Chapter Text
People are not born equal. This truth is prevalent especially in today's world riddled with wonders, where most people are born with either blessings or curses society calls ‘quirks’. Some people are born well off but most are born... unfortunate.
This story begins with an abandoned boy whose hair was blue sporting a cowlick in the shape of a sickle, in a particularly dangerous and isolated part of the city, where some social outcasts born with curses and those hiding from the law currently reside.
“Here you go!” The boy said, extending both his hands, holding a loaf of stale but still edible bread, towards an older teen.
“Is this it? What about your portion?” The teen demanded, his burnt hand pointing towards the boy.
“I don't have any but there is plenty of grass near where I live.” The boy offered.
“Grass, eh?” the teen, taken aback, pondered over it. “Well, forget it. Get lost, kid.” he ordered and the boy obeyed without complaints. As the boy went on his way, he glanced back and got a better look at the older teen who was now turning to leave, taking a bite of the bread he was given. He noticed that the man had multiple burn marks, scars and poorly-done stitches.
‘Should I ask about that?’ the boy thought as he was about to head back to the man to help fix his injuries. But he stopped himself from doing so, remembering what he was just told.
‘...Maybe, I shouldn't. He told me to get lost. Must be a sore subject for him.’ The boy thought as he headed to the place he'll rest for the night, just like any night since he'd remembered how he's been living: in a makeshift tent made of scraps and tattered cloth found around the trash while abandoned decrepit structures surround the tent he deemed his home.
This boy is awfully kind. He's unable to turn anyone down no matter their request. He'll share his food even if he's hungry. He'll help people no matter who they are. And he'll comfort them no matter how injured they are. As long as he's asked, he complies. But of course, he also obeys if he's told not to stick his nose into someone else's business.
This boy is Iruma, eight years old. He's been living a crappy life for as long as he could remember. He doesn't remember having parents nor how he came to be, and for all his life, he's been living in full survival mode. This lifestyle meant that he's malnourished and that he's sported multiple scars over the years, most prominently on his back. Although, Iruma is happy just being alive. He is content with what he has.
As Iruma finished eating his dinner, inedible to most except for him, he set his dirty but still usable futon for the night, ready to sleep as he looked forward to tomorrow.
One early morning, while Iruma is still sleeping…
SHAKE
Iruma jolted awake, immediately on full alert. ‘An earthquake?’ he thought. Iruma may have been uneducated, but experience taught him enough about earthquakes, but this one fast outclassed those before it. Iruma knew not be near buildings during an earthquake, so he knew that he's now in a danger zone. As Iruma exited his tent to investigate…
‘L O O K O U T !’
Iruma’s instincts screamed at him, causing him to immediately dodge to his left-
CRASH
-falling debris nearly crushing him. ‘This is bad. I have to get away from here.’ Iruma decided to return to his tent first to save some food he still had in stock, but upon turning back-
CRASH
-the decrepit buildings around him collapsed, burying his former home in rubble. “NO!” Iruma exclaimed due to not being able to save food. On the bright side, Iruma wasn't the one buried so he kept on moving towards somewhere safer.
What used to be, at least to Iruma, a secure enough place to call home, has now become a death trap on a timer; Iruma needed to leave urgently. As Iruma ran, he also continued to dodge oncoming obstacles and hazards, and instinctively navigated himself around the area for 20 minutes straight.
Having lived like Iruma did for all his life, he’s encountered countless ways he could've died. But having survived all said possible deaths, Iruma had developed some kind of instinct or a sixth sense that automatically lets him sense and dodge danger. If Iruma ever considered becoming either a hero or a villain, he would have this honed evasion be his ultimate move and it shall be known as:
OVERWHELMING CRISIS EVASION CAPABILITY
However, with Iruma’s current living condition, it has never crossed Iruma’s mind to be such. Plus, the name is dumb; even Iruma would admit that if he heard it. Perhaps, if things had been different, he'd think of a much more fitting name.
Back to current events, Iruma was starting to get really exhausted and his lungs were aching so much, but he's almost out of the city. Multiple shockwaves can be felt around him and the earthquake is getting so intense that it forces all the rundown buildings to finally give out around him. But, Iruma didn't let his body give out even if the earthquake is making him dizzier and dizzier; he will NOT die here today. Iruma won't despair.
And then the earthquake stopped. Iruma slightly released a sigh of relief. As he recollected himself, he finally found an open space, devoid of anything to fall or collapse on him. While heading there, he couldn't help shed a few tears of relief— relief in having this calamity pass and him surviving it. When he was finally close enough to his destination, suddenly—
“—SMASH!” BOOM
—a loud yell followed by one last powerful shockwave that's more powerful than all the shockwaves that preceded it combined blew Iruma back by several meters and caused him to tumble multiple times until he hit a wall at high speeds with his arm. The impact was so strong that it broke Iruma’s arm and caused it to bleed.
‘Ouch! It hurts.’ Iruma winced as he checked his arm and hissed as it ached. Sure enough, his arm was broken, and Iruma could see it having several cuts deep enough for blood to show but not so severe that Iruma couldn't patch it up himself. It took Iruma some moment to recuperate— he was glad it was just his arm that broke rather than his legs. As Iruma stood up weakly and cradling his injured arm, he attempted to reach for the open space again as quickly as his body could allow him. He cannot guarantee the remaining buildings surrounding him will stand long enough; getting buried alive isn't on Iruma’s agenda.
When he reached the open, Iruma saw a crater, and in it was what could only be described as an aftermath of a legendary battle.
The legendary battle of good and evil that caused ground-shattering shockwaves had finally concluded. All For One's skull has been crushed by All Might, turning him into a corpse. And All Might, aside from the massively deep wound in his torso inflicted by All For One, was feeling triumphant.
He's done it. He finally ended this bastard's reign of terror. He finally avenged his mentor as well as the countless lives ruined and taken by this monster.
As All Might stood there, adrenaline finally wearing off his system and his wounds beginning to hurt like hell, he finally called Gran Torino for rescue. They'd been together in search for All For One, but the battle that transpired upon finding him separated them and All Might had to lead it away from the public. As All Might waited, he couldn't help but finally lie on the ground for comfort and his eyes were almost giving out, leading him into unconsciousness.
And a few minutes later…
“... Are you alright? Aggh! That's a lot of blood!!!-” a distressed voice, seemingly belonging to someone young, could be heard by All Might as he slept. He slowly but groggily opened his eyes to a sight of what he could only probably describe as an angel. His eyes were unfocused so he couldn't make out the figure properly.
‘Ah, I guess this is it...’ he thought deliriously.
When moments passed and All Might could still somehow feel his torso aching, some realization that he's still alive hit him as he now desperately struggled to wake up and open his eyes again. When he finally woke up and was fully conscious again, he can now clearly see that it wasn't an angel but instead what looked to be a young, probably a 4 or 5 year old, blue-haired kid. And then, All Might had an urge to suddenly sit up and vomit. And so he did.
“Ah! Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry!” he heard the boy cry out, him still focusing on his current action.
‘What was he sorry for?’ All Might thought, confused. When All Might was still sitting up, his torso was still aching— albeit not as badly as before. As he reached for his wound, what he expected to be a deep mutilation, felt like skin, as if the wound was no longer present; although, All Might could feel that his insides were still messed up beyond repair. All Might was baffled at this, so he turned toward the kid.
“W-what…happened?” he asked weakly.
“...Um… I saw you in this crater with that other man, so I went down here. Also, there's this earthquake… so I ran around the city and into safety which I assume is here. Anyway I got a closer look and I saw you bleeding so I panicked. So I tried to help you… but then, I think some of my blood dropped on your wound… and… and something happened to your wound... It just closed itself…” the boy explained as best as he could in a rapid fire manner, All Might couldn't follow.
The boy, now that All Might has gotten a better look, is filthy and is wearing rags, most likely an abandoned child. As All Might observed further, he could also see him cradling his arm with some red fluid-like substance covering it which looked to be…blood… ‘Shit.’
“Kid, are you alright?!” All Might asked, panic present in his voice as if the fatigue from the battle prior had vanished. He then tried to check up on the injured boy.
The boy shrugged off All Might's concern.
“Oh, this? It's fine. A shockwave just knocked me away and then this happened when I landed. It's fine really. I just need some clean cloth to bandage it.”
“That looks like a serious injury, kid! We need to get you to a doctor!” All Might pressed on, arms slowly reaching for the boy's arm but the boy backed off.
“...A…doctor?” The kid tilted his head as if the word was foreign to him, baffling All Might.
‘Geez, this kid…’ If All For One wasn't able to kill All Might, his serious concern for this kid that suddenly showed up after their battle will. How terrible and isolated was this kid’s life if he didn't know what doctors were? What was the kid doing there in the first place?
Not long after, Gran Torino finally arrived with the rescue. “There you are! He's over here!” Gran Torino led the rescue to All Might's position. As Gran Torino got closer, he came across All For One's corpse, the top half of its head and one of its arms missing. For good measure, Gran Torino gave it one last good kick. “Hmph! Good riddance.”
When Gran Torino reached All Might, he also got a better look at the boy. He smirked as he faced Toshinori. “Who’s this? Your long lost love child?” he teased.
All Might groaned, finally losing all strength to argue. “Just get us out of here. We're both injured pretty badly.” he informed.
“Oh, calm your jets. Just tryna ease the mood.” Gran Torino retorted, as All Might and the boy were rushed to emergency; All For One's corpse was retrieved to be finally disposed of.
After the operation on All Might was finished, when the medical staff assigned for him had been baffled at how his wound healed so quickly even before they get to treat it, he was put in an available room to be further observed and for All Might to undergo full recovery.
All Might didn't really like to stay lying on the hospital bed for too long when he could be going around and do his hero work, but doctor's orders. Well, he guessed he finally earned a few days of reprieve now that the All For One is dead.
Gran Torino went home not long after to rest since he couldn't really stay at the hospital. God knows he earned it, and All Might could sleep soundly without his presence.
His sidekick, Sasaki Mirai, visited him after a few days off his recovery to check on him. It turned out well.
Even his friend, David Shield, went to check in on him. However, it was only through a call they got to converse with each other. Nevertheless, All Might appreciated his friend's effort and concern towards him. He knew David was a very busy man and the fact that he checked on him at all was proof that he's All Might's true friend. Plus, he also got to greet and check in on his goddaughter, Melissa. All Might's spirit went up after his friend's call.
Recovery Girl, or Shuzenji Chiyo as he was more familiar with, was with him the longest, being the one in charge of actually making sure he has completely recovered before he goes out recklessly doing his job again. She was actually quite baffled at what had transpired with All Might's wound having been healed.
They found out that while All Might's wound may have closed miraculously, it didn't fully heal him. All Might still lost most of his stomach and respiratory organs, but he couldn’t really ask for more being that the drill that had been impaled onto him was massive. He should be thankful he was even still alive.
As All Might rested on the hospital bed waiting for full recovery, with Chiyo just across the room, he remembered the abandoned boy that stumbled upon him.
“Say, Chiyo…” All Might said which brought Chiyo’s attention to him. “How’s... the boy?”
“You mean that street urchin? He seemed very nice and polite.” she said. “His wounds were already fixed and the staff already tended to his needs so he should be fine.”
“That’s good to hear.” All Might said, happy that the boy was in good health.
“I’ve heard that it was him who initially healed your wounds.” she shared, fixing something in the room.
“Y-yes, I suppose. From what he said happened, his blood dropped on my wound and it just so happened that it closed.” All Might said.
“His blood?” Chiyo asked for clarification.
“That’s what I've heard he said.” All Might confirmed. “Did you get information regarding the boy's background?”
“Not much. He says his name was Iruma. He says he's eight years old. No last name or other records found anywhere. And if what you say about his quirk allowing his blood to heal people is true, then I guess we could search for possible leads. But, all in all, finding his ancestry or where he actually came from is nothing but a pipe dream based on what little information we have.”
“A pipe dream, huh?” All Might muttered, saddened for the child.
After a while of letting the information sink in, Chiyo spoke again. “So, what do you wanna do with the boy now?”
“Wha-What? M-Me?” All Might sputtered.
“Obviously we couldn't just leave him to some random orphanage since he's in massive danger not only because he saw things he shouldn't have, but also because his quirk, if fallen in the wrong hands, could pose a serious threat.” Chiyo said. “And as much as I'm willing to take him in, my schedule is always so packed since Nezu always creates outlandish exercises the Ministry of Japan wouldn't have approved of if it weren't for me being UA’s nurse. So naturally, the only logical choice left to take that boy in…would be you.” Chiyo concluded.
“But I'm also very busy…” He tried to reason. He's the number 1 pro hero in Japan and also the Symbol of Peace and as a result, he wouldn't have enough time to take in a kid much less raise him. There was a reason he was still single.
“Not with your condition now you're not.” she retorted, pointing out the injuries All Might has sustained.
“B-but…”
“May I remind you that your fight with All For One literally caused you to spill half your guts, and that boy was the sole reason you're alive in the first place? In addition, you're still missing most of your stomach and are in no shape to do your previous routine anymore. If anything, you taking in that boy is a great way to show your gratitude to him, as well as keep you from wasting away the rest of your lonely life.” Chiyo rested her case.
All Might was about to continue arguing but knew he had already lost. He knew Chiyo was right— She is a scary woman especially when she's right.
Few weeks passed. Iruma awoke lying in a bed alone in a room. He wasn't sure where or what this ‘hospital’ they'd taken him to was, but it was definitely safer than his old home and he guessed that the people here were nice since he didn't feel danger from them. Plus, a nice lady healed his arm with a kiss while the others cleaned him up, and gave him food thrice a day. That was like… at least eight times the amount of food he could get in a week! It was safe to say that Iruma was at ease wherever he was currently.
The door to Iruma’s room opened and someone entered. It was a man; he was very skinny (even when compared to Iruma himself); he had long, stick-like limbs; his eyes completely sunken black. To a little kid like Iruma, someone like him would definitely look like a—
“Ack! A zombie! Please don't eat me! I taste terrible; believe me, I know!” Iruma yelped, standing at attention with his guard fully up.
“Woah, woah, woah! Easy there, kid.” The man tried to deescalate the situation, raising his hands as a sign of peace, but Iruma kept his guard; his years of experience were dictating his current behavior.
The man continued, “It’s me!” and he proceeded to buff up to his super form which was more familiar to the boy. It was All Might…but the kid has no idea yet.
“Oh, it's you! The man from the crater…” Iruma pointed out, easing up.“But what happened to you? How are your wounds? And most importantly, why are you secretly a zombie?!” Iruma asked aloud out of concern upon discovering the fact that the man he met was actually a zombie… But, he was glad that the man was alive…despite appearances.
“It’s okay. No need to worry, young man. The doctor said that I suffered some irreversible damage, thus my other form.” he reassured him. “But I'll be able to live in the long run— thanks to you!” All Might declared, pointing proudly towards Iruma.
“What?” Iruma wasn't sure what the man was talking about. Well, not entirely since Iruma would've helped the man regardless but he wasn't even sure what he had done in the first place that saved the man.
“Indeed. Had it not been for your blood that had dropped on me, I wouldn't have survived.” All Might answered.
Iruma’s blood… saved someone? Iruma was still very confused at all that was happening. Did his blood really heal and save this man's life? He didn't know. But he was glad that the man was feeling better from the looks of it. “Really? Well… that's great news! Always happy to hel—”
“So, to formally extend my gratitude…” All Might cut him off with a declaration. “... I would like to announce that I have adopted you as your new guardian.”
“...Eh? Ehhhhh!?”
Little did eight-year old Iruma know, this is the moment that will change the lives of many and lead it to the most exciting and thrilling adventure this world shall witness.