MHA - All For The Taking

[Darwin-18]

Reborn into the world of MHA, I wasn't sure what to expect. Luck was a deciding factor, and I was hoping it wouldn't be crappy like the first time. To my delight, the universe was kind enough to give me something unique with a few other surprises [!SI-OC, !Osmosian Quirk, !AU]
Hello all, welcome to All For the Taking.

Essentially, I binged the entire four seasons of MHA recently to get into the hype for season 5 and realized I had to make a story to get my mind off it.

Just by the title, you can already expect what this might look like alongside the AU. Note - powers calling will be addressed and will have more stakes, the MC won't have an easy time if anyone concerned.

I won't blabber too much, so anywho, enjoy.

---

Chapter 1 – Learn and Adapt

All I could remember was playing several games of League of Legends after getting home from school, losing a few but winning more overall, then reading some updated stories before literally passing out in my bed. Looking back, I probably should have been alarmed at the condition I was in at the time, with each game I could feel myself gradually growing weaker for some reason, even though I took breaks in-between before queuing up. By the time I was in bed, my vision slowly became blurry, unable to even properly make out a sentence of the screen on my phone. I was positive it was from sleep deprivation, it was just like any other night and didn't feel like anything was "wrong" with my body, so I didn't think too much about it.

It might sound weird to say, but I accepted my death gracefully.

There was a reason for that, because it was swift and over within a flash.

The moment my ears were met with dead silence, I started to feel scared. Where am I gonna go? Is this it? A black void where time was irrelevant and existence itself was once but a thought. After a countless amount of time passed, the unthinkable happened.

I was given a second chance at life.

I could remember my birth quite clearly, can't say I enjoyed reliving that experience. As you know, when a baby is born it's normal for it to cry, meaning the child gives off a good sign that it's healthy.

Me, however, when I first set sight on this new world, I mostly screamed at what the first thing my eyes witnessed, a giant bear in a doctor's attire. His large hands holding my small frame like it was nothing. Safe to say, he was shocked at the behavior as I could only scream at the top of my lungs and kick away to not get eaten. Actually, looking back on it, I think my reaction was perfectly acceptable.

Aside from re-experiencing infancy once again, I learned very quickly this wasn't the same as in my old life. Somehow, I was reborn into the My Hero Academia universe. How was I sure? Well I was in Japan, in the twenty-third century, with technology and superheroes I've only seen in fiction were very real. There were many examples that I came across, I didn't believe it at first, but as more time passed I came to the conclusion this was my reality now.

I was an infant, sure, but I was positive my mind wasn't playing tricks on me, there was no point in denying it. It wasn't the most ideal place or my first option if I could choose, but it could have been far worse honestly.
I was reborn into a new world, with the name Yukio Toshiaki.

My new Mother and Father, Ahmya and Riku Toshiaki, couldn't be any more overjoyed. Father was fairly tall with green eyes and short messy black hair, rarely having any facial hair. Mother had long white hair that complimented her ocean-blue eyes. They owned a house in a lengthy neighborhood with each one resembling the same in appearance with different sections rearranged, the two-color scheme giving it an appealing look.

Only my Mother had a Quirk, which was essentially Plant Manipulation. She mostly used that to decorate the house with colorful plants and maintain a jaw-dropping garden, several tall trees in unorthodox growth patterns that give it a unique appearance, various flowers scattered around with a nearby pond. Personally, I enjoyed when I was outside with her and watching her work, it was an impressive sight to admire. I spent an equal amount of time with both of them, their personalities complimenting each other the more I observed them. Life was weird, but I was adjusting since I didn't know any Japanese which took some time to get a hang of as I couldn't properly understand what my parents were saying, but overall, life in the Toshiaki household was normal.

Then it happened.

Ahmya, my mother, got into a terrible car crash after getting off a long shift from the hospital, some idiot not looking ran across a red light and directly hit the driver's seat. Sadly, before the ambulance even showed up it was already too late.

Even though I didn't know her for that long, I was still devastated after hearing the news from that phone call late at night.

My new Father went through a difficult time for the first few weeks, something that was out of his control. I couldn't blame him for losing focus or not able to stay concentrated for even the simplest of tasks, it was a natural grieving process. My presence to him was a mix of joy and grief, with no sign of his behavior changing any time soon.

Until I said my first words. When my vocal cords formed to properly construct a sentence out loud, I told him, "it's not your fault, daddy" several times on repeat. When I said that, it sent him off the edge, spending half the day in tears and inside his room when he would put me to sleep. I didn't see much of him that day, and could only wonder what kind of thoughts went through his mind, fearing I made the wrong decision.

However, ever since then, the changes were slowly starting to show.

The transition moved at his own pace, gradually picking up the pieces to turn his life back into order. He was more attentive, caring, and most importantly, he was healing. Getting back into the groove at work, everything was going back to how it used to be.

I, however, didn't stop with the surprises. The daycare that I was enrolled in wasn't prepared for me, the lady almost regularly contacting my father to talk about my "abnormal" behavior. Considering I could communicate either through talking or in written form, as well to actually "know" stuff a toddler couldn't even fathom. I was behaving way older than my small form displayed, which was questioned early on. Even some of the doctors were speechless when I took several tests. Father was shocked at the results, having a little "genius" in the making, my level of maturity with my playfulness. At home I'd watch dozens of TV shows that were expansive in terms of storytelling, and I could understand it all, as well as the concept of keeping things clean and organized.

Everything I did in my old life, I was doing now because I mean honestly, they had good programming in this universe, why wouldn't I abuse that?

To say Father was stunned is an understatement, he couldn't believe it so soon because each time I'd impress him more. Since both of us experienced different transitions around the same time, the barrier and level of understanding evened out, becoming more normal in what can be considered an abnormal case.

Initially, they believed that I had an intelligence Quirk, as it easily explained how quickly I "learned" and showed a high level of understanding at such a young age. I never spoke directly about that topic, as it was a blatant lie, nor did I want to get into it. After a while, the adults assumed that was the reason, some actually helping me when I was at the daycare and not focused on playing rather than learning.

It was a very good thing, actually, as there was a little helper capable of doing daily tasks and chores. Naturally, he wouldn't simply allow me to do it, but I insisted nonetheless, so it kind of became a habit. It also enabled us to connect a lot easier, such as his hobbies and life at work.

Turns out, he was the owner of a fairly sized automobile repair shop. Born Quirkless, I learned he was okay with it, even if he had one he implied the superhero business never really interested him all that much. While the profession was cool and a dream-come-true for many people, some preferred not risking their safety every single day for the rest of their lives.

I could respect that. While there exist other jobs to apply Quirks to, it pales in comparison to becoming a licensed hero.

He could tear apart a car and fix it up twice as better. In the twenty-fifth century, cars have evolved quite a bit, on the inside and outside. Every area was upgraded, abusing the advanced technology whilst having many similarities to how they looked like several centuries prior. Father liked doing the work himself rather than sitting inside the office to simply collect the payment when it's done, but as a result, had lots of paperwork to take care of at home. While it was tedious, it was his passion and it paid fairly well, a win-win situation in my book.

Now I was five years old, reasonably adjusted to my new life, albeit annoyed at my small form. My room shared some resemblance to how I kept my old one, only way cleaner than how I was known to keep it. To occupy my boredom, and not waste time, I filled it with a mix of games and books, the ladder mostly on technological advancements over the course of three centuries. It was a hassle but I was slowly figuring out how everything worked and getting more familiar with technology.

I enjoyed how I spent my free time, and will definitely pay off in the long run.

---

Looking at my reflection of the large mirror in my room, I still kind of found it unbelievable how my appearance changed. From my memory, I resembled my younger self but instead of chocolate brown hair was silver hair for my two short bangs and a small part of the front, from there, was a messy black for the rest. My Mother had stunning white hair, so I inherited some trait from her, at the right spot I might add. My skin was lighter than I remember it to be, my body on the leaner side. I wore a loose white t-shirt a few sizes larger with black sweatpants that fitted neatly. I had a bit of a growth spurt, now standing at three feet and eleven inches, making me quite tall for a five-year-old.

It was weird, but it was growing on me.

"Hey, dad," I called out to him while passing through the living room. "I'm going out for a walk, gonna stop by the store on my way back, need anything?"

It seemed I caught him at a bad time, his hands searching through piles of paperwork while his gaze kept shifting to the screen of his laptop. "What? Oh, yeah umm, there's a list, somewhere. I don't know where I- oh, the fridge, it's on the fridge."

He was so focused on his work, he was barely able to formulate a reply, his hands fidgeting as he remembered where he put the shopping list. Snatching it off the massive fridge, I looked over what's needed.
"Sorry, forgot to go for errands after work, this paperwork is driving me-"

I interrupted him before he could finish by snatching the list from him. "Don't think about it, why do you think I asked? I can see you have your hands full, so I don't mind helping out."

He turned his gaze towards me, a soft smile on his face. "Thanks, son, I appreciate it. My wallets on the counter, take a little more with you and buy yourself something while you're at it."

Flashing a smile and thumbs up, I went to the front door to put on my shoes, then taking the amount to get everything on the list. With that, I was on my way.

I was born into this world a little over five years ago, and yet, I still couldn't get used to it. It was surreal, to be honest. I was never much of a believer in reincarnation, and it certainly boggles my mind I was now living in the crazy world of My Hero Academia. In Musutafu, wherever you looked you could spot some sort of superhero walking about, and since there were plenty of criminals, you could witness them in action first hand. It's weird when I think about it thoroughly, several centuries ahead of what I was used to now had advanced technology and superheroes that were once fiction.

With eighty percent of the world's population possessing some sort of power, the odds are in your favor to get something. I, sadly, think I'm in the other twenty percent that receive absolutely nothing. To be fair, I was still only five years old, meaning the possibility of awakening some sort of power is alive, but lately, I'm thinking it's just not going to happen. We've yet to go to the doctor to confirm if I'm actually Quirkless, and to be honest, I didn't want to at this point.

In the previous year of kindergarten, almost every kid developed their Quirk roughly the same time, all except me. At first, I was crushed. Given a second chance at life at a world where superpowers exist and I was left out. It was tough, but I decided crying over spilled milk wasn't going to get me anywhere.
It was reality, one I didn't want to accept but know there was no changing that.

In this world, the same world I thought to be fictional, doesn't make all men equal. I was bitter, and reasonably disappointed by my crappy luck.

Well, twice if you count my predicament.

Nevertheless, I could use the opportunity to my benefit, not wallow at what could have been. There were various ways I could go about my new life, since I got a restart button I can use the time to learn as much as I can, I always was interested in technology, and I can take this chance to center my life around that. The chance to make tons of fun and useful gadgets was the most appealing option to me, so maybe hope is not all lost.

The laws of this reality were unfair, but not permanent. If I work hard enough I could make some sort of breakthrough, maybe even change the quota in various fields in the meantime. Countless sources of study programs were all but within my grasp, so I'd very much like to devote my time to explore the second-most intriguing concept that was overshadowed by Quirks.

Who knows, I maybe I could the next Steve Jobs of this universe

But that's a problem for another day, right now, shopping duty is the main priority

"Afternoon!" I greeted the clerk behind the counter with a wave as the sliding doors opened.

"Oh, hey Yukio-kun!" The teen worker waved back with a smile. "What brings you here?"

"Simple shopping," I held up the list. "That and might rummage through your ice-cream stash."

"Heh, shopping," the teen chuckled as he put down his magazine. "When I was your age, all I knew was how to fall off a bicycle, let alone follow a list on what to buy in the store."

I shrugged with a smile. "What kind I say, I'm a special case."

"If ya need anything, I'll be right here."

Giving another wave for a response, I took one of the smaller shopping carts to fit my height, proceeding to lurk around the familiar store. Since the list was relatively simple, there wasn't anything too heavy for my child body to handle, some ingredients, premade meals and bread. Within about a few minutes, I pulled the small shopping cart towards the counter, the teen helping me to take all of it out.

While digging through my pockets to find my money, I remembered I had more on me, totally forgetting I could snag a few things for myself. "Would it be a problem if I leave my bags here? Wanna get something from the ice-cream section."

"Sure, I'll just set these off to the side until you get back."

Muttering a quick thank you, I went off to the far end of the store towards the freezers, wanting to see if they had any good ice-cream for the taking.

"C'mon, can't stay here all day, just pick something," I thought furiously, unable to decide what to buy. While my head was focusing between my options, I could hear the beep of the sliding door opening but I ignored it. "To Hell with it, this better be good."

Just as I was about to turn back, I saw two clouds of dust flying above the tall isles, obliterating the camera in the far left corner, the same cloud maneuvering to others in quick succession. Before I could even register the sudden action, I heard something I wasn't hoping to hear.

"This is a robbery! Put everything you got in here!"

My blood ran cold, the sound of those words, the unsettling feeling making my stomach flip upside down. Dashing to the edge of the isle for cover, I moved so I could take a peek at the ones at the counter.

"Three of them, but I can't see clearly from this angle!" I thought worryingly, as well as mentally cursing myself. "For fucks sake I should have just left the first time!"

Moving one more section to get a better look, I could clearly see all of them. One was fairly tall with a bulky frame coated with scales, its head somewhat resembling a dinosaur with human features. The other two, albeit normal in appearance, wore identical black sweatpants and hoodies that covered their faces.

"Oi! Rakkī, go into the backroom with this twerp and crack the safe!" The man with dust spears around him pointed at the clerk, then turning to the taller one. "Kyōro, round up everybody here and take whatever valuables they have!"

With a grin, the dinosaur fellow walked towards the nearest civilian, making the man scream in fear. From there, more and more screams could be heard as the dinosaur walked around to capture them all. Thinking on my feet, I moved the stack of boxes placed on the lowest shelf, taking advantage of the empty space from within to box myself in. Albeit scared, I was careful to not cause any noise nor blow my cover. Once I was in, I took slow but heavy breaths, trying to keep it at a steady pace.

"Oh god, this is way worse than how I imagined it!" I screamed inside my head, trying my absolute best to remain calm, but couldn't stop my body from shaking. Most of the noise from the outside grew silent, the one and only sound of heavy footsteps gradually increasing.

All of a sudden, a sharp pain erupted in the center of my chest.

"Aaghh!"

I clutched my eyes as hard as I could, but it was to no avail. It was like they were on fire, no, more like they were dunked in a tub of acid. The sensation spread across my whole body, I could only squirm and clutch my sides until this goes away. It may seem like an exaggeration, but it felt like my cells were burnt to a crisp before instantly repairing themselves from top to bottom.

"W-What is this?!"

My brain was working overtime to figure out what just happened to me, something was different, I'm sure of it.
Then it hit me, my Quirk manifested!

Pretty crappy timing, but that wasn't anything new when weird phenomenons happen randomly to me.
I looked over my body, noticing there weren't any kind of transformations or alterations, although my insides felt different. I couldn't explain it, but I sort of felt... hungry?

My thoughts were broken when the boxes covering me were tossed aside, the sudden occurrence of light blinding my vision momentarily. When my eyes reopened, I was greeted with the ugly smirk of the dinosaur-humanoid hybrid.

"Found you!"

Before I could even attempt at an escape, or get over my discomfort, his abnormally large hand capturing my entire frame, only my left arm free from his hold.

"Let go of me, you fossil!" I yelled while trying to break free. The oxygen my lungs could take decreased as his hand gripped my body, only making me even more desperate from some sort of plan to get out of this scenario. I managed to squeeze out my right arm, digging my fingers into his scale-like skin.
It was all I could do, and it made no difference.

Or so I thought.

My eyes were closed shut to withstand the feeling of being squashed, but his grip was loosening. Simultaneously, I could feel a warm sensation surging through-out my body, the palm of my right hand being most prominent. When I opened them, I saw the dinosaur with an exhausted expression, breathing heavily as the last of his strength in his arm was gone, releasing me to fall back on the floor. Once we broke skin contact, the warm feeling was cut off, but it was still very much present.

When my feet were on the floor, something else… happened.

It may sound weird, but I was positive I could feel my insides starting to change. Looking down at my arms, the sleeves of my shirt were slowly tearing apart as my arms grew twice their original size, my shoes becoming increasingly tight, but my pants still seemed to hold on. My skin had a similar pigment to his, while also growing scales that were less mixture with my own skin color.
The effect lasted a few short seconds, but the transformation my body had undergone was fast. Even the way I breathe was different.

The dinosaur criminal groaned, his eyes solely focused on me while breathing heavily. "I'll squash you for that…!"

When his hand made another attempt to grab me, I noticed it moved a lot slower than the first time. Taking advantage of that, I ducked then dashed to the side, once again my brain going into overdrive to analyze my situation when I stood up.

"Okay, I think I figured out what my Quirk is," I thought while closely observing the weakened criminal. "It's an absorption ability it seems. I don't remember hearing one going to these lengths, with the body mutating from the subject the user absorbed. I know that 1-B student could copy two Quirks at a given time, but fully copying someone? This is something I have to explore once I get out of here."

Turning around, the dinosaur charged with both his arms wide open, with me sliding between the large opening between his legs. While doing so, my fist met his crotch, a loud and ear-piercing shriek could be heard afterwards. Clutching his nether region, the criminal fell to his knees with his head crashing into the freezers,
Looking down at my arm, several thoughts ran through my mind. "Seems like I got some of his strength, that's good to know. But if I can already absorb stuff, is there a limit to it?"

"Kyōro! What the hell is going on back there!?" The leader shouted toward his

There was only one way to find out, and I had my chance right in front of me. Slapping him on the back with my open hand, I tried doing the same thing I did not even a minute ago, with one single thought in mind.
To take his powers for myself.

The more I concentrated, I could feel it working, I think. My fingertips were like tiny vacuums, sucking all the criminal had to offer. Just like before, my body started to change, although the sensation wasn't as uncomfortable, unlike the first time. My arms grew twice their size, the sleeves tearing into shreds with my pants ripping from below the thighs. Shifting my focus to the side, I could faintly see my reflection from the glass door of the freezer that was undamaged. While my facial features were almost entirely covered in scales, my hair and facial structure were the same. Judging by a rough estimate, I grew around an additional fifteen inches, with my overall physique bulkier in numerous places. I felt… amazing, not to mention

Throwing a glance at the criminal I absorbed, I noted his body deflated slightly, but nothing major.
Huh, interesting.

No! Stay focused, dammit.

"The fuck are you doing, Kyo-" The criminal speaking stopped mid-sentence as he turned the corner, eyes wide as dinner plates at the sight of his companion kneeling down, unable to even stand up. When he spotted me, his face turned to one of full rage.

Extending his arms, dust from beneath the shelves moved towards him, creating several spears from it. Throwing both arms out, they were sent flying towards me. Tilting my head slightly to dodge the first one, I broke off into a run towards him, zigzagging to evade the incoming spears. Since he focused solely on projectiles that weren't that fast, he was totally defenseless, one good hit would be more than enough. However, I got too cocky, a single spear moving towards my head. With my instincts taking over, I shielded my face with my arms, preparing for the impact.

Instead of feeling any kind of injury, I felt a slight tickle, nothing more. Checking my arms, I observed how the dust slid down my newly changed skin, some embedding itself between the scales. Establishing eye contact with the criminal, his face perfectly described how screwed he was from this moment. Grinning, I charged in with no fear.

More spears came my way, either dodging them by an inch or tanking it with my reinforced skin. At best, I could feel on each spot they hit leave a faint sting, but nothing more than that. The closer I got, the more panicked he got, flailing his arms around rapidly as result, precision slowly giving out on him. Reaching the end of the aisle, I used the built-up momentum to my advantage, shaping myself into a human-sized cannonball when I jumped forward.

When I crashed into him, all he could do was release a loud gasp as his body went flying backwards, knocking down the small metal stand behind him. I was lying on top of him, now sitting on his stomach as I was the first to take action. Before he could even lift himself up, I aimed for the throat with my two fingers to keep him down. It wasn't that hard of a hit but was very effective. As he clutched it while gasping for air, I finished the job with a clean hit to the temple, the enhanced strength knocking him out instantly. I grabbed the fallen metal stand and took the shelf part with ease, making make-shift cuffs

Touching the parts of the shelf, my mouth was met with a sour and very bitter taste, noticing my fingers turned from a scaly green color to a dark silver. They also felt… heavier?

"Okay… I didn't expect that." I thought confusingly

As my hands touched his exposed skin while restraining his hands then his ankles, the vacuum-like sensation returned on the tip of my fingers. I didn't feel any kind of change to my body, rather a simple taste of "uncleanliness" around my whole mouth. Seems like I can take multiple powers while I already took one.

An unexpected surprise, but a welcomed one.

So his Quirk is to manipulate dust, which means this type of power revolves around feeling and concentration to properly control. With the whirlpool of emotions, alongside the abundance of adrenaline, I envisioned the object I wanted, the dust around me flying to the tip of my finger, forming a thick collar that loosened the moment I started losing focus.

"Simple, but I could use this."

Since two were out, I should take out the last one while I still have the element of surprise. Going towards the backroom, I climbed on top of the refrigerators that were right beside it, the anticipation from waiting slowly annoying me as I controlled a cloud of dust above my hand.

"Boss? What's going on back-"

The dust cloud swooped down directly into his mouth and eyes when he stepped out, instantly disorienting him. To seal the deal, I dived in with a punch to the nose when he positioned himself at just the right angle, effectively breaking it. The man could only groan as he fought to stay conscious, while I got up to push the shelf beside him, his eyes instantly widening at the sight of it wobbling. Alongside it, dozens of canned food fell on top of him, one last groan escaping his lips before fully passing out.

Falling to my knees, I breathed in and out slowly, finally able to gather my thoughts in peace.

Did I just take out three thieves just like that?

To be fair, they were pretty incompetent at their job, so some credit I deserved I think.
Soon after, an odd but reassuring silence was met within the isles of the grocery store, the people taken hostage slowly rising up to reassure themselves they were now safe. The workers were the ones who were the most careful, in the fear that their troubles weren't over. The last thing they expected was a kneeling boy with scale-like skin wearing torn clothes that barely stayed in place.

As I formed eye contact with the two workers, I realized I had nothing to say for myself. The more time passed the more awkward this became, opting me to choose the most logical option I could do at this moment.

Run away.

"I'll just take my bags and… go… now…"

I choked on the latter half of my sentence, unable to think of any kind of excuse at the moment. Slowly backing away, I scurried to my groceries once they were in my sights, then booking it for the exit. On the other side, a hefty amount of people showed up around the entrance, quite possibly a Hero or two not too far off. Not taking the chance with how many eyes were already on me, I simply squeezed through the growing crowd, not necessarily pushing anyone aside but not waiting for them to move on their own.

My legs moved on their own, even if I commanded them to stop I probably couldn't. I didn't concern myself how my little stunt may seem to all those people, the adrenaline was still pumping inside of me so there wasn't a chance of me stopping anytime soon.

If anything, I started running faster.

While I undoubtedly felt vastly different, I also felt surprisingly normal. I couldn't put my finger on it, but I think my body adapted to the changes almost instantly. The answers weren't all too clear to me at the moment, but I'll start from somewhere.

For now, I have to find somewhere to think.

---

After that little display, all I wanted to do is get some peace, even for a few short minutes.
If even that was possible.

I ran for the next ten or so minutes, taking advantage of this newfound stamina and strength to put some distance from the store I was just in, in the off chance that some Hero or the authorities are on my tail. Right now, I was kneeling down on the grass beside a river, carefully going every detail on my "unusual" face. The place itself was a spacious park my Mother would use to take me when I was a baby plenty of times, deeming it the "most beautiful place" in all of Musutafu by how the numerous river streams are laid out, ultimately choosing this as I didn't know any other place.

I'm positive I attracted some attention from the people who saw me on the way here, whether it was gasps or gossip because of my appearance, to which I couldn't really blame them to be honest. My clothes were torn and ripped, only holding to the spots where the cloth stayed resilient. While looking at my reflection in the river, I wasn't panicked or concerned, simply breathing in and out to remain focused.

I could only theorize for the time being, careful to not come to a sudden conclusion at my newfound abilities. These types of Quirks existed but to a very limiting extent, while my predicament was much more complicated. This wasn't simple power and ability absorption, my body mutated the more I took with my power. I could also gain other perks, as being a child restricted me from "grow up" situations I'm used to. I was able to jump in seemingly easier as I got an idea of how to react with the power I stole.

Countless questions were born that overtook my plans prior to going into the store. How much can I take? What are my overall limits? Are there even any? Possible side effects? Probability of damaging my physical or mental state the more I take?

I knew what this kind of power does to people, becoming drunk with power and losing any sense of sanity, my paranoia kicking in to counteract that fear. I was too careful to not mess with that, if I would notice that kind of behavior I'd put myself in check. I couldn't underestimate this Quirk's capabilities, if I'm careful with my cards I can train to overcome that problem down the line.

The more I focused on my mutated expression, the more I wanted to know what my Quirk was. Turning to my left, I saw a small pile of mud that barely met the river's touch. Curiosity taking over, my hand went over to touch it. If I can absorb stuff, it begs the question can I take from living or non-living entities. Placing my hand into the mushy substance, I focused on one singular thought while I tried to concentrate.

Several seconds passed, I once again felt that vacuum-like sensation. Although it felt sloppy and somewhat unappealing, it wasn't too bothersome. Examining my hand, there wasn't any kind of change, until I slapped my other hand with it causing it to dissolve, leaving a small smudge where my fist was that quickly regenerated from the mud before it formed to the "familiar" scale-like skin.

Interesting, very interesting.

This sort of puts a solution to some questions at least. I can absorb anything, which kind of helps me in fact. I can take properties and use them to my own will, the only limit being the ones I set by myself. This kind of ability reminds me of one power from a favorite franchise of mine, the Osmosian from Ben 10.

It made sense. If I can take any property and use it to my command, it's logical I can absorb energy as well. I was quite a fan of the Osmosian aspect from the Ben 10 franchise, the possibilities of using their powers in various ways to fit any need was amazing, to say the least. To my delight, in a world where I'm able to copy any Quirk and have it for my own and mix with others, I took prior, I can boost my capabilities by a large margin.

"But."

I can't be careless with this powerful Quirk, not in the slightest. At best, you are able to at least get two Quirks through that marriage system, but having more the longer you live is quite the dilemma. The only person notable of this trait is All For One, but there's a major difference. He steals Quirks, I only get one-tenth of a Quirk and retain it. It would still paint a difficult picture for me and how to describe what I do, plus I don't think whatever I come up with will last forever.

Letting out an exhausted sigh, I looked up to the sky. "Later. I'll think about this later, as for now..."
Focusing on my reflection, I need to return to normal before anything else. Now, I know for a fact this state is only temporary, as the properties I absorbed are still in effect, nor did I focus on "turning it off" for that matter.

Inhaling deeply, I clasped my hands and tried clearing my mind as best as I could, which was quite difficult. The fear of being unable to turn back to normal or if the theory of my powers being false slowly grew in the back end, but I had to ignore that for the moment until I was absolutely sure.

I kept thinking of a "revert" feeling that would change me back, using the same determination like when I wanted to copy the criminal's Quirks, taking it slowly yet elegantly. It might take some time, but I started to shrink, as well as deflate to an extent. I didn't break this concentration until I was positive I couldn't go anymore, soon returning what I thought to be my regular self.

Looking around my arms and legs, I was back to how I was before, but I felt stronger somehow with my small frame. Glancing at the river, I indeed was back to normal, to my relief. However... there was something new, two small horns both upright on my forehead, the same color as my skin it seems. Feeling them with my fingers, I jolted slightly how sensitive they felt.

It kind of made me want to touch them again.

Before I thought about leaving, I had to fix my attire the best that I can. Ripping a piece from the bottom of my shirt to tie my loose pants around the waist, keeping them from falling down quite nicely. It was rather warm outside during the sunset so I won't have to worry about it getting cold until I get home. The shoes might be the only issue since they are unusable by this point, so sacrifices had to be made.

Picking up my grocery bags, I set my sights to home. Before I made the first step, a critical thought came to mind I didn't account for.

"Shit... how am I going to explain this?"

---

"[-Lastly on the Five O'clock News, a small local grocery store on " " street suffered from an attempt of robbery. The workers, alongside several civilians, were taken hostage while the robbery was underway. The witnesses were restrained for the whole duration, with only one worker revealing the "true" story of what happened. In his own words, the worker said it was the doing of a child, who miraculously single handedly knocked out all three thugs, on his own. The details are left unclear as the security cameras inside the store were destroyed when the assailants entered inside. The hero-]"

While on any given day, Riku wouldn't bother too much with the news, it's close to repeating every time he tunes in. At best, he'd pay attention here and there when anything worthwhile was going on. This time around, his eyes couldn't avert from the TV screen. For some reason, his insides were wrapped in knots, the thought of continuing his work going into the back of his mind.

Looking at the mounted digital clock on the wall, his worries only grew bigger. It's been quite a while since Yukio went out, he usually doesn't stay outside too long or stray far from home. While his son was by no means a regular five-year-old kid, Quirkless or not, Yukio was way older mentally than any child his age should be. Even without his parenting, he was sure his son would stay safe and would run the moment danger would pop.

Besides, this couldn't be the same thing that was on his mind. There was just no way.

"Then why do I feel something's wrong…"

Hearing the door open only for it to be closed a moment later, followed by an "I'm home!", his worries vanished.
With a sigh of relief, Riku took the recently filled cup of coffee into his hand and stood up, making his way towards the front door to greet his son.

"Oi! Yukio!" Riku called out, taking a sip of his coffee. "I forgot to tell you to buy some eggs before you went out. Do you mind if for dinner we make-"

The moment his head turned to take in the view of the hallway, his heart skipped a beat or several in fact. His grip on the ceramic cup loosened instantly, making it fall and shatter on the floor. Riku tried uttering a single word, but failed each time, only incoherent noises when he would open his mouth. The clothes that once perfectly fit his son were all torn, shredded pieces of cloth used to tie his shirt and pants in place, all the while barefoot. On his forehead, there were two small but clearly visible horns both vertically standing upright, something that wasn't there before he left.

With an enormous and somewhat cocky grin, his son spoke like it was nothing out of the ordinary.

"Dad! You won't believe what just happened!"

They say if you describe a horrific event more cheerfully, then the final story won't sound so bad.

Of course, I picked the worst possible way of explaining my day.

---

Welp, that went as poorly as I expected.

Turns out, giving a valid reason to endangering your life and proceeding to fight people with Quirks that intent on hurting people in the process is more difficult than it would seem.

Now, I may have only known my father for five short years, but over time you get to learn about people's behavior and characteristics. My father wasn't the type of person to easily get angry, almost always cool-headed and whenever would approach a situation would stay calm and work it out. At best, I'd only seem mildly irritated when he tried fixing his car on his own, nothing more than that. From that day until the rest of my life, I won't forget the exact shade of red his face was for that whole conversation.

Naturally, I had to tweak some parts of the story that would ease my situation, such as my Quirk manifesting and how the actual confrontation looked like. Since the security cameras were destroyed, along with nobody actually witnessing how the fight went down, it was my word against his. It was a good hour or so of non-stop screaming and lecture after lecture, it took some time until things settled down. After he regained some sense of rationality, we talked extensively about my new Quirk. I didn't tell him everything, as it would only raise more questions than anything, so I was careful on what to say. I did only have it for an hour and a half at that time, logically, I would only know so much.

At night, where it was dead quiet, my mind was loud as can be.

There wasn't any possible chance of sleeping peacefully, so I dedicated that time to exploring my Quirk. After getting another chance to test it first hand, that being some metal and wood, I was more inclined to believe I indeed had Osmosian powers. The biggest evidence to this theory are the two miniature horns that grew and thin black lines around my eyelids after my Quirk awakened, having some resemblance to their species.

I was honestly more shocked after I got concrete proof than when I was in the dark. I can't say what kind of luck I had to be gifted an ability from a totally different franchise, but maybe that was compensation for getting me stuck into a different reality altogether. The universe works in mysterious ways, so I won't question it too much.
Truth be told, I was beyond ecstatic after I confirmed what my Quirk was, for two reasons. Firstly, it was a childhood favorite ability along with the concept of Osmosians as a whole, Kevin Levin easily taking first place. Secondly, it was probably the most useful skill I could be granted in this crazy world. Just because you're in the eighty percent who are born with a Quirk doesn't necessarily mean it would be of any use, or even worse if it restricts you in some kind of way. It's a blind game of chance, which was the biggest flaw in this world. You're either born strong or weak, with not much room in-between. Sure it's possible to train up, improve your Quirk to the best of its capabilities, but even that might not be enough.

This world was simply unfair, there's no arguing about that.

To my delight, lady luck was on my side this time.

There wasn't a single moment of peace inside my mind, thinking and planning and theorizing all I could do. From my point of view, the world was my sandbox, I could take anything then use it for my own, the type of Quirk people would kill to have. It's just too versatile. I can make countless combinations from an array of powers to fit the time and situation, you can say the possibilities are endless.

However, a certain issue has to be addressed.

All For One.

This issue was more complicated to give a simple answer to. After a certain amount of time passes, the off chance he learns there's someone who can have multiple Quirks that don't disappear, I'll be right on top of his wanted list. Under no circumstance can I be careless with my Quirk, I'm not sure what kind of resources he has at this point of the timeline, nor in the foreseeable future. The risk is too high, so I will have to treat lightly moving forward. No point looking online for it, it will only paint a target on my IP address if the government sees that in my history, not like I need to even do it since I know how the series would play out. To make an assumption, since my memory is a bit loose on the details, but I'm positive the general public doesn't know about AFO.

Which was perfect.

I don't want to have any similarities to that bastard, having more leeway will help me out later on. Aside from a few people, who will have their own theories, nobody will label me as one of his spawn. That man isn't the only problem, I can't rub off the possibility of any other threats that might aim for me, but we'll cross that bridge when we get remotely close to it.

In fact, I'm not sure how long I'll be able to trick people how my Quirk actually works, if I can. I'm fully prepared to be called a freak or whatever society would label me as, it honestly made no difference either way. I got a small taste of how it's like to be called that in the past year, it didn't bother me then and neither will it now. I literally died, harsh words meant nothing to me at this point.

"But what do I want to do…?" I uttered slowly, unaware I said that thought out loud.

For the first time ever since the store, I didn't think of my powers, yet what I wanted to do with them. I was set using the second childhood to suck in as much knowledge I otherwise wouldn't even know about for someone my age. I'll admit, I was slacking off a bit in my old life in regards to learning, but since I don't have to go from scratch for a second time, I could use the time to focus on my training and skills that would come in useful. If I figure out the correct training method, I'll be considerably strong the more I use it. Kevin and Aggregor displayed how powerful this ability can be used if in the right hands, and I plan to reach impressive feats with it.

Before I died, my life had just barely started. There were many things I didn't get the chance to try out, experience life to the fullest, nor get to the point in life where I could make my own choices. In this world, there are a whole lot more opportunities for me to take a shot at that just weren't possible in the twenty-first century. Right now, I could quite easily be able to do anything, not a single line of work out of my reach with my Quirk.
I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to be a hero. I always had a dream in the back of my mind to help people, since if I knew someone was in trouble, my moral compass would make me help them otherwise it would eat me up if I didn't.

However, my moral compass wasn't entirely spotless.

I knew you couldn't just be a goody-two-shoes and expect to fix every issue, it just doesn't work. Here, you get in trouble for helping someone in danger if they aren't a registered hero and get ridiculed if you try to be one without a Quirk. Years of fiction taught me that sometimes it's necessary to make hard choices if it means for the greater good. But by doing anything remotely out of line in the eyes of the heroes, and the general media, you taint your name because of that. There's a fine line of what you can and can't do here, so I'll have to put a pin into this problem for another time.

All in all, I wouldn't say no to the hero gig. I'd get to experience a dream of mine that was otherwise impossible, make a good career out of it and have some fun along the way. I wasn't too keen on doing this type of thing forever, since I can obtain resources and actually make a real difference. Before I was a realist, but I was still a nerd with countless fandoms in the back of my mind along with the thought of "what if" I could do those things.

I got a one-of-a-kind opportunity on my hands, one I wouldn't dare to waste. There were many things I wanted to try out to fulfill dreams that now can become reality, only I could set the limits to my potential.

I planned on delivering.

Feeling the sudden urge to yawn, I did so while looking at the digital clock on my nightstand, my eyes slightly widening when realizing how late it was. By now, I'm worse than Izuku when overthinking is concerned. I won't get far if I think about every single detail all at once without even starting, time is on my side, I will be sure to use every second of it to not fall behind.

"This will be difficult… and mildly troublesome if things go off the rails at the same time. Who am I kidding, this is where the fun begins."

That's it for Chapter 1.
Initially, I wanted to do an SI with Magneto powers but landed on Osmosian power set because it seemed more fun. I already addressed this, just because he can take powers doesn't mean Yukio will know how to use them right off the bat. It will take a considerable amount of training to get used to them while also mixing with other powers to boost his potential.

Combining with other powers will be fun, since it's almost limitless. It will show off how resourceful Yukio is and how quickly he can adapt to any situation.

Don't want to make this A/N too long so just tell me your thoughts by leaving a review (with constructive criticism thank you) and what could be improved as well as what you'd like me to include in the future
There is a surprise in store for Chapter 2, and some might be caught off guard by it, but it will be worth it in the long run, as well as a good twist on the story of MHA in general.

Until then, cya.
(Note - I send a copy to my editor so I ll swap the files if there are any grammar/spelling mistakes)

 

[TravelerofTime]

Looks pretty interesting so far, lots of potential and the power seems pretty cool. Like you said, Osmosians, when you think about them, would actually be pretty bullshit tier in a world like MHA, where literally endless amounts of quirk combos can be made if you've got the time and inclination.

 

[Darwin-18]

Looks pretty interesting so far, lots of potential and the power seems pretty cool. Like you said, Osmosians, when you think about them, would actually be pretty bullshit tier in a world like MHA, where literally endless amounts of quirk combos can be made if you've got the time and inclination.

Click to shrink...

It will be quite the challenge in out of itself. Just taking Quirks will be enough, tons of training will be required, alongside doing an AU with higher stakes so the MC cant steam roll his way thru any challenge. Proper development will be delivered for Yukio.

 

[Axobada]

This is really cool, watched.

 

[bruhqwe]

I really like your formatting/phrasing/grammar. To me, far more readable than most other stories I read online.

The story as well is intriguing, I'm always down to read about meta-power munchkinry in mha/rwby/worm/other universes with individually unique powers.

 

[Darwin-18]

I really like your formatting/phrasing/grammar. To me, far more readable than most other stories I read online.

The story as well is intriguing, I'm always down to read about meta-power munchkinry in mha/rwby/worm/other universes with individually unique powers.

Click to shrink...

Tyty, it means so much.

MHA has plenty of unique powers, and with combination with one another, it will be interesting how Yukio will utilize them.

 

[Amanofmanytentacles]

Wow, I had almost forgotten about the Osmosians. Honestly, what a convenient power for MHA. Now I can just imagine him assimilating OFA and meanwhile OFA inside Deku is going like "why do I feel vaguely violated and a sense of Deja Vu?" Even better if he in the far future assimilated AFO too (AFO going like: so this is what it looks like when it happens to you". You can just imagine both copies of the quirks within him going like "well this is awkward" if they meet. There's so many incredible powers in MHA and the best part is that you can copy the Bad Guy's quirk, everyone knows the bad guys almost always have badass powers, hell, look at the likes of Overhaul and Shigaraki, that other villain with the magician schtick. Overhaul is practically endless in its applications, Shigaraki and the power to just decay anything you touch with all your fingers means that no obstacle can stand on your way for long. Magic man and his power to turn people into marbles is great for capturing enemies alive and unharmed, as well as sneaking in groups of people into places unnoticed. This is one of the best world to possess a power that assimilates other powers.

 

[Darwin-18]

Wow, I had almost forgotten about the Osmosians. Honestly, what a convenient power for MHA. Now I can just imagine him assimilating OFA and meanwhile OFA inside Deku is going like "why do I feel vaguely violated and a sense of Deja Vu?" Even better if he in the far future assimilated AFO too (AFO going like: so this is what it looks like when it happens to you". You can just imagine both copies of the quirks within him going like "well this is awkward" if they meet. There's so many incredible powers in MHA and the best part is that you can copy the Bad Guy's quirk, everyone knows the bad guys almost always have badass powers, hell, look at the likes of Overhaul and Shigaraki, that other villain with the magician schtick. Overhaul is practically endless in its applications, Shigaraki and the power to just decay anything you touch with all your fingers means that no obstacle can stand on your way for long. Magic man and his power to turn people into marbles is great for capturing enemies alive and unharmed, as well as sneaking in groups of people into places unnoticed. This is one of the best world to possess a power that assimilates other powers.

Click to shrink...

Yeah the combination is endless, plus getting them (and stabilizing them via Energy Absorbtion to sustain/keep em permanent). Overhaul's is a priority, and a much better use for a Hero/Grey Hero than that whackjob, likewise for Shigiraki. They are so useful and practical not to get.

 

[Amanofmanytentacles]

Yeah the combination is endless, plus getting them (and stabilizing them via Energy Absorbtion to sustain/keep em permanent). Overhaul's is a priority, and a much better use for a Hero/Grey Hero than that whackjob, likewise for Shigiraki. They are so useful and practical not to get.

Click to shrink...

You know, Overhaul (the quirk) scares me. Or more accurately, it's potential scares me. With it you can make and remake the world to your liking, you could undo All Might's injury, you could undo All for One's injuries. Hell you can even undo Death itself if you Overhaul them the instant they died, like someone getting shot in the head right next to you.

 

[Darwin-18]

You know, Overhaul (the quirk) scares me. Or more accurately, it's potential scares me. With it you can make and remake the world to your liking, you could undo All Might's injury, you could undo All for One's injuries. Hell you can even undo Death itself if you Overhaul them the instant they died, like someone getting shot in the head right next to you.

Click to shrink...

Healing All Might will be such a big help, as no regular (or even Advanced Quirk) Healing can fix that issue. Yukio will learn the human anatomy as with Osmosian powerset its best to know ALL body muscles/functions since you can alter it and make it versatile. With All Might healed, and OFA still passed down, there will be 2 users at the same time whilst reaching their prime, add in Yukio and you can imagine what powerhouse that will be.

 

[Amanofmanytentacles]

Healing All Might will be such a big help, as no regular (or even Advanced Quirk) Healing can fix that issue. Yukio will learn the human anatomy as with Osmosian powerset its best to know ALL body muscles/functions since you can alter it and make it versatile. With All Might healed, and OFA still passed down, there will be 2 users at the same time whilst reaching their prime, add in Yukio and you can imagine what powerhouse that will be.

Click to shrink...

I agree with everything except one thing, I believe that an uninjured All Might will lose OFA, however the drain will slow down to the evaporation rate a lake would have in a humid autumn day rather than spilling out through the cracks of his broken body.

 

[Darwin-18]

I agree with everything except one thing, I believe that an uninjured All Might will lose OFA, however the drain will slow down to the evaporation rate a lake would have in a humid autumn day rather than spilling out through the cracks of his broken body.

Click to shrink...

When healed, I think he can extend the time he can use OFA longer and while the "steaming" is decreased. We were shown that at the last drop (or final wiff of the flame) All Might was able go way beyond his limits until it burned out, so he'll be active quite longer in canon until he uses it all up in his final battle. By the story's conclusion, All Might will lose OFA permanently as the next offical user takes up the mantle, whilst being perfectly healthy. Id give it some leeway and have him retain some strengh/speed/durability as such but nowhere near the extent OFA provided.

 

[Darwin-18]

Sorry for the delay, just like in my other story, I mentioned I was in a funk of sorts, but now I'm able to work on multiple Chapters at once without an issue. Hope it's worth it, plus with a little twist at the end.

Chapter 2 – Paths Diverge

"Okay… one more time…"

I uttered to myself to calm my mind, taking in deep breaths while I focused back to practicing.

Three years passed since my Quirk manifested, going to extensive training since then. Being granted such an amazing power, made sure to take all options into consideration. After one-hundred percent confirming that my Quirk indeed was an Osmosian power set, I started recollecting the Ben 10 franchise to the best of my ability. It may have appeared simple, but there were layers that needed to be tested out for sure.

Safe to say, after I caused a power outage to ourselves and almost the whole block, I had my answer.

As well as an extensive schooling of not never doing this in the house ever again.
After confirming it, I went wild.

Going to the doctor, I, of course, had to lie to keep all my cards hidden. If by chance I blurted out that I can take anything and everything, I'd be in major hot water, so I would rather avoid that. With how I explained it, and being well aware of what things to leave out, I essentially got off with it being stated I have a Copy Quirk. Most Quirks see major and drastic developments the older the person gets, so an accurate measurement of my ability was difficult. In my book, it was a good deal for the time being.

I'd say the first few months of training were the most difficult. If I would touch something, even by accident, I would absorb it, whether I wanted to or not. The best (as well as the worst) way of describing it was like living without taking a breath of air, countless sessions spent controlling and micromanaging my absorption so it got to a point where I could freely choose to do it.

I started with small wooden and metallic objects, realizing what amount I need to do to achieve certain levels of my body changing to that property. Due to my growing nature, I was able to achieve full body absorption after quite some time, since my body wasn't that big, plus I took it at a steady pace along the way. It was a strain on my maturing body, but it was worth it.

There were some properties that were more difficult while some were easier. I was set on going over all of them, just to get acquainted with the feel of it so I wouldn't have any issue with them. Next up on the list were tools. Kevin would easily make weapons and tools that fit his need, seemingly without a problem if I may add.

By that point, I mostly narrowed it down to imagination, determination and will, fully morphing your hand into a different structured object was tedious. Our garage was filled to the brim with car parts and keyholes that made for perfect training tools, with dad helping me create make-shift objects to advance my training.

While on that topic, dad taught me quite a bit of his field of work.

I started helping him out whenever he would tinker with the car in the garage, with him teaching me what individual part serves what purpose and the method needed to fix a given issue. With the help of my Quirk, we were able to achieve unorthodox methods of fixing numerous issues, which I found quite fun yet rather interesting. If anything, I made a decision right then and there.

I will personally build my own dream car in the future.

Dad will help out, of course. Wouldn't want to do it any other way.

I learned some other abilities I didn't take into account, Energy Absorption for higher physical feats. I theorized that my enhanced capabilities would put me at least at peak human physicality, probably a few levels of being a Super-Soldier, I could boost it further.

First off, it would be necessary to distribute all that energy throughout my body, after learning that, it would consist of micromanaging if I would want more to grant higher results. It was a pain, but I knew the importance of it, so I just kept going at it until I at least scratched the surface of it.

It didn't come without its costs though.

It may have been that I was still young and growing, but taking large quantities would result in minor fatigue that would increase over time. Naturally, I tested it so I knew my limits and how to further improve them.

Having Energy Absorption, I was eager to figure out how to properly utilize it, as well as not to cause another power outage. There were so many attacks and moves to create with it, while learning how to store it in for future use. The best way of describing the sensation was like I had a second stomach, slowly filling up until I reached my limit. After each use, I would manage to increase it ever so slightly, but it still needed a lot of practice.

I learned two important lessons while training. Firstly, consecutive and irresponsible use would cause side effects such as fatigue and muscle strain, it can be prevented but precision was necessary for that. Improving my stamina and staying in shape.
Secondly, it was way more difficult to accurately discharge it and make projectiles. Like a basic energy blast would work, it can be amped if properly attuned. An idea for organic weapons came to mind, that's one I definitely want to achieve at some point.

Naturally, I whipped up several notes that have synergies and strategies that take advantage of different properties on the fly. Depending on the situation, some limitations have to be taken into account. For now, before I encounter any powerful Quirks, I can make do with this, which is plenty enough on its own. People like Overhaul and Shigiraki were hot on my list, as having their capabilities would provide a big boost. The former of the two allows me to propel my imagination even further, enhancing either my body or deconstructing anything to reshape it as I see fit.

"You're out here again?" Dad exclaimed from behind me, his tone sounding mildly annoyed rather than surprised. "This is getting out of hand, you're out here hours on end and all you do is train your Quirk. I'm not saying its wrong to do so, but twice a day isn't healthy."

"Why are you so worried?" I asked lazily, continuing my exercise. "You know the schedule I made has specific rules to follow, I wouldn't want to break my streak just yet. Besides, are you just stressed about the files from this and last month? I told you I'll help you out if you just show them to-"

"Yukio…" Dad's voice was blunt and obviously fed up. "You can't keep doing this. This is all you do. You wake up, eat, train, take a break, do more training and then sleep, then do it all again. You've been doing this routine for months. If you keep this up, your body will burn out."

"As opposed to doing what?" I asked genuinely. "Everything Elementary School threw at me was so simple, I'm close to finishing it all together, including the "advanced" programs they had with Junior High Schools."

"That's not the point I'm trying to make, son," Dad said tenderly, sidestepping so he was in my field view. "The point is that you spend all your time on your own. I don't think I've ever heard you mention how your day went in detail or if you made any friends there. I'm starting to get worried."

I was well aware I was going to have this talk at some point, yet I still felt the tediousness of it. It wasn't like I was a moody or closed-off child or anything, it's just that my particular scenario was unique. I can't simply make friends at this age, as kids with superpowers are even bigger brats and toxic at times that it makes it insufferable.

While at times, it did get somewhat lonely since I couldn't talk about topics that genuinely interest me or hobbies I can share with. It wasn't the time for that, I can't force myself otherwise. Maybe if I do encounter some of the cast that I like, I can get behind that.

"Dad… like I said, you have nothing to worry about," I turned around to look at him, taking a moment to stop with my exercise. "I'm perfectly okay, it's just that I can't easily socialize with kids my age, I'm too different from them. Not that I mind, it's simply how kids are. They can't think like I do, nor do I meet someone who has similar interests like me. When I find a real friend, I'll be sure to let you know, if you're so worried. I'm not antisocial or anything, if anything, I'm rather picky about who I wanna hang out with."

Dad rubbed his temples, releasing a sigh in defeat. "In a few minutes, I want you to go inside and eat, I think you trained enough for today. I'll go finish up the paperwork right now, we can find a movie to watch after I'm done."

With that, Dad turned around and headed back inside, I resumed doing my training. I understood his worries, what single parent wouldn't? It's a small price to pay at the time, but it will pay off. I'll probably find someone when I start school so there's no need to rush.

During my exercise, I felt an agonizing leg cramp on the one that held my full weight. Due to it happening out of nowhere, and in the middle of my training, my weight pulled me forward, headfirst crashing into the pond. By no means was it deep, so I simply floated on the surface while contemplating how unlucky my predicament was.

"This is just humiliating. Why do I feel like the universe decided to mess with me at this specific moment?" I contemplated while my body was still submerged, not so much as worried about the lack of oxygen as I managed to inhale a deep breath before I fell.

Before another thought formed in my mind, I was drastically pulled out of the pond and sat in an upright position. Taking a few deep breaths, I turned to look at my dad, giving me the most "what did I tell you" look I've ever seen, only a low growl escaping his lips.

"Alright… I'll take a break," I surrendered to his constant attempts of making me stop training. "Do you mind getting me a towel?"

---

"Ow… I still feel like my leg is moments away from another cramp."

I uttered somewhat bitterly while stretching my leg, doing slow motions for my muscles to ease up. In hindsight, I probably should've toned down the training these last few months, since they were drastically amped compared to the first two years. With my body experiencing more changes and getting more accustomed to my Quirk changing my body/DNA, I wanted to test my limits to their fullest.

It resulted in sleepless nights and sore muscles for a good majority of that period.

Add to the fact thin black rings around my eyes, I was close to passing as an insomniac.

While Dad's concerns grew over the years, I was still an unpredictable case. Instead of spending time with kids my age, I prioritized training and spending time alone going over what I could do. To tell the truth, I genuinely enjoyed my routine, not finding it monotone nor depressing, it was so much fun not to use. Having so much free time I wanted to use it to maximum efficiency.

Well, that wasn't the only reason.

It's not that I couldn't get along with kids my age, being difficult was a more accurate term. Re-experiencing childhood reminded me how vicious and borderline intolerable some kids can be, not all of them but still a high majority. Alongside having Quirks, they were way worse than I could've imagined. I was older mentally, sure, but I still had that child-like behavior at times since I didn't want to always act serious and feel alienated, just so Dad didn't have to worry that something's wrong with me. I couldn't find the right person to befriend that shared similar interests as me, which was a deal breaker really. I didn't want to put up an act for that, rather, for it to happen naturally.

At times, I did get a little lonely being cooped in a child's body and having to be the "smart" kid meant even trying to befriend someone made it difficult. I learned to accept it, just give it a few more years and I'll be good.

A semi-loud explosion broke me out of my thoughts.

"Huh?"

Turning my head, I noticed some smoke coming from the left, from this angle I could tell it was a park. Walking towards a short metal fence, I continued further until I bypassed all the trees that blocked my vision. When I got to a more suitable position, my curiosity scanned the area to explain the smoke. My guess was some kind of fight going on involving kids solely off of the fact it was coming from what appeared to be a playground.

To my surprise, I was correct… only they weren't any kind of random kids.

The ones I instantly recognized were Izuku and Bakugou, the main protagonist and rival from My Hero Academia.
The yet-to-be successor for One for All was on the ground covered in dirt and clutching his arm, a horrified expression present as the spiky blonde-haired lunatic and two of his underlings walked towards him, covering backwards to put more distance between them.

Just like how the story would show repeatedly, during their youth they were the furthest thing from being friends, abuser and the abused would be a more accurate description. I always questioned their "relationship", for the lack of a better word that is. It just didn't make sense to me, and for about fifty percent of fans of the series.

"What should I do in this situation?" I thought as I observed the scene from afar. "On one hand, I shouldn't meddle into this affair since I was a firm believer that Izuku needed to realize on his own that Bakugou wasn't really his friend and that he needed to cut him out of his life as soon as possible."

Not only was Bakugou an insufferable, egotistical and short-tempered nut job, but he did also have traits to become a villain by just how he acted in later years. While I did find the personality entertaining, in reality, he's the perfect creation to make your blood boil by the way he behaves.

I saw somewhere where it was theorized that Izuku developed Stockholm syndrome over the years, the constant abuse and horrible way he treated Izuku made him believe this was normal, especially aside of Bakugou, the boy probably never had the ability to befriend anyone beyond kindergarten due to being Quirkless. The idea of Bakugou being his "friend" stayed present for the next decade, only until a year into U.A. did their dynamic change slightly. No matter how many years it took for them to have a stable relationship, it was completely one-sided toxicity, and time was wasted as a result.

Childhood and early teenage years' worth of abuse and unfair treatment can only stack up to a certain point before breaking entirely. I'm honestly shocked Izuku managed to survive on his own as long as he did, or the fact he withstood all the torment that came in this world. On one hand, my mind kept telling me that he has to overcome this hardship on his own, preferably a different route than how canon handled it. Was it a bit cruel for me to simply allow that? In a way, yes, but he was too stubborn for his own good, refusing to accept that aspect of reality for what it was. The sooner he did, the real changes would start on their own pace.

However.

Bakugou deserves to get his teeth kicked in, as well as to get knocked down a few pegs.
While the story gave him some moments of redemption, but for now, and for the next several years he's the epitome of a grade-A asshole. There were rare instances where his personality would be entertaining, but for the most part, he was obnoxious and close to being labeled psychopathic.

I had no respect for this prick, acting like a deranged lunatic of his own free will, way before he got his Quirk, only getting worse once it manifested. Kids like him grow up with the single thought of "being better than anyone else", and Bakugou was the worst.

Thinking about it, I couldn't really blame Izuku for being stubborn as a brick to stay around this nut job, it was illogical but he definitely didn't deserve the crap he dealt throughout his life. He had no friends and couldn't get along with other kids his age, a trend that would follow him up until he started attending U.A., but by then plenty of damage was already done.

Somehow, I was compelled to give him the opportunity he never had. For a short period, I experienced how vile and cruel this world can be, especially to a child in a world where you can be inferior if a small percentage of luck wasn't on your side. For all his faults, I sympathized with(for) Izuku, and hold a good level of respect for how he would develop in the future as a hero.

Focusing back at the three snobs, they started to approach Izuku slowly, each having a malicious grin on their faces. The poor Quirkless, superhero fanatic could only quiver as they got closer, eyes closing shut and preparing for the next round.
"…Fuck it…!"

Climbing over the fence, I placed my foot on the metal beam while leaning down, putting a little more force into it. Feeling some energy building up into my legs, I shot off like I was a springboard, my sights set on the spiky-haired blonde. I was moving at fast speed, Bakugou only spotting me in the corner of his eye before turning his head to the side, to where my fist collided with his mouth, sending him flying back until his body crashed face-first into the dirt.

"Katsuki!" The two "friends" of his cried out, rushing towards Bakugou's aid.

The way I landed it made it so my back was bent with my left arm extended, slowly fixing my posture for extra effect. Throwing a glance behind me, I was met with the wide yet teary eyes of the future One For All successor, mouth agape at my sudden appearance.

Lifting himself up, whilst pushing his "friends" away, eyes filled with rage as he set his sights on me. "Oi! Who the hell do you think you are, you bastard!?"

Turning to face him, I remained in a relaxed but authoritative stance when I acknowledged him. "I'll only say this once, back off, or next time I won't hold back." I said stoically, with a threatening tone as well.

Bakugou gritted his teeth in anger. "So what? You one of useless Deku's friends or something?"

"No, I've never seen this person before in my life." I lied, seemingly well I might add.

"Huh?!" Bakugou's eyes went wide at my claim. "Then why are you interrupting my fun!?"

"There's a simple answer to that," I had one, single response to such a moronic question. "I hate scum like you."

The explosive blonde could clench his teeth so much, instantly forming the iconic death glare. "What did you say to me, you lowlife!? I'll blow you right where you stand!"

"Take your best shot," I shot back nonchalantly. "A few fireworks doesn't stop a fist, you know. It is wise if you simply walk away before things get… messy for you three."

"Oh, I see it now…" Bakugou's eyes narrowed. "You're Quirkless, just like useless Deku over there! Seems like I won't have to bother too much with trash like you. Whatcha say, tough guy, still feelin' lucky?" Bakugou taunted with explosions coming from his hands.

"I gave you a choice, be smart enough to make the right decision." I responded calmly, not letting his pathetic remarks get the slightest reaction out of me.

That may have done the trick as that sent him off the edge, opening his hands as miniature explosions were born. "You're going down, you filth!"

Charging in, his two lackeys followed in, all activating their Quirks.

"Kacchan, no!" Izuku screamed behind me.

"Huh, even though he's young, his voice seems different, or is my memory deceiving me." I contemplated as the three ran towards me.

They were still kids, so I didn't need to think too much in terms of strategy. The one with the wings came first, ducking then hitting him in the stomach with my open palm, sending him flying in different directions until crashing into the dirt. Bakugou and the one with the extendable fingers, moving at the speed allowed me to simply jump into the air to avoid their assault, kicking them both in the head.

Hearing wings flapping behind me, I knew the chubby one was coming, to which I jumped a few meters into the air to land onto his back, sending him crashing into the dirt. While down, I hit the areas around where his wings were coming out, making the boy howl as his wings started twitching rapidly before calming down.

"Is that all you got? Can't even beat a Quirkless kid with all that big talk?" I taunted loudly, stepping off of him as I looked for the other kid. His fingers stretched out several meters while running towards me. Avoiding them, and not having anything else to latch onto, I grabbed his outstretched finger and yanked it instantly, falling down as a result. With a single jump, I closed the distance, slamming my foot down onto his hands, producing a cry of pain from his lips as the fingers retracted back to normal.

It was just hard enough for the thought of backing off to stick this time. Now, the only one left is-
Hearing several explosions going off from above, I knew beforehand where Bakugou was coming from. Leaping backwards, I evaded his attack before it even came close, but I was amazed he didn't even care for his "friend", almost being the victim of his vicious attack. Spamming his Quirk repeatedly, he once again went airborne.

"Don't insult me, you Quirkless runt!" Bakugou shouted as he flew down towards me, with the literal intent to kill.

"Don't need to," I replied casually whilst evading his attacks. "But you might want to try a little harder than that to beat me."

Doing a backwards roll, I jumped to my feet whilst dodging his explosions. The radius itself wasn't anything to scoff at, but they weren't the size like they were in canon yet, plus there wasn't much strategy in his attacks, hoping one of his consecutive attacks would land.

To his dismay, none of them didn't even come close.

Bakugou' has yet to fully utilize his Quirk to its maximum potential, and his combat prowess was subpar. No need to waste time more than I already have,

Throwing a swift kick to his knee, it stopped Bakugou's array of attacks, doing a spin kick to his chest that sent him flying backwards. Like a wild animal, he got right back up and charged at me all over again, ignoring the pain from my previous hits. Not wanting to play defensive anymore, I took advantage when one of his close-ranged explosions missed, leading with a fist to the temple.

Afterwards, I pushed him backwards as I got more hits to his head, chest and sections of his arms. Being overrun with consecutive hits, Bakugou tried defending himself with explosions that would make me call off my advances, but I was quicker, avoiding each time he attempted it. Getting another opportunity, I grabbed both his wrists, pulling him down so my knee hit his chin, sending him hurtling down like a sack of potatoes.

Unlike earlier, he stayed in the same position while clutching his chin, slowly moving his head to make eye contact with me. I didn't see any sign of the cocky and confident Bakugou I remember, but rather a wide eyed and shocked expression of a boy, who for the first time, got severely outmatched.

By someone who wasn't even using their Quirk. I already had a good idea about the thoughts going through his head, denial being the biggest one. The reason why Bakugou acted how he did in canon was because not a single kid over truly lasted in a fight, let alone coming out victorious. That fed his ego to unmeasurable heights, believing that nobody could beat him.

Slowly, his expression started to change, from shock to anger, gritting his teeth so hard the growling sounds became more audible each second. Jumping to his feet, I could tell by his demeanor that he's planning on going all out.

"That's it! I'm done playing games, I'll obliterate you where you stand!" Bakugou yelled out, clasping his hands together.
Building enough nitroglycerin-like sweat into his right hand, Bakugou charged at me with a war cry. This attack was far different from any of his prior ones, miniature explosions that grew in intensity with each one that went off, using his other hand to propel him faster.

By the time he was halfway, I got flashbacks at the larger explosions he produced when he was older.

"That's it, keep going... wait for the perfect moment and..." I thought calmly while slowly flexing my fingers, preparing to put everything into my left hand.

Within a few more seconds, the sound and destructiveness of his Quirk began to show, along with a loud yell. "Eat this!"
Before his hand swung in an arc, a loud shriek could be heard before the loud boom, a large cloud of smoke engulfing the area.

As if time slowed down, Bakugou let out a victorious grin prematurely. "Not so much of a tough guy, are you-"

Bakugou stopped right in his tracks once he felt his hand was enclosed/consumed by a metallic substance that fitted his size accurately. When the smoke in front of him, Bakugou's went wide at the sight before him.

"I warned you." I said coldly, looking him dead-eyed while he couldn't comprehend that I was unscratched. Before his second to last explosion went off, he was at a such a close distance to where he couldn't see from the bursting colors of the explosions, where the metal I absorbed beforehand formed a quick expanding shield in front of me, all that training allowing me to make weapons and tools on the fly if needed.

In quick motion, I jerked my hand downward, effectively breaking his wrist.

Bakugou roared in pain, almost taking a knee if I hadn't pulled him back by the collar with my free hand. While he tried ignoring the pain, clenching his teeth to not release any sound.

Looking back at me with a face full of rage and fury, Bakugou could only release growl-like sounds as we had sort of a staring contest, his twitching eyes to my death stare. Seeing his left arm move slightly, I jolted my metallic hand once more, a louder growl escaping his lips.

"Use your other hand and I'll break that one too." I warned him, just so he would realize if he ignored it, I would do far more than break a wrist.

I didn't have any intention to drain him whole, I'm not a monster. All I wanted was just that one-tenth of his Quirk and to slow him down so he couldn't fight back.

"People like you disgust me," I said angrily, but with a low tone. "Using your Quirk on someone who doesn't, towering over them like your existence is more important than others. You claim you want to be a hero, but let me tell you something, nobody will ever acknowledge you as one, certainly not me. I ain't afraid of scum like you, I'd think twice about holding a grudge against me, because I promise you you'll end up in the same position you are now. So I'll make myself clear, if I ever catch you doing this again, I won't hold back."

Having said everything that was on my mind, I retracted the metal lock back into me, pushing him way back until he lost his balance, falling to the ground once again. His lackey's rushed to his aid, trying to assist Bakugou but in return received a shove from upon being pulled up.

"This isn't over! You hear me, you bastard!" Bakugou screamed as he was being pulled away. "You better pray that I don't ever see you again!"

Spouting various other insults while being dragged by his accomplices, he soon became barely audible before quitting all together.

"I doubt that fellow will ever change." I let out a sigh, already mentally exhausted from dealing with the blonde. Looking down at my hand, I tried building up a small amount of sweat, causing a few low jade-colored sparks to explode at the center. Grinning, I bawled my fist in satisfaction, now obtaining a very versatile Quirk I'll have great pleasure exploring. "As for the other one…"

Walking over to broccoli-haired youth, I kneeled down to check his state, softly asking. "Are you alright?"
That seemed to break him out of the trance he was in, rapidly shaking his head up and down. "Y-Y-Yes! I-I'm fine. It-It's just a scratch, t-thats all."

That was a blatant lie, a hand on top of the opposite forearm covering a burn mark, the sleeve having a wide hole with the edges burnt. "That doesn't look pretty, you can get an infection."

Removing my bag, I searched through it until I found a water bottle and a small first aid box.

Perplexed, the green-haired fanatic spoke up. "Y-You have a first aid kit in your bag?"

"Eh, you never know when it might come in handy." I replied simply, having no reason to hide it.

Motioning with my fingers to let me help, he reluctantly extended his arm, with me removing the destroyed sleeve and tossing it away. Placing my hand under his wrist, I held it while pouring some water on the burnt area, a soft grunt escaping his lips after the liquid washed his skin.

"I can't put my finger on it, but something feels off."

"Y-You didn't have to do that… you know…" Izuku uttered quietly while averting his eyes, most likely not used to someone other than Inko invading his personal space.

"Treating your wound, or beating those guys up?" I asked curiously while wiping the area with a cloth gently.
After a few seconds of silence, came his reply. "Both…"

"I can't stand bullies, besides, it's not in my nature to just do nothing when I see this sort of thing. I'm not that kind of person." I said calmly while gently wrapping the arm with a bandage.

"Kacchan isn't like that! He's…"

I looked up with a bored expression, waiting to see what kind of excuse I'm about to hear for Bakugou's behavior. Once I did, he turned his head to the side, unable to reply with a proper explanation.

"I seriously doubt he's your friend if he would hurt you like this," I tried to reason with him, only to get no response. "How often does he do this to you?"

Seeing the hand of the arm I was patching up become stiff, I knew I was entering a touchy subject. "I'm sorry, I won't pry any further, I was just curious."

"No! You d-don't have to apologize, it's just… " Came another pause, an attempt on finding what words to say. "Nobody has ever helped me, let alone ask about it."

With the finishing touches, I gently tightened the bandage so it wouldn't unwrap. "There, that should do it."

Slowly rubbing the wound, I could faintly see his face turn red as Izuku looked away. "T-Thank you for s-saving me…"

"Think nothing of it," I chirped as I flopped down onto my butt, crossing my legs as well. "If you don't mind me asking, what happened this time?"

"Kacchan was bullying a kid because his Quirk wasn't as impressive as his," Izuku began explaining. "When he started using his Quirk on him, I intervened. I couldn't stand the sight of it any longer."

"If I remember correctly, he said you were Quirkless, no?" I asked genuinely, receiving a low hum as an answer. "Even though you knew what he was capable of, you still stood up to him. Without a Quirk no less. Why?"

That caught the All Might fanatic off guard. "Huh? W-What do you mean why? What kind of person who wants to be a hero uses their Quirk to harm others? To use such a wonderful gift on someone who doesn't? I can't stand to see that kind of behaviour, e-even if I'm outmatched, doing nothing is even worse than not helping someone when they truly need it."

"Spoken like a real hero, huh?" I teased the hero fanatic, causing a noticeable blush to form in just mere seconds. "Sorry, couldn't resist."

"Um… c-can I ask you a question, if you d-don't mind?" Izuku stuttered while twirling his fingers.
"Of course!" I replied cheerfully. "What do you wanna know?"

"W-Well, it's regarding your Quirk," The stuttering wasn't as present when starting this particular topic. "I noticed you didn't use it against Kaachan and his friends, only when he got too close before he could react. I couldn't see it too clearly, but I noticed it acted almost instantaneously. Coupled with the fact that you waited so long to even use it, the likelihood of having precise control over it wouldn't be too big of a stretch. It appeared like an iron shield but it was too fluid and almost looked organic by its movements. Is your Quirk Iron Manipulation perhaps? Or is it some kind of sub-variant?"

Ironically, I could feel a sweat drop forming with my sort of embarrassed smile at the eager question. I had a feeling this would be the topic of interest, and since it was the first time I got to discuss my Quirk with someone that could understand, I was kind of hoping for it if we're being honest.

"Hmm, an interesting question." I hummed while thinking how or should I answer it, ultimately deciding to do it anyway. Of all people, the next One for All successor seemed like the perfect person to share my secret. "I can tell you, but you have to promise me to keep it a secret, sounds fair?"

I asked lowly while playfully leaning in, putting more emphasis on the notion. Perplexed but still alright with the request, Izuku furiously bobbed his head up and down. Taking some nearby sand into my palm, I ignored the awful sensation that coursed through my body, making my hand turn into a light brown color that seemed like I had a layer of sand around it. Extending it out and asking for it to be slapped away, it causes him to release a yelp at the sight of it "breaking", the inner structure of it regenerating with the same brown tone, before returning to normal.

"My Quirk is a bit simple, but quite layered if you ask me," I said, demonstrating with my finger extended, acting as a sprinkler that released sand dust. "I have the ability to absorb universally any property at my disposal. I should mention this beforehand, I can only take one-tenth of what I absorb, and it can vanish within a certain time frame. However, I'm able to retain some abilities permanently, but let's just say it's a hassle but worth the effort. In this example, I can freely manipulate sand and use it how I see fit, that's if I understand the mechanics of it, as simply absorbing is nothing if you don't know how to use it."

"I see," the All Might fan pondered with a thoughtful expression. "Only one-tenth, it's sort of a restriction but I feel like that's on purpose, maybe to not overwhelm the user with such a massive amount of energy. Possibly several side effects depending on what's taken? Just like you pointed out, with such a versatile Quirk that can universally be used in any situation, having control of such an ability is crucial. Many Pro Heroes have disadvantages, whether it be terrain or depending on the situation, adaptability is their most useful skill. Plus, if some are stored from before, essentially able to prepare in advance if its usage can be applied. Maybe if used in conjunction with other abilities for maximum usage? Or-"

"You sure know a bit of everything, do you?" I asked teasingly how long the low muttering lasted, prompting for a loud smack from a hand to the mouth to put it to a stop.

"I-I'm sorry, I tend to annoy people when I do that…" Izuku uttered in embarrassment.

"No, no, I didn't find it annoying," I waved it off. "That was an in-depth analysis of my Quirk, in such a short amount of time too, as well in its functionality and versatility. I'm impressed, not even a Pro Hero could make such an observation with barely any info to work with."

A light shade of red started to spread across Izuku's embarrassed expression. "I-I just find the concept of Quirks too interesting, it's sort of my hobby, heh."

"But you're right, the one-tenth absorption limit is a restriction, but more positive than anything," I began explaining. "Since my body acts as a sort of vessel, overwhelming it with too much of a property can be all kinds of risky. This way, if I pick up something's wrong, I can stop the process mid-way and release what I took. I can fuel it with other energies once I deem them acceptable. There's a lotta details I left out for the sake of keeping it simple, but I think you get the overall gist of it."

"Makes sense," Izuku commented with a thoughtful expression. "I guess that means if you're capable of micro-managing your Quirk to such a degree, you'd be very difficult to beat in prolonged brawls."


"Eh, it depends, really," I answered whilst rotating my hand to emphasize my point. "It mostly boils down to time management, you know? Not prioritizing a specific field but spreading it out for more versatile and complex use. Still, having a few techniques more refined than the rest never hurts. I don't like using my Quirk unless necessary, would rather rely on my fighting skills."

"Really?" Izuku tilted his head. "Even with a Quirk like that, you would rather not use it? Aren't you worried that it might put you in harm's way if you underestimate your opponent?"

"Oh, I ain't worried about that!" I playfully waved it off.

"How come?"

"Well, for starters, I was Quirkless for about a year so I already saw how kids, and people in general, behave. Being fed up with it, I planned out methods and ideas to get by since being without a Quirk, even if considered weak, can mean a disadvantage. Turns out, all you need is to do is use your head a little. You can outwit anyone if you know the right tricks, and a bit of confidence to back it up."

"You… planned on becoming a hero… without a Quirk?" Izuku asked, almost at shock while uttering that sentence.

"Yeah, why not?" I replied like it wasn't anything significant. "Society tells me I can't, does it stop me from trying? It would be insanely difficult, not to mention even more dangerous without an ability. But I decided my goal the moment I could think properly, and when I saw the world around me, Quirk or not. I was going to pursue my goal to the end."

My statement came across difficult to digest, not like it wasn't warranted. Not a single person tried challenging the status quo, rather giving up before even trying. With how harsh this world was, sitting around and waiting to get chewed out isn't much of an option.

What was my intention by doing all of this? Since I've encountered him this early on, planting a few seeds of motivation would do more good than wait for canon to do its thing. Now the question remains, did my message come across like I intended?

Izuku's posture tensed afterwards, eyes scanning the ground with a thoughtful expression, silence filling the air once more. "C-Can I ask you a question, but can you answer it honestly?" Izuku spoked lowly, almost inaudible if we weren't so close.

The request prompted me to raise an eyebrow, causing the stuttering mess to wave his hands frantically. "I-I know we d-don't know each other, and w-we've just met, but you're the only person I feel like would answer me honestly. If-If it's not too much of a bother."

"Sure! Ask away." I agreed, waiting for the question I was sure on his mind.

Ten seconds of silence passed, soft sounds of the gentle breeze echoing around us. "Can… can I become a hero, even though I don't have a Quirk…?"

I easily noticed the desperation by the tone alone, sounding more like a request for validation on something that never might be possible. "In order for me to answer that, you have to answer a question for me," I said while standing up, my eyes looking up to the fading sunset. "What kind of hero do you want to be?"

The sudden question came as a surprise, not entirely sure how to respond. "What do you mean? There are different kinds?"

"There are only two I care about," I began explaining. "One kind prioritizes the fame that comes along with being a hero, if you can even call 'em after that point. People with amazing Quirks use them to gain likeness and make a living out of it, considering the real duties a person of their status to feel like a necessity, not because they are willing to do the right thing. If it earns them publicity and to make money, they don't care otherwise. Personally, I have no respect for those people. Not saying they can't make a living using their Quirks, but it taints the reputation of being a hero."

I paused monetarily to allow some breathing room. "The others are rather simple, they don't need a reason or reward to do what they do, that feeling in their stomach telling them to do the right thing because it's their moral obligation. This kind of profession requires people who are willing to stand until the very end, risking their lives, if it means to save just one person, they will accept their fate with open arms. I know that last part is a bit dark, but that's the reality of it, one that I've come to terms with. So, tell me, what kind of hero do you want to be?" I asked sincerely.

After the sudden revelation of how divided the hero community is, I didn't receive an answer right away. "Ever since I was little, I aspired to be like my idol, All Might, to save people with a fearless smile. When the doctor told me I was Quirkless… I was devastated. It was a reality check, one I didn't want to accept. I hoped my doctor mixed up my results, and that I was a late bloomer, but that wasn't the case. For years, I was told to give up my dream and let it die out… I couldn't. Even though I accepted reality for it is, I didn't want to let go. I don't even know where to start but...do… do you think that's possible…?"

Silence filled the air afterwards, hearing the answer I was waiting for. "My instincts would say the idea of that is absurd," I answered, instantly seeing the effect of how harsh my opinion sounded. However, I wasn't finished. "But not impossible."

That caused a quick one-eighty, a face now filled with confusion before it could be overrun with sadness.

"In this day and age, it's believed that Quirkless people are unable to become heroes solely because they aren't born equally. While, true, I'll let you in on a little secret," I kneeled once more until we were eye level. "That's a human's best kind of motivation, to challenge the impossible. If you could believe it, humanity has survived for centuries without them, because we humans were able to adapt whatever the world threw at us. Just because people with Quirks can easily become heroes, those without one can as well, they will just have to double their efforts. Its way easier to say it's impossible, nobody ever tried proving society wrong in the first place. With the right amount of effort, and a little bit of patience and dedication, anyone can become an admired and well-respected hero."

Izuku was silent for a moment, focusing on a single spot on the ground. "Do you really think a Quirkless person become someone like All Might…" Another moment of silence passed, slowly raising his head to look me right in the eyes. "…Even someone like me…?"

"I know so," I said reassuringly. "You'd be surprised by all the methods of going up against someone with a Quirk. Just because you don't have one, it doesn't mean your opponent is unbeatable, only that you're at a disadvantage. In fact, for the past two centuries or so, humanity has looked down on Quirkless people because they were "inferior", but having a Quirk doesn't make someone a hero, it acts like a pass solely due to having an ability. To tell you the truth, due to being a late bloomer, I had a year or so to think about alternative methods in case I had to resort to that. I actually spend a lot of time alone training and improving my Quirk, we can meet up sometime and I'd be glad to tell you more, we can train together too, so not all of my research goes to waste. If you'd like, that is. Can surely use the company with someone who understands me." I offered politely, receiving a stumbling mess as a response.

"No- I mean yes! I mean, I-I'd like that v-very much!" Right after, the familiar constant flush of muttered words before I could stop it. "I-I really don't w-want to bother you a-anymore than I already have. Y-You did more than e-enough by saving me from K-Kaachan. It-it be asking t-too much from s-someone you just met, b-besides-"
My finger brushed through the broccoli-like hair to lightly poke him in the forehead, feeling it was the only way to put an end to all that blabbering. "Oi, I said it's fine, no need to overthink it. Okay?"

Another wave of bright red spread across the face hit with a stutter for a response. "O-Okay…!"

"Speaking of which, I haven't told you my name," I extended my hand with a soft smile. "Toshiaki Yukio,"

"M-Midoriya Izuka!"

Came the high-pitched reply as my hand was shooked rapidly.

At that specific moment, once the name came out, my mind stopped working. Instantly, my eyes scanned the person in front of me, several pieces clicking together when I inspected several different areas. I didn't think too much of it at first, but now...
.
.
.
"Wait… what?!"

---

"Why…?"

The same thought appeared again and again in Izuka's mind ever since the black and white-haired boy flew out of nowhere and acted as a shield for her against Kaachan and his friends.

As she watched the boy engage in a fight against her childhood friend/tormentor, there was stark contrast to how the two fought. While Kaachan was hot-headed and used brute force to seize victory, the dual-colored-haired boy moved with grace and precision, evading each approaching strike like he could see them coming from a mile away.

It's only when she saw him use his Quirk that the question in her mind only grew more demanding for an answer.
Before that, Izuka believed he was the same as her, as he only showed off his Quirk once in a three against one scenario. Able to stand his ground so long without using his Quirk, if anything, Izuka would wager he wouldn't even need it, only using it to catch Kaachan by surprise.

Somewhat risky, but effective.

Never in her whole life has this kind of instance happened before her eyes. Izuka was adamant about pursuing her hero dream regardless of being Quirkless that the constant clashes against stronger opponents, and quite frankly, people with Quirks, never made her second guess of jumping in headfirst to prevent any kind of conflict from arising. It always ended the same way, bruises all over her body and new lies formed to keep her mother from worrying every other day. Not once did she find herself on the receiving end of someone aiding her, as by the time they would learn she was Quirkless, the same scene would repeat again and again.

Every time she would ask the question that strained her heart, it was always the same answer she didn't want to hear.
Yet, this stranger, who knew she was Quirkless, told her that her dream was within reach.

It wasn't the words he used, it was the way he said them that made his statements sound believable to her. It felt like the boy understood her struggle, and didn't look at her with pity, but rather with empathy. The boy was even willing to give her more of his insight on becoming a hero. More importantly, he was willing to be her friend.

Yet, the fear of falling to achieve her dream only tripled. Regardless of her knowledge of heroes, if there was a level to measure her "skills" in a real encounter, she was below level zero, a brutal but honest truth. Whenever Izuka would find herself on the opposite end of a bully, or Bakugou most of the time, her mind would go blank, like a deer caught in headlights.

Worst of all, she feared that she would only be a burden towards her savior if she agreed. The idea of accomplishing nothing but wasting his time and feeling like a nuisance only made herself doubt even more. The last thing she wanted was to leave a bad impression, especially to her first, real friend.

With so many thoughts surging through her head, Izuka mentally slapped herself to dismiss them for the time being. If she wanted to become a hero, there was a long road ahead of her with many obstacles and challenges to overcome.
Whatever that might look like, she was eternally grateful to the boy in front of her, more than he could ever know .The question that plagued her mind before, all the doubt and insecurity that followed, now had a small spark.
Of hope.

It wasn't much, but it was enough for her to make a single promise, one she planned on fulfilling.

"I won't disappoint you, Yukio-san!"
That's it for Chapter 2.

Now in this instance, this might be a common pattern for what I did revolving the Bakugou and Izuku (Izuka) situation, but I decided to do it anyway as I have big plans going forward so might as well.

Also, yeah, fem Izuku, I went there. For some reason during my time getting addicted to MHA, and while making a fic for it, my brain decided to make fem Izuku and be the love interest. Plus, I feel like if she's on board early on, making several changes will better mold her into a better and more confident hero than what canon did. (Not saying I hate it, but we all know what Izuku can become if he just gotten that boost way earlier in the story.)

Pairing wise, I'd like to choose between two options: a) Single pairing, Yukio x Izuka, as I'm a bit of a romance fanatic and all the potential is making me lean to this option or b) Harem - with it only being Izuka, Ochaco and Tsuyu. Now I'm not saying the other girls are bad by any means, these three are the best possible choices, in my opinion at least.
The future Chapters will be a mix of training and the duo getting to know each other. Will try to get it in within the next 2 weeks.

The link for Discord is " www - discord gg - bTyYgzEm7r" (Removes the - for the internet links),
Cya until then (Also, if there are a few errors or if somethings missing I apologize, will fix it in the morning when I wake up.)

 

[TravelerofTime]

Single pairing seems like it would work best for this kind of story. If you're going to go harem, then you need to know how to set it up, maintain it, and implement it into the story as more than just a minor element. Not many writers are good at pulling that off.

If you're really into all that extra harem stuff, then you could potentially add it in as side-material/side story stuff as a sort of secondary canon to this fic.

Also, Fem!Zuku is a cute. I'd like to see more of that.

Edit: Might want to thread mark chapter 1.

 

[Darwin-18]

Single pairing seems like it would work best for this kind of story. If you're going to go harem, then you need to know how to set it up, maintain it, and implement it into the story as more than just a minor element. Not many writers are good at pulling that off.

If you're really into all that extra harem stuff, then you could potentially add it in as side-material/side story stuff as a sort of secondary canon to this fic.

Also, Fem!Zuku is a cute. I'd like to see more of that.

Edit: Might want to thread mark chapter 1.

Click to shrink...

I take my time with characters, so if I decide to go with the harem route, It will be with plenty of development and SoL moments to make it all click.

Dw, more Fem!Izuku is on the way!

Also Quick Q - how do I thread mark Chapter 1?

 

[TravelerofTime]

I take my time with characters, so if I decide to go with the harem route, It will be with plenty of development and SoL moments to make it all click.

Dw, more Fem!Izuku is on the way!

Also Quick Q - how do I thread mark Chapter 1?

Click to shrink...

Alright, so long as you've got a plan in place. Go for it.

As for your Q- Go to the threadmark option at the bottom of your post for chapter 1. It should show you an option to add it in before or after as well as label it.

 

[King0fHearts]

So anyone else smell a ship coming along

 

[Darwin-18]

Alright, so long as you've got a plan in place. Go for it.

As for your Q- Go to the threadmark option at the bottom of your post for chapter 1. It should show you an option to add it in before or after as well as label it.

Click to shrink...

Found it, tyty.

But yeah, my specific choices for the pairing was made with the intention doing them right, not just adding a pretty face.

 

[Yandere Chany]

You got the chapters in the wrong order.
Also, I believe a single pairing is better.

 

[AR760]

"There are only two I care about," I began explaining. "One kind prioritizes the fame that comes along with being a hero, if you can even call 'em after that point. People with amazing Quirks use them to gain likeness and make a living out of it, considering the real duties a person of their status to feel like a necessity, not because they are willing to do the right thing. If it earns them publicity and to make money, they don't care otherwise. Personally, I have no respect for those people. Not saying they can't make a living using their Quirks, but it taints the reputation of being a hero."

Click to shrink...

Should the good Doctors, Paramedics, and the like do be reduced or discounted because they are more personally motivated by the financial benefit or prestige? The line of argument that heroes need to absolutely not be interested in self benefit or self gain and need to sacrifice themselves wholly altruistically never really made sense to me, and honestly seems like a pretty toxic mindset to martyr yourself tbh.

 

[CmirDarthanna]

I'm interested in seeing how his Osmosian power interacts with AFO and OFA.

Edit:
If he can control Eri's power it'll be very useful.

 

[Greatazuredragon]

Just like how the story would show repeatedly, during their youth they were the furthest thing from being friends, abuser and the abused would be a more accurate description. I always questioned their "relationship", for the lack of a better word that is. It just didn't make sense to me, and for about fifty percent of fans of the series.

Click to shrink...

Ain't that the truth.

Both options sound good to me, but I will always be partial to Uravity, so I vote for harem.

 

[Darwin-18]

Should the good Doctors, Paramedics, and the like do be reduced or discounted because they are more personally motivated by the financial benefit or prestige? The line of argument that heroes need to absolutely not be interested in self benefit or self gain and need to sacrifice themselves wholly altruistically never really made sense to me, and honestly seems like a pretty toxic mindset to martyr yourself tbh.

Click to shrink...

There's a drastic difference of seeking self-interest and act two-faced whilst doing so. This wasn't meant as a jab to the whole population of my claim, rather the more notable examples that exist in this world. Its also not to be taken at face value, its simply laying down two options to a kid (who is dead set on doing so) who wants to become a hero. Canon showed us what kind he is, so getting that motivation early on was neccesary.

 

[Amanofmanytentacles]

I'm interested in seeing how his Osmosian power interacts with AFO and OFA.

Edit:
If he can control Eri's power it'll be very useful.

Click to shrink...

AFO and OFA interacting within his body would amount to the world's most awkward family reunion. Since both quirks are somewhat alive and aware, them interacting with each other would be very interesting.

 

[Darwin-18]

You got the chapters in the wrong order.
Also, I believe a single pairing is better.

Click to shrink...

I'll fix it, ty for the heads up

 

[apeljohn]

Good chapter. Also, Bakugou can get fucked with a rusty gardening fork.

I noticed you didn't use it against Kaachan and his friends, only when he got too close before he could react.

Click to shrink...

You've got a couple of Kaachans in your Kacchans. Kaachan is japanese for "mother".

M-Midoriya Izuka!"

Click to shrink...

Waifu: get

I like the chapter as-is, but I'm slightly surprised that the gender-bender didn't change the Izuku/Katsuki dynamic at all. One would have though that beating up a little girl was cartoonishly evil enough to break through either Bakugou's ego or the school's apathy. "Boys will be boys" makes even less sense when one of the boys isn't.

(Not saying it should make a difference, just that ego-driven violence and misogyny are often correlated.)

Should the good Doctors, Paramedics, and the like do be reduced or discounted because they are more personally motivated by the financial benefit or prestige? The line of argument that heroes need to absolutely not be interested in self benefit or self gain and need to sacrifice themselves wholly altruistically never really made sense to me, and honestly seems like a pretty toxic mindset to martyr yourself tbh.

Click to shrink...

I think the issue is with the branding. Heroes in MHA are basically freelance multi-talented first responders. If their job description was appropriate to that role - "Intercessors" maybe? - then it wouldn't matter whether they were motivated by altruism, money, ego, religion, spite, personal growth, bloodthirst, etc etc.

But they're not given a neutral job title; they're specifically called heroes, treated as celebrities, and expected to act as beacons of hope for the world. And, in the case of the big names, they're paid and given liberties accordingly. As such, their moral character is actually relevant.

It's like when a married senior politician is caught sexing up the interns: if he was just a civil servant then it'd be no-one's business but his, theirs, his wife's and HR's, but since he's an elected politician and/or appointed Minister the country has a vested interest in knowing about his penchant for breaking his commitments and making merry on the public's dollar. Because there's not really anyone else able to guard the guards themselves.

 

[Toguro]

He could make Toru Hagakure temporary visible by draining/absorbing her Quirk for awhile right ?

 

[Amanofmanytentacles]

When healed, I think he can extend the time he can use OFA longer and while the "steaming" is decreased. We were shown that at the last drop (or final wiff of the flame) All Might was able go way beyond his limits until it burned out, so he'll be active quite longer in canon until he uses it all up in his final battle. By the story's conclusion, All Might will lose OFA permanently as the next offical user takes up the mantle, whilst being perfectly healthy. Id give it some leeway and have him retain some strengh/speed/durability as such but nowhere near the extent OFA provided.

Click to shrink...

Makes sense he keeps some of the power. All Might held and cultivated One For All for 40 years. He is the longest holder of OFA to this date and even after he passed it on he was still able to keep going with its "cinders". So yeah, I agree that a healed All Might would still be going even with the cinders extinguished, the "ashes" of OFA so to speak.

 

[Darwin-18]

Makes sense he keeps some of the power. All Might held and cultivated One For All for 40 years. He is the longest holder of OFA to this date and even after he passed it on he was still able to keep going with its "cinders". So yeah, I agree that a healed All Might would still be going even with the cinders extinguished, the "ashes" of OFA so to speak.

Click to shrink...

Its unavoidable to help the guy, due to both his injuries and with him overall needed for the story further, healing him will be manageable with say Biological Manipulation or Overhaul's Quirk, so I can for sure see the possibility of him sticking around for a while longer with this boost.

 

[Igeras]

Harem - with it only being Izuka, Ochaco and Tsuyu. Now I'm not saying the other girls are bad by any means, these three are the best possible choices, in my opinion at least

Click to shrink...

Yes , harem please . Also is it possible for you to add himiko toga into the harem , i think she will be a good fit into it , making the mc help(save) her , she's bisexual so she could be one of the things that helps the harem to work out, also it would be funny if the mc show his (female)friends to his dad , from 0 friends to 2(girl)friends xD , just thinking about the dad's reaction , also it would be funny if Inko ships izuka and mc . Also are there other genderbent characters ? Like is todoroki a guy or a girl in this au ? .