Chapter Text
“Hey, Deku.” Bakugou said, grunting at his friend.
“I thought I said not to call me that.” Izuku said, grinning at the blond, as they talk in the classroom after school.
“Shut up. Are we still gonna be the top three heroes together?” Bakugou asks, standing up and grabbing his bag.
“Top three? Bakugou, I don’t know what you mean. I really don’t.” Izuku drawls coyly, laughing as his backpack lifts and places itself on his back, before he starts floating. He floats over the desk and lands in the aisle.
“That, right there, Deku! I know what’s going on! You know what I fucking mean!” Bakugou says, explosions popping in his hands.
“Oh, my quirk? You use yours in public all the time. Aura has a mind of her own. Meeting at the gym later? We still need more training to make sure we’re ready for UA.”
“Of fucking course, nerd. Even if you wanna keep being an asshole.”
“You’re the one swearing and calling names. I’m gonna go pick up some stuff for us to eat afterwards, then I’ll head over.”
“Yeah. I gotta grab some shit from the shopping district, so I’ll meet ya there at the usual time.” He says, walking out of the classroom.
“See ya. Let’s go, Aura. I’m making it a cheat day, so I’m mochi along with our post-workout snacks! We’re definitely gonna be heroes with Kacchan! No way we can fail.” Izuku laughs, walking out of the school, heart and spirits high.
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Izuku hates underpasses, he has decided. He’s drowning in a slime man, and he reaches out for the man’s eyes before they fly out of his body, sludge following as he gets a chance to breathe. “T-thank you, Aura.” He coughs. The sludge monster is coming back around, furious, when the manhole cover explodes and All Might pretty much explodes the villain.
Izuku is enamored as he feels the familiar weight of his quirk returning to his shoulders. All Might bottles the villain, then looks to Izuku. “GREETINGS, YOUNG MAN! ARE YOU OKAY?!”
Izuku is more than okay. If asked, he could fly right now. He tries to say this, but instead vomits sludge man.
“OH DEAR! DON’T WORRY, I WILL GET YOU MEDICAL ASSISTANCE, ONCE I TURN IN THIS VILLAIN!” All Might shouts. Izuku doesn’t even have time to process All Might’s words before he is grabbed, and All Might leaps towards the police station. They land safely and All Might swiftly deposits the villain in the soda bottles. He then begins to jump towards the hospital when he starts steaming, and has to land on a roof. Where he transforms.
Izuku gasps as he sees All Might, and listens to his long explanation of why he is how he is. He sighs and swears Izuku to secrecy, but says he will still be taking Izuku to the hospital, just not as flashily as before. As he begins to get up, Izuku stops him. “All Might? Can… Can I ask you a question?”
“Of course, young man.”
“A-All my life I’ve wanted to be a hero… I’ve trained and practiced, and it’s my life goal to be a hero, like you. Is it… Is it possible to become a hero without a really strong quirk?” He asks, tears in his eyes as he feels his Aura’s comforting weight on his shoulder.
“My boy, look at me. See how damaged I am? And I’m the strongest hero in the world. I don’t think you could be a hero like me without a truly strong quirk.” He coughs up some blood, and Izuku is about to cry, his image of his hero beginning to shatter.
“Y-you mean to s-sa-” “I’m not finished! Geeze, let a guy cough out some blood, will ya? I swear those come at the most inconvenient times.”
All Might sighs and smiles as he kneels down to lay a hand on Midoriya’s shoulder. “I don’t think that you can be a hero LIKE ME, without a truly strong quirk. I do, however, believe you can be a hero. There are all sorts of heroes, from rescue to limelight to underground. Heroes that focus on helping others and those that focus on fighting. Do you understand what I’m trying to say?”
Izuku, whose emotions are flip-flopping back and forth, shakes his head. “I am saying, young man, that you CAN be a hero. I am saying that I believe in you, and I look forward to working alongside you, if you choose to do so. I am just saying to be your own hero, not to try and be like me. I work myself to the point I can only be a hero for a few hours every day. You’re already privy to some of my secrets, but you know that big press conference I announced for this weekend?” Izuku nods. “I can’t say too much, and you can’t spread this, but I am planning on retiring soon.I can’t reasonably keep this up or I will literally work myself to the death.”
The man sighs, and stands, looking over Musutafu. “I believe you can be a hero, I truly do. Anyone can be a hero if they dedicate themselves to it. But I do not wish to guide you on a path of self-destruction like myself. There is a line where self-sacrifice stops and self-destruction begins, and I wish that I had noticed it much, much sooner.”
“Y-you’re retiring?” Izuku asks, tearing up again.
“Please, and I cannot stress this enough, do not tell ANYONE, my boy.”
“I’ll take this s-secret to my grave.”
“Good. Now let’s get you to the hospital so you can be checked out. I will also give you an autograph, and one day you’ll have to return the favor when you become a hero.” He chuckles, opening the door to the building’s stairwell and leading Izuku towards the hospital.
“C-Can I get two? My best friend, Kacchan, would hate me forever if I got an autograph and didn’t get one for him too.”
“Of course! I would also offer a picture, but I’m getting too close to my time limit for the day.”
“I-I understand.”
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Izuku and All Might have just gotten to the hospital when his phone rings. He doesn’t even think when he holds a finger up to All Might, asking him to give Izuku a second, when the call clicks on and he hears the shouting before he even puts his phone to his ear.
“WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU, YA DAMN NERD! YOU’RE LATE!” Bakugou screams into the phone. He always gets super annoyed when Izuku shows up late, and must have hit his patience limit, because he hates lifting without the only spotter he can trust.
“Oh, uh I forgot to text you. I got attacked by a villain, All Might saved me, we just reached the hospital because the sludge guy was trying to invade my lungs, and I got us both an autograph from All Might!”
“YEAH RIGHT! FUCKIN FIND A BETTER EXCUSE! YOU PROBABLY STOPPED AT A HERO MERCH STORE, HUH?!”
“Kats, I’m serious.”
Bakugou’s tone changes instantly. “Musutafu General?”
“Yeah”
“Call your mom?” Bakugou hears the hesitation and sighs. “I’ll call her. Dumbass. You okay?”
“Just coughing up sludge man.”
“Okay. Be there soon. WITH our moms.”
“BOTH OF THEM?! W-WHY KACCHAN?!”
“Because you’re an idiot and you probably deserve it.”
“Ugh. Fine. See you soon. All Miiiiight….’s aaasssistant is gonna be waiting until Mom gets here.”
“Fuck you, nerd.”
“Love you too, Kacchan.” Izuku hangs up, smiling at All Might before they enter the hospital. All Might explains they’re here for the Hero Ward, to get Izuku checked out after a villain attack. While he talks to the nurse, he looks back and sees Izuku talking to a distraught 5 year old girl, who seems to be crying about her quirk not being good enough to be a hero. He marvels at how, in such a short interaction, Izuku is able to ask what her quirk is and help her find a way to become a hero with it. The way the girl’s eyes sparkle and follow Izuku as they walk to the examination room warms his heart.
It isn’t too long before Yagi Toshinori is beset by two loud blonds and a distraught, green woman. The woman is crying, asking for her baby Izuku, while the blonds try to aggressively tell her that he’s fine. They say this in a tone that just oozes with how many times they said the same words. He assumes this must be Midoriya’s family and friend. He steps forward and waves, nodding to the nurse. “I’ll take them back.”
The nurse points to the Bakugous and looks to Yagi. “I’m sorry, family only.”
“I’m sure we can make an exception. All Might said the boy simply HAD to give his best friend the autograph he got as soon as humanly possible.”
The nurse sighs, and waves the Bakugous along, going back to her work. Inko Midoriya tearfully cries as she reaches Yagi, looking up at him. “Y-You’re All Might’s assistant? I-Is my baby boy okay?!”
“He’s fine, ma’am. Just a little slime in his lungs, but this hospital has someone whose quirk is perfect for that, so he’s fine, he’ll just need to stay overnight for observation, the nurses said.” All Might responds, smiling. “You have an amazing son, Ms Midoriya. He looks just like you, and All Might was able to get there before the villain could do any real harm.”
Inko cries and sniffles, starting to slow down her tear flow. “H-H-He really is okay?”
“Yes ma’am.”
“G-Good. Can I see him?” SHe asks as a nurse steps out and nods to Yagi.
“Looks like they just finished. Let’s go see him, if you’re okay with me being here. We at All Might’s agency just value making sure that anyone involved in a villain attack are safe, and try to follow their recovery, while also paying any hospital bills related to villain attacks stopped by All Might.” He says, giving the usual spiel, which while true, always feels kind of hollow.
The crew goes to the room that Izuku is in, and Inko rushes forward, fussing over her child while Yagi takes a seat, coughing up a bit before checking his phone, letting the family have some privacy. After Inko, and then Mitsuki, finish fussing over and then scolding Izuku, Bakugou steps up to him, scowling. “Jerk. Stop being an idiot.”
Izuku laughs, and his bag pulls itself to him. He pulls out a rolled-up All Might poster protected in a plastic protector tube, of which he always keeps two in his bag, just in case he ever met All Might, which DID happen, SUCK IT KACCHAN! “And you said I was stupid for always carrying these with me. Suck it!” He says as he hands Katsuki the poster.
Katsuki grunts and checks the poster, mouth opening as he sees the All Might signature, followed by the message ‘Young Katsuki. I hear you are a wonderful young lad, and am writing this message for you. I look forward to working with you as a hero, and hope that one day, you can give me an autograph in return. Good luck, ALL MIGHT’
He carefully wraps it back up and glares at Izuku, who smugly watches him. “Fine. You. Are. Not. Stupid. This. One. Time.” He forces out slowly, like it’s physically paining him. Izuku seems cheerful, grinning at Katsuki as they chat, their parents sitting near Yagi.
After a while, the Bakugousn leave, Katsuki telling Izuku that they’re making up for the lost workout over the weekend. He gives Inko Midoriya his number, and thanks her for letting him check on Izuku’s recovery. He takes his leave, and hopes to once again see the two boys grow into grand heroes.
In his hospital room, Izuku marvels over the autograph he has, talking to his mom about all the stuff he’ll need to do to preserve the poster when they get home, so he can keep it forever.He laughs softly as he enjoys spending time with his family, looking forward even more to the future, with a renewed confidence to get into UA.