Changing Tides

Midoriya Izuku forces his breathing to remain calm as pushes up from the floor of his bedroom. Instead of his hands being placed shoulder length apart they were much further separated, almost fully extended out. 

A wide-push up.

It would help build the muscles of his neck, his upper and lower back and put more strain on his shoulders and chest. After finishing his fifth set he began performing diamond push ups which focused more on his triceps. 

One set became two, and two sets became four. By the time he finished his fifth midnight had rolled around.

Standing up the boy began stretching, cooling down from his exercise before finally laying down. Sighing, he grabs his phone from his bedside counter and checks his alarm; twelve thirty. 

Nodding to himself, he closes his eyes and naps.

It had been three months since Izuku had begun his training and the results were speaking for themselves. At the start he could barely do a single set of push ups and had to do them on his knees.

Now the boy could do a hundred.

Izuku couldn't help the pride blossoming in his chest.

He owed it all to Yagi-Sensei.

Now that summer was coming around, he could spend even more time training. Two months where he didn't have to worry about school cutting in or bullies making his sore body worse.

It was like a dream.

Izuku fell asleep with a smile on his face.

"Ring!~Ring!~"

And it went away just as fast.

With a groan the boy sat up and grabbed his phone, turning the alarm off. Standing up he walks over to his desk and sits down before pulling his back pack from off the floor and unloading his homework along with his textbooks in front of him.

Can't neglect his studies. 

Izuku spends two hours finishing his school work and reviewing lessons before standing up. He stretches again, his back cracking as he does.

He then walks out of his room into the bathroom. Removing his clothes, he steps into the shower and turns the heat all the way up allowing the almost boiling water to cascade over his tired body.

The muscles in his core and legs start to twitch; Heat cramps. a symptom of exercising and then finding yourself in an intense heat filled environment.

Izuku sighs, looks like he needs some electrolytes.

Finishing his shower, he steps out and grabs a towel to dry himself off, he wraps it around his waist and steps out of the bathroom back into his room. He quickly gets dressed, first in a pair of black compression pants, a matching compression shirt, and compression socks.

They were to reduce muscle soreness, increase blood circulation and they felt incredibly comfortable.

He then threw on some athletic shorts and a plain loose red t-shirt before grabbing his phone and pocketing it. Izuku walks out of his room and into the kitchen towards the refrigerator, opening it he grabs a bottle of gatorade before sitting down.

Taking his phone out he scrolls through Hero news sites, looking for anything interesting on the protectors of Japan while he opens his drink and takes a sip.

The minutes pass slowly as he finishes it and when he does he pockets his phone, throws the empty bottle away, grabs a couple new ones and heads out the door. 

By the time he leaves his home it's three a.m.

Izuku climbs down the stairs of his apartment and begins running towards the junyfilled beach. It's about a ten mile run, his best time is an hour and twenty five minutes, so he'll get there by four twenty five. 

That leaves him a good seven hours of work before his mom gets worried and another three hours before she tells him to come home. So overall eight hours of strength training, two hours and fifty minutes of aerobic training and ten minutes to spare.

Back breaking labor but many men do this all day everyday, if they can do that then Izuku could do the same on the weekends.

Yagi Toshinori sits at his large desk in his spacious office at Might Tower, one that seemed way too big for a secretary.

Currently he's reviewing open case files he received from the police, cases where the assailant were known or at least identifiable and their Quirk's were used but little else.

Nothing too mature but still harsh enough to expose Izuku to the realities of Heroics.

At first he thought that only giving the boy a week to review these Villains was too severe but he had hoped that it would get his protégé to slow down his physical training to more manageable levels.

Turns out he underestimated just how intelligent Izuku was. He thought his protégé would give some small insights but with his analysis on these villains, understanding and counteracting their Quirks became much easier and arrests a lot less troublesome.

The boy kept surpassing his every expectation, proving over and over again that Toshinori made the right decision in taking him under his wing.

Though now he had no way to slow the boy's training down… but maybe he didn't need to.

Even after three months he showed no signs of any health issues except for those bags under his eyes that were getting worse… but not much else was seen. He may just need to trust the boy knew his limits better than he did.

If he kept going at his current pace then Toshinori would have to give him his prize a whole eight months ahead of schedule.

The thought made the man smile but after a few moments his happiness dimmed. The whole timeline would be thrown out of whack if he did give Izuku his well deserved reward eight months earlier.

Though maybe his original plan wasn't all that great to begin with. His health wasn't improving and he spent more and more time off the streets and in his office. 

Even if everything went exactly as planned, Toshinori didn't think he could continue Hero work for another three years let alone the five and some change needed before Izuku debuted as a Hero.

And even if he could, the boy would need even more time to make a name for himself with the general public, for them to see him as more than just another Pro Hero.

Toshinori would need to delay the boy's reward by years for the man to remain a Hero long enough for that plan to be viable, which would be at Izuku's deterrent.

No, no he needed a new plan. One that would take advantage of the boy's insane work ethic and all of Toshinori's own vast resources.

A new plan began to form, one that would surely shock the world.

Standing up from his desk, his emaciated form slowly expanded. Muscles grew, his face became fuller, and his eyes glowed with power.

His loose white T-shirt and green cargo pants that hung on him like drapes now fitted him perfectly. 

No longer did Toshinori resemble a skeleton but a bodybuilder. Walking towards the doors, he unlocks them and All Might, the world's greatest Hero exits.

"You… you want me to… to do an interview?!" Izuku yells, he shakes his head, "No! Nope! I… I can't!" He looks at the skeletal man with wide fearful eyes.

"If you really don't want to then fine but

Listen Izuku, this will do wonders in getting your name out there, in getting the public on your side. Right now only a select Hero Academies will accept Quirkless students and none of them in the Hero Course, the only way that changes is by showing off your heroic spirit that you deserve a shot like everyone else and what better way to do that than by showing that you and you alone cleaned this whole beach?"

The shaking boy bites his lip and looks at his shoes, "You think so? But… but why would anyone care? Anyone could be doing this, right?" He closes his eyes tightly. "I mean I'm… I'm just a deku."

Toshinori frowns and pulls the shivering child into a side hug, "Deku? As… in dekunobou, the featureless wooden doll?" He feels the boy flinch against him. "Ah… I remember those hooligans called you that when I confronted them… I think I understand; Those kids call you Deku because you're Quirkless and so like the dekunobou you appear to have no purpose."

Tears fall from the others eyes, he nods.

The man frowns before he smiles, "Do you know why the dekunobou is without any features?"

Izuku looks up with confusion, shaking his head.

"It's because you have to add them yourself, it's designed so the owner can make it whatever they want it to be. In a way, I can see the comparison, you, much like a deku, are blank, and like a deku can become anything. Limitless in potential. I kinda like it."

Izuku's whole body heaves and his silent cries turn loud and ugly. Toshinori tucks the boy under his chin, "it's okay my boy, it's okay."

They stay like that for what feels like forever but eventually the secret symbol pulls away.

"You're a smart, kind, and driven boy. I know if given half a chance that you will become a great Pro Hero but for that to happen then you need every advantage you can get. If you do this interview it can skyrocket your reputation, get people thinking that yes, a Quirkless child can become a Hero, if they have the will to do so." 

The powerless boy slowly nods but his doubt is clear to see.

"I believe in you, with all that I have, so please believe in yourself."

Izuku slowly nods, "O… okay. Okay. Let's do it."

Toshinori smiles, "Good." He pulls away and stands up, stretching out his back.

"So when exactly will it happen?" 

"On Setsubun, so you have to have the beach as close to cleared by then."

 "Alright." He says simply.

The sickly man raises an eyebrow with a smirk, "That's not going to be a problem? That's a whole eight months ahead of schedule.

The boy's eyes go wide, "Well, um, yo…you see… you see, um…" His face fills with panic.

Toshinori rolls his eyes, "You must think I'm an idiot young Midoriya if you didn't think I noticed your accelerated progress."

"NO!" Izuku shouts, standing up, "Of course not, Toshinori-Sensei! It's just… it's just…" He clenched his fists. "If I want to be a Hero like… like you then I need to work hard, harder than anyone else in the world!"

Sighing, he walks forward, placing a firm hand on the boy's wild hair, "Always going beyond my expectations aren't you, my boy? You know I was really worried about how far you were pushing yourself but it seems you're thriving under your own training program." He smiles a little sadly, "I'm a pretty useless sensei, huh?"

"You're not useless Toshinori-Sensei! Without you I would still be dreaming of being a Hero instead of actually pursuing it." Izuku hugs the man, "You've given me the confidence that I can actually live the life I want to." His voice wobbles.

"My boy." The man's own voice shakes, "I have a feeling even if our paths never crossed you would have found a way."

Toshunori's protégé eyes pop put as he remembers something, he pulls away from the hug and rushes to his backpack, pulling a soft wrapped package. "Almost forgot to give you this." He walks back to the man, handing over the present.

"What's this for?" Toshinori asks.

"Well," Izuku scratches his cheek, "I remember from your Professional Hero License that today is your birthday, so…" 

The other's eyebrows raise up high before he shakes his head, "I don't know why I'm surprised, of course you'd remember such a little detail." Tearing the package open he holds an electric blue long sleeve compression shirt.

"I hope you like it, I've bought a few for myself and they really help with pain. Hopefully it can relieve some of yours."

"Really?" He lets out a small hum.

Izuku nods, "Yeah, they also help with blood circulation encouraging muscle health."

Toshinori gives a nod of his own, happy for such a thoughtful gift, "Thank you, young Izuku."

"You're welcome… ol.. old Toshinori." The boy stutters with an embarrassed but a pleased smile.

The number one Pro lets out a startled laugh, blood sputtering out, "Good one." He wipes his mouth with his forearm. "You know since you know my birthday, it's only fair I get to know yours."

"Ah, I guess that's fair, it's July fifteenth."

Toshinori gives a pleased nod, "Expect a gift that'll knock your socks off then."

Izuku shakes his head, "N..no, you don't ha–"

"Nope, its too late. I've made up my mind."

"Bu…but–"

"Sorry, can't hear you. I'm thinking about what to buy you, maybe… yes, yes you'll surely love something like that." Toshinori rubs his chin, nodding as he does.

"Toshinori-Sensei!!"

Izuku hums as he makes a rich protein meal; an edamame salad with a mango matcha smoothie. This soybean based dish was not only good for protein but also fiber and many essential nutrients while the drink would energize him.

Grabbing his meal, he sets it down at the kitchen table and digs in.

He's almost halfway done as he hears the door to his apartment.

"I'm home." Midoriya Inko greets, she steps out of her shoes and walks down the hallway into the kitchen.

"Hi mom, how was work?" Izuku asks, turning away from his food and looking towards his mother.

Inko is a small but plump woman who stands at five foot-three. She shares Izuku's forest green hair and eyes though has a clear complexion.

Around her neck was an expensive looking camera she used for her job as a fashion photographer.

"How was auntie Mitsuki and uncle Masaru?"

The woman hums as she opens the refrigerator and grabs a bottle of water, "Their fine, sweetie."

"Good." Izuku nods and continues eating, as he does he doesn't notice his mother looking him over with a somewhat critical and worried eye.

His once twig-like arms were almost three times their previous size, his shoulders while still narrow bulged with strength, and his legs were almost the size of his head.

He even gained a few inches. Now standing at a respectable, for his age, five feet.

"You've been working out alot haven't you, Izu? You're not overdoing it are you?" 

The boy doesn't look up from his meal, "I'm being careful mom, don't worry."

"I'm your mother Izuku, it's my job to worry about you." Inko smiles tightly, "It's just that you've been gaining so much muscle in such a short time… and you have such deep bags under your eyes, how much sleep have you been getting?"

Izuku tenses, "I've been getting enough and I've never felt better." Which wasn't a lie, sure he's only slept two hours a day for the last three months and been working out at what almost feels like twenty-four/seven but he never felt so strong, so confident. "If I'm going to be a Hero, mom, I need to be strong; like All Might always says if you're going to do something give it all you got and then some."

"Izu…" His mother looks at him sadly.

The powerless child finishes his meal, when he does he stands up and walks over to the sink, setting it down. He turns back around and gathers his courage, "I know you don't believe in me but I'm going to be a Pro Hero." Izuku doesn't wait for his mother's response as he turns away and goes back to his room.

He's going to be a Hero, even if it's the last thing he does.