26. One For All

Once we returned to class, and were summarily dismissed for he day, I sent Deku ahead of me and returned to the school.

It was time to get One For All.

Pulling out Monoma's book, I found him trying to curry favor with the teachers in the lobby.

Good. He hadn't left for home yet.

I sat down by the stairs behind the gym, out of sight of cameras and picked up my pen.

I had spent the past week planting ideas of pushing his copy ability to its limits, now it was harvest season.

Flipping to the latest page, I began to write.

"As he passed All Might, a thought occurred to Monoma. Could he copy All Might's quirk?

If he could, he would be able to upstage thise class 1A losers easily. Surely, All Might's quirk had to be at least this awesome right?

The thought had but occurred when he changed course and brushed past All Might, unsuspectingly.

Yes! He thought, now to test it.

The back of the gym should do nicely."

I felt the energy drain from me as Monoma fell into thought, and walked past All Might and out the school backdoor to the gym.

Here we go.

I stood up, and slipped behind a shed, waiting with bated breath as Monoma arrived where I had been just moments prior.

He looked around before taking a deep breath.

Monoma took a boxing stance and clenched his fists, spinning into a jab.

Then, nothing.

The spring bugs chirped happily away, and a cool breeze blew past, providing quick respite from the afternoon heat.

'Mo ippai.' He muttered and tried again and again to no avail. Nothing happened, leaving Monoma confounded.

Now that he was confused, I picked up the book again, as words appeared on the page.

"Could All Might's quirk be uncopyable? Or was he- No. No way. All Might can't be quirkless. How stupid of me.

Then perhaps, it was an accumulation type quirk!

If so, no wonder I couldn't copy it!"

Ooh. He's doing my job for me.

Then I suppose it's time for the finishing touches.

I began to write in his bpok once more.

"Suddenly, as if inspiration had struck him, Monoma recalled hearing about a theory some time back.

Something about quirks being passed down via transfer of genetic material between two unrelayed individuals.

Perhaps, if he could do that, wouldn't his value increase?!

Monoma could very well become kingmaker then.

The mete thought excited the yung boy, delusions of grandeur becoming daydreams.

Perhaps, he should try it out on someone?

Worst case scenario, nothing happens!

Best case scenario...Hehehehahhaaha!

Monoma couldn't help but laugh in anticipation of what he had to gain.

He decided, then and there to test it out on the first person to walk by, get them to eat a hair or something. Maybe I'll bet one of those 1A losers about it! They'll make great lab rats." I wrote and realized.

I was almost dizzy now, from all the energy it had taken to bring about such a drastic change in mindset. Not to mention planting obviously fake ideas into someone's head.

My forehead throbbed in a dull hum of sorts, my ears ringing a dead dial tone.

In a daze I grabbed onto the nearest support, an old rusty pipe.

It creaked a piercing shrill, as old rusty pipes are wont to do, alerting Monoma.

Well, might as well, I thought.

I was originally going to go around the gym and bump into him, but this might be fine too.

"Anyone there?" Monoma asked tentatively.

"Yeah." I slurred, tripping out from behind the shed.

"You okay?" He asked, concerned.

"J-just....tired is all. Was taking a nap, if that'swhat you were wondering about." I answered, "They made us take a quirk assessment test today. It was fucking hell. Even threatened to expel the last place student. Can you imagine that?

Getting admitted to the hero course and then being expelled on the first day?"

"Oh, you're from class 1A huh? We didn't have to do that in 1B. Guess that's because we're just better! No test required!" He mocked.

"Eh, maybe." I replied, walking past him, appearing uninterested.

"Hold on. You're not going to fight me on it?" He asked, amused.

"Nah. Too tired. Don't got the energy to debate the obvious. 1A is clearly better after all! You couldn't have passedthe test we did. I wouldgo so far as to say, class 1A cando anyhing!" I taunted, offhandedly, setting him up for the bet.

"Oh yeah? Then how about we bet on this - you can't swallow one of my hairs!"

"Eh?!" I exclaimed, jerking backwards theatrically, "Are you some kind of pervert?!"

"Wha- no. No! Of course not." He defended, waving his hands frantically denying my claim.

"Then I'm not eating it." I added, turning to walk away, even as I pumped more energy into his book, enveloping him in an overpowering urge to have my words realized.

"What, you chickening out? Bakbakaak! You chicken!" He shouted at me, losing all sense of reason.

Oh, I just love my quirk sometimes.

I mean where else would you see someone challenging another person to eat one of their hairs?!

I had to struggle not to laugh in his face at the absurdity of the situation.

I composed myself before turning to face him with an offended glare.

"Yeah, I'll show you!" I said, walking up to him, and swallowing it whole, without so much a hiccup.

Then something happened that I did not intend.

Maybe it was because of how my quirk reacted to it, or maybe it was because my heightened perception, but as it digested inside me, I could feel a spark birth within me, tingling my insides with encompassing vigour.

My energy swirled sround it, forming a whirlpool of power and my skin shook, pores opening and closing in a stupor.

Yes. I like this. This is power.

This is One For All!

No wonder AFO wants it.

"So...how does it feel?" Monoma asked, interrupting my enjoyment, the effects of my power wearing off as his story progressed.

"Nothing. It was just a hair after all, right?" I asked, acting innocent.

"I meant..." he snickered, "..how does it feel to be duped, idiot!?

You just swallowed my hair! Like an idiot!" He mocked, as his personality slowly returned to him.

"Eh?! Nooooo...!" I acted despaired, falling to my knees as I gave Monoma the benefit of the high ground here.

After all, I will be the one laughing in the end.