Chapter Text

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Prologue

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            “So that’s it then?”

            A young man, no more than 17, stared out over the nightscape before him, legs dangling over the rooftop of his apartment building, watching the glittering Musutafu skyline as he gave a small sigh and started to softly mutter to himself, recounting the events of the day prior and the second death of his dream.

            To the young man, being a hero meant everything in the world. To stand tall like the great hero’s he grew up idolising, from the lesser-known heroes of Lady Waterfall and Captain Jet to the rising stars of his childhood years such as Ingenium and Sir Nighteye. Above all, however, was the hero he idolised the most, All Might; the Symbol of Peace, the man, the hero, who told him that he could be a hero too, quirkless or not.

            “I blew it,” muttered the boy, sniffing softly as he rubbed his eyes in a faint attempt to stop the tears threatening to spill once again, “even if I aced the written part of the test, I failed the practical,” giving a hollow laugh he turned to face the skyline once more, “zero points. That has to be some kind of record – the lowest U.A. entrance exam score in history.”

            Shivering slightly, the young man wrapped his arms against himself as a cold breeze blew past him. A brief thought questioning why he was even up on the roof of his apartment complex blew through his mind almost as quickly as the breeze that had just chilled him, lingering equally as long.

            With a sad smile, the young man turned his freckled face towards the ground beneath him, emerald eyes lazily focusing onto the darkened streets below as his green hair softly tussled in another gust of wind, “maybe Kacchan was right, maybe I should try taking a swan-dive off the roof, pray to get a quirk, to become a hero in my next life….”

            “Sounds like an idiot.”

            Startled, the boy jumped, spinning to look behind himself, only to remember where he was sitting as his heart lurched in his chest and a feeling of weightlessness overtook his senses. In wide-eyed terror, all the young man could do was watch as the ledge of the roof fell away, his hand shooting out to desperately grab at a handhold that was already too far away. His mother’s face shot over the edge of the roof in equal horror as he fell towards his demise and then–

            Jolting violently, the young man snapped awake in an instant, his breath catching as he looked around, trying to get his bearings. His hands unconsciously patted over his chest as he slowly breathed a sigh of relief.

            “Only a dream,” he said, muttered as he looked over at his alarm clock only to let out a sigh and fall back against his pillows, “5:30 already.”

            Letting his eyes glide across the darkened room, he smiled to himself as he placed every poster, every collectable figurine, every wall-scroll of his hero, from memory. Then, with a soft sign, the young man kicked himself out of bed and gave a gentle stretch, already planning out his exercises for that morning. After all, even if he may have failed the entrance exam to U.A. University, All Might was still counting on him to be his successor – and if there was once thing Izuku Midoriya was never going to do, it was let All Might down!

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Chapter 1 – Dreams

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            “200”, dropping to the ground, Izuku dusted his hands before rolling his shoulders as he looked at the tree branch above him – after all, if the city didn’t want to set up exercise equipment in the park, why not accept a helping hand from mother nature instead? Giving the tree a gentle pat and a muttered, “thank-you for your help”, the young man, his core workout now complete, turned and started his jog home, ready to start preparing for the most challenging part of his day — Aldera High School.

            Pushing the dark thoughts of what was to come to the back of his mind, Izuku looked into the distance, the roof of the apartment building he and his mother shared coming into view. His pace slowed as his eyes glanced over the ledge running along the edge of the roof, the dream from earlier slowly flickering back into his mind as he remembered the sensation of weightlessness, the panic of falling, and his mother? No, she looked like his mother, but…

Blinking, Izuku broke from these thoughts as he looked at the front door of his home. Had he really been so lost in thought that he missed the last 5 minutes of his jog home? Quite a feat in retrospect, given how many stairs he just had to climb to get there.

            “Morning mum”, called Izuku as he entered the apartment, placing his shoes neatly by the door as he entered.

            “Morning, sweetie,” came the reply from the kitchen, “breakfast will be ready in a little while, so go get cleaned up, okay?”

            Calling back his thanks and a brief stop at his room to grab his school uniform, Izuku dashed into the bathroom for a quick shower and to freshen himself up before the never-ending joys of his school life.

            Stepping out of the family bathroom, Izuku paused for a moment and smiled at a photo hung on the wall.

            “Morning Dad.”

            Fixing his jacket and making a beeline for the kitchen where his mother was just serving up his breakfast. A smile played on her lips as she hummed softly to herself.

            “Enjoy your morning jog, sweetie?”

            “Yeah, Mum, it was fine,” replied Izuku as he paused to say a quick thanks for his meal before digging into the pile of food before him.

            A slight frown gracing her lips, Inko Midoriya looked over her son in worry.

            “Is everything okay, Izuku?”

            Quickly swallowing his mouthful and reaching for the glass of milk his mother graciously poured for him, Izuku looked up at her with a puzzled expression, “yeah, mum, why do you ask?”

            “Izuku, I know you well enough to be able to tell when something is playing on your mind.”

            Sighing softly to himself and half cursing how easy it was for his mother to read him sometimes, Izuku took a swig from his glass as he played with the last few crumbs on his plate. “It’s nothing, mum, just a dream I had last night.”

            “Oh,” replied Inko, before her eyes widened slightly and she pressed a hand to her cheek, “well, I suppose you are of that age. Oh, if only Hisashi were here….”

            Spluttering madly, Izuku, with most of his blood evidently in his face, waved his hands wildly in front of himself, “MUM! No, not like that! A… anyway… Uncle Masaru already had that chat… with… me….”

            “Oh…” came his mother’s reply, swiftly followed with a muttered, “I’ll have to thank Mitsuki later.”

            “In the dream, I was sat on the room of the building,” continued Izuku, pressing on in hopes of forgetting the previous line of the conversation, “then a woman appeared. It was weird. She kind of looked like you, though mostly her hairstyle, but other than that, she felt kind of… familiar?” Trailing off, Izuku stared down at his plate again, muttering to himself as he started listing off his observations about the strange woman in his dream – as limited as they were.

            “A hairstyle like mine?” Asked his mother, snapping Izuku out of his muttering.

            “Yeah, almost exactly like yours. She was also dressed in a hero outfit, I think, gloves and a cape? Maybe?”

            Blinking, Inko hummed softly to herself, “that sounds like it could be…,” glancing at the clock, she suddenly gasped, “ah, Izuku, you’re going to be late!”

            Looking at his watch, Izuku gasped as well, “you’re right, sorry mum, I’ll see you tonight. Love you!” Grabbing his backpack and shoes, Izuku made a mad dash out of the door, almost leaving a trail of dust behind him.

            Humming softly again as she cleared the table, Inko let her mind tick over what her son had just said. Something in it pulling up an old memory of not just her youth but Izuku’s earliest years as well.

            “I wonder if I still have it.”

-=-=-=-=-=-

            “That’s so cool, Bakugo!”

            “Shut the fuck up, Extras! You expected anything less from a future A-lister like me?”

            Hearing his former childhood friend and her cronies as the school’s courtyard came into view, a crowd surrounded the pretty blond girl with short spiky hair. Ducking his head down, Izuku attempted to make himself as small as possible, hopeful to just slip past everyone and get to class without incident for a change.

            The universe, unfortunately, does not work in everyone’s favour.

            “DEKU!” Hearing an exploitation to his side, Izuku quickly snapped his head around only to find himself suddenly held up by his collar and looking into the angry red eyes of one Katsumi Bakugo – a twisted smile on her lips. “You shitty nerd! You took the U.A. entrance exam as well, didn’t you? What score did you get?”

            “Kacchan!” squeaked a panicked Izuku, “how many did you score?”

            Clicking her tongue, Katsumi held up her hand up to Izuku’s face, the small explosions of the girl’s quirk crackling violently, a sneer on her lips, causing the green-haired boy to yelp in shock and pain as some of the flames caught his cheek.

            “Deku,” drawled Katsumi, “isn’t it rude to answer a question with another question? You first, I insist.”

            “Zero,” muttered Izuku, hoping only Katsumi would hear his answer, only to suddenly yelp in pain as a pair of burning fingers were pressed to the side of his neck, “Zero Kacchan! I got zero points!”

            A silence descended over the whole courtyard as Izuku’s voice echoed into nothing. Then, almost instantaneously, the silence was replaced with laughter and jeering at the young man’s revelation.

            Clicking her tongue again, Katsumi threw Izuku backwards, causing the young man to crash roughly to the ground, the jacket of his uniform ripping in the process, “you really are a useless Deku. Didn’t I tell you not to try and stand with me? You’re pathetic.” Turning her back, Katsumi glared at the stunned Izuku from over her shoulder before stepping away, hands buried deep in the trouser pockets of the male student uniform she wore, “give up you quirkless nothing. You’ve failed. Dream over. Now go learn how to direct traffic or something, hero.”

            Feeling the sting of tears in his eyes, the jeers of the crowd echoing around him, Izuku watched his former childhood friend walk away.

            “I can be a hero,” Izuku muttered softly to himself as he gently rubbed the burn on his neck, “All Might said I could be.”

-=-=-=-=-=-

            As the winter sun began to sink low in the sky, Izuku slowly trudged his way home from the station, lamenting the abysmal day that he left behind him and rubbing the bruise on his elbow absentmindedly, trying to forget how he had been savagely shoved into one of the cleaning lockers by some of Katsumi’s cronies during lunch.

            Giving a gentle sigh, the boy started to mutter to himself, an unfortunate habit of a lifetime, as he tried to work out how to not only explain his damaged uniform to his mother but how to pay for another replacement jacket.

            “Izuku? That you?”

            Blinking, now broken from his muttering, Izuku looked up to see a woman with spiky blond hair, not too dissimilar to Katsumi’s, looking at him in shock from the doorway of a nearby clothes shop.

            “It is you,” stepping out of the shop, the woman quickly walked up to him, her eyes dancing over him quickly as a frown slowly grew on her youthful face, “you look like shit Izuku, and just look at your uniform!” Gently, she tugged at the damaged section of his sleeve, though her eyes when fixated more on the side of his neck.

            “My brats’ been bullying you again.”

            Involuntarily wincing at the statement, all Izuku could do was look away from the woman.

            “It’s nothing, auntie,” looking up at the woman, he flashed her his best smile, “I’ll be fine. I promise!”

            Her frown never wavering, Mitsuki Bakugo looked down at her nephew with no small amount of heartbreak in her eyes.

            “You’re a sweet boy Izuku,” stepping back, Mitsuki sighed as she once again took in the young man’s dishevelled appearance, “but that is no excuse to allow that brat of mine to continue to treat you this way.”

            Looking down, Izuku shuffled awkwardly as he held his elbow, “I know, auntie, but it’s okay. I want to be a hero, right?” Raising his head once more, his eye’s shining brightly, Izuku flashed his aunt a smile that could put All Might’s legendary grin to shame, “Pro-Heroes are always facing down bullies and harsh words, be it from villains or the press. If they can handle it, then so can I!”

            Holding her nephew’s gaze for a moment, Mitsuki sighed in annoyance, “Fine, Izu, but if I ever catch that brat of mine in the act, I am tanning her fucking ass. Now come inside, I may not be as good as Masaru, but I should be able to patch up that jacket of yours.”

            Seeing Izuku open his mouth, Mitsuku held up a finger in defiance, “free of charge, and no, this is non-negotiable. Nor are you getting out of me looking at that burn on your neck or that elbow you keep rubbing. I doubt anything is broken, but all the same.”

            Hesitating for a moment, Izuku gently nodded before feeling his aunt sling her arm over his shoulders, guiding him into ‘Bakugo Family Tailors’.

            “Glad to hear it, Izu, though don’t think for a second I’m not telling your mother about this.”

            Freezing, Izuku’s head snapped round to look at his aunt, eye’s wide in terror, “please don’t do that! You know how much she already worries about me,” pausing, Izuku looks down at his shoes again, “she already works so hard for us, I don’t need to give her any more stress.”

            “Says the boy going into pro-heroics?” asked Mitsuki, gently poking her nephew in the side. “Sorry, Izu, but I think you’re a bit past that point. Especially after that stunt, you pulled last year.”

            “Stunt?” Izuku stammered as he took off his uniform jacket, handing it to his aunt, “What do you mean, Aunt Mutsuki?”

            Smiling softly, she set to work on repairing any rips and wear that she could find on the fabric, “why that slime villain that took my Katsumi hostage, not, oh, nine– maybe ten, months ago? Or do you think so little of me that you think I wouldn’t have recognised my dear nephew racing into danger to save my daughter? Please, the number of heart attacks you gave your poor mother and me when you were kids, always racing in to try and pull my brat out of trouble! Of course, I would know it was you,” pausing, she wafted the needle she was using though the air, “though, that said, given how close you got to All Might, himself, in action – maybe it wasn’t you,” looking up, Mitsuki flashed the green-haired boy a teasing smile, “the Izuku I know would likely have exploded from sheer excitement, getting so close you his favourite hero.”

            Blushing, Izuku covered his face with both hands, “come on, Auntie, I’m not that bad!”

            Laughing, Mitsuki continued her work, “you also tripped yourself up at the start. The only time you ever call me ‘Aunt Mitsuki’ is when you have something to hide.” Hearing a muffled groan come from behind the boy’s hands, Mitsuki allowed herself a small laugh at her nephew’s expense before softly muttering to herself, “so much like Inko.”

            Checking over her work, Mitsuki gave herself a nod of satisfaction and folded the jacket neatly on the side before turning back to the sullen Izuku, “take off your shirt Izu, I’ll be right back.”

            Sighing in defeat once more, Izuku shakily unbuttoned his shirt as a feeling of anxiety started to wash over him before placing the garment across his lap as his aunt left for one of the back rooms. Shaking his head, he tried to push down the feeling of dread at what was about to come, to steel himself for the questions that his aunt was sure to throw at him the moment she saw… he was fine, perfectly fine, he didn’t even feel his injuries that much anymore.

            ‘Not that that would matter to Aunt Mitsuki,’ though Izuku, with a sad sigh. He hated being such a burden to everyone around him.

            “Okay Izuku, I’ve got the First Aid Ki––”

            Flinching at his aunt’s gasp, Izuku looked up at her with a bright smile, only for even that to immediately falter as he saw her ashen face, her eyes locked onto his exposed torso, tracing every scar, bruise, cut, and graze that littered his upper body.

            Chuckling awkwardly, already knowing what was to come, Izuku rubbed the back of his head as he flashed her a nervous smile, “I know I’ve put on a bit of muscle Aunt Mi--, auntie, but it was all so I could stand a chance to get into U.A.!”

            Broken from her shock, Mitsuki’s head snapped to furiously lock onto her nephew’s gaze, “Izuku Midoriya! Do not fucking lie to me! And don’t even think for a second you can deflect this.”

            Crossing the room in an instant, Mitsuki’s hands immediately started to trace his various wounds as she examined her nephew, flinching slightly at each wince he gave, “I swear Izuku if it was my brat who did this to you—”

            “Kaachan didn’t!” quickly cut in Izuku, far too soon for Mitsuki’s liking, only to wither under her intense gaze, “At least… not all of them.”

            Seeing no way out, especially under the piercing red eyes of his aunt’s gaze, Izuku relented and lowed his head, stuttering out his reply, “some— a few are from Kaachan, the minor burns mostly. Most are from Kaachan’s friends… and the rest are scars from my training to get into U.A.”

            “Your training?” asked Mitsuki, some disbelief in her voice, “what were you doing, fighting a bear!?”

            “Nothing like that,” replied Izuku, shaking his head, before scratching his cheek with a light blush, “actually, it was cleaned up Dagobah Beach.”

            Mitsuki had to pause for a moment, her eyes narrowing at her nephew before widening, “you’re serious? You’re serious! Izuku, what kind of…? Why were you…? Training!?”

            Fidgeting, Izuku looked away from the incredulous woman, choosing to focus his gaze on a nearby clothing display. “it’s nothing, auntie, it was just some training to help me get ready for the U.A. entrance exam, that’s all.”

            The fire ebbing away from her gaze, an eerily calm smile slowly came back to Mitsuki’s lips, “Ah, a long story, is it?”

            Sighing internally, Izuku started to turn his gaze back to his aunt with a shaky smile on his lips, only to hiss a moment later he felt a sting from one of the puncture wounds on his shoulder.

            Moving the ball of cotton-wool from Izuku’s shoulder and loading it up with more antiseptic, Mitsuku’s smile turned sweeter as she continued to face her nephew, her eyes  closed, “that’s good, Izu because I’m thinking that patching you up may take a long time~,” cracking one eye open, Izuku couldn’t help but flinch back a bit at the piercing gaze she levelled at him, “so please, tell me everything about this, training.”

            What followed was one of the most prolonged hours of Izuku’s life, recounting, under his aunts intense questioning, how he met a man after All Might saved him and Katsumi from the Slime Villain incident, a man called Toshinori Yagi who turned out not only to be All Might’s secretary & manager, but his personal trainer. A man who offered him the chance to try and make his dream come true, to become a hero.

            He told her about Dagobah Beach, and the intense ‘American Dream Plan’ Mr Yagi had made him, and the ten months of hell he went through to get ready to take the U.A. entrance exam – all to end, tearfully, in him recounting his failing the entrance exam with zero points.

            “Oh, Izu,” answered Mitsuki softly as she put the now closed first-aid kit to the side, “all that work….”

            “I know,” answered Izuku with a small sob, “I guess Kaachan’s right. I am nothing but a useless dek—GHA!” Clutching his head, Izuku looked up in shock at his aunt, her hand held in a chop above him.

            “Don’t give me that shit Izuku, you’re no fucking idiot.”

            “But auntie, I got zero points. I failed the—GHA!”

            Her hand snapping back to position from a second chop to her nephews head, Mitsuki glared herder, “Want to try again, Izuku? Or was Inko blowing smoke out her ass all those times that she gushed about how good you were at analysing things?”

            Blinking, Izuku’s mind started turning as he began to think over his aunt’s words. It was clear that she wanted him to stop deprecating himself, that much was evident when taking into account that she was his aunt, even if the title was honorary, but she was also smart, as smart as Kaachan, if not more so, so perhaps she saw something in his story that he didn’t? But what could that be?…

            “Izuku?”

            …Perhaps he could have been judged on some other metric that nobody told him about? No, though possible, there was no way to confirm that theory. Nor would it make her as upset as his previous words did. Maybe it’s something simpler? Something he’s lost sight of, failing to see the forest for the trees?...

            “Izuku?”

            Maybe it wasn’t the exam unto itself but rather some different variable? Something he did in the exam? But what could that be? All he did was…

            “Izuku!” losing her patients at her nephew’s muttering to himself, she chopped his head again, “you’re overthinking!”

            “GHA!” clutching his head again, Izuku looked up at his aunt, though this time realisation rather than tears shone in his eyes, “I saved that girl. Even if I didn’t pass, I potentially saved a life. If I hadn’t gone through all that training, everything Mr Yagi put me through, I couldn’t have done that.”

            “And?” responded Mitsuki, smiling.

            “And?” stuttered Izuku in response, flinching back a bit as he saw his aunt’s smile twitch.

            “I swear you’re as fucking dense as Ink is,” muttered Mitsuki through an increasingly strained smile, “and – when were you going to tell me you unlocked your quirk?”

            Izuku blinked at his aunt as silence fell between them. He then blinked again before his face heated up in an embarrassed blush, “oh crud, you’re right. I completely forgot!”

            There was a sudden loud slap as Mitsuki’s palm met her forehead, doing little to help Izuku’s embarrassed fluster.

            “So, what is it?”

            “A strength quirk, I think. Maybe a stockpiling quirk?” It wasn’t a total lie, but it also wasn’t like Izuku could tell his aunt the truth, even he could barely believe the truth behind his quirk – a quirk passed to him from All Might himself, a quirk passed from generation to generation of heroes, getting stronger with each new hero it passes to – even his mother didn’t know.

            Looking down at his right arm, Izuku swallowed as he flexed his hand, “I’ve not been able to practice since the exam, Mr Yagi is busy and…,” trailing off, Izuku looked up to see his aunt smiling gently at him.

            “Afraid if you go at it alone, you’ll destroy your body again,” finished Mitsuki as she handed Izuku his shirt and jacket, “understandable, I’d be exactly the same if it were me.” Standing and petting her skirt down, she looked over at him with a fond smile, “defiantly a smart move, but given how close we’re getting to the new school year,” she hummed softly to herself, “what does your mother think?”

            An immediate silence fell over the shop as Izuku continued to button his shirt and jacket, refusing to meet her gaze.

            “Oh, come on, Izuku! I know Ink tends to overreact, but she couldn’t have been that…,” the words dying on her tongue; Mitsuki’s eyes widened before narrowing sharply at her nephew, “you have told your mother all this, right Izuku?”

            “Only a few bits about the ex-ACK,” flinching down, Izuku rubbed his head as the feeling of yet another head-chop from his aunt slowly faded.

            “Izuku Midoriya! You will go home this instant, and you will tell your mother everything, everything you just told me! Am I clear?”

            Shying away from the angry woman, Izuku nodded as quickly as his neck would allow without catapulting his head from his shoulders.

            “Y– Yes, aunty, I will, I promise!”

            “And you will introduce her to this ‘Mr Yagi’, right?”

            Gulping, Izuku tried to wave his hands in front of himself as he stuttered his reply, “but, he’s really busy at the moment! I can’t just–”

            “Right?” cut in Mitsuki with a continuingly stern look.

            “Y… Yes, aunty,” replied Izuku, deflating under her glare.

            Clapping her hands together, Mitsuki’s expression immediately changed, flashing her nephew a victory smile, “glad to hear it, Izu. Now you’d best be off, lest Ink starts climbing up the walls with worry… again.” Sighing the last part, she gently guided Izuku to the door, “and I mean it,” she turned the boy to face her, “if that brat of mine or any of her friends ever tries to hurt you again, promise me you’ll let me know. Right?”

            Determination and admiration shone as brightly in his eyes as he beamed a smile at her, “you don’t need to worry about me, auntie. Kacchan is going to be a great hero one day! If I have to take a few cuts and bruises to make that happen… then that’s fine, so long as she achieves her dream, I’ll be fine, that I can promise!”

            Clenching her fist at her side, her nails digging hard against her palms, Mitsume placed a hand on Izuku’s shoulder, “you’ve got a good heart Izuku, far too much like your mothers…,” she met her nephews gaze, “but what I said earlier still stands. Whether you tell me, or I catch her in the act, if that daughter of mine ever does anything to you…,” leaving that threat in the air, she gently pushed Izuku out of the shop, “now off with you.”

            “R- Right, oh and,” stopping, Izuku bowed to her, “thank you for the help, aunt–ACK!” Feeling a blow to the side of the head, Izuku looked up as the smirking woman, “care to try that again, Izu? Or do I need to remind you that we’re practically family at this point?”

            Chucking sheepishly, Izuku rubbed the back of his head, “r- right,” and with that, Izuku jogged away, waving over his shoulder as Mitsuki waved in turn, pulling her phone out as soon as he turned a corner.

-=-=-=-=-=-

StreetQueenM: @Midoriya.I Izuku’s gonna be late. Caught him on his way past the shop, had to stop him and patch him up.

StreetQueenM: Ask him about Dagobah Beach when you get the chance.

GoddessOfTears: @Bakugo.M Oh my, he ripped his uniform again? I’ll send you the money once I’ve finished this job!

GoddessOfTears: Dagobah Beach?

StreetQueenM: Ink, as I told Izu. We’re practically family; it’s on the house!

GoddessOfTears: Even so…

StreetQueenM: It wasn’t just his uniform I patched up… do you have some time to chat tomorrow?

GoddessOfTears: Mitsuki?

StreetQueenM: …When was the last time you saw Izuku without a shirt on, Ink?

-=-=-=-=-=-

            “I’m home,” gently closing the front door of the apartment, Izuku neatly placed his favourite red shoes to the side and put on a pair of house slippers as he heard his mother call out in return.

            “Welcome home, sweetie! Did you have a good day?”

            Making his way into the main living room of the apartment, placing his school bag to the side as he went, Izuku put on his usual smile, the smile that said everything was okay, that said his mum didn’t need to worry about him, a smile that soon faltered the moment he saw his mother sat on the couch nervously fiddling with her phone.

            “Mum? Is everything okay?”

            “Izuku… sweety. Can you tell me about Dagobah Beach?”

            Blinking for a moment in a stupor, Izuku felt his heart and his shoulders drop, “aunt Mitsuki told you….”

            Shaking her head, Inko gestured her son to join her, “not everything, just that I should ask you about Dagobah Beach… and something about seeing under your shirt.”

            Sitting down next to his mother, Izuku started to play with his hands as a nervous chuckle slipped from his lips, “well… I… you see….”

            ‘I can’t lie to her like this… I trusted aunty with this. Of course, I can trust Mum. What kind of hero would I be if…,’ thought Izuku to himself. Then, sighing deeply, he took a deep breath, ‘I’m sorry, All Might. I won’t tell her everything, but….’

            “R… Remember about ten months ago, when I started my training to get into U.A.? And the villain attack that Kacchan and I were involved in?”

            Visibly shuddering at the memory as a few tears formed in her eyes, Inko nodded.

            “Well, right after the attack, I met a man called Toshinori Yagi….”

            Sitting quietly, the occasional tear of joy or sorrow rolling down her cheeks, Inko listened to her son as he recounted the events of the last few months – starting slowly and cautiously, but soon spilling words and stories as if a floodgate had been opened, everything he had been holding on his chest spilling out into the open. First, the events of that fateful meeting between Toshinori Yagi and himself and the revelation that he may, in fact, have a quirk. The ten months of gruelling training he did, carrying scrap and refuse across Dagobah Beach in a maddening attempt to strengthen his body enough to unlock his dormant quirk, and the inevitable collapse as he pushed himself beyond Mr Yagi’s training regimens to catch up with his peers. And finally, the events of his entrance exam to U.A., from him nearly smashing his face into the ground at the gates, only to be saved by a lovely girl with a pretty smile and a gravity control quirk, to his quirk unlocking as he saved the same girl from a building-sized robot during the physical portion of the exam – destroying most of his limbs in the process.

            “…and that’s everything,” finished Izuku with a heavy sigh, only to immediately see his mother shaking her head at him, “huh?”

            “Mitsuki asked me–. What are you hiding under your shirt, Izuku?” answered his mother as she showed him the message from his aunt, “she sounded worried… Mitsuki doesn’t get worried….”

            Playing with his hands again, Izuku looked away as he shrank in on himself, “it’s nothing, mum, just a few–,” biting his tongue, Izuku fell silent.

            “Just a few what, sweetie?”

            “It’s nothing mum, aunt Mitsuki was just worrying over nothing.”

            “Izuku–.”

            Gulping as the edge his mother’s voice took, Izuku took another deep breath before squeezing his eyes shut and, standing up, removing his shirt.

            Gasping softly as she held a hand to her mouth, Inko was on her feet in an instant, “Oh my… Izuku! Those wounds… those scars!”

            “It’s nothing, mum,” replied Izuku, giving her his brightest smile, “I’m fine. Most of them were from the training after all!”

            “These are not nothing,” snapped Inko in reply, her usually soft eyes blazing with an anger Izuku could hardly recall ever seeing in them, “let me see your back.”

            “Eh?”

            “Let me see your back,” she repeated, her tone leaving no room for argument.

            “Mum, I don’t….”

            “Izuku!”

            Gulping softly, Izuku turned around to show his back to her, flinching as he suddenly heard a sob escape her lips and a finger gently trace down one of the deeper scars.

            “Mum, I–”

            “Were these from training?” asked Inko in a hushed tone, “did this, Mr Yagi….”

            “No!” replied Izuku, bolting upright in panic, “he would never… even when we were training, he made sure I was never in any danger!” feeling his mother’s continuing glare at the back of his head, he slumped forward slightly, with a nervous chuckle, “except the times he shouted at me for trying to move dangerous stuff around without him there to supervise. He also bought me some work boots and gloves when he found out I didn’t own any!”

            “I’m pulling you out of that school.”

            “What?”

            “Am I wrong? Or is there something else you’ve been keeping from me, Izuku?”

            “I…,” started Izuku, though any argument he could think of died quickly when faced with the options before him. Blame All Might? He would rather die than make a sacrificial lamb out of the man who saved him, figuratively and literally. Blame them on villain attacks he’d gotten too close to? How could he possibly lie to his mother for something as petty as this!

            “I’m lodging a formal complaint as well… what they’ve done… those scars…,” choked Inko, a pained sod echoing from her mouth as her rage subsided to tears of pain and grief over her baby, “why did you never tell me!? Or Mitsuki, Masaru!? Did you tell Mr Yagi!? Anyone!?”

            “I...,” choked Izuku, his own tears threatening to fall as he clenched a fist to his chest. He couldn’t cry, not now when his mother needed him to be the strong one, “it wouldn’t have made a difference.” Slowly slipping his shirt back on, he sank back onto the couch.

            “First thing tomorrow,” whispered Inko as she clenched her fists tightly, “first thing tomorrow, I’m pulling you from that school and calling the police! What are they doing to their students? Is Katsumi being treated the same? What about the rest of your class? Are the teachers do–”

            “It was just me, mum,” cut in Izuku quietly. “It was always just me…,” he let out a broken laugh, “I’m the only quirkless person in the school after all….”

            Looking as though a bucket of cold water had been poured over her, Inko joined her son on the couch, her fists clenching tightly into her skirt as she looked down, “…I’m sorry, Izuku.”

            “Sorry?”  he replied, “mum, whatever for?”

            “If I had tried harder if I had been better, maybe you would… you would….”

            “Be happy?” finished Izuku, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder, “mum, I’m training with my– with the man who trained my hero! I’ve had a chance to apply to U.A.! Mum, I have a quirk now! Yes, school is tough… and it’s been lonely and hard for so long… but now I have a shot at finally being a hero! Soon it’ll all be over, and I will be able to start fresh, finally reach out and chase my dream. To become a hero who always saves people with a smile!”

            Looking at her son’s bright smile, Inko felt herself torn. On the one hand, her son, her dear, sweet, Izuku, was being bullied, abused. All because of the disdain the quirkless had in society these days. On the other, did he have a point? There were only a few more months left of his final year, then he would be off to university or into the world of work. Then there were the questions of what would happen to his records if she pulled him out of school so near the end? Would his grades be wiped; how would he get a job then?

            Taking a deep breath, Inko gently took her son’s hand and closed her eyes in thought, “I don’t like the idea of leaving you in that school… but I can’t think of an alternative either….”

            “I’ll be fine, mum,” replied Izuku, giving her hand a squeeze, “it’ll be alright.”

            ‘All right,’ thought Inko with some dark mirth before an idea suddenly launched itself to the forefront of her mind, an idea with a broad smile that she had seen so many times over the years, ‘all right… All Might!’

            “You’re inviting him to dinner,” said Inko, resolutely.

            “Wh… What? Who, mum?” replied Izuku, thrown from the sudden change of topic.

            “Mr Yagi, you’re inviting him to dinner. After all, he’s done for you and this family, don’t you think it’s only fair we repay him in some way? Not to mention I need to pay him back for that equipment he bought you and keeping you safe on the silly training regimen he gave you.”

            “W… Well, yes. But… wait, silly?”

            “Izuku…”

            Shrinking under his mother’s gaze, Izuku waved his hands in front of himself, “He… He’s a busy man, mum. I don’t think he’ll have time to—”

            “Well, you’d better call him and ask him, shouldn’t you?” finished Inko, with finality.

            Gulping softly, Izuku slowly nodded, “ri… right. I’ll just go… call… him….”

            Standing up, Izuku pulled out his phone as he quickly made his way to his room, “I’ll try to be quick!”

            “No need to rush, sweetie,” his mother replied, “dinner isn’t ready for a while yet. Take all the time you need.”

-=-=-=-=-=-

            Toshinori sighed deeply as he surveyed the paperwork pilling his desk. To those who thought they knew him, he was a sickly-looking man with deeply shadowed eyes, a skeletal figure, messy blond hair, and traces of dried blood at the corners of his mouth if one were to look closely. Yes, to most, Toshinori Yagi was just a gaunt man, slowly working his way to death’s embrace, if not already the reaper himself, sans cape and scythe.

            To those who knew him, however, they would know that the man they see today was the product of a vicious fight years prior, a fight that saw the man lose most of his stomach and damage his lungs to disastrous levels. Moreover, they would know that even so, Toshinori Yagi still went by a different name, a name that filled villains with fear and children with joy, for he was secretly the Symbol of Peace, the number one hero in Japan; Toshinori Yagi, was the Pro Hero All Might.

            However, the life of a Pro-Hero is not all about saving pets from trees and rescuing families from muggers in dark alleys. No, even the top heroes must battle with the vilest of villains since time immortal, paperwork. For Toshinori, this deplorable foe was an unavoidable fight, and fact, in his new career path, it seemed.

            “Almost done Toshi, you just have to get through a few more forms, a few more applicant video scripts, and then you’re done… You can do this!” Clenching his fists in determination, he picked up another form as the stack of papers collapsed off his desk, causing the pro to slump forward with a defeated sigh. “So close… yet so far….”

            As if the gods had taken pity upon the weary warrior’s soul, a familiar ping grabbed Toshinori’s attention. Reaching for his phone and the inevitable workload that he was sure to undoubtedly fall upon him, he was mildly surprised to see a simple message from one Izuku Midoriya, the young man he had been training for the last ten months. More importantly, his chosen successor as the world’s next symbol of peace – although, he suspected that particular penny had yet to drop for his student.

            “Young Midoriya?” mumbled Toshinori, softy, “whyever are you messaging me at this hour?”

-=-=-=-=-=-

Midoriya.Izuku: Sorry to be a bother! I know you have important stuff to be doing, but there is something I need to ask you!

Midoriya.Izuku: It’s okay if you don’t, but I need to talk to you as soon as I can.

Midoriya.Izuku: Sorry to bother you like this!

Yagi.T: I have a bit of time now if that is any help, Young Midoriya?

-=-=-=-=-=-

            Pressing send, Toshinori looked at his phone in curiosity, only for it to immediately ring.

            “Young Midoriya,” answered Toshinori, trying to add a cheeriness to his voice after a long day of paperwork, “what do I owe the honour, young man?”

            “Ah, hi All Might,” stuttered Izuku, “sorry again for bothering you. I know how busy you are!”

            “It is quite alright young man. I did say I was free to talk after all. So, what do you need to talk to me about so urgently? Are you in trouble?”

            “Oh no! Nothing like that, All Might!” flustered Izuku, “It’s just… My mum wants you to join us for dinner.”

            “Dinner?”

            “ACK!” chocked Izuku, as Toshinori practically felt the sudden wave of anxiety exploding from the young man on the other end of the phone, “As Toshinori Yagi, I mean, not as All Might! She, my mother, I mean, wanted to know about some of my scars after auntie Mitsuki mentioned seeing them while repairing my jacket after school.”

            “Young…”

            “So, I told her about the training you had me do, clearing up the beach, which she then mentioned to my mum….”

            “Young Mi…”

            “So, I fell back on the cover story we came up with – after all, it’s not a total lie. Now my mum wants to meet you and thank you for helping me “unlock my quirk” and take the U.A. entrance exam, even though I’m certain I’ve failed… and let you down.”

            “Scars, Young Midoriya?” Asked Toshinori, finally breaking into the young man’s rambling. Pushing his memory back to all the days the two of them had spent training together, he could only remember a few times he had seen his successor’s torso, albeit briefly, save for the day he passed on his quirk – even then, though, he was now kicking himself for not paying more attention at that moment. “I know you took a few knocks during our training, but they shouldn’t have left anything particularly worrying.”

            “Don’t worry about it, All Might,” laughed Izuku, “I’m fine!”

            “If you say so, Young Midoriya,” replied Toshinori as he scribbled something down onto a nearby notepad, “now about this dinner… I can be free this Friday if that’s any help?”

            “That’s perfect,” replied Izuku, the anxiety evaporating from his voice, “is seven, okay?”

            “I do believe so, my boy. Can you message me your address? It would hardly do if I got lost on the way.”

            “Ah! Of course, All Might! I’ll do it right away.”

            “See that you do, Young Midoriya. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some paperwork to wrap up before the end of this evening.”

            “Of course, All Might,” stuttered Izuku, “I’ll let you get back to your important work. See you Friday.”

            “Yes, see you Friday,” replied Toshonori with a chuckle before ending the call and tapping the notepad next to him with his pen as a frown crossed his lips.

            ‘Call, Nezu. Midoriya, abused?’