Blind man says: Only fools rush in

Gran Torino

Summary:

Enter Gran Torino

“Hey, you big headed dolt; don’t turn your back when I’m coming to talk to you, young man!”

Shouto turned around, thoroughly surprised that the sudden voice seemed to be directed at All Might, who instantly flinched and turned to face the speaker… if Shouto didn’t know any better, he would even say All Might looked scared of the person; a short old man with grey hair and a stern look, wearing simple civilian clothes and walked with a cane of sorts, who was making a beeline for the other hero.

“G-Gran Torino?! I d-didn’t know you were in the neighborhood…”

The old man seemed to ignore his words as he walked up and kicked at the man, earning a yelp of pain and a yell of indignation from Shouto and Izuku, who were still very much unsure of what was going on as the newcomer, Gran Torino, continued his tirade.

“You write me one letter! One little letter, coming nearly a year and a half after my last visit! You really are an idiot, boy! And now some other idiots thought it was a good idea to leave you with two children, one of whom also seems to be just as big of an idiot, if not more so, than you!”

Shouto wondered if All Might had lied in knowing that the old man would be looking for the group, the remote patrolling location suddenly making a lot more sense as All Might tried to speak and explain as he quite literally shook in his boots.

“W-well you see, I uh… I mean, they aren’t… I’m not… Say, why don’t you two introduce yourselves!”

Redirection, All Might? Fear? What kind of person is this Gran Torino?

Izuku smiled and held his hand out towards the old man as he introduced himself, Shouto himself hanging back wearily.

“Uh, Hello! I’m Izuku Midoryia… It’s nice to meet you Mr. Gran Tori- Ack!”

Shouto felt bad for Izuku, the big-hearted idiot, as the old man moved with near blinding speed, throwing the boy overhead and onto the sidewalk, which was followed by a deep groan of pain. Shouto expected All Might to attack the man for the assault on his son student, but he only sighed as he helped the boy to his feet.

“Gran Torino, Young Midoryia is not me you know… Please don’t use our training on him… his mother will kill me.”

The man just gave an expectant look to the other before speaking.

“It serves him right for being so stupid! Anyone with a shred of common sense would have seen it coming a mile away… The other one got the right idea!”

“… My name is Shouto… All Might, how do you know this man, if I may ask?”

All Might just sighed once more and looked down, rubbing the back of his neck as the old man just stared.

“Well you see my boys… This is Gran Torino; he helped train me when I was around your age. If I had not been under my mentor’s guidance and endured his training, I highly doubt I would be the same man I am today… even if his methods were a tad brutal.”

The old man only grunted in response, looking the two boys up and down before rubbing the bridge of his nose and turning around, speaking as he did so.

“It worked didn’t it? Nothing else got through that thick skull of yours… I guess I can see whatever you saw in these two, odd as it is. Just don’t fuck them up… And don’t go getting attached to them either; don’t make the same mistake Nana did. Call me when you need some sense knocked into any of you, got it?”

As the man walked away, Shouto saw how All Might tensed and gritted his teeth, as if he wanted to say something, but either thought better of it, or was too angry to move. Izuku, who had been surprisingly quiet called after the man, stepping out in front of All Might, as if trying to shield him from something.

“Gran Torino!”

The old man turned, and Shouto could see the curiosity burning in his eyes, even from this far away.

“Eh?”

“You’re wrong. What Nana did… that wasn’t a mistake; not doing it sooner was. Besides, she wouldn’t want you to think like that because I bet, she’d do it again in a heartbeat!”

From behind the small green haired boy, All Might was suppressing a smile as the old man seemed to study the boy with more intensity before giving a small smile himself.

“So, you’re not as much of an idiot as you look… Interesting.”

And with that, the man continued on his way, leaving the three of them alone in an abandoned street. Shouto had never been more confused in his life, unsure if what had transpired had actually happened as All Might sighed once more before giving another one of his signature smiles.

How odd… The more time I spend with All Might, the more it seems his smile is just a façade... the old man would probably kill for this information… or anything to make him look weak in the eyes of the public. Although… who is this Nana they’re talking about?

Taking a deep breath, Shouto turned to All Might and spoke quietly.

“All Might… who’s Nana? That man seemed to think you are in danger of making some kind of mistake, as she did…”

The only response the boy got was All Might moving to grab both boys and jumping off the ground, taking to the sky and soaring towards a forested area in the city that Shouto recognized as a public park, where they landed gently in a small clearing. In the center of the park clearing was a statue of a woman in a hero costume, smiling proudly.

“That, my boy… is Nana. She was my mentor, leading up to and all through my time at U.A.”

Shouto could see the deep sadness in the man’s eyes and noticed the downcast expression on his friend’s face as All Might continued to speak.

“As I said the other day, my boy; for every battle fought and won, there is another that is lost… Nana and I fought a battle together some time ago and, in an attempt to spare my life…. She lost her life… I bested the very same villain with anger and hate in my heart, and I wish to never do so again. Nana’s ‘mistake’, as Gran Torino called it, was simply getting emotionally attached to me; She valued my survival over her own and she paid the ultimate price because of it... because of my failure… Nana was an incredible woman and a great hero, and Young Midoryia was correct in saying her attachment was not her weakness, so please; never assume loving another will make you weak. Love and caring for those around you… that is what makes good heroes great.”

Shouto nodded thoughtfully before speaking in a deadpan voice.

“Like how you care for Auntie?”

Off to the side, Izuku made an unholy sound as All Might himself seemed to choke on air.

“What? When we went to check on her the other day, you said ‘My Dear Inko’; you emphasized and phased it sounded like you were calling her ‘dear Inko’, rather than ‘Dear’, pausing, and then her name… insinuating you care for her more than just a co-worker… not to mention how you accepted the food she made specifically for you before we left, and how she knew why you refused to eat initially.. it says quite a lot.”

The Hero and student sputtered and spewed some nonsensical excuse that Shouto wasn’t buying in the slightest.

“I-I don’t… I didn’t…Y-Young Todoroki, it’s not like that at all!”

“Shouto for the last time; I’m not related to All Might!”

Notes:

Shouto, never change you walking X-FILES episode...

(also hi, i took a me-day yesterday, so here's this :D )