Towards Change (UA Staff Chat)

Part 4

Izuku and All Might walked down the worn out streets of Eastern Mustafu in comfortable silence. The faint moonlight made the beautiful hyacinth fields glow in the dark and the very sight of it was soothing.

All Might observed how Izuku would flinch a little whenever there was an unexpected noise or when someone yelled, even though it was from a few lanes away. The hero exhaled slowly. He knew those reactions very well.

Being the No.1 hero wasn't an easy task. Every single pair of eyes constantly scrutinised every little moment he made when he was on scene. With it came tons of responsibilities and the fear of slipping below the set standard. Criticism was something All Might was used to ever since he was a child yet the same always scared him. He outperformed himself every time so that he could somehow cover up his flaws. Even if he did slack off somewhere in the future, the people would defend and justify his actions by talking about how he did his absolute best for all these years.

All Might knew that was very selfish of him but he didn't know any better way. He knew he can't achieve his dream without his quirk, the very quirk that drained his soul every time he used it. His quirk was the reason he managed to survive so long. If it weren't for One For All, he might've ended up dead in his very first mission, rather, in his very first training lesson.

He still remembers his struggle throughout childhood. He remembers all the voices mocking him, telling him that he can never become a hero. He remembers the time he almost gave up, the time his dreams were crushed by someone he admired. His memories of the past were not worth recounting, for they held nothing but dismay. But there was one person who changed the course of his life. She was an angel, a mother-figure to him. She was the reason All Might could smile. She was the reason All Might was even alive.

All Might never expected himself to find in the same situation ever again and yet here he was, walking alongside a quirkless teen with dreams of saving people with a smile… A teen who bore an uncanny resemblance to his own teenage self.

'This era is so much worse' he couldn't help but muse to himself 'just what did this poor kid have to go through?'

Lost in thoughts, he didn't realise that they had already reached Izuku's home. The green eyed teen looked at him, slightly nervous. "Al- um, Yagi-san, would you like to come in? My m-mom would be delighted… um t-tea?"

Yagi chuckled and patted Izuku's hair softly, "it's okay, shounen. I must get going as well. Take care"

Izuku nodded and bowed, thanking the hero for everything. All Might smiled and turned around to leave when he realised something. He craned his neck to see teen looking at him, eyes a mixture of confusion and hope.

"Remember what you asked me earlier, shounen?"

'All Might.... Can I- Can I become a hero without a quirk?....'

Izuku sucked in a sharp breath and nodded. Sweat tricked down his temples and his heart slammed against his ribs, so hard he feared he might end up in the ER.

"The truth is" All Might spoke in a soft tone, "you can"

The hero smiled softly at the teen's astounded face. Big fat tears trickled down his freckled cheeks. Sobs followed the tears and Izuku knelt down on the ground, clutching his arms as he sobbed in happiness. He felt a frail figure embrace him and looked at the shining gold strands of hair in his peripheral vision. His hands involuntarily reached out to the hero's back, grabbing fistfuls of the soft white shirt.

Once the sobs resided, All Might stood up and stared at the sniffling kid. "Meet me at Takoba beach in the morning. I'll be waiting…"

Hours later, lying in his bed, All Might could only think of one thing…