A Change Of Heart ✓

Fleeting Joy

-x- Izuku Midoriya's POV -x-

"Young Midoriya?" All Might's voice said from the other side of the door.

Eyes widening, I threw my phone to the side before leaning over and pushing it under my pillow. "Mhm?" I said quickly, straightening myself.

"Are you feeling alright?"

I raised a brow. "What do you mean?"

"You crashed into a wall, my boy," he laughed slightly.

I blinked. "Oh. Yeah."

All Might sighed, surprisingly taking a seat next to me. "You remind me a lot of what I was like at your age. Reckless but with a good heart."

"Well," I mentioned, "Except the quirkless part, yeah?"

He smiled slightly, leaning forwards. "No, that part too."

I laughed before my eyes widened and my head snapped towards him. "What?!"

All Might chuckled. "Honestly, I'm not sure why I'm telling you this. But I feel like if you're going to have to live here and if we're going to trust each other, you should know the full truth." There was a hint of sadness behind his eyes, but I decided not to overstep my bounds.

"My quirk was actually passed onto me by my mentor," he explained.

"That's impossible!" I blurted out. "Quirks can't be-"

"Passed on?" he smiled. "Not usually, no. But," he gained a more serious expression. "My quirk has a sort of... history behind it. It's called 'One For All.'"

I repeated the words to myself, speaking under my breath. "One... For... All..."
All Might nodded. "It's been passed through 8 holders, of which I've been the last. It allows the user to stockpile energy, and becomes stronger with each holder."

"How is it passed on?" I asked, curious.

He paused for a moment, as if he was choosing what to tell me and what to keep hidden. "...It... A long time ago, there was a man born without a quirk. At least, that's what everyone thought. His brother...," he hesitated for a moment, "...A villain from this time, has the power to steal quirks."

My throat became dry. "Steal quirks...?"

All Might nodded solemnly. "However," he added, "He could also force these quirks onto others. This man's brother was heroic and thought of his brother as nothing but villainous, protesting his actions as he worked. And, in an effort to force his brother to his side, the man passed a stockpiling quirk onto him. Little did he know, his brother did have a quirk. However, it was completely useless until the other was forced upon him. It allowed him to pass quirks on."

"So the strength stockpiling quirk and the quirk that could be passed on combined," I realized, eyes wide as I placed my hand on my face.

"Exactly," All Might confirmed. "The brother then passed the quirk on and asked for the cycle to be continued, hoping that one day his brother would be defeated with this power."

My mouth hung open for a moment before I furrowed my brows, lips pressed together. "How long ago was this? Wouldn't the guy be dead if it's been passed on for 8 generations?"

All Might froze for a moment before laughing nervously. "I suppose I said too much." His eyes were darkened and he seemed almost... sad. "I fought him 7 years ago. He's the one who gave me," he pulled up his shirt, revealing a large portion of his stomach that was caved in. "This. And my master...," he trailed off.

A gasp escaped my lips. "He... Did this to you?" My mind was racing. Wasn't All Might the number one hero? How could he of all people face such a horrible injury. I gulped nervously. Just how strong was this guy? And what did he mean 'master'?

The picture passed through my mind. The engraving had read, "Toshinori and Nana."

I bit my lip, raising my head slightly. "Was... Was your master that 'Nana' woman?" I asked softly.

All Might looked as if someone had punched him in the heart. He gave a sad sigh, lowering his head. "Y-yes. Unfortunately, she was killed by All For One while trying to help me escape." He clenched his shirt in his hand, "I'll never let myself forget what he did. And so...," he raised his head, "I sought out for him and, eventually, I struck him down and ensured everything was kept under wraps. But he's the reason for my weakened form. And although I'd like to see he's good as gone..." His eyes met mine and he seemed hesitant, but he spoke. "I'm sure he's still out there. Somewhere." (NOTE: This takes place in between the internships and the forest incident).

A chill raced down my spine, but I shook my head in order to ease myself slightly. I couldn't say the feeling of dread wasn't still lingering, though. After all, he had killed his master, and was somehow responsible for All Might's smaller figure. "So... How is he alive?" I asked, throat dry. I almost felt as if I knew the answer.

"As I said before, this man, All For One, is able to steal quirks. I'm sure he found some that healed him, and another that allowed him to keep his young age. And there's no real limit to the amount of quirks he can have. It's how he nearly killed me."

He nearly killed me.

He nearly killed me.

He.

Nearly.

Killed.

Me.

All Might almost died. All Might, the Number One Hero was almost killed by a villain.

All For One.

A thought appeared at the back of my mind, and it seemed to come out of nowhere.

He's not the only one who came close.

It was unsettling, to say the least.

It was almost as if I could see him in my mind. I almost felt as if I had spoken to him, a chill running down my spine. It felt so real.

If it wasn't for him...

All Might placed his hand on my shoulder, causing my head to snap up. My rapid breaths slowed as he looked into my eyes.

"I'm trusting you to keep all of this to yourself, Young Midoriya."

I stared at him, taking in a deep breath. "I...," my throat was dry, mind unable to stop racing with thoughts. "Of course, All Might. I'll never tell anyone."

And I could've sworn a voice whispered in my ear.

"Your happy ending won't last forever."

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Thanks for reading! <3