Prologue: I Have a What!?

As the sun continued to set, Izuku stumbled into the small apartment he shared with his mother. The eighteen-year-old high school student’s mind was still spinning from the day’s events.

"Young man, you can be a hero."

Those words echoed endlessly in Izuku Midoriya's mind. They weren’t just words. They were everything to him. Spoken by the man he idolized, the number one hero, All Might, they brought an overwhelming sense of joy and purpose to a boy who had spent his life believing heroism was beyond his reach as someone quirkless. Yet, that wasn’t even the most extraordinary part of their meeting.

Not only did All Might want to take Izuku under his wing as an apprentice, but he also intended to entrust him with his incredible quirk, One for All. It felt like something ripped straight from the pages of a comic book. But this was real. Izuku Midoriya’s journey to becoming a hero wasn’t just a dream anymore. It was just beginning. But first…

“Izuku!” Inko Midoriya rushed to him as he opened the door. Her eyes were red from tears as she wrapped her arms around her son tightly, almost breaking the young man's back in the process. “I-I heard about the villain... I was so scared! Are you hurt? Why didn’t you call me?”

Her voice cracked with emotion, and the guilt hit Izuku like a punch to the gut. He hadn’t meant to worry her, but he couldn’t deny how much danger he was in. The first **** on himself aside, he did recklessly charge right back into danger. Sweat dripped from the young adult's brow, but he managed to smile tiredly. "I'm fine, Mom, really. It was scary, but All Might was there, and he saved the day. He was so cool, Mom."

The fanboy couldn’t help but sneak in a little bit of his inner geek. Yet, Izuku thought to himself, recalling the fantastic scene that took place not long after. 'And he did so much more than just save me.'

His attempt to calm her down was folly. Sitting down with her in the cramped living room, Izuku spent the rest of the evening trying to console his mother, reassuring her as best as he could. Still, the memory of her shaking hands and quivering voice stayed with him, a stark reminder of how close he had come to tragedy.

Inko’s eyes showed some relief as time passed, but the concern lingered. "Are you sure you’re okay? Y-You look exhausted. Do you want dinner?"

'Exhausted is an understatement,' Izuku mused, feeling the day's weight pressing down on him. He nodded, trying to ease her worries. "Yeah, just tired. I think I'm going to head to bed early tonight."

Inko hugged her son tightly. "Alright, sweetie. Just get some rest. I’ll have some food ready to eat if you want."

That night, as he lay in his bed, sleep eluding him, Izuku stared at the ceiling, reflecting on everything. A mix of excitement and nervousness bubbled up inside him. His dream was finally coming true. 'I can't believe this is happening. I'm really going to be All Might's apprentice AND get a quirk!'

Yet, as he imagined the future now laid out before him, his thoughts circled back to his mother. After years of being a single parent and worrying about her quirkless son, the woman had run herself down. Rather than see her worried, Izuku wished there was a way for her to be in a better place. Before today, she was the only person in the world who even somewhat supported his dream, yet he could tell it wore on her. If only there were something he could do to help her. The problem was that her worry wasn’t unfounded. He wasn’t exactly the picture of strength or endurance. He couldn’t help but think that his lack of physical preparedness had played a part in her fears.

'If only I’d started training earlier,' he thought, frustration welling inside him. ‘What if I had been stronger from the beginning? Would Mom have less to worry about?’

A strange sensation tugged at him. A fleeting, almost imperceptible feeling of connection to his mother, like he could understand her fears on a deeper level than ever. It was as if their emotions resonated and the bond between them was strengthened. He shook his head, dismissing it as exhaustion playing tricks on his mind.

Still, the thought lingered as he drifted off to sleep. He imagined a version of himself who had started preparing for heroism years ago, perhaps with his mother by his side, encouraging and helping him become stronger. He imagined how different things would be if they had actively prepared for his dream. He pictured her proud smile, her shoulders free of the heavy burden of fear for his safety.

‘Maybe it’s not too late to start making things better. For her and myself,’ he thought as sleep finally claimed him. His last conscious thought was a fleeting image of his mother.

As the morning sun filtered through the curtains of Izuku’s room, he stirred awake, oddly with far more energy than usual. With a yawn, he pulled off his covers and swung his legs to the side of the bed, stretching in his typical morning routine. As his arms extended, he paused. Something felt... different. He couldn't quite place it.

Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he glanced at the clock on his bedside table. 7:00 AM. It was earlier than the time he usually woke up on the weekend. Normally, he'd sleep until closer to 8 or 9, genuinely appreciating the days without school. Shrugging it off as a fluke, he stood and wandered to the bathroom, his thoughts drifting to other topics.

The routine started like any other, with a face wash, toothbrush, and the cold splash of water helping shake off the lingering grogginess. But as Izuku leaned closer to the mirror, he froze. His reflection stared back, but it wasn’t the scrawny, wiry frame he was used to. Instead, it was someone entirely different.

Izuku’s face was still the same, but his body... His shoulders were broader, his chest more defined, and his arms showed a lean muscularity he'd only dreamed of. His stomach, usually soft and unimpressive, was taut with abs. Blinking rapidly, he wiped his eyes, convinced he was imagining things. But this wasn’t a dream.

The toothbrush slipped from his mouth, clattering into the sink as a strangled shout escaped him. "What in the...?!"

Gripping the edge of the sink, he stared at himself, his mind racing to make sense of the impossible. His first thought was that he was hallucinating or experiencing some strange side effect of yesterday’s events with All Might. This idol mentioned passing his quirk on to him, but surely he didn’t already do so.

But then, like a dam breaking, memories he couldn’t explain began flooding his mind. Scenes of his younger self running laps around the park with his mother by his side. Early morning stretches and evening workouts, his mother encouraging him with unwavering faith and support. Even his diet was being carefully planned to maximize his health. These new memories were vivid, detailed, and completely at odds with the life he thought he’d lived until now.

Clutching his head, Izuku stumbled back, the walls of the bathroom seeming to spin. ‘This isn’t possible.’

Then came the sound of his mother’s voice, calm and cheerful as ever. “Izuku, Honey! Breakfast is ready!”

Her voice jolted him from his spiraling thoughts. Shoving the memories to the back of his mind, Izuku hurriedly threw on a shirt from his room, half-hoping that everything would make sense once he saw her. But what he saw left him even more speechless.

In the kitchen stood Inko Midoriya. Yet, she wasn’t the soft, round woman he remembered. This Inko was lean and fit, her figure trim and her skin glowing with vitality. She wore form-fitting workout clothes, her hair tied back in a loose ponytail, and she hummed softly as she moved about the kitchen.

"Good morning, Honey!" she said with a bright smile. "Did you get enough sleep? I know yesterday was rough, so don’t feel like you need to join me on a jog today if you want."

Izuku stared, trying to reconcile the image of his mother in front of him with the one in his memories. "Uh, yeah, that’s… Uhm, Mom, how long have we been… jogged together?"

Inko laughed a light and carefree sound, placing a plate of hearty breakfast on the table for him. "Oh, Sweetie, Are you still asleep? You know we’ve been working out together since you were little! It’s our special bonding time and training for your dream. My, I remember how you-"

While his mother recalled a memory that Izuku recalled, his mind reeled. 'What is happening? This isn't how things were yesterday! But they are?! What is happening?!' He struggled to process the changes but then felt memories solidify. Nearly daily, he would spend mornings running with his mom in the park or doing push-ups together and other workouts at the gym. All the things he had previously wished he had done. But more importantly, in those memories, his mother was there, sharing her encouraging words every step of the way. There was no way these weren’t real memories.

'What happened!? Did a quirk do this?!' he screamed internally, his heart pounding. He felt stronger, more confident, things he most definitely didn’t feel like when he ran into the sludge villain yesterday to save Kacchan… or did he?

Bewildered, Izuku crumbled into his seat and mindlessly began eating his breakfast. His mother chatted away, oblivious to the monumental shift that had occurred. As he ate, he resolved to get to the bottom of this.

After finishing breakfast, Izuku changed into his workout clothes at his mother's urging, still marveling at his newfound physique. In his previous “life” the young man was not much more than a twig in comparison to some of his peers. Yet now, he felt as if he could benchpress well beyond his own weight. Not wanting to delay his mother any more than he has, he laced up his shoes and joined her before heading out for their morning jog.

The air was crisp, and the sun was just beginning to rise, casting a golden glow over the quiet streets. As they started their usual route, Izuku marveled at how natural it felt, the rhythmic pounding of their feet and the steady breaths they took in sync.

'This is so strange, but it feels so real,' Izuku thought, glancing at his mother, who was running effortlessly beside him. 'And Mom looks so happy and healthy. I-I don’t get it, but I guess this is fine.'

"Keep up, Izuku!" Inko called playfully, speeding up a little. "You don't want your old mom outrunning you, do you?"

Taking in her physique, old was the last thing he could call her. The woman looked like a fitness trainer at the peak of her life now, something that his new memories recalled being a teasing point growing up. It would seem Kacchan wasn’t the only one with the “hot” mom now.

"Not a chance, Mom!" Izuku laughed as he pushed himself to match her pace. As they ran, Izuku felt alive. Whatever happened to the two of them gave him all sorts of strength. He was fitter, more muscular, and possibly more handsome. If this was a dream, he didn’t want to wake up.

“You're doing great, Izuku!" Inko said, her voice full of encouragement. "Remember, every step gets you closer to your dream of being a hero!"

Izuku smiled, feeling a surge of happiness. From his previous life, he recalled the pivotal moment from his childhood when his mother once apologized to him and wished things were different. From there, though she never shot down his dream, even Izuku could tell she hadn’t believed in it.

Now, though, that same memory was radically different. When Izuku asked if he could still be a hero like All Might, his mother swept him out of his chair and proclaimed to the world that he could and that she’d support him every step of the way. Now, both of his greatest heroes believed in him with their entire beings: His Mom and All Might.

As they turned a corner, Izuku's phone buzzed in his pocket. He slowed down to a jog and pulled it out, seeing a message from an unknown number. He quickly opened it, his heart skipping a beat when he saw the signature.

Unknown: "Meet me at Dagobah Municipal Beach Park at 10 AM for training. - All Might"

Izuku’s eyes widened as adrenaline shot through him. 'That’s right! All Might wants to start training today!'

"Everything alright, sweetie?" His mother asked, noticing his excitement.

"Mom, I just got a message," he said, catching up to her. "It's from All- A uh friend! He wants to do some training today!"

Inko beamed with pride, not missing a step. "Oh! That's wonderful, Izuku! What time do you need to be there?"

"He said 10 AM," Izuku replied, checking the time on his phone. "We have a couple of hours."

"Perfect! We'll finish our run, and then you can get ready," Inko said, encouragingly smiling.

Izuku felt a warmth spread through him at her words. 'Okay… This is different. But a good different. I like this.’

After his jog, the boy freshened up and made his way to Dagobah Beach. As he arrived, he saw All Might standing in his true form, looking out over the trash-strewn beach. Even in his weakened state, the sight of the Symbol of Peace filled Izuku with unbridled giddiness.

"All Might!" he called, jogging over.

The pro hero turned and frantically shushed the boy. "Shhhhhh! Call me Yagi-Sensei when I look like this.”

The boy froze. How could he have made such a mistake? “O-Oh, right! Sorry! That makes sense, considering you’re hiding your identity.”

The hero chuckled and smiled warmly. “Anyways. Young Midoriya, good to see you. Are you ready to begin your training?"

Izuku nodded vigorously and flexed his newfound muscles. "Yes, Sir! More than ever."

Yagi-Sensei's expression turned serious. "Good. We have ten months before the U.A. Entrance Exam, and we need to get you in the best shape possible to handle One for All. Fortunately, you are in pretty good shape as is. So hopefully, we can transfer the quirk over soon, so we’ll have plenty of time for you to train with it.”

Izuku nodded, but a part of him froze at that last statement. ‘Had I not woke up like this, what would have happened!? How long would it have taken to be ready for this? Oh jeez.’

Oblivious to the young man’s worries, the hero spread his arms and gestured to the trash surrounding them. “This beach will be your training ground. Clearing it will build your strength, endurance, and resolve."

As Izuku looked at the mountain of trash and debris, a strange sensation washed over him, a pulling feeling from deep within. 'What is this?' he wondered, momentarily distracted. It was as if something inside him was reaching out, trying to connect with All Might. He shook his head, dismissing it as nerves.

"I'm ready, All- I mean Yagi-Sensei! I'll do whatever it takes," Izuku said, trying to refocus.

Yagi-Sensei nodded, a proud smile tugging at his lips. "That's the spirit. Let's get started."

As they began his training, Izuku felt the strange sensation again, more persistent this time. It quite clearly was pulling him toward his idol and now mentor. But what did it mean?

Izuku couldn't help but steal glances at Yagi-Sensei. The once invincible hero seemed so frail now, coughing intermittently and occasionally spitting up blood. It was a stark reminder of the toll his heroism had taken on his body.

During a brief break, Izuku watched in concern as Yagi-Sensei doubled over, coughing violently. Blood spattered the ground, and Izuku felt a pang of fear for his mentor.

'I wish there was a way All Might could be healthier,' Izuku thought, his heart aching with worry.

The injury was the reason the hero had initially turned down Izuku’s dream, and the young man wanted nothing more than to see his hero healthy once again. Being the quirk-nerd he is, Izuku wondered how things would be different if his idol had something that could naturally heal him. As the hero once mentioned, surgeries saved him to this point, but what about quirks? Healing quirks were rare, the most prominent being from UA’s own Recovery Girl. He had to assume he was seen to by someone like her, if not the youthful heroine herself. Meaning, that no quirk could help as is.

Izuku sighed, dismayed. ‘If that’s the case… If only he had something greater to heal himself with.’

Internally, the sensation Izuku felt earlier tingled as if reacting to his deep concern and desire. Unbeknownst to him, a change occurred as the thought crossed his mind. Right before his eyes, Yagi-Sensei straightened up, his coughing subsiding. The pain lines that had etched his face seemed to soften, replaced by a healthier glow. He still appeared thin and worn, but there was a noticeable difference. A subtle vitality that hadn't been there moments before.

"Alright, young Midoriya, let's get back to it," Yagi-Sensei said, his voice stronger and more stable than before.

The power in his voice startled Izuku. "Y-yes, Yagi-Sensei!"

As they worked, Yagi-Sensei continued showing off his newfound health improvement. His movements seemed less painful and more fluid. Izuku watched in silent amazement, that is, until memories formed of how the hero was already like this when he met him.

‘Wait.’ Izuku stopped in his tracks. ‘Huh?! Wha-’

“H-Hey Yagi-Sensei. I have a question.” Izuku spoke up, thumbs nervously twiddling. “How’s your injury doing? I-I mean, are you feeling well today?”

The hero raised an eyebrow and considered the question. “Of course, Young Midoriya! Every day, my wounds are one step closer to being healed. I did tell you about it on the roof, remember? Although I have this grievous wound, eventually, I should be right as rain!”

“H-huh?” That wasn’t quite right. Or was it? “You can… heal yourself?”

“That’s right! Before being given One for All, I was blessed with an excellent quirk I shared with my mother.” The hero spoke proudly of his gift. “One that has kept me healthy and whole my entire life. Well, until I received this, at least… Even then! This wound will be in the past one day.”

Izuku blinked, his mind reeling. 'What just happened?! I was just thinking about how it would be cool if he could heal himself… And now he can!? Did… did I just do that?'

He thought about the changes he woke up to and how he and his mother were in shape. Had he not just gone to bed thinking about how much better things would be if he took training seriously at a younger age? And now his idol had a healing quirk he absolutely did not have the day before. The world was changing around him… And his thoughts were the commonality.

Just like his mother, Yagi-Sensei had no idea about his changes. To him, he was always like this, much like the memories that filled his head told him were the truth. Izuku pondered on this. ‘I-I guess that’s a good thing? I mean… He’s not in as much pain anymore, right? But does this mean I already have a quirk!? No, wait. Calm down, Izuku!’

Yagi-Sensei furrowed his brow. “Are you perhaps worried that once I’m healed, that I’ll have no need to pass on One for All?” The man puffed up into his hero form and heartily laughed. “Nay, Young Midoriya. I have chosen you for a reason. Your heart has already proven that you are a worthy successor. That will never change.”

Izuku’s thoughts and turmoil parted like clouds at the hero's words. Tears formed in his eyes as emotion began to overtake him. “I-I wasn’t worried… but… I’ll do my best, sir.”

The hero nodded, popped back into his smaller form, and slapped Izuku’s back. “I know you will, my boy. Now, back to work! You may be in good shape, but that doesn’t mean One for All will simply work out of the box! Get to it!”

Izuku shot up straight and saluted. “Yessir sir, All Might sir! I mean… Yagi-Sensei, sir!”

The day stretched on, filled with hard work and sweat. Tires were rolled, engines dragged, and garbage tossed into many, many dumpsters. By the end, the beach was noticeably cleaner, and both Izuku and Yagi-Sensei felt the satisfaction of a job well done.

"Great work today, Young Midoriya," Yagi-Sensei said, clapping him on the shoulder. "I can see the potential in you growing by the minute."

Izuku smiled, pride swelling within him. "Thank you, Yagi-Sensei. I won't let you down."

As Izuku made his way home from Dagobah Beach, his mind buzzed with questions. 'Did I really just change both Mom and All Might? Is this some kind of new quirk?' The thought both thrilled and terrified him. He needed to find a way to test his theory without causing harm.

By the time he reached his apartment, the sun was beginning to set. He opened the door and was greeted by the sight of his mother, who was bustling around the kitchen. The delicious aroma of his favorite dinner filled the air, and Izuku's stomach growled in response.

"Welcome home, Sweetie!" Inko called, smiling brightly. "Dinner's almost ready. How was your training?"

Izuku **** a smile, trying to push his swirling thoughts to the back of his mind. "It was great, Mom. My new sensei really knows how to push me."

“Oh! You didn’t tell me you have a sensei.” His mom gasped and feigned a pout. “You should have told me. You’re going to make your old mom jealous.”

Izuku panicked. “It’s not like I’m replacing you or anything! This is-”

His mom's laughter cut him off. “I’m just pulling your chain, Sweetie. I think it’s wonderful you found someone to help push yourself. Our calisthenics can only bring you so far. Now, why don’t you wash up and tell me all about it?”

Sighing in relief, Izuku hurried into the shower to wash off the garbage and debris and joined his mother at the table, where a spread of healthy dishes awaited him. As they ate, he shared his day's activities with his mother, who gave him a rather dubious look when he described his training activity involving picking up trash. Using how his mentor described the method as doubling as community service like a true hero, Inko quickly switched tunes and began praising his mentor for such forethought.

While the Midoriyas continued eating, Izuku tried focusing on his mother, much like he accidentally did back at the beach with All Might. 'If this really is a new quirk, I need to understand how it works.'

Izuku focused within himself and tried to recall the sensation he had felt earlier when training with All Might. At first, he felt nothing, but as he began to doubt, his eyes widened as he felt something within him.

Excitement nearly caused him to burst into joy. ‘I feel it! I feel something happening! I-I really do have a quirk!’

Before he could celebrate, he had to know what exactly this was. Focusing on the sensation, the young man felt himself probe out, reaching for something just beyond his grasp. Unused to the feel, he shifted in place, eliciting some concern from his mother, who watched on in confusion. Eventually, Izuku understood how to control the sensation and slowly worked to bring it towards his mother, much like he must have down unknowingly back at the beach.

Unfortunately, as soon as he felt the sensation reach his mother, it was blown furiously backward. The boy recoiled and fell backward in his chair.

“Izuku!” Inko screamed, rushing to her son’s side in an instant.

Izuku rose from the ground, rubbing the back of his aching head as he murmured. “Well, that backfired…”

“What did, honey!?” The mother was still frantic and began running her hands toward the impacted spot.

“Oh, uh, nothing.” The boy quickly diverted, coming up with an excuse on the fly. “I, uh, was trying out a weird new training technique. It failed spectacularly.”

Inko knew when her son was lying. He was awful at it, but she sighed and accepted the excuse for now. “Clearly, now please finish dinner. Without training, please?”

Nervously chuckling, Izuku stood up and sat back down in his chair. ‘Well, that didn’t work. Did I do something wrong, or maybe… I can’t do it again for her since she has already changed. I think I need more test subjects.’

After wrapping up dinner and cleaning up the dishes, Izuku retired to his room to begin writing down his thoughts, all while playing with the sensation that he confirmed to be some sort of quirk in him. Now that he consciously felt it, he could effortlessly call upon it. Though curiously, this supposed quirk wouldn’t do anything when he tried focusing on various inanimate objects in his room.

“Perhaps it only works on people then… In that case, I have school on Monday. There should be plenty of people to test on, but…” Remembering the incredible sight of his beloved hero healing and his own mother reshaped into the fit beauty she was now, a new weight seemed to press on him. Leaning back in his chair, Izuku looked up toward his ceiling. “If this really can change people… I need to be careful.”

With that in mind, the boy wrapped up his writings and went to bed. Excited and anxious, the nerd in Izuku couldn’t wait to find out more.

**********

AN: Howdy Howdy! Welcome to All Quirked Up! This is a conversion of a Quest that I am actively running on Fiction.Live. What you'll see here is a slightly edited version that will be more "narrative" friendly for QQ. Check it out and read ahead to participate and decide the future of the story!

Also, join my Discord for behind-the-scenes for all my writings and rambles for this story and more!