"Funny thing about symbols," Tony mused, eyes locked with the skeletal figure of All Might. "They tend to crack under pressure. Unless they're made of better material."
All Might—no, Toshinori Yagi now—stood silent under the gray, overcast sky of the rooftop. His shirt clung loosely to his frame, hiding none of the damage underneath.
"You're observant," Toshinori said at last. "Too observant."
"Comes with the territory," Tony replied, folding his arms. "So, you going to tell me what kind of explosion rearranged your lungs, or are we still playing the 'I'm totally fine' game?"
Toshinori looked down at the city below. "I've been injured. Gravely. Years ago. A villain left me like this—torn apart and barely hanging on."
Tony's brow lifted. "Name?"
"All For One."
Tony's brain kicked into high gear. "Dramatic. So he's the big bad, huh? And you've been running on fumes since. Which means your muscle-bound hero form is temporary."
"I can only maintain it for three hours a day now," Toshinori admitted. "Less, if I push myself."
Tony nodded slowly. "And you still chose to throw a hurricane punch in a sewer. Dedication, I'll give you that."
The older man gave a quiet chuckle. "That's the duty of the Symbol of Peace. I couldn't let you die."
Tony studied him. "You've got the scars, the regrets, the power—and still you think of yourself as weak."
"I am," Toshinori said plainly. "This form… it's a reminder of what I lost. Of what I failed to protect."
Tony paced. "So you keep pretending, because if people see you falter, the illusion breaks."
"I need to be more than a man. I need to be hope."
Tony stopped. "And what if you can't anymore?"
Toshinori didn't answer.
"I'll ask once, and only once," Tony said, voice lowering. "There's something else you're not telling me, right?"
Toshinori's silence was enough.
Tony's eyes narrowed. "You didn't get to be No. 1 without a trick up your sleeve. What is it? Some kind of gene therapy? Performance enhancer?"
Toshinori exhaled. "It's… complicated."
Tony folded his arms. "Try me."
After a long pause, Toshinori leaned in. "There is a Quirk… a power, passed from one bearer to another. Like a torch. It grows stronger with each successor."
Tony's mind ran through parallels—mutants, Terrigen Mist, Super Soldier Serum. "A transferable power stockpiled through generations? That's… insane. And genius."
"It's called One For All."
Tony stared, memorizing the name. "So that's what makes you, you?"
Toshinori nodded. "It was given to me. Now… I'm looking for the one who will inherit it next."
Tony smirked. "And let me guess. You were thinking about giving it to someone— possibly at U.A?"
Toshinori looked pained. "Hit the nail on the head young man. Yes, that was the plan."
Tony waved it off.and thought to himself. 'Yeah, yeah, he wouldn't give it to some kid like me. Quirkless, fragile, self-sacrificing. But I'm not that kid anymore.'
They stood in silence.
Then Tony's expression hardened. "Where's the sludge villain?"
Toshinori blinked. "What?"
"The bottle. The one you stuffed him into. You had it when you leapt."
Toshinori's eyes widened. "I—I must've dropped it!"
Tony's voice sharpened. "You what?"
"I was distracted—!"
"You lost a biological hazard in the middle of a populated city. And i'm the irresponsible one?"
Toshinori's eyes sparked with fire. "Watch your tone, young man!"
"No—you watch where you drop your villains!" Tony snapped.
The air between them crackled. For a second, neither moved. Then Toshinori sighed.
"I'll find him. I swear it."
Tony crossed his arms. "You'd better. Because if you don't, I will."
—
Elsewhere…
Bakugou's foot smashed an empty soda can as he and his cronies walked down a back alley, laughing about the upcoming U.A. entrance exam.
"Man, you're gonna breeze through it, Bakugou," said the taller one.
"Yeah, you're totally U.A. material," the shorter one chimed in.
Bakugou scowled. "Damn right I am. Best Quirk in the district."
Then his fist clenched.
"But that nerd… Deku… He's been acting weird."
His friends exchanged looks. "Weird how?"
"Like he's not scared of me anymore. Like he's smarter. Stronger. Talking back."
He kicked a half-buried bottle near the curb.
It rolled down into an alley.
Sludge oozed out.
None of them noticed.
Until it moved.