MHA Rewrite: Plus Ultra

Light flickers through the darkness. Weak. Blurry. Like sunlight slipping through cracks in a wall. Izuku can barely see it through swollen eyes. Thud. Something slams into his stomach. His body folds against the pavement as laughter echoes around him, distant and muffled beneath the ringing in his ears. He can hardly hear anything besides the pounding of his heartbeat and his own ragged breathing. Another kick. Another flash of light. Warm. Inviting. His trembling fingers twitch toward it before stopping halfway. No... Don't reach out. Don't call for help. You're strong. You can endure this. You're a hero. Izuku clenches his fist shut. And the light disappears. This is the story... of how I became the greatest hero ever. ... Daytime in the city. A deafening roar tears through the streets. People scream as a gigantic Villain rises above the buildings, its massive body forcing cars aside like toys. Concrete cracks beneath its feet. The creature swings its arm wildly. CRASH! An electric pylon bends sideways before ripping free from the ground. The crowd freezes. The tower begins to fall. "Look out!" Before it can crush the street below, a large figure rushes forward. BOOM! Death Arms catches the collapsing pylon on his shoulder, muscles straining as the ground fractures beneath his boots. "D-Death Arms!" "The Punching Hero!" Cameras flash from every direction. At the same time, another hero leaps across the street. Backdraft lands beside the crowd and thrusts both arms outward. Water bursts from his gauntlets, spiraling into a flowing barrier that forces civilians back from the danger zone. "Everyone, please stand back!" Backdraft shouts. "It's dangerous!" The Villain roars again as smoke rises into the sky. Yet despite the destruction, nobody runs. The civilians remain behind the water barrier, watching with nervous excitement instead of fear, completely trusting the heroes to handle the situation. "Ah, the Rescue Specialist Backdraft." "But that Villain's Quirk is incredible... Turning into a giant monster like that..." "What'd he even do?" "He stole someone's bag," another man answers. "Guess he lost control when they cornered him." A nearby woman folds her arms, thoroughly unimpressed. "A Quirk like that, and he's just a bag snatcher...?" A boy pushes through the packed crowd, weaving past distracted civilians with an irritated frown on his face. Midoriya Izuku scribbles furiously across the pages of a worn notebook, barely watching where he's going as he mutters under his breath. "Gigantification type... strength enhancement proportional to mass... poor emotional regulation..." His pencil moves faster. "What a waste..." "Y-Yes, I'm sorry, sir, the train's delayed because of the-" THUD. A businessman stumbles as Izuku bumps straight into him without slowing down. "Hey! Watch it, kid!" the man snaps into his phone before immediately bowing his head again. "Y-Yes, sir. Sorry, sir..." Izuku barely even notices him. His eyes remain fixed on the battlefield while he continues writing nonstop, completely absorbed in analyzing the Villain and the heroes fighting him. Then suddenly- FWOOOSH! A wooden figure soars overhead. Izuku instantly looks up, eyes widening as his pencil starts moving even faster. "Kamui Woods... Arbor Quirk... binding-focused combat..." Kamui Woods swings above the crowd before landing near the Giant Villain in a burst of splintering wood. "Kyaaa~! You can do it, Kamui!" a woman cheers from the crowd. The Giant Villain recoils, snarling violently. "Ngh...! Get away!" Izuku's pencil scratches furiously across the page. "Great entrance..." he murmurs. "Could end fight instantly... sneak attack... performance..." Several people nearby glance at him oddly before slowly shifting away. Kamui Woods swings forward, wooden tendrils lashing toward the Giant Villain from above the train tracks- SMASH! The Villain swats him away. Kamui crashes onto the railway with a metallic slam, skidding across the tracks as sparks burst beneath him. He twists upright almost immediately. "Illegal use of powers during rush hour-" "States crime first... warning... dramatic personality..." Izuku mutters while writing rapidly. "...and robbery resulting in bodily injury!" "Accurate details... witnessed himself? Spoke to victim prior?" Kamui points toward the Villain. "You are the incarnation of evil!" Izuku's pencil does not stop. "Lame line... appeals to kids." "Show us something flashy, Tree-Man!" a man shouts from the crowd. Izuku doesn't even look up from his notebook. "Preemptive..." Kamui thrusts both hands forward from the train tracks below. "...Binding-" Izuku's pencil moves. "...Lacquered Chain Prison." "LACQUERED CHAIN PRISON!" Wood erupts upward in twisting layers, surging toward the Giant Villain like a living cage- "CANYON CANNON!" BOOM! A massive figure crashes down from above. Mt. Lady dropkicks the Giant Villain clean off the train tracks, sending it hurtling through the air. "URAAAHH!" The ground trembles from the impact. Kamui freezes. His wooden prison finishes forming around absolutely nothing. "...Huh?" Izuku's eyes immediately snap toward the new hero as his pencil starts moving again. "New hero... debut? Giantification..." A wave of low muttering spreads through the crowd. "She's here..." "She's here..." "She's here..." Mt. Lady turns toward the cameras with a dazzling smile. "Today is the day of my debut! I am Mt. Lady! A pleasure to make your ass-quaintance!" She strikes a pose with a wink, shamelessly angling herself toward the photographers. Camera flashes burst across the street. "She's here..." "She's here..." "She's here..." Izuku keeps writing without pause. "Flashy... uses sex appeal... controls size voluntarily? Property damage risk... popularity-focused branding..." Around him, the crowd's attention shifts almost entirely away from the villain and toward Mt. Lady herself. As the noise grows louder, Izuku quietly starts walking away. A man nearby notices him. "Hey, wait," he says with a grin. "You're taking notes? You wanna be a hero?" Izuku stops. He looks at the man curiously, almost like he doesn't understand the question. "That's great!" the man says warmly. "You can do it!" Izuku stares at him for a moment. Then he gives a small nod. He slips the notebook into his bag and pulls the zipper shut before continuing down the sidewalk. His eyes lower to the ground. Both hands slowly tighten around the straps of his bag. "...What a waste of time," he mutters. ... Aldera Junior High buzzes with restless energy as students talk over each other, barely paying attention. At the back of the room, Izuku sits stiffly in his chair, looking deeply uncomfortable. His eyes drift toward the window. Teacher: "So, since you're all third-years, it's time for you to start thinking seriously about your futures." The teacher grabs a thick stack of papers from his desk. "I'll be handing out career aptitude forms now, but..." Before he can finish, several students suddenly activate their Quirks. A pair of elongated fingers stretches across a desk. Bright flashes flicker from different corners of the classroom. The room fills with laughter and shouting. Izuku exhales quietly through his nose and looks away toward the window, clearly unimpressed. The teacher sighs. "...you're all planning to apply for hero courses anyway, right?" "YES!" The classroom erupts instantly. The teacher scratches the back of his head. "Yes, yes, you all have wonderful Quirks. But using your powers at school is still against the rules... Despite his words, there's no real authority behind them as he casually begins handing out the papers. A hand slams onto a desk. BANG! "Teach," Bakugo says with a condescending grin, "don't lump me in with these losers." A faint crackle flickers from his palm. "I'm not sinking to the bottom with a bunch of rejects." The classroom immediately quiets. At the back of the room, Izuku receives his paper without reacting. He calmly picks up his pencil and starts writing. "That was uncalled for, Katsuki!" one student protests. Bakugo smirks without even looking at him. "Background noise should stay background!" The teacher glances down at his papers. "Oh right... if I remember correctly, you want to apply to U.A. High, don't you, Bakugo?" "U.A.?!" "The national school?!" "It was in the top 0.2% this year!" "The acceptance rate's insane!" Bakugo's grin widens as sparks dance across his palm. "That's exactly why you extras don't get it." He leans back in his chair confidently. "I aced the mock exams. I'm the only one here with a real shot at U.A." His eyes sharpen. "And it's not a matter of if I surpass All Might." A small burst crackles in his hand. "It's when." One of Bakugo's friends suddenly snatches the paper from Izuku's desk with a grin. "Hey-!" Izuku immediately reaches for it, but the boy activates his Quirk, lifting the paper just out of reach. The class snickers. "I'm just curious, Deku!" the student laughs as he scans the form. Then his eyes widen with delighted disbelief. "Hey, everyone! Deku's planning on going to U.A.!" The classroom erupts. "Huh?! Deku?!" "No way!" "You can't get into the hero course just by memorizing trivia, nerd!" Laughter crashes from every direction. Bakugo's head turns sharply toward Izuku. At his desk, Izuku's face tightens with anger and humiliation. His jaw clenches hard enough to ache. "I'm not applying to the hero course," he says flatly. "I'm aiming for the support course." The room quiets slightly. A few students blink in surprise. Then the laughter starts again anyway. Louder this time. Longer than it needs to. The teacher finally claps his hands sharply. "Alright, that's enough. Settle down. Leave Midoriya alone..." The class grumbles as the laughter slowly dies down. Izuku quietly takes his paper back without a word. Then he looks up. Bakugo is staring directly at him. Not angry. Amused. Slowly, Bakugo lifts one hand in a tiny wave. A promise. Izuku's stomach tightens instantly. He looks away first. Of course it'll happen after school. Behind the building. No teachers. No witnesses. Same as always. But something feels different this time. Beneath the desk, his hand slowly curls into a fist. Not trembling. Not desperate. Calculated. His mind replays possibilities automatically. Distance. Timing. First strike. If they think I'll just endure it— His jaw tightens. Let them. ... Later that afternoon, elsewhere in the city, a woman stumbles forward in panic. "Ahh!" "Thief! Someone!" The Sludge Villain tears through the street, his sludge-like body slipping between terrified civilians. "Hahaha! They call me the Sludger, and dontcha forget it, bitch!" "Huh? There's no hero around." "Normally someone would come right away." Nearby, a gaunt man quietly steps out of a store carrying a plastic bag. "This guy's taking advantage of the chaos from this morning." "There are tons of people around who don't know what to do with their Quirks." "There's no end to them." A sudden gust of wind blasts through the street. "There is an end." "Huh? Ahh!" People shield their faces as dust swirls violently around them. Then the wind settles. Standing in the middle of the street now is All Might. His massive frame towers over the crowd as sunlight catches his grin. "Why?" "Hahaha! No one can stop me-" The Sludge Villain turns toward him. "Hm? OH, SHIT!" All Might steps forward. "Because I am here!" ... After class finishes, the halls of Aldera Junior High slowly empty into the afternoon. Behind the school, warm sunlight hangs over cracked pavement and rusted railings. Izuku approaches without rushing. His expression is grim. Bakugo leans casually against the wall waiting for him, two of his friends nearby. One sits perched on the railing. The other lazily flicks a pebble across the ground. Nobody speaks at first. Because they've done this before. Bakugo smirks and gives a lazy wave. "Hey, Deku. Nice of you to show up." Izuku stops a few steps away. "...Hey, Kacchan." The smile drops instantly. "Oi." Bakugo straightens slightly. "I told you not to call me that. You trying to ruin my mood already?" One of the boys snorts. "Guy never learns." Izuku doesn't respond. Bakugo studies him for a beat, then the grin returns. "So. Was Kenji talking nonsense, or did you actually put U.A. on your form?" Izuku shifts slightly. "It's the Support—" "Support course," Bakugo cuts in. "Yeah. I heard." He steps closer. "But why there?" A pause. "You know I'm the only one here going to U.A., right?" Another step. "So what's your plan?" His friends snicker. "You think standing near heroes will make you feel like one?" One of the boys laughs. "Maybe he thinks it'll rub off on him." The winged kid snickers. "Yeah, like secondhand heroism." Bakugo smirks. A small flame sparks in his hand. Not explosive, controlled. He tilts his head. "Feeling heroic yet?" Izuku exhales once. Then he moves. Not toward Bakugo. Toward Stretchy. Stretchy barely has time to grin before Izuku is already inside his reach. The fingers snap outward on instinct- Too slow. Izuku steps through the extension before the Quirk can fully spread and slams his palm into the elbow joint. The arm recoils violently. Stretchy's own momentum yanks him forward. Izuku pivots sharply, hooks the leg, and drives him into the pavement. CRACK. Stretchy screams. The snickering dies instantly. For half a second, nobody moves. Nobody expected Deku to attack first. Winged Kid reacts immediately. His wings flare outward as he launches into the air. Izuku's eyes track him automatically. Of course. Winged Kid always fights from above whenever he can. Keeps distance. Stays mobile. Only commits during dive attacks. Izuku adjusts his footing. Impact Pulse lifts his hand. Bakugo hasn't moved. He's watching. Izuku rushes Impact Pulse deliberately. Fast. Direct. No hesitation. He already knows the pattern. Impact Pulse panics easily. Back during the cultural festival, someone had jumpscared him in a horror attraction and he'd accidentally fired off his Quirk in front of everyone. Izuku remembered that. Counted on it. The instant he closes the distance, Izuku grabs his wrist and twists inward- BOOM! The blast detonates against Izuku's side at point-blank range. White-hot pain tears through his ribs. His vision flashes. But he uses the force instead. The explosion launches him upward. For a split second, exhilaration surges through him. Weightless. Fast. Like a real hero. Izuku collides midair with Winged Kid, wrapping an arm around him as they crash violently into the wall. Dust and feathers explode outward. Both of them slam into the ground. Izuku rolls immediately. No pause. No wasted movement. He grabs Winged Kid and shoves him toward Impact Pulse- Another panicked blast erupts instinctively. Winged Kid takes it full-force. Izuku slips around the edge of the shockwave before Impact Pulse can recover. Short elbow. Sharp knee. Impact Pulse crumples to the pavement. Two down. Izuku's hand trembles violently at his side. His ribs throb with every breath. Bakugo smiles. "Mm..." Then he punches Izuku straight across the face. Pain explodes through Izuku's skull. His footing slips. His breathing stutters violently. Panic flashes through him. He hadn't expected the exhaustion to hit this hard. Not with the adrenaline fading. Not with his ribs screaming every time he inhaled. Bakugo grabs him by the collar before he can fully steady himself. "Bet that felt good, didn't it?" Another punch crashes into his face. Izuku hits the pavement hard. Bakugo shrugs. "For a while." Bakugo swings again- But this time Izuku moves. His legs snap upward, trapping Bakugo's arm between them. He twists sharply and yanks with everything he has left. Bakugo's balance breaks. Both of them slam to the ground- And Izuku drives his fist directly into Bakugo's face. Izuku scrambles up first, chest heaving. His hands are shaking now. Not from fear. From exhaustion. And adrenaline. From victory. From the knowledge that he finally reached him. He gives a small smile. Bakugo slowly rolls onto his side. Touches the blood at his lip. Looks at it. The smile disappears. Bakugo's expression fractures. "You little shit." The explosion isn't wide. It's focused. He propels forward in a tight burst and drives his fist into Izuku's stomach. Air vanishes from Izuku's lungs. He folds instinctively. Too slow. He knew Bakugo would escalate. He just didn't think it would feel like this. Bakugo doesn't give him time to recover. "How dare you touch me!" Another ignition— Bakugo twists midair, spinning with the recoil, and his heel crashes into the side of Izuku's head. Concrete meets skull. The world flashes white. Izuku hits the ground hard. He tries to move. His ribs refuse. His breathing is broken. So this is it. This is the limit. Bakugo lands over him and drives a fist down. Then another. No wild screaming. Controlled violence. "You're nothing!" A punch. "You don't get to stand next to me!" Another. "You don't get to reach!" Izuku raises his arms too late. A kick slams into his side. Then another. The lackeys rejoin the fight now that their king has taken control again. The world tilts sideways. Izuku crashes against the pavement hard enough for his teeth to rattle. Concrete grinds against his cheek. His vision swims. Boots move in and out of focus around him. For a second- He thinks about calling out. Help. Hero. The word catches in his throat. Then he swallows it. What good are heroes? They're just people. They bleed. They hesitate. They get tired. The only difference is that they were born with something he wasn't. Luck. That's all it is. Not virtue. Not worth. Luck. If he can't endure this- Then what was all that analysis for? What was all that training for? His fingers curl against the pavement. Don't reach out. Don't call for someone stronger. Endure. Izuku's vision swims. Boots retreat. The others step back once Bakugo moves again. He crouches. He grabs Izuku by the hair and yanks his head up. Pain spikes across Izuku's scalp. Their faces are close now. Close enough to see the split in Bakugo's lip. Close enough to smell smoke. Bakugo's voice isn't loud. It's controlled. "This," he says, tightening his grip, "is your limit." Izuku tries to focus on his breathing. Bakugo leans closer. "You think one punch changes anything?" His fingers tighten in Izuku's hair. "You'll never surpass me." A beat. He laughs. "You don't have a quirk." The words aren't shouted. They're stated. Like fact. Like gravity. Izuku's jaw tightens. Not pleading. Not crying. Just absorbing it. Bakugo releases his grip. Izuku's head hits the pavement. "Stay down." Bakugo turns. Takes one step. His ankle stops. Izuku's hand is wrapped around it. Not tight. But firm. Bakugo looks down slowly. Izuku's vision is blurred. Blood runs warm down the side of his face. His ribs burn every time he tries to breathe. But his grip doesn't loosen. Bakugo's expression shifts. Not anger. Not yet. Confusion. "...What are you doing?" Izuku forces air into his lungs. "You said... this is my limit." His voice is raw. He tightens his grip slightly. "Then I'll just... push it." For a fraction of a second— There is no laughter. No snickering. Just silence. Bakugo's face darkens. His smiles sharpens. "Looks like you've really forgotten your place, Deku..." Izuku coughs once. Blood touches his teeth. He gives a small, humorless smile. "No, Kacchan..." He tightens his grip on Bakugo's ankle. "I know exactly where my place is." Bakugo's eyes narrow, wearing a wolfish grin. "And where's that?" Izuku's voice is quiet. "Under you." Bakugo's grin widens. A beat. "But not staying there." Bakugo blinks. Then— laughs. Not amused. Appalled. "Okay, Deku..." Sparks crackle violently in his palm. "Time to die." The ignition flashes— A gust of wind detonates down the alley. Smoke rips sideways. Dust slams against brick. The pressure alone forces Bakugo's flame to gutter out. A shadow stretches over both of them. "That's enough, young man." The voice is calm. Heavy. Not loud. But it fills the space. Bakugo freezes. Izuku's vision blurs upward. A towering figure stands at the mouth of the alley, backlit by the sinking sun. A smile carved like certainty itself. Izuku's eyes widen. "All...Might...?" There's something there. Not relief. Not exactly. Something fragile. Something he thought he swallowed a few seconds ago when he refused to call for help. Hope. Just a flicker. Bakugo's friends stare, wide-eyed. "It's All Might!" "He's actually here!" "He's so cool..." For a second, they forget everything. Bakugo doesn't. He jerks his ankle free from Izuku's grip and steps forward, placing himself between Deku and the towering figure. He looks up. Frowning. "So?" A faint crackle pops in his palm. "What do you want?" His chin lifts. "Came to see the guy who's gonna take your place?" The alley goes quiet. All Might studies him. Then he laughs. Not mocking. Not loud. Genuine amusement. "You have fire, young man. I'll give you that." He takes a step forward. The air shifts with it. "But tell me..." His gaze sharpens. "How do you plan to surpass me..." He gestures calmly toward Izuku on the ground. "...when you cannot even pass the first test of being a hero?" Bakugo's jaw tightens. All Might's voice lowers. "A hero protects." A beat. "He does not become the one others need protection from." Silence settles heavy in the alley. Bakugo scoffs and shoves his hands into his pockets. "Whatever." He turns to walk away. A large hand settles firmly on his shoulder, stopping him in place. "You will not escape punishment, young man." All Might's voice is steady. Controlled. "I will personally see to it." Bakugo twists sharply, trying to shove the hand away. It does not move. All Might releases him on his own terms. Then he turns to the other boys. "And the rest of you, young men." They stiffen. "I am very disappointed." The words are calm. He does not shout. "If any of you aspire to become heroes... today you showed yourselves behaving like villains." A pause. "And villains are the enemies of peace." His eyes settle on them evenly, resting on each of them in turn. "Now tell me. Are you young men my enemy?" The boys pale. "N-no, sir!" "Of course not, All Might, sir!" "We're sorry! We won't do it again!" All Might studies them for a moment. "See to it that you do not." He straightens. "You will go home. I will be informing your teachers. And your parents." Another pause. "Reflect on what kind of men you intend to become." "Now. Go." They don't argue. They scatter. All Might watches the boys disappear down the alley. Only when they are gone does he turn. His gaze settles on Izuku. He kneels and lifts him carefully into his arms. "Are you alright, young man?" Izuku blinks up at him, vision unfocused. "...All Might..." "Do not worry," All Might says, steady as ever. "I will get you to the hospital immed—" He stops. A sharp hiss cuts through the air. Smoke begins to curl from his shoulders. A low, decompressing sound follows. His eyes widen slightly. Shit. I expanded too much energy after that villain capture. I'm out of time. He looks down at the broken boy in his arms. I have to go. A pause. But I can't leave him. "Hang on tight, young man!" He bends his knees and launches skyward. They soar from rooftop to rooftop, wind tearing past them. Each landing is heavier than the last. His breathing grows strained. The smoke thickens. "Tsk." He lands hard on a rooftop, knees dipping lower than before. The pressure inside him builds. He's at his limit. Smoke thickens around him. The sound comes again— Like air rushing from a punctured tank. His massive frame begins to deflate. Muscle shrinks inward. Light drains away. The transformation collapses. In a rush of steam, the towering figure vanishes. Izuku stares up in shock. Where the Symbol stood now crouches a gaunt man, coughing violently, blood speckling his hand. A beat. They stare at each other. Then...— "...Fuck." Izuku's eyes widen slightly. All Might's voice is lower now. Human. Strained. He wipes his mouth and glances at Izuku. "...Don't panic." Another cough. "Yes. This is the real me." No grin. No booming confidence. Just a tired man on a rooftop. Izuku's mouth hangs open slightly. Not from fear. From recalibration. His eyes move quickly—shoulders, ribcage, the loss of mass, the altered posture. "So..." His voice is weak but steady as he shakily pushes himself upright. "This is your true form." A small inhale through cracked ribs. "Your quirk lets you transform into All Might... for a limited duration?" No accusation. Just deduction. The gaunt man freezes. Then slowly turns his head toward him. "...You're observant. And calm." A faint, dry exhale that might have been a laugh. "No wonder you managed to take down those brats." Another cough shakes him. "And unfortunately... correct." A pause. "Well. Half-correct." Izuku looks at him expectantly. Confusion clouds his bruised eye. Something else too. A fragile, shrinking hope. All Might notices it. The way the boy watches him. Not with fear. With belief. Almost everyone sees him with it. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small bottle of water. His hand trembles faintly as he twists the cap and takes a sip. He exhales. "...Alright." He offers the bottle to Izuku. "I'll explain." Carefully, he guides the boy to sit against the rooftop wall. "Slowly," he mutters. "You've taken enough hits for one afternoon." He crouches across from him, elbows resting on his knees. For a moment, he doesn't speak. The wind moves quietly over the rooftop. The Symbol of Peace is gone. Just a thin man and a broken kid sitting in the fading light. All Might stares out over the city for a long moment. "You asked if this was my quirk." He glances at Izuku. "It is not. Not entirely." He lifts his shirt slightly, revealing the massive scar across his abdomen. The skin is sunken and uneven. "I was gravely injured several years ago." His tone is matter-of-fact. "In a battle against a villain." He doesn't say the name yet. "I lost most of my stomach. And a lung." Izuku's eyes widen slightly—but he doesn't interrupt. "Since then, this form"—he gestures vaguely at himself—"is my true body." He clenches his fist weakly. "The 'All Might' you see is a state I can maintain only for a limited time." A faint, humorless smile. "I overused it earlier while capturing a villain. And again when I intervened." He looks at Izuku directly now. "I am no longer the invincible man the public believes me to be." All Might's gaze sharpens. "But the work must continue." The wind shifts. Izuku stares at him. At the sharp collarbones. The hollow cheeks. The way his eyes seem too large for his face. "But..." he hesitates. "That doesn't explain why you look like...—" All Might raises an eyebrow slowly. "S-sorry...!" Izuku winces, clutching his ribs. All Might watches him for a second. Then, unexpectedly, he chuckles. It's rough. Scratchy. Nothing like the booming laugh from before. "It's alright, kid." He gestures vaguely at his own skeletal frame. "Just say it." A faint smirk pulls at the corner of his mouth. "I look like some fucked-up, B-rated horror movie alien." Izuku winces. "N-no... You look good for your age... and your situation..." All Might stares at him. "...My age." Izuku panics slightly. "I mean— not old! I didn't mean old! I just— physiologically, you're actually in decent structural condition considering the trauma and—" He clamps his mouth shut. All Might blinks once. Then he laughs. Not the booming laugh. A tired, genuine one. "You're a good kid, kid. Funny, too." Izuku looks away shyly. All Might exhales softly. "The injuries did more than limit my strength. They reduced my body mass significantly." He gestures. "Severe internal trauma will do that." He leans back against the wall. "This is what remains when I am not exerting my power." A moment passes. Izuku waits patiently for him to elaborate, to say more. Instead— All Might pushes himself upright, brushing dust from his pants. "Anyway, kid. Now you know the truth." His eyes narrow slightly. "I trust you're not going to spread it around?" Izuku straightens as much as his ribs allow. "O-of course not! If the public found out, villains would absolutely take advantage! Your time limit, your condition— it would destabilize everything— society will...—" He cuts himself off. "...I won't tell anyone." All Might nods approvingly. "Good," he smiles. "Like I said: smart kid." His smile drops. "And besides... if you did tell anyone, I'd have to kill you." Izuku pales instantly. "W-What?!" All Might stares at him for half a second—Then laughs. Not booming. Rough. Human. "I'm pulling your leg, kid! Relax." He wipes at the corner of his mouth. "The 'Symbol of Peace' doesn't exactly mean I go around putting people to sleep permanently. Especially middleschoolers." Izuku visibly relaxes. The 'Symbol of Peace' had a strange sense of humor... "Now," All Might mutters, glancing toward the stairwell door, "let's get you to a hospital." He eyes the rooftop access. "This building better damn well have a working elevator..." He steps forward to help Izuku up. "Wait." Izuku forces himself to stand on his own. All Might Pauses. Izuku sways. Stabilizes. "I have a question." He says it quietly. But there's weight behind it. All Might studies him. "Yeah. Sure. Guess I owe you that much." Izuku's mind races. A thousand questions claw at him. Who was the villain that did this? How badly was he injured? Does the injury weaken his strength, or just his duration? Is that why he doesn't appear as often anymore? Is the Symbol already fading? But none of those rise to the surface. None of them matter as much as the one tightening in his chest. His fingers curl into his palms. "...Can someone without a Quirk..." He lifts his eyes. "...become a hero?" All Might studies him for a long moment. He weighs the boy's bruises. The trembling legs. The stubborn eyes. Then he answers. "No." The word lands heavy. Izuku blinks. "...No?" All Might exhales slowly. "You should not have fought those boys." His voice is steady. Not angry. "You are injured. You were outmatched. And you could have died." He steps closer. "A hero does not charge into danger blindly." A beat. "He survives to protect again tomorrow." Izuku's jaw tightens. All Might continues. "You should have gone to a teacher. Or a pro hero." His eyes sharpen. "You do not prove courage by gambling your life when you have no power to defend it." Silence stretches between them. "You asked if someone without a quirk can become a hero." He folds his arms. "In this world, power is the foundation. Without it... you cannot stand against those who misuse it." His eyes sharpen. "That is the reality." Izuku's fingers curl into his palms. "But... even without a Quirk, I took them down." His voice shakes—not from fear, but from urgency. "If I trained harder... prepped more... thought faster—" All Might cuts him off. "Then someone like that boy would have stopped you." A beat. "And he would have killed you." The words are quiet. Matter-of-fact. Not dramatic. Just true. Izuku opens his mouth to argue— Closes it. He doesn't have a counter. All Might looks at him for a long moment. "It's a nice thought," he says softly. "That anyone can become a hero if they just work hard enough." His gaze drifts toward the skyline. "But effort does not change biology." He looks back at Izuku. "You need power. Or you become a casualty." Another pause. The wind passes between them. "I'm sorry, kid." A pause. "Your fate was decided the moment you were born without a Quirk." Silence. Izuku doesn't blink. All Might continues. "You cannot become a hero." No explanation. No lecture. No comfort. Just truth. Wind moves across the rooftop. All Might turns away first. "Let's get you to a hospital." Izuku lets out a sound. It almost sounds like a laugh. All Might tilts his head slightly. The laugh grows louder. Wrong. Sharp. Fractured. Izuku throws his head back and laughs up at the sky. "They say you should never meet your heroes—!" Another laugh. Louder now. "And now I know why!" He drops his head. Tears streak down his face, but his teeth are clenched. "What's the difference between you and me, huh?!" He takes a step forward, nearly stumbling. "You were lucky enough to be born with a Quirk?! That's it?! That's the only difference?!" His voice cracks. "You tell people to smile! To try! To be brave!" He jabs a thumb toward his own chest. "But if someone like me does it, it's suicide?!" All Might frowns. Izuku laughs again — harsh, bitter. "Heroes. Villains." His shoulders shake. "You're all the same!" Now he's shouting. "You stand up there with your power and your speeches and you call it justice—!" His voice breaks completely, throwing a hand out. "But you're all so fucking hypocritical!" The word echoes off the rooftop. Silence follows. Heavy. Breathing ragged. Tears still falling. But he doesn't look away. The shouting fades. His chest rises and falls. Then he goes quiet. Too quiet. "...You know what the best part about gods is?" His voice is raw now. "They don't even have to be real." He laughs once under his breath. "But if you see one every day... doing impossible things..." His eyes lift slightly. "...you start thinking maybe you can be like them." His hands clench. "You think there's a chance." His jaw tightens. "And then you find out there isn't." His hands tremble. "You just... get to watch." He swallows. "And measure how small you are." Silence. His eyes finally meet All Might's. "I hate you." No scream. No theatrics. Just flat. "I wish you never existed." All Might doesn't flinch. He doesn't defend himself. He doesn't raise his voice. He just looks at the boy. "...I understand." A pause. "I'm sorry." Not loud. Not performative. Just sincere. He steps aside. "Please go to the hospital." Izuku stands there for a second. Waiting. For something. An explanation. A contradiction. A miracle. None comes. He scoffs. Not loud. Just hollow. He turns sharply and walks toward the stairwell. His hand trembles as it grabs the door. He yanks it open. Metal scrapes against concrete. Then— SLAM. The echo rings across the rooftop. All Might stands alone. He stares at the stairwell door long after it stops shaking. Silence settles over the rooftop. He exhales slowly. He'll be alright. His grip tightens around the discarded water bottle. Physically... and mentally. He uncaps it and drinks, eyes fixed on the horizon washed in afternoon light. I'm sorry, kid. I truly am. Water burns down his throat. That was the only way to stop you from killing yourself. His jaw tightens. You have fire. Courage. Intelligence. A faint flicker of pride crosses his expression. Everything needed to be a great hero. A pause. Or... after what I just saw... a terrifying villain. He coughs, wiping his mouth. You're just unlucky. The wind passes. If I have to be the villain in your story... so you don't die trying to be a hero in someone else's... So be it. A beat. His eyes widen. —Speaking of villains. His hand moves to his pocket. Shit. He checks the lining. Empty. He was in there the whole time. How much did he hear? He checks again. The other pocket. Nothing. His stomach drops. "...Huh?"