Inheritance: A My Hero Academia AU

Izuku Midoriya

When I made it back to my house after my conversation with Todoroki, I decided to head up to my study and clean up a little bit.

A few books had fallen off the shelves during Bakugo and I's fight, and my desk drawers were a mess from him rummaging through them. I put the books back first, then I sat down in my swivel chair and started fixing the drawers.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a torn open envelope with my name on it at the top of one of the bottom drawers. I picked it up and pulled the letter out of it.

It was from Dave Shield, long time friend and business partner of All Might. I didn't need to read the words to remember what the letter said.

He'd written it to me right after All Might's funeral. In it, he'd promised me that he would take good care of Toshinori's dream until I was ready to take up the mantle myself. He told me that All Might had always believed in me, and that he knew I was capable.

I clutched the letter to my chest, suddenly feeling emotional.

I remembered what Kacchan had told me, about not having to be the next All Might, and what I'd told Todoroki about not being restricted by the past.

"Maybe I should take my own advice," I muttered, tucking the letter back into the envelope.

My eye caught on the telephone on the corner of my desk, and for a second, I weighed my options, trying to decide what to do.

"Screw it," I said, reaching for the phone.

I called One for All Industries, and for a long second, no one picked up. Then, a familiar voice, one that made my stomach clench to hear again, said, "One for All Industries."

"Melissa?" I choked out.

"Yes sir," she said. "How may I help you?"

"It's Deku," I said. "Can I speak to your father?"

There was a pause on the other end of the line. "Deku? That's really you?"

"Yeah," I said. "I've been doing some thinking, and I've changed my mind."

Another pause. When Melissa spoke again. Her voice was shaking with emotion. "I'll go get my father."

---

I stared up at the towering skyscraper, my stomach clenched with nerves. I was starting to regret this decision. Next to me, Uraraka gave my arm a little squeeze. I turned to smile at her.

"You can do this, Deku, I know you can," she said.

"I don't know," I said uncertainly.

"Hey," Uraraka said, seizing me by the shoulders so she could look me straight in the eyes. "All Might chose you."

"He did."

"So you can do this."

"I can do this," I said.

"That's the spirit," said Uraraka, giving me a quick kiss. "Don't go falling in love with Melissa when you see her again up there."

"Of course not," I said, kissing Uraraka again.

"Go get 'em," she said, shoving me lightly towards the door.

"I can do this!" I exclaimed, and I heard Uraraka laughing behind me.

I entered the lobby of the building and strode confidently towards the elevator, ignoring the strange looks that people gave me.

"Top floor," I told the operator.

He nodded and the grate closed in front of us. The elevator rose slowly, and we reached the top floor a few minutes later. I stepped out of the elevator.

The top floor was packed with desks and bustling with life. I spotted a familiar young woman with long blonde hair and glasses, and it felt as if all the breath had been knocked out of me.

Melissa looked up and saw me. She smiled brightly and started to walk over to me, and for a second, I didn't really know what to do with myself.

"Deku, it's so nice to see you," she said, hugging me. I awkwardly hugged her back. "I'm really glad that you changed your mind."

"Um, m-me too," I stammered, still flustered.

Melissa looked the same as she did two years ago, when we went our separate ways after our falling out. Melissa hadn't liked that I wasn't going to take over One for All Industries right away. She thought I was running away.

And she was right. After my fight with Kacchan, I could see it.

"Let me go tell my father that you're here," Melissa said with another smile. She walked away towards her father's office, leaving me awkwardly standing in front of the elevator.

"Hey, you're that intern who worked here a couple years ago, right?" a loud, cheerful voice said behind me.

I jumped and turned around. The voice belonged to a broad shouldered man, a couple of years older than me, with messy blonde hair and kind blue eyes. "Um, yeah."

"Hi, I'm Mirio Togata," the guy said, extending his hand to me. "I've heard a lot about you."

"Hi," I said, shaking the Togata's hand. He had a strong grip.

"It's so great to finally meet you," Togata said.

"Uh...you too?"

"Deku!"

Togata and I both turned towards Melissa. She was leaning out of the door to her father's office, eyes still sparkling.

"My father's ready to see you," she said.

"Alright, I'll be there in a minute," I said. I turned to smile awkwardly at Togata before walking towards Dave Shield's office, starting to feel nervous again.

He was sitting at his desk in front of the window, looking through a stack of papers. He looked up when I entered his office and smiled. "Hello again, Mr. Midoriya."

"Hello," I said.

Dave gestured to the chairs in front of his desk and I sat down in one of them.

"Melissa, can you give us a second, please?" Dave asked his daughter.

"Of course, Dad," she said. She looked at me. "We should talk more, later. We have a lot of catching up to do."

"Yeah, I guess we do," I said.

Dave shot his daughter a look.

"Sorry, sorry," Melissa said, starting to walk towards the door. She smiled at me one last time before leaving the office and shutting the door behind her.

"So, Midoriya," Dave said. I tore my gaze from the door and looked back at him. Dave clasped his hands on the desk in front of him. "I believe that we have some business to discuss."

"Yes," I said, repositioning myself in the chair and getting back some of my confidence. "I believe we do."