Deku: Static Shock! ⚡️

Here We Go! Here We Go!

The time had finally come for Izuku to choose whether he'd become All Might's successor or not. It was a tough decision, but he already knew his answer...

"I... I-I've given it a lot of thought..." The teen revealed, "And, I'm sorry to disappoint you, All Might... but I have to respectfully decline."

The pro showed no visible reaction to his answer.

"Throughout the duration of my training, I've developed my abilities and greatly improved myself, both physical-wise and metahuman-wise. As a result, I've become much more confident in my abilities..." He began, "To the extent that now I fully believe I can achieve my dream on my own...!"

"I really appreciate the offer, All Might, and I'm genuinely honored that you see me as worthy of inheriting your quirk that no one else is aware of... But, I'd like to become a hero with my own power that's been given to me."  He explained, "And I'd personally rather not do that with the immense weight behind your quirk weighing on my shoulders. That's too much of a responsibility."

Of course, there was also the factor of All Might's potential successor being a bang baby.

"I need to go about this journey on my own merit... So, I can't, and won't take it." Midoriya firmly stated.

All Might remained stagnant for a few seconds, his facial expression not even changing, before he suddenly deflated back with a sigh.

"*Sigh*.... That's a shame." He muttered in disappointment, "I was really hoping you'd say yes, but... I understand..."

The teen tore his gaze away from his idol, "... I-I'm really sorry for wasting your time, sir..." He sheepishly apologized.

To his surprise, All Might chuckled.

"Don't look so down, Young Midoriya." The thin man assured him, "While I am admittedly a bit disappointed, I still don't regret training you at all."

"You don't...?" Izuku asked with raised eyebrows.

"As your training went on, I got to watch your staggering progress in nothing but awe. You've overcome all the obstacles I placed forth and become even stronger than I thought! And I'm proud to have helped you do so!" Toshinori stated with a smile, "You may not have accepted my power like I was hoping, but I've seen with my own eyes that you already have an amazing quirk with a great potential. So if you believe you can become a great hero with your own power, then I'll respect your decision, and place my belief in you as well."

His acceptance greatly surprised the teen, and his belief in him floored him even further. Nonetheless, he was greatly relieved and beamed at his praise.

"Thanks, All Might!" He exclaimed, "I wasn't sure how you were gonna take it."

"Heh, it's alright, kid. I was never gonna force the thing on you, anyway." Toshi revealed, "In the end, it's all your choice."

"Well, that's good to know, I guess." Izuku chuckled, "So... What do we do now?  Y'know, since I'm not gonna be your successor?"

The thin hero thought it over, and then he suddenly got a great idea.

"If you don't mind, Young Midoriya, instead of directly becoming my successor, why don't you become my pupil?" He offered.

"Your pupil?" Izuku repeated with wide eyes.

"Yes. It'd be such a waste to let young talent like yourself go." All Might pointed out, "So, I'd like to keep training you and help you hone your heroic craft in any way I can."

"Of course, it's your call." All Might reminded him, "Whether you agree to it or not, I'll accept your choice."

The greenette took his time to think this new offer over.