Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Izuku Midoriya had a plan. This was going to be the last stand, the final battle, the final attempt to purge the world of All for One's evil. Most of the heroes were wrapping up their battles after All for One’s original form was defeated, some injured, some dead. Now it was time to smother out the last remaining pieces of the man that still hid in Shigaraki and permanently end that battle that's been waging since Yoichi was given his quirk. Izuku Midoriya had a plan, he just needed to get close enough.

Izuku dodged another attack sent by Shigaraki as the dust and rubble flew into the air from the power of their exchanged blows. All Might maneuvered around a swarm of sharp spikes that chased after him. The man no longer reassembled the symbol of peace he once was, instead stuck in his skeletal form, only relying on a mechanical suit built for him by David Shield. All Might sidestepped several spikes being sent after him but failed to avoid them. His robotic armor was impaled, and the spikes moved to throw him into an airborne Bakugou who had been charging at Shigaraki intent on an attack. The two collided and were sent spiraling towards the ground and Izuku used a flick from his finger to send a shockwave towards Shigaraki, giving the pair a chance to recover. Shigaraki was unmoved, though, and Izuku had to leap back to avoid a series of sharp black tendrils sent after him.

“I just need an opening to reach to him!” Izuku, still falling back, yelled to the now-recovered Bakugou.

Izuku knew that this was a monumental task, with decay being fully evolved and the copy of All for One’s quirk giving Shigaraki even more power. It was only the four of them in the secluded rubble of a former city, and all other heroes were otherwise preoccupied. There was no help to come-no more backup plan if things went south. Despite this, Bakugou grunted in non-verbal agreement and looked to All Might to assist. The two nodded and rushed to Shigaraki. Bakugou rocketed directly at the villain, while All Might used his suit to rush around him and trap Shigaraki between the two. Using his quirk, Bakugou sent an explosion directly at Shigaraki sending him flying back into the waiting arms of All Might who grabbed Shigaraki by the arms making sure the only thing his hands could touch was his suit, All Might held Shigaraki in place. Immobilized by All Might, Shigaraki sent out an onslaught of sharp tendrils, impaling All Might and Bakugou in several places, and Bakugou began to fall as the tendril ripped off his left leg. The arms of All Might’s suit began to crumble as decay ate away at it, but he held strong despite the blood leaking from his mouth.

Izuku would not give Shigaraki the chance to harm them more than he already did. With a pulse of encouragement from the vestiges of One for All, Izuku shot forward and crashed into the entrapped Shigaraki, sending them both tumbling through the battlefield. A bloodied finger was stuck into Shigaraki's mouth as the two grappled with each other. Pain bloomed in Izuku’s stomach as he felt spikes pierce into his stomach and shoulder, but he did not let go. This war had waged on for too long, and Izuku was finally ready to put it all to rest. The vestiges of One For All sat in the back of his mind as he felt them begin to forcefully transfer into Shigaraki, and he began to writhe in agony. Izuku winced as he felt the blood pool where his skin and muscle had begun to crumble away from decay and Shigaraki's hands gripped his arms. A pained howl left Shigaraki as he convulsed within Izuku's steady embrace.

“It's going to be ok now..” Izuku grimaced at the sound of Shigaraki’s bloody cries. Izuku knew all of this wasn’t entirely Shigaraki’s fault. He had been manipulated and brainwashed by All for One since childhood, turning him into a destruction-crazed villain, but Izuku had seen the look in his eyes. He’d seen his cry for help. Tenko Shimura was still in there crying out for help.

The screaming continued as Shigaraki lost control of his quirk and decay ravaged both of their bodies, slowly eating away at them. Izuku felt his consciousness slowly slipping away from him as the pain traveled through his body. He'd known this was how things were going to be, but that didn't mean it didn't hurt. His eyes fluttered closed and when he opened them again the pain was a dull afterthought as he studied the murky subconscious realm of One for All. The realm was fading away as the battle between All for One and the vestiges of One for All raged, both slowly destroying each other in the fight. The twin quirks would finally snuff each other out and all of this would be over.

Sniffling brought Izuku’s attention to the form in front of him. A little boy probably not much older than four was curled on himself, sobbing as he viciously rubbed at his eyes. Izuku smiled sadly and approached the boy. He knew who this was, the boy shared his resemblance with his grandmother after all. Tenko Shimura peaked up at Izuku as he offered a hand down to the boy. Izuku held his hand out steadily as Tenko looked up at him in miserably with red-rimmed eyes.

Tenko sniffled. “I… I just wanted to be a hero.”

Izuku gave Tenko a boyish grin, “You can be. We can play heroes together.”

“You want to play heroes with me!” Tenko face broke out into a hopeful grin before it shifted to a fearful expression. “My dad will get angry though, He’s scary when he’s angry.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll protect you, that's what hero friends do,” Izuku promised, kneeling to Tenko.

Tenko’s face lit up, “You’re my friend! And a hero?” He exclaimed as he placed his hand into Izuku’s.

Izuku lifted them both to their feet. “Yep! You can call me Izuku,” he beamed.

All for One finally lost his grip on Shigaraki as Tenko smiling face faded away and Izuku distinctly felt the last embers of One for All and All for One dying out. For the first time in a while, there was silence in his mind, no longer was the comforting presence of the vestiges offering its silent support.

“Thank you.”

Izuku turned to see Shigaraki standing behind him, barely visible in the crumbling mindscape. Izuku let the silence linger for a few moments longer, taking in input from his continuously dulling senses. “I think we would have been friends when we were younger,” he said sadly.

"Maybe," Shigaraki closed his eyes and let out a faint chuckle, "For some reason, I think you would have dragged me into playing hero all the time if we were."

"Pft yeah, probably." Izuku snorted, watching as Shigiraki's presence fully faded away.

After, years and years of fighting and struggles and too many deaths, everything and everyone could finally recover-could finally rest peacefully. It was finally safe. Izuku could finally be secure, knowing that those he cared about would be out of harm's way. All for One was finally squashed out of existence, Tenko had finally been put to rest, the remaining heroes would take care of whatever was left, and everyone could settle back into their lives. All Might would live just like he promised, the injuries he sustained being much better in comparison to many others. He would make sure Izuku’s mother was alright.

Katsuki would be fine too. He would never allow himself to die before he took the number one spot, no matter how severe the injuries. Izuku felt a little disappointment. He and Kacchan were finally in a good place after all these years. Izuku was Katsuki’s strongest supporter, and Katsuki was his closest confidant. After years of fighting, they had finally worked through their issues, to discover that they perfectly complemented one another. Izuku leveled out Katsuki's fiery personality, and Katsuki brought out a drive and boldness in Izuku that he didn’t know he had before. The two sat up one night, talking about starting an agency together after settling into their jobs as pro heroes, no matter what the number one hero spot would belong to their agency, whether it was him or Katsuki. Katsuki was definitely going to take number one now.

Izuku supposed that this was his little revenge for Kacchan’s stunt earlier in the war. He’d been so scared when he saw Kacchan throw himself in the way of the spikes. Anger and protectiveness had bubbled up in Izuku in a way that it never had, before. Kacchan was probably going to be angry with him, but the options were limited, and he’d already gone this far, so Izuku just hoped he wouldn’t be upset for too long. Izuku felt his thoughts slowly slipping away from him as static began to take over his mind. A floaty feeling enveloped him fully and nothingness took over as the last few feelings of relief washed over him.

“-ake a swan dive off a roof.”

Suddenly Izuku didn’t feel as floaty as he did before.

The static in his mind was gone, and his senses were sharp. He could hear the snickering voices around him, the faint rustle of trees. He felt the cold, hard floor underneath has hands and the solid wall at his back. There was a burning pain on his shoulder that wasn't there before, and his eyes, now that he had them, opened to peer around him. It seemed to be a standard-looking classroom. Neat rows of desks covered the room, and a chalkboard was mounted on the wall at the front of the room. A window was open. The doors to the classroom were closed. The room was vacant except for-

“Something wrong Deku?”  was said as Izuku stared up at Katsuki's sneering face.

Chapter Text

Izuku Midoriya did not know what the hell was going on. He supposed this could have been his life flashing before his eyes, just a series of memories for him to fondly look back on. However, it wasn't like this memory was something he looked back on fondly. A happy memory, perhaps some moment he'd spent with Kacchan after they'd fixed their friendship, would have been preferable to this. It wasn't like there weren't any options even with their limited time. Late nights planning their future - little moments stolen between battles during the war -it didn’t matter what it was, just anything but this.  

But Izuku Midoriya can’t have nice things. So instead, Katsuki is looking down at him with a sneer that Izuku hadn’t seen directed at him in a long time.

“Something wrong, Deku?” Katsuki angrily questioned. There were two other middle schoolers beside him, people Izuku recognized as some of Katsuki's middle school friends. They snickered at Izuku as he eyed them from the ground.

Izuku internally rolled his eyes as he tried to bite back the bit of hurt that bubbled up within him. “No Kacchan,” he said. The theatrics were a bit much. It was almost laughable now. Izuku had a much better understanding of Katsuki than he did before. He'd admitted to having a large amount of complicated feelings relating to Izuku back in middle school. Now Izuku could practically see emotional constipation radiating off of him through all the teeth grinding and screaming… or that was just rage. He couldn't really tell.

Izuku’s response or lack thereof seemed to displease Bakugou and the irritation on his face deepened. 

“Tch.” If he thought anything of it Katsuki didn't show it, instead choosing to throw Izuku one final scowl before walking out of the room with the two gangly middle schoolers at his heels. 

Once Bakugou left the room, Izuku picked himself up from the floor. The room was just like he remembered, clean and tidy with boringly bare walls. Behind him, a window was open, letting in a cool breeze. From the weather, it seemed like spring, signifying the start of the school year. Everything looked exactly like it was supposed to. The formula on the chalkboard - the broken clock on the wall reading the wrong time - things he wouldn't have bothered to remember. Through the window, Izuku spotted his notebook floating in a fountain. He could vaguely pick out the fish pecking away at it as if it were food.

This feels… too real.

Izuku was panicking. 

If this was real. If he was really here.

 Izuku hiccuped as his shallow breaths caught in his throat. He stood stiffly staring out the window, hands clenched at his sides. 

All that work. All of those sacrifices. It’s all been erased. If Izuku was here, then- They had barely won against him originally, he didn't- he didn't know if they could win again. The war had been long and strenuous, with too much loss, and too many casualties. And If All for One now had knowledge of the future, the heroes and barely won in the first place. Izuku couldn't even feel the familiar thrum of One for All in him anymore and even if he did know of the future, no one was going to listen to a quirkless nobody. There was no way for him to do anything.

Except… He’d also been sent back. Before all the destruction, before all the death, before everything went to shit. He had a chance to fix it. None of that had happened yet, he could undo some of the damage that had been done, and give people longer, better lives. Izuku relaxed his shoulders and let out a breath. He needed a plan. He needed to get his facts straight. 

Turning away from the window, Izuku left the room to collect his notebook. The halls of the school were just as deserted as he remembered. School had let out hours ago if his memory was correct, the only reason he had been there in the first place was in a failed attempt to avoid everyone on his way out. And that had worked out for him just swimmingly. 

Izuku contemplated the situation as he walked. What did he know? What could figure out if he didn't even understand how he was here? He just needed to go over the basics and figure it out from there. He’s traveled back in time, somewhere in the first month of his last year of middle school. How? He doesn't know. Katsuki clearly hadn’t remembered anything of the future if his actions before his left were any clue. He never would have just left after saying that. If Katsuki didn’t remember, it was unlikely anyone else did. Katsuki had been there, he would've been sent back too. If no one else remembered, All for One didn't either. Hopefully. A problem came with that fact though, he didn't have any backup. There was no way for him to contact All Might, it was about a month before the sludge villain incident and even if he did somehow come into contact with All Might, his knowledge of One for All and All for One would be highly alarming. No one else knew about All for One, and Katsuki would be too busy screaming at him to actually help. Though, he supposed he had a much better understanding of Katsuki than he did before. So maybe he could ask for his help without him exploding in a fit of rage. Izuku arrived at the fountain and fished his burnt hero analysis notebook out of the water. Yeah, no.

Izuku flipped through the soggy pages of ruined analysis. Over his years at UA, he’d learned the importance of his skills. Learned his analysis was good, learned how to improve it, and learned how dangerous that information in the wrong hands could be. He would have to be more careful in the future. Even with his meager civilian knowledge, his notebooks still said too much to be considered safe. 

The notebook would have been a nice place to write down some semblance of a plan, but the old ‘burn and soak’ made the pages essentially useless. Instead, he would have to make his way back to his home to find one of his spares. Izuku moved away from the water fountain and towards the gates of his school, feeling red eyes on him from somewhere as he walked through them.

The surroundings were familiar as he made his way home. A few kids were playing in the park as he walked by, and he could see a few patrons scan the shelves of his favorite convenience store, everything was the same as he approached the steps of his apartment building. He’d walked this route a hundred times before going to UA. It was a strange feeling, the last time he’d seen this part of town it was reduced to rubble. To see it in such pristine condition felt odd. It felt even odder to be walking to his apartment at all. The last time he’d been there he was moving into the dorms. It was never safe to return after that and even his mother abandoned the apartment after the war started, choosing to join him at UA’s evacuation center instead. 

He didn’t remember if his mother was supposed to be home. Today could be one of the days she took the day shift at the hospital leaving him to his own devices. It wasn't unusual for her to be gone when he got home from school, but to him, it had been a while since he had seen her face.

“I’m home!” Izuku announced as he walked through the door. The door closed behind him and he scanned their apartment. Empty. He was disappointed but also a little relieved. He missed his mother, but he needed time to work out what the hell he was going to do. Izuku walked through the apartment and entered his room. The walls were lined with the same hero merch he had been collecting for years. His backpack was tossed to the ground, and he glanced in the mirror. He didn’t remember being this scrawny in middle school. Looking away, he grabbed a spare notebook from one of his book-lined shelves. He moved to the desk and took a pen from the drawer. Leaving the cover blank, he opened the book. He needed to get his thoughts together. What was preventable? 

Major Events

He added the title to the first page. There was so much that had happened, a series of events slowly building up to the downfall of hero society. He just needed to work backward.

• Collapse of Hero Society due to All for One and Shigaraki’s destruction.

• Villains led by Shigaraki and All for One causing mass destruction and the death of several heroes

• All for One fully revived and healed. (Causing mass destruction at his hand.)

• Shigaraki gaining a copy of All for One quirk (Immediate destruction of Jaku city.)

• Meta Liberation War 

• Overhaul (Sir Knighteye's death. Eri.)

• Raid on villain hideout and fight with All for One (resulting in All Might’s complete loss of power)

• Attack on training camp (resulting in Kacchan’s kidnapping)

• Attack on Hosu City

•  U.S.J

Now that he had written it out, it all seemed like too much. None of it was something he could prevent on his own. No one would ever believe him if he alerted the authorities. And if someone caught wind of a random kid predicting major terrorist attacks before they happened, someone would definitely get suspicious. He needed to start small. Something he could do now and just make at least a little progress. He skipped to the next page. For one, he couldn’t do anything like he was now. No amount of hand-to-hand and combat training would cover for being this weak.   

1. Train and build muscle.

It was something. Izuku began to think of what else he could do. A major problem aside from his weakness was his lack of knowledge. Even with his awareness of future events, he didn’t know much about the villain's current locations or plans other than what had taken place for him to witness. He needed intel if wanted to stop anything. But what could he do by himself? He supposed that no one knew him yet. That could be used to his advantage since they wouldn't suspect a middle schooler of trying to topple a villain empire. Unfortunately, no one is going to just hand out information to that same pathetic middle school kid just because he asked nicely. But if he gained someone’s trust, he might be able to dig a little. He just needed to say the right things to the right people. Maybe… maybe he could use his quirklessness to his advantage? 

It was no secret the way quirkless people were treated. It wouldn't be rare for someone at the bottom of the totem pole to be a little disgruntled with how hero society operated. If he acted just a little too bitter in the shadier parts of town, it might give him get him somewhere. Izuku knew how this worked. Aizawa sensei ensured that everyone in his class knew how to go undercover. Ensured everyone knew how to maneuver their way around the darker parts of the city. 

          2. Find connections to villains

         3. Announce displeasure with hero society

         4. Gain trust and intel 

Izuku thought about it for a moment. The first thing he wanted to do, the first thing he wanted to stop.

        5. Find Eri

Izuku felt satisfied for the moment. There was much that needed to be added to the list, but this was a manageable start at least. It didn’t help that too much was up in the air right now. Izuku wanted to return to UA as a hero student, but as it was, he wasn't sure he could pass the entrance exam in his condition. Sighing, Izuku got up from his desk and grabbed the notebook. He looked around for a suitable hiding place before settling on the air vent above his bed. Carefully unscrewing it with his fingers, he moved the cover away from the vent and placed the notebook inside. It wasn’t much, but it was a start. 

Izuku hopped down from the bed and looked out the window at the setting sun. He would need to start on dinner soon. Making dinner for him and his mom when she was out had always been part of their little routine. When she was home, she would put together delicious home-cooked meals that he enjoyed immensely. Meanwhile Izuku, with his lackluster cooking skills, would scrounge together whatever he could with the small hope that it would be edible enough for him and his mother. His efforts were always appreciated when his mother came home exhausted from her shifts as a nurse, but Izuku knew his meals were subpar at best. Hopefully, there was enough in the kitchen for him to make something nice for his mother tonight.

Chapter Text

Izuku walked to school half-dead. It had been late when he heard the footsteps of his mother entering their apartment and decided to finally close his laptop and sleep. He’d spent half the night researching nearby gyms. No matter how much he wished to clean Dagobah again as part of his training, it wasn’t feasible. There was no way for him to move the larger pieces of trash off the beach without the help of All Might’s pickup truck.

Dinner had also been a disaster. He had attempted to make a simple meal, but it somehow ended up a burnt, rubbery disaster. Still, he ate it, leaving what he hoped was the best chicken cutlet for his mother. While eating, he’d been pleasantly surprised to find that his hands didn't ache the same way they did before. The twinge of pain had been ever present only worsening when gripping small objects but he now found his arms and hands pain-free, even when using chopsticks. 

When he’d woken up in the morning, his mother had still been asleep, recovering from her shift. He got ready, put on his old middle uniform, packed his bag with everything he could remember needing, and with neither the patience nor the energy to deal with breakfast left without eating. So now he walked to school half-dead, and hungry. 

He walked slowly, trying to waste as much time as possible before he had to be at school. Frankly, he wasn't exactly excited to be stuck in a room all day studying material he had learned years ago. Nor was he looking forward to seeing any of his former classmates from Aldera, but it wasn't like he could suddenly stop going to school. At least he could use the time to think over his plans.

He was thinking about perusing some internet forums discussing the state of quirked society and looking for groups that shared similar mentalities to members of the League of Villains later that night. He’d also need to find some connection to the Shie Hassaikai if wanted any hope of locating Eri. It looked like he was in for another late night of research tonight. 

His thoughts were interrupted by someone checking him on the shoulder. “Out of my way, Deku.” Katsuki briskly walked past him and stomped through the gates of the school. 

Izuku ignored it and made his way to the classroom. He knew that Katsuki wouldn’t directly go after him after saying something like that yesterday, but that didn't exactly mean he was going to be nice. So when Izuku made it to the classroom, he sat in his seat and pulled out one of his school notebooks determined to ignore the others in the room. Katsuki was already in his chair, feet propped up on his desk, surrounded by a few of his middle school buddies. He was loudly proclaiming something about “extras.” 

The teacher walked everyone made their way to their seats and class began. Classes passed slowly, with Izuku occasionally scribbling in his notebook to feign attention to whatever the teacher was droning on about. With nothing to learn, Izuku found it incredibly boring. When lunch rolled around, he chose to stay in the classroom in an attempt to avoid the other students, pulling out whatever packed lunch he’d pulled out of the fridge that morning. And when class started back up again, it was the same mundane pattern that it had before. Classes ended without much fanfare. Izuku packed away all his items and went to stand. He was stopped before he could leave, he was stopped by a group of students.    

“See you didn’t take Bakugou’s advice yesterday, huh, Deku?” Oh right, Katsuki might leave him alone for a little while, but that didn’t mean his little groupies would. 

Izuku glanced at Katsuki on instinct, who had been preparing to leave before making eye contact with Izuku, but if he thought anything, he didn’t show it, instead looking away and walking out of the room. Leaving Izuku to deal with whatever mess had just shown up at his desk.    

“Aw Deku, did it make you feel bad? Come on, it was just some friendly advice,”  one of the groupies said, “You really should listen, though, it’s probably the best option for someone like you.” The teacher was actively ignoring what was happening now, choosing not to get involved for some useless Deku. At least it didn't last long, as the small group giggled and walked out after saying their peace, leaving Izuku at his desk.

He hated this. Hated how much he missed his friends. Hated how much he missed All Might and his teachers. He’d spent so much time at UA, he’d almost forgotten what his life was like before. He missed Katsuki. He didn't want all of this to start all over again. Future Katsuki would have yelled at him for just shutting up and letting this happen, but it wasn't like he could just suddenly start acting differently. He was stuck like this until he figured some way out.

So, Izuku left and walked to the gates of the school. 

The sound of cooking came from the kitchen when Izuku walked through the door of his apartment. “Hi, Mom. What are you making?” He asked.

“Oh, welcome home, Izuku,” Inko replied. “I’m making Katusdon. I was hoping we could eat together before I start my shift.”

“Sounds good. Was your shift okay last night?” Izuku asked. The normalcy of this chat stung somewhat. It was a common conversation for them to have, but he didn't think he’d ever have this again.

“Tiring as usual. Someone puked on Suzuki’s shoes, and of course, they were her new ones.” She said cheerily. “How was school today, honey?”

“Alright. Nothing's really been happening since it’s the start of the school year.” Izuku answered. 

“And how’s Katsuki been doing? You haven’t brought him over in a while.” His mother asked, not knowing the total wasp’s nest she just poked. 

That, Izuku didn’t know how to respond to. “He’s been…” dying, putting his life on the line, fighting for you - acting like a total prick since Izuku came back, “...busy.” Always go with the same lie you told before. 

His mother continued making dinner, finishing it quickly after. Izuku stayed in the kitchen, occasionally offering help to his mother. He had missed the quiet, leisurely conversations he used to have with his mom. The little moments when he didn't have to think about the world crashing and burning around him. Inko had always been worried about Izuku. After he started at UA, it was hard for them to have time together when she wasn’t fretting over Izuku. Like this, it was easy, it was simple, and it only sacrificed a little bit of time. 

Izuku set the table, and they sat down together to eat.  “You're in your last year of junior high now, hon. Do you have any idea what high school you plan on applying to?” Inko asked between steamy bites of katsudon. 

“I was planning on applying to UA at least.” Izuku answered, “Even if I didn’t pass the physical exam, the general education course is nothing to scoff at. Ah, which reminds me, can I sign up for a gym?”

“As long as you apply to a few back-ups,” Inko instructed. “And why do you want to start going to the gym?”

“I’ll need to get stronger if I even want to attempt the UA entrance exam.”

Inko sighed, “Oh alright, as long as you're careful. Did you already have one in mind?” 

“There’s one near Dagobah beach that seems nice.” and it did. It would give him an option of taking away a few bags of trash from the beach whenever he had the chance, but starting training near Dagobah also just felt right. “It’s relatively close and relatively inexpensive”

“Sounds good, just make sure to be home at a reasonable hour when you go.” After Inko’s statement, the rest of dinner passed in relative quiet. When he finished his food, Izuku excused himself to go to his room. 

He grabbed his laptop from his desk and sat on the bed. Izuku quickly signed up for the gym, deciding he’d go in the morning before school, before opening up a different web browser with access to the dark web. Before UA, Izuku occasionally perused through the dark web. He’d never done anything explicitly illegal, mostly sticking to forums discussing heroes and their quirks. It was how he gained so much information for his analysis. Some of that information wasn’t exactly public nor was it legal, but it wasn’t like he was using it for any nefarious reasons, so no harm no foul. He browsed web pages and forums for a couple of hours before he stumbled across one selling weapons.

Looking for beta testers for quirk erasing weapon

Apparently, luck was on his side for once, or maybe he just knew what he was looking for. Either way, it worked. He quickly sent the seller a private message. 

Anonymous: I heard you were looking for beta testers for a quirk-erasing product.

Mimicry: Are you looking to purchase?

Anonymous: Yes.

Mimicry: Are you willing to meet in person to discuss the logistics of the weapon?

Unfortunately, he didn’t have a lot of options. There was no way they were just going to give up the information on the bullets, and saying no meant they’d just move on to other potential buyers who were willing to meet in person. At least the seller was a reputable weapons dealer, despite their less-than-legal dealings. Izuku just hoped this didn’t end in a potential kidnapping. 

Anonymous: If necessary, yes.

Mimicry: Meet at this: location at 11 am in exactly a week.

Izuku knew this was dangerous. He knew that they would look into who he was as soon as they laid eyes on him, and while his identity as ‘quirkless loser seeking revenge’ was believable, it still opened him up to future problems. But Eri was still out there, suffering, and he couldn’t just leave her be when there was something he could do. 

Anonymous: Can we make it 5 pm instead?

Mimicry: Done. 

With that settled, Izuku moved on to other forums looking for anything related to The League. However, their presence having been not cemented yet, made any info essentially nonexistent. All for One was also likely using his connections, to keep their presence as quiet as possible. However, a conversation did catch his eye.

Putty5ead: anyone see the fight between BrickBreak and that kid today

5binner: yeah lol he totally beat her the fuck up 

Putty5ead: dude wtf

d3i4cat: dude thats so fcked shes just a kid

5binner: yeah but with a quirk like that she’s def gonna become a villain when shes older

10005_gods: bro is in the wrong server lol

Putty5ead: dude she had no control over it

kiII3rPcat: yeah I have a mind control quirk too and I want to be a hero still despite taking shit for it all the time

5binner: thats disgusting no one wants their free will taken by u

Now that sounded suspiciously familiar.

Izuku quickly sent off a quick message in the chat room denouncing the blatant quirkism before opening up a private chat with the mind control quirk user. The likelihood was small, but the stories sounded just a little too similar to dissuade Izuku. 

Gr33n: Hey, are you ok?

A little bit of a weird thing to ask a complete stranger if this ended up being not being who he thought this was.

kiII3rPcat: Who is this

Gr33n: no one that guy was just being an asshole and it sounded like you were kinda having a rough time

kiII3rPcat: thats not suspicious at all

Gr33n: Sorry im just quirkless and I wanna go to hero school next year

Gr33n: So I get it i guess

While not entirely inaccurate, it still felt like lying.

kiII3rPcat: yikes

Gr33n: …

kiII3rPcat: sorry that came off kinda mean

kiII3rPcat: I just meant 

kiII3rPcat: I’ve seen the statistics.

Gr33n: yeah

kiII3rPcat: yeah

kiII3rPcat: if it makes u feel any better im also trying to get into hero school next year

Another tick towards this being him.

kiII3rPcat: anyway wanna

kiII3rPcat: see a picture of my cat

Ok, it was definitely Shinsou.

Chapter Text

The night air was cool when he opened the door to the roof, and his eyes landed on a figure outlined by the hazy sky. It would have been a full moon had the dust and smoke not blocked out any of the skies light.

The figure's legs hung over the edge of the building as he sat staring at the ground below with his hands in his lap. The tattered remains of his hero costume shifted in the breeze, looking entirely unlike what a limelight hero should be wearing. Stained by the grime of too many battles, the costume's once bright green fabric appeared a swampy mess. 

He looked entirely unaware of his surroundings like he could be attacked from any angle without ever suspecting a thing. But Katsuki knew better, danger sense would never allow him to be caught completely off guard. 

He could practically feel the stress rolling off Izuku as he walked through the access door to join him. Izuku didn’t look up when Katsuki sat down beside him, instead continuing to keep his gaze on the ground below, completely lost in his thoughts. 

Katsuki flicked him on the forehead.

 “Stop it.” The blonde said. Had the strike had any real malice, Izuku would have noticed it before it came. 

“Ow, Kacchan,” Izuku whined, turning to face him, “I didn’t even do anything.” He was pouting, but at least he was looking at him now.

“I could hear you thinking from a mile away, Deku.” He poked his pointer finger between Izuku’s eyes, “So stop.” 

Izuku rolled his eyes and swatted away Katsuki’s hand, “Jeez, it’s not like I was doing it on purpose” 

There was a long pause of silence as Izuku looked away from him again. Katsuki knew what Izuku was thinking, knew it was wrong. But he also knew that the self-sacrificing idiot would never stop blaming himself unless someone drilled it into his thick fucking skull.  “It wasn’t your fault, Izuku.” He said.

“That shot was meant for me, Kacchan. I just-” Izuku’s breath hitched, “I just don’t want you to get hurt.” He finished miserably. 

“I don’t wanna hear it from the person who’s broken all 206 bones,” Katsuki said, brow raised.

“Kacchan. I'm serious.” Izuku said sternly.

“So am I.”

Izuku gave him an incredulous look and Katsuki smirked, “Don’t worry, there’s no way in hell I’d let ol’ fuckface take me out.” He stated, “We’re winning this thing whether you like it or not.”

Izuku smiled and huffed out a quiet laugh, “Pfft, ok Kacchan.” The two sat quietly after that, enjoying the peaceful little moment they’d been able to scrounge away. Eventually, Katsuki felt a weight fall on him as a green mop of hair rested on his shoulder.  Katsuki closed his eyes and leaned into the touch, moving his head to rest atop the others. 

A week had passed agonizingly slow for Izuku. The anticipation had been driving him mad, his only solace being the thought of locating Eri. School didn’t help, with it being a monotonous nightmare where Katsuki (and everyone else) seemed mostly content to ignore him. So when he stepped on the train taking him to the meeting point, he felt relief coupled with anxiety.  

The train was packed, filled to the brim with businessmen heading home for work. There were a couple of heroes standing at the front of the cabin, clearly heading either into or out of patrol. Izuku made his way through the crowd before settling to stand near the back of the train and sending off a quick message to Shinsou. 

Green: if you don't hear from me in the next 24 hours call the police :)

Somewhere in the week, Shinsou and he had gained somewhat of a hesitant friendship. They had chatted for a while online before exchanging numbers and while Izuku was somewhat concerned about Shinsou’s lack of caution when giving out his number, he appreciated the sentiment. It allowed him to anonymously help him into the hero course sooner. It had also been nice, to have someone to talk to, even if it meant getting spammed with cat memes at odd hours. 

Mindfreak: I literally dont know who you are what would I tell them

Shinsou was still under the impression that this was an entirely anonymous friendship, which wasn't really his fault, but Izuku still felt slightly guilty.  

Mindfreak: what r u even doing?

Green: probably getting kidnapped lol

After sending off that last text, Izuku shifted his focus from his phone to the train window and watched the cityscape pass by, quickly leading him to his destination. It was a pleasant day, the sky was bright without a cloud in sight and the sunlight beamed onto the high-rise buildings. 

The train came to a halt and a few people left the train, with Izuku following them. It would take him about five minutes to walk from the station to the location that was given to him, so Izuku began walking in that direction. 

It was a small, rundown park, infrequently visited by children. Before boarding the train, Izuku had been instructed to sit on the bench on the west side of the park, so when he arrived, he found the bench and sat down. 

Izuku steeled his nerves as he examined the deserted park. No one appeared to be watching him, but Izuku knew that likely wasn’t true. Frankly, he had no idea if this was even going to work, but there weren't exactly many alternatives. So he continued to sit there watching his surroundings until a man approached him five minutes later and silently sat down beside him.

“You seem quite young”

It wasn’t anyone Izuku recognized from the raid. He was tall, with shaggy orange hair and no obvious quirk from his outward appearance. His face was unassuming and carried a questioning look. 

“Does that matter?” Izuku asked, doing his best to maintain a calm demeanor.

The man hummed. “Hmm no. Though, I do have some questions that I must ask you before I give out any information. I have to confirm you're a suitable candidate.” 

Izuku eyed him distrustfully. “Ask away.”

“What is the intended use of the weapon?”

“There are a couple kids with too powerful quirks at my school. They enjoy tormenting people, including me, I want to teach them a lesson.” Izuku lied, “Erasing what makes them feel so strong feels like a suitable way to educate them.”

“Seems sincere enough.” He shrugged, “I feel I don’t have to tell you the consequences should this get out?”

“No sir.”

“Splendid. Let’s shake on it.” The man said, extending his hand with a smile. 

Izuku warily offered his hand before the man grabbed it, pulling him closer, closing one eye, and examining his face closely with the other. From that close, Izuku could see his pupil contort unnaturally as he nervously waited for him to let go.

“Izuku Midoriya, Age: 14, current student of Aldera Junior High. Registered quirk:-” The man paused, “none.” 

The man barked out a laugh and let go as Izuku shifted away from him. “Ha, I can see why’d you want revenge, kid. Sorry about that. That was my quirk, ‘identify.’ Had to make sure everything checked out, if you know what I mean.” 

Izuku rubbed his wrist as the man continued, “The weapon is a quirk-erasing bullet, made to erase the quirk of whoever is shot. It’s currently being beta-tested with a limited release. For that reason, it’s cheaper than it will be in the future, but we are also being incredibly picky about who we sell to. We don’t want rumors spreading yet. Coincidentally, you make the perfect candidate. You're just a kid, meaning the cops won’t have expected you to make this kind of deal. And based on how you're acting, I’m assuming you don’t intend to cause a big stir in the public?” 

“That would be correct.”

“Lucky you, then, we can move forward with a deal.”

Catmemes: so you get kidnapped?

Izuku saw the notification light up his phone at his feet, reminding him that he forgot to text Shinsou after finishing his meeting. 

After negotiating a deal wherein he agreed to collect a singular bullet in three days at a different location after paying a hefty sum of money that was definitely coming out of his merch collection, he’d gone to the gym to clear his head. Izuku was mid-set at the squat rack when Shinsou texted him, so when he finished, he racked the barbell and typed out a reply.

Green: somehow no. im training now

Catmemes: training?

A devious smile grew on his face, and a man at the bench press at the other side of the room eyed him suspiciously. 

This was perfect. Izuku had been waiting for the topic to come up naturally in conversation, to silently slip ideas into Shinsou’s head. Based on the conversations he had with Shinsou in the future, he hadn’t been prepared for UA’s entrance exams, relying too much on a quirk that wouldn’t offer much help. Izuku was going to make sure he was thoroughly prepared. 

Green: you know training

Green: like for the entrance exams

Green: Idk about you but im hoping to get into UA and I heard their physical exams can b really hard

.

.

.

Catmemes: Im an idiot

Green: What no! 

Green: Just

Green: Do you weight train or something at least?

Catmemes: …

Catmemes: no

Ok, wow, Shinsou had really been expecting to just roll right into the exam without ever training. Though Izuku supposed, he had practically the same mindset before All Might took him under his wing. Besides, the Shinsou of the future had already proven how hard he’d work to get to the hero course, so Izuku was going to make it happen.   

Green: ok um based on what you’ve told me you don’t have a very physical quirk so you should definitely start doing something.

Catmemes: Ugh

Catmemes: Just tell me what you do 

Izuku started giggling maniacally under his breath, and the guy at the bench looked deeply concerned as he slowly left the room, leaving Izuku to his own devices. There was no way Izuku was allowing Shinsou to fail the entrance exam now. 

Green: Ok so i weight train 5 days a week just to increase strength. You're gonna wanna include cardio into those workouts but I also dedicate a 6th day to just cardio. 

Green: Also join a dojo specializing in hero takedowns.

 

Catmemes: ...

Catmemes: Have you been secretly super buff this whole time?

Green: haha no.

Izuku put his phone down after shooting off the last text to finish his final set of squats. After finishing, he worked through his cool-down and stretch routine and exited the gym to begin his walk home. It was already dark, and his mom was likely already waiting for him at home with dinner, but he’d been meaning to stop by the nearby convenience store to pick up a pack of his favorite brand of protein bars. Which were apparently rare because Izuku had never been able to find them anywhere else. So Izuku took a slight detour in his walk home and headed to the store. 

The store was a quant family-run shop, with tall, closely packed shelves. During his ten months of training before UA, Izuku had become a frequent visitor, leading him and many of the frequent cashiers to recognize each other. Even during his first year at UA Izuku had stopped by quite often.

A bell jingled as Izuku stepped into the store, headed straight to the aisle where he knew the protein bars were kept, noting that the owner's daughter Tanaka was manning the cashier tonight. She was nice, and always raved about how cool Izuku was for going to hero school. He’d never seen her after the war started.

 Izuku scanned through the shelves until he saw the bars he wanted near the bottom. Crouching down, Izuku picked up a box and inspected it. 

“Ah young man, do you mind handing me one of those while you're down there?” 

The voice was familiar. Izuku turned his head and wondered why he never thought about it, the fact that they might have run into each other a couple of times before he knew about his civilian identity. Without prior knowledge, Izuku could have seen Yagi Toshinori several times without ever making a connection to All Might.

“Uh, Young man?” The skeletal form of Yagi Toshinori asked.

He’d been staring too long. 

“Oh! Uh, sure sir. Here.” Izuku stuttered out, quickly handing him a box and looking away from him. He wanted to continue the conversation - at least say something to him - but it would have been awkward to do so, for that reason he remained silent. Izuku may know All Might, but All Might did not know him. 

He looked thinner than when Izuku last saw him, likely because he wasn’t watching his health.  

“If you're unsure whether to buy these, I must recommend them. They are quite good for bulking up.” Toshinori said. Izuku looked back up at him, confused.

Oh. He must have looked like he was unsure about the bars after looking at them for so long. “Y-yeah. I’m looking to put on some muscle before exam season next year.” Izuku stated, “Someone recommended these to me a while ago.” 

“Training for a hero course exam?” Toshinori questioned.

“Yeah… I’m hoping to make it into UA.” Izuku answered, hearing the jingle of the bell from the door.

“A noble pursuit.” Toshinori declared happily.  

That made Izuku pause and look away from Toshinori. “Most would disagree with you.” He didn’t even know why he said it. What was he even looking for? Izuku already knew the answer to any line of questioning that would have come out of this topic. “I’m quirkless.” He admitted staring at the ground. 

Toshinori’s eyes widened, and for a moment it seemed like he was going to say something, but he was interrupted by a loud bang echoing from the front of the store.

“Everyone, hand in the air, now!” Someone yelled. Izuku stood quickly, hoping to get an eye on whoever had fired the shot, but instead saw someone rounding the corner into their isle behind Toshinori, with a gun in hand. Hearing the man, Toshinori turned around, causing the man to raise his gun. 

Now, Izuku was modest enough to admit that he was an idiot. Despite knowing the fact that Toshinori was the number one hero and could most definitely handle this himself, Izuku could never just leave things alone, so without thinking he rushed at the assailant. 

The would-be robber was unprepared for some random kid to attack him and stepped back in shock. Izuku took this as an opportunity to knock the gun from his hands and duck down to sweep the man’s feet out from under him. The man grunted as he fell to his back, and Izuku kicked the fallen gun towards Toshinori.

“A little help back here!” The attacker shouted. Izuku heard a single set of heavy footsteps rushing towards where they were. A large, heavyset man entered their isle, but before he could react, Izuku ran at him, kneed him in the gut, grabbed a conveniently located wine bottle off a nearby shelf, and used it to hit the back of his head as he was double over in pain. The man crumpled to the floor, thoroughly defeated. Guy number one jumped to his feet and bolted for the door but was stopped when Tanaka appeared behind him swinging a baseball bat at his back. He fell when the baseball bat hit his back and did not get up again. 

Izuku stood there, wine bottle still in hand, puffing out large breaths of air because, apparently, the ‘legs just moved on their own’ thing worked so much better when he had at least some skill to back it up. Thank god for all that quirkless training Aizawa had made them do because there was no way he could’ve just done that without it. 

Izuku was knocked out of his stupor by the sound of the bat clanging to the floor as Tanaka hurried over to them.

“Oh my god. Are you ok?” She questioned worriedly. 

“Oh, I’m - uh - fine, I think?” Izuku said between breaths, “Can you maybe find something to tie these two up while I call the police?”

Tanaka ran off to retrieve some sort of restraints, and Izuku pulled out his phone to make the call. “Hi, I’d like to report a robbery at 663 Dagobah. It’s the convenience store.” Izuku spoke softly into the phone.

“Do you need heroes at your location?” The Operated asked

“No, I don’t think so.” Izuku answered nervously, “They're, um, already out.” 

“Alright, the police are on their way to detain the villains.” 

Izuku ended the call when Tanaka returned with a few bundles of ropes, and they quickly tied the two assailant’s hands behind their backs. After a few minutes, the police arrived and began to question the group about the incident, leaving Izuku to anxiously stammer out an explanation that, yes, he did indeed fight two adult men as a scrawny middle schooler and, no, he wasn’t thinking when he ran at them. 

“Sorry, my legs just kinda moved on their own.” He explained.

After thoroughly scolding Izuku for his reckless behavior, the officers took Tanaka off to the side to speak with her privately and Toshinori approached Izuku. “That was quite dangerous, my boy” Izuku tensed slightly at the familiar nickname, “but you saved me, and for that, you have my thanks.” 

“It’s ok Ya- sir, it was no problem at all, you don't need to bow your head-” Izuku frantically said as he waved his arms around. Frankly, Izuku shouldn’t have done that in the first place, Toshinori would have easily been able to take them out on his own, there was no need for him to get involved in the first place. It was just- he saw the gun pointed at Toshinori, and he just couldn’t stand still. 

“No, please allow me to thank you properly,” Toshinori said, looking at Izuku with a particular spark in his eyes. “Actually, I work with pro heroes as a trainer of sorts. You’re training to become a hero, right? I’d like to offer you my skills and help you become a hero.”

Chapter Text

Truthfully, Yagi Toshinori was running out of time. The day he finally avenged his teacher and predecessor was the day he started the ticking clock counting down to his last day as the symbol of peace. Three hours a day- three measly hours a day was all he had to keep up appearances, to use his power to save lives. His time as a hero was nearing its end, but the world still needed One for All and the hope that it brought. What he needed was a successor, and he needed one soon.

That’s half the reason he was here, in Musutafu, away from his agency in Tokyo. UA had offered him a teaching job and if he was going to find a worthy successor anywhere, it was going to be at the most prestigious hero school in the country. 

He’d just finished working for the day and entered the only convenience store in Musutafu where he’d been able to find his favorite protein bar. He was tired, exhausted, and in the same amount of pain that he’d been in for the last five years, and the bars were the best way to pack essential nutrients into his almost completely missing stomach. It was the perfect meal to end his day. The only thing in his way was a green-haired boy crouched down, eyeing the very brand of protein bars that Toshinori intended to buy, and unfortunately blocking him from retrieving his dinner. 

“Ah young man, do you mind handing me one of those while you're down there?”

The boy froze and looked at him stiffly with wide green eyes and when Toshinori looked at him, he felt a hint of familiarity that he couldn't quite place a finger on. Something about the way that his hair mopped on his head and the way his eyes sparkled in what almost looked like recognition. A few moments passed and no one said anything. 

“Uh, Young man?” The questioning tone seemed to knock the boy out of whatever trance he’d been in, and he stuttered out a reply. 

“Oh! Uh, sure sir. Here.” 

The boy quickly handed him a box before going back to inspecting the pack of bars he was holding. The boy didn’t speak, but after studying his face, Toshinori felt the boy was dejected, although he wasn’t sure how he knew.  

“If you're unsure whether to buy these, I must recommend them. They are quite good for bulking up.” Toshinori didn’t know why he said it, perhaps it was his perceived recognition of the boy, or it was a heroic side wanting to cheer up a young citizen, it didn't matter now that he’d already opened the conversation. 

“Y-yeah. I’m looking to put on some muscle before exam season next year.” the boy replied before adding a muttered, “Someone recommended these to me a while ago.”

Ah! A hero hopeful then, he’d probably recognized him from a fan meet then. “Training for a hero course exam?” 

“Yeah… I’m hoping to make it into UA.” The boy answered. Maybe he would see the boy in UA in the upcoming year then. He could vaguely hear the sound of someone entering the store in the background. 

“A noble pursuit.” He praised, but the phrase only seemed to worsen the boy’s mood.  

“Most would disagree with you.” The boy looked entirely downcast now like he knew Toshinori to be the same. “I’m quirkless.” It struck Toshinori that the boy likely had all the reason in the world to think that no one would believe in him. Being quirkless was hard enough when he was young, but it was even worse now. He’d seen the statistics. 

Hero work was difficult, and dangerous, even with a quirk. Toshinori felt the lifetime of hero work every time he breathed in and coughed out a bloody spit, but the boy was clearly working hard, training for the hero course exams this early in the year. Toshinori didn’t know how to respond.

“You-” He was cut off by a shot going off inside the store.

“Everyone, hand in the air, now!”

Shit. He needed to find a secluded area to transform into All Might, but when he turned to run into a different section of the store, he was met with a gun being pointed directly at him. Double shit. Toshinori internally cursed for allowing someone to sneak up on him like that. Now he needed to figure out some way to transform that didn’t compromise the symbol of peace.

He didn’t get a chance to piece together a plan before a green blur rushed past him, heading directly for the villain with the gun. Suddenly the man was on the floor and the gun was sliding towards him, and he quickly picked it up and pocketed it to keep it out of the reach of the villains. 

“A little help back here!” The man on the floor called, and a burlier man rushed to where they were. Toshinori had half a mind to be worried about the kid, but the man was already knocked out on the floor, with the boy towering above him before he could lift a finger to help. The first villain tried to run away in fear, and the boy stayed with his back turned to Toshinori, wine bottle in hand and chest heaving. 

If he was being honest with himself, he was a little shocked. It wasn't every day that you saw a scrawny middle-schooler perform a successful takedown of not one, but two villains. A little bit of pride bubbled up in his chest, this kid would make a great hero with or without a quirk. 

And then it hit him. If this kid was going to be a great hero without a quirk, imagine what he could do with one. This was the whole reason he was here, who said he had to wait til he was teaching to start making decisions? He saw something in the boy, the drive, the want, the need to save lives. He was certainly a fine candidate for One for All. 

So Toshinori went through the motions of talking to the police and politely waited for a chance to speak with the boy. He knew this wasn’t a decision he could rush, but he’d like to train the boy, see what he could do, and test him along the way to see if he was a worthy successor. So when the cops left the boy alone, he approached him with a smile. 

“That was quite dangerous, my boy, but you saved me, and for that, you have my thanks.”

The boy stammered out a line of unintelligible excuses as to why Toshinori should not be thanking him before Toshinori interrupted him, “No, please allow me to thank you properly.” The boy stopped and looked at him with those familiar green eyes and - oh yeah, Toshinori needed an actual excuse as to why he should be teaching him.

Shit. What would give him the excuse to act as a mentor without revealing his identity as All Might? Not that he didn’t want to tell the boy if he ended up choosing him as successor, it was just that this secret wasn't kept for so long by telling people upon their first meeting. Who even trained hero hopefuls besides pro heroes themselves? He looked nothing like a hero in this form, so he obviously couldn’t say he was a hero. A former hero? No, the kid would probably ask for his hero name. Maybe a hero trainer or something. Yeah, that could work- “Actually, I work with pro heroes as a trainer of sorts. You’re training to become a hero, right? I’d like to offer you my skills and help you become a hero.” Toshinori nervously sweated at the silence that followed. Not the best lie he’d ever come up with, it was honestly a wonder he had any secrets at all considering he was this bad at lying. The boy was obviously skeptical based on the way he was staring at Toshinori. He needed to corroborate his story quickly before the boy called the police back over to them.

“Now, I know this is hard to believe offer, but I think you have some real potential as a hero and-” Toshinori stopped when he noticed large droplets of tears slowly fall out of the boy's eyes. The boy sniffled and started whipping furiously at his eyes in an attempt to stop the water that was now pouring from his tear ducts.

“W- why?” He choked out. 

Toshinori softened and stepped a little closer and dropped a comforting hand to the boy's shoulder. “Not a lot of people would throw themselves into danger like that for someone else. Pro heroes often had a heroic spark in them that those around them could even see in their youth. I see that spark in you, young man.” He said with a soft smile. “You have the makings of a great hero.”

The boy cast his gaze downward, shielding his eyes as he sobbed quietly, all the while Toshinori kept a steadying hand on his shoulder. 

Izuku was in total disbelief. 

Somehow it had all happened again. It didn’t happen in the same way, no, but it had happened again. He threw himself into danger, again, All Might told him he could be a hero, again, and now he’s ugly crying in front of All Might again. The tears were flowing uncontrollably, and he didn't know how to make them stop because a part of him always questioned whether All Might’s belief in him was just luck, just a series of circumstances that led him to inherit a power he didn't deserve. Now he’s gone and made the man put his faith in him, almost a month before they were even supposed to meet. 

And it hurts because Izuku wants nothing more than to talk to him, about how they won, how thankful he is, how happy he is, and how much he missed having everyone at his side. But he can’t because this All Might, this Yagi Toshinori, doesn’t know anything about Izuku, and Izuku isn’t supposed to know anything about him. So instead of screaming all of that, he’s stuck sobbing, unable to come up with a single word to say. 

Toshinori is still standing there patiently waiting for Izuku to say something, and all he can do is cry. Really, he doesn’t want to miss this chance, he needs Toshinori to know that he still wants him as his mentor, but he can't even gather the courage to look him in the eyes. 

“It’s alright, my boy, you don’t need to answer now,” Toshinori said softly. 

“No!” Izuku snapped his head up, “No. I mean, yes, I’d love your help,” He added. Izuku felt slightly embarrassed about his sudden outburst, but the idea of walking out of there without a firm connection to Toshinori after being given this opportunity would haunt him. 

“Ha ha, alright then, my boy.” 

Roughly twenty minutes later, Izuku walked into his apartment with swollen eyes and an extra contact in his phone. After pulling himself together enough to engage in conversation, Izuku exchanged numbers and agreed to meet Toshinori tomorrow after getting out of school, since it was already getting late. The café the two agreed to meet at was suspiciously close to a popular dumping sight, making Izuku question whether the training plan would be similar, despite the fact that he wasn’t offered One for All this time. 

“I’m back!” 

“Welcome home honey,” Inko announced, “dinner is already on the table and - oh” Inko stopped at the sight of Izuku’s tear-stained face, and she quickly walked up to him squishing his face between her hands. “What's wrong? Did something happen? Are you ok?” she asked, inspecting every minute detail of his appearance.

“Mom I’m ok,” Izuku assured, gently prying her hands away from his face. “I just, saw a baby bunny, is all. You know, classic Midoriya tears.” A terrible lie, honestly, despite his predisposition for tears. 

Inko did not look convinced but relented anyway, “Ok honey if you're sure.”

“I’m sure Mom,” Izuku said, thankful that he was able to avoid some of her ever-present worry. “What’s for dinner?”

“Oh, I made curry tonight.” She answered, herding him to the table. 

Dinner was quiet, with only a few small questions of ‘How was your day today?’ and ‘Anything interesting happen?’ Inko occasionally threw worried glances in Izuku’s direction, who was too preoccupied thinking everything over to notice. When he finished eating, he politely excused himself to his room, plopped onto his bed, and pulled out his phone, opening his contacts. 

Scrolling through them was slightly depressing. There were less than ten contacts in total, including Shinsou’s and Toshinori’s brand-new one. Katsuki’s was there too, even though they hadn’t used each other’s numbers in over 5 years. 

He clicked his phone off with a sigh and set in on his bedside table. Tomorrow he would meet Toshinori, the next day he had to buy the bullets of the Shie Hissaikai, and after that, he didn’t know. He didn’t know if buying those bullets was going to lead him any closer to Eri. What would he even do once he found her? The Yakuza group may be smaller than they used to be, but they weren't weak. If he broke in there to bust Eri out, and she got hurt in the process because he couldn’t protect her, he didn’t know what he’d do. Where would she even go after the fact when she didn’t have control over her powers? 

Izuku grimaced slightly. He knew what his best option would be, but it was still a terrible option that was incredibly risky. Though, it didn’t really matter until he actually located Eri. He had school tomorrow anyway and unless he wanted a write-up from the teacher about dozing off in class, he was going to need sleep. 

Chapter Text

Izuku is out of the school gates before anyone can stop him. He knows that Katsuki’s little groupies are almost certainly looking for him, just like they always are, but this meeting with All Might has put him in a good mood that, quite frankly, he does not want ruined. It would have been nice to use the school’s locker room to change out of his school uniform and into something more comfortable, but the risk would have been too high. Besides, it was a surprisingly chilly day despite the sun being out, so the chances of him sweating through his uniform were slim. 

He kept a brisk pace as he walked through Musatafu towards the coffee shop where he had agreed to meet Toshinori. It was a quant shop that Izuku passed by frequently. It had large windows through which you could see sofas and tables scattered across the small shop. It always looked warm and inviting whenever Izuku was in the area. 

When he arrived at the door to the coffee shop, he was brimming with nervous energy. This was it. He was going to go in there, greet his former mentor, and have a perfectly normal conversation that didn’t include him balling his eyes out. It didn’t matter if the older man didn’t remember anything because Izuku was going to make a good impression on him and fill some of that gaping hole that opened up when he was sent back.

He was going to gain his trust again. He was going to get his mentor back. He was going to get his one and only father figure back. 

Izuku opened the door and walked inside. The coffee shop looked just as appealing as he remembered. Toshinori was already waiting inside, seated at a secluded table near the back with two coffee cups set in front of him. The man was wearing a casual outfit, just a baggy white t-shirt and khakis. A trench coat was hung over the back of his chair, an obvious protection from the outside chill. He looked relaxed bathed in the warm light of the room, occasionally taking sips from a steaming white coffee cup. The blonde looked up and spotted Izuku standing at the entrance of the shop. 

“Ah, young Midoriya,” Toshinori greeted with a smile as he waved Izuku over, “Come sit. I wasn’t sure what to get you, but I figured a green tea would suffice.” 

Izuku hesitantly took a seat across from the blond and picked up the drink. “Thank you. You didn’t have to,” he said before taking a sip of the drink, "Green tea is actually my favorite.” 

Toshinori made a face that Izuku couldn’t quite decipher before it disappeared and took a long sip of his drink that Izuku assumed was his usual overly sweet coffee order. “I wanted to. Now we have much to discuss,” Toshinori stated before continuing, “ As I said last night, I’m a hero trainer.” 

Izuku sputtered as he choked on his tea. He’d nearly forgotten the lie that Toshinori told him last night. If Izuku didn’t know any better, he’d probably think Toshinori was some lying kidnapper. It made sense to not reveal himself as the number one hero to someone he just met. Still, the hero could have come up with a better lie. 

“Now I know I don’t look it, but as I said last night I can have papers and several heroes can vouch for me if necessary,” Toshinori coughed out quickly.

Izuku internally sighed. Hopefully, the blonde wouldn’t think he was weird for just following him without question. “No - no it's not that I don’t believe you it's just-” that I know you're lying, “I’m wondering why you’d want to train me specifically? You said last night that I had potential, but I don't really get it” He asked. While it was a cover-up for his apparent skepticism earlier, he did genuinely want to know. In his previous life, it had always felt like he had blindly stumbled into the opportunities All Might gave him, it was always sheer dumb luck, but now the circumstances were different. Izuku didn’t ‘inspire’ All Might to act when someone was in danger and he was just a kid who managed to take down two D-rate villains, despite the number one hero being right there. Toshinori would have been fine with or without Izuku there.

“Rather humble, I see,” Toshinori noted. “You didn’t just save me last night, but you also successfully took down two villains.” 

“Those two were barely villains and, you said it yourself, you're a hero trainer. I’m sure that there are plenty of others that you could use your time on,” Izuku countered. 

“Don’t sell yourself short, kid. It was a good takedown.” The younger boy looked at the blonde skeptically and Toshinori leveled him with a soft look, “I know you’ve likely been told all your life that you couldn’t be a hero. In spite of everything, you still push yourself towards your dream. That drive is something that sets you apart from other hero hopefuls.” 

Izuku frowed and looked down at the hot cup in his hands for a few moments. He wanted to be a hero, he wanted to be a hero more than anything, but if his 'drive' was what was convincing Toshinori to train him he was nothing more that a liar. That ‘drive’ had failed him in the past, he’d completely given up when Toshinori told him he couldn’t be a hero in his first life. The only true drive he had now was the drive to change the terrible events that were predestined to happen in the future. Guilt built up inside him. Toshinori didn’t deserve to be misled like this but Izuku desperately wanted his mentor back. 

“Now tell me, it's clear that you’ve put some effort in, but what sort of training have you done so far?” Toshinori asked as he slipped back into a more easygoing demeanor.

That question knocked him out of his musings. Technically, he’s been training for just about three years including his ten-month training with Toshinori but his body as it was now did not reflect that. The strength that he’s carefully crafted over those years was gone, as was the muscle memory that had been beaten into him from years of combat. It was best not to hype up his skills as they were now. “I’ve trained a little in hand-to-hand, but I only just started training for strength a few weeks ago,” he answered.

“Ha ha, I can tell. You're still quite puny,” the blonde laughed and Izuku felt a little miffed. It's not like Toshinori looked much better in this form. 

“You're crunched for time, Young Midoriya! UA exams are in 11 months, and you still need to put on a lot of muscle before I train anything else into you,” Toshinori exclaimed, standing from his chair. “We have much work to do, come with me.” He threw his coat and gestured for Izuku to follow him. The blonde led them out of the coffee shop and Izuku found himself walking a very familiar path. His suspicions were confirmed when Toshinori gestured to the sea of trash they arrived at.

“I heard this beach used to be exceptionally beautiful, but unfortunately it's become a popular dumping sight after trash kept washing up on its shores,” he said ambiguously. “I want you to clean it!” He finshed with a smile.

Dagobah Beach was just as dirty as he remembered. Piles upon piles of trash were stacked high above his head like mountains looking down at him. The smell was something he never missed, it smelled exactly like it looked: disgusting. He spotted a few items that he distinctly remembered giving him trouble: washing machines, a few fridges, a car somehow. Izuku reckoned this would be just as difficult as it was last time.

“You may ask yourself ‘Why should I clean this?’ well because what better way to train the body than to help your community! Right now, you need to build strength, so why not do something heroic while doing so,” Toshinori said with enthusiasm. He tucked his hand into his coat and manifested trash bags and gloves seemingly out of nowhere and handed some to Izuku. “We’ll start small for today. Let’s get to work!”

Toshinori was keeping a close eye on this kid, and with every passing moment, the boy was showing himself to be a better and better candidate for One for All. Truthfully, dumping community service onto the kid had also been a test. Not many teenagers liked being told to do what was essentially a chore. Hell, not many adults would either. Toshinori had gotten his hopes up when he’d told the kid he wanted to train him. It was up to the boy to decide whether he saw the benefit in this activity. 

Despite what most would do the kid wholeheartedly put himself to work without a single complaint. He’d happiliy put on the gloves and almost immediately started rummaging through the nearest trash heap, somehow content with being waist-deep in garbage. Inspired by the boy’s enthusiasm, Toshinori put his own gloves on and got to work right alongside him. Within just a few short hours, Toshinori's pickup truck, that he had left park nearby, was filled to the brim with grabage bags.

Toshinori threw his last garbage bag on the ever-growing pile and removed his now dirty gloves. The sun would be setting soon and he still needed to disucss his plans with the boy. It was best to halt their progress for today and start up again when they next met, should Midoriya agree to do so. His new mentee was diligently digging through a pile of trash as he approached. Clearly a hard worker, he hadn’t even taken a break until Toshinori asked him to. The boy even found a cardboard box to collect a few salvageable objects he had fished out. 

“Young Midoriya,” he called, placing a hand on the boy’s shoulder. “I think that’s plenty for today. I have a few things to discuss with you before I send you on your way.” The boy looked away from his work and nodded. He carefully tied off his last garbage bag and lugged it over his back. Toshinori kindly picked up the box of things he set aside and followed the boy to the pickup truck. 

“What were you planning on doing with these?” Toshinori asked, placing the box on a nearby bench as Izuku approached him. 

“I was planning on cleaning some of these up and maybe putting them in a donation bin,” he said, grabbing a dirty action figure out of the box. “I actually have a little experience restoring things like these.”

“I see. It’s good that some of this stuff can get reused at least,” Toshinori concluded. “As for what I wanted to discuss. Today was actually easier than I think we should be taking it for you.” 

The boy nodded and Toshinori continued, “UA’s entrance exams are in 11 months, and you’re still quite scrawny. I have a general idea of how to best help you pass. Here,” Toshinori handed the boy a small stack of papers stapled together titled ‘Aim to Pass: Dream Plan’ and he carefully scanned through the pages. “This has a basic training plan for the next 11 months, including a meal plan. I’d be training you up until the entrance exams every other day before and after school. We’d also work full days on weekends should agree to this.” 

Izuku flipped through the little booklet before stopping for a moment. “It says something about combat training here?” he questioned, looking up at Toshinori.

“Yes, once I’ve deemed you strong enough, I was hoping to instill some more combat training into you. You can probably tell based on my disposition I can’t help much with that personally, but as a -cough- hero trainer I can bring in a few colleagues to help.” 

The boy hummed in response and continued examining Toshinori’s plan with scrutiny. Toshinori knew it sounded like a lot because it was. Stacking his schedule up this much had been a response to Toshinori’s desire to pass on his quirk, he’d never stretch someone this thin otherwise. His quirk could be dangerous should a weilder not be properly prepared. Toshinori could also get a sense of the boy’s work ethic this way too, no one who was planning on half-assing it would ever stick to this schedule. It would show how much time and effort Midoriya would be willing to put into heroism. “I have to tell you this will plan is extremely difficult. We’re working on a tight schedule and this will be loading up your schedule pretty heavily. If you’d like to back out, that's completely fine. Do you think you are up for it?” 

Izuku looked up to Toshinori with determination and nodded firmly. This kid was definitely shaping up to be Toshinori’s best pick for succesor.

As soon as Izuku got home he came crashing back down to earth. Training with Toshinori again had been a dream and now with a garentee that they'd meet on the regular, Izuku had been on cloud nine. It was more than he could have asked for. 

He’d kept a close eye on the man while they’d been together, wanting to take stock of his current health. The man had coughed through the occasional labored breath and quickly whipped at the corner of his mouth before Izuku could see, but he’d noticed. Toshinori was trying to hide the extent of his failing health but this had been exactly what Izuku was looking out for. His health was something Toshinori never really put any effort into before Izuku begged him to. He was going to make sure that the older hero started taking care of himself again. 

Izuku placed the box of things he'd collected on his desk beside his laptop. A few things he’d dorted through on the beach had been salvageable. There were discarded toys, clothing, a couple of figures he recognized as collectibles, and even a few electronics. All of the things he'd set aside seemed to be usable. He wasn’t well versed in restoring computers and the like but he was sure some of the parts in the electronics he'd picked out were at least a little valuable. 

Izuku rummaged through the box and pulled out a small stuffed rabbit. It was pale green with small black eyes and long floppy ears. It was still soft despite its dirty appearance and would be good as new after a couple thorough washes. While he was planning on donating most of this stuff but a few things he’d grabbed specifically for Eri. She would like the stuffed toy he’d found, she’d been fond of rabbits and bunnies as long as he’d known her. Eri deserved to have something nice waiting for her once she got out, which would be soon if Izuku had anything to say about it. Hopefully, he'd get a clouple clues when he met with the Shie Hissaikai tomorow and he'd be a step closer to bringing her to safety.