chapter 18

1 month and an half for the entrance exam in February, School starts April and everything seems to be coming to an end, students are seen in the streets having fun or heading to cram schools for their final exams.

Izuku is having one of his normal days, walking to school like every other student, a feeling of emptiness filling him up, like something was missing on his life, something that he lost somehow, but Izuku couldn't remember what.

That day he had a calming dream, he couldn't remember much, but there were happy laughs, smiles and it filled Izuku's heart with a warm feeling.

Izuku sat at his desk, just like he always does every school day, cleaning his desk from the scribbles someone left there to make fun of him, making sure the flowers someone gave him didn't die, somehow Izuku this day felt nostalgic, and a small voice appeared in his mind.

Izu.

That made a smile appear on Izuku's face, even if it was a small one, no one called him that since he was 4 years old.

The sound of a small bell rang, and as if a motor memory Izuku stood up, and called in a soft calm voice, "Welcome.", which made every student in class look at him strangely.

The teacher walked into the class, a stack of papers in his hands, and Izuku felt a shiver ran down his spine, Something is not right, Izuku called in his mind, Something is really not right, memories of faces Izuku never saw appeared on his mind.

A blond girl, with her hair in buns, a addicting smile on her face and shiny golden eyes, fangs poking out of her mouth.

I know her...

A young adult, with pitch black hair, face and body riddled with burn scars, blue eyes that told thousands of tales.

I know him...

An adult, blond hair and a scar on his forehead that looked like he was splitting apart, and an unshaven beard, making him look tired and lost.

Why do I know this people?

A little girl with silver long hair, a horn poking out from her forehead, piercing red eyes, that looked everywhere as if afraid of the unknown.

How did I know them?

One homeless looking guy, black hair laying on his shoulders, eye-bags under his dark eyes, a sleeping bag sitting on his lap.

From where did I saw th--

A picture of them together with Izuku fell into his mind, the blonde girl on Izuku's back, a big smile on her face, the young adult laughing in the corner of the room, the blond adult with the little girl on his shoulders smiling and snickering for themselves as they saw the two kids playing together, the homeless looking man besides the young adult, sitting on a table with some papers, seemingly working, but a smile crept into his features.

I do know them!

Izuku got up, What am I doing here? Izuku walked out of the class, nobody spoke a word, as if not programmed for this kind of situation, I need to get back. Different moments of them together played on Izuku's mind, small tears fell from his eyes, as the world around him started to crumble, Why am I here?

"This was supposed to be different." A female voice that Izuku couldn't place started, "The pillar is falling, and its power is not on the hands of who should have it." A faint image of a woman started forming, a caring smile on her face appeared as her features started forming, "Even after having everything taken from you, you still found a way to be true to yourself."

"Who are you?" Izuku asked, slightly confused, but soaking every word coming from her mouth.

"Listen, Young Midoriya... I need you to search for that man." A pause started as the woman placed an hand on Izuku's head, "All for One is starting to move again." She said, and a terrible feeling crept onto Izuku's back.

"We--" She began again, as 7 other figures started forming behind her, "-- Need you to be a hero."

Izuku took a step back, placing his hands on his head, "No." He shook his head, "I'm not a hero. I will never be." Izuku glared at the woman, sadness, regret, so many emotions passing through them, "I'm not fit to be one."

The woman laughed, "But you still help and save people." Izuku stopped, as he payed attention again, "You don't need to take the hero name. You just have to do what you want." Izuku looked at the other shadows, some forming slight silhouettes. "We know that either way, you will try to help as many people as you want."

"But how? How can you say that? E-even All Might told me it was impossible. The #1 hero told me it was impossible." Izuku cried out.

"But what does he know about you?" The woman interrupted, "You change the people around you. You correct the paths of those who strayed from them." The woman crouched down, looking right into Izuku's eyes, "Tell me, what is a hero?"

Something struck into Izuku's heart, as a piercing feeling made his way deeper into him, "Someone who helps. Someone who guides those who don't have a place to belong. Someone who protects without asking for something in return."

The woman got back up, and took some steps in the direction of the other silhouettes, "Then I think you have your answer already. The one who has the power to stop that man is someone close to you, he his straying from his path, correct him, and help him stop that man's plan."

"Can I really do it? Do you believe I can do it?"

"Who else could be? You are the one that in the future could be called the greatest hero." Izuku's vision started getting blurry, he extended his hand out, not really sure what would happen, "Don't you have a family to return to?" The woman looked at Izuku again, as he felt all 7 pairs of eyes on him, "Search for Gran Torino, tell him that his friend is asking for help, and how to deal with One for All."

"One for All?" Izuku asked now confused, Did she mispronounce All for One?

"You will get you answer with him." She said as everything faded to black.

As Izuku felt his eyes open, "Shimura Nana." The small boy mutters as his eyes blinked away the drowsiness. Then one of the silhouettes came to his mind, from the darkened image, spiky hair, and a clothing design resembling bombs, "Kacchan..."

Looking besides him, he saw his alarm clock, 4:23 am, not wasting time he got up, opening a laptop he used for work, searching for the names he now knows.

Shimura Nana, a hero from before All Might made his debut, considered one of the strongest heroes around, fell in the line of justice against a great threat.

Gran Torino, a hero that worked in U.A., Izuku didn't find much more than that online, but if its U.A. Izuku know who to ask.

All for One, one of the most prominent rumors about the dark world of villainy, a villain that appeared when the quirks started showing, with the ability to take and give quirks, he became the brain of villainous organizations, and even ruled over Japan, or so the rumor goes, but Izuku knows that Nezu can give him more information on that.

Picking up his phone, Izuku noticed the time, 8:45 am, and called a number, "Yes..." a voice came from the other end of the line.

"Chizome, I need your help."

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2 more weeks passed since then, Izuku finally received the authorization to step into U.A. grounds, and now out of his cafe he can start the questioning.

Stepping inside Nezu's office, he his met with a skeleton of a man, one that he knows to well. "All Might." Izuku snarls, but Izuku pretty much doesn't hate the man anymore, yes, the man destroyed the world as he knew, but thanks to him, he met Toga and the others.

"Y-Young Midoriya." All Might stutters.

"So, Izuku, what do you need from me?" Nezu starts, a smile on his face as always, "I brought All Might as requested too."

Izuku smiled, "Great, there are some things I want to know."

Nezu smiled, "I'm always happy to answer! After all, you accepted to be my personal student starting next year." Izuku sighed at the mention of it, as much as he know Nezu, he also is aware of his sadistic tendencies.

"First, I would like to come in contact with Gran Torino. I know he worked in U.A., but can't find more about him." Izuku started, clearly noticing how All Might flinched, and started trembling after the mentioning of the name.

"W-W-Why d-do y-y-you wa-want t-to e-enter in con-contact with Sen-Sensei?" All Might stuttered his way into the conversation.

Only moving his eyes towards the man, "I need to talk with him about a thing, and need to meet with him personally for it."

Nezu nodded, "That can be arranged, I will contact him and send you his location."

Izuku let out a breath he didn't know he was holding, and continued, "Also, Shimura Nana, I w--"

Izuku was stopped by All Might as he entered his muscle form, glaring at the boy, "How do you know that name?"

Izuku was a bit taken aback, but decided to continue what he was saying, "I want to know about her, and her connection with All for One, him being another thing I want to know."

Nezu sighed, his expression changing, scaring Izuku, as he is not used to Nezu changing from his smiling face, "I will have to ask. Why do you want to know about them?"

Izuku looked down, as if ashamed, "A dream." He murmured in a low voice.

"I'm sorry what?" Nezu asked for confirmation.

"A dream." Izuku said with a slightly more loud voice.

"Can I know what this dream was about?" All Might asked, making him receive confused glances from Izuku.

"I'm not sure... That's why I'm asking." Izuku looked flustered as he started, "She started talking about a falling pillar, then about someone who received a power that weren't supposed to, then how I should be a hero, and how I am a hero--" Izuku's breaths started to quicken as he started panicking, "--then asked me to stop All for One and then this other people appeared too, there was all this strange feeling in me, then asked me to look for Gran Torino and something about One for All,--" Izuku was about to pass out from the breakdown he was having, not really sure why it was happening, "I-I'm--" He grabbed his shirt by the chest, "-- not--" He fell to his knees as tears started running through his cheeks, "-- a hero." As Izuku gasped out the final words, he felt himself pass out, not long after, he felt the coolness of the tiled floor, as his vision darkened.

Without delay, Nezu called Recovery Girl as All Might brought the small boy to the infirmary.

As Izuku was sleeping in one of the beds, the three adults started a talk, "Sleep deprivation." Recovery Girl started, "He probably didn't sleep in the last week, maybe two... He is just tired, and needs rest."

"I already called Aizawa, he should inform the others in the cafe, and he will take him home after too." Nezu informed.

All Might's vision fell into the boy, "What did he mean by, 'someone who received a power that weren't supposed to', the boy even knew about One for All."

"This are questions that need to be answered, but we can't pressure the boy." Nezu concluded, "Either way, he needs rest, we will have our questions answered at a later date, I will contact Gran Torino, and inform him about the situation at hand."

"Why does this kid reject the idea of being a hero so much?" All Might questioned himself out loud.