The rest of the day after Bakugo's attack was spent nervously trying to go about their routines, but Izuku and his mother couldn't relax. Every time something made a sound outside, Izuku was tensing up, ready for the door to be blown off its hinges. Every time Izuku left a room, his mother had to know where he was going so that she knew he wasn't just vanishing like Bakugo had. Izuku and Inko hadn't spoken about Bakugo in a long time, and that wasn't going to change now. They both knew that boy was bad news, but Izuku didn't think either of them would have suspected that he'd go full villain. After all, his desire for heroism had seemed to be genuine, and not another part of the delusion he'd cooked up for himself to feel superior to others, especially Izuku. It was all a harrowing experience, but at least that specific attack was behind them. After a few days off from school with nothing going wrong like that first day, Izuku could begin to put it out of his mind for a few minutes a day. It wasn't much, but it was a start.
Those few precious minutes he could manage not to think about the impending doom that awaited him at the hands of Katsuki Bakugo, Izuku admired his gold medal from the sports festival. His heart got a little lighter in his chest when he did. He thought about all that he'd gone through for that hunk of metal hung on his wall, and for a few moments when he'd first gotten it he'd thought that it was kind of pitiful considering all he had to do to get it, but now that he'd spent some time looking at it, really looking at it, Izuku could see that it was worthy of the struggle. The gold was immaculately moulded, the letters perfectly pressed into the soft metal. It was shinier than Izuku had remembered from his times viewing the sports festival from home, even at nighttime. It looked like the kinds of gold medals you only see in movies at worldwide events, and it was on Izuku's wall. He sometimes couldn't believe that he was really there, a student at UA and the winner of his first sports festival, victorious over even Endeavor's son. He made a promise to himself on one of his two days off that he'd never forget the feeling he had right at that moment, that he could do anything if he put his mind to it, not despite his Quirk but because of it. Just like All Might had said. It didn't matter what someone's Quirk was or who they got it from, it's what they did with it that mattered.
His thoughts turned to All Might as he got ready for school on the first day back. He'd gone in to get a prosthetic the day before, so he did his morning routine of flexing his fingers, which now he could do in completion, while he thought. He was going to tell All Might that Ochako was the best choice. Of course, All Might was already heavily considering her, but Izuku knew it for sure now. With what she'd tried to do with Todoroki, even if she hadn't succeeded, Izuku knew that she could do incredible things with One for All. She could become the new Symbol of Peace. She'd probably be the next number one hero. She could be more than that, though. Ochako had this mindset that a lot of heroes didn't, from Izuku's experience. She valued compassion, even for people who were acting in a way that showed they didn't. She believed that every single person, good or bad or willing or not, deserved kindness, respect and help. Izuku didn't doubt that this would someday extend to villains. That nature was what Izuku really respected about her, and it was what made her worthy of All Might's power. He was sure of it.
On the train to school, Izuku was recognised. A lot. As he got on the train, nearly everyone in his immediate vicinity started congratulating him on the win at the sports festival, asking what exactly his Quirk was, and all sorts of things. A couple of people asked if they could get a photo, and one little kid asked for an autograph. Izuku nearly melted into a little puddle on the floor at that last one, but he managed to keep the smile on his face and the tears out of his eyes as he let everyone get however many selfies with him as they wanted. He did get around to that little kid's autograph, which he made out to an Asada. He wrote some mangled kanji with his shaking hands and wrote his own name on this boy's little All Might themed event planner. The kid couldn't have been more than six or seven years old, so his mother must have made him carry it around, which made Izuku smile. His own mother had done the same for him. That was what had interested him in notetaking so much, because his mom had shown him how therapeutic and clarifying it could be to write down what you were thinking in a given moment. Eventually, he got off the bus to a chorus of goodbyes, and he waved at his audience as they departed the station.
Once that bizarre situation was over, Izuku walked up the hill to school. As he walked through the halls toward his classroom, he got a lot of shoulder pats and mock salutes as he passed by upperclassmen and even his peers. Huh. So this was the mythical state of elevated being some teenagers called 'being popular'. He didn't think it would last, but Izuku was okay with enjoying this while he had it. He made his way closer to his classroom, but was stopped just before he could get there. A tall figure loomed behind him, and his fight-or-flight response kicked in. He turned around in an instant to see it was just All Might in his true, gaunt form falling into step beside him, and now giving him a strange, amused smirk.
"Good morning, Young Midoriya. How are you today?" All Might asked.
"Hey—" He almost called him by his name in front of a dozen passing students. Right, secret identity. "—sir. I'm doing well. Did you need me for anything?"
"Not particularly. I just wanted to catch up with you," All Might said, his thin face stretching into a grin.
"Alright. Let's talk," Izuku said, figuring that he might as well get it out of the way now, before he had to tiptoe around Ochako all day trying to hide his attempts to talk to All Might alone.
They stepped to the side, into a small nook that led to an emergency panic room, according to All Might. Nobody ever used it, not since his days at UA, so they were safe to talk there. Once they were far enough into that hall, All Might and Izuku began talking about what they really cared about.
"So, I know it's a bit early for this kind of thing, but what did you think about your classmates during the sports festival? Did any catch your eye as particularly noteworthy?" All Might asked.
"Yes, one. She's already on the shortlist, though. I thought she was worthy before, but I think that was just my bias talking. I think we both know that Ochako Uraraka is worthy after what she did against Todoroki," Izuku said.
"Indeed. I've already mostly made up my mind, I just wanted your input, since you're a part of this Quirk's web now, too," All Might said.
Izuku got goosebumps on his arms, all of his little hairs standing on end. "What do you mean, I'm part of it?"
"One for All is not just a Quirk. It's a tapestry spun from the hopes and dreams of heroes long gone and heroes just emerging. It's the brave heart you inherit, the will to protect what you can, and the unwavering determination to prevail against evil. Since I met you last year on that rooftop—no, in the alley. I remember—you've shown me that you've got all of that and then some. Even if you don't carry One for All itself, you stand for the same thing as me, my power, and now Young Uraraka and her power. I'd be proud to call you my successor, but I respect your desire to carve your own path. I know you'll continue to make me proud to call myself your teacher. Just like I'm proud to be Young Uraraka's teacher, and hopefully her predecessor," All Might said. He paused for a moment, seemingly gathering something inside his heart. Maybe courage? "Do you think she'll accept my power?"
"I think she'll do whatever it takes to achieve her goal. If that includes accepting One for All, then I think she will. We can work on how we pitch this to her, though, because if we just pop out of nowhere saying, 'Hey, this skeleton is All Might and he wants to give you his Quirk,' that's gonna sound like a scam," Izuku said, chuckling under his breath.
"That's understandable. I'll work on it. Are you able to get her to follow you into the break room we spoke in before the sports festival after school?" All Might said, looking like he'd just seen All for One appear out of nowhere when Izuku pointed out the flaw of simply springing One for All on a potential successor.
"Absolutely. See you there," Izuku said, nodding and beginning to walk off as All Might did the same, muttering something about needing flash cards.
Izuku got to class a few minutes before the bell rang. The first thing he did when he stepped into the classroom was look over and make eye contact with Ochako. Her eyes lit up when they met his, that warm brown never failing to make him feel giddy. He grinned at her, and then took his second step into the classroom, looking over at Todoroki. Izuku kept a smile on his face, and gauged Todoroki's reaction to seeing him again. His eyes were focused on Izuku, and his mouth was set in a line—he looked confused more than anything, with his bicoloured eyes searching Izuku's expression for something he wasn't sure the boy would find. Izuku nodded to Todoroki, which got him a perplexed stare back, and he took his third step. That was when the rest of the class noticed his presence, and all said their 'good morning's and 'hello's and other greetings with varying levels of confidence and cheer, and Izuku waved to his classmates, his heart picking up a little bit under all their eyes, but grateful for the appreciation nonetheless.
It was hard. Izuku did it, but it was difficult keeping his mouth shut and not giving away any hints to Ochako about what was to come that afternoon. They'd been able to pair up with partners for English, and they'd immediately chosen each other with no hesitation, but it was hard when he had to look her in the eyes, in those beautiful eyes, and pretend like he didn't know her life was about to change. He managed it through English, which meant that it was time for Math. Izuku was okay at math, but he wasn't great like Yaoyorozu or Iida, so it was easier during that class for him to put his head down and work out the problems they'd been given and ignore the tug in the back of his brain that urged him to be truthful to Ochako. After that was Hero Art History with Midnight, which was less easy to focus on and which made it very tempting to look over at Ochako. For a split second, he did, and glanced over to see that she was doing the same thing, making them both look back to the front of the classroom with red faces.
Eventually, though, he got to the end of the day. Hero training that afternoon was basic hand to hand combat stuff, so he was able to tune out and do that for a few hours, but after that, when they'd both gotten cleaned up and changed back into their regular uniforms, it was time. He waited for Ochako to return to the classroom, and when she did, he took a deep breath to steady himself.
"Hey, do you wanna take a walk?" he asked.
"Oh, where to?" she asked back. Even though she was smiling, her eyebrows came together in the way they did when she was surprised or confused or both.
"Wherever our feet take us," Izuku said, holding out his gloved hand for her to take, which she did.
"Sure!" Ochako said with a smile that made Izuku feel dizzy.
As they walked, Ochako asked more about his morning. He'd told her a little at lunch, but he'd been too embarrassed to continue after getting to the kid wanting an autograph. The two of them talked about that for a while, with Ochako absently taking the turns Izuku specifically picked to get them closer to the break room while making them appear random. After a few minutes, they arrived, and Izuku made a scene of pretending he saw something through the crack. He opened the door and saw All Might in his muscular form, sitting there with a few stacks of paper on the table in front of him. Izuku turned around and beckoned Ochako into the room, walking in and getting All Might's attention.
"We're here, sir," Izuku said, leading Ochako into the room by her hand, which he was still holding onto.
"All Might? But … something's up," Ochako said, untangling her fingers from Izuku's.
"Yeah," Izuku said. He saw the way her expression shifted and panicked. "Nothing bad is up, we're just gonna have a talk about some opportunities that have come up since the sports fest. Right, All Might?" Izuku looked over at All Might with wide eyes and silently begged him to take over.
"Yes, Young Uraraka. I've been considering this for a little while and … I believe you are worthy of my Quirk!" All Might said, standing and holding his hands out like he was posing for a camera. Izuku immediately looked back over to Ochako and saw her staring hard at All Might, her eyebrows doing that same thing that they did when she was confused and surprised, and waited for either of them to say something else. They didn't. He groaned.
This was gonna be rough.
"What happened to flash cards?" Izuku muttered. "Look, Ochako, All Might and I have been—"
"You can … do that?" she asked, keeping her eyes locked on All Might. "I thought I heard that villain at the USJ talking about that, but I thought he was crazy. Him or me. But can people actually give Quirks to other people?"
"Yes, but it's rare. Only two people in Japan can wield this power, myself and that villain. This is going to be a long talk, so I'd suggest you sit," All Might said with a voice Izuku had only ever heard when he himself was getting this talk for the first time.
Izuku and Ochako sat, with Izuku struggling to choose who to sit next to. He thought he should've been sitting next to All Might, since he was also one of the ones telling her this secret and they were collaborating on this, but when he took a step toward All Might's side of the table, Ochako's hand gripped his own tightly, and he suddenly knew better than to leave her side during what had to be one of the most intense and stressful moments of her life. He sat down on the couch next to Ochako and her gently squeezed her hand in return, letting her know that he was still there for her. She looked at him, her eyes peering deep into his, and then she turned to All Might, that shocked, confused expression showing on her face again.
"Can you please explain what you mean?" she asked.
"Of course. You're owed that much at the very least," All Might said. "But first, there's another secret you need to know as well." He looked at Izuku, they both nodded to each other, and then All Might deflated into his true form, a puff of steam blinding the two students for a moment before they laid their eyes on the gaunt, skeletal form of the number one hero.
Luckily, most rooms on UA's campus were soundproof. One may have thought a murder was happening if they'd happened to walk past at the time that Ochako first saw All Might's true form. She shrieked and stood up in a flash, still gripping Izuku's hand tightly, and pointed at him with a shaking finger.
"What just happened? Who are you and what did you do to All Might?" Ochako yelled, trying to tug Izuku to his feet as he resisted with a smile.
"Calm down, Young Uraraka. It's me, this is still All Might," he said, his voice now the hollow and flat version of his booming, bassy voice that everyone knew and loved. "Please, sit back down."
Ochako fell back into her seat with a defeated yelp. Izuku got her attention with a smile.
"When I first saw this version of him, I thought he was a villain with a shapeshifting Quirk or something. My scream went much higher than that, too," Izuku said. He was being truthful, but it also helped to hear something absurd like that and it got Ochako out of her own head, as he could see she was diving into rabbit holes she shouldn't have even glanced at.
"But—you—how—that's—huh?" Ochako babbled, looking between All Might and Izuku once again.
"I suppose I'll start at the beginning," All Might said, with a sigh. "There were once two brothers."
All Might told the story of One for All and All for One from the beginning with the Quirkless brother of the evil tyrant, all the way to the USJ. He explained to Ochako who the villain leader from the attack was, what exactly both of their Quirks were and how they worked, and how he'd ended up looking like a shrivelled up husk of a man for twenty-one hours of the day. Ochako listened in silence, occasionally gasping or wincing when she heard about something especially brutal, like All Might and All for One's first battle, or when she saw the scar that fight left behind. A lot of it was new information for Izuku, too, since he hadn't heard the full, complete story before rejecting All Might's offer. It was also an eye opener for Izuku in that way, and he thought about how easy it had been for him to assert himself with the number one hero. Most people wouldn't be able to do that. Izuku sat up a little straighter after realising that, a small smile on his face. Ochako, though, was a different story. She was destroyed. Her entire perspective on Quirks had changed. It looked like the very way she thought about Quirks had just shattered and been replaced in an instant. Izuku knew it because that's what he'd felt when he learned that some could transfer Quirks. It was a massive pill to swallow, but she seemed to be swallowing it, so that gave Izuku some hope that she would react positively to this news.
"Wow," she said when All Might was done. She looked at Izuku with a mystified expression. "How long have you known all this?"
"About the Quirk stuff? Not long. Since the USJ. I figured out the bare minimum and then All Might kinda had to tell me the truth. I've known about the whole 'secret identity, true form' thing for like a year, though. We met back then and he accidentally ran out of time in front of me, so he had to do the same thing and tell the real story to keep me from making something disastrous up and spreading it as the truth online," Izuku explained with a smile.
"Indeed. Young Uraraka, listen well. What I've told you here today is confidential. Only a handful of people know the full truth, not even the government are aware of this secret. You've been brought into this for one reason. I've seen you be the most compassionate, kind, selfless and brave student in your class, always willing to lend a helping hand even when it hurts you. That's why I believe you will be an ideal successor to me, the Symbol of Peace, and that's why you are my choice for the next wielder of my power. I wish for you to have One for All next, Ochako Uraraka. Do you accept my Quirk and my legacy?" All Might said, standing and doing that same hands-out pose he'd done before. It was much more effective when he was stick-thin and his height was more intimidating than comforting.
Ochako looked up at him with tears in her eyes. She looked on the verge of passing out, as she had nearly done a few times during the stories, but she held strong. Looking up at All Might, she stood, the expression on her face pushing her eyebrows up in surprise, then drawing them together in thought, and then angling them so that the grin she gave was fierce instead of her usual cheerful smile. Izuku loved how expressive her face was. He could tell just what she was feeling at any moment and it was part of the reason why talking with Ochako came so easily for him. The other part was just because of Ochako's nearly supernatural likability just because she was the coolest. Izuku stood with her, and watched for her reply.
"Do you really think I'd be worthy of such a power? I mean, I could think of any number of people who are better suited for that," Ochako said, looking up at All Might's thin face.
"I can't. I admit that I didn't initially think you were capable of all you've done, but you've surprised me. I originally considered Young Midoriya here, but he guided my eyes toward you, and his words allowed me to see all that he sees in you." Ochako snapped her eyes to Izuku, and he smiled as she teared up again. She squeezed his hand painfully tight, and her lips moved like she wanted to say something, but all that came out was a choked sound that could've been his name. "I agree with him, that you're the one that is worthy to hold power like mine. I saw what you did with Todoroki, and I'm amazed at your willingness to reach a hand out to your opponent when that all but forfeited your chance of winning. I've already seen it, that your kind words and uplifting hand have already changed that young boy's heart. I can't wait to see what you do next, with or without One for All. I do have to know, though—what do you say?" All Might said.
Ochako looked back up at All Might and took a deep, shaky breath. She exhaled and smiled, a laugh escaping under her breath. Wiping the tears from his face with her free hand, Ochako took a moment and fell silent. Eventually, she got control of her breathing long enough to say a few words.
"I accept your power."
All Might's smile could've blown Izuku back into his seat with how intensely he projected the confidence and excitement in his electric blue eyes onto the two kids standing before him. They smiled up at him, and Izuku and Ochako turned to each other to do the same. Izuku looked into Ochako's eyes and knew they'd made the right choice. The warmth in those eyes was comforting, but it could also become a raging fire when she needed it to, and Izuku got a glimpse of that fire as they locked eyes as she accepted One for All. She grinned at him, and he returned that determined smile to her, feeling a light blush creep up his neck at the beautifully fierce expression she shot his way.
Shortly after that, All Might told them that they could get going, as he needed to start writing up a training plan for Ochako so that she could physically receive One for All when the time came. They exited the break room and Ochako immediately tackled Izuku into a crushing hug, which he returned gladly. They stayed like that for a time, simply embracing each other in the hall, but Ochako broke the hug first. However, this was not to start walking, like Izuku had expected. Ochako put her hands on either side of his face and pulled his head down, bringing their faces together before she softly pressed her lips to his, causing his whole body to tense and his face to spontaneously combust as he turned a violent shade of red. He damn near passed out as Ochako kissed him, but he managed to survive, as it was a quick and simple kiss, barely a peck. As it turned out, Ochako had become much like Izuku in that she had to fan her face for a moment after her bold move, and took a step back to do so without elbowing him. Izuku looked at her with wide eyes and he tried to stammer something out, but couldn't due to the distracting taste of strawberry lip balm that overtook his brain. Huh.
"Did you really tell All Might to pick me instead of you?" Ochako asked, looking up at him with bright eyes, a bright smile and an even brighter blush.
"Yeah, you earned it," Izuku said. It was the truth. She'd do wonderful things with the power. This confession simply made her turn a deeper shade of pink, though, and she looked at him like she was going to kiss him again, which was something that would kill Izuku on the spot, but also something that he knew he couldn't stand to miss out on.
Before Izuku could make up his mind, Ochako said, " See-you-tomorrow-Izuku-gotta-go-bye."
She then ran off so fast, and Izuku thought he heard people yelling in shock when she rounded the corner at top speed. He stood there, trying to get his brain to think about anything except the strawberry lip balm, and how mortifying yet exhilarating it had been to feel her lips on his. He didn't quite manage it, but he did get himself to walk, and went home on autopilot that afternoon.
While he walked, he did manage to think of a few things. Namely, how he done everything he set out to do and more. He'd proven himself worthy of being called a hero, he'd ditched his resentment towards All Might, he'd taken the first few steps to finally healing from the pain of his childhood. He'd even managed to keep his anger under control enough to face his past, and he'd won the sports festival. He'd shown everyone that his Quirk could be used for good, and he was on track. He'd also picked up a girlfriend he thought the world of along the way. He had friends and a future and he'd found a motivation to be a hero outside of the bitterness and trauma his old self had carried around on his back. He'd done everything he'd ever wanted. Izuku had gotten to the finish line of the race that he'd been running since he was six years old.
So why did he feel like things were just beginning? Why was there the churning dread in his guts that told him things were about to get infinitely more complicated? Bakugo's unhinged attack and mysterious disappearance, Ochako starting on the path to inherit One for All, and All for One still being out there with his Villain Alliance were all things that weighed heavily on his mind as he made his way home. He knew that he'd be able to brave the storm those things brought with them, since he had the help of his friends and family to see it through, but it did worry him that there were still so many things left unresolved. He felt like he'd reached the end of his story, but maybe another story was beginning to unfold before his very eyes, and he was just now realising it?
As he put all that away for the time being, pushing it to the back of his mind, Izuku sensed that his story, the story of how he learned to overcome his trauma and find his happiness, was over, in a way. He'd done it. That didn't mean that everyone else's stories just stopped when his did. Ochako's story was just starting with her acceptance of One for All, Bakugo had taken his story in a completely different direction with his attack on Izuku at his home. There was still the invisible threat of All for One out there, still desiring One for All, which made All Might and Ochako threats, and Izuku by association due to his little bluff at the USJ. Nothing was solved yet. He'd gotten his happy ending, but he could still support the other people in his life with their own goals and wants and dreams. He'd gotten so much help from them, it was the least he could do. It was like the old saying.
One door, Izuku's door, has closed.
So many other doors had been forced open in the process, though, and he had to be brave enough to try closing them, too.
End of Arc 7: With the World Watching
Author's Note: This fic is likely going to remain the longest in this fic for a while. It's just such a long, drawn-out conflict. I get why a lot of writers get blocked during or after the sports festival. It can kinda take the wind outta your sails. In other news, after tomorrow's chapter we'll be switching over to my regular weekly upload schedule, since we're coming up on the point where I have no content written ahead of time. That's what not updated for a year gets you, I guess. See ya next time, thanks for reading!
