To Be a Hero 2

As it turns out, I had a full chapter 90% done that I completely forgot about. So I'm going to, in two weeks, release a third chapter of To Be a Hero.

....Honestly, Chapter 3 is a lot of not-quite-canon-retread, so y'all would likely have thought yourselves cheated if I posted it normally. As a bonus, though? I'm sure it's fine.

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“I have some bad news, young Midoriya.” All Might began.

Before Izuku’s brain could properly melt down, he continued. “I’ll be unable to supervise you for a few weeks. I promise you I’ll be able to make it in time to review your progress before the exam.”

Izuku sighed in relief. All Might only supervised his training about four hours a day, but he probably needed to go do something that would have him be away from Mufustafu, it’s none of Izuku’s business. “I understand All Might. I’ll keep clearing the beach.” Izuku smiled. “I promise I won’t let you down! I’ll be the first Quirkless Pro Hero, just you watch!”

“Hey now.” All Might admonished, swatting Izuku’s head. “What did I tell you? If you focus on being a Quirkless Pro Hero instead of being a Great Pro Hero…” All Might trailed off.

Izuku dutifully finished the lecture. “I’ll get too wrapped up in methods instead of goals. I know, I know.”

“Heroics is something that is an end in itself.” All Might said. “The how is something that you must be flexible on, if you are to save as many as possible. There have been times where the best use of my power was to taxi around a fellow hero, or carrying a cargo container, or even turning a crank on a generator. Was it glamorous? No. Was I saving the day all by myself? No. But most importantly, were more people saved by taking that action instead of another? Yes.”

Izuku felt his eyes water at the inspirational tale. Eight years ago, the Quirk Flu Pandemic in Deika city. Eleven years ago, the Medivac incident. The Might-namo (was it even still around? It’s been years since it’s been seen…). Hearing All Might distill his years of experience into life lessons would never get old. Izuku just hopes that UA won’t end up being disappointing, after All Might’s personal instruction.

“I hired a temp to come and drive by the truck halfway through your assigned beach clearing.” All Might mentioned, interrupting Izuku’s objection to spending money with a pointed look. “Organization is an important heroic skill, one I think you’re well suited for. He’ll park in the same spot I do, so for today, let’s pretend the truck isn’t there until I say it is. Go.”

Izuku scrambled back to the beach, mind whirling with plans.

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Izuku had cleared the designated section beach a day or two before All Might said he would return. It was a little disappointing to accomplish his goal without him there to see it, so Izuku decided to just keep cleaning until All Might returned.

Good progress was made, and on the third day of extraneous beach clearing, when he heard the temp drive up with the truck, Izuku lifted and started carrying the small fridge to the parking lot.

“Oh my goodness!” Shouted All Might, startling Izuku in the mood whiplash. “Not only have you completed the cleaning, you’ve even made very good progress on the rest! Truly, an outstanding job!” All Might laughed loudly, oozing the feeling of optimism and safety that made Izuku look up to the man for as long as he could remember. The All Might that Izuku had gotten to know was a lot less… All Might than he had initially imagined. All Might in his diminished form was careful, deliberate in their words and actions. He gave praise frequently, but none with empty words. He was intense in a way that All Might’s persona generally wasn’t, but both sides of All Might seemed to have joined into one as All Might celebrated Izuku’s accomplishment. It made Izuku feel like a little kid, seeing that smile for the first time all over again.

It was a quick matter to load the truck with the trash Izuku had collected in the first half of the day, and afterwards All Might, back in his relaxed form, sat Izuku down. “Now, you’ve got three days until the UA Entrance Exam. While we’ll get to the rest of the beach, even if we have to wait until after the Exam to finish it, we should have another talk.”

Izuku nodded enthusiastically. While All Might frequently dispensed his wisdom during breaks, whenever the conversation strayed to particular topics, such as concrete plans on how being a quirkless pro hero would work, or why he was spending so much time helping just one quirkless boy, he swiftly deflected. Izuku supposes it was time to address some of that. “All Might? Why are you going so far for me? It’s great, but couldn’t you be making a bigger difference doing something else?”

All Might hummed. “You know, I was going to answer that more concretely today anyway, but… Even if I changed my mind about that, there’s still a pretty good reason for me to have done this…” After a moment, All Might nodded to himself. “I’ll say both things.”

“Listen Young Midoriya. Do you remember what I said about doing the most efficient thing to save the most people?” Izuku nods. “Well, there’s a flip side to that. If you do the most efficient thing, it means that a large chunk of people are just going to fall through the cracks. As a hero, that’s a hard feeling. I hate it. So, what I liked to do, to make myself feel better about that, is to occasionally decide that the next ‘petty’ or ‘minor’ thing that I get asked to handle, I devote myself to fulfilling it wholeheartedly, no matter how much time it took. Is doing that ignoring other people who need help? Yes. Are there ‘better’ uses of my time? Certainly. But it was my resolve, that as the Number One Hero, there was none who were unworthy of my help.” Izuku was floored. He had heard stories about All Might concerning himself with something small, like a single suicidal jumper, and all the forums and media just assumed it was some PR thing, done just because it made him look better. But this? ...It was something Izuku imagined himself saying, in his better dreams. None are unworthy of help, huh? He liked the sound of that.

All Might paused, looking upwards at the clouds as he mumbled a few things to himself. “Oh wait, where was I?” Looking back down to Izuku, All Might seemed to remember what he was talking about and continued. “To say that our meeting was lucky, mere happenstance, is entirely correct. I won’t deny that.” Izuku’s heart hurt at the blunt statement, but he couldn’t deny the truth either. “However, it was your question that reminded me of something. I haven’t done those small acts of kindness ever since my injury. I felt absolutely awful, realizing that I had fallen so far… There was no way I couldn’t do all I could to at least give you a chance at your dreams. I couldn’t call myself a Hero if I didn’t.”

Izuku’s eyes finally started releasing the tears that were begging to erupt. Every time Izuku thought he knew the depths of heroic spirit All Might possessed, he did something like this and blew his expectations out of the water.

“Hey now, quit with the water works.” All Might admonished. “Now, I’m pretty sure you’ve noticed by now, but I’ve been testing you.”

Izuku shook his head. When was he tested? Was it when they were talking about Smashes? He’s pretty sure he aced that one if it was.

“Of course.” All Might said, chuckling. “You didn’t think it was strange, how many times you had to help some stranger on the way to your training? Despite me scolding you for being late afterwards? Not even the cats?”

Izuku blinked in confusion. “It wasn’t that often.” Izuku argued. “And it couldn’t have been that big of a deal, I don’t even remember doing it.” After a moment, the last comment sparked a memory.  “Well, Ichiyuki I remember. She kept getting in that tree for two weeks until she stopped...” Izuku made sure to check up on the cat after then, just to make sure nothing serious had happened. After a moment, he frowned. "Wait, did you set up that little girl who nearly got hit by that car?"

"Heavens, no!" All Might’s chuckles upgraded into full on laughter until he started coughing, bringing out his handkerchief and wiping his mouth after it subsided. “That one was my favorite, though. Do you remember what you said to me after I told you that you should have shouted and let me handle it?'

Izuku thought back. He remembered… he said he didn't think about it, right?

"You said the same thing many top heros did,from stories told about their own childhoods." All Might seemed giddy as he whispered this next line: "Your body moved on its own." He barked out a laugh. "That's when I knew, without a doubt, that you had what it takes. You could go the distance. The rest? You didn’t even notice it as odd… you help people without thought or memory, something no more notable than avoiding a puddle.” All Might smiled widely, his emaciated face making it look even larger than normal. “I’ve had something of an ulterior motive in helping you, Young Midoriya. If you had not passed my tests, which you did with flying colors, might I add, what I said before would have been the end of it. It is no less true, but you exceeded my highest expectations, my boy.”

Izuku was confused, but with this much build up, All Might must be preparing to blow his mind even more. Stay strong, Izuku!

“Many have asked about my Quirk, but every time I deflect with a joke. It pains me to lie, but this is a secret that the number of living people who know could be counted on one’s hands.” Izuku’s eyes widened. Is he really going to tell him? Why? “My quirk is called One for All. It is a sacred torch, passed from master to student, for over one hundred years. It is power in its purest form, able to be passed on. My master gave me this sacred burden, and now…” All Might’s eyes lit up, his grin widening even more. “It’s your turn. I deem you worthy of inheriting my power.”

What. What. “So.. all of this… and it’s just a test?” Izuku asked. That was kind of disappointing, actually. He thought clearing the beach was pretty important…

“Of course not, you prince of nonsense!” All Might scolded, thwapping Izuku’s head with two fingers. “One for All is a quirk of tremendous power! If I had passed it on the moment we met, your limbs would have popped off your body the instant you used it!” Izuku swallowed deeply at the mental image. “No, this training had another purpose: to cultivate your body as a suitable vessel for One for All. Now take off your shirt, let me see what you’re working with.”

“O-okay…” Izuku said, taking off his shirt and standing, doing some All Might flex poses to demonstrate his new muscles.

All Might hummed as he examined each major muscle group. “This is pretty good. You’re not quite as large as I was when I received it… and One for All is stronger than it was then… It’s been forty years after all.” All Might ran his hands through his hair, muttering to himself worriedly. “Is it enough? How much extra muscle could we pack on there if we waited for the Sports Festival… Probably not that much more.” All Might clapped his hands over his face. “It’ll have to do. If I let myself put it off now, I’ll never stop.” Izuku was getting pretty worried about his safety at this point.

Before All Might could continue, a small car drove up to the beach. Both doors opened, and two senior citizens stepped out. The man was wearing a flannel shirt, cowboy boots, and jeans, with an ostentatious belt buckle. The woman was wearing a shawl and dress combo that was pretty forgettable, but both brought out canes as they left the car. All Might seemed to panic at the arrival of new people, so Izuku went to greet them. One for All could be passed on later in the day, if necessary.

Bowing politely, Izuku addressed the elderly people. “Hello! Are you here to enjoy the beach? The cleaning isn’t finished yet, so I wouldn’t call it safe yet from sharp scrap metal or anything hidden in the sand. Perhaps you could come by in a week? It should be done by then.” Izuku gave his best ‘nice young man’ smile, hopefully the pair would listen.

The woman giggled at him, but the man snorted before looking straight at All Might. “This the kid, Toshi? Are you sure you put enough work into this beansprout?”

“Y-y-yes sir.” All Might said, stuttering in fear. Who is this man? “It would be easier to give it to him before the entrance exam. Less questions. It’s probably not enough for all of One for All, but if not now, when?”

The old man hummed, examining Izuku’s form. As before, Izuku went through the flex poses All Might showed him. “...Maybe you’re on to something. Chiyo, what do you think?”

The old woman, now named, started poking Izuku’s muscles. “Now, I wouldn’t call myself an expert on One for All…” Chiyo began. Who were these people? All Might’s parents? “But we’ll never know unless we try. This is solid muscle. More would be better, but time is a luxury we’re unfortunately short on.” With a mom-glare at All Might, who quailed under her stern disapproval, Chiyo started digging into her purse. “Toshi, have you made the transfer yet?”

“No ma’am.” All Might said. The old man perked up, bringing out his phone and holding it to take a picture. “I’ll do it now.”

“Sora, I’m not-” Chiyo said, before the old man waved her off.

“Just wait a second.” He said.

All Might, a mischievous grin appearing on his face, turned to Izuku. Bulking up into his full heroic stature, All Might slowly reached up to his mighty locks, and plucked a single hair from his iconic style. Holding it out to Izuku, All Might said the words that will echo in his mind forever. “Eat this.”

...Eh?

Sora laughed uproariously, snapping pictures all the while. “He looks just like you did, Toshi!”

All Might laughed as well. “It is the privilege of the master to see the student suffer as they have.” Oh, they were just messing with him.

“Ain’t that the truth.” Sora said.

Izuku cleared his throat. “S-so, that was a joke?” He asked, full of hope.

Chiyo snatched the hair and discarded it. “No, but actually yes.” The old woman took a small device out of her purse. Was that a blood sugar reader? It looked a little fancier than that… “Normally, that would be the safest way, but I’m not waiting hours for this. Now I’ve completed blood tests on this lug recently enough that I know it’s safe to do this the fast way; blood to blood. It’s been a while since I’ve had to fabricate a custom medical device on short notice, but I still got it.” Wait, is this lady a support technician? A medic?

Deflating, All Might sat down and let Chiyo clean his arm with a medical wipe and put the device to his arm, wincing as it extracted a small amount of blood. Sora appeared to be looking through the pictures he took of Izuku’s reaction, probably figuring which ones to post online. All Might appeared to be focusing on something. Maybe there’s a component of will to the transfer? He might need to focus.

“Sit down, sonny.” Chiyo said, and Izuku complied, holding out his arm like All Might did. After a brief moment cleaning, she put the device to his arm, a sharp pain indicating a successful transfusion from All Might to him. Seconds later, Izuku felt… something. It was a feeling that was utterly foreign to him, like he was blind but could now see. Was that… One for All? It pulsed, and Izuku remembered the feeling of All Might’s words, the overwhelming feeling of admiration and pride, but somehow… different. A little bit like… looking in a mirror? Already, his brain was freely adding associations to the new feelings, and they probably don’t make any sense at all.

All Might hummed. “I think he’s got it. One for All’s presence has diminished, and I know it took me a moment to figure out what I was feeling, when it sparked in me.”

“How do you feel, Toshi?” Chiyo asked, curious.

“It’s kind of like…” All Might began, frowning as he waved his hands vaguely. “Like I’ve walked backstage. Like a curtain is now between me and my quirk… and it’s calmer, like a crowd that’s quieting down after I leave.” All Might shrugged. “Master always believed that the previous users watched over you from beyond the grave, cheering you on even when you were facing evil alone.” He shuddered. “Spooky.” Izuku wasn’t sure what to think about ghosts, why didn’t they mention the ghosts?

Sora chuckled. “Looks like Nana’s looking over the green bean, now.” Wait, how many have held One for All before All Might? He debuted in Japan thirty years ago, so if it’s only a little over a hundred years, All Might should be… number four? Five at most. But what if he meant Nana as in number seven? Would that mean All Might’s number eight?

“Oh Toshi, he’s adorable.” Chiyo said, smiling. “Like putting a kitten on top of a Greek statue.” Looking down, Izuku immediately put his shirt back on with a blush.

Sora nodded, snickering. “You only told him the basics, didn’t you Toshi? Shimura Nana is this idiot’s predecessor, and she was, as you’ve guessed, the seventh user. En had a sense of humor when he was picking his successor.” Izuku found himself smiling fondly at the old man, even as mean as he was being, it was clear that if he disapproved of All Might’s choice, he would be complaining more. It was a nice feeling.

Still, now was probably a good time to ask.“Um… Are you two All Might’s parents?”

Both elders immediately burst out laughing, and All Might looked panicked at the idea. “I might as well be the lug’s father.” Sora said, whacking All Might’s leg with his cane. “I trained him up myself, between me and Nana we basically raised the brat.”

Chiyo tittered. “More Nana than you, Sora.” Izuku found himself nodding in agreement. Why did he do that?

All Might sighed, resigned. “Does this mean you’ll let me pay for your retirement, Master Torino? Just a small expense account?” Izuku immediately remembered All Might’s words on how one million yen was ‘pocket change’. What did he consider merely ‘small’?

“Over my dead body.” Mr. Torino declared, before turning to Izuku. “Speaking of, kid, don’t do what I did and assume you won’t live past fifty. Get a retirement fund started early, let it build up.” Izuku found this funnier than he should have, but out of politeness he bit back the sarcastic remark that bubbled up from within.

“Ha! You wouldn’t know what to do with yourself all day if you retired. You’d be wearing the mask again within the week.” Chiyo teased. Even if the two elders weren’t in a relationship, they were clearly close friends. Izuku wondered if he’d make friends like that at UA. It sounded nice.

“You, of all people, don’t have any business criticizing me about working.” Mr. Torino returned.

“Guilty!” Chiyo said without an ounce of shame. “Okay Midoriya, that’s enough stand up comedy for one day.” Izuku could not agree more. “From pictures, you’re about as well built as Toshi was when he got it, just about fifteen centimeters shorter. You should be able to handle a usable small amount without breaking anything. No one alive knows more about One for All than these two lunkheads, so ask away.”

“Right.” Izuku said, resolve strengthening. He withdrew his pocket notebook, for later transfer into one of his regular ones. “How do you use it?”

All Might laughed. “First, you clench your buttcheeks, and call out with your heart: SMASH!”

Chiyo whacked All Might with her cane. “Do NOT do that.” She declared. “Now, Toshi’s a good boy, big heart,” Izuku immediately understood that she was about to use her old lady insults and he was here for it. “But his head is thicker than his biceps. He does well with more specific questions, so how about you try feeling out the quirk a bit, and figure out something less general about how to use it.”

“Okay...” Izuku wasn’t sure exactly how to refer to her, but gave it his best shot. “Granny Chiyo.” From her look of surprise, Izuku chose poorly. “I’m sorry!”

“Don’t worry about it, boy.” Sora said. “We never did introduce ourselves properly. I’m Torino Sorahiko, pro hero Gran Torino.” He referred to his casual dress. “Obviously, this isn’t my costume. Left it in the trunk.” He tugs at his shirt, showing a white bodysuit underneath. “If this goes well, I’ll put you through your paces. Looking forward to it!” Gran Torino gave a wicked grin.

“Shuzenji Chiyo.” Dr. Shuzenji said. “I’m a doctor, of course.” Gran Torino snorted at that, but didn’t say anything to contradict her.

“It’s nice to meet you both.” Izuku said before following Dr. Shuzenji’s advice. He closed his eyes, and tried to figure out which of the phantom sensations he was feeling he should ask All Might about. "What quirk did you have before One for All? How did it change?"

Mr. Gran Torino chuckled again. "Did you not tell him? You numbskull." He poked All Might's hip with his cane.

"It didn't come up!" All Might insisted, only to provoke his teacher into laughing harder.

Dr. Shuzenji tittered, before leaning towards Izuku and whispering conspiratorially: "All Might was quirkless too."

Izuku's eyes widened. All Might was… like him? Izuku swore the transformation was All Might's original quirk, the smoke at least, does that mean… Izuku's next question was simplicity itself. “How do you change forms?”

All Might frowned. “It’s not changing forms, Young Midoriya. As I told you when we first met, it’s just flexing. Sucking in your gut at the pool? It’s like that.”

The elderly members of the conversation covered their faces with their hands in a synchronized motion, but as Izuku thought about it…

Izuku started the stretches All Might had taught him, making sure his muscles were optimally loose for the activity. After a moment, he sucked in his gut, turned slightly to the side, and flexed, making sure to clench his butt, just as All Might advised.

The difference was dramatic. His shirt burst hopelessly into pieces, and the stretchy waistline of his shorts strained as Izuku felt his body sink deeper into the sand while simultaneously feeling like he was a light as a feather.

This… this was a quirk. One for All: Muscle Form. The power cultivated over generations of heroes, and Izuku could imagine each and every one of them cheering him on for his accomplishment. Izuku released his pose, trying his best to keep hold of that feeling of strained muscles, even as the physical muscles relaxed.

"Oh my." Dr. Shuzenji said. "The difference is even more extreme now. Like his head was drawn by a different artist."

Mr. Gran Torino nodded. "Remember that musclemon fad when we were kids?"

"You're right, Sora. He is a dead ringer for that little shrub musclemon. What was its name?" Dr. Shuzenji said, looking at Izuku's now blushing face.

“Horenpop.” Sora immediately said. Spinach pop? He hopes that’s not going to be his hero name…

All Might gave one of his stage laughs, entering his own Muscle Form. "Well Young Midoriya, I didn't expect to see this… but is that just flash and fake muscle?" He asked rhetorically. Izuku flexed again in answer. “Then give me your best shot, Young Midoriya!”

Gran Torino cackled, picked up Dr. Shuzenji, and with a great leap, went to the tiny car the two of them arrived in. “This is going to be good!” He said as he started removing his shirt, continuing to undress down to the bodysuit that he showed off earlier while Dr. Shuzenji opened up the trunk of the car.

Izuku took only a moment to decide which of the many Smashes he wanted to use. All Might stood tall and proudly, framed by the view of the sea, and Izuku was about to use All Might’s quirk to use one of All Might’s moves on All Might.

...Did Izuku die to that Sludge Villain? That would explain how awesome his life seems to be now.

Shutting out that thought with the ease of long practice, Izuku strode forward in the most awkward possible rendition of All Might’s weighty gait. One for All responded, Izuku feeling his arm’s presence magnify even beyond the inflated size Muscle Form had brought it to. With a grand punch forward, Izuku shouted at the top of his lungs. “TEXAS… SMASH!!!”

A great gust of wind erupted from his swing, All Might somehow not losing his footing despite cubic meters of sand being flung into the ocean from the attack. All Might laughed once more. “Very good, Young Midoriya! Now, how do you feel?”

“I feel great, All Might!” Izuku declared. His body twinged. “This is nothing!” Izuku barely registered All Might suddenly looking panicked before his thoughts were interrupted by a suckerpunch by some kind of padded glove.

“Put up your fists!” Commanded Gran Torino, now dressed in a fairly retro-looking hero uniform, white with yellow accents, including very clearly padded gloves and boots. He finished off the ensemble with a yellow cape and black domino mask, although it didn’t have any personalized accents so it was rather plain, as hero costumes went. “You haven’t thrown a punch in your life before today, and it shows!” Wasn’t this going a little fast?

Without having the option to think about it, Izuku clumsily put his arms between his face and Gran Torino, and paid for it by the man simply punching him in the gut instead. It didn’t hurt much, Muscle Form appeared to increase Izuku’s durability substantially. People who were not hero nerds might think the fact that Gran Torino’s gloves and boots were clearly padded and cushioned would lower the damage, but Izuku knew enough that it was the opposite: those gloves allowed Gran Torino to throw much more powerful punches without fearing damage to his hands, increasing the amount of damage he could inflict.

Izuku wasn’t entirely sure how long Gran Torino spent beating him up, but eventually Izuku just couldn’t hold on to the muscle form, and smoke burst out of his skin as he deflated like All Might did. He fell to his knees, drenched in sweat and panting heavily. “I can’t… hoo boy.”

“Eight minutes.” Dr. Shuzenji said suddenly. “He can use One for All for eight minutes at a time.” She hummed as she looked closer at Izuku’s back. “This kind of stress reminds me of you, Toshi, this kind of shuddering. I would expect him to need at least a good meal and eight hours of rest before he could use it again.” So despite missing several organs, All Might can use this quirk for over thirty times as long as him.

Well, it’s a start. That was the last thing Izuku thought before Dr. Shuzenji kissed Izuku on the back, and the energy to remain conscious was completely consumed.