Chapter 4: I hoped to one day meet you.

~~

It had been an accident.

He hadn't meant to click on the forum. Yet, he accidentally did. You could say that's how it all started. Some would say it was a brilliant mistake, others would wish it never happened.

Izuku blinked as his computer began to load up the forum. It was a very popular one, a debate about... Well, multiple things. It was supposed to be about Heroes and Villains but obviously, some debates tended to stray a bit. It was all over the place, really. Deciding that he might as well see what it was about, he tried to make sense of the rapidly appearing messages on his screen.

It took a few minutes for Izuku to actually understand what was going on but once he did, he was fairly intrigued on the subject. People were discussing what should happen to villains once they were captured. Some said that the government should bring in the death penalty. Some said they should change the death penalty so villains wouldn't be kept alive for several years before being killed. Others were arguing against it and the immortality of it all. Some said that the system was fine the way it was now, just that the police and heroes needed more funding - that the prisons needed better funding and the guards needed better training to stop any outbreaks. Some even said that the current system was fine, but there should be additional punishments in prison. Quite a few people were upset about villains seemingly getting away with a 'weak punishment' for their crimes or about the villains managing to escape from prison and getting away.

Izuku read through the forum slowly, ignoring the new messages as they came and focusing on reading through it. It was interesting - their opinions. Everyone had so many things to say, so much to express that Izuku knew that even though it all seemed so expressive through a screen, their messages would be so much more emotional when face to face. The longer he read, the more he picked up. For the most part, it looked like the forum had been fueled by anger. That people were mad about villains getting off too light for their crimes but the longer that Izuku the read, the more he realised he was initially wrong. That wasn't quite it. He could see it, read it between the lines, pick it up in their language and expressive writing. They were scared, hurt, upset. Scared that they would lose someone close to them, that someone else would get hurt, upset that there wasn't anything they could do, that they felt as though they weren't truly being listened to. Hurt that some heroes and officials didn't seem to take their concerns seriously, that some of the heroes were just in it for the money and fame, that they didn't really care and honestly couldn't care less. Others were relieved, having been saved by heroes themselves, or having met heroes and feeling as though they were trying their best. But others, despite knowing that, were still scared. Villains were rising quickly and with power and even as heroes and the police force put their best effort in, they wouldn't be able to stop every villain out there. That the number of villains was beginning to outnumber the officers. That society was outrun and the good was outnumbered by the bad. Too many villains were appearing and despite the law's best efforts, they couldn't stop it, no matter what they did. No one could stop it.

All Might had quite a presence in the chat, Izuku noticed. He was used as a counter-argument fairly often. Ever since he had appeared, the crime rate all over the world had dropped. But there was still worry - so much fear. All Might was only one man and he was not immortal. He could only be in one place at once and despite how powerful he is, he is only one person and one person could only do so much. When All Might would undoubtingly retire or even, die, what would happen to the world then? All Might was the symbol of peace. No one else even came close to being such a steady figure in the world as much as All Might. He would have to eventually fade from this world and when that day happened, what would happen then? The crime rate would increase again and it'd be much worse. The powerful, steady figure that kept the balance and peace would be gone and the next generations wouldn't have a symbol to inspire them and keep the crime rate lowered.

When All Might was gone, what would happen to the world then?

Izuku himself had never once put thought into what would happen if All Might retired or died. It had never crossed his mind. All Might was always such a powerful and ever-lasting impression in his mind and life that he had never thought it was possible for the man to disappear from the world. A world without All Might... It was a terrifying thought. The world would likely be hideous and that's what people were worried about. There was no one to take over All Might's place when he was gone. No one to maintain the balance and peace as All Might had.

It had been that thought that motivated a drive in Izuku somewhere, to do something. To ensure that someone would one day take over as a symbol and keep the peace. He didn't know how or who. He just knew he had to find a way to settle the fears that these people felt.

That had been how it began. An accidental click and then a thought.

Soon enough, then came the idea.

~~~Memey Murderboi~~~

Izuku Midoriya was many things. A coward was not one of them. He always told himself there was a difference between not speaking back and being a coward. He always thought it was the more mature thing to not say anything back. To not dignify a bully with a response. To not give them the reaction they wanted. But sometimes, he found himself doubting that thought. Sometimes he even found himself disregarding it. About three or four times. He remembers each one clearly. Each memory was vivid. When Bakugo pushed him just a little too far and Izuku had been the one to throw the first punch. Within the past three years, Izuku had about four fistfights with his childhood friend. He tried to dignify it, it was self-defence, it had been Kacchan's fault for constantly trying to put him down, he was protecting himself, he couldn't sit back and listen to him anymore. Not everyone listened to him. Some said he was doing it for the attention, that he was some sort of psycho due to not having a Quirk. Others said he was pushed too far, that he felt too vulnerable and it caused him to lash out.

Honestly, Izuku was just tired of it all. He didn't have to take Kacchan's insults and jeers. The snickers and laughs that followed him. The degrading insults that were thrown at him. He tried to do something about it. Fight back. But it didn't stop anything. It all just continued, giving his classmates and haters more ammo. So he stopped. He stopped fighting back in hopes they'd stop fighting. He stopped listening. He stopped caring.

Then One for All got so popular and he decided he couldn't ignore the masses. He had to listen to what they said. Their opinions, their thoughts, their voices, he had to listen to it all. He was their voice. To be their voice, he had to listen to them. He had to hear them.

Then came the knives.

The words that felt like knives in his chest, the hands that strangled him, the words that repeated in his brain like a broken record. He started caring too much and god knows that Izuku always had a big heart that cared far too much for this own good. Once he started caring again, he couldn't stop. Then everything was so overwhelming. Every comment, every blog, every post, every video, every reply, all of it. All of it mattered. He had to listen to it all. He had to. He had to ensure they were heard. If they saw or noticed a flaw within him, he had to fix it. He had to do something about it. It would be all he thought about until he fixed it. He wasn't interacting with his fans enough? Izuku would stream at least 5 days a week. He wasn't active enough? He'd go after even more villains. He didn't speak enough? He would allow himself to chatter and mutter every subject he could. He always had a mumbling problem anyway. He wasn't fast or strong enough? Izuku trained as much as he could, pushing his body past its limit until he was good enough in their eyes. He wasn't trustworthy because he wasn't a pro hero? He streamed his every single move to prove himself, regardless of the danger and disadvantage it caused.

Everything mattered. Every word said. Every comment. Every insult. Every compliment. Every wish. Every request. He listened to everything. Regardless of how heavily it all suffocated him, regardless of how it chipped away at him every single waking moment. (Sometimes, he wasn't even awake when it chipped at him, breaking him down into smaller pieces.)

He cared far too much and it was his fatal flaw.

~~~Memey Murderboi~~~

"Hey!" A hand repeatedly but gently whacking his face sturred him from unconsciousness. Izuku groaned, his body feeling stiff and weird. He probably hasn't slept recently again but... There was something different. A pain that shouldn't be there because of sleep deprivation.

"Hey! Hey!" The whacking continued, startling Izuku out of his thoughts and realising there was indeed something wrong. Crap, please don't tell him he fell asleep mid-stream...

He jolted up, not even thinking as he cried; "And that's how you get knocked unconscious by something you don't even remember!" He quickly looked around, taking in his surroundings and noting the very familiar area. Wait, this was... His brain kicked into overdrive, still not fully recovered from having such little rest. He was on the road, right by the bridge. This was on his way home... Did he pass out from not taking care of himself or something? It certainly wouldn't be the first time.

"Hey! Thought I lost you there!" Once more, Izuku startled at the voice, remembering that he wasn't alone. He looked towards the source and his heart-stopping beating in chest, his breath stuck in his throat and everything just stopped as his eyes took in who was staring at him. Izuku didn't believe what his eyes were telling him. All Might was here. There was no way his childhood (and still) idol was here. Right in front of him.

"Ho-wha... what?" Izuku shook his head, blinked a few times and then looked again. All Might was still here. What in the name of...

Izuku froze, his blood turning to ice and his muscles tensing. Please, please don't be here because he figured who Izuku was and was here to bring him down. Anything, anything but that, please. Already having the police on his tail was bad enough, but having All Might too? Oh heavens no, he would never get out of that. Not a chance.

His mind ever so helpfully finally remembered what had happened before he passed out. He gasped, looking towards the tunnel. The villain! The attack! Izuku jolted upwards, standing up lightning-fast, only to lose his balance from his too fast movement, the world tilting as he went straight back down again.

To his surprise, very big and strong arms caught him, holding him steady and stopping his scheduled meeting with the floor. "Easy there! Wouldn't want to make yourself sick, would you? Take it easy, young man! The danger is gone! Why?!" All Might laughed boisterously as he set Izuku back down on the ground again, who gratefully sagged down, realising his mistake. "Because I am here!"

"How...are you here?" Izuku dumbly asked, staring up at his idol, not truly believing what he was seeing. Last he had heard of the symbol, he was in America, helping break down a major drug ring. Due to the size and importance of the operation, not much about the hero's whereabouts had been shared but if Izuku remembered correctly, it had been dealt with. How much of it was dealt with, he wasn't sure. But if All Might was here, then it must have been taken or something. Right? He wasn't sure and either if he was, Izuku still couldn't process the thought of his lifetime idol being right in front of him after saving him from that sludge villain. Now that he thought about it, however, he seriously needed to get his act together. He was a wreck recently and if he didn't get his shit together, he was going to end up getting himself killed. Hell, if it hadn't been for - he still couldn't believe it - All Might, he would have been as good as dead because Izuku was too busy throwing himself a pity party to do something about anything. But still, what was All Might doing here and honestly, what were the odds of it?

"I was passing by and couldn't help but notice the villain doing some wrongdoings! Unfortunately, I made a mistake and had to chase him through the sewage system! It was quite a mess and I'm ashamed I lost him. In that time, he attacked you and I deeply apologise!" The large smile was ever present on All Might's face as he moved around dramatically to empathize his points. Izuku never really realised how amusing it was to watch.

"Uh... That's okay, All Might. I'm just glad you're here," Izuku muttered, slowly lifting himself up as he regained his composure. He seriously needed to stop pitying himself, it wasn't getting him anywhere. Plus, it was getting boring. He could only hate himself so much before he got sick of it - actually, that was a lie, but whatever.

"I'll be sure to be faster next time! It won't happen again, I assure you! Are you feeling okay, young man?" All Might asked and Izuku took a second to simply just breathe and gather his thoughts. There were so many thoughts racing through his head but he knew from experience that time wasn't something that a hero, vigilante or villain had. He needed to condense literally years of thoughts into a few sentences.

"I'm fine, um," okay, his brain was literally melting in his skull, this was not good. Okay, what was the one thing he wanted to know more than anything? Even if he had already answered it himself, what was it? His mind halted to a stop, his memories going back to that one moment in time that had created him. The lingering question that everyone feared the answer to and didn't have a proper answer for. One of the main questions that had started this phase of his life.

"What happens to the world when you're gone?" Izuku asked, his voice quieting and his face adopting a more serious expression. This, this question, was what he needed to know more than anything. What the world needed to know. Everyone feared the day that All Might disappeared and what would happen to the world then. There was a pretty big chance that All Might himself didn't know - after all, even with the man's power, he couldn't see the future (or could he?) - so perhaps this question didn't have an answer. Well, it would have an answer eventually. The world would find out when All Might disappeared but Izuku wanted to know what All Might himself thought. What the topic of all these conversations and questions thought. What his opinion was. Because he was, after all, still a person with a opinion he deserved to share. Hero or not. Symbol of peace or not.

All Might froze, muscles tensing - clenching? releasing? His muscles were so big, Izuku couldn't even tell - and his smile dimmed slightly as he focused his attention on the boy in front of him. For a moment, it was silent between the two, leaves and cherry blossoms rustling through the air. Izuku held his breath. The one question he wanted answered more than anything. He may finally get an answer now. Without the entirety of the public or a massive audience present, All Might would be able to speak more freely. At least, he hoped so.

"May I ask what you mean, young man?" All Might responded. His voice no longer held the cheerful joy and excitement that it did earlier. His voice was now calm, steady and curious. Izuku sucked in a breath, getting the oxygen back into his lungs and taking a quick, simple moment to gather his thoughts. He locked his gaze on his all-time favourite's heroes -eyes? irisies? Izuku couldn't even tell.

"You are the symbol of peace. The crime rate has lowered ever since you debuted as All Might. You've been a steady presence in the world for many years now but as strong as you are, I doubt you are immortal, All Might. Do you know what will happen to the world once you're gone? What's your, uh, opinion?" Izuku asked steadily, keeping his voice as calm as he could manage. He did pretty good until the end, when he voice wavered on opinion. All in all, Izuku would say he did well. He got his point across. All Might stared at him, his smile dimmed but still present. He looked like he was thinking. Izuku took a brief moment to wonder if his cheeks ever hurt from all that smiling. His face muscles must be stronger than his arms, jeez.

"I do not know for sure, young man," All Might finally started, looking as though he was choosing his words closely. At least, that's what it looked like to Izuku - All Might was quite hard to read. "The world will continue and both villains and heroes will rise. I like to think that even without me, the world shall continue to strive. The people around the world are strong and resilient, so I'm sure you will find a way to continue and make up for my absence."

Izuku... wasn't sure what to do with that answer. Sure, he had thought of countless possible replies but finally knowing what All Might himself thought was... different. It was fulfilling. He thought the world would find a way to continue without him and maybe that is true. Maybe it's not. They wouldn't know until it happened. But, for now, Izuku was sure he had everything he needed. Izuku bowed low to his idol.

"Thank you very much, All Might," he spoke lowly, running the answer over in his mind repeatedly, reassured by the fact that he at least had an answer. He didn't have any hopes or expectations for what All Might would say or think, so he wasn't disappointed or relieved. He was just glad he got an answer and for now, that would be enough. "I hope we meet again one day." Izuku straightened up, smiling softly.

Something in All Might's gaze seemed like he was contemplating something. But then he nodded, his smile widening. He held up a thumb. "Have a nice day, young man and stay safe!" Without even waiting for a response, the hero jumped into the air and took off. Izuku stumbled back from the force of the wind, covering his face with his arms to stop anything from getting into his eyes. Once the wind cleared down, he looked to the spot where All Might was standing beforehand and looked up to the sky, watching his hero's figure disappearing.

Izuku breathed out a sigh, his head spinning. He had his answer now but he wasn't even sure what to do with it. For now, he'd just have to think it over and he would come to his own answer soon enough. Izuku sent one last fleeting glance to his hero's disappearing figure before grabbing his stuff and making his way home.