Izuku stared All Might in the eyes, watching his pupils shrink in shock. It may have been the drugs he was on, but a wave of confidence surged within him. "What… did you mean?" he pressed.

All Might stepped from his vision. "I…"

"I'm back - Izuku!" His mother rushed from the door. Before he knew it he was pressed against her shoulder, her hands cradling his head.

"Mum…"

"I'm so glad your okay!" He felt tears soak into his neck. "I was so worried," she whispered.

"Mum, I can't - I can't move…"

"That'll be Recovery Girl's quirk," All Might chimed in. "Its healing comes straight from your stamina, and you were pretty beat up to start with. You've got nothing to worry about."

That was one thing off his mind. For a few moments, he let himself be comforted in his mother's arms, the still foreign feeling calming the storm in his mind. Still, he had to ask: "Who is All Might to you?" He felt her tense, and she pulled away to look at his face. Izuku felt queasy. "I don't know what's going on…" All Might's face twisted again. "I just want an answer!" His throat clenched in pain at his outburst.

His mother and All Might looked at each other, an unspoken question passing between them. "Izuku…" Butterflies were in his stomach. "All Might is… your father."

His world lurched, blurring and coming into focus as a missing piece of his life was slammed back in. It felt like there was a shift in reality, a sudden clarity where everything made sense, while at the same time a gaping hole formed behind him. There were stories to be told, explanations to give, and questions to ask.

When he was young, he wondered where his dad was. Everyone else seemed to have one except him. He used to fantasise All Might was his dad because the hero was perfect in every way, and who wouldn't want him as a dad. When he got his quirk, though, the idea of having a father disappeared, buried beneath anxiety and guilt.

Why did you leave?

Why bother coming back?

Why weren't you there to help us?

The questions swirled in his mind, along with a million others, but he pushed them down, reminding himself that the person he wanted to ask was All Might. The Number One Hero. The Symbol of Peace. The most selfless person on the planet.

There must have been a reason why he left. Or maybe it was his inner fan wanting to believe the man could do no wrong.

"There we go, Izuku, just let it all out." Circles were being rubbed on his back. The smell of something horrible stung his nose and he realised he was bent over a cardboard bucket, staring at his own vomit. He threw up again.

"Mum…"

"Shh." She pressed his back a little harder. "Just let it out. Deep breaths."

He coughed for a while and dry heaved a couple of times before he finished. If he felt weak before, he was exhausted now, a weak tremor in his body. His mother lowered him back to the bed, taking hold of his hand.

"Feeling better?"

He nodded, too tired to talk.

"Maybe we should have this talk after you've recovered. You've only just woken up after all."

He shook his head. "No," he croaked.

"Izuku - "

"No," he repeated. "I want… to know."

"I really think - "

All Might's hand on her shoulder stopped her. "Inko, it's fine. He has a right to know." He pulled up a couple of chairs and sat down, his mother taking the other. He sighed. "I suppose I should start from the beginning.

"I met your mother in the summer about sixteen years ago; it was way before I debuted. At the time I was a sidekick in a local agency, trying to earn a name for myself. It was a coffee run that brought me and your mother together. Things progressed from there, and before I knew it I was in love."

Izuku's mother blushed, but had a fond smile.

"Shortly after, I got the chance to move abroad. My reputation had grown a lot, and it was my chance to make it big, to become the hero I've always wanted to be."

"We talked about it," his mother chimed in, "I thought it was a great chance, and I didn't want to be the one who held him back."

"And I didn't want to be the one to bring her harm. The Symbol of Peace I wanted to become would be a target, and any weakness I had I feared would be exploited. It was that fear that led me to cut all ties with your mother the day I left."

"It was that day I found out I was pregnant with you, Izuku."

All Might grimaced, clenching his fists so hard Izuku could hear the bones pop. "By then, I was out of reach. I never knew you existed until a few weeks ago when Recovery Girl told me." He hung his head, bowing in his seat. "I'm so sorry Izuku, Inko. I left you both alone through all these years, and while I was saving the world the people I should have cared for the most were suffering. I'm so sorry."

There was something wrong with seeing All Might so small and fragile. His booming and strong voice was wavering, and his upright posture was slumped in forgiveness. "All… Might…" Izuku couldn't bring himself to be angry at the person in front of him. "It's okay… because... you're here now… right?"

All Might's face shot up, eyes wide. "I don't know… how to take this. But I… I'll work through it… eventually. So, it's okay."

His signature smile crawled along his face. Something about it seemed more genuine than the ones Izuku had seen before. "Heh. You're very mature, young Izuku." Izuku smiled back.

Soon enough, the three of them were smiling at each other. Izuku didn't know what would happen from there on out, but at that moment they were happy, a seed of a brighter future planted between them.

The door slid open and Recovery Girl shuffled in, pausing to look at the scene before coming up to Izuku's bedside. "I see everything is out then." They smiled back. "That's good. I hope you took the news well, Midoriya-kun?"

He went to speak but his mother beat him to it. "Things were a little sudden," she said, gesturing to the bucket on the ground, "but he got over it rather quickly."

"How are you feeling, Midoriya-kun?" Recovery Girl asked.

"Okay. Throat hurts. Feel weak."

"It's a good thing you have so much energy, Midoriya-kun," she said, tapping on her tablet. "There are very few people who could take my treatment for so long. Thankfully, it paid off; your bones have been realigned and your wounds sealed. A couple more days of treatment and you will be good to go. School has been cancelled for three days, so you don't have to worry about that." A chill settled into the room. "However, I would advise that you avoid injuries like these again, Midoriya-kun. I don't want you to become a regular of mine." How could a little old lady be so menacing?!

Izuku nodded as fast as he could. "Un-understood."

"Good." The aura receded and Recovery Girl became the image of a charming little granny. "I'm sorry to say this, you two, but visiting hours are over. We're already over the clock and I can't give you any more time."

His mother looked deflated at that. "Okay." She came up to him and gave him a hug. "I'll be back tomorrow, okay?" she whispered. "I'll try to sneak in some katsudon as well." She pulled away and winked with a conspiratory smile.

All Might was next. "Mi - Izuku. I know a lot has been dropped on you today, but… thank you, for accepting me. I'll have a lot to deal with the next couple of days, but I want to talk to you as soon as I can. There are some things about your quirk I would like you to know."

They went to the door. It was strange, seeing them together. They gave one last wave and they were gone.

"Rest well, Midoriya-kun." A cup of water with a straw was placed on his bedside table. "Small sips only. I don't want you throwing up again." With those words, Recovery Girl left the room.

He only managed two sips before he fell asleep.

Ochako didn't have a destination in mind when she started walking. It was the day after the USJ attack, and after waking up from a nightmare to an empty apartment, she decided she needed a distraction from the silence.

So, at four in the morning, she clipped on her dad's old Walkman, put in his old mixtape, secured the headphones, and set out. The air was humid, and the morning dew had yet to subside. The sky had begun to turn orange with the rising sun, but a lilac veil still held most of it. It was a pretty sight, so she took a picture on her phone, hoping to show it to Deku on Monday.

She had debated visiting him at the hospital, but it would be pretty embarrassing. Especially since Iida was too busy to come. The thought of them alone in such a private setting made her feel awkward, and with Deku's social skills she doubted they would have that much of a conversation.

Her mind flashed back to watching Deku fight that monster.

They had hidden themselves on a peak, observing the situation on the plaza and scouting out any escape routes. Ochako remembered her heart stopping when the monster moved in a blink and took down Aizawa. She felt its killing intent from so far away, and a sense of uselessness pressed down on her. She was rooted to the spot.

Then Deku was there, saving Aizawa and pushing back the beast. He was just like he was during the entrance exam: standing strong in the face of danger and adversity. She marveled at his strength.

Then he was beaten back.

Then he stood.

Before she knew it, she was being pushed down by Momo, wind billowing above them and sending rocks tumbling down the miniature mountains. When the wind died down, and she looked at the plaza, she saw Izuku's fist outstretched, the monster pushed back.

Her friend's power had never felt so real. And it made her feel even more inadequate.

How could she be a hero if she wasn't willing to stand like Deku did? What was her power compared to his?

The questions kept haunting her mind as she walked. It was only until she passed under a strange shadow did she snap back to reality.

Looking to her right, she saw piles upon piles of rubbish. Old cars, rusted metals, appliances. Almost anything she could think of was there. It brought a frown to her face when she noticed it was supposed to be a beach.

Back where she was from, no one would have dared to litter that much, let alone ruin a public space. She was about to set off again when a stray thought swept across her doubtful mind. It was something she had read up while she was studying for the UA exams.

Over dozens of tests lasting several weeks, there has been a uniform conclusion: the extensive and strenuous use of a quirk increases its strength in different ways, depending on the quirk in question. It is from this, it is safe to equate a quirk to a muscle; the more it is strained, the better it shall grow. Whether or not there is a limit to how far has yet to be determined.

Three tons. That is how much she could lift before she would vomit. She used to think it was a pretty high weight, but after lifting Momo's cannon Ochako realised it was practically nothing. What if someone was trapped under rubble? She wouldn't have time to measure its weight, and trying to weightless something she had no idea she could handle could give her more than queasiness.

As I am now, I'll be putting people in danger if I try and help them. As I am now, I'm useless.

She looked at the dump again, a tenseness coiling in her muscles.

I'm useless, but I won't give up. I'll get my parents the life they deserve, and give them that trip to Hawaii! I might never catch up to Deku-kun… but I won't be someone who drags him down. I owe it to him as a friend!

Ochako hopped over the wall and landed on the sand. Taking off the Walkman and putting it on a nearby bench, she gave her hands a quick dust off and placed her fingertips on an old fridge.

She took a breath and made it weightless.

Shoto always pushed himself. Everyday he would take his body and quirk to its limits, repeating the same routines over and over again until all he could do was walk to bed and pass out. It's what got him into UA on a special recommendation, and it's what got him the reputation of being good enough to be a top ten pro hero. It was the one thing he prided himself in, the distant goal of surpassing his father seeming that much closer.

Then he saw Midoriya Izuku in action.

At first, during the tests, he thought Midoriya's quirk was a strong, and impressively flexible, strength enhancement quirk. As expected of someone with such power, his form was sloppy, relying on the fact he could overpower anything in his way. Shoto planned to show him brawn could only get him so far.

Then Midoriya beat him in the mock battle, apparently planning around Bakugo's irrationality and Shoto's preferred method of capturing people. This only increased Shoto's observations, and he was soon left confused between Midoriya's power and his meek personality.

It was his battle against the Noumu that put him into perspective. The power and speed of which he moved reminded Shoto of All Might. His final punch was a testament to that too, the shockwave making Shoto brace himself against a wall of ice.

It was that punch that made him someone to be surpassed. And with the upcoming sports festival, Shoto would show him that he was nowhere near good enough. He'd show his father he didn't need his power too.

He focused on the world around him, determined not to follow the line of thought his father would have made. It was then he noticed he was outside the hospital.

Why do his feet always take him there on the way home?

Todoroki Shoto always pushed himself.

Katsuki had been quiet since he got home. His parents were giving him strange looks, but he didn't give a shit, he had a lot to think about and it wasn't any of their business.

That whole USJ crap put a lot into perspective, and while Katsuki knew he was the strongest, he also knew when he could become stronger. It was that mindset that put him above all the others in school, right at the top where he belonged.

He was a great fighter. He studied his quirk inside and out. He was the smartest in class. The best in sports.

And all that went away because he took a little dip in some water.

As soon as he was back home he locked himself in his room, and poured all that he could in redesigning his costume. The obvious solution was waterproof gloves, but he couldn't find a material that was porous enough to let his explosions through. He could label it as a concept; as much as it annoyed him, the nerds in the development course would think of a solution better than he could.

While he was working on his costume he decided to take another look at his gauntlets. Even he had to admit they were too over the top, the explosions themselves damaged the internal mechanisms, and they packed a lot more punch than he thought they would. Perhaps there could be a way to make charges; three separate shots at a third of the current power. It would make sure he wouldn't waste his ace in the hole in one shot as well.

He could have used it against that creepy bastard.

Katsuki looked at his arm, remembering his gauntlet decaying under the villain's touch. No one had come close to touching Katsuki in all his life. And no one but Deku had been able to take his blasts.

Whoever that guy was, he was strong. Possibly stronger than Katsuki.

And that pissed him off.

He stormed out of his room and down the stairs, his thunderous steps drawing the attention of his mother. "Oi, where are you going?"

"Out," he bit back.

"At least be quiet about it, you brat. Your dad's trying to sleep."

"Whatever." He slammed the door behind him and heard his mother shout. He was heading to the gym. Next time he saw that fucker the bastard wouldn't be so lucky.

Izuku's weekend went by in a whirl.

Recovery Girl's treatment kept him floored for two days straight. During that time his mother made good on her promise and brought him his favourite meals, along with his own pillow. It stopped him from waking up with an ache in his neck, and its familiar smell reminded him he would be home at some point.

It was when All Might came to visit that Izuku's world was turned on its head again.

As soon as the door closed, and he promised not to be too surprised, Izuku watched as the number one hero disappeared into a puff of smoke to be replaced by a skeletal man. Even watching it happen before his eyes, it took Izuku a few moments to really digest that it was All Might, his father, standing in front of him.

He was then told of the injury that atrophied him over the years, and the great battle that caused it. What followed afterwards was an explanation of his quirk.

"One For All?"

"Yes. It is no coincidence that your quirk is identical to mine. One For All is a quirk that can be passed from one person to the next, like a torch. All it requires is an exchange of DNA and a wish for the power to be transferred to another person."

"So then… how did I get it?"

All Mi - Yagi Toshinori looked away and scratched his cheek. "I suppose wishes are fickle things. That night, I wanted nothing more for it to last forever. A part of me wanted to give it all up. I guess that was my wish."

That night? Wait… he didn't mean…

"And, I guess, uh, there was an exchange of DNA - "

That's all Izuku heard before he made some kind of squawking noise and covered his ears.

He blushed at the memory, feeling his ears grow hot. That was information he really didn't have to know. Especially since it involved his mum. Izuku shuddered.

The school was just as lively as ever, seemingly recovered from the attack on USJ. He even overheard some students talking about how they got fired up over the attack, determined not to let it happen again.

1-A, however, was a little different. When he opened the door, a lot of eyes turned to him. In seconds he was bombarded with pats on the back from Kaminari and Kirishima, the latter commenting on how 'manly' he was during the attack.

The girls expressed how relieved they were that he was better, with Asui giving a simple 'you looked a lot worse before.' Ashido was next, hopping up to him and getting too close, babbling at speed about how awesome he was, complete with punches and 'whooshes'.

Uraraka was the last, giving him a smile that made his heart do a little flip. "I'm glad you're okay, Deku-kun." For some reason he started blushing.

Then Iida burst through the crowd. "Make way! Make way! Our friend Midoriya-kun needs some space! Let me escort you to your seat, I am sure you need some rest!" he was being pulled along before he could object.

"I - I'm fine, Iida-kun! Really! Besides, I need to ask Ojiro-san something."

"Oh?" The boy in question said. "What is it, Midoriya-san?"

Izuku suddenly felt shy. He poked his fingers together and looked around the room. "Well… I was wondering, with your costume, do you do martial arts?"

"I do," he nodded.

"Ah. Well… I was wondering if… possibly… youcouldteachmesomestuff?!"

"What was that?"

Izuku took a breath. Chin up. He looked at Ojiro. "I was wondering if you could teach me some stuff?"

Ojiro actually looked surprised. "I mean, I guess? Why come to me though? A sensei would be better."

"I know that, but…" Come on Izuku, just say it. Explain it through like everything else. "With all the work we'll get here, I think it would be best to learn from someone I know. I might not be able to attend the classes outside of school, and on top of that… we could spar too. Not like I'm forcing you or anything! We don't have to spar! I just thought…"

"Midoriya-san." Izuku stopped rambling. "That sounds like a pretty good idea. I might not be good teacher, but I'll give it my best shot. What brought this on?"

Izuku looked at his arm, knowing there was a massive scar running down it. "Even though people keep saying I did well against Noumu, I really didn't. When it got serious, I didn't stand a chance. And before that… Before that all I've done is get beaten around." He remembered his mother trembling as she held him close. "I can't keep doing that anymore. I need to learn to fight."

Ojiro looked at him in understanding. "That makes sense, Midoriya-san. We'll figure something out when classes end, alright?"

Elated, Izuku nodded and went to his seat, just in time for Aizawa to enter. The teacher's right arm was in a sling, and his face had a few cuts on them. Aside from that, he looked no worse for wear. Izuku had saved him from the worse.

There was something strange about Aizawa's eyes though. They looked more somber than bored.

"Before I start this class, I have some bad news." Everyone glanced at each other, concerned. Aizawa sighed. "This morning, at six forty three, Thirteen passed away in hospital."

In a dark room, Tomura watched the news, scratching at his bandages. The USJ attack had been a failure, but his master insisted that they did a good job. Over the weekend their name had been on every news network, and doubt had sprung over UA's ability to care for its students.

Now they were reporting on the valiant hero who died trying to protect his pupils. The Space Hero Thirteen.

Tomura couldn't help but smile at the way he died. Slow and painful, decaying over a few days. It reminded him of his quirk. Then he remembered the two brats.

That green haired little hero and that blond kid had pissed him off to no end. Somehow, they had foiled his plans and made a mockery of his master's power. They made sure he got the bullet wounds too.

At least they gave him something nice in the end.

Their screams and blood had been in his dreams every night since.

A/N: Thank you for reading!

I said it wouldn't take long. Actually managed to stick to it this time. First of all, I want to thank everyone for their readership, and I'm so glad you've been enjoying the story. There have been some very flattering reviews and I really appreciate your feedback. One of the best things about this site is I can go back and change things, so if you find any plot holes, or have any advice on improvement, let me know.

Secondly, the next chapter will be a bit of exposition/training much like this one. I'll try to make it as interesting as possible, and i hope you come away with a few things learned as well!

Honestly, this story being some people's favourites makes me want to work harder, and I'll do my best to edit them a bit more. There are always words to cut, after all. Like that just then: 'after all'. That just doesn't need to be there. Unless you're trying to write a particular narrative voice of a character of course.

Anyway, thank you for reading, and I hope you all have a good week. Until next time!