Chapter 4: The Origins of One for All
Behind him, he heard a door close, then the smell of food drew his attention from the exercise equipment. 'Food first.' Izuku decided. 'Destroy myself later.'
"Between UA and you." Izuku said around a mouthful of Katsudon. The food was almost as good as his mother's, though he would never say that out loud. "I'm going to have a very skewed idea of what 'cafeteria food' is."
All Might chuckled as he sucked down his blended meal, lanky body splayed across a couch. "Just because I can't fully enjoy the food most of the time doesn't mean my employees shouldn't. Even donating most of my income to charities leaves me with a frankly disgusting amount of money, so I splurge a bit on the agency."
Torino snored from his position on a recliner, having handily demolished his massive plate of Taiyaki. Next to him, the plate of actual nourishing food All Might had also brought him sat untouched, much to All Might's visible exasperation.
"I swear, he gets more petulant every year." All Might shook his head. "He was always a bit odd in retrospect, but I guess age really brought it out in spades. And him being tired doesn't help any. Not that I can really fault him." He blinked as he looked into his reflection on the TV, the dark rings under his eyes visible even there. The hero's expression shifted subtly, determination bleeding through the exhaustion as he turned to face Izuku.
"Young Midoriya, it's long past time that I tell you something about both myself and One for All. I'd hoped it would be unnecessary, but…" All Might slumped. "It has become increasingly clear that I have failed in a fundamental way. Several ways, really."
Izuku jolted upright in his seat, startled and confused. "What? No! You-"
All Might simply shook his head. "My boy, I'm not being needlessly self critical. We had months together, and yet you were completely unprepared to handle One for All. Physically, I prepared you well enough to survive. In terms of application…"
Izuku shifted uncomfortably as All Might's gaze settled on his scarred hand. He wasn't ashamed of them. He'd gotten them doing something he considered worth the price. All the same, they were a permanent reminder of the control he'd lacked.
All Might swallowed, then clasped his hands. The man looked unsure of what to say. Occasionally, he opened his mouth and worked his jaw, but he said nothing. Finally, after a long silence, All Might set his shoulders and raised his gaze.
"When I first received One for All from Nana, my predecessor, I took to it like a fish to water." All Might absently gestured towards a picture on one of the tables, which depicted a woman in a dark blue hero suit as she flew through the air. Her white cape fluttered in the wind, and a yellow gloved hand extended before her in a fist. It wasn't entirely clear from his position, but it looked like she was smirking down at whoever was taking the picture. "From the jump, I could use the full breadth of One for All's power. Actually, if anything, I struggled to use less than its full power, but a month or two of practice sorted that out."
All Might's eyes, which had grown unfocused with his recollection, refocused on Izuku as he slumped down. "Make no mistake, Young Midoriya, this is in no way a condemnation of your progress. When I received the power, I'd been training my body for years. The last year with Nana and Torino might have made the biggest difference, but I had a much stronger foundation." All Might smiled gently. "The fact that you went from that scrawny boy from under the bridge to someone who could even hope to hold One for All in under a year is a marvel. Never mind the fact that what you received is almost incalculably stronger than what I was given. You're doing a fantastic job."
Izuku gave All Might a hesitant smile, his moment of hurt quickly alleviated. "Thank you, All Might. It means a lot to hear that from you."
All Might's smile faltered somewhat. "But that's the thing. Since the moment you received One for All, I haven't done much to help your growth. I looked at my experience and just… assumed you would learn to control the power in your own time, even when all evidence indicated otherwise. It only took Torino a few days to get you on the right path. The fact that I couldn't see the problem in all the time I had… it makes me feel sick. And even then, it's far from the worst way I've failed you."
Izuku waited pensively. Clearly, this was part of what had been weighing on the hero at the start of their ride to the tower. However, All Might's next words veered off in an unexpected direction.
"I suppose I should start with the unique origins of our power, back at the dawn of quirks." All Might huffed. "Many of the details have been lost to time, but the gist of it has persisted over the decades through what the previous users left behind. Once we cover the basics, we can go over their notes and recordings whenever you want."
All Might paused, and Izuku nodded. The lanky man cleared his throat as he settled himself. "Per the accounts left by the 5th user, which he learned from the 4th, One for All was originally derived from a different quirk altogether. That quirk was All for One, and it possessed the power to give and take other quirks. Its user went by the same name."
Izuku released an awed breath. He'd thought the implications of One for All transferring itself had been massive, but All for One… even from such a brief description, Izuku knew that was the kind of ability that could warp the course of history. From the look in All Might's eyes as he said the name, Izuku suspected it had.
"As I said, this was back at the dawn of quirks. I'm sure your history courses touched on how unstable the era was. The norms that dictated what it was to be human collapsed like a house of cards. Progress ground to a halt. Law and order crumbled. In that chaos, one man managed to rise to the top of society's smoldering ruins."
"All for One." Izuku whispered.
All Might dipped his head somberly. "He built an empire by taking quirks that he fancied, or those which desperate people sought to be rid of. He could wield these powers himself, or give them to his underlings. With such an imbalance in power, it is perhaps unsurprising that he eventually took control of Japan."
Izuku frowned, contemplative. "Now that I'm hearing about it, pieces of the story sound vaguely familiar. The specifics are new, but there were some stories on the Internet that talked about a deific warlord from the dawn of quirks. Most of the stories claimed he vanished around 2075, but some said he had just gone into hiding. I mostly dismissed them as urban legends because there was nothing in the history books about it, but if they had even a crumb of truth to them…" Izuku felt goosebumps prickle his skin.
"The same textbooks that gloss over the Yakuza, no doubt." All Might grumbled, dissatisfaction obvious. "One of the hallmarks of people abusing power is that they try to hide that fact from future generations. I'm not surprised history forgot about him, especially given he was one of those writing it for many years. But I digress. This is to be an explanation of One for All as well, so I best get to it."
All Might leaned forwards, elbows on his knees and chin resting on his intertwined fingers. "As I mentioned, All for One could not just take quirks, but give them. With such an ability, he could easily buy the trust of those who desired a quirk of their own, or could at least buy their subservience. However, many couldn't take the burden, and were left as little more than unthinking, unspeaking puppets."
Prickling dread swept through Izuku's soul. "Like the Nomu."
All Might grimaced. "Unfortunately so. There was, however, at least one extremely important outlier. All for One had a twin brother, one thought to be quirkless. He was small, sickly, and fragile, but even so resisted his brother. As such, All for One attempted to… compel… his brother's loyalty the best way he knew how."
"With a quirk. He forced a quirk on him." Izuku whispered.
All Might gave a small humm of agreement. "A Power Stockpiler. One that was, by all accounts, horribly weak, but evidently had great potential. However, there was an unforeseen element, one that by all rights should have rendered the brother as one of those unfortunate puppets. He had a quirk, supposedly so underdeveloped that All for One couldn't detect it. Seemingly useless. The ability to pass his quirk to others."
Izuku let out a breath. "One for All."
All Might gave him a small smile. He spread his hands wide, then slowly brought them towards one another. "Rather than whatever conflict usually overwhelmed quirk recipients…" His fingers clasped together with a soft clap. "The abilities merged into one. Throughout history, the legacy of this fused quirk has been to resist All for One. Seven before me tried, but couldn't strike the villain down."
Izuku froze as All Might absently pressed a hand to his wound. "I, however, managed to kill him, even if he wounded me grievously in the process."
Unconsciously, Izuku recoiled. "You… killed him?" When All Might looked away, Izuku caught himself. "I understand. Sometimes, heroes don't have a choice. It's just… I never heard about you having to. You're so strong that you don't need to. But, against someone that old, that powerful…"
"I couldn't afford to let him live." All Might grimaced, though there was a fire in his eyes. "Though I'll admit, albeit with shame, that it wasn't just for practical reasons. I… he taunted me. Claimed that he'd kept Nana after he defeated her. Said he'd tortured her for years, that she'd always believed I would rescue her until the day she finally broke. He… the things he said he did…"
All Might swallowed hard, fingers twisted in his shirt over his wound. "I was stronger than him. I knew it. He knew it. I should have just finished it, but once he got under my skin I just couldn't get him out. I didn't realize I'd fallen into his trap until the last second, and it cost me dearly." Bloody flecks appeared on All Might's lips as his breath hissed between his clenched teeth. "But even then, I was stronger. It only took one final punch to end the bastard."
All Might seemed to remember himself, then winced as he saw his successor. Tears traced their way down Izuku's face, and his trembling hands clenched at the arm rests of his chair.
"I-I'm sorry, my boy." All Might quickly put on a smile. Except Izuku could recognize it. Despite being in a different form, it was the same smile All Might had admitted was a fake, plastered over fear and pain. "I'm ok. It was a harrowing experience, but I survived-"
Somehow, despite All Might's years of experience, Izuku managed to catch him off guard. By the time the gaunt man even tried to jump up at his successor's sudden movement, Izuku's arms were wrapped around his thin frame.
Silence surrounded them for a moment, and Izuku almost let go. Then, lanky arms wrapped around him, holding him tight. All Might shuddered once, then released a slow breath.
"Thank you, my boy. Truly, I couldn't have hoped to find a better successor." Though it sounded wet, All Might's voice held unmistakable warmth. "Which makes my failure all the worse. Despite my efforts, it's now clear to me the ancient bastard is back. He's probably been building up the League of Villains under my nose ever since our confrontation. The Nomu are a dead giveaway. I didn't want to acknowledge it when it was just the one, but now… I don't think it could be anyone else."
All Might's voice trembled, and he held Izuku tighter. "I gave you One for All hoping you'd be the first of us to live free from his shadow, from the grief and fear he wields like a dagger in the night. I wanted you to be safe . But if anything, I've just put you, your friends, and your mother in his crosshairs."
"No." Izuku denied, though the idea sent horror prickling through his body. "You couldn't have known. You thought he was dead."
"I never saw the body after the fight. They said it was cremated, but it happened while I was still in the hospital. I should have been there to make sure. If anyone could survive having their head evaporated , it would be that bastard."
"So, what exactly should you have done? Stayed alert for any signs of him? Jumped at every shadow he might be hiding in? Stayed isolated so that nobody else would catch a dead man's attention?" Izuku questioned.
"...I did. For years. It wasn't until the last two that I finally convinced myself it was truly over." All Might pulled back, and Izuku released him. The hero's sunken features looked all the worse with red rimmed eyes. "He played me completely. For forty years, I held the power. In all that time, I only told four people other than you my secret, and one wasn't even until after my battle with All for One. But within weeks of my starting to teach? Of surrounding myself with people for the first time since I left America? The USJ happens. Then an attack in Tokyo, while I was hours away."
"...He's feeling out what condition you're in." Izuku realized.
"That's likely the case." All Might heaved a sigh. "The one silver lining is that his doing so shows some of his own hand. When it comes to One for All, he's always done things himself. The fact that he didn't waltz into UA in person probably means he can't, or at least thinks it's a legitimate risk, so at the very least I'm not the only one still feeling the aftereffects of our little scuffle."
Izuku relaxed a fraction, and began turning the situation over in his brain. "So… he's probably less powerful. He's trying to find other avenues to attack you from, because just outright attacking isn't something he thinks is a winning strategy. He was willing to send his specialized Nomu and an army of thugs to the USJ, but not to the school itself…"
"UA is the best heroics school in the world. Its teachers are heroes of the highest caliber, and were they full time, they'd probably shake up the upper ranks of the billboard. With Nezu at the head of the school, and me regularly in attendance, it's likely All for One doesn't consider the risks of directly attacking it worth the potential payoff." All Might agreed.
"And you'd have wanted me to attend UA, regardless of if you were teaching there."
All Might narrowed his eyes. "...Yes. It's the best, and I wouldn't want anything less for you."
"So attention would have fallen on UA regardless of your presence, unless we assume All for One would have missed me punching glaciers into snow during the sports festival." Izuku crossed his arms. "So unless you think UA on its own would be enough to dissuade him from attacking, you teaching there is purely beneficial to its safety."
"Yes, yes. You have a point, my boy." All Might sighed. "And… this is the situation we find ourselves in, regardless of whether I like it or not. Cursing myself for decisions made does nothing to change the danger that we face now."
"You're All Might. You punch danger until it passes out, surrenders, or both."
All Might huffed a small, surprised laugh. "Maybe I shouldn't have left you unsupervised with Torino." His expression turned serious. "But you're also right. I… apologize… for letting my fears get away from me."
Izuku nodded, then took a shaky breath. "It's ok, All Might. It's easy to forget sometimes, but you're still just human."
"A human adult, who just unloaded decades of stress on a 15 year old." All Might chuckled weakly, self-deprecating. "I really am a washed up old fart, huh?"
"No, you're the Symbol of Peace." Izuku countered. "And you don't let a little thing like fear stop you."
"Well said, my boy." All Might smiled, a spark of his usual self returning to his eyes. "Things are changing in ways I've never had to handle before. But that's just life. I'd be a fool for trying to resist the changes rather than adapt to them."
Izuku nodded in approval… then let the assurance he'd been clinging to by his metaphorical fingertips slip. He slumped, and All Might carefully guided him to sit on the free side of the couch.
"So, how do we keep everyone safe?" Izuku asked, mind whirling. "We have to be able to do something ."
"Well, for starters, I think Nezu's already got the jump on us. At the last staff meeting, he made an off hand comment about how he's been considering turning UA into a boarding school for quite some time. His primary reasoning was that it would help students avoid all the bloodthirsty landlords in the area, and let him ensure they had easy and consistent access to UA's amenities. But I thought there was something off." All Might shook his head. "I don't think he knew for sure, otherwise he'd have just said it outright in private. But he's already taking steps to ensure the safety of the students."
"Ok. That's a relief, at least. But… that would leave Mom all alone." Izuku let out a shaky breath. "I wouldn't want to do that to her at the best of times, but if she's at risk too…"
"There are a few ways to address that, at least ones that come to mind." The blond giant said, though he hesitated a moment before he continued. "Though most of them probably involve… telling her about One for All."
Izuku stared at the hero in surprise. "I thought you'd still want to keep the secret as closely as possible."
All Might grimaced. "On one hand, yes. The fewer people who know, the less likely an accidental slip up is to occur. But the larger part of that is to keep people from actively drawing the attention of powerful villains. If they're already in All for One's sights… it doesn't make as much sense to keep them in the dark. Especially if it may actively make it easier to protect them. Unless your mother would be inclined to try and hunt down the Boogeyman herself…?"
"...Probably not?" Izuku hazarded. "She can get pretty… intense, sometimes. Her version of 'Fight or Flight' is 'Faint or Feral'... On that note, she's probably not going to be especially happy with me. Or you."
"So if I survive her, All for One should be a piece of cake." All Might mused. "Duly noted."
Izuku hummed nervously. "With that in mind, what were you thinking to keep her safe?"
"Well, for one, she could move closer to UA. It's almost certain that Nezu will go through with the boarding school plans after I confirm the new developments, and from what you've told me of her, she'd probably want to be close by. That might not even necessitate informing her… though it would likely be wise to do so regardless." All Might said. "Alternatively, she could move to the area around Might Tower."
Izuku nearly choked. "We, uh, don't have that kind of money, All Might. This area has to be premium real estate. With your agency, the crime rate is effectively nonexistent for miles around."
"Firstly, the price is a non-issue. I own several additional buildings, one of which is an apartment complex primarily for heroes, where she'd be welcome to stay free of charge." All Might started, and this time Izuku really did choke. "While they may not serve as a full deterrent against All for One, it would likely change the math. And, as you pointed out, the area is extremely safe due to my agency's presence, even if I'm not actively there. I would, unfortunately, consider this to be the weakest option, simply due to the fact that I won't actually be in the area all that often."
"So the best option would just be to have her move closer to UA? Wasn't one of Nezu's original reasons for wanting to be a boarding school that the landlords were particularly aggressive?" Izuku asked. After a moment of consideration, his brow furrowed. "Unless you own a few places around there too…"
"Not yet, but that's subject to change." All Might chuckled. "As far as the best of the two options go, I think that living nearby the campus would be just about the best we could hope for… As things currently are. If we assume that UA will indeed become a boarding school, that could very well change things. For one, it would almost certainly open up new jobs at the school, which your mother could apply for. If she gets one, she'd be on campus most of the time, which would be leagues safer for her. Secondly, if students are already living on campus full time, it wouldn't be a stretch for some faculty to be able to opt into a similar arrangement."
Slowly, Izuku began to smile. "Before she retired to raise me, she was a home economics teacher. I don't suppose dorms might require some kind of overseer?"
All Might grinned, then shot a finger gun at him. "You know, it may just! I'll be sure to mention it to Nezu, assuming he hasn't already gotten the paperwork together. With UA's resources, I wouldn't be surprised if construction is done in a week, and we can proceed from there. Just in case, I'll have someone look into acquiring a house near the school."
"Thank you, All Might." Izuku untensed and sagged into the couch. "I don't know how I'd be able to protect Mom without your help."
"It's quite literally the least I could do, my boy. If anything, I should thank you for being so understanding of my shortcomings." All Might's smile turned soft, and he rested a hand on Izuku's shoulder. "Also, just call me Toshinori, kid. All Might's the big muscle head who does the heavy lifting. I'm just Toshinori Yagi."
Izuku's jaw worked for a second before he remembered how to make sounds. "W-will do, All- er, T-Toshinori." He coughed into his hand.
Toshinori smiled down at him, and with a final squeeze of Izuku's shoulder, released him. A second later, the man unleashed a jaw popping yawn, exhaustion evidently winning out now that the heaviest of the subjects was addressed. Things were still terrifying, but the knowledge that plans were formed or in motion to address that helped take the edge off Izuku's fears.
"Now then." The skeletal blond mumbled, shaking himself slightly. "I believe next on the list would be… whatever it is that's been going on with One for All."
Izuku was about to launch into his own recounting, but then hesitated. Without a doubt, the man before him looked minutes from falling asleep with his eyes open. He was paler than usual, and up close the dark bags beneath his eyes looked even more awful than they had earlier, doubtless enhanced by the redness that still lingered. While Izuku wasn't anywhere as utterly exhausted as Toshinori looked, he could certainly use a few hours of rest himself. Reluctantly, Izuku decided on his course of action.
"As much as I want to figure out what's happening with One for All… I'm tired, you're exhausted, and Gran Torino managed to sleep through that whole conversation." Behind Izuku, Torino unleashed a bone-shaking snore, which only emphasized his point. "Why don't we get some sleep, and we can try to figure out what's going on once we're all awake? Maybe there will be something in those notes you mentioned the previous users left."
Toshinori eyed him suspiciously, then sighed with a wan smile. "I'm sorry, my boy, but that's probably a good idea. I… doubt I'd be of much help right now, and I'm not sure either of us would survive trying to wake Sorahiko up again." The man rubbed his face, then pushed back his hair as he leaned into the cushioned backrest. "Let's get you settled into the spare bedroom, and hopefully we'll all be functional before too long."
Carefully, they stood from the couch, then left Torino where he lay. As they stepped into the main room, Toshinori paused, then quickly stepped over to a cabinet on one wall. As he pulled it open, Izuku briefly caught a glimpse of rows upon rows of identical red smartphones sitting on charging docks before the cabinet was once again closed. Toshinori returned with a smile as he held the device out for Izuku, along with several small tools. "I forgot to grab you one when we first arrived. This should be able to keep up with you for a good long while. To my understanding, it's compatible with just about any SIM card out there."
Curious, Izuku took the phone. He almost immediately dropped it, not having expected the sheer weight of it. Toshinori snatched the phone from the air as a small smirk danced across his lips. "Didn't want it to damage the tile. Like I said, they're designed for me, which means David went all out with heavy, durable materials. These things have survived being flung through buildings, shot, and one held a signal from the bottom of the atlantic for three days. But that does come with a bit of a tradeoff. I hope you don't mind."
Izuku shook his head as a smile of his own appeared. "No, not at all. It'll take some getting used to, but having a five pound cellphone is more than worth not having to worry too much about breaking it again."
"Excellent. Now," Toshinori lightly clapped his hands before his chest, then turned towards the side hallway where Izuku had previously found the bedrooms. "Let's get a bed put together."
With a twist and a click, his surprisingly intact SIM card slid into the new phone. Izuku let out a satisfied sigh, then stood from the desk chair and made his way to the freshly dressed bed. He held the power button, and with a small ping, the screen lit up and proudly displayed "Shield Industries" before it prompted him to complete the setup. It was a simple task, and Izuku quickly found himself staring at the phone's default wallpaper.
It was a young, happy looking All Might posing next to a man in a lab coat and hoodie; presumably David Shield. The picture immediately brought a smile to Izuku's face. He'd seen All Might happy plenty of times, but it was rare to see the man so obviously relaxed . After a brief moment of hesitation, Izuku swapped the image to a stylized shield. As cool as it was that he had a previously unseen picture of All Might, it felt a bit too personal for him to keep on display, at least without permission.
Izuku quickly set up his HeroNet, and checked to see if any updates had come through in the time since he last checked. Nothing new had appeared in the group chat, however…
Uravity: Ok! I'm just glad to hear from you. Talk to you soon!
Right. Uraraka wanted to call. Uraraka. Call. Him.
Izuku sucked in a breath, lightly slapped himself with one hand, then nearly dropped the phone on his face. 'Friends call each other sometimes. And she wants to make sure I'm ok.' Izuku thought to himself. 'It's nothing more than that. Don't get in your head. Just call her. Call Uraraka. Call. Uraraka.'
Slap.
Thud.
"OW!"
Izuku tenderly rubbed the new dent in his forehead as he pulled up her contact. Before he could psych himself out, or concuss himself again, he hit call.
Each ring played on Izuku's anxiety, and it only got worse the longer it went on. What if he was calling at a bad time? He should have texted first to see if she was free. Should he hang up? He should probably hang-
"Deku? Are you ok? How are you doing?"
Relief.
"I-I'm ok. Just got my new phone set up, and wanted to give you that call. Is now ok? I can call back later if you're busy."
There was a pause before he could hear her voice again, further from the phone as she asked if she was free to go.
"Oh? Talking with your lo-"
The audio suddenly went scratchy and muffled, cutting off the words. Was that Gunhead? It sounded kind of like an interview he'd seen of the man, so that was probably who she was talking to.
"Uraraka? Are you there?" Izuku asked.
"Yes! Sorry, just making sure we were breaking for lunch." The muffling vanished and Uraraka's voice returned with a huff, though she sounded… off. Kind of squeaky. Nervous? Why would she be nervous? "I'm glad to hear you're ok! I know you said so earlier, but… well, Stain. He's not exactly known for leaving people 'Ok', ya know?"
Izuku flexed his hands. "Yeah, you've got that right. He was… terrifying. That whole situation was. I was just riding past Hosu with Gran Torino, and all of a sudden a Nomu was ripping into the side of the train. Then I ran into the city, and there were MORE of them. For a second I thought it was going to be a calamity, but they weren't anything like the one from the USJ. They were still dangerous, but the heroes working together could keep up."
"That sounds awful. I don't even want to think about what would have happened if they were like the one All Might fought." Uraraka responded, an edge to her voice Izuku could identify with all too well. "The damage they caused was devastating enough. Broken windows, fires, structural damage, even full collapses in some areas. At least the fast hero response kept the casualties pretty low."
Izuku winced, then rolled onto his side. He pulled in a breath that utterly failed to calm him, then let it out. "Yeah, it was awful."
There was a long pause.
"Deku? Did something happen? Aside from what you've already told me, I mean."
"I couldn't save someone." Izuku said, then blinked in surprise. He'd struggled to talk about it with Shoto and Iida, but… for some reason, it was easier with Uraraka.
"Oh no!" she gasped. "What happened? Was there someone else involved in the fight with Stain?"
"No, it wasn't during the fight. It was before I found Iida and Stain, while I was searching the city. There was a collapsing building, and he was crushed under some rubble. He..." Izuku trailed off, trying to ignore how raw the memory was. "He died, and I couldn't do anything.
"I'm so sorry, Deku." In the brief moment of quiet that followed, Izuku could almost see her bite her lip as she hesitated. "Do you… do you want to talk about it?"
He didn't. The last thing he wanted was to burden her with what he'd experienced, even if he knew she wouldn't see it that way. At the same time, he did. He knew he needed to talk through it, and despite doing so briefly a few times, there was always something of greater immediate importance that took priority. But now, it was just a call between friends, and Uraraka had offered to listen.
"If you really wouldn't mind…"
"Of course! You'd do the same for me."
"Ok. Thank you." Another deep breath, this one far more effective at calming him down. "I was looking for Iida, because I'd seen Manual looking for him too. I wasn't sure how they'd been separated, but given what was happening, I was worried. While I was searching, I ran across a group of civilians…"
Once he started, he couldn't stop. Everything poured out. Rescuing the other tenants. Finding Kinenkō, and all that entailed. The fight with Stain, or at least the parts he could tell her. Iida. The Winged Nomu. He had to mentally pump the brakes as he approached the end, as while the conversation he'd just had with All Might weighed heavily on his mind, he couldn't exactly unload that on Uraraka. The fact that he had to hide things from his friends stung, as it always had. Even so, not just telling Uraraka everything in that moment was almost agonizing.
Through his recounting, Uraraka had let him talk. She'd only spoken to reassure him when he'd found himself choked up, or when he was lost in the memory. The gentleness with which she'd handled what turned into his breakdown was incredible.
"Thank you so much for listening, Uraraka. I can't even begin to say how much this helped." Izuku whispered as he rubbed a hand over his eyes. "You'll be a fantastic rescue hero. Anyone you pull from the rubble will be lucky to have you help them through the experience."
"O-oh! Thank you, Deku!" Uraraka's spluttered response caught him by surprise.
'Wait, is she actually surprised I think she'll be a great hero?' Izuku thought, stunned. 'Why? She's a wonderful person with a perfect quirk for rescue. She just helped me talk through one of the worst experiences of my life, which will definitely be important for heroics. She'll be incredible!'
The spluttering intensified.
Izuku blinked. Slowly, he closed his stupid, muttering mouth, and very intently kept it that way as his thoughts raced. 'Damage control? No, I don't think I let anything slip that wouldn't be reasonable from a friend. But then why is she embarrassed? If she genuinely thinks she won't be a fantastic hero… I can't let that stand.'
"Uraraka…" Izuku said, hesitant. "I just want you to know I meant that, even if I didn't mean to say it out loud. You helped me so much just now. With everything that happened in the aftermath, I haven't been able to really talk about it with anyone else, and it was eating me up inside. You were the one who helped me, and I know you'd do the same for other people who need it. You're already great at helping people. By the time we graduate, you'll be spectacular."
The sudden silence that replaced the spluttering briefly left Izuku to wonder if he'd somehow made it worse. That worry intensified when he heard a small sniffle. Before he could apologize, however, Uraraka spoke.
"Thank you, Deku. I… I really appreciate you saying that. Knowing that you believe in me, it feels really good. And I know I'll be good at Rescue work, I've been trying to prepare for it since I was little. I guess it's just…" She paused, then continued more quietly. "What you said about Stain, and his views on heroes. It's ridiculous and awful and has so many issues. But at the same time, I can kind of see where it probably started from, and… that he'd consider me a fake. I don't care about what he would think, but… I guess I'm still kind of self conscious about wanting to be a hero to earn money, you know?"
"You're right, he probably would." Izuku agreed, then quickly continued. "Because he's a crazy person with a worldview so twisted up on itself I get nauseous just thinking about it. Yes, some heroes abuse their power. Yes, some are in it for questionable reasons. But the thing is, his judgment of what makes a true hero is so shallow . Sure, he'd deem you false for wanting to earn money, but you could have done any number of other things with your quirk that would have earned more than heroics."
Izuku took a brief moment to collect his thoughts. "If you'd genuinely wanted to pursue construction or engineering, you'd have been the go-to within a few years. All it would have taken was some schooling and getting quirk use clearance from the bureau. Or, you could have shot for the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency and completely changed the game. Just thinking about the amount you'd save them by being able to effectively just… throw small crafts into space is mind boggling. But you chose to become a hero, and a rescue hero at that. Why?"
"I like making people happy." Uraraka's response was immediate, followed by a moment of silent consideration. "I remember always being happy when I saw a hero arrive on the scene, even back when I was a kid. I'd look around and see everyone else was happy too. I wanted to be able to make people feel that way. I wanted to make people smile because they felt safe."
"And there you have it." Izuku spoke with uncommon confidence as he poked a finger into the air, even though Uraraka couldn't see it. "Sure, your choice was partially determined by wanting money. But you opted for the career that would let you make that money by helping make people feel safe and happy. That's the kind of nuanced decision that Stain would arbitrarily judge as false, simply because money was involved. Anyone who thinks less of you for that shouldn't be throwing stones."
Izuku was rewarded by the delightful sound of a giggle, and some of the tension drained from his body.
"You know, Deku." Uraraka said, voice still a little wobbly but far better than it had been. "You're pretty good at comforting people too. Pulling a speech like that out of nowhere. That's just not fair!"
Izuku flushed. "I-it wasn't that special. I just put the obvious into words, really." With a firm shake of his head, Izuku tried to clear his thoughts. "Anyway, that's more than enough about me. How are things with Gunhead going?"
"I think everything is going really well!" Izuku could hear the enthusiasm overflow from the brunette's words, and relaxed into the bed with a smile. "Most of our focus has been applying his style of martial arts to my Quirk, and it seems like a great match! I actually managed to throw one of the second year interns from Seiai Academy out of the ring! And… er… an open window. But she was fine!"
Uraraka recounted the highlights of her time with Gunhead, which ranged from other sparring successes to some of the insights her mentor shared about hero work. Unfortunately, an enthusiastic and mildly concerning description of how she'd clubbed a sparring opponent with another sparring opponent was interrupted by a loud knock over the phone.
"Uravity? Are you ready for patrol?" Gunhead's voice was muffled but still recognizable. "We still have some time, but you're about ten minutes over on your lunch-"
"AHH!" Uraraka yelped, shortly followed by an assortment of shuffling sounds and the distinctive click of a UA Costume Case being popped open. "I'll be out in a second! I'm so sorry!"
"Don't worry about it! I figured you'd want to talk for a while, you were really worried about your little cru-"
"NOT ANOTHER WORD!" Uraraka snapped. "IF YOU WANT YOUR FIX, GO READ YOUR BOOKS!" Gunhead just laughed, then the sounds of footsteps trailed away.
The shuffling intensified, along with what sounded like Uraraka as she hopped around on one foot. "Sorry, Deku. I have to… uuuuUUUGGGH!"
"Uraraka? You ok?" Izuku asked.
"I…" Uraraka signed, voice borderline despondent. "Maaaaaay have forgotten to actually get lunch…"
Guilt landed like a ball of lead in Izuku's stomach. He'd spent her entire lunch break spilling his issues to her, and she'd been so focused on making sure he was ok that she hadn't eaten. Even worse, from the sounds of it, she'd just finished some pretty intensive training before he called. She was probably starving.
"I'm so sorry, Uraraka!" Izuku apologized. "You could have eaten, I wouldn't have minded!"
"Nonsense!" His friend shot back, followed by a sound Izuku could only assume was her gauntlets as they snapped into place. "After what you went through, I can survive without a sandwich. It's not like this is the first time I've skipped lunch… accidentally."
Izuku hummed noncommittally. "You should still have gotten to eat something . With all the work you're doing, you definitely need the energy. Maybe a protein bar? I'd be shocked if a hero like Gunhead doesn't have some of those somewhere."
Uraraka gagged. "Oh, he definitely does. They're awful. It's like barely flavored sawdust packed into a brick." A sigh. "You're right, though. I'll… ask for one. Maybe it won't be so bad if I chase it with water faster this time?"
She didn't sound particularly convinced.
"Maybe…" Izuku tried, and failed, to sound hopeful. Then, an idea struck him. "Well, how does this sound? As a thank you for listening, I'll make the missed lunch up to you after internships. Whatever you want!"
"Eep!"
A loud clattering sound, like her phone had fallen to the floor.
Silence.
Silence.
A soft thump, which sounded further away. Maybe the ceiling?
"Uraraka? Are you ok?" Izuku asked, hesitant. A second later, his brain caught up with what he'd just suggested.
'I basically just asked her on a date, didn't I? ' he considered, oddly calm. 'How exactly do I manage to keep this from freaking her out? She just listened to me break down over the phone, and now I'm asking her out. Kind of. Accidentally. I'm not muttering, am I? No? Good. Anyway, there's no way that this doesn't make her think I'm weird or creepy or-'
Another, louder thump shocked Izuku from his dead-eyed musings. The sound was quickly followed by a scrabbling sound, then a loud smack as her phone slammed into her cheek.
"Sure!" Uraraka's voice was up several octaves. "That sounds nice! Thanks!"
"Great!" Izuku's own voice was just as squeaky as hers.
"Great!" Uraraka parroted.
Silence.
"I should probably head for th' meetin' room fr' patrol I'lltalktoya'later'Izukubye!" Click.
Silence.
'Huh. She said yes.' Izuku very, very calmly thought. 'She did sound kind of freaked out, though. Did she just say yes so she wouldn't hurt my feelings? And at the end, the way she was talking… She did say she was from the country before coming to UA. Does she have an accent? Wait…' Izuku blinked, then stared up at the ceiling as his facade cracked. 'Did… she call me Izuku at the end?'
Calmness was suddenly and explosively replaced with confusion, embarrassment, elation, and countless other emotions he'd just barely kept at bay. Mere moments thereafter, the combined stress, exhaustion, and overwhelming emotion finally won out, and he took a page from his mother's book; He fainted. Even in unconsciousness, however, Izuku kept his phone clutched tightly to his chest, and an unsteady smile graced his face.
A moment later, Izuku found himself smothered in a swirling world of darkness once more.