The President of the Japanese Hero Association met with the Minister of Defense, the National Chief of Police, and other top executives that specialized in Hero protection in Tokyo's Hero HQ. The men sat in suits as they went through a slideshow of the devastation left by the League of Villains and the Hero Association's top heroes. The National Chief of Police was leading the presentation, his stern expression unwavering as the Minister of Defense gave a recount of his report. Mr. Hanzo, the same man who assigned you on your mission, spoke proudly as he gave his analysis of the events that took place.
"Mt. Lady completely demolished the building the Nomu were stationed in, but thankfully there were no casualties or bodies found within the rubble. Thanks to the united effort of the Heroes sponsored by the Hero Association, we were able to fend off the head of the League of Villains before anyone else was hurt. The UA student that was captured was retrieved, along with another pro-hero, Ragdoll. There were a few injuries. Mt. Lady and Gran Torino have concussions, Kamui Woods has a few sprained appendages...but the worst two were Best Jeanist and All Might. All Might is suffering from broken limbs and internal damage due to a previous injury that never quite healed. He should be out of the hospital by the end of the week though. Best Jeanist is in critical condition. He has three broken ribs, a ruptured spleen, and punctured lung that was barely able to be mended by our medical team. Thankfully, his injuries were not nearly as fatal as they possibly would have been due to the unforeseen hero that arrived. He is expected to make a full recovery after several months of rehabilitation. As for that hero, it seems the woman who called herself 'Astral' was placed under All Might and Endeavor's care. Information on her is limited, but from what we have gathered she had ocular scar removal surgery to help her visual quirk heal. As of right now, she seems to be resting in hiding."
All was silent for several heartbeats until the police chief spoke up.
"And this is acceptable to you, Mr. Hanzo?" Everyone turned to look at the stone-faced man whose obsidian eyes were narrowed into slits.
"I don't understand what you are getting at." Mr. Hanzo replied.
"That a child was what kept the world from falling apart. A UA student that nearly was butchered on live television...our Symbol of Peace that was reduced to nothing had to rely on a teenaged girl to save him. We lost this battle with the League of Villains. They know All Might is vulnerable now, that he has spent every ounce of his power that he had left. All members of the League of Villains have escaped. We lost." The Chief of Police said with a heavy grit of despair. He felt at fault for this...but he also felt rage towards a society that relied entirely on one hero to protect them all. No one said 'call the police' when something awful happened. They said 'call All Might'. This shift in the societal structure from a single pro-hero to now a vulnerable police force long since neglected has created a feeling of panic among the people. How was a man supposed to bring trust the same way All Might did?
"We have relied on one pro-hero for too long. This is the point that the League has been trying to make and they were right. Now, look at the news agencies across Japan! Every headline says 'what are we going to do now?' as if he was the only thing keeping villains at bay. This reliance is going to not only weaken the public's trust in the police and heroes, but it incites the villains that know that All Might isn't going to be there to apprehend them. If this was purposeful by the League of Villains, then they have us at a checkmate." The Chief of Police had the room in complete silence, an eerie feeling of doom creeping into their chests. He was right. Having a single entity as what keeps the world together was never going to work. As powerful as All Might was, he was still human and would one day fall.
Suddenly, the President of the Hero Association stood up from his office chair. His eyes carried the only light in the room despite the sunny blue sky that peered through the wall-sized glass windows behind him.
"I knew this day would come, which is why I have been planting seeds." Heads swiveled towards the President's hopeful face.
"All Might has always been the ultimate hero. I knew that one day would be his final in the field and the last thing I wanted was for everything we had worked for to achieve a balance of peace to disappear. With every great hero comes a devastating villain. That was who All for One was. Therefore, I want to use the same theory to fight this League of Villains."
"What do you mean, sir?"
"I have sent a young woman on a mission to protect the UA High students that the League of Villains deemed a threat. The League singled their class, 1-A, out for a reason I believe. I want the next generation to work as a single force instead of individual rankings and positions. I believe that if we take the top students of UA and the many other Hero Academies that we may see a generation of heroes that work as a united symbol of peace instead of just one." The President was met face to face with a raging police chief.
"So you mean to tell me that the child that fought alongside All Might was a mercenary?! That you sent a criminal to UA High and expect us to believe she could become a hero?!" The President remained level-headed, Mr. Hanzo standing up to take his place by the President's side.
"Yes. She was once the hero-mercenary called Shinobi. I don't expect you to accept her. But I do expect you to call her a hero." The President took the presentation clicker out of the Chief of Police's hands to bring the screen to a close up of your fight. A bright pearly grin stretched out on your cheeks despite your body crumbling from under you. You had the presence and tenacity that any pro-hero would dream of exuding...and reluctantly the police chief knew this.
"This smile is the same one as All Might's and as his predecessor before him. I place my trust in her...and until the seeds of the United Symbol of Peace can grow, it is this smile that will keep the public at ease."
~~
The day after everything took place, you were resting in bed wishing you could remain there for the rest of your days. Bandages wrapped tightly around your eyes kept them closed so they could heal, and so you had to rely on your skill to keep from bumping into things. You trained blindfolded before, and so no one had to guide you or help you as long as you were walking within the house. The scent of curry wafted through the doors of Katsuki's bedroom, the teen boy looking after you despite his own lack of sleep and interrogation by the police force. He tried to give them every ounce of information he could...but his soul felt drained.
And every time he looked at you or thought of All Might, the cracks in his heart fissured further.
"Dinner's ready babe." Katsuki's voice was mellow, empty almost...as if the emotions from his body were gone. You hated hearing him talk like this, but there was nothing you could do. You were part of the reason he felt so hopeless...that even after months of training, he was the reason his idol and his lover were retired and hospitalized.
If he wasn't so weak-
"Kacchan, can you help me go downstairs?" You interrupted his line of thought with your sweet voice as you swung your legs over the side of his bed. Your toes hit cool wood flooring, sending a slight shiver up your spine. He silently walked towards you with his head hanging low, bright ruby eyes now dull.
"I thought you were able to sense where you're going Extra?" He asked as more of a statement than a question. You held your hand out for him to take, his warm fingers slowly entwining with yours.
"Sometimes." You spoke clearly. He gently walked you out of his room and down the wooden steps, each step calculated and slow. You had the whole house memorized and Katsuki knew it...but for some reason, he was perfectly content with you playing frail. At least it gave him a purpose, a reason to be needed.
The two of you sat with Mitsuki and Masaru who ate as if the world didn't almost end the night before. They were chatting about work, spreadsheets Masaru needed Mitsuki to look at, and how Katsuki's grades were going up.
"My parents were thinking of visiting from Osaka soon. I told them it was too crowded but they seemed pretty adamant about it. I think they are going to try and convince us to allow them to move in." Masaru announced. Everyone put their tableware down, you included.
"Kacchan's grandparents?" You asked. Masaru nodded but remembered your blindfold, electing to say 'yes' instead.
"Those ol' bag o' bones probably just wanna meet (y/n). Why the hell would they want to stay here anyway? It's not like we have a lot of room here." Mitsuki spoke. Katsuki was silent, continuing to eat the 'Curry of Life'. Masaru adjusted his glasses with his amused smile faltering.
"Well...if they do stay here, they will have to stay in (y/n)'s room and I am partial to my son sharing a bed at sixteen..." Suddenly the issue was made extremely clear to you. Katsuki stood up quickly with the floor protesting against the scrape of his chair.
"You're telling me that because those old fucks are lazy that (y/n) can't stay here anymore!?" Katsuki growled. You maintained a stoic face, the rice that once was delicious now tasting like mud.
"Sit down Katsuki." Masaru demanded of his son. Reluctantly, the boy slowly took his seat with shaking fists. Mitsuki's own scarlet eyes stared at her food with disdain...why did everything had to get complicated now?
"I consider (y/n) to be a member of the family, so do not mistake my decision for dislike. I adore you (y/n) so please don't take it personally. But you are only sixteen years old Katsuki...think about that for a minute. I cannot turn my own parents away if I have a bed that could rest them. (y/n) can visit as much as she would like...but if my parents decide they would have safer and healthier lives by living with us, I am left with no choice." You didn't need to see to understand how focused and absolute Masaru's expression was with his explosive son. Parenting a chaotic boy like Katsuki had to be difficult, and for the first time, you experienced an authoritative side of him you didn't think existed.
"Masaru, dear, is this really the time for this?" Mitsuki tried to cut the tension for once but Katsuki was still shaking in rage. You sat silently, feeling a mix of rejection and loneliness. You had just got Katsuki back...you just had him in your arms...but you couldn't really argue with Masaru's logic. He was right. His parents were elderly and needed to be cared for if they started to develop issues. Neither you nor Katsuki were adults yet, so expecting to share a bed in his parents' household without their consent was not an option. You thought of the empty and lonely feeling of the dorms that lacked the scent of melted caramel and campfire ash. You remembered eating cereal alone in bed, not hearing Mitsuki sing as she cooked bacon and eggs or Katsuki yelling for his germs to die while brushing his teeth. You have grown so accustomed to living with the Bakugos like you were one family that you forgot you were still just two crushing students in high school.
"Fuck this." Katsuki got up from the table and walked out of the house, leaving his half-finished plate to remain. Masaru felt guilty for his son's rage but his hands were tied. He was convinced that UA would start using the dorms now that they were completed and thought that if you returned there that you wouldn't be so lonely. Still, Katsuki felt like they were separating you.
"(y/n)...I hate to ask this of you now. But do you have a place to stay if my parents come? I feel awful about moving you out of the guest room, especially after all of this...but...I don't really know what other option I have. I wouldn't be surprised if UA had the students move into dorms, but I worry about you being there alone until then."
Suddenly, your phone buzzed in your pocket and a memory of a man you could rely on flew through your mind.
"It's alright. I won't be alone. I have a place to call home."
A knock on the front door distracted the couple, Mitsuki getting up to answer the door.
"Dumbass must have locked himself out or something." As she opened the door, you heard a familiar voice squeak out.
"Umm...Mrs. Bakugo...is (y/n) here?"
"Oh! Midoriya honey it's so nice to see you! Yeah, she's just finishing up dinner now." You immediately stood up with panic lacing into your heart.
"Deku? Is something the matter?" You slowly made your way to the door, Masaru getting up abruptly to help you even though you didn't need it.
"Oh! No, no...just...I -uh...wanted to talk with you is all...just to like you know..." You knew he was trying to avoid saying All Might's name in front of the Bakugos...after all, no one knew that Deku was his quirk's heir.
"Let's go for a walk. I could definitely use some fresh air and some leg stretching." You smiled. Mitsuki grabbed your shoes off of the rack near the front door, summer sandals that were considered stylish by any girl your age.
"Here honey. I'll put the rest in a container since my dumbass son left his plate too. Midoriya, you better have her back in one piece! Or else Katsuki is going to be the least of your worries!" Mitsuki threatened with a pointed finger and a sharp smile. Midoriya swallowed the spit in his throat immediately at the threat.
"Y-y-yes ma'am!"
~~
It didn't take long for you and Midoriya to start walking the streets of his small hometown as the cool air of a summer sunset breezed through you. The scent of trees and various flora emanated around you, Midoriya's warm hand guiding you to a stronger scent of salt and ocean water.
"So...the beach?" You asked him as the two of you took the walk slowly. Deku always forgot how different you were from the others. Your training was so engrained within your every move that you constantly surprised the young hero. It was no wonder that you were a successful mercenary for so long, you've spent almost all your life living without any feeling of security. To constantly have to watch your back, to live knowing there was something that wanted you dead...Deku couldn't quite imagine it until now. Today was his first day of feeling exposed to the world...and all because All Might was mighty no longer.
"Yeah, he wants to see us. I texted you but I uh...I forgot about your um..."
"My eyes? Yeah. It happens, don't worry about it."
"Kacchan wasn't home?" Deku asked you, sure that Katsuki would have been the first person to be at his throat the moment he appeared at the door.
"No, he went for a walk. He uh...had a disagreement with his parents." Deku nodded to himself, his freckled cheeks taut with stress lines that were arriving forty years too early.
"I see...I think my Mom might blow up on me soon too. This has all been so much." You suddenly stuck out your tongue and held up a peace sign.
"Orphan life! Can't relate!" You joked. Midoriya's green eyes went wide as he wasn't quite sure whether to laugh at the joke or cringe at your pain. You sensed his reluctance.
"Too dark huh? My bad. Let's see what Papa Might wants with us." You tried to change the topic. The two of you were quiet but Deku couldn't keep his mind from speaking out loud.
"Thank you." He said. Those words felt heavy in your heart but nevertheless, you questioned them.
"For what?" You were quizzical in your tone...an honest question.
"For everything (y/n). For saving All Might...for fighting for us and suffering who knows how many times...for giving Kacchan something to smile about...for always defending me...for being one of my best friends. You had my back since day one...and now as All Might's students, you're probably the closest person I have to like...a s-sister. I never got a chance to thank you before and I wanted to now that I know what it feels like to almost lose you. I know this was just a job but...I really hope you stay. Without you, 1-A wouldn't be the same." You were about to cry, tears welling up under your bandages as you heard another voice from a distance.
"I couldn't have said it better myself Young Midoriya." Your next step was onto cool sand, you silently thanking Mitsuki for giving you sandals instead of real shoes.
"All Might?" The two of you spoke at the same time. You wanted to run towards him but the sand was impossible to navigate without your vision compared to normal ground. Suddenly, Midoriya swept you into his arms, despite the pain that shot up through his shoulders, and carried you with great speed towards your teacher. He set you on the ground just as All Might swooped the three of you together with a tight hug, one of his arms stuck in a sleeve.
"I'm so happy to see you two IDIOTS!" A fast swing his Midoriya in the cheek and you barely able to dodge.
"You made a promise but it turns out you can't keep your word! If you kids had gotten hurt then it'd all be in vain! You guys have some bad influences." Your stomach went sour thinking that perhaps your job inspired the students a little too much.
"Look," All Might continued. "It's clear that with my body the way that it is, that I will be officially retired...the embers of One for All inside of me have been snuffed out. I don't care that you were a mercenary Young (y/n) and I don't care that you are my protege Young Midoriya, you both act too carelessly for yourselves! You both rush into battle and get yourselves hurt over and over again. What am I supposed to do if I lose you...either of you. You disregarded all of this and back there you managed to...rescue your friend and save my life." He pulled the two of you into a tight embrace once more, both you and Midoriya trying to avoid hurting his arm in a sling.
"I'm so proud of you." He gritted out tearfully as if he was trying his hardest not to let his emotions run amok. Neither you or Midoriya could hold back yours though, the embrace of All Might feeling more fatherly every day. "I will devote myself to training you, both of you. I know that one day Deku and Astral will be two names every household will know...and I want to be the one that helps inspire that." Croaking sobs left Midoriya's throat and you bit your lip as you gripped All Might's plain cotton t-shirt tighter. He felt like just skin and bones now...but the sensation of safety was unlike any you ever felt before. He may not have his powers...but his love for his two most prized students was a promise that he would fight for you no matter what.
"Thank you, nothing would make me happier, All Might." Deku cried. You still said nothing...your throat feeling blocked by a sharp rock.
"Young (y/n)...back in the hospital...you called out for your father." All Might continued as he pulled away from you and Midoriya. He placed a bandaged hand on the top of your head, your lips wavering.
"I know...I know how it feels to lose the only family you have. I just...I just wanted to let you know that I can fill that role if you would allow me to."
The walls you had built up crumbled down just as fast the tears that fell through your sopping bandages.
"I'm changing your name to Dad Might." You joked with your own croaking sob as you held the man tight to you. He patted your back as he rested his cheek against you endearingly.
"Fine by me."
The three of you were now ready for the intense training you and the rest of 1-A were about to be put through. All Might felt like he did something right after failing to save his own sensei's son. He was going to train Midoriya to be even stronger than him so he would never have to suffer through the nightmare of losing his precious student...and he would have you by his side to remind him that there was a life outside of heroism...that sometimes saving someone means to give them the support they desperately needed. All Might, despite losing everything...felt complete.
"So...All Might...about your guest room..."
~~
A/N
Check out this fan art by fearleslexi
Extra-long chapter since it's been a bit since I last posted.
I love seeing all this art, it makes me so happy! You guys are so creative!
Comment below what you thought about the chapter!