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Izuku finished his explanation of his plan to the others. They all agreed it would work but they would need to wait for the right moment. Kacchan had to get out of there so All Might could fight at his full power.
Something in the back of Izuku’s mind scratched at him. He ignored it, focusing instead on the battle on the other side of the wall, hoping to spot an opening. They all watched as All Might fought All for One and Kacchan dodged around the league members so he wouldn’t get dragged into the portal.
All Might jumped back from All for One. “It’s rough, isn’t it? To be these creatures called ‘heroes,’” All for One taunted. All Might grimaced as Kacchan blasted away from the villains once more. Clearly, frustrated with his inability to get Kacchan out of there.
Then suddenly All for One began to laugh. Loudly, maniacally, it was bone-chilling and Izuku couldn’t suppress the way it made him tremble as dread pooled in his stomach. “Someone unexpected is here.” Izuku could hear the smile in All for One’s voice even though he couldn’t see his face. All for One turned towards the wall they were hiding behind. “Are you done playing Heroes and Villains, son?”
Izuku’s blood ran cold. He knew that voice. He had been trying to ignore the part of his brain screaming at him that he knew that voice. He hadn’t heard it in years, but he knew it. How could he forget?
“Son, you should come out. I know you have already met Tomura but he has gathered so many comrades you should meet. I’m sure you will like their quirks, if nothing else. He even brought little Kacchan,” he said, saccharine sweet.
Izuku took an involuntary step forward. He needed to run and get out of here. He needed to get Kacchan away. He needed All Might to not know. He needed to face the man that had abandoned him. Izuku had two very bad choices.
Izuku took another step forward. Todoroki grabbed his arm. Izuku met his eyes, determined but terrified. His father wouldn’t hurt him. Izuku knew that much even if that overwhelming pressure was back. Todoroki’s eyes were wide. “No,” he breathed, shaking his head, disbelieving.
“He won’t hurt me,” Izuku said to Todoroki, trying to smile but it was more like a grimace. He removed Todoroki’s hand only for Iida’s hand to grab on his shirt. Izuku met his gaze. “He won’t hurt me,” he repeated. Izuku watched as the same horror of what he was saying dawned on Iida, his arm going slack as it fell to his side.
Izuku took several steps away from his friends and then punched a hole in the wall. Eyes snapped to him. No one moved, no one said anything. Izuku forced himself to walk across the battlefield until he stood in front of his father. He glared up at the man he hadn’t seen in years.
The father he remembered had curly hair and freckles like Izuku’s own, now he wore a mask over his entire face making him unrecognizable. He always liked to wear suits, he had said that suits made the man, made him more intimidating when he needed to negotiate. Izuku didn’t want to dwell on the meaning of that now that he knew his father was a villain. He had loved old prequirk era movies and comics. Obscure ones where the line between heroes and villains was always shaded in grays instead of black and white. He loved quirks as much as Izuku did and always told Izuku he could have any quirk he wanted. The thought of it now, looking up at his father, at this villain , nauseated Izuku.
“Izuku,” he said and his voice dripped in fondness. Izuku wanted to punch him but that wouldn’t work, he needed to get Kacchan out of here.
“Young Midoriya?” Izuku flicked his eyes over and saw how sad All Might looked. Izuku returned his gaze back at the man he knew was his father.
The tension was like static in the air. Buzzing against his skin making all the hairs stand up. Everyone was still waiting for someone else to make the first move. Even Kacchan and the villains had stopped fighting. He needed a plan, All Might wouldn’t have an endless amount of time and he needed every bit of strength he had. First, Kacchan needed to be out of here.
“You left,” Izuku meant for it to come out angry but it came out more as a choked sob. “I was nine . You left and never came back. Now I find out you are actually alive and- and a supervillain?” The tears were rushing down his face but Izuku ignored them.
“Your Uncle was always an angry crier too,” his father said with melancholy. “I couldn’t come back, Izuku. Look at what All Might did to me,” he said fiercely, waving at the mask he had on, fully covering his face. Gently he added, “I am here now. Go with Tomura, he will-”
“No!” Izuku cut him off. He shook his head, “No. No. I don’t care what you want. I am here for Kacchan and that is all.” Izuku glared up at All for One, daring him to disagree.
“What the fuck do you mean you are here for me,” Kacchan yelled. Even surrounded by villains he was still angry at Izuku. Good.
“I’m here to save you,” Izuku said to Kacchan.
“I don’t need help from a shitty Deku and I definitely don’t need help from a shitty villain. I always knew something was wrong with you. Turns out your shitty father is a villain. Should've guessed a quirkless freak like you would’ve gone to a villain to get a quirk,” he sneered.
“Now, boys,” All for One chided but Izuku ignored him.
Izuku ground his teeth, he needed this to work. “Yet it was you , who the villains decided to kidnap,” he snapped back knowing Kacchan wasn’t going to like that.
Kacchan launched himself at Izuku. Screaming, “Because you helped them.” Izuku had always admired Kacchan and looked up to him since they were small. Kacchan always won and would one day be an amazing hero. But at that moment Izuku felt all his anger at how Kacchan had treated him. Izuku wanted to punch him more than ever.
Izuku didn’t move as Kacchan came careening towards him. He took a defensive stance and watched as Kacchan started his trademark right hook. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw All for One beginning to make a move. He hoped All Might would do something. Izuku couldn’t get Kacchan out of here and protect him at the same time.
All Might punched All for One in the side, sending him flying into a building, stopping whatever his plan had been. At the same time, just before Kacchan hit him, Izuku moved to the side, grabbed Kacchan’s arm, and threw him over the wall he had been hiding behind. An explosion went off out of sight but Kacchan didn’t reappear.
Shigaraki screamed something incomprehensible at him and Izuku could hear the rage. He jumped and dodged as Shigaraki’s charged at him with an outstretched hand. Before any of the others could make an attack Gran Torino was there, kicking them and knocking them out.
“Gran Torino!” Izuku yelled.
“Brat? What are you doing here?”
Izuku didn’t have a chance to reply as a giant glacier of ice appeared and then Iida was flying across the sky. “Midoriya-kun!” he yelled.
Izuku didn’t hesitate, he used as much of One for All as he safely could and jumped.
Once on the ground, they ran until they reached the train station. Unable to board the train, Iida wrapped Izuku in a quick hug. Izuku could feel Iida trembling and felt like he should say something. Anything. He felt weirdly numb and couldn’t think of what to say. Instead of saying anything, he hugged him back.
Iida pulled away with a “Please never do that again.” Izuku shrugged numbly. He didn’t want to promise anything, not right now. Iida clapped him on the shoulder and squeezed. As they moved through the crowd Iida kept a hand on him at all times. Ensuring they didn’t get separated.
Iida called Todoroki and confirmed they had gotten away unharmed and were being given evacuation instructions by the heroes. Izuku stared at the large screen, watching as All Might fought All for One, fought his father.
Kirishima and Yaoyorozu took Kacchan to the police while Todoroki met up with Izuku and Iida in a park. Todoroki immediately gave Izuku a once-over. “Are you hurt?”
Izuku shook his head, unable to say anything. What could he say? His mentor’s secret had been revealed. He was the child of a villain, the ultimate villain. All Might was going to want his quirk back and Izuku would give it back. He understood. He should have stayed quirkless. If he had known he never would have accepted One for All. Izuku was going to be quirkless again. He couldn’t stay at U.A. He would lose all his friends. What would happen to him? His mom? Kacchan wasn’t going to stay quiet about this.
Izuku wasn’t sure when he started crying. “You aren’t your father,” Todoroki said.
Izuku’s breath hitched and he began to cry harder. “He’s a- He’s a villain,” he choked out. “And All Might...” he nearly wailed, unable to complete the sentence.
“Midoriya,” Todoroki said, pulling him into a hug. Izuku tried to pull away from him but Todoroki held on tight as Izuku sobbed.
Todoroki loosened his arms enough so that he could look into Izuku’s eyes. “You want to be a hero, don’t you?” Izuku nodded weakly. It wasn’t going to be possible anymore. No one would ever allow it. “You don’t have to be a prisoner of your blood,” Todoroki said with certainty.
Izuku’s knees gave out and he fell to the ground. Todoroki went with him, never letting go. Before he knew it Iida was at his side, wrapping his arms around him too. Izuku wasn’t sure how long they stayed there holding him as he cried. When no more tears would come they took him home.
“Are you sure you don’t want one of us to stay with you?” Iida asked when they were outside Izuku’s apartment.
Izuku shook his head, “No, I think I need…” he trailed off, unsure of what he needed, what he wanted. He wanted this to not be real. He wanted to wake up from this nightmare.
“Call us,” Todoroki said as he grabbed Izuku’s hand and squeezed. “For anything.”
“Yes,” Iida agreed with an arm chop. “Whatever you need Midoriya-kun.” Izuku nodded.
After they departed Izuku rang the doorbell and was greeted by his mom. He collapsed onto his bed and passed out wondering what would happen next and if he had made the correct choices.
The vibrations of Izuku’s phone woke him up. Upon seeing the message he threw on his shoes and dashed out the door with a ‘Later’ as his mom called after him.
“All Might!” Izuku yelled when he saw All Might on Dagobah Beach. “All Might!” he yelled again as he ran towards him. Izuku was overwhelmed with how glad he was that All Might was okay. He came out of that awful fight alive! “All Might!”
“Texas smash!” All Might yelled as he punched Izuku. He fell to the ground and remembered that of course, All Might would react this way. “You really don’t keep your word, do you? Everything was almost in vain, you know. Jeez, who do you take after?” All Might said angrily.
Izuku cupped his aching cheek. All Might was saying he took after All for One. He was a villain’s kid, the child of All Might’s nemesis. All Might had fought and been injured by his father, twice. Of course, he would punch Izuku. He deserved this. He deserved so much more than this.
Izuku turned his face away from All Might, unable to look him in the eyes as he pressed harder on his aching cheek. “I’m sorry.”
“Young Midoriya, I am effectively retired.”
“I’ll give it back!” Izuku said.
“Huh?”
Izuku pulled out a hair and held it out to All Might. He kept his eyes on the ground. He didn’t dare lookup. Izuku didn’t think he could bear whatever look All Might likely wore. Disgust? Betrayal? Something worse? Izuku couldn’t look.
“You can take it back, or tell me who to give it to. I won’t keep it. I wouldn’t have accepted it if I had known. I’m so sorry.” The tears Izuku had been trying to suppress began to flow. “I didn’t know. I’m sorry. I-I didn’t know he was- he never- he left and… I didn’t know.” Izuku clutched at his chest, twisting his shirt in his hand. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know. Sorry. Didn’t know he was- he was a villain. I’m sorry. I’m sorry,” he babbled. Izuku knew he couldn’t make this right but he still wanted All Might to understand he hadn’t deceived him on purpose.
Izuku flinched, expecting another hit, as All Might gently pushed away the hand holding out a hair. All Might’s unbroken arm wrapped around Izuku’s head. “I was so happy...” All Might said. Izuku’s eyes flew open. All Might was squatting down in front of him and he looked so relieved. “...when you got out of there without getting injured.”
All Might pulled him in closer and Izuku let himself be pulled. “I don’t care who your father is. You’re my successor. Let’s keep working hard together.”
Izuku wrapped his arms around All Might, grabbing his shirt to hold himself steady. “A-All Might, I-” he cried.
“Young Izuku, it’s okay. I am here.”
Izuku finally let himself go and screamed out all his anger and frustration as he cried onto All Might’s shoulder.
Izuku had thought he had run out of tears earlier in the day but they kept coming. It felt like hours until he was able to stop and calm down. They sat on the beach, All Might had Izuku pressed against his side with his unbroken arm wrapped around Izuku’s shoulders. Izuku still felt like he should move away, like he wasn’t allowed to be here but he didn’t have the strength to actually pull away. They watched the waves roll in and out.
“My body cannot fight anymore. From here on out, I will devote myself to raising you,” All Might said into the silence.
“Can I even be a hero anymore?” Izuku asked, his voice small and wavering.
“You're already a hero,” All Might said without a hint of doubt. Izuku had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from bursting into tears again. “But if you mean the logistics of everything? Leave it to me. I’m not going to let them hold you back.”
“But he-he hurt you.”
“He did.”
“And he’s my father.”
“He is,” All Might agreed again.
“Then-then, how?”
“Young Izuku, you aren’t your father,” All Might said simply.
Izuku was struck with how Todoroki had said those same words to him earlier in the day. The message Izuku had broken so many bones over to make Todoroki understand he was his own person. Now, Izuku was having the same issue. Maybe Todoroki could offer some advice.
Izuku nodded slowly. “I’m not.” He still didn’t feel like he deserved this. He still felt like he needed to give One for All to someone else but maybe it wouldn’t last forever. With All Might and his friends telling him otherwise maybe he could learn to believe their words. Izuku had always wanted to save people with a smile and he still wanted to do that, regardless of who his father was.
-Omake-
Toshinori took his seat. All for One was strapped down, guns trained on him, completely contained behind the glass. Locked away in Tartarus to never be free again. Toshinori only had one goal, to make things clear. Any information he might get would be a bonus but that was not why he was here.
All for One dominated the conversation. Rambling in a way that caused Toshinori to really see the resemblance to Izuku. Now that he knew it was there it was more obvious than ever. But where All for One was evil and uncaring Izuku was good. This man may have raised his successor for a time but even he was unable to turn Izuku’s heart away from the light.
As Toshinori stood to leave, All for One said, “How’s my Izuku?”
Toshinori smiled, “He isn’t yours.” For the first time that smug look dropped from All for One’s face. “We had to check, you know. I would've protected him either way but now I don’t have to because he is not yours.” Toshinori fished a paper out of a pocket hidden in his costume. “I suppose you cannot read this but it’s the DNA results proving he has no relation to you,” he said nonchalantly.
“All Might, time’s up. Please leave,” came through the speakers a second time. Toshinori took one last look at All for One's shocked face and left.
Toshinori had not liked the idea of falsifying the test but Nedzu had been right. This was the best way to protect Izuku. He was glad Nedzu took protecting the students so seriously.
Bakugou had told the police and the information had spread too fast for them to contain. A DNA test that proved Izuku was not All for One’s son was the best protection they could offer. No one could claim he was related to a villain if the DNA test said otherwise. Hopefully All for One would no longer have an interest in him either.
Toshinori prayed no one would discover it had been faked.