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"I want you to tell the world 'I am here!'"
"In addition, I will not heal injuries like this anymore."
"You're thinking One for All is more special than it is."
Izuku scrubs a hand through his hair, ruffling his curls. Three comments from three people who know about One for All. They conflict in some ways and compliment each other in some ways, but the one thing they all have in common is that Izuku can't stop thinking about them. Even now, three weeks after the end of the week he had with Gran Torino, he finds himself drawn over and over again to those three wishes expressed for his future.
He bites on the eraser of his pencil as he stares down at the fresh notebook spread on his desk, using that to muffle the words that want to come spilling out. He's gotten used to mumbling to himself just to let the thoughts in his head have some air in an attempt to share them with someone, but now there are too many secrets bottled up inside him to permit that.
Besides, Kacchan's still sitting in front of me, and he'll definitely still cause a scene if I make what he considers too much noise.
Izuku's eyes try to dart to the head of blond hair in front of him at that thought before he forcibly drags his gaze back down to where he's written All Might, Recovery Girl, and Gran Torino's words down. Just staring at them isn't doing anything.
He flips the page and writes All Might's words down on the empty sheet. Then he puts pencil back to paper and just writes, scribbling out anything and everything that comes to mind when he thinks of the request All Might made before the Sports Festival. The need for his successor to make a splash, to show off his presence and shout to the world that there was someone coming up to replace All Might. A reassuring beacon in the face of All Might making fewer appearances, slowing down as he got older, and becoming linked explicitly with U.A.
Well. I failed that.
Izuku shoves aside the humiliating reminder of just how few offers he received. It's just one more thing that hasn't changed even with getting a quirk. He's still last place in the Quirk Assessment Test, still last place when it comes to being picked, still Deku.
Blinking, he realizes he's come to the end of the page. Right, next. He jots down Recovery Girl's warning, her line in the sand, her demand that he stop damaging himself just to - just to what? To prove myself, Izuku thinks as he scrawls his train of thought beneath her words, the associations he makes with regards to her decision. I guess I should count myself lucky that I encountered Stain in Hosu and went to Hosu's hospital instead of being shuffled back to U.A. for healing after what happened.
He doesn't think she would have refused to heal him from the wounds Stain inflicted but - what if she had? Would she count those injuries as self-inflicted by his inability to use One for All correctly?
What is the correct usage of this power? I've discovered how to make it work, now, but only with such a small bit of it. If I try to go over, I'll break myself again. So what to do I do if I'm in a situation where I have to go beyond my current limit or watch someone else be hurt?
He reaches the end of that page in a pensive mood, flipping the sheet over with a frown. He's disappointed All Might and he doesn't know where he stands with Recovery Girl. Which leaves Gran Torino's comment: "You're thinking One for All is more special than it is."
But it is special! It's a quirk that can be passed down from one generation to the next, dating back to the Dawn of Quirks. It's a power meant to be shared, to shine brightly -
Wait. Who had it before All Might?
Midoriya's been quiet since the Sports Festival. Quiet in a way that sits ill with Shouta's instincts as a teacher. He can't quite say why, or put his finger on what specifically worries him, but he's used to watching students face up to the truth of what it means to be a Hero and reacting in ways similar to this.
That's wrong, though. Midoriya isn't quiet in the manner of someone rethinking his career path. Shouta can't say what is going on in Midoriya's mind, but he's sure it's not second thoughts about that. Otherwise the boy would have dropped out the first day of class.
Shouta resolves to pay a little closer attention to him, to try and figure it out.
And then Midoriya drops one of the notebooks he's always writing in during homeroom or between other classes. It falls from his backpack as he rushes after his friends, and Shouta finds it lying open.
He shouldn't, but - all good Heroes are nosy. It's just a fact of life. If you don't stick your nose into things, how are you supposed to find out what's happening?
So he reads it. Just the pages it fell open to, he tells himself. And he does, somehow, manage to stick to that promise.
"You wanted to see me, Aizawa-sensei?" Izuku asks after stepping into the teacher's room after school. He's far from the only student speaking with a teacher, which is reassuring, but he's not convinced that Aizawa's request will lead to anything good. The amount of shocks his homeroom teacher likes giving their class leaves him feeling wrong-footed, unprepared for anything.
"First, you dropped this yesterday," Aizawa says, holding up a familiar notebook. Hero Notes for the Future No. 18.
So that's where it got to. Izuku found it missing when he got home the prior day and hasn't been able to relax since discovering its loss, worried about who might have gotten their hands on it and how they'll react to such a thing. "Ah, thank you, Aizawa-sensei," Izuku says, taking it gratefully. He said first.
"Second, you should encode that and then destroy the original," Aizawa continues, "and the same goes for the other seventeen."
"Wh-what?" Izuku squeaks. He stops, clears his throat. "What do you mean?" he asks once he's sure his voice won't break again.
Aizawa's dark eyes bore into him for a moment before he sighs. "Of course you don't understand," he mutters, swiping a hand down his face. "Midoriya, the analysis of the single page I saw revealed the strengths and weaknesses of one of your classmates. If a Villain got their hands on that sort of information, the damage they can do is catastrophic, especially if your level of detail holds for all of your entries."
Izuku bites his tongue against the first few protests that want to come out. Hasn't he seen for himself over the years that other people don't make observations like he does? His classmates at Aldera certainly taunted him about his 'creepy hobby', and not all of it required Kacchan's prodding for them to join in. "I don't have a code that would work for that," he admits instead of tryiing to say something in his own defense.
"Then we'll make one," Aizawa says, as if it really is that easy. "Sit," he adds, pointing to a nearby chair. He fishes a book out of his desk and hands it to Izuku. "This is a book on the basics of developing a code. Take it with you and read it when you have the time. For today, we'll start with a simple one and then you can build off it from there..."
Izuku flips to the back of Volume 18 and starts writing, taking note of Aizawa's suggestions as they start building something. And he tries not to think too hard on the feeling brewing in his stomach as his teacher - a respected Hero - takes him and his 'creepy hobby' seriously.
Seriously enough to insist Izuku protect the contents with more than just hiding the notebooks from his classmates.
Most of his class wants to go the Spotlight Hero route. Same as every year. Sure, a few are interested in Rescue, but most of them have their eyes on the shiny prize that is the Hero Billboard Charts. Just another excuse to compete and showboat, if you ask Shouta.
And, yes, he says that knowing full well that his best friends are all Spotlight Heroes to one degree or another. It's fine, they know his thoughts on the matter and that it's no reflection on them, at least not so long as they keep focusing on being Heroes instead of grandstanding.
Shouta's not supposed to bring up different types of Heroics as a specialty to first-years. He knows that. But he also knows that's a recommendation rather than a hard and fast rule. Nedzu won't punish him too much if he steps outside of that guideline - especially not when he explains why he did it, what they stood to lose if Midoriya didn't pursue a route that let him make use of the intelligence and analysis skills Shouta's discovered.
He waits almost an entire week after he introduces Midoriya to the concept of coding his notes, protecting the observations he makes in case something happens to one of his notebooks and someone more hostile to Heroes picks it up. And then he sticks a note in with some of the homework he's returning, asking Midoriya to come to the teacher's room again after the end of the day.
Midoriya turns up without fail, and lacking the trepidation that had so clearly haunted him the week prior. "I finished coding all of my notebooks, Aizawa-sensei," he reports as soon as Shouta acknowledges him. "You don't have to worry about that - I built a muhc more advanced code than the one you helped me with."
Shouta's not sure about that 'much more advanced' when Midoriya hadn't put any thought into it before, but he has been surprised by students before. And by this one in particular more than just once or twice. "I'm pleased to hear it," Shouta says, "but that's not why I asked you to meet with me." He leans forward a little, clasped hands resting on the edge of his desk, and asks, "Have you considered Underground Heroics, Midoriya?"
Large green eyes blink at him before a more guarded look creeps into his gaze. "If this is about my quirk," the boy says, "I've gotten it under control -"
"You have," Shouta interrupts, because he's watched over the past few weeks, ever since internships ended. Whatever he learned from this 'Gran Torino' - a Hero with spotty records and sparser sightings than Shouta can claim - it's clear that control over that wildly self-destructive quirk of his was one of those things. At last. Shouta's still not sure how Midoriya has made it this long in life without learning how to control his quirk better than he demonstrated at the entrance exam, but his own preconceptions of Midoriya as a boy with an ego over having a super strength quirk have taken quite the hammering in the face of how quickly Midoriya learns and adapts.
Clearing his throat, he continues, firmly, "You have demonstrated a level of control over your quirk that satisfies me as to your ability to use it in combat situations, but that has nothing to do with my question." He meets Midoriya's wide-eyed gaze. "Your analysis skills would serve you well as an Underground Hero, whether you take on an investigative bent or not, and having such a powerful quirk to back you up would give you a tool that most Underground Heroes can only dream of. It's your choice, ultimately, but I think you should consider it."
Midoriya bites his lip. "Should I...?" he mutters. "I have a powerful quirk, as you said, Aizawa-sensei. Doesn't that mean I should use it for Villain takedown?"
"That's part of Underground Heroics, too," Shouta points out. "The most important thing for an Underground Hero is the ability to think. You've proven you have that, and that you won't be taken off-guard by the unexpected. Add in your analysis skills and you're a good fit. You don't have to decide right now - you're not even through the first term of your first year. But it would be a shame if no one mentioned the possibility to you before you get too set on the most obvious path."
"A shame," Midoriya murmurs, half-wondering. He stares at Shouta, studying his face like he's looking for the punchline to a joke.
Shouta keeps his gaze as open as possible in response. He doesn't joke about Heroics - that's why his class is structured the way it is and why Nedzu lets him get away with so much.
"Do you really mean that, Aizawa-sensei?" Midoriya asks after several moments where they just stare at each other.
"I don't say things I don't mean," Shouta replies.
"Then you really were going to expel me on the first day," Midoriya says. "It wasn't a lie to motivate us like you said later. You changed your mind."
Shouta looks at Midoriya, at the stubborn jut of his chin and the strange emotion lurking in his eyes. Or perhaps not so strange after all. He's been uncertain for the few months Shouta has known him, some days hiding it better than others. "Why didn't you have more control of your quirk, Midoriya?" Shouta asks softly, under the cover of the other conversations happening in the staff room.
Midoriya's gaze shutters. "I'm sorry," he says, head drooping, bangs shadowing his expression.
That's not an answer, Shouta doesn't say. He doesn't coddle his students - they want to be Heroes. He's not going to hold back and let them think the world will be kinder to them than it will, not with such a dangerous profession at the end of their time in high school.
Not when they can die even before graduation, lose friends or civilians or limbs or a dozen other less tangible things.
"The only reason you should be sorry is if you put absolutely no effort into learning how to control your quirk between its manifestation and the entrance exam," Shouta says. That had, admittedly, been his initial read of Midoriya, but the boy soaks up praise and direction like a dry sponge. He's an analist but he never tried to analyze his own quirk? It makes no sense to Shouta.
"I did!" Midoriya says quickly. "Er. That is." He slumps inwards again, looking down, mouth pulling downwards.
Shouta stands up. "Come with me," he says decisively. Clearly, this isn't a conversation to be had in front of other people, no matter the noise level.
Izuku follows Aizawa to a private conference room, fingers tugging at each other. It hurts, still, tugging on the scars on his hand, but the pain helps ground him. He still doesn't know what he's going to say, but it feels impossible to lie the longer Aizawa stares at him without blinking.
Daring another glance across the space between them, Izuku accidentally makes direct eye contact. He flinches, hunching down again.
There's the ruffling of paper, and when Izuku slides his glance to the other side of the table, carefully driecting his gaze so it doesn't rise high enough to meet his teacher's stare, he spots the edges of a folder. The kind that would be used to hold a person's record, for example. He sucks in a breath. Waits.
"Super-Power," Aizawa says. Reads, rather, because he's looking at Izuku's record. At the quirk listing. "The name of your quirk made me think, perhaps foolishly, that you've had it since you were four. It's the sort of name a child would give a super strength quirk. But you used the kanji for super and the katakana for power. That's not the sort of thing a child that young would pick."
Izuku bites harder at his lower lip, his fingers clenching at the fabric of his uniform pants. He can't answer, he reminds himself. He promised to keep it a secret, to protect the legacy that All Might entrusted to him.
But it's not a legacy I can uphold, he thinks with some despair, recalling his inability to make a show of himself at the Sports Festival, his lack of facility with a quirk that All Might claimed to have had no troubles with from the moment he received it.
"You're thinking One for All is more special than it is."
Gran Torino's words continue to haunt him. It is a special quirk, the only one of its kind since all the quirks 'gifted' by All for One require the Villain in question to do the work of passing quirks around. And he can force them from others and force them on others. One for All must be willingly handed over to a successor.
"I keep going back and forth on this," Aizawa says, "ever since I took another look at your file. Midoriya, are you a late bloomer?"
Late bloomer. A term that could mean many things. But Izuku knew what his teacher meant by using it in this context. Someone whose quirk hadn't come in when they were four, only appearing later in their life. Izuku digs his teeth out of his lip and says, softly, "You've seen the power of my quirk. Do you really think a four-year-old could contain that sort of power?"
It's not, strictly speaking, a lie.
Izuku knows it's wrong of him to draw on the specter that haunts plenty of parents, the thought that a child might inherit a quirk that kills them in the moment of its awakening or turn on those around them. It doesn't happen often these days, but it still can. When a quirk inheritance mutates unexpectedly or two people with contradictory quirks have a child... it's a gamble.
And one could say that he was a risk, being born quirkless. He shouldn't have been, with both of his parents having a quirk, and he's pretty sure at least three of his grandparents had quirks. But it still happens that a child instead inherits nothing.
"When did your quirk come in?" Aizawa asks.
Izuku hesitates a little longer, but. If he really wanted to, Aizawa could pull the records from the registration office. He's a pro Hero affiliated with U.A. - they'd let him see the date Izuku registered One for All as 'his' quirk. So he says, quietly, "The day of the entrance exam."
Aizawa goes still. So still, Izuku doubts that he's breathing. After a moment, he says, "I see," in a tone devoid of emotion.
There's another charged moment of silence before he says, "Midoriya, you've come a long way in a short time. I respect that greatly. And I think it shows more proof that I was right to ask you to consider Underground Heroics. But I also understand if you don't want to take that route, if, now that your quirk has come in, you want to take the Spotlight route. That's a perfectly understandable desire. And, whichever route you choose, I'll support you."
Izuku finally looks up. Meets his teacher's dark stare. Sees only honesty reflected back at him. "Thank you, Aizawa-sensei," he says.
Deep inside him, something settles.
Shouta is not going to hover. He's not. He's also not going to treat Midoriya any differently. Favoritism doesn't help anyone.
But he is going to be perhaps a little less harsh in his judgment.
Four months, he thinks. It's June, and Midoriya has had his self-destructive, too powerful quirk for four months. Any earlier and it probably would have blown his limbs off. There's certainly a marked difference in the amount of muscles Midoriya has now compared to in the photo from his final year of junior high inside his academic record. Packing them on in preparation for U.A.'s entrance exam clearly made the difference where his quirk was concerned.
In which case he ought to count himself incredibly lucky that it didn't try to manifest earlier.
Midoriya's come along in leaps and bounds like a prodigy, compared to how long it took most people to hone their quirks. Admittedly he had the advantage of being a teenager instead of a toddler in that respect, but that minor difference didn't take away the respect Shouta had developed over the revelation of Midoriya's quirk status.
Nor did it reduce his conviction that Midoriya would make an exceptional Underground Hero.
It's his choice, Shouta reminds himself as he marks papers in the staff room. He's put the thought in Midoriya's head, and he thinks Midoriya is going to give it some consideration, but it's ultimately his choice whether he goes for it or not, exactly as it should be.
No matter how much of a waste Shouta thinks it will be to see someone with Midoriya's mind go into Spotlight Heroics.
Izuku thinks about Aizawa's words, about the offer of Underground Heroics for his future. It sits in his mind the same as everything else people have said about his future and One for All, becoming another worn pebble of thought for him to turn over and over until it becomes as well worn as all the other sentiments and wishes and requests. He's collecting quite a pile of them, now, each one with their own page of thoughts in his special notebook dedicated to them, the one that's just about him and his future instead of being an analysis of others.
Analysis, he thinks. Yes, that's what I ought to do. I need to analyze myself.
He flips to the next fresh page, picks up a pencil, and starts writing. It's becoming second nature now to write in the code he's developed, and he lets his pencil fly across the page, trying to make it keep up with his thoughts instead of letting them outpace his physical ability. He doesn't try to confine himself to only one page this time, either, letting his thoughts spill forth onto following pages, letting them come to their conclusions before barreling on down the next path.
If One for All isn't as special as I'm making it out to be, why can't I be an Underground Hero? a small part of him whispers, and then he's writing down all the ways that would work for the type of person he is and the type of Hero he said he wanted to be, both before and after receiving One for All. Saving people with a smile isn't confined solely to those who need help when cameras are rolling and everyone is watching. Doesn't Izuku know all too well how much people suffer when no one's looking for them?
An Underground Hero can't burst into a school and fight bullies any more than a Spotlight Hero can, but he can find the people who've been forgotten by the news media, the victims who slip through the cracks of the system. Aizawa's right, too, about some of the limits on Underground Heroes. There have to be times when they find something they want to stop - a large operation - but can't do it because they don't have the numbers or a quirk that can tank the damage they would take shutting it down, and if no Limelight Heroes want to help, then there's only so much that can be done.
Izuku can change that, if he goes Underground.
But is it a betrayal of All Might? He entrusted me with this quirk to follow in his steps. To be a Symbol the same way he is.
But is that a good thing? All those Heroes stood around saying they couldn't help Kacchan because of their quirks. They expected someone else, someone better, to show up. Because we've all been taught that All Might will show up and save the day. When instead, shouldn't we be focused on making ourselves better? In stepping up for our own sakes?
If that was the case, then continuing All Might's legacy wouldn't result in the kind of Heroics world that both Izuku and All Might want to see. A peaceful world, where people were safe. You needed a lot of people stepping up together to do that. Can any one person do that? You would need a lot of people, across a lot of different areas of Heroics, in order to make that happen.
...and you would need a lack of All Might or anyone like him.
It feels like a betrayal to think that. But looking back over the thoughts he's jotted down, Izuku can't help but think that All Might's way, for all that he did it for good reasons, has failed. And if One for All isn't special - if it's not One for All that matters... Someone else can take the lead on the Spotlight Hero side. And I can be a light in the dark for those who need it. I can save people with a smile and reassure them, people who don't have anyone else, who look at a Hero like All Might and think, 'but he'll never save me.'
...is it alright? For me to take a quirk like this and go Underground, the way I thought I might have to, originally, when I was planning to be a Hero without a quirk. There's a reason, after all, that Izuku recognized his homeroom teacher on day one, a teacher who functions solely as an Underground Hero, more cryptid than not.
With shaking hands, he flips his notebook closed. He tucks it into his bag, squishing it between several class textbooks, where no one else will see it. He needs to talk to Aizawa about this, and having this specific notebook on hand will make it easier to keep his thoughts in order without going off-topic.
What if he doesn't understand without me telling him about One for All?
Izuku shakes his head. It will be alright. He has to believe that.
Midoriya walks into the teacher's room after school and beelines for Shouta, a determined tilt to his chin. "I want to be an Underground Hero," he tells Shouta once he reaches him, not stopping to take a breath.
"Alright," Shouta says. He reaches into his desk and pulls out the Underground Heroics Guide that he keeps handy. Just in case. He's never given it to a first-year student before, but there's a first time for everything as this year's class has been showing him.
As Midoriya Izuku has been showing him.
"Start with this," he tells Midoriya, holding the book out until Midoriya takes it. "If you have questions, ask," he adds firmly. If it's Midoriya, he's pretty sure the questions will come, but it's better to make his expectations known. "I can't answer something if I don't know it's bothering you."
"J-just like that?" Midoriya asks. "You don't - you don't care about my reasons or why or anything?" His voice cracks a little with the emotions swimming in his green eyes, but the volume never goes above speaking level.
"I'm far more interested in helping you succeed," Shouta tells him. "If you want to tell me, you can, but if you don't, then I'm going to respect that." He studies Midoriya for a moment, and then decides to tell him something he usually only tells the third-years in his Hero Ethics course. "Heroes do the right thing for the wrong reason all the time," he says bluntly. "I'm not going to sit here and say a person shouldn't be in Heroics - as a whole or a specific part of it - if they're doing good work. No matter the internal reasons, if those don't affect other people negatively, they don't matter."
Then, before Midoriya can get too bogged down in his own head, he adds, "For what it's worth, I don't think you have 'bad' reasons for wanting to go Underground. You want to help people, right?" He doesn't need to see Midoriya's fervent head nod to know the answer, but he politely waits for it before nodding back. "That's the mark of a good Hero."
Midoriya nods again, slower this time. He clutches the guide book Shouta gave him to his chest, arms wrapped around it like it's something precious instead of a battered book put together for students interested in Underground Heroics.
"Good. Read the book, come back to me with questions," Shouta orders. "There isn't much you can do before next year, officially, since that's when you choose your specialization, but that will tell you what to start working on that you might not know about."
"Thank you, Aizawa-sensei," Midoriya says. "And, um. Thank you for telling me to look into Underground Heroics," he adds.
Shouta nods.
After Midoriya leaves, he pulls out the list he's been trying to put together for the end-of-term Heroics practical. If Midoriya's planning on going Underground, having him fight All Might alongside Bakugou isn't quite so necessary, no matter how much Shouta thinks Bakugou needs to get over his inability to function when presented with Midoriya.
"You've been going to talk to Aizawa-sensei after class a lot," Uraraka observes over lunch a week before finals.
"Oh, um, yeah," Izuku laughs, a little nervous. "It's because. Well, I'm thinking about becoming an Underground Hero."
"What?" Uraraka blurts, turning to stare at him with wide eyes. The rest of their table likewise looks at him as if - well, as if they think he's lost his mind. "But - but you really like All Might!" Uraraka says when she recovers herself.
"I really respect him," Izuku agrees, because he still does. "I want to be like him - a Hero who inspires people with a smile, whose very presence makes someone think everything will be alright. And I think..." he looks down at the scars on his hand, gained when he chose to help Todoroki in a way that a Limelight Hero maybe couldn't have done. Looking back up at his friends, he says, "I think being an Underground Hero will let me do that in a way that I want. I'll be able to help people who might otherwise not be saved, and in a manner that maybe they won't be used to."
"I think it suits you, ribbit," Tsuyu says matter-of-factly. When Izuku turns to her, she nods at him. "You're the type of person who wants to help a person emotionally more than you want to just charge in and beat up the Villains. It seems like Underground Heroics might be a good fit if you don't want to go the Rescue Hero route like Ochako-chan does."
"Thanks, Tsuyu-chan," Izuku replies with a smile, happy that at least one of his friends understands him.
"But. Your quirk," Todoroki says, slowly. "It's really close to All Might's super strength."
Todoroki's accusation about Izuku being All Might's secret love child flashes through his mind for a brief moment before Izuku is able to banish it back into the depths of his memory. "It is," he agrees, "which is why I didn't consider anything but following in All Might's footsteps as a Limelight Hero. But if I become an Underground Hero, then I can really make a difference without worrying about my standing. And, well, Underground Heroes - there aren't enough of them to go around." He shrugs. "I think it's better this way. There are plenty of people with flashy quirks who will go Limelight - or Rescue," he adds, nodding to Uraraka.
"The path of the Underground Hero is quite difficult," Iida says. "I wish you the best in pursuing it, Midoriya. And, of course, should you find you need help from a Limelight Hero in the future, I trust you won't hesitate to call on any of us."
"Same to you only for an Underground Hero," Izuku replies, smiling easier, more genuinely, in the face of all the support.
"You don't have to make any changes right now," Shouta tells Midoriya the next time his student stops by the teacher's lounge, guidebook for Underground Heroics in hand, "but you should think about your costume. Bright colors tend to be the purview of Spotlight and Rescue Heroes."
"But there's nothing to say I can't keep it as it is," MIdoriya argues. "Bright colors reassure victims, that's why they're encouraged for Heroes."
"They also turn you into a target," Shouta counters, although he takes care to not be too aggressive. If Midoriya has a good argument for his decision, he wants to hear it, not shoot him down without reason. That mind of his is the entire reason Shouta thought he should be an Underground Hero, which means he ought to keep nurturing it. And listen when Midoriya makes a good point.
"My quirk... I'm not using all of it yet," Midoriya says.
Always that hesitation when he talks about it. Like he's uncomfortable with it. Well, small wonder when it only manifested a few short months ago. Anyone would hesitate under those circumstances. "You're still adjusting to it?" Shouta asks.
"My body is," Midoriya confirms with a nod. "Slowly I'll get faster and stronger as I can call on more of my quirk. Right now, with Full Cowling, I can only use about five percent of what's there. Over time, I'll be able to handle more of it."
"So you just need time," Shouta concludes. He thinks of how fast Midoriya is in class these days. Five percent. That's a little terrifying. "Alright, I see your point," he says. "If they can't hit you, it doesn't matter what you're wearing. But don't get too cocky. There's always someone better."
"I know," Midoriya says, "but that will be the case regardless of the color of my costume." He stops, frowning a little. "A darker green wouldn't hurt," he says after a moment's thought. "But I want to keep the red."
Shouta shrugs. "It's your costume, Midoriya. That makes it your choice, ultimately." So long as it remains within the legal restrictions for a Hero costume. Not that Shouta thinks Midoriya likely to follow Nemuri's lead in pushing the bounds of common decency and the legal system.
"Right," Midoriya murmurs, scribbling something down in one of his ever-present notebooks. This looks like a new one since he's near the front of it, although he's holding it so Shouta can't get a good look at whatever he's writing. Provided he would even be able to read whatever code Midoriya's cooked up. "I noticed a lot of Underground Heroes use gear to help them," Midoriya says once he's finished writing down his thought.
"Because most of us have weird or weak quirks," Shouta explains. "Yours is pretty straightforward, and if you're only going to get stronger and faster than you already are, you'll be able to handle most of the issues that cause Underground Heroes to turn to additional weapons."
"That doesn't mean there aren't useful support items out there," Midoriya says. One hand comes up to press against his chin as he starts muttering to himself about his current abilities, about items he's seen in the field - including Shouta's own capture scarf - and even, amusingly, about the sort of support items Hatsume demonstrated at the Sports Festival.
Your quirk is a tool, Shotua tries to teach impressionable young would-be Heroes. It's good to see one who not only understands that but also consciously takes steps to round out his toolkit. Yeah. He'll do good as an Underground Hero.
"Ah, Midoriya-shounen!"
Izuku stops. His shoulders try to hunch up but he forces them down. He has no reason to feel guilty, he reminds himself firmly. He hasn't - exactly - done anything wrong by All Might's standards. He's just maybe, possibly, going about becoming a Hero in a manner that All Might won't agree with.
"All Might," he says, turning to face the first adult to vocally support him. Oh, sure, his mom hasn't stopped him, but he knows she was always uncomfortable with his dream, especially back when he didn't have a quirk to back it up. She's been nothing but supportive since. But All Might was the first person to say, out loud, to Izuku, 'Yes, you can be a Hero!' And he even meant it, which is a far greater gift than Izuku sometimes feels like he deserves given how they originally met.
"Midoriya-shounen, I compiled that list you asked me for, of our predecessors," All Might tells him, and Izuku's shoulders relax even further. He'd half-forgotten he asked for that, caught up in researching Underground Heroes with a renewed eye towards joining their ranks.
"Thank you," Izuku says, accepting the sheet of paper with its names. Hero names, for the most part, although he notices that the first three names on the list have question marks by them. "Um, All Might, why...?"
"Ah. Yes. Unfortunately, records from that far back are rather spotty," All Might explains sheepishly. "This is the best that Gran and I can manage between us, even with my Master's notes and the stories she told Gran about what she knew."
"Oh. Thank you for looking into this," Izuku says, because he's truly grateful. Scanning the list, none of the Hero names jump out at him as being anyone legendary, but then, he's admittedly not too familiar with a lot of Heroes that predate All Might. His interest fixed on the current Number One at an incredibly young age, and he only dedicated himself to looking into other contemparary Heroes because he knew he needed to reserach as much as possible if he was to become a quirkless Hero.
"It was my pleasure, Midoriya-shounen. Although - may I ask - why did you want this list now?" All Might asks, staring at Izuku with a quizzical cast to his features.
Well. Izuku knew this question was always going to come, from the moment he made his choice to walk down the path of an Underground Hero. He had just hoped it might take a little longer before All Might asked him something that demanded the whole truth. Still, he can start - slow. Build up to it. "Gran Torino said that I was thinking of One for All incorrectly," Izuku explains. "That I was thinking of it as being something more special than it is." He looks down at the sheet of paper again with its list of names.
People who held One for All. Who made it what they could, used it in ways that suited them. Or so he presumes. After all, none of their names are spoken of as legendary Heroes. Not the way that All Might is.
"Well," All Might says, clearing his throat. "It is special. It's a legacy, a quirk that can be passed down like a torch, giving people a chance to be Heroes."
"But," Izuku says, hesitant, "what if. What if you don't need One for All to be a Hero?" He swallows hard, then presses on when All Might doesn't immediately respond. "You chose me as your successor because of my actions - because I had the heart of a Hero, you said. Not because of a quirk."
"Yes," All Might agrees, blinking almost comically down at Izuku. "But One for All - "
"It's a quirk," Izuku interrupts, because if he doesn't get these words out he's afraid he won't ever get them out. "A tool, not the - not the sole point of me. So if it's not any more special than any other quirk, then what makes it special is the person who uses it, just like every other quirk. And if that's the case... if that's the case, shouldn't I, the current holder, get to decide how to use it?" He can feel hot, angry tears coming to his eyes and he dashes them away with quick gestures. The worst possible thing he can do right now is break down crying, he knows.
"I'm going to be an Underground Hero," he tells All Might, looking up into those glowing blue eyes. "I'm going to be a beacon of light to those in the dark, saving people with a smile - just like you do, the way I always dreamed." Then, sensing the tears piling up, he mutters, "Excuse me," bows, and races off before they can overflow in front of his mentor.
Shouta takes in the scene and tries not to leap to the worst possible conclusion. No matter his personal thoughts on All Might's complete inability as a teacher, he's still a respected pro Hero and he doesn't go around trying to make the kids cry. So he gives himself a moment to take a deep breath as All Might's outstretched hand slowly drops back to his side when Midoriya doesn't miraculously turn around and run back.
Then, temper firmly in hand, he strides over to All Might's 'true form' and clears his throat pointedly.
Watching the other Hero jump almost a foot in the air makes Shouta smirk into his capture scarf. "Situational awareness," he says, half-scolding, as All Might turns to face him with a sheepish look on his face as he hunches deeper into himself.
"Haha, ah, yes, I know... My apologies, Aizawa-kun, but did you... need something from me?" All Might's brows draw together a little before he adds, "It's just, ah, this isn't the best time. It seems I need to go rethink some things - "
"You can readjust your thinking later," Shouta interrupts. "This way." He starts walking towards one of several staff rooms that Nedzu's littered across campus. A quick glance backwards shows that All Might is, indeed, trundling along obediently behind him, still frowning like he's caught between uncertainty and rethinking his entire life.
Once they're safely in a room that students can't access, Shouta seated while All Might paces, it occurs to Shouta that All Might isn't going to ask why they're here. He's too wrapped up in his own thoughts, likely spurred by whatever he had been discussing with Midoriya. Shouta had been too far away to hear any of it, but he can make at least one guess about what might have come up to have Midoriya fleeing and All Might confused.
Although Midoriya shouldn't know who All Might is when he looks like this. So what were they doing talking like that?
"I take it Midoriya told you he's pursuing the path of an Underground Hero," Shouta says eventually.
All Might turns to face him. "Yes," he says. Just that one word, heavy and solemn. Then he says, "I don't understand why he was so afraid to tell me," like it's not obvious. "And, well, I suppose I'm confused about why he wants to go that route given his quirk, but that's his choice," he adds, so at least Shouta doesn't have to try and punch the Number One Hero in the face.
"He wants to become an Underground Hero because it suits his skills," Shouta snaps. "You need to be intelligent, good at analysis and improvisation, nosy, and compassionate." He pointedly ignores what that list says about himself. "Having a strong quirk might not be a prerequisite the way it is for Limelight Heroes who focus on Villain takedown, but it means he can function more directly than most other Underground Heroes out there, a boon given how spread thin we are."
"Compassionate," All Might repeats, and he's smiling, small and almost self-mocking, nothing like his normal grin even in this shrunken down form. "Yes, Midoriya-shounen certainly is that." He shakes himself out and turns his attention more fully to Shouta. Even in this depowered state, something about his stare sends prickles of warning down Shouta's back and makes the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. Like he's in the middle of a lightning storm - or facing down one of the most powerful people in the world. "Thank you, Aizawa-kun," All Might says. "For recognizing that Midoriya-shounen would react well to becoming an Underground Hero and making sure he knew it was an option."
There's definitely a connection between them. Shouta shrugs, slouching into his chair deliberately. "I hate wasted potential," he says. "Midoriya's got the intelligence to make it as an Underground Hero and the drive to be not just successful but one of the best."
"Yes, I agree," All Might says with a more genuine, beaming smile. "Whatever Midoriya-shounen turns his mind to, he will succeed. I suppose I will have to find time to reassure him at some point soon, lest he fear I'm disappointed in his choices."
"Mm." Given the way the two of them had been standing, the implied closeness in All Might's words, and how Midoriya had fled rather than face All Might's censure, Shouta suspects any hint of disapproval from All Might would be enough to have the teen rethinking his choices. It's good to know he doesn't, even if it's clear he still doesn't understand. Why should he? He's been the Spotlight Hero for decades. Practically his whole career. It's enough that he's not going to try and interfere.
Shouta wouldn't let him, of course, but there's only so much he can do if Midoriya takes All Might's words to heart. "Hey. Why do you know Midoriya so well?" Shouta asks. He's not expecting a true answer, but it ought to be enlightening to hear All Might's response.
Amusingly, All Might squawks as he starts turning all sorts of colors. "Oh, would you look at the time?" he finally manages to get out. "I need to go - uh - talk to Nedzu! Yes, very important discussion, please excuse me, see you tomorrow, Aizawa-kun."
After he's fled from the room, Shouta locks it and tucks himself under the desk. He ought to be able to get a good thirty minute nap in before he has to be elsewhere, and this small room is a lot quieter than the teacher's room.
"Midoriya-shounen," All Might says, appearing in his shrunken form as Izuku's on his way towards the gates. "Might I have a moment?"
He sounds almost forlorn, and there's no sign of anger, so Izuku walks over, leaving the crowd of students making their way towards the exit to join his mentor. All Might leads him deeper back into U.A., into one of the small meeting rooms that dot the halls. There's a pot of tea waiting, along with two cups, and Izuku accepts the one All Might offers him with a quick head bob.
Then, they sit in silence for several minutes, just sipping at their tea.
"Um, sorry about running away yesterday," Izuku says when the silence becomes too unbearable for him. "I should've waited for your response."
"No, my boy, I'm the one who ought to apologize for yesterday," All Might says quickly. "I would never presume to dictate to you, for my Master never did that to me. She told me when she thought I was being silly, but other than that she simply taught me, for as long as she was present in my life, and left the rest of my choices up to me. I intend to do the same for you, and I should have made that clear."
"Is it up to me?" Izuku murmurs. Flushing under All Might's surprised stare, he explains, "It's just... you asked me to make a statement with the Sports Festival, to announce 'I am here!' and I failed to do that..."
"Because you wished to help someone," All Might says firmly. "I will never fault you for choosing to save someone over chasing the top spot. I chose to become the Pillar of Peace because of All for One," he tells Izuku. "But my Master was not even on the ranking chart, and I had never heard of any of the other names on the list I gave you. Gran was right when he told you it is not One for All that makes you special. It is you and the Hero you choose to be. I will have to ask you to stand against All for One if I am not able to finally defeat that man before the embers of One for All burn out inside me, but I rather think you would do that regardless, knowing your dedication to saving people."
He reaches out and puts one bony hand on Izuku's shoulder, squeezing with a strength belied by his rake-thin frame. "Midoriya-shounen, I want you to know that so long as you continue choosing to save people and be a Hero, I will be so very proud of the legacy you make with One for All."
"O-oh," Izuku hiccups, completely unsurprised by the tears pouring down his face. "Th-thank you so much," he stammers out, bowing his head.
"My prince of nonsense," All Might says fondly, squeezing his shoulder tighter. "An Underground Hero really shouldn't be such a crybaby."
Izuku laughs wetly through the flood of tears. "I'll work on that," he promises through the snot.
I'm going to be an Underground Hero! The best one I can be!
Epilogue:
"I don't take work study students," Shouta tells Midoriya. "Not when I don't have the time for it, normally, with my class schedule."
The teenager doesn't quail, just keeps looking steadily at him. Waiting.
Shouta snorts. He really only has himself to blame for this, given that he's the one who set Midoriya down the path of an Underground Hero in the first place. "You're lucky the rest of your class will be out on their own work studies so I have the time for this," he says at last.
"You won't regret this, Aizawa-sensei," Midoriya promises, green eyes glowing - excitement and determination battling for the dominant emotion.
Shouta smiles. "No," he agrees, "I don't think I will." Slowly, his smile stretches, turns into the one that makes his friends go running in fear. "You might," he warns through his teeth. "I'm going to work you to the bone. By the time this month is over, you will understand exactly why Underground Heroes are in such high demand and why none of us ever get enough sleep."
"I can do it," Midoriya says.
"Yeah," Shouta says, toning down the 'crazy person smile'. "You can."
He can't wait to help mold Midoriya into a top-tier Underground Hero.