One for All and All for One by CelestialBronze1299
Chapter 2
Permission
Word Count: 3,505
Toshinori looked at the trembling boy, crouching on the ground. The corner of his mouth curled up slightly as Izuku's tears streamed down his face. He had only met the high schooler that day, but already, Toshinori knew that this boy would become a world-renown hero.
The battle earlier confirmed that. This kid, this Quirkless boy ran in to save someone when even the heroes stood still. Even without any protection, knowing full well the risk of death, he went in without hesitation. There was only one thing that bothered him about the battle. Izuku managed to hold his own against the monster somehow.
The grin on his face turned into a small frown as he contemplated, unbeknownst to Izuku. When the slime monster had brought his arm down on the boy, Toshinori had thought for sure that was the end. There was no possible way any Quirkless person, let alone a teenager, could survive a hit that powerful. And yet, when he had rushed into the dust, he saw Izuku not only alive, but pushing back against the monster with unnatural, gigantified arms.
Normally, Toshinori would've assumed that a Quirk manifested for the boy, however rare that may be. It was possible for people to develop Quirks suddenly late into life, but there was something else that bothered him. For one, his arms looked exactly like Death Arms' limbs, but that could've been a simple coincidence. What really set him off was Izuku's hair.
He wasn't sure that Izuku had noticed, as he looked like he would've combusted under even the slightest amount of pressure. But to Toshinori and even the trapped kid, it was painfully obvious. Izuku's hair had turned grey, the exact shade of grey as Death Arms' hair. Even merely glancing at Izuku's hair, Toshinori couldn't help but think of Death Arms. It was unnerving, and to the kid nearby, surely was confusing, but the sight of his sent a deadly chill down Toshinori's spine.
He had seen that before, years ago, on one specific person. Five years ago, the world was hidden from the terrors of All Might's hardest battle. A villain that, for generations, had been controlling the world of Quirks under the surface. The enemy that All Might was born to fight.
The villain had looked like a normal person back then. Some even called him handsome, always dressing his finest, but after their battle, Toshinori was sure that wasn't the case anymore. Nonetheless, this enemy had one of the most powerful Quirks of all time. The power to steal and give Quirks, the power of Quirk manipulation. That villain's name was All For One, the antithesis to everything All Might stood for.
His Quirk had seemed impossible to beat, but every Quirk has some sort of indicator. For that villain, it had been hair. His hair had turned into the color and occasionally shape of the person's Quirk which he was imitating. It was a saving grace in their battle and had ultimately led to All For One's defeat. However, everything that he had witnessed Izuku do in the fight against the slime monster matched up exactly to what All For One's Quirk had been.
Toshinori felt fear watching the scene, both for Izuku and for himself. It had been a long time since he had seen that Quirk, and the sight of it brought him right back to that day. Izuku's actions had proven he was a true hero, and Toshinori truly wanted him as his successor, but before he could take any action, he had to make sure that Izuku's Quirk was what he thought it was.
That being said, he couldn't bring Izuku into this without explaining what he was getting into first. And so he did, telling Izuku everything about his Quirk, One For All, how it was passed through generations, how it accumulated the power of every person who wielded it, and how Toshinori wanted Izuku to be the next holder. He watched as the young boy's expressions shifted from surprise to fascination to fear and ultimately to determination. When he finally asked the question, Izuku had replied yes without hesitation, causing Toshinori to chuckle. He knew that Izuku would accept, but it was heartwarming nevertheless to see the young boy's aspirations.
The said boy held his hands out in fists with a resolute expression now, but before he could say a word, Toshinori continued with his explanation. "Before we do anything, however, there is something we need to do. There was something I saw during the fight with the villain today, something that needs to be addressed."
Izuku scrunched his eyebrows, putting his hand to his mouth and starting to mutter. "Yeah, I somehow held the weight of the slime villain with my bare hands. Maybe the hit was just soft, although I doubt it considering the murderous intent in his voice. I did see that my arms were enlarged, but that could be a hallucination from pain. If not, maybe a random Quirk from the crowd was subconsciously activated, allowing me to gain the strength to withstand the attack…"
Toshinori sighed. "We really gotta work on your mumbling if you want to be a hero," he mused, causing Izuku to snap back up and apologize profusely. Toshinori waved a hand to calm the green-haired boy, then continued. "No, it couldn't have been someone from the crowd. The dust was too thick for even the heroes to see us, let alone the crowd. Kid… I think you do have a Quirk."
Izuku's eyes widened, in clear shock. It seemed that he hadn't even thought of that explanation, and Toshinori couldn't blame him. After years and years of not having a Quirk, developing one so suddenly is jarring. Izuku looked like he was about to go into another mumbling spree, but Toshinori cut him off before he could.
"I'm not saying that's the answer. There could be other explanations for what happened, which is why we need to confirm if you have a Quirk or not. Unfortunately, regular doctors cannot tell if someone has a Quirk, only the biological adaptations that usually come with them. We'll have to go to the best Quirk research facility in the world: I-Island."
Izuku's jaw dropped, and he started to wave his hands in excitement. "I-Island?! That's the most intensive Quirk research facility in the world! They've been involved in so many Quirk studies, even developing the Quirk-negating handcuffs that the police have used for a century now! I get to go there !?"
Toshinori laughed out loud now, his bellows on par to his voice in his hero form. "Oh yes, I-Island itself. It's the only facility in the world with the technology to identify Quirks, and I happen to have connections to the leader of the facility. Also, I forgot to ask, what's your name, young boy?"
"M- Midoriya. Midoriya Izuku," he stammered, still reeling from the opportunity given to him.
"Well, Midoriya, in order to go, there is something we need to do first."
"E-Eh?"
"We have to ask your parents."
Izuku had had a wild day.
He had gone from victim to hero, useless to powerful, dumbfounded to determined. He had learned of All Might, he had saved the only person he even vaguely considered a friend from certain death, and he had discovered that he did have a Quirk, although it was unidentifiable at the moment. Now, the sun was dipping below the horizon, and Izuku walked home, followed by All Might of all people.
He was worried how his mom would react. She had definitely seen the news footage of the battle from earlier, given the amount of missed calls Izuku had seen on his phone after his conversation with All Might. He had been in a life-threatening situation just hours earlier, and now he was trying to ask his mother if she would let All Might pass on his power and train Izuku to be the next Symbol of Peace.
All Might had specifically said that Izuku's mother needed to know about One For All. Izuku had protested it at first, knowing that his mother was incredibly sweet, but a tad weak-willed. Not that Izuku minded at all, but raising a kid that wished to be a hero with all his heart but could never live up to his dreams took a toll on a person. However, All Might insisted, telling him that while One For All was a closely guarded secret, parents need to know what their children are getting into, and hiding it would only lead to distrust and hopelessness. Izuku ultimately agreed, knowing that he couldn't really hide a secret this big to his greatest supporter throughout his life.
Still, standing outside the door to his house, Izuku couldn't help but be nervous at the confrontation about to occur. How would his mother react to his reckless attempt at saving Katsuki? How would she react to All Might standing behind him? There was no point asking questions he would never think of answers to, so Izuku resigned to his fate and started pulling out his keys.
"You m-may want to take your hero form, A-All Might," Izuku stuttered, still not used to the idea of All Might being next to him. The hero was currently in his true form, and smiled a little at Izuku's words.
"No worries, young Midoriya," he replied. "It will be easier to explain One For All if your mother knows about my true form."
"B-but what about your secret? I know you said we can tell her about One For All, but this is an incredibly dangerous thing to reveal! If it got out, the Symbol of Peace would be gone forever!"
All Might took a serious stance, his eyes boring into Izuku's. "Do you trust your mother?"
"Absolutely," Izuku said without hesitation. He didn't even need to think of the answer, there was nothing else that could've possibly come out of his mouth.
The hero smiled again, his resolute expression gone. "Then I think we have nothing to worry about, do we?"
Izuku's mouth mirrored his smile, and he turned back towards the door to unlock it. He pushed the key in, and with a click , turned the knob, opening the door to the apartment. He walked in, All Might following suit and closing the door. They walked to the living room, and Izuku gestured for All Might to sit at the table. Midoriya Inko stood in the kitchen making dinner, but turned to face Izuku as soon as he entered the room, oblivious to the frail man sitting at the table.
"Izuku! Oh my goodness, you're finally home! Are you okay? I was about to call the police to search for you, I was so worried…" she fretted, running her hands over Izuku's arms and shoulders to check for any injuries.
"Mom, mom, I'm okay," Izuku reassured her, his face flushed a little red. "The heroes saved me and Kacchan, we're totally fine."
Inko stepped back, her expression less frantic. "Well, it's good you didn't get hurt, then."
She finally noticed Toshinori sitting at the table, and her eyebrows scrunched together. "Oh, who did you bring home, Izuku?" She walked towards the table, Izuku following her. They took a seat across from Toshinori, Inko facing him, and Izuku between the two. "Is it one of your teachers? Did Izuku get into trouble again? I promise, he's a good boy, he wouldn't do anything to hurt anyone."
Toshinori laughed, his eyes filling with mirth. "Oh, don't worry, I know he wouldn't. No, I'm not one of his teachers."
Inko frowned. "Then who are you?" she questioned.
"It would be better if I were to show you." Toshinori stood up, standing a good enough distance away from the table and the sofa behind him. Taking a deep breath, he clenched his fists and summoned One For All. His body swelled up, filling his baggy clothes, and his mouth warped into the bright smile known all across the world. Inko's eyes widened, and she started to blubber senseless words while Izuku tried to frantically calm her.
"I AM HERE!" All Might bellowed, before being engulfed in steam and promptly turning back into his true form. He spit out blood onto his sleeve, causing Inko to let out a tiny eep! in shock.
"Y- You're All Might?" Inko whispered, Toshinori delivering a calm nod in response. A few seconds of silence passed, the room as tense as a tightrope. Inko then whipped up from her seat, causing Izuku and Toshinori to flinch. "All Might's in my house and I'm not offering him dinner?!" she screamed, Toshinori blinking at the statement. He had expected her to freak out, or even throw him out, but not to offer him dinner.
"I'm so sorry, Mr. All Might, I forgot to serve dinner. Please, stay and eat with us! It would be our honor!" Inko exclaimed, rushing around the kitchen to prepare the food she had been cooking prior.
"Oh, it's okay, Mrs. Midoriya, I wouldn't want to trouble you," Toshinori said politely, waving his hands in reassurance.
"Nonsense! You save our lives every day, the least I can do is give you a good meal." And with that, Toshinori found himself eating the finest katsudon he had ever tasted in his life along with the Midoriyas, who despite the nervousness, were being hospitable and kind to him. Toshinori didn't think his day could become any weirder.
"So," Inko started after they all had a few bites of the meal, "what brings you here, Mr. All Might? And how did Izuku figure out about your, um, true form?"
Toshinori and Izuku shared a glance, Toshinori noting how Izuku shifted in his seat at the question. He faced back towards Inko, starting his summarization of the day's events, from how he met Izuku to the fight with the slime monster to All Might's vanquishing of the villain. Inko looked more and more concerned as he detailed the fight against the monster, but she kept silent throughout the explanation.
He told her about One For All, how it was passed down from one person to the next. He talked about how Izuku had inspired him, ignited his drive to be a hero and save the day. He told her how he wanted Izuku to inherit One For All, to become the next Symbol of Peace. He poured his heart out to Inko, doing anything he could to make sure Inko knew how much Izuku deserved to be a hero, to possess this great power.
The speech left him exhausted, and Inko looked on the brink of fainting, but he continued anyway. There was one more topic he had wanted to breach, and it was the most important of all.
"Mrs. Midoriya, at the battle today, I saw something peculiar happen with your son." Izuku's eyes widened at the words, but Inko simply looked confused. Toshinori continued before either of them could speak.
"The slime monster struck him. He should've been dead. But when the dust settled… his arms and hair had transformed, had matched the appearance of a hero that had been nearby. The hero had a Mutant-type Quirk, which gave him super strength and thicker muscles. Somehow, Izuku had those same muscles as the hero. Mrs. Midoriya… I think your son has a Quirk, and that Quirk has to do something with using other Quirks."
"W- What?!" Inko gasped, grasping the table to calm herself. She was trembling slightly, the words of the day cementing themselves into her mind. It was a lot to take in all in a day, which was what Toshinori had expected. He gave her a moment to collect her thoughts, placing his hands on his lap to try and put on a more confident persona himself.
As he waited, his ears picked up a soft but distinct sound filling the room. He turned and found Izuku deep in thought, hand on his chin, muttering just loud enough for Toshinori to hear. "So my Quirk changes my hair color to whomever's Quirk I copy, huh? This could be a very apparent weakness to what I can do, but I suppose it is a necessary weakness when a Quirk can copy even Mutant-type Quirks. Speaking of which, how far can I take copying Mutant-type Quirks? Will I be able to only use modifications that keep my body shape, or can I use Quirks such as Wash or Hawks? The possibilities are endless, and that's not even considering the limits of the Quirk, like how many Quirks I can copy, or how long I can copy for…"
The mumbling had seemed to calm Inko down, a gleam of familiarity in the vast expanse of new information that had been thrown at her. "Izuku," she called out, causing the small teen to shut his mouth and murmured a "Sorry…," rubbing his hands on his arms.
She turned back to Toshinori, a more stable expression on her face. The frail man sighed in amusement, a wry smile curving on his mouth. "Izuku's Quirk, if it's what I think it is, has a lot of potential. But it also has a lot of power, power that Izuku needs to control. Additionally, Izuku has a lot of work to do if he is to receive One For All. It'll take a lot of time and effort for him, so I wanted to tell you. You're his mother, and as much as Izuku would hate it, if you say no, I won't give him this burden."
Toshinori met Inko's eyes with a serious gaze. He poured all of his conviction, his trust into his question. "Mrs. Midoriya, will you let me train your son to be the next Symbol of Peace?"
Silence filled the air. Inko had an unreadable expression, looking down at her lap. Izuku was on the verge of tears, moved by Toshinori's words but scared for his mother's decision. He wouldn't go against his mother's wishes, but he wanted this more than anything. Toshinori himself was patient, not expecting an answer immediately. He slowly stood up, bowing to his host.
"You can take your time with this choice, I know it's a big one. Thank you truly for the dinner, it was delicious and-"
"Okay," Inko interrupted, causing both Toshinori and Izuku to freeze.
"Okay," she repeated. "I know how dangerous being a hero is, and hearing the dangers of One For All, it makes me even more scared. Setting my son into the world of heroes terrifies me. Not to mention Izuku having a new Quirk, and how hard that'll be for him."
She looked up with a bright smile, tears brimming in her eyes. "But I know my son. He has wanted nothing more than to be a hero all his life. It's what gives him purpose. Ever since he saw you, saving people with an everlasting smile, he's wanted to do the same. And I know Izuku will work so hard for it. I know he can be the next Symbol of Peace."
"I don't like the idea of letting Izuku free this young, but I trust you. Please, take care of him, keep him safe. Make him into the hero he's destined to be."
The tears were freely flowing at that point, staining Inko's pants. Izuku looked at his mother with concern and gratefulness, his own tears starting to fall as well. "M- Mom," he sputtered, jumping out of his chair to wrap his arms around her. They sat there, hugging as they sobbed together. Toshinori watched them with a smile. Izuku had incredible convictions, and Toshinori was glad to see it was hereditary.
He stood straight up, finishing his bow. "Thank you very much, Mrs. Midoriya. I won't let you down."
Inko looked up, tears still streaming. "N- No, thank you, All Might, for all of this," she blubbered through her sniffles.
"I'll take my leave now, let you two spend the rest of your night in peace. I'll come back tomorrow to discuss the details. Enjoy your night!"
Toshinori walked to the door, closing it to give the two some privacy. He exited the house, a rare smile present on his face akin to the one he wore permanently on his hero form. The night had gone better than he ever could've hoped. Izuku was going to be the next carrier of One For All, the next Symbol of Peace. For so long, he had tried to find a successor, to no avail. He had started to lose hope, but then, in the span of a day, everything had changed. Suddenly, he had found someone, a perfect successor, a true hero. One For All had found it's perfect Ninth.
His smile faltered for a moment as he thought of the future. Now he had to figure out how to convince David to study Izuku. It had been years since they've spoken, after all…