All but One
is a My Hero Academia fanfic written by Aconstantstateofbladerunner.
Toshinori is given the opportunity to undo over two decades of suffering by going back in time and ending All For One. And that's just the beginning. He goes on to use his knowledge of the future to correct errors of the past, and makes his new reality infinitely better than the one he came from.
Better in every way but one.
Based on a bittersweet post by @skygemspeaks and @autisticmight on Tumblr.
All but One contains the following tropes:
- Abled in the Adaptation: Thanks to putting an end to All For One, All Might's body is in perfect health and isn't restricted by any diets now that his organs are in tact.
- Adaptational Angst Upgrade:
- While little was known about Inko's past in canon, this story portrays her having a falling out with her family for refusing to go through with an arranged marriage. This led to her struggling to financially support herself which turned her into a jittery, meek, anxiety-filled mess in the present. And it gets worse when All For One took advantage of her desperation to create his heir.
- In regards to Rei, you all know that her family agreed to selling her to Endeavor. But here? The monster explains that her family is personally involved in the Quirk Marriage business and she was one of nine daughters for him to choose from.
- Adaptational Superpower Change: Because All For One was killed before he could meet Tenko and ruin his life with the Decay Quirk, the boy retains his original Quirk which turns out to be Float.
- Ambiguous Situation: Thanks to Toshinori's "chat" with Endeavor, he's been less involved in prolific fights and is spending more time with his family. Though it's currently unknown if he's making an effort to change for the better or if his toxic attributes still reside in him waiting to come out.
- Anger Montage: Nana confesses to have destroyed her house after giving up her son to social services.
- Armor-Piercing Response: While hanging out at Dagobah Beach, Toshinori tries to brighten the mood by describing all the wonderful memories and experiences the people will make by coming to the beach and how it was only possible because of his son's efforts. To that, Izuku responds with:Izuku: "...But I won't."
- Bad Date: Toshinori and Inko's Christmas date doesn't go great as their designated restaurant gets blown up by a villain attack. Their attempts at finding a new restaurant lead them to walk around the city on empty stomachs. Though it's downplayed since they salvage the time by talking to each other and admiring the lights.
- Because You Were Nice to Me: In Chapter 12, Inko suggests that she and All Might clean up Dagobah Beach out of concern that she wasn't doing enough to emotionally support him. And after seeing his heartbroken reaction to the beach's polluted state, she believes that cleaning it can help him.
- Berserk Button: For Kotaro Shimura, anything to do with heroes. In fact, his first instinct upon seeing All Might in his house was to punch him in the face.
- Best Served Cold: Nezu's idea for revenge against the world who hurt him was to change it into a better one with him on top of things.
- Big Damn Heroes: All Might has a harder time facing off against Gigantomachia because of his exhausted state. But a surprise appearance by Endeavor gives him an opportunity to take him down.
- Birthday Episode: All Might hosts a birthday dinner in Chapter 11 alongside the Future Four, several Pro Heroes, Inko and other important guests.
- Both Sides Have a Point: Toshinori and Nezu make valid points over how they should handle the upcoming disasters and underground activities. Toshinori believes that it's better to act first and apprehend the criminals before they can harm anyone as he prioritizes any lives that can be victimized on the long-run. Nezu believes that it's better to be patient and attack at specific points to root out the bigger cases. Especially since going head first without precaution can lead to unforeseen consequences that the Future Four can't handle.
- Break-Up/Make-Up Scenario: Defied. After All Might confesses to being from the future along with the miserable life she'd live, Inko leaves him at Dagobah Beach insulted by the notion that she couldn't take care of herself. Thankfully, Gran Torino tells her everything else about the future mission and how much he's suffered by going back in time. This leads to her going back to the beach a few hours later to confirm her love for the man.
- Close to Home: To Toshi's discomfort, the horror movie he watches with Inko involves a small boy being abandoned by his father and trying to survive on his own.
- The Confidant: Gran Torino becomes the first person to learn of All Might's time travel mission and offers him emotional support throughout the years. Later on, they would be joined by Nezu and Nighteye forming the "Future Four".
- Costume Evolution: Toshinori requests David to make him a new hero costume with a design based on Deku's costume.
- Cradle of Loneliness: All Might develops a habit of cradling himself when he's alone while remembering his lost son.
- Crazy-Prepared: During his first week back to the past, Toshinori has prepared strategies and back up plans for every catastrophe along with All For One's activities to ensure that each one is properly taken care of without fail.
- Culture Clash: To further separate himself from All Might who uses Western imagery and customs for his hero persona, Endeavor uses a traditional Japanese style to model his house.
- Death by Adaptation: All For One is brutally killed by All Might in the third chapter.
- Death by Childbirth: In the original timeline, Mary Shield had a critical Quirk reaction after giving birth to her daughter which led to her unfortunate death. Thankfully, Toshi mentions it to David which allows them to save her life.
- Didn't See That Coming: For all his planning, All Might was caught off guard by the appearance of Gigantomachia as he never dealt with him in the original timeline.
- Domestic Abuse:
- Toshi is fully informed of Endeavor's history as a domestic abuser and encourages him to cherish his family. When that doesn't work, he openly tells the garbage bag about his Bad Future while promising to kill him if he tries to hurt Rei or their children.
- Additionaly, Kotaro viciously attacks Tenko when his Quirk manifests. He also gets a few hits on his wife for interfering.
- Downer Beginning: The story starts with Toshinori explaining to Izuku about his upcoming time travel mission and the devastating consequences that will happen to the two upon it's commencement.
- Dreaming of Times Gone By: Within the Realm of One For All, Toshinori learns that he can live through, but not interfere, with the memories of the Past Vestiges including himself. This takes a turn for the worse as the blonde begins to spend all his time in the realm reliving his memories of Izuku which worsens his depression.
- The Drifter: After escaping his experimenters along with getting a helping hand from All Might, Nezu decides to take some time to venture the world and think about what he wants to do in life.
- First Kiss: All Might and Inko do this during their "flight" around the city which upgrades their relationship to boyfriend and girlfriend.
- First-Name Basis: Gran Torino allows Toshi to call him by his first name: Sorahiko.
- Flight of Romance: All Might offers to take Inko "flying" which is pretty much him using his Quirk to jump around the city with Inko admiring the sights. It even results in their First Kiss.
- Friend to All Children: Nezu has a soft spot for children and eagerly volunteers as a tour guide for kids visiting the All Might agency.
- Geek Physiques: Sir Nighteye was revealed to be quite the tall looking geek in his teen years.
- Girl Friday: Inko applies for the position of All Might's hero agency and is instantly accepted. And to the delight of her boss and coworkers, she proves to be exceptionally brilliant in managing paperwork and relations with other organizations.
- Gold Digger: Subverted with Inko. She personally dislikes the idea of being one given how much All Might spoils her with lavish gifts and never-ending financial support. She wants to contribute to the relation so she can be an equal partner for him.
- Heel–Face Town: One of Toshinori's ideas is creating youth programs that can provide financial and therapeutic resources for children who are at high risk of becoming villains in the future. Heck, one of the newcomers is Chizome Akaguro, the boy who would one day become Stain.
- Heroic Bastard: All Might reveals to Inko that his parents weren't married when he was born. Their relationship became more strained when they did marry and have more children when he was a teenager.
- Honorary Uncle: All Might becomes this to Tenko and Hana after their mother decides to accept his help and escape from her abusive husband.
- I'll Kill You!: All Might promises Endeavor that he'll personally kill him if he doesn't show his children the same level of love and appreciation a true father should.
- Informed Judaism: Toshinori recalls an Ugly Christmas Sweater party where David appeared as the only one wearing a Hanukkah themed sweater.
- In Spite of a Nail:
- All Might is still given the titles Symbol of Peace and Number One Hero.
- Despite his best efforts, there will always be civilians who get hurt or die no matter what the Number One Hero does in preventing disasters.
- Adding onto his horror, Endeavor still goes through with his Quirk Marriage to Rei and has the same intention of abusing his family for the sake of one-upping his rival.
- Irony:
- All For One, known for many for having infinite Quirks, created an heir who turned out Quirkless.
- Inko admits that her parents tried so hard to groom her into being the perfect housewife that they made it so no man wanted her because of how dull she became.
- Lazy Bum: Gran Torino was revealed to be a slacker who didn't want to get into heroics and bummed off of people until Nana came in and "lit a fire on his ass". All Might uses this info to convince him that he's from the future.
- Like Father, Unlike Son: To Toshinori's delight, Izuku is a kind, thoughtful boy who cares for others and tries to do the right thing. Unlike his father All For One, who is regarded as the worst monsters to ever curse humanity.
- Like Parent, Like Child:
- Inverted. Toshinori has started to cry and have emotional breakdowns every other day. Much like his son Izuku.
- Tenko is revealed to have inherited his grandmother's Floating Quirk.
- Like You Were Dying: Given that the jump back in time will leave the Number One Hero officially dead in the present, Toshinori decides to spend his remaining weeks with Izuku and Inko while organizing his worldly possessions.
- Locked Out of the Loop: Izuku never learned that All For One was his biological father. He only learned after a group of federal agents barged into the school and revealed the information without caring how he would react.
- Mental Time Travel: A man's Quirk allows him to send people's consciousness back in any moment in time as long as he was alive. With the help of other Quirks and government technology, All Might will be able to go back to his mind approximately 26 years into the past when the man of interest was just born.
- Mundane Utility: To Endeavor's annoyance, his son Touya enjoys having him use his fire power to dry off.
- Must Make Amends: After spending half a year wallowing in his depression, All Might apologizes to his friends for worrying them while cleaning up his figurative and literal messes.
- The Needs of the Many: All Might decides to go through with his time travel mission to help as many people before they can fall victim to any villainous activity. The first chapter is even titled as such.
- Nightmare Fetishist: Inko of all people is revealed to have an appreciation for horror stories and the macabre. She even writes short stories with classic horror themes.
- No-Sell: Endeavor tries to attack All Might after the Shining Hero reveals that he's destined to destroy his family because of his ego. But All Might activating One For All shows how ultimately powerless he is against the better hero.
- Oh, Crap!: Recovery Girl and Gran Torino have this reaction after Toshinori informs them that Endeavor will take part in a Quirk marriage.
- Older Than They Look: Toshinori thinks of himself as this given that he's mentally 52 while harboring a body in it's twenties.
- Odd Friendship: To Toshinori's mirth, Shouta Aizawa and Akaguro Chizome, who would become a future underground hero and serial killer respectively, have become childhood friends in the new timeline.
- Office Romance: Inko is hired as All Might's top secretary. And after a couple of years, they begin to fall for one another and become an Official Couple.
- One-Track-Minded Artist: Toshinori has taken up different mediums of art to pass his free time and mainly creates portraits of his lost son Izuku. Though he does start to branch out and create new subjects after reuniting with Inko.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: While normally a crabby man with a tough exterior, Gran Torino shows a hint of fear after All Might explodes at him out of frustration while refusing to talk about his problems in Chapter 10.
- The Pardon: All For One's bounty was so high that All Might was given a legal pardon for killing him with excessive force.
- Parental Abandonment:
- All For One abandoned both Izuku and Inko due to the former being born Quirkless. Apparently allowing them to live was him showing "mercy" to the two.
- All Might accuses himself of doing this to Izuku by going through with the time travel mission.
- Nana Shimura decided to give up her son out of fear for his safety. This would lead to him developing a bitter hatred for heroes.
- Parental Substitute:
- Toshinori takes pride in calling himself Izuku's father and isn't afraid to express his love for the boy.
- In Chapter 10, Nana Shimura allows him to call her mom.
- Perpetual Smiler: No matter how bright or shimmering All Might's smile may be as he goes about in public, deep down he still harbors great depression for abandoning Izuku mixed with his ongoing frustrations as a put-upon hero.
- Platonic Life-Partners: Gran Torino and Nana had this relationship when she was alive. The author even thinks of them as siblings.
- Related in the Adaptation: Izuku is revealed to be the son of All For One.
- Ret-Gone: The unfortunate fate of Izuku Midoriya. Because All Might is successful in killing All For One, Inko would never meet him meaning that Izuku will never be born.
- Ripple-Effect-Proof Memory: Even though All Might is able to change and interfere with specific historical events for the better, he still remembers the events and figures from his original timeline. Especially Izuku, who can never exist in the new timeline.
- Roaring Rampage of Revenge: Gigantomachia attacks All Might's agency as payback for killing his master.
- Saying Too Much: In Chapter 9, All Might finally lashes out at Endeavor for his toxic mentalities that he mentions Fuyumi as a potential victim, a name that the Flame Hero never told anyone. But by that point, All Might decides to screw discrepancy and yells at him about his future as a domestic abuser.
- Secret-Keeper:
- Gran Torino, Nezu and Nighteye become fully informed of All Might's mission and do their part to support him in developing an ideal future.
- Other keepers not associated with the "Future Four" include Recovery Girl, David Shield, Endeavor and Inko.
- Secret Room: All Might has a secret saferoom in his agency where he and his closest compatriots can freely discuss issues related to the future.
- Self-Deprecation: All Might has developed a bad habit of mentally berating himself for not working harder or allowing people to get hurt even if it was beyond his control. But his worse self-criticism is for not giving his 110% in order to justify Izuku's Ret-Gone.
- Set Right What Once Went Wrong: The general premise is Toshinori going back in time to prevent every known villain attack and tragedy to protect as many lives as possible.
- A Shared Suffering: Nana admits that she knows what Toshinori is going through as she too gave up her child in order to commit to her hero career and save the world.
- Shrine to the Fallen: All Might creates one in his apartment to honor Izuku and his Master Nana.
- Spared by the Adaptation: Mary Shield, Melissa's mother, is now alive thanks to Toshinori's interference.
- So Proud of You: Several of these moments happen throughout the story.
- Chapter 1: Toshinori says this to Izuku during his last weeks in the original timeline.
- Chapter 3: Sorahiko says this to Toshinori for having avenged Nana by vanquishing the Dark King.
- Chapter 10: Nana and the Vestiges say this to Toshinori for all he's done.
- The Social Darwinist: Endeavor shows this in full spades. He views his marriage to Rei as a way to create offspring that can carry his genes and preserve his legacy as a powerful hero. He flat out states that it's "survival of the fittest" in order to defeat All Might.
- Stay with Me Until I Die: Izuku manages to invoke this so he can be with Toshinori in the last moments before his time jump.
- There Is No Kill Like Overkill: All Might does not hold back in beating up All For One to ensure that the monster doesn't get a sliver of a chance in making a comeback. He even oversees the disposal of his remains via cremation.
- Took a Level in Kindness: While still maintaining his blunt and grumpy attitude, Gran Torino is more thoughtful and considerate towards Toshinori after learning of his mission and personal traumas.
- Trust Password: In order to gain the trust and cooperation of his past self, Present!Nezu instructs All Might to use the phrase "The sky is a lie." upon their first meeting.
- Used to Be a Sweet Kid: Before blossoming into a gritty serial killer with Black-and-White Insanity issues, Stain was a well-mannered child who genuinely enjoyed heroes and was courteous to everyone around him.
- Villains Out Shopping: 26 years ago, All For One went on a summer vacation to the mountains which held an elaborate mansion; he would even give tours to the public. All Might would use this information to get the jump on him.
- Weak, but Skilled: While Nezu may not be able to help when it comes to heroics and fighting evil, he's more then capable of handling scandals, corruption and elaborate controversies that require brilliant delicacy.
- The Workaholic: All Might has been working himself ragged when it comes to crime fighting, preparing for future disasters and managing paperwork all on his own. It doesn't help that he's still grieving and is using Izuku's death as fuel to keep himself going. In Chapter 4, it's deconstructed as the ongoing stress mixed with All Might not allowing himself to rest leaves him too exhausted to properly engage in serious combat.
