Archive of Our Own ^beta

Toshinori coughs as light filters in underneath the rubbles where he lies, allowing him to see what has become of the district. A cacophony of sounds drown out his thoughts as he pushes the debris out of his way and sits up, only to find a young boy carefully carrying away the blocks of cements around him.

The kid then scurries over towards him, green tufts covered in dust. How did he find me? He doesn't voice out, and instead wipes the blood off his arm as he inhales deeply.

"H-hello," he greets Toshinori, clasping his hands together anxiously. He comes to the realisation that there's blood tainting it, a few cuts littering his skin. He thinks of the debris' sharp edges and how the boy helped him out of the wreckage. Did he get injured by that? "Are you… are you okay? I-I'm sorry, the attack came too quickly and before I knew it, the store already collapsed. Well, not to imply that I could've done anything because the attack was all too sudden – b-but more importantly, um… are you okay?"

He lets out a fond chuckle as he ruffles the kid's hair. He has a good heart – that much is clear to Toshinori. "Don't worry, you've done plenty, young man. Thank you for helping me."

His emerald eyes glimmer at that, reflecting the flames surrounding them. Crap. Toshinori has to help out the other heroes. How has he not noticed anything until he's already buried underneath the rubbles anyway?

The kid reaches out a hand to him, putting a halt to his thoughts. The world comes to a standstill, noises distant and fire dimming in his view. One for All hums beneath his skin, encouraging him to take it.

He grins, and allows the kid to pull him up.

"Hey, young man," he looks up at Toshinori. "What's your name?"

The kid parts his lips open, about to answer, but flames suddenly swirl up in the midst of the battle. He has to go now.

"Thank you again, but I have to go," Toshinori says, searching for a place where he can turn into his muscle form. "You should – ?"

"I have to go and find my mom," he interjects, scrunching up his nose worriedly. "A-are you sure though? I mean, no offense but – "

An explosion. Screams cut through the noises of the chaos, and Toshinori's fingers twitch instinctively, already itching to join the battle.

"I'll be fine," he bares his teeth into a grin, hoping that he pulled off his All Might smile despite his form. "Take care!"

The kid nods, and Toshinori quietly wilts as he turns his back on him and runs to find a spot to transform in. He activates One for All, and turns into his All Might form. Then, he's quick to jump into the fray.

He feels regretful at how he couldn't even properly thank the boy, least of all ask for his name. But no matter; if fate allows it, they'll meet again.

Suddenly, he feels like someone – some people – are laughing at him. But when he looks around, everyone is focused on the battle.

How utterly strange.

He thinks nothing of it, intent to finish off the fight before it gets worse. So, pushing that thought aside, he focuses on being a hero.

It's been a few days since the large-scale attack, with his mother no longer fussing over him as much. He understands her worry; they were both there when the district was targeted, separated only because they decided to split up to different stores in order to be able to return home early. He can still remember how scared she was when he finally managed to find her a few hours later, and they may or may not have had a crying battle.

He had been feeling a little off since the incident, though. Not entirely bad, but more on – unusual. Like he's found what he had been missing out on his entire life, as if the piece to the unsolved puzzle within him was slotted in and he's finally complete.

There's also the humming beneath his skin, and he feels more alive. He's not quite sure as to what brought this on though, nor does he know how to deal with it. Still, he'll try and make the best out of it.

"Deku,"

Or… maybe not.

He looks up at Kacchan, offering him a wobbly smile. His childhood friend stares him down, displeased, and brings down his hand onto Izuku's desk.

As he fixes his gaze on his now broken desk, he remembers the man from the attack. He wonders how he's doing now. Hopefully he didn't get injured from helping out. He didn't seem like a hero – Izuku's sure he'd know if he was one.

While he did have the air of certainty and determination that heroes carry with them when they battle, Izuku doesn't recognize him; he's quite proud of his knowledge regarding heroes, so there's that.

"...ignoring me. You think you're better than me, huh?" Izuku yelps as Kacchan pulls him up by his collar, thoughts dissipating into nothingness as a flare of anger sparks in his chest. He glares back, rage bursting into life within him. It rushes through his veins as he clenches his fist, ready to let his punch fly.

Then the realisation of what he's planning dawns upon him, and the anger quickly dies down. But it's too late – the damage has already been made, and it surely didn't escape Kacchan's sight.

"What," he wills himself to become smaller as Kacchan's grip tightens, "the fuck was that, Deku?"

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean – " his apologies fall on deaf ears. When he comes to, his uniform is scorched and there are burns on his skin.

"You're just a pebble beneath my shoes, Deku," Izuku casts his gaze downwards, brows furrowed in confusion as he tries to comprehend what he had just done.

He's never really felt angry at his classmates when they hurt him. When they target others, sure, but never when it comes to him. He's gotten used to it – all the taunts, sneers, and mockery, and maybe he does think he deserves some of it.

But he just got mad at Kacchan – for hurting him.

Oh, he thinks as he picks himself up. His gaze lands on his hero analysis notebook that's been knocked out of his hands, and a mix of enthusiasm and determination washes over him. Something's definitely going on, isn't there.

Despite that realisation, however, Izuku still has no idea how to figure out what exactly has changed.

"So you're telling me," Nedzu says after a while, gaze sharp, "that you no longer have One for All."

Toshinori squirms in his seat, deflating as he nods in shame. He doesn't know how it just disappeared; he hasn't even found a successor yet, but it was just gone.

He was doing his hero activities per usual, transforming in alleyways in order to not strain himself and attend to as many attacks as possible. But when he reached out for his quirk yesterday, he realised that it wasn't as strong. Gone was the undying flame of One for All – instead, there was only its embers left within him.

He needs to find and take it back as soon as possible.

"I didn't willingly pass it," he tells the principal, who sips his tea. Despite his calm demeanor, Toshinori can tell that he's serious. "I know that it's not with me anymore. Soon, I'll be quirkless." The again was left unsaid.

Nedzu pours tea into his cup, but he doesn't drink it. Instead, he looks at Toshinori, and the thought that he seems immensely disappointed pains him to no end. "This is a serious matter – we need to find your quirk as soon as we can. But first, I need you to recall the recent events you've been through. Did you meet anyone and thought of them as worthy of your power? Someone you got in contact with in any way that would count as you passing your quirk?"

Toshinori lets out a sigh. He's gotten into too many battles these past few weeks, and met countless people ranging from villains to victims and to fellow heroes. There's no way of telling just where exactly his quirk has gone to, no way of knowing just what exactly has been going through his mind then.

He thinks of the people he's come across. Tsukauchi is a possibility, with how often they talk. He's definitely going to ask him later about that. There are also a few heroes that he's encountered during fights, and the casual friends he's made over the years that he met up with a week ago.

Other than them, the possibilities are endless. He's been all over the place, saving here and there, that he can't even list down all the places he's been to yesterday.

Then his eyes land on the potted plant by the windowsill, and he remembers emerald eyes and freckled cheeks.

"I'm not sure," Toshinori says, uncertainty clear in his tone. "As far as I'm aware, I didn't think of passing him my quirk. I doubt it would have even crossed my mind, especially with how little our interaction was. That's too impulsive, even for me."

Nedzu gestures at him to continue anyway.

"There was this one kid – I briefly met him during the attack caused by Masked Vengeance. He helped me." Toshinori mutters. "We talked for a good minute only, though. And I don't know how I could've passed my quirk to him in that short moment."

"Interesting," Nedzu replies. "The fact that you remember him among the countless people you've met speaks volumes though, so we'll take note of him. What's his name?"

Toshinori stills.

"Um, how necessary is that…?"

Nedzu stares at him incredulously, "How else would I search for him?"

"He has green hair and eyes, and also has freckled cheeks." Toshinori coughs awkwardly, before drinking his tea. "A-anyway, I do, in fact, recall several others that I met recently…"

And if Toshinori completely avoids answering Nedzu's question, well – it's not like the principal can't find the boy with the descriptions he gave alone.

Toshinori fixes his tie, a little nervous. He has talked to the other people in his list as Nedzu tracked the kid down, and found no trace of One for All. As such, they turned to the last one in their list.

Midoriya Izuku – that was, apparently, the kid's name.

He peers out of the car's window, wondering if Young Midoriya has it. The idea alone baffles him, considering that he still has no idea how it's possible for his quirk to be passed so easily, but it isn't far-fetched. Perhaps deep inside him, he found him worthy of it.

Still, one would think that the quirk that refused to be stolen away by its nemesis for decades would have… er, stricter conditions in being passed. He's more than certain that it's supposed to be an active want, not a mere passing thought.

No matter. Damage control is important, now.

Upon their arrival Toshinori steps off the car. He's a representative of UA today – he's carrying the name of the school with him. There's no time nor space available for idle thoughts. He has work to do.

He glances up at Aldera Junior High, braving its humble steps as he pushes the entrance door open. At once, he's greeted by teachers and staff. He forces a smile; Toshinori is many things, but he's no fool. Many believe him to be all brawn and no brain, but he settled at the top of the heroes' tier list with both his intelligence and power.

He sees through the persona they've crafted for outsiders, and Toshinori knows that it doesn't bode well. He fears the secrets they're burying beneath their masks, and finds himself wondering if Nedzu's schedule will allow him to do a little… investigation.

That's not the purpose of his visit, though. He has his objectives to meet – not just personal but also for the school he's currently representing.

First, he has to find a way to talk to Young Midoriya. If he has One for All, Toshinori will be able to confirm it through the connection between the holders. Aside from that, he's also tasked to observe the school and to take the results for the conducted survey regarding students' choice of school. It's mostly to gauge the amount of students they'll be expecting to take up the exams, and determine whether they should open up other classes or not.

Toshinori isn't here for a fun nor long time, with the school's dismissal fast approaching. He's aware of that, but he'll still try and complete his tasks.

The school's principal, Takahashi Haruto, welcomes him with pleasantries and flattery. Toshinori is already used to this kind of greeting as All Might, but it makes his stomach churn uncomfortably nonetheless. He maintains his cheery demeanor. No one has to know just how tired he is of such treatment, all because of his title and reputation.

" – students with so much potential! Truly befitting of future heroes. With outstanding character and excellent academic performance, too!" Takahashi rambles. "For one, there's Bakugou Katsuki. Powerful quirk and incredible student. An all-rounder and natural hero."

What do you know of heroism? Toshinori questions in his mind. For the sake of all the weight he's carrying with him, he smiles through the shameless self-promotion. Not that he'd say anything if given the chance, though.

He's led towards the office, and he refuses the offer of a drink politely. He's quietly itching to search for Midoriya, but he remains patient.

He lets out a relieved sigh once they're out of the office after a long while, and trudging down the halls again.

He peers in every room, trying to catch a glimpse of green curls. Takahashi must have mistaken this as him searching for possible students to recommend, because he abruptly brings him to a room with the students already filtering out of it.

"...here," he tells Toshinori. "Is Bakugou Katsuki here?"

Silence. The few left in the class turn to look, and the one in the middle stalks towards them. Toshinori's eyes widen as he fixes his gaze on Midoriya, who's quietly inching away from the group before running out of the room.

Shit. He has to go. "Ah, well, forgive me but – "

" – he's applying for UA's hero course for the upcoming school year! See, he's our top student..."

When he finally manages to escape, Midoriya has long vacated the school premises.

He frustratedly contacts Nedzu after gathering the necessary files from Aldera, and the principal generously gives him the kid's address. He's told to tell him that there's a spot for him in the recommendation exams, courtesy of – well, him, All Might's secretary, as a thank you for helping him at the Masked Vengeance Attack.

It must be a violation of privacy, and the thought of visiting him in his own home when Toshinori's a mere stranger to him doesn't sit well with him. But with how important One for All is, he has to do it.

He exhales as he rides a taxi, and goes on his way to the possibly ninth holder of his quirk.

Izuku stares at his cart, wondering what he's still in the grocery store for. Home sounds exactly like what he needs right now, but something in him doesn't want to go yet.

So he stays, standing anxiously, watching the light outside become dimmer as the minutes trickle by. He should probably go soon. He'll worry his mother if he isn't home in a few, especially since his phone is dead and his last message was him telling her that he's in the store.

No. Stay a little longer. He sends the floor a bewildered look, not exactly able to give his own self one. Still, knowing better than to fight against the voice in his head, Izuku relents.

Thankfully, the customers are paying him no attention despite him roaming around the same shelves for the past few minutes. No one gives him a second glance, all focused on their own lives. That's good. Because if anyone asked, Izuku doesn't know what to tell them except, "Oh, I'm just here because my gut feeling is forcing me to stay in here for absolutely no reason than to make me suffer, thank you for asking." And that's just strange.

As if a hero on duty, he patrols the expanse of the store three more times before whatever's humming beneath his skin settles a little. Not fully, because it's still insistent on dragging him around more.

It leads him to a shelf, and he peeks from his end and finds the hall empty. He curiously walks down it and turns again, this time managing to catch a glimpse of yellow before it disappears into another hall. It urges him to chase after it, and he grumbles under his breath as the cycle repeats twice.

The third time, he almost gets close. He spots the back of the man again, easily distinguishing him from the rest of the people due to his hair, which is rather similar to All Might's. He looks familiar, too.

He's about to approach him, hand reaching out, and then he halts in his steps as carts pass in front of him. When he looks back up, the man is gone.

Tired and hungry, he shoves aside the persistent feeling and lines up at the cashier. He figures that if fate really wants him to meet whoever that was, it'll make a way on its own. Izuku, on the other hand, will cry in frustration if he has to walk around the store one more time in his entire life.

Without another glance, he pays for his groceries and heads home, completely unaware of the person still searching for him inside the grocery.

Unbidden frustration rushes through Izuku, which disappears just as quickly as it appeared.

Izuku sits on the bench, exhausted from his training regimen.

He searched for ways to gain muscles in preparation for the UA exam, quickly integrating it in his daily life. He's also trying to clean up Dagobah Beach. It's a place he only came across while running around the city, and then the voice in his head said, Plus Ultra, and he just randomly decided to clean it.

Not that he's mad about it. Cleaning it up is good for both the society and himself.

Right now, though, he's about to go home. He just paused for a short break, and now everything in him refuses to move from his spot. As always, his instinct seems intent in making him waste his time just for the fun of it. Not that he wants to go against it.

His short break turned into a half an hour break, and never has Izuku thought that he'd choose to jog around the city rather than admire the sky from the bench he's sitting on. But people change and so does Izuku, which is why he tunes out his inner voice that's telling him to wait, just fifteen more seconds, and pushes himself up from his seat. He shakes his hands in an attempt to – what is he so nervous for, anyway? Is something about to happen?

He shoves that thought aside, ready to get back in his training, when –

Right! Look at your right! He turns to his right, just as a bus passes before him. When it's gone, he finds himself staring at another bus on the opposite lane. Someone seems to have entered, and the bus prepares to leave. Maybe you can still catch up – nope. Ah, fu – this sucks. Curse you. May you have a starless night.

Me? Izuku asks himself as the bus goes on its way. He hears a mental sigh. No, no. Not… Never you.

Confused at his own thoughts, he simply wears his earphones and continues jogging.

Toshinori gets off the bus, walking towards the restaurant. He's meeting up with Naomasa to tell him about Midoriya Izuku, and how he suspects him to have his quirk.

His friend knows the gist of what happened, that he no longer has his quirk and he's scrambling to find it before the situation turns for the worse. But he hasn't really told him yet of the people in his list, too busy chasing after Midoriya.

He slipped past him when he went to his school, was there too early when he visited his house, and missed him in the grocery store where Mrs. Midoriya told him he would be at that time. He just keeps on missing the boy no matter what he does, and he doesn't know how it keeps on happening.

With a tired sigh, he enters the restaurant and smiles when he spots Naomasa. He heads over to the table, greeting his friend as he takes his seat.

They don't talk about his quirk until their orders have been taken.

"Have you found it yet?" Naomasa asks, leaning a little forward to whisper it. "It's been a while already."

"No," he exhales, worry rushing through his veins at the thought that his quirk is somewhere out there, and he still isn't sure where. "I do have people that I've met to check, although I couldn't ask them directly. But I know it – none of them have it."

"That's…" Naomasa leans back on his seat, concern written on his face. Toshinori is already in his true form but he still deflates, not liking how he's the cause of his worry. "Please tell me you have at least an idea as to where it is?"

Toshinori pulls out his phone, showing his friend a photo. "We suspect that he may have it, as we met each other in the Masked Vengeance Attack."

Recognition lights up in Naomasa's eyes, and his expression softens.

"Oh, him," Naomasa's lips curl up in a smile, and he nods approvingly. "I remember him from the attack. Helped multiple people with their injuries on his way to the evacuation area. Did some first aid there too. Great kid."

Toshinori can't help but smile too. "He is, isn't he?"

The two of them sit in silence, for a while. Then, unable to hold back from recounting the story again, he fondly tells Naomasa of the kid. He includes all the times he attempted – keyword being attempted – to talk to Midoriya. He also talks about the kid's mother and her kindness, and how it further cemented his belief that the kid is truly good.

"What are you going to do when you find him?" Naomasa asks after his brief storytelling, and it catches him off-guard. "Are you going to take it back?"

That was the plan. When he brought it up to Nedzu, he had been frantic about getting back his quirk. But right now, he isn't sure as to what he wants.

He's been in search of a successor, the very reason why he's in Musutafu in the first place. Initially, he was going to check out the student Nighteye's been recommending, but that was before Midoriya came into the picture.

He doesn't know a lot about the boy, with his first encounter with him cut short. He only learned more of him through Nedzu, Mrs. Midoriya, and Naomasa, but despite his lack of information about him, he doesn't mind the thought of the kid having his quirk.

"It just happened," he remembers his mentor telling him, "maybe it wasn't me who chose you – maybe it was the quirk itself. Who knows? But the thought of you being the next holder of One for All… it felt right."

Is this what you meant? He thinks, a small smile on his face. He looks at Naomasa, his grin brightening.

"Perhaps," he answers. It's not a yes. "We'll see."

The embers of One for All hums contentedly beneath his skin, seemingly happy with his decision.

Shouta doesn't know why he's called in by the principal so early in the morning. He doesn't know why he's sitting across the number one hero either, whose smile is as bright as the sun that Shouta so despises. His energy for the day has already been depleted just by being in his presence. And if this goes on, he'll really sleep for a week straight.

"What am I here for again?" he asks, and the two turns at each other, one sheepish and the other content in letting Yagi wallow in his own embarrassment, for whatever reason it may be. He doesn't really care. "Are you going to tell me, or can I go now?"

Yagi sputters, "Wait! I'll explain."

Shouta leans back on his couch. Good. Time is precious, and if it isn't important, he'd rather use it to think about the training exercises he's planning for his class.

"Okay, I need to tell you about my quirk, One for All." Shouta raises a brow. That's… not what he was expecting. "It's a passable, stockpiling quirk, and has been passed onto me by my mentor years ago."

"What?"

Yagi nods. "It seems impossible, but it's true. My quirk – "

"No, I got that part. There's been some rumors circulating in the underground regarding a supervillain that can give and take quirks, so I'm not as shocked." Yagi freezes at that, and it doesn't go unnoticed by him. "...and I'm assuming that part is true too. Fantastic. But what exactly is this for? Why are you telling me this?"

The number one hero rubs the back of his head, laughing awkwardly. "Yeah, about that… so I don't have it anymore."

He blinks. So that's what this is. All Might's quirk is powerful, and his successor needs help in reigning in his power. Just great – he can already tell that this'll be troublesome.

"Where are they?" he asks, not bothering to jump around the bush. "Your successor,"

Yagi coughs, "Ah, yes, well… the problem is, I don't know where my quirk is."

Shouta stills. He couldn't have heard him correctly. There is no absolute way that the man in front of him would just transfer his quirk carelessly to a random stranger when he's been hiding its nature for so long. No way. So, he sends him a baffled look, and slowly parrots, "...You don't know."

Nedzu sips his tea, the grin on his face telling him that he's enjoying this. The traitor. Shouta bets he knows more than he lets on about this entire thing.

"Well, see, it just disappeared on its own. I don't know where it went, but I-I know that someone else has it..." Yagi curls in himself. Shouta's hair falls on his shoulders as he blinks. "But that's what I need help with. Not only is your quirk perfect in case the one who got is unable to control it, but I also have someone in mind that may be in possession of it. The thing is, I just keep on missing him. So, I need company as I'm going to his school today to look for potential students to recommend. Though, this time, hopefully, I won't miss him."

He pinches the bridge of his nose. He isn't paid enough for this. "Surely, it can't be that bad."

It is that bad, if not worse.

The way they just keep on skirting around each other unintentionally is quite hilarious, if not for the fact that this is a serious case. The first time they spot him, Midoriya turns to look at them but Toshinori was hidden from his view, busy talking to a staff. By the time their conversation has come to an end, Midoriya has long returned to his class.

The second time it happens, they try telling the teacher in charge that they need to talk to the kid. But they arrived at the wrong time, and they're told that the kid is in the cafeteria. As such, Yagi tries to search for him there while Shouta waits at the end of the hall of his class.

He can only watch as the kid, unaware that someone is searching for him, enters the classroom. When Shouta arrives there and tries calling out to him, he's already rushing out of the room and towards the cafeteria while Yagi walks towards him through another path, coming from the very place the kid seems to be heading to.

He keeps himself from slamming his head against the wall. This entire situation is ridiculous and unbelievable.

Shouta tells him of it all, and they form a plan. They can't talk to him in the middle of the class as the principal seems intent on rambling about his students and they can't shrug him off as they have work to do, so Yagi decides to wait outside his room around their dismissal.

He's supposed to be waiting for the kid and talking to him by now, so he has no idea why Midoriya is right in front of him, looking like Shouta hung the moon and stars.

Damn it, Yagi Toshinori. You had one job.

"You're Eraserhead, right?" he says, like it isn't his well-hidden secret as a civilian. Just who is this kid? "Sorry, I-I'm a fan! Um, your quirk is really cool and your fighting style is just – how does your scarf work? It seems to go against the laws of physics. B-but um, I'm just curious because I'm checking out various fighting styles that will suit me because I'm – I'm quirkless… and the UA entrance exam is in a few months but anyway, uh – "

Shouta doesn't know what to do with that stream of information. Not only is the kid aware of his hero persona, but also knows of his fighting style and choice of weapon. That's worrying, but also incredible.

He also comes to the realisation that even if Midoriya does have All Might's quirk, he has no idea that it exists within him, and he believes that he's still quirkless. That's a problem, as he doesn't have experience in handling a quirk – dangerous considering the amount of power One for All has, but can be resolved through quirk counselling – and if it activates without them around…

They need to figure out whether he has the quirk or not now.

Except, the kid suddenly freezes, eyes fixed at the other end of the hall. Shouta turns, and finds a group of students hanging out there.

"I need to go," the look of terror in Midoriya's face stops him from calling after the kid. Shit. He got away again.

A few seconds later, Yagi approaches him. Giving Shouta a defeated smile he says, "I missed him again."

He lets out a sigh, gaze still on the stairs where the kid ran towards. He remembers the kid talking about the UA exam, and hopes for the best. "You'll get to talk to him soon."

It feels like a promise of some sort. Shouta can't help but try and believe in his own words.

Izuku hasn't finished cleaning up the beach yet, but he still has plenty of time to do it even after the entrance exams so that's fine. Save for the heap of trash – he warily looks at the fridge that looks like it'll topple over anytime – beside him, it's almost clear anyway.

He stretches, ready for the exam. He's done what he can for it, and he feels unstoppable.

You'll do great, he grins at that thought. He wants to. Not only is it a path towards becoming a hero, but All Might is, apparently, teaching there as well. He can't wait to meet him. The idea of it alone makes him tear up, having been a fan of the hero for such a long time, and he knows that he'll cry a sea of tears when they do.

"Soon, hopefully," he mutters under his breath, unable to wipe off the smile from his face. Then, he sets off towards UA.

Toshinori smiles at the sight of Dagobah Beach, confirming the rumors he's heard around that someone's been cleaning it. The one doing it doesn't seem to be out for fame but simply doing it out of the goodness of their heart, with how they're keeping a low profile and not announcing it to the entire world.

He looks at the remaining trash beside him. Soon, the beach will be free of the garbage that hid its beauty. He can only hope that this time around, the citizens will maintain its cleanliness. It'd be such a waste if it reverts back to its previous state.

Shaking his concern away, he thinks of the events that will occur later. Future heroes will be entering the school's premises today, and Toshinori is looking forward to meeting young students with heroic hearts.

The thought of teaching them still terrifies him, and he feels as though he isn't ready to take on such a heavy responsibility. Despite that, he's excited for it.

He lets his thoughts wander as he heads for UA. There's been a lot that's weighing on his mind – his quirk, Midoriya, and his future from this point onwards.

He feels like being in UA will spark a drastic change, though he doesn't know if that's for the better. And whether he's keen on finding out, he isn't sure either.

"They're taking the written exams now," Nedzu informs him when he reaches their monitoring area, oddly enthusiastic. "In a while, they'll be heading to their respective arenas for the practical part of the test."

He nods, taking his seat. The cameras are currently being tested, with his fellow teachers on the arena to ensure that everything is ready to go.

"Oh, you're here," he turns to look at Aizawa, greeting him quietly. The hero merely nods in acknowledgement, before looking at the feeds. "Yet another year for the irrational entrance exams."

"Now, now, Aizawa," Nedzu says. "The exams—"

"—are unfair, illogical, and biased," Aizawa scowls, leaning against the wall by the doorway. "Prejudiced against those with non-combative quirks. Especially against the quirkless."

The principal's smile doesn't waver as he says, "I know. I'm working on it, remember?"

Toshinori shivers at the glint in his eyes, but he doesn't utter a word about it. Instead, he quietly listens as the two converses about the fairness of the test, or its lack thereof.

After a long while, the students are finally dropped off in front of their respective arenas, and the UA teachers enter the room he's in. They all wait in bated breath as the gates open, and the students rush in.

He takes note of their powerful quirks; Aizawa seems displeased at the display of it and Toshinori, despite One for All, shares the sentiment. Not only because of his past and current quirklessness, but also –

"Hey! Check out Camera 37B. The – wow, did he just…?"

"Look, he's really – oh, that's ten rescue points from me. No, that is not negotiable."

Toshinori looks away from the feed he's watching from, turning towards where they're watching. His eyes widen as he sees a familiar figure pulling away a student as a one-pointer collapses before them.

He whips his head towards Nedzu, who's cackling at the sight of it.

"You knew he'd be here?" Toshinori asks, the feeling of betrayal easily drowned out by the pride that stirs within him as he watches the kid run around, trying to help out others while searching for robots to take down.

Nedzu only responds by handing him his paper of application, and Toshinori wordlessly takes it before once again watching him on the camera.

Had he met a quirkless kid before meeting Midoriya, or even met the kid himself before he actually learned more of him, he doesn't think he'd be confident in their capability to become a hero. But over the short time that he's known him, recalling the little things that made up the kid's character from others' stories of him, are more than enough to change his mind.

He grins. He shares Aizawa's want for students with non-combative quirks – and those quirkless – to rise among those with the power to defeat the robots because he now knows that they're just as worthy of a place in the heroics course.

Cheering Midoriya and the others on, lost in the excitement of seeing them face their opponents with bravery and determination, he forgets one vital piece of information.

And as the zero-pointer reveals itself, he remembers just what exactly caused him to go through lengths to find the kid.

Oh, so that's where my quirk is, he thinks, as Midoriya jumps up to the height of the robot, sending a smash towards it. At once, the entire room goes quiet, at a loss for words.

As the kid is slapped to safety, Present Mic lets out a shaky chuckle. "Um… but he's quirkless?"

"Oh no," he mutters under his breath as he pushes himself off his chair and rushes to the door.

"I second that," Aizawa says, following him to the training ground where Midoriya is.

The kid is shaken. That much is clear to him when his eyes land on him; Midoriya is staring at his now healed limbs, green lightning crackling around him, like he doesn't know what it is.

And considering what's actually happening to him, that's a valid reaction.

"I… I have a quirk," the tremble in his voice makes Toshinori want to comfort the kid, but this isn't the place for it. They need a private area to discuss what's going on, where they can inform him of the legacy unknowingly passed to him.

"Kid," Midoriya turns to Aizawa, recognition flashing in his eyes. "Come on, you're not in trouble – but there are some things we have to tell you."

Midoriya looks at him, narrowing his gaze in confusion. Then, he gasps out, "Oh, you were there during the attack!"

Toshinori smiles softly in response. Midoriya seems relieved, probably because of the confirmation that he didn't end up more injured during the battle, but one glance at the destroyed robot has him frowning again.

He places a hand on the kid's shoulder. He flinches at the contact, before nodding at Toshinori with a nervous and apologetic grin.

Aizawa then leads them to an office – which Toshinori admittedly doesn't remember from the tour, but is understandable considering the school's size – and Midoriya anxiously sits on one of the prepared chairs. Nedzu is already waiting for them there when they arrive, and Toshinori is grateful that he seems more welcoming than intimidating.

"Midoriya Izuku," Toshinori glances at the kid as he takes his seat, noting the fear that flashes in his eyes as he's directly addressed by the principal. "It seems that we have some explaining to do."

"I-Is this about my quirk?" Midoriya asks, folding in himself. "I swear I didn't know! As far as I'm aware I – no, I know I'm quirkless, I have the pinky toe-joint to prove it and all. I'm sorry – it looks like I'm lying a-and this looks bad for me but… but I really don't understand what's going on…"

Toshinori wilts at how confused and terrified Midoriya looks. It pains him to see him so sad. "No, my boy – we have something to tell you."

Midoriya furrows his brows in confusion.

"See, there are some things that you must know of me. First," Toshinori switches to his All Might form, grinning. "I AM HERE!"

Midoriya stares at him in shock. Behind him, Aizawa buries the lower half of his face in his capture weapon, seemingly exhausted.

"A-All – " the kid pales. "Sorry, I-I think I'll pass out for now. Wait, no, that's not, I just – w-what happened, if you don't mind me asking?"

Toshinori deflates, and tells him about his fight against All for One. He listens quietly, concern in his eyes, until the end of his story. The kid wipes a few of his tears.

"I'm sorry that happened to you," Midoriya, the kind person that he is, says, "but thank you so much for protecting us as well. You're – you're really an amazing hero, All Might!"

Mixed emotions stir within him, and he mentally reminds himself to ask Naomasa if he knows the process of adoption later on.

"Thank you, my boy," Toshinori says, unable to express how grateful he is. "Though that brings us to the other part of the conversation."

Midoriya sits upright, serious. Toshinori tells him all about One for All, and how he must have accidentally passed it to him. He apologises for not being able to talk to him sooner, as he wasn't able to reach him until today. The kid takes it all in stride, nodding at times to show that he's listening, and Toshinori feels a little anxious at how he'll react to it as he ends his speech.

Midoriya casts his gaze downwards, his focus on his bright red shoes. He clenches his fists, before looking up at Toshinori.

"S-so how do I give it back?"

They all freeze at the kid's words, processing what he just said.

Midoriya continues, "I-I don't know how it got passed to me and I'm sorry for stealing your quirk when – I mean, you couldn't have willingly passed it to me, so obviously you want it back, right?"

Toshinori recalls Naomasa's question. He tries to think of a reason as to why he'd want to take it back, but all that he remembers are the reasons why he shouldn't take it back.

He looks at the boy, anxious and worried and so, so kind. The way he keeps on helping people, always ready to reach out a hand to them, speaks to Toshinori.

He realises that he wants to see him become a pro-hero.

"...if I were to offer my quirk to you, would you keep it?"

"W-what?" Midoriya asks, surprised. "Um, I – is that, well… I-I, yes? I'd be honored? But – why me? I'm just a useless Deku and I couldn't possibly – "

Anger rises in his chest, and he wants to talk to all the people who have hurt this kind, cinnamon roll before him. The way he talked about himself is filled with self-depreciation and how dare they make him think of himself like that?

Toshinori smiles through the rage within him, "My boy, you are more than worthy of my power. I understand if you don't actually want it though – I'm sure you'd be an amazing hero, even without it."

A beat.

Midoriya stares at him with tears trickling down his cheeks, and he quietly sobs. He looks down, wiping his tears away, and Toshinori puts a hand on the kid's shoulder to comfort him.

Aizawa sends him an approving nod, and Nedzu does the same. His expression softens as he looks back at Midoriya. He hopes the kid knows that he means it.

"N-no one has – all I've ever wanted – " Midoriya turns to him and smiles brightly. "Thank you so much."

"No, thank you," Toshinori says. "You're a good kid – I've learned a lot, thanks to you. I'm really glad I met you."

And with that, Midoriya bursts into tears again.

"I can help out more people with One for All," Midoriya says, gaze dropping to his hand as green lightning crackles on his skin. "I always thought of being the first quirkless hero, but maybe – maybe I can still reach out to those suffering from quirk discrimination even with a quirk."

"So you'll keep it?"

Midoriya hesitates, before nodding.

"I'll help out with his training as well," they all turn to Aizawa, who reciprocates their curious looks with a blank expression. "Full offense – you don't have experience with teaching. I don't trust you with that alone."

Toshinori smiles sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck, "Ah, fair enough."

"Great!" Nedzu grins, taking their attention. "Now that everything is settled, I have an offer as well. I'd love to help you out with battling quirk discrimination. But in exchange, I want to see your analysis notebooks."

"O-oh, sure? Thank you, though I don't see how that's a fair deal because my notebooks aren't really…" Midoriya trails off.

He furrows his brows, looking at his successor, "Analysis notebooks?"

"Then, it's a deal," Nedzu then smiles at both Toshinori and Aizawa. "And don't worry yourself about it."

They wisely don't.

Once Midoriya left the room, they settled back on their seats as Nedzu pulled out some files.

"So, Aldera Junior High," the principal says, passing the papers to them. "We have a lot to discuss about that school."

Because their discrimination has not gone unnoticed by any of them, and they won't just sit idly and let it continue like that.

A lot has happened within the first month of their new school year. Izuku has been training with Eraserhead – Aizawa Shouta, his homeroom teacher, and isn't that so cool – and All Might – Yagi Toshinori, and he actually knows All Might's real name now he wants to cry, not like he hasn't already – and has faced actual villains during their rescue training in USJ. He also met Detective Tsukauchi then, who thanked him for what he did both at the Masked Vengeance and USJ attacks.

"You're a great kid," Detective Tsukauchi remarked. "You're already a hero to many."

Of course, Izuku cried.

In passing, he also heard from Nedzu that Aldera is under investigation and is undergoing several changes, much to his relief.

He's well aware that Nedzu has something to do with it, but he doesn't dare comment on it.

Izuku also managed to reach the third stage of the Sports Festival; he fought against Shinsou during the first round, and being under his control brought a few answers with it.

And the following day, at Dagobah Beach, Izuku finally musters up the courage to ask the question that's been lingering in his mind for quite a long time.

"All Might," he calls, eyes fixed on the sea before them. "Have you ever thought of the possibility of One for All being a haunted quirk?"

All Might splutters, "What?"

Izuku smiles sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head, "Um, well – I think I saw the past holders when I was under Shinsou's control? I-I know it because when I received your quirk, I've been hearing… er, voices? That, now that I think about it, I'm pretty sure belongs to the quirk because I've been catching glimpse of you whenever I get this gut feeling that I have to stay in or go to a place, and I think that was One for All trying to make me reunite with you – "

"Wait, wait, my boy. So before the entrance exams, One for All was looking for me?"

"I-I think? I've been trying to approach you – oh, and you were just familiar then because of the amount of things that happened during the attack – due to that feeling. But I was never really able to…" Izuku trails off. "I think – you said you visited my school for UA, right? I think it was trying to make me meet you then… I think I also saw you at one of my grocery runs? A-And there were other times but, um, I'm not really sure?"

All Might gapes at him, stunned, before laughing. Izuku blinks in confusion, tilting his head to the side.

"Oh, my boy," All Might laughs. "During those times, I was looking for you."

And – oh. Izuku's grin widens, and he laughs along with his mentor at the thought that they've been searching for each other but just kept on failing. How many times did they miss each other? Izuku can only wonder.

When it becomes quiet again, Izuku asks, "So, do you think that One for All transferred itself to me without your permission?"

Somewhere within the legacy shared by the two, seven mysterious figures cackle. The two of them shudder, not expecting that at all.

Well, that answers it; not only is their quirk haunted, but it's also shamelessly doing as it pleases.

Izuku lets out a sigh. Just what exactly has he gotten himself into?