Chapter 41: Line of Succession
Attempting to subdue the nervousness coiling in my stomach, I eagerly accepted Principal Nedzu's offer of tea, only to nearly spill the steaming liquid all over myself when the door to the principal's office abruptly swung open to reveal the towering form of Mirai Sasaki.
Sparing me no more than a cursory glance, Nighteye strode forward to shake hands with Nedzu, a rather humorous display given the massive size disparity between the small chimaera's paw and Nighteye's elongated fingers.
"Principal Nedzu, it's good to see you again. It's been too long." The stern man greeted formally.
"The pleasure is all mine. Sharing a cup of tea with an old friend is one of life's greatest delights!" Nedzu chirped, his bubbly joviality a stark contrast to Nighteye's stoicism.
Nighteye briefly scanned the large office before huffing in irritation once he realized that no one else was present. Part of me felt bad for thinking uncharitably of my master, but I had to agree that All Might's refusal to attend was unbecoming of the Symbol of Peace.
Placing my tea down on the front of Nedzu's desk, I hurriedly rose to my feet just as Nighteye turned to face me.
"It's an honor to meet you, Sir. I've followed your career for several years now." I said, extending my right hand.
Staring down at me with calculating, yellow eyes, Nighteye allowed an awkward silence to take hold for several seconds before accepting my outstretched hand.
"Even after my partnership with All Might ended?" He asked.
There was no hint of bitterness in his words, but I noticed the slightest tightening of his eyes, and he didn't release his hold on my hand.
"Of course. Your public profile understandably decreased, but the most dangerous villains are the ones who operate out of the shadows. Diligent investigative work is necessary to drag them into the light." I replied promptly.
Nighteye hummed thoughtfully and studied me a moment longer before seemingly accepting my words for what they were. Releasing my hand, he accepted a cup of tea from Nedzu and took a seat in the chair beside mine. Releasing a breath I hadn't noticed I was holding, I picked up my own cup and sat back down.
Nedzu had been observing our exchange with an amused grin, but once both of us had taken a seat, he reinserted himself into the conversation.
"Would you like to speak to Mirdoriya alone, Mirai?" He offered politely.
After taking a dignified sip of his tea, Nighteye shook his head. "That won't be necessary. This won't take long. Besides, there are a few other matters I wish to discuss with you once Midoriya and I have concluded our business."
Turning his attention back to me, Sir's eyes narrowed once again, though not quite as sharply as they had before.
"You seem to appreciate the value of investigative hero work, so why is it that you are enquiring as to my availability on behalf of your classmate and not yourself?" He questioned sharply.
Resisting the nervous urge to rub the back of my neck, I offered him a weak smile.
"Well, Yaoyorozu's quirk-"
"You aren't here to make her case for her. You're here to tell me why you are not the one seeking an internship at my agency." Nighteye interjected tersely.
How is this dude so intimidating? And if you wanted me as an intern, why didn't you make me an offer!?
Resisting the urge to quail under his implacable gaze, I straightened my back and met his piercing yellow eyes with my own.
"I did consider it, Sir, but I'm still adjusting to One for All. Because of that, I decided to prioritize an internship that would be focused more on physical than mental development. Learning to hold a book before I learn to read, so to speak. I would be honored to discuss a work-study with you at a later date, but especially given the limited scope of the internship program, I opted to dedicate it to field work." I answered firmly.
A pregnant pause fell over the room as Nighteye studied me closely. After a few seconds, he turned away and took another sip of tea.
"Very well. Not an unwise decision, but I expect you in my office as soon as you have been approved for work-studies. Something I assume will be happening sooner than later, in your case." He said with a pointed look to Nedzu, who responded to the assumption with nothing but an innocent smile.
We drank our tea in silence for the better part of a minute before Nighteye seemed to remember something of import and shifted his attention back to me.
"I tried to speak to All Might about this when he called to inform me that you were inheriting his power, but he's always been difficult when it comes to matters of his mortality, let alone that of his student. You seem to be far more pragmatic." To my surprise, Nighteye hesitated slightly before continuing. "I wanted to speak to you about continuity in case of an emergency."
It took a moment for me to comprehend what it was he was asking, and when I did, I nearly choked on my tea due to the forwardness of it. Flicking my eyes to Nedzu in order to gauge his reaction, I couldn't help but snort in amusement as the principal continued to nonchalantly sip from his cup.
It's obviously an incredibly important topic, but he could've been a bit less dispassionate about it.
"Ah, you mean a succession plan in case I die." I replied candidly with a nod of understanding, earning a small wince from Nighteye.
At least he's cognizant of how unpleasant the topic is. Especially seeing as I'm a fifteen year old child.
"You're correct in that All Might tends to be quite intransigent on the subject, but I already won that argument, not that he could do much to stop me. That's probably why he was so unwilling to talk to you about it. A sample of my DNA is already held both here and at the Mighty Agency." I assured him.
Nighteye glanced at Nedzu, who nodded in confirmation.
"I see." Sir intoned, his eyes studying me closely.
While I appreciated his restraint so as to not come across as morbid, I nonetheless decided to cut to the heart of why he brought the matter up in the first place.
"I agree that there should be a contingency in case of my death or incapacitation. Especially right now when I'm still vulnerable as I grow into One for All's power. Given his status as your protege, I assume Togata is your preferred candidate. I'd like to interact with him more to be certain, but my first impression is that he's an amazing person, and I trust your judgement, Nighteye. If you believe Mirio Togatao is a worthy successor and All Might is in agreement, then I will gladly pass on One for All to him if I am no longer able to fulfill my duties." My straightforward decision was met with stunned stares from both Nighteye and Nedzu.
I might have overdone it, there. Especially since Nighteye didn't even mention Mirio. Did that sound too adult-like? Oh well, can't take it back now.
Both men -man and bear?- recovered quickly and Nighteye gave me a respectful nod.
"I'm honored by your trust, Midoriya. Hopefully, it will never need to be considered, but I assure you, Mirio would be a worthy successor to All Might's legacy." He gave me an appraising look before adding. "And yours, as well."
I gave a shallow bow of appreciation, but internally I couldn't help but scoff at his words.
My legacy at this point is not dying in a villain attack and getting thermo-bombed by Todoroki…
Regardless of my rather limited list of achievements, Nighteye's sentiment was still appreciated. Holding the respect and approval of such a capable hero and devoted servant of the Symbol of Peace was humbling. To say nothing of my inner fanboy's delight at being recognized by the Sir Nighteye.
"If that's all you had for Midoriya, Mirai, I believe there were some things we needed to discuss?" Nedzu interjected politely.
"Yes." Nighteye confirmed before turning to me. "Thank you for speaking with me, Midoriya. I was eager to meet you in person, and I'm pleased to say you didn't disappointed. All Might chose well."
I blushed slightly at the compliment and rose to my feet before placing my teacup back down on Nedzu's desk.
"Thank you for letting us use your office, Principal Nedzu." I thanked him with a bow.
"Of course, Midoriya. Any time." The chimaera replied happily.
Just as I reached the door, I recalled my original reason for reaching out to Nighteye. Resisting the urge to facepalm, I turned back.
"Oh, Sir. About Yaoyorozu?"
"If Principal Nedzu has no objection, you may send her here in thirty minutes. The notes on her quirk you emailed me are intriguing. Though I must ask, does she have a good sense of humor?" Nighteye questioned curiously.
A sly smile graced my lips as I struggled to suppress both a grimace and a chuckle simultaneously.
"She has her moments." I offered noncommittally.
Nighteye's expression fell, but before he could say anything else, Nedzu interjected in his usual, excitable tone.
"Run along now, Midoriya. You don't want to miss the rest of your classes. You have a busy week ahead of you, after all. Especially given who you've chosen to intern with. Or should I say, who you're attempting to intern with." He said before breaking out into manical laughter.
Leaving the principal's office and his evil cackling behind me, I couldn't help but wonder how such a being came to sit at the head of a highschool.
Author's Note:
So obviously the dynamic between Izuku and Nighteye is very different in this fic than it is in canon. For the most part, I don't think this requires a lot of explanation. Most of the issues Nighteye had with Izuku in canon (namely not being charismatic, like at all) aren't the case in this fic. As such, while Nighteye still prefers Mirio (understandable, Mirio is an exceptional One for All candidate), he understands All Might's decision and respects it. My acknowledgement of my own mortality and the fact that I value Nighteye's opinion despite him essentially being a stranger to me also won me points with him. Because of all of this, Nighteye is willing to help me to the best of his ability, while simultaneously making sure that Mirio is ready if anything were to happen to me.
I also want to clarify that I wasn't lying to him in this chapter. Mirio is absolutely my preferred successor if I were to die (would the fic end at that point? I dunno). How exactly OfA is passed on isn't entirely clear in canon beyond 'ingest DNA', so we don't know if it would work on DNA that has been stored for hours, days, or even longer, or if OfA could be passed on after the previous holder is already dead. For the purposes of this fic, as long as the current holder is alive and has the intention of passing the quirk on, then the intended recipient can inherit OfA, even with years-old DNA.