A/N: So this is something that I've wanted to do for a while. I've just never had the time to really go through with it. University takes a lot of time! I wish that this site had more tags, because this story is about more than romance and adventure. But that was the best I could find for it. This is also cross-posted on A03.

Chapter 1

Falling

"So can you be a hero? I'm sorry kid. Not without a quirk."

Izuku Midoriya stood stunned on the rooftop. The world fell to black around him. The young boy's head fell, eyes wide. Oddly enough, no tears came.

'You're just a quirkless loser!'

'Just a shitty Deku!'

'Worthless!'

'Don't even try to get into U.A!'

'Without a quirk, you can't be a hero'

'Just take a swan dive off the roof of the building!'

'I knew it. They were right all along…' Izuku clenched his fist as tears welled in his eyes. He heard the mumblings of a voice. But it was in his peripherals, it was just noise. Izuku's ears were ringing, his breathing becoming erratic. Izuku leaned his hands on his knees, bending over. The young boy tried to focus on something, anything. Izuku's eyes darted around, trying to find something that could bring him out of his panicked state.

At some point, All Might had left the roof. Not like the young boy really cared anymore. He had just been told that his one dream in life was foolish and could never be obtained. Izuku felt like his heart was tearing into pieces. The words his mother told him so long ago ringing in his head again. Izuku began to hyperventilate.

'I'm sorry Izuku!'

Izuku felt hopeless, useless, like nothing mattered in the world anymore. The green haired boy looked upon the city he was so familiar with. He had grown up here. While Tokyo was very close, they hadn't traveled there a whole lot. He and his mother preferred to stay here where it was a bit quieter. Although the idea of moving to another school without his local bullies was appealing, Izuku knew that worse ones would just replace them. Izuku looked down and realized that he was leaning on the railing at the edge of the rooftop. A solid ten story drop awaited him.

'It would be so easy… Just one jump and it would all be over. I can finally stop burdening the world with my uselessness.' Morbid thoughts echoed in Izuku's head. It sounded like his voice, only much more sinister and filled with self-hatred. He watched as pedestrians milled about directly below him. Rushing to get to work, spending time with loved ones, out for a day of shopping.

None knew of the turmoil the boy above them was suffering.

'Take a swan dive off the roof of the building!'

Izuku's childhood bully's words echoed in his head again and again. Maybe he was right. Maybe if he just jumped, then he wouldn't be such a burden to everyone. Izuku continued to stare down the drop, the distance seeming to stretch the longer he looked at it.

'Not like it would matter much anyway. I'd be a minute-long story on the local news. Then everyone would forget and go about their lives. Nothing to see here…' The young boy leaned forward. Teetering dangerously over the green railing. He could see the dirty alleyway below him. It was covered in garbage bags and loose trash lying around. It was likely that no one would immediately notice if he landed there.

'You can't be a hero'

'You're worthless'

'You can't be a hero'

'Quirkless'

'YOU CAN'T BE A HERO!'

'If I can't be a hero… then what else is left for me?'

'You can't be a hero without a quirk.'

Izuku jumped.

Izuku had contemplated the idea of this a few times before. After a particularly bad beating from Katsuki, when his dad left them, every time that someone disregarded him for being quirkless. He thought that it would be terrifying. That it would take a lot of motivation and effort to actually go through with it. That maybe he would try to stop himself midway and chicken out.

He felt nothing.

As he felt himself begin to freefall, he didn't cry. He didn't feel fear, nor feel regret nor remorse for what he had done. He didn't feel much of anything really. In all honesty, he thought it would be quicker. He seemed to be falling in slow motion. His mind began to wander.

'What would Kacchan think of me? Would he be happy? Would he be disappointed that I decided to end it this way?' Izuku had a general idea of what his bully would be thinking when he learned about his old friend's untimely demise.

'Not even All Might believed in me. I really am worthless. I deserve this.' Izuku felt the wind whipping at his face as he picked up speed. Surprisingly, he still felt no fear. He had nothing to lose after all. He had no friends at school, no one but his mother actually cared about him. Everyone he talked to rejected him as soon as they learned that he was quirkless.

'I'll bet that she's disappointed in me too. That I was a bad son and didn't develop a quirk like everyone else. I'm such a failure. She'll probably be happy when she learns that I'm finally gone' Izuku closed his eyes as the ground grew closer. He let his body go limp, not even trying to brace himself for the impact. His mind went blank as he awaited the end.

*SLAP*

Ochako slipped on the hard pavement and almost fell face first. The girl caught herself with her hand and continued to sprint forward, regaining her balance. She sprinted out of the alleyway and into the open street. It was in the middle of the day so there were plenty of people around. The young girl pushed past a few of them, receiving a few cries of anger and frustration. She paid them no heed. She needed to get some distance between her and her attackers.

'This is the last time I steal from a gang like that' Ochako thought as she rounded another corner. She noticed two thugs come out of another alleyway in front of her. The girl yelped in surprise and slapped a hand to her chest, making her weightless. With some concentration, she shifted the force of gravity and propelled herself into the air, landing on a rooftop directly above her. Hoping it was safe, she quickly landed and rested her hands on her knees. Breathing heavily after such a long chase.

She only needed some food. It had been a couple of days since she had run away. If she could have grabbed some money first, she would have. But she left so fast she couldn't take anything but the cloths on her back. She was starving and found a couple of guys that looked like they were from a local gang. In her infinite wisdom, Ochako decided to follow them. There were bound to be some nice things at their headquarters, right? While Ochako hated the idea of stealing, she was starving and these were criminals, so she made an exception.

Everything had been going well. She had followed the two men to an old abandoned warehouse. It was such a cliché, but it had a ton of food and supplies. Ochako stuck to the shadows, occasionally reaching out and touching an item of interest, floating it to the top of the warehouse. She was hoping that none of the guards would think to look up. Once she had everything she wanted, she shifted everything in midair so she could drop it and catch it, and hopefully get out without being seen. Unluckily for her, one of the men surprised her and she lost her concentration, dropping everything. Alerting everyone in the warehouse of her presence. After a long chase, and a couple of close calls, she was here; about to heave her guts out from the overuse of her quirk.

"Ugh, I just needed some food…" She said to herself in a weak voice. Wow, she sounded like shit. Ochako looked down at herself. Tattered jeans and a ripped and mud splotched t-shirt. Not only did she sound like shit, she looked like it too. Her eyes had heavy bags under them, her cloths were ripped and dirty, her face was covered in dirt, and her hair was clumped and frazzled. She didn't have a good last few days on the streets.

'But I'll be damned if I ever go back to that monster.' She thought to herself as she straightened back up. Ochako leaned over the edge of the building, seeing that that the thugs had moved on. Thinking that she had lost them in the crowd. They spread out hoping to spot her again. Hopefully they would give up soon. She breathed a sigh of relief and took a fire escape back to street level. 'Back to wandering the streets then.' Ochako thought as she began idly walking down the sidewalk. The people around her gave her strange looks and walked a few paces away from her. As if at any moment, she would jump out and mug them.

'As if' Ochako thought as she aimlessly walked down the sidewalk. As the adrenaline quickly faded from her system, exhaustion and fatigue took over. Her legs felt like they were filled with lead. She was so tired. She hadn't had a good night's sleep since…

'I need to find somewhere to stay. I won't last much longer out here.' Ochako winced as her stomach growled loudly. The constant ache had been really getting to her. The young girl had managed to find some food yesterday from a sympathetic street vendor who offered her some spare food. That seemed to be the only stroke of luck. Since then, everything had gone downhill. Anytime she tried to find a place to sleep, someone would kick her out or a shady character would make her too nervous to catch any shuteye.

Ochako glanced at her tattered shoes as she dragged herself along the sidewalk, quickly losing any energy her previous adrenaline shot had offered her. Ochako couldn't begin to describe the discomfort and achiness she felt. Her feet were past the point of aching to where they simply hurt. She was positive that there were blisters there now. Her hands were littered with small cuts and she had light bruises across her body. Her escape hadn't been pretty. But her attackers had come out of it much worse than she did. Her stomach ached horribly; her legs were jelly. Her exhaustion and lack of sleep left her with a constant headache and lightheadedness. She felt like she was going to collapse at any moment.

Ochako let out a long yawn as she glanced toward the sky. It was late afternoon; the sun would be setting soon. She would need to find some place to sleep tonight. Otherwise she would end up sleeping in an alley. Maybe she could find a hotel and convince them to let her sleep in the lobby? It was a long shot, but what other chance did she have? The young girl's gaze wandered to a rooftop about ten or so buildings away.

'Is someone on that roof?' Ochako quirked a questioning eyebrow at the shadow of what looked like a young boy. She stopped when he leaned over the edge. Ochako's eyes widened. A horrible feeling grew in the pit of her stomach. 'He's not going to…' Her worst fears were realized when the boy threw himself over the edge. Ochako gasped in horror and before she knew it, she was sprinting at full speed toward the falling boy.

'I can make it' The sidewalk cracked as she pushed off and sprinted at full speed. Adrenaline pumped into her legs as the world blurred around her. Anyone else around her quickly jumped out of the way of the young girl. The boy's form disappeared from view behind another building. Ochako gritted her teeth and pushed herself even further. She knew she only had a few seconds.

'I can make it!' The young girl turned into the alley that would be the boy's grave. She couldn't turn fast enough at the speed she was running. She caught herself by running on the brick wall of the building before swiftly kicking off. Ochako lunged forward with all of her strength, throwing her hand forward, hoping that by some miracle, she had timed it right. It was a long shot, but she wouldn't be able to live with herself if she let this happen without giving her all to save him. The young girl closed her eyes, hoping for the best.

*SLAP*

It took Izuku a few moments to open his eyes. He didn't feel anything. No sudden collision, no breaking bones or slow bleeding out. All he felt was a sharp sting on his right cheek. Izuku blinked a few times to focus his vision. Instead of eternal darkness or some kind of afterlife, he was met with the most beautiful face he had ever seen. The girl in question had brunette hair, large brown eyes, a slightly rounded face and a seemingly permanent blush on her cheeks. Izuku spoke without thinking.

"A-am I in heaven? You look like an angel…" Izuku muttered in his confusion. The girl in question blushed furiously and almost dropped the green haired boy. Did he really just say that? Ochako sighed in relief.

'Okay… he's okay… he's okay' Ochako breathed heavily, trying to calm herself down. She managed to catch him with her quirk and adjusted his floating form, so she was carrying him bridal style before releasing him. The position was uncomfortable enough as it was. Ochako didn't have really any experience with boys at all. While she had some friends at her old school, she was never really close to any of them. Ochako got a good look at the boy's face. He was fairly plain looking; with boyish features, exactly four freckles on each cheek, and slightly curly green hair. She noticed he was wearing a black button up jacket with matching black slacks. Ochaco broke out of her stupor as she noticed she was staring and shook her head.

"N-n-no! You're still alive you idiot!" Ochako yelled at him, upset at the fact that this mysterious boy had tried to end his life. "Why? Why would you do something so horrible?" Ochako gazed into the boy's deep green eyes. She saw the emotional turmoil behind them. Years of pain and rejection all bubbling up to this pivotal moment in his life. Ochako felt the adrenaline in her system wear off, and the familiar fatigue in her legs returned. The girl slowly put the boy back on his feet. They both simultaneously leaned onto the brick wall of the building and slid to the floor. Ochako's gaze never left the green haired teen.

Izuku ran a hand through his sweaty hair, suddenly feeling lightheaded as the reality of the situation kicked in. He really did it. He actually tried to kill himself. The young boy felt shame. Unbelievable shame that he had tried to take the quick and easy way out.

'What was I thinking? How could I do something like that?' Izuku glanced at the girl next to him, whose concerned gaze still hadn't left him. Under normal circumstances, Izuku would have felt embarrassed and fled from any girl who looked at him for so long. This felt completely different. Izuku was too mentally exhausted to think too hard about it.

'But… How? How did she catch me? At the rate I was falling… there would have still been some impact or damage. But I felt nothing.' Izuku looked into the mystery girl's eyes and found nothing but concern and disbelief in them. 'She saved me…'

"You saved me… how? Why?" Izuku was dumbfounded. Trying to avoid the question of why he did it. He honestly wasn't entirely sure himself, and he wasn't sure he was ready to face those demons yet. He was absolutely astounded by this mystery girl.

Here was a random girl who had gone completely out of her way, risking herself to save someone like him. A quirkless nobody who had nothing to offer the world. No one cared about him when he was here. He was positive no one would care if he was gone either.

Izuku got a good look at the girl now. She looked absolutely terrible. Like she hadn't slept or showered in days. Her shirt and jeans were ripped up and covered in various bits of grime and dirt. She was covered in sweat and looked like she would just faint at any moment. Izuku grew concerned about her. Concerned enough that his feelings about his attempted suicide were overwhelmed. He needed to help her.

"I have a gravity manipulation quirk. I stopped you from falling and caught you…" Ochako said quietly. "As for why… well… that what a hero would do right?" Izuku stared at her amazed.

'Gravity Manipulation? That's so cool! There are so many practical applications as well as ways she could use it in battle!' Izuku's mood began to shift from the dark place it once was. He took note to make an entry in his notebook later.

"I'm Ochako Uraraka by the way."

"I'm Izuku Midoriya." Izuku took note of her unhealthy appearance again. "You don't look so good. What happened?" Izuku prodded. Ochako glanced away for a moment, trying to decide if she wanted to tell him. She didn't want anyone telling people who or where she was. She needed to stay underground for the time being. Izuku noticed her discomfort and immediately backpedaled. "O-oh I'm s-sorry! I didn't mean to o-offend you! You just look like you need some help!" Izuku waved his hands in front of his face. Ochako continued to stare blankly at him.

'He just wants to help me. Hell, he's more concerned about my health then the fact that he almost killed himself!' Ochako let out a small sigh.

"It's okay, you didn't offend me. I-I ran away from home a few days ago. I have been on the streets for a couple of days now…" Ochako looked away. Trying to avoid eye contact. Ochako didn't want to see the look of disgust on his face like everyone else. Everyone she had come into contact with avoided her like that plague. Ochako didn't want this nice boy to hate her too. She could feel him staring at her. Eventually she decided to brave a look at him, expecting to see disgust and judgment. She was met with eyes full of concern and empathy.

"That's horrible! I can take you to my place! We have a spare bedroom there. You can rest and eat something." Izuku exclaimed as he got up from his spot on the filthy concrete. Ochako quickly shook her head and attempted to get up.

"N-no! I'm fine! You don-" Ochako felt her legs give out from under her and she began falling forward. She let out a squeak of surprise, but before she could hit the ground Izuku wrapped his arms around her and caught her. She was lighter than he expected. Normally Izuku wouldn't be able to carry someone else his size. She really must have not been eating.

"No, you saved my life. The least I can do is take care of you until you're healthy." Izuku held an arm around her shoulders and helped her stand. "You don't have to stay any longer than you want to… I just want to help you and… repay you for saving my life…" Izuku looked deeply into the young girl's eyes. Ochako looked away and nodded. Not like she had much of a choice. She wasn't going to ask for help, but this was the stroke of luck she needed. She could finally get off the streets.

"Okay… how far do you live?" Ochako asked as they slowly made their way out of the alleyway and back into the street. Izuku was proud of himself for his ability to keep this much physical contact with a girl without his brain completely shutting down on him. Maybe it was the fact that she needed help. Or that he was so mentally exhausted already that his brain wasn't working anymore. Either way, he needed to get her home.

"I live in the apartments a few blocks down the road, It's not too far." The pair slowly made their way down the sidewalk. Anyone near them just walked around them and ignored the teens. Ochako growled in frustration. It seemed that with the rising of heroes, everyone else just abandoned the previously held moral value of helping people. Helping someone else just because it was the right thing to do. Not because there was money in it, or because of some other motive. Now only heroes were the ones who were supposed to help others. While normal citizens could ignore any suffering they came across. Ochako feared that if she hadn't happened to be walking there at that exact time, Midoriya would be dead now. And no one would have even noticed. As they were walking, something that Ochako said was bothering Izuku.

'That's what a hero would do. Right?'

'Does she have dreams of becoming a hero too? Is she planning on going to U.A as well?' Izuku glanced at the girl who was heavily leaning on him for support. 'By the looks of her, I don't think that she's had a very good life. Sounds familiar…' Ochako glanced at the boy noticing him staring right through her.

"Uhh… Whatcha thinking about? You're staring right through me!" Ochako broke the green haired teen out of his thoughts, an embarrassed blush spreading across his face.

"Well, I was just thinking about something you said…" Izuku trailed off. Ochako stiffened for a moment. "When I asked you why you saved me you said, 'That's what a hero would do'. Do you plan on becoming a pro hero as well?" Ochako relaxed, realizing that Izuku was only asking about her hopeful future of becoming a hero.

"Well… yeah! I've been watching pro heroes like All Might and Thirteen since I was little! I always wanted to be just like them. Saving people and doing good things for the world. I actually planned on changing schools so I could go to U.A. The one I'm at now doesn't exactly measure up academically…" Ochako trailed off. It was true, the school she used to go to wasn't exactly known. It was a small school, and its academics weren't up to the same standard that U.A demanded. She had planned on moving to Musutafu to go to Aldera Junior High to get ready for the Entrance Exam. Then everything happened, putting all of her plans on hold. She remained determined, she could still get into U.A, even if it took all of her time and effort, she would make it. "I was actually planning on going to Aldera Junior High instead. The academic courses there are closer to what I would need to get into U.A." Ochako finished. For the first time since she had met him, Izuku smiled brightly.

"No way! I'm applying to U.A too! And I'm currently enrolled at Aldera! The teachers and students there aren't the nicest, but the school is built to have academics that get you ready for U.A. Especially since Aldera and U.A are in the same area. It's been my dream to be a hero but…" Izuku trailed off, his radiant smile quickly replaced with a deep frown. His eyes clouded with emotion and he stared at the ground as they slowly walked. "Someone I look up to told me that I can't achieve my dream. I'm…" Izuku hesitated, he didn't want the first person who had ever shown any interest in him to reject him already. Anytime someone had learned that he was quirkless, he was immediately treated as a second-class citizen. He hadn't known this girl long, but it felt…nice to talk to someone other than his mom. Ochako noticed his change in mood, decided to try and cheer him up.

"I think you can do it Midoriya. No matter what others think of you. You have to believe in yourself. The only way you will fail is if you give up on yourself. If you stop believing that you can do it." Ochako smiled supportively and Izuku smiled again.

"Thanks, Uraraka. I'm… happy that you think that." Izuku smiled as they continued walking down the sidewalk in a comfortable silence.

Eventually, Ochako began to feel some semblance of strength return to her legs. At least to the point where she could stand up on her own. As they walked back to Izuku's home together, she began to lean off his support more and more until she was walking on her own next to him. While it was still a slow pace, they were making progress. Izuku had no intention of rushing a girl who was quite obviously in bad condition.

"We can stop to rest if you want…" Izuku suggested when he saw that Ochako's breathing had become more labored as it became harder to walk upright. She shook her head and with renewed vigor, increased her pace.

"No. I can make it. If we stop now, I'll lose any drive I have. You'd probably have to carry me the rest of the way." Ochako cast a sidelong glance at Izuku and saw a slight smirk on his face. Not one of humor, but one of admiration. Izuku nodded and focused on the path ahead. They just needed to make it a couple more blocks

A loud explosion sounded down the street next to them, nearly knocking them off their feet. A large crowd had gathered, watching the next villain fight unfold. It was a miracle that people were even allowed to stand and watch these fights. It was a huge risk for civilian casualties if a villain got out of control. People were loudly muttering amongst themselves.

"Is that the sludge villain again?"

"How'd he get away from All Might?"

"He's holding a kid hostage this time!"

That last one caught Izuku's attention.

'A hostage? What kind of monster takes a child hostage?' Izuku took a step toward the commotion when he was stopped by a light touch on his arm. Izuku looked over his shoulder to see Ochako looking at him with pleading eyes.

"Midoriya, lets go. The heroes can handle this." Ochako said urgently. Villain fights were always interesting. She might have even stayed to watch had she not been starving and running on no energy. The heroes could handle this situation. It's what they did right? Most importantly, Ochako didn't know how much longer her legs could hold up before she collapsed. Izuku nodded and they started walking with her. That's when he heard the voice.

"DAMN IT! GET THE FUCK OFF ME YOU MONSTER!" Izuku's head snapped back toward the villain, the boy had a perfect view of what was happening. Izuku's eyes widened when he recognized the hostage. His childhood bully, Katsuki Bakugo was trapped by the sludge villain. Much like Izuku had been not half an hour ago. Only Katsuki was putting up much more of a fight then Izuku ever did.

'Why aren't the heroes doing anything?' Izuku looked around and saw that there were buildings burning on each side of the villain. Likely caused by Katsuki's rampant explosions. Every hero on scene was already busy or couldn't do anything to help the hostage. Izuku clenched his fist.

'Kacchan's going to die if they don't step in soon. I was only captured for ten seconds and I could feel myself slipping away.' Izuku looked up, eyes glinting in determination. 'I have to do something! I have to save him!' Izuku sprinted full speed toward the villain who was holding Katsuki hostage. He heard the frantic yells of Ochako calling him back, but he pressed on.

Izuku didn't know why did it. Truthfully, he never should have cared about what happened to Katsuki. The boy had done nothing but ruin Izuku's childhood and singlehandedly exiled him from anyone else in the school. Everyone either followed Katsuki or didn't want to face his wrath. So, no one ever bothered to help Izuku or stand up for him. Katsuki was the only reason why Izuku had contemplated suicide. After all of the beatings, ridicule, and harassment he had suffered. Izuku should have just let the kid die. No one would have blamed him for it.

But that's not what heroes did.

Heroes help anyone in need. No matter who they are or what they've done. Heroes help even when it puts their life at risk. They don't decide to help some people based on how good of a person they are. Heroes do everything they can to save everyone. Maybe that's why he did it. To prove that he could be a hero. To show the world that someone who was quirkless could be someone's hero. Izuku let out a yell and threw his bag at the monster's eye. Landing a clean hit and hearing a satisfying wail of pain in response.

Katsuki felt the vice grip on him weaken slightly. He screamed and pushed as hard as he could, loosing explosions behind him hoping that it would be enough to free him. His arm was almost out when he saw the face of someone he least expected, charging in to save him.

"DEKU? WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING? GET OUT OF HERE!" Katsuki screamed, hoping that the worthless kid wouldn't get in the way of a real hero who could save him. Izuku dove his arm into the fluid-like substance that was the villain's body. Looking for something, anything that he could latch onto.

"Kacchan! I couldn't just stand there and watch you die!" Izuku screamed as he felt something. The boy latched onto Katsuki's arm and pulled with all of his might. Both boys screamed in effort, with their combined strength, Katsuki was able to wrench his arm free and loose a massive wave of explosions at the villain. Temporarily wounding him and forcing him to release his hold on Katsuki. Both boys landed hard on the road, before they could react, the villain had recovered and was upon them again.

"You little shits! I'll kill you for that!" The grotesque villain dove toward both boys, intending to suffocate them both to death. Before he could reach them however, he was interrupted by a painfully familiar voice.

"NEVER FEAR BOYS! FOR I AM HERE!" A loud voice boomed as the mountain of a man landed in front of Katsuki and Izuku, protecting them from the sludge villain's attack. The villain reared back, his eyes wide with fear.

"N-No! Not you again!" The sludge villain screamed as he tried to find a way out of his bleak situation. He had done all he could to avoid the hero. He could handle any lowlife hero they threw at him. But when All Might showed up, he knew he was heavily outmatched. Trying to lead him on a chase had almost worked until he got caught with that boy.

The villain thought that luck was on his side that day as the stupid child knocked him out of All Might's pocket. Unknowingly freeing him from his prison. But as the old saying goes, the bad guys never get away.

With his trademark smile, All Might reared his fist back for a signature move. "LET'S SEE HOW YOU HANDLE THIS! DETROIT SMASH!" With that, a sonic boom and wind pressure blew the sludge villain into nothing. Leaving the entire crowd in a stunned silence.

"That was really amazing what you did back there Midoriya. Without you that kid would have died. They shouldn't have scolded you like that." Ochako comforted the green haired teen as they drew closer to his apartment. It was evening at this point, the sun was setting, casting the world in a beautiful orange and red glow.

After All Might had disposed of the villain, the police began taking statements from everyone. The heroes all praised Katsuki for his bravery and were talking about getting him internships for their respective agencies once he was old enough. Praising his quirk for how amazing it was. Even though his quirk had made the situation more dire then it needed to be. Causing a situation that had nearly gotten the boy killed. While Izuku was scorned and criticized for risking himself and running out to save him. So, everything was normal. Izuku was cut down while Katsuki was lifted onto a pedestal.

"It's okay Uraraka. I don't need them to thank me. A true hero doesn't help people for something in return, right?" Ochako admired his spirit. Even after being berated for his actions he still held his head high.

'He really has a heart of gold huh? I wonder why he didn't use his quirk though… that would have been much safer for him. Even if it's technically illegal. Come to think of it, he never told me what his quirk was… Maybe it's not a combat quirk?' Ochako thought to herself as she noticed him staring into space again. Ochako looked toward the beautiful sunset again. They were suddenly stopped by a monstrous form rushing out of a nearby alley.

"I AM HE-!" All Might coughed blood and became wreathed in smoke. Izuku and Ochako shrieked in surprise, falling backwards onto the pavement. When the smoke cleared, All Might stood in his withered form staring down at the two teens.

'Two… TWO?' Toshinori began to sweat profusely. Izuku was supposed to be here alone! Who was this other girl? He couldn't hope to explain this one away. 'How could I have been so careless as to assume he would be alone?' The number one hero sighed in frustration before looking down upon the girl next to Izuku. He would be forced to explain his secret to yet another person. This was getting out of hand.

"Ah… damn it. Okay. What's your name girl?" Toshinori asked the awestruck brunette. Ochaco opened and closed her mouth a few times, attempting to find words. Her idol was standing right of her! The man she had looked up to since she was a little girl!

"O-O-Ochako U-Uraraka!" The young girl stuttered. Toshinori nodded and gave her a serious look.

"Look, you can't tell anyone about this. I was looking for young Midoriya, expecting him to be alone, and I didn't expect my time limit to run out so quick. You absolutely cannot tell anyone what you saw here. My weakened form is a secret kept from the public, for good reason. If villains knew about this then they would exploit it." Toshinori began explaining his injury and the time limit on his abilities.

Ochako was awestruck. Not only was she meeting All Might, her long-time favorite hero, but she was learning something that not even the public was let in on. She always looked up to All Might. When everyone around her abused and used people for their own gain, Ochako looked at All Might. Seeing him help so many people for no other reason than it was the right thing to do. It was inspiring.

"Wait, so you can only do hero work for a short time?" The bewildered girl asked her idol. For the first time in her life. She saw All Might with a frown on his face. He looked downcast.

"Yeah. Ever since my injury, I haven't been able to sustain my hero form for more than about five hours at a time. I have to take a rest in between incidents so my secret isn't accidentally shown to the world in the middle of a fight." Izuku looked at Toshinori questioningly now. The villain was dealt with. Everyone was okay and the situation was over. So why was the number one hero here?

"Now, young Midoriya." Toshinori's gaze fixated directly on Izuku. With a degree of seriousness that the young boy had never seen from his idol. "I sought you out for a few reasons. Although I didn't expect you to have company." The number one hero's gaze shifted to Ochako. She shifted nervously, uncomfortable with the serious atmosphere between them. "Before I can continue, I need to know that I can trust you both. While a number people know about my weakened state, only a select few know about the true nature of my quirk." Toshinori explained. Izuku stepped forward.

"That's right! People try to analyze and figure out your quirk all of the time! While some think it's invulnerability, others think it's some kind of wind pressure or super strength. Reporters ask about it in every interview with you. But you always dodge the question! I personally think that it's a combination of a strength enhancing quirk and some kind of wind pressure quirk. Otherwise you wouldn't be able to blow villains away the way to do!" Toshinori was taken aback for a moment as Izuku geeked out.

"Y-yeah. You're right kid. But my power isn't that simple. But before I can continue. I need your word in that you will never speak of this to anyone under any circumstances. This is incredibly important information and in the wrong hands this could upset the balance of power between heroes and villains. Potentially plunging the world in darkness as the heroes are eradicated. Leaving villains to do whatever they desire to innocent civilians." The atmosphere between them was suddenly much more tense than it was before. They were talking about the future of the heroic world? What kind of secret could change that? Izuku and Ochako looked at each other for a moment before nodding.

"I give you my word All Might. No one will ever hear of this." Izuku stated.

"Me too. I swear that I will never speak of this to anyone." A serious look passed over the young girl's face. Her hunger and exhaustion temporarily forgotten. Toshinori looked between the teens before nodding in affirmation.

"Alright. I wanted to start by apologizing." Toshinori placed a hand on Izuku's shoulder. "I told you that you couldn't become a hero without a quirk. I single handedly crushed your dreams." Tears began to well in Izuku's eyes. "But I was wrong about you. So terribly wrong." Izuku closed his eyes, dark emotions threatening to choke him again. "You know what every hero's backstory has in common? They all tell about their bodies moving before they could think. They just acted on instinct to save someone else's life. Not because it was beneficial to them. But because it was the right thing to do." Toshinori paused for a moment before continuing. "You did that today. You ran straight toward a villain while the rest of us pro heroes stood back because it was an inconvenient match up. Your moment of courage inspired me to act. Even though I was not ready to use my hero form again… Seeing you act with such bravery made me want to act as well. That's what a hero does. They don't just save people. They inspire others to do the right thing as well." Toshinori took a step back. Izuku fell to his knees as tears streamed from his eyes. The setting sun painted Toshinori in a fiery light that made him look more like a god then a man.

"Young man. You too, can become a hero."

The dam broke. Izuku was openly sobbing now. Those words. Those few words were what he needed to hear from his mother so long ago. Those words meant so much to the young man. They were the words that he hinged his future on. The words that inspired him to keep going, even when everything felt impossible to handle. The words he would live by for the rest of his life.

Ochako crouched down next to her new friend and rubbed his back, feeling an odd urge to comfort the distraught boy. Toshinori's confession and Izuku's attempt on his life were painting a picture in Ochako's head. It was obvious that the two events were connected. But why in the world would All Might tell someone that they couldn't be a hero? Even people with seemingly useless quirks were able to train them into something great.

An interesting thing about quirks was that they, much like a muscle in the human body, change and grow stronger with use and training. Someone with a light telekinesis quirk could train until they could lift buildings instead of chairs. Someone with a basic ice quirk could learn to use it in more ways, like making a shield, weapon, projectile or anything else from a quirk that was previously weak. No one knew how powerful quirks could get exactly. As far as they knew, quirks could become infinitely powerful as long as you continued training them. Ochako glanced up as Toshinori held out his arms.

"Listen well young man! You've proven to me that you have what it takes to be the greatest hero in history. Which is another reason I sought you out. I have an offer." Izuku looked up in confusion. His eyes red and puffy, tears still streaming from them. An offer? What more could All Might possibly give him? "My quirk is called One For All." Ochako froze for a moment. They were learning All Might's greatest secret! "It's a quirk of unlimited power and potential that is passed down from user to user. Each cultivating it and building upon it before passing it down to the next. I am the eighth holder, and I would like to make you my successor. The ninth holder of One For All! Izuku Midoriya, my quirk is yours to inherit." Toshinori finished. There was a stunned silence before Izuku simply tilted his head.

"Eh?"

A/N: Please let me know what you think! Any feedback is greatly appreciated!