Becoming a Hero (bnha x OC)

Chapter 11: The Truth Hurts

"Someone without a quirk?" All Might pondered. Suddenly he flinched and began steaming. "Oh no, holy shit, goddammit..." he muttered to himself through gritted teeth as his muscles tightened and his perfect posture crippled. Izumina and Izuku were too lost in thought to notice.

"It might've been because I don't have a quirk," Izuku continued, staring at the ground sadly.

Izumina let go of Izuku's wrist and averted her gaze. She felt like she was intruding on an intimate moment. Even though Izuku was her best friend, and he needed to hear what All Might had to say, she couldn't help but feel out of place. Her heart throbbed.

All her life she'd been protecting him from bullies, but she couldn't protect him from this, his question. That one question he had asked All Might, she'd been answering for him since kindergarten. "Of course you can," she thought, wishing he could hear and believe her. Had her answer never been enough for him? If she believed in him, why did he care what others thought? How many people did he need to say it to believe it? Izumina clenched the strap of her purple backpack and closed her eyes.

Izuku began twiddling his thumbs. "But I'm always made fun of..." he looked aside as he recalled the horrible things Katsuki had called him earlier that day and all his life, the doctor that told him to give up, and what probably hurt him the most, when his mother lost faith in his dream. "Maybe that's why... I don't know..." Izuku tailed off. "It makes me want to prove them wrong. Ever since I was a kid I thought saving people was the coolest thing you could do."

Izuku smiled to himself, and Izumina opened her eyes to look in his direction once more. He continued, "I want people to see my fearless smile and feel safe... and be the kind of hero everyone in the world looks up to." Izuku head shot up to face All Might. "Just like you!"

Izumina smiles, turned her head to see All Might's reaction. She was surprised to see grey smoke dissipating around a skinny old man, with sunken blue eyes and messy blond hair. "Who's this guy?" Izumina wondered. "Could he be..."

Izuku gasped as he noticed the man standing amidst the steam at the same time as Izumina. Then he freaked out. "Uhhhhh.... Ahhhh!"

Izumina winced at his sudden scream.

"Wait... who... what happened? You deflated," Izuku rambled as he looked around in a panic. "Where did All Might go? You're not him. You're a fake. An imposter!"

Izumina lightly punched Izuku's arm. "Don't be rude," she scolded.

The skinny guy across from them gritted his teeth. "I assure you that I am All Might," he stated bluntly, with a deadpan tone of voice.

"I thought so," Izumina mentally congratulated herself.

"IMPOSSIBLE!" Izuku screamed once more, causing Izumina to flinch yet again.

Izumina nudged Izuku. "What I think he's trying to say is, um... Why did you transform into..." Izumina trailed off as she didn't want to offend All Might, or make the situation any more awkward. "What you are now?"

All Might closed his eyes and responded, " It's alright. I'm sure it's a shock for you both to see me as this skin sack."

"No! Umm... Not at all, All Might... You look fine," Izumina sputtered awkwardly. "But how did you... you know..." Izumina questioned as she gestured towards All Might's figure.

"You know how guys at the pool are always sucking in and flexing, trying to look buff... I'm like that" All Might wiped the corner of his mouth as he pointed his index finger to the sky, trying to explain to the best of his ability. 

"That can't be real," Izuku screached. "So... I'm dreaming... All Might, the giant of a man who saves everyone. He defeats all obstacles and wins the day with a smile on his face. There's no other explanation."