Midoriya Inko sits at her friends' table, Bakugo Mitsuki and Masaru with a cup of coffee sitting between her hands.
Mitsuki is a spitting image of her son, with porcelain skin without a single imperfection in sight, short spiky ash blonde hair a bit longer than Katsuki, and red eyes. She stands a good three inches taller than her friend with a slender build.
Masaru shared almost no traits with his son, the only thing that the boy had that the man had given him was part of his Quirk.
The father isn't an overly muscular fella, though he's in decent shape and stands at an average height at five foot-six. He has a sand complexion, dark brown hair spiked similar to his wife's and child's, and brown eyes hidden behind a pair of square black glasses.
"I just don't know what to think, Suki? I mean I'm glad Izuku is taking care of himself but it's just not natural how fast it's happening! It usually takes years to get in such good shape!" The plump woman exclaims, "He's almost never home anymore, he leaves early in the morning and comes home late at night barely making curfew! He refuses to tell where he's going, just says it's to a friends' but won't tell me their name! And his knuckles are all bruised up! He tells me he's taken up boxing but I remember trying to sign him up to dozens of dojos and gyms and not one would take him! So why would they now?! I think… I think he might be o… on drugs! Or joined a gang! Maybe both!"
Mitsuki reaches over the table and takes the other's hand, "Oh hon, you can't think like that, I mean this is little Izuku we're talking about! His biggest dream is being a hero!"
Masaru nods along, "Sure it usually takes people a few years to get in decent shape but it can happen faster! With the right diet and intense training then you can get into amazing shape in eight months and maybe a new gym has opened up? One that doesn't care for his disability? Or maybe he's teaching himself? Which is probably why his knuckles are so bruised, because he doesn't have any equipment."
"Maybe…" Inko mutters, "I'm pretty sure they need parental consent and Izuku teaching himself how to fight sounds exactly like something he would try to do. He's also been eating really well. But such a strict diet and training can't be healthy for a boy his age, can it?" She asks nervously.
"Does he look unhealthy?" The taller woman asks, "Honestly Inko, to me it looks like he's finally taking control of his life, stopped letting the world tell him no! You should be proud!"
The other mother closes her eyes and squeezes her friend's hands tightly as if it was a lifeline, "I'm just worried, I'm so worried guys. The world has been so cruel to him and everyday I've seen the light in his eyes die a little more. I've seen my bright sunshine of a boy wither into an impenetrable shell and now he's finally stepping out but he's not the same; he's intense, obsessed in a way that I've never seen in him before, and secretive. Why can't he just tell me what he's doing? What… what did I do wrong?" Tears stream down her face as she bows her head.
"Nothing, it's the world's fault for not looking past Izuku's Quirklessness but people adapt when put in impossible situations and it's clear Izuku's way of adapting is deciding it's him against the world." The man' reasons, "I think the only thing you can do is support him, show him that you're not with the rest of them, that you believe in him, in his dreams, and hopefully he'll let you in again."
The three continue to talk for what feels like hours before Inko decides it's time to leave. The walk home isn't a long one but it does give her time to think, to ponder her relationship with Izuku.
She wants to be supportive of his dreams but being a hero is such a dangerous profession, it would be even more dangerous because her boy didn't have a Quirk.
If she could she would give her own to him, the woman is sure he could use it better than her, make it into something truly spectacular but she can't.
God, she wished she could but she can't.
Eventually she reaches her apartment and unlocks the door with her keys, walking in she expects a cold empty house but instead her son is there picking her up as if she weighed absolutely nothing, "Iz.. Izuku!" She exclaims in shock while being spinned around.
"Mom! Mom! I have a Quirk!"
The world blurs for a moment as the woman is sure she misheard the preteen because that's impossible. Tests had been run, specialists had been seen and they all said the same thing; it wasn't going to happen.
Midoriya Izuku puts her down and suddenly his skin glows in a tapestry of crisscrossing red light with arches of green tinged lightning dancing around him, "Look! Look!"
All doubt immediately wash away and she feels tears building at the miracle before her, "You have a Quirk…"
"I have a Quirk!"
"Oh, baby!" Inko wraps her arms around her baby and squeezes with all her might, "You have a Quirk!"
The hero hopeful laughs, "Yeah, I know."
Pulling away, she asks, "What is it?"
"Let me show you!" He walks over to the couch, bends his knees as he places a single hand underneath and lifts it over his head, the boy easily turns around shooting his mother a wide smile.
His mother places a palm over her mouth, "Super strength?"
Izuku shakes his head, "Not really, it's kind of like how you said you use Knick-Knack Attract, I feel this energy from my brain but instead of it being attuned to small objects it's attuned to my body! I'm using it to reinforce it to make me stronger, faster. " He explains as he turns back around and sets the furniture down. "I'm going to call it; Mind Might!"
The plump photographer's breath stutters, "So, so you have a vers…version of my Quirk?"
The boy turns to face his mother and nods, "Yeah, I guess I do." He awkwardly assures.
"I… I gave you a Quirk?" She covers her eyes as she cries, "I didn't… I didn't fail you?" Relief is clear in her tone and she feels her boy's strong arms wrap around her.
"No, mom." He mutters softly in her hair, "No, me not having a Quirk wasn't your fault, is that what you thought all this time?"
The mother sobs in Izuku's chest, "I'm, I'm you're mo…mother, Zuku. A mother is supposed to give her child everything they need but I… I couldn't gi… give you a Quirk!"
"... But you did, you did give me a Quirk mom. It may have come in a little late but you gave it to me." The boy says before kissing the crown of her head, "Thank you."
The woman sobs harder.
~The Heavenly Hero:Celestial~
Registering One For All, or Mind Might, was easier than Izuku thought it should've been. He didn't even have to go to a doctor or anything, Toshinori simply made a call and then used his vast resources and numerous connections to backtrack the paperwork so it would look like he had the Quirk for years instead of weeks.
At first he was a little confused on the reason but eventually understood. The world doesn't want an underdog as its ultimate hero, they want a natural, someone born for the job and if Izuku is going to be the Symbol of Peace then he needs to play the part.
"And there he is." Toshinori's voice calls out as he jogs onto the street overlooking Takoba Municipal Beach, "That's the boy I saw cleaning the area." He stands about midway on the street near the stairs that lead onto the sandy floor, around him is a news reporter and a cameraman who turn to look at him briefly.
The hidden symbol looked nothing like he usually did as he wore form fitting clothes; a black shirt with a brown leather jacket over it and a pair of jeans. His easily recognizable hair is covered by a leather brown baseball cap and his eyes with black sunglasses.
"Is that true young man? Did you really clean this whole beach by yourself?" The news reporter asks, he's an average looking man with dark brown hair and eyes. Like every reporter that has ever been he wears a suit; charcoal grey.
The boy swallows and tries desperately to calm his furious beating heart, "Ye… yeah!"
"May I ask why? Why spend so much time cleaning what amounts to a little more than a junkyard?"
"I… um…" He looks to his disguised mentor who smiles warmly, he pokes at her heart and throws a thumbs up, "Because…" The preteen a deep fortifying breath. "It was the right thing to do. I want to be a hero but that doesn't start when I'm eighteen with a hero license or fifteen when I enter a hero academy, it starts now. This beach used to bring so many people joy, it was a staple of the community where families or friends could come together and enjoy their time together but because of illegal dumping that was taken away and that's not right, so I did something about it; being a hero isn't just about punching out bad guys, it's about helping in anyway you can."
"Inspiring words." The reporter nodded along, "Though may I ask how you managed to clean this whole beach in only ten months and where exactly you placed all the trash?"
"Well… It was hard, like," Izuku shivers, "Really, really hard. My boxing coach helped with the logistics like disposal and permits but with the actual cleaning I… I treated it like a job I guess; No matter what, no matter how I was feeling or how tired I was or how much pain I was in, I came here and did what I needed to do."
"Truly impressive." And wasn't that the truth, the reporter's voice was filled with genuine awe, "Did you ever use your Quirk in your clean up? To ease the burden? And if not, why?"
"Actually," The preteen reaches for his back pocket and takes out his All Might velcro wallet, opening it he pulls out a folded up piece of paper. Opening it, he shows it to the camera, "Today I am! I applied for a Temporary Quirk License to finish the last bit of cleaning and it got approved today! I'm sure you noticed that white pick-up truck still on the beach and well, I can't leave a job half done."
"Well don't let us keep you." He moves out of the way of the boy who grins gratefully.
Izuku walks past them and down the stairs onto the sandy front before jogging to the vehicle. It wasn't too big and weighed just enough that while he would struggle he wouldn't fail.
Dropping into a crouch, he places his hands underneath the car and with a breath spreads One For All through his body.
He only manages one percent, a sip of water compared to the ocean inside of him. Despite wielding the Quirk for a couple months he hadn't managed to increase his threshold but that didn't mean he didn't gain anything from it.
The world becomes clearer, his hearing sharper, so sharp that he can hear his blood pumping through his veins. With a heave the boy lifts the truck up, holding in a groan as his body protests the immense weight.
Taking a steadying breath he begins walking to the industrial dumpster, as he reaches it the preteen tosses the pickup truck into it before powering down.
It takes only a moment for the reporter and cameraman to run up to him with astonishment, "Amazing! For someone your age to already be so strong is inspiring."
The boy blushes, "Thank you!" He bows at the man.
"If I may ask, what is your Quirk? I would assume it was some kind of strength-type but your veins glowed red and you had lightning dancing around you?"
Izuku swallows, "Well my Quirk is called Mind Might, I'm using psionic energy to increase my body's abilities to superhuman levels."
"Does that include your senses as well?"
"Yes actually. I can see farther, hear clearer, smell more, feel deeper, and taste better."
The reporter looks intrigued, "A true Superman. "
Izuku blushes, "I… thank you."
"I'm wondering as someone who has such a heroic spirit and a heroic Quirk has All Might interviewed you for his Hero Program? You seem like the perfect fit."
The preteen eyes widen comically large, "You thi… Think so?" He stutters and looks off to the side. "I mean I would love nothing more! It would be a dream come true to learn from All Might but I'm not even in middle school yet."
"You're not." The reporter asks in shock, "How old are you, exactly?"
"Twelve, turning thirteen in July."
"Oh, well that makes everything you did even more impressive. I couldn't imagine doing even a quarter of what you've done at that age, I thought you were a bit older."
"Thanks." Izuku rubs the back of his head.
"Well, why don't you give us your name young man, after all someone of your accomplishment deserves the proper recognition."
"Midoriya, sir. Midoriya Izuku."
~The Heavenly Hero:Celestial~
Toshinori waited two weeks after his protégé interview before continuing his plan. He had secretly started a media campaign hiring influencers to post themselves at the beach and thanking Izuku for his hard work which had luckily caught on to the civilians getting the boy's name to circulate around Japan.
Public opinion was high that it wouldn't be all that strange for All Might to have noticed and taken an interest which is why he stands in front of the boy's apartment in his hero form and costume.
He's wearing a skintight blue bodysuit with a red symbol that looks like a Y with a white diamond at its center that extends out into lines that trace along his back and shoulders trimmed with red. On both sides of his hips were large white patches lined with the same red of the Y that stretched over his thighs, his forearms are gold decorated with blue and white line accents over his wrists which had fins on the side, shin length boots trimmed with the same accents as his forearms, and a gold belt with a silver buckle that had red eyes.
"Knock! Knock!"
He waits for a moment before the door opens revealing what he assumes in Izuku's mother, the woman's eyes widen at the sight of him, her mouth opening and closing several times, "Hello there, ma'am! You must be Mrs. Midoriya?"
Inko nods hastily and seemingly tries to speak but only a wheezing sound escapes her.
"I'm sure you're well aware but you're son, Izuku has gained some notoriety for his inspiring actions at the Takoba Municipal Beach Park. I saw the impromptu interview with the boy and I must say I was truly impressed."
The mother's eyes widened, "I… I… I…"
"If it's alright with you, may I come in and speak with you and your son?"
Inko stumbled back and allowed the hero to enter, he crouched down as he walked through the threshold, "Izu… Izu… Izuku! We… we have A guest!"
Toshinori hears a door open and his boy speeds into the living room, he stumbles at the sight of him.
"ALl MiGht?!" The preteen's voice creaks at the forced surprise, "Oh my god!" His eyes keep darting to his mother who is just staring at the Symbol of Peace. "It's an honor! A privilege!" His face twists in embarrassment.
The man laughs, inwardly shaking his head at the horrible acting. They'll need to work on that, "The privilege is all mine, truly!" He places his fists on his hips and smiles, he sees Izuku's mother's knees knock together. "I saw what you did at the beach and I must say it was most inspiring! Many heroes could learn a thing or two from you."
Izuku smiles genuinely back before coughing and trying to act more like a fan, "THanK you! Tha… thaNk you so mUch! Hearing thAt fro… from you is liKe a, a dream come TRUE!" He yells the last part out.
"Why thank you."
The boy guides his mom and his mentor to the dining table, sitting beside Inko.
"Now I'm sure you're wondering why I'm here?"
The mother-son duo nod together.
"Well I'm sure you heard of my Hero Program?"
Inko blinks, "Yo… you want my little boy to, to–"
Toshinori holds up his hand, "I know you might have some reservations but I assure you your son would be completely safe. I will personally train him in all aspects of hero training and If you're worried about his more mundane education I will hire the best educators."
The woman frowns, "I just don't think it's appropriate for a child his age to, to be exposed to such intense training and… and violence!"
"Mo–" Izuku tries to speak up only for the hero to reach over and take his mother's hands, getting an atomic blush from her.
"Ms. Midoriya, may I call you Inko?" The man questions getting blubbering in response, "Inko, your son is a very special young man. It's not very often someone his age takes it upon themselves to essentially clean a dump just to simply give back to the community. He truly exemplifies the qualities of a true hero! Perseverance, humility, and integrity."
The ninth wielder blinks as tears gather at his eyes that are mirrored by his mother.
"Do, do you really believe that?" She asks and grasps her son's calloused hand, "No one has ever said that about my Izuku like that before…"Her breath comes out softly.
"I do." The hero assures, "He reminds me much of myself, the desire to help everyone he can reach his hands out too but that mindset can be dangerous without the proper hands to guide them and though U.A and the like have many well meaning instructors no student has their undivided attention which can spell doom for children who can't help themselves but to help people."
The mother looks conflicted at the other's words and turns to look at her son who stares at her imploring.
"A standard hero education is three years but my own program will last as long as I'm alive. I will be there to push him past his limits and catch him if he ever falls. So I suppose the real question is; do you trust me, Inko?"
Inko blinks up at the Symbol of Peace, the Hero who stopped natural disasters as easily as he breathed. She couldn't really remember a time before All Might except the fear; fear from her parents, from her teachers, from every adult she knew, and All Might obliterated that.
One day she would be forced to trust her baby to much less accomplished heroes than the one before her and frankly if it's between them or All Might, she would much rather have All Might, "Okay."
Toshinori squeezes the woman's hands as Izuku hugs her tightly, "Then we have some logistics to discuss."