The Hero Backdraft worked quickly, using his water Quirk to carve a clean, safe path through the lingering smoke and debris so that medical personnel could reach the injured.
Near the scene, medical staff and police surrounded the two conscious teenagers. Midoriya Izuku, the green-haired boy, was being harshly reprimanded by heroes for his reckless, Quirkless charge into danger. Meanwhile, Bakugo Katsuki, the blonde with the explosion Quirk, was being enthusiastically praised and solicited by the heroes into their agency.
All Might, still concealed,, kept his intense focus on Adam, the boy who lay unconscious near the shop sign.
"I can't be wrong,"
All Might thought, his breath held tight.
"That black light I saw in the morning, that pitch-black color… it's identical to the substance that appeared on his hand and covered the villain. Could his Quirk have lost control and caused the strange incident this morning? It seems to break apart anything it touches… but when it passed over me and the other civilians, it caused no damage. Why? Am I wrong? Is this just a terrifying similarity? No. I must confirm it myself! I must—Huh?"
All Might's golden eyes narrowed. Below, the scattered green sludge was slowly, agonizingly, drawing back together, condensing and reforming into its previous grotesque shape.
The Sludge Villain was a terrified and angry.
He Got Shattered into tiny fragments by the boy's power, he had fought against his own molecular repulsion. Each part felt slippery, refusing to fuse. But through sheer, desperate will, he had finally managed to reclaim his form.
He let out a shaky sigh of relief, instantly replaced by a roaring surge of hate.
"That Brat! That Bastard is the one who did it!!"
The Sludge Villain's eyes, bulging with rage, turned blood-red. His dream, acquiring a powerful vessel, rising up, had been ruined.
"I'll take your body as compensation!"
With a speed born of malice, the Sludge Villain shot toward the unconscious Adam. Nurses and medical staff screamed, scrambling backward in sheer, immobilized fright.
"Your power will be mine!! Ha ha ha ha ha!"
SWOOOOSH—
A golden flash tore through the smoke—
BOOOOM!!!
Like a thunderclap of golden lightning, the massive, muscular figure of the Symbol of Peace appeared at the blink of an eye, materializing instantly between the villain and the vulnerable boy.
"As if I'll allow you!" All Might roared.
"ALL—MIGHT!!" The green Sludge Villain shrieked, instantly freezing in mid-air, the panic draining all aggression from his body.
He didn't even have a chance to turn and run before he heard the final, terrible verdict of his demise:
"DETROIT SMASH!!!"
The powerful fist never touched the villain. It slammed only into the air, compressing it violently and releasing a shockwave that tore through the alley. The invisible force sent the Sludge Villain's body flying away, ripped apart into countless inert pieces. The remaining fires were instantly extinguished by the hurricane-force airwaves.
People and heroes nearby were nearly swept away, saved only when Mt. Lady, reacting instantly, used her gigantic, quickly enlarged arms as a massive protective barrier.
The immense shockwave generated a swirling tornado, sucking up all the leftover black smoke and debris. It rose into the sky, gathering nearby clouds and squeezing the moisture from them.
It began to rain.
All Might stood tall in the sudden downpour, steam visibly rising from his muscular body as he gasped for breath. His form was beginning to fail, but he used every ounce of willpower to steady himself, his hand discretely wiping away a small trickle of blood that seeped from his mouth, a cost of forcing his body past its limit.
For a full minute… the world was silent.
Everyone stared at the enormous blond man who had appeared from nowhere, wearing a simple white shirt and green army pants.
"ALL MIGHT!!"
"Hey! He made it rain! With just one punch?!!"
"He changed the weather with a casual blow!"
"That's All Might for ya!"
The onlookers erupted in a frenzied, triumphant roar, the cheers drowning out the sound of the rain.
All Might lifted his right hand high, declaring his victory with his characteristic, world-saving smile.
'Just hold it. Just for a moment longer…'
"Huh?"
A sudden, sharp chill, cold as ice, ran up All Might's spine.
"What a pure killing intent!"
He turned, his enhanced senses instantly pinpointing the source. His eyes zoomed onto a building directly facing the shopping district. On the rooftop stood a teenager clad in all black. What made the hero's blood run cold was the disturbing array of pale, zombie-like hands covering the boy's face, neck, and shoulders.
Beside him stood the swirling humanoid form of purple dark mist.
"Villains?!"
All Might saw the hatred, a focused, almost materialized desire to kill, oozing from the young man.
"I should capture him Right now!" All Might thought, his vision wavering. "But my body has reached its absolute limit. If I dare to use my power one more time, the whole world will see my true, weakened form! damn it!"
But looking at the chilling figure of the teenage villain, All Might made his decision. he can't let the villain dare to do something now, He couldn't risk the exposure, but he could risk a bluff.
He dropped instantly into a low, pre-running stance, channeling every remaining ounce of One For All into his posture.
he radiated imminent, world-ending speed, with an an unmistakable message:
"If you move, I'll be there before you blink."
...
A few moments earlier, back on the observation rooftop, Shigaraki Tomura and Kurogiri tracked the renewed action below.
"Tomura," Kurogiri murmured, his misty form slightly relieved. "It seems our candidate has regained consciousness. He managed to pull himself back together."
Shigaraki laughed, a sharp, manic sound. "Ha ha ha, I take back my words! The world is fair! Go, sewage! Go rebel against this hero society and kill that brat!"
"The boy is in serious danger, Shigaraki-san. The sludge is purely driven by anger now."
"THAT'S GOOD!" Shigaraki shrieked, scratching the skin below his facial hand. "Kill him! That is the proper result for anyone who tries to be a hero, they must die!"
But before the sludge could reach its target, a thunderous BANG! erupted. A colossal, muscular blond man in a simple white shirt and green trousers appeared instantaneously, positioning himself directly between the charging villain and the unconscious boy.
The man clenched his enormous fist. Just the compression of his muscles made the residual smoke and heat around him shudder. Then, he smashed the air in front of him toward the Sludge Villain.
The resulting shockwave was blinding. Shigaraki and Kurogiri suddenly saw nothing but a massive, opaque wall of air and wind. A miniature tornado manifested, soaring into the sky, violently swallowing all the black smoke. The clouds above instantly gathered, thickening, and squeezing out water.
Rain began to fall, washing the filthy street clean.
"C-Cheater!! That's absolute cheating!" Tomura Shigaraki began tearing at his neck and face with intense speed, oblivious as flakes of skin peeled away.
Next to him, Kurogiri involuntarily opened a small, black sliver of the warp gate, his tone heavy with fear and respect.
"The Symbol of Peace... All Might... he seems unaffected? Was he simply occupied? His strength is still as utterly ridiculous as always. Tomura, we must leave. With that man's speed and his sharpness, he can reach this rooftop in an instant. We cannot risk capture."
Shigaraki screamed his rage at the unmoving, steaming figure below. "Ah... game over... ALL MIGHT!!! I'LL DESTROY YOU! I'LL DESTROY YOUR FAKE SYMBOL OF PEACE! I'll destroy everything you have built! Just you wait!"
Kurogiri, still watching through the binoculars, suddenly saw All Might's massive head turn toward their rooftop. The hero then sank low, planting his feet into a terrifying, pre-running stance—the posture of a man about to launch himself at impossible velocity.
"TOMURA! QUICKLY! ENTER THE WARP GATE!!!"
Tomura Shigaraki, recognizing the difference in power, abandoned his screaming rage. He jumped backward, falling into the safety of the misty void.
Kurogiri followed suit, his misty form flowing into the gate. He closed it instantly and tightly, worried that All Might might somehow follow them through the dimensional tear.
He did not notice the small, single red feather clinging tightly to the metal brace at the back of his neck.
On the street below, seeing the two dark figures vanish in a flash of purple mist, All Might breathed a heavy, internal sigh of relief.
"Phew. They were fooled," he thought, holding his perfect smile. "That warp gate user—his Quirk is devastatingly dangerous; he can appear and disappear at will. But that kid... the leader... I felt a vile, cold intent from him. My gut is shouting at me that something truly terrible will happen because of that boy. I hope my bluff was the correct call, because I certainly couldn't have forced the capture."
...
Hawks saw the entire events unfolding. He saw All Might's terrifying display of power, and he saw the two villains shrink back and flee.
"I guess luck is on my side," he thought, pulling his wings in tight. "I don't have to show myself or confront them, which might have startled the snake. Should I tell All Might what I learned immediately? Hmm, he noticed them himself, they were clearly scared of him."
"No. Better safe."
"I should do this without the media frenzy seeing me interacting with the Symbol of Peace," he decided. "I'll track him secretly and have a private conversation."
As for the League of Villains, that was now a secondary, long-term operation.
Hawks swiftly pulled out his phone and made a rapid call to his sidekick.
"Hey, where are you now? Okay, good. Remain there. I'm sending a feather your way. Follow its direction as fast as possible. Don't ask questions now. When you reach the destination, do not, under any circumstances, take action. Just watch."
Hawks already had numerous covert feathers placed around the city, telekinetically guided the feather closest to his sidekick and delivered it.
Hawks was sent specifically by the HPSC to find the source of the quirks incident, in order to gather intelligence quickly, he had already put several of his feathers across the city.
The task of tracking the unknown League of Villains was now delegated. Hawks' current, immediate priority was to close the distance on the Number One Hero and share his chilling discovery.
After All, he seems to be the main target of the villains.
...
After All Might delivered the final blast, the police officers moved in with practiced hands, gathering the scattered villain gelatinous pieces into black trash plastic bags.
To Midoriya, the sight felt strangely distant, as if he were watching a scene unfold behind thick glass.
Adam was rushed to the nearest hospital, still unconscious.
All Might, pressed by his strict time limit, slipped away before the inevitable flood of journalists could arrive.
Midoriya and Bakugo finished their official reports, then parted ways with the officers.
The sun sank toward the horizon, its last rays stretching long across the city, the gold softening into amber.
Midoriya began his walk home, his steps slow and uneven, his head hanging low. The lingering adrenaline had drained from his limbs, leaving a subtle, exhausting tremble. His palms felt clammy in the cooling evening air.
He tried to breathe, but each inhale brushed against the tight, painful knot lodged under his ribs.
Today had been too much.
He'd almost died. He'd been saved by the hero he admired most. He'd discovered that hero's devastating secret. And worst of all, that same hero had spoken the words that had crushed every last shard of the future he'd desperately clung to since childhood:
You can't be a hero without a quirk.
As he walked, the pavement seemed to stretch longer than usual, like a thin ribbon pulling him farther and farther from the person he wished he could be. Each step felt like closing a chapter he wasn't ready to end.
Maybe… maybe it's time to stop pretending, he thought, his chest tightening. Time to accept that ordinary is all I can ever be.
And yet, in the middle of that profound ache, there was something strangely light. A small, flickering warmth: he had done something heroic today. It wasn't much. He hadn't fought. He hadn't saved anyone. He had only run forward like a terrified fool and been scolded by heroes and cops alike… but it had been the closest he had ever felt to the dream he loved.
That small spark was the only gentle thing he carried from the entire day.
He let out a tired sigh. It drifted upward, lost in the golden haze of the evening.
"DEKU!"
The familiar voice cracked through his melancholy like an explosion.
Midoriya stopped and spun around.
Bakugo was approaching fast, breath harsh, steps heavy. His expression was a volatile mix of frustration and something he clearly refused to name. His shoulders shook slightly, either from the sprint or from the sheer pressure of everything he wouldn't admit.
"K-Kacchan…?"
Bakugo didn't acknowledge the fear or the question in Midoriya's voice. He squared his jaw, forcing his expression back into the sharp, bristling mask he'd worn for years.
"I never asked you for help!" he snapped. "You didn't save me! Got it, Deku? I was fine by myself!"
His glare landed on Midoriya with all the familiar heat, but Midoriya felt the tremor behind it. For the first time, Kacchan's resentment wasn't aimed downward. It felt… horizontal. A clash between equals, at least in the charged heat of that single moment.
Bakugo's fists trembled at his sides. He wasn't only angry at Midoriya. He was furious at himself.
He couldn't accept being saved, especially by the quirkless boy he had always claimed was beneath him. He refused to accept the sharp humiliation curling in his gut. He refused to think about how weak he'd felt in those moments when his struggle and efforts were meaningless in the face of that villain.
And more than anything, he refused to acknowledge the truth clawing at him: If he had been quirkless… he doubted he would have run forward like Midoriya did.
So he hid it all behind the only armor he trusted.
"I didn't need your help! Or that extra's help either!" Bakugo barked, venom coating the last word. "Don't start thinking you can look down on me!"
He leaned forward, voice low and fierce. "Just watch, nerd. I'm the one who'll become the number one hero."
He turned away before anything truly real could slip through the cracks, but even from behind, Midoriya saw the tension in his shoulders, anger mixed with something much more fragile, something like desperate self-assurance.
Midoriya watched him disappear down the street, confusion tugging at his expression. Kacchan's tone was harsh, but there had been something else underneath. Something like… recognition. As if, for the first time, Bakugo had looked at him not as a nobody, but as a rival he absolutely refused to lose to.
Midoriya let out a small, helpless sigh.
"Kacchan… thinking too much again," he murmured. "How can a quirkless nobody compete with him?"
"I did nothing. I only ran forward, that's all. It was all thanks to that black-haired boy who appeared out of nowhere and used his powerful quirk to defeat the villain. If he hadn't jumped in front of me, there was a high chance I would have died from that villain's attack. I hope he will be fine."
sigh "I'm envious of his quirk… it looks cool… powerful."
"What is that dark thing? Does it shatter anything it coats? It didn't do any visible damage to that sludge villain because of the special nature of his liquid body, but if it were used on other people, it would be deadly! It seems he needs to physically touch his target for it to function, that's a powerful quirk. It can be used for rescue, or incapacitating villains… but it seems its effects don't last long. The villain managed to gather his body back after a while. If it weren't for All Might, that boy would have been possessed. Fortunately, All Might appeared. That Detroit Smash was so powerful… this is my first time seeing it directly, the previous time when i almost got killed by the villain doesn't count because i was dizzy, I'm so lucky! With one punch he made it rain! As expected of All Might, even though he is injured and past his limits, he still saved people with a smile! Ah… I should apologize for causing trouble. If I hadn't held on to his leg, nothing would have happened. Maybe I should send an apology message on his official website."
Without knowing when, Midoriya had fully entered his rambling analysis mode. His quirk-analyzing instincts kicked in, and his mouth became like a gatling gun, firing analysis after analysis as his brain poured out ideas nonstop.
"I AM HERE!"
Suddenly, a powerful gust of wind stirred in front of Midoriya, snapping him out of his inner monologue. A muscular blond figure dashed out of the left intersection road while shouting his iconic line.
"A-ALL MIGHT! Why are you here? I thought you left because you reached the time limit!" Midoriya jumped in surprise. He even started doubting whether he had awakened a quirk that allowed him to summon All Might just by thinking about him.
"Ha ha ha ha ha… Don't worry, shonen! I'm fine! Why? BECAUSE I'M ALL MIG—pouhhh!"
A spray of blood burst from All Might's mouth. The familiar steam rose around him, melting away his heroic, larger form until only the thin, skeletal figure remained.
"Ahhh—!" Midoriya's shoulders jumped. Even after seeing it earlier, the sudden transformation shocked him every time.
"Cough… cough… ahem…"
All Might wiped the blood away. He stood in front of Midoriya in his skeleton-like form, but his aura didn't diminish in the slightest; in fact, it seemed sharper and more focused than usual.
He looked at him seriously and said, "Shonen… I come with thanks, a correction, and a suggestion."
"Huh?" Midoriya gripped the belt of his backpack, looking at All Might in confusion.
All Might's voice softened as he started explaining what he meant: "If you hadn't been there… if you hadn't told me about your life… I would have turned into a mere guy in a bodysuit who was all talk. So… thank you."
Midoriya's throat tightened: "That can't be… it was my fault in the first place. I got in the way of your work, and I said all those impertinent things even though I'm quirkless…"
Midoriya shook his head, unable to accept this thanks because of the consuming guilt.
All Might cut him off with a small, definitive shake of his head.
"That's right. It was because none other than the timid, quirkless you was at the scene that I was able to act!"
Midoriya's eyes widened, green irises catching the last of the sunlight like glass.
All Might continued, his voice steady with conviction.
"Top heroes have stories about themselves from their school days. Most of them have one thing in common, just like what you did back then for the blond boy, their bodies moved before they had a chance to think! That was true for you too, wasn't it?"
Midoriya's green eyes started glittering, then misted over.
His idol, the number one hero, recognized his feat and even said he was like the top heroes in their youth.
Without realizing it, tears began to gush from his eyes. His body trembled, he crouched down, trying to hold back the sobs, but the warmth of All Might's words, the words he had longed to hear even from his mom, the words representing his dream and aspiration that had been denied by everyone around him, now came from the one he respected most.
The memory of his mother's words, "I'm sorry, Izuku… I'm sorry, I'm sorry," resounded in his mind.
The faint, fragile memory echoed inside him, raw and painfully real.
His fingers pressed to his chest as though something beneath his ribs was finally cracking open.
All Might looked at the shaking, tearful boy. He understood that his words meant everything to this young man. He said what he felt he must say, No! He should Say and correct his previous statement.
"You can become a hero!"
Midoriya couldn't control himself anymore. He dropped to the ground, crying out all the negative emotions pressed in his chest, the self-doubt, the discrimination he had suffered, and the dreams he felt slipping farther away each day.
Sobs tore from his lips.
sniffle… hic… snuffle… echoing in the quiet street.
His chest shook violently, hands clutching at his heart as though trying to hold the fragile thing in place. The warmth of All Might's words wrapped around him, melting the cold ice of self-doubt that had frozen him for so long.
He cried until he felt the burden lifted.
All Might silently stood, letting the boy untangle the knot in his heart.
With a messy, tearful, snotty face, Midoriya looked up at the man he admired, a powerful thought forming in his mind.
The ultimate compliment, the thing he had longed to hear most, was now being offered by the man he admired most.
'Could anything be more shocking than this?'
All Might raised his hands, then brought them down with a decisive motion, saying something that made Midoriya's mind screech to a halt:
"You are worthy to inherit my power!"
For a heartbeat, the world turned silent.
"…Huh?" Midoriya squeaked, tilted his head, his face a mask of utter blankness. His tear-streaked cheeks were frozen in disbelief.
All Might took two steps forward, closing the distance to the dumbfounded boy. He lifted his hand dramatically, then dropped it to point at Midoriya. "Listen, young man," he repeated, his voice booming with forced enthusiasm. "You need to decide whether or not you will accept my power!" He said it so loudly and excitedly that he immediately sputtered a mouthful of blood, which he swiftly wiped away with the back of his hand.
"W-WHAT ARE YOU SAYING, ALL MIGHT?!" Izuku yelped.
Midoriya had literally understood the words, but the meaning was impossible. It was a solid, unchangeable fact in this world that Quirks were something people were born with, something inherited, genetic like hair color etc...
All Might instantly realized the young boy's confusion, seeing the panic behind his emerald eyes. He leaned in, his tone dropping to a serious, confidential murmur.
"Most people think I have 'Superhuman Strength,' or some kind of 'Muscle Boost' Quirk, and I constantly dodge the question during interviews with a funny joke." He puffed his hollow chest out for a moment, then winced visibly as his ribs protested the strain. "Because the Symbol of Peace, All Might, had to be a natural-born hero, a singular force of nature."
He paused, letting the silence settle like ash. Midoriya's eyes were glued to the skeletal hero, every nerve ending screaming.
"But young man, I'll tell you the truth…" All Might's voice deepened, taking on a gravitas Midoriya had never heard before. "My Quirk was passed on to me like a sacred torch."
All Might opened his arms wide, looking toward the sky at a forty-five-degree angle, and declared something that made Izuku's jaw dropped. Far behind a wall, hidden in shadow, another jaw dropped too.
"It was passed on to you?" Midoriya and Hawks repeated the sentence in staggered, absolute shock.
'What the hell is going on today?'
Hawks inwardly groaned, pressing his back harder against the cold brick, feathers trembling in disbelief.
'I came for one simple conversation. ONE. Instead I walk into a myth being real?!'
Hawks had been secretly trailing All Might, hoping to find a moment to discuss the intelligence he had accidentally gathered, specifically, the possibility of All For One's return under the guise of the League of Villains. He'd intended to wait until the green-haired kid left. When he heard All Might recognizing the boy's bravery, Hawks had scoffed inwardly. Telling a Quirkless kid he could be a hero was recklessly pushing him toward disaster. But now, hearing All Might's latest bombshell, he realized All Might wasn't reckless, he was insane.
'A power that can be passed on, and All Might wants to pass it to this kid? This is something straight out of a comic book!'
Hawks stopped thinking and focused intensely on All Might's next words.
Izuku was shaking his head repeatedly. "Th-That's… that's impossible…!"
Midoriya was muttering non-stop, a torrent of frantic denial pouring from his lips about the impossibility of such an ability. All Might cut him off mid-mutter.
"I may hide a lot of things, but I don't lie!" All Might's eyes held absolute, unshakeable honesty. "The power to transfer power, that's the true essence of the Quirk I inherited!"
He lifted his palm, facing the sky. Midoriya swore he could see a faint, colorful light emanating from it, but when he blinked, it vanished, leaving only the sight of the frail hero.
"I was crowned with One For All!"
"One… For… All…" Midoriya repeated the name in a low whisper, his eyes wide with wonder and amazement, the sheer weight of the words settling over him.
Hawks rested his chin on his hand, the hidden feathers of his wings instinctively tensing against the brick. His brain began to furiously analyze the new data.
'One For All… All For One… There has to be a connection... Passing down strength… maybe even quirks? But All Might never showed anything except brute force. What is he hiding?'
Midoriya clutched his chest, overwhelmed.
"Why are you… why are you giving something so great, a power like this, to me?"
Though happiness was blooming inside him like a fragile flower, Midoriya's lifelong low self-esteem made him feel profoundly unworthy. Wouldn't it be better if it was given to someone with an already powerful Quirk, like Bakugo, or one of the top Pro Heroes?
It was exactly what Hawks was thinking.
Hidden behind the wall, Hawks' brow furrowed in serious disagreement. He folded his arms tightly across his chest, his posture shifting from casual observer to tactical analyst.
'A power like this, a world-class nuclear bomb of strength, and he's offering it to a Quirkless kid?'
Hawks thought.
'logically, It's an absolute waste of resources. With the intelligence I have on hand, we're facing a potential crisis. We need that power active, stabilized, and ready for deployment right now.'
'If I had the superhuman strength of All Might, plus my Fierce Wings Quirk… becoming the new Symbol of Peace wouldn't just be possible, it would be a guaranteed piece of cake. Maybe a student at the top of a hero program, someone proven, with a few years of solid training?'
Hawks shook his head in disappointment.
'This kid is a civilian. He's brave, sure, but he's zero-capacity right now. All Might's heart is too big, it's clouding his overall situational awareness. He's choosing based on raw, instinctive guts, not tactical necessity.'
Hawks took a deep breath, the serious expression instantly dissolving back into his easy, almost lazy smirk. He unfurled his arms, leaning slightly off the wall.
'Ah, well. Not my problem to solve, is it?'
He gave a slight, almost imperceptible shrug.
'It's his Quirk, his choice. And if he wants to gamble the world on a teary-eyed fanboy, I guess I don't have a say in it.'
All Might clenched his fist, the sinews in his gaunt arm straining. "I have been looking for a successor, and after that incident, I realized you are the most suitable one to inherit it!" His voice cracked with genuine pride. "You are just a Quirkless hero fanboy, but your body moved instinctively! You were more heroic than anyone else back there!"
Tears gathered in Midoriya's eyes again, but he resisted the urge to sob this time, taking a deep, shuddering breath. "B-But… I wasn't the only one who took action. In fact, that black-haired boy with the darkness Quirk was far more heroic than me, and he was the one who defeated the villain, both to save me and save Kacchan."
All Might nodded his head in acceptance. "That's right, young man, but you only saw things from your perspective. That young man took action because he saw you take action. Your courage infected him, and it infected me. Moreover, that young man has a powerful, dangerous Quirk. I'm afraid if I gave him One For All, it would run out of control and cause a disaster." All Might placed a heavy hand on Midoriya's shoulder. "Alright. The final decision rests with you. It's up to you to decide whether you want to inherit my power or not."
Midoriya clenched his fist, breath trembling with conviction.
'He said all that… he shared his secret… he chose me. There's no reason to hesitate. None!'
He wiped his tears and snot on his sleeve with a frantic swipe, then stood straight, face set with a seriousness that looked too big for his freckled features. He drew in a breath—
And then—
"Wait."
The voice came from directly behind them.
The word was quiet, almost conversational, yet it detonated the solemn atmosphere like a flashbang.
"NANI?!!"
All Might and Midoriya jolted so violently it looked like their souls tried to eject themselves from their bodies.
PUFFFF
All Might's eyes bulged, a jet of blood spurting from his mouth like a cracked fountain.
Midoriya didn't spit blood, but the effect was similar. His eyes bulged so wide they looked like they might detach, and the color drained from his face entirely. For a sickening second, he felt his literal soul try to exit his mouth, leaving behind nothing but an empty, trembling shell.
They whipped around in perfect synchronization, faces pale and horrified.
Their exchanged glance screamed one, unified thought:
We. Are. Finished.
All Might's neck creaked as he turned, stiff as a poorly oiled machine.
In a flash of panic, he genuinely considered transforming into his buff form, blitzing forward with a knife-hand chop, and praying amnesia was a real thing you could induce manually.
Midoriya peeked out from behind All Might...
—and froze.
"H-Haa—H-Hawks!!"
The Number One Hero and his number one fanboy screamed the name together like a duo caught doing something illegal.
There he was.
Standing casually with his back against the wall like he'd been waiting for someone to offer him popcorn.
Hawks lifted a hand in a lazy wave, smile bright and unbothered.
"Yo, All Might," he chirped. He cocked his head slightly toward Midoriya. "And Greenette. Sorry to interrupt the dramatic destiny talk, but, uh…" Hawks paused for emphasis, letting the silence stretch for a while before he said :
"Inheritance, huh? Should I take a number, or is this one of those exclusive VIP lines?"
Midoriya's face turned sheet-white.
'All Might's biggest secret. Exposed! I kept causing troubles to All Might, I deserve To Die!'
All Might choked on air, then on panic, then on more air.
"Y-Y-Yoo… H-Hawks…! I… ah… uh… long time no see!"
His voice cracked so hard it sounded like he swallowed his own dignity.
He wanted, needed, to ask:
How long were you standing there?
What exactly did you hear?
Is it too late to pretend none of this happened and physically throw you into the ocean?
But all that came out was a trembling smile and a sweat drop that practically slid off him like a waterfall.
As If He read his thoughts, Hawks said :
"Don't worry, All Might. I heard everything." Hawks stretched his arms with an exaggerated sigh, his sharp golden eyes narrowed playfully. "From the moment you met the green-haired kid, it was like watching a movie. I almost shed tears, honestly. A quirkless kid getting the recognition of the Number One Hero, who wants to pass his powerful Quirk to him? I almost cried. Almost. If I had popcorn, I would've given the whole thing a solid nine out of ten."
All Might let out the weakest "Ha-ha…" of his career. His smile twitched, then died.
his gaze turned heavy. "Why are you here, Hawks? And why did you follow me secretly? I must ask you to keep everything you heard to yourself, you know the turmoil this news would cause if leaked. I'll even ask you to keep it from the Hero Public Safety Commission."
All Might's tone was serious, a stark command. Hawks' easy smile also disappeared, replaced by a focused, solemn expression. He nodded slowly.
"While I do want to complain that you're quite reckless discussing something this serious in such a public place, don't worry. This information won't leave my lips. As for your questions—I was sent here by the organization to investigate the Quirk incident from the morning. I didn't intend to follow you, but I accidentally discovered some shocking information I felt the Number One Hero needed to know. That's why I trailed you."
"Discovered shocking information? Did you figure out the source of that incident?" All Might asked, leaning forward anxiously. His gaze was intense, already calculating.
'Is it related to that black haired Shonen? Did Hawks figure out the same thing?'
Hawks shook his head, the movement tight. "No. It's related to the two dudes you scared away: the dark purple mist guy with the Warp Gate Quirk and the creepy kid with the palms clutching his body."
All Might frowned deeply. Midoriya, standing slightly behind All Might, felt a cold knot tighten in his stomach. He wanted to turn and leave, the topic is something a civilian like him shouldn't hear, yet he also desperately needed to stay and deliver his answer. Without him realizing it, the atmosphere had grown heavy, the deepening twilight suddenly feeling oppressive. Both Midoriya and All Might had beads of nervous sweat tracing paths down their faces.
"At that moment, I felt a strong killing intent directed toward me," All Might admitted, his voice a low rumble. "When I turned, I saw those two guys on the rooftop. They are undoubtedly villains. My gut told me they would definitely be troublesome, but I had reached my limit. I was afraid they would act, so I had no other choice except scaring them off. Please, Hawks, tell me what you discovered?"
Hawks let out a long, helpless sigh. He glanced pointedly at Midoriya, the gesture loaded with implication. "Are you fine with him listening? What I'm about to say may be dangerous for him to hear."
All Might turned to Midoriya. He looked into the boy's eyes and saw not fear, but a quiet, unyielding determination burning there.
'He has already decided, but let's confirm it.'
"Young man… I didn't hear your answer."
"I'll do it!" For some reason, Midoriya didn't stutter this time. The words burst out, fueled by a deep, absolute conviction. This was it—the chance, the only chance to achieve his lifelong dream, to become the Hero he always looked up to. He would not, could not, hesitate!
All Might's tired eyes crinkled in a genuine, warm smile. "That's what I thought." He then turned back to Hawks. "As you've probably heard, I have chosen to pass my power to this young man. He will become my successor, the successor of the Symbol of Peace. I think he has the right to know."
Hawks exhaled in disappointment.
"That's your power, you can hand it to whoever you want. But All Might… this is a risky play. I hope you reconsider after hearing what I say."
Midoriya felt a shock of frustration and defensiveness at the Pro Hero's words. He clenched his fists, knuckles white, but managed to keep silent, watching. He looked at All Might and saw an expression of unwavering resolve.
"No matter what you say, Hawks," All Might said firmly, "I won't change my decision. This boy will become a great hero one day!"
He gave Midoriya a thumbs-up.
Midoriya's breath hitched, the sudden pride and validation overwhelming him, tears welling up.
"A-All Mightooo!!"
"Compose yourself, young man. A future Symbol of Peace must save people with a smile, not with waterfall eyes." All Might gently scolded, though his voice was kind.
Hawks watched the two emotionally flailing boys and sighed.
"Man… that's cruel, All Might. I was really hoping to snag One For All for myself."
Midoriya and All Might froze, they stared blankly at the Number Three Hero.
Hawks grinned mischievously.
"Just imagine it! super strength stacked on my Fierce Wings? I'd become unstoppable! The crime rate of Japan would drop to an unimaginable rate, and heroes would finally become less busy… Alas"
He sighed dreamily. "But nooo, I guess I'm not this world's protagonist. You, green-haired kid, you sure you're not packing a Luck Quirk?"
Midoriya blinked at him, horrified.
'So you were just greedy for my One For All!'
Midoriya glared at Hawks, hostility flaring. This was his chance, and he wouldn't let anyone take it. He expressed his unyielding determination with his fixed, brave gaze and his clenched, ready fists.
'Huh, interesting kid' Hawks thought, noticing the shift.
'Timid, yet when it comes to critical times, he becomes so brave.'
Hawks waved his hands dismissively, a wide, easy smile back on his face. "I was just joking to lighten the mood. Don't worry, boy, I won't steal your chance."
"I-I d-didn't…" Midoriya stammered, quickly waving his hands in an embarrassed frenzy.
"Alright, Hawks, let's go back to our topic," All Might interrupted, steering the conversation back to the serious matter. "What did you discover about those two villains that made you follow me secretly?"
"I'll skip how I discovered them. In short, I relied on my feathers acting as sensors—they capture the vibrations and transmit them to me. I relied on this feature of my Quirk to eavesdrop on them… What the hell are you doing, boy?"
Hawks and All Might's attention snapped toward Midoriya.
Midoriya had already whipped out a notebook, scribbling furiously.
"I-I-I… this is my hobby," Midoriya said shyly, his eyes darting left and right. "I like to record and analyze the Quirks of heroes and others. I had previously analyzed your Quirk, Hawks, and never knew your feathers had this sensory skill, so I was updating my notes—sorry!"
"What a weird hobby," Hawks muttered, though he chuckled slightly. "Alright, just don't spread it."
All Might smiled faintly at Midoriya. He understood the boy's obsession, it stemmed from his quirklessness. He motioned to Hawks, his expression once again serious. "Please continue, Hawks. Focus on the important matter."
"Right. So I heard some interesting things. First, the kid with the palms covering his body is the leader, and the Warp Gate guy is the subordinate. The first one is called Tomura Shigaraki, and the other is Kurogiri." Hawks paused, letting the names sink in.
"The second thing is: the guy who calls himself Tomura Shigaraki is aiming to destroy and kill the Symbol of Peace, All Might! And they even guessed you're getting weak, though they were doubtful after seeing your punch that changed the weather."
"W-WHAT!" Midoriya couldn't believe his ears, his face draining of color. Someone is targeting All Might? And they know about his injury?
All Might wasn't entirely surprised; the killing intent he'd sensed from the young man was enough to tell him their goal. What did alarm him was the fact they knew about his injury or at least suspected his weakening.
All Might asked calmly, "Let's assume they know about my injury and time limit. I believe they must be relying on something else. Looking at their reaction when they escaped, they can't achieve such a goal by themselves. Did you figure out their reliance or plan?"
Hawks nodded, his expression grim. "That Tomura Shigaraki seems to be forming something called the Villain League. They're probably planning to gather villains under one banner. In fact, the reason they were watching from the rooftop was because they were interested in the Sludge Villain. They were intending to recruit him after he possessed the blonde boy, but because of the black-haired boy's intervention, they lost that opportunity."
Midoriya whispered, "Kaachan… thank goodness he was saved… if he wasn't…"
Even after all the bullying, he never wished something so awful on Bakugo.
All Might shook his head. "That's not enough to destroy the Symbol of Peace. In front of a huge gap in strength, numbers don't add any impact."
Hawks grinned, a look of respect in his eyes. "As expected of All Might, you saw through the crux of the matter."
"Yeah, you're right. Let me tell you what the guy called Tomura Shigaraki said to the Warp Gate user after they lost the opportunity to recruit the Sludge Villain. He told him to kidnap that black-haired boy in front of the heroes." Hawks lowered his voice. "I remember Kurogiri also said that Shigaraki's and the boy's Quirks were somehow similar. We can infer Tomura Shigaraki must have a destructive Quirk. If that Sludge Villain didn't gather itself again—if you didn't interfere—they would have taken action. At that time, I would have had to make an appearance, which would ruin a certain arrangement I made in secret."
Midoriya and All Might's eyes widened dramatically, a shared look of horror passing between them.
Midoriya was shocked that such a thing was nearly inflicted upon the kind boy who saved him and Kaachan.
All Might, however, was terrified of the possibility of that kid falling into the hands of villains who might use his power, which he suspect can erase quirks at large scale, as a weapon against the world.
The street was quiet. Sakura petals drifted lazily across the asphalt, carried by the soft breeze. The lamps buzzed faintly, bathing the street in a warm, orange glow. Night had barely settled, but the weight of the conversation made the air feel colder.
Midoriya stood stiffly, clutching his notebook to his chest. His voice trembled, yet there was conviction beneath it.
"T-that's… Mr. Hawks… I think that black-haired boy is a kind person."
He forced himself to continue.
"Even if villains kidnapped him, he wouldn't… he wouldn't do something evil. Even if they threatened him."
He spoke with urgent sincerity, trying to defend the boy who had saved him earlier.
Hawks tilted his head, watching Midoriya with a faint, thoughtful smile.
"Honestly? I agree."
His feathers rustled slightly with the breeze.
"The two villains who tried to take him… they said the same thing."
All Might and Midoriya blinked in sync.
"…Wait. What?"
"Then why intend to do such a futile thing?"
All Might analyzed, his brow furrowed in concentration.
"Could it be they have some kind of brainwashing or manipulation Quirk? Could this be their reliance, they plan to manipulate villains? Hmm… something feels off."
Hawks didn't intend to prolong the suspense. He needed to deliver the critical information. His voice dropped, suddenly grave.
"All Might… there's something more important. Something I came specifically to tell you."
The lamps illuminated half of Hawks's face, casting the other half in shadow.
"that Shigaraki said he has a master. I believe he is the black hand behind the scenes."
All Might straightened, waiting for Hawks to deliver the most important piece in the puzzle.
"Shigaraki said he will ask his master to transfer the Quirk of the black-haired boy to someone suitable…Doesn't that sound like what All For One used to do?"
"WHAT?!"
BOOM!
Unconsciously, All Might's body erupted in steam, transforming into his muscular, Heroic form.
CRACK!
The ground cracked under his sudden weight.
If there was someone he feared and hated the most, it was, without a doubt, his lifelong enemy, All For One.