Chapter 9: First Steps
Izuku jogged for a while until his apartment complex came into view. He thought now he could finally relax, after all he deserved a good portion of rest after a day like this. Both of his calmness and exhaustion, however, utterly vanished when he saw Mikumi walking home from the opposite direction of the road. Even from his current distance he could hear her curse under her breath, most likely about her detention if he had to guess. Said cursing stopped though when she looked up and saw Izuku standing there frozen in place.
"… Izuku? What are you doing still outside? And why are you still wearing your school uniform?"
"U-Uhm, well, you see …" »DAMMIT! THINK, IZUKU, THINK!!!«
"And why do you look so battered? Did Bakago do that? I know that our school nurse is no Recovery Girl, but he should be cured from my beating by now. I swear if he-"
"NO! No, Mikumi, Kacchan had nothing to do with it, I swear!" he was struggling to come up with an explanation.
"Did he sent his goons on you then?"
"No, I … Look, can we please go up first? I-I will explain everything, I promise."
Mikumi squinted her eyes at him in suspicion but eventually "You better."
Sighing in relief, Izuku and Mikumi just walked up to their apartment. And no sooner than as he turned the key did Inko crash into and hugged him with an almost bone crushing grip.
"IIIIZUUUUUUKUUUUU. Oh I'm so glad you're alright! I was so worried when you didn't come home!!"
Because he was struggling to breathe, Izuku tried his best to pry his mother off him "Mom, I-I'm fine, really!!"
"Are you sure?! The attack is all over the news!"
"Wait what? ATTACK?! What attack?!" Mikumi interjected. Inko in turn pulled both into the living room and turned up the volume of the television. Just as she had said, the news channel broadcasted a report of the slime villain incident and how All Might single-handedly stopped it by saving the hostage. That much didn't shock her, but then she spotted Izuku in the background, being chewed out. "WHAT THE HELL?!" She turned to face the boy in question. "Izuku, you better start talking. NOW!"
He gulped and started sweating bullets. The green-haired boy knew better than to provoke his sister when she already was enraged. Same with their mother. But he couldn't tell them the truth, he had promised All Might to keep his secrets to himself, for everyone's sake. Wrecking his brain, Izuku decided that the best way to get out of this precarious predicament was to tell the truth and only lie when it counted. So that's what he did.
He told them about the first he was saved by his idol, how he gave him an autograph - which he showed them proudly - how he then walked through the town in a trance, only to encounter the second incidence purely by chance … and how he barged in order to save the hostage.
"Let me get this straight …" Mikumi began, both she and Inko pinched the bridge of their noses after hearing Izukus story.
"Just so that we're on the same page …" Inko continued. Both women now speaking in tandem.
"Not only do you get involved with one villain attack …"
"… but with two on the same day."
"And at the second time, instead of just taking notes as you usually do …"
"… you put yourself in danger and actually ran into scene …"
"… so you can 'save' that hostage …"
"… and almost got yourself killed if it wasn't for All Might showing up at the last second."
"Is that about the size of it?" Both finished simultaneously.
"Uh, yeah?" Izuku nodded, nervously awaiting their reactions.
Inkos came swiftly and consisted of her collapsing onto the couch, suddenly feeling several years older, while Mikumi just encased her brother in another bone crushing hug. "I'm glad you're alright after all that happened." she loosened the hug, Izuku sighing in relief … only to feel himself get slapped by her. "What were you thinking, you idiot?!"
Izuku held his his cheek, confused by her reaction.
"I know better than anyone else that you have an overwhelming desire to help people in danger, and that is one of your best qualities! But I thought we agreed to train you first so that you are ready for U.A.! And the one time I'm not with you to watch your back …"
"'To watch my back'? What do you mean?"
"Well, do you think I would have just stood there and done nothing? No, I'ld have run right after you to protect you!"
"Didn't you scold me for being reckless because I did that?"
"That's different, I have a-" she stopped herself and smacked her hand in front of her mouth. But the damage was done, as she could see him filling in the remaining the words.
"Because you have a quirk …" He finished her sentence in a bitter voice "That's what you wanted to say, isn't it? That I'm helpless. Useless!"
"I-Izu, I … no, that's not- You know exactly that's not how I think!"
"Sometimes I wonder …" he muttered and went to their room.
Mikumi looked after him, arm outstretched and expression of shock painting her face. She sighed and let her head fall before retreating onto the couch. "Me and my big mouth …" she muttered defeated.
Inko turned off the Television and sat down beside her daughter. Mikumi automatically leaned her head onto her mothers shoulder, whereupon she began to run comforting circles on her daughters back. "Don't worry, I can't imagine him really feeling that way. He's most likely just irritated from today's events. And as for your big mouth, you're just worried. I can tell. And you said something out of impulse."
"Doesn't change the fact I hurt him. Accident or no, that was out of place!"
"It was, not going to deny that. Just, give him a bit to calm down and then go apologize. In the mean time, want me to heat up your lunch? I still have a lot left since neither of you came home on time." As soon as she said that, something occurred to Inko. "Now that I think about it, Izukus excuse I know, but how come you are late?"
Mikumi went stiff and unblinking for a few second before starting to sweat bullets and becoming nervous. "Uh, ehehehe … Iiiiii … might have got … detention … again?"
Inko looked at her daughter with a strange mix of disappointment and a deadpan. "Seriously? …"
Looking away, Mikumi tried to appear unobtrusive and began to whistle. It told Inko everything she needed to know. She sighed, stood up and went to the kitchen in order to reheat some of the lunch. "Good thing I haven't done the dishes yet."
Mikumi blanched and quickly turned around to face the mountain of dishes her mother had left behind, instantly dreading what was in store for her "Mooooooom …"
It took the better part of an hour for Mikumi to completely finish her unspoken penalty. Luckily, it should have given Izuku enough time to relax and for herself to think about what she wanted to say in her apology. Opening the door, she found Izuku sitting on his desk, scribbling in his notebook as per usual. Just not with the usual smile, but an unnervingly neutral expression. »For him, that says a lot …« She took a short calming breath and tried to attempt and break the ice. "S-So, uh … I see your notebook is fine?"
"If you want to call it that … Have to redo the first few entries." Her brother said in a dismissive tone.
"O-Oh … could have been worse, huh?"
"Uh-huh …"
"…"
"…"
Mikumi groaned "Look, Izuku, about earlier-"
"I get it." Izuku interrupted her. "You were worried. Overreacted. Said something you didn't want to."
"N-Now hold on, I wouldn't say overre-" Before she could attempt to 'defend' herself, one look from her brother with a raised eyebrow quickly shut her up. "Fine, fine. Yes, I overreacted. And in doing so I was about to say something really stupid. And for that I apologize." she said, bowing in a perfect 45° angle.
Izuku just sighed and turned back to his work. "It's ok, As I said, I get it. It hurt, still does, but I know you didn't mean it. I guess I can't be angry with you wanting to look out for me, so I accept your apology. And I'm sorry for my outburst, too … just … you know, please don't say it again."
Mikumi straightened herself again. "I promise … And you don't need to apologize to me. Not for that." Feeling like the mood had improved again, she looked over his shoulder and watched him scolling through his notebook … and did a double check when he arrived on one particular spread "HOLY SHIT, IS THAT ALL MIGHTS AUTOGRAPH?!" She suddenly exclaimed.
She was, unfortunately, right at his ear when she called out, startling Izuku and definitely ripped him off of some of his hearing performance in the process. "OUCH!! What the-" He groaned and rubbed his ear. "Make me deaf, why don't you?! You're not even that much of an All Might fan?"
"True, I'm more rooting for the Pussycats. But you? This must be like a holy grail to you! How come you haven't already encased it in bulletproof glass and locked it in some safe deposit box or something?!"
"Oh ha-ha, very funny. I'm not that bad …"
"Izuku, you know I love you, but …" she began to gesture around his section of the room "… if this doesn't at least qualify as a shrine, I'll eat my hat."
"You're not wearing a hat though." he replied with a shit-eating grin
"Oy, don't you get sassy with me, mister, you know I'm right! The only one even comparatively being as much of an All Might simp-"
"I'm not a simp!"
"-as you are, is Bakago."
"We are NOT simps! We're his fans!"
Mikumi snorted in amusement. "Tell that to your All Might boxers, Izuku."
Izuku squeaked and blushed in embarrassment. "HOW DO YOU EVEN KNOW I HAVE THOSE?!"
Mikumi blinked with an open mouth "… those are actually a thing?"
"Uh …"
An exceedingly awkward moment of silence followed before Mikumi shook her head rapidly with a shudder "Too much information …"
"… let's pretend that this just now never happened."
"That what never happened?"
"Exactly." Izuku sighed before coming back to the initial subject. "As for Kacchan, well, it's too bad he didn't use his chance to get one himself. And that I got mine in the very same notebook he blew up no less! He will be so jealous."
"Yea- Wait, hold up. His chance? What chance?"
"Huh?"
"When did Bakago meet All Might? Like, I hate that asshole, but I can't imagine him passing up on that opportunity?"
"Oh, uhm … w-well …"
"I had to sit through enough All Might documentaries with you to know for a fact that he so far has never been in Musutafu up until today, at least since he graduated from U.A. …" Mikumi squinted her eyes and rubbed her chin "And if Bakago had met your idol at any point in time on his vacations, he would have bragged with it for weeks … so, by all means, he must have met him today. But the only time he could have done this would be … be the … hostage … situation …" Realization striking her like a lightning, she turned with wide open eyes to Izuku " … no way …"
»… I'm in so much trouble …« Izuku thought in dread.
"… it was him? Bakago was the hostage?!" She gripped her brothers collar and shook him rapidly. "Tell me! I HAVE TO KNOW!!"
"… yes."
Time froze, as did Mikumis face. Then it slowly turned into a steadily widening grin before she eventually erupted in a deep, wholehearted laughing fit. "He-Heheeeee was taken ho-ho-hostage and-and-and had to be saved lik-like some damsel in distress?!" She doubled over, holding her sides "Our Big Bad Boom-Boom-Boy?!" she cackled like a Hyena. "And-And, haha, and to top it all off - YOU! - you of all people (pfffft) are the one to-" she snorted "-to rush in to save him?!" she gasped for air. "Ooooooh, the humiliation! Katsuki fucking Bakugo - King of all douchebags far and wide and self proclaimed number one hero in the making - saved by the boy he deemed as useless 'cause quirkless."
"Mikumi, that's not funny!"
"S-Sure it isn't, hehe …" she very slowly calmed down and sat back up "… whooo boy, I can't believe I'm saying this, but I can't wait to go to school tomorrow and to rub this into his self-absorbed face …" she rubbed her hands and grinned in an atypical sinister way. "Karma is a b-"
"MIKUMI!" Izuku stomped, which quickly shut her up. "I know that you hate Kacchan, but this goes too far! He was suffocating! Literally fighting for his life! And I know what I'm talking about: I WENT THROUGH THIS MYSELF!" He crossed his arms "It doesn't matter who the victim is, this is no laughing matter! This is the exact opposite of heroic, so I for sure won't make it even worse by teasing him about it. And I would appreciate it if you too would hush up the topic."
"… I-I'm sorry, I … I got carried away …" she sighed.
"As much as I appreciate your protection - you are a great sister. Best one anyone could ask for - everything has its limits. Don't turn into the very thing you're protecting me from, please." she sighed.
"… I'm not a bully …" she mumbled.
"No, you're not. So don't do something a bully would do. Be better than him. That's the best way to 'take revenge' on him." he smiled down at her. A smile she returned. "Now, do you want to know the real kicker of the day?"
"… Bigger than you meeting and getting an autograph from your idol?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.
"He didn't just sign my notebook and left, you know? We actually talked for a bit."
"About?"
"About me being able to become a hero, in spite of me being quirkless."
Mikumis eyes widened, but she didn't want to assume anything, so she inquired "And … what did he say?"
Izukus eyes watered a little before he answered. "… that it would be hard … and risky … but that I CAN become one."
"YES!!" She cheered "I told you, didn't I?! If even the number one hero says so, then it must be true! Bet you're more pumped up than ever now, huh?"
Izuku chuckled "You bet! And as soon as I can, I will start to really go beyond!"
"That's the spirit! High Five, come on!" Mikumi raised her hand, which her quickly returned.
The inspiring moment left as soon as it came when it got interrupted by Izukus stomach deciding to pipe up. Figuring they should answer that particular call, the teens left for the kitchen. And while Izuku wolfed down his long overdue lunch, Mikumi was lost in thought.
»Taking revenge by being the better person, huh? … Ugh, this is going to suck …«
After All Might finally found his pickup, he drove home with a confidence and joy that he had long forgotten what it felt like. »Now that I finally found my successor, the actual work is just beginning. The boy already has the heart of the hero and, if his detailed note taking is anything to go by, also has a bright mind. Brighter than mine when I was his age, that's for sure …« he thought self-ironically. »It also seems like he did some basic training, so I don't have to completely start from scratch.«
He interrupted his own thoughts when he arrived at his apartment building in Roppongi. He drove his pickup into the garage, unloaded his groceries and entered the elevator. On the way up, with a catchy background music idly playing in the background, All Might began to brainstorm.
»The boy wants to become a Pro Hero, that much is obvious. And since he's the biggest fan of mine since Mirai, he will for sure want to attend U.A. High. I will have to look his age up to be sure, but if he is as old as he looks, he should be around 14 years old. Which means he will have to take the next upcoming entrance exam on … 26th February next year, if I remember correctly. Shit, that's barely over 10 months from now. Not enough for bodybuilding, quirk training AND martial arts training … Heck, bodybuilding alone might just eat up all of our time frame.«
A bell rang, signaling his arrival on the requested floor. All Might stepped out, and entered his apartment. It was a very humble abode, barely above average in terms of space, decorated with inconspicuous furniture. Those who do not know him would never suspect that the number one hero would call such an ordinary apartment his own. While, even ignoring all kinds of merchendise sales, his position came with a considerable salary, All Might, contrary to popular belief, could never get something out of the pretentious lifestyle that the media ascribed to him. There was Might Tower, of course, but just like with his title as the Symbol of Peace, it was only this swanky so it could be easily spotted by a wide variety of people. The majority of his savings went to donations, with only absolute necessities being the exception to the rule.
Speaking of necessities, while All Might filled his fridge with what little he was still allowed to consume in his condition, he continued to plan his approach to the boys training regime. »One For Alls very nature makes bodybuilding an absolute priority. Even back when I received it, its power was massive. And after nearly four decades of me holding it, it will be even more of a burden. Not to mention that the transfer itself is going to boost its power level once more. With that degree of power and how his fitness is right about now, the poor boy would explode at the first try of using it.« he closed the door and sat into his armchair. »Cleaning this beach should give him just about enough exercise to prepare him to be the new vessel. But being ready to receive the power alone probably won't get him past the entrance exam, I have to teach him how to channel the power as well.« His mind fell silent for a moment before he facepalmed heavily. »But in order to do this I would have to find a way to explain how I do it in the first place. It's been intuitive for me from the start …« he sighed and reached for his cellphone, dialing a number that he always was scared seeing on display. »When in doubt …«
It ringed a total of three times before the gruff voice of his teacher Gran Torino 'greeted' him on the other side of the line. "DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW LATE IT IS, BOY?! PEOPLE MY AGE NEED THEIR BEAUTY SLEEP!!"
And before he knew it, All Might had reverted back into the insecure teenager from all those years ago. "S-S-S-SORRY TO DIS-DISTURB YOU AT THIS UNGODLY HOUR, SIR!" He had instinctively bolted to his feet and went as stiff as a flagpole. "BUT-BUT-BUT I HAVE MOST IMPORTANT NEWS TO SHARE!" He mentally kicked himself for screaming out this loudly »Good thing that I installed the best sound insulation on the market.«
"What in the name of the nine circles of torment could be so important for you to call me past sunset, All Might?!"
»Yes yes, I've seen that movie. Don't feed, wet or wake the gremlins after sunset …«
"WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?!"
All Might went as pale as a ghost. »FUCK, DID I SAY THAT OUT LOUD?!« "I-UH-ERR?!" he cleared his throat "I-I called to t-tell you that I … found my … uhm … successor?"
Silence. For a moment not even crickets chirped. All Might looked at his phone questioningly, checking if the line might have died. "H-Hello? Sir?"
"… you found a successor?"
"… y-yes?"
"… you actually found a successor for One For All, Toshinori?"
"Yes."
"… an honest to god, physically tangible, living and breathing successor?"
"Yes!"
"… did you kidnapped a kid from school or something?"
"YE-ARGH, I MEAN, NO!"
The deep laughter followed by a soft bump of something - or rather: someone - falling to the floor on the other side of the line told All Might enough to know that he has been messed with. "40 years and I'm still going strong, HA!"
"Very funny, sir. H i l a r i o u s …"
"Ah, I've missed this … How long has it been that I came to enjoy the simple pleasures in life?"
"… Now that I think about it, sir, it's been close to four years now since your last 'prank call'. Before that, you made quite a habit out of it. Did something come up?"
"Nothing that concerns you, boy. Just a little operation I've been involved with. With an official order from the very top and all that."
"Spying on the children next door to catch them spraying in flagrante delicto does not count as an official operation." All Might deadpanned.
"I will get these confounded hooligans one day, and if it's the last thing I do!" he grumbled something incoherently. "But that's not what I meant. And that's all I'm gonna tell you."
"If you say so, sir …"
"So. A successor, huh? About time, Toshinori! Who is the unfortunate boy you have decided to condemn to your underwhelming teaching skills? Or did you go for girl to pester?"
»I would really like to argue that point, but …« "Well, it was a chance encounter-"
"Of course it was."
"-during the pursuit of a villain. I lost sight of him for a bit but were finally able to confront him in a tunnel. The boy in question was in the progress of being killed by the villain before I intervened-"
"And you offered him your quirk as a reparation or what?!"
"Huh? No, I- what? NO! At that time I wasn't even considering him as successor!"
"Somewhat reassuring, I guess. Continue."
"When I left, said boy had clunged onto me so I had no choice but to take him with me until I found a suitable landing place-"
"Not very bright and reckless to the point of no return. Now where did I hear that before?"
All Might sighed, deciding to ignore the side blow at his expense. "Unfortunately, by then I've exceeded my time limit and deflated in front of the boys eyes-"
"So you had to come clean and told him about your quirk right then and there?"
"Yesn't? I told him about my injury and all, but not One For All-"
"Get to the point then! I don't have all night!"
"I'm on it, ok? Anyway, later I was involved in a hostage situation. Somewhere during the jump I must have dropped the container I trapped the villain in and he escaped-"
"You're such a moron, boy."
"I know, sir-"
"And yet no improvement on that front in decades."
"Anyhow: Before I could find the strength to intervene, my successor ran into action and distracted the villain enough for me to finish it. After I escaped the reporters, I intercepted him and that's when I told him. And lucky for me, he accepted right away."
"So, it was his fearlessness that made you choose him? Because he faced the danger ahead without a second thought?"
"On the contrary, sir. That boy was as afraid as one could possibly get. Yet he acted. And not just that, he moved before he thought about it."
"… well, I will be damned. There are still kids like that? Huh. But why was he this scared? In the case of self defense, especially when it's still a minor, he shouldn't face repercussions for public quirk usage-"
"That's just it, sir: The boy is quirkless."
"… quirkless?" There was something unusual in Gran Torinos voice. Something All Might was not sure how to interpret.
"Uh, yes. Quirkless."
"… where did you say you were when you chase that villain?"
"… iiiiin Musutafu, that city in the Shizuoka prefecture."
"… had he any salient features?" Gran Torino had a trace of urgency in his voice.
"Well, uh, the villain was made out of sludge-"
"THE BOY, YOU DUNCE!!"
Gran Torinos outcry startled All Might so much that he almost dropped his phone in surprise and fumbled for a bit to regain his grip, after which he gave a rapid personal description of the boy. "Roughly 14 years of age. Average Height. Moderate bodybuilt. Diamond shaped freckles on an otherwise plain face. An unruly mess of green hair. Bangladesh green, I would guess."
It could have been his imagination, but All Might could have sworn he heard his old teacher curse "… you wouldn't happen to know his name, by any chance?"
"Izuku Midoriya-" The noise of a hung up line interrupted All Might, who was now even more bewildered than before the call began.
… at the same time, Gran Torinos home …
Gran Torino was smashing his head into his coffee table in frustration of what his student just told him. "The. One. Time. I'm. Not. Keeping. An. Eye. On. Them. FUCK!!" He shot out of his seat and aimlessly stomped through his living room, gesticulating like a maniac. "I just HAD to jinx it, didn't I?? Here I was, dedicating four years on a surveillance operation in order to make sure Toshinori and One For All are safe and as far away from All For One's remnants, and what does the universe decide to spite me with? THAT MORON CHOOSES THIS GREEN-HAIRED CINNAMON ROLL FOR HIS SUCCESSOR!! FUCK MY LIFE!!"
In his rage, he ricked a nearby chair and catapulted it into his Television, wrecking it in the process on accident. "Bite me, universe!" he facepalmed and tried to stifle his anger. "Ok, the boy knows about Toshinoris quirk now. That I can't undo." he sighed. "This boy can't keep a secret from his sister to safe his life. And now he has two of those to keep. That the girl finds out about it is not a matter of 'if', but of 'when'. And that's when Toshinori will find out about her and hell breaks loose for all of us." he shook his head. "Only thing I can do at this point is giving him a helping hand and attempting damage control as best as possible."
He returned to his seat and pressed the callback key. It barely ringed once before his student picked up. "Sorry for that, Toshinori. Must have been sunspots or something. You know how it is with old people and technology."
"Uh, sure, sir. Whatever you say. Why exactly did you want to know all of this about my successor?"
"Idiot. So that I could check his background of course! Can't have that you ending up handing your Quirk over to a petty criminal now, can we? Pah! But would you know it? You actually did something right for once! That zygote is as clean as soap … and just as boring. Only thing I could find was some incident from a few years back involving a homeless girl that his mother apparently adopted on his insistence."
"Really? How admirable! I told you he had a heroic heart!"
"Yeah yeah, pat yourself on the back, Toshinori. And how exactly do you plan on getting the boy ready for the task ahead?"
"… uh … about that … that's why I initially called."
"You don't say …"
… 25th April 2257 …
It's been an almost unbearably normal school week for Mikumi. Like every Saturday, the last block of lessons today was taken up by physical education. She had nothing against P.E. per se in principle - neither was she a jock, nor an underachiever. And while she was content with staying indoors like a hermit and paint her pieces of art, it was nice to get a little bit of exercise and fresh air outside of her and Izukus jogging sessions. And she got the pleasure of witnessing Izuku outperforming Bakago on occasion, much to the latters charging.
That particular train of thought, however, was what had soured her mood for the past week. Ever since Monday when her brother - once again - had beat her round the head with clear words about some of her rather questionable tendencies, she did some soul-searching and came to an unpleasant conclusion. At some point over the past two years, she had turned from a reactor to something like an aggressor. Yes, she mostly just countered whenever Bakago went out of line, but if she was honest with herself, there had been times when she had poked the bear intentionally to pick a quarrel with him. Heck, she couldn't use his actual name, even in thought. And while she doubted that boy was any different when it came to Izuku, her brother had a point: She had to be better than him.
Which lead her exactly to where she was right now. Waiting around the corner of the boys changing rooms. Hoping to catch the explosive boy alone. Mentally steeling herself for doing what she really didn't want to do, but know she had to.
After countless minutes of waiting, the bane of her existence finally came into view. And as the perpetually ticked off boy became aware of her presence as well, his body became rigid for a second before he let out the probably most exasperated groan she ever heard. "Whatever it is you want, you damn twerp: Shove it!" he said and quickened his pace to get away. "I can't be bothered to deal with you, neither now nor ever! So fuck o-"
"Katsuki." She said suddenly, clearly forcing herself to use his actual name for once. It caught him off guard and made him stop in his tracks. "I have something to tell you. And you will stay and listen until I'm finished."
He turned around and looked at her, wide-eyed, before quickly covering his surprise with a scoff. "If this is your gross attempt to start with a love confession or something, I'm going to barf!"
Mikumi blanched in response, which quickly was replaced with an expression of revulsion accompanied by nauseousness. "Oh, GOD! (hurk) what is wrong with you?! I'ld rather eat a turd than … uaah …" she said as she held her stomach.
"Feeling's. Mutual." he exhaled. "So what is it? Out with it already!"
Mikumi needed a bit to set her mind straight again before she continued. "Look, I will get straight to the point before this gets any more traumatizing. I know what happened to you on Monday with that vill-"
"WHAT?!" Katsuki exploded "That little shit snitched on me?! Oh, I'm gonna turn this fucking Deku inside out-"
"Oh for fucks sake, Izuku did NOT 'snitch on you', you moron!" she cut him off. "Believe it or not, it wasn't hard to figure out. There aren't many people capable of producing explosions out of nowhere. Let alone our age." She groaned and rolled her eyes. "Anyway, once I found out that you were the victim-"
"Don't call me that! I am nobody's victim!"
"Damn it, do you ever shut up?! Let me get to my point already!" She pinched the bridge of her nose and continued before he could interrupt her again. "In any case: After I found out you 'were involved', my first response was to have a laughing fit and the thought of rubbing it into your face while making fun of your misery."
Katsuki had long since started gnashing his teeth in irritation. "So that's it, huh? Want to follow up on your idea? Come on, then! Fire away! But you better make it count or I will go for the kill!" he barked and then saw how Mikumi clenched her fists and took a long calming breath through her nose before she made her move. It wasn't, however, what Katsuki expected her to do.
She bowed. Not deep, by any means, nor for very long. But it was unmistakably a bow. Katsuki was rendered speechless. And then she went for the finisher. "I'm sorry. Both for what happened to you and for how I reacted to the news."
»What … what the fuck?!« He thought in bewilderment. He had no chance to dwell on it, however, before she continued.
"It's no secret that I hate you. Just as much, if not more so than you hate my brother. And while, in contrast to you, I have an actual reason for it, it doesn't give me the right to behave like I have been recently. Or to do what I was about to do if Izuku hadn't given me a piece of his mind. Which is why I vow to better myself from here on out and stop from intentionally angering you." Then her face hardened again. "But don't get the wrong idea. This changes nothing between us. The deal is still in place and will be as long as my brother and I have to deal with your sorry ass. And if you get out of line, I will put you back into place." Mikumi calmly approached him then and crossed his red eyed gaze with her own. The fact she had to look up a bit nowadays due to him having grown just as much as Izuku did irritated her, but she couldn't let him know about it. "I will merely stop getting down to your level."
"… getting down on my level?" He repeated through clenched teeth as a vein on his forehead throbbed.
"You heard me. Because, unlike you, I do not have to prove myself." She stepped around him, making an effort to avoid checking him with her shoulder. "And neither does Izuku." she added after a few steps, without turning around.
… The next day …
Groaning in protest, Izuku slowly forced his eyes to open. He had set a mute alarm on his phone the previous day, to make sure he would not miss the probably biggest opportunity in his life. As silent as he could be in his still drowsy state, he carefully got out of bed and changed into his training gear. Making sure he had keys, wallet and phone with him, he tiptoed out of their room and their apartment and departed towards Takoba Municipal Beach.
It was roughly ten to five am when he arrived at his destination. That had the regrettable side effect that Izuku was now alone with his thoughts. So his mind inevitably made an effort to torture him with all kinds of stray thoughts.
»Maybe he wasn't serious about it? I mean, how could someone like me become the next All Might? What if it was all a trick?! Could he be onto Mikumi?! He said his quirk was transferable, but how likely is it that two quirks exist that are all about exchange?«He was pacing back and forth in front of the 'entrance' and his anxiety rose with each step. Just when it reached a point where he was about ready to make a run for it, when a white pickup drove around the corner and came to a stop nearby. And out of it stepped the gaunt figure of Toshinori Yagi.
"Ah, young Midoriya! On time like clockwork, I see. That's how I like it!"
"T-Thank you, All-ERR, I mean: mister Yagi!" »Dammit!« "I was looking forward to this all week!"
"I figured as much, haha! Let's get right down to business then, my boy. I'm sure you're wondering why I told you to meet me here of all places."
"I have, sir." Izuku looked around at the dump stretching in front of him. "This is honestly the last place I would expect someone to meet up." he shuddered "I'm getting tetanus just from looking."
All Might blinked a few times, not having considered that before. "… now that you mention it, young Midoriya: Are your vaccinations up to date?"
"Luckily, they are, I think?"
"Excellent! Then nothing's stopping us. As for your question …" he began, walking down the stairs and onto the one clear trail midst the mountains of garbage, Izuku being right behind him. "While I have chosen you as my successor due to the heroic heart and the quick thinking you showed by at the slime villain incident, your body is not yet up to the job."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"Remember, One For All is the accumulation of the strength of all the people who have wielded it before. Even not knowing the exact amount of time, it's safe to assume that's several decades - if not a century or two - worth of power. Now a little physics lesson, my boy: If you take a lot of matter and force it into a vessel - much smaller than its initial volume – what happens?"
"It get's … compressed?"
"That's right. And that of course means that the matter presses with all its might against the inner walls of the vessel. Does that make sense to you so far?" All Might asked while looking over his shoulder, to which Izuku simply nodded. "Good. Now here's the twist: What happens if the vessel in question is comparatively fragile to the exerted pressure of its contents?"
"… then the vessel will tear and eventually burst."
"Exactly! And that's the problem! For you to be a suitable vessel of One For All means to toughen up as much as humanly possible! Otherwise your body would rip apart at the first attempt of using it." He turned around and examined the boy standing in front of him. "While you, from what I can see, have already laid a good groundwork, you are still miles away from reaching the bare minimum required for the job ahead of you."
"I, uh … I see. That does make sense. But what has that to do with us being here?"
"Well, this serves two purposes. The first is to get you the required workout for you to build up your musculature … by cleaning this beach!"
Izuku went wide eyed and jerked his had in several directions, seeing nothing but trash mountains, each one bigger than the last. "… clean this beach?"
"Yep!"
"… all of it?"
"Correct!"
"… on my own?"
"That's the idea!"
"… with my bare hands?"
"Well, mostly. I will provide you with ropes and belts and such for the heavier pieces."
"… this will take years?!"
"It would, usually. But you will do it in 10 months!"
"10 MONTHS?!" Izuku exclaimed in utter despair.
"Of course! That's all the time we have at our disposal until the U.A. entrance exam. And you dowant to attend that school, don't you?"
Izuku mentally facepalmed for forgetting that particular detail. "O-Of course! I have dreamed of it since I can remember! … but … if we are that short on time, wouldn't there be places or activities more suitable for this?"
"Perhaps, but this could might as well end up as a double-edged sword. If you spent too much time with one particular exercise or use a certain equipment too frequently, you might end up with an unbalanced body-built. There is a reason why you should never skip leg day, after all." Then he pointed over his shoulder. "But by dealing with disposing this wide variety of items, you will constantly have to alternate in your approaches and thus training different muscle areas. And then, of course, there is the second reason why I chose this to be your training …" All Might walked towards a nearby fridge. "… I remember this beach used to be a beautiful piece of scenery back in my adolescence. People of all ages loved to meeting up and spending their days here."
Izuku looked in the direction he could hear the waves splashing and nodded. "I can imagine. I believe I heard somewhere that even back then certain underwater currents tended to wash shambles and the like ashore. At some point people began to add their own waste to it, which eventually lead to this dump."
"Got it all in one, young Midoriya. Currently people tend to stay away from here unless they too want to add to it. Even the garbage collection services do. And you know, I think that is a shame." He buffed up out of nowhere, startling Izuku who still hadn't gotten used to it. "You might not know, but back when the profession of super heroes came to be - heck, even long before quirks appeared for the first time - the word 'hero' was an equivalent to 'volunteer'. No job was too insignificant or simplistic for them, be it helping your elders to cross the road or getting lost kittens off a tree. Most heroes nowadays see themselves as above such 'vanities', preferring to bath in the spotlight and making a mint of money." he put one hand on the fridge and began to squash it "But as much as I stand in the center of public attention as well, I first and foremost want to keep this original altruistic image alive." With a final push, he reduced the fridge to barely more than a slug. The resulting shock wave unveiled a clear view onto the horizon, just in time for the sun to rise.
Izuku smiled, enjoying the first rays of sunlight while his mind wandered to a certain memory. "My sister once implied something similar to this. Told me to find everyday tasks to help our neighborhood or other strangers along and use the exercise as training. It's where my 'groundwork' stems from."
"Is that so?" All Mights smile broadened. "Sounds like she knows what she's talking about. You'ld do good listening to her then."
Izuku laughed sheepishly "Trust me, she knows how to make sure I do." he sighed happily and then refocused on the task ahead. "So that's how it is, hm? Community service coupled with the benefit of training. Sounds pretty much like what I've been doing all along, just upgraded to a Plus Ultra level." He put his hands on his hips, not unlike a super hero pose. "Alright then! Let's do this!"
"NOW THAT'S THE SPIRIT, YOUNG MIDORIYA!!"