[...So I'm finally back after taking a few weeks off. And, for once, I did it out of my own choice. Mainly due to the book feeling like a drag when it comes to responses and how it feels like it's being received by me when I compare it to the earlier days when it was doing even better than it is now. Its still good, but there's a noticeable drop and as someone who puts a lot of passion into writing these stories...It sucks to feel that way. But I'm not going to say any more about it. I just wanted to explain why I didn't upload the last two weeks and where my head is at now. So despite all that, I hope you can enjoy with what I've brought you all today. Have fun with it!]

[We finally reach the climax of this ARC! This chapter is...INCREDIBLE!]
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[Your POV]

Defeat can take a lot out of someone. I feel like I'm starting to understand that. But whilst defeat can take a lot out of you, it can also give you something in return. Understanding. An understanding of when you need to improve, and an understanding of when you need to ask for help. Now, for most of my life I've always tried to hold back from doing that second one. Not out of cockiness, or thinking that I am better than someone else. But mainly due to the regrets I hold in the past. Because of the times when I needed help and someone did something I couldn't... They paid the price. 

And since that moment it's haunted me to the point I felt like me asking someone to help was a burden on them, more so than it was for me. So I decided to train myself. To push my body to its limits. That if something needed to be done, I'd do it. And if my body wasn't able to, I'd make it. However, all it took was a single fight with Stain for me to realize that sometimes I can't do everything by myself. And don't get me wrong, I tried. I did everything I possibly could to beat him. But Stain...He's unlike any person I've fought before. He's quicker than me. He's stronger than me. 

And his will to bring about a twisted form of heroic justice is something I can barely comprehend. It's because of all of that, that I almost found myself coming to meet Izuku sooner than I'm supposed to. Thankfully for me, I was given a second chance. I was on the doorstep of heaven, about to meet my maker. But the will inside of me, a will to finish the leftover business with Stain, allowed me to come back. And this time around, I'm done messing around. I'm going to do everything I need to do to beat Stain and keep this city safe from him. Even if it meant getting on my knees and screaming for help...

[3rd Person POV]

"...So...Please... PLEASE TEACH ME EVERYTHING YOU KNOW ABOUT ONE FOR ALL! PLEASE!"

The words and screams were still freshly imprinted on Gran Torino's mind. The sight of someone who was once confident in his own ways, coming to realize his mistakes, was something he didn't expect from a teenager. But seeing someone so young like (Y/n) Midoriya finding it in himself to humble every part of his being in order to get some help in defeating a seemingly invincible enemy was more than enough to shake the retired hero to his core when he first saw it. Heck! Even remembering it was enough to cause goosebumps to slowly rise on his skin. But all it took was for him to open his eyes to see that it was nothing more than a memory. 

The thought was enough to calm the old man down. Though, upon opening his eyes, he saw the patient gaze of the very boy who had screamed with all his soul. (Y/n) Midoriya, the student from U.A., and the next heir for One For All, currently found himself seated on the couch belonging to Gran Torino. It's a spot he had been using as a bed for the past few days as he trained with Gran Torino, of course, using only One For All. However, whereas (Y/n) had problems with such in the past, he now had newfound respect for the power, as he slowly came to grasp it bit by bit.

Gran Torino: "Alright... It's been a few days now since you've gotten some sense into you and finally decided to listen to me. Which I'm still surprised you even did, by the way..."

A look of regret was quick to find (Y/n)'s face as he looked to the ground. The sight alone was enough to make Gran Torino correct his tone instantly.

Gran Torino: [Sighs] "Though...I guess better late than never, huh?" [Shakes head] "Anyway! Since then, I've had you been using One For All in every possible situation you may need it. When you first started with it, you had basic control of it, given your other quirk, that's not surprising. But how do you find it now?"

(Y/n): "Um...I don't know? It feels alright. But because I haven't...um...used it a lot before now, it's hard to say."

Gran Torino: "Tsk. Not surprising... You've got a whole world of power within your body, kid, and you only know a single taste of it."

(Y/n): "R-Really? I thought One For All was basically was pretty straight forward. At least, that's what All Might made it out to be?"

Gran Torino: "Ha! You call what he does the full degree of One For All? Please! One For All is a quirk unlike any other. It's full of history and skill that even a hundred men would struggle to comprehend. Lucky for you...I'm here, I'll do my best to explain it to you. At least, from what I know about it."

That was another thing (Y/n) had come to understand in these last few days since he's begun training with Gran Torino. Despite not having the Quirk for himself, Gran Torino knew quite a bit about it. Yet, even from the few points that he had already given him, (Y/n) had already improved immensely in coming to understand the Quirk for what it was. But just as Gran Torino had just stated, there was still a whole lot he didn't yet know. But that would come with time seemingly.

Gran Torino: "Now then! Starting off with today's lesson, I want you to tell me all you know about your Nightmare Quirk."

(Y/n): "...My nightmare Quirk? But I thought I was to only use One For--"

Gran Torino: "I said TELL ME about your Nightmare Quirk! Not USE it! Honestly! Do you kids not have ears these days?"

Out of shame (Y/n) didn't respond. Instead, lowering his head slightly before Gran Torino repeated himself.

Gran Torino: "Now... What do you know about your Nightmare Quirk?"

(Y/n): "...Um...Well, I got it at an age a little later than others. I first used its power after an, um...traumatic event."

Gran Torino: [Raises eyebrow] "Traumatic event?"

(Y/n): [Shakes head] "A-Anyway! The basis of my Quirk is being able to inflict nightmares onto people. Images and such that can basically haunt their minds."

Gran Torino: "So basically have them go through a nightmare even when they're awake?"

(Y/n): "Yeah. But to people watching, the person is just screaming. They don't know what's going on. I can also create realistic nightmares as well, but I can only use images from my mind. So they're not exactly the nightmares of people I'm facing. But they do the job."

Gran Torino: "So you can make people scared and create things that scare you?"

(Y/n): "...Um...Well...When you put it like that, I guess..."

It didn't take much for Gran Torino to see that (Y/n) was still reeling from his fight with Stain. The fear of the event was still lurched inside his soul. The way he seemed less confident and unsure of himself was easily seen with the constant breaks in speech and stutters here and there. It made the old man question what he was currently doing. Nevertheless, he knew (Y/n) was determined in this matter, so he continued.

Gran Torino: "And what about what you did in the Sports Festival?"

(Y/n): "The Sports Festival...?"

Gran Torino: "Yeah. You know, with the green fog coming out of your body and how you transformed into that smoke monster when fighting the kids from your school. What was that about? That was still your original quirk, right?"

(Y/n): "Uh, yeah. They, um...They're like boosts I get. Like I'm evolving my Quirk in a way."

Gran Torino: "Evolving?"

(Y/n): "Kinda like upgrading, you know? Like, my Quirk is based around Nightmares. So I'm just pushing the meaning of what it is to have a Nightmare Quirk. So whereas my normal use of it can create real nightmares from my mind, and inflict nightmares into the minds of others. But when I do the form to bring out that green fog from my body, I'm basically enhancing my attributes. I get faster. My reflexes are quicker. I can sense things like they're going slow when they're not..."

Gran Torino: "But how is that possible with a Nightmare Quirk? Nightmares have nothing to do with speed or reflexes?"

(Y/n): "Well... You know when you have a nightmare, and you wake up in the middle of the night and your hearts racing and you've got sweat all over your body? It's kinda like that. When I'm in my form I'm basically inflicting my body with the same feeling someone gets when they wake up suddenly from a bad nightmare. I make my heart race and basically give me a boost of adrenaline. Which--"

Gran Torino: "--Which in turn makes your body and senses faster?"

(Y/n): "...Yeah."

The look on Gran Torino's face was flooded with shock. Though he did his best to hide that from (Y/n) as he turned his head away momentarily.

Gran Torino: [Thoughts] "That's incredible. I've never seen someone mould their Quirk in such a way. Most would simply see a nightmare quirk as a means to make people scared. But this boy..." [Turns back to you] "But why the fog?"

(Y/n): "Well, um..." [Chuckles nervously] "...That's kinda just for show. I was always afraid of fog when I was really little. I, uh, I saw it in a scary movie once... Didn't get past it until I was six..."

Gran Torino: "Oh...What about the other one? That green smoke monster?"

(Y/n): "Uh, well, with the normal go-around of my Quirk, I'm able to inflict their minds with nightmares. But I don't really have much control over them. It's pretty much free reign. But when I use my 'Fear Third' form, I can enter their minds outright and control their nightmares as I please. My body is also completely made of the green fog at that point, so no attacks will hurt my body. But I'm held back with the attacks that I can do in that form. So I only really use it when I need to."

Gran Torino: "Fear...Third? Is that what you call it?"

(Y/n): "Um, well...Kinda?" [Smiles nervously] "I, um...I got it from a manga I read..."

Upon looking at Gran Torino next, (Y/n) found the old man shaking his head. Instantly, (Y/n)'s focus was sparked back to reality.

Gran Torino: [Shakes head] "I swear. You're both the same. You and All Might. Having strange things as named attacks." [Sighs] "Oh well, if it works, it works..."

(Y/n): "...But it didn't work."

Gran Torino: "Huh?"

Upon lifting his head, Gran Torino was greeted by the sight of (Y/n) facing the ground. It was clear dismay rocked his world as he continued to mutter.

(Y/n): "I tried every single power-up I had in order to beat Stain, and even when I tried to use Fear Third, Stain was quicker. He wouldn't even let me use it. And now I've got a broken body... I don't know how I'm going to do this..."

Once more Gran Torino was placed into a world of thoughts. This time, he pictured an old memory of when he was younger. He stood in front of this exact same couch, but instead of (Y/n) seated there, it was a woman. A woman who was the previous user for One For All before All Might took over. The thought alone brought a wave of sadness to Gran Torino's spirit. But instead of letting it consume him, he broke free from it, and snapped (Y/n) from his own thoughts.

Gran Torino: "I can give you one way you'll do it! By stop sitting on your butt and mopping around! Your body may be broken, but that's not what you've gotta fix! What you've gotta fix first is your broken spirit! The spirit is the essence of a hero! If you don't have a spirit of someone who wants to be a hero, then you've already lost to Stain again!"

(Y/n): "...The spirit...?"

Gran Torino: "How do you think All Might goes out there every day with a smile on his face? Do you think he's always happy?"

(Y/n): "Well, he's seems--"

Gran Torino: "--Because he's not! At the end of the day, he's a human like everyone else! He has emotions! Hard times! He goes through a lot, just like you have! But he pushes through it! He puts that smile on his face! But it isn't just a smile to help others...It's also to help him."

The final words of Gran Torino took a more sombre tone as he glanced out a nearby window to the happy city outside. As for (Y/n), he was now stuck on what Gran Torino was saying. Further pulled in by the hero's words. So by the time Gran Torino had sent his gaze back to (Y/n), he was ready to listen to more.

Gran Torino: "Yes, you lost, and that's disappointing...But you need to rise above that. You need to realize this isn't the end of the world. You're alive! So that means you have another chance! And this time around, you'll beat him! Because this time you're not just going to use half of your strength...You'll use it all!"

The more (Y/n) listened to Gran Torino, the more he realized why All Might was afraid of him. But not afraid of him enough that he was hesitant to send (Y/n) to meet him. Gran Torino was definitely a cranky old man, but that didn't mean he didn't know what he was talking about. The more (Y/n) understood this, the more he was happy he took the tough decision to shun all his emotions to the side as he screamed out for help a few days prior. And just as he asked for help then, he was still asking for help now. It was because of that need that just a few minutes later, (Y/n) found himself standing in the alleyway outside Gran Torino's home. The narrowed space was filled with garbage, but it didn't seem to phase the old man as he spoke to his student.

Gran Torino: "After watching you use One For All for the last few days, I've realized a few things. Now, tell me, you've only had One For All for a short while, right?"

(Y/n): "Yeah. I only got it from All Might just before I started at U.A.."

Gran Torino: "I see... Normally when placing a Quirk onto someone just like that, their body will struggle to comprehend all this sudden surge of power. Luckily for you, your body was already used to stuff like that due to you already having a Quirk."

(Y/n): "Which means...?"

Gran Torino: "It means your body is able to comprehend the sudden surge of power coming through it when you activate One For All So your body doesn't break when using it."

(Y/n): "Break?!"

Immediately (Y/n)'s eyes exploded open as he turned to Gran Torino with a face full of shock.

(Y/n): "What do you mean by 'break'?! All Might never said anything about my body brea--"

Gran Torino: "However!"

(Y/n): "H-Huh?"

Gran Torino: "Just because your body can handle One For All without breaking, doesn't mean you're using it right. After watching you use it, I've come to realize your body is too stiff when using the Quirk."

(Y/n): "Stiff?"

Gran Torino: "There's also discourse in your mind! You're overthinking things! You're natural and fluent when using your Nightmare Quirk, but as soon as you shift over to One For All, you act like a completely different person!"

(Y/n): "Well, that's because I haven't had One For All all my life. I've grown up with my Nightmare Quirk so I'm used to it and--"

Gran Torino: "See! That's it! If you only use things you're used to, you'll never get stronger! The same can be said about your fight with Stain! You're used to going up against people you're stronger and faster than. But as soon as you went up against something you weren't used to, your mind went completely haywire. You got worried. You got scared. And you can't have that when using One For All."

Honestly, when (Y/n) first heard that, he wanted to be angry with Gran Torino. How could he be scared about using a Quirk when he's wanted nothing more in his life than to fight villains? But the more he thought over it, the more he was humbled and came to realize... that Gran Torino was right. He was scared of Stain. Even before he knew it. As soon as something didn't go his way, he got worried, and concerned. (Y/n) saw that now... and only further realized why he lost.

Gran Torino: "What you need to understand is that One For All is just like every other quirk. It's not special in any regard other than history."

(Y/n): "But I--"

Gran Torino: "But you think otherwise just because it's in the hands of All Might, huh? You think it's so special because its in the hands of the Number One Hero. That's why you need to forget that. You need to forget everything when you're using it."

(Y/n): "But how do I do that?"

Gran Torino: "You need to think of it like it's your first time using this Quirk, just like when you first used your original one. When you used that the first time, you had no idea what it was capable of. You just let it go free. That's what you need to do with One For All. Just relax...and let it be free throughout your body."

[Your POV]

...Let it be free? If I'm being honest, I didn't quite understand what Gran Torino meant by that. I mean, sure, it seems obvious. But when it actually came to doing the subject at hand, I was unsure of how to do it. Sure, I had used One For All in the past, but I was more so focused on the action in the moment. But now that I realized where I was now, I've come to understand that I've never actually used One For All outside of battle. I've only really used it when I felt like changing things up, but even then, I still use Nightmare more than anything else. 

It kinda only added a heavier weight to everything that Gran Torino had said earlier revolving around my lack of respect for the gifts handed down to me by All Might. But I didn't allow this heavy feeling to hold me down for long. All I needed was to remember the shame and regret I felt when I went up against Stain to wash away the sorrows. I may have failed then, but that doesn't mean I'm just going to let those regrets from the past to hold me back. Instead, I'm going to use those past regrets to push me forward. To motivate me. 

It was this exact motivation that urged me onwards to slowly close my eyes and activate One For All without any hesitation. Immediately the surge of energy could be felt throughout my body. It carried a similar buzz through my body like when I used my Nightmare Quirk, though using One For All made that buzz feel ten times more prominent. I had never used it through my entire body as I did now. The red veins of energy that coursed through my body were enough of a signal for that, which seemed enough for Gran Torino to move on with his lesson.

Gran Torino: "Your ability to activate One For All and handle its power seems to be easy for you, but again, simply handling One For All's power is the first step. Now you have to learn how to use the right amount of it so you don't overdo it."

(Y/n): "Overdo it...Overdo it for what?"

Gran Torino: "Well, for training, of course! Or what? Did you think I was just going to let your slack ass go back out to fight Stain without properly testing your abilities in the wild."

(Y/n): "No, but I don't understand. If you wanted to test my abilities, why are we in an alleyway then and not fighting someone?"

Gran Torino: "That's simple."

A few seconds of silence followed with just Gran Torino looking at me. I waited a while more to see if he'd say something, but when he didn't, it only left me confused.

(Y/n): "Um...Simple for what?"

Yet again, Gran Torino didn't respond with words. This time around he just smiled at me which, honestly, after the majority of his attitude being that of a grumpy old man, it was probably more concerning to see him smile than yell at me at this stage. But, of course, before I could soothe any of my worries by asking Gran Torino why he was smiling, he gave me a hint of why he was doing that when suddenly he began crouching down on the ground as hard as he could. His own Quirk activating in the process. Again, I couldn't say a single thing before out of nowhere Gran Torino finally released the power stored up in his tiny legs and suddenly launched high into the air. 

Immediately my head followed the retired hero's upward movements as his body travelled between the enclosed walls of the alleyway. Yet despite this tiny environment, Gran Torino seemed to be doing exactly as he planned, the energy from his jump sending him even above the rooftops that made the walls currently surrounding me. A good extra ten meters was made by Gran Torino when his jump finally gave out and his body began travelling back to the ground below. However, instead of landing back beside me like I first expected, the retired hero chose to land on the roof of one of the buildings in front of me. It was as he landed on the edge of this very rooftop that he looked down at me from above and showcased his smile yet again.

Gran Torino: "Well, rookie? What are you waiting for?"

(Y/n): "Wait! You want me to come up there?"

Gran Torino: "Well, I'm not coming back down there. If you want to continue to learn how to use One For All, you can't just stay in one place. Besides, one key aspect of One For All is using it in different ways that others may not think of. They just see it as boosting their strength, but All Might has shown it's capable of far more."

(Y/n): [Mutters] "Capable of more?"

I couldn't help but mutter those words to myself as I began thinking over what Gran Torino's said. Immediately I started picturing the times I had seen All Might use One For All at U.A.. However, he was quite conservative of using it during class. Though that was probably put down to the fact he wasn't the same All Might he once was. But there was one time he went all out using his abilities at U.A...And that was during the villain attack at USJ. I had a front-row seat as All Might used his powers to their fullest to combat the Nomu. He showcased all the skills he had used throughout his time as a hero. Everything from his strength to his speed. 

Wait! That's it! His Speed! I remember as kids that Izuku had always pointed out how he found it odd that All Might could be so fast despite his muscular body tone. Normally a hero with such a masculine frame would be slow, but All Might seemed to defy the laws of such things with ease as he jumped around the city to make up for his lack of flight. But people just thought that was another ability added to his strength, but I knew otherwise. I knew it was because of One For All. Which means...If All Might jumped around the city like that, launching over skyscrapers in a single bounce, that means I can do it as well. 

It was as soon as I realized that my head flicked backward to look up at Gran Torino once more. Once I gathered the rough distance between me and his current position on the roof of the building in front of me, I began working through my mind the best way to copy All Might's actions that he did when he used One For All in a similar way. Though with All Might, he'd normally launch in a diagonal direction. Right now, I needed to jump upwards before moving forward once I cleared the roof of the building. If I didn't, and instead travelled in a diagonal direction too early, my entire body would go crashing straight through the alleyway wall. 

I'll be honest...That added a little more nerve to everything about to happen, but I didn't let it hold me back. Instead, after taking a deep breath of confidence, I got into position. With my body crouching similar to that of All Might and Gran Torino, I proceeded to channel One For All solely into the heels, and toes, of both my feet. If I risked adding it in too much, I was unable to foresee what could happen once I actually kicked off the ground. I was simply hoping that enough force from One For All pushing directly from those parts of my feet would apply enough pressure to allow everything to go smoothly. 

But even so, I didn't just trust my feet to be able to carry me in the right direction. After all, this was nothing like driving a car. I wasn't just in control of the direction, I also had to make sure I was using One For All as best as I could. Something I've been learning the last few days, but never on the scale of what I was about to do. I guess I couldn't really blame Gran Torino for calling me a rookie now. But still, I liked to think I'd learned something since falling under his teaching, and I feel I showed that when I proceeded to place outward an enclosed fist and pressed it into the solid ground right in front of me. To Gran Torino, it appeared as an odd form to seemingly stabilize my body from not falling over whilst crouched. 

To someone like Bakugo, or any of the others from U.A., it resembles the pose I took when activating Fear Second. But it was neither of those. Instead, I did it because after what I've learned about One For All, it was basically an explosion of power that erupted through my body when I released it. It was a wildfire of energy that I couldn't control easily. So, in order to help me balance this power properly and hopefully go in the direction that I wanted, I added a third appendage to help in that process. Think of it like training wheels on a bike. With the added force from my fist also helping me launch into the air, I hoped it'd straighten things out to the point I'd be able to travel straight upward instead of in a diagonal direction.

Gran Torino: [Thoughts] "Hmm...The rookie's not as dumb as I may have first thought. He's smart enough to realize just using his two feet to launch off the ground would be too wild of a choice with his current experience with One For All. Maybe Toshinori wasn't so clueless choosing you."

The awaiting look on Gran Torino's face echoed his thoughts perfectly, thoughts which I had no idea of at the time. I was far to focused on not screwing up. That's why I took as much time as I could to make sure I was channelling equal force in both my feet and my fist as possible. One couldn't outdo the other, otherwise, things would turn to shit real fast. But I wasn't looking at that to happen. 

So, in my final moments of preparation, I decided the best thing to help me right now was a form of motivation I was afraid to use ever since my life turned to hell. But this time I realized that if I wanted to defeat the fear of Stain, I'd need to defeat another fear first. So in order to do that, I slowly closed my eyes, lowered my head, and silently muttered the thoughts that had haunted me for my entire life.

(Y/n): "...Izuku, I'm sorry... I'm sorry for losing to Stain. I'm...I'm sorry that I'm afraid. I'm sorry for being so selfish with One For All. I was gifted a Quirk and I treated it like trash. I was so focused on living your dream for you that I didn't even realize I was destroying it by completely ignoring it. All your life you hoped to get a Quirk, but instead I got one out of the trauma of your death. If that wasn't worse, I got a second one. I got two more than I really deserved. You deserved them more than me. And yet, I was the one given them...I was the lucky one...I got to live your dream of being blessed with a Quirk...and I mistreated it. And...I can't help but feel that my mistreating of that Quirk also means I was mistreating your dream. And for that... I'm so sorry."

My mumbled words were flooded with sorrow and regret. The torment of my past coming back to strike me once more. The pain of the present only added more to all the doubt-filled images and countless voices that told me be accept this fear and just give in...

"...But not anymore."

...But I wasn't going to listen to them. The me from a month ago, who was still caught up on the past with bullies who ruined my life and girls who plagued my existence, he would have allowed this fear to consume him whilst acting like everything was fine. But the me now...I knew everything wasn't fine. I had a shit life. But just because my life was shit, doesn't mean I couldn't turn it around in honour of my brother. That doesn't mean I couldn't rise above this fear, and use these gifts given to me to honour the true hero of my family. Sure, I'd never be able to move past Izuku's death completely, but I didn't have to. 

I could live with my regrets, but me living with the fact I was shit-piling the very dream and memory that made up my brother was something I couldn't do. That's why I showed no sorrow or anguish whatsoever as I lifted my head high towards the sky. My gaze looked past the patience one of Gran Torino, and instead looked to the heavens above. And whilst I may not have been able to see Izuku, I knew he could see me. So what kind of big brother would I be if I just let him see me remain on the ground? I had a life to live. A promise to keep. And a villain to stop. And if I wanted all of that to come to pass, I couldn't just remain on my knees. That's why, when all of these thoughts. All of these emotions. 

All finally came together to form a fire of determination within my body and with this determination...Nothing was going to hold me back. And I made that notion clear to both Gran Torino and Izuku, as I waited no more to use all my strength, all the energy of One For All that travelled through my body, to launch off the ground at a thunderous speed. The force of it all was so strong that it caused a powerful rippled to travel through the ground beneath me, enough to make cracks and a small crater appear in my previous position as I was thrown high into the air just like Gran Torino did earlier. 

Now, whilst mine wasn't as clean as his; my arms and legs were kinda flailing in the air as I went higher, it didn't stop that the direction I was heading it was the right now. Straight up I went. With each meter travelled I got closer to the edge of the roof where Gran Torino stood, and the blue doors of heaven above. Even with the how fast I was going, the process of finally reaching the edge of the roof felt like it took an eternity, but that wasn't a bad thing. A strange part of me took to savour the moment. The time I finally showed respect to the dream given to me by All Might, a dream meant for my brother. It was only when I realized just how much my life seemed to carry on for Izuku, that a part of me felt disgust that I was living it instead of Izuku. 

Yet, as I grew closer to the sky, now going twenty meters beyond the rooftop Gran Torino was on, I felt in a strange way that somehow Izuku was telling my spirit to not be angry at myself. To not be angry that I'm living Izuku's dream...But to be happy that I can carry on the memory of him for me, and all to see. Because despite him dying, Izuku ended up going out of this world the exact way he wanted to live it...as a hero, so why should I be sad about that? Unfortunately, I was only able to offer a brief smile to this thought, as before long my focus was suddenly thrown back to the fact I was now fifty meters higher than the closest rooftop. 

Not even Gran Torino had gone this far when he jumped. When I gathered the courage to look over my shoulder at the ground below, the only sign of Gran Torino was the faint yellow outline of his hero costume. Now, I was scared or anything about heights...But it was safe to say that as much as I focused on simply launching off the ground, I wasn't so focused on how I was going to land, and that...was scary. And I think Gran Torino got a pretty good idea of that when the next thing he heard from me was a powerful scream as gravity played its part in my story as it brought me back to the hard ground of the alleyway floor down below.

(Y/n): "AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!"

KA-BOOM!!

It was fair to say that not landing on the roof was a sign I still had a far away to go with learning One For All. Yet, for some strange reason, I couldn't help but smile still. Perhaps a sign that my life was slowly travelling further away from the fears that held me down. Of course, I didn't know that for certain, but in my life...I guess you'll never really know until it actually happens.

--A Few Hours Later | Shinkensan City District Hospital--

It was that thought that continued to carry my spirits throughout the rest of the day. After I finally got up from the pile of rubble from the ground I continued my training with Gran Torino, who, seemed very unreceptive that I had just fallen from a great height, instead, he just asked me if I really wanted to beat Stain. Of course, that basically told me to hurry and get off my butt to keep training, so despite the potential broken bone or two, I got to the feet of my already injured body and returned to training. 

Thankfully the rest wasn't so bad, just basically methods on how to control using One For All in the form of punches, kicks, and other attacks without going so hard as to break someone's head in the process. But when it all came to an end, I was forced to find myself walking through the halls of the city district Hospital. I had just picked up a new packet of painkilling meds given to me by my doctor. After everything with Stain, he said they should help with the pain. Though I don't think he mentioned anything about any new forms of pain I'd receive from ruthless training. 

But I decided to keep that news to myself as I went about heading for the elevator that'd take me down to the exit of this giant building. It was as I was walking, however, that a notification from my phone went off. Upon pulling it out of my pocket I opened the phone to see I had gotten a voice message from Mirko. Actually, I had gotten a lot of messages from her lately ever since I woke up from my coma, despite me never actually seeing her. Mom said something about nerves, but Mirko didn't seem to be the person with nerves. Such was suggested further when I heard the voice message she had sent me.

"Uh...Hey, (Y/n)--I mean, Rookie! Um...I heard that you got out of the hospital...W-Which is good! Um, because...ugh...I wouldn't want to have to come in there and pull you out because you're being a wimp, um...Yeah!"

(Y/n): [Mumbles to self] "Uh...Okay?"

"Anyway! Um...I know you just got out, and you're probably tired or whatever lame shit like that. But, um...I was wondering...If you want to, we could, uh...we could meet up? You know, where we normally do? On the gym roof? We could, uh...Get something to eat and um...Haha...We could spar again like we were doing?" [Nervously laughs] "I-I mean, that's if you're not a loser or anything! Hehe... I-I wouldn't want my rookie to be a loser--Uh, well, n-not my rookie! You're not mine or anything! I'm just saying...I've kinda got that itch going on again, you know? And I was hoping--I mean, I was expecting that if you weren't a pussy you'd want to fight? I don't care...I just thought you might want to see me--And fight! ...See me and fight together!"

Another wave of that seemingly sudden, and nervous, laughter escaped Mirko's voice as I continued to hold my phone to my ear. Honestly, even with all the types of voice messages like this lately I still found it unusual that someone like Mirko could act like this. Even stranger was the fact she never actually called me, but just left these voice messages that always brought up how she wanted to meet up and fight, whilst eventually bringing up her 'itch' though she tried to act as if that wasn't the main purpose of the call, or that she wasn't 'needy' as was the easiest term to use. The voice message I got last night was clear enough on that front.

"Hey, Rookie! It's, um...It's Rumi--I mean, Mirko! It's Mirko...Uh, hey, look, I know it's late but uh...You haven't been answering my voice messages back...hehe...Wait. No. Why am I laughing? WHY AREN'T YOU TEXTING ME BACK, (Y/N)?! I KNOW YOU'RE OUT OF THE HOSPITAL...I CHECKED! SO TEXT ME BACK, ROOKIE!"

And then about fifteen minutes later she sent me another one...

"...Hehe...Hey, Rookie. Ugh, sorry about the message before, um...I've kinda been dealing with my 'itch' again...hehe. Um, hey, on a completely unrelated note, you wanna meet up and fight tonight? Not because my itch is driving me crazy or anything...I'm not pathetic...I just want to see you! I mean, not 'see you' see you...I just, uh...I just wanna see you and...Make sure you're not being a little bitch! Yeah! Haha...Yeah...So message me back when you can, okay? Or don't...I don't really care...Neither does my itch or anything..."

Though, those were really the earliest types of messages. The newest ones were kinda getting straight to the point.

"(Y/n)...Text me back."

"(Y/n), let's fight!"

"Seriously, (Y/n), if you don't text me back-haha-I'm just gonna think you're too scared to fight me! You're not scared, right...Right?"

"Hey, me again, I didn't want to text you, but my itch is kinda driving me crazy and I was wondering if you could help me with it...Of course, I'm not desperate or anything...just text me back when you can...or don't...I don't care..."

"...Do you hate me?"

"(Y/n)."

"You hate me, don't you!"

"You think just because you've given me a run for my money that I'm not worth your time anymore?"

"You totally hate me! Well, yeah...I don't care!"

"...You're training with other heroes, huh?"

"Is that what you're doing? You're spending time with them, huh? Who is it? WHO?!"

"I know...It's Mt. Lady, isn't it? Yep! I knew it! You're spending time with her! I bet you're training right now that's why you haven't answered me back!

"Ha! I should have known...You're exactly the type of guy to like stuck-up princesses like her! Yeah, well...I don't care! Help her with her itch!"

"Yeah, that's it! I bet you're helping them with their itches, huh? What? Is my itch not important to you? Do you hate me that much?"

"Yep! Thirty messages and you're still not texting me back! You really are with another hero training, huh? What? Was my training not good enough? What was wrong with it?!"

"...What was wrong with it?"

"I don't care, actually! My training's awesome! You're the one who couldn't handle it!"

"Uh, yeah, Hi? Um, I'll have a melted carrot and honey-glazed pizza. And on the side can I--Wait! Shit! Wrong number! Ugh...HURRY UP AND TEXT ME BACK (Y/N) SO WE CAN FIGHT!"

...Yeah, that was about the worst of it. It wasn't until yesterday that her messages returned to a somewhat 'normal' demeanour with her current message. One which I thought was finished, however, just when I was about to turn my phone away from my ear, the sound of a sigh could be heard coming from the other end.

Mirko: [Voice Only] "...What am I doing? I've sent you fifty messages and you still haven't messaged me back. If anyone is pathetic, it's me...Huh? Shit! Is this thing still on? SHIT! Ugh...Um...Y-You didn't hear of that, right? Ugh, fuck! How do I delete this? How do I--"

Before anything more could be said by Mirko, the voice message came to an end. But even with the ending being abrupt, it still did enough to sit with me, too the point it was the only thing I could think about as I removed my phone from my ear. To believe what I just heard was hard to do. It just didn't seem like something Mirko would do. Then again, I wouldn't exactly expect Mirko to act like a clingy girlfriend who was worried I was fighting with other heroes too, so maybe I shouldn't be very surprised by that. 

Even so, just to hear Mirko speak in such a soft and heartfelt manner was something I couldn't shake from my mind easily. In fact, it only made me start to feel bad that I didn't respond to any of her messages sooner. Now, in my defence, a lot of those messages came whilst I was in my coma. As for the ones that arrived when I was awake, I regrettably put them on the back burner so I could put all my attention of training to beat Stain. But now I was feeling terrible for doing that. It sounded like Mirko was really sad that I wasn't responding to any of her messages, and that's something I didn't want to put onto her. 

I mean, sure, she acts tough and lives the way she does, but still, she's been nice to me. At least, nice for her, I guess. And I really did enjoy fighting with her. So hearing her say such in a sad tone made me feel terrible. But not anymore! With a reluctant sigh, I slowly opened up my phone and went into my contacts as I approached the elevator. After pressing the button to go down, I finally reached Mirko's contact information. I was about to press the 'call' button, but just as I went to, the doors to the elevator opened to reveal a familiar face...

Iida: "Oh, (Y/n)? You're still here?"

(Y/n): "Huh? Iida? Um...Hey?"

The confusion of it all instantly took me away from my phone and onto the prospect of why exactly Iida was in the hospital right now.

--A Few Minutes Laters--

Iida: "...I'm sorry I didn't come to visit you while you were here, (Y/n). I was, um...I had an important matter to deal with."

(Y/n): "That's fine, Iida. I'm honestly surprised I got as many visitors as I did."

Iida: "Yes, well, you are quite popular at school. So it shouldn't really be much of a surprise."

I guess he was right...But something that was a surprise, which really shouldn't be, was the soft smile Iida currently had as the two of us walked through the halls of the hospital. We didn't really have a direction to go in, we both just kinda got to talking and one thing led to another. Though, there was something about the sad look Iida was clearly trying to hide from me that left me questioning. I knew he was hiding his true emotions, because, well...I did the exact same thing when I went through my own turmoils in life.

(Y/n): "Yeah, I guess you're right." [Chuckles Lightly] "Uh, anyway, what about you? Why'd you come here today?"

Iida: "Oh, um...Well..."

I was expecting the conversation to continue as we walked, but just as Iida's words stopped, so did he. I was forced to suddenly pull myself to a stop and look over my shoulder. But in doing so, I was greeted by the stillness that had pressed itself onto Iida's face as he faced the ground. Instantly, I began to regret even asking that question, I was seconds away from telling Iida he didn't have to say. But before I could...He beat me to it.

Iida: "...My brother is in hospital. Has been since your match against Todoroki during the Sports Festival."

(Y/n): "Oh...Iida, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to ask about something personal."

Iida: "No..." [Looks at you and smiles] "It's fine. I mean, he's starting to wake up now which is good, right?"

(Y/n): [Smiles] "Right."

I would have offered him this smile no matter what he was going through, but as soon as I heard it involved his brother, I couldn't help but feel connected to this matter on a more personal level. After all, I had my own fair share of grieving over a sibling. But for me, I was never really good at accepting the support around me, but going off Iida's smile, he seemed to be far better at it than me. Even so, I wanted to go that extra mile and let him know that I was there for him, and I went about doing exactly that by reaching my hand out and placing it onto his shoulder. My smile continued to remain as I went to speak, but whatever words I planned to say to him were suddenly cut off when a jolt of energy surged throughout my body.

(Y/n): "Well, if you need someone to talk to, I'm there if you ne--"

I don't know how to explain other than all it took was a single touch. As soon as my hand came in contact with the shoulder of Iida it was like my body was suddenly zapped to life. But it wasn't just my body, but my mind as well. A green flash appeared before my eyes before images began to appear. Images...of Stain. It all happened so fast, but from what I could gather from the images, a Pro Hero wearing a similar costume to the one Iida has could be seen lying on the ground in an alleyway, surrounded by his own blood. 

The masked hero who I presumed was Iida's older brother, could barely move as the wicked grin of Stain plagued the air. It was as these thoughts, these...nightmares, that I began to realize what I was seeing was exactly that. It was the fear that resonated from Iida's inner mind, releasing such a nightmare that even with a single touch I was able to see it. Now, normally, when I touch someone with my Quirk activated, I'm able to inflict nightmares onto them. However, this time it seemed to be the opposite. All I needed to do was touch Iida once and somehow he caused me to envision his own nightmares. Nightmares of his Brother fighting Stain...and losing. 

It was just like that, that this conversation once filled with sincerity shifted completely to one that meant a whole lot more as I found out through these visions just how Iida's brother ended up in hospital, and just how serious it was that I beat Stain. Because if he did something so wretched that it caused me and even a Pro Hero to end up in hospital for days and weeks, then he really was someone I couldn't leave on the streets for long. Not long after I came to this realization I was suddenly flung from the nightmares, my hand freeing itself from Iida's shoulder as my body fell back onto the cold floor of the hospital behind me. Immediately, Iida reacted to the unknown reaction from me.

Iida: "(Y/n)! Are you okay?!"

Even with my mind rapidly processing everything that just happened as I lay on the ground, I was still receptive to the words Iida said. I don't know how long it took, but by the time I had finally calmed down, I was seated on the ground, my body supported by Iida's arms who looked down at me with concern.

Iida: "(Y/n), can you hear me?"

(Y/n): "I...Iida?"

Iida: "What happened? Do you want me to get a doctor? I can--"

(Y/n): "No...No...I'm fine, I just...Need a minute."

Though, even with a minute, I still think it was going to take me a while to properly process a sudden new feat of my Quirk, one I didn't even think was possible. But the real thing I needed to focus on was exactly why when I felt all that fear through Iida's system...That I also felt anger. Now, if Stain really did attack his brother, then, of course, he'd be angry. But there was something about the anger he held inside...something familiar about it...That made me worry he wasn't just going to keep that anger to himself for long. It worried me to the point I couldn't be blunt about finding answers to these questions. I needed to go straight to the source.

(Y/n): [Panting] "...Iida...How...How did your brother end up in hospital?"

Iida: "What? (Y/n), I--"

(Y/n): "Look...I know that it's sudden, and something you probably don't want to talk about, but, please...I need to know."

I needed to confirm what I saw really took place. Because if Iida's brother really was attacked by Stain, then I knew what he'd do. He'd be angry, and rightfully so. But the more Iida let that anger for his brother continue to grow, he'd eventually be unable to hold himself back from releasing it. And the only way he could release it was by going after the person who put his brother in the hospital in the first place. 

My first hint at the reality of what happened was given as soon as my sentence finished. Iida instantly went quite as a look of anger began to build on his face. Yet, instead of releasing it, he simply closed his eyes and sighed as he dropped his head to the side. He didn't want to say it, but not out of fear...But out of anger. Even so, despite not wanting to say it, he did so anyway.

Iida: "...He was attacked. He was on a normal patrol around his district when he got information about a known fugitive looming around some alleyways. It was quiet when he got there, but that's exactly what 'he' planned for."

(Y/n): "He..? You mean, Stain, right? The Hero Killer?"

As soon as I mentioned that one name, Iida's face immediately lifted with shock. Shock he put on display as he stared me right in the eyes.

Iida: "...Yes. How did you know?"

(Y/n): "Because I was attacked by Stain as well." [Drops head slightly] "I'm guessing they only told Mom that though, huh?" [Shakes Head] "That doesn't matter now. Iida, I know you must be angry with Stain, and you have every right to, but you need to hold back your anger. Trust me."

Iida: "What? My anger? (Y/n), what are you talking about?"

(Y/n): "Look, all I'm saying is, I know what it's like to want to get revenge on someone who hurt someone you love. But going after Stain yourself isn't the right move."

Iida: "Isn't the right move? (Y/n), you don't know what I'm going through."

As Iida said that, his hands immediately moved away from my body. Now it was only myself keeping my weakened body sitting upright as Iida jumped to his feet, his face carrying a mixed look of anger and confusion as he stared down at me.

Iida: "(Y/n), my brother was attacked. Almost killed. Now, I don't know how you got the idea that my brother was attacked, but you have no right to tell me what I should do involving this."

(Y/n): "You're right...I don't." [Slowly stands up] "But I do know what Stain's like. I know that he's relentless, and I know that your brother and I are lucky to be alive. You might not be so lucky..."

Iida: "What do you mean? You think I'm going to die if I go up against Stain?"

(Y/n): "No, Iida, I'm saying that rushing in angry is--"

Iida: "No. I get it. You think because you've gone up against him already, that its your duty to beat him. That you should be the one to save the day."

(Y/n): "Iida--"

Iida: "No, (Y/n). Tell me I'm wrong. Tell me you weren't going to go after him yourself."

In the end, I didn't respond. Though, that was more than enough of an answer for Iida. His eyes had now shifted from a mixture of anger and confusion, to outright anger. This time about...It was directed on just Stain, but me as well.

Iida: "...I should have known. Should have known you'd be so selfish."

(Y/n): "Iida, you're starting to sound a lot like Kaito now. Please, just calm down and let me explain--"

Iida: "--I won't let you explain shit, (Y/n)! My brother almost died because Stain thinks what he's doing is right! But it's not! And you being all high and mighty isn't helping!"

(Y/n): "I'm not being high and mighty, Iida. I'm only--"

Iida: "No! You are! Ever since I first saw you at U.A. you've been high and mighty! You think everything is about you, (Y/n)! You think the problems of other people is yours to deal with! But it's not! I saw it in the Sports Festival, when you punched Monoma in the Sports Festival! I don't know why you did it, I'm sure he deserved it, but the fact you did it without even thinking about your teammates goes to show how selfish you can be!"

(Y/n): "What are you--"

Iida: "You could have not only cost yourself an opportunity to show Pro Heroes what you've got during the tournament, the whole point of the festival, but you also could have cost the opportunity for the others on your team! But you didn't care because you were angry at Monoma for saying something! You didn't control your anger then, so why do I have to control my anger now?!"

(Y/n): "Okay! Yes! You're right! I was selfish back then! But I'm not trying to be selfish now! I'm trying to stop you from ruining your life! You want to go after him because your brothers hurt, you want revenge, I get that but--"

Iida: "YOU DON'T GET ANYTHING! YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE TO SEE THE DYING BODY OF YOUR BROTHER ON A HOSPITAL BED RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU! YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE TO FEEL ALL THIS ANGER DIRECTED ON SOMEONE! SO STOP PRETENDING YOU DO, AND STOP PRETENDING TO BE MY FRIEND!!"

It was with that final onslaught of violent, loud, words that Iida stomped his way past me, as he did, he slammed his shoulder into mine, shoving me to the side in the process as he continued on his way. As for me, I was just left to stand there in the lonely hallway, contemplating what to do. In the end...I did nothing. I knew Iidea wouldn't listen to me now, which only left me with one option--

"I need to go after Stain...Now."

Those were the words that left my mouth as Gran Torino placed his full attention on me, even as he sat on the couch in front of me eating fish crackers. Though, as he tilted his head in confusion, elsewhere back at U.A., it seemed that the story of all that was going on was slowly coming together. Something unbeknownst to me at the time, that All Might himself was trying to figure out.

[3rd Person POV]

--U.A. High School | All Might's Office--

The late afternoon was slowly rolling around the world of U.A. Academy, and whilst almost everyone had left, there remained a few behind. One such person being none other than All Might himself, who currently sat in his normal, frail, form within the teacher's lounge of the school. A wooden coffee table with two cups of tea could be seen on it. The second cup being for the person sitting opposite the Number One hero, that person being none other than Detective Naomasa Tsukauchi, a middle-aged man who was actually personal friends with the hero. Unfortunately, Tsukauchi was not here on as quite of a friendly matter as he may have hoped.

Tsukauchi: "Sorry to suddenly intrude, All Might."

All Might: "It's alright Tsukauchi. Well, what did you find out?"

Tsukauchi: "Among those who attacked USJ, there was the villain Nomu who you drove back, right?"

All Might: [Smiles] "Haha. Well, both (Y/n) and I did. I feel he deserves some of the credit."

Tsukauchi: "Oh, (Y/n), your new successor, that's right. How's he going? I heard about the incident with Stain."

Immediately the smile of All Might dropped slightly upon the remembrance of (Y/n) being attacked.

All Might: "He is fine, thankfully. He is still in Shinkensan with Gran Torino."

Tsukauchi: "Oh? Hopefully resting and not planning to go up against Stain again, I hope?"

All Might: "Oh, trust me! Trust me! I have spoken to (Y/n) about leaving this matter to your police. He will listen...He respects too me to do something like that."

Tsukauchi: "Oh." [Chuckles] "Good. Anyway, as I was saying, the Nomu, we did some tests on his DNA."

All Might: "DNA tests?"

Tsukauchi: "Yeah. We're not asking for your help in this investigation, so I'd be leaking information if I were to tell you this, so let's just say that thanks to the DNA tests...We may have found a clue that will lead us to the mastermind."

Immediately All Might's eyes opened with shock.

All Might: "The Mastermind?"

Tsukauchi: "Yes... Now, after investigating Nomu at a specialized institution, we realized that it isn't that Nomu can't talk, it's that there's no reaction for anything we do. He is literally unable to think for himself. As for his identity..."

A photograph was immediately slid across the coffee table before All Might, looking down, he was greeted by the image of a young man with light brown hair and large lips that covered half of his lower jaw.

Tsukauchi: "...We found out he was just a thug with a criminal record of assault and extortion."

All Might: "And you're saying that's a lead to Mastermind? Whoever he is?"

Tsukauchi: [Leans forward] "Listen carefully. According to the report, there's at least DNA from four different people in Nomu's body."

All Might: "DNA from four different people intermingled... Is he even human anymore?"

Tsukauchi: "His whole body seems to have been tampered with using drugs and other methods. To simplify it, his body has been modified so his body can hold multiple Quirks. The fact that he's unable to think for himself anymore is probably a massive side effect of such a procedure. But what we're more concerned about with his DNA is how he's able to hold multiple Quirks. Because even if different DNA is introduced, unless there is some way where it can be completely integrated, the bearer would not have than multiple quirks."

All Might: "Unless they were somehow given to him..."

Tsukauchi: "What do you mean?"

All Might: "Well, funnily enough, whereas this Nomu has multiple Quirks, I know someone else who does as well."

Tsukauchi: "Really? Who?"

All Might: "...(Y/n). He has both his original Quirk, and One For All. Though, he is yet to know of the burden that that can bring."

Tsukauchi: "I see. Unfortunately, that does not take away my greatest fear." [Sighs and looks at All Might] "If (Y/n) was able to receive One For All because you gave it to him, and this Nomu has multiple Quirks, we fear there must be someone out there who also has the ability to carry, and give quirks as they please."

Immediately All Might's eyes snapped, shocked spread across his face, as horror seeped into his system. This didn't come as no surprise for Tsukauchi.

All Might: "...Don't tell me!"

Tsukauchi: "Looking at the circumstances, it would be reasonable to assume such."

All Might: "No. That's not possible."

Tsukauchi: "We thought so as well, but now we're starting to question it. That's why I thought I should let you know. For your safety...and (Y/n)'s."

At the mention of his successor's name, All Might proceeded to turn to look out the window that showcased the beautiful city. A city that (Y/n) was currently in. It's as All Might took in everything he just heard, plus the rising of his anger inside, that smoke began to evaporate from his body as he transformed into his hulking form.

All Might: "Has that man...started to move again...?"

So far, that question seemed to remain unknown. But for (Y/n), he had no idea whatsoever at the massive change that had just taken place. Instead, he still found himself inside Gran Torino's home. Though this time around, he was following the old man as he walked about his kitchen, all the while (Y/n) still tried to get Gran Torino to agree to what he had to say.

(Y/n): "You have to let me go after him."

Gran Torino: "No."

(Y/n): "But I can't just wait for him to hurt someone else!"

Gran Torino: "You're not ready."

(Y/n): "Look, I know I'm nowhere near mastering One For All, but I've improved so much. I feel like I could handle him!"

Gran Torino: "Whether you feel it or not does not matter. This is someone who will not give you mercy again if you don't beat him."

(Y/n): "So I'll beat him! Come on, Gran Torino, please...My friend's brother got hurt, and if I don't do something before he catches up to Stain...He's going to get hurt."

At that very moment, Gran Torino came to an abrupt stop, his tiny body turning around as he waited not a single second to look (Y/n) right in the eyes.

Gran Torino: "Tell me, kid, if you go out there do you think you won't get hurt? Just because you've gotten better with One For All doesn't mean you are invincible."

But whereas at the beginning of their training, where Gran Torino saw (Y/n) as someone who was uncertain and fearful about everything to do with Stain, right now, as the young boy stared right back at him, the old man saw...no fear.

(Y/n): "No. I don't think I'm invincible. I know I'll get hurt going up against Stain, but what Stain doesn't know is that any pain he puts onto me is nothing like the pain he's put onto my friend. Because I know what it's like to watch your brother die. I know it's a suffering that feels like you're forced to be trapped with."

Curiosity quickly found Gran Torino's face as he tilted his head slightly upon hearing what (Y/n) was saying.

(Y/n): "...When I was a kid, I watched my mother get attacked by a monster. A monster who was supposed to love her. But when I saw this monster hurt her, make her sad...all I could do was watch. But Izuku, my little brother, he didn't just stand there. He ran straight into the danger because he had no fear, even though the person he was going up against was stronger than him. He died that day as a hero, but me...I was put through a state of anger and darkness. A state that my friend is now being put through because Stain almost killed his brother. I tried to warn him that recklessly going in wouldn't help him, but he refused to listen. But I can't just let him go ahead with this...I'm done watching people I care about get hurt. So I'm sorry, Gran Torino, whether you want me to or not I'm going out to find Stain tonight. I only wanted to tell you because, well... I didn't want you to think that I didn't appreciate the effort you put in for me. It's because of your help that I stand a far better chance than I did before to beat Stain."

There were three things Gran Torino noticed that were present from (Y/n) has his long sentence came to an end. For starters, the determination in his voice. To the blind thinking, (Y/n)'s words that he just said would have sounded exactly like the overconfident words he said when he first went up against Stain. But this time around, Gran Torino knew they weren't filled with a blunt sense of overconfidence. Instead, (Y/n) genuinely believed in his ability, showcasing the lack of fear alongside it. The next thing was the unwavering sympathy he carried in his eyes. 

Such was focused towards Iida, his friend in which he cared about. The fact he could relate to Iida on a level involving witnessing seeing a family member be hurt was everpresent, but (Y/n) never allowed the feeling to take away anything from Iida. But out of everything Gran Torino saw from (Y/n) right now that truly showcased a change within the young boy wasn't the determination or the sympathy he had for others. It was the presence he brought with him as he spoke, a presence that only a beacon of hope could bring. 

Something Gran Torino had only seen before in the Number One hero himself, All Might. Now, it was no surprise that when Gran Torino first found out that All Might had chosen (Y/n) as his successor, he was sceptical, to say the least. He thought (Y/n) wasn't willing enough, or down to earth to properly maneuver One For All. Such was further pushed when Gran Torino witnessed the young boy's lack of respect for the almighty Quirk given to him. But the more Gran Torino trained with (Y/n), the more he came to understand just how determined (Y/n) was to help people. 

He didn't want to be like other heroes in the sense that he left the people who were afraid and doubted that they wouldn't be saved in the end. (Y/n) wanted the people to know they would be saved. At first, Gran Torino questioned why (Y/n) acted in such a way. But after hearing the origin and death of his brother, Izuku Midoriya, Gran Torino began to understand why (Y/n) was who he was. It was because of all that, that as (Y/n)'s silent figure awaited a response from his teacher, Gran Torino eventually gave his reply as he dropped his head and sighed. This caused (Y/n) to tilt his head, only to question further as Gran Torino finally spoke.

Gran Torino: "... Alright then, if you're so confident in your ability with One For All, I'll let you go find Stain."

(Y/n): "Huh? What? Really?"

Gran Torino: "...But only if you can beat me in a fight."

(Y/n): "...Say what now?"

Gran Torino: [Groans] "Do you kids not have ears? Look! You want to go fight Stain? Fine! But I'm not just going to let you do it and let the guilt rest on my consciousness if you die."

(Y/n): [Thoughts] "Gee...Thanks for the confidence."

Gran Torino: "That's why I'll only let you go if you can beat me. I mean, if you think you can beat Stain, you should have no problem going up against me, right?"

A small grin found Gran Torino's face as he slowly crouched down, getting into a battle stance. As for (Y/n), the confusion quickly wiped off his face as he grinned himself, his fists raising as One For All activated throughout his body.

(Y/n): "If this is what you want to do for me to prove myself, so be it... I'll show you what I've learned."

Gran Torino: "Good..." [Smirks] "...Because you're gonna need it."

In that exact second, before (Y/n) could even react to the words of the retired hero, out of nowhere Gran Torino's body pounced to the side, disappearing from in front of (Y/n) in the blink of an eye. But the shock of this only lasted seconds on (Y/n)'s mind as he quickly began spinning his body as he tried to keep up with Gran Torino's movements. Though, so far, the old man was simply bouncing around the place, keeping his distance from (Y/n). As he did so, Gran Torino took this opportunity to make a prompted lesson out of it all.

Gran Torino: [Whilst bouncing] "Going off sight alone I'd say you're equipping your body with about fifty per cent of One For All's total energy. If you can move whilst maintaining that, then you'll be completely different compared to your fight against Stain using only your nightmare Quirk. In fact...You might even be able to block this!"

At the end of his sentence Gran Torino abruptly changed the direction of his next catapulting bounce to suddenly launch himself in the very direction of (Y/n). With the young boy's back currently facing him, it seemed like (Y/n) was open for a clear strike. However, (Y/n) was fully aware of where Gran Torino was. Green sparks zapped all over his body, a few flickering around his head as (Y/n) turned it to the left ever so slightly, to the point he could barely see the image of Gran Torino's body coming straight for him out the corner of his eye. 

Now, even with this, Gran Torino still seemed primed to make his attack. But just as he twisted his body in the air to allow his feet to lead the way for (Y/n)'s open back, out of nowhere the young boy's entire form shifted out of the way at great speeds. The only thing keeping Gran Torino's gaze on (Y/n) were the green sparks of One For All that made a trail of (Y/n)'s movements. But even so, just because Gran Torino could clearly see (Y/n)'s body move, it was too late to do anything. 

By the time he noticed, (Y/n) had already completely moved out of the way until he was now behind Gran Torino. And with the old man's body still flying through the air, this allowed (Y/n) to reach out, grab Gran Torino, and completely change the direction he was heading as he used One For All in his arms to send his opponent storming towards the fridge of the kitchen. The entirety of all this happened so fast that the only thing that slowed everything down was the loud bang that echoed as Gran Torino's body smashed into the fridge.

SMASH!

A few seconds later after all went down the body of Gran Torino slowly dislodged itself from the indented fridge door before dropping to the ground. Immediately upon doing so, Gran Torino remembered how (Y/n) was in this exact position the first time these two fought each other in this very kitchen. Also like that time, when Gran Torino lifted his head, he found (Y/n) standing in the exact position Gran Torino was in that very instance. But even with this small victory, (Y/n) continued to keep his face serious. His arms remaining raised as green sparks continued to come from his body. This was enough to bring forth a grin from Gran Torino, as he slowly rose to his feet.

Gran Torino: "Alright, kid, I'll give you that one. That wasn't too bad."

(Y/n): "I could feel it. The surge of energy through my body. I was quicker than I've ever been before."

Gran Torino: "Which is good, but you need to be faster against Stain. All it takes is a single slash from his sword for him to get some of your blood. If he consumes that, your entire body goes still, and you'll die. You can't let that happen."

(Y/n): "How do you suggest I go about making sure I don't get cut?"

Gran Torino: "I don't know. But let's think about it like this. One punch from me equals a cut from Stain's sword. Your goal..."

(Y/n): "Don't get punched."

Gran Torino: "Exactly. Exactly. Unfortunately for you..." [Grins] "That's easier said than done~"

That was the final thing Gran Torino said before out of nowhere he began bouncing around the room once more. This time about, (Y/n) was focused on not getting hit even a single time. If he did...He'd die. But that would soon prove easier said than done, exactly as Gran Torino had stated. But it was as (Y/n) went about proving himself in the matter of going out to fight, elsewhere in the city, at a deserted apartment building, just as the sky turned dark, a faint figure could be seen walking through the shadows. 

Not a single word came from this person as he walked past a coffee messy coffee table covered with countless news articles on All Might, and a wall with a picture of (Y/n) on it. His head was marked with a red 'X' whilst a knife was plunged through the centre to keep it in place on the wall. It didn't take much more to realize this person walking about this abandoned apartment was none other than Hero Killer: Stain. 

The masked villain silently going about removing his swords from the holster on his back. But just when he was about to place them down on the couch, out of nowhere he suddenly spun around and aimed the weapons into the dark. At least, one would assume as much due to the entirety of the room seeming to be swallowed by shadows. But as Stain turned around, he was greeted by the sight of Shigaraki and Kurogiri stepping forth from a portal created by the latter. A sharp glare found the hero killer's face as the pair slowly approached him.

Stain: "You still trying to add me to your numbers, huh? I thought I told you I wasn't interested?"

Shigaraki: "It would be quite foolish to give up on someone with your experience so easily, no?"

Stain: "I already told you, no matter what you want to accomplish, it is necessary to have conviction and desire. Those without it and those who are weak will be weeded out...Like that kid from U.A. you told me about."

Shigaraki: [Tilts head] "Hmm? Oh! You mean the one who thinks he's the main character? You ran into him, I see? How did that go?"

Stain: "...He left me disappointed, like others. Though, he still has a chance. So I left him alive...barely. Though he was bleeding quite a lot as he laid there."

As soon as Shigaraki heard such, his eyes widened in shock. The eagerness of the villain was easily seen as he clenched his fists together and stepped further forward, leaving Kurogiri behind slightly.

Shigaraki: "Wait! You're saying you fought him and beat him?! But you didn't kill him? Why?! Why didn't you kill him?!"

Stain: [Glares at Shigaraki] "Like I told you...Killing without conviction has no purpose. He may not be ready yet, but he has potential."

Shigaraki: "I don't care about potential! He screwed me over! Left me with bullet holes in my body! And the fact he thinks he's the main character drives me crazy! You should have killed him!"

Kurogiri: "Shigaraki, please, calm yourself. Remember why we are here."

Instantly Shigaraki turned his body around to face that of the calm speaking Kurogiri. Yet, doing so only showed the deranged look quickly building on the pale-skinned male's face. Though he soon managed to bring it into check as he turned back to Stain once more. However, as he turned back around, Shigaraki was shocked to find that one of Stain's katana's had now been plunged into his right shoulder. Even worse...His body couldn't even move.

Shigaraki: "Ow... That's too sharp." [Groans] "Kurogiri, take us back."

Kurogiri: "I-I...I can't move my body."

Unknown to Shigaraki, Kurogiri had also been cut by Stain. But the fact that neither one saw this attack go down truly showed just how fast Stain was. This only left the pair to remain as they were as Stain's vile eyes drew closer to Shigaraki's own, as the villain spoke once more.

Stain: "This society overgrown with fake heroes, where the word itself has lost its true meaning, and the criminals who wave their power around idly should all be purged. You're no different."

As he said such, Stain proceeded to slowly bring his second katana towards the neck of Shigaraki. But just as it was about to make contact with his neck and slowly neared the decayed palm on his face, Shigaraki suddenly felt movement back in his left hand. Immediately, without hesitation, he sprung his hand up and grabbed at Stain's katana pressed gently against the palm on his face.

Shigaraki: "Hey, wait a sec... Not this palm."

Immediately Shigaraki's quirk activated, the blade of Stain beginning to decay almost right away.

Shigaraki: "...I'll kill you!"

As the words came from Shigaraki, Stain's eyes widened in shock upon witnessing his sword beginning to crumble to pieces due to a single touch by Shigaraki's hand. The shock only continued to rise as Shigaraki's confidence quickly returned.

Shigaraki: "You sure talk a lot, mister. Conviction...?"

The entirety of Stain's sword abruptly rusts and crumbles instantly.

Shigaraki: "I don't have anything grand like that. If I had to say... Yeah, it'd be All Might. I feel like I completely want to crush this society, where trash like that get's worshipped."

A skip in Stain's heart suddenly occurred upon hearing 'his' name...The name of the Number One hero. Stain was so shocked in hearing it that he almost got grabbed by Shigaraki's wayward right hand, which now found movement as well. Thankfully for Stain, he was able to retrieve his katana from Shigaraki's shoulder and pounced backward onto a nearby couch. His red tattered scarf blowing in the wind as the deranged smile, and Shigaraki alike got to his feet.

Shigaraki: "My last injury I got from that pathetic U.A. student was just about finished healing... We don't have a healer in our party, you know. So...Tell me...W-Will you be the one to take responsibility for this...?"

Responsibility for the blood, that dripped down the wound of Shigaraki's shoulder. The deranged smile on his face continued to grow as he began to scratch at the skin of his neck relentlessly. The way Shigaraki began to speak showed clearly just how lost this young boy's mind was. Though, the scratching abruptly came to a stop when Stain's voice entered the air.

Stain: "So that's who you are...?"

Shigaraki: "Huh?"

Stain: "It seems our goals oppose each other. However, we do agree on one thing--to destroy the present."

Shigaraki: "...Stop messing around. Let me go home and leave you to die. I'm the person you hate most, right?"

Stain: [Cackles] "...I was testing your true motives. People show their true colors when they're on the verge of death. That boy from U.A. showed me exactly that when I fought him. I saw that whilst he had potential, that he'd never be able to reach it if he continued to be afraid and filled with fear like he is now. As for you, you're different. But there's is a desire, a warped sprout of conviction inside of you. How will you grow? It might not be too late to wait until that moment to dispose of you..."

Shigaraki: "You're going to dispose of me?"

At that same moment, kurogiri finally found his body slowly able to move.

Kurogiri: "Shigaraki...My body..."

Shigaraki: "Kurogiri, I don't want someone this crazy as a party member."

Kurogiri: "Shigaraki, he will be a great asset if he joins us."

Stain: [Grins] "In that case, these persistent negotiations of yours are complete. My business is done. Now, send me to Shinkensan..."

"...There are still matters I have to attend to there."

[And there we are with another chapter done. 13.5k words this week, and for once I feel a lot was done through that word count, and not just having it built up from over-doing the explanation and setting the scene for things. Hopefully, you all ended up enjoying it, I'm not going to bother with the usual stuff normally said at the end of this book as I'm really just here to update this book. So, yeah...Thanks for reading, I hope you liked it. I'll see you all in two weeks, as this book will now be updated every second week until it gets back into a good position in my mindset.]