Reset and Rewind

Chapter 24 - Meetings and Conversations

Izuku was glad he'd been able to pull off a good fight against Mirio. Now all he had to do was convince All Might to make a call and his work study would be able to start like normal. Convincing his mentor shouldn't be that hard though, not now that he knew Izuku was basically from the future. Still, he dreaded the conversation, already knowing what kind of tension this new information would bring to their already strained relationship. It just wasn't the same as it was before, you know? And Izuku couldn't help but mourn the loss of a father figure he never even had in this timeline.

"Young Midoriya! There you are!"

Izuku froze up when All Might suddenly appeared in front of him while he was making his way back to the dorm. There were a few other classmates with him, but they were all people who'd regained their memories so they didn't think much of it. All Might seemed to know this as well, since he didn't bother being subtle about what he wanted.

"Could we talk for a moment? I still have some questions regarding...this situation"

"Not sure if Deku-kun is the best at explaining it without going on a mumble spree," Ochako snorted, earning a playful slap on her arm from Izuku, which made her laugh even more. "Oh come on! You know it's true!"

"Just make it quick, we have extra training planned this evening," Katsuki grunted, pushing the nerd towards All Might as he walked passed. "You're not gonna catch me so easily this time around!"

"I'm counting on it!" Izuku smiled, waving off his classmates as they left. All Might brought him to one of the private lounge areas where they always had their secret meetings. Izuku wasn't sure how to start. Where to start. They hadn't spoken one on one since before the licensing exam, back when All Might had no idea about his memories. Back when he hadn't lost control over his quirk, when he hadn't randomly manifested one of the predecessors' quirks out of nowhere. God, that seemed like an eternity ago... And now here they were, sitting in a tense silence that neither knew how to break.

"...I'm sorry."

That was a good way to start, right? Izuku fiddled with his hands, not looking up at his mentor while he continued.

"It wasn't fair of me to lie to you, to keep you in the dark about everything that's been happening. I just... I didn't know how to tell you. No, that's not... I didn't want to change the way you think of me. But I guess it's too late for that now, huh? And now you had to hear it from someone else and I... I..."

Izuku raised his hand, wiping away some of the tears that had started pouring out against his will. Damnit! He's still such a crybaby!

"You have nothing to apologize for, Midoriya," All Might said, but that only made him feel worse about all of this somehow. "I've already talked with Eraserhead to get a sense of what happened to you in the past, or, uhm, well, the future, I suppose... Seeing you use Blackwhip already sort of confirmed it, but... Is it true you can talk to the vestiges?"

Izuku couldn't tell what the emotion on All Might's face was. There was sadness, but there was also something else... Jealousy? Or maybe...hope? Izuku had never been good at reading expressions unless they were clearly defined. The only exception to that rule was Shoto, who had never been super expressive to begin with. And maybe Kacchan, but that was simply because they grew up together.

"I could, in my previous life," Izuku nodded. "My current connection to One For All isn't as strong as it used to be, but I've met with Yoichi in my dreams. And also Lariat, when he gave me permission to use his quirk."

"Yoichi-"

"The First," Izuku explained. "Yoichi Shigaraki, the first holder of One For All, All For One's little brother. And Lariat is the-"