a/n Greetings all, welcome to chapter 2 of the story formally known as "The Ki Hero Deku." As of this chapter I am changing the Title to "The Ki Hero. This is for two reasons. The first is that the new title doesn't force me to use Deku as Izuku's hero name. The second is that I have found another story that shares an extremely similar title, and I would like to differentiate between their story and my own. I will probably change the title again once the story gets to Internships to reflect Izuku's hero name.
Now onto the legal stuff, MHA and Dragonball, the property of their respective owners or their estates, please support the official release…. Rest In Peace, Toriyama-sensei, go and teach a dinosaur to ride a ball.
Dagobah Beach, Mustafaru Japan, August 9 2215, 06:42
Sweat falling down his face in the summer morning heat, Izuku paused. When he had started training to pass his parents test just over a week ago. He had done some research and discovered that running was a good way to build stamina and endurance. And so he had started. It had started small just running around his neighborhood, and stopping frequently from exhaustion. As the days passed, Izuku had expanded his range. His most recent expansion had brought him to the beach.
He had some vague memories of visiting the beach in the past, but as he looked out towards the water all he saw was junk. Taking a seat on the stairs that led to the sand, he started to think. A part of him wanted to just continue his running and leave the problem to someone else. "Maybe I can post on the city message board about this. "
Izuku was about to stand up to continue his run. But then he had another thought. "But is anybody actually going to do anything?" Izuku wasn't sure how long he had been there when he heard a man speak up.
"It's a shame what's happened to this beach recently." Izuku looked up to see a giant of a man with blonde hair and blue eyes.
Slightly intimidated by the man's statue, Izuku could only nod. After a moment he said, "I thought about mentioning it on the message board."
The man nodded, "That is certainly one way of dealing with the situation. Maybe if enough pressure is put on the city, they might do something about it." Izuku could feel the amount of doubt in the man's voice.
Izuku nodded, "But what can be done, sir?"
The man looked thoughtful for a moment before he replied. "Well, If someone were to get started, maybe the city could be shamed into helping." The man was silent for a moment before he continued. "So what brings you out here, this early young man?"
Izuku wasn't sure why, but something inside his soul told him to trust the man at least a bit. "I want to take martial arts to help me with my goal of being a hero, but my parents want me to show my commitment by having me complete the pre quirk American president's fitness challenge. I've spent the last week running to build up my stamina."
Izuku noted that the man's face had split into a smile as he had spoken. Moments later, the man spoke. "Well, young man we may have a way of cleaning the beach and accomplishing your goal! As Izuku looked at him inquisitively, the man continued. "You may not see it right now, but all the trash before you can provide you with a variety of ways to improve, your strength, your stamina and your endurance."
Izuku was hopeful before a thought occurred. "But where would it all go?"
The man's smile grew wider. "Never fear young man, for I am here with a solution!" My employer is a well-known hero. And I can guarantee that he would be happy to arrange for dumpsters to be set up and hauled away once they are full."
Izuku was starting to get excited at the prospect. "Who do you work for?"
The man continued to smile, "My apologies young man, My name is Toshinori Yagi and I work for none other than All Might."
Izuku could hardly believe it, his tongue failed to work. Moments later, he found his voice. "A-all Might, That's amazing!"
Toshinori nodded, "The boss will be quite busy soon but he will make this happen. But before we do anything, we need to talk to your mother.
Inko Midoriya had always hoped that one day her son would bring someone home. She didn't care if it was a boy or a girl. But in her mind she had expected that it would be another three to five years until that time and he wouldn't be bringing home statuesque Aryan wet dreams.
Nevertheless, despite her misgivings she had listened to the man's spiel and a call to Might Tower had confirmed his credentials. She had hated to call Hisashi in the middle of his day but this wasn't the type of thing that she could decide alone. Izuku had been sent to his room while the adults discussed the proposition.
"[So tell me Mr. Yagi, What is All Might getting out of all of this? Don't get me wrong. If he follows through that would be amazing but I can't see what he is getting from this.]" Sitting next to him, Inko nodded. The question had been banging around her head as well.
The blonde-haired man was silent for several moments before he responded, There are a variety of things that All Might stands to gain from this situation. The first of course is that the beach is cleaned. All Might has wanted to see the beach cleaned for a very long time, but has been waylaid by a particularly evil villain"
Inko could feel the contempt in the blue-eyed man's voice when he said villain. Whatever the villain had done had been personal to the man before her. But she remained silent as the man continued.
"Related to that, All Might views acts like cleaning the beach as acts of true heroism. In his mind the heroes of today have gotten lost in the fame and money that comes from the career of heroism as opposed to the call of heroism. Should your son's actions receive media attention then it may well lead to others joining him including members of the hero community."
Inko was next to voice her concern. "What safeguards will be in place to ensure Izuku's health and safety?"
Toshinori closed his eyes as if to focus his thoughts before he responded. "That's a good question Mrs. Midoriya. Regarding his safety, he will be provided the best PPE available and a member of Might Towers medical staff will be on site during the hours that Izuku would be working. As far as his health is concerned, a physical development plan will be created that will account for Izuku's age, current physical state, his goals and any obligations he may have such as school once things pick back up in a month."
Inko nodded, "And who will be creating this plan?"
Toshinori responded quickly, "I will." at the looks from the two parents, he continued. "In college I majored in both Office management and Physical Education. I am confident that I can come up with a plan that will meet all your son's needs.
Inko looked to the screen where Hisashi sat, and he looked back at her. The two shared a look before Inko spoke for both. "Can you give us a few minutes to discuss this?" At the man's nod, Inko took the laptop and retreated to her room.
Once the door was closed, Inko put on a headset and the couple started talking. "So what do we think?" opened Inko.
Hisashi looked at his wife, and in a calm tone replied. "[Well on its face, this seems like a good opportunity. And it fits into both Izuku's own goals and the test of commitment we set for him. U.A. or not being physically fit is a good thing.]"
Inko nodded, "I agree but before I am fully on board, I would like to take a look at this plan that Yagi is talking about. Make sure that it is healthy."
Hisashi nodded, "[Between the two of us, You're the nurse. You would know better than I would.]"
Inko smiled at her husband's faith in her. "Thanks honey, Is there anything else before we give him our answer?"
Hisashi shook his head and the pair returned to where Toshinori remained seated. "Mr. Yagi, we've discussed it and we tentatively agree. But we do have a condition."
Five days later, Izuku was back on Dagobah beach. He was clad in an All Might themed exercise suit that breathed so well he almost forgot he was wearing it and wearing a set of gloves designed to protect him from sharp objects. He wore a set of goggles that was protecting his eyes from any small debris that might start flying. Near the stairs was a number of dumpsters that Izuku had spent the last day and a half trying to fill.
Nearby was a nurse from Might Tower that was making sure that he took breaks every hour and that if he was trying to move something too big or bulky for him that he would leave it until someone could help him. Because of the rules he had agreed to, Izuku could only do this for five hours a day maximum, so he was doing what he could to make the most of his time.
Already Izuku had started making a dent into the large piles. He had managed to clear a few of the piles that composed of smaller and lighter objects. In the meantime he had started working on making use of his ability to sense Ki while outside of a meditative trance. It had been slow going as he had to split his focus but slowly he was catching up to where his meditative Ki senses had been previously.
His meditative sense had increased to where he could sense his entire building when he trained at home. He couldn't pinpoint anybody's specific location and outside of his mom he couldn't tell one person from another. But the book had indicated that the ability to distinguish one person from another would come with practice. Currently he was trying to memorize the signature of the nurse that was watching over him today. She was a young woman with pink hair and green eyes named Sakura and she had explained that she had a quirk that turned her stamina into physical enhancement. She had demonstrated her power by bending a steel pipe into a pretzel.
Izuku had been fascinated when she had explained that before she had become a nurse she had worked with the fire department. She had used her power to save people from fires and other situations. In Izukus mind, even if she wasn't a pro hero she was a hero.
At the moment Izuku was working on moving a large microwave. Its unusual shape and weight was using muscle all over his body. He felt tension in his arms, shoulders, abdomen, lower back and legs. As a gym teacher had told Izuku a few years back, he was feeling the burn. After a few seconds of carrying the device, Izuku foisted it into the dumpster that had been set up for electronics.
As he bent over slightly to catch his breath, he heard Sakura call out. "You've been at it for a while Izuku, Why don't you have a drink and a protein bar to recover some of your strength and keep yourself hydrated." When Izuku looked at her, he noticed that the woman was holding a large jug of water in one hand and a bar in the other.
Wiping some of the sweat from his brow Izuku nodded, "Thants Miss Sakura!" After a light jog to the young nurse, Izuku tore into his snack with gusto.
After a bit of a rest, Sakura looked at Izuku and said "How about one more hour of cleaning and then we'll run you through your cool down." Izuku felt himself frown , "Don't give me that look, young man, You've only just gotten started with this project. You need to get your body used to what you are asking it to do.
Despite himself, Izuku nodded.
Dagobah Beach, Mustafaru Japan, September 25 2215, 10:00
As Izuku moved an old window mount air conditioning unit, He couldn't help but marvel at his own improvement. When he had started a month and a half ago , he never would have been able to move the heavy appliance by himself, and yet here he was, sure it was straining him a bit but here he was. And with his new fitness his studies on the physical side of Ki had started to bear fruit.
It wasn't much, but it was enough that Izuku had started experimenting with it. True to the book's teachings he could send the Ki to any part of his body and that part of his body became tougher, more resilient. But the book had indicated that most times, it was best to let the Ki flow over your body.
The effect had been amazing to Izuku when he had used it to pull at a steel pipe that had seemed stuck in place. Before it had seemed immovable as if it was stuck in place. But when he had tried to move it while he was letting his Ki flow through his body, it had still taken effort on his part but he had moved it, nonetheless. It had been at that point that Izuku had made a realization. If he really wanted to improve he needed to strike a balance between improving his body and practicing his ability to use Ki.
To that end he had made sure that while he would only actively use his ki to move an object when it proved too much for him, he during the course of his day would work on turning it on and off.
School resuming had given him the chance to work on that in class. Thankfully, nobody seemed to have taken notice, And at this point he could summon it at will. Izuku's thoughts were interrupted by the voice of one of the volunteers. "Good job, kid. Keep it up."
Izuku looked at the speaker. It was an older gentleman, his crow's feet and salt and pepper hair telling Izuku that he was likely older than his mom. "Thanks sir!" Izuku replied happily.
True to Mr. Yagi's prediction, word of a young boy cleaning up a beach had spread and it had spurred other people to action. A few weeks in and Izuku had been joined by a number of people who were assisting in cleaning the beach. It had mostly been retirees and house spouses to start with but recently older kids had started to assist during the week. He had even seen some students from U.A!
Today there were only a few people working. So it left Izuku with time to think. He hadn't seen Mr. Yagi in over a month. And All Might hadn't been seen in almost as long. When he had time to look at the message boards, Izuku found that they were filled with theories from the sensible such as him taking a sabbatical to the outlandish like him being abducted by aliens.
Still the dumpsters were being replaced as they were filled and Nurse Sakura and others were still making sure that he didn't overwork himself, So Izuku hadn't given it too much thought.
The beeping of an alarm told Izuku it was time to take a break.
Dagobah Beach, Mustafaru Japan, December 15 2215, 14:50
Izuku tossed the box full of car batteries into the dumpster that would take them away to be disposed of. Even a few months ago such a feat would have been beyond him without the use of Ki, but now It barely took anything out of him. Today he was alone besides Nurse Sakura and she had informed him at the start that this would be her last day until the new year. Izuku accepted that easily. In truth, he had planned to take the rest of the month off from clearing Dagobah, In the last couple of months with the help of so many people the beach was looking great. If Izuku had to hazard a guess, it would be free of garbage in a month or two. Izuku had to admit that he would miss being able to do this. But by his own estimation he was ready to complete his parents' challenge at last.
His Ki training had also been fruitful. His ability to sense Ki signatures had grown to where he could sense the entire apartment complex that he lived in and he could reliably locate his mom, Nurse Sakura and a few of his neighbors like Mr Sato.
The mystery of what had happened to All Might had been solved. A press release from Might Tower had been sent out that indicated that All Might was indeed on sabbatical and Miss Sakura had informed him that Mr. Yagi was also taking a break.
As Izuku threw another load of trash, he heard the alarm sound. It was quitting time.
Dagobah Beach, Mustafaru Japan, March 23 2216 15:00
Izuku stood on the stage that had been set up, next to him were the chief volunteers, both retirees and U.A students. There had been a delay in January and February because of bad weather. But they had done it. He had done it. Dagobah beach was free of garbage. The Mayor had decided to hold a celebration to mark the event. All Might had even sent him a holo video congratulating him for his accomplishment.
That alone would have been enough to make the whole thing a cherished memory for Izuku. But his dad had taken time off of work to attend the ceremony personally. And he was even going to be staying for the next month. Not even Kaac- "No . He's Bakugo or Katsuki, if Aunt Mitsuki and Uncle Masaru are being talked about." Izuku wasn't sure if it was all the months of positive reenforcement or something else, but the blonde boy no longer really mattered to him. He and the other kids still taunted Izuku but it wasn't bothering him as much as it had.
Shaking out the dark thoughts that threatened to emerge, Izuku focused on the pre-recorded speech that All Might was giving. It was a speech about the true nature of heroism and the importance of service to the community. But as Izuku watched, he couldn't help but notice something was wrong. All Might still had his trademark smile, but it seemed strained, almost forced. Something seemed wrong.
Izuku's musings regarding the situation were interrupted as All Might's speech came to a close, "To the honored elders and other volunteers that helped so much, thank you for your service. To the U.A Students and Young Midoriya who embodied the genuine spirit of heroism, I will be watching your careers with great interest."
After the ceremony came to a close Izuku found himself being hugged by his parents and his dad saying. "I'm so proud of you, son."
Next to him Inko stood and with a smile said, "You know if you won't we can skip the fitness test. You've more than shown your commitment."
Izuku looked shocked. Honestly, he had forgotten about the fitness challenge a while ago. But as he looked up into his parents' eyes, he said with a voice full of conviction. "I want to do it."
Later that evening at home Izuku was being treated to a hardy dinner. They had found a gym for him to take the test in and not only had he passed the test for his age range, he had beaten the standards for kids far older than him. His body was sore from the unusual amount of strain he had put on it in such a short time but he was proud. He had completed his parents' challenge and he was now one step closer to his goal. Now he would need to find a place to learn how to fight.
Since last August he had made a lot of progress towards his goals. He was in the best shape of his life, he was making substantial progress with the mental aspects of Ki and while at a much slower pace, his grip on the physical side of Ki was getting better with each passing day.
But as Izuku's eyes began to get heavy he thought, "I can start looking for schools tomorrow. Sleep now."
Dagobah Beach, Mustafaru Japan, March 31 2216 08:00
The next weekend found Izuku back on the beach. Over the last week, he had searched for martial arts schools in the area to see what seemed interesting to him. And while they had all had something that fascinated him. Nothing had stood out in particular. So he had returned to the beach. He had found a series of videos on HeroTube by a former pro hero, who alongside his quirk that increased his striking power with each successive blow of his hands or feet. (stacking up to five times) had made use of a variety of martial arts. The man now made tutorials on the basics of various techniques, including how to punch and kick.
So Izuku had practiced what he could at home after school, and he had spent several hours yesterday practicing.
Izuku's practice was interrupted when he heard a loud voice cut through the relative silence of the area. "Hey, Greenie! What the hell are you doing?"
Izuku looked around for the source of the voice. After a moment he found it. Standing at the top of the stairs leading to the street was a girl about his age. She had brown skin, red eyes and long white hair. As he looked up, he noticed large ears that reminded him of a rabbit. As he looked down, he saw that she was wearing shoes that would have been large on a full grown man. She was wearing a large white T-shirt with a crescent moon on the front over a pair of blue bicycle shorts. On each hand was a fingerless glove.
But the most striking thing about the girl was her feral smile. As Izuku looked at her, he couldn't help but think of Katsuki. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Izuku replied, "What do you mean?"
The girl jumped from where she was standing and jogged to him. As she got close Izuku noted that she was quite a bit shorter than he was. By this time she was right in front of him invading his personal space causing Izuku to step back. "I said, what the hell are you doing? Cause it looks like you're practicing martial arts."
Izuku nodded. He was a bit put out by the gi8rls bluntness but he responded, anyway. "Yeah, I am."
The girl nodded approvingly before she said, "Thought so, What school are you a part of?"
Izuku replied sheepishly "None so far, but I'm looking for one. And I have been watching some instructional videos on HeroTube."
Izuku noticed that the girl sniffed disdainfully as she nodded, "I suppose that's good enough if you don't have any place to train. But if you really want to get good, you're gonna need a real teacher."
Closing his eyes as if deep in thought Izuku extended his Ki sense and what he felt shocked him. Thes energy felt wild like it was swirling around her. But at the same time there was a control there that seemed to keep it limited to her. He had to know more. "Yeah but finding a school that suits me is hard. And I'm afraid I'll pick the wrong one."
The girl looked at him and frowned a bit. "That's weak talk, Take chances, make mistakes, get messy and kick some ass. But if you're really concerned, come to my school. They'll get you where you need to be!"
Izuku was shocked, "Wait, who are you?"
The girl grinned again and said, "I'm Rumi Usagiyama! Who the hell are you?"
When Izuku brought someone home for the second time in as many years the brown-skinned girl was a bit closer to what she had been expecting. The boisterous girl that reminded her of her friend's son had gone on for a while about the virtues of her school and Inko had for her part listened politely.
To her credit the Heteromorphic girl put on a good presentation for something so impromptu. And from the looks of it Izuku had bought her sales pitch. Inko sighed, Izuku was such a good-natured boy but when it came to certain things he was too trusting. She was glad that the deal with Toshinori and All Might had worked out as well as it had, but it could have gone very badly.
Still she would go with Izuku and the girl to see this school and see if it was on the up and up.
a/n 2: So I am sure you noticed that this chapter was short… well shorter than most of you have come to expect from me. The reason for that is that I really struggled with this chapter. I have gone over this chapter a number of times and this was the best I could crank out.
I am hoping that by the time I cycle back to this story in a few months, I will be able to make chapter 3 the equal of all of my other stories.
Finally, for those of you waiting patiently for MLA. It is still in editing but It is a whipper of a chapter so it is taking longer for my editor to go through it..