Full Summary:

'Deku!'

'Quirkless.'
'I'm so sorry, Izuku...'

The words reverberated in his mind and his heart clenched, feeling as shattered as his dream of becoming a hero. No older than 4 years old, Midoriya Izuku felt a crushing hopelessness one his age should never know. His only solace came at night when sleep finally claimed him. Vivid images of a bustling city. Dreams of sunflowers and smiles. Visions of a new friend.

"What's your name?"
A wide grin, vibrant blue eyes.
"Yagi Toshinori!"

Eventual DekuMight!

Faded Hope

"I know it hurts
It's hard to breathe sometimes
These nights are long
You've lost the will to fight
Is anybody out there
Can you lead me to the light"

Ruelle ft. Fleurie - Carry You

"It's fine now. Why? Because I am here!"

Inko smiled when her excitable toddler let out a sudden squeal of joy while watching the television. The young boy never got enough of All Might's debut. Said pro hero burst into the scene just a year before her son was born. Before then, he had been studying abroad in America. She had to wonder if that's were he picked up such over the top enthusiasm, not that she complained. He was her son's idol after all and quite the hero to look up to.

The young mother continued to fold clothes as the boy bounced on the floor, an All Might action figure clutched in one hand while the other was raised in triumph as he watched his hero save a group of people from a burning building. At the tender age of two, Midoriya Izuku knew exactly what he wanted to be. A hero just like the Symbol of Peace, All Might.

The old Hero Recap segment went to a commercial break, and Izuku bounced over to his mother, the hair portion of his All Might onesie flopping with the motion. His empty hand gently grasped the laundry basket as he watched her fold the remaining clothes leaving only a blanket behind. Knowing what was to come, he bounced on the tips of his toes with a beaming grin. With a flourish, Inko took the blanket and wrapped it around herself like an oversized shawl before offering him a smile of her own.

"Would you like to play hero?"

"Yes, please!" Izuku's response was immediate and filled to the brim with excitement.

"Okay. Close your eyes and count to ten."

Small hands covered sparkling green eyes and he giggled before starting the countdown. Inko quickly tiptoed into the modest room just in the hallway, one of the few places Izuku was allowed to go into when they played their game. Wasting no time, she closed the door with a quiet thump and sat with her back to it as her son finished his countdown.

"Three...two...one!"

"Help, help! Someone save me!" On que, a cry for help sounded and Izuku went bounding over to the closed door and opened it with a mighty push.

"I am here!" Both of his hands were thrust into the air in victory, his small mouth pulled into a wide grin.

"My hero!" Inko couldn't keep the giggle down as she turned and opened her arms wide.

Izuku quickly crossed the room and fell into his mother's waiting arms which didn't hesitate to scoop him up. Soon his cheeks were peppered with kisses as Inko held him. Placing one last kiss on his forehead, she hugged him close and smiled.

"You'll always be my hero, Izuku."

"I'm sorry to ask you on such a late notice, but thank you for coming."

"Ah, it's no trouble at all, Inko. With Masaru spending the day with our little rugrat, I got nothin' better to do."

Bakugo Mitsuki, ever the boisterous woman, clapped a hand on her long-time friend's shoulder to pull her into a tight hug. Inko's breath left her in a huff, but she managed a laugh while returning the embrace. The two had been friends since childhood, Mitsuki loud and volatile while Inko was more quiet and timid. Their's was an unexpected friendship that bloomed when Mitsuki stumbled upon some older kids pushing Inko around. After a short fight and some bruises later, Mitsuki effectively chased the others off while claiming the mouse of a girl as her friend. Ever since, the two had been inseparable.

Over the years, the two shared both good and bad times together, each a constant pillar of support. When they both settled down with their partners, they'd been right their beside the other at their separate weddings. After the birth of their respective children, they were made godmothers. The worst blow their friendship had ever taken was when Inko lost Hisashi in a villain attack a few months before Izuku was born. The devastated woman refused contact for days before Mitsuki arrived and talked, or rather yelled, some sense into her, reminding her of the life that she carried. Many tears and empty threats were exchanged that night, but in the end they both collapsed on the couch clinging to each other like their lives depended on it. Since then, their bond had only grown stronger.

"Oba-san!"

A call rang out and they simultaneously pulled back before Inko ushered the taller lady inside. Izuku came running over and quickly attached himself to her leg. This earned him an affectionate ruffling of hair before being picked up and pulled into a strong, but gentle hug.

"Hey there, brat. How is my little hero doing today? Ready to go on an adventure?"

Chubby cheeks puffed up in an adorable pout at the 'brat' part before he nodded excitedly. Mitsuki listened as Izuku talked with a mix of words and unintelligible babble while Inko hastily gathered her purse and keys. After double-checking the contents, she nodded to herself before joining the two at the front door. The blonde raised an eyebrow when she looked at her friend and Inko flushed red before retreating. A few moments later, she returned with the stroller for her son and offered a sheepish smile, embarrassed about forgetting it in the first place.

"Ha! This meeting has your mind in a whirl. Take it easy, Inko. Don't wanna have to visit you in the hospital from overexertion." Though said with a laugh, the message was clear. You better take care of yourself.

"I will, I promise." Inko replied as she gently took Izuku and placed him into the stroller.

He was once again in his favorite onesie, freshly laundered that morning, with one of his figures tucked into the blanket beside him. Izuku's hands clapped enthusiastically as Inko tucked him in and placed a kiss upon his brow before returning to her full height.

"Be good for your oba-san, okay? I love you, sweetheart."

His little head bobbed in affirmation. "Love you, 'kaa-san!"

Turning slightly, Inko addressed Mitsuki once more. "If you need anything, I'm just a phone call away."

Mitsuki merely waved her away with a faux expression of annoyance and she took that as her cue to leave. Bidding them farewell, she made a hasty retreat to her car and left knowing her son was in good hands. Not long after, Mitsuki guided the stroller out of the apartment and locked the door before starting her journey to the nearest shopping district.

The sun was dipping low in the sky by the time the two were heading back to the apartment, the darkening sky bringing the temperature down. Not quite sweater weather, but she was glad that she went with the thick, tan cardigan. It was quite peaceful out at this hour, no rambunctious kids or blaring horns. Just the rustling of the leaves and the muffled thud her shoes made with each step. A single bag with a brand new figurine was tucked into the bottom of the stroller. A small gift for her godson that she knew he'd cherish.

The two rounded the next corner when a sudden loud crash sounded to their left. Alarmed, Mitsuki turned her head just in time to see a large form emerge from the wreckage. The few people that had been lingering nearby screamed and nearly fell over themselves in their desperation to get away. One such individual ran into Mitsuki and the stroller, earning a shrill cry from little Izuku who had been falling asleep. The man turned his head but offered no apologies, only a look of abject terror as he sprinted away. The enraged blonde didn't need to turn around to know that the crying child had unknowingly captured the attention of the villain. With her body on autopilot, she scooped up the wailing child and attempted to get them away from there but a large hand shot out and easily engulfed the two.

"Oh no you don't, missy. You and the kid are mine now. That hotshot won't dare attack if civilians could get hurt." He spat the word out like it was bitter, a nasty snarl on his face.

Glaring crimson eyes met the cold, black ones of her captor. The only thing keeping her silent was the possibility of Izuku getting hurt. Mitsuki observed the villain, looking for an opening, anything to get them away safely. It was clear that he had a transformation quirk of some kind with the way he was able to enlarge his body. Her thoughts were interrupted by a sudden strong gust of wind whipping around them followed by a jarring impact that shook the ground beneath them and she craned her neck attempting to see over the edge of his meaty hand, but she needn't have bothered. The voice that followed could be recognized anywhere.

"Fear not because I am here!" All Might declared as he landed in front of the perpetrator. "Release them at once, Gigas. Your villainy ends here."

A feral parody of a smile twisted Gigas' face unpleasantly as he gave his captives a squeeze, eliciting a grunt from Mitsuki and more crying from Izuku. "I don't think so, All Might. Why would I let go of such precious playthings?" The last two words were emphasized by more squeezing. Izuku's crying became shrill and Mitsuki saw red, but for all of the rage burning within her, she'd have to trust the hero to save them. Carefully maneuvering her arms to the best of her ability, she wrapped them around the child and prayed to whatever deity would listen that Izuku would be safe.

Gigas, who quickly grew irritated by the noisy boy clutched in his hand, came up with a decision he was sure would give him a means of escape. A victorious gleam entered his dark eyes as he grinned maliciously. "Catch!"

That was the only warning All Might received before the woman and child were flung into the air behind him. There was no hesitation as he kicked off the ground after them. Mitsuki hadn't been able to hold back her cry of fear as she found herself hurtling through the air and quickly approaching the ground for what she was sure to be an excruciatingly painful landing. Her arms were still pinning Izuku to her chest and she was positioned with her back to the ground, ready to take the brunt of the damage. However, she suddenly found herself plucked from the air by muscular arms that held the two of them to any equally buff chest. Their landing was abrupt and nerve-wracking but much better than what could have happened.

"I apologize, but I must apprehend Gigas. The authorities are on the way, ma'am." He was off before she could even open her mouth to reply.

Letting out a shaky breath, Mitsuki focused her efforts on calming Izuku as the sound of sirens approached.

Tracking down the villain was easy. An upturned manhole cover a few meters away from the initial point of contact let him know that Gigas was making use of the sewer system. With a grimace, he dropped down into the tunnels and was greeted by a potent stench that nearly knocked him down. Hurried steps sloshing in whatever foul contents were on the ground drew his attention and he was off. The large form of his adversary took a sharp right, panic quickening his steps to get away. All Might soon turned the same corner and used the feeble light leaking into the tunnels to spot Gigas in the distance. It only took seconds to bridge the gap between them and he brought his hand up to deliver a mighty blow.

"Missouri Smash!" The hand connected with the back of his opponent's head and the hulking form dropped to the ground where he remained motionless. All Might's lips curled in distaste as he lifted Gigas with one hand and made his way back to the opening where he lifted them both from the depths. Gigas slumped over onto the pavement and after insuring that the villain would remain down, All Might put on his usual grin and approached the two who he assumed were mother and child. The sirens weren't far off and he hoped that their injuries were minimal.

"Are the two of you injured? By the sounds of it, the paramedics are on the way." Steel blue eyes looked over them, checking for any visible wounds. His gaze hesitated on the bushy green hair tucked into a onesie bearing his own likeness. Tearful emerald greens looked back up at him in wonder before a pudgy finger pointed his way. "A' might!" The hero couldn't stop the grin from spreading into something a bit more genuine as he heard the cute mispronunciation of his pro name.

"It seems I have a fan. What is your name, little guy?" All Might's grin never left as he looked down at the boy. "Iz-Izuku!" The child stumbled over the first syllable but managed to say it properly.

Mitsuki kept a watchful gaze on the two as she pulled out her phone, which was thankfully intact, and left Inko a brief voicemail. "When you can, give me a call back. Izuku and I will be going to the Musutafu Hospital. There was a villain attack, but we'll be okay. Bye." The call ended with a click and she pocketed the device once more. She regretted leaving such a vague message, but decided it would be best to talk in person. All Might stood back to his full height, having knelt to the ground to be eye level with the child, and turned his attention to the woman.

"If you don't mind my asking, ma'am, where is his father?" All Might's curiosity got the better of him, something that he regretted once he noticed her face fall.

"Hisashi passed away before Izuku was born."

The ever present grin fell and he opened his mouth to reply but was cut off by the sirens zeroing in on their location. Their attention was drawn to the small herd of vehicles that soon rounded the corner before coming to a stop. Mitsuki flashed the hero a strained smile and muttered a quiet "thank you" on her way to the ambulance, missing the gaze trailing after the two.

All Might gave his statement to Tsukauchi after assisting the officers with Gigas and went to look for the woman and child, but the ambulance was gone. All that remained of them was the upturned stroller laying on the sidewalk. With nothing more to do, he went to retrieve it and a small box tumbled out of a bag that had been in the bottom. A quiet chuckle escaped him as he picked up the action figure. A miniature version of him in his first pro hero suit smiled up at him from behind the plastic packaging.

Maybe Tsukauchi can take this to them when he goes for that woman's statement.

The only thing holding Inko back when she arrived in the shared hospital room was the possibility of further bruising the two most cherished people in her life. Villain attacks were always scary events, but her fear of them escalated severely after losing her husband. Right now, her face was buried in her hands in an effort to muffle her sobs to avoid waking Izuku. Her poor baby finally fell asleep after the events of the day and Mitsuki had slipped into the chair beside hers to rub her back soothingly.

"If I lost him, if I lost either of you, I d-don't know what I'd do." Another sob wracked her body mid-sentence causing her to stutter.

"Hey, we're fine. Everything will be okay now. Our x-rays came back clear and the doctor healed the bruising with his quirk. Damn convenient one, if you ask me. Izuku and I will be back to normal by tomorrow, I guarantee it. Now dry those eyes before Mini Might over there wakes up. I'm sure he wouldn't want to see his precious "kaa-san" upset."

Inko gave her a tearful, halfhearted glare for the foul language before offering a tremulous smile. "You're right, Mitsuki. I just can't help but worry."

Mitsuki ruffled her friend's hair, an impish grin on her face at knowing the action would ruffle her feathers. On cue, Inko batted the offending hand away just as a knock sounded in the room. Moments later, a nurse walked into the room followed quickly by a man that Mitsuki vaguely recognized as the detective from the incident. With the two was the stroller that had been left behind. When the door closed behind them, he didn't hesitate to state his business.

"I am Detective Tsukauchi Naomasa." He showed his badge before continuing. "I have a few questions, if you don't mind, ma'am." The detective said with a glance towards Mitsuki, who nodded her head in acceptance.

With that, he proceeded the process of obtaining any pertinent information from her. Inko listened intently as her gaze strayed back to the resting face of Izuku. It took a tremendous amount of effort on her part, but she managed to remain calm as the full events were relayed back to the detective. The thought of some cretin hurting her son both frightened and enraged her. A hand extended towards the sleeping boy and it took her a moment to realize it was her own. She had been subconsciously reaching for him, wanting physical affirmation that he was indeed safe. The hand settled over his much smaller one and gently grasped it.

I'm so happy that you're safe now, Izuku.

They stayed like that for a while until she was gently tapped on the arm. Turning her head, she realized that the detective and nurse were gone and Mitsuki was looking at her in concern. Instead of speaking, Inko offered a smile, one more steady than before and the blonde relaxed before grinning back. No words were exchanged, but they both understood.

Everything is going to be okay.

Later that night, as Inko was storing away the stroller, a bag caught her attention. Thinking it was something Mitsuki forgot, she reached into it to retrieve whatever was inside. Flipping the plastic box over, she couldn't help but gasp in surprise.

There, on the plastic box of what she now noticed was an action figure, was a large signature.

Stay strong, little hero! - ALL MIGHT

A surprised laugh tumbled out of her lips as she took the figure with her. He was too young to appreciate this now, so she decided that it would make a wonderful surprise when he was older.

It was dark in his apartment when he finally returned home, the meager light from the sunset not enough to penetrate the shades on the windows. A thin hand flicked a nearby switch and the room was illuminated by the fluorescent light hanging from the ceiling. A sparsely decorated room greeted tired blue eyes as the tall man trudged forward. With a drawn out sigh, he sunk into the red, threadbare sofa situated in front of an oak coffee table, some of the few things that went with him on his return trip to Japan.

Toshinori, in his civilian form, was still a tall, muscular man. While he could go all the time as "All Might", he preferred the anonymity his regular form afforded him. Besides, it was only him, so why keep up the charade of happiness? Instead, a frown marred his handsome features, the events of the day on replay in his mind. A nest of green curls and a wide smile on a freckled face, emerald green eyes gazing at him with adoration. They looked so alike that it felt like a physical blow to the stomach. It had taken all of his restraint to refrain from bombarding the woman with questions.

Hisashi...why did you never tell me? It would've hurt like hell, but I would've gladly accepted this over you completely disappearing from my life. And now, to also find out that you're truly gone? Why...?

Harsh sobs wracked his body as tears streamed like rivers down his hollow cheeks. He grabbed a nearby cushion and roughly pressed it against his face as he let out an anguished cry. Years of longing and heartache, previously held at bay by the last thread of hope he had, poured out of him as his tears and spittle soaked the cushion in his grasp. There was no holding back now, his hope was lost and his resolve with it. The man he loved was gone, leaving behind a wife and child, and him as well. The thought of those two brought him up short and an idea formed in his tattered mind.

I can look after them for you, Hisashi. I don't know why you never came to me, but I won't let it affect how I view them. They're in good hands.

With his newfound resolve, Toshinori stood on shaky feet and made his way into the small office den in the adjoining room, the soiled cushion forgotten on the floor of the living room. Plans were already forming in his head as he went. He retrieved his red phone while collapsing into the office chair, hand tapping away to make the first call of the night.