Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"SMAAASH!"

The thundering echo of the collision resulted in a sonic boom, sending shockwaves in the air. The clouds around them vanished, and hundreds of yards beneath them, the ground shook with the force of the impact. The remaining pillars that hadn't been destroyed throughout the battle finally collapsed, joining the debris of what once stood proud as the main building of U.A. High School.

Floating in the air, with his hero suit shredded to pieces, his whole body covered in cuts, bruises, and trails of blood, Izuku Midoriya struggled to stay awake, fighting the pain that spread from his right arm to the rest of his body like a thousand icy needles. His body wanted him to faint, to fall from the sky, to die, whatever it took to stop the pain. As tempting as it was, the sixteen-year-old boy knew dying wasn't an option. Not yet, at the very least. The only acceptable outcome was for him to win. To end a battle that had started generations before he was even born, against the greatest evil the world may have ever seen.

All for One.

The villain stood right in front of him, recoiling from receiving a direct punch of Izuku's One For All at 100%. His right arm managed to keep up with the smash attack for a second, absorbing most of it, but in the end, the raw power was too much. Not even a Springlike Limb, Kinetic Booster times four, Strength Enhances times three, Multiplier, Hypertrophy, Rivets, Spearlike Bones arm was able to take it. The sheer force of the attack ripped apart the muscles, shattered the bones, evaporated the blood, leaving a void of nothingness where an arm should be.

There it was: an opening. A tiny window, less than a fraction of a second, for Izuku to reach with his hand.

"SHIGARAKI!" He screamed at the top of his lungs.

The new hulking figure of All for One showed his exposed muscles, reminding Izuku of another villain he had defeated —twice at this point. But trapped inside that body, with nothing but his head, his immobile hands, and the faintest glimpse of his knees was Tomura Shigaraki. The leader of the League of Villains had been absorbed by All for One, combining their powers and making his master stronger than he'd been for the longest time. Unfortunately for young Tomura, sharing a body didn't mean he had any control whatsoever over his actions. He had lost his agency, his free will, becoming nothing but a power-up for the master of puppets.

Izuku knew that Tomura wasn't loyal to his master anymore. He could tell. He could see it in the scared eyes that looked back at him from All for One's chest. He knew in his heart of hearts that even Shigaraki could be saved. Even after everything he'd done, even after all the lives he'd ended, Izuku believed that there was someone to be saved there. And how could he call himself a hero if he didn't try to save those that needed him?

"Just… Kill us!" Screamed Shigaraki, noticing what Izuku was trying to do.

He extended his hand, trying to grab Tomura's wrist to pull him free of All for One's grasp. To get him out of there. Only then would he be able to kill his enemy, to leave nothing for him to heal from. To end the needless suffering and the dark cloud that covered the world.

He almost managed to close his fingers around the exposed wrist...

"You fool!"

All for One swung his right arm with an unexpectedly fast recovery, punching Deku right in the stomach. His ribcage cracked, the air left his lungs, and for a second, the green glow and electric arcs that surrounded his body faded. Izuku could feel the warm, metallic taste of his blood in his mouth, and his vision became blurry.

"You're as pathetically naive as your master before you," the booming voice of All for One stated. The hand he kept pressed against Izuku began to glow. "Your feeble skills are no match for my Quirks. Your faith in Tomura and your friends is your weakness."

And without missing a beat, he fired up his Air Compression, Multiplier, Amplification, Power Boost times two attack at point-blank.

Izuku barely had time to focus the energy of One for All on his core before the devastating attack hit him, rocketing him through the sky. The last thing he saw before his world turned dark was Tomura's Super Regeneration bringing All for One's arm back like it had happened multiple times during their fight.

Deku's senses left his body until all he could feel was dread. An incisive sense of failure, of realizing that he wasn't going to win the fight. His green, glowing hair went down, his Float quirk gave up, and his physical body began to fall in a parabole.

At the same time, his spirit fell to his knees on the floor of a cold room. His face was scrunched in pain as heavy tears left his eyes. His arms hung loosely to the sides of his body, and he didn't dare look up to the eight vestiges that were glancing at him from their seats.

"I can't do this," he cried, his voice leaving his throat in a ragged whisper. "I… I can't defeat him. He's too strong… Too powerful…"

"The battle's not over yet," the soft voice of the first user said, ringing inside Izuku's head. "You're still in time to end my brother's reign of terror. We believe in you."

"I've tried! But he… he's relentless… He keeps regenerating, he keeps coming back as strong as ever. The more the fight drags, the weaker I get. I… I can't save everyone. I can't. I can't."

Each time he said it, the deeper the knife sunk into his heart. Before the battle, he said to himself that he would be the hero the world needed. He'd save everyone. He'd make sure to put a stop to All for One's crusade against heroes. The moment he found out they were after Eri's Quirk to truly become an unstoppable force, Izuku knew that for better or worse, this would be it. He would protect Eri and everyone else no matter the cost, and he would make sure that his battle against All for One would be the last.

He had arrived in time to save some of his old classmates, whom he hadn't seen since he left the hospital a couple of months ago. And thankfully enough, he had gotten there at the very last second to keep All for One from finishing off The Big Three, Shouto and Bakugo, the remaining line of defense that protected Eri.

Mirio, Nejire, and Tamaki left with the young girl, taking her somewhere safe, battling Nomus and villains on their way out, leaving Izuku to face All for One with just the support of his two friends. As strong as they were, they were no match for All for One's assault. Soon enough, Izuku was all that stood between the villain and victory. He told himself he would stop him right there. He'd put an end to the war between All for One and One for All.

And yet, here he was, his strength leaving him as his body fell from the sky. He wouldn't be able to defeat All for One. He would fail in keeping his friends alive. In protecting Eri. In being the new Symbol of Peace that the world needed.

"You must believe in yourself," Nana Shimura said from her seat, her maternal voice trying its best to lift his spirits. "There are others out there that have their faith in you, just like we do. Believe in yourself the same way, and turn that belief into power. Push beyond your limits and bring a smile to their faces."

Izuku shook his head.

"I can't. I couldn't…" Recovering control over his arms, he clenched his fists so hard it hurt. "I couldn't save everyone."

There was a pregnant pause, the silence only interrupted by his tears falling on the concrete floor. None of the vestiges spoke, until one figure stood up from his chair, closing the distance between him and Izuku.

"Young Midoriya."

The voice came from everywhere, strong yet soft, with almost a paternal ring to it. Izuku couldn't deal with hearing that voice, he still wasn't ready to accept it. But against his better judgment, he simply couldn't avoid looking up, his teary eyes meeting the confident, warm smile of his master.

"A-All Might…"

The bulking hero stared at him. He looked just like he had during his prime, towering over the pathetic, kneeling figure that Izuku was. The difference between the two was more evident than ever, and that realization only hurt the green-haired boy.

"When I met you, you were but a quirkiness, scared boy that wished to become a hero," the vestige of Toshinori said, the smile never leaving his face. "Even in the precarious position you found yourself in, you still jumped straight into danger just to do the right thing. Right then, I knew I'd found my successor."

Izuku cried harder, trying his best to stay strong and keep his eyes locked on All Might's.

"I'm sorry… I… I failed you."

"On the contrary. Seeing where you are, right now, fills me with pride and is all I need to know that I made the right choice. You are special. You have everything you need to carry my torch and make it shine brighter than I ever could."

All Might's words hurt as badly as All for One's attacks. Izuku couldn't deal with it. He wanted to believe his master, he wanted to believe that he was a worthy vessel, but it all crumbled in the face of his failure.

"I couldn't save you," he cried. "I couldn't reach you in time… I couldn't stop him. I can't stop him. I'm… I'm not as strong as you!"

He was now openly sobbing, his throat hurting with each ragged breath that seemed to hurt his insides.

"No, you're not," All Might said, surprisingly calm. "You're stronger. Young Midoriya, remember, you are not fighting alone. You will never be alone."

The other vestiges stood up and walked until they were all surrounding Izuku. Their bodies then began to glow, auras of all colors shining bright around them.

"You carry the power of One for All. The hopes and dreams of everyone. When you feel at your lowest, remember, you are not fighting by yourself. You have us. You have your friends. That's a power that All for One will never understand, one he underestimates, and one that will be his downfall."

Izuku was left speechless. He felt the previous carriers of his Quirk lending him their strength. It was a surge of energy that ran rampant through his veins. The pain seemed to fade away, replaced with a warm, tingling sensation. A power he felt familiar, but that he had never quite experienced this way. He looked at his hands, and then back at All Might, who smiled and offered him a hand to stand up.

"Don't give up hope, Young Midoriya. We are here."

With newfound strength, Izuku nodded, wiping the tears away with his forearm.

"I… I can't give up. Everyone's counting on me," he said.

"They are," the first user said. "Only you can stop my brother."

"Only you can bring hope back to this world," Nana added with a smile.

"I will. I will make sure everyone has a reason to smile!"

With a grin of his own, Izuku grabbed All Might's hand, and an explosion of light brought him back to the world.

"DEKUUUU!"

He opened his eyes. He was still falling, the sky turning around on his field of vision. Every bone in his body seemed ready to snap, but the voice that called him brought some sense into him.

"Uraraka…"

A green glow covered his body. His muscles clenched as he extended his arms and activated his Float quirk, stopping his fall in a second. He stood in the middle of the air, his chest moving wide with every breath he took. His hair shone bright green, and his focused eyes seemed to let out sparks of energy. He looked down for a second, and on the battlefield he saw a bloodied Ochako, screaming for him. Their eyes met for the first time in months, and yet that was all it took.

They understood each other. It was as if they could read each other's minds. He saw her desperation, her fear, but also her faith in him. And Ochako, even from this distance, could read his face and see his doubts, his hesitation, his lack of confidence.

Pressing her body against a big piece of debris to keep herself from falling, she raised a hand at him, almost like she wanted to grab his even at that distance.

"Deku!" She yelled, loud enough for him to hear. "Remember your name!"

The memory hit him like a truck. It had been so long ago… He almost couldn't recognize himself as he remembered his first days at U.A. Uraraka had been his first friend. The first one to stand up for him, going to Present Mic to make sure he did okay. Talking to him like he wasn't worthless.

She was the person that gave Deku a new meaning. What had once been an insulting nickname had become words of encouragement.

"Deku…" He muttered to himself, "it means you can do it!"

He let out a scream that roared in the sky. He was numb to the pain, feeling the energy of his quirk flooding his every cell. He was running on pure adrenaline now, more determined than ever.

"I won't lose!" He said out loud, fixing his eyes on the mass of muscles and raw power that was All for One. "I will defeat you right here and now!"

"This will be the final word in the story of One for All," the villain said, extending his arms as he looked down on Izuku. "You fought well, but just like your master before you, you will die at my hands."

He launched right at Izuku with breakneck speed, soaring through the air like a bullet. He prepared a fist, crackling with the energy of countless quirks. Izuku, in return, adopted a defensive posture, ready to receive the attack, to counter it, to make a stand against the herald of doom that charged at him.

"PROMINENCE BURN!"

A massive column of fire shot from the ground, creating a wall of flames that stood between All for One and Izuku. The villain stopped his fly, taken aback by the surprise attack. Izuku also looked down, his eyes squinting at the biggest display of fire he had ever seen. He soon found its source in the form of Shoto Todoroki, standing on the ground with his left arm raised.

"Midoriya!" He yelled with everything he had. "We believe in you!"

Izuku gasped.

"Ah, Endeavor's son," All for One chuckled, staring down at Shoto. "I should've killed you like I did your father. I knew I shouldn't leave it to Dabi. It doesn't matter. After I'm done with your friend here, you'll wish you were burned to death!"

"HEY, FUCK FACE!"

Shoto dropped his hand, and the curtain of fire dissolved, surprising both All for One and Izuku by revealing that it had concealed Katsuki's ascension in the air, who was now standing right in front of the former with both hands extended and sparks coming out of the tip of his fingers.

"DIE!"

The explosion was strong enough to cover both Katsuki and All for One in a quick sphere of fire before blasting the blonde teen away, sending him down like a smoking meteor about to strike the Earth.

"Kacchan!" Yelled Izuku, almost tempted to fly down to catch his friend.

"FOCUS!" was all the Explosions hero was able to say.

Izuku looked back at All for One, realizing that he couldn't allow himself to get distracted. With his arm cracking with green lightning, he swiped the air in front of him, sending an air current strong enough to break buildings and to dissipate the smoke that Katsuki's attack had created.

All for One was still standing, suspended in the air, but Bakugo's concentrated explosion had managed to hurt him. Chunks of his arms were gone, and so was part of his chest.

With a gap big enough for Tomura to be able to move his left arm.

Shigaraki's eyes met Izuku and time stood still. There they were, crystal clear for Izuku to read, the eyes of someone that wanted to be saved. The eyes of a young man that understood the mistakes of his past, that realized the evil of his master. The mental manipulation he had been submitted to, the emotional abuse he had endured for years. The eyes of someone that, for once in their life, wanted nothing more than to make the right thing.

"Finish him," was all Tomura said, before closing his eyes and quickly moving his arm, covering his exposed neck with the palm of his left hand.

"Shigaraki!" Yelled Izuku, the energy surging through him increasing by the second.

"NO! What have you done?!"

Both fighters stared in shock as Tomura Shigaraki's body started to decay. His neck, his face, his arms. All for One screamed in pain as he expulsed the dissolving body. Before themselves, the grandson of Nana Shimura turned to dust, his remainings scattered by the wind.

Izuku was speechless. He clenched his fists as his eyes were filled with tears. He hadn't been able to save Shigaraki, just like he hadn't been able to save All Might, or Endeavor. But Shigaraki's sacrifice wouldn't be in vain. He had ended himself so Izuku wouldn't have to worry about damaging him. Now that he wasn't a part of All for One, Izuku could let out his full power.

With his whole body shaking with energy, he threw a punch at the air in front of him.

"Texas Smash!"

The explosive air column hit the still shocked form of All for One, who had to cover his face with his arms.

"You think such a weak attack will—?"

He shut up when black tendrils surrounded his body, trapping him in the air. All for One tried to break free, but Izuku's Blackwhip wasn't going to give in. With a roar, Izuku whipped him up in the air, still holding onto him as they both rocketed up in the sky, far away from the ground.

"This is it!" Izuku said, preparing his right fist.

He could see it in his mind. One for All, passing from hand to hand, from bearer to bearer, from Nana Shimura to All Might, to himself. He felt the warmth of the torch blazing in his hand, carrying with it the hopes and dreams of generations. As his body exploded with a green glow, his clenched fist had a different light. A multicolored glow that shone brighter than any lantern.

Izuku launched himself at All for One, rushing through the sky to deliver the final blow. Beneath him, voices of encouragement gave him the final push he needed.

"MIDORIYA!"

"KILL HIM!"

"DEKU!"

Pulling with his left arm, he brought the entangled form of All for One into him. The Blackwhip finally released him, just in time for All for One to open his mouth in surprise, and for the first time in his life, fear.

"One attack. One last attack to end it all, to destroy him beyond repair! This is for everyone that got me where I am. The other users. My teachers. My friends. Ochako. My mom. All Might… This one is for all of you!"

Izuku threw his arm back, the energy in it absorbing all sounds around him, stopping for a single instant where All for One was finally aware of the true power behind One for All. A realization that would strike him as the last thing he ever learned.

"SMASH FOR ALL!"

For generations to come, the world would remember the moment that Izuku's fist landed in All for One. Some would describe it as a second Sun appearing in the sky, blinding for a few seconds all the television cameras and eyes that were watching him. Others would talk about the visible shockwave that spread through the sky, a harmless, expanding wave of air that was seen from Musutafu to Endoru. The people that were there when it happened or saw the TV stations that broadcasted it would also talk about the hurricane that seemed to appear in the sky, with raging winds that circled Izuku as he delivered the final blow.

All Izuku could feel was the sheer power that was entrusted to him releasing on a single wave. A single attack that took away everything he had, to the last ounce of energy in his body. His right arm was struggling to keep itself together as it unleashed its destructive force. His every bone was aching at the sheer pressure he felt surrounding him from all angles. It felt like he was thousands of miles deep in the ocean, with water trying its best to crush him.

He endured, however, through nothing but his will to survive. To make sure the job was finished. He kept his eyes open, watching as All for One's body gave in, becoming undone right in front of him. Twisting, breaking, disappearing. The flash of multicolored light lasted for but a few seconds, and when it was gone, All for One was no more.

Izuku stared at the empty air in front of him. It took him a few seconds to realize that his momentum was stopping. He was no longer flying up, he was slowing down. He realized All for One wasn't there anymore, and with no more energy to keep his limbs stiff or to sustain his Float quirk, he smiled before he began to plummet to the ground.

He was suddenly once again inside his mind, standing up in the room with all the vestiges watching from their seats. Eight pairs of eyes scanned him with proud smiles on their faces.

"Did it work?" Izuku asked, not being able to stop himself from asking. "Did… Did I really…?"

Everyone turned to look at the fourth user, who had closed his eyes and tilted his head at Izuku's question.

"For decades, Danger Sense kept buzzing in my head," said Hikage with a solemn voice. "As long as All for One was out there, waiting to get One for All, neither I nor the current user would be safe. It kept buzzing in the back of my mind. Now…"

He looked at Izuku with a warm smile.

"Now, for the first time in generations, I hear nothing."

Izuku fell on his knees. Understanding dawned on him.

"It's over…" He said, his eyes tearing up as he thought of everything he had lost to get to that point. Of all the pain suffered. Of the lives that had been lost.

"You did it, kiddo," said Daigoro, the fifth user. "You defeated All for One."

"You've succeeded where we all failed," said En, his smile hidden behind the neck of his jacket.

"Generations of pain and suffering have been avenged," added the second user.

"With my brother finally defeated, you have fulfilled my dream. For that, I thank you. We all believed in you, and you've gone far and beyond all of our expectations. With only less than two years of training, you were able to face the world's greatest menace and you've come on top. Izuku Midoriya; you truly are a hero."

Izuku was once again openly sobbing, though this time an ugly smile was plastered on his crying face. The palms of his hands were cupping his cheeks, his fingers threatening to rip the flesh off with how hard they pressed against his face.

"I did it. I won," he thought.

He finally looked up at all the vestiges of the previous users, but he stopped on Nana Shimura.

"I… I couldn't save Shigaraki," he admitted with a pang of guilt. "I thought I could save him."

Nana smiled at him, though she couldn't hide the tiny tears in the corner of her eyes. "Tomura found redemption on his own accord. He took away All for One's regeneration and gave you the opening you needed to win. He wouldn't have done it if it wasn't because of you believing in him. You made him see the mistakes of his past, and you let him know that he was still in time to make amends. You may not have saved his life, but you saved my grandson from being a tool for All for One."

Izuku was floored. It was too much information. He didn't know what to think, what to make of it. He didn't know how to proceed.

"What… What happens now?" He asked them. "Do… Do I still have One for All?"

They all smiled, and All Might openly laughed.

"Young Midoriya," he said from his seat, "we will forever live in you. This power is yours to keep. Yours to make the world a better place. Speaking of which… your time has not come yet. You should go back; people are waiting for you, the new Symbol of Peace."

The world of the vestiges faded to white. Izuku came back into consciousness only to realize he was free falling. He could see the sky above, with clouds still twisting like a hurricane. He tried to will himself to stop, to Float, but there were no energies left in him. His arms and legs weren't responding.

As he kept falling, he couldn't help to chuckle.

"At least they're not broken," he thought, and it was oddly comforting.

He was mildly aware of the fact that he was probably falling to his death without any means to stop, but before he could even begin to process that fact, he felt his back impacting something, and suddenly his whole body became weightless, slowing his fall almost to a stop.

When the flash of light ended, Ochako found herself looking at the sky for any sign of movement. She saw the shockwave, and the strong winds threatened to blow her away, but she anchored herself and stood her ground. She wasn't going anywhere. She wouldn't leave until she made sure that Izuku was okay. That he was alive.

She had briefly seen a flash of him when he came back to join the fray alongside Hawks and Best Jeanist. A green spear of lightning that fell from the sky and crushed Gigantomachia, saving Cementoss, Vlad King, and most of Class 2-B as they tried to contain the beast. She had then seen a glimpse of him as he flew through the school grounds, defeating whatever villain and Nomu stood in his way towards All for One. She had been too busy fighting for her life against Toga, but the moment she won, she ran after him.

She had been devastated when she got his letter explaining why he was leaving U.A. Explaining his story. The power he inherited from All Might. The reasons why he couldn't be near them. She had been a mess for weeks. She felt awful. How had she never suspected anything of this big secret he was carrying? Wasn't she supposed to be his best friend? She was supposed to be there for him, and yet she never knew of the heavy burden he was carrying. A power destined to be faced against a terrible villain. A death sentence on his head. She wished she could have been there for him, to support him, to offer him help. She hated herself for not realizing earlier that he needed her support.

And she also hated Izuku for being… such a hero. For trying to do the right thing and distance himself. For leaving them. For leaving her. For being so selfless. Had he asked her, she would have left with him. As dangerous as it was, she would have done it just to help him in any way she could. She'd spent countless nights crying herself to sleep, worrying about him. Her friends noticed, but no one knew what to say to help her. Or they knew that nothing they said would help. The past few months had been terrible for her.

And then, just like that, when they were under attack, he showed up. She knew he was heading to face All for One, and she could tell that this would be their final confrontation. She knew there was nothing she could do to help other than let him know that she was there for him. That's why she called him. Why she screamed his name and made him remember that he was Deku. That he could do it. That she knew he could do it.

That final blow had been the most astonishing thing she'd ever seen. She looked at the sky for any sign of him, until she saw a tiny spec of green falling.

"Deku!" She screamed, her eyes filled with tears. Izuku was there, and there were no signs of All for One.

"He did it," said the voice of Katsuki, standing up with shaking knees. "The bastard did it…"

Shoto was on the other side of the destroyed ground, sliding down a piece of debris until he sat on the floor. He also looked up at where Katsuki and Ochako's eyes pointed.

"Midoriya… Well done."

The three stared at their friend as he kept falling, and falling.

And falling… and falling.

"He's not slowing down," said Katsuki, getting ready to fly to catch him, but his legs gave in and he fell face-first into the ground.

Ochako didn't hesitate. She touched her chest with her good hand —the one that hadn't been pierced through with a knife by Toga—, made her body weightless, and kicked the rocks beneath her with all the strength she could muster. She rocketed up as fast she could manage, making sure to alter her trajectory to catch up with Izuku as he fell.

He was falling at terminal speed, but she was ready for him. She extended the palm of her hand and, readying herself for the recoil, she slapped it against Izuku's back as their paths converged.

The pain was immediate, but just as fast, his body became weightless and floated right next to her. She ignored the pain and wrapped her arms around him. She turned him around until he was facing her, and her heart skipped a beat when she noticed how beaten he looked. The upper part of his costume was completely shredded, with nothing but a few straps of cloth sticking to his left side. His naked torso was filled with bruises, cuts, swollen joints, and burn marks. His hair was wet with his sweat, and his expression was tired.

His eyes met hers, and she could feel new tears running down her pink cheeks.

"Deku!" She said, her eyes filled with worry.

She'd missed his freckles. His green bangs. His kind eyes. Above everything else, she'd missed his warm smile, the same one he gave her with whatever strength he had left.

"Uraraka…" He said, and hearing his voice was something Ochako didn't know would ever bring her such joy. "It's over. It's… over."

She pulled him into a hug, soft enough to not hurt him, but strong enough to let him feel all the desperation, fear, misery, and anxiety she'd been carrying for weeks. But she also let him feel just how ridiculously happy she was that he was alive. That he was there, with her.

"Deku…" She said, unable to form a single sentence as they slowly floated down to the ground with the momentum that was left from his fall as he hit her hand.

She felt his muscles straining, but before she could tell him to stop moving and rest, he managed to wrap his arms around her back, returning the hug.

"It's over," he repeated with a tired voice, and Ochako couldn't help to smile.

Within a minute they finally reached the ground, and Ochako gently lay him down. She didn't want to let go of him, she didn't, but he needed to rest. And medical attention right away.

Deku kept his eyes on her face, smiling even as a gentle string of tears fell from his eyes.

"Uraraka… Don't cry," he asked, trying to raise a hand to maybe wipe her tears away, but she held onto it and tried to keep him from straining himself.

"Deku… Deku, please, you need to rest," she said in a whisper.

"I'm… sorry I made you worried."

"It's ok! Y-You did what you needed to do. I understand."

"I don't want you to worry. I don't want anyone to be worried ever again."

She sighed as she chuckled, tears still coming out strong. That was Izuku alright. Even after defeating the biggest, worst villain to ever roam the planet, he didn't want to worry others.

Shoto walked next to them, limping with his right leg, with a swollen ankle and a bloodied knee.

"Midoriya…" He said, his inexpressive face staring down at Izuku.

"Todoroki… Thank you," said Izuku, smiling at him. "If it wasn't for you and Kacchan…"

Shoto sighed, and then smiled.

"It was… quite literally the least we could do."

"Speak for yourself," said the grumpy voice of Katsuki, approaching them from the side. His arms were bruised, his hero suit destroyed, and his hands looked purple. "I left him open for you, Deku. Don't forget who gave you your chance to be the hero."

Ochako stared at Bakugo. He sounded his usual self, annoyed and permanently angry at the world, but there was something there that she couldn't quite figure. Something in his eyes… in the way he spoke.

And then Izuku began to laugh. A painful laugh that gave away that there was something wrong with his ribs, and while it worried Ochako, it also broke the tension in the air.

"Of course, Kacchan… You were amazing up there."

Bakugo sighed, looking away from him.

"Damn right I was." Then, with a small smirk, added: "I guess you did pretty good yourself, Deku."

Izuku kept laughing, and Ochako found herself lost in that wonderful sound. It felt surreal. She couldn't even remember the last time she'd heard him laugh. She couldn't remember the last time any of them had laughed like that. She smiled, and her grip on his hand tightened. It hurt the open wound that Toga had left there, but she didn't mind. She could take it.

"Over there!"

"They're here!"

The four students looked up from the big crater they were in. On the edges of it, multiple figures were coming in. Some in better shape than others. They saw Kirishima's red hair, even from the distance. Mina's pink skin. Tsu's green suit. The rest of his classmates. They saw Present Mic's blonde hair, Ectoplasm's coat. Class 2-B. Best Jeanist, helping a wounded Hawks. Kamui Woods and a regular-sized Mount Lady.

Helicopters approached them, all the lights and cameras pointing at Izuku on the ground, lying next to Ochako. She heard him sigh and felt his muscles shaking as he tried and failed to sit up.

"Deku… You can't—"

"They need to see me," he said, with such conviction that it silenced Ochako's doubts. And then he smiled at her, and she could see in that smile more than just reassurance and confidence. It was a smile that meant so much more. A smile that wasn't aimed at just her, she knew.

And then he said his next words, and it all clicked for her.

"They need to know that I am here."

She was floored, speechless as he gritted his teeth and forced his bones and muscles to work. Trails of blood were running down his arms and his whole back shook with the strain to stand up. He almost fell, but Ochako finally reacted and caught him before he did. Izuku turned his head to look at her.

"I'm… sorry, Uraraka. I'm kinda drained after that fight," he admitted, giving out a nervous chuckle.

"You don't say," she said, before grabbing his arm and putting it around her shoulders, helping him stand up. "It's ok, Deku. I've got you."

He nodded, and she was happy that he accepted her help. She was half-expecting him to say he needed to do this alone, to stand proud. But Deku wasn't prideful. He was kind, and understanding. She was grateful for it because she decided right then and there that she would never let him carry all the responsibility and weight of the world on his shoulders alone. She knew that as long as he'd let her, she'd always be there for him.

He allowed her to carry him away from the big debris until they reached a relatively cleared area. All the rushing heroes and friends stopped, giving him space. Ochako and Izuku felt their gazes, though she knew they weren't looking at her. She turned her head to look at Izuku, and he returned the look.

"Do it, Deku," she encouraged him. "Show the world you've won."

He smiled before looking forward with determined eyes. His smile grew wider, bigger, and not without visible pain and effort, he raised his closed, left fist up to the sky. Everyone began to cheer, their friends crying in joy, happy to see Midoriya back. The pro heroes celebrated, some nodded with a knowing smirk, all of them with proud looks on their faces.

Ochako, staring at Izuku, felt a sense of pride swell in her heart. She thought she had cried all the tears her eyes could manage already but was surprised to find out she still had more to shed. Happy tears, this time. Proud tears. She tightened her grip on him as she looked at his smiling, reassuring face.

"You've come so far, Deku. Farther than any of us. You've earned this. I'm so happy for you!"

"I AM HERE!" He said, clear and loud enough for the whole world to hear it.

Chapter Text

The rest of the day had been an emotional rollercoaster for Ochako. Her classmates had all rushed to make sure that she, Izuku, Katsuki, and Shoto were okay. Naturally, they were most excited about finally being able to talk to Izuku, after the long months he had spent away from them. The reunion was chaotic, but class 2-A wouldn’t have had it in any other way. Mineta, Sero, Kaminari, and Kirishima weren’t able to keep the excitement out of their voices as they made sure to let Izuku know how much of a badass he had looked like as he ran around the school saving them all from those nasty Nomus that they could barely contain. Toru and Mina, on the other hand, were hardcore fangirling about him, saying how brave and strong he was, congratulating him for defeating All for One.

Ochako would have gotten a bit jealous, but she was the one carrying Izuku, and his weight against her was oddly reassuring. This was the physically closest they had ever been and she was loving it. She had a tight but gentle grip on him, and part of her was happy to know that he wouldn’t be going anywhere. Not without her.

So when Best Jeanist, Hawks, and a grumpy, short old man —whose name she didn’t know but that she had seen on TV fighting alongside All Might in the Camino battle— came to tell them all that they needed to get Izuku to the hospital, she refused to leave his side.

“I’ll go with him,” she stated. She didn’t ask for permission. She didn’t ask if it was okay for her to join them.

The pro heroes looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

“Midoriya must be exhausted from the battle,” Best Jeanist said. “You also seem to be hurt. Maybe it would be best if you let us—”

“I’m not leaving him,” she interrupted, fierce determination on her face as she stood up to the current number two hero. “Deku’s my best friend , and I’m not leaving him. Not after so long.”

She could feel the rest of the class’s eyes darting between her and Best Jeanist. She even seemed to hear Bakugo letting out an approving snicker behind her. She could also see and feel Izuku’s green eyes fixed on her, and how he whispered her name with surprise in his voice.

“Uravity, we understand your concerns,” the old man said, and Ochako was surprised to find that he knew her hero name, “but there are some things we ought to discuss with young Midoriya, and it might be better if we do it in private.”

“With all due respect, sir, I—”

“She can be there.”

Ochako turned to look at Izuku. His eyelids seemed heavy, and he was struggling to stay awake, but he made sure his voice was loud and clear when he spoke.

“Deku…”

“She’s my best friend. I trust her. I… I probably should start showing more of that trust, instead of just saying it,” he said, giving her an apologetic smile. “I don’t want to keep any more secrets from her. O-Or any other of my friends, for that matter. I don’t mind her coming with us. I…”

He looked away, and they could all see a slight blush spreading on his face.

“I… I would like her company…”

Ochako wondered if Jiro could hear her heart drumming against her chest. She wondered if everyone could hear it because it sure felt strong and loud after his kind words. Her expression softened, and she gently tightened her grip on him. He didn’t seem to mind, and forgetting about the dozens of people that surrounded them, they shared a small moment where they smiled at each other. A moment where it all felt alright, where the pain and exhaustion were gone. A moment that reminded Ochako how much she’d missed him.

The old man sighed, shaking his head with a knowing smile. Best Jeanist’s expression was unreadable, but he didn’t seem particularly thrilled. Hawks, on the contrary, looked extremely bored as he stretched his back and grunted in pain. He took out his broken visor, examining the damages before casually throwing it to the ground.

“I mean if Midoriya’s fine with it then what’s the problem? No need to make this more complicated than necessary. Come on, kid, let’s get on the ambulance.”

The two top heroes and the old man turned around, and Ochako helped Izuku walk behind them. Some of their classmates tried to join, but the teachers managed to stop them. As much as they wanted to be with Izuku, they needed to take care of themselves first. Some were just now getting past the adrenaline rush, and their wounds were not only beginning to hurt more, but the weight of everything that had happened was settling in.

It did as well for Ochako, but she tried not to think about it as she dragged her best friend through the path that the pro heroes opened for them, cheering and congratulating Izuku as they walked past. The rest of the school was there as well. Class 2B, the general studies. Even pro heroes who had arrived at U.A. as soon as they found out about the attack, trying their best to help.

“Thank you, Uraraka,” Izuku said after a while. “I… I know we have a lot to talk about.”

“Oh, we do,” she said, flashing a playful smirk at him. “You think you can really just run away for two months and leave only a letter for me?”

He let out a nervous laugh and raised his left arm to scratch the back of his head. “Y-Yeah, I, uh, I know it looks bad, but I was just—”

“Shh, save it. I’m… I’m just happy that you’re back,” she admitted.

He tilted his head to the side, letting it rest against hers.

“I’m happy to be back.”

Her heart fluttered, and she was filled with a warm sensation, like a whole bag of popcorn popping off inside her stomach. She lost control of her quirk for a second, and in an instant, Izuku’s body became weightless as it floated an inch above the ground.

“Oops! S-Sorry!”

“Actually, this is better,” he said, chuckling. “My legs aren’t cooperating. Would you…? Would you mind…?”

He blushed as he trailed off, and Ochako snorted. Was he embarrassed to ask for her to carry him with her quirk?

“It’s ok, I don’t mind! I probably should have done this earlier.”

They quickly got to the ambulance, with the old man joining them, and Ochako only let go of him when the medics took him and placed him on a stretcher. Even then, she insisted on staying by his side, something Izuku made sure to thank her for. Ochako noticed that pro heroes were escorting them on the street, making sure that nothing happened to them on their way to the hospital. One of the paramedics started applying all sorts of first aids to Izuku, who didn’t complain or resist, while a second one tried to check on Ochako.

“I’m fine, really,” she said, trying to wave her off.

“That’s a nasty wound on your hand, miss. At least let me take a look at it.”

“Uraraka, she’s right,” Izuku said looking at her with worry in his eyes.

“It may not be fatal, but you should make sure your tendons aren’t damaged,” the old man said. “Losing movement on a hand for not taking care of it would be a shame.”

She tried to argue for a bit but ended up agreeing. The look the paramedic gave her didn’t seem to help her nerves. At least it stopped hurting when she applied a local anesthetic and began cleaning her wound. Ochako turned to look at the pro hero.

“Excuse me, sir. I was wondering… What’s your name?”

“Gran Torino, a pleasure to meet you. Toshinori spoke kindly of you. All Might,” he clarified when he noticed her confused look.

“O-Oh! I saw you two together during the fight in Kamino.”

“He was one of All Might’s mentors,” Izuku explained. “And he also helped train me when I was still getting used to One for All. It’s thanks to him that I developed my Shoot Style.”

Ochako turned to look at the old hero with wide eyes. All Might’s mentor? She had never heard of him before. And he had helped Izuku with his quirk?

She gently bowed her head.

“It’s an honor to meet you, sir!”

“No need to be formal. So, before we get to the hospital and everything gets more complicated, I guess I should ask: how much do you know about everything that has happened in the past few months?”

Ochako winced at the pain in her hand, but it might as well have been at the frustration of feeling like there was so much she was missing.

“I know about Deku’s quirk. I know why All for One was after him. I know he left our school to avoid making us a target. We saw him in the news when… when Endeavor and All Might were killed,” she said, her face twisting in worry as she saw the way Izuku reacted to the name of his late idol. “And… and that’s pretty much it.”

Gran Torino nodded in silence, before turning his attention to Izuku. “It would probably be for the best if you told her about the work you were doing with the top three heroes and All Might before the situation escalated.”

Izuku sighed. “Yeah, that’s probably for the best.”

As the paramedic kept cleaning out his wounds and putting bandages over the most serious cuts and injuries he had, he spilled it all out, and the more he revealed, the more worried Ochako grew.

By the time they got to the hospital, she was even more adamant about not leaving his side.

“You were going after such dangerous villains!” She said, holding one of his hands. “Deku, why did you do this all alone? Why didn’t you tell me? Us? We would’ve helped you if we knew!”

“I know. Which is exactly why I didn’t tell you,” he admitted. “I didn’t want to drag you guys into my mess…”

“We’re your friends!”

“I know…”

“We were so worried about you, Deku. You… You have no idea how much we worried.”

He looked away. “I know. Like I said, I didn’t want to—”

“He couldn’t tell you,” Gran Torino intervened, earning a glance from the two young heroes. “What he did, although for all the right reasons, was highly illegal. His work as a Vigilante broke many laws. Even the pro heroes that helped him were indulging in criminal activity. Involving more people than what was necessary would have only made things worse, and the job he was doing required secrecy. Midoriya may have put too much pressure on himself and refused to share the load, but given how everything’s turned out, I think he deserves some understanding from his friends.”

Ochako wasn’t a fan of that. She obviously understood why he did it. She could see his reasoning and why he thought he was doing them a favor by keeping them out of his troubles. She wasn’t going to hold it against him or hate him for it.

But what about her? She had suffered his absence. She had been worried sick. Countless nights she had cried herself to sleep, wondering what he was up to. If he was okay. If he was still alive. If she would ever see him again. She had to come to terms with the fact that she had been right, long ago, when she decided that her feelings needed to be pushed away for her to focus on being a hero. And that, though she had tried her hardest, she had ultimately failed.

She cared way too much for him. And she knew he cared for her too, obviously, but he was too focused on being a hero. After reading his letter and learning the challenges he was facing, she couldn’t blame him at all. She was thinking of romance while he had the sword of Damocles hanging over his head, trying to gain full control of his quirk(s) so he could be ready to fight a villain that textbooks didn’t dare speak of. She hated herself when she was forced to face that revelation. She felt out of touch, like she couldn’t look at the big picture, too focused on her feelings.

And yet, as the weeks went by, she concluded that her feelings mattered, too. They weren’t trivial. She felt hurt and worried that he’d left without saying a proper goodbye. She could understand him, but didn’t she deserve some understanding as well? She had agency. She was old enough to make her own choices, to decide whether she wanted to risk her life helping him or not. At the very least, she felt that she deserved a better explanation. A conversation. Perhaps it was selfish, but she didn’t like the idea of other people making decisions for her.

She lowered her head and clenched her fists. Was she really going to go off about this? Was she really gonna speak up?

She looked up at both Izuku and Gran Torino with fire in her eyes.

Oh, yes. She was.

“I understand why he did it. But just because it worked out doesn’t mean that it was the right thing to do.”

Izuku looked away, but she put a hand on his shoulder, forcing him to stare at her eyes as she talked. She wanted him to see the honesty in them. The worry.

“Deku, you won. You did something… incredible! And I knew you could do it. I’ve always believed in you.”

“Uraraka…”

“But do you have any idea of how I’d feel if something bad had happened to you? If you died ?”

The temperature in the back of the ambulance dropped. The paramedics kept trying to be professional, working on the two wounded teenagers in the least intrusive way possible, trying to stay invisible. Gran Torino tilted his head slightly, his critical eye analyzing their body language and every word that escaped their mouths.

Izuku seemed to be at a loss for words, so Ochako pushed further.

“I would have had to live with that for the rest of my life. I’d wonder if there was anything I could have done. If I should have realized what you were struggling with earlier. If I should’ve chased after you. Deku… If anything happened to you, I don’t know how I could’ve lived with it.”

He tried to sit up, but he was too tired, so he fell back with a grunt and gave her an apologetic look.

“I’m sorry I worried you. I know it was… dangerous. But I had to do it, I needed to—”

“I’m not mad at you for doing it,” she said, cutting him short, and her eyes started to sting. “I know that you can’t help yourself, you always put yourself in danger if you think that’s the right thing to do. It’s what makes you such a great hero. So no, I’m not mad at you for doing all this crazy work you did, or for fighting All for One.”

She stopped for a second to quickly rub her eyes and push back the tears that threatened to fall.

“I’m mad at you for not letting me help you. I don’t care if it was dangerous. I don’t care if it was illegal. I’m not as good in combat as you or Bakugo, but I’m going to be a hero, too!” She sternly said. “I want to be the kind of hero that helps people, including other heroes! And I can see it in your face… you needed to be saved, too.”

She then surprised even herself as she took a hand and placed it on his cheek. Izuku’s face turned beet red and his shoulders tensed. Uraraka could feel her cheeks burning, but decided to shake those thoughts away and focus on what was important right then. She needed to let it all out at that very moment because she wasn’t sure she’d ever find the courage to speak up like that again.

“You went through so much, Deku… Fighting all those villains… Being away from everyone you loved… Losing All Might… You were looking after everyone, trying to protect and save us, but who was looking after you? Your eyes —they look like you’ve been going through so much. Maybe I wouldn’t be much help against Nomus and the crazy powerful villains you were after, but I could’ve found other ways to help. Maybe… maybe just being there for you when you needed to talk! I don’t know! I don’t even know what I’m saying anymore!”

She let out a nervous chuckle, trying to keep the unbridled tidal wave of her emotions from taking over and drowning her.

“I just know that I’ve missed you so much . And I’m mad that you wouldn’t let me help you. I know you don’t want people to worry about you, but you’re my best friend! I’m always going to worry about you. So you might as well do both of us a favor and let me help you.”

He bit his trembling lip, and when he teared up, any defenses she may have tried to build up crumbled. She threw herself at him, crying on his shoulder. She completely forgot about the paramedics that were still trying to take care of them, and they allowed her to have her moment with Izuku.

He showed once again just how resilient he was, finding strength from within to wrap his arms around her

“U-Uraraka, I’m so sorry. I never… I didn’t…”

“I know,” she said, holding him like she never wanted to let go. And she didn’t. “I’m… mad, but not angry- mad, more like, worried -mad. I’ll forgive you… but you gotta promise me that, next time you want to do something crazy, you’ll talk to me first.”

It was a blatant lie. She had already forgiven him the moment he returned. It was easy to be mad at him when she didn’t know if she would ever see him again. It was hard to stay mad at Izuku when she had him in her arms, his tears coating her shoulder, and seeing the regret in his eyes.

Plus, he was the guy that saved the world by punching All for One so hard that the weather changed. He deserved some credit.

But she couldn’t let him know that, at least not yet.

Izuku sighed and let go of his grip on her enough to rest back against the stretcher and give her a tired grin. “I promise,” he said.

Ochako wiped the trails of tears off her face and then raised her fist. “I forgive you, then.”

They sealed the deal with smiles on their faces and a fist bump.

Unfortunately, Ochako was so emotional that she went a bit overboard with the gesture and forgot how fragile Izuku’s bones were at the moment. For the next two minutes, she found herself apologizing profusely as Izuku shook his hand in the air like it was set on fire.

Gran Torino didn’t stop laughing until they reached the hospital.

By the time the ambulance parked, the painkillers were already taking effect, and Izuku stopped feeling like his body was nothing but a pile of broken pieces being held together by duct tape. It felt more like that one time he had to carry All Might’s buffed form on his back all across the beach. Only instead of All Might, it was Fat Gum and Gang Orca, and instead of carrying them across the beach, he was lying on a nail bed while the two danced the tango on top of him.

It was worth it, though. He had won. He had defeated All for One. He’d done All Might proud, showing the world he was there to keep his legacy alive. That there was a new generation of heroes ready to take on the challenge and protect everyone. Feeling pain all over his body was a sacrifice he was willing to make in exchange for that. He was no stranger to pain. He could deal with it.

Having Ochako by his side also helped alleviate his pain. The couple of months he spent on the run, coordinating with the Top Three heroes and All Might had been pretty lonely for him. He only truly talked and spent fleeting moments with his mentor. The rest of the time, he was by himself, capturing supervillains, getting lectures and training from the other successors, mastering the control of all his quirks. The danger, adrenaline, and urgency of his missions were enough to keep him distracted during the day.

Late at night, however, as he found a corner in an alley or rooftop to try to close his eyes and get some sleep, he was helpless against the intrusive thoughts that plagued his mind. He missed everyone. His mom. His teachers. His friends. God, did he miss his friends. He never had any true friends growing up. Only Kacchan, but their bond was far from a typical friendship. He’d told himself that it was okay, that he didn’t need friends like that. He was happy just being there in school, analyzing his classmates’ quirks and keeping track of Kacchan’s progress. It made him think that maybe, one day, he’d be able to catch up to him and everyone else. And maybe, one day, they’d see him as their equal. That thought seemed to be enough for him, and though he had episodes of loneliness and some slight depression —though he would never admit to it out loud—, he believed he had been living a happy life.

And then he got into U.A., and he made real friends. Friends that complimented his brain, his tactics, that were impressed by his quirk, that accepted him with open arms. And that’s when he realized truly what he had been missing his whole life. A sense of companionship. Community. People to rely on. To laugh with. To cry with. He had finally gotten that, and then he had to give it away. Turn his back on his friends, and run away. To keep them safe.

He’d cried a lot thinking about them. Iida. Tsu. Kirishima. Kacchan. Ochako… Leaving them behind, going solo to do what was right. At the time, he wasn’t sure whether this was a mission he could come out of alive. It pained him to think that, maybe, he would never get to see them again.

The moment Hawks contacted him to let him know that All for One was attacking U.A. to get Eri, he felt his heart stop. He didn’t even realize his legs were kicking the air at 80% of his power to get there faster. He wasn’t even thinking of how All for One getting Eri’s quirk would make him an unstoppable force. He was only worried about the child and his friends. He couldn’t let them get hurt. He couldn’t allow it.

It was still too early to be sure of it, but he believed that the only reason he could sustain One for All at 100% without breaking his body was because of his resolve to use it to protect his friends. He didn’t care what happened to him, but unlike before, he was aware that giving one devastating attack that would leave him crippled wasn’t the way to help everyone. Unlike previous times, he was mindful of the consequences of his actions. When he fought Todoroki at the Sports Festival, he was okay with breaking his fingers because he believed that helping his friend was more important. Against All for One, however? He could only save everyone by staying alive. And somehow that determination, that resolve, was able to grant him better control of his full power.

It still hurt like hell, but as the ambulance doors flung open and Ochako stood up, keeping a hand on his shoulder for reassurance, he realized he was ready to deal with whatever came his way after succeeding in his mission.

Of course, when the paramedics took his stretcher out of the ambulance and he realized what was going on around him, he questioned that idea.

Best Jeanist and Hawks were waiting for him outside of the ambulance, but their eyes were set on the multitude of journalists that were stationed outside of the hospital, barely contained by a police line and several pro heroes. The Lurkers were there, with Edgeshot, Kamui Woods, and Mt. Lady. The three seemed to have been escorting the ambulance, and as soon as they got there, they helped keep the reporters at bay. A couple more heroes helped as well, and Izuku’s inner fanboy was ecstatic knowing that they were all there because of him.

“Come on, Midoriya, some people are waiting for you,” Hawks said, making a sign for the paramedics to follow him as he and Best Jeanist began walking to the secondary entrance to the hospital that had been cleared for him.

Gran Torino walked by his side, while Ochako stayed close to him. As they moved, all the flashes were soon on him, and he could hear some of the questions that they were asking him.

“Izuku Midoriya, what’s your relationship with All Might?!”

“Why was the villain All for One after you?!”

“Are you Hawks and Best Jeanist’s sidekick?!”

“What is the secret to your quirk?!”

“Is it true that you were engaged in vigilante activity with Endeavor and the current top two heroes?!”

Hawks raised a hand to look at the press. “No comments!”

The reporters pressed forward, asking louder and faster, but Izuku was dragged inside the hospital before he could get a headache.

“Oh, wow,” he said, once the doors closed behind him and the chaos of the press seemed to die down. “Thank you. That was insane. Throw a Nomu at me, but I definitely don’t want to deal with those guys any time soon.”

“Oh, I get you, young man,” said a very tired voice a few feet ahead of him, half-yawning, “but unfortunately, we’re all gonna have to address them soon.”

When the paramedics stepped away, the color drained from Izuku’s face. Walking towards him, he saw Yokumiru Mera from the Hero Public Safety Commission and chief of police Tsuragamae. Hawks, Best Jeanist, and Gran Torino seemed unphased by their presence, but Izuku felt every aching muscle in his body tensing.

All Might had warned him of how illegal his rogue escapades were. He made sure to list out every single law he’d be breaking. And at the end of the scary long list, he had still agreed to do what had to be done. It was worth the risk.

But now he was being approached by the chief of police and a representative of the HPSC, and he just knew that he had run out of luck. It was time to face the consequence of his actions. Would he be facing time in prison? Was he going to be banned from ever becoming a hero? What was going to happen to him now?

Just when the questions were starting to become too much for his battered head to handle, he felt Ochako’s hold on his shoulder tightening. He looked up at her and realized that she looked worried, but she was also shooting daggers at the two figures of authorities. She was putting two and two together, and she didn’t seem to be particularly thrilled at their presence.

“How’s the boy holding up? He looks ruff ,” said the chief of police, showing his dog mannerisms.

“He’s stable,” said the female paramedic. “I used my Quirk to scan him. There’s no internal bleeding or fractured bones, but he has multiple bruised ribs and strains all over his body.”

“Is it paw-sible to delay the treatment so we can have a conversation with him first?”

“It is… though I would recommend keeping it short. His body needs to rest.”

Chief Tsuragamae looked at Mera and gave him a small nod. Mera let out a new yawn and rubbed the back of his neck.

“Yeah, yeah, we’ll go straight to the point. Jeanist, Hawks, Mr. Torino, you all need to come with us. Young lady, you can go with the paramedics to make sure—”

“She’s staying,” said Izuku, beating Ochako to the punch by a second. He knew she’d insist on staying with him, and it would be better if he was the insolent one that defied the authorities instead of her. He was deep into trouble anyway.

The two adults looked at each other, while Best Jeanist shook his head slightly.

“The things we need to discuss—” Mera began, but once again, Izuku interrupted him.

“Are things she’s aware of or things I don’t mind her learning. I’ll… I’ll only speak if she’s allowed to be there.”

He didn’t even know if he was in a position to make demands like that. He probably wasn’t. What was he supposed to do? He had a right to make a call, right? Should he spend it to get in touch with a lawyer? Could he even afford a lawyer?

“Who’s the girl?” Asked the chief.

“She’s part of Midoriya’s class at U.A. A second-year student. Got her provisional license last year,” Mera explained, sounding even more tired than usual. “Alright, alright. Fine, she can tag along. Everything we talk about is going to become public soon anyway. Come with us.”

As they all headed to an empty room, Ochako smiled at Izuku, who tried to shrug his shoulders but winced at the pain. After using the elevator, they soon got to a room that had been prepared for him. Standing outside of it, the Pro Hero Death Arms was keeping watch. He stepped aside to open the door for the newcomers and bowed his head at them. His eyes rested on Izuku for a couple of seconds, and the green-haired boy wondered if he remembered him as the quirkless kid he had once scolded for running straight into danger.

If he did, he didn’t say anything, and seconds later, everyone was taking a seat around Izuku’s bed. Ochako pulled her chair as close to him as humanly possible, and he had to control his blushing face. If they were going to arrest him and take his picture, he would rather not look flustered.

“Alright,” said Mera, resting his elbows on his knees and using both hands to rub his brows, “we have a lot to discuss and not much time, so we should go straight to the point.”

He looked up at Izuku and pointed an accusing finger at him.

“You,” he said, before pointing at Hawks and Best Jeanist, “you, and you, have broken many, many laws.”

“Guilty as charged,” said Hawks with a grin, putting both arms behind his head.

“The Hero Public Safety Commission had been shut down due to a lack of employees and all the damages our institution suffered at the hands of Re-Destro’s double, but in the past two weeks, we’ve been restarting our operations. And after today, we need to make our presence strong again to regain the public’s trust. And that means we need to take action about everything that has been going on these past few months. We can’t keep looking to the side.”

“W-What does that mean?” Asked Ochako.

“It means we need to address the fact that the current top two heroes were allowing a young boy to act as a vigilante, going way beyond what his Provisional Hero License allows. Which is, as you all know, an illegal activity.”

“He was doing the right thing! You can’t… you can’t be serious!”

Izuku looked at how distressed Ochako looked, and although he could understand where she was coming from, this was something he had already accepted.

“Uraraka, don’t worry, it’s going to be fine,” he tried to reassure her.

“How can it be fine? Deku, they’re treating you like you’re a criminal!”

“He is,” Gran Torino said like he was just pointing out that the walls were painted white. “He knew the risks and the consequences of his actions.”

“He defeated All for One! And what, you guys are gonna put him in JAIL because of it?!”

“That’s not what we said,” intervened the chief of police. “Just that we need to address what he’s done, woof.”

Izuku and Ochako looked at each other with confused eyes before tilting their heads at Tsuragamae. Mera sighed and stretched his back.

“At this point, the press is already putting together pieces of information. There have been many reports, in the paw -st few months, of a mysterious figure capturing criminals and delivering them to the police. There are eyewitnesses, and after your battle against All for One that was broadcasted to the entire nation —nay, the world, well, we can’t just pretend nothing happened as we did with your involvement with the Hero Killer Stain.”

Ochako gasped and turned to look at Izuku. Hadn’t he told her the truth about Stain? No? Oh, wow. He needed to start keeping track of all his lies.

“So… They all know it was me doing vigilante work,” he muttered, looking defeated. “There’s no way around it.”

“No, there’s not. It’s public knowledge by now. What’s done it’s done, no need to terrier-self up. We’re gonna do a press conference tonight confirming that it was, indeed, you who was doing all this illegal activity.”

He felt his stomach twisting. He was supposed to be the new Symbol of Peace. An inspirational figure to all citizens. A beacon of hope. Going to jail at sixteen didn’t seem like a great start.

“Does this… does this mean that I’ll be arrested?” He asked with a dry throat.

Hawks and Gran Torino snickered, and both the chief of police and Mera straightened their backs, seemingly shocked at what he had just suggested.

“Are you insane?” The latter asked, shaking his head in disbelief. “No! Kiddo, you were broadcasted saving the world. People are head over heels for you right now. How could we arrest you?”

Izuku blinked twice.

“But… but you said…”

“We need to address what happened. But as we speak, the heads-up at the Hero Public Safety Commission are redacting an official pardon for you,” he explained, and Izuku felt the weight of the world leaving his shoulders. “We will be acknowledging all the illegal work that you were doing for the past few months and talk about the legal consequences you’d normally be facing, but that’s just to discourage others from breaking the law. The President herself will make a statement to officially get you off the hook for all the trouble you got yourself into.”

Both Izuku and Ochako let out all the air they had inadvertently been holding in their chests. None of the pro heroes seemed particularly surprised to hear this. Mera gave Izuku half a smile and scratched the back of his head.

“We would like to encourage you to stay within the scope of the law in the future, however.”

Izuku gave out a nervous smile, looking away. “I-I’ll try it…”

“Of course you will, of course. Oh, you two, by the way,” he added, looking at Best Jeanist and Hawks, “you two won’t get your hero licenses suspended, but you’ll have to pay a heavy fine for allowing Midoriya to do vigilante work without alerting the authorities.”

Hawks shrugged while Best Jeanist squinted his eyes.

“Does the Commission need money to start rebuilding?”

“Nah, the government is already redirecting all kinds of funds our way. We just need to set an example. You did risk a child’s life, after all.”

Jeanist ended up letting out a small sigh. “I suppose it’s only fair.”

“So is that it?” Izuku asked, looking relieved. “Do I have to do anything? Sign any paper?”

“We’ll get to the paperwork when the time comes,” Mera said. “There’s some other stuff we need to discuss. Especially how things are gonna change moving forward for you, Midoriya.”

He didn’t like the sound of that. It was too ominous.

“W-What do you mean?”

“Well… for starters, I guess I have the honor of telling you that the Hero Public Safety Commission has decided to approve your Hero License and has registered you as a pro hero.”

All sound died in the room, to the point where Izuku could hear his heartbeat and the ragged breaths that went in and out of his lungs. Had he heard that right? His hero license ? At his side, Ochako kept darting his eyes from him to Mera, her mouth open in evident shock.

“I… I mean… How…? What….?” He realized he couldn’t even finish a single sentence.

“You see, the pardon is enough to keep the media from asking too many questions about your involvement in those activities and possible consequences, but there are a bunch of legal ramifications moving forward that would make things complicated if you stay with just your provisional license. An easy way to solve that obstacle is to simply grant you a full license and make things official.”

He couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

“They also want to capitalize on your triumphal appearance and market you as a new rising star,” Hawks explained. “The public is already loving you, so turning you into a pro hero will be a boost to your credibility and will make the Hero Public Safety Commission look good. Which is something they desperately need.”

Mera shrugged but didn’t deny it.

Izuku was still speechless. He looked at Ochako like she had the answers to all of his questions, but she seemed to be as shocked as he was.

“But… I didn’t pass any exam…” He finally said.

“Technically speaking, the ability to grant a hero license is entirely at the discretion of the Commission. The exams are only there as a formality to give us a framework to test newcomers and make sure they’re ready and have what it takes to be a hero. If you think about it, it would be a real nightmare and a waste of time to make heroes like Hawks, Best Jeanist, or Edgeshot retake their exams every time their license expires. We know they’re good at what they’re doing, so we grant them a new one as soon as they pay their taxes —which you won’t have to pay for your first year, by the way, that will be taken care of for you. You got above-average grades on your provisional hero license exam, so it’s not like it comes out of nowhere. Oh, and you also were recorded live defeating the greatest villain of all time, one that not even All Might was able to truly get out of the picture. So yeah, we don’t expect much blowback from that decision.”

“Does… does that mean…?”

“That you’re a hero? Yes. Congratulations. We used the name you picked for your provisional hero license, so you’re legally registered as Deku . Feel free to rebrand yourself if you want.”

Ochako let out a high-pitched squeal and hugged him.

“Oh my God, Deku! You did it! You’re a hero! An actual hero, with license and all! This is incredible! You deserve it so much! I’m so happy for you!”

She certainly let him know just how excited she was for him, apparently forgetting that his ribs were bruised. He didn’t mind though. He was still trying to process this new information, but as the news sank in, his face lit up.

He was a hero. After dreaming about it since he was three years old —if not earlier—, he had made it. It was crazy to think that two and a half years ago he was but a quirkless boy, and now here he was, being recognized as a hero. All his trouble, all the effort, pain, blood, sweat, and tears he’d invested so far to make this happen, it was all being rewarded. He started to tear up. This was almost as incredible to him as the time he got his admission letter to—

He went stiff and all the happiness left his face. Ochako sensed his change of demeanor and quickly gave him space.

“Deku?”

He looked at her for a second, and then back at Mera.

“Does… does this mean I don’t… I won’t be able to come back to U.A.?”

His words hit Ochako like a punch in the gut. She opened and closed her mouth, turning her attention to the representative of the HPSC. He scratched his chin and let out a small yawn he didn’t even bother covering.

“Well, technically, you still need to finish your high school education and get your diploma before you can even apply to be a sidekick, so once the school reopens its doors, you may want to go back to it.”

Both Izuku and Ochako sighed in relief. Best Jeanist, Hawks, and Gran Torino all exchanged knowing looks at the youngsters' reactions.

“Besides, it’s the baseline educational requirement if you want to open your own hero agency,” Mera commented nonchalantly, “which is what you’re probably gonna be spending the Hero Compensation Grant the government is giving you.”

“Wait, what?” Izuku asked. “Compensation what?”

Chief Tsuragamae coughed on his fist, and took over the explanation, while Mera sighed and rubbed his eyes.

“Well, as you know, besides private sponsors and their licensing deals, heroes get economic compensation from the government and the HPSC based on their ranking in the Hero Billboard Chart and specific high-profile cases they manage to solve, woof. To make sure their agencies can stay afloat, they can pay their employees, and continue to serve the public. After your… astonishing victory today, the government is preparing an exemplary grant, enough to give you a fair headstart in making your own hero agency.”

“My own hero agency?!” He said, jolting up before feeling the pain in his chest. “B-But I… I can’t…! How do I even…?! S-Shouldn’t I start as a sidekick somewhere?!”

“I mean, I’d be more than happy to take you in for a few years if you want to gain some experience in the field,” Hawks said, “but to be fair, you’ve been doing actual hero work for a while now. You know the ropes. You’re more than capable of making your own agency, start lowkey, and then progressively get involved in bigger cases on your own. You would only need to hire someone to help you with your branding, a few accountants, secretaries… you know, people to handle all the boring paperwork for you so you can focus on doing some heroing.”

This was a lot for Izuku to take in. Getting a license was already unexpectedly fulfilling his dreams, but being told that he may be ready to start his agency? That was… such a big deal. He had always pictured himself as a sidekick for the first… what, decade or so of his heroic career? Maybe less if he turned out to be great and found some sponsors… But right off high school? That was insane.

“So… the government will give him money to make his own hero agency?” Ochako asked. “That’s… a lot.”

“Oh, yeah, the final numbers aren’t in yet obviously, but I think they sent me an estimate,” Mera said, taking out his phone and scrolling a bit. “Ah, yes, here’s what’s currently being talked about.”

He turned his phone around to show them the screen.

Both Izuku and Ochako’s jaws dropped.

“T-That’s a lot of zeroes…” she muttered.

Mera turned his phone again with a quizzical look. “Oh, wait, sorry. The picture was cropped.” He then flipped his phone horizontally, allowing the screen to fit the actual full number.

Izuku nearly fainted, and Ochako’s grip almost left a mark on his stretcher’s rails.

“T-T-That’s too many zeroes!” He stuttered, his face redder than it had ever been. Ochako was almost in a catatonic state next to him, her mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water.

Hawks leaned in to take a look and let out a whistle before giving Yokumiru Mera a questioning look. “You guys are really pushing him to be a public figure, aren’t you?”

Mera sighed, pocketing his phone away.

“I’m trying to be transparent here, Midoriya. The people have lost their faith in heroes for a while. After All Might, no one’s been able to fill in his shoes right, and after so many incidents and revelations about our hero society… the ideal image of heroes has been tainted in the public eyes. Not to mention the rise in villainous activity.”

The dire tone of his voice and the content of his speech took Izuku and Ochako out of their stupor and were now listening carefully. He was especially focused now, with a growing sense of dread spreading in his stomach. He could tell where this was going.

“Not even Endeavor’s sacrifice to allow the three of you to escape from All for One a week ago was able to fully redeem him in the eyes of the public. The old guard of heroes still has a lot to do before they’re forgiven for their sins. But then, out of nowhere, you appear in the scene. A young boy that —and by now this is something the press has figured out— was trained by All Might himself. A boy some may remember from the Sports Festival as a revelation, a promising hero in training. By now, I’m sure they’ve found out about your involvement in the capturing of the Hero Killer Stain; which, by the way, we should probably tell the truth about. In any case, they’ll learn that you were also part of the Shie Hassaikai raid. The exact reports of who defeated Kai Chisaki have been kept secret, but I believe Ryukyu’s statement mentions a student hero, so you can count on that being figured out as well. There are videos of you fighting alongside Endeavor and other pro heroes against Tomura Shigaraki a few months ago. And now, they’ve seen you defeat All for One, smiling and standing just like All Might would have.”

He leaned back on his chair and gave him a tired smile, brushing his bangs off his forehead.

“I don’t mean to make this harder for you, and I know it’s a lot to take in at once, but you’re the rising star this society needs right now,” he said with unsuspected sincerity. “A warm sunrise after the darkest of nights. Chosen by All Might himself. There isn’t a better pitch for a new inspirational figure to bring people’s hope back into the hero society. The fact that you’ve already captured dangerous villains like Muscular and Moonfish can’t be overlooked either. As of right now, the only high-profile villain that remains to be brought back to Tartarus is the Hero Killer, but he hasn’t made a single move since he escaped. All in all, the situation seems to have improved beyond our most optimistic expectations, and you’re the face of it. You’re the hero we need, Midoriya Izuku. Please, help us bring hope back to our society.”

And then, both Yokumiru Mera and Kenki Tsuragamae stood up with their arms to the sides of their body and bowed until their torsos were almost parallel to the floor.

Izuku knew he had a bad habit of crying in public. Probably not what people wanted or expected from a hero. Certainly not how he wanted to present himself in front of the two top heroes, one of his mentors, his best friend, and two members of the government that were telling him that he needed to step in as the symbol of peace.

Exactly what All Might wanted him to do. The reason why he was chosen as his successor. The whole point of his training and all the obstacles he had crossed was to reach this point, to ready himself and fulfill his dream of becoming the next symbol of peace. Someone strong enough to save everyone without having them worry. Someone that could give them the hope and security that All Might always gave him.

He could be the one hero on a video that even a young, quirkless child may watch over and over again, thinking to themselves that that’s who they wanted to be when they grew up. He couldn’t think of it and not get emotional. As much as he tried, heavy tears fell from his eyes, staining what little was left of his ragged hero costume and the small bandages the paramedics had applied to him.

He covered his face with an arm, the pain striking him again, but he needed to save some dignity. He didn’t complain, however, when Ochako gave him a side hug, letting him rest his head against her shoulder, patting his back, and gently stroking his hair.

“It’s ok, Deku,” she told him, and even though he couldn’t see her face, she sounded like she was ready to cry as well.

“I know it’s a lot of pressure we’re putting onto you,” Mera said, sounding slightly uncomfortable. “No child should bear this responsibility. We understand you need time for yourself and to process everything that’s going on.”

Izuku tried his best to control himself, but he was still an emotional mess. Everything was affecting him. The pain, the exhaustion, knowing he’d defeated All for One, the reunion with his friends, becoming an official hero, getting more money than he knew was possible to have, being told that it was his time to own up his status as the symbol of peace… His mind was trying to make sense of everything at once, and he could almost feel the steam coming out of his ears.

He needed to stay strong, however. He needed to be focused on what needed to be done. He lowered his arm, revealing his puffy, red eyes, and his trembling lips, but trying his best to keep the conversation going.

“I-I’m sorry...”

“No need to a-paw-ologize , young man,” Tsuragamae said. “We should be the ones apologizing for relying so much on you. You are, of course, more than free to refuse our proposals. You can focus on your studies and stay out of the public sphere, woof. If that’s what you want, we can help you by keeping the press somewhat away from you, though we can’t promise much.”

“N-No, I…” He had to swallow the knot in his throat. “All Might… He wanted this from me. He told me I needed to step up as the next symbol of peace. To show the world that heroes are still standing strong. This is everything I ever fought for. I… I’m ready to do it.”

His still crying face was probably not conveying much security, but no one in the room seemed to care. Ochako was still hugging him. Best Jeanist and Hawks were nodding sympathetically, and Izuku could see a proud sparkle in Gran Torino’s eyes. Mera and Tsuragamae nodded at him before sitting down once again.

“Well… If that’s the case, then we want to suggest one last thing before we wrap this up and leave you to rest for the day,” Mera said. “The president of the Hero Public Safety Commission will hold a press conference in about two hours to make the announcement of your hero license, the government grant, and to make some general statements regarding the events that happened today. However, she will make a point to avoid giving details about you and the reasons why you were involved in the first place.”

Izuku nodded.

“We believe it’s up to you to share as much as you feel comfortable without us getting into the details of your life. However… the public is looking forward to learning about you. And we do believe that it’s important for the audience to know their heroes. So we would like to ask you to give an interview where you can present yourself to the world. It doesn’t have to be long, you don’t have to get into many details, but people want to hear from you. Your voice. Your story. They’re dying to know the kind of person you are. Would you be comfortable with that?”

He managed to push every other thought away as he considered that proposition. He wasn’t the best at talking in public. He always got anxious and worried that he would mispronounce a word, or say the wrong thing, or embarrass himself. However, it made sense from the perspective of the Hero Public Safety Commission and their idea of setting him up as the new symbol of peace. Doing hero work and protecting people was the most important part of the job, but to earn their trust he needed to also look and play the part of someone they could rely on. All Might’s interviews had always been a big reason why people loved him. It made him feel relatable, trustworthy, it grounded him and made him a likable character. It was the same as patrolling; it wasn’t something heroes did just to look for crime, it was also a way of showing themselves to the population and making their relationship with those they protect closer and more personal. He wasn’t confident in his speaking skills, but he assumed he could do a good enough job to—

“Deku,” Ochako said, softly shaking his shoulder to get him out of his trance. He looked at her and saw that she had an apologetic look on her face. “You, uh, you were muttering again.”

He looked at the other pro heroes and adults in the room, and they all were staring at him with wide eyes. He felt himself go red once again.

“I-I can do it,” he finally said, clearing his throat. “I… I can deal with that.”

Mera nodded. “Perfect. It doesn’t have to be a press conference. We can pick one reporter to make a short, personal interview with you. We can ask them to give you a list of preselected questions if you want.”

“I, uh… I don’t know. If I know what the questions will be beforehand, I’ll probably overthink the answers. All Might was always so… spontaneous, right? I think that would be better. People will need to know the real me, the authentic Deku. Even… even if I’m…”

He struggled to find the right word.

“Kind of a dork?” Ochako suggested, earning an embarrassed look from Izuku. She chuckled. “I think you’re right, Deku. People need to see the real you. And I’m sure they’re all gonna love you!”

He felt like dying. H-He wasn’t someone people would “love”, right? He was so… so bland, and plain-looking, and there was nothing special about him…

“Very well, if that’s what you want… So, do you have any preference on who conducts the interview? Any journalist you know or that you’re familiar with? The interview will be broadcasted on all channels so don’t worry about choosing a signal. You can pick literally anyone. You’re the most wanted guest in the country right now so they’ll say yes, and people are gonna watch you even if your aunt is interviewing you. Try not to pick your aunt, though.”

Izuku stopped to think for a second. Truth be told, even though he tried to keep up with the news, he wasn’t very familiar with TV journalists. He knew some by name, and a few others he could recognize if they showed him a picture of their faces, but he didn’t have any preference. He’d never been close to any journalist that he could think o—

It suddenly hit him.

“Uh, does it have to be someone from TV?” He asked. “Can it be someone from a newspaper?”

“It can be anyone you feel comfortable with.”

He was about to make his suggestion, but there was some screaming coming from the hallway. It sounded like a stampede, and they all turned when they heard Death Arms trying to stop someone. Mera’s phone buzzed, and he took it out to read a text.

“Oh, right. Well, Midoriya, I’ll tell the president that she can announce that you’ll be giving an interview in the next couple of days. That’ll keep the media busy for now. I thank you for your time and your cooperation. We’ll come back tomorrow to keep working out the details of how we’re gonna be moving forward.”

The ruckus outside of the room was increasing in volume. Izuku and Ochako exchanged worried looks.

“W-What’s going on?” He asked.

Mera and Tsuragamae stood up and walked towards the door. The employee of the HPSC grinned and put a hand on the doorknob.

“You have visitors,” he simply said, before opening the door.

And then, with a speed that would make the Iida family jealous, Inko Midoriya ran straight into Izuku’s arms.

Chapter Text

By all accounts, Ochako should have assumed they were under attack.

Mera had barely opened the door two inches before someone charged right into the room, almost bulldozing over the skinny man. Not even the mighty Death Arms seemed to be strong or fast enough to keep the trespasser at bay. Ochako, who thought of herself as a hero in training with above-average reflexes, couldn't even stand up before a short figure was already throwing itself at Izuku. Her protective instincts kicked in, and she was ready to put her quirk and the Gunhead Martial Arts she knew to good use, throwing whoever dared attack Izuku under her watch out the window and into the stratosphere. She'd let them float aimlessly up there for ten minutes and then, if she bothered to remember, she'd release her quirk.

Her inner Toga kept coming up with more ways of protecting Izuku, but she noticed two things in the millisecond that she had to process what her eyes saw. One, whoever entered the room was crying a river. And two, they had dark green hair.

Her moment of hesitation was enough for the woman to reach Izuku, seemingly throwing herself right into his arms, though Ochako could tell that she made sure of not pressing herself onto him too hard. It was a much more gentle and careful embrace than the ones Ochako had been giving him since she caught him in the air, and that realization made her feel a bit guilty. She obviously hadn't been trying to hurt Izuku or cause him any pain, that went without saying, but looking at this woman's careful touch made her realize that she might have gotten a bit carried away, indulging in her selfish desire to feel his body next to hers. To make sure he was alive, that it was real and not yet another one of those fleeting dreams where he came back.

Whoever this person was, Ochako could tell that she loved Izuku enough to still be worried about not adding to his pain, no matter how much she wanted to hold him close. And that, combined with the beautiful shade of green in her hair, was enough for her to put two and two together.

"MY BOY!" The woman wailed, her eyes becoming two waterfalls that, given enough time, could have flooded the entire room.

Any doubts Ochako may have still had about the identity of the woman were dispelled right then. She'd recognize that way of crying anywhere.

"Mom!"

The way Izuku's face lit up was priceless. The shock from the unexpected intrusion turned into the happiest of smiles, as he closed his eyes and pushed past the pain and tiredness to hug his mother. He was already emotional with everything going on, and when he surrendered himself to his mother's embrace, he couldn't help but cry as well.

Ochako felt like crying, too. She'd seen Izuku at his best and also his worst. She thought she'd seen almost all aspects of him, but right then she realized that she had never seen him like this. It was easy to forget his actual age when more often than not he was fighting unbelievably strong and dangerous villains, throwing himself headfirst into the fray, breaking his bones like it was the most normal thing in the world.

But he was still a sixteen years old boy. And it had never been clearer for Ochako than right then, seeing him cry as he hugged his mom like there was no tomorrow. She had been upset at him for leaving them all behind, but it dawned on her that there was no way Deku, someone who cared so much about his friends and loved ones, would have been fine all by himself, running away from everyone. The dullness in his eyes… He'd been in pain, she could tell.

She doubled down on her promise to make him feel better. To protect him. Maybe she wouldn't be able to protect him from exchanging blows with supervillains —though she was gonna still try her damn hardest anyway—, but at least she'd save him from loneliness and feeling lost.

Something moved to her left, and she turned to see all sorts of small objects beginning to float around the room. Pens, pieces of paper, unplugged cords, medical instruments. Every tiny thing that wasn't fixed to the floor or a wall began to slowly move towards Izuku and his mom. Ochako was perplexed. Was it maybe Mrs. Midoriya's quirk?

Best Jeanist moved a finger, and strings of cloth jumped from his jacket, catching every object and gently placed them back where they were. He, Hawks, and Gran Torino exchanged a quick look. He finally took a step forward and cleared his throat.

Izuku and his mom broke the hug to look at the pro heroes.

"I'm sure the two of you have much to talk about. We'll leave for now, but feel free to call us should you need anything," Best Jeanist said, leaving a card on the nightstand next to Izuku's bed. "I'll be talking with the representatives of the Hero Public Safety Commission to sort out how to continue from here."

"I'll go talk with the press," said Hawks, looking resigned. "I'm sure they want to hear the current Number One talking about what happened. I'll keep them busy so they don't bother you."

"I'll be meeting with Principal Nezu", added Gran Torino. "U.A.'s staff is taking direct responsibility in securing the hospital and watching over its students' recovery and they need all the help they can get."

The three made a move to leave the room, but Izuku's mom stood up and put herself between them and the exit. The pro heroes didn't flinch, but Ochako could feel the tension rising in the room.

The woman kept crying, clutching her chest like she was afraid her heart would pop out of it. Her arms and legs shook with evident fear, but her resolved expression would have intimidated the scariest of villains. Ochako turned to look at Izuku, and she could see in his pale face that he dreaded whatever was going to happen next.

She gulped and turned to look at the adults.

"I know you were working with All Might while my Izuku was off on his own fighting dangerous villains," the woman said, her words very measured as she tried to keep her worries aside. "He risked his life for weeks, away from everyone. He had to leave his school. His friends. His home. Had to deal with something no child should ever have to deal with."

"Mom…" Izuku began, though he wasn't sure of what he could say. Ochako bit her lip. She'd heard Gran Torino's reasoning and Izuku's logic as to why he did things the way he did. Even then, she still had some gripes with him, and she certainly didn't appreciate the pro heroes letting him do all that by himself. If that angered her, she couldn't even begin to imagine how his mother was feeling.

If Mrs. Midoriya ended up throwing hands with the Top Two heroes, Ochako decided she would be cheering for her.

"You let him go out by himself, fighting the League of Villains and all those fugitives. He was doing the job you were supposed to do. You… We all saw it on TV. You only showed up when he got the leader of the League out of his hiding spot. You used him as… as bait! To get the villains to come out of their hiding!"

It was obvious that Hawks and Jeanist had nothing to say in their defense. Ochako could tell that they weren't particularly proud of their behavior. They didn't look defiant nor did they try to justify their actions. They looked exactly like they had a couple of months ago with Endeavor when they took full responsibility in front of the press for everything that had gone wrong in the battle against Shigaraki and the Paranormal Liberation Front. They wore resigned looks on their faces and the heavy shadow of guilt in their eyes. Ochako could tell that they were going to stand there and take whatever slings and arrows Mrs. Midoriya decided to throw their way.

Izuku looked away, clenching his fists, and his eyes met Ochako's. She kept her silence but tried her best to soften her expression. She was at a point where she wasn't sure she had any words left for the day.

"Seeing my boy risking his life… Watching him fight on national TV… I had never been more terrified in my life," his mother continued. "He's so young… He may be strong, but he's still my little Izuku. You are the Top Two heroes. We should be counting on you; you shouldn't have to count on him! As a mother… I'm not sure I can ever forgive you for putting my son through so much."

Jeanist eyes darted to the side, and Hawks took a deep breath, though his expression remained neutral.

"I want nothing but the best for Izuku. His safety. His happiness. But… But I also want him to chase his dreams," she said, her voice dropping and her trembling legs trying their best to keep her from falling to her knees. "Being a hero is all he's ever dreamed of. And that's a path I can't help him with. So… So even though it worries and it pains me to see him risking his life… Even though you two let him put himself at risk, you… you can help him with his dream more than I ever could. I know it's selfish of me to ask this from two professional heroes… But All Might promised me that he'd stay alive to teach him and make sure he grew up to be a great hero, and now he's gone. I want to support Izuku and watch him become the hero I know he can be, but I need to know that he won't be alone. I know you have so much on your plate, but my Izuku risked everything to save everyone, and he's all I've got! I still believe in heroes! I believe in you two! But as a citizen and a mother, I have to ask you to make sure my boy won't be on his own like that ever again!"

Best Jeanist took a step forward and readied his answer...

"He won't."

...only to stay silent as he, along with everyone else in the room, turned to look at Ochako.

Her pink cheeks turned red, especially with Momma Midoriya's eyes set on her. She didn't mean to interrupt a conversation she wasn't a part of, she really didn't. She knew Izuku's mom wasn't talking to her. She wanted real reassurance from real heroes, not some teenage girl jumping the gun and speaking out loud without realizing it.

Her heart had spoken without asking her mind for permission. Hearing Izuku's mother speaking about her worries and what she wanted for Izuku, Ochako had felt a strong sense of kinship. She could relate to those feelings, she knew them too well. It was the same thing she wanted. In different ways, they both loved the boy with freckled cheeks. They both wanted him to succeed. They both saw him for who he was: a true hero at heart. They were both worried about his safety and the fact that he was stubborn and heroic enough to try to do everything by himself just so others wouldn't have to worry and get in trouble for him.

Ochako knew exactly what they were both going through, and she was determined to become the solution to their problems. To be the hero Izuku needed, even if he didn't realize it.

She kept thinking all of these things but soon realized that no one in the room could read her mind, and they were all looking at her expectantly. She shook her head to clear her thoughts and focus, standing up and crossing both hands over her chest. All eyes were on her, but she wouldn't let the embarrassment win her over.

"Deku won't be alone," she said, and she surprised even herself with how determined she sounded. "He has us. He has friends that care deeply for him. The rest of our class, we were all so worried about him. He'll never admit it, but we all look up to him like a leader. He inspires all of us to become better heroes, better people, and… And I know that every one of us will do our best to keep him safe. I know I will. He's my best friend, and I want to make sure I'm there for him from now on. I… I know I'm not a pro hero, but I can promise you that I'll do my best to be there for your son!"

She gently bowed, though she mostly did it to let her bangs fall and hide her blushing face. She tried really hard to come off as a worried friend, but it was hard to measure her words to make sure she didn't give out just how much she truly cared for Izuku, and how much deeper her feelings for him were. She was also aware of the fact that her first interaction ever with her best friend's mother was her interrupting a conversation between adults to promise to protect and be there for her son. She hadn't even introduced herself properly! Should she just excuse herself and leave the room? Should she apologize?

She tried to calm herself. It wasn't a big deal, right? She was just trying to show support for her best friend. His mother was understandably upset, and she was reassuring her that she had every intention of keeping Izuku safe, or at the very least, to be there with him whenever he had to risk himself. It was fine. She was fine. Everything was going to be okay.

"You… You're Ochako, right?"

Oh, God, everything was so not okay. She knew her name? How did she recognize her? Obviously, she'd heard of her from Izuku, but how much did she know? Just that they were classmates? Why would she assume that she was Ochako and not Momo or Tsu? What in the world did Izuku say about her? How much did he talk about her with his mom?

"Y-Yes, ma'am."

The woman's face softened, and she seemed to be about to say something to her, but Hawks rushed in.

"Mrs. Midoriya, as you can see, your son is in good company," he said, and Ochako saw him giving Izuku a weird smirk like there was an inside joke or something he knew that he wasn't sharing with anyone else. "He has some great friends. And I know for a fact that his classmates are shaping up to become better heroes than most would expect."

"Even then, you are absolutely right," Best Jeanist chipped in. "As talented as they are, they're still children. We know our actions have caused you grief and, as pro heroes, that's something we're deeply ashamed of. All I can say is that everyone in this room," he said, and his eyes rested on Ochako for a second, "will do our best to help your son become a great hero."

Gran Torino sighed and shook his head with a smile on his face, the wrinkles around his eyes visible even under his mask.

"No, Jeanist," he said in his wise-old-man voice. "The hero he's already turned into. You've raised a fantastic boy, miss. He's gone far and beyond all of our expectations. He may be a young, stubborn child, but he's already a hero in his own right. Our job isn't to get him to become a hero, but to make sure he stays on this path for as long as he wishes to."

Both Midoriyas began to cry waterfalls, and if it wasn't for the fact that the veteran hero's words were so kind and true, Ochako would have allowed herself to giggle at the sight of the two green-haired fountains. She'd always found Izuku's sensitive nature adorable, and seeing that he'd gotten it from his mom made it even cuter.

"We offer our apologies. And should any of you ever need anything, you can call us or our agencies and we'll offer as much help as we can," added Best Jeanist, but neither mother nor son was in any condition to reply. "We won't bother you any longer for today. Rest well, Midoriya. You've earned it."

The pro heroes left the room, bowing their heads at Izuku, his mom, and Ochako, who realized that was probably her cue to leave as well. She didn't want to. If she could have it her way, she'd get a chair to stay next to Izuku until he left the hospital. But she hadn't considered that his mom would obviously want to be with him after so many weeks and with all the crazy dangerous things he'd gone through.

"I should get going, too," she said, holding the bandages on her left hand. She took a tentative step towards the exit, but then both Midoriyas turned in her direction.

"Wait!" They both said, before looking at each other in surprise. Ochako drew a sharp breath and had to actively stop herself from squealing.

"Y-You go first, mom."

Izuku's mother rubbed her hands against her eyes, sweeping away the lingering tears, and then proceeded to step right in front of Ochako, giving her the sweetest of smiles.

"My name is Inko Midoriya, honey. I can't believe I'm finally meeting you!" She said, her voice cracking with the heavy emotions she was going through. "I've heard so much about you!"

Izuku's face turned beet red, and if the heat in her cheeks was any indicator, so did Ochako's.

"M-Mom!"

"I was so happy to learn that Izuku made friends so quickly at U.A.! And the way he always talked about you… I've wanted to meet you for the longest time."

"I, um, the pleasure's all mine, ma'am," she said, trying to stay calm and control her shaking arms.

"I remember watching you at the sports festival last year. You were so… fierce! And today… T-Today, I saw you flying to catch my Izuku." Inko's eyes narrowed and looked ready to spew out more tears. "I saw how you caught him, and how you helped him stand up. A-And you helped him raise his fist, and brought him here… A-A-And j-just now y-y-you just said you w-want to be th-there for him… It means so, so much to me..."

Inko began to rub her hands together. Her body language told Ochako that she was ready to hug her, but for some reason kept holding back. Maybe she was afraid of hurting her? Because of all the blood, cuts, and bruises on her body? Or was she afraid of coming off as too abrasive?

In Ochako's mind, the fact that this was the first time they ever spoke to each other meant nothing. There was a certain boy they both cared deeply for, and that was enough to make Ochako feel like they were on the same page. And so, feeling confident, she grabbed Inko's hands and held them tight, giving her a gentle smile.

"Deku's my best friend, Mrs. Midoriya. He's a great hero and an even greater person, and I know he'll always have my back. I'm just doing the same for him," she casually explained, though her eyes then moved to meet Izuku's grateful gaze. "He wants to protect everyone, and he's strong enough to do it. But he's still a person, and sometimes things can be too much even for him. So I wanna be the one that helps him help everyone else. If that makes any sense..."

"It does," Izuku said with a conflicted look that betrayed his radiant smile. "It really does. I just… So much has happened, and I'm still trying to make sense of everything. It's… surreal…"

His gaze lost itself in the air, staring at nothing until he suddenly shook his head and forced a bigger smile.

"What I'm trying to say is… Thank you, Uraraka. You probably don't even realize how much you've helped me in the time we've known each other. Starting on the day we met. You didn't even know who I was, and you still helped me."

"Says the guy that saved me from a giant robot that was worth zero points," she retorted. Izuku probably didn't realize it, but the fakeness of his previous smile became even more evident now that a genuine one took its place.

"You helped me first," he pointed out, engaging in playful banter. "And when I broke half my body, you saved me from falling. Just like you did today."

"But this time you didn't have to break your bones to beat someone. We're making progress," she said, and they both shared a giggle. A giggle that was interrupted by Izuku having a coughing fit that, judging by his pained expression, hurt his ribs. "So, uh, I should get my hand checked out. And I know you two need some time to talk and catch up, so… I guess I'll leave for now. But I'll come back to check tomorrow, alright? If they let me."

"I'll make them let you," he said with a smile. "Thanks, Uraraka."

"Thank you so much, sweetie. Please, go get taken care of," Inko said, gently bowing. "And please, call your parents to let them know you're okay. I'm sure they must be worried sick."

With everything going on, Ochako hadn't considered that idea. It was still the middle of the afternoon, so her parents must have been at work, but with all the cameras that were there at U.A., family and friends had most likely seen what was going on, and they must have let them know. Her parents were probably desperately calling her, but the siege started in the middle of their heroic class, so she didn't have her phone with her. It was still in her room, assuming it hadn't been destroyed during the attack.

She grimaced. She wasn't in a position to afford a new phone.

"I will. Thank you. And Deku…"

She took a second to breathe in and keep her emotions in check.

"Yeah?" He asked, slightly tilting his head.

Ochako stared at his tired face. He looked inexplicably older, but she could still see the cheerful, excited boy she knew. His round cheeks, his adorable freckles, his deep green eyes.

"I'm so happy to have you back with us," she finally said, and then turned around and walked out of the room before the desire to hug him one more time got the better of her. At some point, it would start to get weird and too obvious. He needed time to rest, to recover, and to deal with all these new changes he was being forced into. He didn't need the stress and distraction of her feelings for him added to his baggage.

Soon, though, she told herself. Soon, once the dust had settled and the time was right, she'd make a move. She'd stop running away from her feelings and would instead actively fight for them.

She closed the door behind her and found herself in a very crowded hallway. Death Arms was standing near the door to Izuku's room, talking with Mera and Chief Tsuragamae. Several armed guards were stationed at the corners of the hall and next to the windows. A couple of doctors walked past, looking scared by all the guns and security.

She was about to ask one of them if they were able to treat her, but Mera from the Hero Public Safety Commission spotted her.

"Ah, yes," he said, stopping one of the doctors with a hand gesture. "This girl is a student from U.A. Please take her with the rest of her class and make sure she receives the treatment she needs. Let Doctor Toriyama know where she is so he can communicate it to the U.A. staff."

"Yes, sir," the doctor said, turning to face Ochako. "Please, follow me."

"Thank you," she told Mera, who nodded politely. She was about to leave, but Death Arms cleared his throat.

"Excuse me, kid, but are you from Class 2-A?" He asked.

"Yeah, I am."

"Do you know if Jiro is alright?"

She frowned in confusion. The hulking hero, with arms that were almost as big and wide as her entire body, showed some deep worry in his face, and the gentle, polite way that he asked seemed to contrast with his tough, imposing look. Like watching a great white shark at a tea party.

But then she remembered that Kyoka had interned with him, and his worry made a lot more sense. She tried to think back. When All for One and the League of Villains showed up at the front gates of the school, the teachers had sent all the students to the barracks where civilians and refugees lived. They were tasked to evacuate them as fast as possible while the pro heroes tried to keep the villains at bay. Soon enough, however, Dabi and many others had managed to sneak past, and that's when Iida stepped up and led them and class 2-B to join the fray. Ochako, Tsu, Denki, and Tetsutetsu went one way, and the rest split up into different groups. She vaguely remembered Kyoka running with Rikido and Setsuna. She hadn't seen her during the rest of the battle… but she could swear she was there with everyone else when they ran to celebrate Izuku's triumphal return. She hadn't properly examined her friend, so she wouldn't be able to say that Kyoka was fine, but she didn't seem to be in any critical condition.

"She made it out alive," she said. "I haven't talked with her, but she seemed to be holding up well… all things considered."

Death Arms let out a sigh and crossed his massive arms over his chest.

"I see. That's good to hear. She's a tough one."

"She is."

"Thanks. And great job, kid. You all acted like real heroes today. Go get better; we need more people like you," he said, before turning back to continue a conversation with his superiors.

"Come with me, miss," the doctor said, snapping Ochako out of a little trance. A pro hero had just congratulated her. She didn't hold Death Arms in any particularly high regard, but he'd just moved significantly up in her personal billboard. His words hit her hard.

Real heroes. They needed more people like her. As the doctor asked her questions to get a sense of her state and led her to a room, she felt like she was floating but not because of her quirk. She'd truly acted like a hero. She'd protected civilians. She'd single-handedly defeated Toga in combat, knocking her out and incapacitating her for pro heroes and the police to capture her. She caught Deku and helped him get on his feet to introduce himself to the eyes of the world.

She didn't need a hero license. She felt proud of herself, and that was all that mattered.

She was led to another wing of the hospital where the U.A. students were seemingly being treated. She saw a lot of students from the management and general studies department, and a few from the support department. What caught her attention the most was the number of pro heroes moving around, carrying wounded students, talking to nurses, or simply patrolling. She recognized Fourth Kind, Mr. Brave, Centipeder, and even the prestigious Wash, but the sheer number of costumed individuals walking around kept her eyes moving like crazy.

That is until a voice called her name.

"Uraraka! Come here!"

She would recognize that mechanical voice anywhere in the world. She turned to look at her favorite rescue hero, Thirteen, walking towards her with her battered costume. Her helmet had some cracks, and there were many cuts on her suit, but she seemed to be fine. It still pained Ochako to see the missing arm on her teacher, but the joy to see that she had made it out alive from the battle overrode any other emotion.

"Professor!" She said, running to her teacher.

"How are you doing? Are you alright?" The Space Hero asked, examining her student.

"Yeah! I'm fine, really. Only my hand got a nasty wound," she said, showing her bandaged palm.

"Can you move your fingers?" The hero asked, opening and closing her own as an example. Ochako tried it, and even though the medications didn't completely remove the pain, she was able to do it. "Alright, your tendons don't seem to be compromised. Still, try not to move it too much. Recovery Girl is treating your friends; she'll get to you soon. Come with me."

Thirteen told the doctor she'd handle Ochako from that point, and thus the student and teacher walked towards the other end of the wing.

"Uraraka, I would like to tell you in the name of U.A. that we are more than proud of the way you and your classmates responded to the crisis," Thirteen said.

"I… Thank you," she said, finding it hard to believe that her favorite hero was proud of her. "We just did what any of you would have done."

"You did. The school continues to fail in protecting you, but every one of these crises has shown us that the future will be bright with heroes like you. We'll try our best to— Uraraka!"

"S-Sorry!" She said, pressing her fingers together and releasing her quirk to stop floating up towards the ceiling. "I was, uh, I just…"

Thirteen laughed at her blushing face. "It's alright. I know it's a lot to take in. For now, let's go to your room and wait for Recovery Girl. Focus on getting better and resting. You've earned it."

Ochako sighed and tried to relax. They kept walking, passing by many rooms and students being sent to different parts of the hospital. Very few seemed to be unharmed. Almost everyone had some kind of minor injury. Cuts, burns, bruises, slashes, blood-covered clothes. A few doctors and heroes carried kids with oxygen masks and bandaged heads and torsos. Some students were crying or screaming in pain. At one point, Ochako saw Snipe running with a first-year student in his arms, and judging by all the blood and the way her pants flopped, she seemed to have lost at least a foot.

She felt sick to her stomach, and Thirteen put her hand on her shoulder.

"Attacking a school. Targeting children. I don't think I've ever seen a more outrageous act of villainy," the Space Hero said, seething.

"Are my friends okay?"

She wished her teacher would reply right away with an energetic yes, but a second and then two passed with no reply.

"They all made it out alive," she finally replied. "Some suffered some injuries, but nothing crippling or major. The hero courses performed exceptionally well in this crisis. The rest of the departments… they didn't have your experience in the field or your training to respond to a catastrophe like this."

Nothing else was said as Thirteen led Ochako to her room. Upon arriving, the latter was glad to see that there were other beds in there, and sitting on them with a couple of nurses checking them up were Tsuyu and Mina. They both showed bruises and a few cuts on their costumes but seemed to be fine otherwise.

"Ochako!" The pink girl said.

"Guys! I'm so glad to see you're okay!" She said, running closer to her classmates. She couldn't hug them because she didn't want to bother the nurses, but they all smiled at each other.

"How are you doing?" Tsu asked.

"I'm fine, don't worry."

"And how's Midoriya doing?"

"He's alright," Ochako said, not realizing the smile on her face or the way her hands moved over her chest. "He's… being taken special care of. You know, the Public Hero… No, wait, the uh… The Safety Commission guys. They have pro heroes next to his room. Hawks and Best Jeanist were there, too."

Mina and Tsuyu exchanged a look, though Ochako could see that Mina had an impish smile.

"Well, he did kind of save the world, ribbit."

"All of you did a wonderful job, girls," Thirteen intervened. "You all acted like real heroes and fought dangerous villains. Don't sell yourself short."

"I'm not saying we didn't do our part," Tsuyu said. "We all know what we did and how much we helped. I'm just saying Midoriya came just in time to save us, and he defeated All for One. If there were any remaining villains out there, he would be their top target right now, so it makes sense for him to be protected."

"Though it's a shame he doesn't have his number one bodyguard," Mina theatrically said, striking a dramatic pose with the back of her right hand pressing against her forehead.

"Huh?"

"I'm talking about you, girl!" The horned teen pointed a finger at Ochako, her evil smile stronger than ever. "We all saw you jumping in the air to catch him! And the way you helped him stand up! Ah! So romantic! I was waiting for a kiss in front of the cameras!"

"MINAAAAA!"

This time, Ochako was mindful enough to keep her pinkies away from her face as she covered it with her hands. The last thing she wanted was to float away, adding to her already astronomical embarrassment. The fact that she could hear Thirteen giggling behind her only added to her shame.

"I was happy to see you and him together after so long, though," Tsuyu added, thanking the nurse that finished stitching a knife slash on her forearm. "I hadn't seen you smiling like that ever since he left."

Ochako peeked through her fingers. This wasn't the first time her friends brought up how sad she looked during the past few weeks. The girls had tried multiple times to cheer her up, but the general mood of the class had dropped since one of them didn't return for their second year.

"Well, yeah, it was also great to see Midoriya back. And oh boy did he put up a good show. I don't think I've ever seen anything like it. Maybe when All Might fought at the USJ."

"He does seem to have developed new quirks," Tsu mentioned, examining her forearm. "I saw him creating a smokescreen."

"Your boyfriend has a lot of quirks, Chako."

"STOP IT!"

"Fiiiiine," Mina said, and she softened her smile. "But seriously, do you know if he's coming back to U.A. now that All for One's gone? He will, right?"

"Well… He sure wants to…" She then turned to look at Thirteen.

"I haven't talked with Principal Nezu, but I would guess that U.A. will be more than happy to have a student back."

"We gotta have a welcome back party. A Super Returnapalooza. Lots of junk food and good music; it's gonna be awesome."

"While I'm glad to see that you're healthy and in a good enough mood to plan celebrations, I think for now you should all focus on resting and getting better," Thirteen suggested. "And I don't mean to intrude in your personal relationships, but if I may, I have a piece of advice regarding Izuku Midoriya."

Tsu and Mina sat straighter, the smiles leaving their faces, and Ochako turned to look at her teacher with concerned eyes.

"You probably know more about the details of everything that's been going on with your friend than me, but I do know that today will have consequences. The status quo will change drastically and urgently, and your friend will be in the spotlight. His battle was broadcasted to the entire nation, and whether he wants it or not, he'll be reaching levels of popularity and relevance that he's never dreamed of. Becoming a public figure isn't easy, it's something we pro heroes struggle with every day, and he'll have to face it at a rate and level that I don't think anyone else ever has. It's not gonna be easy. It's going to be one of his hardest struggles to date, and he's gonna need all of you to keep him grounded."

It was impossible to see her face through the dark glass of her helmet, but her voice was ominous and filled with worry, and her words felt like a cold hand grasping Ochako's heart. None of them knew about Deku becoming a pro hero, or the money he was getting, or the interview, or how they wanted to push him as a new symbol of hope. She did, however, and the joy she felt for her friend was starting to turn into worry and preoccupation.

"The best advice I can give you is to try to keep treating him the way you did during your first year of school. Remind him that you're still there for him and that above everything else, he's still your friend." She then made a pause, before turning her head at Ochako. "Or, well, whatever your relationship with him ends up becoming."

"AAAAAH!"

Tsu reached with her tongue to catch Ochako before she floated out of the room and left her hovering over her assigned bed like a big, adorably embarrassed, crimson balloon.

"We understand, ribbit."

"Yeah. We're all excited to see him again and we definitely have a lot to ask him, but we'll do our best to make sure he's okay. We don't want to make things harder for him."

"I'm sure he'll be grateful for it," Thirteen said, nodding at them. "Very well. I will check on Yaoyorozu, Tokoyami, and Koda. I'll be back with you in a minute, hopefully with Recovery Girl. Once again, great job. I'm proud to be your teacher."

Mina and Tsuyu bowed their heads with big smiles on their faces, while Ochako struggled to sit up before dropping her quirk.

"Wait!" She asked when Thirteen turned around to leave.

"What is it?"

"Can I…? Could I maybe ask for a phone?" She said, her heartbeat returning to a healthy pace. "I… I would like to call my parents."

"Of course." The Space Hero reached down into one of her shoes and pulled a phone out of it like it was the most normal thing in the world, handing it to a dumbfounded Ochako. "Here you go. Don't read my texts, though."

"I-I won't," she said, grabbing the phone with two fingers.

Once Thirteen left the room, Mina and Tsu began to talk with each other, giving Ochako a small sense of privacy as she turned around and looked at the phone. It was fancier than any phone she'd ever held, and for a second she wasn't even sure how to navigate it. Fortunately, she was young enough to figure out the phone OS and open the keyboard to make a call.

She stopped for a second, realizing that she didn't remember her mom's phone number. What about her dad's? It ended on 3642, that part was easy because three was half of six and four was two times two, but how did it start? It wasn't until she said it out loud that she managed to get it right. Or at least it sounded right, and she hoped she hadn't dialed a wrong number as she waited for someone to pick up on the other side.

"Hello?" A voice said with urgency, and Ochako sighed in relief.

"Daddy, it's me."

"Ochako! Honey, it's Ochako!" He said, and she could hear the sound of her mother rushing next to her dad. "I'm on it, I'm on it. Ochako, you're on speakers. Honey, we—!"

"Your aunt called us at work!" Her mom interrupted, speaking over her husband. "We were so SCARED! We ran to the nearest bar to look at the news! When we saw those villains blowing up the building… Oh, God, we were so worried!"

Hearing the pain and worry in her mom's voice resurfaced all the fear that Ochako had stubbornly buried within her. When her life was on the line, there was no time to be scared, only to act. And between the adrenaline and her reunion with Izuku, she had been distracted enough to stop thinking about it.

Now that her mom brought up how worried she was, however, Ochako was able to sit back and think of how close she'd been to dying. All it would have taken was one bad move, one miscalculated step, and she wouldn't have made it out alive. The fact that she only had a relatively minor injury on her hand was nothing short of a miracle. And now that all those moments where she barely avoided dying flashed through her mind, she felt goosebumps running down her spine, and her whole body shaking.

"I know, I know, but I'm okay. I made it out okay. Don't worry," she said, struggling to contain the tears. "My friends are also okay. I'm sorry for worrying you, I didn't have my phone with me…"

"It's okay, sweetie. We were so worried, but then we saw you on TV!"

"Huh? You did?"

"Everyone saw you!" Her mom said. "The whole town is sending us messages! Our friends, even our clients! You're on every news channel!"

"Yes! Everyone's talking about your friend with green hair, but people from around here recognized the brave hero that saved him and helped him up! Ochako, we're so proud of you!"

"Dad… Mom… I… He deserves all the credit, he's incredible, I just… I didn't—"

"Don't say that! I mean, yeah, he was amazing, but people are asking us about you too! They want to know more about Uravity!"

"I'm going to record every news channel tonight! Your picture helping your friend when he lifts his arm like All Might is everywhere!"

"My baby girl is getting famous! We always knew you would make it to the headlines! Ochako, you trained so hard to get ready for the entrance exam. You moved to a different city on your own to chase after your dreams. And now… now it's coming true! Honey, you should be proud of yourself. We know we are."

Those words broke her down and she let the tears fall uninterrupted. Tsuyu walked towards her and hugged her, as her parents kept talking in her ear, telling her what a fine young hero she had become, and how much they believed in her.

Recovery Girl arrived shortly after, but any lingering pain she could still feel was long forgotten.

Izuku didn't check with the clock on the wall in front of his bed, but he assumed he and his mom spent a solid half-hour simply holding each other and crying as soon as Ochako left. For fifteen years, they had been each other's world. She had been his best friend during childhood, the only person he could truly, unconditionally count on. And he was the light of her life, a hero without a cape or quirk that made her days bearable. Never causing any trouble, always so predisposed to help, open to talk, facing adversity with a bright smile and a positive attitude. For so many years, and up until he entered U.A., there had never been a day in which they didn't see each other.

And then, a couple of weeks ago, he'd left. Not to go to campus, where she knew he'd be surrounded by friends and teachers, but off on his own to act as a vigilante. Sleeping in the streets. Fighting villains. Running away from the law and enemies that wanted him dead. Alone. Their goodbye had been terrible for both of them, for even though he had promised that he'd be back, they both knew it was but a hope and not a certainty.

Fulfilling that promise was cathartic. They shared a never-ending hug that healed any wound, that filled the mother/son-shaped hole in their respective hearts. All the pain, the sleepless nights, the spilled tears, it all vanished with their reunions. It made it all worth it.

Had it not been for the knocking on the door, they probably would have stayed in silence for much longer, but all in all, Izuku would be glad for the interruption. As good as it felt being able to shut his mind off and just enjoy his mom's warmth, they had much to talk about, and when Inko stood up to answer, he felt ready to have those much-delayed conversations.

Inko opened the door to the room and took a sharp breath when she saw the two short figures.

"Principal Nezu!" She said.

"Good afternoon, Mrs. Midoriya," the furry principal said. "Sorry for bothering you, but Recovery Girl is ready to help heal your son. It shouldn't take long. May we?"

"Y-Yes! Of course! Please, come in!"

She stepped aside, and Izuku was greeted with the sight of the ever-smiling Nezu and the serene Youthful Heroine as they walked into the room towards his bed.

"Principal Nezu! Recovery Girl!" He said, sitting up but wincing at the pain in his bones.

"Don't you move, young boy. The last thing we want is you falling to pieces," the nurse said, approaching him and eyeing him up. "Huh. No broken bones?"

"Just some bruised ribs and a few strained muscles," he told her, resting back against the bed.

"Impressive. It only took you a year to start taking care of your body. Is this a one-time thing, or have you learned your lesson?"

"I… think I got around to understanding how One for All works," he said, raising a hand and turning it in front of his eyes, staring at the scars that coated it. "I know all the quirks in it, how to use them, and what its limits are. Back in my first year, I wasn't able to use 100% of my power without breaking my bones. Now I can. Today I fought even past that limit, and I was alright. I… I think I've finally made this quirk my own."

Recovery Girl smiled at him and let out a small sigh. "That's good to hear. I'm sure you'll use it the way All Might hoped you would. Now stay put. This'll take much less energy than I thought, but with how hard you fought, you're probably gonna need a good night's rest anyway."

And without giving him time to say anything or to thank her for those kind words about his mentor, her lips stretched to plant a kiss on his forehead. He could feel all the pain disappearing from his body right away, and also the sudden tiredness that he experienced every time his life force was used to heal him. He moved his arms around and was startled to see that he felt like new.

"Oh, wow," he said, bending his elbows, "it never felt this good so fast before."

"Another incentive not to break your bones," she retorted, walking back next to the principal, who took a step forward with his hands behind his back.

"Young Midoriya, may I have a few words before leaving you and your mother for the day?"

"S-Sure, sir! What is it?"

Nezu casually stood up on a chair next to Izuku's bed, reaching eye level with his former student.

"There are a couple of quick things I'd like to address. For starters, I thank you for your timely arrival today. It would be unfair to dismiss the impact that the ex-students, pro heroes, and parents that showed up had in the battle, but it's undeniable that you managed to turn the tide against some of the most dangerous villains. You were also key in stopping All for One from finishing off the students and ex-students that were taking care of young Eri, not to mention ultimately defeating him. So, as the Principal of U.A. High School, you have my eternal gratitude for saving my students and staff."

The pro hero proceeded to bow his head, his smile never leaving his face.

"I… Principal Nezu, it's okay, I wouldn't—"

"Secondly," he continued, ignoring Izuku, "I apologize to you for all the inconveniences that my administration of the school has caused you ever since you entered our hero course last year. Our efforts to keep you all safe have been subpar. I'm aware that no amount of apologies could ever make up for our failures. I can't promise that this won't happen again, since it was never our intention for any of it to occur in the first place, but I can give you my word that we'll do our best to learn from our mistakes and make it up to all of you."

Izuku tried to say that there was no reason to apologize, that it had all been part of the diabolic game of chess that All for One had orchestrated, but he realized that he would not be allowed to retort.

"Thirdly, I have been engaging in negotiations and talks with the Hero Public Safety Commission, and I've been informed of their decisions regarding your future, including the granting of your pro hero license. While not unheard of —you are but the sixth youngest hero to have ever been granted a full license—, it is most certainly an extraordinary situation, and, logically, you may feel overwhelmed or confused as to how to proceed. In the name of the staff of U.A., I assure you that we will all be at your disposal should you ever feel the need to seek out advice or any sort of assistance. Feel free to reach out to us."

"That's very kind of you, sir. Thank you."

"No worries. Fourthly, I've been told by Thirteen that some of your friends are concerned about your academic future. I hereby assure you that, should you wish to return to U.A., our institution will be more than happy to have you back."

Izuku's face lit up, and he opened his mouth to thank him, but Nezu resumed his speech.

"These are extraordinary circumstances of course, but we believe that our duty is, above everything, to guide and teach the new generation of heroes. We may look past some formalities to help train someone who is now officially a pro hero. However, given that you've missed several weeks' worth of classes, you will be required to take a proficiency exam to determine how far behind, if at all, you are from your classmates. And it would be your responsibility to catch up with the lessons already imparted. That is, again, should you wish to come back to our institution."

"Yes! Of course, I want that! There's nothing I'd like more!" He rushed to say, not wanting to give the principal a chance to interrupt him again.

"Very well. We shall figure out the details in the following days. U.A. will be taking a few days off to figure out a plan to rebuild our campus and how to continue our classes. We'll let you know along with the rest of our students. With that settled, the last thing I would like to bring up is that we believe it would be for the best for you and your friends to stay here for the night while we and the Hero Public Safety Commission work out a strategy to relocate your friends that have lost their rooms with the attack on the school dorms. In your particular case, we want to figure out a security protocol to make sure you're not targeted by any rogue villain."

"Uh, yeah, sure. I wouldn't mind spending the night here."

"Excellent. Well, I won't steal any more of your time. Again, thank you for your service, Midoriya. Or perhaps I should start calling you by your hero name. Thank you, Deku."

"No, Principal Nezu, thank you. For letting me come back to U.A. But also for training me. Everything I did today, I was able to do because I attended the best school ever."

Nezu's smile remained unchanged, but he closed his eyes for a second.

"We shall try to live up to that title. Let us know if you need anything. Goodbye for now. Thank you for your time, Mrs. Midoriya."

The principal and Recovery Girl left the room, and Izuku, now completely painless, sighed in relief.

He hadn't considered the possibility that he wouldn't be allowed back into U.A., but having confirmation that he was invited by the Principal still did wonders to his mood. There was nothing he wanted more than to go back to class with his friends, to have lunch with them, to stay up with Iida and Kirishima to study for tests, to play games with Kaminari and Asui, to go shopping with Mina and Aoyama.

U.A. was his special place in the world. It was there where he felt appreciated. Where he made friends. Where he met amazing people. The building may have been destroyed, but U.A. was the people, the students, the staff. He was confident that it could be rebuilt, and he was looking forward to going back.

He shifted his head to look at his mom, and only then did he realize that she was stiff as a statue, her expression blank like she had seen a ghost, mouth agape.

"Mom? What's wrong?"

Inko's head moved to face her son, her shocked expression not changing in the slightest.

"I-Izu… ku?"

"...yes?"

"What did… he mean… by… p-pro hero license?"

Izuku stared at her.

Inko stared at him.

He finally clicked his tongue, gently clapping his hands in front of his chest. "Riiiiight. Sooo… mom? Funny story…"

Whereas Izuku's time on a hospital bed had almost always been spent in pain and a crippling sense of uselessness that made time move as if Chronostasis had stabbed it with the hour hand of his hair, the rest of the day was oddly comforting for Izuku.

It took about an hour and a doctor to get Inko to calm down from the emotional impact of learning that her son was about to become a licensed hero. They had to take her pressure just to make sure she wasn't about to faint —which Izuku was sure she was about to—, but after that, it had all been amazing. He was able to finally catch up with his mom, telling her about his past few weeks, though he kept the gruesome details for himself. Whatever worries and fears his tales caused her, however, paled in comparison to the joy of everything he'd been told earlier about what the future held in store for him.

She cried a river, and he may or may not have shed a few tears as well, but soon enough they focused on the positive things. The big meal she was going to cook him as soon as he got out of the hospital. All the clothes they could go shopping for. The All Might flip flops she'd bought at the mall during his absence. And his future, as well. The word "proud" didn't make justice to what she felt inside, and she made sure he knew it. And he did.

A nurse checked on him at night when they brought him dinner, and his body seemed to be responding well to Recovery Girl's quirk. No bruises were left, and only minor scrapes remained on his body. After eating, he told Inko that he was starting to feel exhausted, and so he closed his eyes and tried to go to bed early.

The softness of a mattress and a pillow felt alien after so many nights of sleeping against the driest brick wall he could find. Regardless, it had been one hell of a physically draining day and an emotional rollercoaster, and thus he had soon found himself falling under Morpheus' spell.

He realized he was asleep when the hospital room around him turned into a different room. A familiar one, with white, broken walls, a void of darkness around it, and the eight previous users of One for All staring at him, each one from their cathedra. Izuku took a step forward, already used to these unexpected meetings with his predecessors.

"So," All Might said, from the chair closest to his right, "what is it that you want us to discuss, young Midoriya?"

"Me?" Izuku asked, furrowing his brow and looking at the vestige of his mentor. "I… I thought you wanted to talk to me."

"We did not call for this meeting," Yoichi said. "We were summoned by you."

"But… I wasn't trying to get in touch with you. Not tonight."

"Well, we're all here, so you might as well speak what's on your mind," Daigoro said, throwing his hands behind his head.

"Even if you didn't actively call for us, there is a part of you that wanted to talk. Is there anything on your mind?" Asked Hikage, the fourth user.

Izuku had to stop to think for a second. The truth is that there was a lot on his mind. The fact that he'd finally defeated All for One. His reunion with his friends and family. Everything that was on the horizon for him, becoming a pro hero and having to think of maybe starting his agency. He wouldn't even know where to begin, but were they things he wanted to discuss with the previous users of One for All? Maybe, but it felt like something other heroes in the real world could help him with. He had tremendous respect for his predecessors, he wouldn't bother them for something so trivial.

"We are a part of you now, Izuku," Nana Shimura told him, snapping him out of his thoughts. "Don't be afraid to ask for advice on anything; you'll never be a bother."

Izuku blushed and covered his mouth. "S-Sorry. Was I muttering?"

Nana gave him a smirk. "No."

"Then how…? Wait a minute… You can all read my mind," he pointed out, remembering that crucial detail.

"It's less reading your mind, and more like feeling your emotions and getting a sense of what you're going through," Yoichi explained.

"Then you already know why I wanted to talk to you, even if I don't. And if I'm not fully conscious of it, and you're also aware of that, but you felt it and then this happened, doesn't that mean that you summoned me and not the other way around?" He asked with a confused look on his face.

All eight vestiges remained in silence for a solid minute, exchanging nervous looks, until All Might erupted in laughter.

"I told you he would figure it out! Oh, Daigoro, he knows you're tough, it's ok to show that you care."

"Watch your words, Toshinori, I might punch you back to your skeleton form!" The fourth user said, standing up and pointing an accusing finger at All Might, who laughed harder.

"Alright, alright, let's get the testosterone levels down," Nana asked, turning to look at Izuku. "Yes, you're right. We wanted to talk to you. We don't want to meddle in your personal life or anything, so we prefer it if you're the one looking for us. But we could sense some worries in you, and we felt it was for the better if we addressed them. Can you figure out what we'd feel compelled to address with you?"

That was an interesting angle. If the vestiges didn't want to meddle with his personal life, then it had to be something related to One for All. And now that he was forced to think about it, there was indeed one big question that lingered inside his heart, and that he would feel much better knowing the answer to.

He sighed and scratched the back of his head with his right hand, messing up his green hair.

"I… guess I've been thinking of something in the last couple of hours."

It took him a few seconds to find the best way to verbalize his feelings, and he was grateful that the previous users gave him all the time he needed.

"Are… are you gonna stay with me?" He finally asked, looking at them. Their faces seemed imperturbable, with some of them barely tilting their heads as they stared at him with curious eyes. Their silence pushed him to continue. "I de— I mean, we defeated All for One. We did it; we won. Wasn't that the point of One for All? All of you gave your lives for this. You trained me, a-and you did it well! You helped me learn your quirks, you lend me your strength, and now it's over. So… what's next? For you… for us."

He almost continued but bit his tongue instead. He decided he had gotten the point across. Besides, if they could feel his emotions the way they said they could, then it would be redundant to talk about how much he'd grown fond of them, how much he appreciated them, how he had gotten used to hearing their voices and their pieces of wisdom during his weeks going rogue. How much he would miss them should they fade away from his life.

How looking and speaking to the vestige of All Might was the only thing to keep him from losing his mind and cope with the fact that he hadn't been strong enough to save him.

"This is indeed a turning point," the second user agreed, resting his elbows on his knees and his chin over his balled-up fists. "The main goal behind all of our efforts was to get this power to grow strong enough to defeat All for One. To end his reign of terror and the spread of his influence. And you've done it."

"But we're not gonna leave you," Yoichi assured Izuku, looking at his immediate successor. "While it's true that we gave our lives trying to stop All for One, this torch we passed was never supposed to be one of hatred and revenge, but one of hope and caring. It all started with a helping hand, after all."

"Toshinori made me realize how we were all looking at it from the wrong angle," Nana said, looking at her disciple with a smile on her face. "I had it as my mission to simply grow stronger to be able to kill All for One. I didn't do much hero work because my priorities were skewed. But then I met him, a boy that wished to become a hero to spread joy and be a pillar of hope. And it was then when I understood that it takes something more important than just power to defeat evil: kindness. Even without fighting him for most of his career, Toshinori was able to defeat All for One by dismantling his influence, bringing hope back to the people."

"That is right, young Midoriya. I know for a fact that you aim for the same goals. Your heart is in the right place. You want to help others, and make people remember why they admired heroes in the first place. As long as you stay on such a noble path, we will always stand beside you, doing our best to guide you if you were to ask for our help."

The rest of the users agreed, nodding in his direction, and Izuku felt much better.

"Besides, you haven't mastered all of our quirks just yet!" Daigoro said, raising a fist in the air. "You still have a lot to learn! And this is the first time one of us could awaken the rest of the quirks, so we're excited to find new ways of combining them!"

"He means he is excited to find new ways of combining them," the third user quipped. "He won't shut up about how to use our quirks to improve his Blackwhip."

"Hell yeah! It's great by itself, but imagine the possibilities if you keep training to use them at the same time!"

"You mean like combos? Have you thought about some?" Izuku asked, his hyper fixation with quirk analysis resurfacing with a smile on his face as he sprinted closer to Daigoro's cathedra.

"The kid should be resting, not having another training lesson while he's sleeping," En said, crossing his legs over his seat while the rest of the users simply sighed.

"He's right, Daigoro, we've invaded his mind for many moons now. I think he's earned a night of peaceful dreaming," Yoichi suggested.

"Fiiiiine. But kid, you better come up with cool special moves for my Blackwhip."

Izuku couldn't help but laugh. "I will, I promise. Thank you. All of you. I really appreciate it."

He thought they'd at least say goodbye to him but was surprised to sense a wind rising from out of nowhere, and a white glow soon enveloping the entire room they were in.

Before he knew it, he was dreaming. And for the first time in weeks, his dreams didn't turn into nightmares.

The next morning, Best Jeanist came to check on Izuku and Inko. He brought him a change of new clothes, including red sneakers, denim pants, a candlelight orange shirt that said "SUMMERTIME" in big, white letters, and a white and green varsity jacket with Jeanist's agency logo on the chest.

"I swear it's not a cheap product placement," the pro hero explained as Izuku changed into the new outfit, looking at some papers on an old-fashioned clipboard, "but I offered to cover for temporary outfits for the affected U.A. students that lost their dorms in the attack. And I ran out of generic clothes."

"How bad were the damages to the dorms? Did my friends lose everything?"

"The damage was absolute. Some things were recovered, but for the most part, everyone is to assume that all their belongings are destroyed. The insurance company's gonna try to delay it, but given the magnitude and high profile of this case, the government will surely intervene to make sure everyone's compensated."

Izuku experienced a weird case of survivor's guilt. Since he hadn't returned to his third semester at U.A., he had all his belongings in his apartment. His friends, however, had pretty much lost everything. He felt bad for people like Kyoka and all her musical instruments, or Fumikage and his esoteric relics. He then thought of Ochako, and how she didn't have much, but she cared for every little thing in there. Knowing her, she would probably feel terrible. He wondered if there was anything he could—

He stopped everything from his train of thought to his muscles, almost tripping forward as he was in the middle of tying his shoes. Oh, God. Oh, dear God. What about Yuwai-chan, Koda's little rabbit?!

"A word of warning: today is going to be harsh for you," Jeanist said, putting the clipboard aside and giving Izuku a worried look from over his collar. "Agent Mera will return soon to talk about some new developments. And then, you'll be able to go back to your house. And that means facing the media."

Izuku sighed, sitting on his bed and glancing at his mom. "I know."

"The president of the Hero Public Safety Commission already explained that you'll be giving your interview during the week, but that's not gonna stop the reporters. With the announcement that your hero license has been legally granted already, the media won't be able to follow you to your home; heroes residences are protected from media exposure by the law, so at the very least you won't be bothered there. Alas, this means they'll swarm over you the moment you step out of the hospital."

"It would be rude to just brush them off."

"You could get away with it, but I agree that it won't look good as a first impression."

"So what do I do, then? Do I stop to take questions? How many questions should I take? Do I answer all of them? What should I keep for the interview? What if I stutter? Is my hair okay? Should I get a haircut? I need to practice my smile..."

"Midoriya, stop before you start spiraling."

Izuku sighed, and Inko extended a hand to place it on her son's knee. "Honey, maybe you just need to… be yourself?"

"Myself? But… myself is— I mean, I'm boring. I'm not a very interesting person."

"Nonsense!"

"I believe you should listen to your mother, Midoriya. While we heroes must pay close attention to the way we present ourselves, knowing that we're supposed to be role models for citizens, children, and future heroes, we must stay true to ourselves."

Izuku thought about his training with Mt Lady. Giving interviews didn't count between his many strengths. It counted among his great weaknesses, right next to singing and his inability to lick his elbow like Asui had challenged him that one time. Even if he tried to prepare himself for what was about to come, he knew that he would draw a blank the moment he was in the spotlight with microphones, cameras, and journalists surrounding him. There was no way he would be able to avoid making a fool out of himself.

It was important to do it. He understood that. Besides raw power, the greatest difference between All Might and every other hero had always been his public image. His smile, his authenticity, his impeccable behavior with fans and the press. If he wanted to follow his steps, he would need to face the adversity and do what had to be done, even if he was afraid.

"Okay. Okay, that's true. I'll just… be myself."

"Here's a pro tip: when dealing with a bunch of journalists asking many questions at the same time, ignore what they ask and just give general statements, or answer the questions you want. You don't have to worry about what they want to know right now. Go out there, stop when they don't let you walk anymore, say how you're feeling and what you're looking forward to, thank them for their patience, give the audience at home some caring words, and then move on."

"Would that really work?"

"You'd be surprised by how many heroes never listen to what they're being asked," Jeanist mentioned, shaking his head and picking up the clipboard once again. "But enough worrying about that. You're gonna have a busy day, but we thought we would start by letting you receive visits if that's okay with you. A lot of people are worried, and we thought it would do you good to see them before attending to other responsibilities."

"You mean my friends?" The green-haired boy asked, his face lighting up with excitement.

"Yes."

"Oh, absolutely! I'd love to see them! I've missed them so much!"

He did, and his joy was genuine, but he made sure to stop his hands from shaking and to conceal his worry and the insecurity that consumed him from the inside like a wildfire. Instead, he focused on the positive feelings he wanted to showcase at his mother and the pro hero.

"Very well, they're waiting on this floor, so I'll give the order and they'll come in. Mrs. Midoriya, while your son meets his friends, would you come with me to work on some documentation?"

"O-Oh, yes! Of course!" Inko said, turning to hide and fan her blushing face. Izuku groaned; within a day, she had forgotten his anger at the pro hero to remember that she had been collecting his magazines for eight years.

The two adults left the room, and as soon as he was alone, Izuku allowed himself to blow out the air he had been holding in his lungs and began to rub his fingers together.

This reunion was something he had thought about from the first day he left, and even though his weeks had been busy and he found himself escaping from death much more often than he intended, he still daydreamed about this moment every day. It was his goal to return to them, the reward at the end of the line, the thing he was fighting for, but he knew that it wouldn't be all good. He held fears inside, and his reunion with Ochako had only proved that at least some of them were warranted.

He wanted this to happen, and he hoped it would all be for the best.

There was a gentle knock on his door. Gentle by Death Arms standards, at least, which meant it was about 3.9 on the Richter scale. Izuku rubbed his hands together one more time until they were warm, and stood up with a little jump.

"C-Come on in, please!" He said, taking a big breath.

Death Arms opened the door, and right away, the ever so correct Tenya Iida stepped into the room.

"Very well, friends, let's all get inside one at a time, and remember to stay collected so as to not disturb Midoriya's recovery and mental state! We talked about our internal protocols regarding this situation, so stay calm and do not engage in any sudden—!"

"MIDORIYAAAA!"

Tenya was pushed into the wall by the rest of the class, who for the most part stampeded into the room to get closer to Izuku. Seeing their smiling faces, all of them with casual clothes that in some cases showed Best Jeanist's agency logo, his initial fears were tamed. Their demeanor said everything he needed to know at first: they were happy to see him.

So he allowed himself a few minutes to rejoice in their reunion and their affection. They all talked over each other, and he couldn't make out what they were saying, but he didn't mind. What would have long ago made him go red in the face and probably pass out no longer seemed to affect him, so he even reciprocated the hugs that Tsuyu, Mina, and Toru gave him. He also accepted the bro-hugs from Rikido and Denki. He laughed at Tenya moving his arms like an aircraft signalman, openly distressed about the lack of respect for his personal space. He also caught a glimpse of Ochako, standing slightly to the side to give their friends space, and he smiled at her. She had her hands behind her back, but the moment he flashed her a smile she returned the gesture and waved her right hand.

Izuku was also aware of Katsuki leaning against the wall farthest away from him. Their eyes met and he scowled, but after looking away for an instant, he reluctantly nodded. Izuku smiled, but that seemed to piss his childhood friend.

It was only then that Izuku realized there was someone else standing in a corner of the room. Wearing some colorful clothes that he didn't seem to be particularly happy about, Shinso stood there, looking like he wasn't sure he belonged. Izuku was about to call him, but an arm gently shoved him back and away from his friends.

"Alright, alright, alright, that is enough!" Tenya said, standing in between Izuku and the rest of the class. "As your class representative, I am disappointed with the way you broke the protocols we established to not overwhelm our friend! We all saw the way he battled yesterday so we know he must still feel exhausted after injuring himself to that level! It is our duty as heroes, fellow classmates, and most importantly friends to look after him and make sure he is fine!"

"Um, Iida?" Izuku tentatively asked.

"Why yes, Midoriya, what is it?" The tall boy asked, turning around stiff as a robot.

"I didn't really hurt myself that much yesterday. I didn't break any bones this time, which feels weird. So, uh, I guess what I'm saying is that… I don't mind it?" He offered, shrugging a bit

"Oh! That is outstanding news, Midoriya! I'm glad to hear you didn't injure yourself. With that being the case, then allow me to extend my sincerest gratitude for your opportune arrival at the battlefield yesterday. You were able to turn the tide, giving us a morale boost to rise to the occasion and go Plus Ultra. On the same note, I am most pleased to finally see you back. I must confess we were quite worried!" He said, extending a hand to shake.

Some of his friends chuckled at Iida's overly formal speech, but Izuku felt relieved and glad to hear him. Same old Iida. One of his best and oldest friends, as well. He shook his hand with gusto.

"I'm glad to be back, Iida. I missed you. I missed all of you, guys."

"The feeling was mutual, Midoriya," Fumikage mentioned, nodding with his head.

"Man, we were so worried when you left," Hanta said.

"We felt terrible for not realizing sooner the truth about your quirk. The signals were there; we just brushed them off as something trivial. I personally feel terrible," confessed Momo, her hands pressed against her cardigan. "As your friend and class vice representative, I should have known better. I promise I won't fail you again."

"No, no, guys, stop," Izuku said, waving his hands frantically. "It's me who should be apologizing! Not you!"

"Midoriya, you have nothing to apologize for," Mashirao assured him.

"Yeah, we get why you needed to keep that stuff a secret. All for One was after you, dude! We get it," Denki said. "I just wished we could've been more helpful."

"I don't know how much we could've done," Shoto said, rubbing his left hand with his eyes lost on the floor. "According to the news, the kind of fugitives Midoriya was going after were several tiers above our capabilities."

"Speak for yourself, Icy-Hot!"

"Yeah, we heard the news last night, they're saying you went after that Muscular dude! And many other fugitives, locking them up on your own! That's so manly!"

Izuku turned to look at Eijiro to shrug off the compliment, but the moment he managed to get a look at his friend's face, the color drained from his own.

"Kirishima! Oh, no, what happened? Are you okay?" Izuku asked, his hand hesitating in the air like he wanted to reach out to Red Riot.

"Oh, this?" The Sturdy Hero said with a smile, pointing a thumb at the patch that was big enough to cover his left eye, but not tall enough to completely hide the red line that ran vertically from his forehead to his cheekbone. "Yeah, I kinda lost an eye yesterday."

It was like a gut punch. The mood of the entire room fell, and Izuku himself felt his knees go weak. Acid bile gathered at the base of his stomach, and the world seemed to stop moving for an instant.

"An eye?" He managed to mutter.

"Yeah. I had to switch between regular hardened and Unbreakable a lot, and at some point, I wasn't fast enough. Not gonna lie, it hurt like hell at the time, but now I'm doing okay."

"And you…? Did Recovery Girl…?"

Kirishima put his hands on his hips and shook his head. "Nah, it's gone. But don't worry, dude! None of the first-years under my watch were hurt, and I take that as an absolute win!"

Izuku turned to look at the rest of his friends.

"Did any of you also get hurt?"

"Well, we were all hurt."

"But, like… You know… Seriously injured?"

Tenya was the first one to speak. "If you are truly curious, then I shall mention that the heat of my Plus Ultra Recipro Turbo did a number on the muscles around the engine," he mentioned, looking over at his calves. "It doesn't seem to be permanent damage yet, but the doctors warned me that a repeat of that could permanently atrophy the muscle."

"Yesterday was the first time I ever broke my tail," Mashirao pointed out, and Izuku could now see a bump on his tail that wasn't there before.

"I have a pretty nasty burn mark on my back," Mineta mentioned.

"And I have this ugly scar on my shoulder," they heard Toru say, and they assumed she was using an invisible hand to point at her invisible shoulder.

Izuku looked at the rest of his friends, waiting to hear if anyone else got a lingering wound, but no one seemed to have anything beyond superficial cuts, bruises, or bumps. They all stayed in silence as he examined them, maybe trying to determine on his own if they were hurt. He looked at Ochako, and she was biting her lower lip, but she seemed to be physically well.

While that was good, it didn't ultimately help his mood. His friends had been hurt. Kirishima lost an eye. Their belongings were destroyed during the attack. It was all unnecessary pain, and in his mind, he could have done better. He should have done better.

"Guys, I… you all got so hurt," he said, clenching his fists and shaking with impotence. "I'm so sorry."

"Hey, don't worry," Jiro said, getting a good read of Izuku's emotions. "We all made it out alive. That's all that matters."

"No, it's… it's more than that."

He saw the worry in his friends' eyes, and unbeknownst to them, that was precisely the last thing he wanted to see. In a move that surprised them all, he took a step back before dropping to his knees and then bending forward into a full dogeza, his forehead pressed against the floor. He heard a gasp and his name being called with awkwardness and confusion. However, he stood there, took a deep breath, and proceeded to apologize from the bottom of his heart.

"I owe all of you an apology. You guys… you've been nothing but kind to me ever since I got into U.A. You've made me feel… well… like I fit in. Like I was a peer and not just dead weight, or an annoyance."

"Hein?" He heard Aoyama say.

"Midoriya, hang on, you don't—" Mezo started, stepping forward, but Izuku had a lot to say.

"Please, let me say this! I need to say it!"

We couldn't see them, but he took their silence as an invitation to continue. The cold floor of the hospital wasn't pleasant against his forehead, but keeping those feelings inside of his chest felt much worse.

"You guys have always been so supportive and honest with me, and… I can't help to feel that… I've been lying to you guys since the beginning. I lied about my quirk. I made you think I had super-strength that I couldn't control, but… as you probably know by now… That's not true."

He had to take a new breath, and he clenched his fists and his toes, his whole body tensing like he was about to receive a hit.

"I was born quirkless. There was nothing special about me, but I just so wanted to become a hero. And then, a few months before the entrance exam to U.A., I met All Might. And the day of the exam, he gave me his quirk, One for All. You were all training hard to master your quirks and become great heroes, while I was simply given all this power. It… it doesn't seem fair. I know I had to keep it a secret because of All for One, but I had to lie to all of you. I'm so sorry. I really am. And then in April, I had to leave, and I know I worried you all. I just left a quick letter instead of talking. The truth is that I was afraid of talking with you. I didn't know how… how you guys would take this. I'd understand if you're mad at me. You have every right to be, I just… Before you, I never had many friends and… And to be honest, I'm afraid of losing you…"

He wanted to repeat once again that he was sorry, but the words got stuck in his throat. Instead, he just remained there, hoping that they would accept his apology and forgive him for being so dishonest and deceiving. It especially hurt when it came to his best friends. Ochako had been so open about her family's struggles, Iida had always been so supportive and attentive after the incident with Stain, Tsuyu had helped him train with Blackwhip… And Shoto…

He heard some footsteps, and someone crouching next to him. And then, they grabbed his hands, their thumbs running circles on the back of his hands, and he decided to look up. His eyes found Ochako's bright smile, her lips curved up, and her eyes looking at him with understanding and compassion.

"Deku, we forgive you," she said, seemingly speaking for the entire class. She then began to stand up without letting go of his hands, and Izuku was forced to follow her example and stand facing his friends. "But you have it all backward. You didn't become a hero because you got an amazing quirk from All Might, All Might gave you his quirk because you were always a hero at heart."

"Uraraka is right," Iida intervened, stepping closer to Izuku. Ochako seemed to realize then that she was still holding his hands and promptly released him. "You must remember: the reason why you passed the entrance exam wasn't because of your power. You passed because, unlike the rest of us, you showed the heart of a true hero."

"C'est comme ça," Aoyama agreed. "We all ran from the danger, worried about our points and passing the test, but you didn't hesitate to jump and save a stranger from getting hurt."

"Besides, it's not like you make it out to be," Kirishima pointed out. "You talk like you were given the greatest quirk ever without doing anything to earn it, but we all saw you, man! You train twice as hard as everyone else! When you started, you couldn't land a hit without breaking your bones, but you never stopped training and getting stronger to get better at managing your quirk. If you ask me, that makes it even more impressive!"

"You say that, because you were born quirkless, it means you didn't earn your quirk, but I'm sure you were given it because you proved yourself worthy of it," Koda pointed out with a cheerful tone.

"Precisely," Tokoyami followed up. "If anything, the rest of us were the ones that were given an unfair advantage. We were born with our abilities; we didn't ask or earn them. Your fears, while I can understand them, aren't correct."

"Midoriya, we're not gonna stop being your friends!" Mina pointed out, sounding worried that he would even entertain that idea in his head. "You say we've been kind to you, but you've honestly been nothing but the most supportive friend ever! You're always ready to help and make us feel important and cool. Don't sell yourself short. You also did a lot for us."

"If it wasn't for you, I probably would have never accepted the other half of my quirk," Shoto said, his hands resting in his pockets. "Even though I had challenged you and you could have beaten me, you gave away your victory just to help me. That meant a lot. I won't forget it."

All of his friends' words were wonderful, and they made him feel much better. But he was finding it hard to look at Shoto and not feel like he'd failed him.

"Todoroki… I… I can't apologize enough," he said, lowering his head. "I thought I could defeat All for One, but… But I couldn't. And because I—"

"Midoriya," he cut him short, and Izuku looked up to meet his heterochromatic gaze. "I don't hold you responsible for the actions of my father. He died trying to stop All for One. It wasn't your fault. I don't want you feeling guilty for that, especially… since I think we both lost a father figure that day."

Not even his Heaven-Piercing Ice Wall would have felt as cold as Izuku's blood right then. His friends also seemed to accuse the hit, their hearts aching at the memory of their former teacher and pro hero, but there Shoto was right: All Might had been much more than a teacher for Izuku.

He could tell that Shoto genuinely didn't blame him for Endeavor's demise, but it was hard for Izuku to not feel responsible for both his and All Might's untimely deaths.

He would have been dragged into a spiral of misery if it wasn't for someone clearing their throat and stepping closer to him. Izuku looked at Shinso, realizing that he hadn't addressed him yet and feeling embarrassed by that omission.

"Shinso…"

"Midoriya, I know we're not exactly close… but if I may…"

"Y-Yeah, sure."

"I joined class 2-A of the Hero Department this year," he mentioned, looking at the rest of his classmates. "I know I'm running behind and that I don't have the memories and experiences together that the rest of you had. But I've been able to see exactly how much you all care for each other, almost like a family. And I've seen how much everyone cares about you. They all hold you in the highest regard. So if you were worried about your situation making it so that they wouldn't like you anymore… Well, I'm starting to think that maybe you don't know them as well as you should."

Izuku blinked at that. "Shinso…"

"Not even once did they mention any sense of frustration or anger aimed at you. There has been nothing but honest worry and kind wishes being sent your way. I may not know them that well, but I can tell you for sure that they're just happy that you're safe."

"You guys… I'm… I don't know what to say," he muttered, trying to find the words to thank them all.

There was a groan in the back, and everyone turned to look at Katsuki.

"Stop apologizing for everything, Deku!" He spat out, nonchalantly crossing his arms over his chest. "You were a target so you kept information for yourself to protect these losers and then went away on your own. We get it, we know how hero stuff works, that's what we're all training for, you idiot!"

"Kacchan!"

"All these extras missed you, you missed them, end of the story. Stop second-guessing yourself and how you got your power. All Might chose you, so that should tell you something unless you don't trust his judgment!"

"What? No, of course I—"

"What you should be focused on is getting even stronger," Bakugo said, walking until he was standing in front of Izuku, "because I'm not gonna stop getting better, and if you relax for just one second, I'll be there to beat you up and remind you why we're doing this!"

He made a point of poking him in the chest with a finger, looking as mad with the world as ever. And yet, Izuku could tell that this was as close to a pep talk as he might ever get from Katsuki. He sighed and smiled while Tenya said that it was scandalous that Bakugou would "threaten" their friend with violence while they were all in a hospital, to which Katsuki replied with insults too nasty for Izuku's taste. He still managed to laugh out, having missed the friendly banter of his classmates.

"YOU BETTER NOT BE LAUGHING AT ME, DEKU! JUST BECAUSE YOU BEAT ME AT GETTING YOUR HERO LICENSE DOESN'T MEAN YOU'RE ABOVE ME, YA HEAR ME?!"

"EEEK! S-So you guys know about that?" He asked, covering his face with his arms.

"It's all over the news!" Toru said, and to prove her point, Rikido grabbed the remote and turned on the TV —that Izuku had ignored all day— and put on a random channel.

Lo and behold, the anchorman's voice spoke over footage of Izuku's fight against Todoroki at last year's sports festival, where he could see himself shooting Delaware Smashes and breaking one finger at a time. The graph at the bottom asked the question: "WHAT IS DEKU'S QUIRK(S)?"

"They're talking about you non-stop," Mina said. "They're trying to figure out your origin story."

"I heard a show last night that said you were All for One's bastard child," Mineta said with a playful tone. "They think that's why you have so many quirks, but you rejected the path of villainy and you were instead raised by All Might, and that yesterday you finally killed your father to make amends for his mistakes. Isn't that crazy?!"

"Oh, God, people are not buying that, are they?" Izuku asked, shaking his face paling.

"Nah, most people just assume there's a secret connection between All Might, All for One, and you. But no one knows what."

Sato changed the channel, and by sheer coincidence, the question on the graph there was "THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DEKU AND ALL MIGHT". Five journalists and commentators sat on a long, studio table, while a screen behind them showed pictures of last year with All Might and Deku at I-Island. A big, red circle was drawn to showcase them, even though they were the only two people in the picture.

"My sources confirm that Deku was indeed allowed into the I-Expo as All Might's guest," one of them said, fixing her glasses. "There is no question that they were more than teacher and student. All Might was, at the very least, Deku's mentor far beyond the U.A. scope."

"Does this mean that Deku might be the first and only disciple of the great All Might?"

"All evidence points that way."

"T-They're talking about m-me!"

"Midoriya, I believe you should try to get used to it. The sooner the better, ribbit."

"Yeah, they said you're gonna be giving a full interview some time this week," Sero pointed out. "So you should try to get ready to tell your story."

"Speaking of telling your story," Ochako mentioned, smiling at Deku, "why don't you start practicing with us? I wanna know everything!"

"Yeah, Uraraka's right! You have to tell us what you were up to these past few weeks!" Kirishima said.

"I'd also like to know about your new quirks," added Tsuyu, pressing a finger against her chin.

He could feel everyone's excitement, and focusing on them helped him calm down from his embarrassment of seeing strangers talking about his relationship with All Might. He stared at them for a few seconds. He tried to think of what he would do if one of them had disappeared and come back. He would be curious to know what they had been up to, and he would want to hear all of it. He knew he owed them an explanation, he just didn't think it would happen so early.

Looking at their expecting faces, though, he couldn't say no. So he sighed and sat on the edge of his bed. "You might wanna get comfortable… I don't wanna keep any more secrets from you, so there's a lot I need to tell you."

Ochako, Denki and Koda sat on the bed with him, some sat on the floor, some took the three chairs they had in the room, some leaned against the walls. Once they were all settled in, Izuku looked at the ceiling and bit his lower lip, thinking for a full minute before making up his mind.

"I guess I should explain more about how I met All Might and got his quirk," he said.

He had never shared the details of his past with any of his friends, and to be honest, he didn't feel comfortable talking about it. It felt like a lifetime ago, and it was a chapter of his life that he had turned the page from, and one he didn't want to look back into. His quirklessness had been crucial in him getting One for All and surviving it, however, so he had to start from there.

Lost in thought, he was brought back to the world by a hand rubbing his back in small, gentle circles. He turned to look at Ochako, who looked like she was worried but trying her best to reassure him.

"It's ok, Deku. You're with friends, you have nothing to worry about."

He sighed one last time and nodded. She was right. He was overthinking this. He gave her a small smile and then turned to look at the rest of his friends, secretly glad that she kept her hand on his back.

"Here's the sad truth: all men are not created equal. When I was four, I learned that some kids have more power than others…"

Chapter Text

People had been quick to complain about or at the very least take notice of Izuku’s verbosity throughout his life. He’d gotten into trouble many times for not going straight to the point and overextending the answers or explanations to straightforward questions. While a useful skill to allow him to share his vast knowledge in written tests —he only needed to be mindful of how much time he had left to write—, it had proven time and time again to be detrimental to his social life. People around him never failed to point out every instance of him muttering out loud or getting into long-winded rants, and he’d lost track of how many conversations he’d ruined by not shutting up.

Adding to the equation the fact that, growing up, he’d never had any real friends, it wouldn’t surprise anyone to learn that he’d never been encouraged to tell stories or talk about himself for long periods. His talks with his mother came to his mind as the closest example he could think of, but even those small summaries of his days at school paled in comparison to the experience of catching his friends up with everything related to One for All.

It had been intimidating, at first. He didn’t know how much detail was enough, or how vague he could keep things to not make it boring for his friends. The engagement had been far superior to what he’d imagined. They allowed him to talk just shy of two hours about himself without making him feel weird about it, and they kept asking questions for him to elaborate on. It made him feel confident, especially with how eager they all looked to learn more about his quirk and his journey to master it.

They looked like kids at a campfire, listening to their counselor narrating the most amazing tale ever. They leaned in and took sharp breaths when he got to the dramatic turning points in his life, they let out impressed ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ when he revealed some of the most amazing parts of his journey, they shook and bit their nails when he went into detail about some of the life-or-death situations he’d faced. He couldn’t have possibly asked for a better audience, one that made him feel more contained and safe. They cheered him up and offered words of encouragement whenever he doubted or criticized himself, or whenever he talked about his many failures and missteps.

By the time he concluded talking about himself, Izuku felt liberated. An impossibly heavy weight had been lifted off his shoulders. Keeping the secret from the people he cared the most about had become a great boulder on the uphill trek of life. He hadn’t been aware of how much it affected him until then, and the idea that he could show them how much he trusted them certainly helped clear his conscience. He escaped no question and answered everything they inquired about to the best of his ability.

His calmness and relief contrasted with the shocked and perplexed demeanors that most of his friends showed. Even the most stoic ones like Fumikage, Shoto, and Shinso stood visibly disturbed by these revelations. Shoto apologized to Izuku for having seemingly contributed to his distress during the Sports Festival by drawing connections between him and All Might, and even after the Joint Training, where he briefly accused him of hiding his true powers and potential from him. Izuku wasted no time to dismiss those worries and apologized in turn for the constant lies.

All in all, Izuku’s heart rested at ease knowing that his classmates didn’t blame him or held any grudges for his actions. He knew he had the best friends in the world, he had been well aware of it during his time away from them, but the reunion only further fueled his belief.

He made a silent promise right then that he wouldn’t let them down ever again. He’d make them proud. They had made it possible for him to grow as much as a hero as he had, not to mention his growth as a person and how they’d made him feel special and loved. He wouldn’t run away from them again. He’d protect them, he’d train twice as hard to live up to the ideal they helped him reach, and he’d make sure to support and offer a helping hand every step of the way during their school years.

He’d repay them, somehow, someday.

“Man, Midoriya, this is a lot to take in, not gonna lie,” Eijiro said, brushing his spiky hair up with a hand. “Honestly, it makes me feel kinda guilty that I never realized you were going through so much.”

“Yeah. Sometimes I saw you looking distracted during dinner, or I thought that maybe you were overdoing your training,” Denki pointed out, “but now it all kinda makes sense. Well, I mean, it makes total sense. Just, you know, I wouldn’t have expected something like this.”

“I mean, I don’t blame you. I would have had a hard time believing it if it wasn’t happening to me,” Izuku conceded.

“So how many quirks did you learn to control simultaneously?” Shoto asked, a hand stroking his chin.

“Well, there’s One for All’s base stockpile power quirk, and then six more. Though the more I use at the same time, the more my body hurts. And it gets harder to control.”

Mina mouthed an impressed ‘woah’, Mezo shook his head in disbelief, and Hanta snorted.

“And we thought Todoroki was the prodigy of the class, mastering two quirks,” the latter said, giving Shoto a playful punch to the shoulder. He didn’t say anything, barely nodding his head.

“S-Sero! Please don’t say that,” Izuku complained, feeling his cheeks blush slightly. “Seriously, guys, I don’t… I don’t want you to treat me any differently after this. I’m not… you know, special or anything like that.”

“Damn right you ain’t, you damn nerd.”

“Don’t worry Midoriya, we know,” Tsuyu told him, ignoring Katsuki’s outburst. “We don’t want to make you uncomfortable.”

“Midoriya, I believe I speak for the entire class when I say that we have no intention of making you feel any different than before. Regardless of your undeniably impressive feats and growth as a hero, you are still the same Midoriya Izuku that we’ve known for over a year now. While it’s true that we are… quite flabbergasted by everything we’ve learned, and I believe that there’s a certain amount of reasonable worry and newfound appreciation to be had for you and the trials you’ve faced, the dynamic of our friendship should remain, for the most part, unaffected. At least from my part, I wish to remain as your friend the same way I was before your departure.”

Tenya then smirked and used his index finger to fix his glasses, before looking at Izuku with a spark of determination that he’d seldom seen on his friend.

“And forgive me if this may be presumptuous of me, but I believe this might make you feel better: learning about your escapades and the hero work you’ve done along with the pros raises the bar I’ve set for my own expectations. I am determined to work harder to catch up to you, Midoriya, and become a worthy bearer of the Ingenium mantle.”

“I think this is kind of a wake-up call for a lot of us,” Mashirao said, cracking his knuckles and smiling at Izuku. “At first, there was kind of a power gap between Todoroki, Bakugo, and the rest of us. Then you joined them, but we were all able to follow you guys and stay on track. Now it looks like you took a few extra leaps away from us. And I’m really happy for you, Midoriya, but I’m not gonna be left behind. I’ll do my best to catch up with you.”

“We all will,” Ochako added, raising a closed fist. “We’ve all gotten stronger, Deku. So next time you have to go do something crazy, we’ll be right there with you to have your back.”

Izuku’s chest swelled with pride and his smile beamed at the display of determination and motivation that his friends showed him.

“Thank you,” he told them, closing his eyes and lowering his head for a second, taking a deep breath and feeling better than he could remember being in recent times. “You guys… You have no idea how much I needed to hear that.”

Koji gave him a pat on the back, and when he looked up at his friends, he found them smiling at him. All except for Katsuki, who aside from a snide remark here and there, had stayed notably silent during Izuku’s retelling of his journey. And, perhaps undetected by everyone else, his face displayed a scowl deeper than usual. He had crossed his arms over his chest and set his eyes on the floor, not moving a single inch. He hadn’t even looked right at Izuku whenever he addressed him. Izuku knew his friend, and he could tell something bothered him.

“So, Midoriya,” Minoru began, “now that the bad guys are all taken care of—”

“Not all of them,” Tenya interjected, clenching his fists. Everyone stared at him in silence for a few seconds.

The Hero Killer had notoriously kept a low profile ever since escaping Tartarus. 

“...right. Uh, so now that most of the bad guys are taken care of, are you coming back to U.A.?”

Izuku’s face lit up and nodded vigorously. “I talked to Principal Nezu. He said they’ll let me back!”

He made a small pause to let everyone cheer.

“I’m gonna have to take a proficiency exam to make sure I’m not too far behind, and I need to catch up with all the classes you’ve already taken, but I’m sure I can do it.”

“I can help you with that!” Momo rushed to offer, clapping her hands in front of her chest. “I’ve been writing down all the essentials of our lessons into flashcards to get ready for the exams. I can help you catch up with your homework and any lesson you may have trouble understanding.”

“That would be great, Yaoyorozu. If it’s not too much to ask…”

“Nonsense! You’ve always been a top-notch student, your academic performance shouldn’t suffer because you had to deal with more pressing matters outside of school. I’ll make sure you have all the resources you need to study.”

“You should trust her, Midoriya,” Kyoka said with a mischievous smile. “If she can make Kaminari pass his written exams, she’ll get you acing your tests in no time.”

“Jiro!” Denki complained with faux shock, putting a hand on his chest like he’d been stabbed. “Why do you always go for the lowest hanging fruit?”

The entire class shared a laugh, and Izuku took a moment to appreciate it. Several months had passed since the last time he had ever laughed along with others. He had truly missed it.

Death Arms knocked on the door —scaring the living crap out of everyone—, and seconds later he opened it, revealing a figure all dressed in black, with long, messy, greasy hair covering his right eye and falling past his shoulders. The students stood up with their backs straight, looking at the newcomer.

“Aizawa-sensei!” Tenya said. “What brings you here?”

Izuku looked at his former homeroom teacher. The pro hero looked as tired as ever, with his hands in his pockets as he walked into the room. The last time the two had seen each other, Aizawa had cut off one foot and suffered a major injury in his eye when facing Shigaraki. Izuku felt relieved to see him walking without any clutch or visible inconvenience.

“Midoriya,” the pro hero said, ignoring the question and stopping a few steps away from him. “How are you feeling?”

“I’m— I’m better, professor. Thank you.”

Aizawa nodded and looked at the rest of his students. “Nezu and the Hero Public Safety Commission have finished negotiations. Classes will be suspended for a week for the Hero Department. You may choose to go back to your families, but a hotel has been reserved for those that can’t do it or that would rather stay in the city. Regardless of what you choose, a bus is waiting outside to leave the hospital and take all of you there for the time being. None of you require further medical treatment, so we won’t be taking more resources from the hospital. Go to your rooms and pick up your costumes, we’ll leave in thirty minutes.”

“Only a week?” Mina asked. “But the entire school was blown up.”

“As we speak, Power Loader is coordinating with the new architect and engineers to work on the design of the new campus,” he explained. “The original plans can be used, though Nezu asked for a few small changes. Once that’s done, the robots should be able to rebuild it within a month. However, you’ll be sent somewhere else starting next Monday, so you have one week to rest and reflect on everything that’s happened.”

Izuku’s heart beat faster. Did that mean that he would also be restarting school in a week? That was… so much sooner than he’d imagined. His excitement rocketed through the roof. He could hardly wait!

As if reading his mind, Eraserhead looked at Izuku with his good eye.

“Midoriya.”

“Yes, sir?”

His eye flickered under the light as if holding a small flame within. “You’ve matured and grown as a hero. You did well. Good job.”

Izuku had been congratulated many times in the past twenty-four hours, but it hit differently coming from the pro hero that had been mostly in charge of his education, second to All Might.

He pressed his hands together and bowed. “Thank you, professor!”

Aizawa nodded once again before addressing the rest of the class. “Alright, let’s get going. I’m sure you’ll see Midoriya soon enough.”

“You heard our homeroom teacher, class! Let’s leave on a single file, and remember not to be loud as we walk down the halls! We do not want to disturb the personnel or the resting patients as we go back to our rooms!”

Following Tenya, all his friends waved goodbye at Izuku, telling him they’d be in touch. Ochako waited until most had left before looking at him with a soft, bright smile, brushing a lock of brown hair behind her ear.

“Don’t do anything crazy while I’m gone,” she teased him, though her playful tone couldn’t completely conceal a hint of genuine worry.

He chuckled. “I’ll try not to.”

“See ya later, Deku.”

“See ya later, Uraraka!”

She left the room, turning one last time once she passed the threshold to glance back and wave her hand. He waved back at her, with a dumb, happy expression on his face, but the moment she walked out of sight, a part of him felt numb. Like he’d forgotten to tell her something, or like she’d taken something from him that he wanted back. Weird, he thought, as he frowned at the unexpected pang of indistinct emotion. He wanted to shrug it off as having missed his best friend’s presence for so long, but he didn’t feel that way regarding Iida, and as far as he knew, he appreciated them both equally. Perhaps he forgot to properly thank her for all she’d done for him? He seemed to remember showing his appreciation, but maybe it hadn’t been genuine enough? Why did he feel this way?

He had to put a pin on his feelings because both he and Eraserhead realized that one student was making no effort to move or leave the room.

“Bakugo. Is there a problem?” The teacher asked.

Katsuki didn’t reply, still frowning at the floor, his lips pursed on a thin line, his explosive personality subdued, making him look more like a time bomb. He clicked his tongue and dropped his arms to the side, walking closer to Izuku. He stopped a few feet in front of him, not meeting his eyes.

“Kacchan? Is everything—?”

“You didn’t tell them the full story.”

Izuku blinked twice, taken aback by the blunt statement. He tried to make sense of it, but he drew a blank on what he could have possibly missed from the retelling of his life.

“What do you…? What’s the full story?”

The question seemed to irritate Katsuki, who buffed and turned his head to the side, shaking it slightly. And only then did Izuku see the concealed regret in his friend’s eyes, and only then did he understand what he meant.

“You told them about growing up quirkless, but you didn’t tell them the full story,” Katsuki clarified, and Izuku sensed that the anger that poisoned his voice wasn’t aimed at him.

He forgot about Eraserhead, and instead took a step towards Katsuki, forcing his friend to stare at him and meet his emerald eyes.

“I told them what they needed to know,” he explained, showing his confidence and determination through his tone. “The parts that matter.”

Katsuki kept staring at him, almost daring him to speak up, to add something else, to call him out, but whatever grudge Izuku may have held in any deep corner of his heart had been long gone. So he made sure to reassure Katsuki by not looking away, by meeting his strong gaze with one of his own, channeling his inner Eraserhead to fight the urge to blink.

With a sigh, Katsuki looked away, nodding his head to acknowledge Izuku’s position, and then promptly turned around. Izuku stared at his friend as he walked away from the room. It felt like they had just shared a moment, but whether Katsuki understood that he had forgiven him long ago or not, he didn’t know.

“Midoriya, the Hero Public Safety Commission will get here shortly,” Aizawa said, making Izuku turn to look at his teacher. “They have some things to discuss with you. But I have a favor to ask before they get here.”

“Oh. Right, sure. What is it, professor?”

Aizawa pointed a finger at the hall outside of the room. “Eri’s outside.”

“Eri? Huh? Why didn’t she come?”

“She’s feeling too guilty to see you.”

Izuku’s jaw dropped, and he had to do a double-take to make sure that he hadn’t misheard him. “Guilty? Of what?”

“She blames herself for the attack at the school. She thinks it’s her and her quirk’s fault that All for One attacked us. She’s been asking about you since yesterday; she’s worried, but she’s also hesitant to come to see you. So she asked me to stay outside, instead. Could you go talk to her? I believe talking to you would help her a lot.”

To say that Izuku’s heart ached at the surreal scenario of Eri blaming herself for a situation that had her as a clear victim would have been the understatement of the century. In the almost sixteen years he’d walked the Earth, he’d never encountered another individual as pure and innocent as Eri. Recent times had shown him that the world wasn’t black or white, that everyone lived in different shades of gray. And yet he would argue that she was pure brightness, physically incapable of hating or holding grudges. She was the kindest person he knew, and just like everyone else at U.A., he would fight to protect the smile they’d worked so hard to give her.

The idea that she somehow blamed herself for the actions of supervillains hurt him on an emotional level. She deserved nothing but the best. And if she was out there in the hallway suffering for blame she put upon herself, then he’d go out there to rescue her just like he’d gone all-out to rescue her from Chisaki and All for One.

He nodded at Aizawa and, with his permission, stepped out of his room. Death Arms glanced at him but said nothing, allowing him to look around the hall until he spotted her. She was sitting alone on a bench, wearing her white dress shirt with a red pinafore, her legs swinging aimlessly in the air like two pendulums. Her head hung low, her eyes fixed on the floor, while she fidgeted with her fingers, rubbing her thumbs together.

She looked hurt, and that, in turn, hurt him, but Izuku knew better than to let it show. He channeled all the positive emotions he could muster and prepared the happiest smile his face would produce.

“Eri!” He called her, raising an arm to wave at her.

His voice startled her, making her jump in her seat and turn to give him a shocked look. He sensed her hesitation, so he decided to walk closer to her, crouching down to be at eye level, and taking in on the details of her face. He’d missed her just as much as he’d missed everyone else, and looking at her safe and sound filled his heart with joy.

He hadn’t been able to save everyone, but Eri reminded him why he’d taken this path. What he fought for.

“D-Deku…” She said, her eyes darting back and forth between her boots and his face.

“I’m so glad to see you’re okay!” He told her. “I’ve missed you so much! You even look taller.”

A tiny smile spread on her face, but her expression morphed into concern just as fast.

“You look thinner,” she pointed out. Izuku’s smile faltered, but he soldiered through the unexpected observation.

“So I’ve been told,” he admitted, leaving it at that; getting into his eating habits for the past two months served no purpose. “And my hair’s a little fluffier. Should I get a haircut? What do you think?”

She studied his hair, and then raised her little hand, stopping it in midair as if asking for permission. He chuckled and leaned closer, letting her pet his green hair. Her fingers brushed it and examined a few locks, trying in vain to fix his eternally-disheveled style.

“I like it,” she concluded.

“Then I guess I’ll keep it like this.”

She nodded, but soon she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, her whole body shaking for a second.

“Deku… T-Thank you,” she said at last. “For… for coming back for me. For fighting the bad people.”

“Of course, Eri. I would never let anything happen to you,” he said, and ever so carefully, placed a hand on one of her shoulders. She tensed for a second, and he almost removed it to avoid making her uncomfortable, but before he could do so she put a hand over his.

“I cause nothing but trouble,” she said, and her lower lip began to tremble as her eyes filled with tears. “The bad people were looking for me. Everyone had to fight because of me. If it wasn’t for my quirk… Then all those people wouldn’t have… d-died.”

Her free hand moved up to touch her horn, and looking at her sobbing like that, Izuku felt an icy claw clutching his heart. He tightened his grip on her shoulder and pulled the sleeve of his varsity jacket over his free hand, using it to wipe her tears away.

“Eri, it’s not your fault. It never was. Your quirk is a great thing. It saved us, remember? It saved me, and you saved Lemillion. What the bad people did was their fault, not yours. That’s why they’re bad people, right?”

She nodded, but her expression and attitude didn’t improve. He sighed, realizing that he knew exactly what she was going through. He knew those feelings all too well.

“I get how you feel. I feel the same way,” he admitted, looking away for a second. “I made a lot of people worry about me. People got hurt because of me, and some even…”

He trailed off, but the sudden, understanding look she gave him told him that she got what he meant.

“And it makes me feel bad. It makes me feel guilty. Sometimes I feel like I can’t look them in the eye. That… That I don’t deserve their love after what I caused.”

“W-What do you do? When you feel like that?”

He reflected on the question and pondered his answer for a bit until he had an epiphany and figured out a solution to a problem he’d been struggling with as well.

“Well, it doesn’t do anyone any good if I just stay sad and mad at myself, does it? So I think of why they did what they did. And I know they did it because they wanted me to be a hero. So I think about that, and I tell myself I’m going to be the best hero I possibly can. That way I’m doing what they wanted me to do, and it’s my way of repaying them.”

Her fingers curled on the back of his hand, and she sniffled as she did her best to control her emotions. He kept smiling, reassuring her that she could take her time, that he would be there for her.

“Why did you come back, then?” She finally asked. “Why did you do what you did? What do you want me to do? I… I can’t be a hero...”

Her sweet tone and the way she genuinely asked those questions broke his heart.

“I came back because I heard my friends were in danger. I fought to protect you all. And maybe you can’t be a hero just yet, but that’s not what I want you to be.”

“T-Then what do you want me to be?”

His thumb brushed away a new tear that slid down her cheek. “Happy, Eri.”

She stood aghast, and he could see in her flickering eyes how the gears turned in her head as his words began to sink in. Her crying became louder, stronger, uglier, and her grip on his hand tightened.

“I don’t want you to be sad or to feel guilty. I want you to smile and be happy. Do you think you can do that? For me?”

She didn’t reply right away. Instead, she launched forward, wrapped her arms around him, and buried her face on the crook of his neck. He let her cry her stress away, patting her back and holding her tight, trying to let her know that he wouldn’t let go. Just like when he caught her as she jumped out of Chisaki’s reach so long ago.

It took her a while, but by the time she ended her hug, and before they walked into his room to talk until the adults came for Izuku, she gave him a genuine, heartfelt smile.

“DEPARTMENT OF GENERAL EDUCATION! FOLLOW ME! I REPEAT! DEPARTMENT OF GENERAL EDUCATION! FOLLOW ME!”

Ochako, along with many of her classmates, covered her ears and gave one strange look at Present Mic as he waved his arms in the air, trying to catch the attention of his students.

The U.A.'s student body had been summoned to the main hall of the hospital to get ready to head for the hotel where most of them would be staying until the school could rebuild the campus. The hospital, being a crucial, strategic piece of infrastructure that provided healthcare for the entire region, was ample enough to fit all the students. Unfortunately, fitting wasn’t the same as “being comfortable in”, and Ochako now knew what it felt like to be inside a train during work hours in Tokyo. Toru and Kyoka sandwiched her, their shoulders pressed against each other’s, and she could barely move her head to look around for a teacher calling for them.

They were separating them all by their departments. Thirteen was in charge of the Department of Management, Ectoplasm had gathered the students from the Department of Support, and Present Mic had made it all too clear regarding who had to follow him.

“How are we even supposed to hear who’s calling for us?” Ochako asked, speaking loudly to be heard over all the students talking to each other.

“I’m on it… or at least I’m trying,” Kyoka said, tilting her earphone jacks in the air like small antennas. “There’s a lot of talking… And some of the things I’m hearing are awful.”

“What do you mean?” Toru asked. “What kind of things?”

“You know… everyone that died.”

Ochako couldn’t see Toru’s face, but she figured it would be mirroring her own. She closed her eyes and sighed, shivering when a chill ran down her spine. Principal Nezu had visited them the day before, and among many things, he had shared the terrible news. Seventeen students had been killed during, or as a consequence of, the siege of U.A. Most of the victims belonged to first-year classes outside of the Hero course. Not many had died as a result of a confrontation with villains. The few that did were seniors from the Hero course, trying to protect their junior classmates. As for the rest, most had been victims of collateral damage, crossfire, and the buildings collapsing on top of them.

Not all the victims were students, however. Out of the many worried parents that rushed to the school as soon as they heard the news, five had been slain. And three pro heroes had given up their lives. The Writing Hero: Underrated, the Siege Hero: Perilous, and the Loud Hero: Automata. While not the most successful or popular heroes in the country, their names carried enough weight for their demise to bring much pain to the community.

It was by far the greatest tragedy that U.A. or any other hero school had suffered in recent memory, and the mournful atmosphere weighed down on Ochako. She wondered if she could have done something more to save people. Logic and reason told her that she’d done everything she could. She’d protected many fellow students from C-tier villains. She’d gotten people out of the debris. She’d used that same debris to Comet Home Run said villains. And then, she had risked her life to fight Toga. She hadn’t been slacking or missing out on helping others. By all metrics and objective measures, she should have felt proud of what she’d accomplished.

Then why did it feel that she’d come short? That it wasn’t enough? Maybe, if she hadn’t taken so long to beat Toga, she could have gone somewhere else to save more people. Had she not panicked at first until Iida took charge and led them into battle, had she acted quicker, had she been a better hero…

She knew that stepping into the wandering ocean of the what-ifs wouldn’t take her anywhere. It was a sea of uncharted waters that she could potentially keep navigating forever. And that would undoubtedly end up drowning her if she wasn’t careful. She couldn’t change the past, but she could work on the present to build a brighter future. She promised herself that she would learn the name of everyone that had lost their lives the previous day, and she’d train harder than ever to make up for her perceived failure. To make sure that, in the next crisis that hopefully never came, she’d rescue those that needed her.

“Wait, I hear professor Aizawa!” Kyoka said, snapping Ochako out of her wandering thoughts. “He’s calling for us.”

Somewhere to their left, Mezo had also heard their homeroom teacher calling for them, and the two led their classmates to one of the exits, where Aizawa and Eri waited for them. Ochako’s mood experienced a major boost of happiness when she noticed the expression the little girl had. Not half an hour ago, she’d seen her sitting all by herself in the hall outside of Izuku’s room. She tried to talk to her, but Eri’s body language told her just how uncomfortable she felt, so she didn’t try to overstay her welcome and continued towards her room to pack up her hero costume. It hurt to see her looking so miserable.

Which made it all the more rewarding to see her shy smile as she looked at her feet, her scarlet eyes glowing with newfound hope and with no traces left of that lingering guilt that had plagued them. And Ochako, even without asking, could already tell how she’d gotten over that. Or, to be precise, who had most likely done his best to help her. It was a no-brainer that Izuku had talked with her. The signs were there: her smile, the sweet calmness in her features, the kindness in her eyes. Those were the traces of Izuku’s influence.

At the very least, that’s how she felt and looked whenever she talked with him. Perhaps it wasn’t the same with others, but then again, the tight bond that Eri had with Mirio and Izuku was akin to what Ochako herself felt for him. Though more fraternal and platonic in Eri’s case, naturally.

She made sure to smile and wave her hand at Eri when the girl looked up to the people approaching her. Eri gently nodded her head before hiding half her body behind Eraserhead.

“Alright, now that everyone’s here,” the teacher said after waiting for the last students to approach, “let’s organize how we’re leaving. There are three buses for the Hero Course, so we’ll make it simple enough. Classes 1-A and 1-B will leave on the bus marked with the number 26 on its side. Classes 2-A and 2-B will take bus number 17. And Classes 3-A and 3-B will go on bus number 22. They’re all waiting for you outside the hospital, and there’s a lot of traffic out there, so make a line and step in as swiftly as possible. I don’t want to waste more time than necessary. Class Representatives and Vice-Representatives, make sure your classmates don’t step out of line.”

“Yes, sir!” The six representatives said at the same time.

“Very well. Classes 1-A, 1-B, 2-B, 3-A, and 3-B, no one will stop by the press or make any comment. Is that clear?”

“Yes, sir!”

“Um, Eraserhead, professor?” A red-haired girl from one of the first-year classes asked, raising her hand. “I think you skipped class 2-A.”

“I did. Some of them will be answering questions.”

Ochako gulped, while many students around them began to murmur. The sound of their talking began to increase, but soon enough Aizawa’s hair raised and a red eye stared at them for a second.

All conversations stopped.

“Part of a hero’s job is to be accountable with the public and bring a sense of clarity through honesty,” he explained, his hair falling over his face once again. “Transparency is a value that has been forgotten for a long time, and it’s now our intention to bring it back as a substantial part of what we hope to teach you. That being said, dealing with the press can be a tough job and it’s not always a pleasant experience. Class 2-A was heavily featured in the press coverage, and it’s now public knowledge that Midoriya was their classmate, so it’s only natural that they will be sought after. They’ve also had lessons last year on how to give interviews, so it makes sense for them to put those skills to the test.”

Ochako could… kinda see Aizawa’s point, but she didn’t have the best opinion on the press. She had ever put much thought into it, but the previous night had been a wake-up call for her. She’d seen some news channels and, while most of the coverage had been very respectful and informative, she sensed an almost obsessive focus on trying to learn more about Izuku and who he was. She knew it made sense for people to wonder about him, especially with how the HPSC intended to treat him, but part of her felt uncomfortable with how they talked about him.

Wondering how powerful he was. What his connection with All Might and All for One was. The villains he’d defeated or captured. She understood the curiosity, but in her biased view, they were completely missing the point. Those aspects of him might be the reason why he was becoming a pro hero, but they were most certainly not the reasons why he was a hero in the first place.

She wished more people could learn that, but until Izuku gave the interview that the HPSC wanted him to give, there was nothing she could do about it.

“Iida, Todoroki, Uraraka, you’ll be the ones answering questions to the press,” Aizawa said, and Ochako’s heart skipped a beat. Shoto tilted his head to the side, squinting his eyes and looking confused, while Tenya fixed his glasses and gave a firm nod.

“W-What?!” She asked, sounding more terrified than she intended.

Tenya raised a hand at a perfect 90º angle and took a step forward. “Professor, sir! May I ask the reasoning behind picking the three of us for this task?”

Aizawa pointed a finger at Shoto. “Todoroki was recorded fighting All for One along with Midoriya, and given the reputation he built for himself at the Sports Festival and the weight of his name, his word will be important enough for the press to stop pestering the rest of you.”

Shoto nodded, but then a hand moved up to rub his chin.

“What word could that possibly be?” She heard him mumble, and she would have worried about his lack of direction if Eraserhead hadn’t then moved his finger to point at her.

“Uraraka was filmed with Midoriya at the end of the battle as well, so the media also knows her face. It’s a good opportunity for her to give them her hero name. Besides, you both are close to Midoriya, so I know you won’t say anything compromising. This brings me to the second reason why you are also going to be there, Iida: I trust you to be responsible enough to make sure none of you step out of line. I want you three to go there, introduce yourselves, and answer just a few questions. Don’t overextend it. And, without excuse, you will not answer anything that would violate Midoriya’s privacy. Do you understand?”

“Yes, sir! Worry not! I shall make sure that we answer the journalists with honesty but without giving away information that is not ours to divulge!”

“Great. Now let’s get going. Class representatives, lead the way.”

Not without some complications regarding the crowded space, the hero department began to exit the building. Ochako walked along with her classmates, although it felt more like she was being dragged by them. Her mind had too much to process for her to make sense of her surroundings.

She could deal with some people asking questions. It didn’t sound too bad. She had done well enough in her lessons with Midnight and Mt. Lady. How would those hold up to the real thing, however? Fighting real villains felt leagues beyond what her Hero Training classes were like. Having her life being put on the line couldn’t be properly replicated in a controlled environment where failing only meant she had to work harder next time. Failing on the field meant she was dead. Gone for good. No more tries.

She shook her head. She worried too much, sometimes. They weren’t going to face villains, they were going to talk to the press. This was the opportunity of a lifetime. Pro heroes would be watching; agencies would be paying attention. She had the opportunity to put her name out there, to seize the moment and build the groundwork for her future. She needed to remember her goal: become a great hero to give her parents an easier life. She needed to focus. She took a big breath and put on a determined face, clenching her fists.

With renewed motivation, she exited the hospital. Once outside, they were welcomed with the view of the radiant blue sky.  The open space allowed them to walk without bumping into each other or feeling constricted. The feeling of freedom turned into but a fleeting relief, as they were soon made aware of the temporary fences to their left that kept the reporters at bay. Cameras, flashes, microphones, and a thousand arms seemed to come out of the homogeneous mass that waited for them. Kyoka winced at all the yelling, and the different classes aligned behind their respective class representatives. Class 2-A was no exception, and Ochako took her place right between Tenya and Shoto.

“Yaoyorozu, I entrust you to take our class to our designated bus while Todoroki, Uraraka, and myself speak with the press.”

“Of course, Iida! I wish you three the best of luck.”

“Much obliged! Very well then, class 2-A, let’s get moving!”

The twenty students walked towards the sidewalk. Like Yuga and Mina, some seemed to enjoy the attention, walking with puffed chests and raised chins, while others like Fumikage and Mezo looked quite uncomfortable by the flashes and all the eyes set on them. The reporters soon realized what class they were from, and chaos ensued. They hadn’t made it even halfway to the bus before the reporters began to lose their collective minds, thinking they would leave without talking to them. The questions mashed up together into a cacophony.

Tenya looked back at Ochako and Shoto, and when they nodded, the three drifted away from the path their classmates were taking, moving towards the reporters.

“Excuse me! Please, may I have your attention for a moment?!” Tenya said, waving his arms around like an uncoordinated Macarena dance. Microphones flew in his direction and the camera flashes dazzled him, but he remained stoic as he spoke. “We are here to represent Class 2-A of the Department of Heroes of U.A. High School. We understand you have many questions, and it is our predisposition to answer them to the best of our ability! However, our time is limited, as we have previous compromises and places to attend. So let’s try to figure this out in a formerly, organized ma—”

The moment the reporters realized they wouldn’t be able to ask many questions, they decided to fire them all at the same time. Ochako flinched, and could only make out but a few of the things they were asked in a second.

“What’s your name?!”

“Could you explain your quirks?!”

“What is your hero name, Shoto?!”

“Was Deku close to you?!”

“What can you tell us about Deku?!”

“Do you know the link between Deku and All for One?!”

“Did All Might prepare you all to fight All for One or was Deku the Chosen One?!”

“What did you feel when Deku arrived at U.A. to defeat All for One?!”

“How many quirks does Deku have?!”

“Is his hair natural green or does he dye it?!”

Ochako felt overwhelmed, but a sense of protectiveness and caring took over her, mixed in with a pinch of anger and annoyance. She suppressed a scowl and cleared her throat, amazed at the speed that all the mics and cameras turned to look at her.

“I, uh, I get that you want to know more about Deku,” she began, her initial conviction and courage fading under so many scrutinizing glances. “But… but he’s going to give an interview soon, and we don’t want to say anything he’s not comfortable sharing. Please… I know he’s trending everywhere and everyone’s talking about him, but he’s still a person, right? And he needs space. Could you, uh, you know, maybe ask us about ourselves and leave the personal questions about Deku to… well, Deku?”

They paid attention to her every word, staying respectfully silent until the very end of her statement, nodding their heads vigorously to what she said.

The instant she finished, however, a reporter moved her mic to ask a question.

“That’s very noble of you, an exemplary behavior expected from heroes in training from such a noteworthy institution,” she complimented them, making Ochako smile, Shoto nod, and Tenya puff his chest out. “I imagine you must be close to Deku to want to protect his privacy with such uprightness.”

She left it at that, pointing the mic back at Ochako.

“Well, yeah, he’s our best friend!” She explained, her eyes looking up to the sky for a second as she pictured Izuku’s smiling face. “Or, well, my best friend, I guess, I don’t want to speak for them. But we’re all really close, and we all appreciate Dek— ...wait a minute…”

As the hamster wheel kept turning inside her head and she realized she’d been bamboozled into talking about Izuku, another reporter quickly diverted the attention towards Iida.

“Could you please introduce yourself to the audience at home?”

“Why yes, of course! My name is Tenya Iida. I am the elected representative of class 2-A, and the hero-in-training Ingenium,” he explained with serenity.

“Ingenium? Are you related to the former pro hero?” Some other reporter asked.

“Yes. I am his younger brother, and he’s asked me to carry on the mantle of the Turbo Hero: Ingenium once I graduate from U.A.”

“Coming from a family with a respected lineage of pro heroes, and having most likely grown up hearing their stories about fighting crime, what does it feel to find yourself at the epicenter of such a historical event?”

Iida took a moment to consider the question, his hands almost comically imitating the pose of The Thinker, furrowed brow included, until he hummed to himself, nodded, and put his robot arms back online to gesture as he spoke.

“To be perfectly frank, I believe we are all still recovering from the shock and trying to make sense of what happened. I don’t think any of us are truly aware of yesterday’s events’ scale and importance. We will probably understand it in time, but for now, we are just glad the League of Villains has been defeated, we are mourning the lives that were tragically lost, and we are looking forward to helping build a brighter future.”

Ochako stared at the serene face of her friend, surprised and impressed by his serious tone and the eloquence of his words.

She experienced something similar to what usually happened to her every couple of weeks. One day she’d look at herself in the mirror and she’d realize how long her hair got, falling past her shoulders and with her bangs starting to obstruct her vision. She would stop for a second and think to herself “Oh, wow, I should probably cut my hair”. She would then go to Tsu or Toru, who would give her a free haircut as they talked about life, and as they did that, she’d wonder why hadn’t she noticed earlier how long her hair got. The answer lies in the gradualness of the changes. Small changes that made it hard to notice the progression until one day the difference was evident and unmistakable.

It applied to her hair, and it applied to how she suddenly noticed that her friend Iida looked and talked like a real hero. His posture, his attitude, his language, his message to society. He didn’t sound like a high school student; hearing him, she felt in the presence of a hero. A hero that had been built gradually, one step at a time.

Getting into U.A. The attack at USJ. What happened with his brother and Stain. All the internships and hero work they’d done. Their work at Nabu Island. The war. The last couple of months. The siege of U.A. Stepping stones that had forced Tenya to mature at an impossibly fast rate, getting him there.

And, for a moment, Ochako wondered if the same could be said about herself.

She couldn’t dwell upon those thoughts for long, as the reporters decided that Tenya’s statements were good enough for now, and they turned their attention towards Shoto.

“Shoto Todoroki, first off, I’m truly sorry about what happened to your father,” a reporter said, and while Shoto’s expression remained unaltered, Ochako noticed an almost imperceptible change in his eyes, hinting at a pain he’d been trying to hide from others. “Does the defeat of All for One bring any sense of closure or justice to you?”

Shoto looked away for a second, thinking in silence.

“My father was aware of the danger and risks of being a pro hero,” he finally said. “He dedicated his life to making the world a better place for us to live in. He died to give others the chance to stop All for One. Defeating him didn’t bring my father back…”

He took a breath and sighed.

“But it felt good.”

A thousand lights flashed at him, but he didn’t flinch or blink. Ochako smiled sympathetically at her friend, reaching over with a hand to rub his left arm.

“Will you be taking over the Endeavor Agency?”

“I can’t.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“I can’t take the leadership of my father’s hero agency.”

“Why not?”

“Because I’m still in high school.”

“And what about after you graduate?”

“What about it?”

The reporter squinted his eyes, trying to figure out if he was being played, but Shoto’s confused face and innocent tone were genuine.

“...will you be taking over the Endeavor Agency?”

“I’m not sure,” he answered, nonchalantly scratching his right cheek with a finger. “My father took his agency very seriously, and he wrote down instructions on how it should continue if he ever died on duty.”

“Did he envision you as his successor as the tentpole hero and CEO of the agency?”

“I don’t know.”

“You… You haven’t run through your father’s notes on how to continue his legacy?”

Shoto tilted his head and looked at the reporter like that was the stupidest thing he’d ever heard.

“Why would I run through them? My shoes have ice grips, they would destroy all the documents.”

The flashes stopped and the reporters slowly turned their heads to look at each other. Silence took over for eight solid seconds, and then all the cameras unanimously decided to turn towards an unexpecting Ochako.

“Could you also introduce yourself to the public? People have been meaning to know more about the hero that stood with Deku during the aftermath of the battle.” Another reporter asked her, snapping her out of her confusion.

“Uh, me?” She muttered, once again feeling small and insignificant while facing the press and knowing that there were real people out there listening to her on live TV. She looked to the side at Shoto, who stared at her with curious eyes and then at Tenya, who tried to give her a discrete thumbs up by slowly raising them to his chin, misunderstanding the concept of subtlety. “Uh, yeah, um… I’m Ochako Uraraka, and my hero’s name is Uravity. I… study at U.A., obviously. Oh! And I also work at Ryukyu’s agency.”

“Were you part of the Shie Hassaikai raid last year, then?”

Ochako took a second to answer. Were they trying to get her to talk about Deku again?

“I was, yes,” she cautiously replied, looking at how a few reporters took notes or said something through their ear communicators, presumably to their production team.

“Could you elaborate on your quirk?”

She sighed in relief and smiled at the reporter.

“Yeah, no problem! My quirk is called Zero Gravity. I can make anything weightless after I touch them with my fingers,” she explained, raising her hands and waving her fingers to show the small pads at their tips. “I have a weight limit, but I’ve been pushing that limit further and further. It’s a great quirk to disable villains, I can have them float aimlessly in the air. I can also use it to turn heavy objects into weapons, and it’s great for rescue missions. Helping with collapsing buildings, natural disasters, and stuff. Oh! And it’s also great for construction work, too, which is my family’s business back in Mie Prefecture.”

She hoped her parents were watching her right then. She still didn’t have her phone with her, so she couldn’t text them to turn on the TV, but she wanted to believe that some other family members or friends would record it and send it to her parents.

“What’s it like for a young hero-in-training to see their school being attacked by villains?”

The mics and cameras kept pointing at her, so she stopped to consider her answer. Listening to Tenya made her want to speak like a hero as well. To give society and the people at home a message of hope and optimism. She wanted to smile and tell everyone that it was okay, that she had been trained to respond to emergencies and act under pressure. That after a tough battle they’d stood victorious, and that it was time to look at the future and focus on the reconstruction ahead. She so wanted to say those things.

But she knew better than to lie. She’d seen what lying did to people, to society even. No good thing could sprout from a foundation based on dishonesty, and thus, she bit her lip and closed her eyes before responding with her truth.

“It’s terrifying,” she admitted, closing her hands over her chest. “The teachers told us to evacuate, to help the students from other departments escape. And it all sounds good until there’s an explosion and the entire campus is on fire. And you start hearing the screams, and seeing the blood, and the smoke gets to you, and you realize that you couldn’t save everyone. I… I was really scared.”

She shivered, but then opened her eyes and shared a look with her two friends, smiling at them through the scary memories.

“It’s scary, but then you see someone that needs help, and it’s… like your legs move on their own. And at that point, you realize that it doesn’t matter if you’re scared or not. You know you have to act, and do your best. And I could do my best ‘cause I had my friends to inspire me. Todoroki said he could do more good fighting than running away, and he ran to the fight right away. And Iida reminded us that heroes don’t hesitate, that it was the time to prove ourselves. All my friends inspired me to give my best.”

“Uraraka was an inspiration for us as well,” Tenya added, looking at his friend with a proud smile, raising a closed fist in the air. “She might have felt scared like the rest of us did, but she kept her guard up and acted quickly on her feet to save others. Her determination and fighting spirit spread to me, and that’s how I got the courage to fight myself.”

“How did you feel when you saw Deku showing up to join the fight?” The same female reporter that had tricked Ochako earlier asked.

She looked at Shoto and Tenya. They silently pondered whether it was okay for them to respond to that. Aizawa had asked them to avoid talking about Deku, but the question aimed at their feelings. The intentionality behind it probably looked for indirect information about Deku, but there didn’t seem to be anything particularly wrong with the question.

“I can only speak for myself, but the timely arrival of Mido—, ehem, of Deku, I should say, gave me a second wind,” Tenya answered. “He appeared right when everything seemed lost from my perspective, but looking at my old friend take down Gigantomachia and tell us to not give up inspired me to look past the pain and to go beyond.”

“When I saw him, I felt pain,” Shoto responded, touching his stomach. “All for One had just stabbed me. I had to cauterize my wound. It was very painful.”

Ochako hit his ribs with her elbow, and although he seemed confused as to why his friend would try to hurt him in public, the way she raised her eyebrows at him seemed to light a bulb inside his head.

“I was also happy to see him after so long. I was ready to die fighting, but when he showed up, I thought that maybe we could win after all.”

The focus then shifted to Ochako, who remained with her policy of speaking with nothing but the truth.

“I felt a lot of things at the same time,” she admitted, trying to make sure that her cheeks wouldn’t blush. “Part of me was super afraid, ‘cause I knew that for better or worse, it would be his last fight against All for One. I was super happy too. I hadn’t seen him for such a long time. I was fighting a dangerous villain and for a second I thought I would die.”

She didn’t notice how her right hand rubbed the white scar she’d hidden from Izuku, right where Toga’s knife had pierced her hand.

“But then I saw him and… And I don’t know. I just thought back to everything we’d been through. Everything he’d been through, too. And I felt that I needed to be there for him, and that made me fight harder. He’s… selfless to a fault, right? He’s always looking after others, and I wanted to be the one looking after him.”

Ochako only realized what she’d said when the flashes went off, blinding her and forcing her to think back to her words. She had probably said more than necessary, and she’d fallen back into talking about Deku. She blushed and looked away from the flashes.

The reporters began to shoot more questions her way, all of them wondering about Deku, but thankfully for her, Tenya intervened.

“We are truly sorry, but I believe we should be going back with our class,” he said, waving his arms to catch the attention of the reporters.

The media began to act like a mindless mob once again, all of them almost violently asking questions at the same time, trying to have one final question. Tenya apologized but insisted they had to leave and was about to direct his friends back to the bus when one question ringed in their heads above the rest.

“What keeps you motivated to be heroes given the current state of the hero society and the negative image that most pros have right now?”

The three of them stopped, having heard the question, and turned to look at the reporter that asked it. They stayed in silence for a couple of seconds before returning next to the security fences and the microphones.

“The League of Villains made people feel unsafe,” Shoto said. “I want to reverse that. I want everyone to feel safe again.”

“While it is true that the trust in heroes has faltered as the result of bad decisions and communication mistakes, my brother taught me that there’s no true meaningful purpose in life that comes without a burden. And that the heavier the burden, the nobler and more meaningful our contribution to society becomes. And I am willing to carry the weight of past mistakes, and fight against it to remind people why heroes are important.”

Once again, Ochako found herself in possession of the final answer, and she took a second to reflect on it.

Why did she want to be a hero? Well, she wanted to give her parents an easier life. She wanted them to be happy and not worry about all their bills and eviction notices and empty fridges that took away from their happiness during her childhood. That’s what she wanted the most in the world.

Or at least that’s what she’d always wanted. During the past couple of months, however —specifically since April, right when her second year was about to start—, she’d found herself wondering what kept her going. What motivated her to be a hero. What it meant for her to be a hero. And she’d come to a thousand different answers. Some more heroic, some more cynical, some even borderline nihilistic. She’d spent many sleepless nights trying to figure out if she was doing the right thing. But every time she thought she’d hit a new low, every time she’d read the news and hear about a mysterious figure saving people, she’d find her answer. An almost self-evident answer, but that had somehow escaped her for the longest time. She wanted to help her parents, yes, but money wasn’t the real motivation. Something else was, something much deeper and meaningful, greater than just her parents.

“I just want to make people smile,” she replied, having a very special smile in her mind as she spoke, one that meant a lot to her and that she’d missed seeing. “I want to be there to save people, even people that don’t want or don’t know that they need to be saved, and make them smile again.”

Many follow-up questions ensued, but Tenya didn’t hesitate to lead his classmates away from the press and towards their bus.

On their way there, Ochako kept dwelling upon her final answer. She truly wanted to make people smile, and her loved ones played a major role in that. She knew it would take a while to fulfill her goal of properly helping her parents with their financial situation, but there were other people she could help in the meantime. Other loved ones. Other stubborn, heroic, green-haired fools that looked like they needed more smiles in their lives. She could start there, and see where it got her. See if being a hero felt as good as she hoped.

“Did I do better than last time?” Shoto asked as they approached the bus.

“I believe you did, Todoroki. Your performance was… better than last time, for sure,” Tenya said, pitying his friend and saving him the embarrassment.

Shoto missed out on the white lie and sighed in relief. “I see. Do you think they appreciated my word?”

“I’m sure they appreciate it; you gave them a lot to talk about,” Ochako mentioned, sharing a worried glance with Tenya.

“Cool. Teacher will be pleased.” He nodded, before squinting his eyes. “Although I’m still not sure which word they were specifically waiting for. Hmm… it was probably cauterize. ”

Izuku sat on his bed, knees pressed against his chest, eyes closed, trying to suppress the numbness in his heart.

Eri and Eraserhead had left a few minutes earlier, with the young girl getting over most of her fears and insecurities. At the very least, she had seemingly cried out her frustrations, and after being reassured that Izuku still cared for her the same as always, she managed to calm down and have a nice talk with him. He’d mostly asked about what she’d been up to in the past few weeks, which led to banal conversations as she happily told him about her progress with writing, drawing, and reading. She promised him that she’d draw him something, and that warmed up his heart.

Sooner than he would have wished, however, Aizawa and Eri were told by Death Arms that they had to leave. The young girl made him promise that he would come back to school soon, and after giving her his word, they bid goodbye and left him with the room to himself. Death Arms told him that agent Mera would arrive shortly, and Izuku thanked the pro hero. With but a few minutes to spare, he sat on the bed and looked at his surroundings. Everything seemed clean, almost too clean for his taste, from the pristine blankets to the immaculate walls and the spotless tiles, all shining under the artificial LED lights.

Such an unblemished place disturbed him in a way he couldn’t explain. After reluctantly getting used to the dirty, rough, unforgiving life on the streets, things as simple as a clean, comfortable bed sounded like a luxury to him. He’d been forced to live in almost inhuman conditions as he stayed under All for One’s radar. He had always thought of himself as someone with modest expectations. He didn’t need a mansion or a great car to feel like he had a good life. He had a much lower bar, focused more on the people around him and his passions rather than material possessions. Even then, life on the street had been tough for him. The cold nights. Not being able to shower. The rationed meals. Up to the previous night, he hadn’t eaten a proper meal since…

He shivered, his blood seemingly dropping in temperature within a second. Endeavor, Jeanist, and Hawks offered him food and shelter time and time again, but he rejected it each time. He needed to be alone. He couldn’t risk anyone else getting hurt because of him. The pro heroes eventually realized his stubbornness and stopped trying to convince him.

Except for All Might. He never gave up on Izuku. He kept communicating to him, staying in contact, keeping him sane. And he never stopped bringing him homemade bento boxes. Not even after Izuku asked him to stay away from him, to stay safe. And where had that gotten them? Where was All Might now?

He clenched his fists so hard he cracked one of his knuckles, and a feeling of despair and hopelessness took over his body. He tried to take in deep breaths, but the feeling of his chest going numb and the shaking of his arms didn’t go away. His eyes began to itch and he felt a sudden urge to cry, one he was quick to control and bury. Not now. Not there. He was expecting visitors. He couldn’t break down now.

The minutes stretched, each one feeling much longer than the previous one, and while he wouldn’t say he got necessarily better, he managed to stop himself from getting worse. That, lately, counted as a win.

Eventually, however, someone knocked on his door, and after tricking his face into looking presentable, he walked there to open it. He expected to see agent Mera from the Hero Public Safety Commission, and indeed there he stood, but he wasn’t alone.

“Principal Nezu?” Izuku asked, surprised to see the furry hero.

“The one and only!” He said, raising a paw with his never-changing smile.

Behind Mera, Izuku saw his mom carrying several folders filled to the brim with pages, and she looked exhausted. And next to her, he noticed detective Tsukauchi, All Might’s former friend. Naomasa gave him a slight nod and a smile.

“Good afternoon, Midoriya,” Mera said, the eye bags under his eyes looking worse by the day. “May we come in?”

“Uh… Sure.”

He stepped aside and let Mera walk into the room, followed by the rest of the adults. When his mom walked past him, he helped her by grabbing the folders.

“What are these?”

“I had to sign a lot of papers,” she said with a tired tone.

“I apologize, I know it’s a lot,” said Mera, “but we needed to sort these things out before continuing. Trust me, no one hates bureaucracy more than me.”

“It’s fine, sir. I’ll admit, it was slightly exciting signing all these documents!” Inko looked at the folder her son was carrying with a dreamy look. “Besides, it’s all for Izuku, so I’m happy for him!”

“Hmm. Well, I’m glad we could figure out everything regarding your son’s legal situation and his new bank accounts.”

“Wait, what?” Izuku asked, looking at the papers he was holding.

“But I’m sure you’ll catch him up with everything soon. Oh, and Midoriya, we contacted mister Tokuda and he has agreed to host the interview. He’ll get in touch with your mother to arrange the details, but we’ve settled on Sunday at 9 p.m., right after the public act where you’ll get your pro hero license. You’re free to ask specific questions or topics that you don’t want to discuss.”

“Sunday…” He trailed off, looking to the side and biting his lip, deep in thought. Inko put a hand on his shoulder and smiled at him.

“Today’s Tuesday.”

“O-Oh. Right. Thank you”, he said, slightly embarrassed.

Every day had felt the same for so long, and it was hard to keep track of something as trivial as time or what day of the week he was on.

“Very well, Midoriya, Mrs. Midoriya, if you don’t mind, please take a seat.”

Izuku turned to see that Mera had arranged the chairs in the room so he and detective Tsukauchi were facing Nezu and two empty chairs. He placed the folders on his bed and took his place with the rest of the adults.

“Um, may I ask what’s going on?”

“You just did,” Nezu pointed out, his two feet dangling over the edge of his chair.

“We managed to figure out everything related to the immediate future and the legal ramification of you becoming a pro hero, your pardon, and other circumstances. Your mom has been put up to date on everything, and the Hero Public Safety Commission will provide legal advisors to help with every step of the way.”

“Right… So what’s left?”

“Well, this isn’t an issue regarding the Hero Public Safety Commission directly, but Mr. Tsukauchi has asked me to be here as a representative of the institution for what he has to share. And I would rather be here than talking with the press, so yeah.”

“But what is ‘this’, sir?” Izuku asked, getting slightly frustrated with how Mera seemed to be beating around the bush without saying why the detective and Nezu were there with him. Was it regarding his actions as a vigilante? Were the police going to ask U.A. to take measures with him? He knew better than to still think he was in trouble, but maybe there were some clauses to his pardon he needed to take into account.

Mera looked at Naomasa, who glanced at a couple of papers he held before clearing his throat.

“Well, Deku, we’ve been waiting for you to settle down so we could get you, Principal Nezu, and someone from the Hero Public Safety Commission in the same room. You see,” he said, flicking a finger at the corner of the pages, “you’re all beneficiaries of All Might’s estate, and we require all parties involved to read his last will and testament.”

If Izuku’s heart kept skipping beats like it’d been doing in the past forty-eight hours, he would have to check in with a cardiologist to get his arrhythmia treated. The numb sensation on his chest doubled down, and a lead ball dropped inside his stomach.

“All Might’s… will?” He asked, dumbfounded.

“Yes. He updated it shortly before… you know. And he let me know in advance that he wanted me to be the executor of his last will. I’ve read the document already, but we waited for you to finish your business before sharing it with principal Nezu and the HPSC.”

“Perfectly reasonable,” the high spec animal said, nodding his head.

“And… I’m…”

“You’re one of the beneficiaries, yes. I know this might be too sudden or too much, so if you don’t feel ready, we can reschedule this for a different time.”

He was most certainly not ready. Not ready at all. Even though a week or so had passed since All Might and Endeavor’s deaths at the hands of All for One, Izuku hadn’t truly processed them. The only thing he did was wrecking that one abandoned warehouse he hid in. Letting Blackwhip wreak havoc and obliterate everything around him. That hardly counted as proper management of his emotions, and he didn’t think he could ever get over it or get ready to face the true consequences of his actions. He didn’t feel ready to read All Might’s will. That would just mean…

It would mean he was gone for good. His belongings wouldn’t be his anymore. They would belong to someone else, just like how One for All now belonged to Izuku and only him. There was no other user alive. All Might would then become a memory for good. He didn’t want to take that step. He didn’t want to live in a world where he was the heir of his mentor. He didn’t want to accept that. He didn’t—

The warm shadow of a hand touched his shoulder, and he looked to his upper left.

“Don’t be afraid, Young Midoriya,” the smoke-like vestige of All Might told him, his bright smile bigger than ever. “I am here with you. Will always be with you, until the end of the road, but you can’t keep running ahead if you’re always looking back.”

He didn’t say anything, but he knew the part of All Might that lived inside him could read his feelings. Indeed, a second later, the former number one hero patted his back and moved his hand to ruffle his hair.

“Don’t worry, I’ll stay with you. We’ll get through this together.”

Somewhat reassured by the presence of his mentor, Izuku gulped and closed his eyes for a second. His fists clenched on his knees, wrinkling his pants, and he gave a small nod to himself.

“It’s fine, sir. We can do this now.”

Naomasa nodded, cleared his throat, and then proceeded to begin reading the documents.

“I, Toshinori Yagi, resident of the city of Musufatu, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, being of sound mind, not acting under duress or undue influence, and  fully understanding the nature and extent of all my property and this disposition thereof, do hereby make, publish, and declare this document to be my Last Will and Testament, and hereby revoke any and all other wills and codicils heretofore made by me.”

The testament went on to talk about taxes and expenses and how detective Naomasa Tsukauchi had been appointed as the executor of the will. All the while, Izuku felt his throat going dry, cold sweat falling down his back and armpits, and his feet impatiently tapping the floor. Inko put a hand over his, and the vestige of All Might kept a firm grip on his shoulder, squeezing tightly every once in a while, even though he could only feel a soft, warm sensation.

“Section three: disposition of property,” the detective read out loud, looking at all the parties involved, and the ghost hand on Izuku’s shoulder felt like it was painlessly burning on his shoulder. “I devise and bequeath my property, both real and personal and wherever situated, as follows: to the Hero Public Safety Commission, with its main building located in Tokyo, Japan, as my legislators and employers for almost four decades, I leave the collection of my original costumes, the mementos of my past battles, and all my material belongings that are still kept in the building of my agency. They may do with them as they please, although it is my hope that they would exhibit them at a public museum or, should they decide to sell them, to donate that money to a charity of their choosing to help those in need of protection.”

Mera nodded and let out a huge sigh, rubbing his long, skeletal fingers over his eyelids.

“I guess I shall respect his wishes by getting into contact with the National Museum of Heroics. I hate talking to those guys. Scholars are so hard to deal with.”

“To the U.A. High School, currently located on Musufatu, Shizuoka Prefecture, as the place where I learned how to be a hero and my last private employer, I leave my financial assets and the All Might’s brand Right of Publicity, including but not limited to ownership and control of my commercial brand, my hero name and likeness, and the right to collect residuals from the sale of products that utilize my brand. I would like to extend to Principal Nezu, or whoever may be in charge of the school, my wish to have them use that money to create and sustain a scholarship to help to scout promising students that may otherwise not consider or would be unable to take the entrance exam. Young students that may not think their quirks or lack thereof would make them eligible given the reputation of U.A. After meeting my successor, I realized that our biggest hopes may lie in those that we as a society are often too blind to see.”

“Ah, what a wonderful idea,” Nezu mentioned. “U.A. will gladly carry on his last will, and I shall get in contact with the school board soon to figure out the logistics. I believe we could create this scholarship and make it effective within this semester to scout possible candidates for next year’s entrance exams. It could also act the same way as the recommendation program. The All Might Scholarship. Hmm. Toshinori managed to find a way to still help those in need even after he’s gone. Truly, the spirit of a real hero.”

Izuku smiled. Yes, indeed, that sounded so much like All Might. To give all his money just to help kids get into U.A. and possibly become heroes. His chest swelled with pride and happiness, especially after he caught the way he’d phrased people not believing in their quirks “or lack thereof”.

“Of course, Young Midoriya. You and I know that there’s much more to a hero than what they’re born with.”

“ We do ,” he thought to himself and the vestiges.

“Lastly, to Izuku Midoriya,” Naomasa read, and time itself seemed to stop for a second as Izuku leaned forward on his chair, “from Musufatu, Shizuoka Prefecture, as my protegé , my successor…”

He looked up from the page to meet Izuku’s eyes, and the teenager felt the hairs on his neck standing up with a chill. Naomasa waited a second before gulping and looking down once again, and when he resumed his reading, his soft tone delivered the words with just the slightest hesitation.

“...and the son I never had.”

He had enough empathy to pause after delivering the coup de grâce to Izuku’s brittle emotional state, and along with the other adults in the room, he stared with sympathy at the boy as he took in the words he’d just listened to.

Izuku, who had been leaning forward with his hands on his knees, leaned back and recoiled from the impact. At first, he felt nothing but outright shock, believing that he may have misheard or misunderstood what the detective said. But he knew he hadn’t. He knew All Might had written those words, and most importantly, he knew that he meant it.

He let out a shaky breath and rushed to move a closed fist to his mouth, pressing it until he was biting the side of his finger, trying to stop his muscles from locking up and his eyes from bursting into tears. All his mental efforts were put into stopping himself from breaking down, but soon enough he had to deviate resources to process All Might’s words, and the moment he did, he couldn’t hide a howl and the first heavy tears to fall on the back of his hand.

Izuku didn’t hate his dad. He didn’t feel particularly attached to him either. He was grateful to the man for bringing him to life and to keep sending money to him and Inko, even though they were no longer legally married. He moved on with his life, made enough to provide for them, and didn’t stay in touch. It had never bothered him. His mom was all he’d ever need to grow up healthy and happy.

And then he met All Might, the person he admired the most. His idol. A man that embodied everything Izuku loved. A man that believed in him, a man that saw beyond his quirklessness. A man that told him he could reach his dream, and that looked after him. They would train together, but they would also sit at the edge of the water and watch the sunset, with All Might wanting to know more about him. He would ask about his day, his favorite movies. He would recommend books to read once he found out Izuku used to spend many afternoons inside his house with nothing but books to entertain himself. Then he’d gotten into U.A. and even though their time spent together became less and less, he still called him to his office for lunch quite often, supervising his studies and his growth as a hero and a person.

He’d never told him, but like Shoto had pointed out earlier, All Might had become Izuku’s surrogate father. What he felt for him had evolved from mere admiration to love, parental love. He could feel All Might’s love for him as well, but they had never said it out loud. And to think that he had missed out on that opportunity… To think that he had never told him how he truly felt…

His mom gave him a side hug and rested her head on his shoulder, while the other hand, the one he could feel but that wasn’t physically there, patted his back.

Naomasa gave him a minute of respectful silence, and although Izuku didn’t stop crying, he managed to keep it controlled enough it felt acceptable for him to continue.

“To him, I leave my house, located in 1980 Mandaroa, Musufatu, Shizuoka Prefecture, and all my personal belongings therein stored, for him to use and dispose of as he pleases. And I wish to extend to him my hope that, as little as this gift may be, it gives him a small headstart into the brighter future I know he’ll build for himself. Young Midoriya, live your life to the fullest, and never forget that a warm heart and a kind smile can be stronger than ten One for Alls.”

The last words hurt him twice as bad, and his crying got uglier yet not louder. He covered his face with a forearm and felt his mom nodding at the detective to keep going. Naomasa proceeded to get into legal technicalities, including omissions, bonds, and the discretionary powers of the executor, but Izuku didn’t bother paying attention. He assumed his mother would do it for him, and even if she didn’t, he trusted everyone in the room to make sure he understood if anything relevant to him was said.

A house. All Might had left him a house. His house. Mandaroa neighborhood was an upper-class part of the suburbs that was famous for housing many pro heroes that wanted a tranquil, peaceful life when they weren’t on duty. He’d never even visited that part of the city, and soon he would be owning a house there.

All Might’s house. It was an incredible, unexpected gift, but it somehow felt wrong. How could he accept that? He… he didn’t deserve it, did he? It was too much. He wouldn’t be able to live with himself knowing he was sleeping in the same room All Might did, or that he was eating in his dining room. How could he? How could he accept such a generous gift when he hadn’t been able to even save him?

Before he knew what was going on, he had left the hospital room and was now standing in the middle of an endless dark void, facing the vestige of his mentor.

“Don’t fool yourself, Young Midoriya,” All Might told him, his voice echoing in the undefined space around them. “Your guilt blinds you, but even you should be able to see that I meant everything I said in my last will. A house may not be much, but—”

“How can you say that?” He interrupted, wiping fresh tears away. “A house is… It's too much!”

“I know you’ll become a great hero. With the money you’ll earn, you will be able to buy bigger and better houses than the one I left for you. Material possessions aren’t all that important, Young Midoriya.”

“But it’s… your house. How could I…?”

“It was my home, yes. And it held sentimental value for me, which is why I wouldn’t want it to be anyone else’s. You are my successor, and…” All Might’s vestige looked away for a second, and although his smile didn’t hesitate, Izuku could see his eyes shining brighter with incipient tears. “Well, you’ve read what I had to say about you.”

“Did you really mean it?”

“Yes,” he responded without missing a beat.

Izuku nodded, trying to get a grip on his emotions.

“But… Did you mean it?” he asked once again. “Do your memories only go up until the moment you passed One for All to me? Are you the All Might that wrote that will, or are you the All Might that completed my training?”

“More of the latter,” the vestige admitted, looking back at Izuku, “but I’m also part of the former. When you held my hand in my last moments, our blood touched, and whatever residual energy of One for All had lingered in me went to you. In a way, I’m an amalgam of two Toshinoris, but one thing that stays consistent and that only seems to grow in time is the affection I felt for you. Follow the advice you gave to Young Eri today. I died with the hope that you would continue on the path you chose, and I left you my house as a small token of appreciation. Feel free to use it. Or not. Do with it as you please, Young Midoriya, but don’t feel guilty or afraid to accept it.”

Izuku couldn’t think of anything else to say, so instead, he ran ahead, cut the distance between them short, and hugged the hulking figure of his master. The vestige of All Might returned the embrace and held him tight.

“Can I stay here?” Izuku asked, pressing his face against All Might’s torso. “Just a little longer?”

“As long as you need.”

“Are you ready?”

Hawks was standing next to the door, his still-recovering wings flapping behind him, getting ready to take off.

“Yeah. Are you sure we should leave like this? Shouldn’t I… I don’t know, take a car or something?” Izuku asked, stretching his arms as he looked at the glass door that led to the street.

“I mean… You could, but why would you? We can fly.”

“I can Float .”

“Right, you can fall with style, I get it, you’re lame.”

Izuku snorted and shook his head. Hawks could be a bit of a snarky guy sometimes. “Yeah, it’s easier to move like this, but I can’t really use my powers without the supervision of a hero.”

“I’m a hero, I’ll supervise you. But remember, the commission has already granted you your license. The act will just be for publicity and show business. Now come on, put on some sunglasses, walk next to me, wave your hand to the cameras, and don’t say anything . Got it?”

“Alright, sure. Let’s go,” he said, though sunglasses weren’t his thing, so he kept those in his pocket.

As the two opened the hospital doors and walked outside, Izuku couldn’t avoid thinking to himself how crazy it was that he could casually walk right next to the current number one hero and have him joke around him like they were friends. He wouldn’t call himself a friend of Hawks, Best Jeanist, or the Lurkers, but having fought side by side with them, the almost reverential, divine appreciation he felt for them had tamed down to a… still an admittedly high level of respect and appreciation. But at the very least, he didn’t become a stuttering mess when he talked to a pro hero like he once would have.

Once he took a step outside the hospital, the flashes and screams from the press hit him like a tidal wave, and he understood why Hawks suggested wearing sunglasses. The Wing hero smirked at the obvious discomfort in Deku’s face due to the flashes.

“Just smile and wave, Midoriya,” he told him, raising a hand and doing as he instructed, “smile and wave.”

Izuku channeled his inner All Might, thought of the happiness he felt when his friends accepted his apology, focused on those feelings, and put on the biggest smile he could produce. When he raised his arm and waved it at the cameras, everyone lost their minds, going wild as he had just scored a championship goal. Everyone seemed to be asking him something different at the same time, but the words mixed up into a convoluted clamor he couldn’t make a sense of.

“Alright, that should be enough. Let’s get going.”

“You should go first,” Izuku suggested. “My take-off is a lot more explosive.”

Hawks stopped waving his hand, looking incredulously at the teenager next to him. “Did you just call me slow, Midoriya?”

“I-I’m not saying that! Just that, you know, your acceleration is incremental, whereas mine is a strong impulse at first that dies down as I go, so it makes sense for you to go first so I—”

“Chill, I’m just messing with you,” Hawks told him, ruffling his green hair to the delight of the press. “Though you better go fast, ‘cause I’m not slowing down after that.”

And with that, he opened his wings and took off, flying up into the sky at an already impressive speed. Izuku shook his head with a smile on his face. Hawks took pride in his speed. He took a mental note of never bringing up their differences in speed again. With all eyes now on him, he crouched and let One for All run through his veins. An aura of green lightning surrounded him, and without wasting any more time, he kicked the ground below in combination with his Float quirk to rocket up towards Hawks. With a playful grin, he didn’t slow down, and in a matter of seconds he had not only caught up with the current number one hero, but he even flew past him.

“Oh, it is on ,” he heard Hawks say, and with a chuckle, the two began an impromptu race to get to Izuku’s apartment.

He enjoyed traveling through the air without the constant fear of an assassin attacking him out of nowhere, or the knowledge that he was heading to where his Danger Sense pointed, and every second it took him to get there meant more people would get hurt. He also enjoyed the silence, something he’d gotten used to in the past couple of months. It helped clear his head, and now that All for One was gone for good, he had nothing to spend every minute dreading for. It liberated him. It allowed him to close his eyes and simply focus on the wind against his face.

Soon enough, they reached his apartment building, and they both hovered above it.

“Remember, the press isn’t allowed to film where you live. No one is. You’re effectively a pro hero now. So if you see someone you don’t trust trying to get an interview from you or something, call Mera and they’ll get kicked out.”

“Thank you, Hawks. For… for everything. I can’t even… begin to tell you how much it means to me. I was thinking about this earlier, but it’s still hard to believe that I’m here talking with a pro hero as big as you,” he admitted, scratching his cheek with a finger and looking away from Hawks.

“I get it. I couldn’t believe it the first time I stepped onto the stage along with Endeavor and All Might. But you know what, in the end, we’re all heroes. Just because some are better than us, it doesn’t mean we’re that different.”

“But… you’re the current number one,” Izuku said with a confused look. “No one’s better than you.”

“The billboard rankings are just a publicity stunt, kid. I’m proud of the job I do, but I don’t think I could hold a candle to people like Jeanist, Mirko, Gang Orca, or Edgeshot. They’ve been at this for far longer than I have, and I think they’ve made a much bigger impact than me.”

“Huh… I guess you’re right. N-Not that you haven’t made an impact, I mean that—”

“Don’t worry, I get it. Plus, I won’t be holding the number one position for much longer,” he cryptically said, looking away with a smirk.

“What do you mean?”

“Your mother’s probably waiting for you with a big meal,” he said, ignoring Izuku’s question. “You can call me if you need anything. I know the battle’s over and you don’t need me babysitting you; not that we ever did, in all honesty. But seriously, anything you need, just give me a call.”

“I will. Thank you, Hawks.”

“Thank you , Deku,” he said, surprising Izuku by calling him by his hero name. They both smiled at each other, and with one final polite nod, Izuku regulated his Float quirk to descend to the balcony of his apartment.

True to what Hawks said, Izuku could already smell a delicious meal being cooked. He took a step towards the sliding glass door but hesitated before knocking to let his mom know he was there. He took a look at his department. He hadn’t been there for so long. A weird sense of nostalgia took over him, and the smell of katsudon flooded his lungs with the long breath he took.

He gently knocked on the glass, and soon his mother came running to him, opening the glass door and welcoming him with a smile. “Welcome home, Izuku.”

He was home. Truly back home.

He nodded at his mom and stepped inside, looking around him like he was visiting a museum for the first time.

“To be honest I just started cooking, so it’ll be a while before it’s ready. Why don’t you go to your room to lay down for a bit?”

“Yeah, I’ll… I’ll do that. Call me when it’s ready.”

With that, he took off his shoes and went to his room, opening the door to it with the same care he would disarm a bomb. Once inside, he wasted no time standing in the middle of the room and looking around him. Everything had stayed in the same conditions he’d left them. All his posters, all the action figures, his computer, his books, his notebooks. It looked like a polaroid picture of the past, a projection he walked on. He almost felt like an intruder, standing in someone else’s room. And yet every corner of it brought him back to old times, with a simpler life in a less complicated world.

He walked to his desk and touched the surface of his notebooks. He had learned so much in the past couple of months, he could probably fill at least four more of those. His eyes then went to his old phone, connected to a charger and resting next to his bed. He’d left it there when he went rogue, using a new one that Endeavor had gotten him to stay off the grid. With curiosity, he took the phone, disconnected it, and unlocked it as he sat on his chair.

His eyes went wide. He had never had so many unread texts in his life. Heck, he didn’t think he’d received as many texts, period.

He opened the app, and his eyes scanned the list of unread conversations. He’d left the class’ group chat, so he’d probably missed out on a few thousand messages, but a quick scroll showed that every single one of his classmates had tried to contact him. Judging by the numbers, at least several times. Not only them, but also Mirio, Nejire, and even people from Class B, and a few numbers he didn’t recognize.

Feeling overwhelmed, he decided to start reading them. He almost clicked on the most recent conversation but decided to leave that for last. Instead, he started from the oldest and slowly made his way back to the most recent. The texts, for the most part, were very similar between conversations.

The oldest mostly showed how much he’d worried everyone with his sudden disappearance.

Midoriya, where are you? Why did you leave the group chat? Are you okay?

do u need help?

midoriya I know you’re working with my father but he won’t tell me where you are
call me if you need backup

I tried calling you but you just won’t pick up, what’s going on?

we’re worried about you
please call us

Midoriya, we have received your letters, and while we understand the reasoning behind your decision, we would like to talk to you about this so we can offer you our input. Please reply to this message so we can arrange a meeting. We are your friends, please remember that.

Then, as a few days and weeks passed, his classmates seemed to change their strategy.

Midoriya, we heard about you on the news
they didn’t say your name, but I’m sure it was you
please call me, you don’t have to do this alone

I was thinking about u today
I hope ur doing okay. I’m here for u if you need to talk

We still miss you, Midoriya. Call us and we’ll come running for you.

STOP FUCKIN AROUND N ERD
TELL ME WHERE THE NEXT TARGET IS
WE LL GET THIS S HIT DONE FASTER

He could tell by the date that a lot of his friends had seemingly given up on him, or at the very least, they kept him in their minds but realized that texting him wasn’t a solution. A few still seemed to text him every once in a while, and judging by the timestamps, he assumed it happened whenever they couldn’t fall asleep.

He read every single conversation, each message filling him with guilt until there was only one person he had purposely avoided reading up until then.

“Uraraka”.

He couldn’t tell exactly how many times she’d texted him since the app stopped counting at +99, but even if that was the real number, she’d already beaten the rest of his friends at least threefold. He looked at the date of the last text. Three days ago. He felt scared, but he knew he had to do it. Not without some hesitation, he tapped the conversation open and then scrolled up to the beginning of the unread messages.

deku pls dont do this
you dont have to go alone
where are u?
call me
deku its important pls call me
all might left the school
i know hes with u
dont u dare go after all for one on ur own
deku pls im cryin right now answer the phone
pls
deku
deku..

He pressed the screen against his chest and looked up at the ceiling. The mental picture of Ochako crying because of him cracked his heart and hurt in a way that he wouldn’t have guessed. It hit him differently, for some reason. Probably because she was his best friend, and her positive and always cheerful attitude made the idea of her crying for him all that much worse.

Probably.

He sighed and looked back at the phone, reading the messages she’d send him during the first few days and weeks after his departure.

deku u know u can trust me right
i just want to talk to u
i PROMISE i wont rat u out
i dont want to stop u i just want to talk
tell me where and ill meet u there
or just call me
whatever u feel more comfortable with
i just miss u
like
really bad

i need to know that ur ok
deku pls tell me ur ok

hey deku
its been awhile
just checkin on u
u can call me whenever if u need me
i keep my phone with me at all times
pls call me

deku
where r u?

deku pls if u have ur phone
just
call me
ok?

<message deleted>
<message deleted>
<message deleted>
im sorry i shouldnt have said anything
i just hope ur ok

hey deku
we all figured out u dont have ur phone with u
but maybe u do
so ill keep writing to u
just in case
i miss u
pls call me if u read this

<message deleted>
<message deleted>

i thought i saw u today
i was on patrol and something flew by
it was gone before i knew it
did u pass by the river?

hey
i know its late
but if ur reading this
i hope ur doing ok

deku u there?

<message deleted>
<message deleted>
<message deleted>
<message deleted>
<message deleted>

i saw the news today
it was u wasnt it?
deku this is so dangerous
pls let us help

The texts kept going and he read every single one. He was touched by her commitment to keeping texting him even though she received nothing but silence from him. She always asked him how he was doing, offered him help, asked him to call her, and wondered if he was the one the news was talking about. And then there were those messages she’d deleted, and what she had told him, he would never know. He wouldn’t blame her if she had insulted him. He realized he didn’t deserve a friend like Ochako, someone that cared for him unconditionally like that.

He continued to read her texts and noticed how her attitude changed over time. The first few weeks she couldn’t keep her worry out of her texts. It soaked them, and he could feel it just by reading them. Then, after a month or so, she seemed to have internalized that he wouldn’t message her back, and her messages had instead turned into small check-ins on him. Telling him about things that had reminded her of him. Wishing him good luck. Catching him up with some developments with their classmates. Slipping in the occasional “call me if you need anything, even just someone to talk to for a bit”.

And then, not too long ago, All Might’s death had happened, and she went back into full worry. She’d messaged him every day up until three days ago. The deleted messages returned.

By the time he was done reading all her messages, he felt emotionally drained. Part of him had felt a strangely warm feeling in his stomach, looking at how worried she had been about him. It let him know just how much she cared for him, and it oddly reassured him. He couldn’t quite put his finger on why, but it felt special.

For the most part, however, he felt nothing but shame and disappointment. He’d gone places where Ochako shouldn’t have followed him. What if she got hurt? What if—? God, what if she got killed? Izuku wouldn’t be able to keep going after that. Just thinking about it brought back the feeling of losing his breath and wanting to throw up. He had left to do his own thing precisely to protect his friends. And yes, he knew that they would be upset.

But knowing they would be worried couldn’t be compared with actually reading their worry. Especially Ochako’s. He wanted to have lunch with his mom and then just fly to the hotel she was staying at to apologize once again. Let her know how sorry he felt, how much he hated himself right then for not having received her texts. He wanted to look at her eyes and reaffirm his promise that he would be more open and honest with her in the future. He wanted to grab her hands and let her know how much he—

He opened his eyes and shook his head.

“Wow, Deku, get a hold of yourself,” he thought.

That had taken a weird turn. Yes, they had gotten a bit more… physical the day before, but that only happened because they hadn’t seen each other for months. They were running high on adrenaline and they had just finished a crazy dangerous battle. It made sense to share a hug or two, or that one time she touched his cheek. The circumstances made it perfectly acceptable at the time.

Now that they were trying to get back to normal, their emotions were supposed to have calmed down. He couldn’t just, what? Fly over to see her uninvited and g-g-grab her hands?! What was he thinking?! She’d get weirded out, and rightfully so. He’d been on the streets for so long that he had forgotten how to act like a regular human being. He needed a reality check. He couldn’t do weird stuff like that with his friends.

Still… there were other things he could do. Things that wouldn’t freak her out.

Or at least he hoped they wouldn’t.

“You’ve all been given your keys,” Aizawa said, standing next to Vlad King. “Each room has everything you need. No one’s allowed to sleep outside of their room. You may only use the common zones during the hours they’re open to the public. Remember, we are guests here until the school administration finds a solution on how to move forward.”

“If any of you would rather not stay here and go back with your families or somewhere else, let us know and we’ll relocate you tomorrow,” Vlad King said. “And there are still some guests that aren’t part of the school, so don’t make too much noise!”

“Power Loader and the remaining robots spent all of yesterday and today to recover as much as they could from the destruction of the dorms. We’ve put everything they found in your rooms already. Don’t get too hopeful; almost everything was destroyed. Any questions?”

The students from Classes 2-A and 2-B exchanged glances, not saying much other than some mumbling among themselves. Ochako sighed and bit her lip. She didn’t want to get too hopeful like her teacher said, but she dreaded that most of her things had burned down. For starters, she didn’t have any clothes other than the ones Best Jeanist had given them. Not that there was anything wrong with the clothes themselves, they were much better than most of her repertoire in all honesty. But red didn’t combine all that well with her cheeks and her hair, and as childish as it may sound, she wanted her own clothes, not clothes that someone else had given her.

She hated it when people did charity with her.

“Alright, then go to your rooms, check your belongings, and enjoy your break,” Aizawa said when no one asked anything. “Don’t burn down the hotel. I’m looking at you, Bakugo.”

“Oh come on! It was ONE time!”

“Let’s keep it as a one-time thing, then. You’re dismissed.”

The teachers walked away to talk to the managers, and the forty students picked up the cases with their shredded costumes and went to either the stairs or the elevators to get to their rooms.

“What’s your room, Ochako?” Tsu asked, getting next to her.

She looked at the key. “306. What’s yours?”

“309; so we’re on the same floor, ribbit.”

“Good to know!”

“Yeah. Mina was talking about us girls hanging in her room later today. I wouldn’t mind that.”

“Me neither. It sounds like fun.”

“I feel like there’s a lot to talk about.”

Ochako snorted with derision. “Definitely. Besides, it’s been a while since we last just hung around together, hasn’t it?”

Tsu took a finger to her chin.

“I think the last time was when we heard the news talking about Midoriya saving the people at the mall.”

“Oh,” Ochako said, flinching at the memory. “Right.”

That hadn’t been a good day for her. They had all been hearing the rumors about a scary-looking man that had multiple quirks and went around different cities near Shizuoka prefecture, and they all knew it had to be Deku. They were even trying to figure out a pattern in his appearances, trying to find a way to get to him, to no success.

And then, one day, the news covered a story about this mysterious vigilante that had saved many people from a C-tier villain at a shopping mall. He had appeared right when the villain was about to execute a man, and he had taken care of him so fast that no one could tell what he’d done. He subdued the villain with what witnesses described as “a lasso of black energy”, and had left after making sure no one was hurt. Ochako knew right away that it was Izuku and his blackwhip, and for a second she was happy to know that he was still okay.

Her happiness only lasted until the witnesses began to describe him.

“His clothes were all covered in cuts, dirt, and blood. I thought he was a villain at first!”

“It all happened so fast, but when he looked at me, he didn’t look like a hero on duty. He looked like he was tired.”

“His voice was all raspy like he had a cold. Didn’t sound very heroic at first.”

“His right arm had the sleeve all teared up and it was covered with nasty scars.”

She had locked herself up in her room after seeing that and she forgot about her homework and the reports she needed to fill in for her hero work studies. She just hugged her pillow and cried. The image those descriptions created in her mind were heartbreaking. Picturing Izuku all battered up, bloodied, dirty, tired, hurt, and still taking time to save others made too much sense. So much sense it hurt.

She even grabbed her phone and messaged him once again. She’d been doing it ever since he left, and she knew it was pointless. She knew he didn’t have his phone with her. That even if he did, he wouldn’t read them to keep her safe, or whatever dumb excuse he could think of to stay away from them. She knew it accomplished nothing, but she still kept the tiniest ember of hope that maybe one of these days he’d pick up and read them. That maybe the next message she sent would be the one to make him come back. Or at the very least, the one to make him call her. And then she could talk to him, and then maybe she could convince him of… something. She didn’t know what she wanted him to do. She just knew she wanted to be with him.

Whether because her crying had been too loud, her friends were worried about her, or they just needed it as much as she did, she didn’t know, but a couple of hours later Mina knocked on her room and invited her to Momo’s, where all the girls would have a sleepover. She rejected it at first, but Mina could be very persuasive, and so she eventually agreed to go with her, and it had helped her tremendously.

To think that had been the last time they’d all been together just chilling sounded crazy, but she couldn’t say it surprised her all that much. As Tsu said, so many things had been going on that just talking with friends for a couple of hours sounded like a waste of time.

But now that All for One and the League of Villains had been defeated… now that Deku was back… the idea of wasting some time had its appeal.

“Let me know when you guys go,” she told Tsuyu.

And soon enough, she got into her hotel room and took a look at it. It was a clear downgrade from the dorms, but not terribly so. It had a full bathroom, a closet, a TV, two nightstands, and a bed that looked so comfy she wasted no time in jumping over it.

“Aaaaah, this is life,” she said, feeling herself sinking an inch or two into the mattress. She stared at the ceiling and then extended her left hand, looking at the white line on the back of it.

Having a scar wasn’t that bad. It was just a line. Sure, the texture of her skin changed a bit on it, but it wasn’t anything she would be losing any sleepover. She had been lucky enough to have that as her only lingering wound. She felt bad for Eijiro. Losing an eye had to be much more difficult to get used to than a line in her hand. She was used to weird things in her skin, it didn’t affect her anymore. Her finger pads and pink cheeks had gotten her teased enough when she was a child.

She frowned.

Of all the things she thought she’d be learning that day, the one she expected the least was the fact that Izuku had been bullied as a child for being quirkless. During the months of Deku’s absence, Bakugo had been very secretive about Izuku’s past. He had simply confirmed that Izuku had All Might’s quirk and that he was the main target of All for One. They weren’t entirely sure what “receiving his quirk from All Might” meant, and after many days of arguing among themselves, they realized they wouldn’t know the truth until Izuku explained it to them.

The retelling of his childhood had been heartbreaking. It pained her to hear the struggles and hardships he had to live through. His eyes seemed lost as he told his story, and even though he tried to act like he was over it, she knew better than that. She could hear it in his voice, see it in his dull eyes. A selfish part of herself wished the others weren’t there, that it was only Izuku and her, and then she would have been brave enough to hug him. To hold him close, to tell him that it was okay to cry, and maybe she would have cried with him too.

She knew he didn’t want to play the victim, but he was one! He had been. What he’d been through was horrible to hear, something Ochako had only read about but that she assumed only happened in the worst parts of the country, or wherever the worst kind of people lived. To think that someone as kind, gentle, and bright as Izuku had been ostracized as a child simply because he didn’t have a quirk… She didn’t think kids could be that cruel.

And yet he’d never given up. Even without friends, even being quirkless, he’d never lost hope in his dream. He’d soldiered through the slings and arrows of life, and he remained a kind, caring soul. It would have been so easy for him to become jaded with life, nihilistic, angry at the world that had wronged him for something that was beyond his control. But that wasn’t Izuku. His kind heart was, in her eyes, incorruptible. And that was one of the things she loved the most about him.

She groaned and picked up a pillow to cover her face. What the heck was she supposed to do with her feelings? If she could just turn off her brain and follow her heart, she would leave the hotel right then, run all the way to his house, and kiss him the moment he opened the door. But that would be crazy! He had so much on his plate right now. He was still mourning All Might, he was going to become a pro hero, history had its eyes on him. He had so many other things to worry about… She should support him and do her best to lighten his load. She shouldn’t come clean about her feelings now, not yet. He needed time to settle down, to fix everything that was going on in his life. He clearly had no time to spare for her, and she was okay with it, she knew he—

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

She sat up. She knew those generic, basic notification sounds. She peeked on the other side of the bed, and she realized there were a few boxes there. It had to be the things the robots had recovered from the dorms! She immediately grabbed the first box and flung it open, revealing many of her clothes and, resting on top of it, her pink flip phone.

“Yes!” She cheered, grabbing it, holding it tight, and rubbing it against her cheeks. “I knew you’d make it!”

Her phone was basically a brick, she should’ve known that something as insignificant as the total collapse and destruction of her room wouldn’t scratch it. She felt much joy knowing that she wouldn’t have to buy a new phone and that she could now text and call her parents. The notifications she’d just received were probably from them, wondering whether she’d gotten her phone back already.

She laid back on the bed and, with a big grin on her face, she opened her phone and checked her messaging app to see who’d texted her.

She gasped when she saw that, indeed, her parents had been texting her like crazy, but they weren’t her most recent conversation. They were right under “Deku”.

Ochako had to bite her lips and take a deep breath to control herself. For a second, her fingers hesitated. It had been so long since the last time he’d texted her. She’d been waiting for that moment for months, and even though it was just clicking his name to read the new messages, it took courage and determination for her to do so.

When she finally did, however, she took in every single character he’d typed.

hey uraraka.. i just wanted to say im sorry for everything , for worrying u and making u cry
i thought about calling u many times but i didnt know what to say
i missed u too
im happy that im back tho
we ll make up for lost time !

Cry? When did she—?

“Oooohh, riiight,” she said, covering her face with a hand, keeping her pinky up. She quickly scrolled up in the conversation and, sure enough, she’d mentioned crying a couple of times. “Ugggh! How embarrassing!”

Thank God she’d deleted some of the messages she’d sent when she was at her lowest, when her emotions ran rampant and clouded her judgment, making her think that she just needed to tell him how much she needed him for him to come back. Those would be awkward to explain.

Embarrassment aside, however, the fact that Izuku had taken the time to scroll up and read her messages made her heart flutter. And reading that he’d thought about calling her and that he MISSED her only helped brighten up her day. She stared at the screen, re-reading his messages a couple of times until she decided she could allow herself one more embarrassment.

Before she could think it through and convince herself that she shouldn’t do it, she pressed the Call button. She waited for a second, two, and then she heard him.

“H-Hello? Uraraka? Is everything alright?”

She sighed into her phone. “You picked up,” she mentioned with a smile.

A short silence followed until Izuku cleared his throat.

“Yeah, I… Like I said, I’m truly, honestly, so, so, sorr—”

“Don’t, Deku, it’s fine,” she interrupted him. “You don’t have to apologize. You already did. And I forgave you, too. I’m just happy that you’re back and we can talk to each other.”

“Of course. You know, I, uh…”

He trailed off, and she raised an eyebrow.

“What is it?”

“No, nothing, I just… Um, well, if it makes you feel any better— But maybe it doesn’t, maybe it’s not the right thing to say. I…”

She could hear him move the phone away from his face and give a defeated sigh.

“Sorry,” he said, his voice next to the phone once again. “Ok, I’ll say it: I didn’t take my phone with me because I suspected you guys would text me. And just now, reading your messages… Had I read them when you sent them… I probably wouldn’t have continued with my mission.”

“Deku…”

“I missed you too, you know? It was… hard being alone.”

The idea of running to his house was starting to sound less crazy by the second.

“But now I’m back!” He said, suddenly cheerful, but she suspected his face would be sporting a fake smile right then. “ And you know what?”

“What?”

“I have another promise for you.”

She slowly sat up. “What is it?” She wondered in an almost whisper.

“I feel like I owe you for all the unread messages you left me. No, no, hear me out,” he said, catching her before she could interrupt him. “I feel bad. You… never gave up on me, and that means a lot. So… I mean, maybe it’s a bit… presumptuous of me? But anyway, I… I promise you that I’ll never leave you unread again. If you ever want to talk, no matter what it is, or how late it is, just text me or give me a call, and I’ll pick up. I don’t want to make you worry like that ever again.”

She took off her shoes and crouched on the bed, hugging her knees against her chest.

“You can’t promise that, Deku.”

“Why not?”

“It’s kind of a lot.”

“And?”

She giggled, moving her free hand to play with a lock of her hair. “If you do, I’m going to call you in the middle of the night.”

“Until I get back into a regular sleep schedule, I’m probably gonna be up.” He laughed, but he must have sensed the fleeting worry that crossed her face since he stopped and cleared his throat again. “Sorry. It’s nothing, really. Don’t worry about it.”

“You know I will…”

“...I guess you will.”

“Anyway… What’s up with you? Are you back home?” She asked him, unashamedly trying to change the subject, but also trying to get him to talk more. She wished her phone had a frontal camera to facecam him and see his face, but his voice would do for now.

“I am, yes! Just got here five minutes ago. Mom’s cooking lunch right now. How about you? Are you still at the hospital, or did you go to that hotel they were talking about?”

“I’m at the hotel. It’s not as good as the dorms, but it’ll do for now. So what did you do after we left?”

“Oh, uh… A lot happened, actually.”

“You talked to Eri, right?”

“How did you know?”

She smiled, realizing he had indeed been the one to make her smile again. “She looked really happy.”

“Oh! Well, that’s great! Yeah, I talked to her. And then… well, I mean, it’s a long story.”

“Deku?”

“Yes? What is it?”

She rolled until she was lying on her belly, her feet rocking back and forth, and her chin resting on her right hand.

“Tell me everything. I want to know.”

It took him a few seconds, but she could hear some movement on the other end of the line, and judging by the sound of a mattress and his little, adorable “umph!”, she assumed he had also laid down on his bed.

“Alright. I’ll tell you everything.”