Just Getting Power-Ups

[*Snap* is used to convey a time skip or scene shift.]

"Wait, wait, what?" I finally managed to say.

All Might let out a booming laugh, his weakened form somehow still carrying the weight of his presence. "Yes! My successor! My inheritor! The one to carry on my will!"

I just stared at him. He couldn't be serious.

"You… you don't even know me," I said, shaking my head. "Why would you choose me?"

All Might's grin didn't waver. "That's where you're wrong, Midoriya-shōnen. I've seen enough to know exactly what kind of person you are."

I swallowed. "But… I didn't even do anything."

All Might's gaze was steady, thoughtful. "And that's exactly why I'm interested in you."

I frowned. "I don't understand."

"You were there, Midoriya-shōnen. You saw the danger, and yet you remained calm. Most people in your position would have panicked, frozen in fear—but you didn't. You observed. You analyzed. You held yourself back, even when you clearly had the power to intervene."

I stiffened. He noticed.

All Might continued, "That kind of restraint, that awareness—it's not something you see often, especially in someone your age. People with power often rush forward without thinking, believing strength alone makes them right. But you? You understand responsibility."

I gritted my teeth. "That doesn't make me a hero."

"Maybe not," he admitted. "But it does make you someone who could become one."

I clenched my fists. He was wrong. He didn't know the whole story. He didn't know that I had spent the last ten years in hiding, that I wasn't some noble figure carrying a great burden—I was just trying to survive.

I forced myself to meet his gaze. "You barely know anything about my quirk," I said. "What if it's dangerous? What if I—"

"Then all the more reason to guide you," he interrupted, his tone unwavering. "If you truly want to be a hero, then power alone isn't enough. You need direction. Training. Experience."

I swallowed. This was insane.

I had spent a decade hiding my abilities, and now the world's greatest hero was offering me… what, exactly?

I narrowed my eyes. "What are you really offering me, All Might?"

He grinned. "My quirk."

I blinked. "Your what?"

"My quirk," he repeated cheerfully. "One For All!"

I just stared at him. "That's… not how quirks work."

He laughed. "Normally, no. But One For All is special! It can be passed down, inherited by the next generation!"

I had no idea how to process this information.

"So, let me get this straight," I said slowly. "You're telling me… that One For All isn't just a power you have, but one you can give to someone else?"

"Exactly!"

I wanted to laugh. Or scream. Or sit down and rethink everything I knew about quirks.

"So why me?" I asked again. "You could choose anyone. Someone strong. Someone experienced."

All Might smiled. "Because being a hero isn't about power alone. And you, Midoriya-shōnen, have the heart of a true hero. You carry a strength most people don't even realize they need—the ability to endure, to think before acting, to hold back when necessary. That's why I believe you're worthy."

I swallowed. I wasn't sure how to respond to that.

"You don't have to decide now," he continued. "But if you truly want to be a hero… this could be your chance."

I clenched my fists.

I already had power. More than anyone knew. More than I could afford to reveal.

And yet…

I met his gaze. "What would happen if I accepted?"

All Might grinned. "Then, my boy, training starts tomorrow!"

*Snap*

The walk home felt heavier than usual.

All Might's words rang in my ears. Successor. Training. One For All.

My fingers clenched. This was a crossroad I hadn't foreseen. If I accepted One For All, would it interfere with my own power? Would it change me? Did I even need it?

I sighed. "Chronos?"

A presence stirred, the ever-watchful force that had been with me since I was four. You are troubled, child.

I frowned. What do you think?

The power he offers is great, Chronos mused. But unnecessary. You are beyond mortal constraints. Taking One For All would be like the ocean swallowing a single raindrop—insignificant to the whole, yet changing the tide in ways unseen.

I frowned. So you're saying I shouldn't take it?

A choice is yours alone to make. But I will say this: The more power you gather, the more eyes will turn toward you.

I exhaled sharply. Right.

But still…

If I did take it, what would change?

Could I use it as a cover? A way to explain my strength?

I reached my apartment, my mind still racing. I didn't have all the answers yet.

But tomorrow, my training with All Might would begin.

And one way or another… my path to the U.A. was set. 

*Snap*

The sun had barely risen when I found myself standing at Dagobah Beach, the salty breeze carrying the scent of the ocean. The waves lapped at the shore, the rusted remains of abandoned appliances and debris scattered across the sand.

All Might stood a few feet away, his weakened form still managing to radiate authority. He grinned. "Good morning, Midoriya-shōnen!"

I rubbed my eyes. "Morning…"

"Today marks the beginning of your training!" He gestured to the mountainous pile of trash behind him. "Before I can pass on my quirk, your body needs to be prepared!"

I frowned. "Wait… you're saying I need to clean all this up?"

"Exactly!"

I stared at him. "You do realize I could do this in a second, right?"

"That would defeat the purpose, Midoriya-shōnen! You need to have a strong body to use One For All!"

I sighed. He wasn't wrong—I could accelerate the cleanup in an instant, but that wasn't the real problem. If I was going to play along with this, I actually did need to get stronger.

More muscle meant a better cover. If my physique matched my feats, fewer people would question them.

And fortunately, time was on my side.

I pretended to strain as I lifted a rusted refrigerator, letting All Might see me struggle before finally heaving it onto a pile. He nodded approvingly, and as soon as his attention drifted, I reached out to myself.

Time Acceleration: Target—Biological Growth.

A shiver ran through me. This was delicate—pushing time forward on my own body was risky. If I wasn't careful, I could trigger rapid aging or cellular breakdown. But if I controlled it just right…

I guided time through my muscles, accelerating recovery at the cellular level. Every movement, every strained pull and push, sent microscopic signals for repair—and I sped up those signals. A day's worth of muscle fiber growth in an hour. Fatigue vanished as quickly as it arrived, replaced by the steady, incremental increase in strength. I wasn't a topper in Biology for no reason.

By the time the sun set, I could already feel the difference. My muscles were denser. Stronger. The aches of training still lingered, but my stamina was improving at an unnatural rate.

All Might patted my shoulder. "Good work today, Midoriya-shōnen! Keep this up, and you'll be ready in no time!"

I exhaled, rolling my shoulders, feeling the subtly increased mass. "Yeah… no time at all."

Snap

Days passed, and my body transformed. Where most would need months of grueling training, I condensed the process into weeks. To anyone watching, I was simply working hard, putting in the effort. No one—not even All Might—suspected the truth.

And when the time came to inherit One For All, I would be ready.

More than ready.

All Might clapped me on the shoulder. "Strength isn't built in a day, Midoriya-shōnen! Hard work, sweat, and perseverance will shape you into the vessel One For All requires!"

I sighed. "I get that… but what if I could make the process more efficient?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

I glanced at the trash heap. If I used my authority over time, I could speed up my body's muscle growth. But that was risky—if I overdid it, I could cause damage that even my power might struggle to fix.

Instead, I needed a method that wouldn't raise suspicion.

My mind raced. What was the biggest bottleneck in muscle development? Recovery. The human body grew stronger when strained, but it needed time to rebuild.

…Time.

A slow grin formed on my face. "All Might, what if I told you I could recover from fatigue faster than normal?"

He blinked. "Eh?"

"If I push my body to its absolute limit every day, but recover in hours instead of days… would that be enough?"

All Might frowned in thought. "If you could pull that off… yes, you'd be able to build muscle at an incredible rate."

I clenched my fists. That was all the confirmation I needed. I could manipulate time subtly—accelerate my muscle recovery, enhance my body's adaptation to stress, and push myself far beyond human limits.

It wouldn't be as instant as rewinding or accelerating my own time drastically, but if I let my body naturally develop while aiding the process in small ways, I could become physically capable of handling One For All in a fraction of the time.

I exhaled. "Then let's get started."

All Might grinned. "That's the spirit, my boy!"

Snap

Days passed. Then weeks.

Every morning, I pushed my body to exhaustion, lifting, hauling, running until my muscles screamed. Then, under the cover of darkness, I used my power to accelerate my recovery, ensuring I woke up stronger than the day before.

It was working.

Within a month, my body had already transformed beyond what should have been possible. My muscles grew denser, my reflexes sharper. I wasn't just training for One For All—I was refining my own power, conditioning my body to withstand forces far beyond a normal human.

All Might noticed.

"Midoriya-shōnen," he said one evening as we stood by the beach, watching the sun set over the waves. "You're progressing faster than I expected. It's almost… unnatural."

I stiffened. "Just good recovery and efficient training."

His eyes narrowed slightly, but after a moment, he let out a hearty laugh. "Well, whatever it is, keep it up! At this rate, you'll be ready in no time!"

Snap

The day had come.

I stood before All Might, the salty breeze of Dagobah Beach carrying the weight of the moment. My body was stronger than ever—months of accelerated training had made sure of that. But now, this was the final step.

All Might grinned, holding out a single strand of his golden hair. "Eat this!"

I stared at him. "You want me to… what?"

"Eat it, Midoriya-shōnen! To inherit One For All, you must consume my DNA!"

I resisted the urge to gag. I had prepared for this moment, refined my body to withstand the surge of power I knew was coming—but I hadn't expected it to involve eating hair.

Still, there was no turning back now.

I took the hair, hesitated for only a second, then swallowed.

Nothing happened.

I frowned. "Did it—"

"It'll take a bit of time to settle!" All Might cut in. "But congratulations, my boy! You are now the ninth wielder of One For All!"

I exhaled slowly, rolling my shoulders. Deep inside, something stirred. A spark. Faint, but undeniably there.

Another power now resided within me.

But compared to what I already possessed… it felt small.

Still, I clenched my fists. This was part of the plan. One For All would be my cover, the explanation for any feats beyond human limits. And when the time came, I would wield it alongside my true power.

No one would ever suspect.