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Chapter Text

The moment Shigaraki broke through One for All’s defenses and stole away Danger Sense, Deku knew with sickening certainty he was running out of options and time.

“Is that all you’ve got, hero?” Shigaraki mocked, his voice dripping with malice and condescension.

Equipped with the myriad of quirks and enhancements All for One had given him, Shigaraki had become far stronger an opponent than even One for All was equipped to take on. The battlefield had shifted. Raw power alone would not suffice. It was now a matter of wit, strategy, and desperate luck.

Wiping away the blood on his face, Deku searched Shigaraki for any hint of vulnerability. “Not quite.”

His eyes widened as he realized that the heroes might stand a chance if he could somehow infiltrate Shigaraki's psyche and try to conquer him from within. This epiphany birthed a final, desperate gambit to end the war—a move that would require Deku to sacrifice his lifelong aspiration for the sake of humanity's survival.

And so Deku did what he’s always done: he shoved aside his own wants for the greater good.

Half a second later, he detected an opening and sprang into action. His body aglow with the power of One For All, Deku outmaneuvered Shigaraki’s defenses, every brutal moment of training leading him to this exact moment. He yelled out, “United States of Smash!” as he landed a punch strong enough to pummel Shigaraki into the ground, sending shockwaves in all directions and leaving a massive crater beneath them.

The instant he made contact, Deku began channeling the vestiges of One For All into Shigaraki's consciousness, calling upon the remaining predecessors individually and manifesting them in the order they had inherited the quirk. Yoichi Shigaraki, the original user of One For All, initiated the barrage of attacks, backed immediately by his successor Kudo, the second. When Bruce, the third, joined in, the cracks in Shigaraki’s mind grew more visible. Daigoro Banjo, the fifth, and En Tayutai, the sixth, followed in rapid succession, expanding on the mental fractures the first few had established. Each vestige collided against the fortified walls of Shigaraki's mind, splintering the barriers with each strike, desperate to break through, until, the seventh, Nana Shimura’s vestige, joined them, finally shattering the last wall surrounding Shigaraki’s innermost psyche.

Deku's consciousness surged forward, pushing through layers of hatred and isolation that had built up over years of pain and manipulation. He delved deeper and deeper into the uncharted territory of Shigaraki's subconscious until he stumbled upon an unexpected sight. A house. It was modest and unremarkable in its appearance, typical of a middle-class family home. In any other context, it would have blended seamlessly into a suburban landscape. But here, within the depths of Shigaraki's mind, its presence was jarring and significant. Something within Deku, an instinct he couldn't quite name, compelled him to press onward and explore this manifestation of Shigaraki's buried past.

As Deku ventured into the heart of this mental construct, he encountered a heart-wrenching sight: a small boy curled up tightly, his face buried in his trembling hands. 

Approaching with the utmost caution, Deku kept his voice soft and gentle, careful not to startle the child. "Hey there," he said, his tone warm and reassuring. "My name's Deku. What's yours?"

The boy's sniffles subsided momentarily as he lifted his gaze, revealing eyes brimming with unshed tears. His voice quavered as he responded, "T-Tenko."

Deku's heart clenched at the vulnerability in the child's voice. He offered a small, encouraging smile. "Tenko. It's nice to finally meet you. I've been looking for you for a long time."

As these words echoed through the mental landscape, the scene before them changed. The harrowing series of events that followed Tenko's quirk manifestation replayed in excruciating detail. The destruction of his family home. The accidental decay of his beloved dog. The horrifying moment when his quirk activated against his will, turning his family to dust before his very eyes. Each moment of terror and anguish was etched into the very fabric of Tenko’s psyche, forever his burden to carry. 

Suddenly, the house around them began to shift and warp. The environment twisted into something far more sinister, with dark tendrils of energy snaking their way around the edges of Deku's vision. A new set of images flickered into view, focused on Tenko but not quite coming from him. Somehow, they had breached the mind of someone else who was inexplicably linked to Tenko, forcing another collection of memories to the forefront.

A man holding Tenko’s hand and walking him home. A tiny glimmer of light as he transferred something unnoticed by the unsuspecting Tenko. A child’s life changed forever.

From the encroaching darkness, another face emerged—the person to whom this new set of memories belonged. All For One. He let out a cold, derisive laugh that echoed through the mindscape, reveling in the horrifying revelation Deku had stumbled upon.

His voice boomed with malicious pride. "Ah, you've discovered my little secret, haven't you, Midoriya? No use in hiding it now. You see, I didn't simply find a broken child and mold him into a villain. No, my involvement goes much deeper than that. ”

Deku shook his head, the movement almost reluctant, as if in denial, while he tried to process the enormity of this revelation.

The supervillain went on. “I tracked down Nana Shimura's grandson and stole the budding ember of his original quirk—one that could have led him down a very different path—and replaced it with Decay instead." He smiled with dark amusement, utterly delighted at this opportunity to showcase the full extent of his cunning and forethought. "Don't you understand? I am the true architect behind Tomura Shigaraki's creation."

The little boy at All For One's feet stirred, his eyes widening in shock and dawning comprehension. "You . . . you did this?" Tenko's voice trembled as he stared at his own hands, then at the ashen remains of his family scattered just a few feet away. The weight of this revelation seemed to crush down upon his small frame, threatening to shatter what little remained of his innocence.

Deku watched in horror as the truth sank in for both himself and the child before him. The quirk that had defined Shigaraki's existence, the power that had set him on the path of villainy, had never truly been his to begin with. In that moment of its unnatural manifestation, it had stolen everything Tenko had ever loved or cared for.

The mindscape shifted once more, forcing Deku and Tenko to relive the traumatic series of events when the young boy accidentally decayed his entire family, except this time from All For One’s perspective, who’d been watching with quiet glee and satisfaction from the shadows. 

All For One's voice cut through the chaos, dripping with false benevolence. "Come now, Tomura. Why dwell on the past? You're on the cusp of creating a brave new world because of me. Everything that has happened, every loss and every pain, was all in the name of a greater purpose." He extended his hand out to Shigaraki. "Now, it's time to finish what I began."

As these words rang out, a change came over Tenko. His eyes, once filled with fear and confusion, now hardened with a resolve born of rage and betrayal. When he opened his mouth to speak, it was no longer the gentle, fragile voice of a child that emerged. Instead, the harsh, grating tone of Tomura Shigaraki addressed All For One. "You stole everything I ever cared about. You didn't save me—you ruined my life."

At that moment, the full extent of what had been taken from him crashed down upon Shigaraki's consciousness. His home, once a place of warmth. His family, the people who had loved and nurtured him. His childhood, cut tragically short. And perhaps most devastatingly, his innocence—the pure, untainted spirit of a boy who had once dreamed of being a hero.

Unadulterated rage burned in Shigaraki's eyes, a fury so intense it seemed to set the very air around him ablaze. With a primal yell, he lunged at All For One, tackling the surprised villain with a ferocity that caught even Deku off guard. The mental landscape exploded into chaos, the force of Shigaraki's attack so powerful that it violently ejected Deku from the villain's mind.

Back in the physical world, Shigaraki's body convulsed as he fought an internal battle against the man who had manipulated him for his entire existence. The hatred he’d been carrying for years, the hatred All For One had encouraged and fostered and fed, was now turned against his former master. In the peak of ironies, All For One had set the stage for his own demise. The plan he had carefully cultivated for years had fallen apart due to one unforeseen factor—a stubborn budding hero who had been convinced he could reach Shigaraki’s inner child. And reach him, he did. So, Shigaraki fought on, fueled by the rush of fury and devastation and betrayal. After a few moments, he yelled again, the final battle cry ringing in Izuku’s ears as Shigaraki defeated his invisible foe.  

Shigaraki exhaled, his shoulders slumping as the tension left his body, and fell to his knees. Hand trembling, he reached out to Deku.

Despite having been mortal enemies caught in the battle of their lives just minutes prior, Deku knew he was no longer in any danger. Their fight was over. Through the haze of pain and exhaustion, Deku reached back and they bumped fists, a quiet gesture of solidarity. 

"He’s gone,” Shigaraki rasped. “We destroyed each other.”

Kneeling at his side, Deku helped lower a wheezing Shigaraki onto his back and motioned the nearby medical team for help, hoping there was still something they could do. “I’m so sorry for what he did to you, Tenko. You deserved better.”

At the mention of his original name, Shigaraki's eyes, for the first time since Deku had known him, held a glimmer of something other than hatred. He spoke again, his voice slurred and faint, as if sleepy. "What happens now." He paused to take a shaky breath. "That depends on what you heroes decide to do next."

Despite his victory, when Izuku told All Might the price he’d paid to win the fight against Shigaraki, he couldn’t quite hide the devastation in his tone.

As soon as they were able, All Might flew them out to I-Island to see his friend, the world-renowned scientist Professor David Shield, hoping to get an estimate of how long the embers of One For All would last Izuku.

But the primary results were inconclusive. The response: “There’s no way to know for sure.” 

And so time passed, and the embers faded slowly, allowing Izuku to savor his dream on borrowed time. But each heroic act chipped away at his dwindling reserves, eventually leading to the week they ran out completely. 

It started on Monday when Izuku had reached for Gearshift only to find emptiness where the quirk had once been. A sudden surge of panic seized Izuku and so he tested the rest of the quirks to see if they were all gone, afraid they were, and afraid they weren't. He found a tentative relief when the remaining five answered his call. But would it have been better to lose them all at once instead? The inevitable was finally here and losing each quirk one at a time was only prolonging his pain.

No matter, when the same thing happened with Fa Jin on Tuesday, Izuku quickly picked up on the emerging pattern. The quirks would all be gone by the end of the week. Maybe that was a good thing. Because the sooner they were gone, the sooner he could grieve them and the hero he'd once been. And the sooner he could find a way to move forward with his newly quirkless life.  

The next three days passed by like an exhale—faint, fleeting, gone—as he lost Blackwhip, Smokescreen, and Float back to back to back.

And then there was Saturday, which ended up being the worst day of all. 

Izuku spent that entire day holding his breath, waiting for the lingering super strength—the very foundation of One For All—to finally desert him. He braced himself for that last ember to flicker out, putting an end to the beautiful dream of life as a hero.  

But when it continued to linger past Saturday and Sunday and was still lingering the following Monday, a tiny spark of traitorous hope began to flicker in Izuku's heart as he dared to wonder if perhaps this last ember might endure far longer than anticipated. However, the pragmatic part of him, the part that had already resigned himself to the inevitability of returning to his original quirkless state, knew better than to entertain such optimism for long. 

After a few more days of no changes, All Might and Izuku flew out to I-Island again for a new analysis. 

Izuku was lying on a table, different sensors attached all over his body. Melissa Shield was at the computer, typing figures into the machine while Professor Shield read over her shoulder, eyes scanning the stream of results as they appeared on the screen. 

“Well, David, what’s going on?” All Might asked in his true form, sitting at Izuku’s side like a worried father. 

Professor Shield’s brow furrowed as he studied the data before him. He shook his head slightly, muttering to himself. “This can’t be right.”

All Might leaned forward, now alarmed. “What is it?”

Professor Shield turned to Izuku, rubbing his chin in thought. “Deku, to clarify, you said you transferred all the vestiges during your battle with Shigaraki, correct?”

Izuku nodded. "Yes, sir. I transferred them all except—" he trailed off, combing through his memories. Suddenly, a detail he had somehow overlooked came rushing back, the realization dawning on him as he glanced at his mentor. "Except for All Might's. I broke through into Shigaraki's mind before I could send the last vestige."

Professor Shield's eyebrows shot up at this new piece of information. He turned quickly to his daughter. “Melissa, do a full body scan. I want to check something.”

Melissa nodded and typed in the command into the computer. One of the machines above Izuku whirred to life, emitting a single horizontal bar of light that trailed down the length of his body. 

While the scan was in progress, Melissa looked up at Izuku. “Deku, my understanding is that because you transferred the vestiges, you eventually lost their corresponding quirk factors once their embers died out, right?” Izuku nodded in response, so Melissa continued her line of thought. “Following that logic, when you transferred the original user's vestige, you should have lost his original transference quirk. And eventually, the stockpiling ability should have faded too, like what happened to Uncle Might when he passed One For All to you.”

“But Deku didn’t finish the transfer.” Professor Shield said, finally acknowledging the crucial difference as the results appeared on the screen. “Since you held onto All Might’s vestige—who coincidentally had One For All the longest—enough of the stockpiling ability’s essence must’ve stayed behind, now deeply intertwined with his essence, which could only mean—”

All Might leaped to his feet, flexing his muscle form the moment he understood what his friend was hinting at. His booming voice filled the room with excitement and hope. “Young Midoriya, that last ember hasn’t faded because it isn’t an ember at all! You still have One For All!”

Izuku's eyes widened, his voice shaky as he asked, "I-I do?"

Professor Shield nodded, a small smile playing at the corners of his mouth. “In its most basic form, yes, and based on these new results, it’s gotten stronger.”

The weight of this revelation hit Izuku all at once. Tears of relief and joy began to stream down his face as the crushing dread of losing his quirk, a fear that had been silently suffocating him for months, finally lifted. For the first time since his final, grueling battle with Shigaraki, Izuku felt like he could truly breathe again. His quirk hadn’t left him. His dream wasn’t over. He could still be a hero for many, many years to come. 

Through his tears and sniffles, he asked, "But how is that even possible?"

Professor Shield gestured to the holographic scan of Izuku’s body. “It’s quite remarkable, really. Now that it can no longer be transferred away, the essence of One For All’s stockpiling ability has expanded and integrated itself into every part of your DNA—every muscle, every fiber, every cell. It is now a part of you in every possible way. Permanently.”

“The last two years at UA were nowhere near as action-packed as our first year, and I think we were all grateful for that. We focused on contributing to the reconstruction efforts, and with time, things started to feel lighthearted again. We got to finally embrace the highs and lows of student life without the looming threat of the League or All For One hanging over our heads.”

Memories of him and his classmates flashed across Izuku’s mind: 

• The Bakusquad cheering on Bakugou during his physical therapy
• Yaoyorozu making support beams for the reconstruction efforts
• All Might, Aizawa, and Class A visiting the memorials for Midnight and Star and Stripe 
• Bakugou finally getting his All Might card signed
• Shinsou’s subtle smile, surrounded by his friends in Class A, wearing a group costume for their Halloween theme: Favorite Heroes (Shinso dressed as Eraserhead, obviously)
• Todoroki practicing making simple ice figures while Sero and Kaminari play in the snow behind him
• Satou making Valentine’s cupcakes for the entire class
• Izuku and Ochako holding hands for the first time, both of them blushing
• Classes A and B competing with each other at one of the Sports Festival games—Dodgeball with a twist
• Monoma begrudgingly accepting Class A’s birthday gift for him
• Class A taking a trip to the other USJ (Universal Studios Japan)
• Iida giving their graduation speech before Bakugou and Monoma crash the event

“Looking back now, my takeaway is this: People are not born equal. Some are born with quirks that garner them praise and recognition. Some are born with quirks that can ostracize them from their loved ones. And some are born without any quirks at all. Life is not always kind, but we can be in our search for common ground. I still think about the final battle with Shigaraki and the fates of the rest of the League of Villains from time to time and wonder how their lives could’ve been different if we had all collectively been better. So, I and the rest of the heroes who fought in that war have taken steps to improve the lives of our society.

Uravity spearheaded a quirk outreach program that other heroes like Nighthide and I have joined to support. Nighthide, in particular, aims to help those with quirks labeled as ‘villainous’ because he believes they’re the most likely to be shunned for something out of their control. 

Similarly, Tentacole and Anima have devoted their efforts to peacefully resolving discrimination based on body type and have made great progress. 

And, this will be public knowledge by the time you’ve published the book, but I’ve partnered with UA and Lightly Labs to create a route for quirkless kids to become pro heroes. If All Might hadn’t chosen me as his successor, I would’ve stayed a quirkless kid with a big dream but no means to pursue it. So now it is my goal to ensure that anyone who wants to be a hero, quirk or no quirk, can be. And hopefully, the hero schools across the country and eventually across the world will join us.”

Nodding, the journalist, Taneo Tokuda, clicked off the tape recorder. “That was the last bit I needed. Thank you very much for taking the time to share your story in these sessions. I will be releasing my book, When the New Symbol of Peace Was Young, for the upcoming tenth anniversary of your debut as a hero. It’ll be a tight deadline, but my translators are on standby, so expect to see it everywhere for the global Deku’s First Decade Festival.”

Deku rubbed the back of his neck, blush tinging his cheeks. “I still don’t think all that’s necessary. I’m not doing this to be celebrated.”

“Which is exactly why people want to celebrate you. It’s inevitable—the people love you. It’s your burden to bear.”

Deku laughed, standing up to shake Tokuda’s hand. “Thank you for your patience. I know I tend to ramble sometimes.”

Tokuda smiled. “Eh, I wouldn’t have minded if your story had been a little bit longer. It was a good one.”

As the city settled into the evening and Izuku made his way home, he thought back to the fateful day when the perfect combination of impulsivity, bravery, and determination had proven to All Might that Izuku had all the makings of a hero. The interview about his origins and life story had left him feeling nostalgic, so he made his way to All Might’s statue, head lost in thought. With his wild, green hair tucked into his hoodie and his gaze locked on the ground, he walked on unrecognized by the passing pedestrians. 

Across the way, Dai, a child also born without a quirk, was replaying an interaction from earlier today in his head. When asked about what careers they wanted to pursue, his classmates had said physicians, support item makers, coders, etc. But one of the snobbier kids in class had peeked at Dai’s career goal form.

“You’re shooting for the hero track? But you don’t even have a quirk!”

“Deku was quirkless once, too, you know.”

“That’s just a myth. There’s no way the world’s greatest hero was a quirkless loser like you.”

So Dai had gone to visit Deku’s statue, a life-size replica of first-year Izuku in his hero costume standing next to All Might, both of their left fists raised to the sky.

A couple of younger kids were running around, pretending to be heroes. When one of them tripped, Dai and Deku both lunged to help him. Using the power of One For All, Deku got there first, catching the kid before he hit the ground. 

The sudden jolt of motion knocked his hood off his head, so when the younger kid looked up to thank his rescuer, he gasped in recognition. “Deku?!”

His buddy ran up to them. “Deku! Um, can we get a picture?”

Izuku smiled, welcoming him over. “Yeah, definitely!”

After the two kids thanked him and ran off, Izuku approached the third child, an open-mouthed Dai, who was still awestruck at the sight of his hero. 

The child’s eyes darted between the statue of Izuku’s high school self and the grown hero standing before him. Izuku had grown a decent amount since then, so much so that he towered over his statued counterpart. 

“It’s really you!” He said, his tone equal parts shock and awe. “I came here to ask your statue, uh, you, a question.”

“What did you want to ask me?”

Dai took in a quick breath, strengthening his resolve. “Can someone who’s quirkless like me become a hero like all of you did?”

Deku’s eyes softened, and his mind replayed the moment he’d asked All Might a similar question (“Can I become a hero like you, All Might?” ). 

He crouched down to meet the kid at eye level, offering him a gentle, closed-mouth smile. “You did just react without thinking to help someone else, so that’s already a good sign.” He put a hand on Dai’s shoulder, his tone serious but still kind. “It will be a lot of work and will involve mastering support items to level the playing field, but yes, you absolutely can. You can be a hero, too.”

Ten years later . . .

“Release!” 

A small child fell into Ochako’s arms, giggling. “Again! Again!” Dressed in a near-perfect replica of his father’s hero costume, Toshi looked just like Izuku, except for his brown hair and rosy pink cheeks. 

Izuku finished putting the fourth birthday candle on the cake before handing his son the last green lightning cut-out for the wall.

Ochako reactivated her quirk and Toshi floated higher and higher, smacking the cut-out into place with a little too much enthusiasm, leaving small cracks radiating from the dent he’d just left on the wall.

Ochako and Izuku stared at each other in stunned silence for a moment.

“Did he, did he just—” Izuku started to say, words still failing him.

“Mhm,” she said, smiling and misty-eyed. “He inherited your quirk!”

Izuku looked down at his hands, suddenly remembering what Professor Shield had said to him all those years ago: “The essence of One For All’s stockpiling ability has expanded and integrated itself into every part of your DNA—every muscle, every fiber, every cell. It is now a part of you in every possible way."

“My son inherited my quirk!” Izuku repeated, proud tears forming in his eyes before scooping up a giggling Toshi. 

At that moment, the doorbell rang, an unspoken “We’ll talk more about this later” left lingering in the air as Izuku went to answer the door.

The first to arrive was a group from Class A. Mina lost her mind the moment she saw little Toshi dressed like his father, immediately cooing over how cute he looked, with Kirishima agreeing that he looked very manly, and Aoyama adding that he was “très magnifique!”

Soon enough, their friends and family filled the house and backyard to the brim. All of Class A was there, of course, as well as some members of Class B, most of the UA staff, and the other prominent figures in Izuku and Ochako’s lives. All the heroes had arrived in their costumes, per Toshi’s request for his hero-themed party. Even Inko had joined in, donning an All Might-themed costume, much to her grandson’s delight and All Might’s surprise (he loved it too).

At the center of the party, Monoma was entertaining the kids by mirroring their quirks back at them. Amajiki, Mirio, and Fatgum lingered at the snack table, and off to the side, Nejire interrogated Gunhead on the mechanics of his quirk. Eri and Kota caught up while the Wild, Wild Pussycats discussed how Pixie-Bob's daughters were doing at UA with Aizawa and Present Mic. Gran Torino and Recovery Girl watched the younglings play, and Ryukyu, Best Jeanist, and Hawks chatted about finally being in a place where heroes had too much time on their hands.

Toshi spent most of his party running around and playing with his friends, stopping only when it was time to open his gifts.

He opened his parents’ present to find a limited edition holographic “Great Explosion Murder God Dynamight” hero card carefully wrapped inside.

Toshi immediately ran up to Bakugou. “Uncle Dynamight, can you sign my card?”

“Of course, you little brat. Give it here.” Bakugou quickly signed the card, handing it back to a giddy Toshi.

“Daddy! Add it to my collection!” Toshi said, rushing over to give the card to Izuku. 

While his son finished opening the rest of his gifts, Izuku pulled out Toshi’s collection of signed hero cards, all neatly organized in a large pocket card binder, placing the Dynamight card among the rest of Class A’s signed ones. He knew any hero card would be a hit with Toshi (especially if said hero was already at his party and available to sign it on the spot), but the special edition Dynamight card had been a particularly lucky find.

Fittingly enough, Bakugou's gift to Toshi was another serendipitous find, something Toshi was thrilled to now have: a vintage Deku card from his hero debut, a perfect addition to Toshi's growing Deku collection. (In fact, the only gift Toshi had a slightly bigger reaction to getting was the life-size ice sculpture Todoroki made of him on the spot. Bakugou was, predictably, irritated at being outdone, yelling, "Icy Hot, you ice-sculpting bastard!")

By evening, most of the guests had trickled out. After the excitement of the day, Toshi had fallen asleep in All Might’s arms. So, he and Inko turned the corner to tuck Toshi into bed. 

Only Class A remained, chatting and laughing in the backyard. 

When Izuku stood up to put the leftover cake into the fridge, Bakugou followed him into the house, sliding the back door closed and muffling out the party chatter from outside.

“Can’t believe you never kick out those shitty extras whenever they stay for too long.”

Izuku shook his head and laughed. “I don’t mind. It’s nice.”

His eyes drifted over his friends’ antics in the distance. Mina, Kirishima, Satou, and Sero were competing to see who could hold a one-handed handstand the longest. Kaminari had originally offered to time them with his phone, but Yaoyorozu had created a giant stopwatch instead, which Shouji held over his head for all to see. 

Off to the side, Ochako was getting insanely competitive (despite not actually competing), yelling at the top of her lungs for her friends to do their best (Luckily for her, Hagakure and Asui joined in, making her seem slightly less unhinged). Ida scrutinized the contestants’ form, calling out Sato and Sero when they wavered and accidentally put down their left hands, eliminating both of them on the spot. Aoyama, Ojiro, Kouda, Mineta, and the rest of the gang cheered them on as it came down to the final two—Mina and Kirishima—their encouragement drowning out the music Jirou had chosen for the contest. Tokoyami and Shinsou watched, arms crossed, pretending not to care but secretly still invested in the results. 

When Kirishima officially won, Todoroki stood up to make him a personalized life-size ice sculpture, the prize they’d been competing for after seeing how well the one for Toshi had turned out. Mina immediately demanded a rematch. 

Bakugou tore his attention away from the chaos. “Hmph. Congrats on getting #1, by the way, but don’t get comfortable, Deku. I’ll take that spot back from you real soon.”

“I’m counting on it, Kacchan.”

At that moment, Izuku’s phone buzzed in his pocket. Half a second later, the rest of the heroes received the same message. 

Hero Public Safety Commission: 

“Traffic is backed up due to a landslide. Requesting heroes for support.”

After verifying Toshi was asleep and being cared for, Deku ran outside to join the rest of his friends, who were waiting for him to head over as a group.  

And so Class A rushed to the scene together again, always ready, willing, and eager to extend a helping hand to those in need, and forever embodying the mantra that had guided them from the moment they joined UA’s pantheon of heroes: Go Beyond—Plus Ultra! 

The End

Chapter Text

On The Final Battle with Shigaraki

When we learned that AFO had single-handedly ruined Tenko’s life by replacing his original quirk with Decay, I expected Shigaraki to have a big reaction, but he was too far gone in his hatred to care. 

That got me thinking about how ironic it would have been if AFO’s greatest creation turned on him, and all the hatred he had fostered in Shigaraki backfired on him when Shiggy realized who the true enemy had always been. It could’ve worked within the context of the original story since Izuku was insistent that he could save Shiggy’s inner child. To me, taking down AFO offered Tenko/Shigaraki the closest they could get to justice and redemption, respectively. 

Also, since Deku doesn’t transfer All Might’s vestige in this version, I included a small nod to the role All Might played in AFO’s eventual defeat, which is why Deku specifically used All Might’s ultimate move as the finishing blow to the Shigaraki/AFO hybrid. 

On Deku Keeping His Quirk

After Danger Sense was stolen away and the manga established the vestiges were all part of OFA but could be split away if necessary, I thought that was setting the foundation to explain how Izuku could keep the stockpiling aspect of OFA but none of the other bonus quirks (for the sake of not having him be too overpowered). That may not have been what happened in the original story, but that’s why fanfiction exists.

Part of why I wanted to rewrite the ending is because it dawned on me that the main part of the MHA story happens over roughly 15 months (not including Izuku's 10-month training sequence at the beginning or the 8-year time skip at the end), meaning that from the moment Izuku inherits OFA, he is going to start to lose it within a little more than a year.

That's brutal. 

My boy repeatedly broke his body all in the name of mastering this quirk, so I SAY HE GETS TO KEEP IT. 

On The Interview with The Journalist

When the journalist Taneo Tokuda was introduced in the anime, he mentioned he would write a book about Izuku once he was the new symbol of peace. That gave me the idea to establish their interview together as a framing device for the story Izuku has been telling us since the beginning. 

Edit: Shinsou was originally called “Mockingbird” in this story, but I changed it to "Nighthide" once Chapter 431 established that as his official hero name. I specifically wanted to mention that he was involved in Uravity’s quirk outreach program, given his own struggles with his quirk growing up.

On The Interaction with Dai

It felt off that in the original ending Dai's main problem is that he has a "weak" quirk because even then, having a quirk at all still puts him at an advantage over Chapter 1 Izuku. To me, it made more sense for Dai to be quirkless as well for the parallel to work, especially since it gives the audience the chance to see how Deku's presence has changed their society for the better. This version of Deku would absolutely go out of his way to help quirkless kids become pro heroes, even if it took a while to get the route approved.

While the manga touches on quirkless discrimination through Izuku's bullying, it leaves the issue largely unresolved. Reading fanfics on the topic made me realize how easily MHA’s society could have missed one of its greatest heroes if All Might and Izuku hadn’t crossed paths, which made me think of other quirkless individuals like Izuku—those with the hearts of heroes but no means to become pros. The supersuit Izuku receives at the end is a workaround for him alone, not a broader solution for quirkless people. Although relying on support gear is flawed, in the shifting world of MHA, it could allow quirkless individuals to contribute to their communities and be defined by who they choose to be (their inner qualities and personal values) instead of something entirely out of their control (their genetics). Just a thought. 

On IzuOcha (& Their Son, Toshi)

IzuOcha is the pairing that is explicitly hinted at the most in canon, given the subplot Uraraka has where she grapples with and eventually accepts her feelings for him. I was disappointed when the original ending (Chapter 430) didn’t include them as a couple because it felt like something that was set up but never paid off.

Also, yes, Izuku would absolutely name their son after the most important male figure in his life: All Might. (Plus, if you think about it, All Might is indirectly the reason they met and, by extension, the reason any child of theirs would exist). And to really drive home that OFA (or I guess it's just “Stockpile” now) is 100% Izuku’s quirk for the rest of time, it should behave like a regular quirk, which meant his children could potentially inherit it genetically. (However, if Toshi had never inherited a quirk, Izuku would’ve been 1000% supportive and kind, reminding his boy that his lack of a quirk did not define him and he could still be and achieve anything he wanted).

Since this ending already had a couple of major parallels to the beginning of the manga ("People are not born equal" and Dai's interaction with Deku), I liked the idea of establishing another parallel. Toshi is basically Izuku 2.0. Child Izuku was obsessed with All Might, the greatest hero of their time. And who is Toshi obsessed with now? The greatest hero of his time, his father. The idea that beyond the accolades and global recognition, Deku's #1 fan lives right at home with him is beyond endearing to me. 

On Class A

I’d never written and published fanfiction before this, but wanting to see a version of the story that emphasized Class A kept in touch and hung out when possible was what pushed me to sit down and type this. 

I understand that you don’t get to see your friends as often as you’d like as an adult, especially if you have busy lives and your schedules rarely line up. I’ve seen it. I’ve lived it. I get it. But I don’t want to be reminded of that in my comfort show/manga. Don’t tell me how hard it is to coordinate schedules. It’s already implied that they don’t get to see each other as often because they're all adults doing their own thing, duh. 

Instead, show me that they still make time for each other when they can. Show me that when they’re all gathered together, it feels like time hasn’t passed. Show me the laughter, the warmth, the unequivocal joy of being in the same room again. Of course, they linger when most of the guests have already left. They’re welcome to. They’ve loved each other for a little more than two decades now, and they’re going to love each other for all time. 

Now, THAT is what I want to see in a series finale. 

(Also, to get a little meta, having them all be at the same party offered a good in-universe reason as to why they ALL happened to show up to the same assignment at the end. It felt like too big of a coincidence otherwise.)

Thank you for reading!