Chapter 1: Awaken! Heroes of Tomorrow!
Izuku Midoriya was born into a world where eighty percent of people had developed superpowers known as Quirks. Long ago, society had a great upheaval at the dawn of quirks. Now peace is maintained by those who fight for honor and Justice. These people are known as Heroes. In this world, due to the power these quirks give people, many choose to commit crimes and cause mayhem, these are villains. With the world maintaining a fragile peace through the actions of heroes, it's no wonder that the young Izuku wanted to grow up and be a hero. But luck wasn't on Izuku's side.
"You should give up." The doctor said with a disinterested look while he picks his ear. The young Midoriya's face is shocked into a comedic black and white. Beside him, Inko Midoriya uses her quirk to float his All Might action figure back into his hands.
"Oh my, are you sure Doctor?" She asked with concern, this had been something she wasn't looking forward to. "Look, Mrs. Midoriya. These X-rays," the doctor shoved the papers up on a light board to showcase Izuku's foot, "They show us that Izuku has a second joint on his pinkie toe. We know now that people with quirks have evolved passed this trait and have only one joint." The doctor sighed and leaned back, his face had a look of annoyance as he continued his speech, "It's likely that Izuku will NEVER develop a quirk. Even one like yours or your husband's."
That night, as Izuku sat watching videos of heroes win against villains, Inko had to comfort her crying son as he asked her with tears rolling down his face, "Look mom, Heroes are cool… I can be a hero right?" It tore her apart to imagine her son going through such a painful experience but her worries about him prevented her from saying anything other than, "Oh Izuku, I'm so sorry…" He would sit there and cry as he tried to put on a brave face for his mother. Eventually it was time for bed and Izuku tried his best to fall asleep. His mind kept wandering back to his diagnosis, at least until he saw a bright streak of green light from his window.
Dodging the All Might collection, Izuku ran to the window and saw a meteor shower as it rained through the sky. His eyes widened in wonder as he watched the lights dance across the sky, their green color filling his mind with familiarity. "My boy. You're liable to go blind if you stare so hard." A voice said from behind him. Izuku whirled around and spotted a stranger sitting on his bed. Izuku's face contorts into shock and fear before he charges at the man and punches him in the face.
"GWAK! Geez! W- what the hell Kid?!" The man whisper-yelled as he held the boy by his arms.
As Izuku struggled a bit, he took some time to examine the man. He couldn't see his face, a shadow from the hood he was wearing blocked his view. The man was dressed rather sloppily, a long white coat with a hood, on the chest area there were what looked like medals that a veteran might have. He also wore a pair of baggy jeans and a Diamond blue t-shirt.
"You done freaking out? Geez, I mean you no harm." His voice, a rugged yet obviously annoyed tone, emanated from the hood. "W-who… who are you?!" Izuku whispered, he knew that he needed to be quiet or this man could attack him and his mother.
The man paused, his body lightly shook as he chuckled softly. "Of course you don't know, good. I am known by many as 'He who wanders'. You may call me Slash, the Silver Knight Hero." Izuku's eyes narrowed. He was a hero fanboy, more so than any he ever knew… so why did he not know this 'Slash'?!
Slash cleared his throat as he continued, "I've come to help, not hinder. I know what happened to you. You are quirkless, without an Anathema. Err… well something like that… I cannot reveal my plan, but know that I am helping you." The man sat the boy back on his feet as he stood up and walked to the window.
"There are things in this world you are not meant to know… if you discovered them, you'd pay the price, with your sacred light. That is why I am acting now. I have seen where your path leads and I deign it necessary to interfere." Slash leans against the windowsill and looks out at the meteor shower. His mouth is barely visible in the flashing green lights, a vertical scar runs across his lips.
"It's beautiful isn't it?" Slash's mouth formed a soft smile. "The meteor shower. It appears once every hundred years. Legends say that it heralds great change… others say a horrible calamity." Izuku looked at the meteor shower again.
His eyes glowed in the bright lights. "It suits you kid." Slash said as he patted the boy on the shoulder. "You were meant to be a hero, but you were cursed… keep dreaming and hoping and holding on to that dream." Slash lead the boy towards his bed and stood him in front of it before walking back towards the window.
"In ten years time, your destiny will come for you. In that moment, the seed of interference I have planted will awaken. I cannot foresee what will happen but know this Midoriya Izuku, your future will be yours to make." Slash quickly turns to face the boy, his arms outstretched and his mouth in a wide smile. "I can't wait to see you again, now return to sleep." Slash jumped out of the window just as Izuku fell backwards onto his bed.
Sleep quickly took hold as the boy was exhausted. Dreams of becoming the next greatest hero filled his mind.
TEN YEARS LATER...
Awakening at the sound of his alarm, Izuku panics and looks toward the window. He's surprised to see it shut and locked.
It's been ten years since he had that dream… It didn't matter, Izuku had homework that was due next week. Jumping out of bed, he set out to get breakfast from his mother. She had changed visibly since his childhood. Inko's stress had definitely resulted in her gaining a fair amount of weight. This, of course, mattered little to Izuku as he loved his mother dearly. After eating and getting his bag ready for school, Izuku ran out of the apartment and towards Aldera Middle school.
Society was not kind to Izuku as he grew older. Any friends he had prior to his diagnosis had distanced themselves and cut him off. His once best friend, Katsuki Bakugo, had taken to bullying the poor child. His ego consuming any thoughts of mercy for Izuku who he had taken to calling "DEKU" now. The explosive quirk user would not only physically assault him, but would burn Izuku with his quirk.
Nobody stood up to the bully, and the teachers ignored this. It remained this way until Izuku's last year in Aldera Middle School. Izuku was in class, trying to write down the notes from the chalkboard as quick as he could. The teacher lazily massaged his bald head before smirking and saying "So, I heard all of you want to go into Heroics? Maybe even shoot for UA?" The whole class cheered.
They had all written down UA as the school they wanted to attend. One voice rose above the rest, Bakugo's, "I'm the only one who's going to UA Teach! The rest of these Extras won't even make it past the written portion!" His yell was met with booing and annoyed laughter.
The teacher, smiled before asking, "What about you Midoriya, you wrote down UA as well didn't you?" The class went silent. You could hear a pin drop as they all stared at the embarrassed and nervous Izuku.
Then, everyone erupted in laughter.
"Him?! No way!"
"That guy, is way too weak to be a hero!"
"They won't let you in for just studying!"
"What a freak man."
The class booed and laughed at Izuku as he tried to shrink into a ball. A hand slammed on his desk, it was the blonde firecracker. "Fucking Deku! Listen up, IM THE ONLY ONE GETTING INTO UA! You're fucking useless, you CANT be a hero!" Those words hit Izuku hard, his once best friend had told him he wasn't gonna be a hero. So Izuku just looked down and sat in silence.
"Alright, alright everyone. Settle down so we can finish up the lesson." The teacher drawled, not sparing a hint of sympathy for Izuku. Class passed slower than anyone wanted but for Izuku, all he could focus on was Bakugo staring at him, seething in rage.
At the end of class, everyone had left except Izuku. At least that's what he believed. "Hey Deku!" Izuku's eyes widened at the sound of his tormentor. He froze in fear as the blonde walked up to him and snatched his Hero Analysis #13 out of his hands. "K-Kacchan! Please don-"
FLOOOMF!
Bakugo slammed the book between his hands and set it alight. He tossed the burning book out the window while Izuku screamed in horror. "I know a way you can get a quirk." Izuku stopped, his eyes wide, fear and confusion laced his brain with the inability to move.
"You can take a leap of faith off the roof and hope to be reborn with a quirk in your next life!"
"Let go, it's not food, Stupid." Izuku says to the Koi fish. It nibbled on his journal a bit before looking at him. Izuku looked back at the fish and wondered if that fish understood that he was in pain. It swam around in circles for a bit before it returned to staring. Izuku made a promise to come back with real fish food. But for now he needed to get home.
His slow and depressed walk led him to a dark alley where a large whooshing noise was heard. As Izuku squinted down the alley, a giant wave of sludge smashed into him. "LOOK WHAT WE HAVE HERE! A PERFECT VESSEL FOR ME TO HIDE IN!" Izuku struggled in fear, the sludge villain was holding him down.
"STOP STRUGGLING, SHHH… IN ONE MINUTE YOUR BODY WILL BE MINE AND YOULL FADE AWAY INTO A PEACEFUL SLEEP!" As Izuku's vision darkened, he started to look back on his life and tears flowed from his eyes.
"SMAAAAASH!"
The sludge villain was blown away by high powered winds. Izuku landed on the ground and saw something he thought could only be a dream! ALL MIGHT!
"DON'T BE AFRAID, I AM HERE!"
Yelled out All Might with his signature smile. His imposing figure shadowed Izuku's face as he stood tall. However, Izuku did notice that All Might was dressed in a white T-shirt and brownish cargo pants instead of his hero outfit… perhaps he was off duty?
"ARE YOU ALRIGHT YOUNG MAN?"
"Y- yes, All Might!" Izuku whimpered out. Here was his favorite hero, his idol! Here was his once in a lifetime opportunity! All his life, a burning question plagued him. His deepest desire… 'could I be a hero?' All Might quickly bottled up the sludge villain before pocketing the bottles in his cargo pants. The muscled man twitched as he saw some steam on his right hand.
"Um… A- A- All Might! C- can I…"
"Sorry Young man, I've got to be going. I signed your notebook though! Be safe now!" Izuku's eyes widened, he was about to lose his chance to get an answer… no no NO! Izuku grabbed onto All Might's leg right before he jumped.
"Hmm? Wha- what… WHAT ARE YOU DOING THERE?! Get off!"
"L-like I could do that! Look where we are!" Izuku screamed as he held on for dear life. All Might looked down before he chuckled and landed on a nearby roof.
"Now Young man, that was extremely reckless! You shouldn't just cling to people! Especially not heroes who are working!" All Might looked down at his arm, 'Shit… time is running out.'
"BEFORE YOU GO ALL MIGHT," Izuku yelled with all his strength. The boy wanted his answer, "My name is Midoriya Izuku, I'm one of your fans… and I'm quirkless. I- I… I want to know if… Can I be a hero, even without a quirk?!"
There it was, the big question. All Might was surprised at this moment, but when he noticed the steam billowing off of him, he knew it was too late. "Shit." Was all he could think about before it happened. Before Izuku's eyes, All Might… DEFLATED?!
"Wha- who… WHAT DID YOU DO TO ALL MIGHT?! Are you an impostor?!"
"No no! I am All Might!" All Might proceeded to explain to Izuku about his injury against a villain five years prior. He showed the boy his disgusting scar, its veiny appearance causing some discomfort in the boy.
Suddenly All Might had a serious look on his skeletal face. "You asked me if you can be a hero without a quirk. My response to you is… No I don't think you can."
In Izuku's mind, he heard glass shatter at those words. His hero… THE hero of Heroes… told him he'd never be a hero. How painful this irony is. "It's not bad to dream kid, but you need to be realistic about it. You can be a police officer, that's a fine occupation."
Izuku remained silent as All might left the roof. His head drooped as he stared at the concrete. Eventually he willed himself up off his knees and began to walk home. It would be quite a distance so he needed to start now.
Izuku heard it as he sadly walked home. A commotion nearby. He walked over to see it, the sludge villain?! How did he- oh no! When he grabbed All Might's leg! This is Izuku's fault.
"Shit. We need to wait for backup."
"My quirk is useless against that guy."
"What do I do?"
Izuku heard several pro-heroes talking as they stood in place, watching. Why weren't they helping? He didn't understand. Unbeknownst to him, nearby was All Might, he was also watching… but he was watching in shame.
He had expended his time limit. 'I... damn it! I wish I could help...'
Izuku was about to leave but then he saw it. A tuft of blonde hair, those bright red eyes…
'Kacchan!'
Small explosions were being absorbed by the sludge as Bakugo was held by the villain. The fear in his eyes… it triggered something in the green haired boy.
"Hey kid, Stop!"
"Come back here!"
Before he knew it, Izuku was running towards the danger. In an instant he had thrown his backpack at the villain's eyes and jumped up to grab Bakugo's hand. The boy's eyes widened at seeing Izuku trying to pull him out.
"DEKU?! What are you doing?!"
"I- I don't know Kacchan… my legs moved on their own! You looked like you needed help!" Izuku stammered out as he continued to try and pull the other boy out.
'Oh… Oh my GOODNESS! Look at you, the quirkless fanboy jumping into danger. What am I DOING?!' All might internalized before he went beyond his limit in a nearby alleyway.
Just as the sludge villain was about to attack Izuku, he was blown away by another SMASH! The people cheered as All Might had saved the day!
"Don't be afraid, I AM HERE!" All Might yelled before he helped the kids towards the paramedics. All Might tried to keep his eyes on Izuku but he was swarmed with reporters and fans.
After getting checked by the paramedics, Izuku was scolded by the pro heroes for being reckless. Meanwhile Bakugo was being praised for his bravery. It didn't matter to Izuku. He already had his dream crushed… he wanted to just go home.
As he walked down a street near his house, Izuku is surprised to see All Might land in front of him.
"A- All Might?!"
"I AM HERE, To speak wit-"
POOOMF
All might deflated again, he coughed out blood as he returned to his true form before addressing the boy.
"Young man… err… Midoriya-Shonen. At that time, you were the only one to act… the only one to move! Do you know what most pro heroes say when they learned they wanted to be heroes?"
"N- no?"
"Most Pro Heroes say that their bodies moved on their own. They moved to protect before they could think. That happened to you right?" Izuku nodded, his eyes watering as he started to imagine what All Might was gonna say.
"You, the quirkless fanboy… the only one to act. You, Midoriya Izuku… You can be a HERO." As All Might said this, the dam broke and Izuku's tears started to flow. The boy cried and cried, this is what he wanted.
To be validated by someone, to be believed in.
"That is why, I choose you Midoriya-Shonen! I choose you to inherit my quirk!"
One second passes. Two. Izuku looks up in a deadpan before his face breaks out into an anxious smile. "What?"
"I choose you to be my successor!" All Might blabbed as he smiled.
Izuku was at a loss. He didn't know what to say, it was all so surreal… he was going to get All Might's quirk?!
"Wow. I know this is an extremely important point on the timeline but seriously… you need to be more careful there Toshinori Yagi." The instant the name was said, All Might was on alert as he searched for the voice.
He spotted a very suspicious man in a white coat with a hood.
"W- wait… YOU! It's you from ten years ago!" Izuku yelled out, pointing at the man who lazily raised his arms.
"Hello Izu-kun, I hope you've been well." He mock saluted to the boy.
"Um… Midoriya-Shonen… can you… introduce me?" Izuku looked between the two men.
Slash and All Might stared at each other with interest in the other's motive.
The mysterious man decided that he wanted to play on an even playing field with All Might.
"Fine. I guess since I did just expose your real name, you can have mine as well, Toshinori." Slash pulled his hood off to reveal a rather young looking face.
If Izuku or Toshinori was to assume, he looked about nineteen or twenty. His face had a large, deep scar running down his left eye. Over the eye was a black, leather, eyepatch. His lip was cut on the left side as well. His eyes were a deep red and his hair was a snow white.
"My name is Kimisuya Yamato. I'm from Tokyo. My quirk is ESSENCE, or the ability to manipulate atomic structures up to one hundred meters away. I'm here to ensure the best possible future."
"What?" replied both Toshinori and Izuku. Confusion was plainly visible on their faces, so much so that Yamato just sighed.
"I suppose you mean about the whole 'Timeline thing' right?"
The man and boy nodded, it was suspicious as hell that this guy just walked up and said something about time, admitted he has a really powerful quirk, and tried to leave it at that! Yamato put a hand on his hip as he tried to balance on one foot out of boredom. "Alright, I'll be honest. I'm not from Tokyo, that's just my HPSC cover. I'm from a different world altogether."
Izuku's eyes widened, there was no way that's possible right? Beside him, Toshinori looked contemplative as he considered the HPSC's confidential files list. He had access to quite a few but there were still some even the number one couldn't touch.
"I'm sure you have sooo many questions," the man spoke with a very bored tone, "but I'll condense my story to this: I'm older than I look, we've met before Toshinori, and I'm here to make sure One for All doesn't get destroyed." Both listener's eyes widened. All Might't quirk gets destroyed?!
"Fear not, I'm here to keep the quirk alive. I believe that its destruction has vast consequences that need to be mitigated." The white haired man walked over to the boy. Placing his hand on the boy's shoulder, he smiled. Those crimson red eyes shone with compassion. "Izuku Midoriya, will you allow me to train you with All Might?"
Izuku froze, what was he supposed to do? 'What if I'm not good enough? What if I let them down? Can I even be a real hero?' He felt his shoulder shake a bit, looking up he saw Yamato standing there. All Might just behind him, that big goofy smile on that surprisingly thin face.
"Hey, it's alright to be insecure. Don't let it blind you to what you can be... I already told you ten years ago." The man took a step back and he placed his hands on his hips in a mock All Might stance, much to the ire of the real one.
"You, Izuku Midoriya, were meant to be a HERO. So... will you accept our offer?"
This was all so much, so fast! It took the boy a second to process it, but he found his answer.
"Yes! Please train me!"
Chapter 2: Realize! Lessons in History!
Izuku yawned as he walked towards Takobah beach. He had been awoken by a call from All Might demanding he meet the hero at that specific beach. Looking down at his watch, the boy read 6:30 AM. It was definitely too early for him.
"Yo, kid."
Turning around, Izuku spotted Yamato in his signature white coat. How he could wear that and not die of heat exhaustion? Izuku would never know. Despite getting caught up looking at his new mentor's questionable attire, Izuku spotted a strange girl about his age following after him. She had orangish hair that was tied up in a ponytail. Her teal eyes reflected a sense of exhaustion as she chased Yamato.
"Y- Yamato! G- Good morning!" yelled Izuku as he waved. It seemed like Yamato was going to wave back but he instead tripped on a crack and slammed his face into the ground, much to Izuku's horror. It took him a second to stand back up and brush himself off. He lightly chuckled as he looked around. In the time he had taken to get up, the orange haired girl caught up to the man, her face reflected annoyance as she crossed her arms and stared at Yamato.
"Kimisuya-san, my grandfather is still expecting his rent. Please tell me you have enough today?"
Yamato turned to look at her, and with a completely dead face said, "No. I spent it all at the casino."
The kids looked at this adult with distain. Izuku definitely lost some respect for his enigmatic mentor. Yamato however, was not fazed in the slightest. He merely sighed and promised to pay double what he owed next month. Spoiler, he owed six months of rent!
The man sighed, "Look, Kendo... I don't got much on me but... how about I help train you for UA? I heard Old man Shiro say you wanted to be a hero." It was hard to take the man seriously when he acted like a fool. Especially when he did that thing he did. 'Does he always scratch the back of his head when he's nervous?' thought Izuku with curiosity.
The orange haired girl, now known as Kendo, looked past Yamato and his blabbering. Her eyes widened upon seeing Izuku standing there all embarrassed. "Oh, I'm so sorry! I didn't notice you there!"
"I- It's alright..."
Yamato shook himself out of his negotiating mode and put on a wide smile. 'FINALLY! Some payoff for this job!' he thought before motioning between the two kids. "Kendo, this is my disciple Izuku Midoriya. Izuku, this is my landlord's granddaughter, Itsuka Kendo."
"N- Nice to meet you K- Kendo-san."
"You as well Midoriya-san."
The adult slowly started to back away towards the beach, at least until Itsuka spotted him and charged at him with a big fist karate chop. The impact didn't land right, leaving Itsuka falling backwards onto Izuku. 'A- A- A GIRL IS ON ME!' Izuku internally screamed. "Whoops... sorry Midoriya-san." said Itsuka as she pulled the boy to his feet. Izuku just muttered out a thank you before his mind suddenly switched to analyzing the quirk he just saw.
"Oi, Izuku! We're gonna be late for that meeting with Toshi! Let's go!" yelled Yamato as he started sprinting down the road. Itsuka started to chase him before she got winded.
"Damn... he runs pretty fast... huh?"
"Y- Yeah..."
It was pretty awkward. Itsuka was by no means a girly girl. She had this energy to her... like what Izuku imagined a big sister would be like. Plus, his experience with women was definitely less positive than that of his peers.
"So... he's your... Mentor?"
"Uhm... Yeah! He promised to help train me for UA. I- well we met about ten years ago so I guess you could say I've known him for a while." Izuku lied, he knew something was causing Yamato to just run off towards the beach instead of walking with them. His eyes shot open at the realization. ALL MIGHT was at the beach! He couldn't let Itsuka learn the secret of One for All!
As the two continued to get closer to the beach, Itsuka pointed out a hunched over Yamato who looked like he had ran a marathon. In front of him was Toshinori in his skeletal form. Noticing the two, Toshinori waved them both over with a smile.
"Young Midoriya! Young Kendo! Thank you for meeting us here! I'm sorry for what trouble my friend here has caused you."
"It's nothing sir, Kimi-"
Yamato harrumphed. He fell backwards onto the sandy ground before giving Itsuka a deadpan stare, "Just call me Yamato please. I really hate being associated with my last name."
Izuku and Toshinori shared confused looks while Itsuka just stared at the man. He didn't waver in his stare, it honestly unnerved the poor girl a bit.
"Any reason why?"
"I... don't remember. Let's move past that please."
The man stood up, with the help of Toshinori, and proceeded to stamp his feet into the ground and assume a parade rest stance. "Today, we will begin your training. God willing, you'll be an even stronger hero than I was in my prime!"
"Sorry... you were a hero Kim- Ah I mean Yamato-san?"
Yamato feigned hurt, his hand clutching his heart in a dramatic pose. He shed comedic tears as the world turned dark. "You wound me, Kendo-san. I thought we were closer than that. How deep the knife of a friend stabs."
Itsuka rolled her eyes before turning to Toshinori who had been nervously sweating.
"So you're the real trainer right? Not this guy?"
The white haired man faceplanted when he heard the orange haired girl speak. Glaring from his position on the ground, Yamato chose to remain silent as Toshinori explained.
"Ah, sorry Young Kendo. Both Yamato and I are training Young Midoriya here. I believe he extended an offer for you to join us as well? Does that mean he has told you about his special circumstances?"
"No. He's an old friend of my grandfather. I don't know how they know each other but Yamato-san is always mooching off of that good relationship." Itsuka said while she lightly tapped her foot against Yamato's face. He pouted like a petulant child as she did so. For some reason he felt his heart start to beat faster, his nervous system was entering fight or flight. What was-
'How does it feel to be under my boot Yamato?'
The man rapidly shook his head. Damn it, even now he would get flashes of his past. Taking a shaky breath, the man stood back up and put on his super serious face.
"We're losing daylight. Kendo-san, please go inform your grandfather of my offer. If you choose to accept, meet us back here next week on Monday."
Izuku looked at Yamato with concern. The laid back man usually had a jovial tone when speaking but now it seemed like he was forcing his own composure. Something had obviously thrown him out of wack... but what? He was shaken from his thoughts when All Might placed a hand on his shoulder. The man had a calm but solemn face as he watched Yamato send Itsuka home.
"It was nice to meet you Midoriya-san! I hope we can work well together." yelled out Itsuka as she was pushed towards her home by Yamato. Izuku stuttered out a response while blushing up a storm. Toshinori chuckled at seeing his successor experiencing the joys of youth.
"Alright Izuku, first things first. This is orientation for you." Stated Yamato as he handed the boy a folder. The man ran his hand through his hair, moving a stray lock away from his eyepatch. The patch reflected light in a way that made the sunlight appear blue. Izuku blinked and Yamato had finished fixing his hair.
"That... is Toshinori's BIG plan. Aim to pass: AMERICAN DREAM. Jesus Christ... YOU'RE NOT AMERICAN TOSHI!"
The skeleton man simply fidgeted with his hands as he stood there. "But I like America..." he muttered out, much to Yamato's annoyance. The one eyed mentor just sighed before explaining the plan to Izuku. They'd spend ten months cleaning up Takobah beach. Izuku would handle the arduous task with support from the older heroes should he need it. During this training, Izuku would need to change his diet and spend time meditating with Yamato.
When questioned why Yamato replied, "One for All is not only physically taxing for you, it's mentally taxing. Having a quirk that can destroy buildings and change the weather can cause you to do not only stupid things, but also to doubt your abilities."
The man paused, he tapped on his wrist. There was some kind of watch there that Izuku swore wasn't before. After pressing the final button and cursing a bit, a holographic screen appeared. Both Toshinori and Izuku looked on in awe at the technology displayed before them.
"The last thing is something you both need to know..." Yamato stated, his face taking on a troubled look. He looked down at his left hand, debating on what he would say next. Sighing, he turned back towards the concerned pair. "It's time you learn my crybaby backstory." Yamato joked, a defense mechanism.
Tapping on his wrist caused it to shimmer. The light on the appendage took on a wave like motion. After two seconds, the limb was replaced with something the two weren't expecting. A metallic prosthetic. It reflected a very small amount of light as the sun beamed on it. It was colored a blackish grey, the only other colors were the flashing blue of a forearm mounted display panel. On the back of the hand was a holographic projector, the one displaying the image that originally came from the "Watch". There were no open spaces like you think you'd see, instead there were seams that ran from the wrist up to the elbow. At the elbow was a strange fusion of flesh and machine.
Yamato wrapped his right hand around the connector at his elbow. Twisting, and pulling the arm off revealed that the arm was connected via some kind of electromagnet. The only thing still attached to the limb was a thin wire. Yamato yanked that wire before wincing in pain.
"Here, I know you're curious kid. Go ahead and hold it."
Yamato handed Izuku the arm, it was warm. The boy swore he could feel veins pumping blood and the squish of flesh in his hands. "Wh- What is this? What happened to you?!" Izuku stuttered before yelling the last part. Toshinori had the same thoughts behind his stoic face.
"That," Yamato pointed to the arm, "Is the Vargas Technologies Zerobreaker prototype sixty two. VTZ-62. It is the one thing I have from my world that I have memories of. It holds everything I've ever learned or done in its logs. Unfortunately I am unable to access those logs... haven't been able to since 1923..."
Izuku froze at that. Toshinori coughed up blood in surprise at the statement.
"Yamato..." started Izuku.
The man turned to face his student, his face showing no emotion.
"Are you over three HUNDRED years old?"
"..." Yamato did not immediately answer. He looked down at his right hand. A small spark of golden energy emanated from the palm. "When I arrived in your world, I woke up in New York."
Izuku stared on, wondering where this was going.
"I lived on the streets for a time, like most Americans did. It was the Great Depression. I didn't need to eat much, I don't sleep... so I spent my days and nights helping those who needed it. I gave up all of the money I earned at Wilshire Ironworks to feed hungry families who had nothing."
All Might pulled out his phone and searched for the company, when he found that the company closed in 1938, he was shocked.
"In 1941, I enlisted with the First Marine Division during World War Two to protect someone I saw as a brother. He died three weeks in. I saw the horrors of war, what power does to people. I stared death in the eye and screamed into the night. You might call it irony... but I was there for the battles against the Imperial Japanese. I saw a tyrannical government toppled by our forces." Yamato clenched his fist at the word tyrannical. He had started pacing back and forth.
"The things I did... those days live with me. I'll never forget it. After the war, Japan was in ruins. America had beaten them into submission. I could speak Japanese... so I asked to remain on the Island. My wish was granted. In 1964, I was fully granted Japanese citizenship. I stayed to watch over a burgeoning nation. To keep the peace."
Yamato had a faint smile on his face as he looked out towards the setting sun. Toshinori had adjusted his shirt due to it slipping to one side. Izuku merely stood and listened, well as best as he could while holding a literal arm! Still he listened to Yamato's story. If not for his own curiosity, then to at least be someone who remembers him.
"I tried to stay out of the public eye. The power I have, Essence? I've had it for as long as I remember. Which means, I've had it since 1923. If a government had gotten a hold on me... well our world could've been a lot different."
"Wait." Said Izuku, "What is Essence anyway?"
Yamato smiled and patted the boy on the head. He gestured for Toshinori and Izuku to take a seat. The two looked around as there was no clear seating options. Yamato just sighed, walked over to a tipped over fridge, and kicked it towards them. A trail in the sand was left behind but the fridge slid to a stop right behind them. The two sat down, both with looks of confusion.
"Essence is a blessing and a curse." Yamato started, "When you think of a quirk you think something that your body naturally is accustomed to right?" The two listeners nodded. It was obvious that most quirks caused mutations in the body to allow for it's use in a safe manner.
"Well my quirk is different. It changes Atoms. I could literally disassemble that fridge you're sitting on with a snap." The two looked horrified and wondered if they should stand up. "Alas, my quirk has a drawback. Like all quirks. Essence, consumes my brain tissue if I go overboard. I go plus ultra? I say bye bye to life."
Izuku's eyes widened in shock. His quirk would KILL him if he used it too much?! Toshinori had similar thoughts but instead related it to One for All and how the power of that quirk would kill people who couldn't handle it's full power.
"That was the case," Izuku and All Might looked up at him, "Until I used Essence to rewrite my biology. I changed my cells to reproduce at a rate that counteracted the effects... now I just lose memories instead of potentially dying."
Yamato shrugged his shoulders as he continued, "Before you ask, I can't delete quirks. Unfortunately Essence doesn't allow the deletion of things... only the alteration. I can change a quirk to function differently, such as changing its activation method... but only once. The body is quick to recognize my interference and prevent Essence from changing things again. A one and done deal."
One second passes...
Two...
"WHAAAAAAAT?!"
The two shouted simultaneously causing Yamato to cover his ears.
"Y- You can ALTER quirks?!"
"Yes." Yamato replied, his face deadpan.
Izuku's face was one of wonder, 'Imagine the uses for such a quirk! Mutations could be altered into something that fits a person's desired outcome! Quirk drawbacks could be overcome! Wait... people without quirks could DEVELOP QUIRKS!' The boy's thoughts raged like an inferno as his mumbling began.
Toshinori just looked on in shock as he tried to process the unfathomable revelation he just received.
An exasperated Yamato yawned before continuing, "Back to my story. Things were good until the early 21st century... specifically... 2034."
Izuku stopped mumbling. Toshinori closed his gaped mouth. "The dawn of quirks..."
"Yep. The advent of human evolution created some of the worst crisis cases I've ever seen. It all culminated in one event that we- I mean I call 'The Nexus Point'. Do you know what it is All Might?" Yamato nodded to the man. Toshinori's eyes widened at the motion.
"All for One... and the creation of One for All."
"Yeah, for all the years I've lived... there was never a worse villain to appear. He manipulated the chaos to suit his needs. Kids with quirks would surrender their powers to him to rejoin the quirkless masses... I saw all of it from the rebellion. In 2056, a raid on All for One's lair was conducted by a special operations unit. My comrades, Kudo and Bruce, led the charge... I got lost in the lair. I found him. The first wielder. He was on the verge of death, so I used what little power I could at the time... and fused something within him."
Toshinori coughed, he was judging whether or not to believe this story... but it was all so accurate to what Nana had told him so long ago.
"It wasn't all me... the boy who held the powers, his will is what completed the conversion. I don't remember much of what happened up until 2173. I... My memories had been lost. I ended up serving the Meta Liberation Army."
"So you were a radical terrorist?" Questioned Toshinori, Izuku kind of shrunk back away from Yamato.
The man simply sighed, kicking a can that was near him. "Back then it wasn't all sunshine and rainbows Toshinori. Without my memories I had been told many lies. It was only thanks to your sensei that I found myself again."
Yamato walked over to where Izuku was, he waved his hand over the metallic arm and the projector displayed an image. Yamato was smiling, his eye had a dark circle under it. His arms were around two people's shoulders. One man with a yellow cape and white suit, Toshinori shivered upon seeing him, and a woman with black hair tied up in a pony tail.
"Nana Shimura saved me. So I did her a favor." Tapping the image once again, a video started to play.
[Log T-Z-4223]
Rain poured down as Yamato stumbled towards an alleyway. He had just dealt with a villain who had kicked his ass. He would kill for a hotel or something... but those kids needed the money more. His hood barely kept the rain off his head as he found the makeshift living zone he had made for himself. Anything to keep the HPSC off his scent.
He would've crawled into his dirty mattress had he not seen the crying kid.
"Hey, what's wrong?"
The kid looked up at the man. He had a stubble that had definitely not been maintained in a while. His hood covered his eyes but the soft smile provided a degree of comfort.
"I... I'm... my mom..."
Yamato knew what had happened... he was just there. A villain had orphaned another child. Another soul to be damned by this endless back and forth. This was his fault... Fuck.
"Hey... it's alright bud. Look, let me take you to a person who will help you? Trust me... I'm here to help." Yamato comforted the boy with soft words. Taking his hand, he pulled the kid down the street. He had taken his coat off and wrapped it around the kid to keep him warm.
They walked for a while before arriving at a house on the outskirts of the city. Knocking at the door, Yamato made sure to place the kid under the overhang, near the door. When the door opened, light shone out, and Nana Shimura gasped in surprise at the sight.
"Nana... I..." Yamato sighed, he gestured to the kid. "I'm calling in my favor. Look after him for a while."
The woman nodded before guiding the boy into the door.
"Before you go kid." Yamato said while putting his coat back on, flipping the hood up. "In the future you'll be someone who inspires hope in others. So smile... show the world you're not afraid. Stand proud and say 'I AM HERE!'"
Yamato patted his head before leaving.
To say that Toshinori was shocked was an understatement. His whole life he had tried to hunt down the guy who saved him. Here he was, not a day older than he last saw him!
"Don't say thank you. Remember, it wasn't me who made you into the man you are, All Might. It was Nana... and yourself." Yamato stated before Toshinori could open his mouth.
Yamato took his arm from Izuku and re-attached it to the connection. A hermetic seal hissed as the arm regained motion in the fingers. The limb shimmered before it camouflaged again. The man it was attached to sighed.
"It's getting late. I've got one thing to do before I head home." Yamato reached into his coat and pulled out two vials. One held a green liquid that glowed a small amount. The other held a fierce golden liquid that swirled in the vial.
"Wh-"
Yamato held up a hand as he walked over to them. "Don't. These are nano-machines. The gold vial is for you Izuku. The green is for Toshinori. These'll allow you to contact me anywhere on earth at any time. Toshinori?" He gestured for the man to hold out his arm. When he did, the cold sting of a needle pierced his forearm and he hissed.
"It'll take a bit... but those are medical grade."
"Wait..."
"Yeah. It'll extend your time limit by about two hours... three if you push yourself. It's not a cure all, so don't go trying to kill yourself alright?"
Toshinori nodded as he looked down at his arm in wonder. Izuku was next, he was definitely a little frightened by the liquid that seemed to thrash in the vial. Doing the same as Toshinori, Izuku allowed Yamato to inject the liquid into his arm. It was uncomfortable, but then all shots were.
"Yours has a special effect. The person who told me to change your timeline told me to give you this." He tapped the now empty vial. "I have no idea what it does but... I know it's not bad."
Yamato placed the empty vials back in his coat and stretched. "Get some sleep tonight. We'll talk again tomorrow and finally start your training kid." Yamato threw some fake jabs Izuku's way and laughed a bit before walking off towards his rented apartment.
"Young Midoriya... I know this was a lot to take in... but I believe you will benefit from training under us both. I hope to see you back here tomorrow morning."
"Yes All Might!"
The two said their goodbyes and Izuku began his trek home. He was definitely excited for tomorrow. Tonight however... was time for rest.
NEW YORK CITY, 10:06 AM
In a building near the center of the city, on the fiftieth floor, sat Richard Novak. A 37 year old quirkless man who had just been denied a promotion in favor of someone with an Intelligence quirk. Looking down at his desk he saw the picture of his wife and daughter. He thought he was lucky when he married her. He sighed and rolled his desk chair over towards the window and looked out at the city. It was a normal day of the same old same old. The hustle and bustle depressed him, after all he grew up in the country.
Turning back to his desk, he was instead met with... nothing?
Looking around, he was completely surrounded by darkness. Below, above left right! Everywhere was just endless void.
"Richard Novak. Aged 37, wife and kid. Hates the quirk society he was born into. Hello... my name is Yuutaro. We haven't met before now."
Richard rapidly looked around, trying to find the voice. It was a fruitless endeavor as it seemed to come from all around him.
"Be not afraid, human. I come bearing gifts."
"Who are you?" Richard whimpered out. He knew he was stuck, there was no way he was getting out of this.
"WE are the endless, the infinite, the eternal. That which came before the first spark of creation. But I assume you meant this specific conscious. It does not matter. I am here to offer you the deal of a lifetime." The voice responded in tones of mirth and malice. It confused Richard as he tried to ascertain if he was threatened or comforted.
"What deal?"
The voice laughed uproariously. It had obviously gotten some kind of kick out of making this grown man squirm.
"I will give you your heart's desire... freedom and to be with your family. In return, I only require your body for a short time."
Richard paused as he considered the offer. It was tempting... he'd hated his job, his life. The only thing he had was his family.
"What's the catch?"
"Your body will be taken over... completely. You will not control your actions. Your mind will be awake but you are not... 'driving' this vehicle. When we are done, you shall be taken to a paradise. One free of quirks, of prejudice and hatred."
He knew this was a trap... something was wrong... but a paradise for his wife? Their daughter? That was something he desperately wanted for them.
"Okay... you... you've got a deal."
"Excellent. Don't mind the agony."
"Wha-"
White hot pain. Searing, sizzling, bone crunching pain. Richard wanted to scream as his body was taken over but his mouth would not open. His veins bulged with a black substance and his skin darkened to a grey tone. His irises turned a deep purple and the sclera a black color. One second after the pain, he opened his eyes to his office again. His body moved without his command, he faced the window and was horrified to see what he had become.
"It's been so long since I wore human. I'm happy it's come back into fashion!" Richard said. Wait... no he didn't!
The man's face curled into a smile. It was sinister, as the eyes glowed for a second. He looked down at his grey hands, those veins were disgusting! "Well Richard, I must thank you for taking such good care of yourself. Now... it's time you help me. I'm looking for someone you see." Turning back the the computer, "Richard" began to type and search the web. It was obvious he had grown frustrated and just slammed his hand on the keyboard, breaking the desk in half.
A knock at the door startled "Richard" but he hid it well. "Mr. Novak... Erica from Accounting sent over some 401K forms that corporate needs you to sign."
"Thank you Mark, leave them in my inbox... I'm heading out for a bit."
"Richard" grabbed his coat from his chair. It took him a while to stop stumbling in his new body but eventually he began to walk like normal towards the elevator. Arriving on the first floor, "Richard" wandered out onto the New York streets.
"Ahhh..." the being sighed after breathing deeply, "Earth... it's been too long. Now... where are you... Little Brother?"