Chapter 10: A Mother's Wrath
"How was your college experience more insane than my time in The Academy?" En asked. He sounded somewhere between baffled and offended at the idea.
"David." Toshinori nodded sagely, as though that explained everything. Maybe it did. "That incident in particular actually helped prepare me for a real nasty villain I faced in Wisconsin…"
Time passed in a blur. The vast majority of it had been spent listening to Toshinori recount the highlights of his life and hero work outside his pursuit of All for One, all involved happy to avoid the unpleasant topic. Izuku had been delighted to hear about some of his encounters with Star and Stripe during her early days.
Torino had occasionally poked in to heckle his old student, but for the most part had been oddly quiet.
Unfortunately, all good things eventually come to an end. After hours of conversation, Toshinori began to flicker, wisps of golden flame drifting from his skin. He leapt to his feet with a yelp, twisting around to look at as much of his body as possible. "What's happening?"
"It kind of looks like the opposite of what happened when you first arrived." Izuku murmured, transfixed by the corona of golden fire that was forming around his mentor. "It probably means you're waking up."
Toshinori blinked at him, then slapped himself in the forehead. "I had an alarm set for 6:00am. Damn. "
Nana floated from her seat to land in front of Toshinori. "Hey, at least you can both come back, right?"
"Whenever we can make it happen." Izuku confirmed. "Toshinori shouldn't be a problem during the week, given I can slip him some of Boon easily enough-"
"Hey!" Nana put on a frown about as convincing as Torino's imitation of innocence. "I thought I called dibs on the weekends!"
"We'll work on that." Izuku conceded with a smile. "But Torino might be a bit harder, given how far away he lives from UA."
"Fuck that." Torino called down. "I'm not just going back to boring-ass retirement now that things have gotten interesting again. I can probably talk Nezu into letting me guest instruct now and then. My teaching days are far enough behind me that there shouldn't be too much trouble."
"...I feel like Danger Sense should be going off." Izuku muttered.
"Right there with you, my boy." Toshinori whimpered. "He's going to make sure none of you respect me ever again."
"If you make it easy for me, that's your fault!"
"Sorahiko, be nice to Toshi!" Nana called in a way that made it clear this wasn't a new request. "I already mentioned the potato gun incident to Izuku. I can arm him with more than enough to ruin your reputation too."
"Yes Ma'am."
Izuku stared at the contrite Gran Torino, then at Nana's sweet smile. "That's kind of terrifying."
"Yup." Toshinori agreed as his skin briefly flickered gold. "Crap, I probably don't have much longer in here."
Nana turned from Torino to wrap her arms around Toshinori as best she could. "It was amazing to see you again, Big Guy. I'm so happy you got to live your dream, even if… even if it all went so wrong at the end."
Toshinori engulfed the much smaller woman in his arms, then once again buried his face in her hair. "I got to see you again. I think things are going great right about now, All for One's zombie ass be damned."
Nana snorted, but didn't say anything.
For a moment, a peaceful quiet descended over the group. Then, there was a golden flash from the sky.
"Well, looks like we're both heading out now." Torino grumbled. "Probably for the best, we have quite the day ahead."
Nana gently extracted herself from Toshinori's grip, then floated up to the edge of her realm. Above her, Torino conjured a stack of boxes, then jetted up to stand atop it. They each pressed a hand to the barrier, as close to touching as they could get.
"Keep an eye on the brat while I'm not around, eh?" Torino asked. "You were always the sensible one."
"I was, yeah." Nana agreed. "It's a miracle we made it as far as we did."
"Ain't that the truth." Torino snorted as he slowly began to turn transparent. "It was good to see you again, Airhead."
"You too, Old Man."
Torino groaned. "It was bad enough when you called me that in my 20s. Now I actually am one, and it somehow feels worse."
"You'll just have to live with it." Nana laughed.
"I suppose I will."
En, who'd watched the goodbyes from his position on the ground, chose that moment to stand.
"I'd like to thank you all."
Nana turned to look at her predecessor, one eyebrow raised. "Oh?"
En nodded. "It was… you told me many times about the life you lead while my team kept All for One busy. It was good to know their plan worked, and that a One for All user's life wasn't completely dominated by the shadow of All for One looming over them." En swallowed harshly, then tried to duck his face behind his collar. It took him a moment to remember he wasn't wearing his coat, and he flushed slightly before he continued. "But seeing the home you lived in. Meeting not just your successor, but your friend. Seeing you all together. It helps make it all feel more real, as opposed to hearing it from yet another person All for One killed in the end."
En took a deep breath as he looked around himself. "So thank you all, again. For letting me sit in on this. For showing me just what their sacrifice bought." Tears began to form at the corners of his eyes. "For proving my team right."
Toshinori stepped forward and clasped En's shoulder with a glowing hand. "Thank you, for turning them into such fine heroes. I aspire to do the same for my students, despite my…" Toshinori grimaced. "Admittedly poor start. Perhaps I can ask you for suggestions, some time?"
"I think I'd like that." En smiled after a moment. "Maybe we can get Kudo in on it, start wearing away at some of his distaste for you."
Toshinori nodded soberly. The golden flames surrounding him flared upwards for a second, and his eyes flashed a luminous white. He grit his teeth, then looked towards Nana in the sky. "I'll… Visit… Soon."
"I look forward to it, Toshi." Nana smiled softly. "Just keep them as visits, will you?"
"That's… The… Plan." Toshinori raised his hand, waved it weakly, then burst fully alight with golden fire. His features blurred and became indistinct, and his ethereal hand fell to hang limply by his side. The vestige blurred away, likely returning to its seeming default position on its throne in the core.
"Well, I don't think I can manage that flashy of an exit, but I think I'm out of here too." Torino said. He and his bubble of reality looked as if it were made of stained glass, and he was hard to pick out unless he moved. "Take care, Nana."
"You too, Sorahiko." Nana patted the barrier, then slowly began to descend. Torino nodded, then let out a sigh. He and his realm vanished in a small flash of gold, leaving behind an unadorned sky of flowing black. As she touched down, Nana turned to look at Izuku. "You're heading out as well, I assume?"
Izuku nodded. "I'm heading home today, which means I get to explain all of this to my mother."
Nana blew out a long breath. "I can kind of understand where he was coming from, given he thought All for One was dead. But man, suggesting you leave your mother in the dark on One for All has to be one of the worst ideas he's ever had. And he apparently decided to drop himself into a weaponized super toaster to turn it off instead of just punching a hole in it."
"Yeah, I don't see this going great for anyone involved." Izuku agreed. "But it's what has to happen. No use wishing we'd done it differently now."
"True enough." Nana sighed, then stepped forward to wrap Izuku in a hug. "I know we've been throwing around a lot of 'Thank you's' today, but here's another. This has been the best day I've had since I woke up in One for All. Nothing could ever have gotten close, and I seriously doubt anything ever will again."
"You're welcome, Nana." Izuku returned the hug. "Thank you for helping me through everything that's happened in the past few days."
"Gladly." Nana pulled back. "Now get out there and keep Toshi and Sorahiko in line. I'm stuck in here, which makes you the voice of reason by proxy."
"M-me?" Izuku gulped. "I don't think that'll go well."
"Give yourself some credit, kid." En said. "You're handling all of this better than most of us probably would have."
"If you say so…" Izuku gave En a somewhat wobbly smile. "I'll do my best."
"Good." En put his hands into his jacket pockets even as they formed. "Take care, Izuku."
"Will do."
Izuku cast his focus outwards for a second, letting it touch on all the intertwined chords within One for All. 'Thank you, everyone, for tonight. I appreciate the help in both setting things up for our guests, and for the help in training.'
A chorus of responses rolled in, along with well wishes for the day ahead from Yoichi and Daigoro. Then, Izuku focused his intent on two chords in particular.
'Thank you both for letting him have this.'
'Even if I don't like some of the choices he's made, the man deserves to have something nice happen for all the good he's done.' Kudo grumbled. 'I'm not heartless.'
'Nah, just a bastard.' Bruce added.
'And?' Kudo challenged.
'Just saying.' Bruce chuckled. 'We're glad things went well, kid. We wouldn't have caused a scene-'
'You wouldn't, maybe.' Kudo grumbled. 'We both know my temper.'
'I wouldn't have made a scene.' Bruce amended. 'But I'm not going to complain, given I got to relax in an actual bed for the first time in over a hundred years, instead of one of the abominations from the compound.'
Izuku didn't hear Kudo say anything, but he felt a muted sense of agreement roll through his chord of power.
'I'm glad to hear it.' Izuku said. 'Maybe next time I can introduce you properly, even if it might not be a pleasant interaction to start.'
'Your optimism is adorable.' Bruce huffed. 'But I would like to meet him, even if Kudo decides to postpone the apocalypse a bit longer. I won't be nearly as bad as him, I guarantee it.'
Kudo didn't respond.
'...well.' Izuku wasn't entirely sure what to say. 'Thank you both, regardless.'
'No problem, kid.' Bruce said as he pulled away. 'Best of luck.'
Izuku blinked in surprise as his connection to the Second and Third user was cut.
'Huh. Apparently there really is a mute button.'
Izuku opened his eyes to the light of dawn and clothes that were alternately crunchy where they'd been exposed to the air all night, and damp where they'd been trapped between him and the bed. 'Oh, delightful.'
He rolled himself off the tattered comforter, gathered a set of fresh clothes from the bag that still hung from the corner of the desk, and made his way into the hall. From the thumping sounds he heard from Toshinori's room, it seemed he was up as well, but Torino's room was still silent. Izuku gently rapped his knuckles on Toshinori's door.
"Is it alright if I grab a quick shower?"
"By all means, my boy! Wore yourself out before the party, I take it?"
"Yeah. I wasn't sure if Boon would snap me out of it. I'm honestly not sure it changed anything."
"Well, the effort was appreciated." The door swung open to reveal Toshinori in one of the loose fitting golden suits he usually wore at UA. Though he was back to his gaunt self, there was an energy to him that made Izuku's breath catch in his throat. Toshinori's smile was wider, his eyes were brighter, and a tension that had seemed a permanent fixture of his existence had eased. "I just received an update from Nezu on the Dorm project, and they're coming along quite well. He suggested we meet your mother at UA to discuss One for All, given it's a much more controlled environment than an apartment complex. If all goes well, we can discuss where she might fit into UA afterwards."
"That sounds perfect! I'll shower quickly."
Izuku spent the entirety of his shower cursing himself. Bits of him were still slightly sore from his spar with Torino from the previous day, and he wanted few things more than to just stand in the omnidirectional spray for another minute or ten. He didn't let himself, though he mourned the loss as soon as he turned the water off.
After a quick check in the mirror, Izuku was pleased to note that many of his bruises had begun to fade, though the worst of them were still a mottled green. Thankfully, the shirt he'd grabbed was long sleeved, so the worst he'd have to worry about his mother seeing were the small bruises on his knuckles.
Dirty clothes bundled under an arm, Izuku stepped from the bathroom and nearly tripped over Torino.
"Oh! Sorry Torino, I didn't see you there."
"Don't worry about it, kid." Torino grumbled.
Izuku did a double take at the complete lack of heat in the elderly man's voice. Torino watched him with heavy eyes that still showed hints of red. He looked exhausted, despite the fact that Izuku knew he'd been asleep all night.
"...Are you ok?"
"I'm fine." Torino huffed, but crumbled almost immediately under Izuku's disbelieving stare. "Fine, fine, that was bullshit. We both knew it. You don't have to look at me like that."
"Is it because of last night?" Izuku asked. "I'm really sorry you couldn't-"
"Zip." Torino pinched his fingers together, and Izuku immediately snapped his mouth shut. "I'm not upset with you that I couldn't interact with Nana like Toshinori could. I already said what I got was more than I ever could have hoped for. I'm just… really feeling my age, right now. And seeing some of my more glaring mistakes in even clearer detail."
"What do you mean?"
Torino absently rubbed his arm as he stared past Izuku into the main room. "Toshinori. Last night was the happiest I've seen him in a long time. It's not surprising, really. I was the happiest I've been since her death too." Torino sighed. "He told her so many things. Stories from America. The occasional fun thing he let himself get away with once he returned to Japan. And I realized something."
"What?" Izuku asked gently. He'd never seen Torino like this. Even last night, he'd seemed happy despite the moment of tears he'd caught. Now, he seemed nothing short of despondent.
"I didn't know damn near any of it." Torino glanced at Izuku, his eyes glossy. "Sure, he told me a few things, but… it was almost always because they intersected with something relevant to our hunt for All for One. We didn't have the bond he and Nana shared, back before she was killed, but we were still close. Then… she died. And part of us did too."
"Grief can strain relationships." Izuku offered.
"It wasn't the grief that strained things. It was me." Torino bit out. "Toshinori wanted revenge. I tried to beat it out of him, because I wanted it too but we weren't strong enough to take it yet."
Izuku fell quiet.
"I was always the harsh one. The taskmaster. Nana could be rough with him too, but her soft spot kept her from really drilling the lessons home." Torino sighed. "When she was around to ease things, we could work around that. Once she was gone… I just kept getting harsher. Once he graduated and went to the states, I stayed here and destroyed my life. Broke it off with Chiyo in the hopes All for One wouldn't care about her. Quit my job at UA because Toshinori wasn't there to teach. Went underground to keep working with less of a traceable footprint. It all seemed like the right thing to do at the time."
Izuku blinked, then surreptitiously raised a hand to cover his mouth. 'Ask about the part with Recovery Girl later.'
"But then Toshinori came back a new man. Larger than life. More powerful than I could have imagined. And I…" Torino stopped for a moment. "I was the same person, just worse. I pushed him hard, because I wanted revenge. We both did. But then, all of a sudden, we had All for One in our sights. It took years of constant effort, but it hardly felt like any time at all before we were mobilizing to take him down. Except…"
Torino lowered his head.
"I was the one who set Toshinori up to fail."
"What?" Izuku asked before he could think. "That doesn't-"
"All for One baited Toshinori by playing on his desire for revenge. He taunted him with Nana. Stoked his rage. Then, while he had Toshinori blinded, he sprung his trap. Gutted him like a fish. It was only Toshinori's pure, unadulterated stubbornness that let him pick himself up and take All for One down."
"...oh."
"Yeah." Torino rubbed at his face. "I started to realize just how much I'd fucked up right around then. Then I fucked it up even worse by supporting the suggestion he retire after his injury."
"In fairness, that was probably the sensible thing to do." Izuku offered weakly, even as he reeled at the idea of All Might retiring so much earlier. "It would have caused other problems, but for Toshinori's health, you weren't wrong."
"Oh, I know. So does he. But he wasn't concerned with his health. Never has been. And me suggesting he retire? Give up? ME? " Torino scoffed. "I was the one who'd driven him on for all those years. Only reason I'd tell him to give up was if I thought he couldn't do it anymore. He took it as a damn challenge . I don't think he'd have retired on the spot if I'd have shut my damn yapper and let the others do the talking, but he might have slowed down a little. Actually taken the time to recover as best he could."
Torino spun and kicked the wall. His foot bounced off, and he hissed.
"But no. He pressed onward. I got out of his way. We barely spoke for years. Then I came along and poached his student because I didn't think he was teaching right. " Torino growled. "And yes, I know I was right about that too. But I could have done things in a way that wasn't basically a slap to his face."
Torino turned his back to the wall and leaned against it. He slowly slid the short distance to the ground and hung his head.
"And even after all that, I didn't fully get it. It wasn't until last night, where the three of us slotted back together and everything was wonderful, that I really realized just what had been going wrong all these years. That I was the one who'd pushed everyone away." Torino's voice got progressively quieter as he spoke, until he ended in a whisper. "And I don't know how to fix it."
Izuku stood frozen for a long moment, stunned into complete silence. Torino remained equally still, staring through Izuku as if he weren't there. Carefully, like trying to approach a skittish animal, Izuku crept towards Torino and sat against the wall next to him.
"You could try telling him all this." Izuku suggested. "He might have heard part of that anyway."
"He's getting breakfast." Torino huffed. "And in case you didn't pick up on it, I'm a grumpy old codger who's so emotionally constipated it took more than half my life to realize I was the problem. You're just the unlucky person who gets to deal with the emotional diarrhea that came after." Torino let out a short, sharp laugh. "You seem to be dealing with an awful lot of that recently, between what Toshinori mentioned I slept through, Nana, and myself. The three of us should be paying you for your time."
"It's been an… eventful… few days." Izuku agreed. "As far as fixing things go… you said that last night showed you what you've been missing. I wouldn't be surprised if Toshinori feels the same way. Maybe that's your opening."
"Wedge myself back into Toshinori's life now that you propped open the door?" Torino raised an eyebrow. "I think he'd let me do it, if only because he doesn't want me to try and kick his ass for saying no. But that doesn't seem like a good way to go about it."
"Less wedge yourself in and more stand by the open door and see if you get an invitation. " Izuku clarified. "From my perspective, it's pretty obvious you both care. Given the opportunity, I think he'd like to give you a chance."
Torino stared at him for a while. In the dimmed light of the hall, the wrinkles on his face looked deeper than they had before. For the first time, Gran Torino looked as fragile as his age would suggest.
"Maybe I can give that a try." Torino said as he looked away. "Sorry to lay all this at your feet after everything you did to make the reunion happen. We old folks shouldn't be doing this to you when your plate is already so full."
"Heroes help people who need it." Izuku said. "And a Hero is all I've ever wanted to be."
Torino considered him for a moment before a small, genuine smile crawled onto his face. "And you'll make a damn fine one, Izuku. If you don't mind me calling you that."
"Thank you. And absolutely, To-"
"Call me Sorahiko, kid." Sorahiko grumbled as he clambered to his feet.
"Sorahiko it is." Izuku smiled as he stood as well.
Just then, the door to Toshinori Yagi's office swung open, and the man himself appeared with a large tray in his hands. "Who wants breakfast?"
After a split second of hesitation, Sorahiko's face lit up. "Taiyaki?"
Toshinori rolled his eyes, but grabbed something off the tray with one hand and flung it their way like a frisbee. Torino jetted forward to intercept, caught the treat in his mouth, and sailed out into the main room.
"Wooo Taiyaki!"
Toshinori laughed raucously.
'They'll be just fine.'
Nana pulsed.
Izuku gaped.
"Young Izuku?" Toshinori asked. "Are you alright?"
"Uh." Izuku managed. "Um?"
"Use your words, Zygote." Sorahiko grumbled as he clambered from the back of the car. "What's got you all- Oh. Well damn, the Rat's still got it."
"Ah, I see." Toshinori nodded as he walked around the front of his car. "They've made remarkable progress, haven't they?"
"IT'S BEEN, LIKE, TWO DAYS!" Izuku found his voice, and promptly used it as loudly as possible. "HOW ARE THEY ALMOST DONE BUILDING THE DORMS?!"
"Nezu." Sorahiko said, sagely.
"Nezu." Toshinori agreed.
"Nezu!" Nezu joined in as he pushed through the double doors of UA's parking lot entrance. "I just received word from the front gate that Mrs. Midoriya will be arriving-"
"IZUKU!"
Toshinori was nearly flung over the hood of his car as Inko barreled through him to tackle her son. Izuku barely kept his footing as she wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his chest in a move alarmingly similar to Nana's meteoric hug. Toshinori apparently noticed the similarities as well, as he stared at her for a moment before chuckling.
"Are you ok, Izuku? Are you still hurt? You haven't been straining yourself after your fight with… with…" Inko swallowed, and Izuku caught the glimmer of tears on her cheeks. "With that nasty villain, right?"
"Uhhhh…" Izuku froze, resisted the urge to make sure his sleeves were still down, then stared directly over his mother's head. "No?"
Inko pulled back and stared at him.
'Tenya gets full slack for not getting anything past Tensei.' Izuku decided. "Recovery girl healed me up when she came to the hospital after the incident. I was fine before I even left. I kept training because I didn't want to waste the rest of my internship, but I didn't do anything while I was injured from fighting Stain."
Inko seemed to waver for a second at the use of Stain's name, but recovered quickly. "Well I'm glad to hear that. How did the rest of…"
Inko trailed off as she peered intently into Izuku's eyes. She gently grasped his chin and turned his head so the sun wasn't in his face, then gasped. "What happened to your eyes?!"
"That's due to one of the developments with my Quirk." Izuku responded quickly. "We'll tell you more about it soon."
"OH!" Inko finally seemed to remember there were more people present than just her and her son, and she spun to face the bemused Toshinori. "I'm so sorry for running into you, sir! I just saw Izuku and… and…"
"It's quite alright, Mrs. Midoriya." Toshinori chuckled lightly. "You're far from the first person I've seen rush to check on a loved one regardless of who or what was in the way. My name is Toshinori Yagi."
"A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Yagi." Inko bowed, as did Toshinori. Next, she turned to Sorahiko, and bowed again, though more stiffly. "You're the hero Izuku was interning under, correct?"
"Sorahiko Torino, formerly and currently the hero Gran Torino." Sorahiko said. "I apologize for my shortcomings during the internship. I should have ensured he was where I'd left him as soon as I dealt with the Nomu that attacked our train."
Inko blinked in surprise. "You fought one of those monsters?"
"A weaker one." Sorahiko waved a hand dismissively. "For all that he shouldn't have been involved in the mess, Izuku acquitted himself exceptionally well in Hosu. Assisted in the rescue efforts, then only engaged in combat to save two more lives. You've raised a fine young man."
Sorahiko's words appeared to mollify Inko somewhat, which was a relief. It seemed Sorahiko could navigate social interactions without threats of violence or deliberately confusing people after all.
Finally, Inko turned to Nezu. "You'd be Principal Nezu, I believe. Thank you for inviting me to visit UA."
"Am I a dog, a mouse, or a bear? Regardless, I'm pleased to have you here!"
"Um." Inko blinked. "You kind of look like a stoat?"
"Another delightful possibility!" Nezu squeaked. "Now, if we could proceed to my office, we can address the several reasons behind your invitation."
"The dorms being one?" Inko asked, shoulders slumping. She glanced in their direction, then did a double take. Izuku followed her gaze.
'...did they add another floor while I wasn't looking?'
"Indeed! I do hope I can convince you of their merit." Nezu said. Toshinori pulled open the doors, and Nezu led the group inside. "UA has spared no expense in improving our security since the incident at the USJ, and these dorms in particular will be equipped better than most bank vaults. We've even secured the clearance necessary to utilize Dimensional Frequency Resonators, such as those used in high security prisons to prevent teleporters from getting in or out."
"I should hope so. Things seem to be getting…" Inko gripped the hem of her sweater. "...Bad again. I haven't heard of so many large scale attacks since before All Might took the Number One spot."
It was a good thing Inko's focus was on Nezu, because Toshinori's steps faltered for a moment.
"We will see to it that our students are protected." Nezu assured her.
Inko nodded stiffly, then turned to Izuku. "So, how was the rest of your internship, sweetie?"
"It was amazing!" Izuku gushed. "I've made so much progress with my Quirk! There's… uh… kind of a lot going on with it. But the part I think you'll be most excited by is this!"
With a flexion of will, Full Cowling ignited across his body. Inko startled slightly, then examined him closely. A wobbly smile graced her lips before she clasped her hands over her mouth.
"You glow! It's like what happens when I use my Quirk on something!"
Izuku blinked, then glanced down at his arms. "Yeah, actually. I hadn't considered that before, but it does kind of look like Attraction's glow."
"What does it do?" Inko asked. "Other than lighting up a room, that is."
"It's a smaller and evenly distributed form of my super strength." Izuku said. He smiled as his mother's eyes went wide and watery. "I can finally use some of my power safely."
This time, when Inko slammed into him, she had all the impact of a feather striking a wall. He gently wrapped her in a hug, and he knew her tears were those of joy and relief. Hopefully that moment of happiness would help her handle what she was about to learn.
"This is my office." Nezu said as he pressed a paw against the wall. The door swung open smoothly, and he waved everyone in.
Izuku guided Inko to a seat while Nezu settled into his chair behind his desk. Toshinori took up position behind the principal, then awkwardly crossed his arms. Torino hopped up to sit on the far corner of the desk, while Izuku stepped back to stand at its side.
Inko eyed the formation warily. "I get the impression that this won't be a simple sales pitch. You're SURE nothing else happened after the incident?"
"Well…" Izuku rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. "Nothing after this incident . "
Inko cocked an eyebrow and crossed her arms, clearly unimpressed. "When, then?"
"...after the Sludge Villain incident?"
"A year ago?" Inko's other brow rose to join the first. She glanced at the men next to Izuku warily. "What does that have to do with the Principal of UA, your Internship Mentor, and…"
Inko trailed off as she stared at Toshinori. "I'm sorry, but how exactly are you involved with my son?"
"I was… present for the Sludge Villain incident. Afterwards, I offered to train him in preparation for the UA entrance exam."
"Oh! The meal plan, and the exercise equipment!" Realization flashed in Inko's eyes, then she glanced at Izuku. "I thought you said you'd gotten those online?"
"He didn't mention me at my request. My identity is something of a secret." Toshinori said, then raised his hands in surrender as Inko began to rise from her seat. "In retrospect, I realize that was a particularly suspect sounding mistake. Correcting it is a large part of our meeting."
Inko settled back into the chair, though her stormy expression remained. "Then I would recommend doing so quickly . Who exactly are you, Mr. Yagi?"
"Someone in a unique position to help Young Izuku achieve his dreams." Toshinori said, then gulped when Inko's eyes narrowed further. "I'll just get to it then. Please try to stay calm."
Inko leaned back in her chair, crossed her arms, and glared at Toshinori.
In a flash, All Might stood in the room.
Inko continued to glare.
"I'm All Might."
Inko continued to glare.
Delicately, Izuku stepped forward and waved a hand in front of his mother's face.
Inko continued to glare without so much as a twitch of a response.
"She might need a minute."
Once Inko had recovered from her fainting spell, thankfully before Nezu overrode Izuku and called Recovery Girl, the explanation had begun in earnest. It had gone relatively well, in that Inko hadn't leapt across the desk to throttle Toshinori where he stood. Instead, she'd maintained a mostly blank expression despite the escalating absurdity of their story. She hadn't interrupted. She hadn't even spoken. She just listened.
She remained quiet for a time once their combined retelling of recent events had come to a close. The silence was ominous.
"To recap. You trained my son, in secret , with the express purpose of arming him with your Quirk. A Quirk which, as it turns out, was horribly detrimental to Izuku's wellbeing." Inko grit out with all the warmth of an Arctic winter's night. "Rather than inform me of its origins, I was kept in the dark to protect him and myself from some nebulous threat. As such, I was unable to properly support him through what was no doubt a particularly stressful point in his life."
"It wasn't-"
"I'm talking to All Might, sweetie." Inko turned a cheery smile Izuku's way that was chillingly out of place. "I understand why you went along with everything. I just need to make sure I'm understanding his point of view."
Izuku gulped and retracted his hand. 'Sorry, Toshinori. I tried.'
"Now then. Gran Torino stepped in after you couldn't properly teach my son how to use this power with which you were deeply familiar. As a result, Izuku has finally found a way to use it without…" Inko bit her lip for a second. "Without nearly crippling himself when he does so. Which is a marvelous, wonderful, incredible thing."
"Really, he figured it out himself." Sorahiko hesitantly added. "He's a smart kid. I just had to shift his perspective a little."
"My Izuku is a brilliant boy." Inko agreed. "Which somehow didn't keep him from running off into an active combat zone the moment he wasn't supervised to pick a fight with a serial killer ."
Izuku raised a finger.
Inko smiled at him.
Izuku lowered his finger.
"I'm not even going to get into the madness of the magical generation spanning super Quirk being haunted, or its ability to redistribute Quirks. I know a fair bit, but I'm nowhere near educated enough in the nature of Quirks to have anything productive to say on the subject."
Nezu made a small sound of approval.
"But the other thing the Quirk comes with is an ancient madman hell bent on retrieving it ." Inko hissed. "A madman capable of crippling All Might himself, and surviving what everyone in the know believed to be a thoroughly lethal injury."
If looks could kill, Izuku was fairly sure they'd need a new Symbol of Peace much sooner than expected. The potent silence both dared a response, and warned that any attempt at speech would invite swift retribution.
Toshinori squared his shoulders and met Inko's glare. "A madman I believed I had killed for six years before I even considered the possibility of finding a successor. Had I found any indication of his survival in that time, I wouldn't have chosen a successor from among anyone outside the top 100 heroes without excellent reason. Had that been the case, I feel I'd have done the world a disservice by denying Izuku the chance to be a hero, but at least he would be safe."
Izuku went rigid, but held his tongue. The feeling of Toshinori's hand as it gently squeezed his shoulder helped somewhat, but he'd still caught his mother's attention.
Inko took a deep breath, eyes fluttering closed. "I would like to speak with All Might alone for a moment."
"Mom, I'm a part of this whether you like it or not. I'm not-"
"EVERYONE OUT!" Inko roared.
Izuku was outside the office before he realized he was moving. Sorahiko skidded to a stop just past him, a look of mixed surprise and respect on his face. Izuku spun to find Toshinori just inside the door, alarm clear on his face and Inko's hand knotted in the back of his shirt.
"NOT YOU!"
The handle of the office door glowed green for a second, then it slammed closed with a force that rattled Izuku's teeth.
Silence.
"I do believe…" Nezu mused aloud, which startled Izuku. He hadn't realized the principal had left with them. "This is the first time I've ever been kicked out of my own office."
Toshinori stared down at the short, green embodiment of wrath that currently had a hold of him. He couldn't fault her for her rage. Hell, he agreed with quite a bit of what she was saying. But Izuku was his successor, and for all that he wished the boy could live free of All for One's shadow, he knew he could have never found a better person to pass his power to. His mistakes didn't change that.
Inko released his shirt and began to pace. The office didn't afford her too much space to do so, but he stepped out of her way so she could make the best of it. As she passed, Toshinori caught the quiet sound of her furious muttering, the words inaudible but the tone crystal clear. Finally, she stopped and once again turned to face him.
"My son has looked up to you since he found the video of your debut when he was three. Hell, he outright Idolized you for the majority of his life." Inko ran her fingers through her hair with such force she mostly dislodged her bun, but she didn't seem to notice. "You were the start of his desire to become a hero, and the desire to be like you is something that drove him onward through the worst parts of his life. Even when he was diagnosed as Quirkless. Even when I broke down and apologized that he couldn't, instead of supporting his dream."
Inko choked up, and Toshinori had to forcibly crush the instinct to try and help. That wouldn't do anything good at the moment. She didn't want his support, she wanted to know he was paying attention . That was something he'd been critically deficient in of late.
Inko recovered herself, then continued. "Then, after years of struggling against a world that didn't believe in him, you come along. The hero he looked up to the most. The hero damn near EVERYONE looks up to the most. And you tell him that he can be a hero! All he has to do is train under you in secret, and accept the Quirk he can't tell anyone anything about." Inko's voice edged into hysterics. "Except, once he does and discovers that the power in question actively destroys his body , YOU DON'T HELP HIM! He struggled on his own, trying to figure things out in the dark, unable to talk to anyone about it except the people who already knew, through you . I would bet every yen I have to my name that he didn't speak to them, because he didn't want to disappoint you, or to tarnish your name."
Toshinori winced. 'That… sounds like Izuku. Had he spoken with Nezu or Chiyo, they'd have at least mentioned the conversation took place unless he'd made them promise not to. Even then, they'd have tried to pull the strings for something to change. They… probably thought we'd already dealt with the issue by the time the Sports Festival rolled around, right up until he broke himself again.'
Inko stared at him, gaze continuing the assault her words had begun.
"Why?"
Toshinori considered for a moment. "Why did I choose him, or why did I fail him so completely?"
"The latter. I'll decide if you keep your tongue long enough to tell me the former."
'Feral indeed.'
"Unfortunately, I lack any adequate explanation." Toshinori admitted tiredly. "At first, it took me largely by surprise. When I received the power, I was immediately able to use it without harm. To my knowledge, the same had been true for each of my predecessors. I suspected it might prove difficult for Young Izuku, but I certainly didn't expect the degree of injury it caused."
Inko's eyes widened and her nostrils flared, but Toshinori continued anyway. "Afterwards, it was simply my incompetence. I incorrectly believed that Young Izuku would adapt to the power, and would soon wield it with little issue. I was so blinded by my experience, my belief that it would work out as it had in the past, that I failed to consider that it might not." Toshinori slumped. "Then my old teacher swooped in and set Izuku on the proper path. I… realized then, in full, how much of a damn fool I had been."
"You realize you're not making yourself sound any better with this, yes?" Inko growled.
"I'm well aware." Toshinori agreed. "The truth reflects poorly on me. I won't shy away from that. I'll face whatever consequence you see fit, so long as they do not prevent me from ensuring Young Izuku remains as safe as possible, and receives the training he needs."
"And what, exactly, do you deem necessary to keep him safe?"
"I won't leave UA, even if you feel I must step back from teaching him personally. My presence is too much of a deterrent for criminals, All for one Included. I will accept needing to interact with Izuku privately only under your supervision, but I won't agree not to see him at all. I will not abandon him ." Toshinori said forcefully. Then, his face darkened. "I will ensure All for One is dealt with , even if it costs me my life. There will be no miraculous return this time. "
Inko flinched slightly, but her gaze never stopped boring into his soul. Toshinori lay himself bare before it. "I failed Izuku before. I will not do so again."
"You genuinely care about him, don't you?" Inko sighed, almost as if she were disappointed by the revelation. Or that such an admission meant she wouldn't be ripping out his tongue. "Why did you choose my son in the first place? I know you saved him from the Sludge Villain. Was it something to do with that?"
"That day, he reminded me of what it truly means to be a hero." Toshinori admitted. "For a long time, I'd been letting my ideals go. My life was a ruin, my health a travesty, and all I had left was the scant few hours of time I could spend as All Might each day. It was horrifyingly easy to forget who I was when I wasn't running around the country like I had in my prime. Then came Young Izuku, so earnest in his desire to help simply because someone needed it."
Toshinori smiled wistfully at the memory. "That, more than anything, was what convinced me he would be the right person to give One for All to. That kind of genuine, unwavering heroism is painfully rare, and the sheer intensity of it…" Toshinori felt his eyes prickle with unshed tears. "To deprive him of the opportunity to achieve his dream, to deprive the world of the hero he could be? That would have been a greater mistake than I could ever make up for. Young Izuku was born to be a hero, Mrs. Midoriya. He's a marvel, and some day he'll be a greater hero than I could ever hope to be. I've only become more sure of that with every passing day."
Toshinori shook himself from his reverie, and found Inko staring at him. Unlike before, however, the heat in her eyes had been replaced by a stream of tears. She blinked as they gazed at each other, and her tightly pressed lips wobbled.
"It would be so much easier if I could just hate you for what you did. For the danger you put him in." Inko whispered. "But then you go and see the same thing I do in him, when nobody else ever bothered to take a second look."
Inko lowered herself shakily into a seat and pulled a handkerchief of her own from her pocket. She dabbed at her eyes, though the action was futile in the face of her continued tears.
"I've been torn on Izuku being a hero for most of his life. It was so obviously what he wanted, and he was so passionate about it. But at the same time, I wanted to keep him safe from the world. I know the kind of dangers Heroes can face. I've seen the casualty reports. That's not the kind of thing any parent wants to send their child into." Inko whispered. "And it was made all the worse when things started to go wrong around Japan again. The crime rate slowly rising. Heroes doing less. Then came the Hero Killer, the USJ invasion, and now the attack on Hosu."
Inko's watery gaze rose to meet Toshinori's. "I'm old enough to clearly remember what life was like, for civilians and for heroes, before you came back from the states. The staggering crime rate. The disastrous attacks. The death tolls." Inko choked down a sob. "Before, I was worried that things might be inching back that way, and I was terrified Izuku would have to contend with a fraction of what I experienced as a child. Now, though? Now I know your retirement is almost here, even though I don't think Japan is ready for it. And I know for a fact that Izuku won't just be one of the ones to face that down, he'll be leading the charge in your stead."
Carefully, Toshinori moved a chair so he could sit across from her. His gangly self looming over her wouldn't help anything.
"I'd like to think things will be better off after I retire than they were before. I don't doubt that things will get worse for a time, because unrest follows on the heels of change. But I believe that other heroes will step forward to help fill the gap I leave."
Inko looked up at him, and a flash of her former heat returned. "How much attention do you pay to the average, every day hero?"
Toshinori blinked. "I can't say I keep up with many of them. On occasion, I might look into an up-and-coming hero when they catch my attention; I still remember Miruko challenging me to a street brawl when I stumbled upon her during her internship with Foxfire. But… I can't say I'm particularly familiar with much of the rank and file."
"I can't say I expected you to be. I'm sure that you're quite busy, between your agency and the time you spend teaching. And, in fairness, some of this may just be my anecdotal experience." Inko sighed. "But after the heroes on site bungled the Sludge Villain incident for so long, I started noticing things. At first, it was small things. A few heroes lounging here and there, who might have been on a break. A hero not responding to a call for help because they saw another already on the move. Things that unsettled me a little, but were easy enough to dismiss. But then…"
Inko pulled out her phone, and rapidly began typing. After a moment, she showed him an article from a website he was distantly familiar with.
"...The Dark Wards: The Places Heroes Forgot." He read the title aloud. "That sounds awfully dramatic."
"It goes over the correlation between the relative wealth and registered population size of certain areas, and how well patrolled they are by heroes." Inko explained. "Obviously, somewhere with a small population size is going to have fewer heroes. But some areas that have a higher population of poorer citizens, even in areas of large cities, can see far fewer heroes than even those remote small towns. Even if they have disproportionately high crime rates, fewer heroes patrol because doing so garners less attention."
'That… can't be right.' Toshinori frowned as he scrolled through the article. He was fairly sure that the publication it was from had been known for its stellar journalism the last he was aware of, but he hadn't paid it much attention. As he scrolled, he noted the assorted graphics that highlighted various assertions by the author. Each had a laundry list of citations, which he'd have to dig into at another time. On the surface, though…
"This is… disturbing." Toshinori glared at the phone. "When I first returned to Japan, the poorer areas were where I focused my initial efforts. I never told the media, but I grew up in an area like that. It's where I met Nana, my predecessor, as well."
Inko blinked at him in shock. "You?!"
Toshinori hummed in affirmation. "There's probably a record somewhere of some half feral blond thug who went around slums trying to hit villains with a bat. Really, it's a good thing Nana showed up when she did, because I'm fairly sure I had caught the attention of the Yakuza by that point. Not that I'd actually managed to do anything meaningful to them at that time."
Inko's jaw worked for a while as she stared at him.
"I'm sorry." Toshinori winced. "I made this about me."
"N-No! No. It's a-alright." Inko stuttered. "It's just… shocking to have you tell me something like that so casually. The public really doesn't know anything about your past."
"That's by design." Toshinori grunted. "But you're far more than just some member of the public, now."
"So I am." Inko sighed. "Though hopefully the public won't know that for a long, long time."
"Agreed." Toshinori nodded, then passed her back the phone. "Back to what you were saying?"
"Of course." Inko nodded. "There are other articles covering a range of issues, from the increasing number of 'Celebrity Heroes' who treat the job as a means to garner attention with minimal heroic work, to a general decline in the proficiency of active heroes. The last one is a bit shakier than the rest, but reflects my personal observation with an alarming level of accuracy."
Puzzle pieces were snapping together in Toshinori's head, and he did NOT like the picture they were forming. "You're saying that the relative peace of the last decade has made some heroes complacent."
"To a degree." Inko agreed hesitantly as she watched him warily. "While many of the upper ranks of heroes still reflect a more heroic attitude, I worry about how many of the lower ranks would remain if their safety net disappeared."
Toshinori frowned. "For all that I've tried to hide it, I've been doing less and less heroics work ever since my injury. The difference between my 50 minutes a day, a non-zero amount of which is dedicated to teaching at UA, shouldn't be enough to so completely undermine the heroics industry. It'll be a blow, sure, but Endeavor surpassed me in Yearly Cases Solved back before my injury, at least going by the HPSC's records. He might not be able to cover distance like I can, but-"
"Endeavor has a fine track record of cases solved. But you seem to be overlooking something."
Toshinori raised a brow.
"You make people feel safe." Inko said gently. "The idea of you standing between me and danger feels a great deal safer than Endeavor looming above me with that glower of his, even if it's aimed at a criminal."
Toshinori frowned. "Be that as it may, Endeavor is legitimately a more prolific hero than I am right now. How people see him doesn't change that fact."
"People see you as being almost everywhere and nigh invincible despite the fact that you're apparently only active for less than an hour a day, because that's the image you've crafted." Inko pointed out. "Like it or not, how people perceive the strongest heroes is important. Villains worry you'll drop out of the sky on them whenever they commit a crime. Heroes believe you'll always be there to bail them out if something goes wrong. Civilians know no disaster will be a complete loss, because you can sweep in and save the day. Do you think any of them would feel the same about Endeavor? Anyone in the top 10? Anyone at all?"
Toshinori stared at the small woman in front of him, and found he had no answer. He considered the stricken look he'd seen on Tensei's face just the day before, when he'd revealed his expected retirement. The flash of horror and hopelessness the young former hero had buried just barely too slow to hide it from Toshinori's experienced eye. The way he'd jumped at the opportunity to help prepare Japan in any way he could, as though it were something even more urgent than Toshinori himself believed it to be.
"You've made some exceptionally compelling points, some of which have completely recontextualized things I thought I understood." Toshinori sighed.
Inko looked up at him, her shock clear. "I did?"
Toshinori blinked. "...You didn't think you were?"
"No, no. I hoped I was. I just…" Inko flushed. "I didn't think you would really listen to me? I'm just a civilian stay-at-home mother who started looking into some of the pitfalls of her son's career path. It's not like what I've done is all that special."
"The information might have been out there for me to find, but that does me no good if I never found it. Considering how busy I've been for…" Toshinori considered. "...basically my entire career, I didn't fully consider the negative impact I might have had. That revelation comes distressingly late, but perhaps not so late that nothing can be done."
Inko nodded firmly. "That's one of my conditions, then."
"Your conditions?"
"For allowing you to continue training Izuku." Inko sighed. "I know he wouldn't listen to me if I tried to stop him at this point. While I'm still deeply unhappy about all of this, I recognize that you and UA represent the best chance he has to stay safe. So, I'll agree to his continued attendance, and to the Dorms, so long as you agree to a few conditions."
"Name them." Toshinori didn't hesitate for a second. "I'll honor them to the best of my ability."
"Firstly, there's what we were just discussing. I want you to do what you can to find any weak links in the heroics industry before your retirement, then continue working on any that remain afterwards." Inko said. "Secondly, I want to supervise any extracurricular training between you and Izuku, or with Gran Torino. I want to make sure Izuku isn't being mistreated in a way he can't see past his respect for you."
"Done and done." Toshinori agreed instantly. I'll set a subsection of my staff on research duty as soon as possible, and begin considering my options once I feel I have a working understanding of the issues."
Inko nodded. Then, some of the cold sternness in her demeanor thawed. "Thirdly, don't sacrifice yourself in order to defeat All for One, if at all possible."
Toshinori's agreement lodged in his throat as he registered what she'd asked. "What?"
"I want you to live." Inko said, a flash of concern behind her eyes. "Is that so shocking?"
"I suppose not, but…" Toshinori sighed. "It will be no simple task to defeat All for One. I suspect he's in nearly as bad a condition as I am, given he hasn't personally launched an attack. But I was also certain he was dead the last time. My life may be the least I have to sacrifice to defeat him, and I'll do it without hesitation if it'll keep Young Izuku safe."
"I appreciate the lengths you're willing to go to for his sake. But you mean more to Izuku than even I know. Your death might ensure his life, but his life would be diminished by your death. For the sake of his happiness, please try to live."
Nana grew smaller in his vision as her push propelled him backwards. He saw her look back, saw her lips move, but couldn't hear her. Sorahiko slammed into him, pushing them both further away from Nana. His throat hurt from words he hadn't consciously yelled. Nana was barely a dot. The wind howled. He screamed. "Mom-"
Fushigi Island exploded.
Toshinori blinked, and he was once again looking at Inko, rather than living his worst memory. He unclenched his fist carefully, hopeful that she hadn't noticed his lapse.
"I will try."
Inko nodded her acceptance. "If I determine further conditions are necessary, I'll let you know. But these should be the most important ones."
"Fix the hero system, let you sit in on training sessions, and kill the strongest villain in history for the second time without dying." Toshinori mused. "That second one sounds like a doozy."
Despite herself, Inko let a single small laugh slip out. "I'm sure it's well within your abilities."
"It had better be." Toshinori agreed. They settled into a silence that was less awkward than he'd been expecting, but was still uncomfortable. "Should we let the three of them back in?"
Inko blinked. Her eyes darted past Toshinori to the empty desk, around the rest of the room, then back to him. Slowly, she turned beet red. "...Oh dear."
Izuku watched on as his mother bowed feverishly to Nezu even as she apologized profusely.
"Really, Mrs. Midoriya!" Nezu chuckled delightedly. "It's quite alright! If anything, that has to have been one of the most compelling applications I've ever had the pleasure of receiving!"
Inko continued bowing for another few seconds before she came to an abrupt stop. "...Application?"
"With the transition into a dorm school, we've opened up a number of positions at UA. While Ectoplasm has volunteered to handle as many of them as he can until applicants can be vetted, there's only so much even he can do. Among the most urgently needed personnel are Dorm Building Supervisors." Nezu explained. "Considering your background in home economics, the circumstances surrounding Izuku and yourself, and your demonstrated ability to command a room when needed…"
Inko flushed scarlet once more, but her focus remained laser focused on Nezu.
"I would like to extend you a preliminary offer for the 1-A Dorm Building Supervisor position, contingent on a quick interview we can have shortly." Nezu continued with a wide grin. "Between you and me, though? You'd have to work exceptionally hard to talk me out of hiring you at this point. I find myself quite impressed already."
Inko blinked. Her jaw worked. Then, a radiant smile broke across her face, even as unshed tears once more glistened in the corners of her eyes.
"I would like that very much!"