked with impact craters, and arrows jutted from almost every surface.
"I'm gonna turn you into a pin cushion!" A man with a centaur quirk snarled as he aimed a bow toward All Might.
"Your rampage ends here Eurytus!" All Might boomed, a massive grin on his face.
"Hell no! It's only just started!" Eurytus grinned madly as he let loose an arrow.
All Might casually stepped to the side as the arrow whizzed past and embedded itself into the wall.
"I'm almost at my limit, best wrap it up."All Might thought as he felt a sharp pain in his side.
All Might channeled a fraction of One for All and stepped toward the villain. Eurytus was caught off guard when All Might appeared before him in the blink of an eye. The centaur fumbled in a cold sweat to knock an arrow into his bow as he watched in horror as All Might cocked back his fist.
"Detroit...!"All Might shouted.
Eurytus drew back his bow.
"Smash!"
The villain never had the chance to let go of the drawstring.
All Might smiled and waved as he stood in front of the adoring crowd of reporters and civilians. He glanced behind him for a moment to see the police escorting the now defeated, and rather beaten-up centaur onto the police transport.
"All Might!" A reporter with blue hair and skin asked. "All of us can't help but notice how damaged the place is. Did you have trouble defeating this villain?"
"Not at all!" All Might laughed. "The place was damaged before I arrived. The only contribution I made to the collateral damage was that wall I crashed into." He said as he pointed to the gaping hole in the side of one building.
"How did that happen?" Another reporter asked.
"I had the misfortune of standing behind a bucking horse." All Might laughed, a little embarrassed.
"One more question," the blue-haired reporter asked. "I am sure you saw the article the NHK released about the rise in the number of villains over the past few years. Do you think their claims are true, is the Golden Age of peace coming to an end?"
"Now that's- I mean- Uhh..." All Might floundered as he struggled to find the right words.
However before he had the chance to stick his foot in his mouth, The comm piece in his ear started to ring.
"Please forgive me, I am getting a call."All Might bowed before the crowd. "I am needed back at the tower. As for any further questions please forward them to my PR rep," he said as he got ready to launch himself into the air. "And as always, Go Beyond!"
"Plus Ultra!" The crowd cheered as they watched All Might rocket off into the sky.
All Might sighed in relief as he soared through the air. With a flex of his ear, he activated the comms device.
"Your timing is impeccable young man," All Might said.
"Did I catch you at a bad time?" Izuku asked.
"Not at all, in fact, you may have saved my skin."
"Is everything alright?! Are you okay!?"
All Might couldn't help but smile at the young man's concern for him.
"Don't worry young Izuku I am a-okay, I was just blindsided by reporters is all," He explained."Now then, what can I do for you?"
"Could you help us plan something for Mom's birthday?"
A cold dread washed over All Might.
"Th-that isn't today is it?"
"You forgot too, huh?" Ariden asked, his voice sounding distant.
"N-Now I wouldn't say that!"All Might stuttered "Idiot, Idiot, Idiot! How the hell did I forget!?" He cursed himself.
"So you have something planned?" Izuku asked optimistically.
"No."All Might sighed.
"So we're fucked!" Ariden groaned.
"Let's not give up hope just yet," Izuku said. "I'm sure between the three of us we'll come up with something."
"That's the spirit!" All Might cheered as he landed on top of Might Tower.
All Might brushed off the dust on his hero suit as he walked through the giant gateway and into his office. Toshinori sighed in relief as he untensed his muscles and reverted back to his true form.
"So, what do you two have planned so far?" Toshinori asked as he changed out of his hero uniform.
"Well..." Izuku trailed off.
"Everything we could think of was either outside our budget or too impersonal according," Ariden said bluntly.
"And what exactly is your budget?" Toshinori asked.
"Between the two of us, we got 3000 yen," Ariden said.
"Hmm, I see what you mean by 'outside your budget,'" Toshinori said as he sat down at his desk. "I assume you've already dismissed the idea of getting her a card?"
"Yes," Ariden grunted. "Izu over here said it was 'too impersonal!'" He said in a mocking tone.
"It's not my fault you're too lazy to put any effort in," Izuku said bruskly.
"Lazy my ass!" Ariden shouted angrily. "You saw the drone I made! So how the hell am I 'lazy'?"
"Boys, Focus!" Toshinori snapped at them."
"Sorry..." Both boys said meekly.
"Now then, You aren't going to make a card, and you have no money. So what can we do..." Toshinori mused aloud as he shifted in his swivel chair.
Toshinori then noticed the date on his desk calendar.
"Boys I think I have an idea," Toshinori said as he grinned. "Do you think you could ask Young Hatsume to come and help?"
"We should be able to," Ariden said. "But why?"
"Don't worry, I'll explain everything when we meet at the beach."
Inko
The stars danced in the sky as the sounds of waves crashed upon the shore. Inko smiled giddily as she and Toshinori walked hand in hand toward the beach. It had been a pleasant surprise when Toshinori called her to wish her a happy birthday. But when he had asked her to meet him down at the beach she swore she'd die from sheer excitement.
"You know when you asked me to come here, I was tempted to pack a set of training clothes just in case." Inko giggled.
"While I do consider training to be important, I know better than to pull a stunt like that." Toshinori laughed in return. "Especially on such a wonderful night, with such a beautiful woman by my side."
"Oh hush, you silver-tongued devil!" Inko said as she playfully swatted at his arm.
"Guilty as charged," Toshinori grinned.
The pair continued to walk in comfortable silence until they reached the shore. The only sounds were the crunch of sand under their shoes. The crash of the waves onto the shore. The scent of the sea breeze lingered in the air. All was at peace.
"I bet you're curious why I asked you to come out here," Toshinori said.
"A little."
"You see, when I was a young man I studied abroad in the U.S.A. for a time," Toshinori explained. "A wonderful country though not without its flaws of course. But during my tenure there I was able to observe a holiday that has stuck with me since."
"I assume you are talking about the fourth of July?" Inko said.
"Correct," Toshinori nodded. "How much do you know about it?"
"Not much besides it's on the fourth and that it's celebrated in America." Inko giggled. "Oh, And I believe there is a lot of alcohol involved."
"That is absolutely correct!" Toshinori guffawed. "But we won't be doing any of that."
"I'm glad to hear you say that," Inko sighed in relief. "I don't want to relieve my college days."
"I mean you are trying to get into U.A. University, so your college days aren't over yet."
"True," Inko smiled. "However what does the fourth have to do with us being out here?"
"I was getting to that part," Toshinori said. "July fourth in America always represented the virtues of freedom and independence, virtues that I hold dear," He explained. "And I thought that there would be no better way of celebrating your birthday than by celebrating your own freedom and independence."
"My freedom?" Inko asked, puzzled.
"When you made the choice to become a hero, you also made the choice to take your fate into your own hands," Toshinori said solemnly.
Inko was silent as she reflected on Toshinori's words.
"Now that isn't to say you weren't free before!" Toshinori quickly added as a look of anxiety started to cloud his features. "It's just that-"
"You're right," Inko said, as she placed a gentle hand on his arm. "When you offered to train me I realized that I had been going with the flow almost all my life, I had always let others decide for me. Your offer was probably one of the few real choices I have ever made."
The couple stood in silence as the waves beat upon the shore.
"I am glad you made your choice," Toshinori said.
"I am too," Inko said as she took Toshinori by the hand. "You never did finish your explanation though."
"Yeah... went on a bit of a tangent there." Toshinori sighed. "Where was I?"
"You were going to explain why we were out here."
"Right! Yes!" Toshinori snapped his fingers as he remembered. "As I was saying, in America when they celebrated the fourth they would always end the celebration by going to large gatherings and watching the clear night sky."
"Why?" Inko asked.
Inko watched as Toshinori pulled his phone out of his pocket and dialed a number.
"Is everything ready?" Toshinori asked.
"We are locked and loaded!" Ariden's voice chuckled over the line.
"You are clear to launch."
Toshinori lowered the phone from his ear and turned back to Inko.
"How else would they be able to see the fireworks?"
Inko jumped in surprise when the first explosion went off. She looked up in awe and saw a starburst of vivid green. She watched as two trails of fire followed close behind the first, both bursting into a mixture of red, white, and blue. Inko felt a tap on her shoulder and turned to see Toshinori offering to hold her. And she gladly took him up on the offer.
The two basked in the fireworks' glow, arms wrapped around each other. The squeezed each other tightly as a firework burst into the shape of a brilliant red heart. Toshinori laughed when Inko looked at him incredulously when a series of rockets exploded into the shape of the American flag.
"I couldn't resist." Toshinori shrugged
"Any other surprises in store?" Inko giggled.
"Oh maybe one or two," Toshinori said innocently. "Bring it on home boys," He whispered into his phone.
"Say no more." Ariden chuckled.
Several rockets shot into the sky at the same time. The blazing stars raced across the heavens before finally reaching the apex of their flight. Then they burst all at once forming a shape. Inko gasped, it was her own face that blazed brightly in the night sky. While not as detailed as what she saw in the mirror, she could make out enough detail to know it was her.
But before Inko could collect her thoughts another row of fireworks erupted. They were large and there were only 3 of them. She watched as they reached just below her portrait and then exploded, each firework forming a word in a sentence.
"Happy birthday, Inko," Toshinori said, giving voice to the message in the sky.
"This is..." Inko gasped, tears pricking the corners of her eyes. "How were you even allowed to do this?" She asked as she looked up into his eyes.
"Working for All Might has its perks." Toshinori grinned down at her.
Inko said nothing as she turned around in his embrace to face him.
"This goes beyond anything I had imagined."
She then reached up and kissed him.
"Well you know what they say," Toshinori slyly grinned. "Plus Ultra."
Then he kissed her.
"Though I'm not the only person you should be thanking," Toshinori said as he raised the phone to his ear. "Come on back boys, good work."
"Can do," Ariden said. "I'll let the others know and we'll wrap... up..." Ariden trailed off. "HEY! MEI GIVE THAT BACK! IZUKU STOP HER BEFORE SHE-"
Chaos erupted as every firework shot into the sky at once. They screamed and roared as they trailed across the night sky, the light illuminating the area in an unnatural daylight. With a shrill whine, each firework exploded in a deafening cacophony. The chaotic display was mesmerizing to behold. As if the night sky had become the canvas for a frenzied painter who threw colour without care of what shape it took.
Eventually, the discord faded back into a tranquil night sky, though the aftermath could still be observed. Inko and Toshinori crinkled their nose as the scent of acrid gunpowder drifted toward them in the breeze. After a minute, Ariden, Izuku, and Mei showed up. All covered in black soot and hair still smoking, a few strands still glowing red like the embers of a fire. In Izuku's arms was a birthday cake, also slightly singed
"Happy birthday," Izuku said wearily.
"What happened?!" Inko asked as she rushed over to the three teens.
Ariden and Izuku turned their dour gaze toward Mei, who just waved cheerfully.
"Let's just say someone got a little enthusiastic with the launch button," Ariden said, as he glared at Mei.
"That button was begging to be pressed." Mei shrugged. "Why else would you leave it out in the open."
"You snatched it out of my hands," Ariden looked at Mei incredulously.
"Hey! The big guy wanted fireworks, so I gave him fireworks!" Mei huffed.
"you certainly gave us a spectacle," Inko said as she approached the three. "I'm just glad you're all safe." She said as she gave each of them a warm hug.
"Now then!" Toshinori clapped his hands to get their attention. "I think it's time for cake!"
It was a white sponge cake, with cream cheese frosting. Bright red Strawberries covered the top in an intricate floral pattern. It was one of the best cakes Inko had ever tasted.
That was a good night.
Could've done without getting blown up, but yeah it was nice.
That was the last real moment of peace we had.
Yeah... You know, we should have figured out that sooner or later all that extra training
we were doing would come back and bite us in the ass.
Ariden, Izuku, and Toshinori
The summer sun shined through the windows of the classroom as the students busied themselves. It was the last class of the day, and the teacher had decided to make it a study hall so that the students could go over what would be on the final exams before the summer break.
All the students had paired off and were busy discussing the exam, except for Katsuki who sat by himself and quietly went over his notes. Everyone was focused, except for two.
Ariden and Izuku had propped their heads against the window. The dark circles under their eyes made them look as if they had some kind of raccoon quirk. Their uniforms looked ill-fitted and thrown on without care. The only thing that showed there was still life in the two was the look of sheer determination on their faces.
"Do you think the Gibraltar Heteromorph Riots are gonna be on the exam?" Ariden asked as he rubbed at his eyes.
"Probably," Izuku yawned. "Though I am more worried about the ecology of quirks in the wild. I was too tired to really pay attention."
"I think I made some notes on that," Ariden said. "Let me check-"
A hand slammed down hard on Izuku's desk. Both boys jumped, now wide awake. They turned to see whose hand it was and were met face-to-face with Katsuki, who was smirking.
"Did you really have to do that?! Are you trying to give us heart attacks?" Izuku asked.
"You both looked like you were gonna fall asleep, I figured I'd do you a favour and wake you up." Katsuki grinned sardonically.
"How kind of you," Ariden said with as much sarcasm he could muster. "Was there anything else?"
"Yeah, you two look like shit."
"That was rude." Izuku frowned.
"Yet true." Ariden shrugged.
"It doesn't take a genius to realize that you two idiots are still training," Katsuki said. "And from the looks of it, you're going overboard with it."
"We told you already we aren't going to stop," Ariden said, with an edge in his tone.
"I'm not here to tell you to stop," Katsuki glared. "So shut the fuck and listen."
Ariden and Izuku's eyebrows rose in surprise.
"If you're hellbent on going down this idiotic path, then at least make sure you get to the starting line," Katsuki said, his expression a mixture of scorn and concern. "Cause at the rate you're going, your dumbasses will be dead before the entrance exam."
Both boys were silent for a moment as they absorbed Katsuki's warning.
"Thank you Kaachan." Izuku bowed his head, "We'll try to be careful in the future."
"Can it," Katsuki scoffed. "I don't need your thanks," he said as he started to walk off. "And happy birthday and shit." He said, his voice barely above a whisper.
"Why thank you, Kat," Ariden smirked at him.
"I said shut the fuck up!"
School ended without incident and the boys quickly made their way to the beach, where Toshinori had been waiting for them. They were a little confused when they saw him on a segway. But when Toshinori explained that they were just going to focus on cardio that day and that his true form wouldn't be able to keep up with them for long due to his old injuries, they saw the logic behind it and changed into their tracksuits.
"Now try to keep up!" Toshinori said as his segway shot off down the road.
"Hey! Slow down!" Izuku shouted as he chased after Toshinori.
"You could have at least given us a countdown!" Ariden shouted as he followed closely behind.
The cool breeze ruffled Toshinori's hair as he quietly rode down the street. As Ariden and Izuku shambled along behind him. Izuku gasped for every breath as he tried to keep up, While Ariden looked like a shuffling zombie.
"Pick up the pace you two!" Toshinori called back to them.
With a groan of effort, Izuku summoned the last reserves of strength and dashed ahead. Only for him to trip over Ariden's feet. With a cry of dismay, both young men tumbled to the ground in a heap. Toshinori turned his segway around when he heard the commotion and scowled when he saw both boys trying to disentangle themselves from each other.
"The hell is wrong with you two!?" Toshinori shouted so loudly a torrent of blood gushed from his mouth. "You got four more months of training left, Now is not the time to be slacking off!" He fumed. "Or are you two giving up!?"
"No... Sir...," Both boys rasped as they struggled to get up.
Toshinori's anger turned into shock and a little awe as he looked closer at both of the boys. Izuku had started to use his hands to drag himself across the ground to keep going, wheezing and gasping for breath the entire time. While Ariden got back up, his whole body trembling from sheer exhaustion.
"Boys..." Toshinori sighed, "When I made my All American Dream Plan, I designed it to get your bodies into shape based on the set schedule we had. But it is clear you two haven't stuck to the plan." He said, with a disappointed shake of his head. "While I admire your drive, overdoing things will only hinder your progress." Toshinori sighed. "Do you two even want to pass the entrance exam?"
"But we don't just want to pass!" Izuku said as he dragged himself forward. "We want to catch up with the rest of our peers! And the only way to do that is by working harder than the rest of them!"
"Yeah..." Ariden grunted as he shuffled forward. "The only way we'll be able to succeed is by going beyond what we are capable of now!" He said. "Isn't that what heroes are made of?"
Toshinori met the gaze of both boys and saw an inferno blazing behind their tired eyes. The sight of it caused his own spirit to blaze.
"You reckless fools!" Toshinori boomed as he shifted into All Might. "Such indomitable wills!" He smiled as he picked both boys up by the scruff of their necks. "That's just the kind of spirit I'm looking for!" He said as he put both boys down. "I get where you two are coming from, and I'll adjust your training to something more suitable," he said. "However..." Toshinori said as he relaxed back to his normal self. "The extra training stops now. Understand?"
"Yes sir." Both boys said, ashamed.
"Good," Toshinori nodded. "I think we're going to call it here for today, it's obvious you two are beyond spent."
Both boys nodded sluggishly.
"Time to head home," Toshinori said as he turned his segway around. "And let's hope Inko doesn't string us up by our thumbs."
Inko and Mei
"Next thing I know, I'm bringing Ariden home with me," Inko said as she prepared the meat for dinner. "And that's how I ended up adopting him."
"What about his parents?" Mei asked as she chopped some vegetables. "What happened to them?"
"I don't know," Inko shrugged. "The police weren't able to find anything about them." She lied.
"Did this all really happen?" Mei asked, skeptical.
"Absolutely," Inko nodded.
"That's amazing. I always assumed Ariden and Izuku were related to each other."
"Why did you think that?" Inko asked, turning to look at Mei confused.
"They both look similar in my eyes."
Inko stared at Mei for a second before turning to look at the photos of her sons she had hung up on the wall. They looked nothing alike.
"Well, last I checked Ariden and Izuku weren't related."
Both women shared a laugh and resumed working.
"How have my boys been? I hope they aren't giving you any trouble."
"I wouldn't worry about them causing trouble. Honestly, it's probably the other way around." Mei blushed. "The progress they've been making has been amazing," She smiled.
"Though I will admit I am a little scared of it."
"Why?" Inko turned to Mei in surprise.
Mei blushed from embarrassment.
"I don't know why, but..." Mei said hesitantly. "I can't help but think that they'll become better than me and leave me behind."
"Oh, Mei." Inko smiled sympathetically.
She put down her knife and wrapped the young woman in a warm hug.
"They would never do that to you," Inko said. "And if they did," Inko said as she separated from Mei. "I'd give them such an earful that their ears would fall off!"
Mei burst into laughter.
"I never said I'd make it easy for them to surpass me!"
"Keep that spirit," Inko said. "And know that I am in your corner."
Tears pricked Mei's eyes as she hugged Inko even tighter.
"Thank you," Mei said as she stifled a sob.
As the two women separated the front door opened. Toshinori entered, with Ariden and Izuku using both of his shoulders as a crutch. Both boys looked like hell and barely conscious, as they struggled to stand up straight. Inko and Mei rushed toward them in a panic.
"What happened!?" Inko asked, "Are they okay!? Did they get hurt?! Will they be alright!?"
"Everything is okay, Inko," Toshinori said, calmly. "They are just overworked and need to rest."
"Overworked?" Inko asked. "How did that happen?" Her panicked tone turned much sterner.
"Help me get them onto the couch and I'll explain."
All three led the boys toward the couch. Inko helped prop up Izuku, while Mei propped up Ariden. They eased the boys down onto the couch, making sure the both had room. As soon as their heads touched the cushions, both boys went out like a light.
"Now then," Inko said as she turned to Toshinori. "What happened?"
Toshinori sighed and explained what he had discovered.
"Is there anything we can do to help them now?" Inko asked.
"All we can do is let them rest," Toshinori said as he wrapped Inko into a hug.
Both adults looked at the two sleeping teens.
"So, what are you two making?"
Ariden and Izuku
A few hours had passed when Ariden and Izuku came too. Both boys rubbed the sleep out of their eyes, still only half lucid. But that feeling didn't last long. Without warning both boys felt a hand on each of their shoulders. Ariden and Izuku looked up blearily and saw Mei grinning down at them manically. Then she started to violently shake them.
"This'll wake you up in no time!"
The boys had to admit that she wasn't wrong, It woke them up.
"Mei! Stop!" Ariden shouted as he tried to escape her grasp.
"Okay," Mei smiled and let go.
The boys took a moment to regain their focus and then looked around.
"When did we get home?" Izuku asked. "And why are you here?"
"Ahem."
Both boys turned to see Toshinori and Inko sitting across from them, looking at them sternly.
"Ah, shit," Ariden swore. "We fucked up didn't we?"
"Continue with that language and you'll be in even deeper water young man," Inko warned.
"What happened?" Izuku asked. "Last thing I remember was walking back to Toshinori's truck."
"Same here," Ariden said.
"Both of you nearly passed out when we reached my truck," Toshinori explained. "After that, you two were barely lucid enough to stand, So it took some effort for me to get you into the truck and also up the stairs to your apartment."
"You two nearly gave me a heart attack!" Inko scowled. "What you did was incredibly irresponsible! And you better not do it again, am I clear?!"
"We're sorry." Both boys bowed their heads in shame.
"Now then," Toshinori said. "For the next few days, you two are going to take a break,"
"But-" Both boys tried to protest.
"No arguing!" Toshinori glared at the two. "You need time to let your bodies recover, so that means no training whatsoever."
"Does that include when they come over to my place?" Mei asked.
"No," Toshinori said. "But do keep an eye on them so they don't overdo it."
"You can count on me," Mei gave Toshinori a salute.
"And young Hatsume," Toshinori sighed. "Please don't blow them up."
"No promises."
"Have you ever seen Mei do anything she was asked?" Izuku whispered to Ariden.
"God no."
"Now that the matter is closed, there will be no more talk of training today," Inko said.
Inko then beckoned toward the kitchen. Two bowls of steaming hot food flew into her hands, which she placed on the coffee table. She repeated the gesture and two more bowls flew out. Everyone watched in amazement as Inko used her quirk with such grace and finesse.
After a minute or two, the small coffee table had been filled from corner to corner with food and drink.
"Mei and I worked all day on this," Inko said, nodding her head toward Mei. "And I don't want it to go to waste. So let's eat!"
The food was everything Ariden and Izuku could ask for. They ate with gusto as the chowed down on Gyudon and Katsudon. The Gyudon Salty and Sweet from the Mirin-Soy Marinade coated the beef. The Katsudon was rich and savory from the egg yolk mixed into the rice and perfectly fried pork cutlet. Mei ate her fill of both as well. While Inko and Toshinori enjoyed a simple dish of rice and perfectly grilled fish.
"That was beyond perfection," Ariden said as he finished his fourth bowl.
"You're telling me." Izuku sighed in satisfaction putting down his fifth bowl.
"Thank you boys." Inko smiled as she began to collect the dishes. "I'm glad you enjoyed it."
"Let us help you clean up," Izuku said as he started to get up.
"Thank you, but Mei and Toshinori can help me."
"Are you sure?" Ariden asked.
"Yes, you two just stay there and rest."
"We could at least-" Izuku stared.
"No." Inko, Toshinori, and Mei all said at the same time.
"Okay, okay. Jesus, you don't have to jump down our throats." Ariden said holding his hands up in surrender.
Izuku sat back down and watched as Mei, Inko, and Toshinori cleared the coffee table and went into the kitchen to wash the dishes.
"So what do we do now?" Izuku asked Ariden.
"We do what we were told, and not do anything."
"But if we do that we'll still be at a disadvantage." Izuku frowned.
"For once and only once, I'm going to agree with Kat," Ariden said as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "He was right when he said we were going to run ourselves into the ground with how hard we were training," he said. "Better to be handicapped than dead."
"Oh! Is Kat that really angry blond guy who wished you guys happy birthday?"
Both boys looked over their shoulders startled, and saw Mei hovering over them with an innocent smile on her face.
"How long have you been there?" Izuku asked.
"And how did you know about that conversation?" Ariden asked, eyeing Mei suspiciously.
"You do know that I have access to the same data bank as you two do?" Mei said, ignoring the first question. "I sometimes watch one of your camera feeds when I get bored."
Both boys looked at Mei bewildered.
"What with the looks on your faces?" Inko asked as she walked out of the kitchen.
"It's nothing, We were just talking about the gift Mei gave us a while ago," Izuku said. "We just found out it had capabilities we didn't know about."
"Speaking of gifts..." Inko said as she gestured with a hand. "I think it's about time I gave them to you."
The boys watched as a massive stack of notebooks floated into the living room. As soon as they were over the coffee table Inko quit using her quirk, and the notebooks landed with a surprisingly heavy thud.
"All the notebooks are blank, and should last you for a year or two."
Both boys got up in a flash and hugged their mother.
"You always know just what we want." Ariden smiled.
"We couldn't ask for more!" Izuku said
"Well if that's the case then I can save my gift for a later day," Toshinori joked as he walked back into the room.
"Let's not get hasty now." Ariden quickly interjected.
Toshinori smirked.
"Give me a moment while I left them in my truck."
The boys noticed a few whisps of steam float off Toshinori as he walked back into the apartment. In each hand, he held the hook of a clothing hangar, though the rest was covered up by an opaque plastic covering.
"I know you two are big All Might fans," Toshinori said.
"Understatement of the year." Ariden retorted.
"However, when I had the chance to look over your collection I noticed you were missing some things."
"Unfortunately," Izuku sighed.
"So I thought I'd help out a little," Toshinori said as he removed the covering from both hangars.
"No way..." Izuku gasped in awe.
"Holy shit," Ariden swore.
On one hangar was a quality leather jacket. The pattern of the jacket was designed after All Might's Bronze Age hero suit. The jacket was mainly black, with symmetrical red lines running along the sides and torso; until finally reaching the shoulders where the lines formed into a circle and a ring around the collar.
The other jacket was a Varsity jacket. The vest was navy blue, while the sleeves were white with blue rings around the cuffs. On the back of the jacket was the image of a sakura tree in full bloom, a full moon sewn into the background. Above and below the sakura tree were red banners shaped into semi-circles, with the phrase "Plus Ultra" embroidered in golden thread on each of them.
"Dibs on the Bronze Age Jacket!" Ariden blurted out.
"Go ahead, I prefer his golden age suit myself." Izuku shrugged.
Ariden quickly scrambled and nabbed the jacket.
"Where did you find this?!" He asked as he put the jacket on. "I didn't think they made Bronze Age stuff anymore."
"They don't," Toshinori sighed. "Which is a shame cause I quite liked the design. As for how I found it, well let's just say a certain hero was willing to part with it."
"All Might just gave it to you?! Why would he do that?!" Inko looked at Toshinori astonished. "Not that I'm saying he's selfish, but I'd think a collector's edition leather jacket isn't cheap."
"It's not." Toshinori agreed. "But when I explained that it was his two protégés birthdays, well, he wanted to do something special." He shrugged. "So really, this is a gift from both All Might and Me."
"Thank you Toshi, that was really thoughtful of you." Inko beamed as she wrapped Toshinori into a hug. "And please give All Might our thanks as well."
Both boys noticed Toshinori's grimace.
"I'll... I'll be sure to tell him."
"Toshinori, where did you get the varsity jacket from?" Izuku asked as he examined the jacket. "I've never seen it before."
"Now that one is special."
"Why?"
"Because that is the only one in existence."
"What!?" Everyone shouted.
"It was originally a gift, given to him by his former master," Toshinori explained.
"Why would All Might give away a gift from his old master?" Izuku asked
"Because, a few months after he received the jacket, his master died..." Toshinori trailed off, his face melancholic. "She died protecting him." He said, his voice trembling a little. "And that jacket was all that was left to remind him of her."
"Then why give it to us?" Ariden asked.
"Because boys, that jacket isn't just a gift, it's also a commitment," Toshinori said as he took the jacket from Izuku. "All Might explained to me that whenever he was at his lowest, whenever he felt his own hope fading, he looked at this jacket and remembered all that his master had done for him. It helped him keep going." He said as he looked at the varsity jacket with reverence. "And that is why he is giving it to you. So that it is always there to remind you to keep going, to never give in. To always go beyond your limits!" Toshinori proclaimed as he held the jacket up in a clenched fist.
"We will treasure this forever!" Izuku said as Toshinori handed the jacket back to him. "We'll enshrine it and pass it down for generations to come!"
"Young Izuku, he didn't give you the jacket to hang up on the wall, he gave it to you to wear." Toshinori shook his head. "So I better see you wearing it from time to time."
"Yes sir!" Izuku bowed as he hastened to put the jacket on.
"Now then, I believe there is one more person who wants to give you two something."
Both brothers turned and looked at Mei.
"Oh, you two are going to love this!"
They watched as Mei fished around in her pocket before finally pulling out two flash drives.
"Catch!" Mei said as she tossed them each a flash drive.
"What's on it?" Ariden asked.
"I used the failsafe to digitize a bunch of my notes and schematics!" Mei beamed. "I want you two to look over them and help me improve on their design! Isn't that an amazing gift!"
Toshinori and Inko shared a brief look of confusion with each other before looking at Mei perplexed, Izuku couldn't help but blush from the second-hand embarrassment he felt.
"T-thank you Mei, we'll look over them w-when we find the t-time," Izuku said, barely maintaining eye contact with her.
"Oh, I'm sure we'll think up a few improvements." Ariden smirked, "That's when the real fun starts."
"Now that's what I like to hear! I can't wait to see what my two minions cook up!"
"T-thank you again, Mei." Izuku bowed his head. "And thank you both as well."
"Yes, thank you all," Ariden said, following his brother's lead. "And sorry again for overdoing it." He smiled sheepishly.
"At least you know what your breaking point is now," Toshinori said. "But please don't try to pull any more stunts like that."
"Don't worry about that, I'm sure Mei and Mom would kill us if we did."
Toshinori looked over at Mei, who just shrugged.
"He's not wrong, I have no use for a broken minion."
Toshinori turned back and saw Inko's frost glare locked onto the two boys.
"If you even entertain the thought, you two are done for."
All three men felt a cold shiver race down their spines.
Thankfully we kept our promise in the end, and things turned out for the better.
What Izuku means is that our pain and suffering went from a ten to about seven.
The dry August heat scorched the white sand of Takoba Beach. A heat haze rose into the air high above the garbage heaps. All the while Ariden and Izuku worked. They raced each other across the burning sands. A safe strapped to Izuku's back, while Ariden dragged a refrigerator behind him.
"And time!" Toshinori shouted when Izuku reached the truck a few moments before Ariden. "Excellent job! Ten minutes and forty-three seconds, that's half a minute better than your old record." Toshinori said as he stopped his timer.
"We can do better than that!" Ariden said as he placed the refrigerator into the back of the truck.
"Yeah!" Izuku agreed.
"Alright, You can try one more time."
"Yes! All we need now is something heavy enough to carry." Ariden said
From the corner of his eye, Toshinori spied Inko lifting a few industrial I beams with her quirk and walking toward them.
"I think I can help with that." Inko smiled.
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Izuku asked.
"I got to test it somehow." Ariden shrugged as he wrapped a crimson bandana scarf around his neck.
"That might be, but exposing yourself to nerve gas voluntarily is a horrible idea!"
"It'll be fine," Ariden said, waving his hand dismissively.
Ariden stepped into the test chamber and turned to Mei who manned the controls.
"Let the test begin."
With a nod, Mei turned a crank and flipped a few switches. Ariden looked around him and saw an opening in the walls of the chamber begin to emit a faint yellow mist. He slipped the crimson bandana over his mouth and nose. As soon as he let go of the fabric it shrunk and molded itself onto his face forming an airtight seal, and a soft hum emanated from the fabric. It took only a second for the gas to envelope him.
"Do you think he's okay?" Izuku asked, worried.
"Oh, I'm sure he's fine," Mei said, as she watched her laptop's monitoring program.
Izuku and Mei stood and waited for a sign from Ariden for what felt like minutes. Mei's patience wore out first.
"Maybe we should che-"
They both jumped when a hand knocked against the window.
"I've been calling out to you two for the last minute," Ariden said, his voice muffled by the mask. "Turn off the gas already!"
"O-okay," Mei said, a little shaken.
"So, good news, the mask works, and the air filtration system doesn't even let odor in."
"What's the bad news?" Mei asked as she fiddled with switches.
"I forgot to add the ability to disengage the seal, and now it's stuck to my face."
"We'll fix that later, now it's Izu's turn to show us what he's made."
"Izu?" both boys asked, a little surprised by the nickname.
"Saying his name takes too long so I shortened it."
"It's not that long..." Izuku sulked to himself, as he led the others outside.
Izuku led the others toward the practice area that they had set up for Inko and Mei. When they arrived Izuku revealed his invention. A metal chassis painted silver and green covered his right ear and part of his jaw, while a glass visor was positioned over his right eye.
"So what does it do?" Mei asked.
"Well, I was inspired by The Failsafe glasses you made for us, and wondered if it'd be possible to modify the tech so that it would offer a tactical advantage in combat."
Izuku pressed a button on the side of the metal chassis, and the visor emitted a faint green glow.
"I also included a live feed to the cloud you set up Mei."
Mei opened the laptop and opened up The Failsafe's data cloud, and switched to the live feed. The view was what you'd expect from a standard high-quality camera. The difference lay in the fact that certain objects had been highlighted. The targets off in the distance had a red outline, while the various craters and man-made mounds of dirt were highlighted in yellow. Izuku then turned to look at Mei and Ariden, who were outlined in green.
"It works!" Izuku smiled. "I was having trouble for a while getting the program to highlight things correctly."
"So what exactly do the colors mean?" Ariden asked.
"Well red is obviously for hostile combatants," Izuku said.
"Last I checked immobile targets weren't really hostile, or combatants," Ariden smirked.
"I had to use something to calibrate the system." Izuku frowned.
"So what does yellow mean?" Mei asked.
"Yellow is for points of interest, mainly for places to use as cover."
"And green is clearly meant for allies and civilians," Ariden said.
"Exactly," Izuku nodded.
"Now what happens exactly when something highlighted changes?" Ariden asked. "Like an ally turning hostile."
"Well, the program would then sort it out and mark the former ally as hostile."
"Let's test that out!"
Ariden then pulled out a few baseballs and started tossing them at Izuku. His outline turned from Green to Red.
Red and Yellow leaves gently drifted to the ground as Autumn drew to a close. But their peaceful descent was violently interrupted by a baseball hurtling past, straight toward Inko. Inko just smirked as she dodged out of the way. She easily slipped past the two other baseballs that followed the first. With a flourish of her hand, she grabbed all three baseballs that flew past her and chucked them at various targets. Inko cheered when all three hit their marks.
Mei had pushed her quirk to its maximum range, viewing a target that was in the middle of the forest. Baseballs flew past her as she ducked and weaved in between them with surprising grace. But she faltered little when a dark shape emerged from between the trees and walked toward the target. Mei watched in awe as the form slowly came into focus, it was a massive black bear. She saw the bear sniff around and use the target as a scratching post before lumbering off into the woods. But she quickly regained her focus when a baseball grazed her left temple. With a grunt of effort, she caught the next two baseballs to make up for her slip-up. All while watching the bear disappear into the sea of red and yellow leaves.
We felt on top of the world near the end of training, It was like finally reaching the peak of a mountain. Honestly, I kinda miss those days a little.
You've been saying that the training was torture the entire time.
Hey, I only said I missed it a little. I'd still rather take a hacksaw to one of my limbs than relive all of it. Well except maybe the last day of training.
The day it all changed... I don't think I'll ever forget it for as long as I live.
Toshinori and Inko
The end had finally come. It was November twenty-eighth, the final day of training. Toshinori tried to wrap his head around that fact. It had only been ten months and yet so much had changed. He looked down at Inko, who was wrapped around his arm as the two walked through the cold November morning toward the beach.
"It's been ten months already," Inko said, echoing Toshinori's inner thoughts. "It feels like it was only yesterday when my boys brought you home." she reminisced.
"And yet so much has changed," Toshinori said. "For one you have abs now."
Inko blushed a little and hugged Toshinori a little tighter.
"So you have been watching me while I worked out." she teased.
"Guilty as charged." Toshinori smiled.
They both laughed and continued down the sidewalk.
"Give me your honest opinion," Inko said. "How well do you think Ariden and Izuku have done? I know they were set back when they decided to do extra work on the side."
"My honest opinion?" Toshinori knitted his eyebrows. "All things considered I feel like they'll be oka-" He started as they rounded the corner.
Toshinori's jaw dropped before he could finish.
Ariden and Izuku stood at the top of what could only be considered a mountain of trash. Toshinori and Inko off into the distance and saw the beach. It was spotless. The two adults refocused on the boys and watched in awe as the sun crested the mountain, framing both of the boys' silhouettes.
Ariden and Izuku then howled in triumph, The sheer primal sound of victory filling the air. Toshinori felt compelled to transform into All Might as a sign of respect but quickly remembered that Inko was standing right next to him. The compulsion however only grew worse when he and Inko watched Ariden and Izuku do the manliest handshake he had ever seen; each boy clasping the other's forearm.
The moment quickly faded however when Toshinori and Inko watched as both boys' legs started to buckle from underneath them. Inko stretched out her arms in a flash and used her quirk, and both boys flew toward the two adults. Toshinori caught Izuku with ease, while Inko caught Ariden with a slight grunt.
"We... did it..." Ariden said weakly.
"We cleaned off... the entire beach..." Izuku said with a wide grin.
"I am so proud of you!" Inko said as she wrapped both boys into a hug.
"You two really know how to put on a show!" Toshinori beamed. "Watching that spectacle was awe-inspiring," he said as he took out his phone. "Now I want you to see something," he said as he showed his phone screen.
All three Midoriyas turned to look at the photo Toshinori had pulled up.
"What is that?" Izuku asked, still a little woozy.
"That is you from ten months ago."
Ariden and Izuku looked closer and saw it was one of the pictures Toshinori had taken of them when they tried to move the giant fridge. They both look so scrawny as if a stiff breeze would knock them over. Both boys turned to look at each other and saw the difference instantly. Both of their bodies had become lean with well-defined muscles and abs. The brothers couldn't help but laugh as tears pricked the corners of their eyes.
"Thank you." Both boys said, bowing to Toshinori.
"We wouldn't have come this far without you," Izuku said as tears leaked from his eyes.
"Honestly, it feels like we cheated our way here." Ariden sniffled, wiping at the tears in his eyes. "You, Mei, Mom. You've given us so much help through it all."
"You need to give yourselves more credit," Inko said. "Just look at what you accomplished." She said pointing toward the mountain of trash. "Did someone else move it for you?" Inko asked. "I want you two to do something for me. I want you two to grab a piece of junk."
"Why? Ariden asked.
"So that whenever you doubt yourselves, you can look at it and remind yourselves just all you have achieved."
Ariden and Izuku did as their mother asked and grabbed a piece of junk from the pile. Ariden grabbed a small broken copper-coloured chain, while Izuku grabbed a piece of sheet metal that had been bent into the form of a vambrace.
"There is a difference between being given something and working for it," Toshinori said.
"Your determination, willpower, and diligence have forged you anew. So take heart and know that your strength was earned, not given or borrowed."
"Though while you two have gotten strong, that doesn't mean you can't rely on others," Inko said, lightheartedly.
Everyone chuckled, alleviating the solemn atmosphere.
"Oh, I am so proud of you two!" Inko said excitedly as she hugged her sons again. "We have to do something to celebrate!"
"I agree," Toshinori nodded. "However I have a few more things I need to do with these two young men before we can celebrate."
"Oh?" Inko looked at Toshinori curiously. "What did you have planned?"
"I-I was just g-gonna…" Toshinori started to sweat as he tried to come up with an answer.
"We still have to take all this stuff to the dump," Izuku answered.
"Yes! That!" Toshinori nodded feverishly. "You can go on ahead Inko, it'll be a few hours before we get done."
"Are you sure? I can help out if you want."
"Don't worry Mom, we can handle this," Ariden said.
"Alright, Love you, be safe," Inko said as she gave both her sons a hug and a kiss. "Look out for them okay? I love you," she said as she kissed Toshinori.
"I love you too, we'll see you soon," Toshinori said as Inko started home.
As soon as Inko rounded the corner and was gone from sight all three men sighed in relief. Toshinori immediately transformed into All Might.
"Well done boys! Well done!" All Might smiled as he shook both boys by the hand. "You two have proven yourselves a hundred times over! I knew I was making the right choice when I chose you two as my successors." He beamed with pride. "And now…"He said as he plucked a hair from his head. "You are finally ready."
The time had finally come, the power to change our destinies was within our reach!
It was to be our Rubicon. We'd be damned if we turned back at the last moment.
"Eat this!" All Might said as he held the hair out to Izuku.
"Huh?!" Both boys said, not quite sure they had heard All Might right.
The lesson here is that the power to change your fate sometimes comes in the strangest of forms.
Yeah, needless to say, the way we got our power was fucking disgusting. Well, at least it was for you, Izuku.
"For you to receive One for All you need to consume a piece of my DNA." All Might explained.
"Then why not just use a drop of your blood?" Ariden asked.
All Might nearly gagged at the thought.
"That's disgusting! Eating a piece of my hair is safer and cleaner."
"Yeah… cleaner…" Izuku said as he hesitantly reached for the hair. "Here goes nothing."
Izuku nearly threw up trying to eat the hair. It was as sour as a lemon and clung to the back of his throat on the way down.
"Done!" Izuku said, gagging a little. "What's next?"
"For now we take care of trash." All Might said. "The hair you just ate needs to be digested for One for All to settle in."
"And after that, we see what One for All can do?" Izuku asked eagerly.
"Bingo! And I have just the place to test it."
The clean-up took a good 3 or 4 hours. When they had finished delivering the scrap metal to the Hatsumes all three got back into the truck and started down the dirt road. Ariden and Izuku sat in silence as Toshinori drove on. But their curiosity peaked when they drove past the usual turn Toshinori took to get to their apartment.
"So where exactly are we going?" Ariden asked.
"You'll see," Toshinori said, grinning a little. "Just continue to be patient."
Ariden chuffed in amusement and leaned back in his seat. He turned to look at his brother and noticed Izuku scratching the palms of his hands absentmindedly.
"Get something on your hands?"
"I don't know. But my hands have felt like they have pins and needles in them for the past hour or so."
"That'd be One for All settling in," Toshinori said. "Has to be."
"Fascinating," Izuku mumbled as he pulled out his notebook. "Could it be One for All causing it, or is it my body adapting to it?" He mumbled as he scribbled down notes.
"I wonder if the effect will grow in intensity or if there will be other symptoms," Ariden mumbled as he also pulled out a notebook.
Toshinori just smiled as he watched them through his rearview mirror, though he did wonder where they had been keeping the notebooks.
"I picked the right ones."Toshinori chuckled as he returned his attention to driving.
As they drove the suburban sprawl of Musutafu City fell away, and was replaced by the countryside. But Toshinori continued to drive on. Eventually, the houses grew sparser, and soon all Ariden and Izuku saw was a vast forest that blazed with autumn leaves.
"Where would Toshinori want to take us so far out in the country?" Izuku mused.
"The only place I can think of that's so far out is…" Ariden trailed off as he had a realization. "No! Surely not!" Ariden said excitedly.
"There's no way!" Izuku started to smile manically.
The truck drove through a grove of trees that flanked both sides, Sunlight streamed into the cabin of the truck when they exited, blinding the boys for a second. When they blinked away the spots in their eyes they gasped in awe. On their right was a massive field of grass that rippled in the wind like water in a pond. On their left was a massive concrete wall at least 25 feet high, with glass panes on top adding another 10 feet to its height.
Toshinori laughed as he watched both boys press their faces against the window to get a better look. Eventually, the truck rolled up to a massive arched gate. It was made out of metal and was the same height as the wall and emblazoned at the top was a golden U with an A inside it. The emblem of U.A. University.
"Holy shit! This can't be real!" Ariden swore.
"I can't believe we are about to enter such hallowed ground!" Izuku trembled in excitement.
"Welcome to U.A. University boys." Toshinori laughed as he drove the truck through the gate.
Beyond the gate was a stark contrast to the outside world. The grass was neat and trimmed. The road was spotless and gleamed white, with trimmed and sculpted trees symmetrically placed on both sides of the road. Marble plinths were placed in between the trees with Busts of U.A. Alumni and Heroes. In the distance stood 4 massive skyscrapers, each connected to the other by a bridge in the middle, making the building look like a capital H no matter what side you were on.
They eventually reached the Skyscraper after 15 or so minutes. But Toshinori didn't stop driving. He continued down the road that circled around the building until he turned onto a road that led away from it. The drive took another 10 minutes before they finally reached their destination. It looked like a massive hangar bay that'd be used to house planes. And it was the first in a long row of other hangar bays.
"Not that I am complaining, but why did we need to come to U.A.?" Ariden asked. "I would have thought you had training facilities that could handle your quirk."
"I do, it's just that-"
"He brought you here so that One for All can be tested under the watch of professionals." A gentle, and slightly mousy voice answered.
All three men turned and were greeted by a peculiar sight. A small bipedal animal in a black pinstripe suit walked toward them. Beside him was an elderly woman of equal stature in a doctor's coat and walking with a cane that looked like a syringe.
"Boys, this is the Dean, Nezu," Toshinori said, gesturing toward the bipedal animal. "And beside him is Chiyo Shuzenji, better known as Recovery Girl, she is the head physician here at U.A." He said introducing the older woman.
It was hard to tell what kind of animal Nezu was. He appeared to be a mix between a dog, a mouse, and even a small bear. His fur glistened white, and his small cat-like tail swished back and forth. His most noticeable feature however was a large scar across his right eye and cheek.
As for Recovery Girl, She was the same size as Nezu though completely human. Her hair had turned grey from age and was kept in a tight bun. She squinted everywhere she looked, making it hard to tell what eye color she had. Her face was rounded and worn by age but had a grandmotherly smile.
"They are some of the few people who know about my injuries and One for All," Toshinori explained.
"It's an honor to meet you, sir!" Ariden and Izuku bowed. "And to you as well ma'am!"
"I can't believe we are meeting one of the world's greatest tacticians!" Ariden gushed. "I have so many things to ask you!"
"And I'd never thought I'd ever get to meet Recovery Girl in the flesh!" Izuku fanboyed. "You have to tell me all about how your quirk works!"
"Stay focused"" Toshinori scolded, as he wrapped both boys on the head.
"Sorry…" The brothers said meekly
"It is always wonderful to see inquisitive minds." Nezu smiled. "But Toshinori is right, our time is limited so we should begin immediately. So please follow me."
The open space inside the hangar bay was massive, taking up almost the entirety of the building; save for an upper and lower observation deck that ringed around the entire building. The floor was concrete polished to a glistening sheen. And in the center of the hangar bay was a circle of test dummies.
"So what exactly is this place?" Ariden asked
"We use these buildings as gymnasiums, where students can practice new skills, or train their quirks in a controlled environment," Nezu said looking at Ariden. "And they are easily repairable so do not worry about breaking something," he said turning to Izuku. "Now Mr. Ariden if you would kindly follow me and Recovery Girl to the lower observation deck."
"Why?"
"Because if Mr. Izuku doesn't have full control over One for All; which has a ninety percent probability, the backlash could easily kill you."
"Lead the way," Ariden nodded to Nezu.
Ariden followed the Dean and the aged heroine up a flight of stairs until they reached the lower deck. All three walked over to the railing and looked down to watch. Toshinori and Izuku were in the center talking, though Ariden couldn't hear what they were saying.
"Only ninety percent?" Recovery Girl asked Nezu with a high-pitched but elderly voice. "Knowing Toshinori, I feel like the odds are even worse."
"Why do you say that?" Ariden asked a hint of edge in his tone.
"Because Toshinori is too punch first, think later, to be able to teach that young man anything useful."
"Give the man some credit," Ariden frowned. "He's not only taught me and my brother, he is also teaching two other people. Quite effectively, mind you."
"You both make good points," Nezu interrupted. "But now is the time to focus." He said gesturing toward the center of the gym. "You may begin when ready!"
"To harness One for All, all you need to do is clench your butt and scream "Smash!" with your soul," Toshinori explained.
"Clench my butt and yell "smash," Izuku repeated to himself.
"You may begin when ready!" Nezu's voice echoed through the gym.
"Don't worry," Toshinori said, placing a hand on Izuku's shoulder. "You've got this."
With a final nod, Toshinori exited the ring and stood off to the side to watch.
"Clench your butt and yell "smash," Izuku repeated like a mantra as he closed his eyes and focused.
Izuku clenched as he wound back his fist.
"Smash!"
His fist crashed into the chest of the test dummy he had chosen. But nothing happened, save for a loud smack that reverberated through the gym. Izuku blinked in surprise but figured he must have messed up somewhere along the line. He breathed deeply and closed his eyes again to focus. He then wound back his fist once again.
"Smash!"
Once again nothing happened, and the dummy remained unaffected. Confused, Izuku turned to Toshinori, who had started to approach.
"Maybe the hair hasn't had enough time to digest." Izuku speculated.
"I don't think that is the issue," Toshinori said.
"But I did everything you told me to do, But I can't seem to get it to work."
"Hmm." Toshinori rubbed his chin. "What were you feeling when you threw those punches?"
Izuku blushed a little.
"When I threw the first punch all I felt was excitement about actually having a quirk," he said. "The second one, I tried to just focus and ignore everything else."
Toshinori nodded in understanding.
"Do you remember what I told you about why One for All was created?"
"That it was created and cultivated to help those in need and give the weak the strength to stand and fight."
"Exactly," Toshinori said. "Why not try to recall a time when you felt powerless to stop something, or a moment when all you wanted was to save someone."
Izuku tried to recall all the times he felt truly powerless. He recalled all the times Katsuki had beaten him and Ariden up. But even then he never truly felt powerless, only sad. He then recalled the run-in with the sludge villain. A cold chill ran down his spine as he recalled the near-death experience, so he dropped that line of thought.
Then Izuku recalled the second run-in, specifically the moment when he and Ariden had seen Katsuki's face trapped within the sludge villain's amorphous form. He remembered the cold dread in his stomach, the anger in his heart toward the villain, and the unyielding desire to reach Katsuki and save him. As he recalled that moment, he felt a swell of energy rush through him.
"I think I have it." Izuku smiled.
Toshinori smiled down at his successor.
"Knock 'em dead." He said as he quickly returned to his spot.
Izuku turned to the three others on the observation platform and gave a nod of determination. Ariden returned the gesture. Izuku returned his focus to the dummy in front of him. He closed his eyes and cleared all the thoughts from his mind save for one. The desire to reach and save Katsuki.
The swell of energy Izuku had felt earlier returned, however it was much stronger than last time. His body felt like it was being electrified and on fire at the same time. Yet he felt like he could take on the entire world. With a smile, Izuku clenched his butt and threw a punch at the dummy.
"Smash!" Izuku roared.
Green lightning crackled across Izuku's arm as his fist collided with its target. The dummy was eviscerated in the blink of an eye, along with the two others on either side of it. The wind howled as the force of the blow turned the once-calm air into a mighty tempest. A thin mist formed due to the change in air pressure causing the water in the air to condense.
After a moment or two, everything settled back into relative peace. Then Izuku fell to his knees and screamed. It felt like his arm had been crushed and then set on fire. Izuku looked down at his arm and nearly passed out. The arm was a mangled mess. The skin from his fingers to his shoulder was a bruised dark purple. In some spots the skin had been rent and blood flowed freely from the gashes, and with every slight movement Izuku could feel his bones grinding and catching on each other.
"Oh shit!" Ariden swore as he raced down the stairs toward his brother.
Recovery Girl just shook her head and followed behind the panicked young man. When Ariden reached his brother he fell onto his knees and clasped Izuku's unbroken shoulder.
"Are you okay!"
"I a-am in s-so much p-pain," Izuku said through gritted teeth. "B-but I'll live."
"I'm surprised you aren't crying."
"I think Katsuki using his quirk on me has increased my pain threshold."
"Small favors I guess." Ariden grimaced.
"Honestly I-I'm more concerned a-about how m-mom will react." Izuku winced as he tried to move a little.
"Fuck!" Ariden swore. "Mom is going to have a heart attack!"
"I think she's more likely to kill Toshinori since she asked him to keep us safe." Izuku laughed weakly.
"Nobody is going to be killing anyone." Recovery Girl said as she crouched down by Izuku. "Now please hold still."
Recovery Girl puckered her lip, which then extended down toward Izuku's mangled arm and kissed it. Izuku gasped a little from the shock of pain as the lips touched his skin. But the pain quickly faded as his arm was enveloped by a soft green light. Ariden and Izuku watched in amazement as the purplish-black skin faded and assumed a healthier pink color and the limb straightened to a more natural angle. It was all over in the span of a few seconds. Izuku lifted his hand and marveled at it as he bent and flexed his fingers.
"That was amazing!" Izuku said as he tried to get up.
But Izuku's legs buckled underneath him as a wave of exhaustion hit him at full force, Luckily Ariden managed to catch him before he hit the ground.
"Wha' happened?" Izuku asked with a yawn.
"I'm sorry deary, I should have warned you about the side effect of my quirk." Recovery Girl apologized.
"I thought your quirk just healed people, is there more to it?" Ariden asked.
"That's a general misconception by the media, I don't truly heal you, All my quirk does is accelerate the body's own healing process." Recovery Girl explained. "However that comes at a cost. For my quirk to be effective it requires a patient's own stamina to fuel the healing process."
"Requires... a patient's own... stamina," Ariden repeated to himself as he wrote in a notebook that hadn't been in his hand a few moments ago. "So what happens if someone doesn't have enough stamina?"
"They die." Recovery Girl said somberly.
"Die?!" Izuku eyes widened.
"Don't worry young man, you weren't in any danger." Recover Girl said, waving her hand dismissively. "At least from my quirk, so long as you aren't reckless with your new power."
"About that…" Izuku said as he managed to stand up unaided. "How am I going to be able to use One for All if it breaks my bones every time I use it?" He asked Toshinori.
"Worry not young Izuku, with time One for All will integrate into your body. As it does, your body will adapt to withstand its awesome power."
"But for now," Nezu interjected. "It would be in everyone's best interest for you to find a way to control One for All," he said. "Under Mine, Toshinori's and Recovery Girl's supervision of course."
"Yes sir." Izuku nodded. "I'll do everything I can to master this power that I have been given."
"Good." Nezu smiled. "Now then Toshinori, Chiyo, come with me, I'd like to discuss our options going forward.
Toshinori and Recovery Girl nodded and followed the white-furred dean off to the side, out of earshot of either boy.
"Dude I gotta give you props!" Ariden said clapping Izuku on the back. "You didn't even hesitate to keep going even after you just shattered your arm into a million pieces!"
"You know what they say." Izuku smiled sheepishly. "Plus Ultra."
"Also, just because you got the golden ticket to being the number one hero doesn't mean you get to rest on your laurels, 'cause I am going to be chasing you every step of the way!" Ariden smirked.
"I wouldn't want it any other way." Izuku nodded with determination. "I'm not leaving you behind, even if I have to drag you to the top kicking and screaming." He said as he held out a hand to Ariden.
Ariden nodded and firmly shook his brother's hand.
"I appreciate it, but…"
"But?"
"Let me prove myself on my own merits, I won't allow myself to get to the top by just being associated with you."
"Of course." Izuku inclined his head. "You are free to follow your own path. But I will always be there to help you."
"And I will always be grateful for that," Ariden said. "Now if you could let go of my hand I'd be grateful for that as well." he laughed as he tried to let go of Izuku's hand.
"What are you talking about?" Izuku raised an eyebrow. "You're the one not letting go."
Ariden tried to jerk his hand away, but he only succeeded in yanking Izuku toward him.
"Can I have my hand back dude? The joke has gone on for long enough." Ariden said, frustrated.
Izuku started to sweat nervously as he tried to open his hand with little success. The muscles in his hand were as stiff as iron.
"I… I don't-" Izuku tried to explain.
He winced in pain as the feeling of pins and needles returned with a vengeance, the intensity feeling like his hand had been set on fire. Ariden's eyes widened as he watched his brother grit his teeth and felt a growing heat between their hands.
"Hey! Get the fuck over here!" Ariden shouted to the three adults as he felt the heat beginning to burn his hand.
Toshinori turned and felt it in his gut. It was like a storm had begun to grow in the center of the gym. Directly where the boys stood. He didn't need any explanation to know something horrible was about to happen. He shifted into All Might without another thought and appeared by the boys' side in the blink of an eye. But it was too late.
The strange energy that had been building exploded, sending both boys flying in opposite directions. Izuku flew directly into All Might's arm, however, Ariden wasn't so lucky. All Might watched in horror as Ariden sailed into the concrete wall. The young man slammed against the wall with a sickening crunching sound, the force of the blow causing the concrete wall to crumble and throw up a cloud of dust.
"Recovery Girl!" All Might shouted.
The elderly medic needed no further encouragement as she rushed toward the cloud of dust.
"Izuku! Are you okay?! What happened?!" All Might asked as he checked the young man for injuries.
Izuku didn't respond and just continued to stare at the palm of his hand. All Might looked down to see if the boy had injured his hand but froze. A cold dread filled his gut. At the center of Izuku's palm was a small hole. All Might sucked in a breath as he tried to regain his nerve, he needed to focus.
"Ariden! Are you okay!"
All Might heard the shift of debris and a deep groan.
"I'm… Okay, I think?" A deep baritone voice growled out.
Alarms went off in All Might's head when he heard that voice. Whoever had answered wasn't Ariden. Muffled footsteps and the clatter of rubble echoed across the gym. All Might watched as a figure moved within the fog cloud. It was far too big to have been Ariden, All Might knew that for sure. He was also certain that Ariden didn't have glowing red eyes. The number one hero quickly shoved Izuku behind him as he prepared for what emerged.
True fear gripped All Might for the second time as the figure emerged. It was an 8-foot-tall Lycan. It was covered from head to toe in silverish fur. Its eyes the sclera glowed red, while the iris and pupil glowed crimson. The clothes were stretched thin across its muscular frame, threatening to rip at the slightest exertion. The Lycan looked around, its muzzled face in a semi-permanent snarl. Its tail wagged in clear agitation.
"How are you here! You died fourteen years ago!" All Might shouted angrily. "And what have you done to Ariden!?"
The Lycan raised a furry eyebrow
"What the hell are you talking about?" The Lycan asked in a gruff growl.
That's when All Might noticed the bronze-age leather jacket the Lycan wore.
"Young Ariden, is that you?" All Might asked, confused as hell.
"Of course it's me, why would you even a question like that?"
Izuku peered past All Might and gasped.
"What happened to you?" Izuku asked, astonished.
"Why the fuck is everyone looking at me like I've grown a second head?!" Ariden snarled. "Is there something on me?!"
Ariden then looked down to see what everyone was looking at. He tripped over backward as he panicked. What had happened!? Whose body was this?!
"What the fuck!?" Ariden yelped as he examined himself head to toe. "What the hell is going on!?"
Author's Notes: Weren't expecting that were ya? We're finally off to the proverbial races now. I couldn't wait to get this chapter out, and within reasonable time as well. Also how about the actual ending to MHA? I won't spoil anything for those who only watch the anime. But I got to say, plenty of room to improve upon the story. In any case I owe a great deal of gratitude to Mr. Kohei Horikoshi for creating such a magnificent world for all of us to enjoy and create our own stories with. As per usual i am working on the next chapter and things beyond that. Also I keep forgetting to ask, what do you all prefer. Longer Chapters, Shorter Chapters, or a mix of the two? Please let me know. And if you've made it this far I thank you for reading and I hope you've enjoyed it. And once again, I ask that you post your thoughts in the comments; they are fun to read. Until next time, take care, Happy Holidays, and Merry Christmas to you all just in case I don't get the next chapter out in time for that.
-TheWritersApprentice