A light shined down on a hero striking a pose in front of the sun.
The world's most popular hero. All Might! Age unknown. Quirk unidentified. He broke onto the hero scene and was an immediate hit, thanks to his abilities.
And it wasn't just all talk, either. All Might had stopped many fights, saved millions of people, and everyone loved him. Shown by his incredible strength and unwillingness to give up on just about anything.
Ever since he appeared, crime rates have drastically decreased. His very existence, a deterrent for many would-be villains. The world's a safer place. They don't just call him the Symbol of Peace. It's what he is.
Almost no one would dare step up to him thanks to his undefeated streak, no matter what. It honestly gave the police force moments of peace when they had quick-and-easy arrests thanks to the one who could do it all.
And this pillar of justice said to my sister and I...
The blond skinny man who was in his true form from All Might stared down at them. Izuka was giving her brother a big hug as he cried onto her shoulder. "Young man, young lady. You too can become heroes."
"Midoriyas? You're kidding!"
His tears fell onto his sister's uniform as he had reminded himself of everything he had heard growing up.
"Quirkless wannabes! You really think they'd let someone like you in when they could have me?"
He continued to weep onto her clothes, shaking with happiness.
"Sorry, kid, it's not gonna happen."
"I'm sorry, Izuku, to you and your sister."
He gripped at his chest, as he felt so relieved, so happy after what All Might had told him. I needed someone to tell me that. And then...the person I admire most in this world did. Honestly...part of me never thought I'd hear those words. Much less from him.
I don't know why I stopped admiring All Might as much as my brother. Maybe it was because I felt like I couldn't be like him without sacrificing Izuku's feelings in the process. Or it could've been my lack of bravery usually. But hearing it from him...made me realize just a bit just how amazing he still is.
He then held up his hands in front of the setting sun. "I deem you worthy of my power. My Quirk is yours to inherit, young man," He stated, causing them to flinch. Izuka slowly glanced back at him while Izuku looked up from her shoulder. Tears were still in his eyes and then he tilted his head in confusion. He had snot in his nose and he had white eyes. Izuka blinked rapidly as both of them were not following the man at all.
"...Wait. What do you mean inherit?" Izuku spoke up with drool falling from his mouth. "Inherit what?"
"A-Are we...supposed to understand that means?" Izuka tilted her head a bit.
All Might recoiled his head back with a laugh. The two were utterly baffled from his reaction to the question. "You should see your faces right now. Don't worry, I'm not gonna force this thing on you," He stepped forward to the duo, holding up a finger to the sky. "Listen well, young children! This is his choice. Do you wanna accept my awesome power or not?" He bellowed while pointing right at Izuku, blood spurting from his mouth.
Izuku's eyes were shaking, as he was still confused. Did he mean give Izuku his powers? But if so, how? Wh-What is he talking about? What is this?
Why is he acting like this is a casual thing? I've never heard of someone being able to inherit a Quirk... Izuka's eyes twitched a bit from the man's blood.
They watched as he wiped his mouth with his wrist. "There are a couple of things you should know about my abilities." Izuku gasped sharply while looking up. Izuka blinked while staring at him, giving a sound of intrigue. "Journalists always guess my Quirk is super strength or some kind of invulnerability." Papers, interviews, and social media would always come up with the same kind of answer. "When people ask in interviews, I always make a joke and dodge the question. That's because the world needs to believe that their Symbol of Peace is just a natural born hero, like any of them."
The two stared up in silence as their curiosity was peaking. They themselves as well associated his Quirk as one or the other, and because of Izuku's high admiration, he never bothered to question it further. He was just amazed by his hero as a kid.
"But I'm not. There's nothing natural about my ability," He held up his arms above his head, and then struck a pose while looking up to the sky. "I wasn't born with this power. It's a sacred torch that was passed on to me from someone else."
Izuku's eyes went wide as Izuka let out a small gasp. "Someone gave you this Quirk? No way," Izuku muttered as his sister turned to him.
"I didn't even know that was possible," She murmured to her brother.
"Yes way. And you're next," The wind blew All Might's shirt high up to show his injury. "I can give you my abilities."
"Wait. Hold on," Izuku got onto his knees, waving his hands. "This is a lot to process. It's true that there's a lot of debate as to what your Quirk actually is. Nobody's ever figured it out—it's one of the world's greatest mysteries. People are constantly talking about it online. But, well, the idea of passing on a Quirk or inheriting it just doesn't make any sense to me. I've never heard anything like that before."
"Uhhh..." Izuka gave a small sweat drop staring at him. He was off monologuing again, like he usually did when thinking sometimes. "Little brother?" She asked him, but he didn't respond to her.
"Powers are supposed to be unique to each individual. I mean, since the first superpowers, no one's ever been able to just give someone else their power like a present. That's crazy." Words were flying around her and the blond man, neither of them saying a word. "If this is true, it would cause us to rethink everything we know about Quirks to begin with. All bets are off the table."
"Uh, sounds like you're overthinking this whole 'inheriting' thing," He commented and Izuka gave a nervous look, pressing her forefingers together. "Stop nerdin' out!" Izuku gasped in alarm while looking up.
"I-I'm...sorry about him. He...does that a lot," She spoke up quietly while glancing up anxiously.
"And you don't seem used to interacting with other people besides your brother, huh?" He pointed out and it felt like an arrow had just went through the side of her head. She sagged her shoulders with white eyes, tears falling from them.
"She's really shy, so she doesn't talk at a loud volume," Izuku gave an awkward laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. "She can only do that with family..." She had been like that since she was a child, so it was something that always stayed with her.
"You'll have to adjust your reality and accept this new truth!" All Might declared to them. "I can transfer my Quirk to someone else. And that's just one facet of my secret abilities." A glow came from his hand, the middle white as rainbow beams emitted from it. His hair flew above his head. "The true name of my power is One for All."
"One...for...All," The two murmured at the name.
"Yes," He informed as he started to explain the process. "One person improves the power, then hands it off to another person. It continues to grow as it's passed along. It is this cultivated power that allows me to save those who are in need of a hero," The glow then stopped as he clenched his fist. "The truth behind my strength."
"So that means...you'd inherit his Quirk," Izuka turned to her brother in shock. All she wanted in life was to make sure she never used her own for her brother's sake. And now, this man was willingly offering him to give up his own.
"...But why would you choose to give me a gift like that?" Izuku wondered with a small frown. It wasn't like giving it to someone with a strong Quirk wasn't an option. He just didn't know if he was truly worthy of All Might's power, when he had been seen as a weakling all his life by his peers. "What if I can't live up to it?"
"I was on a long hunt for a worthy successor," He informed the twins. "And then, I watched you and your sister jump into action as the rest of us stood idly by." The two rushed forward to go save Katsuki. "You may be just a Quirkless fanboy, and your sister may be just a girl who has never wanted to use her Quirk to save others. But you both tried to save that kid. And she had managed to use her Quirk without hesitation." Izuka slid her left arm backwards while holding her crescent moon bow. A shooting star appeared and she pulled back, causing the sludge to dissipate after she fired. "You acted like heroes."
Izuku gave a small whimper at the praise, his eyes shaking as he looked up at the man. He tried not to cry, and the blond man placed a hand on his head. "Seriously! You gotta stop cryin' so much if you want my Quirk. Come on, kid."
"Izuku...this is it," Izuka smiled happily for him, holding his shoulders. "What you've wanted all along, and all because of what we did. Come on, answer him."
He let out a shiver while continuing to cry. They've said so much to encourage me. He even told me the secret behind his powers.He shook his head rapidly, using his wrist to wipe his eyes. Is this...is this what I've been waiting for all these years? How can I turn him down?
He then stood up to face the blond, giving a determined look. "Okay, I'll do it! Yes!" He answered confidently without question.
"No reluctance," The man grinned as Izuka gave a small proud smile towards her brother. "That's exactly how I figured you'd respond."
"I'm so glad for you, Izuku," She told him with a soft tone in her voice.
"But...you have to promise me you'll use yours too," He glanced towards her and she blinked in confusion. "All these years...you never used it because of me. Well, I don't want that," He gestured to himself. "If I'm gonna do this, I want you to do it with me. I wanna see your amazing Quirk more, Izuka, and for you to get better at using that power. Will you do that for me on this path of ours?"
Her eyes slowly widened at his request and then they softened. There were more than enough reasons as to why she never showed it to him once before today. But at the same time...that small part of her past self wanting to become a hero started to increase just a little more. She took a deep breath; it'd be a scary road for her, what with certain people now knowing the truth. But...she knew that with Izuku's wholehearted belief in her, she could do it. She could become a hero just like All Might said.
"...Alright, Izuku," She gave him a nod and smiled gently. "I'll try my best."
He gasped happily from her answer, glomping her into a hug. "Thank you so much, big sister! I can't believe you're gonna work hard to become a hero like we've wanted!"
"Ah, Izuku, come on," She whined while looking away, embarrassed that he was doing this in front of All Might. "We're in public!"
All Might stared at them with a small chuckle. "By the way, young lady. Would you tell me what your Quirk and limit is? I've seen it myself, but I'd like to have more of an understanding of it," He spoke up, getting her attention. She blinked and took a deep breath.
"My Quirk...is called Galaxy. I can summon a bow shaped like the moon and fire a shooting star at a long distance. I can also apparently utilize components of the whole solar system, but...I-I don't know how exactly."
"Even if you don't know...that's still so cool!" Izuku gushed towards his sister. She hummed and then gave a serious look.
"And my weakness...well, when I told Izuku and my mom about me getting a Quirk, I got examined. And the doctor said it was either like my arms will burn up and my muscles could explode from the inside like a real star burning out. Or...I could cause a huge explosion if I try to use my Quirk while reaching my limit."
All Might let out a small gasp from her explanation. Izuku gave her a deep frown. The doctor wasn't able to tell us which option could occur. She was still four at the time, so it was hard to tell. But apparently, she'll know her limit when her muscles start to burn up. I really hope it doesn't come to either...
The blond paused and then clenched a fist. After hearing that, he silently swore to help her control it so that she herself wouldn't get affected. Sure, he didn't know which answer was the right one until she was pushed that far. But for her sake, he wasn't gonna do that and risk her life in the process if it was the former option.
"Thank you for sharing that with me. I'll keep that in mind, young lady," He gave a small nod and she blinked from his dedication. She then gave him a small smile, Izuku humming happily.
But it wasn't that simple. Receiving All Might's power turned out to be no easy task. As I'd soon find out.
And actually getting control of my Quirk wasn't a walk in the park, either. Because that in of itself became much harder to understand.
Two days later, the three were at Dagoba Municipal Beach Park, and early too. Izuku and Izuka were struggling in unison. Why? Because they were trying to pull a fridge while being tied to rope. With All Might in his muscled form sitting on top of it.
"Hey, hey, hey," He called out to the two of them. "It's pretty comfy up on this fridge." They were surrounded by all types of junk on the beach. "How are you two doing down there?" The two then fell in exhaustion as they couldn't move that thing an inch. Izuka had her hair in a high ponytail, wearing a pink sweatshirt and black sweatpants. "People move these every day, y'know. And most of them don't even have any super strength."
Izuku looked up wearily as Izuka let out a small groan. All Might looked away with a big grin. "Well, yeah, but...there's an extra 600 pounds with you sitting on top of it," The boy pointed out to him.
"And...they at least have equipment to help them move it, Mr. All Might," Izuka glanced back at him tiredly.
"Nah, I've lost weight, so I'm down to 560 these days," He corrected and the girl twitched in disbelief, blue lines underneath her left eye. "In this form, at least." The two gave sheepish chuckles from his explanation. The boy sighed while looking up at all of the piles of stuff around him.
"Great, much better. Why do you have us dragging trash across the beach, anyway?" He couldn't help but wonder.
"Yes, I...fail to see what this has to do with my own Quirk," Izuka fully sat up in confusion.
He let out a laugh in response. "Take a look at yourselves," He snapped photos of the two with his phone. "He's not ready for my power. And you're not ready to be so used to your Quirk you can use it without getting tired."
Izuku yelped, tears flowing from his eyes. Izuka flinched with big white eyes, letting out an embarrassed squeal. "But I thought you said that I was worthy!" Her brother let out a scream while kneeling over, lines over his body.
"A-Am I really that weak that I can't even use my Quirk without getting exhausted?" Izuka let out a whine.
"I'm talking about your weak bodies!" He corrected while stepping up to them. Izuku stopped screaming as the twins looked up at him in silence. "My Quirk, One for All, is a whole lot to handle. The combined physical abilities of everyone who's ever used it creates a hurricane of pure force. An unprepared body can't fully inherit it. Your arms and legs would shoot off if you tried to!"
"Seriously?!" Izuku screeched in horror as Izuka covered her mouth, shaking in disgust.
"Thank goodness it hasn't come to that..." She murmured in a bit of relief.
"As for your sister, an unused Quirk can be dangerous if her body isn't trained enough to withstand it. The first time she used it, she was incredibly lucky. Her physical abilities as they are now cause her to become exhausted after only one use in periods of time. An unprepared body similarly can't control a Quirk if it goes unused for over a decade like hers. If she continues to use it repeatedly, her body will eventually go into shock."
"Uh!" Izuka looked away while shaking. "T-That's actually kinda terrifying..."
Izuku then shook his head rapidly to snap out of it. "Okay. So this whole trash thing is really some kind of hardcore gym workout. And...you're our trainer," He looked up nervously, as he knew that this was gonna be even more brutal going down the line.
"You got it!" All Might grinned widely with a thumbs up. "And as your trainer, young lady, let me know at any point if you feel like you'll reach your limit."
"Y-Yes, Mr. All Might! I-I won't let you down," She said gratefully while bowing her head.
The man nodded sharply in agreement. "But there's another reason, too," He walked up to the fridge. "I did a little online research yesterday. Turns out this part of the beach used to be beautiful, but it's been a total mess for the last few years," He knocked his hand against the fridge. The two then stood up in realization.
"That's right..." He took a look at the many items around them that had built up over the years. "Because of the ocean currents, anything that's dropped in the water ends up here. People take advantage of that when they're illegally dumping their trash. Now all the locals avoid this place."
"A shame, too. I'd really love to paint this area one day. I've tried lots of times to do it with all the trash, but it's impossible," Izuka gave a small frown.
All Might walked up to the fridge. "Heroes these days are all about showing off and capturing flashy villains," He placed his hand on top of the appliance. "Things were different before Quirks," He then crushed it right in front of them. "Service is what mattered." Both of them stared at him in bewilderment for his raw strength. And Izuku was to be inheriting this...Izuka just hoped that she wouldn't be expected to do that herself. "Back then, heroes were those who helped the community. Even if it was kinda boring," He then caused a giant wind after he was done crushing the refrigerator. "You two will restore the coastline for this entire section of the beach. That is the first step on your paths, young children," He looked up at them. "Towards being heroes."
The two gasped as there were hundreds of pieces of things that they would have to move. And the refrigerator was the least of their problems now...
"Um...all this?" Izuku turned back around as Izuka was trembling, her eyes white.
"That'll practically kill us..." She whimpered a bit staring at it.
"But...there's so much. That's impossible!" Izuku cried out and All Might stood up, hand on his hip.
"Young Midoriyas, you wanna go to UA, right?" He reminded the twins and they turned around.
"Well, yeah. Of course! You went there. So it must be the best school around, right?" Izuku pointed out with a hand on his chest. He gave a slight blush as well. "It's a long shot. But still. I'm gonna shoot for the moon. UA."
"I-I wanna...at least try," Izuka stammered while clutching at her pants and looking towards the sand. "I-If it is really the best school as they say...then I wanna uphold my promise to my brother. I...I don't know h-how much else of not using my Quirk will affect me. But...I-I wanna remedy that by getting into UA, and...m-maybe prove myself?"
"You've got a lot of spirit, fanboy," All Might commented and Izuku looked down a bit bashfully. "And you have a lot of heart, young lady. Although you might wanna work on your speech and volume. I can barely hear you sometimes."
"Ah!" She twitched in alarm, bowing her head. "I-I'm sorry, Mr. All Might. I'm still...getting used to the fact that you're not a stranger anymore..." She rubbed the back of her neck.
"I'm sure you'll adjust just fine," Izuku gave her a hopeful smile, leaning towards her ear. "And to be honest, I'm still trying to get past that too."
He then turned around, his back facing the duo. "But, as I've mentioned before, hero-ing isn't easy to do without a Quirk." They tilted their heads in confusion while staring at the man. "It's not fair, but that's the reality. And UA is the hardest hero course to get into. So that means..."
"That I have to prepare my body for your Quirk really fast," Izuku stepped up a bit nervously. "And Izuka needs to get control of hers so that she can properly use it." The girl then gasped in realization for his urgency. "UA's exam is in ten months!"
"W-Will that really be enough time in order to reach the deadline?" Izuka stammered a little in shock. Months could go by really quick, and if they didn't make significant progress by that time, it would take who knows how long to take the exam again.
He then stepped up, holding a few papers. "Not to worry, kids. I've got you covered," He assured the two. Izuka blinked at what he was holding, wondering what exactly it was. "With the help of my handy 'Aim to Pass: American Dream Plan'! Both of you follow this to the letter and the beach will be cleaned up just in time." It was a daily schedule of a routine that must be followed, for both weekdays and weekends. It included a meal plan as well. "I also detailed every other aspect of your lives while I was at it."
"S-So punctual..." Izuka shook a bit in shock reading it. Izuku was a little put off as well. He had no idea All Might even did this sort of thing.
"Even our sleep is scheduled..." He murmured, as he didn't know whether or not to be in awe or a little freaked out.
"And I have time slots just to paint..." Izuka blinked rapidly at it.
All Might leaned in towards the two, standing over them. "I figured you'd want some time to yourself given your tendency to be overwhelmed being around me still. And I have to keep my promise of not pushing your limit for your own safety, so I gave you more breaks between your routine. But if I'm being honest, this is gonna be super hard. Think you're up to it?"
Izuku's hands shook a little. "Yeah, sure I am," He gave a slightly nervous smile, but he understood the reasoning. "We have to work way harder than anyone else to get in. So what choice do we have, right?"
"You've already helped us so much...that I have to pull my own weight as well," Izuka's eyes softened a little. "My Quirk will be hard to control because I don't know everything about it. But...I wanna go through with it. To see what else I can do."
All Might gave them a big smile, nodding in approval.
Just like that, we began ten months of absolute hell. Well, mostly for me since Izuka's Quirk could practically kill her or anyone with range if she wasn't careful.
All Might kept his promise of not pushing my limit, always letting me step aside when things got to be too much. It honestly felt a bit unfair, but I still tried my hardest when I could.
The twins pulled a large file cabinet as much as they could. "Come on, put your back into it, Midoriyas!" All Might encouraged while waving a fist, in his skinny form. "It's not gonna move itself! Make sure you're watching your muscles, Izuka!"
The two then ran while holding tires. We're using different muscle groups depending on the size and shape of the trash we're hauling.
Izuka waved her hand for a break, which he did give to her.
All Might was standing on a pile, cheering them on. "Let's go, let's go! The clock is ticking and ten months will be over before you know it!" Izuku then tripped and fell. Izuka hit the ground knees first, panting as she sat on her legs behind her brother. "Don't you give up! It's time to go beyond! Izuka, are you-"
She held up a hand, signaling that she was okay. The two stood up and continued running. All Might smiled proudly at the girl at her hard work, despite her not knowing what could happen to her with her Quirk.
The two then had to go to school later that day. "So you see, with the appearance of Quirks, the Building Standards Act in place had to be..." The teacher was rambling off while Izuka was taking notes next to her brother. Both of them looked exhausted, but the girl powered on so that she could build her stamina.
So tired. But we gotta focus...it'd be better if we could finish cleanup a week before the exam. Izuku gripped his pen, looking at his notebook of his menu from All Might. That means we've only got 294 days left. If we take recovery periods into account, assuming we'll be resting two days between each hard workout, then...
"That gives me about 98 days of actual training," He muttered while tapping his finger against his mouth. "Even at our most efficient. We can get in around five hours every morning and night, so that's 490 hours...Also, we'll need to make sure we're hitting every muscle group, which means we need to pay attention to the type of work we're doing on the beach every day." His muttering got the attention of everyone, including the teacher since he wasn't being quiet. "We could start sneaking in extra workouts and lifting weights on our own, I suppose. Yeah, yeah. That would help us focus our workouts and isolate specific muscles. But it'll cost us time, lots of it. We'll have to cut back on the hours of sleep All Might scheduled for us, but independent training could help us catch up a little bit more. Excellent."
"Uhh, h-how about you just start with paying attention in class...?" Izuka whispered, but he didn't hear it. The teacher extended his hand.
"Hey! Izuku Midoriya!" He smacked the boy on the head, Izuka wincing to herself. He covered his mouth in shock as everyone looked at him teasingly except his sister. "I know you and Izuka had a run-in with a villain. But pull yourself together, kid!" Everyone started snickering at him. "If you really wanna get into UA, you might actually have to know something."
He looked up ahead in embarrassment, as he had forgotten all about his studies he had to keep up with during this whole routine of theirs. Oh, right, I've gotta study too.
"I-I'm very sorry, sir," Izuka looked up meekly to him from her seat. "My brother is g-getting a bit too ahead of himself..."
"Well, since you apologized, Izuka, I'll overlook it this time."
"You hear him? Nuts!" A girl with horns on her head smiled in amusement.
"Idiot!"
Katsuki was the only one not laughing, looking towards the window. He then glanced towards Izuka, seeing her power through her notes. She seemed very focused, too, as she was determined to keep her grades up while training. He stared at her for a few seconds and then scoffed, looking away from her. No matter how much studying she did, unless she fixed her Quirk problem, she wouldn't get into UA...
All Might watched the twins running across the beach after school had ended. The two pushed a giant tire in unison, the blond standing over them. He gestured with his arm to guide them more.
Izuku then panted while running laps. Izuka was falling a bit behind as she came to a stop near All Might, panting with her hands on her knees. She could feel a slight burn from her left arm muscle, but she wasn't giving up—she would build her body! All Might was about to check up on her when she ran off again, managing to catch up to her brother. He blinked and then gave a small smile.
The twins showed their mother their new diet, and once she made it for them, the two sat down to eat. Then they had to study afterwards.
The two pushed some lockers together, grunting as they continued on. All Might showed them new adjustments to their routine before they left for school.
Izuku then struggled to lift weights, Izuka coughing as she felt like the thing could crush her. The duo then did push-ups as much as they could. After that, Izuku was close to falling asleep, snot coming from his nose. He practically looked like a zombie trying to write notes. A few students stared at him anxiously. Izuka glanced at him and leaned forward, popping the snot bubble with her pencil. He yelped a bit in alarm as he woke up. Then she moved back, grabbing a pen instead. She then continued to take her notes, as at this point, she was used to the routine by now.
That night, they scarfed down their food, their mother looking at them in a bit of concern. Izuku held out an empty bowl. Izuka let a small burp, putting a hand in front of her mouth sheepishly.
The two ran towards the beach early the next morning, still pushing trash off the beach. The two panted and then Izuku felt bile going up his throat. He then threw up onto his sister's shoes, much to her dismay. All Might gave a small groan. Later that day, when it was almost closing time, Izuka gave a small pout as Izuku stood in the shoe store with her. She wanted to wait until there were less crowds, so she had to spend the rest of the day working out in socks. He forked over almost all of his allowance for new sneakers for his sister. All Might silently shook his head as the girl did not look amused whatsoever.
In the rain, the two pushed a truck in the middle of the weather. And they weren't making much progress, either. The blond watched and gave another groan at this.
He then watched as the two did swimming exercises at the beach. A few girls peeked over and he posed as they admired the hero.
Izuku was using barbells for his arms, Izuka doing the same in her room.
The next morning, the two hauled off trash into the truck. Later at school, they used a hand tool to strengthen their arms while taking notes. Then the sun was starting to set as they both carried All Might on their shoulders, and managed to carry him, though just barely.
Soon, it was fall, and the leaves were flying off the trees. The twins were holding things above their shoulders while running after All Might. He was following them on a small scooter. Izuka was panting, but kept her eyes forward as she felt much stronger in terms of her body than she did before. Izuku, however...wasn't faring too well, and he felt like his eyesight was blurring. He couldn't keep up anymore and eventually fell to the ground. Izuka gasped as she and All Might looked back.
"Izuku!" She ran up to her brother in alarm, dropping her item. The blond let out a sigh.
"Hey, hey, kid, look alive now! You two have only got three months left! What, are you gonna give up after all this work? Wanna flush it all down the toilet and take it easy? I already cut your sister's breaks in half, so I haven't gone that far with her." He called out and Izuka gave a small frown. She knew he was right, but something about Izuku felt very off. Lately, his stamina wasn't great, and neither were his eating habits. And every time she'd ask, he'd insist he was fine, but this was convincing her that he wasn't.
And it was true that All Might had slowly cut her breaks, because she had shown him that her body was starting to handle her Quirk little by little. She still felt like she would reach her limit, but not nearly as enough as she did starting out. And it was proof she was still following the routine, though now she couldn't say the same for Izuku. If he had been following it, he wouldn't be nearly as tired, and he'd be at her level by now.
His body twitched as Izuka looked down at him in concern. All Might let out a gasp and he realized what was going on. Especially since the girl wasn't reacting the same. "You're overworked. The 'Aim to Pass: American Dream Plan' was created with your bodies in mind, even though they did differ between you two at the start. It was fine-tuned to ensure your progress was swift, but manageable." He then gave a slightly scary look. "Which means...you haven't been sticking to it."
Izuka gasped and then she glared down at the boy. "Izuku...is that true?" She asked slowly and carefully.
He didn't answer, not even lifting his head up. "You're overdoing things; that's gonna have the opposite effect of what we want!" All Might scolded him.
"I have to work harder..." He declared while clenching his fists. "Or I won't stand a chance against the other applicants." The two flinched in shock as he was shaking. "I don't just want into UA, I wanna excel. I wanna see Izuka's power grow with her. I want...to be like you!" His hands twitched as he tried to force himself up. "I want...for myself and my sister to be the greatest heroes in the world! So I'll keep on trying. Until I've got what it takes to do that!"
Both Izuka and All Might gasped in surprise.
"I want people to see my fearless smile and feel safe. And be just like you!" Izuku smiled up at All Might, before having seen his true form.
"Izuku..." The girl murmured softly down at him, as she could understand now why he did it. Yes, it was stupid, and not a good call. But he was very determined, and full of energy like he was before All Might had crushed his dreams at the start.
Gotta hand it to the boy. He's given a lot of thought to the future, not just for himself, but for his big sister too. She shouldered so much just so he wouldn't feel upset seeing her use her own Quirk...
He then grew into his muscled form, holding up Izuku by the back of his sweatshirt. "That fighting spirit's what I like about you, fanboy! It serves you well. And you, young lady, your compassion for others is admirable."
Izuka blinked up at him in alarm. "Huh?" She murmured in disbelief; at this point, she had gotten used to being comfortable speaking to him at least. But she still used formalities with him, which he didn't seem to mind.
"I do get your concerns. That said, now's not the time to go and rush progress. Fear not! I can get you back on track. And make sure your sister's still following hers. By the looks of it, she is. Leave it to this old man to adjust your plan! Young lady, let me know if you want yours adjusted too. Might need to give you a break so you don't end up like him," He pointed to the boy and she gave a sweat drop.
"I think I'll be okay..." She said sheepishly in response.
"You're not an old man, All Might," Izuku replied weakly, earning a laugh in response.
It was now February 26th as All Might got out of his car.
And suddenly, it was the morning of the exam.
As for the beach clean up...
He heard a scream from the twins, looking up to see them standing on the huge pile of trash. The sun was starting to rise as Izuka pumped her fists standing next to her brother. Izuku let out another scream to the sky, sweat dripping down their faces. All Might ran up to the staircase, some trash nearby him.
"Hey, hey, holy crap, kids," He murmured in disbelief...as the entire beach was now back to its former glory! "You even cleaned up outside the area I told you to. Seriously...there's not one speck of trash left on this beach!" The waves rolled in as the sun set higher. "Only a few minutes to spare. But you exceeded my expectations!" He was then shaking in awe of the two. "Holy...stinkin..." He turned into his muscle form with a big smile on his face. "Super crap!"
Izuku was swaying around tiredly as they had worked nonstop to get the rest out, without any sleep either. The two started to fall, only for All Might to swoop in and catch Izuku in his arms. Izuka fell over his shoulder and he held her in place. He then stood up, looking at them proudly. "Excellent work, you two!"
Izuku looked up tiredly as Izuka was panting softly. "We finished everything. All Might...we did it. Do you think we're ready now?" Izuku murmured in exhaustion.
"Do you think my body is ready for my Quirk...?" She muttered while trying to wake up.
"Yeah, you did good, kids. I gotta say, I'm impressed," He placed the two down gently, Izuku first. Once the girl was on the ground, she rubbed at her eye with her fist. "I knew you had it in you, but this is beyond. Heh," He stepped back and then held up his cell phone. "Look at this."
They silently looked up to see pictures of the two of them wailing. This was from the first day of training with All Might, and they didn't look very flattering... "Um..."
"It's you two crying ten months ago," He then took a good look at them. "Look how far you've come. Such improvement!" Izuku had grown a six-pack, while Izuka seemed a bit more muscular, but not enough to be over the top like her brother. At the very least, her stamina was much better, though she had no idea how long it would last for her limits with her Quirk to show now. "There's still a long road ahead of you both before he can inherit my full power set. And before she can really utilize her Quirk's vast variety. But it's starting to look like you can do it!"
The two gave small smiles, looking at their hands. "All Might...do I deserve this? Are you sure?" His hand was slightly shaking. "You put so much time and energy into helping us." He sniffed, a few tears escaping him. "How did I end up so lucky...?"
"Can I really do a lot with my Quirk...? There's so much I have to learn before I even get that far," Izuka stated a bit hesitantly, giving a teary-eyed smile. "But you were patient with my limits and even allowed my body to adjust when you could've made it the same as my brother. Thank you so much, Mr. All Might...!"
He laughed down at the two. Are you two really worried about that after all these months? He then patted the two on the back. "It was the hard work of you both that did this, not mine. Now, for your reward, Izuku Midoriya. And yours as well, Izuka Midoriya."
"Yes, sir!" Izuku sniffed and Izuka blinked. She wouldn't inherit One for All, and that was fine with her. She had her own power to master anyway. So what would even be her reward?
"I'll start with Izuka. You mentioned wanting to paint this beach, but couldn't before because of the trash. Well..." He dug into his jacket, and to her amazement, pulled out a small easel along with some paintbrushes and bottles of paint. "It's not much, and I imagine you have the necessary colors needed. I didn't know if I got 'em all, but...you earned your chance, Izuka Midoriya."
Her hands twitched as she thought she was dreaming while reaching out to the supplies. "I...I can really paint the beach...?" She murmured happily while taking them into her hands. Izuku gave her a small smile as she beamed slowly. "Thank you, Mr. All Might...! You'll be the first one to see it when it's done, I promise."
"Looking forward to it!" He nodded at her and she hugged the easel with a happy smile. Izuku gave a small chuckle; he hadn't seen his sister this happy in a long time ever since having her Quirk.
All Might plucked a hair from his head, holding it up. "Someone told me this once. There's a difference between being lucky and deserving. One's an accident, the other a reward. Never get the two confused." Izuku gasped in anticipation. "Take that to heart, young children. This gift, Izuku. You earned it with your own valiant efforts." Izuku looked up at him teary-eyed as they both waited, and then the boy gave a look of determination.
And so, I held out my weak, Quirkless hands...and grabbed the future.
And I watched my brother, proudly, as he would finally take the first step to becoming a hero.
All Might held out the hair to the boy. "Eat this," He simply stated, to their shock.
"Huh?"
"Uh..." Izuka looked at him with small eyes, her mouth open a little. She then sweated immensely at this, giving a nervous sound. "...Run that by us again?"
"For him to inherit my power, he's gotta swallow some of my DNA, that's how it works!" He informed and she blinked incredibly.
"This isn't exactly how I imagined it!" The boy exclaimed in disbelief.
"Come on, there's no time! You'll both be late for the exam! Eat, eat, eat!" He urged, Izuku screaming in horror.
"We have to get going, little brother, eat the hair please!" Izuka urged him while pumping her fists.
"Why are you acting so encouraging about something like this?!" He screeched at her.
Later, at 8:40 am, UA stood on its proud grounds as it would be the location of the exam. Lots of students from all different middle schools were arriving for their chance, wearing winter clothing. Izuku ran up with Izuka clutching at his backpack with one hand. While she may be used to All Might, crowds were a different story.
"We made it just in time," Izuku panted out and Izuka sighed in relief.
"Thank goodness..." She said quietly enough for him to hear. Both of them slowly stepped forward, looking up towards the entrance. Izuka had on a knit cap over her head and a white scarf around her neck.
"We were so worried about missing the exam that we didn't have a chance to test out our new powers," He glanced back at his sister. "Well, more so mine since yours aren't technically new," He gave a sheepish smile. New to everyone else, yes, but not to her.
All Might held up the single hair in front of Izuku. "Eat this," He simply stated, to their shock.
Izuku had a hand in front of his mouth at the memory. It was not something he wanted to relive ever again. "I may have swallowed the hair, but I don't feel like anything great has happened to me yet."
"Remember what All Might said?" His sister whispered into his ear.
"Stupid Deku and mousy," A familiar voice growled out before she could remind him, getting their attention. Izuku let out a small gasp as he glanced back to see Katsuki approaching.
"Kacchan!"
He gritted his teeth at them, angry as usual. "Get out of my way now before I set you two on fire," He threatened and Izuku yelped, recoiling back. Izuka just hid behind her brother with an annoyed frown towards him.
"Oh hey, g'mornin'. Um, let's just both do our best out there, okay?" Izuku waved his arms around as Katsuki walked right past them. "Good luck!" The blond boy didn't respond at all to them, he simply looked back at Izuka. She was looking away and he scoffed at the girl in silence. Izuku just stared up ahead. He was surprised that Katsuki wasn't bullying them or even trying to hurt them in any way.
"I think that's the kid who withstood the sludge villain. His name's Bakugo, right? And look, I think just right past him was that girl who tried to save him. Midoriya, I think?" One of the students glanced back and Izuka blinked at the fact that they said her name.
"Yeah, he's the real deal. And that girl is really something, huh?" Another one commented, the girl blinking in shock.
Ever since that day, Kacchan's been taking it easier on me. Izuka...not as much, I sometimes catch him giving her intense looks. Izuku then let out a sigh of relief, dropping his shoulders. I guess I was just scared out of habit. He then shook his head rapidly, looking down towards his sister. "But hey, they were talking about you!" He nudged her a little happily. "It's good that some people think you're strong enough already!"
"That might make things worse when I'm taking the exam..." She gave him a small sweat drop; that meant people might be watching her, and she did not like that foreboding feeling at all.
"And we're not defenseless anymore," He pumped a fist in front of her, looking up towards UA's logo. "Yeah. We have to remember all the work we've put in," His legs were shaking a little, though. "Thanks to All Might...we're actually going to be heroes!" He stepped forward with her in tow...and then he tripped over his sneakers. "Or I'll just die."
"Ah-!" Izuka reached out a hand to stop him and he did...however, he couldn't really feel Izuka's arm anywhere. That was because he was stopped in mid-air before he could fall, with a brunette-haired girl standing nearby. She gave a small chuckle.
"Are you okay?" The girl wondered and Izuka yelped, hiding behind one of the statues nearby. She looked up ahead at her brother, giving a look of awe. "Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to scare you." Izuku screamed while moving his legs around rapidly as he was still floating. The girl then helped him up, pressing her hands together with a small smile. "I stopped you with my Quirk. I'm sorry I didn't ask first. But...I figured you wouldn't mind me catching you."
He stared at her wide-eyed, blush on his cheeks. She then looked up with a big smile. "Isn't this all, like, way nerve-wracking?"
"Uh, I, uh..." He stammered, unable to form a sentence.
Izuka gripped at her skirt, looking around anxiously. "T-T..." She couldn't speak either, though mainly because of her shyness around new people.
"Well, guess I'll see you inside. Bye! And I'm sorry again for scaring you!" She waved to Izuka as she left, the girl staring after her. Izuku was too and he then blushed as he realized what just happened.
Holy whoa, I just talked to a girl! Well, other than my sister. He didn't really even say a proper sentence to her, though...he let out a few happy laughs while walking back to Izuka. He turned around so she could grab his backpack and she stared at him, blinking rapidly.
"Are you sick...?" She murmured to herself in confusion.
Before actually taking the exam, they all had to go to orientation first. There was a room reserved just for this event. The lights on stage turned on one by one, revealing a hero by himself. "What's up, UA candidates? Thanks for tunin' in to me, your school DJ," He then waved his arms with a big smile. "Come on, and lemme hear ya!" He held up his hand to his ear...and no one was saying a word. He shrugged it off. "Keeping it mellow, huh? That's fine, I'll skip straight to the main show. Let's talk about how this practical exam's gonna go down, okay? Are you ready? Yeah!"
Once again, complete silence. Izuku was fanboying looking at the man on stage, however. "Oh my goodness, it's the Voice Hero, Present Mic. So cool!" He gushed with sparkles around him. Unfortunately, Izuka was sitting between him and Katsuki...she had her hoodie above her head, sweating immensely as she was shaking in her seat. "I listen to his radio show every day of the week. It's so crazy nuts that all the UA teachers are pro heroes."
"Will you shut up?" Katsuki grumbled a bit, glancing to the girl. "Oi! And stop shaking, you're making me wanna vomit."
She flinched in alarm from being addressed and frowned with a small whine. She wished she could switch seats, but her brother was too busy fanboying that she couldn't ask.
"Like your application said, today you rockin' boys and girls will be out there conducting ten-minute mock battles in super-hip urban settings," The screen flipped around to start showing a graph of sorts. "Gird your loins, my friends! After I drop the mic here, you'll head to your specified battle center, sound good?"
All of them looked at their papers to find out which one they'd be assigned to. And still, there was silence in the room. "Okay?"
"I see," Katsuki spoke up, alarming both twins by how calm he sounded. "They're splitting us up so we can't work with any of our friends."
"Yeah, you're right," Izuku murmured as he looked past his sister. He was in Battle Center B, and so was Izuka. Katsuki was in Battle Center A. "Our examinee numbers are one after the other, but we're assigned to different battle centers."
"Get your eyes off my card," Katsuki growled and the boy yelped again. Izuka slid her hoodie down further, sinking in her seat a little. "Damn, I was really looking forward to crushing the both of you."
Izuka let out a sigh of relief to herself that he wouldn't be in their area. Though she had no doubt he'd pass...
"Okay, okay, let's check out your targets," Present Mic gestured to the screen behind him, which showed silhouettes of robots. "There are three types of faux villains in every battle center. You'll earn points based on their level of difficulty, so better choose wisely. Your goal in this trial is to use your Quirk to raise your score by shredding these faux villains like a mid-song guitar solo. But, check it! Make sure you're keeping things heroic. Attacking other examinees is a UA no-no, ya dig?"
Izuka looked even more relieved; so even if Katsuki was in their Battle Center, he wouldn't be able to fight them.
"Excuse me, sir," A student stood up in the middle of the room, raising his hand. "But I have a question."
"Hit me!" A spotlight shined on the boy, who pointed to the printouts everyone was given so that they'd know which faux villain was associated with how many points.
"On the printout, you've listed four types of villains. Not three. With all respect, if this is an error on official UA materials, it is shameful. We are exemplary students. We expect the best from Japan's most notable school. A mistake such as this won't do." Izuka's eyes widened that he was openly scolding Present Mic over something like this...and then he turned around to the twins, pointing right at them. "Additionally, you with the unkempt hair and the girl trying to hide."
"Huh?" Izuku pointed at himself as Izuka flinched in alarm next to him.
"He's been muttering this entire time, and her attempts to cover herself up are a disgrace. Stop that, both of you. If you can't bother to take this seriously, leave. You're distracting the rest of us, while she's being disrespectful to the faculty and those who are all properly showing their faces in this school with no issue. Additionally, the cover of your outer garment should not be visible inside a building, only outside!"
"Sorry..." Izuku murmured while covering his mouth in embarrassment. Izuka let out a whine while slowly moving her hoodie away from her hair. She then adjusted it in silence, Katsuki glancing at her. He then looked towards the boy with a small huff that she didn't pay attention to.
"All right, all right," Present Mic waved his hands to try and keep the peace. "Examinee number 7111. Thanks for calling in with your request. The fourth villain type is worth zero points. That guy's just an obstacle we'll be throwing in your way. There's one in every battle center. Think of it as a hurdle you should try to avoid. It's not that it can't be beaten, but there's...kinda no point. I recommend my listeners try to ignore it and focus on the ones toppin' the charts."
The one still underneath the spotlight then bowed. "Thank you very much. Please, continue," He silently sat back down.
"Oh, I get it. So they're kinda like traps you have to get by in games," One of the examinees commented to someone next to him.
"The whole thing's like a video game, huh?"
"That's all I got for you today. I'll sign off with a little present. A sample of our school motto! As General Napoleon Bonaparte once laid down. A true hero is one who overcomes life's misfortunes. Mm-hm. Now that's a tasty soundbite. You ready to go beyond?" Present Mic then held out his arms. "Let's hear a Plus Ultra!"
The words appeared on the screen, and he got no response. Izuku was shaking looking at the paper in front of him. "Good luck! Hope you practiced hitting more than just books."
The twins stood in front of the Battle Center where they'd be testing. A bus had taken them and other people there as well. And the Battle Centers were in good distance of each other, so no one could sneak out.
Well, this is it. Time to put ten months of training with All Might to the test. Izuku was wearing a teal jumpsuit while Izuka had her hair tied up. She had on a midnight blue jumpsuit herself. Time to give it my all. Izuka and I will become heroes. Just like I always dreamed. Inside, he was shaking like a leaf because he didn't want to fail. I won't let myself or her down!
He then reached up to slap his cheeks to snap himself out of it. Izuka placed a hand on her chest nervously, letting out a shaky breath she didn't know she was holding. She then clenched her fists silently in determination. She would pass the exam today, and she would work hard while doing it.