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Izuku’s stomach was churning.
The green-haired youth brought a hand up to his mouth, the other gently cradling his stomach, fervently praying that it was just nerves. He didn’t want to be known as the kid who puked at UA’s entrance exam. Izuku closed his eyes, taking deep breaths as he pressed his forehead against the bus window. His wrist felt like spaghetti after taking the written test and he didn’t even get a chance to go back to try and answer the couple of questions he had no clue about. Who leaves blank answers on a school’s entrance exam?
Admittedly, Izuku may have been able to do more if his body hadn’t started to ache halfway through the test. It had been a minor inconvenience at first—a shooting pain that ran up his leg, lasting no more than a second, the dull ache that lingered in his knees and elbows, and the pounding of a headache building behind his eyes. Now his stomach was gurgling, exuding that awful mix of nausea and hunger he sometimes got after being sick, and he really wished his body would just cooperate with him for once.
This was the last thing he needed right now. Biting his lower lip and resisting the urge to smash his fists against his thighs, Izuku tried to distract his mind with something else. Thinking about the impending trial would only exacerbate his nerves and reviewing how he’d done on the written portion would just as likely send him spiraling. He wished he had his notebooks to distract him. He tried to think about all the people he saw today, the different he’d tried to guess at. There’d been the one with the obvious bird mutation, or that girl with pinks skin. He wanted to stand up and get a better look at the people riding his bus, he’s pretty sure he spotted a guy with multiple arms get on earlier, but the thought of attracting any kind of attention did nothing to help settle his stomach.
The youth grimaced, feeling the usual wave of insecurity and self-loathing he always did when his anxiety became too difficult to handle. How could he be a hero is he shied away from simply talking to others? All Might was counting on him! The No.1 Hero, the Symbol of Peace himself, had given him Quirk only three hours ago and here he was—Izuku stopped as an epiphany burst into existence. Maybe All Might’s Quirk was the reason why his body was so out of sorts today. One for All was probably just starting to manifest within him…
…or maybe it was rejecting him?
Izuku instinctively bit his knuckle to hold back the flood of frantic muttering that thought inspired, only to hiss lowly in discomfort. God, even his teeth were starting hurt! He buried his face into his hands, the joints of his fingers throbbing in protest, and pressed the heels of his palms into his eyes until spots of color bloomed under his eyelids.
He shouldn’t entertain those kinds of thoughts. All Might hadn’t given him any indication that One for All would reject him. Of course, that didn’t it wasn’t a possibility. Izuku could just be the first person the Quirk rejected. Maybe it wasn’t compatible with Quirkless people? What if it worked by fusing with a person’s Quirk Factor? And hadn’t All Might said that One for All would blow off his limbs if he wasn’t ready? Was that happening right now?! Was All Might’s Quirk ripping his body apart molecule by molecule?!!
“–what a freak.” A nearby voice sneered and Izuku’s head shot up to see that his seatmates from across the aisle were staring at him. Oh no, had he muttered all of that out loud? Heat flooding his cheeks, Izuku’s gaze dropped to his lap even as he kept an ear on his neighbors.
“Yeah, I’m definitely making sure to stay away from that guy.” The second boy grunted as he turned away to stare out his window. He had an odd mutation where his nose had been replaced with metal drill. Izuku wondered if the boy could make the drill change size. The first boy, the one who had called Izuku a freak, had no obvious mutation like his companion, so his Quirk was either Transformative in nature or an Emitter.
“Tch, guy’s an anchor.” The orange-haired teenager muttered, which earned him a confused look from the boy with the drill-nose. “He’s clearly in over his head—I mean look at him, he’s two seconds away from a nervous breakdown. At some point during the test, some bleeding heart is gonna try to save him, but he’ll be panicking so badly he’ll probably just make things harder for his would-be rescuer. He’s deadweight, he’ll only drag others down with him.”
“Oof, that’s harsh man.” The drill-nose boy chuckled while Izuku hunched up his shoulders and tried to look smaller. An anchor, deadweight, worthless, useless—the other boy didn’t even know him, and yet he’d already pegged Izuku as a deku. Why was he like this? Why couldn’t he just do better? He could feel frustrated tears burning at the corners of his eyes, but Izuku swiped at them before they could take form. For the rest of the ride, he kept his head down and his mouth shut. The pangs in his body only seemed to grow worse.
The bus came to a stop outside of the walled off area of Ground Beta. On the bus, Izuku could see the structures of concrete buildings, roofs, and power poles surpassing the wall. He knew of course that it was one of the twenty-four training sites that UA had at their disposal for the Hero Course. Most were made to simulate cramped metropolitans, but a few were designed with the warehouse districts or suburbs in mind. He’d even heard a rumor that one of the sites replicated Tokyo’s extensive sewer system! A person nearby scoffed and Izuku’s hands shot up to his mouth, eyes squeezing shut in dismay.
‘Can’t go two seconds with running your stupid fucking mouth, shitty Deku!’ Kaachan’s voice rang so clearly in Izuku’s head that the boy couldn’t help but flinch, half-expecting the familiar sensation of heat and pain to follow in its wake. Thankfully, he remembered after a moment that Kaachan was taking his test at another site. The only pains Izuku had to worry about were the ones One for All was inflicting upon his body.
Truthfully, the teenager wasn’t sure he’d ever felt this sore before. Not even after those first few weeks when he had hauled trash from Dagobah Beach, or when he’d collapsed from pushing himself too hard six months later. As those around him gathered near the gate entrance to Ground Beta, he spotted a few examinees stretching nearby and Izuku decided to follow their example, hoping it might relieve the pulsing pressure building throughout his body. However, he barely managed to bite back a yelp as the muscles in his legs spasmed something awful even with his careful ministrations.
How was he going to take part in the exam if his body recoiled and writhed at simple stretches?! For a second, Izuku considered speaking to a proctor, but then his whole being immediately stiffened at the thought of withdrawing. How could he think about giving up when he hasn’t even reached the starting line yet? Gritting his teeth, Izuku threw himself into his exercises, scowling and grunting at every surge of pain that rushed through his sore body.
He was so focused at pushing back his discomfort, he failed to notice the blue-haired boy with glasses—the same who lectured him in the auditorium—give him a considering look. He also did not spot the nice brunette from earlier who used her Quirk to save him from falling flat on his face. In fact, he was so deeply buried in his tunnel vision, he didn’t even realize Present Mic had started the test until the other examinees were running into the city.
Stumbling at starting gate, Izuku dashed into the cityscape, his body thumping in anguish at every motion he made. He was out of breath in under a minute, sweat soaking his skin as an odd heat overtook him. Izuku scarcely fought off the urge to spew his guts all over the ground right there and then. A loud crash at the end of the street had him looking up. Distressingly, his vision abruptly blurred into a spectrum of formless shapes and Izuku could only make out a dark green mass advancing on him at a rapid pace.
Yet when he tried to move away, he found that his limbs were locked in place.
It wasn’t a mental thing; he wasn’t frozen in fear—although he would readily admit that he was terrified—but rather Izuku literally felt something catching in his knees and then pain exploded in his limbs a second later. For a moment, he genuinely thought he’d blown his legs off just like All Might had warned him. A flash of blazing white-blue light overtook his vision, the green mass was consumed by a fiery orange, and a wave of warmth flashed over Izuku body before fading.
“Merci beaucoup!” Another’s voice came from behind him, though they sounded muffled to Izuku’s ears. The green-haired boy could only turn his upper body, his kneecaps grinding painfully against something in his legs, and a sudden fissure of agony split down Izuku’s crackling spine as a result. Tears worsened his already fuzzy eyesight, so he could only catch a splash of white and yellow. “We make a good team with you as my decoy. Although, I doubt I’ll be seeing too much of you in the future. Au revoir!” And then they were gone and Izuku was alone, struggling not to give in to his suffering.
“Six minutes left until the test is over, contestants!”
Izuku almost shrieked at that announcement, only to choke as something thick and cloying rose up his throat. Bones creaking audibly, the teenager move just enough to throw up on the pavement rather than down the front of his shirt. Shame coursed through him at the thought of UA’s staff watching him—oh god, please don’t let Present Mic have seen that—only for that emotion to be completely overshadowed by a tidal wave of alarm. Because that wasn’t the omelet and white rice his mother had made for him this morning. It wasn’t the yellow bile of stomach acid either. No, the puddle was crimson in color. Shakily, Izuku used a trembling hand to wipe at his mouth, pulling it away to find it stained a bright red.
He should stop. Something was horribly wrong with him. He should call for help and–
“Tch, guy’s an anchor.”
No, he couldn’t stop now. How dare he even think it.
“He’s clearly in over his head—I mean look at him, he’s two seconds away from a nervous breakdown.”
What was all that training for if he’s just going to throw in the towel when things started getting hard?
“At some point during the test, some bleeding heart is gonna try to save him, but he’ll be panicking so badly he’ll probably just make things harder for his would-be rescuer.”
Heroes get injured all the time, but they don’t stop! They push past it, they beat the villain, they save the day!
“He’s deadweight, he’ll only drag others down with him.”
All Might was counting on him! He had a legacy to uphold! He wasn’t allowed to be a failure anymore!
Izuku’s hand tightened into a fist as it dropped to his side, barely feeling the sting of his nails digging into his palms. He forced his legs to move, even as the bones in his ankles tried to lock-up like his knees had. His burning muscles vibrated under his skin—skin that itched like he had a peeling sunburn. His breath sputtered in his chest, his lungs practically pressing against his ribcage. Pain raced throughout his entire body as he sped down the street in search of another robot. He clenched his jaw hard enough that his teeth cracked, and he had to spit out a fresh mouthful of blood thanks to his weeping gums.
Unfortunately, everywhere Izuku turned, he found that he was too slow. The robots were being picked off by his fellow examinees by the handfuls. He heard the nice girl say she’d gotten twenty-eight points while the scary guy with glasses revealed he had forty-five. Izuku didn’t even have one!
Then the ground shook like an earthquake and Izuku’s legs gave out from underneath him. The action alone had him muffling a scream behind his hands as tears poured down his face. He could faintly hear Present Mic announce that there were two minutes left. Blinking, he looked ahead in a pained daze, barely noticing the people who rushed past him. There was a great cloud of smoke, a building had been wrecked apparently, but Izuku hadn’t heard it come down. A towering figure stood over them, colored dark green and metallic silver. He spotted six glowing red lights and the near catatonic teen realized that he was staring at the 0-Pointer.
Izuku could barely keep his eyes open, exhaustion tugging insistently at his consciousness. His mind was muddled, not quite able to recall where he was or the circumstances. The drive from moments before was lost, not because he had grown disheartened, but because he didn’t even remember hyping himself up in the first place. Listlessly, his gaze drifted to the ground as his body slumped forwards.
And there, at the feet of the 0-Pointer, he could make out a face amongst the debris.
A hand reaching out for help and eyes filling with unshed tears.
Izuku moved without thought and without awareness.
His didn’t feel how his heart stuttered in his chest. He didn’t notice how his limbs were suddenly inches too long, or how his shoes were now two sizes too small. The fabric of his of his jogging clothes, which he preferred to be loose, grew taunt against his skin before shredding in multiple places. He didn’t falter in the slightest, oblivious to how his body buckled and broke—as skin split open around his joint and spurted out streams of blood.
Instead, the green-haired youth leapt over a hundred of feet into the air, heedless to how the bones in his legs finally caved and snapped. Power flooded his form, his veins practically glowing like the sun as electricity sparked around him. Izuku reared his arm back, and All Might’s proud smile filled his mind, his hero’s face half-cast in light as the sun dawned on the horizon.
“So clench your butt-cheeks kid, and yell this from the depth of your heart–”
“SMASH!”
Izuku watched as the 0-Pointer shattered under his fist. There was a single moment, an instant where he floated weightless in the sky, where he thought he heard seven people chuckling in his ear. Then his world went black.
Having a successor has offered Toshinori a world of new experiences—a world that the Symbol of Peace had quickly realized he had no idea how to navigate. He’s a hero with forty years of experience under his belt, and yet his interactions with young Midoriya have often left him feeling like a novice zygote all over again.
God, he could easily recall the first time he learned he was in over his head. It was when young Midoriya had cut himself on some broken glass during his first week cleaning up Dagobah Beach. Even now, the sheer unprofessionalism he displayed at that time didn’t fail to bring an embarrassed blush to Toshinori’s cheeks.
He panicked. There was no other word for it. Midoriya had called out to him with a sheepish voice—Toshinori had been filling out an incident report from earlier that day—and he’d glanced up, blood clamoring up his throat as the boy presented his own blood covered palm. He’d demanded the youth to stay where he was, to keep his hand elevated, and raced over to his truck, mentally cursing himself for using up his allotted three hours already.
He also berated himself for not thinking to give the boy gloves. Really, that was just common sense. Thankfully, he'd a small first aid kit in his truck that he had barely touched by that point—Recovery Girl had bombarded him with so many kits over the years that he’d taken to stuffing them into odd places. He’d fussed and fidgeted as he cleaned Midoriya’s cut, worriedly wondering if they should go to the hospital in case the boy needed stitches.
It was the teenager, the one without the decades of experience, who’d wisely pointed out that they should wait and see how well the cut clotted first. It was Midoriya who began talking in a soft tone about the latest fight Mirko had, how her penchant from property damage had dropped by 30% over the last six months, and how she was slated to rise up the ranks as a result. It was the fourteen-year-old who kept a level head and distracted the No.1 Hero from his concerns. Since then, young Midoriya has never failed to surprise him in some way or another.
Case in point, the boy in question was currently throwing up on a random street in Ground Beta.
Toshinori grimaced in sympathy for his successor. There were always a few kids who lost their breakfast at the exam, though it was usually before the test started. Three other hero hopefuls had also been sick at different test sites—one even threw up on another competitor. A hero near the back of the control room chuckled, commenting that at least Midoriya threw up on the ground, when Aizawa of all people suddenly stood up. Now, Toshinori has not been working at UA for very long, but during the months he’s been getting to know his coworkers, he’s learnt that Aizawa can easily silence a room whenever he wishes too.
“Enhance the video and play back the feed from five seconds ago.” A murmur broke out amongst the staff as Nedzu did as Aizawa requested on a separate screen overhead.
“C’mon, Eraser! I don’t want to see the kid paint the sidewalk with his breakfast in high definition.” A hero complained, which earned a smattering of agreement from the others. Aizawa said nothing however, remaining on his feet and with narrowed eyes.
Wondering what the other hero saw, Toshinori turned back to the segment just as it started to replay. He searches for something out of the ordinary, but the only thing that sticks out to the No.1 Hero is how pale his successor looked. Honestly, it’s the only clue that something is off with the boy. One moment young Midoriya is holding himself too rigidly, and then he was suddenly bending over to be sick. As Toshinori watched the recording though, his eyes widened as he realized that the boy’s vomit was too red. Toshinori’s hands, which had been resting in his lap, tighten into fists as he watched his boy gag and cough up blood.
Something is very wrong with young Midoriya.
“What the hell…?” Someone gasped while Aizawa turned to Nedzu.
“That’s not part of his Quirk, right?” And Toshinori, forgetting himself, went to answer before he managed to cut off his words before they could fully take form. Instead, a distressed sound was trapped in the cavern of his mouth, and Toshinori tried to clear the lump from his throat before he started coughing up blood himself.
This… this wasn’t One for All, was it? The exploding limbs thing was a possibility, something Recovery Girl herself had discovered after she was let in on the secret and given the go-ahead to run some tests on One for All. Even still, there was no way the Quirk was capable of… of imploding the boy from the inside out! Right? The Symbol of Peace brought a hand up to his mouth in horror as prayed that his Quirk wasn’t actually killing the boy.
“Holy shit, how’s the kid still moving after that!?” Toshinori’s eyes jumped back to the screen, and sure enough, there was his successor barreling down the streets in search of more Villain-Bots. The blonde had to stop himself from groaning in dismay, because he knew his boy wouldn’t stop. He’d seen that same reckless determination only a few months ago when young Midoriya had worked himself so hard, he collapsed from multiple muscles tears.
“Get Recovery Girl out to Ground Beta now!”
“Should we stop the test?”
“There’s less than three minutes left, though.”
“Well, the kid seems to be moving around pretty good.”
“Yeah, thanks to all the adrenaline running through his body.”
“What about the 0-Pointer?”
“We can’t release it, right? Not with a kid throwing up blood on the field!”
“Right, I’ll just—oh shit!”
“Did you just drop the button!?!”
“The 0-Pointer’s out!”
“The kid’s far enough away, he should be fine.”
“Yeah, but now there’s another kid who’s stuck under some rubble!”
“Shut it down now!”
As if he were in a trance, Toshinori watched as events unfolded. He kept most of his attention locked onto the screen focused on young Midoriya, but he also diverted some of his awareness to those around him. Aizawa was seething, shouting into his phone at Present Mic, warning him of Midoriya’s condition and Recovery Girl’s impending arrival. He heard the commentary of his coworkers where an edge of tension underlined their voices. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the principal beginning the process to activate the emergency shut off system.
But on the screen, he saw his successor suddenly move when he’d looked on the verge of passing out mere seconds ago. He saw his student’s tracksuit being torn to shreds by some unseen force. He coughed up blood, his breathing sputtering uselessly as watched young Midoriya’s skin spilt open in multiple locations, blood spraying through the air in a dozen or so streams. Light emanated from his boy like a star about to go supernova, then Midoriya was abruptly in the air, moving much too fast for the original camera to follow. Fortunately, another feed was tracking the 0-Pointer and Toshinori watched as his student harnessed the power of One for All for the first time, punching the Villain-Bot so hard its head caved in.
And it's because that he was watching—that he was so focused—that Toshinori spotted the exact moment Midoriya lost consciousness. His green eyes, which had been glowing the same way Toshinori’s do when channeling One for All, grew dull and glassy. The boy’s eyes proceeded to roll up into his head, lashes fluttering close as his entire body went limp. Toshinori was already out of his seat by then, his body puffing up as he activated his Quirk. Even as he strains and pushes past his limits, Toshinori knew he won’t make it in time to catch his boy.
It’s not pessimism, it’s fact. He’s slowed down so much over the past six years.
As he predicted, he lands on the roof of a nearby building to see his boy about to crash into the ground. Then, the student young Midoriya saved, saves him in turn. Granted, smacking him across the face wasn’t the most graceful way to rescue someone, but Toshinori was unbelievably grateful all the same.
It takes the Symbol of Peace a few minutes to calm his beating heart and recover his demeanor. By the time he’s jumped down to the street below, he finds that the girl has apparently thrown up—and yeah, definitely no blood there—and Recovery Girl has appeared with a pair of Med-Bots with a stretcher. A brief glance at his successor showed that the boy was still unconscious, and that his limbs were… were they purple? Why are they purple? ‘Oh,’ Toshinori realized numbly as he took in the boy’s ruined body. ‘they’re broken.’
Only his left arm looked to be undamaged, and even then, something didn’t look quite right about it. It was as if some parts of the limb had swollen over, and his skin seems to have been rubbed raw. In fact, his face and neck looked much the same too. Maybe the boy really was on the verge of imploding? Swallowing back blood at that thought, Toshinori smiled and waved at the students who noticed him and were beginning to form a crowd.
“Alright dears, I know you’re excited, but All Might here has to deliver this young man to the infirmary. Now, anyone who’s injured, please line up in front of me and I’ll have you all fixed up in a jiffy.” Happily taking the out Recovery Girl gave him, Toshinori smiled apologetically at the children’s disappointed groans and shuffled through the group that was clearly reluctant to let him leave.
“See, what’d I tell you.” One boy with orange hair scoffed. Toshinori recalled that the young man had a mildly effective pyrokinesis Quirk. The boy couldn’t create flames, but he could control. He also apparently lacked an immunity to fire as well. He’d earned a total of 16 Villain Points, no Rescue Points, and he’d accidentally burned two other examinees. “The freak broke himself.” He gestured at young Midoriya’s conscious form; scorn highlighting his face. “Nothing but deadweight.”
Toshinori kept moving, but only because his body was apparently on autopilot. His brain all but shut down at the boy’s cruel words. How could someone, a person who wanted to be a hero no less, say something so callous? Part of him wanted to stop. He wanted to put a spotlight on the spiteful child and rake him across the coals in front of his peers. Surely getting told off by the No.1 Hero would be a very humbling expirence.
“Dude, did you see him?” The boy’s companion replied incredulously. He had a Mutation Quirk, a metal drill for a nose that he could simultaneously extend and expand to the size of a jousting lance. The boy hadn’t done particularly well on the exam, hesitating often and even fleeing from the Villain-Bots on a few occasions. He’d only earned 6 Villain Points and 2 Rescue Points by helping another student. “That “deadweight” took down that huge robot with one punch! I’ve only ever seen All Might do something like that!”
Toshinori, unfortunately, couldn’t hear if the orange-haired youth had a response to that, but he made a mental note to bring up both boys' behavior when the staff went through a more thorough examination of the applicants. Instead, he turned his attention back to his successor, frowning at the spot of dried blood staining the left corner of the boy’s mouth. He hoped Chiyo would be able to explain just what the hell had happened to young Midoriya.
Upon reaching the nurse’s office, Toshinori let out a relieved sigh as he released his hold on One for All. He waited, feeling more impatient than usual, for Chiyo to return, which took approximately fifteen minutes. Where she unceremoniously proceeded to kick him out of the infirmary.
“I don’t need you hovering over me, Toshinori. Nedzu said to return to the control room. I’ll let you know if something is wrong.” She shut the door in his face before he could argue otherwise, and while he wasn’t in the habit of purposefully annoying Chiyo, Toshinori was very much tempted to force his way back into the room and plant himself at Midoriya’s bedside. He knew, however, that doing so would likely get him euthanized, so Toshinori grudgingly returned to control room.
The No.1 Hero pretended not to see the few curious looks aimed his way by various coworkers. Aizawa had the most persistent stare of the lot, and the blonde did his absolute best to avoid direct eye contact—he’s since learned that it would only encourage the Underground Hero. Time passed slowly, much too slowly in Toshinori’s opinion. They weren’t even going into an in-depth analysis of the students’ performances yet, but instead tying up loose ends on the bureaucratic side of things. ‘Paperwork.’ The man shuddered. Why hadn’t anyone warned him that being a hero meant spending half your time bent over at a desk filing out reports? He snorted before answering his own question. ‘Probably because the Hero Commission knew there’d be a lot more vigilantes than heroes.’
Thankfully, after nearly two hours, Nedzu released them, but not without assigning them homework to look over the students’ files for the next meeting. Toshinori was quickly finding that the principal was a slave driver and equally as intimidating as Gran Torino or Recovery Girl. Trying not to make it obvious that he was rushing off to the infirmary, but doing just that, the blonde knocked on the door to Recovery Girl’s office minutes later.
“Come in.” Taking a breath to keep himself from getting worked up again, Toshinori stepped inside. His eyes instantly sought the cot young Midoriya had been laying on earlier, only to find that Chiyo had drawn curtain. Seeing as the boy hadn’t been rushed off to the hospital, he took it as tentative sign that the situation may not be an overly dire one. However, the expression on Chiyo’s face had him second-guessing that assumption. “So, this boy is your successor, hm?” Toshinori nodded and the school nurse gave him a sharp look. “He ingested you’re DNA this morning?” The hero coughed in surprise, but luckily there was no blood to accompany it.
“Yes, I gave him a hair at dawn. Did…” He hesitated for a moment. “Did One for All hurt him?”
“Yes and no.” Chiyo replied as she turned away to type something into her computer. “It hurt him, but not in the way you’re probably thinking.” She paused to glance back at him from over her shoulder. “You’ll recall, when I first learned about your Quirk after your injury six years ago, that I ran a multitude of tests.”
“Yes, that’s how we learned that passing One for All onto another person without proper physical training could be disastrous.” Recovery Girl gave an irritated sniff.
“Well, the boy didn’t blow his limbs off, but he did break his bones. And it wasn’t just one break in each limb, Toshinori. I’m talking dozens of fractures. I haven’t been able to use my Quirk on the boy yet, had to X-ray everything first—"
“What? What do you mean you haven’t healed him yet!?” He yelped as Recovery Girl smacked his shin with her cane.
“If you’d let me finish explaining, you big oaf!” She huffed and Toshinori resisted the urge to rub his leg. “Like I said before, I did multiple tests on you and One for All. One of those experiments was a standard DNA test.” The No.1 Hero blinked at her in confusion. “Honestly, I should’ve investigated the results more, but it wasn’t like I could compare results with the previous wielders of your Quirk, so I let it be and focused on other areas.”
“I’m sorry, Chiyo, but you’ve lost me. What does my DNA have to do with anything?”
“When I did the test, there was a deviation in your genetic makeup, as if it had been tampered with somehow, although not in a way that was harmful. I eventually chalked it up to another strange aspect of your impossible Quirk, but now…” She trailed off, obviously falling into thought, and Toshinori was too confused to push. “You are aware that Quirks are hereditary at their core, correct?” He nodded and Chiyo sighed. “There’s a reason why you have to pass the Quirk on with your DNA—because essentially, One for All rewrites the successor’s DNA by infusing their genes with that of the predecessor.”
Toshinori blanked for a long moment. He opened his mouth, but no words came out. After a minute, he quietly closed his jaw, hoping the woman would continue and break things down into simpler terms.
“When you inherited One for All, did anything about your appearance change physically?”
Confused but compliant, Toshinori searched his memories. He remembered how his nose used to look, how much bigger it was and the bump along the bridge. He remembered ruddy, pockmarked cheeks becoming some and unblemished. How his ears had suddenly seemed to stick out more, and how his bow grew to be a bit more pronounced. How the shape of his eyes lost their roundness and became more angular, how they’d been hooded one day and seemed to sink to his face the next. The No.1 Hero repeated his recollections to Recovery Girl, and she nodded slowly, as if pieces to a puzzle that only she could see were clicking into place.
“But that was just puberty, right? Bodies change.” The old woman shook her head.
“Not like that, Toshinori. Now think, all those physical features… did Shimura have them too?” The unexpected question felt like a kick to the chest and Toshinori couldn’t help but stare wide-eyed at Chiyo. He didn’t say anything at first, yet his brain couldn’t help but instatnly search for answers.
Yes, Nana’s features did match up. She’s boasted shapely cheekbones and clear skin, save for the beauty mark on her face. He remembered Gran Torino picking on her ears, jokingly claiming that she could use them to steer through the air when using her Quirk. He remembered her almond shaped eyes and how jealous he used to feel of her straight nose. Recovery Girl seemed to get her answer from whatever face he was making.
“The changes were minor ones I’m betting. You probably didn’t feel much pain, an ache around your eyes and an itchiness to your skin most likely.”
“Chiyo… what are you trying to tell me?”
“I’m telling you that upon taking One for All into your body, it rewrote about 25% of your DNA, replacing it with hers. I’m telling you that you and Shimura likely shared the same gene ratio as a biological nephew and aunt.”
Toshinori ducked his head to hide his face, fighting back tears. He had of course viewed Nana as family since he was a boy, she’d been the closest thing he’d ever had to a mother, but to know that One for All had actually made them related… It made him happy, but it also gave him a whole new way to grieve for Nana. As he glanced at the curtain hiding his successor from view, Toshinori found that his mouth was suddenly very dry.
“I… young Midoriya… I gave him my DNA… is he—” Recovery Girl held up her hand and he fell silent, his nonexistent stomach roiling with too many emotions to name.
“When Shimura inherited One for All, she likely experienced only a 12% change in DNA, making her and her predecessor something akin to first cousins. Remember that One for All is, at its very core, a stockpile Quirk. It builds and expands upon every aspect of itself.” Here, Chiyo gave him a look that he couldn’t decipher. “Every aspect, Toshinori.”
His eyes darted to the curtain again. Chiyo was telling him something, but his brain refused to make the connection. Toshinori inhaled shakily before he took moved forward. His left hand grasped the thin blue fabric, and he foolishly shut his eyes as he drew back the curtain. After taking another refortifying breath, Toshinori forced his eyes open.
Immediately he choked on blood, descending into a coughing fit that would no doubt leave his throat aching tomorrow. Recovery Girl appeared at his side with a box of tissues that he accepted gratefully. He dabbed at his face and hands absentmindedly, his gaze seemingly unable to leave young Midoriya’s slumbering form. A wave of dizziness passed over him and he stumbled sideways, barely managing to catch himself on the bed's railing. It felt so much harder to breath all of sudden, his one lung struggling to take in air.
“Toshinori?” Chiyo asked worriedly, but he waved a hand.
“I-I’m fine. It’s just… he looks so different.”
And he truly did. His successor had grown several inches within the last few hours. Where before the boy had barely stood at 5’5”, he could now easily pass for 5’10”. His shoulders and chest were so much broader, with his torso narrowing into a slim, but muscular waist. Young Midoriya’s hands and feet were noticeably larger too, the nails of which were overgrown and in desperate need of a trimming.
Speaking of—the boy also needed a haircut, as it now went past his shoulders. His hair was still the same shade of green, mostly, but the curls were looser now, mimicking Toshinori’s own wild mane. The most striking change about the boy’s hair, however, were the two long, blonde bangs that reached his chin. Midoriya’s skin color was darker too, not quite matching Toshinori’s olive tone, but it was a marked difference against his formerly pale complexion. His successor’s freckles, the No.1 Hero was pleased to see, were still present, although perhaps not as noticeable now thanks to his darker skin.
The more he studied the teenager, the more Toshinori found bits and pieces of himself. That was his square jawline he could see just beginning to take form. It would grow more defined as the boy got older. Those were his long fingers and wide, calloused palms. Even the boy’s feet were like Toshinori’s—Midoriya’s second toe was now slightly longer than the first.
However, knowing what he did now, Toshinori could also see that those curved cheekbones were from Nana. He reached out to brush the boy’s hair, but the kid’s ears looked much the same. Silently, the hero wondered if young Midoriya might somehow inherit his master’s smile.
Everything felt so... surreal. If he were alone, he’d probably trying pinching himself.
“Congratulations,” Chiyo intoned form behind him. “it’s a boy.” Toshinori’s eyes bulged as he choked on the latest influx of blood. “Seriously, all kidding aside, One for All increased the amount of DNA it took from Shimura, and it did the same with you and the boy. Half of Midoriya’s DNA matches yours. I did the test just to make sure.” She handed a sheet of paper over to him, and sure enough, Toshinori spies the 50% in ink, confirming Chiyo’s assessment. That made it official, didn’t it? As far as the scientific world was concerned, Yagi Toshinori technically had a son.
…
…
…
…Holy shit, he had son!
“Wait, what happened to the DNA that One for All replaced?”
“…It seems the fraternal half of Midoriya’s DNA no longer exists.” But that would mean… had Toshinori just usurped Midoriya’s biological connection with his father? How would that revelation affect the boy’s relationship with his father?! Hell, how was he going to explain all of this to young Midoriya?! As Toshinori started to panic, Recovery Girl eased herself onto her chair.
“This whole genetic metamorphosis is the reason for why the boy was throwing up blood earlier. His body has been restructured on a cellular level. His skeletal system was being remolded, his muscles tearing and reforming, new layers of skin growing in, along with his organs twisting and shifting about. I don’t know how he was able to stand upright during the process, let alone take part in the exam. The pain he endured must’ve been excruciating.” Toshinori grimaced guiltily. Talk about going Plus Ultra. “Thankfully, due to the overhaul to his physique, a lot of the damage he inflicted upon himself while destroying the 0-Pointer was healed or mitigated. But the transformation took up a lot of energy, which is why I haven’t healed him completely with my Quirk. I want to see where he’s at stamina-wise before trying.”
“So, we just wait?” Toshinori asked slowly, unable to help how his eyes kept straying back to his successor. “Have you… have you called his mother yet?” Recovery Girl shook her head.
“Only number the boy provided seemed to go to her personal cell. I left a message about an hour ago but she’s yet to get back to me.” The Youthful Heroine sighed and rubbed at her eyes. “I’ve gathered some papers, my findings on One for All, that should help the Midoriya’s better understand what this Quirk has done to their son–” Chiyo kept going, but Toshinori stopped listening, his mind only latching onto words.
“We can’t tell them about One for All!” He blurted out and Recovery Girl halted mid-sentence to give the Symbol of Peace a disbelieving look.
“We can’t not tell them, Toshinori.” She replied, her voice taking on a higher pitch. “Look at the boy for god’s sake! He’s practically a greener version of you now! Hell, I wouldn’t be surprised if his parents didn’t recognize him at all!” Toshinori winced as her tone grew louder in volume with each objection.
“Can’t we simply claim that young Midoriya was hit by a stray Quirk or something?” He’s not ignorant to what Chiyo’s saying. Toshinori gets it, he does, but this is One for All they’re talking about. It’s a secret that not even their nation’s leader is aware of, and the very idea of telling it two people he’s never met before—well, it’s setting off all kinds of bad feelings to put it simply.
“So, you want to lie to their faces about how their son is not completely their son anymore? Ignoring the laws that we would be breaking, let’s look at this from a moral point of view, shall we?” The blonde felt his shoulders hunching in the wake of Chiyo’s biting derision. “How would you feel, Toshinori, if you had a child and suddenly, they looked like someone else? Not only that, but when you ask why they, you’re told that it was a Quirk accident. Now, years from now—through some deus ex machina—it’s revealed that no, it wasn’t a Quirk accident that changed your child. They very DNA, the half they inherited from you, was in fact replace with the genes of another person! The very same person who lied to you in the first place!” He dodged as Chiyo swung her cane at him. “Now does that sound even remotely acceptable to you, Toshinori!?”
Thankfully, he was saved from having to answer as young Midoriya suddenly moaned from his bed. He nearly sighed in relief a Recovery Girl dropped all signs of anger to tend to the boy, but then he realized that his successor was bound to notice a few things off with his body. Feeling both nervous and uneasy, Toshinori fidgeted from a few steps behind Recovery Girl as she started checking the teenager over.
“Midoriya, can you hear me?” She asked as she peeled his eyelids back and shone a penlight in this pupil, which dilated appropriately. Toshinori watched as the boy winced and tried turn away from the light.
“Hn… yeah, I hear you…” The No.1 Hero wasn’t sure if young Midoriya’s voice was deeper, or if just sounded that way because he’d been sleeping.
“How do you feel? Do you think you can move?” Rather than reply, the boy tries to sit up, and the noise the escaped him in response had Toshinori shuffling closer, wanting to help but not knowing how. “Easy, take it easy.”
“…s-sore.” The youth answered in a strained whisper, his face twisted in pain. “I feel really, really sore. Like I tore every muscle in body.” His eyelids fluttered back, and the blonde noticed that they were much shorter now, but his young Midoriya’s were just as big as ever, his irises still a vibrant green. Something inside Toshinori unclenched at the sight of them.
“Well,” Recovery Girl scoffed. “you’re not wrong.” His successor titled his head slowly, blinking owlishly at Chiyo before recognition dawned on him.
“You’re Recovery Girl! UA’s backbone, the Youthful Heroine!” Young Midoriya all but squealed in joy. Toshinori would’ve smiled at his fanboy-ness if he wasn’t forced to admit that the boy’s voice had indeed deepened. “You’re the oldest hero in Japan that’s still instated!”
“…could’ve done without that last bit.” Chiyo grumbled lowly and the No.1 Hero was wise enough to keep his mouth shut on that end.
“Young Midoriya–” and that’s as far as he got before his student whirled on him.
“All Might, you’re here!” …was that a play on his catchphrase? “What’re you—a-am I in UA’s infirmary?!” The boy suddenly shot up from bed, only to yelp as his whole body shuddered and spasmed. Toshinori dove forwards, managing to catch the boy before he fell off the bed, though it was a close thing as Midoriya’s weight hit him full force. ‘Cripes, the kid probably put on an extra thirty pounds with his growth spurt! At minimum!’ He thoughtlessly went to make a joke, only to freeze in place as his successor whimpered in his arms.
“It’s alright my boy, I’ve got you.” He murmured supportively even as the young Midoriya instinctively tried to curl in up into a ball in a futile attempt to escape the pain radiating throughout his body. The action made the teenager seem so much younger in that instant and it fiercely tugged at something buried deep in Toshinori’s heart. Meticulously, and with more care than he could ever remember possessing, the Symbol of Peace eased the child back onto the bed. He frowned in sympathy as he spotted a tear escaping from young Midoriya’s scrunched up eyes. Without thinking, his thumb moved to brush away the tear, his other hand gently cradling the boy's neck back onto the pillow. “Breathe, young Midoriya. It's fine now, I’m here.”
Izuku did as All Might said—the man’s voice had never sounded so soft before—and focused on breathing through his discomfort. He didn’t know what was going on, didn’t know why everything from his toenails to his scalp throbbed and ached. Honestly, even inhaling seemed to hurt as his ribs echoed a dull sense of pain with each movement, and he wondered if he broken them at some point. He thought, searching his memories for an answer, his slight headache not helping matters in the slightest. He remembered the exam, remembered throwing up blood, but everything after that was too much of a blur to parse through.
“…The test…” He rasped, his fingers digging into his clothes, only to realize that he was no longer where his teal tracksuit. No, instead someone had changed him into the same UA uniform he’s seen the students wear during the Sprots Festival. “…d-did I…?” He can’t get the word out, can’t ask his hero if he failed. All Might leaned back, withdrawing his hands, and if Izuku had been more aware of things, he would've flushed something fierce at realizing that his hero had been comforting him.
“You don’t remember? You smashed that 0-Pointer, my boy!” The man’s tone was back to normal, loud and uplifting, but Izuku’s brows furrowed as he thought.
“The nice girl!” He shouted suddenly, his body tensing instead of moving, which was much more manageable to endure. Even still, his sore throat let him know that yelling was also off the table. “She was stuck under the rubble. Is she okay?” He scanned the bed next to him and was relieved to find that it was empty.
“Everyone is fine, lad.” Recovery Girl answered. “Nothing I couldn’t heal with my Quirk.” He sighed, sinking back into the bed tiredly.
“Oh, that’s good. I’m glad that–” Izuku choked, his eyes widening in horror as he stared between the two heroes. Oh god, he had revealed All Might’s secret identity! How could he do that?! He hadn’t even checked to see if others were around! He was such an idiot! All Might must think he was a–
“Young Midoriya, it’s fine.” All Might began, and Izuku realized he must’ve started muttering in his panic. “Recovery Girl knows all about this form.”
“I should, I’m the one who treated his injury.” The Youthful Heroine grunted, sounding oddly miffed about that for some reason. His hand flew up to his mouth to cut off any further muttering, only flinch as his nails scraped against his skin. He pulled his hand away to inspect it—he always bit his nails down to the quick, it was a nervous habit he’d never been able to quit—and blinked in confusion at his appendage.
Not only were his nails long, like longer than when his mother gets a manicure, but his hand looked so much bigger than normal. Was it swollen? He fiddled his long fingers, which were in fact quite stubby, and found that they were more sore than anything else. The callouses were the same, but it looked as if he’d gotten a tan at some point between this morning and now. The scar on his palm from when he’d cut his hand on some glass while cleaning the beach looked fainter, but it was still there, still in the same spot.
“W-What–” His eyes glanced over the rest of his body, and his breathing hitched. His legs were… longer? Why were they longer? His toenails were grown out too, which was really kind of gross. His knees looked knobbier than before—had he lost some of his muscle mass? He pulled up his shirt, flexed, and—yeah, his hard-earned six pack abs have been reduced to a less defined four pack. He checked his biceps as well and was horrified that they too seemed to have regressed in bulk.
He titled his head down, curiosity and horror driving him to search for more deviations, when something yellow fell into his field of vision and brushed against his cheeks. With a trembling hand, Izuku found that the blond bit was actually hair and when he went to tug on it, his scalp twinged in protest. Hysteria building, his one hand continued to tug on his hair, his blonde bangs, while the other raked through the rest of his hair. His curls were gone, but most of his hair still seemed to be green, and it went past his shoulders.
All Might took that hand still pulling at his bangs, and Izuku was distantly aware that the muted ache of his scalp had escalated to a sharp stinging sensation. He peered up at his mentor fearfully, and the No.1 Hero gaze back at him with concern.
“Calm yourself, young Midoriya.”
“A-All M-Might–”
“Breathe.” Recovery Girl instructed and Izuku belatedly realized that he was shaking. “I’m going to count to five. When I say one, inhale, and when I reach five, exhale. Do you understand?” Izuku nodded, not trusting himself to speak as he found himself gripping All Might’s hand with both of his own far too tightly to be comfortable. His mentor, however, only smiled encouragingly. “Good. One, two, three, four, five.” She had him repeat the process a dozen more times until the hitch in his chest finally seemed to fade a little. “Last time, Midoriya. One, two, three, five. Better?” He nodded and she gave a kind smile. He didn’t let go of All Might’s hand, but the man didn’t seem to mind any.
“M-My nails and m-my m-muscles…” Izuku began after a moment. “Did I get h-hit by some sort of g-growth Quirk?” All Might’s expression shifted into one of confusion, while Recovery Girl pursed her lips.
“Why would you think that?”
“My n-nails are at least two inches l-long, my body is bigger t-too, but I’ve lost s-some of my muscle mass.” Izuku, mindful of his nails, brought a hand up to his chin in thought. “My first thought w-was that I hurt myself using One for All and ended up in a c-coma, but if that were the case, my nails would’ve been kept trim by a n-nursing staff. So, my second guess is a growth Quirk, which would e-explain why my body is bigger and why my BMI changed.”
“Well,” Recovery Girl replied with a sigh. “I have to reiterate; you’re not wrong.” She shot All Might a glare. “You want to explain any of this? It is your troublesome Quirk that cause this mess in the first place.” The No.1 Hero hunched his shoulders and grimaced, but gave a faint nod.
“I suppose I should, although if you have any technical questions young Midoriya, I’d direct them at Recovery Girl. She explained everything to me in basic terms, but I’m sure some things still went over my head.” Izuku thought he heard Recovery Girl scoff something that sounded like “more than likely”, but he must’ve misheard her.
“Okay.” His mentor nodded, his hollowed-out face set in a serious expression, and then he proceeded to explain. Izuku listened attentively at first, but as All Might brought up DNA and blood relations, an odd sort of numbness began to descend upon the boy. Surely this couldn’t be real. He had to be dreaming, right? He discreetly clenched his fist as best he could, his overly long nails easily digging into his skin, but he didn’t wake up.
This… this was real?
Was he really All Might’s son?
Izuku muzzled his mouth before it could betray him. ‘Do not squee in front of All Might! Do not!’ He thought frantically as he bit back the urge to express his joy. He shouldn’t be happy about this, right? All Might acted like this was really important, and Recovery Girl’s stern face maintained that image. Clearly, they were both trying to impress the graveness of the situation upon Izuku without freaking him out. This was serious matter. He shouldn’t be fighting off a smile!
He was though. Izuku was euphoric, this was childhood dream come true!
All Might was his dad!
He reigned in his giddiness when the explanation seemed to hit a sensitive point. All Might, who’d maintained an appearance of solemnity, suddenly faltered, his expression shifting into something awkward and contrite. He stumbled, clearly failing to find the right words, and Recovery Girl heaved an aggrieved sigh.
“What this blowhard is struggling to tell you, Midoriya, is that while 50% of his DNA has fused with your genetic makeup. This effectively erased your father’s contribution to your biology.”
Huh, and here Izuku thought they were going to give him bad news. From the way that Recovery Girl’s eyebrows jumped up her forehead and All Might started hacking in surprise, the teenager realized he’d let that last bit slip outside the confines of his mind. He instantly ducked his head, an embarrassed flush spreading across his cheeks. An uncomfortable silence fell over the room and the boy resisted the urge to squirm in his spot. Thankfully, after clearing her throat, Recovery Girl got them back on topic.
“I tried to get a hold of your mother, young man, but only got her voicemail. You wouldn’t to have any idea how to get a hold of her, would you?” The Youthful Heroine’s tone very much demanded an answer and Izuku winced.
“Ah, she’s working a double-shift tonight. So, she won’t be getting home until after midnight.” He kept his eyes locked on his lap, unable to make eye contact with either adult. “Her office doesn’t allow for personal calls unless it’s an emergency.”
“Hn, I wanted to explain One for All to your parents today, but if–”
“You can’t tell them about One for All!” The boy exclaimed without thinking and All Might pointed at him.
“That’s what I said!”
“I don’t believe the two you.” Recovery Girl growled under her breath before continuing. “Midoriya, your parents need to be informed about this. Honestly, how else do you plan to explain your appearance?”
“We could just tell my mom that it’s a part of my Quirk manifesting.” The green-haired youth replied while shrugging. “I was Quirkless until this morning, so my looks changing probably wouldn’t come off as any less believable than suddenly having super strength.”
“And what about your father, young man? Don’t you think he has a right to know that his son no longer carries his DNA?” Izuku did his best not to frown. His father was, and would likely always be a sensitive subject, but he was hardly the type of person to air his grievances.
“…He left to work in America when I was a kid. I haven’t spoken to him in years.” He said simply, hoping it was enough to get Recovery Girl to drop the subject. “And besides, it’s my DNA that was altered. Shouldn’t I get a say in whether I want my mom to know or not?” He hoped he didn’t come off as disrespectful by saying that, but Izuku didn't think he was asking anything unreasonable.
Besides, did having All Might’s DNA really change much in the long run? His mother’s life would go on completely unaffected. His father had walked out on them when Izuku was revealed to be Quirkless, and All Might…
All Might didn’t really seem to care either way, did he? Not once had he seemed angry or upset, but neither did he look as overjoyed as Izuku had. In truth, the No.1 Hero wasn’t acting any differently than normal. Maybe, in All Might’s opinion, nothing has changed. Izuku, despite now being his son biologically, was still the hero’s successor first and foremost.
‘All Might is still just my mentor, not my father.’ A lump formed in the boy’s throat at this thought, and he did his best to stifle his hurt and disappointment. It’s not like All Might owed him anything, not when the man has already given him more than he deserved.
Izuku watched on as Recover Girl and All Might spoke, with the Youthful Heroine reluctantly agreeing to keep quiet about One for All and the DNA transfer for now. As he sat and thought about the latest change to his life, the young man made a promise to himself to be happy with what he had—All Might smiled at him and Izuku forced a grin—no matter how much he wished otherwise.