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His death was always going to be how it was, in a blaze of green sparks, sparkling eyes that shone with the pride that was making it into class 1-A, or maybe it was class 3-A now, a smile so bright even the sun grew jealous. His death was always going to leave a trail of tears behind, maybe more than he had once thought, but he always knew that his death would leave a trail of sparkling grief filled tears behind. He had always known he wouldn’t last that long as a hero, maybe five years at most, that wasn’t him doubting his greatness, although that was part of it, he always knew, no matter how ‘logical’ it was to make sure he stayed alive to save more lives, he’d gladly throw his life away for a stranger, and thus, he had created a plan for when he died.
But wait, no one has yet to know how it went…
Izuku, in class 3-A, two months before graduation, was out on his final work studies, patrolling on his own, like the Underground Hero, NightShade had wanted, saying he needed to learn to rely on him and him alone, and that was fine. NightShade was on speed dial on his phone, and on an income that had yet to be turned on. He was happily strolling down the street, his quirk buzzing hungrily under his skin, when he heard it, an explosion, and a dozen different terrified screams.
He’d never activated his quirk as fast as he did every time he knew someone to be endanger, and within maybe thirty seconds he had reached a ten story tall apartment, wall crumbling to the ground, smoke distorting the eerie building, and he didn’t waste his time in requesting for backup on his intercom, turning it off before NightShide demanded for him to stay put.
A veil of green sparks shrouded his form as he leapt towards the top of the building, he went in and out of the building with the grace of All Might himself, hauling handfuls of people out, and then finally reached the last apartment of the building, his eyes zoning in on the small form huddled in the least smoky corner, a small child, maybe about four years old, long brown hair billowing around her form, and the hero in training had rushed in, scooping the child up, jumping back out of the hole in the wall to place the shaking child down near a small group of people. “M-m-mam-mama!” The child screamed, just as Izuku turned to leave, but before, he sent her the largest smile he could muster, teeth and all.
“I’ll do everything in my power, Plus Ultra!” And Izuku was rushing back in, listening to the sounds of wheezing breathing, and he travelled to the ground floor, a woman was huddled to the ground, near a window trying to soak up as much fresh air as possible. Izuku was quick to flick the wall a few feet from her, just to break it down so he could get the both of them out as quick as humanly possible, well humanly possible for his enhanced body, and he reached the woman, cradling the much taller person to his chest as he rushed to the newly created exit, before he froze.
“He-help…” A small timid voice rasped from behind him, and in that time he froze, the ground above gave a tremendous groan, and Izuku didn't have time to think before throwing the mother outside, hoping not to have been too strong, and hoping to have gotten her far enough away, before rushing to the back of the kitchen, a small, maybe ten year old boy was knelt on the ground, eyes blazing red, and the fire that seemed to be licking at everything in the room seemed to be avoiding him like the plague, and he understood, just from the look of terror and regret how the fire began. He smiled as huge as he could as the ground above groaned louder and louder with every single heartbeat, and he grabbed the child and threw, as gently but as powerfully as he could, and as soon as the child left his arms, he knew it was over, knew it as the first beam of wood hit him atop his shoulder, knew he’d not get out of it. Knew as his quirk protested with every percentage he used, he’d not be strong enough, and his smile lessened, not to something forced, it was more relaxed, more calm as he attempted to jump out of the building, but he knew as soon as he got maybe a metre away, that it was over, as his body plummeted to the ground with the fallen object that had landed possessive on him.
He did the thing that might be able to save his life, and curled into a fetal position, sitting on his knees, his hands and arms coming to protect his neck and head, his index finger brushing against a small inconspicuous button on the collar at the nape of his neck, and activated his quirk to a hundred percent, many bones creaking, and as soon as darkness creeped into his vision, his smile became accepting, apologetic and sorene.
Izuku always knew that if he were to die, he’d die saving a life, or he’d die by the hands of AFO’s successor, but Shigaraki had been long since defeated, so really, the first option was the only one. He only wished he could have passed his quirk onto someone else, maybe Hichan, or Eri-chan, or someone quirkless like him, without it being the way he now planned on doing so. But many wishes do not come true, and thus he accepted the ending to his story like many heroes before him.
+++
“No, my baby!” Midoriya Inko screamed to the body on the metallic bed, half his body shrouded in the body bag, the half that could not have been fixed to look like he was just sleeping. “Please… th-thi-this is-is ju-just a-a cr-crue-cruel joa-joak you her-hero ki-kids are-are play-playing. He-he’s gon-gonna wa-wake up-up an-any se-secon-second now.” The various friends of Izuku who had come with her shuffled on their feet, Ochaco sobbing as Tenya held an arm around her, his glasses hanging on his shirt collar as tears trailed down his own face. Shouto stood at Izuku’s feet, tears trailing down his face, his shoulders shaking with the strength it took to stop the harsh wails from escaping his lips, Katsuki was standing on the opposite side of Inko, a scowl on his face, but for once, it was not aimed at Izuku, it was aimed at the cruelty of the world. Hitoshi was gently, oh so gently trailing his fingers through Izuku’s cleaned bangs, his own tears falling onto green hair, shoulders shaking violently as he begged silently for Kami to bring him back. His dad was as stoic as ever, but everyone could see the way Shouta’s eyes were shining with tears, and his pops, Present Mic? Well he couldn’t control his quirk in emotional states, so he’d popped in for two seconds, just to kiss his previous future son in law’s forehead, a trail of tears falling to trail down Izuku’s head from Hizashi, before the man had bowed to everyone, his mouth firmly shut, and excused himself. He’d no doubt be sitting in the waiting room, trying desperately to find some staff member who had quirk suppressant on hand, just for the day so he would be able to talk with Hitoshi and Shouta without risk.
“Th-th-this is-is one-one o-of tho-those log-logic-logical rou-ro-rouses he-e-e tal-talk-talked so-so mu-much abo-abou-about.” Inko sobed out, collapsing to her knees, her head resting on Izuku’s chest, sobs wracking through her entire being. “Bring -hi-him ba-back to-to me-e!” She sobbed, looking to no one in particular.
+++
That day, Midoriya Inko came with the Yamazawa household, no time to decide when she’d leave, it was just decided that she couldn’t go back to that home, not when it was so full of memories. It would be cruel to do so, maybe with time she would go back, but until then, the household would look after them, and Eri didn’t mind having the only Midoriya left to hold, the two clinging to each other for the rest of the night. No one mentioned how Eri had activated her quirk for just two second when Shouta had said ‘no’ to her going to see Izuku like he was, a now younger Kuro in the place of what used to be a five year old feline.
+++
Two months later, Shouta stood at the front of the room. “As you all are aware, tomorrow you shall become newly fledged heroes. This should be a time of celebration, and I know Izuku-kun-” Because it was Izuku now, there was no doubt about it, everyone now addressed Izuku by his name, a name that he had told everyone to call him by, if they felt like it, just four months ago, a name he felt everyone should use because they’d gone through so much to still use formalities. “-won’t want any of us to be sad in a time of celebration, and so he too, will graduate with us." and Shouta held up a box full of things wrapped neatly. Each one was the same size, and everyone knew, without a doubt what they were. “He wanted to give these to you all tomorrow, and so you shall only open them then, and you will all
use them,
and take to heart what he has given you.” And everyone nodded as Shouta handed each person a book. Shinsou had one more present then most, a small rectangular box.
“Yes sensei!” A chorus of small voices spoke up, many students cradling them to their chest protectively.
“You all have done so well, Izuku included, and it is only logical that I should be so proud of my class.” Shouta said, once back at the podium, and so many people burst into tears at that, Hitoshi and Katsuki included.
At exactly twenty five past four, Shouta was just about to tell the class to disperse, before a small ZzzZZZzzzzppping sound came from the only empty seat and desk, and all eyes instantly landed on it, many gasping and crying out as a small greenette seemed to fade into view, everyone’s breath hitching.
“He-hey guys!” Izuku’s small voice called, many crying out, before silencing at the way they could tell Izuku was about to talk again. “Wow, thi-this isn't depressing or anything, is it?” Izuku asked himself, his hand coming to up at the nape of his neck bashfully. “Well no time for that, I won’t allow myself to ramble, after all, I only have fifteen minutes or half an hour before Iida arrives, which might be weird considering if this is playing, then Iida is going to be there- no wait, quit it Izuku!” The greenette scolded, a look of determination coming across his face as he moved to stand up, somehow the chair scraping back with him, and he hunched over the table, hands grasping at the desk. “If you’re watching this, this can mean three things, one; I was clumsy and forgot about the button in my suit and pressed it, and I am now sitting with you all, my face bright red as I try to turn this thing off, or a villain knocked the button, and I am once again with you, or the final outcome. I’m not there with you…” Many sobbed at that, and it was almost like Izuku knew, and looked directly at Ochaco. “Please don’t be sad everyone!” Izuku exclaimed, a bright smile gracing his face. “Since we made it to 3-A, I’ve been contemplating if I should do this or not, if it would be better or not, but I decided that I’d want one more chance to hear one of my classmates' voices, so here goes.” And suddenly the door to their class boomed open as Hizashi came careening in, followed by Toshinori, Nedzu and many of the other faculty members that were close to Izuku.
“So I made this when most of you were asleep, but I'm sure Nedzu watched as I messed with my desk and chair to do this. I'm sure that’s why no one knew I had snuck out of my room so many times whilst I messed with this. I guess many of you are confused, huh? I managed to mess around with the desk to create a projection of sorts, drilling into it to hide all the wiring and things, and then after that, I created a small button at the back of my neck’s suit, once presses, this can not be turned off, and I created a hologram of sorts, which is what I am. See, I’ve always known I was a tad reckless, and the cause of many of Aizawa’s new grey hairs forming. He’s in denial, but we know they’re there.” That earned a wet snort from the stoic man, and a small laugh from everyone else. “So I created many ways to say goodbye.” Many sobered up and sobbed at that. “I’ve programmed my phone to say goodnight to you all, something I can play off as just saying that, if I was to stay alive, and I created a hologram for my mama, but her’s will obviously say something different, and so on. I know Aizawa will say I’m illogical when I say this, but the main reason I created this was because I knew that if it came up, I’d gladly die to save a civilian. My fight with Overhaul proved that, and so I created the ‘Farewell project’.” More sobs.
“Kacchan!” Izuku exclaimed, looking up from his desk to look Katsuki in the eyes. “Thank you so much for getting better! I enjoyed our spars, no matter how many rules we broke. I liked improving. In your own weird way, you’ve always tried to protect me, even when we were younger. You’ll deny it until you die, but I know you only tried to discourage me so I wouldn't do it, and only die a few days later, so thank you, Kacchan, oh, and tell Aunty she needs to make her curry spicier.” The last sentence he poofed up his cheeks, his tongue sticking out petulantly. “Ochaco!” Izuku exclaimed, turning to the silently sobbing girl. “Thank you so much! I don’t think you’ll ever know how much I needed you and your amazing friendship. You’re loyal to a fault, and never let any of us down, both physically and metaphorically.” He joaked, laughing sheepishly. “You were my first actual friend, Kacchan doesn’t count, he was more of a brother than a friend. Tenya! You really need to learn to rely on others, if only once or twice a month!” Izuku laughed sheepishly again, whilst Tenya’s tear trodden face reddened, Todoroki snorting wetly. “You also really need to loosen up once a week. We all need to act like teenagers at least once before we officially become adults and we can’t scream for joy at sneaking out of places we’re not allowed to. Todoroki!” The boy in mention stiffened, getting ready for whatever.
“Thank you, I don’t think you know how much it felt to have someone trust me like you did, you are the first person to trust me with something so big, and for that, I will always be grateful. I hope one day you can rely on someone else, and make you smile like you deserve to. And I thank you for allowing me to meet your mama. That, like most things you have done, meant a lot to me, knowing you trusted me with that. Shinsou…” This time Izuku’s expression went really sad.
“If this is my farewell to the class, it is only fair that I leave you this one present.” And Izuku held up the present that Shinsou had been given. “I want you to know, you are the first person I have ever trusted with my burdens. I’m sorry, Ochaco, Todoroki, Kaachan, Tenya.” The three nodded in understanding, giving the two’s relationship, it was a given he’d trust the other. “You know, it’s funny when you think of the way we met, you said I’d never known how to struggle for a single thing in my life, but the thing is, the quirkless have known before anyone else, how to struggle.” Katsuki choked, his face turning back to look sharply at Izuku’s hologram.
“The nerd's really doing it…” He whispered, confusing many people.
The hologram took in a shaky breath, before looking at Shinsou. “At the age of four I was diagnosed as quirkless, and I know, right. Ridiculous, how can I, someone so happy, have been given a death sentence? I often asked myself that. But at age fourteen, I met one of my idols, All Might. I won’t say how, considering I’m on a time crunch, but All Might gave me an out I’d asked for, and I took the quirk he had offered, One For All is a quirk that has been passed down to nine others, me included, and if this will go as I hope, the tenth will be receiving his later on. My quirk is haunted with seven and a half ghosts, I guess now it’ll be nine and a half ghosts, huh? And each ghost, other than me and All Might, have a quirk that is shared in the quirk. That is how I used blackwhip and many others. Again, I’m straying from the path here, so the reason I first trusted you, Hichan, was because you and I didn’t trust anyone, not the teachers, not the students. I trusted you, because I knew you’d never want to treat others the way you and I were treated. So of course I tried to be your friend! And it worked! But somewhere along the lines I began to fall in love. I admired the way you didn’t jump hungrily up at new friendships, unlike me, who was willing to be hurt, if just to have a friend once in my lifetime. I admired your sarcastic behaviour, and the way you could banter so easily with Aizawa-sensei. Of course that was before I realised he and Mic sensei were your parents. And so I’m going to tell you one more time, Hichan, I love you so much, to the end of the universe and back.” And Hitoshi promptly burst into a fresh wave of silent tears, and they all watched as Izuku’s face turned even more sorrowful. “I love you so much, so much it pains me to tell you this, but please, don’t wait for me. Don’t waste your love on a dead body. Please, find someone else to love with all your being. Find someone that loves cats like me, and is willing to burn a thousand pancakes just to learn how to make the perfect one, find someone that is willing to stay up all night so you get to sleep. Find someone better than me, Hichan, please…” And Hitoshi shook his head violently, and Izuku sighed sadly. “Who am I to say that when I know that if our places were switched, I’d wait to meet you again, but please… Do what will make you happy and safe.” Hitoshi nodded at that one thing, and he watched as Izuku smiled sweetly again, and turned to the podium, almost as if staring at Shouta in the eyes.
“Lastly, and sadly I do not have time for anyone else, we come to Aizawa-sensei.” And the man’s shoulders stiffened. “You were the first teacher I have ever felt safe to be in the presence of, Sensei.” Shouta choked at that, looking as if he wanted to argue with that. “You were the first teacher to defend me from any attacks going for me, the first teacher to scold someone for wanting to cause harm to me.” He looked positively murderous at that. “You are, and will always be the best teacher in the universe, I don't care about the teachers before and after you, you will always be the best, no offence Mic-sensei.” Izuku scratched at the back of his neck sheepishly whilst Hizashi laughed wetly and Shouta looked ready to fight whoever harmed Izuku. “Thank you sensei, for letting me feel like an equal to my peers. Thank you, so much, for letting me date your son, and for all the family dinners we partook in.” The three Yamazawa’s all teared up at that. “Thank you sensei, and you Mic-sensei, for making me feel like I had a father or two again, I don’t think I could ever repay you for the extended family you gave me and mama.” Shouta once again choked, and Hizashi sobbed loudly, thankfully not quite letting out his quirk.
And then they watched as Izuku looked out at the rest of the class. “Kami do I hope that this is real, otherwise my future self will be so embarrassed now.” Izuku stated, and everyone laughed at that, albeit, they soon turned into sobs. “Actually, I hope this isn’t real, but I don’t control the future.” Shaking his head, they all watched as Izuku bowed down to the class, head nearly touching the ground. “Thank you, everyone, for welcoming me into your class, and for looking after me.” And it was over. Izuku was gone from class 3-A, forever, and everyone howled in sorrow, and distantly Hitoshi was glad that they were the only class in for the day. Shouta had, after all, wanted the day before graduation to be where they could all gather up and cry as loud as they wanted, no worries of others imposing on their time of grief.
+++
Hitoshi remained tucked under his dad’s left arm as the three of them travelled up to their small apartment building at Heights Alliance. Normally as soon as they got to the house, Eri would run up and hug Hitoshi, but Inko had known they’d want time to mourn, and offered to take Eri to her home, where the two could mourn Izuku together, whilst Inko told Eri stories of Izuku’s childhood.
“Hitoshi,” His dad began gently, handing him the elongated box. “Izuku wanted you to open this the day before graduating.” He said, and he nodded, grabbing the box and sitting at the living-room's large four seater sofa.
Tearing the rapping as gently as possible, a letter fell out.
‘Hello again, Hichan. I know, you’ve had to deal with me twice, such a tragedy. So I planned on asking you this question the day after graduation, but my plans don’t go to…well…plan, and so, once you open the box, I’ll ask the question.
But before that, the main point to this is to tell you that One For All (OFA) is passed on by the predecessor's DNA. I consumed a strand of All Might’s hair, and thus, I held OFA. Now comes a second question, and I’m hoping this works. Will you be the successor of OFA. I watched you carefully, and I know you are already so strong, strong enough to take on the quirk with minimal backlash. If you say yes, open the box, and inside is a strand of my hair, and something else. If you do say yes, remember this, Hichan, the quirk is yours, not mine, not All Might’s. If you don’t want it, pass the strand of hair onto All Might, and he’ll know who to give it to next.
Love you, Hichan,
Midoriya Izuku ~
Taking in a shuddering breath, he opened the box, and promptly dropped into his lap, tears cascading down his face like a water-fall. Shakily he reached for the silver object, a sob escaping his lips. Pinched between his fingers was a silver ring, an amethyst shaped cat curled into a ball, barely big enough to actually tell was a cat, silver outlining the gem, and a peridot rabbit nose to nose with the cat, and along the band were tiny heart and circular shaped amethyst and emeralds, in a pattern of one after the other. Shakily he eyes the engraving on the ring ‘Marry me, my Hichan~” and he wailed as he slipped the ring on, crashing into his pop’s chest, his dad gently rubbing soothing circles around his back as Hitoshi kept nodding over and over again, answering a ghost of a boyfriend, or as he’d now be, his fiancé.
+++
That night, he and his dads all sat at the table eating Katsudon, tears trailing down the two without dry eyes, tails of a boy loved by many echoing joyously and sorrowfully around the room. That night, a second hologram appeared, this one though, for Hizashi, saying nearly the same things as he had for Aizawa, just without the favourite teacher part. That night, Hitoshi accepted the second gift, the strand of hair thankfully going down his throat easily with a glass of water.
+++
The next day, graduation was a thing to both joy and mourn, no class 3-A student quite laughing, many smiling just slightly, and some, the ones that still had naïve hope that it was all just one big joke, waited for joyous laughter of a small greenette, some simply huddling together and telling quiet stories of reckless but funny things Izuku had done over the three years.
+++
‘Thank you, class 3-A and teachers, for everything you have done.
Goodnight…’
‘Thank you dad, pops, for looking after me and Hichan…
Goodnight…’
‘Thank you for being the best person in the world, Hichan…
Goodnight…’