When You Believe

Chapter 1

All Might wasn't sure how this kid had managed to keep up with him enough to confront him in this back alleyway, but All Might was a little impressed. All Might wondered if maybe this kid had a speed or locator Quirk. If so, he would have to discuss Quirk usage with him. But right now, the kid seemed desperate for an answer.

"Is it possible for someone like me to be a Hero? Someone without a Quirk?" The boy, who was probably 13 or 14 years old, asked. The question caught All Might off guard. It caught the man inside All Might, Toshinori Yagi, even more off guard. Maybe because it hit so close to home for him, having formerly been Quirkless himself. He thought about what answer to give the boy.

It was true, he could tell the boy it was too dangerous. But, would that crush him? Push him over the edge? Toshinori could be fairly certain, just based on this kid's demeanor, that he had been told his whole life that he couldn't be a Hero without a Quirk. His hope, probably his very sanity, could be holding on by a thin string that was All Might's answer. But before All Might answered, he had to ask something first.

"Before I can answer that question, let me ask you one, young...." he left room for the boy to respond.

"Oh, uh. It's M-midoriya, sir," he replied. "I-izuku M-midoriya." All Might nodded.

"Very well, young Midoriya," All Might said. "Why do you want to be a Hero?" All Might wanted to make sure the boy was wanting to be a Hero for the right reason before he told him yes or no.

"I want to save people," Izuku began. "I want to help those who can't help themselves. And I want to do it with a smile on my face. Just like you." The words, though simple, struck All Might to the core. His smile widened, if that was even possible, as he listened to the short, but powerful, reason that this boy wanted to be a Hero.

Could he be worthy? he thought, before dismissing the notion. He would need to see more of this boy's actions before he could offer such a hefty gift and responsibility. And he preferred if he knew the boy would make it in to UA without it, since, unknown to most everyone else, he would begin teaching there in a little over a year. The reason behind it was, of course, to find a successor. All Might looked to the boy though with the answer to his initial question.

"With a goal as noble as that, I can't say no," he said. He could see the gears in Izuku's brain comprehend what he had just been told. And then, his countenance rose, and All Might could see a shine in the boy's eyes. Before Izuku could fully react, All Might continued.

"I will say it will be a difficult road, and you need to go forward with this with the understanding that you may not be able to. But most of those limitations rely entirely on you. Yes, trying to become a Hero without a Quirk will be hard, even near impossible. But a Quirk doesn't make a Hero. Take Pros like Eraserhead and Sir Nighteye. Yes. They have Quirks, but not ones that you would consider 'combat oriented' ones. Instead, they trained their bodies and their minds in order to succeed in the Pro world.

"And that's what you need to do. I can't tell you how to go about it. That's something you have to figure out for yourself, if you're serious about this. But. Train your body. Train your mind. Learn a fighting style that suits you. Also, try to find a way to build up your confidence. I can definitely see that it has taken a major hit over the years. I'm going to guess I'm the first person to tell you that you can be a Hero?" Izuku nodded solemnly, before finally speaking.

"Yes, sir," he said, trying to hold back the tears. Then, for reasons unknown to even himself, Izuku poured his heart over what he had been through. The bullying, constantly being told he'd never be a Hero. How he had felt when all Inko could do after he found he was Quirkless was cry and apologize to the boy. He didn't blame her, and he still loved her, but it had hurt. How his best friend had become his worst tormentor.

The words broke All Might's heart. He couldn't believe that someone who aspired to be a Hero, to be the next number one Hero, would do something so foul to another person, just because the other person was Quirkless. And the school let him get away with it, just because of how great the kid's Quirk was. All Might lost his smile at that. This would not stand.

"I am so sorry you had to endure that most of your life, young man," All Might said when Izuku finished. "Have you considered talking to your mother about moving to another school? Surely she wouldn't let this continue." Izuku bowed his head, not sure how to approach the subject. 

"She...she doesn't know," Izuku finally said. "I just don't want to cause any trouble for anyone." All Might sighed deeply at this words. Sacrificing the well being of one's self, so that no one else was 'inconvenienced'. He'd seen it a time or two, just never with these circumstances.

"Self sacrifice is the epitome of being a Hero, young Midoriya," All Might spoke. "But, it's okay to do things for you some times. Especially in these kinds of situations. Please consider those words, and know that I believe in you."

Hearing those words brought tears to Izuku's eyes once more. Someone believed in him. And that someone was the number one Hero, All Might. He could do this. He needed to do this. If it was his dream to be a Hero, he would need to change some things. He would have to do things for himself. He could do it. Now that he had someone who believed.