AMP (IzuJirou)

The Almighty Man: Part One

A/N: What's more American than releasing the All Might chapter on the 4th of July?

This is the longest chapter I've ever done. 15k words and 50 pages long, and even then there's some stuff on the cutting room floor. I really hope you enjoy!

To support more artwork like this, either for this story or not for this story, check out my Twitter or Patreon. Maybe someday we can start making some fan manga stuff. This is obviously an homage to the first MHA cover.)

...~AIV~...

After all this time, Izuku explained everything. Well, everything he could tell, and what he was ready to tell.

There were certain things that were deep down, but because of purposely closing himself off. But...all in due time. Just like his mom said, whenever he was ready.

And, One For All?

That was an entirely different beast. The day had been one hell of a heavy-hitter, and it was barely halfway over. Just tossing the reveal of One For All on top of all that was a bad idea. Not to mention they had already thrown All Might under the bus as their alibi to Kyouka's parents without his knowledge.

Izuku decided to wait until the whole thing blew over before throwing All Might to the maternal wolves again.

Inko and Mika against All Might?

'...All Might, please forgive me.'

Izuku would just take solace in the fact that Inko's fury wasn't directed at him now.

"Those bastards!" Inko paced back and forth in front of the couch as Izuku and Kyouka sat in silence. "All of those parents! The teachers! They all lied straight to my face!"

"U-Uh, to be fair..." Izuku intervened, "I don't think any parents knew. If the teachers never cared, I highly doubt they told the parents about their kids' behavior."

"Then I will!"

"Wh-?! Whoa, let's just cal-"

"I second this!" Kyouka jumped up off the couch, a bright smile on her face and fists pumping. "Vengeance!"

Izuku quickly got up, putting his hands out, "Okay, Batman, calm down. I don't want things to get out of hand."

"Things got out of hand when they hurt my son!" Inko yelled as she raised her hand out, her phone beginning to float towards her from the table.

Kyouka jumped in surprise, only just learning Inko was telekinetic. "Dude, your mom has mind powers?!"

"A-Ah! Wait!" Izuku rushed in front of the phone, grabbing it and setting it back on the table. "J-Just hold on! There's no reason to do this!"

"No reason?" Inko asked incredulously, raising her hand again and bringing the phone over Izuku's head.

"Well, okay, there's a big reason...Eh, a lot of big reasons, but still!" Izuku reached up and grabbed the phone again. "Please, don't do this."

Inko scoffed, furrowing her brow in confusion, "I'm sorry, but I just don't understand any of this. Why on Earth would you not want these people to get what they deserved a long time ago?"

"I-. It's...It's complicated. Uh, that's not me trying to hold back information! I'm just trying to find the right words to say this. It was just so long ago."

"Long ago? Izuku, you were at Aldera less than a year ago. I found you with bruises and a black eye less than a year ago. I'm not seeing why you wouldn't want whoever did that to be punished."

"Because I'm handling it!"

"You're handl-..." Inko raised a brow, "What's that mean?"

"Uh...N-Nothing bad. I'm not hunting down anybody, or something like that."

"What he means is," Kyouka cut in, "he's got a very indirect way of dealing with it."

"Exactly," Izuku reaffirmed for her. "I'm not going out and getting into fights...except that one time, but-"

"That one time?!" Inko cried out. "What's that supposed to mean?!"

...Maybe Izuku should have kept that one in his back pocket for a little bit longer.

"I-I didn't go looking for the fight!"

Kyouka came around to Izuku's side and sat on the table, "To be fair, it wasn't really a fight."

"Not helping," Izuku deadpanned at Kyouka. He turned back to Inko, not looking forward to the rest of the conversation. "It was just someone from Aldera trying to get a rise out of me. Which he succeeded in. He tried to insult Kyouka and I-I, uh...kindbrohinose..." Izuku mumbled.

Inko squinted at her son, "Izuku..."

Izuku slightly recoiled back, prepared for the backlash, "...I kind of broke his nose."

"Good!"

"I just reacted! H-He made me so-...I'm sorry, what?"

"Izuku, I don't like violence, especially when related to you. You know that. But, to not only bully you, know what you can do now, and still try to pick on you? He wasn't going to learn his lesson."

"...Wow, today really hasn't gone how I expected."

Kyouka nodded, "The understatement that applies to our entire lives."

Izuku shook his head, trying to get back on track, "All I'm trying to say is, I don't want to go back and hurt them. Everything that's happened today was about moving on, right? Getting better, making us better despite the past? That's all I want. I don't have time to live in the past. I need to focus on Kyouka, on school, on you. To hell with all of them, but I don't want vengeance. I want justice. And the only form of justice I can accept, is to prove them all wrong. I already did it by being accepted into UA, and achieving my dream of becoming the number one hero...Well, that's more than I could ask for. So, please, don't go dragging all of this back up. Not for me. I'm already haunted by my own mistakes, and I'm tired of being haunted by others'. It took time, but I finally have everything I need and more. I don't need to go back. In fact, it's the last thing I want."

Izuku watched his mother try and contemplate on it all, still very clearly conflicted. He knew letting all of those people and their acts go unanswered was a lot to ask, especially for a parent. Izuku had no idea what he would do if it was his own child, especially if they were put through the same pain he did.

He knew it wasn't enough for her, or Kyouka for that matter, given how determined she was to piss off Katsuki every chance she had. Hell, maybe deep down it wasn't enough for him either. But, he'd do without. He had far more than enough love in his life to make up for the hatred thrown at him in the past.

"...Fine," Inko finally responded, sighing as she cupped Izuku's cheek. "How you're so golden-hearted about all this is astounding to me."

Kyouka nodded in agreement, "Seriously, I still can't figure it out."

"But," Inko continued, "I won't say anything, only on one condition."

'Uh-oh...' Izuku thought. "What?"

Inko brought her other hand up, holding Izuku's face still to look her directly into her steely gaze, "Become. Number. One."

Izuku smiled brightly, his heart soaring at those words. Coming from Inko, that meant absolutely everything. "Yes, ma'am."

Inko nodded to Kyouka, "You too."

Kyouka shrugged, "Hey, I'm not super-overpowered like him. I'll settle for two. Wait, does being partners affect our rank?"

"I..." Izuku furrowed his brow, beginning to rub his chin. "Huh. I actually don't know. There's never been a duo in the top ten, at least not a very long time. There's rankings for teams, but duos are a-"

Izuku went off into a barrage of mumbles, leaving Inko giggling. "That's my boy."

...~AIV~...

(A Few Hours Later)

Izuku flopped down face first on his bed, completely worn out. His mom had started to cook dinner, insisting that Kyouka stayed for it. But, first he stole Kyouka away, knowing he had a lot to explain.

Izuku grunted as Kyouka followed his example, landing directly on top of him with her face pressed against his neck. "I can't believe we got away with this."

"Oh, no I'm grounded. I have a whole week of housework to do now."

"...I'm still allowed to come over though, right?"

"Are you gonna help me?"

"Mmmm..." Kyouka hummed, pretending to weigh her options.

"Hey, staying at your place was your idea," Izuku chuckled.

"Who's to say?" Kyouka teased. "Can we really pass around blame here? I mean, I'd say you're just as much to blame since you didn't say no, because you're susceptible to the Power of Boners."

"Then you're even further to blame for activating them by being so irresistible."

"Ugh, that was terrible. Even for you. But, I suppose since I got us into this mess, and since Inko decided not to tell my dad about all this and get me grounded and you killed, I can make it up to you both by helping with some chores."

"I'll take it, despite the fact that you've done more than we ever could have asked for by being there for both of us during our time of need."

"Oh shit, I did. Can I-?"

"No take backs."

"Mhmhmh," Kyouka chuckled against his skin, "I've taught you well. So, what happened back there? Right before you went out to your mom."

"...So One For Al-"

"Oh God-damn it."

"No, no, it's good this time," Izuku reassured her. "I kind of...Uh, how do I put this? I went inside of One For All. As in, One For All has its own space of consciousness."

Izuku could feel Kyouka take a deep breath and release it with a sigh. "...Go on."

"Wh-? That's it? No questions?"

"After all this time I've come to just accept whatever crazy shit you throw at me. And, I guess it's...expected? I mean, Shimura had to be contacting you somehow, right?"

"That's just it," Izuku continued. "Shimura drew me into it. She...well, she showed me some things that I really needed to see. I saw her give away her son, how...broken she was. I thought about putting that kind of pain on my mom, and I saw my own memories with her and...It was an experience. But, first contact has finally been made."

Kyouka rolled off of Izuku, landing next to him on the bed. She gazed up at the ceiling as her mind buffered, trying to process what she just heard. "...I can't tell if her timing is perfect or terrible."

"Probably a bit of both." Izuku chuckled, turning himself over to be on his back. "But, she told me that she would answer when I call this time. I'm gonna go back tonight, see what I can learn."

"For the love of all that's holy! Progress! Finally! But, talking to the dead? That's insane. All Might's gonna flip wh-"

"Ah! All Might!" Izuku quickly rolled over, grabbing his phone from the bedside table and searching his contacts. "I haven't even thought about telling him! This is huge! I spoke to his master!"

"To be fair, you've been busy," Kyouka replied as the phone began to buzz, waiting for All Might to pick up.

Not long after, there was a slight click, and Toshinori's voice came out, "Uh-oh. Young Midoriya, what's wrong?"

"Wh-? Why would you assume something was wr...?"

"..." / "..." The dead silence from the call and Kyouka's stare spoke a thousand words.

"Okay, don't answer that, but this is good! I swear! I met Shimura."

"...What?"

"Shimura! She was really there! This wasn't a dream! Okay, so a lot happened with my mom today. For the better, I mean. It started off as a confrontation, but it was one I really needed because I-"

Toshinori sat in his living room, eyebrows raised as Izuku retold the entire story at breakneck speed, not even taking a breath at any point during the tale. Eventually, Izuku came to the conclusion.

...A whole five minutes later.

"And now everything is great. But, Shimura told me that if I wanted to learn more, all I have to do is call for her whenever I'm ready and I can go back."

"...Okay, first: Are you breathing?"

"Huh? Oh!" Izuku inhaled, the burning in his lungs he only just noticed going away. "Yeah, okay. Thanks."

Kyouka shook her head in amazement, "I'll make a vocalist out of you yet."

"Alright, second: I'm very proud of you for letting your bullies go. It takes a lot of strength to move forward and focus on bettering yourself and those around you, rather than stewing in the past. Even I haven't mastered that. Also, hello, Young Jirou."

"O-Oh, thank you. But, trust me, I haven't mastered that either. Very far from it."

"Either way, I"m proud of you, my boy. But, finally..." Izuku could hear Toshinori take a deep breath on the other end before a sudden shout of, "Why did I miss out on all of One For All's cool shit! I had it for over thirty years! Why couldn't I talk to her?! Why didn-...Ugh."

"I'm sorry that I'm the one that gets to talk to her," Izuku sighed. "I-It's not fair. I can pass along a message for you, if you'd like. I know it's not technically her, but..."

"It's alright, my boy. If she's been a part of One For All this whole time, then...well, then she already knows everything I wish I could have said. Please, don't worry about me. Just go back to her, go along with whatever she wishes to show you. This is an opportunity no other One For All user has ever had, not to mention an absolutely reality-breaking situation, but I think we're well past that."

Kyouka slumped her head down into the pillow, "We're talking to dead people. I don't think reality was ever not broken."

Izuku chuckled, "None of this was known when we first met, so we can review our Relationship Contract and update our terms of service."

"What new benefits are you offering?"

"Well I-"

"Still here!" All Might quickly interrupted. "Please, save us both the embarrassment. You already embarrassed yourselves enough at the convenience store."

Kyouka tensed up, raising her head up off the pillow, "No! Never mention it! Hang up!"

"Hahaha-!"

*Beep*

Izuku quickly hung up, cutting off All Might's uncontrollable cackling. "He's never going to let us live that down, is h-?"

Kyouka raised her hand up to stop Izuku, burrowing her face into the pillow, "...No."

...~AIV~...

(Some Time Later: Izuku's Room)

With dinner over, quality time spent with his mom, and Kyouka walked home without any trouble, Izuku decided to retire to bed early. It had been a while since One For All actually made him excited, rather than terrified and paranoid...and in pain.

Lots and lots of pain.

After shutting off the lights, Izuku got into bed and closed his eyes. The first thing he noticed was that he immediately missed the presence and warmth of Kyouka with him. He was only there a week, and he could already tell sleep was going to be tougher to achieve from now on.

...That probably said a lot about him, but he was going to ignore that for now.

Maybe he should start cuddling a pillow?

"If you do, I would absolutely take pictures if I could."

Izuku's eyes shot open, revealing the same black abyss he had entered earlier that day. He looked down, once again finding only half of his body fully formed, and the rest veiled in black energy. At least he could move this time.

"How many of my thoughts do you hear? Actually, how much of my life do you see?"

Nana appeared next to him, emerging from the mist, "Don't worry, I wouldn't spy on you and your girlfriend, even if I could."

"Oh thank goodness. Kyouka would kill me. Not before reaching in my head and killing you first."

"Hmhmhm, I have no doubt. Now take my hand."

Izuku reached out to Nana and took hold of her hand, watching as the fog began to warp around them. "Is this going to be about all the different memories you've been trying to show me in my dreams?"

"Sure are. I figured the world's biggest All Might fan would want to see how Toshinori began his journey."

"Wh-What?! R-Really?! No, I can't do that! I mean, I can, and want to; really really badly! B-But, shouldn't I ask permission first?!"

"Ah, c'mon, he'd be fine with it."

"He just encouraged me to talk to you! Not to go sifting through his past!"

"Fine, fine. I'll only show you the memories I'm a part of...and adjacent to."

"Shimur-"

"Too late!" The void finally finished turning into Musutafu. A light shower of snow danced through the air as gray clouds hung above. It was strange to be in such a setting, yet Izuku couldn't feel the cold air. There were some buildings he recognized, some he didn't, and there were a few skyscrapers in the distance that weren't familiar to him.

"How long ago is this? Huh?" Izuku turned around to find Nana gone, only to hear giggles coming from up above. He looked up, finding Nana lazily drifting with the falling snow.

"Thirty-three years ago. Also, just Nana, kid. I think living in your head and/or soul constitutes a first name basis. Besides, you're like a son to Toshi, so it kind of makes you my honorary grandkid."

"Wh-?! S-Son? N-No, I...I mean, w-we're...our relationship is just so complicated, a-and it's not that he's not a father-figure, I-I ju-mmph!"

Nana chuckled as she pinched his lips shut, "Men and their inability to just be honest about their feelings. Ah, oh well, you two will admit it someday. But, enough of that. It's story time. C'mon."

She floated up into the air, moving towards the roof of the nearby building.

"I-I can't activate One For All in here! How am I supposed to follow you?"

"You're in your mind, Izuku!" Nana called over her shoulder, "It's like lucid dreaming. Think it, and do it."

"I don't think lucid dreaming is that simple!"

"Less whinin', more flyin'!"

Izuku sighed, getting ready to jump, "Why do all the women in my life have so much sass?"

Jumping up, Izuku focused on flying as hard as he could until he realized his feet hadn't touched the ground yet. He carefully floated up until he reached the rooftop and planted his feet down on the ledge. "This is so weird. I can really create anything up here?"

"Dunno. Guess I've never really tried it, but it's your head,"

"...Random question, not related to that, asking for a friend, can I actually make up dreams in this space and how real do they feel?"

"Don't even think about it, kid. I'd appreciate it if you didn't randomly teleport us to a wet dream."

"I'll never confirm or deny that's what I was thinking about."

"Oh yeah? Then why did a Dream Jirou form right next to you?"

"A-Ah, no I-...!" Izuku's head drooped as he turned to find no one with Nana cackling behind him.

"Hahahaha! Ah, I got you. This is going to be a beautiful friendship, Izuku. I really like her, by the way. You lucked out with this one."

"Hm? Oh, Kyouka?"

"Mhm. Got a real fire in her eyes, that one."

"It's more of a bored glare," Izuku chuckled, "But, yeah, she does. More than most. Oh, and I guess I should ask, what about the other, uh...Echoes? Vestiges?"

"Oooh, I like both of those. But, continue."

"Do the others not approve of my relationship with her?"

Nana seethed, tilting her hand back and forth, "Eh, it's complicated."

"Of course..." Izuku groaned.

"Nonono, it's not all bad. They're mostly just neutral."

"Mostly?"

"Eh, well, from what I can tell a couple of them aren't exactly slap-happy about it. But, uh...screw 'em."

"B-But, I still want them to like me."

"They're dead, who cares what they think."

"...But, you're also-"

"Up-bup-bup! Enough about them. It's Toshi Story Time!"

"R-Right. But, and not that I'm not interested in All Might's past, and believe me, I really am. I just have to ask, why aren't you teaching me more about One For All?"

Nana pursed her lips with a sigh, "For starters, it's because I don't know much either. So far I'm the only user with a full form."

"What do you mean?"

"What I mean is, this whole echo, vestige thing? It's new. Things started around during Toshi's prime, and we've been becoming more sentient as One For All grew stronger. My knowledge of One For All is sort of trickling in, per say. I have the basics from when I was alive, but it's like new knowledge keeps flowing into my mind, along with whispers from the other users."

Izuku's brows knit together as he rubbed his chin, "One For All doesn't just stockpile strength and energy, but makes copies of consciousness. That's...every level of insanity you could possibly think of."

"I know. Crazy. I'll keep you up to date as best as I can. But, anyway, the reason we're here is because I think you deserve to know the legacy you've been tasked to live up to. I told you not to make our mistakes, and it might be hard to believe, but Toshi made some. But, for now, we can just watch his story. And, then see my biggest mistake."

"And, what's that?"

"...I didn't take All For One seriously."

"Yo-? How do you not take All For One seriously?"

"I never met him, barely even registered his existence. Torino always got mad at me for that, and...it cost me everything. You'll see. Our story starts..." Nana pointed down at the building across the street, "...in there."

Izuku's vision suddenly began to warp, zooming into the building below.

...~AIV~...

Aiya tapped her foot as she awkwardly smiled at the couple in front of her. Checking her watch, which was pointless as she already knew it was far past the time *he* was supposed to be here.

Mr and Mrs. Chiyo sat patiently, understanding it must be difficult for the woman across from them. Mrs. Chiyo checked her own watch, looking back up at Aiya. "W-We can come back another time. Really, it's fine."

"Oh, no. I'm sure he's just going overboard in making himself look presentable. I'll go check on him." Aiya stood up, walking over to the steps and heading up. Hitting the third floor, she walked past all the other bedrooms until she hit the door she was looking for. She knocked twice, pressing her ear against the door. "Toshinori? Toshinori, I've let you avoid meeting wanting families long enough. There are so many people out there that would love to meet you and care for you. Please, come out."

She was met with nothing but silence, causing her to sigh. Raising her hand, she used her low-level magnetism quirk to unlock the door, twisting the knob to find the sight she already expected to see.

An empty room, the window leading to the fire escape wide open.

Nodding to herself, she closed the door and walked back down the steps. He would be back later.

Approaching the couple, Aiya put on her best smile and clasped her hands together. "I'm so sorry, but Toshinori is just feeling under the weather today. Perhaps we could reschedule to next week?"

...~AIV~...

(Musutafu: Downtown Back Alley)

*CRACK*

Toshinori grunted as he tumbled onto the concrete, pain shooting through his jaw. The 14-year-old stood back up, getting back into his stance. His opponent, a slightly older teenager, probably around 16, groaned in annoyance.

"For fuck's sake, just stop getting back up!"

"I saw you steal money from that register. Give it back, and I'll let you go."

"Oh, brother..." The brute sighed. "It's like two-thousand yen. You're really gonna get your ass kicked for two-thousand?"

"Nope."

"See? Now you're talking sensib-"

"You are!" Toshinori fired his fist into the older kid's nose, then his other into his stomach.

"Grahh!" The crook grappled Toshinori, wrestling him to the ground. He pulled out a few strands of his hair, turning them needle-sharp with his quirk. He tried to jab them into Toshinori's leg, but the blonde grabbed his arm to hold it at bay. "Damn, just stop! I don't wanna hurt you, kid, but you're making me! You don't even have a quirk to fight me with! You tryin' to prove something?!"

"I don't need one!" Toshinori threw his head back, hitting the criminal in the nose once more and grabbing onto the bag he was holding. Cash-filled bag in hand, Toshinori scrambled away and turned back to his opponent, readying for the crook to try and get it back.

As the teen's nose bled fairly heavily, he rolled his eyes. "Aw, fuck this. Keep the damn money! I'll just find somewhere else to rob." He turned around and began to run away, disappearing down the alley and around the corner.

Toshinori breathed heavily, falling back on the ground in pain and exhaustion. Looking up at the dark clouds above, he held his definitely bruised ribs.

"Hah...hah...Yeah, you...hah...better run." Groaning, he stood back up, looking at his reflection in the nearby window. His ribs he could hide, but the black eye? 'Ugh, Ms. Aiya is definitely not gonna be happy...again.'

He grabbed the bag, heading back towards the convenience store to return the cash.

As Toshinori limped his way down the alley, a woman flying high above turned to the criminal she was holding up by the back of his shirt. "So, that's the kid who fought you for the money, huh?"

"Yeah, yeah, laugh all you want. How'd you even know I stole anything?"

Nana chuckled, "Next time don't shout, 'I'll just find somewhere else to rob'. Kind of a red flag."

"That's...a valid point."

Nana looked back down at the blonde teen walking down the sidewalk, everyone he passed looking at him confusedly as it was clear he was just in a fight.

"Hmph...Kid's got a lot of heart." Her phone suddenly buzzed, a text appearing on her screen. "Oh! Right! Gotta pick up my kid from daycare."

"...Since you're in a hurry, if I say I learned my lesson will you let me go?"

"Hahahahaha! Aaah...No."

...~AIV~...

(Some Time Later)

"Okay, game plan, Toshi..." He hopped up onto the dumpster outside of the foster living complex. Jumping up, he grabbed the ladder to the fire escape and began to climb. "Ribs? I can hide those. Black eye? Well, as cliche as it is, Kaori on the second floor has make-up. Ugh, but owing Aiya favors is never good."

He began to climb the steps, all the way up to the fourth floor landing, until...

*Tap* *Tap* *Tap* *Tap* *Tap*

Toshinori stopped in his tracks, laying down on the steps below the landing. Uh-oh. He knew that angry toe-tapping anywhere. Maybe it would be better if he just turned around an-

"I know you're out there, Toshinori."

"...No you don't." Toshinori looked up to see Ms. Aiya poke her head out from the window, clearly not happy. "...Hi."

Ms. Aiya sat on the windowsill, her arms crossed, "Fourth family in three months? New record, Toshinori. Oh, and what's that? A black eye? Oh, so that means more injuries I get to patch up. Again. Oh, Toshinori, you really shouldn't have."

Toshinori grumbled, sitting down on the metal steps, "He robbed the store. What did you expect me to-?"

"Call the-"

"Call the police. Yeah, I know. He would've been long gone by then!"

Aiya sighed as she rubbed her eyes, "...Did you at least win?"

"Uh...I got the money back, I'll say that. So, overall, yes."

Aiya scoffed, but with a hint of a smile at the corner of her lips, "C'mon then."

Toshinori perked up, looking through the metal railing, "Seriously?"

"I could just lock the window..."

"No! I'm coming! Not looking this gift horse in the mouth!"

Aiya rolled her eyes as Toshinori climbed the rest of the fire escape steps and climbed inside. "You and your western expressions."

"What can I say? I've got fifty-percent of a red-blooded American flowing through my veins."

"Uh-huh, a red-blooded American who dumped you at our doorstep."

"Hey, to be fair, my mother was there too, and she's Japanese."

"Yep. So we all suck."

Toshinori chuckled, taking a seat on his bed. Ms. Aiya always brought levity to his situation. After a point, he got sick of everybody walking on eggshells around him when mentioning why he was there. Some may think it was rude, but Toshinori saw it as honesty, and shining light into a dark place. It was oddly comforting.

"Okay, show me your ribs."

"Wh-...What?" Toshinori faltered. "I nev-"

"I could see you wince climbing through the window, and your breathing is short. Ribs. Now. Or, I guess if you're that certain, you can do ten sit-ups."

"..." Toshinori sighed, undoing the buttons on his school uniform before cracking a smile. "You know, some could consider this your fault."

Aiya pulled up a chair in front of Toshinori with an ice pack (that she fully well knew she would need upon Toshinori's return), an unamused brow raised, "And why is that?"

"I mean, at some point I figured you would lock my window from the outside," Toshinori joked.

"...Mhm." Aiya deadpanned, quickly pressing the ice pack against his ribs without warning.

"Ah! Jeez, I was kidding!"

"I'm well aware. Hold that there." Toshinori did as he was told as Aiya got up, moving to the bathroom for compression wrap. "The last thing I want is to make you feel like a prisoner. I just want you to be safe, figure out some sort of direction in your life. You're only fourteen, so obviously not anything big. But, something that doesn't involve beating up other teenaged hoodlums like yourself."

"Hey, I may be a hoodlum..."

Aiya came back out of the bathroom, waiting for him to finish his statement, "But...?"

"That's all I've got."

Aiya giggled, moving to wind the compression wrap around Toshinori's torso to keep the ice pack in place. "You're a special kind of hoodlum, Toshinori."

"Hehe, maybe." Toshinori sighed, feeling the cold soothe the aching on his ribs. "...I do have a direction, though."

Aiya sighed, quirking a brow up at him, "Unless you plan on getting arrested or changing the minds of multiple politicians, quirkless can't go to hero schools. That's the law. We talked about this."

Toshnori sighed, "Yeah, I know."

"And yet, you're still going to try, aren't you?"

"Pretty much."

"And what are you going to do if they still reject you?"

"We'll cross that bridge when we get there," Toshinori shrugged. He felt it was for the best to avoid telling Ms. Aiya that he was considering forging quirk registration forms. Was it incredibly illegal? Yep. Would he be caught immediately once they realized he was quirkless? Yep.

...Toshinori was beginning to realize he wasn't very good at plans.

"And, hey, if all else fails my incredible charm will pull through for me."

Ms. Aiya fully secured the compression wrap, standing back up and looking down at Toshinori, "Uh-huh. Just like I'm assuming you're planning on using your charm to get you out of trouble?"

"Is it working?"

"No." Aiya raised her hand out to him, "No phone for the next twenty-four hours."

Toshinori groaned, grumbling to himself as he reached into his pocket.

...Only to find nothing.

"Uh-oh." He began patting down the pockets of his uniform, finding them all empty. He grabbed his schoolbag, rummaging through it to still find his phone unaccounted for. "Crap! It must've fallen out of my pocket during the fight!"

"Of course," Aiya sighed, going back to the bathroom to put the equipment back. "Okay, let's go find i-..." She walked out of the bathroom, finding Toshinori no longer on the bed and the window reopened. She leaned out of the window, seeing him vanish around the alley corner. "...Maybe I should lock the window."

...~AIV~...

Toshinori crossed the bridge over the small river running through the outskirts of the city. He knew he probably should have waited for Ms. Aiya, and he'd probably just get into more trouble for running off again so quickly. He just needed to get out of there.

Ms. Aiya was just trying to help, and he was fully aware it was against the rules for quirkless people to test for hero schools.

But, it didn't change his dream. At this point, he wasn't sure if anything could.

What else did he have?

He finally reached the alley the fight was in, but his phone wasn't there. He looked under the dumpster, behind crates, but nothing. He groaned, really hoping nobody had come by and stolen it.

"Maybe I left it at the convenience store," Toshinori hoped. He turned around and walked down the street until he was met with the neon lights of the store. Before he reached the door, it opened, and a hero walked out.

Toshinori gasped, "Uplift!"

Nana turned at the sound of her hero name and gasped back, "Random kid!"

"I'm a big fan! U-Uh, but what are you doing here? Did someone try to rob this place again?"

"Nah," Uplift shook her head. "This place is on my patrol path, and I got a little hungry. Besides, I think every petty thief now knows they'll face the wrath of a middle schooler if they try again."

"Well I-...Excuse me?"

"You've got guts, kid. That asshole was nearly twice your size."

Toshinori's eyes went wide, "You saw that?!"

"More like the aftermath. Oh, that reminds me, the second reason I'm here." Nana reached back and pulled out a phone from its place against her back, held in place by her belt. "Someone seems to have dropped this, and I was hoping to find them again."

"Ah, awesome! Thank you so much!"

He took back his phone, quickly placing it in his bag and zipping it up to be certain he wouldn't lose it. Nana smirked at his school bag, raising a brow at Toshinori, "An American flag?"

Toshinori blushed, slightly moving his bag behind him, "U-Uh, yeah. I've always liked the ideas of justice and freedom. I don't know anything about politics or anything like that, but...it's just a nice thought."

"Hm," Nana smiled, "I like you, kid. But, hey, as much as I admire your courage, and what you did was a real good thing, leave it to the professionals next time. I'd rather we catch the perp later than lose a child in the process."

"Oh, uh...Yes, ma'am." His heart growing even heavier, Toshinori had to bite his tongue so as to not make some sort of retort.

Nana squinted curiously at the boy, resting her hands on her hips, "Uh-oh. That sounds a whole lot like you have no intention of listening to me."

"Well, I-...Yes, ma'am. I didn't."

"Ha! Honesty! I like you even more!" Nana crouched down, putting a hand on his shoulder, "But, seriously, kid. The last thing I want is for you, or anyone else, to get hurt. Forgive me, I have a son of my own, and kids are a soft spot for me."

"I understand, I do, just...Cou-...Can I ask you something? Please, I won't take up much of your time."

Nana peered at him curiously, but eventually shrugged, "Walk with me."

She turned around and began to walk down the sidewalk, with Toshinori following behind. They followed the river bank, heading down closer to the water as snow began to fall once more.

"You're not cold?" Toshinori questioned, looking at Uplift's exposed arms.

"Hehe! I'm a tough gal, kid. Don't tell me that was your question?"

"Oh! No, that wasn't it! But, before I ask, please be completely honest with me. Don't worry about my feelings, I just need to know from a Pro."

"Pfft. Sorry, kid, but you're a little young for me."

"Wh-?! No!" Toshinori blushed, looking down to hide his embarrassment.

"Hahaha!" Nana turned out towards the water, hands on her hips. "Okay, I'll stop, I promise. Go ahead, and I answer with complete honesty. I promise."

"Okay..." Toshinori steeled himself, taking a deep breath before asking his question."They don't let the quirkless test for hero schools. But, despite that...do you think I could be a hero?"

Nana's attention was immediately grabbed, looking at Toshinori, "You're quirkless?"

She seemed far more invested in that detail than Toshinori would have expected, but he continued, "Yeah. I know it's insane, but just hear me out. I think there should be a symbol."

"A symbol?"

"So many parts of the world are still affected by all the civil unrest that happened when quirks began to spread rapidly. Crime is on the rise as more and more quirks appear. I want a world where everyone is smiling, where they can have hope again. I believe they need someone to rely on, to inspire them, to be the pillar the world needs."

Nana fully turned to him, fully engrossed in his words, "And you think you could be this symbol?"

"I...I don't know. I already can't enroll in hero schools. But, I...I've gotta try, right?"

Nana shook her head in disbelief and scoffed, "You're crazy, kid..."

"Well I..." Toshinori's head dropped. He sighed, turning around to take his leave. "I know. I'm sorry for taking up your ti-"

"The perfect kind of crazy!"

Toshinori stopped, spinning around with wide eyes, "I-I am?"

"Are you freaking kidding me?! You're exactly what I've been looking for!"

"Looking fo-? Okay, I'm a little confused."

"Look, kid, I'm not gonna say you could never be a hero. It's just like you said, they don't allow quirkless to be heroes. And vigilantism is illegal." Nana crouched down, putting her hands on Toshinori's shoulders. "But, what if I told you, and this will sound crazy, but what if I could get you a quirk?"

"I...What?"

"Can you keep a secret?"

"I-? Wh-? Uh..." This was probably the point where Toshinori should have run, because clearly this lady was nuts. But, he couldn't deny, his curiosity got the better of him. "...Yes. Yes, ma'am, I can."

"You said you're a fan, right? Tell me what my quirk is."

"Oh, well, it's Float. But, some years back you seemed to be flying faster than that would imply."

"And?"

"Uh...some witnesses said you showed signs of enhanced strength."

Nana smiled, standing up and casually pacing in front of him, "Really now? How is that possible? My quirk shouldn't allow that, right?"

Toshinori watched her go back and forth, not any less confused. "Yeah..."

"And if I had two quirks?"

Toshinori scoffed, smirking at the absurdity of what Uplift was suggesting. "That's impossible."

"It should be, yes. However, what if, and follow me here...What if my second quirk isn't my quirk?"

"You...You're saying you have somebody else's quirk?"

"Mhm. And, what if I also said..." Nana stopped her pacing, facing him fully, "...I can give it to you?"

"...Okay, Uplift, it was great to meet you, but I think I'm gonna go." Toshinori quickly turned on his heel and began to speed-walk away. "I'm sure you're busy with all...that, so I'm just gonna g-"

*FWOOSH!!!*

"Ah!!!" Toshinori fell back as Uplift suddenly appeared in front of him, a trail of sky blue lightning dissipating from where she stood beforehand. "Wh-?! What ju-...How did you-...?"

"Hehe! Enhanced speed; part of my second quirk." Nana reached her hand down for Toshinori to grab. "Believe me now?"

"Y-Yes, ma'am..." He grasped her hand, allowing her to lift him up. "But, how?!"

"It was entrusted to me by a good man, just as it was entrusted to him."

"There have been more people with this quirk?" Toshinori asked, eyes wide. "I-...I don't understand."

Nana smiled, raising her hand out with her palm towards the sky. Light emanated from her palm, her hair began to flow in a sudden gust of wind, and the sky blue lightning returned.

"My power has been passed on from hero to hero, all in the hopes that it will destroy the great evils that plague this world, and bring joy and peace to all of the innocent who inhabit it. Those who choose to wield this power, all believe that it is destined to bring hope to humanity. Each wielder is given the task to find a successor, someone who will hone and grow the strength of this quirk, and who's heart and ideals surpass even their own. This power is known as...One For All." The light disappeared, and Nana grinned down at the teen who was clearly still in awe. "I'm not one for fate and destiny and all that, but I think we were meant to meet, Young...uh...What's your name, kid?"

"T-Toshinori Yagi."

"Toshinori Yagi!" Nana continued, getting back on track. "I believe you're the successor I've been waiting for. I believe it's your turn. So, Young Yagi, what do you say? Take this power, train under me, we'll get you into UA, and turn you into that Symbol of Hope and Peace you talked about."

What did he say? Well, Toshinori was thinking, 'This is absolutely a dream.'

This was WAY too good to be true. Ignoring the impossibility of a quirk that could be given away, she was just going to give it to him?! This would allow his dreams to...Okay, scratch that. It would give him the chance to make his dreams come true.

No matter the absurdity of it all, he couldn't miss the opportunity, could he? All that responsibility...

This was a power supposedly given to the best heroes, those who had the purest of hearts, the purest of intentions...

No. No, it deserved to go to someone better than him.

"I...I'm sorry, but you're wrong about me."

Nana raised a brow and crossed her arms, "Hm. How so?"

"I...Heroes were the coolest thing to me. To help people, give them hope...it's all I've ever wanted. But, I...I have more reasons than just that." Toshinori gripped his bag strap, looking down at his feet. "...My parents gave me away for being quirkless. They wanted a child who could become a hero, get them good money, raise their status and secure their futures."

"Moving on from that being the most asshole move I've ever heard in my life, are you saying you want to be a hero out of spite?"

"No! I-...Well, I don't know. It's more like...I want to be somebody. I don't want to go on and not even be a blip on life's radar. I don't want to be this mistake, some kid that was given up for being useless. I'm not saying it's the attention I want, but to make a name for myself, to make a difference in people's lives, just...just to say I truly did something great with my life. After my parents, I used to think that I had nothing to give to the world. But, I realized that...I can give myself."

Nana took a deep breath and nodded, "I see..."

"I'm sorry if that's not what you were looking for. I understand if that sounds like I'm focused on seeking fame or glory. I'll guard your secret with my life, I swe-"

Nana suddenly grabbed him by the shoulders, a bright smile on her face, "You're perfect!"

'Wh-?! I...I am?"

"Hell, kid, you're already better than most of the heroes I've met. Don't mistake selfishness for corruption of the heart. You're human. We're all selfish. To not only admit that, but to have those selfish desires fit in line with that of your selfless desires, to still want to give yourself in the service of others, that's proof to me that you're not just worthy of this power. I think you need this power. I think the world needs you." She stood back up, walking towards the water before turning back around to face him. "Toshinori Yagi, do you want to be a hero?"

Toshinori closed his eyes and breathed in deep, looked up at Uplift, "More than anything."

"Then take my hand."

Toshinori stepped forward, his heart beating in his ears. This was it. This was his chance. He placed his hand in Nana's...

...And felt nothing.

"Uh...Is it not working?"

"Huh?" Nana asked, confused. "Oh! Hahaha! No, you're not getting the power yet. If I gave it to you now, it would probably break every bone in your body."

"What?!"

"We gotta train you up! But, first, there are some people you gotta meet! Do you have anywhere to be?"

Toshinori could feel his phone vibrate in his bag, knowing it was Ms. Aiya trying to see if he had found his phone yet. "Uh...No?"

"Perfect! Hold on tight!"

"Hold o-AAAHHH!!!" Toshinori was suddenly dragged into the sky, flying over buildings at great speeds.

From his position back on the ground, Izuku could hear his screams echo into the sky, along with Nana's cackling.

His Nana stood beside him, wistfulness in her eyes, "Ah, memories. He ate like six bugs on the flight. I kept telling him to close his mouth, but I don't think he heard me over the wind...Hm? You okay, kiddo?"

"Hm?" Izuku was dragged out of his thoughts, looking back at Nana, "Y-Yeah. Yeah, I just...I guess I just never thought that All Might and I would have such similar backgrounds. I know he was quirkless, and I know about his parents, but I guess the image I've had of him for my whole life is that larger than life symbol, the greatest hero. Despite all we've been through, sometimes it's hard to remember he's just...a guy. It's no wonder he's been able to see right through me at times. He understands more than I thought."

"Mm. He's also like you when it comes to discussing your past, so don't feel bad about not seeing it. You're both pretty guarded. Honestly, I was a little afraid of showing you this memory. I thought you might get a little pissed seeing this, and remembering that Toshi told you 'no' when you asked if you could be a hero."

"It's different," Izuku shrugged. "He already beats himself up over that enough, even when I personally agree with what he said at the time. The world has changed even more since he asked you, and he said he was in a darker place at the time. Besides, he understands the feeling of hopelessness. If he had no plans to give One For All to me, then he wouldn't want someone to suffer through more years of getting told no, like he probably did. But, I probably never would have moved on."

"Mm..." Nana took hold of his shoulder, smiling down solemnly. "You ready to continue?"

"...Yeah."

...~AIV~...

(Some Time Later: Shimura Family Household)

"...Nana?"

"Yeah, Honey?"

"...Did you kidnap a kid?" Yori looked into the dining room to see Toshinori sitting awkwardly at the table as a four-year-old Kotaro kept trying to jump up and tug on his front bangs.

Nana chuckled as she hung up her cape, "No, he came along willingly."

"Then who is he?"

She smiled brightly, "It's his turn."

"Nana, that's cryptic as shi-Ooooh." He looked back over to Toshinori, trying to get a gauge on him. "Seriously? He looks like he's fifteen."

"He is fifteen."

"Has anyone ever gotten the quirk so young before?"

"I don't know much about the other users, but not that I'm aware of."

"Hm...What's Torino think of him?"

"...So, about that-"

"Oh dear lord, Nana."

"Just trust me," she chuckled, putting her hand in his. "This kid is real special, I can feel it. He's more than I ever could have asked for."

"Hm. When did you meet him?"

"Half-an-hour ago."

"..."

"Okay, it's way better than it sounds, I promise. Torino's on his way over right now for a little impromptu inspection."

Yori raised a brow at his wife, "Does he actually know he's about to meet your potential successor?"

"...So, about that-" Yori turned away from his wife, returning to the kitchen to finish making dinner. Nana chuckled, moving into the dining room and picking up Kotaro, much to Toshinori's gratitude. "How's my little man doing, huh? Did you miss Mama?"

Toshinori watched as Nana blew raspberries against her son's neck, causing him to giggle and squirm in her grasp. The act of affection was so foreign to him.

"You doing alright, kid?"

Toshinori was ripped from his thoughts, realizing Nana was looking right at him. "Y-Yeah. Sorry, just...just still trying to comprehend all this."

"Ah, I getcha. It was pretty crazy for me when I learned all this too. However, luckily for you, you're not alone. I was for a bit, but I found a good friend that helped me sort through all this."

*Knock-Knock*

"Speak of the devil. After hearing the knock, Nana set down Kotaro, guiding him towards the living room. "Okay, here we go. Go play, little hero. The adults, and Yagi, have some very important business to discuss." With Kotaro in the other room, she turned back to Toshinori. "So, Gran Torino is...well, he's...I've got your back."

...Why did that not fill Toshinori with much confidence?

Nana went through the other room and opened the front door. A tall, muscular and grizzled white-haired man walked through the door.

"Alright, what was the, and I quote, 'extremely important, DEFCON 1' matter to discuss?" Torino asked as he stepped inside. His gaze moved towards the dining room, seeing Toshinori sweating nervously through the archway. "...Who's the kid?"

"Well..." Nana smiled, hands on her hips as her eyes kept shifting back and forth between Torino and Toshinori.

Torino continued to stare in confusion, until it finally dawned on him. "No...No! Absolutely not!"

"Oh, c'moooon! Why can't you ever agree with me?!"

"You can't bring a kid into this! Does he even know what we're up against here?"

"...So, about that-"

"For the love of all that's holy, Nana!"

"Told you he'd be mad," Yori interrupted as he entered the room.

"No, you didn't," Nana fought back.

"It was implied."

"Can't you at least meet him?" Nana said, turning back to Torino.

"Sure," Torino replied. "It'll give me the chance to properly tell him how bad an idea it is for him to be here. The fact that you've already told him makes him a target."

"Oh that's such bullshit, and you know it. He couldn't give a damn about anyone, except for me. It's only a problem once it's passed on, and he won't even know. Besides..." Nana leaned in close, keeping her voice low. "...He's quirkless."

"Ugh," Torino groaned, "You and your theories. You have no proof."

"I also have nothing that disproves it either. I won't know until I pass it, will I?"

"Which you shouldn't. It's far too dangerou-"

"I don't care," Toshinor interrupted. All three adults turned to him, as he approached them.

"Look, kid," Torino tried to stop him, "You don't get i-"

"I don't care what we're fighting. I don't care how dangerous it is. That's the whole idea of being a hero, isn't it? I'll do whatever it takes if it means no one else has to suffer through it."

"See?!" Nana laughed out, throwing her arms out towards Toshinori. "He's perfect! C'mon, Torino, he's ready!"

"It doesn't matter whether he's ready or not, he's just a kid."

"Ah, but it's my quirk, so my vote is an instant veto to the opposition."

"Then why did you even bother asking?"

"I like to make you feel valued."

"Some big villain, right? Probably after Uplift's quirk?" Toshinori deduced. "Probably insanely powerful, too? I don't care. I'll do whatever it takes, and if earning this quirk is how I can help, then I'll do it."

Torino growled, pinching the bridge of his nose, "This is so God-damn stupid."

"Hey," Nana placed a hand on his shoulder, her demeanor turning serious. "You trust me, right?"

"I-"

"And, yes, I know none of this is a good argument in my favor. I'm fully aware. But, despite all that, do you trust me?"

"..." Torino sighed, crossing his arms. "With my life."

"Then trust me with this," Nana moved behind Toshinori, hands on his shoulders. "He's the one."

"...We tell him everything first. Everything. Then...Then I guess if that doesn't scare him off, I have no say in the matter."

"Yes!" Nana pumped her fist.

"And if we do train him, I'm not holding back!"

"Pfft, yeah right. Go ahead and believe that, you big softie. Yo-..."

...

Everyone in the room suddenly froze in time, with Izuku walking in front of the Vestige Nana. "Hold on. What was that?"

"What was what?"

"That thing about All Might being quirkless. What theory?"

"Oh, that." Nana shrugged, "You see, most of us One For All users have a bit of a problem with 'dying right before passing on the quirk' and 'sharing very little information about themselves'. Thankfully, I broke that cycle, but I do know that the guy before me was having quirk troubles. Not with One For All, but with his original quirk. It was like, spasming, or something. And, eventually, I started to experience the same thing. I would suddenly fly way faster than intended, sometimes slower, or I would rise up at random, things like that. So, I thought that maybe our bodies didn't know how to handle two quirks. A quirkless kid wouldn't have any of the same complications if it actually was related to two quirks occupying one body, and not just One For All itself. Toshi had it for thirty years and it behaved perfectly, so I'd say my experiment was a resounding success."

"Wait, so...One For All can't go to somebody who already has a quirk?" Izuku asked, concerned.

"Well, I didn't say that. I still have no idea what was actually happening. It could depend on the quirk, too. I don't know. Besides, quirks have gotten crazy in such a short amount of time. What about that Todoroki kid? He sort of has two quirks, right?"

Izuku sighed, furrowing his brows together as he began to think. "Not exactly, but it could be viewed that way...Hm..."

"Oh..." Nana nodded, realizing what Izuku was getting at. "You're thinking about Jirou, aren't you?"

"If something ever happened to me, she's who I'm giving it to," Izuku sighed. "But, if it causes her trouble..."

"Sorry to say, kid, but you don't have any other options. Quirkless people are getting rarer. Have you ever met another one?"

Ignoring the pit in his stomach at the reminder of the ever dwindling quirkless population, Izuku shook his head, "Not that I know of."

"Exactly." She ruffled his hair, smiling reassuringly, "Like I said, we're still learning here. We'll figure it out, kiddo. Who knows? Maybe the other users have answers for us in the future. Let's just hope you'll never have to face this situation in the first place."

"Yeah..." Izuku relented, the thought still plaguing his mind.

"C'mon. We're basically done here anyway. Let's move on."

...~AIV~...

(Some Time Later: The Sky)

"You've been quiet..."

Nana was flying slow and not too high up. She didn't want to have to scream over the wind. It was a perfect night for flying. Full moon, clear skies, cool breeze...

But, of course, All For One's fowl existence had to hang in the air.

"Just a lot to take in," Toshinori said from his place on her back.

"You can still back out, you know? There's no shame in it. I'm sorry I didn't tell you beforehand, it's just..."

"I understand. You've already expressed that you think I'm a good fit for this. You were afraid of scaring me away."

"Yes, but that's no excuse." Nana countered. "Torino is right. You're just a kid. No one so young deserves such a burden."

Toshinori looked out over the cityscape, every light from a building, or from a car below, represented another person. It represented life. Millions and millions of people had the world's most dangerous villain right under their noses, and they didn't even know it.

"...Doing this will relieve me of my own burdens. So, I'll happily take on the rest of the world's."

"That..." Nana had to pause, stunned that a statement like that came from a teenager. "...You're one of a kind, Toshinori Yagi. I hope you know that."

They finally landed down in front of the living center, with Toshinori dismounting from Nana's shoulders. "Thank you..."

"Don't mention it. Training starts tomorrow at O-Six-Hundred. Don't be late."

"Understood. You might wanna go now. You don't wanna be here for the explos-"

"TOSHINORI YAGI!!!"

"There it is."

Ms. Aiya suddenly burst through the front doors, marching down the steps until she reached Toshinori, hands finding his shoulders. "I have been calling and texting you for hours!"

"Wel-! I, uh..." Toshinori panicked, trying to come up with some sort of excuse. All that time and he didn't even bother coming up with a decent lie?

"It was my fault," Nana stepped in, "Forgive me. I found Young Yagi's phone and learned how he fought that thief. I returned his phone, and he and I got to talking. We lost track of time."

Aiya's eyes went wide at the sight of Nana, only now just noticing her presence. "U-Uplift? Wow! Uh, I mean, it's an honor. But, you...Wait, Toshi, what did you do?"

"Wh-?! Nothing!" Toshinori quickly tried to defend himself. "...This time."

"Meeting a hero or not, that's no excuse to not respond to my texts for hours. You better not have found your phone, then I might be lenient."

"Uh...Yes?"

"So, you're saying if I took out my phone, sent you a text, we wouldn't hear it ring?"

"...I'll go to my room now."

"Mhm." Both women watched as Toshinori ran up the front steps, disappearing into the building. Aiya sighed, turning back to Nana. "I hope he didn't cause you any trouble."

"Are you kidding me? He's been great."

"Oh, that's so good to her," Aiya sighed in relief. "Toshinori is such a good young man, but he's prone to trouble at times."

"Hmhmhm, so am I. Anyway, there's actually something I wanted to speak with you about related to him."

Aiya perked up, her concern quickly coming back, "Did something happen?"

"I guess you can say that," Nana chuckled.

"Uh-oh. Whatever he did, I'll take full responsi-"

"I'd like to apply for foster parenthood of Yagi."

"...What?"

...~AIV~...

(Four Months Later: Musutafu Child Care and Support Living Center)

"WAKE UP!!!"

"AAHH!!!" Toshinori fell out of bed in a bundle of blankets and limbs. He looked up to see Nana floating above him, a bright smile on her face.

"It's Entrance Exam Day!" Nana cheered.

"How did you even get in here?!"

Nana pointed over to the open window, "Ms. Aiya should really lock that thing. Now, get dressed! I'll be down front."

Toshinori groaned as Nana flew back out the window. He threw his blankets back onto the bed, hopping up and heading into the bathroom. Throwing off his pajama shirt, he couldn't help but smirk at his reflection.

In only four short months, he had really begun to bulk up. He wasn't huge or anything, but he couldn't deny it. He looked good.

Going through his morning routine as quickly as he could, he threw on a black and orange sweat jacket and black joggers, and ran down to the front entrance. He bounced down the steps, standing proud in front of Nana. "I'm ready!"

"No you're not."

"Hm? What do you mea-AAAH!!!" Nana grabbed him by the arm, dragging him up into the sky. Toshinori yelled against the wind, "Why do you insist on doing that?!"

"Because it's funny!" Nana laughed out.

They soared over the buildings, the morning sun just over the horizon. Using Nana as his main mode of travel over the last few months had at the very least gotten Toshinori an immunity to a fear of heights.

He could go without all the dead bugs on his clothes, though.

Soon, they landed down at the very same river bank where Toshinori had asked his fated question. Dropping down to the ground, he watched Nana gently float before him.

"Toshinori Yagi..." Nana smiled softly at him, pride in her eyes. "Look at you. I've watched you grow and improve over these last few months, and I've loved every minute of it. Torino tolerated every minute of it, which is very high praise."

"Hahaha! He has a funny way of showing tolerance."

"That he does," Nana giggled. "However, training you, getting to know you, it's all done nothing but assure me that you're the perfect choice. You're ready, kiddo..."

Toshinori's heart began to beat rapidly as he tried to keep his hands from shaking. This was it. This is how his life changed forever...

Nana reached up, pulled out one of her hairs, and extended it out to him, "Eat this..."

Toshinori stared at the hair Nana was holding out to him, stunned into silence. "...You...You wanna run that by me again?"

"Eat this."

"Yeah, you keep saying that, and the only thing I'm thinking is that this has been the longest, most elaborate prank I've ever seen."

Nana chuckled, "It's weird, I know. But, I told you, this quirk has to be passed on through DNA."

"Yeah, but, I don't know. Can't you just put a drop of your blood in some soda or something?"

"Ew, gross."

"Wh-?! And eating hair isn't gross?!"

"I mean I could give you a toenail or someth-"

"No! No, I'll take the hair!"

Nana cackled, "Yeah, that's what I thought."

Toshinori cringed as he tentatively took the hair from Nana's hand. He looked down at it, took a deep breath...

And turned around and walked away.

"Wh-?! Hey, where are you going?!" Nana cried out.

"I'm going to the convenience store to buy some food to put this hair in!"

"You weenie!"

...~AIV~...

(A Few Hours Later: UA Ground Beta)

Toshinori would never forget the look of disgust and confusion on the store clerk's face when they saw him put the hair inside the onigiri he bought.

And then the looks of horror and Nana's cackling as he STILL proceeded to hack and cough as the hair clung for dear life to the back of his throat.

Well, the written exam was easy enough. Now, he just had to destroy a bunch of bots with a quirk he had never used before...and didn't even know if he had yet.

'Oh boy...'

*"BEGIN!!!"*

Everyone around him took off into the city, leaving him to watch the chaos unfold. He couldn't fall behind.

Breathing in deep, Toshinori got into his running position, "Okay, Toshinori...Calm, focused, and in control."

...~AIV~...

"WOOOOOHOOOOO!!!" Toshinori crashed through his...well, he actually lost count a long time ago, but another combat bot. "YEEEAAAHHH!!!"

He grabbed the fallen arm of the destroyed bot, and threw it like a javelin through two other ones.

Izuku watched in awe as the scene from the past played before them. All Might ran at incredible speeds, bashing through bot after bot in mere seconds.

"Wow...When All Might told me One For All came pretty easily to him, I didn't think he meant...this."

"Don't sell yourself short," Nana replied. "One For All was much, much weaker back then. You got it after Toshinori cultivated it for over three decades. But, yes, Toshi was a natural with it."

One For All being weaker was evident. Izuku could tell that the memory of All Might was maybe just a little faster than him now. But, that just meant that All Might had turned One For All into the massive powerhouse that it was in only a decade or so.

There were so many crazy feats Izuku had read about from All Might's early days in America, only in his twenties.

"I still can't believe I'm going to have that kind of power someday. It's...overwhelming. But, I can't say I'll miss the broken bones."

"..."

Izuku waited for Nana to reply with something, but it was just dead silence. He looked over to her, seeing her nervously shift her eyes.

"Oh no. What?"

"Uh, n-nothing."

Izuku groaned, running a hand through his hair in agitation, "So, in what way am I screwed this time?"

Nana sighed, fully facing Izuku with tired eyes, "The thing is...you're probably never gonna have the same kind of control as Toshi did."

Izuku stared at her confused, but knew she wasn't exaggerating. He put his hands on his hips, a deep scowl on his lips as he stared at his feet. "...Why? Then what exactly have I been doing this whole time? My progress has been good."

"Yes, it has. But...it's only gonna last so long. You're gonna start stalling at some point. I remember some information passing through at some point. Something about a book? One with Paranormal Singularity Theory?"

Izuku shook his head, turning away from Nana as he began to pace. He already knew where this was going. "You've got to be kidding me."

"One For All is already too strong for you. Your body can barely handle it as it is. You know that with how One For All works, it gets stronger and stronger with every day that passes. And, unfortunately, it's not just the stockpiled strength that's growing. The original quirk itself is evolving, taking in strength..."

"Faster and faster," Izuku finished for her. "The Quirk Singularity Theory said that quirks would eventually evolve to be too fast for the human body to catch up, and they would eventually consume us all. But, plenty of people have bodies that have adapted to their quirks."

"True, but One For All isn't a natural quirk you're born with. It was given to you. Your body isn't evolving, the quirk is. It's trying to survive, because-"

"Because you're killing the host. AKA: Me. It's where my energy powers come from, right? One For All is trying to release excess power that my body can't take?"

Nana nodded solemnly, "That's about right. One For All is growing too quickly, trying its best to not kill you. But, even with your body adapting to its power, you're playing a game of catch-up that you can't win. Your maximum power that you're trying to control is going to keep running away from you."

"Of course it is. God-damn it...God-damn it!" Izuku clenched his fists, his pacing becoming faster.

Nana grabbed his shoulder, stopping him in his tracks. She cupped his cheeks, gazing at him with sorrow, "I'm so sorry. I know you haven't been able to catch a break in so long."

"You don't know the half of it."

"I do, actually. We're in your mind, remember? Nothing in your life ever seems to come without a million asterisks, minus Jirou. Listen, I don't know how, but we'll find a way to slow it down. One For All already awoke once, it can do it again. Okay?"

Izuku pressed his lips together, suppressing another sigh before nodding, "...Okay."

"Alright. Now, onto another memory."

...~AIV~...

(One Hour Later: UA Front Entrance)

"Toshi!" Hearing his name called as he walked out of UA's front entrance, Toshinori looked up to see a 'Nana Torpedo' rocket towards him and tackle him in a hug. "That was incredible!"

"Th-Thanks, but, how do you even know?"

"I might've flown above the testing grounds. But, enough about that! Your written exam?"

"Pretty easy," he shrugged. "They put way more stock into the practical anyway."

"Which you completely dominated! Why aren't you more excited?"

"I'll celebrate once I get my results. I don't want to jinx it. You never know what could happen."

Nana nodded in understanding, "Alright then. Good...but, enough of being humble. How are you really feeli-?"

"I ABSOLUTELY CRUSHED IT!!!"

"Yeaaah!!!" Nana cheered with him, picking him up in another big hug. "Kid, you're just the gift that keeps on giving! Oh! Speaking of gifts, I've got a couple of surprises for you."

"Nana, I'm going to UA. U! A! This is everything I've ever wanted, and it's all because of you! I don't need any more gifts."

"Oh, but you're gonna like this one. First surprise is this..." Nana pulled out a stack of papers, handing them to her protogé.

Toshinori gazed at them in confusion, looking back up at his master, "Legal paperwork? Uh...Wow, you shouldn't have."

"No, doofus," Nana chuckled as she flicked his forehead. "Oh, well, it is paperwork. But, long story short, you're looking at Japan's latest and greatest Pro Hero eligible for foster parenthood!"

"You're looking to foster? That's great! Have you already found a child?"

"..."

"..."

"Toshi..."

"What?"

"..."

"...Oh. Oh! Oh my-! Are you serious?!"

"Yori and I's names are already on the paper, so you tell me."

"I...I don't..." Toshinori gazed down at the papers in awe. He lost hope a long time ago. Kids being taken in became rarer the older they got, and he was already fifteen, and he avoided meeting families to begin with. He didn't want to go to some other family that could just abandon him again. But, now... "You...You guys really want me?"

"Well, training you will be far more convenient this way, right?"

"O-Oh...right. Yeah, I gue-"

"Pfft, I'm messing with you! It's because I love ya, dork. Well, not that it won't be more convenient. But, you've been in that living center for far too long. It's about time you had a home, don't you think?"

"Um...I..." Toshinori tried his best to blink away the tears threatening to overflow, but he was doing a pretty bad job of it. "I...Thank you. I don't..."

"You wanna hide your tears with a hug?"

"...Yes, please."

Nana chuckled as she brought Toshinori into her arms, kissing the top of his head, "I'm so proud of you, Toshi."

They remained that way until Toshinori's tears subsided, allowing him to back away and recompose himself. "Does Ms. Aiya know?"

"Gave me the papers herself. She's been packing you up since you left."

"Yeesh, she's that ready to get rid of me?" Toshinori joked.

"Can you blame her?"

"Very funny. Anyway, what was the second surprise?"

"Oh, right..." Nana sucked in through her teeth, "Yeeeaah, about that. The first surprise was just to soften the blow of the second one."

"What do you mea-?"

*SLAM*

Toshinori spun around to find Gran Torino had landed down behind him, a wide, terrifying smile on his face. "Meet your new homeroom teacher!"

"NOOOOOO!!!"

"Hahahahaha!"/"Hahahahaha!"

Izuku smiled as Vestige Nana laughed exactly like her memory, wiping a tear from her eye. "Ah, that never gets old."

"After training with Gran Torino myself, I'd have the same reaction," Izuku chuckled. "So, UA values the practical way more than the written exams? Ah, so that explains Kaminari. The real question is if I should tell Kyouka or not, because she could weaponize that information so easily."

"Uh-huh, 'if I should tell Kyouka' my ass. You're going to tell her because you're completely whipped."

"Wh-? Hey, I'm not...I mean...Is it so wrong to love somebody so much?!"

"Hahaha! Nah, nah, I'm just messing with you. Besides, she's super whipped too. Her attitude just hides it a little better. Okay, let's see where we're going next...Toshi's first day, his first costume, his first Detroit Smash..."

"All! I wanna see all of those things!"

"Skip. Skip. Skip."

"Wh-?! Nana!" Izuku watched in disappointment as the world around them shifted, memories zooming past. "C'mon! Why not?!"

"I told you, only stuff I'm in or adjacent to."

"Adjacent t-? Pretty much everything from this time period has you in it."

"We're on a schedule here, Izuku! Hm, the Sports Festival?"

Izuku sighed, "I'll take it. You must've been excited to see your successor win the festival."

"Oh, I-I, uh...was a little excited."

The memory fully formed, showing an image of Nana standing next to Gran Torino in the UA Sports Festival Coliseum. The crowd was cheering, confetti floated through the air as the announcer blasted over the speakers above.

***"AND WE HAVE OUR NEW CHAMPION EVERYBODY!!! TOSHINORI YAGI!!!"***

"HELL YEEEEEAAAAAAH!!!" Nana screamed at the top of her lungs, even frightening some of the other heroes near them as Torino slouched down in his seat and tried to hide his face with his hand. "THAT'S MY BOY!!!"

Vestige Nana turned to Izuku, her lips pursed, "...I was very excited. Skip!"

Izuku frowned as the world began to shift again, "Seriously?"

"Like I said, we're on a schedule. We're almost out of time. Unless you want to stay here with me forever in a comatose state?"

"Skipping to the important parts it is."

"Hmhmhm, that's what I thought. Oh, here's a good one."

...~AIV~...

(Several Months Later: Shimura Residence Basement)

Nana grunted as the punching bag pushed her back, raising a brow as Toshinori kept firing away. "You know I'm still behind here, right?"

"Oh! Sorry, Nana." He stopped, wiping the sweat from his brow. "We can trade places if you want."

Nana peeked out from behind the punching bag, peering at her successor, "You've been pretty aggressive today. Something you need to get off your chest?"

"It's noth-"

"Don't you do that to me. C'mere." She took his arm, leading him over to the bench press in their little makeshift gym. They sat down shoulder-to-shoulder, with Nana waiting patiently for Toshinori to continue.

He eventually relented with a sigh, resting his arms on his knees, "...I learned my birth mother died a while ago."

"...Hm. Where'd you learn that?"

"Ms. Aiya called me. Apparently my father died years ago, too. But, I guess they left me some money." He chuckled, but there was no amusement behind it. "I don't even get why. They gave me up. What? Was this some sort of semblance of a soul coming back to life in them? Guilt?"

Nana shrugged, "Who's to say? Guilt might be the best case scenario, but it doesn't change what happened. They clearly didn't regret it enough to come back for you. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, it's just...A part of me always wished they would be able to see the hero I want to become."

"To rub it in their face?"

"I...I don't know. Maybe a little. God, I hate feeling petty."

Nana furrowed her brow, turning Toshinori's face towards her, "Hey, kid. Look at me. I understand, really I do. And, yes, I know it's incredibly bad to speak ill of the dead. But, you know what? Fuck your parents. You're not their kid. As far as you're concerned, you're my kid."

Toshinori sat stunned, his mouth slightly agape, "I...I am?"

"You sure are, and you can't back out. Won't allow it, because I'm taking the opportunity they missed out on. Which is having the greatest kid in the world...after Kotaro, but still."

"Hey, I'll still take it," Toshinori chuckled.

"Good. You've got so much to give to this world. Don't give those bastards anything, including your thoughts." Nana cupped his cheeks, smiling warmly at him, "You want to make something more of yourself, and I promise that you're going to. Toshinori, you're going to be the greatest hero this world has ever seen. I just know it. I've watched you grow. I've seen the battles within your heart start and end with you always coming out victorious, and better for it. One day, you're going to hear the entire world chant your name. When that day comes, think of this moment. Think of how far you've come, and think of who you are. You are Toshinori Yagi. A kid with a dream. A kid who can give people the power to hold on, even if just for a second longer. A kid who stands for peace, justice, and above all, hope."

Toshinori wiped a tear from his eye, smiling at his mentor, "...You really think so?"

"Keep that smile wide, Toshi, and you'll be like no other." Nana stood up, placing a kiss on Toshinori's forehead, "...The almighty man."

Toshinori smiled a little, "...The almighty man."

"Now, c'mon, let's go get something to eat. We'll trick Torino into paying, hehe."

Nana pulled him up, interlocking their arms and walking towards the stairs with bright smiles on their faces.

Well, at the very least, he knew what his hero name was gonna be now.

...~AIV~...

"So you're how he got his name..."

"Indirectly, but yeah," Nana shrugged. "Okay, we're going to skip pretty far here. I'm not entirely sure how time works here vs the real world, but I think it's almost morning. If you don't mind I...I think I'm gonna sit this memory out."

...~AIV~...

(Two-and-a-half Years Later: Downtown Musutafu Rooftop)

"Slicked back hair, huh?"

All Might blushed, patting down his hair and fluffing up the two bangs in the front, "What? Does it look bad?"

"No, no," Nana chuckled. "You look great. It suits you. I do miss the fluff, though."

"Well, don't worry. It's just a part of the costume."

"Hmhm, maybe we should slick back Torino's hair while he's napping."

"No thanks. He kicks me enough already."

*BZZZT* *BZZZT*

Nana pulled out her phone, seeing her husband's name as the caller ID. "Gimme a sec. Keep an eye out!"

"For what?"

"Crime!" Nana cheered, dramatically pointing up into the air. Toshinori scoffed, looking back down at the city streets below, not able to see anything from the height they were at. She walked away from the ledge, putting her phone to her ear. "Hey, honey. What's up?"

"Found you."

Nana's smile dropped instantly, her eyes going wide, and her blood going ice cold. She had never actually heard his voice before, but she knew...

It was Him.

"...All For One?" All Might spun around at that name, his stomach dropping after seeing the horror in Nana's eyes.

"I'm truly ashamed of myself. A family of three, and you somehow still managed to hide yourself from me? Hm, I stand correct. A family of four? I wonder who this young blonde man is. Too many photos of him around here to just be a family friend. His own bedroom, too?"

"...Where's Yori?"

"We had a nice chat. Why don't you come join him?"

"...P-Please, I-"

"Begging? Hahaha! Oh, six users before you, and for some reason you think that would work? Speaking of which, I'm much too tired of chasing after One For All. I think it's time I give you a reason to come find me instead..."

Nana clutched her phone, her breathing becoming hitched and quick, "Please, please, don't take him. Take me. I'll be there as quick as I can, you ca-"

"Take him? Far too much effort. No, I think it's time you learned..." All For One's voice went low, pure joy veiled by malice.

"No, no, no, just wai-"

"This is what happens when you drag your friends into this crazy little game of ours..."

*BOOM!!!*

Both heroes jumped as a large explosion sparked to life in the distance. It was in the outskirts of the city, near the...

The suburbs.

FWOOSH

Toshinori was nearly toppled over from the sudden gust of wind caused by Nana taking off at speeds he had never even seen her reach before.

"Nana! Wait! It's probably a trap!"

He leaped off of the building, bouncing his way from rooftop-to-rooftop in an attempt to reach her, but she was already too far away.

He raced as fast as he could, his heart beating in his ears. He made it to the tree line, jumping over the treetops. From above, he could see dozens of people begin to rush out of their homes, and he could hear sirens already coming closer to the neighborhood.

"No..." He could already see Nana's house, their home, was nothing but a pillar of black smoke and flames.

Once he landed, he rushed through the crowd of people and ran directly into the fire. "Nana! Nana, where are y-..."

He froze, hearing Nana's sobs over the crackling of the fire and the shouting from outside. Toshinori made it to what used to be the living room, finding Nana on her knees, cradling something in her arms. Toshinori carefully made his way over to her, looking down to se-

...~AIV~...

The memory dissipated, leaving Izuku in the void once more. He turned around to find Nana was back, her face expressionless. "You don't need to see him...What was left of him."

"I-...I'm so sorry."

"Thank you, Izuku."

"...Are we still sure keeping my loved ones close is a good idea?"

"You leave them, you die, then they'll die. You leave them, they'll die anyway, and then you'll come for him, then he'll kill you. But, keep them cl-"

"I get it," Izuku stopped her, breathing in deep. "Just checking."

"Okay then. You already saw what happens next, so..."

Nana raised her hand, shifting them forward in time.

...~AIV~...

(One Week Later: Gran Torino's Apartment)

"...She's been gone for a while."

"Don't worry about it," Torino replied, not looking up at him from his case files.

Toshinori grumbled under his breath, slumping back into the couch cushions for what felt like the millionth time that night. He lost count of how many times he could hear Nana crying herself to sleep in the guest bedroom, door locked, unable to comfort her.

It wasn't like Toshinori couldn't relate. He missed Yori. He wasn't sure if he would ever get the image of Yori's remains out of his head. They had to throw Nana's suit away due to all the charred flesh attached to it.

She hadn't put on her back-ups, not that he blamed her. He could see her fight was dying.

Especially after the hushed conversations her and Torino had been having. Every time they talked, she just looked worse. They were hiding something from him, and he didn't know what. But, all Toshinori knew was that it was bad.

The ticking of the clock, despite being so quiet, was like a drum in his ears. He was just sitting here, when there was a monster out there that needed to be brought to justice.

"...How strong is All For One?"

"Don't even think about i-"

"Answer me."

Torino looked up from his desk, the yellow light from his lamp being the main light source in the room. "...I don't know. I've never met or fought him. Until a week ago, he was nothing but the boogeyman. But, from the limited information we know...he's damn near unstoppable."

"Near, huh?"

"Toshinori-"

"In the three years that you've known and trained me, how would you rate me? None of that gruff, no-nonsense bullshit either. I deserve your honesty."

Torino closed the manilla folder he was holding with a sigh, "...You're one of the best damn heroes I've ever known. Maybe the best. Your progress in only a few years is more than I ever could have imagined."

"...Do you think I stand a chance against All For One as I am now?"

"Like I said, I don't know much. But, from what I do know...I'd say it would be a miracle if you lived more than two minutes."

"We have to fight." Both men jumped in surprise, seeing Nana emerge from the shadowy hallway, both even more shocked by her appearance. She had bags and dried tear streaks under her eyes, along with them being red and puffy; the only thing keeping them from looking like they had no life left in them. Her expression was completely blank, her hands in her peacoat's pockets.

Toshinori stood up, carefully moving towards her, "Nana...Where...Where's Kotaro?"

"You know where he is, right?" She ignored Toshinori, looking directly at Torino.

Torino furrowed his brow, "That's a horrible idea."

"But, you know?"

"...Only because he's making it easy. He told you he wants you to come to him. All For One is using your want for revenge against you."

"Where is he?"

"Nan-"

"Where?"

"...Kid, I think you should le-"

"No!" Toshinori clenched his fists, turning to Torino. "We can't let him get away with this! No more! No more people!"

Torino shot out of his seat, the chair screeching against the floorboards, "Going after him right now will get more people killed. All of us! Then, once he has One For All, everyone else. I understand how you're feeli-"

"I know you do," Nana cut in, her expression and voice still remaining completely empty. "I wish I had your strength, Sorahiko. To hold yourself back, even after he killed your wife."

Toshinori's eyes went wide, looking back to Torino. He had never known that. Sorahiko lowered his head, glaring down at his desk. "Don't..."

"He knows who we are now. Killing Yori was his polite way of inviting us to come find him, because if we don't...he won't be so courteous to just kill one person this time. Either we go, we stand together, we take him down...or who knows how many people go down with us?" Nana walked forward until she stood directly in front of Torino's desk, new tears falling down from her eyes. "...Today might've been the last day I ever see my son. But, if I die out there, and All For One dies with me...then I can at least be happy he gets to live on in a safer world. You can stay behind...but, I'm going."

"So am I," Toshinori declared.

"No," Nana finally spoke directly to him. "You have One For All now. You going will basically be hand delivering it to him."

"And how exactly are you going to beat him without me then? Last time I checked, I'm stronger and faster than you. He killed Yori. He's killed hundreds, thousands...this is what you trained me for. I'm going, and both of you know that you can't stop me. If I die, and All For One dies with me, then at least I know you two can live on in a safer world with Kotaro."

"...Hehehe," Both men were not only stunned to see Nana actually crack a smile for the first time in a week, but stunned to see her actually begin to chuckle. "Hehehehe! Hahahaha! Toshi, you always know what to say to me, don't you?"

"Hmhmhm, I just get lucky. But...I don't care what it takes. I'll get you through this, and we'll get Kotaro back. I promise."

Torino grumbled, picking his mask up from the desk, "We'll go tomorrow then...Make your peace with whoever, however you can."

He walked away and down the hall, disappearing into his room.

Toshinori sighed, fear seeping into his heart. There was no backing out, though. He suddenly felt two arms wrap around his torso, feeling Nana's head on his shoulder.

He hugged back with everything he had. It very well could be the last opportunity he had to do so.

"Whatever happens..." Nana said, her voice muffled by Toshinor's clothes. "I love you, Toshi."

"...I love you, too."

It was the last time he got to say those words to her.

...~AIV~...

This time, it was Izuku who stopped the memory, taking them out of it. Nana gazed at him curiously, but Izuku gazed back with certainty. "No one should have to watch themselves die. I don't want to watch you die either. That's...That's just not something I want to see."

Nana smiled sadly, nodding in agreement. "Thanks, kid."

"Just tell me what memory to stop at."

"...Here."

...~AIV~...

(One Month Later: Gran Torino's Apartment)

[Toshinori Yagi: Flight Number 1489: From: Musutafu : To: San Francisco]

Toshinori had been staring at the ticket for probably half-an-hour. He had wanted to go to America all his life, and yet...

Now, it just felt hollow.

He was running. His master, his mentor, his mother was dead, and he was running.

All he wanted was to hunt down All For One and kill him where he stood. But, he knew that even if he somehow figured out where All For One was, he was a dead man if that happened. He stood absolutely no chance against that kind of power.

Not yet...

He wasn't just going to finish his training in America. As far as Toshinori was concerned, by the time he came back to Japan, One For All would be unrecognizable.

Anything else would be absolutely unacceptable.

He promised Nana that he would get All For One, for both Yori, and so that she could get Kotaro back. But, now?

All For One didn't know it yet, but he was a dead man.

Torino walked through the front door in his civilian clothes, looking up at Toshinori with a sigh, "Thanks, I've been meaning to get a new couch."

Toshinori looked at him in confusion, before realizing he had accidentally crushed the armrest in his bubbling rage.

"Sorry..."

"It's okay. You ready?"

"No."

"Fine, let me rephrase. Are you packed?"

Toshinori sighed, standing up and moving around the couch to pick up his bags. "Yeah. Guess so."

"Alright. C'mon, let's go. And keep that smile up, kid. It's what she would want."

Toshinori sluggishly stepped through the door, shrugging his shoulders as he made his way to the car. "A fake smile is worth nothing."

"Not to the people, it's not. And, eventually, it'll be real again. I promise you that."

Toshinori didn't respond as he threw his bags into the backseat. He didn't have too much, but he could buy more things once he was settled in America. Nana had left him a decent inheritance, so as long as he got set up quickly, money wouldn't be an issue.

He hopped into the passenger seat, opting to just stare out the window as the sun began to rise over the city. Torino ignited the engine, about to pull out into the street, until Toshinori turned back to him.

"My ticket...it's dated months ago. It...She was going to take me to America, wasn't she?"

Torino was silent for a minute, before finally nodding. "Graduation present. It was a family trip. Yori and Kotaro had tickets as well."

Toshinori's fist clenched, his face scrunching up as he tried to push back a new wave of tears. "I know a hero isn't supposed to say stuff like this. But, I-...I'm gonna kill him. First, I'll make him suffer. Then...I. Will. End. Him."

They sat in silence again, the only noise coming from the engine. Torino put the car into drive, looking out for any oncoming cars. "...Good."

They drove off, with Toshinori soon leaving Japan behind.

Izuku and Nana watched the car slowly disappear down the road, a dour mood in the air. Izuku wasn't sure how to handle hearing All Might say words like that, but...he understood.

If someone killed his mom? Or Kyouka?

He wasn't sure he would ever be able to come back from what he would to the villain who did it.

"So, off to America..." Nana turned to Izuku with a solemn smile, "You want to know the worst part about all of this?"

Izuku raised a brow back at Nana, "What?"

Nana raised her hand up, her usual bright smile returning as she snapped her fingers, "Cliffhanger!"

...~AIV~...

"Ah!" Izuku bolted upright in his bed, the sun shining through his window, signifying that it was the next morning. "Oh, come on!"

...~AIV~...

A/N: https://twitter.com/mizutorimha