Chapter 11
Three days. She had three days to get ready for the U.A. Recommended Students entry exam. She didn't know what to think about that. On one hand, she was skipping nine grades. On the other she'd agreed to repeat High School.
It was honestly sort of surreal, to be honest. Nezu, that crazy old creature, had been right. She really wasn't the person she'd been just a couple days before. She wasn't the little girl who had spent what felt like most of her life stuck in Chisaki Kai's creepy pedophile S&M dungeon nor the grown woman who'd just sacrificed her entire world in the forlorn hope that she might just be able to save mankind. She was... the point of contact. The middle ground.
What he'd been doing was obvious, he'd been trying to give her a lifeline. Something to ground her. She'd (or her old self) seen it before, hell, she'd done it before. In the future she'd helped pull more than a few of her fellows from the brink of hopelessness and despair.
She also wasn't sure why she'd demanded to be in Izuku's class. On one hand, she wanted to help him become the hero he was destined to become. On the other... she wondered if her interference would get in the way of his growth. She just hoped she could help him in some way.
But that all depended on her being able to pass the damned U.A. Recommended Student entrance exam... again. While yes, she knew that she was guaranteed a spot, she also knew that if she didn't at least give a good showing, questions would be asked and the last thing she wanted to do was cause a scandal. Even more, her pride as a hero demanded that she get in honestly. She'd worked herself to the bone to pass the first time. And she was not going to fail it this time.
That meant she had to do two things. First, she wanted to pass the test honestly. Or at least have it look that way. She might be off on current events and recent history, but she knew she had the other academic fields down pat. Her Japanese grammar, spelling, and Kanji were easily beyond what was expected of a first year highschool student, she was completely fluent in English, and for the love of all that was holy... simply getting to the point where she could successfully memorize all the mathematics and physics material they'd demanded that she bring back with her probably qualified her for a damned PhD.
It was then that he heard a knock at her door.
This immediately put her on edge. She'd been told her lunch would take a good hour to fully prepare, and there was still a good ten minutes left. Carefully she picked up the cellphone that All Might had given her and placed her finger over one of the non-standard features that was built into this model: the panic button. Three quick presses on both volume control buttons would send an Emergency SOS to not only the police, but to All Might himself.
She knew all too well how ludicrously powerful Izuku could be when he felt it was necessary to bring his full might to bear. She seriously doubted that his predecessor, the tellingly named All Might, the one who'd come up with the moniker 'The Symbol of Peace' would be any less gratuitous.
A small, feral smile came to her face as she pushed the stepping stool in front of the door so she could actually reach the peephole. While she'd never admit it, part of her hoped that that man was idiot enough to try...
Instead, what she was was a shapely blonde woman in comfortable, stylish clothes standing at her door, looking relaxed, though maybe a little tired. She was also carrying a teddy bear.
She frowned slightly as she didn't recognize her.
"Who's this?" Eri asked, her fingers still over the button.
"I'm out of costume, but I'm Mount Lady!" she heard from the other side, "I watched over you while you were out! Heard you just woke up, so I decided to check things out and take a look."
Eri paused for a moment trying to remember where she'd heard that name before recollection finally came to her.
Oh yeah, she was that former pro who went bankrupt when she was 12...
The exact reason why she went bankrupt eluded her. Something about mounting insurance costs and property damage. Last she'd heard about her was when she was in first year. Something about public drunkenness, disorderly conduct, and indecent exposure. Hadn't seen her during the war. She probably died in the initial attack or ended up in one of the camps. For Mount Lady's sake, she hoped it was the former.
Makes sense that she would be active now considering her incident wouldn't happen for another 6 years. She'd have to jot that one down in her book for reference. They would need every hero they could get on deck.
"Come in." she called out after a second of thought. She had watched over her while she'd been at her most vulnerable, and that meant a good deal to her on both ends of her identity. He'd woken her up from sleep to experiment on her enough times that she'd never been able to sleep easy. Even after a decade she'd still been an uneasy sleeper. You always had to respect the one on graveyard shift.
She moved her stool to the side and unlocked the door, allowing the woman entrance.
"Can I help you?" Eri asked, giving the woman an examining look. She was attractive, that much was for sure. And from the way she held herself, was very much aware of the fact.
"I'm just stopping in to see how you're doing!" the woman said slowly and cheerfully, as if she was talking to an idiot. Or a small child.
Great. And this was half the reason she agreed to Nezu's cover story. While she was in many ways still a child, both physically and to a large degree, emotionally... her breadth of experience was simply too wide to be able to put up with it to any real degree.
"Mount Lady-san..." she began.
The woman smiled brightly, thoughtlessly cutting her off. "You can call me Yu-neechan, if you want!"
Eri bit her lip slightly. She'd always had trouble with loud, extroverted people like this. One thing she was all too aware of was that her childhood had left its mark on her. The emotional scars went deeper than the physical, and she'd always been an introvert. The fact that now, some of those very physical scars hadn't even healed yet just made it worse. Only reason she even knew how to smile now was that she could recall enough good times to remind her... even if many of them were simply bitter sweet.
"And I brought you a friend," she said, holding out the bear, "He'll keep your safe at night, okay? Help chase the monsters under your bed away! Bears are good at that."
"M-mount Lady-san," she managed to mutter out before being cut off, again...
"Yu-neechan," the woman insisted this time.
She was not comfortable calling a woman she'd just met 'big sister' even if she was just trying to be kind. Which despite her rather oafish approach, the woman was clearly trying a bit too hard to do. She was overwhelming, but there was a big difference between being exasperating and being offensive. Thusly, Eri took the attempt in the spirit it was intended, if maybe not the execution.
"Yu-san," Eri asked, "How old do you think I am?"
"Five? Maybe six?" she asked.
Eri looked up at her. No time to start using her cover story like the present. "I'm fifteen."
If Eri was a less polite person, she might have wished for a camera to capture the look on the grown woman's face. It looks like someone had just dumped a bucket of ice water over her head.
"I-I-I am so sorry!" she managed to stammer out. "I just assumed and..."
Eri sighed. "It's okay, Mount Lady-san. I don't take offense and I am thankful for your consideration."
The woman deflated slightly in relief. "Thanks. I'm really sorry, you just looked like a kid . With quirks being the way they are, I shouldn't have assumed."
Eri nodded slightly. Quirks could cause all forms of physical oddities. In a way she was fortunate that her own quirk mutation, her horn, was seen as being endearing rather than frightening as many could often be.
"I was ordering dinner," Eri said after a moment to the apologetic woman, "And I don't mind. I am physically six years old after all."
The woman sighed and walked inside, pausing as Eri hopped into the massive recliner that All Might had left in the room.
"I see the big guy left his chair for you," she observed as she closed the door behind her.
She could only nod in response. It was huge, comfortable, and he was not getting it back.
"You can have the sofa, Mount Lady-san," she said demurely.
"You can still call me Yu if you'd like," she said as she sat down, "So, what's your name?"
"I'm Eri, Yu-san," she replied.
"Well, Eri-san, I hope you're alright... I can only imagine what was being done to you," she flinched slightly, "And with a mutation like yours..."
Eri raised an eyebrow. A condition like..?. She blinked.
Oh.
Oh dear.
Mount Lady must have immediately gone to the worst case, hadn't she? So-called 'Peter Pan' quirks, while not exactly common, were not unheard of. Quirks that trapped their owner in a state of eternal neoteny, giving them the appearance of a child even while being physically mature. She knew that such individuals could be the targets of all sorts of twisted degenerates, especially those whoes quirks effects were more extreme.
"It's not like that!" She nervously exclaimed. That was probably the only way that Chisaki hadn't touched her!
"Fuck," Yu muttered to herself.
A long pause passed by before the hero slowly stood up, "I'm sorry. I just keep making an ass of myself. I should go."
"Don't!" Eri found herself exclaiming, "Y-you're the first person who ever visited me and brought me a gift just because..."
The woman blinked in surprise. "The first person to... but aren't you fifteen?"
She nodded. Time to use that cover story again. Wasn't even really much of a lie. "For as long, as I can remember really, I was kept in a lab and experimented on because of my quirk..."
Mount Lady grimaced. "I'm sorry. But they got you out. All Might rescued you, right?"
She bit her lip and shook her head. "No. He found me. I was able to use my quirk to escape and I ran into him and Izuku and they brought me here."
"Oh."
The woman fell back onto the couch, looking downcast for a moment, lost in thought, before she looked up to Eri again. There was an expression of simple, overwhelming failure on her face. That more than anything told Eri that this one was for real. "You must feel like we failed you. Us heroes I mean..."
"No," Eri replied, "It was still heroes who still saved me, in the end. And I know that if the heroes had known what was going on..." she paused and thought back to those memories of a rescue that never would be, "I know that they would have given their everything to save me. Even their lives."
She paused and looked up. "That's why I'm going to become a hero. To save other people so they don't have to go through what I went through."
And to honor those who gave their everything to save me. To honor those who gave their everything to save humanity. To give me the chance to come back and change things. To ensure that humanity can look towards the future with hope rather than terror.
To live up to his example.
Mount Lady smiled at her. "You're a good kid."
Eri smiled and learned back, picking up her book to begin to write in it. Making sure to outline what she'd remembered about Mount Lady and throwing down a note to maybe look into her finances. She seemed like a good person. She didn't deserve to be remembered as a joke or a failure.
Once she was done, Eri leaned back and enjoyed the silent presence of another human being. Something that she often enjoyed more than talking, to be honest. When you talked things could get confusing, but comfortable silence was always comforting to her. There was a sort of calm it created you just couldn't find anywhere else.
"So what's your quirk?" Mount Lady asked, "If you don't mind me asking."
Eri closed her eyes. "My quirk is called 'Rewind'..." she paused for a moment, "Think of life as being like... watching a movie at the theater. Back when they still used film? Normally life just ticks on until the movie ends, right?"
She nodded. "I guess so?"
"I can... turn back the reel. Physically reverse someone to a previous state. For example, if you lost your leg in battle... I could Rewind your body back to when you still had the leg."
Yu blinked. "Damn, that's a pretty impressive quirk. I mean, not the best in a fight... but..." her eyes went wide after a moment. "Is that why you look like a kid?"
Eri nodded dredging up the memories of the very real experiments she'd been put through to add authenticity to her statement. "Some of his experiments were more... invasive than others... I had to..."
"You had to rewind yourself to..." Yu finished with a flinch. "And I'm guessing when that happens you might overdo it?"
Eri nodded. The implication that he was the reason she looked like a child hung in the air without needing to be said.
"Shit...," she said with a finch. "Whatever sick bastard did this to you, I'mma help take him down. I swear on my name as a hero."
"No," Eri stated bluntly, looking Mount Lady dead in the eyes. For a moment she could see the face of so many young heroes who'd thrown their lives away against the invaders by getting in way over their heads. "You absolutely will not."
The woman blinked in surprise. "Wait, what? Why not?"
She took a deep breath and began to explain, "Chisaki's quirk is called 'Overhaul', it allows him to rearrange subatomic matter at a touch. Unless you start and end the fight by clubbing him over the head with a dump truck, you are the worst possible matchup against him. I've seen him cause people to explode with just a touch. And even if your giant form is too big for that, and he is only able to blow your leg off, there's nothing to keep him from doing something really crazy like turning some of your blood into cyanide and killing you that way. And yes, he is that creative."
Yu's face slowly grew more and more bloodless as Eri explained both his quirk and what he could do with it before she simply took a deep breath and said, "I can't promise that, kid, I'm a hero. It's what we do. But while I'll do what I can to help... You're right, I am not fighting that bastard. Like you said, it's a bad match."
Eri sighed in relief. Good. She'd seen too many heroes die in her life, starting with Sir Nighteye and ending with everyone she'd ever known and loved. She wouldn't have this woman end like them.
"So I gotta know, if this guy is such a monster, how were you able to escape? Your quirk's awesome, don't get me wrong, but it doesn't sound like it's made for fighting."
Eri looked up to her. "You know how I said that I could move people back, like rewinding a movie?"
She nodded. "Yeah?"
Eri looked her dead in the eyes. "What happens when you send someone back to the previews?"
Yu's eyes went wide and she sucked in a deep breath. Eri knew that look all too well, and it still stung. Fear. "Okay. Nevermind. That explains that. And what's your range?"
"Five meters," Eri replied, with great reluctance. "I can Rewind anything living within five meters of me."
"Wow," She laughed weakly and then sighed, "I won't lie and say your power isn't scary..."
She stood up and walked over to Eri as the expression slowly grew into a smile, "But then again, all the good ones are, I guess. I mean look at me. My quirk's pretty cool, but I could do a lot of damage and hurt a lot of people if I really wanted to. It's what you do with it that counts, and from the sound of things?" She ruffled Eri's hair. "You'll make a great hero, kid."
Eri blushed and pushed her hand away. She was flattered but she didn't exactly feel at ease at the physical contact. Then again, she understood entirely that the woman was trying to put her at ease, even if it wasn't working terribly well.
Maybe Mount Lady was just too much of an extrovert for her, but at the same time, she deeply appreciated the thought and effort. In manageable doses. At a reasonable distance.
There was another knock at the door and Eri looked over, but before she could say a thing, Yu raised her hand. "Don't worry, kid. I've got this..."
Without waiting for Eri to reply she walked over to the door, "Who is it?"
"Room Service!" exclaimed a young man's voice.
She opened the door, and then immediately froze in the doorway.
"Something wrong, ma'am?" the delivery man replied.
"Um, you sure you got the right order?" Yu said weakly.
"No ma'am, the order was pretty clear," he replied, "One Extra-Large pot of Chanko Nabe?"
"It's all right. That was my order," Eri called out causing Mount Lady to round on her in surprise.
"Seriously?" she asked in seeming disbelief.
Eri nodded and stood up, "Yes."
Mount Lady stepped out of the way, still looking a little shell shocked as the server pushed in a flat bottomed cargo cart, upon which was resting a happily bubbling pot of Sumo Stew in a pot so large that Eri could probably curl up inside it, along with several cardboard office boxes containing all of the sides.
Eri felt her stomach growl at the very sight of it. So much delicious, glorious food...
Looking up from the gloriously massive pot of meat, broth, and vegetables she looked at the young man pushing the cart
"Thank you!" she called out with a wide smile.
"Enjoy yourself!" he said with a smile and a tip of his cap. And with that done, he was off leaving her alone with a pro hero and a massive pot of soup.
"Are you sure you're going to be able to eat all of this?" Yu asked disbelievingly.
"I have a stockpile quirk," Eri replied quietly, "And I expended all of my reserves escaping. They didn't feed me much."
"Oh." She could see Yu flinch again.
"And the U.A. Recommended students exam is in three days," Eri added, "If I can't take in at least a hundred thousand calories before then, I might as well just sleep in."
Yu nodded. "Okay then. Don't know much about stockpile quirks myself, but if you say so..."
Eri smiled. "If you'd like to try some, I wouldn't mind."
Mount Lady looked down at it for a moment consideringly. "Hm. Well, I skipped lunch so maybe..."
"They said it's All Might's personal recipe," Eri added.
The woman blinked for a moment, then grabbed a pair of bowls, "Okay, now I have to try it. I'll make you a bowl too..."
"Thank you, Yu-san," Eri replied, "Do you mind if I turn on the news?"
Yu nodded. "Go right ahead..."
Eri smiled and turned on the news. On the screen was a square jawed man, who very much like her, had a single horn. Only his was on his left instead of his right, and she could see the stump of a second on his right side. For a moment she had to wonder why he'd cut his horn like that and why only one? While she wasn't a vain person, she was proud of her horn and always made sure to buff and polish it so it would always have a proper shine.
"...-have once again joined forces. Sir Nighteye will be returning to his previous occupation at Might Tower as a part-time sidekick. He has made it clear that his renewed partnership with the Number One Hero will only strengthen his and his agency's ability to serve the public...
Yu blinked as she watched the screen, "Huh. Not often you see a guy with his own agency go back to being a sidekick, even part time. Then again, this is All Might we're talking about..."
Eri took the bowl and began to inhale the contents, causing the curvy woman to blink. "Don't forget to breathe there, kid..."
Eri nodded "I won't. And aren't you kind of All Might's sidekick, staying at his tower like this?"
Mount Lady visibly winced "Well, I technically have my own agency..."
Eri was hearing a 'but' in there.
"But... I kinda... got emotional, lost control, and now we need to fix the roof... And three floors," she added weakly. Very weakly.
And now she was getting suspicions as to why she went bankrupt...
"...this year's Sakura Blossom festival is set to go off without a hitch..."
Eri looked up at her. "Mount Lady-san, what would happen if you lost control here?"
She blushed and rubbed the back of her head, "Might Tower is built like a fortress, Eri-san. I automatically shrink back down if I go big somewhere that can't accommodate my size. I'd hit my head and my quirk would shut down before I could hurt myself. The insurance company is making me reinforce my own building so this never happens again."
Eri nodded. Yep. That explains everything. She'd judge, but she knew all too well how powers were and the terrible consequences of them going out of control. She'd be mentioning this to All Might.
The TV switched to a scene of destruction and a man in a hardhat. Clearly a natural disaster or a villain attack. It was enough that both of them dropped all conversation to pay attention.
"I'm here in downtown Naruhata, the morning after a series of bombings rocked the neighborhood. Viewers may recall that three years ago, Naruhata was hit by a major villain in an incident known as the 'Kaiju Attack'. Now the city looks like it has once again been attacked by a monster..."
Eri's eyes narrowed. Naruhata? Why did that sound relevant? Had she forgotten something?
She frowned as she listened in on the report. Something about a missing girl?
The footage then returned to the horned reporter who was in the process of being handed a sheet of paper from off screen
"And this just in. The authorities have made a statement that the local Naruhata vigilante known as 'Pop*Step' has been declared a villian and is wanted as a suspect for this incident..."
"Well, somebody just ruined their lives," Mount Lady replied.
Slowly Eri's eyes began to open with recollection. Pop*Step?
"Oh shit," Eri muttered to herself as she scrambled for her notebook, pushing her soup to the side. "I can't believe I forgot this..."
Yu blinked in confusion. "Forgot what?"
"That girl isn't a villain," she muttered as she began to frantically record everything that was flooding into her now jogged memory, "She's being possessed by one."
I'll admit now, part of this will only make sense if you've been reading My Hero Academia Vigilantes, AKA: Boku no Hero Academia Illegals.
If you haven't read it, go, read it!
I'm going to be incorporating parts of it into the main story, but am going to put the bulk of it into its own side story. The timeline of this story is currently running parallel to the current story arc of the Vigilantes manga. MHA:V takes place 2-5 years before MHA, and with the latest arcs three year time skip, I'm having it bring the timelines into parallel.
As I don't want to obsolete myself by messing up the details so that story arc's full events are going to be contained within their own "Flashback: Vigilantes" sidestory which will be written once the Manga has progressed the current arc to a point I feel comfortable with. In the meantime, I'll glaze over it and have what happened referenced in story without going into full detail.
Chapter 12
"Oh my fucking god, Inko," Mitsuki exclaimed the very millisecond she saw the outfit her old friend was wearing, "Who is he, and does Hisashi know?"
Of course, Inko being the adorable little cream puff that she was, blushed like a virgin school girl who just drank from the same can as her senpai, and began to stammer incoherently as her innocent, adorkable little mind struggled to parce her old school friend's insinuation.
Let's face the facts here, kids, Mitsuki thought to herself as she watched the sweet, green haired woman flop around like a freshly caught fish on a pier, there was just about one way that a woman of Inko's means could afford an outfit that stupidly fucking expensive. Well two.
She could cut off Izuku's All Might fund, but the chances of her doing that were pretty much 'nill minus not a chance in hell'. Living vicariously through the Symbol of Peace was about the only way that sweet boy was able to deal with his unfortunate disability, and one thing she had to hand to Inko above all else was that the woman was one hell of a dedicated mother. Enough that Mitsuki was almost a little jealous at times.
If she was half the mom Inko was, well, maybe her Katsuki wouldn't have come up to be such an insufferable little twerp with an ego the size and personality the general shape of Mount Lady's butt. But this wasn't the time for her to lament her own failures as a mother. She could do that later on in private with some cheap sake to numb her many regrets. And maybe one of Masaru's messages. His fingers were fucking tantric sorcery.
Anyways, Inko'd slit her wrists before she deprived Izuku of basically anything that would make him happy. So the only way she'd ever dare to even look at that sort of outfit, much less actually carry it out of the store without being brought up on shoplifting charges, was that Mitsuki's favorite little cinnamon roll had gone and found herself a sugar daddy who liked 'em sweet and buttery.
"It's not like that!" she finally managed to exclaim, her cheeks glowing red with embarrassment.
"Ohhhhhh!" she cooed. If she had outright denied, she would have believed her. Inko couldn't lie for shit, and wore her heart so firmly on her sleeve, that Mitsuki had to wonder how she kept from getting blood on her shirts. But the fact she said "it's not like that" meant there was something going on.
"Then what is it like?" she cooed, towering over the smaller woman with a wide grin on her face, "Tell me all the juicy details!"
Inko took a deep breath, desperately trying to center herself, and being the good,respectful friend that Mituski was, she didn't needle her and instead let her collect herself.
"Mitsuki," she began taking on the 'mom voice' she adopted whenever she got serious, "What I'm about to tell you stays between you and me. This is serious."
Mitsuki scoffed. Inko always acted like everything was serious. Not that she could blame her. She had to bear the burden of raising a disabled son without any backup. She hadn't even seen her husband in person in six years, and things had degenerated to the point they talked once, maybe twice a month at most. Of course she would make mountains out of molehills. When you were dealing with challenges like that, every rut in the road was just another weight on her already overloaded shoulders.
It was why Mitsuki was so stuck on the "sugar daddy" story. Inko needed someone who would treat her like a lady, and maybe take a bit of the load off when times got rough, instead of just sending her a monthly check like her dipshit husband. Inko liked to defend him, saying he was doing all he could to support their family... but he could have done that in Japan.
No. As far as Mitsuki was concerned, the man bolted the second he found out their kid was quirkless and was just keeping up appearances for the sake of his career, because god forbid his precious corporate record be marred by the shame of a divorce. So instead he was just dragging poor Inko along for the ride, the bastard.
With a husband like that, no one would blame her for finding a sweet man and getting her fluids changed. God knows the woman was well past due on an inspection!
"Meh, don't worry Inko," she said, blowing it off, "You know I don't kiss and tell."
Her friend's eyes narrowed to slits. That was enough to throw her off her game. For as much as a teddybear of a woman Inko was, every once in a while the women's spine of steel showed through - usually whenever Izuku was involved. Like any good mother bear, she'd gleefully eviscerate anyone who got between her and her cub and right now she was giving her that look.
"Don't give me that shit, Mitsuki. This is the real thing."
Well fuck! It was official, the mic has been dropped. Inko just swore. It was all Mitsuki could do to nod. There was something going on here, something big. She knew when to keep her mouth shut.
"Alright," she said with a nod. "What's up?"
"Izuku isn't quirkless."
That was about the last thing she'd ever expect Inko to say, yet here she was.
"Excuse me?" Mitsuki asked, not quite believing what she'd just heard.
"My son has a quirk," Inko repeated. "Izuku isn't quirkless."
"I'm sorry, but..." she took a deep breath. She was half tempted to think the woman finally cracked under the pressure, but she respected her far too much. "What's going on?"
Inko took a deep breath and smiled. "About a year ago, after the whole slime villain thing..."
A rush of ice went down Mitsuki's back at the memory. Her son was a spoiled, insufferable little shit in dire need of a reality check, but he was still her son, and she loved him dearly. She'd almost lost him that day. They'd both almost lost their sons. If not for All Might...
"Izuku has an anomalous quirk," Inko stated, her expression softening into a small smile, "A powerful one. He caught the eye of one of the Pro's at the scene." She frowned with sudden worry. "He said Izuku's quirk a lot like his, so he noticed it right away, and that Izuku was subconsciously suppressing it because his body wasn't strong enough to use it without harming himself."
Mitsuki flinched. Considering her son's quirk was literally his explosive temper, she understood that fear more than most. Still, this was great news. Miraculous even, though it did beg the question of how did it miss notice this long? They should have seen signs before now.
"Then how did they miss it?" she asked, "You said it's powerful, so they should have noticed something."
Inko shook her head, "It's a stockpile quirk. A physical enhancement one."
Mitsuki frowned. It had been years since she'd taken Quirk Studies in High School. She remembered hearing something about stockpile quirks, but couldn't quite remember what. Something about batteries?
"It's been a while, you think you could remind me?"
Inko nodded. "I had to read up on them myself. Unline most quirks, stockpile quirks don't have a direct physical catalyst. Your quirk uses your sweat, Hisashi's his breath, and mine requires mental focus and can give me migraines if I overuse it. Stockpile quirks slowly store up energy over time, charging up until it's needed, like a battery."
Mitsuki nodded. Right. Now she remembered!
"And you're guessing they missed it because when he was the right age for it, his quirk hadn't had time to start building up much energy. He wasn't doing anything crazy like lifting cars, and nobody would notice a little kid being a bit more energetic than normal..."
Inko nodded, frowning deeply "And with his third joint, which is a common sign of quirklessness..."
"They just assumed," Mitsuki scowled, feeling completely in line with her friend. That lazy ass doctor had just seen nothing apparent, saw the extra toe joint and called it. Seriously, what kind of grand qualifier was any sort of consistent physical trait in today's society? She had a coworker with a cat's head, for god's sake!
Inko nodded, her face mirroring Mitsuki's.
"Shit," Mitsuki said with a sigh, "So why didn't it show up later then?"
"It probably did," Inko replied, with a sigh, "But with all the bullying..."
Mitsuki couldn't help but flinch. Her son was responsible for more than a little of that. She just wished Izuku would actually tell her when Katsuki decided to be a little prick so she could actually punish him for it. Kid was way too kind for his own goo.
"... we weren't able to notice the injuries caused by his quirk. And then, he just started suppressing it to keep it from hurting him worse."
"So what changed?" she had to ask, "You said he's caught the eye of one of the Pro's. What happened?"
Inko smiled. Beamed more like. "He said Izuku's quirk was like his. So he put him on a special diet and workout routine and taught him how to use it! And now my little boy is going to UA!"
Mitzuki's eyes went wide. "Seriously?"
She nodded frantically as her eyes began to well with tears of joy. "He's going to become a hero! He even made friends at the entrance exams!"
Mitsuki laughed and pulled her friend into a hug, "That's great! I'm so happy for you two!"
"It's like a dream, Mitsuki...," she whispered as she choked back a sob, "I've never seen Izuku so alive. I'm just so afraid I'm going to wake up and it'll all be back to the way it was again..."
Mitsuki only had one response to that. She reached down to Inko's middle, took some flesh between her fingers, and gave the woman's skin a swift twist.
"Ouch!" Inko cried as she jumped out of her arms with an accusatory look. "W-what was that for?"
She grinned, "I just pinched you. See? It's all still here."
Inko puffed up, turning red in the face in embarrassment and annoyance, which only made Mitsuki smile more. "You bitch!"
"Damn right I am!" Mitsuki said with a laugh, "So, I don't want you to get me wrong, while I'm fucking ecstatic for you... that doesn't explain how you got that outfit."
Inko blushed. "I-it was a gift from... um... the hero who taught Izuku."
Mitsuki couldn't help but whistle. "Damn, must be loaded. Who is he?"
Inko slowly smiled at her. "Not telling."
"Seriously? You're playing this game?" Mitsuki asked, crossing her arms under her full bust with a deep scowl.
"Not my secret to tell!" Inko exclaimed with a trollish smile on her face, "So you'll have to guess!"
Mitzuki frowned at her and grumbled as she tried to think back to that terrible day and recall the heroes who'd been there. The lazy asses who'd only moved after an apparently quirkless 14 year old threw his fucking backpack at the villian, reminding them to stop dicking around and save her son.
Physical enhancement? Well, that meant Backdraft was out. His quirk was purely elemental. Mount Lady was also out because her quirk was anything but subtle, and Inko's clearly said 'he'. Kamui Woods too, because she'd have thought they'd notice if Izuku looked like a damned tree. Maybe Death Arms? His might count, right quirk for it too, but at the same time she remembered seeing him chew Izuku out on live TV... so it was unlikely that he'd turn around and train him. Plus if it was him, well, they wouldn't need to be so damned secretive about it.
At the same time though, it was sure as hell more likely than the other option...
Her eyes slowly went wide. The other option. Who by all reckoning also had some sort of anomalous physical enhancement quirk so idiotically powerful that it defied all attempts at comprehension to the point that it was still the subject of debate basically everywhere. That's not even getting into the fact that the man was so filthy stinking rich, he could afford to buy an outfit like that without even bothering to look at the price tag...
"No..." she said, her mind refusing to parse even the possibility.
A sly smirk began to cross Inko's face as it all made sense. Of course he'd want to keep this under wraps. Otherwise they'd be buried so deep in the press that they'd never see the light of day.
"All Might," she managed to crack out, her voice all but breaking as she said it. "He's being taught by fucking All Might."
Slowly an insufferably smug smile started to twist across Inko's face. She knew it was all the answer she was going to get. But it was also all the answer she'd ever need.
It took her a moment to recover from the realization that not only was her best friend's darling boy being trained by the fucking Symbol of Peace, but the absolutely terrifying implication that Izuku's quirk was like his. Still though, if that was how she was going to play it...
"So," she said pausing for a beat, "How is he in bed?"
The frantic gagging sound the other woman made was music to her ears.
...I acknowledge your 'evidence', if that's what you insist on calling it, but I still believe my point is more sound. The evidence all points to it. His early career in sunny California, the multiple beachfront sightings over this past year. The simple fact is All Might's quirk is clearly powered by Solar Radiation!
Izuku couldn't help but shake his head as he posted his latest batch of nonsensical 'evidence' to HeroChannel. After all, the moment he'd discovered All Might's secret he'd dedicated himself to throwing off anyone who'd even gotten close to uncovering his injury and/or the nature of his quirk off the scent. It was an irony too considered that beforehand he'd been one of the biggest All Might theorists on the imageboard.
Scrolling down, he skipped over the so-called Endeavour Army thread, before his eyes locked on something interesting that despite his best efforts he couldn't help but click on...
What he saw before him was so wrong, yet so right.
Mount Lady Wardrobe Malfunction.
He'd admit, most shots taken of the gigantic heroine were pretty lewd. He'd seen her several times in person, even had a chance to talk to her. Kinda. She was very pretty. She was plenty fit with all the right curves and a costume tight enough that it left absolutely nothing to the imagination. Less so when she was small, but he guessed it was part of what allowed it to stretch as much as it did. You couldn't have a costume that could have that much give that didn't wear like body paint on a twenty meter tall woman. And most of the images taken of her were from suggestive angles, often provided by Mount Lady herself for photo ops.
This one was different. Apparently something had happened to her costume because instead of just expanding with her it had torn open in a number of places... something that left him with extremely mixed feelings.
The fact was, he was a 15 year old boy. While he did his best to behave in a respectable manner, and frankly being in the same room as a girl terrified him, the very sight of bare female flesh was hypnotic to him. Like a snake staring down a mouse, it was mesmerizing.
That said, on an ethical level, he was horrified by the reality of the image. This wasn't staged. The look of shock and mortification on her face wasn't faked. This was unexpected and he was disgusted by it. Just looking at it made him feel dirty and ashamed and he wanted to hit the back button so badly. He wanted to apologize to her that he'd even seen it to begin with and express his sympathies that it had ever happened.
But his hand was slow to move. Too slow. It was like looking at a trainwreck. You didn't want to look, but you had to. On one hand, moral outrage. On the other, so much smooth, creamy feminine skin... Curse his unheroic teenage hormones!
His extended moment of indecision was interrupted by the ringing of the phone, which frankly scared him out of his wits, causing him to all but jump from his seat before he hit the X on the tab so hard he was afraid he damaged his mouse.
Nervously he reached over to the house phone and picked it up with a nervous "Moshi Moshi?"
"Is this the home of Midoriya Izuku?" Half-demanded an excitable voice over the line that had Izuku pulling away from the phone nervously.
"Superb!" he heard an exclamation over the line, "This is Iida Tenya, from the entrance exam!"
Izuku could only blink. Being able to talk to him again was kinda cool. They'd worked together really well. But that said, this was maybe a little uncomfortable, considering he hadn't given him his number. "Um, how did you get my information?"
"I looked up the name Midoriya Izuku online," he replied.
"Oh," Izuku felt a little flattered. And a little creeped out. This felt a little 'stalkery'. "You haven't been calling every Midoriya Izuku, have you?"
"Not every Midoriya, and I actually didn't find your information. I found your mother's, and she's a close likeness, so I judged this to be a good first bet." he replied.
"Oh," Izuku paused for a second, slightly relieved he hadn't been harassing random strangers looking to find him. Though Iida finding him through his mom did creep him out a bit. Then again, he was the son of pros. Probably had proper investigatie training. "So, um, how can I help you, Iida-san?"
The other boy cleared his throat over the line. "Well, I told my family about you..." he began, "And they were very impressed."
Izuku's eyes went wide. "Your family? As in the core of the Idaten agency? The Pro Heroes Virtium, Nitra, and Ingenium?"
"Well, yes..."
Izuku couldn't help but shake in his seat. Three pros had heard about his performance and were impressed! He could barely keep from squealing in pure pseudo-orgasmic joy at the very thought of it! This was like the best thing ever!
"This is so awesome!" he cried out, trying not to squeal like a middle school girl who'd just seen something especially cute. "Pro heroes think I'm cool!"
"They didn't put it in those terms," Iida replied with some warmth, "But it is something my brother would probably say."
Okay, this time Izuku wasn't able to restrain himself, he did squeal like a schoolgirl, and he had no shame about it.
"So, how can I help you, Iida-san?"
"I'd like to officially invite you to visit us," he replied warmly, "Before the beginning of school. It's rare that we can find people able to keep up with us and they'd like to meet you. My brother himself observed that it can be hard for us to find partners, and I at least would like to believe we fought with impressive synergy. I find it likely that they might wish to see us train together to see it for themselves."
Izuku nodded, still feeling giddy, but slowly slipping into a more professional mindset. There was an unspoken offer there. If they were impressed, they'd likely be scouting him to join their agency after he was finished UA. While he doubted it would go that far, Tenya was still a decent guy and the idea of working with him and meeting his family sounded pretty cool. "Alright, but I'll have to check with my mentor beforehand."
"Your mentor?" Iida asked with some confusion.
"Yeah," Izuku replied with a wistful smile. "I'm being trained by a pro. I got lucky enough to catch his eye and he liked what he saw..."
"Of course!" was Tenya's overeager answer. "Of course a Pro Hero would spot someone with your character! It helps explain your fighting talents as well. So, would you mind if I asked the identity of your mentor?"
Izuku paused, "Well, that's not really mine to say. But I'll ask him if I can tell you. And if he says yes, I'll let you know when I visit. If he okays it. Which he probably will, but I'm going to ask anyways because I want to make sure everything is good, and I don't want to offend or upset him."
"I understand Midoriya-san. I will give you my return contact information and you can call me at your leisure once your mentor has given you his approval!"
Izuku smiled."Don't worry, I have caller ID."
"Excellent, Midoriya-san! I look forward to your return call."
"Later, Iida-san."
"I look forward to talking to you again, Midoriya-san."
The two hung up with a click which left Izuku feeling pleased.
Even though they'd just met, well, even if he was a little eager, Iida was a pretty cool guy.
He just needed to ask All Might about it first.
Tobita Danjuro was not a nice man. Or at least that was what he'd like to tell people. After all he was a villain. A criminal, albeit a rather gentle one by most standards. Which of course, was how he'd gotten his villain name!
He slowly sipped at his tea as he looked over the list of possible locations for his next great heist. He needed something out in the open enough for his cameras, but enclosed enough that it would be a good location for him to use his quirk if it came down to a fight. It also needed enough money to support him and La Brava for at least the next couple weeks, as well as to be insured enough that the loss wouldn't harm the long-term bottom line of the target. The idea of making actual victims of people was distasteful to him.
He was a man with standards after all.
He supposed he could simply knock over another convenience store, or perhaps a Pachinko Parlor. After all, those nests of inequity were nothing more than thinly veiled gambling casinos and would be a source of both enough wealth to keep him in tea for a good long time, as well as a strike against the hypocrisy that laid under the thin veil of polite japanese society. But at the same time, he didn't care about the money and most of those places were criminal fronts.
He might be willing to risk himself against such an endeavor, but the attention it would bring to La Brava would be simply unacceptable.
He supposed that he could see if any other stores were interested in some 'viral advertising'. He still had several offers in the air from interested parties.
He was destroyed from his thoughts by a gentle knock at his door.
"Danjuro!" he heard La Brava call from the kitchen, "Could you get that?"
He smiled and stood up. "Of course, Manami," he replied politely to his room mate and number one fan. The tiny woman was a surprisingly good cook, even if she needed a step-stool to perform the task. She was far more suited to the kitchen than his entirely lacking part-timer cooking talents.
Slowly he strode to the door and opened it with a smile and a flourish. "May I help..."
His voice died in this throat and his blood turned to ice in his veins as he slowly looked up at the titanic figure standing in his doorway, his eyes narrowing to pin pricks at the sight of the comparatively tiny box of Gold Tips Imperial being held in his powerful hands, before flitting back up to his wide, smiling face.
"I am Here... with tea!"
Chapter 13
The fine china cup rattled slightly as Danjuro nervously placed it on the table in front of the Symbol of Peace. To say that he'd never expected to be serving tea to the Number One hero in his parlor was an understatement. But here he was, and it terrified him.
He considered himself a skillful villain who prided himself on his ability to make fast escapes without endangering himself or others. He was a man who prided himself on placing skillful grace over the sheer power and naked brutality so many others favored. If he was looking at any other man, he might be so sure of himself to believe that he might have a chance. But he wasn't looking at any other man. Even dressed in simple slacks and a polo shirt, he was still looking at All Might.
It was not simply his overwhelming power that made him the Number One, no. There were other powerful heroes, but what made him special was the fact that he combined his near godlike strength with masterful control. Against the likes of even Endeavour, Danjuro'd give himself at least a fair chance of throwing the man off his trail and escaping. Against the Symbol of Peace? He might as well be pouring his tea into the wind for all the good it would do him.
"Thank you," the massive hero replied as he gently lifted the porcelain cup, his left pinky fully extended. He took a careful sip, before placing it down, giving it a thoughtful nod. "Very good tea."
He nodded. He might be about to see his dreams wither on the vine, but that was no excuse to be an unkind host. After all, if he had to be taken in, at least it was by All Might and not a hero of lesser fame and character. At least he had that much.
"Thank you." he replied nervously as he looked down to see the man's cup was empty. Of course such an impressively large man would drink an equally impressive amount of tea. He refilled it from his pot without a moment of hesitation.
"Danjuro?" he heard Manami call from the kitchen, "Who was it?"
He felt his heart still in his chest as All Might looked towards the kitchen and frantically said, "Don't mind her, she's just my maid."
All Might looked back to him and sighed, a small smile on his face as he shook his head. "Please come in, La Brava-san," the Symbol of Peace stated. "This conversation involves you as well."
"Please don't," Danjuro begged without thinking, "It was I who pulled her into this foolishness. Don't hold her responsible for my actions."
La Brava stepped into the room, her hair up in a bun. The smile fell from her heart shaped face as she beheld the mountainous hero sitting across from him.
"No," she whispered, tears welling in her eyes, "Please don't... Don't destroy Gentle's dream..."
"I'm sorry," All Might said in a soft tone. "I'm used to my persona putting people at ease. But it's clearly making you both uncomfortable."
All Might closed his eyes and sighed, then amazingly, he began to shrink.
While still heroically built by any standard, he shed 30 centimeters of height. Still large, but far more manageable. Less a god for a new age, and more a mortal man. A powerful man, yes, but a man nonetheless. Even his hair followed suit relaxing from his trademark bunny ear bangs to a shaggy, relaxed looking haircut.
"And I don't want to destroy anyone's dreams."
He paused looking Danjuro dead in the eyes, "But then again, I very much doubt this was ever your dream."
Gentle Criminal wanted to protest, but All Might cut him off by placing a file on the table.
"At age 15, you applied to UA and several other hero schools over the following years. You were held back twice and attempted to pass the Provisional Hero exam no less than four times. The last time you're mentioned on your records, you were fined for interfering with a Hero's duties which lead to an injury," he paused and looked at him, his blue eyes boring into his soul. "Why would someone so clearly determined to become a hero turn to villainy?"
Of course, Gentle thought to himself. Of course a hero of All Might's character would at least be willing to give him the dignity of explaining himself and telling his story before arresting him. It was the sort of courtesy that could be expected of the number one hero.
"You are correct," he said as he placed his hand over La Brava's to calm her, "When I was young, I wanted nothing more than to be a hero. I worshiped them. I longed to join their ranks, to become someone that would be read about in textbooks... but I've never been good at tests. I am no great genius, I am prone to act in accordance with my passions, and my quirk was untrained and untested. But I kept trying. And I kept failing. But I never gave up until... that day."
He closed his eyes. "I didn't intend to get in anyone's way. Or intend to hurt anyone. I just saw a person in danger... and..."
"Your body moved on its own," All Might finished, a small smile coming to his face.
Danjuro simply nodded. It was an odd way of putting it, but yes. That wasn't inaccurate, he supposed. He'd always wondered why he'd done it, but could never find an answer. It really was as if his body had reacted on its own accord.
La Brava's look of admiration was a small comfort when discussing such painful issues, but it was a comfort nonetheless.
"After that, I was disowned by my parents and expelled from school. I ...For several years I lived from job to job, doing all I could to support myself. Much of the time, I spent my nights in media cafes and at times even sheltering within the halls of your own restaurant..."
He actually smiled slightly at those memories. Might Burger had a policy of remaining open 24/7 as well as a policy of offering small meals to those in need. He would have gone hungry many a night if not for All Might's delegated kindness. After 10pm, they would even offer you a sleeping pad as long as you kept out of view of the counter and had it rolled up and returned before the breakfast rush.
All Might lowered his head slightly at that, hints of sorrow subtly crossing his features as he listened to Gentle Criminal's origin story.
"Eventually, I was able to save up and get a small apartment." he continued, "And for a time, I was almost happy. Then I encountered one of my old schoolmates. He'd become a pro hero. I was so happy to see him, but when I greeted him..." he paused for a moment as Manami squeezed his hand.
She knew well that even after all these years, just remembering the experience still rattled him.
"He didn't recognize me," Gentle said, trying his best to keep his composure, "He'd forgotten me. And it was then that I realized that I was doomed to be forgotten..."
"I decided that if I couldn't be remembered as a hero, I'd be remembered as a villain. Though, as I'm sure you know, I have no desire to harm anyone. I abhor violence," he looked up, "So I decided I would go onto ViewTube. Give people reason to laugh and smile. To stand tall and make my mark on history with my deeds and adventures..."
Gentle stood up and took a deep breath steeling himself for what was to come next. Glancing at his laptop he slowly closed it. Like a book, closing a chapter of his life.
Then he held out his wrists. "Thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak, All Might-sama... I surrender myself to your custody. All that I ask is please, look after La Brava, and ensure that nothing untoward becomes of her..."
He knew how easily and how deeply Manami could love. If someone with dishonorable intentions managed to sink his foul hooks into her, the result could be unspeakable. The very thought filled him with dread.
"No!" La Brava exclaimed, jumping from her seat and dropping to her knees in front of the number one hero. "Please don't! He saved me! Before I saw Gentle, I was lost. He taught me to smile and hope! He was kind and he accepted everything about me. He gave me a reason to love! A reason to live! Don't take him away, please! He's never really hurt anyone! Please! I beg you, please!"
All Might simply smiled and placed his hand on her head. "Fear not, Aiba-san. Tobita-san"
He slowly looked to Gentle. "I've been looking very carefully over your records, and you're correct. You've never seriously injured anyone. In fact, in a number of situations, when presented with civilians in true danger, you've acted more as a vigilante than a villain."
"I... It would be untoward to leave the innocent in danger," Danjuro replied weakly.
"From where I stand, you've made a number of terrible decisions. And most of your failures have not been due to lack of talent, but because of poor judgement and a lack of self-discipline."
Danjuro had to admit, that was painful to hear. Especially from All Might of all people. It was an old knife being twisted anew.
"However! Self-discipline and good judgement can be taught." the Hero continued, his voice strong and proud as he stood to his feet. "What cannot be taught is a common thread shared among all great heroes..."
"...What?" he asked, barely above a whisper.
"That when they've seen those in need..." All Might slowly smiled. Not the huge plastic grin he normally wore for the cameras, but the subdued smile of someone who was genuinely pleased."That when they saw someone who needed to be saved... their bodies moved on their own."
Danjuro's eyes widened with shock as All Might stood up, removing a pair of documents from the folder, which he placed onto the small table, covering his laptop.
"W-what are these?" His hand shook as he picked up the documents to examine them.
"During the dark days of upheaval that surrounded the dawn of quirks, several laws were passed in hopes of encouraging those who had turned to villainy to instead use their abilities for the good of all," he said, "These 'Heel-Face Turn' laws are still on the books, even if they have largely been forgotten in this era. In such situations the individual..."
He then glanced to La Brava, "Or individuals... must be sponsored by and taken into the care of a Pro Hero in good standing..."
Emotion began to rise up from deep inside Danjuro's chest as his mind slowly began to parse exactly what All Might was implying...
No...
No...
This was a dream.
It had to be!
"I didn't come here to arrest you," he said, "I came here to take the measure of your character and I have not found you to be wanting."
He couldn't help but choke as the Symbol of Peace spoke...
"Tobita Danjuro, you can become a hero!"
Tobita wailed as he crashed to his knees, his body reeling as if struck as he felt his dreams, dreams that had long ago died, be fired anew. It was like a wound in his soul had left a painful hollow within him had suddenly been filled. For the first time in over a decade... he felt complete.
Overcome by emotion, he wept.
As he did, he could feel La Brava's arms wrap around him to the best of her ability.
"Gentle?" she asked, nervously.
He'd forgotten what it was like to feel true hope. He'd given up on it, instead clinging to a hollow delusion to fill that aching void inside himself. And now, he who had been trapped in the darkness, chasing an illusion out of the desperate desire not to be forgotten once again, was once again able to stand in the light...
"Gentle Criminal?" La Brava repeated nervously as she clung to his side, her bright, pink eyes filled with tears of fear and concern.
Slowly, he smiled and wiped away her tears. "I have never been better La Brava..."
He slowly looked up to All Might then back down to his partner in crime.
No. His former partner in crime. Still his partner, but no longer in crime.
"But know now that Gentle Criminal is dead!"
She recoiled, the shock and confusion apparently on her features. "W-what?"
Smiling widely and standing proudly, not with the bravado he'd long adopted to cover his inadequacies and long broken spirit, but instead filled with unshakable purpose and renewed resolve he proudly proclaimed to the world...
"From now on history will know me as GENTLE HERO!"
That, Toshinori decided, was one of the most painful experiences of his life and a strong reminder to himself what it really meant to be a hero.
Being a hero wasn't just about stopping the villains. It was about saving people. Sometimes from each other, sometimes from themselves. And sometimes the person who was in the most pain, in the most danger, in the most need of saving was the villian themselves.
He'd long prided himself on being a hero who did all in his power to save everyone. Before his injury he'd dreamt of a time when he could act without the specter of All for One hanging over him like a phantom and begin to become the Symbol of Peace in truth. Not just the man who always defeated the villain, who won every fight, but the one with the power to reach down to those who had become lost and seize their hands. To pull them back into the light and show them that the world had not abandoned them. That no matter how hard they'd fallen, that as long as life remained within them, as long as they were willing to dare to hope, that they could still stand in the light.
After his injury, he'd all but abandoned that dream. It had been beyond him. He'd been in too much pain, he'd been too broken. He could barely keep up with his conventional hero duties. Even living a normal life had been beyond him. Nevermind trying to reshape the world into a fairer and more equitable place.
This experience had reminded him. And in hearing Gentle's story, part of him had to wonder if he hadn't been looking at a wraith of what could have been if he hadn't found young Midoriya. If his own master hadn't found him?
It was a painful thought to consider, but sometimes the most valuable truths were the most painful. And for that, he welcomed it. As a reminder. A reminder of what the Symbol of Peace was meant to be.
Now... there were no more excuses. His body was whole. His spirit was ready. It was time for him to reawaken old dreams once lost. It was time for him to become the hero who saved everyone...
It was time for him to not only look for those in danger, but to actively seek out those who had become lost, those who had been forgotten, those who had been abandoned, and to show them that someone still cared. That in this world, there was someone who still believed in them. Someone who would not reject them.
He knew all too well that there were those who could not be saved, those who refused, or didn't want to be... but he also knew that such hopeless cases were the minority. Most villains became as such out of loss and desperation, not desire.
When he'd first gone out to try and recruit Gentle and La Brava, he'd done so with a sour sensation in his throat. Now however, he was considering Eri's list - or at least the bulk of it - with a different feeling all together.
She wasn't giving him a list of villains to recruit. No. She was giving him a list of people who needed to be saved...
"A Phone Call is Here!"
Toshinori almost jumped as his introspective moment was so brutally interrupted by the ringing of his phone.
Glancing down at it, he smiled slightly as he saw the number of his successor turned protege. Speaking of hope for the future...
"Moshi Moshi, Midoriya-shonen!" he said with pleasure.
"Um, hello, All Might-san!" the young man said nervously. "I wasn't interrupting you, was I?"
He'd have to tell the boy to call him Toshinori some time. Infact, thinking back, had he ever told him his real name? Huh. He'd have to talk to the boy about it. Especially now that he actually had the opportunity to be more than just All Might.
"No, no..." Toshinori said, waving it off, "I was just thinking, is all. What do you need."
"Well, I'm wondering... can I tell people that you're my teacher?" he asked, "I met someone at the exam, and we've started talking, and I admitted I was being taught by a Pro, and he asked who, but I couldn't say and he was cool with that, but his family's invited me to meet them and..."
"Relax, Midoriya-shonen," he said, in a calming voice, "Breath my boy, breath..."
Izuku paused for a moment and he could hear the sound of slow breaths over the line.
"Good lad," he said with an amused smile, "Now who are they and do you trust them to keep a secret? We're going to be going public with it soon, likely after you begin UA. However, I'd like to handle it in a proper press conference and not because someone leaked to the press."
"Um, he's Iida Tenya, and he's invited me to meet his parents and brother..."
All Might blinked. Huh. The Idaten? Then he smiled. They were trying to poach his little apprentice, eh? Well, good luck with that... either way, they were outstanding heroes. He'd worked with all of them at some point and they'd never failed to impress him.
He was sure that they could be trusted. That said, Izuku needed to be a bit less dependent on him. He had a good head on his shoulders, he just needed to trust himself more.
"Young Midoriya," he said after a moment, "I'll trust your judgement on the matter. If you believe someone is of good character, and can be trusted... then I will put my trust in your trust."
"Oh. Um. Thank you, All Might-san..." he paused for a moment, "Can I ask you something else really quick?"
Toshinori could only laugh. "Go ahead, my boy!"
"Would it be alright if I picked up some collectables from your gift shop?"
All of a sudden, Toshinori couldn't help but facepalm. Of course. How had he forgotten what a complete fanboy the young man was? Suddenly he was overcome by the image of the boy's poor mother trapped in an apartment so full of his merch that she couldn't physically move, having to be rescued by men with shovels.
Part of him was tempted to say no, just so he wasn't handing the boy free reign to become a hoarder. On the other, he knew that the boy's mother likely paid for all of his previous merch and considering the volume of his branded stuff the kid likely owned, well, he didn't want to be a financial burden to the poor woman more than he'd been already.
"Alright, but I reserve the full right to have an intervention if I believe you're overdoing it. I will be watching what you take. I will not have you becoming a bother to your mother, Midoriya-shonen"
"Don't worry," Izuku said nervously, "Mom already threatened to fleamarket it all if I go too far... heheheh..."
He could hear the fear in the young man's voice at the thought of it.
Toshinori couldn't help but chuckle. He had to admit, while the woman seemed fragile at first glance, she possessed a strong inner core that was quite formidable.
"Well then, I think we're all in good order then..."
"Thank you, All Might-san..."
"Have a good day, Midoriya-shonen."
"Um! You too! Thanks!"
He smiled as he hung up the call. Even with the specter of an alien invasion lingering over his head, or perhaps because of it, Toshinori had decided to live his life one day at a time. To live it to the fullest.
It was a good life.