Izuku's mind normally was sent racing when a new idea was introduced to him, considering each way this new factor could affect him.
When he got to use Kurogiri's portals his car for the most part felt less useful since he could ask Kurogiri to take him where he needed to be in seconds, but that would be abusive if he did that and there was a much higher chance of being caught by All For One if he did.
So normally he only asked Kurogiri to transport him and the car to one of the Vespa's warehouses so he could drive around from there, and only called him again for additional trips like when his students called him.
But when Gran Torino proposed for him to be the next holder, his mind just... stopped.
His mind slowly returned in small parts and one thought after another.
Him?
With All Might's quirk?
A thing he'd dreamed about ever since he first watched the man on T.V. as a child.
He could feel his heart leap at the thought, unable to stop himself from slipping into his memories of his daydreams.
The two running across rooftops side by side in similar costumes, leaping through the air almost as if they were flying but not quite.
Holding up a building to protect some civilians like All Might had.
Smiling at a crowd of people while he loudly proclaimed, 'I am here!'
All the things he had dreamed for nearly all of his life.
Even after he was told he was quirkless, trying fruitlessly to move things like his mom or breath even just a spark of fire.
And now here he was, being offered the very chance he's dreamed of, longed for for so many years.
And it would be given to him by his childhood hero no less.
He could have All Might's quirk.
(He didn't have to be hollow anymore.)
He could even be a hero.
(Live the life he always wanted, the one he dreamed of.)
He'd be able to protect everyone.
(Finally fill the gap that sat in his chest ever since he was a child.)
Izuku's mouth opened and when he speaks it cuts through his mind and silences it.
"No."
He couldn't see it but he knew everyone was staring at him.
"Midoriya-San you don't have to answer right away, you can take your time to think about taking the quir-" Haruki-San said.
"No." he repeated more firmly.
Saying it killed a part of Izuku on the inside, a part that is sobbing and begging him to change his mind, pleading that they could finally have the thing they've always dreamed of.
He knew that there wasn't much reason for him to refuse Inheritance.
Izuku was already a target and taking the quirk wouldn't put his life in more danger than he already was in.
If anything, having the quirk would be another layer of defense.
But as wonderful and spine tingling as the thought of having a quirk would be... at the same time the thought filled his mouth with nothing but ash.
A sensation that threw him back to the South Side Inferno, when his mouth was filled with ash and soot, nose clogged with the stench of burning flesh.
Could he have saved those people if he had Inheritance?
Yes, yes, he could have.
But would he really saved them from the fire?
(Yes-)
No.
Because if he had a quirk, he wouldn't have been able to hire Uraraka-San, even if he had the money the contract could have never been legal.
So, he'd never have built the apartments or any of the buildings he currently owns, leaving hundreds of people without homes, jobs, food, and money, and-
How many of his students would be living in worse conditions?
All of them.
How many people could he have really helped if he had a quirk?
(Every-)
No one.
He'd still be in middle school somewhere studying math or something else unimportant.
How many people would suffer if he took Inheritance and becomes quirked?
Too fucking many because it would be near impossible to hide said quirk.
His buildings would be taken since he was too young to own property and there was no way anyone decent would take over all of the properties.
His license as a Quirk counselor would be revoked and all of his prescriptions for his students who needed medication to help them would be made void.
He'd lose his license to practice law and wouldn't be able to protect his students legally.
And most of his money would be taken, probably because he'd be fined for all the things he'd done as a medical professional since his E.M.T. certificate would also be taken back since he wasn't an adult in the eyes of the law anymore.
So, he wouldn't be able to provide aid or continue to hire his employees either.
There was no way that Izuku truly could consider throwing everything that he's built away for what?
A quirk he'd have to focus nearly a year on just to get a handle on it? Leaving his students scrambling without him since he wouldn't have the time to care for them properly?
No, that extra defense wasn't worth it.
Not when so many people needed him to be quirkless to survive.
When he was helping so many people, not as a hero, but as a two-toes.
Izuku's mind went back once again this time to the day after he first learned of All For One and the conversation he had with his mom.
Back then when she said that he was better than a hero he couldn't really believe her fully, now though?
Izuku understood.
So regardless of how the small part of him wailed at losing the chance to live his childhood dream, Izuku coldly squashed it and tossed it aside.
"Unless Yagi's on his death bed and we don't have a successor that can take Inheritance at that moment, I will not take the quirk." Izuku stated, perhaps a touch too venomously.
The rest of them seemed stunned at the steel in his voice, even Sir who Izuku was sure also fighting him getting the quirk stared at him confused.
"No matter how much that quirk was your blessing, it won't be mine. And I will not risk any of my people or my students by taking inheritance." Izuku said.
Yagi tenses at the jab but Izuku doesn't stop.
"You might have turned your back on who you were before you took Inheritance Yagi, but I've used it to help people. People who need me exactly as I am to survive in the same world that tossed us aside for what we were born being." Izuku proclaimed, a glare aimed at Yagi.
"My boy I-I don't know what your-" Yagi tried to sputter out curling in on himself from Izuku's pointed jabs.
Izuku tsked crossing his arms, very much channeling his friend Katsuki's attitude as he did.
"Don't play dumb Yagi, you think I don't know a quirkless person when I see them?" Izuku asked, making the man in question turn pale while Tsukauchi's eyes widening.
"You were quirkless Toshinori?" Tsukauchi asked surprised.
Yagi flinched away from the man, trying to sputter something out though he failed to make more than a few syllables.
Izuku is unsurprised by this, Yagi has thrown so much of himself into being All Might that he wouldn't want to break the fantasy by telling them that he was a two-toes.
"Isn't it obvious? He's still alive isn't he?" Izuku pointed out waving a hand at Yagi "If he had a quirk he would have been brain dead by now, even if his quirk had a regenerative factor for his brain tissue." Izuku elaborated.
"Yagi could have a strong mental regenerative quirk." Sir countered, though Izuku rolled his eyes.
Izuku pinched the bridge of his nose "Even with the strongest regenerative quirk in existence, the mental degeneration would leave him catatonic at best most days from his brain constantly fixing itself and destroying itself, and he would have died after the fight because his body wouldn't have enough feed to keep up his regenerations." Izuku corrected.
He'd be more miffed at the fundamental misunderstanding of quirk science, but Sir clearly isn't well versed in anything other than whatever he learned in high school.
"Whether or not Yagi's quirkless doesn't matter in the long run when it comes down to finding a successor, we'll need to find someone with a large amount of muscle and a quirk that can lessen the damage to the body and mind if they aren't quirkless." Izuku told them trying to get them back onto the topic.
"Well, if Yagi doesn't have a quirk then wouldn't it make the brain damage less concerning?" Tsukauchi asked, glancing between him and Yagi, who was still very shaken up by being outed as quirkless.
"Yes and no, the brother brought two quirks to the table in the first place, and presumably most of the past holders also had quirks given the circumstances, at the moment we have to assume that there is a baseline of eight quirks being passed on." Izuku informed the man.
"The brat's probably right about that, no offense Zygote but the quirk was strong enough for the next person not to matter that much when Shimura gave it to you." Gran Torino agreed, and Yagi's shoulders bunched up.
Taking the words personally no doubt.
"We should also avoid anyone that is already a hero, those people have too much attention on them, and we should try to keep the successor hidden as long as we can and people will notice if your quirk is different if you're established already." Izuku pointed out.
"That will get rid of the adults we could approach." Haruki-San commented.
"Wouldn't there be someone that we could find in the underground heroes?" Yagi asked hesitantly.
"While there is little publicly known about them the underground circuit, the underground heroes have a very tight knit network, and they will know if there is something has changed in their fellow co-workers." Nezu countered, being the most involved in the underground circuit.
"All things considered we might end up looking at our students for this successor." Haruki-San said and Izuku pursed his lips.
Mainly because she was right, and he didn't want one of the kids dragged into this.
"How could you suggest that Haruki?" Shuzenji questioned clearly angered by the suggestion.
"Unfortunately, as much as I'd prefer to keep children out of this, we likely won't have a choice.
Anyone of age and whom we'd want to recruit is physically incompatible or too well known for us to think of going to, there would also be the question of how we'd interact with them without drawing too much suspicion from All For One, which will be harmful to the successor." Haruki-San explained somberly.
"Still, we should at least look for other options first, if we cannot find someone though and are forced to consider the students, no first years are to be considered, period." Izuku insisted, ready to argue on the matter if necessary.
"Agreed, even if they would be the easiest to hide the changes in their quirk, they would be too young to fully understand the ramifications of taking the quirk." Haruki-San replied with a slight nod of her head.
"If you find it so detestable Shuzenji then just find someone that is better for this." Gran Torino spat when she was still grumbling, and the woman clearly didn't take quite as kindly to the snub and raised her cane.
"I think we've all should finish this meeting," Nezu stated "Emotions have run rather high today, with a lot of realizations that we should take the time to become adjusted to this new information." Nezu suggested placing his teacup down.
Haruki-San nodded her head again "Indeed." she agreed her eyes jumping from Shuzenji-San, Sir and then landing on Yagi who was physically just slumped on the couch.
"I think a week should be more than enough time, and we can spend that time looking for possible successors as well." Nezu advised, likely to sweeten the pot for Sir and anyone else that was still a bit ruffled.
"Yes, that might be for the best." Tsukauchi warily said looking between Shuzenji-San and Yagi, one angry and the other in the throes of frankly too many emotions at the moment, before another wary glance at Izuku.
"Then we shall meet once again in a week, say in the morning? Before school starts for the day? Or would after school be easier for everyone?" Nezu inquired looking around the room.
"After school would be best, the conversation won't be short if this one is anything to by." Izuku told them, he could readjust his schedule so that he could stay longer after school than normal.
Riya would probably like to get out of the office more anyways Izuku thought, and Mido already visited U.A. it would only be fair for Riya to also get the chance to stop by too.
"Next week then, I'll make sure to drag the Zygote here to be on time." Gran Torino agreed jumping off the couch, knocking Yagi's leg with his cane "C'mon Zygote, we got shit to talk about." Gran Torino added a moment later.
Nezu unlocked the room allowing most of them to walk out of the room, Shuzenji-San huffing and leaving herself and Sir following after as soon as Yagi stood up, Tsukauchi by his side.
"Well, I think that went somewhat well." Haruki-San commented and Nezu nodded his head.
"Everyone left the room how they came into it." Nezu agreed moving to drink from his cup again.
"Emotional evisceration discounted." Izuku piped up and Haruki-San chuckled wheezily and patted Izuku's head.
"They're all past their 30's now, they could do with some more emotional trauma, builds character you know." Haruki-San joked with a wink "Done you wonders Midoriya-Kun." she added with a wave.
Izuku rolled his eyes and batted her hand away, Haruki-San stood up carefully and straightened out her clothes.
"Afraid I have to go, got an appointment with my arborealist, make sure there isn't any rot in lefty here." Haruki-San told him patting her left leg... what was left of it, and Izuku wasn't sure if she meant the prosthetic or the thigh that was left.
Then there was just Izuku and Nezu, the latter leaping off his desk and moving to sit with Izuku on the couch, giving a soft chirp when Izuku slouched against the back of the couch with a sigh.
"... I think I preferred the rabies shots I got when I was four." Izuku said, mentally exhausted.
The comment got a more concerned chirp from Nezu "I was a dumb kid and I was fine Nezu, don't worry about it, it's in my medical file if you're curious." Izuku replied moving to scratch behind Nezu's ears.
Causing Nezu to melt and start churning with his tail wagging happily behind him, Izuku then took out one of his chews and decided to try and gnaw some of his stress away before pulling out his phone.
[I'm a triplet~ :D]
[Ori: Hey Riya, how do you feel about coming to work with the kids at U.A?]
[Riya~: {Party gif}]
[Riya~: {Yes!Yes!Yes! gif}]
[Mido: Riya, don't spam the chat.]
[Riya~: But kids!]
[Mido has put Riya~ in time out]
[Ori: Sorry Mido.]
[Mido: It's fine Ori, text later. Riya's giddy and I have to stop him from using up all the notebooks.]
Outtakes with the past holder prt4
As the seven are freaking out about Izuku knowing them Gran Torino suggests that Izuku becoming the 9th
2nd: Hell no! F**k that!
Bruce the 3rd: It's bad enough we have to deal with one quirk nerd I can't deal with another one!
Hikage the 4th: Are you kidding? Junior clearly would be a great addition and we need a mind like his to help us win against AFO!
Izuku says 'no'
Banjo the 5th: Eh? Youchi does your brat think he's better than us or something?
Youchi: He's not my kid!
Izuku, surrounded by death vibes, as he tells them, under no uncertain terms would he take OFA and scaring the past holders.
Bruce the 3rd:... What are the chances that Youchi's an uncle?
Youchi: Zero, he had an accident when we were kids.
2nd: Then tell your kid to stop being an eldritch horror Youchi
Youchi: Midoriya's not my kid, and even if he was, I'm dead how could I tell him to stop?
Bruce the 3rd: Junior already knows we exist because he's a f**king terror, so there's no way he can't hear us, but you're his dad, so he'll listen to you if you tell him to knock this s**t off.
Youchi Throws his hands up out of frustration.