Quirks and magic

Chapter 8: Enter: All Might!

"—my boy—"

Izuku's mind was positively swimming. The darkness of encroaching unconsciousness and the overwhelming stench of the green muck that had been forced down his throat and into his airways were repressing his senses and clouding his mind in a near impenetrable fog.

"Young man—"

The sorcerer-in-training gave a start as he suddenly hacked what gunk remained lodged in his throat, rolling over onto his hands and knees and trying to pick himself up as he tried racking his brains for answers.

What...just happened? Izuku thought, spitting out another green blob. Oh yeah.

The last thing he remembered whilst walking home from school was getting snatched by a villain with a sludge Quirk of some kind. It would've been an interesting enough Quirk to analyze...if it wasn't being used to kill him right then and there.

Perfect, the slimy voice had hissed as he moved to force himself down Izuku's gullet. Your body will be perfect for escaping that grinning fool!

The slime had engulfed Izuku nearly whole; he'd struggled to break free and weave a spell to aid in his escape but his hands were bound—he could not conjure the energy necessary to use any useful magic. He could not even reach into his pocket and pull out the calling card Strange had gifted him with.

His vision had faded right as another looming shadow crashed into the villain that had attacked him, and the last thing he recalled feeling was the solid brick ground below that he unceremoniously plopped down on.

"I'm glad to see you're alright, young man!"

That voice! Booming, boundless, brimming with energy! Izuku dared to look up at the man casting his colossal shadow over him.

"Have no fear!" All Might roared with his flashy grin as held up duel bottles with the aforementioned sludge villain packed tightly into their confines. "For I am here!"

Holy crap! "All Might!?" Izuku shrieked with tears of joy threatening to spill forth.

"I was chasing this dastardly villain down for quite awhile!" All Might boomed loudly and followed it up with a hearty laugh. "I'm fortunate to have arrived in the nick of time! No need to ask for an autograph, I already put one in your notebook!"

Izuku shakily scrambled through his notebook to verify: there his signature was, as large and loud as the man himself, on the very last page.

"And now I'm off to deliver this slimy evil-doer to the police!" All Might declared as he turned and crouched, preparing for a monumental leap.

"W-wait!" Izuku cried out. He had just been saved by his childhood hero and idol, the man he had revered for years above all other Pros. Doctor Strange might have been the man who was training him in the skills that would allow him to properly attain his dream, and Izuku would be forever grateful for that, but All Might was still the man that molded that dream in the first place. All Might was responsible for Izuku's love of heroes. All Might was responsible for the hope that Strange had helped him recover. That kind of reverence is not so easily replaced or forgotten.

Watching what could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity about to bound away, Izuku sprang forward. Despite Strange's warning, Izuku felt that he desperately wanted his idol All Might to hear him declare his dream and intentions. He wanted All Might to know just how important he was to driving Izuku forward to realize his dream.

And so Izuku, in his haste, did the only thing that he could think of in that moment: he latched himself onto All Might's leg right as he took off.

A few shrieks of terror and bewildered admonishments later, All Might had landed down on the nearest convenient rooftop to ensure Izuku's safety.

"That was dangerous and reckless, my boy!" All Might scolded Izuku while still maintaining that trademark smile of his.