A Hero's Dirty Work (Villain Deku / Vigilante Deku au)

Responsibility

Michi blinked in surprise. He'd been expecting something along the lines of "I'm entrusting to you a vital secret" but All Might didn't really bother with any build-up. As soon as they were in the room and the door closed, All Might deflated into a skeletal, frail-looking version of himself, barely recognizable if you didn't already know.

"What's going on?" Michi asked, trying to put a note of panic into his voice. A normal person would be pretty freaked out by all this, he figured.

"Young Hamasaki, we decided after what you did at the USJ that you deserved to know a secret. For now, only the U.A. staff and a friend of mine know this," he said, All Might's powerful voice remaining the same even in his skeletal state. "Years ago, I was in a fight where I was very evenly matched. I won, barely, but I didn't get away unscathed." He lifted up his shirt, and even though he already knew the story, Michi's eyebrows went up at the sight of the scar.

"Half of my internal organs were destroyed, and I was left as a hollow shell of the hero I once was. I am only able to hold my muscle form, as I call it, for a few hours a day, and I'm getting weaker."

Michi held his breath; here came the punch line.

"I came to U.A. as a teacher in order to find a successor," he said gravely. "With training, I believe you have shown yourself to be worthy to inherit my power."

Michi stuttered, pretending to be confused. "Inherit? What do you mean? Like, the title of the Symbol of Peace? Is that it?"

"No, young Hamasaki. My quirk, and all of my power, was handed down to me like a holy torch. I have outlived my days as the Symbol of Peace, and those villains with built-up evil intent are starting to realize it," he said. "I need to find someone to receive my power who can become the pillar and the symbol in my place."

Michi nodded. This had the potential to solve nearly all of his problems, but it also had enormous potential to backfire horribly. Patience. Not his strong suit, but it was something he needed. He looked down at his hands.

"I see," he said simply. Then, "Are you sure? I... don't know if I'm the best choice."

He was telling the truth, and a part of him hoped All Might would realize it and choose someone else. Unfortunately, it had the opposite effect.

The hero laughed loudly. "Well, if you were positive about it, that would be a red flag for me," he said. "It's why young Bakugo was ruled out, at least. His temperament might be something we can work on, but his strong belief that he always deserves the best life has to offer is... troubling, to say the least." 

Michi nodded. "What about Shoto? He's much more powerful than I am, and he seems trustworthy."

"Young Todoroki is also a solid option," All Might admitted. "However, he is not yet free from the ghost of his father, which will skew his priorities."

"I have ghosts, too," Michi said softly. "I don't want to talk about them, but I'm not free yet either."

"No one is perfect, and I'm not giving it to you now," All Might announced. "You will have to prove yourself, and I will need to ensure that your body is a worthy vessel that is capable of handling the overwhelming power of my quirk, One For All. My quirk has the ability to stockpile power, and it has been built up, nurtured, and passed down for generations. If it were given to an unprepared recipient, it could kill them."

Michi nodded. "I'll do whatever you need, but I still think you should consider other students, in the rest of the classes and years too. Is that all?"

"Of course not! I did invite you here for lunch, after all." He pulled out the food, and Michi hesitated when he realized it would be very difficult to eat anything with both of his arms in casts. And no, he was not going to let All Might feed him like a baby.