BNHA: Lioren

The first term of the third year of middle school had officially begun.

At 15 years old, Leon wasn't particularly moved by the milestone. School was school—nothing new, nothing exciting. Same dull routine, same lectures, same uninspired classmates.

It wasn't that he disliked it. It just… was.

And right now?

Right now, he had bigger things to think about.

Leon sat in his room, arms crossed, eyes narrowed slightly as he stared at nothing in particular.

His thoughts were elsewhere.

They were on the original story.

The Sludge Villain Incident.

Midoriya meeting All Might.

Midoriya inheriting One for All.

Then their training at Dagobah Beach.

Leon had seen it all coming—but not like this.

Because somehow, despite all the changes he had made, fate had still played its hand.

Midoriya had still met All Might.

Midoriya had still inherited One for All.

The only reason Leon even knew was because—

Midoriya had told him.

Straight up. No hesitation. No secrecy.

Leon had been genuinely shocked—not at the fact that Midoriya had become All Might's successor, but at the sheer trust he had in him.

He had expected some kind of nervous breakdown, some anxiety-fueled attempt to keep it hidden, but instead—

"Leon, I have to tell you something. I… I got a Quirk."

Leon had blinked at him. "Huh?"

"Not just any Quirk. All Might's Quirk."

Leon had processed that for a full five seconds before responding. "…Huh."*

It wasn't the most eloquent reply, but give him a break.

Midoriya had just casually dropped one of the biggest secrets in the world like it was an everyday conversation.

Leon had played it cool—acted like any normal person in this world would.

Because if he had reacted too naturally, too unsurprised, Midoriya might have started asking questions.

So he had blinked, looked properly stunned, asked a few basic questions, then moved on.

But deep down?

Deep down, he was fascinated.

Midoriya was still Midoriya.

Quirk or not, he was still the same determined, hardworking, nervous wreck of a kid.

Still training. Still pushing forward.

And Leon?

Leon had long since learned not to fight fate.

It was fickle, yes. It changed, yes. But it always found a way to realign itself.

And somehow, despite everything Leon had done, the story was still falling into place.

Just… not exactly the same.

And that was fine.

It just meant Leon had to keep adapting.

Which brought him to tonight.

Leon glanced at the clock. 6:48 PM.

He exhaled, leaning back into his chair.

Midoriya had insisted on setting up this meeting.

"You should meet him, Leon! You've helped me so much, and I think All Might would really like you!"

Leon had politely declined.

Midoriya had ignored him and scheduled the meeting anyway.

And so, here he was.

Waiting.

They had agreed on 7 PM at a small park near Midoriya's house.

Leon wasn't nervous.

He just wasn't sure what to expect.

He had never spoken to All Might before—not directly. The man was practically a walking legend, a pillar of the modern world.

But to Leon?

He was just another piece of the puzzle.

The question was—

What kind of impression was Leon going to leave tonight?

Because like it or not, this meeting was going to change things.

He just didn't know how yet.

And that made it interesting.

…

At exactly 7 PM, there was a knock at the door.

Leon, already expecting it, stood from his seat, stretched lazily, and made his way to the entrance.

He unlocked the door and pulled it open—

"I AM HERE!"

The deep, booming voice practically rattled the walls.

Standing at his doorstep was All Might, in his full, towering, larger-than-life form, radiating energy and confidence, grinning wide enough to blind someone.

Beside him, Midoriya looked sheepish, clearly used to this but still a little embarrassed by the dramatics.

Leon blinked.

Then exhaled through his nose. "Yeah. I figured."

All Might let out a hearty laugh, stepping forward. "Young Midoriya has told me much about you, Leon Lioren! It is a pleasure to finally meet you in person!"

Midoriya gave Leon a small, awkward smile. "H-Hey, Leon."

Leon stepped aside, motioning for them to enter. "Come on in."

The inside of Leon's house was nothing extravagant, but it carried a quiet, refined elegance. Spacious, pristine, and comfortable—the kind of place that looked expensive but not ostentatious.

Leon never really thought about it, but compared to Midoriya's home, the contrast was staggering.

"Whoa…" Midoriya muttered, eyes scanning the interior.

Even All Might, used to grand settings, looked mildly impressed.

Leon led them into the living room, where a glass coffee table and plush seating awaited.

"Make yourselves comfortable," Leon said as he walked into the kitchen. "Tea?"

"Oh! Yes, please!" Midoriya answered quickly.

All Might, still grinning, gave a thumbs-up. "I never say no to hospitality!"

A few minutes later, Leon returned with a tray of drinks and light snacks, setting them down before taking a seat himself.

Midoriya took a sip. "This is really good!"

"Yeah, it's imported." Leon shrugged. "Perks of having connections."

All Might chuckled. "It seems you live quite well, young Leon!"

Leon simply hummed, taking a sip of his own tea.

For a few moments, there was nothing but pleasant conversation—small talk, questions about school, Midoriya's training, the usual.

Then—

Leon set his cup down.

And said, simply:

"It's fine."

All Might blinked. "...Pardon?"

Leon's gaze flickered between the two.

"You can stop forcing yourself," he said, voice calm but certain. "You have no enemies here."

Silence.

All Might stiffened, his grin faltering for just a fraction of a second.

Midoriya, wide-eyed, turned to look at him.

Leon leaned back slightly. "You're too guarded. Relax."

All Might shot Midoriya a questioning look.

Midoriya immediately waved his hands, panicked. "I-I didn't tell him!"

Leon smirked.

It took a few moments, but eventually, All Might sighed, his shoulders easing.

Steam began to rise from his body.

And then—

With a loud hissing sound, his form shrunk.

Gone was the symbol of peace.

In his place sat a thin, frail man, sunken eyes, gaunt features, his posture noticeably weaker.

Leon, despite expecting it, found himself lightly surprised.

Seeing it in the flesh was… different.

And not in a good way.

'He's worse than I thought.'

It was one thing to know All Might was injured.

It was another thing to see it.

The sheer difference between his two forms was staggering.

"...So," All Might said, his voice significantly rougher. "I suppose I owe you an explanation."

Leon shook his head. "Midoriya already told me the important parts."

All Might raised a brow. "And you just… accepted it?"

Leon shrugged. "What, am I supposed to freak out?" He took another sip of tea. "Big guy has a time limit. He needs a successor. He chose Midoriya. Not that complicated."

Midoriya looked mildly offended. "L-Leon! It's more complicated than that!"

All Might let out a hoarse chuckle. "I appreciate your straightforwardness."

Leon set his cup down. "So. What now?"

All Might tilted his head. "What do you mean?"

"Why are you here?" Leon gestured loosely. "Midoriya insisted we meet, but you wouldn't have come if you didn't have your own reasons."

A pause.

Then—

All Might smiled.

"Midoriya speaks highly of you. I wanted to meet the person who helped shape him into the young man he is now."

Leon arched a brow. "Flattering, but unnecessary."

"I disagree," All Might said, leaning forward slightly. "From what I've gathered, you've done more for him than you realize."

Leon glanced at Midoriya, who looked away awkwardly.

Huh.

So that's how it is.

…

The conversation shifted.

They talked about Midoriya's training, the beach cleanup, and how Leon got involved.

Eventually, the question came.

"Why?" All Might asked. "Why did you help him?"

Leon was expecting that.

So he had an answer ready.

"Because I know how it feels," he said simply.

All Might's eyes narrowed slightly. "To be Quirkless?"

Leon nodded. "I was mistaken to be Quirkless when I was younger. It made things… difficult."

That was a lie.

Not entirely, but close enough.

He never had a Quirk.

But that was his secret.

"Aura," as he called it, was just basic mana application.

Still—the struggles of being seen as Quirkless were real enough.

And that?

That was all they needed to believe.

All Might accepted the explanation.

Midoriya looked at him with newfound understanding.

And Leon?

Leon just moved the conversation forward.

Eventually, All Might asked:

"Would it be alright if I met your parents?"

Silence.

Leon's expression didn't change.

Midoriya, who had never seen Leon's family, looked curious.

Leon exhaled. "I'm alone."

All Might blinked. "Oh?"

Leon's voice remained even. "My parents… let's just say they had other priorities."

A neutral way of putting it.

No anger. No resentment.

Just a simple fact.

All Might studied him for a moment. "I see."

Midoriya looked uncomfortable, as if unsure whether to ask more or drop it.

Leon took a sip of tea and changed the subject.

And that was the end of that.

Time passed.

Eventually, All Might checked the time and stood up.

"I should get going," he said. "It was good speaking with you, young Leon."

Leon nodded. "Likewise."

All Might smiled, turning toward the door.

But just as he was about to leave—

Leon spoke.

"Wait."

All Might stopped.

Leon met his gaze.

"I might be able to do something that could help you."

Silence.

All Might's expression shifted, curiosity flickering in his eyes.

Midoriya looked between them, confused.

Leon didn't say anything else.

For now.

He just let the weight of his words settle.

And then—

The night continued.