Chapter 1: Introductions
It was just after the USJ attack when it happened. Midoriya, Yagi and Tsukauchi were quietly conferring in the hospital room, after the detective had heard Midoriya's account of the incident as well as All Might's. Suddenly, they appeared in a blank void, grouped together. The light wherever they were was dim, and they could barely see the ground beneath them. It seemed to be concrete, and it stretched out in every direction as far as they could see, likely farther. Uniquely in the case of teacher and student, they appeared physically uninjured now, not even feeling the pain from their recent ordeal.
"Izuku Midoriya, Yagi Toshinori, Naomasa Tsukauchi, welcome." From above, they heard a deep and powerful voice speak to them. Instantly, they rallied, prepared to fight after their ordeal. "Peace, heroes. I do not intend to do harm. Your Quirks are not needed this moment."
All Might responded, asking, "Who are you? Why have you brought us here?"
The voice replied immediately, "I am someone who knows much, and who is willing to give such knowledge, particularly that of the future."
"Your Quirk must be quite versatile if it allows you to do so many things, stranger," All Might said, standing his ground. "Perhaps if you explained yourself a bit more, then we would be more trusting of you."
"Of course, Toshinori. The power you have witnessed is no Quirk, as I am neither a being of the physical world or even of this reality. I am an Angel sent from on high to bless you with knowledge of the coming times."
Naomasa nodded, surprising both Midoriya and Toshinori enough that they lowered their guard (slightly). The angel then continued to speak. "If you agree, I will show, to you and certain others, a vision of another world and its future. A world where things are slightly different than you know them, and one with different outcomes. But some things are unchanged. In both worlds, the two of you both wield One For All, and the USJ is still attacked. By seeing this other world, you might begin to understand your own more."
Midoriya spoke up, asking, "What about the past? Will you be showing us past events?"
The angel smiled sadly, answering, "To some degree, yes. I will show all those present things that are kept secret. But I would only bring them here if they would use this knowledge for good. No villain would be among you, I assure you."
"You would expose One for All? That knowledge could be extremely damaging!"
"But showing that young Midoriya's power comes from hard work, determination and pure force of will rather than luck will earn him their respect. And far more than One for All will be revealed… such as the identity of the UA Traitor."
Immediately, all three are floored. The possibility had crossed their minds, but to have such knowledge this early on would be a game changer. If their injuries were not present here, then they would be fully able to focus on the nuances of this alternate world and its future. Then, they could make plans using their knowledge, and even put into practice some of the techniques that Young Midoriya's other self might learn.
"There are, of course, many advantages to agreeing. Within, time and age will have no power over you. Not to mention that among your fellow guests will be many of your allies, including Nezu himself. The facilities provided will be extensive to ensure that you will be able to fully reap the rewards of this blessing and change your timeline for the better."
Midoriya looked at All Might, and then turned to the angel, saying, "I think we've made our choice." All Might nodded, saying, "What kind of hero would I be if I didn't take this golden opportunity?" Tsukauchi grunted, as he knew just how right Toshinori was. They could learn more about the League of Villains beforehand.
Their benefactor smiled and began to speak quietly. "Okay, but first, we need to cover some basics. First off, Toshinori, how about you explain to Midoriya about One for All's origins. It's quite relevant to the beginning of this vision."
After All Might dramatically explained the saga of All for One and One for All, as well as mentioning his master Nana, the angel smiled, and continued speaking. "Of course, everything in this other future won't exactly align with your future, so call out for me if you have a question. You can call me Magnus. That's not my real name, but it works enough for what we need."
Tsukauchi wanted to ask the angel what his real name was, but he felt that, at this point, it would be prudent to focus on getting the information first. Magnus raised a hand, and a shimmering portal opened. The three stepped through and entered into a well-decorated hotel lobby. Behind them, Magnus stepped through, beginning to explain.
"This hotel has everything you could need: nutritious food, private rooms for everyone, a Quirk gym with an adjoining Olympic pool, conference rooms, and of course, the theater where you will see this alternate future. Right about now, the adults are in conference room 10, and the students are in room 11 along with Eraserhead and Vlad King."
All Might and Tsukauchi went into room 10, while Midoriya entered room 11.
Yagi and Tsukauchi were immediately met with the faculty of UA sans Aizawa and Vlad. The principal looked up and began to speak. "Ah, glad that you two could finally join us! I took the liberty of preemptively informing the staff about One for All and All for One, and we've been discussing possibilities for quite a while. Is your successor here, too?"
All Might nervously replied, "Yes, sir. Young Midoriya was with us until just a moment ago. He's with Aizawa right now. Is that a problem?"
"In fact, it is. I was informed by our benefactor that your student was quite intelligent, to the point that several of my alternate selves took him on as their personal student. Something about that intrigued me, and I was anxious to meet the lad."
All Might struggled to suppress his shudder as he responded, "I thought it was for the best that Aizawa would be able to watch over him for the moment, sir, given that the USJ was just attacked."
Nezu's wide smile fell a bit as he spoke. "Yes, it is unfortunate that this happened so early on in their first year. Fortunately, this experience should tell us who our mole is. That information will be vital in the coming months, given what we've seen of the League of Villains. And based upon what I've heard of that villain, Nomu, it is entirely possible All for One is involved."
All Might nodded grimly, and the real meeting began in earnest.
Midoriya did not know what he had expected when he walked into the room, but being hugged by Eraserhead was not remotely close to being on the list. "Sensei, I'm okay! Everything's okay!"
Eraserhead broke off the hug, his eyes glowing crimson as he stared into Midoriya's very soul. "Why, Problem Child? Why did you not tell me about One for All sooner? I wouldn't have been as hard on you if you had told me first! I would've helped you get used to your Quirk!"
That startled him deeply. Immediately, he began to panic, knowing that his Quirkless status had been revealed. But no one else seemed to have heard Eraser's words. At his questioning expression, Aizawa explained.
"Nezu spilled the beans about One for All and its origins before you and All Might arrived. I thoughtthat first day that you were like a kid who had just discovered his quirk, but I didn't think that I was true. If I had known, I would have gotten you some Quirk counseling."
Kacchan also approached, looking less angry at him than was usual. He instantly knew that he was aware of One for All, which was enough to keep him calm for the moment (though he would inevitably explode at him later).
"Hey, nerd. I… wanted you to know. I shouldn't have said what I did that day."
Izuku knew precisely what he meant, and he was surprised but grateful. He could see that Kacchan had been worried about the others seeing that, and he was covering his ass, but on some level, he did mean it. As unhealthy as their dynamic was, he was able to tell when the blonde was actually sorry for something, and he seemed to regret his words. That was enough for him to forgive him those words, but it did not redeem him. Izuku hoped that eventually, he would be able to forgive Kacchan and settle into the friendship they had had as kids.
"You do, eventually. It takes quite a while, and Bakugou really goes through the wringer to get there, but eventually you become proper rivals rather than whatever you call this mess." Magnus, hearing his thoughts, spoke, surprising both boys.
"Hey, featherhead! What do you mean by that? Tell me or I'll blast you down to Hell!"
Magnus seemed not to notice, muttering, "If you want to bark, go ahead. But if you think you can use your little sparks that way, I can and will Erase your Quirk, without involving Eraser."
That ticked Kacchan off, but he quickly realized that he could not threaten the angel in any meaningful way and sat down next to Kirishima.
"Who all is here, Magnus?"
The angel began to count on his fingers as he said, "Obviously the UA Faculty, as well as some of the more important Pros, all of Class 1-A, one student from the Support Course and Gen Ed each, as well as Kendo, Tetsutetsu and Monoma of Class 1-B. Oh, and the Big Three are here with Sir Nighteye. I've already had to give the latter a stern talking-to about his choices—but we'll get to that eventually. And given how many are here, I've had to split you up into groups. The students will be watching alongside All Might, Eraser and Vlad King, while the Pros and the rest of the UA Faculty will be watching in their own separate theater."
Midoriya nodded and went to sit down next to Uraraka and Iida, who struck up a conversation with him almost immediately, asking whether he was okay and what he thought they were going to see. He was, of course, cautious to leave out anything he already knew about, knowing that they would learn of it soon.
Hatsume was busy checking out the various workout facilities when she found the workshop. The ensuing bout of manic laughter was terrifying, but with no one around to hear her, it went unnoticed. This workshop, in her estimation, was almost better than the Support Course's workshops back at UA. The only thing that it did not have that UA's workshop had was, of course, her other babies. Without the ability to modify them when she had a stroke of genius, she was forced to start from scratch and rebuild them. She did not mind having to do so very much, but she would have preferred to alter the originals, as that was a more effective use of her time, time that could be spent developing more babies.
She was midway through reconstructing baby #13 when she heard the alarm. From what she had been told, that alarm meant that the screening was about to start. Not wishing to miss any relevant data that could give her ideas for future babies, she ran to the theater.
In the theater with the students, Magnus stood at the podium, enumerating all the rules that would be in effect when they were watching. First, if you tried to harm someone with your Quirk, it would be Erased (here he nodded to Eraserhead). Second, if you had a question, ask! Third, the video would only progress so long as everyone was focused on it; if there was a question or something they wanted to point out, it would pause until they were satisfied. And finally, the teachers reserve the right to add rules as needed. With all this in mind, they began the reaction.
Chapter 2: Chapter 1: The Midoriyas
As the vision began, they saw All Might on screen, walking towards Takoba Municipal Beach Park.
… It's been two years, and he was still reeling from that terrible battle with All for One. His body had become emaciated in his true form. He wasn't able to truly live, just barely clinging on to survival. Fighting as a hero was getting worse and worse and he was sure he wouldn't be able to do it for much longer. He maybe had a few years, if anything, but he knew he was going to have to find a successor, and soon.
That revelation surprised the students. Hearing that a powerful villain had managed to cause such lasting damage that All Might, their idol as the Symbol of Peace, was looking for someone to replace him within the next few years was quite shocking to hear.
Toshinori gripped his bad side gently, watching the sunset from behind the piles of rubble. Even with the trash in the way, the sunset was still as beautiful as he remembered it to be. Maybe he ought to come back here more often. Being in this place was nice. Calming. Though he could do without dredging up thoughts of his mentor. He just knew she'd be so heartbroken to see this place for what it is now. Probably would have demanded that they clean it. He would try but... he had precious little time with his power, only being able to hold his muscle form for a few hours a day, and he was going to need every second. Though, wouldn't it be lovely if someone could clean it? It was a wishful thought if anything.
As the All Might on screen thought of Nana, flashes of memories appeared on screen, showing his time with her with perfect clarity. The students were impressed by her, and quickly began whispering about his ideals with reverence. However, they were quickly distracted by what they saw next.
They were hard to see, just a silhouette made by the setting sun behind them. They seemed small, with a head of fluffy curls being their most defined feature. Toshinori watched as he climbed to the top of the pile of junk, before pushing what looked like a medium-sized kitchen appliance, ruined by time, off the pile to the beach floor below.
"FU- OUCH!" A man's voice rang from the beach.
The person on top of the pile visibly winced before calling down below, their voice carrying on the wind to Toshinori. "Sorry! You okay Dad?" It was a child's voice.
Midoriya shot up, realizing just who was moving the trash. The girls (and some of the boys) were cooing over the adorableness of his other self. But why was his dad here? As far as he knew, his father had been working in America since he was three.
The child stood next to an adult, who was on the ground, holding his foot in his hand, hissing softly in pain. He looked to be in his late 30s, with a head of neat white hair…Something about his voice was familiar. For a moment, Toshinori was reminded of the deep tones of... but that couldn't be right. He was dead. Even if he weren't, he would never be here, with a child (his son, by the way the boy had called him dad).
Now everyone knew just who the little boy they had been cooing about actually was. Most stopped, although Ashido and Hagakure were even more interested now. What Midoriya was interested in was, naturally, All Might's thoughts about his father's voice. He knew now about All for One, and the implication was unsettling.
… "Means a lot to us too!" the boy said, poking his head out from behind his father…"Apparently when I was a baby he and my mom took me here!" His father put a hand on his head, ruffling the boy's curls. "That was a long time ago though. Since I was away it somehow became... this." He gestured around. "So, I figured, between wanting to see my old date spot with my wife back, and Izuku here wanting to do hero training... it seemed like a good idea to spend our free time cleaning it.
This fact made most of the audience feel quite warm inside, as the sheer adorableness of young Midoriya and the obvious love between father and son endeared them to the pair. Midoriya did not know how to feel about such private moments being shown to his class, even if they weren't exactly his private moments.
"Yeah!" Izuku yelled. He left his father's side "I'm gonna be a hero! UA's entrance exams are only four years away, but I'm so far behind! I have a lot of catching up to do if I hope to make it." … "He's not kidding," his father said "His bedroom is a shrine-"
This admission made everyone laugh, as Midoriya was known to be quite the hero fanboy, especially about All Might. The idea that his bedroom could be called a shrine with a straight face made clear just how much merch he had to have in there.
"Because he's the best!" Izuku rounded on his father. "He's so strong no one has to worry about him-" used to be true. Not so much now, but he'd rather die before he let a child know that. "He's always smiling so you feel safe-" that was sweet. "I want to be a hero just like that. When I say 'I am here' I want people to feel... saved." Izuku then gave Toshinori the brightest smile he'd ever seen from anyone.
And right back into the feelings. While most were able to identify with younger Midoriya's view of All Might, the hero's internal reaction reminded them of the horrors he was hiding. And of course, the little Midoriya's smile was even brighter than they were used to, making Dark Shadow shiver slightly, fearful of such radiant power.
"It was nice meeting you…" the man said, pausing with a questioning look. "Yagi. Yagi Toshinori." He smiled. "Gotcha. Midoriya Hisashi." He smiled as brightly as his son did. "Have a good night, Yagi-san. Hopefully, we'll see you enjoy the beach someday," he said, grabbing a large piece of trash himself and following after his son. Toshinori smiled after them.
Ashido spoke up right then. "You know, Mido, you look a lot like your dad! It's kind of adorable!" Hagakure nodded, while Uraraka seemed to be looking away for some reason.
Hisashi smiled at him, "Ah- Hello Ya-" he broke off with another fit of laughter "Yagi-san! How are you?" He took several deep breaths, still shaking with laughter. Izuku flopped on his back, giggling softly.
"I'm doing well. I was just getting some groceries when I noticed how different the beach looked already. Then I heard you laughing and well- I was curious."
"Oh yeah- Izu. Show Yagi-san what you just showed me," Hisashi said.
Izuku sat up, grinning wildly "Ok!" He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before his face contorted. It looked rather like the face he made while in his All Might persona. That in itself was quite funny but- "I AM HERE." Izuku's voice dropped, as low as the young boy could make it. It was so stupid. So ridiculous. So-
Toshinori tossed his head back, laughing harder than he had in years. He laughed and laughed until he felt the familiar sensation of blood rushing up his throat leaving him gagging, coughing, and hacking as he spat blood on the ground. He doubled over, dropping his shopping bags, but before he touched the ground, a pair of warm hands grabbed him, keeping him upright.
The reaction in the theater was essentially the same as All Might's own reaction, except of course for Midoriya. But the laughing stopped the moment that All Might began spewing blood. There was further proof that All Might was not invincible, that All for One had caused him severe damage. Their hearts sank, and the levity they felt seconds ago was gone.
… Toshinori only smiled softly. "It's quite alright." He placed a hand on Izuku's shoulder. "I'm not sure. I was hurt very badly a long time ago, and it still causes me a lot of pain. But I am still here, and I intend to keep it that way for at least a little while longer."
"Izu, why don't you get back to work? I'll have Yagi-san sit down for a few minutes." He told his son. Izuku nodded before running off to grab another piece of trash to carry away. "Here, sit down-" He led Toshinori to an old dryer, having him sit. "Do you need something to drink or…"
"That would be wonderful. I have a few bottles of water in one of my shopping bags," he said. Hisashi nodded and found the bottles in question. There were three of them. "If you'd like, you and Izuku can have the other two."
The students seemed to settle, knowing that All Might was okay, but still unsettled that such things were completely normal to him. They were terrified about just how powerful the villain that had hurt him must be. Only Izuku and the staff knew precisely what a threat he was, and they were most terrified.
… Toshinori watched him with mild interest. "Is that his quirk?"
"Huh? Oh. Yeah," Hisashi said. "It's his mother's quirk. Pull. He can pull objects towards himself. It's dependent on his physical strength though."
"Ah," Toshinori said, "I see. Hence all the strength training and clearing the beach."
"That's right. Izuku has always wanted to be a hero, so... I told him I'd help him get there. We're still doing some trial and error, seeing ways we can push his quirk. I have a few more theories on ways to make his Pull stronger. We know it's a matter of what he can pull with his physical body, but his quirk is a mental one. That might mean there could be a way to increase the ability of Pull without putting more of a strain on his body but that's entirely theoretical- I'm sorry Yagi-san," Hisashi cut himself off, a flush dusting his cheeks between his freckles, "I get carried away sometimes."
Toshinori smiled, "No, please keep going. I was interested. You seem very invested in his quirk."
"Not just Izu's," Hisashi said, "I'm a quirk consultant."
Now the audience understood where Midoriya's intelligence came from. This, unfortunately, also counted as evidence towards Hisashi being All for One. Not to mention the fact that the other Midoriya seemingly had Inko's quirk.
… Toshinori blinked. "Huh," was all he managed to say. He turned to watch Izuku. He held his hand out, pulling several cans littering the ground towards him with his quirk, letting them all fall into a cardboard box in front of him. "Pull is his mother's quirk?" he asked.
Hisashi nodded "Yep. Exactly like Inko's." His voice was soft as spoke the name.
"What about you?" he asked.
"Oh. Just... just fire breathing," he said. He said something else under his breath but Toshinori couldn't hear him. He probably wasn't meant to. "What about you Yagi-san? What's your quirk?"
Toshinori smiled, "I'm afraid I was born quirkless."
The initial confused reactions to the kid with the tape reel quirk faded away as the earth-shattering revelation hit their ears. All Might, the Symbol of Peace, the natural-born hero, was born quirkless. Jaws were dropped.
The boy's smile softened. "That must be rough," he said, "But I understand. My quirk uh... came late. So everyone thought I was quirkless until... well, until last year."
He almost choked on more blood.
"What? But you're.. what… Nine?"
"I'm ten! Almost 11!" Izuku said, putting his hands on his hips indignantly.
"You got your quirk at nine years old?" He'd never heard of someone's quirk manifesting so late. That should be impossible. The only way he would have gotten a quirk like that was- but he was dead. It must be something else. "How on earth did that happen?"
Hisashi frowned deeply. He and Izuku shared a look. Finally, Hisashi spoke. "The doctors think it was a... stress response."
The staff, of course, were fully aware that their Midoriya had, in fact, been born quirkless. While Class 1-A was busy processing that little revelation, they were focusing on the new evidence presented to them. While latent quirks finally manifesting under stress were a recorded phenomenon, the look the two had shared made this story sound suspicious.
"I got it the night Mom died," Izuku said softly. "I was talking to her, and holding her hand. And she just died. Then after I wanted to pull her blanket up over her... since she seemed cold and.. the blanket just came to my hand. Like she used to do when she'd tuck me in."
It was a plausible story. Certainly, the tale of his mother dying seemed to ring true but… years of being a pro taught him to trust his gut. Something about that story wasn't right. The Midoriya's seemed like good people, but Toshinori knew there was more to be found here.
While everyone was saddened to hear that the quirk manifested after his mother's death, everyone, including the students, noticed that All Might was suspicious. He had instinctively felt that something was off about this. The students were confused, but the pros instantly felt vindicated. Even if it wasn't direct confirmation, the fact that the version of All Might that was there wasn't buying it was proof that they were right to suspect something.
Toshinori had grown quite fond of the Midoriya's. Izuku was so funny and very sweet. He also had zero sense of self-preservation. More than once, while pulling a piece of trash from a pile, he was almost covered in junk from a landslide. Toshinori also noted the boy seemed to have a higher-than-average pain tolerance, as one time when he was rammed in the head with a hunk of metal, he simply shrugged off the pain. When Toshinori asked him about it all Izuku said was-
"Hurts less than explosions."
Hisashi sighed next to Toshinori, pinning Izuku with a hard look. "I thought you said Katsuki was leaving you alone now?" he asked.
Everyone immediately noticed the same symptoms in their own Midoriya, and startled when Bakugou was mentioned. The pieces were far too easy to put together, even for Kaminari. Unfortunately, they had nowhere near the full picture.
Izuku cringed, "Did I say that?" he asked, "I meant to say he mostly leaves me alone."
"You said it was better now that your quirk manifested."
"Who is-" Toshinori started
"It is better. He stopped calling me useless at least. Now he just screams about fighting me and stomping me," Izuku said. "He doesn't stop people from talking to me anymore. Not that they do but-"
"I can talk to the school," Hisashi said
Izuku shook his head. "You and I both know that'll just set Kacchan off more." He sighed and grabbed the metal piece that had reamed him. "It's fine, Dad honestly. It's less of him picking on me and more of us having a fair fight. I can handle fighting."
Now everything was out in the open. Almost everyone was either glaring at Bakugou or looking sympathetically at Midoriya, offering him silent comfort. Katsuki wasn't really bothered by their anger, because at least in this timeline, he hadn't said those horrible words. As long as that stayed buried, he was fine.
"…And he really is getting better! I cried yesterday. You know what he said? He said when we get into U.A.," Izuku smiled. "We, Dad. He thinks I can do it."
"Who is... 'Kacchan'?" Toshinori asked.
"My best frienemy," Izuku answered cheerily.
"His bully."
"Kacchan was my bully. I told you it's better now," he turned to Toshinori. "He used to make fun of me for being quirkless, but I'm not quirkless anymore so now he's way better. We're more like... rivals who sometimes go to the arcade together and gush about All Might then we get into a fist fight. It's fun!"
The angry staring continued, as Bakugou bullying the class cinnamon roll for not being born with a Quirk was disgusting to them. By now, they had puzzled together that Midoriya had been Quirkless until at the very latest the Entrance Exam, and they were furious that he would be so callous towards such a kind and generous person for such a nonsensical reason.
"It's my birthday!" Izuku cheered. "Dad said we'd do something cool but I wanted to train," he said. "But it's all done, we're gonna get Katsudon and go bowling!"
He smiled, a bit sad he wouldn't get to spend the day with what was quickly becoming two of his favorite people. "I see. Well, I hope you have fun."
Izuku smiled, grabbing his wrist as Hisashi slung a warm arm up and over his shoulder. "You're coming with, aren't you Yagi-san?" Izuku asked.
"I... you want me to go with you on your birthday plans?" he asked softly.
This, of course, distracted everyone who had been glaring at Bakugou, as they were much more interested in Midoriya's growing relationship with All Might. The fact that All Might himself had called them his two favorite people was news to them. Perhaps there was indeed more to their relationship in their own world as well. They both seemed extremely close-knit.
Toshinori looked over his shoulder, Izuku was on his side, pulling the plush closer to his face. "He's a very kind boy. You did a wonderful job raising him."
Hisashi sighed softly, watching his son as well. "I'm afraid that doesn't have much to do with me. I didn't... I wasn't around much. Not until two years ago."
"Really? You could have fooled me. You're so close- he adores you."
"That's Izuku's personality. He never once held a grudge about me not being around. He doesn't ask about it. I know he wants to. He wants to know why I was gone for so long but..." he trailed off. "I had something I had to do. It failed. I didn't do it. I'm glad it failed though. I don't know if-" he shook his head as if to get rid of the thoughts. "Two years ago, something happened to me. I was hurt badly. But it woke me up to what was really important. I want to tell Izuku why I was away but there are... gaps in my memories. Whole years of my life I don't remember."
Toshinori's eyes widened. "Entire years?" he asked, "That's..."
"I know," Hisashi said, and reached back to brush hair out of Izuku's face. "But I don't mind. I don't think I want those memories back. I didn't use to be such a good person. Inko always saw the best of me though. She met me when I wasn't... I wasn't good. She still fell for me though. She still stayed with me. I met her on the beach," he said.
The general reaction to their day at the arcade was overwhelmingly positive. But as the discussion of Hisashi's past progressed, that positivity turned into apprehension. When he revealed that he had returned two years ago, with gaps in his memories, immediately the heroes realized that he was almost certainly All for One, although the exact details were still not quite clear. And his elaboration did not paint a flattering picture of his past self, so it was likely true.
"I'd enjoy that," he said, "Since I probably won't be seeing you as much now that you've finished."
Hisashi only smiled. "What? Are you kidding? I'm not giving up my Saturday Katsudon. Izu is being put into self-defense lessons starting next week. After them, I promised him the three of us would go get Katsudon."
"... After every lesson?"
"As long as you're free," Hisashi said with a grin.
Toshinori smiled, brighter and wider than he ever could as All Might.
Midoriya was surprised that his father had enrolled him in self-defense classes, but it made sense given his unwavering support of him going to UA. Everyone was surprised that Toshinori was smiling so widely and genuinely, reminding them that All Might's smile was not quite so genuine as it had always seemed. And as the screen faded to black, they relaxed. But not before, a piece of text appeared on the screen:
Izuku's Quirks:
???
Pull
The students were extremely confused now, as they had not yet learned about the quirk All for One had been born with. How could Midoriya have two quirks? By comparison, the reaction of those aware was one of horror, as their suspicions were more than confirmed. Not only was Hisashi certainly some form of All for One, but his son had inherited a copy of the same Quirk. Pull was likely when that quirk first manifested, taking his mother's literal quirk on her deathbed.
Class 1-A, along with the other students remained in the theater, save for Midoriya, who joined the adults in the conference room. Quickly, the pros came to an agreement: the other Midoriya was definitely the son of All for One in some shape or form, and he was born with a version of that quirk. So far, they had not learned much about the plans of the League, but a pertinent issue had reared its head: the relationship between Midoriya and Bakugou was far more tenuous than it seemed, as they easily put together that Bakugou had bullied Midoriya for nearly eleven years now.
At Yagi's urging, Midoriya eventually divulged what had happened to him. The entirety of his experiences, from the moment he learned he was quirkless to the moment All Might saved him from the sludge villain. By the end of the tale, all of UA's faculty was fuming. Nezu's eyes were alight with unholy fury, as he swore vengeance against Aldera and their elementary school for the mistreatment of both Midoriya and Bakugou.
Izuku hadn't thought about it much, but almost all of Kacchan's issues were caused by his previous teachers. His aggression and his attitude were something he had picked up from Aunt Mitsuki, but the egotism and the superiority—that was a word-for-word repeat of everything that Kacchan had been told growing up. The same was true of him; his insecurities could be traced to the words that he had been told when he was young—from the insults and cruelty of Kacchan to the blatant abuse from the teachers at Aldera, all slowly convincing him that he was useless without a quirk.
As he realized this, he felt his anger spike sharply. All his life, he had been allowing these terrible people to dictate what he could and could not do. Just because they thought themselves powerful, they had done as they had pleased. As a hero student, that sentiment was abhorrent to him. Most of these people may not have used their quirks to harm him, but all of them, in his mind, were criminals. All of them had engaged in blatant quirk discrimination against him, and some, like his classmates at Aldera, had used their quirks to harm him repeatedly. He understood now why his teachers were so furious. He felt the telltale moistening in the corners of his eyes, as he began to cry.
For such a long time, he had lived with only his mother to care about him, and he had kept the truth from her. He had thought no one important would care. But realizing just how many people really cared for him finally made him feel loved. When he came home, he promised that he would tell his mom everything, including about One for All. And then there would be no more secrets, no more lies. She deserved that.
Chapter 3: Chapter 2: His Legacy
When Bakugo had been told what his punishment was, he had been furious for a second, until he saw the expression on their faces. All Might, in particular was radiating killer intent. Immediately, he knew that Deku had talked. He knew, deep down, that he had no leg to stand on, but still he tried to defend himself. But nonetheless, he was on probation, not to use his quirk or speak to (not even to look at) Midoriya. He was furious, yes, but he was at least glad that they hadn't humiliated him by telling his classmates. As much as he barely tolerated them, he did have a certain soft spot for Kirishima. He may call him Shitty Hair, but he was one of the few whose names he actually knew.
Midoriya was somewhere between being relieved and terrified, as he was certain that the blonde would try to take revenge on him the moment that they were alone. Fortunately, All Might was keeping close to him. And none of the other students seemed aware of Kacchan's punishment, which made him somewhat relieved. If anything, he was always looking for admiration from everyone, and if they learned about his cruelty, he was likely to go off.
They opened seeing the thoughts of the other Midoriya as he sat in class.
…In the last three years, he's grown to really love Yagi. He was one of the few people that got him and his dad's obsession with quirks, and he was knowledgeable about Heroics, and a combat master. Izuku was fairly certain he was a retired underground pro, going by the way he talked. It also wasn't a secret that Yagi had been hurt. Izuku had seen the massive scar on his side. Had seen him cough up blood. Sometimes he wheezed as he breathed. Sometimes he couldn't keep food down. It was the kind of injury you'd get fighting a villain. Izuku was sure he had his reasons for not telling him and Dad. Just like Dad had his reasons for not telling Izuku about the years he'd been gone.
At first, All Might and Aizawa laughed at the notion that he would ever be underground. But at the revelation of the extent of his injuries, the students became rowdy. They knew, of course, that heroics were dangerous, having endured the attack at the USJ just before coming here, but to see such gruesome proof of how deadly such work could be was unnerving. It took some time, but eventually they calmed down. Of course, they only calmed down at the mystery that the other Midoriya had just presented him. The pros perked up, noticing further evidence for their suspicions.
Izuku wasn't an idiot, or naive. He was pretty sure his dad used to be a villain. Up until his injury 5 years ago (The same time Yagi got injured. That, however, seemed more like a coincidence.) his father had barely been in his life. He had a handful of hastily written letters in a shoebox under his bed from years ago. In it was also a picture of him, his mother, and his father from when Izuku was a toddler. He also only has a single memory of him from before he came back. Just one.
He was only 4 at the time, and he remembered waking up to his father looking down at him on the bed but hadn't known it was him at the time. His father had just stood over him, his eyes cold in the dark of the room. But, Izuku didn't remember being afraid. His father didn't speak in the memory. Just watched him before leaning down and pushing the hair out of Izuku's face. Izuku remembers smiling at him. Then, his father simply walked out of the room, closing the door behind him.
That coincidence made All Might's blood run cold. To have such obvious proof laid out was chilling. He was even more terrified to see that familiar silhouette near Midoriya's younger self.
Iida, Kendo and Momo were quietly conferring, and they seemed to be starting to put the pieces together. Most of the other students didn't seem to be anywhere near the truth, but those three would likely need to be brought into the circle of trust soon. After all, they were Class Reps, and they needed more help to keep the students under control.
To Izuku's knowledge, that and the picture of him as a toddler were the only times his father ever met him before he came stumbling through the apartment door late one night, covered in blood and crashing into his mother's arms. And just like that, Dad was living with them.
His mother hadn't explained it very well. All she had said was, "Your father used to have a lot of responsibilities. He had a lot of things he needed to do. It didn't work. But that's ok. He's home now and he's not leaving ever again." So after a pretty short adjustment period, he just took it in stride. And true to his mother's words, Dad stayed. That one year, when it was the three of them, had been perfect. His parents got married. They hadn't been before apparently. But they got married, and Dad took Mom's family name, making them all Midoriya's (Izuku doesn't know his father's first family name. He asked once. His father said it didn't matter since his family was dead anyway.)
By this point, the teachers (as well as the pros in the other theatre) had put together that Hisashi Midoriya was All for One. And the class reps were getting quite close to the realization.
Maybe he should care. Care about the kind of person his dad was before he came home that night covered in blood. But he just couldn't bring himself to. Not when the person his dad was now was so... good.
Doubly so after Mom passed away, Dad was all he had. These past five years with him have been amazing. Dad wasn't a perfect father. But who was? He tried so hard. He knew Mom's death took a toll on him, but he always kept a smile on when Izuku was around. He remembered his father crying alone in their bedroom late at night when Izuku was supposed to be asleep. Remembered his father's deep mournful cries for a woman who loved him despite everything. But Dad always smiled for Izuku.
Dad always believed Izuku would be a hero. Even before Mom died, and Izuku... well, before Izuku got Pull. Dad always believed in him. Even when Mom didn't. Even when no one did.
Midoriya was somewhat reassured by this information…until the death of his mother came up. That shattered his heart. Imagining a world without his loving mother was nearly impossible. But seeing his other self's father so confident in him helped mend his broken heart, at least for the moment.
Izuku tossed his pen again, letting it flip in the air, the familiar tug of Pull bringing it down back into the palm of his hand. Kacchan was yelling about something. Then again, when wasn't Kacchan yelling about something? Izuku didn't pay it any mind until one of his classmates- he wasn't sure which one- said…
"Oi Nerd, speaking of UA, let me borrow your notebook again," Kacchan said, slamming his hand down on Izuku's desk. "I wanna read what you wrote about that All Might fight from earlier this week."
Midoriya, Bakugo and the teachers stared openmouthed at the interaction between the two. Never, not once, was Katsuki Bakugo ever that nice and that casual, especially with Midoriya. The rest of 1-A was similarly surprised, Kirishima commenting how unlike Bakugo it was. Oh, sure, this version of the blonde was still quite Bakugo-esque, but his respectfulness towards Midoriya was unusual.
"Can't. Training with Yagi-san today. I need it," he said, stuffing the notebook into his bag. "Tomorrow though."
Kacchan groaned loudly. "Whatever. Did you see the Mount Lady fight this morning?" he asked, shifting topics.
Things with Kacchan got better all the time. Whatever grudge Kacchan held against him as a kid seemed to vanish. Instead, as Izuku got older and stronger and his Pull got more powerful, he and Kacchan seemed to settle into… well, it wasn't quite a real friendship. More of a friendship of convenience. They were the only two they knew who were as obsessed with heroics as the other was, and also the only ones who not only wanted to be heroes but seemingly had a good shot at it. Kacchan, while still feeling some sense of superiority over Izuku, at least respected his analysis. Izuku respected his strength.
And there went all of the comfort. Now, everyone had all the information. While they may not know exactly how bad Bakugo had treated Midoriya, they could easily figure out that it hadn't been so kind.
But the teachers noted that, compared to the existing dynamic, this version of their relationship was quite a bit healthier. Still unhealthy, but a far sight from the bullying of the past.
"I did. It happened on my way to school," he said, slinging his backpack around his shoulders. "She's got a real chance at taking on the top ten at this rate," he said…
"Oi! That wasn't a request- OI DEKU GET BACK HERE."
This conversation was enough to intrigue Bakugo, distracting him long enough for Midoriya to get over the thought of his father dating All Might! The thought was ludicrous, and obviously not true!
Izuku ran faster than he ever had before. "Yagi-san!" he cried. His feet moved without having to be told, his body colliding into the skinny frame of Yagi, sending him several feet back and landing harshly on his side. Izuku almost felt guilty.
Then he couldn't breathe at all. Slime, disgusting slime was pouring into his mouth and up his nose. Gross gross gross-
"Oh hell yeah, you'll do way better than the old man. Pretty nice body for a middle schooler- don't worry kid it'll be over for you in about 45 seconds, then I'll use this to put down the skeleton over there," the slime told him.
Everyone tensed the moment that the Sludge Villain appeared. Bakugo seemed not just traumatized, but horrified that it had attacked Midoriya. Before the teachers could stop him, he turned toward the boy and said, "Oi, Dek- I, mean Izuku!" Everyone was shocked, most of all Midoriya, and he continued uninterrupted. "I never wanted you to die, never! Even if you were quirkless, even though I hurt you so much, I never wanted you dead!"
Midoriya was not sure how to feel about that. While it certainly was nowhere near a real apology, he clearly meant it. By now, he had finally gotten over himself enough to regret his words that one day. He looked at Katsuki and nodded. The teachers looked at each other, and shrugged.
The students were silent as the grave. They had, on occasion, suspected what their deal was but they had had no idea that it was this bad. Iida and Uraraka remembered their first combat exercise, and the utter disregard that the blonde had shown to their friend. They shivered, thinking of what horrors Bakugo could have done in their past.
A villain? This was his quirk! That's such a gross quirk- wait but if it was a quirk he could just... Izuku's hands pulled at the slime around his mouth. Wait... this was a mutation quirk. He had to be careful with those. What would happen if he- could he even do that? He'd only ever used the quirk he was born with once, and that was on Mom's deathbed, and not on purpose. If he did this, would he turn into slime? What would happen to the guy who was currently choking him to death? Would he turn into a normal human? There was so much to consider.
Suddenly, the confirmation of this Midoriya having All for One made itself known. Many of their conversations after the previous chapter had, at some point, included some speculation about whether he'd have some form of it, but now it was confirmed. The list of quirks they had seen at the end of the previous chapter now made quite a lot of sense.
Izuku locked eyes with Yagi. He was sitting up, fear written across his face. Yagi was quirkless- ex-underground pro or not, he was an injured quirkless person. If Izuku didn't do this now they were both going to die. Plus, even if he did turn into slime he could try and give it right back right? He had to do this- for Yagi's sake!
…
Izuku nodded numbly, mind full of static. But All Might- Yagi? He wasn't sure anymore- had given an order. He pulled the bottle from the bag, calling it to his open hand. He dumped the water out, and with Pull, collected the slime into the bottle before capping it. He held up the villain to All Might.
This reveal naturally stirred up the students. He quickly stood up and introduced himself more fully, then detailed how he had first met Midoriya, minus some details. He was not proud of his failures that day, but he would not begrudge Midoriya telling them himself. Yagi deserved their ire for daring to crush the cinnamon roll's dreams.
Izuku stared at Yagi...All Might? He stared for what felt like several days before his mind snapped into focus, like a taut piece of twine breaking. The floodgates opened. "YOU'RE ALL MIGHT?" he screamed. "Oh my god have you been All Might this entire time? Three years and you never told us? Oh my god, you've BEEN IN MY ROOM. You've seen my All Might collection- this is humiliating-" he clutched his head. "This is the coolest thing that's ever happened to me," he looked up at All Might, the same man he'd worshiped since he was a kid. And suddenly he could see Yagi in his face as well. "This is the worst thing that's ever happened to me." His eyes became watery, weepy with tears. He punched All Might in the arm as hard as he could. It did nothing to him, but Izuku's hand nearly broke on contact. He held his throbbing fist to his chest, tears streaming down his face. "How could you keep this from us? From Dad! Three years Yagi-san! Three years of Katsudon and bowling, and movie nights, and- you've slept on our couch!!! How could you just... keep being All Might from us?"
Midoriya had gone catatonic. The thought of his mentor seeing his collection was so beyond embarrassing! The other students reacted with uproarious laughter at the mention of his collection, imagining a few shelves covered in little knick-knacks. Only Bakugo was aware of just how expansive that collection really was.
When the other Midoriya started getting emotional, their Midoriya finally rebooted. He was about to say something, when the other All Might cut him off.
"Izuku..." All Might said softly. "I... didn't intend to. There is a reason. I can explain everything. To you, and Hisashi. Honestly... I've been meaning to tell you for quite some time," he said. "And today- you saved me."
"I... huh?" Izuku asked
"Before, he was going for me," he said, holding up the slime villain in his bottle. "But there you were, pushing me out of the way. What happened? Can I ask what went through your head?"
Izuku blinked. "I... I dunno honestly..." he said softly. "I just saw you about to be attacked and I knew I couldn't just stand there and do nothing. My body just sort of... moved on its own?"
Both users of One for All remembered this conversation intimately, although it had been after rescuing Bakugo later on for them.
All Might smiled. It was blinding. Izuku had to bite back the smile that was threatening to spill onto his face. He was still mad dammit! Three years and he couldn't trust him or his dad with this secret- Izuku frowned. He was a hypocrite. He'd been keeping a secret too. One he'd promised his father he'd try and keep at all costs. One he'd almost revealed to All Might just now. But... If All Might was going to share his secrets with them, Izuku should repay him in kind. "That's the mark of a true hero." All Might's voice pulled him from his thoughts. "You know, Izuku, since I met you, I knew you were going to be something special. Today was the final confirmation I needed. Midoriya Izuku, you're going to be the greatest hero anyone has ever seen."
Izuku wailed again.
The students were intrigued by the thought of Midoriya Hisashi's 'secret', but they were distracted by what All Might told Midoriya. Bakugo, for a moment, was tempted to yell at Deku for daring to dream higher than him but held his tongue. He was on thin ice as it was.
They sat in Izuku's living room. Each of them, nursing a tea. All Might- or was he Yagi when he was looking like this? They'd come home together after dropping off the slime villain at the police station. Now they sat, quiet and awkward for Dad to come home from work. Izuku bit the inside of his cheek. What would happen now? …
He got a laugh in return. "I suppose so. I have been finding myself in you and your father's company more and more as the years go by."
Their awkward conversation was quite hilarious to the students, even though Bakugo was quite irritated at Deku calling him loud and annoying. The thought of All Might spending his time with Midoriya suddenly made quite a bit of sense. Aizawa rhetorically asked All Might if he was doing the same thing with his successor and received a shrug in response.
He sat up straight, his entire body buzzing with electricity. Make that happen? How could he do that? Training? They were already doing that. Unless there was something more to All Might's success as a hero? But what could it possibly be? "I-"
The door opened into the apartment. Dad was home. He kicked off his shoes at the front door before wandering back into the living room. He blinked when he saw them both. "Hey, what are you guys doing here? I thought you'd be at the beach," he asked. He leaned on the back of the couch Yagi was sitting on. "Tosh, please tell me you didn't have the last of the jasmine tea," he pleaded.
"I did, but I bought more," he said "It's in the cabinet. But uh... We want to talk to you. I have something I've been meaning to talk to the both of you about for a long time now."
For a moment, both student and mentor freezed. They knew at that moment that the secret of One for All was about to be revealed.
"Of course," Dad said without hesitation. "Toshinori, Izuku, and I have your back completely." He placed a hand on Yagi's shoulder. "Whatever it is, I promise I won't tell a soul."
Yagi smiled softly. "I know you won't, Hisashi," he said "I... I'm not sure where to begin... You see, Izuku and I were attacked on the way home today, by a villain."
"What?" Hisashi stood up at once, "Are you ok? Izuku, why didn't you call me as soon as you got home- are you injured anywhere?" he asked, grabbing Izuku by the face, and inspecting him for bruises and cuts.
"I'm fine Dad," Izuku said, grabbing his wrists. "All Might saved me."
Dad's face paled. "...What?"
"All Might," Izuku said slowly. "He uh... well. He saved me. Turns out he's been pretty close by... For like three years now."
Everyone in the theater snickered. Now they knew why All Might was hanging around Midoriya all the time! (Oh, sweet summer children, no you don't, thought Aizawa.)
Dad turned to Yagi slowly. Izuku should have figured that would clue him in. His father had always been a bit too smart. He locked eyes with Yagi. "What does Izuku mean when he says that?" he asked him.
Yagi stood, "He means I'm All Might." Yagi inflated. His skeletal frame expanded into the massive and imposing All Might body. "I have been this entire time. I'm very sorry I haven't told you before now. It's... rather complicated."
Dad was frozen to the spot "That... that injury you showed us," he said finally. "The one on your side. That's why right? Tosh, you're a very frail person. You're telling me that All Might is suffering from that injury?"
Izuku gasped. He hadn't even considered Yagi's injury. At the best of times, Yagi was puking up blood, or having to stop to rest- Oh god All Might had Yagi's injury. Izuku clasped his hand over his mouth. That's why. Because All Might was-
That fact pierced through the hearts of every student watching. They had seen Yagi's injury and learned that he was All Might, but somehow, they had not put the pieces together. The thought was sickening. In the other theater, Endeavor was silently having a meltdown over not being able to surpass a weakenedAll Might.
Yagi deflated. "Yes," he said "I can't maintain my muscle form like I used to. I'm only down to a handful of hours a day. It's not to say I'm not still capable as a hero, but... My time is running out. In a matter of a year or two, I won't be able to use my power at all anymore. Five years ago I was in a huge fight- one that wouldn't have been in the news. I defeated my foe- someone who I had been after for many years but he crippled me."
The reveal of Yagi's weaker form suddenly explained a lot to the students. Now his odd absences made quite a lot of sense. But the thought of there being a villain that could cripple the Symbol of Peace so brutally was terrifying.
Dad gasped, a look of sheer panic crossing his face. His eyes were wide as saucers. He stood, and without a word bolted from the room, to his bedroom slamming the door shut behind him.
…
Yagi looked just as alarmed as Izuku felt. What in the world was going on? They looked at each other, then back to his father bowed down, with his forehead pressed into the hardwood floor. "Hisashi..." Yagi said, "What are you saying sorry for?"
"Because," Dad said softly. "It's my fault."
Immediately, Midoriya sprang out of his seat, their worst suspicions confirmed. His father, at least in that universe, was All for One.
The reaction of the assembled students was much the same. Pandemonium swept the theater, despite the liberal use of both Erasure and Blood Control. It took a shout from All Might to force them to calm down. Immediately, they sat, ready for some explanations.
"I'm the one that did that to you," he said finally. "I'm All for One."
All for One? Izuku hadn't ever heard that name before, but something about it struck him deep into his core. Was this it? What he suspected all these years? His dad really was a villain? That's what this was right? A confession of past villainy? "Dad... What do you-"
"That's impossible," Yagi said, his voice like stone. "All for One is dead."
"He is," Dad said, finally raising his head "Most of him. You... destroyed most of me that night. But there was a quirk... One I had stolen years ago. A man I met could split his personality up. By dividing his memories, he could create multiple selves. That night when... When you killed most of what I am, I was split. I didn't do it on purpose but... A part of me got away. The best of me. All my memories of Inko, and Izuku. The memories of my little brother, Yoichi. The kindness I'd been shown in my long life- some... some of what I had done as All for One remains. I remember Nana. I know... I know I killed her- I don't remember how. That memory died with the rest of me. All I have is the guilt of taking a life. That's all I have of the people I've killed. The regret."
Yagi backed away slowly. "I... I don't understand."
"I am Shigaraki Hisashi," Dad said, standing on shaking legs. Izuku had never heard that name before. "I am what remains of All for One. I escaped our battle that night with nothing more than my happiest and saddest memories as well as a simple fire-breathing quirk. My original quirk died with the rest of me."
Now that he had said the name, it was truly confirmed. The specifics of the separation quirk explained why he was here, uninjured, when All Might could swear that he had ended him. But he was beginning to suspect that the other half had also survived.
The students were now properly terrified. They had heard legends of the infamous Quirk Thief, but never had they expected him to be real. Hatsume, on the other hand, was intrigued, wondering about the possibility of a Quirk-transferring baby.
"Izuku has nothing to do with this," Dad said to Yagi. "After you kill me, please... I beg you don't let anything bad happen to Izuku."
"Kill- Dad Yagi-san isn't going to kill you right?" He grabbed his father around the middle, "Right Yagi-san?"
"He has to," he said softly, cupping Izuku's face in his hands. "I... I always thought this might happen. That he'd find me..." He looked up to Yagi, who was frozen on the spot. "I do want to say thank you. If you hadn't broken me that night- killing the worst parts of myself I would never have come home to the things that really mattered," he smiled softly, "So... Thank you All Might. Thank you for giving me a chance to be a family- to be there when Inko died. To be a father for Izuku, even if only for a little while." His smile grew larger as fat tears rolled over his father's freckled face. "And thank you for being a dear friend these past few years."
…
Yagi smiled softly, pulling both of them into a hug. "Because you're Hisashi," he said simply. "The best person I know."
They stayed there like that for a long time.
The long scene was quite difficult for the students (and some of the teachers) to follow. But the thought that was prevailing was that, at the very least, the part of the villain who had crippled All Might, the part that was now Midoriya's father, was in fact his best self. This man, who was once a great villain, was now a grieving husband and loving father. They agreed with All Might; he was no villain.
"There's... one more thing I'd like to discuss," Yagi said finally. "Something I've been considering for a long time. But today helped me make up my mind." He turned to Hisashi. "Your son is an incredible person," he said to Dad, reaching across the table and laying his long thin hand over Dad's own.
"Y-yes." Dad said, "He really is."
"When we were attacked earlier. The villain went for me first. Of course, he had no idea I was All Might-" Dad flinched slightly at the name, "But Izuku... Izuku ran in, pushing me out of the way." Dad looked up from his food, eyes wide, and zeroed in on Izuku. He couldn't tell if Dad was proud or horrified at the idea of him stepping into certain danger. "He said his feet moved before he could even think. Just about every hero I know- every great hero I know has a story like that."
"Really?" Izuku asked, eyes wide.
"Yes," Yagi said. "That's why... I want you to be my successor."
The thought of Midoriya's recklessness being called heroic made Aizawa groan. Even if he appreciated the ideal of selflessness, there was a fine line between selfless and reckless. A line that Midoriya had ignored consistently. But the students were more interested in what All Might meant by 'successor'. Perhaps they would finally learn the true secret behind their relationship!
Yagi turned back to Izuku and smiled "My boy, do you remember when we first met? And I told you I was born quirkless?" Izuku nodded. He did. He felt a kinship with Yagi over that, even now he still remembered life when he was thought to be quirkless. "It wasn't a lie."
Izuku frowned. That... How did he get a quirk then? There was only one-way Izuku knew of, but if his father and Yagi had been enemies- mortal ones from what they'd told him- that shouldn't be possible. "I'm not following," Izuku said "That's not... I mean I guess it's not impossible but still-"
…
"That dad had a quirk that could give and take quirks for other people? Yes," Izuku said. "We've... talked about that. I always thought he lost that quirk the night he came home all beat up," he said.
"Yes well..." Yagi coughed a bit. "That quirk was called All for One."
The name 'All for One' finally made sense to the students, as they understood that a thief of quirks would be able to take and hoard all quirks for their own. But the revelation that All Might was born quirkless was shocking. They had been raised thinking that All Might was a natural-born hero, born a great kid, and who grew into the greatest of heroes.
"My little brother- your uncle," Dad said finally. "When we were kids, we all thought he was quirkless too. Much more common in those days," he said. "It was... a long time ago. Izuku, there's so much you don't know," he said softly. "At any rate. I was... not a good man. I was already committing heinous acts because my quirk allowed me to pretty much do whatever I wanted. It was like being a god among men. Still, I cared for Yoichi. I didn't have the best way of showing it-" he broke off, his voice heavy.
…
Yagi nods. "Of course. Well... You see, All for One, who shared a name with his quirk, was also a great villain of his time," he paused. "The power he created in his younger brother became a torch. Its strength grew over time, stockpiling power as it was handed from user to user. Each time it was cultivated and passed on. Until it became what it is now. My quirk. One for All," he explained.
The explanation of One for All interested everyone, as they listened rapturously. The mystery of the similarities between All Might and Midoriya's quirks was finally solved- they were the same Quirk used by different people.
"Izuku. I'm over 200 years old," his father confessed.
…
"All Might Pull isn't my quirk," Izuku said. "I mean... It is now. It's Mom's."
"Yes... You've both said, you got Pull from your mother. You inherited her-"
"It's hers. Literally," Izuku said. "When she was dying I-" he could see that hospital room, the way the light faded from his mother's eyes. How he held her hand, trying to hold onto her. Any part of her. "I..." he was crying now. "I took her quirk."
With more of the lore about All for One himself as well as the history of One for All explained, most of them were pretty confident that they understood. Midoriya saying that he had All for One's quirk was a sudden curveball. Would he still be allowed to become All Might's successor?
"Yagi-san, I wasn't born with mom's quirk," he said "I was born with Dad's. I... I didn't know its name until today- I'd been calling it Give and Take but... All Might, I have All for One. That's why I can't take One for All."
He was quiet. Yagi opened and closed his mouth several times. "I see," he said before he smiled. "I still don't see how that changes anything."
Dad stood up. "Toshinori-"
"I can't have both!" Izuku said.
"Sure you can," All Might said "You're the one I want to carry on my legacy. I think it's poetic. The son of All for One, taking on the mantle of One for All. Wielding them both and being the greatest hero we've ever seen. Izuku, there's nothing you can say that will dissuade me. Take my quirk," he said again.
Izuku looked at his father. Dad only smiled, tears streaking his face. "I'll support whatever choice you make, Izu," he said. "It's your power, not mine," he said. "If you want to take One for All..."
He looked up at All Might. Izuku smiled through his tears. This was his friend. Someone he thought of as a father almost as much as his own. Izuku had been given many things, his father, Pull, and now...
"I accept."
Everyone looked at Midoriya after that, seeing the silent tears coursing down his face. Yes, he was worthy, even if he was related to absolute villains. This knowledge affected many people in many ways.
Shoji and Tokoyami felt reassurance that they were not lesser because of their appearance.
Aoyama, silently, realized he was not lesser for being Quirkless, because All Might had seen promise in Midoriya. He vowed to change his ways and make amends for his sins.
Shinsou realized he was not unworthy, not a villain just because of his quirk. He could, would become a hero. If Midoriya could do it, so could he!
Bakugo was not quite reassured. He had mercilessly tormented the nerd for being Quirkless. He could have easily killed him several times if he hadn't been careful. Katsuki felt horrible still, but All Might's message gave him hope. He could be better; he could be worthy of standing next to him. The Katsuki he saw, while not quite perfect, was a role model for him, an image to live up to.
Shoto, by contrast, was reacting to an entirely different part. The words that Midoriya's father had spoken to him. 'It's your power, Izu,' he had said. That sentiment resonated with him deeply.
"You know, during the Sports Festival, your future self tells him everything. All about your demon of a father. And during your match, his future self tells you the same thing his father said." Magnus was behind him, whispering in his ear. "If I recall correctly, his exact words were: 'It's yours! Your Quirk, not his!' And because of that, you used your fire."
Shoto Todoroki was stunned. He could easily see himself challenging Midoriya because he was All Might's successor, and telling him the truth. But for Midoriya to try to make him use his fire, without Endeavor's influence? That was foolish!
"Indeed it was. But you know he's right, child. After all, your mother already gave you her blessing to use your fire."
And Shoto remembered. She had said that, hadn't she? Before she was sent to the hospital, they had been watching a video of All Might talking about Quirks. He was allowed to use his fire, because it was his, because it was him and not at all his father.
"Thank you."
"The one who you should be thanking is Midoriya. I am just trying to make things happen a little bit faster."