Izuku checked in to the regional hospital where his mentor had been staying for months now. Ochako and Hansuke were behind him, but before he went to the front desk, he stopped and asked them to stay there in the lobby.
Ochako gave him a sad look and kissed his cheek. Hansuke nodded and stayed put.
The young hero made his way to All Might's room labeled "Toshinori Yagi" and stepped in the open door.
The skinny older man, with messy blonde hair, was looking out the window. He must've known Izuku was visiting because he wasn't very surprised. In fact, he almost didn't seem to acknowledge Izuku's presence in the small room.
He was laying down in a bed hooked up to a few machines beside him, and his attention was on the decent view.
"I heard about what happened." He said.
Soon, his attention finally, officially turned to the young man.
"So an assassin created a disease that attacks Quirks and unleashed it on one of the world's biggest hero conventions..." He sighed.
"I wasn't there. I'm unaffected." Izuku informed him. "I actually came here to talk to you about something related to it... But I'm also worried about you, All Might."
All Might smiled and chuckled, laying back slowly. But his laughter turned into a cough and blood trickled from his mouth. He reached over at a tray next to his bed and took a pill dry.
"It's getting worse, isn't it?..." Izuku asked.
"Heh... Ever since my final battle with All For One... Every piece of One For All within me slipped away. First, the parts that made me a strong hero, then... what was keeping me alive after such a crushing blow years ago." He explained.
Izuku clenched his fists.
"I think it's time, Izuku Midoriya..." He sighed.
Izuku shook his head. "I don't know if I can allow that..."
"Classic Midoriya, always trying to save everyone even beyond what's inevitable. What's realistic." He chuckled.
"That doesn't really help me, All Might." Izuku frowned.
"It's not supposed to." All Might looked back at the window. "I was just enjoying the view when you came in... Out of the many beautiful things I could see, you know what I paid attention to the most?"
Izuku sat at the foot of the old hero's bedside and looked out the same window hoping to spot whatever spectacular thing he was about to share.
"A man and a woman, swinging a little girl in their arms. Enjoying their lives in that sweet moment as a family..." All Might said softly. "The life of a hero gets so hectic. Your job consists of stopping the absolute worst of humanity from bringing destruction and changing everything I see out this window... Sometimes it's hard to see that there are still moments like that."
Izuku listened intently and thought of his own family. And the moments like that, in which they had just the other day. Even with the villain disturbance, it was a peaceful day. Just him walking beside Ochako, hand in hand aside from her pinky. And little Eri following them with her music, lost in her imagination.
Izuku and All Might agreed: as long as there are moments like that, there is hope. Even through these scary events. Diseases stopping heroes from using their Quirks at full strength, and new villains with terrifying abilities and philosophies.
Despite all of that circulating the news, there is still hope in the heroes.
"The last thing I want to teach you, is something I never really got the chance to experience myself, young Midoriya..." All Might broke the silence.
"Yes?" Izuku asked hesitantly.
"Having a family...is the greatest way of remembering that there is hope and peace..." He smiled. "As much as I've always taught you to become the greatest hero, remember your responsibilities as a husband, and as a father."
He held out his hand for Izuku, which the young man quickly held. "If you can't be a hero for everyone... At least be a hero to them."
"I will. I promise..." Izuku teared up.
"Good... You've made me so proud, Izuku..." All Might smiled up at him warmly. "You're destined to be the number one hero... Even greater than I was."
Izuku felt uneasy about that, but still nodded to his sensei.
Just then, he felt a buzz in his pocket. His phone was receiving a hero's alert.
"Go." All Might said. "I'll take the time to rest."
"Okay... Please rest up. I'll come back later. I still need that advice." Izuku said lightheartedly.
"Be careful. And know when the time is right to use your full abilities." All Might said. "I fear that day is coming for you..."
Izuku gulped and waved goodbye as he rushed out the doorway and down to regroup with his wife and intern.
All Might sighed and resumed looking out the window at the people down below. Still very much a hero at heart.
He sighed wearily and closed his eyes to sleep.
Izuku felt something inside of him break. He began to cry as they left the building.
"Izuku?! What's wrong?!" Ochako asked as she ran to keep up with him.
"H-He's dying, Ochako... But I can't be here for him!" He cried out.
"Hansuke, go with him! I'll stay with All Might." Ochako ordered, giving the boy a push before running back inside the hospital.
Izuku pulled out his phone and looked up quickly.
They found them. Not too far out of the metropolitan area.
"What happened?" Hansuke asked.
"Let's go. We need to move fast. They called in quite a few heroes to this." Izuku informed him and put his phone back. "This is it."
"This is it!" Hansuke repeated and ran ahead overexcited.