"So you're telling me that this guy," Kyoka points dubiously at the skeletal looking blonde man whose clothes hang loosely off of him, clearly meant for someone much larger, "is actually All Might?"
Recovery Girl: The (previously) Youthful Heroine snorts out a laugh, though miraculously her hands remain still. Which is a good thing considering she's currently dabbing at All Might's(?) eyes with saline solution. Well, considering that Tsukauchi drove the two of them straight to UA after dropping off Mugger Number 6, she's more inclined to believe that the person she pepper sprayed actually is All Might. Not that she thinks she was wrong to pepper spray the number one hero with how he was acting.
Who the hell tells a middle schooler in an alley that they'll 'train their body' and thinks that would be received in a positive way!? Especially after they'd just been attacked! (She's going to ignore the fact that she didn't get even a scratch on her but broke the mugger's nose.)
If he had said that they would be training at Might Tower, All Might's agency, then she could have at least given him the benefit of the doubt. Hell, that's the entire reason she asked where they'd be training! But instead he just vaguely says that their destination would be 'the perfect place to train her'. Which, just, sets off so many red flags… So, no, she won't feel bad about spraying her quirk enhanced pepper spray in his eyes. He deserved it! And clearly Recovery Girl agrees.
"Somehow," she says while she works. "Who knows how he managed to get where he is with how he acts all the time! Did you know that this isn't the first time he's been pepper sprayed? Though usually it's in this form and not while he's 'All Might'."
"Hey now! I'm not that bad- ow!" Said number one hero opens his eyes and objects, only to wince when the cotton ball pokes him in the eye.
"Hush, you. Start going to those 'how to not come off as a creep' classes that Midnight teaches. They would do you a world of good."
"She designed her entire hero persona around sexual appreciation! The Symbol of Peace can't be caught going to something like that! It would shake people's faith!"
Jiro deadpans at him. "Pretty sure people's faith got beat within an inch of its life when a quarter of the active heroes were arrested or fled the country."
"She's got you there, sonny," Recovery Girl laughs before addressing Jiro while peering at All Might's eyes. "I like you, dearie, don't let whatever this idiot wanted you for stop you from being you."
"Hey! Don't make it sound like I was planning anything nefarious!" All Might once again objects, though this time without being poked in the eye. "I just wanted to help her become the best hero she can be!"
Jiro snorts in amusement. "Yeah," she drawls, "because every girl wants to hear the number one hero tell them that he knows the perfect place to 'prepare their body' while standing in an alley. And in this society? Good choice, All Might. Good choice."
Recovery Girl visibly reacts this time, turning back to look at the teen who pulls out her phone, seemingly starting up a game or something, before looking back at All Might. "You picked this girl as your successor?" She shakes her head, bemused. "I'm surprised, she seems like a good one. I thought your sense got crushed by all those muscles you're so proud of."
Before All Might can defend himself, Jiro grabs a metaphorical shovel and hands it to UA's nurse, not looking away from her phone. "Successor? Pretty sure he just said something about training. You know, after you get past the creepily vague and predatory undertones."
Before Recovery Girl can get a proper glare going, All Might holds up his hands. "I was going to tell her! In case you didn't notice," he gestures to his eyes that he's slowly blinking to make sure all the pepper spray is gone, "we got interrupted."
Recovery Girl still glares at him, but it's not at the intensity that it would have been. After a few silent moments broken only by the sound of Jiro tapping away, she lets out a huff of air. "Fine, fine. But you better explain properly!"
"Yeah… I'm definitely going to need someone to explain what this 'successor' stuff is about," Jiro points out distractedly, rolling her eyes at something on her phone.
All Might sighs, looking up at the ceiling as if looking for guidance for a moment, before launching into his explanation. "We are talking about my quirk, young lady. The name of which is One For All, and I would like for you to inherit it."
After a lengthy monologue about how he inherited the stockpile quirk from the previous holder, who inherited it from the previous holder, and so on until the first, All Might stares at her, rather put out by how she hasn't even bothered to look at him while he explained. She hasn't even asked any questions or shown any doubts! Is this just how children are now? Should he be questioning his choice of successor?
Now that he thinks of it, a ten minute interaction after she got attacked that ended with him being pepper sprayed is hardly enough time to make an informed decision. Then again, if things had gone as he thought they would he could have gotten to know her while helping her build up her strength to inherit the quirk, without telling her about it. If he came to the decision that it wouldn't fit her, then he could have simply looked for a different successor without worry. There is that boy who bears a close resemblance to him that Nighteye has been pushing for…
He's pulled out of his thoughts when Jiro nods and finally looks at him. "Cool, got it. So, what are the side-effects? Because I have to say; I do not want to be over-muscled like you. No offense, but just, no."
All Might blinks at her, looking at Recovery Girl for help, but the old woman just laughs in her spinny chair, which she proceeds to spin to face her desk to start typing on her computer. He looks back at the purplette, who raises an inquiring eyebrow. He sighs before resolving himself to being questioned. Which is a bit of a relief, honestly, because it means that she was listening. "No, you won't become like me in my hero form. It took me years of work to get to that point, you would just have to train to the minimum needed to inherit the quirk without risking harm to yourself."
She nods, typing away at her phone. Is she making notes? All Might wonders. It would make sense, this is a lot of new information. The thought makes him feel better, knowing for a fact that she's been paying even more attention than he thought. "What kind of harm? And is the minimum amount of strength you're talking about a general 'you need to do this' or more of a you only situation? Because I have a quirk, so the stockpiled power might affect me differently."
"Huh." All Might brings a hand to his chin, looking away as he thinks about it. Because she does bring up a good point. He needed to train his body to a certain level to inherit One For All, and it manifested itself as a simple, if powerful, strength enhancement. His master, on the other hand, was not even half as strong as he is currently, let alone in his prime. Instead her quirk went through an evolution, from simple Float to full on flight. She did get enhanced strength and durability, but maybe she won't have to train to the level he did to inherit the quirk. Maybe he should…
He forcibly drags his thoughts away from thoughts of the terrifying man, trying to focus on something else. Which leads him to a startling realization that jerks his head to look at the girl, his eyes wide. "How did you figure out I was quirkless?"
She just raises an eyebrow at him, types something on her phone, then speaks. "That friend I told you about? I know how quirkless people talk to avoid mentioning the fact that they're quirkless. You don't really count anymore, but still." She shrugs, as if figuring out something that would never enter the general public's minds is nothing. A shudder goes through his mind.
She and Nezu can never meet. He could swear he hears the principal cackling, but he's sure he's just imagining it. He ignores the way the girl's quirk twitches, he's sure it's nothing.
"Anyways, how would I get the quirk from you? Force of will or something? I swear, if you make it sound creepy I'll stab you with my jack…"
All Might can't hold back a laugh at that thought. "No, no. You must simply accept my DNA."
He lets out a yelp of pain when her earphone jack digs into his shoulder, retracting just as quickly. He goes to complain while rubbing at the spot she hit, surprised that there's no blood, when Recovery Girl groans, letting her head drop into her hands. "Yagi, think about what you said for five seconds."
All Might pouts, but does as asked. At the end of those five seconds he lets out a groan and slaps a hand to his face that he slowly drags down. "Yeah," Jiro snarks, "I think those classes Recovery Girl mentioned might be necessary."
All Might doesn't respond, deciding to just get to the main point. "One For All might influence your quirk more than your body, but there will still be an effect. It's better to train beforehand just to make sure."
Jiro nods, tapping one jack against her cheek while staring up at the ceiling in thought, her eyes focused on the vent before looking back at All Might with a serious look in her eyes. "And what if I refuse?" She continues on despite All Might's sputtered surprise and indignation. "I mean, this sounds like this would put a major target on my back if word ever got out, and I'm sure that it would get out because, well." She gestures at herself. "I have friends, and they aren't dumb. I might be able to explain away a seeming quirk evolution, but they wouldn't buy whatever excuse I come up with about the strength enhancement."
All Might's brows furrow while Recovery Girl nods in agreement. "She's right, you know. Unlike you, young people have social lives. Hell, I have a social life despite being almost thirty years older than you!"
The man crosses his arms petulantly and grumbles to himself about him having friends. (He pointedly doesn't say who, knowing that he's been on the outs with Nighteye ever since he decided to continue being a hero despite his injury. Though that has gotten better ever since his forced 'vacation'. Which only really leaves Naomasa, now that he thinks of it.)
"So?" Jiro questions, still waiting for an answer. "What happens if I refuse? Because I'm pretty sure knowing you have two forms is a big enough secret in of itself; your quirk is probably considered a national secret."
The Symbol of Peace blinks his eyes, as if he never thought of that, only to go stiff when the sound of cackling echoes through the room. The occupants of which have their eyes drawn to the source, the vent in the ceiling. It rattles for a moment before being withdrawn, a small, white-furred creature in a suit popping out of it upside down. Despite the position most likely being supremely uncomfortable, no sign of it shows on their scarred face. They simply sip from a cup of tea while holding the saucer in their other hand (paw?) while giving Jiro a considering look, which she returns.
"Well, Miss Jiro, you would be required to sign an NDA that would ensure a rather sizable fine should you break it. You'd also face the prospect of those in power doing all they can to discredit you and your family, though they themselves do not know the secret of All Might's quirk."
Jiro hums consideringly before holding up her phone. "Sure, but what about the fact that I already told my friends?" She ignores All Might coughing up blood in shock and disbelief, continuing on as if nothing happened. "Telling people before signing would mean that I didn't break it, and unless you force them to sign one as well they could just spread it around instead."
Nezu laughs, bright and loud.
`~`
Across campus, Eraserhead shoots into a sitting position from a dead sleep, startling Present Mic, who spills his coffee. "Oh man, I just finished grading these essays too…"
Eraserhead doesn't acknowledge him, glaring at something far off. "Something… something problematic just happened," the man says groggily. "Somewhere on this campus."
"If you say so. Congrats on evolving your quirk to sense disturbances in The Force, go back to sleep."
`~`
"Don't worry about that; I activated a wonderful device that Power Loader made once I realized that Yagi had brought someone to UA with him!"
Jiro raises an eyebrow before glancing down at All Might. "Oh, All Might's name is Yagi?" She types that in her phone, sending it to the group chat along with all the other information she was told, prompting Nezu to look at her curiously.
"That's correct, Toshinori Yagi." More typing. "I do not know what you believe that will accomplish, your messages aren't going through."
In answer, she simply raises her phone to show him the group chat, though he's too far to read the particulars. What he can see is that she's been getting replies. He blinks at that, needing to stamp down on his frustration at yet another thing he was underprepared for. He had hoped that his hacking matches against the DAB would be one of the few things to take him off guard…
Seeing the realization dawn on him, Jiro gives him a shit-eating grin. "A hero needs to be prepared for any situation at any time. A phone that operates on a non-standard network is the least you can do."
Nezu stares at her for another moment before turning to All Might and baring his teeth in a smile. "I must agree with Recovery Girl: I like this one."
Nezu cackles at Recovery Girl's groan and All Might's vomit of blood.