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All Might sat in Principle Nezu’s office, accompanied by Nezu himself, Gran Torino, Recovery Girl, and the homeroom teacher for class 2-a.
He was more anxious than he cared to admit about meeting this particular student. From what the teacher had told him, this kid had a lot of potential, but he lacked confidence in himself. Also, he didn’t seem to like limelight heroes all that much, which made All Might nervous, because he definitely was.
He glanced down at the file again. Shota Aizawa, second year; Quirk: Erasure. A good student academically, in the top five of his class. But it was his quirk that interested him the most. From its description, Aizawa had the ability to nullify someone's quirk when he looked at them, though he had to avoid blinking, and it didn’t really work on mutation-type quirks either. Still, it was an incredibly useful, and rare, quirk.
There was a knock on the door, and the kid in question leaned in.
“You wanted to see me?”
Nezu smiled. “Ah, yes, come in, come in. Have a seat, would you like some tea?”
“No thank you, Principle Nezu.” The kid sat down, placing his bag on the floor beside him. “What did you want to see me for?”
He eyed All Might suspiciously, no doubt wondering what the No. 1 hero could possibly want with him.
“I have a proposition for you, Aizawa, but it requires a bit of an explanation first,” All Might spoke, garnering the students’ attention.
“But before we even do that, kid, you need to know something,” Gran Torino interjected. “What we talk about in this room stays in this room, are we clear?”
Aizawa raised an eyebrow, but nodded. “Ok, but who are you, anyway?”
“Gran Torino. I was Toshinori’s homeroom teacher in his third year. Anyways, enough beating around the bush, let's get to it.”
“Right. Let me ask a question first. What do you know about my quirk?”
Aizawa looked confused at that. “Not much, really. People like to debate online about what it could be, but no one’s been able to figure anything out.”
All Might nodded. “That’s to be expected, I suppose. See, my quirk is actually pretty unique. It’s one that can be passed down from person to person, stockpiling power as it goes.”
Aizawa’s eyes widened. “Seriously? I’ve never heard of anything like that. That’s possible?”
“Indeed it is. It’s called One for All, and I’m the eighth person to hold it.”
Aizawa’s eyes narrowed in thought. It wouldn’t have surprised Toshinori if the kid was starting to figure out what this proposition was.
“Also, as it’s passed on, the current user has access to the quirks of the previous holders. For example…” All Might made himself float a few inches above his seat before sitting back down. “That was the quirk that belonged to my mentor, float.”
Aizawa nodded slowly, his eyes narrowed. “I see… So what is this proposition you mentioned? Why tell me any of this?”
“Well...See, eventually, I’m going to need to find a successor, preferable one that can take the role of Symbol of Peace. Not for a while, perhaps, but eventually. My proposition is this. I would like to eventually pass on One for All to you, and eventually an official successor.”
Aizawa arced an eyebrow. “So what you’re saying is that you want to essentially link erasure with One for All, that’s it?”
“I should probably tell you something,” Gran Torino interrupted. “See, there’s this villain, called All for One, who is basically One for All’s nemesis. AFO has the ability to steal and distribute quirks at will.”
Aizawa looked just a little freaked out. “Really? How have we never heard of them?”
Gran Torino shrugged. “He’s very good at staying under the radar. But I tell you this because I wanted to stress why we want to pass One for All to you.”
“Because of my quirk,” Aizawa says bluntly, his expression giving away very little of how he was actually feeling.
“Of course,” All Might spoke up. “You are under no obligation to accept. I understand if you feel like we’re using you for our own purposes, because we honestly sort of are. But as much as we have our own agenda, your decision is still the final say.”
Aizawa was silent for a moment. “And if I did accept?”
“Then I would pass on my quirk to you at some point in the future, probably a few years down the line, when I’m looking for a successor, at which point you’d pass it to them. Oh, and I don’t think you need to worry about losing your own quirk along with One for All, since it’s part of you, but I don’t actually know what happens with that.”
“Okay...and what about the quirk itself? It’s not like I can just suddenly develop another power without people wondering about it.”
“You’d be under no obligation to use it. Actually, it might be best that you don’t. The physical backlash from using One for All can be... intense, at least while you’re learning to control it.”
Aizawa looked slightly concerned. “And what’s that supposed to mean?”
“Well, if you don’t strengthen your body enough, develop enough muscle mass, your, ah...your limbs might blow off. Or at least be very damaged.”
“Ah.”
All Might might have found Aizawa’s slightly disturbed expression funny if it weren’t for the context.
“Is that about everything he needs to know?” his homeroom teacher asked.
Gran Torino nodded. “As much as he needs to make a decision. Look, kid. Like Toshinori said, we understand we have our own agenda with this proposition, we aren’t holding any illusions about that. You can refuse, no questions asked. You’re the one who’d be taking on this responsibility.”
Aizawa nodded slowly.
“Well, think about it, kid. We’d like an answer one way or another,” Gran Torino said, standing up and leaving, followed closely by All Might.
***
Aizawa sits in Nezu’s office for a while, just thinking about what he’d be told. It was a lot, but he remembered the warning to keep this information secret. That wouldn’t be a problem, but he was more worried about what they’d proposed.
His teacher was still there as well, grading papers and occasionally glancing at him with an expression he couldn’t quite identify.
“What do you think?” he eventually asked quietly, directed at his teacher.
His teacher looked up in surprise. “Uh, well...You know, I can’t really tell you what to think, or what your answer should be, Aizawa. They extended the offer to you, right? I know it’s a really big decision, and you’d probably feel better with a second opinion, but I think you need to make it on your own. Like they said, you don’t have to accept it if you don’t want to. But if you choose to accept, they’ll be behind you the entire time. I know it’s daunting, but I know you can do it.”
Shota resists the urge to sigh. He’s right, but it still sucks that he can’t bounce the proposal off Hizashi and Oboro first.
He looks up advice for making such an important decision, but everything turns out to be not actually that helpful.
However, it turns out that the choice wasn’t as difficult to make as he thought it would be.
“I’ll do it.”
It's almost the end of this third year by the time he gets around to telling All Might what he decided to do.
All Might’s smile seems somehow bigger than before.
“I’m happy to hear that. Not that I doubt you, but you’re absolutely sure?”
Aizawa nods firmly. “Yes. The reasoning was logical.”
That much is true. It also helped that Aizawa likely wouldn’t actually have to do anything with One for All. But the biggest thing that tipped the scale in All Mights favor, despite how much Aizawa disliked limelight heroes, was that he was given a choice, as well as the very clear option to refuse. (He knew some people liked to give the illusion of a choice, but that wasn’t the case here) Them being honest and upfront about their intentions made all the difference.
All Might claps him on the back. “Wonderful! Of course, it will be a while until we actually do anything. Why don’t you come be a sidekick at my agency?”
It’s another sudden offer, but Aizawa already has an answer for this one.
“Actually, I was planning to go underground.”
That gives All Might pause for thought. “Really...You know, we can work with that.”
And that’s how Aizawa ended up as the link between All Might’s agency and the Underground Hero network. He also learns about All Might's true form, which doesn’t come as much of a shock after that meeting in his second year, as well as the process by which One for All gets passed down. But what comes as the biggest surprise is All Might telling him he was originally quirkless.
Perhaps it shouldn’t have been, since All Might never seem to display another quirk besides One for All, but still.
It’s strange to know that he’ll be the successor to All Might’s power one day, but it seems far off. Hizashi, Nemuri, and Oboro eventually start teaching at UA a couple of years after graduation, and somehow manage to drag him along, much to his chagrin and All Might’s amusement.
It’s about ten years after his graduation that things start happening.
He’s filing some paperwork at the agency when Sir Nighteye rushes over to him.
Aizawa frowns. “Is something wrong?”
“Eraserhead, our presence is requested at the hospital.”
He stands up quickly. “Why?”
“It’s All Might.”
That is enough to get Aizawa following Nighteye closely to a car waiting outside.
It’s a tense ride, and neither man says a word.
Gran Torino is there, and Recovery Girl, and the four people exchange worried looks.
Freaking All for One.
It makes Aizawa madder than he expects, and though All Might seems sure his nemesis is dead, Aizawa finds himself holding a sliver of doubt.
Sir Nighteye leaves the agency shortly after that tense standoff in the hospital corridor. Aizawa stays, for no reason other than that All Might needs at least one person around to keep him in check, to look after him, and because he knows the time has come to search for a successor.
It’s still about two years before All Might officially makes good on their deal and passes his quirk to him. Nothing really changes, except for the fact that he now sometimes has dreams of the former users, and can sometimes, if he focuses, feel the ever so subtle thrum of power beneath his skin. Maybe he’ll eventually try to figure out how to use it subtly, use it to enhance his preexisting moves just a bit without arousing suspicion, but not right now.
At All Might’s request, Shota keeps an ear out at UA for any possible candidates. Most students don’t seem right, but as it turns out, their successor doesn’t end up coming from UA at all.
It’s roughly four years after that hospital fall out, and two after he’d been given One for All. He’s grading papers in the faculty lounge when he gets a call from the agency.
“Eraser, please come to the agency at soon as you can. I think I’ve found someone promising.”
It’s a statement that might be confusing to anyone other than Aizawa, but the news is rather...exciting? Nerve-wracking? He’s not sure. He finishes up the sheet he’d been on and leaves quickly, with a quick aside to Hizashi that his agency called and a quick kiss to the cheek.
He’s not sure what he’s expecting when he walks into All Might’s office, but a scrawny middle-schooler with green hair is not it. He’s hunched in on himself slightly, clutching his book bag to his chest protectively, though he seems nevertheless in awe to be in the office of the No. 1 Hero.
“Ah, there you are, Eraserhead.”
It’s almost comical how quickly the kid’s eyes light up.
“Wait, like the underground hero, Eraserhead?!”
Aizawa is, needless to say, rather taken aback. The kid suddenly hunches in on himself, ducking his head.
“Oh, um, sorry, that was probably rude. Since you’re supposed to be underground and all. Sorry.”
“Oh, no, I was just...surprised, is all. Who are you, kid? And how’d you hear about me?”
The kid perks back up. “My name is Izuku Midoriya, I-i’m a second year at Aldera Junior high, and um, I just really love heroes. I do a lot of research, so I know a lot about them. Um, but I didn’t know you work for All Might. I thought you didn’t really like spotlight heroes.”
Aizawa snorts. “True enough. Really, I’m more of a liaison between this agency and the UHN.”
“The underground hero network, right?”
“Yup. You said you like heroes, right? I’m guessing you want to be one?
Midoriya nods. “Yes, more than anything. But...I’m...quirkless. All I’ve really got going for me are my hero analyses and desire to be a hero.”
All Might and Eraser exchange glances.
“Well, young Midoriya. I’m actually rather curious. Mind if Eraser and I take a look at your analysis?”
“R-really? You’d want to see them?”
“Yes,” Aizawa says bluntly.
The kid quickly roots through his bag, pulling out a tattered notebook and handing it to Shota, with All Might looking over his shoulder
The entries are...detailed, to say the least. Even the page for Eraserhead holds a surprising amount of detail for how little he’s in the media.
All Might is similarly shocked. The notebook outlines strengths, weaknesses, and ways to defeat dozens of different heroes, and some villains
“Kid, whatever you do, never let someone get their hands on this,” Aizawa says as he hands the notebook back.
“H-huh? Why?”
“Young Midoriya, your analysis skills are incredible. Eraserhead merely means to say that villains getting their hands on this sort of information would be dangerous. Understood?”
“I-I understand.”
Midoriya nods firmly as he sticks the notebook back in his bag.
“So, kid, why do you want to be a hero?”
“W-well, I’ve always wanted to save people, you know? I know heroics is a lot about popularity and appearance nowadays, but I just want people to be safe.”
All Might smiles. “That’s very admirable, Young Midoriya.”
The kid’s eyes glisten. “You r-really think so?”
“Yes, problem child. Neither of us says this sort of thing lightly. Though we might need to work on that confidence of yours.”
“W-we?!”
Aizawa looks at All Might, and the two come to a mutual consensus.
“Well, Young Midoriya, we have an offer to make.”
By the end of their explanation, Midoriya is looking understandably overwhelmed, but is still writing down everything he can about One for All and All for One.
“So you passed it onto Eraserhead, and now you want to pass it to me?”
“That’s the idea.”
The kid just leans back in his seat, absorbing all this new information.
“You know,” he eventually says quietly. “No one’s ever told me I could be a hero before, not without a quirk.”
Aizawa exchanges a concerned glance with All Might.
“Well, it would certainly be more dangerous being a quirkless hero, you’d need to put in a lot more work, but I don’t think your chance was ever zero, especially with your analysis skills. I will say that perhaps you could have stood to build up your physical strength and self defense, but that’s not what matters right now. We are offering to make you the next successor to One for All, but it should go without saying that the physical training required is probably more strenuous than what you might have done normally.”
The kid pales slightly. “Right, physical repercussions.”
“So, Young Midoriya, what do you say?”
Midoriya is hardly silent for a second. “I accept.”
“Didn’t even think about it,” Aizawa mutters. Then again, he supposes it’s not the same as when he had to make his choice. “Well then, are you prepared to put in the work?
“Yes sir.”
Aizawa grins. “I thought you might say that.”
By the early winter of Izuku’s third year, he’s built up a substantial amount of muscle mass, enough that he’s deemed ready to receive One for All.
The next several months after that are spent between All Might, Gran Torino (At Aizawa’s insistence), and himself at UA, just trying to help Izuku get some control over OFA. The first few times, Izuku did end up breaking some bones, and Aizawa doesn’t think that’s going to really stop any time soon, but it’s remarkable how fast consistency comes around.
(Aizawa also ends up using this time to figure out how to use his own fragment of the power subtly enough to be unnoticeable as well. A little extra oomph to a kick here, a stronger punch there, and he manages to get danger sense to manifest as well. Oh, and slightly increased speed, combined with a little bit of float, that one’s kind of important.)
His successors resolve and determination to succeed is astounding. He was a bit unsure at first about handing OFA to a middle schooler, but All Might had been in middle school as well, so in retrospect, it probably wasn’t all that big a deal.
They try to bring out some of the previous user quirks, but the only one Izuku is currently able to get to work is Float, from user seven, and short bursts of erasure. (He hasn’t trained to hold his eyes open the way Shota did)
It’s surprising that his quirk is one of the first to manifest, but he’s glad, in a way. It means that the plan worked.
Midoriya passes the entrance exam, using mostly Float and OFA, and Aizawa finds him in his class that year, along with nineteen other problem children.
Then USJ happens.
He puts his subtle enhancements to good use, but that doesn’t stop the Nomu from pounding him into the ground. Thankfully, none of the students were hurt, except Midoriya, who’d kept his fingers from being broken, but still managed to bust his legs, which Izuku theorizes was probably because he wasn’t quite focusing at that moment.
He didn’t think he’d be commentating the festival with Hizashi, but that’s what ends up happening. He takes an interest in Gen Ed student Hitoshi Shinso, mostly because of how similarly their quirks functioned in the environment of UA. It’s during his match with Izuku that something happens. Just before Izuku steps out of bounds, and just before he breaks a finger, he feels his fragment of One for All buzz beneath his skin.
He watches intently as his successor throws Shinso out of bounds, and the purple-haired kid looks extremely disappointed. Shota can’t really blame him, but perhaps…
Regardless, he’ll have to ask Toshinori and Izuku about what happened there later.
(He does, and it’s pretty strange. Nine spirit-looking things, himself and Toshinori included. It makes sense, he supposes, that he felt something happen with One for All, but it still also doesn’t really make sense.)
Midoriya then proceeds to goad Todoroki into using his fire, at the expense of his bones, because of course he does. The damage is not as bad as it could have been, but Toshinori tells him that Recovery Girl threatened to withhold healing him with her quirk if this kept up, which Aizawa can sort of understand, even if he thinks it's just a tad extreme.
Izuku shortly thereafter continues to live up to his Problem Child title when he, Todoroki, and Iida get wrapped up in fighting Stain. He has to resist the urge to strangle both them and Stain for doing this, since what’s done is done.
Then the forest training camp incident happens. Aizawa, as much as he hates it, finding himself in front of the press, talking about Bakugo. The stupidity of the media is astounding sometimes, and they clearly don’t know Bakugo if they think he’d ever join the League of Villains.
(He’s also concerned about Ragdoll having her quirk stolen, but what’s done is done, and if anything happens with that he’ll just have to deal with it as it happens)
But it’s what happens after the conference is over that really stands out.
All for One and All Might are duking it out in Kamino Ward on the televison. As the fight happens, Shota can feel One for All hum and buzz and thrum underneath his skin, and it’s clear All Might’s embers of the power are dying.
Aizawa feels, rather than sees, the moment All Might finally uses his last embers of One for All. The screen is so smoke-filled, but he hears “Now, it’s your turn” and just knows All Might is taking to Izuku.
Izuku, as well as some of the rest of his class, are already at the hospital by the time he gets there. He’s forced to send all of them all home, with the exception of Izuku, for reasons only three people in this building would understand.
“You felt it too, right,” Aizawa says the boy.
It’s not a question.
Toshinori will be okay, All for One was arrested (And Aizawa was right, All Might hadn’t killed the bastard in that fight five years ago), but something still...wrong. He’s not sure what it is, but something still feels off.
Nevertheless, he continues on. Izuku has managed to manifest danger sense, smoke screen, and black whip as well, and Shota takes on the arduous task of training him. He’s forced to get some of Class 1-a involved as well, mainly Uraraka, Sero, and Froppy help him further float and black whip. Hagakure, and to some extent Todoroki, prove to be quite helpful in sight blocking and stealth with smokescreen. And, of course, Shota himself personally trains him in erasure. Izuku can’t yet beat him in any sort of staring contest, but at least his average time is improving.
Then they raid the Hassaikai base, and Shota’s conveniently reminded how much he hates being blindfolded. Still, Eri is the most important thing, and Asui assists him in getting the girl under control.
Shinso performs well during the joint training exercise with class B, and Aizawa remembers both how Mineta both placed last in the physical fitness test, and all the complaints he’s received from the girls in his class. He’d normally feel bad about kicking a student out of the hero course, but Mineta has made very little improvement, and Shinso has. He has a feeling Mineta is the only one who’s going to be complaining about the change.
That’s all well and good, but then the war happens.
“Hmm… There are two of you, huh?”
He feels the blood drain from his face when Shigaraki says that. He tries really hard to not look at Izuku, and he hopes the boy is doing the same.
‘What do you mean by that?” Endeavor yells.
Manual and Rock Lock are making similar remarks, but Aizawa kind of sort of panicking.
Search. Of course it was search.
Shigaraki had used Ragdolls quirk to locate Izuku, and consequently found Aizawa as well.
He tries to snap out of it, and nullifies Shigaraki to the best of his abilities, but one of those damn quirk destroying bullets hits him anyway. Eri flashes through his mind in the fraction of a second between him getting hit and amputating his leg. He’s lucid enough to tell that his Erasure is still there, and he can feel One for All as well, meaning the drug wasn’t in his system long enough to have any effect.
He passes out moments later, when Shigaraki lunges for his face. The last thing he hears is Izuku yelling his name.
***
His surroundings are a void of black. It’s really nothing, but it doesn’t stay that way for long
Before him appears Izuku, most of his body made of black smoke. The seventh user, Nana Shimura is crouched next to him, holding back what he quickly realizes is All for One/Shigaraki’s attempt to steal One for All.
He quickly joins Nana, as well as the first user, in holding back the attempt to steal Izuku’s quirk.
“Ah...I see what you mean about a second, Tomura. So you’re All Might’s actually successor,” All for One drawls, with a thin smile on his face. “You must be number nine.”
Aizawa doesn’t say anything, a bit preoccupied with helping stave off and overpower Shigaraki’s overwhelming rage and determination to do more than simply glare.
The ‘decaying’ effect is pushed back, and back and back and back until-
He sits up with a gasp. The visual information he’s receiving isn’t being fully processed, but the smell of antiseptics and beeping of machinery is enough to let him know he’s in the hospital.
His sight begins to come into focus as he takes a few deep breaths. One of his eyes is covered, but he can still see, and when he reaches out for One for All, the familiar thrum of energy does a lot to reassure him things are...okay.
Things are okay.
Well, maybe not. Shigaraki now knows that there are two people who hold the power of One for All, if only one with the full quirk. Aizawa can also piece enough together to figure out that Shigaraki must have tried to steal OFA from Izuku, if that dream was actually real.
Hizashi takes one of his hands, shaking him out of his thoughts for a moment. They stare at each other for a moment, before smiling slightly. Hizashi’s eyes glisten as he pulls him in for a hug.
A doctor checks in with him, and Aizawa finally registers the stump that is now his leg. Well, it could have been worse, much worse. Honestly, having a metal leg might prove useful. His kicks would definitely be a lot harder, at least.
“Aizawa?”
Toshinori pokes his head around the door.
“Yes?”
“Mind if you come with me for a bit?”
He doesn’t, so he’s loaded into a wheelchair for Toshinori to push.
“It’s Young Izuku,” Toshinori murmurs quietly, leaning down slightly towards his ear as he says this.
“Ah.”
They enter Izuku’s room, where the boy is still unconscious. Toshinori sets up Aizawa as close to the bed as possible before sitting on the other side.
“Can you feel that?” Toshinori asks quietly, placing his hands on one of Izuku’s bandaged arms.
Aizawa tilts his head in question, but copies the man’s actions.
When he does so, he realizes what he was talking about.
His vestige, and presumably Toshinori as well, is having a conversation, even if the connection is weak.
He exchanges looks with Toshinori. There’s nothing to do now but wait.
The waiting eventually comes to an end when Toshinori goes to answer a knock on the door, and returns with Best Jeanist and Hawks.
They are, understandably, surprised to see him there.
“Oh, hello, Eraserhead.”
He nods curtly at them, returning his attention back to his student.
The two pros question Toshinori about the meaning of One for All, and what Shigaraki meant by there being two.
“He was probably referring to me,” Shota says with a sigh, staring at a spot on Izuku’s cast that has suddenly become very interesting.
“Huh?”
Toshinori continues from there, explaining why he’d chosen to pass the torch to Shota first, who then passed it onto Midoriya.
Both men look stunned.
“And...you were just, okay with that?” Hawks asked, askance.
“They were very clear about their intentions in the initial proposition, Hawks, as well as the fact that I was perfectly at liberty to refuse.”
Best Jeanist hummed thoughtfully. “It’s hard to deny that the idea makes logical sense.”
Aizawa nodded. “My thinking exactly. I don’t regret that decision.”
Toshinori looks extremely touched at that.
“Well, as interesting as this is, Jeanist and I need to go check on something else. Don’t worry, our lips are sealed regarding this, especially your involvement, Eraser. Your secret’s safe with us.”
Shota snorted. “Not much of a secret now, but thank you.”
“Of course, though I think most of the details regarding OFA are still pretty under wraps,” Best Jeanist says. “But, as Hawks said, we must be going. If you don’t brief Endeavor on this, we’ll take care of it.”
They leave, shutting the door behind them.
***
A few days later, he catches Izuku trying to leave in the middle of the night, while he’s trying to do some paperwork.
“Going somewhere, Problem Child? Did danger sense not alert you to my presence?”
Said Problem Child looks like a deer caught in headlights, which is understandable. Guiltily, he sits across from him, setting the bag down on the floor.
“No, it didn’t,” is the first thing he says. So danger sense didn’t activate, which means he wasn’t considered a threat, it seemed.
Aizawa sights “We need to work on your stealth,” he mutters “All right, but that doesn’t answer my first question. What were you thinking, sneaking out like that?”
Izuku’s eyes start to water. “W-well, it’s just… Shigaraki’s after me now, since I have One for All, a-and I thought that-”
His breathing starts to become erratic, and Aizawa places both hands on his successor’s shoulders. “Breath, Problem Child. I’m not mad at you. Did you think you were protecting us by leaving?”
It’s enough to get Izuku to look at him, eyes glistening.
“I don’t want anyone else to get hurt.”
He glances at Shota’s leg, fingers gripping the fabric of his pants, and his voice is so small, so vulnerable, that it makes Shota’s heart ache.
Wordlessly, he pulls Izuku into a hug.
“It wasn’t your fault, Izuku.”
The use of his given name is evidently a surprise to the boy, as he stills in his arms.
“B-but-”
“It. Wasn’t. Your. Fault.” he repeats, more firmly this time, releasing the hug to hold Izuku at arm's length. “You aren’t responsible for Shigaraki’s actions, or anyone else’s, for that matter, understand?”
Izuku’s eyes shine with tears. “But…”
Now he actually starts crying, and Shota pulls him back into a hug until Izuku makes a move to get out of it.
“You know, problem child, I’m sure your classmates would be more than willing to stick by you, no matter the danger.”
“I know that, but...what if they get hurt again? Them being around me only puts them in more danger! Kaachan...and Shouchan…you…What if they die!?”
By the end of his phrase, Izuku’s voice has risen a fair bit. Aizawa sighs softly. “Be that as it may, your classmates would probably worry less if you were in a place they could see you, and know how you’re doing. And I’m an adult, Problem Child, a pro hero, you know that. Protecting you and your classmates is my job. If I’m being honest, students should never have been anywhere close to the fighting. I don’t know what the Hero Commission was thinking.”
His annoyance at that fact weirdly seems to cheer Izuku up a bit, but the slight smile soon falls from his face.
“Um, if you don’t mind-”
“Problem Child, I thought I made it clear you weren’t going anywhere.”
Izuku opens his mouth like he’s about to protest, but the expression on Aizawa’s face is intense enough that he closes it and sits back down.
He softens his expression. “Look, I know you don’t want to put me or your classmates in any more danger, but I think we’re long past worrying about that at this point, okay?”
“Okay,” Izuku says, sounding more defeated than he ever has.
Aizawa sighs again. “Do you want another hug, Problem Child?”
Izuku nods quickly, but wordlessly, and Shota can feel the way Izuku’s fingers clutch at the fabric of his shirt, like he’s afraid his teacher will disappear if he doesn’t.
When they eventually pull away, Izuku looks to be in a much better state of mind.
“We’re telling your classmates about us and One for All in the morning, got it?
“Wait, what?”
“That wasn’t a suggestion. It’s better if they know what they might be up against.”
“O-okay.”
Izuku suddenly yawns, and Aizawa is reminded of how late it is.
“Go back to sleep, Izuku. And I expect to find you here in the morning, understand?”
“Yes, sir.”
Izuku yawns again, grabs the bag, and heads back upstairs.
Aizawa managed to get a couple hours of sleep himself, but he’s more anxious than he cares to admit about the upcoming conversation.
He’s relieved, at least, to find that Izuku didn’t make some foolhardy endeavor to leave again. He’s sitting with Todoroki, Iida, Uraraka, and Asui, talking in hushed voices.
When everyone is there, he calls them over to have what is bound to be the most headache-inducing conversation he’s had to date. At least he’s had his coffee.
“So, what’s this about?” Uraraka understandably questions.
“It mainly has to do with why the Problem Child was caught trying to sneak out last night.”
It’s almost comical how quickly and simultaneously everyone’s heads turn to Izuku, who immediately wilts under the sudden attention.
“Izuku!” Iida scolds. “That’s very inappropriate behavior!” His hands chop the air, but Uraraka puts a hand on his shoulder, stilling him.
“Deku…?” Uraraka’s voice is laced with gentle concern. “What’s going on?”
Izuku is silent, no doubt feeling the pressure of twenty pairs of eyes on him.
“Take your time,” Asui says, patting his arm reassuringly.
Izuku takes a breath. “W-well...It’s about Shigaraki. I...I’m pretty sure he’s after me, and…”
He swallows, and Bakugo groans.
“Who cares what that stupid handsy man is doing.”
“Were you trying to protect us…?” Iida guesses.
Izuku nods. “I-I don’t want any of you to get hurt on my account.”
“Okay…” Uraraka starts. “But why would he be after you specifically?”
Izuku swallows again, and begins the long, complicated explanation. By the end of it, the class is alternating between shock and glances of varying length between the 9th and 10th holders of One for All.
“So that’s why you wanted us to help you,” Sero realizes. “So, what else can you do with your quirk?”
Izuku blinks at the sudden change in subject. “W-Well, in order of other quirks I can use, there’s danger sense, black whip, smoke screen, float, and erasure.”
“Wait,” Mina interjects. “Does that mean Mr.Aizawa can use those quirks as well?”
Aizawa sights when everyone turns to look at him. “Yes, but I only really use danger sense and float. I try to keep my usage at an unnoticeable level.”
Todoroki nods. “Makes sense. After all, people know what your quirk is supposed to be. It’d be kinda weird to develop another power, or powers, after the fact.”
“Right. Also, I wasn’t really intended to actually use One for All.”
“Wasn’t it kinda unmanly for them to only approach you because of your quirk?” Kirishima asks, eyebrows furrowed and a frown on his lips
Aizawa shrugs. “You might think so, but the idea made sense to me. And I was only the main holder for a couple of years. A word of advice, if you have a proposition like this, be as clear and upfront as possible about your intentions. And understand that they might refuse. That made all the difference.”
Thankfully it's the weekend, because he and Izuku get pestered with a lot of questions, and it lasts into the afternoon.
But never at any point do his students suggest that Izuku leaving would have been the preferable option to them.
“Don’t leave us, you dummy,” Uraraka’s voice was muffled due to the fact that her face was buried in Izuku’s shoulder.
“I have to agree,” Todoroki nodded. “You’re our friend, Izuku. We protect each other.”
“We know the dangers of this profession,” Iida added. “We understand what we’re getting ourselves into.”
One by one, each member of class 1-a voices their agreement, and the poor boy looks close to tears by the time they’re finished.
“You too, Mr.Aizawa,” Hagakure adds, which prompts another round of voiced agreements.
The meeting eventually devolved into a “How to defeat Shigaraki, preferably without actually killing him” (title courtesy of Uraraka) strategy meeting. They also discuss the other members of the league as well. It’s weirdly fun, but also reminds him just how smart his students are.
***
Shota eventually says goodbye to his fragment of One for All. He’s older now. His students are all pro heroes, and have been for a while.
It’s more bittersweet than he thought it’d be. It feels like it was only yesterday that he’d been given that offer from Gran Torino and All Might.
No doubt Izuku felt the moment the last of his embers of One for All fizzled out. Once a Problem Child, always a Problem Child, it would seem, because Izuku comes to visit him that very day.
They chat for a bit, and then?
They sit in silence. There’s nothing more to say.