MHA: Hands on, Quirks Up!

The sound of his arrival cracked the atmosphere.

In a blink, a golden blur crashed between me and the incoming blow.

In the next instant, I felt wind tear past my face as thick arms wrapped around my chest and pulled me from the battlefield. A deafening shockwave echoed behind us as Nomu tried to follow, only for All Might to vanish and reappear with me on the opposite end of the plaza, far from the cratered mess I'd left behind.

He set me down with a surprising amount of care, more than I expected from someone built like a wrecking ball.

"Young Henshin!" he boomed, crouching in front of me. "Are you alright?"

His voice was strong, but his eyes were scanning me with clear concern—searching for broken bones or signs I was about to collapse. Honestly, I wasn't even that badly injured. I could feel the wounds already healing. 

But my limbs still ached, the pain dull and buried under shock and fading power. My heartbeat thundered in my ears. My thoughts felt scattered, almost as if there were too many voices in my head.

I gave a slow nod, my voice steady "Yeah… I'm fine."

All Might studied me for a second longer, then nodded back with a reassuring smile. "Good. I'll handle the rest."

"Wait a minute, All Might. There were two villains that escaped. The ringleaders. A guy with hands on his face, and a smoky teleporter who isolated the other students earlier. They got away right before you arrived." I added before he left.

He narrowed his eyes slightly, but didn't speak.

"And that thing, Nomu, was made to fight you. That's what they said. Specifically built to kill you."

That made him pause.

"Nomu has multiple Quirks," I continued. "Not a single strong one, but four separate quirks. Regeneration, shock absorption, speed enhancement, strength enhancement."

For a moment, All Might didn't answer. His smile faltered as he stared out across the field toward the monster I'd failed to kill.

Then it returned, wider than before.

"I see. Thank you for the intel."

I wasn't finished, though. "I figured out how to beat it. The shock absorption isn't nullification. There's a maximum capacity to it. That's the key. I've already hit it hundreds of times. Not holding back, either. I copied Midoriya's Superpower Quirk and pushed out the maximum I could release each time.

His brow lifted slightly, but he said nothing about that.

Instead, he set a hand gently on my shoulder.

"You did more than anyone could have asked, Young Henshin. You protected your classmates. You stood alone against a monster no one could have expected. You fought with power, but also with purpose. Not for fame, not for praise. Just to make sure no one else had to. That's what makes you a true hero!"

Why can I feel my throat clenching?

He squeezed my shoulder once, firm and proud. "Let me take it from here. If I can fight with even half the heart you showed today…" 

His eyes burned with purpose. 

"…then I know I'll win."

Please stop.

I couldn't answer anymore. Just stood there, nodding like I deserved it.

"All Might…" I muttered, barely audible. "Good luck."

He gave me a final thumbs-up, then turned and walked back toward the battlefield.

I sat there for a few seconds longer.

The echoes of the last few minutes refused to fade. The things I'd said. The things I'd done. The way Tomura looked when his arms snapped. The way he screamed when I—

My stomach twisted, but I didn't move. Couldn't.

They were villains. Every single one of them deserved worse. That's what I told myself.

And yet—

My reflection stared back at me in a broken shard of a shattered glass panel nearby.

I barely recognized it.

I pushed myself to my feet and turned away from the fight.

The sound of battle faded behind me as I walked. Every footstep felt heavier than the last.

You were the hero today. That's what he said.

I didn't feel like one.

Not even close.

Author's Note:

Woah is that potential Character Development™?!

Right so, if I started a Discord server, would anyone actually join? 

Like, I dunno. Just to hang out? Ask me questions? Roast me for being a mediocre writer?

Let me know.